iPad 2 review

 
The competition must really hate Apple. The Apple iPad wasn't just a successful tablet computer in 2010--it was the tablet computer. In one fell swoop, Apple created the new tablet market and sold tens of millions of iPads in spite of a global economic downturn and considerable skepticism.
The same, only better
With the iPad's second go-around, Apple sticks to its successful formula. The iPad 2 is thinner, faster, and includes two cameras, but otherwise, the iPad stays the same: size, price, capacity, and features all carry over, except for color. Apple now offers both white and black versions of the iPad 2 in every price and configuration. The base model starts at $499, giving you 16GB of storage and a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet. If you want more storage for all your applications, photos, music, and videos, you can jump up to the 32GB ($599) or 64GB ($699) models.
The freedom to surf the Web over a 3G cellular connection costs an extra $130 for any of the three models mentioned above, plus monthly carrier fees. Unlike with the original iPad, you now have a choice of two carriers (Verizon or AT&T). Choose carefully, though, since the Verizon version of the iPad can't be made to work on AT&T, and vice versa.

It's thin enough to slice a cake, yet still feels firm enough not to seem flimsy and cheap. There are a lot of tablet-specific apps to purchase and the User Interface feels snappy and responsive.

The hardware
The iPad 2 is thin--so thin, in fact, that it feels like a different device. Measuring just 0.34 of an inch, it's thinner than the iPhone 4 and a third thinner than the original iPad.
Despite the thinner design, its construction quality is no less rugged than the original's. The back of the iPad is still made from a durable, single slab of aluminum machined to fit the iPad's internal components like a glove. The face of the iPad is covered in the same scratch-resistant glass, with a home button at the bottom of the screen and a new front-facing camera at the top.
Otherwise, the iPad 2 sticks to familiar iPad routines. The sleep/wake buttons and headphone jack are in the same place as on the original, up top, as are the volume rocker and mute/rotation lock switch on the right edge. On the bottom you'll find the iPad's universal dock connection and the internal speaker. The speaker's perforated grille now wraps around the back, giving it more surface area and noticeably better sound quality.

The height and width may look similar, but in terms of thickness, the iPad has done some dieting, shrinking from 13.4mm thick on the original model to 8.8mm thick for the iPad 2. It's thinner, even, than the iPhone 4.
For the iPad 2, Apple has avoided compatibility shenanigans. With the exception of any original iPad cases, the device works with first-gen accessories (docks, adapters, speakers, video cables, chargers), though first-gen docks don't fit like a glove. An updated standard dock for the iPad 2 is available. For keyboard support, Apple now recommends its Bluetooth wireless keyboard.
The iPad 2 accessory that's really getting all the attention is Apple's new Smart Cover. An answer to all the bulky, overdone, rubber third-party cases made for the first iPad, Apple's unique hinged cover comes in two materials--leather ($59) and polyurethane ($39)--and multiple colors. It attaches magnetically to the left or right edge of the iPad 2 using two aluminum hinges embedded with impressively strong rare-earth magnets. Magnets within the cover are used to detect when the cover is open or shut, allowing the iPad 2 to automatically wake or sleep. It works, but you also have the option in Settings to bypass the automatic wake feature and use the button manually.

As accessories go, the Smart Cover is nifty--not so much for the protection it offers, but for the convenient stand it provides when rolled up. If, on the other hand, you are seriously concerned about protecting your investment, keeping the iPad 2 in a traditional wraparound case is still the best way to go.

Features: 
The iPad 2 isn't a radical departure from the original, but it does have a few new tricks up its sleeve.
The banner feature for the iPad 2 is the addition of two cameras, both able to record video or snap photos. The camera on the back is located in the upper-right corner where it isn't likely to be covered by your hand (in portrait orientation, at least). It looks just like the chrome-ringed lens on the iPhone 4 and is similarly blessed with 720p video capture. There's no camera flash, however, and the camera sensor is a far cry from the one used in the iPhone 4. Just like the fourth-generation iPod Touch, the iPad 2 takes photos that are essentially video stills. A gallery of photos taken with the iPad 2 can be seen here.

The iPad 2 boasts two cameras; the original iPad doesn't even have one. The rear-facing camera, pictured here, supports 720p video capture.
Even if Apple had gone the route of using a Carl Zeiss lens and a 10-megapixel sensor, the iPad 2 just isn't a replacement for a camera or smartphone. Having tested the camera quality of tablets over the past year, we can't stress enough how silly you feel shooting videos or photos with a tablet in public. It's like taking a picture with a cutting board. Your grandfather's camera was less conspicuous. You get looks, and they're not the envious kind.

