We have another pair of BodyGuardz earbuds for you check out today—Premium Lyrics Earbuds From BodyGuardz (Black): The Precision-Crafted Surfaces Will Make You Forget They Are Even in Your Ears—I mean it's not like there is any other news or anything, right?

These earbuds are supposed to be so light and comfortable that you will either a) forget you have them on (I've done that, which is why my MacBook Pro headphone jack is skewed) or b) just want to wear them all the time. Now I can believe “a”, but “b” might just look strange. Regardless…

We’ve seen those parody videos about the “shit Apple fanatics say,” but what about the Android fanatics? Yep, there’s one one those too. If you have an Android fanatic for a friend or happen to be one yourself, there’s a good chance you’ve heard or spoken a few of these beauties.

Along with the announcement of the iPad mini today, Apple debuted a brand-new commercial for the device that’ll likely be airing on TV soon. In traditional Apple style, this ad features both the full size iPad and its mini counterpart set against an all-white backdrop.

Apple has been really stepping up their advertising game lately, first with the excellent iPod ad last month, the funny iPhone 5 spots, and now this new iPad commercial. Check it out after the break.

Just in case you’re not interested in watching the full iPad mini keynote, we’ve compiled the entire thing down into just 90 seconds, like always. Check out the video after the break to see Tim Cook and Phil Schiller announce all of today’s products, at a rapid rate.

The iPad mini just left the land of make believe to become Apple’s hottest new gadget. And on our just-recorded special edition CultCast, we’re ready to reveal our first impressions of the mini’s smaller form factor, compact screen, and higher than expected price tag.

Plus, are you more than a little peeved that Apple just made their 7-month-old “New” iPad obsolete? Sure, the newly announced 4th-gen iPad the is great news if you didn’t just buy the now last gen iPad 3, but if you did, you’re probably none too enthused.

Our discussion on that and our other hardware first impressions on this very special edition CultCast! Subscribe now on iTunes, or easily stream The CultCast via Apple’s free Podcasts App.

The iPad mini is a totally new product for Apple. It represents a beautiful juxtaposition of the iPhone’s 4-inch display and the Retina iPad’s larger 10-inch canvas. While the rest of the industry has already shifted its focus to 7-inch tablets, Apple entered uncharted territory for itself today.

Based on what we’ve seen, the iPad mini looks like a very compelling device. I’m sure Apple will sell bazillions. What I don’t understand is Apple’s pitch for the iPad mini. What purpose does it serve, and what kind of customer is it intended for? There’s no denying that Apple unveiled a great product today, but the purpose of the iPad mini was muddled by a confusing pitch.

Today’s iPad Mini event was incredible. Tim Cook and the gang just unleashed a tsunami of new Apple products on the world for the second straight month. Yes, the iPad Mini made an appearance, but there was so much more sweet stuff that it’s hard to keep up with all the details.

Rather than getting lost in the flood of thousands of different posts that will be written about the Apple event today, we’ve broken down all the necessary info into delicious bite-size information nuggets just for you, so you can know all the essentials.

Here’s everything that Apple announced at today’s keynote:

Why is the iPad mini $329 instead of $200? In the promo video above, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design, the venerable Sir Jonathan Ive, gives an implicit explanation. The iPad Mini is not a reduced iPad, he says, but a concentrated one.

Here’s his rationale:

The iPad Mini was announced today, and frankly, it missed the mark. The iPad Mini will simply have no effect on non-Apple users. Apple needed to go $299 or less to make the iPad Mini seep into consumers heads and play devil’s advocate. At $329, that simply isn’t going to happen.

Wondering which iPad is right for you: the iPad mini, the iPad 2, or the iPad with Retina Display? Apple now has a dedicated page explaining the difference between the models, for everything from spec to price.

Source: Apple

The fourth generation iPad is now here. That means the third-gen iPad you bought just six months ago is a big pile of silicon dust: twice as slow as the new iPad, without a new connector, with none of its advantages.

Hey, bummer. Apple feels for you, man. That’s why they’re discontinuing the third-gen iPad and selling you the iPad 4 starting at just $379 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model, just $50 more than a base 16GB iPad mini.

The 32GB and 64GB models are $469 and $549. Want a top of the line 64GB iPad with LTE? It’ll cost you $679 refurbished. At the low end, you can buy a refurbished iPad 3 for the price of a brand new iPad 2.

Source: Apple

The iPad mini is amazingly thin and light but not at all undersized. That’s the first impressions of reporters at Apple’s press event.

Reporters got their their first look at the iPad mini this morning, and the results are trickling in. Most emphasize how light and thin it is, and the quality of the build. And while it’s smaller than a regular iPad, it’s by no means tiny.

