Wal-Mart Cuts iPhone 3GS Price in Half Ahead of WWDC

Monday May 24, 2010 08:48 PM EST; Category: iPhone

Written by arn

AP News reports that Wal-Mart will be cutting the price of the iPhone 3GS down to $97 with contract starting on Tuesday. The company presently sells the 3GS for $197. 

Apple is widely expected to introduce a next iPhone on June 7th. Analysts have already predicted that the current iPhone 3GS will be discounted across the board to $99 while the new iPhone will slide into the $199/$299 price points. Earlier today, there had been reports that iPhone 3G stock has been running low, suggesting that Apple may be discontinuing the current $99 model

Elgato's EyeTV HD Brings High-Definition TV to Mac, Streams to iPhone and iPad

Monday May 24, 2010 12:15 PM EST

Written by Eric Slivka

Elgato today announced the launch of its new EyeTV HD for Mac, offering users the ability to bring high-definition TV content to their Mac and stream it to iPhone OS devices using the dedicated App Store app.

Today, Elgato debuted the world's only DVR solution which provides full access to premium cable or satellite TV content on a Mac - EyeTV HD. Customers can now watch record, edit and enjoy cable and satellite in high-definition, including all their premium channels. EyeTV HD includes a unique dual-format capture mode that records in iPad and iPhone formats at the same time, allowing users to stream live and recorded TV to an iPhone or iPad using the optional EyeTV app.

EyeTV HD offers easy setup, simply requiring the user to connect the device to his or her cable box via component cables and Mac via USB. Simple configuration of an IR blaster for channel changing then brings the user's complete TV package onto their Mac, where Elgato's EyeTV 3 software handles navigation, editing, export, and streaming of content.


EyeTV HD also offers S-video and composite inputs to allow users to connect standard-definition sources such as VCRs and camcorders to video import and manipulation.

EyeTV HD sells for $199.95 with one free year of TV Guide service. Renewal service is available for $19.95 per year. Streaming to the iPhone or iPad requires the company's EyeTV App Store application, priced at $4.99.

Apple Officially Ends 'Get a Mac' Campaign, Revamps 'Why You'll Love a Mac' Feature

Friday May 21, 2010 09:42 AM EST

Written by Eric Slivka

Last month, actor Justin Long revealed that Apple's long-running "Get a Mac" ad campaign, in which he appeared as the "Mac" character, appeared to have been discontinued. The last set of "Get a Mac" commercials had been released in October 2009.

It now appears that Apple has finally pulled the "Get a Mac" campaign from its site, redirecting the page to an expanded "Why You'll Love a Mac" page highlighting five key marketing points for Macs in comparison to PCs: Better Hardware, Better Software, Better OS, Better Support, and It's Compatible.

Apple's extensive gallery of "Get a Mac" ads has also been removed from the site, with the URL similarly redirecting to the "Why You'll Love a Mac" page.

Apple's Mac television ad plans for the future remain unknown, as the revamped features currently offer no hint of a specific TV-focused campaign. While Apple has not aired any new Mac commercials since October, the success of the award-winning "Get a Mac" campaign suggests that Apple may be interested in continuing a television presence in some manner. In the meantime, the company continues to regularly release new iPhone commercials, and has begun ramping up iPad advertising.

AutoCAD Coming Back to Mac, First Beta Screenshots with Gestures, 64-bit Support [Video]

In April, there had been some rumors that AutoCAD may finally be returning to the Macintosh platform. The Apple Lounge has posted some screenshots from the private beta that were found on Italiamac's forums.

AutoCAD is a 2D and 3D design and drafting application that was first released in the 1980s. AutoCAD for the Mac was discontinued in the early 90s. According to the tester that posted the images, this beta runs pretty poorly, but, obviously, there is much time for improvement as this is the first seeding. The Beta is 64-bit only and support for multi-touch gestures (see above screenshot). No word on when the final is expected.



Update: Video added, from Italiamac.it:

Apple Responds to Reports of Final Cut Pro Refocusing

Wednesday May 19, 2010 04:32 PM EST
Written by Eric Slivka

CNET reports that Apple has issued a response to yesterday's report that the company is working to "rethink" its Final Cut Pro offerings as the balance of usage of the video production software has shifted towards "prosumers" from the high-end professionals it originally targeted.

"Final Cut Pro is the first choice for professional video editors, and we've never been more excited about its future," Apple spokesman Bill Evans told CNET. "The next version of Final Cut is going to be awesome, and our pro customers are going to love it."

Apple currently offers Final Cut Express, targeted at prosumers, which CNET notes should leave the Final Cut Pro team free to continue catering to high-end video professionals with the Final Cut Studiopackage.

Apple's comments don't necessarily rule out the report's claims of the company looking to bring in more "prosumer-friendly" features to the full Final Cut Studio package, but do suggest that it is not planning on forgetting its professional audience with future releases.

Updated MacBook Supports Both Audio and Video Output via Mini DisplayPort

Tuesday May 18, 2010 05:07 PM EST; Category: MacBook

Written by Eric Slivka

A new support document posted today outlining the ports and connectors included on Apple's updated MacBook confirms that the new model supports transmission of both audio and video via its Mini DisplayPort output. The feature allows users to run a single cable (when using a compatible Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter) from their computer to their home theater system or television.

Mini DisplayPort (video out): Connect to an external display, projection device, or TV that uses a DVI, HDMI (audio and video) or VGA connector with a separate adapter.

According to a footnote regarding the HDMI compatibility, users should be sure to use a VESA-compliant adapter to enable the full capabilities.

Apple's current MacBook Pro and iMac models already support this functionality, and it will be reassuring to some potential customers that even Apple's low-end notebook also offers the convenient connectivity.

Apple has yet to update its support document regarding non-compliant Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapters to reflect the new MacBook's capabilities, but will likely do so in the near future.

Nike+ Heart Rate Monitor Due for Launch June 1st

Tuesday May 18, 2010 11:42 AM EST; Category: iPod
Written by Eric Slivka

AppleInsider points to a thread in the official Nike+ forums announcing that a Nike + iPod heart rate monitor is due for launch on June 1st.

Great news! I have a U.S. launch date for the Nike+ compatible heart rate monitor. It will officially launch on June 1, 2010, although it may reach some retail outlets slightly sooner. It will reach Canadian markets in June and will launch internationally in summer 2010, exact date to be determined. 

I know you're going to ask, so I'll answer pre-emptively: no, I am not able to discuss price, color, device compatibility, and other details at this point. Stay tuned.

Plans for the heart rate monitor were revealed last September in a revision to Apple's Nike + iPod User Guide, which claimed that the device will only be compatible with the fifth-generation iPod nano.

At the time, reports indicated that Nike had been planning to launch the heart rate monitor alongside the new iPod nano, but it is unclear at this time why the monitor experienced an approximately nine-month delay.