Retwact — whose full name is Retweet Retraction — is the brainchild of a programmer named Stonly Baptiste, a developer in Pennsylvania. In a nutshell, the service archives your incorrect tweet with a correction or apology of your choosing, then shoots a link out to all of your followers to try and encourage them to read the corrected version. In addition, it also sends an @ mention and link out to the first 100 people who retweeted your original incorrect message, in the hope that they might also help spread the correction.

Correcting tweets would be complicated

As it turns out, this latter feature appears to have run afoul of Twitter’s terms of service, which are designed to prevent spam accounts, and Retwact’s account was suspended on Thursday. Baptiste says that he plans to go ahead with the other features regardless, and may even make his project — which received a lot of support on Y Combinator’s Hacker News forum — open source.

The impulse behind a tool like Retwact is an obvious one: as Wired writer Mat Honan notes, there is a sinking feeling whenever you tweet or retweet something that is incorrect (or turns out to be incorrect), and it would be nice to be able to retract or remove not just that tweet but all the subsequent retweets of it as well, to clear up the public record. Honan joins a growing chorus of critics asking for a correction mechanism (or trying to design one, as some members of this post-Boston Branch discussion did).

Adding that kind of editing or retraction/clarification ability seems to be something that is within Twitter’s grasp: in the same way that it has built hooks into Twitter’s code so that media companies can embed video clips and other data within its “Cards” or expanded tweet feature, it would theoretically be possible for Twitter to add a hook that would connect a mistaken tweet with its subsequent corrected version, so that both would follow each other around the social web.

As Twitter engineer Nick Kallen has explained, however, the likelihood of Twitter actually building in this feature seems somewhere between slim and nil — in part because they driving force behind most of the company’s changes over the past year or so (with the exception of expanded tweets) has been to strip functionality and features away rather than to add them. An editing or correction function could also theoretically be abused in a number of ways.

Twitter is a real-time stream

But more than that, I think Kallen puts his finger on the problem when he says that adding correction features would change the nature of what Twitter is in a fairly fundamental way. The whole point of the service is that it is a stream of content that never stops — and the only way to correct a tweet is to send out another one. In that sense, it mimics conversation, which is also inherently un-correctable except through more conversation. It may be flawed and messy, but that’s the way information works now, for better or worse.

And yes, this has obvious flaws, because the correction never travels quite as far as the original mistake (as Craig Silverman of Regret The Error has pointed out). But over time, I firmly believe that Twitter becomes what Sasha-Frere Jones of the New Yorker called a “self-cleaning oven” for news.

On top of that, I don’t think adding an editing or correction function like Retwact would actually help all that much. People would continue to believe whatever they want to believe — as wrong as that might be — and no matter how thorough the mechanism was, it wouldn’t stop those who created their own manual retweets or retweets of retweets. I also think that having errors emerge and get stamped out over time is a positive process that creates more skepticism about real-time news, something that we need to encourage. It is a process, not a finished product.

So as much as I cringe internally whenever I send out a mistake — which I have done, and will no doubt continue to do — I hope Twitter ignores the requests of its critics to implement an official editing or correction function.

Post and thumbnail photos courtesy of Shutterstock / Hirurg

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Big features headline frequent updates

With their extensive, near-constant beta testing schedule and early looks at upcoming features in both minor and major point iOS releases, Apple does a good job of keeping up hype even when what’s new isn’t all that flashy from an end-user perspective. The key is in highlighting a few big, noticeable changes, and making sure they stay both in and out of view thanks to “closed” developer access.

Then, make those updates more frequent than the releases we currently see for OS X (even if they’re arguably less dramatic) and include major feature additions and changes even in some big minor point upgrades. As it stands, only big cats make big splashes with OS X; doing away with that kind of update nomenclature altogether and more closely mimicking the simple iOS system would make event-caliber updates a much more frequent occurrence — and help OS X feel as nimble, dynamic and anticipatory of user needs as its mobile cousin.