The iPad's rear-facing camera won't replace your point-and-shoot, but the image quality isn't bad.
Really, the cameras are there as a way to support Apple's FaceTime video chat app, which is now available for Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad 2. If you've been waiting for the Jetsons' video phone, FaceTime on the iPad gets you pretty close. Unlike smaller devices, the iPad's 9.7-inch screen can present faces at life-size. We've seen this before with desktop- and laptop-based video calling, but it can be uncanny to actually hold an image of someone's life-size face in your hands. FaceTime still remains a Wi-Fi-only feature, however, so in-car iPad video calls are an elusive capability (probably to humanity's advantage).
Other iPad 2 apps designed by Apple include GarageBand and iMovie, which must be purchased separately for $4.99 each. The iPad is the last of Apple's iOS devices to be blessed with iMovie (and the camera required for it), but is the first to receive GarageBand. We have separate write-ups of GarageBand for iPad and iMovie for iPad available for more depth.
Under the hood, the iPad 2 has plenty to brag about. The new spec uses a dual-core A5 processor that promises to be twice as fast with nine times the graphics performance. If gaming graphic quality is an important consideration for you, you can jump ahead to the Performance section of this review.
Another feature sure to burn the competition is full HDMI AV output compatibility. Using a $39 dock cable, the iPad can now mirror its output to a TV over a standard HDMI connection. The supported resolution goes up to 1080p, though video playback and most apps never break out of 720p. Unlike previous video-out solutions for the iPad, this cable no longer limits users to simply video playback or presentations. Everything you see on the screen is mirrored on your TV, including video, photos, games, and the home screen. Competitors such as RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook and the Motorola Xoom have been waving HDMI compatibility as a key advantage over the iPad. Now they have one fewer bragging point.
The iPad 2 also adds the same three-axis gyroscope sensor shared by the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch, giving the device a more detailed sense of its orientation in space, similar to the feeling of holding a Nintendo Wii remote. The gyro's appeal is mostly for gaming, allowing for more precise motion control and realistic navigation within virtual environments. In a first-person shooter game like N.O.V.A., for instance, you can tilt the iPad 2's screen up, down, left, or right to explore the game's surroundings, just like a window into the game's universe.
Features: Oldies but goodies
Cameras and gyros are nice, but let's not forget all the features that made the original iPad unbeatable. If you've ever used an iPhone or iPod Touch, the iPad 2 will feel immediately familiar. Out of the box, you get many of the iPhone's capabilities, including Apple-designed apps for Web browsing, e-mail, maps, photos, music, video, and YouTube. More apps can be installed using the built-in App Store software or by connecting the iPad to iTunes via your computer using the included cable. If you already own apps purchased for an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can transfer these apps to the iPad, as well.
The original iPad made its debut with iOS 3.2. That OS' limitations seem prehistoric today. You couldn't bounce between applications with multitasking. You couldn't organize applications into folders. And support for document printing and AirPlay streaming of music, videos, and photos didn't arrive until November 2010.
At launch, the iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3, bringing a host of important new features and improvements. There are new apps for Photo Booth (a dedicated portrait-taking app), and FaceTime video chat. The Safari Web browser gets a speed boost under the hood for improved JavaScript rendering. The app now includes a Home Sharing option for streaming media over your home network from local computers. And for those of you who want flexible control over the function of the switch above the iPad's volume buttons, iOS 4.3 hands over the reins and allows you to designate it as either a rotation lock or a mute for system alert sounds (such as incoming FaceTime calls).
One sticking point in the original iPad that Apple hasn't addressed in the iPad 2 is Adobe Flash support for Apple's Safari Web browser. Apple seems dead set against supporting Adobe's popular tool for presenting video and graphics on the Web, and without it, many corners of the Web are inaccessible on the iPad or present a Swiss cheese of broken content. For the most part, though, the iPad's Web-browsing experience is the best you'll find on a tablet. Navigation is responsive, zooming in and out of text is fluid, and managing multiple open pages is a cinch.
The iPad's device features, such as Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP, EDR), Wi-Fi 802.11 n, 3G, and 10 hours of battery life, are all here, and in many cases are still the bar by which other tablets are judged.

