Posts Tagged ‘icloud’

Apple’s iOS 6 – What To Expect

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

Apple launched its 23rd Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) yesterday with a revealing keynote that started with a witty Siri.

“How many developers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

“None – That’s a hardware problem……  ba dum ching”

A sophisticated Siri was just one of the new features presented for iOS 6. Apple’s new operating system has a recurring theme – tighter app integration and enhanced iCloud synchronization.

Sophisticated Siri

The former Siri was ideal for entertaining and retrieving quick data. Siri has been promoted to your executive assistant. She launches apps for you, updates your Facebook Status and sends a Tweet on request. She can look for a restaurant via Yelp and make reservations through OpenTable. Dinner and a movie? No problem, she has you covered with Fandango. She’ll let you in on the recent reviews from Rotten Tomatoes. If you miss the game, she can present you with sports stats and scores without picking up the phone.  Siri can increase your efficiency even in the car. The “Eyes Free” feature will be built into the steering wheel in certain BMW, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, General Motors, Honda and Audi models.

Maps. 

Apple’s navigation application flew right over Google Maps and didn’t look back. Maps is exquisite, offering convenience and productivity. It highlights turn by turn navigation; local searches, real-time traffic updates, 3D perspectives and the “flyover” feature which views a location as if you were in an aircraft.

 Not the Perfect Time for a Phone Call?  The iOS 6 update gives you options.

  • Ignore the call, but reply to the incoming call with a quick text message.
  • Ignore the call, but set a reminder about the call later.
  • In class, a meeting or movie? Set the “Do Not Disturb” option. It will block incoming calls but receive texts and alerts.

 

Passbook.

Keep electronic versions of admission tickets, boarding passes, reward cards and coupons in one location. Live data updates alert you when there is a flight delay or rain date. Radar lets you know your favorite store is nearby. Pretty handy, right?

Email.

Finally, you can instantly add photos to your email. You can also have multiple email signatures and use the VIP option to receive alerts when emails arrive from select contacts (ie: Your Boss!).

 

Other Noteworthy Changes:

  • Facebook has a closer harmonization in iOS 6. Facebook pictures, calendars, events and birthdays will be synced seamlessly. You’ll even be able to “Like” an app or song in the App Store.
  • WiFi is no longer a mandatory element for FaceTime – it is now 3G capable.
  • Safari: iCloud synchronization enables you to save tabs, cache pages and access an offline reading list without web connection.  You’ll also be able to use Safari in landscape mode.
  • Updated language support for 15 countries, now including Canadian French, Italian, Korean, Mandrin and Cantonese.
  • Restructured App Store lets you save your browsing where you left off and access your history.
  • There is much, much more to come. Approximately 200 features all together.

 

Arriving this fall, the iOS 6 updates pertain to specific Apple devices:

  • iPod Touch 4th generation
  • iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s
  • iPad 2 and iPad 3

 

The annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference is June 11th – 15th. Stay tuned for more updates!

Do you own an Apple device?  What do you think of the new iOS 6 software update?

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Mac OS X Mountain Lion: What You Need to Know

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Almost all of the Trending Topics on Twitter right now are related to Apple, and it doesn’t even have anything to do with the highly anticipated iPad 3. Today, the developer preview of a new operating system went live and people are loving it.

The operating system is Mac OS X version 10.8, aka Mountain Lion, and will be released in Summer 2012. I personally thought the last update, Mac OS X Lion, introduced some big changes, but they are nothing compared to what Mountain Lion will bring. If I had to describe the update with one word (aside from the word awesome), it would be this: iOS.

Apple’s website describes Mountain Lion as “Inspired by iPad. Re-imagined for Mac.” Given the wild success of the iPad, and the way mobile devices have changed our technology experiences, it makes perfect sense. This update will strengthen the relationship between Mac OS and iOS, and Apple device users will have a much more unified experience.

Here are some of the features we can look forward to with OS X Mountain Lion:

  • iChat will be replaced by Messages – The new chat system will be more like iMessage than Mac’s old iChat. You can send unlimited messages to anyone on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. You can also continue your conversations on any of your iOS devices. But don’t worry, you can still instant message. Messages will also support IM services such as AIM, Jabber, Google Talk, and Yahoo! Messenger. Want to try it? You can actually download the Beta version of Messages now.
  • Reminders – The list-making tool Reminders will be making its debut on Mac OS, minus the GPS support. Make as many lists as you want on your computer, add due dates and receive alerts as those dates approach. If you need to leave your computer, don’t worry because with iCloud it will all sync to your other iCloud-enabled devices.
  • Notes- Jotting down notes will be a lot easier with this new hybrid between the old Stickies app and the Notes feature within the Mail app. You’ll be able to add photos and attachments to them, share them via Mail or Messages, and pin important notes to your desktop. Notes also syncs with your other devices with iCloud.
  • Notification Center – Yes! You will be able to receive notifications via the Notification Center instead of annoying bouncing icons in the dock. You can customize which app notifications you want to receive, and they appear as unobtrusive banners that quickly disappear. Swipe to the left and view an ordered list of your recent notifications.
  • Game Center – Macs will finally have Game Center! Sign-in with your Apple ID and start playing against users on other Macs as well as iOS devices.
  • Sharing – Similar to how Twitter is integrated into iOS 5, you can tweet from any standard OS X app such as Photo Booth, iPhoto, or Safari with the new Tweet Sheet. Twitter notifications will even show up in the Notification Center! Other Share Sheets will allow you to share from more apps to more places, such as Flickr or Vimeo.
  • AirPlay Mirroring – If you have an Apple TV, AirPlay Mirroring streams what’s on your Mac to an HDTV.
  • Gatekeeper – Gatekeeper is a new security feature that can prevent you from downloading potentially dangerous software. You can change settings so that you can only download software from the Mac App Store, or from developers with Apple Developer IDs.

