Tag Archives: cupertino

Events, software

Everything Apple announced at the WWDC 2021 Keynote

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference officially kicked off with the main opening keynote event for WWDC 2021, featuring tons of new software updates we’ve been waiting for.

WWDC 2021 — June 7 | Apple

iOS 15

iOS 15 is packed with new features that help you connect with others, be more present and in the moment, explore the world, and use powerful intelligence to do more with iPhone than ever before.

Coming this fall

FaceTime

  • Spatial Audio coming
  • Voice isolation
  • Wide Spectrum
  • Portrait Mode
  • FaceTime links, including with Android and Windows users
  • SharePlay – Watch and listen together with friends, share screen and more

Notifications

Quickly catch up with a helpful collection of your notifications delivered daily, based on a schedule you set. The summary is intelligently ordered by priority, with the most relevant notifications at the top.

Live Text, Focus, Maps, Photos

Maps: Immersive walking instructions with step-by-step directions you can view in augmented reality.

Live Text: Live Text sophistically unlocks rich and useful information inside your images, so you can make a call, send an email, or look up directions with just a tap on the inserted text in a photo

Photos: Memories introduces a new interactive interface, along with new Memory mixes that let you personalize the look and feel of your story and include a song and vibe to match.

Focus: Focus helps you stay in the “zone” when you need to concentrate on something. Choose a Focus that allows only the notifications you want to show up — free of any distraction. You have aa choice to pick from a list of suggested Focus options or create your very own.

iPadOS

iPad enables you to do so much, so easily. iPadOS 15 takes this versatility further, making it easier to get things done, find and organize information, and make iPad even more capable.

Coming this fall

  • Multitasking – The iPad screen is great for working with multiple apps, taking your productivity to a whole new level. And now with iPadOS 15, multitasking is a lot more easier to discover, use, and view.
  • Widgets – Now you can place widgets alongside the Apple apps on your iPad, and  take full advantage of the iPad canvas.
  • App library – The App Library will automatically organize your apps into helpful categories like Productivity and Games, for quick access.
  • Notes – Notes goes system-wide with Quick Note, a fast and easy way to get to a note no matter what you’re doing. Add @mention, #tags and more.
  • Translate – The Translate app is now available on iPadOS. System-wide translation lets you translate text anywhere on your device.
  • Swift Playground – Swift Playgrounds brings a new level of productivity to iPad, and now its capabilities go even further. Learn code, build real apps with Swift UI, and see your ideas come to life on the App Store.

 

watchOS 8

watchOS 8 helps you stay connected, active, and healthy like never before. Share your favorite memories with the enhanced Photos app. Put more fun into your texts. Find new ways to center yourself and be present. And that’s just the start.

Coming this fall

  • Photos & Portrait watch face: Put your favorite photos of friends and family front and center in your watch face, to give the people you care about a lot more attention; now with a dynamic, multilayered effect.
  • Health – The Breathe feature has been refreshed with new graphics and visualizations alongside new tips that help you focus, center, and connect as you breathe.
  • Fitness – New guest trainer and Artist Spotlight

 

macOS Monterey

  • SharePlay – Keep FaceTime conversations going as you watch TV shows and movies, listen to music, or share your screen with SharePlay.
  • Shortcuts – Pre-built shortcuts to get the word done, faster
  • Safari – The new tab bar design takes up less space on the page and takes on the color of the site you’re on. More menu, enables you the access to powerful Safari features .
  • Universal control – A single keyboard and mouse or trackpad now work seamlessly between your Mac, iPad and other Apple devices. You can even drag and drop content from one Mac to the other device.
  • AirPlay to Mac – The power of AirPlay comes to Mac. You will be able to share, play, or present content from another Apple device to the big, screen. You can also mirror or extend your display to enhance productivity.
  • Shortcuts – Automate the things you do most often. Save time by turning something that would take multiple steps into just one.

 

 

 

 

Events, tablets

Apple Announces the iPad Air 2, Retina iPad Mini 3 With Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor

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Apple today has officially announced its latest and greatest version of the iPad tablet. The newly named iPad Air 2, which was tagged by Apple’s Phil Schiller as “the world’s thinnest tablet,” is only 6.1mm thick and about 18% thinner than the original iPad Air.

Apple says that it has sold 225 million iPads to date, and the next generation is likely to add a whole lot more to the inconceivable numbers which, by the way, are already bigger than the PC sales all together. Going back to the iPad air 2, that has the same 9.7-inch display form factor as previous models (2048 x 1536 pixel resolution), only with a new A8X processor, which Apple says is 40 percent faster, has about 3 billion transistors and bags about 2.5x faster graphics performance than the previous iPad Air.

The camera on the iPad air 2 is also getting an upgrade in the form of a 8-megapixel iSight shooter with 1.12 micron pixels, f2.4 aperture and a whole new image processor on board. You can basically take 43mp panorama images with it and shoot some beautiful timelapse footage as well as Slow Motion videos and more. In addition, Apple will offer some cool editing software like the Replay and the Pixelmator. Moreover, the new tablet includes the M8 coprocesor that will track your motion whenever you go, as well as a better battery life with up to 10 hour per day. Apple says the iPad Air 2 has faster data transfer rate on Wi-Fi thanks to the new 802.11AC with MIMO support. And finally, the latest addition – An integrated TouchID fingerprints sensor that will work exactly the same as it does on the iPhone.

Apple-Tim-Cook-iPad-Air-2

The iPad Air will be available in silver, space grey and gold flavor options in the following storage/pricing configurations: 16GB ($499), 64GB ($599) and 128GB ($699). The cellular/LTE version adds $130 to those prices. Apple is also reducing the prices of some of its previous lineups with the iPad mini, iPad mini 2 and iPad Air first generation to start at $249, and go up to $299 and $399, respectively. All of the new iPads will be shipping with iOS 8.1, while pre-orders to start tomorrow and the shipping to begin by the end of next week.

