A big press conference took place last night at which Apple peppered the tech world with all sorts of news and new offerings. The big 3 and the only ones we care about:
New iOS 7
It’s a new face and thus experience for the iPhone user and they’re calling it their most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. Obv it’s got a new user interface.
iOS 7 has been completely redesigned with subtle motion, an elegant colour palette and distinct, functional layers that are supposed to make it feel more alive. They’ve gone so far as to mess with the typography and the use of translucency and motion.
New features include: Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio.
Control Center puts all commonly used controls in one place. Swipe from the bottom for access to controls for Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Do Not Disturb, and the ability to adjust screen brightness, pause or play a song, jump to the next track and stream your music with AirPlay. Control Center also gives you instant access to apps such as Clock, Camera, Calculator and the Flashlight.
AirDrop is a new way to quickly and easily share content with people nearby. When you’ve got something you want to share, AirDrop shows you your contacts close by. Just select who you want to share with and AirDrop does the rest. AirDrop transfers are peer-to-peer so you can use it anywhere, without any network or set up required, and transfers are fully encrypted so your content is protected and private.
The camera has new filters so you can add real-time photo effects. The Camera app also now includes a square camera option, and you can quickly and easily switch between your four cameras—video, photo, square and panorama—with just a swipe.
iTunes Radio
iTune Radio is a free Internet radio service featuring over 200 stations and an incredible catalogue of music from the iTunes Store, combined with features only iTunes can deliver. Worth noting, not everyone’s a fan. Nokia have slammed them already for the usual. . They do make a good point, especially about the territories.
Available on any iDevice, iTunes Radio plays you stations inspired by the music you already listen to, Featured Stations curated by Apple and genre-focused stations.
iTunes Radio evolves based on the music you play and download. The more you use iTunes Radio and iTunes, the more it knows what you like to listen to and the more personalised your experience becomes. iTunes Radio also gives you access to exclusive “first listen” premieres from top selling artists, plus the ability to tag or buy anything you hear with just one click.
Siri integrates also, just ask her “Who plays that song?” or “Play more like this”.
The long lasting Macbook Air
And finally, its Apple’s new all day battery life, fourth generation Intel Core processors with faster graphics, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and flash storage that is up to 45 percent faster than the previous generation, Macbook Air.
The 11-inch models feature twice the storage of before and they’ve redesigned AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations for 3 times the performance speed.
Models include fourth generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors that give the 13-inch MacBook Air up to 12 hours of battery life and up to 10 hours of iTunes movie playback. The 11-inch MacBook Air delivers up to 9 hours of battery life and up to 8 hours of iTunes movie playback.
