WWDC 2016. iOS 10. macOS Sierra. watchOS 3. tvOS 10. Pokémon Go. Georgia, Lory, and Rene continue the Year in Review… after talking more Super Mario Run, Yahoo Hacks, AirPods, and double standards.

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Show notes

• Super Mario Run
• AirPods
• iOS 10
• macOS Sierra
• watchOS 3
• tvOS 10
• Swift Playgrounds
• Pokémon Go

Hosts

• Georgia Dow
• Lory Gil
• Rene Ritchie

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Apple doesn't focus App Store updates around WWDC any more. We saw many changes happen right before the annual conference this year, and we've now seen additional changes follow in the fall. With App Stores in over 155 counties, including over two-million apps in 25 categories, and around 100,000 new and updated apps submitted each week, it's more important than ever for Apple to stay agile and adjust as and when needed. Here's the latest!

Note: Updated September 28, 2016.

When are search ads going to be available to developers?

Starting today, September 28, 2016!

Where can I find more info on search ads?

Right here: https://searchads.apple.com

So, Apple's going to purge abandoned apps from the App Store?

Kinda. Here's what Apple has to say about apps that have been abandoned or have otherwise failed to update with the times:

Abandonware clogs up the App Store, making it harder for customers to find apps in general, and find the best apps for the needs in specific. If an app hasn't been updated for Retina, for 16:9, for the new big and bigger iPhone size classes, and most importantly, for ongoing bug fixes and adoption of newer, better frameworks, it shouldn't be on the App Store, any more than a derelict brick and mortar should remain in the mall.

Hopefully Apple goes after the thin web wrappers next...

Also, buh-bye SEO scam names?

Also kinda. From Apple:

In other words, be succinct, and don't be a scammer.

Brilliant, but why did this take so long?

There's no excuse. People inside and outside of Apple have been begging for these changes for a long, long time. Previously, though, the App Store was in a multi-legged race, careening down a hill at a million dollars an hour. And that makes it hard to adjust without tripping and falling.

Now, since the last re-org, the App Store is still racing, but it's a far more focused race. That's the advantage of having one name on the door, and one person who's job it is to make the App Store an amazing product.

So, call me optimistic.

Note: Updated June 8, 2016.

Has App Review really gotten faster?

Yes! It's not just a beautiful dream! App review has gotten much faster. About half of all reviews are now being completed within a day, and 90% within two days. That's a huge improvement from the previous 7-10 day waiting period.

What do faster App Review times mean for customers?

Developers can iterate faster and not hesitate simply to avoid getting stuck in review. They can also fix bugs faster, which is better for everyone.

How did Apple improve review times and why did it take so long?

Good questions. Apple's internal tools have gotten better, which automates all the heavy-lifting and, as of a month or so ago, they reorganized the review team to smooth out some long-standing problem areas. The rest sounds like "policy changes", which means the will to do it.

Since Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of world wide product marketing, is now in solely in charge of the App Store, the power and responsibility to get things like that done are his. And he's pushing it through.

What's new with Subscriptions on the App Store?

A lot! Previously, subscriptions were only available for streaming media (think Netflix or Spotify), cloud services (Dropbox or Office), news (New York Times), and dating apps (Match.com). Now, they're available to all apps in all categories.

Most interestingly, after the traditional 70/30 split in the first year of subscriptions, Apple will only be asking for 85/15 for subsequent years.

Wait, stop, is this the end of Apple's 70/30 split?

No. It's unique to subscriptions and only kicks in after the first year. So, if Apple's huge customer base helps get a subscription, Apple still gets its usual cut. After that, it drops down to 85/15 — which is what some big subscription services like Netflix have been reportedly getting for a while already.

How much will subscriptions cost?

Whatever developers set them to. What's more, territory-specific pricing will be available, with 200 price-points across the board (up from the previous 87). That way, developers can properly price for each market, and have the flexibility needed to adapt (for example, if competing services or other platforms change prices).

How will price changes be handled?

Well, first, prices can be maintained for existing subscribers, even if they're increased for new subscribers. So there's an option to keep existing, loyal customers on lower price plans for longer.

If and when a price increase does happen, a push notification will alert customers and the customer can choose to accept the price change or cancel the subscription. If customers don't respond, the subscription will end automatically to prevent negative surprises.

In other words, increases are opt-in, not opt-out.

Customers will also be able to easily manage subscriptions and developers will be able to offer upgrades, cross-grades, or downgrades for customers who want to change their subscriptions.

Wait, stop again. Upgrade pricing?!

Only for subscriptions. For example, if you go from a single to family plan, or a lower to higher level of service. This doesn't change anything when it comes to apps going from version 1 to version 2. At least, no word yet.

Here's the big BUT: But, it might be possible for developers to figure out a subscription model that lets them, for example, charge periodically for a Twitter client or to-do list or another kind of app. It remains to be seen what that experience would be like for the customer, though. (What happens if you don't renew? Do you have to stop using it? Would you be able to get your data out? Lots of unknowns!)

Is app discovery improving?

In several ways. The App Store used to get a major refresh every Thursday. Now that's happening more frequently, so more apps can be featured more often.

So I'll need to check more often?

More like, however often you check, there's a better chance you'll see new and interesting apps and games.

Later this fall, Apple will also start filtering out apps you already have, so new apps are easier to spot, and sharing will become faster thanks to 3D Touch.

3D Touch? Tell me more!

You'll be able to 3D Touch on an app on your Home screen and instantly share it with a friend. Warp speed!

Okay. Gently now — Search ads...?

Yeah. Deep breath. The simple truth is this: If you've used Google, you've gotten search ads. It's something that, historically, has worked well both for platforms and ad buyers. A lot of how this turns out, though, will depend on how Apple implements them.

How will search ads work?

Search ads will show up when you search for an app or game in the App Store. They'll be labeled as ads with a blue background and an "Ad" icon, so they shouldn't be mistaken for organic App Store search results.

Apple will also make sure that what we see in the ad is what we get in the app. So, if you're searching for a Lego game, you should never see an ad for a calculator app.

But developers with deep pockets can buy their way to the top?

Hopefully not. Apple is prioritizing relevancy, not ad spend. So, the best app for you should always show up, not the app where the developer spent the most on advertising.

We'll have to see how that works in the real world. Apple will likely tweak to make sure it doesn't get gamed or abused, and that the best experience is achieved.

Should I worry about app search? Is Apple becoming Google?

Apple has offered some forms of advertising for years, going back to when Steve Jobs introduced iAd. All app search ads will have to adhere to Apple's privacy and security policies, and no ads will be shown to accounts where the owner is 13 and under. So, your data stays your data. Developers, hopefully, will just have an additional way to reach you.

When do search ads start?

The ad search program starts in beta in the U.S. this Monday and should broaden this fall.

Developers can find more information at https://developer.apple.com/app-store/search-ads/{.nofollow}.

Anything else?

I'll keep updating as more (and better) information becomes available. If you have questions, drop them in the comments below!

If you haven't been paying attention to Apple this week, there's just a teensy bit about the company's upcoming operating systems you might have missed. New versions of watchOS, tvOS, iOS, and macOS (RIP OS X). New apps. New services. If you're a developer, there's an incredible number of new resources and SDKs to play with.

But this week, I haven't been attending developer sessions at WWDC; I've instead been listening to the wonderful presenters at Layers, Jessie Char and Elaine Pow's design conference. And while I've spent my fair share of time this week poring over developer documentation, I've also been looking at the new operating systems from a design point of view.

Bold steps

Apple's iPhone OS began with healthy ties to skeumorphic design, and for good reason: The company had to convince users that a flat pane of capacitative glass and circuitry could comfortably replace their telephone, calculator, calendar, and more. As the iPhone grew in popularity, its need to prove a relationship to real-world items lessened, and users' general unease with skeumorphic design grew; after a few additional iterations, including apps with wood-grain paneling and more green felt than a casino, enough was enough.

The company stripped iOS's design language to its core, ditching the bubbly icons and rich Corinthian leather. The seventh version of the iOS operating system introduced flat backgrounds, minimalistic font faces, bold highlight colors, soft blurs, and at-times slightly unsettling animations.

The redesign was a necessity: iOS 6 had become encumbered by its design language, and Apple needed a strong step forward to set the tone for the next ten years of its software. And iOS 7 did that — it was a bold move into a less skeumorphic space.

Bold moves are rarely perfect ones. The new operating system's animations made people motion sick and fonts were too thin to read for most human beings over the age of 30. But Apple has taken to heart customer feedback over the last three years and iterated. Shadows and font weights have returned. Animations have become less jarring.

iOS 10 builds off the design language iOS 7 introduced, but it takes a bold step of its own, meshing the best of the old iOS design with the current style to create something entirely new.

Fixing the visual map

The iPhone and iPad have used slider trays and pop-overs for years to display additional information, but they've been limited and inconsistent. A great example: You can pull up from the bottom to display Control Center, but pulling up from the bottom right would instead trigger the Camera. And sliding left to right would send the Lock screen away in favor of a Passcode for unlocking your device — something that has nothing to do with additional information.

In this older model, I can't build a conceptual map of where these features exist. Notification Center and Control Center theoretically live on top of the Lock screen, but the Camera lives... underneath it? And the rest of the phone OS lives... to the left? But don't the Camera and all other apps exist on top when I launch them from the Home screen?

This likely isn't something the average user thinks about very often, but poor virtual mapping indirectly affects someone's ability to discover features and use them consistently. (I can't count the number of times I've had to walk my parents through the difference between pulling from the middle of the Home screen for search versus from the top of the screen for Notification Center.)

The good news: iOS 10 aims to both refine this concept and make discovery easier. Gone is the awkward mix of swiping: Instead, the Lock screen as displayed takes advantage of content in each direction; swipe from the top for Notification Center, right for the Widgets screen, left for the Camera app, or bottom for Control Center. Along the bottom of the Lock screen are page indicators like those on the Home screen — another indicator that more content hides out of reach on each side.

iOS 10 also fundamentally alters one of the core features of the iPhone and iPad: Slide to Unlock, the first multitouch gesture Apple CEO Steve Jobs demonstrated on stage, is no more. By moving this interaction to the Home button — and passcode or Touch ID authentication to a floating layer, rather than a side-screen — it provides a consistent experience for the new Lock screen; when you swipe on any edge, you'll be able to access quick and necessary app content without unlocking your iPhone.

Thinking with layers

With these changes, iOS 10 paints a much clearer visual map for users, built in layers: On the top layer, you have Actions: Notification cards, Widgets, Control Center, and 3D Touch options; on the bottom layer, you have the Home screen; and the middle layer holds your Lock screen (if locked) or other app-related content (if unlocked).

iOS 10's new card-based system for Widgets, Notifications, 3D Touch, and Control Center follows and further crystallizes that design paradigm: The opaque, rounded interface puts each individual notification, widget, and control card in its own environment; it can then "float" above the App or Lock screen layer at the bottom (Control Center), middle (Notification, 3D Touch action, or Widget), or top (Banner) of the screen.

By making each bit of iOS UI its own distinct layer, this also opens up greater horizontal interactions, as with Control Center. As seen in the keynote, Control Center now lives inside a hovering bubble layer, with a Music widget and Home widget just a left swipe away. Not only is this an interesting way to keep Control Center's buttons comfortable and organized, but it also potentially sets up the stage in future releases of iOS to move certain third-party Widget content to that area. (Swipe up and to the left for a third-party calculator, anyone?)

Big and beautiful

As part of iOS 7, Apple bet big on thinner font faces legible at small sizes; with iOS 10, the company is re-embracing font size and weight.

SF UI Text and SF UI Display are iOS 10's two primary system fonts: The former covers all font sizes under 19pt, while the latter focuses on 20pt+ sizes. UI Text is thicker at those smaller sizes to preserve legibility, but still captures the style of the original San Francisco and Helvetica Neue. UI Display also has thin weights, but in Apple's redesigned apps, they've been smartly combined with bold weights for headers.

If iOS 10's new and redesigned apps are any indication, "Big. Bold. Beautiful." is not only a snappy tagline — it's the company's design mission. In Music, Maps, Health, and Home, the mix of thicker, large headliners and thinner sub-headers provides for a rich, textured experience previously unseen in this era of iOS.

The Music app is the best example of Apple's reinvented minimalist style: The app has ditched colored and shaded backgrounds for a white, sleek background, instead using big, bold headers and images to build each section. "Bigger" images and text were indeed part of the rumor mill around Music's redesign, but I don't believe anyone guessed just how well those elements would integrate.

In part, the bigger font faces provide for readable, tappable touch targets: In the future, instead of stabbing furiously at the tiny mini-player on the bottom of the iOS 9 app, I can look forward to tapping an element double in size, with clearly demarcated play/pause buttons and no More (...) button in sight. (The endless list from iOS 9 is still there, but smartly hidden inside a 3D Touch gesture.)

I mentioned this on the iMore Show, but this move to bigger tap targets is especially smart in apps that might be used in conjunction with other tasks. In its Human Interface Guide, Apple asks developers to maintain a "minimum tappable area of 44pt x 44pt" for all controls, and notes "Larger items are also easier to tap, which is especially important when an app is used in distracting surroundings, such as in the kitchen or a gym."

Not mentioned here (for good reason) is driving, but as much as Apple encourages its users to talk to Siri or purchase a CarPlay vehicle, there remain many drivers who navigate or select songs on their iPhone. In an ideal world, you should never use your device in the car, but if you insist on doing so, the company can at least make the apps slightly safer to use while distracted.

Color, too, is being used in a smart and relatable way. In Health, Apple uses bright colors to demarcate between activities and brighten up icons for discoverability. In Music, the company is letting the album artwork speak for itself, using the fuchsia highlight color for solely text-based links and call-outs. Home, in contrast, plays with a dark navigation bar, orange highlight color, and full-color photographic background for each room. Though at first glance it may not seem to fit in with the style of the other two apps, this textured color approach helps highlight scenes and accessories, set the style of the home, and ties into Apple's design schema with big, bold headers.

Growing up

From an accessibility and user experience standpoint, Apple's design changes have given new cues to users on how to use the operating system. Those bigger touch targets should also provide a more comfortable experience — especially for those on smaller iPhone models.

On a personal level, I'm intrigued by the company's design moves in iOS 10 (and its companion operating systems). Apple has long shied away from bold faces and big font sizes — outside of accessibility options —  and bringing them into the primary operating system gives the company room to experiment with the kind of texture it previously needed skeumorphic art to accomplish. It's not always a success, and there are definitely aspects of the Music app's design that I'm not in love with just yet. But it's early days yet.

Based on the keynote and assorted public documentation, we've only really seen four apps take advantage of this new style — if iOS 7 was a seedling, iOS 10 has just started to sprout limbs; we have yet to see how it will grow as the iPhone and iPad further evolve. Remember, the operating system is still in development: Someone at Apple might throw out the whole concept before it ships in the Fall.

But I hope they don't. I'm ready for some big, bold, and beautiful in my life.

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Over the last few years, Apple's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) has given us a physics-aware redesign, a new architecture with extensibility and continuity baked in, and enhanced intelligence and productivity. It's also given us skits, gags, jokes, musical guests and performers, hardware teases, and highlight videos. But, during the fullness of the week that follows, it's also given us much more.

This year, the company focused exclusively on software and it's four — count 'em: iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — platforms. But it did so in a way that further addressed inclusivity, that kept the spotlight on accessibility and privacy, and that made coding itself — the foundation upon which everything else is built — open to even more people.

And, as usual, those themes played out well beyond the keynote.

Focus

There were no Saturday Night Live-style intros at this year's WWDC. There were no bits about baseball and only a passing reference to being "baked". There wasn't even a musical guest to wrap up the keynote. It was all business, and it was all conducted at a breakneck pace. Almost.

The keynote started with a moment of silence for victims of the Orlando attack. Tim Cook has been Apple's moral center for a while now and, under his leadership, the company has used its resources and influence to fight for inclusivity and civil rights.

It doesn't add to the bottom line. It doesn't increase shareholder value. But it helps make the world a better place where more people can come together and achieve to achieve a greater combined potential.

Stripping away the excess made the WWDC 2016 keynote more focused and more powerful. Starting with the moment of silence made it more human.

Inclusivity

Lisa Jackson made her first keynote appearance last March to showcase Apple's environmental initiatives. Angela Ahrendts — who, like Jony Ive, seems to be more comfortable working than presenting — made a rare appearance last month to introduce the new Union Square store.

But Apple seems to have settled on how the company will, at least in the short term, approach the greater issue of diversity and inclusivity on stage — by letting the engineers, designers, and managers who make the products demonstrate the products they make.

That resulted in the electrifying Bozoma Saint John taking stage to talk Apple Music. Head of Global Consumer Marketing for iTunes and Beats, she showed off the bigger, bolder, redesign, got the crowd bang-bang-boogieing to the Sugar Hill Gang and then closed her section out her session with Guyanese rap. Needless to say, her post-show selfie lineup that was quite possibly the biggest in the building. (And yes, we measure audience connection by length of selfie lineups.)

Her presentation came in the middle of Eddy Cue's talk on services. Cue is, of course, of Cuban descent. We also saw men and women of various other backgrounds, on stage at the Bill Graham Civic Center throughout the day, including during the second keynote, Platform State of the Union. There iOS Safari manager, Adele Peterson, showed off the new Messages app she helped spearhead, and games and graphics manager, Norman Wang, closed out the show by demonstrating Xcode gameplay tools.

Student scholarship winners were front and center in the audience and throughout the week as well, highlighted by the youngest ever — a 9-year-old girl who showed that not even single digits need be a barrier to entry.

As with previous years, the sessions and labs that followed had a far greater mix of diversity than the keynotes. Conversely, Good Charlotte, the musical guest at the Beer Bash on Thursday seemed to come off as a step backward. I say "seemed" because I wasn't able to attend, but the social stream I saw didn't appreciate the non-inclusive message mixed into the music.

There's still a tremendous amount of work to be done, to be sure. Not the least of which will be getting us to the point where we can no longer list the "first times" a group felt included on stage.

Accessibility

Accessibility can come in many forms. Instead of "time to stand" watchOS will soon give you "time to roll" and new and optimized workouts if you're in a wheelchair. Instead of having to rely on intrinsic motivation to reach your activity goals, you'll be able to add friends for extrinsic motivation — and smack talk in text or through voice.

You'll be able to write out letters or characters and they'll be recognized and converted to type. Up to ten of your most used and favorite apps will be able to launch instantly and completing tasks will be faster and easier, with the goal now set to two seconds from beginning to end. And you'll have access to an emergency button that, with no additional hardware or service required, will be able to alert first responders as well as family and friends to your location and your urgent need.

Come this fall, you'll be able to unlock macOS just by coming within three meters while wearing your Apple Watch. Thanks to Siri, you'll also be able to query and control your Mac with voice alone. With powerful natural language and sequential inference support, it'll do almost everything the iPhone version of Siri will do — Hey, Siri! aside — and several things uniquely its own. That'll include finding specific files from dates, titles, and tags, and filtering down further as you go. It'll also include the ability to pin results you want to keep live to Notification Center, and even to drag-and-drop results into documents. It's been a long time coming, but it's a remarkable advancement for the Mac.

On iOS for iPhone and iPad, application programming interfaces (API) will make apps themselves more accessible. This year, Messages, Maps, and Siri for iOS are being opened up to developers, so you'll be able to send money, order food, share a ride, and more all without having to change apps and contexts. And because Siri is international and built around domains, any category that gets added will be available in multiple countries and will understand you regardless of the way in which you speak.

There'll even be a new magnification tool for the camera, with complete control over color and contrast.

Apple TV will be getting a new dark appearance for those for whom the current, bright interface is far too bright. (Would that iPhone and iPad had gained the same.) HomeKit support will also be coming to Apple TV, as will remote hub support, so you'll have more ways to control your lights, locks, and other accessories from more places. There should be more languages coming as well, further increasing voice control to more people.

And the remarkable Swift Playgrounds will make coding itself more accessible to beginners of all ages.

The amount of time and exposure Apple continues to give to accessibility on stage, especially when competitors routinely give none, is exemplary. And, as usual, accessibility continued far beyond the keynote.

There were sessions and labs, to be sure, but there was also more. During the Apple Design Awards, a blind engineer showed the amazing accessibility built into djay pro for iPad by mixing together a stunningly goot set.

Haben Girma, a deaf-blind Harvard Law graduate gave a talk highlight how Bluetooth and a Braille keyboard enabled her to communicate with the world around her.

And a meetup on Wednesday night let everyone at the conference discover how that technology, and technologies like cochlear implants, Siri, and frameworks built-in and custom-made could make the world more accessible for everyone.

Last month, Apple built an entire accessibility "house" inside the entrance to 1 Infinite Loop so people within the company could get a preview of just those technologies. This provided an opportunity for those on the outside to get a brief taste of it. Hopefully more will come.

Accessibility really is for everyone and by emphasizing it, by putting so much effort behind it, it makes Apple's platforms better for everyone.

Privacy

Deep/machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer vision have become buzzwords this year. Everyone has announced an assistant or a bot, it seems, for everything.

Apple, of course, has been working on similar technologies for years. Everything from traffic to voice parsing has been powered by crowd-sourcing and server-side smarts.

Recently, though, Apple's made the privacy and security a top-down, front-facing feature. And they've done it in an interesting way — local data stays local, but is presented in a unified view alongside public cloud data. That way, the pitch is, you get many of the benefits of the big search or social giants, without having to divulge or risk your own data.

Many people don't care. We're often happy to trade privacy for convenience just like we're happy to mortgage our future wellbeing for our immediate gratification. But not everybody.

The problem is, most companies base revenue on advertising and need customer data to power that business model. Even if they keep our data private, they still need to collect it. That's an incredible price to pay, and it increases the risk of our data being compromised or abused simply because it's being collected by someone else.

Apple's business model doesn't rely on advertising as a primary revenue generator, though, so it can afford to keep private data private, even from itself.

The company can even afford to invest in technologies like differential privacy at the system level. That allows for "noise" to be added to the data collected from customers. When crowd-sourced at scale, statistical analysis still lets the overall results through, but it makes it mathematically impossible to see the individual data behind it.

So now, we have a choice. We may not get all the functionality of more invasive services provided by Google or Facebook, but we may get enough that we decide we don't want our privacy invaded.

Like with the NSA, we're only ever one revelation away from discovering the true cost of data collection. Now, at least, we have better options if we choose not to pay that cost up front.

