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Tag: ipod touch

  • What Do iOS 8 And The New iPhones Mean For You?

    Well, Apple’s new operating system (iOS 8) and iPhones (6 and 6 Plus) are officially out. What does the OS update mean for you? Should you get one of the new phones? We’ll try to help you answer those questions throughout the course of this article.

    What do you think of the new devices? The new OS? Share your thoughts here.

    First things first. Here’s what iOS 8 looks like.

    Just kidding. If you don’t want to, you don’t even have to keep the new U2 album in your iTunes library. If you found it, and were less than thrilled, just know that was Apple and the band being “punk rock” and “disruptive”.

    Okay, let’s move along.

    iOS 8

    Apple calls the new version the biggest iOS release ever. It features major updates to apps like Messages and Photos, new content sharing capabilities, and new connections between apps and devices.

    “Quickly find and edit the photos you take,” Apple says of the release. “Add your voice right in a text message. Let your health and fitness apps communicate with each other, with your trainer, and even with your doctor. We’ve also provided developers with deeper access and more tools. You’ll have new keyboard options and even more ways to share your content. And you’ll be able to use iCloud and Touch ID in ways you never have before.”

    The new Photos app has new search features and smart albums that take care of your photo organization, makes your shots look better, and has new editing tools.

    Messages lets you tap to record and send voice or video message. You can also share your location easily.

    The iOS 8 interface gives you a new way to respond to notifications as well as shortcuts for those you talk to most. There are also new Mail management features.

    The virtual keyboard adds contextual word suggestions as you type, even recognizing who you’re typing to and whether you’re in Mail or Messages.

    There’s a Family Sharing feature that lets up to six people in your household share each other’s purchases from iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store. It lets families keep up with each other’s photos, calendars, and locations, as well.

    iCloud Drive lets you work on any file from any device, and the OS connects with Macs in a deeper way than was previously possible. You can start an email on one device, for example, and continue it on another. You can even answer phone calls from your iPhone on your Mac or iPad, and send SMS messages from any of these devices.

    Also included is an activity tracker, heart rate monitor, and other health and fitness apps that communicate with each other.

    For developers, the iOS 8 SDK has over 4,000 new APIs, and includes new sharing options, widgets, custom actions and document APIs.

    iOS 8 became available on Wednesday, and is available for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display.

    iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

    The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus became available on Friday, but even before that, the the reviews from the tech blogs were overwhelmingly positive.

    The iPhone 6 is a “thin, sexy phone with a killer camera,” says noted tech journalist David Pogue.

    The device is “the best smartphone you can buy,” according to Walt Mossberg at Re/code.

    “The iPhone 6 is a great upgrade for current iPhone owners, or for anyone, really. It manages to provide a much larger display in a phone that’s still small enough to handle easily,’ he writes.

    The sentiments are echoed throughout the…echo chamber. Most have just about the same amount of praise for the iPhone 6 Plus, but some do find it to be just too big.

    John Gruber, who is perhaps the most well-known blogger of all things Apple, says, “If you simply want a bigger iPhone, get the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. That’s what it feels like: a bigger iPhone. If you want something bigger than an iPhone, get the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. It feels more like a new device — a hybrid device class that is bigger than an iPhone but smaller than an iPad Mini — than it feels like a bigger iPhone.”

    He adds, “If you don’t want a bigger iPhone — and in recent weeks I’ve heard from numerous readers who still pine for the 3.5-inch display iPhones — you might be disappointed by this year’s iPhone lineup, and should consider sticking with the iPhone 5-class models.”

    Read Gruber’s take for probably the most comprehensive review of the devices out there so far.

    But all of that was from the media. What do average people think about the devices? Well, here’s a real-time feed of the iPhone conversation on Twitter, so see for yourself:


    In light of recent celebrity photo leaks, the security of Apple devices has come into question, which is probably why Tim Cook wrote a letter for the company’s website addressing security and privacy concerns. Here are a couple of excerpts from that:

    Security and privacy are fundamental to the design of all our hardware, software, and services, including iCloud and new services like Apple Pay. And we continue to make improvements. Two-step verification, which we encourage all our customers to use, in addition to protecting your Apple ID account information, now also protects all of the data you store and keep up to date with iCloud.

    We believe in telling you up front exactly what’s going to happen to your personal information and asking for your permission before you share it with us. And if you change your mind later, we make it easy to stop sharing with us. Every Apple product is designed around those principles. When we do ask to use your data, it’s to provide you with a better user experience.

    …

    Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don’t “monetize” the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don’t read your email or your messages to get information to market to you. Our software and services are designed to make our devices better. Plain and simple.

    One very small part of our business does serve advertisers, and that’s iAd. We built an advertising network because some app developers depend on that business model, and we want to support them as well as a free iTunes Radio service. iAd sticks to the same privacy policy that applies to every other Apple product. It doesn’t get data from Health and HomeKit, Maps, Siri, iMessage, your call history, or any iCloud service like Contacts or Mail, and you can always just opt out altogether.

    Cook also makes it a point to note that Apple has never worked with a government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of its products or services, and has never allowed access to services (and “never will”).

    The NFC feature of the new iPhone models only support Apple Pay, which is the company’s new payment mechanism for users to pay for good and services in the physical world (as well as online). Still, the company already has 220,000 retail locations on board for that.

    In case you’re wondering how the phones stack up against their Android counterparts, here’s a comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S5.

    Oh, and don’t forget, if you get an iPhone, you’ll be able to use that Apple Watch when it comes out.

    Do you plan on getting a new iPhone? If so, which one? Using iOS 8? What do you think so far? Let us know in the comments.

    Images via Apple

  • iOS 7 Download Errors Are Infuriating iPhone Users

    Apple released the long-awaited iOS 7 update for the iPhone (4 and later), iPad (2 and later), iPad Mini and iPod Touch (fifth generation) today. The problem is that some users have been getting errors trying to download it. Obviously this isn’t sitting too well with the impatient.

    One user shared a screenshot with us:

    ioS 7 download error

    It doesn’t appear to be a carrier-specific issue. As you can see, that was via AT&T. AppsGoneFree shares a similar image via a Sprint device.

    There are quite a few complaints making their way to Twitter as well.

    If you are one of those having trouble downloading the update, this is what you can look forward to once you get it:

  • YouTube iOS App Gets iPad And iPhone 5 Friendly

    YouTube has launched an update for its iOS app, which is designed for the iPad, and has some updates for the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch.

