All-New Mac Pro Launches Thursday, December 19 Starting at $2999
Apple today announced that its redesigned Mac Pro will go on sale tomorrow through the company’s online and retail stores, as well as select authorized resellers.
Apple today announced the all-new Mac Pro will be available to order starting Thursday, December 19. Redesigned from the inside out, the all-new Mac Pro features the latest Intel Xeon processors, dual workstation-class GPUs, PCIe-based flash storage and ultra-fast ECC memory.
Designed around an innovative unified thermal core, the all-new Mac Pro packs unprecedented performance into an aluminum enclosure that is just 9.9-inches tall and one-eighth the volume of the previous generation.
Pricing for the Mac Pro begins at $2999, with a second stock configuration available for $3999. Apple has yet to announce full build-to-order pricing, but earlier this week we outlined expected retail pricing based on price quotes being offered to some business customers. Based on these quotes, a fully loaded Mac Pro will cost approximately $9999.
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Camera+ Updated With Redesign, New Tools and Filters [iOS Blog]
Popular iPhone photography app Camera+ was updated to version today, adding a new design and a slew of new tools and filters. Along with a revamped app icon, Camera+ has gained an iOS 7-style redesign that also includes all new in-app icons.
In version 5 of Camera+, the exposure compensation and exposure lock controls have been split for greater control over camera shots and a more streamlined shooting experience. Several new tools have been added, like adjustable Clarity and Vibrance controls, manual straightening, color tinting, and duotone tinting.
The app has also gained adjustable Soft Focus and Film Grain filters, along with controls for sharpening blurry photos, creating blur, tinting photos, changing the temperature, fixing exposure, manipulating highlights and shadows, and altering brightness and contrast. Essentially, there are a huge number of new tools to work with in the app, which are listed below.
Clarity Pro
At the head of The Lab you’ll find Clarity Pro, which gives you adjustable Clarity and also adds a Vibrancy Boost adjustment which really brings out the life in your photos.Straighten
Not only can you manually straighten your photos in The Lab… we’ve also included a slick auto-straighten feature.Tint
Easily tone your photos whatever color you please. Go just a tad to set a subtle mood, all-out to make a bold statement, or anything in-between. And if you’re having a hard time choosing a color, simply roll the dice to get a random one… will it come up lucky seven or snake eyes??Duotone
This takes the Tint adjustment and brings it to a whole other level. Try it. We’ll leave it at that.Soft Focus
Give your photos a beautiful, ethereal quality with Soft Focus. This one’s addictive so promise not to overuse it, ok?Film Grain
For the look of analog film. Fully adjustable so you can get the exact look you want.Sharpen
This can often be the answer to a photo that came out a bit blurry.Blur
Soften harsh pics. Or go to the extreme to make the perfect iOS 7 wallpapers. More on this later…
Saturation
Take it down for a cool, faded look. Or crank it up to make your pics pop.Temperature
Easily enables you to make your pics look “warmer” or “cooler”. It can be used for a simple compensation, or turned way up for a bold look.Exposure
Photo overexposed? Underexposed? This is the fix.Brightness & Contrast
Two classic photo adjustments. You’d think that not much needs to be said about these two… but we went out of our way to make them look really good.Highlights & Shadows
Boost or cut the bright and/or dark parts of your photos. Compensate for imperfect lighting conditions, or go for an intense, artistic effect.Vignette
Top-off the perfect set of adjustments with a stylish Vignette. Not only can you put on a traditional dark one, you can also go light for an airy feel.
Camera+ is an iPhone-only app that can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. [Direct Link]
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Yes, this is dog: No More Woof aims to translate canine thoughts into human speech
Head over to Indiegogo today and you’ll find a particularly wacky (and risky) project bidding for your investment. It’s a device that goes by the name of No More Woof, which admittedly sounds like it does horrible things to dogs’ vocal cords, but which actually promises something very different. It’s a canine-sized headset that consists of EEG recorders connected to a small Raspberry Pi computer and a loudspeaker, supposedly allowing “ionic current flows” in a dog’s brain to be translated into human speech. A $65 model is said to distinguish between three different thoughts, including tiredness and curiosity, while more expensive options will have more sensors and more powerful software.
The only hold-up (and it’s a big one) is that this project is being offered for crowdfunding while still at the concept stage, and all investment will be kept even if the funding target isn’t met. According to a disclaimer on the Indiegogo page:
“Yes, we HAVE achieved some results, but we are very far from a mass-producable product. That said, we believe that within a few years the technologies we are working with will revolutionize our relation to pets and animals.”
Indeed, there’s no evidence that ST, the Scandinavian research lab behind No More Woof and last year’s equally strange iRock rocking chair, has managed to come up with anything like a working prototype — or at least there’s no sign of one in the long-but-vacant video embedded below. Nevertheless, if dog barks are eventually mistranslated by this sort of “novelty science” (a word ST actually uses to describe its own research), who’ll be any the wiser?
