Apple 2013 iPad & Mac event preview

Analyzing rumors and speculation surrounding Apple's 2013 iPad & Mac event!

We're only hours away from Apple's 2013 iPad and Mac event, and just like the invitation says, there's a lot left to cover. Last year we got the improved iPad 4, all new iPad mini, redesigned iMac, and the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. This year we're looking forward to a thinner, lighter iPad 4, Retina iPad mini 2, the all new Mac Pro, Haswell chipset-based MacBook Pro bumps, and... well, that's the real question, isn't it?

Tim Cook will come out and talk Apple Retail and Apple core values. Phil Schiller will show off new iOS and Mac hardware. Craig Federighi will demonstrate new features. Eddy Cue will take us to the iClouds. Jony Ive and Dan Riccio will show up in the videos. But what will they be talking about?

iPad 4 and Retina iPad mini 2

There's no doubt the headliners for this show, as far as the mainstream is concerned, are the new iPads. For a while now we've been hearing the iPad 4 will be getting the sleeker, slimmer design of the iPad mini, and it sure sounds like the iPad mini will be getting the Retina display that until now has been exclusive to the full-sized model. That'll leave screen size, and screen size alone as the single biggest differentiator. Do you want 7.9-inches of portability or 9.7-inches of productivity?

There are a few other lingering questions, however. Will the Apple A7 chipset run the line? And if so, will Touch ID? And if Apple has to redesign the Smart Covers for the new iPad 5 form-factor, might they take the opportunity to add features... like a keyboard?

• Complete iPad 4 and Retina iPad mini 2 preview

Apple TV

The Apple TV was last updated in the spring of 2012. It went 1080p. Unless Apple takes it to 4K this year, and announces iTunes 4K to go along with it, it's hard to see what, if anything, else Apple could have to say about everyone's favorite tiny TV box. They could update the internals to keep pace with current technology, sure, but unless and until they get the next generation box project into production, it's hard to imagine anything crazy, hardware wise, this year.

Of course the Apple TV just got updated to its version of iOS 7, but unlike the iPhone and iPad, didn't enjoy the interface refresh the rest of its device family got. If Apple had the time and talent to spare, a new look for the Apple TV software would be greatly appreciated.

• What would you like to see in a next-gen Apple TV?

New Mac Pro

The new "Not innovating any more Phil Schiller's-ass" Mac Pro is, in Apple parlance, a screamer. The new machine uses Intel Xeon E5 processors, which won't ship until the third calendar quarter of 2013. This generation of Xeon E5 is based around Intel's Ivy Bridge-EP microprocessor architecture. Apple says the new Mac Pro's floating-point performance alone is twice as fast. Faster Error Correcting Code (ECC) memory running at 1866MHz, connected through a four-channel controller, means the new Mac Pro has twice the memory bandwidth of its predecessor as well. And that's just the beginning. Really, all we're waiting for it to find out how big a loan we'll need to take out to afford the top-of-the-line model!

• A closer look at the new Mac Pro

4K Apple display

Last year Apple introduced MacBook Pros with Retina Displays, and many folks watching the Mac market have assumed that it's only a matter of time before the rest of the line has them too. That may be true, but the newly redesigned Mac Pro is going to leapfrog that by offering something that so far, no other Mac can handle - 4K video. And not just 4K video, but 4K video on three screens. Going Retina on the 27-inch Thunderbolt Display probably won't happen any time soon. But what about going 4K with an Apple logo on it?

• Never mind Retina Displays: Get ready for 4K on the new Mac Pro

Haswell MacBook Pros and Mac Minis

Apple introduced the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros just last year, so there's no redesign this time around. What there is, however, is a bump up to Intel's new Haswell chipsets. The MacBook Airs got them back in June. The iMacs got them in September. October they go MacBook Pro. And it's about time too, because the original Retina MacBook Pros redlined their Intel HD graphics chips. The new chips should more than pay off the Retina tax, and make those already fast machines positively fly.

Likewise, Mac Minis have been redesigned recently enough that the Haswell bump should more than suffice for them as well.

• What will Intel's new Haswell chipsets really mean for the Mac?

