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Apple Mac Pro (2013) review: in a class of its own
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, PC / Laptop, Product Reviews,
Power. The Apple Mac Pro (late 2013) is the newest Mac on the block, and it's also the most powerful computer ever made by Apple. It deserves to be, too, as the Mac Pro lost that title as Apple let that product line slip into virtual irrelevancy. After all, the previous Mac Pro spent the last four-or-so years at a technical standstill. It didn't have any Thunderbolt ports, no USB 3.0, no PCIe flash storage...heck, it didn't even have an 802.11n Wi-Fi option. For all intents and purposes, Apple had allowed the Mac Pro, the one machine that was aimed at meeting the needs of the most demanding customers, to become a dinosaur.
That is, until the release of the newly-redesigned Mac Pro (late 2013) model. With its smooth metallic cylindrical shape that looks like it was plucked off of an alien spaceship, smaller and lighter profile, and top-of-the-line specs that include PCIe SSD storage, dual workstation-class GPUs as standard, the newest Intel Xeon processors (up to 12 cores!), 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and a bunch of I/O ports which include Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3.0, this thing is a beast. It's modern--no, futuristic.
For all of you professional video editors, photographers, graphic artists, 3D animators, audio engineers and the like, we're betting that Apple has piqued your interest. After all, this is a Mac which can drive up to three 4K displays simultaneously. That's a lot of power. Wondering if it should be your next purchase? It's expensive, starting at $2,999 (and climbing up to $9,559 depending on how you configure it,) so we're here to help you in your decision making. Follow along as we bring you our full Mac Pro (late 2013) review, after the jump.
Click to continue reading Apple Mac Pro (2013) review: in a class of its own
Gallery: Apple Mac Pro (2013) review: in a class of its own
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Apple releases iOS 7.1 beta 5 build 11D5145e to developers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
If you've got an Apple developer account, you should know that Apple has released iOS 7.1 beta 5 build 11D5145e, and you can go and grab it right now. Of course, you can log in to the Developer Center to manually grab the file, or head into the Settings > General > Software Update section on your iOS device for the over-the-air install. As far as new changes, the release notes point to international Siri improvements:
"This seed adds new natural-sounding Siri voices for English (Australia), English (United Kingdom), Japanese, and Chinese (Mandarin – China)"
Along with the new iOS software, Apple has also released new betas of Xcode 5.1, and the Apple TV software as well.
Click to continue reading Apple releases iOS 7.1 beta 5 build 11D5145e to developers
Gallery: Apple releases iOS 7.1 beta 5 build 11D5145e to developers
WWE Network channel comes to Apple TV on February 24
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Home Entertainment,
We've gotten tons of questions about the WWE Network launching on Apple TV, with no real concrete answer on a date. Well, a WWE rep has confirmed that the network will launch on Apple TV on February 24th, alongside most other platforms. In the quote, the WWE representative states:
"In order to experience WWE Network on an Apple TV, you must have a second generation or later (black) Apple TV and be a WWE Network subscriber. Once WWE Network is available, you will be able to launch the WWE Netowrk app directly from your Apple TV. Let us know if you have further questions! Thank you."
Announced at CES 2014, WWE Network will provide 24/7 live-streaming original programming alongside a vault of on-demand content that viewers can watch, all for $9.99 per month, which includes all twelve annual live pay-er-view events--yes, even WrestleMania. Apple has been regularly releasing new channels on the Apple TV with no advance notice, and they appear on your device without you have to go find them and download them. You should be able to plug in your WWE Network credentials on the Apple TV starting at 9am EST on February 24th, when the service goes live.
Gallery: WWE Network channel comes to Apple TV on February 24
Here’s an iOS 7-style lock screen screensaver for your Mac
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Design, PC / Laptop, Software,
If you wanna have a little more visual parity between your iOS devices and your Mac, you may wanna check out this iOS 7-style screensaver. As you can see, it has an oversized digital clock with the default wallpaper found in iOS 7. It's also simple to install:
- You’ll want to download the screensaver from the developer’s website
- Open the downloaded file, and double-click on the installer.
- Launch your Mac’s System Preferences app and click the Desktop & Screen Saver icon. The new screensaver should show up towards the bottom of the list.
Select the new screensaver, and you are good! You can change the "Press any key to unlock" message to whatever you'd like.
Read More 
| iOS 7 Mac Wallpaper
Gallery: Here’s an iOS 7-style lock screen screensaver for your Mac
Apple just released iOS 7.0.5, which you can download through iTunes, or right on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch through the Software Update feature within the Settings app. iOS 7.0.5 is a fairly minor update, focused on correcting a few network provisioning issues that affect some iPhone 5s and 5c models in China.
