With just a little over six weeks of notice, Apple today has officially  announced that it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 11-15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The ticket went on sale for $1599, and came with a new restriction requiring that purchasers be members of one of the company’s developer programs.

Apple says that it will hold over 100 technical sessions for developers, with over 1,000 Apple engineers on hand to provide support for attendees.

WWDC 2012 appears to be focused on both OS X and iOS developers equally, with OS X Mountain scheduled for public release later this summer and iOS 6 ready to be demoed and enter developer testing ahead of a new iPhone hardware update later this year.

Last year, WWDC conference tickets sold out in under twelve hours. This year, tickets sold out just under two hours! WWDC has sold out quickly in recent years too, selling out in eight days in 2010.

In less than a week from now, Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2011 will kick start. Today, in a press release Apple has revealed some more information about this year WWDC.

Like in all the previous year’s WWDC, this year also WWDC will start with a keynote from none other than the man Steve Jobs himself! The keynote is scheduled to begin at 10AM on June 5. Apple also gave us a sneak peak of what the keynote will address.

The keynote will mainly revolve around Mac OS X Lion the eight major release of OS X, iOS 5 a major upgrade of the iOS for the iPhone, iPad and the iPod Touch, and iCloud a new cloud based service from Apple.

The press release does not mention anything about the next generation iPhone. This confirms the rumors floating around that there will be no new iPhone at WWDC this year.

In all probability, the iCloud service from Apple will be a music streaming service like Google Music, and perhaps provide users with some storage space to save their data as well.

The Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) is just around the corner. This year, WWDC is scheduled to start from June 6 and will end on June 10th. Like the previous years, the event will be held at San Francisco.

All Apple fan boys and developers eagerly look forward to WWDC every year, since Apple generally launches a new iPhone and an iOS version. The tag line of this year WWDC reads Join us for a preview of the future of iOS and Mac OS X’. This more or less confirms the rumors floating around, that Apple won’t be launching the iPhone 4′s successor at WWDC 2011. Instead, this year the iOS platform as a whole will get a major overhaul.   Perhaps, OS X and iOS will be unified into one OS!

I have already blogged about what all features I expect the next generation iPhone to have.

The major changes I expect iOS5 to include are :

New Notification System

iOS5 must feature a new and better notification system. The current notification system of iOS is being criticized from a long time now. It does not stand a chance in front of Android, Palm’s and WP7 notification system. I am pretty much sure that iOS5 will come with a much better and fully revamped notification system. The final verdict whether iPhone and iPad users like it or not, will depend once iOS5 is publically available.

Widgets/Better Home Screen

Personally, I ABSOLUTELY hate the iOS home screen. Icons, icons and icons. I can get truckloads of info in just a single glance of my Android home screen, while in iOS I need to open up multiple apps for the same thing. Along with a new notification system, iOS is in dire need of a new home screen. A screen full of icons is not only useless, but impractical as well.

Better Integration With Apps/Social Networks

This is another area where Android trumps iOS hands down! In Android, users can simply add their social networking login credentials and the OS will simply pull the details and status updates of your friends and link with their specific contacts. Nifty as well as useful! Hopefully, the next version of iOS5 will feature integration with popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, which will allow users to get updates of their friends from just one place.

Improved Multi-tasking UI

The current multi-tasking switcher implementation in iOS is simply useless at best. I *hate* to multi-task on my iPad just because of that multi-tasking switcher. Most of the time when I try to kill some apps running in the background, I end up going back to the home screen. Just because I precisely need to hit the red button at the top of each icon.

WWDC 2011 will be about the next version of OS X as well Lion. Apple has already given us a preview of what all features OS X Lion will bring. This includes Folders ale iOS style, Launchpad, Full Screen apps, more intuitive gestures and Mission Control. Users should also expect the next version of iOS to include share features from Mac OS X.

WWDC 2011 is just the starting point of Apple’s move towards unifying iOS and OS X into one OS.