 

Apple-iPad-Mini-3-Tablet

Apple has also revealed the iPad Mini 3. The third generation of the 7.9-inch tablet appears to remain pretty much the same from the outside look with the single exception of a new Touch ID sensor. Yes, the smaller Retina tablet device will also be housing the Apple fingerprint ID security scanner on the bottom, along with a 5-megapixel iSight camera and with the same A7 processor inside. While a relatively modest upgrade, you cannot help but appreciate the company’s efforts to provide all the users with the latest and greatest technology available. The Mini 3 will come with your choice of silver, space gray, and gold color options with pre-orders starting tomorrow (and shipping next week), at $399 for the 16GB version, $499 for 64GB and $599 for 128GB.

Apple-iPad-Air-2-Tablet

Here’s the full video of the event: http://bit.ly/1vA9ROJ

General, tablets

The Apple Store Is Down

Appl-Store-Down

And here we go again..  the Apple store is officially down. You know how it goes in a day like this where the Cupertino giant is unveiling new iPads and possibly new Macs, OS X Yosemite and an Apple TV. The event itself is expected to take place at this time of the day around the world:

US: 10am PT / 1pm ET
UK / EU: 6pm UK / 7pm CET
INDIA: 11.30pm IST

You can watch the Live Feed in here: http://www.apple.com/live or simply follow our coverage over at @niron, or in our blogging area which will likely go up very soon.

Events, Hardware, tablets

CONFIRMED: Apple to Hold an Event on October 16

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Apple has started sending out invites for a media event on October 16, which will be held at the company’s Cupertino headquarters, and is widely thought to be the launch of the next-gen iPad Air as well as a new line of Macs. The invites suggest a colorful teaser with some cropped lines of the Apple Logo and the upper leaf alongside a simple line that vaguely says:  “It’s been way too long.”

What does it mean? It is yet to be determined, but besides the new hardware, the company is also expected to be launching its latest Mac OS X update, dubbed OS X Yosemite, and may also debut Apple Pay, its mobile payment solution for users.

As always, we will continue to update as much as it takes.

Mobile, Phones

Apple Announces New iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Smartphones

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Apple-iphone5s-iphone6-iphone6plus

CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple announced the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus on Tuesday. The 6 is the company’s flagship mobile device, coming in Silver and Space Gray colors at your choice plus a Gold just in case any of you are thrust into this luxurious phone. It has a ‘Touch ID’ fingerprint reader, same as the previous 5S series had, as well as Apple’s new A8 processor, which is 25% faster than last year’s models, capable delivering about 50 percent more energy efficient. That means 4 hours of 3G talk time for the 6 model, and 24 hours for the Plus; up to 10 days standby for the 6, and 16 for the Plus, about 11 hours of video for the 6, and 14 for the Plus. There’s also a new M8 co-processor to handle all motion data, and track your activity. Connectivity wise, we’re looking at an 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and 150 Mbps LTE network. Finally, the phones are also featuring an integration of short-range NFC and mobile payment technology.

While the a camera on both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will still capture 8-megapixel images as before, it now offers a more advanced iSight sensor and an f/2.2 aperture lens paired with the same True Tone flash, capable of catching up to 43-megapixel panoramic photos, plus stunning slow-motion videos with 240 frames per second.

Th screen on the iPhone 6 devices is as follows:

iPhone 6 — 4.7-inch display: 1334 × 750, 326 PPI
iPhone 6 Plus — 5.5-inch display: 1920 × 1080, 401 PPI

Some measures:

The iPhone 6 – 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 inches (138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm) and weighs 4.55 ounces (129g)

The iPhone 6 Plus – 6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28 inches (158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm) and weighs 6.07 ounces (172g).

Probably one of the most important improvements inside the new iPhone devices (besides the camera) is the A8 chip, a 64-bit SoC that’s 20% faster CPU, 50% faster graphics. It has 2 billion transistors, on a 20nm process, and It’s 13% smaller than the A7 — this is a truly amazing computer-power chip.

Apple-iphone-6-smartphone

Apple has also announced a bigger model, dubbed the iPhone 6 Plus, which is basically a similar version of the 6 only with a bigger screen display (5.5-inch 1080p Retina HD display) and a mildly little thicker body form (7.1mm vs. 6.9mm). It has an “Ion-strengthened glass,” up on the hood, paired with an IPS liquid crystals panel beneath, and an “anodized aluminum back” on the rear. The iPhone 6 Plus is available for pre-order from Apple on September 12th, and both will be available for shipping on September 19th.

Apple-iphone-6-iphone-6plus

As has been the case in previous keynotes, much of today’s announcement has already been leaked ahead of the event. Over the past few months, we’ve seen plenty of images and video footage of both the new iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 plus. And as it turns out most of the rumors were pretty spot on.

Apple-iphone-6plus-prices

The iPhone 6 lineup maintains the same price points (at least in the US) as before, with new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 to cost $199 (16GB), $299 (64) and $399 (128GB). While the new 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus to set you back for $299 (16GB), $399 (64GB) and $499  (128GB). Expect similar pricing in Canada. Apple also drops prices of the previous models as follows: iPhone 5S: $99, iPhone 5C: “free”

Hit the Play to watch the video

[youtube id=”RS5mzvqWM-c”]

Mobile

Rumor: Apple To Announce Next-Gen iPhone On September 10

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Over recent releases, Apple events have become a bit more predictable than in the past; the price of working with so many manufacturers, I suppose. Nevertheless, their products still raise a great deal of public interest whenever they surface in the press, around the world. Surely, the next few quarters may be somewhat more challenging for the Cupertino giant, and the outright anticipation for the main event is something that cannot be duplicated. 

So when is this happening, you are asking? Well, according to the guys over at AllThingsD Apple will be holding a media event on September 10, to, reportedly, announce the next-gen iphone, dubbed iPhone 5S. There’s a good chance the company will also unveil a low-budget device, known as the iphone 5C. What else? Reports suggest that Haswell MacBook Pros may be announced by Apple, as well as official release of the company’s iOS 7, and a global roll out of the Mac OS X, known as Mavericks. Stay tuned for a lot more to come.

