A Pop Sugar headline provides today's exercise in rapidly modified expectations: "EXCLUSIVE: Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry Hook Up" (wait for it) "For a Concert in LA."
Previously in Perry-Pattinson dating rumors with a weak finish: "Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry Crash" (wait for it) "a Wedding Rehearsal."
To answer your questions about the concert: Björk, "punky leather miniskirt," "left separately."
It's that special time for Apple devotees: WWDC 2013 is next week, and that means a customary glimpse of where iOS and the Mac are going next. However, we're getting everything but business as usual this year. The crew at 1 Infinite Loop has shaken up its software strategy, putting much its emphasis on Jony Ive's design chops and tighter collaboration between teams. Is Apple about to deliver major OS refreshes that some say are long overdue? And what about hints of new hardware introductions at the same time? We've gathered together some of the more notable rumors to help understand what Apple may introduce on June 10th -- and what's likely to remain wishful thinking.
iOS: possibly flat design, but what else?
If you've at all been following the talk surrounding the next version of iOS (likely iOS 7), the biggest amount of hubbub has surrounded its look... or rather, the absence of one. According to 9to5 Mac, Jony Ive has spent much of his time pushing for a flatter interface design that removes many of the more conspicuous textures and skeuomorphic elements in both the OS and official apps. Apple reportedly isn't going as far as Microsoft did with Windows Phone, which is dominated by solid colors and empty spaces. If the changes come to pass, however, they could still lead to the biggest surface-level overhaul for iOS since the platform launched in 2007.
Underneath the surface, it's trickier: there's only an incomplete list of rumored updates. Tipsters for 9to5 have suggested that integration with other devices might be the order of the day. They've mentioned Flickr and Vimeo integration, a car-optimized Maps view and possible AirDrop support that would simplify local file transfers. There isn't much else to report, though, and those same sources have supposedly warned that some features may not make the cut. This isn't to say that there aren't other major, consumer-facing features in store -- historically, they're quite likely. We just have little to hang our hat on, and it's doubtful that Apple could ever launch an OS update substantial enough to completely silence its critics.
The biggest improvements, for some, may rest in developer freedoms. Apple isn't shifting to a laissez faire approach to development, but Tim Cook has promised that the company will eventually offer greater access to its APIs and otherwise loosen up its historically closed approach, ever so slightly. We're mostly left wondering whether that will happen this year, or if Cook was only making long-term commitments.
OS X: for the pros, maybe
If there's little we know about the iOS refresh, we know even less about the OS X upgrade (possibly 10.9). Again, many of the rumors come just a handful of claims by 9to5. It believes that the update will be less about adapting iOS features and more about pleasing power users. While the task switcher may take a few cues from Apple's mobile platform, most other tweaks would be Mac-specific, such as multi-monitor Spaces support and a Finder with tabbed navigation. Other upgrades might bring true Siri support (not just voice dictation) as well as a faster version of the Safari browser.
Hardware: Haswell-based MacBooks and a Mac Pro replacement?
While Apple isn't always the fastest to adopt new chips, it tends to be part of the first wave -- and we're in just such a wave with Intel's Haswell-based, fourth-generation Core processors. These CPUs are seemingly tailor-made for Mac between their lower power consumption and faster integrated graphics. Some expect Apple to take advantage of this by repeating its strategy from last year's WWDC, where it replaced almost every MacBook (and even added a new model).
But just what is Apple likely to introduce? Although there haven't been signs of the replacements themselves beyond a handful of generic SKUs caught by 9to5, reseller inventory may be a clue. AppleInsider has noticed sellouts and low supplies for both the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, which suggests that their updates are coming soon. If so, the use of Haswell is almost a given; It's everything else that's up for dispute. A MacBook Air with a Retina Display? Slimmer Retina MacBook Pros? We don't know if they exist at this stage, and we wouldn't put much money on revamps for other MacBook Pros, the iMac or the Mac mini.