All rides included in the admission price

At $29.99, OS X costs remarkably little as it is, especially compared to the competition (which makes sense, since Windows doesn’t make money from primary hardware sales). But why not take it one step further, and offer OS updates free for the life of the product, the way they are with iOS? Admittedly, that would carry costs; but Apple can offset those costs by driving more users to the Mac App Store (where it gets a 30-percent cut of all software sales), which should be energized by more frequent feature additions and new APIs for developers to take advantage of, if OS X takes the path outlined above of more frequent, feature-driven updates. The App Stores accounted for $3.6 billion in revenue since the iOS version was introduced in 2008 according to figures from July; the Mac App Store, which debuted in January, could probably still be doing more to contribute to that total.

Free updates would also have the benefit of making for an even more unified user base, in terms of the software version they’re running on their Macs. That would help keep the user experience more consistent across the board, and result in fewer dollars spent on software support and customer service for legacy software.

Expand the warm glow of the halo effect

IOS has had a very positive effect on Mac sales, something dubbed the “halo” effect. Apple’s iOS user base continues to grow at an astonishing rate, and bringing those customers into the fold for OS X will be easier if the relationship between hardware and software on the one platform more closely mirrors that of the other. Apple is still selling a record number of Macs, too, but the growth of its mobile division is still outpacing that of its traditional computers.

For many, the idea of a device that you buy that’s then provided with frequent, free software updates for basically the life of the product (or at least the two to three years many own a smartphone for) is now standard practice. If that becomes the norm for owning a Mac, too, it will be a great advantage Apple’s computers have over other Windows-based PCs that are available. Removing the financial impediment to being current is going to be a huge advantage with younger device owners, who prize cutting edge tech.

When software stops intruding

iOS has done something very well that the competition hasn’t yet been able to master: Make software as invisible as possible. Part of that has to do with how its updates are handled and distributed. OS X paved the way for iOS (it even was called OS X in its early days, somewhat confusingly), but now that relationship should be reversed, to help the Mac keep growing as Apple’s mobile efforts take up more and more of the spotlight.

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OS X update: The bloop single

I’m becoming convinced Full Screen mode is to OS X what 3-D is to movies: it seems like a great idea until you use it a lot. I raved about it when Lion launched, but my usage has since waned. With Pages, Safari, and Mail I’ll use full screen, but that’s more for easy switching or creating a distraction-free workspace. Evernote has introduced Full Screen mode and I doubt I’ll ever use it. For me, Evenote is an app I’m likely to have running behind my active window for reference and for quickly dropping links into. Still, it might be useful for taking notes during a lecture.

The developers claim they’ve “embraced the new look and feel of Lion,” which is a fancy way of saying “We got rid of the colors.” The only color to be found in the interface is the Sync icon turning blue when it syncs data. There’s also a new Favorites bar where you can pin frequently used notes, search results or notebooks. Since I have about 15 notebooks, I really appreciate the ability to pin those I use most.

iOS updates: The rest of the story

The double: Shared notebook support

The iOS versions can now read content from shared notebooks. You can’t edit or create shared notes from your device in this version (they’re working on it), but if you’re a heavy shared notebooks user, at least now you can read them. I haven’t played with shared notebooks much, but once you can edit, and if there is push or iCloud support, this should be great for collaboration.

The triple: Searching within notes

You could search for all the notes that contained a word, but if you wanted to find out where in the note it occurs, you couldn’t. Now you can. This is handy, since a lot of my searches are for terms buried in notes.

The Grand Slam: Rich text editing

It’s been their most-asked-for feature. It’s finally here. You can now edit a rich text document inline on iOS.  It’s not perfect; you have to choose to append the document or simplify it. Simplifying makes its best guess on the styles. Make no mistake though; this is a strong hit. I’ll be using this feature a lot since I tend to make notes on clipped content, or a note I’ve previously had the audacity to apply formatting to in the desktop version.