Wi-Fi versus 3G
For road warriors or those who just get a little itchy at the idea of not being connected to the Internet, Apple offers a version of the iPad with an integrated 3G cellular data connection.
Aside from a negligible added heft of 0.1 pound and the fact that buyers are paying an extra $130 for the 3G capability (compared with Wi-Fi-only models), there's no downside to owning a 3G-compatible model. Unlike the data plans for most smartphones, the iPad doesn't come with any long-term contractual obligations. If you don't end up using the iPad's 3G capability, you can cancel the data plan at any time.
If you decide to go with the 3G option for the iPad 2, you have your choice of two carriers: AT&T or Verizon. Data plans and fees differ between the two carriers (and are always subject to change), and the 3G cellular technology under the hood differs as well.
The AT&T iPad model uses a GSM modem and a micro-SIM card slot, allowing you to easily swap in compatible micro-SIM cards from foreign carriers when overseas. Verizon's iPad uses a CDMA 3G modem and lacks the SIM-swapping feature of AT&T's GSM modem, making it a poor choice for international jet-setters.
As far as data plans go, AT&T offers two options: $15 a month for 250MB of data, or $25 a month for 2GB. Each option can be prepaid for a month, and AT&T's plans do not include an activation fee.

The bottom line
The iPad 2 redefines an already excellent product. Its easy-to-use interface, vast app catalog, and marathon battery life bolster Apple's claim to being the king of tablets.

Nokia E7 review

User friendliness summary for Nokia E7 review

I love the solid feel of the E7's metal body, but sliding out the QWERTY keyboard takes quite a lot of force. The phone feels very business like, thanks to the Symbian^3 operating system, which is unlike the user-friendly interfaces of Android and iPhone handsets

User friendliness summary for Nokia E7 review

Despite the face that Symbian^3 is a revitalised operating system that is supposed to be optimised for touch-screen handsets, it is neither user friendly or smooth in use - and the out-of-date software makes it frustrating to use many of the handset's features

 Feature set summary for Nokia E7 review

There's a long list of features - accurate GPS with free sat-nav from Ovi Maps, excellent email, HSDPA and Wi-Fi for web access, an eight-megapixel snapper offering HD video recording, plus an HDMI port so you can view on a large high-def screen. It's a shame the software doesn't equal it

Performance summary for Nokia E7 review

The E7 is a good multitasker but we did find it would slow to a stop if we had eight programs running. The operating system is clunky and not fun to use, especially if you've experienced Android and iPhone operating systems.

Battery power summary for Nokia E7 review

Unimpressive battery life, even for a smartphone - it hardly managed to last for nine hours

Aperture is a photo editing and management software program that was developed by Apple for the Mac OS X operating system, first released in 2005 for $499(all prices are in USD), dropped to $199, and now released on their App Store $80. The software handles a number of tasks common in post-production work such as importing and organizing image files, applying corrective adjustments, displaying slideshows, and printing photographs.

Features of Aperture include non-destructive editing, organization of photographs by keyword, faces (using face detection and recognition), and places (using GPS metadata embedded in image files), brushes for applying effects (such as dodge and burn, skin smoothing, and polarization), and exporting to several popular websites, including Flickr, Facebook, SmugMug, and Apple's MobileMe service.

Aperture 3, the latest version of the software, was released on February 9, 2010 and runs on Intel-based Mac computers. It is sold for $199 in the retail box. On January 6th 2011, Apple announced its availability for $79.99 on the new Mac App Store.

Features

• Complete Raw image format support from import to output.
• Master image files (RAW or otherwise) may be kept in place on import or migrated into the Aperture library.
• RAW Fine Tune, allowing version of RAW decode to be managed over time and conversion parameters adjusted.
• Many image adjustment tools including specific color retouching, a luminance based edge sharpener, and spot repair.
• Lens correction tools, such as chromatic aberration.
• Project management, with extensive metadata and searching support.
• Autostacking, a way to group photos based on the time between shutter clicks.
• Stacks (for grouping photos) and Versions (for making multiple working copies of the same image).
• Multiple display spanning.
• Loupe, allowing viewing of images at zooms from 50% to 1600%.
• Light Table, a type of freeform workspace.
• Native support of the Adobe Photoshop PSD, PNG, JPG and TIFF formats.
• Nondestructive image editing.
• Customizable printing and publishing.
• Supports importing from USB and Firewire memory card readers or directly from a camera connected via USB.
• Ability to simultaneously zoom and pan multiple images.
• Read and write support for IPTC image metadata.
• Heavily customizable book creation.
• Web gallery and blog creation, uploadable via FTP or Webdav.
• Full-featured full-screen mode, for editing and sorting images.

