The deal is apparently on top of any existing promotions, which given Apple already gives employees a 25-percent discount off new Macs adds up to a significant saving. Because of that, the Mac mini is said to be excluded from the $500 cut since it’s only $599 to begin with.

That’s not the only caveat. Only Apple staff who have been employed with the company for at least 90 days will be eligible, and the discount is only available once every three years. The promotion is expected to begin in June.

Even if all Apple’s staff take advantage, the discount scheme shouldn’t make too great a divot in the company’s bank account. Profit alone for the most recent financial quarter amounted to $13.06 billion, on revenues of $46.3 billion.

Apple’s virtually 33 percent market share of all-in-one desktops puts it squarely ahead of the second place company, Lenovo. In third place, with a not-to-shrug-at 21.4 percent was Hewlett-Packard. Together, these three companies account for more than three-fourths of the entire all-in-one PC consumer market.

Though 33 percent of the all-in-one market may feel like a surprisingly lower than expected estimate for Apple, it’s a much higher proportion than its market share of the computer industry in general, and leave us to believe that that Windows PC makers haven’t been successful with the desktop form factor as, well, Apple has.

Apple Insider

[via Apple Insider]

The Cupertino company will take “the high end and larger screens of the iMac line and pushing it toward the TV market by integrating Apple TV and iCloud features into a slimmer all-in-one PC,” Blair reckons. Although third-party TV tuners are available for the iMac, Apple is yet to offer either a tuner of its own or an integrated TV option.

“Apple could effectively start with what they already have on the manufacturing line and slowly push their offering from 27 inches and scale up from there to 32 inches and then move on to the 42, 50 and 55 inch market” Blair concludes. Previous rumors suggested Apple was looking to produce three sizes of Apple television, including 32- and 55-inch models, for launch by the end of 2012.

Those models are also likely to include Siri voice control, with the virtual personal assistant being used to replace the traditional remote and make navigating through multiple content sources – such as cable, iTunes downloads and rentals, third-party streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube, and media saved on network-attached storage, in addition to AirPlay video funneled over from iPads, iPhones and MacBook notebooks – more straightforward. Apple recently advertised for new Siri software engineers, responsible for developing the system’s APIs and broadening its flexibility, something that is being seen as a precursor to it being implemented on other Apple devices.

If you’ve wanted a new iPod for a while, Apple has discounts on both the iPod touch and iPod nano. The touch is down to $178, a saving of $21, while the nano is $118, an $11 saving. MacBook Pro buyers can save $101 off a new notebook, with prices from $1,098.

Meanwhile, accessories and peripherals are also discounted in many cases, with both Apple’s own products and those of third-party manufacturers getting a Black Friday price cut. The Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse and Bluetooth Keyboard are all down to $58, from $69, while there’s $21 off a Time Capsule or AirPort Extreme. iPad 2 Smart Covers are down to as little as $28.

Anybody tempted by something shiny with an Apple logo today?

That means, despite the iPad 2 having been on sale for months now, actually finding it at a cheaper price than Apple’s original RRP can be tricky. Apple is also offering the iPod touch at £154 and the iPod nano at £104, while the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro start at £768 and £918 respectively. An iMac will set you back £918.

As for accessories, everything from Time Capsules (from £228) through Bluetooth Keyboards (£48) and the Magic Trackpad (£48) are included, along with iPad Smart Covers from £24. Plenty of third-party manufacturers have got in on the action too, with iPhone and iPad cases, speaker-docks, accessories and more.

The news came from Cupertino California today that “Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives.” Of course we need no reminder of this, having sat on the edge of our seats at his every word over the past decade and more. “The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”

The announcement of Jobs’ passing went on to note:

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

Apple CEO Tim Cook today sent the following email to all Apple employees:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim

An undeniably sad day for the world at large, but also a time to reflect on the undeniably massive impact this modern marvel has had on the earth.

Well, Apple has some bad news for those who were hoping to daisy chain an existing Apple LED Cinema Display. Although those screens sport a physically identical Mini DisplayPort, they have never been able to support daisy-chaining and will not work when connected to a new Thunderbolt Display. However, they do work with Thunderbolt cables as long as no additional displays are in the chain.

As for the number of Thunderbolt Displays supported by recent Macs, the answer varies depending on the model. MacBook Airs can only support one external Thunderbolt Display in addition to its built-in screen, while MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac minis can support two Thunderbolt Displays. But do note that with the lowest-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, attaching two displays would mean disabling the built-in screen, while the highest-end Mac mini with discrete AMD graphics can support two Thunderbolt Displays in addition to a third display attached via its HDMI port.

[via AppleInsider]

For those of you without a heavy knowledge of Ive, he’s been the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple, having worked at the company since 1996 and holding the title he currently has since Jobs returned to the company inside 1997. Having such monstrously impacting designs as the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad under his belt, Ive is one of the most influential industrial designers in modern history. In total, Ive’s name appears on over 200 Apple patents.

Apple products have been featured in several museum collections around the world including Pompidou in Paris and the MOMA in New York. This newest exhibition features designers from across the industrial design world including Hans Gugelot, Peter Raacke, Michele De Lucchi, Tobias Grau, Hadi Teherani, and Herbert Hirche. As far as leaders inside design-reliant companies, Ive turns up as one of the most important, having a hand, again, in some of the most integral designs in Apple’s hardware history.

For those of you wondering, Ive’s first Apple project that made it to the production floor was the iMac G3. That’s the one that blew your mind when you saw that a computer didn’t have to be just gray or beige – just one in a long line of above and beyond ideas that lead Ive, worth something around $128 million at the moment, to be in the position he’s in at this very moment. Head over to the museum and see the greatness.

[via Apple Insider]

Storage is a conservative 250GB, and there’s a SuperDrive DVD burner though – unlike the refreshed iMac models earlier this year – no Thunderbolt port for high-speed data connectivity. Instead, external displays connect via Mini DisplayPort, as per the last-gen model. You still get a FaceTime HD webcam, stereo speakers, SDXC card reader and all the usual ports, however, along with gigabit ethernet and WiFi a/b/g/n. Bluetooth is also absent.

Apple includes its wired keyboard (complete with numeric keypad) and mouse, rather than wireless versions, and the new iMac will also have OS X Lion preinstalled. It’s available to order from Apple’s Higher Education store, priced at $999.

[via MacRumors]

Graphics will supposedly be courtesy of AMD’s Radeon HD 6750M GPU with 256MB of its own, dedicated memory. Pricing isn’t confirmed, but with the existing range starting at $1,199, sneaking the education version in at under $1,000 is likely; Apple’s last attempt at an education-focused iMac, back in mid-2006, came in at $899.

Unlike other trumpeted Apple announcements, the word is that Apple will be quietly unveiling the new iMac in a silent launch currently pegged for Tuesday, August 16. It’s likely that you’ll need to be an education customer in order to take advantage, however, leaving the rest of us with Apple’s most-recent iMac update from back in May. That saw the all-in-one range gain Core i5 and Core i7 Sandy Bridge processors; check out our review here.

Apple has said that the HDDs could fail under certain conditions and that the issue only affects a very limited number of machines. The iMac had to be purchased with the Seagate 1TB HDD between May 2011 and July 2011 and the issue affects both the 21.5-inch and the 27-inch iMac computers. Apple is contacting owners of affected machines that provided a valid email address when registering.

