AppleWebMaster Wishes You A Happy New Year 2012

 

 

To our readers across the world ,

AppleWebMaster wishes you a very happy New Year 2012.

Sir Jonathan: Apple’s design mastermind Jonathan Ive awarded knighthood in the United Kingdom

 

Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design Jonathan Ive can add a new title to his resume: Sir Jonathan Ive. According to BBC, Ive was granted knighthood in the United Kingdom in the New Year Honours List. The report said that Ive’s official title is a Knight Commander of the British Empire. Ive, who was born and raised in the United Kingdom before moving to the United States to pursue design work, said that the honor is “absolutely thrilling.”

Ive credits his home country for some of his incredible design work: “I am keenly aware that I benefit from a wonderful tradition in the U.K. of designing and making.” While Ive has had an extremely successful career in Cupertino, California as Apple’s design chief, recent rumors said the designer of the iPod, iMac, iPhone, and most recently the iPad, was considering a move back to the United Kingdom. Soon after those rumors, a reliable report claimed Ive would not be leaving…

Ive joins a long list of New Years 2012 Honours List members and John Patrick Richardson is the only other international KBE that accompanies him from outside of the United Kingdom. Richardson is known as a famous author and art historian. Notably, on the subject of Apple and knighthood, a report from early 2011 claimed that Apple cofounder Steve Jobs was in the final stages of receiving knighthood, but his honor and “Sir” title was blocked at the last minute by Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown over Jobs refusal to speak at an event.

Jonathan Ive became the leader of Apple’s design team in 1996 and has since then transformed the company’s design philosophy. Newcastle Polytechnic awarded Ive with a Bachelor of Arts and an honorary doctorate. In addition, today’s United Kingdom-related award was not Ive’s first major award from the country. According to Ive’s official Apple biography, in 2003, he was named Designer of the Year by the Design Museum London and The Royal Society of Arts awarded him the title Royal Designer for Industry.

Screenshot from the Honours List for 2012:

Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Apple Cofounder and former CEO Steve Jobs, “Steve Jobs“, highlighted some of the interactions between Ive and Jobs, calling them “spiritual partners.” According to Ive, Jobs would attempt to take credit for some of his ideas from time-to-time. ”I pay maniacal attention to where an idea comes from, and I even keep notebooks filled with my ideas,” Ive said. “So it hurts when he takes credit for one of my designs.” In addition, the biography said that Jobs setup Apple’s internal organization so that Ive would have “more operation power” than anyone else.

Many of Ive’s design principles and ideas are inspired by the great work of Dieter Rams. In 2009, Ive’s participated in a video interview for a film called “Objectified.” In his portion of the film, embedded above, Ive discussed some of the work behind the unibody engineering efforts put into products like the MacBook Pro. Ive also discussed the simplicity of a product like the iPhone where the design “defers to the display.” Ive also discussed how different materials affect overall product design motifs.

"

 

(Via 9 to 5 Mac.)

Questionable iPad 3 Retina Display part appears on Korean forum

 

MacRumors points us to a Korean forum where a user reportedly posted a picture of the iPad 3′s Retina display. As you can see in the image above, both the iPad 3 (bottom) and iPad 2 (top) displays are compared. Both look to measure 9.7-inches, but they have different cable arrangements.

iFixit provided a teardown of the iPad 2′s display for comparison purposes. The purported Retina iPad 3 display pictured above has three brown connectors, instead of the iPad 2′s two connectors, to presumably power the 2048×1536 resolution of the new display.

As the iPad 3 ramps to launch sometime this spring, more parts and rumors for the tablet have leaked. Last week we showed you the reported dock connector and ribbon cable for the iPad 3, along with the home button sources provided.

Along with the Retina display, the iPad 3 is rumored to have an 8-megapixel camera, dual-mode wireless chip for CDMA and GSM, Apple’s A6 processor, and more RAM. Last night, a DigiTimes report claimed Apple would utilize Sharp’s IGZO display in the iPad 3.

"

 

(Via 9 to 5 Mac.)

Kid gets an iPod touch for Christmas, loses his shit

 

You’re going to want to turn up those headphones and catch the full on effect of this fantastic YouTube video of a kid getting an iPod touch for Christmas. It’s pretty, well, surreal. At one point it looks like the kid passes out from the excitement.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever actually freaked out like this when receiving a gift. Have you?

Before you get all, “he’s spoiled.” Ask yourself if you have ever received a video game console, computer, or anything remotely similar for the holidays. We welcome the LAWLs in the comments, but don’t be all douche about it.

I wonder if any kids freaked out like this after opening up a Playbook.

Via Kotaku

 

"

 

(Via Macgasm.)

Apple Sued By France Retail Partner For Unfair Practices

 

Apple is being sued by its largest reseller in France. Profit by eBizcuss’s 16 locations dropped 30 percent during the third quarter due to Apple cutting the number of iPad 2s and MacBook Airs shipped, claims CEO Francois Prudent. The tipping point appeared when the tech giant opened its first French retail location in 2009, the lawsuit alleges.

Prudent added his chain of Apple resellers have not been able to get iPhone 4S handsets during the all-important fourth quarter. The lawsuit is just the latest as resellers bristle from Apple’s increasingly aggressive move into retailing and in pursuit of small business.

The lawsuit also claims eBizcuss spent $6.5 million to bring the stores’ point-of-sale systems up to Apple’s snuff. Additionally, Prudent claims the Cupertino, Calif. company is taking small business customers by undercutting his prices. “The proposals submitted to Apple commercial enterprises are lower than the prices at which we buy the equipment,” according to the lawsuit reported by France’s Le Figaro.

In 2009, Apple opened its first retail store in France at the Carousel del Louvre in Paris. The lawsuit charges the company then began favoring its own retail locations over those of resellers. Earlier this week, Apple’s retail operations in Italy came under fire after one government arm fined the company $1.2 million for what was described as “unfair” practices that did not fully explain product warranties.

 

"

 

(Via Cult of Mac.)

Rare Photo Shows Steve Jobs’s Rebellious Spirit As He Flips The Bird To IBM

 

This rare photograph of Steve Jobs demonstrates the Apple co-founder’s infamous rebellious spirit as he “flips the bird” outside an IBM building in New York City. It was taken in 1983 when the Macintosh team visited the city for a meeting with Newsweek, and was posted to Google+ today by Andy Hertzfield, a member of the original Macintosh development team.

Hertzfield posted the image “in memoriam for Steve Jobs as 2011 draws to a close”:

In memoriam for Steve Jobs as 2011 draws to a close, here’s one more rare photo that illustrates his rebellious spirit. In December 1983, a few weeks before the Mac launch, we made a quick trip to New York City to meet with Newsweek, who was considering doing a cover story on the Mac. The photo was taken spontaneously as we walked around Manhattan by Jean Pigozzi, a wild French jet setter who was hanging out with us at the time. Somehow I ended up with a copy of it.

Hertzfield reports that his editor previously begged him to include the image in his book, but that he was too timid to ask for Steve’s permission at the time, “especially since IBM was still making CPUs for Apple at the time.”

What a great photograph. Thanks, Andy!

 

"

 

(Via Cult of Mac.)

Watch Steve Jobs Brainstorm With His Team At NeXT In This Fascinating Documentary [Video]

 

Walter Isaacson’s terrific Steve Jobs biography offers a magnificent insight into how Steve created Apple, and the work he did behind the scenes. However, it doesn’t talk all that much about NeXT — another computer company Steve founded during his spell away from Apple in the mid-eighties.

These fascinating clips from a series called Entrepreneurs do, however. They show Steve as many of us have never seen him before — discussing new ideas with his team, brainstorming on company retreats, and leading NeXT to create something awesome.

Check out more of the documentary after the break.

You may notice that in the first clip above, one of Steve’s staff stands up to him at around the 10:30 mark. This is Joanna Hoffman, according to commenter Sho_hn on Hacker News, who was part of the original Macintosh team and had a reputation for standing up to Steve.

[via The Next Web]

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(Via Cult of Mac.)

A visit to Stanford’s Apple Collection archives: drafts of Jobs speeches, in-house video, and more

Stanford University’s Silicon Valley Archives currently holds “the largest assembly of Apple historical materials” stored within hundreds of boxes taking up over 600 feet of shelf space in an undisclosed facility outside San Fran.

The Associated Press today published a story detailing their recent visit to Stanford’s Apple Collection, which contains in-house video Apple recorded in the 80s, blueprints for early Macs, user manuals, company shirts, and drafts of Steve Jobs’ speeches.

Stanford historian Leslie Berlin had this to say about the collection:

“Through this one collection you can trace out the evolution of the personal computer. These sorts of documents are as close as you get to the unmediated story of what really happened.”

While you may have heard versions of how the name Apple came to be, an interview recorded with Wozniak and Jobs in the 80s (originally meant to be an in-house video for employees) has the two men recalling the exact moment:

Woz: “I remember driving down Highway 85. We’re on the freeway, and Steve mentions, `I’ve got a name: Apple Computer.’ We kept thinking of other alternatives to that name, and we couldn’t think of anything better.”

Jobs: “And also remember that I worked at Atari, and it got us ahead of Atari in the phonebook.”

That video and others were donated to Stanford in 1997 after Jobs returned to the company and plans for an in-house Apple museum were cancelled. Also included in the collection is this “Blue Busters” Ghostbusters-style internal ad featuring Apple execs, embedded below. The ad was originally shown in October 1984 at an international sales meeting in Hawaii. Blue Busters is obviously a not so subtle reference to their biggest competitor at the time, IBM.

Other items currently being stored in the Stanford Apple Collection include (via AP):

 

- Thousands of photos by photographer Douglas Menuez, who documented Jobs’ years at NeXT Computer, which he founded in 1985 after he was pushed out of Apple.

- A company video spoofing the 1984 movie “Ghost Busters,” with Jobs and other executives playing “Blue Busters,” a reference to rival IBM.

- Handwritten financial records showing early sales of Apple II, one of the first mass-market computers.

- An April 1976 agreement for a $5,000 loan to Apple Computer and its three co-founders: Jobs, Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, who pulled out of the company less than two weeks after its founding.

- A 1976 letter written by a printer who had just met Jobs and Wozniak and warns his colleagues about the young entrepreneurs: “This joker (Jobs) is going to be calling you … They are two guys, they build kits, operate out of a garage.”

The archive shows the Apple founders were far ahead of their time, Lowood said.

“What they were doing was spectacularly new,” he said. “The idea of building computers out of your garage and marketing them and thereby creating a successful business – it just didn’t compute for a lot of people.”

"

 

(Via 9 to 5 Mac.)

Apple Will Unveil Two New iPads With Better Batteries, Retina Displays At MacWorld In January [Report]

 

Apple has a treat in store for us in 2012, according to one DigiTimes report, which claims the Cupertino company will release not one but two new iPad models, one of which will boast more than twice the battery capacity of the current model, with a 5- to 8-megapixel camera.

The next-generation iPad will reportedly feature a battery with a staggering 14,000 mAh capacity — more than double that of the current 6,579 mAh battery. But it won’t be the only new Apple tablet next year, sources for DigiTimes claim.

In addition to  this “high-end” model, which will feature a 9.7-inch Retina display with a resolution of 1,536 x 2,047 pixels, a quad-core A6 processor, and an 8-megapixel camera; there will also be a “mid-range” iPad. Both of which will, apparently, join the existing iPad 2 to provide Apple with a “complete iPad series targeting the entry-level, mid-range, and high-end market segments”:

The iPad 2 will be competing directly with Amazon’s kindle Fire in the price-sensitive market segment, while the new models will focus on the mid-range and high-end segments respectively, the sources said.

