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Archive for June, 2011

Steve Jobs unveils Apple’s new Mac OS, iOS 5 and iCloud at WWDC 2011

Monday, June 6th, 2011

As planned, Steve Jobs – who is currently on a medical leave of absence from Apple – made an appearance to host the WWDC 2011. He unveiled the personally unveiled iCloud and left the briefing on Mac OS X Lion and iOS 5 to his staff.

The 5-day Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2011 is being held at San Francisco.

Steve Jobs put in an appearance at WWDC 2011 to unveil iCloud iCloud

Steve Jobs personally unveiled the much anticipated iCloud services from Apple. The set of free cloud services promises to work seamlessly with applications on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store a user’s content in iCloud and again automatically and wirelessly push it to all of the same user’s devices. When anything changes on any one of the devices, all of the user’s other devices are wirelessly updated almost instantly.

The iCloud beta and Cloud Storage APIs are available immediately to iOS and Mac Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iCloud will be available this autumn concurrently with iOS 5.

New iCloud services from Apple Users can sign up for iCloud for free on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 5 or a Mac running Mac OS X Lion with a valid Apple ID. iCloud includes 5GB of free cloud storage for Mail, Document Storage and Backup. Purchased music, apps, books and Photo Stream do not count against the storage limit. iTunes Match will be available for US$24.99 per year (US only).

iOS 5

iOS 5 for Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Scott Forstall – Apple’s senior vice president of iOS – paraded 10 of the promised 200 new features for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Main new features include: Notification Center, a new way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption; iMessage, a new messaging service that lets users easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS devices; Newsstand, a new way to purchase and organise a user’s newspaper and magazine subscriptions; and PC Free feature, where iOS 5 users can activate and set up their iOS device right out of the box and get software updates over the air with no computer required.

The iOS 5 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 5 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, iPod touch (fourth generation) and iPod touch (third generation) this autumn.

Mac OS X Lion

Mac OS X Lion Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, briefed WWDC 2011 attendees on the eighth major release of Apple’s desktop operating system, which features more than 250 new features and 3,000 new developer APIs.

Main new features of the Mac OS X Lion includes: new Multi-Touch gestures; system-wide support for full screen apps; Mission Control, an innovative view of everything running on your Mac; Launchpad, a new home for all your apps; and a completely redesigned Mail app. The Mac App Store will now be built right into the OS.

Mac OS X Lion will be available in July as an upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard from the Mac App Store for US$29.99. At about 4GB, it is the size of an HD movie from the iTunes Store. Mac OS X Lion Server requires Lion and will be available in July from the Mac App Store for US$49.99.

Tags:Apple, iCloud, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Lion, Mac OS X
Posted in Apple, Events, Gadgets, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Launch, Operating Systems, Phones, Prices, Safari, Software, Specifications, Tablets | 1 Comment »

Singapore launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook

Monday, June 6th, 2011

The BlackBerry PlayBook from RIM is finally arriving in Singapore. First launched in the US on April 19 earlier this year, the 7-inch tablet computer will officially be launched in Singapore on Wednesday, Jun 8.

RIM BlackBerry PlayBook launches in Singapore this Wed, June 8, 2011.

The beta version of the BlackBerry Playbook was first unveiled during the Adobe Max 2010 developer conference in October last year. It was first seen in Singapore when two advanced beta prototypes were specially flown in and displayed as part of the Adobe Refresh Roadshow on March 10.

Four days prior to its official launch in the US on April 19, a special preview was held in a BlackBerry PlayBook Bus in Singapore on April 15. Two days from now – and almost two months after the US launch – the PlayBook will hit the shelves in Singapore.

Prices for the 16, 32 and 64-gigabyte models in the US are $500, $600, and $700 respectively. We’ll see what these will translate to in Singapore.

The PlayBook has received a mixed reaction since its launch in the US. The most common complaint has been its lack of native email, messenger, contacts and calendar apps, relying on Bluetooth tethering to access these functionalities via a BlackBerry handset. Other grouses include the lack of 3G/4G, and the relatively small repository of PlayBook specific apps in BlackBerry App World.

