There’s been a lot of talk over the past year or so about mobile payment systems and the concept of an iWallet. One of the challenges to any digital wallet concept is that it needs several components, most of which are provided by different companies and governed by different regulations. At a minimum, those components need to include on-device hardware, a mobile app or OS that can manage the transaction, a banking or credit card system that actually transfers money from your account to a retailer, support by major POS and cash register systems, and some mechanism for your phone to securely check-in with your selected account(s) to ensure money is available for purchases.

That’s a tall order and a lot of cooperation is needed when you have a different company providing each of those required functions. One way to simplify the process is to have one company deliver all or most of those functions on its own. There are few companies in the world that can pull all those capabilities together. One of them is Apple.

Ever been in a note-taking situation where you didn’t write everything down? How about paying so much attention to your notes that you miss what’s actually being said? I think it happens to all of us. Whether you’re a student, journalist, or just at the doctor’s office trying to remember all the instructions she’s telling you, AudioNote may be just what you need to help you keep track of what’s being said.

Apple’s decision to cancel the Xserve unleashed a range of questions and concerns from Mac IT professionals. The Xserve was the best Mac server option that Apple had ever created and its 1U rackmount design was a perfect fit for any server closet or data center. The Xserve delivered a tremendous amount of power and flexibility including fibre channel connectivity – a key feature for managing Apple’s Xsan storage system.

Apple positioned the Mac Pro and Mac mini Server as alternate server machines, neither of which deliver the same combination of power, expansion flexibility, and standard network rackmount options as the Xserve.

Despite complaints from enterprise customers about the demise of the Xserve, it’s a forgone conclusion at this point that Apple will never revive it. Mac upgrade and peripheral maker Sonnet Technologies, however,  may just have created a true Xserve replacement.

Not that there was any doubt, but as this picture proves, yup, Apple is unveiling iOS 6 at WWDC on Monday.

Source: CNET

The chances of iOS 6 being anything like this video concept by Joost van der Ree are pretty slim: we already know most of what to expect in iOS 6, and across the board, it looks like an app — not feature — focused update.

But who cares? This still looks great. We’re not so sure about the redesign of the Notification Center to pull down under the home screen — this seems counter intuitive — or the need for a “Mission Control” for finding running apps — the existing task switcher is an expert feature unused by most people which works just fine for poiwer users — but we do love the major innovation of this mockup: “Flipcons”, which show all your app updates and notifications as an overlay that pops out of each individual app on the homescreen.

None of this stuff will be in iOS 6, of course. But maybe some of it will come via jailbreak, and if it doesn’t, there’s always iOS 7.

Source: YouTube
Via: Redmond Pie

When Apple first showed off the iPad Smart Cover, the idea was simple: what’s the point of owning a device as beautiful as the iPad if you’ve got to cover it all up in a bulky case so no one can see it? What’s the point of the iPad even being designed to be so slim, so pleasant in the hand, if you’re immediately going to slap a half pound of plastic or leather sheath on top of it?

The Hex Code Folio Case for iPad is the exact opposite kind of case. It’s a professional-style case made for professionals who want to make their iPad part of their business folio. It’s beautifully made and looks quite handsome, but if you’re not the sort of person who spends hours every day in business meetings wrestling with sheaves of print-outs, this isn’t the case for you.

Earlier today we showed you the email Apple marketing VP Phil Schiller sent in response to Apple removing Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil Speakers Touch app from the App Store. Yanking the app caused quite the stir, as Rogue Amoeba was accused of misusing Apple’s AirPlay API to receive audio to an iOS device.

Schiller said that Rogue Amoeba used AirPlay functionality without proper licensing, and the Airfoil Speakers Touch makers have responded to Schiller with more points of their own.

There has been rather a lot of interest recently in the 3D motion sensing device Leap by San Franciscan company Leap Motion. While the company CTO was somewhat reluctant to talk about The Leap’s modus operandi / camera / sensor, he was more than happy to give Cult of Mac a demonstration of Leap in action. Watch the video here.

