Updates

Apple Announces Iphone Software Update 2.2

Apple release today a software update for the iphone available immediately on itunes.  Some may say this is a preemptive strike against the highly anticipated Blackberry Storm due out today.  None the less, the upgrade caught many by surprise as it appeared at midnight today.

The updates/improvements include:

• Decrease in call setup failures and dropped calls
• Enhancements to Map
  • Google Street View
  • Public transit and walking directions
  • Display address of dropped pins
  • Share location via email
• Enhancements to Mail
  • Resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email
  • Improved formatting of wide HTML email
• Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi AND Cellular network)
• Improved stability and performance of Safari
• Improved sound quality of Visual Voicemail messages
• Pressing Home button from any Home screen displays the first Home screen
• Preference to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard Settings

Features

Google Street View

Street view takes you on a virtual walking tour: Navigate street-level photographs of places your’ve located in Maps.

Public Transit and Walking Directions

Get walking directions, find public transit schedules, check fares, and estimate your travel time.

Share Location

Tap the Share Location button to send an email that includes a Google Maps URL.

Podcasts

Get access to millions of free podcasts on the itunes tore via wi-fi or cell

Safari Improvements

A new search-friendly user interface, better performance, and more stability

So, not a whole lot, but nice update.  Apple does appear, in my opinion, to be trying to take a little of Storms thunder away…  Btw… have not heard of giant hordes of people lining up to get the storm… let me know if you hear differently!

Apple has a number of announcements today, including the new 13 and 15 inch macbook.  The new Macbooks are available today.

Included are :

Precision aluminum unibody enclosure.
From one solid piece of aluminum comes a MacBook that’s thin and light, beautifully streamlined, and durable.

Ultrathin 13.3-inch LED-backlit display.
Seamless glass and instant full screen brightness make everything you see flat-out spectacular. Including the display itself.

Up to 5x faster NVIDIA graphics performance.
Advanced NVIDIA integrated graphics provide more responsive gameplay and more realistic 3D environments.

All-new, smooth glass Multi-Touch trackpad.
It’s redesigned with even more room for even more gestures. Now the entire glass trackpad is also the button, so it’s clickable everywhere.

Display
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors
Supported resolutions: 1280 by 800 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio

Graphics and video support
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory3
Extended desktop and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
Built-in iSight camera

Mini DisplayPort

Input
Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
2.0GHz MacBook

Built-in full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement)
2.4GHz MacBook

Built-in full-size illuminated keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement)

processor and memory

2.0GHz or 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed
1066MHz frontside bus
2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB

Storage

2.0GHz MacBook
160GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive4
Optional 250GB or 320GB 5400-rpm hard drive or 128GB solid-state drive4

2.4GHz MacBook
250GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive4
Optional 320GB 5400-rpm hard drive or 128GB solid-state drive4
Optical drive

8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Maximum write: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW

Maximum read: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, and DVD+RW; 24x CD

Battery – 5hrs

Apple TV Update

Apple has release an Apple TV update version 2.2.  The software updates include the following:

1. You can now purchase HDTV shows directly from the itunes store (US only)
2. Movie browsing by actor and director
3. Chapter selection, alternate audio and subtitles
4. Movie description while playing movie
5. Genius Playlists
6. On-the-go-playlists
7. Music videos in playlists
8. Apple TV Standby mode
9. Security fixes