Apple will showcase the next major release of OS X during WWDC 2013 keynote event and according to a new report OS X 10.9 will focus on power-user features. OS X 10.9 has been widely reported to be internally codenamed as “Cabernet” which won’t bring a complete UI change to the operating system but will improve the overall performance and functions of the OS.

In a new report 9to5 Mac details the upcoming features of OS X 10.9 highlighting tags and tabbed browsing mode in the Finder. A new version of Safari is also reported to be in the works that will feature a “redesigned backend for improved page loading, speed and efficiency”. Another pro-user friendly feature that could be introduced is the ability to open different full-screen apps in a multiple monitor setup.

The report further details a new multi-tasking system for OS X that could be similar to iOS and also bring app pausing for background apps to OS X. This could bring more efficiency, performance and battery improvements to the MacBook lineup.

Siri for OS X has been rumoured to be in the works since the introduction of speech dictation in OS X Mountain Lion. The report suggests that it’s possible that Apple may launch Siri only on next gen products.

Apple’s WWDC 2013 press release also clearly mentioned that the company will showcase “advances in software technologies and developer tools” which suggests that we will see a preview of Xcode 5.0 as well.

Last year, Apple previewed Mountain Lion before WWDC and then released it in July. This year due to management shakeup in the iOS department the teams from OS X were brought over to work on iOS and thus the company had to push the OS X 10.9 preview to June.

It will be interesting to see if Apple would still launch OS X 10.9 in July or if it will push the release of iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 to later this fall.

Apple is officially making Messages for OS X a Mountain Lion only feature. On Friday, the company sent out emails to its customers that they would be discontinuing the Messages Beta program for Lion on December 14th, 2012. The Messages Beta program allowed users of OS X Lion to download and try out Messages on their Macs, syncing all iMessages on the user’s iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch to their Mac.

Dear [User],

The Messages Beta program for Lion will end on Friday, December 14, 2012. We hope you’ve enjoyed the opportunity to preview Messages.

If you’d like to continue using Messages, upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store. Messages is one of many great new apps and features built right into OS X Mountain Lion. Learn More.

Thank you for your participation in the Messages Beta program.

The email notes that current users of Mac OS X Lion that are looking to continue using iMessages on their Mac must upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion which is available for $19.99 on the Mac App Store [Direct Link]. It is possible that some users will be unable to upgrade to Mountain Lion because of hardware requirements that the software requires.

Apple launched iMessages earlier this year as a replacement for iChat, which also had the ability to run third party chat clients such as AIM and Google Chat. iMessages after December 14th will be strictly for Mountain Lion and future OS X updates, as well as the for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple released OS X Mountain Lion late last month after announcing the software update during the company’s annual WWDC conference. On Friday, reports on the web revealed that Apple seeded the first beta of 10.8 to developers, labeled as 10.8.1, and build number 12B13. The update is available from the Mac Developer Portal and according to Apple does not have any known issues.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple requested that developers focus on testing Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange in Mail, PAC Proxies in Safari, SMB, USB, and WiFi and Audio for the Thunderbolt Display. The download is only 38.54 MB and takes up 36.4MB of space on a Mac running Mountain Lion.

According to the report and developers, Facebook integration has yet to be included in OS X Mountain Lion with this update. As Apple works out the kinks in OS X Mountain Lion with each update, the company will likely begin to work on 10.8.2 as developers begin to report new issues with the update.

Early Saturday, NYTimes reported that Apple Inc. (AAPL) was looking to invest “hundreds of millions” in microblogging company, Twitter. The report assumes that either Apple is investing or purcahsing a large stake in the company and that the two companies have been in talks in recent months over such a matter.

Apple has considered an investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars, one that could value Twitter at more than $10 billion, up from an $8.4 billion valuation last year, these people said. They declined to be named because the discussions were private.

There is no guarantee that the two companies, which are not in negotiations at the moment, will come to an agreement. But the earlier talks are a sign that they may form a stronger partnership amid intensifying competition from the likes of Google and Facebook.