However, neither of those two new devices will sport a smaller, 7.85-inch display as previously rumored, according to the report:

Instead of the previously-rumored 7.85-inch, the upcoming iPad models will still feature 9.7-inch screens but come with QXGA resolution (1,536×2,048 pixels), the sources indicated.

And if these rumors weren’t already questionable enough, DigiTimes claims the new iPads will be unveiled at the MacWorld|iWorld conference on January 26, 2012 — an event which Apple pulled out of completely two years ago — and not a dedicated Apple event:

Apple is set to unveil its next-generation iPad – which will come in two versions – at the iWorld scheduled for January 26, 2012, according to sources at its supply chain partners

While the possibility of a high-end “iPad HD” has been rumored a number of times before, it seems unlikely the device would be unveiled at the MacWorld|iWorld conference. Apple withdrew from this event back in December 2008, with its last appearance in January 2009, when it said that trade shows were no longer a part of its overall strategy. Since then it has held its own media events to launch new products, which have always been very popular.

[via MacRumors]

"

 

(Via Cult of Mac.)

LogMeIn Gives You Free Mac Or PC Remote Access From Your iOS Device

 

Popular remote access service LogMeIn has released an updated App Store app that gives iOS device users basic remote access to a Mac or PC. Instead of the previous $30/month free, customers can have remote access from iOS for free.

Version 3.0 of LogMeIn for iOS gives you basic access to files on your Mac or PC, but you need to have the desktop client installed on your computer first. You can control your computer as if you were sitting in front of it, edit files, run applications, and troubleshoot problems from your iOS device.

LogMeIn offers an in-app upgrade to access the app’s Pro features, including media streaming, remote printing, and file transfers between computers. If you’re already coughed up the subscription fee, then you automatically get the app’s new features. Grab the universal LogMeIn app for iPhone and iPad in the App Store.

"

 

(Via Cult of Mac.)

Make Stuff Blow Up With Action Movie FX On Your iOS Device

 

Famous director and producer JJ Abrams owns a special effects company called Bad Robot Interactive. Abrams’ company has released an iOS app in the App Store called Action Movie FX that allows you to create realistic special effects on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Once you shoot video on your iOS device, Action Movie FX will let you choose a type of special effect to add. The end result is some pretty impressive footage.

Action Movie FX is free in the App Store, but you only have access to two types of special effects, “Missile Attack” and “Car smash.” More effects can be purchased in-app for $0.99 per two-pack.

You can examine your footage with very basic timeline options and adjust the effect’s timing to make a perfect explosion. Once your video is processed, you can share it on Facebook, send it in an email, or save it to your device’s Camera Roll.

While you won’t be making the next Iron Man movie with Action Movie FX, there’s plenty of Hollywood fun to be had with this free app. You can download it in the App Store now.

"

 

(Via Cult of Mac.)

LG unveils 84-inch 'ultra definition' 4K TV it's bringing to CES 2012

 

LG let us know at CES 2011 that it had 4K LCD televisions in the pipeline, but unfortunately they didn't make it out this year. Expect for that to change in 2012, as the company just announced it's bringing an 84-inch "ultra definition" (3840x2160) TV to Las Vegas to go along with its 55-inch OLED. It has all of LG's Cinema 3D and Smart TV features built-in, including support for that upgraded Magic Motion remote and voice control. There's no official word yet on when we'll see these on shelves or at what price, but it certainly looks production ready compared to other prototypes that have been displayed over the years. While we don't have easy sources of 4K-res video content yet, one of the reasons LG is making the jump first is for 3D. Its Cinema 3D tech uses a Film Pattern Retarder (FPR) screen and passive glasses that result in lowered resolution, but with those extra pixels there's no question about whether viewers are still getting at least an HD picture. So far 4K at home is the domain of Sony and JVC's high-priced projectors, but we'll see if any other companies (we'll check off Toshiba right now) show off upgrades in size and resolution of their HDTVs this year.

 

(Via Engadget.)

How to Take a Screenshot on the iPad

 

Need to take a screenshot on the iPad? It’s very easy: hold the Power button on the top corner and the Home button on the front bezel concurrently, you’ll know the screenshot was taken because the screen flashes white briefly. This captures the entire screen.

