Monday, June 11, 2012

Apple : In Depth: iOS 6: everything you need to know

Apple : In Depth: iOS 6: everything you need to know

In Depth: iOS 6: everything you need to know

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In Depth: iOS 6: everything you need to know

iOS 6: what you need to know

iOS 6, the latest generation of Apple's mobile software for iPod touch, iPhone and iPad, has finally been unveiled - and from what we've seen so far, it's going to delight an awful lot of iOS users.

From badly-kept secrets to things that have been on wishlists for what seems like forever, here are the highlights.

iOS 6 introduces Passbook

Passbook is Apple's new e-tickets app, enabling you to carry electronic tickets for anything from sports events to plane travel, or to have a digital loyalty card. The tickets update too, so for example your airline ticket would send you a notification once your departure gate was announced or changed. Hopefully enough firms will support this one to make it work for all our everyday bits and bobs.

iOS 6 has an improved phone app

The revised phone app offers smart reminders, so for example you can reject a call with a message saying you're busy, on your way, lost in a forest... You can also be reminded to call someone back when you leave your current location. The new Do Not Disturb mode is particularly nifty: when new messages arrive, they do so silently and without the screen lighting up. If you wish, you can also tell your iPhone not to silence calls from a list of favourite callers, or to automatically silent repeat calls from the same person.

iOS 6 has Facetime over 3G

To tell the truth, we're amazed it took so long. If this takes off, the mobile operators will be very sad. Unless we use it abroad, in which case they'll be dancing on great big piles of our money.

iOS 6 has a brand new Safari app

There are lots of useful improvements here: Instapaper-style offline reading, iCloud tab syncing and photo sharing website integration to make uploading less hassle. Less wonderfully, Smart App Banners enable websites to tell you about their sodding iOS apps more easily, which is just brilliant. Who among us hasn't thought, "man! I wish more websites told me about their iOS app on each visit!"?

iOS 6 Mail has VIPs and pull to refresh

Pull to refresh is here! Yay! You can also create a list of VIPs whose messages will appear on your device's lock screen and in a dedicated, separate mailbox. Sharing photos or videos from within Mail is finally here too, as are per-account signatures.

iOS 6 photo sharing is more selective

Instead of sharing everything with everyone, you can choose which photos should be shared with which people. We're not sure why you'd use this rather than, say, put a friends-only album on Facebook or Flickr. Anyone?

iOS 6 makes Siri more serious, and puts it in cars

Siri is able to understand a wider range of questions than before - the demo showed it understanding questions about sports scores, statistics and trivia, booking restaurants and finding out what's worth seeing at the cinema - but as yet it's unclear which, if any, of these features will make it to the UK. Local search is being rolled out worldwide, however, and there's support for more languages.

Siri is also going mobile: the new Eyes Free feature will put a Siri button on the steering wheel of Jaguars, Land Robers, BMWs, Mercs, Toyotas, Chryslers, Hondas, Audis and GM cars. The manufacturers have promised to support the feature in the next 12 months.

iOS 6 brings Siri to the iPad

...but only the new iPad.

iOS 6 has Facebook integration

Apple promises "the best Facebook integration ever in a mobile device", and to our eyes it looks pretty much the same as iOS 5's Twitter integration: you can post photos, locations, URLs and so on to annoy your friends. The API is public, so non-Apple apps can share to Facebook too, and you'll be able to see your Facebook friends' App Store recommendations.

iOS 6 has guided access for children

The new Guided Access feature enables you to disable certain parts of the screen so that children can't accidentally hit the wrong buttons. We're going to use it on the in-app purchase icons in every kid-targeted iOS game. Hahah!

iOS 6 has a new Maps app

New York, London, Paris, Munich, everybody's talking about - iOS 6 maps! Well, maybe not, but Apple's much-rumoured mapping system finally breaks cover. It's pretty, will have traffic information, doubles as a sat-nav system with turn-by-turn navigation, can be controlled via Siri and will probably be rubbish outside major metropolitan areas in the UK. Still, the new Flyover 3D views of major cities are lovely.

iOS 6 should be adopted very quickly

Unlike other mobile operating systems, iOS isn't dependent on mobile operators approving updates: as a result 80% of Apple's 365 million iOS customers are using the latest iOS, compared to 7% of Android users. Once iOS ships, expect a similarly speedy take-up.

iOS 6 doesn't work on everything

iOS 6 supports iPhones from the 3GS onwards, the fourth generation iPod touch and the second and third generation iPad. Check our story for more on iOS 6 compatibility.