Here’s a sample of reporters’ first impressions:

Apple Head of Marketing, Phil Schiller, took the stage today and asked a very important question. “What does the iPad mini do that the iPad doesn’t already do?” he wondered aloud.

His answer was only half as good – “It can fit in one hand.” Here at Cult of Mac, however, we think that’s only part of the story. The fact is that Apple’s newest, smallest, thinnest iPad makes a perfect gaming controller.

Today Apple announced that the iPad mini will be available for pre-order this Friday, October 26th and ship on Friday, November 2nd. What you may have missed is that this launch timeframe applies to Wi-Fi-only iPad mini models. If you want to buy an iPad mini that’s equipped with cellular data, then you’ll have to wait a few more weeks.

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If you weren’t able to watch the entire iPad Mini keynote live, Apple has just added the video to their website and you can watch it at this link whenever you want. Another option is to download the video via iTunes at the following links:

There always seems to be an echo of people on the Internet that are disappointed after an each Apple event. Maybe it’s those people’s own fault because they hyped the products up too much in their minds before actually seeing them. Or maybe Apple’s under-delivered a little bit on the iPad Mini.

I plan to buy an iPad Mini on November 2nd (mostly because I just sold my iPad 3 last night), but part of me wishes the iPad Mini was just a little bit better. I wish it either had a better processor, a better display, or a better price. If Apple had improved just one of those three things a little bit then I’d be warp-drive enthusiastic about it. But after the unveil, the iPad Mini doesn’t look more compelling than a Kindle Fire or Nexus 7, other than that it runs iOS 6.

What do you think about the iPad Mini? Are you excited? Disappointed? Or is everything just as you thought it would be? We’d love to hear y’alls reactions, so head over to the forums and let us hear them.

Click here to share your reaction to the iPad Mini in the Cult of Mac Forums

Privacy, it’s important. With all the integration between apps, devices, computers, and the big, bad internet, it’s easy to lose track of all the ways people can find out about you, your friends, and your family.

Thankfully, most services and devices these days have some sort of tool or system to allow you the control you need to manage which info is available and to whom, as well as how much is even out there. iOS 6 is no different, with a nice set of toggles to allow you to be the boss of your own information.

Apple announced the iPad mini today, a smaller iPad model that starts at $329 for a 16G model. Along with the new form factor and a lightning connector cable, Apple is also making Smart Covers for the new iOS device. You can see them right on the Apple Store website.

As it says in the official Apple Press release, the iPad mini Smart Cover will be available in six colors, including dark gray, blue, green, pink, light gray, and (PRODUCT) RED. It will cost $39 and fit that sweet new Wi-Fi iPad mini you can pre-order on October 26, purchase in an Apple retail store on November 2. The Wi-Fi + Cellular models will show up mid-November.

Source: Apple

A few days after the iPhone 5 was released to the public – just a few weeks ago – people started commenting on how thin and light it was. “You really have to pick it up and feel it in your hands,” was a common thread of these comments. Sure, it looked amazing: but it felt amazing too.

Today’s announcements are a direct continuation of the theme that began with the iPhone 5, and set the tone for the next generation of Apple hardware. From now on, Apple’s message is clear: “No-one does thin like we do.”

Apple just brought the Apple Store back online, and is now ready for your purchases. You can’t pre-order the iPad Mini till October 26th, but if you’re totally jonesing for a new MacBook Pro with Retina display, iMac, or Mac Mini, you can buy one right now.

Ask iFixIt: the thinner Apple makes their products, the less user serviceable they are. That’s why the new 21.5-inch iMac doesn’t allow users to upgrade the RAM themselves. The 27-inch, though, apparently does, a consequence of the added space.

Source: Apple

Per usual, Apple.com just got updated with everything that was announced at the iPad mini event moments ago. Dedicated pages are up for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, all-new iMac, 4th gen iPad and iPad mini. Apple has included all of the new features and specs for its new products, including lots of beautiful images and videos.

Head on over to Apple.com and take it all in. The Apple Store has also come back online with the new inventory.

Apple has also published press releases for the new iMac, iPad mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. Today’s keynote was live streamed, and you can watch it now online.

It’s got to be tough making cases and other accessories for Apple products. While it may seem that everyone knows everything about the new iPad mini already, the truth is that the actual specifications of the product are unknown by anyone except Apple and its manufacturing partners in China.

An accessory maker who wants to create an iPad mini case, for example, is hard pressed to know what to make, what size and shape to make it, and what type of person is going to want it, especially at first. The stakes are high, considering that a well-designed case that makes it to market at the same time as the iPad mini will be the one that most people choose.

We spoke to Marware’s Director of Marketing, Ronnie Khadaran, who opened up about the process his company went through to design its new iPad mini cases and accessories.

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