Apple Working on 'Next Generation' Media Applications

[bretm]

why don't you try getting a relationship with a phone company that actually works on launch day first.

Let's see in ATL Verizon costs more and gets less than half the data rate. AT&T works great and Im pulling down 2.2 mb/sec and I can also surf and talk at the same time. I don't live or travel to east bumble so I'm not really worried about coverage differences.

 

[RalfTheDog]

Apple is looking for an engineer to work on a team "tasked with creating the next generation application for manipulating media".

The White House posts the same add every four years.

 

[aromohd919]

What about an 4g network

IPhone 4: will AT&T offer a 4g network as Sprint has done? If so will the iPhone 4 be able to access the 4g network? Would it be a software upgrade or a “New iPhone” upgrade?

 

[ryanide]

for the new mac mini

I imaging having an iPad app or a large size touch pad (such as the wireless keyboard size) that can be used to function as a wireless touch input for both gestures (mousing) and for a virtual keyboard. Combine that one input device with a mac mini and your home TV (and some cool new version of Front Row) and you'd have a nice home entertainment PC.

 

[Bruce Oksol]

....single most ridiculous concept I have ever heard Apple fans push for. This is so for two reasons.

1) To make a touch user interface comfortable and worthwhile, you need to be sitting quite close to the screen.....

2) etc....

You are assuming that the screen is standing up. Now, imagine the desktop laying down, at a nice gentle slant -- the same way cartoonists, engineers, draftsmen, architects, work at their desk.

Don't worry. Many folks will keep their uprights; others will see value in this new technology.

What I get a kick out of is how quickly people diss these interesting concepts -- one of the reasons many people never bought AAPL stock when it was less than $20 / share. They had no vision.

I guess that's what separates Steve Jobs from the rest of us.

 

[JazzJohannes]

Amazing

That would be sooo cool, finally a keypad for my MacBook late 2008.

I think that was the initial thought before iPad, having such a peripheral extension with any older Mac / MacBook is just amazing, just think of the possibilities, perhaps even remote, now all we need is a cheap projector built in so that we can just lie on the bed and play with the computer and watch movies etc. etc. etc.

Please Apple, this would be the most appreciated wonder in technology today!!

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

This 'Touch Pad' gizmo, should it be real or a concept in progress, is a very exciting concept for desktop computing.

Sure enough we already have 'tablets' that use pens to navigate the mouse pointer on screen, but the idea of having this Pad-like device only brings in more possibilities with it being wireless and not even needing a pen. We've seen how MultiTouch works with the MacBooks, being able to swipe to switch between programs and many other gestures, but think how the Pad could be customised for a desktop machine

Consider that, just as an example, each corner of the pad could relate to the way the hot-spot 'corners' of the Desktop operate; you touch a corner, and Expose comes up, or Spaces. Apple have never quite hit it with mice - when they do it good, its amazing, but when they do it bad, its dire. Since the 'Mighty Mouse' was so poor, I think they got a lot of stick and the Magic Mouse was a step in the right direction with the touch technology. And its obviously a sign of things to come.

I really think Apple will eradicate Mice all together in the not-too-distant future, and just include a Pad-like device such as this with their iMac, though the option will always be there to connect a mice via Bluetooth. The last revision of the iMac was a dramatic step to making the product even more minimal with just one visible cable, and it wouldn't surprise me if this Pad is a future option. We've just seen how the new Mac Mini has HDMI, and given that Apple have plans for this to be used as a media device with TV's, what better way to control you Mini whilst sitting on the sofa than this device? Its exciting.

The killer attribute for me would be using this with Illustrator/Photoshop. Pen-Tablets are nice, but being able to connect with the surface while drawing could be something special. We'll have to see.

My only concern is just how 'Apple-esque' it is to go from something as small as a mouse to something quite a bit bigger with the Pad; normally, they make things smaller and smaller. Though knowing these guys, they could build the Pad in with the Keyboard, so its all one device... Think about it...

