Okay, so the new iPad doesn’t appear to have a proper name — yes everyone, Apple really is that cool — but the software announcements that Apple rolled out during the launch certainly do. Some of them are updates, and some of them are new, some of them are borrowed, and some of them are blue. Okay, maybe not the last two.
iOS 5.1
The first software announcement came in the form of an update to Apple’s mobile operating system. Tim Cook and co. didn’t have all that much to say about it, although we do know that it allows Japanese-speaking people to use Siri. We’ve since learned that it also features a new camera app for the iPad and an update that means you no longer have to double tap your home button to bring up the camera from your lock screen. Most of the other changes are just tweaks, but seem to be good news for anyone plagued by poor battery life and audio dropping during voice calls.
No ad to show here.
It’s my iLife
The other software news from the night came in the form of new additions and upgrades to the iLife suite of apps — essentially the native Apple apps that let you create and edit songs, music, and pictures in the kind of creative way that only Apple users can.
iPhoto for iPad
Today’s event saw the unveiling of iPhoto for iOS devices. The photo-editing app was previously only available on Mac devices. The company claims that it “has been completely reimagined for iOS to take full advantage of the Retina display and intuitive Multi-Touch gestures on iPad and iPhone”.
iPhoto for iOS reportedly allows you to:
- Have full control over color, exposure and contrast.
- Change specific parts of the images by touching them.
- Add Apple effects with a tap of your finger.
- Paste photos to Facebook, Flickr and Twitter.
- Beam photos between your iPhone and iPad.
- Stream photos and slide shows to your Apple TV with AirPlay.
- Use iCloud to publish photo journals to the web.
“With the introduction of iPhoto, we’ve brought the entire suite of iLife apps to iOS and users are going to love it,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
iMovie
Apple claims that iMovie now allows you “turn the HD video on your iPad and iPhone into beautiful Hollywood-style trailers, even as you’re recording”.
The apps Trailers feature now includes customisable graphics with soundtracks written by the likes of Academy Award-winner Hans Zimmer and performed by world-class musicians like the London Symphony Orchestra.
The new Theater view meanwhile reportedly lets you preview and choose from nine templates in a range of genres including “Fairy Tale, Superhero and Romance”.
Ah man, does this mean that all the bearded, vest-wearing hipsters making a nuisance of themselves in public are now going to be “unleashing their artistic vision” on iPads now?
GarageBand
This is actually pretty cool. Apple has introduced Jam Session to GarageBand. This new feature reportedly means you and up to three of your friends can “get together and wirelessly connect your iOS devices to play and record as a group”. Way to reach out to your target market there, Apple. In plain English: You and three mates can now all jam and record like a proper band on your iOS devices.
So the next time someone drunkenly comes up to you and says “Hey, hey man, you and me… we should start a band”, you can just whip out your iPhone, they can whip out theirs and hey presto.
Once you’re done jamming, Apple says “everyone’s tracks are automatically collected on your iOS device for you to edit and mix,” which is awesome if you’re a musician and a sound geek or if you just feel like turning your band into an Alvin & the Chipmunks tribute act.
There’s also a new instrument “that allows you to play an entire string orchestra with just one finger”, which is cool and Note Editor, which allows you to edit tracks note by note and is less cool.
iWork
Apple also announced an update to iWork, its productivity app within iLife. Most of the stuff changes have to do with making things look prettier on the new Retina displays and 3D charts. If you’re the kind of person who gets excited by 3D charts please, oh please, may we never meet.
