Freakishly accurate A.I. security system identifies you based on your footsteps

From our voice to our faces to more unorthodox methods like our “heartprint,” there are a growing number of ways for computers to recognize their users. We have yet to come across one based on our footsteps, however. Researchers from the U.K.’s University of Manchester and Spain’s Universidad Autonoma de Madrid are working to change that. A new A.I. biometric verification method can successfully identify individuals by the way they walk across a pressure pad on the floor. The technology could one day be used as an alternative, or augmentation, to existing biometric identification system in places like airports.

“We have realized that sensing human gait has biometric potential from the early days when we demonstrated the Manchester ‘Magic Carpet’ to user groups back in 2010,” Krikor Ozanyan, Professor of Photonic Sensors & Systems at Manchester, told Digital Trends. “However, decisive progress has been made recently by using artificial intelligence to process the floor senor data in a new way. As the latest development, we teamed up with Universidad Autonoma de Madrid to apply our existing models, and to develop new ones, for experimenting on an existing unique footstep database SFootDB — containing a single stride from a large number of individuals.”

In test conditions, the footstep-recognizing A.I. was able to correctly identify individuals with close to perfect accuracy, with an error rate of just 0.7 percent.

According to Ozanyan, the methodology could be particularly useful for identifying individuals in crowded locations, such as on an airport concourse. Despite a recent story from China claiming that a known criminal was identified using facial recognition in a crowd of thousands, such approaches may not necessarily prove effective. On the other hand, the ability to single out known individuals from a large group of unknowns by getting them to cross a pressure-sensing threshold could be extremely helpful. It could also potentially be used in smart home environments to recognize individual members of the family or household.

“The use of artificial intelligence on footstep data is efficient from the point of view of cost of deployment, resources, upgrades, connectivity and privacy concerns,” Ozanyan continued. “Beyond biometrics, the home scenario is the entry point for the huge area of healthcare, where the occupants’ gait can be monitored over a very long period of time so that subtle changes in their gait patterns can be attributed to normal ageing or to cognitive decline — possibly linked to the early onset of mental illness.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence.

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The best drones of 2018

In just the past few years, drones have transformed from a geeky hobbyist affair to a full-on cultural phenomenon. They’re everywhere now, and they’re available in just about any shape, size, or configuration you could ever want. The market is absolutely saturated with them now, even including some fantastic models under $500. so to help you navigate the increasingly large and ever-changing landscape of consumer UAVs, we put together a definitive list of the best drones on the planet right now. So without further ado, here’s the cream of the quadcopter crop.

At a glance

• DJI Mavic Air: Best drone overall (4.5 out of 5 stars)
• Yuneec Breeze: Best drone for beginners (3.5 out of 5 stars)
• Ryze Tello: Best cheap drone
• DJI Inspire 2: Best drone for filmmakers (4 out of 5 stars)
• QAV250 Mini FPV Carbon Fiber Edition: Best drone for racing
• Parrot Mambo: Best drone for kids
• DJI Spark: Best selfie drone (4 out of 5 stars)

DJI Mavic Air

The best

Dan Baker/Digital Trends
Dan Baker/Digital Trends

Why you should buy this: It has all the features you need in a drone, yet is still compact enough to fit in a backpack or purse

Our Score

The best

DJI Mavic Air

It has all the premium features you’ve ever wanted, and it takes up less space than an Xbox controller

$799.00 from DJI

Who it’s for: Anyone looking for a full-featured yet highly portable drone

How much it’ll cost: $799

Why we chose the DJI Mavic Air:

What makes the Mavic Air so amazing is that, despite the fact that it’s one of the most compact and portable drones we’ve ever flown, it’s also one of the most capable and full-featured. It’s equipped with a 4K camera, a 3-axis gimbal, forward/backward/downward obstacle avoidance, tons of autopilot modes, range over four miles, and somehow it still fits in the palm of your hand. It’s living proof that scaling down size doesn’t necessarily mean scaling back on features, and that big things really can come in small packages.

The portability factor is huge. Thanks to a very clever hinge system, the Mavic’s arms fold up into a neat little package just smaller than the dimensions of your average brick, which makes it a breeze to stuff in your backpack or messenger bag and lug along on your adventures. Photographers always say that the best camera is the one you have with you, and the same could definitely be said for drones. If it’s portable, you’re far more likely to have it with you when you need it.

When it comes to portable drones, the Mavic Air has no equal — although the Mavic Pro is still a pretty solid contender. It boasts slightly better camera specs and lasts a bit longer in the air, but it also costs an extra $200.

