Apple launches new lighter 16GB iPod Touch

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Apple's quietly launched budget iPod Touch could be a sign of things to come with the Cupertino-based company rumoured to be working on a budget iPhone
Apple has launched a new 16GB iPod Touch which loses the rear-facing camera and touch-loop in favour of a reduced price tag of £199.
Available only in silver the new iPod Touch does still feature the same 4-inch Retina Display found on the other iPod Touch's and the iPhone 5. You also get the same A5 chip and HD front-facing FaceTime camera.
There's Bluetooth and Nike+ connectivity built-in so if you're not that into taking pics or the bright colour schemes then this could well be the PMP for you.
It's not yet clear what has prompted Apple to launch a 'budget' iPod Touch however there have been increasing rumours that Apple is launching a budget iPhone 5S alongside a new iPhone 6 later in the year.
Most recently Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that WWDC 2013 would see the launch of new Macs along with some serious software updates including new versions of Mac OS X and the highly-anticipated iOS 7.
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Mac OSX Lion: First Impression

Guess what we got our hands on in the NDTV Gadgets lab - a developer beta version of the Mac OSX Lion. Apple is expected to launch the Lion on July 14.
To be clear, the dev build we encountered will more or less have the same feature set as the launched version but, in terms of performance, we expect a gigantic boost on the final build.
Our test bed was the top of the line 2011 iMac running the latest Sandy bridge i7 processor along with 16 GB of RAM and 2 GB AMD Radeon graphics. Admittedly, this is not a stock iMac configuration as it has been specifically customized for audio production purposes but, nonetheless, we believe this is the ideal test environment for the Operating System (OS) as we provided it with the best possible hardware Apple currently offers in the market.
Cosmetically, the Operating System looks exactly like the current Snow Leopard build but Apple has been developing this OS for sometime, so after considerable use we found there were numerous under-the-hood upgrades.
Apple claims the new OS has more than 250 new features, but that we will save those for the final review once we get our hands on the final build. In the mean time, the focus is on ten primary functionalities of the new OS.
INSTALLATION: Apple has cut the cord with the CD medium as they do not offer a retail version of the OS. Now it is only available as a 1.6 gigabyte download on the Mac apps store. Our developer version was already loaded on an external hard drive so we did not go through the painful 1.6 GB download. One thing is for sure, we have never witnessed an OS install itself this fast. We were up and running in less than 40 minutes and the whole experience is quite painless.
USER INTERFACE:  At first glance, Apple doesn't seem to have rehashed the user interface at all but look closer and the differences are right there. Firstly, the dots appearing below the apps in the dock have disappeared. In all honesty, we can't figure out why Apple took the trouble to do this as it serves no real purpose, except perhaps to give the UI a cleaner look. The dots were indicators for all running apps and were also used to tell us if an app was in the process of launching or not. If Apple has such omitted this functionality in the final build, it will be thoroughly missed.
Besides this, Apple has added tons of new animations and, while scrolling, we felt as if our mouse had been pumped with nitrous. Clearly, Apple has implemented the momentum based scrolling which is associated with the iOS, powering the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
Another noteworthy UI tweak is that Apple has completely eliminated the scroll bars down the sides of the OS. This gives the UI a sense of more space. This has been done so as users can scroll with twin finger swipes via a magic mouse or a track-pad on a Mac. When one swipes the scroll, the  bar magically pops up on the side. Very nifty indeed.
GESTURES: With Mac OSX Lion Apple has really pushed gestures to the fore enabling a more touch screen like experience with the speed and fluidity of a keyboard. We get gestures for each and every conceivable task. Inertial scrolling, pinch to zoom, pinch to open Launch Pad, swipes for Mission Control, spread gestures to open the desktop and many more - in all, we get the whole nine yards.
The experience is very iOS-ish and people who rely on keyboard short cuts will take their sweet time adapting to the gestures on the TrackPad but once the transition is over awesomeness is guaranteed.
FINDER:  The Finder too gets an update. We see a number of icons popping up here. Notably All My Files and Airdrop . All My Files basically provides a stacked view of all content that exists on the machine and arranges it in accordance to the file types. Airdrop is Apple's new Wi-Fi data transfer functionality. We could not test this functionality, as we needed an Airdrop compatible device.
SECURITY:  After the embarrassing Mac Defender Malware security breach, Apple has stepped up the security on OSX Lion. A revamped disk encryption system has been added.
One can now also enable or disable location based services. We are just scratching the surface with the security enhancements. We will have more in the final review.
VERSIONS: Versions allows users to reboot a particular file and walk through the various edited versions of it. For instance if we edited a Word document on the 1st July and then re-edited on the 2nd and 3rd we could walk through all the various edit cycles of the document.
LAUNCHPAD:  LaunchPad was one of the most heavily promoted features of Mac OSX. Its intention was to give users an iOS like interface for scrolling applications on the Mac. We believe it serves its purpose and even emulates all the rubberband-like animations from the iOS, but the question is why would one use this when one could have more than ten critical applications on the dock? This might be an attempt to emulate Windows where one can have application shortcuts on the desktop. This is a slick way of accessing one's apps but, then again, Mac OS X already provides a dock which is equally convenient if not more. How many options do we need, Apple?
MISSION CONTROL:  So Apple provides us with multiple ways of accessing our apps - we have the dashboard filled with widgets and have multiple files running in different spaces. What do we do? Expose would be a good guess, right? Apple begs to differ. Enter Mission Control, which is essentially Expose on steroids providing access to spaces, desktops and dashboard apart from all the running apps. This is a welcome addition and will definitely simplify our workflow.
For those who do not not know Expose is a click preview functionality baked into Mac OSX. It cleverly shows previews of all open windows on the screen. With Mission control Expose functionality take a giant leap.
AUTO SAVE AND RESUME: We all know that in the iOS we do not need to save files, they are saved automatically. Now, Apple brings the same simplistic functionality to Lion.
Another interesting ability Lion has is the resume functionality, which basically allows users to start their machines with all their previous apps in an open state. Users generally don't shut down their machines as it takes a long time loading apps and now Apple has provided a slick solution.
APPS:  Apart from all the smart improvements, Apple has revamped the apps which come preloaded on Lion. For starters, all apps are full-screen. So we get to utilize the full spectrum of the display unobstructed.
Besides this Mail, Safari, iCal and Address Book get upgrades. When we mean upgrades we mean iOS style upgrades.
Obviously Mail gets the heftier upgrade with its interface mimicking iOS style dual panes and also a conversation style message scroller similar to the iPhone. Address Book now looks a lot like the iPad Address Book with it having dual panes and better contact organization options.
On the whole, Mac OSX Lion feels like an incremental upgrade but then again Apple has shorter upgrade cycles than those of Microsoft's so updates do seem more evolutionary than revolutionary. But one thing is clear, Apple has made Lion a simpler operating system and will quickly become the object of the affections of those who love iOS for its simplicity.
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Mac mini Review