Aperture 2.0

Aperture 2.0 was released on February 12, 2008 with a reduced US price of $199. This can be compared with the $499 price tag of version 1.0.

• Streamlined interface.
• Enhanced performance due to database optimizations and interface improvements.
• Enhanced image processing with updated RAW support.
• Improved integration with Mac OS X, MobileMe and various software packages including iLife and iWork.
• Support for editing plug-ins, including Apple's own dodging and burning tool (Aperture 2.1).

Aperture 3.0

Aperture 3.0 was released on February 9, 2010, and is the first version of Aperture to require an Intel based Macintosh computer (previous versions could use PowerPC based systems). Apple claims more than 200 new features are included in version 3.0 and cites the main enhancements as follows:

• 64 bit application, able to handle huge files such as very high definition scans.
• Face detection and recognition tool, called Faces.
• Place pictures on maps using Places. It is compatible with GPS metadata and manually editable through an interactive map.
• Native Flickr and Facebook export.
• Nondestructive, edge-aware brushes to apply adjustments to photos.
• Dozens of new built-in adjustment presets. Some photographers created custom presets available for download.
• Advanced Slideshows.
• Handling and editing of video and audio files.

Final Cut Studio

Final Cut Studio is a professional video and audio production suite for Mac OS X from Apple Inc., and a direct competitor (and vastly superior) to Avid Media Composer in the high-end movie production industry.

Components

Final Cut Studio version 3 contains six main applications and several smaller applications used in editing video. The major applications it includes are:

• Final Cut Pro 7 – "real-time editing for DV, SD and HD"
• Motion 4 – "real-time motion graphics design"
• Soundtrack Pro 3 – "advanced audio editing and sound design"
• DVD Studio Pro 4 – encoding, authoring and burning.
• Color 1.5 – a new color grading application adapted from Silicon Color's FinalTouch.
• Compressor 3.5 – a video encoding tool for outputting projects in different formats.

Additional applications included are:

• Cinema Tools 4.5 – tools specific to film processing.
• Qmaster 3 – a distributed processing tool.

History

Final Cut Studio was introduced at the National Association of Broadcasters in April 2005. It is the successor to Production Suite, and added new versions of all the Production Suite applications, as well as a 'new' program, Soundtrack Pro, which is really a new version of Soundtrack, formerly included with Final Cut Pro. In January 2006, Final Cut Studio became the only way to purchase any of the individual major applications. In March 2006, Apple released the Universal Binary version as Final Cut Studio 1.1.

Dell Streak 5 (previously known as the Mini 5) is a smartphone/tablet PC hybrid from Dell that uses the Android operating system. It comes with a 5-inch (13 cm) capacitive touchscreen and two cameras, a 5MP one with dual-LED flash on the back and a VGA-resolution one on the front for video calling; both are capable of video. The development was first disclosed in June 2009 and in October 2009 it was known that the tablet is capable of making 3G phone calls. 

The three buttons at the bottom (or right, when held in its normal landscape mode) are capacitive. The Android buttons used are Home, Menu, and Back. It features a Dell skin on top and has a cradle adapter with HDMI out. The phone lacks the navigational trackball found in other Android devices. While FM radio support is not an official feature, an FM radio chip was found upon inspection of the Streak's internal hardware, and can be accessed though a user's modification of the OS. The versions released previously have had Android 1.6 installed, with Dell offering unlocked Streaks with Android 2.2 (Froyo) in December 2010.

Customers on the British O2 mobile phone network were given the opportunity to install Android 2.1 in early September 2010 through an Over the Air update. This update, however, has caused an uproar amongst consumers, because it caused a large number of bugs and removed some features from the previous software.

A seven-inch version of the Streak was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011. The Wall Street Journal reviewed it unfavorably in February. There are also rumors of a ten-inch model.

Following protests from users that Dell, by not including source code, had violated the terms of the GNU General Public License, the source code of the custom Android Operating System for Dell Streak is now available for download.

There is a root method for the Dell Streak, and many roms are available, including iterations of the CyanogenMod rom.

bill gate's iphone is missing

bill gate's iphone is missing

In an emergency pop-up message appeared on all Microsoft Windows machines earlier today. Popping up on the screen every 25 seconds, this new pop-up, like every other Windows alert, was designed with the sole intention of annoying the user enough that they would have no choice but to read it fully.

The message was a request from Microsoft chairman and former CEO Bill Gates. It read: "Hello Windows patrons! I really, really need your help. And you have to listen to me, because this pop-up will not go away until I get what I want."