What's next

Almost everything we saw last week was built upon what came before. The physics-based redesign of 2013 set the stage for the slamming, growing, shrinking, and secret-hiding new message effects. The extensibility and continuity of 2014 allowed for everything from secure app transactions inside Siri and Maps to using one device to authenticate another. The intelligence and convenience of 2015 has now been multiplied and accelerated across platforms. And the confluence of all these technologies, planned and serendipitous, has allowed Apple to create software and services that offer power matched only by its unprecedented respect for personal privacy.

From the executives and engineers on stage, to the events and evangelism teams who planned the show, to the developer and public relations teams who helped get everyone there, to the pub and video people who got all the support material live before hand and each and every day, to the people who came to learn about the software that is their livelihood and that makes all of our lives better, it was a remarkable week that will help define our collective community for the year to come.

We'll have to wait for the fall for everything to start shipping, and for the new hardware that takes advantage of the deep color, voice control, and other new software advances, before we can really measure the impact of this year's announcements.

In the meantime, there'll be charges of WWDC 2016 was "iterative", especially by those who misunderstand the word and just how critical iteration really is. My guess, if I were to offer one, is that this will end up being one of the more important WWDC weeks in recent memory.

And we'll come to understand that more and better over the weeks to come.

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The day after the keynote, Daring Fireball's John Gruber took the stage at Mezzanine in San Francisco with not one, but two special guests from Apple: SVP Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller, and SVP Software Engineering Craig Federighi. Below is a full transcript of their remarks, and check out the full Talk Show audio and video on Daring Fireball!

KAFASIS

Ladies and gentlemen: Welcome to Mezzanine! Won't you please take your seats and silence your cell phones.

John Gruber

[chuckles]

KAFASIS

Daring Fireball Productions, in association with The Daring Fireball Company LLC, is delighted to welcome you to a Daring Fireball presentation of The Talk Show — Live from WWDC 2016! And now: Won't you please welcome your host, Johnnn Gruuuuber!

[applause]

John Gruber

Thank you Paul! I actually needed that reminder; my cell phone was not on silent. Thank you, Mike.

I will start by thanking our sponsors. This is the fifth year I've been doing the show, fourth time here at Mezzanine, and I think that Mailchimp has been sponsoring our bar all along, and if not that, then at least as far back as I remember. So, just in case it isn't clear, the bar is on the house, it's on Mailchimp. Mailchimp, if you guys don't know, they are — do email newsletters, like my friend Ben Thompson over at Stratechery, those go out through Mailchimp. They also have a bunch of new features, stuff that integrates with with online stores, and integration with just about any online store platform that you might be familiar with. And then you can get your customers to get email when products that they're interested in are available, or... whatever.

[audience laughs]

Great company! If you need to send email, go to Mailchimp.com. And, please, let's hear it for them for the open bar!

[applause]

Also back with us for the fourth consecutive year as a sponsor of the show is Microsoft. And at four years, it's not even like a "Whoa, that's weird, Microsoft sponsoring..." Nah! It's like awesome. And it makes total sense.

They have this website. It's going to give you so much more information than I have time to give you now. Anydevanyapp.com.

That's the message that they're trying to give: That any developer, whether you're working on mobile or the web, for any type of app — if you need cloud services, it's now called the Azure app service. If you need that kind of stuff, go check it out — their website has so much information.

Here's a funny thing: They had the same website last year, but instead of anydevanyapp.com, I said anyappanydev.com.

[laughter]

And we are, in fact, streaming this live. And, y'know, the show went on, and in the meantime, I gave out the wrong URL for a pretty pricey sponsorship! [laughs] And what happened was there was some kid in Australia who was watching the live stream who quick, like, jumped on and registered the domain.

[laughs]

True story! This is an absolute true story. If you guys see Matt Hansing, he's here representing Microsoft; he's about this [gestures] tall, him and [Craig] Hockenberry are gonna have a fight after the show's over. You can ask him, he'll vouch for this.

So they got in contact with him, were like — oh, man, that's Microsoft now — "We better get this domain," and it was already gone. And they contacted the kid, and they were like "Oh, man, this kid is gonna, y'know, he's really gonna let us have it." And he was like, "Well, one of those Xboxes would be nice!"

[huge laughter from the audience]

So they sent the kid like, a box with an Xbox and all the cool stuff that you could possibly imagine that goes with an Xbox, and they got the domain. So I think it's safe that you can just go check out the information from Microsoft. Go to Anyapp... or anydev... dot com. [laughs] No, anydevanyapp.com! Microsoft, great sponsor.

And then last but not least, we have one more sponsor, this one's new. And surprisingly, this is the thing, because we think Microsoft, how are you going to go bigger than that. But this is actually one of the few — I mean, I'm guessing maybe three or four corporations in the world with a larger market cap than Microsoft.

It's Meh.com.

[surprised laughter.]

Meh.com is the store that I would run if I were going to run, like, an online store. And let me be clear, I have absolutely zero interest in running an store. It seems like a [laughs] seems like a terrible job. And a lot of hard work, and I don't like either of those things.

So, yeah, I'm not going to run a store. But if I did, it would be like Meh. And here's the way Meh works. They have one product a day. That's it. You don't even know what it is. You have to, like, go there at midnight and find out what they're selling today. One thing, daily deal, usually at like, an unbelievable price. I've said this before: I'm half-worried that they're, like, stealing these things — and I don't know if me endorsing it like this makes me complicit in a crime, because when you're selling, like, a $120 stereo for $14... usually it's like that scene in Goodfellas, where they're selling cigarettes out of the back of the truck.

[laughter]

But what they really do, the other thing they do, is they concentrate on making everything real funny, the descriptions of the products are real funny, they have funny videos every day, and I really do get the feeling that they'd be happy if you just go there and check them out every day and you never buy anything.

That's like the gimmick, or the thing, it's like: Here's the product. Buy? Or meh? And you can just, like, type MEH, and then they're like, well, that guy didn't like that. So my thanks to them.

On the guests for Talk Show 2016

John Gruber

So, last year was a little different than in previous years, because we had an actual special guest. What happened was, the back story on it, is it was a week before WWDC, and I still hadn't asked anybody to be on the show. And I was putting it off, because I kind of had it in my head that I kind of wanted to see if I could get Phil [Schiller, worldwide marketing at Apple]. And I put it off, because I didn't want to hear no. And it was like, a week before, and I was all "Well, this is ridiculous. I'll just ask."

And so, I sent an email to Steve Dowling. And I said: "Look, this is probably ridiculous, and so just feel free to say no. But: I do this show every year, and I think it would be really cool, I think it would work really well if Phil Schiller came on, and the day after the keynote, and we could talk about it, and nerd out, and go into detail that you can't get into in a keynote."

And he wrote back, and all he said was "Not ridiculous. Let's talk tomorrow." And next thing you know, a week later, Phil Schiller was screwing around, not coming out behind the [laughs] curtain, and making me wonder whether, like, maybe he went to the bathroom? Maybe we miscommunicated on what the cues were going to be. And it was GREAT! I mean, I don't know how many people were here last year?

[big cheers]

It really was great. It was the best time I've had on stage in my life, and then I watched the video, and I didn't even really die watching myself. I was like, "Oh, this is actually pretty good!"

And it ended, and it was a big surprise, we kept it under wraps, everybody seemed pleasantly surprised and it just made it all the more fun. And then, the show's over, and I go backstage, and people are like, "Wow, that was great, I can't believe it, that was amazing, that was amazing." And I start meeting people, and it was about three minutes — three or four minutes after the end of the show — when the first person came up and said: "Well, you're really going to have a hard time topping that next year!"

[laughter]

Annnd, I thought "Wow! That did... not occur to me, because this... this week has been a blur, like, I really just asked a week ago, and then we set this up, and I've been thinking up questions, uh... and you're right!"

And there's only so far up I can go, you know, there's only so many different ways that we could go up. And so, one of these years, it is absolutely going to be the case that it is not as good a guest as the year before. I mean, one of these times, it really is going to be John Moltz coming out.

[laughter and some awwws]

And that'll be great! And we'll have a good show. I mean, there might be more people leaving to go to the open bar mid-show — which you can do by the way, please! Really, run up a good tab, we're good here.

But! This is not that year. This year, I think it's a little better.

So, this year, how do you top Phil Schiller? Here's how. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to... Phil Schiller...

[bemused groans from the audience]

And! Craig Federighi.

[Huge applause and cheers as Federighi and Schiller enter, shake hands, sit on the couch.]

Craig Federighi

Wow!

[Audience hoots and hollers. Federighi laughs.]

John Gruber

True story. Got a text message about 45 minutes ago, an hour ago: "Do you guys have any food here?"

[Federighi chuckles.]

No. We don't. We have lots of booze, but... So when they get here, here's what Craig... Craig has a boxed lunch from WWDC.

[laughter and whistles]

And that's what he's eating! And friend of the show and announcer Paul Kafasis asked him, "Is that a WWDC boxed lunch?"

And the answer is:

Craig Federighi

It aged well.

[chuckles]

John Gruber

It was an old WWDC boxed lunch.

Craig Federighi

[laughing] Yeah.

John Gruber

So, let it be said — Apple does eat their own dogfood.

[Laughter, groans from the audience.]

Craig Federighi

True that.

Phil Schiller

I can absolutely validate that for over 20 years of doing surveys from WWDC, every single year, the number one complaint is the food. And so, we resigned ourselves to the fact that if that's the worst thing that comes out of WWDC, all is good.

[Craig laughs.]

It's tradition, so...

On the keynote

John Gruber

So I always start the show, I started it the same way last year: I always ask the guest "How do you think the keynote went yesterday?"

Craig Federighi

Good audience. [laughter] Great crowd.

Phil Schiller

Great presenters.

[wry laughs]

Craig Federighi

[gesturing to Schiller] We were missing one!

John Gruber

Once again, Phil Schiller was not on stage at the keynote. This is becoming a new tradition.

Phil Schiller

I was teasing with Tim that between Craig and Jeff Williams, and now Boz[oma Saint John, head of Global Consumer Marketing for Apple Music and iTunes], I don't meet the minimum height requirement to present.

[laughter]

John Gruber

But, Craig, I honestly thought — I spoke to you yesterday, briefly, and I told you I thought you did an amazing job. I mean, how many people thought Craig did —

[big cheers]

Because you — it's not just that you're up there and you're covering stuff, but you covered, like, three hours of stuff in 90 minutes, or however long you were on stage.

Craig Federighi

[pauses] Yeah.

[laughter]

It was a lot, yeah. I mean, the team did a tremendous amount of work, and we try to pack it all in.

John Gruber

Well, the article I saw on the Ringer did a — I don't know if you saw this — I'm not going to go into detail on the article, but the headline was "Apple's Craig Federighi is perfect."

[laughter]

Phil Schiller

I read that article, and I can only confirm that it's half-true.

[laughter]

On overriding themes

John Gruber

So, I didn't think about it yesterday, but today it occurred to me that there sort of was a recurring, overriding theme in the announcements yesterday. Which, in broad strokes, was that you guys have opened up a lot of stuff to third-party developers that was previously reserved for Apple's first-party code.

Craig Federighi

Yeah.

John Gruber

Quick list, and I might even miss some. CallKit, so that VOIP apps can get the same Lock screen privileges for incoming calls as the Phone app and FaceTime, which took years.

Craig Federighi

Yes.

John Gruber

Messages, so that WhatsApp can, you can specify a contact. When I text Craig, default by going to WhatsApp —

Craig Federighi

That's right.

John Gruber

— instead of iMessage?

Craig Federighi

That's right.

John Gruber

Siri API, iMessage apps...

Craig Federighi

Yeah.

John Gruber

Maps extensions.

Craig Federighi

Yep.

John Gruber

And even non-Mac App Store apps can now use CloudKit, and a bunch of other iCloud stuff.

Craig Federighi

Yep! That is true.

[big whoops for that]

John Gruber

Is that a coincidence? Or is that a strategic part of the plan for this year?

Craig Federighi

Well, with iOS 8, we started that with extensions, you know, opening up the Share Sheet, for instance. For awhile there, it was, if we didn't build it, it couldn't be in the Share Sheet. And so we had to build a Twitter interface ourselves, and a Facebook interface, and as of iOS 8, we started having extensions for extending the system with sharing, widgets... And so we built a lot of the technology with XPC services, if you folks know what those are, and autoprocess UI, and all the building blocks to make this possible.

And this year, we really felt like, uh, giving the developers more and more opportunities to let users do what they want to do across all these experiences. It was, y'know, a way that we could make the platform better for all of our users, so... yeah, it all came together nicely. With Siri, as well.

John Gruber

And a big part of it, it seems to me, as the platforms (plural) evolve — because it's definitely — especially iOS and Mac — what it means to have an app is more than [what it is] on a Mac: Okay, you launch an app, and a window opens up, and you are in this window, and it's yours as the developer. Where, on iOS, it's a little simpler. It's like, you get the screen.

But now, to be an app that's really taking advantage of the best and newest that the platform has to offer, you need to be inside other apps. Widgets inside iMessage.

Craig Federighi

Yup. I think that just makes sense for mobile. I mean, if you have an app, and the right place to interact is on the notification on the Lock screen, and you don't want the user to have to unlock the phone and launch your app in order to get something done — or invoking your app with Siri is going to be the quickest path to getting something done — we want to make that possible.

And so, I think that's what you're seeing here, as well as, what you say, inside of Maps. If you want to book a ride, or you want to get a restaurant, or any of those things, it's going to just be a quicker and smoother flow if you're integrated into the place where the user started instead of requiring switching around.

And so this is opening all that up, and I think developers are going to do a tremendous number of things with it that we didn't even envision. It should be an exciting year.

Phil Schiller

It's also just an evolution of the success of the app model, right? I mean, apps took off, been wildly successful, with this amazing software process, and then you want to have apps in your Maps, you want to have apps in your Siri situations, and you want to have apps in your messaging... and so we like apps, we like them everywhere, we want to use them in many places, so to me it's an evolution of what's going on with apps in general.

On XPC, bundles, and new technology

John Gruber

And you [Craig] mentioned XPC. And I know this is a fairly, fairly nerdy crowd. But I do think it's a years-long shift, where... in my layman's terminology, XPC is Inter-process communication, and it's a way for different processes that can be sandboxed and all of the privacy and "hey you, this process can't diddle with the data of this process without having it in a shared location" — that they can still communicate with each other in a rich way.

Compared to the old days, the Mac OS has always been extensible, and whether you want to go back to the Classic Mac OS with INITs), or the Nextstep days with...

Craig Federighi

Bundles, yeah.

John Gruber

Bundles, and input managers, and...

Craig Federighi

Mmmhmm!

John Gruber

Remember in the early days of Mac OS X, when we had the haxies, and the input managers....

Craig Federighi

Oh yeah.

[laughter]

John Gruber

And that was — in laymen's terms, the fundamental difference is those were ways to extend apps officially or unofficially, where the extension code was running within the process.

Craig Federighi

Yeah, and from a stability point of view, and a privacy point of view, really bad news. So, we started years and years ago, with Mach messaging, and on that, we built XPC as a form of remote procedure call, or an asynchronous messaging, structured messaging thing. But we then created what we internally called XPC Containers — which are really what you now think of as XPC services, which are the ability to package a whole bunch of code, and let the system manage launching that code, tearing that code down when it needed to, but exposing services in that way.

And that turned out to be really important — even internally within the OS! We were using it for quite awhile within the OS, before it was exposed as a mechanism for third-parties because it allowed us to set different security boundaries around different — this is really getting nerdy, but —

[cheers]

John Gruber

Nah, this is good!

Craig Federighi

— But around, uh, [laughs], because if you're going to go load some image format, even, or run a doc, run a Spotlight converter or something, that's going to run over all your documents, you want to make sure that if that thing crashes, it doesn't crash the overall process or Spotlight index or app, you don't want it to have any more access than anything but the one thing it's supposed to have to do the job.

So this was all part of our security and sandboxing architecture, but then, with iOS 8, we saw the opportunity to combine that with, essentially, remote views, the ability to say that the UI that you see on screen that looks like it's all from one app is actually composed from the main app, but also one or more XPC services serving UI into that, and we manage all that. And that gives you this single experience, but where all the stability boundaries, and the security boundaries are in place. And that's enabled us to take this extensibilty model from something that was really hacksy-prone in the Nextstep, and well, nit —

John Gruber

Yeah, nit was...

Craig Federighi

The old days. And make it much more stable. And so that's been, now, a building block for all these things that we're doing. And iOS 10 was just really stepping on the gas on the places where we could do that that made the biggest difference in user experience.

On the removal of stock (and Stocks) apps

John Gruber

One of the most surprising changes, and again, I think that this is in the spirit of openness, or flexibility on Apple's part, and relinquishing control that previously wasn't relinquished. And it surprised me, that you can now remove a whole bunch of the default apps on iOS from your home screen.

Craig Federighi

Though you would not want to.

[big laughs]

You have the freedom — just knowing you have the power that you'll never use, it's...

John Gruber

It's one of my favorite features on the What's New site. I love the page, because it even goes out of its way to say "Y'know, because of all the compression that we use, and the techniques that we use, and the shared frameworks, they only take up 150MB.

[laughter]

Craig Federighi

Yeah! Well, okay, so, this is true. This is true. We should be really, really clear on exactly what this feature is and what it's not. Because it's not everything you might think it is.

So what it is is, you are removing... when you remove an app, you're removing it from the home screen, you're removing all the user's data associated from it, you're moving all of the hooks it has into other system services. Like, Siri will no longer try to use that when you talk and so forth.

We're not actually deleting the application binary, and the reason is really pretty two-fold. One, they're small, but more significantly, the whole iOS security architecture around the system update is this one signed binary, where we can verify the integrity of that with every update.

John Gruber

Okay.

Craig Federighi

That there's no mixing and matching going on between all of these different pieces. And so, if you go and say, well, I don't like... what's an app that someone would really... I'm going to get myself in trouble here. Okay.

Phil Schiller

Hmm...

Craig Federighi

[fake smile] I can't think of one! I...

Phil Schiller

Stocks.

Craig Federighi

Stocks?

Phil Schiller

Stocks. Some people don't follow the stock market.

Craig Federighi

Fair enough. Some people do not follow the stock market, or there's not one in their country...

Phil Schiller

Which is good for them, yes.

Craig Federighi

And so they might remove that app. And when you do, it's hidden, and any user data and preferences and so forth associated with it is gone. If you want to get it back, we were thinking, well, how do we let you restore this. And we thought, "Well, people are naturally, when they want to go get it back, they're going to go to the App Store and search for it. And so, you go to the App Store and search for it, and it'll show up, and you'll say Get, and it will reappear [on your home screen].

John Gruber

'Cos that's how they know to install apps.

[laughter]

Craig Federighi

The download will be remarkably fast.

Phil Schiller

Exactly.

Craig Federighi

The compression technology... good stuff.

Phil Schiller

It's been... and it has lead some to mistakenly report that we're moving these apps out of the system bundle and into the store for downloading, and that's not really the case; we're just making that the easy mechanism for restoring, seeing it from the store side. But it's really still part of the system.

Craig Federighi

Good to set the record straight here.

John Gruber

That's interesting. Because that means there won't be, like, an update to Mail that comes through the App Store, it's just like it used to be: It'll be part of the system update.

Craig Federighi

That is correct.

On pre-announcing App Store changes

John Gruber

Well, speaking of the App Store, this last week...

[Craig leans precariously backward to reveal Phil, to laughter from the crowd]

A week ago...

Phil Schiller

There was a reason I sat on [the far] side! I just thought these two were going to totally nerd out, and I'm just gonna let them have fun. And I... have no problem with that.

John Gruber

A week ago, there were a bunch of changes, improvements to the App Store. And in a certain sense, one of them did not get mentioned in the keynote. But review times for apps submitted to the App Store are waaaaay faster than they used to be!

[huge applause and cheers]

Craig Federighi

We thought, this is one of those cases where we can address a problem before it starts to boil over.

[laughter]

Just in anticipation of potential future.

John Gruber

For the audience at the keynote, though, to not even mention and just take that applause is amazing, because you know that it's coming. And developers are pretty happy about that.

Phil Schiller

It would have been an easy way to get applause, but we didn't stoop to that trick.

[laughter]

So, yeah! It was exactly — people have all these awesome conspiracy theories, and they're fun to read, but it was exactly what we said, which was that we were working on the keynote, we actually thought about having a whole developer section to talk about the App Store and the Keynote, and looking at keeping it, we really wanted to get [the keynote] done in just under two hours if we could. And you couldn't really talk about that, and the subscription stuff, and the ad search stuff, and all that, in three minutes.

You really needed, probably, about fifteen minutes to explain, and it just wasn't worth losing fifteen minutes of product time to talk about that when if we could, instead, just talk it to people ahead of time.

And so we decided to do something we've never done before, which is before the keynote, explain some of this. However, it was kind of tough to do, because here we're talking to you and a few others, and saying "Here are things we're doing for the App Store," knowing that still had to come, a few days later, apps working with Siri, and apps working with Messages, and these are huge impacts on developers. And a new store for Message apps, we're going to come out with. So we couldn't really tell the whole picture of all the things we were doing.

So we told sort of half of it, and waited for the rest.

On App Store search ads

John Gruber

Well, part of it that goes together. So, one of the improvements last week was search ads. And...

Phil Schiller

I noticed — I don't know if any of you [gestures to audience] noticed before we came out, there was an ad that showed up first, as John, you did your ads before we started this session.

[laughter]

It was really nice, thank you!

[clapping]

And I found two of the three were relevant to what we were discussing!

[Craig cracking up]

I won't further — for the benefit of your advertisers, I won't mention which one I didn't find relevant to my interests, but...

[Gruber laughs]

John Gruber

I was going to be nice! I was going to say how there's a tie-in that you couldn't mention a week ago, where the idea of the search ads is that it improves discoverability. And there's a discoverability aspect with the iMessage apps, where if I send you a widget through an iMessage app —

Phil Schiller

That's right.

John Gruber

And you don't have it yet, there's a very subtle, y'know, I forget what exactly it says.

Phil Schiller

Yep.

Craig Federighi

Get.

Phil Schiller

Yeah. Two — couple of the very interesting things that the team did in working on these message apps is: #1, that if I send you something, if I send you a sticker, if I send you a JibJab, you get to receive it and experience it without having to download the app. And so, you can do that on a lot of these things. Where some other service, you're always being hit with a "Download this in order to see what someone is sending you!"

