With just over two hours to go until Apple kicks off its WWDC 2013 keynote, the Apple online store has gone down. We can’t say we’re hugely surprised, but the move does suggest that we won’t just see software previews today, but also new hardware as well.
We’ve been hearing a ton of leaks and details about Apple’s new iRadio streaming music service lately, enough to get a complete picture of the Pandora-like service, which will not only serve up a streaming music station of music you’ll like based upon your iTunes collection, but allow you to buy any tracks you hear with a single tap. And it’ll all be supported by iAds.
All the music labels are reportedly on board, and so we should hear Tim Cook announce the service in just a few hours. But in case there was any doubt, the Wall Street Journal is now weighing in, confirming that iRadio is a go.
For the past year, Apple’s head of design Jony Ive has reportedly been taking a hatchet to the skeuomorphic design principles of iOS. When iOS 7 is announced later today, it is widely expected that he will show us a much more modern-looking operating system, one emboldened by what is widely called a ‘flat’ design aesthetic.
But let’s keep a little bit of perspective here. Jony Ive isn’t completely overhauling iOS 7 because of some petulant, blind hatred for skeuomorphism. He’s doing so because he’s a pro, and skeuomorphism is solving a problem that iOS no longer has: how to teach people to use devices that, a mere six years ago, seemed impossibly futuristic and sci-fi-like!
YO! Sushi, a chain of Japanese restaurants based all over the globe, has adopted a novel new way of delivering food to its customers: Waiters and waitresses load up flying trays made of lightweight carbon fiber, then guide them to tables using iPads.
Two months ago, Verizon announced that it wouldn’t allow customers to upgrade their iPhones early after twenty months anymore. It was a pretty hostile move: the subsidy you’ve paid for your iPhone has been paid off after twenty months, so Verizon was effectively saying that their new policy was to bleed you dry for an additional four months, no exceptions.
When we wrote about Verizon’s move, we said “And what Verizon tends to do, AT&T can usually be expected to follow. How long until AT&T ends 20 month eligibility for early upgrades too?”
The answer, as it turns out, is a little under two months.
Today’s WWDC, and at the very least, we’re expecting new Macbooks based off of Intel’s new Haswell processors. But whither iMac, and when will Apple’s line of desktops be upgraded? It looks like Haswell-based iMacs could be announced today as well.
If there’s one note that’s almost guaranteed not to be in any of the zillions of to-do apps spread across your devices, it’s “Find new to-do list app.” However, should you actually have that entry scribbled down somewhere that you can actually find, then you can now cross it off the list: The app in question is called Silo, and it’s pretty slick stuff.
By far the best way to keep up with an Apple keynote when you’re not attending is to watch it live, but that’s a treat Apple doesn’t offer all that often. Fortunately, it will be at WWDC 2013 today. You can watch the company’s grand unveiling of iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 live through your Apple TV.
The Grablet Nomad is a twist on the iPad case we glimpsed at last year’s Macworld Expo. Essentially, it adds a front cover to the strappy, grabby case, but the folks at Grablet couldn’t stop themselves from making even the front cover into an all-singing gizmo.
People talk a lot of crap about their minimalist apps, promising “distraction-free” interfaces as if distraction had anything to do with how many buttons you can see on the screen. In the future I will send those people a link to download Slicereader, a reading app so truly minimal that it doesn’t even have an open/save dialog.
Launchbar users can enjoy a brand new feature in v5.5 of the find-everything Mac app. Launchbar – if you’re not familiar with it – is an app that you trigger with a shortcut (I use ⌘-Space) and then type into the pop-up window. Launchbar instantly presents results, letting you launch apps, send emails, play music, browse your iPhoto library and a whole lot more. And now it has snippets.
Today’s the day, folks! In just a few hours, Apple will kick off WWDC 2013 with a first look at its next-generation iOS 7 operating system. We’re expecting big changes with this update, and according to sources for The Wall Street Journal, those will include a brand new look, new ways to share your photos and videos, and a new music streaming service.
You can also expect to see a glimpse of OS X 10.9 and new notebooks at the event.
Lightroom 5 is now officially official, and you can grab the final version from Adobe for $150 (there’s a one-month trial built in if you want it). Should you upgrade from v4? Probably. Unlike Photoshop, which adds more and more flashy-but-pointless features just to keep people upgrading, Lightroom is still young enough that the new features are super useful and – ironically – they also make it less and less likely you’ll need to resort to Photoshop to polish and fix your images.
Functional iPhone cases are a dime a dozen, but the latest Cult of Mac Deals offer features the Leverage case – a case that is so much more than functional. Sporting a clasp locking system, it not only looks great but it can survive even the clumsiest iPhone owner.
With its understated yet elegant design, this case will make your phone pop. And right now Cult of Mac Deals has it for just $39.99.
It all started as a concept in a forum. A designer who goes by the online name of “Sentry” posted mockups of a redesigned app switcher for the iPhone. It was such a unique and innovative take—webOS-like app cards and quick access to Settings toggles—that it got picked up by dozens and dozens of big websites, Cult of Mac included. “This is the awesome, radically redesigned app switcher we want to see in iOS 7,” we said at the time.
iOS 7 is right around the corner, and there’s been no indication that the app switcher will get a significant update.
