Monday 11 June 2012

What we want from WWDC.



   The picture below was snapped the other day at WWDC, Apple's event where they announce almost everything, except the iPad and iPhones, which launch in March and September/October respectively. This means that the launch of iOS6 is imminent and what better chance to pause, get some more opinions and see where we want this to go and see whether Apple is giving us what we want in regards to all of their devices.

   For this post I've enlisted the help of our resident iOS expert, Shri Shah. He really knows his stuff when it comes to all things Apple and this is what he wants to see come from WWDC.

iOS6.

  • Live widgets and wallpapers! It'd be great to see it if icons could reflect what's going on inside the app. A great example would be the weather app; if it's raining change the icon to a rain cloud, if it's sunny you get a sun and a live temperature. Live wallpapers would be a nice addition and although they're available on other operating systems already, it'd be interesting to see Apple's take on the effects on the battery life.
  • Apple Maps: This is something which has been widely rumoured in the lead up to today's event and it's about time Apple went head to head with Google and Nokia and created a feasible navigation solution.
  • Facebook integration: We've already got Twitter so why not Facebook?! This is something that'd be especially useful in the camera app, so that we don't need to go into the Facebook app and then locate the images again.
  • Siri: Siri needs to be on the iPad! And it's already an extremely advanced application so it'd be great to see it officially come out of Beta.
  • Safari: The navigation bar on the browser needs to be changed to work like Chrome's; it would make a lot more sense to be able to search and type in the URL in the same space as a time saving measure.
  • Notifications: Just more basic options in the notification centre, at the moment it's a bit convoluted. 
  • Mobile payments: Google has launched Google Wallet, Barclays has their Paytags and Apple could do... Bluetooth payments instead of NFC. This would allow backwards compatibility with all previous iPhones and would give the service a real impetus given the huge number of iPhones already in the wild.
  • Mail filters: It'd be hugely beneficial to allow numbers to be blocked and email addresses to be filtered straight from the device. 
   The huge drive from the changes to iOS, in my mind, would be the creation of a whole new level of customisability within the OS. But, to an extent where everything is still usable and simple but with the added freedom.

Macs:


  • The Macbook Pro: Perhaps it's time for the Macbook Pro to become the Macbook. This is something which has been widely rumoured and would greatly simplify the naming structure.
  • The Macbook Air: A 15" Macbook Air would be great to see; a well proportioned laptop but with the thinness and portability of the Air Range.
  • For all Macs: Retina displays throughout all ranges!!! That'd be perfect especially if it is twinned with a bump to all of the latest processors and SSD's.

Apple TV's.



   In the last few days there's been quite a lot of activity around the Apple TV's, with a refresh being widely tipped. There has also been reports that the UK Apple TV's have been getting software updates over the last few weeks and so there may well be an App Store heading to the device. But any update and refresh would be an improvement over the device at the moment.


   If any or most of these changes actually hit we're in for an exciting week! Keep it locked to TheTechFella for all the latest news from San Francisco this week.

Thanks again Shri!

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