WWDC Recap: Details about Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud June 6, 2011
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Apple.Tags: Apple, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Lion, Mac, OS X, Steve Jobs, World Wide Developers Conference, WWDC
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Today was the annual WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) where Steve Jobs gave the Keynote to debut new products from Apple. Below are a few bullet points you’ll want to know about today’s event!
Steve Jobs gave the Keynote – This might not seem like a big deal to some. He’s the CEO of Apple, right? If you’re not an Apple fanboy or fangirl, then you should know that Steve Jobs had taken a medical leave of absence from Apple a few months ago. He has done this before while he battled pancreatic cancer. This time, we don’t know what the cause of his absence is, but he looked his typical skinny self during today’s Keynote. (See photo above) Congratulations to Steve for pulling through, and I hope he gets 100% healthy if he’s not already!
10 new features for Mac OS X Lion - Available exclusively on the Mac App Store for only $29.99 sometime in July.
- Multitouch Gestures – Self explanatory.
- Mission Control - Mission Control brings together full-screen apps, Dashboard, Exposé, and Spaces in one new feature that gives you a bird’s-eye view of everything on your system. With a single swipe on the trackpad, your desktop zooms out to Mission Control. Think of it as the hub of your system: View everything and go anywhere with just a click.
- Full Screen Applications – FaceTime can now track facial features.
- Mac App Store – Built in to Lion. In App purchasing.
- Launchpad – A simple pinch gesture, and you can have all of your apps available instantly.
- Resume – When you close an application in Lion, it takes you right back to where you were. System-wide function.
- Versions - Versions is a new feature that charts the history of your documents, taking snapshots in time, and displaying them side by side with the latest versions in an easily browsable timeline. You can review the past iterations of your compositions, restore a previous version, or copy and paste from old versions to new ones.
- Auto Save – Lion saves every document automatically so that you never lose work.
- AirDrop – The replacement of the thumb drive. Go into AirDrop and you’ll see all the other users who are running AirDrop. To share a file, just drop a file onto the user in question. They then receive a notification and, hey presto, file exchanged. There’s nothing to discover, auto setup.
- New Mail – Looks like it has a new icon. Tons of new search features, and built in conversation lines.
Introducing iOS 5 – Available to developers today, everyone else “this Fall.”
- Notification Center – Brand new notifications interface. See picture below!
- Newsstand – A lot like iBooks, but used with subscription based magazines and newspapers.
- Twitter – Built in to iOS 5. You can tweet articles from Safari, videos from YouTube, locations from Maps.
- Safari – Safari Reader, looks like Instapaper. Faster. Has tabbed browsing. Reading List – Save stories from Safari to read for later. Syncs across multiple devices.
- Reminders – Built in list making app. Allows for storage of multiple lists, with dates to remind you. Can assign location. Reminds you when you cross a “geo-fence.”
- Camera – Now a camera button on the lock screen. You can click the button and go right in to the camera. You can now press volume up and down to take pictures. Photos can now be edited directly on the device. You can crop, rotate, reduce red-eye, and you can do a one click enhance.
- Mail - Rich-text formatting, indentation control, draggable addresses (from To: to Cc: or Bcc:), flagging so you can mark them as unread, and now you can search the entire contents of messages. Built in dictionary.
- PC Free – You can now buy and set up any iOS device out of the box. No need to connect cables to existing PCs. Software updates will now be over the air. You can now create and delete calendars from iOS.
- Game Center – Download games right from Game Center. Find friends of friends.
- iMessages – New messaging service between iOS regardless of device. Lets you send text messages, photos, videos, contacts, and even do group messaging. Can also get delivery receipts, read receipts, and real-time typing notification.
- Wifi Sync to iTunes! – You can set your iOS device to find your iTunes and sync. You can also sync your iTunes library over WiFi! You can now completely cut the cord!
- Documents in the Cloud – Create a project on Pages, Numbers or Keynote, it will upload to iCloud and then sync across devices.
- Photo Stream – Take a picture, uploads to iCloud, downloads to “Photo Stream” album across iDevices and iPhoto.
- iTunes in the Cloud – Download media from iTunes on one device, go to iTunes on other iOS devices and sync same media for no additional charge.
- Sync new devices via WiFi (or cable)
- Buy songs you’re missing on iTunes
- iTunes Match service – Finds the songs you’ve ripped from CDs and replaces them with iTunes high quality version. $24.99 p/year.
- New iPad music app
- Smart Playlist sync from iTunes
- Option to speak text selection
- iTunes Tone Store
- Built-in dictionary
- Emoji emoticons
- Personal dictionary
- Alternate routes in Maps
- Improved FaceTime video quality
Why You Should Wait To Buy iPad 2 February 3, 2011
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Apple, Geek Talk, iPhone, Social Media, technology, ThrasherTechnoTrash.Tags: Apple, iPad, iPad 2
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For those who know me, you know I have a love/hate relationship with the iPad I spent the better half of 6 months whining about wanting. It’s a fantastic device on many levels, but also drives me insane on several more. I think it’s because I want it to do so many of the things that my iPhone or even my Mac can do…and it feels like it’s on the cusp of that, but never quite lives up to those standards.
But, if rumors come true by April, there’s a great chance the the next generation iPad (dubbed ‘iPad 2′) will live up to at least some of my expectations on what a tablet should be doing. Here are some thoughts on why if you’re in the market for the iPad, you should wait for the next release.
