12 big things we didn't see at WWDC 2010

12 big things we didn't see at WWDC 2010
Like the lead-up to any big, annual Apple event, the weeks and months ahead of this year's WWDC brought the usual wash of rumors about new hardware, software, and online services. The biggest unknown was not so much on the hardware side--as we all knew there was a new iPhone on the way (even what it looked like and whose fault that was), but the software and online services portion remained a mystery. This is typically the chunk of the WWDC keynote where Steve Jobs and company go into detail about the latest operating system tweaks and new software offerings. There were rumors on both sides of the spectrum ranging from paid services like MobileMe going free and iTunes getting a streaming component to a fancy new wireless trackpad. Read on to get the details.1. OS X 10.7Apple's preview of OS X 10.6, nicknamed Snow Leopard, happened at 2008's WWDC. 10.5 was unveiled during 2006's keynote, and 10.4 in 2004's. Following that logic, 2010's show would bring a preview, or at least an acknowledgment that Apple had 10.7 in the oven. Though given the focus on Apple's iOS, and the shiny new device that will run on it, it's not all that surprising we didn't hear a peep.An OS update, especially for the desktop, would have likely filled an hour or two on its own. Yet, the downside of this omission is that the eventual preview of that update will likely be shelved until next year's show, since WWDC is Apple's only big developer event of the year.2. A developer preview for the iPad's iOS 4When introducing OS 4 at a preview event back in April, Jobs said we'd be seeing a public release of it for the iPad sometime this fall. Again, logic would dictate that developers would get their hands on a build of the iPad 4.0 SDK at Apple's big developer event, alongside the first beta of the firmware for testing on real devices. So why the no-show? Apple has likely had its hands full getting the iPhone and iPod Touch version of OS 4 ready to go in time for the iPhone 4 launch in two weeks. And developers only got their hands on the gold master candidate version of that late Monday. Maybe the delay was to include some new OS features being baked into the next batch of iPods this fall.Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer at CES 2010.James Martin / CNET3. A Steve Ballmer appearanceIn a note to investors, Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry claimed that Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer would be giving a seven-minute presentation of Visual Studio 2010 during the WWDC keynote. This was vehemently denied by Microsoft reps, then later retracted by Chowdhry, though many large news outlets (including us) picked up the story and ran with it. There was some semblance of truth to the rumor of Microsoft having a presence at the keynote, in the form of Jobs announcing that Microsoft's Bing was now a search option in Safari, both on portable devices and on the desktop software. 4. iTunes streaming serviceLike Apple's annual "buy a Mac, get a free iPod" promotion, which always manages to end just a few days before the company announces a new model, it seemed just a little too convenient music-streaming service Lala, which Apple bought back in December of last year, was being shut down just a week before WWDC. Prior to Apple picking up the company, sources had told CNET that Apple was planning to purchase the company primarily for its music streaming technology and engineering talents. It seemed fair then (given the timing), that Apple would fill in the gap Lala.com's closure had left with something similar built right into iTunes, though that never came to fruition during Monday's keynote. Then again, given Apple's propensity for having its "music" events in September, we might just have to wait three months.Another good thing that is likely to keep such a service coming is pressure from Google, which just a few weeks prior had demoed its free music streaming service, which uses technology from SimplifyMedia--a company Google had quietly acquired back in March. 5. Free MobileMeEveryone loves a free lunch, and in the case of Apple's MobileMe--that was the rumor de jour. 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman spotted some interesting wording in the preferences pane of MobileMe that changed the name of the account type from "individual" or "family plan" to "full member," which lead to speculation that Apple would be offering a free service. The evidence a little thin you say? That's a fair assessment, however keep in mind the number of services Apple has added to MobileMe (formerly .Mac) over the years has grown substantially. That, and large chunks of it like the Web mail, photo hosting, and calendar tools are offered free (with advertising) by competitors. There's nothing to say Apple wouldn't offer some basic parts of it for free, and charge to upgrade to the more advanced features. After all, it's done that with its QuickTime software for years. 6. iLife '10The steady march of iLife updates has consistently taken place every January since 2003 with the exception of iLife '08, which debuted during a special presentation in early August of 2007. And of course this year, where Apple's pull out of the Macworld Expo, which began in earnest at 2010's show, meant that the company's iLife software suite was a no show too. The biggest question since then has simply been when Apple will release its big update. With 2010 already halfway over, it's not too outlandish that Apple will simply skip on to iLife '11, or bundle that news together with this year's iPod event. 