The intrusive pop-up prompted the user to go on to the next page, which displayed a large photo of an iPhone. Vista users were told to click "Properties", select "Run as Administrator", and work their way through a series of more annoying pop-ups before continuing. A caption below the picture read: "I lost my iPhone during a jog this morning. If you or anyone you know has any information pertaining to the whereabouts of my incredibly reliable Apple device, please restart your computers, tap "F12" to get to the safe mode options, choose one of the safe mode options, log-in as the administrator, wait for the desktop to load completely, and click anywhere on the screen to summon the inevitable Blue Screen of Death. That'll be the indication to our Microsoft office that you have information about my missing iPhone. Thank you!"

We asked Mr. Gates if any progress had been made in his search, and if his company's latest annoying pop-up had been successful in aiding him.

"So far, no luck," said the beneficent billionaire. "You won't believe this, but apparently, every Windows user has received a Blue Screen of Death at some point today, regardless of whether they're participating in the search or not. It's been a pretty frustrating process."

When asked why he owns devices made by Apple, Microsoft's biggest competitor, Gates responded, "Because Microsoft sucks."

"Yep, we suck," agreed Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "I think our customers have gotten accustomed to how much we fall behind Apple in terms of quality products and customer service. I can't blame Bill for purchasing and using their products. I eat apples all the time. Out of respect to the company. And because an apple a day helps keep the doctors away."

"It's not medically accurate that apples alone keep people healthy," noted Dr. James Hernandez, MD PhD. "But Apple products are so sleek and cutting-edge that they distract customers enough from their own infirmities. So, in a sense, 'apples' do help keep you from doctors."

Bill Gates told us that his iPhone "means the world" to him, and that the only thing that matters to him more in life is "a whole lotta money". He also revealed that he's close to finishing his research on a time travel machine that would allow him to go back to 1976, punch Apple co-founder Steve Jobs square in the face, and take control of the then-fledgling company.

"This won't help me get my precious missing iPhone back," admits Gates, "but owning Apple would beat the crap out of any of my Microsoft ideas."

We all agree.

And, please, if you happen to find Bill Gates' missing iPhone, keep it. Especially if you're a long-suffering Windows user.

You deserve it.

The Nike+iPod Sports Kit is a device which measures and records the distance and pace of a walk or run. The Nike+iPod consists of a small accelerometer attached to or embedded in a shoe, which communicates with either the Nike+ Sportband, a receiver plugged into an iPod Nano, or directly with a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Generation iPod Touch, iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4. If using the iPod or the iPhone 3GS, iTunes software can be used to view the walk or run history.

On September 7, 2010, Nike released the Nike+ GPS App, powered by MotionX that does not require the separate shoe sensor. This application works using the accelerometer and GPS of the iPhone and the accelerometer of the iPod Touch (which does not currently contain a GPS chip). It is $1.99/£1.19 in the App Store.

The sensor and iPod kit were revealed on May 20, 2006. The kit is able to store information such as the elapsed time of the workout, the distance traveled, pace, or calories burned by the individual wearing the shoes, and display it on the screen or broadcast it through the headphones of an iPod.

The sensor and Sportband kit was announced in April 2008. The kit allows users to store run information without the iPod Nano. The Sportband consists of two parts: a rubber holding strap which is worn around the wrist, and the receiver which resembles a USB key-disk. The receiver displays information comparable to that of the iPod kit on the built-in display. After a run, the receiver can be plugged straight into a USB port and the software will upload the run information automatically to the Nike+ website.

As of August 2008 "Nike+iPod for the Gym" launched, allowing users to record their cardio workouts directly to their iPods. No Sport kit or shoe sensor is required; all that is needed is a compatible iPod (1st–5th generation iPod Nano or 2nd/3rd gen iPod Touch) and an enabled piece of cardio equipment. As of March 2009, the seven largest commercial equipment providers were shipping enabled equipment (Life Fitness, Technogym, Precor, Star Trac, Cybex, Matrix and FreeMotion).


 The models of compatible cardio equipment include treadmills, Stationary Bikes, stair climbers, ellipticals, and others such as Precor's Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT).


 Once the user syncs an iPod with iTunes, the cardio workouts are automatically stored at Nikeplus.com, where each workout is visualized and tracked based on the number of calories burned. The calories are converted to "CardioMiles", at a ratio of 100:1, allowing cardio users to take full advantage of all the tools and features of Nikeplus.com, and allow them to engage in challenges with other runners, walkers and cardio users, using a common currency.

