6/2/14
1:06 pm

Apple Announces OS X Yosemite And iOS 8

At the keynote for the Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple announced the next version of Mac OS X and iOS. The new operating systems will come out in the fall for the public and will have a number of new features. They will also work together better than ever before.

You can also watch this video at YouTube (but with ads).

Video Transcript: Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. Today at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference they gave us all sorts of information about the next versions of Mac OS X and iOS. So let's take a look.
The first thing they talked about was the next version of OS X for the Mac and it is going to be called Yosemite going along with the California place name titles. This new version, of course, is going to have a bit of a makeover like all of them do. There is going to be new fonts, a cleaner look. They have cleaned up a lot of toolbars and made a lot of things translucent. Translucent toolbars, title bars and sidebars so they kind of reflect the colors beneath them.
They talked a lot about some interesting features. For instance, there is going to be something called Markup in Mail which allows you to attach images to mail messages and then mark them up right in Mail. You can add a little bit of text, arrows, you can crop them. Things like that. So it makes it really easy to edit an image and send it to someone.
Also, they have revamped Spotlight. The Spotlight menu at the upper right hand corner of your screen now you can do lots of cool things with. You can still do all of that it looks like except that they have moved it to the center of the screen. You click on the magnifying glass at the upper right hand corner and now it goes to the center and there is even more things that you can do. As a matter of fact, it reminds me a little bit of the functionality that Siri can do. Not in the speech department but in to be able to look up information online and get things like that. So that is all going to be front and center in the new version of Mac OS X.
There is also talk about a lot of new Cloud features. One that a lot of people have been asking for is the ability to just store files in iCloud. Rather than having them to be documents of say Pages or Keynote, just have files. It looks like we will get that with stuff they have called iCloud Drive which allows you to store any files and also access your documents as files rather than only inside the apps. That will go between Macs and iOS.
There is also going to AirDrop functionality between Macs and iOS which will be nice. A lot of people want that. 
And something called Mail Drop which allows you when you attach a large file to an email that iCloud will handle the large file and take that file and if somebody has a Mac or iOS device on the other end they will get it as normal. But if somebody doesn't, if they are using another type of a mail server, then it will actually store the file in the Cloud and allow them to download it. So it will eliminate the problem when you attach something too big and the other person at the other side can't get it.
There is also a lot of talk about integration between apps on the Mac and an iOS allowing you to go between devices. For instance, you can start composing an email on your iPad and then pick up composing on your Mac rather seamlessly.
A big feature in cooperation between Macs and iPhones is communication. They have a couple big features. One is that your iPhone can act as a conduit between your Mac with iMessages and somebody who is not using iMessages but using standard SMS. If somebody sends you a SMS message now you get it just on your iPhone, you don't get it in Messages on your Mac. But in the future you will be able to get that through your iPhone and see it on your Mac in Messages even though they are not using iMessage.
Kind of a big deal too is the ability for your Mac to receive and make phone calls through your iPhone. So your iPhone gets a phone call it will show up as a notification on your Mac and you can actually use your Mac, your speaker and your microphone, to take that call rather than having to use your iPhone.
Now, of course, there is also a lot of talk about the next version of iOS. iOS 8 for iPhones and iPads. The next version is going to have some pretty neat new features but most of the talk today was about things that developers will be able to do with iOS 8. So there is going to be more features available for developers, more things they can do, more tools available to them to make better and better apps.
But there was some talk of new features as well. Two new features that stood out for me. One was QuickType which is predictive typing. So as you are typing on the iPhone, and say you are typing a message, you will see predictive words show up and you can just tap those rather than completing typing the entire word. It is supposed to be context sensitive and even person sensitive so it will choose words depending on who you are talking to and what type of conversation you are having.
Another big new feature, something that is available on apps now but they are going to integrate it into messages is the ability to easily send and receive both audio and video messages while you are talking to somebody. So you can be texting with somebody and then decide, instead of replying to them via a text message, you can simply hit a microphone button, talk and then it will send them a piece of text. Or you can do the same thing with video. So you can kind of switch the conversation between texting, audio, and video all in the same conversation.
Now for both Macs and for iOS it looks like Apple wants us to move our photos more and more to the Cloud. There is a lot of talk about the iCloud Photo Library. There is going to be a lot more integration with that in iOS and also not only in the new version of Mac OS X but there is going to be a new photo app for the Mac coming out next year that will integrate more. It sounds like Apple will allow us to basically keep our entire photo library online and access it easily from all the different devices rather than having to worry about well the photos are on my Mac and I have to sync them with my iPhone, or between different Macs, and  things like that. So there is going to be a lot of new features and functionality with these two new OS's and also with a new app next year.
Siri is also going to get an upgrade. There will be the ability to use Siri without having to touch the phone. So you will be able to use your voice to activate it. Also, a streaming recognition. So Siri will actually recognize what you are saying while you are saying it rather than having to complete your sentence and finish it and submit.
Some other interesting things that developers will have is to have the ability to provide third party keyboards which will be interesting when those become available to see what developers come up with. There is also a lot of new tools for developers including a completely new programming language that Apple has come up with called Swift that should allow developers to create apps even more efficiently.
So that is a look at the two new operating systems and both are available now for developers. So developers will be able to get these and start testing their apps out and making new apps that link into the functionality of these new operating systems. 
This summer there will also be a special beta program for non-developers. So finally Apple is giving a chance for non-developers who really want to use the new operating system before it is released. Then it will be released to the general public in the Fall. Both are going to be free updates just like the previous versions of these operating systems.
So you can look for that. Also if you want more information the complete video of today's Keynote should be available by the time that you see this up at the Apple site.

