Mobile menu toggle

Search results for: wwdc

Did Apple steal the name for HealthKit from an Australian startup?

By

New IBM cloud has the potential to take Health data to the next level. Photo: Apple
New IBM cloud has the potential to take Health data to the next level. Photo: Apple

Apple might have been planning its entry into health-tracking for quite some time, but it may not have given quite so much thought to the name of its HealthKit platform, as recently announced at WWDC.

That’s because an Australian health startup with the same name has come forwards, and it’s none too pleased about Apple apparently borrowing its name for the API of its Health app.

“It is very flattering that they like our name, but I’m a little let down because how hard would it have been to spend five seconds to put HealthKit.com into their browser and find us?” Alison Hardacre, co-founder and managing director of HealthKit told Wired. “Everybody worries that Google or Apple will come into their space and their business will die, but no one thinks that company will come into that space and use the same name!”

Metal should get iOS gamers very excited about the future

By

Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Apple unveils Metal, a promising new tool for game developers, at WWDC 2014. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

As a professional game developer, the big news coming out of Apple’s WWDC keynote wasn’t Swift or iCloud Drive — it was Metal.

In an onstage demo, Epic showed off the power of its Unreal engine after it had been modified to make use of this new Apple framework. Hundreds of fish reacted dynamically to a finger drawn on the screen. Leaves were shaken from a tree, and butterflies flew through the screen.

It was a very pretty demo. But what does it mean for the games you’ll be playing on your iOS device?

iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite will change the way you do photography

By

Apple finally fixed photography on iOS. Or rather, it’s fixed organizing your photos, wherever they might be. The iPhone is already a great camera. The problem was everything that happened after you tapped the shutter.

Now, in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, you’ll never have to worry about organizing your photos again — they’ll be everywhere, all the time. And best of all? It looks like you’re never going to need iPhoto again, on the Mac or on your iPad.

Apple crowns the best-designed apps of 2014: Monument Valley, Day One and more

By

(photo: @paulmayne)
(photo: @paulmayne)

Thousands upon thousands of apps get submitted to the App Store each year, but only a select few end up being honored with an Apple Design Award. The most beautiful, well-designed apps get crowned by Apple annually at WWDC.

“The developers of these exceptional apps combined design and technology in creative, compelling and powerful ways,” according to Apple. 2014’s winners include games we’ve featured on Cult of Mac like Leo’s Fortune and Monument Valley. If you’re looking to try some new apps, these 12 are the ones to get.

Was Apple inspired by David Hockney’s Yosemite series?

By

David Hockney, Yosemite I, © 2013 David Hockney, used with permission de Young Museum.
David Hockney, Yosemite I, © David Hockney, used with permission de Young Museum.

When the Yosemite posters first went up in Moscone Center ahead of  WWDC, a thought lodged in my brain that continued to tumble around all weekend: Apple drew inspiration for the name of the new OS from David Hockney.

It’s not as much of a stretch as it sounds. After all, Hockney recently had a major show at San Francisco’s de Young Museum, where he debuted a series of 12-foot-high tributes to Yosemite National Park made with an iPad. The big, bold, bright works with clear blues and greens were absolute show-stealers.

Apple plans to ship 20 million ‘phablet’ iPhone 6 handsets this year

By

iPhone 6 production is ramping up

Apple kept its cards close to its chest about the forthcoming iPhone 6 at yesterday’s WWDC keynote (and why wouldn’t it?), but new information has arrived in the form of a report from China.

This information suggests that Apple has been able to solve the battery issues that reportedly plagued production of its expected 5.5-inch iPhone 6, and that the company is on course to ship 20 millions of these handsets in 2014 alone. The news states that Apple is partnering with the China-based Sunwoda Electronics to manufacture batteries for all of these devices — with each battery costing roughly $6.40. Apple’s regular battery supplier, Dynapack, will also help fill the order.

App Store Guidelines acknowledge bitcoin policy for the first time

By

largest-bitcoin-exchange-suspends-withdrawals.si

Despite pulling various Bitcoin trading apps from the App Store, Apple hasn’t previously made clear its stance on virtual currencies and how it plans to handle them in future.

Following the unveiling of iOS 8 at yesterday’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company has issued a revised set of its App Store Review Guidelines, complete with a section specifically dealing with virtual currencies. If we’re interpreting it correctly, it appears that Apple will accept apps for review which deal in the transmission of digital funds — at least to a degree.

5 incredible iOS 8 features Apple didn’t mention

By

Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

Apple added a ton of new features to iOS 8 today and more are surely on the way once new iPhones and iPads are announced. But while Photos, Messaging and Notification Center stole most of the spotlight during the WWDC keynote, there were a bunch of smaller features Apple didn’t cover.

Better camera tools, battery statistics, new Siri tricks and more were also added to today’s beta. Here’s our hands-on preview of five incredible features Apple didn’t mention in today’s keynote.

Apple alters the future again — here’s how

By

Tim Cook leaves the stage at the end of the 2014 WWDC keynote. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Tim Cook leaves the stage at the end of the 2014 WWDC keynote. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

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.

Will Apple’s Bash finally bring the jams?

By

Can't get much more bland than this smooth jazz outfit, who played The Bash in 2001
Can't get much more bland than this smooth jazz outfit, who played The Bash in 2001

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).