Edible Apple

The LA Times reports:

After months of rampant rumors and hype, Apple debuted its latest smartphone Wednesday in front of a packed house at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, claiming it is the world’s thinnest.

The iPhone 5 features a larger screen and weighs 112 grams, or about 4 ounces, which is 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S. It is also 18% thinner, Apple’s marketing chief Phil Schiller said. It has an improved A6 processor that is twice as fast as its predecessor, high-speed 4G LTE connectivity and a widescreen aspect ratio.

Apple has also improved the device’s battery life and updated both of its cameras, giving its front camera 720p HD video. The company also announced a smaller dock connector for the device and a new cable charger named Lightning that is 80% smaller than its predecessor.

Pricing is the same as it was for the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 3GS is being retired. Pre-orders start on the 14th and shipping begins on September 21.

Engadget

The Verge

GDGT

Ars Technica

Macworld

So believes 9to5Mac:

From high-level AppleCare employees, currently training for iTunes 11, we’ve heard the new digital player has been re-designed from the ground up and is much sleeker and faster. The upcoming update may also explain the wonkiness of the App Store over the past week or so.

We last heard reports of a major iTunes revamp back in June when Bloomberg noted that iTunes 11 will have tighter integration of iCloud to let users manage their media content files more seamlessly between different devices.

Another rumor is that the new iTunes will make it easier for users to share songs with friends to the extent that Apple has been “negotiating with major record labels for rights that would let a user listen to a song sent to them from a friend for free.”

Tighter integration with Facebook and Twitter has also been rumored.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently released a last-minute research note about Apple’s plans with the iPod Touch and let’s just say that Apple has some surprises in store for us.

Kuo’s track record is rather accurate so definitely keep that in mind when reading about some of the upgrades we may see announced later today.

Kuo writes that the new iPod Touch will, like the iPhone 5, have a larger 4-inch screen. In addition, the iPod Touch lineup will include a variety of colors for the first time.

– GPS: While the current iPod touch can in some cases determine fairly accurate location information based off of Wi-Fi access points, Kuo expects that the new iPod touch will incorporate built-in GPS in order to better capitalize on Apple’s new Maps app.

– Camera improvements: Kuo expects the iPod touch to adopt a FaceTime HD camera on the front, as well as a significantly upgraded 5-megapixel rear camera.

Hop on over to MacRumors for the full rundown of new features.

Remember those Samsung commercials that, we admit, hilariously poked fun at Apple enthusiasts waiting in line ahead of a new product launch? Well it looks like Samsung and their ad agency are up to their old tricks again.

Samsung isn’t about to let a significant court loss get in the way of poking fun at Apple fans. Samsung appears to be shooting another one of its commercials where Apple users are waiting in line for a device and Samsung owners wander by, showing off a Samsung product to surprised customers in the queue. We’ve received photos of a commercial shoot currently being set up in Los Angeles, and everything about it matches up with previous Samsung commercials. Samsung has once again set up a fake Apple store, replete with iOS devices, Macs, and even faked information signage. There are also cardboard cut-outs of smiling, fake Apple Geniuses wearing the exact same type of green shirt as in previous Samsung commercials…

via The Verge

Apple retail chief John Browett recently addressed Apple’s retail employees as part of Apple’s quarterly meeting for retail stores. As part of the speech, which 9to5Mac has in whole, Browett said how proud he was of the work Apple and its retail employees are doing while also dropping a few enticing tidbits about Apple’s upcoming product pipeline.

Q1 is going to be really fun and exciting; it’s going to be kind of crazy from time to time because we’ve got some brilliant stuff coming through. And, I wanted to thank you for you work in doing that really well.

There was a lot of hoopla a few weeks ago when the fourth beta of iOS 6 was released sans the standard YouTube app that has graced the iPhone homescreen since 2007. While many speculated that this was just further evidence that Apple was trying to stick it to Google, the reality was much more nuanced. Truth be told, Apple and Google’s contract vis a vis the YouTube app had expired and it’s very possible that Google itself wanted it off so that they could release a dedicated YouTube app independently and, more importantly, with advertisements.

