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  • Ed
    Apple has unveiled the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5. The new OS is set to be released in the "fall" of this year, no doubt inline with the yet-to-be-announced, fifth-generation of the iPhone. This year marks the first WWDC since 2008 that a new iPhone was not announced.
     
    iOS 5 packs some attractive new features, one of the most notable and requested being an all-new notifications system. Simply swiping down from the top of the screen reveals a very Andriod-like interface where you can see notifications on an app-by-app basis, and feature widgets towards the top such as weather or a stock ticker.
     

     
    Other major new features include iMessage which enables free data messaging over 3G and Wi-Fi between iOS devices - a bit like WhatsApp and KIK, but this time built-in to the existing "Messages" app, and presumably not cross-compatible to Android or BlackBerry users, so don't go deleting your existing data messaging apps just yet! Features are similar to the aforementioned third party apps, including group messaging, seeing when the other person's typing, send photos & videos, etc.
     
    Camera gets some tweaking, now with the ability to take a picture using the volume '+' button: a nice touch which was seen previously on the third party Camera+ app from Taptaptap which wasn't allowed on the App store when they originally introduced this feature. Looks like APple not only back-tracked on that decision but also nicked it for themselves!
     
    Twitter gets its claws into iOS 5 with system-level integration, giving you the ability to tweet content from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, etc. and deep integration with the address book so you can simply type a friends name without having to remember their Twitter username.
     
    Another major benefit from iOS 5 is to finally be able to sync over Wi-Fi: something some users have been so desperate for they've turned to jailbreaking their iPhones to enjoy this functionality before Apple's official support. Furthermore, Apple are now making iOS devices PC-free, meaning that you won't be prompted to set an iOS device up with a PC or Mac in the future, as they can run independently should you wish.
     
    For the full-list of features and screenshots, head on over to Apple's iOS 5 page for more details.
  • Ed
    Steve Jobs and co. have announced Mac OS X Lion, version 10.7 of Apple's desktop operating system, which is due to be released next month.
     
    Whilst Mac OS X used to $129 and purchased as a disc, Mac OS X Lion will only be available as a digital download, and for the much cheaper price of just $29.99.
     
    Mac OS X Lion features an updated interface with more emphasis and support for multi-touch gestures, given that Apple's line of portables (Macbooks, Macbook Pro's and Macbook Airs) are outselling their desktop counterparts 3:1. There are also no scrollbars present in windows when using gestures, bringing the OS more inline with it's mobile sibling, iOS.
     
    Exposé and Spaces are now unified in the all-new Mission Control which gives users a new way to manage their windows and space, which is especially appropriate given that the new OS has support for full-screen applications.
     
    Resume and Auto-save are other new features that may just tip many to upgrade from 10.6, which allow users to pick up their applications right from where they were the last time they opened them, including window size and position, and even highlighted text. Auto-save is self-explanatory, but great to see this as a system-level feature.
     
    The popular Mail app sees a major overhaul, with an iPad style widescreen layout with message down the left-hand side and the message viewer as a square area to the right. Searching has been vastly improved for more refined and efficient searching.
     
    Mac OS X Lion will be released in July as a 4GB, $29.99 download via the Mac App Store.

  • Ed
    The new iCloud logo has been spotted by AppleInsider thanks to a sneaky photo taken at the Moscone Center where Apple's annual WWDC event is due to take place next week.
     
    It's widely anticipated that iCloud will supersede Apple's current cloud offering, MobileMe, at a fee of just $25 per year.
     
    Note that the banner in the photo also shows logos for Apple's Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, and also iOS 5 - although unlike previous years, it is expected that there will be no new iPhone announcement until later in the year.
  • Ed
    Recent sources are reporting that Apple's music service is close to being launched, possibly as soon as June/July, with three of the four major record labels signed up, and a deal almost closed with Universal Music Group.
     
    The cloud service is expected to be similar to Spotify, a cloud-based music service from Sweden which has yet to be launched in the USA, inwhich a huge music database is hosted on the web and is instantly streamed from an Internet-enabled device, namely a computer or smartphone.
     
