Apple announces Oct. 22 event

Apple hinted that it will have a lot to cover for this event.  This is great news for all die hard apple fans. While I hope to see something really revolutionary being announced, I will keep my expectation low.  It should be just an incremental updates to the rest of the product line.  It has been a long while since Apple "surprises" us.

More information about the event can be found in the link below.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2054391/apple-announces-oct-22-event-says-it-has-a-lot-to-cover.html

A Video Tribute to Steve Jobs by Apple

This was posted by Apple last year as a tribute to Steve Jobs.  It is still inspiring to watch when we remember all this great work this year.

Apple Tops Coca-Cola, Google to Become World's Most Valuable Brand

According to a report from identity and brand consulting company Interbrand, Apple has overtaken Coca-Cola as the new most valuable brand in the world, knocking the beverage corporation from its 13-year tenure in the annual “Best Global Brands” survey, reports The New York Times.

Congrats to Apple for achieving this amazing feat!

iPad rumours

What is next to look out for?  Die hard apple fans should not have any problem making a guess.  Yes, that's right.  The 5th generation iPad and 2nd generation of iPad mini.  So far, there is no tentative date of a media event to announce these.  Fortunately, we have some leak photos to enjoy while we wait for the big announcement.  :)

Apple Increases Cellular App Download Limit to 100MB

With the launch of iOS 7, Apple is now allowing apps up to 100MB to be download from the App Store over a cellular connection.

That limit has been set to 50MB since March 2012 and was 20MB prior to that. The increased limit will make things easier for developers who have been struggling to keep their apps under 50MB for easy downloading on the go.

I guess we can expect to see higher quality graphics app and game with this new file size revision.  :)

My View on the new iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S

We have seen very little or even no surprise regarding the new iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S.  Feature wise, I guess most of the rumours before the launch event are pretty accurate with leaked photos here and there.

Perhaps the only anticipation was what price point will be set for iPhone 5C which is supposedly the first "budget' phone for Apple to wrestle back some market shares.  Sad to say, while I have no intention to get the iPhone 5C, I feel that it is priced pretty steep considering the fact that it is basically an iPhone 5 in the interior.  I would prefer them to either continue the previous trend of reducing the price of last generation iPhone or to launch a really affordable iPhone.

On the other hand, iPhone 5S has met all my expectations of the next generation iPhone. The fingerprint sensor is nice addition to differentiate itself from its competitors and of course not forgetting the 64 bits processor (the first in mobile device).

The big question is when will I be able to get hold of one.  I hope in two months time.  :)  In the meantime, I need to ponder over which colour to get.

AllThingsD: Apple's next iPhone event slated for September 10th

September 10th, folks -- that's when Apple will unveil its next iPhone according to AllThingsD. We've received no official word yet, but recent leaks (and past form) suggest a refreshed iPhone 5 (possibly with a larger screen?) and possibly a low-cost model clad in plastic. It's a safe bet that the release version of iOS 7 will also make an appearance at the event, which is shaping up to be an iPhone- and iOS-focused affair, according to ATD. Feeling a sense of déjà vu? As always, we'll keep you informed when more concrete info makes its way to us.

I am looking forward to this event.  It is time to replace my iPhone 4S.  :)

iOS 7 Beta 4 Code Points to Home Button Fingerprint Sensor for future iPhone

Following its 2012 acquisition of mobile security firm AuthenTec, which specialized in fingerprint sensors, Apple has been rumored to be looking to incorporate its technology into its future products. Rumors have indicated that such a sensor could be a differentiating feature for Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S, although there has so far been little in the way of solid evidence that such a feature is in the works. 

The latest Beta 4 seems to indicate that.  If this is true, I think it will be really cool.   Protecting your phone with passcode or gesture is really a thing of the past.  We need to move on to something new and cool.

App Store gives away popular iOS games and apps to mark its 5th anniversary

App Store is only 5 years old.  With all the success it has achieved so far, it really doesn't feel like it is that young.  Nevertheless, we are getting some treats from Apple in the form of 10 free premium iOS apps and games including the widely popular Tiny Wings.  So what are you waiting for?  Head down to the App store now.

Jobs The Movie

The movie about Steve Jobs is coming soon and I am looking forward to watching it.

