This morning, when the Apple Store went down, Twitter just about blew up with everyone posting that the new Core i5 MacBook Pros would be launching. Alas, Apple pulled a fast one on us, and instead we’ve got the launch of Aperture 3, the latest in Apple’s professional image management software line. Here are the major bulletpoints of the release, which seems to focus heavily on being more accessible to new users:

• Organize photos by the people in them using Faces.
• Use Places to find photos based on where they were taken.
• Perfect images with nondestructive, edge-aware brushes.
• Use adjustment presets to apply imaging effects.
• Browse your entire library with the new full-screen Browser.
• Create stunning multimedia slideshows that weave together HD video, audio tracks, and custom titles.

We will be giving it a spin, and we’ll let you know what we think. Aperture 3 sells for $199, but if you are upgrading, the price drops to $99. You can grab a 30-day free trial of Aperture 3 as well.

Read More | Aperture 3 ]]> 2010-02-09T22:43:14+00:00 http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q110-iron-man-macbook-decal/ Apple, Design, PC / Laptop

MacBook decals aren’t new to us, heck I have mine decked out in the Snow’s Revenge vinyl myself, but this Iron Man decal kind of takes the cake in the awesomeness department. What do you think? Are you a fan of the decals? We like them way more than stickers, because they can be easily removed without leaving any sort of residue.

Read More | Etsy ]]> 2010-02-04T00:12:13+00:00 http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q110-iphone-os-3.1.3-now-available/ Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software

Apple has just released an iPhone firmware update in iPhone OS 3.1.3. It’s basically a big fix release, focusing on:

• Improving accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS
• Resolves issues where third-party apps would not launch
• Fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using Japanese Kana keyboard

Doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but for those of you who like your iPhone to be fresh, there you have it.

Looks like those of you who were sure that the iPad would have a camera were almost right. If the iPad internal bezel component is anything to go buy, it looks like Apple decided late in the game to not include a camera in their soon-to-be-released tablet - that, or they were keeping their options open. In the image above, you see the iPad bezel at the top, and a bezel for a unibody MacBook at the bottom. In the middle is the camera that slips into the MacBook frame, and as you can see, it fits perfectly into the iPad frame as well. I guess this means we can hold out hope for a camera in iPad version 2?

Read More | Mission:Repair ]]> 2010-02-02T17:18:35+00:00 http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q110-itunes-9.0.3-now-available/ Apple, Music, Software

If you’re of the iTunes-using persuasion, you’ll want to know that Apple has just released iTunes 9.0.3, which includes a few bug fixes, including:

• iTunes no longer ignores your “Remember password for purchases” setting.
• Addresses problems with syncing some Smart Playlists and Podcasts with iPod.
• Resolves a problem recognizing when iPod is connected.
• Addresses issues that affect stability and performance.

Launch iTunes and check for updates to pull in the new version.

In case you didn’t watch that iPad introduction keynote, someone’s gone through the trouble of condensing the entire 93-minute event event into 180 seconds. It does a great job at explaining what Steve Jobs and company think of their latest creation. Check out the iPad announcement video above to see what me mean.

A little excessive?

If you’re considering picking up an Apple iPad when they launch a couple of months from now and you plan on taking it on the go, you’ll want to know about the extra fees you’ll incur if you choose to go the with AT&T-provided 3G access plans. First, though, your 3G iPad will cost $130 more than the Wi-Fi-only version. Once you get it, you’ve got two options with AT&T:

• $29.99 per month unlimited data plan
• $14.99 per month for 250MB of monthly data

It’s a good deal for monthly 3G access, especially when you consider the fact that both plans are pre-paid month-to-month plans that don’t require any sort of contract. The other benefit that you get from picking up a 3G iPad model is assisted GPS, which the Wi-Fi-only iPad lacks.

Looks like Apple is realizing that if you are going to be building a larger-form factor device like the iPad, you’ve gotta realize that some of the people that use it are going to want a physical keyboard. With that knowledge, they’ve prepared a keyboard accessory for the iPad. It’s actually both a keyboard and a dock for charging the iPad as well, which can be used to plug in to a USB power adapter, sync with a computer, etc. It also has an audio jack that let’s you connect the keyboard dock to a stereo system or powered speakers. No word on price just yet.