After a screenshot is taken, all screenshots are stored in the Photos app in the image library, if you have iCloud enabled they will also get sent to Photo Stream and synced with other Apple hardware using the same iCloud ID.

The same procedure takes a screenshot on the iPhone as well.

While this is a newbie tip for anyone who has long used iOS, new iPad owners often are unaware of this feature.

"

 

(Via OS X Daily.)

Enable a Hidden Disc Eject Menu in OS X

 

If you use a lot of DVD’s or CD’s on a regular basis, you may find some use enabling a hidden disk eject menu item. Once enabled, you’ll have a Finder pull down menu that lists discs, and selecting a disk from the menu ejects it:

• Hit Command+Shift+G to bring up the Go To Folder window, using the following path:

/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/

• Locate and double-click the menu item named “Eject.menu”

To remove the Eject menu, just hold down the Command key and drag it out of the Mac OS X menu bar.

The Disk Eject menu works in OS X Lion but is probably only going to be useful for Mac owners who have a CD or DVD drive, because it doesn’t seem to show external USB devices in testing. It also seems to be connected to the same eject mechanism of just dragging a disk to the Trash, so if you have a stuck disc it’s probably not going to be as effective as a forced eject.

On a side note, once you’re in the Menu Extras folder you will find a variety of other menu bar items you can add by double-clicking. Most of these are also available by enabling various settings in System Preferences, but Eject seems to be unavailable elsewhere.

"

 

(Via OS X Daily.)

Fake Apple billing email is circulating

Not surprisingly, scammers are targeting Apple customers with a fake phishing email asking them to update their account billing information. People who are new to Apple and probably received their first Mac or iOS device during the holiday season are particularly vulnerable to this scam. This group of customers would not be surprised to receive an email from Apple shortly after they signed up for iTunes for the first time.

According to Intego, the email has the same silver coloring as Apple's website and includes the Apple logo to make it look authentic. If you click on the link within the email, you'll travel to a website that closely resembles Apple's website. Of course, there's a login on the fake page that'll steal your Apple ID and password if you make the mistake of logging into the site. On the next page, there's a form that'll steal your credit card information if you willingly submit this information to the fake site.

The only way to tell that this email is a scam is to look closely at the URL contained in the email. The link in the email says "store.apple.com", but the underlying URL directs you to page named "apple.htm" on a server that does not belong to Apple. Depending on your email client, you only have to put you pointer over the link to see a pop-up box that'll expose this fake web address. A real link to Apple's website will end in "apple.com" and not some random name or number like the one shown above.

To be extra cautious, you should avoid clicking on links in an email and go directly to Apple's website by typing in "store.apple.com" into your web browser. Once you've manually logged into your Apple account, you can then update your billing information, if necessary.

[Via CNET]

Fake Apple billing email is circulating originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST.

The Biggest Apple Stories Of 2011 [Year In Review]

 

 

Wow! 2011 has been one of the most interesting years in recent memory for Apple Inc. Of course the death of Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs, stands out as one of the most important events of the year for Apple, but there have been a load of other stories too that have made 2011 a very memorable year for the fruit company. From one controversy to the next, to record-breaking earnings, and new products, Apple has plowed through 2011 with a steady determination to be the best technology company on the planet. Only one device underwent a redesign (the iPad), while other form factors stayed the same. Instead of focusing on making pivotal leaps forward with hardware, Apple’s main focus of 2011 was to fortify their strong foundation in the software game.

Here’s look back on the Apple in the year 2011.

January

Apple started off the year fairly quiet. The traditional January keynote at MacWorld was scrapped. Apple launched the Mac App Store, providing Mac users the same type of stability and security iOS users had been enjoying for years in the iOS App Store.

Fueled by hundreds of cellphone manufacturers jumping aboard the Google train, Android finally overtook iOS as the most dominant smartphone operating system in terms of marketshare.

