Posts Tagged ‘Apple’

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A Big Apple Day

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Ever since Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in the beginning of June, Mac lovers have been awaiting the launch dates of each new Apple product. Today is a big day for Apple, with the release of the new MacBook Air and Mac OS X Lion, among other news.

The first new product coming from Apple today is what TechCrunch calls “the next decade of OS”.  The new version of Mac OS, Mac OS X Lion, is now available only through downloading from the Mac App Store.  It costs $29.99 and with a 4 GB size, can be expected to be a pretty long download.  With over 250 new features, OS X Lion is being said to combine some of the best parts of OS X and iOS.

Apple also announced the new updates of both the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch MacBook Air.  Both models feature the new Intel Core i5 and i7, and a Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor.  The MacBook Air also uses all flash storage, making the notebook super  fast and able to remain in standby mode for up to a month!  The new models also have a backlit keyboard, as older models did.  Both sizes have a Thunderbolt port, offering speeds up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and 20 times faster than USB 2.0.  The larger, 13.3-inch model also has a slot for SD cards.

Coinciding with the release of the new MacBook Air is the demise of the white MacBook.  Since the new MacBook Airs are out and the starting price is the same as those for the MacBook, it makes sense, especially since customers still have the collection of MacBook Pros to consider.  The last new release of the day (so far) is the 27-inch Thunderbolt I/O display.  If all these new goodies aren’t enough for you, there is still iOS5 and iCloud hopefully not too far away.

Well this is what Apple has done today, and it’s not even lunchtime.  How much have you done?

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APPealing Review – The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Monday, July 18th, 2011

The New York Times calls The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore simply “the best… It is a visually stunning bit of work with entertaining interactive features.”  And we agree.

The eye-catching iPad app is an interactive narrative experience based on William Joyce’s short film “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”. Produced by Moonbot Studios, the app is available for download on iTunes for only $4.99, which is well worth it.

 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore iPad App Trailer from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

 

This iPad storybook is about a man (named Mr. Morris Lessmore, of course) who lives in an old library. The flying books housed in the library have become his friends and his job is to make sure they are handled with care and shared with reading lovers who will appreciate their value.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is visually reminiscent of Pixar movies like Up, Toy Story 3, and Geri’s Game. The imagery is interesting and beautiful, as is the narrator’s soothing voice.

Customer reviews claim The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore to be “One of the best. I’d have to put this up there with Goosed Up Rhymes and Cosmo’s Day off as one of the best book apps. Big hit with the kids.” Another praised the app as a fantastic teaching tool saying, “My wife even used this and the animated short film we got in the iTunes store for a Language lesson. This will entertain both adults and children, buy it!”

Another rave review, which we found notable stated, “I just finished reading The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, the first thing I did was go buy another copy of the app for my grandchildren. I love everything about this book, the story, the animation, the feeling of being part of the story. The feelings it envoked reminded me of the first time I read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. I highly recommend this book to young and old.”

After reading reviews such as these, how could you not check it out! iPad apps like The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore will likely change the way parents read bedtime stories to their children. Tell us, how do you feel about the new world of interactive narrative apps? Will you or do you share them with your kids?

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Meet the iPhone family tree!

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Apple has some treats up their sleeve for consumers for the upcoming year.  They are offering upgrades and better deals left and right.

Instead of a new iPhone being released in the fall, it is believed that an upgrade for the iPhone 4 will be unveiled.  The version will be iPhone 4S—just like the iPhone 3GS upgrade in between the third and fourth versions.

Wall Street says the new designed iPhone 5 will come out sometime in 2012 with a bigger screen, thinner body, and 8 megapixel camera.  Also allegedly being designed by sometime next year is a “baby” iPhone—a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone 4 that is convenient for iCloud usage.  Not too much information has been released about that product, though.

Once the next generation iPhone is released, prices will change for the older phones, which is good for us!  Rumor has it that Apple will have the iPhone 3GS come free with a two year contract.  Also, the iPhone 4 will only be $99, while the fresh iPhone 5 will of course be $199/$299.

There are good things on the horizon for iPhone users—the next generation iPhone has countless new and improved features, such as no home button, better resolution, HD video recording, better battery, 3D display, iTunes cloud, and iOS 5.  And we’ll all just have to wait and see how adorable the newborn “baby” iPhone is!

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Hey you! Get off my Cloud!

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Not surprisingly, Microsoft is releasing a cloud-based version of its office software called Office 365–a per-user per-month service.  The programs will be available on the web through laptops, desktops, tablets, and mobile devices, such as Microsoft RIM, Apple, and Android smartphones.  The programs will include access to e-mail, spreadsheet, calendars, documents, web conferencing, the collaboration suite, and word processing.

Similar to the iCloud, Office 365 allows users to work on a desktop and sync with the cloud when connected to the internet.  The online versions of the programs are similar to the desktop ones, so it will be easy to get used to.

The online services include Office Professional Plus, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online, and Office Web Apps.