The Mac Pro is another matter. Apple has uncharacteristically gone out of its way to say that yes, Virginia, there should be a pro desktop replacement this year. Whether or not it arrives at WWDC isn't clear. All the ingredients are there for a redesign, however. This spring, Intel finally introduced a significant Xeon E5 refresh that would be ideal for a new workstation. Apple also stopped European Mac Pro sales entirely rather than tune the old system to meet new regulations, and MacTrast has noticed dwindling inventory at US resellers. If a new Mac Pro (or a system like it) is coming at WWDC, the machine would most likely be a modernization that supports USB 3.0, Thunderbolt and recent advances in both storage and video cards.
The wildcard: internet radio service
We haven't heard of any unusual products that might appear at WWDC, except for one: a rumored internet radio service. Instead of competing with on-demand competition like Rdio or Spotify, Apple might unveil a free, iAd-supported streaming feature that would compete with the free tiers at Pandora and Slacker. The service would chiefly take advantage of a deep connection to the iTunes Store by identifying listeners' tastes and letting them buy tracks they like. Whether or not we hear about the service may depend on label deals -- the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and others all suspect that Apple may keep quiet if it can't get enough content in time.
What not to expect, and when products may ship
If there's one thing we've encountered all too often at WWDC, it's the anger from those who expect Apple to update everything at once. Remember, this is the Worldwide Developers Conference -- consumer products aren't the focus. Apple tends to bend the rules and announce mainstream goods only when they're convenient or necessary for developers, such as new features that need developer support. Think of the App Store or Retina Displays as examples.
As such, we're not expecting iOS-related hardware launches (including Apple TV), new product categories or major software upgrades. We'll be surprised if they appear. Apple has usually saved those for the late summer or early fall in recent years, and it needs to give developers time to test their apps against beta iOS releases. The firm is likely to hand out a closed preview of its next iOS revision at WWDC, but nothing for the public. A radio service probably won't go live the same day, either.
Macs could be more complicated. Like with iOS, we're not expecting to leave the Moscone Center with finished copies of the latest OS X version; at best, attendees will get preview builds ahead of a final release later in the year. However, Apple has developed a habit of shipping new Mac hardware almost as soon as the press releases hit the wires. If computer updates arrive at WWDC, they may be in stores that week -- and they may be our only shot at instant gratification.
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It's been eight years since Microsoft and Sony announced new consoles, and tastes have changed considerably. Back then, new gaming gear was launched at E3, or using Elijah Wood-fronted MTV specials, but this time around Microsoft is pitching a tent on its Redmond campus for the world's media to huddle under. With less than 24 hours before the next Xbox is revealed, it's high time we sifted through the leaks, rumors and prognostications to see what we know, or at least, what we think we know about a little box called "Durango."
A console's codename is rarely indicative of the final project, with "Reality" (Nintendo 64), "Katana" (Dreamcast) and "Xenon" (Xbox 360) bearing no relation to the finished hardware. The next Xbox's codename, "Durango," for the curious, is both a city in Colorado and a sovereign state in Mexico -- and considering Kinect was coded after Brazilian city Natal, we think Microsoft's engineers have a thing for the warmer climes of central and southern America. There's also chatter concerning the hardware code "Kryptos," which a cursory Google search reveals is a statue sited at the CIA's Langley HQ.
One rumor that's very easy to believe is that Microsoft will join Sony in ditching the PowerPC / Cell-based architectures that powered the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in favor of PC-style computing units. A console overview document in the form of a white paper, leaked to Kotaku, claimed that, like the PS4, the next Xbox would switch to x86 architecture, with Bloomberg adding that it would be a heavily customized version of AMD's "Jaguar" low-power silicon. Specifically, the console is said to be powered by an eight-core, 1.6GHz CPU with 4MB of L2 cache.
