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  • Ed
    Apple broke a company record last Friday when it took one million pre-orders for its new iPhone 4S.
     
    Demand for the company's latest smartphone has once again outstripped supply, with lead times being pushed back to "1-2 weeks". This is great news for Apple, who have been receiving a lot of criticism across the net for the lack of changes to the new phone, which largely remains unchanged since the iPhone 4's debut last summer.
     
    On top of the pre-orders, there'll also be the surge of customers purchasing from retail stores, be it the Apple retail store or from carrier stores like AT&T, O2, etc. The iPhone 4S officially launches for sale this Friday, 14th of October.
     
    Further good news for Apple came in the form of speed results for the iPhone 4S compared to last years iPhone 4 and current competing Android models.
     
    Head on over to AnAndTech for the full lowdown on the speed tests on the iPhone 4S, but overall it's looking very promising for what appeared to be a bit of a stumbling launch for Apple.
  • Ed

    Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

    By Ed, in OSx86,

    I'm very sad to be writing up a blog post about Steve Jobs' passing away yesterday, and it seems a bit odd that it's upsetting when it's a guy I didn't know personally, who was simply an entrepreneur producing products to sell to us.
     
    But it's a lot more than that. I think Mac fans have a connection with Steve because he wasn't just another guy who started a company and sold products. Steve Jobs started a company that brought us the Mac, subsequently got thrown out of his own company, and then got brought back in years later, and went on to produce a string of hit products, turning Apple around from being on the brink of bankruptcy to now being the largest tech company in the world (by market cap).
     
    He re-invented products and even whole industries. The original Mac with the mouse and GUI, and the multi-coloured iMac. The iTunes Music Store, which changed the way we consume music, and the iPod that changed the way we listen to music. And the iPhone, which re-defined the smartphone, combined with the App Store and its development platform.
     

     
    For those of us that were using Macs back in the 90's when Apple was going through regular CEO changes, Steve Jobs' death is particularly saddening. I remember a time when Apple had about a dozen different product lines, from the PowerBook 3400, to the Performa 5400, to the PowerMac 8600 and 9600's... hugely expensive, very little choice of games, and if anything was available it wouldn't be cheap (I remember buying SIM City 2000 for �30 from MacGold!). Yet the Mac OS, even at version 7, was still far slicker and easier to use than Windows, and that's what kept Apple's customers loyal. It was a technical operating system that was friendly and easy to use for non-techies: you could guess how to do something and 99% of the time your guess would be right.
     
    Upon being appointed Interim CEO (or iCEO) in 1997 after Apple bought his company NeXT, Steve immediately started work on refining Apple's product line and making products that customers really wanted, starting with the iMac, which brought British designer Jonathan Ive to prominence.
     
    The iMac was almost as big a revolution as when the original Macintosh launched in 1984, with its striking, colourful plastic casing, all-in-one design like the first Mac, and relatively aggressive price-point of $1,299 (�999 here in the UK). It was designed to be a machine that would bring the Internet to the masses, the "i" in iMac standing for "Internet". It featured a G3 processor, which was previously only available in very expensive, professional-line PowerMacs, and dropped legacy technologies like the floppy drive, ADB and SCSI in favour of USB; a very controversial move.
     
    However, the iMac was an instant hit and lived on to see many revisions and improvements, most notably the fruit-coloured variants, which eventually led to my Mum getting a pink iMac, bless. And so began the coloured plastic revolution, with Apple releasing other products in its range with same distinctive look, from the blue & white PowerMac G3, to the cult-classic but commercial-failure that is the G4 Cube, and the original iBook.
     
    It was at this time that Apple's following grew stronger, with thousands of us tuning in to Steve Jobs' keynotes to see what Apple would launch next, which would happen like clockwork in January and July at the Macworld events. Steve's charisma on stage and the way he could build up tension and then passionately announce something that would wow the crowd was unmatched by any other CEO. His trademark "one more thing" was his key phrase that he'd deliberately leave til the end of his keynotes to announce the most major product - playful, yet now legendary. I really wish I'd tuned into more of his keynotes now!
     
    Even when Steve was announcing things that were a bit duff, or when he had to backtrack like when he promised 3GHz G5s by a certain timeframe but then couldn't deliver the goods, he had this way about him of talking around it and making things seem not so bad; often referred to as Steve's RDF, or "Reality Distortion Field".
     