If you didn’t provide a valid email or think your machine might be covered, you can hit the replacement page on Apple’s website and enter your serial number to see if your machine is affected. The replacement offer for the HDD will last through July 23, 2012. The coverage for the HDD doesn’t extend the standard warranty on the iMac. Apple also won’t back up your current HDD for you.

[via MacWorld]

Of course, there’s also educational pricing deals on the Mac hardware too, so you’re saving there as well. That could amount to $100 on a MacBook or iMac, or up to $200 on a MacBook Pro. The promotion runs until September 20 2011.

$100 gets you a copy of iWork – with Pages, Numbers and Keynote – with some left over for a few tracks to entertain you while you work and an ebook or two to lull you to sleep before bed. You could alternatively spend it all on thrash metal from iTunes and games for your iPhone. Best of all for Apple, because it takes a 30-percent share of any purchases from the Mac App Store, App Store, iTunes store or iBookstore, it’s only really subsidizing $70 on the $100 card.

Specifications are unknown at this stage, bar the fact that the AIO has a multitouch-capable display and “comes in a size the whole family can share.” That makes us think 24-inches or bigger, though ASUS would be wise to target the 27-inch mark if it really wants to take on the iMac properly.

Interestingly, the company also links to reports of the iMac’s hard-drive being tricky to replace, which seems to suggest that ASUS has also given some thought to making user upgrades more straightforward. We won’t know for sure until Computex 2011 and the ASUS press conference on May 30, but until then let us know what might make you consider an ASUS AIO in the comments.

Update: Turns out ASUS isn’t necessarily bringing along new hardware. NotebookItalia reminded us that the company had already shown the ET2700 at CeBIT earlier this year, a 27-inch AIO with multitouch and an easy-access rear panel design:

“On the PC side, everybody seems to be content with the expansion of USB 3.0″ Lauwaert continued. “Do we need to go into more fancy solutions? Not convinced yet.” HP’s recently revealed consumer desktops offer USB 3.0 connectivity but no Thunderbolt option, leaving Apple the only company with the high-speed 10 gigabit-per-second port.

Although the comments have frustrated some would-be HP buyers, who see the company as reacting in a blinkered way to the new connector, the decision arguably makes sense for the firm. So far there are no Thunderbolt-enabled peripherals to plug into Apple’s 2011 MacBook Pro or iMac models, with the first hardware expected later this year.

That means HP would face including a port – making its PCs more expensive in the process – with little in the way of obvious benefit for consumers today. Apple’s refresh cycle is generally much slower than in the PC market: the new iMac is likely to be around for twelve months, whereas HP will most likely launch a new line of desktops in a few months time, giving it the opportunity to reconsider Thunderbolt then.

Hardware

The basic premise is the same: an amazingly clear, bright and vivid IPS LCD display – either 27-inches running at 2560 x 1440 resolution, like our review unit, or 21.5-inches running at 1920 x 1080, slotted behind a sheet of glossy glass and then into a minimalist aluminum chassis. Ports are neatly lined on the lower left hand corner of the rear panel, with only a slot-loading 8x SuperDrive dual-layer DVD burner spoiling the sides. The whole thing is lifted by a neat stand – complete with a cable-guide hole – with 17W speakers along the bottom edge and an integrated microphone. New to this generation is the FaceTime HD camera, more on which in a moment.

Ports are broadly the same as before, so you get audio in/out, four USB 2.0, a FireWire 800, two 10Gbps Thunderbolt ports on the 27-inch iMac (just the one on the 21.5-inch version) and gigabit ethernet. There’s also WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, an infra-red port for use with Apple’s media remote (sold separately), and an Apple Wireless Keyboard as standard; this time around, iMac buyers can pick between the Magic Mouse or the Magic Trackpad.

Thunderbolt – née Intel Light Peak in partnership with Apple – made its debut on the MacBook Pro earlier this year, a high-speed connectivity standard hoping to replace not only USB 2.0/3.0, FireWire and eSATA, but display connections too. Using the same connector as Mini DisplayPort – meaning you can plug in either a Thunderbolt peripheral or an external display – it supports daisy-chaining of up to six devices per port, with enough bandwidth for simultaneous display of six uncompressed HD videos. Hardware using Thunderbolt is still in short supply – high-performance storage and multimedia interfaces are expected later this year – but the iMac 27′s twin ports does mean that, for the first time, you can hook up two external displays and spread your OS X desktop across three screens (if you have the physical desk space and the wallet to support it, naturally).

The real changes aren’t visible externally, but they’re what really make the new iMacs special. Quad-core Intel Core i5 processors are now standard across the range, with the entry-level 21.5-inch model getting a 2.5GHz Core i5, the high-end 21.5-inch version and the entry-level 27-inch model stepping up to 2.7GHz, and our high-end 27-inch iMac packing a 3.1GHz Core i5. A Core i7 quad-core is an option on both high-end preconfigs, while 4GB of 1333GHz DDR3 memory is standard; that can be upgraded to either 8GB or 16GB depending on model.

Graphics, meanwhile, are courtesy of AMD’s Radeon GPU line-up, with a Radeon HD 6750M 512MB chip at the low end of the range, the two middle models getting Radeon HD 6770M 512MB GPUs, and our review unit having AMD’s Radeon HD 6970M with 1GB of GDDR5 (with 2GB of GDDR5 an option). Storage is 1TB of 7,200rpm HDD on all but the smallest, low end iMac, with the remaining three also being offered with up to 2TB of HDD and an optional secondary 256GB SSD. Our review unit didn’t have the SSD, but the promise is significantly quicker boot times, zero noise and OS X performance.

FaceTime HD

FaceTime is Apple’s new brand for video calling, introduced on the iPhone 4 and since spreading to the iPod touch, iPad 2 and most recent MacBook Pro. On the 2011 iMac it gets a shot of 720p HD, shooting and recording video at 1280 x 720. Using the preloaded FaceTime app – and a free Apple account – you can make and receive video calls between each of the devices. It’s worth noting that only the MacBook Pro and iMac support 720p FaceTime calls; calls to the iOS devices are limited to VGA resolution.

While not the only video calling system around – obviously the FaceTime HD camera will work with third-party apps like Skype, as well as recording clips in OS X’s PhotoBooth app – FaceTime is one of the simplest. Apple has said it eventually plans to open up the system to third-party developers, allowing for cross-platform chats, but that’s yet to happen.

While the FaceTime HD webcam on the MacBook Pro is suited to a single user, Apple has used a wider-angle lens on the iMac and so more people can be seen at the same time. That’s useful if you’re holding a group video call: you can comfortably sit three adults in-frame and the quality is strong enough so that they’re not a blurry mess.

Software

OS X Snow Leopard is pre-installed, though Apple’s refreshed operating system, OS X Lion, is expected sometime this summer. Snow Leopard includes iTunes, Mail, Safari, iCal and other core apps; there’s also iLife, which bundles the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand and iWeb.

New software is easily accessible thanks to the Mac App Store, which brings the same simplicity from the iOS App Store on the iPhone and iPad over to the company’s desktop and notebook computers.

