A Complete Review of Apple’s WWDC 2014 Keynote – iOS8, OS X Yosemite, HealthKit, Swift And More
Apple’s annual WorldWide Developers Conference (WWDC 2014) kicked off yesterday with some massive updates in technology the entire community of Apple users awaited for so long. Like always, there has been an unprecedented progress in the kind of technology Apple has been renowned for over years. The whole perspective of virtual interaction through Mac and iOS devices is shortly going to witness a change but ofcourse for the better. Whilst this is going to be an event continuing for five days where one thousand Apple engineers and five thousands have gathered together, our concern lies on the keynote session which has literally blown us away with the new-age technologies Apple is going to release this fall. In case you had missed out our live update stream yesterday, this post is going to elaborate on the announcements of iOS8, OS X Yosemite and the Developer APIs along with the new programming language Swift that were made on this opening day.
Let’s have a look:
Craig Federighi started the introduction of this new version of Mac OS with a visual comedy that drew some inspiration from an Indiana Jones styled map. The name Yosemite draws its inspiration from a national park and has a lot of exquisite features that has enhanced its operability as well as its interaction with iOS devices. Some of the most interesting features are hereby stated below:
Redesigned Interface
This includes development of the overall interface appearance that has now modified your experience on the Mac from every tiny aspect, ranging from toolbars to handling notifications.
1. The translucent toolbars and the sidebars have enabled a deeper form of content emphasis that gives you a better analysis of what lies beneath the active window.
2. Toolbars have also been streamlined in some apps in order to enhance experience without compromising on the app’s performance. You can now access your favorite sites on Safari from the smart search field and also view all your open tabs from one click on the Tab View button. Maps and Calendar have been streamlined as well.
3. The window controls have been consolidated for the better such that you get to make the most out of your Mac display. For example, the Close, minimize, and maximize are now transformed into the close, minimize, and full screen. Navigation throughout the display is easy and more connective.
4. Coming to the Dock, the icons have been slightly modified in order to create a harmonious synchronization with the background.
5. The typeface has also been enriched with better fonts which claims to look classic especially on the Retina display.
6. The Today feature on the Notification center gives you a complete view of your entire schedule, starting from upcoming events, reminders, and birthdays. You can also access Calendar, Weather, Stocks, World Clock, Calculator, and Reminders and other apps installed from the Mac App Store directly from here. One swipe and your notification bar comes into display.
7. Spotlight will now appear front and center as you open it and gives you easy access to look up information from sources like Wikipedia, Bing, news, Maps, movies, and more. It’s also in line with the latest news and will display results based on the same.
Updated Built-in Apps
Yosemite ensures that you get to use your everyday apps with better functionality and perfection. Connecting with people and modifying your virtual life on the Mac was never this easy before.
1. Redesigned Safari – gives you a streamlined toolbar that enhances surfing on the web and takes the whole experience to a new level. It’s got an improved Nitro JavaScript engine which offers faster browsing standards. Accessing your favorite sites is also better now with a drop down menu from the smart search field. The Private Browsing window has been designed to enable you to erase what you don’t want to keep on your browsing history easily.
2. Mail has gone even better – with two important features called Markup and Mail Drop. While Markup lets you quickly annotate an attachment and send it back without leaving mail, Mail Drop lets you send large attachments without failure (up to 5GB per message).
3. Messages synchronized with iOS – Friends without iMessage can also be a part of your conversation as now your iPhone messages are synced with your Mac. So you can possibly send a message without picking up your iPhone. Without leaving the app, you can also record a quick audio clip and send it over. Naming your conversations is also possible. Add others in your chat without having to start a new one altogether.
4. iCloud Drive – Accessing your files from across devices has gone better with iCloud Drive built right into the Finder window. All your files are synced and you can access them whenever wherever from any Mac or iOS device. Using AirDrop helps you to share files from your Mac easily with any nearby Mac or iOS device.
Mac and iOS Connected for the Better
Using these two devices together brings forth a new array of possibilities no one’s ever imagined before. Yosemite enables them to recognize each other when brought together and that starts the magic there onwards.
