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In 2010, iOS (Apple's mobile operating system) and iOS devices (iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad) commanded the spotlight for much of the year. And for over nine months, Mac users saw the usual computer updates from Apple, but not much else. The combination of the iOS success and the stagnant Mac led some vocal tech analysts, pundits, and even Mac users to ponder whether Apple gave a damn about the Mac anymore. Some even went so far as to declare the Mac dead.

However, Apple gave new life to the Mac in mid-October, when CEO Steve Jobs took the stage and gave Mac users a taste of what's to come during a "Back to the Mac" presentation.

To paraphrase literary icon Mark Twain, the death of the Macintosh was an exaggeration, considering what Apple has in the works. On the last day of 2010, let's take a look back at the previous 12 months, from a Mac perspective.

A sneak peek at Lion

In October, Apple announced a forthcoming version of Mac OS X: Version 10.7, code-named Lion, will have features that are inspired by iOS. According to Steve Jobs, you can think of Lion as, "Mac OS X meets the iPad."

Lion will allow you to enter a full-screen mode as you work in your apps, and if you use a trackpad, you can swipe to switch between open apps. Lion will also feature the Launchpad, a full-screen display of all your apps (think of it as an iOS-like presentation of OS X's current /Applications folder); and Mission Control, which shows a view of open full-screen apps, the Dock, and the desktop.

Apple says that Lion will be available in the summer of 2011. Pricing has not been released.

With the demonstration of Lion and how it uses finger gestures, a particular accessory could possibly become mandatory for Mac users: the Magic Trackpad. Released in July, the Magic Trackpad is basically the glass trackpad found in Apple's laptops made into a self-standing input device. Such a device can help bridge the gap in the whole Apple user expereince between Mac OS X and iOS.

Mac App Store

Of all the Mac-related announcements made in 2010, the new Mac App Store is the most significant. The Mac App Store will work similarly to the iOS App Store, providing an easy-to-access marketplace.

While software developers will be able to use the Mac App Store as a way to get their software in front of a large population of Mac users, developers will have to write software according to the Mac App Store guidelines.�(On a related note,�Apple decided that its�Mac OS X Downloads site�will "no longer offer apps" and that developers should submit software to the Mac App Store.)�There's also a concern that the Mac App Store would lead to the Mac becoming a closed system, like iOS.

We won't have to wait much longer to see the effect of the Mac App Store on the Mac marketplace. The Mac App Store will open on January 6, 2011, in 90 countries.

Small laptop makes huge impression

The MacBook Air had become the forgotten machine in Apple's Mac lineup. Then in October 2010, Apple introduced the 11-inch MacBook Air, and it immediately became Apple's newest darling. The smallest Mac portable Apple has ever created features a full-size keyboard, an impressive 1366-by-768-pixel display, and flash storage to help provide a dramatic performance boost over the previous 13-inch MacBook Air.

Most importantly, the MacBook Air gave many longtime customers what they've been waiting for: a true heir to the legendary 12-inch PowerBook. Now, road warriors don't need to compromise with an iPad, or lug around excess weight and size with a MacBook or a 13-inch MacBook Pro. The 11-inch MacBook Air is the ultraportable that's long been missing from Apple's lineup.

Apple also updated the 13-inch MacBook Air with a new graphics processor and flash memory. The flash memory helped the 13-inch MacBook Air outperform the current 13-inch 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro in our tests.

The MacBook and MacBook Pro lines saw dramatic changes before 2010, so the changes to those machines this year were simple refreshes. Apple did introduce Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 processors to the MacBook Pro line in the 15- and 17-inch models-expect to see faster Core i5 and i7 processors in the MacBook line in 2011. Perhaps we'll even see the 13-inch MacBook Pro's Core 2 Duo processor replaced by a Core i5.

Mac mini makeover

On the desktop, Apple's smallest machine, the Mac mini, was redesigned with an aluminum case that made the Mac mini even smaller than its predecessor. It also features a new plastic hatch that you can easily open to make memory upgrades. Apple also reduced the number of Mac mini models available, offering only one standard configuration model.

The iMac continues to offer the best bang for your buck among Apple's Mac lineup. Apple's all-in-one computer now has discrete ATI graphics chips, and the Core 2 Duo processors were phased out in favor of Core i3 and Core i5 processors in the standard configurations. Apple also added a flash-storage drive, build-to-order (BTO) option that can help boost the iMac's performance.