Post-game commentary

While the OS X version rates a hearty “meh,” I’m thrilled with the iOS updates. The ability to finally edit rich text notes means Evernote will see more usage in my daily workflow. In the few days it’s been available I’ve already used it more than I have in the last year. Good job, Evernote.

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Inconsistencies and the app problem

In a post on his personal site, Mark Polino lists six great reasons why his next phone won’t be an Android device. He cites some very technical problems, like the fact that a lot of apps grow in size as you use them, and can’t really be trimmed because data gets stored as difficult to remove data instead of in an easily clearable cache. But he also points to more obvious practical issues, like the fact that finding accessories for your specific Android device may be difficult, and even if you can find some, the range of choices just can’t compare to those that are available even for Apple’s older phones. Some of Mark’s issues come from using an older Android device (the original Motorola Droid), but most apply in a broad sense to the OS as a whole.

Even if you do figure out how to root, you can run into problems with some devices and apps.

Over at ZDNet, blogger David Gewirtz posted a very similar lament about his decision to stick with Apple smartphones, despite the fact that he doesn’t appear to be that big of a fan of the iPhone 3G he currently owns. Gewirtz has a very different list of 10 reasons he’s going with Apple over Android for his next device. Some highlights include inconsistent user experience across devices, inability or difficulty of upgrading if you’re not a technically proficient root user, and malware issues, which Ryan Kim recently pointed out are a growing problem for Android devices. In all of the above examples, iOS offers a better alternative; that’s not the lopsided view of a fanboy, it’s just the truth.

Once place where there’s overlap between both Polino’s and Gewirtz’s perspective is on the subject of apps. Android has many, but Apple has more, and as Polino notes, marquee apps tend to hit iOS first, and Android second, if at all. Apps also aren’t necessarily compatible with all, or even most Android phones when they do come out. I had to hunt down a copy of the official Netflix application outside of the market, because my GS2 wasn’t recognized as supported.

There’s also the problem that Android devices ship with lots of bloatware, a problem ZDNet’s Adrian Kingsley-Hughes also pointed out today. Apple devices don’t have to suffer the same indignity. Apps also aren’t necessarily compatible with all Android phones when they do come out

Not stagnant, but repeating mistakes

I’ve only taken a few examples out of the thorough lists provided by both Polino and Gewirtz, and it’s well worth checking out the rest. But even if you only consider the issues highlighted, I think you can start to see how Apple might benefit from, rather than suffer because of, the aggressive spread of Android over the last few years. The problem is that Android hasn’t done enough to smooth over its faults, and the ones that remain could cause a migration to Apple’s side of the fence, even if Android’s lower cost of entry and greater range of hardware choices proved the jump-start needed to get more cell phone owners on smartphone devices.

The Samsung Galaxy S II: Good, but only as good as Android allows it to be.

Don’t get me wrong, Android hasn’t been stagnant over the past few years by any means. The Samsung Galaxy S II phone I’ve been using easily beats my Nexus S on most measures, and even that device was no slouch. But even though it’s an impressive piece of hardware, the GS2 still suffers from the problems mentioned above. I recently tried to figure out how to update Android to 2.3.4 on my international unlocked version and was left pretty much confused, for example, and seeing battery life take a huge hit, then having to dig through running processes to find out why, didn’t provide a positive experience.

I was definitely impressed with the device in the short-term, but I can see how, after owning one for a year or longer, these and other issues with no fix in sight could dull my enthusiasm. There are often third-party solutions or tweaks that can fix areas where Android is deficient, but over time, finding and implementing these can become a chore.

Taking the easy way out

It’s not exactly inspiring to think that Apple’s biggest advantage in the smartphone war could be due to to customers growing annoyed with the alternative, but it also isn’t a new phenomenon: Apple positioned OS X as a better Windows alternative based on similar circumstances. OS X continues to gain ground, and while Apple might’ve started on top with Android and then suffered a modest fall, it’s beginning to look like the tide could turn in its favor once again.

