Shortly after releasing iOS 6.0.2 to the masses this afternoon, Apple seeded build 12D43 of OS X 10.8.3 to developers. The folks in Cupertino have not listed any new features or known issues, but they asked developers to focus on AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, Graphics Drivers, and Safari. The last pre-release build was released on Dec. 5. You can check today’s release out on the developer center, while the full release note is below:
$100 iTunes gift cards for $85 at Best Buy, Sam’s Club
From 9to5Toys.com:
Update: You are too late for Best Buy but Walmart has that beat with 20% off $50 iTunes gift cards.
Today only, Best Buy offers the $100 iTunes gift card for $85 with free shipping (which will arrive before Christmas) or in-store pickup. iTunes gift cards are good for music, videos, movies, iBooks, Mac and iOS Apps and much more.
Note: Sam’s Club has a $25 4-pack for $84.64 with free shipping for delivery before Christmas. Read more
Quick Review and Gift Guide: Synology DiskStation, AOC 27″ IPS Monitor, DLP portable projectors
As we approach Christmas and the end of the year, we thought we would throw together some of the more interesting review items we received over the past months.
27-inch AOC LED IPS super slim monitor
First up is the $299 27-inch AOC LED IPS super slim monitor (I2757FH) that has a vague Mac aesthetic with a silver stand and ultra-thin bezel around the edges. This one comes with two HDMI ports, a VGA port, AUX audio ports, and some small speakers. The 27-inch IPS LED display is very nice, but it is obviously not as crisp as a Thunderbolt Display of the same size. And, after some adjustments to the default washed-out look, I was very happy with the color representation. Front capacitive controls are easy to deal with, and overall build quality is very nice, especially for AOC, but the downsides include: the lack of a USB hub, it is not easily wall-mountable, and the super small and poor tiny 4W speakers. You are definitely going to want to have separate speakers.
This AOC display would be best suited in an office/dorm room/bedroom doing double duty as a PC/Mac external display and perhaps display for an Apple TV/Cable box. Recommended at $299, or check out the USB Display link powered 22-inch display
MapsOpener jailbreak tweak sets Google Maps as default maps app
Some iPhone users who’ve tried the new Google Maps already will want to use the app instead of the often-criticized Apple Maps. Sadly, Apple doesn’t yet offer a way to make Google Maps the default application to allow iOS users to choose which mapping app opens when map URLs are clicked or using Siri.
As expected, the crafty folks in the jailbreak community have already cooked up a new tweak called “MapsOpener” that will make Google Maps the default. You can check out the tweak courtesy of Hashbang Productions and available via Cydia’s Big Boss repo. As we told you earlier this week, jailbreak tweak FullForce will also make Google Maps scale to the iPad’s large screen. Check out MapsOpener demoed below.
Apps & Updates
3-in-1 Lightning Camera Connection Kit enables photo importing via USB, SD and microSD
The folks at iPhone 5 Mod now offer a 3-in-1 Lightning Camera Connection Kit just for the photo geeks in the crowd, allowing you to upload pictures and video to a Lightning-enabled iPhone or iPad. Available for $23.90, the connector packs a USB cable that connects directly into a camera via USB, an SD card, or micro-SD card. While Apple offers a camera connection kit —not supporting Lightning— that connects with a camera via USB or an SD card (better value 30-pin versions on Amazon), this seems like the better offering because it supports three formats and Lightning for a cheaper price. iPhone 5 Mod also offers the 3-in-1 Cable Pro, supporting users to charge their devices with Apple’s Lightning, 30-pic technology, or standard microUSB, for $13.90. We received a number of Lightning items from iPhone5mod.com that worked well.
Source: iPhone 5 Mod (1), (2)
Best Buy ratchets up the Apple sales with dedicated Apple ad against increased pricing competition [video]
The above ad has entered heavy rotation this weekend, while Best Buy has new deals on Apple- and Apple-related products (including $25 off $250+ purchases):
Best Buy takes 15 percent off all iTunes Gift Cards, both physical and digital, with free shipping.
- $15 iTunes Gift Card for $12.75
- $25 iTunes Gift Card for $21.25
- $50 iTunes Gift Card for $42.50
- $100 iTunes Gift Card for $85
Best Buy also continues to have significant discounts on iPod Touches, Nanos and Shuffles, as well as the rest of Apple products (including refurbished Airports starting at $39).
The competition is also moving, as MacMall continues to have big savings with its Cyber Monday sale and impressive “Door busters”:
11.6″ MacBook Air dual-core Intel Core i5 1.7GHz, 4GB & 64GB Flash Storage $849.99 ($150 off)
13.3″ MacBook Air dual-core Intel Core i5 1.8GHz, 4GB & 128GB Flash Storage $1,019.99 ($180 off)
iPad 2 16GB Wifi: $329 ($70 off and the lowest price we’ve ever seen new)
…while Amazon continues to match many competitive prices.
Of note, MacConnection’s Tech Holiday sale has some pretty remarkable prices, including: MacBook Airs starting at $699, Retina MacBook Pros starting at $1,559 ($140 off Apple’s Price), and Mac Minis starting at $549.
As always, check our Apple product pages for the latest best prices on iPads, iPad Minis, iPod Touch, Nano, Shuffle, MacBook Pros, Airs, iMacs, Mac Minis, and Apple TVs. More of our holiday shopping coverage below: Read more
