Apple’s Oct. 22 product update event in San Francisco introduced a few new devices and detailed information about recent soft-launched products. Some techfiends focused on the iPad models, for others the Mac Pro held the stage. Many Apple fans the announcement of the Mavericks OS X with joy, while a few received it with suspicion. New MacBooks and news about Apps completed the event. CEO Tim Cook presented the numbers: 9 million iPhones sold in the weekend after the launch, the biggest iPhone launch so far. In just five days after the launch, over 200 million devices were running on iOS7 making this the fastest software update in history. On iTunes Radio, 20 million listeners who have accessed over 1 billion songs. The App Store surpassed 1 million apps and the users have downloaded more than 60 billion of them. The iPad with 170 million devices sold, and holds 81 percent of the global tablet user share. Craig Federighi re-introduced the Mavericks OS X; we described it a little while back. The most important features presented at this special event are the improvement in power efficiency (+1 hour of web browsing), as well as the compressed memory feature that will keep the OS running smoothly while being able to compress inactive data. Graphics are upgraded and the integrated graphics support now OpenCL (the magic trick that improves GPU – up to 1.8 X faster than the previous version). Safari, Pages, and the Calendar have been intelligently improved, and now the Maps app is now on the Mac, flaunting a gorgeous fly-over. iBooks also landed on the Mac and Reader became part of the OS X. The most surprising fact about the new version of the operating system is the no price policy – everyone with Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion can upgrade for free to Mavericks. Cats were costly, but beaches are free. Phil Schiller introduced the slimmer figure of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, available with and without Retina display. The device is now 0.71-inch thick and weighs 3.46 pounds, not a big drop, but significant if used on-the-go. The latest 2.4 GHz Core i5 Intel Haswell processor has been added under the hood, next to the Intel Iris GPU; 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD are part of the package, at just $1,300. The 15-inch MBP is powered by a 2.0 GHz quad-core i7 Intel Crystalwell with 8GB of RAM, a 256 SSD, and the Intel Pro GPU, at $2,000. All Apple devices are environment-friendly. Among the checklist point are ENERGY STAR 6, EPEAT Gold, BFR free, and PVC-free. It was Phil Schiller who presented perhaps the most amazing device of the October 22nd special event – the cylindrical Mac Pro. This stunning machine runs on Intel Xeon E5 with 4 to 12 cores, topping out at 7 teraflops of computing power, with up to 30 MB L3 cache and up to 12 GB of GDDR5. The device has up to 60GB/s bandwidth and stunning graphics – the Mac Pro’s dual standard workstation GPUs run AMD FirePro graphics which support 4k video output. Connectivity wise, the Mac Pro features 4 USB 3 ports, 6 thunderbolt 2 ports, 2 1GB Ethernet ports, HDMI, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. “It is a computer that packs an incredible amount of power into one-eighth the volume of the previous model,” Schiller said at the event. It is the quietest Mac Pro (equal to the Mac mini) as it uses 70 percent less energy than the previous version. It can be purchased in December, starting at $2,999. The 475,000 iPad apps deserved a new device so the fifth-generation iPad is here and is really thin. The iPad Air is 20 percent thinner than the previous version at 7.5mm and weighs 1 pound – it is the lightest full-size tablet currently available. The processor has been upgraded to the 64-bit system-on-chip A7, recently launched with the iPhone...
WWDC 2013
Updates to Apple, big and small
“If everyone is busy making everything, how can anyone perfect anything?” That was the opening line of the 24th Apple World Wide Developers Conference that wrapped up last week. Tickets to this year’s event sold out in only 71 seconds. Over 1,000 engineers from more than 60 countries gathered for the first-look reveals of software, hardware, and service updates. While technology perfection may be an impossible utopian dream, the continuing quest for improvement and exuberant excitement around Apple innovation makes WWDC a high-energy event every year. Although speculation on the unveilings was rampant in online software forums, Apple CEO Tim Cook and his team managed to present a few surprises. OS X Mavericks The reign of big cats (OS X Mountain Lion) is now ended, and cool California places are the new nomenclature theme for OS X), starting with the famous Northern California big wave beach, Mavericks. Craig Federighi, Senior VP of Software Engineering, introduced over 200 features of the new OS. Some of those are relevant to all Mac users, and others are geared towards professionals in different fields. New core technologies are the most impressive updates, with great impact on power efficiency and performance. Timer Coalescing groups low-level operations, reducing CPU utilization by 72 percent (it spends more time in a low-power state) without affecting performance and responsiveness. App Nap reduces the power consumed by unused apps and Compressed Memory increases speed and responsiveness by compressing inactive data when not used, uncompressing it instantly when needed. The sync between devices is deepened, Finder Tabs and Tags are introduced with applicability anywhere on the Mac and in iCloud, making Finder-browsing and document search easier, Tags acting as search filters. Safari’s new sidebar eases access to bookmarks and reading lists, while the Shared Links...