 

tablets

Report: Apple is Working On a New iPad Mini Without Retina Display, But Things May Change Soon

apple-ipad-mini-tablet

Apple is reportedly experiencing some major issues fitting a Retina Display in the next generation of its iPad mini. While the latest report suggests that the Cupertino giant is testing a high-res retina screen from Samsung (due out in the fourth quarter of 2013), a hidden line within iOS 7 code leads us to believe that the company is working very hard on some new iPad Mini forms, known as the “2,8,” “2,9,” and “2,10” and as opposed to the current iPad “Minis” which are commonly represented by “2,5,” “2,6,” and “2,7” codes (as pointed by the good guys over at 9to5Mac).

In terms of specs, the three suggested devices will presumably include the same A6 chip, one can find inside of Apple’s iPhone 5 and fourth-generation iPad. In addition to that, there are clear references to a similar array of cellular technologies and the usual gear of the good old baseband platform. Another report, by NPD DisplaySearch, suggests that the new Mini lineup, which is rumored to be launching in the first quarter of 2014, will be featuring a slimmer design than the current generation but specification wise, there is no clear evidence for a complete internal makeover.

As part of the ongoing debate about whether the next iPad mini would include a Retina display or not, the latest version of the iOS 7 code (the fourth) is ever more distressing given the absence of the double-resolution images found on Apple’s most popular Retina devices. To put it simply, there is no Retina Mini for you, at least not now. 

Sure, lots of things could be wrong because in the real tech world there’s no such thing as absolute certainty. But the iOS code is a good source of information to learn about Apple’s most secret plans for the near and distant future. Whether there will be a Mini Retina or not, we’ll have to wait and see.

Media Players

Apple Introduces New iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle Media Players

At San Francisco California, Apple has just introduced a new line of iPod devices, including a powerful iPod Touch, a redesigned iPod Nano and a new version of the tiny iPod Shuffle.

iPod Touch:

The fifth-gen iPod touch player appears to be one of the most impressive products that has ever hit the market.

This new iteration boasts that same gorgeous4-inch display (326 ppi panel) the new iphone 5 packs, while the structure itself is nothing but amazing. Only 88 grams (3.1 ounces) of heft behind it and it just 6.1mm thin. As far as architecture goes, the new Touch will sport an A5 chip inside, that is guaranteed to give you roughly seven times the graphics performance (compared to Apple’s previous model).

The built-in battery was also upgraded. When fully charged, it seems to last at least 8 hours of video broadcast or 40 hours of music playback.

The rear camera has been bumped up to 5 megapixels, alongside a backside-illuminated sensor and an f/2.4 lens aperture. There’s also support for 1080p video playback / recording, in addition to the new and highly efficient image stabilization factor. The front facing camera of the Touch holds the 720p resolution.

We’ve also learned that the one strange silver button on the back of the Touch was added in order to hook up a safety lanyard onto the body. OK, whatever. Fortunately, there are some positive news for us software aficionados, as the new player said to support Siri personal assistant, out of the box, and claimed to be shipped along with Apple’s latest and greatest iOS 6 platform.

Finally, the iPod Touch will be offered in a variety of colors, including raw aluminum, black, blue, yellow,and red. We’re also told that the rest of the system’s configuration is pretty respectable, with the new ipod Touch models to run you $299 and $399, housing either 32GB and 64GB, respectively.

More about the new lineup after the break.

Update: Looks like Apple’s new iPod touch, shuffle and nano players just went up on Amazon, so you can place your orders right away, with shipping to start in about 2 – 5 weeks.

iPod Shuffle:

A new version of the iPod shuffle was also recently announced. And while most of the the changes to this new iPod flavor are basically minor, we still thought they’re worth a mention. Well, as a matter of fact there is only one major change, and if you haven’t guessed by now, we’re talking about the colors. The new iPod shuffle will come in eight different colors. That three additional hues from the latest line of shuffles.

iPod Nano:

Apple says it wanted to “reinvent” the nano lineup for quite some time now, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. The new iPod nano (seventh-gen if you’re counting), like the Shuffle, will come in seven different colors. But if the colors weren’t enough, Apple was looking to give it a large display, some nice controls, a thin design and that same small 8-pin lightning connector. The results are pretty impressive, to say the least. The new and entirely revamped nano device holds a few physical controls along the chassis, while the 2.5-inch screen, on top of the DAP, is the biggest display the company ever put in a nano, and it’s covered with a multitouch interface. Oh, and there’s a home button, can you believe it? And it’s widescreen too. That’s nice and all, but at the end it’s the inner parts of the product that make it so special, and in this case, there is a bluetooth connection for pairing wireless headsets or cellphones, along with an FM radio tuner and a fitness pedometer. The average battery life is rated at about 30 hours for audio, with the standard capacity to sell for $149 and 16GB of storage.

 

[Apple]

Mobile, Phones

Apple Announces The iPhone 5: 4-Inch Display, 8MP Camera, A6 Processor, LTE, Coming September 21

 

Today at Apple’s event the company announced the iPhone 5 which will be available for Pre Orders September 14th and goes on sale September 21th. As expected, all rumors confirmed this time, so no surprises at all. But before we get into the details, first some numbers from the Cupertino spreadsheet. According to Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, the company “sold more iPads than any PC manufacturer sold of their entire PC line.” And guys, we’re talking about 84 million pieces in here, where in the last quarter alone, Apple had already sold 17 million. That’s crazy!  As for the the iOS App Store, apparently it has just crossed the 700,000 apps, while 250,000 are iPad applications. Cook says that 400M iOS devices sold through June 2012, an incredible milestone for the CEO and the entire team.