    “Just in time for the holidays, now you can download or update the YouTube app with a look designed for the iPad and iPhone 5, enhanced AirPlay support, videos that start faster and play more smoothly, and improved accessibility with VoiceOver,” Google software engineer Horia Ciurdar says. “Enjoy Tastemade on iPad in full screen glory, or hours of flipping through Ryan Higa videos on your iPhone 5 or iPod touch.”

    YouTube for iPad

    Google launched its YouTube app for iPhone and iPod Touch in September. YouTube is now available on 400 million devices. People are watching over 25% of YouTube on mobile devices – over a billion views a day, Google says.

    The iOS update is rolling out globally today.

  • Crazy Taxi Out Now For iOS, Coming To Android Soon

    Sega redefined the teaser earlier this week with an 11 second trailer that only told us that Crazy Taxi was coming to iOS. The teaser also indicated that the original soundtrack from the arcade, which included tracks from The Offspring and Bad Religion, would remain intact. Both of those appear to be the case now that the game is actually out.

    Sega announced today that Crazy Taxi is now available for all iOS devices. Players can now take to the street as the world’s best/worst cab driver on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It’s also available in all territories except for Asia, but it will be arriving there shortly.

    Here’s the launch trailer for the iOS version. Thankfully, it’s longer than the original teaser.

    It seems that Sega actually ported the Dreamcast version of Crazy Taxi instead of the arcade original. It’s only a good thing as the Dreamcast version included a number of mini-games that extended the gameplay experience beyond the basic game.

    In even better news, Sega announced that the game is coming to Android soon. Sega has traditionally been one of the better developers in the Android space, so Crazy Taxi should see a near perfect conversion on the platform.

    You can snag Crazy Taxi for your iOS device right now for only $4.99.

  • New iPod Touch Pre-Orders Shipping Out Today

    Did you pre-order the new iPod Touch as soon as it was announced last month? If so, you’ve been waiting for the vague release date of October to roll around. We’re already a quarter through the month and there’s been no mention of an actual release date. There’s still no release date, but Apple has apparently started to reward the patience of those who pre-ordered the device.

    Gigaom reports that Apple has started to ship out early iPod Touch pre-orders to early adopters. In this case, the device is being shipped via FedEx from China to the states with an estimated delivery date of October 15. The strange shipping method could be Apple’s way of cutting down on delivery time by shipping straight from the Chinese suppliers.

    Of course, this brings up the question of why Apple listed the device as shipping in three weeks on the Australian store. Reports from The Next Web suggests that the current iPod Touch pre-orders are only being shipped to US and Canadian customers. It could also indicate that Apple won’t have the devices generally available on the Apple store until three weeks from now.

    Apple could also be limiting the supply to these early pre-orders as they work to get production ramped up to meet demand. The iPhone 5 and iPod Touch share a lot of the same components including the larger 4-inch screen. GigaOm suggests that Apple could be prioritizing shipments of iPhone 5s as that device is Apple’s true money maker, whereas the iPod Touch is more or less a diversion these days.

    Regardless, we’ll keep you updated on the strange launch of the iPod Touch. Apple should be making an official announcement regarding general availability soon.

  • New iPod Touch Expected To Launch In Three Weeks

    The new iPod Touch was one of the more unexpected announcements during Apple’s iPhone 5 event. It was a given that Apple would refresh the iPod Touch, but the extent in which the company upgraded the device was a pleasant surprise. The iPod Touch was penciled in for an October launch, but we now might have an idea of when in October we can expect it.

    A report from Today’s iPhone found Apple accidentally revealing the ship date for the new iPod Touch last week. The company’s Australian store listed the ship date for the new iPod Touch and the iPad Nano to be shipping in three weeks time. That puts the device’s launch at sometime near the end of the month. It may even coincide with the launch of the iPad Mini.

    The new iPod Touch, like all of Apple’s other big hardware revisions this year, is set to take the holiday season by storm. The device has seen some massive improvements over the previous iteration to make it an attractive purchase for folks who want the iPhone experience without the phone part.

    During its event last month, Apple announced that the iPod Touch would feature the same 4-inch retina display as the iPhone 5. It’s also seen a massive improvement in the battery department with a full charge being able to play music for 40 hours. In fact, the iPod Touch’s processor is the only thing that’s inferior to the iPhone 5. The new iPod Touch features the iPhone 4S’ A5 chip. It’s understandable why Apple would restrict the iPod Touch’s specs, but it’s a little disappointing nonetheless.

    The launch of the new iPod Touch is only one part of Apple’s master plan to win the holidays. The company already has the iPhone 5 and the iPod Nano on tap to rule the holidays. The iPad Mini and whatever else is announced later this month will most likely further propel them to the top. Some are even saying that Apple might announce a hardware revision for the new iPad (iPad 3). We won’t know for sure until later this month, but Apple’s holiday game plan is already looking mighty impressive.

  • iOS 6 Is Now Available For Download

    iOS 6 Is Now Available For Download

    iOS users can now download the long-awaited iOS 6, which adds over 200 new features to Apple’s operating system.

    The big ones Apple has been pushing include new Maps, Siri improvements, Facebook integration, shared photos streams, Passbook, FaceTime over cell networks as well as WiFi, new calling features, a redesigned mail offering, Safari improvements and more accessibility features. Here’s the big feature rundown. Here’s Apple’s “What’s New” page.

    As of today, you don’t need an iPhone 5 to get a brand new iPhone experience. While the iOS comes in time for the September 21 iPhone 5 shipping date, it is also available for the following devices: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch (4th and 5th generation), iPad 2 and The New iPad.

    You can learn a lot more about iOS 6 by perusing our various articles on it here.

    Let us know what you think of the OS in the comments.

  • iPhone 5 Event: New iPod Touch Announced

    Though the iPhone 5 was certainly the highlight of Apple’s big announcement event today, the company still has a ton of announcements aside from its new flagship smartphone.

    For those who don’t need an Apple device that doubles as a cell phone, the new, 5th-generation iPod touch debuted. Apple Vice President of Worldwide iPod, iPhone, and iOS Product Marketing Greg Joswiak took to the stage at Apple’s event today and showed off what he says is the best iPod Apple has ever made.

    The portable media player is only 6.1 mm thick, and is the lightest iPod touch ever created. The case is made of anodized aluminum.

    Excitingly, the display on the device is the same one that is used in the new iPhone 5. Meaning a 4-inch, 1136 x 640 resolution, 326 PPI retina display. As with the iPhone 5, the battery life of the iPod touch has been increased so that it can now play 40 hours of music without being charged.

    The iPod touch will not be getting the iPhone 5’s new A6 processor, but an upgrade to the A5 should keep mobile gamers a part of what Apple seems to be hoping is a burgeoning mobile game industry. Also, the iPod will be getting a 5 MP iSight camera with the same “sapphire crystal” as the iPhone 5.

    A new accessory, the “iPod touch loop” will also be available this fall. It’s a plastic bracelet that connects to the iPod touch to keep users from dropping it.

    The iPod touch will also come with Apple’s new, bulbous “earPods.” The headphones are designed to be more comfortable in customers’ ears and direct sound straight into ears.

  • Apple Introduces Redesigns For iTunes, iPods

    We were informed that updates to iTunes and the iPod line would be coming thanks to a leak. That leak was correct as Apple just announced some changes coming to both products.

    Apple’s Eddy Cue took the stage today to share the news that iTunes is now available in 63 countries around the world. They have found, however, that over two-thirds of all purchases come from iOS. In response, they redesigned iTunes from the ground up for iOS. It now has a streamlined look with a Facebook like button integrated into every entry. iOS device owners will be able to get their hands on the new iTunes on September 19, alongside iOS 6.

    Apple New iTunes, iPod

    But what about the one-third of consumers who still buy iTunes music from the desktop? Apple has completely redesigned that as well to accomodate the 200 million users who are using iTunes in the cloud. The redesign puts prominence on ease of use with albums now expanding into a full store page into of taking you to a separate page altogether. They also have made it possible for artists to share pictures with fans through iTunes.

    Apple Announces New iTunes And iPods

    Apple has built a new mini-player for iTunes that unobtrusive and easy to manage. With the click of a button, it’s back to the full screen presence that you know and love.

    Apple moved on to the iPod and gave us an update on current sales figures. The company has so far sold over 350 million iPods since the device’s introduction. Today, they’re announcing updates to some of the devices in the line. First up is the iPod Nano. It looks like a tiny iPhone.

    Apple New iTunes, iPod

    The iPod Nano will come in seven different colors. Video will be returning to the device with a wide screen display. It features a home button when users can access all the features of the iPod Nano from easy place. Due to requests, Apple has also integrated bluetooth into the iPod Nano.

    Moving on, Apple announced the 5th generation iPod Touch. They claim it’s the best iPod Touch ever made. It’s only 6.1mm thin and only weighs 88 grams. It features the same screen size and resolution as the iPhone 5. It’s not using the iPhone 5’s processor, however, as they’re brining the last-gen A5 chip to the iPod Touch.

    Apple New iTunes, iPod

    The new iPod Touch has had its battery upgrade as well. It promises 40 hours of continuous music playback. The camera in the iPod Touch is also receiving a substantial upgrade with the iSight Camera. It features a 5MP sensor, backside illumination and a five-element lens. The new camera is complimented by iPhoto now being available for the newest iPod Touch.

    Apple announced the iPod Touch Loop. It’s a small bracelet that connects to the iPod Touch so that young children don’t drop the device.

    In even bigger news, the iPod Touch now has Siri. It’s only available to the 5th generation iPod Touch but that’s kind of a big deal. It’s the only device aside from the iPhone to feature Siri. The iPad must be pretty sad now.

    You’ll be able to get your hands on the new iPod Touch and Nano in October. The Nano will cost $149 and a 32GB iPod Touch 5th Gen will go for $299.

    [Image Source: The Verge]

  • iPhone 5 Plus New iTunes, iPod Touch, & iPod Nano Appear on Apple’s Site (With Some Digging)

    We know that the Apple Store is currently down, which is the longtime signal for “hey we’re about to launch some new stuff!” And now, Apple has let a few dead links slip into search results on the site, which give us some details into what the company will be unveiling at today’s press event.

    A search on Apple’s website has revealed some links to press releases slated for today. The actual links take us “page not found” prompts, but the URLs give us the goods on what Apple is revealing in a couple of hours.

    First, one press release says “Apple Introduces iPhone 5.” Now we know that “iPhone 5” is the official name of the new device (we were already pretty sure, but “new iPhone” was still a tiny possibility).

    Another release says “Apple unveils New iTunes.”

    Another search leads us to this inactive link: “Apple Introduces New iPod Touch iPod Nano”:

    Various searches unearthed nothing about an iPad mini, by the way.

    We’ll know soon enough. Apple’s event is set to kick off at 1 pm ET. We’ll be covering it as it happens.

    [via AppleInsider]

  • iPhone 5 Release Date: Apple Planning iPhone Event For September 12

    One of the biggest mysteries of our time is figuring out when the iPhone 5 will be released. A sign of the coming will be the announcement of an event that will take place shortly before the launch. Thanks to some insider information, we now have the date of that event.

    According to sources speaking to iMore, Apple is planning to debut the iPhone 5 at an event on Wednesday, September 12. The source goes on to say that the iPhone 5 will then be released on September 21. This ties nicely into previous rumors that suggested the iPhone 5 would be launching in September.

    What about the iPad Mini though? Previous rumors suggested that both the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini would be announced at the same time. It turns out that Apple will indeed be announcing the iPad Mini at the same event. No launch date was given for the device though.

    Interestingly enough, the sources also say that Apple will be using the event to announce the next iterations of the iPod Nano and iPod Touch. We already got our first look at the new iPod Touch last week. It’s rumored to take on the design and hardware of the iPhone 4S. The new iPod Nano design is anybody’s guess at this time though.

    With a packed event happening in September, it seems that Apple is preparing to take on the holidays in a big way. They will be fighting against stiffer competition this year with Google’s Nexus 7 and the all but confirmed Kindle Fire 2. Alongside the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini, Apple could really dominate the holidays if they come up with some interesting new designs for their iPod line. I’m especially interested in seeing how they evolve the iPod Nano.

    While this is obviously not confirmation of any kind, it seems more and more likely that Apple will announce the iPhone 5 in September. They want to be there before the holiday rush starts in October so a September launch is perfect to capture the attention of a nation that’s starved for an iPhone 5.

