Yep, it’s that time of the year again when Apple holds its annual developer conference and the Cupertino company went full out this year specifically in terms of providing software updates to all of its products. Of course the Mac is the first to get an update with the announcement of OS X El Capitan.

Designed as update to OS X Yosemite, El Capitan (which is named after a rock formation in Yosemite National Park) will provide performance improvements over its predecessor. 

Some of the new features of El Capitan include improvements in Spotlight search with support for natural language queries, multitasking with split-screen views and gesture capabilities in certain apps.

The operating system update will also bring the company’s Metal graphics rendering engine to the Mac. Originally created for iOS, this feature should allow developers to have near-direct access to a device’s graphics hardware, delivering improved performance and a richer graphical experience.

Moreover, Metal will allow OS X to combine the processing power of both the GPU and CPU to improve the performance of apps, which is why software makers such as Adobe will also make use of the API to improve its own products.

Mac OS X El Capitan is now available to developers and there will be a public beta by July, so even ordinary users can try out the OS before its official launch sometime in Q3 2015.

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Apple recently pulled out some sweet treats to its Mac loyalists by announcing updates to its Mac line of computers. On one end, there’s the official release of the updated 15-inch MacBook Pro with Force Touch. And on the other end, there’s the price reduction for the iMac with Retina 5K that was initially announced back in October.

The new version of the company’s performance laptop is now receiving a PCIe-based flash storage that is said to perform 2.5 times faster than its predecessor. It will also come with a 2.2GHz quad-core Intel processor, 16GB of RAM, 256GB flash storage, Intel Iris Pro and an improved battery that can last up to 9 hours.

The base version will start at $1999 but for a couple of hundred bucks more ($2499), you’ll bet beefier internals, which include a 2.5GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB internal storage (can go up to 1TB) and an AMD Radeon discrete GPU.

The latest addition to the MacBook Pro is the Force Touch track pad, which was first introduced just last March with the new MacBook. And just like the MacBook and the Apple Watch, the new Pro model will use pressure sensitivity to trigger different commands.

For around the same price ($2299) you can get the iMac with Retina 5K. The 2015 version will have a 3.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, an AMD Radeon M290 graphics card, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

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Apple today announced the newest member of its MacBook line, which is simply called the MacBook at its Spring Forward event. And it certainly does offer some unique propositions for Apple fans.

At first glance, the new MacBook looks like something in between the company’s current models. By far this MacBook is the thinnest and lightest notebook the company has ever made at only 13.1mm at its thickest point and weighing only 2 pounds.

There’s a 12-inch retina display with an edge-to-edge glass cover that churns out a resolution of 2304 x 1440 pixels. There’s also a full size keyboard that features what Apple calls a “butterfly mechanism” that improves the feel of the keys albeit the laptop’s ultra-thin profile. On top of that, the Cupertino company has also installed a new trackpad that features taptic feedback.

Under the hood is an Intel Core M 5^th generation processor that is clocked up to 1.3GHz, turbo boosted up to 2.9GHz and features a fan-less design. The removal of the fan has allowed Apple engineers to get more juice into the MacBook thanks to the use of contoured batteries that provide up to 35% more power to the notebook. The new MacBook also comes with 8GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.

Lastly, there are the ports (or the lack of it). The new MacBook only has two ports: a standard audio jack to plug in your headset or speaker and a USB type-C port that’s used for charging and syncing data. And that’s it.

The new MacBook will be available starting in April for $1299 for the 256GB model and $1599 for the 512GB version. If you’re not that obsessed with a super-thin notebook, you can settle for the 2015 version of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro that will have upgraded processors and storage and they’re available now.

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Compared to desktop PCs and laptops, the Apple MacBook Air usually has a smaller storage capacity making it a bit difficult to work with when you’re someone who stores a lot of media files and documents. And although you can use external disk drives to augment the built-in storage in the MacBook, you still need to lug them around if you’re planning to use them.

Adam Elements’ mDrive stealth card gives us a more discrete and convenient option by providing a plug it and forget it storage solution for the MacBooks. Basically, the mDrive stealth card is an aluminum microSD card adapter for your laptop, which uses the MacBook’s card reader to expand storage capacity.
The adapter sports an elegant metallic design that blends smoothly with the look of the MacBook Air. It supports all types of micro SD/SDHC/SDXC cards in a range of capacities. It’s also a plug and play device so users won’t need to install any software or drivers in order to use the device.

The stealth card is available in three different models (103A, 303A and 304A) and also supports the latest MacBook Pro Retina model. You can also use the mDrive as a backup device using Apple’s Time Machine application to protect important data.
The mDrive stealth card will have a price tag of around $20 or a little over 800PHP.
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Apple has just refreshed its line of performance notebooks by giving it more memory and bigger storage capacities.

All members of the MacBook line will be receiving twice the memory as its predecessors and a 200MHz boost in processor clock speed. These mean that the 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Retina displays will now have 16GB of RAM as standard instead of just 8GB.

Moreover, storage capacities have also been increased. The top-of-the-line model will have 1TB PCIe-based solid state drive and the latest generation Core-i7 CPUs with clock speeds up to 4.0GHz. They are also much cheaper than their predecessors thanks to Apple’s use of discrete Nvidia GeForce GT-750M graphics instead of the newer GT800M series.

The smaller MacBooks will also be receiving the upgrade. The 13-inch model will now have 8GB of RAM and a 200MHz CPU speed increase. The added brawn should help these generation of MacBooks to better run Mac OS Yosemite with all its new features.

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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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