1. For E-Books With a Dedicated App – In addition to iBooks, an Amazon Kindle app is also available in the App Store for use with the iPad. The device lends itself so well to life as an e-book reader that Amazon drew heavily from it during the design phase of their newest e-reader offering, the Kindle Fire.
2. As a Gaming Device – Gaming on an iPad can be as simple as the flash games you’d find on a cellphone to more complicated offerings for the seasoned gamer. While the iPad isn’t quite on a par with the powerful gaming consoles and doesn’t compete with a laptop or desktop for computer gaming, it does offer solid entertainment for gamers on the go.
3. As a Portable Television – There is a veritable goldmine of television-related apps in the App Store; iPad users often take advantage of mass-transit commutes or other downtime to catch up on their favorite shows and movies.
4. As a Time-Killer – The iPad offers hours of aimless time-wasting potential for those that are so inclined; from carefree web browsing to catching up on celebrity gossip, the options for keeping a user occupied without accomplishing anything of note are nearly endless.
5. As a Magazine/Comic Book Replacement – The native PDF reader makes the iPad a first-choice option for comic book devotees, as does the larger display when compared to traditional e-book readers. For graphics-intensive periodicals, the iPad is a no-brainer.
6. As an Oversized iPod – In addition to providing a solid visual entertainment device, the iPad is also capable of storing and playing music in the same manner as it’s iPod and iPhone brethren.
7. On-the-Go Social Networking – For those who can’t bear to be separated from their favorite social networking site, the iPad is an ideal option for portable socializing. The display makes viewing photos easier than it would be on a mobile phone, and also allows for the downloading of dedicated apps.
8. For Photo Editing and Digital Art – Artists with a penchant for digital work are often avid fans of the iPad; one of the more popular uses for the device is photo editing and manipulation.
9. Trip Planning and Navigation – The wireless connectivity capabilities and larger, easy-to-read display make the iPad a great GPS option, as well as housing apps that can make planning any trip a breeze; frequent travelers love the iPad.
10. Workplace Productivity – The iPad is actually used to boost productivity, manage scheduling and keep track of a busy professional’s needs. The device also makes collaborative projects much easier through effortless sharing and editing tools.

Yes, the iPad can do much, much more, but when truly looking at how the majority of iPads are being used, this is definitely the Top 10.

Joystickers has created a Capacitive paint brush for the capacitive tablet devices such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Andriod tablets.  For those of you who just don’t get the right feel using your finger or a stylus, how about an actual paint brush?

Flow is $29.95 USD. Check it out at http://www.joystickers.com/products/flow.

Report from TUAW.

A very interesting discovery made on the Mac OS X Lion have led some to believe that Cupertino is planning to release Retina Display Macs. The new installment of the Mac OS X Lion beta program included very high resolution wallpapers that equal to a resolution measurement of 3200 x 3200. This has been concluded as the highest resolution images that Apple has bundled in their software. This, in turn, has indicated to some that Retina Display Mac are on the horizon.

MacRumors made some interesting observations that Apple added some under-the-hood changes which included these same extremely high resolution images, them also summing up that ultra-high resolution displays on Macintosh machines where immanent.

“Taking cues from iOS, Apple has reportedly built in support for what it calls “HiDPI display modes”. These HiDPI modes allow developers to supply 2x-enlarged images to support double-high resolution displays. Like the iPhone 4′s Retina Display, this means that user interface elements will remain the same size, but everything will be twice the resolution and therefore twice as detailed.”

MacMagazine.com found other ultra-high res images that Apple has added to the software further indicating the aforementioned theory. Appleicatoin icons have been doubled from the typical 512 x 512 res to 1024 x 1024.

These images wave flag that Apple may be taking the first steps to implementing such hardware when it comes available. Going by typically Apple fashion, the company may have already seized components necessary to make such machines and displays.

All Things Digital and MacRumors.com says that there’s an Apple Media event scheduled for March 2nd that is said to unveil the second rendition of Apple’s tablet the iPad.

To those who intensely care about this kind of stuff – which would be pretty much everyone in the tech ecosystem – Apple will hold its much-anticipated event on March 2, where the tech giant seems poised to unveil a new version of its hugely successful iPad.

The event is supposed to take place in San Francisco and events like these are usually held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

The iPad 2 is expected to improve speed wise and sport a lighter form factor.  Here’s what The Wall Street Journal says:

The new device will be thinner, lighter and will come with a faster processor, more memory and a more powerful graphics processor, said the people familiar with the matter. It will have a front-facing camera for the first time for features like video-conferencing, but the resolution of the new iPad’s display will be similar to the first iPad, they said.

Pictures of screens have also surfaced.

Update:  An announcement has been sent saying there will be an event on March 2nd!  Here’s what it looks like!

Many rumors recently have speculated that Apple will be updating their MacBook Pro laptops within the next month.  AppleInsider says that the update might occur within the next week!

People familiar with the matter say the Cupertino-based company late this week began briefing several of its operating segments to be on stand-by for a significant product launch that could come as early as next week. Those same people were not yet made privy to the specifics of the launch, however, which had earlier been anticipated for the following week.

The briefings appear to coincide with an impending launch of the company’s next-generation MacBook Pros, which AppleInsider previously reported were in production ahead of an unveiling slated to take place by early March.

The update is supposedly to contain a faster processor from Intel known as the Sandy Bridge processor.  Although this chip has been said to have design flaws in the first batch, the shipment of these new MacBook is said to be unaffected.

Adding to the pile of evidence is the push-back of many shipping dates for Apple MacBook Pro line from 24 hours to the range of one to five days.  Stay tuned next week for the possible event.

Everyone from Engadget to some devs messaging me personally are talking about Apples invitation that they sent out this week. The Back to the Mac event has been scheduled for October 20, 2010 and what could Apple have on the agenda to talk about? MacBook Air is due for a refresh, maybe the mention of this Verizon iPhone, of course stats of how Apple is doing (apparently great based on the opening start on the market this week breaking the $300 barrier), the new iLife and iWork software suite, the debuting of this mystery application we have been hearing about since August and based on the lion behind the Apple in the image, a look at Mac OS 10.7. Lion is one of the highly speculated names that has been spoken about among techies and…non-techies alike that Apple will use to codename their new operating system.

