By Ed Oswald Facing increasing competitive pressure, Apple silently pushed performance enhancements to the MacBook Pro line of laptops. The changes include better processors and additional storage, and on higher-end models better graphics cards. The base level 13-inch MacBook Pro now sports a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with a 500GB hard drive, but remains at $1,199. The faster $1,499 13-inch model now includes a 2.8GHz i7 dual-core CPU with a 750GB HDD. Apple's previous 13-inch models -- launched in February -- included a 2.3GHz i5 processor with 320GB hard drive, and 2.7GHz i7 processor with 500GB of storage space respectively. Both 15-inch models got faster processors and upgraded graphics cards. On the $1,799 model, the 2.2GHz quad-core i7 CPU replaces the 2GHz chip, and the AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics card has been swapped out with the 6750M. The higher-end $2,199 version goes from 2.2GHz to 2.4GHz, and now sports the AMD Radeon HD 6770M as opposed to the 6750M. More Herecomments? From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL By LORRAINE LUK And YUKARI IWATANI KANE July 7, 2011 "Apple Inc. is getting closer to launching its next iPhone, as it works to stay ahead of competition from smartphone rivals such as Samsung Electronics Co. Apple has ordered key components for a new iPhone it is aiming to launch by the end of September, said people familiar with the situation. These people said the new iPhone is expected to be similar to the current iPhone 4, but thinner and lighter with an improved eight-megapixel camera". See Full Story At: » online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142···LEADTopcomments? Apple is poised to own three-quarters of the major $3.8 billion mobile application market this year, according to research company IHS Screen Digest, and will continue to own as much as 60 percent of that sumptuous pie through 2014. Full Story At: » www.infoworld.com/t/mobile-apps/···ears-946comments? Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said in an interview this week that he would consider returning to an active role at the company he helped start if asked. See Full Story At: » www.appleinsider.com/articles/11···ked.html3 comments AKA: My State ROCKS! said by bangordailynews.com : What its really all about is a game changer, Morrill told the committee when introducing the idea. This is truly redefining how were going to teach and learn. story continues..comments? A broad sample of millions of website visitors detailed by Google Analytics indicates that the entire Android ecosystem combined, while slightly ahead of Apple's iPhone 4, continues to be outpaced by Apple's iOS, largely due to the rapid growth of iPad. This mirrors additional data that underlines Apple's lead in both mobile browsing and app sales, refuting recent reports that claim Android is displacing iOS. See Fully Story At: » www.appleinsider.com/articles/11···ned.htmlcomments? Apple's iPad tablet computer, widely credited with sparking a global trend and creating a new category of device, has been criticised by senior figures at Dell and Microsoft. See Full Story At: » www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/n···ell.htmlcomments? Apple's annual developers conference has sold out less than 12 hours after the company began accepting registrations, setting a new record for ticket sales and underscoring the popularity and developer interest surrounding company's mobile and traditional operating system. See the Full Story at: » www.appleinsider.com/articles/11···urs.htmlcomments? Across America on Friday, people lined up for blocks to buy an incremental update to an established product. In the gadget market, that's not ordinarily rational behavior. story continues..comments? "Jonathan Ive and the Apple's board of directors are at an impasse about his future. The British designer is said to want to spend more time in the UK while Apple's board seems unwilling to allow that." » www.macrumors.com/2011/02/27/app···england/comments? A pair of reports coming out of the Far East on Tuesday claim that Apple is looking to expand the screen on at least one version of the next-generation iPhone to 4 inches, while also adding an upgraded A5 chip processor to its smartphone offerings and an enhanced version of the A4 to the second-generation iPad. See full story at: » www.appleinsider.com/articles/11···sor.htmlcomments? Apple is said to be planning to incorporate Near Field Communications (NFC) into the iPhone 5 and the iPad 2, allowing the devices to be used to make instant payments in stores. Full Story at: » www.tgdaily.com/mobility-feature···-paymentcomments? comments? comments? News Analysis: Speculation abounds that Microsoft will be unveiling a more tablet-friendly version of Windows at CES. But will it deliver a better experience than iOS? Full Story: » www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wir···-824025/comments? Apple has released iAd Producer, a new tool for designing interactive "rich media ads" using web standards for distribution through its iAd network within iOS apps, in a direct blow to Adobe's Flash developer tools, the current standard among many web and mobile ad designers. Full Story at: » www.appleinsider.com/articles/10···ive.htmlcomments? comments? "The App Store revolutionized mobile apps," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a statement Thursday, talking about the iPhone's online market that debuted in 2008. "We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store." Apple will add Mac App Store support to users of OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard, with a free download via the operating system's built-in update mechanism, presumably either on or near the e-mart's Thursday, Jan. 6, launch. The store will be available in 90 countries, and presumably almost that many currencies, at its opening. More herecomments? comments? Apple's iPad suppliers are gearing up for a new round of production in early 2011, sources said Friday, with one saying the product will be a revamp of the popular tablet computer including cameras on the front and back. More herecomments?
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