The iOS 6 release date is Autumn

iOS 6 was released as a beta today, but the final version will ship in "this Fall".

Previous iOS 6 rumours

Here are the rumours we reported on before the WWDC 2012 announcement.

What hasn't been certain is what will be involved in the new platform – but we've sifted through the upcoming releases to see what's likely to appear, whether you'll be getting it and more importantly: the iOS 6 release date.

iOS 6 launch

If Apple doesn't release the new iOS 6 platform for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch this evening (spotted by T3), we'll be gobsmacked - and it will have wasted loads of money on all these signs.

iOS 6 unveiling

So, we can probably expect to see the 'world's most advanced mobile operating system' unveiled at WWDC...

iOS 6 maps

Apple iOS MapsIf you were a gambling type of person and had a very tech-savvy bookie, we'd recommend you pop a few dollar on this: Apple bringing out its own mapping application.

Not only has Apple acquired C3 3D mapping firm last year, but it also snapped up the likes of Placebase and Poly9, both companies involved in the same space – and moving into the mapping space would give Apple a fantastic leg up in the location-based services that are getting more and more popular every year.

The fact Google is launching its own 'next dimension' of Google Maps imminently is unlikely to be a coincidence, further backing up the rumour that Apple and Google are set to dissolve their partnership on the mobile side of things.

Facebook integration

There are strong, strong rumblings that Facebook is going to do what Twitter did with iOS 5 – namely, become more of an integral part of the iOS 6 experience.

TechCrunch is stating that integration with Zuckerberg's creation is a 'go' for the new release, but details of how far that integration will permeate through the iExperience are still vague.

What's most likely is being able to quickly share photos to Facebook from the Photo app in the same way as Twitter – whether Apple takes the next step and allows features like autosharing, contact integration or offline access to Facebook albums remains to be seen.

Either way, it's a massive coup for Facebook as it looks to get more involved in the mobile space – perhaps this can stop the pesky rumours of a forthcoming Facebook phone.

Siri coming to the iPad

We were verging on the gobsmacked when the new iPad 3 didn't launch with Siri – instead we got the less-exciting Voice Dictation instead.

iOS 6

However, according to 9to5Mac the experience will be massively improved by adding in all the functionality of Siri on the iPhone 4S (minus the phone business), allowing instant search, music control and more by a simple long-press of the home button.

But how will it look? According to the same sources, the app won't run in full screen, instead popping up from the bottom of the display to show you the information you requested.

Which, let's face it, will quickly be setting alarms and timers and the odd voice search when you've heard certain questions evoke comedic responses from Siri.

Enhanced email and Do Not Disturb

OS X Mountain Lion seems to be something of an inspiration for the forthcoming release of iOS 6, with a couple of sensible features likely to be added, so says a 9to5Mac source.

The first is VIP Mail, which allows you to tag the key people you talk to most (or your boss) and make sure their mail is front and centre when you pop open the Mail app.

This is the same system we've seen within HTC Sense and work very nicely, especially as you're able to group your contacts accordingly.

It's also an automatic feature in Google Mail these days, and as such we'd now expect it from Apple too.

The other is Do Not Disturb: allowing you to turn off notifications when you're looking to do things like run full screen apps or just not bother with getting bugged on the way home.

Whether it will be offered to become part of apps' design remains to be seen – or if users will have to toggle it manually.

iCloud Tabs

In the same way that Android has live synchronisation to the Chrome Browser, Apple apparently wants to repeat the trick with iOS 6 and Mountain Lion, which will be a simple synchronised list of opened tabs between the devices.

The button will be kept in the Bookmarks toolbar to give access to the relevant tabs – but whether the feature will be available for users of Safari on other non-Apple devices is still uncertain.

Live icons?

This is a biggie, and would be the equivalent of the notifications bar coming to iOS 5 – basically bringing one of the best bits of Android to the Apple mobile OS.

So it makes sense that Apple could look to Windows Phone's Live Tiles and think: 'we'll have a bit of that'.

We've spoken to a number of UI designers from the Android and Windows Phone camps who have criticised the way Apple's icons are pictures of information waiting to be opened, rather than the picture itself.

