MacRumors

Apple today was awarded U.S. Patent No. 8,633,916 (via AppleInsider), which describes a touchpad that utilizes force sensors and acuator feedback. The buttonless design uses an array of sensors and an actuator to mimic the function and tactile feedback of the current trackpad found in the company's MacBook product lines.

Currently, Apple's trackpad technology is based on an integrated button design. Surface touch sensors track the movement of fingers and a hinged button allows the trackpad to click when a user presses down on it. A switch located under the trackpad is actuated when a click pivots the trackpad downward on its rear hinge. The pivoting motion of this button makes it difficult to click near the rear edge of the trackpad and requires extra space within the chassis of the notebook.

In the newly awarded patent, which was filed in December 2009, Apple builds upon its current design by using a surface touch sensor and four corner force sensors to track finger movement and clicking input from the user. An actuator would be used to provide tactile feedback. Also similar to the current trackpad, a buttonless trackpad may have user-customizable settings that adjust the sensitivity levels for the click pressure or the tactile feedback.

In addition to processing touch sensor signals to determine the location of touch events, signals from the force sensors may be processed. A rectangular touch pad may have four corners. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners. When a user presses on the surface of the touch pad, the force sensors may pick up four corresponding independent force signals.

Tactile feedback may be provided using an actuator. The actuator may be controlled by actuator drive signals. As a user of an electronic device interacts with the touch pad, the user may make gestures and perform other touch-related tasks. When the user desires to select an on-screen object or perform other tasks of the type traditionally associated with button actuation events, the user may press downwards against the surface of the track pad. When sufficient force is detected, appropriate action may be taken and drive signals may be applied to the actuator. The actuator may impart movement to the touch pad.

Whether Apple chooses to incorporate this new trackpad technology or not is unknown, but a move to do so would make sense considering that Apple's multi-touch trackpad debuted with the MacBook Air in 2008, and has made its way to every MacBook since then. But given the fact that it has been over four years since the patent's filing, Apple may simply have abandoned the proposed design for unknown reasons.

Apple has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (via AppleInsider) detailing a "station tuning" function for a media player or mobile device that would curate a playlist filled with both audio and visual content based on a user's interests.

The patent, which was originally filed in 2008, details a system that would automatically pull from content streams such as radio broadcasts, television broadcasts, and onboard media to deliver a custom playlist, and would also factor in metadata and user patterns when selecting different types of content. The tuning function is similar to the Genius feature currently found in iTunes, but extends well beyond the selection of music and into a variety of content.

The media player may automatically tune to one of the sources based on user preferences or criteria to output the currently playing content. The media player may tune to a source or switch from one source to another source based a user's tastes for music, a give volume level, an aversion to talk radio, or other user preferences or criteria. The media player may also queue or schedule forthcoming content on a given source for playback to the user.

In terms of controlling the tuning function, the patent details a gesture controlled graphical user interface that resembles a radio tuner. The interface itself would allow for previews of stations, as well as the ability to search for specific content based on criteria and when to trigger the station tuning.

Factors such as the volume, color, hue, and saturation attributes of content may also be used to determine what to include next in a playlist, with the function also being able to determine and show relevant advertisements or whether to skip them altogether based on a user's listening patterns.

It is unknown when or even if Apple plans to integrate a station tuning function into an existing product, but such a feature would fit well into Apple's iTunes Radio. While Apple already includes a host of stations to choose from in iTunes Radio including a "Featured Stations" function, integrating station tuning with content beyond audio would be an appealing addition for the service.

Apple announced today that it has expanded availability of iBooks Textbooks and the iTunes U Course Manager to over 50 total countries, including new countries such as Brazil, Italy, Japan, Russia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Overall, Apple states that iBooks Textbooks are now available in 51 total countries, while the iTunes U Course Manager has expanded to include a total of 70 countries.

“The incredible content and tools available for iPad provide teachers with new ways to customize learning unlike ever before,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We can’t wait to see how teachers in even more countries will create their new lesson plans with interactive textbooks, apps and rich digital content.”

Apple originally announced iBooks Textbooks at an education-focused media event in 2012, as a part of a push into the education market.

Earlier today, Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 7.1 to developers, which included both bug fixes and a few new changes to the operating system. While iOS 7.1 beta 3 introduced several visual changes, iOS 7.1 beta 4 focused more heavily on behind-the-scenes improvements. There were, however, a few tweaks to further streamline the look of iOS 7, which are detailed below.

