iPhone:
We can expect the iPhone will be upgraded to the much-anticipated iPhone 5 in the Fall of 2012. The new iPhone 5 will bring a re-designed form factor, true 4G data connection and overall improvements to Siri, speed and battery life. I’m not confident the iPhone 5 will be a quad core device, but it’s a very strong possibility if the chips are available that won’t eat too much battery life.

iPad:
The iPad 3 will be released in the spring of 2012 and no surprise will bring improved cameras, a higher resolution display and perhaps a jump to a quad-core processor. If the iPad three goes quad-core I think it’s all but certain the iPhone 5 will follow. Contrary to current rumors, do not think we will see the release of an iPad 3 and the release of an iPad 4 in the same year. I believe Apple will stick to a once a year, or possibly even extended release cycles in the future for the iPad. The iPad 3 will gain Siri support along with 4G networking capabilities. I see a low-end iPad 2 remaining at a lower price point to try to recoup some of the market that may be interested in devices like the Kindle Fire. An 8GB version of the iPad 2 may make sense now, especially given Apple’s growing dependence on Cloud storage. I very rarely come close to filling my 16GB iPad to capacity.

iPods:
I anticipate fairly minimal changes again to the iPod line this year with the possible exception of the iPod Touch. We may see the re-introduction of a camera into the iPod Nano, but no Wi-Fi given the small form factor. I think this will be the year the iPod touch will finally get bumped to 64GB and the Classic iPod will disappear, especially given the emphasis on the Cloud and a $25 subscription to iTunes Match. The iPod Touch will likely see improvements to the screen and camera this year and I will even go out on a limb and say this may be the year we see the option for a an a la carte 3G data plan (similar to the plans offered on the iPad) for the iPod Touch. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if the iPod touch kept with a slower processor and data capabilities to keep overall cost down.

Macs:
This will be an evolutionary year for Macs. We will continue to see the development of the Thunderbolt. There will be the obligatory upgrades across the Mac line with faster processors, graphics cards and a push towards SSDs. I would hope to see Apple make the move to USB 3.0 this year. The major change to the Mac line will be that the 15” MacBook Pro will take on the Air form factor but the 17” will remain for those who refuse to give up the additional peripheral support. The Mac Pro will see a major update in specifications, but I’m afraid it will likely be the last. We may continue to see some increases in overall screen resolution, but I doubt we’ll see any true “retina display” yet in the Mac line due to cost.

Software:
I expect we’ll see updated iLife and iWork suites fairly early in 2012 with more emphasis on Cloud support and sharing. I do not expect an OS upgrade or even a preview in 2012. There will be a new version of iOS previewed and released later this year with continued emphasis on Siri and the cloud. I also expect to see across the line upgrades to Apple’s professional program similar to the changes made to Final Cut in 2011. I expect FaceTime will gain multi-party support and hopefully be updated to incorporate iMessages, IM and video rather than having separate applications across multiple devices. Apple will continue to push their respective App Stores as the distribution point for software.

TV
So far I think my predictions for 2012 have been fairly realistic. The mythical “Apple TV” is an area where I have the most skepticism and concern. I do think that Apple is planning on making its next major move into the area of video entertainment; I’m just not sure whether the time is right to do so in 2012. I also very concerned that this is the area where if not handled correctly, Apple could have its first major flop in many years.

While I think Apple will release an upgraded Apple TV, I’m not convinced that Apple wants its product in this market to be a $1000+ ultra high-end television. While I have no doubts that Apple could produce one heck of a television in terms of quality and experience, how many consumers would spend that kind of money on an all-in-one TV that Apple updates every couple of years with new features when we live in a world of $49 Roku boxes? Everyone I know already has a newish HD television in their living room with no plans to upgrade in the near future.

I think the better move here is to stick with a sub-$200 box, preferably a sub $100 box that will work with all modern TVs currently on the market today and has all the functionality of a truly next-generation Apple TV packed inside. This does put Apple in a bit of a catch-22 here because everyone expecting a “true Apple TV” so anything less may be seen as a disappointment. For those ultra-high end consumers perhaps sell a separate display that incorporates with the next generation Apple TV for the ultimate Apple living room experience.

I had an opportunity to share these predictions along with Ken Ray of Mac OSKen and Victor Agreda, Jr., Editor-in-Chief of The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Episode 133 of the MacTech Live Podcast. You can find a direct link to the show here.

The session is on Friday, January 27th at 11:am as part of the Tech Talk series at Macworld. As of this writing, you can buy a $75 pass that will get you access to all the Tech Talks, but act fast because prices go up after December 5th.

In addition to the Mac Power Users Episode, David is also presenting a session called “40 Tips in 40 Minutes” with Merlin and Brett Terpstra where they will be rapid firing off as many tips as they can in the time provided.  This session is also part of the Tech Talk series so this one pass gets you access to both talks and more.