  • Apple Apparently Thinks People Still Buy iPod Touches

    Apple is very successful at what they do. They are able to single-handedly convince people to hand over large amounts of money for iPhones and iPads. The company thinks that this tactic also works for their other products like the iPod line. It used to work, but I don’t see much point in trying to sell people what is essentially an iPhone without the phone.

    Apple sees a point, however, with rumors from 9to5Mac pointing to a new iPod Touch to be released alongside the new iPhone this September. Continuing in the fine tradition of nerfing the iPod Touch to be one generation behind the current iPhone, the new iPod Touch will be more like a iPhone 4S.

    The rumors point to the new iPod Touch at least having one thing that its newer contemporary has – a larger screen. Leaked front frame images show that that iPod Touch will get a slightly larger four-inch display. That’s where the similarities end, however, as the new iPod Touch is reportedly getting the current gen A5 chip and an iPad inspired shell.

    It still remains to be seen if the new iPod Touch will be running on iOS6. The iOS5 for iPod Touch page features a teaser for iOS6 near the bottom, so it seems likely.

    It’s a little disappointing to see the iPod Touch get increasingly ignored over the last few years. It would be nice if Apple would bring it up to par with the curent iPhone builds. Some of us just want an iPod Touch and it would be nice if we could be on equal footing with our iPhone toting brethren.

  • Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    The coolest concept that Microsoft showed off at E3 2012 this year was SmartGlass, a technology that connects a mobile device to an Xbox 360. It offers extra content that can’t be shown on the television such as a map of Westeros when watching Game of Thrones on HBO Go. Microsoft will be supporting all tablets and operating systems with SmartGlass so it only makes sense to start getting everything compatible now.

    The first step to our Xbox SmartGlass future is the My Xbox Live app for smartphones. It connects with your Xbox Live account to display all your account information such as achievements, messages and recent activity. The app was first built for iPhone, Android and Windows Phones, but now it’s getting a native iPad app.

    Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    Now users can control media on their Xbox 360 with their iPad. Users can now play, pause, fast forward and rewind videos on Netflix and other media that’s available on the console. It’s also far more friendly to changing up how your avatar looks then on the tiny screen of the iPhone.

    Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    Users of the iPhone version will just get a few bug fixes. There are some complaints via the reviews that say the newest update breaks messaging on the iPhone version, but it seems to be a limited occurrence. You should be fine if you have iOS 4.3 or later.

    You can grab My Xbox Live for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch at the App Store. It’s free so you have no reason not to.

  • Is Putting Windows 8 On The iPhone A Capital Offense?

    Windows and Mac OS X are two sides of the same coin. Just because they’re both similar in many instances does not mean that they should ever meet though. Some intrepid, and possibly insane, designer has taken it upon himself to create the Windows 8 Metro UI for the iPhone.

    Before you get out your pitchforks and whatever else Apple fans use to maim the non-believers, know that today’s unholy experiment comes from a Jailbroken theme. If somebody wants to add a little bit of Windows 8 to their iPhone, they will have already committed the unthinkable crime of going against Apple’s wishes by jailbreaking their iPhone.

    Regardless, it’s a pretty sweet reskin and it looks just like the Metro UI that we’ve come to either love or hate. Seeing it on the iPhone just makes my week. I’m sure Apple fans will have something to say about it, but I think it’s a nice fit for the iPhone. I’ve always thought that Metro looked great on phones and the iPhone UI does need some sprucing up in the design department.

    Check out the video below from Jailbreak Nation to get a close look at how Windows 8 would translate to the iPhone.

    To get more information on the skin and where to download it, hit up Jailbreak Nations’s tutorial on how to install it. It’s only a paltry $1.50 to get the magic and wonder of Windows 8 onto an Apple device. That’s a small price to pay for the tech equivalent of crossing the streams.

    [Lead Image: JBN]

  • iOS 6 Beta 2 Seeded To Developers

    Apple has released the second beta version of iOS 6 to developers today. The update went live less than an hour ago. Developers with iOS 6 beta 1 installed on their devices can download the update over the air directly to their devices.

    It’s not clear what has been changed with the new beta version. All Apple says is that it includes bug fixes and improvements. The update is 322MB in size. Apple has not yet updated the developer site with further details on the new beta.

    The first beta of iOS 6 was released shortly after the WWDC 2012 keynote two weeks ago. According to early reports the new features were generally great, but the system tended to be fairly buggy and unstable. This release presumably fixes some of the instabilities of the previous version. It’s also possible that it adds new features, but we’ll have to wait until the developers start digging around in it to know for certain.

    The final version of iOS 6 is scheduled to release sometime in the fall. Though Apple didn’t say so during the keynote, iOS 6 will release at the same time as the new iPhone, which has been widely rumored to be coming in October.

  • iOS 6: Which Features Will Your Device Get?

    Without a doubt, one of the biggest highlights of yesterday’s WWDC 2012 keynote was iOS 6. Apple’s latest mobile operating system packs in over 200 new features, some of which we heard about at yesterday’s keynote, some of which have come to light as developers have gotten their hands on the new iOS 6 beta.

    Of course, every update – be it iOS or OS X – has casualties. There is always a list of devices that aren’t supported. With OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, if your computer was made before about the middle of 2009, you’re out of luck. With iOS, the compatibility list is actually pretty impressive. Most of Apple’s iOS device lineup will support iOS 6. Unfortunately “most” doesn’t mean “all,” and “support” doesn’t mean “run every new feature.” Fortunately, Apple has published a list of compatible devices and which features will be supported on each.

    So, let’s start with the devices that won’t run iOS 6 at all. If you’re still rocking a first-generation iPad (like yours truly), then you’re out; iOS 6 only supports the iPad 2 and new iPad. On the iPhone front, only the first generation iPhone and the iPhone 3G are left out (in point of fact, the original iPhone lost support for new iOS versions quite some time ago). The list of compatible iPod Touch models is much smaller: anything older than the 4th generation iPod Touch (which came out in 2010) is out of luck.

    Okay, so now you know your device is will support iOS 6, the big question is which features your device will run. Some of these are pretty obvious (like Siri), while others are less obvious. Here’s the list below:

  • Siri: On the iPhone, Siri remains an iPhone 4S exclusive. On the iPad, it will be available only on the new iPad (not the iPad 2).
  • FaceTime: To use FaceTime over a 3G connection, you have to have the iPhone 4S or the new iPad only (the cellular data model, naturally).
  • Mail VIP: Curiously, this requires the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, and the iPad 2 or new iPad.
  • Offline Reading List: Once again, the iPhone 3GS is left out. This feature is compatible with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and the second and third generation iPads.
  • Maps: Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation are limited to the iPhone 4S, the iPad 2, and the new iPad.
  • Shared Photo Streams: Yet again, no love for the iPhone 3GS. Once again, only compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, or new iPad.