OS X Mavericks

OS X Mavericks - OS X 10.9 if you're keeping track of that sort of thing - was previewed back at WWDC 2013 and has just recently gone Gold Master (GM). We'll likely see some highlights of the same feature set shown off in June, but more importantly, we should get pricing and the general availability (GA) date. And hopefully that date will be, if not today, later this week.

• Complete OS X Mavericks preview

iWork

The iPhone and iPad versions of iWork, miracles of multitouch productivity they may be, are aching for an iOS 7 makeover. Whether Apple has the engineering and design resources to devote to that right now, what with pushing iOS 7 and Mavericks out the door is the question. New versions of the icons have been shown off on Apple.com, but it remains to be seen whether changes are more than Home page skin deep.

iWork for Mavericks is an even bigger question. Apple last updated iWork for Mac back in 1812. Wait, no, 2009. Close enough. They have added iCloud support, and they have announced iWork for iCloud. They're long past due a kick in the innovation can. Let's hope we see it today.

• Four years later, iWork apps need Apple's attention

Pro apps

back at WWDC Apple said Final Cut Pro X was being updated to support the monstrous power of the new Mac Pro. Could Aperture also get an update? Could Logic Pro X? The latter was just re-lauched a couple of months ago, so another new version isn't in the cards, but a new Final Cut Pro X version with new features would be great. Most especially, and Aperture update to bring it back up to speed with competitors like Lightroom would be enormously welcome.

More things

The iWatch is almost certainly a 2014 thing, the Apple Television a perennial pipe dream (get a 4K display and hook up an Apple TV, right?), but Apple hasn't lost their ability to surprise. Sure, if you read every rumor, you spoil the show for yourself - like reading a movie plot then complaining you were bored by the ending - but otherwise we're looking forward to an amazing amount of new products today. The new Mac Pro shocked us at WWDC. Who knows what'll shock us next?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/C0iRTAuDsvQ/story01.htm
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iPhone 5S helps Apple top Samsung in September

The 5S was the top-selling smartphone in the US last month, according to research firm Counterpoint Research.

Apple's iPhone 5S: A close look

The iPhone 5S was available for only 10 days in September, yet it still outscored Samsung's Galaxy S4 in US sales, says a new report.

Overall, Apple sold 4.8 million iPhones last month, according to Counterpoint Research data obtained by the Guardian. That number gave it a 38 percent share of the US smartphone market for September and pushed Samsung to second place after being on top since May.

The 5S snagged the No. 1 spot, followed by the Galaxy S4. The 5C has been overshadowed by its more robust cousin, yet it still managed to take home third place among the top sellers.

Samsung is still the overall leader, having sold 23.4 million smartphones since April, compared with 18.5 million for Apple. Combined, Apple and Samsung continue to reign supreme over the US smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research. The two companies accounted for 61 percent of the 68.1 million smartphones sold in the US since April.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57608617-37/iphone-5s-helps-apple-top-samsung-in-september/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple
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'Homeland' Showrunner Alex Gansa on the Big Reveal in 'Game On'

After watching the last scene of Sunday’s Homeland, the fourth outing in its third season, many viewers may want to revisit the last few episodes. “I’m hoping that’s the general consensus,” executive producer and showrunner Alex Gansa tells The Hollywood Reporter. “This should answer some questions for people.”

For those who’ve yet to see “Game On,” spoilers ahead.

Carrie (Claire Danes) finally made her way out of her forced institutionalization – and though circumstances seemed to be pushing her towards turning her back on the CIA, the last scene of the episode reveals that she and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) have actually been working together all along. Carrie and her mentor choreographed her second turn being thrown under the bus by her employers in an attempt to bring down the terrorist network involved in the bombing.

Q&A: Damian Lewis Talks Brody's 'Homeland' Return, Rock Bottom and TV Fatherhood

Gansa, who chatted with THR about the big twist, explains that the unseen wheels were set in motion as soon as the second season faded to black, where Homeland is shifting its attention now and how Brody (Damian Lewis) will fit in down the road.

How long have Saul and Carrie been in cahoots?
We started the year by talking about what had happened at the end of season two. Carrie and Saul are together, standing there with all of the bodies around them. Clearly, they are culpable for what happened -- Saul and Carrie together. As intelligence officers, the first thing that they would try to do is to turn this tragedy into something positive. That’s what they went to work on the day after the bombing. How were they going to catch the guys responsible for this? A plan was hatched quite quickly in the aftermath of the attack on the CIA.

