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Brent Simmons blogs Leopard UI predictions
Brent Simmons, developer of the most popular RSS reader on earth, has published some pre-WWDC predictions as to where he sees Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard's UI will evolve. He throws down the gauntlet on brushed metal, delves into customizable toolbars and even touches on what might happen to 'bubbly popup menus'.If you are at all interested in UI design, this is definitely a good read from a most prevalent Mac OS X developer. Keep in mind, however, that Brent - unlike the Scobleizer - doesn't have any insider info, so don't get your mouse cable tangled if next week proves his post to be way off the mark.
Scobleizer hints at "dizzying amount" of new Apple products
As I write this, I'm still contemplating the implications of getting Apple tips from a former Microsoft evangelizer's blog, but check this out as I philosophize for the afternoon: The Scobleizer (yea, the one and only), dropped a huge (yet unfortunately vague) hint of what Apple has up their sleeve: "Speaking of Apple, they are readying a dizzying amount of new products. I wish I could camp out at an Apple store during the World Wide Developer Conference on August 7th". Apparently (we're trusting you on this Ron!), Mr. Scoble's brother actually works for Apple, which is why he also goes on to decline commenting any further for fear of the Wrath of Jobs™.Hey, Mr. Scoble, you can spill some juicy tidbits. Apple gave up on that case for ousting that other blogger; why not give it a shot?Thanks Chris G.
WWDC Predictions from TUAW
It's prognostication time again. Before every major Apple Event, TUAW bloggers offer their predictions on what, if anything, Apple will release or announce. Sometimes we're right; sometimes we're wrong. With WWDC less than one week away, it's time to dust off our psychic hats and offer up what we see coming from Apple:Conrad Quilty-HarperPretty certain- Mac minis move to 1.66 Core Solo/1.86 Core Duo (with lower price points?)- New Intel Xserves- New Cinema Displays- Mac Pro- 10.5 demo, beta disks to developers, new naming scheme (big cats are old)Not so certain- Core 2 Duo iMacs- 6G iPods? Smaller, cheaper shuffles? Bigger capacity nanos? OLED displays- New hardware all feature Nvidia cards/Intel integrated, no more ATIDamien BarrettThe safe money is on the Mac Pro as a replacement for the G5 PowerMacs, utilizing the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Probably a new case design with a smaller footprint.A longer shot, but still likely, is the release or announcment of Apple's iPhone. The new iPod software appears to include references to phone-related functions and other industry people have been talking openly about Apple's foray into this market.Unlikely, but I just can't let a prediction cycle pass without wishing for it: an iTablet. Work bought me a Dell Axim X51 and it's nice, but using it is just as clunky as using Windows. I want the elegance of OS X but in a largish PDA or tablet form factor. If anyone can do it, Apple can.Dave CaoloI'm keeping it simple. Mac Pro, 10.5 ship date (and demo, of course).Dan LurieI'm sticking with Dave in that I'm only predicting 10.5 ship date and Mac Pro's as a certainty. Less certain but still possible is the iPhone, which analysts are expecting. They know a lot more than we do. David Chartier- Mac Pro with Core 2 Duo - those chips will be reserved for these machines, not the consumer line- Shiny new Cinemas to go with said Mac Pro- iPod nano bump (they haven't been touched since their introduction, hey? Besides the 1 GB of course. But going down in size doesn't count)- 10.5 preview with a really close launch date of Oct/Nov at latest. Probably Sept. Just in time for the holidays!- Jobs will be wearing Nikes again. All hail Nike. Also: finally a public apology for letting the Finder suck so bad for so long (hah).Scott McNultyAs for predictions, I'm just going with a Leopard ship date and that's it.Victor Agreda, Jr.Quad Core Xserves, Brainwave-controlled 6G iPods, Leopard will ditch Finder for an OpenDoc-esque system based on Spotlight, and Nanos in Tiger fur...Oh, and clearly the Cinema displays with built-in iSights are a lock.
More 'evidence' of a looming iPhone uncovered
If you still aren't tired of yet more iPhone rumors, here's a fairly juice one that's fueled by the crafty digital sleuthing of an AppleInsider reader. By dissecting the latest iPod firmware update, the reader found references to "t_feature_app_PHONE_APP" and variables such as "kPhoneSignalStrength", "prPhoneSettingsMenu" and more. To further fuel the fire, it's unlikely that this code has anything to do with the Motorola phones as they use an entirely different operating system. If you're interested in seeing the rest of the findings, including references to an iPod-based search application and an iPod keyboard, check out this AppleInsider forum thread.Engadget is betting that we could see this now-infamous iPhone as soon as WWDC, beginning Monday August 7th, 2006. I guess time will only tell if Steve pulls an Apple-branded phone out of his jeans any time soon.
WWDC rumors: new nanos, iTMS movie rentals?
