The highly anticipated iPhone OS 3.0 software update is now available through iTunes.

Since its announcement this past March, iPhone and iPod touch users have been eagerly awaiting the availability of iPhone OS 3.0. In addition to a few cosmetic changes, users can now take advantage of cut/copy/paste, system-wide landscape keyboard support, MMS, and spotlight search. An all new Voice Memos app is included along with enhancements to the existing Calendar and Stocks applications.

This is just a sample of the many enhancements iPhone 3.o includes. Visit Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 support page to lean more about all the new features.

In addition to the iPhone 3G S announcement (article below), Apple has revised it’s lineup of notebooks and created the MacBook Pro family with the addition of the 13″ Unibody MacBook. The only remaining “non-pro” MacBook model is the white 13″.

Among the biggest changes in the lineup are considerable price drops as well as a longer-lasting, non-removable battery. The new battery lasts up to 7 hours (8 hours on the 17″ model) for a single charge. The new prices start at $1199, $1699, and $2499 respectively for the new 13″, 15″, and 17″ MacBook Pros.

The new 13″ Pro model includes a FireWire 800 port and SD card slot. The 15″ model has given up the ExpressCard slot in favor of a new SD card slot, and the 17″ model retains its ExpressCard slot.

Each model has received a faster processor, with a range of better upgrade options, as well as a brand new display that offers a 60% greater color gamut than previous displays.

These models are all available today at Apple’s online store.

 

This morning Apple announced an addition to their existing line of iPhones; the iPhone 3G S. The “S” stands for speed making this is the fastest, most powerful iPhone Apple has offered. The increased speed applies to both the online data performance as well as the software applications and operating system.

An all new 3-Megapixel camera offers a built-in autofocus which allows users to just tap the display to focus on the object of choice. This new camera also supports video, and the updated software offers users the ability to edit the footage right on the device. Once the clip is edited to your liking, Apple makes it simple to share it in a variety of ways. You can share the clip via email, MMS, or send it to MobileMe or YouTube.

Voice Control is another feature which iPhone 3G S users can enjoy. You can now make calls and play music by just the sound of your voice. Simply say the name of the contact you wish to call and the phone does the rest. It’s just as simple to select music too. Just speak the name of the artist or album and the music will begin to play.

The iPhone 3G S also includes a built-in digital compass. This allows you know exactly which direction you are facing and can be used to change the orientation of the built-in Google maps making following a defined path even easier.

The overall design of the iPhone 3G did not change from the previous version, meaning that many of the cases and accessories designed for the iPhone 3G will continue to work with the new device. Click here for a growing list of products which are already support it.

The iPhone 3G S will be available on June 19th and will come in two versions: 16GB for $199 and 32GB for $299. Both versions come in black or white. Visit Apple’s website for more details on what the all new iPhone 3G S has to offer.

For once, I’m actually looking forward to a fast weekend. If the rumors are true Apple will be announcing new iPhone hardware next Monday at their annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).

We here at Dr. Bott will be following along all morning as Apple shows the world what they’ve working on. Stay tuned for updates as they become available.

What are your predictions? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Last month Dr. Bott and one of our Top Vendors, Griffin Technology, had the unique opportunity to contribute to something much larger than ourselves.

In order to help feed the hungry in Oregon, we partnered with GBD Architects in Portland, Oregon, and Canstruction, a design/build competition currently held in cities throughout North America.

Teams of architects, engineers, and students mentored by these professionals, compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food.

GBD had a team, and they created a giant sculpture of Barack Obama’s head (both fascinating and frightening all at once!) Just kidding about the frightening part. The sculpture was pretty cool, and I am quite impressed by the precision and creativity that went into building it.

They asked Dr. Bott to donate prizes that their employees bought raffle tickets to win. All the money was donated through Canstruction to the Oregon Food Bank. Griffin partnered with Dr. Bott to donate some great prizes.

Since Canstruction’s inception, ten-million pounds of food have been donated to aid in the fight against hunger. Make sure to check out their website, http://www.canstruction.org, and check out the fabulous Griffin products on our website, such as the Autopilot, which I have been using lately in my Camry. Works great by the way.

Dr Bott is excited to welcome ZAGG as one of its newest vendors! ZAGG (Zealous About Great Gadgets), a small backyard start up, became a worldwide success seemingly overnight when the idea of using a clear protective film for electronic devices was applied to Apple’s iPod nano. invisibleSHIELD protects consumer electronics with a thin (patented) polyurethane film originally created for the US Military to protect helicopter blades (you have to figure that those take more abuse than an iPod, or maybe not!) ZAGG seems to add to its list of supported products and designs on a daily basis, and is so confident in its own product that it offers a lifetime replacement guarantee.

