Apple

Apple says watchOS 2 brings new faces with custom Complications

Framed as a “giant moment” that feels like “opening the App Store” back in 2008, Apple CEO Tim Cook today at Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco said that apps for the Apple Watch, which launched just six weeks ago, will soon run natively on the device through the newly announced watchOS 2.

The forthcoming Apple Watch operating system update, among other things, also brings out a pair of additional watch faces with custom third-party Complications.

HomeKit in iOS 9 supports new sensors and devices, can remotely control your home via iCloud

HomeKit, Apple's platform for the connected home that was unveiled last summer, is beginning to pick up support from some well-established names in smart home appliances.

Last week, several vendors brought out some compelling HomeKit-certified home automation devices ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference. And now, HomeKit is going to get a lot smarter with support for new types of home automation systems and improved remote management of your home.

iOS 9 brings productivity improvements to QuickType typing on iPads

Apple has said that people using iOS 9 on their iPads will be more productive thanks to an improved QuickType virtual keyboard. The suggestion bar introduced in iOS 8 now has all-new handy shortcuts to format your content, move between apps quickly, position the cursor and even multitask like a pro with an OS X-style task switcher translucent UI with active app icons.

Apple Maps gaining public transit directions

It's transit time! Apple just announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco's Moscone West that its mapping and navigation service will soon provide transit lines, bus stations, ferry lines and more.

Available across Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod devices, the improved Apple Maps app will sport departure times, multi-modal routing with step-by-step directions, estimated times for walking directions and much more.

Apple Pay coming to UK in July, loyalty and rewards program in tow

Apple Pay, Apple's wireless payment system, will be coming to the United Kingdom next mont with 250,000 UK merchant locations. Commuters using London transportation system will be able to use Apple Pay, too.

Furthermore, the system will be available to Discover's 50 million card members this fall, said Apple during the WWDC keynote today.

Trader Joe's, J.C. Penneys and many other retailers will be joining Apple Pay soon. Small businesses will be supported on Apple Pay through Square via a brand new reader compatible with Apple Pay that will be available in Apple Stores soon.

OS X El Capitan available to developers today, public beta in July, rolling out to everyone this fall

Apple has taken the stage this morning inside San Francisco's Moscone West to deliver the latest advancements to its three crucial platforms: iOS, OS X and watchOS.

According to Apple, registered Mac developers will have their chance to download the first beta of OS X 10.11 El Capitan later today, which just got officially announced, after the event has wrapped up (currently, Apple's portal for developers is down).

Apple announces OS X El Capitan

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference has kicked off in San Francisco this morning with a keynote talk at 10am PST. Surprisingly, Apple has skipped the usual round of business updates and went right for the big news.

Following months of speculation and rumor mongering, the California firm has formally unveiled the next major version of the Mac operating system. It's called OS X 10.11 El Capitan.

Yup, you read that right.

Philips to add HomeKit support to existing and new Hue lights this fall

Philips Hue, a personal wireless lighting system that we reviewed thoroughly, will get updated with support for Apple's home automation platform called HomeKit, the company confirmed Monday in a post on Facebook.

Upcoming Hue lights released this September and onwards will have built-in HomeKit support. Existing Hue lights will be upgraded with HomeKit compatibility through a free software update that will unlock new features for your existing Hue hardware, said the firm.

Apple beefing up iCloud infrastructure ahead of rumored TV push and streaming-music launch

As it gears up to launch its subscription music-streaming service today and a rumored television service later in the year, Apple's reportedly been building out a high-speed network to ensure glitch-free delivery of content, Bloomberg reported Monday. But the firm isn't just building a more efficient iCloud.

In a typical Apple fashion, it's been pouring billions of dollars into upgrading how it builds data centers in order to speed up content delivery, and optimize services such as iCloud, iTunes and Siri.

Additionally, the initiative should help with iCloud outages that have become the norm lately as web services have traditionally been Apple's weak spot.