All the news from WWDC22 worth reading

June 06, 2022

Now that was a marathon keynote.

I can't remember seeing as many new devices or features as were just introduced at WWDC22.

It was a blizzard, and a lot of it looked really great.

The new MacBook Air looks like a stunning machine. It's hardly thicker than its own headphone jack!

Using your iPhone as a widescreen webcam that can film your face, while simultaneously showing your desktop as though it were an overhead camera? Bonkers!

Passkeys that might rid us of insecure and meddlesome passwords forever? Bring it on.

A next-generation CarPlay that takes over your car's entire UI and may herald customizable digital displays that stretch across the entire dashboard? Welcome to the future.

Floating windows on iPad that actually look easy and intuitive to use. I can't wait!

Its mind-boggling how far platforms like iOS have come, and the resources Apple can summon to improve them.

So much good stuff here. Check out just a few of the highlights in our coverage below.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

Departing from the current MacBook Air’s “wedge-shaped design,” the new version of the world’s best-selling laptop is now “strikingly thin from every angle,” Apple says. It's powered by the new M2 chip -- and comes in four colors.

Another powerful M2 machine slipped in a side door at the WWDC22 event. Against expectations, Apple rolled out the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with the powerful new chipset.

The new M2 chip, which is launching in a redesigned MacBook Air and as an under-the-hood addition to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, offers even more power and efficiency than the previous-generation M1 processor.

This tool lets you download securely from BitTorrent, back up videos from YouTube, or save a song from SoundCloud as an MP3 as easily as you would download a picture.

I am one of a handful of developers who got to watch the WWDC22 keynote and Platforms State of the Union videos today alongside Apple engineers and experts here. How was the infamous caviar bagel?

The company is dropping support for many older iPhones, iPads and Macs this time around. Find out whether your Apple device can run the latest software.

Apple showcased many significant new features coming in iOS 16. The main updates include an overhaul of the iPhone's Lock Screen, updated notifications management, intelligent sharing and a slew of personalization features.

The upcoming Mac operating system focuses on better window management, enhanced system apps, new Continuity features, smarter Spotlight, better gaming performance and more.

The new CarPlay goes way beyond music and maps and dives deep into a car’s controls and user interface.

The wraps came off iPadOS 16, and Apple fulfilled the requests of many iPad power users by adding support for resizable, floating app windows. And there’s also full support for external displays. There are many other changes as well.

A handful of updates will make the Messages app even more competitive as a chat service.

Soon, users can plan up to 15 stops in advance when putting together a route in Maps.

Apple Watch will get some fun new watch faces and various other minor additions, but the Workout app really stole the show at WWDC22 with a host of welcome new features.

With iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, video calls get a major upgrade by bringing the camera in your iPhone to bear on the Mac.

Arriving with iOS 16 later this year, the app is rebuilt from the ground up. Apple said it will be more efficient and reliable, especially for homes with many accessories.

If passwords are the bane of your life, Apple’s got some good news. The company just introduced Passkeys, a new biometric system that can’t be phished, stolen or compromised.

The iPhone’s Dictation feature that lets you enter text just by speaking gets even simpler in the upcoming iOS 16 by combining voice and text input. And it won’t even be necessary to enter punctuation. The phone will handle that on its own.

On June 6, 2005, Steve Jobs revealed that Apple would switch the Mac from PowerPC processors to Intel. The move away from PowerPC proved quick: Apple rolled out the first Intel Macs less than a year later.

We see plenty of paired HomePod minis in our travels online among computer setups, but not many stereo twosomes of the OG HomePods, the big ones Apple discontinued. Today’s featured M1 MacBook Air setup is not only super-clean, it rocks that killer sound system -- and boasts a pricey 5K monitor that rivals Apple’s Studio Display.

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One more thing ...

"Software is the user experience. As the iPod and iTunes prove, it has become the driving technology not just of computers but of consumer electronics." -- Steve Jobs

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