30 billion apps have been downloaded from Apple’s App Store

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Software,

During the WWDC 2012 keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a major milestone for the App Store--there has now been over 30 billion apps downloaded by iOS users to date. The App Store launched just four years ago, just says prior to the launch of the iPhone 3G in 2008.

Watch the full Apple CEO Tim Cook D10 interview now

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Videos,

Tim Cook is set to take the stage for the WWDC 2012 keynote to reveal iOS 6, Mountain Lion, new Macs, and possibly more. Apple will surely make the video available later today for all, but if you want some hints as to what he'll be talking about this morning, check out his interview from the D10 conference. Tim talked with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher for over an hour about Apple products and strategies, and leaves some interesting hints by what he says--and what he doesn't say. Full video after the break.

Click to continue reading Watch the full Apple CEO Tim Cook D10 interview now

Read More | AllThingsD

Andy Rubin: There are now over 900,000 Android devices activated each day

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Software,

Android chief Andy Rubin took to Twitter yesterday, posting his eleventh tweet to shoot down a rumor started by Robert Scoble that said he was set to leave Google to join a company called CloudCar. Rubin responded by saying he has no plans to leave Google, and also dropped an impressive Android tidbit. According to Rubin, there are now over 900,000 Android devices activated each day. This is up from the 850,000 per-day that was touted just four months ago. Can't call that anything but impressive.

Read More | Twitter

New Mac Pro specs leak ahead of WWDC keynote

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Rumors,

9to5Mac continues with the new Mac leaks this morning, this time with "reliable sources" revealing the specs on the long-awaited Mac Pro refresh. Here's what they're expecting to see later today:

Normal configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 6GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

Normal configuration: 2.4GHz 12-core processor, 12GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

Server configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, Two 1TB hard drives

This will be the first update to the Mac Pro line in almost two years, coming in two standard configurations, as well as a server config as well. No news yet on if the chassis will be redesigned or not.

Read More | 9to5Mac

Specs for updated MacBook Pro revealed

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Rumors,

Our pals over at 9to5Mac are reporting that the specs of the new MacBook Pro that will be announced at this morning's WWDC 2012 keynote are told to them by "reliable sources" as follows:

13.3 inch: 2.5GHz dual core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive
13.3 inch: 2.9GHz dual core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive
15.4 inch: 2.3GHz quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive
15.4 inch: 2.6GHz quad core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive (BTO upgrades to 2.7GHz quad core and 1TB HD will be available)

None of these are the Retina display model, so we are guessing that Apple will have three tiers of MacBook beginning today: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the Retina display MacBook Pro.

Read More | 9to5Mac

Apple 2012 Back to School promo to feature $100 iTunes credit for Macs, $50 for iPad

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Hot Deals, PC / Laptop,

Apple appears ready to kick off its annual Back to School promo, continuing where it left off last year by offering a $100 iTunes Store gift card with the purchase of a new Mac computer. Additionally, and for the first time, student who purchase an iPad during the promotion will also receive a gift card--this one for $50. The credit is good towards anything you can buy or rent on iTunes, the App Store, the iBookstore, and the Mac App Store. We expect a bunch of new Mac hardware to be announced later this morning during the WWDC 2012 keynote.

Read More | MacRumors

The Apple Store goes down ahead of expected new Mac announcements

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Rumors,

WWDC 2012 kicks off in a little over an hour, highlighted by an Apple keynote that's sure to bring forth details of iOS 6, Mountain Lion, and new Mac hardware. When we are expecting new Macs, we can also expect the Apple Store to go down prior to the announcement. As you can see by the image above, step one is complete, and the Apple Store will be inaccessible until after the keynote.

Weekend Reading: Bill Finger, Pixar, Toth and Calvin & Hobbes

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Reviews, DC Comics, Independent, Marvel Comics,

Yeah, yeah, Avengers-mania is dying down and we’re back to counting the days until San Diego, right? Well, I am. In the meantime, let's read:

Want some story-writing advice from the gang at Pixar? Of course you do.

There’s no doubt that without writer Bill Finger, Batman wouldn’t be Batman. Booksteve’s Library has read and enjoyed Bill, The Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman. “Bob Kane was rather a self-serving individual who rarely did anything himself when he could get someone else to do it for him.” One of those someones was the writer Bill Finger.

Longbox Graveyard blogger Paul O’Connor has a companion gig: a regular column at Stash My Comics called The Dollar Box. Start here.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Bill Finger, Pixar, Toth and Calvin & Hobbes

Monster Diesel VEKTR headphones giveaway!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Announcements, Features, Music, Portable Audio / Video,

We're giving away a pair of the long-awaited Monster Diesel VEKTR headphones, and we're making it super-easy for you to enter and win. The Diesel VEKTR on-ear cans bring premium fashion alongside premium sound, co-developed by Monster Products and the Noise Division of the Diesel clothing line. The design features strong lines in a diamond cut, definitely unorthodox for a headphone. Wanna win them? Here's how to enter:

• Subscribe to the free Gear Live newsletter
• Follow the Gear Live Twitter account and post this exact tweet: “Hey @gearlive hook me up with those @MonsterProducts Diesel headphones! http://gear.lv/e-vektr” (Click here to tweet this now)

That's it! One of our newsletter subscribers will walk away with a pair of Monster Diesel VEKTR headphones for free. The contest is open through Friday June 15th at 11:59 PDT, and you must be a US resident to win.

Click to continue reading Monster Diesel VEKTR headphones giveaway!

iOS 6 confirmed for WWDC 2012

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,

We've speculated for weeks now that Apple will unveil iOS 6 on Monday at WWDC 2012 because it just seems natural based on the past. Now, it's confirmed. Above is an image of a banner being erected at Moscone Center, the site of WWDC, that simply states that iOS 6 is "The world's most advanced mobile operating system." Looks like we know what at least one of the major topics on Monday morning will be...now, about those Retina display Macs...

Read More | 9to5Mac