Week in Review: June 28, 2009

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Here’s a look at this week’s top Apple-related headlines:

This week’s iBAM posts:

Week in Review: June 21, 2009

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This week’s top Apple-related headlines:

This Week’s iBAM Posts:

Week in Review: June 14, 2009

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This Week’s Top Apple Related Stories, Post-WWDC Keynote:

This Week’s iBAM Posts:

WWDC ‘09: What Just Happened

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You might be in a whirl after Apple’s announcements today at WWDC, or you’re simply looking for what happened. Here’s a breakdown of the keynote’s events:

Macbooks

  • Macbook Pro Updates: Updated (and better) battery using technologies in 17-inch for all MBP models, SD Card Slot replaces Express Card slot, Faster Processors maxing out at 3.06ghz, Up to 8GB DDR3 RAM. Integrated Graphics only on the 13-inch and low-end 15-inch models, advanced graphics on high-end 15-inch and all 17-inch models.
  • 13-inch Macbooks are now apart of the Macbook Pro family, starting at $1,199. The ‘macbook’ is the white model from here on out.
  • Speed update and price drop to the Macbook Air
  • Mac users are now 75million, tripled from 2 years ago

Snow Leopard

  • Snow Leopard pricing is $29 for single-user and $49 for a family pack
  • Apple Introduces QuickTimeX – with improved UI, HTTP Streaming, export to web, improved editing, performance and quality improvements, and a brand new icon!
  • What we already knew: Snow Leopard introduces 64-Bit support, exchange support, OpenCL, GrandCentral
  • iChat has better a resolution and video quality when AV chatting; Time Machine backups are 50% faster; PDF selection is refined; Disk Eject is improved, safer; File Sharing is improved; Automatic time zone setup and automatic printer driver updates via internet
  • Install footprint from Snow Leopard is lighter, freeing up 6GB of space and 45% faster than Leopard
  • Dock Updates: New ‘Click+hold’ menu and functionality allows to operate exposé from the dock; Stacks are now scrollable and can drill into folders from within stacks
  • The Finder was re-written with no UI changes, but speed and performance enhancements

iPhone OS 3.0

  • Update will be available worldwide on June 17, free for iPhone suers and $9.95 for iPod Touch users
  • New Find My iPhone – MobileMe service allows users to locate their missing iPhone, make it ring (whether or not in Silent Mode), can remotely wipe iPhones
  • HTTP Streaming support, HTML5 Support, AutoFill in Safari, 3x Faster Javascript performance, support for audio/video tags; 30 more languages supported
  • Can now download TV Shows and Movies, rent Movies using the built-in iTunes app on the iPhone
  • Tethering Details: sharing connection via USB or Bluetooth, PC Or Mac, available by carrier support. NO AT&T SUPPORT IN THE US
  • Apple recapped announcements and features from the March event; had developers demo their apps with new SDK. (TomTom demo’ed new turn-by-turn app with hardware kit for car – very cool)

iPhone 3GS

  • Will be released on June 19th in the US and other countries, 80 countries by August. (Apple showed off a new commercial featuring the 3Gs)
  • iPhone 3GS is priced at $199/16gb $299/32gb. iPhone 3G 8GB will continue to sell for $99 (All prices are subject to carrier subsidization).
  • Battery life is improved – Internet life: now 9hrs (was 6hrs), while watching video: now 10hrs (was 7), listening to audio: 30hrs (was 24, 2G talk time: 12hrs (was 10)
  • New built-in compass – integrated into Maps and standalone app, orients to direction for maps, developers have access to the APIs for compass
  • 3GS comes with text-to-speech functionality, built-in Nike+ Support, Hardware encryption, encrypted iTunes backups
  • Voice Control – Hold down the home button to open up voice control interface that allows you to make phone calls, see various iTunes functions, and more by using vocal commands
  • Video Recording – from within the Camera app, 30fps VGA, auto-foucs/white-balance/exposure. Video Editing and sharing from within the iPhone – send via MMS
  • Camera is improved to 3 megapixels, with better light sensitivity, autofocus, auto-white-balance, can tap to focus, and auto-macro
  • iPhone 3GS (s for speed) announced with major speed improvements – messages launch 2.1x faster, SimCity loads 2.4x faster, Excel attachments load 3.6x faster, NYTimes loads 2.9x faster. 3G HSDPA is 7.2mbps

Week in Review: May 31, 2009

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This week’s top Apple-related headlines:

This Week’s iBAM Posts: