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Apple Working on 'Find My Watch' and Third-Party Watch Complications, 'TVKit' Dev Tools for Apple TV

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,546
30,857



apple_watch_modular-250x275.jpg
Ahead of next month's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple is laying the groundwork for future software and hardware updates for both the Apple Watch and Apple TV, according to a new report from 9to5Mac.

Timing for some of the new features remains unclear, but the report claims Apple is working on a "Find My Watch" implementation that could be paired with a "Smart Leashing" feature that would remind Apple Watch users if they appear to have accidentally left their iPhones behind.
First, Apple has been working on a feature dubbed "Find my Watch" for the Apple Watch, which as the name implies will allow a user to track a Watch's location, as well as lock or remotely wipe it if it is lost or stolen. [...]

Given the Apple Watch's reliance on an iPhone, Apple plans to implement Find my Watch via what's currently known inside the company as "Smart Leashing." According to a source, the Watch will use its wireless signal to establish its location relative to the iPhone, and will optionally be able to notify a user if the iPhone is accidentally left behind.
Click to expand...
The news comes following concerns over the lack of any sort of Activation Lock functionality for the Apple Watch, but the new features may require new hardware to support them, pushing their launch off until the release of the second-generation Apple Watch.

Apple is also reportedly working on support for third-party watch face complications for the Apple Watch, which would, for example, allow users to see at a glance if they have unread Twitter mentions. Additional software and hardware work is focused on filling out health and fitness functionality for the Apple Watch, including additional sensors that were rumored but did not make it into the first version of the device.

On the Apple TV front, sources claim Apple's developer tools that will allow developers to build third-party apps for the next-generation Apple TV will be known as "TVKit", with the new hardware and tools expected to debut at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference. The Apple Watch appears set to serve as a key method for controlling the new box, which will also support Apple's rumored live streaming television service, although recent rumors have suggested that piece of the overall package may debut several months later than the hardware.

Apple's WWDC keynote is expected to see a significant number of announcements, including the new developer tools for Apple TV apps and native Apple Watch apps, as well as iOS 9 and OS X 10.11. As was the case last year, hardware announcements may be slim or absent entirely, particularly with updated 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac models expected this week.

Article Link: Apple Working on 'Find My Watch' and Third-Party Watch Complications, 'TVKit' Dev Tools for Apple TV
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/05/18/apple-watch-find-tvkit-apple-tv/
The Barron

The Barron

macrumors 6502a
Mar 5, 2009
857
1,080
Central California Coast
I am so ready for an updated Apple TV.

It better happen because Apple is getting the pants beat off it with competitors in the TV area.

I sure hope they give us some control over how the channel line up is displayed so we can either delete, heaven forbid!, or at least hide the ones we don't want on the main selection screen.

Please, Apple!
 
kemal

kemal

macrumors 68000
Dec 21, 2001
1,826
2,221
Nebraska
Would be nice if the aTV could have an IR sender that would control my cable box and TV. Then I could get rid of that moronic remote Samsung makes and Time Warner requires.
 
iTom17

iTom17

macrumors 6502a
Aug 2, 2013
967
1,130
Eindhoven, the Netherlands
thekeyring said:
This!

I'm hoping iOS 9 will be refinements and optimisations, but I'm hoping there will be a handful of new features, and a Siri API would be top of that list.
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Not only that would be great to see. I really hope that Apple will continue 'opening up' iOS. Like with iOS 8, but of course even further. Siri API would be an awesome addition anyway! :D
 
DrOct

DrOct

macrumors newbie
Nov 23, 2012
18
0
JPIS said:
I sure hope they give us some control over how the channel line up is displayed so we can either delete, heaven forbid!, or at least hide the ones we don't want on the main selection screen.

Please, Apple!
Click to expand...

This comes up every time I see a discussion of the AppleTV. You can already hide channels. There are two ways to do it, both outlined here: http://www.imore.com/how-hide-channels-your-apple-tv-main-menu

(I actually only learned of the method from the main screen just now! I've always done it through the settings menu before!).

Other than that though I am totally in agreement, I REALLY want an updated AppleTV with an app store. They definitely need to step up their game there.
 
A

amirite

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2009
880
691
gramtrax said:
Using a watch to control my TV.

That's genius! .......geniusly stupid, that is. But at least it would be better than the remote we have now.
Click to expand...

The Watch already does that. The TV part of this article is about dev tools for Apple TV.
 
iConnected

iConnected

macrumors 6502a
Feb 17, 2011
684
435
MacRumors said:
the report claims Apple is working on a "Find My Watch" implementation that could be paired with a "Smart Leashing" feature that would remind Apple Watch users if they appear to have accidentally left their iPhones behind ... but the new features may require new hardware to support them, pushing their launch off until the release of the second-generation Apple Watch.
Click to expand...

Should this be true, I hope that the "Find My Watch"-type features are supported by the v1 editions.

I know there's disagreement among forum members on this point, but security features seem like a glaring omission to me.
 
R

rickdollar

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2007
473
24
" ... a "Smart Leashing" feature that would remind Apple Watch users if they appear to have accidentally left their iPhones behind."

I've been hoping for this since the watch was announced. No more lost phones and you'd know right away if someone lifted your phone.
 
d21mike

d21mike

macrumors 68040
Jul 11, 2007
3,320
356
Torrance, CA
kemal said:
Would be nice if the aTV could have an IR sender that would control my cable box and TV. Then I could get rid of that moronic remote Samsung makes and Time Warner requires.
Click to expand...
I think the idea is to get rid of your Cable Box with New Streaming Services. As for the volume control. We still need something for that. Maybe that could come from the ATV but not sure. As a test I ran my ATV Audio out directly to my sound bar. If the ATV could adjust volume on sound bar I would just set TV volume to 0 or off and go that direction.

The only box I want connected to my TV is the ATV. And I would like Bluetooth to control it instead of IR. Also, would be nice if I could send the audio to my sound bar over bluetooth as well so not need for a cable.
 
T

tricil

macrumors member
Oct 30, 2007
63
39
Will Find My Watch work on the watch I ordered over a month ago that still isn't here yet?

;)
 
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