It was a busy Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this year, with Apple announcing a string of software updates and also taking the lid off some new hardware. While most of the talk has been about the products shown at the event, what was no less notable were the features that came with some of them. Yes, the products will become a part of many of our lives at some stage, thanks to the inevitable update process that is part and parcel of tech culture, but we think it is the features of many of these that will move to other platforms (as happens so often) and change the world around us. Here are 10 features announced at WWDC 2022 that we think could change not just how we use tech, but even our lives in the coming days:
WWDC 2022: RIP passwords, Passkeys are here
Passwords are a recipe for a security disaster, waiting to come to a boil and then blow up. They are easy to forget, easy to change, and hence quite easy to crack. To prevent password plight, Apple at WWDC 2022 announced that it has been working on something which can make our digital lives much more secure. Apple announced that it will be introducing a new security feature called Passkey for iOS and macOS devices. The feature is designed to replace the traditional password system and add a security blanket to our everyday log-in and log-out process.
Passkey will essentially be an integration of biometric security features including FaceID and TouchID, making it more secure. Passkeys will be unique digital keys that will be stored locally on your device. As per Apple, not storing these Passkeys on the cloud is what makes them more secure. This means if someone tries to hack your account or data on the cloud, the digital key is more likely to stay safe because it will be on your device.
That said, you can back it up on iCloud and sync all your Apple devices in an end-to-end encrypted manner.
Once set up, you would also be able to use Passkeys to log in to different apps and websites. Forget your passwords without any fear. You will not need them!
WWDC 2022: Pull text from anywhere with Live Text
Apple's Live Text feature has been extremely popular with its ability to let you extract text from images or live views. So you can literally copy the text from a signboard or a menu if you wish.
Well, that feature has been taken to another level now and you can even copy text from videos — for instance, you can copy the subtitles of a news item or a film, or text from a book in one of your favourite role-playing games (which are full of ancient tomes).
Visual Look Up, which identifies different objects, has also been given a boost but we like the ability to pull words from almost everywhere the best. Cameras are a step closer to becoming text scanners, no matter where they spot the text.
WWDC 2022: Safety Check for those who have been in abusive relationships
Apple also announced a new feature called Safety Check which is meant to protect those going through an abusive relationship. While it is common for people to share their location, passwords, and other information with their family members, in case of abusive relationships, sharing such details can not only be dangerous but also life-threatening in some circumstances.
Safety Check allows users to review and reset who has access to their passwords, messages, location information, and other data across different Apple devices. This includes apps such as Find My, Location, and Contacts amongst others.
Coming with iOS 16, the feature will also have an Emergency Reset feature which will allow the user to immediately reset access for all people and apps across all your devices that are synced to your iCloud account. The feature sounds promising and can come in handy for those who wish to cut ties immediately with their abusers or anyone they feel threatened by.
WWDC 2022: Apple Watch can now track medications too
Apple Watch has always been known for its focus on health. At WWDC 2022, Apple took this aspect of its wearable to another level. The tech giant has now added a feature on both Apple Watch and iPhone that will remind you to take your medication on time.
This feature, which is in the form of a Medications category, will allow users to keep track of their medicine, vitamins, and supplements by letting them create a list of medications with time.
Adding a drug or medicine is as simple as scanning its label. The feature will help users create schedules and set reminders and let them read up on their medications on the Health app.
It will also remind users of their medication discreetly so that the information remains personal, and will also alert users if they are consuming drug combinations that could be dangerous.
WWDC 2022: Freeform is the new whiteboard
Imagine a massive digital whiteboard where everyone can add whatever they want, and see the changes and additions being made by others in real time. It is not a new concept but we have a feeling that Apple's Freeform is going to take it to another level. Freeform is like this massive open sheet where one can put in comments, sketch, and scribble (Apple Pencil is supported) and do much more. What's more, you can even seamlessly start a video call in the middle of it (using Facetime) or follow progress through the Messages app. Digital Whiteboards were never this versatile and fun — of course, you would need to be in the Apple ecosystem to make the most of this.
