If techies ruled national holidays, today would be known as "iPad day," and for a good while now, we've been looking forward to the grand unveiling of the fifth-generation Cupertino slate. In today's announcement, the fruit company has not disappointed, and as well as bringing an entirely revamped, thinner and lighter overall design, the device is also more compact, boasts some tidy new display tech, and a brand new name: iPad Air.
Today has been a reasonably busy day for Apple, and among all of the new hardware and exciting products, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has released updated version of its iWork and iLife apps for both iOS and OS X, covering iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, Keynote, Numbers and Pages. Although Apple has been doing its utmost to promote its in-house range of apps in recent times - no less by making them free to those picking up an iOS 7-enabled device - the apps themselves have felt as though they've been caught in a time warp, but with newly-designed icons, cleaner UI and plenty of features besides, Apple's famed work and play suites now look very much in-keeping with the recently-released iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks.
The iPad media event has just kicked off and Craig Federighi has announced the final availability of OS X Mavericks along with its pricing structure. More details can be found right here.
It's often the case that tech companies use the announcements of a rival to plug a new product or service, and on a day that will see Apple announce its new iPad(s), Mac Pro and more, Nokia has taken the opportunity to showcase its first tablet, which it has named the Lumia 2520. Costing $499 and running on Windows RT 8.1, it is built for the masses, and with a sleek design similar to many of the Finnish outfit's smartphones, also arrives with a keyboard-enabled smart cover.
Today, Apple will be making some pretty significant announcements at their special media event, with the iPad 5 and Retina iPad mini both expected to be showcased alongside a number of other products and services. It mightn't always be the case that Apple events are streamed online for all to see, but thankfully, those looking to follow the action in its entirety can do so via live stream.
Mobile gaming is on the rise, there’s no denying that, and with the increase in new titles popping up every other hour, it’s safe to say that this industry is not going anywhere any time soon. Things become even more interesting when you add a popular title that’s highly anticipated to the mix, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with EA’s confirmation that they’re planning to bring their highly-cherished franchise, Battlefield 4, to the world of mobile gaming.
Microsoft brought Windows 8.1 to the masses just recently, after putting it through a decently long beta period, and it seems that all the feedback that Windows 8 generated (negative one in particular) got the Redmond giant listening. Windows 8.1 boasts a slew of improvements over its predecessor that are quite minor when looked at from afar, but offer solutions for the most annoying quirks that Windows 8 had on offer. The altogether lack of a Start button (only the button, and not menu, of course), improved Modern UI apps, better customization and configuration control are just the tips of the iceberg, which indicate that things might be headed in the right direction.
Apple's iOS 7 has brought forth many changes, but the most immediately obvious alteration is the revamped user interface, which takes on a much flatter approach compared with the previous skeuomorphism. Apple's enigmatic design king Jony Ive is credited with coming up with the new look, but whilst many have lauded the intricacy of the new icons and various elements, Vaclav Krejci shows just how very easy it could have been for Ive to create the look using only tools found in Microsoft Word.
After quite some delay and uncertainty surrounding the launch of BBM, or BlackBerry Messenger for both iOS and Android, BlackBerry has just released a press statement revealing that both versions will manifest at their respective stores in the coming hours. Such is the way things have been for BlackBerry over the past couple of years, this is arguably the most exciting thing the company has announced since BB10, and with six million consumers having signed up to the progress update feed of BBM's wider launch, it looks as though the wait is now finally, almost over.
The gold model of the new iPhone 5s has been highly sought-after by a large portion of consumers, but while the rear cover and accents offer the novel champagne finish, the device itself is still largely white, and those looking for a darker color configuration are left only with the Space Gray variant. However, a Black + Gold version, made using legitimate components from a Space Gray and Gold model iPhone 5s, has now appeared on eBay, and with it being the first of its kind comprised of 100% Apple-manufactured parts, those interested will have to pony up a cool $3,600 for the privilege.