Now that you know the numbers, let’s get to the juicy stuff. Apple’s Phil Schiller first words on stage were: “Today we’re introducing iPhone 5.” Of course you are, that’s what we’ve all been waiting for. But when the applause died down, we finally could get some info. So let’s break it down into specs:

The new iPhone 5 comes with a larger screen than previous versions, 4-inch at 1136 x 640 resolution (to be on the accurate side),  just as the mockups predicted. And yes, this is a 16:9 widescreen Retina panel we have inside, with 44% more color saturation, and full sRGB rendering support. And just to add another quote from Phil, “you see, we’re able to add a fifth row of icons.”

As for measures, the iphone 5 is only 7.6mm thick (about 18% thinner than the 4S ), and weighs 112 grams (which makes it 20% lighter).  Phil Schiller claims this is “the most beautiful product we have ever made.” And frankly speaking, it sounds too polished to live up to its competition. But hey, it is made completely out of glass and aluminum hardware.

 

Connectivity wise,  Apple is going to release the iPhone 5 with 4G LTE, supported by all three major U.S networks (Sprint, Verizon and AT&T). Other than that, there’s a dynamic “ultrafast wireless technology” under the lid, featuring the 5GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi support for a wireless experience up to 150 Mbps. Too bad there’s no NFC chip out of the box. Perhaps in iphone 6 (oh well). Yet, you can either choose between CDMA or GSM configuration, depends upon your mobile provider.

As it turns out, the rumors were true about that new A6 processor as well, which according to Apple is more energy efficient, 22% smaller, and two times faster in CPU and graphics performance.

The battery is one of Apple’s strongest components, in general, and the iPhone 5 is no different in that area.  The numbers tell the whole story: 8 hours on LTE, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of music, and 10 hours even when you wirelessly browsing.  Overall, you’re getting 225 hours at standby mode, which looks and sounds quite impressive!

Up next, are the camera shooters (called the iSight). Basically, we are looking at the same “things” we’ve been looking at before, in the previous model. In that regard, there’s a front-facing 720p webcam, alongside an 8-megapixel sensor on the back, shooting pictures at 3264×2248 with backside illumination, hybrid IR and an f/2.4 aperture. It definitely should be better, when you take everything into consideration. In fact, it is claimed to be 40%  faster when taking pictures. Not to mention the dynamic low light mode that is supposed to improve performance in low light conditions, and this uber cool Panorama mode, that will get you up to 28 megapixel of widescreen nature images. And then, there’s the 1080p video capturing element that comes native, as part of the deal.

So what else, you’re asking? There are three microphones in this monster, front, back, and bottom. While the new earpiece technology now includes noise canceling on your own audio out. And speaking about audio, Apple is now giving away a new set of earbuds, also known as the earpods. Apple’s guy said they’ve spent about 3 years in order to get to the new in-ear design, which ultimately gives you greater canal comfort . Interesting!

As for the cord, Apple has finally got rid of the good ‘ol 30 pin dock connector (not that we had any complaints about it), unveiling instead a newly designed 8-pin cable connector, dubbed the Lightning (a play on the Thunderbolt). This one is 80 percent smaller, in case you were wondering, but it will match your previous accessories with a $29 Lightning port adapter. Just another way for Apple to make some extra money on the side.

Then, there’s the iOS 6 on iPhone 5, which has over 200 new features, compared to iOS 5. Apple says it will go live Sep 19th, one week from today.

For those asking THE “how much do I have to spend” question, well, the short answer would probably be “same prices” no matter if you choose the black one or the white color. The long asnswer is the following:  $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB, $399 for 64 GB version, on a two-year contract. Regretfully, Apple discontinues the 3GS model, but keeps the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S as part of its lineup.

So yeah! This is pretty much it for now. You can jump on past the break, either read the full PR or take a look at the nifty videos below.

Update1: Prices of unlocked iPhone 5 mobile devices just showed up on Apple’s U.S online store. Here are your options: $649 (16GB), $749 (32GB) And $849 (64GB).

Update2: Apple has officially reported it sold over 2 million iphone 5 devices in the first 24 hours (long before the retail craziness begins). More than double the iPhone 4s opening weekend sales. A new record, for sure!

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple Announces The iPhone 5: 4-Inch Display, 8MP Camera, A6 Processor, LTE, Coming September 21 →

Mobile

Apple Announces New iPhone 4S: 8MP Camera, A5 Dual-Core Chip, Siri Intelligent Voice Assistant, Coming October 14

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apple-iphone4s-mobile

At the “Let’s Talk iPhone” event in Cupertino, Apple officially introduces its iPhone 4S, an upgrade to the iPhone 4 with the “S” mark stands for Speed (Or Super Man, your call). The 4S will run on HSDPA network (dual CDMA / GSM) and will launch on October 14 in the US (Canada, Australia, UK, France, Germany, and Japan), priced at $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB, while orders start October 7th.

The new iPhone 4S will sport a rear eight-megapixel camera  (capable of 3264-by-2448 pixel resolution) with a backlit sensor, a DSLR lens mount, and last but not least: 1080p HD recording. Besides that, it boasts 1GB RAM (vs. the 512mb on the iphone 4), a powerful dual-core A5 processor, a 7x times faster graphics integration and finally, and maybe a little disappointing, the same concept/design of the good ‘ol iphone 4.

What else inside, you’re asking? Well, it has that same stunning 3.5-inch Retina display up front, paired with the nice and fragile glass cover on the back, a built-in Wifi connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0 +A2DP, a battery that delivers impressive 8 hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of video playback and up to 40 hours in music mode.

Software wise, the iPhone 4S will run Apple’s latest and greatest iOS 5 platform which will be released, free of charge, on October 12th, along with other cool features such as AirPlay mirroring, Notifications center, Reminders, the iMessages, a Newsstand app, and the big daddy of them all – iCloude support. The 4S is also the first iDevice to run Siri, your personal intelligent voice assistant that lets you ask any question about weather forecast, directions, technological issues, restaurants recommendations and more – Compatible with English French and German languages in the Beta stage – Or set up calender meetings, voice-to-text messages, alarms, different kind of web searches/activities and many other options on board.

