Apple to Celebrate Steve Job's life on October 19th

Tim cook had recently sent an email to Apple employees inviting them to join the celebration of Apple's late founder Steve Jobs on October 19th at 10a.m Pacific Time in the outdoor amphitheatre on the Infinite Loop campus. Quoted below -

Team,

Like many of you, I have experienced the saddest days of my lifetime and shed many tears during the past week. But I’ve found some comfort in the extraordinary number of tributes and condolences from people all over the world who were touched by Steve and his genius. And I’ve found comfort in both telling and listening to stories about Steve.

Although many of our hearts are still heavy, we are planning a celebration of his life for Apple employees to take time to remember the incredible things Steve achieved in his life and the many ways he made our world a better place. The celebration will be held on Wednesday, October 19, at 10 a.m. in the outdoor amphitheater on the Infinite Loop campus. We’ll have more details on AppleWeb closer to the date, including arrangements for employees outside of Cupertino.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Tim

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Facebook Application for iPad now on App Store

Its finally here. After more than a year of complaining that Facebook doesn't have a native iPad version and users are forced to suffer the bugged low resolution iPhone version, the iPad app for the famous social networking website is finally here. With support for Photos, Videos, Chat, Messages, Games and every other Facebook feature you need, the App has probably killed all other third party Facebook applications for the popular tablet. Download it for free from the app store here

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Apple iPhone 4S Sales Top 1 Million in 24 Hours

Apple iPhone Pre-order Page

After the launch of the iPhone 4S on the 4th of October, most felt that the iPhone 4S was just a mild improvement on the old iPhone. Of course, these claims were proven wrong when Apple and AT&T announced that there had been over 200,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4S within the first 12 hours. And now, after Apple announces that their pre-orders for the phone topped 1 Million within the first 24 hours, there is no doubt that this is the most popular iPhone yet. Of course it may be that customers with an iPhone 3GS or older models were anxiously awaiting the new iPhone and planned to buy it the minute it was available but the numbers speak for themselves.

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iPad vs iPhone: What to Choose and Why ?

Aside from "iPad or Macbook ?" and "Which Mac should I buy ?" ( I posted this quite a while back so its a little outdated, but the overall suggestion remains the same )", I'd say this is definitely the most common question I've been asked - "iPad or iPhone ?". Of course, its always a matter of personal opinion and generally also tends to be based on need and desire. I myself faced this same dilemma a year ago. ( Back then, it was the iPad and the iPhone 4 ) In fact, chances of me getting an iPhone were fairly slim but of course, that just made me want it more.

But then I started to look up the iPad. What started out as an unwilling act of sheet boredom turned into a burning desire for the device. Suddenly, the iPhone seemed like a distant second choice. Of course, it goes without saying, that if you look up any device on Apple's website for even a short period of time, you'll eventually fall in love with it. Getting back on topic though, 

The iPad - its more like a portable, beautifully designed, high quality Computer.  A computer that you can simply touch and use for everything possibly. Of course, if you're in the market for a phone, then you probably shouldn't even be reading this article. But in my humble opinion, the main additional feature you'll be getting in an iPhone is the ability to make calls. let me just state some advantages and disadvantages of both over each other to illuminate my point, which I stated quite clearly in the title.

The iPhone

Advantages

1. Of course, it would be the ability to make calls and send messages ( you can do the latter in the iPad too. To an extent, that is )

2. A better camera with flash ( 8 Megapixels )

3. Its always in your pocket ( More portable )

Disadvantages

1. Smaller screen makes using apps, surfing the web, playing games an arduous activity.

2. Contract required. Non-contract iPhone to come out soon but its price is estimated to start at $650 which is more than an iPad.

The iPad

Advantages

1. Larger screen area makes using applications and browsing the web a pleasure.

2. Better resolution ( 1024x768 )

3. Games and other applications are available in HD

4. Full-Size keyboard is easier for typing

5. Better word-processing

6. Native applications are better on iPad ( such as mail, contacts, calendar )

7. Applications designed for iPad generally have more viewing options and often panes on the side which make navigation a breeze.