So the team really wanted to have a great experience for the receiver — you don't have to do that. However, there is attribution there, and you can choose to get it. If you're like, "Wow, those JibJabs are really cool, I want to download them too, and share them with friends." Hopefully that'll become a nice viral marketing, in addition to other ways for users to discover apps in messages.

John Gruber

On search ads: Make the case — when we talked last week, you did. On the phone call, I thought "Yeah, that makes sense." And then I went away, and looked at my notes, and I was like, I'm not sure I get it.

[laughter]

Make the case on this part, on this particular part, that the system that you guys have designed can, and should be, to the benefit of smaller indie developers and it's not going to be dominated by the biggest companies —

Phil Schiller

Mmhmm.

John Gruber

That, with the, y'know, budgets that are more than everybody here combined.

Phil Schiller

So, the two sort of priorties we set on the team as they were working on it was, if we're going to do this, we have to do it in a way that, number one, protects user privacy. There are many ways that companies do it where they're not protecting privacy and we need to understand that. And secondly, how do you do it in a way that gives advantages to small and indie developers, because it's easy to imagine a system that didn't do that.

And so, we set out to think of all the things we could do to make that possible. And there's a long list of things. And I won't go through all of them to bore you all, but there are many things.

Things like:

• First of all, there's no minimum bid. So we don't set a bar, if you have a very small amount of money, you can just do what you can with a small amount of money.
• The fact that we're going to work really hard to try to make relevance the top priority, over bid, for why something gets shown. That the users are the ultimate deciders of what gets shown, based on their clicks, they're a big input to what is relevant to the search result.
• The fact that we're going to work hard to try to police and improve the whole metadata system if we find, as it easily could be abused to hurt [small] developers.
• The fact that — and this has been a hotly-debated thing — the fact that you can do conquesting. You can use someone else's brand in your ad words that you want to use. As we thought about it, that is more likely to benefit the small developer than the big developer. Because the big developer isn't going to pick on a lot of small developer terms, but a small developer can try to latch on to a big developer's name. If I want to search for Angry Birds and your game, you can. Right? And so we think that that can help them.
• The fact that there's no exclusivity. So a large developer cannot say, "And I want to be the top bid, and I'm going to spend everything I can to buy out this term." There will be no exclusivity, there's going to be a rotation there, and as that rotation appears, the relevance will help drive it further.

We're trying everything we can, and I think one of the best things is, right now, once we're in beta throughout the summer, the downloads the users get from the ads are real downloads to benefit the developer, but we're not charging [for ads] during the beta time. So there's a chance for everybody to get in and try it out, help us learn from it, and drive real downloads and real business without any marketing spend.

So we're trying to think of things we can do, and we'll think of more. We'll take feedback and see what's happening, and where it works and doesn't work, and where it feels like they're getting stomped on, and we'll try to do all that we can to make it better.

[cheers and claps]

On App Store subscriptions

John Gruber

And the last bit of news with the App Store changes, y'know, big third of it, was an expansion of the categories that are allowed for subscriptions. I don't know if you noticed, but there was a little bit of confusion last week about the difference between apps from all categories versus "all apps."

Phil Schiller

Let me just, let me explain that. So, our intention is exactly as we talked about. Which is, we're opening up the subscription model to all categories, so what kind of an app you make doesn't directly have an impact on whether you can have a subscription model or not.

There are, we wanted to open up subscriptions to all developers of all apps. That is the hope. However, there are a couple of little "gotcha"s where we have to be careful. And so, that's why there's some caution here.

Number one: If you want to create a professional app, and you're going to to maintain it, and do updates, and you want to have an ongoing revenue stream, that's of course an intention of this.

[clapping]

Yeah, let's clap on that! But do users really want, and I'm sorry to pick on this category if somebody makes this app, because I'm sure there's examples where you would want it, but do you want a flashlight app to now be an app you have to pay for forever with a subscription model? Users probably don't want that.

And so, we have to be sensitive, first of all, to: Is there some minimum functionality where users now get pissed off, and say "Everything's turned to subscription, I don't want to buy stuff anymore, this is not okay," and now that's a drag on business on the App Store and therefore, we all lose. So we feel a responsibility. And I read your thing that says, "Hey, why don't you just let the market choose—"

John Gruber

Right.

Phil Schiller

Well, what if the market screws itself up and it does badly? And then we all lose. So we have to be able a little bit sensitive to not do something we think could backfire and hurt all of us. So we want to be careful about minimum functionality, so there will be some guideline around that.

Which we already have a guideline on minimum functionality for anything, you can't just wrap a website and call it an app. But there will be a little bit more minimum functionality for subscription.

John Gruber

I think the guidelines include, a longstanding guideline is that the App Store has plenty of fart apps already.

Phil Schiller

That is absolutely one of the rules.

[chuckles]

And then, there is a secondary issue. And we're working through this. There are certain states and governments where there are laws about creating a subscription revenue stream without a clear promise to the user of what they're paying for down the road.

And so, our legal team's been working with us on this, on trying to make sure we put in place in the store the right way for developers to make clear their intention to deliver value for that customer, or else they'll be breaking the law by asking for a subscription with no intention of delivering value down the road.

So we want to be careful of those things. So those are the kinds of reasons we have caveats on it, but the intention, I think, is what we all want.

John Gruber

Alright.

[cheering]

On the Mac App Store

John Gruber

The Mac App Store...

[chuckles from audience]

I'm not going to say it's been treated as the ugly stepchild, but maybe the slightly less attractive stepchild? And a couple of examples: TestFlight beta testing was in the iOS App Store. Craig [Hockenberry], is it in the Mac App Store yet?

Hockenberry

[from the audience] No, I don't think so.

John Gruber

I don't think so. Alright. So no TestFlight...

Phil Schiller

[dryly] Hi, Craig, how are you doing?

[laughter]

John Gruber

Video reviews. I know it seems like that really works, like there's just, instead of static screenshots to show your app on iOS, you can have a video that shows it in animation, and then lots of times, for developers who are doing the cinematic experience of really making the app feel great, the video can do so much more than a static screenshot.

Craig Federighi

Mmmm.

John Gruber

And all of the news last week applies to all of the App Stores.

Craig Federighi

Yes.

John Gruber

So that in of itself is a change, a change in the way that the App Store is distributing new features.

Craig Federighi

Yep.

Phil Schiller

So, we love all of our kids — I'm sure all of you do as well — equally.

[laughter]

And so, we love the Mac App Store, we want it to do well, we want to support the developers in it, we care a lot about it. We use it ourselves, it's a very important store for ourselves. We've moved all our software distribution into it, and are very happy with that. So, we're one happy software developer that's using it.

[scattered laughter]

And we still think, in the long view of all of this, it matters a great deal. We think it matters for privacy, we think it matters for security, we think it matters for quality on the store. We've all seen examples of apps that have been hijacked on servers, where people download stuff that have viruses injected in them, and we don't want any part of any of that, all of us.

So we think it's still an important solution, and we're dedicated to it.

There are things through the years in the Mac App Store that haven't been fully implemented because they didn't make as much sense on the Mac as they did on iOS, or the engineering effort was really high for a benefit that wasn't seen as as big, or whatever. Example: So, TestFlight. For the engineering involved there, people have felt that there are a lot of opportunities on the Mac from a website to download apps for test, and to distribute beta software, so the need wasn't as great. Right? It was a clear need on iOS, not clear on Mac.

So that's why some decisions were made and trade-offs, there. But, as you say, as I've been working more with the App Store team since December, I've really pushed the team to please make sure everything makes sense across all the stores as much as possible, and maybe there'll be some exception to that that we have to make, but we don't want to. We want to try to do everything the same on all the stores as much as possible, including the Mac App Store.

[applause]

On iPad app pricing and lack of pro apps for iOS

John Gruber

So, one thing the Mac App Store has been good for, and the Mac software ecosystem in general is good for, is that it seems to support higher prices of apps, for truly professional apps, deeper apps. And there's a consensus — or maybe not, consensus is the wrong word, maybe you'll disagree.

But there's a lot of people who think that one of the things that's holding back the iPad — especially now that it's the iPad Pro — from replacing a MacBook for someone who might want to, is that it lacks the same depth of deep apps for work that the Mac has. And the reason is that the pricing pressure is more like iPhone-style, couple of bucks, as opposed to Mac-style, where $50, $80, $100 software has long been the norm.

Phil Schiller

I think you see two things happening at the same time. Number one, the iPad's capabilities are growing as a PC replacement product for some people. I know some people have made some statements about that, I don't know who.

[laughter]

And so, we're trying to make it more and more powerful, making larger screens, keyboards, the more powerful processors, and all that's happening to drive it into a more capable product.

At the same time, you've started to see more professional applications begin to make their way onto it. And so, I think we're seeing changes there. We're seeing... certainly, apps that have a similar version on your iPhone that you want on your iPad will have similar pricing. But other apps that may be coming over from the Mac, or PC, are bringing on pricing models that are more like that.

And so you're going to see this duality with iPad, that there's a little of both happening. And we see an increase of the more professional apps happening. And we see stuff in flight with developers we're working on that's really impressive desktop-quality software, more and more coming to iPad.

John Gruber

Yeah, it's definitely not the hardware. 'Cos the iPad Pro stands toe to toe with the MacBooks on any technical measure you can give it. I mean, beautiful displays, powerful CPUs, and stuff like that. So it's not holding it back.

Craig Federighi

And I do think if you really look at some of the professional apps that are on the iPad, it's... I mean, some of them are really first-class. I think the iPad Pro's going to accelerate that, and we absolutely want to find any way possible to make deep investment by developers on the platform possible. Because, I think, we'll all win when that happens.

On passwords and macOS's auto-unlock

John Gruber

Alright. New topic. Privacy and security. I remember a couple of years ago, maybe more — I don't know how many years. But I was at WWDC, and I somehow wound up in a session on security. I don't even know why I was there. But it was interesting. I think I was talking to somebody, and he was like "I gotta go into this thing on security," and I was like, "Well, I'll go with you," and I went in and listened.

And at the end, it was when they were still doing Q&As, and I remember this very vividly. Somebody asked the question of somebody who was on the engineering team in charge of security, gave a rant about how passwords are terrible, and people pick bad passwords because they're easy to remember, and passwords that are hard to remember, or hard to crack, or hard to guess, are unusable, or less usable. "Have you guys given any thought to what's next beyond passwords?"

And there was this pause, and the speaker...

[Gruber intimates looking down toward the mic.]

"Yes."

[laughter]

And it was like, well that's an interesting — that's a very interesting and truthful answer. And we've seen, I think, in the intervenining years, some of the things that might have been circulating. Touch ID...

Craig Federighi

Yeah.

John Gruber

And now, one of my favorite features you guys announced yesterday, can't wait to use it, is...

Craig Federighi

Auto-unlock?

John Gruber

Auto-unlock.

Craig Federighi

Yeah! Yeah.

[big cheers]

John Gruber

So can you talk about how that came to be?

Craig Federighi

Which part of it? I mean, caring about security? Or, uh...

John Gruber

Well, no. With Auto-unlock in particular, the details of how — what are you guys doing to make Auto-unlock truly secure? That it's not, y'know, that I'm not over here opening Phil's MacBook because he's in the room.

Craig Federighi

Yeah. Yeah. Well, of course, this — it's a continuation of the work we did with Continuity to develop really low-power BTLE-based discovery protocol, so your devices could discover each other continuously with acceptable overhead from a battery point of view. And also, all the authentication mechanisms we put in place as far as having your devices know that they're your devices.

So that's kind of a foundation. The big challenge with Auto-unlock is you don't want a kind of, a relay attack, where Phil is actually, well far away from his office, and someone basically has a Bluetooth listener that's going to forward a signal to you, 'cos you're now by his Mac, and this Mac is having a conversation with Phil's watch over a very long distance.

John Gruber

Right.

Craig Federighi

And so, we're actually able to do time-of-flight calculation using peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, where we literally can measure how long (at the speed of light) it's taking for the signal to travel from your watch to your Mac and back!

[applause]

That's a very fast stopwatch! And so, because of that, if you interpose any kind of relay, it will introduce a delay that immediately would tell us, there's hijinks afoot, so.

John Gruber

Yeah, make sure they type in their password.

Craig Federighi

[laughs] Yes. Absolutely. And so, that piece is critical. But I think, y'know, on the bigger picture, Touch ID is one way that we've helped with passwords, but actually, on iOS, the Secure Enclave and that whole architecture, the fact that your device is not encrypted just with your passcode, which, honestly, whether it's four digits or six digits, it's short enough that if a brute force attack were possible, it would be — you readily could break into something.

But instead, it's entangled with a hardware key that only the Secure Enclave runs, and the Secure Enclave will only do its unwrapping when running Apple-signed software, and will only let you try ten times. And so, fundamentally, yeah.

[applause]

That was the first, yeah, very important step to saying you could have a practical-length passcode with really industrial-strength security. And so, we keep pushing on this.

On deep learning and photos

John Gruber

Continuing in the privacy vein, it's a good segue into Siri, "Deep Learning," AI, these sort of features that you guys... it was a big part of the presentation yesterday. Because a big part of your on-stage message about it was the emphasis on the way that the systems are designed to protect users' privacy, and the technical implications of that.

Craig Federighi

Yeah!

John Gruber

So one of my questions: When does deep learning happen? So, like, I'm on the phone and I'm taking a couple of pictures of the event and stuff like that — when does the...

Craig Federighi

That analysis occur? Yeah, so, if you upgrade your device to iOS 10, and you have your Photos library there with your 10,000 photos, or 100,000 photos on it, the analysis of that kind of backlog will occur when you're plugged in on AC overnight. 'Cos this is a considerable amount of computation that's going to occur that we would not have happen in your pocket.

But when you're out taking a fresh picture, at that point, we will instantaneously form the analysis on that hot photo as it's going into your photo library. We can do it that fast. It is, like scene classification, I mentioned yesterday — was it yesterday?

Phil Schiller

Mmhmm.

Craig Federighi

Yeah. [laughs] Long time ago. That it is, like about eleven billion calculations that have to occur to do that thing — "That's a horse! That's a mountain!" — but the GPUs on iOS devices these days really cook, so we can get through that essentially instantaneously with the photos.

John Gruber

And on the privacy part, my understanding — and correct me if I'm wrong — but my understanding from what I've learned is if you've got iCloud Photo Library, and I take a couple pictures with my iPhone, the photos will sync to the cloud, and then they will go to my iPad and my Mac, but the deep learning analysis doesn't go with them. Each machine performs its own processing on its own time when it's plugged in and appropriately. Is that true?

Craig Federighi

That is true right now. So each device does its own processessing. In the future, we could share the results of, like, the first one who does the work, just share, just to make that work go along for the ride. But today, it's gonna be each device doing it independently.

When you think about what's going to happen if we release iOS and OS X on separate days, everyone's iPhones will race to do all this work on their library first, and then the Mac will, it'll be fine at that point. So we wouldn't have saved the iPhones from doing the work if we'd had the Macs share their work, or share the work of the Mac.

Phil Schiller

And just to add on that view of someday they may not all have to do it, it's a view where we're not, Apple will never actually know that analysis ourselves. We won't see that data.

Craig Federighi

Right.

Phil Schiller

It's a way to do it, but we're out of the loop.

Craig Federighi

Yeah. To be clear, the photos themselves are, the architecture sets are encrypted in the cloud, and the metadata — any metadata about the photos that you create or that we create through deep learning classification is encrypted in a way that Apple's not reading it.

[applause]

On differential privacy

John Gruber

I wanna, I want to get... [laughs] I want to get nerdy on this differential privacy thing.

Craig Federighi

Yeah!

John Gruber

'Cos it's a phrase, it's like an official thing, I've learned a little bit more, it's not just a phrase you guys made up, it's like a...

[laughter]

Craig Federighi

[chuckling] It wouldn't have been the phrase we would have made up.

John Gruber

Right. [laughs]

Phil Schiller

We would have done a better name if that's what we did.

[more laughter]

John Gruber

But like, in the State of the Union yesterday, I mean there's real math behind it. This is not just a name that is applied to policies. This is —

Craig Federighi

That's correct.

John Gruber

A branch of statistical analysis —

Craig Federighi

Yes.

John Gruber

That, it... talk to me about it. Give me a little, I know you touched on it in the keynote. Give us like a slightly juicier layman's overview of differential privacy.

Craig Federighi

Sure. Yeah, of course the idea is that if we wanted to know what word, y'know, a new word that everyone was, that lots of people were typing, that we didn't know so that we would stop marking it as a spelling error. Or maybe we'd even suggest it on the keyboard.

Phil Schiller

Like "Meh." Or something.

[laughter]

Craig Federighi

Yeah, like now it's just, it's trending, it's hot, we want all our customers to be able to know that word, but we don't want to know you and Phil in particular are typing it. We want to have no way to have any knowledge of that.

You can imagine if what we're essentially assembling is a picture of little pieces of data, y'know, of the forest, but all we're getting is a little piece. And when we get that little piece, even each device will statistically, much of the time, even lie about its little piece. Right?

But those lies will all cancel out with enough data —

John Gruber

Right.

Craig Federighi

— and the picture will suddenly resolve, with enough data points, will resolve itself. And so, and yet, literally, if we were trying to learn a word, we would send one bit — we'd send a position and a single — we'd hash the word, we'd send a single bit from the hash, we'd say at position 23, Phil saw a 1. But Phil's phone would flip a coin and actually say, "Actually, I'm going to lie about that. I'm going to say zero even though I saw a one."

And that's the data that goes to Apple. And Apple, with enough of that data, can build a composite picture and say, "Holy smokes, we have a word here. And this many people roughly are seeing it." And that's typically what you want to know. You want to know what's happening at large, but we have no desire to know what, specifically, who is doing what.

John Gruber

Well, it's typically what you want to know. It's not typically [laughs] what your competitor would want to know.

Phil Schiller

And part of the reason that this is so important to get into is because, the theory that you can just anonymize the data and send it up, and all's good, and it's a bunch of crap —

[laughter and big hollers of approval]

Because I can send all this data, and say "Well, I don't know who you are, oh, but I happen to know the same location you go to every night, and I know the same place you go to work every day, I've got all this data, I just don't know your name, or ID. Boy, it's really hard to reverse-engineer that anonymous data!"

Right? So what you need to do is create a system that goes beyond anonymizing to really make it impossible to reconfigure who that user is.

[loud applause]

John Gruber

So the way I have it written down here is that if it works as you're describing it, it means it's not just that Apple doesn't use that information to reverse the anonymity, it's that mathematically you can't.

Craig Federighi

We can't.

John Gruber

It's — the design of the system is such that it's not even possible if new executives come in in a few years and maybe they would like to, y'know.

[Craig exhales, laughter]

Craig Federighi

[mumbles]

John Gruber

Well, companies change!

Craig Federighi

No, no! That's absolutely true. And the point of view, honestly, the point of view that someone says, "Hey, I know we know a ton about you, but don't worry! We're nice guys! And it's all good!"

Well, okay, maybe you're nice guys, ten years from now, who's running this thing? Or, what if someone breaks into your computers? Are they nice guys?

Phil Schiller

Right.

Craig Federighi

Right? So you just don't want to have any central source that has that kind of knowledge, because in the fullness of time, anything is possible.

And so, differential privacy is, I mean, there are mathematical proofs that will show that you cannot, with any confidence, determine anything about any of the people contributing to the data set. And we think that's important.

On Google and Facebook and cloud data-gathering

John Gruber

Alright. Speaking of companies that do collect some information about people, Google and Facebook —

[laughter]

— they're two competitors that, and I know a lot of times, when you talk about these companies, you might talk [vaguely] about search engines, and you might talk about social networks —

[more laughter]

Because you're gentlemen! But I will name names, and I'm going to just point out that Google and Facebook are both actively pursuing a lot of the same goals. I mean, just the image analysis, "That's a mountain, that's a horse" — those companies are showing similar things.

Craig Federighi

Yeah.

John Gruber

You guys are showing similar things. But it really is, I don't want to abuse the metaphor, but it's a 180-degree different tactic, where they're doing it with cloud servers, and doing the computing in the cloud on data that they've aggregated there, and your method is to do it, distribute it on the actual devices.

Critics are saying — and not me, I'm not saying this, I'm like, let's see —

[laughter]

No, I mean, I'm totally like "Okay, I saw your keynote, I'm looking forward to trying it, and let's see if it works for me!" I don't know. I think it might!

Craig Federighi

I think it will!

[laughter]

John Gruber

But critics are already saying, and they've obviously, since the keynote was just yesterday, I've seen it in a couple of articles that your strategy is doomed to keep Apple behind them, because the Google and Facebook way is the only way that works. And I'm not quite sure where that comes from, because...

Craig Federighi

Their PR department. I mean...

[huge laughter, clapping, Schiller makes a wry unintelligible comment]

[chuckles] of a prominent search engine or social network provider of... that we don't know about.

John Gruber

I think that part of it, in my mind, is maybe that there's an assumption on the part of some people in the press that a server farm has this massive amount of computational power, and that a puny little phone can't compete. But it's not like there's one person's iPhone who's trying to do the image analysis for all the photos on iCloud...

Craig Federighi

Like, there are a billion phones to throw at this problem.

John Gruber

Right, a billion active devices. So like, the billion active Apple devices that are out there in the aggregate have an enormous amount of CPU power.

Craig Federighi

That's right, that's right. The other thing is, there's this idea that, well, if you don't have the data, how would you ever learn? Well, turns out, if you want to get pictures of mountains, you don't need to get it out of people's personal photo libraries.

[laughter, clapping]

Like, we found out that we could find some pictures of some mountains!

[huge applause]

We did some tough detective work, and we found 'em.

[laughter]

So... [breaks down laughing] that's pretty good.

On Siri

John Gruber

So, moving on. Siri. Siri now has an API, and it's six categories. I don't know if I wrote any of them down. But it's like ride-sharing...

Craig Federighi

Messaging, photo search...

Phil Schiller

Voice calls.

Audience member

Payments!

John Gruber

Payments. And one more.

Craig Federighi

Sending money, yeah. No, we did payments. Alright. I can say it a few different ways, we can get past six.

[laughter]

John Gruber

Well, there's six distinct categories.

Audience member

Workouts!

Craig Federighi

Workouts!

Phil Schiller

Workouts!

John Gruber

There we go. Thank you. This is why I should have a live audience at all my shows.