 

[Yamcha]

Nice to see a touch pad for desktops :], could look better though..

 

[jeznav]

Desktop machines with touch is not going to happen. Ever. It is the single most ridiculous concept I have ever heard Apple fans push for. This is so for two reasons.

1) To make a touch user interface comfortable and worthwhile, you...

... try sitting at a recommended distance from the machine, but pretending to touch the screen for any longer than a few minutes. If your arm can withstand the strain, then congrats, because mine certainly can't. It is the most unnatural feeling ever.

You might as well take a look at this:

10/GUI Touch computing concept video

 

[WilliamLondon]

Imagine an 24" or 27" iMac with Retina display (326dpi), powered by a bunch of A4 processors, all running in parallel, running iOS 5.0 as your personal iCloud.

The desktop itself is complete 3D and seamless integrated with the optional MobileCloud services. You no longer need to sync apps between devices. You just navigate on whatever iThingy to where you parked the app and continue with what it is you were doing.

Oh yeah, before I forget. As all Apps are touch based, a mouse won't do anymore. This is where the new iTouch-Pad comes in.

Ok, time to wake up.
My wife tells me dinner is ready

Nah, it'll be gesture input, or perhaps gesture with this touch thingy.

 

[fabianjj]

It would be nice if the pad would have a display underneath the touch-surface, that could be used to show time, running programs, and status of everything, as well as being used as an input device, while the WHOLE main screen is dedicated to displaying the contents of the current application(s) running.

And you know all those sci-fi movies where people only use weird cool touch devices for computer input? Apple and other hardware companies trying to make these things the primary input device for their computers is the first step towards that future, of course a lot of people will still want a mouse for precision and a keyboard for fast typing, but this could very well be a small step into that sci-fi future

 

[jeff181995]

Well, their asses should start working on my white iPhone 4.

Agreed

 

[-SD-]

I've been hoping to hear more information aout this 'Magic Trackpad' since the first lot of photos were leaked just before WWDC. I'd be much happier using one of these than my current Magic Mouse, as long as the OS is designed specifically for this type of interface.

Maybe the Trackpad will ship alongside OS X 10.7?

 

[freiheit]

Unfortunately, probably for iOS

Unfortunately they're most likely looking for someone to design media manipulation apps for iOS while Final Cut gets moved from the dungeon to the sub-sub-dungeon. *sigh*

 

[powers74]

media

Hopefully, this has something to do with creating their own graphics suite so we don't have to pay a grand for a twenty year old one with six new mostly useless features. OK, the 3D and Content-Aware are pretty sweet. Still.

 

[macbeta99]

My guess is in relation to Quartz stiff

My guess is in relation to Quartz stiff, they hired the guy from http://kineme.net/ not long ago so my money is on that.

 

[charlituna]

I've never understood why Apple advertise these vacancies,

Apple likes to get fresh talent and often that isn't via headhunters etc.

Also they keep the advertisements really vague so no one actually knows what's going on. So no real risk of anything actually being leaked. I doubt the applicants are told anything either.

this is where the future is - NOT with a touch screen desktop. next step is creating a desktop OS that works well with this Touch Pad.

Actually the future is probably more like the touch pad keyboard design tha was going around about a year ago. Controls would adjust according to the app being used, possibly even use as a drawing pad.

Imagine an 24" or 27" iMac with Retina display (326dpi), powered by a bunch of A4 processors, all running in parallel, running iOS 5.0 as your personal iCloud.

now THAT is a giant ipod touch.

And I question whether it could run something like Final Cut, with local storage (no way is some studio going to trust the cloud with the next big hit.
I bet it won't, and Apple still loves their studios and such.

IPhone 4: will AT&T offer a 4g network as Sprint has done?

That is a question for ATT not Apple.

Unfortunately they're most likely looking for someone to design media manipulation apps for iOS while Final Cut gets moved from the dungeon to the sub-sub-dungeon. *sigh*

Who says. It could be someone to design a new UI for FCS. Lord knows it needs it.

