The 2012 Apple Design Awards were interesting because of the fantastic apps that got the exposure and recognition of an ADA. They were also interesting in what they revealed about Apple priorities and predilections when it came to the award selections.

In the Mac and iPhone categories, 2 our of 3 of the winners were games. In the Educational category, both winners were as much fun as they were facts. In the iPad category, one of the games was counterpointed by a music app that's also a lot of fun. Games and game-like books and experiences don't represent the majority of the App Store, but they represented the majority of the winners.

Apple also pointed out more than once when a title was exclusive to iOS. With the recent porting of Instagram, Instapaper, and Flipboard to Android, and some of the reaction surrounding those ports, platform-exclusivity seems more valuable than ever.

There's an argument to be made that platform specific apps will inevitably have an advantage. They don't have to support lowest common denominator features and can take advantage of platform specific API. They can also be more iOS-like because of it. That no doubt holds a lot of appeal.

Smart in-app purchasing was highlighted as well. Not so much the what but the how. For example, Paper by 53 was praised for letting users test tools before buying them.

Likewise, National Parks providing the option to buy and download additional content, as part of their overall experience, was lauded.

The cleverness of animation also attracted attention. When something didn't just appear, but moved, layered, transitioned, and otherwise delighted the eye, it was called out. Apple paid a lot of attention to animation in the iOS UI, and used it to help users feel oriented and give them time to consider or reconsider how they were moving through apps. But they always added a layer of eye candy on top of that. And they're enjoying it when developers add the same level of consideration and polish.

Simplicity was highlighted in an unlikely place -- the visual design of a game. That everything possible was removed until only the essential elements absolutely needed to play remained, and that that was used to establish atmosphere, set mood, and enhance the experience was specifically mentioned.

Out of the hundreds of thousands of apps, Apple carefully considered and chose 11 to honor with Design Awards. Considering why Apple chose them is a worthwhile mental exercise, if not in the specifics, then in the overall trends and spirit.

Gaming got a bit of a spotlight at yesterday's WWDC keynote, and though Apple spent just as much of the show talking about Mac as it did iOS, there are a lot of big implications for mobile.

Game Center

The biggest announcement for gamers at WWDC 2012 was cross-platform Game Center. Letting Mac owners play with iPhone and iPad owners is a huge step to legitimizing mobile gaming in the eyes of traditional gamers, but Apple is hardly the first one to make this kind of move; Microsoft has been pushing the Xbox brand hard on Windows Phone, except instead of bridging the gap to PC, it's to console. We've seen plenty of games bubble up from iOS to desktop, but it won't be long before iPad and iPhone hardware will be powerful enough to allow simple migration of games from Mac, especially if cloud gaming enters into the picture.

There are a few smaller Game Center updates in iOS 6, including challenges, so you can taunt your buddies into beating your high scores, for example. There's also a new in-app Game Center experience that was mentioned in one slide, but not elaborated upon - presumably, it will allow players to at least check which of their friends have the game without being booted out of the app. Even more vague was a mention of "game groups", which I can only assume means linking a bunch of friends together so they can hop between games en masse.

Pushing Retina resolution

The new MacBook Pro features a Retina-grade display, and Apple promised that Diablo III would be updated with appropriately razor-sharp graphics. The technical marvel of this screen stands firmly on the shoulders of the new iPad, which until now was the largest Retina display available. The new iPad on its own wasn't enough to get anyone outside of the iOS development sphere to start considering insanely high-def resolutions, but the new Mac Pro will. That pressure to support Retina resolution on OS X is ultimately good news for iOS, as there will be more developers with assets suitable for the new iPad. While we aren't expecting a huge leap in resolution for the iPhone 5, it is likely to have a bigger screen.

The main thing about Retina is that it enables scalability; if an app is big enough, it can be crunched down to the small screen, but be rich enough to not look like crap on the big screen. At this point, Apple need only offer a proper TV set that can fully make use of the post-1080p experiences that they're enabling, but unfortunately that's one of the many things we didn't get out of WWDC.

