iTunes 11 was released late last year, after what seemed to be an endless rumor cycle regarding what the new piece of software from Apple would and would not have. Today, you can download iTunes 11.0.13, the latest update to Apple’s software for Windows and Mac. This particular update brings a host of new features, including the usual bevy of performance and stability improvements as well as crucial bug fixes. Lets take a look in to what iTunes 11.0.3 brings to the table, after the break.

The last iTunes update was pushed out in February, which also was a minor update that brought a new Composer View. Apart from that, the software has not seen any major changes in the two updates it has received since it was released back in November 2012. iTunes 11.0.3 is the third update for this software, while still being an incremental update since there are no new major features or substantial changes in the UI, this particular update does bring a number of new features that are bound to make life easier for millions of users around the world.

The list of features include new MiniPlayer improvements and radically improved and enhanced multi-disc album and Songs View. One would think that they don’t exactly make up for such an exciting update, though it is subtle changes like these that greatly enhance the ease of use of any particular software, iTunes in this case. The user interface was significantly changed with iTunes 11 and it took users quite a bit of time to get familiarized with it. Some even criticized it for being too complex. We can’t really expect any updates to the UI being made at this particular point in time, not only is it too soon, it won’t exactly be a good move on the company’s part to drop one major update a few months after it has already released one.

Its quite easy to download iTunes 11.0.3 on your Windows or Mac machine. You can either use Software Update, which will automatically search and prompt that an update is available. Alternatively, one can also visit Apple’s iTunes page to manually download the software for their particular operating system from there. The update weighs in at 79MB.

BlackBerry, the ailing Canadian manufacturer, kicked off its struggle to turn the company around back in January when it first announced the BlackBerry 10 operating system. Two new smartphones were announced at the event, the BlackBerry Z10 and the Q10. Our review of the BlackBerry Z10 praised the new smartphone highly for its good design, striking build quality and its new platform which puts it among the best performing smartphones of the market. However, both of these devices were primarily targeted towards high-end markets, as they cost well over $500 both on and off contract. The company had said that they would be releasing multiple devices this year, and that mid-range markets wouldn’t be left out of BB10 goodness. Enter BlackBerry Q5, a smartphone that was just announced by the company. It touts a touchscreen as well as the iconic QWERTY keyboard that BlackBerry devices are known all over the world for.

Announced today at the BlackBerry Live 2013 conference, the company says that BlackBerry Q5 is made for emerging markets. It is set to be made available in selected markets of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America this July. They’ve not said anything about the price, but we can expect that information to come in over the next couple of weeks.

As far as the technical specifications of BlackBerry Q5 are concerned, they too have been left out of the official press release. All that is told is that this portrait device has a 3.1 inch touchscreen coupled with the iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. Based on what I have heard from various sources, the BlackBerry Q5 may tout a 1.2GHz dualcore processor with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 5 megapixel camera on the back and a 1,600 mAh+ battery. This is merely speculation based on information received from multiple sources, we can’t be sure until the official specs come in from BlackBerry itself.

The BlackBerry Q5 will ship with BB 10.1 OS pre-installed and will offer enhanced software features such as Instant Action, HDR mode in camera, PIN to PIN messaging in BlackBerry Hub and a decent amount of apps made specifically for BlackBerry 10 in the App World. BlackBerry Messenger with voice, video chat as well as screen share will be on board as well. BlackBerry Q5 will be available in White, Black, Red and Pink colors.

Apple’s product roadmap for this year is a bit vague right now. If rumours are anything to go by, the Cupertino based outfit is set to release multiple iPhones, multiple iPads and revamped versions of the Macbook lineup. The company traditionally does not comment on rumours, so it hasn’t exactly come up and confirmed what products we’ll be seeing this year. According to a latest report, Apple is going to release a cheap iPad mini model this quarter, whereas the scheduled second generation iPad mini with Retina display won’t be available till later this year.

The report comes from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Ming has voiced off many opinions related to Apple in the past as well, it should be kept in mind that analysts don’t always have the precise information, though their guidelines can help us better understand the future product roadmap. Ming suggests that Apple is going to release a cheap iPad mini before it releases the one with the major revamp. Apparently the iPad mini with Retina display is proving to be difficult to manufacture, therefore to fill the gap in between, the company is going to release a cheap iPad mini which is likely to be priced between $199 and $249.

