That time of year is coming up again. And no, I’m not talking about Christmas. This event is going on February 9th through the 13th, and is known as the Macworld Expo. And yes, while it’s sad that Apple won’t be appearing this year, you might also be surprised to hear who else isn’t showing up. Despite IDG mentioning HP, Microsoft, FastMac, Shure and Intuit had already signed up during their town hall meeting last January, the exhibitor list they’ve posted says otherwise. Currently missing from there are both Microsoft and Intuit. Other than imitating Apple as Microsoft commonly does, why would they choose to also leave the Macworld expo?

While the answer to that question is currently unknown, there could be a few reasons. For one, maybe it is simply that Microsoft doesn’t feel a need to be present at an event for Mac products that Apple isn’t even present at. That said, it could also be that Microsoft doesn’t have any announcements worthy of paying the price to set up a booth there. However, Office for Mac is currently still a 2008 product, and while I don’t use it myself, I’m sure there are some updates due for that software. Perhaps the plans just fell through as Microsoft got distracted and too caught up in the Windows 7 and Zune HD product launches. Whatever the reason is, it is certainly interesting to see such a large name missing from that list after having committed to it nearly a year ago.

Another big company missing from the list is Adobe, makers of the popular Creative Suite design package. While they certainly dominate the photo editing space with Photoshop, they have seen recent competition from Mac focused applications such as Acorn and Pixelmator. For that reason, I would think that they would want to make their return to the expo to show why their software is still better. However, I also get the feeling that they, too, may no longer see the point, especially considering they’ve been known to skip the Expo even when Apple has been present. After all, their software is already a household name, so perhaps they just don’t see the point in advertising it further at an event where everyone knows of it. Either that, or they, again, don’t have any products or updates to announce to make their presence worth it, either.

Also not on the list is Sonos, creator of iPod focused multi-room speaker systems. With their recent launch of the ZonePlayer S5, the absence of this company makes me really feel for Macworld and where it may be heading. An event like this would be perfect for a company like Sonos to appear, in my opinion. With hardware such as Sonos’ and software such as Adobe’s not on the expo floor, the event will certainly be lacking some of the big players in the Mac marketplace. Gaming, for instance, is not represented at all. Although there’s been a slow drift away from Macworld, regulars such as Freeverse, Feral Interactive and Ambrosia have yet to commit.

It could be the absence of all of these companies is a sign of Macworld losing support after Apple left, or maybe exhibitors are holding out to see who else signs up or are awaiting better deals. While I certainly would love to see Macworld continue strong for many more years, it may be hard if these big name companies do indeed back out.

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Many years ago, back when lamp-style iMacs were cool and iPods came in only one color (how passé, right?), Apple promoted a vision of the Mac as the hub of the then-emerging “digital lifestyle.”  Since that time, many players have joined the game, and Apple’s vision has become slightly more complicated than the iTunes, iPhoto, iMac trifecta that Steve Jobs used as a visual aid. Not that enhancements to the iLife suite are off topic, but some bits such as Garageband and iDVD have limited appeal. And with so much of the spotlight on iPhone OS products, there has not been a clear central pillar of this digital hub strategy. The recent release of Snow Leopard for Mac users, coupled with the just-announced iTunes 9, has refocused the digital hub strategy squarely on the Mac, and brought a wide audience some extremely cool features.

Snow Leopard’s half of the equation:

Out-of-the-box Exchange integration is one of the major whizbang features being touted for Snow Leopard (there really aren’t that many of them).  This is crucial, because far too many people live dual lives between their work computers and their home computers, upsetting the whole concept of a central digital hub.  Office for Mac has always lagged behind the Windows versions, but PowerPoint, Excel, and Word are fairly worthy competitors for 90% of us.  Entourage has never quite reached the same level of functionality as its Windows counterpart in Exchange environments (though it can be a worthy competitor for PIM tasks, it quickly gets embarrassing to compare to Outlook).  Mac OS X has fairly robust applications that serve the same purposes in Mail, iCal, and Address Book—and for many tasks, the seamless way in which these applications can share data makes them feel more like a single integrated suite than the monolithic Entourage!  Barrier 1 to your MacBook Pro as a digital hub: gone!

The other big news from Snow Leopard are the subtle interface cues in the GUI borrowed from the iPhone OS; everything from the Stacks navigation arrows to the disappearing interface of Quicktime X looks like the iPhone’s GUI team provided the design.  In the original digital hub strategy, the iPod was considered a minor, supporting player: the iMac was clearly the central point for music management, purchases, and organization.  But as has been pointed out, iPhones and iPod Touches are really more pocket computers than they are iPods.  Ergo, the digital hub strategy is now software based, with hardware duties shared amongst the computer and the iPod.  If you are performing the same task in different places, it is much easier to do if the interfaces are similar; media tasks on your desktop now look an awful lot like they do in the palm of your hand on your iPhone!  And the number of gadgets required to lead this digital lifestyle is shrinking, as more of them are combined; think cameras in iPhones (and now iPod Nanos, too!).  That’s another supporting player gone from the landscape, and one less media interface to learn.  Barrier 2 to learning the digital lifestyle: gone!

iTunes 9 to balance the math:

In addition to the shared GUIs across the iPhone and Snow Leopard, this latest update to iTunes brings many of the desktop interfaces in line with their mobile counterparts.  The new way of previewing albums looks exactly like the iTunes store interface on the iPhone.  Again, trimming multiple interfaces makes it easier for the user, but this is also a subtle strategy statement.  iTunes 9 brings the digital lifestyle hub forward a decade, reflecting the new dual-pillar Mac OS/iPhone OS landscape.  Some of the enhancements in iTunes 9—including the ability to better manage syncing music and organize applications—help to reinstate iTunes as a worthy contender for the title of hub manager.  It seemed in the past that the iPhone and iPod Touch were a little more than iTunes could really handle, with all their spiffy new features and untethered abilities.  Barrier 3 to centrally managing your digital lifestyle: gone!

iTunes 9 also has a shadier underside, if you will, that makes it easier to get into this whole digital lifestyle thing.  With all the stuff that iTunes can do (music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, ringtones, visualizers, synching, rentals, genius, and other stuff, oh my), it can be somewhat daunting to learn what’s what and how to do it.  Never fear; fire up iTunes 9 for the first time, and you will be greeted by a warm, friendly “Welcome to iTunes” panel, which directs you to helpful video tutorials on the key features of the program.  Much like the iPhone intro videos that popped up when the iPhone first came out, these quick tutorials cover just the basics and make it easier to get underway.  Think of it as a sort of iTunes gateway drug, and you’ll begin to see the appeal.  Barrier 3 3/4 to learning to use your digital hub: gone!

Last, but probably most important, iTunes 9’s new sharing features are a clear response to the challenge of Microsoft’s HomeGroup feature in Windows 7.  In a nutshell, HomeGroups can be used to make content available to all computers on your network, to include media files and documents.  The resources need not be duplicated across multiple hard drives, which is a plus, but it is entirely possible to lose access to vital files if you take your laptop out the door with you!  iTunes now brings a feature called Home Sharing, whereby you can maintain purchased content on all computers on your network, either automatically or manually.  This way, you and your iTunes library walk out the door in the morning, rather than realizing after you have boarded your plane that the nostalgic copy of The Little Mermaid you planned to watch actually resides on your sister/daughter/whoever else’s hard drive.  Tough beans if you’re in a HomeGroup.  Oh, and the iTunes Home Sharing is free for all, while HomeGroups require all your computers be running Windows 7 (meaning new computers or painful and expensive upgrades).  If Microsoft could undercut the world with free IE, why can’t Apple do it with iTunes?  Barrier 4 to personalizing your digital lifestyle hub: gone!