A Movie Poster for the Movie

Apple Celebrates '5 Years of the App Store' With Poster

Apple files for 'iWatch' trademark in Japan

Hope we can hear something official from Apple soon.  :)

Apple Inc. has applied for a trademark in Japan for "iWatch," indicating it may be proceeding with rumored plans to produce a smart wristwatch.
A document obtained Monday from the Japan Patent Office's website said the application was made June 3 and made public June 27.
It was not immediately clear when the application might be approved. Patent office and Apple officials in Japan were not available for comment late Monday.
Apple is rumored to be working on a smart watch that would run on a version of the operating system used by its iPhone and iPad. The company has not confirmed those rumors, but CEO Tim Cook has hinted that it may be developing a wearable computing device such as a wristwatch.

Source: http://www.chron.com/business/article/Apple-files-for-iWatch-trademark-in-Japan-4640338.php?World_Business_News=

iOS 7 First Look: Camera & Photos

With iOS 7, iPhone 5 owners (and its subsequent successors) will have the ability to edit photos with filters built directly into the Camera app.  Within the camera app, the new feature will give users access to nine image types before they take the picture, much like the functionality that has made third-party apps like Instagram so popular.  Owners of the iPhone 4 or 4S will have the ability to apply filters after the fact within the Photos app.  Users will also have the option to swipe between video, panorama shots, standard still shots, and squared-off shots, with an indicator near the bottom of the screen providing assistance in navigating between options.

Next up is the Photos App.  The new Photos app leverages metadata tagging technology already built into the iPhone in order to easily organize photos.  Pictures are now automatically grouped according to date and location, making it easier to navigate to a specific photo set and subsequently find a desired photo.  Pinching a set closed will expand to view a wider time frame, with photos categorized in miniature by the year in which they were taken. This year view still retains location information, showing two or three locations and indicating when more places were included in a given year.

Notably, Apple included an option to "scrub" to a particular picture or time frame when in the year view by touching and dragging along the tiny icons. When passing over a picture, it expands, giving the user a better view of which image it is.

All in all, the updates are not something revolutionary but still very much welcome.  :)

iOS 7 First Look: Improved Multitasking

Full-featured multitasking is something that many iPhone fans desired (especially those who have used an Android device before).  iOS7, Apple’s implementation of it has nothing been short of excellent, even when it is still in beta.  It is obvious that Apple has opted to take a design approach that seems to combine its multitasking implementation from iOS 6, with a very similar approach taken by Android. As usual, though, when others inspire Apple, it repackages their approach giving its implementation a unique flavor of its own. For example, multitasking in iOS 7 also intelligently schedules updates during power-efficient opportunities such as when your phone is connected to a power source, or a Wi-Fi network. It conserves power, while also pre-fetching data from frequently used apps so they are ready when you typically launch them.

As in iOS 6, multitasking in iOS 7 is invoked with a double tap of the Home button. Where that previously revealed a multitasking app tray with simple icons, it now switches into a new and much more sophisticated multitasking view layered over the iPhone’s wallpaper.  Users can then close any of these apps with an upward swipe. Tapping on it naturally takes you directly into that app.

In summary, iOS7's take of multitasking has been impressive with its clean and functional interface.

iOS 7 First Look: Simpler Interface

Since the introduction of iPhone in 2007, iOS has also been known for its simple and intuitive interface.  Can the interface get even simpler than that?  The guys in Apple believe so.

The icons have been stripped of their glossy sheen look and redesigned with a brighter colour palette but a flatter feel.  The new design also introduces thinner typography.  You may find it pretty similar to that of Android and Windows.

Another notable change is the departure of the signature heavy textures on the app icons which used to imitate that of real-like objects like the leather trim on the Calendar app, green felt of the Game Center and the bookshelves of the Newsstand and iBooks.

Mr Jonathon Ive, who leads the latest visual update has this to say.
“True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absences of clutter or ornamentation,” Ive explains. “It’s about bringing order to complexity.”

iOS 7 First Look: Control Center

This is the first of my personal review of iOS 7 new features.  Today we will be checking out something that should be ranked as one of the most sought after features by die hard apple users - Control Center.

