Silo season two at AI-focused WWDC

An Apple TV+ showcase during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) included a preview of Silo season two.



Whereas Foundation was a shiny macOS screensaver that failed to resonate with this sci-fi fan, Silo’s a prestige drama filled with conspiracy and clawing claustrophobia, themes I’ll never tire of since The X-Files’ heyday!

Featuring a stellar cast surviving day-to-day in a detailed lived-in universe reminiscent of 10 Cloverfield Lane and Fallout (Prime Video's live-action adaptation uses an iPhone-based Pip-Boy), I can’t wait to discover the mysterious dark secrets of this labyrinthine Silo.

The Cupertino-based tech titan announced Apple Intelligence (AI) - a canny flex from the iPhone maker - this week and the share price has hit a new record high with pundits predicting the company will be worth $4 trillion in the future. Artificial intelligence continues to spark controversy. AI is deeply embedded in our daily lives, from deepfake technology to replacing creatives in the pursuit of profit.

Hugh Howey, the creator of Silo, speculates entirely AI-generated productions are only a few years away: “We are less than a year or two away from giving AI a film script and then watching that film the same day. Production costs are going to go to ZERO. Within 5 years, great-looking films will be made this way. Within 20 years, almost all films will be made this way.”

Are you watching Silo on Apple TV+? Are you looking forward to season two? Let me know in the comments below.

Invasion this Halloween on Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is carving out a niche for glossy genre fare beginning with For All Mankind, a reboot of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories, Servant and the upcoming Foundation based on Isaac Asimov's Hugo Award-winning book series.

Invasion, not to be confused with ABC's short-lived but excellent sci-fi series from 2005, arrives on Apple TV+ in time for Halloween. It's a modern riff on The War of the Worlds.



From Academy Award-nominated and two-time Emmy Award-nominated producer Simon Kinberg (The Martian) and David Weil (Hunters), Invasion is a sweeping, character-driven sci-fi drama series that follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world.

Set across multiple continents, Invasion stars Shamier Anderson, Golshifteh Farahani, Sam Neill, Firas Nassar and Shioli Kutsuna.

After availing myself of an extended free annual subscription to Apple TV+ (included with the purchase of an iPhone SE). This August, I’ll be switching to Apple One as it bundles Apple TV+ with Apple Arcade and Apple Music. The latter now features Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at no extra cost. And I'll benefit from iCloud+ (announced at this week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)) when it launches later this year.

Invasion will debut with the first three episodes on 22nd October followed by new episodes weekly, every Friday.

Are you looking forward to Invasion on Apple TV+? Let me know in the comments below.

Foundation teased for Apple TV+

A free 12-month Apple TV+ subscription, included with a recent iPhone SE purchase, couldn't have come at a better time. Not only has Fraggle Rock been rebooted, but next year a lavish adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is coming to the Cupertino-based company's streaming service.

During yesterday's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple released a first look at Foundation with David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy).



My earliest memory of reading Foundation was whilst on a school summer holiday in Spain. The prose were beyond my adolescent years, but I quickly deciphered how it had influenced popular sci-fi culture including George Lucas' Star Wars.

“Foundation was an enormous influence for Star Wars,” Goyer says. “It was the greatest science fiction work of all time. The scope is sprawling. It unfolds over the course of 1,000 years.”

Are you looking forward to Foundation on Apple TV+? Let me know in the comments below.

San Diego Comic-Con at home for free

Like E3 and the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) is a summer staple for geeks (myself included). This year, SDCC will be going virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic:

"Plans for Comic-Con@Home include an online Exhibit Hall complete with everyone’s favorite exhibitors offering promotions, specials, and limited-edition products unique to the celebration. As well, Comic-Con@Home promises exclusive panels and presentations about comics, gaming, television, film, and a wide variety of topics from publishers, studios, and more. As if that weren’t enough, Comic-Con@Home will also have a Masquerade, gaming, and many other activities in which fans can participate from their own homes."

“For the first time in our 50-year history, we are happy to welcome virtually anyone from around the globe,” said SDCC spokesperson David Glanzer. “Though stay-at-home conditions makes this a very difficult time, we see this as an opportunity to spread some joy and strengthen our sense of community.”

Comic-Con@Home will run online from 22nd-26th July and is free. Online attendees are encouraged to use the official #ComicConAtHome hashtag to be included in the virtual activities.

