Last week, Apple held its annual 2022 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC22).  Typically, the new operating systems are announced for Apple technology – computers, iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, etc. This year’s new Mac OS is called Ventura and will be released sometime this fall.  And with the new OS, are a couple of features I think will have an impact on how attorneys (and the public) will be using their tech in their law practice regardless if they use Windows or Apple OS.

First, is it the end of the built-in web camera:  Continuity Camera.  As Juli Clover reports at MacRumors.com, your ‌“…iPhone‌ can be used as a webcam for a Mac. It works seamlessly, and it offers neat features like special lighting and a Desk View so you can show off what you're doing on your desktop. It also supports Center Stage for keeping you in the frame as you move around the room”.  Your iPhone’s camera is inherently better than the webcam that comes in most Apple and Windows laptops.  There are several third-party programs out there that allow you to use your smartphone as a web camera.  But with CC baked into the operating system (at least for Macs), you have to wonder if this is the call for the end of webcams being automatically built into future laptops.  I would not be surprised if Windows, Google, inter alia, follow suit.  That could help drive down the price of hardware (and the possible elimination of the webcam market, both internal and external). 

Last, are Passwords going the way of the dodo:  Passkeys.  As described by Apple, Passkeys is “…a new sign‑in method that is end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks. This makes passkeys stronger than all common two-factor authentication types. They also work on non-Apple devices.”  Basically, you can use your biometrics, i.e., face or fingerprint, through your compatible smartphone, to unlock your “authentication on the Internet.”  In other words, you won’t need your passwords (or your password minder) for your internet accounts.

Apple’s Passkeys follows the FIDO (Fast ID Online) Alliance protocols to standardize secure authorization on the internet.  FIDO’s goal is to remove the need for traditional online passwords and to standardize these keys across platforms on the web. When you have “…chipmakers like Intel and Qualcomm, prominent platform developers like Amazon and Meta, financial institutions like American Express and Bank of America, and the developers of all major operating systems—Google, Microsoft, and Apple” on board, it's likely to be a universal tool for all businesses regardless of your device’s operating system. I believe the long-term goal is to allow these keys to sync across devices regardless of the device’s operating system.  So, it should not matter if your devices are not on the same platform to get you authorization online. Could this be the near end of my subscription to 1Password*?

The future for lawyers (and the general public) and their use of technology is very interesting indeed!

MTC