Apple Industrial Design

New Macbook Pro Retina Display

2012-06-12T18:44:00.000+08:00

Everything is designed. The new Macbook Pro Retina Display.

Apple WWDC 2012 : "Where great ideas go on to do great things."

2012-06-07T09:56:00.003+08:00

What to expect for the WWDC 2012? Only the great things!

New designs of Mac Pro and Macbook Pro

iOS6 preview

Mountain Lion

Stay tuned!

WWDC iPhone5 Hardware Preview

2011-06-06T22:14:00.001+08:00

WWDC2011

2011-06-06T13:39:00.003+08:00

Confirmed! January 27th Apple Event to show off its latest creation

2010-01-19T01:59:00.002+08:00

The most awaited event for Apple fans.. Will this be the apple tablet? islate? macbook touchscreen? or something that has to do with painting or music? WE will see on January 27th and will take place at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Thearter in San Francisco.

Hope this will not be that expensive. I will surely get one and upgrade my iphone classic. hehe

MORE at Engagdet.com

From brick to Magic Mouse: 25 years of Apple mice

2009-12-24T07:51:00.001+08:00

Hard to believe that's what a computer mouse used to look like on the inside. I still remember having to scrape the accumulated lint off that ball with an X-acto knife so I could smoothly work my 72-dpi Photoshop renderings.

The photo is part of Flickr user raneko's excellent "25 Years of Apple Mouse Evolution" series, which ranges from the 1984 brick to the 2009 Magic Mouse.

via cult of mac

New Macbook Wheel

2009-12-24T07:47:00.002+08:00

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Onion News have just presented the latest revolutionary invention by Apple: MacBook Wheel is the first laptop without a keyboard. To quote one of the Apple employers presenting the concept: "Everything is just a few hundred clicks away" and it only took him 45 minutes to write an email to a friend. What a great concept to slow down the future - thank you Steve!

Apple planning event for January, with high-res iPhone or small-sized tablet

2009-12-24T07:43:00.003+08:00

Apple is preparing to show off a new, larger mobile device with a higher resolution display in January -- probably a version of the Apple tablet we've been hearing about for months -- according to a plugged-in source in the mobile industry.

Read More

Apple iPod Touch

2009-09-09T20:49:00.000+08:00

Apple may be facing problems with the production of the new iPod Touch, according to HardMac.com.

The problem is apparently with the new camera module and has been found in the first 1000 units produced. These units have been discarded.

We do not know if the problem has been solved in the meantime. In any case, the iPod Touch availability would be delayed and initial volumes reduced. If the problem has not been solved yet, then the updated iPod Touch might be significantly delayed.

Prediction for the new iPods

2009-09-09T20:39:00.002+08:00

With only a few hours away from tomorrow’s Apple rock and roll event, tension and excitement is building. Numerous rumors and predictions are circulating around and the event seems to be the talk of the hour. While everyone seems to hold their own opinion as to what might happen tomorrow, these are a few things to expect at the event:

The announcement of the new generation of camera equipped iPod Touches and iPod Nanos. Although, they might be announced tomorrow, AppleInsider reports that one of their highly trusted sources said that the new generation of iPods might be delayed due to bad hardware issues. AppleInsider has confirmed this news with a report posted Monday by Hardmac, which is an English version of French Apple news website Macbidouille.
Another thing we could expect is the announcement and maybe even a release of the new iTunes 9 with social networking capabilities.
For all of you still dreaming of the fabled iTablet, it is extremely unlikely it will make an appearance at the event.
The discontinuation of the iPod Classic.
Lastly, Mr. Steve Jobs himself might attend the event, now that apparently he is doing much better. It’s been months of recuperation but at last he seems to be in good condition to not miss this important event.

Apple Rock and Roll

2009-09-09T20:31:00.003+08:00

So what is it in the new iPod touch and ipod nano? Smaller or bigger? additional feature with camera? Few hours from now..stay tuned..

Apple Tablet how it look like in your workstation

2009-08-13T15:37:00.001+08:00

There's a lot of speculation about the Apple tablet, but coming November, this is how my desk is going to look. Or at least, this is what I want. Check it in super high definition after the jump.

Click on the image to enlarge. Yes, this makes me wet.

That, my friends, is what I think we are getting.

The Apple tablet I want will run the same basic hardware as the iPhone, with extended video and system RAM to accommodate larger computing needs, perhaps with some limited multitasking for some applications. System RAM is a big system bottleneck right now, and it won't cost much to add enough to make things flow smoother. The video RAM will be necessary for the higher res of the 10 inch screen. The current iPhone CPU and graphic processor can handle all this well as they are. No need for changes. It will also be very thin. As thin as the iPod touch. Since its guts will be the same, but it will be a device with a larger surface, you also have more space for a larger battery.