Office 365 differs from the iCloud, however, in cost.  Professionals and small businesses (Plan P) will have to pay $6 per user per month; Midsize businesses and enterprises (Plans E1-E4) will pay anywhere from $10-$27 per user per month; Midsize businesses and enterprises (Plans K1 & K2), made for enterprises with kiosk, will pay either $4 or $10 per user per month; Academic and educational institutions will have to pay $10 per educator and staff, but students will be free.  For more pricing information, click here!

Office 365 seems like a great program for professionals and businesses, making it easy as pie to connect and communicate with co-workers, no matter where they are.

The only question will be whether or not consumers are willing to pay the price for Microsoft’s new service versus the free usage of iCloud.  Apple may or may not have some competition!  What do you think?

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ThirdIntifada is Just Trying to Create Hakuna Matata for Israel

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

Israel has written to Apple asking them to remove the app ThirdIntifada—an app that helps mobilize Palestinian protestors.  The app posts details, photos, articles, and comments in Arabic about the Palestinian uprisings and protests.  It includes upcoming riots and allows users to formulate their own protests.

Israel’s government has asked Apple to get rid of the free-downloadable application in fear that it will encourage uprisings against Israel and have violent results.  “Intifada” is an Arabic word that translates to English as “rebellion” or “uprising”.  The app name infers a future and third major revolt in the country.

Yuli Edelstein, the country’s Minister for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, views the app as “Anti-Israel” and stimulating a destructive revolution.  Some of the news in the app gives information about violent activities against Israeli policies, therefore uniting more people for the cause and making the protests even larger.  The country is clearly concerned that the results of this will be disastrous.

A similar Facebook page was removed a few months ago, as well.  “Third Palestinian Intifada” brought in over 340,000 fans, but had innumerable complaints about its indecency.  Facebook received much aggression from Israeli government and supports after the page’s withdrawal, saying they failed to follow their own guidelines, which forbids posting content that is “hateful, threatening, or incites violence.”

ThirdIntifada is still available in the app store, and Apple has yet to give a response.

If Apple keeps it, will ThirdIntifada help liberate the Israeli protestors or just infuriate the Israel government? And if Apple removes it, does that mean we’re not doing everything we can to help free the revolutionists?  We’ll just have to wait and see Apple’s reaction to the letter, but what do you think: is the app constructive or a recipe for disaster?

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Friendthem App takes Facebook Stalking to a Whole New Level

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Apple is releasing a new, possibly creepy app for the iPhone called “Friendthem.”  The app allows you to see other Friendthem users and their Facebooks that are within 1500 feet of you.  The app uses location-based software to find other Friendthem users, making it effortless to add new people and without going through the hassle of searching them.

The app displays a potential friends list, consisting of users that are within 1500 feet, their name, mutual friends, where they are from, and their current location.  An Android version will also be released soon.

There are many pros and cons about this app.  On the plus side, you won’t have to search too much for that cutie you just met at the bar, connecting with co-workers will be a breeze, and all Friendthem users won’t have to do much searching for new acquaintances.  Users can send friend requests right on the spot, or save the request for later.

On the down side, however, this could potentially be dangerous.  Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but from a girl’s perspective, I would not want people on the street or in the mall to be able to pull up my Facebook, name, where I’m from, and my location with the tap of a screen.  It would make me very uneasy to know that other people around me can find my Facebook page with an app on their phone—without me even telling them my name.  Facebook should be a place for social networking, not stalking people you see in the coffee shop!

Fortunately, the only way your page will come up on Friendthem is if you use the app yourself.  Users can also control what information of theirs will be shown to others on the app, as well.  Any user should still be aware of the exposure of their personal information that comes with this app and the potential risks.

What do you think? Will “Friendthem” be a new, smooth pathway for Facebook connections or just a new way for creepers to pursue you? Let us know!

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Weekly Wrap – Facebook Friday

Friday, June 17th, 2011

Hit Out via Facebook for Baby Daddy

“I will pay somebody a stack to kill my baby father.” This is the message that Philadelphia mother Eley London posted on Facebook in an attempt to find a willing assassin to kill Corey Jerome White.

Apparently, London, 20, and her one-year-old child’s father got into a heated argument on May 23, which prompted her to search for a hired gunman.

Shockingly and stupidly, 18-year-old Tim Bynum agreed via Facebook to kill White for $1,000, posting “Say no more”, “What he look like?”, “Where he be at?”, “Need dat stack 1st”, and “I’ma mop that bull”. After seeing London’s message, White’s mother contacted her son, who then immediately contacted police.

London was arrested on June 10 and being held on $250,000 bail. She is being charged with conspiracy to commit murder, while Bynum is being charged with attempted murder and a weapons charge after police found a .22 caliber hand gun upon his arrest on June 12 at his Darby, Pennsylvania home. Bynum’s bail is set at $350,000.

 

Facebook App for iPad

The New York Times reported last night that Facebook will likely have an application for the iPad in the next couple weeks. Those briefed on the company’s plans say that the app will be free and was designed specifically for the iPad.

