Apple’s annual keynote session at its Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco always creates quite the hype, and this year’s keynote did not disappoint. Tech geeks and developers have been eager to see what Apple has in store next. There were many rumors of new hardware circulating, but this year, the conference mostly focused on software. OS X and iOS 8 will now be working closer than ever before, making Apple’s mobile devices and desktops even more user-friendly.
Here are some of the major highlights:
1. Revamp in Messaging
With Messages being Apple’s most used app, iOS 8 will bring huge updates. Users will now have the ability to send self-destructing messages, quick audio, and video messages. After many requests, Apple also created a way for users to mute or remove yourself and others from group messages, allowing an escape from busy threads.
2. Interactive Notifications
Notifications are also getting revamped, with Apple now allowing users to respond directly to messages from the Notifications view and lock screen. Additionally, the notification center will now allow for the usage of third-party widgets to be added.
3. Improved Keyboards
iOS 8’s keyboards will be smarter, with improved auto-complete suggestions. Its newest feature, called QuickType, predicts the next word you’re going to type based on the sentence context and past history. Apple will now also allow for third-party keyboards to be installed and used on its devices.
4. iCloud Drive
Apple announced its “Dropbox-esque” new program, iCloud Drive. Users will be able to store their documents on the cloud with easy access to them from mobile devices, desktops, and even Windows.
5. Hands-free Siri
When Shazam was acquired by Apple, curiosity was created on how integration would occur. The integration seems like a success, with Shazam teaching Siri some new tricks. Siri will now be able to identify songs, and possess advanced voice recognition features. Now you’ll also be able to bring up the program with your voice. By simply staying “Hey, Siri” the program will launch and be at your command.
6. OS X 10.10 Yosemite
The desktop software will be receiving a new design to match iOS 8 with its flat graphics and vibrant colors, creating a more modern and cohesive look. Yosemite will also be receiving a Notifications bar similar to the one in iOS 8.
7. Fresh Safari Design
Apple’s browser, Safari, will also be getting some design updates in an attempy to be more user-friendly with changes in the address bar and additional features. Apple has also found a way to get rid of one of the browser’s most annoying features: multiple tabs extending outside the window and out of view. The new update will allow for users to scroll through tabs, very similarly to Safari for iOS. Tab view has also been updated tremendously, providing users with a “bird’s eye” view of all open tabs.
8. Swift: A New Language
The biggest surprise of the day, the one that developers are buzzing about, is the introduction of Apple’s new programming language: Swift. The language strives to avoid all baggage that is commonly found in Objective-C, striving to be faster and safer for usage across iOS and OS X platforms. Apple seeks for app creation to be faster, easier, and more efficient. At the conference, Apple hosted workshops on the new language, allowing developers to dive in and play with Swift.
You can watch the full keynote here:
