GUI Galaxy

Sorry for the update delay, folks, but I do have a life outside of GUIGalaxy. Ok, I don’t. I did have to get quarantined from that monkey bite, however. Anyway, today we have faster iMacs, 12-core Mac Pros, 27″ Cinema Displays, and a brand new device, the Magic Trackpad. Bizzidy BAM!

This afternoon at the WWDC, Steve demonstrated the brand-new iPhone 4, which is the awesomest awesome to ever awesome. Some of the key bits of awesome include a stainless steel and glass frame, a front-facing camera for video calling, a 5MP camera that records HD video at 720p, a 960 x 640 Retina Display, and loads of other things to geek out about. Available for pre-order June 15th, shipping June 24th.

iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 4 was released today via the iPhone Developer Center, and some sweet features are coming to light. A “Utilities” folder groups common apps like Calculator, Clock, and Compass, and the home screen itself can now display wallpapers. Nice! Tethering now also seems to finally be a viable option (for AT&T), as it’s now available via the iPhone’s “Settings” menu.

Comic illustration god Jim Lee tweeted how he immediately put his new iPad to use via the SketchBook Pro app, cranking out the above gems. “My fingers make for clumsy brushes,” said Lee. You so crazy!

Awkward! Seen yesterday outside Calafia in Palo Alto’s Town and Country shopping center, Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt were having a pleasant, non-fisticuff discussion over coffee. Overheard conversation snippets included “I heard Nexus One sold about a ninth of what iPhone did in its first 74 days. That’s rough, bro.” And, “My former chef Charlie Ayers owns this cafe, Steve. I see you drank most of your latte. Feeling a little woozy, perchance?”

Via a series of brilliant teasers sent out to various Mac news sites, Valve Software has been slowly intimating at their forthcoming release of Steam for Mac OS X. From Valve’s distributed imagery, games like Half-Life, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead, and Portal would all be on tap. The Game Developers Conference next week could be the venue for an iron-clad confirmation.

Yes, that is what it looks like. iMaxi – The Apple iPad Case with Protective Wings takes the obvious moniker joke to the extreme. Etsy seller Hip Handmaids says the case “shields [the iPad] from all those unsightly and embarrassing data leaks that would make any motherboard worry!” See what they did there? The case also comes in a… red-threaded interior version. True story, bro.

On the same day Steve turned 55, iTunes recorded its 10 billionth song download. What are the odds of that?! I’m no mathematician, so bear with me… let’s see… divide by 12… carry the 55… the answer is… purple. What? In any event, Happy Birthday Steve!

The Touchy Remix from Intactlab is an interestingly-designed, table-like computer with a curved fiberglass base and 40 inch touchscreen (1366 x 768 resolution). Powered by a fully-integrated Mac mini, it also has four USB ports and an optional iPhone dock. You can get all Touchy feely with this video demonstration.

The iPhone app addLib, as described by WOW, “mixes the Grid System, a fractal theory, the golden ratio and the Facial Recognition System, and then creates graphic design. It seems the layout is made at random, but it comes from the rigorous calculated system.” So in short, it takes your ugly-ass photos and attempts to lesson their horrific nature via embellishments of typography, form, and placement. Get it via iTunes now.