Does this mean the CIA fallout will play a lesser role now?
We view season three in three movements -- each being four episodes -- with this being the end of the first movement. It was a long con that they played in order to draw out this Iranian intelligence officer, Majid Javadi [Shaun Toub].

The cast and producers were very candid about a lot of early season three plot points during in the summer. Was that intended to play up the red herring?
We were also playing a bit of a con here from the story room. That said, one of the thing we’ve learned from our CIA consultants is that the most successful intelligence operations are 95 percent true – and the 95 percent that’s true, in this case, is that Saul and Carrie were culpable and that, largely, the CIA as an organization would look for a scapegoat to lay the blame on.  Saul and Carrie were playing on that natural, institutional inclination to find a scapegoat. They used that, but when you go back to the first three episodes, you can see the toll that it’s taking on both of them. The con also has its consequences.

PHOTOS: 'Homeland': Portraits of the Emmy-Winning Cast and Creators

Like that moment between Carrie and Saul in the hospital at the end of the second episode.
It comes down to the line towards the end of this episode when she says, “You really should have gotten me out of the hospital.” That was one step too far. That was the part of her role-playing that hit too close. Although they are in this ruse together, it’s painful for Carrie to admit that she’s to blame for what happened and to think that because she was on her meds, she missed stopping the attack. All of that is true and playing through her head.

What does the next movement focus on?  
They are now in the process of luring him out into the open and landing this guy. That’s the substance of the second movement.

How will Brody figure into all of this?  
I will say that Brody becomes a principal player in the architecture of the last sweep of episodes. His predicament down in Caracas and his separation from Carrie and Saul is really tantamount as we move into the next two movements of the season.

Did you have any reservations about having an episode (“Tower of David”) that was almost exclusively from Brody’s point of view?
It was really a function of how much story was to be told there. Just anecdotally, some people felt we were with him too much and others felt we were with him too little. It felt right to us to establish his predicament and to parallel his plight with Carrie’s. These are two people in some very desperate circumstances. The show has paralleled their stories before and some of the most successful episodes that we have done have drawn comparisons between their predicaments.

Stylistically, the episode was very different from the rest of the series.
I sort of leave it to the audience to tell us if we were successful or not, but it’s fun for us to mix up the show a little bit and not tell the same story over and over again -- to take a risk here and there. We also teased the audience by not having Brody in the first two episodes, so we have them a healthy dose of him in number three.

Q&A: 'Homeland' EP Alex Gansa Talks Season 3, Benghazi and Demedicating Carrie -- Again

The Brody family storyline has really been dominated by Dana (Morgan Saylor) this season. When did you decide you’d focus so much on her?
Because Brody was not on screen and not part of the story in those first couple of episodes, we really wanted to tell the aftermath of the bombing in a more personal way. The relationship between Dana and her father is very strong. It’s stronger than his relationship with Jessica [Morena Baccarin] and certainly stronger than his relationship with Chris [Jackson Pace]. Going back to the first season… the first time that Brody came back from captivity, he gives his wife a hug -- but it’s kind of a tentative one. The first time we see him open up, it’s in response to his daughter. That led to the end of season one, when she talks him off the ledge when he’s about to explode that vest inside the bunker with the vice president. Her role grew through season two, and she just felt like the logical person. For the weight of what her dad did, it just landed on her in a more profound way.

How much does the story stick with Dana moving forward?
You’ll see in the next four episodes, and certainly the last four, that she doesn’t play as big of a role. She’s not physically on screen a lot, but her presence is there in a profound way for Brody and for Carrie.
 
How was all the secret-keeping for you personally?
We’ve taken a degree of pleasure in it. I was an amateur magician when I was a kid, and for me, the best tricks were the ones where the magician convinces the audience that he’s made a mistake – only to prove at the end that he’s been ahead of them all along. We’ve been leaning into that idea a little bit, and hopefully it will have paid off in episode four.

Email: Michael.OConnell@THR.com; Twitter: @MikeyLikesTV

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The gay couples in N.J. who finally got to say 'I do'

NEWARK, N.J.—Right after the stroke of midnight Monday, seven same-sex couples said “I do” in the marble rotunda of Newark’s City Hall as New Jersey became the 14th state in the union to allow gay marriage.

