| Cult of Mac

WWDC 2021 ‘Universal Control’ workstation lives on [Setups]

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The resemblance is uncanny.
The resemblance is uncanny.
Photo: kinky_unicorn@Reddit.com

Remember those heady days of WWDC 2021, when Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi performed a magical drag-and-drop demo of Universal Control that made the near-future world of macOS Monterey seem especially cool? Oh, yeah. It was just last month.

Anyway, Redditor kinky_unicorn certainly remembers it. They recreated Federighi’s workstation from the video, took a photo of it and posted it on Reddit, after all.

WWDC21 is a wrap! [Cult of Mac Magazine 405]

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WWDC21: There was so much software, there was no room for hardware.
WWDC21: So much software there was no room for hardware.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

This week’s Worldwide Developers Conference brought an avalanche of info about what to expect from Apple’s next-gen operating systems. Our top story runs down our overall first impressions after Monday’s WWDC keynote. And our newsy roundups showcase each platform’s new key features.

Also don’t miss Ed Hardy’s deeper hands-on dives into key features coming in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. You can read all that and more in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Just download and enjoy on your favorite iOS device. Alternatively, you can use the links below to read our coverage in your browser of choice.

If you want to get exhaustive, you can dig through all our posts by key platform: iOS 15, macOS Monterey, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS.

tvOS 15 lets you sign into apps using Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone

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tvOS 15 lets you sign in with iPhone and iPad
No need to struggle with the Siri Remote.
Image: Apple

Signing into Apple TV apps will soon be easier than ever, thanks to the ability to use Face ID or Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad with tvOS 15.

The new “Sign in with Apple Device” feature will negate the need to enter usernames and passwords with Apple TV’s Siri Remote, significantly speeding up the sign in process. But there is a small catch.

New ‘World Timer’ face for Apple Watch spilled in WWDC session

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World Timer face for Apple Watch
Will World Timer come with watchOS 8 this fall?
Image: Apple

A new “World Timer” face for Apple Watch has been spilled ahead of its release in a WWDC 2021 developer session.

The face didn’t get a mention during Apple’s watchOS 8 announcement on Monday, and isn’t yet available inside the first developer beta. Fans will be hoping it does appear before watchOS 8 makes its public debut.

Craig Federighi’s impressive WWDC iPad catch gets set to toe-tapping music

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Craig
Just one man and his iPad.
Photo: Apple

Want to relive Craig Federighi’s daring iPad catch from Monday’s keynote, set to a toe-tapping tune? Of course you do. Fortunately, Jonathan Mann is here to help.

Mann, a prolific musical YouTuber, has been writing songs about Apple dating back to the days of Antennagate and the iPhone 4. None other than Steve Jobs once played one of Mann’s iPhone ditties on stage at an Apple event. Each year after Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Mann pens a song based on the event.

His song this year won’t leave you any the wiser if you didn’t watch this year’s WWDC keynote. But it will certainly get you nodding your head — and reliving that Federighi catch over and over. Check it out.

9 things that blew us away at WWDC 2021

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Apple CEO Tim Cook wraps the WWDC21 keynote on June 7, 2021.
Apple CEO Tim Cook wraps the WWDC21 keynote on June 7, 2021.
Photo: Apple

Some new features really stood out when Apple revealed the next versions of all its operating systems during Monday’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. Users of iPhone, Mac and iPad, and Apple Watch, too, can look forward to welcome improvements this fall.

We picked out the best of these to make sure they don’t get overlooked.

watchOS 8 adds new Mindfulness app and Portrait watch face

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watchOS introduces a new Portrait mode watch face with depth effect
watchOS introduces a new Portrait mode watch face with depth effect
Photo: Apple

We got our first glimpse of the OS that will be gracing everyone’s wrists this fall when Apple showed off watchOS 8 during Monday’s WWDC keynote.

This update looks like more of an evolution than a revolution. Text editing gets a little easier.  And we’ll get various small enhancements for the apps we already know and love, like photo sharing and a redesigned Music app.

Siri will work offline and come to third-party devices this year

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Apple’s AI-driven voice-controlled digital assistant Siri
Siri is finally expanding its reach.
Photo: Apple

Siri will soon be able to handle many of your questions and requests offline. When Apple’s next-generation software updates roll out this fall, on-device speech recognition will negate the need for a data connection.

Apple is also opening Siri up to third parties, paving the way for its virtual assistant to be integrated into all manner of smart devices in the future.

Apple Music with Spatial Audio can be enjoyed now [Updated]

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Apple Music Spatial Audio could debut on Monday
Songs that offer a surround sound experience could be right around the corner for Apple Music subscribers.
Photo: Apple

Apple launched the promised new Spatial Audio service for Apple Music on Monday. The feature was announced in May, and the wait is over. Spatial Audio allows songs seemingly come from all around the listener, even from above. If the track has been mixed to support it, of course.