Photoshop Elements 10 is the Photoshop for “regular people”, sure Photoshop is awesomely powerful, but Photoshop also awesomely complex. So we have Photoshop Elements for “the rest of us”, but working with photos is still a pretty complicated and (potentially) daunting task. Hey, I’ve been there. Lots of “good” photos that you want to make “great” but don’t really know how to tap into all the power and features of Elements to get that done. That’s where a video course on Photoshop Elements 10 from Udemy comes in. Regularly a course like this (8 hours of content over 90 lectures) is $49, but now you can get it for only $19.

Interested now? Then click here to get the deal now!

A hardware bomb! That’s what CultCast special guest and Ars Technica writer Chris Foresman thinks is about to go down at next week’s WWDC. I think he’s right, and on our brand new CultCast we’ll tell you why Apple might be about to refresh every Mac they make. Plus, there’s iOS 6. We’ll tell you what to expect from Apple’s new mobile OS too.

And don’t miss our winner of Faves and Raves, the game where we pitch our favorite hardware/apps and then vote on which is best.

All that and too many LULZ on our brand new CultCast. Subscribe now in iTunes and read on through for our show notes.

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) has been a staple event for the company since since the turn of the 21st century. The first ever WWDC was held in 1983, but it wasn’t until 2002 that Apple started using the conference as a major launchpad for new products. Since then, Steve Jobs and Co. have unveiled products like the Power Mac G5, Mac Pro, iPhone, and plenty of software. Because WWDC has always been a developer-focused conference, Apple uses the event to announce new apps, OS X versions, major iOS updates, etc. For an Apple fan, it doesn’t get much better than WWDC.

With WWDC 2012 set to kick off on Monday, June 11th, we decided to take a look back at the big announcements Apple made at WWDC over the past decade.

The Lady has been trying to get me to go swimming. Up and down. In a pool. Like an animal. I said that I would do only if there were a way to make it less boring, like, say, someone offered to send a waterproof iPhone case and headphones for me to review.

Well, it looks like I might beef up my weak typist’s arms and firm up my beer belly this summer, as ECOXGEAR (a company who’s name contains the word "cox") has launched the ECOXPRO which works with the waterproof ECOXBUDS.

U.S. Facebook users should start seeing Facebook’s new App Center when they log into Facebook via the web, Android app, or iOS apps. Facebook’s new App Center is less of an “App Store” and more of a central location for Facebook users to discover new apps. In reality, it’s just a way for Facebook to keep users in Facebook or using Facebook integrated apps.

Following earlier reports hinting that Apple would allow devs to start making software for the existing Apple TV as a way of paving the way for a true Apple HDTV early next year, BGR is now officially sticking their neck out, saying an Apple TV SDK is coming at WWDC, allowing devs to build Apple TV-compatible apps. This is in addition to a new control API that will allow other entertainment devices in the living room to use the same remote as the Apple Tv, and even connect through it.

BGR’s the only place claiming such a thing, so we’ll have to see, but it makes sense: if Apple wants to release a proper HDTV, they’ll need to have apps to run on it. This paves the way without tipping their hand too much.

Source: BGR

If you live in a place that needs air-con, then you probably already have it. You can move along now. But if you are shopping for a new AC unit, or you happened to buy one made by Kühl, then why not consider this new dongle that will let you control the unit from the cool comfort of your own iPhone?

Secure remote access has always been important for companies with mobile workers. As Apple and other mobile technology companies enable an increasingly mobile workforce, however, those remote access needs are increasing rapidly and can easily strain existing VPN setups.

Increasing capacity can be accomplished with the traditional appliance or server-driven VPN solutions, but that can get expensive and doesn’t guarantee that even more capacity won’t be needed in a few months or a couple of years. One company offering a scalable and cost-effective solution to these challenges is iSimplyConnect.

The City of Cupertino has just released a slew of new plans and technical drawings for Apple’s proposed Spaceship Campus, which is set to finish construction in 2015.