8. Compatible with all iPhone apps and 140,000+ apps designed specifically for iPad ( total of 500,000+ )

9. Can access most websites in their desktop state flawlessly.

10. Contract-free 3G availability ( pre-paid )

11. More storage space ( Upto 64GB )

12. iBooks on iPad is exponentially superior to the one on iPhone.

13. Better battery life

14. Most of the other points are just extensions and instances of the first so I'll skip to the disadvantages for the anti-iPad people reading this.

Disadvantages

1. Less portable. ( Still fairly portable )

2. Can send messages only to other iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch users.

3. Fingerprint magnet. You'll end up cleaning the screen ten times in the day

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Ten Things about iOS Devices that you never knew

iOS Devices Sold

The touchscreen devices ( The iPod, iPad and iPod Touch ) which have managed to find their way into the houses of 200 million customers ( estimated ) are the foundation of all other capacitative touchscreen devices.

- More than 14 Billion applications for these devices have been sold via the iTunes App Store.    - On an average, that's roughly 70 apps per device sold. 

- More than 225 Million customers have iTunes App Store ID's with credit card information. 

-  ( That's more than the number of Devices Sold ).

- More than 130 Million books have been sold on the iBookstore

- 25 Million iPads have been sold to date.

- Roughly 80 Million iPod Touches and 225 Million iPod ( Difficult to be sure )

- And approximately ( probably more than ) 88 Million iPhones sold till date 

- The iPhone 4 is the 2nd most popular camera device according to Flickr

iPad Models Sold to Date

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Will the iPod Classic survive ?

Its expensive, bulky, has buttons, no speakers or microphone and all it can do is play music and videos on a smaller screen. When you compare that with the cheaper iPod Touch which can play music ( without headphones too ), movies, surf the web, read and send emails, send iMessages, play hundreds of thousands of games, take photos and videos, Skype, read books, check weather, stock, wikipedia, dictionary and countless other things for $50 less than the iPod Classic, why has Apple not stopped production of the only survivor of the clickwheel series ?
Now I can only theorize about something like this, but my guess is that the 160GB iPod is the symbol of iPods. After all, an iPod is generally thought of as the classic clickwheel style iPod with a central button even though there's only one of those left. It's recognized as the worldwide icon for iPods and even a toddler recognizes the symbol. Now that probably wouldn't remain the situation if iPod like that didn't exist. And if it did, the icon of the Apple iPod without the actual device. Would be a little strange, wouldn't it ?

Of course, another possibly more obvious reason could also be that Apple still hopes to sell many more iPod Classics considering that they've sold over 300 Million iPods to date.

Related:
Are the Clickwheel iPods Dying Out ?
iPod Touch - A Social Device ?
New iPod Nano - Clock Faces and Better Optimized for Smaller Screen
Why the iPhone 4S was frowned upon
iPhone 4S ( iPhone 5 ) - A Review

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Are the Clickwheel iPods Dying Out ?

iPod Lineup 2011

I suppose the question above is redundant since it's more of a statement than a question. The iPod is thought of as the rectangularly shaped device with a circular scrollwheel and click button which forever changed the way we listen to music. In fact, the above mentioned is a universal symbol of iPods and Music. But if you come to think about it, there's only one of those left - The iPod Classic. The Nano's touch now, So is the iPod Touch. The shuffle never had a clickwheel, just and that covers the iPod line up. So from 13 clickwheel iPods developed over the years, only one survived; question is for how long ?

Related:
Will the iPod Classic survive ?
New iPod Nano - Clock Faces and Better Optimized for Smaller Screen
iPod Touch - A Social Device ?
Some Statistics about iOS Devices - iPad, iPhone and iPod

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iPod Touch - A Social Device ?

Is the iPod Touch being marketed as a social device ? With new and increasing ways of communicating with friends through this device its almost equivalent to a phone. In fact if it weren't for the lack of 3G, it could have been used as a phone. And not just any ordinary phone. An advanced touchscreen phone with internet capability and hundreds of thousands of applications and games to choose from. iMessage for messaging services. Skype and Facetime for calling ( video or audio calls ), Game centre for playing games and sharing scores with your friends, Camera for taking and sharing photos and Facebook, twitter and other social networking applications are also quite easily available ( generally as free apps ). Its possible that this is, intentionally or unintentionally, Apple's new method for marketing the Device. And its working. 