The detailed examination of Jaguar we made back in February should hold true here -- and given that Sony has apparently pushed the accompanying GPU close to 2TFLOPs, we'd expect at least similar performance from whatever Microsoft's engineers have achieved. Kotaku's white paper also suggested that we'd see multitasking, enabling users to easily flip between games and other applications in the same way we're now used to on smartphones, smart TVs and tablets.
[Image credit: Kotaku]
The switch to PC-style hardware isn't just good for performance, as it should also make game development significantly easier for the new console. Plenty of big names, including Gabe Newell, groused at the learning curve required to code for the PlayStation 3, so a switch to x86 hardware means, at least in theory, engineers should already be au-fait with how it works. While it may be too early to confidently claim we'll see higher-quality titles launch with next-gen consoles, Michael Valient, developer at the Sony-owned Guerilla Games has already let it be known that the PS4's architecture (which might be very similar to Durango's) is much easier to use. Publishers should also be able to push out cross-platform titles for Xbox, PlayStation, PCs and other devices without huge outlays of cash and time.
Of course, a console isn't just comprised of its CPU architecture, and the same leak described the next Xbox as having a 64-bit D3D11.x 800MHz GPU, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB on-board storage, USB 3.0 and an optical drive for "50GB discs." That final stat, of course, hints that Microsoft has made an about-face and included a Blu-ray drive in Durango, no doubt prompted by the lukewarm (269,000 total) sales of the Xbox 360's external HD DVD drive. We should mention that while it may be using PC-style hardware -- it's highly unlikely you'll be able to build your own KIRF Xbox after a trip to NewEgg given the sheer amount of tweaks that Microsoft is likely to make.
As for a name, the most regularly mentioned candidates are "Loop" and "Infinity."
While there's no guarantee that Microsoft will reveal the shell of the next Xbox, Paul Thurrott has said that the company pushed back its launch event to "better position it against Sony." Given the flack the PS4-maker took for not showing any hardware images at its announcement, it'd be a surprise if we didn't see something at the show, just so that Microsoft could come off looking better by comparison. Kotaku has previously reported that current Durango test units are painted with a stripey motif, but we're skeptical that'll make it all the way to the finished version. As for a name, the most regularly mentioned candidates are "Loop" and "Infinity," both riffing on the 360's circular motif, while there's an outside chance the new unit could be called the "Fusion," or the dull, yet mathematically sound "720."
The same white paper that supplied the next Xbox's reported hardware also revealed that an updated version of Kinect, with a 1,920 x 1,080 sensor, would ship with the console. There's a slightly unwelcome rumor that the depth camera must be connected to the Xbox at all times, which might have something to do with the improved natural user interface the unit may boast. The same rumor suggests that the second (or third, if you count the Windows version) iteration of Kinect will support up to six players with better joint tracking -- assuming your TV room can hold that many flailing participants.
Rumors have circulated that the next Xbox would require an internet connection to function, but there's been plenty of confusion, and controversy, as to what that actually means. Microsoft creative director Adam Orth took to Twitter to dismiss people's concerns about a need for always-on internet, unsympathetically saying that people with non-existent and poor internet should "deal with it." After a massive public outcry, Microsoft quietly denied that his opinion was shared by the company -- or that he was making any statement regarding future hardware. Shortly afterward, Microsoft showed Orth the exit door, and a month after that, a leaked memo suggested a compromise -- with specific console functions like single-player gaming and media playback working without an internet connection, as with the current generation.
As early as 2011, there was a rumor flying around that we'd see a pair of Xboxes.
As early as 2011, there was a rumor flying around that we'd see a pair of Xboxes. One would be a fully featured games console, while the other would be a pared-down unit, more akin to a cable set-top box for casual play and TV viewing. While Microsoft seems to have axed that strategy, its push to dominate your living room continues unabated. With the sale of Mediaroom a few months ago, the company is focusing all of its attention towards turning the Xbox into a one-stop shop for all of your home entertainment needs. Thanks to Microsoft's partnerships with cable companies and pushes for original content, perhaps the console is hoping to demote your STB to second place -- which would explain why the unit is believed to have HDMI passthrough and a Google TV-style guide overlay.