Performance

Apple’s performance claims don’t lack promise: up to 70-percent faster and with up to three times the graphics performance thanks to the new AMD chips. Obviously that depends on what configuration of new iMac you’re using, and which older version you had. Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors are the second-generation of the so-called “Nehalem” chips, adding integrated graphics onto the die for faster video encoding/decoding, as well as an onboard memory controller to cut down on lag.

Needless to say, everyday performance is complaint-free. OS X boots swiftly and apps load with no delay. You can have multiple browser windows open while simultaneously playing HD video, ripping CDs and doing other tasks.

In terms of benchmarks, we started out with Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance. The Core i5 3.1GHz iMac scored 9149, with particularly strong scores in processor categories. In contrast, last year’s iMac – with a 2.93GHz Core i7 processor, then the most expensive CPU option – scored 10,099, less than 1,000 points more. Considering our 2011 review unit isn’t the fastest iMac Apple offers, that’s an impressive showing, not least when you consider the previous-gen model we tested came in at a hefty $2,799.

We then turned to Cinebench, which measures the iMac’s CPU threading performance and the performance of the GPU using OpenGL. As the Geekbench results would suggest, the Core i7 CPU of the 2010 iMac helped it stay slightly ahead of the 2011 Core i5, though only by a minor amount: the old iMac scored 4.98 points, while the new iMac managed 4.61 points.

What Cinebench did show is the power of the upgraded graphics. The old iMac – with a Radeon HD 5750 GPU – managed 30.73fps in the OpenGL graphics testing, while the new iMac managed 36.51fps. Again, it’s important to note that ours isn’t the maxed-out iMac; Apple offers the Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5 video card as an option, which will improve graphics even further.

In the real-world, that adds up to faster video processing in iMovie, faster image editing in Photoshop, and the potential for hardcore gaming (which the beautiful 27-inch display is particularly well suited to).

Pricing and Value

Apple’s updated iMac faces competition from two main sides: all-in-one PCs running Windows – and often offering touchscreen interfaces – and MacBook Pro notebooks used with a standalone 27-inch Apple Cinema Display. On the PC side, Windows 7 based all-in-ones are generally cheaper than the 2011 iMac, which starts from $1,199 for the entry-level 21.5-inch model and climbs to $1,999 for our high-end preconfig 27-inch iMac. It’s difficult to find a 27-inch alternative, however, which leaves the iMac in somewhat rarified company.

For users thinking of switching between portable and desktop use, pairing a MacBook Pro – which, as we found in our review of the Core i7 Sandy Bridge based 2011 models, offer performance comparable to a desktop computer – with a 27-inch Cinema Display is a tempting option. It’s more expensive than the all-in-one iMac, however, with the cheapest MacBook Pro being the $1,199 13-inch Core i5 model, while the cheapest Core i7 starts from $1,499. Apple’s 27-inch LED Cinema Display comes in at $999, though is yet to be updated to support Thunderbolt. That means you can only hook one up to a MacBook Pro, unlike the triple-display support of the 27-inch iMac.

The Mac Pro is, of course, another possibility, though an even more expensive one. The entry-level Mac Pro is $2,499, and then you’re looking at $999 for a standalone Cinema Display. On the positive side, it’s more extensible and upgradable than the iMac, with space for several internal drives and the possibility to upgrade the graphics card.

Wrap-Up

Like an all-in-one, PC or Mac, the iMac has limitations around upgradability. Swapping out the RAM, hard-drive and optical drive are possible, if you don’t mind removing the LCD, but while the CPU and GPU can theoretically be changed, it’s a process the complexity of which will likely dissuade most home users. A regular desktop chassis is always going to be readily upgraded.

Still, there’s no shortage of power in the iMac as it stands, and while upgrading may become an issue years down the line, today it offers a compelling combination of performance, style and convenience. The absence of a touchscreen is a blip compared to some PC all-in-ones, but arguably desktop OSes – whether OS X or Windows – are still yet to prove the value of adding in touch. Apple’s ongoing refusal to consider Blu-ray does leave you reliant on either an external drive or an all-digital media setup which, given the 27-inch iMac makes for a tempting TV replacement in a bedroom or office, may be another drawback. Similarly, the absence of an integrated TV tuner open leaves you with USB models hanging off the rear ports.

Nonetheless, it’s hard not to be charmed by the 2011 iMac’s combination of swift processors and capable graphics. The aesthetic may not have changed in a generation or two but is still arguably well ahead of the plastic PC pack, and the price – although in the premium space – reflects the components, the quality of the display and, yes, the Apple cachet. This isn’t the all-in-one for buyers on a budget, and shopping around for regular desktops may find you equal or greater performance for your money, but the 2011 iMac is a polished update to one of the best machines on the market today.

Related: iMac core-7 (mid 2010) review

iMac  (mid 2011)

iMac upgrade purveyor OWC has posted up a blog that talks about the new iMac computers and how much more restricted upgrades are on these machines than the older version of the iMac. Apparently, HDD upgrades were easy with older version on the iMac, even if the fans did sometimes spin out of control and annoy users after upgrading. Since late 2009, you could upgrade the HDD inside your iMac with another drive of the same brand, and things were fine since the special thermal sensor cables would still work with the same brand of storage drive according to OWC.

The problem with the new iMac line that launched recently is that Apple has vacated the standard realm of cabling and gone from the normal 4-pin power cable coming to SATA drives and moved to a 7-pin cable. The reason for the cable changes is apparently to regulate the temperature inside the machine using the larger cable in conjunction with custom Apple firmware on the HDD. OWC reports that removing the new iMac HDD from the machine will cause the fans to spin at full speed and the replacement of the HDD with anything not Apple original will result in the iMac failing the Apple Hardware Test. This all means that upgrades to the internal main 3.5-inch HDD inside the new iMac won’t happen, at least for now. Do you think this is Apple’s way of forcing people to buy its hardware or is this simply how Apple is dealing with heat management?

[via OWC]

Sony PlayStation Network Breach update and recap of the week’s developments:
PlayStation Network and Qriocity back online from this week; Compensation detailed
Sony Online Entertainment Offline During Hacker Investigation
Sony opts out of Data Theft congressional hearing
Sony Responds to the House of Representatives Hearing on Data Theft
Anonymous denies Sony PSN “We are Legion” calling card
Data Security Expert: Sony Knew It Was Using Outdated Software Before PSN Breach
Sony CEO apologizes for PSN breach: Free identity theft protection detailed
Sony Targeted for Another Attack this Weekend
PlayStation Network stays offline as Sony discovers yet more issues

Apple Location Tracking:
Apple iOS 4.3.3 with “Bug Fix” for Location Tracking Now Available

Other Apple news:
iPad 2 Supply Shortage Halts Sales In South Korea And Singapore
iPad 2 Sold Out In China In Less Than Four Hours
iPad 2 shortage down to LG Display tip insiders
New Apple iMac: Thunderbolt, Sandy Bridge and FaceTime HD
iMac Core i5 3.10GHz hands-on (mid 2011)

Intel’s big announcement this week, plus some Intel-related rumors:
Intel Ivy Bridge official: 22nm 3D Tri-Gate to revolutionize processors
Intel To Fabricate Chips For Future Apple iPads And iPhones?
Apple ditching Intel for ARM in future MacBooks tip insiders

News from BlackBerry World conference in Orlando, Florida:
Blackberry Bold 9900 and 9930 hands-on [Video]
Microsoft Bing now default search on BlackBerry: Deep OS integration coming
Android apps on BlackBerry PlayBook gets first demo
BlackBerry PlayBook 10-Inch Version Arriving For the Holidays?
RIM set to launch official keyboard accessory for PlayBook

ASUS news including the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and future quad-core Tegra 3 tablet plans:
ASUS blames unexpected demand for Eee Pad Transformer shortages
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Sleeve Case Hands-On
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Review
ASUS quad-core Tegra 3 tablet incoming

Samsung launches the Infuse 4G smartphone for AT&T:
Samsung INFUSE 4G Unboxing and hands-on

AT&T’s 4G or “Faux-G” Marketing:
AT&T HP Veer 4G lands May 15 for $100
AT&T 4G: Not all HSPA+ Phones are Created Equal
AT&T Marketing ’4G’ But Delivering 3G Speeds?