The Control Center is a panel that allows you to access common settings such as WIFI, Bluetooth, Screen Brightness, etc.  In addition, it also provides shortcut to the camera, calculator, timer and yes, for the first time ever we are seeing a Flashlight app by Apple.  This is definitely long overdue considering we have seen so many flashlight apps already in the app store.  To access the Control Center, you simply do a swipe up action from the screen bottom.  Simple?  Yes.  Useful?  Hell yes!

Anki Drive

During the WWDC, an interesting tech demo was introduced right at the start of the conference.  Anki is a new company that centres around artificial intelligence and robotics.

The product uses smart robotic toy cars powered by Bluetooth to drive on a track.  The cars know their location and they are able to react to their surroundings in real time.  They can see the track up to 500 times a second to analyze their surroundings and they are equipped to handle a multitude of situations on the printed race track.  Players can also control the cars via the iPad or the iPhone through an accompanying app that is available for download now.


The full Anki Drive experience, which is described as a "video game in the real world," is coming to Apple Stores this fall


You can learn more about Anki here.

The app is also available for download here.

How To Install iOS 7 beta

Can't wait to have the latest iOS on your phone?  If so, please read on.

It is recommended that you install it on a development device rather on your personal device. Reason is that beta version can be extremely unstable and it is not trivial to restore/downgrade back to the current version.

Note:  Your device must be a registered device in your iOS development account.

Let's get started.  =)

1.  Go to your iOS development portal and download the appropriate version of iOS 7 beta.  There are different versions for different generations of iPhone.

2. Open the DMG file and you will find a .ipsw file in it.  This is the file that you need to install the iOS 7 beta.

3. Connect your device to your Mac and launch iTunes.

4. Backup your device if you have not done so.  

5. Click on the iPhone button in iTunes and it will show a page with some basic stats of your phone.  Hold the option key and press the Restore button.  A file chooser dialog window will appear for you to select the .ipsw file (step 2).

6. Installation will begin.  Total installation time should not take more than 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Apple Releases iOS 7 Beta 1, Xcode 5 Preview to Developers

Apple has released the first build of the iOS 7 Beta to developers, ahead of what is likely to be a long summer of beta testing.

The first build, number 11A4372q, was released for the iPhone 5, 4S and 4, along with the fifth-generation iPod Touch and new betas for the Apple TV and a beta of Find My iPhone. Apple also released the first build of the Xcode 5 Developer Preview.

Devices should be backed up using iTunes or through iCloud prior to installation of iOS 7, and following installation, can be restored through either process.

As usual, Apple warns developers that "pre-release versions of iOS are considered Apple Confidential Information and are subject to the terms of your iOS Developer Program License Agreement. Unauthorized distribution or disclosure of Apple Confidential Information is prohibited."

You can download them at your iOS developer portal.  I will give my first impression of iOS 7 soon once I get it loaded on my iPhone.  Stay tuned!

Apple unveils its latest desktop operating system: OS X Mavericks

That's right.  No more big cat naming.  It has instead given a California theme release, Maverick, paying homage to the giant wave surfing spot.  (I thought Sea Lion sounds cool too.  :p)

Here are some of the highlights:

New Finder

The Finder gets updated with a tabs feature much like what you can do in a web browser.  Just add a tab by clicking plus in a window. You can also finally take the Finder full-screen.

File Tagging

You can tag files based on location and other details, making them much searchable. There's a tagging sidebar that'll let you view them all in one handy place.

Multiple Displays

It allows you to view menus across screens, viewing different apps in full screen mode on each display. You can independently pan on displays as well, and most importantly it works with Apple TV as well. :)

Source

WWDC 2013 Keynote Live Video Stream Available via Apple TV

Yeah.  What a great news.  I will definitely be staying up to watch the live stream.  Hope I don't look too tired at work tomorrow.  :p

Source

Next Version of iOS Will Feature New Look, Photo-Sharing Enhancements

The new design abandons Apple's longtime approach of designing icons and apps to resemble real-life objects, like address books and fabric, in favor of plain solid backgrounds and more white space, these people said. 

Mr. Jobs pushed the original look to help people understand how to use their iPhones when the device came out in 2007, said people involved in the decision at the time. Mr. Jobs died in October 2011. Internally, employees have for years worried that the iPhone's look has become outdated and has a growing number of inconsistencies.

One last rumour before the actual event.

I hope they don't change for the sake of changing.  I like minimalistic design but not to the extent it is not intuitive.

