So here we are more than halfway through the year and over 5 million iPads sold. Consumers are rapidly snatching up all the available iPad and iPhone 4.0 devices as fast as Apple can make them. As a publishing professional you’re asking yourself what does this mean to me? What impact does this have on the publishing industry and how do we as publishers get involved?

Released to the public in April 2010, the iPad platform (aka iOS 4) has taken digital publishing by storm. If you have used an iPad then you already know that it is more than a big iPhone, digital book, Internet browser, or device for accessing digital media. If you’ve been following my articles you’d know that this is a revolutionary device and it’s causing a paradigm shift in several information industries.

Users of the iPad are looking to you as publishers to deliver content they desire in this new medium. Of course this is not just limited to Apple products but it is also pending the release of new digital devices and smart phones by other companies – who are scrambling to catch up with the release of their smart phone technologies and tablet devices. So how do you get your content into your reader’s hands?

Smart media devices all support Internet-based browser technologies and can access content online that is tailored to these devices with technologies such as HTML 5, CSS three, JavaScript. Simply adding a bit of tagging and creating custom style sheets for your website will transform content for these mobile devices. Open source publishing platforms such as WordPress and Joomla can use templates designed to optimize the display of the content.

AppleScript, Automator, and MacOS X Services can also be used to automate and build web ready content. Using Apple’s free development tools a competent web developer could build a web-based applications with a Dashcode. DashCode apps can then be converted into xCode – the application that is used to create native MacOS X and and iOS applications for the iPhone and iPad.
Apple has created its own digital reader for the iOS devices called iBooks. The iBooks Store is used to publish digital books in the ePub format. Applications like InDesign can export pages into this format. You can distribute your iBook publications from your own website or distribute for profit through Apple’s iBook store. Resources like lulu.com available to help you self publish.

Starting at $99 a year, you can become an Apple developer and be able to publish applications to actual devices like the IPad. Once you become a registered developer and pay the fees you can submit applications for approval to Apple’s App Store. If Apple approves your iPhone app, they will distribute the application through the App Store.

Native iOS apps are written using Objective-C. There are many resources available to get you up to speed. Several books have been published in physical and digital form that teach users to build apps. Online resources available such as Lynda.com and Apple’s developer website offer learning materials online.

If you’re not already an experienced programmer learning Objective-C has a steep learning curve. The TapLynx framework, among others, help build basic apps in xCode. Frameworks will help you build real iOS applications without having to learn Objective-C.

You can also look into hiring a developer to help you build a app. Simple applications range from $2500 to $10,000. More sophisticated apps take many months to develop and will cost even more. Experienced developers can be hired for between $80 US and $160 US to either consult or develop your application. Single dedicated developer can cost a around $6500 US per month.

It is both an exciting time and a nerve-racking time. Publishing on ink on paper has been under pressure for last 15 years or so. The Internet has eroded any kind of profit-making and now the iPad presents an opportunity to deliver content to an end user who will be willing to pay for that content. Or at the very least advertisers will want the opportunity deliver their message along with your content. If you’re producing a magazine, newspaper, the list of services or even a real estate listing the iPad is proving to be a revolutionary publishing platform. You owe it to yourself to explore the opportunity for yourself and your clients.

The new iMac is the ultimate all-in-one computer. Its Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors feature an advanced architecture and set new benchmarks for iMac performance. And fast discrete graphics processors now come standard in every iMac. The 21.5-inch and 27-inch widescreen displays are perfect for HD video, and the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse keep your desktop tidy.

Key Features

• 21.5-inch display with 1920-by-1080 resolution; 27-inch display with 2560-by-1440 resolution
• Dual-core Intel Core i3 and i5 processors up to 3.6GHz
• Available quad-core Intel Core i5 and i7 processors up to 2.93GHz (27-inch model only)
• ATI Radeon HD 4670, ATI Radeon HD 5670, or ATI Radeon HD 5750 graphics
• Wireless Magic Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard (also available with Apple Wired Keyboard with Numeric Keypad)
• Built-in iSight camera, stereo speakers, and microphone
• Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Why Mac

• A Mac is better at the things you do every day, like surfing the web, checking email, and working with Microsoft Office files.
• With a Mac you can do amazing things with photos, movies, and music—right out of the box.
• Advanced technologies such as the latest processors and next-generation graphics come standard.
• The operating system, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, is tailor-made to help you get the most from your Mac.

Pricing

• 21.5-inch: 3.06GHz Intel Core i3 $1,299
• 21.5-inch: 3.2GHz Intel Core i3 $1,599
• 27-inch: 3.2GHz Intel Core i5 $1,799
• 27-inch: Quad Core 2.8GHz Intel Core i5 $2,099

Coming is August – the 2010 Mac Pro.

Learn More...

Choose your cores: 4, 6, 8, or 12.
The new Mac Pro offers two advanced processor options from Intel. The Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor is available in a single-processor, quad-core configuration at speeds up to 3.2GHz. For even greater speed and power, choose the “Westmere” series, Intel’s next-generation processor based on its latest 32-nm process technology. ”Westmere” is available in both quad-core and 6-core versions, and the Mac Pro comes with either one or two processors. Which means that you can have a 6-core Mac Pro at 3.33GHz, an 8-core system at 2.4GHz, or, to max out your performance, a 12-core system at up to 2.93GHz.

Even faster standard graphics.
All-new high-performance graphics cards from AMD make Mac Pro graphics technology faster than ever before. Perfect for motion graphics, 3D modeling, rendering, or animation, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory comes standard. It not only provides faster performance compared to previous Mac Pro standard graphics cards — it’s also faster than the top-of-the-line graphics cards in the previous generation.

