Apple Planning 'Something Really Different' for New Mac Pro

The new Mac Pro model, expected later this year, is "something really different" according to a video professional who says he spoke with the Mac Pro product manager.

Writing on the RedUser.net forum, Andrew Baird says he spoke to Mac Pro project manager Douglas Brooks on the phone after emailing CEO Tim Cook with his concerns about the lack of a new professional tower from Apple over the past few years.

Baird told MacRumors that the call didn't include any specific details about when the new machine would be released, nor its specifications -- however, he was assured several times that the new Mac Pro would be worth the wait. Brooks told him that the machine would be released later this year.

Somewhat corroborating Baird's phone call, Lou Borella -- administrator of the 'We Want a New Macpro' Facebook group -- wrote on the page that he heard the new professional Mac would be "heavily reliant on Thunderbolt" with "no internal expandability", and would have support for dual-GPU's and no FireWire or optical drive.

In mid-2012, after a minor update to the Mac Pro was announced at WWDC, Tim Cook confirmed to a fan that new Mac Pros were coming in 2013, which was later reiterated by an Apple spokesman. It has also been rumored that the new Mac Pro would be the first Apple computer in years to be 'Made in the USA'

Source: Mac Rumours

 

 

Pricing Leak Suggests MacBook Air Release at WWDC, Retina MacBook Pro Update Shipping Later?

 

 9to5Mac has received information from a source that suggests the MacBook Air updates that are expected at WWDC will ship soon after the keynote, perhaps with updated AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule wireless base stations that support a new, faster wireless standard.

These leaks line up with a report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said in April that the MacBook Air update expected at WWDC would ship very soon after the event, while the Retina MacBook Pro would ship later due to production bottlenecks on the advanced displays.

The site also says it received pricing for three new accessories that could be new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule models. If accurate, these would likely support the new 802.11ac-wireless standard.

As we wrote in our WWDC rumor roundup earlier today, the notebook updates are likely to be the hardware highlight of WWDC, with new MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro models announced.

Expected upgrades include a shift to Haswell processors, a possible slimmer design for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, a new full HD (2.0-megapixel) FaceTime camera on the Retina models, and a dual-microphone system on the MacBook Air. 

Source: Mac Rumours

 

Apple Releases OS X 10.8.4 with Safari 6.0.5, iMessage Bug Fix

After a beta period spanning several weeks, Apple today released the final version of OS X 10.8.4. The update, which can be accessed via the Mac App Store, includes several notable bug fixes including a fix for an issue that caused iMessages to display out of order along with Microsoft Exchange and Calendar compatibility improvements. 

 - Compatibility improvements when connecting to certain enterprise Wi-Fi networks 

- Microsoft Exchange compatibility improvements in Calendar 

- A fix for an issue that prevented FaceTime calls to non-U.S. phone numbers 

- A fix for an issue that may prevent scheduled sleep after using Boot Camp 

- Improves VoiceOver compatibility with text in PDF documents 

- Includes Safari 6.0.5, which improves stability for some websites with chat features and games 

- A fix for an issue that may cause iMessages to display out of order in Messages 

- Resolves an issue in which Calendars Birthdays may appear incorrectly in certain time zones 

- A fix for an issue that may prevent the desktop background picture from being preserved after restart 

- A fix for an issue that may prevent documents from being saved to a server using SMB 

- Addresses an issue that may prevent certain files from opening after copied to a volume named “Home" 

- A fix for an issue that may prevent changes to files made over NFS from displaying 

- Resolves an issue saving files to an Xsan volume from certain applications 

- Improves Active Directory log-in performance, especially for cached accounts or when using a .local domain 

- Improves OpenDirectory data replication 

- Improves 802.1X compatibility with ActiveDirectory networks 

- Improves compatibility when using mobile accounts

The update also includes Safari 6.0.5, which improves stability for websites with chat features and games. 

After eight different beta builds, Apple closed its 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program last Friday. During the beta, Apple had asked users to focus on Wi-Fi, Graphics Drivers, and Safari. The public version of OS X 10.8.4 is the same 12E55 build that was seeded to developers on May 24. 

OS X Mountain Lion Update v10.8.3 (342.33 MB) 
OS X Mountain Lion Update v10.8.3 (Combo) (809.98 MB) 

Alongside OS X 10.8.4, Apple has also released security updates for OS X Lion and Snow Leopard: 

Security Update 2013-002 (Lion) (57.69 MB) 
Security Update 2013-002 Server (Lion) (105.61 MB) 

Security Update 2013-002 (Snow Leopard) (329.85 MB) 
Security Update 2013-002 Server (Snow Leopard) (404.83 MB)

Source: Mac Rumours

 

 

Amazon supersizing its food delivery business?