While today’s special Apple event, “It’s Only Rock and Roll,” did not bring any earth shattering announcements or unexpected product launches, there were some solid improvements to the existing suite.  Maybe that is what makes Apple so unstoppable: we get a few mind bending announcements per decade (the iMac, the Intel transition, the iPhone), but Apple is not happy to rest on its laurels during in-between times.  iTunes once again reigns supreme as the linchpin of the digital lifestyle hub, and it has a great counterpart in the desktop and mobile OSes that support the hub.  Snow Leopard’s advanced technology sets a clear path for future growth of the Mac OS on the desktop and mobile, and the upgraded iTunes screams management potential for wrangling the digital media that makes up our digital lifestyles.  The digital hub strategy may be an old one, but it is certainly not past its prime.  In fact, it looks like we may finally be able to take delivery of our digital hubs, with spiffy new interfaces and gadgets to boot!

P.S. Shout out in the comments if you thought it was awesome to not only see Steve Jobs back on stage, but to hear him utter the words, “One More Thing…”!

Full Story » | Written by Aaron Kraus for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Today’s music-themed event from Apple saw various updates to the iPod touch, iPod nano and also the iPod classic. While the iPod shuffle didn’t receive much attention on stage, it’s worth mentioning the very slight additions it did gain: colors. Five of them to be precise.

Unlike the iPod nano though, the five colors available are all matte. It’s up to yourself as to whether that’s a good thing or not. I’m sure it will be more scratch resistant, but might not look as impressive as a gloss finish. If you’re desperately after an iPod shuffle with a gloss finish, you’ll need to head down to your nearest Apple Store, as there’s a Special Edition iPod shuffle in polished stainless steel available only direct from the Apple Store. The price is unchanged at $59 for the 2GB model, or $79 for 4GB of memory. The Special Edition comes in at $99 for 4GB.

If you were holding off on buying an iPod shuffle in the hope that more colors would become available, now is the time to buy.

Product [iPod shuffle]

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Apple has just released the latest version of iTunes at the September 9th event in San Francisco. iTunes 9 has some new welcome features, including the ability to organize your iPhone and iPod touch applications within iTunes to sync across to your device.

Syncing all types of media to your iPhones and iPods is now a lot easier, allowing you to choose selected artists, albums and the like. Movies now show you small thumbnails of each title along with the film’s rating, running time and size. Nothing major here, but great little enhancements to make syncing easier and more convenient.

A new feature called Home Sharing allows you to copy media between up to 5 authorized computers within your home network. So, your iTunes library can be the same anywhere in your house, wherever you want that new dance playlist to be heard. You can either select items to sync with Home Sharing, or simply choose your entire library. Either way, you can get your media on up to five computers with iTunes 9.

So what else is new? Well, along with Home Sharing and improved syncing options, there are also new features in Genius, allowing you to view Genius playlists based on the music you already know. For example, it will show you an artist you have in your library as a comparison to a selected track, rather than a new album from the iTunes Store. Again, it’s not a ground breaking feature, but nice to know what works well with what within your own iTunes library.

The iTunes Store has also seen a little redesign. There’s now a task bar at the top of pages, and the “new music” section is now a horizontal slide window. According to Jeff Robbin, the store is now “... much more spacious and open—it’s a welcome improvement.” We’ll have to see the majority of user interface changes when we get our hands on it a little later today, but from the keynote screen captures, it’s looking a lot more fresh and clean.

Another big feature of iTunes 9, and also the iTunes Store, is something called LP. This gives you liner notes, lyrics, band photographs and more general information about the album. Whereas previous to this feature you occaisionally got bonus video and booklet materials, now it will all work within iTunes in a nice interface designed by the artist, so everything will fit with the album itself. There are almost no limits to what the LP can include, so be on the look out for albums including this feature, as you’ll get some interesting extra’s along with the title itself.

Stay tuned on the Appletell live blog for the latest releases from the September 9th event as it happens.

[Update: Now available for download via Software Update.]

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We all kind of saw it coming, and now Apple has made it a reality; the iPod nano now sports a video camera. That’s not all, though; there’s now also a speaker and microphone, along with a built-in pedometer and refreshed vibrant gloss colors.

Apple apparently wanted in on the portable video camera market, alongside the FlipMino’s camera. For this reason, the iPod nano has gained it’s own video camera, in the same place that rumors suggested some time ago.

Along with the camera, the screen has been increased in size to 2.2-inch to make your home movies and photographs look just that little bit better. If video and photography isn’t your thing, you’ll be pleased to hear of the new microphone included in the nano. It uses an application similar to that found on the iPod touch and the iPhone. It’s great for taking audible notes, recording classes and lectures, and just generally recording random sounds. You’d be surprised at the fun you can have with a microphone.

For the sport-enthusiasts out there, there’s now a built-in pedometer that syncs back to Nike+ to record your data. And if there’s nothing that suits your mood in your iPod playlists, you’ll now have the option to listen to your preferred radio stations on the move via the FM radio.

The feature that was released as part of the iPod shuffle has also seen its way into the iPod nano. That’s right, you can now hear which song you’re listening to with the VoiceOver feature. Still, the voice itself is fairly annoying, so you might still wish to just check the screen.

Apple has also decided to go all out with colors, offering the iPod nano in a polished anodized aluminum in nine vibrant colors. Judging from the photographs, it looks great, so using it on a daily basis will surely be a pleasure.

There are two models available from today: an 8GB version for $149 and a 16GB model for $179.

To see all of today’s product announcements, check the Appletell live blog.

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The iPod classic managed to get a mention on stage at today’s Apple event, while nothing really happened to the device itself.

The only news to report are the memory boosts and price reductions. The current 120GB model is being upgrade to 160GB for the same previous price: $249. Nothing major here, but another nice update all the same. You can now hold even more music than before, or even your entire movie collection for your viewing pleasure. The updated iPod classic now holds 40,000 tracks. Impressive, eh?

For all of today’s Apple press event announcements, check our live blog.

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[Update: iPhone OS 3.1 is now available via iTunes.]

Steve Jobs has just announced the latest software upgrade available today for the iPhone and iPod touch - iPhone OS 3.1.

The new software update doesn’t include many new features, but has integrated the Genius function of the iTunes Store into the App Store on the device. Now, you can also use the Genius function to find similar apps and content based on what you already own.Not a ground-breaking update, but another useful and convenient feature to have available.

iPhone 3.1 also sees ringtones added to the device’s iTunes Store, giving access to over 30,000 ringtone’s priced at $1.29 each. The price seems a little high for a 30 second clip of a song, especially since you could buy the whole song for $.99 and make the ringtone yourself in GarageBand. Still, the option is there if you’d prefer a more professional attempt at selecting the best 30 seconds for a ringtone.

The update is free for both iPhone and iPod touch owners. Yes, that’s free for iPod touch owners. It’s not usual for the iPod touch to receive the software updates for free, but hey, I’m not complainin’.

That’s pretty much all that was announced on stage for iPhone OS 3.1. I’m sure there will be other small updates that we’ll see once we have a chance for hands-on with the software update in a few hours time. In the meantime, don’t forget to follow the live blog for up-to-the-minute updates on the rest of the keynote.

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Apple has just released a few updates to the ever-popular iPod touch at the music-themed press event in San Francisco. While the device itself has stayed the same, the price has dropped and the memory has expanded.

To go into a little more detail, you can now pick up an 8GB iPod touch for just $199, a 32GB model for $299, and—you guessed it—a 64GB model for $399. A 64GB flash drive inside the iPod touch is great. As flash memory is taking off quite quickly now, having 64GB of a storage in your iPod touch means more movies, more music, and whole lot more applications. A problem with the 8/16GB models is that you reach the memory limit way too soon, leaving you without your entire music or movie collection, and desperately waiting for a memory boost. While it’s not close to a nice terabyte of storage, 64GB is certainly a nice enhancement.

