Instead of dropping a smartwatch or some other hardware bombshell at WWDC 2014, Apple showcased the futuristic tools it will use to extend its rapidly growing empire.

“Apple engineers platforms, devices and services together,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook as he wrapped up the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote Monday in San Francisco. “We do this so we can create a seamless experience for our users that is unparalleled in the industry. This is something only Apple can do.”

Casual observers (and stock analysts) might fret that there was no big wearables reveal, no amazing new Apple TV, not even a spec boost for an existing device during the highly anticipated WWDC kickoff. Yet while there were was absolutely no talk of new hardware, Apple offered an exciting peek at where the world is headed next with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, both of which are available to developers now and will be released to the public this fall.

“We’re always future-focused,” said Cook, who shared presenting duties with Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, and others. Here’s a look at the shiny, translucent, interconnected future Apple is focusing on.

Every year since 2000, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference has concluded with a huge concert called The Bash. This party brings the white and nerdy devs to the yard with bands like Barenaked Ladies (2008), Cake (2009) and OK Go (2010).

We’d like to see Apple switch things up this year. With the recent Beats Music deal still echoing down the halls of Cupertino, it’d sure be nice to see a group up on the Apple stage with a bit more street cred than, say, The Rippingtons (2001).

iOS 8 was finally revealed today in San Francisco and while iOS 7 represented a huge visual overhaul of Apple’s mobile OS, its newest iteration is stuffed fuller than a Thanksgiving turkey, boasting new features that make it quicker, more productive and more integrated than ever before.

It’s the biggest update since the invention of the App Store and not only has Apple added tons of developer tools for home automation, beefy gaming performance and extensions galore, there’s a lot of slick new apps and additions that will earn raves from fans once it drops later this fall.

Here’s a GIFtastic tour of the biggest features coming soon to an iPhone or iPad near you:

Everyone expects Apple to release a larger 4.7-inch iPhone this fall, and there are reports of an even larger 5.5-inch model floating around the supply chain. Heck, we’ve seen 12-inch iPad parts leak recently. It’s pretty clear that displays are only going to be getting bigger.

Developers will need to update their apps to fit new screen sizes, and today Apple provided a way for them to do just that.

Apple has unveiled the latest version of its Mac operating system, OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Undergoing a full redesign, Yosemite brings Apple’s desktop computers closer than ever to the iOS family of devices.

Here’s a look at everything that’s changing.

Apple has posted the full video stream of its WWDC keynote from this morning on its website. The video should also hit Apple’s podcast feed for live events shortly.

At two hours, today’s keynote is jam packed with software announcements for iOS and the Mac. In typical Apple fashion, there were plenty of great moments, funny jokes, and positive adjectives.

The video tribute to developers Apple showed at the beginning of the keynote has also been posted on YouTube:

Apple’s WWDC keynote just ended, and betas of the new iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite are already available to download for developers.

iOS 8 beta 1 and the developer preview of OS X Yosemite can be downloaded from their respective Dev Centers. Both are huge releases that will be available to the public in the coming months.

The iPhone 4s/iPad 2 and up can run iOS 8. Both Yosemite and iOS 8 are scheduled to come out this fall.

We’ll be combing through this new software to find all of the new and hidden features. Stay tuned. Our liveblog has all the other juicy details from the keynote.

Source: Apple

One of the biggest announcements coming out of Cupertino today is the creation of a completely new programming language called Swift – a programming language for the App Age.

Apple is wasting no time getting developers educated on the new tools available to them by making the Swift Programming Language guide book immediately available on iTunes.

After months of anticipation and countless rumors, Tim Cook and his merry band of Apple fellows are about to take the stage at San Francisco’s Moscone West to reveal the latest offerings coming out of Cupertino. It’s time for the Worldwide Developers Conference.

We’ll be covering the WWDC action here all morning with news and analysis on everything like iOS 8, OS X 10.10, Healthbook and whatever other goodies the mothership has prepared. The keynote starts at 10 a.m. Pacific, so bookmark this page and keep it open for a tidal wave of Apple news and insights.

Today we’ve got a couple of great offers courtesy of Cult of Mac Deals that will keep your data safe and secure…and give you some gear to play with in your leisure time.

We’ve lined up one year of unlimited cloud storage with Backblaze, the worldwide leader in online backup storage, for just $24.99. Plus, we’ve got RoboMe for only $69.99, an iOS-controlled toy that takes playtime to a whole new level.

Cult of Mac Magazine June 2 Edition, Free on iTunes

Every week, we serve up the best of the Cult of Mac website as a magazine so you can download and read it at your leisure on your iPhone or iPad.

The nerdgasm is strong with this one!

TMZ has somehow managed to get hold of an epic 45 image gallery of pictures from Star Wars Episode VII, that will make long time Star Wars fans very, very happy indeed.

For those of us who will be giddily watching WWDC from the comfort of our own homes (read: those who weren’t lucky enough to get golden tickets), Apple has added its promised WWDC channel to Apple TV for viewing the live stream of the conference’s keynote later today.

The keynote can additionally be streamed from Apple’s website by way of Safari on OS X or iOS, or QuickTime 7 on Windows.

