WWDC 2013 set for 10 June; iOS 7 set to take centre stage

It's official. The next WWDC will be on 10 June 2013, and Apple is not shy about talking about what they will be showing off: iOS 7 and the next OS X.

Apple this time has a different challenge on their hands. No more will Apple fans accept the same old UI that was created back in 2007. Throughout those years. Android and even Blackberry have moved on. Apple can no longer depend on the goodwill and blind devotion of its fans to stick to iOS forever. They have to do something different for their golden goose, the iPhone and they have to do it in iOS 7.

Which is why with the departure of Scott Forstall and Jony Ive taking over his job, iOS 7 will be one of the most anticipated iOS and I'm hopeful that UI wise, it's going to be vastly different from what we are used to in the last 5 years.

Do you agree? Comments below.

iPad Mini available in Singapore; minus the long queues

For those who remember both the iPad 2 and 3, today's release seems to be a yawner. No lines, no pushing and shouting. Just some hardcore fans gathering around the concessionaires and quietly buying their iPad Minis.

Did you buy your iPad Mini? Comment below!

iPhone 5 cellular and WIFI problems: connected but no one's home

For the past few weeks, my iPhone 5 have been giving problems using data on both cellular and WIFI connection.

On cellular either LTE or 3G, my iPhone 5 will refuse to download any data. Sometimes, I will get the "Could not activate cellular network" warning. It's the same on WIFI. Even though I'm connected to my router, no data will be received. The only way to rectify this is to restart my iPhone. The connection will resume for a while and after leaving the phone on standby for a day or 2, it will happen again.

I really hope Apple will fix this with the upcoming iOS 6.0.1. Anyone else have this problem?

iPad Mini and 4th Generation iPad releasing 2 November; Singapore iPad 3 owners seethe in anger

We all know now that the iPad Mini and the surprising 4th Generation iPad will be available for pre-order tomorrow on 26 October (or is that tonight starting 12:01am?). But early adopters beware. Let's not fall into the trap that I and a host of others in Singapore have with the 3rd Generation iPad.

No, it's not the new A6X chip in the new iPad. It's not the inclusion of a Lightning Connector so that I can have another overpriced cable and avoid buying another overpriced Lightning to 30-Pin Connector adapter to charge my iPhone 5, though they are, what a lot of pundits have described, a nice to have.

No, it's none of these things. It's often the simple things in life that gets me all worked up, and it was supposed to be included in the 3rd Generation iPad.

It's LTE. When I first bought the 3rd Generation iPad, Apple has touted the device as LTE capable. When it became obvious that LTE did not work beyond the US shores, I was still hoping against hope that local telcos may find some way of releasing the appropriate spectrum to include the 3rd Generation iPad to enable LTE.

Alas, that was not to be. The 3rd Generation iPad is still an LTE device running on 3G here in Singapore; the fastest connection being DC-HSPA+. Incidentally, because all these connections are lumped under the "3G" moniker, I can't tell if I am on sub-par HSPA or DC-HSPA+. To date, there's no news on any telcos pushing LTE on the 3rd Generation LTE spectrum, and I highly doubt that it will happen.

But just 7 months on, Apple has literally given all Singapore 3rd Generation iPad owners a tight slap on the face by releasing a 4th Generation iPad that has the LTE capability of the iPhone 5 (meaning it will work with Singtel, M1 and Starhub LTE services). Apple may or may not know it, but there are implications to their announcements they made on 23 October:

The 3rd Generation iPad value has literally crashed overnight! Because it does not have a Lightning Connector and does not work with local LTE, it can't compete on the resale market. Which do you think buyers in the resale market would buy: the 3rd Generation iPad with no local LTE, or 4th Generation iPad with LTE? In fact, the 4th Generation iPad is more of the 3.5 Generation iPad.

To do what Apple did, is akin to them releasing the iPad Minis and iMacs this month, and then releasing the Retina Display versions in March of 2013.

Anyone else feels cheated like me? Comment below.

Lightning to 30-pin adapter shipping soon; are you buying one?

For those who own an iPhone 5 right now, you'll no doubt share the same feeling of frustration as me; having all your 30-pin connectors becoming obsolete almost overnight.

Apple is set to release the Lightning to 30-pin adapter soon to mend our aching hearts; but instead of soothing our anger; I think it has enraged them!

S$42 (US$29) for an adapter? I understand it will make our 30-pin connector cables alive again but it's still a lot to swallow. My wife also owns an iPhone 5, so that means I have to get two; and that's $84!

Are you buying one when it's released? Comment below!

Dreaming of an iPhone 5; with LTE and same day US release

Of course you heard all about it. The purported iPhone 5 will be announced this Thursday early morning at 2am local time, and almost all the details of the phone have been leaked.

Since the new iPad has LTE, it stands to reason that the iPhone 5 will at least support the US frequencies of 700Mhz and 2100Mhz  What is not so certain is the availability of LTE for the rest of the world, and that includes Singapore.

SingTel is gradually launching their 4G networks around the island, and M1 has already announced their launch that will cover 90% of the island on 15 September 2012. That leaves just Starhub to make their own announcement, and that don't seem to be coming soon.It could be they are timing their announcement with the launch of the iPhone 5.

Which brings us to the important question: when it is landing on Singapore's shores? If the release schedule of the New iPad is anything to go by, then Singapore may get the iPhone 5 the same time as our American counterparts; again supposedly 21 September 2012.

So keep your fingers crossed. All will be revealed in 2 days' time.

Mac OS X Mountain Lion released 25 July; will you pounce on this?

Apple has announced that Mac OS X Mountain Lion will release Wednesday, 25 July  (that's tonight in Singapore). You can check your application compatibility on Roaring Apps website.

But what I want to know, which I find so frustratingly difficult to a ascertain, is this: Will I still be able to print? I can't find any websites that test the compatibilities of various common printers; and what is worse, this information is not even available on the printer's official website!

OS X 10.8 Developer Preview has been released for a while, and you'd think this information would be easy for vendors to provide and put up on their official website. I don't need them to provide a nee driver so soon; just tell me if I should upgrade to 10.8!

Anyone has this problem? Comment below!