Apple : Rising iOS 7 traffic may hint at impending Apple reveal

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• Rising iOS 7 traffic may hint at impending Apple reveal
• Updated: 70 best free iPad games 2013
• In Depth: WWDC 2013: what to expect from this year's event
• In Depth: Turn your iPad into a great portable TV with these apps and services
• Google Now for Mac hinted in latest Chromium update

Rising iOS 7 traffic may hint at impending Apple reveal Posted: The next iteration of Apple's mobile iOS operating system could be just around the corner, if recent data is any indication. Mobile site conversion company Onswipe reported today that it's seen a big increase in iOS 7 traffic to the sites it monitors. According to Onswipe, traffic from iPhones and iPads running iOS 7 increased significantly over the last week, with much of that traffic concentrated in San Francisco and Cupertino, where Apple's HQ is located. Three quarters of that traffic came from iOS 7 iPhones, while a quarter came from iOS 7 iPads, and May 2 had the highest concentration of iOS 7 traffic. iOS 7 at WWDC Onswipe uses HTML5 to optimize websites for mobile viewing, so it's natural that the company would pay attention to the operating systems mobile visitors are using. If traffic from Apple devices running iOS 7 is spiking, it probably means that the new iOS's reveal is swiftly approaching. And guess what else is swiftly approaching? Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off June 10 and will provide the perfect opportunity for Apple to unveil iOS 7. Apple has even hinted as much, promising "an in-depth look at what's next in iOS and OS X" at the San Francisco conference. iOS 7 a major overhaul? iOS 7 is predicted to be a significant overhaul of Apple's seminal mobile operating system. A report early in May claimed that Apple was directing extra resources from other development teams to help finish the new iOS release. Onswipe also noted those using iOS 7 tended to visit websites about turntables, Vine, Apple's stocks, and Kid Cudi. That information is largely useless, but perhaps it paints a picture of Apple's iOS testers.

Updated: 70 best free iPad games 2013 Posted: Best free iPad games 1 - 35 So you've got an iPad and come to the dawning realisation that you've no cash left to buy any games for it. 50 best free iPad apps Best iPad case: 38 rated Have no fear, because the App Store offers plenty of iPad gaming goodness for the (unintentional or otherwise) skinflint. Our pick of the 70 best free iPad games is listed below. Note that apps marked 'universal' will also work on an iPhone or iPod touch, scaling down controls and graphics accordingly. New iPad 3 review iPhone 5 review You can also check out some of the entries in our TechRadar video: FutTv : dQT4D5H0SC2vt 1. PewPew (universal) "Expect retro graphics and megatons of enemies," says the developer about this twin-stick shooter, adding: "Don't expect a story". With its vector graphics and Robotronish air, PewPew brings to mind Geometry Wars and Infinity Field, but without a price tag. Despite being free, PewPew nonetheless boasts five modes of shooty goodness. 2. Bub - Wider This curious creation is a tranquil arcade game, where you tilt your iPad to guide a bubble around forests. The aim of Bub is to snare strangely named seeds and avoid foes. There's little new here over the iPhone release, and the fuzzy graphics desperately need an upgrade, but Bub works well on iPad due to the precision the larger device offers. 3. Flockwork It turns out if you're a sheep that thinks the grass is greener, you should check out the other side of the fence first. In Flockwork, wooly heroes make a break for freedom, but end up immersed in a kind of ruminant hell. Your task: help the sheep escape by way of finger gymnastics and fast reactions. 4. Cliffed: Norm's World XL (universal) This race-to-the-bottom vertical platform game lacks depth but Cliffed is fun for a quick high-score blast. Use the chunky controls to make your guy dash left or right to avoid rocks and leap down holes. If the screen catches up with him, it's game over. 5. Air Hockey Gold Air hockey games work much better on the iPad than the iPhone, simply due to the iPad's larger screen. Air Hockey Gold isn't the only free game of this type, but it was the one that felt best during testing, and the two-player mode works nicely. 6. Magnetic Shaving Derby (universal) "Use the magnet to attract the razor to shave the face!" explains Magnetic Shaving Derby, presumably having first hidden any safety instructions from view. The result is an experience best described as completely bonkers, with a side order of "don't try this at home, kids, unless you enjoy the site of blood". 7. Dizzypad HD Dizzypad is a one-thumb game which has you tapping the screen to have your frog leap between rotating lily pads. If he falls in the drink, he dies (pollution, eh?), but extra lives can be gained by munching bugs or bravely skipping lily pads. Extra modes are available via in-app purchase. 8. Escape - Norm's World XL (universal) IUGO's puzzler Escape has you swiping to make your silhouette leap between circles, which vanish when you leave them. The idea is to jump on every circle, whereupon you move to the next level. in-app purchases are available for tougher levels and two-player modes. 9. Frotz (universal) Although it works on an iPhone, Frotz isn't great on the smaller screen. But on the iPad, with its larger keyboard, the interactive fiction player is a revelation. It uses the Z-Machine format, and you can download a selection of freely available text adventures (including the original Zork) using the app, or upload your own files to the app via FTP. 10. QatQi (universal) QatQi starts off a bit like Scrabble in the dark, until you figure out that you're really immersed in a kind of Roguelike mash-up. So although the aim is to make crosswords from a selection of letters, you're also tasked with exploring dungeons to find score-boosting stars and special tiles. 11. Harbor Master HD This game might look like Flight Control in the drink, but the gameplay mechanics are subtly different. As with Firemint's effort, Harbor Master is a line-drawing game, this time with you drawing paths so boats can dock. However, once they've unloaded, they must leave the screen or sometimes visit another dock, ensuring things rapidly become complex and frantic. 