Wow, that was quite a WWDC keynote today, wasn’t it? Even if you didn’t get everything on your wish list, that cool new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display certainly looks enticing, and iOS 6 sure keeps packing on the new features. There’s plenty of ancillary news from today’s event, so be sure to keep reading and find out all the stuff you may have missed for this Monday, June 11, 2012 post-keynote edition!
Heading to college this fall and looking to buy a new Mac? Between today (June 11) and September 21, students can grab the Mac of their dreams and receive a bonus $100 Back to School Gift Card for purchasing apps, books, music and movies via iTunes and the iOS or Mac App Stores. Students can even shave a bit off their cost with Apple Education Pricing, which also includes a new iPad; that particular model is also eligible for a $50 Back to School Gift Card as well. Almost makes us want to head back to school… almost.
Big-screen MacBook Pro lovers all over the world are crying today -- and they’re not tears of joy, which fans of the 15-inch notebook are enjoying with their Retina Display update. According to Engadget, the 17-inch MacBook Pro has been quietly axed from the company’s lineup in favor of the more popular 13-inch and 15-inch models. Shouldn’t come as a big surprise to those who follow this kind of stuff, especially when Apple has now effectively split their MacBook Pro line between those who crave a SuperDrive and those who lust for Retina Display quality.
Apple’s online store has really been in stealth mode today, quietly cranking out modest Mac Pro and AirPort Express refreshes. But that’s not all -- the iPad Smart Case also received a bump today, both in price as well as coverage area. The revamped polyurethane cover now protects both the front and back of your iPad 2 or new iPad, while still retaining the ability to fold up and be used as a stand. The new Smart Cover is available for $49 each in six different colors (light gray, dark gray, blue, green, pink and red); they’re in stock with free shipping and can even be laser engraved absolutely free.
Just because developers are paying through the nose to attend WWDC this year doesn’t mean they can lounge around and enjoy the keynote address. iOS developers are now busy downloading the first of what’s sure to be many beta builds of iOS 6, which perhaps controversially leaves the original iPad and all versions of the iPod touch aside from the current fourth generation in the lurch. As with most betas, there are a number of moving parts here, including the Xcode 4.5 Developer Preview, a beta build of iTunes 10.6.3 for installing iOS 6, a new Apple TV software beta for testing AirPlay and pre-release builds of both Find My iPhone and Find My Friends. So, keep busy, guys, and enjoy your week in San Francisco!
As promised during the WWDC 2012 keynote address, a number of the company’s pro Mac apps are now pushing updates to support the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display. While the updates are rather modest for Final Cut Pro X and its companion Motion 5 and Compressor 4, the company’s Aperture 3.3 update is a pretty beefy one which adds a number of additional features. First and foremost is a unified library for your Aperture and iPhoto libraries, perfect for users who want to move between the two applications. There’s no need to import, export or even reprocess photos -- Apple claims “it all happens automatically.” The pro photo app also gains an advance white balance feature, improved highlights and shadows, professional auto enhance and faster browsing. Gee, maybe this should be Aperture 4? Well, it’s a free update for existing users ($79.99 for everyone else), so you won’t hear us complaining much.
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