Today in Tech

Apple announced updates to its operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS and macOS at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday. iPadOS has new productivity features, but do the updates justify the company's decision to put an M1 chip in the iPad Pro? And although Apple previewed macOS Monterey, a Mac hardware announcement was noticeably absent. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to recap WWDC, answering viewer questions and discussing enterprise improvements and unannounced new iOS 15 features.

Apple's annual developer conference, WWDC, kicks off on June 7. At its opening keynote, Apple executives including Tim Cook and Craig Federighi will announce updates to its operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss what changes they expect to see across Apple's operating systems, plus some of their wish list items. If you have a question about WWDC software updates, let us know in the live chat. We'll respond during the live broadcast.

Apple's annual developer conference, WWDC, will take place June 7-11. While software is the main focus of the event, rumors suggest Apple may announce new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Apple may also announce that updates to other Macs, like the Mac Pro and Mac mini, are coming soon. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss possible WWDC hardware announcements and release dates for future Macs.

When the newest version of a phone, tablet and/or laptop launches, the idea of upgrading a personal device can feel enticing. For IT teams, keeping employee devices up-to-date means upgrading strategically and adhering to planned upgrade cycles. Upgrading too often gets expensive, while upgrading too infrequently can mean using slower or even less secure devices. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis, Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld managing editor for features, Valerie Potter, join Juliet to discuss how to decide when to upgrade your personal and professional devices and what to consider before you buy.

Early benchmarks suggest that the soon-to-be-shipped M1 iPad Pro is much faster than the previous generation iPad Pro, as well as the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 processor. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss the benchmark results, whether or not it's worth it to ditch your MacBook Pro for an iPad and the enterprise use case for an M1 iPad Pro. If you have any questions about the M1 iPad Pro and its performance, leave a comment and we'll do our best to answer during the livestream.

The largest fuel pipeline in the United States, Colonial Pipeline, halted operations because of a ransomware attack. The attack was carried out the cybercriminal group DarkSide. Much of the pipeline remains offline, although the pipeline operator aims to restore service by the end of the week. Mark Weatherford is the CISO at AlertEnterprise, Chief Strategy Officer at the National Cybersecurity Center and the former Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He joins Juliet to discuss what the Colonial Pipeline attack suggests about the state of critical infrastructure security, national security concerns and what steps critical infrastructure companies should take to secure their enterprise.

Apple and Epic Games, the developer behind the popular video game Fortnite, are in court over Apple's decision to remove Fortnite from the App Store. Epic Games attempted to bypass Apple's in-app purchasing system within Fortnite, violating App Store terms. Apple removed the game from the App Store as a result. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss how this court battle could force Apple to shake up the way it runs its App Store and how it could affect the identity of the iPhone.

Apple's iOS 14.5 update arrived this week, including a much-discussed feature called App Tracking Transparency. The feature allows users to have more control over their data and how they're tracked across apps and websites. Plus, Apple's recently refreshed iMac could be the last Mac to ship with M1 chips, as a new Apple Silicon chip is on the horizon. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss the implications of App Tracking Transparency and when the next Apple Silicon chip may arrive.

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, represent a unique digitized asset. The ownership of this asset tracked on the blockchain. While NFTs are making headlines for selling for millions upon millions of dollars, there’s practical use cases for them beyond selling digital art. James Wester, Research Director for Worldwide Blockchain Strategies at IDC, joins Juliet to explain what exactly NFTs are, whether they are here to stay and why enterprises should be paying attention. If you have a question about NFTs, leave it in the comments or live chat. We’ll do our best to answer it during the live broadcast.

Apple is holding a spring event after all. After weeks of speculation and rumors, Apple announced it will host a virtual event, titled Spring Loaded, on April 20. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss what Apple may announce at the event. Rumors suggest Apple may release a new iPad Pro, a new Apple Pencil or maybe even an Apple Silicon iMac. Let us know in the comments or live chat what you're hoping to see at Apple's spring event, and what you think about the rumored releases.