Apples Worldwide Developers Conference 2009 Preview

Apple will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. A team of Apple executives, led by Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the keynote. WWDC will offer in-depth sessions on both iPhone OS 3.0, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and Mac OS® X Snow Leopard, an even more powerful and refined version of the world’s best desktop operating system and the foundation for future Mac innovation.

All of my readers are spread throughout the world, but being based in the UK, 6pm GMT will be the focus of my coverage. Normally Steve Jobs would take to the stage at Moscone West, San Francisco. This year will be Phil Schiller again, as Steve is not due to return to his active role at Apple until the end of the month. As things unfold at the Keynote, I will be putting together a video of the announcements, which should be online by around 7:30pm. This will also be followed by a series of videos looking in-depth at what Apple has delivered.

Expectations
We will see a massive concentration on giving us the full details of iPhone OS 3.0. This will deliver a raft of new features that we already know about, including MMS and that all important copy and paste. We should also see the introduction of background processes, so running more than one application at a time will be possible.
Snow Leopard will also be detailed, with a shipping date. This new streamlined version of the OS for Mac desktops and laptops will not offer many new features, but will certainly take up less system storage and resources to get the same job done.

I personally also expect to see a revamp of the iPhone range. The much rumored iPhone Video should make an appearance. With four models in the line-up, ranging from 4GB to 32GB in capacity. This should also include a front facing camera, so iChat video conferencing is bought to the handset. The rear facing camera will be boosted to somewhere in the region of 3.2 to 5 megapixels, with that all important video recording functionality. From the various rumors and photos floating around, the fingerprint magnet should be gone and a nice rubberised matte black finish will be applied to the back of the device. The silver trim around the front bezel will also disappear, in favour of a black powder coated bezel. Sizing and the overall form factor will remain exactly the same.

One more thing...
Will we get that 'one more thing'. Well, we all know that Apple is working on some sort of touch enabled netbook or tablet device. I doubt that this will be announced today. Steve Jobs is going to return at the end of the month of June. I think it is more likely we will see a hardware announcement to coincide with his return. Again, this may be too early for the netbook/tablet launch, so we may have to wait until January 2010 for this new eagerly anticipated device.

Competition Time - May 2009 - Win iPhone 3G Cases!

New for the month of May is our first video competition, which we will be repeating every month. This month watch the video, answer the question and pop on over to YouTube and leave your answer in the comments. The winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers. Closing date for entries is the 31st May 2009 and the winner will be announced in June 2009 competition video. Please... no swearing in your answers and no multiple entries.

Asus announce Eee PC Seashell 1008HA

ASUS have today announced the UK launch of the new Eee PC™ Seashell netbook which presents a user-centric blend of timeless design and effortless mobility.

My quick take is that this little netbook oozes style. All those sleek lines, USB and video ports hidden away under neat little covers. It really does look stunning. A little pricier at £379 than the current crop, but you have to pay a little more for quality like this. We have a review model winging its way to the Geekanoids office, so check out the video review sometime in May.

Back to the official press release...
Nature has a way of creating elegance of out simplicity and ASUS has followed the same philosophy for its latest Eee PC™. Inspired by the sleek shape of the humble seashell, the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell combines a striking slimline design with the latest mobile technology.

The Seashell’s slender case is less than 1in at its thickest point and artfully curves to a razor-thin edge. This stunning low profile is made possible by a new ASUS motherboard that takes up very little space, and the integral lithium-polymer cell removes the need for an unsightly, bulbous battery. The incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel® Atom™ N280 processor provides an unmatched combination of performance and power-efficiency. Furthermore, despite weighing just 1.1kg, the Seashell lasts for up to six* hours away from a plug socket.

ASUS is also giving one away per week during the launch period; please visit www.asus.co.uk/seashell for further details of the competition.

For further information about the product, please visit www.asus.co.uk/eeepc/1008HA

Key Features
* 1” thickness and 1.1kg weight
* 10” LED-backlit WSVGA glare-type display (1024x600)
* Fast Intel Atom N280 processor
* Polymer battery offers up to 6 hours of battery life*
* SRS Surround Sound audio
* Ergonomically designed keyboard with Multi-touch touchpad
* 170GB Hybrid Storage (160GB Internal plus Eee Storage)
* 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth 2.1
* Super Hybrid Engine for intelligent energy management

More great reviews forthcoming including Home Cinema

Over the next month or so expect to see a greater variety of reviews on the website. I do not know where I find the time to do all the videos! To add to the mix, I will be bringing you a full review of a superb home cinema projector. Bringing the big screen into your home need not break the bank. It is now very affordable, with some stunning results at under the £500 mark. I will take a look at setting up, connecting your DVD, Blu-Ray or games console and how to use it either every day, or for those special occasions. Imagine playing the likes of PES 2009 with massive on-screen players and awesome surround sound! Keep an eye on the website for the full review.

Epson Stylus Photo R2880 Printer Review coming soon

In the next month I will be bringing you a definitive review of the Epson Stylus Photo R2880 printer. This is a little different for me, as the R2880 is of great interest for more than one reason. My passion for photography will marry up to this product well, if it delivers on its promises.

