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The WWDC 2010 Keynote metaliveblog
For many of the Apple faithful, the keynote addresses at WWDC are like Christmas Day -- there's always something new and shiny under the Apple tree, even if we in the blogging profession have already peeked inside some of the packages. Join a cast of TUAW bloggers in a "metaliveblog" of today's WWDC Keynote starting at 10 AM PDT (1 PM EDT). We use CoverItLive will be traditional liveblogging and will be discussing the event as it happens as well as taking your questions and comments throughout the keynote. The liveblog tool is located below, and the complete transcript of the event will be available immediately after the completion of the liveblog. So keep refreshing to see the latest updates, which will be at the top of the liveblog. Update: We will try to keep going with CoverItLive for the moment as response has improved. TUAW Keynote Metaliveblog
WWDC 2010: Apple announces iPhone 4
That case we've all seen was more or less the final product. Steve called it "the most beautiful thing we've ever created." It's got glass front and back for durability and scratch-resistance. About that band of metal that surrounds the phone's edges? It's all a part of the antenna. Pretty neat. The screen also got a huge boost. It's a Retina Display producing 326 ppi (pixels per inch). That's a full 4x as many pixels than the 3GS sports in same amount of space. As Steve noted, "...300 ppi is limit of the human retina when held 10-12 inches away from the eye." So, it's sharp, and now we know why it's called the "Retina Display".
iPhone 4 announced, launching June 24 for $199 with new FaceTime video chat
Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 4 after a couple wild, unprecedented months of leaks. Sure, it looks exactly like we expected it to (Steve compares it to an old Leica camera), with a glass front and back, but it's what's on the inside that counts, kids. The stainless steel band that goes around the phone is an antenna system, while also providing the main structure of the phone, though it's plugged into the same old GSM / UMTS radio you all know and love -- there's a reason they didn't call it the iPhone 4G. There's also of course that front facing camera we were all anticipating, a rear camera with LED flash, and a new high resolution display that doubles the pixels in each direction (960 x 640) for a 4X overall pixel count increase -- Apple calls it a "Retina Display." It's rated at 326ppi, which Apple claims is beyond the human eye's limit of distinction. Check out an example of the new screen up against the iPhone 3G after the break. Similar to the iPad, it's an IPS display, offering 800:1 contrast. Naturally, it's still the same old 3.5-inch size. Under the hood is the A4 processor that runs the iPad. Despite the new engine (and the 25% thinner chassis), Apple managed to make the battery slightly larger, and the new handset is rated at 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, and 40 hours of music. Oh, and that WiFi? It's 802.11n now. The camera has been bumped to 5 megapixels, with 5X digital zoom and a "backside illuminated sensor," which now can also record HD video at 720p / 30fps. On the software front, applications will automatically get high resolution text and buttons as part of iOS 4 (the OS previously known as iPhone OS 4), and with "a little bit of work" developers can make their entire app compatible with the new resolution display. Developers will also get access to a new gyroscope, giving devs "six axis" motion control between the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass, with a new "Core Motion" API to deal with it all. Users won't be left out in the cold, however: they can mess around with that new HD video using a brand new iMovie app, if they shell out $4.99 for it. If anyone's feeling particularly frisky, iOS 4 even lets you switch your default search provider to Bing. Last but certainly not least, that new front camera is enabled for video chat using the new "FaceTime" feature. It's a WiFi-only (for now) video calling feature that works from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 with "no setup" involved, and can flip over to the rear camera if your grandparents get tired of your face. The phone will be available in white or black, retailing at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for 32GB. They go on sale June 24th, and AT&T will be giving some extra grace upgrade timing -- up to six months early. The 3GS will be dropped to $99 and the 3G will disappear completely. Pre-orders start in a week, with 5 countries at launch (US, France, Germany, UK, Japan), with 18 more following in July. Apple will also be selling a first party case for $29, and a dock for the same price. PR is after the break, promo videos can be found here, and we got hands-on right here. %Gallery-94580% %Gallery-94610% %Gallery-94620% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPhone 3GS drops to $99, 8GB only -- iPhone 3G discontinued
We've already seen the iPhone 3GS drop to under a $100 at Walmart, and Apple has now expectedly made that the official price point following the announcement of the iPhone 4. What's more, the 3GS will now only be available in an 8GB version (it's still not clear if both colors will be available or not), and that naturally also means that the iPhone 3G is now officially discontinued. Of course, there's also still quite a few of the current iPhone 3GS models floating around out there, and AT&T will be doing its best to clear those out -- you can now grab a 16GB 3GS for $149, and a 32GB 3GS for $199 on a two-year plan "while supplies last."
FaceTime video calling added to iPhone 4... and it's WiFi-only
That front-facing camera on the new iPhone 4 and a flood of leaks were a dead giveaway -- the new FaceTime app brings video calling to the iPhone. Unfortunately, it's WiFi-only at the moment, as Steve says Apple needs to work with carriers to support it on 3G. The FaceTime app is pretty cool -- you can flip the image between the front and rear cameras and between portrait and landscape orientation, and the video call system is built on open standards like SIP, H.264, and AAC so it'll work with other video calling apps as well.%Gallery-94599% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4, launching June 21 with 1500 new features
We knew it had to happen eventually -- iPhone OS has been renamed to iOS with the bump to version 4. Some 1500 new features are coming along with the name change, including biggies like multitasking, a unified inbox, app folders, and data detectors. Although Apple is encouraging devs to tweak their apps for the iPhone 4's new Retina Display, iOS4 will also automatically redraw text and controls for existing apps to make them play nice with the new higher pixel density. Bing search integration has also been added to iOS 4 in addition to Google and Yahoo -- Google is still the default, though. The golden master is available to devs today, and Steve says the 100 millionth iOS device -- that's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad -- will be sold sometime this month. That's a lot of devices! We found out about most of the features of iOS 4 at the SDK event, so check here for the full rundown. Apple says iOS 4 will arrive for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and the iPod touch on June 21 -- and it'll be free to iPod touch owners for the first time, which is nice. Not all features will be supported across all devices: the first-gen touch is left out entirely, and the 3G won't do multitasking, as we heard at the SDK event. We'll see if there are any other limitations and let you know. Amusingly, an iOS trademark is currently owned by Cisco -- just like the original iPhone trademark -- so we'll see if Apple's lawyers actually called ahead this time around or if they'll have to fake-tussle and make nice again.%Gallery-94591% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPhone 4 does 720p HD video, iMovie
A backside-illuminated 5 megapixel sensor is about to grace the new iPhone's rear, equipped with an LED flash and 720p / 30fps video recording. Tap to focus while recording video will also be rolled out in the iPhone Quattro, and Steve Jobs is keen to impress on us all that although the megapixel count has grown, the quality of images has apparently improved. That's what they all say. iMovie for iPhone will add more sophisticated video editing options, but they won't come for free -- a $4.99 tithe will be required. This is moving things along, to be sure, but why is the iPhone 4's upper storage limit still stuck at 32GB? A more generous apportionment of memory would've gone very nicely indeed with that HD video mode.%Gallery-94584% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
WWDC 2010: Netflix for iPhone coming this summer
During the WWDC 2010 keynote with Steve Jobs, the CEO of Netflix. Reed Hastings, came on stage to discuss the impending release of Netflix for iPhone. The app is slated to be available this summer and features the ability to both manage your queue and stream movies from your Instant queue. Additionally, Netflix for iPhone will be able to resume streaming a movie where previously left off from your iPad. The iPad app has been extremely popular, and the iPhone app will bring Netflix's popular service to even more places while you're out and about. Movies will even stay synced over multiple devices, so you'll be able to start a movie on your Mac, switch in place to your iPad, and then start it up on your iPhone when you want to. Sounds awesome -- we'll keep an eye out for the app and let you know when it comes out.
WWDC 2010: iBooks update includes PDF viewer
iBooks, Apple's native e-book reader on the iPad, is getting some updates, as announced today by Steve Jobs at the WWDC keynote. Among those updates are (better) support for bookmarks and the fulfillment of one of the most common requests: native PDF viewing. With the update, users will be able to navigate their own PDF's in the same fashion as the EPUB-format books that iBooks uses. This is great news for me, and -- judging from the applause -- quite a few iPad users. It means not having to convert all of my PDF books to EPUB in Calibre (which has done a great job thus far, by the way). Hopefully the new functionality, which is due out later this month, will be as useful as some of the existing iPad apps, and provide the extra polish and simplicity that Apple's so good at.