WWDC 2022: Fitness app arrives on the iPhone
The Fitness App on the Apple Watch can prove to be a major motivational factor in getting users moving. The temptation to close those three fitness rings on your Apple Watch can actually get you going.
Up until now, the Fitness App has been available only on the Apple Watch. This means only the iPhone paired with an Apple Watch had the Fitness App. with iOS 16, Apple is changing that. iOS 16 will be bringing the Fitness App to iPhone handsets, regardless of whether the iPhone is paired with an Apple Watch or not. The app will use the motion sensors built into the iPhone to track the users’ activity which can be used to close those fitness rings that we see on the app.
The sensors will be able to track steps, distance, workouts with third-party apps, and flights climbed. It will not be as accurate as the Apple Watch but having it onboard is likely to help many with their motivation levels, and also makes the iPhone a handy fitness tracker of sorts.
WWDC 2022: The MacBook Air finally looks different, costs a whole lot more, and leaves the lower price segment to tablets
The original MacBook Air had revolutionised notebook design and literally invented the ultrabook segment. And after years of sticking to the classic tapering-edge design, Apple has finally changed the appearance of its bestselling notebook.
Yes, it still remains very light (1.3 kg) and amazingly thin at just over a centimetre, but the whole look of the notebook has changed, with the tapering edges gone and the sides becoming more straight, albeit with slight curves for comfortable handling. Considering how often brands tend to follow Apple's example, we wonder if this could change the design of other notebooks as well.
Another point to note is the pricing of the MacBook Air, which now starts at a massive Rs 1,19,900. One of the reasons for the popularity of the Air model was its relative affordability — it generally used to start well below the six-figure mark. That is no longer the case. It is almost as if Apple has abandoned the sub-Rs 1,00,000 notebook category and left it for the iPad.
Are tablets set to be notebook replacements even as notebooks themselves move up the price ladder? That is another story, and one we will be writing soon.
WWDC 2022: Stage Manager revamps multi-tasking
Apple introduced new versions of both macOS and iPadOS at WWDC, and while each came with a number of features, perhaps the biggest talking point in both was the handling of mulit-tasking.
While we could run multiple apps on the iPad and Mac machines, the process itself was not an elegant one, and running apps next to each other was both complicated and painful. Apple has tried to clean that up with Stage Manager, which actually redefines multitasking as we know it.
Instead of having apps open next to each other or arranged in scrollable windows, Apple has gone for a very different interface with the current window bang in the center and other open windows in a column on the left-hand side.
You can interact between apps, group windows together, swap data and do a whole lot more. It is a very different take on multi-tasking and actually seems easier and more comprehensive, and has an almost film production feel to it, with users picking different elements and putting them together.
WWDC 2022: Deeper CarPlay integration with widgets
Apple also gave its CarPlay infotainment system a major overhaul, making it a complete in-car software solution as compared to something that is only limited to the infotainment screen in your car.
Not only will the new software be able to adapt to different screen sizes but will also come with widgets that will let the users get information like fuel economy, weather updates, speed, music apps, and other data.
The next-generation CarPlay will also let users personalise their instrument clusters and add and subtract widgets based on their information needs. Smart cars in terms of information could get a whole lot closer to reality.
WWDC 2022: A different M chip for every computer?
Apple announced its new M2 processor at WWDC. A lot has already been written about its potential and performance, as well as its ability to combine great performance with relatively low power consumption. What is a matter of interest is just how large Apple's processor portfolio is becoming.
It has been a little more than a year since Apple launched its own notebook and desktop processors and we have the M1, the M1 Pro, the M1 Max, the M1 Ultra, and now the M2. This gives consumers far more variety and access to an incredible series of processors, often in very different products (the Ultra for instance is only in the Mac Studio).
Of course, it is getting a little difficult to sort out which device has which chip, and which meets one's requirements, but on the other hand, it does indicate a closer integration between specific processor models and devices.
Could we be entering an era where each Apple computer would have its own specific M processor exclusively optimised for it? And would this extend to devices like the iPad and iPhone too? You never know.