Today at WWDC20, Apple surprised audiences with a first look at “Foundation,” the highly anticipated Apple Original drama series based on the internationally revered and award-winning Isaac Asimov novel series of the same name.
In the teaser trailer, showrunner and executive producer David S. Goyer unveils a glimpse into the making of the epic saga, which chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.
For folks new to Isaac Asimov’s all-time great science fiction series, spend a bit of time on the Foundation Wikipedia page.
This Apple TV+ series has vaulted to the top of my can’t wait list.
Lots of interesting comments, but this one struck me:
People who rely on running Windows apps on their Macs, however, will not find a comforting story. Apple made a point of highlighting virtualization features that are built into macOS Big Sur running on Apple Silicon, but these seem to be for virtualizing operating systems built for Apple’s processors, not for emulating an operating system built for a different processor. I would imagine that, eventually, there will be a way to run Windows on ARM Macs–but it may take a while and it may be a slow, frustrating experience when it does arrive.
The fact that Apple demoed Linux running on an ARM Mac, and showed off Office apps but not Windows, was certainly noticeable. I’d love to know if there’s a plan in place to install Windows on an ARM Mac, or if that’s a dead path.
iOS 14 brings a fresh look to the things you do most often, making them easier than ever. New features help you get what you need in the moment. And the apps you use all the time become even more intelligent, more personal, and more private.
Check out some of the goodies Apple has in store for iOS 14.
Today Apple kicked off its all-online Worldwide Developers Conference bringing together millions of developers and fans from across the globe for the Special Event Keynote and Platforms State of the Union. The day was filled with announcements and innovations that will push the experience of Apple platforms and products even further. From macOS Big Sur, featuring the biggest design upgrade since the introduction of Mac OS X, to watchOS 7, the new App Library in iOS 14, and enhanced handwriting capabilities with Apple Pencil in iPadOS 14, here are some of the most groundbreaking features and app development tools unveiled at WWDC20.
How many of these are not necessarily innovative (that can be subjective) but features you want to use?
It was a massive day for Apple and its developers, and an excellent start for WWDC ‘20. New operating systems for all of its platforms and a transition from Intel chips to Apple silicon for the Mac.
When Apple does significant updates to its operating systems, I look for a couple of things to determine their usefulness: What problem are they solving and how easy are they to use. Several things caught my eye during the keynote that satisfied both of those criteria for me. Many of the features may seem small, but anything that helps use my devices more efficiently is a welcome change.
I love the idea of App Clips. I’ve been in situations where I wanted to do something and didn’t have the app on my device. Now, it’s not that much of a problem to login to the App Store, download the app and then pay for the service, but with App Clips, I’ll be done by the time you log in to the store. It just pops up when it’s needed, and you’re done.
App Library Is going to give me a way to hide all of the app pages on my iPhone that I never look at and still be able to find all of the apps I need. I use search quite a bit on iOS because I have no idea where the apps are on my device, so it’ll be interesting for me to see if I continue to use search or use App Library.
There are going to be some companies that will hate the enhanced privacy features in iOS (Facebook), but anything that Apple does with privacy is okay with me. As a user, I rely on Apple to help keep me safe or at least let me know what I’m getting into when I download an app.
Both iOS and iPadOS feature improved widgets, which I happen to use quite a bit. Having them update automatically and be available on the Home Screen is a significant improvement.
I’ve had a lot of trouble sleeping for many years, so having the Apple Watch track sleep for my is going to be incredible. I’m looking forward to the insights it may give me about a longstanding problem.
I was hoping for more with Apple TV. I mentioned on Twitter last week that this is one area where I hoped Apple would make some significant changes. I’m actively working with Apple TV and trying to cut the cord, so it’s of particular interest right now. No new Apple TV Channels or mention of new ways to organize media in the interface.
The big thing for me with macOS is the consistency in design. I like that Apple is making it easier for users to move from one device to another and have the design and overall characteristics of the device to be familiar. I’ve been using macOS for a lot of years now, and I love it, but it’s also comforting to be able to use anything made by Apple and feel like it belongs in the ecosystem.
Of course, the big announcement of the day is Apple’s transition to using its chips in the Mac. The biggest question for me surrounding the transition has been what it will mean for developers. If the software isn’t there, the transition will be more difficult for users. Apple has made the transition seem more straightforward than the last Intel transition, but we will have to wait to hear from developers to see precisely how seamless that will be.
One thing we do know—these new Macs will be extremely powerful.
In a historic day for the Mac, Apple today announced it will transition the Mac to its world-class custom silicon to deliver industry-leading performance and powerful new technologies. Developers can now get started updating their apps to take advantage of the advanced capabilities of Apple silicon in the Mac. This transition will also establish a common architecture across all Apple products, making it far easier for developers to write and optimize their apps for the entire ecosystem.
