We love September. It means new iPods. This September is no different, Apple has just invited us to a ’special event’ on September 9th.
We’re expecting to see a new iPod Nano as well as a form factor change for the iPod Touch so it matches the iPhone and we’ll probably get various storage bumps in there too.
Stay tuned on the day because I will sending blogs up as the event happens. Can’t wait.
Breaking news from digital audio land, a mystical place where music and computers skip hand in hand through the plug-in fields. German sequencersmiths and inventors of VST Steinberg have just announced a new version of their would-be GarageBand-killer, Sequel.The amusingly-named Sequel 2 fields several exciting new features including a virtual keyboard, new track icons, audio reverse, an audio warp feature, a tap tempo function and a controller mode allowing the use of a hardware controller, which promises to be particularly useful in a live performance environment.If you’re an itchy-fingered GarageBand user and would like to check out the competition, more details can be found at http://www.sequel-music.net/home.html
There’s a sea of web browsers for Mac OS X out there so it’s only when a more unique take on the standard navigation tool appears that we ever get interested.
Flock is one such app. Built on Mozilla’s Firefox 3 Technology, it taps into the world’s infatuation with social networking and sharing within a slick and very Mac oriented interface.
Scooping a slew of awards from a Webby to a top ten listing in PC World’s 100 Best Products of 2008, Flock is constantly evolving and is now available in 2.0 Beta form.
So what’s the big deal? Well, if you’re one of those web users who always has a Facebook page open or can’t resist a quick skim across comments on Flickr photos or YouTube videos, Flock makes the process far simpler. Integrating the most popular social websites like those mentioned above and many more, Flock negates the requirement of navigating to a page to view, connect and share – it’s all in the browser interface. Send photos to friends on Facebook by dragging and dropping, check messages on Twitter, share links and text and much more.
A “Gloss” edition of Flock now brings you the latest in fashion and entertainment gossip across the web should you require it.
Setup is as smooth as can be with a simple login to your chosen site being enough for Flock to create your own sidebar or account within the browser. Facebook is a classic example here with a list of your friends appearing in a bar at the side of the browser showing their picture, status and more. You can even drag and drop images and links on to a user’s profile to share with them instantly.
Whether you’re into social networks, photos, blogs, media or news feeds, Flock has something for you. There’s even a built-in media bar that scours sites like Picasa, Truveo and YouTube, a feed reader for RSS and a blog editor for the most popular blogging apps.
It sounds crass and clichéd but Flock, that dubs itself “The Social Web Browser”, is just downright sociable. From the feature set through to the cute interface it’s an App no Mac fan or web fiend should overlook.
If you are planning on heading out and getting a new iPhone tomorrow here are a few pointers:
Numbers may be limited.
At both the Carphone Warehouse and O2 stores employees are not sure of the delivery numbers expected later today ready for tomorrows launch. If you are desperate for a phone, get there early.
Opening Times may vary.
Apparently some stores will be opening at 7:02 and others an hour later, so its best to check in with your local store.
Take ID
The exact requirements for what types of ID to bring to the stores seems to vary so its probably better to be safe rather than sorry. Take your Chip and Pin bank card, a household Bill and your O2 account details if you plan to upgrade.
If you have any other tidbits of advice about your local stores and availability let us know in the comments…
If you are a keen photographer and think that your snaps are good enough for the whole world to see, then you should take a look at this…
Digital Photographer Magazine, sister title to iCreate, is holding its second annual photography competition in Digital Photographer 72, on sale 17 July 2008.
The aim of the awards is to give a helping hand to talented individuals and showcase their talents.
“Working in conjunction with some of the leading names in the photographic industry, our objective for these awards is to find hidden talent and expose it to the world,” explains editor, Debbi Allen. “Encompassing multiple genres of photography, the awards will showcase the high standards achieved by many enthusiasts and semi-professional photographers.”
This year’s categories will include Portrait, Landscape, Documentary, Travel, Black and White, Macro, Wildlife and Wedding, with one winner scooping the title of Digital Photographer of the Year and eight separate category winners.
All categories are open for entries from the 17 July 2008 and all categories will close to entries on 14 November. Winners will be announced in issue 78 of the magazine, on sale January 2009.
Theo Georghiades, Fujifilm’s Senior Product Manager says: “Fujifilm UK Ltd are very pleased to be sponsoring the Digital Photographer of the Year 2008. Both Fujifilm UK Ltd and Digital Photographer share the same values in terms of quality, creativity and professionalism, and this makes the magazine an ideal partner for us to work with.”
The judging panel boasts Digital Photographer editor Debbi Allen, Imagine Publishing’s Creative Director and keen photographer Mark Kendrick, professional photographer and magazine contributor Mark Cargill and Fujifilm’s Theo Georghiades.
The overall winner will receive a Fujifilm S5 Pro with the eight category winners scooping other Fujifilm cameras, models TBC.
For more info head to www.dphotographer.co.uk, there you can also take a look at the magazine.
Below is last years winning photo, so you can get an idea of the standards involved!
No gamers, Halo is not coming to the iPhone. The iPhone ‘Halo’ is the effect the product is going to have on the sales of the rest of Apples line up.
A lot of talk has been going on about the new, extremely low price of the iPhone and how Apple can’t be making a great deal of money out of it, especially as revenue sharing has now gone out of the window too.
The theory is that the success of the iPhone and its awesome value for money will create such a good name for Apple that iPhone customers who aren’t Apple computer users will be suddenly compelled to make the switch.
This might sound outlandish for other companies to try, but given the kind of respect Apple customers have for the brand, which is unheard of in other business sectors, it could be just the thing to drive Apples market share towards parity with Microsoft.
Anyone who owns the current iPhone will know that its one of the devices of the century, a revelation in terms of web browsing and it has an interface and menu system that makes it extremely easy to use and difficult to put down. A lot of people thought that despite the high price, the device was well worth the money. So now that its just £100 it looks as though sales could just go through the roof and thats without mentioning the App Store and the hype that wil surround that too.
If there was ever a device that could turn people from PC over to Mac, its the iPhone.
For anyone who doesn’t know who Blurb are - go and check them out: www.blurb.com.
They are a US based company that take Apple Photobooks to a whole new level, allowing you to create your very own books using their exceptional BookSmart software. Not only that, they also have an online store where you can sell your creations to the general public and a thriving community where you can get feedback on ideas on future projects.
Over the last year they have grown exponentially and are now involved in a very cool competition for photographers.
Photography Book Now is a competition for budding photographers to make a Blurb book and submit it so it can be judged by a world renowned panel and showcased across the globe.
For more information head to www.photographybooknow.com
There has been a veritable explosion of iPhone rumours this afternoon as WWDC approaches. Both Engadget and Mac Rumors have new posts with new details. There have been claims from eastern manufacturers saying that there will be a smaller iPhone with a 2.8inch screen as well as the possibility of a tablet like device that will have a 7inch screen.
Without wanting to be massively smug, iCreate did predict an iPhone family of products in the last issue of the magazine and this latest batch of rumours seems only to be confirming our prediction.
Of course we’ll all have to wait until Monday to find out whats really been going on at Cupertino.
It really can’t get here fast enough.
www.macrumors.com
www.engadget.com
Finally, there has been some movement on movies appearing on the UK iTunes store. Both Ben and I have ranted on the podcast about how stupid it is that the States can have them and yet we, over here, can’t.
According to various reports Apple has signed new contracts with Fox, Disney, Warner Bros and Paramount. Lionsgate and MGM are expected to sign soon.
The average price of buying a film will be £13 with prices ranging from as little as £6 and going all the way up to £25.
Sadly, none of the reports cite an actual date but we’re hoping that some news is better than no news.
Come on Steve, sort it out! We’re in need of the films, whats the big hold up?
At least June 9th is only a week or so away and then we’ll get something shiny and new to take our minds off it…
There is an interesting story on www.macnn.com which offers some interesting insight into Apple’s market share of the computer world. Whilst its commonly known that in the market as a whole Apple occupies about 14%, its come to light that when compared to the market of PC’s that cost over $1000 (which accounts for the majority of the Mac lineup) Apple actually holds around 66%!
Surely, these stats should be telling Apple to crack on and create a mid-market machine that has some of the appeal of the iMac but with a nice low starting price. As much as we love the Mac mini, its lack of a dedicated graphics card and basic upgrade-ability make it a bit of the stick in the mud to those people on a budget but with plans for expansion over time.
So, come on Apple. Build us a cool machine that can sit between the iMac and the Mac mini. Please…
