WWDC in June 2018

WWDC via Apple

We are looking forward to WWDC or the Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled to begin June 4 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, CA. Each year, the event gets better and more elaborate, with detailed sessions. You can follow along with the WWWDC app.

WWDC kicks off in just a little over three months with an opening keynote each year where leading Apple engineers and executives preview the latest software versions of  iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

Some updates that we can expect include:

• iOS 12 release

• upgraded Siri and mobile automation

• HomePod integration with Apple TV

• possible new hardware from iPad Pros to A11X processors

Image via Apple

iOS 12 Release

As in prior years, Apple is expected to release the next level of its operating system iOS 12 with a beta release available for download for developers earlier on and the full product release by September. Within the new system, mobile automation is expected along with more integrations and options for Siri via the Home app and HomePod.
 

Image via Apple

Upgraded Siri and Mobile Automation

Siri lags behind other voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) software services available to the public such as Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Alex in both recognizing voices and in executing commands. Improvements to Siri's voice assistant and automation services can be expected as they definitely need an upgrade. WWDC has always offered a platform for innovation and collaboration. Apple has also been working with IBM since 2014 on enterprise services and now has expanded to using IBM’s Watson to improve its AI functionality. This can be expected to positively impact Siri's performance overall.

One important aspect that has been overlooked in the news for a while now when comparing these different products that offer different services as well, is privacy. Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Alexa both use information provided by their users to update their AI software, thus increasing their AI capabilities at a much faster rate. Their AI softwares are able to respond faster and more intelligently because their massive data engines are more informed. However, the big question that has not been adequately addressed here is privacy. To get their AI software to learn the nuances of language and speech faster, conversations in your private home are becoming mineable data in these vast engines.

Apple has maintained a level of privacy that is not available via these other services, ranging from its entire OS ecosystem to now Apple News and its developing AI. This does allow you to feel more comfortable in the confidentiality of what you are sharing. 

The question then is how can Apple improve Siri without drawing upon private consumer information to teach its AI? That's where IBM's Watson comes into play and will hopefully be very helpful in accelerating Siri's understanding and response rate to voices and being able to deliver on what you ask Siri to do.
 

Image via Workflow

Another aspect that can help in this process is Workflow, the innovative company that Apple acquired last year. Workflow also won an Apple Design award. In a nutshell, Workflow essentially provides a graphical version of what Siri could do. You define 'actions' and then you trigger them with a 'touch' using an Apple device (includes Apple Watch). The touch in turn, triggers a complex action to be executed. By using Workflow's capabilities, Siri developers can build out functions that users can just launch with their voices or through simple touch on iOS devices. 

Image via Apple

HomePod integration with Apple TV

We also expect HomePod integration with Apple TV where you can ask HomePod to play specific shows. This will enable developers to build new apps and games that respond to commands viaHomePod’s microphones.

Possible new Hardware from iPad Pros to A11X Processors

Apple may also announce new hardware at WWDC such as iPad Pros with TrueDepth cameras, possible replacement for the MacBook Air, new eight-core A11X processors and perhaps an updated iPhone SE 2. Apple already announced a budget iPad with A10 processor and Apple Pencil support at its March 27 press event at a Chicago school.

You can see highlights from last year's event that we reported on here - Part 1, 2 and 3.

Apple News: Ski and Snowboard Activity Tracking Update on Apple Watch

New updates to Apple Watch 3 make it easier to track skiing and snowboarding activity with activity contributing to the Apple Watch Activity app and shared with the Health app with permissions enabled.

Image via Apple

We're excited by the new Apple updates to the Apple Watch 3 where we can track ski and snowboard activity. This helps us in the app we have been developing for the last few months of 2017 and into this year. 

Now we can track:

• Total vertical descent and horizontal distance

• Number of runs

• Average and maximum speeds

• Total time spent

• Calories burned

image via Apple

image via Apple

image via Apple

This helps in tracking active calorie measurements directly to your Apple Watch Activity app. You can record runs and see your vertical descent and horizontal distance as well as speeds. You can also save your workout info to your Health app. In addition, you can use Siri to track runs with your voice.

image via Apple

Our Ski App at Elf

Our new ski app at Elf is suitable for anyone who wants to have a great workout skiing or snowboarding, track performance and improve over time. We are fortunate to have a wide variety of beta testers, ranging from college athletes to Olympic skiers and snowboarders in a variety of disciplines. We are eager to share our app with you when it is completed and ready for you - beautifully!

Photography and iPhone 8 Plus: Powerful Smartphone Camera Makes Photography Easier, Lighter and More Intimate

In an in-depth review, DxO Mark, a leading camera and lens review site, declared that iPhone 8 Plus has the best smartphone camera that it has ever tested.

Image via Apple

Dx0 Mark gave the new iPhone 8 Plus a mobile score of 94, the highest yet that it has given any smartphone camera, including prior iPhone models, Google Pixel and HTC smartphones. Both iPhone 8 models feature a 12MP camera with a larger sensor, color filter, deeper pixels and optical image stabilization for both photos and videos.