The iMac's aluminum case design was introduced in 2007. Could it be due for a major change in 2011? Besides the iMac becoming thinner and lighter, the basic design concept of the case works well, so it may not change much. The dramatic changes will probably be inside the case, where we could see the iMac taking a cue from the MacBook Air-flash storage could replace the hard drive completely, instead of being a BTO option. That is, if the price of flash storage in larger capacities drops enough to make this feasible.

The Mac Pro was refreshed in August. In addition to four-core and eight-core models, Apple now offers a 12-core Mac Pro. The Mac Pro continues to offer a combination of performance and expandability that's ideal for demanding users.

Mac software

iLife '11 was finally released in October, and it's well worth the upgrade if you are an iMovie, GarageBand, or iPhoto user. iWeb and iDVD had no new features, however.

Speaking of no new features, 2010 went by without a major update for Final Cut Studio. According to reports, the Final Cut development team was reshuffled, but Apple declared that it is still dedicated to the professional video-editing software suite. What's really going on with Final Cut is anyone's guess. Apple tends to make announcements for Final Cut around the time of the National Association of Broadcasters Show, so April is the time to be on the alert.

There are signs that Apple is still interested in its pro apps. A major update for Logic Pro and Logic Express was released in October. And in the spring of 2010, Apple released Aperture 3.

iWork also spent 2010 without a major update, though Apple did ship iWork for iPad. iWork has made its way through the rumor mill, however, with speculation that iWork '11 will be the marque software suite featured in the Mac App Store when it opens on January 6, 2011.

Jobs is alive and well

All this talk about the death of the Mac made us almost forget that it wasn't long ago that Steve Jobs was facing his own mortality. In 2009, Jobs took a leave of absence from Apple and had a liver transplant, which left many doubting whether Jobs could continue as Apple's CEO.

But in 2010, Jobs was back in full force. He appeared on stage giving keynotes, though he now lets others perform the deep-dive into products. He checks his e-mails from the general public, and replies in a terse style that's become a signature of the Apple CEO. He makes public appearances to promote organ donation. He's having coffee with other CEOs. And he even has time to take a jab or two at competitors and products that don't follow in The Apple Way.

Jobs led Apple to record profits and sales in 2010 and the company seems poised and ready for the new year.

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Source: http://feeds.pcworld.com/click.phdo?i=eccf873330d34d837f549c32e64da7e9

Dell Diebold Digital China Holdings Diodes Inorated Directv Group

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My advice for the new year: go East and South, young man and woman ... and investor. America, Europe, and Japan are stagnant and ponderous. More and more, in the coming years, the real moving and shaking will happen elsewhere. "2011 will be the year Android explodes!" cried a recent headline, citing a new Broadcom chipset that will reportedly make sub-$100 unsubsidized smartphones ubiquitous. Maybe so, but I second MG's skepticism: North American carriers will fight this tooth and nail, and even when they lose, we'll still have to wait for the three-year contracts that are status quo here to finally die. If that chipset is real, though, the headline's not wrong; Android will explode ... in the developing world, where virtually all phone service is pre-paid. (As, ahem, I predicted 20 months ago.) There's a larger trend here. Mobile phones and 3G service became ubiquitous in Africa so rapidly in part because they never had to compete with landlines. Kenyans flocked to mobile-phone money transfer services, because they had no consumer banks: now M-Pesa, the largest, handles money equal to a mindboggling 10% of Kenya's GDP every year. (The US equivalent would be $1.4 trillion/year. By contrast, PayPal handles less than $100 billion/year worldwide, of which mobile-phone payments are but a small fraction.)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/61E0t63wzws/

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Your long-held desire to own some authentic, Apollo-era vacuum-sealed, freeze-dried pot roast is about to be fulfilled. That's right: RR Auction is, well, auctioning artifacts from the Golden Age of the space program this upcoming January, including Gordon Cooper's father's gold and diamond 32nd degree Masonic ring and some random part of a Mercury capsule that's been mounted on a commemorative plaque. But that ain't all! To see a complete list of all five hundred items, or to get in on the action yourself, hit the source link.