Read our full DJI Mavic Air review

Yuneec Breeze

The best drone for beginners

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends
Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

Why you should buy this: Because it’s easy to fly, relatively cheap, reasonably durable, and also provides you with plenty of room to grow and progress as a pilot

Our Score

The best drone for beginners

Yuneec Breeze

With a 4K camera, a portable design, and a price tag under 500, this drone is a fantastic starting point for newbies

$185.99 from Amazon

Who its for: Novice pilots who want a durable, easy-to-fly drone with a decent camera and a plethora of upgrade options

How much it’ll cost: $200-$230

Why we chose the Yuneec Breeze:

Some people will tell you that beginner pilots should cut their teeth on lower-end drones, but in our expert opinion, that’s nonsense. Why? Crappier drones are harder and less reliable to fly, which means that you’re far more likely to crash and destroy them. We think its a smarter idea to start out with a slightly nicer drone with reliable, responsive controls, a decent warranty, and a design that’s easy to repair or upgrade.

With these goals in mind, Yuneec’s Breeze is a fantastic choice for any greenhorn drone pilot. It is relatively cheap, but not so cheap that you’ll be encouraged to fly carelessly. It also has a pretty decent 4K camera on the undercarriage, and boasts an ultraportable form factor that makes transport, well, a Breeze.

And the best part? You can fly it with your smartphone, or pick up Yuneec’s dedicated controller system if you want tighter, more responsive controls. In other words, if you start with this drone, you’ll be able to learn the ins and outs of piloting a quadcopter — but more importantly, you’ll also be able to upgrade your setup as your skills progress and your needs change.

Read our full Yuneec Breeze review

Ryze Tello

The best cheap drone

Why you should buy this: Despite costing just $99 bucks, this little bugger boasts all the essential features you need.

The best cheap drone

Ryze Tello Quadcopter

Tello is proof positive that big things can come in little (and affordable) packages

$99.00 from Amazon

$49.99 from Monoprice.com

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants an affordable drone that’s easy to fly

How much it’ll cost: $99

Why we chose the Ryze Tello drone:

Generally speaking, drones that cost less than $100 bucks aren’t worth your time. They’re flimsy, they lack advanced features, and they’re almost always squirrely as hell in the air. But Tello is different. Despite the fact that it retails for only $99, it boasts a boatload of high-end features and functionality. Under the hood you’ll find a 14-core Intel vision processing chip, flight stabilization tech from DJI, a 5 megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p HD video, and a battery that gets you 13 minutes of flight time.

Unfortunately, this one doesn’t come with a controller, which means you’re forced to pilot Tello via virtual joysticks on a smartphone app: a control method that’s notoriously mushy and imprecise. The good news, though, is that Ryze built the drone with third-party peripherals in mind, so if you prefer to fly with physical sticks under your thumbs, you can pick up a GameSir T1d controller and link it to your bird. We think it’s well worth the extra $30 bucks!

DJI Inspire 2

The best drone for filmmakers

Why you should buy this: Because it’s a professional camera drone that’s ready to fly, straight out of the box

Our Score

The best drone for filmmakers

DJI Inspire 2

If you’re after a professional camera drone that’s ready-to-fly straight out of the box, look no further

$2,999.00 from Amazon.com

Who it’s for: Amateur and professional filmmakers who don’t want to build a custom camera drone rig

How much it’ll cost: $3,000

Why we chose the DJI Inspire 2:

There’s a reason you see DJI’s Inspire showing up everywhere from movie sets to Enrique Iglesias concerts — it’s a beast. The Inspire 2 boasts some seriously impressive specs: a controllable range of up to 4.3 miles, a top speed of 67 miles per hour, forward obstacle avoidance, and all the stabilization and autopilot features you could ever ask for in a drone. But the camera is definitely the star of the show.

DJI’s latest Zenmuse cam, the X5S, is a mirrorless Micro Four Thirds camera made specifically for aerial photography and cinematography. It shoots in 5.2K at 30 frames per second (or 4K at 60), takes 20.4 megapixel stills, and boasts a ridiculously wide ISO range of 100 – 25,600. As an added bonus, this rig is cradled inside a vibration dampened 3-axis gimbal, so your footage comes out silky smooth no matter how crazily you fly. 

DJI’s control system is also fantastic. The revamped DJI Go app puts all of the camera’s advanced controls right at your fingertips. Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO can be adjusted with just a few taps, and focus can be set by simply tapping on the subject. With a setup like this, you don’t even need prior film experience or piloting skills to get professional-looking footage.

