Tag Archives: keynote

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

Live Blog: Apple iPads Event

apple-event-october-2014

We have reached the day where Apple is expected to announce a new line of iPad tablets, including a second-gen of the iPad Air, the iPad Mini 3 and hopefully an Apple TV media device.  Follow our LIVE feed and the latest news as it happens over here

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.

tablets

Apple Announces The iPad Air and IPad Mini 2

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It’s super Tuesday, and Apple had a few announcements to make. Again, it’s no surprise that the Cupertino company was planning to launch a new generation of its iPad tablets. The only question that remained was whether there will be a Retina Mini 2nd-Gen or not, and we’re glad to report the iPad Mini 2 will indeed receive a Retina display and an A7 chip. Although the new iteration will be in short supply at launch, be sure it will meet with a great demand. Apple has also released a thinner, and much lighter version of the 9.7-inch iPad. The fifth-generation delivered the biggest surprise of the evening and from now on is said to be called the iPad Air. Perhaps a sign that Apple is going to separate the lines, but we’ll see. 

iPad Mini 2

As expected, the iPad mini 2 will be released with the Retina display. The resolution in case you were wondering is 2048 x 1536 pixels on a relatively small 7.9-inch LED Backlit display. Too bad there is no substantial improvement in the rear camera department, the iPad Mini 2 will stay precisely with the same 5-megapixel iSight shooter on the back, while the front-facing camera will work with a new feature called FaceTime HD. The new iPad mini also gets Apple’s new 64-bit A7 chip that delivers up to 4 times faster performance on CPU, and 8 times faster in graphics. It comes with a 10-hour battery life and your choice of either Silver White or Space Grey colors. The iPad Mini 2 will be officially out this coming November starting at $399 (wifi) and up to $529 (cellular), with storage capacities range from 16Gb to 64GB. First iPad Mini price drops to $299.

iPad Air

First thing you’ll notice is that the iPad Air is CRAZY thin (about 20% thinner in profile). It measures only 0.75 mm thin and weighs just about 1 pound from head to toe. As expected, the new iPad Air features that same stunning 9.7-inch Retina display on board. Besides the fact it is thinner and lighter than previous iPad versions, it will also sport Apple’s A7 chip inside, as well as the new mysterious M7 motion co-processor (as seen on the iPhone 5s). Other features of the iPad Air include a 64-bit desktop architecture support with more than 1 billion transistors, a faster WiFi connectivity, improved backside illumination, dual mics, and two integrated cameras: a 5-megapixel iSight camera on the rear and a 1080p FaceTime camera up front. The battery is claimed to maintain a 10-hour battery life as well. The iPad Air will be available November 1, either in Space Gray or White hues, with prices to start at $499 for the Wifi-only version and $629 for the cellular one. 

Mind you, there’s no Fingerprint ID button on Apple’s next-gen iPads.

Apple has sold 170 million iPads since the tablet launched in early 2010. There are over 475,000 apps designed for iPad in the App Store

Here’s a link to the full video of Apple’s event: http://bit.ly/18Gd42s

[youtube id=”XOPZBbbF9bA”]

[Apple]

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.

 

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 →

tablets

Microsoft Unveils The Surface, a 10.6-inch Windows 8 Tablet

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Microsoft has just unveiled a Windows 8 tablet, called Surface. In a late night press conference from Los Angeles, CEO Steve Ballmer stunned the world when he officially announced that his company is making a brand new slate running an Intel i5 CPU on board and powered by the all-mighty NVIDIA ARM processor. The 9.3mm thick device that will come out sometime before the end of 2012, is said to include a 10.6-inch Gorilla Glass 2 HD display on top, along with two 2×2 MIMO antennas for better WiFi connectivity, 32GB or 64GB of storage at your choice, and a slew of common ports such as micro HDMI, microSD and USB 2.0. The surface is made from high-quality elements and coated with VaporMg magnesium materials. Such process and specs require great efforts to adapt, but nonetheless, the retail cost will continue to remain very attractive, says Ballmer, very similar to those other ARM tablet machines available in the market.

But that’s not all, ladies and gents… Let me direct your attention to additional stuff the Redmond team has recently introduced. Yes, there’s another tablet configuration out there, and if the first model was built to be compatible with the very basic Windows RT OS version, the latter – A Premium Device – is said to be strong enough to support Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 Pro. So what does it pack inside? First and foremost, an Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor, that is tucked with a bigger 42 W-h battery, either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, a similar batch of micro SD, micro HDMI and Mimo WiFi installations, and last but not least, the latest USB 3.0 ports. The 10.6-inch ClearType touchscreen is claimed to feature a higher 1080p resolution and the tablet itself will boast a dedicated pen with a special “Palm Block.” No word on price or availability yet, but we’ll keep you posted. In any case, they’ll be “on par with Ultrabook-class PCs” and out roughly 3 months after the Windows 8 official release.

Accessories wise, Microsoft has partnered with a group of aftermarket suppliers to develop both cover and keyboard accessories to the Surface line of tablets. Yesterday, the company has officially introduced two of those futuristic peripherals, Touch Cover and Type Cover. The first, is a 3mm thick cover made of Polartec materials, which hooks to the Surface with those Smart Cover-like magnetic attachments. No, that ain’t original but if it works, it works, right? Well, that’s your decision. Anyway, the Type Cover is the kind of things we’re used to seeing over the last couple of years. In general, we’re looking at a 5mm-thick keyboard docking station product that turns your tablet into a hybrid netbook/tablet machine. As simple as it seems.

