iOS Devices

Apple announces Swift Playgrounds for iPad allowing iOS users to play with Swift code on their device for the first time. Apple wants to bring many more people into coding; this is their solution. The app incorporates lessons and challenges — it’s very much a teaching tool.

Swift Playgrounds will be available in the App Store this fall; a developer preview is to be released later today. The app is completely free.

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Apple will add advanced face and object recognition in iOS 10 Photos, as well as a Map view. Apple will relate together people, locations and other information to bring collections of photos without any user interventions — things like highlight reels, trips and more albums.

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As widely rumored, Apple today announced a sweeping upgrade to its voice assistant AI Siri. The new update features rich third-party app integration via a developer API as well as many new features and enhanced understanding, allowing users to interact with Siri in new ways.

Third party app support for Siri includes messaging, ride sharing, photo search, workouts and payments for things like Square Cash and AliPay.

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Apple’s brand new operating system for its laptops and desktop computers, macOS, will ship in the fall for all customers. A beta for developers will be released later today. There’s a host of new features, including Auto Unlock, Continuity Clipboard, Apple Pay, Siri for Mac and more. A public beta will be offered in July.

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macOS Sierra includes Siri, bringing voice-activated assistant to the Mac for the first time. You can search for files and folders, as well as the typical queries you would expect from Siri.

Whilst multitasking in other applications, you could also use Siri to activate music.

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At WWDC, Apple has unveiled the next update to OS X for Macs, branded as macOS Sierra.  The update will ship in the fall. macOS Sierra includes Auto Unlock functionality which automatically unlocks your laptops and desktop if in proximity to your iOS devices and Apple Watch. More features after the jump …

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A couple of weeks after suggesting that Apple is moving to a three-year cycle on major iPhone updates, Nikkei is back with another pessimistic report. Citing an unnamed source ‘at a major supplier,’ the piece predicts that total iPhone sales for the year will be 210-220M, the lower number representing an 8.6% year-on-year drop.

The view is reportedly backed by Foxconn chairman Terry Gou, who is said to have told staff that demand for iPhones “will remain feeble until at least early next year.” Foxconn declined to comment on the report.

Suppliers say that Apple has been over-estimating demand when placing orders, and that one marketing decision has also caused issues …

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With two Presidential candidates saying that Apple should be making more of its products in the USA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has done the sums to see just how practical it would be for Apple to manufacture iPhones in its home market.

The question, of course, isn’t a simple one: you first need to define your terms. Does it just mean assembling iPhones here rather than in China, or does it mean sourcing components from the U.S. too? The MIT analysis considered both scenarios, starting with assembly-only …

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In this week’s top stories: WWDC coverage kicked into full gear ahead of Apple’s event on Monday, we discussed USB-C and upcoming MacBook Pros, and Apple announced welcomed subscription and revenue changes for the App Store.

Apple’s plan to become an energy company by selling off its excess renewable electricity was revealed this week, and we also showed you how to drive a 4K display at 60 Hz with the new 2016 MacBook in this week’s top video.

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Siri is widely expected to make up a big part of Monday’s WWDC keynote (alongside iOS 10, macOS 10.12 and more) but it seems like it is already inadvertently tipping the hat on what is going to be announce. Brian Roemelle found that by asking the voice assistant about “windows” on his phone, Siri would start referencing the “Finder” app in its responses.

Obviously, iOS doesn’t have a Finder app but OS X does. It seems like Siri is unintentionally leaking the unveiling of Siri for Mac ahead of schedule, or perhaps even a brand new Finder app for iOS 10 …

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Update: Apple has nearly finished the large outdoor white logo on Moscone West building and is also hanging ASCII-art theme banners on the opposite street at the Metreon. More photos below.

Apple has started decorating its venues for WWDC 2016, which kicks off on Monday, with workers starting to apply a massive Apple logo onto the side of Moscone West. Apple will use Moscone West for all of the week apart from Monday; the WWDC keynote will be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

Apple usually puts up banners teasing the announcements in the theme of the invites to build excitement for the show, often revealing tidbits about the new software OS’s. Apple has put a small logo up at Bill Graham but due to the split venue (and late scheduling), there’s a chance the banners tradition will not continue this year until after the Monday keynote at 10 AM …

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At WWDC on Monday, Apple will unveil the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 10. With the conference being light on hardware, expectations are high for Apple to announce some major new features for iOS 10 on iPhone and iPad. The rumor mill is quieter than usual, so there’s definitely a bigger opportunity to be surprised with this year’s keynote.

We have some idea about what to expect but we want to hear what you want to see Apple announce next week. Join in the poll after the jump to have your say on what you want to see in iOS 10 …

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While the name of the next software update to the Mac isn’t nearly as important as new features — like Siri and new iTunes — changing it from OS X to whatever Apple has up its sleeves will be a big deal.

There’s been plenty of evidence that OS X will become MacOS… or macOS… or something similar, but which one should win? There’s also the version number and California location name. We’ll find out on Monday when the WWDC keynote kicks off at 10am PT/1 pm ET, and take our polls in the meantime to cast your vote.

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I wouldn’t normally describe a portable battery as being beautiful, but Kanex’s just-released $99 GoPower USB-C Portable Battery fits that description. Its aluminum body is like a mix of Apple’s space gray and silver colors, but it’ll look good when paired with any 12″ MacBook.

Good looks are nice, but the real world performance of a battery pack is crucial. How does Kanex’s offering stack up? Check out our hands-on impressions.
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A KGI analyst report from two weeks ago broke the news that a new Apple MacBook, due later in the year, would debut a new OLED touch screen technology above the keyboard that will replace the function row keys. A leaked shell of a MacBook days later seemed to at least confirm the report along with showing 2 USB-C ports on the sides and a huge touchpad. The MacBook OLED bar rumor has been a controversial one for us and many of you generating lots of opinions.

However, one of our readers Cameron did a mockup that changed all of that for me and many others. Taking a look at the possibilities with Siri, many of our readers came up with excellent ideas for apps that would use the bar. 3D designer Martin Hajek has done a few better with some amazing renders that take the OLED display from gimmick to “TAKE MY MONEY.”

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According to a report from MacDailyNews, Apple will announce that iMessage is coming to Android at Monday’s upcoming WWDC 2016 keynote.

Such an announcement, which MacDailyNews claims to have obtained from “a source familiar with the company’s thinking,” would go a long way towards making it easier for users to shift between the two competing platforms. But what would be Apple’s motivation for doing this?

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