Good things come in small packages, and let’s face facts; you don’t get much smaller than the Apple Mac Mini Australia.

This tiny piece of kit comes fitted with a 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2300 processor, 1GB of memory, a 120GB hard drive, an Intel GMA950 graphics card and a dual-layer DVD writer. The chassis itself is still a mere 165mm on each side, with the only discerning difference being a black square on the writer’s slot.

The big difference between the latest mini and the original is the number of ports available.  The latest incarnation features 4 USB ports, a Gigabit Ethernet cable, a Firewire 400 socket, not to mention a DVI-I video connector plus digital in/outs. Quite a jump from the 2 USB ports on the original machine!

If you’re in the market for a quick Apple ‘fix’, or space is your major concern, the Apple Mac Mini is as small, and as smart, as it gets…

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

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With the pre eminent launch of the Apple iPhone Australia on 11th July, here’s a quick rundown on the changes to the latest 3G update from the previous version.

The 3G’s edge buttons are now silver metal, rather than the black plastic used on the previous model, whilst the buttons also have a sharper edge. The biggest change is the back panel, which is now much curvier and made from plastic instead of metal. The plastic back should also help improve signal strength and the range of the iPhone for Wi-Fi and GPS purposes. Also, battery power is up to nearly twice the usage on the previous incarnation, which is good news for heavy users.

The 3G’s new locating system will use Wi-Fi, GPS and cellular towers to compute your whereabouts, plus all your photos will be geo-tagged. This means each picture you take will contain metadata which will show you exactly where you were on the planet when you took it. Quite a feat!

Apple plan to use data streamed from Google server’s from third party software developers instead of providing detailed map data for the iPhone. TomTom have already created the iPhone GPS software, though there is expected to be a lot more competition for this service. The 3G iPhone will also feature audio feedback and pre-loaded detailed maps, so if your data connection vanishes, you can still find your way without a signal.

The original iPhone was an amazing feat of modern design, but it came with quite a hefty price tag. The latest 3G model has a lot more features at a much lower price, and I for one am looking forward to getting my hands on mine…

roll on July 11th!

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The wait is finally over. The Apple iPhone Australia will be released across the continent on July 11th.

The next-generation 3G iPhone will be available across Australia on prepay plans without a contract when it is released next month, though specific pricing details have not been confirmed. The phone will feature brand new version 2.0 software, including support for Office and iWork, plus language support and parental controls. The new phone is smaller, has a better battery life and is a lot faster than the previous model, with speeds almost on par with WiFi.

The first Australian carriers of the phone, Optus and Vodafone, confirmed the handset would be available on a prepay plan. This will allow customers to buy an iPhone outright and then purchase credit, without having to sign a long term contract. Both carriers have already begun to take customer orders via iPhone online and in retail stories.

Even though Apple sold 6 million iPhones last year, the company feel the price of the previous model had put off a lot of possible customers, me included. It appears that the latest 3G model is almost half the price of the original iPhone, with the U.S. pricing at $US199 ($209.32) for the 8GB model to $US299 ($314.50) for 16GB.

The next-generation 3G Apple iPhone will be released in Australia and 21 other countries on July 11th and will eventually reach 70 countries worldwide.

> > click here to find out more about the Apple iPhone

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Optus announced that they have signed an agreement with Apple to also provide the network for the iPhone Australia later this year, rubbishing rumours that Vodaphone would be the exclusive host.

The iPhone launches in both the U.K. and the U.S. were locked into only one network per country. It is still unknown if the Australian handset will be the same, making them only usable on Optus and Vodaphone. The non-exclusive approach was predicted by experts who claimed that an exclusive contract would breach local competition laws.
 
Still no launch date for the Australian iPhone has been released, but the buzz surrounding the new handset is reaching fever pitch. Apple is holding their Worldwide Developer’s Conference in June, where the company is expected to make a release announcement regarding the 3G iPhone.

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

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Not only does the Apple iPhone Australia appear to be launching this June, but it seems the device will also encompass the 3G wireless network.

Apple had previously announced they were holding back on 3G networking due to power consumption of battery life, but it appears the previous models criticism at lack of 3G has made the company think again. The latest iPhones will not only offer 3G networking, but also feature a GPS navigation system, plus a QWERTY keypad perfect for heavy email users.

Apple sold 350,000 iPhones in the last quarter of last year, but with initial figures down on the first quarter of this year, maybe a re think of strategy or hardware capability has occurred at Macintosh HQ. Either way, it looks like Apple are pulling out all the stops to ensure their handset is the best on the market.

> > click here to shop with Apple Australia

> > click here to shop with Apple New Zealand

Word on the street is that Apple iPhone could be launching in Australia and New Zealand very soon! No official launch date has yet been set but it has been announced that Vodaphone have successfully managed to secure the contract to be the sole network provider for the iPhone in Australia, as well as other countries throughout the world such as Italy, India, Portugal, South Africa and Turkey.

