After all those concepts, leaks, concepts, previews, developer releases, reviews, releases, more reviews, and now finally, the real thing. The software we have aaaaaalllllllll been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen, here is iOS 7!
Ok. If you followed iOS 7 at all, you probably have seen that video before. It was shown at the 2013 WWDC, and was followed up by the introduction videos for both iPhone 5c and 5s in the same style. But, to be honest, the final product was not changed that much since the WWDC. Small details, app icons, that sort of thing. More importantly, it is still iOS 7, the revolutionary operating software that completely changes how you use your phone. It practically makes it a new phone.
Some New Screens In iOS 7
Apparently, Jony Ive really likes flip down/up bars, because there are now 3 on iOS 7. First of all, the well anticipated Control Center bar was added. To open Control Center, all you have to do is flick up from any screen. The semi-opaque bar comes up, and from that, you can access most of the stuff you actually use in Settings. You can turn on WiFi (but to change the station, you have to go into settings), Airdrop, Airplane Mode, Do Not Disturb, mute, change the brightness and the sound level, and access Airplay and any connected Bluetooth items. Control Center is probably the most useful of the added bars.
A Comparison Of A Concept iOS 7 and the Real iOS 7
The second bar is actually just the search bar redesigned. In all the previous iOS’, the search is in the far right page. In the new iOS, the search bar is just a flick away. To access it, you just flick down in the middle of the home screen on any page. A little search bar pops up, an you just type whatever you want just like the old search. The last bar, the old notification bar, hasn’t been changed that much. The leathery texture of the old bar has been removed, like the rest of iOS 7, and replaced with a black-ish opaqueness.
The Classic Home Screen In iOS 7
There couple other small features that weren’t explained very thoroughly in the 2 conferences releasing iOS 7. For instance, a couple swipe gestures have been added. For instance, if you are in an app, and you want to get out, you could either hit the home button, or you could pinch in with all your fingers. The app will close, but it will do so in way that makes it look like a ripple. Very Apple-like.
Control Center Being Shown Off For The First Time
Overall, iOS 7’s new and insightive design is certainly a great leap up from anything Apple has attempted in the past. Getting rid of the textures and shiny-3D app icons was a big risk, but it will probably pay off. The big features that have been changed are: Notifications, the search bar, the dock, all the app icons, the text, the colors, the lock screen, Siri, and much more. iOS 7 definitely works well with the new iPhones and iPad Mini, but we’ll just have to wait and see what Apple can come up with in their new style.
Wow. Just, wow. On Monday, Apple released all their plans, their work, from the past year in the WWDC 2013, and it’s pretty amazing what they’ve come up with. As expected, both iOS 7 and the new OS X 10.9, the OS X Mavericks got released, and both are going on sale in the fall. It’s amazing how fast Apple made 2 operating systems. I mean, it took us 4.5 billion years to make the first one, and they made 2 in a year. Also, as predicted, the Macbooks and Mac Pro got and update. All these products are great, but one stands out from the crowd: iOS 7.
iOS 7 Beta Preview
It is actually a little surprising how accurate the rumors about iOS 7 were. Still, Apple surprised us att the WWDC with an operating system that makes iOS devises supreme to all other mobile devises. The simplicity, yet detailed design is sure to bring a seamless experience to users world-wide. You’ll see what I mean in moment. Anyway, here are the main design and features of iOS 7:
Control Center
Control Center is a whole new and easy way to control your phone. All you have to do is slide upward from the bottom of the screen, and the CONTROL CENTER *Boom, Crash!* will appear! From there, you can turn on Airplane Mode, Bluetooth, WiFi, manage brightness, currently playing songs, camera and more. It renders most of what the Settings app is used for useless, and is also much faster, easier and much better looking than Settings.
Control Center
New App Design
The new app design for iOS 7 is the big difference from iOS 6 to iOS 7. For one thing, Apple took away the shine and shadows just as they said they would, and replaced them with a simple, detailed and flat design. This works for most apps, but for some, like Music, they got it all wrong. Still, the design gives iOS 7 a slick look and will probably be the main reason for the many people to update. Also, when you group apps together, instead of just being a pop-down bar, the folder takes up the whole page. From there, you can pick which app you want in full size. Even though it is a minor detail, it is the details that makes a operating system seamless, after all.
Notifications Center
Apple’s new Notifications Center also goes along with the flat, textureless, transparent and simple but detailed design Now, you can open Notifications right from the lock screen the same way, sliding down from the top of the screen. From there, you can pick from 3 options: today, all and missed. All, obviously, is where all your notifications such as emails, calendar events and more go. From the “today” menu, you can see the weather, your next Calendar update, your whole calendar for the day and info from other apps. From the “missed” section, you can access all missed phone calls, emails, texts and other notifications. This is a really important change, because currently, Notification Center has little use. When iOS 7 comes out, it will be almost as useful as Control Center.
