2025-06-10 06:19:58
A not very exciting behind-the-scenes look watching WWDC. Here’s a look at how I juggled prep, posts, pins, and one no-so-patient pup.
WWDC is one of the most exciting Apple-related days of the year. It's months of speculation, parsing rumours, and getting hyped to see what's in store across all of Apple's platforms. It’s a day I have marked on my calendar for months in advance, and one I take off working to be able to watch the keynote and soak in the experience.
This isn't a "what Apple announced" type of blog post, nor is it any analysis of the event itself - there are plenty of outfits that will do a much faster and more thorough investigation of all that. This is a blog post that outlines what my day looked like watching WWDC from afar. I'm too implanted in the Apple community to be a casual & relaxed viewer, but I'm not invested enough to have any real ability to cover the event comprehensively. But if you were wondering what my day looked like (not sure why you would), here it is.
Preparation for WWDC began weeks ago. Throughout May, I started my annual WWDC Bingo Board and got up to speed with all the rumours and possible announcements expected at the event. A risky proposition of course, because the further out you start the greater the chance that rumours will shift and change, as again they did this year. However, if I wait until the last minute, the entire project becomes rushed and even more stressful. My usual strategy is to list 15 to 20 items that I'm certain of and leave 5 to 10 that can vary based on updated rumours.
I also needed time to work on a WWDC wallpaper, which, although it doesn't look very glassy, still came out well.
Woke up at 7:03 to the sound of my dog snoring in my ear and kicking me in the back. I shower, have breakfast, and head upstairs to start prepping my first round of pre-WWDC posts. A few days out from the event, I'm usually focused on planning and scheduling the content I want to share each morning. Apple events drive engagement, so keeping the account active throughout the day requires thinking ahead, from deciding which photos to take to planning how to space out posts leading up to the Keynote.
Tell me you hate stopping for photos without telling me you hate stopping for photos.
The first post of the day is done, and I am out the door for a 4km walk with the dog. This serves multiple purposes: it's exercise for me, but more importantly, it tires her out, allowing me to sit and focus on the event for the next several hours.
Returning from the walk, I rush back out, grab a few groceries, post another quick update, and manage to squeeze in a 20-minute Fitness+ workout ahead of the main event. Then, I grab coffee and water and sit down to do my final prep.
Quick 20-minute upper body Fitness+ workout prior to the keynote.
T-minus 10 minutes, and the pre-keynote chaos has officially begun. I'm scrambling to organize my windows, transfer my CleanShotX license to this machine (it wasn't activated for some reason), update a few lingering apps, and make some last-minute edits to posts I want to make. I do this to myself every year, thinking I have everything organized until the very last second when I realize I don't.
The event itself is a blur. I am often so focused on paying attention to a few details and working on publishing posts during the Keynote that I probably miss a good 60-70% of the features announced. In the days that follow, I'll rewatch the Keynote, making sure to sit down & enjoy it, and I have my slate of go-to tech podcasts that'll provide exhaustive recaps of the event. I know I get a bit spammy during the event, but I try to balance the posts everyone is making (you know, of the bento boxes and such) with little observations and stagecraft jokes that (hopefully) make it all a bit more fun and unique to follow (like the Game Center rocket, or the unhinged trash panda document).
Then, right in the middle of the Keynote, FedEx pulls up to drop off a parcel that requires a signature. Shit! Thankfully, the gods were kind, and it all fell during the upcoming Apple TV+ segment. "Just one package today," the driver says, giving my dog a quick hello before heading off.
The package? A fresh batch of Basic Apple Guy pins I've been waiting weeks for! This time, along with the classic hard enamel, I've added a run of soft enamel pins - they've got a bold, vibrant finish I think you're going to love! Both will be back in the store shortly.
Soft enamel on the left, hard enamel on the right.
The event is now complete, a short 95-minute keynote this time, and my mind is spinning. The rapid-fire clicking, constant posting, and nonstop stream of content flying in. It's embarrassing to admit, but there is pressure to produce content in this engagement arms race, and the result is that the whole event can be quite overstimulating. I don't know how more seasoned reviewers, vloggers, and bloggers do it! I also know I won't be updating to the developer betas, so I miss out on a lot of that first-look content. Instead, I plan ideas for things I want to share or comment on in the coming days, jotting down some of my thoughts on the event for a future entry I might write.
Walk number two featured a bunch more rolling and other dog shenanigans.
