Apple unveils brand new iPod Touch, touchscreen Nano, all new iTunes and Apple TV

Cupertino based company Apple Inc, the company behind the popular Mac range of computers as well as the iPod and iPhone, has unveiled a brand new range of entertainment products in an event held as part of a press conference in California.

The new line of iPods include a touchscreen nano device. Instead of buttons, the device uses controls placed directly on the screen. Additionally, the company's popular iPod Touch - something of an entry level iPhone - has been revamped to include, among other features, the company's new 'Facetime' feature, which was introduced when the company unveiled its new iPhone.

Steve Jobs, the company's co-founder and Chief Executive, also pointed out that the entertainment software Apple owns, iTunes, will include social features - allowing users to see what their friends are listening to and so on.

Apple TV, a product regularly dismissed as a 'pet project' for Apple, has been completely revamped as well. It has been designed with renting and buying high-definition movies in mind.

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Turns out that Steve Jobs has always been a fan of turtlenecks

As if to prove the influence Steve Jobs has had on Apple computer, we encourage you to simply glance at the old Apple II poster to the left of this text, circa 1977.

In case you're unaware of the significance this old poster possesses, it is one of Steve Jobs' trademark fashion statements to turn up at Apple events clad in a turtleneck with mandatory sneakers and jeans.

Timeless fashion, certainly appropriate for such a timeless company. [Via Gizmodo] 

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Apple profit rises 78%, may just be the most profitable religion on the planet

Microsoft could learn a thing or two from Apple. Their philosophy on making products that people actually want to buy appears to be working well for them; profit at the Cupertino based company skyrocketed 78% last quarter.

Apple said that the huge growth that the company continues to see is a result of a number of new products - which include the iPad and new iPhone.

The Vatican could take a tip or two as well. Another key to Apple's success is its huge cult-like following.

The company has a devoted fan base that quickly moves in when a product is released - immediately catapulting it into the spotlight of consumer desirability, particularly among technology lovers.

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Steve Jobs and iPhone 4 get the Taiwanese animation treatment

No controversy involving the technology world would be completely covered by the media without receiving the full-blown Taiwanese news animation treatment - as the iPhone 4 antenna saga has in the video embedded above. 

Not only does the video show Steve Jobs' plight to have his product free from controversy, but chronicles the crowning of Jobs as the new dark lord of tech - including a very special Jobs v. Gates ultra-lightsaber battle. [Via NMANews]

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Rupert Murdoch loves Steve Jobs as much as you do

In an interview with his noise channel, media baron Rupert Murdoch professed his profound love for Apple, Steve Jobs and the iPad. He also took time to note that the laptop is dead, and echo the belief of the tech industry on the fate of newspapers. [Via Fox News]

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New iPhone shatters Apple sales record

Apple, the technology company responsible for the iPhone 4, has reportedly shattered its last sales record in a massive rush to get the device into the hands of consumers following its release earlier this month.

The company has sold 1.7 million units, in one of the most successful launches of a product yet for the company, which recently became the worlds largest technology based corporation in the world - surpassing Microsoft, the longtime record holder in tech market capitalization. [Image and data via Reuters]

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Russian President meets benevolent Apple overlord

As well as dropping into Apple headquarters, the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, also sat down with the founders of Twitter as well as popping in to see the HQ of Cisco and a number of other Silicon Valley companies. Medvedev works on a MacBook, and also has an iPad for personal use.

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You know the iPad is popular when people start trading it for marijuana

Steve Jobs and the people at Apple can surely pat themselves on the back upon the runaway success of the first ever iPad, a revolutionary tablet computing device.

Not least because people are now using it as a currency to buy and sell pot.

Two young go-getters who longed for such a sleek device decided to do what any other economically minded young entrepreneurs would do - they decided to get an iPad on Craigslist by offering to pay with an iPod touch and - somewhat less normally - a quarter-ounce of marijuana.

Jacob Walker and his partner in crime, Joseph Velarte, both the tender age of 20, posted a listing on the free classified ads site that read:

i am willing to trade my 32 gb ipod touch 3rd generation and a quarter of DANK. blue dream straight outta cali. the ipod is in PERFECT condition. not one scratch it has been in the case the whole time and has never had screen cover removed!!!! let me know!!!

To sweeten the deal, the two posted a picture of the winning bidder's prize [seen below].

How could such a wonderful deal, and such a terrific bargain ever go wrong? Well, the police met up with the pair by contacting them through the ad. I'm sure they'll be alright, though - I hear that there's quite a market for that kind of stuff where they're going. 

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iLove - Cupidtino is a dating site for Apple fans

Apple has always had a cult following, now with
a dating site to help followers find each other.

Apple fanboys and girls will soon have their own internet haven for finding their fellow iLovers. Cupidtino, a play on the word Cupertino, where Apple is headquartered, is a dating site that helps fans of Apple products to find each other and hook up.

The technology company, which has always had a cult following, is not affiliated with the dating site, but no doubt recognises that it is another extension of the huge fan base that the company sells to.

Steve Jobs is himself no stranger to the huge appeal of the products his company sells. During the keynote for the launch of the next generation iPhone, the down-to-earth CEO quoted an email he received from a customer.

"I was sitting in a cafe with my iPad recently, and I got a girl interested in me", read the email, "...now that's what I call a magical device".

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Don't blame Apple for document leak, it's AT&T's fault

Tuau, the 'unofficial Apple weblog' has come to the rescue of Apple in the wake of yet another embarrassing leak from the technology company, this time about the iPad.

When it was told that a huge list of iPad 3G customers had been leaked into the public domain, the blog came to the rescue of the company it's partly named after, saying that it was in fact not Apple's fault, but the fault of AT&T.

So why is this Apple's fault? Because Apple has teamed up with AT&T, and therefore -- through the transitive power of magical thinking coupled with a deep desire for web traffic and Digg hits -- Apple is responsilbe for ensuring that AT&T doesn't make any mistakes. Apple is supposed to "patrol" AT&T's network.

I think they've got a point. Read the full article here.

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Steve Jobs WiFi failure explained

During the launch of the iPhone 4, the next generation smartphone from Apple, Steve Jobs, the company's benevolent overlord had some troubles with the event's WiFi network. He did manage to salvage some of the blow the technical troubles made to his presentation, with a joke.

Tech blog Boing Boing published this explaination from Rob Beschizza, a contributor to the blog:

Apple apparently did offer a public Wi-Fi network at the WWDC launch, according to media and attendees I've polled. And those who tried it said that network did work initially. But with so much media in the audience, and the history of conference/event Wi-Fi networks having glitches at peak times--with many people liveblogging and uploading photos from the event--those who had MiFis chose to use those instead.

Wi-Fi can cope with a lot of so-called interference, but the protocol wasn't designed to handle hundreds of overlapping networks in a small space. (Interference is really the limits of a radio to distinguish signals out of noise, not a physical property of radio waves.)

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iPhone's pixel density exceeds that of the human retina

Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, today launched iPhone 4 at the company's WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference). One of the more remarkable features that was launched included what the company calls its 'Retina Display' - which, as it turns out, exceeds the human eye in terms of pixel density. 

The human retina can differentiate between 300 pixels per inch. However, Apple's new iPhone exceeds that with 326 pixels per inch. 

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Amid excitement, Apple unveils iPhone 4 - "Stop me if you've seen this before"

The wishes of many have come true today as Steve Jobs, the much adored CEO of Apple, unveiled the newest version of the company's beloved iPhone range - iPhone 4 - which the company is saying will without any doubt change things 'all over again'.

Hardware on the iPhone 4, as expected after the infamous Gizmodo leak, is identical to those seen in the misplaced prototype. The device runs Apple's new iPhone OS 4, which was released to a small group of developers recently after a preview at the company's headquarters (this can be found on the company's website at www.apple.com).

In addition to the new hardware, the device also packs in a couple of new features, including a product called Facetime - which is a phone to phone video conferencing application which is set to take advantage of the built-in camera on the front of the device.

All the technology, the company says, is situated between two glossy pieces of aluminosilicate glass, with a steel band wrapped around it.

As well as the black version, users can buy a white version as they could before, however this time with both sides in the white shade, as the operating system now allows this to be aesthetically pleasing with regard to the lack of contrast between the home screen and the surrounding glass.

All of this is powered by Apple's famously touted A4 chip, which the company has promoted and - as expected - no Flash is included in the device.

Altogether, the device delivers all the expectations of those who were waiting for it. The hardware is a pleasing development in a device that was beginning to lose its overall visual appeal - and become mundane. The next generation iPhone is a winner.

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Dell announces competition to the iPad

After watching in awe as Apple released its new wonder-tablet, the iPad, Dell has launched its own rival into the tablet computing marketplace - and calls it the Streak.

The Streak is a 5-inch tablet that runs on Google's Android software, intended for use on mobile devices.

It also includes a number of other features, such as a 5 MP camera, front camera and WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities.

PC World detailed some of the Dell Streak's specs:
At launch, the Streak will be running Android 1.6 (Donut), but the device will receive an over-the-air upgrade to the new Flash-capable Android 2.2 (Froyo) later this year, a Dell spokesperson confirmed. The mini tablet will also come pre-loaded with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube apps, and Google Maps featuring free turn-by-turn navigation.

Of course, it will take much competition to beat Apple's iPad. This is particularly evident in the way that Android, Google's mobile operating system, has yet to gain measurable market share despite dozens of devices promoted by numerous mobile phone manufacturers.

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Steve Jobs promises 'freedom from porn' in heated email argument

According to TechCrunch:

For many years, tech fans have known that Steve Jobs will occasionally respond to messages directed to his well-publicized email address. Most of the time his responses consist of snappy one-liners, often containing a nugget of new information. But it's rare to hear about a full-on debate, with Jobs offering some rationale behind Apple's highly controversial decisions.

That's exactly what happened last night, when Gawker writer Ryan Tate got irritated by an Apple ad describing the iPad as "a revolution" and shot off an email to Steve Jobs.

Read the whole story: techcrunch.com

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Nintendo CEO says Steve Jobs of Apple is the "enemy of the future"

After posting its first drop in annual profits in six years, the CEO of Nintendo has set his sights on Steve Jobs, the creator of the iPod, iPhone and most recently, the iPad.

According to the Times of London, Saturo Iwata is prepared to 'go to war' with competitors, including Sony, Microsoft and Apple. Nintendo is "preparing to unleash the full force of its development and marketing artillery" against competitors, Mr Iwata said.

The Times Reports:

The Times adds, "Satoru Iwata, the Nintendo president, is understood to have told his senior executives recently to regard the battle with Sony as a victory already won and to treat Apple, and its iPhone and iPad devices, as the 'enemy of the future'."

Just a couple of months ago, Nintendo stated that they weren't worried about competition from Apple.

Nintendo's net profit for the fiscal year ending March 31 was down 18 percent to $2.5 billion, with sales dropping 22 percent to around $15.4 billion.

How will Nintendo fight back? Mashable investigates the potential outcome of a Nintendo phone as one alternative. What direction do you think the company should take? Is Apple really a threat? Tell us in the comments section below. 

Read the full story at the Times Online. 

  

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Obama 'disses the iPad' in college commencement speech

The President's address focused on the disparity in academic achievement between white students and black students

President Barack Obama gave the commencement speech at Hampton University on Sunday. In doing so, he talked extensively on how the African American students can contribute to efforts to close the historical racial gap within academic results.
In the main, this talk was fairly mundane and did not initially receive much attention.

One remark, however, was not so ordinary or unnoticed: the President 'dissed' the iPad.

In the words of Gawker:

But who cares about all that, besides people invested in making the world a more just and equal place (losers)? Barack Obama mentioned the iPad. The only way Google's top search terms could get closer together would be if Justin Beiber went on American Idol with Naked Pictures of Lady Gaga.

But more importantly, in the words of the President, himself:

"Meanwhile, you're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't rank all that high on the truth meter. With iPods and iPads; Xboxes and PlayStations; information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment. All of this is not only putting new pressures on you; it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy."

Although you may look at this and question the validity of the claim that Obama was 'dissing the iPad' as Gawker did in this report, you cannot deny that he may very well have a point.

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