However, The Wall Street Journal also came out and negated the claims made in the NYTime report, leading speculators to remain skeptical about such a deal between the two companies. Apple has been dabbling with social media in recent years, pushing for its own Ping network in iTunes, which failed to attract users. Since then, the Cupertino company has heavily incorporated Twitter into both iOS and OS X.

Apple has mixed in Twitter under the share sheets in multiple applications, including Safari on all of its devices and even Notification Center in iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion. Although Facebook will also be a part of the operating systems soon, Twitter remains tightly integrated.

It is unclear whether Apple still in talks with Twitter or if the two companies even had contact with each other. However, such a deal involving “hundreds of millions” might not justify the profitability Cupertino based company could possibly extract.

{via MacRumors}

On Friday, AllThingsD reported on new statistics about the widespread use of Apple’s newest OS X update, Mountain Lion. The report mentioned that roughly 48 hours after the public release of OS X Mountain Lion, about 3% of total web traffic is coming from the latest Mac software.

Analytics firm Chitika conducted the research to come to this conclusion, estimating that Mountain Lion’s web traffic percentage increased from 0.25% before the public launch. This was likely the developer previews of Mountain Lion running prior to the release.

Moreover, based on Apple’s June 2012 announcement that there are currently 66 million Mac users in the wild, we can infer that 2.11 million Mac users downloaded OS X Mountain Lion in the past 48 hours,” Chitika said. “Using this figure, if we assume that 90 percent of these users paid to upgrade, OS X Mountain Lion generated $38 million in revenue for Apple in the past 48 hours.

It is unclear exactly how this compares to last years installation figures, which brought in one million downloads of OS X Lion on the first day of release.

With Retina Macbook Pro sales still increasing steadily and the company’s Up to Date program running, many users are either buying the MacBooks with Mountain Lion preinstalled or getting the update for free. OS X Mountain Lion brings key features to the desktop platform and blurs the lines between its mobile counterpart, iOS. Features such as Notes, Reminders, Notification Center, iCloud, and Dictation make OS X very similar to iOS.

{via MacRumors}

Apple’s next version of OS X, Mountain Lion came out early Wednesday, adding over 200 new user features including Messages, Notification Center, Notes, and iCloud. Alongside some of the iOS like features introduced in the update, Apple also released a new feature via a firmware update in OS X 10.8 called Power Nap. PowerNap was previously announced at Apple’s WWDC 2012 and allows any Mac running the feature to receive email, update software, and syncing the calendar while the computer is sleeping.

Apple released a support document, highlighting the full abilities of OS X Mountain Lion. Full features of the update include: Syncing Mail, Calendar, Contact and Reminders as well as downloading software updates and Time Capsule backups. The Power Nap feature is currently only available on Mid-2011 Macbook Air and beyond as well as the new 2012 Retina MacBook Pro, both of which operate on SSDs (Solid State Drive).

Flash storage is a requirement for the feature as it can operate faster and more efficiently, using less power. The update was brought to 2011 MacBook Air via a firmware update and is expected to appear on the Retina MacBook Pro, likely through another firmware update.

{via MacRumors}

Apple’s next version of OS X, 10.8 was released on Wednesday, adding over 200 new user features and bridging the gap between iOS and OS X. OS X Mountain Lion brought in a number of new features, but some of the more interesting and useful ones to note includes Messages, Notification Center, Notes, and iCloud. Some of the main features include:

• AirPlay mirroring
• Sharing button
• Notification Center
• Messages
• Mail and Contacts
• Calendar and Reminders
• Safari
• iCloud
• Auto Save, TextEdit and Notes
• Dictation
• PowerNap

With staple features such as Notes, Reminders, and Notification Center making their debut on the Mac, it is clear that Apple is continuing their “Back to the Mac” philosophy and learning a few tips and tricks about the preferences of users. It is clear that iOS devices have a much more widespread following and are easier to learn and navigate, and as a result, it makes sense for Apple to make OS X similar to the mobile software.

Apple’s OS X Mountain Lion is currently available only through the Mac App Store for $19.99 USD, the lowest price ever introduced for OS X software updates. OS X Lion has been enitrely removed from the Mac App Store and replaced with this new update.