Possibly one of the most anticipated aspects of the new operating system would be the showing of the graduated Marble interface from Apples current Aqua one. This has been stirring up conversation since back in 2008 with even a couple of renditions of what the software could look like. Its definitely something that everyone is waiting to see being that some have felt Apple has almost forgotten about their Mac OS software in light of the highly successful iOS mobile software (in which it has many traits from its OS X brethren).

The MacBook (the entry-level one) is also due for a refresh by the way, so Apple might be throwing that in the lineup as well. We dont see any mentioning of the iMac or Mac Pro at the event, being that Apple just refreshed them not even three months ago. That being said, if any hardware is to be on the list, more than likely it is going to be about notebooks. However, being that Apple is primarily a software company, you can always bet that their is going to be software on the agenda. The event will kick off at the Apple Campus at the usual 10:00 AM PST, thats 11:00 AM for the folks in the Mountains, Noon for those in the Midwest and 1:00PM for the East coast.

The Denon AVR-4311CI has been reportedly flagged to gain AirPlay support in the near future.  This can be done by a company released firmware update allowing users to stream your favorite music from any iOS device to the receiver.  Here’s what engadget has to say:

Denon’s admittedly pricey AVR-4311CI — which was introduced in late April — may very well end up being the first major product to gain iTunes AirPlay compatibility retroactively. Yeah, retroactively. According to an updated product listing, the AVR will see a “planned upgrade” in the fall of 2010 that will “provide Apple iTunes AirPlay compatibility [that will let you] stream your favorite music to the AVR-4311CI.”

AirPlay is part of the recent update to iTunes and the soon to be updated iOS in November.  It allows you to stream your music, photos, and movies to wireless devices around your home such as the new Apple TV.  AirPlay will be available as an update to iOS 4.2 in November.

Yesterday during Apple’s media event, the leader of the portable music player released an update to its hot-selling mid range iPod – the iPod nano.  This update includes a huge physical appearance change by removing the click wheel and adding a 1.54-inch multi-touch display instead.  The device itself is 1.48 inches tall and 1.61 inches wide and includes a clip on the back making it wearable.  One neat feature demonstrated at the event is the ability to literally twist the interface to orient it the way you want no matter where it’s clipped.  The new nano also includes a built in FM radio that includes the ability to pause and go back 15 minutes, and works with the Nike sports kit, though the sensor is not included so you’ll have to purchase the receiver as well as the transmitter in the shoe.  The new nano also includes accessibility features as well such as VoiceOver for the interface which tells you what your finger is touching, White on Black which reverses the colors on the screen, and Mono Audio to remove the stereo aspect of your music.

One feature that seems to be lacking is the ability to play movies and videos.  None of the available icons on the home screen led to believe that this feature is currently available.  Also there is no camera on this version of the nano.

There are two models in 7 colors: 8GB for $149 (USD) and 16GB for $179 (USD).

This is the biggest update to the iPod nano to date and is available now online shipping in one week.

Well isn’t this something! While we don’t pay attention to this stuff at MacApper, this report definitely caught our attention. TechCrunch chimes in that they have been hearing buzz that an alarming amount of Verizon users are complaining about reception issues on the network (Wow!). Apparently, Motorola’s new addition, the Droid 2, is having multiple issues with reception when held in the hand of users. Not only that, the report states that they have been informed from their sources that the device even loses reception when not in contact of a hand (i.e. a protective case).

Mentioning the results from several reviewers, the report discloses that the reviews experienced a constant fluctuation in reception reading in several of the Android handsets. Not only that, users are reporting issues with the devices ability to hold a charge throughout the day. Reading through the comments made on the report, a surprising number of users have confirmed TechCrunch’s findings.

There has been advice from other Android users informing owners of the device that they are probably holding the device improperly, such as in a gripping manner. However, they have mentioned even with a casing and “without holding it wrong,” they are still experiencing abnormal reception loss.

With the iPhone 4, the media has dubbed it “antennagate.” Be that as it may, apparently, very few to nobody has been returning their iPhone 4 handset given the recent numbers exposed and very little Apple Stores having the ability to keep the thing on the shelf. Gizmodo, the people who leaked the iPhone on the Internet before it was released, also showed the antenna “situation” as they called before the mass media had a field day with it. To provide the customer satisfaction the Apple has been widely acclaimed for gaining, Cupertino is offering free cases for every single iPhone 4 till September 30 by way of the iPhone Case Program app, available on the App Store. The application identifies your device automatically.

We couldn’t tell you if this is a software issue or hardware one, but it seems like there’s definitely a problem. News seems pretty fresh being that only our friends over at AppleInsider have been the only ones to report it so far. We wouldn’t be surprised if the media takes this Android phone and have a field day with it as well, being that Motorola is a major mobile phone maker and they have been recorded in history taking jabs at Apple. One things for certain, “antennagate”, as they so put it, is definitely not unique to the iPhone.

As we expected (much sooner than we expected) here at MacApper, Apple has released the trackpad software update for the MacBook for owners to utilize the three-finger window managing feature that is present in the new Magic Trackpad.  Trackpad update 1.0 carries a 75MB data weight count and requires Mac OS 10.6.4 to be installed as the current OS firmware. The update also provides support for the Magic Trackpad.

The following machines support both inertial scrolling and three-finger window management.

MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009)

MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009)

MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008)

Apple has also released updates for Windows-operated machines to utilize the Magic Trackpad. The update comes in at 6.6MB and is available for both the 32 and 64-bit worlds Microsoft has to offer (64-bit download weighs half of the 6.6MB download for the 32 bit). The update is ready for all Macs running Windows via Boot Camp and Windows machines that incorporate Bluetooth technology.

With the most expected product release from Apple this week, the 27-inch LED Apple Cinema Display has arrived for users of MacBooks and Mac Pros who have waiting for the tech to present themselves. In addition to that, Apple has decided to retire the 24-inch Cinema Display as well as the massive 30-inch display that has been on sale for some time now. Confirmation has been received that Apple will only sell the two displays “while supplies last” for a lower price than the new 27-inch.