Slide to Unlock/Power Off: Most notably, the Slide to Unlock bar at the bottom of the phone is now more prominent, with a brighter, slower animation. The same brighter animation can be seen in the Slide to Power off bar when turning off the phone.

Contacts in Dialer: The option to add a contact when entering a phone number has been altered slightly and is now executed by tapping the + sign next to the phone number. Previously, there was a line that said "Add to Contacts."

Messages Scrolling: When scrolling through the Messages app in beta 4, it seems there is slightly more "bounce." This is in line with previous changes to Control Center, which introduced a bounce animation.

Siri: In the U.K., there is a new Siri voice on the iPad.

To check out previous changes introduced in iOS 7.1, make sure to take a look at our previous tidbits post on iOS 7.1 beta 3, which detailed a number of visual changes to the operating system.

It is unclear when Apple plans to release iOS 7.1 to the general public, but a report from December suggested it could see a lengthy beta testing period with a March launch. It is likely that Apple will continue making subtle changes to look and feel of iOS 7 in coming betas, which could result in a refined and polished version of the operating system when it is finally made available to the public.

iPad 2 sales have dropped significantly following the introduction of new iPad and iPad mini models back in October, according to the latest research from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. Both the mini and full-size iPad Air making significant percentage gains in Apple's iPad mix.

For the September quarter, the last quarter before the new iPads were released, CIRP said the iPad 2 accounted for some 22 percent of iPad sales. For the December quarter, the iPad 2 fell to only 5 percent of total iPad sales.

In the quarter, the iPad mini with Retina display remained supply constrained until at least mid-December -- the full size iPad accounted for 54 percent of sales, while the iPad mini accounted for 41 percent.

"Apple managed to shift significant sales to its higher-priced models," said Mike Levin, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "For the past year, the legacy iPad 2 grabbed from one-quarter to one-third of iPad sales. Along with the trend toward sale of models with larger storage capacities, Apple should see higher iPad average selling prices, with iPad 2 at only 5% of total sales and iPad mini sales split between the original model and the new iPad mini with Retina display."

The new iPad Air -- which was in strong supply for the quarter -- accounted for 41 percent of total iPad sales, significantly outselling the fourth-generation full-size iPad. Sales of the non-retina iPad mini outstripped its retina-equipped brethren, likely because of supply issues. On the U.S. Apple Online Store, the iPad mini with Retina display only began shipping within 24 hours at the end of December.

The shift of sales from the cheaper iPad 2 to the more expensive iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina is a good sign for Apple. The company has seen its iPad Average Selling Price consistently drop over the past three years.

Apple today released the fourth beta of iOS 7.1 to registered developers for testing purposes, following the release of the third iOS 7.1 beta at the beginning of this month. The update has a build number of 11D5134c and is available via an over-the-air update or through Apple’s developer center website.

The last version of iOS 7 available to the public, iOS 7.0.4, was released back in November. There are still several known issues for Apple's engineers to address, so iOS 7.1 will likely not be released to the public without at least one more round of beta testing.

Today's update also includes Xcode 5.1 Developer Preview 4 and a new version of the Apple TV beta software. Earlier today, it was rumored that Apple would soon be releasing the next beta of iOS 7.1.

While there were a wide array of UI tweaks in Beta 3, it appears that Beta 4 focuses much more on behind-the-scenes changes. The only UI change our readers have been able to find so far is a modest tweak to the Slide to Unlock animation to make it "shinier".

Apple may be close to releasing iOS 7.1 beta 4 to developers, according to a report by BGR. The new beta is reportedly in the hands of testing partners and is slated to be released to developers as soon as tomorrow. The beta will be the fourth of a reported six planned developer builds for iOS 7.1.

We are told there are various fixes in this latest version, including fixing keyboard issues, problems with the contacts app, more changes to the phone UI, and other changes. We have heard from sources that with iOS 7.1, Apple is working very hard to address some large memory bugs and other issues in iOS 7 that have caused crashes and restarts for a lot of people. Additionally, iOS 7.1 should help unify iOS 7 better graphically, with various user interface updates across the entire system and in apps for a more cohesive feel.

