Apple fans will be awaiting the forthcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with baited breath, but what is the best way to watch it online? With just two days to go until this event kicks off, with June 8 being the all important date, there are just a handful of days for Apple fans and developers to wait until they learn of the latest innovations at the consumer electronics giant. Apple is certain to be showing off a raft of exciting new products at this event, even if reports have recently indicated that Apple TV will not be one of them. But it certainly will be an event not to miss for fans of the Apple range, so awareness of how to access the conference is critical information for people all over the world.
WWDC takes software focus
Over the years, the WWDC has been a highlight of Apple’s yearly calendar, even if the prominence of the event has possibly declined slightly in recent years. When Apple was establishing itself as the leader in consumer electronics, the WWDC was frequently used to announce new hardware and devices. But as Apple has zoomed into an unrivalled position at the head of the consumer electronics marketplace, so WWDC has changed tack in recent years.
Today, the WWDC event places its focus squarely on software and developers, and the primary showcase of this year’s WWDC conference will be the release of iOS 9. This mobile operating system will be of great importance to Apple fans, as the previous version of the software was criticized for being a little sluggish and buggy. Apple intends to produce a slicker iOS this time out which is much more stable and reliable, while adding new features and functionality into the mix as well.
So although in the past we have seen new Mac desktops and iPads released at the WWDC event, this shouldn’t be expected from this year’s confab. Apple is becoming increasingly conservative with regard to the lineup at the San Francisco conference, and there is no reason to believe that its approach will be different this time round. With Apple TV having already been ruled out by some media reports, we can be pretty certain that the focus will be squarely on software during the 2015 iteration.
When and where will the WWDC 2015 event take place?
WWDC 2015 is taking place from June 8 to June 12, and the opening day of the event will be particularly important, as it features the Apple keynote speech. This will be delivered by Apple CEO Tim Cook, although a supporting cast of Apple alumni is also likely. Apple began issuing invites for the event on April 14, announcing its location as San Francisco’s Moscone West. The location for this 26th edition of the Apple WWDC event did not come as much of a surprise, as it has been a staple part of the conference for several years now.
It is fair to say that there will be a select group of people attending the actual event, and of course if you don’t have an invitation by now, you surely will not be getting one! So the best option for you to follow this keynote conference is via online video.
The invitation and attendant announcement e-mail, though, give us a few clues about what to expect from the conference, with a section stating that the event will give an opportunity for the renowned Apple developer community to come together to learn about the future of iOS and OS X. It seems that WWDC will consist of more than 100 technical sessions featuring over 1,000 Apple engineers, with hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies and fine-tune their apps. The Apple Design Awards that showcase the best new applications over the last 12 months will also be a highlight of the conference.
How to watch the WWDC 2015 conference on Apple devices
There are a number of options available to those who want to watch WWDC live without having a ticket for the actual event. Apple has naturally announced that it will livestream coverage of the keynote presentation on its own website, with the video appearing on apple.com/live on Monday afternoon, around 1pm EST. There have been issues in the past with large numbers of people accessing Apple streams and consequently finding that they cannot access them during server crashes, but Apple has upped its game in this department in recent years, and we can be fairly hopeful that this will be a stable stream.
Watching the WWDC 2015 keynote livestream on Mac, iPhone or iPad is pretty straightforward, and can be done via the popular Safari browser. It should be noted that Safari 6.0.5 or later, or OS X 10.8.5 or later, or the version of Safari that comes with iOS 6.0 or later, is required in order to access this video.
Additionally, it will be possible to view the stream live on Apple TV, although reports have suggested that there would not be an update to this device at the actual conference itself. In order to do this, simply start up your Apple TV device, and go directly to the WWDC channel. Streaming this event via Apple TV requires a second or third-generation Apple TV, with software of 6.2 version or later.
How to watch the WWDC 2015 keynote livestream on a non-Apple device
Apple is notorious for locking Android devices out of its keynote live streams, but there is a way around this. The universal media player software VLC can decode the livestream, ensuring that it is possible for millions of Android users all over the world to access this conference as well.
In order to do this, it is naturally necessary to download and install the player from www.videolan.org/vlc. Finally, numerous media outlets will be running live blogs for those that cannot access any of these methods.
