The tech world has been buzzing for the past 24 hours with news from Apple’s WWDC 2013 Keynote.
Apple hosted its first Apple Event, where they introduced several new pieces of innovative technology as well as improvements on current Apple products. You can read my detailed report here, but below are some of the major highlights:
- AnkiDrive was a new concept introduced by Apple that will be available on iOS devices. AnkiDrive is a small toy car that “thinks just like we do.” The cars reacts to their surroundings and can even target other vehicles, “bringing video games to life on the floor of your living room.”
- Apple also announced its new operating system, OS X Mavericks, the first of a series of future operating systems named for places in the company’s home, California. Mavericks has enhanced many aspects of previous operating systems, including battery life, Safari and the Finder. In addition, new features, such as file tags and enhanced multiple display support are now possible on Apple computers. The new iCloud Keychain feature saves user login information for virtually anything, as well as credit card info – but encrypts this data to prevent hacking, making logging into various websites and shopping online more efficient. Other Apple apps like Notifications, Maps, Calendars and iBooks have also been giving makeovers and some snazzy new features.
- The new MacBook Air on display at the conference. The new MacBook Air is faster, more efficient and more responsive than previous models and is also about $100 cheaper than the former’s original price. The release of new Airport Extreme Base Stations makes it possible for Apple users to stay online on the go.
- The Mac Pro was also a major topic of interest. Tim Cook described the new Mac Pro as “the future of a pro desktop” and something “truly revolutionary, truly radical.” Every aspect of the Mac Pro has been upgraded. The Mac Pro features a unified thermal Intel Xeon core, which allows for more than double the performance output of older models and the fastest ECC memory ever. Flash runs 2.5 times faster, than any flash ever built, and 10 times faster than any previous Mac Pro. More processors, memory and bandwidth all equal a Mac Pro experience more than twice as fast as any before. All of this is jammed into the new iO station, which is one eighth the size of the previous model, allowing for easy transportation.
- The most anticipated announcement of the Keynote was definitely the introduction of iOS 7. Apple touched on how much more successful iOS has been compared to Android and how much more satisfied customers are with iOS products. That is why they created iOS 7, to keep customers happy. “iOS 7 is the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone. It’s packed with new features, and an amazing new interface” says Cook. Everything about the operating system has gotten a face-lift, including the lock screen, camera, calendars, Gamecenter and even Siri. Several new features were also introduced, such as the iTunes Radio, which is sure to prove itself a major Pandora competitor, AirDrop (a new, simple picture sharing application), and Activation Lock, which allows users to deactivate their device if it is stolen. iOS 7 pleased the crowd of 6,000 and is now available in a beta version and will be available for full release later this year.
For more details on the Apple WWDC 2013 Keynote, check out my comprehensive report.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzUH9PJA1Ro
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