Until now, the snow leopard was sometimes known as the ounce, and when thinking of facts about the snow leopard, nobody had Apple in mind. Those days are gone, because Snow Leopard is also the codename of Apple's upcoming Mac OS X, and this doesn't come as a big surprise, since Apple got us used to the fact that Mac OS X releases are named after big cats(maybe they'll think about Garfield one day!). So...what should we expect from Apple's Snow Leopard?

<-125x125 Button - left->Since Mac OS X Leopard already pushed Mac OS where no OS has gone before, Snow Leopard, although scheduled to arrive as a major version, won't add that many new features. Why? Well, here's what Apple says about it...

"With Snow Leopard, the next major version of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS X changes more than its spots, it changes focus. Taking a break from adding new features, Snow Leopard — scheduled to ship in about a year — builds on Leopard’s enormous innovations by delivering a new generation of core software technologies that will streamline Mac OS X, enhance its performance, and set new standards for quality. Snow Leopard dramatically reduces the footprint of Mac OS X, making it even more efficient for users, and giving them back valuable hard drive space for their music and photos."

Oh, wait! They missed to add this to the introduction, but I think it is a fact worth being mentioned - Snow Leopard will introduce QuickTime X, the next-generation platform able to push modern media and Internet standards one step forward.

Now, let's see what other facts about the Snow Leopard should be interesting enough for you now... Other than the above, Snow Leopard will bring enhanced multicore support, OpenCL (Open Compute Library), a technology that "makes it possible for developers to efficiently tap the vast gigaflops of computing power currently locked up in the graphics processing unit" (GPU-accelerated graphics software, anyone?), as well as "out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 built into Mail, Address Book, and iCal."

Since the official Snow Leopard page says "All features on this page are subject to change," I guess we won't see it arriving this year, but it's good to know that Mac OS X Leopard can get even better!

First of all, I have to excuse myself - those NDA box pictures I have found yesterday were also fake, as many others before them. Anyway, the real thing has just arrived, so no more fakes! Now, the 3G iPhone can be admired on Apple.com, and on virtually any technology website in the world. Although it didn't manage to deliver everything most of us were expecting, the 3G iPhone is a big step forward for Apple. How's that possible? First of all, a much better "bang for your buck," and the rest...we're going to see right away!

<-120x240 Vertical Banner - left->I think best description of the new iPhone comes right from Apple, so here you have it: "With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again."

Did you notice what's missing already? If you haven't, let me give you a hint: camera. I know, the iPhone has one camera incorporated already, but that's not what I have in mind. Just like many others, I was expecting to see the 3G iPhone coming with a second built-in camera, so video conferencing could become possible. Well, it seems this has to wait, but...

... the 3G iPhone has a price tag of only $199, and this is probably the best thing about it, for the large mass of users and potential users. Just think about it - $199! Looking at the dark side of this whole deal, Apple may kill the iPod touch with this move, but we will probably see the high-end iPod having its price severely slashed in a matter of days.

The new iPhone is 4.5 inches (115.5 mm) high, has a width of 2.4 inches (62.1 mm), a depth of 0.48 inch (12.3 mm), and weighs 4.7 ounces (133 grams). The 8GB model is only available in black, while the 16GB one can also be acquired in white(black is my favorite, anyway). According to Apple, it's 2 times as fast as its predecessor, but that's what remains to be seen.

As a final note, I should say Apple really has to work on the maximum operating temperature. Considering the temperatures reached all over the world during summer, I think 95F(35 Celsius) is not enough. Maximum operating altitude also seems not enough for me, but at least I don't live in La Paz...

Do you remember those mysterious NDA boxes we talked about last week? I don't (usually) mind if someone is calling me names, so I wouldn't get angry at all if you would all start calling me "pink elephant," as I said. Unfortunately for you, it seems those boxes really have the 3G iPhone inside! How can I be sure? Well, look at the image below and see for yourselves!

"Do not open until Tuesday June 10th 2008," hahahaha! And they expected everyone to comply with that? As you can see above, not everyone behaved properly, and someone opened the box and released in the wild what seems to be the first set of 3G iPhone photos ever!