    • It’s worth noting that this is not an exhaustive list. In fact, this list comes from the footnotes of Apple’s iOS 6 preview page. Which means that if you put iOS 6 on your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, or iPad 2, you may still be in for some unwelcome surprises in terms of what your device will or won’t do with the new operating system.

  • Apple Announcement: Passbook Comes to iOS 6

    Among its numerous announcements today, Apple unveiled an app called Passbook for iOS 6 during its keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

    Apple touted it as a way to get all your passes – boarding passes, tickets, store cards, movie tickets, etc. – all in one app. On its new iOS 6 page, Apple describes Passbook:

    Your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more are now all in one place. With Passbook, you can scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. You can also see when your coupons expire, where your concert seats are, and the balance left on that all-important coffee bar card. Wake your iPhone or iPod touch, and passes appear on your Lock screen at the appropriate time and place — like when you reach the airport or walk into the store to redeem your gift card or coupon. And if your gate changes after you’ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you’re not relaxing in the wrong terminal.

    Here are a couple screenshots:

    Passbook

    Passbook

    What do Twitter users think about Passbook?

    iOS 6 ships this fall. I’m sure we’ll get plenty more reaction once people actually get to use it.

  • Apple App Store Now Carries 650,000 Apps with 30 Billion Already Downloaded

    Apple App Store Now Carries 650,000 Apps with 30 Billion Already Downloaded

    Apple CEO Tim Cook just announced an amazing milestone for the company at today’s (June 11th – 15th) Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2012) in San Francisco. The news is, the app store now has over 650,000 apps available and there has already been 30 billion downloads. Very impressive!

    Of course, well over 200,000 of those apps are specifically designed for the iPad. The popularity of the App Store has already reach 120 countries and there are 35 more about to be added by the end of June. But lets not forget that all these apps come at a price to Apple as well as consumer.

    Apple has forked over $5 billion to app developers to make these record numbers a reality. I would say that’s a monumental investment. Check back all day for more coverage of the WWDC 2012 events. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the conference all week. Feel free to head to the App Store to drive those numbers higher.

  • WWDC 2012: Live Coverage Of Apple’s Keynote

    WWDC 2012: Live Coverage Of Apple’s Keynote

    UPDATE: And that’s all, folks. Thanks for following our live coverage of Apple’s keynote. Check our WWDC 2012 page for continuing coverage.

    UPDATE: “I hope you have a fantastic week, thank you very much for coming.”

    UPDATE: Talking about how great Apple and their products are and the importance of devs in that process.

    UPDATE: Tim Cook back on stage.

    UPDATE: iOS 6 ships “this fall,” will support iPhone 3GS and later, iPad 2 and new iPad, 4th gen iPod Touch and up. Beta available for devs today.

    UPDATE: Maps app will feature and promote travel apps from the App Store.

    UPDATE: Same features for China that were announced for OS X are coming to iOS 6, too.

    UPDATE: Redesigned the App Store. Fine tuned privacy controls. Improved experience for users with hearing aids. Per-account signatures. Added Lost mode to Find My iPhone: send a phone number to your lost iPhone and allow whoever finds it to call you.

    UPDATE: “And these are only 10 of the over 200 new features in iOS 6.”

    UPDATE: Siri narrates your turns. Get ETA, overview of your trip, etc.

    UPDATE: Includes adaptive, cinematic animations of turns.

    UPDATE: Showing off turn-by-turn navigation.

    UPDATE: Flyover. Hyper-realistic 3D models. Vector based maps respond quickly. Lets you zoom in and out.

    UPDATE: Ask Siri to take you there, and she’ll give you directions. Ask for stops like gas stations, and she’ll find them along your route.

    UPDATE: Monitors traffic, updates your ETA on the fly. Reroutes you around bad traffic. Integrated into Siri, shows on the lock screen of the phone.

    UPDATE: Turn-by-turn navigation built in.

    UPDATE: Integrated with Yelp, traffic service in the works. Includes incident reports using anonymous crowdsourced data from iOS users.

    UPDATE: Brand new mapping solution built from the ground up. Doing all the cartography in-house. A worldwide effort.

    UPDATE: Time for Maps.

    UPDATE: Guided Access allows you to control whether kids can change an app’s settings. Single app mode allows you to lock an app so that they can’t leave the app by hitting the home button.

    UPDATE: Next, Guided Access.

    UPDATE: Cards updated live. If your flight’s gate changes, the app updates your boarding pass automatically.

    UPDATE: Automatically updates balances on store cards.

    UPDATE: Location based features in Passbook. When you get to the movie theater, it pulls up your ticket.

    UPDATE: Passbook. Get all your passes – boarding passes, tickets, store cards, movie tickets, etc. – all in one app.

    UPDATE: Now easier to upload photos/videos straight from the mail app.

    UPDATE: VIPs coming to Mail. Mark a contact as a VIP and get a notification when they send you an email, also a flagged mailbox.

    UPDATE: Photo Stream. Shared photo streams coming in iOS 6.

    UPDATE: Full screen Safari in landscape on iOS.

    UPDATE: Smart app banners lets devs direct users to the App Store for their native apps, or launches the app automatically.

    UPDATE: Safari getting iCloud tabs and photo uploads.

    UPDATE: Apple ID and phone number being unified, so you can receive FaceTime calls and messages to your phone number from your Mac or iPad.

    UPDATE: FaceTime now works over 3G.

    UPDATE: Do Not Disturb allows you to turn off notifications temporarily. Includes fine control. Also set to allow repeated calls in case of emergencies.

    UPDATE: Reply to phone calls with messages, or set reminders to call them later.

    UPDATE: Phone app getting enhancements.

    UPDATE: Facebook friends’ contact info will appear in their entries in the Contacts app. Facebook events (including birthdays) now appear in Calendar.

    UPDATE: Post to Facebook and Twitter from Notification Center. Use Siri to post to either Facebook or Twitter. Also made Facebook integration a public API, meaning devs can integrate it into their apps easily.

