Apple’s WWDC Conference: What You Missed And What You Need To Know

Apple has kicked off its largest annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco this week featuring all things Apple.

Here’s a roundup thus far of all you should know from the conference.

Apple Music

Arguably what’s dominating the media about WWDC is official information about Apple’s new streaming service, Apple Music

Rumours of the service had been circulating around the web for the past week, however at the end of his keynote address, CEO Tim Cook talked about plans for the new music streaming service.

The streaming service will reportedly be $9.99 a month, with a family plan at $14.99 a month also available.

Interestingly, Apple is making its streaming service available to Android platforms too, however the service will obviously be on iOS first.

Apple has also created a new ad for its product.

Software Updates

Cook also reportedly unveiled a suite of new software updates to various Apple products.

The company introduced its latest update to its Mac operating system, called El Capitan, which provides a heap of new features to Macs new enough to support it. Per Wired, the function will enable a cleaner Windows experience, pin sites in web browser Safari – similar to bookmarks only more elegant looking – the ability to split the screen on desktops, mute noisy tabs, swiping capabilities in the Mail service, as well as a big-arse cursor. Read them in detail here.

Update iOS 9 is coming too, announced by Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi. The Verge reported the new update is less about radical change and more about tweaks for a better user experience. It’s supposed to take up less room on the iPhone, with a new function that should add a couple more hours of battery life.

Not to miss out, Siri is getting an update as well, with Business Insider, saying she will now only miss words five per cent of the time.

“One big change seems to be that Siri is becoming more intelligent and contextual, like Google Now,” wrote Business Insider’s Lisa Eadicicco. “Thanks to a new feature called Proactive, Siri offers up contacts you might want to call or text based on your upcoming meetings and suggests apps you might want to download based on the ones you already have.”

Apple Pay

Apple’s payment service, Apple Pay, is moving beyond the confines of the US, with reports from the conference suggesting it will hit UK shores in July. Per TechCrunch, Apple Pay should be compatible with 70 per cent of the UK’s various debit and credit cards. Apple has also renamed its Passbook, the function that finds the card you need to pay, to Wallet.

Apple News

The tech giant has given an overhaul to its news section, rebranding it from Newsstand to News. The new format will be similar to Flipboard and will feature articles from numerous publishers such as ESPN, Vanity Fair and Buzzfeed. Adage has reported: “People will be able to select which publications they’d like to see articles from as well as which topics they’re interested in. Those articles will then be presented in a personalised magazine-like layout. People will be able to swipe between articles in their feed or check out publisher- or category-specific channels.”

Apple Maps

When iOS 9 comes into play, all those with iPhones will soon be able to see public transport directions in a new feature called ‘Transit’. Per CNet, the feature will include information on public transport systems in the area, how quickly you can get between places and where you can enter and exit a station.

CNet’s James Martin wrote: “Apple said during its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote Monday that Transit recognises that people aren’t always driving, but need some helping from a mapping application.”

Apple Watch

It wouldn’t be an Apple conference without some mention of its headline-making wearable device, Apple Watch. The young device already has a new operating system, watchOS 2, with Fairfax Media reporting the update will include a number of new features such as native third-party apps, apps that work purely off the Apple Watch, not having to go through an iPhone, options to jump ahead in time to see temperature, forecasts and the like, alarm clocks, grouping friends together, and new watch faces.

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