AirPlay

The WWDC keynote also introduced some additional AirPlay options for Mac, enabling full screens to be wirelessly reproduced on a TV, pixel-for-pixel. Though iOS has had this for over a year now, the new Mac feature effectively allows the two to flank TV and converge on Apple TV. Additionally, it sets the stage for AirPlay between Mac and iOS, which is something we've already seen on the audio side from some clever developers.

Ultimately, it's easy to imagine being able to access a live stream of your Mac on your iPad over AirPlay - a tantalizing prospect for anyone into cloud gaming. At first, that could be limited to local Wi-Fi networks, but eventually, who's to say that you won't be able to tap in from outside Wi-Fi networks, or cellular networks provided ample bandwidth? Third parties like Splashtop are already doing this kind of thing, but once Apple steps in and offers the same functionality out of the box, those guys will have to find something new to offer - maybe hosted solutions.

If that is indeed the path that Apple is taking, AirPlay on Mac is just the beginning. For whatever technical limitations the iPhone and iPad may have, if Apple can provide a high-quality, seamless AirPlay experience back to a computer that can handle the heavy lifting, games on iOS stand to get a whole lot better. Diablo III on iPad, anyone?

Conclusion

If there's a single common thread for the relationship between gaming and iOS 6, it's Mac. AirPlay will enable both Macs and iOS devices to start taking tenuous steps towards competing with console and PC gaming; Retina-grade displays will push developers to meet a new bar in graphics (not to mention blow the minds of players); a smart Game Center strategy will create a unified social environment for all of this gaming to take place. iOS 6 is just in beta, so we may very well see a few more surprises before the iPhone 5 launches in the fall, but for now, the future is bright for iOS gamers.

Gamers, what do you feel is currently lacking the most in iOS titles? Is the onus on Apple to enable developers to fill those gaps, or do devs already have their hands full trying to get their games up to Retina quality, nevermind extra stuff like AirPlay?

We're live at Jay Freeman (Saurik)'s talk at Indie Dev Lab 2012. We'll update with highlight as they happen!

• Saurik is a huge fan of analytics.
• Everyone along a transaction chain takes money. Saurik recommends Paypal over services like Strife because they scale down for micro-transactions. Amazon scales even more, but they don't support many countries. Also holds money to mitigate risk. (That's why app store's can't give all the money immediately.)
• Saurik has to hold money on sales for 30 days or Paypal gets angry. If you sell on a 14th, you get paid the next 16th. If you sell on the 16th, you'll have to wait 45 days until the next 1st of the month (he pays out on 1st and 16th). -Cydia doesn't do better than the App Store.

This is actually a deep dive on taxes, credit card processing, international ecommerce, etc.Basically everything you need to know about why non-App Store sales work the way they do, and how you can sell software outside of Apple. So really not customer facing stuff. We'll listen on and write up anything interesting later.

Last month, I wrote about the challenges of truly integrating your social networks, especially Facebook, into your iPhone or iPad.  During the keynote at yesterday's kick off to WWDC, Facebook was once again brought to center stage.

So, its time to revisit the issue and see if Apple has truly addressed some of the concerns we raised just about a month ago.

Current integration of Facebook

Up to this point, Facebook integration has been sort of "hit or miss" with iOS. Yes, as we looked at in last month's article, you can go into your Facebook app and ask it nicely to sync your contacts.  Judging from comments and forum posts, it is clear that this sometimes works fine and other times results in duplicate contacts or only partial syncing of data.

Essentially, Facebook was its own app with its own data. If you needed to look at a Facebook event – you needed to start up the Facebook app and look at your events – they were not integrated into your iOS calendar.

 

Facebook integration in iOS 6

Apple has certainly "baked in" full Facebook integration – for the first time – into iOS6. As covered yesterday, now you can:

1. Share a photo right to Facebook from your Photos app or the Camera app.
2. Post your location right from the Maps app.
3. Tell all about your new high score in a game – right from Game Center.
4. Ask Siri to post for you – which will be very helpful if your hands are tied up with things like driving.

