Apple’s annual main event WWDC unveiled new software-centric features to make things easier with more focus and better speed.
And there really wasn’t much when it came to the new hardware. Apple is saving this for the upcoming event in September.
Still, even if there wasn’t a new M1 or MacBook Pro processor, that doesn’t mean Apple hasn’t shared some cool new features to make your workflow easier, and with greater integration, it doesn’t. that makes work easier, not whatever device you are on.
The two main features needed on all platforms are the ability to share and collaborate, as well as the ability to focus when you don’t feel like sharing. By breaking down the functionalities of the operating systems, it shakes like this …
iOS 15: focus is the word
Focus is the big new feature that extends the Do Not Disturb architecture to keep you focused on the task at hand. With Focus, you can configure your device to filter out anything that doesn’t concern loved ones, or coworkers, or even data that doesn’t apply to what you do.
It also includes eliminating any distractions that would prevent you from focusing on certain tasks. Focus lets you create a personalized homepage on your devices and set it for a specific period of time, letting others know that you can’t come back to it right away.
For example, you are under the gun to correct the color of this scene. It’s a single click to set Focus to “Work” and your iPhone, iPad or even Mac will only give you work information, receive emails and texts from colleagues, and so on.
But when you’re out of that constraint, the sharing features allow attendees to enjoy listening parties, watching parties, and more in real time, from your iOS, macOS, and even AppleTV in real time.
You can also merge the two to create a sort of working group that will allow you to share details, videos, etc., and get real-time feedback from others. It’s pretty cool from a productivity standpoint.
FaceTime is getting a huge new update, which includes Android users, who can join a video conference by clicking a shared link in their browser. It’s a huge development. And users can use the grid view to organize callers in the session and more easily see who is active. The new spatial audio feature will also use voice isolation to focus on the speaker’s voice while using machine learning to filter out annoying ambient sounds.
Meanwhile, Share Play can create a fun way to listen to music, watch a TV show or movie, and even share your screen while on a video call. You can even order food for the group without interrupting the call.
Notifications
Notifications have been reworked to prevent these messages from piling up and overwhelming the recipient.
There’s a special notification summary report that lets you get the gist of what’s happening, without having to stop what you’re doing to go through them all.
iPadOS15
Meanwhile, iPadOS 15 makes multitasking more powerful with a new split-screen design and “the shelf,” which makes it easier to access all open windows.
Users can swipe the screen or tap and toggle to switch between apps.
macOS
The real question is… what part of California does macOS12 get its name from? Well, it’s Monterey.
macOS Monterey will add all of the sharing features of iOS15 and iPadOS15, while giving users the option of using their iPad as a second display. Monterey uses a new feature called Universal Control, which will allow users to not only drag and drop from your laptop to your iPad, but also control the tablet from your keyboard or mouse.
No additional hardware or typing is required. Just drag and drop, or move the cursor over the iPad and start typing.
Remarks
Notes have also been extended to add a mention option to make the note shareable. Just “@” someone on your contact list, and the note will automatically be shared with them.
Quick Notes are available from the main screen icon, using handwriting recognition to take a quick note, linking it to any open apps you’re working on.
Translate
Apple’s Translation Matrix has also been improved, enabling conversations translated automatically and in real-time.
Airpods
The only real hardware discussion was about Airpods, which are now trackable in Find My.
Your iPhone will receive an alert when you leave your AirPods somewhere, and users can use Find My for directions on where to find them. And if you’re having trouble hearing, a new ‘talk boost’ feature will let users focus on who’s talking right in front of them and send ambient noise further into the background.
Photos and video
In Apple Photos, users now have an organized memory feature that automatically creates fun and musical slideshows of your memories with titles, and shares them with your friends and family.
Shows are interactive and users can remix them with other music and tempos, pause or repeat a section, and even search by who’s in the picture using Spotlight.
There is also a live text in photos feature that will allow users to capture text from an image and save it, translate foreign languages from panels, and search information based on these. data. You can even click on a phone number in a picture, and the iPhone will call that number. It’s OCR on steroids.
From a film perspective, there really wasn’t much to take away from today’s WWDC keynote. There were no new iMacs, no MacBooks, or even an M1 chip update. These rumors were, as expected, only rumors.
But from a productivity standpoint, it’s a safe bet that a year from now, users will be wondering how they managed to accomplish their workflow without many of these new operating system features.
