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Apple launched last week its bid to make available to students electronic textbooks through a free application called iBooks 2.  To ensure success for this new project,  Apple established partnerships with publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson to produce digital high school textbooks.

Majority of high school textbooks in Apple’s iBookstore will cost $14.99 or less which is substantially cheaper than the current prices for print textbooks.  The company likewise unveiled a free tool called iBooks Author which allows Macintosh computer users to create their own iBooks textbooks and publish them to the iBookstore.

This is good news indeed for students and educators.  Migrating textbooks to the iPad not only makes it convenient for students used to bringing heavy books daily to school, but it also means more innovative and creative ways for children to learn.

Much as I love the feel of a new book in my hands while reading, I have to admit the possibilities that the iPad can offer is just as interesting.

The much awaited release of operating system iOS 5 for the iPad and iPhone is scheduled for today.  The new operating system claims the the new operating system comes with 200 new features, including the iCloud, which is touted to change the way users can interact with the online world.  The iCloud is the upgrade to the system last promised by the late Steve Jobs in his last public appearance in June 2011.

The iCloud is a system that offers Apple users to store data, such as music, messages, documents, and downloads, on Apple’s own cloud server in the worldwide web.  This new feature offers users more flexibility in the storage of their data commonly stored in their iPad, iPhone, or computer.  This provides more storage options for users to store data, making it more available to them wherever they are.

Another new feature is the iMessage which allows users to send text over Wi-Fi or 3G network instead of letting your mobile carriers do it for you for a fee.  This means bad news for mobile carriers who stand to make less money for data transmissions sent by users.  A new document reader for the Safari web browser with more space for your document is also part of the upgrade.

The new iOS 5 will be available to users as soon as they plug their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to their computer and launch iTunes.  Despite the disappointment of iPhone enthusiasts when the more revamped iPhone was not as extensive as expected, the new iOS 5 is definitely a good last legacy for the legendary Steve Jobs to leave behind.

As scheduled, Apple finally released the new version of its popular smartphone with the iPhone 4S.  Despite rumors going on around for months regarding the design and new features, the new iPhone was not as spectacular as anticipated.  Much of the upgrade was done under the hood while it actually looked exactly like its predecessor, the iPhone 4.  Here are the new features of the new iPhone 4s:

1)  Processor – it has Apple’s A5 dual core 1ghz processor together with a dual core GPU which is claimed to be faster and provide a graphic performance that is 7x faster than the iPhone 4.  Apple claims that battery performance is also better despite the more powerful processor.

2) Siri –  the feature that Apple has been bragging most about in the iPhone 4S is the voice assistant called Siri.  The iPhone 4s still has the same voice control feature as the older model, but Siri was made to provide information to the user with voice commands.  You can check the weather, a contact address, set a reminder, ask directions, or ask any type of trivia.

3)  Connectivity – it is now a dual band phone that supports both GSM and CDMA.  It is a very important feature for those who are used to traveling in various parts of the world where network compatibility may be an issue.

4)  Camera –  it now has an 8 mega pixel camera.  Still not as good as those offered by other smartphones, but it’s a good improvement over the older models.

5)  Design –  it has the exact same dimensions as the iPhone 4 except that it is heavier by about 3g.  The most significant improvement in the design of the iPhone 4S is the fix on the antenna which Apple now claims has better reception and call quality.

The iPhone 4S will be available in black or white for pre-order on October 7 and on sale starting October 14 from US carriers AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.  So, should you or shouldn’t you?  If it’s the first time you are planning to get an iPhone, it may be worth considering.  But if you already have an iPhone 4 or other models, there is always the promise of even better features in the next model — maybe a real iPhone 5 rumored to be around June next year.   Here we go again . . .

Following months of speculation about the health of Apple’s legendary CEO, Steve Jobs finally hands over his resignation last Wednesday indicating that he could no longer meet the duties and expectations as Apple’s Chief Executive Officer.  He likewise recommended to the Board that the reins be given to Apple COO, Tim Cook.  Jobs was immediately elected as Chairman of the Board while Cook will be given a Board seat.  Despite the resignation, Art Levinson (chairman of Genentech and an Apple board member) confirmed in a statement that the board “has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO.” Meanwhile, he reiterated that Mr. Jobs will “continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”

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Image courtesy of Thisismynext.com

