The 2012 MacBook Air retains much the same skinny dimensions as its predecessor, but it gets bumped to Intel Ivy Bridge processors, up to a 2GHz dual-core Core i7. That’s not as fast as the quad-core chips going into the Pro, but you are getting a significantly lighter and thinner package. The Ivy Bridge processor is accompanied by up to 8GB of 1600MHz RAM and “60% faster graphics.” You don’t get discrete graphics though, as the Intel HD Graphics 4000 is still integrated.

Speed is one thing, but you still want storage. The updated MacBook Air has the option of having up to 512GB of flash memory. You’ll also find two USB 3.0 ports, along with the Thunderbolt port. Rounding out the specs are WiFi-n and Bluetooth 4.0, along with the same 5-7 hour battery life. Of course, like the new MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Air also gets MagSafe 2.

There’s no Retina Display on board, unsurprisingly, so the 11-inch model gets a 1366×768 resolution whereas the 13-inch gets a 1440×900 pixel resolution. Prices start at $999 and $1199, respectively.

[Source]

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That’s not as high a pixel density as the Retina display on iDevices, but the assumption is that your eyes are going to be a little further away from the screen, giving you the same kind of super crisp visual experience. They’ve also ditched the optical drive altogether, slimming the MBP down to 4.5 pounds and 0.71–inches thick.

As far as tech specs are concerned, you get a quad-core i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA Kepler GeForce GT 650M GPU. You also get 768GB of storage, a 7-hour battery, SDXC card slot, HDMI-out (!), USB 3.0, a pair of Thunderbolt ports, MagSafe 2, two microphones, and a headphone jack. Rounding it all off are WiFi-n, Bluetooth 4.0, backlit keyboard, and a multitouch trackpad.

And all this can be yours starting today. The new entry-level MBP gets a 2.3GHz quad-core i7, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $2,199.

[Source]

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Siri has been updated and upgraded, including a port over to the iPad. There’s more integrated search for sport scores, restaurants, movies, and so on. Apple has buddied up with Yelp and Rotten Tomatoes (among others) to get more up to date information. Siri can launch apps too; just say “Launch Facebook” and you’ll be posting embarassing pictures in no time.

The Phone app for the iPhone has some new features too, like being able to reject a call and immediately “Reply With Message.” There’s also a “Remind Me Later” function that will remind you to call the person back when you’ve left your current location. Related to that is the “Do Not Disturb” function where you still get your messages, but the screen doesn’t light up, the phone doesn’t vibrate, and there are no audio alerts.

FaceTime can now be used over 3G/4G.

Mobile Safari has support for offline reading lists, taking square aim at services like Instapaper and Pocket (formerly Read It Later). They’ve also introduced “Smart App Banners” where developers can alert users that there is an app for that site.

Other highlights include the Shared PhotoStream, the Passbook digital wallet for store loyalty cards, and the all new non-Google Maps app, complete with local business data, 3D views, and turn-by-turn navigation.

The beta version of iOS 6 is being released to devs today.

[Source]

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What looks to be like the most legitimate piece of iPhone 5 info we have yet seen, this video of a black unibody iPhone 5 from ETradeSupply is quite convincing. The back plate no longer has a back glass, in fact, there is no back plate at all. The entire phone is encased in a black aluminum shell, similar to the unibody MacBooks. Also, there is that new dock connector that we saw earlier which could be a new magsafe, the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom also, similar to the iPod line, and new speaker vents.
Up next to the iPhone 4, this model does look as though it is a bit longer, thus giving more weight to the 4-inch screen rumor. They believe the SIM card holder is slightly smaller, this could mean a MicroSIM only slot, or something new all together. The video doesn’t show much more than the photos do, but it sure is nice to see it in someone’s hands. Stay tuned next week where we may see this unveiled at WWDC.

[ Source via CydiaBlog ]

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While $249 isn’t cheap, it can certainly add some extended features to your Macbook that will make it seem and function more like a traditional desktop. To be honest though, if its just more Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 support you are after, it might be wise to wait for upcoming releases from Apple, perhaps even at the WWDC.

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This longer panel suggests a 16:9 style body and screen, and fits in with the idea of a longer, small port iPhone as well. The video shows the faceplate stacked up against the existing 4S. Keep in mind that it is really easy to throw together a convincing iPhone shell these days so this could be nothing more than a fake.