Apple added the Mac mini to its Mac product catalogue back in 2005. In 2010 they revamped its looks unifying all Mac products to the aluminum uni-body finish. In the latest annual upgrade, Apple hasn't changed the looks of the Mac mini but has brought the hardware under the hood up to speed. Is it enough to be an elite Apple product or will you do better to look elsewhere?
First Impression
One look at the device and you will agree that it is one of the tiniest CPUs you have ever seen. It is merely 1.4-inches tall and is really light weighing about 1.22kgs. Out of the box, all you get is the Mac mini, a power cable, HDMI to DVI converter and the manuals. It is probably the most portable CPU out there.
The body of the device has an aluminum encasing with the Apple Logo on the top. All the ports including the power supply and the power button neatly rest at the rear of the device.
On the down side you have to buy the monitor/display, keyboard and mouse separately.

Performance
In terms of the power under the hood, the 2011 Mac mini has been brought up to speed with the second-generation Intel iCore processors. The basic model comes with a 2.3GHz core i5 processor, 2GB RAM, 500GB HDD and Intel integrated graphics for Rs. 44,900.
A higher model has a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics processor with 256MB and a 500GB HDD for Rs. 54,900.
In terms of connectivity options, the Mac mini has all the ports neatly laid out at the rear. It has four USB 2.0 ports, one Thunderbolt I/O port, HDMI out, FireWire 800, Ethernet port, power supply, SDXC card slot, mic and headphones port and the power button. You do feel the lack of an optical drive and USB 3.0 is.