The new 27-inch will begin shipping in September and presents a 60% increase in display landscape. Along with that, it supports the same 2560 by 1440 pixel count that the company’s 27-inch iMac incorporates. Also like the iMac, the new display also has an iSight camera built right in along with a microphone, speakers and USB 2.0 as well as a MagSafe port as an addition. An ambient light sensor is also embedded into the display to detect change in lighting condition. The display will then adjust its light and power consumption according to optimize performance and viewing aspects. Like the iMac, MacBook, iPhone and iPad, the display incorporates the same In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology that provides unrivaled color accuracy and picture clarity at any position within the product’s 178° viewing angles.

Probably one of the most interesting inventions of this week’s array of new Apple developments is the introduction of the Apple Battery Charger. Even though Apple has been developing their own batteries for quite some time now, it rather new to see them step in the cylindrical power cell aspect of battery development. It extends further beyond that, however, with Apple not only providing in-house battery development for their customers to purchase with their wireless Mac products, these batteries, as well as the charger, offer something far better than the industry has to offer.

Unlike the alkaline battery producing giants Duracell and Energizer, Apple uses NiMH technology to power these cylindrical power cells. The battery cells can also be recharged and has a lifespan of up to ten (10) years for a single battery. In addition to an industry-leading lifespan, the batteries also possess an industry leading charge retainment. After a full charge, the batteries can be stored away for a year and still retain at least 80% of the original full charge.

Next to the batteries themselves, Apple has also produced a unique recharger. Mostly all of the chargers the industry produces charge battery cells at a constant voltage. Once the batteries are fully charged, the voltage from the charger remains the same resulting into what the industry and many consumers know as “overcharge.” As a result, battery life and battery lifespan are depreciated prematurely. Apple’s Battery Charger, in simple terms, has a brain. The charger can detect when the cylindrical cells are fully charged. At that instant, the charger dramatically decreases voltage and keeps the batteries both at full charge and from overcharging. On top of that, the charger has an industry-leading standby consumption, or “vampire draw,” of any charger. The industry average continues to draw 315mW (milliwatts) when in a standby state. Apple’s charger uses an amazing 30mW when in it’s standby position, that’s over 10 times less what the typical charger consumes.

The design, like all things Apple, is completely uniformed with all of Apple’s products. baring the same alternating current (AC) adapter design of many Apple plug-in products, the retractable prongs make it easy and neat to stow away in one of the drawers on you office or home and is interchangeable so you can support AC outlet plug standards around the world.

The main advantages behind the new Apple top-of-the-line rechargeable AA battery cells and Apple’s Battery Charger is that they are friendly to both the environment and your wallet. Being that the batteries are highly rechargeable and extremely long lasting, far less money is spent on one-time only alkaline cells, which mean far less batteries end up in trash heaps. Apple has definitely provided a better, more convenient mean to keep your Apple peripherals charged while even further reducing the company’s carbon footprint that they keep a very serious demeanor about.

Followed since before the introduction of the iPad, many people across the Internet have been wondering what the Magic Slate and Magic Trackpad name filing at the United States Patent and Trademark Office was for? Many thought that one of them was going to be the name of what we now know as the iPad. However, even after the iPads release, the name still lingered in the USPTO, sparking investigation across the Web on what Apple was cooking up for this name. Then this leaked image was released along with the blueprints for it that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received from the people in Cupertino¦

After the FCC approved the application, rumors spurred the Net that Apple was on the verge of releasing the device. Hence, the Magic Trackpad was bestowed upon us this week. In laymans terms, it is essentially the Multi-Touch trackpad stripped from the MacBook, made bigger (80% bigger) and placed to sit by itself. However, it brings all the Multi-Touch trackpad goodness from the MacBook experience to the iMac, Mac Pro and Mac mini (as well as some Windows machines out there incorporating Bluetooth as it seems). This has possibly been the most examined product out of the flurry of technology that has been released this week from Apple. Already in Apple Stores ready fro customers to test out as well as purchase, it has already been speculated what the main objective is for the Magic Trackpad: Replace the point-and-click mouse. Douglas Engelbart, creator of the mouse, has provided a technology that has served as the longest-standing human input device (aside from the keyboard) for the personal computer for three decades now. In fact, it was Apple who ditched the rolling ball/pool ball pointing method and adopted the point-and-click mouse with the introduction of the Mac and its graphical user interface (GUI) in 1984, making both technologies widely and highly popular in computing and setting the standard for computers. Its pretty much guaranteed that Apples creation of GUI is laser-etched in steel and reinforce five times over (meaning that technology will never be obsolete), it seems that the mouse has taken a few blows in these past decades. Probably the heaviest one of all is the introduction of Multi-Touch technology. Made popular by the guys in Cupertino, Multi-Touch is spreading like wildfire among the industry. However, it was never, as some would say, properly introduced to the desktop machine. The Magic Trackpad looks like its out to give formal hello to the desktop computer.

The device incorporates all the functions of the Multi-Touch trackpad thats presented on the MacBook. In addition to that, a new gesture comes in to play on the Magic Trackpad  the ability to move your windows about the screen with a three-finger gesture. As of right now, this is only present on the Magic Trackpad and has proven quite useful from those who have been using the gesture. It isnt yet present in the MacBook, but over here at MacApper, we highly expect a software update for that feature to be present within a couple days. The device is wireless connecting by way of Bluetooth, which is standard on every Mac. Like all things Apple, it definitely complements and just looks like it belong with any Mac or Apple product for that matter, sitting flush next to the Wireless Apple Keyboard. Two AA batteries power this smooth-feeling device and like the Magic Mouse and Wireless Apple Keyboard, it detects when activity is idle and decreases use of power to preserve battery life. To operate it on your Mac, you will need  Mac OS 10.6.4 and the latest software update. Just like the MacBooks trackpad, it does in fact click when pressure is applied to initiate single and double clicking commands. AS far as design goes, its beautiful to look at and even more beautiful to feel. Cut from the same aluminum material as the Apple Keyboards and same anti-wear glass of the MacBooks trackpad.

