X

Apple WWDC kicks off June 6

The company says it will "unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS" at its annual conference for software developers. We're expecting lots more on Mac OS X Lion.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
2 min read
WWDC will be held between June 6 and June 10.
WWDC will be held between June 6 and June 10. Apple

Apple will be holding its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at Moscone West in San Francisco between June 6 and June 10, the company announced today.

As in previous years, the five-day conference will be a place for developers to learn more about Apple's operating systems, iOS and Mac OS X. The company plans to hold over 100 "technical sessions" for developers, as well as provide "code-level assistance." But it's Mac OS and iOS that will take center stage, Apple said.

"At this year's conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS," Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said in a statement. "If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss."

Schiller's comments all but confirm that Apple will also be talking quite a bit about Mac OS X Lion, the upcoming release in the company's desktop operating system. It unveiled the platform last year and promised to launch the operating system this summer. Lion will ship with Apple's Mac App Store built-in. It will also feature a new option called Mission Control, which shows users what's running on the Mac at any given time. Another new feature, LaunchPad, displays all the available apps on the system in a single pane.

Apple also has said that it plans to bring some features of iOS, the operating system on the iPhone and iPad, to the Mac OS--for instance, multitouch gestures.

Although Apple's announcement does not mention a keynote address, it shouldn't surprise anyone if Apple holds one. Historically, WWDC has been the event where Apple announces its next iPhone and iOS version.

However, there's no telling who might be speaking. Apple CEO Steve Jobs is on a medical leave of absence and has left day-to-day operations in the hands of COO Tim Cook. That said, Jobs did speak earlier this month at an event unveiling the iPad 2.

Last week, Apple announced the promotion of Craig Federighi to run the Mac OS X group, replacing Bertrand Serlet.