Archive for the ‘Rumors’ category

iPhone 4.0 in June, “Grand Unifying” iPhone 4.1 in September?

March 9th, 2010

Following on Daring Fireball’s suggestion that iPhone 4.0 might bring the Calculator, Clock, Stocks, Weather, and Voice Memo to the iPad, The Loop Insight argues that it might just be iPhone 4.1 instead:

Phone OS 4.0 will include lots of new features, just like you would expect to see from Apple. However, It doesn’t make sense for Apple to unify the two operating systems for 4.0 with the timeline they are working with.

Rather, I expect Apple to release OS 4.1 in September or October. It will not only address issues with the 4.0 release, but also unify the operating systems.

iPhone 4.0 would presumably hit with the 4th generation iPhone (not to be confused with an iPhone 4G for LTE which is likely 2012). For the last two years, new iPhone software has been released as beta at SDK preview events in March while new iPhone hardware has been debuted at WWDC in June. New iPod touch hardware has followed in September, typically with updated software.

If Apple sticks to this pattern, the above does indeed make sense as getting as many users — iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch alike — on the same version of the OS is better for Apple, better for developers, and better for users.

For us, we’ll take it one step at a time and wait for that iPhone 4.0 sneak preview…

iPhone 4.0 in June, “Grand Unifying” iPhone 4.1 in September? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in 4th gen iphone, 4th gen ipod touch, Rumors, grand unification, ipad, iphone, iphone 4.0, iphone 4.1, ipod touch

O2 Posts Prices for… UK Video Calls for iPhone?!

March 7th, 2010

Before we once again get our Kevin Rose-colored glasses on and hope beyond hope this is a sign the 4th generation iPhone will support video calling and/or video iChat, we’re going to hunker down and go with O2 making a bit of a mess-up on their new iPhone plan web page (above).

It does say “UK video calls same as voice calls” but we’re just tired for being teased about front-facing cameras and SDK strings, you know?

Also, it’s important to remember that the carriers have no idea what Apple will release for the 4th generation iPhone anyway. Even if they had to test it for video conferencing, Apple would make them wait until they showed it off at a WWDC keynote or something similar because they wouldn’t want the carrier to leak the feature. Anyway, with our luck O2 will just be bringing an app see the video but not send any back… Sigh.

[O2 via FSM via Redmond Pie via 9to5Mac. Phew!]

O2 Posts Prices for… UK Video Calls for iPhone?! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in 02, 4th gen iphone, Rumors, ichat video, video call

UPDATED: Upgrade Pricing Finally Coming to App Store?

March 4th, 2010

itunes upgrade discount

UPDATE: Or not, as this dialog’s been around for a while as per 9to5Mac’s @llsethj. Sad now.

ORIGINAL: Developer Frasier Spears posted the above “curious” iTunes dialog to Twitter. It appeared when he hit “Update All”. We have no way of knowing exactly it means, but we’re hoping it means upgrade pricing is finally coming to the app store.

As background, one of the problems still facing developers has been the inability to offer paid upgrades. Either they had to give away new versions for free, or they had to create new apps with no way to discount the price to existing users.

That’s led some developers to slow down or stop making major improvements to their apps (since they can’t count on upgrade revenue), and it’s led to backlashes when releasing new versions as new apps.

In an ideal App Store, developers could choose to give existing users a discount when they upgraded.

UPDATED: Upgrade Pricing Finally Coming to App Store? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Apps, Development, Discounts, Rumors, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, state of the apps, upgrade pricing

iPad to Make Emergency Phone Calls?

March 3rd, 2010

iPad_emergency

9to5mac.com has just posted a interesting little iPad tidbit — it seems as if Apple’s latest creation has the ability to make emergency calls.

The image above is a screen shot taken from within the iPad SDK emulator. To get to the emergency call screen the developer simply enabled the passcode lock and entered in the wrong password five times.

So why would Apple include this within the iPad? Is it a FCC thing because the iPad is a wireless device on a cellular network? Perhaps it’s something left over from the iPhone and will be removed before launch? Our take is that if the iPad can make emergency calls, it can make regular calls and maybe not out of the box but with a little hackery.

Do you think it’s possible we will see some sort of call feature when the iPad drops at the end of this month?

[Via 9to5mac.com]

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Posted in Apple, News, Rumors, calls, emergency, ipad

Do You Want Apple to Stream Movies to Your iPhone, iPad From iTunes Cloud?

