iOS

Parts of iOS 7 shown off by Apple during the WWDC Keynote and on Apple.com look like we're still seeing the design briefs or wireframes rather than the final art. Palettes have been chosen, elements have been put in place, but so far it looks like iOS 7 hasn't been given the level of polish we've come to expect from Apple, even during the beta stage. From icons to interface elements to typography, we seem to be getting a very rare glimpse at a very early work-in-progress, and something that still needs of a second coat of design paint.

Registered Apple developers have been able to test OS X 10.9 Mavericks and iOS 7 since their announcement at WWDC 2013, but reports are now emerging that Apple is widening the reach of both slightly. According to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman, selected Apple retail employees are now receiving an invitation to test out Mavericks for themselves:

User experience (UX) design studio Teehan+Lax is offering a free downloadable Photoshop file containing interface elements from the first beta release of iOS 7. You can grab the iOS7 GUI PSD file by visiting their Web site.

Lots of people itch to try new iOS beta versions when they become available and iOS 7 has definitely attracted lots of people that were curious to try out the new features ahead of time. If you were one of those and didn't heed our warning about betas, you may find yourself frustrated with lots of bugs and annoyances.

Fortunately, there's a pretty easy way to get back onto iOS 6 without too much fuss. If you're regretting the decision to install iOS 7 beta, follow along and we'll help you get back to iOS 6.

Introducing iOS 7 at WWDC last week, Apple's Craig Federighi mentioned MFi game controller support in passing. Apple's announcement has long-term ramifications for iOS 7 as viable gaming platform.

Logitech already makes some great accessories for iOS devices, and if this blurrycam image is to be believed, it looks like they might have an iPhone 5 gamepad on the way. This image acquired by the folks at Kotaku, purports to be a future G-Series gaming add-on for the iPhone 5 complete with Lightning port, D-Pad and four physical buttons.

iOS 7 is not only the most skeuomorphic and liberating version of Apple's mobile operating system to date, it's also potentially the most fun. (I say potentially because it's not finished yet, and we'll likely only know whether Apple truly achieves their vision once it launches this fall.) This idea -- the gamificaton of interface -- isn't new, of course. With iOS 7, Apple's simply, audaciously attempting to take it to the next level. Here's how...

Thoughtful post from Chris Clark on the changes Apple made in iOS 7, the realities of the design languages old and new, and what it means for developers and designers. From his Release Candidate One blog:

Apple's iOS 7, announced earlier this week, brings a lot of changes to all areas of the operating system, and security is no exception. iOS 7, at least as much of it as has been publicly disclosed by Apple to date, includes a number of security-related enhancements, seeking not just to make your data more secure, but also make security more convenient.

One of the many new additions to iOS 7 is Control Center. Apple bills it as "quick access to the controls and apps you always seem to need right this second." There's plenty packed in there, too; a series of quick toggles for such things as WiFi and Bluetooth, quick brightness settings, music player controls, AirDrop, AirPlay and quick shortcuts to some of the stock apps and a flashlight. All of this is accessible anywhere within the OS with a simple swipe up from the bottom of the screen, so the quick access part is definitely correct. But, we want to know your thoughts on whether you think Control Center is really a useful addition to iOS?