Today marks 70 years since the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the catalyst for America leaping into World War Two. A rather somber day of remembrance for many of us, but the tech world isn’t about to stop, with no less than three major App Store events on top of a couple of juicy Apple product rumors as well. Let’s have a moment of silence for the 2,403 lost on that fateful day, then dive into what’s making tech news on this Wednesday, December 7, 2011.
We’re quite used to seeing iPhone/iPod touch apps go universal and add native iPad support, but more and more we’re starting to see the reverse take place. Case in point: A new version 1.7 update to formerly iPad-only “personalized magazine” reader Flipboard, which brings all the fun into the palm of your hand by adding iPhone and iPod touch compatibility. The free update also includes a new Cover Stories mode for the iPhone, which selects interesting articles and photos “and it gets smarter every time you use it.” (The feature is promised as “coming soon” to the iPad.) The app also boasts some significant speed increases and Flipboard accounts will help keep your favorites synced between devices. And hey, it even got a nod of approval from Apple VP Phil Schiller on Twitter earlier today, which caused a surge of traffic that immediately collapsed the whole deck of cards. Things are getting back to normal, so grab that iPhone 3GS/third-geniPod touch or higher and install -- but make sure you have iOS 4.0 or later first.
Forbes is reporting on some next-generation Apple television speculation which just so happens to line up with one of our predictions many moons ago. According to Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair, the next version of the iMac coming in 2012 may actually include current Apple TV technology as well as traditional television features. The analyst theorizes “pushing the largest screen sizes of the iMac toward the TV market by integrating Apple TV and iCloud features into a slimmer all-in-one PC with TV capabilities” might be just the ticket. Of course, Apple would have to expand the screens well beyond the maximum of 27 inches we currently enjoy before anyone would be interested, but it’s an intriguing concept. Wouldn’t it be funny if all this speculation lately about an Apple television was simply a new iMac with a TV inside…?
Game-crazy iOS device owners just got a little love from Microsoft, courtesy of the new My Xbox LIVE app. The free, universal 17.4MB download just hit the App Store today and promises to “take your Xbox LIVE experience wherever you go.” Among the app’s many talents is the ability to track and compare achievements, connect with Xbox LIVE friends, change up your 3D Avatar, review recent games and of course, jump into the games hub to learn about the latest LIVE games and apps. If that’s not enough, the app also promises to “access Xbox Spotlight feeds, get breaking news from Xbox LIVE, game tips and tricks, gamer spotlight and much more.” So what are you waiting for?
No real revelations here, but AppleInsider is reporting that the next iPad will be “slightly thicker” than the iPad 2 while retaining the same 9.7-inch screen size as well as support for its Magnetic Cover. According to Macotakara, the reason for the thicker model is unknown, but it’s widely expected that Apple will introduce some form of Retina Display into the next model, which likely requires a little bit more breathing room inside. That decision will likely cause some chaos for third-party case manufacturers who create products to cover the back of the iPad, which is said to retain “the same rounded side as the iPad 2.”
If you happened to be up late on Tuesday night, you might have seen an update to iBooks pop up in the App Store, bringing Apple’s e-book reader and storefront to version 1.5. So what does the free, universal 20.7MB update include? Glad you asked. Late-night readers will be pleased to hear that a nighttime reading theme is now included to make “reading books in the dark easier on the eyes,” with a full-screen layout lets you focus on the words without the distraction of those pretty graphics. iBooks now features an improved selection of fonts along with “beautiful new classic covers for public domain books” and “a redesigned annotation palette” which claims to make it easier to choose a text highlighting color. It all works for us!
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