Apple has been notoriously known to set the standard. The company has been the first for many things and watched as the industry adapts it while they move on to the next soon-to-be standard. They where the first to implement the mouse, graphical user interface, all-in-one computer design, floppy disks, optical discs, USB, FireWire, 802.11 wireless fidelity, mini HDD, Multi-Touch as well as a few others and the first to discontinue use of some of these technologies and replacing them with new ones that the industry hasnt done yet. Despite what Apples motives are with the Magic Trackpad, it seems it will unintentionally (or intentionally) make an attempt to replace the mouse human input device.

With the new introduction of Apple products that were speculated to arrive recently, Apple has introduced the new and improved iMac. The latest rendition of the flagship and 1984 industry-setting desktop Mac lineage receives an increase in brainpower with a new line of CPU standards and the storage to go with it. Apple delivers this all in the same simple, yet gorgeous design of the last generation’s body.

Apple has decided to retire the Core 2s jersey and draft in Intels new pride and joy, the Core i series. Every iMac from this day forward comes standard with Intels Core i3 dual-core processors that packs more power using less of it. The Core i series is more energy efficient that the previous praised Core 2 models. With that, Intel brings Turbo Boost to the Core i lineup, allowing the chips to exceed the speed that they are originally clocked at. The i3s pack a punch when it comes to speed ranging from 3.06 to 3.2GHz. Users can also choose the Core i5 dual-core models that clock in at snappy 3.6GHz. With the 27-inch iMac models, Apple is providing the option to double the processing cores with the i5 and i7 offerings. The quad-core i5s offer customers quad-core calculating power with the speed to boot. i5s with four cores clock in at 2.8GHz. The i7 comes zooming in at 2.93GHz on a four-core processor. All Core i players support Hyper-Threading.

With the addition of the new CPU line up, Apple has made more room for data to stay and has sped up how fast your machine stores and retrieves it. Along with the ability to hold up to two terabytes of ATA data storage, Apple gives the option for you to add an additional 256GB of SSD (Solid State Storage). Compared to the the conventional hard disk, SSD stores everything much faster because everything is stored on one layer (like the iPhone, iPod and iPads flash storage), preventing the need for a moving head or parts, and by default, drastically decreasing the potential for data corruption due to shock.

Apple has also nixed the NVIDIA graphics cards and made AMD/ATI graphics the standard for the iMac. ATIs Radeon HD 4670 GPU with 256MB of GDDR3 memory comes standard on the new iMac. As an option, the machines can utilize the Radeon HD 5670 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory.

Apples has definitely beefed up the iMac lineup for the Mac OS X software to tap into even more power create an enjoyable, smooth experience. The new line is priced the same as the previous starting with the 21.5-inch model starting at $1199 and offer personal configurations at apple.com

As rumored throughout the Internet, Apple has released a flurry of new products today. Among the collection of new additions, Apple has debuted its long awaited 12-core Mac Pro, undoubtedly the fastest personal computer on the planet.

The new Mac Pro, due for retail and delivery this August, comes packed with Intels new Nehalem and Westmere Xeon processors that contain six-cores on a single dierunning up to a snappy3.33GHz and comes complete with the company’s new Turbo Boost feature, allowing the chips to exceed speeds they are originally clocked at. With the Turbo Boost feature, Intel has also incorporated integrated memory controllersthat give direct access to the RAM for the CPUs, further increasing responsiveness from the machine. Also, with each individual physical core, there are two virtual cores, giving the Mac Pro 24 virtual cores that are recognized by Mac OS X: Snow Leopard. These chips boost the performance and production of the Mac Pro fifty percent (50%) compared to the previous generation.

“The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and configurable Mac we’ve ever made. With up to 12 cores, the new Mac Pro outperforms our previous top-of-the-line system by up to 50 percent, and with over a billion possible configurations, our customers can create exactly the system they want.” “ Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

To add more ability to power, the titan machine can hold two Xeon processors like its predecessor, giving the user the option to wield astonishing 12-core processing power at their command. With that, Apple has made storage and RAM containment possibilities on the machine simply jaw-dropping. Cupertino has given the ability to hold up to four 1TB and/or 2TB Serial ATA (Advance Technology Attachment) HDDs (equals to up 8TB storage capacity in total) and up to four 512GB (just about 2.05TB) SSDs (Solid State Drive). The computer can also house up to 32GB of DDR3 memory (four per processor) clocked up to a speed of 1333MHz (1.33GHz), combining that power with stability of the 64-bit processing capacities of Snow Leopard to result in alarming application and OS response.

Apple has moved from NVIDIA graphics and has made ATI/AMD Radeon graphic cards the standard for the new Mac Pro. The machine comes running on a ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 with two Mini DisplayPorts and a dual-link DVI port. The ATI Radeon 5870 is also an available option. It offers an even faster clock speed and wider memory bus than the 5770 chip  You can also chose to hold two Radeon 5770 GPUs at once, giving you support for up to 6 displays.

Last but not least, Apple has finished up the new powerhouse to its collection of computers with some I/O. Two FireWire 800 ports in the front accompany the USB 2.0 ports along with a 3.5mm headphone jack for your audio peripherals. On the back are three USB 2.0 ports, two more FireWire 800s, optical audio in and out as well as analog audio I/O and the Mini DisplayPort and dual-link DVI of the graphics module. They also kept the two dual-layer SuperDrive option.

The new Mac Pro is definitely a step ahead of its previous rendition. Plenty of power compels this machine for any professional who demand speed and power into their workflow. The new Mac Pro is scheduled to be shipped and delivered in the upcoming August month with retailing starting at $2499.00 for the quad-core, $3499 for the eight-core and $4999.00 for the twelve-core base model configurations.

There has been information given that has led many to believe that Apple is going to be implementing the iPhone OS in to the Apple TV device. Not only that, the software will be able to stream wirelessly 1080p resolution content and the software will be powered by Apple’s own built Apple A4 SoC processor. Apple has even been speculated to offer all this a $99.

