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Apple WWDC 2018: what's coming to iPhone, Macs and Apple TV
WWDC 2018: What to expect from iOS 12, MacOS 10.14 and more
Type 'the1975..com' Into Your Google App to See a Weird Bug in Action

Apple WWDC 2018: what's coming to iPhone, Macs and Apple TV

Posted: 02 Jun 2018 06:24 AM PDT

Jefferson Graham USA TODAY

Published 3:27 p.m. UTC Jun 2, 2018

For many Apple fans, the annual June Worldwide Developers Conference is a holiday fest of many, many new software updates that bring new features to their beloved iPhones and iPads.

To others, it's an, "Oh no, Apple's going to make me download this update and it's going to destroy my phone."

Just ask all the folks who saw their iPhones intentionally slow down, on purpose, with iOS 10's update that tried to compensate for aging batteries. Apple caught a lot of flack for that once it was revealed at the end of 2017, apologized, updated the software and offered replacement batteries at a discount.

But here we go again, iPhone world. Monday, Apple will sneak peek many of the new features, via software updates, that will be coming to most existing iPhones and iPads, as well as the new models that will be out later this year. The software update, expected to be called iOS12, is traditionally released in September.

Some highlights of what to expect:

—Batterygate: This will be the first gathering where Apple CEO Tim Cook addresses the app developer community since the blow-up with the batteries last year. Analyst Tim Bajarin, the president of Creative Strategies, says Cook already apologized and "owns" the problem, but needs to "clarify" what Apple will do with iOS12 that can convince iPhone owners their units won't become inoperable with an update.

—Siri. Apple's personal assistant is the most used in voice computing, thanks to the size of the 1 billion plus iPhone owner universe, but it loses in accuracy in survey after survey to rivals Amazon and Google and their smart speakers. Gene Munster, an analyst and investor with Loup Ventures, expects Apple to once again showcase updates its making to improve the Siri experience. He predicts Apple will add more information categories to Siri for app developers both on the phone and the HomePod smart speaker, and have more artificial intelligence tools to smarten up Siri. "They have to open it up," Munster says of the info disparity between Siri, Amazon and Google. "This is a painfully obvious hole," for Apple.

—Augmented reality: The software update to bring animation into live action was a huge push by Apple at last year's WWDC, but it has yet to take off. A few apps (notably the IKEA app that let you visualize furniture in your home before you buy it) got attention, but developers didn't sign on in a big way. Bajarin expects Apple to double down on AR, showcase some new examples of great work, and try to entice the community to join in.

—Digital health: Apple is expected to introduce new tools to convince users to put their phones down a little more often, ones that tell them how much they've used the phone that day, or adjust their screens in the evening to be less addictive. "This will catch a lot of attention," Munster says.

—Photos: More people take pictures on smartphones than cameras, with 1.2 trillion snapped in 2017, according to InfoTrends, mostly on smartphones. Which presents my plea: help me organize them! Bajarin believes Apple will spend a good deal of time at WWDC on new tools to find them. "You'll see AI applied to the photo library to make it easier to organize," he says.

In contrast to last year, when Apple introduced new iPads and Macintosh computers, this year's WWDC is expected to be all about software, with little hardware announced. Apple is also expected to update operating systems for Mac computers, the Apple Watch and Apple TV.

The event begins at 10 a.m. PDT, and will be live-streamed on Apple's website. USA TODAY will be covering, so stick with us for the latest news and analysis.

In other tech news this week

Uber, the ride-hailing company, said it was doubling down on self-driving tests, which will resume in the summer. They were halted after a fatal accident with a self-driving Uber in Tempe, Arizona in March.

Apple updated iOS with new tools for iMessages. Now you can sync Messages across various Apple devices in iCloud, which means you'll probably want to upgrade your iCloud storage, which starts at 99 cents monthly for 50 GB of storage.

The FBI urged Americans to turn off their Internet router and then turn it back on to help thwart a cyberattack it says agents of a foreign government are launching against U.S. citizens.

Elon Musk didn't like the review of a Tesla car in Consumer Reports. The publication didn't like the braking system. Musk called and said he'd fix it, via a software update, within 48 hours. Which he did, and CR updated its review as well.

Alexa and you. Amazon records everything you say about the Alexa personal assistant, even beyond the commands. I show you where to find these recordings and how to get rid of them.

Politics and tech merged. Republicans complained that Google searches linked the California Republican Party to Nazism.