Senator-elect Cory Booker presided over the weddings, enthusiastically telling each couple, “you may kiss your spouse,” after warning that marriage should not be entered into lightly. The new spouses included a bus driver, two social workers, a municipal court data processor and the retired dean of students at Rutgers University.

“Today is a victory for love,” Booker said, before the newlywed couples chowed down on cake and sipped champagne as dozens of news cameras and reporters watched from behind a roped-off area. The state’s Supreme Court rejected a request from Chris Christie’s administration last week to delay the weddings until it makes a final decision on whether gay marriage is legal in the state. The court said the state’s argument against gay marriage is unlikely to win out, and that the state has no reason to deny gay couples the right to marry.

James Credle, 68, and Pierre Dufresne, 56, were among those wed early Monday morning. The couple first met in 1987 at a gay rights march on Washington, but didn’t get together until 2006. “It was complicated,” Dufresne joked. Credle, who’s originally from North Carolina, wore a gold, floor-length traditional gown from Ghana, while Dufresne wore a simple black suit for the ceremony.

Credle was married before, to a man in the Netherlands who later passed away. After his husband died, he rekindled his romance with Dufresne, who is Canadian. The two spent their entire courtship long-distance.

“I really never thought I would do it because I wanted to wait for all 50 states to have [same-sex marriage],” Credle said of the wedding. But he changed his mind when he heard about the state Supreme Court’s ruling allowing marriages to take place last week. Credle, who lives in Newark, is a retired dean of students at Rutgers. Dufresne is a computer graphics artist.

The Rev. Donald Ransom, an assistant pastor at Unity Fellowship Church and Credle’s friend of 40 years, served as witness. The pair gave each other an Eskimo kiss after Booker declared them married in the state of New Jersey.

Orville Bell, an educator, said he met his new spouse Joseph Panessidi, a retired advertising executive, at a gay bar 15 years ago. Both are activists for gay rights in the community, and friends of Booker’s.  The pair, both 65, entered into a civil union four years ago. “We’re now really happy to be able to change that to marriage,” Panessidi said. “It’s clear now—you can’t misunderstand what our relationship is. It can’t be denied or refuted by anyone.”

Jenelle Torres, 42, said she’s been with her new wife Lydia Torres, a UPS driver, for seven years, when the pair met at Unity Fellowship Church. “It was monumental,” Torres said of the ceremony. “It’s humbling.” She wore a gold floor-length gown, while her wife wore a suit and bow tie.

Lynne Womble, 49, met her wife Debra Summers, 47, when they were set up on a blind date three years ago. “I knew I wanted to get married,” Womble, an administrative assistant, said. Summers proposed when the two went on a weekend trip.

It remains to be seen how many same-sex couples will take advantage of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s ruling and get married in the coming weeks. Unlike Newark, some towns have not yet begun issuing licenses. David Levy, a rabbi at Temple Shalom in Succasunna, said his congregation includes same-sex couples who have married in Canada or New York already, but who now no longer have to worry about their home state recognizing their unions. “What’s great is their marriages will be recognized, God willing, here,” Levy said.

Tracy Sprowls, a pastor at First Unitarian in Plainfield, said Unitarian churches would be performing same-sex marriages all day Monday.

• Family & Relationships
• Cory Booker
• gay marriage
• Pierre Dufresne

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/the-gay-couples-in-n-j--who-finally-got-to-say--i-do--114133337.html
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Prince George's Royal Christening: New Details on the Guest List, Gifts, and More!

Let the countdown begin! In less than two days, Prince William and Kate Middleton will present their firstborn child, 3-month-old Prince George, to be christened in a private ceremony at St. James's Palace in London. Plans and preparations for the Oct. 23 event have been under way for some time now -- and Us Weekly has new details on the who, what, where, when, and why.

PHOTOS: Prince George's first days

As previously reported, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose the Chapel Royal for George's christening in part because of the intimacy it offers. It's also where the body of Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana, was kept for some time before her funeral in 1997.

"It's a special place for William," a source shares with Us. "Having the service there is his way of involving his mother, who he so wishes could be here for all of this."

PHOTOS: Princess Diana's pregnancy with Prince William

No one else could ever take her place, of course, but other loved ones can and will be in attendance. Kensington Palace won't release a guest list until the day of the event, but "close members of both families" are expected -- including, of course, George's great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, his grandfather Prince Charles, his uncle Prince Harry, and his maternal grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton, along with the Duchess' siblings, Pippa and James.

