Apple has officially announced macOS 15 Sequoia at this year's WWDC 2024 event (you can follow all the announcements as they happen at our WWDC 2024 live blog), giving us an early view of the upcoming operating system for Macs and MacBooks.
Following on from macOS Sonoma, which was revealed at last year's WWDC, macOS 15 comes with a range of new features, many of which make use of Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which were also announced at WWDC 2024.
What we know so far
These are the new features of macOS 15:
Your iPhone screen can now be mirrored in macOS 15
iPhone notifications are coming to Macs
Improved windows layouts – drag a window to a side of your screen and macOS 15 will give you options for arranging windows
You can replace backgrounds when using FaceTime
Password app replaces Keychain, making it easier to arrange and sync your passwords – and this is also coming to iPhone, Vision Pro, iPads and even Windows PCs!
This story is breaking. We'll continue to update this article – and check out our WWDC 2024 live blog for all the breaking news
Adobe is currently holding its MAX 2023 event showing off what it has in store for the next year or so. One of the focal points of the conference was a series of 11 “Projects” that have the potential to become “important elements” of Adobe products in the future.
Recently, the company provided a sneak peek at one of these elements called Project Stardust, which has the ability to separate objects in a photograph into individual layers for easy editing. Users will have the ability to move objects around or delete them. From there, you can have a generative AI create something to take its place. The other 10 perform similarly as they harness AI technology to power their robust editing and creative capabilities. The group is split into three main categories.
Photos
Alongside Stardust in the Photos category, you have Project See Through, a tool that removes reflections in a photograph. Adobe states that glass reflections can be really annoying since they can obscure subjects. Instead of having to go through a multi-step process of editing the image on Photoshop, See Through does it all for you quickly.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Adobe)
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(Image credit: Adobe)
Video & Audio
Similar to how Stardust can remove objects in images, Project Fast Fill can remove them in videos thanks to the company’s Generative Fill tech. It can also add or change content via “Firefly-powered text prompts.” In the example shown to us, Fast Fill can add a tie to a man whose suit doesn't have or alter latte art in a cup of coffee from a heart to a flower.
#Adobe has unveiled Project Fast FillThe experimental #AI system brings Firefly’s Generative Fill to video, letting artists add or remove objects in footage using simple text promptshttps://t.co/7q6ZnCXVSv #AdobeFirefly #generativeAI #VFX #motiongraphics @creativecloud pic.twitter.com/9PuVmqyam1October 11, 2023
See more
Next, Project Res Up can bump up the resolution of a clip via diffusion-based upsampling technology. Scene Change is third and it can swap out the background of a video from, say, an office building to a jungle. For audio, there’s Project Dub Dub Dub, a software tool claimed to be able to translate speech from one language to another “while preserving the voice of the original speaker”.
3D & Design
For the last category, these five are all about helping users create – even if they’re not the best artist.
Project Draw & Delight can turn your doodle into a polished drawing utilizing a text prompt to guide it. Glyph Ease “makes customized lettering more accessible” by instantly applying specific design elements to a word in Illustrator. All you have to do is provide a rough outline of what you want the AI to add.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Adobe)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Adobe)
The trio of 3D imaging software is more situational, but still impressive nonetheless.
Project Poseable’s AI can morph a 3D model to match “poses from photos of real people.” So if you upload a picture of someone striking a karate pose, the model will do the same. Project Primrose lets artists quickly alter the texture of a rendered piece of clothing. And finally, we have Neo which aids creators in creating 3D objects using “2D tools and methods.
To reiterate what we said earlier, these projects are prototypes at the time of this writing. There’s no guarantee any of these will become a new feature in Photoshop or any other Adobe product. However, there are some we believe have the potential for an eventual release.
Stardust, Res Up, as well as Draw & Delight, appear to be the most “complete”. There aren't as many visible flaws as with some of the others. Certain projects require more time in the oven in our opinion. For example, the voice from Dub Dub Dub sounds really stilted and robotic. It's not natural.
Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best AI art generators of the year if you’re looking for ways to bolster content generation.
Meta’s Connect developer conferences have been fairly humble these past couple of years as the company shifted to online events due to the pandemic. But for 2023, the tech giant returned to an in-person event and took some big swings.