Other reviews and hands-on:
Droid Charge Reviews
Sony Ericsson XPERIA mini and mini pro hands-on [Video] [Updated]

Feature Editorials:
Less TVs in the US, is it the Economy or the Internet?
Phones for Women: Is Verizon’s Bliss misogynistic or just lazy?
An ARM MacBook could revolutionize the industry
HTC Flyer: Latest victim of tablet sabotage
Dear Nintendo: Drop the Wii to $100
Driving Me to Digital Distraction

Apple whipped out a new version of the iMac AIO computer this week. The machine gained Thunderbolt, Intel Sandy Bridge processors and FaceTime HD video chatting among other things. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet got some hands on playtime this week and that hands on time landed on video. The new tablet is thinner than the iPad 2 and the smaller screen may make it better for users looking for portability.

We posted up our review of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet this week. There is room for improvement, but we liked the Transformer very well. A geek has decided to permanently keep his Nintendo 3DS augmented reality card with him by having the card tattooed on his forearm. The tattoo shows his Mii when viewed using the 3DS camera.

We went hands on with the new iMac Tuesday. The unit we played with was the Core i5 version running at 3.10GHz, the full review will be coming at later date. One of the big complaints with some organizations for the blind with the iPad is that the tablet has no way for vision-impaired people to use it. A new concept for the iPad called iSense allows the tablet to use Braille.

An artist put a giant wall made from white LEGO bricks on display at the World Trade Center in Amsterdam. The wall took 270,000 LEGO bricks and about six weeks to build. Worked surfaced mid-week that the Aaron’s rent to own store was installing software on their rented laptops that allows them to take photos of the people using the notebook webcam. The issue surfaced when a coupe that paid for a notebook at the store had manager show them a picture of them using the machine.

Mass Effect is one of my favorite video game franchises. We learned this week that Mass Effect 3 had been delayed until 2012. A cool and reasonably priced robot for education turned up this week using open source software and parts called POLYRO. The bot is intended to be extended with more features and costs about $2,000 to build.

Thursday, word surfaced that Best Buy had fired an employee for trying to stop a shoplifter. Best Buy policy is to let shoplifters leave and when he worker tired to restrain the thief, he was told to let the crook go. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA mini and mini pro smartphones went official this week. The smartphones will both hit stores in August.

A very cute and cool concept robotic vacuum system turned up late in the week. The concept is the Puppy Vacuum and it has a quartet of robot puppy vacuums that suck up dirt and then dump it into the momma dog where they also get charged. Insiders are claiming that Apple might be shedding the Intel processors in their machines in the future for ARM processors. Apple is said to be looking at mid-2013 for the change.

According to one data security experts, Sony knew the software it was using on the PSN was out of date. The allegation is that had the software been updated, the breach might not have happened. Jaguar announced Friday that it would be building a limited number of the cool hybrid powered supercars called the C-X75. The car will have a top speed of about 200mph and 800bhp.

As of today the PSN is still down for most users with Sony having found more issues. Sony is still saying that it is working to ensure the of the network. Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the Week in Review!

I want to begin by running down Chrome news of late – and the following goes back further than this past week, so beware: Google Launches Chrome 11, the beginning of the future with a whole new flattened icon. A couple of accounts of Chrome OS specific devices rear their heads: ZGB notebook, Seaboard tablet, and Samsung Alex. Google Chrome Canary for Mac browser launches with no testing, and two big commercials for the future of Chrome web browser launch: It Gets Better with Dan Savage and Dear Sophie, a spot which reveals Google’s Google Chrome’s +1 Extension.

Remember, while we’re talking about Google, that the bigtime developer’s convention Google I/O is next week. Get a Complete Schedule and the Official App to guide you true.

On the Android side of things, we go hands-on with the Sony Ericsson XPERIA mini and XPERIA mini pro for your enjoyment. There’s a big giant review of the DROID Charge both on SlashGear and on Android Community. We’ll soon be taking a closer look at the Samsung Infuse 4G as well – currently we’ve got a Hands-On in NYC (where it came from,) a Hands-On and Unboxing in Minneapolis (where yours truly is at,) and a little tidbit or two (through the weekend) before we get to the full review – check out some 8 megapixel photo and 1080p video examples, have a look at a comparison in Galaxy S II vs Infuse 4G, have a glance at Samsung Infuse 4G First phone to support hspa+/hsupa at launch and see the sweetness in AT&T Allows Sideloading Apps on the Infuse 4G.

Did you know we’ve got Official Android Community wallpapers for all your mobile device needs? You’ll look so colorful and fly!

Then learn about the tech present through the eyes of our brilliant writers, analysts, and all-round superstars:
I’m Stupid, but I’m Trying
I Can’t Wait to See the Wii 2
Less TVs in the US, is it the Economy or the Internet?
Phones for Women: Is Verizon’s Bliss misogynistic or just lazy?
An ARM MacBook could revolutionize the industry
HTC Flyer: Latest victim of tablet sabotage
Dear Nintendo: Drop the Wii to $100
Does Nintendo Hate Money?

Finally, Sony and their Playstation network have been having some troubles as of late, and for once, it’s not Anonymous’ fault. It came to our attention first that Sony had to pull the PlayStation network over fears of piracy – turns out they were totally right. Sony then moves their PSN data center, gets sued, and faces a 29 billion dollar cost for the whole situation. And this is just the beginning.

Security experts warn of credit card theft, we have a couple of Q&A sessions from Sony and compensation for losses are detailed. Rue makes a comic about the whole situation.

Next, SOE wants to join in on the fun – Sony Online Entertainment goes offline while they investigate a possible hacker attack. Meanwhile Sony opts out of a Data Theft congressional hearing then responds to the hearing anyway. Anonymous is called into question, but they deny any involvement. Sony’s CEO promises free identity theft protection as reparations to customers, the Euro edition of this protection “close,” and now there’s another attack planned for this weekend.

Fun for everyone!

It’s not the first time I’ve talked about potentially revolutionary Apple changes. Back in November, rumors around the MacBook Pro refresh earlier this year suggested some of the hardware and design decisions Apple might be making: bypassing USB 3.0 for Thunderbolt (then known by its Intel Light Peak codename), dropping optical drives, and switching wholesale to SSD for storage. Obviously not all of those panned out: the early 2011 MacBook Pro line got its Thunderbolt connection, but SuperDrive lived on and so did traditional hard-drives.