On the other end of the scale, the PlayBook features a lightning fast processor, capable of true multi-tasking, has a fabulous display and user interface, and supports both Flash and HTML5. In fact, some analysts have observed that the first day sales of the PlayBook has beaten that for Motorola Xoom and Galaxy Tab.

It’ll be interesting to hear the latest progress for the PlayBook during the Singapore launch the day after tomorrow.

Tags:BlackBerry, launch, Playbook, RIM, Singapore
Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Gadgets, Launch, PlayBook, Prices, RIM, Specifications, Tablets | No Comments »

TomTom Singapore PC Show 2011 Promotions

Sunday, June 5th, 2011

The 20 year old Dutch maker of GPS navigation devices will be at PC Show 2011 from 9 – 12 June 2011, along with partners AAAs, Harvey Norman and NewStead. TomTom has promised sharp price discounts that will be announced during the actual show.

Freebies

Purchases of any of the three models during the PC Show 2011 comes with a free international map of your choice worth up to S$111.71. Purchases of the top end GO 750 will come with a free Original TomTom GO Carry Case worth $59.00 and a free 2GB Micro SD Memory Card.

The three main GPS models available in Singapore are:

Model	Usual Price SGD	Main features
GO 750	S$349	Bluetooth hands-free calling 4.3″ touch screen expanded menu options
XXL 550	S$299	5″ touch screen expanded menu options
XL 250	S$229	4.3″ touch screen easy two-button menu access

Main features for all three versions

All three South East Asia versions include maps of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong (new) & Macau (new).
Advanced Lane Guidance and spoken street names.
Help me! Emergency Menu, TomTom’s latest map guarantee, free daily map updates with TomTom Map ShareTM and postcode search.
TomTom Latest Map Guarantee ensures you always start driving with the latest map. If a newer version of your map is available within 30 days of first using your device, you can download this map for free using TomTom HOME.
TomTom Dashboard Mounting disc and a highspeed multi-charger are sold separately, while stocks last.

The devices can be purchased from the following partners’ booths

AAAs: Level 4, Booth A2022
Harvey Norman: Level 6, Booth B2008
NewStead: Booth 302 (ACCS A)

Tags:PC Show, Singapore, Suntec
Posted in Events, Gadgets, GPS, Prices, Promotions, TomTom | 1 Comment »

Steve Jobs to unveil Apple’s new Mac OS, iOS 5 and iCloud at WWDC 2011

Saturday, June 4th, 2011

Steve Jobs will make an appearance at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to unveil Lion – Apple’s eighth major release of Mac OS X. He will also unveil iOS 5, the next iteration of the mobile operating system for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The much anticipated iCloud – Apple’s upcoming cloud services – will also be revealed.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 (WWDC) The sold-out conference WWDC 2011 will be held from June 6 – 10 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Apple CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the annual conference with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10 am (PST).

WWDC 2011 will feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers. Mac developers can see and learn how to develop Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. All developers can bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers.

Tags:Apple, iOS 5, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Lion, Mac OS X, Steve Jobs
Posted in Apple, Events, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Launch, Mac OS, Operating Systems | 2 Comments »

Windows 8 previews by Microsoft

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Windows President in Microsoft, Steven Sinofsky, previewed the next version of the Windows operating system that will likely premier in March 2012.

The radically revamped OS works on tablets with touch screens; runs on desktop and laptop computers with touchscreen, mouse or keyboards; runs existing Windows software and runs on both Intel and ARM chips.

Windows 8 is set to challenge the dominance of Apple’s iPad iOS and Google’s Android.

Sinofsky gave a preview of Windows 8 on a 10.6-inch touch-screen tablet during the AllThingsD’s D9 Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

A 30-minute demonstration was subsequently given at the Computex 2011 in Taiwan by Mike Angiulo, Microsoft corporate vice president.

In appearance, it resembles Windows Phone 7 – Microsoft’s operating system for smartphones – using “tiles” instead of icons to represent applications. The tiles on the computer’s start screen can be automatically updated to display the latest information from applications. For instance, a stock ticker app could display stock quotes right on the tile without requiring users to open the app.

Windows 8 will be the first full version of Windows capable of operating on ARM chips which has been the sole supplier of tablet CPUs since Apple launched its iPad in 2010.