BGR has a bit of a hit-or-miss track record when it comes to predicting iOS releases, but the timing for a new iOS 7 beta release makes sense. Apple tends to release new beta versions every few weeks, and tomorrow would be two weeks since the release of iOS 7.1 beta 3. It should be noted that the build number mentioned by BGR for the fourth beta, 11D5127c, is actually for the current iOS 7.1 beta 3. A possible typo, however, doesn't invalidate the entire rumor, and therefore it remains plausible that the beta 4 is still in the pipleline for a developer release tomorrow.

According to a report [Google Translate of cached version] from Korean publication Digital Daily that was published and then pulled (via G 4 Games), Apple has inked a deal with LG to provide flexible, plastic OLED displays for the company's iWatch product. LG is allegedly the sole supplier of the 1.52-inch panels for Apple's rumored smart watch device.

LG is said to be starting mass production of these flexible panels starting in July 2014 with an initial target volume of 2 million units, and Apple chose these panels because they are thin, light, and provide adequate brightness with minimal power consumption, insiders claim. LG introduced the display technology in early 2013 and incorporated the panel in its curved LG G Flex smartphone, which was unveiled in October of last year.

Besides a flexible display, other rumors have suggest the iWatch will be launched in the second half of 2014 with wireless charging as a possible feature. OLED has been a commonly rumored technology for the iWatch, but other sources have pointed to different display sizes for the device, including the possibility of separate sizes in the 1.3-inch and 1.6-inch ranges for men and women.

Apple is said to be continuing to work through issues with battery life, display technology, and manufacturing on the iWatch, with the device said to feature biosensors and mapping features and run a "full" version of iOS.

The reason for the removal of today's report about the claimed deal with LG is unclear, and with no rumor track record for Digital Daily it is difficult to assess the reliability of the claims.

Shipping estimates for new orders of stock configurations of the redesigned Mac Pro have now moved to March in many of Apple's online stores around the world.

The change in shipping estimates does not necessarily reflect a worsening supply situation given that estimates have been listed at "February" essentially since launch last month, but they do indicate that Apple is not making up significant ground as lead times appear to be remaining in the six-week range.

The new March shipping estimates are in effect for stock and build-to-order configurations throughout Apple's online stores for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC) operational regions. Estimates in Apple's stores for the Americas remain at February for the time being.

Update: As of January 21, Mac Pro shipping estimates in the United States, Mexico, and Canada have also slipped to March.

Previous rumors hinted that Samsung's next flagship device would leapfrog the iPhone 5s with new iris scanning technology, but that rumor may be inaccurate. A recent report from The Korea Herald claims the Korean handset maker instead is working on fingerprint sensor technology for its upcoming flagship Galaxy S5 phone.

"Among the different types of biometric sensors that Samsung is testing for its Galaxy S5, the tech giant will go for fingerprint authentication rather than unintuitive user experience of iris recognition," said an industry source who declined to be named.

"Who would want to put their handset up close to their eyes for authentication in places like movie theaters and bed, or even while they are driving?," the industry source added.

Samsung Vice President Lee Young-hee said in a recent Bloomberg interview that the company was looking into the possibility of using an iris scanner, but can't confirm that the technology would be incorporated into the Galaxy S5.

“Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology. We are studying the possibility but can’t really say whether we will have it or not on the S5.”

The Korea Herald report cites industry sources who claim the iris scanning technology would provide an unfamiliar and uncomfortable user experience. It also is technically challenging as it would require a long-range camera, in addition to a rear camera and a front-facing camera. The inclusion of three camera modules would force Samsung to redesign both the internal layout and form factor of its Galaxy S phones.

Apple has also been rumored to be working on iris scanning functionality, but industry insiders predict it will take several years before a single camera module will be able to serve dual functions as a front-facing camera and an iris scanner. In the interim, manufacturers like Samsung are expected to adopt display-wide fingerprint scanners that would unlock a phone by allowing a user to tap on the screen. Apple has revealed its own interest in such technology, including the ability to turn display areas corresponding to app icons such as those for banking or email apps into fingerprint sensors.

Apple will announce its quarterly earnings for fiscal Q1 2014 next week on January 27, 2014, and in advance of the earnings report both professional and amateur analysts are releasing their iPhone sales estimates for the holiday quarter. Apple had two new iPhones, the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c, in its product lineup during the quarter, and supply of the phones was fairly strong after some significant early shortages of the iPhone 5s.

As reported by Philip Elmer-Dewitt of Fortune, the iPhone sales consensus among 27 professionals and 17 amateurs is a record 55.3 million units, up 16% from fiscal Q1 2013 when Apple set its current record of 47.8 million units. The average sales estimate among amateurs was 57.1 million units, while professionals were slightly lower with 54.1 million.