Apple today also introduced macOS Big Sur, the next major release of macOS, which delivers its biggest update in more than a decade and includes technologies that will ensure a smooth and seamless transition to Apple silicon. Developers can easily convert their existing apps to run on Apple silicon, taking advantage of its powerful technologies and performance. And for the first time, developers can make their iOS and iPadOS apps available on the Mac without any modifications.
There it is. The biggest day in Apple history in the past 10 years. It’s going to be fascinating.
Apple today previewed macOS Big Sur, the latest version of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system. macOS Big Sur introduces a beautiful redesign that is entirely new yet instantly familiar. Safari is packed with new features, including a customizable start page, elegantly designed and more powerful tabs, quick and easy translation, and a new Privacy Report. The updated Messages app lets Mac users send and receive more personal and expressive messages, and easily keep track of and interact within group messages. Maps also offers an all-new experience with immersive features for exploring and navigating the world.
“macOS Big Sur is a major update that advances the legendary combination of the power of UNIX with the ease of use of the Mac, and delivers our biggest update to design in more than a decade,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With its modern and clean look, huge improvements to key apps including Safari, Messages, and Maps, and new privacy features, we think everyone is going to love the breakthrough experience that macOS Big Sur offers.”
Lots of design features I’ll turn off immediately.
Apple today previewed iPadOS 14, with new features and designs that take advantage of the unique capabilities of iPad and its large Multi-Touch display. iPadOS 14 introduces an all-new compact design for incoming FaceTime and phone calls, Siri interactions, and Search to help users stay focused on the task at hand. Apps have new sidebars and toolbars that consolidate controls in one place, making them more streamlined and powerful than ever. New Apple Pencil features, including Scribble for iPad, deliver a whole new way to work with handwritten notes, and ARKit 4 delivers a brand new Depth API that allows developers to create even more powerful features in their apps.
“With iPadOS 14, we’re excited to build on the distinct experience of iPad and deliver new capabilities that help customers boost productivity, be more creative, and have more fun,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With new compact designs for system interactions and new app designs specifically tailored to iPad, even better note-taking capabilities with Apple Pencil, and more powerful AR experiences, iPadOS 14 delivers an amazing experience that keeps it in a class of its own.”
Apple today previewed iOS 14, introducing the biggest update ever to Home Screen pages with beautifully redesigned widgets and the App Library, a new way to tap into the App Store with App Clips, powerful updates to Messages, and more.
The new widgets present timely information at a glance and can be pinned in different sizes on any Home Screen page. Users can create a Smart Stack of widgets, which uses on-device intelligence to surface the right widget based on time, location, and activity.
Some interesting new features in iOS 14. No name change though.
Apple today previewed watchOS 7, delivering enhanced customization tools and powerful new health and fitness features to the world’s most advanced smartwatch. Personalization is taken to an entirely new level with shareable and discoverable watch face configurations, while sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, additional workout types including dance, and a new hearing health feature give greater insight into overall well-being and are designed with privacy in mind. Conveniently on the wrist, Maps is updated with cycling directions and Siri now offers language translation.
“We’re energized by the positive impact Apple Watch is having on our customers and are excited to deliver meaningful new tools that support their health, fitness, and wellness,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “watchOS 7 brings sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, and new workout types together with a whole new way to discover and use watch faces, helping our users stay healthy, active, and connected.”
HEY blog, this morning (hours before the WWDC keynote), a post from Basecamp CEO Jason Fried:
Late Friday night, on June 19th, Apple’s App Store Review Board surprised us by approving the pending bug fixes to the HEY iOS app that were held up all last week.
The note from Apple:
Hello Jason,
We’ve seen David’s tweets and look forward to working with you on a path forward.
For HEY and for Apple, this seems the best possible outcome, especially given the proximity to the WWDC keynote.
And the letter ends on the best possible note:
And Phil, we set aside an amazing @hey.com address for you. Free for life, our gift to you. Lemme know.
Obviously, this addresses one specific bump in the road. The question remains, will Apple hold fast, or will we see any App Store policy changes this week?
As of this post, Apple’s web site is still up. In past years, this has typically meant no new hardware for immediate ordering. We shall see.
The keynote begins at 10a PT, 1p ET.
If you’ve got an Apple TV, watch in the Apple TV app (if you fire up the Apple Events app, you should get redirected). The event should pop up as we get closer to go time.
If you’re watching in browser, jump to Apple’s official Apple Events web site to watch there.
Apple has been working for years on designing chips to replace the Intel microprocessors used in Mac computers, according to five people with knowledge of the effort.
Oddly specific number. But no matter.
Apple’s move is an indication of the growing power of the biggest tech companies to expand their abilities and reduce their dependence on major partners that have provided them with services for years — even as smaller competitors and the global economy struggle because of the coronavirus pandemic.