Engadget has received word from a tip that was later confirmed by someone who is “close to Apple” that the aforementioned features would be included in the refresh of the Apple TV. I’m addition to the hardware and software update, the source also stated that the device would incorporate 16GB of flash memory for local storage. The software will enable people to stream content from a remote storage source to the device, making movies, music, pictures, etcetera stateless on the device.

“Not only will this be priced to sell (like hotcakes), it seems that Apple is moving away from the model of local storage and will be focusing the new ATV on cloud-based storage (not unlike Amazon’s streaming scheme, though we’re talking instant-on 1080P, a la Microsoft),” the report said. “For those still interested in keeping their content close, there will be an option to utilize a Time Capsule as an external storage component, but the main course will be about streaming.”

The new make of the Apple TV is said to be small with only a power cable and a video-out. Most people familiar with the situation have described it as an “iPhone without a screen.” There hasn’t been any word yet on whether the speculated new Apple TV will run iPhone applications on it’s new platform. However, Joshua Topolsky of Engadget has stated that “it makes sense given the shared platform.” The new device, according to Engadget, will not be announced this year at WWDC, but the project by Apple is currently “full steam ahead” and has the green light to push forward.

Apple has had the project under development long before Google announced their own TV lovechild to compete with the boys south of them in Cupertino. The Google TV will utilize their created Android operating system and stream Internet video as well give support to the applications from the Android Marketplace. Google is set to roll that product out sometime this fall and offer it as a set-top box and integrated into Sony televisions.

Apple TV currently costs $229 and come with a 160GB storage. Apple use to provide a 40GB option, but eventually decided to discontinue that version of it. Apple’s latest update to the Apple TV software made improvements to the menu for faster navigating and it enabled the ability to watch iTunes LP and iTunes Extra content on the device. Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray some time ago envisioned Apple implementing Apple TV software into a HDTV device where the user could get all the same functions of the Apple TV and even fabricated that Apple could implement a TV service subscription where the end user could pay a fee and watch or listen to any content on demand such as movies, TV shows and live events. Gene hypothesized such a software could further solidify Apple in front of the competition.

Scavenging through iPhone OS 4, developers discovered several tips that greatly support the speculation from many experts, most notably John Gruber from Daring Fireball, that support their theory that Apple will be including another camera on the device for video conferencing and other visual means. Evidence of an iChatAgent with the user name mobile attached to it was posted on Net recently. Gruber gave mention on to what he believes is going to be included in the next iPhone, which includes:

• A4 CPU SoC (System on a Chip)
• 960 x 640 display resolution
• Second front-facing camera
• Multitasking for third-party apps

So far, one of Johns revelations have come true, with Apple introducing multitasking, along with a boatload of features at the April 8th Event for the unveiling of the new OS.

Given these recent discoveries in the iPhone beta, its looking like John, as well as a bunch of other people, can cross another thing off the list.

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Besides the iPhone performing impeccably, second overall to it came the ERIS and Nexus One handsets from HTC. Both devices performed well with some line waviness, far from the accuracy of the iPhones touchscreen technology. As you may know, HTC is currently in a suit with Apple for infringing on numerous amounts of Apples patents, including touchscreen and software functionality (such as the Multi-Touch control recently employed across the Android platform that, many have agreed, are identical to the ones on the iPhone OS). The Palm Pr? performed well, second to the iPhone, in the medium pressured test, but had dramatic signal loss when the light-pressure test was applied. The Blackberry Storm 2 had reasonable performance, but also showcased significant signal loss in the light-pressured testing. The worst out of the bunch was the Motorola Droid. The Droid showcased dramatic line waviness and lost signals in just the medium-pressured test. In its light-pressure test performance, sensor detection was almost nonexistent in most areas.

In the conclusion of the test, MOTO explained that its not only the quality of the touchscreen response in any given device, but the operating system design and its ability to coexist with the technology are also major factors. They concluded by stating that the iPhone presents the most advance technology in a device on the market. They also mentioned that the other tech giants are currently working on perfecting their alternatives to Apples patented material.

“We know for a fact that the solutions in these phones (other than the iPhone) are all last-generation silicon and touch panel components — the other touch screen makers are hard at work perfecting their new solutions, and they may just leapfrog Apple in some areas when they arrive on the market over the next year.

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International Class 009: Computers; computer software; computer operating system software; computer utility software; computer hardware; computer peripherals; scanners; touchscreens; keyboards; computer mice; trackballs; trackpads; touchpads; light pens; joysticks; game controllers; graphics tablets; digitizers; cables and connectors; flash memory drives; USB drives; solid state storage devices; barcode readers.

Now, its not really crystal clear what the name is being applied to, such as a new, redesigned trackpad for the MacBooks or a separate trackpad device. However, there has been some whispering about a Multi-Touch “trackpad gadget” that Apple is speculatively developing, that is, according to John Gruber. John Gruber is the same guy who accurately predicted the intro to several Apple products ahead of a launch event back in October¦except for this trackpad device he was blabbing about. Then the rumor gained traction and took off like a B-19 into the air when the whole iSlate and Magic Slate trademark finding surfaced. Now at that point-in-time, the iPad was being talked about all over the industry (and the Net of course¦most definitely the Net!) which, eventually, was later introduced as the iPad (thus, eliminating the whole iSlate theory). With this new finding after the iPad intro back in January, It is looking like Apple is planning to try and wow us again with something. Which, typically, they do very well. They have made it a habit apparently, being all their event are SRO (Standing Room Only, and we are not joking. Apple doesn’t like empty seats).

This isn’t the first time Sesame Street has showed some integration with our fruit-flavored overlords.  Last year the video podcast The Word on the Street debuted, featuring man on the street interviews with the new muppet Murray on a certain topic and classic Sesame Street clips that explore a similar theme.  As a parent to two little ones, having The Word on the Street in my pocket has made me a hero on more than one occasion.

The Word on the Street has recently been replaced by “Happy Healthy Monsters” in the same Sesame Street podcast feed on iTunes. Parents can also find other Sesame Street moments floating around iTunes.  The 1986 childhood classic Follow That Bird is available for rent or download, special episodes that touch on important subjects are available for free, and regular season episodes can be purchased in the Store.

