WWDC14: iOS8, OS X Yosemite and Swift

So Apple’s WWDC event has come and gone….and did they release any of the ‘rumoured’ devices? Nope! Instead they focused solely on software, which is quite a shift from their usually hardware centric model. Apple’s release focused on iOS8, OS X Yosemite, and their new programming language, Swift.

First let’s talk about iOS8. It’s going to be released in the fall, but only on the iPhone 4S and newer, as well as all the iPads, except for the original. If you’ve got an iPhone 4 or older, you’re out of luck (probably time for a new phone anyway). They started off by mentioning a whole bunch of features that are already available on Android/WhatsApp, such as now having the ability to send audio and video in iMessage and a predictive text keyboard. Their main focus for iOS 8 seems to have been making the experience between an iPhone/iPad and a Mac seamless, as well as allowing users to use apps within apps. Ex: the photo editing app can be used within pintrest. However, I will admit that some of the features were pretty neat. You can connect your device to several smarthome devices, and set certain moods so that if you were to say ‘time for bed’ to Siri, it would for example, shut off lights, turn the temperature down, and whatever else you have set to that mood. As smart devices become more common, this will be a really great feature.

Apple also unveiled a HealthKit, which allows medical data to be shared more easily, and allows the user to track things such as blood pressure and exercise. Some health experts were very critical of this, saying that they were wary of user tracked data. Apple has also expanded the use of the TouchID, allowing developers to use it in other apps, while promising to keep your information safe and inside the phone only. As well, the notification centre now lets you text without leaving the app you’re currently in. The other big feature was the amount of ‘continuity’ between your Apple devices, meaning that you can answer text messages from your Mac if your phone is nearby, easily transfer photos, etc. They demonstrated this at the conference by calling Dr.Dre through a Mac, to welcome him to Apple (it’s pretty funny because they refer to him as Doctor, as if that’s his first name - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeWMueqxH_s).

Next is OS X Yosemite, which is the new operating system for the Mac (instead of being named after cats, they are now being named after things in California). The biggest changes are to make it look more like iOS8 and to increase the compatibility with Apple’s mobile devices. Tim Cook made sure to throw in some barbs about how high the adoption rate is for Apple’s operating system vs. Windows 8.

Lastly (and probably the biggest surprise), was Apple’s announcement of a new programming language, called Swift. It’s apparently way faster and cleaner than the old one. One of the ‘great’ features about it is that it runs the code as you type it – although I read a post where the developer said this was a terrible idea because if you click any links it will automatically run and you can’t stop it. He also said if you accidently run a certain line of code it will delete everything on your Mac. Overall, I’m sure developers were pretty pleased with the WWDC considering all the new tools and developer kits that Apple has made available. Now we get to listen to more speculation about when the next hardware will be released…

Stepping outside of Apple’s world, Amazon released a video today inviting everyone to their special launch announcement on June 18^th, and from the video it seems like they will potentially be releasing a 3D phone (at least that’s what the experts think). Watch the video and see what you think - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erUZQ9GK0sE. And lastly, the WiiU may have found it’s saviour in Mario Kart 8. The game sold 1.2 million copies over the weekend, giving the gaming system a much needed boost.