March 3rd, 2010

iphone_media-model

According to CNET on Gizmodo, Apple is once again rumored to be considering a streaming, cloud-based (iTunes.com?) movie service.

Apple has told the studios that under the plan, iTunes users will access video from various Internet-connected devices. Apple would of course prefer that users access video from the iPad, the company’s upcoming tablet computer, the sources said. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said Apple doesn’t comment on rumors or speculation.

Combine this with streaming music, and CNET’s sources claim Apple wants to eliminate the need for local storage (hard drives, but also the far smaller, more expensive NAND Flash drives on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad).

Studios haven’t signed on yet, however, since they’re worried they’ll be locked into Apple’s proprietary system. (Is that supposed to be funny, seeing how iTunes Music is now DRM-free and can play on anything, while Hollywood still insists on DRM and that’s what makes iTunes locked in?)

The CECE consortium, Disney’s KeyChest, and Google are all listed as competitors, but Apple’s iPad might give them the edge if it takes off with consumers — especially if it offers apps from “rivals” like Netflix, Hulu, etc.

In fact, that might just make Apple the best of all worlds. Now that would be funny, wouldn’t it Hollywood?

The important thing, however, is consumers. In the wake of Sidekick outages, Playstation Network outages, RIM BlackBerry outages — and of course MobileMe — are we ready to leave our media to the cloud?

Do You Want Apple to Stream Movies to Your iPhone, iPad From iTunes Cloud? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Rumors, big media, cloud services, iTunes, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, itunes.com, streaming movies

Rumor: iPad Training March 10, Commercial March 15, Release March 26?

March 3rd, 2010

The Examiner is claiming Apple will be training Apple Retail Store staff on the iPad starting March 10 followed by TV commercials to air starting March 15 (focusing on iBooks), and will likely be made available for sale March 26. (With overnight campers being rewarded with a “special gift”).

The sources are said to be “insiders” and a SoCal Apple Store Manager who wishes (obviously) to remain anonymous.

9to5Mac thinks the commercial might be the top secret little number shot back in August.

Sound reasonable? Anyone breaking out the camping gear? (Or are you watching, waiting, and considering gen 2 instead )

(And is this more reason than ever to get in on TiPb’s countdown to iPad give-away?)

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Posted in Apple Retail Store, Rumors, ipad, release date

UPDATED: Manufacturing Problems to Lead to Constrained iPad Supplies, Launch Delay?

March 1st, 2010

UPDATE 2: Apple confirms the late March ship-stimate to Wired [via @arsinfiniteloop].

UPDATE 1: Seth Weintraub at 9to5Mac puts up a thoughtful reminder about the nature of analyst notes:

If [analysts] do produce something publicly, that means one of two things: (1) Their clients have had the information for weeks and have had time to invest accordingly. (2)They are trying to artificially change the price of Apple’s stock because they have previously told their clients to invest based on the good/bad news that they are about to relay.

ORIGINAL: Digital Daily is reporting that, according to Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek, Apple might be facing manufacturing problems that will lead to constrained supplies of the iPad, or even a delay in its launch:

“We have … heard that the upcoming iPad launch may be somewhat limited as a manufacturing bottleneck has impacted production of Apple’s newest device. An unspecified production problem at the iPad’s manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision, will likely limit the launch region to the US and the number of units available to roughly 300K in the month of March, far lower than the company’s initial estimate of 1,000K units. The delay in production ramp will likely impact Apple’s April unit estimate of 800K as well. It is also possible that, given the limited number of units available in March, the launch will be delayed for a month.”

Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook runs Apple’s supply chain with more precision than an aluminum unibody chassis, however, so would a problem this large really be allowed to happen? DIgital Daily claims it’s a “big if” as to whether or not Misek is correct. Best case he isn’t. Worst case, despite Apple’s still current claim of the iPad shipping in late March, we may only see it in April.

Does this affect your odds of buying one either way?

UPDATED: Manufacturing Problems to Lead to Constrained iPad Supplies, Launch Delay? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Rumors, analyst vs magic 8 ball, delay, ipad

Regarding Apple A4 Using iPhone 3GS Cortex A8 Processor

March 1st, 2010

The interwebs are once again lit up with speculation about the iPad’s new Apple A4 chipset, this time because Ars Technica is saying that instead of the next-generation multicore ARM Cortex A9 unveiled at CES 2010, the iPad is using a variation of the last-generation AR Cortex A8 that powers the 2009 iPhone 3GS.