This week's Talking Tech podcasts

Canon M50 camera, great for the Father's Day vlogger: We reviewed the compact Canon M50 camera, and fell in love with the small size, (great for toting), the flip-screen (for vlogging) and higher video image quality than we see on smartphones.

Consumer Reports and Elon Musk: The Tesla CEO didn't like his review of a new Tesla in Consumer Reports, so he called and said he could fix a brake issue—and used software to get it changed within 48 hours. Marta Tellado, CEO of Consumers Reports, tells us about it.

Code conference - Silicon Valley grows up. Tim Bradshaw from the Financial Times joins Jefferson Graham to report on the exclusive Code tech conference, where the recurring theme from Facebook, Airbnb, Snap, Inc. and other companies is that tech has grown up. Shiny objects are out, heat from regulators is in.

VidCon is coming: Jim Louderback, the general manager of the video trade show that attracts young YouTube fans, previews the show, which opens June 20th.

Photobombing Route 66: Who wouldn't like this dream assignment? Take off down the open road of the old Route 66 with your wife, take photos and write a travel book about the experience. Photographer Rick Sammon fills us in, along with photo tips for making your travel photos stand out.

Social Media update #357: A tweet can get you fired. Just ask Roseanne Barr.

I listened to every recording Alexa made of me over 2.5 years. And it's all there for you in the Amazon Alexa smartphone app. Creepy.

Steer clear of Google's Back up and Sync. It's evil. Google says it's Back up and Sync tool is designed to make automatic backups from your computer to the cloud. But no, we say. It's really meant to get you to fill up your quota and sign you up for expensive upgrades. You like waking up to a note from Google saying you can't read your e-mail until you upgrade your plan? That's what you get with Backup and Sync.

And that's this week's Talking Tech news wrap. If you haven't subscribed to the Talking Tech newsletter yet, please sign up here, https://www.usatoday.com/featured-newsletter/consumer_tech/. Listen to the daily Talking Tech podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify, and follow @JeffersonGraham (on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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WWDC 2018: What to expect from iOS 12, MacOS 10.14 and more

Posted: 02 Jun 2018 06:52 AM PDT

We're just days away from getting our next official glimpse of Apple's future. The company kicks off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, June 4 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. CNET will have wall-to-wall live coverage, including a live blog and a livestream commentary, starting an hour earlier.

Watch CNET's live coverage of WWDC 2018 (Monday, 9 a.m. PT)

WWDC, which runs this year from June 4 to 8 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, will offer clues about the road ahead for the next operating systems and software applications that power Apple's iPhones ($799.99 at Cricket Wireless), iPads ($329.99 at Best Buy), Macs, watches, HomePod ($349.00 at Walmart) speakers and Apple TV ($179.99 at Crutchfield) streamers. It will also give third-party developers the opportunity to mix it up with Apple executives, engineers and product designers.

Look for software and services to take center stage at the Monday keynote -- an expectation that recently got a major boost from a detailed Bloomberg report. That's a big departure from last year's WWDC, which saw the introduction of the HomePod, new iPad Pros, the first iMac Pro and a nearly full refresh of the Mac computer line.

Read: Apple's WWDC 2018: Forget the gadgets, it's all about services and software

Read: Apple's WWDC 2018 will reportedly be hardware free

Here's what you can expect, based on the latest reports and rumors that have hit in recent days.

Now Playing: Watch this: iOS 12 preview and what we expect at WWDC 2018

5:15

iOS 12: Better AR, "Digital Health"

After grappling with a persistent streak of flaws and glitches that have besmirched the reputation of iOS 11 -- including the controversial "feature" that intentionally slows down iPhones -- Apple is said to be focusing on quality over innovation with the forthcoming version of its mobile operating system, ostensibly called iOS 12.

A January Bloomberg story suggested these stability enhancements would result in some planned upgrades -- including a redesigned home screen and photography enhancements -- being pushed to iOS 13 in 2019. But the more recent Bloomberg report says that multiplayer AR will be featured in this year's software -- something that would lay further groundwork for the Apple AR/VR headset that the company is apparently tinkering with behind closed doors (that's expected closer to 2020, if at all).

Read: Best ARKit apps for iPhone

Apple is also said to be focusing on a so-called "Digital Health" initiative to limit screen time and device addiction -- the same sort of parental-style controls that Google unveiled for Android phones at its own developer conference last month.