Apple also plans an 8 GB iPhone 4 that will be launched at the same day for $49.99(!), replacing the iPhone 3GS that will be offered for nothing but $0 at the entry level point.

Make sure you checkout the Official iPhone 4S/Siri introduction videos after the break, along with the full PR announcement and a comparison table between the new 4S device and its twin brother – iphone 4.

Update1: Whether it’s the Steve Jobs effect or the iphone 4S attraction, one thing’s for sure – the iphone 4S mobile device is already a hit. According to the latest news, the Cupertino giant has already received over 200,000 AT&T pre-orders in the first 12 hours of online availability (since October 7), which means the entire first iphone 4s U.S online stock is GONE and it would probably take one or two weeks of shipping for those who aim for a second round of orders. That’s crazy! To say the least.

Update2: And to be even more precised, Apple has just issued a new press release announcing even more staggering numbers – Over one million pre-orders for the iPhone 4S in 24 hours. Wow. Almost twice the previous single-day iphone 4 selling record of 600,000.  Full PR after the break.

 

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple Announces New iPhone 4S: 8MP Camera, A5 Dual-Core Chip, Siri Intelligent Voice Assistant, Coming October 14 →

Media Players, Mobile, News, Phones, Video

iPhone 4 Officially Announced, Due Out June 24th For $199 With 3.5-Inch Retina Display, FaceTime Video Chat And OS4

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Apple has just introduced its brand new iPhone 4 at the WWDC 2010 event in San Francisco, CA, with CEO Steve Jobs telling the open-eared crowd “Now, stop me if you’ve already seen this” and adding “This is one of the most beautiful designs you’ve ever seen.” But we’ve already seen it before, due to recent unpleasant leaks, and all that left is for Cupertino to finally make things official.

Basically, the new iPhone 4 is firmly constructed from a stainless steel band, used for structural support and works as dual-antenna, while both front and back are coated with real glass cover. The screen is sized at 3.5-inch, with 960 x 640 points of high resolution (x4 more) and 1:800 contrast ratio – Apple calls it “Retina Display” for its super-sharp display, boasting 326 pixels per inch. The good news is that Apple has apparently added that strong A4 processor it first planted inside the iPad, into the new iPhone. Despite its 9.3mm thick, Apple has somehow managed to stuff up the iPhone 4 with a pretty impressive battery which can literally deliver 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music, and up to 300 hours of standby – did we say impressive already? Connectivity wise, you get a 802.11n WiFi, paired with Bluetooth and equipped with GPS capabilities.

Beyond that, one of the things that is talked about a great deal  is the FaceTime video calls feature that Apple has finally tossed into the four-gen iPhone, with future plans to make it an open industry standard. In general, there are two different cameras onboard – the rear one, is at 5 megapixel with a backside illuminated sensor, x5 digital zoom, and a LED flash, featuring 720p HD video recording at 30FPS (Portrait or landscape), while the second is a front facing camera that lets you conduct smooth video calls through your iPhone – the suspense – it can only be made over wifi networks at the moment. At that note we should mention Apple’s new iMovie app that gives any iPhone user the opportunity to edit his/her video content without the need to leave your mobile device in favor of your desktop platform. iMovie is said to be available at the App Store right away for a small $4.99 price tag.

As expected, the new phone is going to run on Apple’s latest OS4 (AKA: iPhone OS 4) that includes all the good stuff we’ve already written about, such as folders, multi-tasking, iBook, iAds and more.

Other than that, the iPhone 4 also houses a microSD slot and a a three-axis gyroscope.

The new iPhone will be available in June 24th, both in white and black flavors, running for $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB), with Pre-orders start a week from tomorrow in 5 countries: US, France, Germany, UK, Japan, and 18 more following in July. The 3GS, on the other hand, will now be $99 only. PR and videos after the break.

[Apple]

Continue reading iPhone 4 Officially Announced, Due Out June 24th For $199 With 3.5-Inch Retina Display, FaceTime Video Chat And OS4 →

Events, Mobile, News, Operating Systems, Phones

iPhone OS 4 Announced, Adds Multitasking, In Apps Ads, Folders, and More To The iPhone

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The iPhone OS 4.0 event we’ve all been anxiously awaiting, just ended with Apple delivering some striking news to the world. But before getting to those shocking news we just heard, here’s some other details that might be worth considering: As of today Apple sold about 450,000 iPads throughout the States (along 50M iPhone devices), while users have downloaded about 600,000 books and over 3.5 million apps, thus far. The iPhone OS 4 which suppose to get official release this summer, is said to provide more than 1500 new APIs for developers, who can now actually download the fourth SDK Beta package from the iPhone Dev Center, and start shaping their magical crafts.

Moving the focus point over the main buffet, it’s all about the multitasking (Finally!). Yes, you’ve heard that right folks, Apple’s OS 4 is said to include multitasking (…and I’ll repeat myself again: ‘multitasking’). Of course it will work if you have an iPhone 3GS in your bag. Earlier devices, according to Jobs, amongst you’ll find “The iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2nd generation will run “many things”, but they will not get multitasking”.  In that note, Apple says it’d actually provide seven multitasking services including: background audio streaming like Pandora playing music all day long without the need to be stopped, Voice over IP apps like Skype taking calls even when you browse, background GPS and location apps, push and local notifications, task completion like Flickr image uploaded i background, and last but not least, fast app switching – all to be safely activated without the worry of battery draining.

Next in line is the new form of Folders, which aims to organize, and make sense out of the dispersed field of applications. With iPhone OS 4, users are said to be able to drag and drop apps onto one another to create folders, that from now on can hold up to 2160 apps instead of 180 apps you used to see over 11 pages.