PS5 future of gaming event 4th June

PlayStation 5 (PS5) is, literally, emerging from the shadows on 4th June. Sony has announced a 'future of gaming' livestream showcasing PS5-only titles and seemingly teased the new console's startup chime.



Ordinarily, flaming June would be a month of major events. From the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it isn't safe and practicable for people to gather in large groups.

So, events like E3 have been cancelled and others, like WWDC, will be livestreamed. Incidentally, I mostly use the official Remote Play app for iPhone and iPad, since native DualShock 4 support was added with iOS 13, to stream games from my PS4.

"I’m excited to share that we will soon give you a first look at the games you’ll be playing after PlayStation 5 launches this holiday," writes Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and president Jim Ryan on the official PlayStation Blog.

"This digital showcase will run for a bit more than an hour and, for the first time, we will all be together virtually experiencing the excitement together. A lack of physical events has given us an amazing opportunity to think differently and bring you on this journey with us, and hopefully, closer than ever before. This is part of our series of PS5 updates and, rest assured, after next week’s showcase, we will still have much to share with you."

Scans of the July issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) have appeared online, revealing some of the games bound for PS5 with more expected to be announced exclusively during the livestream.

A Rat's Quest: The Way Back Home (ETA 2021)
Assassin's Creed Valhalla (ETA 2020)
Battlefield 6 (ETA 2021)
Chorus (ETA 2021)
Cygni: All Guns Blazing (ETA TBA)
Dauntless (ETA TBA)
Dirt 5 (2020)
Dragon Age 4 (ETA TBA)
Dying Light 2 (ETA TBA)
FIFA 21 (ETA 2020)
Godfall (ETA TBA)
Gods & Monsters (ETA TBA)
Gothic Remake (ETA TBA)
Madden 21 (ETA 2020)
Moonray (ETA Summer 2021)
MicroMan (ETA TBA)
NHL 21 (ETA 2020)
Nth'O Infinity Reborn (ETA February 2021)
Observer: System Redux (ETA 2020)
Outriders (ETA 2020)
Path of Exile 2 (ETA 2020)
PsyHotel (ETA TBA)
Quantum Error (ETA 2020)
Rainbow Six Quarantine (ETA TBA)
Rainbow Six Siege (ETA TBA)
Redo! Enhanced Edition (ETA 2020)
Scarlet Nexus (ETA TBA)
Sniper Elite 5 (ETA TBA)
Soulborn (ETA Late 2021)
Starfield (ETA TBA)
The Elder Scrolls 6 (ETA TBA)
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (ETA 2021)
The Sims 5 (ETA TBA)
Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 (ETA 2020)
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 (ETA TBA)
Warframe (ETA TBA)
Watch Dogs Legion (ETA TBA)
WRC 9 (ETA 2020)

Aside from software. Will PlayStation fans (myself included) get to see the 'box' itself? Well, the Tokyo-based company could borrow from late Apple CEO Steve Jobs' playbook with one more thing... Given manufacturing of the upcoming console is rumoured to have begun, Sony won't want someone to leak a photo of the PS5 and lose control of the messaging.

Sony's PS5 strategy will eclipse Microsoft's Xbox Series X as The Last of Us Part II is tracking to become the fastest selling first-party exclusive in the company's history, and the PS4 has dominated this console generation. Of course, I've championed Game Pass and PlayStation Now still lags behind.

The PS5 is on track for a holiday 2020 launch. The pre-order countdown starts now.

What are you hoping to see? Let me know in the comments below.

Google announces Stadia pre-orders ahead of E3

E3, the electronic entertainment expo, officially begins this weekend. However, companies are increasingly making major announcements ahead of the annual event and this year is no exception.

In a week where Apple announced official support for Xbox and PlayStation controllers, on compatible devices from the fall, during the Cupertino-based company's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC). Google has released new details for Stadia, the Alphabet subsidiary's streaming gaming service, and begun taking pre-orders for a November launch in the US, Canada, Europe and the UK.



Early adopters have an opportunity to own a Stadia Founder's Edition Bundle in time for the all-important holiday season. The relatively low entry price of £119.00GBP includes a controller, a Chromecast Ultra, three months of Stadia Pro (plus a buddy pass) and Destiny 2. My pre-order is in. Thus, adding a fifth gaming platform once Apple Arcade launches. Thankfully, with far less clutter than in the seventies, eighties, nineties and noughties. A free subscription tier, Stadia Base, will be available in 2020.

