A few hours ago, Apple TV 2nd or 3rd-gen users with OS 5.0.2 or later discovered a new “Apple Events” logo on their screens.
When selected, it lets you watch the last several most recent Apple keynotes, along with a placeholder for today’s event, and the invite with rainbow colours on a while half-apple and the tagline “We’ve got a little more to show you”.
But it’s not just owners of the Apple TV who’ll be able to “watch a live video stream of the special event online or via Apple TV starting at 10:00 a.m. PDT”, or 4am Australian time – which is now less than an hour away.
For iOS and Mac OS X users, Apple has set up a special event section of its site, where it notes that “Live streaming video requires Safari 4 or later on Mac OS X v10.6 or later; Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later”.
|
|
A Boy Genius Report reader has discovered the direct “Quicktime” link and has made it available (here), although whether PC users will be able to sneak through with the PC version of Quicktime using this link is unknown – give it a go and see what happens, although you'll likely need a Mac or iDevice to tune in.
So, with “a little more to show you” nearly here, that “little” is expected to be primarily referring to what everyone has been calling the iPad Mini, and likely largely thanks to John Gruber’s prediction at DaringFireball.net that it might instead be called the iPad Air, we’re still waiting for Apple to clear the air on which name it is choosing.
The iPad Mini/Air is expected to be touted as a great educational device – we’ll just have to wait and see whether Apple’s keynote took this direction or not to gauge the accuracy of the rumouristas.
Of course, Apple’s little bounty doesn’t just come with an iPad Mini airily sitting in the Santa sack on its little ol’ lonesome, no!
There’s much more Apple goodies the company wants you to score either for, well before or even after Christmas.
These items are expected to include updated new iMacs with USB 3.0 ports, new Mac Mini models, also with USB 3.0, new Mac Pros with powerful upgrades and new USB 3.0 ports (alongside Thunderbolt ports, of course) and potentially even a new MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display.
An Apple TV television set is deemed as unlikely just yet, and sadly, no-one’s mentioned anything about an 11.6-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, something I’d personally love to see.
Heck, I wish that 11.6-inch MacBook Pro with Retina would also magically transform into a MacPad Air hybrid with detachable keyboard and mouse trackpad, running a futuristic iOS X 12.0 operating system, although for the time being that one’s being called Windows 8 from Apple’s chief cloner, Microsoft – it comes out this Friday, along with the anti-iPad – Microsoft’s Surface Tablet.
I’ll probably have to wait for a late 2013 or even 2014 Apple Keynote before my imaginary MacPad Air comes to life, but in just over an hour, the long-awaited, hugely anticipated iPad Mini – or iPad Air – will cease being rumourware fiction and will immediately become science fact.
We’re all waiting to see what the specs will be, and whether Apple has ensured the iPad Mini really is a really top quality, super light, astoundingly inexpensive yet still well equipped 21st century digital super-tablet.
And we’re waiting to see if the rest of the Macs are updated as expected, along with the “one more thing” surprise of a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina.
So… the wait is very nearly over… there’s now less than an hour to go… and Apple’s latest set of iGames will begin at last!