Cupertino is also pushing forward today the Unified Inbox function, which gathers multiple email accounts (like MobileMe, Yahoo, Gmail, etc) into one single box, and thus eliminates the need to jump from one window to another. Apple has also enabled in this session the possibility of getting third-party email attachments straight into your phones – Yay, attachments are on!

iBooks gets to the iPhone OS 4 as well, with Apple taking advantage of recent iPad e-book galore.

Gaming Center. Another big news, especially for the gamer geeks between us. With Apple, building a social iPhone gaming network, which basically allows you to challenge your friends, compare achievements, leaderboards, match making  and more. In other words, it’s like the Xbox Live, but for the iPhones.

iAds. Suddenly everything that starts with the letter “i” is an Apple related product, eh? But seriously now, it was Steve Jobs who was quoted saying that free apps “Developers need to find a way to start making their money”… so far so good, but how? Apparently, Apple will sell interactive in-apps mobile ads, that everyone can create, not only ad agencies but also iPhone app developers that will split revenues with Apple (60/40) in exchange for selling and hosting their ads. Apple is said to use HTML 5 format to create those ads – interesting!

More coming up  features to include: Home screen wallpaper installation, Bluetooth keyboard support, 5x digital zoom, Spell check like in iPads, Playlist creation, Map overlays, Video playback and capture, and more.

So this is it guys, it’s huge and in some parts very surprising. A short multi-tasking OS 4 hands-on video is just after the break and you can also watch the full iPhone OS 4 keynote event on video on Apple’s website right here.

Update: Full PR announcement after the break.

Continue reading iPhone OS 4 Announced, Adds Multitasking, In Apps Ads, Folders, and More To The iPhone →

Computers, News

Apple’s iPad To Make Official Debut On April 3rd (Update: Now Available For Pre-Order)

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Now it’s official, the tablet everyone’s been waiting for is due out on April 3rd with Apple to start taking non-3G iPad pre-orders a week from now, on March 12th. The official announcement, which was fully added after the break, states that slate fanboys from countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK will get the option to shell out their cash and buy one (3G or non-3G model) at the same exact US date of release, in the first week of the fourth month, with prices starting at $499 for a 16GB WiFi enabled iPad, and up to $829 if you’re out for the 64GB with WiFi and 3G flavors. Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs says: “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before”, and we say “Bring it on baby!”

Update1: It’s here! Apple’s latest and greatest tablet, AKA iPad, is now available for pre-order. Shipping date is due to April 3, as mentioned, and customers will be limited up to 2 devices each. Happy raid!

Update2: First stock of Apple’s iPad devices is SOLD OUT! and it’s not that we’re surprised, but just in case you wanted to get one and missed the train, then April 12th, a little over a week, is your next chance to jump to your close station.

Update3: Don’t color us surprise here fellows, we weren’t falling out of our chairs when first heard the iSuppli team, who thoroughly broke down the 16GB iPad components into pieces, decisively claiming a grand total of $259.60 net worth – almost half the price charged by Apple in stores (which stands at $499). Now, it wouldn’t be fair to go and look at things this way, without including R&D plus overhead expenses, would it? In any case, we still think that people should know exactly what they’re paying for, either it’s a $95 screen, or $26.80 for the 1GHz A4 processor.

Continue reading Apple’s iPad To Make Official Debut On April 3rd (Update: Now Available For Pre-Order) →

Applications, Games, Mobile, Phones

21 Amazingly Free iPhone and iPod Touch Games

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Mobile gaming is still in primeval stages – that’s unquestionable – but the foreseeable future is likely to be promising. In a rapidly growing market with over 20,000 iPhone and iPod Touch games available on Apple’s App Store, it’s not that hard guessing this is just a matter of time until portable games will start dominating our very own smartphones while overpowering desktop platforms. Especially now, when Cupertino teams up with more developing companies and Redmond that finally joins the party with Windows Phone 7 Series which suppose to integrate Xbox Live architecture in Microsoft’s coming machines. Still, it would probably take some time until substantial changes will eventually become real  – a year or two in our humble opinion. Anyway, ’till then, if you already play games on iPhones or iPod touch players, but  feel short in cash to start funding all those neat apps that show up in big numbers, every day and after, here’s a list of twenty one games, free of charge, for you to download. Please feel free to add your favorite “cost-nothing” apps, down in the commenting section.

Continue reading 21 Amazingly Free iPhone and iPod Touch Games →

Games, Mobile, News, Phones, Video

iPhone 3GS VS Nexus One, Who Has The Best Video 3D Rates?

Are you eager to replace your old crappy mobile device with a brand new multi-touch compatible smartphone? If you do, and already considered buying either Apple’s iPhone 3GS or Google’s Nexus one, then get this – according to a 3D frame rate video test initiated by the guys at Distinctive Developments, it appears that Cupertino’s iPhone device achieved better results than Mountain View’s latest mobile hit. The test, which included a series of finger pinching gestures, has indicated that iPhone 3GS received an average of 30 frame rates per second, while Nexus one has managed to get only 20-21 rates for that same video segment. The reason for that gap between the two is due to the lack of use of Neon floating-point optimization in the Nexus One. You can see it for yourself right after the break, in hope that someone in Google would take things into consideration and make the essential changes.

Update: It was brought to our attention that Nexus One supports a 800 x 480 screen resolution which is bigger than iPhone’s 480×320. However, in their test DD guys actually changed the Nexus One viewport size to match the iPhone’s 480×320, and by doing that they received a frame-rate improvement from 30fps to 40fps. Still, with 8 characters on screen there was no difference; with the frame-rate remaining the same at 21fps.