12. Tiny Tower (universal) Tiny people in a tiny skyscraper need you to feed then tiny sushi and do other tiny tasks. Things can, inevitably, be sped up by not-so-tiny IAP cash infusions, but if you're a patient sort, and keen on micromanagement games, Tiny Tower is a charming, enjoyable title that will eat many tiny moments out of your day. 13. Crimson: Steam Pirates This turn-based strategy game comes complete with an engaging story and a healthy dollop of yo-ho-ho. You command pirate ships, setting their courses and then watching the action unfold. Crimson: Steam Pirates gives you eight free voyages and further adventures can be bought via IAP. 14. Labyrinth 2 HD Lite Another demo for a paid-for title (and one that made our best paid-for iPad games list), Labyrinth 2 HD Lite's definitely worth downloading if you don't have the full game. It's the digital equivalent of tilt-based marble games, but with crazy designs. You get a small selection of mazes here, but they're playable and varied, and there's always a high-score to beat. 15. Frisbee Forever (universal) With almost limitless possibilities in videogames, it's amazing how many are drab grey and brown affairs. Frisbee Forever is therefore a breath of fresh air with its almost eye-searing vibrance. The sense of fun continues through to the gameplay, which is all about steering a frisbee to collect stars strewn along winding paths. Initially, you explore a fairground, but soon you're soaring above the wild west and sandy bays. 16. Pocket Legends (universal) Many free iPhone OS MMOs are dreary text-based affairs, so it's nice to see Spacetime Studios creating something a bit more ambitious with Pocket Legends, providing us with an iOS-specific 3D world populated by the usual motley collection of fantasy characters. As always with MMOs, the game demands you invest plenty of time to get anything out of it. 17. Solitaire Ace After a few hands of Klondike, we actually ended up preferring this free app to several of the iPad solitaire apps with hefty price tags. Solitaire Ace might be simple (no undo, only one theme, just three solitaire variations), but it's fast and responsive, with intuitive controls and extremely clear cards. 18. Tilt to Live HD The basic aim of Tilt to Live is simple: avoid the red dots, either by cunning dodging and weaving or by triggering explosive devices in the arena. The game stands apart from similar releases due to its polish and sense of humour. You get the basic mode for free, and others can be unlocked by in-app purchase. 19. Flow Free (universal) Flow's quite sneaky. It looks simple enough, tasking you with connecting like-coloured blobs via pathways that cannot cross. And indeed it is at first, despite you also having to fill the entire board to proceed. But once you're on larger grids, trying to figure out snaking pathways, your ears will be shooting steam. 20. 10 Pin Shuffle (Bowling) Lite (universal) We're big fans of 10 Pin Shuffle, a universal app that combines ten-pin bowling and shuffleboard. Of that title's three game modes, the best one is included here in 10 Pin Shuffle Lite, for free. Called 10 Pin Poker, it adds a card game to the mix. Get a spare or strike and you're given one or two cards, respectively. At the end of the tenth frame, whoever has the best hand wins. 21. Pilgrim's Punch-Out (universal) Become a 1980s NES-style Scott Pilgrim in Pilgrim's Punch-Out, a movie tie-in that isn't at all a massive rip-off of (sorry, tribute to) Nintendo classic Punch-Out!! Decent controls enable you to fight your way to glory, and although the game's over pretty quickly, there's always a high-score to beat. 22. Fowlplay HD If you ever wanted to poop on someone's head from above, Fowlplay HD is the game for you. Taking on the role of a pigeon that should really cut back on fibre, you zoom around a stylised forest that appears to be populated by refugees from Minigore. Aim your deposits at their heads, avoid the trees, and grab any power-ups that come your way. 23. To-Fu 2 (universal) There's a touch of Angry Birds about To-Fu 2, at least if the birds were covered in something yucky that glued them to any walls they collided with. Said stickiness is the name of the game here, getting the squidgy hero to level's end rather than impaling him on the liberally strewn spikes. 24. Choice of the Dragon (universal) It's not the most interesting-looking game in the world, but luckily the magic of Choice of the Dragon is in its witty prose. Playing as a multiple-choice text adventure, akin to an extremely stripped-back RPG, this game is an amusing romp that perhaps lacks replay value, but you'll enjoy it while it lasts. 25. Lux Touch (universal) There are several Lux games on the App Store, but the original is now free and works very nicely on the iPad. Essentially, this is Risk, and while the computer AI isn't terribly bright, Lux Touch should nonetheless keep fans of the original board game quiet for a short while. Best free iPad games 26 - 60 26. New York 3D Rollercoaster Rush HD Free 25 of the full game's tracks are on offer in New York 3D Rollercoaster Rush HD Free. The game's a simple arcade title: tilt your iPad to control the coaster's speed, aiming to keep it on the track, and take risks to ensure the crazy riders have a great time (and, presumably, give the health-and-safety guy a heart attack). 27. iLifeGame (universal) John Horton Conway's famous Game of Life cellular automaton exists for practically every platform, and this simple iOS version, iLifeGame, gets things right with clear graphics, the ability to draw your own starting points, and a small collection of predefined patterns. 28. Pukk HD Given that it's another Pong clone, Pukk HD isn't the best game to play if you've no friends, because the single-player mode is extremely dull. However, with another player, it becomes an exciting battle of digital tennis - and it looks a lot nicer than Tap Blaster HD, too. 29. Grim Joggers Freestyle (universal) When we think of extreme sports, jogging isn't the first that comes to mind, although it might be now we've experienced Grim Joggers Freestyle. The game's essentially Canabalt, but instead of one guy leaping across grey rooftops, you get a string of joggers trying desperately to survive in a surreal alien world. 30. Pilot Winds (universal) With Tiny Wings having spent a large amount of time troubling the App Store charts, we're surprised it took so long to make it to the iPad. All along, Pilot Winds was the next best thing, and it's still free. Instead of a fat bird sliding down hills, you're a daredevil penguin skier, and while the game's inspiration is clear, it has plenty of tricks of its own. 31. Drop7 Free (universal) Drop7 is one of the finest puzzle games on iOS. You drop numbered discs into a grid, and if the number matches the number of discs in its column or row, it vanishes. Grey discs are destroyed by twice removing discs next to them. Three modes are on offer, each demanding a different strategy. And now the game's owned by Zynga, it's free, with only the occasional unobtrusive advert. 32. TinkerBox Myriad physics puzzlers exist for iOS, but most are twitch-oriented games where you fling objects around, and repeat with slight variation until you succeed. TinkerBox is different, because it demands you carefully consider the task at hand and then construct machines and tools using engineering concepts. It's great for educating kids and also perfect for anyone who used to love the likes of Meccano. 