On Monday, Apple seeded the Golden Master (GM) version of OS X Mountain Lion to developers and is now accepting app submissions for the Mac App Store. The apps are to be tailored for OS X Mountain Lion and will ensure that both new and old apps run seamlessly on Mac computers after they are downloaded from the App Store.

Apple sent out an email to all developers, reminding them that they can now download the Golden Master seed on the Mac Dev Center and that they can now submit apps to take advantage of the new features in the update. The email from Apple to registered developers in part, went as follows:

Make sure your apps take advantage of the great new features in OS X Mountain Lion when the world’s most advanced operating system ships to millions of customers worldwide. Download OS X Mountain Lion GM seed and Xcode 4.4 GM seed, now available on the Mac Dev Center. Build your apps with these latest seeds, then test and submit for review.

You can also submit iOS apps that take advantage of the new cross-platform Game Center Groups, so they’ll be available when OS X Mountain Lion ships.

Although the Golden Master version is only available to developers now, the final version will be available in the Mac App Store later this July for only $19.99, down from the $29.99 Apple charged for Mac OS X Lion.

{via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) recently updated its ‘investor relations’ webpage to announce that the company will conduct a conference to discuss  Q3 FY12 Earnings on July 24. The live conference call will be held at 2 PM Pacific / 5 PM Eastern time. The call will later be available for streaming via QuickTime through Apple’s website.

AAPL has been reporting record quarters each year with sales of iPhone on the rise and outstanding sales figures of its tablet computer. During last quarter Apple Inc. reported revenue of $39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion. The company sold 35.1 million iPhones, 11.8 million iPads, 4 million Macs, and 7.7 million iPods in the quarter representing 88% growth for iPhone sales and 151 percent increase for the iPad.

Apple’s CFO, Peter Oppenheimer, during the end of the conference call added,  “Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter, we expect revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.68.”

The third quarter revenue hasn’t seen introduction of any new hardware while on the other hand iPhone sales are expected to slow down as users anticipate the launch of next gen iPhone 5. However, the new iPad 3 has been added to a number of new countries and the Cupertino based company is expected to report impressive sales figures for its tablet computer.

Moving forward Apple is expected to see higher growth in its Mac hardware products as with the introduction of MacBook Pro with Retina Display the company has shown its commitment to remain aggressive in the notebook business. The availability of MacBook Pro with retina display on Apple’s online store moved up to 3-4 weeks shipping time shortly after its release suggesting fast adoption rate among users. Although, Apple hasn’t released any public sales figures for the next gen MacBook Pro.

Apple’s upcoming software releases for OS X and iOS are also worth mentioning as the OS of both the platforms continue to merge. Mountain Lion for OS X will be made available to users later this month exclusively from Mac App Store and iOS 6 is expected to be made available later this fall.

Apple’s annual WWDC keynote event will kick off today at 10:00AM as Tim Cook takes the stage to announce the company’s latest products and updates. During this years live keynote event Apple is widely expected to unveil iOS 6, new MacBook Pro models and provide an update on OS X Mountain Lion.

Touch Reviews will be bringing you the All-in-One live feed of the keynote so you can sit back and know what’s the latest without refreshing this page. iOS 6 is the sixth version of Apple’s mobile operating system and is expected to bring many new features and enhancements that could include, deep Facebook integration, updated Siri, iCloud feature update and much more.

While in 2011 Apple’s WWDC keynote event was all about software, this year the company is rumored to introduce new MacBook Pro models and for the first time bring ‘Retina Display’ to the MacBook product line. The new models have been speculated to have design similar to MacBook Air however, the next gen MacBook Pro models could see a significant price increase.

iOS devices contribute towards the largest chunk of Apple’s revenue share so it’s safe to assume that the focus of this years WWDC live keynote event will certainly be iOS 6. During All Things D’s D8 Conference Tim Cook gave subtle hints by saying “stay tuned” when he was questioned about Facebook integration and Siri. So, we can expect those two enhancements to certainly be a part of iOS 6.