But after about thirty minutes of that, I'm cooked, and I take a step back, tidy up my space, and go and touch grass. I leave my phone at home, load a calm playlist on the watch, and take my pup for her second walk of the day; a treat to her for being patient during the Keynote and a chance for me to unwind from the adrenaline rush of the morning.
“How do you keep your desk to clean?” Answer: I don’t.
I had this entry in mind to chronicle my thoughts on the event, so after returning from the walk, I began to put pen to paper and write it out. It's getting later in the day, so I'll leave things off here and head out to attend to the other tasks I need to complete today. Talk to you all later...
2025-06-08 23:59:09
Minimal stickers of some of Apple’s most iconic locations.
Apple currently has over 500 retail locations worldwide, and many of them are not only in iconic locations but also feature incredible architecture and design. And a few years ago, I began creating a series of minimalist Apple Store designs based on some of Apple's most iconic stores. All in all, I created 30-some different designs, including three of my favourites: Apple Park Visitor Center, 1 Infinite Loop, and, although it's not a store, Apple Park.
Other minimal Apple Store designs.
And today, on the eve of WWDC, I am releasing a limited run of three gorgeous stickers printed on holographic vinyl. You can purchase them separately or as a set. Enjoy & thanks for the support.
Sticker Dimensions:
Apple Park: 2″ × 2″
1 Infinite Loop: 1.78″ × 2″
Visitor Center: 2.2″ × 1.54″
Disclaimer
I tried to keep the shipping cost as reasonable as possible and had to factor in the processing fees, as well as the cost of shipping materials, which include a envelopes and seal, postage, and a protective sleeve to ensure the product reaches your doorstep safely and securely. Orders will be dispatched within 1-3 business days using Canada Post letter-mail. Please allow 4-8 weeks for delivery (depending on location). Tracking will not be available, but if you don’t receive your order, please send me an email with details, and I’ll work with you to resolve the issue.
2025-06-08 03:03:07
It’s prediction time: bold bets, bad guesses, and maybe even some reality. For the fifth year in a row, the WWDC25 Bingo Board is back! 
WWDC25 is finally upon us, and it's time to see what Tim's been cooking inside Apple Park. What will the next version of macOS be called? Will iOS get a redesign? Will Apple finally give iOS a clipboard manager? And How will Apple pull its Siri/Apple Intelligence efforts out of their nosedive? We all have our wishlist of what we hope to see at WWDC, and today, I am presenting my 5th Annual WWDC Bingo Board of my hopes, prognostications, and stagecraft predictions at this year's event!
Note: The board was assembled in pics made from late May and locked in on June 5, just saying that in case, I dunno, somebody were to come along and drop a whole bunch of spoilers two days out from the event, making this board look instantly outdated.
Winning in Bingo means completing a specific pattern on your card, in this case, a row, column, diagonal, or the entire card. The "Good Morning Free Space" in the centre is already marked and can be part of any winning pattern.
Rumours have swirled for years about Apple entering a new device category with a HomePod/iPad hybrid device resembling an Echo Show or Google Home Hub. I would jump at something like that since I currently use an aging iPad for that very purpose and find it incredibly useful. However, Apple appears to have delayed the launch of such a product, and it's now looking like it will be delayed further. According to Gurman, the device will feature a 7-inch display with a built-in battery, camera, new homeOS with widgets, apps like FaceTime, Apple Intelligence (groan), and an easy way to control your smart devices. However, I don't expect Apple to announce or preview anything like that at WWDC.
Apple teased OS X Weed during their keynote introducing OS X Mavericks. Image Source: Apple
Many of us like to speculate about what Apple's Crack Marketing Team will name the next version of macOS, which, for the past 12 years, has been named after locations across California. Apple still has 14 trademarked names (from California to Farallon, Mammoth to Tiburon; unfortunately, macOS Rancho Cucamonga is not amongst them) as candidates for this year's release. Macrumors have pointed out that Apple teased Tiburon in some of their screenshots, but I was between MacOS Redwood and MacOS Mammoth. Redwood made sense because it's thematically adjacent to Sequoia, and I liked Mammoth because this year feels like a pretty… well… mammoth OS update.
However, in a last minute pivot, I am putting my faith in Gurman who seems to quite confidently report that the next macOS version will be named Tahoe. So we're going with that.