Notifications Bar
New Lock Screen
For the first time since Apple released their first iPhone, they have changed the lock screen. Now, all you have to do is slide upward from the bottom of the screen. The slide bar is no more. At the top of the screen, there is the time. Also, you can open up the Control Center, and for the first time, the Notification Center. As an added affect, when you tilt your device, the background will shift to give it a 3D look (that goes with the whole phone).
Multitasking
Multitasking is completely revised in iOS 7. All you have to do is press the home button twice. and instead of just a small bar on the bottom of the screen, multitasking takes up the whole page. Along with app icon, a preview of the page will be displayed. This is a great feature because multitasking is an extremely important part of iOS. And in iOS 7, it’s made easier.
Multitasking Screenshot
Siri
Apple have totally gone all out on their new version of Siri. It can now bring up information right from Twitter and Wikipedia without having to look it up. Many more prompts have been written (displayed on the Siri start screen) allowing you to do many more things like add reminders and look up definitions. Also, it does a better job of recognizing speech, something it was notorious for in the last iOS. By the time iOS 7 comes out, Siri will be a big plus and used a lot.
iTunes Radio
Even though it is about 5 years to late to join the party, Apple released their own Music streaming service, iTunes Radio. iTunes Radio allows you to …. well, pretty much the same stuff music services like Pandora can. You can play songs from “featured stations”, make your own stations and immediately buy songs right from the station. Also, Siri takes requests like “Play Classic Rock radio”.
iTunes Radio Preview
AirDrop
AirDrop is another feature that Apple upgraded. To share a photo/contact/ect you just hit the share option in the app and pick whoever you want to share it with. This person has to be in your area, though. Then, AirDrop sends the *blank* right to the other person. A widow pops up their phone that says “*Blank* has sent you a *blank*. Accept or Decline?”. If you accept, it will save the photo/contact/ect to Photos/Passbook/ect. Also, you can have the option of appearing as an AirDrop option or not. This is a great feature because it makes it easy to share info instead of emailing or texting.
iOS 7 will be a very interesting operating system when it comes out. It has many features that make it fast and easy, but the design is a big maybe. Personally, I think they did a good job on designing the app icon, and the “simple yet detailed” approach is a good change from their classic “TEXTURE! MORE TEXTURE! MORE UNNEEDED VISUALS!” iOS 7 also is a jackpot for developers. All the new features can be used to their advantage. Also, anyone who has an app has to redesign the logo to fit the new regimen. Apple acknowledged this fact, so they allowed developers to get their hands on an beta version. Overall, iOS 7 is a amazing and innovative operating system (even if it looks a little like Windows and Android). It will be very exciting when it comes out and I’m sure it will be revolutionary. For more on the WWDC 2013, check out my next post, Part 2!
OS X Mavericks, the new operating system for Macs, was released at the WWDC 2013. First of all, you are probably thinking one thing: OS X Mavericks? Well, Apple have decided to get rid of the Big Cats (I was hoping for OS X Domestic Cat) and replace it with places in their home state, California. And in case you didn’t know, Mavericks is a small surfing spot with giant waves. Anyway, OS X Mavericks hasn’t been completely revised like iOS 7, but it’s many built in apps have been updated and added. Here are the main updates Apple highlighted:
The OS X Mavericks Slogan
iBooks
Finally! Apple have now made a app for iBooks on Macs. Why they didn’t do it in the first place, I have no idea. The new iBooks has added much more books to their collection, making for a complete experience. Also, if you’re a student, iBooks is perfect for you. They have revised textbooks so that you can take notes, highlight sections and more. You can even keep more than one book open for cross-referencing. Really, though, this app just completes the set and is a backup for when you lose you Kindle. If you’ve haven’t tried, it’s very hard to read on a computer anyway. But, it’s free and everyone loves free stuff.
iBooks On All Devices
Finder Tabs and Tags
Have you ever been in the situation where you have a file in Finder, but you just can’t find it (which is ironic, because it is called Finder)? Wait a minute, why am I even asking this? Of course you have. Apple observed this, so they addressed the fact by adding tabs and tags. Tabs in Finder allow you to sort Finder into multiple sections, almost like folders except on a bigger level. Tags, on the other hand, let you sort though your files like Tweets. You can assign each tag a color, and when you go to save a document in any Apple software, there will be a tag option. Choose a tag, such as “important” or “fundraiser” and when you go into Finder, each tag will have it’s own page. Then, all your documents are easily sorted for you!
Finder With Tags And Tabs
Notifications
Notifications is a iOS-like feature that’s new coming to Macs everywhere. Notifications alerts you with a little bar on the top of your screen when you get texts, email, website info like Facebook, or a variety of things. For things like texts and emails, you can reply right from the bar. Also, when you log on to the computer, all the notifications from when you were gone are there. This feature removes the need to move your hand an inch and waste 30 seconds, but we lazy humans like to have things right now, easily. I guess that’s not that much of a bad thing.
A Interactive Notification
Maps
Maps has also been given a boost in OS X Mavericks (even though it’s not like anyone will use it). Real time traffic has been added, which actually is a really helpful tool to make your route. Also, Apple have added a Google Earth-like feature that allows you to fly over a “photo-realistic” world. Another helpful feature is that if you have a route set up on the computer, you can send it to your phone so you don’t have to set it up again.