33. Trainyard Express (universal) Trainyard Express is a puzzle game which tasks you with getting trains to stations by laying track. It starts simple, but the logic puzzles soon test you, with colour theory and other complications. In all, you get 60 puzzles, and there's no overlap with the app's commercial sibling Trainyard. 34. X-Baseball (universal) As the saying goes, there are few American sports that can't be improved by the impending threat of a banana, and that's X-Baseball. Hit balls! Hit bananas thrown by fans! Also, hit annoying birds flying overhead! Just don't 'not hit', otherwise your game will soon be over. It's just like the real thing! 35. Paper Toss: World Tour HD The original Paper Toss was pretty dry and throwaway, but in dumping the wastebasket in absurd surroundings (within a volcanic pool, in the desert, by the Taj Mahal), it gets a second wind as Paper Toss: World Tour HD and is a far more satisfying flick-based arcade game. Best free iPad games 36 - 70 36. NinJump - HD NinJump is a quickfire one-thumb game which has your ninja rapidly climbing, leaping between two endless towers. As he leaps, he knocks obstacles from the air, dispatching killer squirrels, deadly birds and throwing stars lobbed by enemy ninjas. Simple, addictive fun. 37. Chuck's Challenge (universal) Chuck's Challenge has a long pedigree, being heavily based on ancient Atari Lynx game Chips Challenge. The idea is to use your brain and swiping skills to solve tile-oriented puzzles, keeping your strange purple-haired avatar alive. For no money, you get 25 puzzles, but more are available to buy. 38. Parsec (universal) On playing Parsec, we had to check a couple of times that it was free, because it's one of the best shooters on the App Store. The game boasts retro-style neon visuals, slick touch controls, and an exciting 20-level time-attack structure that begs you to regularly attempt to beat your high score. 39. Flick Kick Field Goal Kickoff (universal) Flick the football in precision or sudden-death mode, taking into account wind speed and direction before you belt the ball goalwards. Flick Kick Field Goal Kickoff is a simple game, but the stadium looks great, and it's always a fine title to waste a few minutes with. 40. BIT.TRIP Beat Blitz (universal) The love-child of Pong and a drug-fuelled hallucination, BIT.TRIP Beat Blitz has you deflecting hundreds of balls, in time to crunchy industrial-style dance beats. This is dazzling and pure but demanding arcade gaming, with long, tough levels. Miss too many beats and you're plunged into Nether, a soulless black-and-white realm where you must chain multiple beats to escape from. 41. Triple Town (universal) In Triple Town, you have to think many moves ahead to succeed. It's a match game where trios of things combine to make other things, thereby giving you more space on the board to evolve your town. At times surreal, Triple Town is also brain-bending and thoroughly addictive. Free moves slowly replenish, but you can also unlock unlimited moves via IAP. 42. Pinball HD Collection If you're a fan of spanging a metal ball about, Gameprom's iPad pinball tables are as good as they come. Pinball HD Collection is the freemium incarnation of the company's output, and you get the simple but playable Wild West entirely for free. Yee-haw! 43. Temple Run (universal) There are many endless running games for the iPad, but this is the only one where you're being chased by deadly evil demon monkeys. But then you did nick a priceless trinket from a temple. Tsk! The tilty swipey gameplay's perhaps a tad tiring after a while of holding up an iPad, but Temple Run is great in short bursts on the larger screen. 44. Candy Train (universal) Leaves on the line? Pfft! Here, you're more likely to find candy and giant cherries. Not that such hazards stop the little train—but broken tracks will. Your job is therefore to plan out a route for the cartoon chuffer, until your brain seizes up and your Candy Train journey comes to a sticky end. 45. Bejeweled Blitz (universal) Bejeweled Blitz is the online incarnation of PopCap's hugely popular gem-swap game, and it looks fab on the iPad's screen. As a freemium title, there's a whiff of IAP (either grind or buy coins to unlock power-ups, or you've no chance of topping the high-score tables), but you'll still be addicted all the same. 46. Jetpack Joyride (universal) Another endless game, Jetpack Joyride is a witty, polished take on the iCopter format, with one-thumb controls dictating the hero's attempts to avoid death that comes increasingly rapidly from the side of the screen. The real gems here are the power-ups, including the amusing Profit Bird (depicted), which isn't at all a swipe at Angry Birds and Tiny Wings. 47. Fairway Solitaire HD Fairway Solitaire HD is a perfect example of what happens when you marry simple gameplay with a bit of character. On its own, the basic card system would be fine: unlock face-down cards by selecting those one higher or lower than the current one in the draw pile. But the addition of golf scoring and a crazed gopher out for blood turns this into a surprisingly enjoyable and original title. You get nine courses for free. 48. X-Motorcycle (universal) X-Motorcycle happily offers two videogame cliches for the price of none: the speeding hero (this time on a motorbike), who cannot slow down, and inexplicably giant fruit that appears to be an immensely important currency. The result is a fast, playable game reminiscent of old-school thrills filtered down to their essence and squirted into your iPad. 49. Orbit1 One thumb per person and one glowing neon ship is the premise behind Orbit1. You grab points, aim to destroy your opponents, and just hope someone doesn't flip out, grab the iPad and fling it out of the window in a huff. 50. Zen Pinball (universal) More pinball! This one's a bit less realistic than Gameprom's efforts, but Zen Pinball is very pretty, with a bright and exciting free table, Sorcerer's Lair. Further tables are available via IAP, including some Marvel-themed and surprisingly great Star Wars efforts, but the sole freebie should have pinball addicts happily sated for a while. 51. Word Solitaire HD With a game called Word Solitaire, you might expect a kind of solitaire game that has you form words rather than use standard cards. And that's exactly what you get here - sorry, anyone waiting for a huge surprise. However, this is not a bad thing, because Word Solitaire HD is a relaxing, entertaining title. 52. Royal Revolt (universal) In Royal Revolt the king is dead and his siblings have stolen his kingdom while the prince was at school. Unfortunately for them, he was studying magic and is now out for revenge. The game itself is a real-time-strategy effort with some seriously cute and well-animated graphics. 