Now the rumor machine has reignited, spitting out something with even more game-changing possibilities than mere drives and ports. Sources claim Apple is looking to switch from Intel’s x86 processors to ARM-based chips, potentially as early as in mid-2013, as big a platform evolution as the transition from PowerPC in early 2006. The company plans, it’s suggested, to use 64-bit ARM processors like NVIDIA’s Project Denver – first in notebooks but then likely across the desktop range as well.

It’s a shift that could have far-reaching implications, not just for Intel’s bottom line. ARM processors, as we’ve seen in smartphones and tablets, are capable of all the multimedia and gaming performance users expect – like 1080p Full HD, supporting multiple displays, accelerated encoding/decoding of graphics and real-time processing – while simultaneously demanding far less power than their x86 counterparts. The iPad’s lengthy battery life is partly down to the fact that its slender chassis is fair stuffed with Li-Poly cells, but also that its Apple A5 processor handles everything iOS throws at it in an efficient manner.

Now, the demands of iOS – and what we ask of a tablet or phone – are obviously different to what we expect from our notebooks and desktops, but there’s still plenty of overlap. Browsing, video editing and playback, messaging and email, a little gaming: they’re all common tasks, and well within the capabilities of ARM chips. Much of it will come down to OS X, and how Apple’s engineers re-compile it for the change in processor architecture, as well as how it handles existing OS X apps running on the new platform.

We’ve seen a similar – though far smaller scale – transition from Apple before, with the Apple TV. The first-gen model used a Pentium M processor, thrown out for the second-gen version in favor of the same Apple A4 chip as in the iPhone 4 and original iPad. Transparent to the user, plenty of work going on behind the scenes. Apple would likely look to taking easy steps forward with a MacBook ARM transition too, perhaps starting with machines that have less demanding use-cases (or are treated by many as secondary computers) like the MacBook Air. That has already borrowed heavily from the lessons Apple learnt in making the iPad and other mobile devices, with its instant-on technology and all-SSD storage.

So, what might these new MacBooks look like? Optical drives certainly look to be on notice: Apple has made its disdain for Blu-ray clear, and the latest murmurs suggest the company is looking to shift even significant software releases, like OS X Lion due this summer, to digital delivery via its Mac App Store. SSDs across the board were perhaps too expensive for 2011, but by 2013 that may be a different story; Apple will also be able to offset any capacity shortcomings using its imminent cloud-storage services. Don’t underestimate what the company has been learning from WWAN options on the iPhone and iPad, either. By mid-2013, 4G networks like LTE and WiMAX will be far more prevalent, potentially giving Apple’s portables a high-speed hookup to the cloud.

There’s also a change in aesthetic tipped, with Apple’s next MacBook Pro refresh expected to bring a significant reworking of the notebook’s physical design. Some have suggested that might see a shift from all-aluminum to carbon fiber, but whatever the material we’re guessing it will be lighter and more portable. Throw in ARM chips and you’re looking at a potentially long-lasting, easily carried notebook with the possibility of cross-platform OS X/iOS apps and lashings of connectivity.

Apple was criticized by some during the PowerPC transition for abandoning what made the company’s computers unique: after all, anybody can buy an Intel processor and put it in a notebook or desktop. Shifting to ARM would certainly address that, with Apple already owning a fabless semiconductor company, 2008 acquisition P.A. Semi, to design custom chips that would once again make their mainstream range distinct. Dumping Intel wouldn’t be easy, in either hardware or software terms, but it could be the decision that seals the deal on Apple’s ascendance.

If you have been following the new iMac machine, you already know what the things are about. The new specs include Thunderbolt ports and refreshed Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors. The new hardware was crammed inside that screen we are already familiar with. It’s worth noting that the big 27-inch model even gets a pair of Thunderbolt ports. It’s cool to see how placed in the innards of the machine are in the main photo here. You can see the CPU, optical drive, and several of the cooling fans.

The LCD screen in the unit that iFixit tore up is made by LG and is the same one that was used in previous generations of the machine. The teardown has revealed that the machine has PCIe and the DisplayPort each get their own 10 Gbps data channel so they won’t compete for bandwidth. The teardown pulls out the oddly shaped mainboard and other gear until nothing is left inside the shell of the iMac. Check it out for yourself for all the iMac porn you can stomach.

There’s a sense that Apple is content with its industrial design right now: at first glance the new iMac looks indistinguishably from the old. That’s because most of Apple’s efforts have gone on inside, slotting in Sandy Bridge processors behind the 2560 x 1440 LED-backlit IPS display of our review unit. They’re paired with the latest AMD Radeon GPUs, and thanks to the twin Thunderbolt ports – which double as DisplayPort connectors – you can now chain a pair of external displays off of a single iMac.

That opens the door to a vast work area, though we’ll have to wait to test that until we’re back at the office. Interestingly, there’s also Target Display Mode support – the ability to use the iMac as a display, not a computer in its own right – though updated to suit Apple’s latest ecosystem. Plug in a Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pro and you can use the iMac as a second monitor for it; unfortunately the same doesn’t hold true for a previous-gen MacBook Pro, the Mini DisplayPort of which won’t work.

Still, using a 27-inch quad-core beast as a dumb display seems frankly wasteful, especially when on its own its such a potent desktop. We’ve seen zero lag in loading apps and OS X – along with the iLife suite – runs like a dream. Would we have liked to have seen a Blu-ray drive and maybe HDMI? Of course, but that’s not on Apple’s roadmap. What you do get, Apple told us, is performance on a par with a Mac Pro, along with a FaceTime HD camera for 720p video calls – it’s worth noting that only the most recent MacBook Pro has FaceTime HD camera support, though, not the iPhone 4, iPad 2 or iPod touch.

Thunderbolt peripherals are still in short supply commercially, but when we met with Apple for an iMac briefing in New York the company showed us some pre-release hardware so as to get a better idea of what the updated desktop is capable of. Last time, at the MacBook Pro launch, Apple demonstrated four uncompressed HD videos being pushed through a single Thunderbolt connection; this time, Apple was pushing six uncompressed HD videos through a quad-SSD Pegasus Thunderbolt DAS.

A 4k2k video streamed at 505-600MB/s, and Apple also had footage shot on a RED camera that exceeded 750MB/s, with playback smooth and glitch-free. The iMac’s new AMD Radeon graphics options also give the computer a new burst of performance; Apple showed us how the iMac could flip through dozens of 30-megapixel images with no lag, editing and zooming as they went, while a Portal 2 demo ran at 98.8 frames per second. The same title on the last-gen iMac would only have managed around 80-percent of that, we were told.

Moving forward, the displays of all iMacs will be individually calibrated at the manufacturer, for improved on-screen quality. In fact, if you’re comparing Apples to Apples – forgive the pun – the those moving from the entry-level last-gen iMac to the new entry-level machine are likely to see the biggest differences, thanks to that GPU upgrade.

Still, that’s not to say there isn’t an improvement to be had when you consider quad-core across the board. We’ll be putting the iMac through various benchmark tests for the full SlashGear review, so until then enjoy the live gallery!

Adobe is bringing “creative applications” to PlayBook, most likely giving the PlayBook real cache with professionals, a market it is targeting. CS 5.5 is shipping today with support for PlayBook apps out of the box.