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9to5Mac suggests that OTA updates, along with iOS 5, will arrive this fall, but Apple may not have ultimate control over when this change occurs. Here’s what has to happen before Apple will implement OTA updates for the general public:

1. The process has to be foolproof. Apple can’t afford to go with an update process that bricks a user’s phone every time they pass a tunnel or momentarily drop a connection or receive a call. Any OTA update process has to have multiple redundancies in place, and a solid backup process that ensures no data loss is possible even in the case of catastrophic failure. Apple would never offer up an update experience like that faced by some Windows 7 phone owners , for instance.
2. File size needs to be reduced. The update that arrived for iPhones yesterday (4.3.3) weighed in at over 600 MB. Even putting aside concerns surrounding bandwidth limitations (which are considerable), updates this size just aren’t practical for true OTA updates. They’ll take too long to download to a mobile device, dragging out the install process. Smaller, incremental updates like those served to Android might be the way to go, but that would require a significant change in the way Apple approaches updates — one that can’t be done overnight.
3. Maximum user control, but minimum user involvement. iOS is often described as the pretty, popular alternative to Android’s geekier, less sparkly counterpart. That’s because it’s easier to pick up and use for a wide variety of people from different technical backgrounds, whereas Android is a little more complex (and a lot more customizable as a result). The OTA update process for iOS has to fit with its user-friendly design, by allowing users to choose when they can update and then getting out of the way, but also by letting users feel in control of the whole process. If OTA updates threaten to make iOS devices more frustrating for the average user, Apple will balk at the idea.
4. 100-percent carrier cooperation. If OTA updates puts Apple at the mercy of carrier whim as to when to push out the software changes, Apple won’t offer them. 9t05Mac says Apple has been in negotiations with Verizon since early this year in order to reach an agreement regarding wireless updates. I’m willing to bet that Apple is taking the position that until it can get all carriers on board (at least in the U.S.) with simultaneous iOS updates, it’ll delay the feature’s release.

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Perhaps the highlight of the new MacBook Pro line (especially for professional users) is the introduction of the new Thunderbolt I/O standard. In the press release announcing the new machines, Apple SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller had this to say about the new tech:

Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro.

Unlike what some early rumors predicted, the new MacBook Pros sport the same basic design as their predecessors, meaning aluminum and glass enclosures with a black bezel around the screen. All the new MacBooks also sport an Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated GPU, although the 15- and 17-inch models also offer discrete graphics, too. And all the revised Pro models also boast a new FaceTime HD Camera, which replaces the built-in iSight camera and offers full 720p quality video for FaceTime calls between the new Macs. SSD upgrades are also available for all options, in sizes ranging from 128 GB to 512 GB. Here are the specs for each individual model:

13-inch MacBook Pro

Configuration #1 ($1199)

• 2.3GHz Dual-Core i5 Intel Processor
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• 4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM
• 320GB 5400 RPM HD
• Glossy 1280×800 resolution display
• SuperDrive 8x
• Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort
• SDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo Jack

Configuration #2 ($1499)

• 2.7GHz Dual-Core i7 Intel Processor
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• 4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM
• 500GB 5400 RPM HD
• Glossy 1280×800 resolution display
• SuperDrive 8x
• Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort
• SDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo Jack

15-inch MacBook Pro

Configuration #1 ($1799)

• 2.0GHz Quad-Core i7 Intel Processor
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256 MB of GDDR5 RAM
• 4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM
• 500GB 5400 RPM HD
• Glossy or antiglare 1440×900 resolution display
• SuperDrive 8x
• Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort
• SDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo in/out

Configuration #2 ($2199)

• 2.2GHz Quad-Core i7 Intel Processor
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of GDDR5 RAM
• 4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM
• 750GB 5400 RPM HD
• Glossy or antiglare 1440×900 resolution display
• SuperDrive 8x
• Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort
• SDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo in/out