Honestly, the idea of a radically different iPhone seems reasonable though. The iPhone size and form factor has pretty much stayed the same since it first arrived in 2007, and if Apple is really making a huge change like eliminating the 30-pin iConnector, it might stand to reason they would be doing a bunch of major changes at once to really signal just how different this new iPhone is. While we don’t know much at this point, we can at least keep our fingers crossed and hope that we learn more solid information at WWDC.

With such a radical change in design and port style, I wouldn’t be shocked if Apple calls the next iPhone simply the new iPhone, just like they did with the iPad.

[ source ]

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WWDC 2012 is only a week or so away now and it is highly anticipated that we will finally see at least a beta of iOS 6. With that in mind, iMore created a wonderful piece talking about what features iOS 6 could possibly add, including what features it should borrow from existing platforms. We know that Apple is adding a Maps app that replaces Google data with Apple data, and might even include Siri turn-by-turn navigation, but what else?  Some are saying Facebook may be integrated, as it appeared in an unreleased iOS 4 build some time ago.  Let’s not forget Twitter too.

When Apple’s iOS first came out it managed to have a great UI but decided to to focus on this feature, leaving out some of the features that were commonplace in other platforms at the time. As iMore mentions, Apple had to be smart and understand what features would set it apart from the competition and what were great to add later but not needed immediately. For example, there are many features that have made their way into Windows Phone and Android that Apple skipped with iOS 5, but instead they choice to focus on something that neither of these platforms really had to offer- SIRI.

In iOS 6 we can likely expect them to ‘catch up’ on certain features such as direct file access, enhanced personalization and better account and social handling. At the same time, I’d also expect many brand new features, or at least one key new feature, that you just can’t get elsewhere.

Later this year, Windows RT and Windows 8 tablets are going to hit the market with really one major advantage against Apple, the ability to be shared with multiple users. It is in my opinion that more families are sharing devices so having a multiple account option in iOS 6 might not be a bad option for Apple. What kind of features do you hope that Apple borrows from other mobile operating systems?

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It was a bit of a surprise today when Steve Jobs walked out on the stage at WWDC to the tune of James Brown’s  ”I Got You (I Feel Good)” classic blasting over the PA system.  He took a leave back in January, but that didn’t stop him from appearing today. In high spirits and receiving much appreciation from 5000 Apple devotees, jobs kicked off the event with the announcement of iCloud. A cloud-based media streaming service that allows you to access your music and data from any Apple device connected to the internet, anywhere.  The service is free in beta now for up to 1000 songs, Reuters reports it will cost $24.99 a year beginning this fall for extra space.

iCloud stores your music, photos, apps, calendars, documents, and more. And wirelessly pushes them to all your devices — automatically. It’s the easiest way to manage your content. Because now you don’t have to.

Amazon and Google have their own cloud music services, but where iCloud differs and where it shines is that the software will simply scan your harddrive for your media, then give you access to it in the iCloud immediately and automatically; Google and Amazon require you to upload every song yourself.

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Apple kicked off the week with a sneak peak at iOS 5, the next version of the Apple mobile OS for iPhone, iPod and the iPad. The keynote address by Scott Forstall, Apple Senior VP, most importantly showed how the iOS 5 will add over 200 new features and eliminate the dependence on needing a computer. Soon customers without a computer can buy an iOS 5 device, the cord has been severed. iOS 5 will be released in the fall to consumers, while developers get to check it out later today once the Apple Developer’s Center goes back online.

One of the most notable features that is coming to iOS 5 is an overhaul of the notifications system. If you subscribe to notifications on your iOS device now, you’ll probably share the same frustration as we do when dealing with them. The one at a time pop-ups are like visiting a website in 1999, except were on a smartphone faster than our computers in 1999. iOS 5 will introduce the Notification Center, one single unified place for you to swipe down from the menu – Apple is following Android on this – which will bring up the new app showing push notifications, voicemails, texts, missed calls, etc. You will be much happier with this needed improvement when it comes out, as it will even allow you to swipe across notifications on the lock screen to be directed to the appropriate app that is giving you that notification; ie, a new free app offer from FAAD.

One thing is known about the iPhone and iPads, you need a computer to active it. With iOS 5, new devices will get a welcome screen allowing you to activate the device from the device itself. It’s not rocket science, but these small things are where Apple has been falling behind. Software updates will finally be OTA, meaning you will not have to sync to iTunes to get the latest jailbreak breaking patch. Forstall called this the cutting the PC cord.