And for those who want to use their PlayBook to, well, play…Angry Birds is now confirmed for the slate.

After a short downtime for the Apple Store this morning, the Apple iMac refresh was unveiled: with Thunderbolt, Sandy Bridge and FaceTime HD. In other Apple news, OS X Lion is getting iOS-style uninstalls for software downloaded from the Mac App Store.

Google’s new update for Android is now officially named (though we suspected it before). The new name? Ice Cream Sandwich. Apparently, just “Ice Cream” would be too similar to “Froyo”. Other Android news, the T-Mobile G2X gets an early update to Gingerbread.

The Viewsonic Viewpad 10 takes the leap from Android 1.6 to Android 2.2.

Amazon tablet rumors have abounded, and now we hear that Amazon might be planning an Android tablet with an E Ink Hydis FFS display for release later this year.

LG has unveiled two new super-slim laptops, the P430 and the P5390.

And here is what can happen when you are really, really, really into your 3DS.

There’s also a second 21.5-inch pre-config model, with a 2.7GHz Core i5, Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB of storage, for $1,49. The entry-level 27-inch iMac is $1,699 and has a 2.7GHz Core i5 CPU, Radeon HD 6770M graphics and a 1TB drive. Options include up to 2TB of storage, a 256GB SSD and additional DDR3 memory from the 4GB standard.

A FaceTime HD camera for video calls with other Macs and the iPad 2/iPhone 4, SD card slot and IPS display are all standard. There are also two Thunderbolt ports on the 27-inch model, each of which doubles as a Mini DisplayPort connector; both sizes have a FireWire 800 port, four USB 2.0 ports, gigabit ethernet and audio in/out. Integrated WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR round out the key specs, and there’s a choice of a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad along with the standard wireless keyboard.

The new Apple iMac goes on sale today.

Press Release:

Apple Announces New iMac With Next Generation Quad-Core Processors, Graphics & Thunderbolt I/O Technology

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today updated its signature all-in-one iMac® with next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, groundbreaking high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime® HD camera. Starting at $1,199, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster and new graphics deliver up to three times the performance of the previous generation.*

“With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we’ve made the world’s best desktop even better.”
“Our customers love the iMac’s aluminum enclosure, gorgeous display and all-in-one design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we’ve made the world’s best desktop even better.”

The new iMac features quad-core Intel Core i5 processors with an option for customers to choose Core i7 processors up to 3.4 GHz. These next generation processors feature an integrated memory controller for an amazingly responsive experience and a powerful new media engine for high-performance video encoding and decoding. With new AMD Radeon HD graphics processors, the new iMac has the most powerful graphics ever in an all-in-one desktop.

iMac is the first desktop computer on the market to include groundbreaking Thunderbolt I/O technology. The 21.5-inch iMac has a single Thunderbolt port while the 27-inch model features two ports for even greater expansion. Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, Thunderbolt enables expandability never before possible on an all-in-one computer. Featuring two bi-directional channels with transfer speeds up to an amazing 10Gbps each, Thunderbolt delivers PCI Express directly to external high performance peripherals such as RAID arrays, and can support FireWire® and USB consumer devices, and Gigabit Ethernet networks via adapters. Thunderbolt also supports DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI and VGA displays. Freely available for implementation on systems, cables and devices, Thunderbolt technology is expected to be widely adopted as a new standard for high performance I/O.

iMac includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera and Apple’s innovative FaceTime software for crisp, widescreen video calling the whole family can enjoy. The new camera supports high definition video calls between all FaceTime HD-enabled Macs and standard resolution calls with iPad® 2, iPhone® 4, the current generation iPod touch® and other Intel-based Macs. The iMac continues to feature its signature aluminum and glass design, gorgeous IPS LED-backlit high resolution display, SD card slot and comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, Apple’s desktop line is a leader in green design. The iMac meets stringent Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold rating.** iMac features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iMac uses PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants, uses highly recyclable materials and features material-efficient system and packaging designs.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for creating and sharing great photos, movies and music. Snow Leopard builds on more than a decade of innovation and includes the Mac App Store℠ for finding great new apps for your Mac. iLife ’11 features iPhoto® with stunning full screen views for browsing, editing and sharing photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use tools to transform home videos into fun theatrical trailers; and GarageBand® with new ways to improve your playing and create great sounding songs.

Pricing & Availability

The new iMac is available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 21.5-inch iMac is available in two configurations: one with a 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 500GB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US); and one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US). The new 27-inch iMac is available in two models: one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US); and one with a 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6970M and 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US).

Configure-to-order options include faster Intel Core i7 processors up to 3.4 GHz, additional hard drive capacity up to 2TB, a 256GB solid state drive, additional DDR3 memory and AppleCare® Protection Plan. Additional technical specifications and configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at www.apple.com/imac.

*Testing conducted by Apple in April 2011 using preproduction iMac configurations. For more information visit www.apple.com/imac/features.html.

**Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA ENERGY STAR 5.2 energy database as of April 2011. EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Yesterday, discounted iMacs at Best Buy added further fuel to the rumors that Apple was about to replace the range. That followed broader supply chain shortages reported in April, with supplies of all iMac SKUs said to be “constrained” with no ETA on that changing.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the Apple Store to see what pops up when the system returns; that usually happens at around 8:30am ET.

The deal may be enticing, but if you don’t want to regret picking up an older generation iMac just a day before the new one is released, then hold on tight. We reported last week that a refreshed iMac was likely to arrive on May 4th. Speculation had been building up on the refresh due to reports that there were constrained supplies of the current model iMac on retailer inventory sheets. Delays on shipping iMacs for online orders until May 2nd, also further supported this claim.

The new iMac will likely feature Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processor chip along with Apple’s new Thunderbolt connector port. Your attempt to save $70 off by purchasing the current-gen iMac on sale could make you lose out on the added performance and speed of the next-gen iMac, just days away. Either way, you can check out the sale here.

[via MacNN]

The iMac refresh is believed to incorporate faster processors with Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge platform. It should also sport Apple’s new Thunderbolt connector port, which is said to be 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and about 20 times faster than USB 2.0. However, it will be only the 2nd line of systems to support the new Apple-only standard, which debuted with their MacBook Pro refresh back in February.

Apple also seems to be delaying shipments for current online orders. The orders are delayed with a message saying that they will be shipped on or before May 2nd. Based on Apple’s penchant for launching on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, well except for when it comes to iOS devices, it is likely that the refreshed iMac will land on May 4th, which aligns with the May 2nd ship date to suggest the refresh will land next week.

[via 9to5 Mac]

The new iMacs could be sporting Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt I/O ports when the new models roll out and may launch sometime between late April and early May. One of the sources took the above screen shot showing the dwindling iMac supplies. Apparently this is confirmed from multiple sources in both the U.S. and in Asia.

The U.S. source says that not only are the iMac supplies running low, but the component parts are getting scarce too. This is another clue that a possible refresh is coming soon. So just hold out for a little while longer if you’re in the market for a new iMac, because new models could be on their way. We’ll keep you updated as more info is revealed.