PHOTOS: Royal family tree

A source tells Us that the midwives who helped deliver the royal baby have also been invited. All told, the guest list includes fewer than 50 people.

The ceremony is expected to go on for 45 minutes, though the christening itself -- conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby -- will take only 25 minutes, with prayers and hymns sung by a choir. "They have to follow a pretty tight schedule," a source tells Us, "so if George is crying, the show must go on, as they say."

PHOTOS: Kate Middleton's pregnancy style

Afterward, family and friends will gather at Clarence House for a reception hosted by Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. There, George's parents will present the top tier of their wedding cake, which they saved from their April 2011 nuptials. "It will just be a small champagne reception," a source tells Us.

PHOTOS: The royal family baby album

For those not among the royal family's inner circle, portraits will be released on Thursday, Oct. 24. And well-wishers are encouraged to donate to charity in lieu of sending gifts.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are incredibly grateful for the support and goodwill being expressed at this happy time. Their Royal Highnesses are grateful, too, for the many gifts they have already received," the palace says.

PHOTOS: The Duke and Duchess as kids

"To harness this extraordinary generosity of spirit, they suggest people might at this time look to support those more in need; perhaps a children's charity local to them," the palace continues. "Alternatively, you could look to support Imperial College Healthcare Charity, which is the charity of the hospital where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby was born."

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/prince-georges-royal-christening-new-details-on-the-guest-list-gifts-and-more-20132110
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Cooler Temps, Rain Help Ease Australian Wildfires

SYDNEY (AP) — Firefighters battling dozens of wildfires in Australia's most populous state merged two of the most worrying blazes on Tuesday to try to reduce the threat of a more unpredictable inferno taking hold.

There had been fears that three of the fires near the Blue Mountains west of Sydney would join to create a massive, erratic wall of fire that would be difficult to control. So firefighters struck first, combining two of the fires into one that is easier to manage and contain.

Cooler temperatures, calmer winds and a light drizzle were giving thousands of firefighters a reprieve in fighting the blazes Tuesday.

The fires have killed one man, destroyed 208 homes and damaged another 122 in New South Wales state since last week, the Rural Fire Service said.

The number of fires burning dropped from more than 100 last week to 60 on Tuesday, with 15 still out of control, Fire Service spokesman Joel Kursawe said. Fires that had previously been ranked the highest danger were all downgraded by the fire service.

Still, officials said the threat had not completely evaporated, as the weather was expected to heat back up on Wednesday.

"We cannot afford for complacency or a lull, as welcome as any relief in weather conditions are," Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=239476309&ft=1&f=
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BBM for iPhone finally, actually launching today... kinda!

BlackBerry has announced that BlackBerry Messanger for iPhone is coming today, but you may still have to wait a bit before you get to use it. While the app will launch in the App Store today, BlackBerry is implementing a waiting system similar to Mailbox. BlackBerry detailed the process of signing up for BBM for iPhone in a post on their Inside BlackBerry blog:

BBM Roll Out Details:

1. Download BBM – the easiest way is to visit BBM.com from your Android or iPhone browser
2. Once you install the app, open it, and enter your email address to hold your spot in line
3. We will email you as soon as you reach the front of the line and can start using BBM

BBM.com isn't currently live, mind you. Right now it shows a bizarre series of emoticons that makes us want to punch our screens. But it should be live at some point soon-ish. We hope. Maybe. Sigh.

If you previously signed up at BBM.com, BlackBerry says that you can start using BBM without waiting. However, BlackBerry wants to get as many people using BBM as they can as soon as possible, so users who didn't sign up in advance shouldn't have to wait too long.

(Unless you're in Africa, in which case Samsung has arranged for 3 days of exclusivity. No, that's not a typo.)

BBM for iOS was originally announced in May, but was delayed following the leak of the Android app. While you wait to finally use BBM on your iPhone, check out our hands-on impressions of the app.

Are you looking forward to finally using BBM on your iPhone, are you annoyed that you'll need to wait, or... what's BBM?

Source: Inside BlackBerry, via CrackBerry

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/7Gbwx6YOJE0/story01.htm
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