It uses Epson UltraChrome K3 inks with vivid magenta, which should produce some stunning photo prints. Also on board are three blacks, a standard one, a light black and a light light black, so fine art prints should look really fantastic. Epson quotes "UltraChrome K3 ink has improved print permanence characteristics that provide lightfastness ratings of up to 108 years for color and over 200 years for black and white under rigorous industry accepted display conditions*. With its expanded color gamut and breakthrough 8-color system, no other ink set can reproduce the three dimensional lifelike quality and stunning photographic feel of Epson UltraChrome K3."

In addition to the printer review, I will also be testing some Epson papers, as well as third party offerings from Hahnemühle and hopefully Permajet. These will be very interesting to see just how much detail and accuracy I can get out of the R2880. Keep your eyes peeled for this review around mid-May.

Click here to save money at Amazon UK and help Geekanoids, when you buy the Epson Stylus Photo R2880 A3 Photo Printer

Intego update Remote Management Console

Austin, TX, April 20, 2009: Intego, the Macintosh security specialist, today announced an update to Remote Management Console, a program that allows administrators to manage and configure Intego security software on Macintosh computers across a local network or via the Internet. With Intego Remote Management Console, an administrator can manage Intego programs on any number of Macs. The administrator can connect to client computers via Bonjour or by entering an IP address, and set configurations and preferences for the following programs:

  • Intego VirusBarrier X5: Protects Macs from all known viruses
  • Intego ContentBarrier X5: Protects children from the dangers of the Internet
  • Intego NetUpdate: Updates Intego programs, and their virus definitions and filters

Intego Remote Management Console allows administrators to create and load settings files, configure individual settings and functions, and make changes to Intego programs on all computers quickly and easily. Settings for these programs can be managed individually or in groups, and administrators can apply the same settings to all users or apply templates with preset configurations to specific users. With Intego Remote Management Console, administrators can connect to Macs anywhere in the world by applying a uniform security policy to all the Macs in a company, school or university.

 

This update, version 10.4.5, includes new features and enables the management of ContentBarrier X5, the latest version of Intego’s parental control software. In this new version, administrators can add computers to Remote Management Console’s Workstation list by entering a range of IP addresses to be scanned; can import and export presets, to apply them on different administration Macs; and client Macs can be set to notify specific administration servers and download settings from them.

Intego Remote Management Console features:
A clear, easy to use interface—Intego Remote Management Console presents interfaces similar to the Intego products being managed
Provides system and hardware information for client computers
Lets the administrator view the current settings for Intego programs
Lets the administrator update and change settings on client computers
Presets allow the same settings to be used on multiple Macs
Groups allow simple application of security policy across computers
Logs record all activity
Remote Management Console can only be used if the client computer authorizes remote management

System requirements:
Remote Management Console Admin requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later.
Remote Management Console Client requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Remote Management Console is available from Intego via the company’s website.

Apple launch new iPod Shuffle

How small can Apple get these little wonders, with the newly launched iPod Shuffle is tiny in comparison to the previous generation. In the photo here you can see the new Shuffle in the back of the image to your left, then older version (front) is massive in comparison. So, just how did they do it. Well, they moved the controls onto the earphone cable, with cool touchy feely buttons that perform different functions if your single click, double click, or click and hold. You get voice feedback, with track details and the ability to change playlists at the voice prompts. Curiously, Mac owners get a male voice, whilst our PC counterparts get a female voice.

These little wonders are available online to order now, with 5 business days shipping. One capacity (4GB) and a choice of white or black. Your pocket will be £59 lighter, but you will have one of the smallest MP3 players in the world.

New Mac Pros from Apple


Wow, those guys (and gals) at Apple HQ have been busy today, with new Mac Pros launched, offering very very fast speeds indeed. I won't rattle on about my thoughts, but check out the detals below (don't miss the 18x superdrive... interesting).

The new quad-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of £1,899, includes:

  • one 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 series processor with 8MB of L3 cache;
  • 3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 8GB;
  • NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
  • 640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
  • 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
  • Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
  • four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
  • five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire® 800 ports;
  • Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
  • ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse.

The new 8-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of £2,499 (US), includes:

  • two 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series processors with 8MB of shared L3 cache;
  • 6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
  • NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
  • 640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
  • 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
  • Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
  • four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
  • five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports;
  • Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
  • ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse

 

Apple refresh their iMac line


Today, Apple refreshed their iMac line with new graphics card offerings and a host of performance improvements. Ranging from a 20-inch 2.66GHz model for £949 through to a top-of-the-range 24-inch 3.06GHz model for £1,799.
The base model gets 2GB of RAM, whilst all the other offerings get 4GB as standard. You can upgrade that memory too, with 4GB to 8GB upgrades weighing in at a hefty £800... what on earth are they thinking? On the graphics front, the two lowest price models get NVidia 9400M, whilst the 24-inch 2.93GHz and 3.06GHz models gain NVidia GT120 and GT130 cards respectively. Those tops models can even be upgraded to an ATI Radeon HD 4850 card should you wish.

The same aluminum frame, but with a thinner pedestal stand. The stand can also be removed and the iMac has a standard vesa mount, so you can hang it on your wall. This is a nice design change... well done Apple.

I like the upgrades, especially the improved graphics performance. What I don't like is the prices and the ridiculous costs involved with 'custom build' options. As a sidenote (and correct me if I am wrong) the AppleCare pricing seems to have dropped. The keyboard has also lost its numerical keypad (like the previous wireless version), but you can opt for the full-size keyboard at no extra cost.