It’s been a long, rumor-filled road, but today Apple has finally revealed a tablet, called the iPad. Steve Jobs seemed genuinely thrilled to demo the iPad, which weighs just 1.5 pounds, is a half-inch thin, and has a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS display. More interesting, Apple has built their own custom 1GHz processor, called the Apple A4 chip, to power the iPad. According to Jobs, the A4 chip “just screams,” and as a result, the iPad boasts a 10-hour battery life, with a full one month of standby time. You’ll be able to get one in 16, 32, or 64GB sizes, and we’ll have the prices as soon as they’re announced prices listed below. Bluetoth, 802.11n Wi-Fi, speaker, microphone, and dock connector round out the offerings.

One of the big draws of the iPad is that all current iPhone apps will run just fine on it, and you can choose to run them at the original resolution, or in a pixel-doubled mode for fullscreen on the iPad. Apps can also be optimized for iPad to take advantage of the full screen resolution, as well as enhanced gestures. A new iPhone SDK, which includes iPad support, will be released later today.

The goal with the iPad is to do the tasks like web browsing, email, photo viewing, video watching, and e-book reading (Apple is including a new ereader app called iBooks) better than a netbook ever could, but also better than a smartphone ever could. The iPad has a “gorgeous” keyboard that actually looks very easy to use, and the actual built-in applications look more like the full version of OS X than what you’d find on the iPhone or iPod touch. In fact, you even get full-featured applications like iPhoto, iTunes, iBooks, and even Pages, Keynote, and Numbers in iWork for the iPad.

As far as 3G data plans, the iPad has two plans available from AT&T in the US. $14.99 per month for up to 250MB of data, or $29.99 per month for unlimited data. The best part? There are no contracts. You pay on a pre-paid month-to-month basis, so there are no cancellation fees. You activate your plan directly from the iPad, with no reason to hit an AT&T Store. All iPad 3G models are unlocked and use GSM micro SIMs, so in theory, you could get a better plan of your own elsewhere and just use that.

Let’s talk pricing - each model of the iPad is available as a Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi + 3G configuration. 16GB is $499 / $629, 32GB costs $499 / $729, and the 64GB model will be $699 / $829. As far as availability, iPad without 3G will start shipping at the end of March, while the 3G models will start shipping at the end of April. Choose wisely!

At this morning’s Apple tablet event, Steve Jobs revealed the latest creation from the company, the Apple iPad. More details as we get them!

Okay, we all know by now that Apple is going to be announcing their tablet at tomorrow’s January 27th Apple event, but the CEO of McGraw-Hill, Terry McGraw, just kinda spilled the beans on CNBC:

“Yeah, Very exciting. Yes, they’ll make their announcement tomorrow on this one. We have worked with Apple for quite a while. And the Tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system and so it will be transferable. So what you are going to be able to do now is we have a consortium of e-books. And we have 95% of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one. So now with the tablet you’re going to open up the higher education market, the professional market. The tablet is going to be just really terrific.”

Is true, that means no Snow Leopard tablet, to those who were hoping for that. Thoughts?

Read More | MacRumors ]]> 2010-01-26T22:32:09+00:00 http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q110-islate-apple-tablet-review/ Apple, Handhelds, Rumors, Videos

Oh, we knew the Apple tablet / iPad / iSlate would be good, but we didn’t think it’d be this good. Walt Mosspuppetberg got his hands on an iSlate, and has been using one for a couple of years as it’s gone through its various development cycles. He finally breaks his silence with this review, stating that “this is probably the most completely perfect product to ever be released.”

Wednesday’s Apple tablet event can’t come soon enough!

Of course, Apple has the perfect opportunity to announce changes like this if they’d like, as they’ve got what many are predicting to be a colossal Apple event on January 27th, just two days from now. We’ll keep you posted.

Read More | BusinessWeek ]]> 2010-01-25T20:14:00+00:00 http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q110-wsj-apple-tablet-games-tv-music-reading/ Apple, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, PC / Laptop, Rumors

While we await the coming arrival of the fabled Apple tablet, which we all expect to finally arrive at the January 27th Apple event, it appears that the Wall Street Journal has gotten a bit of inside information that offers a glimpse of what the iPad / iSlate will end up doing for us. Of course, we still suggest taking all of this with a grain of salt, but this isn’t far off from the whispers we’ve been hearing either:

• The Apple tablet will have some sort of virtual keyboard. This only makes sense, because if there’s no physical keyboard, you’d need a virtual one to type on (similar to the iPhone and iPod touch)
• Publishing firms like Conde Nast, The New York Times, and HarperCollins have been in discussions with Apple on how they can get their content onto the tablet, and new ways of displaying the news on a modern (or even futuristic) device
• Apple is definitely pondering a switch as it pertains to the default search engine on their iPhone OS, focusing on replacing Google with Bing for search, as well as Maps.
• They’ve also been in talks with TV networks about the possibility of a multi-show iTunes TV subscription package, where users would get to choose a package of the best 4-6 shows per channel and subscribe for a monthly fee.
• That whole Lala acquisition by Apple will likely lead to a web-based version of iTunes, which would allow for purchasing music outside of the actual iTunes application. It would also allow for publishers to place buttons that would allow readers to purchase iTunes content right on their website. There may even be a service that would allow users to stream all their iTunes music through the service to other computers, iPhones, and the like. This is basically a merge of iTunes and Lala in its current form.
• The tablet may have some sort of smart recognition built-in, giving it the ability to recognize the user by using its camera, and then applying settings for that specific user on the fly

There’s a lot there, we know. Luckily, we are just six days away from hearing the word from the horse’s mouth. What do you think? Anything up there sound a little too far-fetched for your tastes? Also, please be sure to vote in our poll letting us know if you’d pre-order the Apple tablet sight unseen.

Our pals over at Boy Genius Report are saying they’ve received some inside information about the iPhone OS 4.0, which is heavily rumored to debut, and possibly even be released, at the Apple event on January 27th. Here’s what they are saying about iPhone OS 4.0:

• There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
• “A few new ways” to run applications in the background—multitasking.
• Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven’t had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.
• The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”
• The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.

As far as we’re concerned, we think that a graphical and UI interface refresh is definitely needed for the iPhone, which hasn’t really seen any major interface changes since it launched. Of course, we will be bringing you all the new on January 27th as it happens.

Okay, gang, Apple has finally sent those press invitations out to an event they are holding on January 27th, and if there is one thing we can surmise from this one, it’s that we will be seeing the release of a new product. Whether you want to call it the iSlate, iPad, Apple Tablet, MacBook touch, or whatever else, we’re putting all our money on a brand new multitouch tablet device, with Apple aiming to change the world yet again. Oh, and updated MacBook Pros as well.

The event starts at 10:00AM Pacific time and comes to you from the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. Join us then, because we’ll be hitting you with the news as it happens.

You know that Apple event that focuses on mobility products that is rumored to be happening at the end of the month? Looks like it won’t be just related to the Apple tablet iSlate iPad super iPhone. With the new Intel Core i5 and i7 chips having just launched, we figured they’d make their way into the MacBook Pro line soon enough. In fact, Intel seems pretty confident here too, being that they are running giveaways where you could win a Core i5-powered MacBook Pro, despite the fact that they technically don’t exist. Yet. We bet that’ll change before the month is over.

Read More | Gizmodo ]]> 2010-01-13T22:28:42+00:00 http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q409-top-10-gear-live-videos-of-2009/ Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Music, PC / Laptop, Software, Video Games, Videos

2009 is just about over, and we are just in time with our annual top 10 list of the most-watched Gear Live video episodes. Over the past year, as expected, there was a bunch of Apple gear that made the list, but Microsoft gets the top two spots with our Xbox 360 dashboard tour, and the Zune HD hands-on preview. Also getting an honorable mention is the Motorola DROID and Elgato Turbo.264 transcoding device.

Oh, and if you wanna be sure to get our new video episodes as they come out in 2010, be sure to subscribe to us in iTunes, on YouTube, or in your RSS reader!

2010 will be the first year that Apple doesn’t take part in MacWorld, but that doesn’t mean the company doesn’t have big announcements that need to be made. According to both the Financial Times and Fox News, they’ve been told by a “source inside Apple” that the company will be holding a special event on January 26th that will be focused on the mobility space. What does that mean? The iSlate / iGuide / iPad / Apple Tablet should become a reality.

Now, we aren’t ones to spur unnecessary excitement, but lets look at the facts. The last iPod event was on September 9th, so we know that this won’t be focused on the iPod, although we wouldn’t be that surprised to see an iPod touch with a camera appear here. The MacBook Pro should be getting a spec bump based on new Intel architecture, but that wouldn’t be enough in and of itself to warrant a special Apple Event. The rumors and leaks have gone on long enough, and we think that January 26th will mark the day that Apple shows the world how tablet entertainment devices should be done.

What do you think?

[Photo Credit]

Read More | Fox News ]]> 2009-12-31T01:42:54+00:00