Apple’s Venmo competitor is built into iMessage

Apple was rumored to be building its own competitor to services like Venmo and Paypal, and today at WWDC the company confirmed it was expanding the Apple Pay empire. Senior VP of software Craig Federighi announced that Apple Pay would come to iMessage with iOS 11. You can send money to anyone in the default messages app who is also running iOS 11, and you of course use your thumbprint to authenticate the transaction.

If you receive money, it’ll go on something called an Apple Pay cash card. What’s not clear is whether or not you can sync that card back to a bank account. Apple will certainly have more details about Apple Pay for iMessage once its website has updated with the details on iOS 11. We do know that Apple Pay for messages will work on the Apple Watch as well the iPhone.

Federighi showed a quick demo of Apple Pay in iOS11 on stage, and it’s pretty basic. When you open the Apple Pay iMessage app, you can either request or send money and just tap a large box to enter the full amount. Hit send and then authenticate with your fingerprint and you’re good to go.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Apple’s macOS finally supports VR

Until now, the only way to run a high-end VR system on a Mac was by booting into Windows, but that doesn’t solve the fact that Apple had yet to offer a GPU option that’s actually good enough for VR. The next best thing would be to plug in your desired NVIDIA card via an external enclosure, but you’d still be stuck with Windows here. Thankfully, Cupertino has finally decided to take matters into its own hands by unveiling its very own Thunderbolt 3 GPU enclosure at WWDC.

This developer kit houses an AMD Radeon RX 580 which is plenty of power to run VR, and as a bonus, it also features a USB-C hub. There’s no price just yet, but given that it’s positioned as a dev kit, chances are it won’t come cheap; but what really matters here is that macOS is finally VR-friendly, which is great news for both developers and consumers.

Also announced at WWDC is macOS support for SteamVR, and HTC Vive is already confirmed to support it. Yes, you’ll no longer have to dual-boot into Windows just to use the Vive on your Mac. The Oculus Rift was oddly missing throughout the keynote, but since it’s SteamVR we’re talking about here, it’s probably just a matter of time before it gets macOS compatibility as well. At least one person is looking forward to that, anyway.

For the non-developers, the 27-inch iMac Retina 5K is getting refreshed with Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs along with AMD’s Radeon Pro 570, 575 and 580, which are good enough for running VR. The cost? These start from $1,799.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Apple’s macOS finally supports VR

Until now, the only way to run a high-end VR system on a Mac was by booting into Windows, but that doesn’t solve the fact that Apple had yet to offer a GPU option that’s actually good enough for VR. The next best thing would be to plug in your desired NVIDIA card via an external enclosure, but you’d still be stuck with Windows here. Thankfully, Cupertino has finally decided to take matters into its own hands by unveiling its very own Thunderbolt 3 GPU enclosure at WWDC.

This developer kit houses an AMD Radeon RX 580 which is plenty of power to run VR, and as a bonus, it also features a USB-C hub. There’s no price just yet, but given that it’s positioned as a dev kit, chances are it won’t come cheap; but what really matters here is that macOS is finally VR-friendly, which is great news for both developers and consumers.

Also announced at WWDC is macOS support for SteamVR, and HTC Vive is already confirmed to support it. Yes, you’ll no longer have to dual-boot into Windows just to use the Vive on your Mac. The Oculus Rift was oddly missing throughout the keynote, but since it’s SteamVR we’re talking about here, it’s probably just a matter of time before it gets macOS compatibility as well. At least one person is looking forward to that, anyway.

For the non-developers, the 27-inch iMac Retina 5K is getting refreshed with Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs along with AMD’s Radeon Pro 570, 575 and 580, which are good enough for running VR. The cost? These start from $1,799.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Apple is using AI to make Siri smarter

Apple may have started the digital assistant craze with Siri, but it’s largely been playing catch-up lately. Specifically, to Google and Mountain View’s own Assistant. Now Apple’s app has more expressive voices (both male and female, English and British) and in-app translation features. More than that, Siri can act as a task manager of sorts, offering access to banking in the Citi Mobile app, or, for whatever reason, a QR code in WeChat.

And going deeper into Apple’s low-key focus on AI, Siri’s on-device artificial intelligence and contextual learning will offer up a GPS pin when you’re messaging about where you’re located. The learning will sync across your different devices, and like iMessage itself, will be encrypted end to end.

