New Mac Pros and MacBook Airs to launch this week with OS X Lion

Image Credit to 9to5Mac 

We have been expecting new MacBook Airs this week and now it appears that the ultra-thin notebooks won’t be the only new Macs this week. According to 9to5Mac source, part numbers for an upgraded Mac Pro line have appeared, hinting at a release for the new line of professional-minded desktop Macs in the coming days. Here are the new MacBook Airs:

Is Apple slitting Samsung’s throat with orders stoppage?

Samsung Mobile’s chief technology office Omar Khan is leaving the company for greener pastures, it was revealed yesterday. Khan is leaving for Citi where he will be responsible for their mobile initiatives. The unexpected departure arrives at a time when Samsung is chasing Nokia to become the world’s leading phone vendor and fighting Apple’s copycat accusations of stealing the design of iPhone’s hardware, software, packaging and even marketing communications.
As it turns out, Samsung may have already lost orders from Apple, its biggest buyer, as a result of the growing rift. The Globe and Mail reports that Apple might end its relationship with Samsung by taking their five billion dollar a year in electronics parts orders elsewhere. For example, Apple could order NAND flash from Toshiba, Micron and Hynix Semiconductor and mobile processors from Intel and TSMC. Samsung also supplies Apple with LCDs for computers and iPads. Samsung’s financial filings provide clues to its relationship with Apple.

iOS 5 beta 3 available for download from Apple's developer site

The new beta 3 from iOS 5 is now available for developers from Apple's Developer Site .

I'll Keep you Updated.

Apple App Store Downloads to Grow 61 Percent, Analyst Says

Purchases from Apple's App Store are expected to grow 61 percent this year as more and more consumers look for a rewarding app store experience when buying a new device, according to a Monday report.

The average iOS device user will download 83 apps in 2011, up 61 percent from 51 in 2010, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to investors.

"We believe this trend points to the increasing importance of an app store with a broad selection of tested apps to drive device sales," Munster wrote. "Smartphone users are showing an increasing appetite to use apps to add features to their phones, and iOS has the leading app ecosystem."

Those downloads will also include paid apps; app purchases are expected to jump 14 percent this year after an 18 percent drop in 2010. "After the initial race to the bottom in App Store pricing, we are seeing users pay up to add features and games to their iOS devices," Munster wrote.

According to Piper Jaffray analysis, about 82 percent of App Store apps are free and 18 percent are paid, with an average selling price of $1.44.

"The App Store ... brings new features to Apple's iOS devices and creates a virtuous cycle driving sales of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches," Munster concluded.

Last week, Apple announced that its App Store had topped the 15 billion download mark. At this point, there are 425,000 apps in the App Store, and 100,000 native iPad apps, available in 90 countries.

Also last week, research firm In-Stat offered some long-term outlook on tablet applications with a forecast for five-year growth of total worldwide tablet app downloads from under 1 billion in 2011 to more than 11 billion in 2015.

The content of Apple's App Store might be helping it attract buyers, but what about the name? Apple is currently battling Amazon and Microsoft for the exclusive right to use "app store." Amazon and Microsoft argue that the term is generic, but Apple said it holds the rights and efforts like Amazon's AppStore hurt its brand. So far, Apple is not having too much luck; a judge recently denied Apple's request for an injunction against Amazon. But that hasn't stopped Apple from taking that battle to smaller companies.

How to replace iWeb and MobileMe hosting

An iWeb user allegedly sent Apple CEO Steve Jobs an email asking if he should start looking for another website builder and a new host, and Jobs provided one of his patented terse replies: "Yep."
In this post I'm going to take a more detailed look at several easy website creation tools and hosting alternatives, so that you can start making your plans to move away from iWeb and MobileMe. I will not be covering professional web design tools in this post, as iWeb is designed for easy creation of sites. Instead, all of the suggestions I'll make here are aimed at the folks who just want to create a relatively good-looking website quickly, without a lot of training.

Will “The Daily” Do for News What iTunes Did for Music?

With the introduction of The Daily, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has expanded into uncharted territory. Never before has an online-only newspaper been available exclusively to iPad users who subscribe to it via Apple’s iTunes store. To some, today’s unveiling at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City represents a landmark moment in how Americans will consume information. To others, it is just the latest in a series of attempts to monetize online journalism in a world that has come to expect so much of its news and commentary for free.