This is based on 1) Apple being secretive about the chipset and not bragging like other companies would 2) “multiple sources who are certain for different reasons that this is indeed the case.”

First things first. Apple being secretive proves nothing. Apple is secretive about everything, and they’ve said before they don’t discuss chipsets because they don’t think it matters to consumer electronics users (and, hey, Apple is secretive). They didn’t talk at all about the iPhone 3GS chipset — all they said is it was twice as fast. We only know that it uses an ARM Cortex A8 because people bought it and tore it apart to find out.

As to the multiple sources, if one of the “different reasons” is direct knowledge of the chipset, then they could be exactly right. If not, then… eh, maybe, but we’re back to waiting for the iPad to ship and people to tear it down.

In the interest of being complete, however, Ars speculates that if the iPad is indeed running the Cortex A8, this might be what’s making it so fast:

it turns out that the the A4 is a 1GHz custom SoC with a single Cortex A8 core and a PowerVR SGX GPU. The fact that A4 uses a single A8 core hasn’t been made public, but I’ve heard from multiple sources who are certain for different reasons that this is indeed the case. (I wish I could be more specific, but I can’t.)

In all, the A4 is quite comparable to the other Cortex A8-based SoCs that are coming onto the market, except that the A4 has even less hardware. The iPad doesn’t have much in the way of I/O, so the A4 itself can do away with the I/O that it doesn’t need. In contrast, the typical Cortex A8-based SoC has more I/O hardware than a mobile phone can use, because you never know what customers will need which interface types.

Ars, like Venture Beat, also thinks Apple’s PA Semi team may not be involved in the iPad because they’re working on a variant for the 4th generation iPhone. Either way, they believe software will ultimately be more important than hardware — which is something Apple’s been saying for a while now.

So, do we care if the iPad has an ARM Cortex A8 rather than a Cortex A9? Do we want Apple pushing the hardware, or are we happy with them prioritizing software?

Regarding Apple A4 Using iPhone 3GS Cortex A8 Processor is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Rumors, apple a4, arm, arm cortex a8, arm cortex a9, chipsets, ipad

UPDATED: iPhone SDK 3.2 Shows iPad Camera (Again), Camera Flash and Zoom, Video Chat, Wallpaper Choices

February 24th, 2010

WhenWillApple has found an interesting screen in the just-released iPhone 3.2 SDK for the iPad — one that once again hints at camera functionality.

We don’t want to set anyone up for anticipointment, so we’re seriously not expecting any last minute camera additions before next months iPad launch, but the regular stream of rumors sure isn’t helping!

UPDATE 1: 9to5Mac has found settings for making a picture your Lock Screen background, Home Screen background, or both.

UPDATE 2: MacRumors has found references to camera flash and zoom in the strings, and shows those accept/decline video iChat we linked to previously.

So, did Apple once again intend to include a camera and pull it at the last minute? Could there be a surprise in March or will we have to wait until the 2nd gen iPad to see it again?

[Thanks Justin for the tip!]

UPDATED: iPhone SDK 3.2 Shows iPad Camera (Again), Camera Flash and Zoom, Video Chat, Wallpaper Choices is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Featured, Rumors, camera, ipad, iphone 3.2 sdk

Apple iPad to Be Sold in AT&T Stores?

February 16th, 2010

att_iPad

The Boy Genius has been hearing from his AT&T contacts that it is highly likely AT&T will be selling the 3G version of Apple’s iPad in their corporate stores across the country.

Don’t get too excited thinking AT&T will offer any sort of subsidy, however, because that is simply not in the cards. The rumored plan is that AT&T will be pushing prepaid data plans along with transforming some of the in-store netbook display sections into substantial iPad display areas.

Would you prefer to visit an AT&T location over an Apple store to pick up your very own iPad? Sound off in the comments!

[Via BGR]

Apple iPad to Be Sold in AT&T Stores? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in AT&T, Apple, News, Rumors, ipad, sales

Google Paying 100 Million a Year for iPhone Search?

February 12th, 2010

Silicon Alley Insider claims, according to a source, that Google pays Apple $100 million dollars a year to be the default search engine for the iPhone. Frenemies indeed:

For Apple, that’s not a lot of money. But, it’s enough that it doesn’t make sense for Apple to put considerable resources towards building its own Internet search engine. And, if Apple wanted more money or options, there’s Microsoft — with Bing and a big checkbook.