The star of the show was undoubtedly the Quest 3. It features improved hardware running on the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 SoC (system on a chip), an in-depth mapping upgrade, and greater support for video games. The reveal was certainly impressive. However as the conference went on, it felt like the spotlight shifted to all the AI announcements.
We’ve known some of the AI models Meta has been developing for a while now, like its revamped chatbot to take on GPT-4. But as it turns out there was a lot more going on behind the scenes as the company showed off a slew of AI features coming to its messaging apps.
There is a lot to cover, so if you want to know about a specific topic, you can use the jump links at the top to head over to a particular section. Or you can read the whole thing as it happened.
Virtual Reality
1. Meta Quest 3
(Image credit: Meta)
$ 499.99
Available for pre-order
Launches October 10
We finally get a look at the Meta Quest 3 VR headset after months of leaks. Compared to the Quest 2, this new model is 40 percent thinner thanks to the pancake lenses allowing for a slimmer design, according to company CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Each lens is able to output 4K resolution (2,064 x 2,208 pixels) per eye for the highest quality possible. The speakers are getting an upgrade too. They now have a “40 percent louder volume range than Meta Quest 2”.
All this will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset mentioned earlier, which is said to be capable of twice “the graphical performance.”
Also, the headset is paired up with two Touch Plus Controllers now boasting better haptic feedback for more immersive gaming. The Quest 3 is currently available for pre-order on Meta’s official website. Prices start at $ 499.99 for the 128GB model while the 512GB headset is $ 649.99. It ships out on October 10.
2. Better gaming
(Image credit: Meta)
Xbox Cloud Gaming coming in December
No longer need a PC
Some titles will be in mixed reality
A large portion of Zuckerberg’s presentation was dedicated to gaming as Meta wants gamers to adopt its headset for a fresh, new experience. To enable this, Xbox Cloud Gaming will be accessible on the Quest 3 this December. This means you can play Halo Infinite or Minecraft on an immersive virtual screen. And the best part is you no longer need to connect to a gaming PC to run your favorite titles. Thanks to the Snapdragon chip, the headset is now powerful enough to run the latest games.
For greater interactivity, some titles like BAM! can be played on a table in your house through a mixed reality environment. The Quest 3 will display the board game in front of you while you still see the room around you.
3. Immersive environments
(Image credit: Meta)
Will automatically map your room
Virtual objects appear
Can switch between immersive and blended spaces
Mixed reality is made possible due to the Quest 3’s “full-color passthrough capability and a depth sensor”. The device will scan a room, taking note of the objects in it in order to set up a mixed-reality space. This is all done automatically, by the way. Through this, virtual objects will appear in your house.
Besides video games, the mixed reality spaces can be used to establish your own immersive workout or meditation area. For basketball or MMA fans, you can get ring-side seats where you can watch your favorite teams or fighters duke it out as if you’re there. Double-tapping the headset on the side changes the view from an immersive perspective to a wide-angle shot where you can see everything.
Generative AI
4. Meta AI assistant
(Image credit: Meta)
Powered by Bing Chat
Will be available on WhatsApp, Instagram, and more
Can access the internet
Mark Zuckerberg revealed Meta has entered a partnership with Microsoft allowing the former to use Bing Chat as the basis for their new in-app assistant called Meta AI. It works in much the same way. You can ask quick questions or engage with it in some light conversation.
What’s interesting is it’ll be available on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It will have access to the internet for displaying real-time information. Enabling this can backfire as it may cause the AI to hallucinate or come up with false information. To combat this, Meta states it carefully trained its AI to stay accurate.
It’s unknown when the assistant will launch officially; although we did ask. We should mention it will be available in beta on the upcoming second-generation Ray-Ban smart glasses which launches in October.
5. Multiple personalities
(Image credit: Meta)
AI Assistant can have a persona
These persona can offer specific advice
Or be a source of entertainment
It seems Meta AI will have split personalities as it'll be possible to have it emulate a certain persona. Each one is based on a famous public figure. For example, Victor the fitness coach is based on basketball star Dwayne Wade. Seemingly, each persona will appear with a video of the celebrities in the corner. The video is connected to the AI and will emote according to the text.