WWDC is still a couple of months away, but the Internet is already abuzz with rumors regarding the iPhone 5 and the next version of iOS. Rumors suggest that the iPhone 5 launch may be pushed back to Fall, this year. However, I doubt this is going to happen. Instead, this year at WWDC the iPhone 5 will take a backseat, and let iOS and OS X Lion grab the spotlight.

Nevertheless, below is a short list of all the features which the iPhone 5 should hopefully sport :

Slimmer, Faster And Sleeker

With every passing generation, the iPhone gets slimmer, sleeker and faster. The iPhone 5 should be no exception to this rule. Last year, the iPhone 4 was the slimmest handset available to consumers. However, fast forward to 2011 and Samsung has managed to launch (err…announce) the Galaxy S II which is thinner than the iPhone 4.

Expect the iPhone 5 to be thinner than the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S II, when launched. Since the iPhone 4 got a major design over-haul, don’t expect the iPhone 5 to look radically different from its predecessor. The iPhone 5 will sport the same dual-core A5 processor, which powers the iPad 2 and pack 1GB of RAM.

No Antennagate

The iPhone 4 was heavily criticized for its Antennagate‘ issue last year. In fact, the issue was so much over-hyped that Apple had to hold a special press conference regarding it, and even had to give free bumpers to existing iPhone 4 owners. I am more than pretty sure that Apple will make sure that the iPhone 5 does not suffer from the Antennagate issue.

Higher Storage Capacity

Apple did not bump the storage capacity of the iPhone 4, which currently maxes out at 32GB. However, this time around with HD videos becoming a common sight expect the iPhone 5 to come with higher storage capacities.

4G Support

This one remains a big mystery for now. No one knows whether the iPhone 5 will support the latest 4G’ network from AT&T and Verizon or not. According to me, the iPhone 5 won’t come equipped with a 4G-LTE radio. However, it may be very well possible that Apple will launch only one iPhone, which will work on both AT&T and Verizon’s network.

NFC Support

NFC (Near-Field Communication) is sure to catch up with the general consumer in the coming future. Google has already started supporting this new technology with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the Nexus S incorporating a NFC chip. Many other industry giants have also showed interest in supporting NFC.

If Apple also starts supporting NFC and the iPhone 5 incorporates a NFC chip, expect this technology to become mainstream by end- 2012.

Bigger Screen

The Internet is abuzz with rumors that the iPhone 5 will sport a bigger 3.75-inch screen, whilst maintaining the same physical size. Rumors suggest that the iPhone 5 will sport a bigger edge-to-edge display, so as to maintain its same physical dimensions.

Steve Jobs had earlier said that a 3.5-inch screen is more than enough for the average consumer. However, times have changed and a 3.5-inch screen barely cuts it. Hopefully, the iPhone 5 will sport a screen bigger than 3.5-inches.

These are the top 5 features/changes which I expect the iPhone 5 will sport. Obviously, this is only the hardware side of the thing and I am pretty sure Apple has some big changes planned for iOS5 including a new notification system and a better home screen.

(iPhone Image credit Unknown)

Apple’s annual developer conference – WWDC 2011 (Worldwide Developer Conference) was announced just yesterday, with a very hefty price tag of $1599 for tickets.

In less than 10 hours, it has already been fully sold out. At 5000 tickets, for $1599 each, Apple has made close to $8 million on WWDC tickets alone. Compared to WWDC 2010, which was sold out in 8 days, this is very fast.

Google had recently announced that its I/O 2011 event was sold out in exactly an hour. While most people who bought I/O tickets were scalpers and those did it to get the “free” Android phone which Google normally gives away at its I/O events, which is more expensive than the entry fee of $450, the developers who attend WWDC are generally Apple fans and those who truly are interested in the technical sessions. Being sold out completely at $1599 in less than 10 hours with no such “incentive” is no mean feat.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 5, OS X Lion and will hold “more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of technology-specific topics for developing, deploying and integrating the latest iOS and Mac OS technologies”. WWDC 2011 could also see the launch of the iPhone 5, going by historical trends.

Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Apple has always launched new iPhones at its Worldwide Developers Conference events which it organizes every year. At WWDC 2008, it announced the iPhone 3G, at WWDC 2009, it announced the iPhone 3GS and at WWDC 2010, it announced the iPhone 4.

Naturally, it was expected that Apple will announce the iPhone 5 at WWDC 2011. Today, Apple officially announced that it will be holding WWDC 2011 on June 6 – June 10. The official press release states that “Apple will unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS” at this year’s WWDC. There will be “more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of technology-specific topics for developing, deploying and integrating the latest iOS and Mac OS technologies”.

“At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.”

iOS 5 will likely be unveiled at WWDC on the opening day, along with Mac OS X Lion. We can also expect the launch of the iPhone 5, and a keynote by Steve Jobs.

You can register for WWDC here – Apple WWDC. The tickets are priced at $1599 each.

via Apple

Apple launched the iPhone 4 at WWDC in 2010. Back then; the company announced the latest generation iPhone in two colors – black and white.

While the black color version of the iPhone 4 was available from day one, the white version was scheduled to release sometime in summer. However, as luck would have it, the white version of the iPhone was again delayed to Spring 2011.

Apple stated that the reason behind the delay of the white iPhone 4 was due to some manufacturing problems. Nevertheless, Apple has finally managed to solve the manufacturing problems, and the white version of the iPhone 4 will be finally available in Spring 2011.

Philip Schiller, Vice President of Apple’s worldwide product marketing, confirmed that the white iPhone 4 would be hitting the Apple stores this spring, on Twitter.

I do understand that many people were eagerly awaiting the availability of the white iPhone 4. However, it has been nearly a year since the iPhone 4 was launched, and with the iPhone 5 just around the corner, I doubt that the white iPhone 4 will get many takers!

All set to buy the iPhone 4? Well its better you know which carrier will be selling the iPhone 4 in your country before you start saving money for the new iPhone 4.  

In the U.S, AT&T is the official iPhone 4 carrier. Yes, users still won’t be able to use the iPhone 4 legally on the Verizon network. Users need to pay $199 for the iPhone 4 16GB version in the U.S. Along with the $199; they also need to sign a two-year contract with AT&T. In Germany, T-Mobile remains the exclusive iPhone network carrier.   T-Mobile will also be offering the iPhone 4 in Netherlands. In Japan, Softbank will be the official iPhone 4 network carrier.

In France, U.K and Canada users are spoilt for choices. In France, users have the option of Orange, Bouygues Telecom and SFR. However, until now, only Orange has confirmed that they will be selling the iPhone 4. In the U.K – O2, Vodafone and Orange will be offering the iPhone 4. In Canada, MobileSyrup has confirmed that Rogers, TELUS, and Bell will be offering the iPhone 4 to their users.

Except for Canada, the iPhone 4 will be launched on 24 June in the countries mentioned above. The pre-orders will begin from 15 June onwards. Apart from AT&T, no other operator has revealed their price tag for the new iPhone 4.

Last night we posted a video of the Steve Jobs Wi-Fi issue at WWDC 2010, however, that video was not official. Apple usually does not allow for live broadcasting of the WWDC 2010 due to several reasons, however, they have now uploaded the official WWDC 2010 video of the Steve Jobs keynote on their site.

If you missed the event yesterday, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone 4 at WWDC 2010 along with several other updates to apps and more, you can read the highlights of the Steve Jobs keynote to get a brief overview.

To watch the WWDC 2010 Steve Jobs keynote video, you can visit this link. You can also watch the entire video in the embedded video below. Video after the jump.

If you are iTunes user, you can also download a high-quality version of the video by clicking this link.

Earlier today during the Steve Jobs keynote at WWDC 2010, there was a hilarious moment where when demonstrating the iPhone 4 device, Steve Jobs had some problem while loading NYT on the iPhone 4.

However, instead of getting angry or panicking, Steve Jobs instead asked the attendees to switch off their Wi-Fi devices so that he could access the internet.

If you were not at the event, here is a video of Steve Jobs WWDC 2010 Keynote when the Wi-Fi issue happened on the iPhone 4. Video after the jump.