The new MacBook Air: Ivy Bridge, USB 3.0, shipping today

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop,

Apple has revealed the new MacBook Air line during its WWDC 2012 keynote. The refreshed notebooks will feature Ivy Bridge processors that go up to 2.0GHz with the dual-core i7, and Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz. The 11-inch model starts at $999 and includes a 1.7 GHz processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB flash storage. For $100 more you double storage to 128GB. This is a bit cheaper than it was just a few hours ago. The 13-inch model gets a 1.8GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB flash storage for $1199. $300 more gets you 256GB storage. There are options for more storage and more RAM as well. All models now ship with USB 3.0 as well. The new MacBook Air ships today, and you can order it from the Apple Store.

There are now 650,000 apps in the App Store, 225,000 specifically for iPad

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Software,

In addition to the announcement that there have been over 30 billion App Store downloads, Apple has also announced a couple of other stats during its WWDC 2012 keynote. First, there are over 650,000 apps available for download, with 225,000 of them specifically written for the iPad. Apple made sure to mention that this is compared to just a few hundred that are available for Android and other competing tablets.  Also, there are now over 400 million iTunes accounts with credit cards and one-click buying affiliated with them. Lastly, App Store sales have resulted in over $5 billion being paid out to developers. This is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

30 billion apps have been downloaded from Apple’s App Store

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Software,

During the WWDC 2012 keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a major milestone for the App Store--there has now been over 30 billion apps downloaded by iOS users to date. The App Store launched just four years ago, just says prior to the launch of the iPhone 3G in 2008.

Watch the full Apple CEO Tim Cook D10 interview now

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Videos,

Tim Cook is set to take the stage for the WWDC 2012 keynote to reveal iOS 6, Mountain Lion, new Macs, and possibly more. Apple will surely make the video available later today for all, but if you want some hints as to what he'll be talking about this morning, check out his interview from the D10 conference. Tim talked with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher for over an hour about Apple products and strategies, and leaves some interesting hints by what he says--and what he doesn't say. Full video after the break.

Click to continue reading Watch the full Apple CEO Tim Cook D10 interview now

Read More | AllThingsD

Andy Rubin: There are now over 900,000 Android devices activated each day

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Software,

Android chief Andy Rubin took to Twitter yesterday, posting his eleventh tweet to shoot down a rumor started by Robert Scoble that said he was set to leave Google to join a company called CloudCar. Rubin responded by saying he has no plans to leave Google, and also dropped an impressive Android tidbit. According to Rubin, there are now over 900,000 Android devices activated each day. This is up from the 850,000 per-day that was touted just four months ago. Can't call that anything but impressive.

Read More | Twitter

New Mac Pro specs leak ahead of WWDC keynote

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Rumors,

9to5Mac continues with the new Mac leaks this morning, this time with "reliable sources" revealing the specs on the long-awaited Mac Pro refresh. Here's what they're expecting to see later today:

Normal configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 6GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

Normal configuration: 2.4GHz 12-core processor, 12GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

Server configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, Two 1TB hard drives

This will be the first update to the Mac Pro line in almost two years, coming in two standard configurations, as well as a server config as well. No news yet on if the chassis will be redesigned or not.

Read More | 9to5Mac

Specs for updated MacBook Pro revealed

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Rumors,

Our pals over at 9to5Mac are reporting that the specs of the new MacBook Pro that will be announced at this morning's WWDC 2012 keynote are told to them by "reliable sources" as follows:

13.3 inch: 2.5GHz dual core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive
13.3 inch: 2.9GHz dual core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive
15.4 inch: 2.3GHz quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive
15.4 inch: 2.6GHz quad core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive (BTO upgrades to 2.7GHz quad core and 1TB HD will be available)

None of these are the Retina display model, so we are guessing that Apple will have three tiers of MacBook beginning today: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the Retina display MacBook Pro.

Read More | 9to5Mac

Apple 2012 Back to School promo to feature $100 iTunes credit for Macs, $50 for iPad

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Hot Deals, PC / Laptop,

Apple appears ready to kick off its annual Back to School promo, continuing where it left off last year by offering a $100 iTunes Store gift card with the purchase of a new Mac computer. Additionally, and for the first time, student who purchase an iPad during the promotion will also receive a gift card--this one for $50. The credit is good towards anything you can buy or rent on iTunes, the App Store, the iBookstore, and the Mac App Store. We expect a bunch of new Mac hardware to be announced later this morning during the WWDC 2012 keynote.

Read More | MacRumors

The Apple Store goes down ahead of expected new Mac announcements

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Rumors,

WWDC 2012 kicks off in a little over an hour, highlighted by an Apple keynote that's sure to bring forth details of iOS 6, Mountain Lion, and new Mac hardware. When we are expecting new Macs, we can also expect the Apple Store to go down prior to the announcement. As you can see by the image above, step one is complete, and the Apple Store will be inaccessible until after the keynote.

Weekend Reading: Bill Finger, Pixar, Toth and Calvin & Hobbes

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Reviews, DC Comics, Independent, Marvel Comics,

Yeah, yeah, Avengers-mania is dying down and we’re back to counting the days until San Diego, right? Well, I am. In the meantime, let's read:

Want some story-writing advice from the gang at Pixar? Of course you do.

There’s no doubt that without writer Bill Finger, Batman wouldn’t be Batman. Booksteve’s Library has read and enjoyed Bill, The Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman. “Bob Kane was rather a self-serving individual who rarely did anything himself when he could get someone else to do it for him.” One of those someones was the writer Bill Finger.

Longbox Graveyard blogger Paul O’Connor has a companion gig: a regular column at Stash My Comics called The Dollar Box. Start here.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Bill Finger, Pixar, Toth and Calvin & Hobbes