Learn out more about Mountain Lion and see it in action in Apple’s sneak peek video or Mashable’s photo gallery. Are you as excited as I am about the update? If you plan on downloading Mountain Lion when it comes out, what are you most looking forward to?

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Let’s Talk iPhone–A Quick Recap

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Today was Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event at their Cupertino campus, where they announced new versions of the iPod Nano and iPod Touch, announced the release date of iOS5 and iCloud, and unveiled the highly-anticipated new iPhone, the iPhone 4S. Here is everything you need to know!

iPod Nano

  • Inspired by the Nano accessories that let you wear your Nano like a watch around your wrist, Apple has added a number of clock interfaces
  • Larger screen icons for easier navigating
  • Built-in accelerometer to make tracking fitness easier
  • Comes in 7 colors, available now
  • Price: $129 for 8GB, $149 for 16GB

iPod Touch

  • Will be available in black or white
  • Runs on iOS 5, meaning it will have Game Center and iMessage (free text messaging, anyone?)
  • Supports iCloud
  • Price: $199 for 8GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB
  • Available: October 12

iOS 5

  • Improved notification system
  • Location-based reminders
  • iMessage, a device-to-device messaging system
  • Twitter integration
  • Improved Camera app
  • New greeting card app
  • Price: free to download!
  • Available: October 12

iCloud

  • Find My Friends app for location sharing
  • Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch/Mac–locate your missing Apple device by signing in to icloud.com
  • Available: October 12

iPhone 4S

  • Looks just like the iPhone 4
  • Much better camera than the iPhone 4
  • Uses Apple’s A5 chip, increasing speeds
  • HD video recording
  • Airplay: wirelessly stream content from your phone to your HDTV
  • Coming to Sprint
  • Siri voice assistant
  • Comes in black and white
  • Available: for pre-order on October 7, for purchase on October 14 at 8 a.m.
  • Price (with 2 year contract): $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB

Are you going to be buying an iPhone 4S? Which of Apple’s many announcements are you most excited about?

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iPhone 5… Coming Soon?

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

The next-generation iPhone is said to be released October 7th…or will it be in September? Honestly, it doesn’t matter since we are finally nearing the end of the long awaited iPhone prophecy. For months now, talk of the new iPhone (4s and/or 5?) has been circulating all over the web– predictions spewing on when, how much, what model(s), what features.  Whatever the truth may hold, one can expect some pretty sweet features (or serious let downs). Here are a few rumored highlights for the highly-anticipated iPhone 5:

  • ‘World phone’– capable of working on any network carrier
  • To the Cloud!- Wireless software updates…and scratch any type of data storage for that matter, thanks to iOS 5 with iCloud
  • Screen- Bigger, edge-to-edge with no home button making the next generation completely touch
  • Design-said to resemble a sleek teardrop shape along with being slimmer and lighter than previous models
  • NFC Technology- with all the buzz around mobile payment services, one can only assume Apple will introduce this into their next-gen

What would you like to see in the new iPhone?

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Is the Extinction of Discs Coming Too Quickly?

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

It feels like we just made the switch from floppy disks and VHS tapes to CD-ROMs and DVDs.  And we’re already switching from discs to …thumb drives and clouds?  Apple is making the first step in obsolescing discs, and—more than likely—everyone is going to have to follow along to keep up.

Apple has removed their DVD drives from Mac Mini computers, and MacBook Airs already didn’t have one.  This means that if you want to play a CD or watch a DVD, you will need a separate SuperDrive to do so.

Some believe Apple did this to cut costs, and others think it’s because Apple is simply just retiring discs all together.  But what are the pluses and minuses about this, and is it really necessary to outdate CDs and DVDs?

A few arguments for the upgrade are that discs make noise, they can get scratched, they use more battery power on a computer, they’re slower, and they’re less convenient.  The internet has made sharing files easy as pie, but do we really want to convert everything to just computer files?  It seems like Blu-ray players just came out for goodness sake! What am I going to do with all those Blu-ray DVDs now???!

Apple’s iCloud is making moves like we never imagined and is changing our technology and world as we all know it.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but how are we all suppose to keep up?!

Whaddyathink?

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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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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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Behind Every Cloud is Another iCloud

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

We all know the success and power of Apple as a company; however the one area they have continually failed in is their multiple tries at an online media service. First it was iDisk, next it was .Mac, then it was MobileMe, and now they are taking their forth swing at it with iCloud. Steve Jobs is scheduled to discuss the details of iCloud at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 next Monday.

iCloud appears to be a re-branding of the Apple media service previously known as MobileMe, which [attempted] to serve as a paid online hub for users to manage their email, calendars, address books, and photos. Unfortunately for Apple, MobileMe turned out to be full of bugs; and no one likes an apple full of bugs.

By naming the new endeavor iCloud, it suggests to those in the industry that the service will likely allow users to store and access their iTunes purchases (music and videos) online, on multiple devices. For those of you who are not fully aware of industry lingo, “cloud” is a word that has been used by other companies basically meaning that they offer everything online, rather than on hard drives. Think of it as an online locker for your media.

If Apple is successful in their reach for the clouds, it would be wise for the company to advertise perks for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iPod Touch users; that is, if they can do so without those pesky bugs. It would be pretty cool to be able to use and manage your iTunes library without having to plug your iProduct into your computer.

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