Apple Reporter

Apple covertly released the newest version of Final Cut Express this morning. Boasting 4 main new features, the video editing software is now available for the low price of $199. The new features advertised are:

Support for AVCHD format

Open Format Timeline

Importing iMovie ‘08 projects

Sophisticated FxPlug effects and filters

While there are features in Leopard that are seldom ignored, i.e. Time Machine and Spaces, there are some things that are often ignored. The Spotlight in 10.5 has been updated, and there is a new feature that has slipped its way in that is surprisingly helpful. This is the addition of a Dictionary and Calculator built right into it. Type in “2+6″ and it shows up in the spotlight as “2+6=8″. The dictionary function is the same way. Type in a word, such as “spotlight”, and a dictionary definition appears as one of the top search results. Overall, it is a very useful function when you need to quickly check a calculation or you’re not quite sure how to spell a word.

The update, now available on iTunes, adds the ability to add and edit calendar events. The function, which was only available by replacing the iPod Touch iCal with the iPhone iCal app, was one major complaint from early Touch adopters. Also in the update is the ability to see the battery life remaining in iTunes when the iPod has been plugged in, a feature which has found its way into every current-gen iPod and iPhone. The TIFF exploit, used most famously by jailbreakme.com, has also been patched, but according to Erica Sadun at TUAW, the jailbreak for 1.1.2 is now available in a simple GUI format. Any iPod Touch users find any more new features?

The new update for the iPhone is officially on the Apple page. No word on features or anything yet, but hopefully soon we will see what has changed. My guess is that jailbreakme.com will not work. Sorry jailbreakers.

Update - Apparently the iPod Touch was jailbroken before the patch was even officially released. Here’s a picture, courtesy of the iPhone/iPod dev team.

[Download link]

According to Crave on CNet, Asus has confirmed that an Apple tablet is indeed in the works and that they are help building it. Not much info was released besides that, but Apple did file a patent for a tablet in 2005. But this is just a rumor, so until more info is released, don’t count on it just yet.

Quicksilver, the popular Spotlight replacement, has been released as an open source effort. If you have been using Quicksilver and are interested in downloading the source code, it can be found here. More info on the app itself can be found here.

After dropping the “Android” bombshell, Forbes has info on the prototype phone built by HTC for Android. 

 Look familiar? That’s because this picture has been floating around the web for a few weeks prior to Android’s announcement. Apparently, the “Dream”, as it is known by HTC, has many cool features, some of which are outlined by Forbes:

“It is thin, about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, and features a touch-sensitive, rectangular screen… the screen is also time-sensitive: Hold down your finger longer, and the area you’re controlling expands. The bottom end of the handset, near the navigational controls, is slightly beveled so it nestles in the palm. The screen also swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. (The screen display changes from a vertical portrait mode to a horizontal display when someone uses the keyboard.)”

Overall it looks pretty great, but why isn’t Verizon jumping in on this? They’re the biggest cellular provider out there, and with T-Mobile and Sprint both having the gPhone and Android available, and AT&T having the iPhone, looks like us Verizon users are stuck with Motorola **ZR’s.

Google is, at this moment (9:41 AM PST at time of post), announcing their new OS, “Android”. The rumors of a new gPhone are false, but Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google says,

“Imagine not just one Gphone, but a thousand Gphones as a result of the partnerships… the many other people who will be joining the open initiative. We forgot to tell you that it’s available next week, and the terms are the broadest in the industry.”

More info is being released by the minute, but we know as of now that the “Android” OS is a Linux-based, but is instead:

… the first truly integrated mobile operating system. … What’s particularly notable is that it’s available under a mobile open source license…

Yes, there is now Linux on your phone. Apparently you will easily be able to write apps and completely customize the OS for yourself. No word on all the supporters of the OS yet, but a list has gone out of the speculated ones:

MEMBERS OF GOOGLE’S ALLIANCE

Aplix, Ascender Corp., Audience, Broadcom Corp., China Mobile, eBay Inc., Esmertec, HTC Corp., Intel Corp., KDDI, Living Image, LG, Marvell Technology, Motorola Inc., NMS Communications, Noser, NTT DoCoMo, Nuance Communications Inc., Nvidia Corp., PacketVideo, Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics, SiRF, SkyPop, SONiVOX, Sprint Nextel, Synaptics, TAT - The Astonishing Tribe, Telecom Italia, Telefónica SA, Texas Instruments, T-Mobile and Wind River Systems Inc.

9:58 AM PST: Eric Schmidt in response to “What’s it mean to the average consumer?”, “This is fundamentally a developer platform announcement… the quick way of saying it, as a result of this platform you can do amazing things with mobile devices…” Interesting. Will there be a Android dev team like the iPhone dev team for people to easily customize their OS?

10:01 AM PST: Conference call finishes, Schmidt in response to “Is there any coincidence of the timing with OpenSocial and this?”, “Google announces products when they’re ready; OpenSocial apps will run well on Android…” Thanks to Engadget for the liveblogging so the rest of us know what is going on. A general overview of this announcement will be up soon.

This video found on Youtube takes place in 1984, at an annual Apple shareholder meeting. An ecstatic and almost tearful Steve Jobs and his new creation, the Macintosh computer (known now as the Macintosh 128k) are met with standing ovations and wild cheering. It’s a good reminder of how far Apple has come, from a group of 3 guys assembling Apple I’s per order to a multi-billion dollar corporation. Enjoy.

Link if embed isn’t working.

Google is speculated to announce their new phone plans this Monday, November 5 (tomorrow). As one of the most speculated gadgets of this year (along with the iPhone), the “gPhone” rumors come in many forms, from the standard phone with the Google App suite, to the free ad-based wireless phone. In fact, some rumors say that the gPhone is not even a real phone at all, and merely a Linux-based phone OS for phones that already exist.

Whatever happens tomorrow, the real question is how does this affect Apple and the iPhone? Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt is on the board of directors at Apple, and I’m sure that Apple isn’t so happy that they are releasing a direct competitor to the iPhone. But will it be a real competitor to the amazingly-well selling iPhone? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Note - above picture is not actual gPhone, just a mockup found on Google Images.

Apple quietly updated their line of Macbook laptops, which have been due for an update for a while, to Santa Rosa chipsets.

Specifically, the new update changes the processors to either a Core 2 Duo 2.0 or 2.2 GHz, and offers the GMA X3100, the integrated video card replacing the GMA 950. Prices still remain the same as before the update, so if you’re looking for a quality low-end Mac laptop, the Macbook has never looked better.

Update - It would seem now that the Macbook Pro line has been updated as well, offering a new 2.6 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and new 5400 RPM hard drives.