Apple's parkour-loving, 3-headed guitar-playing, skydiving madman is sure to surprise in another memeable... I mean...memorable WWDC performance.
WWDC25 will be the sixth year of Apple's polished pre-recorded keynotes, replacing the old live format. These video events have clocked in anywhere from 107 minutes to just over two hours. My guess? We'll continue to remain under the 105-minute mark.
WWDC24: 104 minutes
WWDC23: 126 minutes
WWDC22: 109 minutes
WWDC21: 107 minutes
WWDC20: 109 minutes
With rumours that Apple is expected to make some of its most significant UI changes across its operating systems, part of the event will likely feature an appearance from Apple's VP of Human Interface Design, who will share his perspective on the design changes expected across the platforms. We last saw Alan Dye breaking down the Vision Pro interface and, before that, introducing the Dynamic Island and the macOS Big Sur refresh.
While Apple sorts out whatever curfuffle is happening with Apple Intelligence, I expect them to announce partnerships to integrate more AI models into their platforms. Last year, Apple announced integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT, and this year, we could see more players join the mix, potentially including Anthropic's Claude, Perplexity AI, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, and others.
I hope Apple showcases some enhancements to the Photos.app that hint at features it got in acquiring Pixelmator and Photomator. Aperture 4.0 will never happen, but a few more pro-level editing tools baked into Photos would be a welcome step forward. And pop the champagne if Apple announces keeping Pixelmator Pro alive as a new cross-platform Apple app!
This prediction is about Apple unveiling an update to its Image Playground application that enhances image quality and styles so that we can finally begin to heal after seeing the haunting sketches it produced in version 1.0.
Throughout the past two decades of iOS, we've gone from pinstripes to Corinthian leather to Helvetica Neue Ultralight. This year, rumours are anticipating a stark new design language that leans heavily into what we see in visionOS, a frosted/glassy UI across the Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Mark Gurman believes it'll be "the biggest redesign to iOS since iOS 7." Lets just hope Apple doesn't go too overboard with the Windows Vista Vibes.
I was disappointed last year when visionOS 2.0 didn't bring more native Apple apps. Reminders, Calendar, Maps, Books, and others are direct iPad Ports, and truthfully, iPad Ports on visionOS pale in usability compared to native apps. Fingers crossed we see more Apple Apps get the native treatment in visionOS 3.0
We're currently living in the era of watchOS 11, visionOS 2, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, & tvOS 18. Four different version numbers across six different platforms. But what if Apple streamlined it all? A new rumour, just ahead of WWDC, suggests Apple will announce an across-the-board standardization of its OS naming by switching to a year-based system. Although it'll be the butt of many jokes (Apple skipping 24 versions of visionOS and jumping straight to visionOS 26), I think it'll quickly be adopted and seen as a much cleaner, less confusing branding across the entire suite of Apple's operating systems.
Back in April, Mark Gurman put out a quote that iPadOS 19 will focus on the iPad "operating more like a Mac" with an upgraded focus on "productivity, multitasking and app window management." What that means exactly remains to be seen, but productivity on the iPad has always been a slower, more cumbersome experience than on the Mac. Let's see if this is the WWDC that finally wins over the folks who have longed for a more desktop-like productivity experience on the iPad.
One feature I'd love to see announced at WWDC is an upgrade to the translate app that allows AirPods to produce live translations of multilingual conversations. This functionality would enable AirPods users to hear translations directly through their earbuds during in-person conversations, while their iPhone will vocalize their responses in the other person's language.
For an iPad that costs over $2,000, it's frustrating that I still can't manage my clipboard history. If Apple is serious about bridging the gap between iPad and Mac, offering a native clipboard manager, or at least allowing third-party ones, should be a no-brainer.
One area I am hoping Apple will begin to expand into is health recommendations powered by Apple Intelligence. Apple products & the Health app collect a fair bit of information, and I wonder if Apple now begins to introduce recommendations based on that data. Internally referred to as "Mulberry," Apple is reportedly working with medical professionals to develop an AI health coach capable of offering personalized recommendations. While the full rollout is planned for 2026, I suspect we'll get an early preview of some AI-powered health features in iOS 19.
For instance, you might say, “Help me get back into a better sleep routine,” and the Health app could respond by suggesting a consistent bedtime, adjusting phone settings, or setting reminders to support that goal. Or, if it notices a drop in your activity, like fewer steps in a week, it could recommend times outside of work to go for a walk or even suggest picking up the pace.
