One of the highlights of Steve Job’s keynote today was the announcement that iOS 4.1 will be available September 8th and that the update will include bug fixes that “we think you’re going to be pretty happy with.”
The single biggest issue for me since upgrading to the iPhone 4 has been with the proximity sensor. The touch screen will become active during a call and your cheek will inadvertently mute the phone, hang up or (my personal favorite) start dialing other people.
I’ve never had this issue with any other iPhone so hopefully this upcoming software fix should do the trick.
Apple is now offering volume discounts on iOS apps for the education market.
As more education institutions embrace the iPad, and iPod Touch the new volume program will make it easier (and cheaper) to deploy apps to end users.
Administrators buy blocks of vouchers that can then be redeemed with codes for app purchases. The new program also allows app developers to provide volume discounts on their apps.
Only Program Facilitators who are Authorized Apple Purchasers for education institutions can currently participate in the program.
It’s good to see Apple engaging the education market to find creative solutions for managing and deploying iOS apps. These apps have the potential to make a huge impact on students and educators.
[ AppleInsider ] [ Volume Purchase Plan FAQ ]
MyService has the new Western Digital 750GB 5400RPM 9.5mm drives in stock for the MacBook & MacBook Pro.
These new drives are the first standard height (9.5mm) 750GB drives and work in all MacBooks & MacBook Pros.
These are the largest mobile drives currently available for the MacBooks and pre-unibody 15″ MacBook Pros.
They have 8MB of cache, 12.0ms seek time and use the 3Gb/s SATA interface.
In Stock: $299
Includes: Free shipping, professional installation, data transfer and a 3 year warranty.
This upgrade will not void your Apple warranty. Use your old drive for backup.
Check out our hard drive upgrade page for details.
Apple has refreshed their iMac line with new 21.5″ and 27″ iMacs.
The new iMacs maintain the same industrial design of the previous models. Updated processors, graphics chips and storage options round out the list of improvements.
New CPUs
Most of the processor options include “Turbo boost” technology which allows certain software programs (like Final Cut Pro) to take further advantage of multiple cores.
- 21.5″ iMac CPU Options:
- 3.06GHz Intel i3; 4MB level 3 cache; Hyper-Threading
- 3.2GHz Intel i3; 4MB level 3 cache; Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost
- 3.6GHz Intel i5; 4MB level 3 cache; Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost
- 27″ iMac CPU Options:
- 3.2GHz Intel i3; 4MB level 3 cache; Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost
- 3.6GHz Intel i5; 4MB level 3 cache; Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost
- 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel i5; 8MB level 3 cache; Turbo Boost
- 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel i7; 8MB level 3 cache; Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost
Separate GPUs
All iMacs now have separate, dedicated graphics processors. This allows for greater graphics performance over integrated chips.
- 21.5″ iMac GPU Options:
- ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
- ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory
- 27″ iMac w/ Dual-Core GPU:
- ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory
- 27″ iMac w/ Quad-Core GPU:
- ATI Radeon HD 5750 graphics with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
New Storage Options
You can now configure the new iMacs with up to 2TB of storage or have an SSD drive pre-installed.
The new iMacs start at $1199 and are available now from the Apple Store.
[ New Turbocharged iMacs ]
Announcing Apple’s least sexy product, the new Apple Battery Charger.
This AA wall charger holds 6 rechargeable AA NiMH batteries with a advertised lifespan of 10 years? This is Apple’s solution for wireless products like the new Magic Trackpad that require AA batteries to run.
The nice thing about this charger is the fact that it comes with the 6 batteries included. With the rate my Magic Mouse runs through batteries this could come in handy. Now that I think about it, it is pretty sexy.
The Apple Battery Charger is available from the Apple Store for $29.
[ Apple Battery Charger ]
Apple has released the new Magic Trackpad.
This bluetooth wireless trackpad is essentially a larger (80% larger than the MacBook Pro 13″) laptop trackpad. The whole surface is clickable and made of the same glass found on the MacBook Pros.
Who wants this?
People that prefer a trackpad to traditional mouse for their Mac desktop or to use with an external keyboard with their Mac laptop. Apple highlights that you can use the new Magic Trackpad in conjunction with an external mouse, so you have all the input methods available for whatever your application.
My only real gripe is the name. “Magic” just doesn’t seem to fit with Apple’s overall brand strategy, although they seem intent on changing that.
The Magic Mouse is available now for $69 and requires a Mac with bluetooth and 10.6.4 or later.
[ Magic Mouse ]
It’s official, a premium Hulu service is coming in July.
Hulu Plus will stream HD content to your iPhone, Mac, iPad, TV and iPod Touch for $9.99/month. Both Wi-fi and 3G streaming will be supported. Other devices like the PS3, Xbox 360, TVs and blu-ray devices will support the new service soon.
The Hulu Plus subscription will include access to an expanded library of shows and movies. You can sign up here to request a preview invite.
[ Hulu Plus ]
We’ve rolled out a new way to get your Mac(s) to MyService.
Our new Express Shipping option instantly creates and emails you a shipping label to use with your own box. The new Express options include free ground or $49 next day round trip shipping.
The goal was to find a way to save customers time in transit and lower the cost of shipping all while making the process as easy as possible.
Time saving:
By not waiting for our box, you can save a day on next day shipping and 2-6 days on ground.
Cost saving:
Since there is one less leg in the shipment, round trip express next day shipping is only $49 (compared to $79 for full service.)
Ease of use:
The return label to MyService is delivered instantly via email. Information to find the nearest UPS drop off location as well as the contact info to schedule a pickup are included.
The Express Shipping option is great for customers who have their original Apple box, MyService box or other padded shipping container and want to save time and money on their service.
Full Service Shipping with the MyService box and our Self Mailed options are still available.
Feel free to contact one of our Service Advisors with any questions.
Availability:
iOS 4 is now available for download as a free software update.
Over 100 New Features Including:
- Multitasking
- Home screen wallpaper
- Folders
- iBooks
- Unified Mail (multiple email accounts managed from a single inbox)
- 5x digital camera zoom. Tap to focus when shooting video.
Compatibility:
iOS 4 works with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, second and third gen iPod Touch.
iOS 4 is not compatible with the original iPhone or iPod Touch.
Not all features are compatible with all devices. For example, multitasking is available only with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and third gen iPod Touch (32GB & 64GB.)
iOS 4 for the iPad will be available later this summer.
How To Update:
Connect your iPhone / iPod Touch to iTunes to download and install the new update.
[ iOS 4 Features ]
Let’s say you leave your new iPhone in a bar and need to track it down before it ends up on Gizmodo ASAP.
There’s an app for that.
Apple has released the new Find My iPhone app that allows you to locate, ring or remote wipe your iPhone or iPad from any other iPhone or iPad.
Just download the free app on a friends iPhone, sign in with your Mobile Me account and your lost or missing iPhone will appear via Google Maps.
You need three things to make this work.
1. A Mobile Me account registered with your device.
2. A friend/kind stranger with an iPhone.
3. To actually remember that this capability even exists when you do lose your phone.
[ Find My iPhone ]