Read our full DJI Inspire 2 review

Lumenier QAV250 Mini FPV Carbon Fiber Edition

The best drone for racing

Why you should buy this: Because you want a drone you can race and upgrade, but don’t want to build one from scratch

The best drone for racing

Lumenier QAV250 Mini FPV Carbon Fiber Edition

The Lumenier QAV250 is a solid drone to start racing with and it features a customizable design.

$402.14 from Amazon.com

Who it’s for: Novice and intermediate racing pilots

How much it’ll cost: $434

Why we chose the Lumenier QAV250 Mini FPV Carbon Fiber Edition:

Lumenier’s QAV250 wins our pick for the best racing drone for a few different reasons, but the first and most important is that it is modular and customizable. You can buy it pre-assembled from Lumenier, and while the stock configuration should be more than enough to satisfy pilots who are new to drone racing, you are also not locked in to that configuration forever. If you ever feel like upgrading your drone, you can easily swap out any of the parts for newer, better gear.

This flexibility is crucial. If you look at the winners of most drone races, you’ll notice that most pros fly their own custom drone rigs that can be tweaked and tuned to boost performance. The technology that powers drone racing is progressing at a breakneck pace, and the last thing you want to do is dump a bunch of money into a pre-built racing rig that’ll become obsolete in a few months. The best course of action is to get a rig that’ll get you in the air and racing, but also allow you to evolve — and that’s precisely what the QAV250 will do.

Parrot Mambo

The best drone for kids

Parrot

Why you should buy this: It’s stable and easy to fly, and it comes with a range of fun attachments.

The best drone for kids

Parrot Mambo

Parrot’s Mambo drone is one of the most stable and approachable mini drones we’ve tested.

$179.99 from Parrot USA

$159.00 from Amazon.com

Who it’s for: Kids and adults who want a drone that can shoot darts

How much it’ll cost: $120

Why we chose the Parrot Mambo:

Truth be told, you can get a cheaper drone that your kid will probably go bonkers over just the same, but they’ll actually be able to fly this one. There are a boatload of mini drones out there right now that you can get for under $50 — but in our experience, the vast majority of them are too squirrelly and difficult to master for your average kid.

Parrot’s new Mambo is different. Unlike most other mini drones, this one is actually designed specifically for kids. In addition to a boatload of motion sensors and advanced autopilot software that keeps the drone stable, Mambo also comes with a handful of attachments that make it more fun and engaging than a basic quadcopter. Inside the box you’ll find a cannon attachment, 50 foam cannon balls, and a grabber arm that can clamp and carry small objects.

And the best part? Parrot also gives you the option of piloting via smartphone or with a dedicated dual-joystick controller. The Flypad, as it’s called, is sold separately for $40 bucks, but it might be worth the extra dough if you don’t have a spare smartphone lying around and don’t feel like handing your kid your brand new iPhone every time he/she feels like flying.

DJI Spark

The best selfie drone

Why you should buy this: Because you want something portable that you can fly without a controller

Our Score

The best selfie drone

DJI Spark

DJI’s Spark is one of the most portable and user-friendly drones on the market right now.

$399.00 from DJI

$334.00 from Amazon

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to take epic selfies

How much it’ll cost: $500

Why we chose the DJI Spark:

If there’s one thing DJI is good at, it’s stuffing a ton of features and functionality into increasingly small drones — and nothing showcases this talent more than the Spark. Despite the fact that the drone’s hull is roughly the size of a Twinkie, DJI somehow managed to cram in many of the same goodies you’d find under the hood of the Spark’s bigger, bulkier, and more expensive brothers.

Aside from its tiny and hyper-portable design, the Spark’s biggest feature is arguably its plethora of intelligent flying modes. In addition to DJI’s standard stuff, the Spark sports a handful of brand-new modes, including Rocket, Dronie, Circle, and Helix (more on those in a moment). The drone also comes with gesture recognition abilities, which allow it to be operated without a smartphone or controller.

Another big addition is Spark’s obstacle avoidance system. While the ability to sense and avoid objects is usually a feature reserved for larger drones, DJI went ahead and built one into the hull of the Spark. It’s not quite as robust as what you’ll find on the Phantom 4, or even the Mavic Pro, but it still serves its purpose, and helps you avoid crashes.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the camera. In addition to a 12-megapixel camera that shoots video in 1080p at 30 frames per second, the Spark also sports a two-axis gimbal. This lets it mechanically stabilize the camera and cancel out any jarring, shaky movements — resulting in smoother, better-looking footage. This also gives it a leg up on the competition; most selfie drones only feature single-axis mechanical stabilization.