Authentic NASA artifacts, Buzz Aldrin's dinner set for auction originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 02:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/31/authentic-nasa-artifacts-buzz-aldrins-dinner-set-for-auction/

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Democracy UK, a UK-focused political campaigning initiative by Facebook, has just released a number of mind-blowing stats on the massive usage of the network by its 500-plus million members in 2010. Over the course of the year, Facebook reports that 43,869,800 members changed their status to single, 3,025,791 changed their status to "it's complicated", 28,460,516 changed their status to in a relationship, 5,974,574 changed their status to engaged and 36,774,801 changes their status to married. While these numbers are impressive, Facebook's stats on "what 20 minutes on Facebook looks like," are even more staggering. According to Facebook, 1 million links are shared every 20 minutes on the network. Here are a few other stats listed:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/344x-11ZxDc/

Autodesk Automatic Data Processing Avnet Bharti Airtel Bt Group

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Have a great idea, but don't have the time or money to actually bring it to market? A new startup called OpenInvo wants to help you turn it into a nice chunk of change by selling it to existing businesses that are looking for an extra dose of innovation. Now, there are other platforms for sharing business ideas ? you may be familiar with Kickstarter, which has gotten attention for projects like the iPod Wristwatch. But Kickstarter is for people who want to bring their ideas to fruition and just need funding ?�OpenInvo is for people who have an idea and are willing to put the time in to flesh it out on paper, but don't want to have to deal with actually starting a company.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/lHisIS4_uFE/

Factset Research Systems Fair Isaac Fairchild Semiconductor International Fei Company Fidelity National Information Svcs

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Google's Android ecosystem will become too fragmented, Microsoft executives have insisted for months. Microsoft would avoid that same fate with Windows Phone 7, they argued, by dictating minimum hardware requirements to their manufacturing partners--and by taking control of software-update delivery.

"Microsoft will push Windows Phone 7 software updates to end users and all Windows Phone 7 devices will be eligible for updates." That's Microsoft's line to a number of media outlets.

But there seems a minor debate on the blogosphere today over whether Microsoft will truly maintain a rigid degree of control over software updates. Ars Technica quotes Paul Thurrott quoting Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president and director of Windows Phone Program Management, as saying the carriers will have some degree of influence on the process:

"We build updates for all Windows Phone users, but must certify them with the carriers ... they'll happen on a regular cadence like they do on a PC. If a carrier wants to stop an update they can. But they will get it out on the next release."

That also means a carrier could, at least in theory, disrupt Microsoft's updating plan.

"Carriers could in fact block updates to sell you a phone," Belfiore apparently added in his conversation with Thurrott. "That can happen. But we don't expect that to happen ... Microsoft is being very trusting of the carriers here."

Belfiore's next comment suggests he's aware of how Microsoft's previous mobile operating system, Windows Mobile, ran headlong onto the Rocky Shoals of Fragmentation: "This is very different from the situation with Windows Mobile where every phone was very different. With Windows Phone, there is no impact on OEM code, network code, and so on."

However, he did seem to dodge Thurrott's question about whether the carriers, Microsoft, or end-users had ultimate control over Windows Phone 7's updating and software: "In theory, the user. Carriers get that the end users want this value."

As a number of bloggers have already pointed out, Belfiore comes off here as an optimist. Relationships between carriers, manufacturers, and companies such as Apple have not, historically, been the most copacetic. And if carriers have the opportunity to block an update, they could potentially use that as leverage against not only Microsoft, but also end-users themselves ("Oops, we're not offering the latest software for last year's devices. So sorry.")

Giving carriers control over updates also opens the door to the fragmentation of the Windows Phone 7 platform. If one carrier signs off on every major update for its smartphones, while others lag behind, you could start seeing different builds of Phone 7 with different features. Then Microsoft faces a tipping point akin to the one that sent Windows Mobile flying off the rails.

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/m7beRo2BzaA/windows_phone_7_updates_could_open_door_to_fragmentation.html

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TechCrunch50 demopit company Image Space Media (formerly Picad Media) has raised $1 million in new funding according to an SEC filing. ISM's ad network, which recently launched an analytics offering and a self service tool, helps publishers monetize images on their websites with ad overlays. Its proprietary technology allows for audience targeting and matches ads to the most appropriate images available.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/B_170plcJlM/

Cdw China Mobile Cisco Systems Cognizant Tech. Solutions Comcast

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Making the rounds on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr right now is Three Words, a super simple but mighty fun application created by teen tinkerer Mark Bao. What does it do? Well, it tells you who you are in three words, at least according to the people that visit that Web page, that is.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/8Ng1-Xm7glM/