The most interesting part of these plans, though? The plans for a massive new subterranean auditorium for future Apple press announcements. This will be where Apple unveils products like the ninth-generation iPhone, the seventh-generation iPad, the future Apple HDTV and other magical gadgets we haven’t even thought of ye.

Here’s some pictures of the auditorium. It’s like a giant secret lair!

Apple has produced some of the most memorable adverts in history. Its “1984” commercial for the original Macintosh is still talked about today, and we can all remember the “Mac vs. PC” commercials, and the dancing silhouettes that were used to promote the iPod. However, it hasn’t quite been the same story in recent years.

Despite promoting incredibly popular products like the iPhone and the iPad, Apple’s most recent commercials have been far from unforgettable. In fact, the CEO of one ad-tracking firm has revealed that Apple is being mocked for its latest Siri commercials, which employ celebrities to sell a feature that rarely works in real life.

Canon has announced a brand new video-shooting DSLR, the EOS 650D. This freaks me out a little bit as I used to sell the EOS 650 to people as a part of my Saturday job in a camera store. The 650 was a 35mm SLR that Canon made from 1987 to 1989, and it was the company’s first auto-focus SLR.

Back to today. The 650D has all that you’d expect from a modern camera, plus a swing-out touch-sensitive LCD screen.

The principal at my elementary school was fond of saying that every privilege comes with a new responsibility. That phrase often comes to mind when I think about BYOD programs. The ability to use your personal iPhone, iPad, or other mobile devices in the workplace is a privilege. Even though it may make you a happier and more productive employee, using your personal device means that you take on certain responsibilities once taken care of by your IT department.

Tasks and costs like cell service, supporting technical problems specific to your device, choosing and purchasing apps, and even maintaining some aspects of data security become your responsibility. Then there’s the ultimate responsibility question – what happens if your iPhone or iPad is damaged?

While most BYOD programs are designed to incorporate issues around support, expenses, and security, many don’t include a policy for physical damage to a device.

When Apple pulled Airfoil Speakers Touch from the App Store last week, many believed that the Cupertino company was gearing up to introduce the same functionality to iOS 6 later this year. It seems, however, that this was just wishful thinking. In letter to one customer obtained by Cult of Mac, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, explains the real reason why Airfoil Speakers Touch was pulled.

I used to work as a the sole waiter in a restaurant where the cash register consisted of a wooden cigar box and a solar-powered Casio calculator. I’m an honest chap, and the chef was also the owner, so it worked just fine. But times have changed, and now there exists a modern alternative to our old cedar box. It’s called the Cashbox and it is fashioned from beautiful bamboo varnished to look like a hideous high-school craft project.

If you’re a Mac user of some length of time or experience, you know that there are a ton of keyboard shortcuts laced throughout the operating system. In addition, every application you run on your Mac has a ton of these same shortcuts.

One easy way to see them is to click on a menu in a running application. To the right of each menu command, you’ll see the Keyboard shortcut for that particular menu selection. For example, clicking on the Edit menu in most applications on the Mac will give you the Cut (Command-X), Copy (Command-C), and Paste (Command-V) shortcuts.

There’s an easier way, however, to see all the application’s associated keyboard shortcuts, in the form of an application you can download right now.

I don’t know about you, but I find my iPhone’s speaker just isn’t loud enough. I’m forever propping it up against a wall to amplify its sound while I’m in the shower, cooking dinner, or assembling the flat-packed furniture my wife insists on purchasing all too frequently. But AudioGlove is an iPhone case that solves my problem.

It’s the first case that features an “acoustically engineered retractable waveguide chamber that “naturally” amplifies the sound coming to and from the iPhone.” It requires no batteries, cords, or docks — it just makes your iPhone louder using the power of science.

Color Splash Studio, a terrific photo manipulation tool for Mac OS X, has made the leap from Mac App Store to iPhone today. Priced at just $0.99 — with 60% to celebrate its launch — the app allows you to convert your images to black and white, and then inject color back into specific areas.

“You have tools and powers no similar app offers,” its description promises.