iPad keyboard dock, power adapter pushed to May
Apple through the online Apple Store today has pushed back the launch of its iPad accessories. Both the Keyboard Dock and the 10W USB Power Adapter now won't ship until May, a month after the April 3rd iPad release date. The official iPad Case won't arrive until mid-April....
published today, 2 hours 18 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
Google's New Android Advocate Comes Out Swinging
Sun Microsystems' loss was Google's gain on Monday, as former Sun guru Tim Bray announced that he's joined Google's Android push in the role of Developer Advocate. "Google and I have been a plausible match for a long time," Bray wrote in a blog post announcing the decision. "Web-centric, check. Search, check. Open-source, check. The list goes on."
published today, 2 hours 28 minutes ago, macnewsworld
Can Apple's New Hire Create a Winning Wearable Tech Ensemble?
Apple has hired a senior prototype scientist who's got expertise in wearable computing, according to a Fast Company report. His name is Richard DeVaul, and he was an organizer for the MIThril wearable computing project while a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. DeVaul describes himself as an "expert in signal processing and real-time statistical classification techniques."
published today, 2 hours 28 minutes ago, macnewsworld
High prices make Apple reluctant to strike longterm NAND flash deals
Apple, which takes up the the lion's share of global NAND flash memory supply, has been reluctant to negotiate with suppliers in 2010 due to high prices.
published today, 2 hours 33 minutes ago, appleinsider
Intel launches six-core Xeon 5600
Intel on Tuesday formally launched its first six-core workstation and server processors. The Xeon 5600 has been made on the same 32 nanometer process as the Core i7-980X and give more performance without consuming more power as a result. Performance gains range from 10 percent in single tasks that don't use the extra two cores to as much as 60 percent for heavily threaded apps, but even the flagship, 3.33GHz X5680 consumes the same 130W as its predecessor....
published today, 2 hours 43 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
Mac, iPod sales grow once again in February
Mac sales were up 43 percent year over year during the month of February, according to a note from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. As seen by Apple Insider, Munster forecasts that Apple will reach somewhere between 2.8 and 2.9 million sales in the March 2010 quarter, a number slightly above most Wall Street estimates. Similarly, iPod sales saw positive growth in both January and February, with a five and 10 percent increases respectively. February marks only the second month since October of 2008 that iPod sales have seen year-over-year growth, as the sales of traditional iPod models have been steadily (and expectedly) decreasing while Apple ramps up the hype on the iPod touch. This strategy has been working, as Apple reported in a recent earnings call that it had seen 100 percent growth in iPod touch sales year over year. With estimated iPad sales looking impressive already, it would come as no surprise if Apple saw decent overall sales numbers for the month of March. However, whether or not the iPad will eventually pilfer sales from Apple’s portable line and cut into overall margins remains to be seen. Read the comments on this post
published yesterday, 9 hours 48 minutes ago, ars-technica
Aliceís Tea Cup Madness and Edenís Quest debut for Mac
Macgamestore.com has announced two new games, Edenís Quest: The Hunt for Akua and Aliceís Tea Cup Madness. With Edenís Quest players take control of a famous archaeologist who has embarked on a treasure hunt on an isolated island. The game contains over 100 puzzles and riddles to solve, along with various hidden objects to find. During the main characters travels players can interact with a variety of characters spanning 20 different areas....
published yesterday, 10 hours 18 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
MyThoughts 1.1 adds new file exporting, printing options
Mode de Vie Limited has unveiled a new version of its Mac-based mind-mapping software, MyThoughts 1.1. The software allows users to create detailed brainstorming maps using a variety of text and images. New features found in v1.1 include improvements to the Auto Branch layout, expandable and collapsible branches, and a new function for panning large mind-maps. Additionally, the upgrade also provides a variety of exporting improvements and printing options....
published yesterday, 11 hours 3 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
onOne launches Free Editions of PhotoTools, PhotoFrame
onOne has launched new free versions of its PhotoTools 2.5 and PhotoFrame 4.5 plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop. PhotoTools is an image enhancement plug-in that delivers over 300 different photo altering effects. The Free Edition is based on the standard version of the software with a few less features included. It provides 15 of the most popular effects such as Bleach Bypass and Cross Process which are used to generate classic photographic effects, as well as tools for automatic skin smoothing....
published yesterday, 11 hours 3 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
Wearable computing expert now Apple "prototype scientist"
Apple has hired an expert in "human-computer interaction for mobile applications" to complement its research and development in mobile computing, according to a new report from Computerworld. Richard DeVaul, known for his work in the field of "wearable computing," is Apple's newest senior prototype scientist. DeVaul originally studied architecture, anthropology, and physics at Texas A&M before working on a masters degree in visualization science. Before finishing his masters thesis on "novel dynamics constraints approximation algorithm for computer animation applications," DeVaul left Texas A&M to pursue an MD and later PhD degree in Media Arts and Sciences at MIT. While at MIT, he also worked as a research scientist at MIT's famous Media Lab. DeVaul's PhD dissertation revolved around a project called "Memory Glasses," which were designed to provide the wearer with context-sensitve cues to assist in memory recall. Much of the research focused on determining how to determine context, including using GPS location and accelerometer data—something that Apple's mobile devices can already provide. Research into how to present recall clues also showed that subtle, even subliminal information could prove useful in assisting memory—the same kind of subtle clues and interactions that are evident throughout the iPhone OS. After DeVaul finished his PhD, he spent the last six years working as the CTO and president of AWare Technologies, which he also co-founded. AWare originally focused on mobile monitoring technologies for athletic and military applications, as well as motion analysis for Olympic teams. The company later focused on adapting its technology to fitness tracking applications, including developing the StepTrak Lite activity tracking iPhone app. AWare's FitAWare system is similar in some respects to a system that Apple recently applied to patent that generates workouts that users can use to compete with each other as a sort of game. Apple has also teamed up with Nike in the past on the Nike+ run-tracking system as well as a system to track exercise on certain gym equipment, both of which interface with iPods and some iPhones. As Apple's senior prototype scientist, DeVaul reports directly to SVP of industrial design Jonathan Ive, ostensibly developing and building prototypes of mobile—and likely wearable—computing devices. Reportedly only seven people besides Ive and CEO Steve Jobs will even know what he is cooking up inside Apple's research labs. DeVaul will likely explore ways to make computing devices that are ever more mobile and constantly accessible, a job that fits Apple's direction as a mobile devices company. Read the comments on this post
published yesterday, 13 hours 46 minutes ago, ars-technica