The personas do get a little wacky. Rapper Snoop Dogg gave his likeness to be the Dungeon Master model guiding people through a choose-your-own-adventure text game. Others have a more practical use like the chef AI giving cooking advice.
6. Generating images
(Image credit: Meta)
Emu can generate high quality images
Can be accessed through Instagram and WhatsApp
Can generate stickers in three seconds
Emu, or Expressive Media Universe, is Meta’s new image generation engine. Like others of its kind, Emu is capable of pumping out high-quality images matching a specific text prompt. However, it will do so in five seconds flat – or so Mark Zuckerberg claims. What’s unique about this engine is it will power content generation on Meta’s other apps like Instagram and WhatsApp.
On the two platforms, Emu will allow users to create their own stickers for group chats in about three seconds. Generating images will require you to enter a forward slash and then a prompt such as “/image a sailboat with infinite sails.” This technology is being used on Instagram to generate unique backgrounds and new filters.
7. AI Studio
(Image credit: Meta)
User will be able to make their own AI
Sandbox kit will it easy to create models
Sandbox launches next year
Meta is opening the door for people to come in and make their AI via the AI Studio platform. Within the coming weeks, developers can get their hands on a new API that they can use to build their very own artificial personality. Non-programmers will get the opportunity to do the same through a company-provided sandbox. However, it’ll be a while until it sees the light of day as it won’t roll out until early 2024.
The tech giant explains that with this tech you can create your own NPCs (non-player characters) for Horizon Worlds.
Smart glasses
8. Next-gen Ray-Bans
(Image credit: Meta)
$ 299
Available in 15 countries
Launches October 17
Near the end of his presentation, Mark Zuckerberg announced the next generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses now sporting better visual quality, better audio, and more lightweight body. On the corners of the frames will be two 12MP ultra wide camera lenses capable of recording 1080p video. It has 32GB of storage allowing you to store over 100 videos or 500 photos, according to Meta.
What’s more is it comes with a snazzy-looking leather charging case similar to the kind you get with a normal pair of Ray-Bans. With the case, the Ray-Ban smart glasses can last up to 36 hours on a single charge.
It’s currently available for pre-order for $ 299 in either Wayfarer brown or Headliner black. It launches October 17 in 15 countries, “include the US, Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe.”
9. Livestreaming
(Image credit: Meta)
Can connect to Instagram for livestreaming
Touch control activate certain features
Meta is giving its next-gen smart glasses the ability to livestream directly on Instagram and Facebook. In the demonstration, a new glasses icon will appear on the app’s video recording section. Turning on the icon and double-tapping the side of the glasses will connect the device to the app so viewers can see what you’re seeing.
Additionally, tapping and holding the side of the frame lets you hear the latest comments out loud through their internal speakers. That way, streamers can stay in touch with their community.
This feature will be available when the updated Ray-Bans launch next month.
And that’s pretty much the entire event. As you can see, it was stacked. If you want to know more, be sure to check out TechRadar’s hands-on review of the Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Apple has announced its developer conference for June 6, where it's expected to announce iOS 16, macOS 13, and more for its iPhone, iPad, Watch, and Mac products.
The keynote conference where these updates will most likely be announced will also most likely be on June 6, which we'll be covering to give you all the updates as they arrive.
Similar to the last two years, WWDC will be going remote for the first week of June, but there are sure to be some surprises in store for both users and developers.
Unlike Google, Apple moved its WWDC conference to be a fully online event in 2020 due to the pandemic, rather than canceling it. Some were hoping to see a mix, similar to this year's Google IO of remote and in-person events, but Apple is understandably playing it safe for 2022.
We suspect Apple's CEO Tim Cook will kick off the keynote at 9AM / 6PM GMT on June 6 as before, which we expect will be free to stream.
It’s one of my favorite times of the year! #WWDC22. Can’t wait for June 6th. 🥳 pic.twitter.com/98gag4zGeIApril 5, 2022
See more
We won't know officially until the June 6 keynote what Apple intends to show off, but that's not stopping us from contemplating what we hope and expect to see from the company. Below, we'll predict Apple's software and hardware lineup for WWDC 2022, and explain how the virtual event will work.