17-inch MacBook Pro

Configuration #1 ($2499)

• 2.2GHz Quad-Core i7 Intel Processor
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of GDDR5 RAM
• 4GB DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM
• 750GB 5400 RPM HD
• Glossy or antiglare 1900×1200 resolution display
• SuperDrive 8x
• Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort
• SDXC Card slot, 1x FireWire 800, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet and Digital Audio/Mini Stereo in/out

All the above configurations can be customized with up to 8 GB of RAM, and all include a built-in battery rated for 7-hours of wireless web use according to Apple’s battery testing standards, which it revised to be more representative of real-world use when it introduced the MacBook Air.

So, who’s buying one of these?

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This weekend, a flood of iPad application sneak-peeks and previews choked my RSS reader. There’s also a curious update on e-book pricing in the iBookstore, and finally some news on the iPad’s Camera Connection accessory. So let’s get started!

Sneak Peaks

I can’t do this from here in the UK, but if you’re across the pond you might want to spend some time exploring iTunes Preview. Some applications have started to appear multiple times with the suffix HD or XL in their titles. According to iPhone Alley, these iPad-optimised versions do not appear in the iTunes app store… yet. But since it is thought developers are using the initials to denote iPad-versions of their software, it’s a great indicator of what’s in store this weekend.

App store analytics website AppAnnie reported on Saturday that it had discovered the iPad feed for the app store. A series of shared screenshots suggest we can expect iPad launch day availability of popular apps such as Awesome Note, Flight Control, Cro-Mag Rally and the much-anticipated versions of OmniGraffle and OmniGraphSketcher from Mac stalwarts The Omni Group.

Also on Saturday, MacRumors.com reported that FileMaker’s personal database software Bento will be appearing in an iPad friendly form. Mac rumours Arnold Kim writes;

Bento for iPad can be used as a standalone app or will wirelessly synchronize with Bento 3 for the Mac. The App comes with dozens of ready to use database templates that can be customized for your own usage. The iPad version of Bento is priced at $4.99, the same as the current price for the iPhone version.

Oh, while we’re on the subject of sneak peeks, Gizmodo shared screenshots over the weekend of what they claim to be Yahoo’s upcoming iPad-centric website redesign. Okay, so that’s not exactly an app sneak peek, but the design is compelling, and, as Gizmodo’s Jack Loftus writes, is “…much sexier than anything Yahoo’s ever managed on their homepage over the last decade or so.”

One final sneak peek for you; Vimeo user Federico Viticci posted a video of the iPad app store itself… running in the iPad simulator. At the time of writing, the video has been viewed more than 73,000 times, and is taking a while to load, so if you do head on over there, be patient! Here’s a clue as to what to expect; cover flow, large, finger-friendly icons, horizontally scrolling preview screenshots and, overall, very much the same experience you have come to expect from the app store application on the iPhone.

Book Prices

Just how much will books cost on the iBookstore? Nobody really knows for sure. There has been talk of an upcoming e-book price war; publishers Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, McMillan and Hachette Book Group have all put pressure on Amazon to change its pricing policies in the wake of Apple’s iPad announcement. The standard price for a new Kindle e-book is $9.99 —  and that’s too low as far as these publishers are concerned; they want to charge up to $15 for bestsellers.

Back in February the New York Times reported that, while publishers would be able to set higher prices for new titles on the iBookstore, Apple had;

…inserted provisions requiring publishers to discount e-book prices on best sellers — so that $12.99-to-$14.99 range was merely a ceiling; prices for some titles could be lower, even as low as Amazon’s $9.99.

Apple wants the flexibility to offer lower prices for the hottest books, those on one of the New York Times best-seller lists.

Last week the website App Advice published what it claims to be screenshots of the iBookstore; they revealed that most bestsellers in the iBookstore were listed at $9.99. It made perfect sense, given the New York Times quote above.

