Apple’s new 11-inch MacBook Air is simply incredible. Of course you probably already knew this puppy was light, and gorgeous, but the power that this tiny machine packs is truly breathtaking. Optimized for speed and portability, the new MacBook Air improves on its predecessor to prove that it’s the best notebook computer Apple’s ever made.
Look around in Google’s new social network, Google+. You’ll see Apple design DNA everywhere. The clean, white space. The knowing and careful attention to typography type, shade and spacing. The icons are beautiful in a simple, balanced, Apple kind of way.
The coolest feature on the whole site, the “circle editor,” was in fact designed primarily by the same guy who was a lead designer on the original Macintosh.
Google+ presents itself as a social network that competes with Facebook. But once you use it, you realize that it’s an uber-communication device that can replace all forms of online communication, from blogging and micro-blogging to chatting, texting and e-mail. Talk about thinking different.
Google also took a page from the Apple playbook about entering late into a market that’s mature, but seriously flawed, and succeeding in that market by fixing what’s broken on the products of competitors. Think cell phones. When Apple announced its entry into the handset market in 2007, I thought it was too late for them to catch up to the dominant players, including Nokia, Palm, RIM and others. Apple caught up with and clobbered these former leaders by identifying what was seriously flawed with their products and making a product without those flaws. And this is exactly what Google is doing with Google+.
It’s clear that after many fits and starts, Google has finally built an awesome social network, in part by learning from Apple.
But what can Apple learn from Google+?
Apple contacted developers today to let them know that they will soon have the option to sell apps to businesses in volume at discounted rates. The new pricing structure will be available to developers that accept the new Paid Applications Agreement through the developer portal.
Finally, after years of waiting, Americans will be treated to one of the best music services on the planet. Spotify is set to launch in the US tomorrow. The initial launch will be by “invitation and subscription.” Not sure if that means there won’t be a free US service like there is in Europe or not. Either way, Spotify is the best alternative to iTunes available and the US launch has been highly anticipated for about two years now. Spotify’s service allows users to discover and stream new music anywhere.
Apple has released Aperture 3.1.3 an update that supports general compatibility issues and also addresses overall stability and performance of Aperture. General compatibility issues? Hmmm…I wonder if that means compatibility with OS X 10.7 Lion?
Apple doesn’t say, but you can click the read link to see what they do have to say about this update.
Washington Post senior vice president and chief digital officer Vijay Ravindran lost his MacBook Air when his son’s spilled baby bottle put the fizzle in it.
So he got an Asus Transformer (aka Asus Eee Pad) to replace it and never looked back. He ponied up $399 for the 16-gigabyte version with a 32-gigabyte memory card then added a $150 keyboard dock that essentially transforms it into a netbook.
You’re always strumming out guitar chords while prancing around your living room listening to Yanni right? Well, here’s your chance for a more interactive experience for your air guitar greatness. Air Guitar Move is a connector for your iPhone/iPod Touch that combines a guitar pick with motion sensor technology to turn your wild flailing into sweet sweet music.
An former executive of an Apple supplier pleaded guilty to leaking Apple secrets.
Walter Shimoon, who once worked at electronic manufacturer Flextronics a supplier of camera parts to Apple, was arrested in 2010 for spilling the beans on actual and forecast sales figures for iPhones and iPods in the third and fourth quarters of 2009.
He’s the 12th person to plead guilty so far in a government investigation of insider trading.
If you are planning on using Target Disk Mode to boot your Mac equipped with Thunderbolt ports you’ll need Apple’s special Thunderbolt cable in order for it to work. This is required even when connecting two Macs or a Mac to an external Thunderbolt equipped disk drive.
Apple has started to issue refund checks for MobileMe subscriptions. My check arrived from Apple today. Have you gotten yours? And I know what you are thinking — yes I’ve spent mine already. On Apple stuff no less.
If you haven’t asked for a refund it might not be too late. Here’s the information about MobileMe refunds for those of you that might have missed the news last month.
For this week’s giveaway we’ve partnered up with the friendly folks at Appular to bring fans a great package of iOS gaming apps, for free. We’ve got codes for five of the hottest games in the iPhone App Store right now and we’re ready to dish em out to our awesome fans to liven up your iPhone gaming lives. Today’s package of apps includes Cars 2, Tiny Wings, Hanging With Friends, The Game of Life, and Sea Battles. If you want a chance to win all five games then hurry up and enter the contest.
Apple has just published a new transition guide for MobileMe customers looking forward to switching to iCloud.
The good news? Apple has confirmed that you’ll still get access to web apps for iCloud Mail, Contracts, Calendar and Find My iPhone. The bad? Say goodbye to iWeb, Gallery and iDisk.
