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Saturday June 13th 2009 @ 12:01 AM marked the official day for Facebook Usernames, I know I watched the countdown to get mine, did you? www.facebook.com/AlexNeil

Today was a big day for Apple, day one of their annual World Wide Developers Conference taking place in San Francisco – June 8th through the 12th.

On today’s agenda, Apple covered MacBook Updates, Snow Leopard, and of course the new iPhone.

MacBook Updates:

First of all, the former 13″ Unibody MacBook has now become a pro, adding the backlight illuminated keyboard standard along with Firewire 800.  Not only did Apple add Pro features to the 13″ but  has also added across the board to all Pro models a SD card read in place of the ExpressCard slot (with the exception 17″ model), a supposed 60% increase in gamut on the displays, and a “non-removable” internal battery boasting a 7hr battery life on the 13″ and 15″ models, while the 17″ retains the previous 8hr battery life.  All models with the exception of the white MacBook have also received a price reduction and/or bump in specs.

Here is the breakdown in pricing and spec updates.

13″

• $1,199: 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 160GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard
• $1,499: 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 250GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard

15″

• Starting at $1,699 (down from $1,999 )
• $1,699: 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 250GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard
• $1,999: 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT graphics, 320GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard
• $2,299: 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT graphics, 500GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard

17″

• $2,499 – maintains same specs but received a $300 price drop

MacBook Air

• $1,499: 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 120GB HDD
• $1,799: 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 128GB SSD

I was a bit bummed when news broke that the 15″ MacBook Pro has dropped in starting price only to later realized it does NOT offer the dedicated 9600M GT found on the $1999.00 and up models.  I had recently purchased a new 15″ MacBook Pro the day of the Back-to-School promotion but not longer feel depressed about it when I read the removable battery is no longer a feature as long as the ExpressCard slot.  Having the extra bump in specs is nice but not necessarily a deal killer for me unless I had bought the previous Unibody MacBook.

Take advantage of the Back-To-School promo now through September 8th to receive up to $200 off your Mac and receive a free iPod (up to $229 off) and a free printer (up to $100 off).

Snow Leopard

Dated to be released September 2009, Snow Leopard will be available to all current Leopard users for the low price of $29. All features and details can be found at - http://www.apple.com/macosx/refinements/enhancements-refinements.html

iPhone 3.0/ iPhone 3G S

The much rumored and anticipated iPhone 3G S  was announced by Apple today, featuring faster processor speed, a much improved camera including built-in video capture and editing, voice dialing and voice command, and a built-in compass. Here are the details:

Price (new): 16GB — US$199, 32GB — US$299
Capacity: 16GB or 32GB
Case color: Black or White
Dimensions: 4.5 inches x 2.4 inches x 0.48 inches (115.5 mm x 62.1 mm x 12.3 mm), 4.8 oz. (135 gms)
Camera / Video:

• 3 megapixels
• Autofocus
• Tap to focus
• Video recording, VGA up to 30 fps with audio
• Photo and video geotagging
• iPhone and third-party application integration

Cellular and Wireless:

• UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Location:

• Assisted GPS
• Digital compass
• Wi-Fi
• Cellular

Power and Battery

• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter
• Talk Time: 3G – Up to 5 hours, 2G – Up to 12 hours
• Standby time: Up to 300 hours
• Internet use: Up to 5 hours on 3G, Up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi
• Video playback: Up to 10 hours
• Audio playback: Up to 30 hours

Available Friday June 19th while the current iPhone 3G will now be available in 8gb for the low, low price of $99 with a 2yr contract of course

iPhone 3.0

Set to release June 17th, two days prior to the release of iPhone 3G S.  This update will be free for all iPhone users and $10 for Touch users. Details include

• Ability to now rent and purchase movies from the phone, along with audiobooks.
• MMS – 29 carriers at launch, with AT&T sometime this summer
• Cut-n-Paste of course
• Tethering via Bluetooth and USB for Macs and PCs – available on 22 carriers but AT&T was no where to be seen.
• Safari will process JavaScript 3X faster and support of HTTP streaming of audio and video.
• Find My iPhone – GPS tracking via MobileMe from any browser. Ability to locate phone, send messages/alerts (even when set on vibrate), and remote wipe
• Other dev features have also be announced including push notifications.

More details can be found at - http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/

Who ever said there is no such thing as free lunch?

I’m sure you heard about, read about, thought about it, saw about it (??). For those who missed out on the opportunity to print the coupons for The Oprah Winfrey Show/Kentucky Grilled Chicken Two-Piece Meal Coupon, I present to you - clickmeclickme4chicken!

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camera test edit from Alex Neil on Vimeo.

Backcountry.com Shift Softshell Jacket - Limited Edition

Grabbed this jacket from SAC to take with me to Utah. Features the Polartec Power Shield fabric.  Lightweight, blocks wind, and steezy – just what I need.