Source

WWDC Banners

Hmm.. What can we tell from the banners?  :p

For Mac OS X

For iOS

Apple Looking to Boost iPhone Sales With New Retail Store Trade-In Program

According to a report in Bloomberg, Apple is starting an iPhone trade-in program this month aimed at getting users to upgrade to the iPhone 5 and turn in older models.

I hope this program is going to be implemented worldwide.  That will definitely encourage users to upgrade more often which is good news for Apple.

Read more here.

Apple files for 'iWatch' trademark in Russia

If this is true, I will definitely grab one provided it is not too expensive.  :)  It will be cool (yet challenging) to be able to develop apps for watch.

Apple has filed for a trademark on the "iWatch" brand in Russia, a new report out of that country claims.
Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on Wednesday that Apple filed for the trademark with the country's patent and trademark office, Rospatent. Not surprisingly, the news has sparked more speculation on when Apple's long-rumored iWatch might finally launch.

Source

MacBook Air refresh looks set for WWDC, potentially with faster Wi-Fi

According to 9to5Mac's source, MacBook Air could possibly get an update to support the new and faster wireless standard. The new retina MacBook Pro could also possibly get a refresh.

If all these are true, will the hardware steal the show in a software event. For now, we can only patiently wait.

5 more days to go!  I am excited and I hope you are too!  . :)

 


Source

Apple releases OS X 10.8.4

This is a minor update before the introduction of the next Mac OS X in WWDC next week.

You can read below for the list of fixes and features that comes with this update.

• Compatibility improvements when connecting to certain enterprise Wi-Fi networks

• Microsoft Exchange compatibility improvements in Calendar

• A fix for an issue that prevented FaceTime calls to non-U.S. phone numbers

• A fix for an issue that may prevent scheduled sleep after using Boot Camp

• Improves VoiceOver compatibility with text in PDF documents

• Includes Safari 6.0.5, which improves stability for some websites with chat features and games

• A fix for an issue that may cause iMessages to display out of order in Messages

• Resolves an issue in which Calendars Birthdays may appear incorrectly in certain time zones

• A fix for an issue that may prevent the desktop background picture from being preserved after restart

• A fix for an issue that may prevent documents from being saved to a server using SMB

• Addresses an issue that may prevent certain files from opening after copied to a volume named “Home"

• A fix for an issue that may prevent changes to files made over NFS from displaying

• Resolves an issue saving files to an Xsan volume from certain applications

• Improves Active Directory log-in performance, especially for cached accounts or when using a .local domain

• Improves OpenDirectory data replication

• Improves 802.1X compatibility with ActiveDirectory networks

• Improves compatibility when using mobile accounts

Apple Adds Ship to Store Option for Refurbished Products

Though the delivery time between home and store delivery is almost the same, I think this option is still pretty good for customers who want to avoid home delivery.

Source

Apple Launches WWDC 2013 iOS App

Apple has launched a new WWDC iOS app which allows attendees to keep track of when and where sessions are taking place.  It also offers up maps to help them find their way around.

As for the unfortunate yet interested group like myself, the app provides a way to watch daily session videos and get other information coming out of the conference.

Wait no more and download it here.

Let's the countdown begin.  :)

Slimmer 13" Retina MacBook Pro, Dual Mic MacBook Air Expected at WWDC

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has proven to have relatively reliable information over the past several years, released a new research note last week highlighting his expectations for changes to Apple's notebook lineup at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). With Intel preparing to launch its latest Haswell processors this week, Apple will be able to make significant upgrades to at least part of its notebook lineup, but additional changes appear to be in store as well. 

If this is true, it will be quite unexpected because WWDC typically is an event that focuses on software namely iOS and Mac OS.

WWDC Invites over the years

Saw someone posted the different WWDC invites over the years.  Quite interesting thus sharing them here as well.

2007 invite:

2008 invite:

2009 invite:

2010 invite:

2011 invite:

2012 invite:

2013 invite:

iPod Touch 5th Generation 16 GB Teardown

The good people at ifixit are really curious about the new stripped down version of the iPod Touch.

If you are as curious as them, do check out their post here.

