From the latest WWDC 10 keynote, all the focus has been put on the new iPhone 4 design and its functionalities, there is no other releases heard from the rumors such as iTunes.com, new Apple TV, Mac or Macbook, probably only in the upcoming special events then they will announce.

Some of the key features from iPhone 4:

• FaceTime – Two cameras for video calling
• Retina Display – Four times the pixel count of previous iPhone models
• Multitasking – Switch between apps instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily
• HD Video Recording and Editing – Shoot and edit your video on the the fly
• 5-Megapixel Camera with LED Flash – Advanced backside illumination sensor captures great pictures even in low light

For more details about the features, just visit: http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/

The major part in iPhone 4 lies in its OS, which Apple also re-branded from iPhone OS 4 to iOS 4, which help to make things more inline for its marketing strategy, and easier to pronounce and remember it. However, the iOS4 will only be available on iPhone 3G (limited functions), 3GS and 4G only. As for iPod touch, it will be available for iPod touch 32GB and 64GB models (released in late 2009).

iPhone 4 will be available for pre-order (US) on the 15th of June, and on sale starting from 24th of June. There are two different models for you to choose from (16GB or 32GB flash drive).

Another side note, Apple is getting into the protective case business – Bumpers, which slip over the stainless steel edge of your iPhone 4. They come with metal buttons for volume and power and are made of a combo of rubber and molded plastic. Its available in six colors (white, black, blue, green, orange, or pink).

Other that iPhone 4, Apple also announces the next generation browser – Safari 5, but its not included in the keynote. They only announced it in the afternoon.

Some of the key features from Safari 5:

• Safari Reader – Removes annoying ads and other visual distractions from online articles
• HTML5 – Greater support with full-screen view and closed captions for HTML5
• Better Performance – Enhancements to the Nitro Engine in Safari 5 mean you experience web browsing at greater speeds than before.
• Bing Search – Offering another Search Engine option

For more details about the new features, just visit: http://www.apple.com/safari/whats-new.html

Ruby, Perl, PHP, Python or C? Sometimes its just hard for us to decide which one to use, as each one of them has got its pros and cons. However, after much consideration in terms of code readability, portability and speed, we have decided to stick to Python for Uniqueground’s underlying structure (including our web server).

Code readability refers to the uncluttered visual layout of Python coding, where English keywords are used to replace punctuation. And furthermore, Python uses whitespace indentation, rather than curly braces or keywords, to delimit blocks (a feature also known as the off-side rule). Portability refers to its availability ad support in all major operating systems: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS/2, Mac, Amiga, among others. Therefore, implementing it will have lesser trouble and easy to move it around. Last but not least, is of course the speed, which shall not be compromise in anyway. To read more about its features or advantages of Python, can refer to its official site.

Another reason that got us motivated to use Python, is probably due to its usage in many industry strong companies or system critical sites such as, Google, Yahoo!, YouTube, Bit Torrent Client, NASA and etc. Therefore, Uniqueground can’t wait to join in the fun too, just stay tuned for now, while we are getting ready on the 30th of April 2010!

References: Wikipedia, Python.org

Apple has releases a few software updates, just a few more days before the launch of iPad in the US (3rd April). Namely Mac OSX 10.6.3 and iTunes 9.1. I shall not name all other updates, just visit the Support Download page for more details. Other than that, the iPad guided tours were also added to give an overview of its functionalities. Below are some of the core features included in the software updates.

About Mac OS X Server v10.6.3 Update:

• Configuring accounts in Server Preferences when bound to an external directory service
• CalDAV handling of Unicode text and attachments
• Stability and reliability of Podcast Capture remote camera recordings
• Submitting content into Podcast Producer using mv and cp command-line tools
• Preventing time drift when capturing dual-source video in Podcast Capture
• Syncing Software Update catalogs behind unauthenticated proxy servers
• Upgrading and importing records from older Open Directory servers
• Password expiration notifications for Mobile Account users
• Using Server Admin to connect to servers in IPv6 environments
• Creating NetRestore images from volumes with fragmented catalog files
• Ordering of items in System Image Utility “Add Packages and Post-Install Scripts” action
• Using Internet Explorer with web-based calendar, wiki, email rules and password reset
• Adding and removing imported users in Server Preferences
• Synchronizing Portable Home Directory content
• Using iCal web interface within select time zones
• Previewing and capturing dual-source video in Podcast Capture
• Server-side filtering of incoming mail messages
• Using chained digital certificates for mail services
• Creating images with System Image Utility
• Automating installation of NetRestore images
• Preventing brute force password attacks
• Using sudo command with authenticated Open Directory binding
• Binding to Active Directory domains with invalid service records
• Creation of mobile accounts for Active Directory users
• Correcting a problem that would cause the Software Update cache to grow excessively
• Reliability of services using Grand Central Dispatch
• Duplicate serial number alerts on servers with multiple network interfaces

For detailed information about this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4015.

About iTunes 9.1:

• Sync with iPad to enjoy your favorite music, movies, TV shows, books and more on the go
• Organize and sync books you’ve downloaded from iBooks on iPad or added to your iTunes library
• Rename, rearrange, or remove Genius Mixes

I know this day eventually has to come, Microsoft can’t just leave out of this browser war thing. And true enough, Microsoft will be embracing HTML 5, CSS 3 and improving Javascript engine in Internet Explorer 9.

Although its still pretty early, only until about one year’s time before Microsoft will officially release IE9, however you can actually download the platform preview to see demonstration of the new features.

Since its initial launch back in Nov 2005, Aperture has actually went through quite a lot of major changes before it reaches the current version. With version 3, I can see that things are starting to take shape, whereby integration is much better now. Below are some of the key new features for version 3:

• Faces  – Organize photos using face detection and recognition tools.
• Places – Use GPS data to explore photos by the location where they were shot.
• Brushes – Retouch precisely with nondestructive, edge-aware brushes.
• Adjustment Presets – Choose from dozens of professional imaging effects. Or create your own.
• Full-Screen Browser – Use every inch of your brilliant Mac display to browse and edit.
• Advanced Slideshows – Create slideshows with photos, HD video, titles, and layered soundtracks

Just installed Thunderbird 3, and fail to authenticate your IMAP with Gmail? Simply go to Tools > Account settings…, and make sure all the fields follow the settings below and see if it helps:

Under the IMAP Mail Server (IMAP) change the settings as below:
Server Name: imap.gmail.com
Port: 993
User Name: name@gmail.com or name@yourdomain.com (for google apps users)
Connection security: SSL/TLS
Use secure authentication: Unchecked

Under the Outgoing Server (SMTP) change the settings as below:
Server Name: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 25    Default: 25
Use name and password : Unchecked
Connection security: none