We all know how Apple feels about ads and you might have noticed the conspicuous absence of mobile advertising on the YouTube app of yore.

Well, with the iPhone 5 release just a day away, Google just released their own YouTube app into the iTunes App Store. Currently, it’s optimized for the iPhone with a iPad optimized version scheduled to hit the app store soon.

Interestingly enough, the inclusion of advertisements will expand the number of videos available to consumers.

The USA Today writes:

The new YouTube app will create more moneymaking opportunities for Google and video producers because it allows advertising to be shown with the clips. That’s something Apple hasn’t allowed on the pre-installed YouTube app. The ban on ads prevented many music videos and other widely watched clips from being shown in the iOS app because some copyright owners don’t allow their content to be shown if there is no way for them to be paid.

Removing the advertising limitations will mean users of the new iOS app can watch YouTube videos that already have been available on smartphones and tablet computers running on Google’s Android software said, Francisco Varela, YouTube’s global director of platform partnerships.

In any event, the  app description reads in part:

Features:
✓ Enjoy YouTube’s vast video catalog, including official music videos
✓ Find videos and channels more easily with voice search and query autocomplete
✓ Subscribe to channels and instantly access your subscriptions with the channel guide UI
✓ Read comments, browse related videos, enable subtitles and more – all while watching
✓ Easy video sharing to Google+, E-mail, Facebook and Twitter

And one of the first reviews of the new app reads, “This app is an improvement over the previous built in version, feels quicker, better discovery, ability to watch in full screen mode or not and switch back and forth. One drawback is the introduction of pre-roll adds, but that is not surprising.”

So check it out. It’s a free download. The new icon is kinda blah, but what can ya do.

via iTunes

NBC News reports:

A small Florida publishing company says the million-record database of Apple gadget identifiers released last week by the hacker group Anonymous was stolen from its servers two weeks ago.  The admission, delivered by the company’s CEO exclusively to NBC News, contradicts Anonymous’ claim that the hacker group stole the data from an FBI agent’s laptop in March.

Paul DeHart, who is the CEO of the Blue Toad publishing company explained that technicians at his company took a look at the UDID data that was leaked and compared to their own database whereupon they found a 98% correlation between the data sets.

“That’s 100 percent confidence level, it’s our data,” DeHart said.

“As soon as we found out we were involved and victimized, we approached the appropriate law enforcement officials, and we began to take steps to come forward, clear the record and take responsibility for this.”

You might recall that the FBI issued a blanket denial of having the UDIDs in their possession in the first place while Apple denied ever giving them away to the FBI or any other entity for that matter.

The iPhone 5 unveiling is just two days away and to that end the WSJ recently reported that Apple’s next-gen smartphone will, as anticipated, be coming with 4G LTE support and will work globally.

Apple’s next iPhone will work on the fastest wireless networks around the world—including in the U.S., Europe and Asia—though it is unlikely to be available on every carrier, people familiar with the matter said

The technical compatibility with so-called LTE networks removes a competitive danger for Apple and gives carriers a chance to sell their fastest data services to Apple’s base of iPhone customers.

It remains unclear which carriers in which countries will be left out of the iPhone 5/4G loop, but Wednesday should provide us a clearer picture of what to expect.

The Journal relays a factoid from International Data Corp analyst who estimates that there are “36 LTE bands around the world, compared with 22 bands for the most popular version of 3G technology.”

While building a phone that supports multiple bands of LTE is possible, it presents a significant technical challenge to design chips needed to support all of the different bands.

“It’s like patchwork quilt in terms of spectrum,” said Bill Davidson, senior vice president of Qualcomm Inc., which designs LTE computer chips. “It will be impractical to have all of the bands.”

The iPhone 5 festivities will kick off in San Francisco this Wednesday at 10am Pacific Time.

Digitimes is reporting, based on their sources in Apple’s supply chain, that suppliers have started shipping an all new iMac along with a 13.3 inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display.