With Apple building a $2 billion dollar data center in North Carolina, and those rumors/manipulations about talks with Microsoft’s Bing, it might be less about the money (which Apple has in ginormous, Scrooge McDuck-sized piles) and about, well, what these things are usually about for Apple — control.

The iPhone’s share of mobile search is likely something Google wants to maintain and Microsoft more than likely would love to take over via default status. The oncoming iPad, depending on its level of mainstream adoption, could be a significant presence as well. And users who valued design and experience enough to get a premium device like the iPhone (or iPad in the future) could be lucrative targets for advertisers once they figure out their segmentation models.

We can’t dismiss Apple completely, however. They bought Quattro Wireless, a competitor to Google’s recent Admob acquisition, because Steve Jobs wanted to “provide a better user experience”, i.e. hedge Google and compete on his own terms. (Just like iWork does for Microsoft Office, MobileMe does for Exchange, Final Cut Pro does for Adobe Premiere, etc. etc.)

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Posted in Google, Rumors, ipad, iphone, search, search share

Microsoft’s Office Suite Coming to iPad?

February 12th, 2010

office_iPad

According to the gadget website T3, Microsoft Senior Product Manager Mike Tedesco recently let it be known that the Seattle based company is currently toying with the possibility of creating a version of their Office suite for Apple’s iPad.

“Yeah, it’s something that we’re looking at,” said Microsoft’s Mike Tedesco, who is the Senior Product Manager for WindowsBU. “Obviously the announcement (of the iPad) is really fresh and there’s nothing to announce or nothing that I can talk to you about today. We’ve had tablet technology forever and both Windows 7 and Windows Vista automatically detect that and you can be running your Office on there.”

This is great news as it is has the ability to attract a huge sector of business users to the iPad. Perhaps this is just a sign of things to come between Apple and Microsoft. We first heard the rumor of the two companies trying to oust Google by making Bing the default search engine on iPhone. Now we learn Microsoft is interested in Office on iPad and what’s next, Office on iPhone?

[Via MacRumors via T3]

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Posted in Microsoft, News, Rumors, Software, ipad, office, rumor

FT: Apple to Test $1 iTunes TV Downloads with iPad Launch?

February 11th, 2010

iphone_media-model

Financial Times is reporting that Apple might just be set to test drive $1 iTunes TV downloads as part of their iPad launch in March:

Some television networks agreed to the lower prices after months of negotiations, and having initially resisted Apple’s push. Media executives are under pressure from declining DVD sales and cut-rate rental services such as Redbox, that offer rental DVDs for $1.

Not all networks say they’ve been approached, and being networks some may still refuse, but if the test is successful they’d be complete idiots not to jump on board (which means, of course, some won’t).

Competing with “free as in pirated” is a tough model but Apple showed music how to do it with the $0.99 price point (while it lasted). Hopefully the networks pay attention. Selling iTunes TV for more than it costs on DVDs isn’t only consumer-hostile, it’s simply bad business.

[Financial Times via Macrumors]

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Posted in Rumors, big media, iTunes, ipad, iphone, price point, tv shows

Adobe Says 7 Million iPhone OS Users Tried to Download Flash — Would Hulu App Fix That?

February 10th, 2010

flash9-iphone-400x212

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that, according to Adobe 7 million iPhone and iPod touch users attempted to download Flash in December, well over the 3 million who tried back in June. We wonder how many of those were for Hulu, and whether rumors of a Hulu app for iPad would change them significantly?

Engadget feels that both Apple and Adobe’s competition (competing smartphone platforms that will soon include Flash 10.1, and competing video and rich-content delivery systems from HTML5 to Silverlight which now streams H.264 to the iPhone) are the only ones who will benefit.

We figure technology might as well, as Flash is forced to make less resource intensive, more security and privacy-friendly plugins and Apple and others are forced to make and push alternatives.

Case in point, Hulu. Techcrunch and 9to5mac hear a a Hulu app might still be in progress and set to launch in March in time for the iPad. Their videos are already H.264 so no conversion is required, but they make money off their advertising, which is entirely Flash-based now, and would need to either be replaced with HTML5 for a web app, or Cocoa touch for a native App Store app.