The 32 and 64GB iPod touch models are also going to be faster after this update, as Apple are utilizing OpenGLES, which is a way for the software to connect to the embedded graphics within the iPod touch chips. An improved connection between the graphics unit and the device’s processor itself means the experience will be smoother and quicker - a bonus all round.

There’s also a new TV advertisement for the device, which you may see on your TV screens in the coming weeks, or on Apple’s website in a few hours.

While you’re waiting, check back with the Appletell live blog to follow the rest of the action from San Francisco.

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The lights had only just dimmed as the most exciting part of the press conference happened; Steve Jobs walked onto the stage to huge cheers and applause, looking fit and healthy. Wearing his trademark black turtleneck top and jeans, he expressed his gratitude towards the team at Apple and everyone’s continued support during his health leave.

He also mentioned that his liver was donated by an unfortunate 20-year old who died as a result of a car crash. I’m not quite sure what effect that statement had to the rest of the media, but I feel it wasn’t the most important part of his time off. He also hoped we could all become organ donors, as without them, he may not have been here today.

Great news for Apple, and a great announcement to come from this event. Now, let’s see what else Apple unveils, and don’t forget to follow the live blog.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Whenever Apple has a press event, you have to expect the Apple Store to be down. It is now, leaving Apple fanboys everywhere desperately trying to peek beyond the newspaper covered windows to see what’s going on inside. New iPods? An Apple TV update? Counter harmonies and french horns? We’ll find out soon enough, so until the press event starts, freshen up on what today’s even may have in store by reading our rumor roundup.

I prefer to not speculate, since it largely sets me up for disappointment. I mean, just know we’re not going to see the return of the eMate. But if I were a wagering man, I’d place my money on the iPod refresh pretty much across the line, with the touch at least to receive a camera. My longshot is the announcement that the newly released remasters from the Beatles (which were already sitting on display in Starbucks at 6:30 a.m. this morning) will appear in the updated iTunes Store. All those kids pressing buttons to The Beatles: Rock Band are going to need somewhere to get the actual songs, right?

To follow along with the announcements as they happen, be sure to join us in our live blog of Apple’s press conference.

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It may only be rock and roll, but we like it, too. I think we’ll also like what we see out of Apple’s press event from San Francisco today, provided you don’t have unrealistic expectations. The announcements begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). We’ll be running our live blog of the event as the announcements happen, and will update this page with more speculation and last minute rumors as they surface, so bookmark this page or just stick around until then.

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Yup, the anticipation for Apple’s September press event is higher than ever, as the event is right around the corner. While it promises to bring some exciting new things to the iPod lineup, there has been little to no speculation about the iPhone, as it is now the iPod touch’s turn to shine. However, it may be interesting, along with the iTunes 9 rumors, to speculate on one item the iPod touch and the iPhone have in common: the App Store.

It’s no doubt the App Store has had its fair share of criticism over the past year or so. As it stands, there is a lot of room of improvement on Apple’s side. While many of the current iTunes 9 rumors focus on social networking and a new type of album format, it sure would be nice to see some exciting news about the App Store. Sure, a developer conference may be better suited for this, but nobody is going to complain if they make it easier on all of us.

Something such as making the review system more helpful for developers by adding the ability to reply to comments or offer some sort of support would be all that’s needed in iTunes 9 to make me happy. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but I sure do hope it happens!

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As many of you will be aware, Apple is hosting a music themed event in San Francisco on September 9th. The tagline on the invitations reads “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it,” which certainly suggests music will play an important role in the keynote. While there are certainly rumors surrounding an update to the iPod line, there are also many other rumors that have been circulating the Internet, so here’s a round-up of all the possibilities we could see from Apple tomorrow.

iTunes 9

The last major update to iTunes included the App Store, along with updates to iTunes DJ. This upcoming event is rumored to see the release of iTunes 9 which could include the option to incorporate your library and listening styles with your favorite social networks, such as Facebook and Last.FM.

A long-awaited feature from many customers has been to have the ability to re-organize your iPhone/iPod touch applications from within iTunes, which would then synchronize across to your device. According to the Boy Genius Report, this could also be making an appearance in iTunes 9, something I personally am certainly looking forward to.

It doesn’t stop there, however. The third major update that could feature in iTunes 9 is support for Blu-ray movies. This was rumored for the previous upgrade to iTunes, but with HD DVD out of the race, it’s more possible that Apple hase decided to jump on the band-wagon with Blu-ray support.

iTunes 9 could also see an iTunes Unlimited service come to life. Similar to what’s available with the Microsoft Zune, customers would have full access to the entire iTunes Store, with the option to buy the tracks to keep, if you’d prefer. A similar service to this has been launched in the UK, called Spotify, and has been incredibly successful.

iPod and Nike+ Refreshes

Previous to the iPod shuffle, the last iPod to receive an update was the iPod nano—a year ago on September 9th 2008. Sources believe that the iPod nano could see a slight update in its design, making it more convenient to hold and use, especially during sporting activities. It is also expected that Apple will add a camera to both the iPod nano and iPod touch, making them more useful and more media-based rather than simply music players. Apple Premium Resellers are reporting they are not replenishing their stock of the iPod nano, iPod touch or iPod classic, which leads to believe that updates will be appearing for all three models.

This could also include a refresh for Nike+ to include support for the iPod range, and also the iPhone 3G and 3GS. With the iPhone’s GPS capabilities, the Nike+ software could provide a lot more information that could synchronize back to your computer for you to review.

Apple iTablet

While rumors have been coming in about this for quite some time, it’s quite unlikely we’ll see such a device on Wednesday. If only because of the music theme for the event. It’s also plausible such a device would warrant its own event, possibly closer to the Christmas holiday season, if not in February 2010 at another event. It would be great for an iTablet, or iPad to be unveiled tomorrow, but, as I said, we’re clutching at straws for that one. It’s unknown at this point whether such a device would use a modified version of the iPhone OS or of Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Findings within the accessibility settings within Snow Leopard that reveal full-size keyboards lead us to believe Snow Leopard could be the basis for a tablet device upon its launch.

Apple TV

We mentioned this last week on Appletell that an Apple TV update could be the “outsider” of the event. Wall Street analyst Gene Munster believes Apple could be phasing out the smaller 40GB model to leave space for an update to the device. If an iTunes Unlimited option also included TV shows and movies, the Apple TV could become quite popular. Even if you were required to pay a monthly subscription to access the iTunes store via the Apple TV, it would still be a hit. It’s certainly an outsider at this point, but there’s always hope for the “One More Thing…” section of the media press conference on September 9th.

Tomorrow, all will be revealed

So there you have it; the most likely (and not so likely) updates that could be emerging from Apple HQ tomorrow. Is there anything in particular you’ve been waiting to see, or something else you wish would get a little love from Apple this September? Personally, I feel we’ll see a refresh for the iPod classic, iPod nano and iPod touch, along with iTunes 9. An update for Nike+ could also be likely, while I feel an Apple Tablet and a new Apple TV are less likely to appear at this particular event. Feeling the same? Let us know below in the comments.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

The first thoughts were that Apple would release a tablet device around September. Apple confirmed the September 9th event would be going ahead, and from the invitations, signs pointed to an iPod/music themed event. While it’s still possible that a tablet—or iPad, as it may be called—could still appear at the event, it’s more plausible that we’ll see a refresh to the iPod line, and possibly a long-awaited update to the Apple TV.

The Apple TV’s hardware has been the same for over two years. In the technology industry, that’s a long time for something to go unchanged. If that doesn’t indicate an update, how about the current Apple TV delivery times? The 160GB model ships “Within 24hrs,” while the smaller 40GB model has a delay of “1 - 2 weeks.” Wall Street Analyst, Gene Munster has been following the Apple TV since its launch, and said he had never seen the device fall two weeks behind in shipping estimates. He believes this may be a result of Apple trying to phase out the lower-end model, which would leave a gap in the product category. The timing of this delay—appearing a week before the September 9th event—certainly leaves things open as to what could appear.

