Apple Intros iOS 8

200-million-ipad

Apple today introduced iOS 8, at its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), being held June 2-6 in San Francisco, CA.

While iOS 7 was a dramatic makeover, IOS 8 focuses on refining and polishing the mobile OS.

Key Features:

  • Faster and more intuitive user experience;
  • iCloud Photo Library lets you use your photos and videos more easily across your devices;
  • New Messages features to easily share voice, video or photos with just a swipe;
  • New Health app that gives you a clear overview of your health and fitness data all
  • Predictive typing for Apple’s QuickType keyboard;
  • Extended Spotlight capabilities that integrates results from the Web, including articles from Wikipedia, findings from the news and results from places nearby;
  • Family Sharing, which lets you share music, purchases, photos and calendars within the same household; and
  • iCloud Drive, so you can store files and access them from anywhere.

Key features that may be of interest to musicians:

  • Continuity – iOS 8 devices can sense the proximity of other devices. This lets you do things like quickly set up a hotspot for your iPad using an iPhone or answer a phone call on your iPad or Mac.
  • Messages has been updated to streamline sending audio, video and photos.
  • iCloud Drive is designed to make it easy to share documents across devices and applications. Apple also introduced iCloud storage tiers up to 1 TB.
  • Extensions – iOS 8 Extensibility lets developers create apps that run as Extensions within other applications and add features to other apps. For example, if you don’t like the default iOS keyboard, you could install an alternate keyboard and make it your default.
  • Homekit – this is a new API that’s designed to let your iOS devices control household hardware devices. While intended for home automation, it might also have interesting applications for musicians. For example, when you come into your studio, you could tell Siri to set up the studio for vocals, and it could wirelessly dim the lights, turn off devices that are noisy and turn on your mixer.
  • Swift – Apple introduced a new programming language for developers that’s designed to streamline the creation of fast, secure apps. While this won’t directly affect most musicians, it’s designed to make it dramatically faster and easier to develop apps, so it could lead to more app development on iOS.

iOS 8 is available to developers as a beta now and will be available to users as a free upgrade in the fall.

57 thoughts on “Apple Intros iOS 8

  1. “While iOS 7 was a dramatic makeover, IOS 8 focuses on refining and polishing the mobile OS.”

    Don’t get your hopes up to high.

  2. Unlike other gimmicks that other companies put out…. Seems like everything here is pretty thoughtful and addresses things I wanted:

    -Quick reply while in other apps(most of the benefit of multitasking)
    -the SMS on iPad and group features
    -extensions… Hopefully benefitting audio
    -better graphics (more efficient this able to be more powerful).
    -more iCloud functionality.
    -total integration across devices.
    -overall cool tools for dev…. After all the best part of any device is the app

    I thought it’s smart of them to invest heavy in the developers….. I’m sure that will pay off for the end user quickly.

    Sidenote: the the comment about android dominating 99% of a certain segment was great. And the adoption of new OS’s on windows and android. It’s an old song but telling about the key differences between the various ecosystems. So I guess I kinda liked what they are doing. There are alternatives if it doesn’t work for you.

    1. This event was very tailored to developers, rather than general users, so I expect there will be a lot of hand-wringing by analysts about what Apple didn’t announce.

      The developers were eating this up, though, which is always a good sign for a platform.

      1. I’m so glad I was able to ease you mind C_B. I own Apple products and work with hundreds of them daily. I’m not an Apple hater, just very familiar with Apple previous upgrades and the Apple Configurator environment. The changes look spiffy….. I hope they are. Would it not be sweet though if you updated your iPad, decided the slowdown in performance was not worth the update, and then you were able to roll back to your previous version. On the other hand if I was Apple, I would not allow you to go backwards. Then i would make my latest update tax your current hardware, be it iPhone or iPad, to the point of feeling the need to run out and buy their latest creation. Not so bad when you have a device or two. Kinda bad when you have 2500+. I surely don’t want them to stop moving forward. I would just like the option to fall back if latest IOS drills me a new one. Listen…..can you hear it? It’s the thumbs down crowd!!! They’re coming for me!!!!!