Apparently, the Facebook team has been working on the app for almost a year and it is now near completion. Though it is all just hear-say at this point, we hear that the app features a touch screen interface and updated chat and groups features.

Another exciting feature of the new Facebook iPad app will be the user-friendly photo-sharing feature, which is intended to allow users to “shoot and upload photos and videos directly from the iPad’s built-in cameras”.

 

PS – On a non-Facebook, but Friday note, Rebecca Black’s viral “Friday” music video has been pulled from YouTube due to copyright infringement laws.

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iCloud: What You Need to Know

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

I’ve already told you about the Mac OS X Lion and iOS 5 news from Apple’s WWDC keynote presentation.  With all of the new features, there’s no end to the things you can do and create on your computer or mobile device.  Apple’s iCloud service will allow you to access what you create from any of your devices.

What is it?

iCloud is the latest cloud service from Apple.  It will provide an easy way to manage content by storing your content and automatically pushing it to all of your devices, wirelessly.

Content?  What content?

iCloud works with Apple applications including Calendar, Mail, and Contacts, similar to Apple’s previous MobileMe service.  But it also works with iTunes, the App Store, iBooks, iWork apps, backup, and the new Photo Stream.  So you will be able to access almost any content that you would access on one computer or mobile device, but on all of them.

How do I get it?

iCloud will be free and available as soon as iOS 5 is.  When you sign up, you automatically get 5GB of storage for Mail, Documents, and backup.  Purchased music, apps, books, and photos will not count towards your free storage.

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iOS 5: What You Need to Know

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

I’ve already brought you the happenings from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference and introduced you to some of the new features of Mac OS X Lion.  Here’s a run-down of the new features of iOS 5 (the operating system for Apple’s mobile devices) demonstrated in the keynote presentation.

The Basics

  • Available: Fall
  • How to get it: downloadable on your device
  • Cost: free

New Features

  1. Notification center: all of your notifications from your apps are now all in one location, easy to access from any screen including the lock screen and less distracting than the current push notifications
  2. Newsstand: a folder to manage all of your newspaper and magazine subscriptions delivered to your device and automatically updates in the background
  3. Twitter integration: you will now be able to sign-in to Twitter just once in ‘Settings’ and instantly send tweets from your camera, Safari, and other apps
  4. Safari: the internet browser now has a reader feature to read articles in an RSS-like view and save things to a reading list for later (also, the iPad will feature tabbed browsing)
  5. Reminders: store multiple to-do lists complete with due dates and locations and automatically syncs with other devices and apps
  6. Camera: in addition to better features to help you compose a picture and sync photos to other devices, you will be able to use shortcuts to access the camera app from the lock screen and take a picture by simply pressing the volume-up button
  7. Mail: you’ll be able to add rich-text formatting (bold, underline, etc.) to emails, search the contents of messages, and flag important messages
  8. PC-free: you no longer need a computer to activate, update, and back-up your devices
  9. Game center: enhanced with profile pictures, game recommendations, and friend recommendations
  10. iMessage: a messaging service for all iOS 5 users with group messaging, delivery receipts, typing indications and more, and conversations are pushed to all of your devices

Watch out for the last article in the series, which will be about the iCloud service.

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Attention eBook Worms! Is the iBook 1.3 Update Generating a Loud Shout with its new Read Aloud Feature–or No Sound At All?

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Apple has advanced eBook reading with the new iBook 1.3 update, presenting a read aloud feature in select books with automatic page turning, highlighting words, automatically playing audio & video content in the books, and improvement on downloading large books.  Or has it?  Users have experienced a few glitches with the update—encountering silent narrators that make us wonder whether we should have went with Amazon Kindle or Google eBookstore instead.

The iBook iOS app update is free, requiring iOS 3.2 or higher, and is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.  It has Apple’s usual appealing, sleek characteristics with some modernistic features.

The iBook 1.3 contains read aloud for select children’s books.  The app is also capable of highlighting words as they’re being read, helping children learn to read.  There is a picture of a speaker at the top of the app, and the user simply taps the speaker to enable sounds.  There is also an option of turning the pages manually or automatically in this menu.

Books including multimedia content, such as audio or video, will automatically play on iBook 1.3, as well.

The update also acts more efficiently with larger books than before.  There used to be incidents of the app displaying the same page twice, but this new update has corrected that issue.

However, there are definitely glitches with this update.  It is said to have difficulty functioning on the iPad and iPhone 4 on the latest iOS.  When the read aloud is selected, the pages will turn properly, but there is no sound.  Apple is aware of this glitch, and I’m sure they will have it perfected shortly, as they always do.

Some critiques with iBook also include that it is not supported by any other devices, while its competitors most certainly are.  Kindle can be read on iPad, iPhone, Kindle and PC’s, and Google eBooks is supported by iPad, iPhone, Android devices, and any JavaScript-capable web browser.

Electronic book worms everywhere are stocking up their virtual shelves, and Apple needs to fix these glitches before they slither over to Amazon or Google!

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