If you’ve ever wondered where Sesame Street fits into last year’s popular ad campaign, Elmo is indeed a Mac.  Parents rejoice!

When most people think of Apple and it’s relationship with Blu-ray, the first thing that usually comes to mind is what Steve Jobs said last fall.  When discussing the licensing and fees involved in manufacturing the hardware he pulled no punches; “Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt.”  But what most people seem to forget is the second part of that quote, where he goes on to say “we’re waiting till things settle down and Blu-ray takes off in the marketplace.”

Well things have settled down a bit.  Blu-ray, once merely a contender for the future of disc-based media, has won a resounding victory over it’s competitor HD-DVD.  Blu-Ray drives are available (and now becoming commonplace) in higher end Windows-based PC’s.  Q1 2009 sales of blu-ray movies were more than double those from the previous year.  Yes, it looks like blu-ray is here to stay for the forseeable future.  But does that mean Apple wants any part of it?

According to PC World, a prerelease version of iTunes 8.2 was shipped to developers this past Tuesday that indicated the program would indeed offer Blu-ray disc playback.  While it does seem a clear indicator that we can expect a blu-ray rollout in the near future, there’s another side to this that’s just not being explored.

There seems to be a trend towards the abandonment of physical media in recent years, a trend that was spearheaded by iTunes at its inception.  And while blu-ray is certainly beginning to cement itself into living rooms and dens across North America, there’s another school of thought that sees it as the last in a dying series of store-bought goods.  Blu-ray may have won the battle over physical media, but it’s still embroiled in a war against downloadable content — a war in which Apple is a five-star general.  The iTunes Store already offers up high definition feature films that are in direct competition with blu-ray. Apple would essentially be adding the competitions hardware to Macs.

And yet maybe that’s what they need to do.  Staying relevant is an important thing in the tech world.  Offering consumers the choice between blu-ray films and downloadable HD content may be a step that Apple needs to take so that they aren’t defeated by their own hubris.  Even Jobs himself didn’t deny the possibility, remember?  “”we’re waiting till things settle down and Blu-ray takes off in the marketplace.”  Things settled down, even for the licensing headaches that last October were “a bag of hurt.”  In February Sony, Philips and Panasonic got together to announce a new licensing structure that should take all of the pain out of the process.

But what does this all mean?  The image seen above, while likely real, isn’t really confirmation of anything in particular.  It’s just as likely that Apple uses as blanket “About Us” statement across all platforms, and that iTunes 8.2 may simply offer blu-ray playback for PC users that are already enjoying the format through a different media player.  Will Macs ever see the option of blu-ray playback?  Given the seemingly dying nature of physical media, will you be annoyed if they don’t?

The Metroid has become my every-day bag for work and school. In addition to my 15″ MacBook Pro, the bag has plenty of pockets for accessories such as the power adapter, a mouse, and my iPod. Even with all those things, the main compartment still has enough room to allow me to hold a few textbooks.

The bag is 2250 cubic inches and has ten pockets. There are two unique features of the bag: the water-resistant, fleece-lined audio pocket and the file holder.

The file holder is great for carrying loose papers and folders without them getting mangled by whatever else you are carrying.

The laptop compartment has sufficient padding and is located in the back of the bag with a side zipper, making it harder for would-be thieves to simply snatch your computer. The front pocket of the bag features an easy-access pocket for plane tickets and inside has quite a few organizing pockets.

The construction of the bag is excellent with reinforcements in all the right places as well as an all metal zipper system. If you are looking for a backpack style laptop bag for your Mac, I highly recommend the Ogio Metroid.

I received the ID messenger bag along with the Brain Cell to protect my MacBook Pro. As a student it is very important to have a sturdy bag to carry my computer in. After using the bag for about a month it still looks exactly the same as the day I got it and it has saved my computer multiple times.

The ID messenger bag ($140) can be used alone or with the Brain Cell. The front flap has a pocket with a splash-proof zipper and both sides have small electronics pockets lined with ultrasuede material and closed with splash-proof zippers. All three of these pockets were very useful, especially the electronics pockets for things like my iPod and sunglasses. The zippers even have a tiny opening so you can pass your earbud cord through without worries of damage. The inside of the bag has two pockets, an organizer pocket for pens and other small items and a large main pocket. The main pocket can be used for holding books or it can hold a Horizontal Brain Cell which can be locked in place using the built in (and removable) annex clips.

When the Brain Cell is installed, the main pocket is full so you just have the front pocket to work with. While this is enough to hold pens, pencils, and some computer accessories, there is no room for books. With the Brain Cell removed, the bag can hold one average sized textbook or a few novels, folders, and a binder.

The ID is also ultra-customizable. The shoulder strap is removable, allowing different straps to be attached. You have a choice of the standard strap, Absolute shoulder strap ($20), or the Q-AM shoulder strap ($15). While the standard strap is excellent, I really liked the Q-AM strap. Q-AM stands for Quick-Adjust Messenger and it is exactly that. It includes a stabilization strap that hooks to the bag to keep it on your back, making it ideal for riding a bike. I also found it useful to keep the bag out of the way while riding the bus. The Absolute shoulder strap has a soft, neoprene pad and with a specialized stretch backing for extra comfort.

A few other useful accessories that can be added to the bag are organizer pouches ($5-$10) and key straps ($2) which clip onto rings inside the smaller inside pocket and help keep your small items organized.

The Brain Cell ($60) case allowed me to safely carry my MacBook Pro in the ID messenger bag. The Brain Cell is hard sided and has plenty of soft padding inside to make me feel safe while carrying my laptop on the bus, to class, and to the library. The top has a secure velcro closure, and the case even features handles and D-rings (for attachment of a strap) if you want a minimalist (but still extremely protective) laptop case.

Overall I was highly impressed with the quality, durability, and protection of the ID messenger bag and Brain Cell laptop case from Tom Bihn. The ID is a great medium sized messenger bag either alone or with the Brain Cell and I highly recommend the combo.