And that’s really the core of this story.
Facebook, for example, is investing billions of dollars into one of Indonesia’s fastest-growing apps, a telecom giant in India and an undersea fiber-optic cable around Africa. Amazon has built out its own fleet of cargo planes and delivery trucks. And Google and Apple continue to buy upstarts to expand their empires.
Logical for Apple to want to own the full stack. If it was financially prudent to make all their supply-chain elements themselves, and do all the manufacturing in house, even mine all the materials they use, why wouldn’t they?
But as corporate behemoths grow, the mom and pops of the world fall by the wayside. Interesting read.
The best part of the App Store, years ago, from this developer’s point of view, was that it was easy to charge money for an app. No need to set up a system — just choose the price, and Apple takes care of everything. So easy!
Ah, the good old days. Before the race to the bottom.
But these days, in almost all cases, you’d be ill-advised to charge up front for your app. You need a trial version and in-app purchasing (IAP) and maybe a subscription.
Here’s the thing: this is a massive pain in the ass to implement, test, and support — Apple does not make it easy.
It is harder and harder to make a living building apps. Apple expects a lot from their developers. And if an ARM-based Mac shows up, that’s yet another wrinkle in an already complicated model.
Will Apple talk about the App Store this week, beyond touting numbers? Will we see a “We hear you, and here’s what we’re doing about it” moment?
I’m full of secrets and it’s hard not to overflow right now. But I’ve been trained well.”
This is a big moment. Connecting with developers amid rising tensions, and with huge (rumored) ARM-based Mac news to share. And if that latter news is true, Apple is about to ask developers to shoulder some potentially heavy burdens, that of rebuilding their apps to support a brand new architecture.
While porting your app to support ARM might be as simple as checking a check box and rebuilding, that view seems optimistic. More likely, this change will require more testing hardware purchases, and more time spent porting, tweaking, and testing. More time preparing and sending out beta versions to a limited universe of folks with the right hardware.
Watch the interview, embedded below. Keep in mind, this was yesterday. Tim and company read the blogs, he knows the lay of the land.
It’ll be an interesting afternoon, and an interesting week.
Before its release, the movie was dogged by controversy outside of its subject matter. Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie, it tells the true story of two African American businessmen in the 1960s. Their actions led to the Fair Housing Act established in 1968.
The kerfuffle between the trillion-dollar tech giant and the founders of Basecamp, a nifty project management tool, centers on an innovative new email service that Basecamp created called Hey.com. As part the Hey.com rollout, the company submitted the mobile app to Apple’s App Store. A spot there is critical for its success.
Apple has asserted its curatorial might most strongly, by far, often in the interests of taming the sprawling and enormous app deluge. Their oversight includes efforts to protect privacy and eliminate dangerous developers who attempt to foist spam and malware on consumers. Mistakes slip through, but Apple runs a tidy ship.
Yet Apple has also changed rules in ways that many developers find capricious and unfair and, more to the point, scary.
Betteridge’s Law applies to the headline but it’s still a good overview of the situation.
A total of 11 Apple stores will close in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Arizona starting on Saturday. Customers who have products in those stores for repair will have the weekend to get their devices back, Apple said. All of the stores had been reopened since Apple initially closed them in March.
“Due to current Covid-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible,” an Apple spokesman said in a statement.
No surprise. Apple doesn’t want anything to do with being a vector for this disease.
Gav goes for a swim and shows off the interesting method in which you can get out of the water and immediately hear your sound alerts on the Apple Watch.
Along with Smarter Every Day, The Slow Mo Guys is another fave YouTube channel.
All nine episodes of HBO’s conversation-defining Watchmen television series, a spiritual sequel to the influential Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons comic, will be available free this weekend.
HBO will make the series available for non-subscribers to stream on HBO.com, as well as through Free on Demand services, starting Friday June 19, through Sunday June 21. The company’s press release stated that the move was “an extension of the network’s content offering highlighting Black experiences, voices and storytellers. […] HBO is proud to offer all nine episodes for free of this timely, poignant series that explores the legacy of systemic racism in America.”
I wasn’t a huge fan of the show if only because I had no idea of the characters’ back stories but it was still well done and worth watching.
Dave and I look at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts next week, albeit in a very different way than previous years. We also discuss the Hey app controversy that’s happening right now.
Matthew Panzarino did an interview with Apple’s Phil Schiller today about the Hey app controversy, which I’m sure you’ve heard all about by now. Here’s a couple of things that Schiller said:
“You download the app and it doesn’t work, that’s not what we want on the store,” says Schiller. This, he says, is why Apple requires in-app purchases to offer the same purchasing functionality as they would have elsewhere.
That makes sense to me.
