The update follows on from a previous update to Developer Preview 3 of Mountain Lion which was released earlier this month. It is notable because Apple seems to be choosing to continuously update Developer Build 3 of the OS, rather than releasing a completely new Developer Build 4. The software is expected to be one of the highlights of the upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June and Apple is expected to give a little more information on when the new Mac OS will be released to the public.

Given that Apple is choosing to continuously update this developer build of OS 10.8, it seems that the OS must be approaching GM status and Apple would certainly be looking to get it into public release form if the rumors about a new Retina Display enabled MacBook Pro and iMac being announced at WWDC prove to be true. The latest builds of both Lion and Mountain Lion contain the ability to activate a HiDPI mode, which is essentially Mac-speak for Retina Display, and this is something that will be activated, when the new devices are released.

Closer…

A new report by the WSJ is suggesting that Apple has placed orders with manufacturers for components for the next generation iPhone aiming to start assembly of the device next month. The report goes on further to suggest that the new iPhone will have a screen that measures at least 4 inches from corner to corner, compared with the current 3.5 inch screen size. The increased screen real estate is being seen as a response to other manufacturers like Samsung who have had tremendous success with devices that have larger screen sizes.

The source of the information is apparently people who are familiar with the situation, presumably from the Asian suppliers who will be providing the larger screens. There’s also no word on whether the screen width will increase proportionately with the increased height or whether there will simply be extra space added on to the top and bottom of the screen.

Many people have speculated that any increase to the height of the screen would be to accommodate a new screen based Home button display, but our recent discovery of a new physical Home button, apparently destined for the iPhone 5, seems to preclude that.  Other have suggested that Apple will simply be removing the ‘dead space’ around the screen and integrating a more edge to edge screen that will retain the same pixel density and resolution but in a slightly bigger screen.

The key question is perhaps whether or not Apple will just be releasing a single device with one screen size or whether the 4 inch screen is offered in addition to the current 3.5 inch size.

Update: Reuters have also published about an iPhone with a 4 inch screen.

More Real Estate…

The report follows on from yesterdays report that the MacBook Pro would also be getting Retina Display when the next iteration of it is released at the Word Wide Developers Conference in June. Retina Display, or HiDPI as it is referred to in the Mac OS, has long been thought to be coming to the Mac, primarily because of the discovery of a HiDPI mode in the latest version of the Mac operating system, 10.7 Lion, as well as standard OS X icons getting increased resolution in the latest builds of the OS.

There is no detail on exactly how high the resolution will go, but a quadruple resolution Mac display seems to be the logical way for Apple to perform the upgrade. Naturally, however, a massively increased resolution would require a substantial amount of processing power behind it, so the next generation iMac, and MacBook Pro, will probably ship with some hefty graphics cards.

A Retina Display upgrade to either the MacBook Air or Mac Pro is also likely following the upgrade to the display on the MacBook Pro and iMac.  The new MacBook Pro is expected to make its debut at the WWDC in June so expect some good news shortly after that.

Hefty…

The developers of the popular Sparrow email app for iOS devices have released an update today, bring a bunch of new features to the latest iteration of Sparrow, version 1.2. According to the Sparrow blog, the new version brings four new features to the app including new message navigation, the ability to edit and create folder labels, the ability to compose e-mails while in landscape mode (for seriously serious iPhone email users) as well as language support for 9 languages.

The developers also address the issue with Push notifications in the app, a feature that many people have been screaming for since its release and, essentially, a key differentiating factor that would convince some users to switch from the iPhone mail app to Sparrow. The devs note that Apple is not willing to grant an exception to the rule that apps have to send any Push notifications from their own servers which means that the Sparrow servers will have to host the Push feature for all users.

This essentially means that Sparrow will be offering Push notifications in the future, but it will require an extra yearly subscription (managed through the app) in order to pay for the server costs. There’s no timescale offered on when Push notifications would be implemented but you can bet that it’s a top priority for the development team.

Sparrow for iOS is available now on the App Store for $2.99

Push It…

The site suggests that the new thin form factor is not quite as thin as the MacBook Air and doesn’t taper towards the front, rather it is simply a thinner version of the MacBook Pro. Apple will also apparently use this opportunity to unleash Mac Retina Display upon the world, a feature which is already being hinted at in the latest updates to OS X 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion, due for release later this summer, about the same time that this new MacBook Pro design is expected. The Retina Display will also apparently not be categorized by pixel size, rather big, medium or small, according to the report.

The new models will also be expected to sport the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processors and will apparently appear alongside a new variation of the iMac, also sporting the Ivy Bridge architecture.  While the report notes that the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June would be the ideal time for the new models to appear, but doesn’t give a firm timescale for the release.

Optimal…

In a word of caution however, Cydia Blog notes that these bits of hardware could simply be prototype iPhone 5 parts which will never make it to retail production and have simply been used to test component construction. However, the new leak does join on a previous report where we discovered what appeared to be Home buttons for the iPhone 5 on a Chinese supplier site.

