Weekly Digest - 2021.23

WWDC 2021

This week Apple held a virtual WWDC conference, and here is what was announced:

iOS 15

  • FaceTime got a grid view, blurred backgrounds, and weblink to schedule a FaceTime call that  will work on PC or Android,
  • SharePlay allows to play videos, movies, TV shows,  music, and screen sharing during FaceTime calls,
  • Spatial audio is now supported thought the system,
  • Focus will manage notifications based on their importance and what we are doing at the moment,
  • Live Text allows to search and copy a text from photos,
  • Wallet will support virtual keys allowing opening cars or hotel room from the phone, also it will support virtual personal IDs and driving licenses,
  • Weather app has been rewritten and now has deeper integration with Dark Sky service,
  • Apple Maps got a new design with more detailed information about the roads, for example you can see the road signs, cross walks, and even 3d version od bridges and overpasses,
  • Safari has been redesigned, but most importantly it supports 3rd party extensions,
  • Siri can now work on the device, without internet connection and it's faster than ever.

iPadOS 15

  • New Home screen is now working like on iOS - widgets are now always visible, we can hide apps or even entire pages, and there is App Library
  • Multitasking got easier with new controls,
  • Notes now has a system wide feature called Quick Note that allows to create a quick note from any place in the iOS or iPadOS. Also the collaboration features has been added to notes, including mentions and activity view,
  • Translate support language auto detection and support handwriting.

watchOS 8

  • Mindfulness - the Breathing app has been extended with meditation features,
  • Sleep can track the respiratory rate and show the results in the Health app,
  • Workout app now supports Pilates and Tai Chi,
  • Photos got new tools to make a watch face with a photo look even better,
  • Home app has been completely redesigned,
  • Apps can now take an advantage from Always-On display.

macOS Montgomery

  • Universal control allows to use the same keyboard and mouse to control multiple macs or iPad,
  • Shortcuts from iOS have finally arrived on macOS,
  • FaceTime, Safari, Photos got similar updates to iOS versions.

Image credits: Apple

Weekly Digest - 2021.03

According to rumors, Apple decreased the production of iPhone 12 Mini in favour of  iPhone 12 Pro. The shift in production is a response to increased demand for iPhone 12 Pro.

Netflix surpassed the 200 million subscribers. Although those are impressive numbers, Netflix will have work hard to keep those users, as other services gain in popularity, especially Disney+.

No unsigned iOS apps on Apple Silicon

Apple started to block users from sideloading iPhone apps on Apple Silicon Macs. The only way to install an iOS app is through the AppStore.

Image credits: Todd Diemer

Weekly Digest - 2020.39

Amazon Luna

Amazon has launched its game streaming service. It's powered by  Nvidia's GPUs and runs on Windows, which should developers easily port games. Right now, it supports over 100 games.

The launch date is still unknown, but  service will be available on PC, Mac, Fire TV. The iPhone and iPad  will get support  via web apps. An Android version planned for after launch.  The official pricing is also unknown, but early access price is set at $5.99/month.

Amazon also announced special controller that will cost $49.99 during the early access.

Epic Games vs Apple continued

Multiple developers, including Epic Games, Spotify and Basecamp,  have  formed the Coalition for App Fairness  intended to coordinate efforts to fight against Apple's monopolistic behaviors on the AppStore.

Windows XP source code leaked

The source code of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 has leaked online.

It shouldn't be a big issue for Microsoft as Windows XP is no longer supported, but system itself might still have couple of surprises, as secret macOS theme has been discovered.

Weekly Digest - 2020.33

Epic goes to war with Apple

Hours after removing Fortnite from AppStore, Epic filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The legal complaint,  seeks to establish Apple’s App Store as a monopoly, and the civil suit is seeking injunctive relief to “allow fair competition” in mobile app distribution.

Fortnite has been also removed from Play Store and Epic filled another lawsuit agains Google as well.

Epic has a really small chances to win this lawsuit,  but  this time the company with millions of users is rebelling against Apple, so they will get attention of general public. Definitely the antitrust commissions in US and EU will notice this.

Xbox Series X will launch in November

Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox Series X will launch in November, before the holiday season. According to some rumors, the premiere is set to November 6th.

Now, that we have more or less accurate release date, all we need is the price.

Microsoft Surface Duo release date

Microsoft's first foldable mobile device will arrive on September 10th. The preorders are already available for $1,399. Surface Duo is Microsoft's first phone since Lumia. It not only has interesting design, that includes two separate screens, but also it runs Android.

Image credits: Microsoft

Weekly Digest - 2020.13

Apple's software updates

This week Apple has updated all their operating systems. Here is the list of the most prominent changes:

iOS 13.4

  • iCloud Folder Sharing,
  • Universal Purchase allows to purchase single copy of an app for all user's iPhones, iPods touch, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs,
  • Revamped toolbar in Mail app,
  • Third-party navigation apps are now supported by the CarPlay Dashboard,
  • 9 new Memoji and Animoji stickers.

iPadOS 13.4

  • Mouse and trackpad support,
  • Shared iPad feature is now available for enterprise users,
  • Also includes all changes from iOS 13.4.

macOS 10.15.4

  • iCloud Folder Sharing,
  • Universal Purchase allows to purchase single copy of an app for all user's iPhones, iPods touch, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs,
  • Time-synced lyrics for Apple Music, with ability to jump to part of a song by clicking a line in lyrics view,
  • New Parental options.

watchOS 6

  • In-app purchases are now available for ‌‌Apple Watch‌‌ apps,
  • ECG app and Irregular heart rhythm notifications are now available in Chile, New Zealand and Turkey.

tvOS 13.4 & HomePod

  • General bug fixes and improvements.

Disney+ in Western Europe

Disney has launched their streaming service in United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and Austria. Disney says that Disney+ will be available in France in April. Additional Western Europe countries, including Belgium, the Nordics, and Portugal should get access this summer.