Read our full DJI Spark review

How we test drones

Build quality & Design

the first thing we do when we get a new drone is beat it up a little bit. We don’t kick it down the stairs or anything, but we’ll give it a few knocks, twists, and shallow drops to assess the build quality and durability. Does it feel flimsy, or does it feel like it could survive a crash landing in the park? We give each review unit a light beating (and usually a couple unintentional crash landings) before we give you a definitive answer on how durable it is.

Flight performance, range, and autonomy

To gauge flight performance, we put the drone through a number of tests to see how the manufacturer’s claims hold up. First we take it to a local football field and see how fast it can clear 100 yards, then do some calculations to get an objective reading on speed in miles per hour. After that, we do a similar test to assess ascent and descent speeds, and all the while, we’re also taking notes on how responsive the controls are, how stable the craft is, how far it can go before it’s out of range, and what the overall piloting experience is like compared to other drones.

Battery life and charge time

After we’ve taken the drone out to play for a while and jotted down a few notes about how long the battery lasts, we put it on the charger and grab a stopwatch to determine recharge time. Then we take it back out and do a hover test. By flying the drone in the least demanding conditions, we can get a sense of what the maximum flight time is. And finally, we take it out a few more good, hard flights to find out how long the battery lasts (on average) under normal conditions.

Camera, accessories, and upgradability

If the drone we’re testing happens to have a camera capable of recording, we capture as much footage as we possibly can. We’ll shoot in dark places, light places, and places with lots of color and contrast. This footage is then compared to all the highlight reels that we filmed with other drones, which helps us get a sense of the camera’s strengths and weaknesses. We also test any accessories that accompany the camera, like lenses, filters, gimbals, or FPV goggles. Finally, we’ll also let you know if the camera setup is upgradable, so you wont be stuck with an outdated shooter in two years.

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A new laser eye surgery fixes your vision without any gnarly eyeball slicing

As someone who wears glasses, the idea of corrective laser eye surgery is certainly tempting. But then you start reading about how the invasive surgery is actually performed, along with some of (admittedly rare) risks, and suddenly glasses don’t seem so bad. Things could change, however, thanks to research coming out of Columbia University. Researchers there have developed a new noninvasive laser eye surgery which could permanently correct vision — minus any of the less pleasant-sounding aspects of regular laser surgery.

“The main difference between our approach and commonly used refractive surgeries is that in our method there is no flap cutting and no ablation,” Sinisa Vukelic, a researcher on the project, told Digital Trends. “Patients with thin corneas and other abnormalities that make them ineligible for refractive surgery could be treated with the proposed treatment, which in turn increases the population of eligible patients.”

The new methods involve something called a femtosecond oscillator, an ultrafast laser capable of delivering pulses of low energy very quickly. Using this laser, it’s possible to change the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the eye’s corneal tissue. Unlike laser-assisted corrective surgeries like Lasik, this can be done without thinning — and thereby potentially weakening — the cornea. Instead, the procedure involves using the laser to ionize the water molecules within the cornea. This creates a reaction oxygen molecule which interacts with collagen fibrils to selectively form “crosslinks” or chemical bonds that change the eye’s properties. Doing this can alter the overall corneal curvature of the eye, modifying its refractive power in order to correct the patient’s vision.

“We have done a lot of basic science to prove the principle and establish the technique,” Vukelic continued. “We have also done a lot of work on animal models which has proven the efficacy of the proposed treatment. At the moment, we are working on a clinical prototype. We do hope to disseminate this technology to the public, and we also hope that it will be widely adopted.” Clinical trials are planned to begin by the end of 2018.

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature Photonics.

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The Mito drone captures underwater action without the nausea-inducing footage

Underwater drones open up ocean exploration without getting wet, but placing a drone in the current can create some shaky footage. Startup Navatics is attempting to fight that with an aquatic drone equipped with stabilization. Now on Kickstarter, the Navatics Mito is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) with a 4K camera and advanced active stabilization.

The Mito uses a floating teether to transmit signals to the controller, but the teether also uses a built-in solar panel to extend the battery life of the drone from two hours to up to a four-hour run time. The drone is rated to dive to 135 feet and the teether allows for 165 feet of navigation away from the float.

The drone uses four thrusters to move underwater and can also tilt up or down up to 45 degrees without changing the depth. Mito can travel as fast as four knots, which is about 6.5 feet per second.