Citing Jefferies Group, Bloomberg reports that the number of tablets sold globally will almost quadruple this year to 70 million units from 18 million in 2010. This will more than double to 158 million in 2012. Apple, which will control some 64 percent of the 2011 tablet market, will see its market share fall to 41 percent in 2012.

Tags:Microsoft, preview, Windows 8
Posted in Events, Figures, Microsoft, Operating Systems, Software, Tablets, Tech news, Windows 8 | No Comments »

PC Show 2011 at Suntec Singapore

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

The 21st edition of Singapore’s longest running information technology (IT) and consumer electronics show returns for four days from June 9 -12. It is the second of four major IT shows in Singapore this year. The PC Show 2011 will open daily from 12pm to 9pm. Admission is free.

The PC Show 2011 will be spread over four floors – 1, 3, 4 and 6– of Suntec Singapore. Over 600 exhibitors will be showcasing IT and consumer electronic products by brands such as Apple, Acer, ASUS, Canon, Creative, Dell, HP, Samsung and Toshiba. There will also be several first time exhibitors such as Fujifilm, Fuji Xerox, Lexmark, Sonic Gear and ViewSonic.

Organized by Lines Exposition and Management Services Pte Ltd, the show encompasses four sections – The PC Show 2011, Digital Imaging 2011, Game 2011, and Consumer Electronics 2011.

The four major IT exhibitions in Singapore are:

Exhibition	Dates	Venue
IT Show 2011	10-13 Mar	Suntec Singapore
PC Show 2011	9-12 Jun	Suntec Singapore
COMEX 2011	1-4 Sep	Suntec Singapore
SITEX 2011	24-27 Nov	Singapore Expo

Tags:PC Show, Singapore, Suntec
Posted in Events, Tech news | 1 Comment »

Apple iWork available for iPhone & iPod Touch today

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Apple’s iWork productivity apps – Keynote, Pages and Numbers – are now available for the iPhone, iPod touch,and iPad. iWork apps are available on the App Store for US$9.99 each to new users and as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers.

Originally created for the Mac and now completely redesigned for Apple’s iOS and Multi-Touch interface, Keynote, Pages and Numbers allow users to create and share presentations, formatted documents and powerful spreadsheets on the go.

“The incredible Retina display, revolutionary Multi-Touch interface and our powerful software make it easy to create, edit, organise and share all of your documents from iPhone 4 or iPod touch,”said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

Keynote, Pages and Numbers import and export documents from iWork for Mac and Microsoft Office; print wirelessly using AirPrint; and include beautiful Apple-designed themes and templates.

All iWork apps now include improved document management with thumbnail images that let users find files quickly, organise them and group them into folders using intuitive gestures.

From the Tools button in the toolbar, presentations, documents or spreadsheets can be shared directly without leaving the app.

Keynote makes it easy to create impressive presentations, complete with animated charts and transitions. Presentations can be played in Full Screen view on the high-resolution Retina display or be connected to a projector or HDTV for a large audience. Available separately, the Keynote Remote app allows an iPhone or iPod touch to control a Keynote presentation on any iOS device or Mac.

Pages is a word processor specially designed for a mobile device and has everything needed to create documents. Pages takes full advantage of the high-resolution Retina display on iPhone 4 and iPod touch so users can see all the detail and richness of their documents. To make working with text easy on iPhone and iPod touch, Smart Zoom automatically zooms in to follow the cursor during editing and zooms back out when done.

Numbers uses Multi-Touch gestures and an intelligent keyboard to help create compelling, good-looking spreadsheets with over 250 easy-to-use functions, flexible tables and eye-catching charts. Similar to Pages, Numbers takes advantage of the high-resolution Retina display and Smart Zoom to make working with text and cells on iPhone 4 or iPod touch easy.

Pricing & Availability

Keynote, Pages and Numbers are universal apps that run on iPad and iPad 2, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 and iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation). Keynote, Pages and Numbers are available from the App Store for US$9.99 each for new users, or as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers. Keynote Remote is sold separately via the App Store for US$0.99.

Tags:Apple, Apps, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, iWork, Keynote, numbers, Pages
Posted in App, Apple, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Launch, Phones, Software, Tablets | No Comments »

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