Geekanoids Q&A Session 17th August 2010. In this video I answer more of your tech related questions that were posted on my earlier video (22nd July 2010). Thanks to everyone for their questions. Look out for another Q&A Video next week.
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Geekanoids Q&A Session 10th August 2010. My second Q&A session video, taking questions posted on my 22nd July video and giving you, the viewers, some feedback. Thanks for watching, another Q&A in about a weeks time.
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YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/davomrmac
DiRT 3 is coming to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC Games For Windows® LIVE in 2011, boasting more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series.
So, RIM are holding a press event as I type this in NYC. I haven't covered much Blackberry new previously, so where better to start than the new Blackberry Torch 9800 that AT&T let slip today. This new slider, come touch phone, come full QWERTY offering will get its official launch today. This will be alongside the Blackberry 6 OS, which sounds as though it has some awesome features. Check back on the Geekanoids website in the near future for a full review soon after UK availability.
The Blackberry Torch 9800 is confirmed to have the following features;
The BB 6 OS software has some sweet features;
Back on June 20th I launched a very special competition, to celebrate uploading my 500th Video. This video is the Competition Result... many thanks to everyone who entered and of course CONGRATULATIONS to the winner.
This video is in response to viewer questions on my 22nd July video, submitted either in the video comments or via Twitter. The topics are varied, so check out the video to see if your question was answered. Another video nest week as I work my way through all the questions.
I posted a little earlier about Apple's new iMac line-up that the company launched today. What follows is the full details in their official press release.
Apple® today updated its all-in-one iMac® line, widely praised as the world's best desktop computers, with the latest Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors and powerful new graphics. Starting at £999, the new iMac line is the fastest ever with dual-core processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz, quad-core speeds up to 2.93 GHz and discrete graphics including the powerful ATI Radeon HD 5750. The new Magic Trackpad, with a smooth glass and aluminium design, gives iMac users the same intuitive Multi-Touch™ gestures that Mac® notebook customers have come to love and is available separately for £59 inc VAT.
“We took the world’s best all-in-one and made it even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the latest processors, high-performance graphics and signature aluminium and glass design, customers are going to love the latest iMac.”
Dual-core Intel Core i3 and Core i5, and quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 processors set a new benchmark for iMac performance. The processors feature an integrated memory controller to access the system memory directly, allowing the new iMac to take full advantage of its faster 1333 MHz memory. New discrete ATI Radeon HD processors deliver incredibly smooth, crisp graphics for the most demanding 3D games, creative software and technical applications. iMac displays feature IPS technology to deliver a brilliant image across a wide 178 degree viewing angle. The SD card slot on the iMac now supports the SDXC format to handle the latest high-capacity storage cards. Customers of the 27-inch iMac have the option to order a 256GB solid state drive (SSD) as a primary or secondary drive. The iMac SSD supports up to 215 MB/s data transfer rates for faster startup and application launch times.
Every iMac comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse and customers can also order the new Magic Trackpad as an option. The Magic Trackpad brings the intuitive Multi-Touch gestures of Mac notebook trackpads to the desktop. With its glass surface, the wireless Magic Trackpad enables users to scroll smoothly up and down a page with inertial scrolling, pinch to zoom in and out, rotate an image with their fingertips and swipe three fingers to flip through a collection of web pages or photos. The Magic Trackpad can be configured to support single button or two button commands and supports tap-to-click as well as a physical click.
Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, Apple’s desktop lineup is a leader in green design. The iMac meets stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.* iMac features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iMac uses PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants, uses highly recyclable materials and features material-efficient system and packaging designs. A new Apple Battery Charger provides a convenient and environmentally friendly way to always have a fresh set of batteries for your Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse and Wireless Keyboard. The Apple Battery Charger is available for £25 inc VAT and comes with six long shelf life rechargeable batteries.
Every Mac also comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto®, with breakthrough ways to organise and manage your photos by who appears in them and where they were taken; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use features such as Precision Editor, video stabilisation and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which offers a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.
Pricing & Availability
The new iMac line is shipping now and available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/uk), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers.
The new 21.5-inch 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac, for a suggested retail price of £999 inc VAT (£850.21 ex VAT), includes:
Configure-to-order options include up to 8GB of RAM.
The new 21.5-inch 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac, for a suggested retail price of £1249 inc VAT (£1062.98 ex VAT), includes:
Configure-to-order options include a faster 3.6 GHz Core i5 processor, 2TB hard drive and up to 8GB of RAM.
The new 27-inch 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac, for a suggested retail price of £1399 inc VAT (£1190.64 ex VAT), includes:
Configure-to-order options include a 3.6 GHz Core i5 processor, 2TB hard drive, 256GB solid state drive (SSD) and up to 16GB of RAM.
