The Apple Beat: iMac turns 16

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple's iMac turned 16 recently, and I couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic about this very important chapter in Apple's history and also in my own life. For many people, the iMac meant a more affordable Mac and one that looked unlike any other PC in the market. It ushered in a new era as the Mac for the Internet age as well as one that shed old standards for new ones. Here's a look back.

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ESPN's Scores App comes to Pebble

This should cheer some Pebble smart watch owners feeling left out of all the Android Wear talk. ESPN has released the Scores App for Pebble which launches in advance of the 2014-15 college football season and will include scores from across major professional leagues and college conferences including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college football and college basketball.

“The ESPN app for Pebble extends our presence on wearable technology and reflects a belief in product and content mobility,” said Ryan Spoon, Senior Vice President of Digital Product Management, ESPN.  “Whether it is a watch, a phone or a 65-inch TV, our focus is for ESPN to be there when fans are. This is another great example of that.” Sports fans can  download the ESPN watchapp now in the Pebble appstore. It is compatible for both iOS and Android.

Source: ESPN

Acer Chromebox CX1 revealed with US $180 price

Slightly more promising than its notebook counterparts, the Chromebox PCs bring the basic functionality of a cloud-powered desktop device which, being a desktop, will be tethered to the Internet for a constant connection. Acer's micro-PC styled Chromebox CX1 which runs Google's browser OS on a Celeron powered mini-tower that has 16GB of SSD storage, 2GB od RAM and support for two displays starting at US $180. Shipping next month, you get a mouse, keyboard and the CX1, making it a clever little Minecraft machine or the perfect Internet hub for people who simply surf, check email and park themselves in front of websites most of the time. 

Source: Engadget

An APP a day helps you doctor your play: Five to fit in

Image by Yutaka Tsutano Some apps are designed to help you work better, some to make it easier to socialise, but without a doubt, the most fun of them are the ones that help you play. There are, of course thousands of apps out there covering all of those functional categories, but since I’m feeling playful, let’s take a whistle-stop look at some of the lightweight leisure apps that have taken my fancy recently.

Just to refine this down slightly, I’m going to restrict this to tablets. There is a growing distinction between the catch-all smartphone market and the less neat and nimble world of the tablet. It’s life in the slow lane maybe, but the practical implications of a larger device and a correspondingly bigger screen do make a difference. And that’s all-the-more true when it comes to the more sophisticated recreational software that’s out there.

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