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All the news from Apple's 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple kicked off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, June 10th with a keynote detailing all of its software plans for 2013. The Jony Ive-designed iOS 7 was detailed in full, as was the OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the first OS X update to break from the traditional "big cat" naming structure. And while there were no new iPhones or iPads to be seen, the company did refresh the MacBook Air lineup and gave an early look at the new, radically redesigned Mac Pro. Read on for all of the announcements from WWDC 2013.

  • Nathan Ingraham

    Jun 10, 2013

    Nathan Ingraham

    Apple announces new version of Safari for OS X Mavericks with redesigned sidebar, performance enhancements

    Safari for OS X Mavericks
    Safari for OS X Mavericks

    Apple announced a new Safari to go along with OS X Mavericks. There are a number of new consumer-facing features as well as under-the-hood improvements. For starters, the sidebar which contained the browser's Reading List feature now has new functionality — you can go through your Reading List, browse your bookmarks, and share links all from the sidebar. Twitter and LinkedIn are a big part of the shared links feature — that section shows you what links people you follow on those social networks have recently shared. You can also continuously scroll through your saved reading list articles in the sidebar without having to back out and select the next link.

    As for performance improvements, the biggest is probably being able to devote a full process per tab — Chrome has implemented this for a while, and it helps keep a crash in one tab from taking down the entire browser. Apple also touted major battery-saving improvements — CPU usage is supposedly much lower than that in Chrome or Firefox, while it significantly surpasses competing browsers in a JavaScript benchmark. Of course, we'll need to wait and see how this all works in practice, but it sounds like a good improvement for fans of Apple's browser.

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  • Chris Welch

    Jun 10, 2013

    Chris Welch

    Apple's OS X 10.9 Mavericks ships this fall with tabbed Finder, Maps and iBooks apps

    OS Mavericks apple stock
    OS Mavericks apple stock

    The next major version of Apple's desktop operating system, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, has been revealed for the first time on stage at today's WWDC keynote. All told, the company says Mavericks includes over 200 new features including tabbed Finder windows. Tag support is also new, and is applicable to documents on your Mac. Apple says tags ultimately make for a better experience keeping track of the files on your Mac.

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  • Nathan Ingraham

    Jun 10, 2013

    Nathan Ingraham

    Apple: 900,000 apps in the App Store, 375,000 iPad-optimized, 28 million copies of Mountain Lion sold

    As Apple kicks off its keynote presentation at WWDC 2013, CEO Tim Cook is onstage sharing a variety of stats on the health of the company's various platforms. There are now 900,000 apps in the app store, with 375,000 of those fully optimized for the iPad. Out of those 900,000 apps, Cook claims that 93 percent are downloaded every month. That's up from 700,000 apps announced at the September 2012 iPhone 5 event, with 250,000 iPad-optimized events announced then as well. Of course, Cook touted the 50 billion apps downloaded from the store, which the company announced back in May. As for iCloud, Cook mentioned that the company had sent 7.4 trillion push notifications and has 300 million users with iCloud accounts using iTunes in the Cloud service.

    As this is a developer-focused conference, Cook also said the company has paid out $10 billion to developers, with $5 billion paid out in the last year alone. Apple claims that this makes up 74 percent of total app download revenue across all mobile computing platforms, with 20 percent of total revenue going to Android developers.

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  • Aaron Souppouris

    Jun 10, 2013

    Aaron Souppouris

    Apple's WWDC 2013 keynote will be streamed live

    Apple TV WWDC stream
    Apple TV WWDC stream

    With Apple's WWDC keynote just a few hours away, the company has added an "Apple Events" channel to its Apple TV set-top box. The channel made an appearance for Apple's iPad mini event back in October, and at the time the event was also available for streaming for Mac users through Safari. Although Apple hasn't announced any plans to broadcast the keynote over the web, we wouldn't be surprised if it adds a live video stream to its event page soon. The keynote will kick off at 1PM ET, and we're expecting Apple to detail its new desktop and mobile OSes, as well as some refreshed hardware.