Massive storage.
The Mac Pro comes with four 3.5-inch drive bays for an enormous amount of internal storage — up to 8TB when you install four 2TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s drives.1 Each bay provides its own independent 3Gb/s channel for fast access to data. And thanks to the cable-free, direct-attach installation system, adding (or replacing) hard drives is a surprisingly simple process.

Choose solid-state for ultimate performance.
New to the Mac Pro is the option to add up to four 512GB solid-state drives — or any combination of solid-state and hard drives.2 Solid-state drives have no moving parts and are capable of accessing data at speeds up to 230MB per second, which is up to twice the speed of hard drives. The result? Incredible performance on a range of data-intensive tasks, including up to 2x faster ProRes video encoding using solid-state drives compared with hard drives.

Expansion made easy.
The easy-access interior of the Mac Pro feels like the well-organized workstation it is. No rat’s nest of components here. You don’t need to turn the system on its side or struggle to reach into awkward spaces to make changes. Just remove the side panel for instant access to everything. Slide out the processor tray to add memory. Slide out drive bays to add storage. Slide a simple bar to change up to four expansion cards at once. And with plenty of I/O ports both front and back, you’ll have room for all your external devices

Apple announced that the new iPad will ship on April 3. It will be available a short while after that.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is an even more powerful and refined version of the world’s most advanced operating system. In ways big and small, it gets faster, more reliable, and easier to use. New core technologies unleash the power of today’s advanced hardware technology and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation. And Snow Leopard includes built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, so you can use your Mac at home and at work.

Top Updates in Mac OS X
Mac OS X is the world’s most advanced operating system. Built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation and designed to be simple and intuitive, it’s what makes the Mac innovative, highly secure, compatible, and easy to use.

Better, faster, easier. Mac OS X Snow Leopard includes hundreds of improvements that will help make your Mac faster, more responsive, and more reliable than ever. Installation is up to 50 percent faster than with Mac OS X Leopard; wake from sleep is as much as two times faster; shutdown is up to 80 percent faster; and initial Time Machine backups to Time Capsule are up to 80 percent faster than in Leopard.2

Dock. Now Exposé is integrated in the Dock, giving you a quick and easy way to see all the open windows of an application.

Finder. The Finder has been completely rewritten to take advantage of the new technologies in Snow Leopard. The familiar Finder interface is unchanged, but you’ll discover that the Finder is faster and more responsive. It also includes an enhanced icon view with live file previews, so you can thumb through a multipage document or even watch a QuickTime movie.

New core technologies. New core technologies in Snow Leopard unleash the power of today’s advanced hardware and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation.

QuickTime X. The next-generation media technology, QuickTime X powers the audio and video experience in Snow Leopard. It debuts a completely new QuickTime Player application with a clean, uncluttered interface as well as an easy way to record, trim, and share your media.

Out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange. Snow Leopard includes out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 in Mail, iCal, and Address Book, so it’s easier than ever to take your Mac to work.

Safari 4. The latest version of the blazing-fast web browser delivers up to 50 percent faster JavaScript performance2 and is more resistant to crashes than ever.

Universal Access. Every Mac comes standard with a wide range of assistive—or Universal Access—technologies that help people with disabilities experience what the Mac has to offer. Snow Leopard continues this support with a variety of innovative features that advance accessibility even further.

1. Price is $39 CDN as of August 2009, is subject to change, and does not include taxes or shipping. 2. Testing conducted by Apple in August 2009 comparing prerelease Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard with shipping Mac OS X v10.5.8 Leopard. Performance will vary based on system configuration, network, file sizes, data sets, and other factors. These tests reflect the approximate performance of Mac OS X.

TM and © 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Product specifications are subject to change without notice.

Click the link below to get a promo code for free admission to the Apple Expo Canada 2009 at the Distillery District.

August 20 -21, 2009

iT Guy Technologies is proud to announce that we are now a certified reseller of Xsilva’s Lightspeed point of sale software for the Mac. We can now fully support you with your retail and web store endeavors.

LightSpeed™ is a ground-breaking, next-generation Point of Sale system for Mac that offers retail stores comprehensive and easy-to-use retail tools in an iTunes-like Browser, and an innovative floating POS interface designed for high-speed, error-free checkout. A tightly-integrated Web Store module (sold separately) allows stores to take their product catalog online and download orders right back into LightSpeed. All of this functionality is built on a powerful, multi-user database that will scale to satisfy the needs of any growing retail business.

Apple update the Time Capsule to 2TB
ack up a lifetime’s worth of memories with the Time Capsule, a wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. It’s also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station with simultaneous dual-band support.1 Choose from 1TB and 2TB models.2

Apple Announces New Final Cut Studio
Apple announces a significant update to Final Cut Studio, with more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor. The industry’s leading video post-production suite, Final Cut Studio features Final Cut Pro 7 with new versions of ProRes to support virtually any workflow, Easy Export for one-step delivery, and iChat Theater integration for real-time editing collaboration from anywhere in the world.

Apple Announces Final Cut Server 1.5
Apple announced Final Cut Server 1.5, which frees up even more time for creative work, with new features that make it exceptionally flexible and easy to use. Final Cut Server can manage thousands of assets, execute dozens of routine production tasks, and keep every member of your team in sync—all while you continue working.

Apple Announces New Logic Studio
Apple announced the new Logic Studio, a huge leap forward for guitar players, live performers, and all musicians who write, record, edit, and mix their own music. New Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins provide 25 amp models and 30 stompbox pedals to create both legendary and modern guitar tones.

Apple Announces Logic Express 9
Apple announces Logic Express 9, a huge leap forward for guitar players and all musicians who write, record, edit, and mix their own music. New Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins provide 25 amp models and 30 stompbox pedals to create both legendary and modern guitar tones.