MacRumors

Following yesterday's introduction of a new entry-level fifth-generation iPod touch with 16 GB of storage and lacking a rear camera, Apple's retail stores began carrying the device today. Australian Ben Pasternak was one of the first to purchase the new iPod touch, and he has posted a brief video overview of it.

ipod_touch_5_16gb_side
While the body design is nearly identical to the existing fifth-generation iPod touch, merely lacking the rear camera and support for Apple's Loop wrist strap, the video provides a good look at the unique color scheme for the new model, which carries a black front and silver back.


The new 16 GB iPod touch is priced at $229, compared to $299/$399 for the 32/64 GB models. With the introduction of the 16 GB model, Apple has discontinued the fourth-generation iPod touch, which it had continued to offer at $199 (16 GB) and $249 (32 GB) alongside the fifth-generation models since their launch late last year.

Update: iLounge has also posted some photos of the new iPod touch.

Related Forum: iPod touch and iPod

Apple has raised the prices for the iPad, the iPad mini, and the iPod touch in its Japanese online store, Bloomberg reports.

Over the past several months, the Japanese yen has weakened in value, hitting ¥100.69 against the dollar earlier today, which is said to be the reason why Apple has increased its prices.

Previously, the entry level fourth generation iPad and iPad mini were priced at ¥42,800 and ¥28,800, respectively. As of today, the prices for the base products are ¥49,800 and ¥32,800. The increase is equivalent to approximately $40 for the iPad mini and $70 for the iPad, raising the price of the iPad mini to $324 and the price of the iPad to $492.87.

oldpricing

Old pricing

newpricing

New pricing

The iPod touch has also had its price increased, with the entry level 32GB 5th generation version now priced at ¥29,800, up from ¥24,800.

This is not the first time that Apple has raised the price of its products. In 2011, the company began charging more for all of its products in the UK in order to compensate for an increased VAT tax.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the comment thread has been moved to our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All MacRumors forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

siri_iconNuance has long been given credit for powering Siri's speech recognition capabilities, but neither the company nor Apple have ever confirmed the partnership, until today. Speaking at the D11: All Things Digital conference in Palos Verdes, California, Nuance CEO Paul Ricci admitted that Nuance technology powers Siri.

"We're a fundamental provider for Apple," he said.

Though Nuance did not previously admit to an Apple partnership, there have been numerous hints that all but confirmed Nuance's Siri role. Siri, which was acquired by Apple in 2010, was built using voice recognition technology from Nuance, and in 2011, pre-release iOS 5 screenshots revealed hidden Nuance preferences.

Besides powering Siri, Nuance has its own dictation and speech recognition software. It has also formed partnerships with several other companies and Siri competitors, such as Amazon's Evi, and released an API for developers.

Though Nuance is responsible for Siri’s voice recognition capabilities, Ricci did point out (via The Next Web) that other Siri abilities are the work of other companies. Siri integrates with many different services to provide query results, like Yelp, OpenTable and Wolfram Alpha.

Apple is expected to increase Siri integration across its products with both iOS 7 and OS X 10.9. Reports from earlier this year suggested that Apple was working closely with car makers to provide more comprehensive "Eyes-Free" in-car Siri integration and OS X 10.9 is rumored to include Siri support.

tweetbotTapbots has released an update for Tweetbot on the Mac, adding several features that were introduced with the April update to the iOS version of the app, including a new media view and support for cover photos.

The media view, which can be accessed at the top of the timeline by typing Command + F, provides an in-line view of photos have videos that have been tweeted, with the Tweets themselves serving as captions to offer context to the images.

Tweet details, which offers retweet and favorite counts, has been redesigned as well, and the app has also received several other bug fixes and minor improvements.

- New media timeline. Type command f and switch to the media view (next to the search box).
- New look for Tweet detail including retweet and favorite counts.
- Profile Cover Image support.
- Double clicking titlebar above a profile view will scroll profile back to top. Double clicking again will scroll their timeline/mentions/faves to the top.
- Fixed issues with unread items obscuring notification/error messages and attached post windows.
- Fixed issue where you text was still editable after you’d sent a tweet.
- Various other bug fixes.