After Apple delayed the rollout of its agentic AI features from iOS 18 and pushed them to "sometime in the coming year," I expect we'll see Apple come to WWDC with a demo and select preview of some of these features. Agentic AI, for those not in the know (i.e., me until I wrote this) is basically the OS being able to do things on your behalf. You could say something like "scan my inbox, flag the most important emails, and clear the rest," with the confidence that the system will follow through reliably. Given the media blowback from the original delay, I suspect Apple will focus on showcasing features that are highly specific, polished, and ready to ship with minimal hiccups.
One of the things holding the Vision Pro back (there are many, but stick with me) is an absence of VR titles. And hurting that cause is that visionOS currently doesn't have or support third-party VR controllers. Based on some previous rumours, visionOS may finally gain support for third-party controllers, including reports that Apple approached Sony earlier in the year on a potential collaboration. Support like this may not lead to visionOS flying off the shelves, but it could bring some better titles to the platform and inch it towards becoming a more compelling device.
Gurman also reports that visionOS 3.0 will feature the ability to scroll using your gaze. For example, it could work that gazing at the bottom of a page begins to cause the page to start to scroll up. I'm not totally sure how natural that'll feel in practice, but I'm hopeful Apple will make it feel right.
According to MacRumors, Apple is expected to announce a significant overhaul of its gaming ecosystem at WWDC25, focused around a new cross-platform gaming app. This app is designed to replace Game Center and will serve as a unified hub for launching games, tracking achievements, viewing leaderboards, etc. Bonus points if we see another AAA game developer cut away to talk about how great gaming on Apple’s platforms will be.
Although I suspect some features will be dropped, I predict that Apple will continue to support some of the Intel Macs released before the silicon transition. That would make this the 6th release since the transition that has maintained support for the old x86 processor set.
WWDC is often unpredictable when it comes to Mac hardware announcements. While 2024 saw no new Macs, both 2022 and 2023 delivered major releases: the M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch Pro in 2022, and the 15-inch MacBook Air, updated Mac Studio, and Apple Silicon Mac Pro in 2023. I’d love to be surprised with something like an M4 Extreme Mac Pro, but realistically, I’m not expecting any new Macs to be announced or previewed at this event.
Overall, I'm hoping that, along with any visual enhancements that come to tvOS, we also get improvements in navigation, content discovery, and app usage.
In addition to the expected drone footage around Apple Park, at some point, we'll transition from one place to the next via some fancy corridor, escape hatch, portal, or secret underground tunnel accessed via the fountain inside the courtyard of Apple Park.
OK, here's my dark horse pick: the next version of VisionOS will include Apple Park as an immersive environment. Users will be placed directly in the central courtyard, near the Apple stage, and will be able to enjoy a 360-degree panorama of the Apple Park campus surrounding them.
If Apple announces an increase to its base 5GB iCloud storage (even if that change comes in the form of 5GB per device), then an instant BINGO is declared.
2025-06-05 21:58:30
Decorate your desktop with these sleek new WWDC-inspired wallpapers.
WWDC25 is nearly upon us, and it felt only fitting to release a new wallpaper to decorate your desktop for the occasion. Will iOS be radically redesigned? Will Apple preview an upcoming HomeHub thingamagig? Will Apple take another stab at making Apple Intelligence, well, intelligent? I don't know the answers to those questions, but what I do know is your desktop will look fly as hell rocking these new WWDC-inspired wallpapers.
The collection of WWDC25 wallpapers is available below, free of charge and in full resolution, but if you can support the work I do, I am also making the collection available for $2.99.
The WWDC25 collection includes two wallpapers: a Light and Dark version for your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. This set also comes bundled with a dynamic Day/Dark version for Mac that automatically switches to match your system's Light or Dark mode. Thank you for your continued support.
Once purchased, a download link will be emailed to you to access the .zip file (52.2MB), which contains both versions for Mac (6016 × 3900), iPad (2752 × 2064), and iPhone (1320 × 2868), along with a dynamic .heic file for your Mac.
The digital download link will expire 24 hours after the first download. If your link expires and you need to re-download the files, please send me an email with your order number, and I will send you a new link.
iPad | Mac | Mac (Dynamic) | iPhone
iPad | Mac | Mac (Dynamic) | iPhone
I’m a one-person operation, working in healthcare by day & running this site as a passion project in my off time.
