FileHippo News

The latest software and tech news

Apple announced today, during their developer conference that the latest version of OS X, will be named Mavericks (after a popular surfing spot in... WWDC 2013 Overview

Apple announced today, during their developer conference that the latest version of OS X, will be named Mavericks (after a popular surfing spot in California). The next version of OS X will focus on better battery life and more organisation for many of the day to day tasks on your Mac.

wwdc13-about-main

New resource management tools, such as App Nap, will allow the OS to better control how much power is spent on everything that is running on your desktop. There are changes in the User Interface as well, including Tags in Finder, Tabbed Folders, and enhanced multiple display features.

The Tabbed Folder feature looks useful; if you have multiple folders on your machine, you can now merge them into a single window with tabs. You can quickly add tabs to windows, or have multiple windows open that can each have their own tabs. Multiple display management in OS X Mavericks has greatly enhanced the User Interface with AirPlay displays and physically connected displays. You can quickly access the dock from any of these displays and you can have control of individual workstations independently of the other connected displays.

Safari has been given a boost in Memory usage, performance and CPU usage. The browser now scrolls at nearly 60fps and looks just as smooth as you’d see in iOS! The new bookmarks and Top Sites UI allows for a personalized home page when you open the browser as well. Apple has also moved their password keychain service to iCloud, allowing you to sync your passwords and Credit Card details across all of your iOS devices, which is a massive help with security. Maps for OSX has been heavily updated to take advantage of the new software, which includes all of the same features from iOS but now features a new push to iPhone feature for better integration.

Apple’s incredibly thin laptop, Macbook Air, has been updated with some new hardware and is now a truly “all day” machine with significant performance and battery life boosts. The new battery life on the 11-inch Macbook Air is now expected to get 9 hours on a single charge, while the 13-inch Air will get a staggering 12 hours! Apple’s latest piece of kit will come with a Haswell ULT processor and it will also feature 802.11ac WiFi and faster flash storage. These computers start shipping at £849 for the 128GB 11-inch model and £949 for the 128GB 13-inch model.

In iOS 7, Apple have completely revamped and given the OS a complete change and feel. In the main apps (such as Messages, Mail and Calendar) we will see a new translucent keyboard, a new colour palette and a simplistic design.

By using an array of grid-like guides, Apple has taken all the core apps, from icon design and how you view them, to a whole new level. This means your content is now the main focus, not the device itself. This stylistic feel is available across all apps, with menus being edited around your content; instead of the device accessing your content in the way it wants, this feels like the device allows you to access your data in a more personal way.

So, with exciting changes in operating systems both mobile and desktop; with iOS7 and Mac OSX Mavericks; with new services like iWork in iCloud and iTunes Radio; with a new range of Macbook Air computers and an awesome powerhouse of a desktop computer in the new Mac Pro…it’s been an eventful day.

[Images via maclife]