[via phonesreview]

Continue reading iPhone 3GS VS Nexus One, Who Has The Best Video 3D Rates? →

Computers, News

iTablet Gets Released In The UK, Packs Everything The iPad Doesn’t Have

Now that Apple’s iPad has finally turned official and gone into mass production, it seems just a matter of time until new tablet machines would rise and shine in geeks world and closely watched in months to come. And one UK company that didn’t wait long (’till Apple’s newcomer goes live)  and recently taken wraps off its latest greatest pride, the iTablet, is X2 Computing that offers a 10.2-inch widescreen TFT or 12.1-inch widescreen XGA – both touchscreens at 1024 x 768 resolution – due to start shipping with Windows or Linux OS in April 2010, for an undetermined price. Basically, these iTablets pack most things we wanted to see in Cupertino’s iPad but couldn’t find, like three USB ports, optional HDMI output, 1.3-megapixel webcam, multi-tasking and out-of-the-box integrated flash support. Besides that you suppose to see other included specs like Intel’s 1.6GHz processor, paired with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G connection, white, grey, pink, blue, red, yellow or black flavors and up to 250GB of storage onboard. Stay tuned for more.

Update: Word on the street says that both versions are sized at 35mm thick, which explains the big storage capacity offered, but sounds bulky, in our opinion. This way or another we’ll have to wait and see.

[via Pocket Lint]

Audio, Media Players, Video

iPod Nano 5th-Gen Player Announced, Video Camera, FM Radio And Bigger Screen On The Stake

Apple’s Rock n’ Roll event just went down with Steve Jobs up on stage again, this time suggesting a new colorful iPod nano lineup, available today at the online store, delivering two different storage capacities, 8GB ($149) and 16GB ( $179), to choose from. Other than that, the fifth-generation nano is now offering some neat improvements, with Cupertino unveiling a small video camera, integrated at the back of each player, allowing live video shooting in 640 x 480 video capture resolution at H.264 format, which gets up to 30fps capabilities and including 15 real-time special effects, such as Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, 2.2Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur and many others. Additionally, you get a bigger 2.2-inch 376 x 240 display, holding an FM tuner that has Live Pause feature underneath, sitting along with iTunes Tagging support, a pedometer element, built in speaker / microphone  and a voice over trait – all packed into a small sized 3.6 x 1.5 x 0.24-inches body frame that holds a battery which literally plays up to 24 hours of audio and 5 hours of video. Stay tuned for more to come.

Update1: Turns out the new nano camera can only handle video footage without stills. Nonetheless, it still looks pretty amazing, so hit the break and checkout the video walkthrough right away.

Update2: Hey, we know you’re all excited to take a peek at those sexy inner parts of the new nano video cam player. And as we speak, the guys from iFixit were rapidly nabbing a nice blue fifth-gen nano device, tearing it apart and showing its bowels wide. Hit the jump to watch from close, or click the link to look at the entire process done.

[Apple]

Continue reading iPod Nano 5th-Gen Player Announced, Video Camera, FM Radio And Bigger Screen On The Stake →

Media Players, News

Apple To Significantly Cut Prices Of iPod Touch, Nano And Classic PMPs (Update: iPod Touch 3G Included)

With one more hour to go before announcing some new players, Apple is now reported to quietly slash down iPod Touch, Nano and Classic iPod prices on Cupertino’s on-line store, as follows:  iPod Touch – Apparently, the 8GB model is now priced at $189 (instead of $229), while 16GB version now stands at $249 (instead of $299), and the 32GB flavor is merely $279 (was $399 before). iPod Nano – The 8GB model will now set you back for $129 (instead of $149), as the 16GB Nano is now offered for only $149 (instead of previous $199). iPod Classic – Gets the competitive price of $229 instead of $249.

Update1: Turns out a new whopping 64GB iPod Touch version is now up and available for $399.

Update2: Looks like the $249 iPod Classic player is now being offered in 160GB storage. That’s extra 40GB to its predecessor.

Update3: So it seems a new iPod Touch 3G is out after all, but regretfully without a camera inside. Prices remain the same but the UI looks a little snappier than previous gen. Surprisingly, the guys at iFixit have managed to find a potential spot for a video camera, that Apple has probably allocated in the top of the device. That said, Steve Jobs already made it clear that Apple won’t integrate any footage features at this point. Stay tuned.

Update4: The guys at engadget have thrown themselves all over the “new” iPod Touch 3G, moments before it goes live. Hit the jump to take a look.

iPods-september-nine-pricecuts

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple To Significantly Cut Prices Of iPod Touch, Nano And Classic PMPs (Update: iPod Touch 3G Included) →

Mobile, Operating Systems, Phones

iPhone OS 3.0.1 Update Is Officially Available For Downloading, Solves SMS Hacking Issues

Apple has finally released iPhone OS 3.0.1, to handle those SMS vulnerability problems that allowed evil backdoor malwares to penetrate your machines and viciously attack them – Now it won’t happen, thanks to the new patch Cupertino has delivered. The new iPhone OS 3.0.1 update is up and available for downloading via your iTunes, sized at 280MB, so hit the app and get it now.

Update: Here’s what Apple’s speaker, Tom Neumayr, had to say about the issue:

“We appreciate the information provided to us about SMS vulnerabilities which affect several mobile phone platforms. This morning, less than 24 hours after a demonstration of this exploit, we’ve issued a free software update that eliminates the vulnerability from the iPhone. Contrary to what’s been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit.”

iphone-os-301

Applications, Mobile, Phones

iPhone OS 3.0 Is Officially Up For Downloading

As planned, Apple has officially released iPhone OS 3.0, to be available in your iTunes application right now. If you don’t see it, juct click the updates button and make sure you’re running version 8.2. Apparently, OS 3.0 weights 230 MB, and with thousands of people concurrently downloading the update, it might take longer than expected.  Needless to say, the upgrade is free in case you’re holding iPhone or iPhone 3G devices, and will be part of the iPhone 3GS version the moment it gets live tommorow. However, iPod touch owners will have to shell out $9.95 to download this one. Stay tuned for updates.