So it’s interesting that the latest leak indicates that prices are slowly climbing from $9.99 to $12.99. Make of it what you will, Gizmodo offers several possible explanations.

Camera Connection Kit

The Mac Observer reports that the iPad Camera Connection Kit finally appeared on Apple’s online store on Saturday.

Essentially a couple of little plastic dongles, the camera connection Kit allows iPad users to directly connect an SD card or camera (via USB cable) directly to the iPad and import photos into the iPad’s Photo app. The Camera Connection Kit costs $29 and can be pre-ordered from Apple’s online store here.

So that’s the weekend’s juiciest iPad rumors. If you’re expecting an iPad to arrive with you on the weekend, I envy you more than you can know. We still can’t pre-order iPads in the UK, so I shall have to enjoy these final days to ‘first launch’ vicariously, through you. So hit the comments with detailed descriptions of your excitement and anticipation — leave nothing out. Oh, and be sure to mention how you also think $30 is way too much for a couple of plastic dongles.

The dawn of a new year never fails to make me excited about all the potential for new devices we’ll inevitably see released. This year is no different, and for Apple’s iPod and iPhone, there are some storms that have been brewing for quite a while that should break in 2010. Hope you packed a raincoat.

I recently came across my still functional (including decent battery life) 30GB iPod Video while rooting through my drawers looking for a proprietary USB cable. After I charged it and booted it up, the palpable feeling of the HDD platter spinning up, and the faint sound that accompanies said action reminded me of just how far we’ve come, and of how far we’ve yet to go with Apple’s portable devices. Here’s where I think we’re headed next.

The iPod

It’s long been the linchpin in Apple’s lineup of product offerings, and it deserves eternal respect for the role it had in reversing the company’s fortunes, but the iPod no longer enjoys the place of highest favor among Apple products, mobile or otherwise. I predict, as a general trend, a continued downplaying of the iPod’s role at Apple, and significant changes to the products on offer as a result of that trend.

Video Comes to the Touch

Probability: Guaranteed
The evidence all but guarantees that video is meant to come to the iPod touch sooner or later, and I predict it will be sooner, rather than later. Tear-downs of the most recently released iteration of the touch revealed a space perfectly designed for the same camera guts found in the new iPod nano, so unless Apple is just very interested in toying maliciously with Apple rumor hounds, this one is basically in the bag. It doesn’t hurt that it’s the next logical step for the rising star of Apple’s iPod lineup.

iPod Classic Gets Retired

Probability: Possible
It’s served long, and it’s served well, but the HD-based iPod Classic is not long for this world, in my opinion. Apple’s already streamlined the Classic to a single available model, and as the price of flash memory begins to trend downwards again in 2010, I think they’ll do away with the beast altogether and focus on turning Classic customers into iPod touch devotees.

Touch-based Control Returns to Shuffle

Probability: Possible
One of Apple’s most questionable decisions made in the service of sexy design is the loss of any and all buttons on the iPod shuffle. I think it will respond to mixed reviews and consumer skepticism by returning some form of manual (ie. non-voice) control to the device itself. That doesn’t necessarily mean buttons will return, if they can figure out some way to make use of the multi-touch tech it’s so clearly in love with.

Nano Gets Incremental Video Upgrades

Probability: Guaranteed
Look for the iPod nano to get steady improvements in the quality of its video camera, and in what you can do with said video on and off the device. Apple’s made its big changes to the device, and will now move into what amounts to a holding pattern in which it upgrades the upgrades it’s already introduced. And consumers will continue shelling out with each bump up.

The iPhone

Predicting where the iPhone will go is a bit more challenging than making calls about the iPod lineup. The upgrades made with the 3GS were logical enough, since many of them amounted to putting things in that should probably have been there in the first place.

The Usual

Probability: Guaranteed
There are the standard upgrades to be expected with any new model. These things include storage bumps (64GB next time around), improvements to the camera and video recording (bump up to 5 megapixels possible, but by no means a sure thing), and improvements to the processing and graphics rendering capabilities of the iPhone. They’re boring and we know they’re coming, so let’s not waste time on this.

