Apple's annual worldwide developers conference (WWDC) will begin today, conducted virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jun 22, 2020. The latest version is macOS Catalina, which was publicly released in October 2019. MacOS is based on the Unix operating system and on technologies developed between 1985 and 1997 at NeXT, a company that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs created after leaving Apple in 1985. System 7 – System 7.5.1 was the first to refer to itself as Mac OS, Mac OS 7.6 was the first to be branded as 'Mac OS' Mac OS 8 Mac OS 9 – Mac OS 9.2.2 was the last version of Classic Mac OS. The first release of the new OS — Mac OS X Server 1.0 — used a modified version of the Mac OS GUI, but all client versions starting with Mac OS X Developer Preview 3 used a new theme known as Aqua. Aqua was a substantial departure from the Mac OS 9 interface, which had evolved with little change from that of the original Macintosh operating.

The opening keynote will begin at 6pm UK time when Apple is expected to announce a range of software updates, including the new version of the iPhone operating system, iOS 14 - which rumours suggest might be renamed iPhone OS.

Apple often opens WWDC with a well-designed comical video, although the events of this year from the coronavirus pandemic to the Black Lives Matter protests suggest the company may take a different tack

The impact of COVID-19 won't just be seen in the event being held virtually or in the opening video, but in changes to Apple Watch too - with a hand wash monitoring function being rumoured.

MacOS High Sierra

It is unclear whether the company will address one of the most contested software changes it recently introduced in its collaboration with Google to permit a specific form of contact tracing using smartphones.

A number of government officials, including the UK's Health Secretary Matt Hancock, have criticised the company for what it said was a privacy protection in its designs which requires health authorities to base their apps on data held on each user's own phone rather than collect that data centrally.

One of the biggest changes the company is expected to announce will bring its Mac laptops in line with its iPads and iPhones in using processors based on Apple's own designs, rather than Intel's.

The architecture of these chips is based on a design licensed from ARM, a Cambridge-based chip designer which was bought for £24bn by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank in 2016.

The change isn't expected to hit Macs immediately as it will take developers a bit of time to adapt their apps to get the most of the new architecture, but is rumoured to double the processing speed of Apple's laptops.

Last year the company announced the end of iTunes in favour of three separate apps representing a new focus on streaming content through subscriptions and rentals.

Although the event is software focused, aimed as its title suggests at those developing apps for its iPhone and Mac operating systems, some hardware news could also be forthcoming.

A new iMac computer is rumoured to be among the announcements at WWDC, as potentially will be over-the-ear AirPods and a new AppleTV.

But mostly Apple's hardware product announcements come in September, when Apple usually pulls back the curtain on the latest models of its iPhone and other gadgets and devices.

Apple will be steaming the event on YouTube and viewers will be able to follow along with a Sky News live blog, keeping track of the big announcements and how they shape up against the competition.

Streamlined apps

From full-height sidebars to refreshed toolbars, a clean new app design makes sure your content is always front and center.

Refreshed Dock

A sleek design update makes getting to your favorite apps even easier. And a new uniform shape for app icons adds consistency while letting the personality of Mac shine through.

Control Center for Mac

Instantly access the controls you use most — like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — and new controls to play music and enable Dark Mode for your display. Designed just for Mac, the new Control Center lets you add controls and drag favorites to the menu bar to customize it just for you.

What Is The Latest Version Of MacOS? - How-To Geek

Notification Center

Latest Version Of Apple Operating System Software

A new design combines notifications and widgets in a single view for more information at a glance. Notifications are now grouped by app, and many are interactive — letting you do things like play new podcast episodes or learn more about Calendar invitations. And redesigned widgets come in three different sizes, so you can create the best view for you.