53. Letterpress (universal) Who knew you could have such fun with a five-by-five grid of letters? In Letterpress, you play friends via Game Center, making words to colour lettered squares. Surround any and they're out of reach from your friend's tally. Cue: word-tug-o'-war, last-minute reversals of fortune, and arguments about whether 'qat' is a real word or not. (It is.) 54. Snuggle Truck HD This one had a dubious start, initially named Smuggle Truck and featuring immigrants being smuggled across the US border. One swift rejection by Apple later and the game swapped immigrants for cuddly toys, which is significantly funnier anyway. The trials-oriented gameplay isn't bad either. 55. Frisbee Forever 2 (universal) As noted elsewhere in this list, we love Frisbee Forever. This sequel is essentially more of the same: fling your plastic disc away, guide it through hoops, collect stars, and make it to the finish line. What makes Frisbee Forever 2 really stand out is the lush locations you get to fly through, including ancient ruins and beautiful snowy hillsides. 56. Gridrunner Free (universal) Gridrunner Free has the look of a lost 1980s arcade game, with hints of Caterpillar and Space Invaders. But this is really a thoroughly modern affair, with perfect touch controls and bullet-hell-style gameplay, albeit bullet-hell in the videogame equivalent of a shoebox. Oh, and you only get one life in survival mode, making every game a frantic bid to stay alive. (More modes can be unlocked via the 69p In-App Purchase.) 57. Hero Academy (universal) There's a point in chess where you sometimes wish your knight would just give your opponent's bishop a thoroughly good trampling. Sadly, few chess games do such things (the ancient Battlechess being an exception), but Hero Academy takes the idea and runs with it. On specially designed boards, wizards attack knights, and demons defend their turf against samurais. It's an engaging turn-based effort with plenty of depth. 58. Rinth Island (universal) Rinth Island is what would happen if you propped block-shifter Soko-Ban up against a wall and wrapped it around a tube. The puzzles soon become notoriously devious, as you figure out how to reach each tube's summit, but its novelty factor combined with great design will ensure you stick around. 59. Outwitters (universal) Another chessish two-player effort, Outwitters has teams of angry sea creatures battling to the death, first helpfully arming them with surprisingly dangerous weapons. (It turns out crabs eschew claws when they've a mortar cannon to hand.) Unlike Hero Academy, Outwitters has a 'fog of war', meaning units cannot see any further than they can move. This makes the game tougher to master but perhaps more rewarding on doing so. 60. Shadow Era (universal) Proving that great ideas never die, Shadow Era brings trading cards to life on the iPad. What you lose in not being able to smell the ink and manually shuffle the deck, you gain in not being able to lose the cards or have them eaten by the dog. It's all very swords-and-fantasy oriented, and just like in real life you can also buy extra cards if you feel the need. 61. Blendoku (universal) A game about blending colours, which doesn't feature an Old English Sheepdog barely avoiding tipping paint everywhere? Missed opportunity! Still, what you're left with in Blendoku is a beautifully minimal game that tasks you with putting coloured squares in order. It starts off simple, but the level design will soon have you sobbing into your crayons. 62. Into the Dead (universal) You know, if infinite zombies were running towards us, we'd leg it in the opposite direction. Not so in Into the Dead, where you battle on until your inevitable and bloody demise. The game's oddly dream-like (well, nightmare-like), and perseverance rewards you with new weapons, such as a noisy chainsaw. VVRRRMMM! (Splutch!) 63: Score! World Goals (universal) Score! takes the basic premise of a million path-drawing games and wraps it around classic footie goals. The combination works really well, with you attempting to recreate the ball's path in the best goals the world's ever seen. Failure results in a baying crowd and, frequently, improbable goalkeeping heroics. 64. Lost Treasures of Infocom (universal) "You are standing in an open field west of a white house." If you're of a certain age, you're already downloading Lost Treasures of Infocom, which gives you classic text adventure Zork entirely for free. IAP enables you to buy further titles by Infocom, the masters of interactive fiction, and they all work wonderfully on the iPad. 65. Groove Coaster Zero (universal) Rhythm action games are rarely complex, but Groove Coaster Zero out-simples its rivals by only demanding you use a thumb to tap, press, swipe or rub, responding to on-screen symbols. In the meantime, beats are drummed into your ears as your eyes are hurled around a breakneck disco-neon roller-coaster. Groovy! 66. Frankenword (universal) Take two words that haven't previously met, introduce them via a cunning overlap, and you've another iPad word game that stands out from the crowd. 'Warning device' plus 'mammal with armour'? Alarmadillo, of course. It's probably not in your dictionary, but it should be on your iPad, because Frankenword is ace. 67. Super Monsters Ate My Condo (universal) The original Monsters Ate My Condo was like Jenga and a match-three game shoved into a blender with a massive dollop of crazy. Super Monsters Ate My Condo is a semi-sequel which takes a time-attack approach, shoe-horning the bizarre tower-building/floor-matching/monster-feeding into a tiny amount of time, breaking your brain in the process. 68. RAD Soldiers (universal) Tactical war-games tend to work well on a touchscreen device, and RAD Soldiers is no exception. The turn-based action has you take on chums or the single-player mode, and the cartoon styling gives a palatable face to leaving an enemy soldier as a pair of smoking boots. Just watch out for the IAP. 69. Cubed Rally Redline (universal) Argh! That's pretty much what you'll be yelling on a regular basis on playing this endless racer. Cubed Rally Redline shouldn't be difficult. You can go left or right on five clearly defined lanes, and there's a 'time brake' for going all slow-motion, Matrix-style, to weave through tricky gaps; but you'll still be smashing into cows, dinosaurs and bridges before you know it. 70. Vectrex (universal) In the distant past (well, the 1980s), there was an excellent console called the Vectrex, which had a vector-based iPad-sized screen. In the Vectrex app, it's been beautifully recreated on the iPad. The Asteroids-Like Minestorm is entirely free, but further games are available to buy via IAP. If you liked this, then make sure you check out our best free iPad apps roundup!