Of course, Apple has always been about simplicity, and app icons that change too frequently might confuse some users, but the option to make some apps more widget-like would appease the legions of iFans that have looked on with quiet envy at their friends' Android devices.

iOS 6 release date

The iOS 6 release date is still very much up in the air – but some sites are claiming it will be as late as autumn, which plays very much into a mooted iPhone 5 release date of October.

However, it's unlikely Apple will wait that long to launch something it announces in June (especially when iPad and iPhone users will have ready-to-use devices), so expect the iOS 6 release date to be somewhere in July or August… and the chances of seeing an iPhone 5 then don't look too outlandish either.

Of course, if you're running the older Apple hardware (and by that we mean iPhone 3GS and older, plus probably the first iPad) you won't get access to the new iOS 6 if previous form is anything to go by.

Update: it seems you lucky 3GS owners are getting a reprieve - here's hoping Apple has at least optimised the new platform so you're not subject to terrible slowdown.

OS X Mountain Lion release date, price plus new features

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OS X Mountain Lion release date, price plus new features

Apple demonstrated a bunch of "new" features in OS X Mountain Lion today at WWDC 2012, but many weren't that much of a surprise given what Apple has previously shown of OS X 10.8.

We have learnt the OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion release date is July. It'll be available via the Mac App Store for $20.

The company's head of software engineering Craig Federighi was keen to point out that the new OS would have 200 new features but talked about several key ones we already knew about; this wasn't that big a reveal for the new version of OS X and so, from a Mac perspective, the OS was overshadowed by the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

There will be system-wide sharing to various services including Flickr and Vimeo, Facebook integration and Dictation plus Power Nap and Game Center.

Dictation enables you to dictate text anywhere you can type, while Power Nap, keeps the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air (second and third generation) up-to-date while it sleeps. Power Nap automatically refreshes Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, Photo Stream, Find My Mac and Documents in the Cloud, and when plugged in, downloads software updates and backs up your Mac using Time Machine.

In essence, the new Mac OS focuses more on iOS-style design as we saw back in February. We know there will be the ability to mirror your Mac's screen via an Apple TV device - naturally this leads us to believe the Apple iTV isn't far around the corner.

Many aspects are clearly inspired by Apple's mobile OS and, as we knew before, the Mac now gets iOS-style extras such as Notes and Reminders. iChat will also be replaced - OS X will get the Messages app so you can send text messages to other iDevices. There will also be a Notification Center - you can, however, choose to temporarily suspend all notifications when you want to work or watch a movie. Facebook and Twitter are integrated with Notification Center.

You can include attachments, photos and HD video, and iMessages appear on all devices. iMessage also includes group messaging, delivery and read receipts, typing indicators and secure end-to-end encryption. There's also support for AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and Jabber.

Now that iCloud has reached a certain level of maturity, developers will be able to include iCloud capabilities within their Mac App Store app. We were shown how you'll be able to browse through documents on iCloud and naturally new documents will appear on all your Apple devices. iWork on OS X will also work totally with iCloud.

Safari is also getting an overhaul - tab syncing between your devices via iCloud devices is finally with us, while there are also more multitouch gestures.

OS X Mountain Lion will also include Gatekeeper - this means you can choose to only install apps that have been approved by Apple (via a developer approval programme) or you can only install apps from the App Store. While this will undoubtedly cut down on security threats, it also narrows the availability of software outside the Mac App Store.

iOS 6 turns back on original iPad, but lives on in iPhone 3GS

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iOS 6 turns back on original iPad, but lives on in iPhone 3GS

Apple is to offer its all new features from iOS 6, including a massive maps application, onto a load of existing devices.

The new iOS platform is fairly wide-ranging in its compatibility, as it only eschews the original iPad and surprisingly keeps going with the iPhone 3GS.

The full range of supported devices are: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, new iPad 3 and all iPod touch devices from the fourth generation onwards.

What do you get?

The new update is pretty wide-ranging, bringing a wealth of new features to encourage users to update to the next-gen platform.

iOS 6 Maps is the big new release, which Apple has created from the ground up - bringing 3D modelling that apes Google Earth, and like Google's Maps app offers turn-by-turn navigation with Siri integration.

You're also getting an all-new mailbox set up, Facebook integration, more power to Siri (if you're on the new iPad 3 or the iPhone 4S) and the ability to share Photostreams.

