Technology Blog

Apple have quietly updated the Mac Mini-

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

- 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- 1.4″ thick Unibody enclosure
- NVIDIA GeForce 320M Graphics Card
- Built-in Power Supply
- HDMI port and Mini DisplayPort

More iPhone V4 features-

New 5mp camera

Video and iMovie for iPhone

iMovie

US$4.99

iOS4, unified inbox, finally!

iOS4 features

iBooks and PDF’s in your bookshelf.

Features

Video calling V4 to V4

Models

Apple have posted some examples of what can be acheived using HTML5 code.

While HTML5 is still an emerging technology, implementation has already begun by some major content providers-

http://www.apple.com/ipad/ready-for-ipad/

http://developer.apple.com/safaridemos/

Apple have updated the entry level MacBook-
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB DDR3 memory
250GB hard drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
Built-in 10-hour battery (WOW)
Polycarbonate unibody enclosure

More here-

http://www.apple.com/nz/macbook/

If you, like me, like your games, you may already have a PC with a number of games loaded and you might already subscribe to Steam’s game delivery system.

Well its now available for Mac, released this past week, with a number of games already available.

While still a little buggy and with numerous updates being delivered each day it opens up a new option for Mac gamers.

Portal is free to download until May 24th, puzzle game built on the Half Life engine.

Torchlight is a top down RPG, great fun to play.

More games are being released each week.

Steam has many advantages to purchasing from retail shops, automatic updates, better pricing, steam cloud save game files and more.

Go get it now.

Recently there has been a lot of coverage regarding this debate. Apple have said never, they are currently being investigated by the FTC for this.

There are a lot of pro’s and con’s for both sides, Apple and its supporters are hedging their bets on an emerging technology to replace flash in the long run and provide a better user experience for new mobile devices.

In the past few days some heavyweights have had their say-

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/opera-joins-in-jobs-v-flash-argument-687597

http://hothardware.com/News/Microsofts-Take-On-Flash-HTML5-Is-The-Future-But-Well-Support-Adobe/

Looks like the tide is slowly turning…

This is for all those people who said it would not take off, Apple have announced Monday one million in 28 days of iPad sales.

Apple release

That is less than half the time for the iPhone to reach that milestone.

Wired post

Apple are struggling to keep up with demand and prices on auction sites are high.

3G version was released this weekend and demand is high for that one too, good luck getting your sim to work, or do as this guy did- http://twitpic.com/photos/gupmyster

Ok so you have an iPad that you have obtained by whatever means outside the US, great stuff, but you cannot purchase or download the iWork suite or books. If you want to know how to do this drop me an email.

ROFLMAO

The daily show’s Jon Stewart’s take on the recent Apple-Gizmodo shenanigans, really funny-

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-28-2010/appholes

ElJobso has finally stated, in an open letter to the world why Apple are restricting flash on its mobile devices, he makes a lot of valid points that I’m sure will fall on a lot of deaf ears-

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/

Conclusion from Steve-

Flash was created during the PC era – for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards – all areas where Flash falls short.

The avalanche of media outlets offering their content for Apple’s mobile devices demonstrates that Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content. And the 200,000 apps on Apple’s App Store proves that Flash isn’t necessary for tens of thousands of developers to create graphically rich applications, including games.

New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too). Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind.

UPDATE, Adobe CEO comments on above-

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/04/29/live-blogging-the-journals-interview-with-adobe-ceo/

Apple have applied for a patent that could revolutionize the design/print industry. They are looking into developing a monitor and software that displays CMYK natively. This will benefit a lot of people that rely on colour management to display CMYK gamuts on RGB devices. Story here-

http://industry.bnet.com/technology/10007133/apple-monitor-technology-could-change-all-commercial-graphics/

So if you are the lucky owner of an iPad WiFi model (3G due later?) then you may be interested to know how to get mobile internet on it.

Yes there are 3G models coming but they contain the new mini sim, who knows when these will be supported by 3G carriers in NZ. Some say you should get rid of the WiFi model and that many people are already doing this in anticipation of the 3G model, I would rather extend the technology I already have and use one 3G account.

Here is how its done, you will need-

iPad

iPhone (Jailbroken)

MyWi app

Instructions on setup here-

http://rtfm-nub.blogspot.com/2010/04/use-iphone-tethering-to-get-3g-on-your.html

So need need to ditch your brand new iPad, you can even use this for laptop 3G access or emergency internet sharing.

Apple have begun shipping the camera connection kit for the iPad, Youtube here-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuW7Exs53bc&feature=player_embedded

More-

- USB headphone/headset will work on the iPad through the connection kit. Skype phone call was tested and “the quality was just terrific” – Tidbits
- USB keyboards can be used – TUAW
- iLounge had some early notes which revealed that the iPad emails pictures out at 2048×1536 resolution rather than the iPhone’s 800×600 resolution, but if you copy/paste the images into an email, you can get full resolution images emailed out.
- Once you connect to your Mac, iPhoto brings in full resolution images with EXIF information intact. – iLounge

Looks like the USB connector will provide a wide range of functionality.

