Apple's 2014 WWDC Keynote Will Be Streamed Live; Hopes For a Microconsole?

SlappingOysters (1344355) writes "Grab It is reporting that Apple will stream its 2014 WWDC keynote live at 10am PST on June 2. The site speculates that a recent update to showcase title and previous keynote star Real Racing 3 could confirm a rumoured microconsole announcement. The App Store has seen a dramatic rise in the quality and frequency of AAA spin-off titles over the last year, giving Apple a good platform to make a move into this emerging space."

Wonder why so relatively early in the year...

[Anonymous Coward]

I am curious why Apple is having their WWDC convention in the early summer (before the Google I/O event even), when normally they are in the fall.

If they announce a console, they should merge AppleTV and it, so one product does all the set top love in a residence. Maybe even add a Blu-Ray drive, so one only needs it and the TV.

Other things that might be useful as Apple announcements:

1: A security standard for devices, and more than just SSL or "just trust us". Apple upping the bar in the security arena would mean good PR. Perhaps an app to device standard that helps secure communication via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Perhaps some way to share public keys so an IoT device only will speak to authorized devices, and no other, no CA, no third party.

2: A return back to schools with deep discounts and an active presence. Apple made themselves a foundation by having low priced machines in the educational setting. These days, a Mac discount is 10% last time I checked. It may not profit the next quarter... but it will have a lot more people who will buy them later on.

3: A rackable desktop/server. The only reason MS is existing is because of their presence in the enterprise. If Apple can get into this market, even a bit, it is a stable income base.

just another confirmation

[Ralph Spoilsport]

of Apple's cultural bankruptcy. Jobs died and they haven't come up with ANYTHING of importance. He's been gone for almost 3 years. He wasn't that active the last year or so, so technically he's been out of the picture for almost 5. Apple needs to do something big and smart. I don't see that happening with Cook at the helm. They could do something small and smart, like PUT COVER FLOW BACK INTO ITUNES. But I don't think that will happen. I think they'r just going to minimax themselves into triviality.

Re:just another confirmation

[Anonymous Coward]

The point is that "doing something revolutionary" was Apple's Business Model and how they were able to maintain their high prices and also their "followship".
What Jobs managed like no second was waiting for the right moment and then shipping the technology with a near perfect UI. He did not ship products "when they were possible" but when they were "possible to make elegant".
He was not the first on the market of computers (Mac), MP3 players or Smartphones or webshops. But he waited long enough until he could ship something really thought through (at premium prices). When the "rabble" of the market cought up to his premium segment, he moved on. From Desktops to MP3 players to phones to tablets. All points into the direction that TV was going to be the next segment Jobs would have moved.

Samsung and google can afford to do "just business", as they are in the market of "just business". Apple was in the market of opening premium segments for the non technical masses with money and moving on when he could not sell anymore in the high price segmet as the rest of the market cought on.

Apple can survive as "one of them", I think. But that is not the model Jobs had and that they still seem to go for. Not having something revolutionary in the works is going to be the end of Apple as we have known it in the last years.