Apple Rumors: The MacBook Pro Shrinks, iPad And iPhone Grow I suspect we’ll have to start picking and choosing our Apple rumor posts carefully in the coming months as the speculations begin flying fast and free, but until then a bit of gossip portending the next year’s changes won’t hurt anybody. iLounge is hawking some intel from their “most reliable source,” who claims to have the inside scoop on Apple’s upcoming revisions. It’s nothing mind-blowing, but it might be enough to make you unconsciously start saving money. The MacBook Pro redesign we’ve heard about before. Other sources have it rolling out in March, but supply line data is unreliable unless bulk orders are indicated. The flatter, more Air-like redesign is practically a certainty at this point. Most interesting to me personally is the report that the iPad will be a little thicker, in order to allow for the extra lighting necessitated by the high-resolution screen I’ve been crowing about at every opportunity for almost a year now.
Apple’s evolving view of “pro” In recent years, many pros have started feeling like Apple’s jilted girlfriend. Through no fault of their own, the love just seemed to fade. Apple might claim otherwise when confronted, but the telltale signs have been hard to ignore: • Mac Pro. • 17-inch MacBook Pro. • Final Cut Pro. • Aperture. Could it possibly be? I hope you’re sitting down for this, but Steve Jobs did in fact once consider that very option. This was back in the days when iMac had established itself as a global bestseller. His rationale was as you might expect: consumer products have an unlimited upside, while pro products are aimed at a niche market that eats up major resources. Obviously, the pro market has value for Apple, even if its numbers are relatively small. So Steve ultimately renewed his commitment to the pros—but he never said that this commitment wouldn’t evolve. Some won’t like it, but basically it’s the difference between Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Pro X. In FCP7, the controls are rich and deep. Nope.
Redsn0w 0.9.9b8 Released Published on 11-03-2011 02:49 PM Redsn0w 0.9.9b8 is fully compatible with the iOS 5.0.1 Beta released to developers yesterday. Yesterday, Apple pushed out the iOS 5.0.1 Beta to developers which has fixed numerous bugs in iOS 5 and brings the beloved multitasking gestures back to the original iPad. It was reported that iOS 5.0.1 could have been jailbroken with redsn0w 0.9.9b7, although you would need to point redsn0w to the iOS 5.0 firmware file, and the jailbreak was tethered. Originally Posted by Dev-Team Blog Redsn0w version 0.9.9b8 will natively recognize the 5.0.1 beta that Apple let developers start testing this week (so you don’t have to play the “point at 5.0 IPSW” trick). For those iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 users who preserve their baseband, the Mac version can also produce the NO_BB_* custom IPSW's for 5.0.1. This is still a tethered jailbreak for all except old-bootrom 3GS users. This new update brings support for the iOS 5.0.1 Beta. You can download Redsn0w 0.9.9b8 for Mac, here.
Audiobook Builder: Create Audiobooks on Your Mac Find Your Smile in an Audiobook Traveling to and from work, while exercising, or waiting in line - find your smile in a book with Audiobook Builder! Audiobook Builder makes it easy to turn your audio CDs and files into audiobooks for your iPhone, iPod or iPad. Key Features Audio File Joining: Already ripped your CDs to MP3 or M4A? Family Pack More than one Mac in the family and everyone needs to use Audiobook Builder? iPod, iTunes and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Drawing on the iPad See how these 12 compare to other styluses: Check out our in-depth iOS stylus charts. Steve Jobs may hate the idea of using a stylus on his touchscreen devices, but the fact remains that some consumers simply prefer an intermediary accessory for interaction. Whether it’s too cold outside for direct contact, you’re worried about touchscreen germs, or you need a sketching tool, sometimes a stylus can be a good thing. As some people know, in my not-so-secret other life, I enjoy drawing cartoons. Note that, as of yet, Apple does not provide access to software APIs that might allow for pressure sensitivity on the iPad. Ten One Design Pogo Sketch, Ten One Design Pogo Stylus In 2008, Ten One Design was one of the first companies on the scene with a working stylus for the iPhone, the Pogo Sketch ( ; $15). I bought a Pogo Sketch within months of its release to do some quick sketching on my iPhone. JustMobile AluPen The AluPen is one of the many silicon-rubber-nib styluses I looked at. SGP Kuel H10
How iPads Are Changing Businesses NewDominion Bank is serious about service. This innovative 40-person financial institution based in Charlotte, N.C., has done away with the traditional notions of bank branches and bankers, and instead is using Apple iPads to reach out with gusto to both employees and customers. To gain efficiencies, Sonja Allison, NewDominion’s assistant vice president and network administrator, has implemented virtual desktops using Citrix XenDesktop 5, pairing that with a Citrix Access Gateway. By adding iPads to the mix, employees are now able to access their office workstations from wherever their job takes them. NewDominion’s operations have become more streamlined with the adoption of iPads. “You pretty much load the plug-in on the tablet, log in with your regular user name and password, and launch a desktop,” Allison says. Although Allison likes the tablet’s lower cost, some members of her team still use notebook computers, so she’s carefully evaluating the staff’s efficiency on both devices.
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