From the desert to the ocean: Apple today revealed its latest macOS update today, Catalina. The new OS comes with a host of new features, including accessibility updates, the death of iTunes, and more.
Possibly the most exciting update is Project Catalyst, a development feature that allows app creators to make Mac apps based on existing iOS apps. A single dev team would be able to develop an app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS with relative ease. It’ll be available for developers on Catalina today.
Now that we know for sure Apple is killing iTunes, the next question to spring to mind, naturally, is what’s going to happen when you wish to sync your phone. According to Apple, syncing will now happen in the background — you’ll be able to find the details in the Finder sidebar. To compensate for the loss of its signature app, Apple is bolstering the Music, Podcast, and TV apps. For example, you’ll now be able to search podcasts for content within episodes, even if you don’t know the name of the show or the episode you’re searching for.
Another exciting feature is voice control — essentially, with Catalina, you’d be able to control your Mac entirely with your voice, and the feature will also be available on iOS and iPadOS. It’s a great option for users who don’t have the fine motor control necessary to type or navigate touch screens, and probably long-overdue if we’re being honest.
Aside from these, there were a handful of other fun updates: Catalina users will be able to plug their iPads into their Macbooks, and use it as a second display via Project Sidecar. Notes and Photos are getting a facelift. Find My Friends and Find My iPhone are being combined into a single app, while Activation Lock will now brick your Mac if it’s stolen, just as it does with your iPhone. Also, as if Screen Time didn’t diss your screen addiction hard enough on your phones, it’ll now heckle you on your computer as well.
A preview of Catalina is currently available to Apple Developer Program members, while a public beta is coming later this month. Catalina officially rolls out this fall.
Follow our WWDC 2019 coverage here.
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