7. A Verizon iPhoneWill the iPhone be available in the U.S. on another carrier besides AT&T? Certainly. The real question is when and which carrier. The rumors that Apple was striking up a deal with Verizon have been simmering for years. One big one came from 9to5Mac in 2008, which claimed an iPhone would be coming to Verizon at the end of the year, maybe even at Macworld in January 2009, however that obviously turned out not to be the case. Fast forward to March of this year and there was a Wall Street Journal story with a source that claimed one of Apple's contract manufacturers was building CDMA-compatible (read: Sprint and Verizon) iPhones. While this didn't quite shake out with the announcement of the iPhone 4 at WWDC, the possibility of the iPhone landing on another U.S. carrier is inevitable. 8. The Mystery Multitouch trackpadMeet the rumor that seemingly came out of nowhere. Engadget snagged photos of a largish, multitouch track pad peripheral, basically the same ones you find on Apple's notebooks, but wireless and usable on a desktop machine. Little was known about the device, and still is, besides the fact it uses Bluetooth, is silver, slightly shiny, and remains unannounced. 9. A $99 AppleTVThe AppleTV has been Apple's most curious product in the last few years. Unlike the vast majority of the company's hardware efforts, it has remained largely unchanged since its introduction at an Apple event in late 2006. Apple has pushed out two major system software reinventions and bumped the built-in storage, but otherwise it's the same machine. Reports that Apple was working on a cheaper and more capable version of the hardware surfaced late last month. Blog Engadget had a source that claimed Apple was readying a version that made use both of Apple's in-house A4 processor and that ran a modified version of the iOS. Such a device could still surface later this year if, or rather when Apple hosts its annual iPod event. Though if it is in fact running the iOS, Apple likely would have wanted to get developers on board so they could get a head start on building apps for it. 10. A Mac Mini refreshAppleThe Mac Mini is another piece of long-outdated hardware. In fact, its last big update was in late October when Apple gave it a modest bump in processing power and doubled up on the RAM. Still, its graphics card has lagged behind what has been available on Apple's notebooks. Both the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines now feature a beefier Nvidia GeForce 320M chip, which MacBook Pro users can bump up to the 330M version, which packs twice the memory. More importantly, two separate reports from AppleInsider pointed to Apple adding an HDMI port to the Mac Mini instead of the DVI connector that exists there now. Given the no-show of the Apple TV, maybe there's more to that delay than meets the eye. AppleInsider had also received reports from sources that supply of the machine was drying up both from Apple and third-party resellers, which is usually a good sign that a refresh is on the way. 11. A new MacBook AirApple's ultraslim laptop, which was launched by Apple in January 2008, has remained largely unchanged short of some slight adjustments to things like the trackpad, the internals, and the video-out jack. In fact, it hasn't had an update since this time last year, which in the world of electronics means either a very large update is due, or it's time to put it on deathwatch. The third option, and one that makes more sense, is that Apple has quietly replaced the Air with the iPad. In fact, that much was said to CNET's David Carnoy at his local Apple Store, where he was attempting to purchase an Air in place of an iPad that was out of stock.This is not a real iPod Touch with a camera--at least not yet.Apple / CNET12. An iPod Touch with cameraA version of the iPod Touch with a camera has been expected since last year. Three months before last September's launch of the (still) latest generation iPod Touch, TechCrunch reported on a large order of the same camera modules used on the iPhone 3GS. These later ended up being the camera modules that ended up in the iPod Nano instead. To make matters more interesting, photos and videos of an iPod Touch with a built-in camera popped up less than a month before Apple unveiled new versions of the device last year. But, the final devices shipped by Apple had no such camera. Teardown site iFixit later took the latest-generation Touch apart and discovered that the insides still had room for it in the exact same spot. Before WWDC, the rumors of an iPod Touch with a built-in camera were revived when another development iPod Touch with a camera in the same spot showed up on eBay. Then, a few weeks later, Vietnamese site Tinhte (the same folks who acquired an iPhone 4 ahead of its announcement) scored a similarly spec'd iPod Touch, which was later discovered to be as old as the one from the year before. In any case, it would be unsurprising to see Apple roll out a camera-ready Touch this year given the new FaceTime video chat service.Honorable mentions: The end of the "get a mac" ads going out with a bang, and Safari 5, which was released Monday but got no stage time. See also: What we didn't hear about iPhone 4