We continue to believe that Apple will eventually offer a monthly subscription for iTunes TV shows accessible on Apple TV, iPods, iPhones, and Macs/PCs. Apple could leverage its deep library of content with many network and cable channel content owners to provide unlimited access to a sub-library of its TV shows for a standard monthly fee ($30 to $40 per month).

The quote taken from Munster’s report speaks about additions that could be made to the Apple TV to include a subscription service to your favorite TV shows. This would certainly make the Apple TV a lot more useful and usable for a lot of it’s customers.

An upgrade to the Apple TV and the release of a subscription-based service integrated into the device would be great to see at next week’s event from San Francisco. Have you been holding off buying an Apple TV in the hope of an update coming in the near future? Let us know below!

Via [AppleInsider]

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Just as August draws to a close, Apple has made official their much rumored September 9th music themed event.  As they have done in past years, Apple has released the image above announcing the event in the style of their ubiquitous iPod and iTunes advertisements. “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it” reads the image, quoting the Rolling Stones’ song.

What’s to be expected from this event?  Most likely new iPods across the board (meaning the Touch, Nano, and Classic), with the regular increased storage and decreased price, the only chief upgrade possibly being cameras built into the devices. Additional rumors have included iTunes 9 with social integration and Blu-ray support.  Rumors of the Apple “iPad” have also been swirling, but the likelihood of any such announcement is fairly low.

Check back at Appletell for detailed coverage leading up to the event, as well as a live blog on the 9th of September.

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No matter how big the iTunes store has become, there’s always been one band in particular that has been missing: The Beatles. We’ve all heard their music in one form or another, but if you wanted to download an album or track from iTunes, you were met with a collection of covers and tribute bands, never original music. Maybe that’s about to change.

EMI Music and Apple Corps LTD (not to be confused with the beloved Apple, Inc.) have announced in an updated press release that they intend to release re-mastered versions of the entire Beatles catalogue in glorious stereo sound. Usually, this might bypass some people until they see an advert showing the new CD collections available, or hear it being played on the radio, but there’s one detail that caught our eye: the date. The worldwide release of the two boxed sets featuring 28 CDs is due to take place on September 9th; the same day as the release of “The Beatles: Rock Band” for Wii, PlayStation and Xbox 360. There might also be something else happening on that day—a little old Apple press conference.

Maybe this is just a coincidence, but sources close to Apple apparently feel quite confident on the date for the event. The September event has often featured updates to the music side of Apple—iPods and iTunes—so it’s certainly possible, and I can’t help but find it interesting that it’s the same day the remastered Beatles catalog hits the shelves. Either I’ll be spending a few more pennies in the iTunes store in September, or the rumor mill is just taking a break from the Apple tablet for a little while.

Think we’ll be seeing The Beatles in the iTunes Store download charts any time soon? Speak your mind in the comments!

Via [Cult of Mac]

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According to sources for All Things Digital, Apple will most likely be hosting another music event this September 9th. While this is on a Wednesday (not the usual Tuesday Apple schedules), ATD says their sources are “close to the company.” It’s rumored Apple will most likely have the event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts where it has been held for the past couple of times. At these September event, anxious fanboys usually find refreshes to the iPod and iTunes parts of the companies, not Macs or MacBooks.

Furthermore, there is also speculation on who and what will be present there. As it stands right now, reports vary as to whether we will see the fabled “iPad” or “iTablet” that many people are expecting.  There are also rumors floating around that our favorite CEO, Steve Jobs, will also make his first public appearance since his leave of absence earlier this year.

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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple may be making a comeback to a technology convention held in January. No, not Macworld (which will be held in February in 2010), but instead, the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES. Macworld ‘09 was Apple’s last, leaving investors, consumers, reporters and bloggers alike wondering if Apple was permanently abandoning communicating information through the convention platform. CEA (the group that puts on CES) is looking to rebound from a 20% decrease in attendance at CES 2009 compared to the previous year. Its chief executive Gary Shapirio may have a trick up his sleeve to help the show out.

At a dinner with journalists this week in San Francisco, CEA’s Shapiro was asked whether he’s invited Jobs, who recently returned from medical leave, to keynote the show. Yes, Jobs has been asked, but nobody from Apple has gotten back to him, Shapiro said.

(I’ll pause as Apple fanboys collectively gasp.)

Should this hold true, a frailer-than-before Jobs will make his return to the keynote stage for the first time since 2008, barring any appearances in the remainder of 2009.  Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer and Intel’s Paul Otellini have already said they will conduct keynote presentations at CES, but if rumors turn into reality, Jobs will be there to steal the show.

However, gdgt’s Ryan Block, in retort to the WSJ report, has stated:

At no point did Gary even remotely imply that Apple would be present at a future CES—let alone state flatly that Apple “will be there” in 2010. In fact, at one point, someone asked if, hypothetically, Apple did want to attend CES, whether the CEA could accommodate them. Gary said flatly that if pressed, they might be able to come up with a small 2,000 square foot booth, but they couldn’t do anything, say, Microsoft-sized on such short notice.

Do you think Jobs will make a return to the keynote stage, or are Steve’s keynote days behind him?

Read [Engadget]

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It was announced this week at WWDC that Safari 4 is out of beta and ready for the masses. Soon after, Appletell was able to get a first look up about the performance of Safari 4. Now, Apple is stating that there have been more than 11 million downloads of Safari 4 in the first three days since its release. More than half of these (6 million) have been for Windows, which is quite interesting, if you ask me.

New features in this release include Top Sites, Cover Flow of your history, and Developer Tools. Also, according to Apple, “Safari executes JavaScript nearly 8 times faster than Internet Explorer 8 and more than 4 times faster than Firefox 3 based on performance in leading industry benchmark tests: iBench and SunSpider.” The browser war between Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari was tough as it is, and this update just made it even more competitive.

You can get the new version of Safari at Apple’s website.

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Last week, we talked about frameworks in relation to developing for the iPhone. With iPhone OS 3.0, Apple has updated and added many frameworks, as well as other interesting tidbits for iPhone developers. For instance, push notifications will now be included into the operating systems and will allow developers to send updates to users without their app being in the foreground. From a developer standpoint, this creates a lot more functionality for an app.

Furthermore, Apple also created an API to allow developers to interact with hardware accessories plugged into the connector on the bottom of the phone. This allows developers to not only code applications for the iPhone, but to also interact with hardware that supports receiving messages from the iPhone. Along these lines, iPhones can now more easily interact with each other through peer to peer connectivity. For developing, this opens a huge realm of possibilities for multiplayer applications.

Another interesting update comes in the form of in-app purchases. With these, developers can charge for upgrades to their applications using an API that allows them to access the users credit card on file with Apple iTunes (not the actual card, but the use of it). Not only does this make it more possible for developers to make money from their applications, it offers some interesting uses.

Overall, WWDC and iPhone OS 3.0 have brought all sorts of great improvements for developers.

See more iPhone Developer Intervention articles.

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This year at WWDC, Apple is doing something to amaze the attendees. In the Moscone West Center, they have created a “hyperwall” that consists of twenty edge-to-edge 30-inch Apple Cinema Displays, each of which are powered by a Mac Pro running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. These displays show a live feed of activity from 20,000 popular apps on the App Store, as 3,000 apps are downloaded every minute. When an app is purchased, it pulsates after a five minute delay. The animation is programmed in Quartz Composer using the new OpenCL APIs announced at this years WWDC.

I would love to be in California and able to see this in person, as I don’t believe the photos give the full effect of how awesome it is. That said, I believe Apple’s intention with this was to show the App Store’s popularity in order to prove to the developers present that they are needed and appreciated. I’m sure it would be a great feeling to be in front of this massive display and see the icon to your own app pulsating when someone purchases it. Nice idea, Apple.