Why do I think it will be this way? I believe the hardware will be dictated by economies of scale, which has been the norm since Jobs returned to Apple: Reusable components across each product family to keep costs down. In this case, the product family—which Jobs already alluded to in the past—is the iPhone OS-based product family. Right now, there are two products, as you know: iPhone and iPod touch. My wish is that iTablet or whatever it's called will be the third. That way, Apple would be able to build this cheaper—and keep the cost of the iPhone and iPod touch down if the tablet is successful.

Logically, the iTablet I want will run exactly the same OS as the rest of the product family. The OS will have the same kernel, the same classes, the same subsystems, the same database organization and the same file system. It will also have some new extra apps, and perhaps a few new gestures—which will trickle down the product line—but that's about it.

It will run the same applications, changed to accommodate more information thanks to the higher resolution in the screen. Some Apple and third-party ones will be tailored to the higher res, distributed in a package that will have both iPod-sized and tablet-sized graphic assets. Others—like Safari or games—will just enjoy the instant boost in resolution.

And that will be the beauty of it.

First, people who are afraid of computers—probably not you, the typical Giz reader, but most consumers out there—will love this device as much as they love their iPhones or iPod touches. Apple will keep mining the gold, and offering consumers this extremely easy-to-use interface that doesn't require any mental abstraction. Just click, touch and access the information, media or games you want, mixed with the occasional short mail or chat.

For developers, it's also a win-win situation. Same code, just add new assets. Same store, same distribution, more development opportunities.

The way I see it, the tablet will open the way to a new kind of computing, after the ages of computing for hobbyist, the age of the command line, and the age of the desktop user interface metaphor.

To me, this is where Star Trek starts, and War Games ends.

via Gizmodo

Apple Tops the Revenue in Celphone Market

2009-08-13T15:31:00.001+08:00

Compiling data from corporate reports and Bernstein estimates, iSmashphone produced this eye-popping chart showing how much profit the iPhone generates compared to the rest of the industry.

Source:iSmashphone

Apple Wallpaper Design Competition

2009-08-13T00:15:00.000+08:00

From mac.appstorm.net

We’re kicking off a new competition today. It’s slightly different this time, and we’re partnering with one of our sister sites Psdtuts+ for this one. We’re looking for your best lightening themed wallpaper design, incorporating a Mac or AppStorm theme.

Up for grabs are numerous cash prizes, a vareity of Mac applications, and a 1-year membership to Psd Plus. It’s going to be an awesome contest, and you stand to win a copy of Things, Pixelmator, and ExpanDrive.

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing some of your desktop wallpaper designs!

Apple Tablet PC Could Take In $1.2 Billion

2009-08-12T00:13:00.001+08:00

Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster estimates that Apple could sell $1.2 billion worth of tablet PCs the first year the device is available.

Munster issued a report Friday saying that an unidentified Asian component supplier has received orders from Apple. This gives credence to long-standing, unconfirmed reports that an Apple tablet PC could be released by early 2010.

Munster believes Apple could sell 2 million tablets at a price range between $500 and $700. Based on the midpoint price, sales could reach $1.2 billion, adding 3% to Apple revenue in 2010.
The analyst's report follows a July Financial Times report that Apple could launch a tablet PC with a 10-inch diagonal screen as early as September. Quoting people who had been briefed on the project, the Times reported that the device would have the same capabilities as the iPod Touch, but with a larger screen that would make the gadget better for watching video or reading electronic books.

Apple has repeatedly denied that it would release a netbook, but a tablet would be a very different premium option, more in line with the company's approach to the PC market. Apple offers products at the high-end of the market, enticing buyers with innovative design, ease of use, and bundled software.

An Apple tablet would amount to a premium option to today's netbooks, inexpensive mini-laptops that are the fastest growing category in the PC market. Priced at less than $500, the systems have proven very popular during the current economic recession.

 InformationWeek has published an in-depth report on Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s upcoming Chrome OS. Download the report here (registration required).

New Facebook iPhone App "Pretty Much Done"

2009-08-11T00:11:00.000+08:00

As one of the most popular applications on Apple's popular iPhone platform, a lot of users are eagerly awaiting the next version of the app. And that wait is almost over.

"The app is pretty much done - we're just working on translating it into a bunch of languages," Facebook developer Joe Hewitt wrote tonight on Twitter.

