Hasta La Gadget!

Steve Jobs introduces Mac OS X Lion in a 2010 press conference.  Photo: Brian X. Chen/Wired.com

Steve Jobs on Monday will lift the curtain on major software updates coming for the Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Apple said this week that its Worldwide Developers Conference would focus on the next-generation operating systems powering its PC and mobile products. In a keynote speech, Jobs will highlight new features in Mac OS X Lion and iOS 5, and introduce a new service called iCloud.

Apple’s annual WWDC is a weeklong event for programmers from around the world, where they can network and attend software-development seminars. Despite its focus on software, the event has traditionally been a showcase for Apple to introduce new iPhone and Mac hardware.

This year, however, several tipsters claim that WWDC will be hardware-free, which means the software news should be plenty interesting. Here’s what you can expect from WWDC.

Mac OS X Lion

OS X Lion features a "Launchpad" interface for launching applications, which looks similar to the home screen on iPhones.

Apple last year gave a sneak peek at Mac OS X Lion, version 10.7 of the operating system. Jobs said that with Lion, Apple would roll some characteristics of the iPad into the Mac platform.

Apple already has a head start on this goal: Earlier this year it launched the Mac App Store for downloading third-party apps, and released a Mac version of the FaceTime videoconferencing app. The App Store and FaceTime originally debuted on Apple’s iPhone.

So how exactly will Lion be like iOS? One example is the ability for apps to resume — that is, to pick up where they left off when you closed them. (Say, for example, you’re playing a poker game and you quit it in the middle of the hand. Relaunch the game and you’ll be able to finish playing that hand.) That’s how apps already work in iOS.

Another new iOS-like feature appearing in OS X Lion is Launchpad (pictured above). It displays applications in a grid similar to the iPhone home screen, for quick and easy launching.

Applications will have full-screen support, similar to iOS, which means programmers will be able to code Mac apps that fill up the entire screen, temporarily ditching the windows metaphor.

Those were a few tidbits Apple previously revealed in Lion, and we should expect to hear about some significant changes that make Macs a bit more like an iPad. Think improvements to enhance battery life and a speedier bootup process.

We also wonder if Apple will offer an option to make the Mac App Store the only channel to download new apps like it does with the iOS App Store. Unlike iOS, Macs can install applications downloaded through websites and other external sources in addition to the Mac App Store — but offering an option to make the Mac App Store the only authorized source for applications could help secure less tech-savvy customers from downloading viruses.

The Adobe-Apple Flash war used to be one of the juiciest catfights around, but, much like two aging boxers, both sides now appear willing to act like adults put it all behind them. Speaking at yesterday’s D9 conference in Palos Verdes, California, Adobe head Shantanu Narayen confirmed that he and Steve Jobs have reached an unofficial armistice, bringing an end to their prolonged war of words. According to the CEO, Apple’s Flash issues stemmed from the company’s “business model,” rather than any legitimate concerns over quality. “It’s control over the app store that’s at issue here,” Narayen said, implying that Flash’s wide-ranging platform compatibility may not have jibed with the Cupertino ethos. He went on to remind moderator Walt Mossberg that developers can still use Adobe’s AIR software to get their products to the App Store, adding that his company is looking forward to the rise of HTML5 and “actively contributing” to its development.

Mossberg, meanwhile, seemed to blindside Narayen when he brought up Flash’s poor performance on Android devices. “I have yet to test a single one where Flash tests really well,” the columnist claimed. “I’m sorry, but it’s true.” Narayen sputtered a bit, before pointing to the BlackBerry PlayBook as an example of the progress that Flash has made. When Mossberg reminded him that the PlayBook doesn’t run on Android, the CEO not-so-subtly sidestepped the question by emptily declaring that Adobe’s mission is simply to provide people with the best tools to create content. Apparently satisfied with this non-answer, Mossberg changed the subject back to Apple, allowing Narayen to wax poetic about their new Pax Romana — and, perhaps, to breathe a sigh of relief. See the full interview after the break.

Continue reading Adobe CEO has no beef with Apple, no answer for poor Flash performance on Android (video)

Adobe CEO has no beef with Apple, no answer for poor Flash performance on Android (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple is always filing patents for strange and fantastic things that never seem to find their way into actual products. But an application published today details some interesting tech that we could actually see getting jammed into a future iPhone (for better or worse). By pairing an infrared sensor with the camera already on board, portable devices could receive data from transmitters placed, well, wherever. Beyond simply blasting out text and opening links like a glorified QR code, transmitters could disable certain features, such as the camera, to prevent recording at movie theaters and music venues. If completely shutting off the cam seems a bit heavy-handed, watermarks can also be applied to photos identifying businesses or copyrighted content. Some potential uses are a little less Big Brother, like museums beaming information about exhibits to a user’s or launching an audio tour. Obviously third parties would have to get behind the IR push and there’s no guarantee that Apple will put this in a future iProduct. Still, we’re a little worried that the days of blurry YouTube concert videos may be coming to an end.

Apple camera patent could stop smartphone bootleggers in their tracks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Apple rushed to allay privacy concerns over its handling of location data, it also let slip that it was working on a “crowd-sourced traffic database”. Now a patent application dating from 2009 has been made public which suggests Apple is thinking of this technology not merely as an add-on to iOS Maps, but as something which could feed into other areas such as calendars and alarms. The implicit suggestion is that if Apple can figure out how long it will take you to get from A to B, then it should be able to adjust your appointments to make sure you get there on time without having to go on a rampage. Until then, if everyone just stays out of the way, then no one will get hurt.

Apple wants to make your calendar sensitive to location and traffic, get you there on time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to download the latest Engadget Show from the iTunes Store on your Mac or PC? Well, you probably can’t — right now, at least. That section appears to be down for most of us at the moment, with the Podcasts tab presenting a “not enough memory available” error message on each click. We’ve confirmed the error on iTunes 10.2.1 and 10.2.2.12 — the latest version — and aren’t able to get past the home page. We’re sure Cupertino is working on a fix, but you may need to put your podcast obsession on hold, or jump on your iOS device for all that tech talk in the meantime.

Update: We’re also unable to download apps from both the Mac and iOS App Stores. After clicking to download an app in iOS, it appears on the home screen briefly, then disappears. We’re also prompted to re-enter passwords with each attempt, so this may be related to an authentication issue. Jump past the break for the App Store error.

Update 2: The outage extends to all iTunes Store content, including music, movies, TV shows — the works. Time to go out and enjoy the sunshine?

Update 3: As of 3:15pm ET things look to be up and operational again. You may now recommence stuffing your devices with datas.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Continue reading Podcasts down in iTunes desktop store (update: it’s back!)

Podcasts down in iTunes desktop store (update: it’s back!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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