The iOS 6 release date has been set for autumn, which we're expecting will be around September - can you say iPhone 5 launch, anyone?

iOS 6 Maps announced - shuns Google for its own creation

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iOS 6 Maps announced - shuns Google for its own creation

Apple has decided enough is enough when it comes to mobile maps and has announced its own map service for iOS 6.

With its own maps, Apple is taking Google head on and from the looks of the features it is trying to match the search giant with every map feature.

For a start, the maps has built its mapping system from the ground up, and it has revealed it is a worldwide effort so no country should be unmapped.

Google has announced that there's more than 100 million business listings for its apps, there's Yelp integration and there is also a traffic service built into the application.

Turn by turn navigation

Traffic data is said to come from anonymous real-time users of the maps service and red bars will show when traffic slows down on the route you are taking.

Oh, and it also has turn by turn navigation built into the app so your sat nav may well begin to gather dust.

As it has done with the new iPad, Apple has added Siri into the Apple mix – with the AI voice telling your kids to calm down when they shout "are we nearly there yet".

There's also a 3D flyover feature, quick rotating and zooming, and a satellite view.

There's nothing here that's different to Google Maps, but Google is set to lose a massive chunk of its Maps users with the upgrade to iOS 6, and the loss of Google as the primary map system, and that's something that the search giant won't be happy about.

But, you could always download the Google Maps app if you want to keep supporting them.

iOS 6 is set to come to the iPad 2 and new iPad, iPhone 3GS and above and the iPod touch fourth gen.

iOS 6: Apple unveils 'World's most advanced mobile operating system'

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iOS 6: Apple unveils 'World's most advanced mobile operating system'

Apple has taken the wraps off iOS 6 and offers some big updates that iFans the world over will lap up.

First up is improved Siri integration - you can now launch apps right from the voice recognition software, as well as get a wealth of information.

You can open games (which seemed to get a huge reception from the audience for a simple and slightly pointless function) as well as get sports scores (including the English Premier League) and resturant reservations.

Siri is also integrated into the car experience - Apple is working with a number of car manufacturers to have a voice-activated button on the steering wheel, known as Eyes Free.

Local search is also being extended around the world - so information on businesses around UK-dwellers should finally be available too.

New maps

For this app, Apple has built a new app from the ground up, and it 'looks beautiful' according to the Cupertino brand.

The big new feature is turn by turn navigation, which is of course integrated into Siri to let you ask questions on the way - such as where to get petrol - as well as letting you navigate by voice.

Fly Over is another new feature, and Apple has been building a 3D photographic model of cities - 'gorgeous', says the iBrand - it's the equivalent of Google Earth in Apple's new maps app (in fact, a lot of the new features look very similar to Google's offering).

Apple's Maps app is all vector-based too so it's easy to zoom in and out, and if you get close enough in you'll see buildings start to appear in 3D, allowing you to get reviews, ratings and the 3D mode to see what things looks like in real time.

Apple has ingested already over 100 million businesses and integrated with Yelp to get information down to you - and like Google Maps, traffic information is placed on top to let you know what's going on.

In a move ahead though Apple is using anonymised crowd-sourced data to help you understand what's going on exactly with the standstill carpark you find yourself in on the motorway - which will be a godsend to those confused.

Facebook integration

You can now get access to Facebook from within the iOS 6 platform, in the same way as is possible with Twitter.

The functionality is integrated within the Notifications Center, which allows you to post your Facebook updates from a single swipe (with Twitter again getting in on the act).

The functionality will be built into Siri, allowing you to post statuses with your voice - and Facebook will be integrated within the App Store so you can share the apps you're into.

Facebook Events are embedded into the calendar, as well as contact integration to present email addresses and phone numbers into the phone app.

Phoning up

In iOS 6 new controls from an incoming call will allow you to set a reminder to call a person back or reply with a message.

If you choose to set a reminder, you can use the likes of geo-fencing to allow you to set a location to call a person - such as when you leave a meeting or head to your Mum's house.

Another new feature is Do Not Disturb, which allows you to stop your phone alerting you when you get notifications - so no sounds or screen lighting up to wake you up or irritate at key moments.

More importantly, you can create groups in your contact list to stop the people you don't want calling getting through. However, if they're persistent and call within three minutes again, the call will crack through DND - Apple says this is for emergencies but seems like more of a challenge to us.