How to get started with Spotify

How to get started with Spotify
It's been a long time coming, but Spotify has finally launched in the U.S. As the latest entry into the online music service, Spotify is sure to turn the online music industry on its head. So how do you get started? How does it work? Those questions, plus many more, will be answered while we help you get started using Spotify.Screenshot by Jason CiprianiCurrently there are three different account types offered by Spotify:Free: Available by invite only. Limited to using only a desktop app to listen to music. You can still create and share playlists with friends. There will be limited commercials and advertisements with the Free account. Unlimited: An Unlimited account will run you $4.99 per month and provides the same benefits of a Free account, but with no advertisements.Premium: A Premium account provides all the same benefits of both the Free and Unlimited accounts, as well as adding the ability to use Spotify on your mobile device, and cache music to playback offline. A premium account is $9.99 per month. (There are more features available with a Premium account, such as being able to connect your Sonos system to Spotify.)You can sign up for either the Unlimited or Premium accounts on Spotify starting today. If you want an invite to the free service, request one on the Spotify U.S. landing page, or check your Klout score to see if you are eligible for an invite as a perk. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiTo use Spotify, no matter what type of account you sign up for, you will need to download a desktop client. Currently Spotify has a client for both Mac OS X and for Windows. If you signed up for a Premium account, you can use the Android or iPhone app [iTunes link] along with a desktop client. No, you can't share your account info and listen to music on multiple devices at the same time. Once you start playback on a second device, the first device will stop playing.Once you have downloaded and installed any of the apps, sign in to get started. Click on the image to enlargeScreenshot by Jason CiprianiSpotify will immediately connect to your local music library, importing any playlists that you currently have and display any music you already have on your computer. You can search for music, create playlists, share playlists, save music for offline playback, connect your account to Facebook and Twitter, plus much more, all within the desktop app. One thing to note: playlists are shared publicly by default, meaning when a friend views your Spotify account they will be able to see all of your playlists, and even subscribe to it if they so choose. If you don't want a playlist to be public, right-click on the playlist and remove the check mark next to Publish. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiTo save a playlist for playback offline, you have to toggle a switch located at the top of the playlist. The songs will then be saved locally on your computer or mobile device for playback when you are sans an Internet connection. One of our favorite features so far with Spotify is the option to create a Collaborative Playlist, which gives any Spotify user with the link to the playlist the ability to add songs. We created one, titled "Favorite Childhood Songs", and it's turning into a trip down memory lane. If you have a Spotify account, and would like to listen or contribute to the playlist, follow this link.There are many more features hidden throughout Spotify that we weren't able to cover in this post. We just wanted to give you a good idea of how to start with the service.Make sure to leave comments with links to your favorite playlists; we would love to hear them!