Steve Jobs live from WWDC 2010
It all starts today at the times below! 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 02:00AM - Tokyo (June 8th)
Farmville and Guitar Hero announced for iPhone
You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later -- Farmville is heading for the iPhone. But that's not all, Activision was also on hand at WWDC to announce an iPhone version of Guitar Hero, which packs classic rock from the likes of Queen and The Rolling Stones, and is available in the App Store today for $2.99. Check out a shot of it after the break, and look for Farmville to be available by the end of June -- or don't, it's up to you. Update: Guitar Hero press release, with the complete tracklist and add-on packs, is now after the break. %Gallery-94573% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
Netflix app headed for the iPhone
After two months of burning up the iPad, Netflix is ready to devour its latest platform: the iPhone. Just like the iPad app -- where it reigns as the number one downloaded entertainment app, Netflix will have you know -- it's free, and you can pick up your playback from the last spot, as with all Netflix players. Unlike the iPad, the UI actually looks fairly optimized for the platform, including an app-optimized search of your instant queue. It also features "seamless" switching between networks, with 3G streaming apparently a go. It launches this summer. %Gallery-94571% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
iPad corners 22 percent of ebook market, iBooks gets iPhone version and PDF reader
Apple has just announced that the iPad has collected 22 percent of ebook sales since its launch and is about to get new features too. A PDF viewer is going to be thrown into the iBooks app later this month, and will be accompanied by new bookmarking and note-taking functionality. Yeah, they're basic enhancements at best, but we're still trying to wrap our minds around this idea that Apple is already responsible for nearly a quarter of all ebook sales. Then again, as Steve points out, a cool five million of the darn things have been downloaded in the first 65 days of the iPad's availability. Update: Seems like even five mill ain't gonna be enough for Apple, which is set to massively expand its iBooks user base by bringing the app to iPhone and iPod touch users. You'll be getting the same note-taking, same bookmarking -- same everything -- just on a smaller screen, and at no extra charge. Users will be able to purchase a book on one device and then consume it across the full range of iDevices, with bookmarks and progress getting synced across the ether.%Gallery-94570%%Gallery-94595% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
Join us for a special pre-WWDC keynote episode of TUAW TV Live
It's about an hour before the keynote address at WWDC 2010, and all of us here at TUAW are as giddy as schoolkids on the last day of school. Join me and other TUAW bloggers for a special edition of TUAW TV Live. We'll be discussing the possibilities for announcements at WWDC 2010 and just about anything else that you, the viewers, want to talk about. We'll talk until about 10 minutes before the start of the keynote to give everyone a chance to get ready for the big event. To join in from your Mac or PC, just go to the next page by clicking the link at the bottom of this post, and you'll find a live stream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to join in on the fun by asking questions or making comments. If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone by downloading the free Ustream Viewing Application. We haven't forgotten about iPad users, as you can tune in to TUAW TV Live on your iPad! That link will send you to a non-Flash page, although you won't have access to our chat tool.