[via 9to5 Mac]

It’s hard to get attention when there are thousands of apps out there; harder still if you want to price your apps at any more than a few dollars. We judge in the first few seconds, based on price and a couple of star reviews. There’s no motivation to surprise and delight the user later on, as they explore the software, because there’s every chance they’ll never get that far. If you’re not upfront about every last thing that makes you special, then the user will take their dollar and hit next.

Arguably a similar commoditisation has happened in hardware. Our devices are simply portals to our apps. With that, the hardware itself has become devalued: smartphones, PCs and tablets all contracting to a median point. Oh yes, there are plenty of Android phones out there, and there’s iPhone too, but there’s little in the way of real hardware differentiation. It’s a box that runs our apps, and we want to pay accordingly.

There was a time when the wild card was Apple’s own products, when they were the premium option with pricing considerably higher than anything in the PC sphere. It’s still, to some extent, correct – you’ll pay more for a MacBook Pro than you will food a similarly-specified PC notebook from Dell or HP, though in many cases those Windows rivals simply won’t offer elements of the Apple proposition, like an all-metal chassis and Thunderbolt – but the gap is decreasing. It’s more obvious in Apple’s iOS range, with iPods and iPhones the obvious picks when the competition is basically priced the same.

For the iPad 2, Apple is even leading the field, with Android alternatives struggling to achieve the same eye-catching price points just as they chase the functionality. It’s having an interesting affect at the company’s top-end, too. Just last week I heard of one would-be Mac Pro buyer, met with blank faces at an Apple reseller when asking about the high-end desktop. Not that they didn’t know enough about it; they simply didn’t know it existed in the first place. Surely you must mean an iMac, they said, or are you confusing things with an LED Cinema Display plugged into your MacBook Pro?

Now, that’s likely just one dumb vendor with an eye on Apple’s glitzier, more consumer-friendly line, but it’s a sign of the shift all the same. Keeping Apple as our example, the company used to be best known for its high-end, quality notebooks and computers; now that reputation has shifted to iOS. In the industry more generally, where once the focus was on notebooks and PCs, the speed-battle between Intel and AMD, now we’re only really curious about smartphones and slates. So you’ve got a 0.2GHz-faster chip in your laptop, and can load Excel 2-percent quicker? Cool story, bro.

With that, the attention has dropped into a lower price bracket: cheaper mobile devices, cheaper instant apps. Apple has redefined the value of software (just as it did with music and movies) to build a structure around their hardware and, more importantly, their ecosystem as a whole. Developers face releasing their hard-crafted wares – and make no mistake, it’s still expensive, in time and money, to build a good application – into a market near-saturated with titles, where attention spans are minuscule and prices match.

When an app was $40 you stuck with it, learnt its foibles, saw past a poor first-impression gleaned from the 30 seconds after hitting the icon. When an app is one of a few hundred thousand, priced at a buck or even free, it’s a whole lot easier to bin anything that doesn’t instantaneously appeal. And yet, when it comes to upgrade time and you’re looking at the shelves of devices, you’re far more likely to pick the platform which runs all those $0.99 apps that quickly added up to a significant software investment.

Ask any retailer and they’ll tell you, it’s easy to drop prices but it’s incredibly difficult to put them back up again. At least, if you want to remain in business for long, or unless you offer some commodity – gas, food perhaps – that consumers can’t do without. Decide that your wares, whether content, software or something else, are worth more than the status quo, and prepare yourself for a significant battle.

We’re watching the publishers doing that now, trying desperately to wrench away pricing control from retailers like Amazon and set their own figures as to what they – and many of their authors – believe the content is worth. In return, they’re being decried as “old media” and told to get with the times: content is cheap, the fickle customer is king, and the app store gatekeepers call the shots.

Cheap apps are certainly good for consumers on the face of things: more software for less money. Problem is, when you teach people that apps are worth $0.99 then they start to believe that. App piracy may not be all that widespread, when the cost of entry is so low, but in the process developers are making mere pennies on their hard work. Meanwhile there’s little incentive, with the current state of consumer attention span, to invest in anything that offers any great depth. Why think of the long-tail when your uses will already be overlooking your app by then, or when you can sell them another quick hit via a $0.99 in-app purchase.

So, on the one hand cheap new toys and all the low-guilt software you could hope for to run on them. On the other, zero-attention-span apps and little incentive for developers and content providers to do more than glean a few launch day headlines before moving on to the Next Big Thing. I’m as guilty as the rest in downloading and discarding, downloading and discarding, but I do miss the days when we’d invest more than a couple of taps in figuring out how software worked, how it could help us, and how the blend of that and our devices could better work in our lives.

In Lion, they’re described as “HiDPI display modes”, and they basically work in the same way as the high-DPI graphics on the iPhone 4 and latest-gen iPod touch. Graphics will be twice as detailed, but intended for double-resolution panels: they’d be the same size on a 2880 x 1800 MacBook Pro screen as on a 1440 x 900 version, but have twice the number of pixels and so be smoother, more information-dense and generally more beautiful.

Now, software support for HiDPI display modes is the first step, but it will take high resolution panels for notebooks and desktops to actually deliver those graphics to the end-user. That might take some time, at least if we want them to be affordable. Still, with Apple rumored to have invested $3.9bn in displays for its various product lines, it looks like the company is taking high-resolution graphics very seriously.

There’s also Resume, which automatically brings you back up to speed with the apps and documents you had open after a reboot, along with Mission Control, a bird’s-eye view of of open windows grouped by app, thumbnails of full-screen apps, and Dashboard. Mail 5 has an updated UI to take advantage of widescreen displays, and there’s Conversations (Apple’s name for threaded messages).

“With AirDrop in Mac OS X Lion, you can send files to anyone around you —  wirelessly. AirDrop doesn’t require setup or special settings. Just click the AirDrop icon in the Finder sidebar, and your Mac automatically discovers other people nearby who are using AirDrop. You’ll even see contact photos for those who are already in your Address Book. To share a file, simply drag it to someone’s name. Once accepted, the file transfers directly to the person’s Downloads folder. When you’re done with AirDrop, close the Finder and your Mac is no longer visible to others.” Apple

Apple has also integrated OS X Server into a single SKU; Lion Server is built into the client version of the updated OS. If you’re a developer you can check out all the changes and new features here at the updated checklist; the release itself will be seeded through the Mac App Store.

Press Release:

Apple Releases Developer Preview of Mac OS X Lion

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today released a developer preview of Mac OS® X Lion, which takes some of the best ideas from iPad™ and brings them back to the Mac® for the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Lion features Mission Control, an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac; Launchpad, a new home for all your Mac apps; full screen apps that use the entire Mac display; and new Multi-Touch™ gestures. Lion also includes the Mac App Store℠, the best place to discover, install and automatically update Mac apps. The Lion preview is available to Mac Developer Program members through the Mac App Store today, and the final version of Lion will ship to customers this summer.

“Developers are going to love Mission Control and Launchpad, and can now start adding great new Lion features like full screen, gestures, Versions and Auto Save to their own apps.”
“The iPad has inspired a new generation of innovative features in Lion,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Developers are going to love Mission Control and Launchpad, and can now start adding great new Lion features like full screen, gestures, Versions and Auto Save to their own apps.”

Mission Control is a powerful, entirely new feature that unifies Exposé®, Dashboard, Spaces®, and full screen apps to give you a bird’s eye view of every app and window running on your Mac. With a simple swipe, your desktop zooms out to display your open windows grouped by app, thumbnails of your full screen apps as well as your Dashboard, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere with a click.