    UPDATE: Facebook integration. Sign into Facebook from the Settings app. Post to Facebook from Photos, Safari, Maps, the App Store, the iTunes Store, Game Center, and more.

    UPDATE: Siri coming to the new iPad.

    UPDATE: Local search going around the world.

    UPDATE: Several new languages, including Spanish, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

    UPDATE: Working with a number of car manufacturers to bring Eyes Free Siri integration within the next twelve months. Use buttons on your steering wheel to activate Siri.

    UPDATE: “Eyes Free.”

    UPDATE: Now Siri can launch apps. E.g., “Play Temple Run.”

    UPDATE: Can ask about directors, actors, etc.

    UPDATE: Siri has become a movie buff. Ask what movies are playing nearby. Rotten Tomatoes integration. Watch trailers from within Siri. Showing a trailer for The Avengers.

    UPDATE: Much more information about restaurants. Partnered with Yelp and OpenTable for reviews and more information.

    UPDATE: Ask about team scores, individual player stats, standings, and more. Even ask whether LeBron is taller than Kobe.

    UPDATE: Sports scores now integrated. Shows final score of yesterday’s Giants-Rangers game.

    UPDATE: Siri demo.

    UPDATE: More than 200 new features, starting with significant enhancements to Siri.

    UPDATE: Over 75% of users are very satisfied with iOS.

    UPDATE: Going over some of the features added in iOS 5. 1.5 trillion notifications since launch. 140 million iMessage users, over 150 billion messages sent, over a billion sent every day.

    UPDATE: 365 million iOS devices sold as of March. Over 80% of them are running iOS 5 (compared to a huge number of Android devices using Gingerbread instead of Ice Cream Sandwich).

    UPDATE: Now time for iOS 6.

    UPDATE: Mountain Lion ships next month. Devs get near-final preview today.

    UPDATE: Upgrades from both Snow Leopard and Lion. Buy once, upgrade all your Macs.

    UPDATE: Upgrade to Mountain Lion is $19.99. Yes, really.

    UPDATE: 1700 APIs for developers.

    UPDATE: New features for China. New Chinese dictionary. Updates for pinyin input. Baidu search for Safari.

    UPDATE: Many more features. Including VIPs in Mail, search in LaunchPad, Gatekeeper, Offline Reading List.

    UPDATE: Showing off CSR Racing head-to-head using AirPlay mirroring.

    UPDATE: Use Game Center and AirPlay to send your game to your big screen.

    UPDATE: Supports turn-based and head-to-head gaming, both Mac-to-Mac and Mac-to-iOS.

    UPDATE: “Finally, Game Center.” There’s been “a renaissance of gaming on the Mac” thanks to the App Store.

    UPDATE: AirPlay mirroring. “Absolutely the easiest way to get whatever’s on your Mac onto a nearby projector or television.” Connects to Apple TV and sends 1080p video.

    UPDATE: “Power Nap.” Keeps your Mac up to date while it sleeps. Fetches mail, calendars, photos, reminders, etc, even when asleep. Downloads App Store and system updates while charging.

    UPDATE: Tweet directly from Notification Center. Notification Center also supports web services.

    UPDATE: Notification Center helpful for when you use full-screen apps. Supports multitouch gestures: swipe down with two fingers on the trackpad to bring it down.

    UPDATE: Tab View: use gestures to physically navigate across tabs.

    UPDATE: iCloud tabs. Shows you all the tabs you’ve got open across all your iOS/OS X devices. Pick up on your Mac where you left off on your iPhone.

    UPDATE: Unified search/URL bar.

    UPDATE: The new Safari. Fastest Javascript engine of any browser on the planet.

    UPDATE: Sharing (via Twitter, Messages, Flickr, etc.) integrated deeply into the OS. Log into Twitter using System Preferences.

    UPDATE: Mountain Lion gets Dictation. Anywhere you can type, you can talk. Including third-party apps like MS Word.

    UPDATE: Notifications can be turned off temporarily. Shuts itself down if you connect a projector.

    UPDATE: Notification Center brings “consistent and elegant” notifications to Mac, replacing all the various and distracting ways apps got your attention.

    UPDATE: Changes to a document made on your iPhone are automatically synced to your Mac.

    UPDATE: You can drag files into iCloud to upload.

    UPDATE: Attachments up to 100MB in size, including HD videos via iMessage.

    UPDATE: Messages brings iMessage to the Mac. Allows you to respond to messages from your iPhone via your Mac. Keeps all your conversations synced across devices.

    UPDATE: Location-based reminders on the Mac for the first time.

    UPDATE: Three new iCloud apps for Mountain Lion: Message, Reminders, and Notes. Documents in the Cloud another new feature. Allows you to store your apps in iCloud. Comes with a developer SDK so devs can build Documents In The Cloud support into their apps.

    UPDATE: iCloud has 125 million users.

    UPDATE: 200 new features in Mountain Lion, just 8 focused on today.

    UPDATE: 26 million copies of Lion shipped. 40% of OS X users are on Lion 9 months after release. It took Windows 7 27 months to get to the same point.

    UPDATE: 66 million Mac users now, three times the number of a few years ago.

    UPDATE: Notebooks done, on to OS X.

    UPDATE: Starts at $2,199. Ships today.

    UPDATE: Video over, Schiller back on stage.

    UPDATE: Completely redesigned internal cooling system. Designed to be imperceptible to the user. Asymmetrically placed fan blades spread the sound over a variety of frequencies.

    UPDATE: “One of the most significant challenges was completely redesigning our approach to designing the display.” The display is built directly into the unibody.

    UPDATE: Three million more pixels than an HDTV.

    UPDATE: Video showing off the new MacBook Pro’s features. Jony Ive: “Without a doubt the very best computer we’ve ever built.”

    UPDATE: FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, best stereo speakers ever on a desktop or notebook.

    UPDATE: SD card slot, updated MagSafe power port, two thunderbolt ports, two USB 2/3 ports, and an HDMI port.

    UPDATE: A 2.7GHz quad-core i& processor, up to 16GB of RAM, a GeForce GT 650 graphics processor, up to 768 GB of flash storage. 7 hours of battery life, 30 days standby.

    UPDATE: Completely redesigned internals, including a huge battery.

    UPDATE: New display will be great for gaming.

    UPDATE: Updates to Photoshop and Autodesk also in the works.

