Federico Viticci

10766 posts on MacStories since April 2009

Federico is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MacStories, where he writes about Apple with a focus on apps, developers, iPad, and iOS productivity. He founded MacStories in April 2009 and has been writing about Apple since. Federico is also the co-host of AppStories, a weekly podcast exploring the world of apps, Unwind, a fun exploration of media and more, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about portable gaming and the handheld revolution.
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@viticci.macstories.net
viticci@macstories.net

iOS 8 Lock Screen and App Shortcuts Based on Location→

Juli Clover, writing for MacRumors:

One new feature sees the iPhone displaying apps on the lock screen based on location. For example, MacRumors readers have seen relevant app icons pop up while at or near brick and mortar locations like Starbucks and the Apple Store. While at a Starbucks, for example, the Starbucks app icon is displayed in the lower left corner of the iPhone’s lock screen, which allows a Starbucks Passbook card to be easily accessed.

I haven’t seen this feature mentioned anywhere on Apple’s website, but I’ve read tweets from other users noting the same behavior for banks and other local points of interest and stores.

It’s interesting to think about this in combination with Near Me, an App Store section that was launched with iOS 7 to highlight relevant apps for your current location. Personally, I’ve never relied on Near Me because its recommendations were slim (I only get a single app for my town), but the idea of proactively injecting shortcuts in the Lock screen for apps based on location intrigues me.

I’d be curious to know if this feature will only work with apps that are already installed (thus simply launching them) or if it will also act as an extension for Near Me, allowing you to quickly discover relevant apps from the Lock screen.

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Peer-to-Peer AirPlay in iOS 8→

From Apple’s Enterprise webpage for iOS 8:

With iOS 8, you can wirelessly connect iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to Apple TV without first connecting to the organization’s network. Which means you can present or share your work even if you’re offline or the organization has a complex network.

AirPlay with no network connection will make it easier to beam presentations (and games) wirelessly to an Apple TV when you can’t connect to the Internet. Apple allowed Bluetooth-based setups for Apple TVs last year, and it’s good to see them extending AirPlay’s capabilities to make it more ubiquitous.

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OS X Yosemite Will Feature Option to Record Real-Time Footage of iOS Apps

Apple will provide an easier and integrated way to create screencasts for iOS apps with the upcoming iOS 8 and Yosemite software updates, using a Lightning cable and QuickTime Player on OS X. As reported by Benjamin Mayo at 9to5Mac, the feature is primarily meant to let developers create App Previews for the improved App Store launching with iOS 8, but it’ll also come in handy for users willing to capture videos of iOS apps for screencasts, reviews, and other video content.

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More iOS 8 Features

iOS 8, announced by Apple at WWDC yesterday, will feature major improvements to Messages and inter-app communication, a new Health app and predictive keyboard, and changes to several system apps and features.

Among big additions and redesigns, however, there are always smaller features and hidden tweaks that the company only briefly mentioned during the keynote or described with a short paragraph on their preview website. In this post, I collected 15 other iOS 8 features that are worth noting and waiting for.

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iOS 8: Our Complete Overview and First Impressions

iOS 8, the next major version of Apple’s mobile operating system, was unveiled earlier today at the company’s WWDC 2014 keynote. Shipping this Fall, iOS 8 focuses on refining the bold new look launched last year with iOS 7, but, more importantly, it puts the spotlight on new user features, apps, and developer technologies.

Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off his iOS presentation noting that iOS 8 would be a “giant release” aimed at highlighting two different stories: end-user features and developer functionalities. The dual narrative of iOS 8 was the underlying theme of the entire segment, starting with improvements to existing iOS apps (Messages, Safari) and features like Notification Center’s Today view to the promising Extensibility APIs and HomeKit.

“iOS 8 offers simpler, faster and more intuitive ways to use your device with incredible new features like iCloud Photo Library, a new Messages app, the QuickType keyboard and an entirely new Health app,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We’re also giving developers amazing new tools to make managing your health and your home from your devices an integrated, simple and secure experience.”

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The 2014 Apple Design Award Winners

The Apple Design Awards recognize state of the art iOS and OS X apps and games that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and outstanding design to provide an immersive, fun, and compelling experience. These apps raise the bar in design, technology and innovation with rich functionality and high performance; every year, Apple celebrates developers and their outstanding work by awarding them an Apple Design Award trophy and other special prizes. This year, winners received one of every Apple device (from the Mac Pro to iPhone) and the Apple Design Award trophy.

After evaluating the broadest set of apps possible from the App Store and Mac App Store, Apple has picked this year’s winners with a dedicated event at Moscone West on WWDC 2014 opening day. We have compiled the full list of 2014 Apple Design Award Winners below. Read more

Apple Posts WWDC 2014 Keynote, “Apps We Can’t Live Without” Videos

For those who didn’t follow the live stream or news as it unfolded on Twitter and blogs, Apple has now posted the video of its WWDC 2014 keynote held earlier today in San Francisco.  The video can be streamed here, and a higher quality version should be made available in a few hours through iTunes (on the Apple Keynotes podcast). To avoid streaming errors, Safari is recommended for the best viewing experience.

Apple has also posted the “Apps We Can’t Live Without” short film that was aired at the beginning of the keynote. The video shows how “developers — and the iOS apps they create — have changed the way we all interact, learn, entertain, work, and live”, and it’s available here.

For more coverage, check out our WWDC 2014 news hub and follow @macstoriesnet on Twitter.

The Numbers From Apple’s WWDC 2014 Keynote

Apple CEO Tim Cook walked on stage today and kicked off the company’s 25th Worldwide Developers Conference with his usual opening remarks and “state of the business” facts and numbers. From the number of attendees to iOS devices sold and OS X stats, these numbers are interesting as they’re typically shared throughout the year in dedicated events or press releases; at WWDC, Apple can provide a mid-year overview before switching gears to talk about iOS or OS X.

We’ve compiled the most important numbers from Apple’s WWDC 2014 keynote below. Read more