Apple’s merging of iOS with OS X continues today with our first glimpse at 10.8 Mountain Lion, the next major OS release for Macs. Of course, in the process of bringing the best of both worlds together, some things win out. In the case of Mountain Lion, several apps and features were replaced with their iOS counterparts. Here is everything from past OS X releases that died today at the hand of Apple’s iOS-ifying of Mountain Lion:
While many were disappointed with the lack of new features that came standard on Apple’s new iPhone 4S, there was one that many are hailing as a breakthrough in technology. That feature was Siri, the phone’s built-in personal assistant. While Siri might be employed more often to help users find a latte than do anything life-changing, the technology itself is pretty amazing. Siri can listen, interpret, and respond to user voices, making it a huge leap forward in voice recognition technology.
Siri is still in relative infancy as a program, but as the technology develops, it will be interesting to see how it’s applied in other situations outside of finding basic information, locating a Starbucks, or updating a calendar. One area where Siri’s capabilities could be extraordinarily useful is in education, and many are already theorizing about the myriad different ways that Siri could be used to change how we teach, learn, and view it. Here we’ve collected a few of these ideas about how Siri could make the leap from a simple search tool to a powerful learning and education assistant. While they may not all come to pass, it’s certainly fun to think about a world where interaction with technology for education could be so seamless, accessible, and maybe even fun.
http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/icloud?pt=TRK-0126-TCANNOUNCE
Understand the features, get set up, and enjoy iCloud!
iCloud may seem simple, but astonishing complexity lurks below the surface, especially for those who have relied on Apple’s Internet services for years. In this essential title from best-selling author Joe Kissell, you’ll learn what hardware and software you need to set up and use iCloud successfully on Macs, iOS devices, second-generation Apple TVs, and Windows-based PCs. Whether you’re starting from scratch or upgrading an existing MobileMe account, Joe has the advice you need to get started.
With setup completed, Joe explains the key aspects—and hidden gotchas—of iCloud’s core features: iTunes in the Cloud; iTunes Match, iCloud Backup, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Find My iPhone, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and more. Also problematic are Apple IDs, and Joe explains how to work around problems with shared Apple IDs, non-email Apple IDs, multiple Apple IDs, MobileMe Family Pack accounts, and more.
For many, the prospect of moving from MobileMe is worrying. While some MobileMe services transition seamlessly to iCloud, others disappear as you upgrade, and still more will limp along through June 2012. To smooth your transition, Joe outlines what will happen to different MobileMe services, and for those that are going away—like Gallery, iDisk-based file sharing and Web hosting, Mac-to-Mac syncing, and Backup—he suggests alternatives.
http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/icloud?pt=TRK-0126-TCANNOUNCE
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Head over to Mashable and read about all the new camera features. I don;t have the new phone yet, but every time I read something I want to upgrade!!
iOS 5 for iPhone and iPad: Apple’s Best Release Yet [REVIEW]
iOS 5: The Hidden Features from AppStorm
iOS 5 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has landed. We’ve corralled 50 useful tips that will help you get the most out of the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.
Check out these 50 tips: http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobile-apps/fifty-ios-5-tips-50004894/
iCloud is Apple’s new service for synching user data across devices.Sam Gliksman has a great article explaining many of the features, Check out the full story, CLICK HERE
Apple held it’s widely anticipated Worldwide Developer Conference recently and as expected, took the opportunity to disclose the upcoming release of many new product features and services. Chief among them was the announcement of the new iOS 5 mobile operating system and a new wireless data synchronization and storage service called iCloud.
Any analysis is still somewhat speculative as most of the new features won’t be fully available for several months … but hey, since when has that stopped us? There’s a lot to digest and several significant features that will impact education directly.