As if the Apple rumor mill wasn't peppy enough on the off days, things are really getting moving now that their Worldwide Developers Conference is mere weeks away. Some flavor of Mac Pro seems a shoo-in, but Think Secret has some dirt on the iTunes Music Store and iPod nano, which they think are due for some keynote love as well. On the iTunes front, the word is that Steve Jobs will announce movie rentals for the store, with titles coming from Walt Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros. -- with more on the way. While a significant move, this marks a bit of a defeat for Jobs, who was purportedly going for mirroring music model with a-la-carte movie purchases, instead of having the file expire after a specific time or number of viewings. We're not sure which rental method Apple will go for, but the movie industry types seem pretty smug about their victory in the matter. As for the iPod, Think Secret's insiders are reporting that the second-gen nano is on the way, which should come in 6-8GB capacities, and feature multiple colors, including that metal alloy enclosure we were hearing about. Otherwise, the new nano shouldn't be much of a departure from the current offering. Rumblings of 40GB and 80GB 5G iPods are also making the rounds, with that 6G being delayed into 2007, but Think Secret doesn't expect anything for the WWDC.Read - iTMS movie rentalsRead - Second-gen iPod nano
Rumor Mill: Mac Pro in new enclosure at WWDC
ThinkSecret is saying that Apple will announce the Mac Pro and a newly designed enclosure at its World Wide Developers Conference next month. The Mac Pro is the rumored name of the Intel machines that will replace the PowerMac G5's. According to the rumor site, the new Mac Pro's will come in configurations similar to the PowerMac G5, including single and dual processor systems. I suspect the new machines will be sporting the newly released Core 2 Duo Intel processors, however, what I am having a hard time visualizing is what Apple will do to the enclosure. With the MacBook and MacBook Pro, Apple has continued to distinguish their pro machines by their shiny aluminum exteriors. Will Apple stay with the monolithic cheese graters, or will they go with something more subdued and refined? Only time will tell.
Apple extends WWDC early registration to July 7
An ADC email just arrived announcing Apple's extension of the WWDC early registration deadline to July 7. This email also features John Penn II, Senior/Lead Computer Scientist for Adobe Photoshop - at least now you know one of the guys who's responsible for making [insert idolized star here] look so good in that lifetime tabloid subscription you have. Better yet, if you're a code nerd, maybe you can go learn a thing or two from Mr. Penn II since you can still save $300 on an early registration.
Will Australia get the first look at Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard?
Tim Gaden (of Hawk Wings fame) has written an interesting article for his 'day job' column at APC Magazine about the possibility of our friends down under getting a first peek at Apple's forthcoming update to Mac OS X, 10.5 Leopard. Apparently, Apple has sent emails stating that they will be previewing the August WWDC during special seminars in Australian capitals during the month of June - nearly two months before the real WWDC takes the stage.If this is true, it would be great to hear real details of what Leopard is going to bring, as opposed to mere rumors of a re-built and Spotlight-dependent Finder, Windows virtualization and resolution independence. Here's hoping our Australian neighbors can't keep secrets very well.
Apple promotes WWDC by profiling Mac developers
WWDC (that the World Wide Developers Conference to you) is fast approaching, and I can't wait. Apple is promoting it by posting a number of profiles of Mac developers posing with Macs in different San Fran locales (the pages also offer some information about the location that the developer is standing).What a fun way to build excitement, highlight the work of developers, and promote the city that the event is in. Kudos to you, Apple.Who is planning on attending WWDC?
On resolution independence
There is a lot of buzz and speculation floating around as to what we'll see in the Mac OS X 10.5 update that will be previewed (and I suspect released) at this August's World Wide Developer's Conference. One exciting 'fundamental feature' John Gruber hinted at last November has been mentioned again by a developer named Dustin MacDonald: resolution independence.Gruber broke this concept down in a November '05 post titled Full Metal Jacket (under the Display heading), but to summarize: most of the dimensions of elements in Mac OS X (and other OSes to my knowledge) are defined in pixels - the menu bar is 22 px high, for example. This explains why things 'seem to look a little smaller' when you move from the 1024 x 768 dimensions of a 12" display to the 1440 x 900 resolution of the latest 15" PowerBook G4 or MacBook Pro displays. Conversely, if you decrease the resolution on the machine you're working on now, things will look a bit bigger; you have smaller resolution and fewer ppi (or dpi) on screen, so some elements change size. This can become a problem in the context of notebook displays and their resolutions - if you take the 15" MacBook Pro's resolution higher than 1440 x 900, things could become smaller than what many might consider usable (these same rules apply to Windows and I believe Linux as well). Further, you can't just keep increasing notebook display sizes like you can with desktop displays; I've heard of the 19" notebooks Engadget has come across, and I personally don't consider a 16 lb computer worthy of the 'portable' adjective.
WWDC sessions announced
Tell your OS X developer friends (though I bet they know already), Apple has posted information about the sessions at this year's WWDC. There are three different kinds of sessions (each link leads to a list of the sessions under that topic): Presentation Sessions Hands-on Sessions Hands-on Labs Check them out now, so you know which ones you want to attend.