LATEST NEWS
Apple’s WWDC 2022 is announced as an online-only event, similar to 2020 and 2021.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Apple’s yearly developer conference
When is it? June 6 – June 10, 2022
How can I register / how much does it cost? Free for everyone to watch throughout the week.
(Image credit: Apple)
What are the WWDC 2022 dates?
Apple revealed that its developer conference would take place from Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10. Apple regularly schedules its annual five-day conference for June, so it wasn't a surprise to expect to see WWDC around this time again.
(Image credit: Apple)
Is WWDC 2022 online-only?
Apple normally holds WWDC and its subsequent developer sessions across the week in physical gatherings at the San Jose Convention Center in California, where COVID-19 restrictions on large events are slowly being lifted across the country.
But with WWDC 2021 repeating the same plan as 2020, many had assumed that WWDC 2022 would follow in the same vein. This has turned out to be true, as you will be able to attend sessions and watch the keynote remotely.
How WWDC 2022 will work
In previous years, you could buy a pass to attend Apple's keynote on Monday, alongside being able to attend developer sessions, one-on-one demos with Apple engineers, and other events for professionals or hobbyists arranged by Apple enthusiasts around the event.
This year, most of those events look to be virtual and free again, with Apple announcing more details as the event gets closer, most likely through its WWDC app.
Some WWDC 2022 sessions will be free to all and rewatchable on-demand, as in previous years. But there will be other events that will be in person, and if you're there, will most likely require you to reserve a slot due to its popularity.
(Image credit: Apple)
What to expect at WWDC 2022
Based on Apple's annual product and software calendar, plus all the leaks and rumors we've heard about, we have a general idea of what Tim Cook, Craig Federighi, and other Apple execs will discuss during the WWDC 2022 keynote on June 6. Here are the highlights:
(Image credit: Apple)
iOS 16
Apple will almost certainly be introducing iOS 16 at WWDC, the next iteration of what powers the iPhone. Usually, a preview for developers is released the same day as it's made official, with a public beta for you to try a month later.
While we've spoken of our hopes to see some better customization options and a dedicated app to manage our AirTags, AirPods, and other peripherals, it seems like 2022 could be a maintenance year for iOS.
Cleaning up some corners of the software to make it leaner and faster would be a great angle for iOS 16, especially with rumors swirling about different designs that the iPhone 14 Pro could be showcasing soon.
(Image credit: Angelo Libero Designs)
macOS 13
Every year since 2012, Apple has announced a new version of the software that powers its Macs, and we expect the same for WWDC.
macOS 13 will be the next version, with another name to match the trend of naming previous versions after Californian landmarks. Our money is on 'Mammoth' for this year's version, especially as Apple trademarked the name, alongside Monterey at the start of 2021.
macOS gets the short straw in features compared to iOS, as it usually plays catchup – dark mode and a new look arrived in macOS Big Sur, one year after iOS gained these. Shortcuts also arrived in 2021, while it's been in iOS since 2019.
We expect the same to occur here, with widgets hopefully moving out of a sidebar, and onto your Mac desktop instead, alongside a hope for the fantastic Weather app from iOS 15 to see an appearance on macOS 13 as well.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
'M2' Apple Silicon
Users were caught off-guard at Apple's March event, where another M1 variant was announced, the M1 Ultra, which is available to be used in its Mac Studio.
But WWDC 2020 was when Apple announced the move from Intel chips to Apple Silicon, and with the company making sure to mention in March that the M1 Ultra was the last chip of M1, the M2 looks all but certain to appear.
Expect the M2 chip to be more optimized compared to the M1, with a focus on better battery life and more cores for its GPU.
There are rumors that we could see it appear on a redesigned MacBook Air that could mirror the 2021 iMac, but whether we will also see this laptop at WWDC remains to be seen.
(Image credit: Apple, with modification by TechRadar)
Less likely: Apple VR Headset and iCar
As WWDC is focused on developers, we don't expect to see new hardware appearing. Rather, we do see a better chance of the software for its rumored VR/AR headset to be showcased in some way, instead.