While the picture I have shown you a bit earlier is the best one in the set, in my opinion, you can also check the others on the Web-Mobile.net forum, where these pictures have been posted for the first time.

I know, by this time tomorrow, this whole thing would be a part of the past, and everyone will watch Steve Jobs' keynote videos, thousands of 3G iPhone photos will appear everywhere on the Internet, but now, these are the first ones to see, so enjoy them!

iPhone, iPhone, and iPhone again...this is what everyone has in mind these days, and I don't see this as being something out of ordinary. After all, we are less than 24 hrs away from the keynote which everyone expects to reveal the 3G iPhone, and in the coming months, maybe even weeks, the old iPhone generation should become available for much lower prices. Good... so considering all the above, we get to the software problem again - is there enough software for the iPhone? Currently, I can't say "yes," but everyone is working on it, including those from SlingMedia...

<-234x60 Half Banner - left->So, what did they do? If you had no idea about what SlingMedia does, you should know its SlingPlayer software is already available for Macs, PCs and various mobile platforms, and now a version for the iPhone and iPod Touch is headed this way!

This software allows its users to connect their devices to the Slingbox hardware, which enables them to watch live or recorded TV across the Internet. Sounds too cool not to have it on your iPhone or iPod Touch, don't you agree?

The most interesting part is that SlingMedia will release two versions of the software, one for the "jailbroken" iPhones, and the other for the "untouched" ones. Unfortunately, this is going to be available only for pre-release versions, because once SlingPlayer for iPhone and iPod Touch becomes final, you'll only be able to get it through Apple's App Store, where it's obvious you won't find any applications for hacked iPhones.

Since previous experience has proven that SlingPlayer works best with 3G-enabled mobiles, here you have another reason for saving to get a 3G iPhone, as long as we're going to see it popping up tomorrow(everybody is almost sure, but Apple didn't say anything yet. so...)!

The iPhone will soon turn into a device that could replace the computer for a lot of users, but that won't happen in an instant. Why am I saying this? Well, the hardware inside Apple's smartphone already can do a lot, and the software platform is getting better with each version. Hmmm...if I'll be able to create a logo for free on the iPhone with the help of some nice software, maybe I'll get one pretty soon, but it seems the Cupertino-based company has something against free iPhone software. What's wrong with that? Well, let's try to take a closer look at the whole deal, shall we?

<-120x240 Vertical Banner - left->As a side note, Apple has just become 3rd worldwide smartphone provider, and in the US they even managed to grab the 2nd place, according to research firm Gartner. What does that mean, in numbers? Well, think about over 1.7 million units sold in the first quarter! Considering this, it shouldn't be a surprise that a lot of people are typing "free iPhone software" in Google these days, and there are going to be even more doing it in the future, as more and more software companies get into the game. Isn't that just great?

According to people familiar with Apple's iPhone Developer Program quoted by AppleInsider, those companies involved in this program are being assigned a liaison, or "development partner." The catch is that those liaisons seem to be anything else but technical contacts, but they are suggesting developers to consider a price tag for their applications "at some point."

Even more, Apple will allow (and probably encourage) developers to submit more than just one version for their applications, probably a fully-featured commercial one, and free limited versions, no matter if we call those trial, shareware, and so on.

Obviously, Apple doesn't offer anything for free. While the App Store will have some running costs, developers will keep 70 percent, and Apple will get the remaining 30 percent. Unfortunately for them, 30 percent out of 0 won't help much...

Now, don't jump out of that chair yet - I am sure Apple will not completely forbid free applications from being posted on App Store, but after all, that's why a store exists - to sell stuff, and not give it away!

I just ask myself one thing - why all this talk regarding Apple's App Store, since there should be enough places on the Web for free iPhone software? Or am I missing something? Yes, I know - the App Store may become a "software iTunes Store" if Apple does everything right, so I am completely dazzled and confused.

I hope that Steve Jobs' keynote will clear a lot of things, including the above, but if you know more than I do, feel free to drop your comments below!