The gadget world is once again abuzz with excitement with rumors of the new Apple iPhone 5 release expected this year.  This time around, there are no engineers losing their prototype iPhone in a bar to give us a a premature glimpse of the new release.  What can only be ascertained is that it will have upgraded features and hopefully no reception problems like its predecessor.  It is likely not enough to stifle everyone’s excitement and impatience, but here are a list of the new rumors about the iPhone 5. Read the rest of this entry »

Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. founder and Chief Executive, announced Monday that his doctors discovered a hormonal imbalance in his system that has been causing his weight loss.  The announcement came after rumors circulated that Jobs was in poor health.  Rumors actually started when Apple declared that Jobs would not be making his annual keynote address in the Macworld conference.  After surviving pancreatic cancer, many assumed the worst.

The 54-year old CEO said his treatment was relatively simple and he will remain at the helm of Apple.  He explains that the hormonal imbalance is robbing him of proteins that his body needs to be healthy.  This was confirmed by sophisticated bloodtest that he underwent.  As he now starts treatment, doctor’s anticipate that he will be able to recover his health by Spring.

The company’s board released a statement affirming their confidence in Jobs and that he will continue to lead the organization.

Here’s good news for techies and IPhone junkies. Apple just released its 2.2 Firmware update and other goodies for the IPhone.  Also available is Google Street View and over the air Podcast downloads from iTunes.  Google Street View shows public transit and walking directions plus the ability to share your location via email.

Aside from bug fixes and Safari enhancements, the ability to toggle auto-text correction was added as an additional feature.  Another big update are podcast downloads.  Here are more shots courtesy of Engadget.

It turns out that Steve Job’s team botched the security protection of the IPhone. Losing your IPhone or leaving it lying around poses a security risk to users. MacRumors discovered the fault warning IPhone users of the potential risk.

If you think your IPhone data is protected with the passlock code, think again. It seems that Apple just placed the feature in the mobile phone to scare of potential thieves. It’s nothing more than a screen design that can be easily disabled.

While the IPhone is locked, the only thing any user supposedly can do is to dial emergency numbers. However, even with a passlock code, anyone can unlock your IPhone. All they have to do is to double-click the Home key while in the Emergency Call screen and it will be directed to the default Favorites menu. From there, any attacker gets a free-for-all on your email. Clicking a contact’s email address, then cancel from the message screen and he is in. Web browsing can also be accessed through a contact’s URL found through Google Maps. And of course, they can make any call by clicking your contact’s number and adding a call.

Apparently, Apple is already aware of the possible security breach and is currently working on a security patch. Not to worry though. You can easily remedy the flaw by changing the double-click preferences by setting it to an IPhone capability that will not provide thieves with critical information. If you set it to the iPod, all they get are your videos and music. Better yet, set it to the Home screen which will just bring it back to the Passlock Code panel.

For all IPhone users, just try to keep your security risk at minimum levels if possible. Remember to just leave critical information as little as possible in your mobile phone.

Blogging started as a hobby for Dr. Arnold Kim. His blog, MacRumors.com, features gossip and facts about Apple. Although it was a time-consuming hobby, he kept at it while earning his medical degree. He completed his medical degree and began to diagnose kidney problems for patients. With his website attracting 4.4 million people and 40 million views per month, he decided to hang up his stethoscope this month and become a problogger full time. According to Quantcast, it has become the one of the most popular technology website to date.

Now that he has decided to focus his attention on his blog, Dr. Kim believes the potential to earn more from his endeavor will grow further. As with all other people who are unaware of a blog’s potential, his colleagues could not comprehend how he could make more money from blogging than pursuing his medical profession. He sums it all up in two words, “build traffic.” In the internet, traffic equals power, which in turn translates to money.

Dr. Kim started blogging about Steve Jobs’ company in 2000 writing about rumors on future Apple products he collects around the web. Being a secretive company, Apple has become the object of speculation and interest over the years. With a computer science degree from the Columbia University, his skills in programming and technology has added value to the blog and made visitors keep coming back for more. He also knew that everyone wants to know in advance what Steve Jobs is up to. If the midnight vigil during the market release of the IPhone 3G is any indication, Dr. Kim has indeed found a niche that was worth more than the degree he is giving up.