  3. I hope the extension system they presented for the developers will work with audio. We can see real sequencer coming and interacting with all your synth on ios. Maybe we’re already quite here but this will be even better

  4. I thought ipads and apple where great products.Couldn’t believe my eyes that users are saying there are faults with the products. I thought such blasphemy got censored on here.

  5. Integration of mobile devices in to automation systems in your home? I up know Google is going heavily in that direction as well as making devices that go in cars. Of course the ultimate goal here is to be able to track everything you do, every minute of every day. What you watch on TV, what music you listen to, where you shop, etc. Facebook is even having a new “feature” where the mobile app wants access to the microphone on you phone/ iPad so it can hear what you are listening to. I am not sure all of this is for the best in the long run.

    As for iOS 8, I was instantly sorry I upgraded to 7. All of the controls moved to different parts of the screen and it also introduced a bug that corrupted my iPad and I had to wipe it and start over. Of course I couldn’t reinstall from the backup because it was version 6 and Apple wouldn’t let me go back a version. So my first generation iPad2 will stay at 7 and my MacBook is not going to Logic X and Mavericks. I feel like Apple is trying to push people farther in to their narrow and tightly controlled ecosystem, making it hard to do things like download and view a PDF without bring it in through iBooks and so on. They begin to look more and more like the Evil Empire these days, which makes me really sad.

    1. My god…..
      Do some brief searches of what social and environmental causes they support. Compare that to the other non-evil empires.
      That comment is so dramatic it’s funny.
      It’s hard to be a company that makes products sold in the 100s of millions and please everyone while still moving forward and making changes. Nobody is perfect but jeez cut them some slack.

    2. There are always things one wants to watch-out for before upgrading and I generally don’t upgrade immediately to the latest major release when one comes out. I usually wait till, at least, a “dot release (e.g. 7.0.1 or even 7.1 [I waited till this release for my iOS7 move]), so they can sort most of the major bugs out. There’s always going to be issues when it gets released in the field/to the general public that they couldn’t test for. Especially considering music apps have complex processing, I do my research to find-out what the issues are with any new OS and the apps I like to use *before* I upgrade. Generally the plug-in/app makers are behind on getting their software ready for a new OS, so I check-out what issues they’re dealing and wait-and-see. It only takes 24 hours (if that) to find-out on the Innernets what crazy who ha someone got themselves into upgrading to the latest and greatest.

      And yes off course, any Apple OS is a tightly controlled ecosystem! It’s their whole model and always has been. Only for a brief period did Apple ever license-out their Mac OS and that didn’t last long. And for them to push you closer into the “cool”/”new” stuff is all about what their business is about. If you want open, go to a Linux build and Android. Have fun making music with those systems……

      1. Yes, but in the meantime you can install any 3rd party Start menu, or even replace the shell entirely if you wish to.

        I wish we were allowed to do such things on IOS.

        1. I guess you could say the same thing about ios as well…but it BEGS the question. If a 3rd party can do it so easy why does Microsoft have to delay it???

          1. You can say the same thing about IOS, but only if you jailbreak.

            Now why Microsoft it holding up?For one they are stubborn, also maybe they want to bring something else than all the 3rd party’s offerings, and finally, it makes people talk about them in the meantime 😉

          2. When a OS vendor like Apple or Microsoft makes changes to their operating systems, they know that there’s a good chance it will break some third-party apps. So they have to be much more methodical about making changes and do more testing.

            When a third party releases a hack – they’re going to do some basic testing, but nothing like what Apple or Microsoft would do. And buyers get these add-ons knowing that they may not work with all apps.

            1. “When a third party releases a hack”

              What do you mean?

              “And buyers get these add-ons knowing that they may not work with all apps.”

              Add-ons and plugins are not even allowed in IOS, what are you talking about?

        2. It would be relevant to compare iOS to Windows Phone, or OS X to Windows.

          Mobile devices are locked down tighter for a reason, If your phone gets hacked, you could start getting 900 calls on your bill, or be responsible for a denial of service attack that kills your local phone network.

          You can install anything you like if you jailbreak your mobile device, but phone providers have justification for keeping jailbroken devices off their networks.