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iPod Touch - Black and White

iPod Touch - Now available in Black and White

On the 4th of October - iPhone 4S event, Apple also announced the release of a new iPod Touch with 2 color options - Black or White. With 2 cameras, HD video recording, Retina Display, Facetime, iCloud, iOS 5 ( including iMessage ) as well as the hundreds of thousands of applications and games designed for it, the most popular iPod is likely to become even more popular. Although it hasn't changed much, the vast array of capabilities of the brilliantly designed and cheaply priced iPod make it an attractive option. Starts at $199 for the 8GB model and a $100 increment for 32 and 64 GB models each.

What they missed out on


3G capability - People love the 3G capability of the iPad and iPhone. Using the internet while on the go is a very attractive and time-saving feature. Although it may not have had much use in the iPod Touch previously, with the coming of iMessage and the increasing use of facetime, 3G capability is almost a necessity in the device.

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Teardown of the New iPod Nano

Tearing down of the new iPod Nano ( 7th generation ) by iFixit shows that Apple's switched to SanDisk from Toshiba for flash storage apart from the software changes.

This is most likely because SanDisk offered better prices considering the fact that the iPod Nano's prices have been cut to $149 ( for 4GB )

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New iPod Nano - Clock Faces and Better Optimized for Smaller Screen

On October 4th, along with the iPhone 4S, Apple also released a new iPod Nano ( 7th generation ) This new nano is to have 18 new clock faces and also new icons replacing the previous 4 icons on a screen. The new icons will be bigger ( one on a page ) and you can swipe right or left to navigate to different icons. The new nano is available in 7 different colors in 8GB and 16GB models with newer fitness features. It is priced at $129 and $149 respectively.

18 New clock faces

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Why the iPhone 4S was frowned upon

Why would an iPhone be frowned upon ? And that too, the newest one in the lineup. When we think of an iPhone, we think of Apple's beautifully designed phone which, with each new model, becomes increasingly so. Take a look at the image below, for example -

And now...

You might have noticed that there is not much change in the iPhone 3G ( Black ) and iPhone 3G S ( White )

It leads me to believe that the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4S were merely "upgrades" to an existing phone whereas it was observed and marketed as a change in the lineup. While they do provide attractive new features, the $100-$200 increment in price in comparison to older models may not be very economically attractive especially since the iPhone 3GS is being sold for $0. 

Another reason, in my opinion, for the originally "disappointed" frowns of the reviewers is that most reviewers were basing their opinion on the keynote, which quite frankly wasn't very appealing. With Steve Jobs absence, Tim Cook might take a while to adjust and to be able to give better keynotes. Possibly, Steve's life threatening condition ( Which Apple knew about at the time ) proved to be a distraction. Looking at the same features on Apple's website seems much more impressive than on the keynote. 

Just a thought.

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Google delays launch of Android's Latest OS Out of Respect for Steve Jobs

Google and Samsung have delayed the launch of the latest Android Operating System - Ice Cream Sandwich and Nexus Prime out of respect for Apple's Founder Steve Jobs. They said that they did not feel it was an appropriate time to release Apple's greatest competitors' products at such a time.

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Apple Knew About Jobs' Condition During iPhone 4S Launch

According to reports from the Palo Alto police station, Apple Executives knew of Jobs' condition and his limited time left during the launch of the iPhone 4S. Apple representatives allegedly told the police department that "there was a possibility that it could happen sometime this week" which probably explains the image above.

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Apple sold out of iPhone 4S Pre-Order Stock

The iPhone 4S which was made available for pre-ordering online on October 7th has sold out of its U.S pre-order stock selling more than 200,000 devices in the first 12 hours ( according to AT&T ) with the shipments coming in from 14th October onwards. This is a surprising turn of events, what with reviewers all over speaking about the device with a critical frown on their face. It seems the consumer is highly impressed with the iPhone 4S.