Several months after the concept was first posted, it became reality in the form of an iPhone jailbreak tweak called Auxo. Now that hundreds of thousands of jailbreakers are using Auxo as a default app switcher replacement on the iPhone, an iPad version has finally been released.
This is your best chance to grab the best turn-based, world-conquering strategy game on the Mac at the best price.
To coincide with the announced availability date of Civilization 5’s second expansion pack, Brave New World — which will be out Jul 9 — all Civ 5 games and DLC have had their prices cut 75 percent for the weekend. That means the original game is just $10; the Gold Edition game — which includes everything Civ 5 released up to this point including all DLC and the first expansion pack, Gods and Kings — is just $12.50.
As we’re all Mac users here (at least I hope so!), it’s a good idea from time to time to learn new things on our favorite computer, to make our Mac life just that bit more fun and productive.
With that in mind, here are five easy keyboard tricks that you can use that you
may not have already known about. Give them a try and let us know what you think in the comments section at the end.
Enjoy!
You won’t have a lot of spare time at the World Wide Developer’s Conference — what with the sessions and a packed schedule of parties — but here are a few great ways to spend those precious hours, whether you know San Francisco like you know your code or are here for the first time.
Advertising legend Lee Clow has created some of the most iconic commercials of all-time thanks to his time working with Steve Jobs for over 30 years. He was the guy behind Apple’s 1984 commercial the ‘Think Different’ slogan and many more Apple ad campaigns.
At a recent PTTOW! summit, Clow shared what it was like to work with Steve over the course of their 30-year relationship. Clow also shares his personal theory that Steve was heavily influenced by Sony’s branding strategies when he chose to name his computer company ‘Apple.’
You can watch the full video after the jump:
Apple’s Worldwide Developers conference is right around the corner, dear brethren, and on this episode of The CultCast, we’ll ponder the new hardware rumors surrounding the big event, like whispers of new MacBooks with dramatically extended battery life and even more power; Airs with retina displays, and why that’s now very possible; updates to the long-neglected Mac Pro; Intel’s powerful yet power-sipping Haswell chips; and soooo much more!
Join us and Gizmodo Chief New York Wired Editor Joe Brown for an extra long CultCast all about our WWDC expectations, hopes and dreams. Stream or download new and past episodes on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing now on iTunes, or hit play below and let the good times roll.
Show notes up next. Namaste.
How much interest is there in Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference?
Enough to stage an alternative free five-day conference with over 40 speakers and hands-on labs that WWDC attendees may want to check out for all the topics Apple isn’t likely to cover. For the second year running, AltWWDC will be hosting the have-nots (as in have no WWDC tickets) for a gathering cloned from the official conference.
Just a few blocks from Moscone Center at the San Francisco State downtown campus, devs from around the world will be hanging out and helping each other out. There will be a volunteer lab to tackle things like crash debugging as well as talks on game development and “marketing you won’t hate.”
Around 1,500 people have signed up, meaning, yeah, even free/freewheeling AltWWDC is technically “sold out.” No worries: if you don’t have a ticket, as long as there’s room to plant your laptop, you’re in.
Cult of Mac talked to Rob Elkin, a London-based software engineer and one of the four founders of AltWWDC about what constitutes an “alt” keynote breakfast, talks Apple doesn’t want you to hear and sponsors.
The finishing touches are being added to Moscone West as WWDC 2013 draws closer. In just three short days Tim Cook and company will take stage at Moscone West to reveal a redesigned iOS, new MacBooks, and possibly a new iPad.
Apple’s WWDC keynote is slated to start Monday, June 10th at 10AM PST. Don’t want to miss all the juicy details as they’re unveiled? Well, here’s a handy infographic so you know what time to hop on and check the Cult of Mac liveblog for the full scoop on everything that goes down at WWDC 2013.
Image: Twitter
Apple has been busy decorating Moscone West all week in preparation for WWDC 2013, but until now we haven’t see any iOS 7 banners.
Apple just unveiled one of the iOS 7 banners for WWDC that seems to be a pretty clear indicator that iOS 7 will have a new minimalist design. The banner simply features a huge ‘7’ against a perforated background.
We’ll keep you update with new pictures as more banners are posted up. Make sure to come back Monday morning for Cult of Mac’s liveblog of the WWDC keynote.
Source: MacStories
LEGOs and Apple products go together like celery and peanut butter. Tons of LEGO/Apple hybrid creations have graced the front page of Cult of Mac, but now there’s a small Taiwanese design group that created an iPhone 5 LEGO adapter that will allow you to morph you iPhone into a new LEGO creation.
The adapter plugs into your iPhone 5’s Lightning port and allows you to link your own LEGO bricks together with your iPhone or iPad, perfect for building your own LEGO iPhone case.
Here are some of the creations you can create with the LEGO adapter:
Apple has been praised by Chinese environmental activist Ma Jun for its “aggressive” adoption of progressive environmental policies in China. The Cupertino company, which initially refused to cooperate with the Beijing-based Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE), has gone further than any of its peers in the technology industry, Ma said.