Filling in the awkward gap between the newly discounted iPhone 3G 8GB, at $99, and the $199, 16GB 3GS is an appropriately (and newly) awkward handset: the old 16GB 3G model, priced at $149.
Apple didn’t say a thing about this today at WWDC, nor is it on their site. Apple keeping two 16GB products in their iPhone line seems unlikely, so this deal—spotted on AT&T’s website—could just last until existing stock is cleared. Well, good luck with that. [BGR]
John Gruber of Daring Fireball, certainly no stranger on this site to iPhone news, rumors and speculation, is positive tomorrow’s event will feature an “iPhone 3GS”.
What does S stand for? Don’t ask. He doesn’t have a clue. What he does think he has a clue about is pretty much everything else that will pop out of Apple execs’ mouths at WWDC this week.
The iPhone 3GS:
I expect Apple to announce updated iPhones with significantly faster processors, twice the RAM, and twice the storage. I expected prices to remain the same as the current lineup: $199/299 for 16/32 GB, respectively. The video camera is going to be a major selling point.
Lower-priced iPhones:
I believe this is true, and the new price will be $99. But since I expect the new top-of-the-line iPhone 3GS to start at $199, that means the $99 iPhone must be something else. I see two possibilities: (a) a new device, something that is to the iPhone what the iPod Mini was to the original iPod; or (b) the existing 8 GB iPhone 3G, unchanged but reduced in price.
And an iPhone nano might round out the three tiered line some day, but not tomorrow.
“Marble”:
While I am convinced that “Marble” is a real design project at Apple, I no longer believe it is slated for Snow Leopard. A new visual appearance isn’t something Apple can spring on third-party developers at the last moment. If they plan to ship Snow Leopard soon - say, by the end of August - that just isn’t enough time to allow developers to update their software to look good under a new UI theme.
Oh, and that about tablet thing… Gruber seems to think it exists in some shape or form, but don’t expect it tomorrow. Like the rest of these predictions, that sounds pretty safe. [Daring Fireball]
Apple just let loose a new 15-inch MacBook Pro at WWDC 2009, with what appears to be the same built-in, non-removable battery (or, non-user serviceable, if we’re being proper) as in the current unibody 17-incher. Phil asserts that the cell will last the average user around five years (1,000 recharges), and could last around seven hours under ideal conditions. There’s also an SD card reader rather than an ExpressCard slot (seriously Apple — replaced? — why not just add it like every other Wintel laptop available today?). Oh, and the starting tag just dropped to $1,699.
Starting at $1,699 (down from $1,999 in prior lineups)
17-inch unibody MacBook Pro remains the same specs-wise (it’s the only Apple laptop left with an ExpressCard slot), but it’s getting a price cut to $2,499.
Shipping today
Not enough for you? There’s also a refreshed unibody MacBook, with the same built-in battery promising seven hours of life. This machine also gets the SD card slot, a FireWire 800 port, up to 8GB of RAM, upwards of 500GB of storage and a backlit keyboard as standard. If you’re wondering, this little 13-incher is now a part of the MacBook Pro line. You just knew Apple couldn’t let its remaining whiteBook outperform its more expensive unibody for long, right? It’ll be available (today, we expect) in two configurations.
Robots won’t be able to wrest control of the planet from us silly humans until they learn how to collaborate. Sure, they can mow the lawn or mix a drink, but only when you give ‘em explicit instructions. Luckily for our future robot overlords, The EU’s JAST project is studying the ways that humans work together, in the hope that it can someday teach robots to anticipate the actions and intentions of a human partner. “In our experiments the robot is not observing to learn a task,” explains Wolfram Erlhagen from the University of Minho. “The JAST robots already know the task, but they observe behavior, map it against the task, and quickly learn to anticipate [partner actions] or spot errors when the partner does not follow the correct or expected procedure.” This bad boy has a neural architecture that mimics what happens when two people interact, and the video below shows the rather melancholy automaton trying to convince his human partner to pick up the right pieces to complete a simple task. Watch it in action after the break.
MSI’s X-Slim X340 has already made its way out into this brave, new world, but the version that checks in at a score less (for whatever reason) is just now starting to do the same. If you’re looking for the least expensive way to snag yourself an X-Slim, head on over to one of a few reputable e-tailers and part ways with $599. Depending on courier and location, you should be reveling in your decision within a few business days. Oh, if only everything else in this world was so easy.
The Asus Eee PC T91, which we fondled fondly at CES, has a few new tricks up its sleeve in the multitouch and Windows 7 department, but sadly these features won’t make it in time for launch this month.
Previously, we knew about the netbook’s touchscreen and hefty £449 ($670) price tag (for an Atom-based netbook, anyway), but the multitouch screen and Windows 7, both demoed in the video, were kind of a revelation.
Tetris, our favorite non-vodka Russian export, turns 25 today. Unquestionably one of the greatest games of all time, Tetris is a bona fide cultural institution, responsible for wasting innumerable hours of time worldwide. Happy birthday, King of Puzzles!
In honor of the only game to be branded with “FROM RUSSIA WITH FUN!”, let’s all take a minute to let the Tetris theme song burrow its way into our brains one more time.
Filling in the awkward gap between the newly discounted iPhone 3G 8GB, at $99, and the $199, 16GB 3GS is an appropriately (and newly) awkward handset: the old 16GB 3G model, priced at $149.
You’ve seen our 
John Gruber of Daring Fireball, certainly no stranger on this site 
Google Streetview, channeling Picasso, takes its paintbrush to the streets of Annapolis and makes a pretty picture. [
Tetris, our favorite non-vodka Russian export, turns 25 today. Unquestionably one of the greatest games of all time, Tetris is a bona fide cultural institution, responsible for wasting innumerable hours of time worldwide. 
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