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Did the iPhone 4S need a new design ?

iPhone 4S

Everyone loves a new design. Its what tells it apart from the old one. And everyone likes to see Apple's gadget with the new design. But how could Apple have changed the design ? 


Make it curved rather than boxy, perhaps ? But why do that when all iPhone models prior to the iPhone 4 were in fact curved and yet the iPhone 4 sold more than all of them combined.


Maybe increase the screen area ? But then the border of the Phone on the side of the screen would have to be removed and wouldn't that destroy the classic look of the Phone ?


Of course, I won't argue with the fact that we expect Apple to come up with something new like that but if they're fine with their design of the phone ( which just won the "World's thinnest smartphone" rights ) then so am I. After all, its less than a centimeter thick. 

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iPhone 4S: Fastest Camera Amongst Major Smartphones

Image capture time in various Phones ( lesser is better )

I think the image and title are self-explanatory but it's an image showing how the iPhone 4S has the fastest camera.

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Pre-Order / Buy your iPhone 4S Now

You can now pre-order your iPhone 4S here with a contract from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint  starting at $199.  You can also buy an iPhone 4 ( starting at $99 ) or an iPhone 3GS - Free ( starting at $0 ) from the same page. If you can wait for a month until November, Apple will also be selling unlocked and contract free iPhones.
Pre-ordering started on October 7th 2011 and in the first day itself, 200,000 devices were pre-ordered. It appears I may have thrashed the iPhone 4S in my review quite unnecessarily. The average consumer seems to love it.

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iPhone 4S ( iPhone 5 ) - A Review

There's a fine line between amazing and Apple. Normally, you see Apple leap past amazing with the same efficiency as a knife going through butter. Surprisingly though, on October 4th, at the the iPhone event, it seems Apple came short of Apple. Not to say that the iPhone 4S was anything short of amazing. Just unexpected. But then again it is Apple.


Take the launch of the iPhone 4, for instance. They introduced 2 new cameras, HD quality recording, an LED flash, a new display which was 4 times better than the previous, a new 3 axis accelerometer, a new kind of glass screen which was 30 times tougher than plastic or so they claimed.

And now, the iPhone 4S, what would you expect ? You're all probably getting anxious by now so I'll just skip ahead and give you an overview of the new features, some of which actually are quite mind-blowing. ( Spoiler alert: You probably won't be typing in your reminders anymore. ) Here they are -

1. New 8 Megapixel Camera - A mindblowing camera with a new lens system ( maximum aperture upto f/2.4 ) and new filters. Apple has also decided to upgrade the camera to include improved backside illumination sensor, excellent auto white balance, advanced color accuracy, face detection, and reduced motion blur.See some untouched photos taken from this Camera here.

2. Siri is definitely the most impressive and also my favorite feature of the iPhone 4S. Essentially it's a voice based personal assistant for you on your iPhone. But exactly what can it do ? It can do anything. CHeck your stocks, the weather, date and time, set an alarm, set a reminder, define a word, look it up on wikipedia, find you applications, send and read out your texts and emails even find you a good restaurant or movie. And more. And all you have to do is ask in casual language. Based on Apple's demonstration, it seems to understand and work with remarkable ease but only time will tell how useful it really is. Below are some pictures demonstrating its use.

3. HD 1080p Video Recording - With the right resolution, this quality of video recording is absolutely amazing and it is probably the best video camera you'll be owning. If it isn't its still quite nice for something that fits in your pocket.

4. Complete with iOS 5 ( All 200+ features of the world's most advanced mobile operating system ) including notification centre, advanced image editing, news stand, reminders, twitter integration, safari reader and reading list, iMessage, keyboard and lock screen shortcuts, and wi-fi sync ( syncs with your computer over the wireless network automatically whenever you put it on charging )

5. iCloud integration - Stop worrying about your storage space. You now have 5GB extra storage space for free without it cluttering your iPhone. It allows you to store your content "in the air" wirelessly and also sends the same content to all your devices. So no matter where you are, no matter whether you're using an iPad, iPhone, iPod or Mac, your data will be on all of them.