The phone itself combines perfectly as an MP3 player, telephone and wireless internet connection, giving people on the move the multimedia platform of their dreams. The Apple iPhone Australia is likely to be the latest ‘second-generation’ version that supports the faster 3G networks, which has just been released in the United States.

Vodaphone chief executive Russell Hewitt said

“The iPhone has already proved to be extremely popular with customers in other parts of the world and Vodafone is confident that today’s announcement will be well received by all Australians who are keen to get their hands on their own iPhone.”

> > click here to shop with Apple Australia

> > click here to shop with Apple New Zealand
 

Apple Macs latest incarnation of their all-in-one computer, the iMac, is now packed to the brim with the latest technology.

The iMac now boasts the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors, which allow the computer to run at speeds of up to 3.06GHz. It’s not just the speed of the machine that’s been souped up either! The iMac now comes with 2GB of RAM fitted as standard, with the possibility of upgrading to a massive 4GB. Plus, the new 24-inch scratch resistant LED display features the latest GeForce graphics card, which offers twice the performance for graphic intensive applications.

Each machine runs the latest Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard operating system, along with Apples newest software updates – Time Machine, Quick Look and Stacks. AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth are fitted as standard, along with 5 USB ports, 2 Firewire ports, the iSight video camera, plus a 512MB of video memory.

This really is the ultimate all in one package, and with prices starting at just AU$1,599 (NZ$1,899), the iMac is the perfect machine for people who like to keep things sleek and sexy, safe in the knowledge they have a powerful purring engine under the bonnet.

> > click here to buy Apple Mac in Australia

> > click here to buy Apple Mac in New Zealand

Apple Mac has had an amazing start to the year, with profits up a massive 36% according to recent figures published by the company. The last quarter alone saw a rise of 51% in units sold compared to this time last year, and with the new 3G iPhone being released in June, the trend looks set to continue.

The change in how consumers purchase and play music is a huge part of the Apple turnover (if you excuse the pun!). Macintosh sold a staggering 10.65million iPods in the first 4 months of this year, along with 1.6million Iphones. Apple’s software package iTunes is now the biggest retailer of music in the United States, with a 58% share of the whole market in total and over 50million customers worldwide.

With the consumer slide to the digital side of purchasing music, the same cannot be said for hardware. Apple now has more than 200 official stores across the globe, and these stores alone saw a quarterly rise of 74% in sales this year. This shows that even with the general public embracing the digital age, people still like to see what they are buying first hand when spending a larger amount of money.

This is a real turnaround for the company as before the release of the iPod, there was a lot of talk of Apple going under due to poor sales in a Microsoft dominated market. But with bad customer feedback on the latest Windows Vista programme compared to the excellent reviews of the Mac OSX Leopard operating system, the tide seems to be turning.

Mac computers were always deemed more of a design tool by the general public than a home computer. With the release of the iPod, Apple Mac opened the door to a younger, savvier crowd who wanted their music on the move in a coolly packaged gadget. With more and more people downloading their music, PC users were being infected by a plethora of viruses, whilst Apple customers seem to experience almost none. With the way consumer habits have changed, so has the Apple marketing and product transformed with the times.

The Apple iPhone for instance merges the two most popular gadgets for young people today – their mobile phone and the best MP3 player on the market. Apple is now synonymous with everything that is ‘cool’ about technology, which in my mind is one of the major factors for the upturn in sales. It’s not always been this way though, as I’m pretty sure anyone who purchased the old beige G3 like me will testify!

> > click here to buy from Apple Mac Australia

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I came across this fantastic Viral clip on youtube from a company that produces blenders. No words from me can do it justice. Just sit, watch and enjoy!!!!

Will It Blend is an excellent marketing campaign from the American firm Blendtec who makes blenders. Gentlemen we salute you (although I could think of better uses for an Apple iPhone - like using it!!!).

We’ve documented the release of the newly design Apple Ipod’s and I recently had a chance to look at these beauties and I have to say I will be asking Santa to get a Apple iTouch for me - I’ve been good this year honest!!! The current price is A$ 419 but you also get FREE delivery and a FREE engraving so it is ideal if you want to give it as a gift (even to yourself!).

I also got a chance to see a iPod Nano and a iPod shuffle and I couldn’t quite believe how small these bad boys are. The shuffle is so small I just know I’d lose it but the iPod Nano looks great with it’s small full colour display - an excellent upgrade for anyone who didn’t want to shell out the big bucks for a brand new Apple iTouch.

>> Compare Apple iPods

>> Buy an iPod Touch direct from Apple for $419
 

See the Apple iTouch in Action

I’ve added an Apple produced video clip of the Apple iTouch below so you can view how the mp3 player works in real terms, I think you’ll agree it is a revolutionary step forward for Apple and follows hot on the heels of the Apple iPhone in using the “iTouch” technology. The video is American created but you get an idea of how the mp3 player is going to look and feel when in action.