Technology Topic

Originally posted by Cnet.com.auAccording to Bloomberg News, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said yesterday that a 3G version of Apple's mobile phone will be available in 2008. Stephenson didn't elaborate on exactly when we'd see it -- though Jobs had said late in 2008 -- nor did he say exactly what features it would offer.

And as for a price (currently the iPhone retails for AU$635), Stephenson said that would be up to Jobs to dictate.

Many reviewers have criticised the iPhone's lack of 3G support, particularly since AT&T has a robust 3G network. But Jobs has defended the omission by saying that the 3G chip sets take up too much space, and thus would make the iPhone larger, and that 3G use would eat up excessive battery life.

Stephenson didn't say whether those problems have been solved, but personally, we'd be willing to accept a fatter iPhone for the chance to browse the wireless Web at 3G speeds. And yes, we say, even with the integrated Wi-Fi.

Originally posted by germcevoy[..]

Got to the root of the problem. It turns out that the Shuffle cannot play apples own lossless file format. WTF?? I have to re-encode the song to AAC in order to transfer it to the Shuffle. Dissapointing

Originally posted by djrlewis[..]

I think (don't quote me, I'm definitely not a defend-Apple-at-all-costs-fanboy ) that it is because they were aiming the Shuffle mainly at a very casual market who would have no need for lossless files (mainly gym/running/biking/kids etc) and this way they could bump the figures for number of songs.

They didn't reckon on someone like you who wanted high-qulaity music!!

Originally posted by djrlewis[..]

I think (don't quote me, I'm definitely not a defend-Apple-at-all-costs-fanboy ) that it is because they were aiming the Shuffle mainly at a very casual market who would have no need for lossless files (mainly gym/running/biking/kids etc) and this way they could bump the figures for number of songs.

They didn't reckon on someone like you who wanted high-qulaity music!!

Originally posted by drewhiggins[..]
They assume if you want lossless you'll go a classic or a touch.

Macworld 2008 confirms Steve Jobs for keynote

It’s nearly Macworld time again, with the IDG World Expo group confirming that Steve Jobs will once again be keynoting the event – how will he wow the world this time?

At 9.00am on Tuesday the 15th of January, 2008, at the San Francisco Moscone Convention Center, Steve Jobs will once again kick off Macworld with one of his trademark keynote presentations. No-one can forget this year’s Macworld, where Jobs announced the iPhone to the world to immediate acclaim from just about everyone except competitors and Cisco, whose prior claim to the iPhone name couldn’t ultimately stop Steve from doing what he wanted.

Since the iPhone’s launch, speculation raged on whether or not developers would be able to create third party applications, with this year’s WWDC confirming that web based apps would be the way Jobs wanted developers to go, at least to start with. That, of course, didn’t stop developers who created third party apps for the iPhone anyway, and while quite a few of the apps that followed were clearly version 1.0 products that were really more impressive proof of concept demos than actually useful programs, other third party programs have become quite useful indeed, adding missing functionality to the iPhone and showing the great potential of the iPhone platform yet to be mined by developers and harnessed by consumers.

So it came as no surprise that Apple finally relented, with Steve Jobs announcing that a third party software developers kit (SDK) would be available by February 2008, with the delay attributed to figuring out a way to allow developers to develop while ensuring platform integrity to keep the iPhone safe from viruses, malware and other attacks. Given February starts less than two weeks after Jobs’ Macworld 2008 keynote, there can be no doubt that we’ll get a pretty good update on just where the third party SDK is up to, and what capabilities and limitations it will place on developers and consumers. We’ll also hopefully learn more about the next firmware update for the iPhone. Rumours have spoken of a version 2.0 firmware that will introduce new features, system-wide inbuilt search and other capabilities – and perhaps even the new 3G iPhone itself, although it seems more logical that any 3G iPhone would launch closer to mid-2008 than in January, while 2G iPhone sales still presumably going strong.

The other biggie for me will be to learn exactly what Apple has planned for the ultra-portable notebook and Tablet PC notebook space. Rumours have abounded that Apple will be launching some kind of ultra-thin MacBook, dubbed by some as a ‘MacBook Mini’ or a ‘MacBook nano’. Some say it will simply be an ultra-portable version of a souped-up MacBook, while others think it will be based on the iPhone platform running on a larger screen of around 10-inches, allowing Bluetooth wireless keyboard connectivity for those wanting to type in data the traditional way alongside the inevitable on-screen touch keyboard, the iPhone’s multi-touch capabilities, the ability to do a simple copy and paste, and the ability to drag and drop.

Naturally, given Steve Jobs’ ability to stun the world with incredible innovations, anything is truly possible, and no doubt more rumours will leak as we get closer and closer to January 15, some that will be just fantasies, with others closer to the mark than anyone could imagine.

As with Macworld 2007, there will be great expectations from Steve Jobs and Apple. There always is, and it’s always a rare surprise if Steve Jobs doesn’t knock our socks off with an amazing development, new upgrades or new technologies. Macworld 2008 will be no different, as the world wonders how Steve Jobs can outdo himself, and now the iPhone, yet again.

Originally posted by drewhigginsHe'll knock our socks off with telling the world that Apple Quality Control has gone out the window.

Originally posted by drewhigginsI like these solutions to problems by Apple:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306945

Originally posted by djrlewis[..]

LOL! He'll cause a small riot if he announces a 3G iPhone this soon after the first one.

My money's on a Macbook Pro lite. It'll be for the executive market.

Originally posted by germcevoy[..]

new MacBooks are overdue. They are still being sold in old apple white and the spec sheet on them is looking a little old.

Originally posted by djrlewis[..]
But if they go for the new Apple silver, how will they differentiate the Macbook from the Macbook Pro??