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Yes, no, maybe: Our WWDC23 predictions [The CultCast]

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WWDC23 predictions on The CultCast.
It's more than just a guessing game. Our WWDC23 predictions are all about honor!
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
WWDC23

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With WWDC23 just days away, we’re going on the record with our predictions for Apple’s most momentous developer conference in years. Will iOS 17 allow alternative app stores? Will the Apple headset cost $3,000? Will our reputations survive this public guessing game?

Also on The CultCast:

  • It looks like new high-end Macs will definitely be in the mix — and the leaked specs sound absolutely blistering.
  • The Apple headset’s advanced hardware might make virtual reality look stunningly real.
  • Generative AI shows us what the rest of Taylor Swift’s evermore album cover might look like.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Apple’s ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase might soon shrink

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Apple’s AI-driven voice-controlled digital assistant Siri
Activating Siri may soon get simpler.
Image: Apple
WWDC23

The “Hey Siri” trigger phrase for Apple’s virtual assistant could go away soon, replaced with a shorter version. And the change might be announced at WWDC23 next week.

Being able to activate Siri by simply saying “Siri” near an iPhone, HomePod, etc., could make activating Apple’s virtual assistant easier.

5 ways to watch Apple’s WWDC23 keynote on Monday

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WWDC23 logo over aerial photo of Apple Park
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference once again takes place at Apple Park in Cupertino.
Photo: Arne Müseler/Wikimedia Commons/Apple
WWDC23

Apple’s WWDC keynote is the biggest event of the year, kicking off the annual cycle of software updates and changes to every single platform — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Only a few people buy a new Apple product every year, but everyone has something to look forward to after WWDC. How can you watch it all unfold this Monday?

You can watch the live stream on the web on Apple’s website or on YouTube, inside the free Apple Developer app, on your smart TV, and for a select lucky few, in person — my tips on how to make the most of that and more are all below.

Apple plans ‘controlled’ demos of new AR/VR headset

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WWDC23 attendees and press can try the new AR/VR headset in a new facility, and demos should continue through the summer.
WWDC23 attendees and press can try the new AR/VR headset in a new facility, and demos should continue through the summer.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
WWDC23

Calling WWDC23 Apple’s “most significant product launch event in nearly a decade,” a report Friday relayed new information about the event’s headlining hardware — Apple’s first AR/VR headset.

While the headset won’t go on sale for months, WWDC attendees and media can try demonstrations of it in a large new structure at Apple Park, and in future demos throughout the summer.

New high-end Macs with M2 Max and Ultra chips could debut at WWDC23 [Updated]

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A table of desktop Macs. Going clockwise around the table, starting at the front: the Mac Studio with Studio Display (height-adjustable stand and nano texture glass), the iMac, Mac Pro with Pro Display XDR (with Pro Stand) and Mac mini with Studio Display (tilt stand).
The 2023 Mac Studio might debut as soon as next week.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
WWDC23

Apple could launch two new high-end desktop Macs at WWDC23 next week. Labeled internally as Mac 14,13 and Mac 14,14, the two machines could be Apple’s most powerful Macs yet.

Likely aimed at professionals, the new desktop Macs — likely updated versions of the Mac Studio — reportedly will feature M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. The rumored specs point to big performance boosts.

Meta squeezes in VR headset tease ahead of WWDC23

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Meta Quest 3 is
Meta Quest 3 is "coming this fall."
Photo: Meta
WWDC23

That’s some interesting timing on Meta’s press release Thursday for a VR headset not expected to come out until at least late September. Mark Zuckerberg and company wedged in a tease for Meta Quest 3 just four days ahead of WWDC23, when Apple is expected to unveil its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.

The Meta press materials even appropriated “we can’t wait,” one of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trademark phrases.

Swift Student Challenge winners share passions through code

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From left, Marta Michelle Caliendo, Yemi Agesin and Asmi Jain are among the 375 Swift Student Challenge winners this year.
From left, Marta Michelle Caliendo, Yemi Agesin and Asmi Jain are among the 375 Swift Student Challenge winners this year.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

Each year alongside WWDC, Apple runs a contest for students worldwide to create great app playgrounds using Swift code. This year 375 coders won, up from the previous 350. They’ll be among WWDC23’s virtual and in-person attendees.

“We are amazed by the talent we see from the young developers who enter our Swift Student Challenge,” said Susan Prescott, Apple vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations.

“This year’s submissions demonstrated not only the next generation’s commitment to building tools that will improve our lives, but also a willingness to embrace new technologies and tools, and deploy them in original and creative ways,” she added.

WWDC23: What to expect from Apple’s blockbuster keynote

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WWDC23: What to expect
Apple has plenty of announcements lined up for WWDC23
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh
WWDC23

With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference just a week away, anticipation is building for what looks like one of the company’s most momentous events in years. In addition to the next versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and macOS, Apple reportedly plans to use its WWDC23 keynote on June 5 to showcase some very interesting hardware.

Here’s a roundup of what to expect from the WWDC23 keynote, which streams live at 10 a.m. Pacific on June 5.

What to expect from the first 15-inch MacBook Air

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2023 MacBook Air 15-inch concept
There's never been a MacBook Air with a screen this large.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
WWDC23

Two weeks from today, Apple will launch the first 15-inch MacBook Air, according to multiple tipsters. This will be the largest consumer-oriented notebook Apple has ever offered.

You don’t need to wait for WWDC23 to get the details, though. Here’s everything that has leaked out about this soon-to-be-released Mac.