Comments: 21 Responses to “Apple Announces OS X Yosemite And iOS 8”

Joel Anderson

11 years ago

I could watch only about the first 35 minutes of the live stream today, so I'm delighted that you got a good summary posted so quickly.

Blake

11 years ago

Very good summary, well done!
Blake

Piet van 't Zelfde (Pete)

11 years ago

Thanks for your summary but will there every year another name for OS X ? Was Mavericks and now Yosemite and next year ?? Will that not be too confusing ?

Gary Rosenzweig

11 years ago

Probably. That looks to be what Apple is doing: A new version of OS X announced at WWDC every year and available in the fall. Since they are free updates, why not?
What about it is confusing?

James Anderson

11 years ago

Well, Gary, perhaps if your whole work life revolves around updating/learning all the new (and often hidden) features of ANNUAL operating systems, it may not be confusing. But there are some that consider the Macs iPhones, and iPads just tools and not a career. Whether for work or personal, I doubt you would disagree that with every new operating system installation, a (hopefully) short-term DECREASE in productivity is inherent. I, for one, will look a lot harder at Yosemite before deciding.

Shirley Allan

11 years ago

Well said James. Many of us are getting tired of the yearly upgrades even though they bring more functionality. As you said, fun for those that deal in computers all day, but that is not the most of us. Isn't it time for Apple to not react to the pressure from the media to bring out something new each year. Let us learn and be satisfied first!
Shirley Allan

Gary Rosenzweig

11 years ago

I guess Apple is in a situation where they can't please everyone. There are people constantly crying out for new features and improvements to the OS. Then there are people who don't like change. Then there are other companies coming out with new OS features and their systems that Apple must compete with.

Delmar H. Knudson

11 years ago

I sometimes find keeping up on technology difficult. But, I like to get a few tweaks each year, or more often, so I can learn that readily. Massive Major upgrades every few years are more daunting for me. I don't care much that Apple calls them Snow Leopard one year and pussy cat the next; I just know they're all OS X .8, or .9, or .10. I appreciate it when they make something more simple or more universal in the new update; or when its more functional or reliable; or fixes a problem.

David

11 years ago

Thanks for confirming the direction of Apple with regards to the OS X and the IOS eventually being seamlessly integrated and not so much with corrections however having new features and options.

DaveCummings

11 years ago

Hello Gary,is "find my friends" going to part of Yosemite upgrade please??

Gary Rosenzweig

11 years ago

I don't think I heard them mention it. But since most desktop/laptop hardware does not include any GPS location system, I don't see it being a big feature even if they do.

Jack

11 years ago

Hi Gary, Thanks for the information. You mentioned that it seems Apple 'wants for us to use 'the Cloud'' more and more. I, for one, am a little apprehensive with having 'the cloud' contain too much of my personal information. I have discussed this with others and some share my concern. Just an opinion ...

Gary Rosenzweig

11 years ago

What makes me nervous is storing my personal information on local hard drives. Having it in the cloud is safer with multiple redundant backups and access anywhere. So many people store their information on the cloud now and don't even realize it -- anyone using email systems like Gmail, for instance.

Alan Wharton

11 years ago

Garry,
I have been following all the press pundits comments re. this developers conference, and yours are the most concise and the the point. Thanks

Adam

11 years ago

I agree with you Alan as well.

Shane C.

11 years ago

Hi, Gary!
Thank you for the Apple Update! Regarding the future of technology, I do not like how everything is going to be Cloud based. Here's one example - working with Pages and/or Keynote online rather than from the Mac itself? I hate that! What's wrong with the App on my Mac? AND, I like storing things on my hard drive not just in the Cloud. I feel in complete control of my documents and files knowing they are on a hard drive - not online somewhere. What are your thoughts?

Gary Rosenzweig

11 years ago

You are still working with Pages and Keynote as an App, not on the Web. So there's no change there. There are Web-based versions of those, which come in handy when you are at another computer that doesn't have them installed.
I like my documents better online. They can't be destroyed with a simple hard drive failure, I can access them from multiple machines with ease (desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone), I can access them when away (school, work, travel), I can upgrade a machine without spending a whole day transferring files. Heck, I can lose my laptop while traveling, buy a replacement, log in, and there are all of my files.
You keep money in the bank, right? You don't keep all of the money you've saved in a box on your desk, so why keep all of your files there?

Shane C.

11 years ago

Gary,

Thank you, too, for creating such excellent videos about Apple products and releases. I find them very informative.

Adam

11 years ago

I agree with you Shane

Dave

11 years ago

Breaking my customer's stuff every year is not a life cycle.

Adam

11 years ago

Good Job as usual Gary.
What it took Apple to jazz up lasting almost 2 hours u briefed every bit as well in under 7 min.

Comments Closed.

Apple Announces OS X Yosemite And iOS 8

Comments: 21 Responses to “Apple Announces OS X Yosemite And iOS 8”

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