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Apple has announced the winners of the Apple Design Awards for the year of 2009 and posted the results on their website. According to the company, “The Apple Design Awards recognize technical excellence, innovation, and outstanding achievement in iPhone and Mac software development. Each year, winning products set new standards for usability, performance, technology integration and adoption. This year’s winners raise the bar even higher.” There are a few categories in which the applications are chosen, as well as from different platforms. This year, there were iPhone apps as well as Leopard apps chosen. I have personally used some of these, and I must say I agree with Apple’s choices.

iPhone Developer Showcase

• MLB.com At Bat 2009 v1.0.1
• Postage v1.0
• Topple 2 v1.1
• Tweetie v1.3.1

Mac OS X Leopard Developer Showcase

• Billings v3.0.5
• BoinxTV v1.3
• Things v1.1
• Versions v1.0.3

Other winners also include Wooden Labyrinth 3D v1.2.1 for Best iPhone Student App, Fontcase v1.1.3 for Best Mac OS X Student Product, and AccuTerra v1.0.0 Beta for Best iPhone OS 3.0 Beta App.  Congratulations to all of the winners of the awards, it is nice to see them being awarded for taking the time to make great interfaces.

Via [Apple]

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At this year’s WWDC, Apple announced the new iPhone 3GS. While this was a pretty interesting refresh to the iPhone line, I believe that the lowering of the iPhone 3G 8GB to $99 is much bigger news. For a while now, people have been preaching that Apple needs to hit the $149 price point or lower in order to make their way into a more mainstream market. With this announcement, they have. No longer is the iPhone 3G an expensive product when it comes to phones as almost any phone these days will run you at least $99 unless they come free with a 2 year contract.

As far as where RIM and Palm stand in this market now, that is very fascinating. Palm recently released the Pre at a price point of $199.99 (after a $100 rebate), a whole 100% more expensive than the iPhone 3G. Now, I’m not going to get into the price of plans, early termination fees, and all of those extra fees brought on by carriers, I just mean the cost of the hardware (the thing that people first notice). With this price, Apple has taken both the Palm Pre and many of the Blackberrys out of the market as far as initial price goes.

The point I’m trying to make is that Apple really nailed it with the price on the iPhone 3G 8GB model. Now not only do they have models competing in the more expensive smart phone market but the average consumer market as well. I think we are going to see a nice surge in iPhone sales in the coming months.

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Today saw the full release of Apple’s latest web browser, Safari 4. The public beta has been around for a couple of months, so has Apple address the issue that appeared? Is Safari 4 enough to bring you back from Firefox, and enough to make you upgrade from Safari 3? From what I’ve seen so far, I’d say yes.

If you’re currently using the Safari 4 public beta, have a look at where your tabs are positioned. They’re right at the top; the idea was to give each tab a full window. If you tried to move the order, you’d need to select the small corner, otherwise the entire window would move. Not very useful. Now, take a look at the images posted of the full release. You’ll notice the tabs are back where they belong—below your bookmarks. It seemed the majority of users prefer their tabs lower down. It’s usually your first port of call to open a new page, although some people have shown a dislike to this change, and seem to prefer their tabs at the very top of the window.

While a page is loading, you’ll see a new icon in the URL field on the right telling you the page is loading, and giving you the option to cancel loading the page. If you’re visiting a blog or website with RSS feeds, the loading icon will change to one that reads “RSS” once the page has loaded, giving you a direct link to the RSS feed itself. Nothing’s changed here from Safari 3, other than the design of these icons.

Of course, the “report to Apple” icon has been removed in the full version. You can still report any problems you may have with Safari from the Safari drop-down menu, and selecting the “Report Bugs to Apple…” option.

There’s no doubt that Safari 4 is fast; it’s faster than Firefox, Chrome, Opera and IE 8. A new JavaScript engine allows pages to load and render quickly—even with a flaky WiFi connection—and it’s also the first and only cross-platform browser that achieves full marks (100/100) for the Acid 3 tests.

Top Sites and viewing your history in Cover Flow have stayed the same in the full release. We’ll have to dig deep into Safari 4’s files to see if its still keeping an eye on you, but otherwise, things look great in Cover Flow.

Apple didn’t miss much with Safari 4. There are 150 new features that make the everyday user and developer happy using Safari 4. I stayed away from the public beta because of issues around Wordpress and consistent crashing. I’m happy to say the issues around Wordpress have been cleared up, and Safari 4 hasn’t even lagged, let alone crashed.

Grab the download from Apple, and let us know what you think.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

If you missed the junior high science fair that was the 2009 WWDC Keynote presentation, it’s now online and ready to be fast forwarded through. Watch as Phil Schiller, in a jealous rage because his baking soda volcano doesn’t win, smash Scott Forstall’s caveman shoebox diorama. Yesterday’s winners? Anyone who held off on getting a MacBook because they wanted FireWire. Yesterday’s losers? U.S. iPhone owners stuck with AT&T.

Seriously, readers. I care about you, and I know your time is valuable, so don’t go watch this one. It’s boring. I mean, I get that it’s a keynote for developers, but not really. Apple does invite the press, after all. They welcome the coverage. They make consumer announcements. If they’re going to quit participating in Macworld Expo, then WWDC is it, really, aside from the occasional random Tuesday event. Considering that, the first major post-Macworld keynote shouldn’t have us hoping Gil Amelio will swoop in and save the day.

But, if you’re a glutton for punishment, by all means, follow the link below. Just understand that you’ve been warned.

See [2009 WWDC Keynote presentation]

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Apple revealed several new features of iPhone OS 3.0 at WWDC today. One of these features is “Find My iPhone,” and it is only available to Mobile Me subscribers. However, the Mobile Me page includes a few other “Coming Soon” features that didn’t make it into the Keynote.

Along with “Find My iPhone,” they will also be including:

• Viewing iDisk files on your iPhone
• Sharing large files from your iPhone
• Accessing other iDisk users’ public folders
• Being able to search all of your server side Mobile Me e-mail messages

The first three items in the list will actually be features of a yet-to-be-released iDisk app. There are a few third party iDisk apps currently available in the Apple store that vary in their iDisk abilities, but this official app will make it even easier to use some handy iDisk features and increase the value of a Mobile Me subscription. Being able to access your iDisk content from your iPhone has been a much requested feature of Mobile Me users in the past.

The e-mail search feature appears to be built in to OS 3.0. According to the Mobile Me new features page:

iPhone OS 3.0 brings search capability to Mail on your iPhone. Now you don’t have to flick through your inbox, tapping messages to find the e-mail you’re looking for. You can search messages by sender, recipient, subject, or all headers. And if the message isn’t on your iPhone, Mail searches for it in the MobileMe cloud. When the message is located, you can display it on your iPhone with no problem.

And in case you missed the big announcement of this group, Mobile Me will also give you the ability to locate where your iPhone is using an interactive web page that includes a map showing its location. It will also allow you to override the silence switch and have it play a sound to make it even easier to locate the device. It will also allow you to have a a custom message on it to ask someone to call you if they find the phone and, finally, to be able to remotely wipe out all of its data so no one can have access to your data if you can not recover it personally.

The “Find My iPhone” feature is expected to be available on June 17 when the new OS is released, and I suspect the mail search feature will be available at that time as well. The iDisk app is currently listed as coming soon, so hopefully it will see the light of day sometime this summer. I imagine it will be able to sail through the app store approval process.

Product [Mobile Me]

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Until the moment that the lights dimmed and Phil Schiller walked on stage, the rumor mill was still hard at work. Video calling, more RAM, and FM transmitter, and an illuminating logo were all there. But Apple seemed to keep things simple with the update, even giving Jonathan Ive and his team a rest by keeping the exterior design the same. Disappointed? A little.

