ANYTHING THAT IS TEAL IS A CLICKABLE LINK
Apple
announced many new features for iOS 6.0 at this summer’s WWDC. First off, Siri is getting smarter. She can now be asked just about any sports
question as well as movie trivia. She
can also launch apps. Siri is also
coming to the iPad 3 only. Facebook is now integrated in the iOS much like
Twitter was in iOS 5.0.
Apple
also announced their new maps app, yes Apple dumped Google Maps. Their new map app looks much like Google Maps
but now has 3D models and can be used as a GPS with voice activated Siri
control. It will also monitor traffic
and use detours when the user activates Siri.
FaceTime
can now be made over a 3G network, not yet 4G.
It will be slower than on WiFi, but WiFi isn’t available
everywhere. There is a new “Do Not
Disturb” mode that will not notify you of any notifications. You can program it so that certain people can
contact you; this will be great for sleep so you won’t be woken up by Facebook
or texts every five minutes.
Passbook is a new app much like a
wallet. It can contain virtual gift
cards and tickets for movies or sports events.
If you had a Best Buy gift card, your phone would remind you that you
have that card when you enter the store and tell you the remaining
balance. They also introduced the Smart
Case, a smart cover that covers your entire iPad. This will work with the iPad 2 and 3.
iOS 6.0
will come this fall, also expect the new iPhone, but this will be available
only in the iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S, the iPad 2 and 3, as well as the iPod Touch
4th generation. (Apple is no longer supporting my iPod Touch 3rd
generationL)
Not all of the features are coming to every device though. Click here to view
which specific devices get what features.
Apple
launched new MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros.
They are pretty much the same but with better graphics and speed. They also get USB 3.0. The star of the show was the Next-Generation MacBook Pro. This is a hybrid of both
devices into one super device. It only
comes in the 15-inch model with the Retina Disply, Intel i5 quad-core Ivy
Bridge processor, USB 3.0, two Thunderbolt ports and HDMI out. It also sports a 720p HD front camera. The device starts at $2199.
Microsoft
announced its own tablet, the Surface.
This comes in two different versions of Windows 8. It is a 10-inch tablet with a ClearType HD
display. It has a microSD slot, USB 2.0/3.0 and comes in various storage
sizes. The coolest part of this was the
Touch Cover. It connects to the tablet much
like the Smart Cover on the iPad, but when this is peeled back it turns into a
keyboard. This device really aims to
create the laptop/tablet hybrid. There
was no price or release date, but it won’t come out until Windows 8 does. Here is a video of the device.
The
Xbox 720 may have been leaked (again) but there is a 56 page document to back
it up. This shows that there is a new
Kinect sensor for four player fun, focuses on tablet integration with
SmartGlass, and a Blu-ray disc drive. There
were even talks of glasses that would give the player a heads-up display/HUB,
which is dubbed Fortaleza. It would
launch in 2013 with a $300 price tag.
A new
app was released for Android devices called “Robin.” She is a voice assistant for the GPS function
of your phone. She acts much like Siri
will in iOS 6.0, telling you about traffic and speed traps. It is available now in beta form, but will
not work with the HTC MyTouch 4G or HTC Evo 4G LTE.
Lastly,
the Samsung Galaxy S III will be coming to all major U.S. carriers, AT&T,
Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular.
It will be available June 21st at $199.99 for 16GB or $249.99
for 32GB of storage. None of the networks will have the quad-core processor
found in the European version.
The
question of the week is, “Does the Microsoft Surface tablet interest you at all
or are you interested in a different tablet?” You can comment below or e-mail
me at smsetser@valdosta.edu. In the next few days I will post my review of
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II.
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