Amazon Cloud Player for iOS gives you more options for music

Amazon Cloud Player for iOS gives you more options for music
Amazon Cloud Player (free) for iOS gives you an option of getting all your music from the iTunes App Store, and its simple interface is easy to pick up and use immediately.Whether you have music already from Amazon or not, you can quickly log in with your Amazon account and listen to tracks already on your iPhone. If you have downloaded music through Amazon, with the app you'll be able to listen to both Amazon- and iTunes-bought music.Once you have music uploaded to Amazon's Cloud drive, the interface is dead simple. Two tabs let you switch between Amazon or music on your device. On the bottom of the screen, you get standard playback controls. When viewing your music libraries, you have buttons across the top so you can sort by playlists, artists, albums, songs, or genres. You also can create new playlists from within the app directly. When a song is playing, the app switches to album cover view and adds buttons to the playback controls so you can shuffle or loop songs. There's nothing new here, but the controls make it easy to get to your music wherever it is.Quickly search for songs using the various sorting menus across the top.Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETOne thing you can't do on the Amazon Cloud Player is purchase music from Amazon. You'll need to go to the Amazon Web site on your computer to purchase songs and put them on your Cloud Drive first before you can stream that content. Even if the app is currently open on your iPhone, you only need to hit a refresh button to add recently purchased songs and start streaming.One thing I found in the help files is particularly important for those with limited data plans. In the settings, Amazon suggests you make the selection for "Download and stream only on Wi-Fi." With this option turned on, you won't have to worry about overages on your limited data plan, but you'll obviously lose the capability to stream music while on the go.The killer feature with Amazon Cloud Player is that you can upload up to 5GB of music (even from your iTunes Library) to Amazon Cloud Drive for free, then simply stream the music so you don't have to have all those audio files taking up space on your iPhone. Amazon Cloud Drive also offers larger storage plans for those who want to add a huge library of music, but you'll need to pay an annual fee for the privilege.While there's nothing groundbreaking about finally bringing the Amazon Cloud Player to iPhone, people who want to take advantage of the streaming capabilities or want to play music from both their iTunes library and Amazon should definitely download this free app.

Report- AT&T to offer insurance for iPhones

Report: AT&T to offer insurance for iPhones
One of the biggest complaints people have had about the iPhone is that if they drop it, lose it, or it gets ripped off, they're out of luck. AT&T doesn't offer any insurance programs for the iPhone like it does for other handsets; I'd wager to guess that's because the iPhone is, indeed, more expensive than the others when not subsidized.But that appears to be changing. Boy Genius got his recently manicured hands on some evidence that on June 6, AT&T will roll out an insurance program for iPhone users. Awesome.Described in what appear to be internal documents from AT&T, the MobileProtect insurance will cost $13.99 a month to insure your handset against loss or damage, with a deductible of between $99 for an 8GB 3G to $199 for the king-o-the-heap 32GB 3GS. While at first blush that seems high, consider this: if you lose your iPhone and don't have insurance, you won't be able to buy another subsidized one if you're under contract, so you'd have to shell out the full amount, which can be upwards of $600.The $13.99 a month comes out to $167.88 a year. That might seem like a lot, but look at it this way: You're offered two iPhones with identical features. One is $200 and has no insurance; you lose it, you're screwed. The other is $368 but is insured; you lose it, you get another cheaper. Which would you buy?For me, I'd buy the insured one. But I'm a klutz.The program AT&T is said to be launching will be a partnership with insurance company Asurion, who specializes in these kinds of programs. It won't be included in your AT&T bill, but rather it appears the program will be billed to your iTunes account. To enroll, a user must download the MobileProtect app from the app store within 30 days of purchasing an iPhone. We're not sure if that leaves current iPhone owners out in the dark, but we've asked AT&T to clarify. Normally they don't comment on leaked info, but we'll report back what they say.

Hackers claim to crack Kindle copyright armor

Hackers claim to crack Kindle copyright armor
A U.S. hacker who goes by the name "i♥cabbages," meanwhile, created a program called Unswindle that promises to convert books stored in the Kindle for PC application into a different file format.The free Kindle for PC app lets book buyers read their books right from their PCs without having to buy a Kindle reader. Unswindle has to be used in conjunction with MobiDeDRM, a program by another hacker named "darkreverser."Posters on i♥cabbages' blog give Unswindle mixed reviews, ranging from "works like a charm" and "worked flawlessly" to descriptions of various errors.Unswindle's creator originally detailed the tool on December 17, and posted two updates on the program Tuesday. One noted that Amazon has demonstrated that "it (unlike Adobe Systems) takes its digital rights management, or DRM, seriously: it has already pushed out a new version of K4PC, which breaks this particular script."In a second update, the hacker notes that "the K4PC update may not actually have been targeted at Unswindle, as Amazon seems to have done nothing in particular to make the basic approach more difficult. In any case, I've updated Unswindle to handle the 20091222 version of the executable. We'll see if Amazon throws out another new build in short order."CNET has contacted Amazon for comment and will update this post as soon as we hear back. The Amazon hacks are, of course, just the latest DRM hacks. In 2005, a group of hackers that included a 17-year-old and a man noted for cracking the anticopying protections on DVDs released PyMusique, a program that essentially stripped DRM from iTunes' songs.Each time Apple tried to plug the hole that the software exploited, the hackers would find another.(Sources: BBC News, IDG News Service)

Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro rumored to start at $1,699

Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro rumored to start at $1,699
The rumored 13-inch version of Apple's MacBook Pro with a Retina Display will cost some $500 more than Apple's existing, non-Retina 13-inch model, according to a new report. Citing "wholesale prices," 9to5Mac says the 13-inch model of the notebook will start at $1,699 when it goes on sale next week. That's $500 less than the entry-level version of Apple's 15-inch model with a Retina Display, but also $500 more than the entry-level 13-incher on the non-Retina side.Related stories13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on track, says analyst13-inch Retina MacBook Pro displays in productionCNET Review: 15-inch MacBook Pro w/Retina DisplayApple, of course, has not announced the smaller version of the Retina-equipped Pro, but its arrival has been expected for this fall. Production on the 2,560x1,600-pixel display began in August, NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET. Apple is rumored to be announcing the smaller model at its event next Tuesday, where the company is heavily expected to debut a smaller version of the iPad, and a refreshed Mac Mini and iMac desktops.CNET's live coverage of Apple's event next TuesdayThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play

Reports- Apple TV starts shipping

Reports: Apple TV starts shipping
The Apple TV is now shipping, according to reports.Several publications, including Engadget, have been receiving word from people who've ordered the Apple TV that the set-top box has started shipping. The devices are scheduled to arrive at customer homes by the end of the month (that is, Thursday), but as early as tomorrow, the reports claim.I also preordered an Apple TV. Although my order status currently says that the device hasn't shipped, it has been "prepared for shipment." Apple's order-status page still says that the device will ship by the end of this month.The new Apple TV was unveiled at a September 1 Apple event by CEO Steve Jobs. The device is much smaller than the original Apple TV and boasts an all-black finish. Apple ditched onboard storage in favor of streaming in the new set-top box. Users hoping to watch television shows can stream them to their Apple TV for 99 cents apiece. HD films are available for $4.99. Owners can also access Netflix Instant Streaming.The Apple TV is scheduled to hit store shelves by the end of the month. It retails for $99.

App Store hacker says the 'game is over'

App Store hacker says the 'game is over'
The creator of an exploit that let users purchase digital goods inside of iOS apps without actually paying for them said today thatApple's fix puts the hack out of business."Currently we have no way to bypass [the] updated APIs," creator Alexei Borodin wrote in a post on his development blog. "It's a good news for everyone, we have updated security in iOS, developers have their air-money."Borodin says that the exploit, which requires the use of third-party servers and specially-installed security certificates, will continue to be up and running until Apple releases iOS 6. Last week, Apple said that software -- which is due in the next few months -- will patch the exploit. In the interim, the company provided updated APIs that validate each digital purchase."By examining last Apple's statement about in-app purchases in iOS 6, I can say, that currently (the) game is over," Borodin added.According to an interview with the enterprising programmer last week, the exploit allowed more than 8.4 million purchases of in-app content to be made. With a minimum price of 99 cents per in-app purchase item, that represents a total of $5.82 million developers might have received, with another $2.49 million Apple would have earned based on the App Store's 70/30 revenue split. However that tally could be considerably higher given that purchases within iOS applications can go well beyond the 99 cent minimum.Despite the temporary security win for Apple on the iOS front, Borodin says a modified version of the hack targeted at Apple's Mac App Store is still up and running. "We [are] still waiting for Apple's reaction," he said in the same post. "We have some cards in the hand."The exploit remains one of the few high-profile efforts to target Apple's digital storefronts from inside of apps. Separate efforts have targeted individual user accounts, and the copy protection on applications.