But 2008 has been an interesting year, and it all started with a comment at a small event, known as MacWorld from a Mr Steven P. Jobs (ever heard of him, I certainly haven’t):

“[Big List of New Stuff]…all this in the FIRST two weeks. And we’ve got 50 more weeks to go!” At the time, it stuck in my head. Is it just a passing comment, or does he really mean Apple have 50 more products (at least!) to bring out this year? To my amazement, he seems to have meant it. Look Back. Every week, without fail, there has been some kind of Apple update:

Jan 7 – Mac Pros
Jan 15th – Macworld – Duh! – Mainly iPhone software update, as well as Movie Rentals
Jan 22nd – Pink nano
Jan 29th – MBA Ships + New UK iPhone tariffs
Feb 5th – iPod Touch + iPhone upgrades
Feb 12th – Aperture + 10.5.2
Feb 19th – Xsan + iPod Shuffle

Admittedly, some of these are minor, however I think it shows Apple’s desire to be on top of the market and to lead the way in product innovation. But could this be the year in which Apple updates every Tuesday? Is that even possible?

This Tuesday should see the release of the long awaited ‘Mobile’ OS X SDK, and then we’re into March. That’s a full 8 weeks in which Apple has pulled something out of Infinite Loop and wowed us all. And don’t forget, the MacBook Pro is overdue for an update, and in recent times the MacBook has been updated within weeks of it’s big brother, so Apple is not short of new stuff that it can bring out. Looking further into the year we have iPhone 2.0 almost confirmed, and maybe even a sneak peek at 10.6 at WWDC.

Whatever happens, this is a big year for Apple. With the growth of iPod sales slowing, Apple must explore new markets to keep investors happy and the stock price high; we’ve already seen this year what a mediocre MacWorld can do… All this leaves me wondering: what is left for 2008? Will Apple stick to the current trend of an update a week? Keep your RSS feeds burning on Tuesdays to find out!

So was it worth the wait?

Oh yes, very much.

As soon as my RSS feeds started to light-up with the release announcements late Tuesday afternoon, I quickly found a reason to leave work early and hit the road home. The update itself took about 15-20 mins (depending on your connection) to download and install, and before I knew it I was presented with the new menu system, including a beautiful background of movie art. Before I give my initial impressions, let me highlight the new features of AppleTV take 2:

• iTunes Movie Rentals. 30 days after a DVD release you can download DVD or HD quality movies
• New DVD quality – $3.99
• New HD quality – $4.99
• Library titles DVD quality – $2.99
• Library titles HD quality – $3.99
• Rentals are available for 30 days from download and 24 hours from when you start watching
• Support for 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround sound
• No computer required – AppleTV sources direct from the internet (local computers still supported)
• No need to switch sources – AppleTV groups available iTunes content from all associated local computers (Mac or PC)
• Preview and download Movies, TV Shows, Music and Podcasts direct from AppleTV
• Podcasts now stream directly to AppleTV, including HD podcasts
• Photo library support for .Mac Web Gallery and Flickr accounts
• Updated UI for browsing Movies, TV Shows, Music and Podcast content
• Support for AirTunes

Reading back over the list above, AppleTV now brings most of the main iTunes and photo browsing features you’d expect on your Mac or PC to your large HD TV. No longer do you need to run back to your computer to download new content and then sync over; you can do this directly from the comfort of your couch.

So now that we have the update in our hands, how does it perform?

Movie Rentals, TV Shows, Music and Podcasts each have the same new user interface. The display is structured into multiple rows with select highlighted titles at the top, followed by top downloaded/listened to, new titles and staff favorites. Using the standard Apple remote, you scroll to the right and left to see additional titles as the cover art scrolls with the very familiar Coverflow effect. Navigation throughout is just as you would expect.

Selecting a title brings up individual details of that selection. This includes a larger view of the cover art, a description, some specifics like Show Details and options to Preview, Rent or Download. At the bottom is a list of other titles rented by users who have also viewed the current title.

The true killer new feature for me is the ability to stream video Podcasts. Now at my fingertips I have access to the full range for Podcasts available from the iTunes Store and can either flick through the featured selection or search directly by title. Streaming and quality isn’t so much dependent on your own internet connection, but the source from which the Podcast is being streamed. Note that, unlike paid content, Podcasts are not hosted or served-up by Apple. Many of the more popular Podcasts stream immediately without interruption. In some cases I tried to view some that I’d never heard of before, and they either didn’t begin to play or I got a message stating “Unable to play selected song” (the error message needs to be corrected for Podcasts). At any rate, I was able to catch up on a couple weeks worth of Mahalo Daily before turning in for the night.

Given the size of my music library, I have not synced any music over to the AppleTV. Before, I would have had to change the source and point to my MacBook Pro, but now with this update it’s as simple as selecting “My Music” and AppleTV displays all the music and playlists from each available source – a much simpler solution.

“Photos” is also now able to view all photos and albums from each available source. The ability to view .Mac Web Galleries and Flickr galleries worked well – I didn’t run into the same problems Steve did during his Macworld Keynote.

YouTube features appear to be the same as before; I didn’t see any change here.

Overall, I have to say that I’m really, really impressed with the software update. AppleTV is now what it should have been a year ago. I was an early adopter and purchased one as soon as I could after Macworld 2007, and although it lacked most of the above features, I still found it a great devise that we used regularly. With the full range of iTunes Store content and the addition of Movie Rentals from all the major movie studios available it finally feels complete.

I’m sure Apple will find many ways to further extend the feature-set over the coming years, but for now, the on-demand, streaming content that is available to you is incredible. With the writers strike now wrapping up, it will be months before we see a return of new shows. In the meantime, I think Apple has been handed an opportunity to fill the content gap and draw in new users. Retailing for $229/40GB and $329/160GB, the AppleTV is positioned at a very reasonable price for a devise that is going to open the door to floods of rich new content that will cause the Apple halo effect to only continue to draw in new adopters in droves. The AppleTV revolution has just begun.

Have you found any hidden gems? Please add your thoughts and impressions in the Comments section below.

Yesterday, 2 methods for ‘breaking the iPhone/iTouch were released. iJailbreak, the super user-friendly method that requires the pressing of a single button, and the Dev team’s own personal (and much more technical) method, lovingly called Jailbreak-1.1.3. I took the risk of putting my own iPod touch through iJailBreak’s paces.