    UPDATE: All major Apple apps take advantage of the new retina display. Including iMovie, iPhoto, Mail, Safari, etc. Major updates to Aperture and Final Cut Pro. Individual apps will have to update, otherwise they get pixel-doubled (think iPhone apps on the iPad).

    UPDATE: 15.4-inches diagonally, 2880×1800 resolution. 220 ppi, 5,184,000 pixels total. Most hi-res notebook ever. Reduced glare by 75%

    UPDATE: Retina display!

    UPDATE: Less than three quarters of an inch thick: 0.71 inches. Thin as the MacBook Air, weighs 4.46 pounds. Thinner and lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

    UPDATE: Very thin, very light, enormous display. Schiller says “It’s thinner than my finger!”

    UPDATE: The Next Generation MacBook Pro. “Killer new display,” thinner, lighter, no optical drive or wired networking.

    UPDATE: Brand new MacBook.

    UPDATE: MacBook Pro to come in 13-inch and 15-inch models. 13-inch to be $1199 and $1499, 15-inch at $1799 and $2199. Ships today. No retina display so far.

    UPDATE: MacBook Pro: up to 2.7GHz quad-core i7 processor, up to 8GB of memory, 60% faster graphics.

    UPDATE: New prices: all models get a $100 price cut, all ship today (Apple Store still down).

    UPDATE: 11 and 13-inch models, 1366×768 display, 720p FaceTime HD camera.

    UPDATE: Adding a USB 3.0 port.

    UPDATE: i& Ivy Bridge processors, up to 8GB RAM, 60% faster memory. 512MB of flash storage.

    UPDATE: MacBook Air up first. Looks like four separate models.

    WWDC 2012

    UPDATE: “The MacBook Lineup.”

    UPDATE: Phil Schiller takes the stage to show off notebook changes.

    UPDATE: “Today we’re announcing exciting new changes in notebooks, and major releases of OS X and iOS.”

    UPDATE: Video over. Tim Cook returns to the stage.

    UPDATE: Video talking about some of the amazing apps in the App Store, including one that helps blind people navigate. Developer says he never thought of picking another platform.

    UPDATE: App Store coming soon to 32 new countries, bringing the total to 155.

    UPDATE: Developers have gotten a whopping $5 billion in payments from the App Store.

    UPDATE: The App Store has over 400 million user accounts. Largest number of accounts with credit cards on the internet. 650K apps in the App Store, 225K of them are iPad-specific. “This compares to just a few hundred for our competition.” 30 billion app downloads so far.

    WWDC 2012

    UPDATE: Tim Cook takes the stage. “We have some really cool stuff to show you this morning.”

    UPDATE: The presentation is opening with a video of Siri, who says she “was asked to warm up the crowd.” She’s telling jokes, including “How many developers does it take to change a light bulb? None. That’s a hardware problem.”

    UPDATE: Apple has announced that the presentation will begin shortly. There are reportedly some MacBooks already on the stage, though it’s not clear whether they’re new ones or not.

    With just a few minutes left to go until Apple’s WWDC 2012 Keynote, attendees are already being seated in the hall at San Francisco’s Moscone West. You can check out our rumor roundup from this morning for an idea of what to expect from today’s keynote. Meanwhile, this page will be updated live as the keynote progresses. Click refresh regularly to see new updates, which will appear at the top of the page.

  • iOS 6, New Mac Updates On Tap At WWDC 2012 Today

    It wouldn’t be much of a stretch at all to say that Apple’s WWDC 2012 keynote is the most highly-anticipated keynote in a long time. Historically, Apple has used WWDC to unveil new generations of the iPhone. Last year’s delayed launch of the iPhone 4S, however, means that we won’t be seeing the next iPhone (probably “the new iPhone,” instead of the iPhone 5 or iPhone 6) until October, or possibly September.

    Nevertheless, expectations for this year’s keynote are running high, and with good reason. There have been a lot of rumors zipping about in the last few weeks, and if even half of them are true, it’s going to be a big day.

    With that in mind, here is what we know so far about what we should expect from Apple’s WWDC 2012 keynote. But first, a disclaimer: WWDC is a software conference. Strictly speaking, the focus isn’t on hardware. That means that all we’re guaranteed from today’s keynote is iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion. Anything else is just gravy. Though as you’ll see, there’s reason to expect a sizable helping of gravy.

    iOS 6

    The first of the two guarantees for today’s keynote is iOS 6. Even though the new iPhone isn’t coming out for another 3-4 months, Apple will be unveiling the latest version of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch’s operating system today. While it’s been treated as a given for some time that iOS 6 would be on today’s menu, we got the best confirmation we could want short of an official statement from Apple on Friday. An Instagram user managed to catch a picture of workers raising a giant iOS 6 banner inside Moscone West, the San Francisco venue for WWDC 2012.

    So, iOS 6 has been confirmed, but what should we expect from iOS 6? Well, the biggest news is a new Maps app. Back in May it was reported that Apple was preparing to ditch Google Maps as the source for the iOS Maps app and replace it with mapping data developed in-house by the three mapping companies Apple began purchasing in 2009 (just a year after Google launched Android). Since that initial report there have been several additional leaks confirming a new Maps app. According to the reports, the new app will be largely the same in terms of interface, but will sport a hyper-realistic 3D mode. Check out a mockup of the new app below:

    iOS 6 Maps Mockup

    But that’s not all we should expect from iOS 6. Speaking at AllThingsD’s D10 Conference at the end of May, Apple CEO Tim Cook all but promised that iOS would be getting Facebook integration soon. Later reports have appeared to confirm that, saying that iOS 6’s system-wide Facebook integration will be much like the Twitter integration introduced last year with iOS 5.

    While reports suggest that iOS 6 won’t actually look much different from iOS 5 on the surface, Apple appears to have completely rewritten all of the stock iOS apps – Weather, Clock, Contacts, Calendar, etc. – in addition to Maps. While details are a little thin, the new versions of the apps are expected to have some pretty remarkable new features, and a slightly different user interface.

    During the same D10 session mentioned above, Tim Cook also strongly hinted that there would be major improvements to Siri coming soon. Though he was, naturally, coy about the details, it’s a fair bet that with iOS 6 Siri will be losing her “beta” label, and getting several new features and performance improvements. Though it may be too much to hope for Apple to release Siri’s APIs to developers, it’s certainly possible.