The most shocking event of January occured on the 17th when CEO Steve Jobs took a medical leave of absence handing the reigns of the company’s day-to-day operations over to Tim Cook. Rumors began circulating that Steve only had weeks to live.

 

February

 

A negative cloud of publicity hovered over Apple throughout February as controversy over suicide rates at Foxconn (Apple’s largest supplier) hit an all-time high. Suicide rates at the Chinese company were on the rise, which led to a Wired magazine cover story. Apple touted the new installation of nets at the facilities to prevent suicides, but little changed. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak urged Tim Cook to go see “The Agony and the Ecstacy of Steve Jobs,” – a new play by Mike Daisey focusing on the working conditions of the Foxconn factories and Steve Jobs’ relation to them.

To the joy of Apple fans across the U.S., Apple launched the iPhone 4 on Verizon on February 10th providing fans with multiple carrier options for the first time in the device’s four year history.

Apple also introduced their new Thunderbolt port for Mac’s in Febraury. Produced in collaboration with Intel-labs, the new Thunderbolt port is up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and twice as fast as USB 3.0. It’s a single cable that consolidates almost all existing ports, from FireWire to USB to miniDisplay to eSATA.

 

 

March

The iPad 2 was the main focus of March. Despite being on medical leave, Steve Jobs took to the stage on March 2nd to introduce the newly designed iPad 2. Coming in two colors, better processor and two cameras, the iPad 2 was thinner than it’s predecessor, and featured a novel new cover called the Smart Cover that used 31 magnets to effortlessly attach to the body of the iPad 2 when needed. Demand for the new device was so great that supplies were still limited weeks after launch. Foreigners were blamed for the supply constraints as many grass-roots organizations camped out at stores to buy the new device in order to ship it overseas to make a profit.

AT&T announced plans to acquire U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile.

Microsoft finally declared the Zune – their competing MP3 player to iPod – to be officially dead in March after a long fruitless battle. Succumbing to the success of iOS, Microsoft released their first iOS app, Bing.

 

April

By focusing on creating the best camera ever seen in a smartphone, Apple was rewarded as the iPhone 4 became the most popular camera used to take pictures on Flickr, beating out many high quality DSLR cameras and point-and-shoots. Other news with the iPhone included the release of the mythological white iPhone. Despite being announced in June of 2010, the white iPhone experience many delays that prevented its release.

Revamping their popular professional video editing software, Apple announced Final Cut X.

The biggest news surrounding Apple in April pertained to the “LocationGate” scandal. Information was released to the public that iPhones running iOS 4.0 had been secretly tracking user locations. Senator Al Franken got involved with the fiasco and grilled Steve Jobs on why Apple’s phones were tracking users. Both Apple and Google were ordered to appear before the Senate. Lashing out against the controversy, Steve Jobs explained the misunderstanding of iOS 4.0 tracking users and went on to say that Google’s Android phones are tracking everything.

 

May

Building on the recent announcement of the new Thunderbolt port, Apple updated the iMac line in May to include the new port along with Sandy Bridge architecture and front-facing HD-camera.

Answering critics who described the iPad as merely a device for media consumption rather than creation, Apple introduced iPad versions of their iWork apps. A slew of videos start hitting YouTube shortly after of iPad users shredding on guitar and creating studio quality music on their tablets.

The announcement of WWDC is released with news that Steve Jobs will be a presenter at the keynote. Tickets sell out in 8 days.

 

June

Hungry for a new iPhone, fans are disappointed when Apple’s WWDC keynote doesn’t include announcements of any new hardware. However, new software is announced in the form of OS X Lion and iOS 5.0. iCloud is also announced as the replacement for MobileMe.

Even though his health was fading, Steve Jobs appears before Cupertino’s City Council to lobby for the approval of a new Apple campus that looks like a glass spaceship.

July

MacBook Airs were refreshed with new hardware on July to coincide with the launch of OS X Lion. Even though the redesigned MacBook Air had been on the market since 2010, this update, along with the discontinuation of the low-end model MacBook, brought the MacBook Air into mainstream popularity. Over 1 million copies of OS X Lion were purchased on launch day alone despite the lack of a physical format being sold in stores.