Apple has mentioned AI in a few different ways, not drawing a ton of attention to it in the way Google did last month, but if you were worried Cupertino wasn’t worried about the latest zeitgeist, you can rest easy.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Apple is using AI to make Siri smarter

Apple may have started the digital assistant craze with Siri, but it’s largely been playing catch-up lately. Specifically, to Google and Mountain View’s own Assistant. Now Apple’s app has more expressive voices (both male and female, English and British) and in-app translation features. More than that, Siri can act as a task manager of sorts, offering access to banking in the Citi Mobile app, or, for whatever reason, a QR code in WeChat.

And going deeper into Apple’s low-key focus on AI, Siri’s on-device artificial intelligence and contextual learning will offer up a GPS pin when you’re messaging about where you’re located. The learning will sync across your different devices, and like iMessage itself, will be encrypted end to end.

Apple has mentioned AI in a few different ways, not drawing a ton of attention to it in the way Google did last month, but if you were worried Cupertino wasn’t worried about the latest zeitgeist, you can rest easy.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

iOS 11’s Photos app uses AI to make your shots better

Apple’s iOS 11 promises to be a big upgrade for shutterbugs. It’s improving both the Camera and Photos apps to take some of the headaches out of snapshots and photos. For instance, the Photos app’s Memories section can make use of machine learning to automatically reorient images when you change your phone’s orientation — it knows what to focus on. Live Photos also make use of this AI-like technology for effects. And Live Photos should be decidedly liverly with new visual tricks, including a long exposure blur effect, the ability to pick a key photo, video looping and a Boomerang-style “bounce” effect.

Also, Apple is making some improvements that will help you capture more photos and videos. It’s switching to HEVC (aka H.265) encoding for videos, which is twice as efficient as the H.264 format used today. For still shots, meanwhile, Apple is moving to HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) to achieve similar space-saving. In theory, you won’t have to worry quite so much about running out of storage when you’re capturing every moment of your next vacation. We have questions about exporting images (how easy will it be to share JPEGs with everyone?), but this could be very helpful in a world where 4K video and large photos are becoming commonplace.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

iOS 11’s Photos app uses AI to make your shots better

Apple’s iOS 11 promises to be a big upgrade for shutterbugs. It’s improving both the Camera and Photos apps to take some of the headaches out of snapshots and photos. For instance, the Photos app’s Memories section can make use of machine learning to automatically reorient images when you change your phone’s orientation — it knows what to focus on. Live Photos also make use of this AI-like technology for effects. And Live Photos should be decidedly liverly with new visual tricks, including a long exposure blur effect, the ability to pick a key photo, video looping and a Boomerang-style “bounce” effect.

Also, Apple is making some improvements that will help you capture more photos and videos. It’s switching to HEVC (aka H.265) encoding for videos, which is twice as efficient as the H.264 format used today. For still shots, meanwhile, Apple is moving to HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) to achieve similar space-saving. In theory, you won’t have to worry quite so much about running out of storage when you’re capturing every moment of your next vacation. We have questions about exporting images (how easy will it be to share JPEGs with everyone?), but this could be very helpful in a world where 4K video and large photos are becoming commonplace.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Apple Music will keep tabs on your friends’ listening habits

Thanks to a Bloomberg interview with Apple Music head Jimmy Iovine back in April, we thought WWDC updates for the app could focus on video. During today’s keynote, the company gave us a brief rundown of a couple changes we can expect for the service. The big update wasn’t video-focused though, it’s primarily the ability to see what your friends are listening to inside Apple Music.

Apple will show you what you’re friends are listening to right in the app — similar to what Spotify and other apps do already. In the “For You” tab inside the app, you’ll see a scrolling list of what your pals are streaming. Album artwork is displayed there with tiny avatars to indicate which of your friends have been listening to that particular selection.

The company also mentioned that 27 million people are subscribing to the service. That’s still a few million less than Spotify’s 50 million paying customers. What’s more, Apple announced Apple Music API Kit to help developers integrate their apps with the streaming service. We’re talking about things like Nike+ Run Club, Anchor and Shazam for now, but there are sure to be many more options in the near future. There’s also multiroom audio support for a number of speaker brands coming to HomeKit through AirPlay 2.