Craig Federighi

This is crowdsourcing, right here, but it's totally anonymous.

Phil Schiller

And we don't know who said it, because...

[huge laughter and clapping]

John Gruber

So why restrict Siri to those six specific categories?

Craig Federighi

Yeah. It comes down to modeling the domains well. In order to understand what someone is saying — people are going to speak to Siri in a whole bunch of different ways, and even in a whole bunch of different languages. And when they say, when they want to say "Send a message to Phil" saying that "I'm going to be late for the interview," then we... I could have said that in dozens of other ways. I could have said "WeChat Phil that I'm going to be late for the interview," WeChat Phil using WeChat, telling him that, et cetera.

And I could say something like "WeChat Phil," and then I'd need to know, like, okay, well, what do you want to say to him? And Siri knows all of this because Siri understands the domain of messaging well. It understands all the vocabulary, it understands what the verbs are, what the objects are, and can collect them and can do so in a dialog.

And so, we want to make sure that when you're talking to your assistant, your assistant is consistently intelligent about understanding you and how flexible you can be in talking to it. To do that, we had to develop those domains.

And so, these are the domains that we've developed in a way that developers can plug in. We'll do more and more of that over time, and of course we'll search for more and more flexible ways to enable developers to do that time, but we want to make sure that what we do is preserve the intelligence of your assistant.

It would have been really super easy for us to say, "Hey, just tell us a trigger word, or the name of your app, and we'll hand you a string."

John Gruber

Right.

Craig Federighi

And good luck. And so you'd say something to Siri, and most of the time, you'd get back the app doing something crazy, and the user would say, "What in the heck, Siri doesn't understand me, I don't understand this."

In this case, we're able to be consistent about Siri's ability to understand you. And so, we'll make models more and more powerful, and we'll do more of them for more domains, but we start with a baseline and have a quality experience around what we cover.

Phil Schiller

And I think that this is an insight into how we... it's not right or wrong, how we approach things differently than some other companies do. We've all been seeing stories for awhile saying, "Hey, Apple, some other companies are doing some assistants, and they're allowing these other apps to be, these bots to hand off, and do things for them. You're not, you're behind."

Where, when we have thought about doing it for awhile, and we've thought about it since the very beginning of Siri, which is, we needed a solution to — how to keep Siri from being smart at one thing and stupid at another? That would be an inconsistent experience, and not what we want. We need Siri to be equally smart at all the things we do.

And as it gets expanded, that intelligence needs to extend, and so the team has been working hard at that, where others shoved in [trigger words] quickly to do things that don't translate that intelligence to third-party apps. And so, to do that means that you have to, with intention, add categories and domains. The hope is to add more and more so that users can ask anything they want over time, use any of their apps that they love, and it all works. It just takes time building domains. So we'd rather take the time to do it right than rush out just because it gets a good story to say you have something.

Craig Federighi

Yeah.

[applause]

On iMessage

John Gruber

One of the things I've — like, in the last year or so, maybe more, but I've noticed it, and I bang this drum a couple times a month on Daring Fireball, is why the industry as a whole doesn't seem to count iMessage as a messaging platform. And, y'know, the number that always gets thrown around is monthly active users, and WhatsApp has so many monthly active users, and so they're worth so many billions of dollars, and... iMessage has... it must have, it has to be right up there in terms of monthly active users, daily active users, hourly active users.

Craig Federighi

Yeah.

John Gruber

Users sending iMessages during the Talk Show...

[chuckles]

Is that frustrating?

Craig Federighi

I... I don't know. I mean. It's okay? [laughs]

Phil Schiller

No, because customers...

Craig Federighi

I mean, really...

Phil Schiller

Customers don't read those things. It's all inside the beltway kind of, like, who feels prouder that they made a list.

[laughter]

It doesn't matter to users.

Craig Federighi

Yeah. Messages is the most-used app on iOS, period. So, it's used a lot. And certainly, we saw that every time we'd add a couple new emoji, it would be the biggest thing. We work all year on, like, a new file system or something...

[laughter, cheers]

Craig Federighi

And it turns out the rest of the world outside this room was more excited about the two new emoji! So, we figured, y'know, if there's one place we can make a tremendous difference in how people experience iOS fundamentally, they're spending a lot of time in Messages.

And so, we put a ton of creative energy into it, and ultimately, through opening up to developers, I think the collective energy that will go into making Messages great is going to be phenomenal.

John Gruber

In the keynote, I was sitting in the middle of the floor. Halfway back, halfway in the center, just right in the middle. Really, it was a great place to hear the reactions. The biggest reaction I thought of the entire keynote was when you announced that emoji were going to 3x. [Laughter]

I'm not exaggerating. It was like a real, visceral buzz. Here's a crowd of people, you know, developers who are more technically minded, and are here to hear about technical details, and this thing that is really just, you know, just more fun, got this really powerful reaction.

Craig Federighi

Well, next year we're going to 4x. [Laughter]

Phil Schiller

See, this is why we don't let you out. [Laughter] Now we're going to be held to that and next year, when we don't, they'll be like "You said 4x! Apple, you're late, you're late!" and then it will be, "Finally, 4x!" [Laughter]

John Gruber

Coming down the home stretch—

Phil Schiller

There's a few competitors right now: "4x, let's beat 'em to 4x!" [Laughter]

John Gruber

The Onion story about the Schick CEO says "Screw this, we're going to 5 blades!" and, like 3-years later, she came out with a five-blade razor.

Craig Federighi

Yes!

John Gruber

Can't underestimate what people will stoop to.

Any of the other iMessage stuff that, I mean, clearly it's a lot of work, a lot of it is very fun, some of it is — you know, the developer integration — really turns it into a platform. It's not just a thing that people can text with any more, it's a thing that people in this crowd can write software for. Is there anything that stands out that maybe didn't get enough love in the keynote?

Craig Federighi

Well, we didn't talk about the way in which I think these apps can spread, kind of in a really great way virally, we didn't talk about that at all. I think that's going to be really powerful for developers and is going to make it worth developers' while to put some energy into it. We made them really easy to create, so if artists — we think there'll be a community of artists that will build sticker packs that are just really fun and they don't need to write any code to do it. So we think that will be really important.

Also, I think, the way that they are distributed — it's not just about the extension. The extension can be a part of your app and so, there's some cases where, you want a model where, the extension is sort of in cooperation with your larger app experience. I mean, one simple example would be like if you have your sports app, your sports app knows what your favorite teams are. Well, your extension in messages, that lets you share those clips, is going to know that as well. So, there's a connection there. We have one where something that people like to do a lot is share music. You hear something, you think, "wow, this is great" and you want to tell your friend about this awesome song. Well, if you go to the Apple Music extension, it knows what's now playing in your music, and it knows what you're listening to for your songs, so that's just one tap to share.

So, there'll be interesting integrations where the Message extension is sort of the tip of the iceberg for an experience you have in your app as well.

On watchOS

John Gruber

Moving on to watchOS. What you guys do year after year is make iterative improvements. You add features. You take what was slow and make it fast. You take what was ugly and you make it look better. But the performance improvement on app launch on watchOS 3 —

Craig Federighi

It's dramatic.

John Gruber

— Does not look like one year over year. It's crazy. And I really did, in the keynote, think "I gotta see this". And then, when I got a hands-on with a Watch running watchOS 3, it's for real.

Anybody in the audience, have you guys upgraded? [Applause]

Craig Federighi

It's for real.

John Gruber

How is that possible? [Laughter]

Craig Federighi

A couple of things. We actually had some RAM to spare.

John Gruber

Really?

Craig Federighi

Yeah! Turns out that if people are running… if they have their favorite ten apps, we can keep them mostly running. We can keep them mostly resident. We can halt them so they're not burning CPU, but we can keep them mostly resident. Which means you're not doing all the work that goes into launching an app when you take them live.

The other thing is, it turns out that when we first were coming out with watchOS we were being really conservative about understanding how people were going to be using the Watch and trying to make sure we could hit our goal of very solid all-day battery life. So that you could use it all day and charge it at night.

And we found that we actually really overshot the goal, which was an area of just massive focus and paranoia through the release. We needed to make sure we squeezed every little bit of juice out of the thing. So, realizing we had this budget, we said, look, we actually have enough to do background updates. We'd overshot enough that we could keep apps both in memory but also keep them up to date throughout the day. So, when you look at them, they're already there. It's not like, launch and then wait and have them get the information. It's, they already have the information.

So, those were two really vital techniques. The other thing is, as you build something new and different as the watch, you finish, and you live on it, and you figure out what's really the essence of this thing, and appreciate which problems are the most important to solve, we realized the watch is all about glanceability. It's useful to the extent that, okay, I can solve my task, I'm done. If I'm up here and I'm waiting and I'm fiddling around, my arm's getting tired, this is no fun anymore, I'm going to do this a different way. And with that as our obsession for the last year. We've taken all of those tasks and said you've got to be able to finish the task, end-to-end, in two seconds. Right? And that means the launch had better be instant part because now we need to let the user think and do something in two seconds and get it done. With that focus, you find a way. We chipped away.

John Gruber

What really struck me, once I got a hands-on with it and could really see it, was just how much the design changes to the navigation of the user experience are exactly coinciding with the engineering improvements to make it faster.

So, the fact that glances are no longer a separate thing is because the apps themselves in the dock can serve as glances because they're getting the background updates because you made the changes that let them stay resident in memory.

Craig Federighi

Yeah, it's nice when it all comes together.

John Gruber

It really is.

Phil Schiller

The other thing I'll add is that, once you start to use the new watchOS, in addition to having the apps come across faster and you can get access to them quickly, watch faces in a sense become apps themselves. In a sense that you change the ones you use, rearrange them, and change the complications. For example, I would normally keep the activity rings on my watch face, but now I can choose to make that the next [watch face] and swipe over to them and swipe back, because I use the activity watch face vs. needing the rings. And then I can have a different watch face for some other time of the day for when I need other actions and access to apps. So that becomes a much quicker and more useful way to expand the things you do with it. It's a really profound change throughout the interaction model.

Craig Federighi

Yeah, and really different complications too. So if you're going to be more in your workout mode, you would swipe over, and the complications that are relevant to that, and therefore the launchers that are relevant to that, are essentially right there. So you kinda go, here's what — I'm at work, and I'm going to be this way, I'm out with the family I'm going to go this way, and you have all the activities that are relevant to that, it's like you have almost a custom doc or custom launcher based on your watch face. So that's another element where I feel like it's really come together in a nice way. [Applause]

On Swift

John Gruber

Just wrapping up, coming down to the home stretch. Swift. Now, you were on my show a few months ago when Swift went open source. We had a good time.

Craig Federighi

Lot of dynamism.

John Gruber

And we talked about Swift use within Apple, and why you guys can't yet write the OS in Swift but that engineers are using it to write unit tests and things like that. It's getting used. But I saw in the announcement that the new Swift Playground app is itself written in Swift.

Craig Federighi

Yeah, well actually in OS X, like most of the Dock—

John Gruber

macOS?

Craig Federighi

—and most of Mission Control. Yeah, well, oh god. [Laughter]

Phil Schiller

Another dollar. [Laughter]

Craig Federighi

In our Sunday rehears—

Phil Schiller

Gee, when was that name first hinted at? [Laughter]

John Gruber

I don't know.

Phil Schiller

Last year, right here. I thought I was being so transparent, too.

John Gruber

I saw right through it.

Phil Schiller

I know. You were very polite.

Craig Federighi

In our runthrough for the show, when I say, "Oh, and we're changing the name to macOS" — and this is on Sunday — and my next slide is to say something about how we have these great new features in macOS. I literally go, "And so our new release is macOS. And so we have some great features in OS X." And I … it's tough. We spent a lot — 15 years — it's a long time and I think we all feel great about the new name.

Anyway, in macOS the Dock is substantially converted, and Mission Control, all those areas are using Swift a lot. So it's starting to spread a lot internally, there are some barriers, but I think this year the most important thing, and I think Chris Lattner really covered it in the State of the Union, is getting the source stability. And so we decided this year we're going to put that over all the priorities. Take what we've learned, y'know, when we first shipped Swift a couple of years ago, the objective was: Let's make sure that it's familiar from an API point of view. Y'know, minimize the kind of transition of, "Hold on, I've gotta learn all new method names for all the classes I already know?" And so we really bias toward that. Now people are so familiar with Swift, the priority is: Let's make sure those APIs are all very native to Swift in their feel. And so we've done all the hard work to update all the APIs, all the naming conventions, and take some major APIs like Core Graphics and libdispatch and make them just awesome for Swift. [Applause] Yeah, it's important stuff. But, what that means is we've achieved that level of source stability, so next year it won't be like, "Oh boy," y'know, as a developer. So that's the important thing.

ABI stability which means literally the Swift binary you built could be linked against the future libraries. That's one that we made a lot of progress, haven't gotten all the way there. But that's far more of an issue for us internally than it is for developers. It's important for developers, but I think the source stability one was the right priority and I feel really good about the progress the team made on that.

On topics from WWDC 2016 that deserve a little more attention

John Gruber

Last question: How about one thing that you guys announced yesterday, whether it was in the keynote or not, maybe something that missed the keynote, but one thing that you think deserves a little extra attention. And I'll let you guys think about it. I'll go first and your correct answer is probably new file system.

Craig Federighi

Is that right? [Laughter, Cheers]

John Gruber

I'm gonna say Universal Clipboard, because I've always wanted this. And for me it's links, it's like I'm on my phone, it's like, "Oh, I want to post this to Daring Fireball," but I'm in my office so why would I do it on a phone? I'll go sit down at my iMac and do it with a real keyboard, but how do I get this from here to there? Man, what I want to do is just copy it and go over there and hit CMD + V. And, again, the thinking through that you guys did of how to do this in a way that isn't going to surprise people in a bad way — there's like a two-minute timeout, so if I copy something on my phone right now and tomorrow I paste it in my Mac, I'm not getting that because it's really, like, a ways of detecting what's in your—

Craig Federighi

Well and even the communication is, like the other continuity features, peer-to-peer. So it's not like you're sending everything you copy up the cloud all of a sudden just so it can get down to the other device. It really is about [two devices right here] copy and paste, which I think is absolutely what people want. And it has the right privacy and performance characteristics. And, as you say, it gets rid of the surprises. And it just turns out to be the most … once you have it, it's the most natural way in the world to do these kinds of things. So I think the team did awesome work there. Yeah, I think that's great.

Do I have to say new file system again? [Cheers] No, I think the new file system is great. And by the way, I mean the prospect of … this is one you have to get right, let's say. [Laughter] And so we have an awesome file system team who really knew which problems we needed to solve for a world of flash storage and has done a super-solid job. And we're being conservative about how we're rolling it out as a developer preview, so people can kick the tires on it this year, but we look forward to making it part of the products going forward and I think it's going to great. And obviously we didn't talk about it, 'cause we don't talk about peer developer preview material there. But I think it terms of something that is important for the platform going forward, it's big.

John Gruber

What do you … so let's just say three years from now we're all using iPhones that are using APFS instead of HFS+. What would be a noticeable improvement to the experience?

Craig Federighi

So, it'll help with performance, it'll help with things like how we do software updates and other things, 'cause we can snapshot volumes and other things, we can roll things back. I mean, there are a lot of important attributes there. It's important when you think about multi-user — like how files are protected between multiple users on a Mac, because we actually have file-system-level encryption now standard across both platforms. So I think from a security point of view, it's big. And I think performance, I mean now you do a copy or even like the safe save operation, when you save documents in a lot of apps it's like, "Move that one aside, create another whole copy of all of that, now overwrite some of it, now delete the old directory." Now that's atomic and the clone file makes all of that super fast. I think it's just going to be great across the board.

Phil Schiller

I want to answer in a very different direction. Of the keynote, the thing we haven't talked about that to me was really amazing was we had a bunch of demoers who had never been in a keynote before. It was their first time. [Applause] And they were fantastic. Stacey did a great job, Bethany and Imran did a great job. Boz did an incredible job. [Cheers] And Cheryl did an incredible job. And all of them work on the things they demo, and they were fantastic. So that's my sort of unsung thing of the keynote was those presenters.

John Gruber

I said mid-keynote — I was sitting with Ben Thompson — and I said I can't believe that none of these people have ever done this before, because they are amazing. And they really did kick ass up there. That was great.

Craig Federighi

They sure did, they sure did.

John Gruber

That's it unless you guys have anything else from me.

Craig Federighi

Just thank you for having us.

John Gruber

I want to give some thanks here. I want to thank our sponsors: MailChimp, Microsoft, and Meh.com. Go there and buy some junk. [Laughter] I want to thank Jake Schumacher and Jed Hurt. They're doing the video here, so if you're watching at home, you can thank them. They are the co-makers of the upcoming documentary, App: The Human Story, which has been in the works for awhile. I've seen a rough cut, it is amazing. It is really coming along. Appdocumentary.com if you want to see more. Drew Bischof from Hybrid Events is here running whatever apparatus is involved in doing the livestreaming, which I've heard is very hard. [Laughter] I want to thank Mezzanine and the entire staff here who has been— they're led by Megan Rogerson she's been here all four years that I've been here. The staff is great, the bartenders are great, security … I mean, just a really great place and I really appreciate it. I want to thank Paul Kafasis and my wife, Amy Gruber of Just the Tip fame, their podcast that is on, I don't know, some kind of hiatus. But they're the ones who made this event run so that I can just sit back here and be nervous and make these cards with questions and not pay attention to any of the details. I don't know anything that's gone on out here. The fact that you guys even have seats is thanks to them. And I want to thank Phil and Craig for being here.

Phil Schiller

Thank you.

John Gruber

Unbelievable. Thank you. [Applause] Last, but not least, thank you for being here.

Phil Schiller

Now we've gotta find the way out.

Metal, Apple's low-level graphics API that was first introduced in iOS 8, only keeps getting better, and that was made even more clear in a demo from Unity showing off a new feature coming to Metal in iOS 10: adaptive tessellation. Seen at the "What's New in Metal" session at WWDC 2016, the demo showed off the level of detail that adaptive tessellation will enable developers to bring to their games with Metal and the Unity game engine.

In a blog post talking about the proof of concept demo, Unity says:

Metal tessellation is headed to iOS 10 this fall, and Unity looks set to bring enable developers to take advantage of the feature in future versions of its game engine. Be sure to check out Unity's full blog post for much more technical detail on the demo. You can also watch the "What's New in Metal" session to see the demo in action.

As part of the live Talk Show at WWDC 2016, Apple senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, and senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, provided more details on how deep learning and artificial intelligence is being used in iOS 10 to surface search results without requiring you to share your data with Apple.

How will Apple index my existing photos?

When you first download iOS 10, if you have existing photos in your library, your iPhone or iPad will begin to process them in the background at night when you're plugged in. That way you won't see any performance degradation or excessive power drain during the day when you're trying to use your iPhone or iPad.

Once complete, all your old photos will be indexed for the new, better search.

What about on macOS?

Same thing. iOS typically gets released a few weeks before macOS (formerly OS X), though, and not everyone with an iPhone or iPad has a Mac, so Apple wants you to be able to enjoy the new search benefits immediately.

When the macOS Sierra update arrives later this fall, it'll index your Mac Photos library the same way.

Wait, won't the search index just sync between devices?

Not right now, but maybe one day. A system would need to be built that securely, privately shared metadata and index information between iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other products.

What about new photos? Do I have to wait for them to index?

Nope! Apple enjoys a tremendous lead when it comes to chipset architecture in mobile, and they're "spending" some of it on deep learning and AI processing immediately when photos are capture.

The image signal processor (ISP) inside the Apple A9 already handles an incredible amount of calculations for everything from white balance to burst selection. Deep learning and AI take a couple billion more, but the A9 GPU can still handle those near-instantly.

Why doesn't Apple need me to give them and their servers my photos data to get the indexing done?

According to Federighi, Apple doesn't need our photos to figure out what a mountain looks like in a photo. Their "detectives" managed to look at public domain images and figure that out.

But will it work as well as services that do require photo data sharing?

To be determined. We'll have to wait for iOS 10 to launch this fall and really put it through its paces. Personally, privacy is as valuable to me as money, time, or attention, so having the option is great for customers.

I don't use Google or Facebook photos today, so for me any upgrade will be great. If you aren't sure yet, you'll need to see how much functionality it gives you, weigh the options, and make the best choice for you.

Apple doesn't like carriers. It tolerates them because it has to, but year after year the company has committed to reducing the prevalence of the network providers in the its plans for the iPhone.

For the first few years, Apple wasn't a semiconductor company, so it used minimally-changed components from Samsung and Qualcomm. Then, in 2010, it introduced the custom-designed A4; three years later, it introduced the world's first 64-bit mobile processor, the A7, a product so ahead of its time that Qualcomm pushed up its own plans for a 64-bit solution for Android users, with disastrous results.

Though Apple has managed to reduce its reliance on outside parties in the production, distribution and maintenance of the iPhone, without building its own infrastructure in every country in which it sells, working with the carriers continue to be a necessary evil.

But disruption comes in waves, and with a relatively unsung feature of iOS 10, Apple has once again loosened the proverbial rope. Starting this fall, apps that offer voice calls using myriad Voice Over IP (VoIP) protocols, from Skype to WhatsApp to Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Viber, Tango and many others, will be treated the same, from an operating system perspective, as a FaceTime Audio call or, more importantly, a regular voice call. That means an incoming call from WhatsApp, an increasingly crucial source of low-cost voice communication for people in developing countries, will appear, in full, on the lock screen. Such calls will be logged in the Phone app, with small annotations to suggest they weren't made using traditional means. And perhaps most importantly, people will be able to specify third-party VoIP apps for Favorite callers — so if I prefer to dial my overseas friend using WhatsApp, but my wife using FaceTime Audio, I can do so.

The degree to which the iOS user experience has been untethered from its often-derided default apps is unprecedented in the nine years since the iPhone's release. While APIs for Siri, Maps, and iMessage are no less impressive and essential to the longterm health of iOS as a platform, being able to reduce people's reliance on often-expensive and unnecessary voice components of wireless plans empowers its billion-plus user base, and emboldens customers to pursue lower-cost network solutions.