1. Take calls from your iPhone directly from the Mac without undergoing an additional setup. If your phone rings from one room and you happen to be on the Mac sitting in another room, you can now take it directly from the Mac itself using the wi-fi network.
2. Exchanging messages between Mac and iOS is equally easy and compatible.
3. The new Handoff feature lets you pass off your work from one device directly to another. So if you’re writing something on your Mac and want to continue the process on your phone, Handoff makes you do so in no time.
4. No wi-fi is required for connection all the time. Using the iPhone’s Hotspot, you can connect your Mac easily with it anytime.
Apple says that 97% of users are pretty satisfied with the functionalities of iOS 7. Also, 89% of the total iOS users are using the latest version today. But with iOS 8, natural interaction with your phone is close to reaching its destination. Experiences are smarter and enriched with spellbinding features.
1. The new Photos app and the new iCloud Photo Library – Storing your neverending collection of photos is now possible with the help of the iCloud Photo Library. This enables you to use the space from the cloud and not clutter your device with too many photos. Search them anytime from any of your iOS device and it will be ready to be at service. The smart composition tools, adjustments and filtering in the Photos App will give you the pleasant experience of getting your best shots in perfection. But the icing comes in the form of the time-lapse mode which lets you capture ethereal scenic beauties with pleasure.
2. Messages – The new Messages App is a true delight for conversation starters. You not only get to send quick audio clips with a swipe, but also get to enjoy sending multiple photos in no time. Name your group messages and even share your location in the middle of a conversation. Every attachment from one conversation can be seen at once with just a swipe. Communication from the iPhone made super easy.
3. Impressive details – These include the interactive notifications which lets you attend all your tasks at a go. The home screen features all your shortcuts so that you get to attend them quickly whenever needed. Mail access has gone smarter and ofcourse much easier than before. In case of iPads, you’ll now get to enjoy a Safari like connective interface for better surfing.
4. Keyboards – Ever since the first iPhone, this has been the major update where you’ll get to enjoy the benefits of a third-party keyboard. Apart from this, the text suggestions have improved massively such that your keyboard now knows about who you’re writing to and about what and gives you suggestions based on this.
5. Family Sharing – This is one of the most interesting updates which, for the first time, keeps families active virtually. From sharing your iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store purchases without sharing accounts, this is the best chance for a family of 6 to stay together in the digital world. Sync calendars, albums or even maps – you’ll know everything about what’s coming up in the family directly from your iPhone.
6. iCloud Drive – This has made sharing files across your Apple devices easy and stress free. You can also share your files across apps and complete one work with the use of several apps.
7. Health App – Track your fitness levels and metrics directly from your iPhone with this. Choose your tracking levels and take care of every details including your important health contacts directly from one simple app.
8. Made for the Working Generation – The massive productivity features and stronger security makes the iOS 8 ideal for handling your work data anytime.
iOS 8 has been one of the best till date in terms of releasing over 4000 APIs for developers to enhance the mobile experience as a whole. It also offers awesome technologies for game development at the same time. Some of these are:
1. Touch ID – This will enable you to sign in to third party apps with fingerprint data and not passwords.
2. PhotoKit – Photo apps can directly edit photos in the Camera Roll without importing them.
3. Camera API – Third party camera apps can have direct control over exposure, focus, and white balance.
4. HealthKit – To ensure third party health apps can share their data directly with the Health App to give you a more holistic metric.
5. HomeKit – Will help in controlling supported devices in your home using Siri.
6. CloudKit – Use the full power of iCloud in your apps which will enable you to sign in with your Apple ID without sharing personal information.
7. With new dev-kits such as SpriteKit, SceneKit and Metal, game developers will now have a better option in creating more immersive gaming experiences.
8. Finally, for app developers to enjoy a more interactive coding interface, there’s a new programming language called Swift for Cocoa and Cocoa Touch.
With such a plethora of innovations coming up, this Fall is going to be perfect for enjoying a high-quality interactive experience on your Apple Device. Get set to have a new taste in technology!