6. Dual Core Apple A5 Processor - Twice as fast with 7 times faster graphics, Apple's new processor is meant to give the iPhone 4S a lightning boost. As if the iPhone 4 wasn't fast enough.

7. 2X Faster Data Downloads as compared to the iPhone 4 - Data downloads are now able to reach a super fast speed of 14.4 MBPS as compared to 7.2 in the iPhone 4


8. New antenna system - iPhone 4S is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to transmit and receive, so call quality is better.

9. World Phone - iPhone 4S is a world phone, so you can use it almost anywhere. Whether you’re a GSM or CDMA customer, you can roam GSM networks in 200 countries around the world. 

10. Built in iOS Applications - Any iOS device is known for the excellent built in Applications and App store applications that come with the gadget. And these are the foundation of iOS Devices which make it such a pleasure to use.




What they missed out on


1. A new design. Everyone loves a new design. Its what tells it apart from the old one. And everyone likes to see Apple's gadget with the new design.


2. Larger screen area - Something which was very much expected but not included in the 4S


3. Some amazing new technology ( Apart from Siri ) - When Apple comes out with a new gadget, people expect there to be some sort of new groundbreaking technology which other phone companies would then make a cheap imitation of and sell it at a lower price. For example, this time, I expected there to be a new 3D touch. Too imaginative ? Maybe but thats what one expects from Apple. 


Whatever one might say, the iPhone ( Whichever model it be ) is still far far ahead in the smartphone race. And sometimes you just have to accept the fact that the experience often beats the technical aspects.


CYM Rating - 8

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In Memory of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs

A few days ago, the world lost a genius. A visionary without whom, we would probably never have heard of tablets. Without whom, neither the iPod nor the Incredibles would exist. Without whom, computers and phones would have big clunky buttons and without whom, Apple would be just a fruit.

A creative and visionary genius in Apple's words, a role model in mine, Steven P. Jobs passed away on October 5th supposedly due to pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a world that he changed drastically in the 56 years that he was alive. The man who founded Apple, NeXT and Pixar Animations redefined the way we live our lives with his innovations.

Today, we mourn the loss of a man whose demise is not just Apple's loss. Not just his family's loss. But is a loss for us all. The loss of a man who shall never be forgotten. Perhaps the greatest tribute to his death is the fact that most of us read about it on a device that he invented.

It is said that there are three major Apple's that changed the world -

1. The one that Adam and Eve ate
2. The one that fell on Newton and
3. The one that Steve Jobs created

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iOS 5 Release Date - Confirmed by Apple

The much awaited iOS 5 is scheduled to be released and made available for download on the 12th of October, 2011

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iPhone 5 / iPhone 4S Event Live News

Recap

1. NO DESIGN CHANGE

2. 8MP Camera and HD 1080p Video recording

3. Siri - See below ( Its awesome )

4. New wireless antenna

5. iCloud

6. Apple A5 processor - 2X faster, 2X faster gaming, 7X better graphical perfomance

7. Family and Friends

————————————————————————————————————————

11:38 - Tim says thank you. 

11:36 - On october 28th, it will be available in 22 more countries and by the end of the year - 70 more.

11:36 Pre ordering starts October 7th and releases on October 14th

11:35 Prices shown below - iPhone 3GS is FREE ?!! WHAT !? iPhone 4S starts at $199 and in the US, it will be available in three carriers AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. 

Note: iPhone 4S is a worldphone

11:30 iPhone 4S also has a new wireless antenna system which supposedly fixes problems in the same in the iPhone 4. Apparently it "intelligently" switches between two different antennas. Will get back to that later.

Based on demonstrations, Siri understands even the most casual language.

At the risk of obsessing over Siri, the new personal assistant provided by Apple, it also sends your text messages, defines words for you, wikipedia-es things, tells you the current exchange rate, date, time, how many days left to... and anything else yo can possibly think of. All this - just by asking

As it turns out, Siri is even more amazing than previously imagined - It sets alarms, bring up a list of restaurants in the area, tell you about the situation of your stocks, shows you your reminder, reads your messages out and, get this, even sets up your meetings.