Twitter is huge, Forstall explained how people are sending out 1 billion tweets a week. iOS 5 will support Twitter within the Settings app, with third-party clients being able to access your account details without the need of a separate login. Apple is integrating Camera, Photos, Safari, YouTube and Maps to take advantage of this.

Reminder app will kill a bunch of apps in the Apple store, but will give you integrated support for lists, to-dos with date and location stamping. Basically giving you an enhanced reminder service that melds with iCal and Outlook.

iMessage will be a new messaging app rolled out in iOS 5. It can send texts, photos (wow no more emailing them from picture viewer), videos, contacts, and group messaging. It seems like Apple is trying their hand at replacing SMS, MMS and mobile instant messengers like Skype since you will have delivery receipts, read receipts, and that indication “… is typing” when your friends are in the middle of typing back to you.

Safari is getting Reader, basically stripping ads and other fill leaving you with only the text, similar to the desktop Reader. You’ll have Reading Lists too, for saving stories for later. Tabbed browsing will now be more like having a tab on your browser, rather than a multi-tasking feel with the present Safari tabbed system. This may be just for the iPad since the screen real estate is scant on an iPhone.

I am very impressed by the iPhone 4 camera, as you can see here. iOS 5 will take faster photos from the lock screen by adding a shortcut – double tap the home button from a lock screen and your camera is ready to go – this is a great enhancement and shows Apple is thinking for the end user. New features within the Camera app will be grid lines for composition, rotate, red-eye reduction and iPhoto one-click enhance.

Newsstand is a devoted app for you to access digital newspapers. It looks like iBooks, except this one focuses on manages and newspapers letting publishers sell subscriptions that your device will automatically download.

Mail
iOS 5 will get rich text formatting like bold, italics, underline, and the ability to drag addresses between To and CC fields, which was never possible. Flags and even full-text searching for messages not downloaded on the device, but on the remote mail server.

Game Center is kicking ass. 100k game titles are available and Forstall says that 50 million gamers have signed on to Game Center in the nine months it has been live. Game Center will get more social, allowing you to share your own member photo, compare your scores with friends, see friends of friends, recommend friends, games and play turn-based games like chess.

That’s not all of course, there’s going to be over 200 new features in iOS 5, including a Split Keyboard, AirPlay mirror to your TV over Wi-Fi, iTunes Wi-Fi sync, multitouch gestures to flick between apps, iPad Music app, dictionary support, hourly weather forecasts, typing shortcuts, alternate routes in maps, voiceover options, wireless sync for Exchange tasks, FaceTime mid-call invitation alerts, improved FaceTime video quality, mass configuration, real-time stock quotes, custom vibration patterns, accessible input for mobility, improved offline support in Mail, voiceover item chooser, an option to speak text, and finally, the much anticipated and needed function to set your own custom tones for voicemail, mail, and calendar alerts.

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Apple has reached agreements with three of the four major music labels and is close to reaching terms with the fourth. Since Apple has probably paid a hefty sum for the cloud music licenses, it’s unclear how much of an effect this will have on consumers. One possibility is that the cloud-streaming service will be bundled into the MobileMe subscription service that costs $99 a year. Amazon’s Cloud Drive comes free with 5 GB of storage, and offers upgrades that include 20 GB for $20 a year. Google’s Music Beta will offer users the ability to store up to 20,000 songs without charge. Price-wise, there’s not much of a competition, but Amazon and Google haven’t been able to reach agreements with any labels.

After Amazon revealed their Cloud Drive, which allows users to upload their entire collections onto the company’s servers, the process forced Amazon to store multiple copies of the same songs. The labels were angered that Amazon stored the songs on their servers without paying the labels any extra fees. Google negotiated with the music labels for more than a year to create their cloud music service, then launched an unlicensed service when agreements didn’t go through. The music industry’s concern was that search results in Google and YouTube often point to pirated music. It seems the record companies won’t cease fighting cloud services until every last penny is taken from the pocket of the consumer and placed in the cold, dead hands of the record executives. With Apple willing to pay out the record companies, we’ll see if consumers will be free from the threats of the labels or if they will have to pay a big price for Apple’s cloud.

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