You’ll be able to download and stream the keynote soon after the event. What are your expectations from this years event? Let us know in the comments section.

Check back soon for the live coverage.

07:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM – Central
01:00PM – Eastern
06:00PM – London
07:00PM – Paris
09:00PM – Moscow
02:00AM – Tokyo (June 12th)

You don’t need to refresh this page! Live updates will appear below:

Apple has been rumored to release an updated line of MacBooks, most notably the new MacBook Pro, which is expected to take on the thin design of the MacBook Air. On Monday, Chinese forum Weiphone released an image of what appeared to be a specs sticker on the back of a 13.3 inch MacBook Pro box. The image revealed only minor additions to the MacBook Pro line, such as the new 2.5GHz Ivy Bridge processor as well as the new Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU. The specs also reveal that Apple is adding USB 3.0 for faster charging and data transfers as well as Bluetooth 4.0.

Although there were rumors that the MacBook Pro would be receiving the popular Retina Display, it appears that it will remain at the same 1280×800 resolution. Hard Drive and SuperDrive remain unchanged as well. It is likely that Apple is adding features very slowly so as not to cause any major changes to the operation of the battery in the Macbook. Adding a Retina Display could lower the battery life drastically, as would the addition of more RAM, and a faster HardDrive or SuperDrive.

The authenticity of the image remains unknown, although WWDC 2012 could bring hardware releases alongside a suite of software offerings, such as iOS 6 and perhaps another preview of OS X Mountain Lion. It is unclear if Apple will still be introducing a thinner 17 inch model, as the image only specifies the 13.3 inch model, but remains unknown until final announcement by Apple.

{via MacRumors}

On Monday, a report from Bloomberg suggested that Apple is expected to release a thinner Macbook Pro at this year’s upcoming WWDC 2012. Rumors that Apple would be discontinuing the 17” Macbook Pro and introducing a thinner model have been on the web for quite some time, but no credible sources have produced any solid information as to when the public would see the new Macbooks.

According to the report, the new thinner models of the Macbook Pro would be adopting a number of features from the current Macbook Air, including the flash storage in order to give it a faster startup time and help to extend the battery life. The Macbook Pro line has not had a redesign since 2008, but has received upgraded internals, including the new i5 and i7 chips from Intel.

Bloomberg also mentioned that Apple may announce the release date for the latest OS X Mountain Lion that the company issued a developer preview of earlier this year. Apple has focused its attention on making its products as portable as possible, first with the iPhone, followed by the iPad, and did the same with the Mac starting with the Macbook Air. Apple’s WWDC conference, when the thinner Macbook Pro is expected to be announced is going to be held from June 11-15 in San Francisco.

{via MacRumors}

It’s here again. Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2012) is back and is scheduled for June 11. Apple announced early Wednesday that WWDC 2012 would be held from June 11 through the 15 in San Francisco, as it is every year. Tickets for the conference sold out in under two hours this year, beating out WWDC 2011 tickets sales which sold out in under twelve hours.

“We have a great WWDC planned this year and can’t wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The iOS platform has created an entirely new industry with fantastic opportunities for developers across the country and around the world.”

This year’s conference will likely focus on OS X Mountain Lion, which is due for release later this summer, and iOS 6 which will probably appear during the conference in the form of a developer preview. Apple mentioned in their announcement that they would have about 100 technical sessions for developers, with over 1,000 Apple engineers to help attendees of the event.

The time frame for the event isn’t very surprising, when considering the fact that Apple typically holds the conference during this time of the year, in order to announce its product releases chronologically; Mac OS X release, iOS with iPhone, iPod and then the iPad at the beginning of the following year.

WWDC is Apple’s premier event, of which other events eventually derive, such iOS 6 and the Apple’s iDevices following up the announcement a few months later. Developers who currently hold tickets to the event may encounter higher than usual prices on flights and hotel bookings, not only because of the massive increase in flight purchases, but because of the U.S Open golf championship being held in San Francisco, as well as the slew of vacationers who head west during this time of year.

