Apple announces new OS X 10.7 “Lion”

Yesterday Steve Jobs announced the newest upcoming version of OS X, “Lion”, during a press conference titled “Back to Mac”.

The new OS will be available in the summer of 2011, so this probably just ruined your Black Friday shopping because Jobs pretty much warned you that the Mac you buy today will be obsolete in less than 9 months.

What’s new? An App Store, a Launchpad (a-la iPad), running apps full-screen, Mission Control (think Exposé on steroids), and nothing else was leaked.

The premise is to bring the “magic” of iOS to the Computer hardware.

For more: www.apple.com/macosx/lion

Is Apple your friend or foe?

Apple has applied for a patent that will allow it to take measures if “unauthorized” users get a hold of someone’s device. With its new patent application Apple is trying to become proactive in deterring theft, and cracking of its devices.

What  does this mean for rightful owners could mean good news, if you have an untouched device or in other words a device that has not been hijacked or jailbroken.

If, on the other hand your device has been jailbroken could mean you may not be able to use after Apple disables the device. Using some sort of “listening” or interactive application Apple could determine if an unauthorized user has gotten a hold of a device and disable it remotely alerting the owner and even authorities of the location of such device.

This method however will disable purchased devices that had been tampered to allow applications other than those sold by Apple. Learn more HERE

Apple to address iPhone 4 issues in press conference today

I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired of companies not doing their proper testing and then releasing crappy products, or products with tons of issues.

Toyota that was the best example of quality worldwide just had a major recall of the Prius because of issues with their accelerators; their response: “we did not find this issue in any of our tests”

Well, you guys did not design your tests very well, I would start by firing your testing department and restaffing it with more skilled engineers.

As a Mac fan it hurts to see Apple deliver poor quality. If you have been paying attention, they have had issues with iMacs monitors, iPod scratches and screen issues, battery recalls, iPhone AC adapter recalls, etc.

Honestly if you buy an Apple product nowadays you would be stupid if you don’t buy the Apple Care extended warranty, because it’s very likely that you will have to take your product (more than once) to the Genius Bar for repairs or replacement.

Steve Jobs: There is no wrongdoing in admitting you screwed up the antenna. Just make it good for all of  us, loyal customers.

The New Bionic Era

In a surgery operation 2 bioengineered prosthesis were implanted in the rear legs of a cat named Oscar, by Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Surrey, England. The surgery is a first in the world and provides an idea as of how much this technology can change the future of prosthesis implants.

The innovative technology is under testing in humans and promises to be a success in modern technology to replace lost limbs.

You can read the entire article clicking on the following link:

Bionic Cat

We have the technology!

Quantum Computer a Step Closer

ScienceDaily posted the following article (full reproduction):

‘Quantum Computer’ a Stage Closer With Silicon Breakthrough

ScienceDaily (June 23, 2010) — The remarkable ability of an electron to exist in two places at once has been controlled in the most common electronic material — silicon — for the first time. The research findings — published in Nature by a UK-Dutch team from the University of Surrey, UCL (University College) London, Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, and the FOM Institute for Plasma Physics near Utrecht — marks a significant step towards the making of an affordable “quantum computer.”

According to the research paper, the scientists have created a simple version of Schrodinger’s cat — which is paradoxically simultaneously both dead and alive — in the cheap and simple material out of which ordinary computer chips are made.

“This is a real breakthrough for modern electronics and has huge potential for the future,” explained Professor Ben Murdin, Photonics Group Leader at the University of Surrey. “Lasers have had an ever increasing impact on technology, especially for the transmission of processed information between computers, and this development illustrates their potential power for processing information inside the computer itself. In our case we used a far-infrared, very short, high intensity pulse from the Dutch FELIX laser to put an electron orbiting within silicon into two states at once — a so-called quantum superposition state. We then demonstrated that the superposition state could be controlled so that the electrons emit a burst of light at a well-defined time after the superposition was created. The burst of light is called a photon echo; and its observation proved we have full control over the quantum state of the atoms.”

And the development of a silicon based “quantum computer” may be only just over the horizon. “Quantum computers can solve some problems much more efficiently than conventional computers — and they will be particularly useful for security because they can quickly crack existing codes and create un-crackable codes,” Professor Murdin continued. “The next generation of devices must make use of these superpositions to do quantum computations. Crucially our work shows that some of the quantum engineering already demonstrated by atomic physicists in very sophisticated instruments called cold atom traps, can be implemented in the type of silicon chip used in making the much more common transistor.”

Professor Gabriel Aeppli, Director of the London Centre for Nanotechnology added that the findings were highly significant to academia and business alike. “Next to iron and ice, silicon is the most important inorganic crystalline solid because of our tremendous ability to control electrical conduction via chemical and electrical means,” he explained. “Our work adds control of quantum superpositions to the silicon toolbox.”

