apple

With Safari updates, Apple aims to keep pace

SAN FRANCISCO -- Once again, Apple's changes to its Safari browser on OS X represent keeping up with the competition instead of forging new ground.

At the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday, the company unveiled the next version of Safari, which Apple says will have significantly faster page rendering, better security, and will make it easier to read multiple articles on the same site.

The Safari 7 update introduces to the browser stronger connections to OS X's password-management tool called Keychain. Leveraging the iCloud browser syncing that debuted in last year's Safari, … Read more

Apple's Maps makes its way to OS X Mavericks

Apple has updated its Maps application to work on the Mac, the company announced Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The company's platform will be built into Apple's new operating system, OS X Mavericks. Information from the Mac's Maps can be sent to an iPhone for access on that device. Developers also can bundle the software's features, thanks to a software development kit, into their own OS X apps.

Apple launched Maps last year with iOS 6. The application was designed to replace Google Maps as Apple's built-in mapping application. Soon after … Read more

Apple by the numbers, from WWDC 2013

At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple touted the latest numbers for its devices, apps, and operating systems circa June 10, 2013.

iOS devices sold: 600 million Percentage of iOS users using iOS 6: 93 percent Mac installations: 72 million, more than double the number from five years ago Mac sales: Have risen 100 percent over the past five years, versus just 18 percent for Windows PCs Mountain Lion sales: 28 million since its debut, making it the best-selling release of Apple's desktop OS Apps in App Store: 900,000 Number of apps geared for the iPad: … Read more

Anki slot cars controlled by iOS

At Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomed Boris Sofman on to the stage to show off a slot car demonstration. More than just a game, the slot cars, controlled by iOS, serve as a proof-of-concept for artificial intelligence technology from a new San Francisco startup named Anki.

The demonstration showed four slot cars racing around a track, using their programming to adjust speed and braking based on upcoming curves. For the game, which comes out this fall, players will be able to control individual cars via Bluetooth using an iOS device and race against AI-controlled … Read more

Apple OS X Mavericks surfs into view

Apple unveiled the new Mac OS X Mavericks operating system at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, showing off the ability to create tabs in the finder and tag items to aid in search.

Craig Federighi, chief of iOS and OS X, said the new system aims to extend battery life and improve responsiveness.

When saving a file, users can add tags that will show up in the finder's sidebar, which should help when searching for files, Federighi said. The tabs feature allows users to open multiple windows in different tabs and multiple displays. Users can even connect to … Read more

The next big cat isn't a cat at all

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple announced the next version of Mac OS X today at the keynote for WWDC 2013. Named Mavericks, Mac OS X 10.9 brings more iOS features into the fold along with other tweaks including iBooks, Apple Maps, Finder Tabs, and a number of other time-saving enhancements.

Finder Tabs The new Finder Tabs work much in the same way they do in Safari. A plus sign button on the right lets you open a new tab, and you can drag and drop tabs just like in a Web browser. You could have one tab for AirDrop and … Read more

Apple now hosts 900,000 apps in App Store

Apple's App Store is now home to 900,000 apps.

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the latest stats at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday.

Among the 900,000 apps, 90 percent of them are downloaded each month, while 375,000 of them are geared for the iPad. In total, 50 billion apps have been downloaded since the App Store opened for business. July will mark the App Store's fifth birthday.

The App Store also holds around 575 million store accounts, with Cook touting that the store has "more accounts with credit … Read more

Apple has paid developers $10B

Apple has now paid developers $10 billion, CEO Tim Cook said Monday.

That's three times more than Android and other mobile stores have distributed to app makers, Cook said during his keynote speech at Apple's annual developers conference. And $5 billion of the total was just from this year, he said.

"The momentum is incredible," Cook said.

Apple currently is hosting its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Among the expected announcements is an update to its mobile operating system and a new radio service.

AT&T brings enhanced push-to-talk app to iPhone

AT&T has unveiled an iOS app that turns the iPhone into a walkie-talkie for the business world.

Known as Enhanced Push-to-Talk (Enhanced PTT), the new app brings two-radio features to the iPhone 5 and 4S. With PTT, mobile users can talk to one person via a private call or a large number of people though a group call. And like a walkie-talkie, a phone equipped with the app can switch between talk and listen mode with the touch of a button.

The app supports up to 250 people, gearing it for certain types of workplaces and first responders, … Read more