A matte-black back was quite a confident rumor. The majority regarded it as a sure bet, and I can’t recall a single rumor that suggested the exact same design for the new iPhone. We did see video capabilities, improved performance and graphics, enhanced GPS and compass all feature as part of the iPhone 3G S. But remember the WWDC poster that we saw? It read “light-years ahead.” I don’t know about you, but no part of the iPhone 3G S is light-years ahead. Nothing amazed me.

Don’t get me wrong here—the updates made to the iPhone are great. They were much needed, and adding the features of the iPhone OS 3.0, it’ll be an even better device. But the Palm Pre is right behind Apple. This update puts things on a more level playing field, and Apple still has the advantage with the App Store and trusting fan base. We’ll have to wait to see how things pan out with the Palm Pre—whether people like it in the long term. But I feel Apple could have done more with the iPhone, and a launch just a few days after the Palm Pre would’ve been the perfect time to do so.

I’m certainly tempted to upgrade to the iPhone 3G S, but there’s no specific reason why. There are no must-have features available; the majority will be free to iPhone users as part of iPhone OS 3.0.

The fact that Apple can now afford to sell the iPhone 3G at $99 shows just how cheap the technology inside was to build. There’s nothing special there. I feel there are two things keeping Apple at the top: a certain logo stamped on the back, and 50,000 amazing applications for just about anything.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

One of the most highly anticipated announcements at this year’s WWDC was the iPhone. As usual, Apple has delivered and announced the iPhone 3Gs where the “s” stands for speed. This iPhone looks pretty much the same on the outside and doesn’t have a front facing camera. That said, the camera on the back has been updated to a 3MP version that has auto-focus and auto-white balance. The camera can now also take video (30 fps) as well as stills.  The best part about this, though, is that the iPhone allows users to edit them from their actual iPhone. Once that is done, users can directly upload their videos to YouTube, MobileMe, and MMS.

The main improvements on this model of the iPhone are on the inside. Apple claims that everything runs faster on this version, from loading apps to browsing the web. Most apps load two to three times faster than on the iPhone 3G. Furthermore, this model also includes a built-in digital compass that can be used to find your orientation in Google Maps. Also demoed was voice control software that allows users to easily call friends or build Genius playlists, among other things. Nike+ support and hardware encryption are also built in.

As far as availability goes, the new iPhone 3GS will cost $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB with AT&T, and will come in black and white models as before.  It will ship with iPhone OS 3.0 in about a week and a half on June 19th. The iPhone 3Gs is also being called the most green iPhone yet with arsenic-free glass, BRF-free, mercury-free LCD, and other advancements. Along with that, it features improved battery life, with up to 9 hours of internet surfing, 10 hours of video, 30 hours of audio, 12 hours of 2G talk-time, and 5 hours of 3G talk-time. The original iPhone 3G will still available at only $99, starting today.

Stay with us here at Appletell for more on today’s WWDC announcements

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

At this years WWDC, Apple spilled some more information about the highly anticipated iPhone OS 3.0 announcement. We already knew plenty of information about this new software, but as usual, Apple had a couple of surprising announcements. Among them was the announcement that the iPhone 3.0 software will be available June 17th, about a week from today!

What we knew:

• Cut, copy, and paste works across all apps
• Landscape mode available in Mail, Notes, Messages
• Safari has auto-fill for forms
• Enhanced support for renting and buying iTunes content
• Parental controls are being brought to apps, even those from the App Store
• In app purchases, Peer to Peer connectivity (easy multiplayer gaming)
• Accessories can work through the Dock connector or Bluetooth
• Turn-by-turn direction apps supported
• Push text alerts, numerical badges for homescreen icon, and custom alert sounds

What we now know:

• Over 100 new features
• 29 carriers will support MMS at launch, AT&T will have it later this summer
• Search even works on the server as well as local files
• Tethering is on and doesn’t require special software - 22 carriers will support it at launch, AT&T wasn’t mentioned here
• iTunes U is now also supported on the iPhone iTMS
• HTML5 support is being brought to Safari
• Even more languages are being added
• Find my iPhone allows MobileMe users to locate their iPhone on a Google Map from a web browser on their desktop

Be sure to stay tuned to our WWDC Keynot live blog in order to stay on top of all the coverage.

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Today at WWDC 2009, Apple removed the beta label from Safari 4 and released it for Leopard, Tiger, and Windows. This finalized version of the browser includes Top Sites, as well as other new features that make browsing the web easier. Also, Safari 4 will increase the speed of surfing the web. Apple has claimed that users will notice that Safari renders JavaScript 7.8 times faster than Internet Explorer 8 and 5X faster than Chrome. It was also noted in the keynote that it passes the Acid3 test, whereas IE8 only gets 21%. There was also the usual bashing of IE8 as a browser that doesn’t adhere to web standards.

Safari 4 will be included with Snow Leopard and will take advantage of the 64-bit backend that will be in that version of the operating system. One of the new features that will be available on the Snow Leopard version of Safari 4 is Crash Resistance. This will help to make the application more reliable, especially when dealing with plug-ins. There is also the cover flow view of web history, and Top Sites lets you know when a site has updated.

Follow this and more updates at our WWDC Keynote live blog.

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In other news from this years WWDC, Apple has given more details of Snow Leopard.  However, they also managed to bash not only Windows Vista as usual, but Windows 7 as well, saying it still has the same registry issues, among other things. That said, Snow Leopard sounds like it is going to be really awesome. Best of all? It will be released in September for only $29. Here are some of the mentioned updates, and you can follow the rest of the updates at our live blog:

• Exchange Support
• Finder rewritten in Cocoa to allow it more features
• Refined over 90% of core OS pieces
• Grand Central Dispatch - It’s built-in support for multi-core all across Leopard
• 45% faster installation of the OS
• Language extension, multicore engine, object oriented framework, new system-wide APIs, tools
• Built Expose into the Dock
• All the major system applications are in 64-bit mode
• Recover over 6GB of disk space after upgrading from Leopard
• Preview is now up to 2X faster
• Quicktime X lets you trim and share video using a visual timeline
• Mail is up to 2.3X faster
• Quicktime player has a brand new interface
• Safari 4 final version is released today
• Stacks handle lots of content better
• Safari is 7.8X faster at JavaScript than IE8
• Handwriting recognition in the trackpad
• Full Spotlight search of browser history

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

In the first of what will be plenty of WWDC announcements, Apple has released an update to their MacBook Pro lines that will be shipping starting today. The new line (15-inch and 17-inch) has a built in SD card slot as well as a better display, and the extended, revolutionary built-in battery that was currently only in the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Although this battery isn’t replaceable, Apple has said that it will get up to 1,000 charges, meaning that you won’t cause harm to the environment like other battery manufacturers (five year life). The backlit keyboard will now be standard, and there is a 13-inch model of the MacBook Pro as well. Most of the machines come with 4GB RAM standard.

Other surprising news from this announcement is that Apple is bringing back the FireWire 800 port that was missing in the previous models. There are price cuts across the entire line of MacBook Pros, making them much, much more affordable in this down economy. Apple is also claiming that they are even more green than the previous line of MacBooks.

Get continued coverage of this and other announcements at WWDC Keynote live blog.

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Here we are, the morning of the WWDC Keynote, and the Apple Store has been taken offline for a bit. What do you suppose will be in there when it comes back up? The iPhone Video? Snow Leopard? The fabled Apple Netbook? It won’t be long before we find out, and you can learn all about it right here at Appletell as it happens.

Appletell is running a live blog of the WWDC Keynote, during which we’ll be accepting entries into our Just Mobile giveaway. By simply commenting in our live blog to tell us which product you’d like to win—the Xtand for iPhone, Xtand for 2G iPod touch or Cooling Bar for Apple laptops, you’ll be entered into the random selection. Entries are only being accepted up until the end of the 2009 WWDC Keynote, so get that taken care of.