Apple’s quarterly earnings report shows that the company experienced another record-breaking quarter.  Posting a quarterly revenue of $28.57 billion and record net profit of $7.31 billion, Apple sold  20.34 million iPhones, 9.25 million iPads, and 3.95 million iMacs.

New 27-inch Cinema Displays with Thunderbolt Port capabilities were announced.

The absence of a new iPhone announcements starts a frenzy of iPhone 5 rumors that carried on for months.

 

August

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee. I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.” – Steve Jobs

After months of speculation regarding his health, Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple Inc on August 24th. Shocked investors quickly sell off shares of Apple stock hours after the announcement causing Apple’s stock price to plummet. Cheif Operating Officer Tim Cook is named new CEO of Apple and Jobs stays on as an Apple employee and Chairman of the Board.

iCloud Beta access is granted to developers.

 

September

Rumor-mill goes wild with rumors of a possibly redesigned iPhone coming soon. A report from CNET claims that Apple lost a prototype version of the iPhone 5 and that Apple’s security personnel illegally impersonated police officers while looking for the device.

At the end of September Apple finally announced a keynote to talk about the iPhone.

Speculation over the future of Apple without Jobs continues into the month of September.

 

 

October

On October 4th Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S. Many fans were hoping Apple would announce a redesigned iPhone and were disappointed by the latest offering. As a result, Apple’s stock price fell. Siri, a digital assistant that utilizes voice recognition and artificial intelligence to interact with users was also unveiled at the keynote.

Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple Inc, died on October 5th. Tim Cook sends out an email to Apple employees and flies the flags on campus at half-mast. Prominent Silicon Valley businessmen,     President Obama, and countless others offer their condolences about Jobs.

iOS 5 is released on Oct 12.

iPhone 4S sales hit record numbers, pushing ship times back to one or two weeks 24 hours after the device goes on sale.

Apple hosts a memorial for Steve Jobs on October 19th.

 

November

Succeeding Steve Jobs as chairman of the board, Art Levinson is tapped by Apple having served on the board of directors for over 10 years.

Battery issues with the iPhone 4S cause a stir for a number of weeks while Apple busied itself coming up with a solution to the problem.

Delayed a few weeks, iTunes Match was released giving users access to their entire iTunes Library via any iOS device. Apple’s popular Garageband app for the iPad is updated to support use on iPhone and iPod Touch as well.

 

December

Amazon announces Steve Jobs biography as the best selling book of 2011.

At Grand Central Station in New York City, Apple opened up a unique store that is also one of its largest.

Mac App Store hits 100 million downloads after only being open for less than a year. The iOS App Store is announced to include 500,000 apps and recorded 18 billion downloads

Rumor-mill starts cranking out new rumors about a possible iPad 3, Apple Television, as well as other redesigned Apple products to come in 2012.

"

 

(Via Cult of Mac.)

Apple Attempts To Explain iTunes Match With A Dedicated Webpage And Video

 

Apple has felt the need to create a dedicated webpage and how-to video for iTunes Match, the company’s new music service. iTunes Match became available for US customers in November, while 17 other countries were added to the availability list last week.

The new webpage for iTunes Match is home to a handy video walkthrough and more details about the service, including a 10-question FAQ. There’s been plenty of confusion surrounding iTunes Match since its release. Does the service actually stream music? Will iTunes Match override your previous music settings on your iOS devices? (Hint: It does.) What happens if you don’t renew your $25/year subscription?

Apple’s how-to video explains the basics of iTunes Match and how to get the service up and running in iTunes on your computer. The FAQ answers more specific questions, like device and file format support.

Perhaps Apple could have done itself the biggest favor by naming iTunes Match something else. While “Match” is clearly meant to indicate that Apple matches your tracks in the iTunes Store, the name “iTunes Match” represents an action, not the result.

"

 

(Via Cult of Mac.)