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Will Mac Pro Get a Much Needed Refresh?

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Mac Pro

The Mac Pro hasn’t seen an update in quite a while and it’s really starting to show it’s age. Pro users are getting quite impatient with Apple by now and some have even sent emails directly to Tim Cook complaining about how they feel that Apple has essentially forgotten about it’s pro users and has decided to focus purely on the iPhone and iPad business.

It makes sense that Apple would focus most of their attention to these products since they are by far their most popular but it’s time for the Mac Pro to get some love and Tim Cook actually responded to the email by saying that there are some updates in store for 2013.

USB 3.0, Thunderbolt and CPU upgrades are just a few of the much needed updates to the Mac Pro line. Hopefully, we will get an announcement next week at the World Wide Developers Conference which begins June 10th and continues through to the 14th. Macrumors has mentioned that supplies of the Mac Pro have decreased significantly among various suppliers which does seem to hint toward a refresh.

Video: D11 Interview of Tim Cook

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Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg of AllThingsD yesterday and you can now watch the entire interview here on the embedded video below.

Apple CEO Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook (Source:Apple)

Tim Cook discussed quite a few topics during the interview but a few stand out from the rest. One of the more notable moments in the interview was when Tim Cook mentioned that there’s a possibility that iOS could offer a richer API toolset for developers. Apple has received a lot of criticism of being too locked down and developers have long wanted to get deeper access to iOS, which soon could be a reality. Cook did mention that although 3rd parties may gain more access into iOS, they would not do it in such a way that compromises the customer experience.

Of course no major announcements were made, not that we we’re expecting any, but Cook did seem to hint at a few things to come. One of those things is Apple TV, not the little content streaming box but an actual Apple Television. Cook mentioned that it’s an area that needed to be brought up-to-the-times as television hasn’t changed much over the years. Perhaps, Apple could do with TV what it did for the smart phone industry. Here is a quote from Tim Cook on the question about an Apple TV.

 I don’t want to go into detail, but it continues to be an area of great interest for us. The product and relationships we’ve built provide a lot more knowledge than we would have otherwise. And popularity has been larger than we thought, and we aren’t marketing it.” – Apple CEO Tim Cook

During the interview they touched on other subjects like wearable tech, Android, and they even went into taxes, which Apple has recently been under the microscope for, mainly in how it manages it’s finances over seas and how that tax money makes it back, or doesn’t, to the US. Cook does mention that it’s not a situation unique to Apple and it is an area that needs reform.

Thanks to MacRumors for the video link.

Microsoft Heating up the War on Apple

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It’s quite obvious that the iPad is successful but what about the competition? What about the ASUS Vivo Tab RT? We see it but why should we buy it over an iPad? There hasn’t been a lot of companies, including Microsoft, that have been willing to make direct comparisons to the iPad, we don’t see a lot of the “I’m better than you and here’s why” type of advertising. So, you can imagine that it would be kind of refreshing to see an ad like this pop up on TV every now and then, and that’s exactly what’s happening.ApplevMicrosoft

Full disclosure, I own an iPad and love it, but I know, and I’m sure all of you know, that’s it’s far from perfect and it often seems like the competition just completely avoids talking about the iPad and it’s limitations.

You may be thinking, why do we care and as an iPad user why do I care? Well, the simple answer is that we will all benefit from intense competition. The more back and fourth there is the better the products get, it creates an environment that’s favorable for innovation and creativity. Remember the Space Race? Sometimes we even see price drops because of aggressive advertising.

This latest commercial is bold, to the point, and makes a direct comparison the iPad. Will it work? Who knows? but it definitely makes things interesting and can cause these companies to re-think things and possibly add new features just to try to silence the competition. You can see the commercial below.

 

iPad Could Cause Serious Problems with Defibrillators

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Apparently the magnets in the iPad 2, which are used for the Smart Cover, can completely shut down implanted defibrillators if left on the chest while sleeping. This is clearly a big deal if you rely on an internal defibrillator to keep you up and running.

pacemaker heart medicine
Implanted Defibrillator

Fourteen-year-old Gianna Chien discovered this problem during a science fair project and soon she will be sharing her discovery with the Heart Rhythm Society.

Many defibrillators shut off in the presence of a magnet due to a magnetic switch which is used as a safety feature. Some devices turn on after the magnet is moved away but some require you to have them turned on manually.

This is clearly a major problem as millions of people own the iPad 2 and the situation in which the issue occurs is very common. Fortunately, this young girl’s discovery can bring awareness to this issue and possibly save lives.

 

Featured App: Whims

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Whims is a social media app similar to Instagram, except instead of photos, you create text.

Whims Detail

You start off by signing up and making a profile. Then you pick a style sheet, they give you so many to choose from. A style sheet has a theme based on people, such as Harry Potter style. There are two types of font in that style and three color options. You can choose which specific words you want to change to the second font choice, if at all. Other options are, alignment, text size and text spacing.

Afterwards when you click “create” there is another option called “add texture”, this will give your background a different look. You can choose from no filter, crumpled, rust, stationary, vintage, water spill, and notes. These can be layered all together and the more you click, the more intense the texture becomes.

Once you have perfected your design, you can add a comment or tags and share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, text message, and email. This will post to the Whims page, but there is an option to save as a “Private Whim” which will only save the image to your phone.

I love this app because it has so many beautiful styles for free, unlike other apps that make you pay for packages and different fonts.

Download for free from the App Store

 

Potter Stylewhims styles