As is the case with most product launches in the digital space, The Daily’s reality likely lies somewhere in the middle — short of the hype, but still possessing the potential to significantly alter the media landscape if it can tap into a growing tablet market that already represents a significant niche among American news consumers.

iCloud Can Be Accessed From The Web, Confirmed By Apple

Since even before the iCloud was unveiled at the Apple WWDC 2011, MobileMe users have been concerned about the fate of their current accounts. Now that Apple has made it clear that MobileMe would cease to exist, with its core functions rolled into the iCloud, the other question still lingering is whether users can continue to access these services from the web.

 

Rumors have pointed both directions, some claiming that the iCloud will completely forgo a web interface while others believed the apps will be available through iCloud.com. Well, Apple today released a new MobileMe to iCloud transition FAQ that puts to rest any doubts about web access.

Will I be able to access iCloud services on the web?
Yes. Web access to iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Find My iPhone will be available at icloud.com this fall.

Other things to note from the FAQ include the confirmation that current MobileMe users can retain their accounts up to June 30, 2012, at which point the service will completely cease to exist. The Gallery, iDisk, and iWeb services will also be discontinued along with MobileMe by that date. Users that need to transition their websites currently hosted on MobileMe should ready this document.

Skype coming to the iPad soon

After plenty of success with the iPhone version of the Skype app, the company is finally releasing an official version for the iPad. Skype hasn't announced a date for release yet, but video of the app has leaked out online, and the app is expected to be approved soon. Skype VP of Consumer and Product Design Rick Osterloh had a talk with TUAW about the new app and what Skype expects to get out of it.
Osterloh says that the iPhone version of Skype burst out of the gate quickly, with a big launch and "a userbase that doubled in just a month's time." And he said the iPad version should "have a similar success," especially since it's basically the same in functionality: chatting, audio and video calling, and all of the other standard actions you can expect from Skype. The current app has been in testing for a few months now, and Osterloh is excited to unleash it on the public.
A few features in the full PC/Mac app didn't make it in, Osterloh says, perhaps most notably the ability to do file sharing. But that's obviously just because of the way the iPad deals with files. While the company was fine with simply having an iPhone app that was iPad compatible during the first release of the iPad, the camera in the iPad 2 was what made this app "super compelling."

Skype for iPad shouldn't be too surprising a release -- ever since the iPad got a camera on it, it was likely that we'd see some version built especially for the bigger tablet. But according to Osteroh, it's a solid release for the company, and yet another step out onto mobile devices for one of the premiere communication networks online. I'll let you know as soon as we see the app live in the App Store -- it shouldn't be too long.

How to: check if an Apple promo code has been used or not

App developers often share promo codes with reviewers, forums, etc. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't provide a way to track which codes have been used, resulting in wasted promotions. Fortunately, Kam, the developer of Walkabout, explains how to determine if a code is still available via iTunes.
Kam's procedure is simple but effective. First, he writes, launch iTunes and log out. Next, log back in being careful not to click Save Password. Then, quit and re-open iTunes.
With iTunes running, try to redeem a promo code you'd like to test. If the code has been used, iTunes will display a message saying, "This code has been used -- codes may be used only once." If it's still available, iTunes will prompt you for your password. Just click Cancel and mark that code as still available.
If you try this with your password saved, iTunes will redeem the code. By logging out and opting not to save your password, iTunes will let you know if the code is available without redeeming it.


Well done, Kam! Thanks for sharing your tip.

TIP: Wiping down your iPhone for resale

It's time to hand off your old iPhone to its new owner, but you definitely want to scrub it clean of all your data beforehand. Simple enough: in the Settings app, tap General, then scroll down to Reset and tap it. The option to 'Erase All Content and Settings' is the one you want; it will remove any trace of personalization and all your installed apps, returning your phone to factory-fresh condition.
Depending on which iOS device you're resetting, the process may take quite a while (older iPod touch and iPhones pre-3GS don't support hardware encryption, so they actually have to wipe all the onboard memory byte by byte). Be sure you're plugged into power or that the device is fully charged before you begin.