CourseCast of the Week
Episode 104, 06/15/2009
Title/Description: Apple Updates and Other Tech Headlines
Welcome to Course
Technology's CourseCast of the week, Episode 105, recorded June 14th, 2009. This
is Ken Baldauf bringing you this week's technology news and information. This CourseCast
is brought to you by Course Technology. Check out www.cengage.com/coursetechnology
for innovative textbooks and creative electronic learning solutions.
Also check our the
CourseCasts Website at coursecasts.course.com where you will find links to the
full stories covered in this CourseCast, related discussion questions for use
in your technology courses, and the CourseCast Archives. And now the news…
Story 1: Apple Updates
Apple's highly anticipated
Worldwide Developers Conference took place in San Francisco last week, where
several new Apple products were unveiled and promoted. The keynote included a
review of the upcoming Mac OS X update, code-named Snow Leopard, improvements
to the Macbook pro line, the third version of the iPhone OS, and the unveiling
of the next generation iPhone.
Both Mac OS X Snow Leopard
and the iPhone 3.0 software update are old news that served as the headline
stories at the last Apple event. Still the repeat coverage of the new upcoming
features served to renew excitement for Mac enthusiasts.
OS X Snow Leopard will be
released in September, weeks prior to the release of Windows 7, and will
feature significant improvements to performance. Snow Leopard will include
faster 64-bit processing that is optimized to fully utilize multicore chips. It
will also tap into the power of the graphics processing unit, or GPU, to speed
up general processing tasks. Snow Leopard will support extremely high limits on
RAM, and will include major improvements to accessibility features like built
in voice over screen-reading, improved screen navigation, and support for Braille
displays. The new Mac OS also includes beefed up security features and
improvements in several key built-in applications. Snow Leopard will require 6
GB LESS space than its predecessor, which suggests that apple may be slimming
down for future smaller computing mobile devices.
The iPhone 3.0 software
update will be available June 17. It features some noteworthy improvements for
all versions of the iPhone including:
- the
ability to cut, copy, and paste text
- shake to
undo
- multimedia
messaging
- global
search
- peer-to-peer
games
- Internet
tethering
- stereo
Bluetooth
- wireless
movie downloads
- plus
additional software and other tweaks
Both Snow Leopard and the
iPhone 3.0 software update will fully support integration with Microsoft
Exchange server. Microsoft Exchange is popular business software, and Apple's
support of it should open more doors into corporate environments.
The next version of the
iPhone, named iPhone 3GS (s for speed) will be available June 19th. It will
look just like its predecessor, but will have a much faster processor and
architecture. Apple claims that it will run applications twice as fast as the
iPhone 3G. It also includes an improved 3-Megapixel camera with autofocus and a
tap to focus feature, along with the ability to capture video. Other new
features include support for voice commands in both the phone application and
the iPod application, and a magnetic compass that allows software to know what
direction you are facing. So, for example, Google maps will be able to more
accurately provide direction and map views based on your orientation.
Also announced at the
conference was an improved line up of Macbook Pros which includes the higher
end Macbook being promoted to a 13" Macbook Pro. The effects of the
struggling economy were also observed as Apple announced reduced prices across
the board on macbook pros, iphones, and the upcoming upgrade to Snow Leopard
which will be only $29. Check it all out at apple.com.
And in other tech news
headlines...
- After a
long wait, television stations across the country have ceased broadcasting
analogue signals, and have gone completely digital. Viewers depending on
over-the-air analog signals through external antennas have lost their
reception unless they purchased digital converter boxes. Find out more at
www.dtv.gov.
After
Long Wait, Stations Switch Off Analog [NYTimes]
- At long
last, turn-by-turn navigation is coming to the iPhone. TomTom has
partnered with Apple to develop a GPS application that talks you through
the directions to your destination while displaying your route on the
iPhone display. The system requires the purchase of a car kit that
includes an iPhone dashboard mount, GPS enhancements, and support for
hands-free phoning.
TomTom
Will Help iPhone Users Avoid Getting Lost [NewsFactor]
- California
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing California public schools
statewide to give up traditional textbooks in exchange for free online
learning resources. He is starting with math and science textbooks and
hopes to save the state hundreds of millions of dollars by doing away with
old-school paper-based learning.
Schwarzenegger
Seeks Online Revolution in Schools [NewsFactor]
- Speaking
of replacing printed books with online content, publishing giant Simon
& Schuster has announced a deal to sell its entire catalogue of books
online as e-books using the online service Scribd. Scribd is a social
publishing site, where tens of millions of people share original writings
and documents.
Simon &
Schuster Picks Scribd To Sell E-Books [NewsFactor]
- Apple has
struck a chord with Windows users with the latest version of its Safari
Web browser. Since its release last week, 11 million copies of Safari 4
have been downloaded, six million of which were downloaded for Windows.
The new browser claims to be faster than any on the market, with support
for the latest Web technologies.
Even PCers
Like Apple's Safari as Downloads Top 11M [NewsFactor]
- Facebook
is now offering vanity URLs. Facebook users can choose to use a unique
name rather than a cryptic id number for their Facebook Web address. For
example, you can friend me at www.facebook.com/kbaldauf - my own vanity
URL.
Facebook
Will Offer 'Vanity URLs' To Users' Sites [NewsFactor]
- Analysts
believe that Palm sold as many as 100,000 Pres in itd first two days on
the market. The Pre is the new smartphone from Palm that is expected to
give the iPhone a run for its money.
Palm
may have sold up to 100,000 Pres in first weekend [Computerworld]
- The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission shut down an Internet service provider suspected
of hosting spamming botnet servers. Spam rates dropped by 15 percent
across the country after the shut down.
Spam
drops 15 percent after FTC Pricewert takedown [Computerworld]
- The new
larger Kindle DX went on sale and sold out within 24 hours. Analysts
suspect that Amazon intentionally under-stocked the new device in order to
create a buzz around the product and build customer anticipation.
Kindle
DX sold out for now, in stock June 17 [Computerworld]
- Over the
last decade the Internet economy has created 1.2 million new jobs. That is
one of the findings of a recent study by a Harvard Business School professor and Hamilton Consultants.
Study:
Internet economy has created 1.2M jobs [Computerworld]
- Microsoft
will be retiring its long-lived Money software on June 30 citing
competition from banks, brokerage firms and online services as the cause
of its demise.
Microsoft
to kill Money on June 30 [Computerworld]
- Microsoft
will soon release the beta version of its new FREE antivirus software
designed to replace Windows OneCare. Windows OneCare required a yearly
subscription fee, and will be replaced by the new free software when it
retires June 30.
Report:
Microsoft preps beta of free antivirus app [Computerworld]
- The next
generation of Intel's Atom processors may throw a kink into Moore's Law. While they are tinier, and cooler, which will come in handy for smaller
mobile computers, they won't be any faster than current processors.
Report:
Next-gen Intel Atoms tinier, cooler -- but only modestly faster
[Computerworld]
That's it for this week's CourseCast.
Email me with your comments and suggestions for the show at coursecasts@gmail.com. Let me know how
you use CourseCasts in your classes, and I'll give you and your school a shout
out on my next CourseCast. Until next time, have a great week and be sure to
take advantage of the Power -- of Technology!