To use Stadia, you'll need at least a 10Mbps internet connection, which will let you play games at 720p with stereo sound. To play games at 4K HDR 60fps with 5.1 surround sound, a 35Mbps internet connection will be required. This has caused controversy for folks with data caps. It's worth noting this isn't Netflix for games (like PS Now or Xbox Game Pass) and you can't download for local play.

Stadia is not the first cloud-based video game streaming service. OnLive launched in 2010 to much fanfare and closed in 2015. Google's platform has support from third-party developers such as EA, Ubisoft and Sega but there's no news (yet) on exclusives from those publishers. Launch games include Doom Eternal, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Baldur’s Gate 3.

Google is a disruptive force, with a history of shuttering services, and video game incumbents Microsoft and Sony are making pre-emptive moves to counter the threat to their duopoly. The competing companies have already announced a strategic partnership for xCloud services based on Microsoft Azure, greater third-party crossplay compatibility - good news for all gamers - Remote Play and a controller tie-in with Apple ahead of Apple Arcade. Who knows what Microsoft will announce during its E3 press briefing to counter Google this Sunday.

What a time to be a gamer, eh? Getting Google Stadia or couldn't care less? Let me know in the comments below.

Apple put the "i" into Mac twenty years ago

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today and affords an ideal opportunity to reflect on the launch of the original iMac twenty years ago.



Jony Ive's product would become a cultural phenomenon, appearing in everything from Jennifer Lopez's iconic pop promo for If You Had My Love to television series, foreshadowing the Cupertino-based company's rise, Lazarus-like under the auspices of the then returning co-founder Steve Jobs, from imminent collapse into the consumer electronics giant we know today.



I purchased an iMac DV SE - affectionately dubbed 'the bubble' by my late mum - in the summer of 1999 to replace an ageing Macintosh Performa 5200. And have continued to champion the all-in-one desktop machine to this day.

An amusing anecdote from the start of the new millennium. During an interview at AOL, in the wake of purchasing Warner Bros., I was sarcastically asked by a company director, which colour had I chosen and that Apple should roll over and die! I countered by suggesting a strategic alliance between Apple and AOL. Whatever happened to AOL, again?

Apple is expected to announce an iMac refresh later today. Please add a Space Gray model to match my iPad Pro, Tim Cook.

Without the iMac, there would be no iPod, iPhone or iPad and, quite possibly, no Apple.

What are your iMac memories? Let me know in the comments below.

Apple showcases VR with Star Wars demo

Apple has partnered with Valve and showcased SteamVR during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) took to the stage. An ILMxLAB staffer, using an HTC VIVE headset and wands, populated a virtual world with TIE Fighters, Imperial Shuttle and Darth Vader. The presentation was powered by an iMac Pro coming this December.

Native VR support will be included with macOS High Sierra later this year and further augmented with Unreal 4 and Unity engine support.

The Cupertino-based company is bolstering its desktop line with refreshed iMacs and MacBooks to play catch-up in a resurgent VR space.

Do you think Apple's taking the desktop space seriously in the wake of criticisms suggesting the company has focussed too much on mobile devices? Let me know in the comments below.

WWDC 2008 AKA The Day the Earth Stood Still

The title of this post is somewhat overblown and pretentious! It's not entirely without some merit as an in-joke; Twitter has been electric with, witty, sci-fi references regarding announcements beamed from the Apple mothership, I only needed to mention that Exeter was thundery and my Twitter peeps were inspired to alude to ID4 amongst others.

My initial reaction to Steve Jobs keynote is mostly positive, mostly!

The new iPhone 3G looks most compelling. I'm sold on the 16GB model (in limited edition white) and will be contacting my O2 Shop in short order: as soon as tomorrow. Assuming O2 can offer a good pay-as-you-go plan, alongside the £269 price tag, for an iPhone 3G, July 11th can't come soon enough! An iPod touch 32GB is on order for wireless browsing around the home.

.mac is to morph into MobileMe and e-mail addresses can be transferred, if desired, to @me.com. However, a free service would've been welcomed! Apple's e-mail solution looks like a poor investment against highly featured, and free, services such as Google's Gmail! I'll review MobileMe once it becomes available, from July, and make it known whether or not subscribing for a fee-based service is worthwhile in the long-term!

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was previewed: “We have delivered more than a thousand new features to OS X in just seven years and Snow Leopard lays the foundation for thousands more,” said Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “In our continued effort to deliver the best user experience, we hit the pause button on new features to focus on perfecting the world’s most advanced operating system.”