MacRumors ranks No. 2 on a list of the “25 most valuable blogs,” just behind Gawker Media and ahead of The Huffington Post, PerezHilton.com, and TechCrunch. Among those on the list, 2 tech-oriented blogs, Ars Technica and PaidContent, were sold earlier this year for alleged sums in excess of $25 million. Ars Technica has over 3 million visitors per month while PaidContent and its associate blogs reach approximately half a million people. Considering that MacRumors attracts a far bigger audience, valuations indicate that he has a gold mine in his hands. That is one piece of real estate that no crisis can topple.

Initially, he hesitated to make it a full-time job since he enjoyed medicine and had invested almost $200,000 for his education. However, when he saw the figures, it had become an easy decision to make.

When asked how he figures out the rumors from the real thing, he claims that its all a gut feel. He is aware that most of the images of future Apple products in the web are fakes. He does enjoy this fun part where he sometimes posts suspicious images with hints on their authenticity.

At the moment, he is planning to go beyond the horizons of MacRumors. He is currently cooperating in a spinoff Web site, Touch Arcade, that tracks the new games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Though he keeps mum about his other expansion plans, one thing is certain — he plans to go where no blogger has gone before.

Apple launched the IPhone 3G which was much cheaper than the original version. But is it really cheaper? AT&T’s service plan jumps $10 a month. The first version of the sells at $399 (for 16GB of storage) but the 2-year plan with AT&T is lower by $140 compared to the the new plans for the IPhone 3G.

Nevertheless, the extra $40 for the total cost of the IPhone 3G is not so bad considering that this will be spread over 2 years plus the extra features of the new model is definitely worth the value. As a matter of fact, the IPhone 3G has improved on the quirks that most users have complained about on the first model.

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I am gadget junkie. I love gadgets that make my eyes go wide with amazement when I see what it can accomplish. I looked through Time Magazine’s Best Inventions for 2007 just to whet my appetite. Everytime I look at inventions like these, I still can’t believe how amazingly intelligent and creative humans can be. Let me show you my favorites among all the amazing stuff humans have concocted in 2007.

I will start off with Time’s Invention of the Year — the IPhone. I know. I was surprised too. How can this cellphone get the top award when it seems to be all hype? Time gave reasons why it was chosen and I will sum it all up as best I could. First reason is — it really looks good. I can’t argue with that. I love the colors of the screen and the design. The animations made by Apple on the interface is also cool. No other cellphone can top that. Next, it’s all touchscreen. It’s not the first time a gadget is equipped with this feature. But have you seen a cellphone with the whole interface controlled via touchscreen? Nope. And of course, it’s not just a cellphone — it’s a genuine hand-held computer inside an elegant glass and stainless steel case. You can actually install Google Maps where you really need it — on the palm of your hand. You can add so many nifty softwares in it with such cute and colorful icons. Finally, if this is just the first edition, can you imagine what the next upgrades will be like. I can’t wait.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an Apple advertiser. But my next choice also wowed me the first time I saw it. Steve Jobs really seems to know how to make your mouth open with his new gadgets. The first time I saw the IMac, I searched for a full 5 minutes looking for the computer’s CPU. It doesn’t have a separate CPU? Whaaat?! The entire system was squished inside the slim LCD monitor. The DVD writer opens on the right edge of the gorgeous monitor. The monitor/entire system is made of a single sheet of aluminum so you wont see any seams or screws except for a single compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory slots. And the IMac is not all beauty. We all know that the Mac OS has improved in leaps that it claims to be even more stable than Microsoft. I can go on forever. Let me just say this — “I want an IMac!”

My next fave is for earth lovers. It’s Tata Motors’ air car. Tata Motors was contracted by French R&D firm, MDI, to manufacture compressed – air – technology vehicles. The cars will run on air and the only thing it emits is colder and cleaner air. Moreover, a built-in air compressor can be plugged in to refill the tanks within minutes. For those complaining about high fuel cost, you better hold your horses. The cars will be available by 2009 yet.

Then we have the amazing Digital Water Pavilion. MIT’s SENSEable City Laboratory will build the Digital Water Pavilion for 2008′s Expo Zaragoza in Spain. The walls of the structure will be sheets of water flowing from computer – controlled nozzles that shape them into endlessly scrolling words and patterns. Talk about cool advertising! Wouldn’t it be cool to have a room like this at home? Portion of the room that is meant to be a door will sense when you are about to go out and stop water flow in that area. This is what I call innovation.

There are several more in Time’s list like clothes that change color with your moods, the erasable paper that does not require ink and may be used several times over, Sony’s new HD handycams, and so on. For the inventors of those in the list, my hats off to all of you.