Many people are pretty eager to find out what exactly Apple is planning for the iPhone 5 design but, as with many component leaks, these don’t really give you all that much information other than noting that the new components have a tweaked design.

At least, if this part is genuine, we know that the new iPhone will have a headphone jack which is some seriously awesome jacked-up news.

Jacked…

As has been the case for several months, a veritable raging swirl of rumors have been engaged with the concept of the 7 inch iPad. Now, adding to that swirl is a source with a little more gravitas than those making the previous claims. The site iMore is claiming that they have an unnamed source who has knowledge of the 7 inch iPad and that, in fact, Apple is planning on launching the new device alongside the next generation iPhone in October of this year. The site is also claiming that the new 7 inch iPad will launch with a price between $200 and $250.

According to the report, the 7 inch iPad will have a screen resolution of 2048 x 1546 pixels which is identical to the resolution found in the current 9.7 inch iPad, but that resolution would be packed into a 7 inch screen. This would mean a 326 ppi pixel density which is same as the iPhone 4 and 4S.

This has been a rumor that has, in the past, resulted in a lot of animated discussion by many people and, as such, it’s hard to pinpoint the accuracy of this particular source. However, if Apple were to launch this device and, in the process obliterate the majority of the competition in the tablet arena, they would be hard pressed to keep it around the price point stated. A teardown of the new iPad revealed that the display and touchscreen components were nearly $130 in themselves and that a 16GB Wi-Fi version total component cost was around $316.

It’s therefore hard to see Apple launching a slightly smaller device with similar screen and similar specifications for the sub $250 price point stated in the article and therefore we’d estimate a $300 price if the new 7 inch iPad should come to fruition.

…and that’s a big ‘if’.

If You…

The new software is priced at $149.99 which is identical to the price that would be charged if purchasing Lightroom 4 directly from Adobe. This is significant move for the company as Apple takes 30% of all sales on the Mac App Store. There is, however, an upgrade available for users of previous versions of Lightroom which is $79 but has to be purchased from Adobe itself.

This certainly isn’t the first time that Adobe have released software on the Mac App Store with apps like Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements and Revel already making an impact.

Sadly, and as has been pointed out before, there are no package deals available on the Mac App Store and, as such, users cannot take advantage of discounts from buying a suite of programs at the same time. This is particularly notable in the context of Lightroom 4 as the software is offered for only $99 when purchased at the same time as Adobe Creative Suite 6 applications, an offer that isn’t available when purchasing from the Mac App Store. Therefore, it’s best to shop around prior to purchase and see where the best deal is.

Creative…

Apple has released the next major update to the Mac operating system, OS X Lion 10.7.4, bringing with it a host of improvements and fixes to Lion. The update is for all users of OS X Lion and fixes a number of issues with Lion including improvements to internet sharing, SMB print server connections, RAW image compatibility and support for third party USB keyboards. The release notes are detailed below.

• Resolve an issue in which the “Reopen windows when logging back in” setting is always enabled.
• Improve compatibility with certain British third-party USB keyboards.
• Addresses permission issues that may be caused if you use the Get Info inspector function “Apply to enclosed items…” on your home directory. For more information, see this article.
• Improve Internet sharing of PPPoE connections.
• Improve using a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file.
• Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to an SMB server.
• Improve printing to an SMB print queue.
• Improve performance when connecting to a WebDAV server.
• Enable automatic login for NIS accounts.
• Include RAW image compatibility for additional digital cameras.
• Improve the reliability of binding and logging into Active Directory accounts.
• The OS X Lion v10.7.4 Update includes Safari 5.1.6, which contains stability improvements.

As always, back up your system using either Time Machine or some other backup management software prior to the installation of the update. We’ve seen the size of the downloads vary wildly, weighing in anywhere between 320MB up to 750MB depending on the system.

The update is available through Software Update right now.

Fix…

Following on from Evernote’s acquisition of the popular app Penultimate, the Evernote app itself has just received a big update. Available now on the iOS and Mac App Store, Evernote version 4.2 has been unleashed bringing with it a large number of improvements and fixes for the app on iOS devices. The note editor has received a major redesign on the iPhone and iPod touch on iOS 5 and now has easier access to attachments, a redesigned note info screen and more powerful note editing capabilities. In addition to this, there is also improved checkbox functionality, an improved attachment system, including support for Photo Stream, together with the improved Note Editor settings.

Evernote for Mac has also received a major update, bringing it up to version 3.1 which offers a brand new Card View to replace the old thumbnail view. This reflects the user interface for Evernote on the iPad and full screen on the Mac. The app also includes more minor improvements like word and character counts, a Save All Attachments option, better Print functionality and other bug fixes.

One thing that hasn’t been included in the update is handwriting capabilities, particularly given the recent acquisition of Penultimate. Being honest, however, it’s a bit soon for that sort of functionality to hit Evernote. Look out for it in the future however.

The Evernote app is free on the iOS App Store and Mac App Store so go grab it now.

As Ever…