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

macOS turns 20

20 years ago Apple introduced the Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah. It was, in someways, a limited operating system. But back then, it was just a foundation for things that came later. Apple based MacOS X  on UNIX, which later became a foundation for iOS and the rest is the history. With Cheetah Apple also introduced the classic Aqua interface. Aqua evolved throughout a years, especially in Mac OS 10.5 and recently in Big Sur, but the core functionality remained the same.  And that shows you how good the Cheetah was back then. Last year Apple introduced macOS 11, which will bring us to the new era of the macOS family.

Microsoft buys Discord?

The are rumors that Microsoft plans to buy an online communicator Discord. The accusation is supposedly valued more than $10 billion. This is interesting move from Microsoft because they already have Skype and Teams.  Since last year, Microsoft heavily invested in the latter, where the Skype felt behind. The question is whether Microsoft is going to invest into Discord or will it slowly die because of lack of any development?

Visual overhaul of Windows

Microsoft started refreshing the UI of the Windows. They started with the icons.

This is a first part of the Sun Valley project, that is going to rejuvenate Windows.

Spotify refreshed

Spotify released a new versions of the app for Desktop and the Web. The update brings a new UI that is more consistent and fell more native. Apple should take notes, because their Music app is really bad.

Image credits: Wikipedia

iPhone 12 Pro more popular than iPhone 12 mini?

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.

Streaming services even more popular

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

Microsoft plans to replace Outlook with new Universal Client

According to Windows Central, Microsoft plans to replace all the current versions of Outlook with one, web based, universal client. This new client - codename Monarch - is based on the Outlook Web app already available available in a browser today. There is no information when the actual switch might happen.

10th years of the Mac App Store

The Mac App Store launched exactly 10 years ago, on January 6, 2011. Although it is the easiest way to install an app on the Mac, it never gained the popularity. The 30% Apple tax and not clear app review rules caused that many developers never sold their apps through the AppStore or even abandoned the AppStore.

Hopefully the new and lower Apple Tax for small businesses and upcoming investigations regarding Apple's monopoly will make the AppStore a better place for developers.

Google workers plans to unionize

A group of Google workers plan to unionize. The Alphabet Workers Union will be available to all employees and contractors that work for Google's companies. So far about 400 workers joined the union out over 130K people working for Google. The union might be small, but it is determined to solve the issues that has been reveled in recent months.

Image credits: Microsoft

SpaceX Crew-1

For the second time, SpaceX and NASA launched the Crew Dragon capsule with people onboard. Following the successful Demo-2 mission, NASA gave SpaceX's Crew Dragon an operational status, and the Crew-1 mission is the first flight with such status. Crew of 4 astronauts launched on Sunday, and docked to the International Space Station the next day. According to NASA plans, astronauts will spend in space about 180 days.

Apple reduces AppStore tax to 15%

Apple announced, that from January 1st, the AppStore tax will be reduce from 30% to 15% to all developers that during a  year made under $1 million. If the developer exceeds the $1 million threshold then the 30% tax will be applied.

This is huge for the most of the developers. The change from 30% to 15% cut, by then increases developers revenue for about 20%.

ARM Macs delivers

Apple started shipping new ARM powered Macs and the first benchmarks started showing up. It looks like, all Apple claims about new hardware are true. New macs are not only the fastest, but also super efficient, which improves battery life. Now, the only thing that might stop a customer from choosing an ARM mac is a software compatibility. But even that should not be a big issue for the most users. And if a particular application is not ready yet, it should be very soon.

Dope links

• macOS defaults list
• Does Apple really log every app you run? A technical look
• Api diff between net5.0 and netcoreapp3.1 & netstandard2.1
• I built a VR chainsaw in Unity

Image credits: NASA/SpaceX