The ROV is equipped with a 4K, 30 fps camera for video, with eight megapixel still photos. Two LED video lights are also built onto the drone. Underwater footage often suffers from odd colors, so the drone’s app, available on iOS and Android, also has built-in color correction.

The drone is operated with an included controller that also uses a slot to attach a smartphone. The built-in camera can livestream to the app for navigation in 1080p quality.

Navatics says they built the Mito to fit into a carry-on suitcase or backpack at 15 inches on the longest side. The drone weighs 6.6 pounds.

“With Navatics Mito, our goal is to create an underwater drone with the ability to stream high-quality video and maneuver with maximum stability to get the best footage,” Navatics CEO Andreas Widy said in a statement. “We want to provide this professional level experience so that anyone from the hobbyist consumer to the professional videographer can experience the marine world without limitation.”

Navatics is a 2016 startup sparked from a college project of the founders at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The Mito is the company’s first underwater drone.

Navatics is using Kickstarter to crowdfund its first drone. The group reached its funding goal after five hours on the platform. Pledges that include a drone start at $1,199. If the Mito is successful, it’s expected to retail for $1,999.

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Sensory deprivation float tanks can cost a fortune, but this one is different

Until now, if you wanted a sensory deprivation flotation tank in your home you’d better be a tech millionaire or international arms dealer, based on how much they cost. With prices that can easily reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, float tanks simply aren’t something within budget for the vast majority of folks. But a new Kickstarter campaign promises to change all that. Created by the Zen Float Company, it’s an inflatable sensory deprivation chamber which will set you back a more palatable amount of cash. After all, average Joes and Janes need zen relaxation, too!

“Floating, or sensory deprivation, involves lying in a tank or pod filled with about 10 inches of water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt,” creator Shane Stott told Digital Trends. “The salt renders you weightless so once you lie on your back you automatically float. While you are in there your skin is absorbing the magnesium and your mind is free of all sensory distractions, allowing yourself to just clear your mind and recharge. The water is heated to skin temp so it’s like you can’t even feel it.”

Unlike some of the pricier options on the market, the Zen Float Tank is fully inflatable (and deflatable) — which also helps if you’re living in a regular apartment, where space is at a premium. It’s made using drop-stitch inflatable technology, the same method used for blow up paddle boards and kayaks. Despite being made out of thousands of finely woven strands, once it’s fully inflated the exterior is rock solid. Setup can be completed in just 15 minutes, and while it requires a bit of weekly maintenance, the water and salt can last up to two years.

“I used to suffer from debilitating anxiety and panic attacks,” Stott explained. “It came to a head one night in Las Vegas, and the only thing I could think to do to escape the attack was to hop into the bath with the water up to my ears. Weeks later, I discovered floating and it was all over from there. Floating changed my life completely, and we have lots of similar stories from our customers. At the time, there were no float spas in Utah so I did some research and built a tank out of a fertilizer tank and aquarium parts.”

Since then, the Zen Float Company has gone from strength to strength — including a previous 2014 Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $300,000. As ever, we offer the usual warnings about the risks inherent in crowdfunding campaigns. However, if you understand these and still want to get involved, head over to the team’s Kickstarter page to pledge your cash. Prices start at $2,905, with shipping set for October 2018.

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Watch 958 drones create a 400-foot tall Time cover in lights instead of pixels

The iconic red border and masthead on Time magazine for the issue now nestled on newsstands wasn’t created by graphic design software. The Time cover for the June 11 issue was instead created by 958 flying drones — and shot by another drone. For the Time special-edition Drone Report, the magazine created the cover in the sky using Intel’s Shooting Star, a fleet of drones and software used to create UAV light shows. The in-flight cover was shot in Folsom, California, on May 3, with the special edition issue available beginning today, June 1.

Time’s cover is the first that was shot on a drone.  The Shooting Star drones can fly up to 400 feet, but even at that height, the drones had to fly closer together than the drone light show coordinators typically fly. Rather than the 10-foot radius the drones typically keep to avoid gusts of wind creating an in-air collision, the drones flew with fewer than five feet between them.

Using Intel’s program to choreograph light shows, the drones created the border of the magazine that’s usually simply drawn onto a photograph with graphics software. The entire “cover” in the air, with all the drones in place, was about 328 feet tall, a buzzing collection of lights in the sky at dusk.

With 958 drones, the cover choreography was one of the largest drone shows in the U.S. The largest so far, to our knowledge, was in China with 1,374 drones, but Intel Shooting Stars broke a record for indoor shows with 100 and also created a 1,200 drone show for the Olympics this year.