Estimates for the quarter are relatively narrow, with only 9.7 million units separating the highest individual estimate of 59.73 million from Faizal Kara of the The Braeburn Group from the lowest estimate of 50 million by Ilari Scheinin, also of The Braeburn Group. This differs from last year when the gap between the highest and lowest estimates was 20 million.

Results for the iPad also are expected to be strong, as Apple introduced two new iPads early in the quarter and dropped the price on the original iPad mini. Early indicators from Black Friday and Christmas Day suggest sales of the iPad Air and iPad mini were robust. Sales of the Retina iPad mini likely trailed the other iPad models as supply was constrained for the first few weeks after the device's launch. Apple does not, however, break down sales by model in its official announcement, so there will not be any definitive information about which models were most popular among consumers.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated in a press conference that the company is now considering a "new business structure" that involves smart devices, reports Bloomberg.

The news comes as Nintendo reported a third consecutive annual loss, slashing the global sales forecast for its flagship Wii U game console from 9 million units to 2.8 million consoles. The company also scaled back its expectations for its 3DS portable game console from 18 million units to 13.5 million, with Iwata also claiming that there are no short term plans to reshuffle management.

"We are thinking about a new business structure," Iwata said at a press conference yesterday in Osaka, Japan. "Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It’s not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone."

Nintendo has faced fierce competition from mobile platforms in recent years, with App Annie recently finding that consumer spending on games for iOS and Android rose to 4x that of dedicated gaming handhelds. In 2010, Iwata reportedly told his senior executives to regard Apple and its devices as "the enemy of the future", and also stated to CVG last August that he would "never think about providing [Nintendo’s] precious resources for other platforms at all."

Investors have also called for Nintendo to develop titles for iOS and other platforms in August 2011 after lower-than-expected demand for the 3DS. Alternatively, some also suggested that Nintendo should "buy its way into" the smartphone platforms by acquiring companies and technology or developing their own. Iwata's newest comments reveal that Nintendo is now seriously considering supporting smartphones in some manner.

With Apple CEO Tim Cook suggesting that Apple will use its skills building software, hardware, and services to create "great products" in product categories that Apple does not currently participate in, the company is making a number of potentially significant hires related to the development of next-generation medical sensors.

According to a report from 9to5Mac, Apple has hired a pair of personal health sensor hardware experts in recent months.

Apple recently hired Nancy Dougherty as a hardware engineer, according to her LinkedIn page. Dougherty was previously a hardware developer at Sano Intelligence, a biosensor startup that was profiled by The New York Times back in 2012.

According to a Google cache of her LinkedIn page -- the current page reads slightly differently, with less detail about the projects she worked on -- Dougherty worked on a hardware product to monitor blood chemistry via a wearable device.

Hardware Lead
Sano Intelligence
November 2012 – December 2013 (1 year 2 months) San Francisco Bay Area

- Hardware Lead in a very early stage company designing a novel system to continuously monitor blood chemistry via microneedles in the interstitial fluid. Brought system from conception through development and board spins to a functioning wearable pilot device.
- Solely responsible for electrical design, testing, and bring-up as well as system integration; managing contractors for layout, assembly, and mechanical systems
- Building laboratory data collection systems and other required electrical and mechanical systems to support chemical development

Before working at Sano, Dougherty worked at Proteus Digital Health on a "Bluetooth-enabled electronic "Band-Aid" that monitors heart rate, respiration, motion, and temperature".

Separately, Apple hired Ravi Narasimhan away from Vital Connect, a biosensor technology firm where he was "responsible for biosensor technology and algorithms for remote physiological monitoring with wearable medical devices". His devices could process a number of functions including heart monitoring, respiration, fall detection, posture and activity. He has been prolific writer, with a number of papers published in technical journals and he is listed as an inventor in dozens of patents.

Both Dougherty and Narasimhan have electrical engineering degrees from Stanford. Last year, Apple made a number of other hires related to the health sensor field and 9to5Mac says both have joined the iWatch team.

Aside from the hires, 9to5Mac reports that Apple is actively investigating iris scanning technology and is looking at using other sensors already built into the iPhone, like the accelerometer and compass, to improve facial recognition. Apple increased the iPhone's security significantly with the addition of the Touch ID sensor in the iPhone 5s.