Mac App Store shares many similarities with its sibling iTunes App Store for iOS, but there are differences:

• Game Center is not available for Mac App Store during launch. This will be slight set back for game developers who want to port their Game Center enabled iOS games to the Mac.
• In-app purchase is not available for Mac App Store. We believe this feature will come to Mac apps eventually as it is definitely a successfully model used by games such as  We Farm, GodFinger and Smurf Village.
• Demos, beta, Lite version of app is not allowed on Mac App Store. Apple suggested developer to use their own website to promote such apps.
• Promo codes is not available for Mac App Store. Promo codes can be used to obtain apps for free from App Store, and are used by developer for reviewers/websites for marketing and promotion purpose.

Mac App Store is rumored to debut in January 2011.

Apple has selected their app and games of the year 2010 for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad:

• iPhone App of the Year – Hipstamatic
• iPhone Game of the Year – Plants vs. Zombies
• iPad App of the Year – Flipboard
• iPad Game of the Year – Osmos for iPad

Apple is shipping the latest MacBook Air without Flash Player. Most people thought the reason for the change is to save some battery life on MacBook Air. Apple officially advised that “the best way for users to always have the most up to date and secure version is to download it directly from Adobe”. Turns out that the unbundling could be security related.

As noted by Daring Fireball, the latest Mac OS X 10.6.5 released yesterday listed 134 fixes for securities vulnerabilities. 55 of those are for Flash Player alone. That is more than 40%. Apple is sure wise not to be blamed for someone else’s problem.

About the security content of Mac OS X v10.6.5 and Security Update 2010-007

Via Daring Fireball

Microsoft announced the release of Office for Mac 2011, which brings features such as build-in integration to Microsoft’s cloud-based applications, co-authoring tool for teamwork, and for the first time, Microsoft’s flagship Outlook replaces Entourage on the Mac for email, calendars and contacts. Check out Microsoft’s Office for Mac site for a tour of the new suite.

Office for Mac 2011 is available in two edition: Home & Student includes Word, PowerPoint and Excel; Home & Business includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.

Amazon is offering savings with today’s launch on Office for Mac 2011 packages:

- Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 – Single License ($109.99)

- Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 – Family Pack (3 Licenses) ($129.99)

- Office for Mac Home and Business 2011 – 1 Pack ($174.99)

- Office for Mac Home and Business 2011 – 2 License Pack ($239.99)

Primate Labs, the creator of Geekbench software, has published one of the first benchmarks of the new MacBook Air. The benchmark measures only processor and memory performance, and compared them with last generation MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13″ model and iPad. The use of NVIDIA GeForce 320M video card and flash storage in the new MacBook Air is expected to offer significant overall performance improvements, but processor and memory performance gives a different perspective on the positioning of the new MacBook Air.

There are two ways you can look at the new 11-inch MacBook Air; it’s either a much smaller but slower MacBook Pro, or a much faster but larger iPad. The 11-inch MacBook Air is small enough that I’d consider bringing it instead of an iPad, but I’d worry it’s not fast enough (or have enough screen space) to be my primary laptop.

The 13-inch MacBook Air is a much more straightforward produc; it has 80% of the processor performance of the latest 13-inch Pro, making it an acceptable substitute for users looking for a slightly more portable Pro.

Via Primate Labs Blog

MacBook Air shipped without Flash plug-in installed. Looks like it will be happening for all future Macs. The official words from Apple spokesman Bill Evans is that users should get Flash directly from Adobe for the most up to date and secure version.

We’re happy to continue to support Flash on the Mac, and the best way for users to always have the most up to date and secure version is to download it directly from Adobe.

Via Engadget

Steve Jobs quits Apple on Sep 16, 1985. And 12 years later, Jobs rejoins Apple on Sept 16, 1997.

For some history, check out the Wiki on Steve Jobs.

Via Wired

Apple has released the first beta of iOS 4.2 to its developers. iOS 4.2 will be released in November for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. This is the first version of iOS that reunited the IOS platforms, with one code base for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

iOS 4.2 adds multitasking, folders, Game Center, threaded mail features to iPad. These are iOS 4 features already available for iPhone and iPod touch. Features new to iOS 4 includes AirPlay and AirPrint.

AirPrint enables wireless printing via Wi-Fi from iOS devices with no setup, no configuration and no printer driver required. AirPrint will automatically discover printers on local networks and is designed to support wide range of printers from entry level inkjet to high-end office laser printers. HP’s ePrint enabled printers will be the firsts to directly support AirPrint.

iOS 4.2 will include a new Print Center app to allow user to manage print queue. Several native apps such as Safari include the ability to print. AirPrint requires iOS multitasking thus printing is not available for iPhone 3G.

iOS 4.2 will also adds the ability to import .ics calendar files directly to calendar events. Notes app has a preference and you can choose Helvetica or Chalkboard font to replace the Marker Felt font. And Apple iAd will officially debut on iPad with iOS 4.2.

Apple has announced that its free case program will not be extended after September 30. Explaining that the ‘antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than we originally thought’. Even after the free case program ceased, you can still request for a free bumper case through AppleCare if you experience antenna issues.

We now know that the iPhone 4 antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than we originally thought. A small percentage of iPhone 4 users need a case, and we want to continue providing them a Bumper case for free. For everyone else, we are discontinuing the free case program on all iPhone 4s sold after September 30, 2010. We are also returning to our normal returns policy for all iPhone 4s sold after September 30. Users experiencing antenna issues should call AppleCare to request a free Bumper case.

Apple iPhone 4 Free Case Program

Apple has announced via a media alert that it will broadcast live video streaming of its Sept 1 media at apple.com. This is the first time since 2005 that Apple is streaming live its event.

Apple® will broadcast its September 1 event online using Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards. Viewing requires either a Mac® running Safari® on Mac OS® X version 10.6 Snow Leopard®, an iPhone® or iPod touch® running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad™. The live broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT on September 1, 2010 at www.apple.com.

The event is on 10.00am PDT later today (Sept 1) at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Check out Apple homepage for the live streaming url when the event goes live.

Apple media alert