The new 27-inch 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 iMac, for a suggested retail price of £1649 inc VAT (£1403.40 ex VAT), includes:
Configure-to-order options include a 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 processor, a 2TB hard drive, 256GB solid state drive (SSD) and up to 16GB of RAM.
For a long time now I have loved Apple's trackpads on their MacBook and MacBook Pro lines. I have also enjoyed the touch screens of the iPod touch, iPhone and of course the iPad. Today, Apple went one step further and want us all to go touchy feely with our desktop computers. They did this by launching their new Magic Trackpad.
The new device (pictured) is a slanted multi-touch surface, the same depth as the standard Apple desktop keyboard. It offers all the touch goodness of clicking, scrolling, swiping and rotating and connects to your Mac via bluetooth. Think of it as Apple bringing the MacBook trackpad to your desktop. This new device is £59 and shipping now. Expect to see a review real soon.
Apple also announced that a new 27-inch Cinema Display will be available in September. Exactly as my prediction this size will be a perfect match for the 27-inch iMac, or indeed a Mac Pro, or as pictured it'll dwarf the Mac Mini. In my opinion a bit too much for the Mac Mini!
Glossy with black bezel is the way Apple have stayed. With a massive 2560x1440 resolution (the same as the large iMac), this display is sure to impress. With 178 degree viewing angle, LED backlighting, built in iSight and microphone (at last) and 49 watts of stereo sound this new beast sounds superb. I cannot wait to get hold of one.
Apple today launched, or more appropriately revamped its iMac lineup. There are still two sizes, both 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, but the minimum processor speed is now a 3.2GHz Core i3 processor.
On the Core i3 machines you can upgrade the processor to a 3.6GHz Core i5, for around £150 more. This is quite a nice offering if you want a smaller 21.5-inch screen with quite a speedy processor. With all models you get 4GB of RAM as standard and can go up to a maximum of 16GB internal memory.
The 27-inch models go all the way up to a 2.93GHz Core i7 processor. Most noteworthy though is the inclusion of space in there for both a 2TB SATA hard drive and a second SSD drive of 256GB capacity. Wow, that is a nice inclusion, this will mean super fast start up times if you put the OS and your applications on the SSD and keep the SATA hard drive for data. The other sideline update that impressed me was the SD slot accepts SDXC (=very high capacity) memory cards.
At the time of writing this I cannot comment on pricing, as the store was not playing fair with me. I could only gain access to educational pricing which starts at £938 for the base 21.5-inch model, up to £1,549 for the 2.8GHZ Core i7 27-inch model.
Update: The base model 21.5-inch iMac starts at £999 inc VAT.
The Apple Store is currently unavailable, ahead of rumoured new iMacs, Mac Pros and Cinema Displays. It seems pretty obvious that we will see something new from Apple today. For starters, the Cinema Displays definitely need to reflect the current iMac sizing. I think we will see a 21.5-inch model and 27-inch model for sure, making it uber cool to run dual display iMac setups. For those who run a Mac Pro, yes I know you want to see a 30-inch model too.
On the iMac front, I predict that we will see Core i3 processors as the base specification. Let's hope that prices stay the same too. If this does happen, they can count me in for an order. I didn't want the high end i7 really (or at least the price associated with it), but a Core i3 27-inch would do me nicely to replace my current 3.06GHz Core2Duo machine.
As for the Mac Pros, well, when I am a bit richer then I would show more interest. Sorry guys (and gals) but this is not my bag.
Surprises… well one would like to think so, but is a Mac Mini Tower every really going to happen?
This is in response to my viewer feedback video, my decision on the type of videos I will be uploading to the Geekanoids Channel. The great news is that all my content will remain free!
Make a donation and I will be giving away a Creative Zen X-Fi 2 MP3 & Video Player to the highest unique donation. Donations are welcome any time, however only donations made before midnight on the 31st August 2010 will be eligible for the free giveaway. Donations cannot be refunded.
Example $10.02 beats £10.01 as the highest unique number, (1,002 beats 1,001). Be creative and good luck!
You can donate via PayPal to geekanoids@gmail.com
Do not feel obliged to donate. I really enjoy what I am doing and the reviews and content on the channel will remain free and exactly the same, but with the addition of longer, more in-depth reviews and interviews planned.
***JUST TO CLARIFY*** Donations are always welcome.
The giveaway is not about the money value of the donation, it is awarded purely to the highest unique number in $US or £GBP.
If you are donating from a country other than the UK or US, please convert to $US or £GBP prior to sending.
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YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/davomrmac
Website: /
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