That means that shortly, we'll have access to the much-improved app which is scheduled to have features such as a News Feed that is more like the one on Facebook's site, the ability to "like" items and a new customizable home screen. More importantly, it will also have video support for the iPhone 3GS, something which Hewitt threw-in at the last second, unexpectedly. And perhaps best of all, the app will have the ability to manage events, finally.

But don't get too worked up just yet. We asked Hewitt if "pretty much done" meant next week perhaps. His response: "Can't be sure - translating could take a while. I've been avoiding predicting an actual release date". And of course even when the app is done, Facebook still has to submit it for approval in the App Store, and as we all know, that can be a crapshoot. We could see it next week, we could see it 6 months from now. Though, Apple does seem to do a pretty good job pushing important apps like this one through quickly. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Facebook is also finally working on an Android app. That should drop any day now.

SOURCE: http://www.washingtonpost.com

Conceptual ID of future Apple Tablet

2009-08-10T00:18:00.001+08:00

Conceptual Designs
MacBook Touch (Edwin Tofslie)
Edwin Tofslie’s mockup imagines a MacBook Touch that looks like a large iPhone, with the ability to dock with the iMac. Kind of a cool idea, but we’re unsure Apple would go for the docking concept.

Apple iPad

Flickr () user kleber_zion imagines a large iPhone with touch-screen file browsing ala Cover Flow. It’s an attractive device, but seems a little predictable: we hope Apple will innovate more than this.

Apple NetBook (Mac Format)

Created by illustrator Adam Benton on commission by Mac Format magazine, these images show an iPhone-like tablet (although the magazine calls it a NetBook) with an optional external keyboard and Bluetooth () headset. We love the idea of the wireless keyboard, which would make the tablet equally useful for both work and creative pursuits.

MacBook Touch Gray (Gizmodo)

Gizmodo has been illustrating its Apple tablet posts with this mockup of a “MacBook Touch”, the winner of a design contest on the site. We’re not huge fans of the heavy, industrial look, but there’s no doubt it has an Apple feel to it. What’s more, GarageBand would be a lot more fun with a touchscreen piano.

Apple Tablet (PC World)

Although the full size image is no longer available on their site, we’re fairly sure this tasty mockup originated with PC World. While many Apple tablet mockups have a borderless screen, this one is a little more robust-looking with its thick plastic edging. Also notable is that it appears to run the full Mac OS, albeit with icons inspired by the iPhone OS. One aspect we don’t like: the keyboard is too small and the inclusion of the touch wheel is just odd.

MacBook Touch Black

In July, Isamu Sanada envisioned a minimalist “MacBook Touch” that looks like a large iPod Touch. The device works both horizontally and vertically and appears to run the iPhone OS. The screen size looks perfect, even if one of the images makes the device look a little too thick.

MacBook Tablet

Created by artist “pickupjojo” on DeviantArt, the “MacBook Tablet” features a large screen and minimalist look: we won’t be surprised if the Apple device looks very similar.

MacBook Touch (Tommaso Gecchelin)

In April, designer Tommaso Gecchelin posted his vision for a new MacBook Touch with a unique hinged design, allowing it to be closed when not in use. The device also comes with a stand for upright usage and dual touch screens, allowing one to double as a touch-sensitive keyboard. The presentation is beautiful, but we doubt Apple would go for something this fussy.

Real-World Mac Tablets

The Modbook

There’s actually a Mac tablet on the market already…just not one made by Apple. The famous “Modbook” by Axiotron is a heavily modified MacBook that allows input via a pen. Various models are available on the Axiotron website.

iTab

Like the Modbook, the iTab is a real-life Mac tablet. Unlike the Modbook, you can’t buy one: it’s a one-off. Built from a customized MacBook and operated by a pen, its creator not only posted images and a video, but also documented the build process on his site.

Which is your favorite Apple Tablet mockup? Let us know in the comments.

iTunes 9 rumored to include Blu-Ray support and iPhone app re-organization

2009-08-10T00:07:00.002+08:00

Hot on the heels of a report that the next iMac refresh will include 2 compelling new features, comes news that iTunes 9 will at long last include support for Blu-Ray video.

Citing a reliable source, Boy Genius Report writes that in addition to Blu-Ray support, iTunes 9 will also enable users to “visually organize and arrange iPhone and iPod Touch applications.” With some iPhone’s sporting well over 100 applications, manually re-arranging iPhone apps can be an exhausting chore, so this should come as welcome news for anyone who happens to be an app store fiend.