Source: Indiegogo
Spotify’s Android and Mac apps get a fresh coat of paint and new artist pages
If you’ve just noticed that Spotify on your Mac or Android device looks different, you’re not seeing things: there are new updates for both platforms. On Android, the tweaks are quite small, with a new look for the login and signup pages, along with image galleries and play counts in the artist section, as shown above. Meanwhile The Verge spotted a new version for Mac computers that seems to be rolling out gradually, with visual changes like a darker theme and a circular artist avatar (see a screen grab after the break). There doesn’t seem to be any new features or other revisions, though, and you may not be able to get the Mac app in your region yet. If you’re keen to switch on Android though, you can check Google Play on your device or at the source.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: The Verge
Source: Spotify (Google Play)
Viber continues to expand as it rolls out Windows 8 app
Fresh off of the announcement that it’s now allowing users to make calls to any mobile or landline number, Viber today is reaching yet another platform by way of a Windows 8 application. Aside from providing access to the VoIP calling services it has become known for, Viber’s also bringing a few features tailored specifically for Microsoft’s operating system. Namely, we’re talking things like pinning conversations to the Start screen as well as the ability to be used in Snap View mode. Additionally, Viber for Windows 8 offers full Live Tile support, allowing you to easily spot notifications and have quick access to the app. CEO Talmon Marco says coming to Windows 8 was “the natural next step” for his company, adding that this is part of Viber’s big picture strategy and “commitment to wide, cross platform availability.”
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Software
Source: Windows Store
Twitter for BlackBerry 10 scores BBM integration and timeline photo previews
It’s no secret that Twitter for BB10 still needs a lot of polishing, and the latest attempt to make it shine brings BBM integration and other new features. Now, you can automatically update your status on the platform’s famous messaging service simply by tweeting through the refreshed app. The latest version also brings thumbnail previews that show attached images right on your timeline. Other than that, it comes with a built-in reply box and a fresh option to report spam or abuse that show up when you tap on a tweet. Unfortunately, if you read the app’s reviews on BlackBerry World, you’ll see a lot of users complaining that their apps have stopped working after they downloaded the update. So, no matter how sweet these changes are, it might be wise to proceed with caution or just wait until the developers issue a fix.
Filed under: Mobile
Via: Inside BlackBerry
Source: BlackBerry World
Google Play Movies expands to Jamaica, New Zealand and ten other regions
If your local Blockbuster just shut down or you can’t get Netflix in your nation, there’s always Google Play’s Movies. It’s now available in nearly double the countries it was yesterday and 27 total, having added a dozen more nations to its rota. Notable new regions include New Zealand, Hong Kong, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. If you’re seeking a flick fix there or the other nations (at the source) and have Google TV, Chromecast or an Android device, now’s the time to grab the app.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Via: Android Central
Source: Google
Australian watchdog forces Apple to offer 24-month warranties as standard
Apple’s had its hand slapped over its product warranties more times than it cares to remember. In its latest brush with competition regulators, the company has been hit with a court order from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) following claims it was misleading customers over their rights to a replacement, refund or repair on faulty products. Similar to its actions in Europe, the ACCC alleges that staff incorrectly applied the company’s own warranty policies, including its 14 day return policy and 12 month manufacturer warranty, instead of guarantees required by Australian consumer law.
The ACCC says Apple has agreed to bring its return and repair policies in line with local laws and will now provide consumers with a minimum of 24 months coverage — like it does in Europe and other parts of the world. It’s not the first time Apple has had run-ins with the ACCC either, last year it was fined AU$2.29 million ($2 million) for “deliberately” misleading customers over the 4G capabilities of its new iPad. Australian customers will soon be able to visit a new webpage on the Apple Store which clarifies the differences between the company’s own policies and those set out by law, putting an end to warranty confusion once and for all.
[Image Credit: jwy, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Apple
Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: ACCC
Evernote for Android graced with refined note editing, external keyboard support
Sure, the year might be winding down, but the folks at Evernote have still managed to sneak in another update for their Android app. By wielding the upgraded application, users can edit notes without fear of losing text styling they’ve applied in the program on other platforms, and view attachments in-line with their digital scrawlings. External keyboard support has been baked in as well, alongside recognition for key shortcuts for creating notes, bullets, numbered lists and to-do entries. With the refreshed software, enterprise users can even access their business notes from the home screen and select a preferred notebook for new jottings they create. To grab ahold of the app, head to the bordering source link.
Via: Evernote Blog
Source: Google Play
Real Racing 3 finally gives players a taste of live competition on iOS
Real Racing 3′s time-shift multiplayer mode was a great addition to the game, but the latest update for iOS makes playing with friends even better. Now, aside from being able to face the car ghosts of your friends’ pasts to beat their records, four players can hit the virtual tracks for some real-time racing. As a nice plus, both the refreshed Android and the iOS apps now include playable digital counterparts of the McLaren P1 plug-in hybrid and the next-gen Lamborghini Veneno, though they cost a pretty (in-game) penny. If you’re hankering to digitally drive certain BMW and Ford models, it may be best to look elsewhere — otherwise, head over to iTunes where the game remains free to download and play.
Via: iMore
Source: iTunes, Firemonkeys (1), (2)
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