In Depth: WWDC 2013: what to expect from this year's event Posted: The clue is in the title regarding what Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is all about. Like every year, though, it won't only be app developers keeping a beady eye on proceedings, because WWDC often provides insight into what's next from Apple. At WWDC 2011, Apple showed off OS X 10.7 and iOS 5, along with enthusing about iCloud. Last year was mostly about iOS 6 (including boasts about a certain mapping app that wasn't all it was cracked up to be), but also added hardware to the mix, with Phil Schiller talking up Apple's notebook range. (By contrast, the Mac Pro got a behind-the-scenes spec bump, and was pulled entirely from the EU this March.) WWDC 2013 sold out in under three minutes, yet all we officially know about the event is that Apple likes really colourful logos. But on examining previous events, donning our speculation hat and subduing our iUnicorn wishes, we've compiled a list of what we'll see at this year's WWDC, what we'd love to see and what we probably won't see as Apple execs take the stage on June 14. What we will see at WWDC 2013 iOS 7 preview The rumour mill reckons iOS 7 is getting a major visual overhaul, courtesy of Jony Ive, along with radical changes to Calendar and Mail. What's definite is we'll see an iOS 7 preview of some sort, perhaps showing off revamped aesthetics, but definitely outlining some new and improved features; these could include a better Siri, more eyes-free car integration services, an improved lock screen or Notification Center, or even file-sharing via AirDrop. OS X 10.9 preview Mac pundits have claimed OS X 10.9 was held back to ensure iOS 7 ships on time. It's just as reasonable to imagine Apple's staggering its OS releases, and OS X 10.9 was always due later in 2013. Regardless, we'll be amazed if Apple's desktop OS doesn't make some kind of appearance at WWDC 2013. Again, we expect some form of preview, most likely showing off interface upgrades and more glued-on bits of iOS. (Although rumours about iOS-style multitasking are baffling, we wouldn't say no to iBooks, Newsstand, Maps and Siri on OS X.) What we'd love to see at WWDC 2013 iLife '13 and iWork '13 Apple no longer refers to collection names - iWork is Pages, Numbers and Keynote, and iLife is GarageBand, iPhoto and iMovie - but we put the numbers above for a reason. Check out the Mac App Store pages for the current versions of these apps and you'll see how neglected the OS X incarnations are; the ex-iLife apps still retain '11 branding, and Pages and Numbers still refer to '09. On iOS, these apps are regularly updated, and include features desktop users would kill for. We'd therefore like to see Apple give its OS X software a little love - or at least dust off the cobwebs - and WWDC 2013 would be the perfect opportunity to do so. An Apple TV SDK Apple refers to the Apple TV as a hobby, but it's not even that for developers. The unit remains locked, with only Apple having the keys to new apps. For everyone else, squirting content across Wi-Fi from an iOS device is the only way on to the Apple TV. We'd like to see an SDK for the Apple TV, opening it up to a world of apps. At the very least, the Apple TV could do with more content channels, but in the hands of skilled devs and with enough great apps and games, it could become another must-have item from Apple rather than a hobby the company may soon tire of. The 2013 Mac Pro Shortly after WWDC 2012, Tim Cook replied to a pro customer who'd emailed outlining his concern about the lack of a new Mac Pro: "Our Pro customers like you are really important to us. Although we didn't have a chance to talk about a new Mac Pro [at WWDC], don't worry as we're working on something really great for later next year." A new and radically rethought pro machine - extensible but not a giant like the old Mac Pro - would undoubtedly go down well at WWDC 2013, although such a thing being a niche (pro market) within a niche (desktops) within a niche (Macs) in Apple's books might scupper its chances, regardless of Cook's promises. See also: Has Apple abandoned pro users? Retina iMac and Retina MacBook Air Sooner or later, high-res displays will be the default. Apple tends to lead in such things rather than play catch-up, and its MacBook Pro line's currently transitioning towards Retina displays. If Apple's going to make a dev-oriented Mac-based hardware announcement at WWDC 2013 that doesn't involve the words 'new Mac Pro' and doesn't merely entail minor upgrades, Retina displays for the MacBook Air or even the iMac could become a reality. (On the latter, it's even possible that could be Apple's new vision for a 'pro' Mac, as much as that would irk certain professionals.) What we won't see at WWDC 2013 A single merged Apple OS Whenever rumours appear about Apple welding another bit of iOS to OS X, pundits inevitably claim that, eventually, Apple will only have a single OS for desktop and mobile. But Apple cares more about user experience; it's not conceivable it'd shoe-horn a desktop OS on to iOS or force desktop users to work with something entirely designed for mobile and touch. Perhaps in a decade, the argument will be moot, Macs will be gone and everyone will have an iPad 10 glued to their face, but until then, OS X and iOS will remain separate. A new Apple television/the mythical iTV We're sceptical an Apple television will happen. People rarely upgrade TVs (Apple likes people who regularly buy hardware), margins are razor-thin (Apple likes margins), and the industry's under pressure from the so-called second screen, a business in which Apple already does rather well (Apple likes this also). If an Apple television did appear, it'd almost certainly be iOS-based, and so any 'announcement' at WWDC 2013 could be sneaked in under the radar, as part of a general Apple TV SDK. The hardware could then be shown off at a separate event. The iPhone 5S, iPad 5 and Retina iPad mini Although WWDC 2013 will undoubtedly provide us with insight into iOS 7, we doubt very much any new iOS hardware will be unveiled (although it might be possible to guess at new features, if software demos make them obvious). Our reasoning: despite gaining a certain amount of coverage in the press, WWDC remains a conference for developers, and a new iPad or iPhone would warrant its own show, where it didn't have to share the stage with anything else. Also, we might be tempting fate a bit here, by stating clearly that Apple definitely won't unveil a Retina iPad mini, because, man, we'd look so stupid if Apple unveiled a Retina iPad mini that we definitely don't want. Therefore, Apple absolutely won't unveil a Retina iPad mini at WWDC 2013. (Crosses fingers.) An Apple iWatch Wearable tech! It's the latest thing, what with Google's sci-fi specs and smart watches people mostly don't care about! We think it's pretty unlikely an Apple watch will ever appear, but, again, like other iOS devices it would warrant its own special event. It's not going to show up as second billing to the next version of OS X, after an Apple exec's got all excited about something new and technical that iCloud's totally supposed to do (and, in the event, probably won't).