Never mind the books, movies, music, computer gear, and whatever else you might buy from Amazon. How about a nice banana? The e-tail giant is seriously considering a big move into the grocery-delivery business, according to a report.

The company is set to expand its Seattle-only AmazonFresh service to Los Angeles as early as this week and to the San Francisco Bay Area later this year -- with launches in 20 other urban areas in the U.S. and abroad contingent on the success of the LA and SF businesses -- Reuters reports, citing two unnamed sources.

It's true that fresh food doesn't stay fresh for long, and that the banana you ordered three paragraphs ago can also get easily bruised in transit. Those facts make an online grocery business a risky prospect (just ask Web 1.0 casualty Webvan). But Amazon is hoping to make its profit from other items ordered at the same time as groceries, according to another Reuters source, supermarket analyst and consultant Bill Bishop, who told the news service that Amazon is eyeing as many as 40 markets.

"Amazon has been testing this for years and now it's time for them to harvest what they've learned by expanding outside Seattle," Bishop is quoted as saying.

Reuters also notes that, aside from the threat posed to supermarkets and other food purveyors by a giant like Amazon taking a bite out of the market, the e-tailer's grocery effort could ultimately touch FedEx, UPS, and other package pushers: Amazon will deliver the edibles with its own vans, and success on the grocery front could lead to a broad network of company delivery trucks, which could handle nonfood items as well, Reuters says.

We've contacted Amazon for comment and will update this post with any info we get from the company.

Source: CNET

Apple: We wanted a 'level playing field' for publishers

NEW YORK -- Apple argued that it had fought for equality among publishers big and small as it provided a rare glimpse into its negotiating tactics during the second day of the government's e-book price-fixing trial.

Kevin Saul, one of the key attorneys tasked with making deals for Apple's music, TV, books, and similar businesses, faced more grilling on Tuesday from U.S. Department of Justice attorney Mark Ryan over whether Apple knew and cared about the pricing of its competitors -- a key factor in the case, which accuses Apple of conspiring to control e-book pricing.

"We wanted to treat everybody on a level playing field such that big publishers would be treated the same as small publishers," Saul argued. "It was all about Apple and our ability to launch a bookstore that would be the best on the planet."

During the round of questioning in which he repeatedly answered, "I don't know" or "I don't recall," Saul portrayed Apple as "indifferent" to pricing deals publishers reached with other retailers. He also testified that negotiations with publishers were "difficult" and "challenging" and that many initially rejected some of Apple's "must-have" provisions, including a so-called "most-favored nation" clause that would allow Apple to meet the lower pricing of e-books by any other retailer...

Read the full story here. Source: CNET

Why an Android OEM should make an iPod Touch competitor

This week Apple announced that it has sold 100 million iPod Touch units since 2007 – keep in mind that this is not a statistic for all iPod devices, but all iPod Touch units. This is obviously a massive milestone for Apple, but it also brings up the question, why hasn’t an Android manufacturer built a legitimate iPod Touch competitor?

What past experiences have brought us?

As far as Android is concerned, there have been very little competitors to the iPod Touch. Samsung, for all its success in the smartphone market, dabbled half heartedly into the iPod Touch’s domain, but with horrible specs and outdated software, its Galaxy Player models were never going to compete with the iPod Touch, especially after Apple brought out the fifth-generation iPod Touch.

There haven’t been a lot of other competitors willing to tip their hats into the ring, and attempt to take on Apple. The only other OEM worth mentioning is Sony, which tried to use the Walkman brand name to leverage its very unsuccessful attempt at an “Android media player”...

Read the full story here. Source: Android Authority

 

Apple Launches WWDC 2013 iOS App With Session Video Integration

One week ahead of the start of its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Apple today launched a new WWDC iOS app to help attendees stay on top of the latest news and events going on at the conference. 

New this year is video integration, with all Registered Apple Developers able to watch session videos from the conference as they are posted daily. Apple has been posting session videos increasingly quickly after WWDC, and for the first time the company will this year be making videos available during the conference.

 Make the most of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference with the WWDC app. Even if you can’t join us in San Francisco, you can still follow along each day — session videos are just a tap away for all Registered Apple Developers. 

