From all of us here at iLounge, Happy New Year! We’ll be on a limited publication schedule through the second as we celebrate with our families and friends.
Our editors are anxious to bid farewell to 2011, which was a very mixed year with equal portions of major highs and lows. This year saw the launch of iterative but certainly improved new iPad and iPhone models, plus some huge, iCloud-heavy updates to both iOS and iTunes. On more personal notes, an iLounge editor celebrated the birth of a new child, and our site added the major new iLounge + Mac section to spotlight great Mac hardware, accessories, and software. But the year also included the untimely passing of Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, whose loss still weighs heavily on all of our minds, as well as further declines in the company’s iPod lineup. Thankfully, there are many silver linings to point to, such as continued strong iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales, and today’s unexpected announcement of Apple Senior Vice-President Jonathan Ive’s knighthood in recognition of his contributions to design.
We are excited for 2012, which will soon bring the largest iLounge Pavilion in the history of the International Consumer Electronics Show—now roughly half of an entire convention center hall in total space, devoted to iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Mac products—and of course many new product releases from Apple and its third-party developers. This should be a great year, and we can’t wait to share it with all of you!
Feel free to browse through our archives throughout the weekend, and be sure to join us for our upcoming live coverage of the 2012 International CES. Have a great New Year!