In Depth: Turn your iPad into a great portable TV with these apps and services Posted: Rumours continue to circulate that Apple will launch a television set, the Apple iTV. There's plenty of speculation about what technology would be in it, what services it would offer and how you'd control it. But these rumours tend to ignore the fact that Apple has already helped to revolutionise the TV industry with the iPhone and iPad. They're great for watching on, thanks to their brilliant image quality and, in the case of the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch, wide screens - but developers have also pushed forward how you find and interact with the shows you love. Between on-demand services, live-streaming channels, dedicated apps, 3G and 4G coverage and social networking, the idea of watching television has changed. What was once a passive pastime - where you had to hope there was something interesting on - has become an engaged activity where you can seek out the shows you love most, keep up with live broadcasts and chat to your friends about it while you're watching. You can find things to watch that you might never have considered, and catch up with things you missed. 70 best free iPad apps 2013 Whether Apple ends up producing an actual TV set or not, this kind of flexibility is surely the future of television. In this feature, we'll look at the best ways to watch TV live, no matter who your provider is, as well as all the on-demand options you need to either catch up with TV you've missed, or find something from the past. We'll also look at how your iPhone or iPad can be a companion to a full-size TV, and pick out the accessories that make the viewing experience that much better. Your iPad could become the best TV you've ever used - and you just need the App Store to get started! Watching live TV Though there are ways to watch Freeview live TV directly from the airwaves as it's broadcast - using something like the Elgato EyeTV or equinux tizi+, which we'll go into later - the easiest way to watch shows as they happen is generally to stream them over the internet. If you're on a Wi-Fi network, any iOS device can connect and stream video, while the iPhone and Cellular iPad models can use 3G and 4G mobile broadband connections. Many TV channels can be streamed with an app from the owner, but the best one-stop shop for watching just about anything live is the TVCatchup app. It offers over 50 channels to watch for free, including the bulk of Freeview channels and all the big free channels from the major UK broadcasters. It's a free download, and the Universal app supports iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, so you can watch on any of them. On the iPad, you can see a channel list with a now-and-next guide alongside a small video window, or easily expand the video to fit the screen fully. On the iPhone, you still get the guide, but it fills the screen, as does the video when you tap on a channel. The quality of the video streams is really solid and reliable, though the level of detail isn't all that high, and the app's adverts never get in the way. TVCatchup really does an amazing job of turning your iOS device into a TV - it's so good, in fact that Tap! readers voted it the Best App Ever last year, beating the likes of Tweetbot and Hero Academy. Giving you much less in the way of selection but keeping it simple, the BBC iPlayer app and ITV Player app both let you watch their respective channels directly through the apps, and in the case of iPlayer, you get a much better guide to what's on that through the minimal but effective interface of TVCatchup. The BBC and ITV's offerings aren't the only official broadcaster apps to offer something along these lines. The Sky Go app allows Sky subscribers to watch up to 32 live channels, depending on their subscription. All the Sky Sports channels are available, along with Sky Movies and Sky's own other channels, including Sky1 and Sky Atlantic. You don't have to be a Sky home subscriber to get these channels, though - Sky Go subscriptions are available without you having to get a satellite installed, so anyone can use the app. Just like TVCatchup, it works over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G, so you can get your fix anywhere. Virgin Media TV customers with the latest TiVo box can also watch over 20 channels of live TV using the Virgin TV Anywhere app. Not only can you watch the channels live, but you also still have access to the TiVo box's clever recommendations and ratings systems. Unfortunately, it currently only works over Wi-Fi, so you'll need to be somewhere with a solid local network for it to work - you won't be able to catch up at the bus stop. TV on demand In just a few years, the way we think about watching shows has changed a lot. Starting with DVD box sets, it became normal (and completely acceptable) to devour whole television series in a matter of days - and that torch has now been passed to on-demand services, letting you watch whatever you want, whenever you want at a pace that suits you. There are a ton of them available, but one of the pioneers was the BBC with its brilliant iPlayer service. The app lets you browse through a featured list of recent shows, or to search or go through them by category to find what you're after. It's also unusual in allowing you to download shows to your iPad for watching when there's no internet connection - all the other services here require you to be online. ITV Player, Channel 4's 4oD app and Channel 5's Demand 5 all let you catch up with shows from their respective networks, and 4oD offers a good range of older shows as well. All of these apps are free to use, but what's available on them isn't always totally comprehensive - there may be shows that you can't watch. The Sky Go app gives Sky subscribers access to its on-demand library, which includes many shows that are exclusive to Sky1 or Sky Atlantic, as well as productions from Sky Arts and some sports highlights. LOVEFiLM and Netflix are the two big paid-for on-demand services. In both cases, you pay a monthly