The article is great news to the computer followers who now have one more reason to believe in the ever slipping technology that will get us closer to build a real super computer

The electron orbits a phosphorus atom embedded in the silicon lattice, shown in silver. The undisturbed electron density distribution, calculated from the quantum mechanical equations of motion is shown in yellow. A laser pulse can modify the electron’s state so that it has the density distribution shown in green. Our first laser pulse, arriving from the left, puts the electron into a superposition of both states, which we control with a second pulse, also from the left, to give a pulse which we detect, emerging to the right. The characteristics of this “echo” pulse tell us about the superposition we have made. (Credit: UCL)

iOS 4.0 Update available now

The iPhone OS 4.0 (aka iOS) update is available now to AT&T subscribers via iTunes. You first have to upgrade iTunes to version 9.2 and then download and install the update.

I just upgraded 2 iPhone 3GS’s in a row and neither has had any issues at all, so it seems like a pretty safe procedure.

As the day went by, different app vendors started to roll out some updates, and the one of the most anticipated ones is Pandora, the free music streaming service.

Here’s a summary of some of the new features:

• Customizable backgrounds
• Multitasking
• Task bar for switching between running apps and kill running apps
• Folders to organize apps
• Unified Inbox
• Multiple Exchange connections
• Email Thread organization
• Ability to turn off Cellular Data
• Ability to turn off landscape mode
• iPhone controls available on taskbar
• 5X Digital Zoom for the Camera
• Ability to Focus in Video (but no Zoom)

Here’s a video review of the iOS 4.0 in action:

This update should be available to iPod Touch users, but no word of when it will be available to iPad owners.

How to configure a Hotmail account on your iPhone or other mobile device

I don’t know if you knew, but in case you didn’t, here’s how to configure Hotmail and Windows Live Mail accounts to be read on your mobile device:

Create a new POP email account and use these settings:

• POP server: pop3.live.com (Port 995)
• POP SSL required? Yes
• User name: Your Windows Live ID, for example yourname@hotmail.com
• Password: The password you usually use to sign in to Hotmail or Windows Live
• SMTP server: smtp.live.com (Port 25 or 587)
• Authentication required? Yes (this matches your POP username and password)
• TLS/SSL required? Yes

Source: Configuring Hotmail for your iPhone (or mobile device)

Gas prices on the fly? GasBuddy.com

When you are on the run and need a quick comparison of gas prices in your vicinity, gasbuddy.com is a lightweight mobile site that uses your location to give you a list of gas prices by gas types and diesel.

The iPhone 4 is here (“4th Generation” not “4G”)

Well, it’s finally here, but you already knew that unless of course you don’t follow Gizmodo, or you don’t watch TV because you are too busy with the internets.

And yeah, it’s exactly like the lost prototype that Gizmodo reported. I was kinda’ hopin’ that Apple would have changed it a little bit, I think it’s looking less and less cool and more and more like a Blackberry.

What’s new?

It’s iPhone 4 as in 4th Generation, not “4G”, so it still runs on AT&T’s 3G network, so no fireworks here.

2 Cameras, one in the front, one in the back for WiFi-only (that’s right) video chat (“Face Time”).

The camera has a digital Flash, 5X digital zoom (thanks to the OS) and records video in HD format (720 only though, no 1028).

The new iPhone OS 4.0, will allow you to get the following features:

• Multitasking
• Customize your wallpapers
• Create Folders to organize your apps
• Unified Inbox (like the iPad)
• Multiple Exchange accounts (finally!)
• iBooks
• Wireless keyboard support

You can signup here for Apple notifications to learn when the iPhone 4 and the 4.0 iPhone OS update will be available. Keep in mind that you will be able to update your iPhone whether you have an iPhone 4 or not (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPad). Multitasking will only work on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

Upgradeability

If you want to find out whether you qualify for a free upgrade already, dial the following code on your iPhone to get a free text message from AT&T: *639#

Supposedly AT&T is letting people upgrade much earlier than before.

Drawbacks

You better hurry because on 6/7 AT&T will eliminate the Unlimited Data Plans and will start charging for 15GB or 25GB ($15 or $25 a month), and $10 per extra GB.

With all that HD video, and Pandora streaming in the background, you better watch yourself or your kids to avoid an 18,000 phone bill like this guy.

You can only video-chat on WiFi, and it’s unclear whether you’ll be able to do Skype video on this one. But if you’re stuck with WiFi and your main use of a WiFi network is at home, then use your computer’s web cam and wait for the next upgrade or whenever you are eligible for a free upgrade.

Am I going to upgrade? OS yes, device not yet.

AT&T to eliminate Unlimited Data Plans for iPhone & iPad

Beginning on June 7, new iPhone users will no longer be able to get Unlimited data plans, but rather choose from a 15GB plan for $15/month, or 2GB for $25/month. Each extra GB will cost you $10. 10 bucks!

Existing users get to keep their existing plans, but if you want to save money AT&T won’t extend your contract for another 2 years if you want to switch.

AT&T will send you warning text messages when you approach your limits.

Tethering will also be available but at an extra $20/month (or perhaps it’s time to unlock your phone, screw the warranty and use PdaNet to do it for free).

iPad users will face the same luck.

Hasta la vista unlimited!