Archive for June 8th, 2009

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Biggest pre-WWDC rumors:

  1. New iPhone H/W
  2. Web pad
  3. Steve sighting

More details from a Top-10 list:

  1. Multiple configs, prices starting at $99
  2. Wireless movie and TV downloads
  3. Increased storage, RAM and faster CPU
  4. Magnetometer (digital compass) and OLED screen
  5. Limited third-party background apps
  6. FM transmitter
  7. Better camera & video
  8. Similar look to iPhone 3G
  9. Voice control
  10. Illuminated Apple Logo
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Finally made it in to the Keynote. Cover your ears. I’m PISSED! Get here at 8:00am and miss the first 25 minutes of the Keynote! That sucks!

Anyway, CNET is live-blogging at: Live blog: WWDC 2009 keynote so I was able to follow the Mac H/W announcements.

They are now talking about Snow Leopard, the upgrade to Leopard. It was supposed to be just about bug fixes, but all they are showing is new features!

  • Expose and Spaces now have better integration. Click and hold on dock icon, and see all open windows for that app.
  • Very cool new features in safari - cover view browsing through history, with each page shown graphically.
  • Quicktime now allows you to trim and share videos while viewing.
  • All major system applications are running in 64-bit mode. Description of how Grand Central Dispatch takes advantage of multicore.
  • Exchange support will now be included in Mail, Address Book and iCal.

Observation: Just like last year, the applause is only in the Keynote room. The overflow room is silent. I wonder if the applause is from plants?

  • Available for all Intel Macintoshes, past and present. Leopard is $129. Snow Leopard is a $29 upgrade for Leopard users. OK, that one got applause. $49 for family pack.
  • Available in September. Developer preview today.

OK, now on to the iPhone!

  • SDK - 1 million downloads
  • 50K apps on the AppStore
  • 40M iPhones/iPod Touches sold
  • Video of iPhone developers - games, medical, sports - OK, applause for that, too.
  • OS 3.0 - Apps
    • Cut, copy and paste
      • Undo support (shake the phone)
      • Developer APIs
    • Landscape
      • Extended to all apps
    • ITunes
      • Rent and purchase movies from phone
    • MMS
      • Lots of laughter since no AT&T
    • Tethering
      • More laughter since no AT&T
    • Safari
      • Autofill
      • HTTP streaming
    • Find My iPhone
      • MobileMe will show location on map
      • Send message to phone “iPhone come home”
      • Alert sound even if in silent mode
  • OS 3.0 - SDK
    • 1000 new APIs
    • inApp purchasing
    • Peer-to-peer networking
    • Accessory APIs
      • Via dock connector or Bluetooth
    •  Embedded Maps
      • Developers are now allowed to provide turn by turn
    • Push Notification
      • Push text alerts, badges, alert sounds
      •  
  • OS 3.0 Developer Demos
    • gameloft - Asphalt 5 
      • race game
      • 27 cars, 5 motorcycles
      • “car stereo” can access iTunes library from within game!
      • Also using inApp purchase and inGame Voice
    • Airstrip Technologies
      • Medical
      • Sends “strips” to doctor’s iPhone.
      • Push notification of patient alerts.
      • Live streaming of vital signs.
      • Waiting for FDA clearance for new app
    • ScrollMotion
      • Icebook eReader
      • InApp purchase of books, magazines and newspapers
      • 1 Million books will be available, including textbooks
      • Copy and e-mail content
    • TomTom
      • Navigation in the iPhone
      • Turn-by-turn with Voice
      • Tom-tom car kit
        • Docks iPhone
        • Attaches to windshield or dashboard
        • Handsfree calling
        • Plays music over car stereo
        • GPS extensions
      • Available this summer
    • ngmoco
      • iPhone games
      • Star Defense
      • inApp purchase
      • head-to-head play
    • Pasco
      • Science Education - Experiments
      • Spark for iPhone
      • Sensors feed right into iPhone through docking connector
      • Demo demons - no pressure in the air hose trying to blow up the balloon
    • Zipcar
      • Zipcar iPhone app
      • 25% of Zipcar members live on the iPhone
      • Embedded maps
      • Tap horn icon on iPhone beeps car’s horn!
      • Tap unlock on iPhone unlocks car
    • Line 6 and Planet Waves
      • Control guitar and Amp from iPhone
      • Make guitar sound like completely different guitar
  • OS 3.0 
    •  Free for iPhones
    • $9.95 for iPod Touch
    • Available worldwide June 17
    • GM Seed available to developers today
  • New iPhone?  We still have a few minutes…
    • 2/3 of all mobile browsing is on iPhone
    • 50K apps
      • 5K Android
      • 1K for others
  • iPhone 3GS
    • Looks like 3G
    • S is for speed
      • 2 x faster to load apps
      • 3 x faster to load web pages and view attachments
      • Javascript on 3Gs is 8 x faster than 3G OS 2.2.1
      • Faster 3G support (7.2Mbps HSDPA)
    • New Camera
      • 3MPixel
      • Autofocus
      • Tap to focus - tap on what you want in focus
      • Automacro - 10cm
    • Video
      • 30 fps
      • VGA
      • Auto focus
      • Auto white balance
      • Auto exposure
      • Videos live in Picture application
      • Timeline
        • scrub and edit
      • Share
        • E-mail
        • MMS
        • MobileMe
        • YouTube
      • APIs
    • Voice Control
      • Voice dialing
      • Hold home button
      • Also interfaces with iPod
        • “What’s playing?”
    • Digital Compass
      • Integrated into maps
    • Nike+ Integrated
    • Better battery life - 3G +0-50%
    • Price
      • $299 - 3Gs 32GB
      • $199 - 3Gs 16GB
      • $99 - 3G 8GB
      • Available June 19
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Today is the first day of geekfest, I mean Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2009!

I’ll be live-blogging the conference (well, perhaps “lightly-delayed blogging”). I’ll also post other live blogging sites that I come across.

First News: The room for the 10:00am Keynote filled up at 8:00am! Shoot. It’s the overflow room again for me!

More News: Keynote minus 30 minutes. The line is around the block, as shown here:


View Larger Map

So I’m hanging out inside, where I can sit on the floor and use wifi. We’ll see how much of the keynote I end up missing…

OK, 10:03. Time to try to get inside!