The Apple Summer Mac product conference is already rolling hot with Steve Jobs manning the show. As expected, his keynote address is filled with surprising unveiling of new Apple projects and the "everybody saw this coming" types. Tab this one under the second category - as predicted and whispered around various boards the past few weeks, Apple is giving us brand new iMacs.

Sporting a retroish look, the sleek new iMacs are made of aluminum and glass. It comes in 20- and 24-inched versions, each equipped with the usual but impressive specs such as up to  2.4GHz Core 2 Extreme processor, up to 4GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD graphics card, up to 1TB of hard drive storage. 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.0 built-in. There's also the usual compliment of ports like USB 2.0, Firewire 400/800, a slot loading SuperDrive, iSight camera etc.

What's also worth noting is that the oft-rumored new keyboard for the iMacs turns out to be true, with Steve Jobs himself confirming it. Boasting of large spacing and flat keys, Apple seems to be aiming to give the iMac users the laptop feel while typing. iMac purists seem to be a bit skeptic with the move, but let's all wait and see what happens. The 20-inch iMac goes for US$ 1,199 each (add three hundred bucks more for a processor and graphics enhancements), while the 24-inch monster demands US$ 1,799 per unit.

If you're one of the people who bought an iPhone, you probably know that you have one year of hardware repair coverage and up to two years of technical support. If you think that's not enough, then you can purchase an AppleCare Protection Plan which extends your repair coverage to two years.

You can avail of this anytime within the one-year limited warranty period and your eligibility for coverage under the AppleCare Protection Plan begins on the day you purchased the iPhone.

Before signing up, note that Apple is not authorized to sell the iPhone AppleCare Protection Plan to residents of Alabama, Connecticut, Nevada, or Wyoming. If you don't reside in any of these locations, then you may want to go over this short list of what you get from the plan:

Key Features:

• Extends hardware coverage to two years from the date of iPhone purchase.
• Covers iPhone, iPhone Bluetooth Headset, and all included accessories.
• Guarantees genuine Apple replacement parts.
• Permits transfer of the plan between owners.

Getting this additional protection will cost you US$ 69.99. However, that sounds like a good deal to protect your five or 600 dollar investment. If you're interested, click on our Read link to head to the Apple Store for more details.

nomad7674 over at flickr is reporting that the Apple store in Marlton, NJ, has now begun stocking up on the iPhone's Bluetooth Headset accessory. Needless to say, nomad7674 bought one unit (priced at US$ 129) and happily presented several pictures of the accessory's unboxing.

Going into details of the headset's features, nomad7674 states that the unit is small, but fits comfortably well in the user's ear. The box's kit includes a duo dock charger for simultaneously charging the iPhone and headset. The iPhone even displays both its own and the headset's battery gauge when both are plugged in.

There's also the advertised Travel cable. On a more interesting note, the headset also comes with a Magsafe connector, which magnetically attaches it to the charger dock and prevents it from falling off.

Lastly, the headset appears to be strictly for the phone functions. Activating iPod mode prompts the music to be heard through the phone's speakers. Check with your local Apple Store dealers if they already have stocks, or feel free to drop by nomad7674's flickr account for the headset's pictures. Link is provided at the Read link below.

So now that you know your iPhone's battery is mortal, practically degrading bit by bit each time you recharge, wouldn't you want to know how to extend your battery life? There are steps you can take so that you don't have to recharge as often, as to extend your the overall lifespan of your battery before it has to be replaced:

1. Update to the latest software. The update may contain ways for your iPhone to use less energy.
2. Use your iPhone so that you charge it at least once a month. It keeps the electrons flowing in the battery.
3. Lock your screen when you're not using your iPhone. This would prevent it from turning on everytime you touch the screen, saving battery power.
4. Turn off your WiFi and Bluetooth if you're not using it.
5. Turn on your Auto-Brightness. This saves your battery the extra energy if you don't need that much light to see the screen.
6. Turn off your equalizer when you're playing music. It might not seem like much, but your iPhone still needs extra energy to process it.

If you want to be really extra careful about your iPhone, you can also make sure you only operate it in 32 to 95 degree Fahrenheit environments. That's when they work best. Room temperature is, of course, well within that so relax. Just don't put it in the oven.

 

To make buying an iPhone easier for the market, the Apple Store online has been updated with a product page of their latest world-dominating baby, the iPhone. It was released in retail just a few hours ago over at the east coast, and at that time, the online store went down for a bit to make way for the iPhone's online debut.

It's US$ 499 for the 4GB model, while the 8GB is clocked at 600 greenbacks. All relevant information relating to the mobile phone's features and AT&T rate plans are found behind the Read link below. You might also want to check out the Accessories tag of their product page - that's a snazzy looking Bluetooth headset. The Gallery section contains not just pictures, but even video walkthroughs that tour you through the iPhone's interface.

