Remember that Oblivion Special Edition we mentioned a few weeks back? The one with the shiny map, the “making of” documentary, and all of the DLC? It’s out. Like today. It’s also only $29.99, and out in time for you to play through it all before Skyrim releases.
Check out the full release after the jump.
If you’re in the market for a new iMac, you may want to hold of a couple of days. The rumors are hitting hard as supply is constrained for current iMac models. What are we expecting you might ask? A refresh of the current iMac line. The last refresh was just about a year ago when newer sizes and processors came as standard fare. We’re expecting a similar upgrade with the addition of the new Thunderbolt port as well as Intel Sandy Bridge processors and updated graphics. Follow us on Twitter @urtechreport for the latest as it breaks; until then, we recommend hanging onto your wallet for just a couple of more days…
A new report from Reuters states that Apple’s cloud music service is ready to go and will launch ahead of Google’s attempt at a similar service. This may put into operation Apple’s new $1 billion dollar data center in North Carolina as has been reported for quite some time now. The report states:
Apple’s plans will allow iTunes customers to store their songs on a remote server, and then access them from wherever they have an Internet connection, said two of these people who asked not to be named as the talks are still confidential.
The maker of the wildly popular iPhone and iPod, Apple has yet to sign any new licenses for the service and major music labels are hoping to secure deals before the service is launched, three of the sources said. Apple has not told its music partners of when it intends to introduce its music locker, they said
Sources also point out that Google has been undecided on what it wants, leading to a delay in launching a music service for Android OS handsets.
Apple job postings are always a good place to try and figure out where they are going with their technological advances and intentions–the latest of which is seeking someone to “Radically improved how people interact with maps and location-based services.” One of the areas in iOS that has yet to really change much is its maps; sure they’re a great resource, but where are turn by turn directions and interactivity to provide more information of what’s around you? Apple looks like they agree and are heading down the road to change that. When exactly we’ll see the benefits of this is still a mystery–but we should be hearing about iOS 5.0 in the relatively near future.
It is around this time of the year where we get a glimpse into the future of the Apple operating system. There’s no doubt that although hardware is rapidly gearing up, software needs to follow suit to make the experience more seamless and beneficial. We have no doubt that a version 5.0 is coming-but recent rumors point to a later-than-usual release. What does this mean? It means that if rumors are true, we’ll likely will NOT see iOS 5.0 launched alongside the next iPhone. Is this a good thing or bad? Likely, neither. It’s an indication that Apple is focusing their efforts on iOS 5.0 and doesn’t feel the need to release something quickly, just for the sake of releasing it. That being said, we will hopefully see a radically new experience in Maps and more cloud-integrated experience out of Apple’s new North Carolina data center. What are you hoping for?
In more BlackBerry news, online reports seem to show some screenshots of BlackBerry OS 6.1, a minor update to its latest Operating System–but they seem to show the likeliness of a Mobile Hotspot feature. As more and more devices are equipping themselves with this feature, its no surprise that BlackBerry devices will also bring the personal hotspot fun.
The iPad 2 has just arrived and already we’re hearing mumblings about an April media event for Apple. That’s okay, we’ll take it! It always seems to be around this time of the year that we get a glimpse into the future of iOS with a preview of the next operating system; rumors are also afloat that we may get some insight as to the use of Apple’s new $1 billion dollar data center in North Carolina–which has long been rumored to be a new facility for iTunes-based cloud storage. The last iOS preview took place on April 8th, 2010 with invites going out only a couple days prior – let’s see if history does indeed repeat itself.
Although we are expecting a Windows Phone 7 phone from Sony Ericsson we have yet to actually hear any announcements or see one in the wild, until today that is. Above are pictures of what appear to be a Sony Ericsson prototype running-you guessed it-Windows Phone 7. Will this add up to an actual release? Stay tuned…
Have you ever download a song or TV show from iTunes, only to lose it down the road and wonder how on earth you’ll get it back? There are ways which require you to call Apple, but it appears they’re attempting to change their policies. Apple is reportedly reaching out to its partners to allow re-downloading of your purchases. It’s already happens for Apps, but why not music? Apple has been asking record labels to allow the option of buying once and downloading an unlimited number of times for music on iTunes – mimicking the AppStore policy that works so well. Let’s keep our fingers crossed…
Could this be true? Will all my wannabe iPhone users still clinging to their BlackBerries finally have no more excuses? If you believe the rumors, then yes. RIM is preparing a release of BlackBerry messenger for iOS and Android. BGR is reporting (from multiple trusted sources) that BBM is headed straight for their competitors’ app stores. No word yet on pricing, or how in-depth the features will be…but you’re an iPhone or Android user, the BBM experience could be yours very soon.
BlackBerry Connection is a great newsletter to subscribe to because it gives you little tidbits of information about RIM’s plans–and given the impending launch of the PlayBook, I’ve been paying more and more attention to it. Today’s edition includes an interview with the PlayBook Marketing Manager Jeff Gadway, who really does dish a little dirt about the tablet. Check out the full article here, or read it below.
Rumors are a plenty with the impending announcement of the second generation iPad this coming Wednesday. Today we find out that availability of the current iPad is “contrained” with no ETA; this comes directly from a number of Apple resellers who have been notified that there is no estimate as to when they may become available. This lends credibility to the rumor that the release of the second generation iPad may be closer than we think. When the first iPad was announced there was nearly a one month delay before the Tablet was actually available for public consumption, but recent rumors indicate that the iPad 2 will be available very soon after Wednesday’s announcement. Will you upgrade to the second gen iPad? Take the poll on the site and see what others are thinking.
App of the Week: Radiant Defense
Review: The HTC One X on AT&T
Review: Swann’s iFly Micro Lightning RC Helicopter