Astraeus Aerial Cinema Systems used an airborne drone to capture the image, with LA Drones also working on the project.  The cover was shot at sunset to create a gradient in the sky behind the drones, a time frame that also presented challenges with additional wind and the low light capture.

“I’ve always been amazed at how different an image looks when you put it inside the red border of Time,” D.W. Pine, the creative director at Time, said in a statement. “What’s interesting about this is that the image is actually the border of Time. I’ve looked at that border and logo every single day on a flatscreen monitor, and to see it up in the sky, at 400 feet in the air, it was very moving for me.”

The cover houses the magazine’s special edition on drone technology, which explores the explosion in UAV technology. The report looks at drone technology from several different angles, including safety and government moderation and drone use in Hollywood.

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Another Mac-less Apple event has come and gone

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Apple kicked off this morning’s WWDC keynote by focusing on the latest software enhancements that will debut this fall with the release of MacOS Mojave with no mention of new Mac hardware. That’s to be expected given Apple traditionally likes to focus on the main features that will power its hardware rather than upstage its work on the operating system by announcing a new Mac.

Still, prior to the keynote, some Apple faithful were hoping that Apple would announce updates to some of its Mac products such as the iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac Mini. Given that Intel’s newest 8th-generation processors have been out for some time, now would have at least been a good for a refresh. There’s a small chance it could still happen, but at this point it’s unlikely.

One of the most anticipated hardware updates is the MacBook Pro. Prior to the keynote, constrained inventory on Apple’s online store suggested that an update may be imminent, but that never materialized. Along with a processor update under the hood, industry observers had hoped that Apple would address some of the shortcomings with the device’s keyboard. With keys that are prone to failure, the MacBook Pro keyboard could result in a costly repair if it’s performed outside of the device’s warranty period, leading some to speculate that Apple may announce an updated model with a better keyboard.

.@Apple didn’t announce any Mac hardware updates at #WWDC18. Which are you most disappointed to not see?

(Please RT for a greater sample size)

— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) June 4, 2018

Last updated in 2014, the Mac Mini is one product that may be most deserving of an update. The minuscule desktop is one of the cheapest ways to experience a Mac, but sadly it’s hardware has not kept up with the times. The “latest” Mac Mini available today still uses Intel’s 4th Generation processor, codenamed Haswell, while many of the latest desktops from PC rivals running Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system now uses an 8th Generation CPU.

The MacBook Air is another device that could deserve more of Apple’s attention. Considered a lightweight computing staple in many offices, the MacBook Air is a reliable machine, but its design hasn’t changed in years and the laptop only benefited from minor under the hood tweaks. The last time the MacBook Air was updated was last year, and that brought only a slight bump in processing speed. We’ve been anticipating an overhaul to Apple’s entry-level offering, with either an updated MacBook, MacBook Air, or something else entirely.

In the all-in-one space, Apple’s recent launch of the iMac Pro has some wondering when the iMac would be updated. It’s been almost a year since Apple refreshed its regular iMac line, and an update this year could replace last year’s 7th Generation processor with Intel’s 8th Generation CPU this year.

Given all the latest enhancements around MacOS Mojave, hardware updates to its Mac platform would give Apple fresh canvases to showcase its latest operating system.

Instead, it looks like we’ll have to wait until later this year for any new Mac hardware.

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iPhone apps are finally coming to your MacBook. Eventually. Sorta.

SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said Apple is absolutely not merging iOS and MacOS with a large NO! displayed in the background during the WWDC opening keynote. Instead, Apple is bringing UIKit to MacOS so that developers can better “port” their iOS apps over to Macs with minimal code alterations. 

Porting an app from the iPhone and iPad over to MacOS takes additional time and money. But with support for UIKit in the next release of MacOS, Federighi says only a minimal amount of code will be needed, such as adding trackpad support, window resizing, higher resolutions, and so on. Unfortunately, you won’t see an immediate flood of converted apps in the MacOS App Store given Apple’s initiative is a multi-year project. 

For starters, Apple began testing UIKit for MacOS by converting its in-house apps such as Home, News, Stocks, and Voice Memos. At their heart, these apps are carbon copies of their iOS counterparts, only retooled to work in a desktop environment. Apple’s in-house mission appears to be ongoing as well, as developers won’t even have access to this feature until 2019. 

For a while, rumors surfaced that Apple may eventually merge iOS and MacOS — or at least create a scenario like Chrome OS and Google Play where Chromebooks can now natively run Android apps. More recent Apple-related rumors are based on leaks indicating that Apple is working on unifying the platforms, describing a possible UWP-like platform codenamed “Marzipan” where one app runs on all Apple-based devices. 