fee and can watch as many shows as you want, as often as you want, across multiple devices, which works out as a really rather good deal. Both services made their names offering films, but now offer plenty of television shows as well - Netflix is more expansive in this regard, though, offering multiple series of many shows. It's a much more comprehensive service in America, but in the UK it still offers a great choice of television. LOVEFiLM isn't quite as wide-ranging, but is expanding in this area. They cost similar amounts (approximately £5 per month) for streaming on-demand shows, so there's not much to choose between them on that front. Netflix is more TV focussed, with an easier-to-use interface and better recommendations, though. Both services can remember your place in a show across devices, so it's super-useful if you start watching on your computer and have to stop, because then all you have to do is simply pick up where you left off on the iPad or vice versa, if that happens to be the case. Needless to say, we're big fans of both services. There's also a newer service from Tesco called Blinkbox, which is a little different to the likes of Netflix or LOVEFiLM. With it, you pay for shows individually (or you can buy series), rather than pay a monthly subscription, but it offers lots of shows that aren't available elsewhere, or are brand new - new episodes often go on the site just after they've been broadcast. You can't actually buy shows from the app, though - you have to purchase them through the website and then add them to your library, which can be accessed through the app. Blinkbox purchases are available on other devices, including Mac or PC, Xbox 360 and some smart TVs. If you always want to be up-to-date with shows, it's a good way to go about it, though there's also Apple's own iTunes Store offering for TV shows (which we'll go into in the next section), which you can browse and buy from directly on your device. TV from iTunes If there's a specific show you want to watch, it won't always be available on the subscription on-demand services, but there's a good chance it's on iTunes. The iTunes Store lets you buy TV series either by the episode or in whole series (and it will occasionally offer bundles of series), giving you flexibility. In some cases, episodes of a show will go up on iTunes almost immediately after they're broadcast, and you can buy 'Series Passes' for these, where you pay for the whole series up front, and they're available to you as soon as they're ready. Individual episodes are typically £2.49 each in HD or £1.89 in SD, but of course, you make a saving if you buy the series as a whole. The HD versions are, of course, crisper and more detailed, but also take up more space on your device, and take longer to download. It's worth noting that the quality of Apple's shows - particularly in HD - is great, too. You can access and download individual episodes directly from your iOS device, using the iTunes app. The great thing about buying from iTunes is that these will also be available through iTunes on your computer, from your Apple TV, or on any other iOS devices, provided they're all signed in with your Apple ID. And because they download to your device - rather than stream as you watch - you can grab what you want to watch before you go travelling, and that way you'll have plenty of entertainment to keep you going for long journeys or quiet nights in. What about my DVDs? If, like us, you've built up an impressive, somewhat intimidating collection of DVD TV box sets over the years, you might want to transfer them to your iPad to watch on the move. Sadly, despite a recent Government report concluding that transferring media from one format to another like this should be permitted, 'ripping' your bought DVDs to your computer will still not be allowed. This is because commercial DVDs include technical protection measures (TPM) to stop you copying them, and the licence for you to use the DVD does not permit you to break the TPM, even though you own the disc. This is specific to DVD and Blu-ray discs - CDs aren't protected, so once the new legislation is in force, copying your music to your computer will be permitted. You can, of course, rip any DVDs that you've made personally to your computer and then transfer them to your iPad or iPhone - for further tips and information, we've got easy guides for PC users and Mac users. TV accessories The inventiveness of developers means that apps alone are all you need to do a lot of TV watching on your iOS device, but a few accessories can make the experience even better. We've already talked about how you can connect to many set-top boxes directly with apps, but these accessories give you flexibility in other areas, from getting Freeview signal anywhere to turning your iPhone into a universal remote to streaming and controlling any kind of set-top box. PCTV Broadway 2T - £150 This Freeview tuner connects wirelessly to your home network, allowing your iPhone or iPad to connect to it and stream the channels it's receiving. You can even connect to it from anywhere over the internet, to get your home channels. It connects over Wi-Fi, so is flexible (though it still needs to be hooked up to your aerial by a cable), and can still act as a Freeview box for a TV, thanks to its twin tuners and video outputs. Read the full PCTV Broadway 2T review equinux tizi+ - £150 This teeny, tiny Freeview tuner (it's smaller than an iPhone!) can be placed anywhere to pick up a Freeview signal, which it then sends to your iPhone or iPad over Wi-Fi. This means you can watch TV channels even if there's no internet connection available. It has a rechargeable battery, so it can run completely cable-free, and has some built-in storage for recording shows, from which you can expand with a microSD card. Read the full Equinux Tizi review Jabra Solemate - £100 If you've set up your iPhone or iPad in a room to watch something, the built-in speakers might not be quite enough to make all the dialogue and music crisp and clear. A Bluetooth speaker is a great option, because it keeps things portable, but can provide plenty of volume. Once it's wirelessly paired with your device, the Jabra Solemate can be placed anywhere, thanks to its built-in battery. The quality's really impressive too, and it's a durable, small design. Read the full Jabra Solemate review SlingBox Pro-HD - £160 The SlingBox idea is simple: watch your home TV from anywhere, no matter what kind of set-top box you have. The SlingBox sits between your set-top box (say, a Sky box) and your TV, passing through the video so you can watch TV as normal. But it also takes that