Other iOS 12 treats are rumored, too. Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports the update may feature a more polished version of Face ID that includes the ability to unlock a device in a horizontal landscape mode. And Bloomberg has reported that Apple plans to expand its lineup of Animojis. And, of course, if Animojis (and Apple's TrueDepth camera technology) are coming to future versions of the iPad, that support will need to be added to the tablet side of the iOS software, too.

MacOS 10.14: Doubling down on security

It's not just iOS that's been buggy. In November 2017, researchers discovered a colossal security flaw in Apple's Mac operating system, allowing users to log in to virtually any Mac laptop or desktop without a password. (Here's how to prevent access if you haven't updated MacOS recently.) As such, we expect Apple to invest more time and energy than usual highlighting security and privacy at this year's WWDC.

We'll also get a fancy new nickname for the next version of MacOS. Will it be an outdoorsy moniker following on the heels of Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra and High Sierra, or will Apple take a new path?

Time for more faces on Apple Watch?
Screenshot by César Salza/CNET

WatchOS: Expanding health and fitness functionality

Little is known about what Apple has up its sleeve with regard to its wrist-bound OS, but the recent news about Apple's new round-display Watch patent -- paired with reports of a new redesign this fall -- portends a new avenue of possibilities. There's also the chance of an expanded watch face store, or more watch face customization. Otherwise, we expect to see some announcements related to the continuing expansion of the Apple Watch's health and fitness functionality (via the HealthKit software toolset).

Read: It's time for the Apple Watch to get a watch face store

TVOS, Audio OS and Siri: Making Apple TV and HomePod smarter

The recently released iOS 11.4 and TVOS 11.4 more tightly integrates Apple TV into the Home app, and offers compatibility with the AirPlay 2 multiroom speaker feature first unveiled at WWDC 2017. That may mean more integration with HomeKit, Apple's smart home platform, is on deck for this year's WWDC. Maybe we'll hear more about games and the TV app on Apple's streamer, too.

homepod-product-photos-12 — Tyler Lizenby/CNET

And while iOS 11.4's addition of stereo pairing and multiroom audio was a major boost for the HomePod, the speaker's software remains seriously lacking. We're hoping Apple uses the one-year anniversary of the HomePod's WWDC debut to spell out specific improvements to its Audio OS operating system, so the speaker can rely less on a paired iPhone and become a more viable challenge to Amazon's Echo and Google's Home speaker systems.

And while we're at it: Everyone agrees Siri needs a serious overhaul if Apple wants to go toe-to-toe with Alexa and Google Assistant.

Read: iOS 11.4 arrives with AirPlay 2, Messages in iCloud

Read: With AirPlay 2, Apple HomePod smart speaker gets multiroom audio, stereo sound

Read: Apple's HomePod smart speaker is better, but here are 5 things it still needs to beat Alexa

Read: Apple HomePod review (updated with iOS 11.4 impressions)

Read: Apple TV 4K review (updated)

What about 'Marzipan'?

One of the biggest obsessions of Apple developers in recent months revolves around "Marzipan." That's the supposed code name of an initiative, first reported by Bloomberg in January, to give users a "way to use a single set of apps that work equally well across its family of devices: iPhones, iPads and Macs."

While many assumed that meant an eventual world where iOS apps could run on Macs -- if not a unified iOS-MacOS operating system -- the truth may be less dramatic. According to Apple pundit John Gruber, the Marzipan name is unknown to his sources. But he says that Apple is apparently working on a shared toolset which would allow iOS and Mac apps to be developed in a common environment, at least up to a point. That's a contrast to the current situation in which developers must design, engineer and distribute separate versions for each platform, which requires a lot of redundant work.

Gruber's story puts forth a less ambitious and certainly less dramatic narrative for a future collaboration of iOS and MacOS -- albeit one that sounds more practical for developers, as well as more technically feasible. However, he also points out that "it's a 2019 thing" -- meaning you shouldn't expect to hear any public disclosure of the plans at this year's WWDC.

New Macs, iPads and other devices are unlikely

Don't expect to see new high-end iPhones or the new Mac Pro when Apple CEO Tim Cook takes the stage on June 4. The sequels to the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are expected in September as usual, and Apple has already confirmed that the new Mac Pro isn't coming until 2019. Likewise, the HomePod ($349.00 at Walmart) speaker and entry-level iPad are basically brand new, having just been released in February and March, respectively.

We had been hoping for an encore of last year's hardware-heavy WWDC, but that recent Bloomberg report threw cold water on the idea. So barring a last-minute change of plans, these highly anticipated hardware updates will have to wait until September or October -- if not later.