- First, the current iPad is not really a tablet in my opinion. A tablet is something more than a media consumption device. It’s a device that you can work from, rely on, and create content with. And though I do all of those things on my iPad, I often find myself saying, “This would be so much easier on my Mac. Or even my iPhone.” Such things as typing simple blogs or email, clocking in and out of my online system for work, and of course the Flash debacle, are made so much more difficult through the iPad UI. Though there aren’t any strong rumors about enhancements in these areas, you can bet that a faster processor and a more reactive user interface (some tweaks here and there could really make a difference) will come with iPad 2.
- Second, the no camera thing really anchors the current iPad to your home. There’s no need or function for the iPad to be on the go with you the way your phone might. I bought my iPad as a cheaper alternative to a new MacBook, and boy was I wrong. Though I can (and do) take my iPad everywhere, it really isn’t made for mobility. No camera, no GPS, and no stand out apps for mobility make the current generation a fun little toy to play with when you’re laying around your house and bored. I think the iPad could be SO MUCH more than that. If rumors are true (and it sounds like they are) the iPad 2 will not only have a back side camera, but a front facing camera as well! And it’s rumored to include PhotoBooth as well as the expected FaceTime app. This will open up a whole new world of connecting to the outside world with your iPad…something that the current generation
- Thirdly, you’re going to get more bang for your buck if you wait for iPad 2. Apple has a history of releasing new products at the same price point as their previous generations (except for the MacBook Airs!). This means you could buy current generation iPad today, and iPad 2 will hit the shelves tomorrow with a significant upgrade…at the same price. Assuming that the iPads stay at the entry level price point of $499, that’s something to take in to consideration when you make a big purchase.
- Fourthly, the current generation iPad display is good. But, it could be great. I had the iPhone 4 with a retina display for about 6 months before I got my iPad and my iPad screen looks so old and even cheap compared to my iPhone screen. In fact, when I first got my iPhone 4 I would just turn it on to look at how amazing the screen looked. Though I don’t think the iPad 2 will have 4 times the resolution the way the iPhone 4 evolved, I think an upgraded display is a safe bet.
- Surprises! Apple is really good at hiding little features in new products that end up standing out a great deal. So there’s a chance that iPad 2 will have some great new features that aren’t even mentioned that will make the current generation iPad seem lackluster and outdated. To me, that’s the brilliance of Apple and why so many people need to have the newest products.
In essence, with the demand of the iPad at an all time high, at this point it would make more financial and functional sense to wait it out for a few months and get the newest most advanced iPad that Apple can make.
FaceTime Video Conferencing Coming to iPad…Before 2011? September 10, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Apple, Geek Talk, Movies/Film, Personally John, technology, ThrasherTechnoTrash.Tags: Apple, FaceTime, iPad, John Thrasher
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A new rumor has surfaced from someone working closely with Apple that new iPads with FaceTime technology are due out no later than Q1 of next year. The report also claims there’s a chance it’s coming before the end of the year.
I have been dying to get my hands on my own iPad, but now that this is coming to light, I think I may hold off. Would FaceTime make you more enticed to buy an iPad?
Back To School Must Have App: Free Books August 24, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Apple, technology, ThrasherTechnoTrash.Tags: Apple, apps, iPad, iPhone, iPod
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So it’s that time of the year again. You’re going back to school. For some, it’s your first semester in college and you’re SHOCKED at how expensive books can be. Luckily for you, you have access to a lot of technology that I didn’t when I was a freshman in college (in the dark ages). What I would give to start my college career off with an iPad!
Well if you have an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad, and don’t want to pay for some of the classics you may be reading in your literature class, check out the Free Books app. The app is $1.99 (so…not free) but it gives you access to 23,469 classics at the touch of your finger!
I could have really used this app when I was an English major in college, so consider this advice from your elders!
Get To Know Me: Using AudioBoo! July 10, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Geek Talk, iPhone, MTV TJ, Music, Personally John, technology.Tags: Android, Audioboo, iPad, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, John Thrasher, MTV, MTV TJ
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The internet never ceases to amaze me. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something else comes along that makes interacting in the social media world a whole lot more fun and exciting!
I’m excited to announce a really fantastic new way to keep in touch with who I am and what I have to say! Audioboo!
Audioboo is a podcasting host site where you can record and upload audio, listen to it from nearly any internet device, and even subscribe to the podcasts so they download straight in to your iTunes as each one is available!
You can even follow my podcasts on the FREE (that’s right FREE!) Audioboo iPhone/Android app! The app makes it so simple to both create and listen to really awesome podcasts! Let me know if you make one and I’ll post it here on my site!
You don’t HAVE to have iTunes to listen! You can listen straight from your computer!
I don’t want to write too much, because I really want you to check out my first ever Audioboo podcast post.
So click here, subscribe to my iTunes feed, and have fun having me on your iPods/iPhones/iPads/ and Android devices!!
Is This A Photo Of The Apple Tablet? January 26, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Geek Talk, iPhone, Movies/Film, Music, technology.Tags: Apple, iPad, iSlate, Mac, Steve Jobs, tablet, technology
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These images were posted by MacRumors.com. They’re saying that the photos are gaining interest and that they were both taken at the same time, but with geolocation info saying one was in Germany while the other was in California. MacRumors is not posting these as actual pictures, but rather as a means of interest.
Either way this looks very convincing. It may not be the real thing, but it could definitely be a mock-up of some kind. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow!
