Past and Present: A lookback at WWDC and what is next for Apple

It’s been over three months since Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, which took place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. The June 2014 event focused on services and software announcements, while the recently released iPhone 6 and Apple Watch were kept under wraps. The main highlights were the new versions of OS X and iOS, which revealed Apple’s intention to make their software more open.

Mac OS X 10.10, known as Yosemite was shown by Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Fereighi who is considered by many as the successor of Steve Jobs, thanks to his charisma and drive. He also took charge of presenting iOS 8 and developer features such a Swift, a new programming language. The company’s CEO, Tiim Cook, hosted the event. Here is a recap at what was unveiled during the WWDC, as well as some rumours of what can be expected for the rest of 2014.

Yosemite and iOS 8
Yosemite’s design is inspired in iOS 7 and it is expected to be officially launched in October. A public beta version is available in the meantime, for those who can’t wait to give it a try. Some of the features that stand out are the improved and faster Launchpad, the beautiful new look – including revamped icons and see through effects – enhanced Spotlight for access to more information and the ability to take phone calls on your Mac.

iOS 8’s interface is pretty much the same as iOS 7 but there are some changes to the app- switching function and contact icons. As Apple is willing to take a more flexible approach when it comes to software customization, downloading third-party features like keyboards is now possible with iOS 8. There are also improvements to the Notification Centre, Safari and other functions. A feature that was only revealed a few days before the official release is Apple Pay, which is a payment system that at the moment would only be available for the new iPhone 6. iOS 8 is out now and it is compatible with iPhone 4s and later, as well as iPad mini and iPod Touch 5G.

Rumours
While the WWDC was all about the software, it seems like the second part of the year will see Apple focusing on the hardware side of things. The iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch were launched in a special event on September 9th and it is thought that new releases will follow in the coming months. Some of the new items that we may see in stores soon include a Retina MacBook Air, which would have a high resolution screen and would be available towards the end of 2014.

Another release to look forward to is a new model of Apple TV. It is about time for Apple to update this product since its competitors are quickly taking a hold on the smart TV market. The new Apple TV would have a built-in microphone, which would allow the use of Siri. A new Mac mini could also be on its way, in spite of previous speculations about the company’s decision to discontinue this product. Overall, It has been an active year for the Cupertino based company and we hope that they continue surprising us with improvements and great new products in what is left of 2014.

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