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Apple has officially launched the next generation operating system for Macs. Leopard boasts over 300 new features including:

1. Cover Flow Snazzy vertical flipping through files on your desktop.
2. Boot Camp Full version included which allows full Windows OS operation.
3. Quick Look Preview contents of files without launching corresponding applications.
4. Time Machine Scheduled data dackup to another hard disk.
5. iChat Display and share documents, videos or movies during video conferencing.
6. Spaces Organize windows between many screens (up to 16).

Of these, I would say Quick Look is the most useful of the lot. I know I’ve had to endure long application start ups just to check on a file.

Check out more features at Apple.com.

Apple will give $100 credit to early iPhone buyers who paid $600 when the device was first launched. Just yesterday, in a media event to launch its revamped range of iPods, the iPhone price was slashed to $400.

The move which would cost Apple millions of dollars, was in response to angry iPhone owners have been flooding forums about being punished for their early support.

Apple shares dropped 6% wiping out about $8 billion in shareholder wealth closing on Thursday at $135.01.

Apple has revamped its iPod range to include a touch screen iPod called the iPod Touch. It looks like the iPhone but you can’t make calls with it. All a silly marketing gimmick. I’m sure they’ll sell millions.

So now the range consists of:

iPodShuffle: 1GB US$79

iPodNano: 4GB US$149, 8GB US$199

iPodClassic: 80GB US$249, 160GB US$349

iPodTouch: 8GB US$299, 16GB US$399

So you hate the new non-LED, number keypad-missing Apple wireless keyboard that was revealed at the new iMac launch recently. Here’s a keyboard that you can pick up instead. Made in Korea, the LUXED LED keyboard comes in 2 versions, a white one ($127) where the whole keyboard lights up and a black version ($134) where only the letters glow.

At the just-happened Apple special event where new iMacs and other products were presented, Apple chief Steve Jobs announces the price of the new Mac OS X Leopard in style - by taking a dig at old rival Windows.

At last, Apple has updated its iMac line after months of new iMac design speculation. I must say I’m not too disappointed with the all brushed-aluminium look but I’m not over the hill about it. The Jay Leno chin is still there, for one thing.

And as with every product update, people will always have something to whine about:

The chin
Glossy screen
Ugly keyboard
Wireless version of keyboard has no number pad (!)
20″ entry level iMac has crappy graphics card
24″ iMac graphics card crappier than its current one
Black border around the screen is ugly
Command key now has the word “command” instead of Apple logo

MacMini Update
Despite rumours about the death of the MacMini, some minor updates were announced. However, specifications are still way below par for its price. The updated MacMini is still using integrated GMA 950 graphics and the lower end model comes with jurassic era combo drive - OMG I feel so embarrassed for Apple.

With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2007 happening over this week, I thought it might be interesting to post a few new iMac designs done by Mac fans. The conference has already seen the release of new MacBook Pros which utilize the Santa Rosa chipset.

Mac forums are rife with rumours of a new industrial design for the iMac which is overdue for upgrades for both in its hardware and software. With Apple putting all its efforts into the upcoming fugly impractical iPhone, and ignoring Mac computer users, forummers have come up with their own vision of what the new iMac should or would look like.

Design 1
Read the rest of this entry »

The electronic device which caused Boston to shut down in a high alert bomb scare has gone on eBay. The LED devices featuring cartoon moon men with an obscene gesture were part of a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the late-night Adult Swim cartoon “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”. The moon men, or Mooninites, as they’re known to the show’s faithful, are delinquent outer-space men who make frequent appearances on the programme.

At least 4 devices are being sold on eBay with starting bids of US$1,999. Also on sale are T-shirts with the Mooninite graphic and the text “Up Yours, Boston”. The devices have been in place in many major cities across the US but only in Boston did such an incident occur.

The creators of the Mooninites device are pleading not guilty to felony charges. One of the creators is a Belarusian, has a green card and is seeking asylum in the United States. We all know what his chances of getting asylum are like now.

Tags: mooninite,boston, bomb, ebay,adult swim

So MacWorld 2007 has come and gone. Months of anticipation over upgrades of Mac computers and a new iPhone was brought to a crescendo by its mysterious banner (above image) on the Apple site just days before MacWorld. It was a major anti-climax that Apple delivered just the iPhone. Even then, only the Americans are going “wow” over the iPhone which stands out neither in the looks nor features department for the rest of the world who are have already seen the kind of mobile technology offered by the iPhone.

Nokia said that its phones offered these kinds of features 5 years ago. The Japanese are wondering what all the fuss over the iPhone is about when they have had iPhone-like features for years. Once again, Apple is relying on style rather than substance to sell its products.

Is it an omen that Apple has changed its name from “Apple Computer, Inc” to just “Apple, Inc”? Macs no longer seem a priority. Its focus has shifted to consumer electronics with big earners being iPods and in the near future the iPhone. No doubt there will be several versions of the iPhone all resembling iPods in future. I for one, don’t care for the iPhone.

Where are the Mac updates? Where’s the Core 2 Duo MacMini? There was not a single Mac hardware update. Some other expected upgrades that didn’t happen: Core 2 Quad chips for the Mac Pro, Leopard update, iLife features upgrade, video iPod.

Maybe MacWorld 2008 will be known as AppleWorld 2008.

Fulfilling long-time net rumours, Apple has unveiled its highly anticipated iPhone at MacWorld. Some of its features:
- 3.5″ Widescreen touch-sensitive display
- 11.6 mm thin
- 2 megapixel camera
- proximity sensor, accelerometer, and ambient light sensors
- GSM/EDGE
- WiFI
- Bluetooth
- Battery Life: 16 hours audio, 5 hour

It runs on Mac OS with Safari browser, supports widgets and Yahoo IMAP mail, Google Maps and has a photo management system. It lets you sync audio and video content from the iTunes library from your Mac or PC.

The phone will be offered exclusively through Cingular in the US in June, and will come to Europe in Q4 2007, and Asia in 2008. A 4 GB model will be offered for US$499 with a 2 year contract, and an 8 GB model will fetch US$599 with similar contract provisions.

I have to wait a year for it to be available in Asia huh…well I guess I’ll go back to bed.

Looks like it’s more than a rumour. CNET reports that Apple has filed for patent on zirconia - a casing material that is used for wireless handheld devices. The line drawing is obviously similar to the iPod design, although I hope it is more like the main image - an imaginary design by noted Japanese Apple fake products designer Isamu Sanada.

It switches from a plane to a car with retractable wings and could be the first step towards those gravity-free vehicles zipping along invisible highways in the sky you see in countless science fiction movies.

Invented by an MIT PhD student, it’s called Transition with the first prototype ready by 2008. Tagged as “a roadable aircraft”, the personal air vehicle (PAV) is 6 metres long, 2 metres wide with folded wings and carries 2 passengers. It can fly 100-500 miles at 12,000ft high and reaches speeds of 193km per hour. Price is set at US$148,000.

Cool stuff but I wonder how traffic control is going to work.