And demand the 4th gen iPhone back, more stories here-

http://gizmodo.com/5520438/how-apple-lost-the-next-iphone?skyline=true&s=i

http://gizmodo.com/5520479/a-letter-apple-wants-its-secret-iphone-back?skyline=true&s=i

Ok so maybe not so much a ROFL as usual but quite funny none the less…

Somebody near the Apple campus has lost a prototype of the 4th gen iPhone in a bar, LOL are they in deep doodoo-

http://gizmodo.com/5520164/this-is-apples-next-iphone

Seems to be very genuine according to latest reports

Well it arrived yesterday via US, it definitely feels quite hefty and as one client of ours put it, feels like it could easily slip from your hands and smash on the floor.

So I reckon a case/protective cover is the first order of business, but NZ does not have access to any accessories yet, there are some on Trademe with the 15 iPads there at last look, but prices are horrendous at the moment from TM. A Logitech 10′ laptop cover will suffice for now at $35 from PBTech.

So onto the unit-

I wont post any photos as there are enough of them floating around the web without me adding more.

Its amazingly fast (Apple have got a winner here with the A4 chip)

Looks good, screen is very bright and pleasing to the eye.

Lots of comments have been – ‘Looks smaller than I thought it would.’

Easy to type on the virtual keyboard, myself I am a self proclaimed hater of the new gen keyboards and mouse that Apple have recently been pushing, I prefer a keyboard that has keys that actually go someplace when you press them. I had no problem typing on the virtual keyboard and found it quite comfortable.

I did notice some inconsistencies with the virtual keyboard layouts based on the apps you are currently using, the keyboard layout changes based on content to input, sometimes there is a .com button sometimes not. You get used to using it, suddenly its not there.

Syncing took a while as iTunes had to ‘optimize’ my 1000’s of photos for transfer to iPad.

iTunes, you can download and purchase some iPad apps, the main ones, not yet. Apple have blocked any users from outside US trying to purchase and download iBooks or iWork, it may work if you have a US credit card.

The App store on the iPad does not work yet… until NZ are added as a legitimate source for iPads.

But you can download and purchase eBooks from Amazon via the Kindle iPad app, signup is easy, sample chapters can be downloaded and previewed, reading is painless and easy on the eye, what gets me is the weight you have to get used to. Its heavier than your average paper back, but about the same as a thick hardcover.

Purchasing Kindle books from Amazon to read on the iPad is pretty easy, once the app is installed, choose the book via web page, go back to Kindle app and it will sync and download any new purchases. I purchased the special edition ‘UR’ from Stephen King written exclusively for Kindle publication, reading it now.

Some of the custom written iPad apps are great looking and very responsive, funny how apps which are free on the iPhone are now costing up to $15 now, but I suppose its time to make money for the devs.

Web browsing, nice, the new HTML5 enabled websites look good and are very responsive, video plays well without being choppy.

Mail, love it, much better in landscape mode, you have a mailbox preview on left and message preview on right, much easier to navigate and work with compared to iPhone Mail.

Games, look good and are fun to play, sometimes a little hard to get used to controls, my wife is addicted to Plants vs Zombies from PopCap, plays like a dream and looks great compared to iPhone version.

Power wise, it does charge off my MacBook Pro laptop USB port, slowly as with the iPhone charger I have in the lounge at home, it charges a bit faster using the beefed up 10w USB charger supplied with the unit.

Speakers, they are builtin at the bottom, not enough to satisfy my needs, so a decent set of portable speakers or headphones is advisable.

Screen rotation can be a bit annoying, yes you can lock it, but most apps transform into better apps when turned around, problem is that this can happen at the wrong time, screen rotation is also based on vertical angle, not just rotation.

Battery life seems to live up to the claims already made, which indicate 10 hours depending on use, most reviewers have exceeded this number. Apple usually claim way over the actual battery life.

Box contents are sparse, no screen cloth to clean the fingerprints that end up covering the entire glass surface, yes you do need one. Rest of the box consists of cable and charger.

In terms of bling factor, its great, everywhere you take it people are drooling and offering to purchase it, Apple have today announced that rest of world (NZ not even mentioned in that list) have been pushed back a month for pre-orders. So we may be lucky to see official NZ iPads in store in June/July??

In terms of day to day business use, that remains to be seen, cannot test iWork yet, Microsoft have announced there are no plans to re-write Office for iPad. It will be good as a presentation device once we can get hold of VGA out adapter.

So for now its a great little entertainment unit that’s fun to use with many hidden features, kind of like a large iPod touch on steroids.

I will write a further review when more items come to light, I have a leather cover on order and need to get hold of the VGA/USB connectors.

More to come, for now its on a little roadshow around our clients…if you want to have a look or a demo, contact us.

Now with Core i5 and i7 CPU’s and other improvements-

13″ MacBook Pro
- 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive
- 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB hard drive

15″ MacBook Pro
- 2.4 GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 256MB, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB hard drive
- 2.53 GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 256MB, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive
- 2.66 GHz Core i7, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive

17″ MacBook Pro
- 2.53 GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

With all the fuss recently regarding Apple’s decision to restrict developers on iPhone and iPad apps, including this ‘wonderful’ website-

http://stopthemadnessstevejobs.com/wordpress/

Here is a funny comic -

http://www.pidjin.net/2010/04/11/stop-me-if-i-can/

http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1004fk8d5gt/event/

Apple have completed their preview to developers showing all the new features to be released-

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/08/apples-iphone-os-4-0-media-event-sneak-peek-into-the-future/

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/iphone-os-4-0-unveiled-shipping-this-summer/