Gallery: iOS 7.0.5 now available
Apple TV set to see major update, no longer a “hobby”
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Home Entertainment, Rumors, Video Games, Wireless / WiFi,
If you were paying close attention to the changes that Apple made to the Apple Store Online overnight, you would have noticed that, for the first time in its history, the Apple TV has its own section in the Store. Previously, the device had been relegated out of the way, buried in the iPad Accessories section. Odd, sure, since the Apple TV is hardly an accessory for the iPod at all, save for the fact that they can work together over AirPlay, but where else was Apple to put a product that wasn't meant to be featured? After all, the Apple TV wasn't a real business according to Apple--it was just a "hobby." Something the company dabbled in and played with, pulling the string to see where it would lead. Let's be clear: Apple has ambitious TV plans. The company has just been using the Apple TV as a research project. While it has been available for purchase for many years, Apple never advertises it. Not on television, radio, print, or web. So, the fact that here in 2014, seven years after first going on sale, the Apple TV now has its own dedicated section on the Apple Store (with AppleCare, a refurb section, and dedicated accessories) must mean that something bigger is happening, right? Well, where there is smoke, there's fire.
Click to continue reading Apple TV set to see major update, no longer a “hobby”
Gallery: Apple TV set to see major update, no longer a “hobby”
On Apple’s Q1 2014 performance
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Features, PC / Laptop,
I was talking with my pal Dave Scherer from PWInsider today about Apple's performance, and he seems convinced that AAPL is no longer a good buy as far as stock is concerned. He basically believes that due to lower cost competition, Apple's higher-priced items won't sell as well, and that's why the stock was down after the earnings report. Of course, while I am no stock market expert, I definitely have an alternate view on how Apple will perform. My viewpoint, after the break.
Click to continue reading On Apple’s Q1 2014 performance
Gallery: On Apple’s Q1 2014 performance
WWE Network coming to Apple TV, suggests company exec
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Home Entertainment, Videos,
During CES, WWE announced the ambitious WWE Network project, a service that will see live 24/7 programming paired with a vast on-demand content library for $9.99 in what's considered a first-of-its-kind over-the-top service. WWE Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer, Michelle Wilson, announced the vast number of hardware partners and devices that will be able to access the Network when it launches on February 24th, and they included iOS devices, Android devices, Roku, Kindle Fire tablets, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Playstation 4. Later this summer Xbox One and Smart TV platforms get added to the list.
This left many wondering if the Apple TV would support the new venture. As I had noted previously here, as well as in an audio hotline on PWInsider, if you own an iOS device or Mac, you'll be able to AirPlay WWE Network content directly to the Apple TV. This is how the UFC Fight Pass supports Apple's set-top box. However, it seems that the WWE Network will, in fact, get a dedicated Apple TV channel.
Click to continue reading WWE Network coming to Apple TV, suggests company exec
Gallery: WWE Network coming to Apple TV, suggests company exec
iPad mini keyboard review: Belkin FastFit vs. Logitech Ultrathin
Posted by Jason Chen Categories: Accessories, Apple, Features, Peripherals, Product Reviews,
It's 2014 and we're all familiar with iPad keyboard cases by now. They're designed to protect your iPad's screen while giving you the option of a physical keyboard when you need to do some heavy typing. For the iPad Air, these keyboards are more or less interchangeable. But for the iPad mini, because of its reduced size, keyboard markers have a hard decision to make as far as the keyboard layout goes.
The Belkin FastFit Keyboard Case for iPad mini (pictured in black) feels more like a traditional full-sized keyboard, with larger number keys compared to the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Mini (pictured in white). Both have arrow keys and proper Command, Alt/Option, Function keys that let issue quick commands like changing the volume, pausing playback and activating Siri. Both keyboards have laptop-style keys that feel nice to type on, and both have standard magnets that attach to your iPad mini. We put these two keyboards head-to-head in this iPad mini keyboard review.
Click to continue reading iPad mini keyboard review: Belkin FastFit vs. Logitech Ultrathin
Gallery: iPad mini keyboard review: Belkin FastFit vs. Logitech Ultrathin
Apple releases Numbers 3.1, here’s a look at what’s new
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Software,
Apple has released Numbers 3.1, and with the update comes the ability to sort data by column values of multiple areas, calculation progress indicator, and more. Here's the full list:
- Sort by multiple columns
- Sort a subset of rows
- Text autocompletes when editing cells
- Chart date and duration values
- Optionally highlight rows and columns on mouseover
- Progress indicator for calculations
- Custom number formats in charts are preserved on import of Numbers ’09 and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
- Share password-protected spreadsheets via iCloud link
- Export password-protected spreadsheets to XLSX format
- Improvements to AppleScript support
- Improved compatibility with Microsoft Excel 2013 spreadsheets
- Bug fixes and stability improvements
You can download Numbers 3.1 now from the Mac App Store.
