After being unveiled last September, and subsequently delayed, the long-awaited overhaul of iTunes was finally released to the general public on Thursday. Over 10 years ago, Apple unveiled its jukebox software to the world: innovative at the time, it has become more bloated and complicated over the years.
Such has been the coverage of the iPhone 5 and subsequently, the iPad mini, that the small matter of the radically-redesigned iMac has slipped into the back of our minds. When Apple launched the smaller tablet last month, it also gave us a look at the all-new iMac, and although there was - to the disappointment of many - no Retina display, the new slender look seemed to go down with the on-looking tech world.
If you happened to catch the last Apple media event that was held at the California Theatre last month, then it shouldn't come as any great surprise that Apple had been working hard on producing a new iMac range that features a thinner form factor. Retail contacts have been suggesting that physical Apple Stores were preparing their outlets yesterday for sales to go live today, with a number of stores in the United States initially receiving low stock levels to begin with. Regardless of the available stock, the time has come with the new 21.5-inch iMac being available for worldwide sales.
The iPhone 5 has been available to the general public for just over seventy days, and although we have already seen some rough estimates of sales and user adoption, we should accept the fact that it has taken Apple over two months to get stock levels into a position to keep up with demand. In the United Kingdom, and in other several parts of Europe, we sometimes take it for granted that we can just walk into an Apple Store or visit the website and purchase an entirely SIM-free iPhone with no minimum contract, which is a luxury now afforded to American consumers across the pond directly from an Apple Store.
iTunes 11 has just been seeded by Apple after a great deal of delay, and naturally, the tech world is busy trying to dissect all of the new features. Among them, arrives the ability to redeem iTunes Store gift / credit cards by simple means of using your computer's camera. Typing in a long alphanumeric can be a pain in the rear, and unless maximum concentration is applied, mistakes are easy to make, rendering the whole process somewhat seamless. With this new camera snapping system working in much the same manner as your typical QR scanner, you can finally let the tech do the donkey work for you.
Today is a big day in Apple's software calendar, and as well as the small matter of a new-look iTunes 11, update 5.1.1 has just been released for the Apple TV. The little black box doesn't quite get the attention of some other iOS devices, but with continual rumors of a connected Apple TV on the horizon, it's hardly surprising so few have picked up the $99 set-top. Unlike iTunes, which looks vastly different from the old versions, update 5.1.1 isn't too much of a bump, offering mainly bug fixes, couples with support for iTunes Up Next with iTunes 11 or iTunes Match.
Whenever we talk about the executive structure of Apple, or watch a live media event, we invariably see the same names and faces; Tim Cook, Jony Ive, Phil Schiller and Eddy Cue to name a few. While they are all extremely important in the company’s structure and vital to the history of what makes Apple the company that it is today, it's worth remembering the almost forgotten names of those who played their part in phoenix from the flames story that surrounds the Cupertino company. Tony Fadell is one of those previous Apple executives who has gone onto ventures new, but it seems that Apple's departing SVP of iOS, Scott Forstall, left a bitter taste in Fadell's mouth.
In light of Apple and HTC's licensing agreement earlier this month, Samsung took the opportunity to express its desire to never settle with the Cupertino company in such a manner. In light of a recent Dutch court's decision, however, the Korean outfit may be forced to retract that statement, for failure to comply with a sales ban on All Galaxy devices running Android 2.2.1 and higher will leave the LCD specialist forced to pay fines of up to €100,000 ($129,000) per day.
It still seems very strange to be talking about the success of devices like the iPad and Nexus 7 and the different levels of market share that Google and Apple hold in the tablet industry considering that this particular market didn't really exist until Apple forged it with the release of the initial iPad back in 2010. We may have recently seen the fourth-generation iPad released but it has only really been thirty-two months that companies have been competing in this space. With that said, recent figures are showing that the dominant iPad is losing some market share to Android powered tablets in the run up to the holiday shopping season.
General Motors seems particularly keen, dare I say, Sirious about implementing voice-recognition technology into automobiles, and to outline this intention, will be implementing Apple's Siri personal assistant to a couple of its Chevrolet car models early next year.