    The iPod, which he first announced and launched in 2001, eventually went on to be the product that would catapult Apple firmly back into the playing field, with its third revision seeing it gain mainstream traction, and eventually led to Apple launching the iTunes Music Store; the largest online music store in the world. It took Steve's charm and negotiation skills to win over all the major music companies to get on board, a feat that no other company had previously been successful with.
     
    And this brings us to today, where Apple is now sitting firmly at the top with the iPhone and iPad under its belt, products which have made the company a fortune and propelled Steve Jobs from obscurity to international fame and recognition. It's a hell of a story, and incredible to think what Steve Jobs has achieved in just 14 years after his return to Apple. And that's without touching on the fact he bought Pixar before it was even Pixar and turned it into a billion dollar company too, but that's another story!
     
    Steve Jobs will be sorely missed, and although I don't doubt that Apple will continue to go from strength to strength, I have a feeling it won't be quite the same without Steve at the helm.
     
    RIP Steve Jobs.
     
    What are your thoughts and feelings around Steve Jobs? Any fond memories of Apple during Steve's tenure as CEO? Let us know in the comments below.
  • Ed

    iPhone 4S announced, no iPhone 5

    By Ed, in OSx86,

    Possibly the most hotly anticipated iPhone announcement ever, 16 months since the announcement of the iPhone 4 in 2010, Apple has finally announced its successor: the iPhone 4S.
     
    To the surprise of many, no re-designed or visually improved iPhone 5 materialised, and instead the iPhone 4 has been updated and improved with:
    A5 processor (same as in the iPad 2)
    8 megapixel camera
    GSM & CDMA in one unit
    Voice recognition through Siri

     
     
    Arguably Apple is now trailing it's Android counterparts, and potentially won't be releasing another phone for a year now, giving Apple's competitors plenty of time to steal some ground from the market leader. Features currently enjoyed by Android users include:
    Larger screens
    NFC (for contactless payments)
    Thinner handsets
    microSD expansion
    Dolby Mobile virtual surround sound

     
     
    The iPhone 4S will be available to pre-order from this Friday, October 7th, and will be available in black or white and at capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The iPhone 4 will remain in the line-up but at an 8GB capacity. The iPhone 3GS will also be available as a budget option, offered free with a contract.
     
    What do you think of Apple's iPhone 4S? Will you be upgrading or migrating to Android?
  • Ed
    Ahead of tomorrow's media event where Apple's invited us to talk iPhone for what is inevitably going to be a new iPhone announcement alongside iOS 5, it's now come to light that Apple's iTunes beta released on Friday contains references to an "iPhone 4S".
     
    The screenshot below courtesy of AppleInsider shows references to the iPhone 4S from the iTunes beta's info.plist file.
     
    Furthermore, Vodafone in Germany has leaked details on their website of the different configurations of the iPhone 4S, including capacities up to 64GB!
     
    While it's been speculated that Apple may release an all-new iPhone 5 alongside an updated but entry-level iPhone 4S based on the current iPhone 4, the rumormill is now concerned that with a reference to an iPhone 4S only, and no reference to an iPhone 5, could there be nothing more to come from Apple?
     
    Further reports are coming in that Apple intends to keep the iPhone 3GS in the line-up, which would further support that there may be no "iPhone 5", as it's unlikely Apple will have 3+ different models of iPhone at one time, especially with their philosophy of having minimal product lines.
     
    This hasn't stopped the rumormill continue buzzing about the possibility of an iPhone 5, and even musician T-Pain is getting in on the hype by having a futuristic translucent iPhone-like phone in his music video!
     
    There's now less than 24 hours before we find out for sure!
  • Ed
    Apple has just invited members of the press to an exclusive event on the 4th of October to "talk iPhone" - it's widely expected that Apple will announce a new iPhone as well as the release of the new iOS 5 software.
     
    Details on the new iPhone (or iPhones) have been scarce, the only new features that do seem to be certain are the adoption of the A5 processor that's currently used in the iPad 2, and a beefier 8 megapixel rear-facing camera.
     
