This year’s Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2020 was slightly different. For the first time, the Apple’s developer conference has been streamed exclusively online with no in-person event. However regardless of how the conference was delivered, there are some exciting updates on the horizon, including how they might like your Mac to look like you’re running an iPad and the Apple Watch will even remind you to spend longer washing your hands.
The annual event, normally held in a conference hall full of developers and press, went virtual this year, hosted by CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives; streaming announcements online through a slick pre-recorded video. Here are just a few of the key topics that caught our attention:
Hand-washing nudges on Apple Watch
In these times, we know that hand washing is more important than ever. A feature from Apple is a new hand-washing alert on the Apple Watch is a gentle nudge to stop the spread of the coronavirus, or any other viruses or germs that are going around. With the update, the Watch will look out for the signs you’re at a sink, from the way you move your hands to the sound of water swooshing by. Then the Watch will give you a countdown to make sure you spend the doctor-recommended amount of time cleaning away all those nasty germs.
New App Library organizes all those apps you never use
There are two types of people in this world. Those who like to keep their apps in categories and those who have them sprawled across four slides. However, peace can now be restored as the option to bring order to apps on the iPhone and iPad in a simplified way is here.
App Library will show your apps in folders automatically based on category. The new view will appear at the end of your homepage and use information such as your location and the time of day to decide which apps get the most prominent position. Anyone who’s ever wasted time trying to move jiggly little apps into folders should appreciate the help. As an extra bonus it will make folders that automatically update and change, based on what apps you use the most or downloaded most recently.
Improved privacy with ‘nutrition labels’
Many of us will agree that it’s often been difficult to understand which apps are using our data. Now Apple will at least force apps to report some information about how they’re using our data, in simplified boxes that show up in the App Store. This will also tell you what kind of data apps are collecting that’s linked to you, and how it is being shared.
Home Tech Features
Apple wants to broaden what kind of smart home tech that its users can use, in addition to HomeKit-compatible devices, so it formed a new alliance with the likes of Google, Amazon, and more to achieve that. We don’t have too much more information to share on this topic as the information was loose, but as soon as we do – we will let you know!
As a final note, Apple has been using Intel-based processors for years, but it’s making the long-rumoured switch to its own silicon. It has been using its own tech for iPhones and iPads, and it’s not making the jump to covering its entire suite of computing products. It’s a huge change for hardware, unleashing Apple’s own efforts in making components instead of being tied it to Intel’s own. Apple is making it possible to run apps made for Intel-based apps on the new Macs, as well as apps from other environments, like Linux.
So, lots of positive change on the horizon for Apple. I wonder what 2021 will bring…
