WWDC 2018

Apple announces macOS Mojave, includes dark mode

macOS Mojave

At WWDC 2018, Apple revealed the next version of macOS. Called Mojave, macOS 10.14 includes a number of new features including a dark mode.

The dark mode affects everything with the OS. Better still, the desktop can change throughout the day automatically.

With Desktop Stacks, there's a new way to declutter a desktop. There's also a Quick Actions feature in Finder and the ability to see full metadata. These Quick Actions are customizable.

Quick Look also includes all-new Markup tools. Screenshots have also been improved in macOS Mojave.

A new Continuity Camera feature was also demoed that allows you to bring images from iPhone to a Mac app without saving the file first.

The Apple News app is also arriving on Mac.  Voice Memos are also arriving this fall.

On the security front, Apple's bringing new protections to Mac. This includes the ability to limit location tracking to specific apps. Safari includes new security tools too.

 

 

 

 

iOS 12 includes new Animoji features and personalized Memoji characters

For devices that support it, iOS 12 will include new Animoji features and Memoji, a customizable Animoji character similar to Bitmoji and Nintendo Mii. Among the new Animoji features are tongue detection, which will allow you to make the tongues of your Animoji characters stick their tongues out, as well as new characters like Ghost, Koala, Tiger and T-Rex.

Apple Books in iOS 12 arrives, alongside changes to News, Stocks and Voice Memo apps

During the WWDC keynote address, Apple unveiled minor updates to the News, Stocks, and Voice Memos apps, plus announced a new Apple Books app.

The new Apple Books app includes a Reading Now section, updated store, audiobooks, and more. The News app has been expanded too.

Also, the Stocks app finally arrives on iPad, as does Voice Memos.

Apple also announced CarPlay now supports third-party navigation, including apps like Waze and Google Maps.

Apple announces Shortcuts, a Workflow-like automation app for iOS

Folks hoping to see Apple improve upon its digital assistant Siri in iOS 12 will be happy to hear it has announced a new app called Shortcuts. The app, which looks every bit like the Workflow automation app it acquired a year ago, will allow you to connect 'Shortcut' operations to Siri, making complex tasks as simple as speaking a command.

Apple unveils new AR measuring app ‘Measure’

During its ARKit 2.0 introduction at its WWDC 2018 keynote, Apple unveiled a new augmented reality app it's created called Measure. As you'd expect, the software was designed to help you digitally measure things using your iOS device's camera.

SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi demonstrated the app on stage by measuring a suitcase, but it can also be used to measure photographs for framing and other things. There, of course, are hundreds of AR measurement apps already in the App Store. But it's notable that Apple now has a a first-party option.

Here's Apple's official description on the app from its website:

Measure is a new app in iOS 12, which uses AR to quickly gauge the size of real-world objects similar to a tape measure. The new app automatically provides the dimensions of objects like picture frames, posters and signs, and can also show diagonal measurements, compute area and allow users to take a photo and share it with accurate dimensions right from their iPhone or iPad.

We haven't heard a release date for Measure yet, but when we do we'll be sure to pass it along.

WWDC 2018: Apple announces iOS 12 for iPhone and iPad with focus on performance

WWDC 2018

As expected, Apple has announced iOS 12 at this week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California.

In making the announcement, Apple said iOS 12 will support all of the devices that supported iOS 11. This year's update is all about adding more stability to the software and offering better performance.

In iOS 12, the software has the ability to increase CPU performance significantly automatically, among other new features.