It’s a day of redefinitions. For one thing, “Kodak moment” apparently now refers to taking someone to court; the MacBook Pro with Retina display has redefined how thin you can make an LCD, and Apple may be loosely redefining the word “everything.” The remainders for Tuesday, June 19, 2012, meanwhile, are as constant as the north star.
Kodak sues Apple, claiming interference in patent sales (Reuters)
Rochester, NY-based Eastman Kodak is suing Apple, alleging that Cupertino is attempting to block Kodak’s sale of a large number of patents. Apple, for its part, says that it owns ten of the patents that Kodak is trying to sell. I guess we’ll find out the truth when the judge threatens to cut the patents in half.
MacBook Pro 15” Retina Display Teardown (iFixit)
If you haven’t gotten enough teardown action on the new MacBook Pro, iFixit has pulled apart the Retina display itself. The team did unearth some interesting things inside, including a data matrix and a series of dots—possibly a reference to the Game of Life—on the inside of the casing. Rumor has it the data matrix resolves into the message “Abandon all hope, ye who attempt to repair here.”
iOS Developers Must Submit High Resolution 1024×1024 Icons & Artwork From July (Cult of Mac)
Beginning in July, Apple will apparently be requiring iOS developers to submit 1024-by-1024 pixel icons to the App Store. We suspect those large icons are intended for a feature where customers browsing the App Store will be prompted to say “Holy $%@&^, those are gigantic icons.”
Apple – The new iPad – TV Ad – Do It All (Apple)
Apple would like you to know you can do everything on your new iPad. Every single thing. Ever. Stop looking at that cover with the integrated keyboard!
Schumer: New Apple And Google Plans To Use Military-Grade Spy Planes To Map Communities And Publish Images Could Cause Unprecedented Invasion Of Privacy; Technology Strong Enough To See Through Windows And Even Catch Sun Bathers In Back Yards (Senator Charles E. Schumer)
I’m starting to think he buys his headlines in bulk from the New York Post.
Product News:
Thunderbolt Software Update 1.2.1 – This update adds support for Apple’s new Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.
Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Gods & Kings Expansion Pack – Aspyr Media has released this addition to Civilization V that includes 27 new units, 13 new buildings, nine new technologies, 13 new buildings, and nine new Wonders. The expansion pack also has nine new civilizations, three new scenarios, a revamped combat system, two new city-state types, and more. $30.
SOS for Mac 2.0 – SOS Online Backup has updated its Mac client to version 2.0. It features improvements in speed and ease of use, as well as the ability to access backups from other Macs, Windows PCs, smartphones, and tablets. Plans begin at $15 per computer per year for up to five users—plus unlimited smartphones and tablets.
Camtasia for Mac 2.2 – TechSmith has released version 2.2 of its Mac application for screen- and video-recording. The update brings the ability to create interactive, clickable videos; a Smart Player feature that optimizes the video for playback on any platform; and table of contents functionality for videos uploaded to YouTube. $99 for a new license; $50 to upgrade from Camtasia 1.x; free update for Camtasia 2.x users.