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11 December 2011
Posted in
Apple
Apple has released two new apps into the Mac App Store. Joining Aperture, the iWork suite, Xcode, Motion, Final Cut Pro, and all the other Apple apps already available are Logic Pro and MainStage, two Apple apps that previously existed as boxed versions. Logic Pro is priced very reasonably at $259, and means that Logic Express probably isn't worth buying anymore — as Logic Pro allows you to download all the Apple Loops and other content free of charge when you purchase Logic Pro.
Also available in the Mac App Store is the first app from Rogue Amoeba, an app called Piezo. Piezo allows you to record audio from basically any source on your Mac, whether it be from an app (a playing movie, a video on the web, or many other sources) or any audio device you've got plugged in. There's a free trial version available on the Rogue Amoeba website, and the full version in the App Store is $14.
News: iMac television functionality, Apple's Grand Central store, pull-to-refresh in OS X, and more!
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08 December 2011
Posted in
Apple
Forbes reports that a next-generation iMac might contain television-like functionality similar to what the current Apple TV offers in terms of streamable content via the iTunes Store, but there are plenty of people skeptical that this will eventuate. Mac Rumours even notes that this may even be pure speculation on the part of the analyst that produced the original report, which is exactly how the Apple rumour sphere operates.
Fortune has a nice video walkthrough of Apple's opening-very-soon Grand Central store. As far as Apple stores go, it's perhaps one with the most variety — plenty of open space, but also a few cosier spaces. Glass doesn't seem to be featured quite as prominently, but that's okay, New Zealand still doesn't have an Apple Store.
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07 December 2011
Posted in
Apple
The Ivy Bridge refresh of same Intel processors used in most Apple hardware today is due around the same time next year as the iPad 3, and that might even bring triple display support for those machines currently unable to perform the feat. With the exception of more recent Thunderbolt-enabled models, using three displays on any Mac has traditionally been something that wasn't typically done, at least not without the use of third party adapters and accessories.
The excellent mail client for Mac, Sparrow, has been updated to version 1.5. The new release brings support for a feature called Dropbox sync, where users can sync attachments right into their Dropbox folder, along with remote image blocking and Gmail-like search filters, according to The Next Web.
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06 December 2011
Posted in
Apple
It's a well known fact that Apple employees aren't allowed to publicly comment on Apple-related websites. The full extent of the Apple social media policy hasn't been discovered until now however, with 9 to 5 Mac spilling the beans on what Apple employees can and can't do. All the policies seem to make sense and are in line with basic common sense, but others, like the restriction on speculating on rumours, seem to be a little out there.
The 27th Macworld Annual Editor's Choice awards have been revealed, and they cover all facets of the Mac including both hardware and software releases for the past year. Making the software side of things are concepts like AirPlay and single apps like Fantastical, and on the hardware end, we have the fantastic MacBook Air and the iPad 2 making the cut. There's a heap more products on the full list, so go check it out!
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05 December 2011
Posted in
Apple
MacRumors says a new beta graphics driver in Mac OS 10.7.3 reveals evidence of new Mac Pros, which means there might be a Mac Pro refresh sooner rather than later. They support their theory with the anecdotal evidence that new models of graphics cards are usually introduced with newer models first, then made to work with any previous machines that support the newer graphics hardware.
Hot on the heels of a potential Mac Pro refresh is the definitely-going-to-be-updated iMac lineup, with new Intel processors leading the way for Apple to introduce them into their machines in the near future. The Ivy Bridge Intel processor refresh is expected to hit sometime in Q2 2012, after delays preventing it from being released during the original release schedule.
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04 December 2011
Posted in
Apple
Floods in Thailand a few months back have caused shipping delays with Apple products, leading to shipping estimates blowouts on the Apple online store. These shipping estimate blowouts don't seem to have affected the NZ or Australian online stores, but the hard drive shortages mostly affect larger-capacity drives such as the 2TB option as found on the iMac range, but even buying hard drives directly from retailers has resulted in severe price hikes. Now is a pretty bad time to be buying extra storage, and the situation doesn't seem likely to improve anytime soon.
Apple seeded the Mac OS X 10.7.3 update (build 11D24) to developers. This is the second such release of 10.7.3 since the first was released just last week, which asked developers to focus on areas such as iCloud document storage among other things — the new update now adds Spotlight and Safari to the list of focus points for testing. It's currently unknown when the update will appear in Software Update.
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01 December 2011
Posted in
Apple
It's a fairly slow news week for Mac news, but there is something that is somewhat related: Apple now ships more iPads than Dell sells PCs. A few years ago, such a feat would have been unheard of, and what's more, AppleInsider says the iPad is disrupting the wider DRAM market due to the number of iPads being shipped, making DRAM manufacturers lose millions of dollars on factories that won't see much usage.
There's a few crazy (and admittedly iOS-based) patents from Apple that have passed through the US Patent Office recently, and Patently Apple take a look at a patent to control a remote drone using an iOS device (similar to the Parrot AR Drone), a patent for an iPad-based robot that interacts with its environment and has built-in cloud computing integration, as well as a patent for a guitar accessory that your iPad can hook into to create a touch-screen based guitar.
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30 November 2011
Posted in
Apple
9 to 5 Mac have some plausible specifications on the newly rumoured Apple TV that was discovered in the latest iOS beta. They're saying the new Apple TV might include Bluetooth 4.0, which brings lower power consumption than any of its predecessors. It also happens to be the same spec Bluetooth found in the iPhone 4S, which leads 9 to 5 Mac to hypothesise that eventually the two (or any other future devices, for that matter) could communicate and exchange information.
In new software releases today is the release of Alfred, the personal assistant for your Mac. Alfred has been along for a while now, but it only hit version 1.0 very recently — and if you enjoy using Spotlight but wish it had just a few more features, or a little extra functionality, Alfred might just be the butler on your Mac you've been looking for.
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29 November 2011
Posted in
Apple
A beta release of iOS 5.1 has been released to the public, and a reference to a previously-undiscovered model of Apple TV has been found among the new features and bug-fixes. The new Apple TV, for now known as J33, is rumoured to be an Apple TV refresh that contains the same A5 dual-core processor that powers the current iPad 2, which might mean the next Apple TV you buy will be more than capable of 1080p video playback.
There are all kinds of docking stations available for the other MacBook (Pro) models — the Henge dock and BookEndz comes to mind — but until now, there hasn't really been any sort of alternative for people who carry a MacBook Air as their portable machine of choice. Fortunately, there's a project on Kickstarter that aims to change all that — a product named the LandingZone might be exactly what you've been looking for.
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28 November 2011
Posted in
Apple
DigiTimes all but confirm something we already knew: that there will be a MacBook Air refresh sometime next year, probably in the first quarter of 2012. They say that a new model will be introduced — the 15" MacBook Air that has been rumoured for a few months now — along with an update to the existing 11 and 13-inch models. As for whether the new model will be an expansion of the current lineup or a scaled-down MacBook Pro, your guess is as good as mine.
Compared to other companies, Apple stock does very well on the stock exchange. However, compared to other companies, Apple as a company does very well — astronomical growth rates and massive profits could very well mean that Apple stock is actually undervalued, at least compared to other companies.