New Look

Probability: Possible
The iPhone is incredibly recognizable, and that probably had something to do with the reason the 3GS still has the same distinctive look as the 3G. Other probable reasons include a rushed roll-out, and more emphasis on internal changes. I think next time around, we’ll be treated to a new look, and I wouldn’t exclude the possibility that we may have already seen some early prototypes of this design change.

Better Peer-to-Peer

Probability: Guaranteed
The future of mobile tech is in peer-to-peer interaction between devices. Apple knows this, and that’s why it opened up Bluetooth interaction between devices when it released iPhone 3.0. I think Apple will make further efforts to make P2P experiences technically better and more seamless in the next update. That might come via improved Bluetooth, or using the recently revealed Wi-Fi Direct tech that Apple’s thrown its support behind.

Physical Keyboard

Probability: Absurd
No. Just kidding.

The Big Picture

Flash-bang upgrades will all go to the iPhone, while the iPod line will get natural but relatively small and less showy enhancements. The reason being, Apple is using the iPod touch and its brethren to herd consumers towards the iPhone, which is the real cash cow and the better bet for long-term investment.

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The Mac Pro got a new option in the processor customization department, a 3.33GHz quad-core Intel Xeon processor for an additional $1,200. As of yet, there’s no option to double up the 3.33GHz version of the quad-core to create a more powerful 8-core machine on the more expensive configuration of the Mac Pro.

You can also now outfit your Mac Pro with 2TB hard drives, instead of the 1TB option at which capacity previously maxed out. That means the official total capacity of the Mac Pro, as configured in the Apple Store, is now 8TB, which is nothing to sneeze at. Each 2TB drive will set you back $550.

The only reason to hesitate if you’re thinking about picking up a Mac Pro is that the last time they were updated was back in March 2009. Chances are another major upgrade isn’t too far around the corner, possibly involving Intel’s forthcoming i9 processor, so if you can wait, you probably should.

The configuration options for the Xserve were also updated, allowing for use of the same 2TB drives that are now available to the Mac Pros. That means max capacity for the Xserve is now 6TB. RAM options also got upgraded, with 4GB modules now available, so that the max configurable memory is now 24GB on the quad-core Xserve, and 48GB on the 8-core.

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Let’s get to that great news first. While the “new” web browser has now been available for download to Windows users for over a year (the beta was first released last September), Mac users only recently got access to a stable developer’s build of Chromium, and that’s far from a release version of the software. Luckily, the new Mac beta is said to be on track for an early December release.

I’ve been dying to use Chrome’s ultra-clean interface and separately-processed tabs for my work online, which often sees tabs numbering in the double digits, spread across many windows and three screens. If I was really diligent about documenting it, I could probably come up with a pretty solid number about how much productive time I’ve lost dealing with recovering or recreating data after a Firefox tab-related crash. That’s what you owe me, so-late-as-to-be-offensive Chrome Mac beta build!

As for the Wave side of things, Google now allows users to “Follow” or “Unfollow” any public wave. That means that important ones will remain or reappear in your inbox as they are updated, while ones that you’re not particularly interested in will remain out of sight and out of mind. Experienced Wave users will note that “Unfollow” replaces “Mute,” allowing you to remove Waves you’ve started or been added to specifically, so that updates to them will no longer appear in your inbox. Google explains the new feature in detail at the official Wave blog (and if you’re still not sure what Wave could be used for, check out “Google Wave Explained” over on our subscription research service, GigaOM Pro)

Even though I’m mad at it for keeping Chrome for Mac from me for so long, I have to admit that Google has been on a hot streak lately when it comes to innovation for web workers. Even if I’m not automatically in love with everything it’s putting out there, I am in love with the fact that they’re putting out so much of it.

Are you looking forward to trying out Chrome on your Mac?

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