Tweetbot for Mac can be downloaded from the App Store for $19.99. [Direct Link]

NewImageOriginally announced in October 2011, Adobe has finally released its Adobe Kuler color theme generation app for iPhone.

The app was to be part of a new suite of mobile apps for Adobe, meant to enhance the desktop experience for desktop artists. Currently, only three of the six apps have been released, Photoshop Touch, Ideas, and Kuler.

Adobe® Kuler lets you capture color inspiration anywhere you find it. Capture colors from a mural, garden, or wherever you happen to be with a snap of your iPhone camera. Browse, create, and customize themes for your designs – all on your phone.

The color themes you create with the Kuler app can be synced to the Kuler website, an online community for color enthusiasts, for use with other Adobe applications such as Illustrator and Adobe Ideas.

Whether you’re a designer, artist, developer, hobbyist, craft maker, or just somebody who loves color, Kuler will transform your phone into the ultimate color inspiration tool.

Adobekuler
Adobe Kuler is a free download for the iPhone on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Last week, news leaked that Bioware and LucasArts' Star Wars RPG Knights of the Old Republic would be coming to the iPad, and as of today, the game is available for download from the App Store.

Originally released 10 years ago, KotOR is based on the Dungeons & Dragons d20 role-playing system, which has contributed to its popularity. In the game, players choose from three character classes, picking a Jedi subclass later in the game.

starwars1
Combat is round-based and characters can use Feats and Force powers to battle. Players can recruit two additional companions, who will participate in combat and unlock quest and dialog options in the game. KotOR features a light-and-dark alignment system that tracks both actions and dialog choices to determine the final outcome of the plot.

starwars2
IGN posted a review of the iPad game this morning, declaring the iPad's touch interface to be well designed, with the exception of movement, which requires guiding character movement with a finger on the screen.

The iPad's touch interface is largely an improvement over the original, save for a few reservations. First, the good: the pause-and-play combat works like a charm, letting you select your attacks and items quickly. It's pulled off beautifully.

Navigating the menus and sorting equipment is also made mostly better by the advent of touch controls, except for a few instances like the Powers menu in which the icons

If the new controls have one Achilles' Heel, though, it's in the movement. Running from place to place involves dragging and then holding a finger to guide your Jedi in the proper direction. This inevitably blocks a significant chunk of the screen with your hand, and worse yet, makes for awkward running in general.

Despite its minor control issues, IGN found the game to be a "must-play," rating it an 8.8 overall. Our sister site TouchArcade will also have a more extensive review of the gameplay available later today.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic can be downloaded from the App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]

Google's new subscription music service 'Google Play Music All Access', which launched earlier this month, will be landing on iOS in the next few weeks according to Google's Sundar Pichai.

According to Engadget, Pichai, speaking with Walt Mossberg today at D11, said the service was to be "universally accessible" and that "when there's a mass of users, we invest in more platforms."

Googleplay
He did not give any more details regarding availability. For users who start a free trial by June 30th, the service costs $7.99/month and will cost $9.99/month for users signing up after that. The service is designed to compete with Spotify, providing songs on demand that can be streamed to a computer or mobile device.

Alongside today's introduction of a new stripped-down 16 GB iPod touch, Apple has also reduced pricing for educational customers on its 13-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro. The prices have been cut by $100 for both the low-end and high-end stock configurations, bringing pricing down to $999 and $1299 respectively. The new prices on both models are $200 below Apple's standard retail pricing.

macbook_pro_13_edu_may13
Education pricing on the non-Retina 15-inch model remains unchanged at $1699, while the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro continues to start at $1399 for education customers. The discounted education pricing is available to employees of K-12 schools as well as faculty, staff, students, and parents of students at higher education institutions.

(Thanks, James!)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Following today's launch of a new stripped-down 16 GB fifth-generation iPod touch, The Loop reports Apple has disclosed that the company has reached a milestone for the device with over 100 million units sold since its launch in 2007.

In addition to launching a new model of its iPod touch on Thursday, Apple told me this morning that it has sold more than 100 million units of the iPod touch since its introduction.