App builds iPhone playlists based on your mood

App builds iPhone playlists based on your mood
Moodagent, a free app for the iPhone and iPod Touch released in December, offers a more innovative take on automated playlist creation. It gives you five sliders that let you set desired levels of sensuality, tenderness, joy, aggression, and speed. These categories might seem kind of arbitrary, but in practice the resulting playlists make a lot of sense: turning the sensuality slider up gave me lots of slow and funky stuff like Beastie Boys instrumentals and Portishead, while turning aggression and tempo all the way up returned lots of material from the Reverend Horton Heat, Pixies, and Dead Kennedys. Best of all, the playlist adjusts itself on the fly when you change the sliders. Like Genius, the Moodagent playlists are 25 songs long and tend to contain a few songs from the same album. But beyond those same-album tracks, it seems to offer quite a bit more variety in terms of year and genre. You can also pick a seed song to create a playlist if you like, but it's not required. If you come upon a winning playlist, you can save it to the app. Moodagent requires an active Internet connection to analyze the songs on your device against the 8 million songs in its database. It took about 10 minutes to get through 3,000 songs for me, but about 1,000 songs weren't recognized, or were protected by DRM. (Moodagent won't work on DRM-protected tracks.) You can download a free desktop application that transmits non-personally identifiable information about your iTunes library to the company, which in the long run should help Moodagent recognize more of your songs. But the process was a bit weird--when I launched the app, it simply opened Internet Explorer for a half second, then shut it back down. I have no idea whether the desktop app worked or not. This minor glitch aside, Moodagent is a worthwhile download if you're looking for new ways to listen to your music.

Apple again said to be planning game hardware

Apple again said to be planning game hardware
Pocket Gamer's report says Apple actually has a space reserved at the show for meeting with developers, but that it's using a false name to fly under the radar.An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the report, citing company policy.Last April, a report from popular hardware site AnandTech noted that Apple had a controller project in the works, but that it might not ever make it to market. Adding to the intrigue of it all was a patent Apple applied for in 2008, depicting a dock that would allow iOS owners to add physical controls and other hardware features to devices.Such hardware would be the first for Apple since its ill-fated Pippin home entertainment system of the late '90s. With its most recent crop of portable devices, Apple has eschewed physical controls in favor of on-screen software controls. That's made controlling games more customizable but also less ergonomic and responsive than would be the case with a physical controller. Since the iPhone (and subsequent iOS devices), a handful of companies have created such physical buttons and controllers for portable devices. Many of those options use Bluetooth, though they also require game developers to get on board and add support for the hardware. Apple even sells some of these products -- including the iFling joystick -- in its stores. Gaming has quickly become a major part of Apple's iTunes business since the launch of the App Store. Games make up the majority of the more than 800,000 apps available there, and games are consistently the top paid and grossing apps. (Via 9to5mac)Updated at 1 p.m. with comment from Apple.

Apple adds to its trademark list with Retina (TM)

Apple adds to its trademark list with Retina (TM)
Apple last week was granted a trademark in the U.S. covering "Retina," the marketing term the company uses to describe the pixel-dense screens on its iOS devices and computers.Apple originally filed to trademark the term on June 7, 2010 -- the same day it officially unveiled the iPhone 4 at the company's annual developers conference.That device would be the first to sport what Apple called a "Retina Display," with the promise that it was impossible to discern individual pixels when used at a normal distance. The company has since put its retina displays in other products such as the iPod Touch, the iPad, and most recently its MacBook Pro notebooks. It's worth pointing out the trademark only covers a certain class of goods under its coverage. That list includes computers, computer display screens, and mobile devices -- but not eyeballs.Along with the Retina trademark, which was spotted by Patently Apple earlier today, Apple received a trademark for its Game Center icon. Game Center is the social gaming service originally launched on iOS that has since filtered over to the Mac as part of Apple's latest major OS X update. If you're wondering just how important such trademarks can be, look no further than the dispute over the iPad trademark in China. After months of arguing over ownership of the name,Chinese firm Proview Technology and Apple eventually came to an agreementworth $60 million. In the case of "Retina" there's been less of an issue, as rival manufacturers have simply touted pixel-per-inch counts and overall resolutions. That includes LG's 1080p smartphone screen, which it simply refers to as FHD, for "Full High Definition."