Jda Software Group Jds Uniphase Kddi Ke Kingston Technology Company

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As we first reported last night, Groupon has already closed $500 million of a whopping $950 million funding round. Now the SEC filing is out showing that the first sale occurred on December 17, and that there is still $450 million worth of securities available to be sold in the current round. The new round gives Groupon a valuation of $4.75 billion. We noted that most of the proceeds of the round is going back to founders and existing shareholders, with DST leading the round (Fidelity and Morgan Stanley also participated). Now we know exactly how much. The filing specifies that $345 million of the proceeds (from the $500 million raised) will go directly to "executive officers, directors or promoters."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/mDlIXZkePLA/

Quanta Computer Quantum Quest Software Rackable Systems Radisys

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Seemingly not content to cede any more of the wired living room to Apple TV and Google TV, Microsoft is apparently in talks with media companies over porting television shows and other content onto devices such as the Xbox 360.

According to a Nov. 29 Reuters report (which quotes unnamed sources), options on the table apparently include establishing a "virtual cable operator," which would port content to subscribers over the Internet. Other proposals include offering individual channels, such as Showtime, or content-categories, including sports. Although it goes largely unmentioned in the article, one can presume (based on the competition, at least) that any Microsoft platform would include access to a variety of apps and streaming services.

Reuters' sources suggest such a service might not arrive for another year. Microsoft generally doesn't comment on rumors, although some of its partners tend to leak like sieves with extra-large holes; if any of these plans gain headway, expect to start hearing about it within a few months.

Having saturated traditional venues such as laptops and desktops, tech companies are turning their focus to the living room. Apple recently launched its revamped Apple TV, which offers streaming rentals: $4.99 HD movies (the same day they appear on DVD) and 99-cent TV shows. Google TV also seeks to weld traditional television and Web content. Both platforms are boosted by the presence of Netflix, which now offers a streaming-content-only subscription, and a handful of other apps.

As I mentioned the other day on eWEEK, some enterprising souls have already cut the cord on traditional cable, in favor of Apple TV, Netflix and/or a combination of other streaming services (others have given up entirely on screened entertainment, a step I can't quite take--I dig The Walking Dead too much). If that trend continues (and given the increasing presence of broadband in people's homes, I can't imagine why not), then services such as Google TV and Apple TV could enjoy a substantial uptick in revenues.

Of course, as my colleague Clint Boulton pointed out over the weekend, Google TV could also remain a niche item, favored by techies and pretty much nobody else. And Apple TV has traditionally suffered from a middling adoption rate, leading executives to term it the company's "hobby." So there's also a chance that "wired TV" won't see rapid adoption in the near term.

But Microsoft also can't take the chance that this television model isn't the wave of the future. The company's experiences in smartphones and consumer tablets both demonstrate what happens when you fail to introduce a viable competitor into a white-hot market.

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/MBWvITaAYvY/microsoft_mulling_google_tv_competitor_report.html

Fiserv Formfactor Google Grupo Iusacell Harris

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Just when we thought the NookColor was just a B&N reading device, hackers have rooted the devices and ported the Kindle reading app to the platform, ensuring plenty of migraines around Barnes & Noble HQ this week.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Bf2kf_zukMY/

America Movil Amkor Technology Amphenol Anixter International Apple Computer

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Yes! Another reason to write about the darling and awesomely-named Wheego Whip LiFe! This time, it's good news indeed, as the all electric micro-car has received EPA certification. The cars, which are priced at a reasonably affordable $32,995 (or $25,495 after the Federal tax credit), are now simply waiting for final approval from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration before they can roll into dealerships. It looks like the cars will ship at the beginning of the year now, with production well underway for the past few months. We'll take two, please.

Wheego Whip LiFe grabs up EPA certification originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/29/wheego-whip-life-grabs-up-epa-certification/

Cypress Semiconductor Dell Diebold Digital China Holdings Diodes Inorated

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Just when we thought the NookColor was just a B&N reading device, hackers have rooted the devices and ported the Kindle reading app to the platform, ensuring plenty of migraines around Barnes & Noble HQ this week.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Bf2kf_zukMY/

Communications Holdings Compal Electronics Cosmote Mobile Telecom Cypress Semiconductor Dell

jennell2jenson

Seemingly not content to cede any more of the wired living room to Apple TV and Google TV, Microsoft is apparently in talks with media companies over porting television shows and other content onto devices such as the Xbox 360.

