BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Not using Apple products

And it is set to become an even worse idea. Whether you like Apple or not, you can't deny that it hit the ball out of the park with its keynote address at its World Wide Developers Conference. Apple's iOS8 was arguably the star of the show however, with a ton of features in tow. Some of these additions were blatantly lifted from other platforms, while others are genuinely new and fascinating features. But which ones were the most notable then?

• Apple's fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5s is easily the best tech of its kind on a smartphone, beating the Galaxy S5's effort into fine dust. It's not perfect though, owing to the fact that it was locked down for third-party use - so that meant that you could only use it to authenticate iTunes purchases and to unlock your device. However, Apple has confirmed that iOS8 will open up the Touch ID system to third parties.
• Apple's virtual keyboard has been one of the best efforts around, but recent years haven't been kind to it, as other efforts quickly caught up and then surpassed it. The first order of business was to allow third-party keyboard support, much like Android - allowing users to swap out an old keyboard for a new one. For those wanting to stick with Apple's default keyboard, the company swiped a big feature from Swype (heh), by introducing swiping gestures for the keyboard. It also cribbed a bit from Windows Phone, by bringing in multiple word suggestions instead of one autocorrected suggestion.
• Apple will be offering app previews for users, allowing them to try an application before committing to spending cash on it.
• Google Now marked a big step for smartphones, delivering contextual information throughout the day - such as traffic, directions, and recommendations. Cortana, coming to Windows Phone 8.1, handles things in a similar fashion too. Apple's Spotlight search tool handles this in a similar manner too, dishing out recommendations for nearby places, trending news, and iTunes recommendations.
• Apple has taken the mobile/desktop interactions even further, with two great features in tow. The first one is called Handoff, which essentially allows you to start a task on one device and complete it on another. The second is the ability to send and receive text messages on your Mac, via your iPhone. And you can even make and receive phone calls on your Mac as well, via your iPhone again.
• A new health gadget called Healthkit collects health-related information from supported sensors and gadgets - but it also has the option to contact a doctor in an emergency.
• Apple has also revealed what it calls Homekit, essentially a platform for creating smart home products. So for instance, this means that you can unlock your garage door, turn off the lights, and change the thermostat using your iPhone.
• Apple has stepped up to deliver fantastic sharing functionality in the form of its Family Sharing feature. In other words, up to six people can share music, videos, apps, and ebooks - with one person in control of everything. Aside from purchased media and apps, it's also possible to share a photo stream and calendar entries. But the best Family Sharing feature has to be the ability for kids to request purchases - being up to the parent to grant permission. That's right, no more surprise credit card transactions.
• It's now possible for users to utilise the specific functionality of one app in another - for instance, you can directly pin an image in your web browser to Pinterest. Or use a third-party photo filter in the camera app. It's not quite as comprehensive as Android's ability to open a file with any app, but it could be a much easier way to handle things if third parties take to it in a big way.
• Apple has also taken to creating interactive notifications - for instance, allowing you to respond to a Facebook message within the notification centre. It's nothing new, with BlackBerry 10 sporting this already, but it's definitely welcomed.
• iOS8 is also getting third-party widget support, but this will only be seen in the notification centre.

That's right, people, Apple really have it in for iPhone users later this year. There has been some great stuff going down over the past five months (including but not limited to the binge weekend of Jonah from Tonga last month and Pam Dawber's brief return to acting in the form of a guest role on the now-cancelled The Crazy Ones - if any of you losers at CBS are reading this, may you die a slow and painful death for what you did to that show) and I'm sure the good times will continue with the World Cup then the Commonwealth Games soon after.