Products [Just Mobile]

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Technology just wouldn’t be the same without the rumor-mill behind each story, giving options and possibilities to every product launch. As we know, Apple is most definitely not an exception to this, and in true form, the rumors surrounding the next generation iPhone are in full swing ahead of this year’s WWDC.

Let’s imagine that every rumor came true. What sort of device, or should I say devices, would we have? A rumor released a while back suggested a range of iPhones from 4GB to 32GB models, some with 3G connectivity, and some without. These could be used in different parts of the world on various carriers, but I doubt whether Apple would release up to six versions of the phone. A couple—16GB and 32GB—is more plausible, with an option of black or white.

Rumors focusing on the design of the iPhone have stayed quite constant. There have been some brilliant efforts on Photoshop for iPhone Nanos or a possible Apple tablet using iPhone OS 3.0, but with regards to the next generation iPhone, they’ve followed similar thoughts. It seems Apple may be ditching the shiny plastic casing for a matte version, while other rumors lean towards a rubber back.

As a list of specification details goes, here’s what we could see, if rumors were fact:

• Quad-band EDGE
• Tri-band HSDPA
• OLED Screen
• 3.2 megapixel camera with Auto-Focus
• Video recording and calling (iChat)
• 256MB of RAM (up from 128MB)
• 4GB, 8GB, 16GB & 32GB Storage
• 600MHz CPU Speed (up from 400MHz)
• Enhanced battery life (to compensate for GPS & Push usage)
• FM transmitter
• True GPS
• Compass
• A illuminating Apple logo (similar to Apple’s laptop range)

Add the expected features of the iPhone OS 3.0, and that would be a very nice handheld device. An improved camera has been long awaited for the iPhone since its original release in June 2007. 3.2 megapixels would be a nice upgrade, and be adequate for recording video as well as shooting stills. With a faster processor, the iPhone may also be capable of video chats.

A software rumor that hasn’t had much attention takes a thought from iPhoto. Remember the iPHone facial recognition feature, part of iLife ‘09 released at the MacWorld Expo? It was a great addition to iPhoto, but has now become quite dormant as the fun dies. Could it be possible to use this technology in the iPhone? For images stored on the phone, or transfered across from iPhoto, it could use a similar tagging process seen in Facebook. It would be very cool if this then showed itself when taking photographs on the iPhone, showing people’s faces and their names in the live display. It’s a long shot, and almost random compared to other rumors, but it would still be interesting to see.

We also can’t forget the many rumors surrounding the iPhone nano. The main change here would be a smaller size, likely with also less memory (possibly the 4GB version), and, of course, a drop in the price. After using many mobile phones, the iPhone first seemed quite large and bulky. But now I quite like its form-factor. It fits nicely into your hand, with easy access to the entire screen. I’m not sure what space Apple could afford to loose without shrinking the screen-size too, which would make typing on the on-screen keyboard a nightmare.

Speaking of typing, with the new APIs in OS 3.0 allowing developers access to build accessories, could we see an external iPhone keyboard emerge for the device? It’s likely this would be left to third-party developers, but a keyboard with Apple’s aesthetics would look great.

As Apple is in the final stages of WWDC preparation, we’re left in suspense as to what we’ll see when Phil Schiller gives the keynote presentation. Will these rumors come true? Or will it be something completely different? Their main WWDC banner reads “One year later. Light-years ahead.” It’s certainly one year later, but they’ll really have to deliver amazing technology to be “light-years ahead” of their strong competition.

We’ll be here following reporting on it all with our WWDC keynote live-blog and up-to-the minute coverage of the event, so don’t forget to check back for the latest news from WWDC 09.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Last minute leaked images before a keynote don’t always predict the future with 100% accuracy, but I tend to think they have a better track record than images that get “leaked” earlier. These images show what we’ve been seeing and hearing lately in rumors. Clearly, this image depicts the iPhone with a front facing camera used for video conferencing.  This begs the question that, if this is real, will we be able to video call people anywhere, or are we restricted to wifi like the Slingbox App since AT&T’s network can’t handle much of anything?

This image shows the supposed new Camera app, which now has a slider that enables video recording. Look out, Flip, you might have a new competitor (especially if Apple decides to put a video camera in a new iPod Touch).

Okay, I have one last idea/question. If the iPhone really will have two video enabled cameras, will I be able to take video with both of them at the same time? Imagine the things you could do with that. Interviews would be very fun to record. Okay, I’m going to stop thinking now, because I’m getting way to excited. Tomorrow’s keynote can’t come fast enough.

Read [Nowhere Else] Via [Gizmodo]

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The excitement continues to build for tomorrow’s WWDC keynote and the developer announcements that are sure to follow. Yesterday, we took a look at what to expect from iPhone OS 3.0, as well as at Apple’s strategy for rolling out updates and why they include (or, more importantly, don’t include) certain features in each iteration. Today, we’ll examine Snow Leopard, the next big update to Apple’s Macintosh operating system.

Mac OS X v10.6

The code name for this latest release of Mac OS X is Snow Leopard. The name is important not just because it’s another big cat ( like the other names they have used: Tiger, Panther, Jaguar, etc…) but that it is very similar to the code name for the current release of Mac OS X v10.5: Leopard. Snow Leopard will seem a lot like Leopard to most end users. Expect a few cosmetic changes and maybe some subtle differences, but the Snow Leopard release will be all about what’s under the hood.

When OS X was first released, it was a revolution for Macs and, in many ways, for the PC industry as a whole. It was a modern operating system that had been built on top of a proven Kernel, but was still very accessible to the average user. Once again, we see the themes of stability and security coming in to play, as most consumer operating systems were buggy, unreliable and virus-ridden. Apple released a sleek, fast, stable and secure OS that was easy to use and very powerful in what it could do. It appealed to consumers and power users alike. It was, and still is, the minority platform, but it quickly became the one to watch.

Now, with Snow Leopard, we have the 7th generation of this operating system (We started with 10.0, and not 10.1). It has come a long way since March of 2001, and has matured well over the years. However, every release has been packed full of new features to keep people buying the new OS. With Snow Leopard, Apple is taking a much needed break from new features and has spent the last year-and-a-half streamlining the OS and the apps they provide with it. This is a bold step because without a lot of new features, a large majority of their user base will not be motivated to upgrade until they buy new hardware. Certainly Apple recognizes this loss of revenue opportunites, but they’re staying true to their vision of security and stability in streamlining the OS. For this, Apple deserves our applause.

The reason this streamlining is necessary is because Apple pulled off an amazing transition a few years ago when they moved us from the PowerPC processors to today’s Intel processors. This was not an easy task, but they pulled it off very smoothly and with very few problems. To accomplish this, the OS had to make some compromises. Now that the transition is complete and far enough behind us, they can focus on building an OS that really takes advantage of this new architecture. This release will see better use of multi-core processors, more efficient memory access, and even the ability for developers to use the latent power of the graphics processors for non-graphic purposes. In short, it will be a more stable, secure and reliable OS that is easy to use and does not intimidate those who are attempting to use it.

Evolution of a revolution

Both the iPhone OS and Mac OS X were revolutionary operating systems when they first came out. They allowed us to do things that we weren’t able to do before. These two operating systems are the real jewels in Apple’s crown and the keys to their success. Millions of people have purchased, used and discussed these systems and the devices they power. They have changed the way we think about computers and mobile devices. The anticipated releases of the new systems are far more evolutionary than revolutionary, but every revolution needs to eventually mature and evolve into its full potential. We will see some new features for consumers, but I have a feeling that both platforms’ developers are very excited about this year’s WWDC because of the evolutionary changes to the revolution they first signed up for.

Welcome to the evolution.

Also see WWDC: Evolution of a revolution part 1 - iPhone OS 3.0.