Breaking news: Aliens have invaded Apple Store Princesshay...

Apple + Twitter

Follow tomorrow's Apple WWDC 2008 breaking news on Twitter and discover whether or not I'll be buying an iPhone 2! It'll be up to Steve Jobs to convince me!

Friend me on popular social networks: claimID.

The O2 Arena

The halo of geek chic is in full effect and WWDC enjoys a public profile comparable to Macworld!

The buzz surrounding next week's WWDC 2008 is bordering on the feverish! Only a brand with Apple's mindshare could garner such frenetic excitement, from the mainstream mass media, for what is, arguably, exclusively a 'developers delight'!

Not only is there incessant talk of the iPhone 2/3G, there's Mac OS X 10.5.4 (didn't we all just download 10.5.3 last week?), Mac OS X 10.6 codenamed 'Snow Leopard', and a much-needed .mac makeover! The latter holds the most compelling secrets, and may convince me to renew my subscription in October!

Everything hinges on the iPhone 2 and whether or not O2, the exclusive UK network carrier, offers Apple's second generation mobile device at a compelling price point alongside pay-as-you-go deals! If so, I'm sold and it'll be goodbye Orange! Readers who watch Channel Four's Dispatches series will appreciate the pay-as-you-go bias!

Further to the iPhone and .mac refresh, I'm predicting that there'll be an announcement regarding a new portable device called Mac nano...

iCalamity

In the wake of last week's release of Mac OS X 10.5.3, the Apple Discussions forums have been flooded with myriad threads related to innumerable iCal problems! I can concur that the latest Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard update wiped all my iCal calendars, following a .mac sync, and replaced these with empty duplicates!

Thankfully I had a usable backup from which to restore all my calendars! This is my suggested workaround:

*Uncheck iCal sync (System Preferences/.mac)
*Delete this folder: ~/Library/Calendars
*Restore all iCal settings via your backup plan

Hey presto! A working copy of iCal. Your mileage may vary, but I hope that this simple tip will help some (if not all) affected users. Further to this, I'm seriously considering purchasing Time Capsule 1TB at the conclusion of WWDC 2008!

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5.3

After weeks of comprehensive testing, and compulsive nail biting, by the developer community, Apple has finally released Mac OS X 10.5.3 ahead of next month's WWDC 2008.

The Mac OS X 10.5.3 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X 10.5 and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.

General

* Fixes a font issue that could result in Helvetica Narrow being used in applications instead of Helvetica.
* Addresses an issue with stuttering video and audio playback in certain USB devices.
* Resolves stability issues with Word of the Day, iTunes Artwork, and Slideshow screen savers.
* Fixes an issue in which certain attached hard drives may not show up in the Finder.
* Addresses an issue with .Mac syncing of Dashboard widgets over multiple Macs that use different screen resolutions.
* Includes additional RAW image support for several cameras.
* Improves the accuracy of the Software Update progress bar indicator.
* Addresses an issue in which Finder may not be available if the computer name is blank in Sharing preferences.
* Improves Active Directory binding and login.
* Eliminates a delay when logging in as an Active Directory user in a .local domain.
* Improves Spotlight searches on a AFP file server volumes.
* Clients can now change their password at the login window when bound to a Mac OS X 10.4 Open Directory server.
* Improves Safari reliability when connecting to the Internet through a Microsoft ISA proxy.

Address Book

* Addresses reliability issues when searching for contacts using built-in search.
* Resolves issues with mapping addresses that contain an ampersand character (&).

AirPort

* Improves 802.1X behavior and reliability.
* Improves reliability when using Time Capsule.

Automator

* Addresses an issue in which some actions may not work with the "Show When Run" option enabled.
* Resolves an issue in which the "New iCal Event" action may not work.
* Resolves an issue that prevents workflows from being saved in the Finder's contextual menu.
* Fixes reliability issues for Automator scripts that search for files by date.
* Resolves an issue that prevents workflows from being saved in the Finder's contextual menu.
* Addresses an issue in which Automator workflows as Finder plugins do not work when the workflow begins with the "Get Selected Finder Items" action.
* Fixes an issue in which the "Copy Files" action does not reliably work when added from Automator’s warning dialog.