Either way, we’re still waiting..

Adobe Says 7 Million iPhone OS Users Tried to Download Flash — Would Hulu App Fix That? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in App Store Apps, Development, Hulu, News, Rumors, Web Apps, adobe, flash, ipad, iphone

Apple iPad A4 Chip Designed by PA Semi Team… or Not?

February 9th, 2010

Apple A4 chip

Venture Beat claims a “very trusted” source has informed them that Apple’s PA Semi team might not have been behind the new iPad’s Apple A4 chipset:

PA Semi didn’t do the A4. It was the existing VLSI team. Apple has made custom chips for years like the Northbridges for G4 and G5.

This information was appended to an article that focused on how great, and power-efficient, PA Semi’s chip design really was. So why wouldn’t Apple use them? Gizmodo speculates:

there likely isn’t a whole lot “custom” going in the A4’s actual design, which by all appearances is an ARM Cortex A9 wrapped up with a PowerVR graphics core and some other parts in a custom SoC. So, new question, if it’s true: What’s PA Semi, which Apple said would be working on chips for iPhones actually working on? A more customized chip would be interesting, since PA Semi’s true talent was in designing chips with ridiculous power efficiencies.

So, we won’t see PA Semi until… Apple A5?

Apple iPad A4 Chip Designed by PA Semi Team… or Not? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Rumors, apple a4, chipset, ipad, pa semi

Rumored 4th Gen Apple iPhone Parts Show Little Design Change

February 8th, 2010

4th_gen_iPhone_parts

Above is a image that is claimed to belong to the upcoming 4th generation iPhone, courtesy of iPhone repair Web site iResQ. As iResQ points out, there are a few interesting things that stand out in the photo.

“The LCD appears to be factory glued to the digitizer which is more similar to the first generation iPhones than the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The digitizer can be separated from the LCD on the 3G and 3GS models, which should be interesting to all, but for the repair folks like us–this means that the 4G screen repair price will be higher since both parts will have to be replaced at once.”
“The iPhone 4G front panel seems to be about 1/4″ longer than its predecessors.”
“There is an interesting reflective, mirror-like surface directly above the speaker. This is likely a spot for the proximity sensor. If that’s what is is, it’s in a different location than previous models.”

Here at TiPb we are hoping for something more drastic in terms of design changes but based on these latest images it’s hard to tell if the “A+” upgrade Steve Jobs promised will hold true. These images may turn out to be bogus or simply be scrapped before the final product is put together. We’ve seen it happen before with the matte backing.

We are willing to give Jobs the benefit of the doubt on his A+ upgrade for the time being, how about you?

One more image after the break!

[Via Apple Insider]

4th_gen_iPhone_parts

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About that “Apple Could Drop iPad Price” Story

February 8th, 2010

Steve Jobs with iPad on Chair

The Wall Street Journal today posted a comment from an analyst that Apple will remain “nimble” on iPad pricing and could lower it if demand is less than expected.

Um. Yeah. Okay. Did anyone, especially anyone who ever took Intro to Business 101, ever think anything different? Wait… Apple does.

They launched the iPhone 2G at a premium then cut the price, and then arranged carrier subsidies to further cut the end-user price to really drive demand. They don’t drop price to help low-performing products. They drop price to send good performers into the stratosphere. (And 9to5mac has already heard rumors of carrier-subsidized iPad’s in Europe — can we imagine $50 or $100).

Put the iPhone price drop curve next to the Apple TV price drop curve if you need any further convincing.

Kthxanalyzethis

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Posted in Rumors, carrier subsidies, ipad, price drop, subsidies

Steve Jobs Shows Up in Top Hat to Show off iPad to New York Media Bosses?

February 5th, 2010

superjobs

Silicon Alley Insider not only says Steve Jobs showed up to show off his new iPad in a secret set of meetings in New York with New York Times and Wall Street Journal bosses, but he topped it off by wearing a top hat. Yeabuwhat?!

More intriguing: Jobs showed up wearing “a very funny hat – a big top hat kind of thing,” said Daily Intel’s source. So apparently the obsessively secretive Apple chief was disguised as the Planter’s Peanut guy for his trip to Gotham, with his John Lennon spectacles replacing the Peanut’s usual monocle. We’re told, however, that Jobs was wearing no plutocratic hat or other headgear for his visit to the Times newsroom, which, given his already all-too-imperious image, is probably for the best.

Just. Wow.

More importantly, Jobs was apparently there to discuss adding magazines and newspapers to the new iBook service announced last week along with the iPad.

Ask and we shall receive?

[Thanks to The Reptile for the tip!]

Steve Jobs Shows Up in Top Hat to Show off iPad to New York Media Bosses? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Posted in Rumors, Steve Jobs, emagazines, enewspapers

Could Missing iPad Apps Reappear as Dashboard Widgets?

February 3rd, 2010

Are you checking out the iPad’s big, mostly empty Home Screen and wondering where the iPhone’s Weather, Stocks, Clock, and Calculator apps have all gone? Are they missing in action, simply unfinished for now, or like Kevin Fox of Fury.com seems to think, could Apple be planning on turning them into Dashboard-style Widgets?

Imagine that a five-finger pinch caused the screen to dim and a bevy of widgets flew in to the screen for quick consumption and calculation, and then were dismissed by another five-finger flick? With props to Entourage, ‘Is that something you might be interested in?’

It is, because we’d not only love to see full fledged widgets on iPad but on iPhone as well. But TiPb asks you this: would you actually prefer a Dashboard-style fly-in-fly-out set of widgets that live separately in their own screen mode, or would you prefer widgets that live on the Lock Screen, or stay put on the Home Screen alongside app icons, similar to how Android does it?

[Fury.com via Daring Fireball]

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Could Missing iPad Apps Reappear as Dashboard Widgets?

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Posted in Apple, News, Rumors, Widgets, ipad, widget

Rumor: Apple Also Developing Mac OS X-based, 15.4″ Tablet

February 2nd, 2010

Silly TiPb, we should have known the very moment after Apple introduced the iPhone OS-based iPad, rumors would be revisited that an Mac OS X-based, 15.4″ version was also being developed. Sure enough, here comes TechCrunch saying just that.

The info is based on a second hand source with main point corroboration from a second source (no names!)

If there is any truth to that, we could learn something as soon as Apple’s WWDC event this year, which will likely take place in June (just as it does every year). Apple typically uses the event to show off its new iPhone hardware, but it is first and foremost an event for Mac platform developers, and the past two years have seen OS X as a major component. This included two years ago when Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) made a surprise appearance and developers got a very early peek. There is already talk that WWDC 2010 could bring a similar peek at OS X 10.7. If there are some significant multi-touch components to OS X 10.7, you can expect the rumors to start flying about this new device that I’m talking about (or possibly touchscreen iMacs).

Yes, there have been rumors of touchscreen iMacs as well, which makes TiPb think maybe — just maybe — Apple is integrating multitouch screens into all their computers going forward, and the 15.4″ just represents the future of the MacBook Pro. iPad would then be a more literal bridge between iPhone and iMac — multitouch smartphone, appliance, and computer, one for consumers, one for pros.

No doubt Apple has — and has always had — any number of devices in their secret labs. When and if multitouch Macs see the light of day depends on when and if Apple and Steve Jobs think they can productize them.

Do you think Apple productize the multitouch Mac yet? Do you want them to?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Rumor: Apple Also Developing Mac OS X-based, 15.4″ Tablet

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Posted in Rumors, mac tablet

UPDATED: Apple iPad Frame has Space for Missing Front-Facing Camera?

February 2nd, 2010

According to Mission Repair, Apple’s iPad has a space for an iSight webcam/camera inside the device. Based on parts seemingly obtained through unofficial channels, the frame appears to have a very similar area to the MacBook’s existing iSight webcam enclosure.

If true, this is almost the exact same situation that occurred with the iPod touch G3, which was widely rumored to be getting a camera, ended up being introduced without one, and was torn-down after release to show the area where a camera was ready to go.

In that case, it was said Apple wasn’t pleased with the quality of the cameras they’d received, and so pulled them at the last minute. Could they have received a second bum batch for the iPad? Could they have tested out the awkward camera angle enforced by holding an iPad flat on the lap and decided no one needed to see the undersides of their chine? Seriously, people, we’re running out of ideas as to why there aren’t any cameras on these devices. Let us know what you think!

UPDATED: Did the demo iPad shown off by Steve Jobs have that missing iSight camera? Florian sent us a link to screen shots from the keynote that show… something. Check it out after the break…

[Mission Repair via MacRumors]

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UPDATED: Apple iPad Frame has Space for Missing Front-Facing Camera?