Full Story » | Written by Ed McKell for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

WWDC is upon us. That’s great news for all Macintosh, iPhone and iPod owners, but it can come with a tinge of sadness. After all, we can’t all upgrade to the new hardware that Apple is sure to announce. To cushion the blow, the fine folks at Just Mobile have offered us three products to give away to Appletell readers to help you feel a bit better about your current technology: the Xtand for iPod touch, the Xtand for iPhone, and the Cooling Bar for Apple laptops.

For your chance to win one of these products, join us Monday for our WWDC Keynote live blog. You first need to register with Appletell, if you haven’t already, and make sure you understand the Dabble LLC giveaway rules. Then, simply comment in the live blog to let us know which device you want. Feel free to comment as much as you like, of course, but you can only pick one device, and you’ll only be entered once. We will then randomly select one winner for each device from all entrants. Entries are being accepted from now up through the end of the Apple Keynote on Monday afternoon.

Be sure to check back with Appletell throughout the weekend for more news as we push towards WWDC 2009 Keynote address, and visit Just Mobile to learn more about these prizes and their other great iPhone and Macintosh related products.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

A fantastic week of E3 announcements and demonstrations is past us, and it’s now time turn our attention towards Apple’s 2009 WWDC. The event kicks off today at 10:00 PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT) from the Moscone Center in San Francisco, so bookmark us or just hang around until then.

If you haven’t already, make sure you enter to win your Xtand for iPhone, the Xtand for iPod touch, or Mobile Cooling Bar for Apple laptops form the fine folks at Just Mobile. Entry rules are here, but will you need to comment below in order to win.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) kicks off on Monday, and expectations are very high. Now that Apple has announced they will no longer be attending the Macworld expo, this is likely to become their premiere event to a non-press audience. Swirling around the web are lots of WWDC rumors guessing what Apple will do and anticipating with excitement the possible hardware announcement, but I want to spend a little time discussing what WWDC is really all about: Operating Systems.

It’s all about the OS

WWDC’s keynote has become in the last 10 years a platform for Apple to make announcements for all sorts of things, and it is likely to contain some surprises this year as well. However, it’s just the tip of the iceberg for WWDC, and it’s what you can’t see underneath that is some of the best stuff at the event. Keep in mind that this is a developer’s conference, and attendance is limited. Therefore, the entire conference is geared towards the people who make the applications for your Apple device that you love so much, and for the second year in a row, it’s a sellout. This means, unlike Macworld, this is not a product showcase, but a chance for some of the greatest minds of these platforms to get together and get a look under the hood of what is coming.

If you take a quick peak at WWDC’s conference schedule, you will quickly realize that almost all of the sessions are completely focused on the operating systems, only talking about the hardware when it interacts with the software that runs it. This year, like last year, there are two different but related operating systems to highlight. For the iPhone, we have the much anticipated release of iPhone OS 3.0 and for the Mac we have the much more quietly expected Mac OS X v10.6 (Snow Leopard). Both of these will be important releases that will likely occur soon after WWDC, if not at the conference itself. At the very least, we expect to find out more about when to expect these releases. Now, let’s look more critically into these releases and why they are important.

iPhone OS 3.0

iPhone OS 3.0, despite its name, will be the new OS for both the iPhone and the iPod touch, and will be available sometime this summer. This release brings some much anticipated features to the iPhone, including copy and paste, stereo Bluetooth, multimedia messaging (MMS), peer to peer (P2P) communication with nearby iPhone users and universal search. All of these features will be available to the current generation of iPhones, while features like MMS and stereo bluetooth are not expected to work with the first generation iPhone.

This is an important release for the iPhone OS not just for the features it will bring, but also for the maturity of the platform. Many see this release of the OS as the one that will finally fulfill the expectations for the original iPhone. Think of it as if iPhone OS 1.0 was the infant, 2.0 was the gangly teenage years, and 3.0 will finally be a mature, sophisticated adult. There will be a little flash on the surface, but the real substance will be underneath, as developers will now have more access to the resources the iPhone possesses.

Apps today live in a bubble. They can interact with things outside their bubble, but only in very limited ways. The bubble isn’t bursting, but it is getting a lot bigger. With 3.0, developers will be able to work more with Google Maps and the iPod multimedia library, and directly interface with hardware attached in the dock port (and possibly over bluetooth, as well). This means you could finally have an alarm on your iPhone that can use your iPod music as an alarm, not just the ringtones you have created. Or, an app that helps you find a local restaurant could have the map in the app instead of forcing you to switch out to the Maps app to see where it is. You may also get the chance to see all sorts of great (and probably not so great) hardware accessories that interact with your iPhone in some very cool ways. Suddenly, your iPhone can become the central hub for even more activity.

The question that needs to be asked here is, “Why?” Why has it taken so long for Apple to allow this kind of interaction? Isn’t this the sort of thing that computers and even mobile devices have always done? I can’t answer those questions authoritatively, but I can speculate on why I think it has taken so long. Apple’s answer to similar questions has always been that they limit things either because of stability, security or both. While this answer may be frustrating to the consumer, limiting for the sake of security and/or stability are core to Apple’s success with the iPhone as they evaluate where the iPhone is going and what it is doing. Ultimately, it is in the best interest of the consumer for Apple to be very intentional in their choices (albeit slow).

Coming soon, another piece will detail the smartphone’s evolution and its future, but for now, let’s just say that many smartphones that came before the iPhone were useful, but troublesome. If you wanted your smartphone to work like it did out of the box, you needed to leave it with the software that came with it out of the box. Sometimes, even then, it would still take a lot of time to make it do what you wanted it to do. Similarly, when Apple released the iPhone, that’s the way it worked. But they intended all along for Apps to be written and downloaded, starting first with only Apple approved Apps be on the device. With the release of “teen OS” 2.0, they allowed Apps to be written but highly restricted them to prevent third party apps from destabilizing the phone. For a mobile platform like the iPhone to succeed, it needed and needs to be as bulletproof and user-friendly as it can be. Smartphones had rarely appealed to the average consumer in the past because they were not easy to use. A consumer device needs to be—first and foremost—a stable, secure and reliable device that is easy to use and does not intimidate those who are attempting to use it.

So, iPhone OS 3.0 will usher in new features for the developer as well as the consumer, and it will finally unleash even more potential from the phone. This helps the platform to be more stable, secure and reliable. It also helps everyone—including consumers, press and developers—understand how Apple expects the platform to be used in the future. So, instead of throwing it at us all at once, we receive it in small, un-intimidating doses that are much easier to swallow. At the same time, Apple gets the chance to refine these systems even more to make sure they work correctly. In the end, with each step, Apple refines and reveals another piece of the puzzle, building the base to test things they ultimately want to do with the iPhone. Now they have the base and they will leverage that base to take the platform to even higher heights.

Check back with us tomorrow as we take a look at the importance of Mac OS X v10.6 (“Snow Leopard”).

Full Story » | Written by Ed McKell for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

If you’ve saved up both money and vacation time just to be able to purchase the next generation iPhone, then you’ll be excited to hear the name given to the object of your blind affection. According to an anonymous tip to TUAW, Apple’s next generation of iPhone will be named “iPhone Video.”

Along with the tip came the screenshot above of what appears to be an AT&T device support page. While it looks real, this is among the easiest of images to fake. Not only is it a picture of a computer screen instead of a screen grab, it isn’t even anything fancy. It’s just AT&T’s support page with a different set of options in a drop down box as seen through Safari. Did AT&T switch to Mac? This doesn’t even need to be ‘shopped; HTML skills are all it takes.

That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the real name. There have been enough rumors going around about the next iPhone supporting video. Whether that means just taking video, or streaming video iChat-style as well are two different questions. If it could do both, Apple would have done it again. And if they do, what does that mean for the next iPod Touch? Flip video killer? Hopefully we’ll find out before long.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »