This year, after much hyping and speculation, Apple fans ended up greatly disappointed by iPhone 5 non-appearance. But their wait could be well worth it as a redesigned iPhone 5 may launch in Fall 2012.

The sixth generation iPhone could sport an aluminum rear casing, with a rubberized bezel much like Apple’s iPhone 4 bumper cases. Gone are the Gorilla glass which although stylish, is highly susceptible to cracks and smashes.

This will be the first iPhone without the innovation and marketing genius of Steve Jobs to get techies into a tizzy. iPhone 4S did not impress but broke sales records, will iPhone 5 achieve the same success?

[BGR]

Despite lukewarm reviews of iPhone 4S when it was unveiled, Apple is celebrating record iPhone 4S sales – moving as many as 4 million units this weekend.

For early birds who got their hands on the latest iGadget, it is not all rosy. Several frustrating iPhone 4S issues range from subpar screen quality, unresponsive Siri to slow Sprint.

Some tech geeks went a step further in their “review” of the iPhone 4S. They did a drop test and a bullet test. Did iPhone 4S stand up to the extreme treatment? Check out the vids…

There was a time when Apple iPod ruled the digital music player business but consumers preferences have shifted somewhat.

As the iconic music player celebrates its 10th anniversary next month, there are speculation that Apple may discontinue the iPod Classic and iPod Shuffle.

It is not hard to understand why Apple want to axe the iPods. Since the arrival of iPhone, iPod sales are declining year after year and now generate only 8-percent of Apple’s total revenue according to Q4 2010 statistics.

Apple can deploy their resources to more profitable ventures and it is better to call it quits at the top than to have consumers slam your products for falling short and destroy the brand. What do you guys think?

[TUAW]

Right after Apple reported its blowout earnings, it has another good news lined up.

OS X Lion, its eighth and latest major release of operating system, available at $29.99, has registered a cool one million downloads in the first day of availability. That’s the fastest selling OS release in Apple’s history.

Apple has proudly claimed that OS X Lion is the “best OS we’ve ever made.”

I agree. The OS X Lion comes with 250 new features for Mac devices such as Multi-Touch gestures, system-wide support for full-screen apps, Mission Control, the Mac App Store, Launchpad, and a completely revamped Mail app.

With so many innovative features and Apple operating system being much more affordable than Windows upgrades, I just gotta head over to the Mac App Store and get a download.

Apple is laughing all the way to the bank, it seems nobody can say no to their iPads.

Airlines are now distributing iPads to their pilots. Recently, Alaska Airlines was approved to allow Apple iPads to replace paper flight charts and maps. The pilots no longer need to carry over 11kg of paper manuals every time they travel. They can just bring the lighter iPad, making their work more efficient.

For the airlines, they can offset the cost of iPads by fuel savings from reduced weight, and fewer expenses for back and muscle injuries to pilots from carrying their flight bags.

I am usually happy when businesses adopt technology to improve their efficiency but in this case, the gadgets could be rather distracting. Let’s hope the pilots don’t become too engrossed with surfing the web, watching videos or playing games on the iPads.

[Engadget]

With the constant rah-rah over iPhones and iPads, consumers are not giving laptops and notebooks much time of day.

The Macbook Pros may have slipped somewhat into the background but Apple has given us new reasons to buy their laptops again. While there is no revolutionary design changes, the updates are more impressive than previous versions.

All Macbook models, except the 13 inchers have been upgraded with Core i5 and i7 Sandy Bridge processors as well AMD Radeon HD 6000M graphics cards. The laptops also come with a new “FaceTime HD camera” which has 3x the resolution of previous Macbook Pro iSights and full HD video calling functionality.

To mark the occasion, let’s get used to the buzzword, Thunderbolt, too. It is Intel’s Light Peak new technology which enables super fast I/O speeds of 10Gb/s both ways.

Sounds a bit overhyped, we will have to see how it performs in real time.

[Engadget]

The sequel to wildly successful iPad is coming soon. Apple have handed out press invites to a March 2nd iPad event and it is likely that the much anticipated iPad 2 will be unveiled.

Apple never fail to disappoint its fans with each new release.. and I can’t wait for iPad 2.

What exciting stuff do you guys think Apple will incorporate into iPad 2? I am not greedy, just hoping for a slimmer design, faster processor, front and rear cameras, SD card slot and better speakers.

[Engadget]

Apple has unleashed a button sized iPod Nano on us and it’s completely different from every Nano that came before it.

Pros:

* A new and smoother OS.
* Smooth navigation, much like an iPhone, but with no no home button. To get back to the homescreen, just tap-and-hold any on screen area where there aren’t any buttons or other interactive doodads.
* Futuristic design. Edge to edge touchscreen display, with the smallest of bezels holding it all together.
* Possibly the smallest touchscreen device.

Cons:

* The screen is too small for a keyboard, and there’s no WiFi or 3G, so no browser or Google Maps. Hence, multi-touch seems a bit redundant now, except to zoom into pics.
* Due to no 3G/WiFi, there’s no App Store.
* It’s small, perhaps too small to hold.
* No camera and video playback.

I think the new iPod Nano will still be a bestseller. It is great for people who want a reasonably flashy MP3 player, but don’t need the expandable frills of an iPod Touch. But I won’t be buying it anytime soon.

TomTom App, a popular GPS software, promises more efficient and safer driving with its new multi-tasking functions as drivers can now receive turn-by-turn directions while running other apps on their iPhone.

Some of the multi-tasking capabilities integrated by TomTom (Version 1.4) includes:

• Seamless navigation while calling – Users can make and answer calls while navigating with the help of visual turn-by-turn instructions. With this feature, users see visual instructions even when they are on a call, so they are not distracted by the call and directions to their destination.
• Background navigation instructions – Passengers can use and view other apps on the screen while receiving spoken turn-by-turn instructions from TomTom app.
• Route Sharing – Car travellers can now send details of their current route, to their iPhone’s contacts via email. This feature lets friends and family keep up to date of your location.
• Departure Reminder – Drivers can now plan upcoming trips and add them to their calendar, with a departure reminder appearing on their iPhone when it’s time to travel.
• Eco-friendly Routing – Drivers can save money and reduce environmental impact by driving on more fuel-efficient routes. By using its advanced routing technology and the driving data of all TomTom users, the TomTom app will provide a more efficient route option.
• Car Symbols – Drivers can now personalise the car symbol on the driving screen by choosing the car icon, symbol and colour that best meets their style.

Availability and Price

TomTom app for iPhone (Version 1.4) is available for purchase via the App Store for USD $59.99. If you currently own a TomTom app, you can update to the new version at no extra cost.

Even though TomTom app (Version 1.4) runs on OS 3.0 and iOS 4, you should upgrade to iOS 4 to take advantage of all the new features.


A few days ago, the much awaited iPhone 4 was launched but the party wasn’t all that great. Yes, long queues were present at Apple stores. Nevertheless, there were some disappointment and tears after the unboxing of the iPhone 4.

Firstly, the hyped Retina display which promises crystal clear pictures that put all camera phones to shame became secondary to the disgusting pale yellow spot on the screen. Not all phones were affected though but you gotta check and it definitely spoils the enjoyment of taking pics and videos with your iPhone 4.

It was also reported that the signal strength may be affected and some calls got cut off, depending on which hand you hold the iPhone 4. Due to the iPhone 4 new design, holding it in your left palm will bridge the 2 antennae, leading to a drop in signals. You can use the Apple “bumper” accessory to solve the problem though.

In terms of shock resistance, the iPhone 4 didn’t pass muster either. Anybody who has used a mobile phone will have dropped it at some point of time. In the case of iPhone 4, such careless moments could be disastrous.

Seeing the smashed iPhone 4, it has lost all aesthetic appeal and pose a safety hazard as you can cut yourself easily. I don’t understand why Apple want to use glass (and it doesn’t look like tempered glass to me). The iPhone 4 will have looked equally slick with a stainless steel back instead of glass. At least it is more durable and resilient.

The manufacturing defects and design issues in this groundbreaking gadget worry me. Apple is gonna make a fortune repairing phones but it will do its reputation no good.

Let’s hope Apple fix these issues for their second batch of iPhone 4.

[Insanely Great Mac, Engadget]