The iPod touch was launched in 2007 and took the design of the iPhone, minus the calling ability. It has since become one of Apple’s most popular products.

ipod_touch_5_colors
Historically, Apple has not disclosed the number of iPod touch units it sells each quarter, generally announcing only that the device accounts for more than half of the company's total iPod sales. The company revealed in documents filed in its lawsuit against Samsung last year that it had sold 46.5 million iPod touch units in the United States alone, but firm numbers have otherwise been difficult to come by.

Related Forum: iPod touch and iPod

Earlier this week, the San Francisco Chronicle addressed some criticisms of Apple's proposed flagship store for the city's Union Square retail district, a store that would replace the current flagship a few blocks to the south. While the announcement of Apple's plans several weeks ago had been accompanied by glowing remarks from city politicians, critics have pointed to a long blank wall along Stockton Street and the removal of a popular fountain behind the store as significant issues for the plans.

apple_store_sf_union_square_large
The Chronicle now follows up on the situation, quoting San Francisco mayor Ed Lee as saying that he hadn't realized Apple's plans called for removal of the fountain and reporting that he would be taking another look to see if it could be kept.

"We weren't necessarily focused on that side," Lee said, referring to a plaza along Stockton Street where the fountain stands. "It wasn't part of our discussion." [...]

"I need to take a look and visualize" how the fountain would or would not complement Apple's proposal for a raised narrow plaza between its store and the Grand Hyatt. The hotel tower was built in tandem with the plaza and the retail building in the early 1970s. "We have to see whether it might fit in."

Lee also addressed the issue of the 80 foot-long blank wall along Stockton Street, noting that city officials had raised objections to it during initial discussions and that Apple had been "very receptive" to those concerns. The city places distinct emphasis on activating the street-level experience in the pedestrian-oriented Union Square shopping district, and Apple's plans would create a significant gap in that experience.

The project still needs to proceed through reviews by the city's planning and historic preservation commissions, and it could see tweaks as a result of discussions with those groups. Apple has not commented further on the project, and the Grand Hyatt hotel that owns the property and fountain simply notes that "it's too premature" to address whether there may be changes to the proposal.

Apple today made a quiet update to its iPod touch lineup, launching a new 16 GB fifth-generation model without a rear camera for $229. The new iPod touch, which is only available with a black front and silver back, replaces the fourth-generation iPod touch that Apple had continued to offer since the introduction of new models late last year. The new model is available now in Apple's online store and should be available in the company's retail stores starting tomorrow.

ipod_touch_5_16gb
Apple introduced the redesigned fifth-generation iPod touch last September with the same 4-inch display seen on the iPhone 5 and a number of other enhancements. But with the new hardware pushing the entry-level price to $299 for a 32 GB model, Apple decided to continue offering the fourth-generation models at cheaper $199 (16 GB) and $249 (32 GB) price points.

Now, with production on the fifth-generation models having been underway for roughly eight months, Apple has found a way to shave costs through both natural component cost declines and the removal of several features to be able to offer a stripped-down fifth-generation model at pricing close to that previously offered for the fourth-generation models. Beyond the loss of a rear camera, the new entry-level iPod touch also omits Apple's "Loop" wrist strap introduced on the fifth-generation models last year.

Earlier this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted that Apple would discontinue the fourth-generation iPod touch in favor of a stripped-down fifth-generation model without a rear camera. Kuo had believed that Apple would introduce an 8 GB version of that device for $199, but Apple apparently decided that 16 GB of storage should be the minimum for the iPod touch lineup.

Related Forum: iPod touch and iPod

Apple today announced that it will once again hold its monthlong iTunes Festival in London this year, with 30 nights of concerts at The Roundhouse during the month of September. The full schedule of performances is yet to be announced, but Apple has revealed that the lineup will include Justin Timberlake, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jack Johnson and Jessie J.

“This year’s iTunes Festival is the best ever with an incredible lineup of global superstars and stellar emerging artists,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “Music fans around the world are going to love watching this incredible month of music, whether in London at the Roundhouse or on their iOS device. We’re honored so many renowned artists are part of this year’s lineup.”

itunes_festival_2013_banner
Free tickets for the concerts are available through iTunes in a lottery system, with media partners in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Japan and Mexico also giving away tickets as part of promotional competitions. The concerts will also be broadcast via iOS app, iTunes on the computer, and Apple TV.