Let's use Canada as an example. Today, anyone who wants a data plan to use with an iPhone must buy a bundle of wireless minutes as well, which usually come with legacy options like call display and voicemail. But fewer people are making calls in the traditional fashion, and with the proliferation of free IP-based voice calls, many of which are merely checkboxes in an ever-growing feature set of messaging ecosystems, they are an untenable cost burden. With iOS 10, it becomes considerably more feasible to switch to a data-only plan, similar to what is offered for Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads, and transition almost completely to messengers like Skype, WhatsApp and other ubiquitous cross-platform services, for both calls and texts.

Moreover, it allows smaller MVNOs in many countries to offer completely app-based subscription services for phone service, while using a SIM card to resell data from larger providers. This is already a huge business in many parts of Europe, and is increasingly common in the U.S. On iOS 10, a service like Project Fi, which Google has rolled out to its more recent Nexus products, would technically be possible on the iPhone, as it would be able to offer a native app for incoming calls and text messages while maintaining its data reselling opportunity with T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular.

Similarly, with the ubiquity of Wi-Fi, some people may be tempted to ditch the SIM card altogether, siphoning their calls, texts and video messages through the many cross-platform apps that no longer rely on the traditional calling model.

Such a move has been a long time coming. Apple was one of the first phone manufacturers to support Voice over LTE and Wi-Fi Calling, two core tenets of next-generation telephony. But both services still largely rely on carrier-specific provisioning, and sit on top of a customer's regular voice bundle. iOS 10 all but makes them a condition of context: WhatsApp doesn't care if someone is connected using LTE or Wi-Fi, since it routes both through the same VoIP protocol, and cycles seamlessly between.

The argument can certainly be made that Android has had these capabilities for years, and it hasn't set the MVNO world on fire. This is true, but the difference between the average Android handset and the iPhone on iOS 10 is focus: Android owners still can't initiate WhatsApp calls from the native dialler, and Google has spent little time incentivizing such integrations. Android's loose tie-ins have engendered a swath of popular messaging apps with their own takes on the outgoing call; iOS 10 makes plain the promise of loosening ties with legacy network voice services.

As with Apple's eSIM, which sowed further carrier discord with its integration in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, expanded VoIP capabilities in iOS 10 will be slow to effect actual change. But the next time I go up for a plan renewal, I'll feel much more confident that by going data-only I'll still be able to have an iPhone call experience equivalent to, or better, than what I have today — for half the cost.

During a security session at WWDC 2016, Apple highlighted steps to strengthen the security of iOS and macOS. By the end of 2016, all apps submitted to the App Store must enforce the App Transport Security (ATS) protocol, which transmits communications between an app and a web server over HTTPS.

Furthermore, Safari 10 — which is set to debut on macOS Sierra — will block Adobe Flash, Java, Silverlight, and QuickTime plugins, switching to HTML5 as the default rendering engine. Should you wish to use any of the aforementioned plugins, you will be able to do so.

Enforcing HTTPS connections ensures that all data transmitted from an app to a server is secure. ATS is baked into iOS 9, but Apple allowed developers to revert to HTTP connections. With ATS becoming mandatory by the end of the year, that's set to change:

On the WebKit blog, Apple developer Ricky Mondello detailed the changes coming to Safari 10:

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference kicked off this past Monday with the company's annual developer keynote. Though the world might feel differently, the conference isn't meant for press, analysts, or the mass-market user. All these groups have an interest — perhaps even a small stake — but they're not the target audience. Developers are going to be using the APIs, code, and documents released Monday to build their livelihood for years to come; we're just outside observers.

That said, here are some thoughts and analysis I have "on the day after," and what the announcements mean for both developers, users, and Apple's devices long-term.

The hardware void

WWDC, has in the past, sometimes been a place where new devices are introduced. Sometimes. Not every time. Not even close. This year, early rumors pegged WWDC as the place we'd see new MacBook Pro laptops or 5k monitors; those rumors turned out to be wrong.

Leading up to the event, it's clear Apple quietly reset expectations for what might be announced. Rene, for example, made it clear that he didn't expect new super-duper monitors or iMessage for Android. That's fine; WWDC doesn't need to be the place for new hardware. But the current MacBook Pro line is aging.

Now, unannounced products can't be "delayed," but a refresh for Apple's laptops is long overdue. If we don't see something before the beginning of the education buying season, I'd be curious as to why. If we don't see them before the end of September, I'd really wonder why. If intentional, it's puzzling. If technical shipping delays are to blame, that's a little more concerning.

We might never know for sure what reasons might actually be for lack of a product refresh, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only customer that would like to see that happen, or not the only user hesitant to buy into what's increasingly a dated product line.

The last major feature "bump" for Apple's laptops was the addition of Force Touch trackpads. I'm not sure we need something as fancy as OLED bars replacing function keys — though how cool would that be? — but the current focus seems to center around thinner, more powerful devices with higher-resolution screens.

OS X and Siri

OS X's marquee features in macOS Sierra appear to be its name change, the introduction of Siri, and a new way to unlock Macs via secondary device proximity. Apple Pay is also coming to the Mac, though it's less interesting if it requires a companion Touch ID device to really shine.

In short, though, that's pretty much it for end-user features, and largely it seems as this version of OS X — er, macOS — is much more of a dot point release than one that merits a full name change. Feels more to me like "El Capitan climbers base camp."

Siri has gotten a lot smarter – there are more things it understands, and more places where to use it. As mentioned, Siri is also part of macOS, something that feels natural, and perhaps even a "what took so long" feature. Siri is also now open to developers of certain types of third-party apps. I thought that was awesome — at least until I read the fine print.

Siri, for the moment, is limited to two classes of apps: ride sharing and image search. More app types are "coming later," though there's no word as to when. That's a little disappointing. A full and open Siri API is something that could have rocketed Apple's aging assistant to the head of the AI class. As it is, there's still a lot of untapped potential in Siri —  but the assistant is clearly prepared to compete with the likes of Amazon and Google. To underestimate Apple's abilities here, even if those abilities have been limited in the past, would be a huge mistake.

The promise of watchOS

From the keynote, watchOS 3 looks to be a major update, improving upon watchOS 2 — which, in of itself, felt like a finished version of watchOS 1.

It's got the redesign and finished features customers have been looking for. It's also a clear sign Apple's looking to double down on Watch as a health device. There are new, fitness-oriented watch faces, and a new app dedicated to deep breathing. Additionally, the lambasted Glance and button feature have been completely overhauled. Apple is now starting to get what customers need and want.

A few interesting things stood out to me from this keynote. One, Apple isn't going to add a tiny keyboard a la Android wear. Instead, there's a new input based on handwriting recognition. This may also be a sign that we might see handwriting recognition in a future iPhone. The technology is there, and it's a potential differentiator.

Another important and needed update is speed and performance. What Apple showed was impressive, but I'll hold off my judgement until watchOS actually ships.

Finally, we often see features in iOS that make sense only in future devices. For example, sketching in the Notes app didn't seem to be overly important... until iPad Pro and Pencil came along. I'd venture to say watchOS 3 extends the life of the current devices: No new Watch hardware this year would be a nice way to stave off buyer's remorse, though watchOS 3 may also be optimized for new, Fall hardware. Time will tell.

Moving tvOS forward

As with watchOS, tvOS also feels like the operating system has reached maturity. Developers no longer need to support the Siri Remote when designing games, while single sign-on for third-party services feels like it should have been there from day one.

Developers are rejoicing over the first; end-users will jump for joy for the second. Anyone who has ever authenticated multiple channels know what I'm talking about; hopefully this will remove the need to toss remotes at the TVs in frustration.

The lack of Siri Remote support as a requirement might mean we're going to see much more attention from Apple in the mobile gaming field. On Apple TV, the market is tepid at best, though support for "casual" games has been brilliant: More users play those titles than hardcore console games. Support for more sophisticated titles, however, might make Apple TV appeal to a market more interested in gaming, and help Apple TV cement its place as input two.

Music and messaging

Music is clearly more important to Apple than it was a year ago. The UI has received a much-needed overhaul: This was one part of the keynote that felt targeted toward users more than developers. There's no doubt Apple Music has been a success for the company, despite bugs — anyone who says otherwise is in denial or works for Spotify. Apple's heavy marketing for the service, home court advantage with the built-in app, and updated UI will make the service even more appealing. At a time when services are becoming more important for Apple, I'd expect to see a lot of growth for Apple Music this year. Apple, of course, knows that too.

The updates to Messages are, in every sense of the word, cool: Messages now feels more like a platform and less like a standalone app, and has taken cues from some of the most popular social messaging apps of late.

Of note: Messages, as previously rumored, was not ported to Android. At a time when Apple is looking for more Android switchers, I don't see why Apple would make it easier for iOS users to migrate to Android, or give Android users a reason to stay on the platform if they don't need to switch to stay in a friend's circle on iOS.

iOS

The most anticipated news is always iOS; Apple's mobile devices — iPhone especially — are the core of Apple's business. And the mobile OS looks like a nice refresh. Again, it feels like an evolution of things users have been looking for. Notable? Extended support for 3D Touch. To anyone skeptical of Apple's commitment to 3D Touch, the extended support almost certainly guarantees it in future devices, including iPad. It would also seem a feature that no longer can be only a differentiator for lower end devices if developers are going to ramp up support.

One feature that was called out has received a lot of digital ink. I'm referring to the ability for users to remove native apps. Huh? I don't see how that's major. Users have clamored for this ability ever since the app store was created. I know many users (including myself) that don't bother with Apple's native apps, at best, or wonder why some apps are even there in the first place. Game Center, I'm looking at you. What will be worth watching for is how Apple let's things such as links or references from apps such as mail to be set to different defaults.

Other apps did get some overhauls. Photos in particular feels a lot more mature and brings the feature set closer to what Google already offers in Google Photos. I'll be interested to see how Photos work in final release. I'm wondering if there's enough to make Photos appealing for users like me who abandoned Apple Photos for greener pastures.

Closing thoughts

I'm only hitting the high points that jumped out at me. There's a lot more to discuss. For example, things that would seem to be "no brainers" to add, such as a CarPlay app native to all iOS devices, not just cars (Google already announced that feature for Android). Look for more commentary in days ahead. In the meantime, what things merit deeper dives? Let us know, and we'll make it happen.

At WWDC 2016, Apple showcased the iOS and Mac apps that "set a benchmark for excellence" when it comes to "usability, excellence in design, excellence in innovation, and excellence in technology adoption." Here are the winners of the 2016 Apple Design Awards.

Apple Design Award 2016 winners

• Complete Anatomy - Free

• Streaks - $3.99

Track up to six tasks you want to complete every day. Your goal is to build a streak of consecutive days. Streaks works with the Apple Health app to help you achieve your fitness goals.

Six tasks: Stay focused, get them done.

• Streaks automatically knows when you complete tasks linked to the Health app
• Includes a blazingly fast Apple Watch app, including Complications, Glance screen, and Rich Notifications.
• Customize the app color
• Hundreds of icons to choose from
• Customizable reminder notifications keeps you on track
• View your current and best streak, as well as your completion statistics

• Zova - Free

• Frame.io - Free

• Ulysses Mobile - $24.99

Ulysses for iPhone and iPad is your one-stop writing environment on iOS. Whether you're a novelist, a journalist, a student or a blogger – if you love to write and write a lot, Ulysses gives you a uniquely streamlined toolset, covering every phase of the writing process:

• A powerful, yet simple text editor.
• A familiar, no-nonsense text library.
• A reliable iCloud sync across all devices and Ulysses for Mac.
• A comprehensive and truly flexible multi-format export.

Of course, the heart and soul of a writing app is its editor. And Ulysses is said to have the best text editor in the world. It offers everything you need – from markup to images and footnotes, from links to comments and code –, and it still manages to stay completely out of the way. It's a beautiful and focused experience, which turns writing on mobile into actual fun.

But since Ulysses takes writing seriously, it does not stop at the editor. Its unified library offers unprecedented access to everything you'll ever write, be it snippets and ideas, be it blog posts or manuscripts. Every text is at your fingertips, and Ulysses perfectly scales from scratchpad to diary to Great American Novels – and to everything in-between.

Best of all, Ulysses offers fully-fledged, no-holds-barred, all-out iCloud sync. Ulysses is available for all your devices, be it Mac, iPad or iPhone, and every connected device has access to everything and anything you'll ever write.

And once you're finished, export is only a tap away. Ulysses can transform your text into beautiful PDFs, web pages, ebooks and Word documents. You can copy as HTML, save to the cloud as Markdown, and even publish a draft to your Medium account.

• Chameleon Run - $1.99

Chameleon Run is a unique, fast and challenging autorunner with a colorful twist. Jump, switch and run through expertly crafted levels that will have you running back for more.

Your goal is to switch your color to match the ground as you run and jump from platform to platform. Sounds easy right? Well think again!

• Fast paced running, jumping and switching colors
• Fun jumping mechanics like "double jump" and "head jump"
• Pixel perfect physics
• Stylish, super smooth and colorful graphics
• Non-linear levels with 3 special objectives in each one
• Compete for the fastest time on each level
• Simple two button controls

• Lara Croft Go - $4.99

• INKS. - $1.99

INKS updates pinball for a new generation. It combines the joy of pinball with skilful tactical challenges, and allows you to create wondrous works of art as the ball smashes around the canvas.

Blocks of colour burst like beautiful fireworks across the surface, building up in vivid layers and recording a visual history of your game as you perfect your score.

• Beautiful and elegant design
• Over 100 unique tables to play
• Perfectly balanced gameplay
• Each canvas tells the story of your game
• Share your favourite levels and high scores

• Auxy - Free

• djay Pro - $19.99

Student awards

• Linum - Free

• Dividr - Free

Apple Design Awards 2016

In an effort to help everyone learn how to code with Swift, Apple introduced a brand-new iPad app called Swift Playgrounds at WWDC 2016. According to CEO Tim Cook, Swift Playgrounds "will revolutionize the way people learn to code."

The app is meant to make diving into coding easy, even for kids. The first lesson, for example, starts with the introduction of a coding concept along with an interactive world. Users will then be able to interact with the world using the code they're learning. The app also features step-by-step instructions and QuickType suggestions for code. Students are encouraged then to enter their code, tap run and explore what happens in the library of playgrounds.

The app also features a new coding keyboard that will allow users to press and drag down on letters and numbers to access symbols. The free app will be available to developers today, with a public beta available in July. The final release will be available in the App Store right alongside iOS 10. While the app will be great for learning, it is important to note that this isn't Xcode; you won't be able to build and export full apps.

In addition to the new app, Apple revealed that Swift has become the number one language project on Github since it was made open source earlier this year. In addition, more than 100,000 apps are now using Swift, including big names like Twitter, Strava and more.

Apple plans to release iOS 10 to the public this fall, and has detailed which devices will be able to use its latest mobile operating system. It appears that this release cuts off support for the Apple A 5 system-on-a-chip, and will function on an iPhone 5, iPad 4, and newer.

Here's the complete list of iOS 10-compatible devices:

• iPad 4
• iPad Air
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Pro
• iPad Mini 2
• iPad Mini 3
• iPad Mini 4
• iPod Touch 6
• iPhone 5
• iPhone 5c
• iPhone 5s
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus

Apple will release iOS 10 in developer preview today, with a public beta coming in July.

Apple has announced some enhancements coming to Messages with iOS 10. Messages will offer rich, inline previews of websites, along with inline YouTube videos, along with camera enhancements and more.

You'll be able to take a picture right from the Messages app in iOS 10, with the ability to open a camera window right on top of the keyboard. If you want to attach an existing photo, swipe right to access your gallery. Emoji will be three times bigger in iOS 10, and the keyboard will offer emoji predictions as you type. You can also tap the emoji button, then tap a word to get an emoji replacement.

There are new effects, with bubbles now moving, resizing, and more to express different emotions. You can send messages in "invisible ink," which can be revealed by sliding across them. You can also hand-write messages, and if your screw up, you can re-write them.

Messages on iOS 10 will also feature support for Digital Touch, which first debuted on the Apple Watch last year. It allows you to send digital sketches, your heartbeat, and more to your loved ones.

You can get more news from WWDC 2016 by staying tuned to iMore for the latest.

Apple TV users are in for quite the treat thanks to a set of upcoming apps, features and more. On stage at WWDC 2016, Apple revealed that Sling TV will be available with live cable on the fourth generation Apple TV starting today.

In addition, Fox Sports Go will be available this summer, along with Molotov TV — a French live TV service with more than 100 channels. Lastly, a new game called SketchParty will bring Pictionary-esque fun to your Apple TV.

As for features, users will be able to easily use Siri voice search to find specific movies by topics. For example, you can search "high school comedies from the 80's" and get just that. Siri will then search more than 650,000 movies and TV shows, along with YouTube.

Apple also introduced Live tune-in, which will let you open a specific app right to its live streaming component. Currently, the feature works with ESPN, Disney, CBS, and FX.

In a boost for ease of use, tvOS now also features single sign-on for cable providers. Now, when signing into an app with your cable provider credentials, you'll only have to do so once and that sign-on will carry over to other compatible apps. A dark mode is also on its way, which should be easier on the eyes.

In other bits and bobs, the Apple TV will also be able to sync download between it and your iPhone. Now, ocne you download an app on your iPhone, your Apple TV will download it as well. ReplayKit will allow you to live broadcast and save gameplay.

Lastly, Apple revealed that the new Apple TV now has 6000 native apps since launching in Fall 2015.

A developer preview of all of these features will be available today, and a public release wil lland this fall.

For more, keep following along with all of our WWDC 2016 coverage.

Press release:

Powerful New Siri Capabilities & Single Sign-On Coming to Apple TV

SAN FRANCISCO — June 13, 2016 — Apple® today announced powerful new Siri® capabilities, single sign-on for Apple TV® and many more great new features for users, making the entertainment experience in the living room even better. With expanded Siri capabilities, including searching across even more apps, YouTube search, topic search and tuning right into more live channels, customers can get to their favorite content even faster. The future of TV is apps, and with single sign-on customers can authenticate all the video channels from their pay-TV providers by simply signing in once to enjoy all of their network-TV apps.

"The future of TV is apps, and Siri on Apple TV has changed the way we interact with our television and these expanded features will continue to deliver viewers what they want to watch even faster," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "There are over 6,000 apps to enjoy on your Apple TV including over 1,300 video channels, which are even more fun to watch with the new Siri features combined with single sign-on."

New Siri Features & Functionality Since the launch of Apple TV, Siri has gotten more powerful, now searching over 650,000 TV episodes and movies. Siri is available in even more countries with expanded capabilities.

• Topic search for movies*: With the ability to ask Siri for a movie by topic or theme, you have even more ways to find the films you really feel like watching, such as "Show movies about baseball," "Find documentaries about cars," or "Find high school comedies from the '80s."
• YouTube search: Later this month, users can ask Siri to search YouTube, so you can say "Search YouTube for cute pug videos."
• Live tune-in: Ask Siri to go directly to a live channel inside a supported app, such as "Watch CBS News" or "Watch ESPN."
• Manage HomeKit™ accessories: Apple TV gives users control of HomeKit-enabled accessories so you can ask Siri to "Turn on the lights" or "Set the temperature to 70 degrees." Apple TV also allows users to control HomeKit accessories when they are away from home or use it for home automation with the Home app on their iOS device.

Single Sign-on for Pay-TV Apps For the first time, customers in the US will have a simplified way of enjoying pay-TV video channels by using single sign-on. Starting this fall, users only have to sign in once on Apple TV to enjoy immediate access to their favorite video channels that are included as part of their pay-TV subscription.

• Once a user is signed into one network app, any other app on Apple TV from participating pay-TV providers will automatically log the user into all other supported apps requiring authentication.
• During the single sign-on process, customers can view a page of all the authenticated apps that a pay-TV provider offers to more easily discover, download and enjoy all of their favorite video channels.
• Any network-TV app can take advantage of this technology to enable single sign-on and simplify the process for their viewers.
• Single sign-on will be available on both Apple TV and iOS.

The Future of TV is Apps The latest Apple TV just launched last fall, giving developers unprecedented access to a modern platform like iOS but for the living room. With over 6,000 apps already available for Apple TV, the future of television is apps. Users can enjoy amazing experiences on the biggest screen in their home, work out with Zova or Daily Burn; plan their next trip with Airbnb or TripAdvisor; play SketchParty TV or NBA 2K16 with friends and family; buy their favorite designer brands on Gilt; learn to cook with Kitchen Stories Cookbook; catch up on news with ABC News; or watch their favorite shows, movies and sports with HBO NOW or Sling TV. Developers have only just begun tapping into the potential of tvOS™ and initial feedback has been tremendous.

"tvOS on Apple TV takes the Sling TV app to new heights, creating a seamless combination of technology and entertainment," said Roger Lynch, CEO, Sling TV.

"We easily extended our iOS game experiences to the living room — something that is incredibly difficult to do on traditional consoles," said Hannibal Soares, CEO, BoomBit.

"tvOS has allowed STARZ to create an experience on Apple TV unlike anything we've done before and our subscribers are loving it!" said Chris Albrecht, CEO, Starz.

New tvOS APIs and tools available for developers include:

• ReplayKit to enable developers to record and live broadcast from their apps;
• PhotoKit to allow third-party app access to photos and videos in iCloud® Photo Library and iCloud Shared Stream;
• HomeKit to create apps to control HomeKit devices from Apple TV;
• App badging on the Home screen, to make it easier for users to know something new for them is available inside an app; and,
• Game Center enhancements and support for up to four game controllers at a time.

Additional Apple TV Features and Updates

• iOS users can download the new Apple TV Remote app with touch navigation, Siri and game play support.
• Apple Music® has an all-new design, bringing greater clarity and simplicity to every aspect of the experience. The Library, For You, Browse and Radio tabs have been completely redesigned to provide an even greater sense of place, and a Search tab has been added to make finding music even easier.
• Photos for Apple TV now supports the new Memories feature, making it easy to rediscover meaningful moments in a user's photo library and share them on the big screen.
• While users love the bright and fresh Apple TV interface, some may prefer a darker background to fit a home theater environment or darker rooms, so now users can select a dark background for Apple TV.
• Universal apps will now automatically download on Apple TV and show up on the Home screen when an app has been added to a user's iOS device.
• When a keyboard appears on Apple TV, one will also appear on nearby iOS devices that are logged into the same iCloud account, making entering text even more convenient.

Availability The tvOS developer preview is available immediately for Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. The new tvOS will be available this fall as a free software update for Apple TV. For more information, visit apple.com/tvos-preview. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all regions or all languages. Siri will be available for Apple TV users in 12 countries.

