Apple’s 33rd annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. Like the 2020 and 2021 events, it will be held in a digital-only capacity, so it is free for all developers worldwide to attend.
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The keynote event will give us our first look at new operating system updates, including iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, tvOS 16, and watchOS 9, plus rumors suggest we could see some new hardware. Everything we’ve heard about this year’s event is outlined below.
iOS 16
Most of the rumors about iOS 16 have been vague, so we know little about the operating system update at this time. In years past, new versions of iOS have leaked out early and have given us insight into the feature set that’s coming, but that didn’t happen this year.
That said, we have heard some rumors about what to expect, with much of the information sourced from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, who has reliable sources with information on Apple’s plans.
Overhauled Lock screen with wallpapers that have “widget-like capabilities.”
There will be “significant” improvements to notifications, though we don’t know specific details.
Messages app with “social network-like functionality” with a specific focus on audio messages.
Health app with expanded sleep tracking functionality and medicine management. Apple is working on a tool that will let users scan their pill bottles into the app, plus there are new women’s health features expected.
Fresh Apple apps are in the works, with no more specific information.
Apple is also working on “new ways of system interaction,” but it’s not quite clear what that means.
New Fitness+ workout types.
Apple Music classical app with interface based on Primephonic, an app Apple acquired in 2021.
Possible Features Based on iPhone 14 Rumors
Always-on display for iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (not coming until September).
Likely revamped status bar interface for iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max to accommodate hole punch and pill design that is expected to replace the notch on those devices.
The iPhone 14 models are expected to get a car crash detection feature, which would dial emergency services automatically when a collision is detected. This would require new iOS 16 functionality.
Apple may also add a satellite-based emergency feature to the iPhone 14 models, which would be supported in iOS 16. This feature would let iPhones send texts in emergency situations when there is no cellular coverage, and report major emergencies when coverage is not available.
iPadOS 16 will get many of the new features that are introduced in iOS 16, but Apple is also working on additional functionality that’s iPad specific.
With iPadOS 16, Apple is aiming to make the iPad behave more like a laptop than a smartphone, and the new iPad software will be one of the biggest updates announced at WWDC.
The update will feature a redesigned multitasking interface that makes it easier to swap between tasks and see which apps are open, plus it will allow users to resize windows. Apple also plans to implement new ways for users to deal with multiple apps at once, in what sounds like a much more Mac-like multitasking experience.
macOS 13
We don’t know much about the feature set coming to macOS 13, as there have been few leaks. It is rumored to feature an overhauled System Preferences interface that will bring it more in line with the Settings app on iPhone and iPad, with the update to include individual settings organized by app.
Apple is also expected to revamp some of the default apps, so we could see improvements to Messages, Mail, Safari, and more. Messages in particular is rumored to be getting social network-like functionality with enhancements to audio messages. That’s an iOS 16 rumor, but Messages usually has feature parity across platforms.
As for naming, macOS 13 could be macOS Mammoth, based on Apple trademark filings. Apple way back in 2013 registered trademarks for many California landmarks and Mammoth is the one that’s been kept active the longest, though its status is unknown at this time and Apple has in the past chosen some names that were never on that list, so the naming isn’t certain.
watchOS 9
watchOS 9 will have some updates that impact the day-to-day operation and navigation on the wrist-worn device.
Updated power saving mode that will allow for the use of apps and features while cutting down on battery usage.
Expanded atrial fibrillation detection feature with added “burden,” aka how often a person is in a state of atrial fibrillation across a period of time.
Improved health and activity tracking.
More workout types.
Additional metrics for running workouts.
Refresh for existing watch faces.
tvOS 16
tvOS doesn’t often get as many new features as other operating system updates, and we don’t know a lot about tvOS 16, but it is rumored to include new smart home tie-ins. You may be able to do more with your smart home products through the Apple TV following the launch of the update.
Hardware Possibilities
The past several WWDC events have focused solely on software and have not included hardware announcements, so it’s not yet clear if we’re going to see any hardware unveiled at this year’s event. If we do, the below listed devices are the most likely candidates.
MacBook Air
If Apple does plan to introduce new Macs at the event, the MacBook Air is the device we’re likely to see, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Apple is reportedly “aiming” to introduce the MacBook Air at the event, but COVID-related supply chain issues in China could prevent Apple from doing so.
The next-generation MacBook Air is expected to feature a total design overhaul with a MacBook Pro-like shape that does away with the tapered body. It will be thinner and lighter, and it is expected to come in multiple colors, including space gray, silver, a champagne color, and blue. The MacBook Air is expected to feature slim off-white bezels and a matching off-white keyboard, and it could be around 13.6 inches in size.
The MacBook Air will probably be equipped with a next-generation M2 chip, which is expected to feature the same number of computing cores as the M1 (eight), but it will include speed improvements that make it marginally faster. It is also rumored to have improved graphics with nine or 10 GPU cores, up from seven or eight in the current M1 MacBook Air.
The M2 chip will be the first upgrade to the M1-series chips that Apple has been using in Apple silicon devices to date. Though many rumors have suggested the MacBook Air will feature an M2 chip, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple could focus on the redesign rather than new chip technology.
He has said the next-generation TSMC N3 and N4P fabrication processes will not be ready for mass production until 2023, so Apple will only be able to introduce an iterative update expected to use the same N5P chip used for the A15 and the M1.
Back in 2019, the redesigned modular Mac Pro was shown off at WWDC ahead of its late 2019 launch, and there’s a possibility that we could see a similar unveiling this year.
Apple’s hardware engineering chief John Ternus confirmed at the spring event that there is an Apple silicon version of the Mac Pro in the works, and it is expected to be coming at some point in 2022.
Apple could perhaps give us a small preview of the Mac Pro ahead of a launch coming later in the year.
Rumors suggest the Mac Pro will feature a chip even more powerful than the M1 Ultra used in the Mac Studio. It is expected to feature up to 40 CPU cores and 128 graphics cores, which would make it twice as powerful as the M1 Ultra.
Apple could introduce an M1 Ultra successor that is in fact two M1 Ultra chips linked together, as the M1 Ultra itself is essentially two connected M1 Max chips. If that’s the case, the upcoming Mac Pro chip will be four times as powerful as the M1 Max.
AR/VR Headset?
There were rumors last year that Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR headset could see an introduction at the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference, but it looks like that’s not going to happen.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have said that the headset is simply not ready to be introduced at this point in time, as Apple still has kinks to work out. Kuo believes that Apple will launch the headset in 2023, and Gurman has said that Apple does not have plans for a “full-blown announcement” of the headset at WWDC.
That said, a trademark for “realityOS,” the operating system for the headset, was discovered recently, and it features a foreign filing date deadline of June 8, 2022. That’s a legal requirement, and it appears that the date is unrelated to WWDC and is a coincidence.
MacRumors Coverage
Apple plans to live stream the WWDC keynote on its website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube, but for those unable to watch, we’ll be covering the event on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
We’ll also have in-depth coverage of all of Apple’s announcements throughout the rest of the week and going forward as we test the new software.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