FaceTime evolution

Finally for all of those people hamstrung by FaceTime and no Wi-Fi, the world is now a brighter place, as you can now access the service over 3G.

Moreover, Apple has integrated it with your Apple ID, so you can choose to accept the call (or iMessage) on another device, such as the iPad if you want the big-screen experience.

Device syncing is included as well - meaning you can save pages to read later and see them cached on your devices for offline reading. Plus you can now upload photos directly from Safari... we're truly living in the future here, right?

Don't cross the Photostreams

Apple has announced shared Photostreams to get you chucking pics across to your buddies. This means a simple selection of the friends you care about to see your snaps, and then sends a push notification to them.

The photos go across a web browser, on an Apple TV, Mac or other iDevice - and you can even comment on them too.

VIP Mail is also included, as we expected. This bumps your favourite people up to the status of messages, so you can see them on the lockscreen.

It's now much easier to insert photo and video and you've got a flagged inbox option if you're so inclined - and Apple has made a 'fun new animation' to let you get to new messages.

Passbook your life

Another new feature for iOS 6 is an all new app that lets you combine all your passes into one place, allowing you to keep movie tickets, airline boarding passes and store cards in one place.

Even more impressively, the movie ticket will pop up when you enter the theatre. Store cards are also automatically updated with balances as well, and coupons and the like are also included, as well as cards for hotels to help you keep all of your life in your iPhone. Scary thought.

Push notifications are also supported - get a delay on your plane, see it on the lock screen and you're taken straight to the pass to check it.

Big changes?

Guided Access is also a new feature allowing teachers and parents to lock the level of use on an iDevice, allowing children to be kept on a single app or certain features to be disabled.

New privacy controls are included as well, plus separate signatures for personal and work emails. If you lose the iOS device, a message can be sent to the phone and the number on screen will be dialled automatically when tapped.

The new iteration will come to: the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, new iPad 3 and the iPod touch fourth gen devices.

The iOS 6 release date has been set for this autumn, which means the mooted launch for September seems well on track too.

Updated: Apple WWDC 2012: all the latest news

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Updated: Apple WWDC 2012: all the latest news

WWDC 2012: all the latest news

It's time for WWDC 2012, Apple's sold-out World Wide Developers Conference, and we have links to all the key announcements right here.

Apple's Phil Schiller talked updates to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 2012 line-ups, first outlining the MacBook Air spec improvements which go up to a 2GHz dual-core i7 Ivy Bridge processors, 8GB memory, 512GB of Flash storage and USB 3.0.

The MacBook Pro update brings Ivy Bridge chips again, this time up to 2.7GHz quad-core i7s, 8GB of memory and USB 3.0.

Schiller went on to reveal the "next-generation MacBook Pro", which he proudly called "the most beautiful computer we've ever made." The retina display promises improved contrast ratios and viewing angles, while inside lives a processor that tops out at a 2.7GHz quad-core Core i7, while 16GB of RAM is also available. How much Flash storage? 768GB.

Scott Forstall then came on stage to big-up iOS (and take a swipe at Android 4.0 in a comparison of release dates vs install base) and talked lots of numbers that had a "per cent" or "millions" in, before spilling the details on iOS 6, which brings "more than 200 new features".

Will you get iOS 6 on your original iPad? Er, no.

Apple's friendly assistant is now making the leap onto the big screen, as it's revealed that Siri will grace the new iPad.

And iOS Maps has been announced, taking the sat-nav fight back to Google.

Apple also showed off some "new" features in OS X Mountain Lion. Head of software engineering Craig Federighi mentioned 200 new features (not each one of them individually, thankfully) and talked about several key ones we already knew about.

Below are the rumours that we reported on in the weeks leading up to WWDC 2012.

OS X Mountain Lion at WWDC

We know about this already: Gatekeeper security, iCloud integration, the new notification and game centres, AirPlay mirroring... OS X Mountain Lion is looking pretty tasty, and it'll be in near-final form at WWDC.

A launch date announcement is almost certain and a public beta a distinct possibility, but our favourite rumour is that Mountain Lion will be a free upgrade. That's not as far fetched as it sounds: Apple is giving free copies of Snow Leopard to MobileMe users who haven't switched to iCloud, and of course iOS upgrades are already free.

WWDC unveiling of iOS 6

This one's a given: Apple's on a yearly release schedule for iOS, and the whole thing will be signed off and ready for the expected iPhone 5 launch in October.