As medicine goes digital, Apple's iPad is top choice among doctors

Why am I not surprised?  :p

As physician practices and hospitals are increasingly required to bring their operations into the present with digitized records, Apple's iPad is the device of choice when it comes to doctors interacting with health records, a new study shows.
Doctors and hospitals are hungry for apps that take full advantage of the capabilities of mobile devices like the iPad, according to data from Black Book Rankings, a healthcare IT analysis firm. This is becoming more important due to impending regulations stemming from the Affordable Care Act, requiring physicians and hospitals to begin storing their patient records electronically.
As the healthcare industry moves to adopt digital technologies, Apple's iPad and iPhone remain popular options for access to records on the go. Sixty-eight percent of surveyed physicians and practices chose the iPhone over Android and other smartphones. Fifty-nine percent of physicians and practices said they were integrating tablets into their operations, and the iPad was the most popular option in that category.

Source: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/05/31/as-medicine-goes-digital-apples-ipad-is-top-choice-among-doctors

Apple unveils new iPod touch

A cheaper version of iPod is unveiled and this is a surprising move from Apple, considering it has nothing to offer other than a lower price point at the expense of dropping some features.  Well, is this a move to grab more larger market or to a sign of imminent arrival of the rumoured cheaper iPhone?

Only time can tell.

Apple CEO Tim Cook: Innovation Doesn't Mean a New Gadget

Well said.  To make a few quality products is better than creating tonnes of trash.  :)

"Many people define innovation as a new product," he said. "We have some incredible plans we've been working on for awhile. We have some incredible ideas. The same culture and largely the same people that brought you the iPhone, the iPad mini, the iPod, and some who brought you the Mac, the same culture is there."
In other words, Apple doesn't need to constantly create new products to be innovative. The vision, the quality, and the people are what make it forward-moving.
"For us, winning has never been about making the most," Cook said later on. "Arguably we make the best PC, we don't make the most. We make the best music player, we wound up making the most. We make the best tablet, we make the most. We make the best phone, we don't make the most phones."

Source: http://www.inc.com/jill-krasny/tim-cook-apple-rivals.html 

Apple will open up its APIs

"On the general topic of opening up APIs, I think you'll see us open up more in the future," he said, "but not to the degree that we put the customer at risk of having a bad experience. So there's always a fine line to walk there, or maybe not so fine," said Cook.

As an iOS developer myself, this is a really good news.  Exactly to what extent, we can only wait till WWDC.  Personally for me,  I am looking forward to be able to use SIRI for my own apps/games.  But I believe that will need to wait a while.

Apple has no issue with making apps for Android

This may sound unreal but Apple's boss Tim Cook actually has no objection as long as it makes sense. The Tim Cook's era definitely looks more open.

During an audience Q&A session, Cook was asked if bringing iCloud to other operating systems would be a wise move for Apple. With his answer, the CEO chose to go wider in scope. "To a general question of 'would Apple port an app from iOS to Android?'" he began, "We have no religious issue with doing that. If we thought it made sense for us to do that, we would do that."

Source:  http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/28/4374782/tim-cook-apple-has-no-religious-issue-against-making-android-apps

Why Apple Employees Are so Good at Keeping Secrets

Brian Hoshi: Having worked at Apple for a few years, I can say that the need for secrecy is mostly ingrained in the corporate culture to create innovative and revolutionary products from within the otherwise bland and evolutionary markets that Apple chooses to compete in. The secrecy is upheld throughout the organization knowing that there is a corporate security team pretty much looking over your shoulder at all times and where even minor violations are grounds for immediate termination. There's nothing to "fear" at Apple as long as you are able to follow these very basic rules of conduct.

Interested to know more?    Read on.   =)

http://www.inc.com/business-insider/ex-apple-employees-reveal-how-the-company-is-so-good-at-keeping-secrets.html

Apple 1 sells for $671,400 at auction

Pretty crazy price but I think only the buyer will know its true worth.  =)

An Apple-1 computer, made in 1976, sold for a record $671,400 on Saturday at an auction in Germany, including all fees and taxes, said Uwe Breker, the German auctioneer.
That surpassed the $640,000 record for an Apple-1, set last November at a sale at the same auction house in Cologne, Germany, Auction Team Breker. The fall 2012 sale was a sharp rise from the previous record price for an Apple-1 of $374,500, set in June 2012 at Sotheby’s in New York.

Source: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/vintage-apple-1-sells-for-record-671400/