The real additions, however, are in the area of Contacts and Calendar integration – these are both sorely missing in the current incarnation of iOS.  With iOS 6.0:

1. Your Facebook events are integrated right into the Calendar app – so you won't miss any more important birthdays, family events or whatever you have listed in your Facebook events.
2. Your Facebook friends profile info – all of it – is seamlessly integrated into the Contacts app of iOS 6.

Now, this might be a good or a bad thing. For many of us, we like to keep things separate.  If you have, say, 400 Facebook friends, you might not want them to be integrated into your Contacts.

 

What seems very useful to me is having birthdays automatically put into my calendar and events just scheduled – even if I don't go – I can see that they are there.

One advantage is that when someone updates their Facebook profile and adds a new email address or phone number (yes, some people do list their phone number in their Facebook profile) it will automatically update on your iOS device.

All this integration might not be what you are looking for.  There are always concerns about privacy and that the more Facebook is integrated into the OS, the more the likelihood that information you don't want shared with Facebook will be shared. That responsibility is on us, however, and I'm sure we will detail any new privacy settings that need to be adjusted in the weeks to come right here on iMore.

For now, the good news is that for those who were looking for better Facebook integration into their iOS experience – it seems like you will not be disappointed in iOS 6.

 

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Amazon's Cloud Player launched last year with iPhone compatibility conspicuously absent, but as of today, the iOS app has found its way to the smaller screen, giving users the ability to access their music stored in the cloud. Content can come from iTunes, Amazon, and any other DRM-free content you happen to have kicking around and can cram into the 5 GB of free space they offer. Of course, that can be cranked up to 20 GB for $20/year if you need more room. As a limited time promotion, Amazon is offering unlimited room for MP3 and AAC files if you buy any storage tier.You can cache tunes locally on your iPhone for those that want to save battery life by not streaming, and organize it into playlists.

Until now, those that have been involved with Amazon Cloud Drive and using an iPhone have had to resort to the bare-bones mobile site, which in and of itself is pretty ridiculous. Even now, the service is limited to the U.S., which is the case for a lot of Amazon services.

That said, Apple already offers decent access to cloud music through iTunes Match, though you've got to shell out $25/year for that service. The other option is to spend $10/month on one of the many streaming services available (like Rdio or Slacker), which strikes me as worth it for anyone who is serious enough about their tuneage to consider a cloud locker. It just seems like too much of a hassle making sure files sync up properly from the desktop and making sure all of the right metadata is in place - having someone else taking care of the all the bookkeeping is more convenient, but of course, you lose your music as soon as you stop paying for a subscription music streaming service.

What do you guys use to handle music? Does Amazon Cloud Player have anything in particular that grabs your eye? You can find more information about the service over here.

Free - Download Now

Well the WWDC 2012 keynote is over and now it's time for you, the iMore nation, to weigh in on all things iOS 6.

Is it a great iOS update, or the greatest iOS update? Or did Apple miss the board entirely? iOS 5 was massive and gave us a ton of previously missing features. Did iOS 6 do the same? Did it need to?

It seems iOS 6 was mostly about improving the user experience. Apple added a ton of little features to make things easier, faster and more convenient for us. Everything from free turn-by-turn navigation to the really awesome assistance features for people and children with special needs, show a lot of thought and polish.

But on the flip side, no widgets, not fast toggles, no in-app replies -- nothing really that power users have asked for. The interface got a new coat of paint, but not a radical overhaul.

So what do you think? Did Apple knock it out of the park, did they hit a solid double, or did they strike out? Vote up top and give me your thoughts below.

It's your turn to sound off!

Apple made a few new initiatives yesterday on the sly amid the WWDC day one insanity, including a new iPad case, but they also started a back-to-school promotion that goes from now until September 21.  If you buy a Mac, Apple will toss you a $100 iTunes gift card good for books (which are now heavily geared towards academia), apps (though there are lots of great free ones for those in school), and movies. If you pick up a new iPad, Apple will be willing to throw a $50 gift card your way, too. $150 in apps if your parents get you both isn't a bad deal at all, especially if most of your textbooks are available on iTunes. If you qualify for Apple's educational discount, you'll be able to save a little bit more on the Mac, but the discount only applies to the newest of iPads. There are also financing options available for those that are really on a shoestring budget.