Shipping is free, but the downside is you'd have to wait around two to four weeks for it to arrive. Oh and don't forget to read the fine print: "iPhone orders limited to two per customer." Makes sense to echo the rule they've set up in their actual brick-and-mortar stores. Besides, stocks are limited.

Doesn't that Read link just tease you? Must... Resist... Urge..

The Apple iPhone finally launches on June 29, and while a lot of things have been said about the features that it will have, let's take this moment to look at the things that it won't have. Here's a list of newly-confirmed features that the iPhone will not have packed into its sleek and stylish case from gadget news site Gizmodo.

• Songs as Ringtones
• Games
• Any flash support
• Instant Messaging
• Picture messages (MMS)
• Video recording
• Voice recognition or voice dialing
• Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Streaming (A2DP)
• One-size-fits-all headset jack (May have to buy an adapter for certain headphones)

This list raises quite a few questions. Earlier this year, video game companies such as Namco and Electronic Arts have confirmed that they are in talks with Apple about putting their games on the iPhone. While it is possible that these deals fell through, it is also quite possible that game support - as well as other features - will be added to the phone via later updates.

Apple has finally released a new update that brings Mac OS X version 10.4.9 up to version 10.4.10. This delta update is for both PowerPC-based and Intel-based Macs. The update includes the following fixes and features:

• Bluetooth
• Addresses an issue in which a Bluetooth headset may show up as an available device for sound output in the Sound preference pane after it had been removed from Bluetooth preferences.
• Third-party
• Adds RAW image decoding support for the following cameras: Panasonic DMC-LX1, Panasonic DMC-LX2, Leica M8, Leica D-LUX 2, Leica D-LUX 3, Fuji S5 Pro, Nikon D40x, and Canon EOS 1D Mk III.
• Resolves an issue in which some DNG images may appear tinted or distorted.
• Improves compatibility of Mathematica 6 with 64-bit Macs.
• USB
• Improves reliability when using the IR remote control after waking from sleep.
• Improves reliability when mounting external USB hard drives.
• Resolves an issue in which a TomTom GO 910 may not be recognized when connected via USB to an Intel-based Mac.
• Other
• Improves responsiveness when using the Control-Eject key combination to display a shutdown dialog.
• Addresses a specific issue in which users importing video from a DV camera may experience dropped frames.
• Includes recent Apple security updates.
• Addresses issues with calendar calculations in certain applications.
• Addresses issues when rounding decimal numbers for display in certain applications.
• For Motion, addresses an issue in which some texture corruption could appear in Motion if VRAM is full.

You can get the update via Software Update or by clicking on the "Read" link below and downloading the standalone installer. Installation instructions as well as more information can also be accessed via the "Read" link.

Aliph has announced that its Jawbone Bluetooth headset will be sold along with the Apple iPhone at all 157 Apple Stores and at the Apple.com website once the iPhone goes into retail on June 29.

In case you haven't come across this gadget before, the Jawbone is a Bluetooth headset that uses a military-grade noise-cancelling system dubbed Noise Shield. Using the Noise Shield system, the headset can eliminate background noise and seamlessly adjust speaker volume throughout a call for uninterrupted and clearer conversations.

The Jawbone has already been out for a while, garnering quite a few accolades along the way, but riding the iPhone wave should help bring it into the hands of more consumers than any other marketing campaign could. It will be available in three colors - silver, red and black - and will go for US$119.99 a pop at Apple Stores.

The Simple Web Solution found some differences on the iPhone design from Steve Job's keynotes and the new advertisements that were released recently. Here are the small changes noted in the iPhone's graphic user interface (GUI). Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pictures!

Home screen: Web home button is swapped with the Safari icon

Changing the generic web icon for a Safari does make sense; but does it mean that Apple is going to quash any hopes that the iPhone can be used with a third-party web browser?

iPod: Icons for the iPod mode has changed, and Podcasts are now added

The screenshot on the right certainly does look prettier with the pictures, but it seems like it's simply a view mode that can be toggled into a picture-less one (on the left) at anytime.

Those are just some of the changes in the iPhone shown in the new commercials since Steve Job's keynote. How many tweaks will be added by the time the iPhone ships outs, we wonder. More pictures of these changes at the Full Article.

Apple Insider reports that the first pre-release builds of Mac OS X 10.4.10 have made rounds in Cupertino earlier this month, and is being readied for testing.

It is reported that Apple hopes to stabilize the software to the point where it can proceed to seeding copies of the software update to its Apple Developer Connection members by next week.

Apple last updated the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger in March. At the time, Mac OS X 10.4.9 came with improved camera support, improved DVD playback, and enhanced Bluetooth support. For the latest update, the specific fixes are still unknown. However, most believe that an fix for an "audio-related issue" will be included.

Apple insider believes that this free time that Apple has to work on the current OS X 10.4 Tiger is due to the delay of OS X 10.5 Leopard to October.