WWDC Update #3

Ok. For .Mac users, it's now also going to be used as a HUB between your computers...no matter where they are. That's the quick way to say it...

Next, Quick Look. Let's you instantly preview files without opening applications for them. Works with all popular file types and plug-in modules will be available for developers. The demo looks like the movie/album viewer in iTunes. To demo how it works, Jobs found a pdf, selected it, hit the space bar, and a preview window opened without launching the application. Cool! It expands out from all finder views, windows, lists or Cover Flow.

(Crud, my audio from the conference just died! Well back to text updates...)

Feature # 4 - Leopard is 64-bit from top to bottom. This makes it the first OS to go 64-bit. One version of Leopard runs 32-bit and 64-bit applications side by side! Demo shows that a 32-bit system is having issues uploading a 4GB photo. The 64-bit version took 28 seconds, 32-bit version took 81 seconds to run filters on the 4GB photo.

next, feature #5 - CORE ANIMATION!

WWDC Update #2

Ok now we're on to the OS! Some stats quoted by Jobs:

*Tiger - most successful Apple release
* 22 million active OSX users, 67% use Tiger, 23% use Panther, and 10% use older versions

More items:
300 features in Leopard and we'll see 10 today.
New Desktop (Dock is narrower, new menu bar, consistent window look, prominent active window)
Utilizing "Stacks" to keep desktop clean - downloads have stack in the Dock, and all stacks either stay in dock, or on a grid. Stacks are using Core Animation!) First note of Jobs saying "BOOM!" :)

Woo! New finder! Sidebar has search function built in that has "smart searches" that are customized. Finder now works like iTunes...view it in ANY way, and has Cover Flow. The sidebar is also the place where you will see the shared items from the local network. Cover Flow will allow to browse a computer like browsing a PDF. Over a network too. You can play video with it as well.


Looks like .Mac subscribers will have new goodies as well...more on that next.

WWDC Update #1

Ok folks here we go...

First thing is a new Mac/PC video. PC impersonating Jobs, talking about shutting down Apple, now that Vista has sold "tens of dozens of copies" and that the ipod killer Zune is out. He's admonished by Mac. Hooray!

Steve then presents an award to the Intel team for all their hard work last year. Yada Yada.

Bing Gordon, Chief Creative officer for EA Games, comes out on stage for an announcement. (EA? weird.) Well it looks like Command & Conquer 3, Battlefield 2142, NFS Carbon, Madden 08 & Tiger Woods 08, and Harry Potter & the order of the phoenix will be on OSX this year and next.

"The only thing better than living on a mac, is living at Hogwarts" - Bing Gordon

[WWDC] UPDATES FOR TODAY...

Ok folks, I'm going to keep this simple. While I'm not at the conference, I will be blogging throughout the day as I get updates. Keep checking back. :D

-Mike L.

[Op./Ed.] APPLE PULLS A SEAGULL ON THE SUMMER...

Now let me first explain myself. This is one of those expressions that you and your friends come up with after seeing something in a movie that you liked. Who didn't love the seagulls from Finding Nemo? "Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine." This is what pulling a seagull means...and I honestly think Apple is doing this over the summer.

Let's take a look at the BLITZ that has hit the media and internet over the past couple months. Here it is...stream of consciousness...

First was the announcement of the delay of Leopard...people were upset...but yay, the iPhone is on target for June...Next thing we know...whammo!..The macbook pros are gone from retailers, and a whole new setup has been released...Woo, another way to spend money on Apple!..The speculation about the iPhone is at an an all time high (some even claim it's going to be pay as you go)...the WWDC is just about to it, everything is at a fever pitch...Sun leaks info on the new file system...there's something about Core Animation...

And we're still waiting...oh brother, Monday is going to be hectic. I'll do my best to cover the WWDC on Monday morning and provide input and thought for all of our great readers...but it's likely going to be a lot of information.

Now back to my Seagull point. All of the tech talk lately has been about Apple...they've done a successful job of keeping their name in the spotlight without taking any huge hits. Oh there have been hits, but nothing that they can't weather. Now that attention is going to start paying off...with their name in constant speak (hey it's funny), and the good hype built around the forthcoming release of the iPhone, Leopard, and now the current release of the Santa Rosa chips in the Macbook Pros. (miiiiine...my precious!)

All in all, it looks to be like a great summer, and rest of the year for Apple. I think we'll all know this for certain come June 29 when lines form for the new iPhone. While they won't be around the block, they'll be there!