The performance of the Mac mini as a stand-alone desktop was a bit of a let down. For starters, you need to purchase the display, keyboard and mouse separately. It makes sense if you have an HD TV and you would like to use the device as an HTPC (Home theater PC) as the device supports HDMI out straight out of the box. The maximum resolution that you can get from the HDMI out is 1920x1200. If you truly want to take advantage of the display resolution, Apple has added its Thunderbolt I/O to the device. Thunderbolt displays support a resolution of 2560x1600.
Apart from the fact that the device packs in a punch under the hood and can support the highest display resolution, the fact remains that you can take advantage of the device only if you have all the accessories. We connected the Mac mini to a Samsung 21-inch HD monitor, a Sony 2.1 audio system, Dell Keyboard and a Microsoft Arc mouse. Setting up the device was as easy as plug and play and we were ready to use the device in under 5 minutes.
For daily computing needs the device performed extremely well. Lion as an OS is brilliant and works very smoothly. Running multiple apps on the device work like a charm. The problem - we didn't have the Apple magic mouse to take advantage of Apple's multi-touch functionality (you need to purchase it separately). If we wanted to use apps such as Photo Booth or FaceTime, we needed a web cam - another add on to the hardware. Also, there's no optical drive. On the bright side, setting up any keyboard/mouse with the Mac mini was as easy as biting an Apple!


Multimedia
This is where we believe the device has some serious potential. A lot of consumers who are tech savvy like to build their own HTPC (Home Theater Personal Computer). For those that aren't tech savvy, this device can act as a HTPC straight out of the box. With the HDMI out, you can connect it to your amplifier/HDTV and enjoy all your audio/video content. We ran a couple of 1080p videos on the device encoded in .MKV, .MOV, .MP4 and .M2TS. All of them ran very smoothly and without any hiccups.
The size of the device also adds to the HTPC value as you can carry it with you wherever you go.
With the horsepower under the hood it is easy to get some gaming out of the device. Although the Mac games library is small, it should appeal to the casual audience. If you are hardcore, we suggest you dual boot to Windows or look at a dedicated windows machine.
Verdict
All-in-all the device is a bit pricey for what it offers, especially since you need to consider the cost of a display, mouse and keyboard which you will buy separately. If you are looking for a small, portable CPU that can also double up as your simple out of the box HTPC with great power under the hood, then the Mac mini could definitely be on your list.
 

Pros
Small, compact and portable
Good power under the hood
Well built
Good option for an out of the box HTPC
Cons
No USB 3.0
No Optical Drive
Expensive
Keyboard, mouse and display need to be purchased separately
Price: Rs. 44,900
Specifications:
2.5 GHz dual core i-5 processor
3MB L3 Cache
4GB DDR 3 RAM
500GB 5400 RPM HDD
AMD Radeon 6630M graphics card with 256 MB DDR5 memory
802.11 Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.0
RATINGS:
Performance: 4
Price: 3
Ease of setup: 5
Ergonomics: 4
Wow Factor: 4
Overall: 3.5
Benchmarks:
Geekbench: 7100
iBench: 7
CineBench:
OpenGL: 24.85 fps
CPU: 2.59 pts
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Apple iOS 6 Maps review

Apple's new maps app came out the day I started a 2,243-mile road trip through four states. As complaints about it trickled in and Apple's CEO apologized, I was left wondering whether people were using the same app I was.

Although it's not flawless or as good as Google's maps app on Android phones, Apple's new offering on the iPhone got me where I needed to go for the most part. I know many people will disagree with me, but I even find it an improvement over the old app on iPhones because I now get voice navigation and automatic re-routing.

I've used Google's Android app since it was released three years ago. I don't own a car, but I travel a lot. The app has proven crucial in getting me to unfamiliar territories in New England and various Southern states from Arizona to South Carolina.

Google brought to the phone the spoken-aloud, turn-by-turn directions once limited to GPS navigational devices from Garmin, TomTom and others. Make a wrong turn, and the app automatically updates with new directions. Best of all, it's always been free.

Until last month, Google was also behind the free, main maps app on iPhones.

But that one didn't have voice navigation or automatic re-routing. Driving with it meant swiping through pages of on-screen directions. A friend missed a train in May as we overlooked a step and went the wrong way on a highway, ending up back where we came from. A drive from Ann Arbor to Lansing, Mich., took 17 steps, each with its own page. After Step 9, I had to pull into a rest stop to memorize subsequent steps and avoid an accident.

Apple wanted voice directions, too, and figured the only way to get it was to build its own maps app and bump Google from its perch as the default offering. It partnered with TomTom and shipped the iPhone 5 with the new app. A software update out Sept. 19 made it available on the iPhone 4S and the cellular versions of the latest two iPad models.