MacBooks and iMacs: Moving the Mac computer line to the newest eighth-generation Intel processors would be an easy -- albeit boring -- upgrade. Whether that would entail a larger design overhaul -- such as rethinking the problematic butterfly keyboards and still-controversial Touch Bar features on the MacBook Pro laptops -- would remain to be seen. The same goes for the MacBook Air, which has long been rumored to be getting a comeback model.

Read: 2018 MacBook Air: All the rumors on specs, price and release date

iPad Pros: Apple brought a keystone feature of the iPad Pro ($649.99 at Best Buy) line -- compatibility with the Pencil stylus -- to the new entry-level iPad that debuted in March. The conventional wisdom is that the pricier iPad Pro models can now be teed up for an iPhone X-style design overhaul: Ditching the home button and adding Face ID, perhaps.

Read: iPad Pro 2018: All the rumors on specs, price, release date

iPhone SE 2: There are persistent rumors that the iPhone SE, the entry-level iPhone that debuted in March 2016, is due for an upgrade of some sort. Whether that's a full-screen iPhone X design (which seems improbable) or just a specs upgrade in the same body (much more likely) is unknown. Either way, this refresh may wait until September, too.

Read: iPhone SE 2: Rumored specs, price, release date

Apple AirPower: When Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, introduced this multi-device charging pad alongside the iPhone X in September 2017, he said it was coming "next year." So while you can't say it's "late" until January 1, 2019, one has to assume Apple would like to get this accessory on store shelves before the one-year anniversary of its announcement. Maybe announcing pricing and availability for this product -- along with the previously announced AirPower-compatible AirPods case -- could be the one hardware announcement that sneaks into WWDC.

Read: AirPower: All we know about Apple's wireless charging pad

airpower-charging — AirPower was announced back in September of 2017, but has yet to appear.
Screenshot by Alexandra Able/CNET

See you on June 4

CNET will have complete coverage of WWDC, including live coverage of the event from San Jose and plenty of follow-up analysis, too. Stay tuned.

Watch CNET's live coverage of WWDC 2018: Live blog and livestream commentary

WWDC 2018: Complete coverage of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference

This story was originally published on May 21, and is updated periodically with additional news.

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Type 'the1975..com' Into Your Google App to See a Weird Bug in Action

Posted: 01 Jun 2018 06:45 PM PDT

If you’re an Android user, grab your phone, pull up Google’s Search app or Google Assistant, and type “the1975..com” into the search bar to see a bizarre and recently discovered bug that will show your most recent text messages.

The glitch, which was first pointed out by a redditor posting on the Google Pixel subreddit, results in Google’s Search tool displaying recent text messages sent by the user. Google is already aware of the bug and is addressing it, but for the time being, you can still prompt the odd response by typing in a number of misspelled phrases.

The issue was first identified with the search term “the1975..com” but it has since been reported by the BBC that the phrase “izela viagens”—a misspelling of Portuguese travel agency Vizela Viagens—and “the1975#.com” will also trigger the strange response. A number of other variations on those phrases also appear to work, according to Reddit users.

When any of those phrases are typed into Google Search app, Google Assistant, or other Android widgets powered by the company’s search tool (a redditor reported prompting the bug by typing the terms into the search bar on Pixel Launcher, Google’s first-party home screen experience for Pixel and Pixel XL phones), the apps respond by displaying recent text messages.

Google’s Search tool is designed to show a user their text messages if requested—a feature that is meant to aid in hands-free device use for when you’re behind the wheel or your hands are otherwise occupied—and can be prompted intentionally by using the phrase “show me my text messages.” But obviously, the typos that result in text messages popping up are nothing like the actual command.

(It’s worth noting that the real command and the bug only work when a user has given Google permission to view text messages, which can be enabled and disabled in the settings for the Search app or Google Assistant.)

There’s not really a privacy risk with the bug, as a user would have to already give permission to Google Assistant to view text messages. A malicious actor could then view them with the real command and would have no need to use the glitch to access the information. But it is certainly strange!

A Google spokesperson told Gizmodo the company is already aware of the issue, chalking it up to a “language detection bug in the Google Search app for Android.” According to the company, the app “erroneously interpreted certain phrases as a request to view recent text messages.”

Google said a fix for the bug “has been implemented and will roll out over the next few days,” so have your fun with it while you can.

[BBC, Android Authority]

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