Apple WWDC Liveblog: All the Mac and iOS News as It Happens.
Alternatively, there’s the Ecobee3, a WiFi thermostat that comes with a selection of distributable sensors, taking temperature readings from a number of rooms for what is supposed to be a more efficient solution.New software, new services and an updated Apple TV are among the rumoured highlights of Apple’s developer conference, which is due to take place next week.
SAN FRANCISCO — We still have a few days to wait before Apple’s World Wide Developer kicks off but the company is already hard at work preparing the city’s Moscone Center for the event.WWDC, Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, is the best chance we get every year to see what Apple’s been working on—not the iPhone or the iPad, but the software, services, and apps that power them.Signs were indicating an Apple TV refresh coming in time for the Worldwide Developers Conference next week, but a new credible report indicates it’s not something we should expect to see; The New York Times’ Brian X. And an iHome iSP5 SmartPlug acts as intermediary between any appliance and its corresponding wall socket, turning the unit’s power on and off as required. Chen, who has a good track record when it comes to Apple predictions, says Apple decided recently to hold off announcing its new set-top streaming box.
Among the new features expected are Force Touch support, bringing some of the new desktop functions to the iPhone; a split screen mode; and improved security features. The NYT’s report cites “people briefed on the device” as the source of the information, and says that it simply “was not ready to be demonstrated.” It goes on to elaborate that Apple TV content provided one of the main stumbling blocks, since plans to create a channel bundle of live programming for use across Apple devices weren’t entirely in place just yet. An update for its desktop software, OS X, is also expected, although it’s not believed it will be as dramatic an overhaul as last year’s offering, Yosemite.
The content package has been discussed before; back in March, news from the WSJ suggested it would be launched in September, after an initial unveiling at next week’s event. Apple’s purchase of Beats Music last year has set it up to take on the established streaming services such as Spotify and Deezer, with a new subscription music service expected to be unveiled at WWDC. Even without the service itself, new hardware was thought to also be bringing an open Apple TV SDK, allowing any third-party developer to target the platform. Photos of an OS X promotional banner with the face of El Capitan, a well known landmark in Yosemite, kicked off speculation around the name for Apple’s next operating system last year, just days ahead of the developer conference. What is coming at WWDC is a native Watch developer platform, which Apple’s Jeff Williams previously revealed would be announced at the developer-focused conference ahead of a full launch of native apps later in the year.
However, reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that the introduction of the service could be delayed as the company attempts to get the licences in place. Apple Watch apps that run on the Watch itself will most likely debut in September alongside new iPhone hardware, after they’ve had a few months to explore the SDK in a pre-release format, this time with actual hardware to hopefully test on, too. This should also be joined by a new version of iTunes Radio, Apple’s internet radio service that launched in 2013, with celebrity DJs expected to front it.
It sound like Apple will have plenty to discuss at the event regardless, with new versions of iOS 9 and OS X likely, and possibly our first preview of the next major update for Watch OS alongside the definite reveal of native development tools. Apple is also likely to use the event to announce updates for other products we’re already familiar with, from Apple Pay – currently available in the United States – to Apple Watch and HomeKit, which aims to simplify home automation using a common language that manufacturers can use and also builds in support for Siri. In the area of transport, considered an outside chance, there are also rumours that Apple will offer up some form of confirmation that it’s working on a car, with recent comments from Apple’s senior vice-president of operations about the car being the ultimate mobile device reigniting speculation. Apple already offers CarPlay for in-car entertainment that brings content from a driver’s iPhone into the dashboard, with Audi already offering the system on its newest models and other car brands set to roll it out in the coming months.