    Finally, iOS 6 will be getting some of the same improvements to existing features that are about to be rolled out with OS X Mountain Lion, including a Do Not Disturb feature for Notifications, Mail VIPs, and iCloud Tabs. The Do Not Disturb mode is pretty self-explanatory: it temporarily disables notifications from popping up while you’re, say, watching a movie or trying to sleep (nobody appreciates waking up to a Words With Friends notification at 3 in the morning, after all). Mail VIPs makes it easier to find and read mail from your selected list of VIPs, and iCloud Tabs allows you to see from one version of Safari (mobile or desktop) the tabs you’ve got open in all versions of Safari.

    OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

    There actually hasn’t been a lot of detail surface about Mountain Lion since Apple made the original (and quite unexpected) announcement earlier this year. That said, here’s what we know. Mountain Lion will be releasing sometime later this summer (possibly this month). It will include OS-wide Twitter integration like iOS 5, though surprisingly there has been no hint of Facebook integration making the jump to OS X. It will be getting a variety of sharing options including Flickr and Vimeo. It will also feature Message, an app that syncs with iMessage on your iPhone and iPad. While there’s currently a beta available for OS X Lion, that beta will stop working after Mountain Lion launches, making Messages a Mountain Lion-only product.

    Mountain Lion will be continuing the tradition Apple began with OS X 10.7 Lion last year of bringing iOS features “back to the Mac.” Consequently, Mountain Lion will be getting Notification Center, Reminders, and Notes, in addition to the aforementioned Twitter integration. There have also been recent rumors that the Dictation feature that made its way to the iPad in March will also be coming to Mountain Lion.

    Another new Mountain Lion feature will be Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper is a security feature that allows you to lock down your Mac so that only software from the Mac App Store can be installed. You can also set Gatekeeper to allow apps created by participants in Apple’s Developer ID program, or you can turn Gatekeeper off completely, allowing software from any source to be installed. While it’s likely to be popular with businesses and parents, there are those who worry that it’s a step toward making OS X the same sort of walled garden that iOS is.

    Finally, there appear to be several new features coming to iCloud. Early last month Apple accidentally made their test of iOS-style banner notifications for the iCloud web interface public. A few days later a beta version of the iCloud web interface revealed that Notes and Reminders apps were being added as well. It’s not certain that these new features will be unveiled at WWDC 2012, but a third report predicted that several major new features would be shown off at the conference, including vast improvements to iCloud’s photo handling and sharing.

    New Macs

    If you pay much attention to Apple’s product cycles, you may have noticed that while the company has been aggressively updating iOS and its associated devices, and has been incorporating certain features into OS X, there hasn’t been much attention paid to actual Mac hardware. Though the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac lines have gotten feature bumps in recent years, there have been no major upgrades. Indeed, some models – namely the Mac Pro – have been without an upgrade of any kind for years.

    According to what we’ve been hearing over the last few weeks, that’s about to change. While there have been rumors since the launch of the iPhone 4 in 2010 that Macs would start getting retina displays, it looks like this time it might actually happen. Back in May we started hearing the first serious rumblings of the MacBook Pro getting a retina display. The next day reports surfaced that the same might be true of the MacBook Air and iMac. While nothing has been confirmed, of course, Apple did let a retina display-ready app into the Mac App Store last week.

    Last week rumors surfaced that a fourth Mac line would be getting an update. While some believed it would be the Mac Mini, I speculated that the Mac Pro would be the model to get updated, which is in far worse need of an update than the Mac Mini. A report the next day appeared to confirm that it would indeed be the Mac Pro, though there’s little information on what, specifically, will be updated.

    Finally, there was a report last week that all these updates we’ve been hearing about for the MacBook Pro might not be headed to the MacBook Pro at all, but to an entirely new line of MacBook. This new MacBook would drop the “Pro” branding, and would get the lion’s share of the upgrades, leaving the MacBook Pro with only a basic feature bump. If it sells well, this new MacBook would eventually replace the current MacBook Pro (which replaced the original MacBook line a few years ago).

    New Apple TV OS (and the iTV?)

    Last but not least, there have been reports that Apple may show off a new operating system for the Apple TV at this year’s conference. There aren’t many details, but it’s possible that this update is meant to pave the way for the much-rumored iTV, Apple’s entry into the HDTV market. Though there has been some speculation that the iTV itself would be unveiled at this year’s conference, that is not likely.

    While little is known about the new Apple TV OS, one exciting detail has been circulated. It seems that Apple may release a software development kit (SDK) for the Apple TV alongside the OS update. That will mean that third-party developers can create apps for the Apple TV. That’s right, the Apple TV (and possibly the iTV?) may finally be getting the App Store.

    Conclusions

    It’s worth noting again that WWDC is a software developers’ conference, and that the only things that have been confirmed about this year’s keynote are iOS 6 and Mountain Lion. The rest is just speculation, though much of it appears solid. At any rate, we’re less than two hours from the keynote now, when all will be revealed. Until then, you can follow our WWDC 2012 page for more information, and check back for our live coverage of the keynote itself at 1 PM Eastern time.

  • Twizgrid Upgrade Gives Twitter an Aesthetic Contrast

    Twizgrid, the increasingly popular photo browser for Twitter, released a comprehensive new upgrade that will have tweeters marveling at its sheer utility. While Twitter is usually a place where words are the centerpiece of interest, Twizgrid has a goal to bring contrast to that notion by providing a uniquely visual experience on the platform.

    Their latest group of enhancements makes sharing photos on Twitter even more appealing by including a massive increase in available photo content, convenient access to a user’s home timeline, and a recent album to view images in real time. Users can view Twitter photos by topic, person, or location with Twizgrid.

    A dynamic album titled, “Around Me” shows a chronology of nearby photos but addresses privacy concerns utilizing a user-driven approach which allows the photos originator to selectively identify their location on a case by case basis.

    Twizgrid Co-Founder Chauncey Regan comments on the “Around Me” album and other upgrades to their service:

    “This feature supplements dominant nearby apps, such as Banjo and Highlight, as well as Twitter’s nearby tweet feature. Twizgrid now offers an enticing way to view what’s happening in the immediate vicinity, whether it’s a raging party or a raging fire.”

    “Our unwavering objective is to be the most cohesive, comprehensive and compelling platform to display Twitter photos.”

    Twizgrid is available for free on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Visit the iTunes store to download the app.