Remember when we told you that Microsoft was likely to dump PowerPC in favor of going back to a PC-friendly x86 architecture? You can pretty much guess what that'll do for the console's backwards-compatibility chops. There are no rumors concerning Redmond's work on software emulation for these older titles, but we're not getting our hopes up. As such, it's probably best to concentrate on the new games that'll be coming out for the machine.
The company has let it be known that we won't learn too much on the gaming front at tomorrow's event -- with details of launch titles being held back until E3. Still, if we're to speculate a little, then we'd guess that as with any Microsoft console launch, we're likely to see first-party titles like an updated Kinect Sports and Forza, while a Halo-themed title from 343 Industries won't be far behind. Given Bungie's fruitful relationship with the company, and Activision's role as a multi-platform publisher, we'd be surprised if Destiny didn't arrive on the next Xbox with plenty of fanfare.
Then there are third-party titles like Battlefield 4, which, while unconfirmed, was developed on the next-generation Frostbite engine. So we'd expect to see that alongside other stalwart franchise entries like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Assassins Creed 4. There are also some murmurings that studios like Harmonix (Rock Band), Ubisoft (Watch Dogs) and CDProjekt Red (The Witcher 3) are preparing titles for the new platform.
Those "in the know" have tipped that the next Xbox will run a basic version of Windows 8, so don't be surprised if talented individuals get desktop software working on the machine. Since the Xbox 360 currently has SkyDrive and SmartGlass integration, we'd expect easy sharing between the console, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 gear. If the device does ship with Kinect bundled in, we'd also expect to see deep Skype integration, further reducing the need for anyone to invest in a TV webcam.
On the gaming front, as Xbox Live Arcade titles are already available on Windows 8, we'd love to see that cross-compatibility strengthened. In fact, and this is pure conjecture on our part, we'd love to be able to share titles between our PC and console, but again, we doubt Microsoft would allow it.
If the device does ship with Kinect bundled in, we'd also expect to see deep Skype integration, further reducing the need for anyone to invest in a TV webcam.
You may have seen Microsoft's IllumiRoom project and hoped that the company would whip out an accessory for the console. Unfortunately, it's not very likely to happen. When we spent some time with the Holodeck-esque hardware in January and April, bosses kept stressing that the technology isn't ready for prime time, and the company hasn't given any indication that it wants to turn the project into an actual device. Still, perhaps in time, a more mature version of the device could appeal to the enthusiast crowd -- possibly even as the midlife "kicker" that Kinect proved to be.
There's also some speculation that the company will repackage a smaller, cheaper Xbox 360 for the budget crowd. Given the prolonged success of the PS2 in a similar role, and the 360's proven track record as a big seller, we're sure this will happen. The only question is whether Microsoft will devote time and energy in tomorrow's event to talk it up.
Common sense would suggest that, in these cash-strapped times, the company would try and keep the costs close to the $299 / $399 launch prices we saw for the core and premium editions of the 360. Thurrott, however, believes that the standalone version of the next console will retail for $499, but if that's too rich for your blood, he thinks you might be able to pick up a $299 edition if you commit to a $15-per-month Xbox Live Gold subscription for two years -- pushing the price to $659, math fans.
So, what's the story? If all of this is true, then Microsoft is building a small, albeit heavily customized, low-power PC and dressing it in console clothing. Weirdly, we're not underwhelmed by this news. After all, if gaming isn't your thing, then it'll have its media center skills to fall back on, and perhaps the company's clout with the cable companies could see it offered as a sweetener the next time you consider cutting the cord. The inclusion of Blu-ray may be too late given the streaming trend, but might sway anyone who'd planned to defect to PlayStation for its high-definition player. That said, it's high time that a gadget launch provided us with a genuine surprise, so let's hope that Microsoft has what it takes to put a smile on our faces. Either way, we should know a lot more by tomorrow evening.