On June 11, an iOS 6 announcement was confirmed by the sight of iOS 6 branded banners at the Moscone West centre,the location for WWDC 2012.

There are all kinds of tantalising possibilities: more Siri, both in terms of device support and software integration; NFC; some kind of dual-app multitasking for iPads so you can look at two things at once; Apple's long-rumoured mapping API; and perhaps an improved notifications area with support for more widgets and the ability to access commonly-used features such as Airplane Mode. Can we make our annual request for multiple user accounts on the iPad, please? Thanks.

FutTv : VYELSF0RY9oP3

WWDC hardware announcements

WWDC is primarily a software event, but that doesn't mean we won't see new kit: Apple has unveiled important products there in the past such as the iPhone 4 and the 2009 MacBook Pro. There are four key hardware rumours this year: the new iPhone, Retina MacBook Pros, Apple TV and the iPad Mini.

On June 11, Just hours before the event kicked, off MacBook Pro and Mac Pro specs may have been leaked, according to a report by 9to5Mac. If accurate, there will be three new Mac Pros - a 3.2GHz quad-core model, a 2.4GHz quad-core edition and a server configuration, while for MacBook Pros, there's talk of a 13-inch model with 2.9GHz dual-core processor and a 15-inch one with a 2.6GHz quad-core processor.

The new iPhone, aka the iPhone 5, at WWDC

It's coming, we know, but the D in WWDC stands for Developers, not "Dude, it's the new iPhone!" Unless the incoming iPhone 5 is significantly different from a developer's perspective - that is, if it has a completely different aspect ratio or other significant hardware change, or if it runs Android - then we don't think the new iPhone's going to make an appearance. Others, however, beg to differ.

WWDC unveiling of Retina MacBook Pros

They're coming, we know, but the big question is when: while OS X already contains a HiDPI mode for retina-style displays, they're still very challenging bits of hardware to make. The MacBook Pro is certainly due a refresh, but a retina refresh might be pushing it for 2012.

A new Apple TV at WWDC

We're not feeling this one. Apple TV is still officially a hobby, and while it runs a variant of iOS Apple hasn't opened it up to developers yet. That may well change at WWDC, but we a significant Apple TV announcement is a long shot.

The iPad Mini at WWDC

It exists, and it's rumoured for a 2012 release, so why not unveil it at WWDC? Assuming that a 7.85-inch iPad Mini has been given the green light, a June unveiling would generate enormous excitement, annoying Amazon, Android manufacturers and Windows 8 OEMs simultaneously without overshadowing the Autumn launch of the iPhone 5. If Apple's going to embrace the entire tablet market as it did the digital music market with its various iPods, then the iPad Mini is inevitable.

Next generation MacBook Pro 'most beautiful computer we have ever made'

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Next generation MacBook Pro 'most beautiful computer we have ever made'

Apple has announced its latest MacBook pro line-up at WWDC and it's Air-like in size.

The next-generation MacBook Pro, which according to Apple is the "most beautiful computer" the company has ever made. Personally we prefer the iMac.

The notebook does come with a Retina screen, is 0.71-inches thick, is the lightest Pro ever at a little over 2KG.

Retina display

As it is Retina, it is the world's highest resolution display for a notebook (a phenomenal 2880 x 1800); plus glare on the screen has been reduced by 75 per cent and there's also a new OS to go with it, which accommodates the new display.

According to Apple, Mail has been updated, Safari, iMovie and iPhoto - so they all take advantage of the extra pixels. It also means that something like Final Cut Pro can use Full 1080p.

The Pro has some whopping specs. Even though it has a Retina display, there's seven hours' battery life, up to 16GB RAM and you can also have up to 768GB of flash storage.

Ports-wise, there's an SD slot, HDMI, two Thunderbolt ports, USB 2 and 3 on both sides, headphone and a MagSafe power connector.

Intrigued? We certainly are. The 15-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage starting at £1,799 ($2199).

If you want to further and have had a nice chat with your bank manager, then you can have a 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz, 8GB of memory and 512GB of flash storage all starting at £2,299 - more in the region of $3,000.

And Apple also muttered the magic words: "shipping today".

New Apple MacBook Air line-up 'best in industry'

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New Apple MacBook Air line-up 'best in industry'

Apple announced a number of new goodies at WWDC, including upgrades to its MacBook Air line-up.