[youtube id=”dpzu3HM2CIo”]

[youtube id=”PP6aTFgkNL4″]

[youtube id=”jozTK-MqEXQ”]

Second video by laptopmag

 

Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows

Microsoft-made hardware to be available starting with release of Windows 8 and Windows RT.

LOS ANGELES – June 18, 2012 – Today at an event in Hollywood, Microsoft unveiled Surface: PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows. Company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the feel of premium hardware in one exciting experience.

Advances in Industrial Design

Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company’s 30-year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:

Software takes center stage: Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio – the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.

VaporMg: The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.

Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg approach also enables a built-in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption – watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.

Touch Cover: The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.

An Amazing Windows Experience

Two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with a third-generation Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro. From the fast and fluid interface, to the ease of connecting you to the people, information and apps that users care about most, Surface will be a premium way to experience all that Windows has to offer. Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.

Contributing to an Expanded Ecosystem

One of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice that makes a customer’s Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.

Additional Product Information

Surface for Windows RT

OS: Windows RT

Light(1): 676 g

Thin(2): 9.3 mm

Clear: 10.6″ ClearType HD Display

Energized: 31.5 W-h

Connected: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae

Productive: Office ’15’ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover

Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand

Configurable: 32 GB, 64 GB

Surface for Windows 8 Pro

OS: Windows 8 Pro

Light(1): 903 g

Thin(2): 13.5 mm

Clear: 10.6″ ClearType Full HD Display

Energized: 42 W-h

Connected: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae

Productive: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block

Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand

Configurable: 64 GB, 128 GB

(1), (2). Actual size and weight of the device may vary due to configuration and manufacturing process.

Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC. OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT.

For more information about Surface, visit http://www.surface.com.

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 →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1 Tablets Now Official

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As promised earlier this month, Samsung has officially announced their two new Galaxy Tabs, with the expected 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch models in line. The new Honeycomb Tabs which herald Samsung’s entry into ultra-thin and ultra-light tablets market – both measure only .33-inches thick- will be available starting June 8 of this year, featuring a 1GHz dual-core processor on board, alongside WXGA 1280×800 HD displays, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and another at 3 megapixel on the back, 3.5mm headphone jacks, SIM card compartments, 802.11 b/g/n wifi connection, Bluetooth 2.1 and microSD card reader slots. Further more, both Sammy’s new devices are said to include gyroscope, accelerometer, a digital compass and an ambient light sensor, whereas the smaller version houses a 6000mAH battery pack and the bigger one boasts a 6860mAH cell under the hood. Remember, these are WiFi only flavors, though Samsung does plan to release 4G-enabled models later in the year to go. On the cost department, Samsung’s prices seem to finally be getting competitive and more affordable for the average consumer, as the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab is claimed to be offered at launch at $469 (16GB) and $569 (32GB), while the 10-incher Tab will set you back for $499 (16GB) and $599 (32GB) and not a single dime more. So there you go ladies and gentlemen, two revamped Galaxy Tabs on the stake and one PR announcement half past the break.

Update1: We’ve just added a few introduction videos of the Galaxy Tabs, courtesy of the Android Community fellows who recently had a chance to play with the new tablets.

Update2: And just in case you wanna get into the full spirit of the event, we’ve also added Samsung’s CTIA Wireless 2011 keynote after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1 Tablets Now Official →

Media Players, Music

New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display

One of the most interesting products that Apple has just rolled out at the Music event yesterday morning is the new iPod nano device which the company has completely revamped and transformed it into a nice squarish touchscreen player. Yes, the 6th generation iPod nano is actually equipped with a neat multi-touch user interface, while the body itself is now 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter than previous models. In addition to that, the Cupertino guys have also added couple of hard volume buttons on top and a tiny clip on the back (no more armbands needed). And despite the fact that Apple has officially ditched cool features like the integrated camera or video playback support, It would be still reasonable to shell out $149 for 8 gigs or $179  for double the storage in order to get yourself one, especially now when the new nanos boast a 24 hours battery pack, along with a pedometer, FM radio tuner and even Nike+ support. Full PR and a quick hands-on video (courtesy of Engadget) after the break.

Continue reading New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display →

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 →

Audio, Events, Media Players, Mobile, News, Phones, Video

Apple WWDC 2008 Event: Keynote Summary

Originally written on June 9th:

apple-wwdc-2008Apple WWDC 2008 event in San Francisco has answered our expectations with some major announcements from Steve Jobs, including the new iPhone 3G revelation. The keynote has introduced us as follows:

  • New iPhone games for $9.99.
  • New iPhone mashups.
  • New MobileMe syncing service.
  • iPhone 2.0 firmware available in early July.
  • iPhone 3G officially goes live on July 11th for $199 (8GB) or $299 (16GB), with a built-in GPS.

Again, rumors prove to be right and today they just get the official stamp from Apple. Lets view some of them in a nutshell:

Continue reading Apple WWDC 2008 Event: Keynote Summary →