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Posted in Rumors, camera, ipad, isight, webcam

Apple Adds Official YouTube Channel with iPad Video, is @Apple Twitter Next?

February 1st, 2010

9to5mac is reporting that not only did Apple go an add a new, official YouTube channel — currently stocked with iPad video and Keynote — but http://twitter.com/apple has suddenly been vacated…

Could @apple finally be “getting” social networking? Will we one day be able to “friend” Steve Jobs? Do we want to?

Official Apple YouTube iPad video after the break!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple Adds Official YouTube Channel with iPad Video, is @Apple Twitter Next?

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Posted in Apple, News, Rumors, YouTube, official accounts, twitter

UPDATED: iPad Displaying Adobe Flash in Apple Publicity Videos? Wait, What?

January 29th, 2010

NYTimes-ipad-flash

UPDATE: 9to5mac followed up and found out they were hi-res mockup/optimized pages used for the promotional material. Likely NO Flash.

TiPb assumed, for reasons we’ve written about ad nauseum infinitum, that there was no way Apple’s new iPad would include Adobe’s Flash plugin, yet 9to5mac has been analyzing the publicity videos and claims in them Flash there be:

In Apple’s official video the iPad, they show the New York Times being used. Looks pretty nice right? Well, unless the Times has a special iPad version of the site that converts Flash into jpegs or something, THE IPAD HAS FLASH. Normally, we’d say that Apple simply did the renders in the Mac version of Safari and just CG’ed it into the video. However, you can see the page rendering and being resolution independent as well, so it is likely being done on an iPad.

Of course, during Steve Jobs’ on-stage demo, we saw no sign of Flash, only the now famous/infamous blue lego-brick of plugin fail. And Adobe doesn’t seem to know anything about it, given the little barb the Flash team posted the other day:

It looks like Apple is continuing to impose restrictions on their devices that limit both content publishers and consumers. Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple’s DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers. And without Flash support, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70% of games and 75% of video on the web.

We’ll get to that scary ePub news in another post, and schedule our tears right behind those we’re saving for the “iPad/iPhone don’t run ActiveX” charges inevitably to follow, but for right now–

What’s going on here? Internally Apple has Flash running in the lab and it crept into the demo? “One more thing” scheduled for pre-launch hype? Is the NYT doing dynamic for-iPad/iPhone Flash to H.264 or JPG conversion? Did some eager video maker make a colossal mistake? WHAT?!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

UPDATED: iPad Displaying Adobe Flash in Apple Publicity Videos? Wait, What?

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Posted in Rumors, flash, ipad

Did the iPad Look Unfinished Because Apple is Hiding iPhone 4.0 Features?

January 28th, 2010

iphone_40

TiPb mentioned this a couple times in passing — that the iPad perhaps didn’t show things like multitasking and better notifications because it’s running iPhone 3.2 and those will be iPhone 4.0 features, likely only to debut in March — but now Boy Genius seems to think (hope?) this is a real possibility as well.

It would certainly fit with Apple’s hyper-secretive modus operandi, and if you remember back to 2007, the original iPhone received additional features (a glass screen, YouTube app) before it shipped. Granted, there’s only 2-3 months here and not 6, but would it surprise anyone to see the iPad ship with 3.2, only for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad to all see 4.0 beta in March, and general release in June/July?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Did the iPad Look Unfinished Because Apple is Hiding iPhone 4.0 Features?

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Posted in Editorial, Rumors, ipad, iphone 4.0, secrets

No iPhone at Apple iPad Event. Start Rumors for iPhone 4.0, Verizon in March?

January 27th, 2010

iphone40

Though we heard persistent rumors that the iPhone would tag along for the iPad ride, neither iPhone 3.2, iPhone 4.0, or anything concerning an iPhone on Verizon were mention during the “Come see our latest creation” event.

Which, we guess, stands to reason if Apple wanted to shine the HUGE spotlight on what they hope will be their 4th business — the tablet.

It does make us wonder, however, if we’ll be seeing Apple’s traditional (for the last two years at least) iPhone 4.0 Sneak Peak event in March?

Is that why we didn’t see any multitasking or notifications during the iPad demo? No word on… Verizon? Let the rumors commence!

(What, you thought you’d get a break?)

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

No iPhone at Apple iPad Event. Start Rumors for iPhone 4.0, Verizon in March?