- Browse times, locations, and descriptions for sessions, labs, and special events 

- Mark schedule items as favorites with a simple double-tap 

- Watch session videos, available daily 

- Start watching on one iOS device, and pick up where you left off on another 

- Keep up with the latest news, get important notifications, and see daily snapshots 

- View maps to find your way around Moscone West 

- Provide feedback on session content and speakers within the session details view 

- Add your attendee information to Passbook for speedier on-site registration

WWDC 2013 kicks off with Apple's traditional keynote at 10:00 AM Pacific Time next Monday, June 10. Apple's WWDC app is available free of charge from the App Store. 

Source: Mac Rumours

 

Twitter rolls out Vine app for Android

Twitter is bringing Vine, the popular 6-second looping video application, to Google's Android operating system, months after debuting it for Apple's iOS.

Vine launched on January 24 for people with iPhones and iPads and has climbed to 13 million users, but none for Android. That vacuum, on world's No. 1 mobile operating system platform, forced Android smartphone users into circumventions to view the snippets.

The Android version gets many of the same capabilities: easy video creation with automatic playback and sound; the Explore feature, for discovering popular posts and seeing what's trending; and Find Friends, to find and invite people.

Plus, Twitter added a feature unique to Android: zoom.

The company seems to be girding itself for some bugginess. It says users will see frequent updates with new features over the coming weeks -- including front-facing camera, search, mentions and hashtags, and the ability to share to Facebook -- as well as bug fixes and performance improvements.

The news was met with many tweeted cheers, but some Android users were reporting problems with the new app--trouble finding it in the Google Play store, speculation it was quickly pulled from the store, and complaints it trips up on download.

It now appears to be live in Google Play store.

Twitter has been updating and adding features to the iOS app while working on the Android release, meaning the two apps are not perfectly in sync. But Twitter promises "that won't be the case for long."

Though Twitter users already had options for other video looping apps, Vine kept its controls simple and seamless, making it easy to create short videos you can share with friends and on social networks.

Source: CNET

DOMINO’S SET TO MAKE ITS PIZZAS FLY?

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a DomiCopter! Scooters and cars could one day be swapped for 21st century flying machines following exciting technological research undertaken by Domino’s Pizza.

The DomiCopter is a lightweight flight aircraft, capable of travelling vast distances at high altitudes all whilst carrying Domino’s pizzas. 

Sci-fi comics and movies have illustrated the next generation of flying machines for years. The DomiCopter can potentially climb hundreds of metres to reach its destination without the need to refuel, whilst also being incredibly eco-friendly – meaning a revolutionary way to deliver food.

As shown in the video, which is now available at http://bit.ly/GDCopter pizzas would be carried by the DomiCopter in the Domino’s Heatwave bags. The bags, which were a key breakthrough in Domino’s pizzas retaining their heat, could now be utilised with another technological breakthrough – the DomiCopter. 

“At Dominos we’re always looking to innovate and find new ways to deliver our pizza and a DomiCopter could fit the bill perfectly,” said Simon Wallis Sales and Marketing Director at Domino’s. “We are the number one pizza delivery company and we are committed to staying in that position. What better way to totally avoid the traffic than to fly – if anything this will now make us even quicker! We think it’s a great way to reinforce that Domino’s go to more lengths than anyone to deliver great pizza.”  

A Domino’s Flight Academy is also rumoured to be in the pipeline should the DomiCopter delivery service take off. 

Study shows Android users spend larger percentage of time browsing than their iOS counterparts

Are you reading this on your smartphone? If so, you’ve got about 14 minutes to finish up.

A new study by Simmons Connect finds that smartphone users spend about 14 minutes a day looking at websites. They also compared Android to iOS users, and found some interesting statistics which may cast doubt on previous claims of iOS usage over Android. Interestingly enough, this all comes to light the day after Tim Cook noted (again) that iOS users spend more time visiting websites than their Android counterpart.

Android users spend about 49 minutes on their mobile device daily, whereas iOS users spend a whopping 75 minutes a day squinting at their screens. That averages out to about an hour, which is a good median number for comparison. We’ll keep in mind, though, that percentage of use versus overall time will have an integral part of the discussion...

Read the full story here. Source: Android Authority

 

Sheryl Sandberg: Teens not abandoning Facebook

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. -- Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg isn't overly concerned that teenagers will abandon the giant social network, as a Pew study reported. "We're the leaders in a growing market," she said during an onstage interview at theD: All Things Digital conference here. She acknowledged, though, that teens are using sites such as Tumblr and Twitter more. "We are watching that very carefully," she said.

Sandberg also noted that social networking and other Internet activities still trail TV in terms of time spent. Users on average watch 34 hours of TV a week, compared with 6 hours per week on Facebook. "There is room for people to do different things. All other services continue to grow and we do. We don't think it's a zero-sum game," she said...

Read the full story here. Source: CNET