CEO Tim Cook said in April that he didn’t feel his customers actually wanted the two platforms to merge, as both serve a specific purpose. “One of the reasons that both of them are incredible is because we pushed them to do what they do well. And if you begin to merge the two … you begin to make trade-offs and compromises,” he said. 

Although MacOS Mojave will introduce a completely revamped App Store, whether developers jump on the UIKit MacOS conversion bandwagon is a wait-and-see scenario. Many popular app developers are currently sticking with web-based versions, such as Twitter who pulled its MacOS app in February in favor of its “full” web experience. Twitter’s app still resides on the App Store for iOS, Google Play, and the Microsoft Store. 

With MacOS support for UIKit, Federighi’s humorous denial, and Cook’s desire to keep the two platforms separate, hopefully rumors of a possible merge are now put to rest. Perhaps this announcement is a positive sign that apps from Facebook, Netflix, and so on will finally stock the somewhat lackluster MacOS App Store shelves. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• MacOS Mojave brings Dark Mode, stacking, and a redesigned App Store to Macs
• Tim Cook doesn’t believe customers want MacOS and iOS combined
• Live updates: How to watch Apple’s WWDC 2018 keynote
• The latest version of MacOS now supports storing your messages in Apple’s cloud
• Apple’s macOS reaches a historic milestone in its life span

iPhone apps are finally coming to your MacBook. Eventually. Sorta.

SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said Apple is absolutely not merging iOS and MacOS with a large NO! displayed in the background during the WWDC opening keynote. Instead, Apple is bringing UIKit to MacOS so that developers can better “port” their iOS apps over to Macs with minimal code alterations. 

Porting an app from the iPhone and iPad over to MacOS takes additional time and money. But with support for UIKit in the next release of MacOS, Federighi says only a minimal amount of code will be needed, such as adding trackpad support, window resizing, higher resolutions, and so on. Unfortunately, you won’t see an immediate flood of converted apps in the MacOS App Store given Apple’s initiative is a multi-year project. 

For starters, Apple began testing UIKit for MacOS by converting its in-house apps such as Home, News, Stocks, and Voice Memos. At their heart, these apps are carbon copies of their iOS counterparts, only retooled to work in a desktop environment. Apple’s in-house mission appears to be ongoing as well, as developers won’t even have access to this feature until 2019. 

For a while, rumors surfaced that Apple may eventually merge iOS and MacOS — or at least create a scenario like Chrome OS and Google Play where Chromebooks can now natively run Android apps. More recent Apple-related rumors are based on leaks indicating that Apple is working on unifying the platforms, describing a possible UWP-like platform codenamed “Marzipan” where one app runs on all Apple-based devices. 

CEO Tim Cook said in April that he didn’t feel his customers actually wanted the two platforms to merge, as both serve a specific purpose. “One of the reasons that both of them are incredible is because we pushed them to do what they do well. And if you begin to merge the two … you begin to make trade-offs and compromises,” he said. 

Although MacOS Mojave will introduce a completely revamped App Store, whether developers jump on the UIKit MacOS conversion bandwagon is a wait-and-see scenario. Many popular app developers are currently sticking with web-based versions, such as Twitter who pulled its MacOS app in February in favor of its “full” web experience. Twitter’s app still resides on the App Store for iOS, Google Play, and the Microsoft Store. 

With MacOS support for UIKit, Federighi’s humorous denial, and Cook’s desire to keep the two platforms separate, hopefully rumors of a possible merge are now put to rest. Perhaps this announcement is a positive sign that apps from Facebook, Netflix, and so on will finally stock the somewhat lackluster MacOS App Store shelves. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• MacOS Mojave brings Dark Mode, stacking, and a redesigned App Store to Macs
• Tim Cook doesn’t believe customers want MacOS and iOS combined
• Live updates: How to watch Apple’s WWDC 2018 keynote
• The latest version of MacOS now supports storing your messages in Apple’s cloud
• Apple’s macOS reaches a historic milestone in its life span

Measure, Apple Books, Shortcuts: Our favorite new and updated apps in iOS 12

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Surprise, surprise — iOS 12 comes after last year’s iOS 11. Apple just announced the latest version of its mobile operating system at WWDC 2018, and while there are a few new features in iOS 12, the update focuses more improving performance, and refining existing experiences. It also introduces new apps, and has pretty great tweaks to some already on our iPhones.

We’ve rounded up our favorite new apps coming in iOS 12, as well as a few updates coming to existing Apple apps.