Apple has been doing these kinds of back-to-school promotions for awhile, and with the relatively recent upgrade to iTunes U, it's hard to think of any other gadget manufacturer make as concerted of an effort on the educational market. There's something to be said about hooking 'em while they're young; no doubt students that pour blood, sweat and tears into essays typed up on a Mac will have a heavy predisposition to using one for the rest of their lives. One could even say that the iPad is toddler-friendly enough to do the same for kids before they even set foot in a school.

For more details on the promotion, hit up Apple's Back to School page. Anyone going back to school that needs to stock up on devices? I bet that new MacBook Pro is looking awfully tempting, but even with this promotion and special educational pricing, are Apple computers within a student's budget? School's expensive, yo.

Audio-only podcast this week, as we lacked sufficient bandwidth and camera setup to go video. But that didn't stop Rene, Leanna, Seth, and special guest Justin Marcucci of Nickelfish discussing the WWDC 2012 Keynote and everything iOS 6. This is iPhone & iPad Live!

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iOS 6 was another step towards removing Google from the core functionality of Apple's mobile operating system. While they once were friends, remain partners in certain areas like the YouTube app and search in Safari, they're now fierce competitors in smartphones and tablets and Apple reportedly doesn't want Google collecting data from iOS users.

Apple's new Maps app swaps out the Google maps data for TomTom maps data, and Google maps tiles for Apple's own custom made tiles. It loses Street View but adds turn-by-turn navigation, something Google wouldn't give Apple previously.

So that raises the question: Now that Google is gone from Apple's Maps app, will Google release their own, full-on, Android-style Google Maps app in the App Store?

Will Google make Google Maps for the iOS App Store?

iOS user data is far too valuable for Google to simply let go. The only reason Apple could successfully build features into iOS like Wi-Fi location mapping, traffic, etc. was because of iOS users providing that data through use of location-based services.

Google is an advertising company. They make almost all their money through AdWords and associated technologies. But to deliver those ads to the right user, at the right time, at the right place, they need data. Better data means better ads for users and higher click-through rates for advertisers. Analytics are everything in Google's world.

That's why, even though Google chose to make Apple their mobile competitor, they also choose to make a lot of apps for the App Store. That's because iOS users use a ton of apps. And Google wants that data. They need that data.

So, yes, I'm guessing Google will make and submit a real Google Maps app to the App Store.

And that brings us to the second half of the equation: If Google submits Google Maps to the App Store, will Apple approve it?

Will Apple approve Google Maps for the iOS App Store

There's a giant "duplicates functionality" red card that Apple's played in the past, using claims of user confusion or lack of unique functionality to keep competitive apps out of the store. While the review process still isn't perfect, and Apple's policies still aren't transparent, those days seem to mostly be behind us.

But Apple's faced considerable scrutiny for that, especially when it concerned Google. The whole Google Voice incident shows that it's an incredibly high profile, government attracting, business distracting ordeal.

Apple makes money selling high margin hardware. Software and services primarily drive those hardware sales. Having more and better services, as long as they don't impact hardware sales in the future (by enticing users to switch platforms) are ultimately in Apple's best interest. By having the services users want on iOS, Apple sells more iPhones and iPads.

That's why, even though Apple provides iCloud, they still have excellent support for Gmail. There's even an Gmail app in the App Store. Even though Apple provides Find my Friends, and reportedly refused to put Latitude into the old Maps app, they've let a Google Latitude app into the App Store. Even though Apple has iAd, after a brief period of concern, developers can still choose to use AdMob.

So yes, I'm guessing that if Google submits Google Maps to the App Store, Apple will approve it.