iCal

* Addresses potential privacy issues by allowing events to be marked as private.
* Resolves an issue in which the inspector does not show capacity and availability info for conference rooms within a building.
* Addresses an issue in which the current day could appear in the left-most column of the weekly view.
* Addresses reliability issues with meeting alarms, invitations and attachments.
* Resolves issues with reliability when restoring from iCal backups.
* Fixes accuracy issues with auto-completion, availability data and location names.
* Resolves an issue in which iCal may send cancellation notices for events in the past after a calendar is deleted.
* Fixes reliability issues with iCal syncing.

iChat

* Addresses reliability issues with screen sharing.
* Resolves an issue in which saved chat transcripts may reported as "still in use" after opening and closing them in iChat.
* Resolves an issue with group chats not being indexed in Spotlight.
* Only the last 250 messages of an active chat are saved. Fixed to save unlimited number of lines.
* Addresses issues with echo cancellation that may occur on portable Macs.

Mail

* Resolves an issue in which Mail may prevent idle sleep when set to automatically check for new messages every minute.
* Addresses stability issues that may be encountered when dragging large attachments into an email message.
* Fixes an issue that could occur if two compose windows are open when dragging a file to the Mail icon in the Dock.
* Addresses reliability issues when changes are made to a mailbox while offline.
* Resolves wrapping issues that may be found with consecutive spaces in plain text.
* Fixes issues with certain web pages appearing garbled when emailed from Safari.
* Fixes an issue in which the Sent, Drafts, and Outbox mailboxes incorrectly list the "cc" recipients in the "To" column.
* Addresses reliability issues with attachments added to plain text notes.
* Fixes reliability issues with authenticated RSS feeds.
* Resolves an issue in which attaching an alias to an email message may not send the actual file.

Parental Controls

* Addresses reliability issues with application logging and time limits.
* Resolves an issue in which Parental Controls may prevent forced sleep.
* Addresses performance issues with web content filters.
* Fixes an issue with managed accounts in which iChat transcripts may not be created.
* Addresses issues with 4-byte files and whitelist.

Spaces

* Resolves an issue in which switching to a different space and returning back to the original space may reorder the application windows with a different active window.
* Resolves an issue in which activating an application from the Dock switches to a different space, even if there is a window for that application in the current space.
* Fixes an issue in which Command-Tab may incorrectly switch to a new space.
* Addresses reliability issues with Spaces when syncing preferences over .Mac.

Time Machine

* Includes fixes for Time Machine compatibility with Time Capsule.
* Resolves certain issues when backing up a portable Mac that is on battery power.
* Addresses compatibility issues with Aperture 2.
* Addresses reliability issues when performing a full restore from a Time Machine backup.
* Fixes an issue in which certain function keys may be disabled after using Time Machine.
* Fixes a possible alert message that incorrectly states a backup volume does not have enough space.
* Updates Time Machine to reliably restore attachments and messages in Mail.

VoiceOver

* Includes Braille Update 1.0 which enables GW Micro, HandyTech, HIMS, Nippon, and Papenmeier Refreshable Braille displays.
* Addresses an issue with Braille dot 7 and 8 underlining.
* Fixes an issue in which HTML page anchors may be ignored by the VoiceOver cursor.
* Fixes an issue that prevented Hot Spots from being used in text areas.
* Resolves an issue with spell checking in which VoiceOver may only announce the first misspelled word if there are multiple words spelled incorrectly.

As ever, I unreservedly recommend all Mac-based readers to download the hefty Mac OS X 10.5.3 Combo Update! If readers encounter any show-stopping problems, please post a comment. Thank you in advance.

Predictions for WWDC '07

This June the center of the Mac universe will be at Moscone West in downtown San Francisco as developers and IT professionals from around the globe come together for the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

Technically-speaking WWDC 2007 should lack the glamour of Macworld! But, this is Apple we're talking about, and everything Apple does, under the stewardship of CEO Steve Jobs, is followed with great interest by developers, consumers, and the public at large!

Here are my predictions for next week:

*New iMacs and iPods (maybe delayed until Apple Expo Paris)
*iLife 07
*iWork 07
*iLife and iWork integrated into Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
*Boot Camp no longer requires reboot in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
*Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac release date announced
*Blu-Ray build-to-order (BTO) option available from Apple Store
*.Mac updated with Google co-branding and sans subscription

Lots of cool new applications and updates from third-party developers.

The Year Of The Leopard

Next week heralds Apple's annual WWDC and another opportunity for me to miss my Mecca! This year I'll refrain from too much speculation (such are the rigors of maintaining more than one blog!).