    Update: As expected, Apple's event page is showing the WWDC 2013 keynote address. According to Apple, the stream will only be viewable through Safari on OS X, or Safari on iOS 4.2 onwards.

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  • David Pierce

    Jun 9, 2013

    David Pierce

    iOS 7 said to feature a new look, new sharing features, and streaming music

    WWDC Stock images
    WWDC Stock images

    WWDC is an annual tradition, and so is the Wall Street Journal's pre-show leaking of what the company is set to announce. This year, the Journal is reporting that Apple will be announcing a new, flatter, skeumorphism-free version of iOS — we've been hearing those rumors for months. But within this new operating system will also be "new ways to share photos and videos with other iPhones," and the long-rumored iRadio service.

    The change is apparently long overdue, and Apple employees have become worried that iOS is outdated. The original skeumorphic design was apparently designed to help people understand how to use their iPhones, a 2007 concern that doesn't exist in 2013 — and the Journal reports the iPhone's look is seen within Apple as outdated and inconsistent. That could all change tomorrow, though.

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  • Evan Rodgers

    Jun 6, 2013

    Evan Rodgers

    Our WWDC coverage begins on Monday at 1PM ET, E3 coverage starts at 12:30PM ET

    E3 WWDC
    E3 WWDC

    Next week is going to be crazy, from start to finish. On Monday, Apple's hosting its annual Worldwide Developers Conference where the company will announce a new version of iOS featuring a much-anticipated visual overhaul by Jony Ive, as well as a new version of OS X. At literally the same time, Microsoft will be holding its Xbox One press conference at E3, where we'll presumably hear a lot about upcoming games for the new console. A few hours later, Sony's PlayStation E3 keynote will kick off, where we'll hopefully get our first actual look at the PS4 — and find out how Sony intends to compete against Microsoft's ambitious living room plans.

    And that's just Monday.

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  • Nathan Ingraham

    Jun 6, 2013

    Nathan Ingraham

    WWDC 2013 preview: Apple prepares to unveil the future of iOS, OS X, and more

    tim cook
    tim cook

    While Apple has already announced that it’ll be showing off the next versions of OS X and iOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote, there’s still more attention than usual on the company’s annual developer-focused event. The announcement of iOS 6 at WWDC 2012 and the software's subsequent launch were rather disappointing affairs — the new features didn’t drive Apple’s mobile OS forward in any significant way, and lots of old flaws still persisted. In particular, the new Maps app was a near disaster, and one that eventually helped seal former iOS senior VP Scott Forstall’s fate. Indeed, Forstall’s departure has helped anticipation for iOS 7 reach a fever pitch — famed designer Jony Ive stepped in to lead the product’s visual design, and rumor has it that iOS will receive its first major visual refresh since it launched six years ago.

    That’s hardly all that’s on tap, though. Apple has promised yearly OS X updates, so we’ll see what’s next for the company’s desktop OS — and there may be new hardware coming along with it. Apple may have moved its annual iPhone refresh to the late summer / early fall timeframe, but the company has consistently shown off new MacBook hardware right around WWDC, with last year’s event showcasing the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. And there have been a lot of signs indicating that Apple is nearly ready to show off iRadio, a streaming music service that could be the biggest update the iTunes experience has seen in years.

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  • Refreshed MacBook models rumored for WWDC next week

    Apple Retina MacBook Pro 15 STOCK
    Apple Retina MacBook Pro 15 STOCK

    Laptops sporting Intel's latest processors, Haswell, have been popping up everywhere over the past few days, and now it looks like Apple may be ready to get in on the action. 9to5Mac is reporting that either the MacBook Air or the MacBook Pro with Retina display — if not both machines — are likely to see a refresh as early as WWDC next week. Retailers are reportedly seeing a significant shortage of both laptops, and 9to5Mac has seen what appears to be SKU codes for the updated models. Given that Haswell's official launch is tomorrow, the timing certainly seems about right.

    WWDC is set to begin in exactly one week, on June 10th, when Apple will be detailing a Jony Ive-led refresh of the design within iOS. Apple has also said that it will be showcasing developments in OS X. Though no major hardware announcements are expected, we may well be seeing updated versions to the company's existing products.