That's not to say there won't be leaks, blusters, rejections, accusations, app crashes, and a lot of other drama along the way -- but in a few months, I think iOS users will once again enjoy the best of both worlds. This time, mapped.

Verizon has announced a new family plan that includes a shared data bucket for households chocked-full of iPhones and iPads. Each smartphone can be added to the plan for $40 (which includes unlimited talk and text) while tablets cost $10. On top of that, you'll have to pay for the data you want to share.

• 1GB shared data - $50
• 2GB shared data - $60
• 4GB shared data - $70
• 6GB shared data - $80
• 8GB shared data - $90
• 10GB shared data - $100

The plan also unlocks mobile hotspot access for all devices on the plan, so you can chew through your data allowance even faster. If you have a new iPad with LTE, you're going to be burning through data quickly enough as is; how long is it going to last if you're splitting your bucket with the rest of the family? Of course, if everybody only uses data sparingly, then maybe it's not that big of a deal, but at that point, you might as well be using a cheaper shared plan.

How much are you really saving? For two iPhones sharing a 1 GB bucket, you'd be paying $130 every month.  If you really needed unlimited data, on Sprint you'd pay $80 more every month for two devices on Simply Everything Family. Alternatively, you could get unlimited data and 1500 minutes shared for only $20 more than Verizon. By comparison, you'd be paying $120 for the first two lines with unlimited minutes on AT&T, but that doesn't count messaging or data which are at least an extra $20 each. It's worth noting that Sprint and AT&T cap out their sharing at 5 lines, so if you need more than that, Verizon's the only show in town. If you consider T-Mobile an option (and they sure hope you do), their unlimited data sharing packages start at $120, which undercuts Verizon just a little bit, but doesn't include mobile hotspot. Given, coverage might not give you all of those options, but that should put Verizon's new plan into perspective.

Verizon's ShareEverything plan goes live on June 28, and you can get more info on it over here. Anyone biting? Does you family burn through enough minutes and data to make something like this worthwhile, or are shared plans further down the ladder good enough? Do you have more than 5 lines that you need to feed?

Source: Verizon via Android Central

Expectations were high for the iOS 6 announcement at WWDC today, and many of them were met, but there were a lot of others that didn't. Rene has blown through a ton of features on competing smartphone platforms that could find a comfortable home on iOS. Even though some of those areas will be seeing improvement in iOS 6, it might not be enough for everyone. So, what did we not get from the WWDC keynote?

Apple TV apps and SDK

We didn't think Apple TV apps were likely, but still rumors were kept popping up about an Apple TV announcement at WWDC 2012. Well, not surprisingly, none of them panned out for the keynote. At best, we got some extended AirPlay for OS X.

Who knows what Apple will do in the future, but for the time being, Apple TV is going to be staying right where it is. In a tiny, locked down box.

Core interface improvement

If you've been using an iPhone since its inception, odds are some of you might be a little bored with the core user interface (Springboard) and have at least flirted with the idea of jailbreaking just for a change of scenery. Even after iOS 6 drops, odds are good that jailbreakers will still have a lot to do.

Apple has added plenty of little additions over the years, like the slide-down Notification Center, multi-touch app switching and closing, folders, and a dedicated universal search screen.

So far, there's nothing as visually pronounced as any of that in iOS 6, though it is in beta and new features are likely to be added between now and the fall.

While we did get a fresh coat of paint, with some new silvers and blues on the core Apple apps, we didn't get anything as ambitious as theme selector, that could offer users a bit more customization to keep things fresh.

Besides that, if the iPhone 5 turns out to have a 4-inch display, we'll at least get to enjoy an extra row of icons, maybe more...

Siri API

Although Siri got a lot of love in iOS 6, including fresh outside data for movies, restaurants, and sports, as well as some promised in-car integration, Apple isn't throwing open the doors to third party developers just yet.

The closest we got is the ability for Siri to open applications that you have installed on your iOS device, which is certainly a step in the right direction.

Of course, there's a ton of potential for developers that have access to a native, reliable voice recognition system, but in the end, Siri is still in beta and will stay there for the foreseeable future.

