During the tenure of Steve Jobs at Apple, WWDC events were kept relatively low key—or as low key as anything Apple does can be kept low key—but if the predictions about Apple products surrounding this year's conference are true, it would appear that Jobs' successor, Tim Cook, wants to amp up the spotlight on the showcase.

While operating systems don't generate the general buzz that hardware introductions do, the expected preview of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 6, could be an exception.

First, a major change in the software's map app is expected. Google Maps, long a mainstay of the OS, is expected to be by an Apple offering that will sport 3D technology developed for the defense industry and turn-by-turn navigation. That feature is offered by Google and incorporated into its mobile operating system, Android, but which Apple has chosen not to implement on prior versions of its iPhone line.

The move to won't surprise anyone that's been watching Apple acquisitions for the last three years. In 2009, it bought , which developed technology for enhancing maps with information from public and private databases.