*Siri availability and functionality varies by country. Subscription required for some content.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple's four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple's 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

The World Wide Developer Conference — WWDC 2016 — keynote has just wrapped almost two hours of non-stop announcements. Here are all the most important ones, and links to what you need to know about them!

iOS 10

Apple announced the tenth version of iOS, and the big focus with this release is on Siri. Developers will be able to integrate their apps with Apple's digital assistant for the first time through the release of an SDK.

• iOS 10 FAQ: Everything you need to know

macOS Sierra

The next version of Apple's operating system for desktops and laptops is dropping the 'X', opting instead for the new 'macOS' branding. With macOS, Siri makes its debut on Apple's traditional computers for the first time. The update will pack in a number of other features and improvements, including updates to iCloud Drive.

• macOS Sierra FAQ: Everything you need to know

watchOS

Later this year, watchOS 3 will bring new enhancements to the Apple Watch experience. The update will allow watch apps to launch even faster, while watch owners will also see a set of new faces, along with apps for Reminders and Find My Friends. There is also a new safety feature with watchOS SOS, and the ability to share your activity with friends.

• watchOS 3 FAQ: Everything you need to know

tvOS

The next major version of the Apple TV's software will offer single sign-on for cable logins, along with its own dark mode. There will also be a number of Siri enhancements, as well as improvements for watching live TV.

• tvOS 10 FAQ: Everything you need to know

It's that time of year: Some of us are about to board airplanes, others are frantically packing last-minute supplies, and others still are lounging about in Sacramento until they have to drive in. (Hi, Lory.) Apple kicks off its yearly developer conference this Monday, June 13, at 10am PT and we'll be here. You can follow our journey via the social accounts below, and read on for what we're planning!

When are you getting in?

Serenity

Friday evening! The conference doesn't start until Monday, but I like having the weekend to get situated to west coast time. (And as a plus, I get to spend time with good California friends, and go to wacky things like cat circuses. What is a cat circus? I'll let you know on Saturday night after I view one.)

Bader

I'm already here! I like to park my deck chair and beach umbrella outside Bill Graham a few days early to, you know, scope out the place! Kidding — I'm in SF for something else, which gives me a nice weekend to mentally prepare for Dub Dub. But now that Apple has pre-announced its App Store enhancements, I doubt there's much else to talk about, so I guess I'll be heading home.

Lory

Since I live about 90 miles from San Francisco, it's like I'm always there. I just have to hop in my car and drive into the city. I will, however, be staying in downtown San Francisco Sunday night because traffic is a nightmare during rush hour. Without exaggerating, it would probably take me four hours to go 90 miles on Monday morning. In fact, I made that drive during rush hour last week and it took 3.5 hours.

Mikah

Sunday, Sunday! Last to arrive, first to leave — so it goes for the non-blessed. By non-blessed I mean I won't be at the actual keynote, but I'll be tuning in close by!

Rene

Saturday. I'm always terrified that something will go wrong with my flight, and I'll be stuck somewhere and miss the keynote, so I try to fly in a day early. It's normally more likely in the winter with freezing rain, when I've been stuck in Montreal, or turned around before reaching Toronto, or stuck at Toronto for the better part of a day. But I take no chances!

What do you have planned for the week?

Serenity

I'm up early on Monday to cover the WWDC keynote with Rene and Bader, maybe do a little podcasting action with the folks at Relay, then visit with as many developers and SF-area engineering friends as I can! I'll also be volunteering at Layers on Tuesday and Wednesday: The design conference was my favorite non-WWDC hangout last year, and it's chock-full of wonderful talks and people. And snacks. Oh, the snacks.

Bader

Visiting San Francisco is always a treat, and I try to make the most of it whenever I can. During Dub Dub, that means talking to as many developers as possible, preferably over libations, and learning from my colleagues, whom I rarely get to see in person. Should be great fun!

Lory

Monday will be all about the Keynote, iMore Show podcast, State of the Union, and other WWDC stuff. I'm excited about the iMore/Loop Beard Bash Monday night. It will be great to mingle and meet new people. But really, I'm just there for the party snacks. I am a veritable WWDC noob and have no idea what else to expect for the rest of the week. I'll get to sit in on John Gruber's Talk Show Live, which promises to be very exciting. But really, I'm just there for the snacks. I also have loose plans to meet with friends that live in the Bay for lunch. Everything else is up in the air. I'm ready to embrace all that is WWDC and its outlying events with open arms and an open heart. But, snacks mostly.

Mikah

So, so much! I'm only in town until Wednesday (and I have to be at the airport pretty early on Wednesday), so you'd better believe I'm going to make the most of my first visit to WWDC! Monday we'll be tuning in for the Keynote and podcasting afterward. There's also RelayCon and the Beard Bash on Monday. I'll be doing a live show with Christina Warren and Brianna Wu on Tuesday at AltConf and sneaking in some libations and celebrations with colleagues and new friends throughout. I hope to see and meet some of you there!

Rene

I'm in full-on WWDC mode. I'll be covering the keynote with Ren and Bader on Monday Morning, trying to cram a podcast in with the whole team right after, then hitting State of the Union, the Apple Design Awards, and the iMore/Beard Bash until the wee hours. The rest of the week will be covering sessions, likely watching them multiple times each so I can start writing up all the "Explained" I'm compelled to write each year.

How will you be enjoying the keynote?

Serenity

WWDC was the first event I ever got invited to as a member of the press, so it always holds a special place in my heart: I've covered many conferences and keynotes, but I still love the magic that comes along with thousands of excited developers crammed into a room waiting to hear how the company is going to change their lives (hopefully for the better).

Bader

Feverishly trying to get the best photo of Craig Federighi's luscious hair from every angle. And perhaps some photos of new software announcements.

Lory

I'm honored to be able to crash the Relay FM remote watching party with my cohort Mikah. I've never met any of these awesome, intelligent, and funny people in real life (including Mikah), but I feel like I know them already. I hope they don't mind if I bring my flask of Jameson. Don't worry, I'll share.

Mikah

Lory and I are going to be the rowdy bunch at the Relay FM remote watch party. I was already excited to meet her for the first time, but now there's going to be a flask of Jameson. This meetup is about to be OFF THE CHAIN! (I never say off the chain. Who am I?)

Rene

It's funny, I can't enjoy a keynote when I'm covering it. I can barely even watch it. I need to get into a state where whatever is said is transmitted through my brain, out my fingers, and into the liveblog with as little interference as possible. I'll need to watch it later to enjoy it. Likely several times.

What are you most excited to see this week?

Serenity

Aside from Eddy's new colorful shirt? I can't wait to see what the company has in store for watchOS and the iPad Pro. After a year with both watchOS and the iPad Pro, Apple likely has some pretty solid data on how both devices are being used, and I'm hoping that translates to smarter design for the watch and more power features for the iPad.

Bader

I'm increasingly looking forward to seeing what the company has in store for OS X. Mac's OS has been riding a wave of incrementalism over the past three years — Mavericks, Yosemite, and El Capitan — and I'm ready to see some bigger changes. The aforementioned improvements to the Mac App Store will go a long way, but that and Siri, which is sure to arrive on the Mac in some form, will not satiate me.

I'm also terribly excited for watchOS 3, which should prove to be a fun little update to a fun little product.

Lory

Everything. Every year, Apple blows my mind with something new and exciting. This year will focus on software, and I'm looking forward to the milestone update of iOS 10. I'm also hoping for something big with tvOS. It is still in its infancy and could use a lot of brain-exploding new features. Updates to the Mac software is always a pleasant addition, but learning new stuff can affect my productivity. So, while I'm hoping for some big new features, I'm also hoping we don't get socked in the face with too many major changes all at once. As for watchOS 3.0, I just want them to tell me it will run faster.

Mikah

All. The. Things! I've got a watch on my wrist that's begging to be loaded with beta software, an iPhone that's thirsty for risk, and an iPad that's getting tired of the current way of things. My Mac, however, will not be tasting the beta life. I love it and need it too much to expose it to beta software.

Other than the obvious, I'm really excited to see what it's like being in the city where it happens.

Rene

What's next. Not in a cliched sense, but after redesigns and re-architectures, launches and relaunches, we now have iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, all in public, all for the first time. It'll still take some time to stabilize, polish up, and round out, but it feels like we're now in place where Apple can start pushing out the next phase of its software vision.

Technology aside, I'm also interested in seeing how Apple balances the keynote. There are those that feel the traditional Steve Jobs-style keynote is still best and any deviation from it is less than ideal. Others feel time has changed and Apple needs to change with it. Everything from SNL-style opening skits to dad jokes to Jimmy and Drake on stage are examples of that clash. Yet it feels like there's a unified approach, somewhere in the middle, that Apple could ride forward.

I'm hoping we see that this year.

What are you dreading?

Serenity

The inevitable post-WWDC hangover/sickness on Thursday when I fly home. (Also, that I have to immediately drive to Philadelphia after getting off a plane. But it's for roller derby camp, so not all bad.)

Bader

Having to go home just a day after the keynote, and the FOMO that comes with missing all the awesome WWDC festivities. Blame the weak Canadian Dollar, and a longing for my own bed.

Lory

Accidentally getting too drunk at the Beard Bash and making a fool of myself, and then having Mikah Snapchat it. I'd be mortified.

Mikah

Travel. Travel stresses me out, I get really anxious and become hyper-aware of everyone sneezing and coughing around me. I'm an anxious human. Can't help it.

I'm also dreading Lory catching me Snapchatting her Beard Bash antics. Something tells me she has a strong kick.

Rene

The pace! WWDC is non-stop from beginning to end. It's a blast, don't get me wrong, but trying to keep up with everything is almost impossible.

Also the internet getting vandalized by same-day hot takes that are really not takes, and think pieces with little thought. But that's the cost of silly Apple headlines getting clicks.

What non-WWDC event are you most looking forward to?

Serenity

There are a lot this year — so many that Apple itself is advertising them! RelayCon on Monday will be great fun, as will the combination iMore/Beard Bash party later that evening; in the daytime, Tuesday and Wednesday is all about Layers, with the evenings reserved for seeing old friends at various gatherings. I am especially looking forward to John Gruber's live Talk Show, and whomever he tricks into appearing on the stage this year. (And hey, now that I have an iPad Pro, I've got a pretty good rig for liveblogging and transcription on the go.)

I'm also looking forward to having the entire core iMore crew (minus the two Gs, Georgia and Gartenberg) in the same room for the FIRST TIME EVER. And I've never met Mikah in person yet; I expect to be Snapchat-tortured and face-swapped. Oh dear.

Bader

This is my first WWDC with the iMore team, so I'm excited about introductions to, and conversations with, new friends. Beard Bash should be a blast, so at the very least, I'll raise a Heineken to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen.

Lory

I'm most excited about spending some non-work time with the iMore team. Most of us are somewhat new to the crew and, since none of us live anywhere near each other, we only communicate via the internet. I've only seen Rene, Serenity, and Bader in real life on two occasions and I've never met Mikah in person. I'm sad that I still won't get to meet Georgia or Michael, but hopefully, that won't be for too much longer.

Mikah

Can I say all of them? Oh, looks like Rene did. ALL OF THEM! I know this is an extremely privileged thing to say, but I'm just looking forward to having a bunch of fun hanging out with my colleagues and friends in a tech-loving environment. These are my people.

Rene

All of them! From Layers to Alt, from parties like the Beard Bash we're co-throwing with Jim Dalrymple to the Talk Show Live, there's more than ever going on around WWDC this year.

It literally sucks that I have to work all week. I'm super-jealous of those that get to attend.

What are your must-eat places in San Francisco?

Serenity

I've been dreaming about Specialty's freshly-made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, so I guess I have to go get one. Around Moscone, my secret favorite place is the Westfield Mall food court: They have a ton of delicious, high-quality food that's way under above-ground SF prices.

I also may have to get pizza at Zero Zero, since I've done it at every WWDC I've been to.

Bader

My favorite little spot is Naked Lunch, an awesome lunch spot with a great patio on Broadway near Columbus. It's a little out of the way, but being in such close proximity to the beautiful Telegraph Hill, with its gorgeous cross-city vistas, makes it worth the trek. Uphill. Both ways.

Lory

There is this little Mexican food restaurant in the Mission that I love going to called Taqueria Vallarta. They make the best tacos! It is also right up the street from one of my favorite record shops in San Francisco, Thrillhouse Records. There is this awesome crepe place in Japantown called Belly Good Cafe & Crepes. When you get a sweet crepe with a scoop of gelato, they decorate it to look like an adorable little monster.

Mikah

I lived in California growing up, but we never visited San Francisco! I have no idea what food places are must-eat. I do know I'm hunting down delicious macarons (no, not macaroons) and I'm definitely hanging out with Rene at Blue Bottle. Outside of that, who knows?

Rene

Blue Bottle for coffee, but really there's an embarrassment of riches around WWDC. You can find everything from great tea at Yerba Buena to great Mexican, Indian, and Bistro down the alley, to top-flight food of every type in the restaurants surrounding Moscone. And then there's the rest of San Francisco...

Any advice for first-timers at WWDC?

Serenity

Have fun, talk to as many people as your brain will allow (but don't forget to take breaks). Remember it's okay to be by yourself and breathe, and though the FOMO is real, it's not worth stressing over. See who (and what) you can, and enjoy San Francisco's strange pseudo-winter June weather!

Bader

Everyone knows each other, and you know no one. That's OK, because they were all like that, too. Inside, even the cool kids want to meet you; they just don't know it yet. It often seems like the Apple community is one big club to which you'll never know the right password. But the reality is that most people are pretty darn nice, and just take a bit of warming up — much like the pseudo-winter June weather in San Francisco. (Last phrase credit: Serenity Caldwell)

Lory

Since I am a first-timer to WWDC, I'll take any advice you can give me.

Mikah

reads everyone else's answers because he is a first-timer

Rene

Pick your shots. It's impossible to do everything. If you're attending WWDC, get to all the labs and ask all the questions you need to. The sessions are recorded and you can watch them on-demand. Getting to talk to the engineers who work on the frameworks, and getting help with your specific problems, is worth more than the price of the ticket — it's invaluable.

If you're not attending, then still pick your shots. There are so many parties and bars and surrounding events you can't make it to all of them, and you can seriously hurt yourself trying. Don't miss a day or more because you took yourself out on the first night. Think marathon, not sprint, and many things in moderation, not obliterating excess once.

Bottom line: Your top three predictions for WWDC 2016.

Serenity

watchOS 3 will make my Apple Watch Sport feel new again. Eddy will wear a colorful shirt and/or a Warriors jersey (that yellow is pretty colorful!) during the keynote. And I will end up bricking one of my devices with a beta before the end of the week.

Bader

The keynote will be overwhelming, in a good way. Apple Music will get its much-needed visual overhaul. And macOS will remind us how a minor rebranding can do a lot to re-energize a user base.

Lory

Apple will announce new features coming in iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. They will also officially reveal that they are renaming OS X to macOS. An indie game developer will get to show off their super cool, amazing game on the upcoming iOS 10 platform and we'll all go wild about it over the next few months. A band that I know very little, if anything at all, about will play at the very end of the Keynote.

Mikah

No hardware will be announced, Jony Ive won't physically walk across the WWDC keynote stage, and Rene will buy another Apple Watch band.

Rene

Our devices will become smarter again and even more secure. We'll be given more control and more options. Much medium-hanging fruit will be addressed, but not all of it. We'll love some of the new features immediately but others we'll come to appreciate down the road.

And we'll have a lot to talk about between Monday and the fall.

Holy cow, WWDC 2016 is less than a week away! So excite. Much wow. Very yes. I'm getting packed and pumped to head to San Francisco for Apple's latest event, and that means gathering up my gear for the trip. Here's most of the gear I'll be taking with me!

• Timbuk2 Shotwell Backpack: I've had this bag since my freshman year in college, and I love it with all my heart. Sadly, Timbuk2 stopped making this bag at some point — a travesty! It's important for me to look like I'm not carrying a bunch of stuff even when I am, and that's what's great about the Shotwell. The pockets and pouches are sewn in such a way that they bulge into the bag, not out. It's a good-looking bag that (because it's made by Timbuk2) has lasted me ages and will continue to do so. Even with its slimming technology, this bag can hold quite a bit and remain comfortable to boot! Oh, did I mention it has a bottle opener on the shoulder strap? It has a bottle opener on the shoulder strap.
• 15-inch MacBook Pro: It's the cornerstone of Sargent Industries, which is what I'm now officially calling my personal brand. Despite its slim slimness, this machine can render video and hit the ground running with Photoshop at the same time. There's no other way to put it: I love my MacBook Pro.
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard: Hello, beautiful! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The iPad Pro is my favorite device on which to write. I feel more focused and I love the sound and feeling of the Smart Keyboard keys.
• Apple Pencil: What's an iPad Pro without an Apple Pencil? Not as much fun, that's what! Truth be told, I probably won't use the Apple Pencil all that much while I'm in San Francisco, but I'm bringing it along just in case.
• iPhone 6s Plus with iPhone 6s Plus Silicone Charcoal Gray Case: I'd be lost without you, iPhone 6s Plus! I use my iPhone more than any other electronic device in my possession.
• Space Gray Apple Watch Sport: Who has two thumbs and's going to be filling up his fitness bands in the California sun? This guy! My Apple Watch will help me keep an eye on the notifications from my iPhone without having to pull it out in each and every instance.
  • Black Woven Nylon Band: My day-to-day band of choice.
  • Black Leather Loop: When I want to spruce up the look, this'll be the band I rock.
• Bose QuietComfort 20 headphones: I went to CES earlier this year and it was the first time I'd been on a plane in awhile. I'd forgotten how loud airplanes are! I had some measly earbuds that I couldn't hear over that roar, and that made for a less-than-enjoyable trip. But this time I'm prepared! I charged up these bad boys for the first time the other night, tried them on with Coffitivity playing in the background, and nearly lost my mind! These things are freaky good — well worth the cost.
• Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Mini: You won't catch me traveling without Bae, otherwise known as this 2,500 mAh power station battery pack thingy. I can plug in anything that charges via USB and let's be real: This thing is slick! It's tiny and good-looking; I'm happy to have it along for the ride.
• Various goodies:
  • Aspirin: Fun fact: If you're going to take an NSAID for a hangover, use Aspirin. Most of the other stuff will do to your kidneys and liver what the alcohol is already doing. Not good.)
  • Tylenol: For headaches and other aches and pains
  • Airborne Dual-Action Immune Support Tablets: Because I am a paranoid human who doesn't want to get sick
  • Germ-X: Because I am a paranoid human who doesn't want to get sick
  • Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes: Because I am a paranoid human who doesn't want to get sick
  • Travel Lint Roller: Because lint is everywhere
  • Gold Bond Body Powder: This is the holy grail of living a happy life. I finally listened to Aaron Draplin and picked up some Gold Bond, and now my life is forever changed. If you want to be cool, dry, and frictionless everywhere you go (particularly in sunny California), get some Gold Bond and cover yourself in it — you won't regret it.
  • Gum and mints: Because lots of talking after lots of coffee

There are other cables and various tidbits that'll inevitably end up in my bag, but these are the most important pieces to the WWDC puzzle. My wallet will, of course, be part of my daily carry, a pen or two will be on my person, and so will my sunglasses.

Be sure to check out iMore for everything you need to know about the big event! The keynote starts at 10am PT/1pm ET on Monday, June 13, as does our live coverage.

• Read: What's in Rene's gear bag
• Read: What's in Lory's gear bag
• Read: What's in Serenity's gear bag
• Read: What's in Daniel's gear bag

iPhone OS launched nine years ago this June; in that time, we've gone from iPhone to iPad, no third-party apps to the App Store, and from something brand new to something running on a billion devices around the world. Yet on the eve of WWDC 2016, there remain many features we'd love to see iOS 10 branch out and conquer.

Let's start with the setup assistant. It's gotten… rather long and involved. What could Apple do to make setting up a new iPhone or iPad easier and quicker?

Serenity

Much as I loathe the current setup assistant, I'm not sure what Apple could do to simplify matters without taking away initial device functionality. It's a pain for me, but I set up an iOS device as new almost every month; the average user may only see the assistant once a year, if that, and it may not be nearly as arduous a process for them.

I do think that Apple should make the process of restoring from backup a little swifter: Most backup-related material could hypothetically be done over the air (like restoring apps) after the system is in place, but iCloud backups still often take 45 minutes to two hours to restore properly. It'd be nice to see a faster method for getting the end-user a working device more quickly after restoring from backup.

Bader

I'm going to start off a little ranty: I really, thoroughly dislike the new iPhone setup routine. It's long, yes, but it's increasingly disjointed and confusing. Worse is when you need to restore from a previous device; setting up the device as new forces you to reinstall and reconfigure all of your apps manually, while restoring from iCloud (which is the more common scenario over a local Mac backup) is an all-or-nothing affair. The problem is that there is usually a considerable amount of cruft in my iCloud backups. I like Android's solution here: selective restoration of apps and settings. If that were possible, I'd probably spend less time downloading and logging into the 30 or so essential apps I use every day.

On the iPad, the setup procedure has not been optimized for the larger screen real estate, which is very unlike Apple, and gives an unfavorable first impression. So let's change that, too, while we're at it.

Lory

It's been a long time since I've set up an iPhone from new. I usually restore one from a recent backup. But, even when I'm syncing content from a backup, the setup process does take a long time. For a brand new iPhone or iPad owner, this could probably seem daunting. It might be helpful if Apple implemented a way to enable the setup features only when you are about to need to use them. For example, Apple could postpone requesting you to decide on Location Services until you actually open the Maps app or another app that requires the feature.

Mikah

Hold up, is it actually called setup buddy? You learn something new …

I do get tired of going through the setup process over and over and over and over again, but I think I prefer it to the alternative: not having nuanced control over the basic settings for my device. I mean, most settings have a Skip button — if you don't feel like setting something up, just skip over it. I guess if there's anything I'd like to see changed, it's that iOS would get a little smarter about knowing whether I'm setting up a brand new device or just updating the operating system on a device I'm currently using. Rene's Manual vs. Automatic paths are essentially what I'm looking for.

Gartenberg

It's actually gotten better over time. Remember the first iPhone. I talked to a few new users, they had no issues with the current setup. Longer time users might have some complaints but hard to do much better

Rene

I'd split Setup Buddy into two paths at this point: manual and automatic. Manual would let you individually toggle and set up each and every feature. Automatic would have you log into iCloud, setup Touch ID, Siri, and Apple Pay, and set everything else to default. Then, at the end, give the option to review settings, and the ability to go back through it at any time.