The first generation iPad mini has internal hardware that is in many ways similar to the iPad 2. Apple can drive the product’s cost down through a number of ways, they can remove the rear camera, decrease on board storage and simplify production of the device’s metal casing. Having a cheap iPad mini out in the market while it prepares the one with all major improvements will allow Apple to fend off its competitors and still maintain a footing in the mid-range tablet market that is largely dominated by a plethora of Android tablets.

Ming also says that for Apple’s tablet share to grow significantly, the company must keep on releasing new and improved products, though the analyst believes that it won’t happen till the forth quarter of 2013. It is the same time frame in which Apple is expected to announce its fifth generation iPad as well as the revamped iPad mini which will tout a Retina display.

It might be a bit weird for some to read the words Saurik and Google in the same sentence. Saurik, the pseudonym for Jay Freeman, is associated with Cydia Store and iOS jailbreaks. This developer is one of the most iconic iOS hackers of our time, he has made countless contributions to this niche and his next target is Google Glass. At the moment, Google’s revolutionary piece of wearable technology is only in the hand of what the company calls ‘Explorers.’ Jay Freeman is also a Google Glass Explorer, and he has already developed a Google Glass jailbreak.

Don’t try to find a factual inaccuracy in the term: Google Glass jailbreak. Technically speaking, a Google device that is based on Android is not jailbroken, it is rooted. However we’re going to use this term as sort of a tribute to the work Saurik has done for iOS jailbreak. Speaking with Forbes, he said that it took him two hours to develop this Google Glass jailbreak. He then had root access to the device’s software, which is Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. This is a very interesting development, as having root access on Google Glass means that in the future, users might be able to go around the restrictions that Google will place on it. One such restriction the company has mentioned is that it will pre-screen all apps for Google Glass, its exclusvie to this device only as Android apps are not pre-screened before being listed on Google Play Store.

A hacker called B1nary initially discovered an exploit which is used for gaining root access on this particular Android version. The implementation of B1nary’s exploit is for conventional Android smartphones and tablets, Saurik found a way to make it work on his Google Glass Explorer unit. He basically tricked the software on Glass to think that it was an emulation, that it wasn’t powering an actual device, he then gained root access. Though it is early to say at this moment whether root access on this device means the software can be modified the way iOS or stock Android is.

The public version of Google Glass might not be similar to the Explorer units Google can make subtle changes to the final hardware and software, meaning that any such software hacks can be plugged from the get go. We’ll only know for sure once the units go on sale for public some time next year. It wouldn’t suck to be able to perform a Google Glass jailbreak, right?

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference takes place in June this year At this conference the company unveils major platform updates for iOS and OS X, though in the past they have made several product announcements here as well. This year it is expected that Apple will reveal the 2013 Macbook lineup at WWDC. The new notebooks are expected to be available for shipping soon after they’re announced at the conference.

Apple’s 2013 Macbook lineup couldn’t come at a better time. In its recent financial results the company reveal that Mac shipments were up by approximately 10% while global PC sales have been declining partly due to the increase in popularity of tablets. The current generation Macbooks were released in Q3, 2012 and now it is high time for updated versions. Some recent surveys have declared that Retina Macbook Pro shipments have been declining because of the fact that these notebooks carry too high a price tag. It was rumoured that Apple is considering on dropping Retina display touting notebooks all together, however according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company won’t be making this move for now. They’ll continue to sell this particular Macbook Pro, because strong non-Retina sales compensate for the lacklustre sales of Retina Macbook Pro.

He also adds that the 2013 Macbook lineup won’t bring the much rumoured Retina display Macbook Air. There might be a couple of reasons for this. First and foremost the Retina display will drive the cost up, and having already experimented with the high cost Pro model, this is something that Apple will look to avoid in one of its best selling notebooks. Furthermore, there seem to be production issues that are getting in the way of such a high resolution screen being installed inside a notebook as thin and as light as the Macbook Air.

So what exactly will the 2013 Macbook lineup bring? Well, no substantial design changes for either the Pro and the Air have been rumoured up till now. It is possibly that Apple might reveal slightly updated versions of these notebooks, by simply bumping up the internal specs and pairing it with a brand new OS X platform update. The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2013 takes place on the 10th of June, hopefully the company will have more information for us there.