The following concept video might give us an idea as to what sort of implementation Apple may be going for.

READ MORE

Apple Table could shake up the netbook industry

2009-08-10T00:05:00.002+08:00

Apple could roll out a tablet PC in early 2010, according to a new research note by Piper Jaffray. The Apple tablet PC would be cheaper than a MacBook but still more expensive than the mininotebooks or netbooks that are currently dominating sales on the lower end of the PC market. Despite that higher price point, Piper Jaffray sees an Apple tablet PC as a challenging competitor in the netbook market, as well for mobile devices from companies such as Amazon.com.

As rumors of an Apple tablet PC reach a fever pitch, a new research note by Piper Jaffray suggests that any such device would be a significant revenue generator and drastically affect the market for mininotebooks, also known as netbooks.

The Aug. 7 report, written by analyst Gene Munster along with analysts Michael Olson and Andrew Murphy, predicts that Apple will roll out "a touch-screen device similar to an iPod Touch but larger."

The report stated, "We spoke with an Asian component supplier that has received orders from Apple for a touch-screen device to be fulfilled by late [2009]. This data point underscores our thesis that a tablet will likely launch in early [2010]."

Piper Jaffray has been steadily beating the drum for months about the prospect of an ultraportable Apple tablet PC. In May, the research company issued a report suggesting that the tablet would feature a 7- to 10-inch screen and retail for between $500 and $700, effectively filling a strategic gap for Apple between the iPod Touch and its low-end Mac desktops.

READ MORE at eweek.com

Apple Website 1983

2009-08-09T23:52:00.001+08:00

Image copyright @ Gawker. @ haha.nu

10 Fantastic iPhone Apps That Use Facebook Connect

2009-07-26T03:22:00.000+08:00

This list brings you 10 more fantastic apps that allow you to connect with Facebook from your iPhone to do things like share information, sync data, challenge friends to games, and access media.

iNapkin

Scramble

Top Friends

iFightU

Phonebook

Read More

Microsoft Store Design Plans Leaked

2009-07-25T23:24:00.000+08:00

A presentation showcasing design ideas for the upcoming Microsoft Store has been leaked to Gizmodo.

Taking the best elements from the Apple Store, Sony Style, Niketown and other retail shops, the Microsoft Store will focus on Windows 7, Windows Mobile, Xbox, PCTV, and Surface.

The Customer Journey is targeted towards Emily as she visits different areas of the store such as Personalization, Answer Bar, Software, Theatre Area, and Check Out.

Gizmodo highlights some main points of interest:
• There's going to be a Digital Media Wall—a massive screen—that wraps around the entire store, which you can see in some of the slides
• Lots of Surface demos
• Stage areas for Windows 7, Windows Media Center (PCTV), Windows Mobile and netbooks
• Their take on the Genius Bar is the Answer Bar
• They're already planning out huge demos and events around Project Natal and their secret mobile project Pink
• You can pay to have your birthday party at the Microsoft Store

The presentation posted is fifty four pages long and even contains competitive analysis. You can see all the slides by hitting the link below.

Read More via
iclarified

Apple & Verizon: Working Together on a Tablet?

2009-07-25T08:21:00.001+08:00

A rumor has begun to spread, stating that Verizon and Apple are in cahoots together to design a tablet computer. This tablet would be a large touchscreen (Boy Genius describes it as a 'giant iPod touch') with either an on screen keyboard, or a full physical keyboard. It's possible that this tablet would attempt to bridge the gap between tablets and E-Readers by fulfilling both functions.

Apple is supposedly working on this project with Verizon, who will subsidize the device and offer it on their network. That more than likely means this tablet will be 3G enabled. The mock-up we've seen looks gorgeous, and I very badly want to believe that this rumor is true. An Apple tablet wouldn't just be a great product, it would energize every other manufacturer in the business to both up their game, and lower their prices.

Unfortunately, this rumor has a very good chance of being nothing more than dead air. This rumor comes from The Street which is run by Jim Cramer and friends. Cramer is far from a reliable source, and he's already gotten in trouble for advising hedge funds to spread false rumors about Apple. While that alone isn't reason to dismiss this rumor, it should be enough to convince you to take it with several big grains of salt.

Source: i4u

Google Latitude finally makes it over to iPhone, as a web app

2009-07-24T10:14:00.003+08:00

Our Latitude web app provides all the core functionality you might expect: you can see the location of your friends on a map and modify your privacy settings so that you control how your location is shared and with whom. In fact, if my friends and colleagues back in London haven't yet noticed my absence, they'll see in Latitude that I'm currently vacationing on the beach in Australia. Hi guys, remember me!?