Here's an alleged scoop regarding what we might expect in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (taken from O'Grady's PowerPage):

*Spotlight 2.0
*Dashboard 2.0
*Safari 3.0
*iChat 4.0
*Automator 2.0
*QuickTime 7.2
*Mail 3.0
*iCal 3.0
*Address Book 5.0

Application updates are a no-brainer and there's no big ticket items. Remember kids, this is only hearsay. Don't get me started on a musical tangential!

ReBoot

Militarist overtones aside. Today Apple announced the immediate availability of Boot Camp (Public Beta name subject to change) for Intel-based Macs.

Officially, Mac Users will be able to natively run a purchased copy of Windows XP (unsupported by Apple) alongside Mac OS X 10.4.6 (and above).

This natural extension of X11 is, perhaps, the missing piece from Apple's switching strategy and silences the third-party hacks (however good). Windows customers no longer have to consider abandoning their investment overnight, and a panacea for developers migrating from Redmond to Cupertino or wishing to support both commercial platforms in a timely fashion.

Mac gamers now have access to an unimaginable wealth of Windows-only games. What effect, if any, will this have on publishers such as Aspyr or MacPlay? Let the discourse begin.

On the strength of this release, all eyes are on WWDC 2006 and the first official glimpse of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Maybe Vista's in for a mauling?

Hollow Pursuits

Quake 3 game engine titles were overstocked in Exeter's Comet store. I grabbed shrink-wrapped copies of Star Trek: Elite Force II and Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast from the sale bin!

Elite Force II has proved popular in the Hood household. Against my better judgment, the notion of engaging Romulans, Borg et al in savage battle is cathartic and evokes memories of ST:TNG S1 to S3. The franchise translates to the FPS genre with relative ease aided by sterling performances from the original cast. The seamless cut scenes (rendered using the game engine) mimic the cinematography of First Contact, Aliens and Die Hard. The only distraction (and biggest gripe) are the interminable load times, which dilute the pace and drama. Next Saturday I'll shop for Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force and Black & White (including Creature Isle expansion pack).

Episode 11 of Doctor Who S1, Boom Town, was a pleasure to watch. And the trailer for episode 12, poking fun at 'reality and general knowledge shows', was fantastic! Did anyone say Daleks?

Tomorrow WWDC 2005 starts. New iPods and iBooks are a given. Without the distraction of 10.5, 10.4 will receive the attention it richly deserves and is Intel really coming to a Mac near you? In the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard "Lets see what's out there" (Encounter at Farpoint Part 2).

Point and click cinema

In the late '80s I cut my audio/video editing teeth on linear equipment i.e. three machine edit suites for video and 1/4 tape (chalk and cutting knife in hand) for audio. The mid 90's witnessed the advent, and rapid development, of non-linear, non-destructive workflows. It occurred to me that since that time all my editing has been Mac-based! In 2003 I revisited my production analysis written for December Duet (an original drama made during my final year at Bournemouth University). It is available as a PDF download.

Since the unveiling of Dashboard at the WWDC 2004 a debate has raged concerning Apple's alleged 'rip off' of Konfabulator. The following blog outlines the historical development of widgets, which found its genesis on the Mac platform many years ago.

Rolling Stone

RealPlayer 10 Beta for Mac OS X is now available for immediate download. Leveraging Safari and QuickTime technology, this is the best incarnation of RealPlayer on any platform! The new Mac edition also includes a fully featured graphic equaliser and image controls (the Windows edition requires subscription). Kudos.

Having now watched the WWDC QuickTime Keynote stream. Of all the new 'cool' OS X 10.4 Tiger features showcased, Core Image captured my imagination! Core Image provides a plug-in style architecture for accessing filters, transitions and effects packages called Image Units. Image Units provide centralized management for image processing plug-ins that can be shared across all host applications. Adobe Photoshop CS Ultimate Edition!

Redmond, we have a problem

As predicted Apple announced at WWDC that Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger will be released in Q1 2005. Amongst the new features are Spotlight, Safari RSS, Automator (Workflow assistant) and Dashboard. The Apple Cinema Display line was refreshed, spearheaded by a new titanic 30-inch HD display model. Wonder if movie directors James Cameron and George Lucas had any input during R&D?

Further to the unprecedented release of Real's free Export Plug-in. RealPlayer 10 for Mac is available from Wednesday.