The Maps Flyover View
Safari
Safari has always been 3rd place to Firefox and Chrome in the browser race, but that doesn’t stop Apple. The new Safari has been given a Google Chrome-like front page with all the Top Sites. A sidebar has also been added, so whenever you’re browsing, you can open it up and go to your Bookmarks, Reading List or the new “shared links”. Shared Links takes all the Tweets that have a link to the website you’re on.
Safari’s New Sidebar
iCloud Keychain
Just like iTunes Radio is late to the music streaming train, iCloud Keychain missed the password protection boat. The password protection business is already dominated by 1Password. Yet, here is iCloud Keychain. Keychain pretty much does everything 1Password does. It remembers your password, automatically fills them in (1Password doesn’t do that), and recommends safer passwords. Also, it remembers your passwords on all Apple devices (hence “iCloud”). This is the feature that makes iCloud Keychain at all useful, but then again, 1Password has a app to.
Password Suggester In Action
OS X Mavericks isn’t as new and improved as iOS 7, but it has had most of it’s apps upgraded. Many features have also been added to make OS X Mavericks more like iOS 7, such as Notifications. Overall, OS X Mavericks is probably a good addition to the OS X line and smooths out the wrinkles in Apple’s classic design.
Well, the title is sort of self-explanatory here. The online Apple Store is down due to the fact that they are updating for the new products that will be coming out in the WWDC 2013 this morning. Most likely, these products will not be software, for those will not be ready yet, but hardware. Supposedly, new Macbooks should be coming out. Check out my full rumor preview for more information!
Just like the Google I/O, Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) is a place of great revealing and surprise. Each year, both companies invite developers and tech fanatics to come and witness the unveiling of the future. For instance, at the Google I/O 2 years previous, Google released the design for Google Glass, which is sure to change the future. This upcoming WWDC, Apple are going to release probably the most anticipated thing of the year: iOS 7 and the new OS X 10.9. Since this is Apple’s first conference in 7 months, the stakes and expectations are high. It starts on June 10th in San Francisco; but don’t get to excited, you can’t go. It sold out in just less than 2 MINUTES. Still, the content will be available online of anyone who wants it.
The WWDC 2013 Logo
The biggest, probably most anticipated and rumored about software to be released at the WWDC is iOS 7. Since the iproducts are pretty much the high-end of the tablet and smartphone market, there is lot’s of pressure to come out with something creative, seamless and innovative. Based on a few interviews and leaks, we can guesstimate what iOS 7 will look like:
iOS 7 has been changed a lot since iOS 6 came out at WWDC 2012. Many long-lasting features of iOS will be removed. Also, as of May (they are always changing the design), Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jony Ive described it as “black, white and flat all over”. This means they will be replacing some of the current textures such as the leather on the notifications bar with flat, black and white backrounds. Also, many of their apps like Mail, Calendar, Notes, Game Center and Maps will be flattened out. Each will also be given it’s own color, so that users don’t get confused like Jony Ive feared. Plus, to go along with the “flat” goal, the home (app) screen will be modified to get rid of shadows and shine. This will all come together to make a interesting and new design. Unfortunately, since nothing like iOS 7 has been done before (mostly because everyone copied Apple), we can’t really be judge it until it comes out.
A Concept Of iOS 7
Another software that Apple is rumored to be releasing at the WWDC is OS X 10.9. Sadly, Apple probably aren’t going to be redesigning it, unlike iOS 7. Many minor changes such as adding tabs and tags to finder or making multi-tasking better will be added but not much else. One big feature that Apple is integrating in OS X 10.9 is Siri. They haven’t yet disclosed how or why, but I’m sure it will be useful. Speaking of usefulness, a feature that will not be useful is Apple’s *shudder* Apple Maps integration. Hopefully they don’t block off Google Maps.
A “theory” of what the new OS X 10.9 might be called
Enough with software. Not much hardware is rumored to be released at the WWDC, but we are pretty sure an update for the Macbooks will come out. Most of the revealed info on the new Macbooks suggest that Apple’s AirPort will be made faster, the camera better and the Macbook Pro slimmed a bit. Overall, though, these updates are minor, and unless the rumors are wrong, that’s all for the Macbooks. Also, Apple’s monitor Thunderbolt Display will get an update, which is very useful for all you Mac Mini users.
The Macbook Air
Tomorrow morning is sure to be an exiting one for all developers and tech-lovers around the world. Apple, probably the most well-known and successful in the world. They will be releasing many softwares, hardwares, services, developer tools and much more. The next generation of pretty much every tech market will be shown to the world. Even though they will (probably) not release any products to the market, it is very exciting. There will not be any conference all year that will match this (maybe except for the Google I/0). I highly recommend you watch it, either highlights from the Apple website, or live-stream it at the times below. If you don’t have the time, check back here for my WWDC 2013 review!
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