Apple posted a 54 per cent increase in revenues to $89.6 billion in the last quarter. AP
Apple posted a 54 per cent increase in revenues to $89.6 billion in the last quarter. AP
Apple posted a 54 per cent increase in revenues to $89.6 billion in the last quarter. AP
Apple posted a 54 per cent increase in revenues to $89.6 billion in the last quarter. AP

Quicktake: What to expect from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference


Alkesh Sharma
  • English
  • Arabic

Apple is set to host its five-day annual developer conference from June 7.

The online event, with a tagline 'glow and behold', will be live streamed on the company's website and other platforms from its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

“Building on the record-breaking participation and learnings from last year’s online conference, WWDC21 is an opportunity for developers to learn about the new technologies, tools, and frameworks,” Apple said in a statement.

“WWDC21 will offer unique insight into the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS."

Here is what the iPhone maker is expected to introduce to the market during the event.

New iOS and iPadOS

Apple is not expected to launch new iPhones and iPads before September. But the company will most likely reveal its next operating systems, reportedly called iOS 15 for phones and iPadOS 15 for tablets, at the event.

Apple could also offer more tools for home screen customisation and a redesign of its App Store.

A customer wearing a protective mask tries out the iPhone 12 Pro Max at an Apple store in Palo Alto, California. Bloomberg
A customer wearing a protective mask tries out the iPhone 12 Pro Max at an Apple store in Palo Alto, California. Bloomberg

First glimpse of Apple Glasses

Apple is reportedly providing a first glimpse of its much-awaited augmented and virtual reality headset, Apple Glasses – a product that has been in the development pipeline for many years.

This will be Apple's foray into the augmented reality devices segment, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who closely follows the company, said in a research note to clients. Apple's AR/VR product roadmap will be rolled out in the next few years. A helmet type equipment will be revealed by next year, glasses in next four years and contact lenses will be introduced by 2030–2040, he added.

“We foresee that the helmet product will provide AR and VR experiences, while glasses and contact lens ... are more likely to focus on AR applications," Mr Kuo said.

Update on Apple Watch

Apple usually unveils the latest software for its smartwatches during the developers conference every year. It is expected to release the trial version of the new WatchOS for developers that will be followed by public betas. Industry experts expect the new software, likely to be called WatchOS 8, to add new health monitoring tools and sleep tracking features to the device.

Apple has a clear leadership in the smartwatch industry, with the iPhone maker having a 40 per cent share of the global smartwatch sales in 2020. It was followed by Samsung (10 per cent) and Huawei (8 per cent), according to Counterpoint Research. The company sold 33.9 million smartwatches last year, up 19 per cent from last year.

Apple smartwatches on display at an Apple store. Bloomberg
Apple smartwatches on display at an Apple store. Bloomberg

Second-generation M2 chips for Macs

Apple is expected to reveal the second-generation of its in-house chips, the M2, for desktop computers. In November, it announced plans to introduce a laptop with its own silicon chips, ending a 16-year partnership with Intel. Last month, it rolled out its first iMac line-up with a processor developed in-house, the M1. It will update the market on MacOS during the developers' conference.

A customer tries out the iMac computers. Bloomberg
A customer tries out the iMac computers. Bloomberg

How to watch Apple’s developer conference?

Live streaming will be available through apple.com, the Apple Developer app on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and YouTube. Users can also access the on-demand playback available after the conclusion of the stream.

More than 200 sessions and video collections will be posted each day, the company said. Users can also get one-on-one guidance on how to implement Apple technologies, design principles and manage their app on the App Store.

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Pakistan T20 series squad

Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin

Simran

Director Hansal Mehta

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey

Three stars

What you as a drone operator need to know

A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.

Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.

It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.

“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.

“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.

“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.

“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”

Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.

The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.

“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.

“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.

“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”

Results

5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m

Winner No Riesgo Al Maury, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)

5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m

Winner Marwa W’Rsan, Sam Hitchcott, Jaci Wickham.

6pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m

Winner Dahess D’Arabie, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi.

6.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m

Winner Safin Al Reef, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m

Winner Thulbaseera Al Jasra, Shakir Al Balushi, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

7.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 80,000 2,200m

Winner Autumn Pride, Szczepan Mazur, Helal Al Alawi.

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

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%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)

Lecce v SPAL (6pm)

Bologna v Genoa (9pm)

Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)

Sunday

Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)

Juventus v Brescia (6pm)

Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)

Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)

Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)

Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)

Monday

AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)

 

Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press 

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  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5 

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 400hp

Torque: 560Nm

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UAE SQUAD

Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

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