iOS 6 will officially do away with the native Youtube app.

With the latest update to the beta of iOS 6.0 Apple has pulled the last embedded Google app out of the OS.  Apple has officially removed the native Youtube app.  Google was quick to point out that they will work on their own version to be released in the app store.

This has good and bad implications.  The first being that Apple has finally removed the last of their dependence on Google out of their OS.  The second is now that Google can make their own app hopefully it will be completely updated which is very long over due.  The other thing that will help Google is the fact that they can introduce their own ads as you would see on the mobile web version.

This will be interesting to see how this plays out and exactly when and how Google replaces this app in the app store.

OSX Mountain Lion Review

So just like that out of no where with only a 24 hour notice Apple has released OSX Mountain Lion to the masses.  That is if your Mac can actually run it of course.  Older Intel macs such as my iMac will not run this version so it looks like that I am left with OSX Lion.  Now granted this computer is 6 years old now which is amazing in itself that A.  it has lasted this long, and B.  that it has been supported by Apple for this long with all the features of the operating system.  Anyway back to the point here.  OSX Mountian Lion brings with it a lot of features and some bugs as well.  Check out the review below of the features brought to you by TecnhnoBuffalo.

Gaming on the Go: Darkside

This is a fun free game for iOS that has you shooting up space junk and enemy ships while circling an asteroid.  The free version offers arcade mode, but it offers an in app 99 cent upgrade you get a few different modes of play.
The graphics of the gameplay look really great but the menu screens just don't seem to match up with the style of the gameplay, but other than that the game is really well put together.  After you get used to the gameplay it will be fun and addictive.  Check it out in the App store today.

So bummer news for you 3gs and iphone 4 users.

Looks like after playing around with the iOS 6 beta some developers are reporting that the 3D maps and turn by turn navigation will not work in the older iPhone 3gs and 4 models.  I guess since they don't get Siri that would make sense for the turn by turn navigation. 

Still a bummer though, I was pretty interested to see exactly what they meant that all iphones all the way back to the 3gs would support iOS 6.  I am sure we will be hearing more soon about certain parts of the OS that do not work with the older phones soon.

Is Apple finally serious about gaming?

I know, I know, but it's really hard for me to not talk about everything Apple.  Especially when it's the week of WWDC and there is so much nerd candy everywhere one looks on the inter webs!  But anywho, with Apple showing off it's new retina display MacBook Pro with Diablo III, is it a sign they are serious about gaming?

I mean they are already a huge powerhouse in gaming even though they really didn't do anything to get there.  It would make sense that with this amazing new screen developers will think again about releasing their games for mac in a more timely fashion (aka not two years later.)  Apple though, really in the past has done  nothing to really drive game developers to its mac platform.  Could this all of changed with the introduction of the Retina Display?  

You could argue simply they could take advantage of it if people simply use boot camp and boot windows from there.  But can windows truly handle the retina display.  As of right now, no it cannot.  Will there eventually be drivers or some sort of update or hack made to allow windows to take advantage of it, probably but not as smoothly has it will run on OSX, I would think. 

It is all really just speculation at this point but it will be interesting to see if developers start paying more attention to Apples OSX platform for gaming.  I for one hope they do!

Why there was no mention of the Apple Tv at WWDC.

Even though everyone was rumoring, wanting, wishing, curiously awaiting an announcement about an update to the Apple TV we got nothing.  Here is why, Apple is a hype machine.  Simply put, part of Apple's success is the hype they build over their products.  They keep such tight security and control over announcements and any info on everything that they do.  This in turns keeps people on edge waiting and speculating what the next big thing from Apple will be.  This week was the Macbook, plain and simple so why take anything away from that juggernaut?  They wouldn't, if they want the hype to build even more they will do just like they have done for everything else.  Stagger the releases and announcements.  As it is right now we have the iPad in March, Computers and iOS in June, iPhones in September/ October.  To keep their hype train rolling they keep these things all spread out all year round so that way people are always talking about the new Apple products and here is the thing, it works.  All year round there is rumor after rumor, people lining up to buy their products.  So here is my prediction we will hear about this Apple tv either in August or more than likely post iPhone 5 announcement.  Besides they need something for the holiday season since the iPods are a thing of the past pretty much.  Just saying.  Oh and if I am right you all owe me $20 dollars!

iOS 6, What we got, what we didn't.