Apple also typically releases a series of live EPs from each year's shows through the iTunes Store.

Apple traditionally sponsored the iTunes Festival each July since its inception in 2007, but last year moved the festival to September and has opted to keep to that schedule for 2013. More details on the concert lineup and schedule will be released over the coming weeks and months.

The August Smart Lock is a new iPhone-compatible locking system that has been designed by Jason Johnson and Yves Béhar, who serves as Jawbone's Chief Creative Officer. Béhar, who has worked on products like the Jambox and the UP, has created a simple universal lock that is designed to connect to a smartphone using Bluetooth.

The lock itself is crafted of anodized aluminum and looks similar to a standard home lock. It comes with a number of faceplates and deadbolt adapters to fit the majority of the locks on the market, and it functions on four AA batteries. When battery life is low, the system will send out a notification.

augustsmartlock
Much like competing products Lockitron and Kevo, the August Smart Lock will be available without subscription fees. It will also function with an accompanying app, which can be programmed to allow entry to friends and family. The system monitors guests that enter and it can be customized with specific timers. TechCrunch has some additional information:

In addition to the ability to turn on and off access to the home through an app, users will be able to send invitations to friends or family that have been connected on Facebook or in their mobile contact list. Johnson gave the example of a dinner party, where visitors could be invited and let themselves in without having to ring the doorbell.

The August smart lock is powered by Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology, which will enable it to work without connecting to a WiFi network. The team claims that it's the smallest electronic door lock on the market, and they say that it only takes 10 minutes to install.

There are no specific details on when the August Smart Lock will launch, but the reservation website says that it will go on sale later in the year with an expected ship date of November or December. The lock will cost $199, with no additional fees.

AmdlogoApple has hired at least a dozen former AMD graphics engineers for its Orlando offices in recent months, according to a MacRumors review of employees' LinkedIn profiles.

The majority of hires, which include a graphics architect, hardware engineer and others, occurred in January of this year.

AMD laid off a number of employees last year in a corporate reorganization, and fired more in January. It seems likely that Apple hired a number of the laid off Orlando AMD engineers for a new team it's building in the region.

The company has also posted new job listings for Site Managers to head GPU teams in both Orlando and Cupertino.

These hires and new listings are in addition to job listings posted last month for chip engineers for its Orlando Design Center.

Site Manager

Job Number: 27994768 - Orlando, Florida, United States

Job Summary

Manager will be responsible for leading the Orlando GPU team to deliver high quality IP to specification and on schedule.

Key Qualifications

- 10+ years proven experience leading high performance GFX (or equivalent complexity) IP development teams
- 5+ years proven experience building/hiring medium/large (30+) complex ASIC IP development teams
- Excellent personnel management, mentoring, team building and hiring abilities
- Proven ability to manage parallel project efforts including effective resource/schedule planning & tracking
- Excellent written/verbal communication and project management skills
- Experience with GFX Architecture/Design, GFX APIs and overall GFX development is a significant plus
- Ability to work well in a cross-site team and be productive under aggressive schedules

The new job listings ask for extensive experience in building and leading teams, including hiring, mentoring, and more. They also focus on intellectual property development as well. The listings in both Cupertino and Orlando are identical.

Apple's interest in GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit) and CPUs coincides with an effort to develop more of its technology in house. Apple is a licensee for ARM and Imagination Technology, which power the company's iPhones and iPads.

iphone_5_black_whiteApple is continuing to seek improved supply-chain risk management by shifting more of its manufacturing needs from its longtime partner Foxconn to Pegatron, notes The Wall Street Journal in a new report that suggests Pegatron will be responsible for the assembly of Apple's low cost iPhone.

Pegatron Corp., named after the flying horse Pegasus, will be the primary assembler of a low-cost iPhone expected to be offered later this year. Foxconn's smaller rival across town became a minor producer of iPhones in 2011 and began making iPad Mini tablet computers last year.

Pegatron's rise means an end to the monopoly that Foxconn Technology Group—the trade name for Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer—has held over the production of Apple's mobile products.

According to the report, the change is meant to help Apple expand its product lines and prevent supply chain disasters that could hold up the production of Apple's devices. At launch, the iPhone 5 was criticized for its tendency to scratch and scuff, which eventually led to increased quality control standards to reduce out-of-the-box issues.