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  • Sam Byford

    May 29, 2013

    Sam Byford

    Tim Cook says Jony Ive is 'really key' to iOS redesign coming at WWDC

    Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed what many have long assumed — that Jony Ive is working on a new version of iOS, and that it will be revealed at WWDC next month. Speaking at the D11 conference, Cook said that Apple "recognized that Jony had contributed significantly to the look and feel of Apple over many many years and could do that for our software as well," calling the designer "absolutely incredible."

    Ive is the creative force behind many of Apple's most iconic hardware designs, but was handed an additional role in "human interface" last year following the removal of Scott Forstall as iOS senior VP. Recent weeks have seen rumors that iOS 7 will feature a "flat" UI that removes much of the glossy, realistic sheen currently seen in Apple's software.

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  • Matt Brian

    Apr 24, 2013

    Matt Brian

    Apple's WWDC 2013 kicks off June 10th with new versions of iOS and OS X

    WWDC 2013
    WWDC 2013

    Just a day after it announced its second-quarter earnings, Apple has finally published the schedule for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), commencing on June 10th and running through June 14th at the Moscone West in San Francisco. This year, the company isn't being shy about its plans, with SVP Phil Schiller promising that developers will be seeing brand new versions of both iOS and OS X. "Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we’re excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to help them create innovative new apps. We can’t wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC," he said in a press release.

    Apple has also pre-announced ticket sales for the first time, opening sales on April 25th at 10AM PDT / 1PM ET. Last year, tickets sold out in under two hours and with consumers and developers eager to see Apple's latest iOS and OS X developments — the first major changes since former Apple iOS VP Scott Forstall left the company and Jony Ive became responsible for interface design — we expect to see even bigger demand this year.

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  • Nathan Ingraham

    Mar 21, 2013

    Nathan Ingraham

    Jony Ive reportedly pushing 'flat design' in a newly collaborative environment at Apple

    Jony Ive
    Jony Ive

    Late last October, iOS VP Scott Forstall left Apple and Jony Ive assumed the role of human interface manager across the entire company — including iOS, which some feel is in major need of a design refresh. Now, several months after that executive shake-up, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple's software and hardware design teams have indeed gotten closer and are collaborating in ways that mark a pretty major change at a company well-known for having internal secrets. According to the WSJ, Greg Christie, who formerly worked under Forstall, has been leading the iOS human interface team — but that team is being kept more in the loop on what the industrial design team (still led by Ive) is doing. Given Ive's role as overseer of all HI across the company, he's now sitting in on meetings with Christie's team and it seems that the two groups are sharing more of their work as a result.

    While details about Ive's influence on the next version of iOS are minimal, the WSJ's source does say that he's pushing a more modern, "flat" design (an aesthetic that sounds similar to where Google has moved recently) — but overall, changes will be fairly conservative. That may come as a disappointment hoping for more radical changes, but it seems that Ive and Apple aren't willing to alienate iOS users who have become familiar with the software over the past six years. Despite the lack of major changes so far, the new working arrangement is exactly what CEO Tim Cook had in mind when he dismissed Forstall last year.

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  • Nathan Ingraham

    Oct 29, 2012

    Nathan Ingraham

    iOS VP Scott Forstall and head of retail John Browett leaving Apple, Jony Ive taking interface design role

    Apple has just announced a major executive shake-up: Senior VP of iOS software Scott Forstall is leaving Apple at the end of the year — he'll be serving in an advisory role to CEO Tim Cook until his departure. Additional executive changes include the departure of retail head John Browett, with Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi being tapped for additional responsibilities.

    To make up for the departure of Forstall, Jony Ive will now provide leadership and direction for human interface across the entire company — it sounds like Ive will be getting a major opportunity to bring his famed hardware design sensibility to Apple's software. Eddy Cue, who has been responsible for Apple's digital storefronts, will get increased responsibility in the form of Maps and Siri. Obviously, that's a major challenge for Cue to take on, and it isn't unreasonable to think that the failure of iOS 6 Maps at launch may have directly led to his removal as iOS VP.

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