OWC Launches 1 TB SSD Upgrade Kits for 2010-2012 MacBook Air [Mac Blog]

Other World Computing today announced the launch of new 1 TB (960 GB) solid state drive options for 2010-2012 models of the MacBook Air.





Priced at $549 for the drive alone or $579 for a package including tools and an Envoy enclosure to repurpose the original drive for external storage, the new 1 TB option complements existing 120, 240, and 480 GB options for the various MacBook Air generations.



- 2010 MacBook Air SSD upgrades

- 2011 MacBook Air SSD upgrades

- 2012 MacBook Air SSD upgrades



With Apple's move to PCIe-based SSDs beginning with the 2013 MacBook Air, OWC has yet to launch new SSD upgrade kits for the latest notebooks, but the company has promised it is hard at work on kits for these machines.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, November 06

Google Maps for iOS Rolling Out New Look With OpenTable and Uber Integration [iOS Blog]

Google today announced a significant update to its Google Maps apps for iOS and Android, with the most immediately visible change being a new, bolder look for the apps.

Bold colors and textures are in—and Google Maps is on trend, with a slick new style to make traveling with Maps even easier. Over the next few days, when you open up Google Maps on your Android or iPhone, you’ll be greeted by bright colors and a fresh new design. This new look is all about creating surfaces and shadows that echo the real world; with Google Maps’ new material feel, layers and buttons come to life so you know just where to touch to get directions, recommendations and imagery.

Beyond the new look, Google Maps will also be adding OpenTable support in the United States, allowing users to make reservations at participating restaurants right from the app.




Google Maps' new look with Uber (left) and OpenTable (right) integration


New support for car service Uber is also included for those who have the Uber app installed on their phones. Uber users will be able to see estimated pickup times and fares for routes plotted in Google Maps.



The Google Maps [Direct Link] update is not yet live, but the company says it will be rolling out in the next few days.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, November 05

Apple Releases Third OS X Yosemite Public Beta

Apple today released the third Yosemite public beta for beta testers, following the release of the second Yosemite public beta on August 21. The last developer beta, Developer Preview 7, was released on September 2.



The software update can be downloaded through the software update function of the Mac App Store.





It's likely the new public beta includes content released in the last developer update, version 7, which included a new look for Dark Mode, several tweaked icons, and the removal of the "Software Update" option from the main Apple menu.



Apple is expected to release OS X Yosemite to the general public later this year, possibly following an October event that may introduce new iPads.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, September 15

iOS 8 Releasing on September 17 [iOS Blog]

Today at its special event, Apple has announced that iOS 8 would be released on September 17 as a free download, just two days before the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus release.





The new version on iOS will be available for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, the 5th generation iPod touch, iPad 2, iPad with Retina Display, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina Display.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, September 09

Apple unveils Apple Pay, its bold new service the replace your wallet

Apple's big media event is underway and the company has just announced its hugely ambitious project to kill off the wallet. Although Google has tried to do this in the past with its Google Wallet app, Apple is going to try to take advantage of its hundreds of millions of iTunes accounts to get the job done. The new service will be called Apple Pay and it aims to take all of the pain points from having multiple credit cards and identification cards in our wallets.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, September 09

Hot new HTC smartphone tackles two of the One (M8)’s biggest flaws

There's a hot new HTC smartphone on the market, although you won't be able to get it unless you live in Japan. Japanese carrier KDDI on Thursday revealed that it will start selling the new HTC J Butterfly starting in late August, and from the looks of it, it seems HTC has done its best to fix two of the biggest flaws with its flagship HTC One (M8).

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, July 31

Don’t expect any updates to fix Android L troubles

If you happen to run Android L, or a port based on it, on your device and you’re wondering whether Google will release an update to fix any of the potential issues discovered with the Developer Preview ROM, you should know there’s a slim chance that will happen. German publication Smartdroid.de picked up a Google+ discussion in which Googler Rich Hyndman, who shared more details about Android L in a video published recently on YouTube, revealed that updates aren’t exactly in the picture for Android L.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, July 21

Blizzard's 'Hearthstone' Expansion 'Curse of Naxxramas' Launching July 22 for Mac/iOS [iOS Blog]

Curse of Naxxramas, the first expansion for Blizzard's popular Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft free-to-play collectible card game, is set to launch on Tuesday, July 22. It will be released simultaneously on Macs, PCs, and iPads.



Much like Naxxramas in World of Warcraft, Curse of Naxxramas in Hearthstone is a floating necropolis organized into different wings -- Arachnid Quarter, Plague Quarter, Military Quarter, Construct Quarter, and Frostwyrm Lair -- and a new wing will open each week during the launch event. The launch event is set to last for approximately one month, and each wing contains a set of bosses that must be defeated.





Successfully eliminating bosses will add new cards to a user's collection and unlock a Heroic mode. Defeating all of the bosses in Naxxramas on Heroic mode will unlock a new card back.



According to Blizzard, the expansion can be purchased via in-game gold or through real money, with each wing costing $6.99 or 700 gold. During the launch event, the first wing, Arachnid Quarter, will be available for free, and users can purchase the remaining four wings for $19.99. After the launch event, purchasing the full expansion will cost $24.99. Various packages are also available for users who want to use a combination of in-game gold and money.

Players who begin their adventures in Naxxramas during the launch event will gain free access to the first wing: the Arachnid Quarter. The launch event will last roughly a month or so, meaning you'll have plenty of time to get your foot in the door--we'll have more details to share about that later on. The web-choked corridors of the Arachnid Quarter are home to the bosses Anub'Rekhan, Grand Widow Faerlina, and Maexxna. Defeating these bosses will add new cards to your collection and give you a taste of the dangers that await you deeper inside Naxxramas.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft for the iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]



Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft for Mac can be downloaded from Blizzard's website for free.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:49PM, July 17