You'll also find basic Search and Directions functionality to help you get around the world. And just like our Google Maps for mobile client apps (and more recently on desktop Google Maps), you can press the "blue dot" to be taken to your approximate current location on the map with My Location, thanks to Safari now supporting the W3C Geolocation API.

Source: Google Blog

Can Dell Dethrone the iPhone?

2009-07-24T10:09:00.000+08:00

When the subject of a rumored Dell cell phone came up at the company’s financial analyst meeting this week, Dell indicated there was one coming, but gave few details on it. So far, all we know for sure is that it will be based on LTE, or 4G network technologies, putting the timing for the device in 2011 for appreciable volume (though it is at least possible we could see it in late 2010). I figured it might be fun to chat about what Dell needed it to be, if it was going to beat the iPhone. Given that Dell’s Digital Jukebox got its butt kicked by the iPod, I’m thinking the company is looking for a rematch, and could do it right this time.

But what would “do it right” mean, and how do you beat the iPhone?

Palm and Blackberry Show the Way

Both the Palm Pre and Blackberry line of phones have grown market share during times when the iPhone has been doing well, by focusing either on things the iPhone did poorly, or a large customer base that the iPhone doesn’t target very well.

The Palm Pre is very similar to the iPhone, improving on the iPhone’s user interface, adding a keyboard, and a removable battery to stand out favorably against the competition. RIM continued its focus on with Blackberry phones, and I know a lot of people who use a Blackberry for work, and an iPhone as their personal phone as a result.

This suggests that the ideal product might be one that businesses would embrace, while still being attractive for non-business use: a combination between the Palm Pre and Blackberry experience.

Owning the Customer

One other thing that the iPhone, Blackberry, and Palm Pre have in common is that all their vendors tend to own and assure the customer experience. They also demand generation (marketing) for their respective phones, and Palm is actually doing a rather impressive job promoting their phone at the moment. I think they would be doing vastly better if they sold through multiple carriers, like Blackberry does, as opposed to just through Sprint. Sprint, unfortunately, is still the least-liked vendor in the U.S., and that has to hurt the Pre’s potential until Palm moves to additional carriers next year.

One of the reasons I think that Android and Microsoft phones don’t seem to be doing as well at the moment is that with those phones’ customer ownership isn’t clear. You have one company doing the hardware, another providing the network services, and then a third providing the software user experience. None of these players generally seem willing to market at Apple, Blackberry, or Palm levels, nor actually assure that the total experience is market leading.

Dell certainly can own the customer. They typically do a better job of this in the PC market than any other vendor, because most of their products, unlike competitors’, are sold directly from the company. But cell phone service providers tend to complicate things, and it isn’t clear if Dell can, or even wants to, step up and play this game like Apple, Palm, and RIM do.

Leveraging PCs

Palm traditionally does the best job working with PCs. For instance, more of its products can typically be tethered to a PC and work like a modem than competitors. Blackberry was slow to the 3G game due to battery life concerns, making tethering a lower priority for it, and AT&T has prevented Apple from offering tethering. Even though this is changing soon, it takes us right back to owning the customer, and points out that even Apple doesn’t own its customers exclusively.

But for Dell to have an advantage, it has to come at this market from its core strength, which is PC sales. If Dell’s device makes a compelling PC accessory and connects solidly back to the Dell line of laptop products, the synergy could give it an advantage over others. However, Apple did already take a big step in this direction with MobileMe.

My Dream Phone

While I doubt this is the way they will go, were it me, I’d do an Alienware phone. Base it on Nvidia’s Tegra platform, give it an organic Alien-style gloss and metal finish, and blow the windows out in performance. Regardless of the OS, (likely Android or Windows Mobile 7) I’d make sure it had a unique Alienware feel to it and wrap it with a set of accessories that were as wild as the phone was. They could do this, and that’s one phone I’d lust after. Maybe it would look a little like this, but with more of an alien edge.

Wrapping Up

The old Dell DJ got its butt whipped by the Apple iPod, largely because Dell was unwilling to do what it took to beat the competition. That included better industrial design, owning the user experience, and powerful marketing. Its second run at Apple is coming. If Dell learned from its first failure, we should see a very interesting product, but likely not much before 2011 when LTE, or 4G, becomes more prevalent. Until then, we will have to imagine what a Dell phone might look like, and whether it will repeat the failure of the DJ, or learn from Palm and Blackberry to pull an upset. We’ll see.

Source: Digital Trends