Notification Center API

Notification Center creaked open a little bit to accommodate a new Facebook button and a new Do Not Disturb toggle, but it is still very much a walled garden in that developers can't get much more than little bullet point pop-ups in there.

The real fun will start when developers can make full-width static, custom, interactive units for Notification Center like the current options for weather and stocks. Even some more interactive pop-ups that would allow you to take quick actions without having to switch apps would be really nice, but for the time being, all of that rests squarely in the realm of wishful thinking and jailbreak hackery.

Better file management

It sure would be nice to be able to flip through your iPhone's file system sometimes, but it's still something Apple is keeping out of reach for everyday users without the help of a third-party app (and even then, they're limited).

Now we can drop pictures into e-mails a little more easily, but you can't do the same thing for documents for whatever reason. Apple's iron grip on file access severely limits functionality for tech-savvy users, and until iOS relaxes a bit, those users will drift towards Android.

Quick replies and toggles

Needless to say, SBSettings style quick Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other toggles were nowhere to be found, nor were BiteSMS style in-app quick responders. We'd hoped for both, but now we can hope again for iOS 7...

App Store improvements

The App Store app did get a visual refresh and Facebook integration may aid in discoverability for people who use Facebook (which not everyone does), but missing was any sign of Apple's recent Chomp purchase, and better search overall.

At the end of the day, we'll get the apps that make developers money. If the only way for developers to make money are shallow $0.99 niche apps, or super-addictive, annoying, video-lottery style freemium games, that's what we'll get.

Apple owns the platform. Sure, it's a multi-billion dollar balancing act, but they're the ones in charge of the balance. They can tweak the mechanics so developers have better opportunities for premium apps and games, and are incentivized to make them.

Conclusion

Personally, I'm happy with the improvements in iOS 6. Even though none of them individually really stick out as game-changers, and in fact a lot of them felt like they were just catching up to the competition (adding photos from e-mail compose window, turn-by-turn directions, Facebook integration), combined they're filling vital function gaps. iOS 6 is not only pushing signature features to new heights (huge improvements in Siri, iMessage in OS X, Facetime over cellular), but also introducing some new ones (Passbook, Guided Access).

It's safe to say that the new Mac hardware really stole the show WWDC, but I have a good feeling that the announcement of the iPhone 5 this fall will springboard nicely off the iOS 6 stuff announced today.

What would you have liked to have seen from iOS 6? On the whole, are you happy with all of the new additions, or is there a missing feature that could be a dealbreaker for you when it comes to picking up an iPhone 5 down the road?

Today was officially the first day of WWDC 2012, and it was kicked off by the much anticipated keynote where Apple announced iOS 6 and an updated MacBook Pro with a gorgeous Retina display. Rene (@reneritchie) and Seth (@sethclifford) were on the scene doing an amazing job at live blogging and taking photos while I (@llofte) and the rest of the iMore crew held down the fort from a distance.

Rene joined the line for the WWDC 2012 keynote at about 2am after having a night of virtually no sleep. The line had already been started and by morning, the line was huge. You'd think it was an iPhone launch day!

At about 5a, Seth and Justin from Nickelfish joined Rene in line.

At about 9a, I jumped over to the Starbucks right down the street from Moscone and, after realizing that their Wi-Fi was a major fail, tethered my MacBook Air to my Verizon 4G LTE iPad for the keynote.

Meanwhile, Rene, Seth, and Justin were being herded through the Moscone Center like a bunch of cattle.

During the Keynote, Rene and Seth rocked the live blog despite having major Wi-Fi failure. USB tethering with iPhones and iPads FTW!

When the Keynote was over, we were all starving, so we all went out for some delicious sushi and discussed all the good stuff that was announced during the keynote.

After lunch, it was time for Seth and Rene to head to the Apple Design Awards ceremony, but not before grabbing some coffee from Blue Bottle.

After the ADA event, Rene and I had tea with Paul Haddod (@tapbot_paul) of Tapbots. We discussed the keynote, Tweetbot, MacBook Pros, iOS 6, and more.