As always when it comes to our iPhones and iPads we get all crazy on our wish lists of what we would like to see.  Sometimes we get blown away and sometimes we get disappointed in what we didn't get.

For me all in all it was a good update to a good functional operating system.  My favorite announcement is that Siri will finally be coming to the iPad with this update!

Speaking of Siri, she is getting, well useful, haha.  You will be able to ask to to tell you the score of a game, stats on a player, or better details on a restaurant that you are looking for.  She can launch apps now!  Finally for all us lazy people who hate using your finger to find things, hah.  Also a neat part of this is no lists with possible answers here.  She finds exact info now, and will launch things straight up with out having to show you a list of things you might be asking for.

Next big thing was Apple finally introduced their own Maps App.  Now I know we can all say we saw this coming a mile a way with all the buying of the Map making companies, so bye bye Google Maps.  What we get with this new Map app is turn by turn navigation (finally)  and it is narrated by Siri herself no less.  It seems to be a very good implementation of a navigation app and shows you your ETA in real time based on crowd sourced traffic info and can even reroute you if you are coming up on a traffic jam.  You also can get 3D overlay of cities and a nice sky view.  Now the only thing I will miss from Google Maps would be street view, I can't tell you how many times this has helped me find an obscure place I was trying to get to but I had no idea what it looked like.  I hope Apple will implement their own version of Street View in the near future.

Next feature that I really like is the ability to block certain phone calls and notifications during certain periods of time.  Need to get some sleep or take a nap without being disturbed then you can easily set this up to be able to block phone calls or any notifications at all.  Or you can even tell it to allow certain numbers to come through but block the others.  Now this I can think of many uses for.  Now don't worry all you stalkers out there if you call enough times the iPhone will think it's an emergency and actually allow your call through.  A well needed addition to the OS for sure.

Another feature that I liked that has been a long time coming is the ability to text back an answer to any phone call.  Say you are busy and someone calls you can just hit an answer with message button and select the message you want to send.  For example:  I'll call you back later.  or What's up?

Here is a really cool thing and the beginnings of what Apple has planned for a mobile wallet.  It is called Passport.  You can store card information here, have plane ticket, and movie ticket info.  Say you bought a movie ticket online and you pull up to the movie theater, it will detect that you are close to a theater and bring up your ticket on your homescreen.  Or you are trying to catch a plane and you are delayed, Passport will notify you of any delays, or gate changes as soon as they happen.  Pretty neat and well organized app.  I can't wait to see this develop out.

Now there are many many more features being added to iOS 6 but these are my favorites.  Let's focus now on what we didn't get.   Biggest thing we didn't get a redesigned app icon, or layout change of any kind.  Now yes I know the iPhone layout and icon's are getting kind of old in the UI phone race.  But Apple is not one to rush in to too much change to quickly.  So it doesn't surprise me that we didn't see any major graphical changes with this iteration of iOS.  I'm still holding out that they do something similar to the live tiles on the Windows phones.  Those are just really nice and user friendly. We also got no mention of what this update will do to the Apple tv, but that is a post for another time.

The mother of all laptops is here and her name is Macbook Pro with Retina Display..

Ok so the name doesn't scream, LOOK AT ME I"M ONE SEXY BEAST, but the look and specs on this computer are just awesome.  When Apple announced this product today they basically said hey guys look what we are capable of.  Now granted this sucker is uber expensive starting at over $2,000.  Yikes! That is a lot of money but you are getting early dibs on a computer that in two or three years will be the standard for all laptops.

First thing first this bad boy has a full retina display coming in at 2800 x 1800 resolution at 220 ppi.  To put this in perspective the current Macbook Pro's measure up at a 1440 x 900 resolution.  That is a huge difference.  Now add that to the Nvidia's Kepler GeForce 650 M video card and you have one beast of a graphics powerhouse.

The other really nice specs:  a Quad Core 2.7 GHz i7 ivy bridge processor 8 gigs of ram (expandable to 16 gigs) and a 256 gig SSD hard drive (expandable to 768 gigs, SAY WHAT!!!) To round it out, it comes with two thunderbolt ports, hdmi, usb 3.0, and MageSafe 2 adapter.

