wwdc2012

Android's one killer feature that trumps the iPhone

At Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 2012) next week in San Francisco we expect to see the latest iteration of iOS unveiled with a laundry list of updates to extend the growing appeal of the iPhone. But, there's still one key feature that Apple isn't likely to improve enough to catch up with Android.

While iOS 6 will reportedly include Apple's new 3D Maps app, Facebook integration, an update to Siri, and a revamped mobile iTunes store, the platform still has one big weak spot: Alerts.

It's hard to argue that Android is more usable … Read more

Expect iOS 6, new MacBooks at Apple conference Monday

In today's show, we look into the Apple crystal ball, get hit with more apps and save up for new games:

Apple will be highlighting new products at its annual Developer's Conference Monday. Expect computers to get Intel's new processors, and we'll likely hear about new 3D maps on iOS 6 and other mobile system upgrades.

Some have said laptops could get retina display, which is found on iPhones and iPads. That seemed pretty improbably, until recently. An application for Macs has been updated to support retina graphics. That raised a few eyebrows.

The presentation kicks … Read more

Retina, really? Maybe on select MacBooks

Retina rumors never cease. And now, according to the latest speculation, those ultra-high-resolution displays will land on select new MacBooks.

A fresh report, based on data from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI, shows Retina-class displays coming on a 13-inch "MacBook" and 15-inch MacBook.

Those models could be announced at Apple's annual developers conference WWDC2012 next week.

Let's be clear. Retina displays coming to new MacBooks is not the moral certainty that it was for the third-generation iPad. Naysayers say that all of that extra resolution is not necessarily a good thing on a MacBook and a … Read more

Apple teases WWDC 2012 with iOS6 banner (picture)

Apple is famously secret for not offering much advance notice about upcoming product or technology announcements. But the iOS6 banner that workmen installed inside the Moscone Center, the San Francisco venue for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference that starts next week, left little doubt that more than passing reference will be made to the next-generation operating system for the iPhone and iPad. Let your best guesses fly.

CNET will have wall-to-wall coverage of Apple's big shindig, which lasts throughout the next week. Monday's keynote starts at 10 a.m. Pacific. And you'll be able to follow along with our live blog. … Read more

Apple reportedly mulling tracking tool for app developers

Only days before Apple's big developer shindig gets underway, the ship of state is leaking one rumor after the next.

The latest, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, has to do with Apple coming up with a new way for its mobile app developers to "track who uses their software."

The new tool, which could be detailed in the coming weeks, aims to better protect user privacy than existing approaches, these people said. It comes after Apple last summer rattled the mobile industry by saying it would stop allowing app makers to use a unique identifier embedded … Read more

What to expect at Apple's WWDC next week

Apple's annual developers conference kicks off next week, and there's no shortage of things to expect in the way of new software and hardware.

Piecing together months' worth of rumors, CNET has compiled a short list of things to expect during Monday's keynote. And of course be sure to tune in Monday morning, when we'll bring you live coverage from the show.

iOS 6 iOS is one of the big reasons WWDC has become a hard ticket to nab by developers. The software, which powers the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and even Apple TV, is also … Read more

What I'd like to see in Apple's next MacBooks

The looming presence of a WWDC keynote doesn't usually spark dreams of laptop hardware, but this year's a little different. Apple hasn't released a MacBook in all of 2012. It's already June. And, Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors have been showing up everywhere, including a bumper crop of new Windows ultrabooks.

Here's what I'd like to see in Apple's next MacBooks, both from software and hardware. … Read more

Apple TV to get its own SDK with apps to follow, report says

The Apple TV set-top box will soon support third-party applications, according to a new report.

The Boy Genius Report writes today, citing a source, that Apple will unveil a software development kit at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week. The kit will finally allow third-party developers to bring their applications to Apple's set-top box, ushering in a feature Apple TV owners have been desiring for years.

The Apple TV has been viewed as a "hobby" device since its launch five years ago, and has been the odd man out among Apple's many popular products. Last month, … Read more

Mac app updated with 'Retina graphics,' adds fuel to rumors

All of the talk surrounding the possibility of Apple launching MacBooks with Retina Displays just got a bit more serious.

A Mac OS X-based application today was updated with support for "Retina graphics." The app, FolderWatch, allows users to automatically keep a copy of a project on an external hard drive or file server. It might not be the most obvious choice for a Retina-ready app, but the very fact that it supports the feature is rather interesting.

For months now, we've been hearing rumors that Apple could launch a new line of MacBooks featuring the Retina … Read more