Measure

With the introduction of ARKit 2.0, Apple is adding a new tool in iOS called Measure. Think of this app as the Calculator app — it’ll be handy, but only at certain moments. Measure turns your iPhone into a measuring tape, delivering measurements for objects large and small. Simply point your iPhone’s camera at an object — even small photos — and it will provide you with length, width, height, and other proportions. While you may worry about the accuracy of these measurements, Apple said its state of the art hardware along with its ARKit framework should provide extremely accurate measurements, no matter what you choose to size up.

Shortcuts

One of the most exciting new apps on iOS 12 is called Shortcuts. Apple’s newest iOS app allows you to create customized shortcuts for a variety of third-party apps. For example, you can easily create a shortcut to order your coffee on your way to work, or turn on your favorite playlist when you hit the gym. The feature works a lot like the existing app IFTTT, but for iOS apps. In some apps, you’ll see pre-defined shortcuts, and in others you will need to manually configure them directly from the Shortcuts app. You’ll be able to have Siri trigger these shortcuts by saying a custom phrase as well.

Messages

Love Animoji? How about Samsung’s AR Emoji? Well, with the iOS 12 update, you can have the best of both worlds. Apple is releasing four new Animoji (a koala, dinosaur, ghost, tiger) in iOS 12, bringing the total number of Animoji characters to 20. Your Animojis will get a little more lively as well, with the introduction of “Tongue Detection.” With Tongue Detection your favorite Animojis can now wag and stick out their tongues when you stick out your tongue. Finally, Apple is adding an entirely new feature called Memoji, which allows you to create animations of yourself to send via Messages or FaceTime. The feature is similar to the AR Emoji feature found on the Samsung Galaxy S9, but it has much more customization features, and Apple’s face-tracking is far superior. Sadly, all of this is only available on the iPhone X, but that’s likely to change this fall as the same hardware is likely to be in all its upcoming iPhone devices.

FaceTime

After years of people begging for group chat to make its way to FaceTime, it looks like Apple is finally bringing the goods. With iOS 12, Apple has added group chat to FaceTime, allowing you to add up to 32 people to your group chat. The best part? You can use Memoji in FaceTime group chats. If 32 people sounds like a lot to manage, don’t despair. iOS 12 allows you to quickly see who is speaking by enlarging their image.

Books

• 1.
  iBooks
• 2.
  Apple Books

Earlier this year, Apple said it was completing a major redesign for it’s iBooks app with iOS 11.3. After first appearing unfinished on the developer beta, it mysteriously disappeared before iOS 11.3 made it’s way to iPhones and iPads around the world. It looks like the wait is over with iOS 12. Apple Books is the official name of Apple’s updated iBooks app that will ship with iOS 12. Books is a complete redesign that removes a lot of clutter that came along with the original iBooks app. There’s a “Now Reading” pane as well as an updated Book Store that offers better suggestions on books to purchase. In addition to all the new e-book features, you’ll also find a nice new tab dedicated for audiobooks.

Stocks

• 1.
  Old Stocks app.
• 2.
  New Stocks app.

Stocks is one of those apps that most people likely uninstall. Since its release, it has only been available on the iPhone, and it hasn’t seen much of an update for quite a while. That’s changing in iOS 12. Stocks is getting a makeover. You’ll now be able to see how stocks perform over time, and there’s now Apple News built in, so you can tap on individual stocks and get the latest news about the company directly within the app. Apple hasn’t forgotten about iPad users either, as the app is finally making its way to the iPad. In fact, you’ll even be able to find the app on macOS Mojave coming later this fall.

Voice Memos

Like the Stocks app, Apple’s Voice Memos app hasn’t gotten a lot of love over the past few years. It’s a simple app meant to do a single task, yet it’s extremely helpful. In addition to a modest design update, Voice Memos will now store your recordings on the iCloud server. You’ll be able to instantly access them from any linked iOS device, and you can also find them on the new Voice Memos app on macOS later this fall when Apple releases macOS Mojave.

Ready to download iOS 12?

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

iOS 12 is currently in developer beta, but it will arrive as a public beta in the next few weeks. You can follow our guide on how to install iOS 12, but do remember to backup your phone, or install the beta on a secondary device — there are quite a few bugs we’ve spotted.

Editors’ Recommendations

• iOS 12 will make your iPhone faster and less annoying. Here’s what’s coming
• Live updates: How to watch Apple’s WWDC 2018 keynote
• Apple’s iOS 11.3 is now available for download on the iPhone and iPad
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