This is one powerful laptop, definitely a powerhouse for gamers and graphic professionals alike.  As if that wasn't enough Intel introduced in these macbook's the turboboost option for their i series processors.  Tubo boost allows the processor to over-clock itself and increase your processor speed by almost 1 GHz if it feels like you need the power, then automatically re-clock itself back down to acceptable levels for less strenuous activities.  

To show you how far Apple goes into each and every detail of it's products they even spent lots of man hours getting the fan placement just right in order to make an even and very quiet cooling system for this powerhouse.

All in all this is just one amazing laptop with Apple flexing it's muscles for good measure.  To bad I would have to sell my kidney to get one.  Maybe one day, I have a bad one anyway...  Might as well sell it while its worth something right?

What are some things to expect from today's Keynote?

So the excitement is building for all you Apple fanatics out there!  In less than an hour the keynote will start and we will hear some really cool announcements for some upcoming products and updates to the current ones we are using.  Here is a list of some possible things to look for to be announced at the keynote.

iOS 6.

The first thing that will definitely be announced will be iOS 6.  Some of things that are rumored to be included is an updated maps app that will be in house instead of Google's map product.  Updates to the app store and better integration with the iCloud server.

What I would like to see is a slight update to the UI all over for iOS and some better ways to share audio files as well as an updated youtube app.

Facebook everywhere.

Rumors are bouncing all over the place about how integrated facebook will be with iOS.  Some have it just as simple as the current iteration of the twitter integration.  Others have it being completely part of the entire OS.  I feel that we will probably see a well balanced integration with facebook.  Easier ways to share pictures, videos, update your status and possibly a dedicated facebook app preinstalled.  What I don't want to see though is an integration with the facebook messenger and the current iMessages app.  That to me would be a total mess and I don't really use the facebook messenger at all anyway.

Updated Mac's and Mountain Lion.

We have already heard lots of rumors that every Mac will get a refresh come this week including the aging Mac Pro.  Considering a lot of Mac's are pretty low in stock across a lot of different venues, it would be easy to see how this will be a possibility.

Will they have retina displays?  That is a little iffy right now.  To make some of the larger 27 inch Macs a retina display, I feel that would be a pretty expensive upgrade.  Unless Apple wants to bend the rules on what they consider a retina display.  Of course they did make that term up themselves so I guess they have the right to do so.

Apple TV.

One of the biggest and most hyped rumors going around right now is that Apple has plans to make a TV of their own.  So here is hoping that one would be announced.  It could be anything from an updated current gen apple tv getting an app store to an actual TV set.  Either way I don't think it matters much whether it is a TV or the current tv box that they have now.  What matters is how they do this whole app thing and what kind of content they can provide, how you interact with the device, and how much content it will offer.  This could revolutionize the TV industry or just be a new "pet project" as Steve Jobs has always referred to it.

If you haven't heard next week is WWDC.

As if last week wasn't awesome enough with the announcements of some really cool games, today we will hear some announcements coming from Apple about some upcoming events.  The keynote will be tomorrow at 10am Pacific time (1pm, Eastern time.)  I'll have a review of the announcements and any new cool products later this evening so keep checking back to the blog later in the evening.  Enjoy you Monday!

Get your Vjay fix with this new iPad app.

Algoriddim, which also makes a great djay app for the iPad has just released their new Vjay app for $9.99 in the app store.  This new app will turn your iPad into a "mashup machine."  Vjay will allow you to take your videos or music stored on your iPad to beat-match it and mash it together to create  your own art.

It comes with features such as looping and tempo detection, and even low latency and 2D scratch pads.  These control surfaces can manipulate video effects and transitions in real time, in addition to offering precise audio control. 

Once you are done you can output your creations through Apple's HDMI adapter.  The Vjay app requires an iPad 2 or later to work correctly and is now available in the App store for just $9.99

All Apple computers getting a refresh next week.

Rumors are circling the internet that at next weeks WWDC conference Apple will update their entire line of Macs, including their aging Mac Pro.

