Weekly Digest - 2021.23

Michal Tynior -

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