According to a Nov. 29 Reuters report (which quotes unnamed sources), options on the table apparently include establishing a "virtual cable operator," which would port content to subscribers over the Internet. Other proposals include offering individual channels, such as Showtime, or content-categories, including sports. Although it goes largely unmentioned in the article, one can presume (based on the competition, at least) that any Microsoft platform would include access to a variety of apps and streaming services.

Reuters' sources suggest such a service might not arrive for another year. Microsoft generally doesn't comment on rumors, although some of its partners tend to leak like sieves with extra-large holes; if any of these plans gain headway, expect to start hearing about it within a few months.

Having saturated traditional venues such as laptops and desktops, tech companies are turning their focus to the living room. Apple recently launched its revamped Apple TV, which offers streaming rentals: $4.99 HD movies (the same day they appear on DVD) and 99-cent TV shows. Google TV also seeks to weld traditional television and Web content. Both platforms are boosted by the presence of Netflix, which now offers a streaming-content-only subscription, and a handful of other apps.

As I mentioned the other day on eWEEK, some enterprising souls have already cut the cord on traditional cable, in favor of Apple TV, Netflix and/or a combination of other streaming services (others have given up entirely on screened entertainment, a step I can't quite take--I dig The Walking Dead too much). If that trend continues (and given the increasing presence of broadband in people's homes, I can't imagine why not), then services such as Google TV and Apple TV could enjoy a substantial uptick in revenues.

Of course, as my colleague Clint Boulton pointed out over the weekend, Google TV could also remain a niche item, favored by techies and pretty much nobody else. And Apple TV has traditionally suffered from a middling adoption rate, leading executives to term it the company's "hobby." So there's also a chance that "wired TV" won't see rapid adoption in the near term.

But Microsoft also can't take the chance that this television model isn't the wave of the future. The company's experiences in smartphones and consumer tablets both demonstrate what happens when you fail to introduce a viable competitor into a white-hot market.

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/MBWvITaAYvY/microsoft_mulling_google_tv_competitor_report.html

Methode Electronics Microchip Technology Micron Technology Micros Systems Microsemi

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Considering the cheap plastics and giant white logos, our first thought when we saw this unflattering shot in the FCC's filing system was that we were looking at some sort of connected navigation unit for delivery trucks -- but alas, as far as we can tell, the so-called HIC is a "tablet" from Huawei that doubles as a phone for Vodafone. Besides a triband 3G radio, this hot mess gets you a 7-inch WVGA display, a front-facing camera for video calls, and an integrated kickstand around back for setting it on a countertop. The style of the power adapter leads us to believe that the HIC might be intended for permanent use in your home, which would explain why it bears so little resemblance with something we'd want to carry around -- but still, couldn't they have made it a little prettier? No word on when (or to which of Vodafone's markets) it'll be coming.

Huawei's HIC tablet for Vodafone has all the beauty of an industrial-grade nav unit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/29/huaweis-hic-tablet-for-vodafone-has-all-the-beauty-of-an-indust/

Fei Company Fidelity National Information Svcs Finisar First Solar Fiserv

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During the holiday season, there's a newsroom tradition to look back at the year's funny and memorable videos. At TechCrunchTV, we don't want to disappoint. TechCrunchTV launched this June and since then, we've produced around 1,000 videos. We've asked tough questions to CEO's, entrepreneurs, VC's, and angels. We brought you exclusive interviews with new start-ups and top tech companies. We provided live coverage of Disrupt. And, as you can see in this video, we've had our share of funnier moments. Highlights include a backstage moment with our new AOL boss; Jason Kincaid and MG Siegler turn into their favorite smartphones; John Biggs vs Four Loko; Michael Arrington as a robot; and two famous words from Yahoo's CEO Carol Bartz.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/PYF7BUzDLCw/

Silicon Laboratories Skyworks Solutions Sonic Automotive Sonus Networks Sony

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Is your Matter Compiler broken? Well, step on down to the local .MGX for all your 3D printed needs! Materialise's .MGX brand has just opened its very own flagship store in Brussels, and it professes to be the first physical store solely dedicated to 3D printed wares. It's primarily high design baubles right now, but we're sure it won't be long before we're chucking our old and busted cutlery into the deke bin and churning out new sets with our at-home M.C. we bought at Target. Right, Neal?

.MGX opens world's first store dedicated to 3D printed goods originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/29/mgx-opens-worlds-first-store-dedicated-to-3d-printed-goods/

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