This would make a lot of since for most of the Macs out there right now as most of them have been out long enough to receive a refresh.  The interesting part of this rumor is the part concerning the Mac Pro.  This system has not received an update since the middle of 2010.  Many had believed that Apple was quietly going to let this system die as they changed their focus to more of a consumer stand point.  Many professionals use Mac Pros and a lot of them have been calling for a new system for a long while now.  Maybe Apple has heard their pleas and decided to give the Mac Pro one more try.

I for one just want to see a refresh of the iMac's and MacBooks and maybe a price drop in them (in my dreams.)

Cricket Wireless is getting the iPhone!

Cricket Wireless just announced that come June 20th they will be carrying the iPhone with a totally unlimited plan for just $55 a month.  That's right unlimited talk, text, and data for just $55 with no contract.  Now their unlimited data does have one issue if you go over 2.3gigs a month your data will get throttled down.  But still for no contract and at such a low cost this would be a great opportunity to get an iPhone.

Since this is a prepaid service and no contracts you do have to buy, at full price, your phone from them.  The 4s is $500 and the 4 is only $400.  Now this may seem expensive but just remember that you are not on a contract and you can change providers whenever you want.  Cricket has also said in the release that they have agreed to buy Apple phones in the future and will carry all the new phones.  No mention as to if they will get them at the same time as other carriers.  This is the first totally prepaid service to offer an iPhone at all, and since most of the smartphones Cricket had before were low end Android phones, this will be a great opportunity for Cricket and it's customers.

Tim Cook says no to console Biz.

File this to the "Well Duh" file.  Time Cook said the other night in his D10 conference interview that he was not interested in doing anything with the Console Market.  He did say that yes Apple is a major player in the video game market but that the console market was not where Apple was headed.  Really?  Seriously?  No way!  HAHA.  Seriously though why should they?  The iPad and iPhone have already cannibalized the portable gaming market and with the new iPad being compared to the power of a current generation console, it would seem Apple is already a major player console or not.

Now don't get me wrong they could easily turn the Apple TV into a place to download all the App store games.  How you would play those games would be an entirely different story however.  I highly doubt that Apple will make a stand alone console simply because they see the video game market moving more toward the mobile tablet and phone markets instead of consoles.

New Macs expected at WWDC next month.

Several rumors were brought to light yesterday that states that Apple will reveal some new Macbook Pro's and iMac's at next month's WWDC.  The biggest changes are Ivy Bridge processors, switching to Nvidia Graphics, and the macbook pro's will get thinner and get a Retina display up to the 15 inch model.

What I find interesting about these details is that fact that the retina display only will go up to the 15 inch model.  Does this mean that the rumors saying Apple will be doing away with the 17 inch macbook pro's are true?  Possibly, I am pretty sure that it would be pretty hard, if not impossible to make a true retina display so big.  But what do I know?  I guess we will have to wait till next month to find out for sure.

My first purchase at an Apple Store

I had made up my mind I was going to buy a new iPad and I am too impatient to order something online and wait for it to come when I can just hop in my car and go a few miles down the road to get it.   Well I decided to go to Best buy because I had a left over gift card from my Birthday to spend.  I went inside hopeful yet doubtful that they would have a 16 gig wifi version in stock.  After making my way through all the people and making my way to the iPad station I looked around for an employee to help me.  Now I want to first start off by saying that usually when I am in Best Buy a million employees ask me a thousand times if I need help when I usually am just there to browse.  I finally got ones attention and asked if they had any new iPad's in stock.  He said, "Ummm I'm not sure I'll have to find the guy who knows.  BRB."  About 15 minutes later another guy finally came up and I explained I was waiting to here if they had any new iPad's in stock.  His response was, "Oh I guess he forgot to tell you.  We don't have any and it will be really doubtful you will find one this early since release.  I said ok and left the store a little let down and decided to go where I should have gone to begin with.  I ventured across the road to our local mall and into the Apple Store there.

Apple and Valve Teaming up?

Rumors are running around the internet that Tim Cook's low profile visit last week was to talk with them about implementing the steam box into Apple's up and coming TV.  The story over at Gamesradar says that Apple is making a kinect like console that will be integrated with the Apple TV that will come out later this year and that maybe Apple wants Valve as a partner or just license some of their tech.  I guess with the typical hush hush around Apple products we will just never know until Apple actually does something if they even do.