WWDC 2016 – Expectations and Revelations
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6 July 2016
WWDC 2016 – Expectations and Revelations
The World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) is one of Apple’s most awaited events every year. Held in San Francisco, the 2016 conference was a huge success right from the start. Entry tickets cost 1599 USD and were sold by lottery. As usual the event was preceded by a lot of speculation. Expected were the launch of the new iOS, the new OS X and the new versions of tvOS and watchOS among other things. Read on to find out what emerged …
True to form, Tim Cook and company met most of these expectations, unveiling their latest equipment at Bill Graham Auditorium during the WWDC 2016 event from June 13th to June 17th this year. With thirty million registered members, the event was a huge success. Tickets sold out within a short while after opening. Scholarships were awarded to 350 students. More than a 100 attendees were underage with the youngest being just 9 years old.
News about the Apple Car and Apple Watch 2 was eagerly awaited. Other highlights included Apple Music, iOS 9, and OS X EI Capitan. New MacBook and the much discussed, much awaited, larger than life Apple Television.
The event revealed…
watch OS 3
Major improvements were seen in the watchOS 3. A new version of the Apple Watch OS with improved features and promises to overcome some of the glitches and complaints of users which included speed, background updates, a dock to keep your favourite apps, and faster refresh. Another interesting new feature is the ability to swipe between apps just as you do on an iPod. Messages now have built in replies that you can select from or you can install scribble and create your own replies. Activity sharing is one more new feature in the watchOS 3.
tvOS
For those who are allergic to the Apple TV remote, Apple has introduced a new feature whereby you can use your iPhone as a remote for your Apple TV. You can also use your phone gyroscope for gaming. Siri has gained approval for Apple TV. You can now search for movies and You Tube by categories such as “high school comedies”. Video channel apps have been enhanced for ease of use. Downloading apps on your phone will automatically download them on the big screen too.
MacOS Sierra
OS X is now a thing of the past. MacOS – which is OS X with Siri – is the new Apple OS. This one is named MacOS Sierra. The focus in the new OS is continuity, Siri, and iCloud. Continuity does away with the need to enter a password every time you unlock your Mac. If you are wearing your Apple Watch, your Mac will unlock automatically when you come close. The universal clipboard is another new continuity feature which allows you to copy and paste between your Mac and iPhone. The overall Mac experience has been enhanced with tabs for multiple windows. Siri has been permitted on the mac OS. It will reside on your dock and you can use your voice to operate your Mac. You can do a lot with Siri on your Mac such as pin your results to notification, drag the results into docs, and send messages. Basically it works the same as on your iPhone. Though the full release is expected in the fall, the beta version is immediately available to developers.
Apple Music
Apple Music has been completely redesigned making it easier to use with a host of new features. The use of 3D has been enhanced in the iOS 10. The phone now wakes up merely by raising your hand. Notifications have become interactive. You can even manage them without unlocking your phone. Messaging is also possible without unlocking. There is a much bigger space for music on your lock screen. Access to widgets, music, and the camera is easier.
Siri
Siri is now being offered to developers, which bodes well for app development. Siri has also been linked to WhatsApp as has Slack. Uber and Lyft can also use Siri as can Pinintrest, MapMyRun, Skype, and Runkeeper. Quicktype has become more intelligent offering location and calendar enhancements like auto-fill and pre-fill.
Pictures and Photos
Facial recognition has been introduced and you can pin your picture to a map to know where you took the photo. You can also search your picture based on its contents such as mountains, sea-shore and so on. The picture enhancement comes bundled with Memories, a new UI.
Maps
Similar to Google, Apple maps will now suggest alternative routes based on traffic. Information about restaurants close by and turn by turn directions have also been introduced. Apple Maps is also being offered to developers among other things.
News
After a somewhat bumpy beginning, Apple hopes to enhance this feature by dividing it into sections. The topics have been revisited as have the subscriptions. You can now see subscribed content in your app.
Homekit
Like News, Homekit did not have a great start. But the new updates have enhanced this feature. There are now cameras and door locks within Homekit. It has a new name too. It’s now simply called Home. You can personalize it and keep all your accessories linked to it. Scenes, a new feature, allows you to have different scenes for bed time and day time. Siri has been linked to home. The app is available in Control Centre and you can use it on the go. So when you are close to home, it will turn on the lights, heating etc. for you even before you arrive. Voicemail transcription, another new feature transcribes your voice mail so that you can read it instead of listening to it. Spam labelling has been introduced. Links can be played inline and images will pop up from links directly. Emojis have become predictive and three times their size. Words which can be turned to Emojis will be highlighted as you type.
Summing Up…
The biggest thing that emerged, considering that the WWDC is a developers’ conference, is the new iOS 10, the enhanced MacOS, and the fact that Siri has been opened to developers. The new iOS 10 which comes out this fall, has many new features, some useful some not so useful. Same for the MacOS. A preview will be available in the next month. We are waiting for users reactions to the new features and hoping for many more in the next conference.
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