It looks like all those rumors about a MacBook Pro refresh coming Thursday instead of in early March are true. The online version of the Apple Store was down this morning and, just in time before the big reveal, a photo has leaked online showing the specs for the new 15-inch version of the refreshed MacBook Pro.
If you were planning on heading to the Apple Store this President's Day to go shopping for a new MacBook Pro, you might want to hold off on until at least Thursday. Apple is expected to announce a MacBook Pro refresh this week featuring machines that are thinner, lighter, have zippy new Intel processors and better screens, according to the latest rumors. The favored date for the new MacBook Pro line-up is Thursday, February 24, according to MacRumors.
The Android versus iOS platform war is heating up. Just one day after Apple announced its new in-app subscription model, Google responded with a similar scheme. Google may soon launch its long-expected music service to compete with iTunes, and Apple may be trying to horn in on mobile social products such as Google Buzz with a revamped Mobile Me.
Apple recently said it wants a 30 per cent cut of all subscriptions sold on iOS devices, including services that offer music, video, newspapers and magazines. But Apple's move may force digital publishers and content providers such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu to think long and hard about continuing to offer apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.
Google's tablet-ready mobile OS Android 3.0, Honeycomb, has arrived packed with features such as camera support, improved navigation, graphics and an overhauled Android Market. Android tablets running Honeycomb won't be available for a few weeks yet, but here's a quick FAQ to get your up to speed on the latest developments for Android devices.
Looking for an apartment to rent or wondering what the latest global health crisis is? Look no further than Google Maps. Many professional and part-time map addicts have created useful Google Maps mashups that show you (in real time, or at least in near-real time) the latest information for a variety of subjects, including the latest happenings on Twitter, news from the Associated Press, and even the most recently reported UFO sightings. Check out these ten Google Maps mashups to be in the know before anybody else.
The next version of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) will feature a new holographic look, five customizable home screens, a Windows-style taskbar and tabbed browsing. Google released a platform preview of Android 3.0 to third-party developers on Wednesday so it could get busy prepping applications for the updated mobile OS. The search giant also released a series of screenshots showing what's new in Android 3.0 and what the new OS might look like on a tablet device.
Facebook should overhaul its third-party developer program and require every app on the social network to go through an approval process, security firm Sophos says. The suggestion was part of Sophos' annual security threat report for 2011, published Wednesday. The report takes a look at threats from 2010, and offers advice on how to stay secure for the coming year. Sophos said in 2010 it analyzed 95,000 pieces of malware every day, almost double the amount the company tracked in 2009.
Your home address and phone number are now part of the information dump third-party developers can obtain through Facebook-powered Website logins and applications.
Apple isn't wasting any time getting to work this January after bringing the iPhone to Verizon earlier this week. The company released the first beta version of iOS 4.3 for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple TV on Wednesday night. The new version of iOS promises all kinds of new features such as AirPlay support for third-party applications, four- and five-finger multitouch gestures and the return of the iPad's screen orientation lock switch.
Thinking about getting a Verizon iPhone now that AT&T has lost its U.S. exclusivity arrangement with Apple? Well, not so fast. Verizon might have the reputation for being the more reliable network, but judging by PCWorld's most recent 3G speed tests AT&T has the better 3G network speeds. In fact, nationwide AT&T was 67 per cent faster on average than Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile.
Things just keep getting worse for MySpace. The former social networking hub recently announced it would cut nearly half of its global workforce as part of a restructuring effort. As many as five hundred MySpace employees worldwide will soon be looking for work as the site continues to redefine itself from a social network to an entertainment content site with social networking features.
Motorola reportedly has big hopes for its Xoom tablet and may produce between 700,000 and 1 million Xoom devices before April.
Call it the desert showdown royal.
Microsoft will reportedly announce a new Windows-based US$200 set-top box using Windows Media Center as its primary interface, according to the Seattle Times.