Siri is on everyone's short list. How can Apple's digital assistant capture more natural language hearts and minds?

Serenity

Siri needs reliability, speed, and smarts to truly vault over the rest of the voice assistant pack. And some sort of access to third-party apps.

Bader

We've spoken about this at length, but Siri needs to graduate from virtual high school. The assistant is pretty capable already, but I want Siri to be able to plug into third-party apps so, in addition to starting a playlist from Apple Music, I can do so from Spotify or TIDAL, or (god forbid) Google Play Music.

And let me input text to chat with Siri instead of relying almost entirely on voice. Spotlight search is already pretty good, but let's take that one step further.

Lory

Siri needs to be better at learning how we talk. If I use a lot of "ums" and "ers," it should learn my style and adjust accordingly. It should take into account regional accents and people who speak using a secondary language. It also needs to get better at understanding vagaries. I'd really be happy if the first time I asked Siri to do something, it got it right.

Mikah

Wait, didn't we talk about this recently? ;)

I want Siri to take a few pages out of the Amazon Alexa playbook. I want to trust my virtual assistant again; right now I opt out of using Siri as often as possible, because it disappoints me more often than it does what I ask it to do. If Apple could improve Siri's success rate, open it up to third parties, and improve upon its existing capabilities, I'll be a happy camper. But that's a lot to ask, so we'll see!

Gartenberg

Siri needs to become HAL 9000 but without the locking me out of myself and trying to kill me. For the foreseeable future? It's all more smoke and mirrors, AI is a long way off. I hope

Rene

Voice ID has stopped accidental and malicious activations, but intentional ones still aren't reliable enough. I'd also like to have alternate activation phrases and the ability to type rather than talk to Siri. And yes, Siri Voice Free.

An API would be great, since the more services the better the overall service, but it would need to handle competing and colliding apps and services gracefully, and work internationally. No small feat.

I'd also love more of "this". "Remind me about this" is great. "Share this", and letting me send anything to iMessage, Mail, Twitter, Facebook, etc., "Read this" and having any text converted to speech, "Protect this" and having it lock down, and so on would be phenomenally convenient.

What about the venerable Home screen? Can Apple let Siri and Spotlight slowly take over, or does it need a re-thinking? iPad-specific?

Serenity

I've spoken at length about my iPad home screen desires, so I won't expound on those too much more here. Needless to say, we're about to hit iOS 10 — not only is 10 a significant milestone, but it's a pretty good excuse for taking another look at the Home screen and the purpose it serves. Personally, I would love to see some widget/Notification Center integration straight on the screen, rather than endless rows of apps and folders.

Bader

I rarely use the homescreen to launch apps anymore. I either swipe down to launch from Spotlight, or already have it open and 3D Touch on the left side of my iPhone 6s Plus to quickly open the multitasking menu. The problem right now, though, is that many apps added Spotlight Search capabilities with iOS 9, but there is no way to prioritize those listings. I often want to jump into Transit app to check when the next 505 streetcar is coming (the name of the line), but typing that into Spotlight brings up a number of results before it figures out that I am talking about Transit App.

On the iPad, I want better density on the home screen, and improved keyboard shortcuts for getting around.

Lory

I love the idea of the Home screen being something more like a dashboard where you keep widgets similar to how the Today view in Notification Center works. I use spotlight more often than not when looking for an app I want to open, so there really is no need to keep apps on the Home screen at all. I would be much happier if I could use a widget that showed me the current temperature or upcoming calendar events instead.

Mikah

This is going to upset a few people, but I'd love to see an Androidy Home screen. I like widgets, I like nuanced control over the placement of my apps, and I like hiding or showing apps at my discretion. Forgive me for the blasphemy, but I think Android is superior when it comes to the Home screen paradigm.

As it stands, I mostly use Spotlight search to find and launch apps I use less frequently. My most used apps exist on their own on my Home screen; the rest are stashed in folders labeled with single letters (I don't have the time or the desire to organize them).

Gartenberg

a screen of icons worked… for the first iPhone. Even folders don't work. It's time to think beyond grids of apps and folders of apps

Rene

As much as some people turn their noses up at the Home page, the static grid of icons is what's made iOS accessible to the widest group of people in the history of computing. The "minus one" Home screen has recommended apps, that offer a dynamic alternative, and Spotlight and Siri allow for targeted launch on demand. 3D Touch even lets you launch straight into actions inside apps.

That said, I think I'd prefer recommended and favorite apps in Notification Center, so they're available everywhere and at any time. Rich notifications would be great as well. With extensibility, features can be pulled from apps and shown anywhere. Why not in notifications?

For iPad, I'd still love it if Apple gave it a distinct, tablet-optimized Home screen, the way the company has Watch and TV. I know Apple sees Home screen as a portal and not a destination, and I have a hard time imagining what would be valuable enough that sacrificing consistency with iPhone would be worth it, but it feels like there could be something there. And not just multiple picture-in-picture apps.

Speaking of which, better and more consistent ways of switching apps in Split View would be so nice. Left/primary one way and right/secondary another way just adds to cognitive load. Also, make it view based rather than app based, so multiple instances of the same app are possible, and add the ability to drag and drop data and objects between compatible views, and the sky's the limit.

I'd also love to be able to lock any app or data item with Touch ID or a password. That way, if I ever need to hand someone my iPhone or iPad, my messages, photos, documents, and other content could still be safe.

Control Center is easier — the evolution from static to dynamic content will make it more valuable all on its own.

Oh, and complications for the Lock screen please. Being able to see activity, weather, scores, calendar and reminders, and other small snippets of data and information would be fantastic.

Messaging is hot, hot, hot. Does iMessage need to evolve in a Google and Facebook bot world?

Serenity

Please! iMessage is one of my most-used chatting platforms, but I find myself missing bits from Slack, Facebook Messenger, and GroupMe, including support for inline links and gif searches. And what about emoji reactions? Third-party keyboards make this partially functional, but I'd much prefer a built-in iMessage toolbar for such things.

Also, I mentioned this in our OS X roundtable, but I would love for iMessage to treat group messages properly, and combine messages from the same person (but at different numbers) so they aren't all in separate threads.

Bader

I like iMessage, but I do want peer-to-peer money transfer support, in-line link expansion, and improved deactivation handoffs. This is a pretty specific problem, but as someone who regularly turns off iMessage while testing Android devices for Android Central, I often leave my friends in iMessage purgatory, where messaging me in an existing thread results in an error instead of automatically sending it as an SMS. I don't know what Apple can do to fix this, but perhaps even a prompt to create a new non-iMessage SMS thread would go a long way.

Lory

I don't think iMessage needs any kind of updates or changes. I am very happy with the features that Apple's native chat app comes with. You can send videos, audio clips, or text. You can use third-party keyboards to grab GIFs and stickers. I think bots have the potential to greatly improve convenience in our daily lives, but I don't think iMessage needs to participate in it. You have a choice when deciding to use a third-party chat app like Slack, Hangouts, or Messenger, but every cell phone uses some sort of texting feature and I wouldn't want to worry about what types of data my iPhone's text service was collecting in order to provide me with convenience.

Mikah

I don't need bots in my iMessage app, but man-oh-man do I want iMessage to be more like Slack! Heck, I've all but memorized all the Slack emoji shortcuts. It'd be so awesome to react to messages with emoji like I can in Slack. Doubling down, it'd also be nice to see link expansion in iMessage.

Daniel mentioned peer-to-peer money transfer; I don't know why Apple hasn't done this already. The latest hotness is totes sending money to your friends with an app or some other service. If Apple wants to supercharge Apple Pay adoption, peer-to-peer money transfer is a fantastic way to do so.

Gartenberg

I love messaging. It works. Please don't try to fix it.

Rene

I'd like confirmation dialogs so I can't accidentally send anyone a selfie or my location. The ability to favorite messages would also be helpful, as would moving VIP from a mail-only feature to a Contact-level feature so I can be notified for some but not all messages.

I'm not sure if "bots" of the future of messaging, but the ability to @siri, @notes, @calendar, etc. and immediately shoot text commands, queries, and strings without having to change contexts would be sweet.

Sending money would also be great, though would require far broader support, including peer-to-peer tap-to-Apple pay and a way to get money out of the system.

Camera and Photos, what needs to happen there?

Bader

I would like a native Professional Mode in the Camera app, or the option of defaulting to a third-party camera app from the lock screen. One or the other, Apple.

I'm thrilled with the Photos app, though. iCloud Photo Library works perfectly, and syncs quickly with its Mac counterpart.

Serenity

I'm with Bader: More manual features in the default Camera app, please. I love shooting with apps like Obscura, but the convenience factor is much lower; and when it comes down to it, I'm more likely to launch the Camera app from its shortcut than manually finding an app from the home screen.

On the Photos side, GIF support. Please. The lack of GIF display (and iCloud Photo Library archive support) is painful.

Lory

I've never been particularly impressed with the interface of the built-in Camera app. Zoom, for example, is painfully behind the times. You still have to use two-finger pinch to zoom in and out. How about a single-finger drag? I can't stand that all of the options and tools are right on the camera viewfinder screen when taking photos. I'd like to be able to hide them, so I can use the entire iPhone screen, unobscured.

The Photos app is pretty decent on iOS, especially on the iPhone. Content is organized chronologically in your personal collection, plus you can access content from various albums, including smart albums that automatically separate certain pictures based on available data, like Selfies, Panoramas, Snapchats, and more. The iCloud Photo Sharing feed is a little clunky. I'm not a fan of the Activity folder. It could use an updated interface design.

Mikah

Give me more power over my camera if I want it. I know there are loads of nifty third-party apps that offer up all the control in the world, but there's some sort of psychological block for me: I don't quite feel right taking control of the camera outside of the camera app. I know, weird.

As for Photos, leave it be! It's fast, it's friendly, and it's nice to look at. I guess if there's anything I'd like to see added here, it's more discovery features. I enjoy it when apps like Google Photos or Timehop send me a notification telling me to "remember X day." Apple should borrow this feature for Photos.

Gartenberg

The brilliance of camera is I don't need to futz with settings. If I want to do that, I'd use a Leica. I want camera to be simple and make all the hard decisions for me. I would like more control over cached files that Google Photos gives me

Rene

You can search for Faces in Photos, but only if you've set them up on the Mac. I'd love that to become native to iOS as well. Anything to make finding photos and videos faster.

I'd like a normalization of what starring means on iOS as well. In some apps it's bookmarking, in others biasing. What I'd really like is for anything I star to automatically go into an easy-to-find folder, and be cached locally and never purged.

Also, Live Photos folder please.

Okay, we've braced ourselves… Apple Music, go!

Serenity

Haven't I complained enough about Apple Music for one lifetime? No? Okay. My biggest picks for iOS 10 are an interface declutter, custom offline support for tracks, and making For You even better.

Bader

I'm with Lory: do a better job separating offline content from online, and break out iCloud Music Library content from Apple Music. And give me lyrics support.

Lory

I know that some people have been through a lot of pain and suffering in terms of Apple Music, but I've been fairly satisfied with the service, overall. I'd like Apple to get rid of Connect altogether because it seems like a waste of effort for all parties involved.

The user interface on iOS is a little awkward. It isn't easy to figure out how to access content by artist, album, or song unless you are familiar with the interface. If you turn on the "Only Downloaded Music" feature, you might accidentally confuse yourself when you can't find playlists you created, but haven't downloaded for offline listening. But the mechanics of the app work for me. I haven't spent the past 10 years crafting the perfect digital music library, though. So, I'm easier to please.

Mikah

Meh. Meh, meh, meh. Meh.

"Make it better" isn't a helpful request, so I'll say this: Restore my faith in Apple Music by making sure it does a better job letting me know what music is mine and what music isn't mine and helping me understand why sometimes I'll open up the app and all the music I downloaded for offline listening is suddenly not available locally anymore.

Oh, and I agree with my colleagues: HELLO, WHY DON'T I ALREADY HAVE LYRICS IN THE MUSIC APP‽

Gartenberg

ack. I don't like music anymore. The app that is. Too much pushing me to subscribe, a lousy UI. This needs a lot of thought, think first iPhone

Rene

Apple Music has an impossible job. Unlike most Apple apps, it lacks opinion and so tries to cater to too many disparate use cases for it to do any of them well.

I only ever use Music via Siri: "Play Mistachuck" and Mistachuck I get. Others want all nine versions of the same Ozzy song they've ripped and carefully tagged over the years. Let iTunes Match serve the old case, Apple Music the new, label both cleanly, and don't let them mess with each other's data.

For me, Continuity for media would be the biggest improvement Apple could do. That way I could start watching on my iPhone, handoff to Apple TV when I get into the living room, then handoff again to iPad when I want to retire for the evening, and never have to stop watching.

Any other Apple apps you'd like to see changed? Maps, Mail, Calendar, News?

Serenity

It'll never happen, but: Let me set my default routing app in Settings. I'd love to use Maps, since the app is actually quite good, but the data is just terrible in New England where I drive. On more than one occasion, I've been taken down strange side streets or unpaved roads; it's just not worth the hassle. The company could also improve its traffic data; Google is outright smoking Maps thanks to its Waze integration. (Google's new "multiple stops" and "search while on a current route" features are also must-haves for Maps.)

Bader

Let me hide or delete apps I don't use, like Maps, Mail, Calendar and News. I use third-party equivalents of all of these, and resent the increasingly-full "Rotten Apple" folder on my home screen.

As for the apps themselves, Maps needs better traffic data (for Toronto, at least) before it will replace Google Maps or Waze. Outlook or GTFO; I haven't used native Mail since Google turned off Exchange support for Gmail, because IMAP. Calendar? Fantastical 4 Lyfe. News? Bring it to Canada and we'll talk.

Sorry, I know that's not useful, but I can't talk about apps I don't use.

Lory

I don't use very many of Apple's built-in apps because there are so many third-party apps with better design aesthetic. I don't like the way the gestures work in the Mail app, or that you can't swipe to delete a message.

The calendar app is too plain. On iPhone, there is no weekly view in portrait mode and the combination monthly view with to-do list seems too packed. I'd also really like to be able to connect third-party apps like Trello or TripIt.

I was so disappointed with the Maps app when it first launched that I've never been able to get back into using it, even though I know Apple has made major improvements since it launched. However, it still lacks some important features that are essential for me. Until very recently, the Maps app didn't even have transportation data in my city, which is California's state capital. It's not like I live in a small, rural town or anything. The nearby business search feature could use some work.

What I'd really like, is to be able to hide built-in apps that I don't use. Sure, I can stick them in a folder and ignore them, but there should be an option to toggle them off on the Home screen if you don't use them. They could still be accessible from Spotlight search.

Mikah

Spoken like a bunch of power-users, I get the feeling most of us don't use many of Apple's built-in apps. As for me: * Maps: I use Google Maps. I used to use Apple Maps, but I started using Google Maps again four or so months ago and I've not looked back since. I find the voice direction and detailed turn-by-turn directions, coupled with the accuracy and always-up-to-date maps available on Google Maps to outweigh the benefit of Apple Maps OS-level integration. Bring all those things to Apple Maps and I'll switch back! * Mail: I use Airmail. Airmail syncs everything and then some across all my devices, it offers snooze support, it handles Gmail accounts better, it's feature-rich, and it gets me to Inbox Zero faster than any other mail app I've ever used. If iOS Mail brings in snooze support and syncing across devices (both iOS and macOS), I'd consider trying it out again. * Calendar: I use Fantastical. The day iOS Calendar makes it as fast and easy as Fantastical to set an appointment is the day I consider switching back. Probably still won't, though. * News: I use Twitter. No, seriously. I tried using iOS News for a time, but it always ended up giving me a bunch of news I didn't care about (no matter how many times I tried to provide feedback).

Gartenberg

It's hard to pick, so many third parties have exceeded but that's OK. Apple should be pushing developers to go far beyond native apps and show what's possible

Rene

When I clean-installed iOS 8, I started fresh and didn't download any apps I didn't need. Eighteen months later and I'm still using all of Apple's built-in apps and I'm as efficient and productive as ever. I don't use my inbox as a to-do list nor do I reduce it to zero, so I'm fine with Mail. But, as with all things Apple, search needs to be improved. I can find things faster using Spotlight from the Home screen than from within Mail, and that's flabbergasting.

I'd also like News to be a system-level service, combined with Siri recommendations, and Siri Reading List and Shared Links, then put the combined list back into all of those places. One News to rule them all.

Maps just needs to keep getting better. No mapping service is good enough, so constant improvement is all there is.

What about the App Store, what can Apple do there?

Serenity

In a nutshell, "Fix it." There's a lot of good inside the App Store — curated lists, great recommendations, and fantastic apps. But they often get buried in the noise. I'd love to see an App Store that looks more like For You in the Music app: a combination of custom-created and algorithmic information that gives you the best apps based on your tastes and past purchases.

Bader

Better search. Better search. Better search.

App discover has improved since Phil Schiller decided that the Featured panel should be updated more than once per week. I love the emphasis on local content and independent developers, and a renewed focus on pay-once utility apps over freemium games.

That said, discovering the myriad hidden gems on the App Store, especially on the gaming side, is still too difficult. I would love the equivalent of a personalized For You panel based on the apps I've downloaded and used.

Lory

Discovery in the App Store has been nothing short of abysmal since day one. I have been pleased with the way Apple staff takes care to spotlight certain apps and games that stand out, but it still seems like a lot of great content still gets lost in the constant barrage of daily app releases. I'd like one section that literally just shows every single new app that comes out every day. That section could have filters, like genres or current star ratings, but I want to be able to make those decisions myself. Why doesn't Apple let us see every single app that gets published in the App Store?

The search function in the App Store is also the worst I've ever used. How is it that I can type in the exact name of an app and it shows up tenth on the list, or sometimes not at all? Please, Apple, take some time to perfect the search function in the App Store.

Mikah

I want Genius for the App Store: "You launch this game more than any other game on your iPhone. You might also like …" I know, I know, we're pretty Google with that, but think about it: Apple already displays this information in your battery settings — why not make use of it to help you find apps that you'd enjoy?

Other than that, I hope Apple continues to do more of the same Re: App Store featuring. It's been nice opening up the App Store every day to find new apps worth checking out. It's a great change from the weekly features of yesteryear.

Gartenberg

It's tough. If I knew the answer I'd work for Ron Okamoto but it's hard to find new cool apps. It's something I hear over and over. "How do I stand out in the app store without knowing Phil Schiller's email?"

Rene

Yeah, better search. I get that iTunes infrastructure is from a previous age, but search is a solved problem. Like Serenity says, "For You" for Apps would be fantastic. So would App Store for iCloud.

I'm not sure what the future of apps is. Extensibility, which sets features free from binary blobs, Continuity, which syncs activities between devices, and App Thinning, which sends only the assets and content an app needs, when it needs it, have all fundamentally changed what it means to be an app.

How Apple continues to adapt to and push this future is what I'm most interested in seeing.

Xcode for iPad, is it time?

Serenity

I want it. But I don't know if we'll get a "full" version. I think something like Playgrounds for iPad is a much more likely start on the mobile platform, with full Xcode coming down the line.

Bader

The iPad a computer, right? So, yes.

Lory

The only thing I've ever used Xcode for is to take screenshots of my Apple TV, so I'm definitely not qualified to make a statement on whether it should be made available on iPad, but I will anyway. If Apple wants consumers to think of the iPad Pro as some version of a replacement for the laptop, then they should make programs like Xcode available on them. The iPad Pro doesn't have to look and act like a PC or Mac, but it should at least have most of the same content available in one form or another.

Mikah

Yes. Yes, please. If the iPad can run everything it needs to without a hiccup, this absolutely should happen.

Who knows, maybe Xcode for iPad is the thing that finally gets me to get serious about developing for iOS!

Gartenberg

iPad is a PC, treat it as such.

Rene

If it's done in a way developers can make full-on apps, then absolutely. A platform that can be used to develop its own apps is a full-on platform.

Developers will still want and need Macs for workflows and power, at least for a while, but the ability to code from iOS will be transformative.

HomeKit, how does it become more of a thing?

Serenity

More devices, and a central HomeKit app wouldn't be too shabby. The third-party options aren't bad at all, but this is a place where Apple could drive adoption of HomeKit acccessories with a great app and advertisements for the products in the HomeKit universe.

Bader

By talking about it! A HomeKit hub would be a good place to start (though an optional download, please!), but Apple really needs to take ownership of this category by grouping disparate experiences into a single place. The Apple Store app isn't the right place for this, either, because HomeKit products are primarily app- and Siri-based experiences.

Lory

The first suggestion on my list is price. Apple doesn't have very many partners in the internet-of-things department, and the ones they do have are producing high-end products. HomeKit would probably get more love from consumers if there were a bigger variety on what it costs to outfit your home with the latest technology. This would likely require Apple partnering with more companies and lowering the cost for developers to certify their products.

My second suggestion is a HomeKit app, one that acts as a hub for everything you have connected to it. It would be great to be able to open the HomeKit app and set a lighting scene, adjust the temperature, and time the door locks all at the same time, instead of having to open individual apps.

Mikah

Repeat after me: HomeKit app. HomeKit app. HomeKit app.

Did it work? I thought if we said it three times, a HomeKit app would appear.

Gartenberg

ack. It's a mess. I need to control all my stuff from one place. Third party apps shouldn't be needed

Rene

Home.app. There are third party apps that do the management, but if third-party apps are needed to do the management, it's a good indicator Apple needs to take ownership. So hopefully the internal tool gets polished and made external.

From there it's just the more accessories the better. Once you experience the magic of Siri controlling your home, you want it for everything.

Then you want it to do more of everything.

Bottom line time — what else would you love to see from iOS 10?

Serenity

Apple's direction for iOS for the next ten years. We got multitasking in iOS 4, iCloud and Siri in iOS 5, Maps in iOS 6, a new design interface in iOS 7, Continuity and HomeKit in iOS 8, and Smart Search in iOS 9. iOS 10 is a chance for Apple to take all of the features of the past and set a roadmap for future mobile greatness — and make the iPad a first-class computing citizen, while the company's at it.

Bader

iOS 9 introduced so many iPad-specific features, it almost felt like the iPhone was overlooked. Context and improved Spotlight Search have proven useful, sure, but I'd love to see Apple recommit to making the iPhone the best pocket computer in the world. A better home screen; more powerful camera app; improved notification workflow. Those are the easy ones. The one I'd really love to see, as a mobile payments geek? Making Apple Pay into a fully-functioning platform, with an open API that leverages its existing convenience and security.

