Apple has seeded a pre-release of Safari 5.2 to registered developers. Following the release of the OS X Mountain Lion developer preview this morning, a new beta of Safari has been made available with browser features from Apple’s upcoming desktop OS.
Namely, Safari 5.2 for OS X Lion introduces the unified, Google Chrome-like address/search bar. There are some other minor cosmetic changes that mirror the Safari version from the Mountain Lion developer preview.
Apple has included a more subtle, yet very important, change in OS X Mountain Lion that points to the company’s focus moving forward. If you open the “About This Mac” window in the Mountain Lion developer preview, you’ll notice that “Mac” has been dropped for a simpler “OS X.” The prefix has also been dropped from promotional materials on Apple.com and the Mac App Store.
Why the change to just “OS X Mountain Lion?” Apple is continuing to blur the line between hardware and software. It’s about the unification of iOS and the desktop experience.
Every Cult of Mac reader should know the name Ken Segall. Leander interviewed Ken back in 2009 about naming the iMac and making Apple’s ‘Think Different’ ad campaign. Ken now runs the hilarious Apple parody site called Scoopertino and his personal blog, Observatory.
As a man that worked with Steve Jobs personally, Ken has first-hand knowledge of what drives Apple as a business, and his insights into the creative marketing and branding industry are profound. He’s got a new book coming out called Insanely Simple, and you should be excited to get your hands on this one.
Scott Hurff, a founder of video sharing site Chill, has put together the most comprehensive list of Steve Jobs videos we’ve ever seen. The Ultimate Steve Jobs Collection contains interviews, keynotes, and other gems featuring Apple’s late co-founder. With more than 100 YouTube videos ranging from the days of NeXT to the famous Standford commencement speech, this library is full of the best Steve Jobs moments.
Apple has announced some changes to the iBookstore today in an iTunes Connect letter to content publishers. Like the App Store, promo codes for iBooks can now be offered to iTunes users. Screenshots can also now be submitted for iBooks titles. This change follows the release of iBooks Author and Apple’s entrance into the digital textbook industry.
A new jailbreak app called AssistantConnect claims to bring Siri to non-4S iOS devices without needing a proxy. Unlike previous ports, AssistantConnect lets you email your Siri data between jailbroken iOS devices to enable the digital assistant. It’s a much simpler process than having to setup your own network voodoo and rely on a server that may not even work anymore.
Sound too good to be true? There’s one catch…
I’m always looking for new wallpapers. There’s something about a nice, clean background that makes the iPhone more enjoyable to use.
Writer and designer Chris Herbet has created a beautiful collection of minimal wallpapers for the iPhone. His new collection was put together using designs from Subtle Patterns and a little secret sauce. It’s beautiful magic.
I’m always looking for ways to enhance my music listening experience on the Mac. For the last several months I’ve been using Bowtie to control iTunes with keyboard shortcuts, and Ecoute is another great alternative for managing iTunes in a minimal, simplified way.
When the developers of Skip Tunes contacted me, I was intrigued by the app’s menu bar interface. For quick access to simple music playback controls, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Apple has officially responded to the contact sharing debacle that was highlighted by the Path iPhone app last week. After it was discovered that Path secretly uploaded a user’s entire contact database to its own servers, the controversy sparked more discussion about how Apple needs to enforce its user privacy guidelines more to protect customers.
Third-party apps will have to ask for permission to access contact data from a user, according to Apple. The issue will be remedied with an upcoming iOS update.
Rumors of added Siri language support have been swirling for a little while now. As it turns out, the digital assistant herself thinks she can already speak Japanese, despite the fact that the language isn’t officially supported yet.
Impending and Realmac Software have released Clear, the highly anticipated to-do app for the iPhone, in the App Store. For an introductory price of $0.99, you can get your hands one of the most innovate task manager applications around.
Another day, another Samsung employee throwing dirt on the rumored Apple television. If you recall, a certain Samsung suit called Steve Jobs’ dream for the iTV “nothing new,” indicating that Samsung is already playing the game and playing it to win.
This time, a Samsung product manager is back to let us all know why Apple’s unannounced TV won’t be able to compete with what the South Korean company already has on the market. How comforting.