More photos from the WWDC keynote line
As the attendees are starting to file in for the WWDC 2010 keynote, more visual treats from the streets of San Francisco. Enjoy! %Gallery-94556%
WWDC attendees: get the official app while it's hot
Many of the developers who are attending the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco this week are already on site, getting ready for the top development event of the year. Others are boarding trains, planes, and automobiles to get to WWDC 2010. One thing is for sure; they're all going to need to know what's going on once they get to the venue. Apple announced the availability of its official WWDC app last week. The app has a schedule of conference sessions from the start of festivities this morning until the closing bell on June 11 at Moscone West. The list is searchable and sorted by date, with a choice of events that are currently in progress or events happening later. The app has a favorites list that attendees can contribute to, and will provide updates on what's new and exciting throughout the conference. If you're not familiar with San Francisco, need to find parking, or need to know how to get between Moscone West and the Apple Store, there's a Places tab in the app with helpful information. The free app is only available to developers who are attending the conference. To download it, go to http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/app -- you'll need to log in with the account that you used to purchase your WWDC ticket. [via AppleInsider]
Last-minute predictions: Share your WWDC best guesses
The banners are hung by Moscone with care, in hopes that new iPhones will soon be shown there... yes, it's only a few short hours until Steve Jobs takes the stage at WWDC 2010. What will we see, and what will we hear? The revitalization of Apple TV? A ship date for iPhone OS 4? New Mac mini, new iPhone carriers, or something completely unexpected? As you bide your time checking out these delightful images of the keynote line and the conference setting (photos courtesy Glasshouse Apps and Adam Jackson), take a moment to tell us what you think will be revealed. In the comments below, make your best guess; we'll read them all (timestamped, of course, no cheating) and acknowledge the sharpest prognosticator. Also, if you happen to be at WWDC and feel like sharing your images or videos, shoot us a note or a tweet, or simply tag your Flickr images 'tuaw'; we'll track them down. %Gallery-94550%
Apple's Magic Trackpad revealed?
Of all the surprises we expected to hear about in the WWDC keynote, a multitouch trackpad peripheral didn't exactly pop into our brains. But -- whoomp -- here it is. What we appear to be looking at is a brand new input device that Apple has dreamed up which connects to desktops (and laptops, if you like) via Bluetooth, much like the Apple Keyboard. If you take what you see in the photos at face value, it would seem that the folks in Cupertino are making a play for finger-based input in a big way -- taking the work they've done on Mac laptops and the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and translating it to the desktop realm. This weirdly lines up perfectly with rumors from earlier in the year, emanating from both John Gruber (of Daring Fireball fame), and MacRumors -- the former reporting that Apple was set to release a "Mentioned-Nowhere-Else-But-in-This-Very-Headline Multi-Touch Trackpad Gadget for Desktop Macs," and the latter taking notice of an Apple trademark application for the "Magic Trackpad." It certainly all makes sense given that the company has made not-so-subtle moves away from standard input devices to finger-friendly options in many, many of its recent products. Whatever the case may be, we're potentially just hours away from the truth, so feast your eyes on the photos, and get ready for the big reveal. Update: New images received with a claim that the device supports handwriting recognition in addition to "every feature you can find on a Magic Mouse (and possibly features of a MacBook Pro trackpad)." This, from a person who claims to be personally testing it. Something we hope to do for ourselves before the day is through. Update 2: Reader Dan Berte made a quick little cardboard mockup using his Apple keyboard and Magic Mouse for relative sizing and he's estimating the tracking area to be around six inches diagonal. Makes sense -- check his handiwork after the break.%Gallery-94516%
Steve Jobs's WWDC keynote live today at 10AM PT / 1PM ET!
C'mon guys -- you know what time it is. It's WWDC 2010 time, and we'll be there liveblogging the hell out of the opening keynote where Steve Jobs will maybe-kinda-sorta introduce some crazy new phone. Or not. You never know. That's why you have to tune in! Below is all the information you'll need to track the best live coverage on the internet -- starting bright and early on Monday morning. Don't miss this -- it's going to be epic. Here's the info: The keynote will start at 10AM PT on Monday, June 7th. Here's the URL that you'll want to be planted at for the proceedings, and below is a handful of timezone information, just in case you hate doing the math. 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 02:00AM - Tokyo (June 8th)
"Magic Slate" to be unveiled today at WWDC?
Engadget has some photos of the supposed Multi-Touch trackpad peripheral Steve Jobs is going to unveil today at WWDC. There's some debate on what its name will be, but "Magic Slate" popped up back in December, and then "Magic Trackpad" showed up in an Apple trademark filing in February. The peripheral appears to take a lot of its design from the Apple Bluetooth keyboard, including the battery compartment that doubles as a riser stand. From the photos--if they are real--the peripheral is going to be Bluetooth only. The images show no sign of what the device's actual name will be, but IMO "Magic Slate" sounds a lot cooler than "Magic Trackpad." Here's hoping Steve agrees.