    Aside from that, it's also rumoured that there may be not only an iPhone 5 with a uni-body aluminium casing, but also an updated iPhone 4 dubbed the 'iPhone 4S' as an entry-level model to replace the existing iPhone 3GS. This new low-end iPhone 4S would be largely similar to the current iPhone 4 but at an entry-level price point.
     
    Release and shipping of the new iPhone(s) is expected to commence in the 2nd week of October.
  • Ed
    Apple is reportedly planning to release the GM (golden master) of its iOS 5 mobile operating system to its overseas assemblers somewhere between the 23rd and 30th of September, according to AppleInsider
     
    The recently leaked info comes just weeks ahead of an expected announcement and launch of the next generation iPhone, widely anticipated to be coming in early- to mid-October.
     
    iOS 5 will be a major upgrade for the iOS, featuring an all-new, Android-like notifications system, sync'ing over Wi-Fi and will be compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and all iPads, and so far has been publicly promised by Apple to be released "this fall".
     
    Personally, I'm very excited for this new version of the iOS, especially as my iPhone 2G is on its last legs and still stuck on iOS 3!
  • Alessandro17
    PRESS RELEASE: Letter from Steve Jobs
     
    August 24, 2011-To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
     
    I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
     
    I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
     
    As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
     
    I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
     
    I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
     
    ***
     
    What can we expect now from Tim Cook? Very much of the same or some relevant changes in Apple policies? Let's discuss it.
     

  • Ed
    Apple has today released the first update to Mac OS X Lion, featuring improved reliability, audio-out fixes, and more.
     
    Available through the Software Update app, the changes according to Apple are:


    Addresses an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when playing a video in Safari
    Resolves an issue that may cause system audio to stop working when using HDMI or optical audio out
    Improves the reliability of Wi-Fi connections
    Resolves an issue that prevents transfer of your data, settings, and compatible applications to a new Mac running OS X Lion
    For users of Apple's latest MacBook Airs and Mac minis, addition fixes in 10.7.1 are:


    Resolves an issue where MacBook Air may boot up when MagSafe Adapter is attached
    Resolves an issue causing intermittent display flickering on MacBook Air
    Resolves an issue that causes the SD card slot in Mac mini to run at reduced speed with SD and SDHC media
    Let us know how this update performs for you, or if it causes you any issues.
  • Ed
    Apple has released Mac OS X Lion as a physical product to purchase, albeit in the form of a USB thumb drive instead of a DVD as it has historically done before.
     
    Mac OS X Lion is the first Operating System from Apple to be released initially as a download-only upgrade, but has now taken the step of making it physically available for purchase and delivery through its online Apple Store at a retail price of $69, compared to just $29 for the digital download from the Mac App Store.
     
    The thumb drive does still require Mac OS X Snow Leopard to be installed on the host Mac, so it's safe to assume you probably can't boot from this thumb drive. It should also be noticed that you can't restore Mac OS X Lion from over the Internet if you need to later on down the line, you'll have to restore from the thumb drive.
  • Ed
    The Apple rumormill is buzzing with reports of Apple looking to a launch a range of HDTVs in March of next year.
     
    Apple's currently on its 2nd generation of Apple TV peripheral boxes which allow users to stream their multimedia content from their iTunes libraries onto their TV/AV setups. An HDTV would be the next logical step for Apple to take as competitors now vie to conquer the living room with network-enabled TVs.
     
    It's been reported that Apple are taking cues from Bose's recently released VideoWave system, which is a 46" LCD TV featuring built-in virtual surround speakers (16 speakers in total) and comes with a media unit and iPod dock. The key point is to simplify home cinema and target those that don't want to mess about with AV separates and hooking up 6 speakers for surround sound. This is obviously a leaf right out of Apple's book, and it would seem that they're likely to follow Bose's lead, although it's reported that Apple's HDTV will have just one cable, presumably the power cable.
     
    Bose has previously worked closely with Apple before, having produced the speakers and separate subwoofer for the Twentieth Anniversary Mac back in 1997.
     
    Rumors currently state that the Apple HDTVs are expected to come in 3 different sizes. The TVs will be significantly thinner than Bose's VideoWave, at approximately 2 inches thick as opposed to six inches on the Bose unit, but will still pack 16 speakers.
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