video and streams it over the internet, so with SlingPlayer's app on your iPhone or iPad you can watch anything you could at home (instead of a limited subset of channels, as with the Sky Go app), and control the set-top box from your device. Read the full Slinbox Pro-HD review Griffin Beacon - £40 The Griffin Beacon is an infrared controller that sits near your TV and turns your iPhone into a universal remote. It's roughly the size of a cupcake, so there's no need to worry about it cluttering up your television set-up. Basically, you use your iPhone to wirelessly control the Beacon, which then sends commands to your TV or settop box just like a normal remote control would. You can set it up simply with a huge range of devices using the built-in library of commands, or there's a learning feature for adding new controls. Read the full Griffin Beacon review Apple TV - £99 The Apple TV does a couple of great things on its own - it lets you watch TV shows from the iTunes Store or from Netflix for starters - but it's even better when you connect it to an iPhone or iPad. With AirPlay, you can send video from your iOS device to your Apple TV, so you can watch it on the big screen. This could be something from apps like iPlayer - however, take note that not all video playing apps support AirPlay - or something you've found on YouTube. Read the full Apple TV review YourTV sidekick The idea of having a 'second screen' while watching TV has taken off hugely since the launch of the iPhone. The idea is that you can enhance what you're viewing with apps, whether you're playing a game along with it, looking up that actor you recognise but can't remember where from, or chatting with friends about what's happening. One of the best companion apps is Zeebox, which pulls together social network feeds about shows, information about who's in it and related apps, as well as a TV guide, so you can see what's on (there's also a TV Guide app, if you don't want the social extras). If you just want to talk to people about what's going on, you can use the Twitter app to follow along - big TV events will often be trending or have a hashtag you can follow along with to get into the conversation. And if you want to look up more information about a show or actor, try the IMDb app. You can also use your iPhone or iPad to control what happens on your TV - the Sky+ app lets you set recordings and control your Sky+HD box directly from your iPhone, while the Virgin TV Anywhere app lets you do the same for the newer Virgin TiVo boxes. YouView box owners can do the same with the YouView iPhone app; we've also reviewed the View21 Freeview HD box, which has an app that lets you watch live or recorded shows, and control the box as a remote. Some apps even let you add to what you're watching: the BBC's Antiques Roadshow app lets you play along by guessing how much things will be worth as they're shown on-screen, while the Sky Sports app offers companion video and data for F1 races, and even split-screen viewing of multiple live football games (or just stats for games, if you're a little intimidated by that thought). Video aggregators RSS helped revolutionise the internet of the early 2000s, bringing news articles to users' screens based on a simple subscription model and a set of search criteria. While RSS has taken a back seat in the tablet revolution, the essence of aggregation has never been stronger, with fantastic personalised news apps such as Flipboard, Pulse and Zite. But this is a world dominated by on-demand video, right? Well, your iPhone and iPad are certainly well catered for in that regard too, and the apps are almost always free. The App Store has blossomed with video aggregators that will grab you great news videos, funny YouTube clips and sports highlights, just based on what channels you subscribe to, what topics you select as being of interest, or simply based on your watching habits. Algorithms for choosing the content are similar, but interfaces and features vary. As with personalised news apps, it often comes down to a usability preference, but the two Universal apps we recommend are Vodio and Showyou. Vodio has an interesting carousel interface with videos presented in a vertical Cover Flow view, scrolling down to see more videos. To add a channel, tap the + icon in the top right-hand corner and choose a category to bring up a list of feeds. Vodio collates most of these, but there are many others from individual sources. Showyou opts for a grid-based approach that is intelligently organised, with the upper-left being reserved for the latest videos posted by your Facebook friends or by people you're following on Twitter. As you scroll down and to the right, you get related videos from other ShowYou users - helping you identify new people to follow who have related interests. Indeed, all good aggregators not only let you choose your own channels or topics, they connect to all the usual social networks to deliver your personalised content.

Google Now for Mac hinted in latest Chromium update Posted: The know-it-all Google Now app could make its way from mobile devices to Macs soon thanks to the implementation of the Chrome OS notification center in the Mac OS X version of Chromium. "Mac users will be happy to know that rich notifications are being implemented on Mac," said Chromium Evangelist François Beaufort in a Google+ post today. "It's still under heavy development but you can play with them by running chrome with the --enable-rich-notifications switch (no flag yet)." The fact that the Google Chrome browser's open-source counterpart includes these notification cards required for Google Now backs up previous hints about it being tested for Apple desktops. However, as TheNextWeb notes, the Google Now feature isn't part of the Chromium OS X package just yet, and remains very limited on Chrome OS and Windows machines. Google Now taking over While still in experimental stages on computers, Google Now's transition to Macs would be the latest way in which the Mountain View company's software has sunk its teeth into Apple devices. Google Now launched on iOS last week within the Google Search app for the iPhone and iPad. The company also had iPhone owners downloading its Google Maps iOS application in droves after the Apple Maps debacle last year. With Gmail, YouTube and Chrome all available on iOS devices, Google has become one of the more popular developers within Apple's App Store. More details about Google Now's expansion to computers running Windows, Chrome OS and now Mac OS X could come on May 15, when the Google IO conference begins.

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