This shouldn’t be all that surprising, but I think some people were disappointed iMessage didn’t come to Android this week. I wouldn’t rule it out in the future, but I do believe the company sees it as an advantage to the iPhone platform on the whole, and that is still king at Apple.
Category: Apple
What’s New
There’s a lot to process from today, but here are some links you should check out:
The Apple File System⇢
Apple File System is a new, modern file system for iOS, OS X, tvOS and watchOS. It is optimized for Flash/SSD storage and features strong encryption, copy-on-write metadata, space sharing, cloning for files and directories, snapshots, fast directory sizing, atomic safe-save primitives, and improved file system fundamentals.
(DING.)
Hopes and dreams for WWDC
I’ve been crazy busy this week getting ready for WWDC and just realized I hadn’t published my government-mandated list of predictions and desires. The items below are in no real order, but it’d be great to see them all. Forgive me if it reads like I’m in the middle of a fever dream.
Update: I’ve graded my wish list now that the keynote is done.
Mac OS X
- Renaming OS X to “Mac OS” would be better than “macOS” but I think the latter one will win because Phil Schiller likes everything nice and tidy - YES
- Night Shift & Dark Mode - NO
- Improved Mac App Store app with fewer bugs and fewer bugs and fewer bugs - KINDA? iCloud can be used outside the MAS now.
- Relaxed sandboxing rules for App Store apps - NO
- Overhauled Mail.app with modern features like snoozing, filtering and better support for Gmail’s unique features - NO
- A Safari UI that doesn’t try to center everything in the window chrome - NO
- Safari support for WebRTC - NOT SURE
- New hardware but LOL SIGH I KNOW. - LOL
iOS
- Improved app picker for iPad multitasking - NO
- Drag and drop between multitasking apps - NO
- Dark mode - NO
- Copy and Paste that actually works - UNKNOWN
- Updated AirPlay that works more like Chromecast and allows the sending device to be used more freely while AirPlay is going - NO
- Emoji search and maybe stickers - NO AND YES
- An update to the third-party keyboard system that makes them usable - UNKNOWN
- Collaborative Notes.app - YES
- Way to turn off the news headlines in Spotlight easily that doesn’t disable other features - YES
watchOS
- Redesigned app screen - KINDA. The Dock is a big deal.
- Speed and connection reliability, but that may need new hardware, which won’t be on Monday - YES
- Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh something else to get excited about - YES. NO MORE FRIENDS CIRCLE
tvOS
- Night Shift & Dark Mode - YES
- Centralized sign-in for cable or ISP credentials that apps can reference - YES
- Additional data sources for Siri - YES
- Picture in Picture - NO
- Include media only found in a local iTunes folder in the “Movies” and “TV” apps. A lot of my content is locked away in the “Computer” ghetto and it’s a pain to remember what is where - NO
- Amazon Prime Video A pony - LOL
Services
- Siri API that allows Siri to send and retrieve information from third-party apps as easily as it does things like Reminders and Calendar now - YES. If you fit into one of their intents.
- Increase in amount of free space for uses. 5 GB is LOL, Apple - NO
- Improved iCloud email rules and spam filtering - NO
- Revamped iMessage with rich media previews and attachments - YES
- Better handling of split iMessage threads because ain’t no one got time for that - UNKNOWN
Bluetooth 5 to be announced next week⇢
This new specification could really speed up the slooooooooow data transfer rates between future iPhones and future Apple Watches.
Siri smarting off about WWDC⇢
Ahead of Apple’s WWDC 2016 keynote next Monday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Siri is now offering up some traditionally witty responses to users that ask about potential announcements. iPhone users can test Siri themselves by asking “what to expect at WWDC?” or similar questions.
All of Siri’s responses are unsurprisingly vague, including one related to the popular HBO drama series Game of Thrones.
Phil Schiller to make big App Store changes⇢
There is a lot to parse in today’s news. We’re about to record Connected and will be talking about it there.
Apple climbs Fortune 500 rankings⇢
Totes doomed.
iMac G3 product video
Long before Jony Ive would be locked in his all-white room, Apple used product videos to show off new products. Here’s the iMac’s:
App Store, iTunes in the Cloud and more are down⇢
This isn’t great. iCloud Music Library/iTunes Match/Whatever The Hell It Is Called has been up and down for a couple of days now.
Update: It’s now way worse.
5K external displays may be on the horizon⇢
Spotlight and Siri’s sibling rivalry
When first introduced with Mac OS X Tiger, Spotlight offered fast and accurate file and metadata searching on the Mac.
Spotlight made the jump to the iPhone with iPhone OS 3, giving users a quick way to find apps, contacts, emails, events and music.
Today, things are messier. Spotlight is still mostly about search and Siri is still mostly about being a helpful digital assistant, but the lines are more blurred then ever.