In addition to my presentations I’ll be around various booths and the show floor with more information to be announced as the time draws near. Attending Macworld is the highlight of my year and I always appreciate the opportunity to meet people in person, so please feel free to say hi.

Topics for the show included ten of my favorite iPhone Aps, reviews of LapLog, Plantronics Voyager Proand AppDelete Lite, surviving a major hardware failure and a special edition of Chit Chat Across the Pond where I talk with Bart Busschots about how Lion may be Apple’s plan to move us towards a ‘Star Trek’ vision of the future.

So, what changes with the show? David and I still maintain ownership and control, the concept and format remain the same. From a technical and logistical standpoint, 5by5 will take over some heavy lifting with hosting and distribution. If you’re a current subscriber, the transition should be seamless, the RSS feeds and iTunes feed will stay the same. The move to 5by5 also means that we have access to really smart people working behind the scenes to help as needed with the production and technical aspects of the show.

Moving to 5by5 also brings greater exposure to our show and David and I plan to rise to the occasion. We’re working to improve our audio quality, bring in new custom music and “5by5ize” our logo. We adore MPU logo designed by the talented Darren Rolfe and will forever be indebted to him for his hard work and for allowing us to take the logo with us to 5by5. The now “vintage logo” will still be available on gear from our Cafépress store for a couple more weeks. So if you want something, better get it while it’s available.

This is a wonderful opportunity for Mac Power Users and David and I would like to thank our listeners and sponsors for their support. When we started this podcast two and a half years ago we never would have imagined being where we are today. Every year Mac Power Users had grown bigger and better and we look forward to continued success on the 5by5 network.

For now, we’re keeping with our regular distribution schedule of the 2^nd and 4^th Sunday of the month. Look for our first show to release on the 5by5 network sometime this weekend.

Allison’s podcast is one of my favorites, even when I’m not a guest or hijacking the show. Be sure you add it to your playlist or better yet, subscribe!

Unfortunately, the video from the Mac Power Users Podcast David and I did was lost. I’m working on cleaning up the audio from the Mac Power Users session “Back to Backup” and it will be released as a regular podcast episode in the Mac Power Users feed next week.

You can also view a YouTube version of Macworld’s video. You can also download the show as a podcast from www.macroundtable.com or subscribe to the Mac Roundtable Podcast in iTunes.

I will be speaking Saturday, January 29th at 10:30 on the topic of Going Paperless. The session will talk about the techniques for using your Mac to move your way into more paperless life. Topics will include techniques for collecting years worth of paper data and inputting it into the computer, archiving and organization methods, workflows for handling all the paper that comes into your life, and using technology for generating less paper to begin with. We’ll discuss the various scanners and methods for inputting data, the software available for catalog and indexing the data and archive and storage. Once all the data is digitized we’ll also talk about making sure the data is secure, accessible and backed up.

The first couple of years I went to Macworld I only visited the show floor. I had a great time, but it was really only half the story. Last year I had an opportunity to attend the conference sessions and was blown away by the quality of the content. If you only attend the show floor, you’re not getting the full Macworld experience. Early Bird pricing is good until December 2nd.

I’ll update the blog with more information as it becomes available. For now, you can visit www.macworldexpo.com I hope to see you in January!

I’ve never been to Las Vegas before, much less to Blogworld so I’m not sure what to expect. More than anything I’m looking forward to catching up with some of my podcasting friends, seeing a few of the sights and hopefully learning a thing or two about the new media business. Because of the cost involved in just getting out to the show and accommodations I opted not to spring for any of the conference sessions. I may change my mind and pick up a pass when I get there. To be honest, this is more of a social event for me than anything else. It’s been a particularly stressful summer for me at the day job and I wouldn’t mind lounging in the lazy river at the Mandalay Bay for a while.

This trip marks another first for me in that it’s the first time I’m going out of town without my Mac. I’ve decided to go iPad only on this trip. It’s only four days so I figure I can manage it. If nothing else, David and I are going to make a Mac Power Users show out of the experience as he recently did a vacation iPad only.

Not sure yet what the plans are for any tweet-ups or events. I know a couple other Mac Podcasters will be attending as well. You can follow me on Twitter for more information. If you’re at the show and happen to see me, please come up and say hello!

Thanks, Chuck!

Allison’s podcast is one of my favorites, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, you should. In this episode I discuss the Hulu Plus service and the many uses for an Airport Express. We also have reviews of the Noterize notetaking app for the iPad, the the Square mobile credit card payment system, an alternative podcatcher app for the iPhone called Podfisher and the PLop boot manager for virtual machines. Here’s the direct link to the episode.

I’ll be talking about Backup and my segment will be on from 3pm – 4pm EST. The shows will also be edited down into one hour blocks and posted on the IMP podcast feed between now and Christmas.

If  you’re around, come join us on the live feed. You can find more information here: http://impodcast.tv/twelve/