Apple Mac HQ

Indeed it has been a busy Tuesday in the world of Apple.  In addition to new Macbook and Macbook Pros, Apple has released iPhone/iPod touch software update 1.1.4.  The reports are starting to come in, and so far there isn’t much news to report.  According to most everyone, there doesn’t seem to be any actual features added.  What does Apple say?  “This version of the software includes bug fixes and supersedes all previous versions.”

The most likely scenario is this update puts the finishing touches on the road to the iPhone SDK wonderland.  That same SDK that is suppose to ship this week, but some are repoting that it will be late.  Apple has three more days to hit their February release date for the SDK.  I just checked the ADC and there is currently no trace of the iPhone SDK.

Popularity: 50% [?]

Just as the dust has settled from Macworld a few weeks ago, Apple just keeps pumping out updated products. These particular updates don’t exactly come as a surprise to anyone keeping up with Apple however. I wonder if these updates were just not ready in time or if there was another reason why they were not announced at Macworld.

When the 16GB iPod touch was introduced it was only a few seconds later that people started to predict a 16GB iPhone. Those 16GB predictions finally came true today. Apple has in fact released the 16GB iPhone and it will set you back $499. The 8GB iPhone is still priced at $399. I feel sorry for those 4GB iPhone buyers who paid $499 and got 1/4 the capacity that is available just over 6 months after the iPhone launch.

The iPod touch has also been updated today. You can now get a touch with 32GB of storage. The 32GB iPod touch will set you back a cool $499. The iPod touch is now available in 8GB ($299), 16GB ($399), and 32GB ($499) models.

If you’re in the market for an iPod touch, you can pick up the 16GB touch for the same price as an 8GB iPhone. You can also get a 32GB iPod touch for the same price as the 16GB iPhone. What amazes me is that if you really want the iPod touch, Apple will toss in a cell phone for an extra $100. I remember what my first cell phone was capable of and it cost more than $100 and didn’t do 1/4 of what the iPhone can do. If you’re thinking about buying an iPod touch and currently don’t have a cell phone carrier agreement, it would seem like a pretty tough choice not to get an iPhone.

Popularity: 50% [?]

IGG Software released a public beta of their popular money management software today. iBank 3 is Leopard only and will cost $59.99 when it’s released sometime in February. If you purchase iBank 2 ($49.99) after January 14th you’ll get a free upgrade to iBank 3. The upgrade price for existing iBank 2 users is $29.99. iBank 3 was a 2007 Apple Design Award Runner-Up for Best Mac OS X Leopard Application.

Among the new feature of iBank 3:

• Direct transaction downloads from your financial institution
• Interactive graphs via Core Animation
• .Mac syncing and editing with iPhone and iPod touch
• Drag and drop support
• Loan management

I’ve been using iBank 2 for many months and it was even one of the applications I couldn’t live without in 2007. I’ll take iBank 3 for a test drive this weekend and report back my findings. The iBank 3 public beta expires on February 20th and can be downloaded here (direct link to dmg). As with any beta program, it’s a good idea to backup your data before using and installing iBank 3.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Tabulate is a fantastic little JavaScript bookmarklet for MobileSafari. Just sync the bookmarklet to your iPhone or iPod touch and invoke the bookmarklet when you want to open multiple tabs from links on a page or just one link in a new tab. Tap a link and the menu below appears. If you select blue or green, continue reading the link you just opened. If you select orange, you’ll notice a little flag in the upper left hand corner of MobileSafari. The number represents the number of links you have queued to open. Once you’re ready to open the links, click the orange flag and the links will open in new tabs. Opening links in a new tab has been on my wish list for MobileSafari and now I have a solution. Tabulate works and looks fantastic. Tabulate is absolutely free.

[Via DF]

Popularity: 13% [?]