One way that Hey could have gone, Schiller says, is to offer a free or paid version of the app with basic email reading features on the App Store then separately offered an upgraded email service that worked with the Hey app on iOS on its own website. Schiller gives one more example: an RSS app that reads any feed, but also reads an upgraded feed that could be charged for on a separate site. In both cases, the apps would have functionality when downloaded on the store.
I’m not sure if the developer could do that, but if they could, the point makes sense.
Schiller also noted the exceptions that Apple allows, which are mostly “reader” apps “that only display external content of certain types like music, books and movies.”
It seems like Hey can fix this by making the app usable on the App Store. It doesn’t sound like that’s what they want to do, so Apple is exercising its right to not allow it on the store at all.
Rene shares his thoughts on what he’d like to see from Apple where macOS is concerned. Worth watching.
But to me, the even more worth watching part is the Lion’s share of the open (pun intended), where Rene riffs about all those Apple OS nicknames. A great history lesson, with some OS names you might not have been aware of.
Every so often, I encounter an image and wonder where it comes from. Or, perhaps, I’m looking for the highest possible resolution of an image. Or I’m trying to track down the creator of the image.
I’ve long used Google’s reverse image search for this purpose. If you’ve not gone down that route, pick an image, head to google.com and try to figure out the interface. Once you know how to jump through the hoops (hint, click Images, then click the camera) the interface is still a bit clumsy. Plus, some object to doing a search with Google looking over their shoulder.
Now give TinEye a try. Click the link, and just drag and drop an image (on the Mac) or tap the up arrow (on iOS) to select an image from your camera roll. I especially appreciate the simplicity of the experience on my Mac. Just drop the image on the TinEye home page. That’s it.
Last night I accidentally deleted my entire library of photos, many of which are (obviously) very important to me.
What follows is a long slow car crash, a combination of misunderstanding where your original photos are stored and, perhaps, ignoring some error messages that would have prevented this situation.
I post this, not to harp on the confusing language of iCloud (it can be confusing, no doubt), but to point out how this user got their photos back.
First, here’s how deleted the photos were:
After freeing up space by deleting my entire photo library on the Macbook, I look at my phone and realize it’s all deleted there as well. Of course, I had also gone to the “recently deleted” and removed all of them because I was trying to free the space on the Mac.
Yup. Those photos are deleted. A backup of your Mac might help here, but set that aside for now.
I called Apple immediately, and was quickly escalated to something along the lines of a “media specialist for iPhoto and iTunes” – honestly it was a very long title, but something like that. He said they have something called “the magic button” which is a level of iCloud that regular users can’t see. The iCloud file recover function didn’t work for me either btw, forgot to mention that.
A magic button you say! First time I’ve heard of this. Interesting.
After he pressed this “magic button”, all the photos came back into my recently deleted section, and I just restored them back to the library.
That’s worth noting. Me, I keep all my original pictures and music on my Mac, then back up that Mac religiously. I have my original music/photo libraries backed up off site, too.
If you use Twitter, you may have noticed a wave of tweets with built-in audio. Tap on the play button and the poster’s Twitter avatar, embedded in a jittery circle, plays audio.
Twitter blog:
Each voice Tweet captures up to 140 seconds of audio. Have more to say? Keep talking. Once you reach the time limit for a Tweet, a new voice Tweet starts automatically to create a thread. Once you’re done, tap the Done button to end your recording and go back to the composer screen to Tweet.
This is a pretty major step up for Twitter, both in terms of enhancing what can be shared, and in the demand placed on their servers.
Audio tweeting is limited to a small number of testing accounts at the moment but will roll out to everyone in the coming weeks. To see if you have the feature, compose a new tweet. If you see the camera icon to the left of your recent pictures (toward the bottom of your compose pane), you don’t have it yet. When you get audio, you’ll get a little waveform icon to the left of your camera.
I wonder how long it will be until we have video tweets.
Apple plans to offer a self-guided activity book for kids to complete, along with live virtual sessions with Apple Store Creatives.
Live sessions, which will be hosted over Webex, will last for 30 to 60 minutes, while the activity book Apple has created is a Pages document that kids can complete at their own pace.
The camp is designated for kids ages 8-12. Visit the official sign-up page to get notified when registration opens.
I got to believe those slots will fill up quickly.
When Apple added the Breathe feature to watchOS 3, I — like many of you, I suspect — turned it off pretty quickly. However, over the last six months, it has come to be one of my favorite things about wearing my Apple Watch.
The Watch app on the iPhone lets you set the length of your sessions, and how many times throughout the day you want to be reminded to pause and breathe, and minutes are totaled in the health app.
It can subtly remind me throughout my day to take a couple of minutes to slow down and focus on breathing. I’ve done it sitting at my desk, in a parking lot, and recently, on the roof of my house as I was cleaning some debris up from a storm.
