WWDC 2022: all the news coming out of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference – The Verge

Apple’s new U1-enabled Nearby Interactions feature is on its way

2022-07-22T14:29:08-04:00

Apple developers got a taste of iOS 16's new Nearby Interactions feature at WWDC last month that lets third-party smart devices talk to Apple's ultra-wideband (UWB) U1 chips in the background for "new hands-free user experiences" - making things like activating a light bulb when just walking by it possible. Developers can take advantage of the real-time, precise location triggers with the new framework, and chipset makers can seek MFi certification for interoperability with U1, something that chip manufacturer Qorvo did this week (via MacRumors).

"Our extensive portfolio of UWB chips, modules and software will help accelerate the ecosystem …

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Apple’s new MacBook Air with M2 will be available beginning July 15th, preorders start Friday

2022-07-06T08:02:44-04:00

Apple’s upcoming M2 MacBook Air comes in four color options. | Apple

Apple's upcoming MacBook Air with M2 processor finally has a shipping date. After a bit longer wait than usual, the new $1,199 laptop will begin shipping on July 15th, with preorders opening on July 8th at 8AM ET. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar announced alongside it at WWDC 2022 is already available. While that familiar-looking model was first out of the gate with the second-generation chip, this MacBook Air is offering a whole lot more that's new, like a MagSafe charger, 1080p webcam, and a revised design with a larger, notched 13.6-inch display.

Though the new MacBook Air has a lower starting price than its 13-inch Pro counterp …

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Apple’s M2-equipped 13-inch MacBook Pro opens for preorders on June 17th

2022-06-14T11:05:57-04:00

13-inch M2 MacBook Pro. | Image: Apple

During its WWDC 2022 event last week, Apple revealed its M2 chip and the redesigned MacBook Air, which got most of the attention, though it won't be the first laptop with the new CPU that you can buy. Apple will also offer the M2 inside the familiar frame of its still Touch Bar-equipped 13-inch Macbook Pro, which will be available for preorders starting this Friday, June 17th, before the new MacBook Air goes on sale in July.

We have a comparison chart ready so that you can reference this laptop's capabilities versus the new Air as well as the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops that were updated last year to offer M1 Max and M1 Ultra CPU op …

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How to download the iOS 16 developer beta

2022-06-07T11:36:08-04:00

The iOS 16 developer beta is here. | Image: Apple

At this year's WWDC, Apple introduced a bevy of new features for the forthcoming iOS 16. That includes new lock screens and widgets as well as the ability to edit Messages. And, if you've got an Apple developer account, you can now download the developer beta to get a firsthand look.

Fair warning: beta software isn't the finished product. If you download the iOS 16 developer beta, you have to be prepared for some apps and features to be a bit wonky. That's why we recommend downloading the beta onto an iPhone that isn't your daily driver. If that's not an option for you, it's not a bad idea to wait for the public beta, which arrives next mo …

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Apple’s Screen Time gets a handy new feature, but parental controls can be better

2022-06-07T11:00:00-04:00

Family Sharing gets a simpler setup in iOS 16. | Image: Apple

I'm irrationally excited about a new feature coming to Apple's Screen Time, the company's gentler term for parental controls. When my kid wants that extra 15 minutes on her favorite app, her plaintive request will come through iMessage as well as a pop-up notification on my Apple devices.

Why is this exciting? Well, it's a small thing, but if you miss that Screen Time notification, which is currently the only alert you get, you have to dive into the Settings app to manually address the request. This is fiddly and time-consuming, especially when you're in the middle of making dinner, as it involves passcodes and multiple taps. With the reque …

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Apple’s Rapid Security Response will push faster updates that install on Macs without a reboot

2022-06-06T20:09:53-04:00

As part of today's announcements at WWDC 2022, Apple briefly mentioned a new addition to its security tools that will apply to iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms called Rapid Security Response. It didn't go into a lot of detail about what Rapid Security Response is, but Apple is promising to have important security updates that get to your devices even faster. Currently, iOS and macOS users get their security updates rolled in with full system patches, usually with .1 or .0.1 version numbers, which can take quite some time for users to download and install.

Now, Apple says its Rapid Security Response updates include important security improvem …

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Your iPhone’s hidden photos are getting extra protection in iOS 16

2022-06-06T19:52:38-04:00

Apple is adding a new feature to iOS 16 to make the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums in Photos much more private. Starting with iOS 16, those albums will now be locked by default, and you'll be able to unlock them using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, according to Apple's iOS 16 features page.

In iOS 15, those albums are hard to find, but they they aren't behind any protection. That means somebody who might have unwanted access to your phone can easily see what's there if they know where to look - which somewhat defeats the purpose of the Hidden album in particular. With the change in iOS 16, people won't be able to see photos in either …

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Apple will make USB-C accessories ask for your permission to pass data

2022-06-06T19:32:54-04:00

Are you the kind of person who'd hesitate to charge gadgets from a public charger - like the ones coming to the seat of your plane? Apple's first beta of the just-announced macOS 13 Ventura includes a feature seemingly designed to address tampering fears. It'll make USB-C and Thunderbolt accessories explicitly ask for your permission before they can communicate with MacBooks powered by Apple's M1 or M2 chips.

Here's the full description of the feature from Apple's release notes:

On portable Mac computers with Apple silicon, new USB and Thunderbolt accessories require user approval before the accessory can communicate with macOS for connect …

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Apple is finally adding some of Gmail’s best features to its own email apps

2022-06-06T18:05:02-04:00

You’ll be able to schedule an email to send it later. | Image: Apple

Apple announced some major new features for Mail that finally bring the email app closer to parity with Gmail and other popular email clients. I personally rely on Mail on Mac for my work emails, and I think I'll be taking advantage of many of these updates once they're available.

Perhaps the most useful will be an undo send feature, which will let you call back an email within 10 seconds of hitting the send button. It's a feature that I'm a big fan of in Gmail, and I've used it more than I care to admit to save myself from sharing an embarrassing typo.

A "remind me" feature will let you set a time for an email to come back to the top of y …

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Apple announces macOS Ventura with new Stage Manager organization tool

2022-06-06T17:51:11-04:00

Apple revealed a new version of macOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The new operating system, macOS Ventura, includes a new Stage Manager tool, updates to Spotlight, Mail, and Safari, and other continuity features that bring the operating system closer to iOS.

Enabled from the Control Center, the utility will automatically organize your open windows on the left side of your screen while centering the one you're working in. Users can also group windows together to easily open more than one at a time.

Spotlight comes with new updates as well: it can now find images in your photo library and can search for them by location, people, …

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