Update: You can download the latest iPhone OS 3.0 directly from here.

iphone-os3-update

[Apple]

Accessories, Applications, Audio, Events, Games, Hardware, Media Players, Mobile, Music, News, Operating Systems, Phones, Video

Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 To Have MMS Messaging, Copy And Paste, P2P Connectivity And a Lot More (Now: Jailbreak)

Apple’s OS 3.0 preview event in Cupertino, California was just ended with some interesting announcements concerning hardware accessories, firmware tweaks, App Store business model improvements and some new games/software developments – answering most of our long lasting expectations. Although it was more of a conference, targeting third party developers, some of the news are all about iPhone’s consumers usability. That includes:

  • Copy & Paste capabilities.
  • MMS messaging support.
  • Forward and delete for multiple messages.
  • Peer-to-peer connectivity over Bluetooth for gaming and info exchange.
  • A2DP stereo Bluetooth add-on
  • Voice Memos.
  • A new home screen page with Spotlight feature, allowing universal search on the phone (like Palm’s Pre).
  • Shake To Shuffle function.
  • Landscape keyboard, available in Mail, Notes and SMS.

First event without Steve Jobs around, and everyone in Apple talks about a complete return to CEO position somewhere around June 2009. But illness matters aside, we’ve learned that the company craves for extra revenues, specially from third-party applications. That is why developers will be able to include subscription fee inside paid apps, together with optional paid content that can be purchased directly from the app itself (like T-shirts and other stuff). Developers will also be able to build apps combined with Google Maps or connect with hardware accessories, such as computer speakers, keyboard and even a blood pressure monitor, through their applications. The new package will include 1,000 new APIs, allowing push notifications (at last), in-game voice use and built-in tethering functionality, that will hopefully work in the future. Other than that, users will get auto WiFi login around hotspots, full parental controls over TV shows/App Store apps and even Bluetooth functionality, in case you’re a 2G iPod touch owners.

OS 3.0 Beta version for developers is now available in here. The other 3.0 firmware update for consumers will be launched in the summer, free of charge. Those who hold iPod Touch devices in their hands will have to pay the usual annoying fee (which stands at $9.95), to get the new version.

Update1: checkout the video after the break.

Update2: iPhone OS 3.0 beta 2 was just released (for developers) and looks like we’re about to get the opportunity to use up to 11 home screens instead of the 9 screens limit on the current one. Additionally, Apple will finally add the push notifications feature in the upcoming version, so here’s a good reason to look forward for something.

Update3: You’ve guessed it right, the guys at QuickPwn have just kicked in with their latest release, which jailbreaks Apple’s OS 3.0 for free use. As always – at your risk – just to the following link, as download is available in here.

Update4: Looks like you’ll also get Voice Control (which stands for voice dialing), together with some other goodies like video recording, auto-focus camera, a compass and a digital battery indicator.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 To Have MMS Messaging, Copy And Paste, P2P Connectivity And a Lot More (Now: Jailbreak) →

Audio, Communication, Internet, Mobile, Music, Phones

iTunes DRM-Free Songs Available In May For $1.29

Good news from Cupertino, as apple announces that EMI Music’s digital catalog (and some other major labels like Virgin, Sony BMG, American Recording) will be available for purchase DRM-free from the iTunes Store in May. The tracks will be offered at higher quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for just $1.29 per song with an option for second tier songs for only $0.69. The meaning is that you will be able to transfer your non-protected songs to other computers freely, as we are talking about 8 million DRM-Free songs to be available for a purchase from now on. Additionaly, iTunes users, will be able to upgrade their entire previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free versions for just 30 cents ($0.30) a song. The rest of the songs will be offered in the same versions as today, 128 kbps AAC encoding with DRM at the same price of 99 cents ($0.99) per song. If that’s not enough, Apple has also announced that music store downloads are available over 3G connectivity (without the need for a WiFi around)with the same price and sound quality, which means your new iPhone is capable of downloading iTunes tracks directly – Kudos !

[Apple]

Computers, Events, News, Video

MacBook 2008: Apple Announces New MacBook And MacBook Pro With Glass Multitouch Trackpad

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MacBook 2008 event at Cupertino is over, and we get 4 major announcements from Apple, as follows:

  • New MacBook laptop.
  • New MacBook Pro laptop.
  • New boosted MacBook Air laptop.
  • New 24-inch Cinema Display.

It’s not that we were totally surprised from today’s new announcements. After all, there’s always a strange commotion, preceding Apple’s events, feeding us with rumors, and anonymous tipsters who emerge from the dark with some hidden images. Luckily, this time wasn’t different from others, as we were able to catch up with all the tidbits and leaked pictures, during those recent weeks. Hit the jump to read more about Apple’s novelties in a nutshell.

Continue reading MacBook 2008: Apple Announces New MacBook And MacBook Pro With Glass Multitouch Trackpad →

Applications, Events, News, Phones

Apple iPhone SDK Event: Keynote Summary

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iphone-sdk
Apple’s iPhone roadmap SDK event at “Town Hall” in Cupertino has answered our expectations with 7 major announcements from El Stivo. The keynote has introduced us as follows:

  • Apple announces iPhone SDK package.
  • iPhone gets multi-touch games.
  • iPhone receives AIM services.
  • Apple enables VOIP over WiFi.
  • iPhone gets native Exchange support, including push E-mail, calendars, and ActiveSync.
  • iPhone SDK available for free from today, requires $99 developers membership.
  • iPhone firmware update version 2.0 hits in June.

It’s not that we were strangers to most of today’s new announcements, on the contrary, we’ve been craving for them since the day the iPhone was launched, and finally they are here. Lets view some of them in a nutshell:

Apple’s iPhone SDK

For months we’ve been hearing tons of speculations about it, but today, we finally get a chance to look at Apple’s long-awaited iPhone SDK pack and stand on this exciting developer kit essence. Based on OS X Xcode source code, Cupertino will provide iPhone developers the same API and developing tools, used by Apple, including Cocoa Touch app framework, 3-axis accelerometer, access to an interface builder – providing drag n’ drop structuring of the GUI and automated power management, location enabled app, 3D graphics accelerators, full access to media capabilities and to the iPhone simulator, in order to experiment and run the developing application on OS X.

Continue reading Apple iPhone SDK Event: Keynote Summary →