If you enjoy what I do, the articles, the wallpapers, or just the overall vibe, consider leaving a tip to support the site. Your generosity helps keep everything I create ad-free and freely available. I’ve also started offering the option to purchase wallpaper packs as another means to support my work when and if you can. Every bit is truly appreciated!
☕️ Tips2025-05-28 22:06:31
Skyline: A wallpaper collection inspired by clouds.
Skyline is a brand-new collection of gradient wallpapers shaped by the calm, colour, and movement of clouds. It's a small wallpaper pack of five wallpapers for your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. They're simple gradients with a gentle cloud-based texture that will look terrific across all your devices. Enjoy!
The collection of Skyline wallpapers is available below, free of charge and in full resolution, but if you can support the work I do, I am also making the collection available for $2.99.
The Skyline collection includes five wallpapers: The Blue One, Partly Cloudy, Golden Hour Storm, Sunflare, and Deep Twilight for your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Thank you so much for your continued support.
Once purchased, a download link will be emailed to you to download the .zip file (56.7MB) containing all 5 versions for Mac (6016 × 3900), iPad (2752 × 2064), and iPhone (1320 × 2868).
The digital download link will expire 24 hours after the first download. If your link expires and you need to redownload the files, please send me an email with your order number and I can send along a new link for you.
☁️ Fun (but also terrifying fact): According to the American Chemical Society, the average cumulus cloud (2 km wide by 2.5 km long by .2 km tall) weighs 1.1 million pounds! Look up, and that thing effortlessly and lazily drifting above you is equivalent to the weight of 40 double-decker buses, 90 African Elephants (or 275 Asian Elephants), a 747 jumbo jet, or, to put it in Apple parlance, the weight of about 880,000 Mac Pro wheels. And that’s just your basic small, slightly puffy cloud!
I’m a one-person operation, working in healthcare by day & running this site as a passion project in my off time.
If you enjoy what I do, the articles, the wallpapers, or just the overall vibe, consider leaving a tip to support the site. Your generosity helps keep everything I create ad-free and freely available. I’ve also started offering the option to purchase wallpaper packs as another means to support my work when and if you can. Every bit is truly appreciated!
☕️ Tips2025-05-21 10:30:45
The WinRAR Approach: a small tweak in how I distribute content to keep the site free, sustainable, & ad-free.
For the past five years, I have offered the site for free. The wallpapers are free, and the site doesn't feature any popups, paywalls, or ads. This has been and will always be my intention, even as the site has grown from 50 visitors a month to as many as 400,000 a month.
And as the site has continued to grow, so have the operating expenses. Until now, I have financed the site myself, helped along by some much-appreciated tips from readers. The site has grown to essentially qualify as a part-time job as I pour hundreds and hundreds of hours into it each year.
You may have recently noticed a new approach I've started using with some of my wallpapers, beginning with the Gradients of April collection and continuing with the Commander 2025 and MacBook Pro: 2025 Update wallpapers: the option to purchase the collection. Much like leaving a tip, you can now make a one-click purchase and instantly download an entire wallpaper collection. By purchasing any collection, you get the good aura of supporting this site and a much faster and easier way of downloading the collection: a single click versus opening and saving all the images. And if you're unable or prefer not to purchase a collection, no worries, all the wallpapers are still available to download, completely free, with no ads or gimmicks. They're the same images offered in the paid bundle.
I thought long and hard about whether or not I should include exclusive wallpapers behind this paywall but ultimately decided against it. I want anyone who visits my site to have access to everything, even though I believe it could improve sales to offer exclusive works.
WinRAR trial expired dialogue from the late 20th century.
So what I'm introducing to the site is something I'm calling the WinRAR approach. If you're familiar with WinRAR, the Windows file compression tool, you'll know where this is going. WinRAR became infamous for offering a "30-day trial" that never actually expired. Instead of cutting off access or locking features, it simply asked users to consider purchasing it if they found it useful. It ran on goodwill, and that model worked.
That's the spirit behind the WinRAR approach. Everything I share remains free and fully accessible, but if you've found value in my work and want to support it, there's an easy way to do so. No pressure, just appreciation.
I think this approach strikes the best balance of ensuring the work remains free and fully accessible to everyone and that the site remains, to quote Nilay Patel from The Verge, "Unsponsored for Flavour." I appreciate all your support over the years.