Lory

I'd like to see better practical use for Siri, major overhauls for the built-in apps, and a bunch of new wallpapers, especially Dynamic wallpapers. I'm bored with floating bubbles. At least give me some new shapes.

Mikah

Make Siri great again for real this time. I think if I'm going to have a virtual assistant across my devices (including macOS if rumors hold up), I want it to be powerful and helpful and accurate and trustworthy. Apple, I hope you're looking at Siri and telling it to get its act together for the good of all Applekind.

Other than that, just the typical desires: more battery life, fewer crashes (already rare), feature-rich apps, and a matter transporter.

Gartenberg

A lot of things, I won't likely see. I think it's time for a new UI, something that feels well beyond the first iPhone. We're not there yet.

Rene

My list goes on! Lock screen complications, so I can get activity, weather, scores, and other data without having to open my iPhone or iPad. System-wide night mode or theme engine, a customizable Control Center, rich notifications with enough interface inside them for deeper interactions, FaceTime conference calls, leaderboards and challenges in Activities so those of us who are extrinsically motivated can compete with each other on the road to fitness, A Synergy-style hub where communications are aggregated by contact, not locked in app silos. Yeah, on and on...

iPhone is the most important device I have. It can never be too convenient, so anything that makes doing more easier, I'm all up for. iPad is the future of computers, so anything that makes it as powerful as possible without losing its approachability, I'm also all up for.

Those are the north stars. Make my life easier and let me do more from anywhere.

Every year, thousands of reporters and developers make the anguishing decision of what gear to carry with them to San Francisco before WWDC. This year is no exception: While there aren't likely to be any significant hardware product announcements during the keynote, I tend to carry a bare minimum of video gear with me wherever I go, just in case. So what's in my bag for WWDC 2016?

• Timbuk 2 Command TSA-Friendly Backpack: I bought this for my recent trip to Google I/O, and did not regret it for a second. This is my third Timbuk 2 bag, and I am more impressed with every purchase. Great design, with plenty of space and intelligently-placed compartments for all my minutiae, the Command has a 31-liter capacity for all my camera gear, and a separate waterproof side compartment for my MacBook, iPad and e-reader. The beauty of this bag is that there is really no compromise: while it's certainly bigger than any backpack I've owned before, it doesn't feel onerous, and my hefty payload is well distributed.
• 13-inch MacBook Pro: My single most important piece of gear, the MacBook is the epicenter of my professional life. As important as my iPhone is for casual tasks when I'm home, my mid-2015 MacBook Pro — with a Core i7 and 16GB of RAM — is essential on the road.
• iPhone 6s Plus: My next-most-important piece of gear, my iPhone 6s Plus is my main camera (despite appearances), my mapping tool, my lifeline home, and in many cases, my Wi-Fi hotspot. Not pictured: a 13,000mAh Anker battery pack to keep my iPhone charged at all times.
• iPad Pro 9.7: The smaller iPad Pro is, for me, all about typing. When I want to write long form in full-screen with no other apps open, I go to the iPad: There's something calming about writing on it. Of course, that longform productivity requires the optional Smart Keyboard, which is permanently affixed to my iPad Pro's Smart Connector. So much smartness.
• Apple Watch: Because you have to be able to tell the time. And receive notifications. And use Authy for quick two-factor authentication. And maybe even send a heartbeat to Rene or Serenity through Digital Touch (but probably not). But mainly to tell the time.
• Nikon D750 DSLR w/ 24mm f2.8 prime lens: My go-to shooter for most things, the Nikon D750 is a versatile and relatively compact full-frame camera. While it's not great for video, it does a decent job when paired with the 24mm f2.8 prime lens. I'll mainly be using it for any hands-on video I might take, or just for shooting photos of the iMore team as we dominate WWDC. For the keynote, I'll be using Lory's 55-300mm zoom lens, which on the full-frame D750 has a 82-450mm zoom range, due to the sensor crop. That means I'll be getting right up in Eddy Cue's nose hairs — if you're into that sort of thing.
• Zoom H5 travel microphone: Simply the best way to capture audio while traveling, the Zoom H5 is great on its own with its included stereo condenser microphone, which we'll be using for the iMore show after the keynote, and its optional XLR inputs for grabbing audio from up to two external microphones. An essential tool for any traveling podcaster/videographer.
• Padcaster shotgun microphone and LED light: The sidekicks to the video gear's superheroes, the Padcaster shotgun microphone and LED light combo are great for live indoor filming where the lighting isn't great, or it's impractical to use a lav microphone. I may not use these at all — we'll see.
• Audeze Sine headphones: A great pair of headphones on their own, Audeze's Sine on-ear planar magnetic 'phones are the first I've used with an optional Lightning cable. Plugged into the iPhone directly, the Sines bypass the phone's regular DAC, opting instead for its own more-powerful version built right into the cord itself. Great stuff.
• Not pictured: Lots of cables, cords and other accessories that will inevitably clutter up my bag. On trips like this, I always bring a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter, in case I come across wired internet somewhere and need to plug in. Also: good hand cream, because flying dries me out, man. Also also: a Kindle Voyage e-reader ((/imore-show-512-no-new-macs?utm_medium=slider&utm_campaign=navigation&utm_source=im)) and a portable tripod.

• Read: What's in Rene's gear bag
• Read: What's in Lory's gear bag
• Read: What's in Mikah's gear bag
• Read: What's in Serenity's gear bag

I love my iPad Pro, and using it as my sole laptop over the last six months has been an exhilarating look at working on the go sans Mac. But it's not without challenges and workarounds. For the iPad Pro to truly take the next step into the laptop computing world, we need more.

Earlier this year, I polled Twitter and iMore readers, asking for their top picks in regards to iPad Pro software improvements. Here are the top twenty improvements we're hoping to see Apple implement as part of iOS 10 when it's previewed later this month.

Multitasking

Slide Over and Split View were great first strides into the world of iPad multitasking, but with iOS 10, it's time to take working in multiple apps to the next level. Splitting the screen in half makes perfect sense for the iPad, and I'm not calling for an iOS future cluttered with windows; as-is, however, Split View is clunky and in need of a turbocharge.

There are a few different fixes to make multitasking truly a stand-out part of iOS 10, but the biggest piece of that puzzle is fixing the Split View picker itself. Scrolling through a lengthy list of every app you've ever opened that's Split View compatible was a good hotfix. For iOS 10, I'm hoping for an app picker that's organized, searchable, and even might reflect my home screen. And for even better navigation, let's add a Split View launcher to each app window, rather than Command-Tab (if a hardware keyboard is installed) relegated to switching the left pane, while the right pane uses the default swipe-down screen.

Though I don't expect it to show up as soon as iOS 10, my secret end-game hope is for a more Mission Control-style view of my iPad: Multiple "screens", each of which can hold multiple full apps or two apps in Split View. Instead of switching from app to app with a four-finger swipe, you could switch from Split View to Split View.

Sometimes you just want to look at multiple documents in Notes, compare several PDFs or emails, or have two browser windows open at once. There are some apps that attempt to provide this functionality, but you're ultimately using two different programs — not the most user-friendly experience. If iOS 10 let you add multiple instances of each app to Split View, it could open up a lot more flexibility where the user was concerned.

A no-brainer addition: If I have Photos and Mail open, for example, let me drag a photo from the Photos app to a new Mail message. I get why this wasn't an iOS 9 addition — when you're moving data from one sandboxed application to another, you want to be sure you're not compromising security or providing a messy gesture interaction — but it seems an absolute must-have for advancing the iPad experience in iOS 10.

As of iOS 9, you can't use Split View in the Music app, Settings, or the App Store, among others. This is as crazy as some of Apple's apps not being sandboxed on OS X: If it's technology the company wants third-party apps to embrace, all Apple's system apps need to do it. (And it's just confusing to the average user to tell them that only some of their apps can use multitasking.)

Files

From the beginning, iOS has strived to take the file system out of the computing experience, hiding your files inside their respective apps and removing any idea of a Desktop or Finder. But even without those traditional computing methods, users need to work with files, and they need those files to talk to multiple programs. It's just the way of the world. As such, here are a few thoughts on how Apple could let users do more with files without necessarily porting over the Finder.

When Apple introduced the (optionally-hidden) iCloud Drive app that let you see all your iCloud-stored documents, power users rejoiced... only to realize that the app was, in fact, fairly limited in its capacities.

While you can store files, create folders, and open documents in other programs, moving and renaming files is a clunky experience, and only PDFs and images open up in anything resembling OS X's (and iOS Mail's) Quick Look — everything else gets automatically punted to the app it originally belonged to.

Not only could iCloud Drive improve its appearance and organizational options, but features like batch renaming, zipping/unzipping options, offline access, and sharing Drive files could make the app a lot more compelling — and move people away from using apps like Dropbox.

File transfers are a big part of the iCloud Drive problem: it's currently tricky and weird to move or open files from some programs to others, and certain file formats still aren't usable on the iPad Pro.

Mail is the biggest offender when it comes to file movement: Unlike its desktop cousin, Mail has no real way to download multiple attachments, and if those attachments are PDFs or images, they often load inline, confusing users on how to download them or otherwise move them into another program. For example, my mother recently got an iPad Pro for marking up sheet music; she frequently receives emails with 10-12 separate scans of a PDF page. Currently, there's no real way for her to batch download all those PDF pages into PDF Expert or another PDF-combiner; she has to manually tap each one, then tap the share button. It's tedious, and it'd be an easy fix.

When iCloud Drive was introduced, Safari also gained the option to upload directly from iCloud — or another cloud-based location, like Dropbox. Unfortunately, most of these screens only allow you to add one file at a time, even when the website form you're uploading to supports multiple file import. (The one exception is importing images directly from your Photos library, but if you do so, you'll be uploading those JPGs and PNGs as "image.jpg"; there's no way to name them before upload.)

Fixing this would go a long way toward improving my online web workflow — and I suspect the workflow of many other folks as well.

This is a big one for photographers and designers alike. You can technically import RAW files and PSDs into iCloud Drive or Dropbox, but good luck actually editing in Raw or importing a Photoshop document in any app available on the store today. This isn't due to lack of processing power: If my iPad Pro can edit dual-stream 4K video or create a 40-layer document in Procreate, there's no reason why it shouldn't be able to import a similar document. But right now, there's a limitation on what apps can and can't open; in iOS 10, that needs to disappear, stat.

Another huge boon for those with limited internal storage space or photographers and videographers: Let iOS recognize externally-mounted file systems, perhaps through the iCloud Drive app, and let us add content to them. SD cards can be imported from, and you can recognize some storage options with third-party apps, but those apps are often junky and slow-moving. Apple's powered USB adapter provides all the power you might need for an external drive; now it's just time for the software to support it.

The System

iOS is approaching its tenth iteration, and what better time for an overhaul and rethink than a milestone? When it comes to iPad Pro, the iOS home screen feels hopelessly outdated, and certain system limitations prevent the tablet from really taking hold in certain markets. iOS 10 could change all that.

I'm pretty sure I've been asking for this since the very first iPad — and its overly-spaced grid of app icons — appeared, but I'm feeling good about this change actually happening in iOS 10. What better time to rethink how apps are displayed on the iPad? The grid makes a lot of sense for the iPhone, but on a 12.9-inch screen it looks more like wasted space than actual app organization. (And, in all honesty, I currently use the Spotlight search bar to launch apps about 95 percent of the time on my iPad Pro, rather than tapping on icons.)

While the iPad Pro in our home is solely my device, there are many families and groups who operate otherwise: Anyone with kids knows the pain of endless folders of iPad games, or adults who have to sign in and out of their respective accounts to use iCloud. But I suspect that multi-user support is, at last, coming — in large part due to the education market.

After many pleas for a multi-user option, Apple debuted the feature in iOS 9.2's education package; school administrators with iPads for classrooms can configure them to support multiple children and their data and apps — all without taking up precious storage space on the device.

I'm hoping that this was Apple's initial test run into making multi-user a reality for all iPads, not just education-configured models: The company had to do most of the heavy lifting when conceiving multi-user for education, and now has months of in-classroom usage data to help refine it for the average user.

Though it appears halfway into this article, this feature is one of my personal top three for iOS 10 — in part because it's a must-have for podcasters, musicians, or anyone looking to record audio. Right now, the iPad can only pass audio into one app at a time: If you're using Skype, for instance, you can't hop over to GarageBand and record your mic locally.

There are apps like Audiobus that attempt to solve this problem with special code in each app, which allows them to talk to each other; unfortunately, developers on each side of the app need to implement that code before it works — in other words, no Skype audio in GarageBand.

If Apple truly wants to position the iPad as the creative professional's device, giving creative pros the tools they need would be a big step in the right direction.

Getting audio right is a big step; letting developers work on the iPad Pro opens up another big sector where the tablet is lacking: coding. Save for a few smart HTML/CSS editors like Coda, writing any sort of code and committing it to a central database is next to impossible on the iPad — and you're completely out of luck if you want to try writing a program for the iPad on the iPad.

When it comes to bringing something like Xcode on the iPad, I firmly believe the answer is not "if", but "when": It's a huge undertaking — and requires a definitive rethink on how users manipulate their code and interface — but at the end of the day, if you want users to build apps for your platform, they should be able to build apps on that platform. I'm not expecting a full version of Xcode for iPad when iOS 10 debuts, but something like Playgrounds for iPad would be an incredible way of opening the door to coding and compiling on a tablet computer.

Largely, iOS has kept to the same sort of text selection shortcuts throughout its entire life: The tap to select and edit-handle-maneuvering was novel when it debuted, but on an iPad Pro, it can get tricky — especially when in certain apps that want to grab entire paragraphs rather than single words or lines.

The iPad's software keyboard does offer two-finger-tap-and-drag to move the cursor and select, but after doing so, you don't get the same pop-over as you would if tapping and holding on a word; that kills a lot of gains from the precision, since users can't paste data (URLs, for instance) after moving the cursor appropriately. Adding that pop-over after two-finger iPad interactions would solve most of my text-selection woes, but I'd love to see Apple at least entertain a text selection rethink.

Apps

There are absolutely great system and third-party apps for the iPad Pro, but iOS 10 could make both a great deal better. The next big version of iOS gives Apple a huge opportunity to rethink some features in its own apps and vastly improve the third-party ecosystem with incentives and a strong framework for aspiring professional software developers.

The market for excellent, professional iPad Pro apps is a difficult one, and it's one many folks smarter than me have spent thousands of words discussing. App Store economics make it difficult to charge a high price for semi-pro or pro apps, and Apple currently seems uninterested in helping change that. But if the company wants the iPad Pro to flourish, it needs to rethink that attitude.

Hardware is not the limiting factor to great iPad apps — it's all about good developer support. Apple has eschewed the idea of free trials and shareware on iOS in the past, but a redesign of the App Store in iOS 10 might open the door to such things for professional apps. $1 or in-app-purchase games are all well and good on the iPhone, but a professional photography editing program or audio editor can't rely on in-app purchases or yearly subscriptions paying for its development costs. If Apple wants pro software on the iPad, then developers need to be able to charge pro-level prices and not get punished for it.

Right now, the Music app looks like a wide-screen version of its iPhone cousin — all that extra space is filled up with white background, save for a column-view of your personal music, and even that isn't particularly attractive. The Mini-player in full screen is perhaps the biggest example of this insanity: The album art takes up two-thirds of the screen, with tiny touch targets for play, pause, shuffle, and Up Next. Music is also one of Apple's stock apps that doesn't yet support Split View.

All that needs to change in iOS 10. The app needs to be more functional and less a blown-up clone of its small-screened cousin, and Split View is a necessity. I almost wonder if it would make sense for the Music app to create a pop-over similar to iOS 9's picture-in-picture option: Tap a button to let the Music mini-player hang out as an overlay on any of your apps or Home screen. Maybe pop-over mini apps should be an option for all developers...

When iOS first debuted, it made sense to avoid the advanced-user trickery of the Mac OS's smart searches — the operating system was built for a smartphone, and Mail rules or smart photo searches seemed like unnecessary complications.

As time progressed, Apple added under-the-hood smart mailboxes like the Attachments folder, but the company still hasn't offered customizable smart mailboxes, music playlists, or photo searches. That should end in iOS 10, especially on the iPad Pro: We're losing out on a lot of valuable data by not being able to build our own smart options, especially when those options are niche and may never fall into public favor. (If Apple had introduced smart photo albums back in iOS 7, for instance, it could have avoided years of journalists clamoring for a stock Screenshots folder.)

I understand why smart caching exists on iOS, especially for lower-capacity devices. But even so, I'd love the ability to mark certain files, photos, videos, music, or mail messages as "always-downloaded" — protecting them from getting cache cleared off the device And being forced to rely on the iCloud-stored version.

There are many reasons to want locally-stored files — going somewhere without Internet access, for instance — and while I appreciate Apple's desire to make things simpler for most users and ensure they don't eat up their storage space, it's also infuriating to those of us who need certain files readily available, Internet connection or no.

I've been begging for a version of Preview on iOS for at least four years, and I'm doubling down on it for iOS 10: With features like Markup and more users than ever interested in viewing PDFs and marking up documents, it seems weird to have those features live only inside Mail. Instead, a system-wide Quick Look — powered by a new Preview app — would make the process more seamless and give power users a native app to work from. Preview on iPad Pro could also solve a lot of Mail's problems with properly displaying attachments and unzipping files.

Miscellaneous fixes

Like Apple's "tiny things you missed in this version of iOS" slide, I've got plenty of other nitpicks: Mail's terrible multi-folder search, permanently preventing websites from loading the mobile version of a page on the iPad Pro, updates to Pages and Numbers, and (in my dreams) mobile versions of Logic and Final Cut to pave the way for pro apps on the platform. But there are only so many engineers working on iOS 10 in Cupertino and only so many hours in the day and days in the year.

What are your biggest hopes for the next version of iOS and the iPad Pro? Let us know in the comments!

As we head towards WWDC 2016 we're looking back at the last few years of Apple's World Wide Developer Conference and the impact each has made. Today, we're all about WWDC 2008. Kicking off June 9 at 10am PDT with a Steve Jobs keynote, Apple had held the first iPhone SDK event that past spring and a lot of what was introduced there was finalized here. That's not to say there weren't some new things as well...

App Store

The App Store was a unified place on every iPhone where every customers could go to get native apps and games created by third party developers. Apple would handle all the logistics and transactions, keep 70% of the money for paid apps, and handle free apps for free.

iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G was the first iPhone announced at WWDC. Despite its rounder, most plastic case, iPhone 3G was so similar to the original iPhone that Apple only incremented its model number by a minor digit — iPhone 1,2 — but it added both a 3G EDGE radio for GSM networking and GPS for location. It also fully embraced the subsidy model for the first time, dropping to an incredibly accessible $199 on contract in the U.S. and other markets.

MobileMe

.Mac, which had been Apple's online service, was reborn and rebranded as MobileMe. Originally called "Exchange for the rest of us", MobileMe was plagued by a troubled launch. So much so that Steve Jobs famously asked what it was supposed to do... and then why it didn't $&%$& do that.

Snow Leopard

With everyone at Apple bent on delivering iOS 2 (then iPhone OS 2), the software developers kit (SDK), the App Store, Mobile Me, and everything that went along with it, development on the next version of OS X, dubbed Snow Leopard (no wine codename) focused on under-the-hood performance improvements. There were some new features, including Exchange support, but Apple unabashedly marketed it as "no new features", something that, it turned out, deeply resonated with customers who wanted just exactly that.

Impact

If the iPhone revolutionized the phone, it's safe to say the App Store revolutionized software. Nothing has been the same since. iPhone 3G likewise made the iPhone accessible to many more people in many more countries and was the real beginning of the biggest business the industry has ever seen. MobileMe... wasn't great. Within a few years it would be replaced with iCloud. Snow Leopard, on the other hand, became a classic. So much so, whenever something goes wrong, you can count on the internet asking for another "Snow Leopard" moment.

What did you think of WWDC 2008? Share your memories in the comments below!

As we head towards WWDC 2016 we're looking back at the last few years of Apple's World Wide Developer Conference and the impact they made — starting with WWDC 2007.

WWDC 2007 was held in its usual home at Moscone Center West in San Francisco, California. It kicked off on Monday, June 11, at 10am PDT with a Steve Jobs keynote — the first since Apple previewed the original iPhone at Macworld some 6 months earlier. To say all eyes were on that state would be a profound understatement. The iPhone wasn't yet on the market and hadn't yet transformed the mobile industry, but its impact was already undeniable.

OS X Leopard

First up, Apple showed of OS X 10.5 Leopard. It wouldn't launch until later that fall — every resource possible at Apple was fixed on getting the iPhone out the door — but we did get to see a new Dock design complete with Stacks functionality, the translucent menu bar, Cover Flow in Finder, and Time Machine, which hoped to make backups effortless for the mainstream. There was also a new Automator, Back to My Mac to access your machines remotely, Quick Look, Spaces for virtual desktops, and more. What there wasn't was Classic Mode. It went the way of the dodo.

Safari for Windows

The Safari web browser, originally exclusive to the Mac and only just announced for the iPhone, was shown off running on Windows. It was probably more about getting WebKit onto Windows for use in iTunes and to provide a way for Windows owners to test web 2.0 apps on that rendering engine. It didn't last long, but in that moment, Apple doubled its cross-platform presence.

Web 2.0 apps for iPhone

And then there were web apps, Apple's "sweet solution" for developers desperate to get on iPhone. That it had been grueling, crushing work to get the iPhone to market, that no one at Apple had the time, much less the energy, to get an SDK done for OS 1.0, was the reality. But the demand was such that Apple believed it couldn't be ignored. Unfortunately, web apps just wouldn't be enough and by the end of the year, Apple's iOS team would once again go through a marathon of sprints to get a native solution in place for the next spring.

Impact

Leopard led to Snow Leopard, Safari for Windows is no longer with us, and web 2.0 apps faded with the advent of the native SDK. Still WWDC 2007 featured Steve Jobs on the keynote stage, following up what was arguably his best presentation ever: the iPhone announcement at Macworld earlier in the year.

It was also the last keynote before the first iPhone shipped, and neither Apple nor WWDC would ever be the same again.

What did you think of WWDC 2007? Share your memories in the comments below!