Next Year's Macbook Air To Be Faster As Intel Chip To Natively Support Offloading Non-Graphic Op to GPU

I know the the title is verbose. Coming from a science background, this title is short.  What it boils down to is Apple's OpenCL.  It's the ability to allow the Mac to offload certain non-graphic operations to the video processor in your Mac and allow them to help out the main processor, the CPU.

This feature is ready supported in many graphics processors (dedicated or integrated), the GPU, from AMD and Nvidia but not by Intel's current integrated graphics processor.

I think the Macbook Air is plenty fast for what it was designed to do.  Personally, I think heavier lifting should be handled by the Macbook Pro line.  Still, I'm never one to pass up on anything faster.  

We can see up to 60% increase in speed from the Macbook Airs by this time next year.

Source:  Appleinsider.

Google To Spend Hundreds of Millions to Make Youtube Work More Like A TV

According to some insiders, Electronista is report that Google may be willing to put in serious money to make sure that Youtube has enough content to be relevant.  As for content, we're talking about TV and movies, not just stuff that some dude with a camcorder and an Internet connection puts up.

Screen Protector Suggests 4" Screen And Bigger iPhone

This is a picture of a supposed screen protector for the next iPhone.  With the iPhone 4 laid on top of it, we can clearly see that the next iPhone will be bigger.  Quite a bit.  It means bigger screen and probably a bigger battery.  

From what I can see, it definitely is a 4" screen, an increase from the current 3.5" screen that the iPhone 4 and iPod touch sports.

This could well be what gets me to upgrade.  Faster CPU and a better camera would help as well.  It comes down to battery life as well.  I know, I sound like a broken record on the battery issue but I think as mobile warriors, we need to be free from the power outlets.

Give me close to iPad battery life and I'll be happy.  

Now, there's a chance this may not be legitimate.  There is another picture that showed an elongated home button that I'm gonna make you click over the Macrumors and the original source to check out.  

Why the elongated home button you ask?  I don't know.  I see a future iOS devices make use of the bezel and they would serve to some more sophisticated functions.  

Source:  Macrumors.

Does Groupon, LivingSocial, & Other Services Provide A New Way Of Living For Mobile Warriors? Maybe

I love to see Groupon, LivingSocial, and these gift-certificate services take off.  I think they're absolutely an indispensable new social service that is far more important than anything Facebook can ever provide.  And I welcome what Google will bring once they bring Deals to more cities around the country (in the US).

Initially, I was cool to these companies.  I don't need that many massages or work on my face (it's too late for me, unfortunately).  However, I am seeing a lot of deals for yoga, gyms, and other workout regimes.  And you still get your massages as well.  

So I wonder if one times things right, an user can maintain a healthy and active life just through the use of these coupons.  Recently in LA, there are martial art lessons, juigitsu, yoga classes, hypnotherapy (I don't know how effective these are), pilate classes, and I can go on. 

I would not say they're a great deal but they're decent enough if you want to try different things in your life.  Ultimately, these companies offer a chance to change how we live our lives.  We can end up trying something new and likely it.   And these workout-type deals come once or twice a week.  Add them to your regular workout if you have one and you can be looking a pretty healthy life.

And then obviously, there's the food too.  Whole Food deal from LivingSocial a couple of days ago was a hit.  I'm considering this hot dog deal for Pasadena that I can use tonight if I want to.  $16 for only $8.  Sounds like a good deal.

And not just for food and working out, there are theatre tix and cultural classes like ceramic making.  

All in all, I'm beginning to look at these sites differently.  And I'm beginning to see online news sites offer local deals.  It allows a mobile warrior to find new exciting things locally and explore the city in new ways

Right now, these deals are kind of limited but as businesses change, or new ones pop up with younger and tech and social savy owners, I see this segment of the market explode big time.

And it helps that they all have mobile apps on the major platforms.  

Samsung Prime Will Debut Around Same Time (Or A Bit After) iPhone 5

It looks like two high profile mobile devices, Apple's next iPhone and the first Android 4 device, Prime by Samsung, will be going head to head next month.  According to Droid-Life, an e-mail captured in a screen shot from a Verizon employee suggests this to be the case.

Obviously, the e-mail can be faked.  Nevertheless, this only confirms pretty much what everyone expected.  Furthermore, Prime will have some pretty good specs.  However, while there are rumors about specs for the next iPhone, no one knows the details at all.  At least not publicly.

While Prime may not (this could be Google's next Nexus phone so it can still happen) going to get the debut that the iPhone will on multiple carriers and regardless of the specs, it should be interested to see how iOS 5 and Android 4 go head-to-head in this mobile fight.  

As for specs, Prime is supposed to get a 720p screen.  

Source:  Droid-Life.

New iPad Keyboard With Twist: Elevated Keys (With Video)

I'm gonna become a sponsor as soon as I get home (forgot my wallet).  This new concept keyboard for the iPad is like none other we've seen.  First it's thin enough.  But more than that, it has a flat surface and the keys emerge when you press a button and they elevate from the surface.

It's called the Levitatr, a Bluetooth keyboard, again that has a smooth surface. And the keys only surface if you press a designated button.

If you're interested, you can go to their Kickstarter page to sign up for one.

You've got to see the video to understand what I'm talking about.



What do you think?  It's gimmicky enough that I think I want one.

Source: GigaOM.

Makes Sense For Apple To Include iMessage Into iChat And It Looks Like It Might Happen

iChat has been sort of a bastard child for OS X.  It's just there because Apple needed an instant messaging app for the Mac.  But for years, it was just there.  And then came iMessage in iOS 5.  

Almost immedaitely after that, I wondered if iMessage will be a part of OS X.  No word from Apple obviously.  We wont known until Apple tells us or we see evidence that it is.  And now, there could be evidence that Apple will incorporate iMessage into iChat  

Two new protocols are found in iChat by Macrumors that were previously not there. And these two protcols are currently being used in iMessage of iOS 5 beta.  It stands to reason, that it's there because a future release of iChat will incorporate iMessage.  

The only issue to settle now is when will this happen?  I think it'll happen on or around the launch of iOS 5.  Maybe a bit after that if Apple thinks it needs to time to make sure all the kinks are ironed out for iMessage for iOS users.

Source:  9to5Mac (from Macrumors).