          1. “be responsible for a denial of service attack that kills your local phone network.”

            That is the exact same reason Steve Jobs said about why he did not want 3rd party apps on the first iphone. Steve Jobs also thought 3rd party apps would “take down AT&T’s network”. Everybody proved him wrong when people started making unauthorized 3rd party apps and store (even before the Apple’s app store).

            “phone providers have justification for keeping jailbroken devices off their networks.”

            Phone providers do not even know if a phone has been jailbroken/rooted. It is impossible to block a phone based on jailbreak.

            1. The App Store screens all apps, in large part because of the kind of issues that Jobs was concerned about – apps that could potentially take out a network or steal customer info. And the screen process has proven to not just be a necessary evil, but to work pretty well.

              Android has provided a great example of what happens with the ‘wild west’ approach – just about all of the vulnerabilities that have been identified are on that platform.

      2. That’s awesome. Big decision. They need to change up some fonts while they are add it. Briefly had a windows phone for work. Not only is it cumbersome, but its ugly.

        NI wasn’t exactly running well on it either 🙂

      3. Meanwhile, Android phones never get obsoleted by updates, because the phone companies never release updates for them.

        1. Meanwhile, I still get updates for my S3, but I had to buy a new ipod and ipad because support was dropped for them even thought they both were less than 2 years old when it happenned.

    3. Careful of what you say Grasshopper! Your comment may be banished as mine was. It’s lonely and cold here. Beware! Beware!!!!!

        1. noone – your comments are getting flagged for moderation, because your account/computer has made a high number of personal attacks, and because your computer has been used to spam the site using multiple user names.

          Please keep your comments on topic and constructive.

      1. Mad Radiator – I checked and your last comment was flagged as a bad comment by dozens of readers, which is why it was automatically hidden by the system.

    1. However, I’m guessing it probably will be able to easily run a ton of apps written by hardworking developers like Korg, Blip Interactive, Single Cell Software, Harmonicdog, Virsyn, Alex Mattheau, Propellerhead, Yonac, Laurent Colson, IceWorks, Kymatica, WaveMachine Labs, Intermorpohic, Liine, Rodrigo Yanez, Moog, Beep Street, Olive Wittchow, Wooji Juice, and many others. It’s odd, but I think that even if NI isn’t represented on any future version of iOS, we’ll manage to make music with it. Somehow.

    2. That would be NI’s fault, wouldn’t it? They’ve got 3-4 months to update their apps for these new OS’s. Unfortunately, a lot of companies don’t worry about updating their apps until new OS’s have shipped.

      1. I think the question is why every new IOS breaks older apps? The responce is : because there are no legacy support in IOS.

        1. I know, right? I have to wait for ALL of my apps to be updated to new versions whenever I update to a new version of iOS.

          Oh wait. No I don’t. Somehow there must be this “legacy support” of which you speak that allows me to run games and apps that I bought three years ago on a current version of iOS.

          1. I personally never had this issue either. Would love to hear what apps were suddenly broken. I have dozens of music apps and they were never broken. Don’t agree with the Apple ecosystem if you don’t want to, but at least state the facts….

            1. Its hard to remember all of them because I delete them when it happens. istylophone is the latest one I have deleted, I was hoping it would get updated someday as it stopped working with IOS6, but alas.

              Rare are the apps from pre-IOS6 who survived without getting some serious updates.

                1. Noise IO, JR Hexatone, Ethero, Mic Check, Mobeat, to name a few just because you think I’m lying, and I’m not counting games.

                  1. noone – this has not been a serious problem in my experience, because music apps from legitimate vendors are well-supported and are usually updated by the time any new OS comes out.

                    But it’s true that OS changes have broken some apps and that some ‘abandonware’ type apps just don’t work on updated OS versions. This isn’t unique to iOS, though, it’s par for the course with poorly supported apps.

                    Mobile phone OS’s are constantly getting updated to improve security, add features and to take advantage of improved hardware – and some of these changes are going to obsolete poorly supported apps.

                    The only way you’re going to ever be able to use abandonware apps forever is if you keep a device running a version of the software that the apps are compatible with.