Apple continues to improve upon its popular iPhone camera. Last year's iPhone 7 model introduced dual cameras with independent lenses. Apple consistently helps popularize emerging new technologies such as multitouch displays, accelerometer motion sensors, gyroscopes and depth-sensing cameras that are often developed elsewhere first, but Apple refines and targets for useful, real-world applications prior to launch. In fact, one of the earliest researchers of multi-touch sensing, Jeff Han, known for helping create large conference room screens that Microsoft bought and relabeled as Surface Hub, was thrilled when Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007. Han said, "iPhone is absolutely gorgeous, and I've always said, if there ever were a company to bring this kind of technology to the consumer market, it's Apple." 

Through these beautiful cameras, Apple also helps educate users on concepts like distance-aware imaging, color range and how to take great portraits, in addition to how everyone communicates or takes photos or videos. Here's some pro tips from Apple for everyday use.
 

iPhone Color Gamut via Apple

Some of the key differentiators include:

• better capture of HDR scenes with more detail preservation and overall exposure

• strong performance in low light scenarios and with flash, recognizing and exposing faces properly even in dimly lit, indoor environments

• portrait photography

• zoom capabilities with a dedicated telephoto camera lens

• bokeh for effective depth effects, more blur effects like a typical optical blur with more natural lighting

• more accurate exposures

• more accurate contrast

• pleasing, brilliant color for both outdoors and indoors

• wide color gamut

• good white balance, with a slighter warmer tone via TrueTone technology for some situations for better viewing experience and presentation

• dual‑domain pixels for great views of the screen from almost any angle

• avoids visible color shading completely, even in low-light scenarios

• remarkably accurate autofocus (though longer time to focus initially)

• excellent detail capture, ideal for landscape photography

• very low noise

• few artifacts

• flash-only photos show accurate white balance and excellent color rendering.

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Comparison between iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8 and Google Pixel in outdoor photography with a single subject

iPhone 8 Plus Image Capture via DxO Mark

iPhone 8 Image Capture via DxO Mark

Google Pixel Image Capture via DxO Mark

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Foreground Detail Capture and Accurate Color in Landscape Photographs

iPhone 8 Capture via DxO Mark

Accurate Color Capture

iPhone 8 Capture via DxO Mark

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Accurate Optical Zoom with Rich Color

The wide‑angle and telephoto lenses available on the iPhone 8 Plus enable optical zoom, with a digital zoom of up to 10x for photos and 6x for videos.

Image via Apple

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Portrait Mode Offers Range of Photo Options

Showcased earlier at WWDC, the new Portrait Mode available on both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models makes taking portrait photos better and easier to shoot with sharper foregrounds, naturally blurred backgrounds. With dual cameras and new facial landmarking tools, both iPhone 8 models make it easy to create dramatic studio lighting effects.  

Both iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus benefit from the new processing power of the A11 Bionic chip. You can capture an image and create a lighting effect in the foreground in addition to the background bokeh effect. This creates the effect of a light bounce, offering highlights for the face of your subject and options to dramatically light the jawline or even completely black out the background similar to the clean, crisp shooting of studio photography on a stage.

Image via Apple

Image via Apple

Image via Apple

Image via Apple

Image via Apple

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Professional Photography with Rich Color and Detail Shot on an iPhone

Taking intimate, powerful photographs with the iPhone has grown increasingly popular as Apple has improved and refined iPhone cameras over the years.

Apple and TBWA\Media Arts Lab 'Shot on iPhone 6' campaign 2016.

Apple and TBWA\Media Arts Lab 'Shot on iPhone 6' series in 2016.

This is evident in TIME magazine's 2017 photo shoot using only iPhones. TIME director Kira Pollack hired Brazilian photographer Luisa Dörr to shoot portraits of women for magazine covers for their upcoming "Firsts: Women Who Are Changing The World," documentary magazine series and book. Dörr's bare-bones approach with just her iPhone and a few lighting props, was disarming, friendly and made it easier to shoot. The portrait quickly came into focus with more subtlety of expression and body movement. 

Luisa Dörr, left, shoots Oprah Winfrey on her iPhone in Los Angeles, Oct. 2016. Image via TIME.

Photographer Luisa Dörr reviews a picture edit at the TIME offices with the project team (l-r): Spencer Bakalar, Diane Tsai, Luisa Dorr, Justine Simons, Tara Johnson (front center), Kira Pollack and Natalie Matutschovsky. Image via TIME.

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New iPhones Benefit from Stronger Processing Power and Built-in Software

The new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus both benefit from stronger processing power via the A11 Bionic chip, new and enhanced software ability to combine multiple frames into a single image and AutoHDR technology to render high-dynamic range scenes. The A11 Bionic uses Apple's Image Signal Processing core to understand sensor data detected by the cameras. The powerful new Neural Net processing capabilities in both iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus can recognize and understand faces, bodies and objects, even in motion.

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Improved Video Capture Capabilities

Both iPhones also are better at capturing video though not as effective as the Google Pixel, but significantly better than prior Apple models. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus both offer better video quality and stability while panning or walking as well as face tracking for proper exposure.

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Excellent Choice for Smartphone Photographers

In summary, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus is an excellent choice for a smartphone photographer with its superior image quality, optical zoom, industry-defining Portrait mode, high dynamic range, face and object recognition for optical lighting and processing power.