Stop pissing in your own cornflakes and wait and see what happens. I bet you dissed the remake of Karate Kid saying it would be trash and stupid. Instead of going to see it and then talking smack about it

 

[abcborges]

Apple should invest in BRAIN-MACHINE INTERFACE

 

[MattInOz]

Apple should invest in BRAIN-MACHINE INTERFACE

They have already well sort of.
They did hire the Wearable computer guy and give him a secret lab.
He was working on similar stuff as part of his work.

I think Apple are in a good position with their OS's both of them could work seemlessly with each other, if they improve the syncing between the two. Add some API's that allows developers to build app that uses both platforms simultaneously but doesn't rely on either.

I could see iOS expanding ever still till it replaces the user interaction layer of all Apple products with an OS X based Application Space. Multiple users all using the same OS X machine but interact via their own iOS device. Each power App would have it's own sandboxed realm running on an X86 based machine. A family might have a Mac Desktop for shared processing and data hub, a company might have a cluster of modular mac's like the xserve but maybe built with low power parts so modulars could be MacMini or smaller sized.

Then we could see systems like we see in Sci-Fi were each user might have two or three devices to suit a range of tasks or interactions with other people, with data that moves between devices without us even needing to push it around.

 

[lPHONE]

no it is going to be boring

i've been bored for years.

I'm waiting for the iMac Touch. Until then, nothing will impress me.

 

[MattInOz]

I think apple should work on a project like this. Stop nickle-and-diming people and just give them everything they want. That is just my opinion.

Well it's not like you haven't had to pay for Books or Comics (music, movies tv series, productive apps, news and information) in the past why should the e-versions be any different. Sure the system should make them cheaper mostly due to the massively reduced risk of production to the publisher. That doesn't mean free. So not sure how by helping make it easier and more effective to publish for profit is Nickle and Diming anyone?

Sure taking accessories out of the box with your Mac or iPod then charging for them is Nikle and Diming, but selling content not really.

 

[joltheadq]

3D Display

I don't know if anyone has put any thought into this but myself, but the forward facing camera makes for a pretty interesting chance that Apple may be working on 3D technology. It makes sense that they are gearing up the iPhone 4 hardware to manage it. The forward camera would make it possible for the phone to track the eye's of the user so that 3D rendering would be possible without glasses. And since there will usually be only a single viewer, there is no need to deal with the headache of multiple eyes to track. Plus, history has shown that the iPhone is the test bed for all new apple technologies. If this is the path apple is taking with the iPhone, I can't wait for Ver. 5 to come out.

 

[charlituna]

I don't know if anyone has put any thought into this but myself, but the forward facing camera makes for a pretty interesting chance that Apple may be working on 3D technology. It makes sense that they are gearing up the iPhone 4 hardware to manage it.

Actually it doesn't make sense. Not for the phone. That kind of load would be too much for the processor and the battery.

Now for the computer. Sure, for some kind of new fangled apple tv, yeah. That could work. One already has a viewer facing camera and it could be added to the other one pretty easy if they wanted. Heck if they were going to go for a 3d Apple TV they might actually make a full screen and not just a plug in box.

All this said however, don't expect Blu-ray support. The licensing etc was a beast and Apple didn't want to get into that mess. So they went download and now they are pretty much committed to that. Any Blu-ray support will be an afterthought and will likely be positioned for creation not playing and centered around the mac pro (if there's any hardware options). Everyone else will have to be happy with external drives etc.

 

[kdarling]

The forward camera would make it possible for the phone to track the eye's of the user so that 3D rendering would be possible without glasses. .

Microsoft's already demonstrating 3D-follow-you by using a front facing camera.

As for touch input, one of its uses is to cut down on hand movement. That won't work using the screen or even a touchpad. What does work is combining the keyboard with touch sensitive keys, so you can slide your fingers around on the surface of your keys to create mouse motions.

The future will not be centered around a single input method, but with an intelligent combination that recognizes why you nod your head, wave a finger, grimace, and grunt. Just as a human assistant would.