Apple adds special Mac Birthday section to App Store

Apple adds special Mac Birthday section to App Store
The Macintosh 128K was initially released on January 24, 1984, and through 30 years of advancements in hardware and software services, the platform still has some surprising similarities to its initial iteration. While the design of Apple's computers took a number of twists and turns over the years, as seen on iFixIt's celebratory teardown of the 30-year-old Macintosh 128K, the system shares unibody construction and other general features seen in the latest iMac models.While the design of the systems has changed and in some ways come full circle back to the original, and while the computing hardware in the systems have advanced and changed significantly (adopting different CPU platforms and becoming smaller and more compact), its the software environment that outlines the Macintosh experience. Apple's graphical operating system offered a new and yet familiar approach to computing, one that allowed for new interactions with data and content creation.The OS has advanced over the years, becoming more user friendly and undergoing a significant overhaul with the development of OS X; however, even though the OS defines the Mac, its arguably the applications built for the platform that define a user's capabilities.If you have the right apps for your system, then you can get almost anything you need done swiftly, efficiently, and with results that can be deeply satisfying. In this light, many of the apps which Apple outlines on its 30th birthday App Store section may be just what you need to maximize your Mac experience.Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.

Apple adds to its leased Sunnyvale office space

Apple adds to its leased Sunnyvale office space
Apple may be synonymous with Cupertino, Calif., but it's making more moves in its neighbor to the north. As noted by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Apple has leased 156,000 square feet of office space in Sunnyvale, Calif.'s Town Center Office building. The space can fit some 400 employees, the City of Sunnyvale said in a press release announcing the deal (PDF).This is Apple's latest expansion in the neighboring city, which is where Yahoo, AMD, Juniper Networks, and a handful of other technology companies are headquartered. Last month Apple signed a deal to lease space in a 224,000-square-foot facility nearby. The latest location is directly next to a similar office building where Nokia put 500 of its employees last year.Related storiesApple leases extra office space ahead of HQ 2.0Jobs stumps for new 'spaceship'-like Apple campusApple's proposed campus 2.0 (renderings)Yet another new Apple campus in the pipeline?"This is an important step forward," said Sunnyvale City Manager Gary Luebbers in a statement. "Our entire community will benefit as we see yet another large gain in the Town Center redevelopment project."Apple is not expected to move into the space until the third quarter of 2012, Luebbers said.Apple has been making moves to find extra space to fit employees around Silicon Valley,leasing office space well outside of its Cupertino headquarters, which can hold about 2,800 employees. The company has some 12,000 employees in the area, which is what led to the company pitching plans to the City of Cupertino last year to build a second campus that can fit 12,000 people. That project is slated to be completed by 2015 pending an environmental impact report and other city approvals.

Apple adds Passbook-enabled gift cards to its store app

Apple adds Passbook-enabled gift cards to its store app
Apple is finally tapping into its own Passbook app by adding it as an option for store gift cards.You can send someone a gift card either through the Apple Store app on your iPhone or iPad, or the Apple Store gift card Web page. In the Apple Store app, you'll need to scroll to the bottom of the home page and tap on the section for Apple Gift Cards and then choose the option to send an Apple Store Card by E-mail.Either from the app or from the Web page, you can choose among blue, silver, or pink for the card color and any amount from $25 to $2000. You then type your name and e-mail address and those of the recipient. You can also compose a headline and message to appear on the gift card notice. Add your card to the cart.After the order is processed, your recipient should receive an e-mail within 24 hours. The person can print the e-mail to use it at a store, shop online with it, or add it to Passbook via an "Add to Passbook button."The gift card holder can also enter a ZIP code or current location to the Passbook pass. Using iOS's location feature, Passbook can then pop up and display the gift card when the person walks into an Apple store.Related storiesGetting started with Passbook on iOS 6Giving Apple's Passbook a real-world spinAdd coupons from big-box retailers to PassbookApple now officially joins the likes of Starbucks and other retailers that offer store cards that tie into Passbook. Beyond paying for items, Passbook users can save coupons, tickets, and other items directly in the app.(Via AppleInsider)