Rumors surrounding both products have been circulating with greater frequency over the past few weeks and the report claims that they will both launch in either September or October to “target back-to-school demand and the year-end holidays.”

As for the iMac, Apple originally planned to release three new models with upgraded panels and CPUs, but due to poor yields of the panels, the mass production of the high-end model, has been postponed, without any launch schedule. The other two models – targeting the mid-range and entry-level segments – saw shipment volumes from the supply chain increase in September.

Just a few days ago we also reported on how new iMac models recently began appearing in Geekbench bench marks. The rumored iMac, with the model noted as iMac13,2, reportedly sports quad core Intel i7 clocked at 3.5GHz.

Apple last refreshed its iMac line back in May 2011.

Bloomberg says the obvious when it says not to expect an Apple HDTV anytime in 2012 due to Apple’s difficulties in securing content and licensing deals with a host of cable providers.

Interestingly though, the report notes that engineers at Apple have been working on methods to “reinvent TV viewing” going as far back as 2005.

“Since the middle of the last decade, Apple’s engineers have been working on a more advanced product to allow viewers to quickly find shows and movies, blending both live and recorded material…,” the report notes. “It would recommend content based on interests and work seamlessly with Apple’s family of other devices. An iPhone or iPad would double as a remote control, the people said.”

Apple is vying with the likes of Google,  Microsoft  and Amazon.com Inc. to make TVs the digital hub of people’s lives in an industry projected to reach $200 billion worldwide by 2017. Whoever wins must first strike deals with media companies or cable providers who have little incentive to cede valuable revenue streams. The result: Apple won’t be releasing a new TV product this year, as analysts had predicted, said a person familiar with the company’s plans…

In recent negotiations, the main stumbling blocks with cable companies have included a tussle for control over the software that determines the screen interface — the look and feel of the viewer’s experience, said people familiar with the discussions. That’s also what TiVo has been offering for more than a decade with its hard drive-equipped set-top box that allows viewers to easily record broadcasts and, more recently, stream Internet fare. TiVo’s growth, though, has been stymied by fierce resistance from cable TV providers.

Another point of contention, the report notes, centers on rumors of an Apple set top box. Apparently there is an argument as to whether said box should be sold directly to consumers or leased to consumers via the cable providers.

Also of note is a quip from Steve Jobs that Apple’s foray into the TV market would not be disruptive unless they could also enable live broadcasting. In other words, a glorified Apple TV with enhanced on-demand style features just isn’t going to cut it.

Check out the full scoop on Apple’s HDTV plans over here.

Leaked photos of the iPhone 5, along with a number of corroborating reports, have all pointed to Apple’s next-gen smartphone having a smaller dock connector. The purpose behind Apple implementing a micro dock, so to speak, rather straight forward to the extent that it will give Apple more space inside the device for more important items like the battery – which will take on even greater importance given that the iPhone 5 will likely support 4G LTE.

So what about all of your accessories that were designed for the current iPhone dock connector? Well, don’t worry folks, Apple has your back – sort of.

According to iLounge, Apple will be the only company selling a Dock Connector Adapter for older accessories.

According to sources, the Dock Connector Adapters will sell for approximately $10 each or three for $29, with Apple-branded new USB cables selling for $19 each…

While leaks of the new connector have been numerous, Apple has remained mum on what developers are calling the “9-pin Connector,” even though sources claim that Apple has in recent months stopped approving third-party proposals for connector-equipped accessories. Some developers fear that Apple will corner the market for both the adapters and cables, much as it did with MagSafe connectors for MacBook laptops, using licensing agreements and threats of lawsuits to prevent less expensive third-party solutions from coming to market.

What’s more, one of iLounge’s sources notes that Apple, in doing so, will be able to generate revenue of up to $100 million for every 10 million new adapters it sells – which Apple estimates it will be able to do. $100 million is by no means a windfall for Apple in and of itself, but you don’t get to a point of having  Billions in the bank without taking advantage of every monetary opportunity.