Apple to Announce Updates for Products

Apple Inc.'s big conference for technology developers will swing into gear Monday morning with a keynote presentation that will end months of speculation about some key hardware and software initiatives. The announcements are expected to include the next version of Apple's operating system for iPhones and iPads and updates to the company's MacBook portable computers. (Apple, known for its ability to craft buzz, late last week erected an "iOS 6" banner at the San Francisco convention center hosting the event.) Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, world-wide marketing head Phil Schiller and Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president for iOS software, are among those planning to take the stage at the Worldwide Developer Conference, according to people familiar with the matter. The annual event, besides serving as a showcase for new products, can be a barometer of how well the technology trend-setter is maintaining its cool. Developers race to land tickets, and this year the 5,000 or so that were offered sold out in a record hour and 43 minutes, compared with 10 hours in 2011. Apple is working hard to please the attendees. Executives have been preparing for months and rehearsing throughout the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter. The event comes as Apple's influence among developers and the technology industry at large has never been higher. Despite the growth of competing devices that use GoogleInc.'s Android operating system, software developers say they tune their products to Apple and the features it offers. For every 10 apps developers build, roughly seven are for Apple's mobile platform, according to recent data from mobile analytics service Flurry. This year, in response to demand, Apple has lowered its age requirement for attendance from 18 years old to 13. Still, continuing to meet lofty expectations—and top the hoopla of prior events—remains a challenge for the company. Last year's conference was the last keynote presentation by Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder, who died in October. He unveiled iCloud, the company's ambitious effort to allow consumers to gain access to their media across different Apple devices. IOS 6 is expected to include Apple's own mobile mapping software to compete with software from Google, whose maps have been the default on the iPhone for years. The software is also expected to include enhancements to iCloud, including new photo-sharing features. While developers will be given access to a preliminary version of Apple's new mobile operating system this week, Apple has historically withheld the software from consumers until the release of its next iPhone, which isn't expected until at least later this year, according to people familiar with the matter. On the hardware side, developers are expecting new MacBook laptop computers that will sport higher-resolution displays. The company has already unveiled new software, called Mountain Lion, that will power its next computers. Many of that operating system's features—such as notifications and a wireless video-syncing feature called AirPlay—are borrowed from the software that runs iPhones and iPads, as Apple tries to spread the buzz it generates in the mobile market to the company's older computer line and other devices. wholeslae accessories,ipad accessories,iphone accessories,ipod accessories