Have you ever wanted to check the weather or look at stocks without unlocking your iPhone? A tweak called Bulletin lets you access the iOS 5 Notification Center from your jailbroken device’s lock screen.
Apple has always been notoriously tight-fisted when it comes to spending. As the world’s most valuable technology company by a long shot, there’s a ton of pressure on Apple to acquire competition and flaunt its $100 billion cash reserve.
At the Goldman Sachs Conference today, Cook noted that Apple has spent billions on acquisitions, in the supply chain, retail, and company infrastructure. “But yes, we still have a lot,” he said.
Cook sarcastically called Apple’s 37 million iPhone sales last quarter a “decent” number to a room full of laughs at the Goldman Sachs Conference this afternoon. In Cook’s eyes, that number represented only 9% of the handset market, and Apple sees incredible opportunity to take the entire global handset market by storm. Cook said that Apple’s mission is to “make the world’s best product.”
Jailbreakers have the ability to run a homegrown version of Siri on unsupported iOS devices, and it appears that Apple doesn’t like it. According to mixed reports, a large amount of unsupported Siri users are now unable to use Siri. Has Apple stepped up its game, or is this merely a routine update to the spunky digital assistant?
The Wall Street Journal has published a report confirming that the iPad 3 will feature 4G LTE networking technology for both AT&T and Verizon customers. Apple’s next-generation iPad is expected to be announced on March 7th, and the device is rumored to feature an A6 quad-core processor and Retina display.
What do you do when your lover helps run the largest mobile social network in existence? You give him a Valentine’s Day gift only he could really appreciate. That’s exactly what Kaitlyn Trigger did for her boyfriend, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger.
Kaitlyn learned how to code so she could create Lovestagram, an easy way to make and send Valentines with Instagram photos. That’s a gift that would make any hipster blush.
Apple has announced that it will broadcast Tim Cook’s talk at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference tomorrow. The live stream will begin tomorrow, February 14th, at 12:30 PM PST/ 3:30 PM EST.
Cook has presented at the conference several times in past years. This will be his first presentation as the CEO of Apple, and he is expected to give “forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties” regarding Apple’s business.
There are sure to be some interesting statements given by Cook tomorrow, so be sure to tune into the audio stream at Apple’s Investor Relations page.
Have you ever wanted to quickly send a file or share a contact with your iPhone over Bluetooth? Unfortunately, iOS 5 doesn’t have a built-in method for Bluetooth file sharing, so you’re out of luck if you don’t jailbreak.
A new Cydia extension called AirBlue Sharing brings zero-configuration Bluetooth sharing to the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
Following an earlier report from AllThingsD that the iPad 3 will be unveiled during the first week of March, iMore claims that Apple’s event is set to take place on Wednesday, March 7th.
The rumored tablet will reportedly feature a quad-core A6 processor, 2048×1536 ‘Retina’ display, and possible 4G LTE chipset technology.
The makers of the popular iPhone and iPad IM client Verbs, #include tech, are set to release a task manager application in partnership with River called Steps that looks almost identical to the highly-anticipated Clear todo iPhone app from Realmac Software and Impending.
Clear is set to go live in the App Store on Wednesday, but that hasn’t stopped #include tech and River from promoting its eerily-similar task management app.
I’ve had the pleasure of using the HEX 13-inch Recon Messenger Bag ($80) for the last couple of weeks. We at Cult of Mac love bags, and I was excited to try such a good-looking messenger bag for my MacBook.
The HEX Recon differs from many bags in its class by offering a pouch specifically designed for holding and offering quick access to an iPad. With it’s top-notch build quality and minimal design, the Recon bag is an attractive option for everyday use.
Apple VP and iCloud guru Eddy Cue recently accepted a Special Merit GRAMMY Award for the late Steve Jobs. Cue gave an acceptance speech on behalf of Apple and the Jobs family, saying that “Steve was focused on bringing music to everyone in innovative ways.” Cue worked with Jobs closely for 15 years.
The GRAMMY was awarded to Jobs for his contributions to music with the iPod and iTunes Store.
The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held tonight at 8:00 PM at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. You can stream the event live, including the pre-show this afternoon, for free on your mobile devices.
Thanks to the free GRAMMY Live app in the App Store, you can stream today’s festivities to your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.