Amazon may have let the cat out of the bag regarding a new Mortal Kombat sequel by listing Mortal Kombat 10 on its UK website, available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360.

The listing — which has since been removed — suggests that the release would come some time in 2015, although it didn’t mention a specific month or quarter. Since the listing appears to have been premature, it’s not known whether this date could change.

Hours before WWDC kicks off, a series of blurry leaked photos appear to show Apple’s next generation operating system, OS X 10.10 Yosemite, in action.

Two different sources of photos have been posted online: the first on the Reddit Mac community by a poster using a throwaway account, who claimed to have taken the photos himself at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. These images have since been deleted.

Shortly after Twitter user UI designer Doney den Ouden posted another image, citing a “reliable anonymous source.”

Assuming that the photos are genuine, they reveal several interesting changes in the look and feel of the OS — making it far closer resemble iOS. For instance, there is now a Control Center, along with a slightly rejigged Safari, with larger buttons for bookmarks and frequently visited sites, similar to the version of Safari found on the iPad.

It’s the eve of the Worldwide Developers Conference kickoff, and tomorrow morning Apple will hold its first media event of 2014. Like always, there’s a ton of speculation on what will and won’t be announced.

Some last-minute reports share new information on what to expect from the stage tomorrow in more areas than just iOS 8 and OS X 10.10.

There’s an ongoing question in hit comedy show Silicon Valley: do you have to be a jerk to succeed? For the entire first season of Mike Judge’s HBO comedy about the new economy gold rush, it’s been Steve vs. Steve 2.0.

Part of what makes the show a resounding success – it’s already confirmed for season two – is how realistic it is. The startup lads at Pied Piper have been under the gun preparing for a big demo: they have a spot at the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield. Yeah, that’s an actual thing. The show is set where TCD takes place, in the barn-like San Francisco Design Center Concourse, and some 400 companies have duked it out in demos that raised over $2.4 billion in funding.

Nota bene: teensy spoilers follow.

Apple’s first keynote of the year is taking place tomorrow morning to kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

App Store developers from around the world started arriving in San Francisco over the weekend for the week-long conference. At event registration today in the Moscone Center, Apple gave each dev with a ticket some special swag. Excitement appears to be in the air. Before it was barely dinnertime, a line for tomorrow’s keynote started forming.

After reports of iPads, iPhones and Macs being hacked and held ransom in the U.K. and Australia, we put together this video to show you how to avoid the problem — and what to do if it’s already happened.

Related Apple resources:

• How to bypass your Apple passcode
• More information on two-step verification for Apple ID

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Writing a novel, research paper, script or any long-form text involves more than hammering away at the keys. There’s research to collect, fragmented ideas to group, and index cards to shuffle around until you lock down that elusive structure – needless to say most writing software is fired up only after much of the hard work is done. Enter Scrivener – a word processor and project management tool that stays with you from that first, unformed idea all the way through to the final draft.

Scrivener lets you outline and structure your ideas, take notes, view research alongside your writing and compose the pieces of your text in isolation or in context. Scrivener won’t tell you how to write — it just makes all the tools you have scattered around your desk available in one application. And Cult of Mac Deals has Scrivener for only $20 during this limited time offer.

For any Apple coder, attending the annual Worldwide Developers Conference is a coveted opportunity. But for the young recipients of WWDC 2014 Student Scholarships, a free ticket to the event means more than an adventure in geekery; it’s the crowning achievement of their blossoming careers.

Take Shaan Singh, a 14-year-old developer and designer whose iPhone finance app Budgetize helped him bag a scholarship to WWDC, a prize that’s something like winning a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

“It’s a big honor for me to be selected because I made an app that I feel was creative and smart, and Apple thinks so too,” he told Cult of Mac. “I’ve always admired Apple’s design, and I’m excited that they like mine too.”

Nearly three years after Steve Jobs’ death, Apple’s keynotes have become pale imitations of their former glory. The last major keynote — November’s introduction of the iPad Air and Retina mini — was a major international snoozefest.

Utterly devoid of excitement, it served only to stoke the pervasive rumors of Apple’s lack of innovation after Jobs (which aren’t true, but nonetheless).

It’s time for Jony Ive to take over.

It’s all happening! WWDC 2014 is right around the corner, and if recent rumors prove true, Apple’s about to make major moves into your home with iOS 8 — we’ll fill you in. Plus, the Apple/Beats deal is now a reality, and the news hits right as we’re recording.

And don’t miss our all new CultCast 2nd Hour, this time with popular musician and YouTuber Jonathan Mann, who, for the last five years, has written a brand new song every. single. day. We talk to Jonathan about the inspiration, perspiration and agony of making art, and what it was like to have his song unexpectedly featured by Steve Jobs at one of Apple’s most infamous press conferences.

Our thanks to Slingbox for supporting this episode! Slingbox, the best way to watch your TV anywhere, and brings your cable set-top box, satellite receiver or DVR, right to your favorite mobile device, wherever you are in the world. With no monthly fees. Check it out at Slingbox.com/cult, and get $50 off plus free shipping on a new Slingbox.

Click on for the show notes.

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