Although I don’t really have a problem using Terminal, whenever there’s an option, I like to just make it easier on myself and use a GUI. So, I headed here and grabbed a copy of iJailBreak. After hitting the “Jailbreak” button, the app correctly identified that I was running 1.1.1 on an iPod touch, and i told it to continue. It starts by downloading a copy of Apple’s 1.1.3 firmware, and then patching it, and then uploading it to the device. Once it’s on the device, it tells you to go into Installer.app on your 1.1.1 or 1.1.2 (Dev team says only 1.1.2) device and download the “1.1.3 soft upgrade” from the System tab in Installer.

(I found the instructions window after moving some things around)

I was starting with a Jailbroken iPod touch (1.1.1 but then updated via OkToPrep), and then used iJailbreak for the rest of the dirty stuff. It really wasn’t difficult to do, but I had to make sure to refresh the sources manually in Installer.app to get “1.1.3 soft upgrade” to show up. Now, there’s supposedly another method from the “true” Dev team available on Installer, but as I had already used the other method, I can’t verify that it works.

But, I can tell you that I’m currently up and running with a 1.1.3 iPod touch complete with iPhone apps et all, and all it took was a little perseverence and a lot of patience. Check out the iJailbreak page for more information.

Yes, the Macbook Air is quite sexy. I think that a lot of the Apple products get instant “wow” power, based on great design, and ease of use. But in the long run, is the Macbook Air a laptop that YOU would buy? Is it powerful enough for your tasks?

Let’s take it to the polls to get an idea.

As a power-user myself, I use a lot of processor hungry applications which deal with photo processing, audio processing, video editing, and more. The Macbook Air is not a product for me. The question that I am asking myself is: “Who is this computer for?” Is it for the internet savvy, with it’s lack of optical drive, and emphasis on wireless? Is it for the environmentally friendly, with it’s “green” design?

Is it for the traveler, for it’s small size? I would almost say all of those, but I find the price to be too close to that of a Macbook Pro to justify a purchase. I am asking you, the readers, who is this laptop for? Let us know what you think, and if you think the product is worth the price!

But for less than 1/3rd the cost!

You might want to grab a coffee as this tutorial is quite large. It was also designed with both the novice and newbie in mind, and therefore is full of plenty of screenshots to help you along.

Disclaimer: Please note that I am not interested at all in cries of software piracy or license misuse involved with using a patched Leopard DVD to run OS X on a PC. I have bought more than my share of Jaguar, Tiger and now Leopard software to really have much of a problem with it. If I am making you queasy already then you might want to read Apple’s OS X SLA and go back to watching Cosby Show re-runs with your sister.

Glad you’re still with us! So in order to install Leopard on a PC you need to remove the code built into OS X checking for authentic Apple hardware. You could download a torrent of a ready made patched Leopard DVD (which is likely illegal in most countries) or you can choose to build a patched copy of your own store bought DVD, or the one that came with your Mac (quasi-legal). If you want to go the torrent route you could try searching for Kalyway leopard 10.5.1 but that’s as far as I can help you with that. As far as patching goes the guys at lifehacker have an immensely thorough procedure for building a patched DVD so I won’t rehash the process here. Either way get yourself a copy and prepare for the real meat of the operation ahead.

Without these guys none of this would be possible. The OSx86 wiki and InsanelyMac are ground zero for all of this stuff so you can direct your browser there to get aquinted with the project. They would prefer bloggers don’t link to files or threads over there so I will do my best to comply with that.

The Parts

There is no definitive hardware selection to build a perfect Hackintosh box but the following gear worked very well for me and others. To be more accurate, the wrong hardware can cause serious issues and drivers can be a problem so be sure to check that your stuff is going to work okay. You can also expand on what I have selected here, like adding more drives for RAID, as the motherboard I chose supports this. The nice thing about building your own system is that you can configure it to your needs.

The following image shows all of the internal parts I used for my Hackintosh.

• Motherboard: Asus P5W DH Deluxe.
• Processor: Intel Core➢2 Quad Q6600 LGA775 (Retail Package).
• RAM: 4GB DDR2 5300 @ 667 Mhz.
• Video Card: eVGA eGeForce 8600GTS w/256 Megs RAM.
• Hard Drive: Seagate 320GB SATA II. 7200RPM. 16MB buffer.
• DVD Drive: Creative 8x (ancient, from old computer. Model DVD8401E. May 2000!)
• Case: Ultra Wizard ATX Mini-Tower w/350watt Power Supply.

Next let’s take a look at some of the costs involved…

What everyone is missing in all this however, is that the people this notebook is targeted towards couldn’t care less about any of that stuff. Let me break it down for you right after the jump.

It’s expensive and the battery isn’t removable. Are we talking about the iPod and the iPhone again? Because those products are the same way, and they were complete disasters, right? And as for the people who like to bring an extra battery with them on trips, isn’t that defeating the exact purpose of an ultraportable computer?

It doesn’t have firewire. Firewire is now only common with video cameras and hard drives. The people with MacBook Airs aren’t buying them for video editing. And the consumer-level cheaper hard drives are nearly all USB.

It doesn’t have ethernet. WiFi is nearly ubiquitous. In the 5-6 years I’ve owned a Mac, I have never once accessed the internet via ethernet. Maybe some of you have, but the few people that need it can buy the dongle.

But seriously, optical drive?! This seems crazy at first. The true downside here is using discs on-the-go. All other burning and installing can be done on the reasonably priced external drive. The only real sacrifice is DVDs. People will have to think ahead and rip them with Handbrake. But in the grand scheme of things, think back. When was the last time you used your optical drive? When was the last time you used it away from home?

Overall the reason this product is getting bashed online is because it’s not meant for the intense Mac followers (read: fanboys). It’s slimmed down and streamlined for people who just want a computer to go online, write papers, and listen to music. It is also aimed squarely at business professionals. Today I heard a group of high school seniors talking about how perfect it would be for college next year.

It may not have all the features that everyone wants, and it may be a little expensive, but it’s damn slick and enough for most people. Sound familiar? Apple is shooting for another iPod star with this notebook.