Apple Design Awards 2006 now accepting entries
"Show off your latest feat of programming genius," says the Apple Developer Connection email announcing the call for entries to their 11th annual Design Awards. Recognizing "technical excellence and outstanding achievement in developing Mac OS X software," there are eight award categories into which developers can submit their apps: Best Mac OS X Developer Tool, Best Use of Mac OS X Graphics, Best Widget, Automator Workflow, User Experience, Game, Scientific Computing Solution and Student Product.As far as what winning developers receive for all their hard work, Apple's going all out this year. Each category winner receives two 15-inch MacBook Pros, two 23-inch Cinema Displays, an ADC Premiere Membership, a WWDC 2006 E-ticket, and an exhibitor space at Macworld 2007. The Student category winner will receive one 15-inch MacBook Pro, one 23-inch Cinema Display, one 60GB iPod, an ADC Student Membership, and a WWDC 2006 Student E-ticket. Does anyone else find it odd the non-student members don't receive an iPod? And how about the lack of PowerMac prizes?The entry deadline is June 16th, and the winners will be honored at WWDC in August.
Found Footage: OS 9's funeral
Ah, a walk down memory lane. Sit back and watch his Steveness conduct OS 9's funeral at 2002's WWDC.
Sneak preview of Leopard at WWDC
Are you dying for a sneak peek at Leopard, the next incarnation of OS X? If so, book a ticket for San Francisco in mid-August. Apple has announced, on its site and by email to customers, that it will offer a preview of OS X Leopard at WWDC 2006, scheduled for August 7-11.The Apple site briefly describes five WWDC session tracks -- Application Technologies, Development Tools, Graphics and Media, Information Technologies, and OS Foundations -- but doesn't provide details about specific sessions. If you're considering going, try to get your boss to pick up the registration fee, which is a stiff $1295-$3500 before June 23 and even more after that date. If you're a student, don't overlook Apple's Student Scholarship Program. We told you before -- but it's worth a reminder -- that applications for a free WWDC ticket through that program are due on April 28.
WWDC Student Scholarship Program now open
TUAW reader Nolan B noticed that ADC (Apple Developer Connection) student members can now apply for a scholarship to WWDC 2006, Apple's annual World Wide Developer Conference, being held August 7-11 this year in San Francisco. Scholarship winners receive a free ticket which includes total access to all technical sessions and special events - a $1595 USD value in all.Applications are due April 28th, so you'd better get crackin'. Check out the scholarship rules and WWDC FAQ sections for more information, and then wait patiently until June to find out if you'll be attending WWDC on Apple's dime.
Top contributors to the Webkit Open Source Project get MacBook Pros
The WebKit Open Source Project is the open source component of WebKit (which powers Safari and is available for developers to access with their applications). It seems that lots of non-Apple programmers have been chipping in to do a number of things, including fixing bugs and what have you.Normally an open source volunteer is 'paid' with experience and the knowledge that she is helping out with a cool project. However, this time around Apple is giving the top twelve contributors to the project a brand new MacBook Pro, and five of them are going to attend WWDC (on Apple).Very cool, Apple. Now, when are you going to start handing out MacBook Pros to bloggers?
macteens WWDC Video
Those crazy kids at macteens have put together a video about WWDC 2005. Now, before you go rushing off to find out what kinds of super secret information those teens found out let me tell you that the video isn't hard hitting news. It is very entertaining and well worth a viewing, but don't expect to find out any news from WWDC.There is a cameo appearance by everyone's favorite Apple VP, Phil Schiller, though so you know it has got to be good.Kids today, with their video cameras and websites. Why when I was a kid we had Etch-a-sketches and pads of paper and we were happy!
Apple Design Awards winners 2005
Every year I look forward to the World Wide Developer's Conference, and with it the winners of the Apple Design Awards. Here's a brief roundup of this year's winners.First, Panic's Transmit was awarded "Best Mac OS X Tiger Technology Adoption." If you often use FTP to transfer files and you haven't yet given Transmit a try, you owe it to yourself to do so. Transmit 3 combines great features like .Mac sync, Automator actions, Spotlight favorites and even a Dashboard widget with a beautiful and very Mac-like interface. This really is a great utility. Read C.K.'s thoughts on Transmit from last month.Next, Delicious Monster's Delicious Libray was awarded "Best Mac OS X User Experience" (now that's an impressive sounding category). It's a very beautiful and useful database application for storing and sorting information on your media collection, including DVD's, CD's, books and video games. Track items you've loaned out with iCal and Address Book and (my favorite feature) use your iSight camera to scan product barcodes. Very cool indeed. Read about the other winners after the jump. Scott took a look at Delicious Library back in April.
WebObjects 5.3 developer tools free with Tiger
WebObjects is Apple's often overlooked Java based web application/services tool, and it looks like this WWDC has been good to it. Version 5.3 has been released and bundled with Xcode 2.1.Xcode 2.1 is free, therefore Apple has just made all the developer tools for WebObjects free, and they weren't cheap a few hours ago. It has long been rumored that Apple might release WebObjects under an open source license and recent developments don't exactly pave the road for such a release but they anchor them in reality at the very least.In addition to being bundled (for free) with Xcode, 'This release also provides an updated WebObjects Builder, HTML/XHTML compatibility, Java Collection Classes support, updated WebServices, and Oracle 10g support.'[via tales from the red shed]
