Can you feel that low rumbling all across the Internet, the signal of major tech events to come? Everyone is abuzz with rumors, "leaks," and predictions for Apple's WWDC 2013 conference next week, and it's time to separate fact from fiction.
Below is the stuff that you should expect to see at WWDC, ranked in order from likelihood of making an appearance. Take note: neither the next-gen iPhone nor newest iPad are on the radar for this event, as ultra-connected and generally very accurate blogger Jim Dalrymple of The Loop has already nixed the possibility of either coming up during the conference.
"It’s not a place where Apple is going to show off the newest iPhone or iPad," Dalrymple writes. "These are Apple’s flagship products and they demand separate events."
Given that nugget of information, keep the rest of these goodies on your radar for the keynote on June 10.
WWDC doesn't have "developer" in it for nothing, so it's safe to say that Apple will talk about the software in the spotlight of everyone's rumor mill, iOS 7. Rumblings of a major UI overhaul, led by Apple design wunderkind Jony Ive, indicate that the newest update to the iPhone will be embracing a more flat, modern UI. Kiss your green-felted Game Center textures goodbye, and be ready to embrace a new look on everything — from the password lock screen to the way icons look to the notification center.
The cosmetic changes may not be the only thing up Apple's sleeve, so be prepared for the introduction of new apps and features. Some new native apps — Flickr and Vimeo, namely — are on tap to, no doubt, better fill in the gaping hole of services that appeared after the Cupertino company's messy break up with Google.
But, more interesting changes are afoot, including improved car support for Maps and and Siri. And, according to CNET, there's even a possibility that the long-persistent rumor of an iOS version of cloud sharing service AirDrop will finally come to fruition with this new update.
Any way you slice it, Apple can't avoid talking about iOS 7.
With half of the world's gadget nerds drooling over the promise of Intel's post-Ivy Bridge processors, named "Haswell," it's only logical that the power-efficient CPUs would pop up in updated laptop rumors. Trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI securities said in a report to 9to5Mac that Haswell should make an appearance in both the Macbook Air and the Retina Macbook Pro, housed within slimmer computer bodies.
Aside from thinner and more efficient hardware, there aren't many other standout features coming with the laptop updates. One notable feature Kuo indicates that it's likely the new Mackbook Air will come with the Retina Pro's dual-mic configuration to aid in audio during VoIP calls. Instead, this WWDC will likely be known for the sunsetting of the non-Retina Pro models.
Given all the buzz around Apple's laptops, it's likely these models will make an appearance during the keynote.
Just as iOS 7 is redesigning Apple's presence on mobile, it's likely that there will be some new tricks up the company's sleeve with the next installment of OS X. Codenamed "Cabernet," the presumably numbered OS X 10.9 will focus on "power users," according to 9to5Mac.
The details are slim, but include a more efficient Safari browser, a super-charged Finder that includes tags and tabbed modes, and (perhaps the biggest power-user feature of them all) the ability to run full screen on one monitor while displaying a desktop on another. Still, there's a chance that 10.9 will wow with tighter integration with iOS 7 or include some core mobile features like Maps -- although both of those rumors are nearly 8 months old and even 9to5Mac reported that it's up in the air.
Given the nature of WWDC, it's hard to imagine 10.9 not making the cut. But there's no telling what it will show off.
Perhaps the biggest reach for the WWDC keynote, and perhaps a crucial piece of Apple's future direction, lies in an unlikely place: streaming music. A longterm and perennial rumor is Apple's foray into streaming music (known as iRadio), but this year's WWDC is perhaps the best chance to get in on the action.
The streaming music space is running white-hot, especially now that Google has entered the fray with Google Play Music: All Access. But it's clear that Apple is offering something a bit different with its iRadio product, and securing the individual endorsements of major record labels in order to do so. CNET reports that the Cupertino company has recently signed a very important deal with Warner Music, and that just may be the push the product needs to get out the door and onto the WWDC keynote stage.
iRadio's features look promising, with the streaming service essentially combining with iTunes to provide "quick buy" features and bringing music across different platforms. Little else is known about the service, but with big labels behind them, Apple might have the freedom to produce an even better music streaming system.
Will the ink dry fast enough? Or is this a piece of vaporware? We'll see next week.
Source : ign[dot]com
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