    Apple's service is rumored to have an additional feature in that existing music libraries and playlist in a user's iTunes account will be mirrored in Apple's iCloud and can be retrieved from any device without sync'ing. The iCloud service is also alleged to detect low quality song files on a user's local library and replace it in the cloud with a higher quality version.
     
    A recent patent application discovered by AppleInsider also indicates that to save valuable space on iPhones and iPads, songs can be partially sync'd so that just the beginning of the song is stored and played while the iCloud service kicks in and downloads the rest to the device.
  • Ed
    The guys over at TUAW, who don't normally play the rumormill game, claim they have reliable sources indicating that Mac OS X 10.7 (aka Lion) has been released for internal testing within Apple.
     
    This means we may see Mac OS X Lion announced and made available as early as the WWDC conference which runs from the 6th-10th of June.
     
    We look forward to getting our hands on the real thing and seeing how well the final version plays ball with non-Apple hardware. If you haven't already, check out our dedicated OSx86 Installation Mac OS X Lion and Post-Installation Mac OS X Lion forums.
  • Ed
    As widely anticipated, Apple upgraded its retail Apple stores worldwide with iPads in place of paper price tags and product info - definitely the future of physical retail!
     
    Check the video below to see an interactive iPad in action in the Sydney Apple Store.
     
    Apple also released an updated version of its Apple Store app which now lets you custom build Macs with their CTO options just like on the web-based Apple Store.

  • Ed
    Apple's 10th anniversary since opening its first retail store may be marked by an event if the Mac rumormill is to be believed.
     
    Speculation of an event includes rumors that staff will be required to work an overnight shift this Saturday night until mid-Sunday, with said staff having to lock up their mobile phones and sign an NDA for the duration of the special shift. Common rumors are that all staff will now be equipped with iPads for serving customers.
     
    On a related anecdotal tip, check out the video below of a younger, healtheir-looking Steve Jobs introducing the first Apple retail store back in 2001, before the stress of world-domination took its toll:
     

  • Ed
    The rumourmill is a alight with talk of updated MacBook Air models hitting the shelves as soon as next month, or possibly July.
     
    As is predictable given the introduction of the updated MacBook Pro's earlier this year, the new MacBook Airs are expected to only be a minor upgrade featuring a Thunderbolt port for ultra-fast data transfer to compatible devices, and Intel's latest Sandy Bridge architecture for faster processing.
     
    The new MacBook Air is expected to go into mass production late this month, with a release and announcement expected either in June or July.
  • Ed
    Incredibly, an article about Apple from Fortune magazine (that's right, just the article, not even the magazine) has made it to the Kindle Top 10 Bestseller list.
     
    Adam Lashinsky has written an article, "Inside Apple", for the Fortune, which is available to subscribers of the popular business magazine. Non-subscribers could also buy a copy of the magazine at $4.99 a pop, or in this case Fortune wisely decided to release this particular article as a stand-alone document for just $0.99 - a shrewd move, seeing the article reach the Kindle Bestseller list.
     
    The article includes tidbits about Apple's prolific CEO, Steve Jobs, and how Apple works from the inside.
     
    To get the "Inside Apple" article as a standalone article for Kindle click here.
  • Alessandro17
    Apple released the much anticipated iMac updates today, upgrading the processors to Quad-Core CPUs across the entire range and including Thunderbolt.
     
    Apple today updated its signature all-in-one iMac with next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, groundbreaking high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime HD camera. Starting at $1,199, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster and new graphics deliver up to three times the performance of the previous generation.
    The new iMacs feature quad-core Intel Core i5 processors with an option for customers to choose Core i7 processors up to 3.4GHz.
     
    The 21.5-inch iMac has a single Thunderbolt port while the 27" features two Thunderbolt ports.
     
    21.5" 2.5GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6750M, 500GB, $1199
    21.5" 2.7GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6770M, 1TB, $1499
    27" 2.7GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6770M, 1TB, $1699
    27" 3.1GHz Quad Core i5, AMD 6970M, 1TB, $1999
     
    Core i7 Processors are available as configure-to-order options.
     
    Source: MacRumors.com
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