I updated an iPhone 4S in a hotel room in Grand Rapids, Mich., that night and was immediately impressed. It was a nice touch to have turn-by-turn directions narrated by Siri, the familiar female voice from Apple's virtual-assistant feature.

Then I started hearing the complaints.

I agree with many of them. The Apple app didn't show as many businesses and landmarks as Google's. Some appeared in the wrong location or were mislabeled. The Apple app didn't offer public transit directions, something crucial for New Yorkers like me. A friend I was visiting toward the end of the two-week trip immediately complained that the app looked different as she pulled it out for the first time.

Head to head, the Google app for Android, which I used on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and a Galaxy S III, outperformed Apple's version in many respects:

Google's app typically told me about turns a second or two quicker. Sometimes, I didn't hear from Siri until I got to the intersection, two lanes away from where I needed to be to make a right turn.I got better navigation on private roads with Google. At a shopping mall, Google guided me along the right driveways to get to JC Penney, while Apple got me to the general vicinity. Google also got me to the front door of my hotel in Ann Arbor, while Apple got me to the entrance of a complex that included other hotels, a gas station and retail stores.In Akron, Ohio, Siri had me turn left to get on a highway, while Google's app properly instructed me to take a ramp on the left. In Indianapolis, Google knew about a service road alongside Michigan Road, while Siri assumed I was on the main road and would have had me crash into a Chinese restaurant. In Charleston, W.Va., Siri told me to head northeast, as if I had a compass, while Google just told me to turn left.Besides public transit directions, Google offered options for avoiding tolls or highways while driving. It allowed me to choose continuous satellite images instead of animated maps, while Apple's app offered them only for route overviews, not for live navigation.While Siri's voice sounds much more human than the one Google used in its early mapping apps, Google now has a voice that makes Siri sound robotic by comparison. Google also was more sparing with words, which was good as long as I didn't get lost for lack of detail.

That said, Apple's map offers 3-D views. That may sound like a gimmick, but it presents the map in a way that mirrors what you're seeing through the windshield. On Apple's map, the direction you're going is on top in the regular view or toward the back in 3-D. Outside of big cities, Google often has north on top, which can be confusing when driving east or south.

Apple's maps are also more pleasant to view. Instructions such as "turn right onto Pearl St." are in white against a green background, similar to the signs you see on highways. Street names at intersections are in a green rectangle, similar to actual street signs at corners. Unlike Google's, Apple's app showed me the distance and time remaining and an estimated time of arrival all at once, though I would have appreciated larger text.

Apple's app was mostly dead-on in getting me to my destination. The one big miss was when it had a winery I was looking for about a half-mile east of its actual location. I went to another instead.

But Google has made mistakes, too. It told me to turn left to get to a lighthouse along the Straits of Mackinac connecting two Great Lakes, even as the road sign in front of me pointed to the right. Then again, Apple's app didn't even find that lighthouse in a search.

Both apps gave me other questionable directions, even though they got me there, which was what mattered most. At one point, Google had me on a curvy one-lane residential street with little visibility, even though a faster, safer road ran parallel to it. Apple's directions to a roadside tourist trap had me take an exit four miles to the south, only to return four miles north on smaller roads.

Bottom line is no app is perfect. After all the complaints about Apple's app, I downloaded a 99-cent iPhone app called MotionX GPS Drive. It got good reviews and offered more features than either Apple or Google. But it tried to lead me off the wrong exit in Ohio. Plus, all the extra features diverted my eyes to the settings menu when I should've been paying attention to trucks and, ahem, police cars around me.

One of my favorite scenes from "The Office" television show is when clueless boss Michael Scott drives into Lake Scranton because he was blindly following GPS directions.

There will be mistakes, but it beats driving in a new place with nothing. You just need to use your common sense.

Apple's app is far better than the one Google had when it first came out in late 2009. In apologizing for an app he says "fell short" of Apple's own expectations, CEO Tim Cook says the company will keep working to improve it.

It's true Apple's app falls short of what Google now offers for Android, but if all you have is an iPhone or an iPad, Apple's new app will get you there just fine.

Clinging to the old, voiceless app is like hanging on to your cassette tapes while the world has moved on to CDs and digital downloads. I can't imagine driving without hearing voices.

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