WWDC is both exciting and terrifying for developers, as Apple adds new products that are great – but in direct competition with them. Here are this year’s announcements that will affect third parties. A term familiar to many in the Apple community is “Sherlocking”. Named after the Fiction Detective, Sherlock was a search tool introduced in Mac OS 8. Extended file search in Finder and replaced by Spotlight on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Following the release of Sherlock, a company called Karelia Software developed a tool called Watson. Complete Apple Search Toolkit and support more web functionality. But when Apple released the Jaguar Mac OS X 10.2 in 2002, the third version of Sherlock contained almost everything Watson had to offer. Watson cost $ 30, but Sherlock was free as it was integrated into the system and Karelia stopped working. Developer Dan Wood wrote a blog post saying that Apple CEO Steve Jobs told him that this is certain to happen. “Do you know these manual, small machines that people stand on and pump to get on the train tracks? This is Karelia,” Wood said at the time. “Apple is the steam train that owns the lines.” After that, the term caught on and “Sherlocking” refers to products that Apple replaces with its versions. Many times, it has happened with third party products such as Konfabulator, f.lux, Growl and others. Here are some features that Apple has already developed, which have already been provided by the developers.
passwords
Apple has announced passwords, an initiative it is working on with Google, Microsoft and the FIDO Alliance. These companies want to end passwords by creating a more secure version that people do not need to remember. Many users do not need to remember passwords thanks to password managers. MacOS Ventura access keys However, passwords are designed to be easier and faster to use, and password managers like 1Password and Bitwarden need to rethink their strategies. Announced on June 3, 1Password is partnering with FIDO to navigate the future without a password. In future versions of the password manager, starting with 1Password 8, users can sign in to the application without a password using WebAuthn. WebAuthn is a protocol developed by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. Allows password-free connections using public key encryption. In 1Password 8, users can integrate their private keys with the application, making it the virtual security key. Apple Access Keys will support native WebAuthn-based security keys. Although passwords will be stored in the iCloud Keychain, they can be used with platforms such as Android and Windows with QR codes.
Webcams
Apple will compete with Continuity Camera and webcam applications. Allows an iPhone to be used as a Mac webcam with Macs Ventura and iOS 16. You will not need any applications or cables other than a cradle to hold the iPhone in place. Physical webcam makers will not stop working, but applications such as Camo, IVCam and EpocCAM may be hit hardest. These applications also allow an iPhone user to turn the device into a Mac webcam. One consolation is that iOS 16 is discontinuing support for older iPhone hardware, such as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Customers should use these applications if they want a webcam without having to buy an expensive product. Continuity camera of macOS Ventura The Continuity camera will be available on iPhone 11 or later with iOS 16. It will use the iPhone’s wide-angle lens to provide multiple views, and it will use software features such as Stage Light to enhance the user’s display.
Photo editing
Apple makes it easy to automatically isolate a subject from its background in a photo. This works in the Photos and Files app by tapping and holding the Copy or Share menu in the menu that appears. You can download a shortcut here on iOS 16, iPadOS 16 or macOS Ventura to automate the process. Pixelmator Pro added a Magic Background Eraser in November 2021. Current tests reveal that Apple’s offering has an advantage as the Pixelmator Pro sometimes has difficulty with themes and backgrounds in similar colors. Clearing the background is a feature added to popular photo editing apps, but a cursory search of the App Store reveals a lot of disposable erasers. Some of these focused applications may disappear altogether, unless they can do a better job than Apple. Isolating a photo subject is not easy, especially in front of a messy background. But Photos do a surprisingly good job of a brand new feature in a beta operating system.
Package monitoring
Apple brings packet tracking to the Wallet app on iOS 16. Displays detailed receipt and tracking information directly on orders. Like the rest of Apple Pay, these are delivered securely and privately to the device. Works with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and other merchants with any purchase made using Apple Pay. Track orders on Apple Wallet Delivery applications are already in jeopardy and Apple’s move is tightening the grip. On April 5, Mike Piontek wrote about the future of Deliveries, a package tracker. Instead, users will have to click the “View Online” button in the app to view tracking data on the shipping company’s website.
Mail updates are not as huge as Apple does. However, they bring the application on par with other email applications. Features like email scheduling, email delivery cancellation, and reminders to open an email later are three new reasons to keep Mail by default. MacOS Ventura Options in Mail Mail can also intelligently detect if information is missing from an email, such as an attachment or a cc’d recipient. If a person forgot to reply, the system will send an automatic suggestion later.
search
Spotlight has more capabilities to stay ahead or in line with competitors such as Alred and LaunchBar. Users can now find images from their photo library, across the system and on the Web. Photo Search works by location, scenes, objects and people. Live Text lets the Mac owner search text within images. A productive update allows users to take action on Spotlight. Creating a new document, executing a shortcut, or launching a timer will appear in the tool. Finally, Spotlight includes rich results for movies, actors, artists, TV shows, business and sports. Some competitors are still ahead of Spotlight, but Apple has taken it a few steps closer.
Window management
Stage Manager is a new way to manage and organize applications and windows in macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16. The current window appears in the center and other workspaces appear on the left. MacOS Ventura Stage Manager Alternative window management applications such as Mosaic and Moom may still have advantages. Apple’s macOS may display side-by-side windows, but competitors support other configurations.
Teleconferencing
An example of how Apple products work is an update to FaceTime. Items can be dragged and dropped into workspaces and the system will remember the location of each window relative to others. Users can use Handoff to transfer live video calls between devices. Although not completely Sherlocking, this is a feature that other video conferencing applications do not have. Makes FaceTime much more attractive to users.
What Apple had to kill
A refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro was one of the new laptops announced by Apple that contains an M2 chip. It also contains the touch bar, a controversial feature with calls to remove it. The 14 and 16 inch models have already rejected it. Apple introduced the Touch Bar in 2016, a slim OLED strip that sits on top of the keyboard and replaces the function keys. It offers touch capabilities and displays function keys, application controls, multimedia controls and more. However, some users said that it did not serve any useful purpose and many application developers did not support it. Apple will inevitably compete with developers and other third parties as the company strives to perfect the all-in-one experience. MacBook Pro Touch Bar