Notcom’s famous software for saving SHSH blobs of your iOS device has now been updated. The new TinyUmbrella update brings the ability to save iOS 6.1.3 SHSH blobs, this firmware version is the latest one available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. The entire idea of saving SHSH blobs might be a bit hard to understand for novice users, but they’re extremely useful when downgrading an iOS device. A downgrade could be required in situations when an unlock has to be preserved, so whether or not you’ll have use for SHSH blobs, it is highly recommended that you save iOS 6.1.3 SHSH blobs using TinyUmbrella version 6.13.00.

Notcom, the developer of TinyUmbrella, announced this update release on Twitter. He also explained that APTicket validation was to be added in this version, however he couldn’t get it in the software on time. Notcom says that we should expect APTicket validation in version 6.13.01 of TinyUmbrella. For recent firmware versions SHSH blobs and APTickets both have been required for downgrading purposes. While you won’t get lucky with newer devices such as iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 or iPad 4, old devices that are based on the A4 processor can be downgraded to older firmware using blobs and APTickets. Though its a good idea to save the blobs anyway, regardless of your device, because at some point in the future these blobs may become relevant again.

To save iOS 6.1.3 SHSH blobs for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, download the latest version of TinyUmbrella for your Windows or Mac computer. Direct download links have been added below.

TinyUmbrella 6.13.00 for Windows
TinyUmbrella 6.13.00 for Mac

The Apple iPhone 5S has been speculated upon a lot these days, many people believe that Apple’s upcoming smartphone will be an evolutionary upgrade. We’ve seen the company do this in the past as well, a new iPhone with the ‘S’ moniker was first released after the iPhone 3G. Late last year Apple released iPhone 5 and now it is expected to make the announcement of iPhone 5S this summer, however it is being said that the Apple iPhone 5S launch is being delayed presumably because the company has run in to production difficulties, particularly related to its fingerprint technology.

Recently we had heard rumors that iPhone 5S production was to begin this quarter and that Apple was looking towards a summer release. It was speculated that Apple would make the announcement at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which has been the venue for previous iPhone announcements. The iPhone 5S release date was pegged at June 20th by some sources, though there has been no confirmation about Apple iPhone 5 from the company itself. They’ve kept mum on everything related to their next generation iPhone.

Reuters is now reporting that iPhone 5S release will be delayed as Apple has run in to production issues. It is looking for a coating material that does not interfere with the fingerprint sensor, which is rumored to be placed under the Home button. Fingerprint technology on the iPhone 5S has been rumored a lot these past few days, Apple has a variety of patents relating to it as well, though one can’t be entirely sure if something of this sort will be added to the next generation iPhone.

The Apple iPhone 5S is expected to be thinner and lighter than its predecessor. It will also reportedly tout a 12 megapixel camera, possibly a larger display and improved internal hardware package. The company is expected to many an announcement in Q3, 2013.

Apple really raised the bar with their Retina Macbook Pro. Announced late last year, this was the first laptop to bring over Apple’s famed Retina Display over to conventional computers. The idea behind Retina Display is that the pixel density is so high that the human eye can not distinguish an individual pixel. Despite its technological advancements, reports from supply chain sources indicate that demand for Retina Macbook Pro has been dipping primarily because prospective customers think that it is too expensive. Toshiba is now stepping in to this arena with their KIRAbook, which hopes to give Apple’s laptop a run for its money.

Toshiba KIRAbook is actually the first high resolution laptop for Windows platform. It has a 13.3 inch touchscreen with a whopping 2560 x 1440 resolution with a pixel density of 221. Toshiba’s display is pretty close to the 13″ Retina Macbook Pro, which touts a 2560 x 1600 resolution with 227 pixels density, and don’t forget the fact that its actually a touchscreen display. The only other laptop with a high resolution screen is the Google Chromebook Pixel, which has 239 pixel density, so safe to say, KIRAbook is the first product for Windows afficionados who like high resolution displays.

Screen is not the only avenue where KIRAbook goes head to head with the Retina Macbook Pro. It has superb build quality, only 0.7 inches thick and weighing 2.6 pounds. Harmon Kardon speakers are on board for superb sound and a backlit keyboard is there by default. It has a Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Price was one avenue where it would have been better if the KIRAbook didn’t match the Retina Macbook Pro, but unfortunately it does. The model with base configuration, processor still unknown, will set you back $1,600. The one with the Core i5 carries a price tag of $1,800 and if you’re will to drop $2,000 you can have the Core i7 processor.