We had a great conversation that ended with a video interview (coming soon!).

Next on our agenda was to record a podcast with Seth and Justin, but first we made a quick stop at the Apple Store to pick up a couple of the new Smart Cases for the new iPad (review coming soon!).

The Smart Cases weren't even available on the sales floor at the Apple Store, yet, and had to be brought in for us from the back. Most of the Apple employees hadn't seen them yet, so we gathered quite a crowd of Apple employees drooling over our new cases.

After picking up our new cases, Rene, Seth, Justin, and I gathered on the floor in Rene's hotel room to record a special edition podcast of iPhone Live! It should be available for listening and download soon!

To end the day, Rene and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Colibri Mexican Bistro before heading back to our rooms to edit videos, photos, podcasts, and more.

It was a hell of day! Four more to go!

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If you're new to Apple development and have never had to install a beta version of iOS, we'll walk you through how to get started with iOS 6 beta from start to finish. You can do this with either Xcode or iTunes.

Disclaimer: While we can't stop you from installing a beta version of iOS, we strongly encourage the general public to stay away from betas. Unless you need access to the beta as a developer or an app tester, you should wait for the official version. Betas are typically buggy, apps crash, and things don't always work the way they should. That's why it's called a beta. iMore assumes no responsibility for any issues or data loss that could occur from installing a beta on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Provision your iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches

Before installing any beta software you'll need to make sure the UDID for each device you plan on using beta software on is on file with Apple in order for them to validate the install. You can do this directly through the Developer Portal.

If you're an app tester, this step will probably be done by the app developer. They will probably ask you for your UDID if they don't already have it on file.

1. From your main Developer Portal screen you'll see a silver menu off to the right and the first option is iOS Provisioning Portal. Click on it.

2. In the left navigation pane, click on Devices

3. This is where you will add all your iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. Tap on Upload Devices and enter the UDIDs and a short description such as the device type and owner's name. When you're done, save your list by hitting Submit.

You can now start installing beta versions of iOS on all the devices you've provisioned.

Download your iOS software

1. Log in to the Apple Developer portal with your login and navigate to the iOS section.
2. At the top toggle to the iOS 6 SDK beta section and click on Downloads

3. Download the firmware files you need for the respective devices. Be sure to download the correct versions for your test iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches.

Install iOS 6 beta on your devices

You're now ready to start installing betas on your devices. To do this, you'll need to use the newest version of iTunes which is 10.6.3 or you can do this through the xCode 4.5 developer preview. I recommend that developers use the xCode method while app testers are probably okay using the iTunes method unless the developer would prefer you to use xCode to submit feedback.

iTunes method

This time around there is no beta version of iTunes needed. Just make sure you're running the current version of iTunes which is 10.6.3. You can download it from Apple's website.

• iTunes 10.6.3 download

1. Open iTunes 10.6.3 after you've installed it and plug in the device you'd like to install iOS 6 beta to.
2. Choose your device from the left navigation pane. You'll see a Restore button. Hold down Alt+option (or Ctrl for PC users) and click Restore.
3. A file browser window will pop up. Navigate to the iOS 6 beta firmware file you would like to install onto your device.

4. iTunes will now begin to update your device to iOS 6 beta. Let it do its thing and you're pretty much done.

Xcode method

1. In Xcode, under software version, you'll need to choose Other version

2. Then Xcode will ask you to navigate to the .ipsw file that you would like to install (the beta firmware file). I typically save them on my desktop or somewhere in a folder that I can easily find.
3. Select it and click Restore iPhone
4. A warning will pop up telling you all data will be erased. Agree and your device will be restored to the beta version. You can then restore from a backup in iTunes or from iCloud like you normally would.

Either update method will get you onto the beta. It's up to you to decide what method is most appropriate for your situation.

Additional resources:

• iOS roundup: Maps, Facebook integration, Siri enhancements, and more
• Apple's iOS 6 site now live
• iMore complete WWDC 2012 coverage