Tag: WWDC 2014 »

Just before the WWDC 2014 conference wrapped up with Tim Cook giving a shout-out to all of his homies in the Apple community (not to be confused with Craig Federighi's on-stage chat with his homie Dr. Dre), we received yet another ambiguous release date.

Those lucky enough to be in attendance at WWDC will have access to the iOS 8 beta (download here) starting today. The rest of us lowly proles down in the salt mines are going to have to wait until this Fall to get our hands on all of the new features.

Thankfully, it doesn't look like Apple is going to make the new experience too heavy as they showed that iOS 8 will run on a variety of hardware, ranging from iPhone 4s all the way up to the current models. Check the screenshot below for a full list.

Apple has just announced an upcoming new developer API named Metal.

Metal serves as a firmware layer that allows for developers to have better access to hardware components. It mostly replaces OpenGL. According to Apple, metal allows for 10 times faster draw call rate, can display 1.3 million triangles on screen at once, and add effects like depth-of-field.

During Apple's WWDC keynote today, it was announced that Touch ID (that fingerprint sensor) will allow for third party developer support. Which basically means that we can expect a lot more apps and maybe even games that make use of the extra sensor.

It's an interesting prospect when you think about it. If nothing else, those weird fingerprint scanning moments in games might actually scan fingerprints!

I have to admit, when Siri was first announced for iOS, I was intrigued. While she's not an AI by any stretch, it's difficult not to grow a little attached to her. I find myself even keying the mic again to say "thank you" after I have her set my alarm for me.

Well, now it looks like everyone's favorite personal assistant is getting a little better, as WWDC just announced a few new features for Siri. iOS 8 will allow Siri to be triggered hands-free using the command phrase "Hey Siri." She can also recognize songs via integration from Shazam and even purchase said content directly from iTunes, making it easier than ever to own that new song you just fell in love with. Finally, she can also handle dictation in 22 new languages.

More new iOS 8 features are rolling out of the WWDC conference today in the Bay Area. Messages, touted by the Apple execs on stage as being THE most used iOS app of all time, is getting some cool new changes.

Users will be able to record voice messages by holding down on the mic icon, swiping up, recording their message, then swiping back down when finished. These audio clips will get dropped right into the ongoing conversation. Video clips can be recorded and shared in similar fashion, turning boring old text messaging into a richer audiovisual experience.

To save on storage space on the device, these messages will typically self-destruct after about 2 minutes, sort of like a supercharged Snapchat. However, this is optional and users can change the timer or turn it off altogether.

At the 2014 WWDC conference, Apple's Senior VP of Software Development, Craig Federighi, introduced a couple of new features to the upcoming iOS 8: interactive notifications and frequent contacts.

Now users will be able to deal with incoming notifications directly from the lock screen without having to actually drop into the phone itself. Like a Facebook post or a response to a text.

Also announced was another new iOS tweak involving the double-tap of the Home button. Ordinarily, this brings up a swipe-able list of apps recently opened or used. Now, at the top of the list of apps, will be a bar showing a list of the contacts you most frequently interact with. Tapping on them will open a submenu allowing you to access standard contact interactions like making a voice or Face Time call, or sending a text.