Not only will protecting your device with invisibleSHIELD reduce the appearance of any scratches that might already be there, but it will prevent new scratches with such ease that your electronics  will last longer and retain their resell value. It’s also unlikely that you’ll ever damage your invisibleSHIELD, we here at Dr Bott know first hand it takes two full grown men to do so.

First off, I have to say that the Matias Bluetooth Folding Keyboard comes with batteries. I opened the package and was instantly stoked simply because the product didn’t require me to go out and buy anything extra. 

I picked up the Matias keyboard because I needed an extra keyboard for my home use. The keyboard is phenomenal but my simple home use need doesn’t do it justice. What the keyboard excels at, and what it was designed for, is traveling. That said, I now have to admit that I’m torn.

So why am I torn if I know the keyboard is more than my particular needs require? Because the keyboard is amazing. The extra features built in with the fn key - such as extra arrow keys, instantly accessible - compliment the existing Macintosh keyboard features - volume, eject and Exposé controls - perfectly.

And it leaves me questioning whether I can justify using the keyboard in such a limited fashion as it indeed is capable. As it surely wants to be used. But my answer is undoubtedly yes.

All in all, the Matias Bluetooth Folding Keyboard is the ultimate keyboard for any laptop. Even those that don’t travel at all.

Hailed the world’s most energy efficient desktop computer, Apple’s Mac mini is now even faster and more efficient.  Boasting up to 5x faster graphics performance with an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, the option of a 320GB hard drive, and up to 4GB of 1066MHz memory, the mini is small in an even bigger way now.

But the most apparent change, is Apple’s emphasis on being environmentally friendly. Highlighting everything from ENERGY STAR certifications to EPEAT ratings, Apple has even added a separate “Environment” page to the Mac mini site.  Featuring hardware components that work with Mac OS X to reduce energy use and a power management system similar to that of the new MacBooks, the new mini uses almost half as much energy as the previous models while idling. Other improvements include the removal of harful brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and PVCs (and this goes for nearly the entire line of Apple products now), recyclable materials, and even smaller retail packaging. It’s said to be the greenest Mac mini ever.

Amid all of the changes, very little changed cosmetically for Apple’s newest revision of its desktop line. The H-Squared products especially are still compatible with the revised models, including the Mini mount, Mini Shelf, and Air Mount. Other products Dr. Bott carries for use with the mini are still compatible as well. It’s a good time to be a desk.

This morning, in a much anticipated media event, Apple gave the world an overview of its next generation iPhone operating system: iPhone OS 3.0.

With an all new SDK loaded with 1,000 new APIs, developers now have the tools to create a wider range of applications which use the iPhone in a whole new and interesting way. For example, developers can now write applications which allow users to purchase content from within their applications. The new Store Kit framework takes cares of the entire financial process.

Among other new developer frameworks are the Push Notification Service, Peer to Peer Connectivity, and iPod Library Access. Developers can even take advantage of an External Accessory framework which allows applications to communicate with hardware via the dock connector or Bluetooth. Maps can also be embedded within applications using the new Map Kit.

There were some exciting new announcements for iPhone users too. Apple claims that iPhone OS 3.0 will offer 100 new features including: device wide search, cut, copy, and paste, MMS messaging, and the ability to compose email and text messages in landscape keyboard mode.

To find out more about Apple’s announcement or to watch a video of the presentation, please visit Apple’s website.

Available in stores Thursday, and shipping online in 3-5 business days is the new iPod shuffle. Even smaller overall than before (slightly taller but much thinner), it offers 4gb of storage for your music (1000 songs!). Play/pause and volume controls have been integrated into the headphone cord to allow the unit to be even smaller than before.

A great new feature called VoiceOver has been added. If you hold the center button, the shuffle will speak to you and tell you which song and artist are currently playing (with the ability to speak 14 different languages intelligently based on the song information it finds). This new feature also makes Playlists very simple to use. By holding the center button down a little longer, the shuffle will read you the names of each of your playlists allowing you to easily select which one you would like to listen to.

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPod and iPhone™ Product Marketing says “The amazingly small new iPod shuffle takes a revolutionary approach to how you listen to your music by talking to you, also making it the first iPod shuffle with playlists.”

The colors offered are silver and black, and are priced at $79. For a guided tour video from Apple going in-depth on all of the features, check out this link.

The previous (2nd) generation Shuffle is still available from Apple.