The Last Sci-fi Blog: Science Fiction at Fantastic Fest 2014

Although the film lineup at Fantastic Fest 2014 was stronger than any I;ve seen since I started attending the fest five years ago, it was not an especially big year for science fiction. Horror, action and even dramas were well represented, but there were only a few science fiction movies on the schedule. Some, like Automata, only played once and were missed. Others, like Realiti and The Incident, flew under the radar.However, there was good sci-fi at the fest this year and the films that I did see were generally good (and wildly different from one another).Closer to GodTold with shades of early David Cronenberg, Closer to God follows a scientist who creates the first human clone and ignites a media firestorm. As the nation struggles with the morality of cloning, our hero is forced to take his creation into his own home to keep her/it safe from religious zealots who mean her harm. Meanwhile, his top-secret first and, uh,less successfulcreation starts to get violent.There are two distinct halves to Closer to God: the smart and subtle human science fiction story and the creature feature. Both sides aren;t bad, but if we;re going to be honest here, neither is outstanding. Still, watching how the movie quietly transforms from one story to another is intriguing and the solid performances help elevate the screenplay, which doesn;t always know what it wants to be. Honestly, the strongest moments in the film arrive in the second half, when everyone embraces the schlock and the body count starts to rise. It;s here that writer-director Billy Senese shows a penchant for tension and creepy monster moments, which are stronger than the early, more dramatic scenes.Future ShockAt the time of its inception, 2000 A.D. was one of the most influential comic books of all time. A weekly anthology containing stories from various writers and artists, the series melded science fiction and politics, creating violent pulp stories that raged against the British government and society. Future Shock tells the story of 2000 A.D. from its creation to modern day and for people interested in the subject matter, it;s massively entertaining.But will it appeal to people who aren;t already comic book fans? That;s the big question. Although the series introduced some of the biggest names in the sequential art world (including Alan Moore and Grant Morrison), it;s hard to imagine normal people caring about this niche industry. The film;s style doesn;t help matters. Despite a very cool opening-credits sequence that animates art from the comics, this is 95% talking heads with very little style to it.However, the already initiated will have a blast. The stores are solid, the interview subjects funny, and the information all informative. You;ll know going in whether or not this is a movie for you.Jacky in the Kingdom of WomenJacky in the Kingdom of Women features one of the most profoundly stupid movie universes in recent memory, but the film;s commitment to this absurd world is something to behold. Like Idiocracy before it, this movie;s dumb world is treated with a certain amount of gravity and like Mike Judge;s undersung masterpiece, this film;s satiric intent becomes all the stronger for it. Although much of the film feels like a feature Monty Python never got around to making, the darkness at its center makes it unique.The film takes place in a gender-swapped dystopiawhere women run the government and the military while men stay at home and are forced to wear full body robes in public. This leads to jokes both obvious and subtle, but the hit ratio is far higher than the miss. As goofy as the movie is, it;s played with a straight face, so even the dumbest jokes (like how the citizens think horses are divine beings) connect. The film eventually becomes a weirdo Cinderella story, with the title character attempting to win the heart of the dictator;s daughter (played by a very game Charlotte Gainsbourg). All kinds of idiotic jokes follow and it;s all very, very funny.If there;s one major problem to be had with Jacky in the Kingdom of Women is that its satire feels unfocused. The obvious goal is to call out misogynistic societies that treat women like dirt and make fun of them, but the film;s politics often get lost in between the dick jokes. Still, anyone who loves absurd comedy full of actors and actresses without any shame are going to have a blast with this one.SpringFor its first 45 minutes or so, Spring is your standard American goes to Europe, falls in love and finds himself kind of movie. However, that;s all setup for one of the craziest turns at Fantastic Fest this year. What is the gorgeous European lady you;ve fallen for isn;t quite, uh, human?And then Spring becomes a horror movie, albeit a horror movie that has a clever science fiction explanation for everything that happens in it. The sci-fi doesn;t play a major role in the film, but honestly, neither does the horror. This is, first and foremost, a romance and hangout movie. Most of the running time is the two lead characters wandering around Italy, swapping stories. One of them just so happens to be a monster.Somehow, it works. This is a beautifully shot and acted romance that uses it genre elements to explore traditional dramatic questions from a unique angle. You;re going to want to see this one.