We've spoken of a rumored 'rOS' before that could power this wearable, and to demo what it's capable of for developers, before it's available to customers, could be a good opportunity to load up its App Store before it's available to buy.
(Image credit: Future)
Apple's car project has been one of its longest-running rumors in recent memory, allegedly called 'Project Titan' by the company.
There's still next to nothing that's leaked out, but Apple is at least investing millions into an automobile. It still feels too early for Apple to publicly acknowledge this project for 2022 – expect to hear something towards the end of the decade instead.
Apple has announced its developer conference for June 6, where it's expected to announce iOS 16, macOS 13, and more for its iPhone, iPad, Watch, and Mac products.
The keynote conference where these updates will most likely be announced will also most likely be on June 6, which we'll be covering to give you all the updates as they arrive.
Similar to the last two years, WWDC will be going remote for the first week of June, but there are sure to be some surprises in store for both users and developers.
Unlike Google, Apple moved its WWDC conference to be a fully online event in 2020 due to the pandemic, rather than canceling it. Some were hoping to see a mix, similar to this year's Google IO of remote and in-person events, but Apple is understandably playing it safe for 2022.
We suspect Apple's CEO Tim Cook will kick off the keynote at 9AM / 6PM GMT on June 6 as before, which we expect will be free to stream.
It’s one of my favorite times of the year! #WWDC22. Can’t wait for June 6th. 🥳 pic.twitter.com/98gag4zGeIApril 5, 2022
See more
We won't know officially until the June 6 keynote what Apple intends to show off, but that's not stopping us from contemplating what we hope and expect to see from the company. Below, we'll predict Apple's software and hardware lineup for WWDC 2022, and explain how the virtual event will work.
LATEST NEWS
Apple’s WWDC 2022 is announced as an online-only event, similar to 2020 and 2021.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Apple’s yearly developer conference
When is it? June 6 – June 10, 2022
How can I register / how much does it cost? Free for everyone to watch throughout the week.
(Image credit: Apple)
What are the WWDC 2022 dates?
Apple revealed that its developer conference would take place from Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10. Apple regularly schedules its annual five-day conference for June, so it wasn't a surprise to expect to see WWDC around this time again.
(Image credit: Apple)
Is WWDC 2022 online-only?
Apple normally holds WWDC and its subsequent developer sessions across the week in physical gatherings at the San Jose Convention Center in California, where COVID-19 restrictions on large events are slowly being lifted across the country.
But with WWDC 2021 repeating the same plan as 2020, many had assumed that WWDC 2022 would follow in the same vein. This has turned out to be true, as you will be able to attend sessions and watch the keynote remotely.
How WWDC 2022 will work
In previous years, you could buy a pass to attend Apple's keynote on Monday, alongside being able to attend developer sessions, one-on-one demos with Apple engineers, and other events for professionals or hobbyists arranged by Apple enthusiasts around the event.
This year, most of those events look to be virtual and free again, with Apple announcing more details as the event gets closer, most likely through its WWDC app.
Some WWDC 2022 sessions will be free to all and rewatchable on-demand, as in previous years. But there will be other events that will be in person, and if you're there, will most likely require you to reserve a slot due to its popularity.
(Image credit: Apple)
What to expect at WWDC 2022
Based on Apple's annual product and software calendar, plus all the leaks and rumors we've heard about, we have a general idea of what Tim Cook, Craig Federighi, and other Apple execs will discuss during the WWDC 2022 keynote on June 6. Here are the highlights:
(Image credit: Apple)
iOS 16
Apple will almost certainly be introducing iOS 16 at WWDC, the next iteration of what powers the iPhone. Usually, a preview for developers is released the same day as it's made official, with a public beta for you to try a month later.
While we've spoken of our hopes to see some better customization options and a dedicated app to manage our AirTags, AirPods, and other peripherals, it seems like 2022 could be a maintenance year for iOS.
Cleaning up some corners of the software to make it leaner and faster would be a great angle for iOS 16, especially with rumors swirling about different designs that the iPhone 14 Pro could be showcasing soon.