This is the second year in a row Apple revealed new features for Apple Music at WWDC. Last June, the company switched up the interface to make it easier to find the music you want quickly. That revamp also put less attention on the social features of the service that were a key focus leading up to the initial launch. A new version of iOS is a convenient time to take the wraps off new enhancements for the music streaming service as well, so we could be in for annual updates during the developer event.

Apple already tipped its hand with a load of videos we can expect on the service — a number of which are set to debut soon. A documentary on Bad Boy’s hip hop legacy debuts at the end of the month while the new take on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke is scheduled to arrive in early August (after a delay). There are a number of other documentaries and series as well, and with labels pressuring Apple to offer fewer exclusive album releases, the company could leverage its video library in an attempt to lure users from the competition.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Apple Music will keep tabs on your friends’ listening habits

Thanks to a Bloomberg interview with Apple Music head Jimmy Iovine back in April, we thought WWDC updates for the app could focus on video. During today’s keynote, the company gave us a brief rundown of a couple changes we can expect for the service. The big update wasn’t video-focused though, it’s primarily the ability to see what your friends are listening to inside Apple Music.

Apple will show you what you’re friends are listening to right in the app — similar to what Spotify and other apps do already. In the “For You” tab inside the app, you’ll see a scrolling list of what your pals are streaming. Album artwork is displayed there with tiny avatars to indicate which of your friends have been listening to that particular selection.

The company also mentioned that 27 million people are subscribing to the service. That’s still a few million less than Spotify’s 50 million paying customers. What’s more, Apple announced Apple Music API Kit to help developers integrate their apps with the streaming service. We’re talking about things like Nike+ Run Club, Anchor and Shazam for now, but there are sure to be many more options in the near future. There’s also multiroom audio support for a number of speaker brands coming to HomeKit through AirPlay 2.

This is the second year in a row Apple revealed new features for Apple Music at WWDC. Last June, the company switched up the interface to make it easier to find the music you want quickly. That revamp also put less attention on the social features of the service that were a key focus leading up to the initial launch. A new version of iOS is a convenient time to take the wraps off new enhancements for the music streaming service as well, so we could be in for annual updates during the developer event.

Apple already tipped its hand with a load of videos we can expect on the service — a number of which are set to debut soon. A documentary on Bad Boy’s hip hop legacy debuts at the end of the month while the new take on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke is scheduled to arrive in early August (after a delay). There are a number of other documentaries and series as well, and with labels pressuring Apple to offer fewer exclusive album releases, the company could leverage its video library in an attempt to lure users from the competition.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Apple is redesigning the App Store

Every year, more developers flood onto the App Store in the hope of finding an audience and some lucrative revenue. The sheer volume of apps means it’s hard to get noticed, however, and on the flip-side it’s difficult for users to find genuinely useful software. So Apple is finally redesigning the App Store. It has a similar look to Apple Music and News, with large, bubble-like cards displayed in a visual feed. You’ll start on the Today tab, which has a curated and personalised selection of apps to browse. Swipe across and you’ll hit Games, followed by (your) Apps, Updates and Search.

Apple kicked off the reveal with a “world premiere” of Monument Valley 2, a successor to the M.C Escher-inspired game by UsTwo. Scrolling through each feed, it’s clear that less information will be visible on your screen at any one time — Apple is banking on that being a boon, rather than a drawback, however. The company wants to avoid “information overload” by focusing on smaller, specialized app lists instead. There will be an App of the Day, a Game of the Day and even Store-specific blog posts and lists — one example Apple showed was called “5 Tips to Get More out of VSCO.”

When you find an app, you’ll notice that in-app purchases are now available on the same page. That means you can buy photo filters, or sign up for a monthly video streaming subscription without digging through the app itself. Description pages are also being reworked so that developers can write longer, creative notes, rather like a blogging platform. All told, it’s a huge revamp for the App Store. The renewed focus on curation is intriguing — it will, in theory, improve app discovery, boosting revenue and competition. If Apple’s efforts fail, however, it could exasperate the store’s existing issues, making it harder than ever for developers to earn a living.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Source: Apple (PR)