With the release of the second-generation iPod Touch in 2008, Apple Inc. included a built-in Nike+ receiver which allowed the iPod to connect directly to the wireless sensor thus eliminating the need for an external receiver to be connected. Apple also added the built-in receiver to the iPhone 3GS (released 2009), iPhone 4 (2010), and third-generation iPod Touch (2009).

Apple Incorporated

Apple's logo

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL; previously Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. Apple software includes the Mac OS X operating system; the iTunes media browser; the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software; the iWork suite of productivity software; Aperture, a professional photography package; Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software products; Logic Studio, a suite of music production tools; and iOS, a mobile operating system. As of August 2010, the company operates 301 retail stores  in ten countries,  and an online store where hardware and software products are sold. As of May 2010, Apple is one of the largest companies in the world and the most valuable technology company in the world, having surpassed Microsoft. 

Established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977,  the company was previously named Apple Computer, Inc., for its first 30 years, but removed the word "Computer" on January 9, 2007,  to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. As of September 2010, Apple had 46,600 full time employees and 2,800 temporary full time employees worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of $65.23 billion. 

For reasons as various as its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. This includes a customer base that is devoted to the company and its brand, particularly in the United State. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Nokia N8 review

The Nokia N8 is a Symbian^3 smartphone from the Nokia Nseries. Featuring Carl Zeiss optics and xenon flash, the N8 is the first Nokia camera phone to utilize a 12 megapixel camera sensor size of 1/1.83″, making it the largest image sensor in a camera phone at the time of its launch. The N8 display features a 3.5-inch (89 mm) 360 x 640 pixel color touchscreen, and is the first Nokia smartphone to run on the Symbian^3 operating system with single-tap interaction, featuring the addition of multiple home screens, customization abilities, and multi-touch capabilities with gesture support. Among its connectivity features are HDMI out, USB On-The-Go and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support; the N8 is also the first device to feature a Pentaband 3.5G radio.

The Nokia N8 smartphone was made available at the official Nokia Online Store on September 23, 2010 and was released in select markets on October 1, 2010. The N8 became the product with the most customer pre-orders in Nokia's history up to the point of its release.

Magic Mouse-Apple's greatest creation

 The Magic Mouse-first multi touch mouse!!!!!!!!!

 Magic Mouse is a multi-touch mouse manufactured and sold by Apple, and it was announced and sold for the first time on October 20, 2009. The Magic Mouse is the first consumer mouse to have multi-touch capabilities. Taking after the iPhone, iPod Touch, and multi-touch trackpads, the Magic Mouse allows the use of gestures such as swiping and scrolling across the top surface of the mouse to interact with desktop computers.

The mouse requires at least Mac OS X 10.5.8 and Bluetooth. It can be configured as a two-buttoned left-handed or right-handed mouse, but the default is a single button. It uses laser tracking for increased pointer accuracy over previous generation Apple mice. Since its release, it has been included along with a wireless keyboard with the 2009 generation of iMacs, and with a wired keyboard with the 2010 Mac Pro workstations. It can also be purchased separately.

Initial reception to the Magic Mouse was mixed, with positive reactions to its scrolling functions but negative reactions to its inability to middle click (without any additional software), or trigger Exposé, Dashboard or Spaces (features offered by its predecessor). Many of those features can be enabled on the Magic Mouse with the use of third party tools

The Magic Mouse also has known issues with maintaining a stable connection to Mac Pro workstations

Snow Leopard os

Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6) is the  and current major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers.

Snow Leopard was publicly unveiled on June 8, 2009 at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. On August 28, 2009, it was released worldwide, and was made available for purchase from Apple's website and its retail stores at the price of US$29 for a single-user license. As a result of the low price, initial sales of Snow Leopard were significantly higher than that of its predecessors. The release of Snow Leopard came nearly two years after the introduction of Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5), the second longest time span between successive Mac OS X releases.

Unlike previous versions of Mac OS X, the goals with Snow Leopard were improved performance, greater efficiency and the reduction of its overall memory footprint. Addition of new end-user features was not a primary goal. Much of the software in Mac OS X was extensively rewritten for this release in order to fully take advantage of modern Macintosh hardware. New programming frameworks, such as OpenCL, were created, allowing software developers to use graphics cards in their applications. This is also the first Mac OS release since the introduction of System 7.1.2 that does not support the PowerPC architecture, as Apple now intends to focus on its current line of Intel-based products.

Snow Leopard will be succeeded by Mac OS X Lion (version 10.7), which is expected to be released in the second quarter of 2011.