(Image credit: Angelo Libero Designs)
macOS 13
Every year since 2012, Apple has announced a new version of the software that powers its Macs, and we expect the same for WWDC.
macOS 13 will be the next version, with another name to match the trend of naming previous versions after Californian landmarks. Our money is on 'Mammoth' for this year's version, especially as Apple trademarked the name, alongside Monterey at the start of 2021.
macOS gets the short straw in features compared to iOS, as it usually plays catchup – dark mode and a new look arrived in macOS Big Sur, one year after iOS gained these. Shortcuts also arrived in 2021, while it's been in iOS since 2019.
We expect the same to occur here, with widgets hopefully moving out of a sidebar, and onto your Mac desktop instead, alongside a hope for the fantastic Weather app from iOS 15 to see an appearance on macOS 13 as well.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
'M2' Apple Silicon
Users were caught off-guard at Apple's March event, where another M1 variant was announced, the M1 Ultra, which is available to be used in its Mac Studio.
But WWDC 2020 was when Apple announced the move from Intel chips to Apple Silicon, and with the company making sure to mention in March that the M1 Ultra was the last chip of M1, the M2 looks all but certain to appear.
Expect the M2 chip to be more optimized compared to the M1, with a focus on better battery life and more cores for its GPU.
There are rumors that we could see it appear on a redesigned MacBook Air that could mirror the 2021 iMac, but whether we will also see this laptop at WWDC remains to be seen.
(Image credit: Apple, with modification by TechRadar)
Less likely: Apple VR Headset and iCar
As WWDC is focused on developers, we don't expect to see new hardware appearing. Rather, we do see a better chance of the software for its rumored VR/AR headset to be showcased in some way, instead.
We've spoken of a rumored 'rOS' before that could power this wearable, and to demo what it's capable of for developers, before it's available to customers, could be a good opportunity to load up its App Store before it's available to buy.
(Image credit: Future)
Apple's car project has been one of its longest-running rumors in recent memory, allegedly called 'Project Titan' by the company.
There's still next to nothing that's leaked out, but Apple is at least investing millions into an automobile. It still feels too early for Apple to publicly acknowledge this project for 2022 – expect to hear something towards the end of the decade instead.
After a whirlwind of leaks, Crytek announced the game, for PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch, coming Summer 2020 (June-August for folks in the Southern Hemisphere). Crysis Remastered will be filled to the brim with technological advancements, with software-based ray tracing being chief among them.
Either way, we'll show you how to build a PC so you're ready for Crysis Remastered
We've reached out to both Crytek and Nvidia about what exactly this means, and will be sure to update this article if we hear back from either company, but it could be a game changer. Most ray tracing found in the best PC games right now is hardware-based, thanks to Nvidia Turing's RT cores that accelerate this computationally heavy workload.
It's extremely likely that Nvidia's RT cores will still be able to accelerate Crysis Remastered ray tracing, so that's not such a huge deal. The huge news here is that it will open the window to other hardware manufacturers (read: AMD) to easily get ray tracing running on their hardware.
Crysis with ray tracing is going to be quite the visual delight. The original game, launched way back in 2007, still looks good to this day, so coupled with all the other visual additions, Crysis Remastered could very well end up being 2020's graphics tech showcase. We'll just have to wait and see, though.
Look at all that juicy tech
No matter what happens, you should just brace yourself for an onslaught of "can it run Crysis" jokes.
Besides the always-demanding ray tracing, Crysis Remastered is going to be including stuff like volumetric fog and god rays, along with what Crytek is calling "state-of-the-art" depth of field. To someone who doesn't spend their lives surrounded with PC gaming jargon probably won't know what these mean, and that's fine.
What you need to know is that this will make Crysis Remastered look really good, and may make the title verge more into remake territory rather than the straightforward remasters we're used to.
Given that Crytek's teaser trailer opens with a bunch of clipped comments about Crysis's legacy as an extremely demanding PC game, we're putting our money on Crysis Remastered taking that legacy back.
We were finally able to run original Crysis at 4K 60 fps with everything maxed out on an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti – now it's time for Crysis to push that out of reach once more. And, really, we're totally OK with that.
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