Apple’s announcement today is probably one of the most awaited tech events for the second half of this year, thanks to news about a new iPad that’s bound to create some waves in the tablet industry.

The Cupertino company confirmed these news through the announcement of the all new iPad Pro. Apple’s new flagship slate has a 12.9-inch display with jaw-dropping 2732 x 2048 resolution (~264ppi). Power is delivered by a new A9x chip that is said to deliver almost twice the performance of the A8x chip on the Air 2 complemented by an M9 motion coprocessor.

Apple has also upgraded the iPad’s audio equipment. The iPad Pro has a four speaker system that comes with automatic balancing that adjusts the audio based on how the device is positioned. The company is also promising 10 hours of battery life.

As for the rest of the specs, the iPad Pro comes with the same 8MP iSight camera at the back and a 1.2MP Facetime camera at the front as in the iPad Air 2, a TouchID sensor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi ac and optional Cat 4 LTE connectivity.

The company has also introduced two accessories for the tablet that make the iPad Pro a productivity powerhouse in the realm of tablets.

First, there’s the Smart Keyboard that costs $169 that magnetically connects to the tablet much like how Microsoft’s Surface tablet latches into its keyboard covers. There’s also a stylus called the Apple Pencil that will retail for $99 that can be used simultaneously with your finger.

If you want something more compact, then you can choose the iPad mini 4. In terms of specs, the tablet lies between the iPad Air 2 and the first iPad Air in terms of performance. It has an A8 chip that is 1.3 times faster than the A7 chip in the Mini 3. It also boasts the same M8 motion coprocessor as in the Air 2.

The camera on the Mini 4 has also been upgraded to the same 8MP iSight camera as in the other bigger models.

The iPad Pro will be available starting in November for $799 for the 32GB Wi-Fi only version and goes up to $1079 for the 128GB LTE version. Meanwhile, the iPad Mini 4 will start at $399 for the base 16GB version and goes up to $729 for the 128GB LTE version.

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Rumors have it that Apple is allegedly planning on bringing the Air moniker to its small tablet. And as with the iPad Air and the MacBook Air, the moniker reflects the device’s thin profile.

According to reports, the next-generation iPad Mini will have a body that’s 30% thinner than the current iPad Mini model whose profile now sits at just 7.5mm and weighs around 330-341 grams.

Obviously, the tablet will pack the latest version of iOS once it comes out. There’s no word yet on the rest of the specs, so we might have to wait a little longer for more information to fall through the cracks.

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Apple’s annual developer conference may not have a lot of announcements in terms of physical products but it was jam-packed with huge news when it comes to software – after all, it’s still a developer conference.

The first big announcements was Apple’s HomeKit – a communication standard for connecting iOS devices to various home appliances. The wireless protocol is designed to securely connect devices with an iOS-powered device or tablet. At the moment, the protocol has no automation layer yet but according to Apple there are plans to bring this feature into the kit in the future.

But the biggest announcement of the day would definitely be the unveiling of Swift- Apple’s new programming language that promises to deliver apps that run faster and smoother than those made from its predecessor – Objective C.

The new programming language can work alongside Objective-C and C codes in the same app so the transition from the previous codes to Swift won’t be so sudden. For devs who want to learn more about Swift, Apple has published a 500-page guide in its iBook Store, which is already available for download.

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Microsoft’s Office productivity suite is finally heading to the iPad to give Apple fan boys a trusted tool to be more productive.

Microsoft Office for the iPad will include only three apps: Word, Excel and PowerPoint. However, unlike the productivity suite for PCs and Macs, the one built for the iPad will allow users to download each app independently.

The apps are now available for free on the Apple App store and should allow users to view and present their documents, spreadsheets and presentations with ease.  However, those who want to create or edit files will need an Office 365 subscription.

The apps sport the similar ribboned interface just like its PC and Mac versions. The ribbon holds tabs that contain the different commands and options available for each app.

Microsoft has also made the iPad version of office very finger-friendly. Users are able to insert and move images in a document using simple touch and drag gestures. Images also come with large touch handles that can easily be dragged to resize an image. Data can also be entered in excel with ease thanks to a large numeric pad that pops up when a user tries to enter data into a cell.

