It’s only the middle of December, but the presents are already coming for Apple fans, including today’s update to the Netflix iOS app, a new Pogoplug hardware device and a juicy rumor about new MacBook Pros with a type of “Retina Display” for early 2012. But that’s just scratching the surface of today’s news items, so read on and get all the details for this Wednesday, December 14, 2011.
If you’re in the market for a new MacBook Pro, the rumor mill says you may have some interesting choices early next year. According to DigiTimes, Apple is “likely to launch” a new line of MacBook Pros “with a display resolution of 2880 by 1800” sometime in the second quarter of 2012. Considering that current MacBook Pros top out around 1680x1050, that would essentially bring a Retina Display-style boost to the laptop, eclipsing competitors such as Acer and Asustek who are planning “high-end Ultrabook models with a display resolution of 1920 by 1080” by the middle of next year. Retina display Mac portables? Drool...
You’ll recall our recent news item about co-founder Ronald Wayne’s original signed contract from the founding of Apple Computer back on April 1, 1976 was headed to the Sotheby’s auction block, and that item has now been sold to the highest bidder. 9to5Mac is reporting that the document, originally expected to sell for upwards of $150,000, actually fetched a whopping $1,594,500 -- which amounts to about $1.3 million after deducting a “buyers tax.” The winning bidder is Eduardo Cisneros, the CEO of Cisneros Corp., whose family is listed as the second wealthiest in South America. No word on what Cisneros plans to do with the documents, which includes the original signatures of co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as well.
Beleaguered streaming giant Netflix is making up for some bad mojo in recent months with version 2.0 of their iOS app. The service is now available to customers in Latin America and also introduces a sleek new user interface for all regions on iPads running iOS 5 or later. While it may not make up for the price hike or having your DVD account jerked around like a ragdoll (Quickster… seriously?), if you happen to love Netflix viewing on your iPad, it’s a start.
AppleInsider is reporting that Time magazine has announced their annual “Person of the Year,” and sadly Apple co-founder Steve Jobs did not make the cut yet again. While the former CEO was recognized in a special “Fond Farewell” written by Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter, the “Person of the Year” went to an unlikely choice: “The Protester,” which symbolizes those who participated in the demonstrations across the Middle East, Europe and even here in the United States with the “Occupy” movement. While we’re down with the goodwill of the people uprising against their oppressive governments in the Middle East, we can’t help but feel that Jobs was cheated again, even in death. On the plus side, the issue also touts new Apple CEO Tim Cook as among “People Who Mattered” for 2011 for his ability to stand in for an otherwise “irreplaceable” co-founder.
It’s been a busy year for the gang at Pogoplug, who seems to be introducing new product offerings every month now that the cloud storage phenomenon they helped give birth to is really taking off at last. Today, the company announced the debut of Pogoplug Series 4, a new hardware solution equipped with two USB 3.0 ports, a single SD card slot and USB 2.0 port and plug and play SATA connectivity for Seagate GoFlex ultra-portable drives and other storage products that have adopted the new Universal Storage Module (USM) standard. Pogoplug Series 4 retails for $99.95 and the company is currently soliciting existing users with a 50 percent off deal via email as well.
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