                    1. I never said this was such a serious problem, just that it existed and once in a while I lose an app, and that in the meantime I can still run every VST’s I have collected for the past 15 years.

                      But whatever, since you guys have such a problem accepting this fact lets just keep pretending it never happens and that if it happens it can only be the developer’s fault.

          2. I never said “ALL apps”. I’m happy if all your apps survives the updates, I always loses a few older ones.

            1. “there are ***no*** legacy support in IOS.” [emphasis mine]

              That implies that anything written prior to the current iOS can’t be run. Perhaps, “poor legacy support” or “there is little attention to legacy support” would have made more sense, though I would still disagree.

              Some apps were broken by updates to the OS, I’m sure. Ever notice how this happens with every OS ever? It can even happen with Windows, which is notoriously good at legacy support. Some apps were broken because developers used private APIs that they’d been discouraged from using or did other things that might not be reliable in future versions of the OS.

              Setting aside its OSX lineage, iOS is pretty young, and it’s going to keep changing, particularly with yearly releases and the desire to squeeze better performance and intriguing features out of mobile hardware in a very competitive market (Android and Windows Phone are no slouches).

            2. Noone

              VSTs are a third- party plugin standard, which run within applications. So you’re comparing entirely different things.

              Apps have always broken on Mac and Windows when there are OS upgrades – but the only time I remember large numbers of plugins breaking was when apps started moving to 64-bit and dropping legacy support.

  6. I was making a broader point about decreasing privacy, not a judgement on Apple’s coolness. It seems to me that I should be able to hook a device or drive up to my laptop and drag a PDF file on to it without bringing it through iBooks. That it one of the things I have read about Mavericks.

    Perhaps I made the point too subtlety for some. In terms of poking their nose in to my private information I believe that Google are the absolute worst, that Apple is now sadly trying to catch up with them in this area and that Micosoft now is almost the poster boy for respecting your private information. Please keep in mind this is only my opinion based on having used Apple for years, an Android phone and now a Windows 8 phone.

    No cause for alarm or condescension.

    For the record. I make music with a large, dusty pile of old hardware and multitrack recorder. I do have fun working with that system.

    1. > It seems to me that I should be able to hook a device or drive up to my laptop and drag a PDF file on to it without bringing it through iBooks. That it one of the things I have read about Mavericks.<

      I don't understand. It doesn't work this way for me. I don't need iBooks for anything, and I frequently access and transfer PDFs using my Mavericks-running Mac and my iOS devices.

      You shouldn't trust anyone completely with private information when the NSA can find a way to grab it from Big Business. As for who has a greater desire to utilize your information for their own financial gain, I think Google (being a company that makes a lot of its cash from ads) is probably at the top. Apple does have iAds, and I doubt that they're anymore squeaky clean than your average corporation, but iAds aren't primary to their business interests and revenue.

      Ultimately, your privacy is screwed. So is mine. Perhaps this will change someday, but not anytime soon. Donate to the EFF and use trustworthy tools to protect your information. If nothing else, consider using the MVPS hosts file on any desktops and laptops you own.

    2. You were replying to my comment.
      Hats off to you….hardware is fun. I’m getting into modular. Mixing the too is cool for me to. Just got Bazille from U-he and Bitwig, and love them so far as well…using it at the same time as my hardware modular. To each their own….but privacy concerns in a discussion about music software is maybe misplaced.

      1. > but privacy concerns in a discussion about music software is maybe misplaced.

        Perhaps, but Atomic Shadow mentioned it, and as it affects anyone who uses a computer, I thought I would address it.

        1. Oh wait. You might not have been addressing me, Thomasty. Sorry for any confusion. Have fun with that modular. Wish I had the room and the cash. It would be impossible for using those things to not be a ton of fun.

    1. Still have an iPad 1 and it still is rock solid and will run for 8+ hours on a charge. There are tons of great music apps that will run on an iPad 1, and Apple now lets you download the most recent version of an app that will run on your device.

      There are a lot of new synths that I can’t run on the iPad 1, but that’s because new iPads are an order of magnitude faster than the original one. I wish laptop computer technology was evolving as fast as tablet technology!

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