However, Office for the iPad is not the same as the one on Windows 8, and as such won’t be able to give the same level of productivity. For starters, adding a video to PowerPoint presentation will require a user to use a Windows client. And since the app mirrors the entire screen during a presentation, users won’t have any access to his notes during a presentation.

Lastly, the apps will be powered by Microsoft’s cloud services and supports collaborative work using Microsoft OneDrive allowing multiple users to edit files simultaneously. Also, Office 365 subscribers will be able to upload Office for iPad up to five tables and install five copies across PC or Mac.

On a different note, Office for the iPhone and Android devices are now available for free on the Apple App store and Google Play store respectively.

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Apple’s new patent applications point to the use of quantum-dot technology in order to further improve its retina displays.

According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, the Cupertino company has applied for four new patent that will feature quantum dots in tandem with micro electromechanical systems shutter control to enhance a display’s colour gamut and produce more vivid and clearer images.

There’s also a backlight dimming technology patent that should work hand in hand with the quantum-dots in order to correct any LED colour shift, improving colour accuracy.

As with other patent applications, do take this story with a pinch of salt. However, it’s good to note that such technology isn’t as far-fetched as some may think. Quantum dots are already commercially in use. In fact, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX is already using it, so having a quantum-dot laden retina display isn’t the stuff of science fiction.

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Apple has finally announced its final set of products this year just in time before the start of the holiday season. Today, the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C is joined by the new iPad Air, the iPad Mini 2 with retina display, the new MacBook Pros and finally the latest version of Mac OS X codenamed Mavericks.

First on the list of newly announced Apple devices is the iPad Air. Apple’s new tablet features a 9.7-inch screen and boasts a thinner and lighter design compared to its predecessor.

According to the Cupertino company, the new iPad Air is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than its predecessor. It also has a narrower bezel which is approximately 43 percent thinner than that of the iPad 4. To be specific, the new Air was able to shed around 200g of its weight and almost 2mm off its thickness.

The new iPad also comes equipped with the same A7 chip on the iPhone 5S. The A7 chip comes with a 1.3GHz dual-core Cyclone (ARM v8-based) processor and a PowerVR G6430 quad-core GPU.

Moreover, similar to the iPhone 5S, the tablet features the same M7 motion coprocessor that uses the tablet’s built-in sensors to create fitness and location-based apps at the same time helps the device’s main processor in terms of load and battery efficiency.

The 9.7-inch IPS LCD display of the iPad Air offers Full HD resolution with a pixel density of 264 pixels per inch. It is also protected by a scratch-resistant glass with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. Just like its predecessor the new Air comes with a 5MP camera at the back and a 1.2MP camera at the front. Internal storage options are also the same as the last iPad with capacities ranging from 16GB to 128GB.

The Apple iPad Air will be available starting November 1 for a starting price of $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model only.

Also on Apple’s menu today is the update iPad Mini, which now comes with a Retina display. And unlike the iPad Air, the iPad Mini 2 offers more bang than that of its predecessor in almost all aspects.

To start off, the new iPad Mini jumps from an A5 chip to the same A7 chip that brings 64-bit desktop-class architecture in the iPad Air. And as the name implies, the display has been improved a lot. The new iPad Mini now offers a Retina display with Full HD resolution.

The Apple iPad Mini 2 will be available later in November starting at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model.

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Google and Apple are really trying to outdo each other in every way possible. A couple of weeks ago, rumours spread that the next-generation iPad Mini still won’t have a retina display, so it was very surprising that a recent report by the Wall Street Journal pegs that the new iPad Mini will get a high-resolution screen after all.

According to the WSJ, Apple’s suppliers are now prepping to make an iPad Mini with a high-resolution display. The displays will reportedly be sourced from three different companies: Sharp, LG and even its main mobile rival – Samsung, just so that the entire demand can be met. There are also rumours that Apple might offer different color configurations for the new iPad Mini.

Related Story: Google Nexus 7 Finally Unveiled

The next-generation iPad Mini is scheduled to be released before the end of the Q4 2013. And although Apple has been known to change its decisions right before it launches something, I believe it needs the new iPad Mini to have a high-resolution screen if it wants to compete with Google’s new Nexus 7.

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