Foxconn executives admitted last year that the iPhone 5 was difficult to assemble, and an April rumor suggested that Apple returned 5–8 million defective iPhone 5s to the company after continued issues with quality control.

Foxconn, in its growing heft as the world's largest electronics contract company, was also getting more difficult for Apple to control, with incidents such as changing component sourcing without notifying Apple, people familiar with the matter said. At the same time, Foxconn became frustrated with the growing complexity of Apple products, such as the iPhone 5, which is difficult to make in the volumes Apple needed.

In addition to cutting down on the risk of production issues, Pegatron is also said to have accepted less profit in order to secure orders from Apple. Tim Cook, too, is said to be responsible for the change, as he is more interested in diversification than maintaining a strong relationship with Foxconn chairman Terry Gou.

Despite being a smaller manufacturing partner, Pegatron has a long history with Apple. The company was responsible for packaging Apple's first generation iBooks, and as noted above, began assembling a small number iPhones for Apple in 2011. Currently, Pegatron produces the lion's share of Apple's iPad minis.

Apple's low cost iPhone could bring in huge profits for the smaller supply partner, as it is said to be aimed at untapped emerging markets. Earlier this month, Pegatron announced that it would boost its workforce by 40%, fueling initial rumors that the company would produce the cheaper iPhone.

The low cost iPhone is expected to come with an unsubsidized price tag between $350-$400. Release dates for the device have been murky, with sources targeting both a late 2013 release and a 2014 release.

NewImageTwitter has updated its official iOS app, adding a streamlined posting process that previews tweets before they are published, as well as a wider timeline that makes better use of the iPhone's screen real estate.

On the official Twitter blog, the company boasts that photos can be tweeted in the new app in under six seconds.

Photos: When you add a photo to your Tweet, you’ll see a full preview of your photo, not just the cropped version. We’ve also redesigned the experience to make it easy to share a photo from your camera roll: simply click the photo icon on the bottom right corner of the Tweet box. With fewer steps needed to share photos, you can more easily share what’s going on in your life and quickly return to marveling over that gorgeous sunset.

Accounts: When you compose a Tweet, you’ll see your avatar and username, giving you a better sense of how your Tweet will actually appear. If you tweet from multiple accounts, it’s now easier to select the account you want to use by simply tapping on your avatar.

Twitter for iOS is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

At the All Things Digital D11 conference today Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mary Meeker published her 2013 Internet Trends report, a 117 slide presentation that covers a range of topics from Internet usage and traffic to mobile device growth trends.

Unsurprisingly, mobile adoption continues to grow. Both Apple and Samsung have experienced enormous smartphone market share unit growth over the past two years, with Apple going from 16% share in Q1 2010 to 22% share in Q4 2012 and Samsung growing from 4% to 29% during the same time period.

applesamsung
Tablet growth has exploded as well, outpacing even smartphone growth. When comparing the first 12 quarters after launch, iPad shipments ramped up three times more quickly than iPhone shipments.

tabletgrowth
In fact, tablet shipments surpassed both desktop PC and notebook shipments in the fourth quarter of 2012, less than three years after tablets surged in popularity. A similar report from IDC earlier this week confirms the rapid tablet growth, estimating that yearly tablet shipments will surpass notebook shipments by 2013 and the total PC market in 2015.

tabletshipments
Other highlights from the report include overall smartphone growth, which is up 28% year over year in the United States and 31% in China, and mobile internet traffic, which now accounts for 15% of total global internet traffic.

Apple today updated its iTunes Movie Trailers app to version 1.2.3, adding an option that allows mobile users to switch between HD and SD quality when watching a trailer on the iPhone or iPod touch with Retina display or on the iPad.

trailersredesign
The update adds improvements to video playback, decreasing the time that it takes for a trailer to begin playing. The new version of the app also allows for movie tickets to be purchased through the Fandango app.

- You can now choose HD or SD quality while viewing a trailer on iPhone and iPod touch with Retina display and iPad
- Video playback has been improved—it now takes less time for a trailer to start playing
- Movie tickets can be purchased using the Fandango app
- Additional improvements to performance and stability

iTunes Movie Trailers is a free universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]