Launchpad makes it easier than ever to find and launch any app. With a single click, Launchpad displays all your Mac apps in a stunning full screen layout where you can launch, re-order or organize apps into folders. You can also arrange apps into multiple pages and swipe between them.

Lion brings the full screen experience that iPad users love to the Mac. With one click, your application window goes full screen, taking advantage of your Mac’s brilliant display. You can swipe from one full screen window to another and even back to your Desktop or Dashboard.

New Multi-Touch gestures and fluid animations give you a natural and intuitive way to interact with your Mac. New gestures include pinching your fingers to zoom in on a web page or image, swiping left or right to turn a page or switch between full screen apps and swiping up to enter Mission Control.

Lion also includes the Mac App Store, where you can find great new apps, buy them with your iTunes® account, and download and install them in just one step. Apps purchased from the Mac App Store are installed directly into Launchpad.

Additional features in Lion include:

A new version of Mail, with an elegant, widescreen layout inspired by the iPad; Conversations, which automatically groups related messages into one easy to read timeline; more powerful search; and support for Microsoft Exchange 2010;
AirDrop, a remarkably simple way to copy files wirelessly from one Mac to another with no setup;
Versions, which automatically saves successive versions of your document as you create it, and gives you an easy way to browse, edit and even revert to previous versions;
Resume, which conveniently brings your apps back exactly how you left them when you restart your Mac or quit and relaunch an app;
Auto Save, which automatically saves your documents as you work;
The all new FileVault, that provides high performance full disk encryption for local and external drives, and the ability to wipe data from your Mac instantaneously; and
Mac OS X Lion Server, which makes setting up a server easier than ever and adds support for managing Mac OS X Lion, iPhone®, iPad and iPod touch® devices.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

OLED sets – such as LG’s breathtakingly narrow 31-incher at IFA 2010 – are probably still some way off, but slimmer OLED panels and smaller batteries to drive them could add up to thinner and lighter iPads, MacBooks and iPhones in future. Alternatively, Apple’s iMac could be a potential recipient, albeit likely coming at a price.

Still, with Apple’s recent $3.9bn investment suspected to be in securing display manufacturing for the next few years, a push into OLED isn’t entirely unlikely, and starting at the smaller end of the scale – where touchscreen integration makes most sense – would present the most affordable entry point for end-users.

[via OLED-Display]

One of the shots revealed a $1,199 price tag for one model, thought to be the 13″ Pro. A refresh of the Mac Pro and a new “mainstream” iMac are also expected for the near future. The new machines were delayed by a serious issue with the Sandy Bridge processor. Apple’s most optimistic estimate was given as March. It appears they were right.

[Via 9to5 Mac]

The next iteration of the MacBook Pro line was earlier tipped to launch in 1H 2011. The new Mac and MacBook pros will run Sandy Bridge processors. A “mainstream” iMac is also expected to launch during the first half of this year. Four new MacBook Pros gave been tipped.

Intel’s terribly embarrassing Sandy Bridge recall is believed to have delayed the new MacBook Pros and Mac Pros. Apple is reported to have estimated no chance of shipping until March. Intel believes that the fixed chipsets will not be ready in volume until April.

Whatever the truth is, we won’t have to wait long to learn it. If Wednesday passes with no announcement, expect a long wait for the MacBook refresh.

[Via 9to5 Mac]

According to the leaky sources, Apple is preparing “at least four” upgraded MacBook Pro models. While there’s no mention of Sandy Bridge, they do say there’ll be a “slight change in chassis design” along with OS X 10.7 Lion preinstalled. Previous rumors suggested the new MacBook Pros would switch from NVIDIA GPUs to AMD’s Radeon range, though the entry-level models in the Apple portable line-up would use Sandy Bridge’s own integrated graphics capabilities.

As for that “mainstream” iMac, details are scant but a new panel size is tipped. Since it seems unlikely Apple would undercut their entry-level $1,199.99 21.5-inch iMac, perhaps more likely is a mid-scale iMac that would slot in-between it and the flagship 27-inch units.

According to Electronista‘s sources, Apple has been testing 2.5GHz through to 2.7GHz Core i5 and i7 mobile processors for its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, together with dual 2.5GHz Core i3 chips all the way up to quad-core, 3.4GHz Core i7 chips for its desktop iMac and Mac Pro machines. Sandy Bridge is expected to make its official debut at CES 2011 in January, with the long period of testing leading to speculation that Apple will release updated machines sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, CNET‘s sources suggest that the Sandy Bridge GPU will be the sole graphics chip on 13-inch and smaller notebooks from Apple, while higher-end notebooks will look to AMD’s Radeon line-up. The benefits of Sandy Bridge include a smaller overall CPU/GPU package, since the graphics chip is integrated into the processor itself. It would also allow Apple to bypass ongoing legal issues between Intel and NVIDIA which have constrained its choice of GPU/CPU pairings.

This screen will be entirely touch-based as well, allowing you to crop and print portions of your screen using some sort of print/scan application. Choe aims for this computer to be a big time saver as it might be able to not only cut out the amount of devices you need sitting on your desk, but also the amount of time you need to move back and forth from different applications for each device. Sounds sweet?

[Via YankoDesign]

The iPod nano, meanwhile, is down $21 on the 16GB model or $11 on the 8GB; as for the iPod touch, you can save $21, $31 or $41 respectively on the 8GB, 32GB or 64GB versions. The iPad camera connector kit is down $5 to $24, Apple’s wireless keyboard drops $5, and there’s $5 off both the Magic Mouse and the Magic Trackpad.

In the UK store, meanwhile, there are £81 savings on the iMac, MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Air, while the iPad is down by £35. iPod nano savings are up to £10.99 while iPod touch discounts are up to £14.99. The deals are good for today, Friday November 26 only, but you may find better if you shop around official Apple resellers.

Plenty more deals to be had in The SlashGear Black Friday Deal Guide of Complete Excellence.

Back in June I talked a bit about a new offering for MacBooks from OWC that removed the optical drive fort computers and added in a special bracket for a second storage drive called the Data Doubler. OWC is back with a new addition to the Data Doubler line that will let the users of certain Mac mini and iMac desktops get more storage capacity in their machines.

The new kit comes with all the hardware that is needed to add a second HDD or SSD to the mini and it will also fit into some iMac models as well. The bracket replaces the optical drive on both machines just as the original device last summer did. It will fit into early 2009 mini and mid-2009 mini models and will work with 20-inch mid-2009 iMac, 21.5-inch and 27-inch late 2009 iMacs, and mid-2010 iMac models. The kit and hardware sells for $79.99. The Data Doubler can be installed by the user in the mini, but OWC says pro needs to install the device in the iMac.

The modules are also offered in 2GB and 4GB kits running at 1333MHz CL9. The 4GB kits include a pair of the 2GB modules. Patriot figures there are the perfect memory upgrades for users of the new 21.5″ and 27″ iMac computers using the Core i3, i5, or i7 CPUs.

All four different RAM part numbers are available right now for purchase via Patriot. The company is mum on the official pricing at this time. You should expect Apple specific RAM to a bit more than comparable RAM for PCs.