{via MacRumors}

UPDATE: Apple has announced “The new iPad” with retina display, A5X chip with quad-core graphics, 5 MP iSight camera and more.

Rumors of the iPad 3 release date have been floating around for quite some time now, and later today the world will see Apple’s next 9.7 inch tablet. Apple issued invitations for the iPad 3 keynote event last week that is scheduled to be held today at 10 AM PT in San Francisco.

On Tuesday, a report from The Verge suggested that Apple’s iPad 3 will be unveiled with a new A5X SoC which was seen in a leaked photo a few weeks earlier. The A5X may contain the same dual-core application processor found in the A5 but may support increased graphics performance and RAM.

Both the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S currently provide 512 MB of RAM, which may increase as a result of the inclusion of the new chip. The report also suggests that Apple will be releasing multiple versions of their 3G enabled devices with separate LTE models for AT&T and Verizon and other models for 3G GSM and CDMA networks such as Sprint.

There have been rumors flying that the iPad 3 would be LTE capable, and we’re told that it will definitely be announced for both the Verizon and AT&T networks tomorrow. To be clear, that would mean two distinct, separate versions of the LTE tablet (one for each network). In addition, there’s a third international model which does double duty on 3G; a CDMA / GSM model using a similar radio chipset to the iPhone 4S (a Qualcomm Gobi chip). That’s a little odd considering LTE chipsets from Qualcomm can be utilized on those same bands, but there may be reasons (cost for instance) that Apple would want to separate the hardware.

As with a number of other rumors confirmed by sources, it was reported that Apple will be using tomorrow’s media event to release an upgraded Apple TV with full 1080p video capabilities and will enable connectivity with Apple’s AirPlay technology and mirroring abilities, which will be available in the iPad and OS X Mountain Lion.

{via Mac Rumors}

On Thursday, Apple announced the newest version of the Mac operating system, OS X 10.8. The newest version is being called ‘OS X Mountain Lion’, up from the current OS X Lion running on Mac computers. Apple has made a preview version of OS X 10.8 available to registered developers and will release the final version, with over 100 new features later this summer.

The release will likely be in late August, as usual, and will begin to ship with MacBooks and iMacs during the initial education sales and beginning of the school year, when Mac sales typically increase. SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller commented on the release, saying:

The Mac is on a roll, growing faster than the PC for 23 straight quarters, and with Mountain Lion things get even better. The developer preview of Mountain Lion comes just seven months after the incredibly successful release of Lion and sets a rapid pace of development for the world’s most advanced personal computer operating system.

Apple launched OS X 10.7 Lion during their “Back to the Mac” event, bringing a number of iOS features back to the Mac in order to blur the lines between the two devices. With OS X Mountain Lion, Apple is pushing iOS integration to a whole new level, integrating a number of apps, including Messages (replacing iChat), Reminders, Notes as well as Game Center and Twitter integration.

Apple has also incorporated Notification Center from iOS 5, allowing the Mac to keep track of all notifications in one place. Prior to this integration, users would have to rely on third-party software like Growl for notifications. The Cupertino-based company has even brought over AirPlay mirroring, allowing users to mirror their Mac screen on their HDTV through the Apple TV.

The developer preview of Mountain Lion features the all new Messages app which replaces iChat® and allows you to send unlimited messages, high-quality photos and videos directly from your Mac to another Mac or iOS device. Messages will continue to support AIM, Jabber, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk. Starting today Lion users can download a beta of Messages from www.apple.com, and the final version will be available with Mountain Lion. Reminders and Notes help you create and track your to-dos across all your devices. Game Center lets you personalize your Mac gaming experience, find new games and challenge friends to play live multiplayer games, whether they’re on a Mac, iPhone®, iPad or iPod touch®.

It is very likely that if Apple were to release a television set, the mirror system would be more integrated between iOS and Mac devices. Apple has even went as far as to rename Mac OS X to just OS X, like they did from iPhone OS to iOS.

By integrating iCloud deeper into the Mac platform Apple is blurring the difference between iOS and OS X. The company is challenging the very basic traditional ways of computing and embarking on a new territory of true Cloud computing.