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WWDC 2009 Roundup

iphone3gs

So. Today was Apple’s WWDC keynote. Phil Schiller delivered it without Jobs. Let’s cut the commentary bullshit out and go straight to the announcements:

  • iPhone 3GS announced – faster 3G, faster processor, 3-megapixel camera – $199 for 16GB, $299 for a 32GB model. Drops June 19th.
  • 15-inch Macbook Pro line gets SD card slot, built-in battery
  • Snow Leopard – $29 to upgrade (WOW!) for existing users, $49 family pack, countless UI upgrades, Quicktime X with better editing features, faster, lightweight, concentration on 64-bit apps
  • TomTom app for GPS. Additional car kit available soon
  • iPhone OS 3.0 coming soon – free update, features MMS, copy and paste and everything previously discussed
  • iPhone tethering for everyone except AT&T customers, which is bullshit
  • P2P file transfer with iPhones
  • That’s the essentially all the big stuff that got announced today. If you want to know every last goddamned detail, hit up the boys at Gizmodo for their play-by-play.

    Apple

    iPhone 3G Tethering Confirmed

    After months of speculation and rumors AT&T CEO Ralph De la Vega has confirmed that both AT&T and Apple will officially offer the capability to use the iPhone 3G as a modem. How well Apple’s iPhone 3G will perform as a modem remains to be seen as does its availability.

    If you’re one of the 3G users who’ve been patiently waiting for a first party tethering service as opposed to using alternatives such as iModem, then the wait will soon be over. There has never been a better time to be an iPhone owner.

    Link [via]

    Scientists Go Nuts Over Elevators To Space

    Everyone has dreamed of traveling to space at one time or another. The problem is, no one wants to spend a fortune forcing themselves into a marriage just so they can get into space. So the finest Japanese minds are collectively collaborating the construction of an elevator into space. This vision has spurred the inspiration of many scientists around the world as well as government organizations such as NASA.

    Now, several separate projects have launched and it has become a competition to see who can make the best carriages and tether for the lift. Could it really be possible to build an elevator whose “top floor” is outside of the Earth’s atmosphere? Scientists seem to think so. Until I see results, I’ll remain in the lobby: planet Earth.

    Link

    DIY: Hurricane Tether

    We all love our cars. We’d go to extreme measures to protect our automobiles even during a hurricane as extreme as Ike because let’s face it: no one wants to drive through flooding waters when they can just tie their car to a tree and hope for the best.

    C’mon, what’s the worst that could happen? The tree could fall on top of the car but the car would at least be in the same place you left it. At worst, both the car and the tree float away during intense flooding. That’s why that tether is bright green, it’ll be much easier to spot later, regardless of the outcome. What a nifty DIY!

    Link [via]