New Apple Offerings

Apple have released their new line up with the new iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina display, updated MacBook Pro's and the release date for the new Mac Pro.

The 5th generation of the iPad has been launched as the new iPad Air labeled

"the lightest full-size tablet in the world". It looks like a larger iPad mini, and has the same bezel, chamfered edges and curved corners as that model.

The new bezel sees the iPad 20% thinner and 28% lighter, and coupled with the new 64bit A7 processor and the M7 movement co-processor, it brings a whole new dimension to the iPad.  The new iPads will be available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB & 128GB in wither Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi +4G options.

Read More HERE & HERE

The iPad Mini has now been updated with Retina display as well as the new A7 & M<7 processors

The display has a resolution of 2048x1536, the same as the company's larger iPad Air. The screen has a pixel density of 326ppi.

Read the iPad Mini reviews HERE

The new MacBook Pro range is now cheaper than ever before and features new free software suites.

Apple have also announced a December release date for the new cylindrical Mac Pro machine

Read more about the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro machines HERE or HERE

365 days left for XP

Its an image that is iconic to many, something a lot of people still see on a day by day basis - the windows XP load screen.  Its also something that will become rarer and rarer over the next year with Microsoft announcing they will no longer support Windows XP after 08/04/14.

One year from today, the world's most popular PC operating system, Windows XP, will no longer be supported by Microsoft.
As of April 8, 2014, the software vendor will no longer provide security patches or other updates to the software.

This could prove to be a problem for many as XP is still a well loved and widely used operating system around Australia, New Zealand and the world, with many programs and scripts still built to use its infrastructure.

This of course will be a huge bonus to programmers and developers who will see a windfall of companies who need programs that have been created for their company rewritten to use the Windows 7 platform, and you can expect there to be big delays in getting your custom program or script updated as the large numbers who still use and rely on XP suddenly clammer to get everything migrated across to Windows 7 before its too late.

Read more about the end for XP from itnewswire HERE

A win for the nerd generation?

I read an interesting article this afternoon from IT Newswire about Auckland school, Stonefields School using pupil power coupled with minecraft to help design new classrooms.

Having researched Stonefields a little it appears to have evolved from the basis of the former Mt Wellington School which the Ministry of Education closed, with private school Stoneflieds opening in February 2011 in its place.

Photo from Stonefields School principal Chris Bradbeer via IT newswire

Anyway Stonefields are projecting the possibility of expansion so asked their kids to help design five "learning hubs" (open-plan classrooms) and the kids asked to use minecraft instead of traditional media.

One of the organisational principles of our schools is 'listening to voices' and we wanted to consult the students on the learning hub design," Bradbeer said.
"At first, we spent an afternoon with a group of year 5 to 8 students, and having Lego, paper, cardboard, marker pens and other traditional materials, but the first thing they said was 'could we do this on Minecraft?'"

I'm impressed that the school has been so open to the ideas of the kids using minecraft, and impressed that the kids find designing classrooms easier using minecraft.  The story also highlights the other uses for minecraft and its partnership with the UN to develop public spaces around the world, getting local young people involved in urban planning.

Read the full story from itnewswire HERE