The specs for the new computers were leaked earlier in the day and seemed to be pretty spot on.

"Today we get to talk to you about the MacBook lineup. We are so proud of this lineup. The best in the industry," explained Tim Cook on stage at WWDC.

Then he announced the new Mac Book Air.

Air tight

"We're going to update it with some really great features and updates. New CPUs — Ivy Bridge. Up to 2GHz dual core," Cook explained.

Other specs include up to 8GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB of flash storage. There's also USB 3.0 on board.

The 11-inch MacBook Air boasts 1366 x 768 screen res and will be priced from $999 (£849). The 13-inch MacBook Air has a 1.8GHz Core i7 processor, 1440 x 900 screen res, Intel HD graphics and will cost from $1199 (£999).

And Apple also muttered those great words: "shipping today".

Apple's App Store passes 30 billion downloads

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Apple's App Store passes 30 billion downloads

Apple has thrown out some amazing stats about its app store for its suite of iDevices – taking a swipe at Android in the process.

At WWDC 2012 CEO Tim Cook took to the stage to confirm that over 30 billion downloads have occurred on the service, and announced some other impressive milestones too.

That's doubled in less than a year, with 15 billion downloaded by July 2011.

There are also over 650,000 applications available on the Store too – with 225,000 of these designed specifically for the iPad.

What you got, Google?

"This compares to just a few hundred for our competition," noted Cook, clearly aiming at Android's low levels of choice.

"We're very pleased to announce a new milestone: users have downloaded an astounding 30 billion apps.

"The number is so mind boggling and unthinkable just a few months ago."

Apple is claiming it has the widest number of subscribed users with 400 million accounts signed up with credit card details.

New MacBook Pro and Mac Pro specs leak ahead of WWDC 2012

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New MacBook Pro and Mac Pro specs leak ahead of WWDC 2012

Apple's WWDC 2012 keynote may be taking place later on today but there's plenty of time for a flurry of last minute rumours to get us all het up.

Aside from the almost-definite iOS 6 unveil, some sources are predicting we'll see a refreshed Mac Pro and some specced-up MacBook Pros to boot.

9to5Mac reports that the Mac Pro it already predicted will come in three configurations – a 3.2GHz quad-core processor model and a 2.4GHz quad-core edition, both with 1TB hard drives, 12GB of RAM and an ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

Chip off the old block

According to the site's 'reliable sources', there will also be a server configuration with a 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM and two 1TB hard drives.

Retina display toting MacBook Pros seem to be a given according to the rumours, and there's now talk of some improvements to the range's innards too, including a 13-incher with a 2.9GHz dual-core processor and a 15-inch MBP with 2.6GHz quad-core processor with a 750GB hard drive (up from a current maximum of 2.4GHz).

A separate leaked image seems to suggest that Apple's new MacBook Pros will feature an Nvidia GeForce 650M Kepler GPU to boot.

Other rumours point to new MacBook Airs, an updated AirPort Express, USB SuperDrive and a refreshed MagSafe adapter.

As always, we recommend a side serving of salt with these Apple rumours – happily we haven't long to wait before we find out if it's warranted.

Whatever the announcements from WWDC 2012, TechRadar will be covering the event as it happens, so stay tuned to TechRadar.com and join us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates.

Rumour: No iOS 6 for first generation iPad

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Rumour: No iOS 6 for first generation iPad

Apple may be about to drop support for the first generation iPad when, as is expected, it announces iOS 6 at WWDC on Monday.

Chinese website WellPhone.com claims to have obtained a list of links to the iOS 6 Beta version that Apple may make available to developers following the keynote address from San Francisco.

While those links include the new iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, the fourth and fifth generation iPod touch and Apple TV, there's no link for the original tablet.

As well as the original iPad, if the list proves correct, the third generation iPod touch will also miss out.

Currently the links direct users to inactive pages.

Flying the flag

MacRumours points out that a similar list emerged shortly before last year's WWDC keynote from the Moscone Center.

It is almost guaranteed that Apple will announce the next generation of its mobile operating system on Monday, as the company has taken the somewhat unorthodox move of hanging "iOS 6 banners" throughout the conference hall.

Apple is also expected to show off the full version of Mac OS X Mountain Lion, with rumours also suggesting we may see an Apple TV SDK.
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