Once again, Apple has fallen back on its developer guidelines as a reason for pulling an app that caused a public-relations catastrophe.
In just about 24 hours after a letter of complaint from an Israeli minister, it removed the Third Intifada app from the iTunes store.
“We removed this app from the App Store because it violates the developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people,” an Apple spokesman said Wednesday evening.
The same reason was cited as cause for removal of the “gay cure” app back in March after it unleashed a huge protest.
The question remains: doesn’t anyone at Apple read these guidelines first?
You could (and for the purpose of discussion, please do) substitute or Baby Shaker, iSlam Muhammad — both apps Apple had to remove after a predictable public outcry.
It’d be so much easier if they vetted the apps instead of approving, then yanking them.
Cloud Engines announced their new, software-only personal streaming service today for PogoPlug. While the free version of PogoPlug is pretty nice, their Premium service adds a few extra features, like being able to stream music and movies to your iOS device. Running out of room for new movies and music on your iPhone or iPad is always a downer, but PogoPlug ensures that will no longer happen. Lucky for our readers, PogoPlug graciously gave us a whopping 200 Promo codes for free Premium PogoPlug accounts.
We already gave out a couple codes to our loyal Twitter followers this morning, but we’re now opening the floodgates to all of our readers so that the first 195 people to come will get a free PogoPlug Premium account. Here’s how to get your promo code:
John Herbold, whose last post at Apple was Senior Product Manager of iCloud, has left the company to work in an education startup.
Herbold’s departure, spotted by the eagle eyes over at 9to5Mac, first showed up on his Linkedin Profile.
Apple’s recent patent that would block piracy at concerts via an invisible infrared sensor has been more hotly contested than a bootleg Beatles’ concert performance.
The SavetheInternet.com Coalition, which claims some two million members plus charter members including Lawrence Lessig and the ACLU, wants Steve Jobs to reconsider. And they want you to sign an online petition to get his attention.
You’ve no doubt seen this post suggesting that Apple could use its $70 billion in cash to buy the entire mobile phone industry. The idea is worth a chuckle, but buying the phone handset industry is neither desirable nor possible. Apple doesn’t want to sell Nokia phones, and regulators wouldn’t let the company buy, then close, all its competition.
No, instead Apple should use its billions to take over Hollywood.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSJmTByABG0
Calendar apps are usually pretty boring. You log an appointment in it and then you never think about the app again. Fantastical is here to bring a little bit of flavor and awesomeness to your drab calendar app. Fantastical allows you to create events instantly via natural language input. One of the great things is that the app works perfectly with iCal, Entourage, and Outlook so you don’t have to change over to a new calendar system.
Lucky for you, the team behind Fantastical, Flexibits, wanted us to share the love with all our readers, so today we’re giving away 3 promo codes for this awesome new calendar app. Soon enough you’ll be using natural language to create events in no time. Of course you have to enter to win. Here’s how to enter today’s contest.
There’s no rest for the suits: just days after iCloud Communications announced it filed over the use of the iCloud name, publisher J.T. Colby and Co. has filed a suit against Apple over the use of the term “iBook.”
The publisher claims the trademark was bought from Byron Preiss Visual Publications in 2006 as part of a bankruptcy sale. Priess registered his first ISBN for an “iBook” back in 2000 and published over 1,000 titles under the “iBooks” brand.
We think it’s a little odd for a company that only makes Apple—related products to label one of said products with the words “Apple Edition.” But that’s what they’re calling the new, slightly different version of their marquis Juice Pack Air iPhone 4 backpack battery.
We went bonkers last week and gave out more free hardware in seven days than we ever have before. To mix things up this week we’re going to be giving out some beautiful software to enhance your Apple experience. Today we’re teaming up with the great people behind StackSocial who have given us three promo codes for their latest Mac Essentials Bundle. With eleven Mac apps worth $333 that we’re giving away for free, this is one of the best software giveaways we’ve ever had. You’ve got to play to win though, so here are the details on what you’ll win and how to qualify for the giveaway:
It seems ages ago when folks were yukking it up with the feminine hygiene tees about the newly-baptized “iPad.” That name now seems so associated with Apple that it’s hard to imagine it with anything else.
What about iCloud? This simple moniker was in the air, as it were, since Apple bought the .com domain from Xcerion who used it for their CloudMe software, (now available over at www.cloud.me).
The website of iCloud Communications (see below) just set its lawyers on Apple for trademark infringement over the name which the Dallas company says it has been using since 2005.
A full week has passed since WWDC, and yet we’re still finding little gems inside iOS 5. The latest finding is that the improved Calendar App allows creators of events to invite people to attend, and then see who all is coming once they’ve responded. The new magic is all made possible with iCloud. Here’s how it works: