James DeRuvo

with updates to Apple Watch and iPad, I’ll be live blogging today’s Time Flies event at Twitter.com/gate_check.

There wasn’t a lot for filmmakers to get excited over in today’s Apple Keynote. 85% of it was about software tweaks thats I would call “fins.” It’s those refinements you get in to “toc” of the tic-toc development cycle. And then there was a big news of Apple Silicon, the Cupertino designed processor which will begin driving the Apple platform starting next year. Here’s my thoughts …

If you want to know all the details, I live tweeted the keynote and you can check out the feed to the right, or read it on twitter at @gate_check.

iOS14, iPadOS14 and macOS Big Sur. All three operating systems continue their gradual move towards integration, and someday soon, there will be one OS to rule them all.

iOS14 has some nifty new improvements including finally embracing widgets. Only about eight years after Android. But it’s a welcome change which also gives users customizable size options and finally putting them on the home page.

But the best change may be something called “AppClips,” little pieces of apps that you can run via NFC or QR CODE to operates apps one a one time basis without having to download the entire thing. So you rent a bike, activate with AppClips from a special scan, pay with Apple Pay and you’re peddling away without having to sign up for any account. very cool.

iPadOS adds Scribble, which through apple pencil improves handwriting recognition to replace your written text with typeface. It’ll also translate rudimentary drawings into shapes. Great for making those bar napkin sketches looking more professional.

Apple has also reworked an incoming call notification into a compact notification that doesn’t cover the entire page.

watchOS7 makes custom watch faces shareable and will also have widgets.

Hardware wise, AirPods Pro gets an upgrade with spatial audio. Essentially Dolby Atmos in your ears.

But the big thing is Apple finally making the move away from Intel with their own in house processors called Apple Silicon. And they are upgrading Rosetta 2 to do the translating on any non native apps so users can keep using their favorite apps.

Honestly it may be a transition that nobody asked for. While they referenced the move from PowerPC to Intel and how the multi year transition will be as seamless with Rosetta. Only time will tell if professionals want to make that leap without Apple forcing it on them. Even if Adobe is all in.

New desktop products may feature ARM processors

Monday is the start of Apple’s annual worldwide developers conference (WWDC). This year, due to the CoVid19 outbreak, the conference is virtual, but that’s not stopping Apple from announcing new products.

Follow me on Twitter Monday at @gate_check, as I live blog all the action.