50 Billion Strong
Historic high for app downloads
The number of applications downloaded from Apple’s iTunes store has now surpassed 50 billion. That’s a lot of apps in five years’ time. And the lucky person who downloaded the 50 billionth app is being handsomely rewarded with a $10,000 iTunes gift card to be spent on – guess what? – more apps. And that’s a lot of apps, since the average price for a downloaded application was $3.18 on an iPhone and $4.44 on an iPad (as of late 2012). Many apps are free. The lower prices go, the more downloads go up. And by 2017, the average price per app is estimated to drop to less than dime, according to a forecast from Strategy Analytics. The pace at which apps are downloaded has speeded way up since the iTunes store began. It’s estimated that 2.5 billion downloads are now taking place every month. There’s an app for everything, and there are thousands of apps that are real estate related. Did you know that Yardi is the real estate technology solutions provider with the most applications available for download from the iTunes store? Here is the run down of the Yardi apps available that might help you improve your business performance. Yardi CRM Mobile – During the leasing process, every day a unit sits empty costs you money. Yardi CRM Mobile will help streamline leasing by automating the process. Prospect and customer contact information and history are tracked in Voyager and synced with Outlook throughout the leasing process, from first contact to final signing. Access to crucial data is always within reach when it is on the mobile device that never leaves your side. Lease abstracts can also be run from Yardi CRM Mobile, available for iPhone and iPad. Yardi Inspection Mobile –...
Anticipating Apple
What will 2013 bring?
After a stellar 2012, what does 2013 hold for Apple? Let’s have a look at the online speculation and buzz, and tell us your thoughts in the comments. Apple Radio One of the new products on this list is the “Apple Radio”. This will be a free service that would gain revenue through ads, as its (most likely) competitor, Pandora. Rumors about it appeared last fall and since then Pandora’s stock fell approximately 12%. No major labels are on board yet and according to speculations, the launch would take part sometime in March. Apple Television Right before the holiday season, in November, analysts say that Apple will release an actual television, not just the Apple TV. The iTV might measure between 42” and 55” and costs are estimated at around $1500-$2000. iPhone 5S Like its older brother, the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 will get its second-generation offspring. No technical specifications leaked yet, but bets are set for a better battery life and an improved camera. iOS 7 We all remember the chaos caused by the release of iOS 6 without the Google Maps (and YouTube), so the pressure is high for Apple to release a strong and stable operating system this year. iOS could bring an improved version of Passbook, the digital-wallet app. iPad Mini with Retina display November 2012 was another great month for Apple due to the launch of iPad Mini, and although it’s only been out a few months, more and more are turning their attention to the next generation, the iPad Mini 2. Rumors have it that it will address the disappointment of those who have been expecting the Retina display with the first model. Shenzhen Century Science & Technology (SCST), a subsidiary of Foxconn, seems to have supplied...
A Look Into iOS 6
Apple operating updates for fall
Your favorite Apple devices – the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, third-generation iPad, and the fourth-generation iPod touch – get a makeover with the new iOS 6 upgrade that will be rolled out this fall. The announcement, made during the keynote speech to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, went into some detail about what we can expect from the newest iteration of the popular operating system: 3D maps. This is a big leap forward for Apple, and a shot across Google’s bow in the increasingly bitter rivalry between the two companies. Designed completely in-house, the new iOS 6 maps function utilizes a vector-based engine to render locations – this means ultra-crisp graphics, fast and smooth panning & zooming, and ample incentive to explore. Functionality includes turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic information and alternative routing, fly-over mode with photo-realistic 3D views, full Siri compatibility, and a host of local search options. More Siri. You’ve probably already seen the cute commercial featuring John Malkovich chatting with Siri. iOS 6 expands Siri’s range of functions. Instantly receive sports scores, stats, and schedules. Find movie locations, showtimes, and much more. Browse restaurants with a host of sorting options and make reservations effortlessly. More languages supported than ever before. Full social networking without having to type a word. Updated phone & email. New calling features allow you to respond to declined calls with a text message or a reminder, or turn on a “Do Not Disturb” sign that only lets through your most important callers. Email interface is streamlined for ease of reading & writing. New Passbook app. Keep all of your boarding passes, retail coupons, movie tickets, loyalty cards, and more all in one place. At-a-glance organization of balances, important dates, and updates. Leave your wallet...
