Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference kicks off Monday, June 2nd, and techies everywhere are betting that it’s going to be a big one. Apple’s WWDC is the time when we get a glimpse into the company’s future, from the new-fangled devices they’re crafting in Cupertino to the next versions of iOS and OS X.
There’s much mystery around what Apple will actually be announcing, however. Heck, they don’t even reveal the schedule or keynote till day-of. But, according to iTunes executive Eddy Cue, we do know that this is the “best product pipeline” that Apple has seen in 25 years.
Okay, so now we’re really curious. Rumors are swirling, but the one thing we really want to know is this: How will Apple’s WWDC affect Boston tech companies?
Healthbook
Screenshots were leaked earlier this year of an Apple health and fitness-themed app, dubbed Healthbook, said to be able to record data on blood pressure, activity, heart rate, sleep and pace, all in one place.
The whispers of Apple’s fortified push towards fitness could have consequences for Boston-based activity tracking company RunKeeper and weight loss app Lose It!, both of which are serious players in the space and have tens of millions of users. Back in April, RunKeeper announced Breeze, a step-counting app powered by the iPhone 5S’s M7 processor, that’s poised to take down tracking wearables like FitBit. If Apple comes out with a default app that does the same thing, it could, in theory, contend with Breeze, and might be the final blow that knocks out fitness wearables.
Still, there’s much to be said about user experience, an area in which the startup excels – RunKeeper has over 23 millions users, and Breeze already has 75,000 across 25 countries. Lose It!, too, has a loyal following, that, in total, has lost a whopping 32 million pounds. The app helps people track their daily caloric intake and has a built-in barcode scanner that lets users automatically scan and add foods to their daily log. While Lose It! doesn’t directly compete with what we think Healthbook will do, Apple’s increased focus in the health space is threatening in and of itself.
Smart Homes
Your iPhone could be the future key to your front door, light switch and more. The Financial Times reported that Apple’s smartphone might soon be automating your home. We’re talking about an ambitious, Apple-driven Internet of Things, people.
An increased focus on the connected world from Apple could mean even more opportunities for three local companies. One Mighty Roar’s new project, Robin, aims to apply the power of the Internet of Things to the business world and offices. For example, companies could set up Robin so that, when all employees are checked in and arrive before 8 a.m., donuts are automatically ordered for the whole office. Boston’s seen a bit of what the startup’s tech can do at Paul English’s recently debuted consumer tech hatchery, Blade.
LogMeIn is also betting on the Internet of Things as being the next big trend in technology. The global company scooped up Ionia for $12 million in April. The acquired company's software enables businesses to tie in Internet-connected devices into their back-office sales and planning software systems. Last year, LogMeIn also launched Xively, its own online software product designed to turn "Old World" products "smart." Somerville-based Embue is yet another Boston company focused on turning appliances into connected machines, starting with an iPhone-controlled thermostat that claims to cut utility costs. The company, which just launched a Kickstarter this week, has a play to appeal to HVAC providers with a dashboard that acts as a “check engine light” for its customers’ heating and cooling systems.
Apple Maps
Apple has remained silent about its buggy Maps application after CEO Tim Cook offered a big apology for its deplorable state back in 2012. In the meantime, most of us have been working with Google Maps, and loving it (including the new Uber integration). But the application could show serious improvement in 2014. 9to5Mac reported that Apple plans to add in public transit directions, as well as give Maps an overall makeover.
Enter recent Techstars grad Mapkin, a new map app that offers up a fresh take on voice directions. Currently in beta in the Boston area, Mapkin claims to be “the only GPS that sounds like a local,” and gives crowdsourced directions based on local landmarks. In some ways, the startup is similar to Google-acquired Waze, which also uses the power of the crowd to provide directions based on real-time traffic information and best routes.
To make things even more interesting in light of Apple’s annual conference, a number of Mapkin’s teammates hail from voice recognition company Nuance, which created the technology behind the iPhone’s Siri. We know that Apple has been trying to add Siri to OS X. But now that fellow West Coast giant Google has scooped up Waze, the pressure’s on for Apple to deliver on the new version of Maps, whenever it is released, and they’ll need an edge and could bring Siri further into the fold. Mapkin could become a customer, an acquisition or a competitor of Apple, and it's new Maps effort.
All that being said, however, rumors tend to be what people hope to see come from the conference. We won't know what's truly in store for the millions of developers and fledgling startups in Boston, and around the globe, until Monday.
Image via OneMightyRoar Facebook