Back at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia invited a select group of people to an invite only briefing. In that briefing the Finnish manufacturer showed this select group of people that Nokia Catwalk. Catwalk is the internal codename for Lumia 920′s successor. Those who saw it up close reported that the Nokia Catwalk is made out of aluminium, which means that it is going to be thinner and lighter than the Lumia 920. No images have previously been leaked, but today a couple of allegedly leaked images were posted on Sina Weibo, which is China’s Twitter.

As per previous reports, the internal specifications of the Nokia Catwalk Lumia smartphone are similar to those of the 920. The device is said to tout a 4.5″ OCTA display. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5Ghz processor with 1GB of RAM. Internal storage will be at 16GB and there will be a 2,000 mAh battery. On the back an 8.7 OIS camera with LED flash can be found. The three dots for wireless charging can also be found on the back. It will be running Windows Phone 8, that’s pretty obvious as the entire Lumia line is based on Windows Phone. The new aluminium body makes this smartphone some 50 grams lighter and 2.3 millimeters thinner than the Lumia 920. That is a substantial difference, one that justifies switching from the 920 to the company’s upcoming flagship.

According to several reports the Nokia Catwalk smartphone will be released on the 15th of May, which is less than a month way. It is expected to be available in various markets by the end of June. No details on pricing or exact availability as of now. Nokia itself has not commented on these leaked images, though various sources are now confirming that this is indeed the Nokia Catwalk smartphone, one that is set to take over the Lumia 920.

Apple shook up its iPad release cycle late last year when it unexpectedly announced the fourth generation iPad, merely seven months after it had announced the third generation iPad in March. Last year it was rumored that the fourth generation tablet will come out in March 2013, but it was released in the last quarter of 2012. This unexpected development left many wondering if Apple was moving away from its traditional release cycle. In the first couple of months this year, rumors about a next generation iPad 2013 being released in March were making the rounds. We’re now in April and there has been no announcement of a new tablet from the Cupertino based outfit, which begs the question, when exactly is Apple planning to release its new iPad(s)?

I reported some six months ago, precisely two days after the launch of iPad 4, that Apple might release another iPad in the first few months of 2013. This was supposedly going to be the fifth generation iPad, which would come with substantial internal hardware as well as design changes. Since then there have been many rumors and reports but so far, no next generation iPad 2013 launch. The perception about this upcoming Apple tablet has changed since then, now there are a number of reports that suggest what exactly the company has in store for us.

Next Generation iPad 2013 Rumor Roundup:

So now lets take a look at all of the rumors out there, and try to make sense of it all. Apple has not commented on any of these third party reports since the company’s official standing on this matter is that it does not comment on rumors. The company was famous for running a tight ship but in the past couple of years we’ve seen more and more details being leaked about future devices.

Design:

One of the biggest changes expected in next generation iPad 2013 is design. Since iPad 2 the design of Apple’s signature tablet has almost always been the same. This time around, the upcoming iPad is said to have a design similar to that of iPad mini, which was also released late last year. Apart from that, iPad 5 is expected to be lighter and radically thinner than its predecessors. It’ll retain its 9.7 inch screen size, that’s for sure.

Hardware:

Details on the hardware specifications are a bit scarce as of now. The next iPad will reportedly be powered by a quadcore processor with at least 2GB of RAM, this would give the tablet enough power to be a fantastic portable gaming and media device, whilst being blazing fast in conventional tablet functions. There’s bound to be an 8 megapixel camera on the back and a 2 megapixel front facing camera. It’ll definitely be 4G LTE compatible.

Software:

The software that next generation iPad 2013 will run on really depends on when it is actually released. If the release takes place before Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, it will be running the latest iteration of iOS 6. If it is released a couple of months after the conference, we can definitely expect it to run iOS 7, as the latest software will be well out of beta mode by then.

Release Date:

There’s no concrete release timeframe as of now. According to a recent report, the release might have been pushed back a couple of months as Apple was having manufacturing issues that were delaying production. Several analyst estimates peg the release date some time in the summer, while some believe Apple will hold off until the holiday season to cash in on the shopping boom. The latter might not seem so probable, perhaps the tablet will be released in the July-August period.

That’s not all though, when we talk about the next generation iPad 2013, we have to take in to consideration the iPad mini as well. Rumor has it that it too will be refreshed this year. While the design is largely expected to stay the same, Apple is said to be considering Retina Display panels, which in turn are hampering the speed of their manufacturing process. That’s all there is to know about the iPad scenario as of now, we’ll keep you in the loop as more information comes in.