Siri

11:16 Phil asks the same question in many different ways such as "What is the weather like in cupertino ?", "Will I need an umbrella today ?", etc. Siri responds beautifully

11:15 Live demo of voice commands

11:14 Siri, the intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. A.K.A - Voice Commands

11:11 "To many Customers, this will be the best camera and video camera they have ever owned"

11:10 Also includes video image stabilization and Real Time Temporal Noise Reduction

11:08 Video Recording - 1080p HD quality with the perfect resolution

11:05 Camera on iPhone 4S - An amazing 8MP with an extremely wide f/2.4 Max aperture. Also has a 5 lens system with a new IR filter system

11:04 8 hour talk time  battery life on iPhone 4S

11:03 Download speed ( Theoretical ) - 14.4 MBPS in iPhone 4S as compared to 7.2 in iPhone 4

11:02 Two times faster download speeds

11:01 Phil Schiller back up

11:00 2X faster graphics

10:58 Infinity Blade Demo ( To show new and improved speed ) - It does look good.

10:56 iPhone 4S ( iPhone 5 ) - Apple A5 chip - Dual core processor, twice as fast, 7 times better graphics

10:53 iPod touch now comes in black and white and starts at only $199

10:51 Now the iPod touch - Most popular iPod, also the most popular portable gaming device in the world 

10:48 Updates on iPod Nano now being given by Phil Schiller - Nano now also functions as a clock with 16 different clock faces added by Apple. Of course you have to buy a wrist holder for that. Also it now has bigger icons for better navigation, comes in 7 different colors and is priced at $129 for 8GB and $149 for 16GB
10:43 Family and Friends - See where your family and friends are, set up temporary location sharing, time you location sharing, invite friends through this app, also has parental controls so no stalking

10:41 Find my friends - New app which allows you to find the location of your friends who have opted to let others see their location

10:40 Daily Backup on iCloud ( If you want ). Also Apps and Books Syncing.

iCloud

10:37 Now about iCloud - Seamless integration between your Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. how much does it cost ? Its Free ( Up to 5 GB ) - Photo stream, iTunes Stream and Documents )

10:35 PC Free - Use your iPad or your iPhone as your only Device without a computer 

10:34 Safari - Reader, Reading list, Tabbed browsing

10:31 Photo editing - Crop, Rotate, Red eye reduction, 

10:30 Background downloads, PC-less software updates, Take photos with volume up button

10:28 Recap: 200+ new features - New notifications system, iMessage, Twitter integration, Lock screen camera, Newsstand, Reminders, 

10:27 Time to talk about iOS 5 ! 

10:25 Developers have been paid more than $3 Biliion

10:25 Customers have downloaded more than 18 Billion apps. That's more than a billion apps per month.

10:23 More than 500K apps available. 140K specially optimized for iPad

10:22 App store is the number one place for download of applications.

10:20 95% customer satisfaction score
10:20 Appearing in Medicine, With pilots, In classrooms, essentially everywhere
10:18 Now the iPad - appearing everywhere. Revolutionizing the way we live. Appearing in schools too
10:16 iPhone - Number 1 smartphone in the world. iPhone 4 sales is half the number of iphone sales in total
10:15 iTunes Music Store - 20 Million songs exist, 16 Billion downloads.
10:14 iPod is still a large market for us. 45 Million iPods from July 2010 to June 2011
10:12 Now talking about the iPod and Music. Ten years ago, the iPod was launched on this very stage. It revolutionalized the way we listen to music.
10:11 Every single quarter for the past 5 years, Mac has outgrown the PC market
10:10 Lion has been downloaded 6 million times so far ( Typical Apple; Reviewing statistics about their products before a launch )

10:08 Reviewing products so far
10:07 Took a month for so many to come to the store in LA
10:06 100K visitors in shanghai stores on opening weekend
10:05 Now talking about Shanghai stores
10:03 Tim Cook out on stage talking about the pleasure of working with Apple.

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