MacRumors

Four months ago, Apple pulled its products from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry, with sources indicating that Apple's design direction for its increasingly thin mobile products was incompatible with EPEAT's criteria for "disassemble-ability" and other factors. Just a week later, Apple responded to significant criticism of the move by placing "all eligible products" back on the registry and issuing a letter from senior vice president Bob Mansfield acknowledging that their removal was a "mistake" for the company.

With Apple's products back on the registry, some observers were surprised to note that Apple's new Retina MacBook Pro was included, given that it had been the subject of criticism for recyclability issues, with the strong glue used to affix the battery to the casing being of particular concern. It was quickly noted that manufacturers grade themselves against the EPEAT criteria, and thus some believed that EPEAT's review of the grading would ultimately result in the Retina MacBook Pro losing its status on the registry.

Last Friday, EPEAT issued a press release stating that it had performed verification studies on "ultrathin" laptops from four manufacturers, including Apple, and found that all of the tested models did indeed meet registry eligibility requirements. At the time, it was unclear which Apple models were included in the study, and we assumed that the ultrathin designation only addressed the MacBook Air, which has been deemed eligible for the past several generations.

Consequently, fresh verification of the MacBook Air was not necessarily a surprise, although EPEAT did find it necessary to both clarify the definition of "commonly available" tools for disassembly or upgrades and note that an expansion port such as Thunderbolt or USB is sufficient to contribute toward meeting the criteria of upgradeability.

iFixit's Kyle Wiens has, however, now confirmed to MacRumors that the EPEAT verification testing did indeed include the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which the group is classifying as an ultrathin notebook despite the fact that it is substantially thicker and more powerful than the MacBook Air. In an opinion piece published at Wired today, Wiens addresses the impact of the decision, calling the new clarification of the EPEAT standards "greenwashing":

Apple’s Retina MacBook Pro – the least repairable, least recyclable computer I have encountered in more than a decade of disassembling electronics – was just verified Gold, along with four other ultrabooks. This decision demonstrates that the EPEAT standard has been watered down to an alarming degree. [...]

At best, the interpretation of the EPEAT Gold standard is laughably out of touch. At worst, it means recyclers a decade from now may be faced with a mountain of electronic waste they cannot affordably recycle without custom disassembly fixtures and secret manufacturer information.

Wiens goes on to provide an overview of how development of EPEAT's standards is weighted toward computer industry companies and how this has watered down the environmental criteria for the products.

Unfortunately, getting highly specific language into a standard like EPEAT is challenging because manufacturers claim it limits future innovation. So when language does finally make it into the standard, it’s critical to rigorously enforce it.

Where language is ambiguous, decisions must consider the goals of the standard, or risk negating its purpose entirely. The updated definitions systematically weaken the 1680.1 standard.

Apple's design direction is clearly weighted toward building products that are as slim and light as possible, using custom and proprietary components to achieve its goals at the cost of upgradeability and repairability. For most consumers who never see fit to upgrade their computers, the tradeoff is an acceptable, or even desirable, one. But for those who seek to keep their computers running as long as possible before purchasing a new machine, and even for any users interested in end-of-life recyclability of their products, Apple's tactics are undoubtedly cause for concern.

As part of its report detailing part numbers for the "iPad mini", AppleInsider briefly mentions that Apple appears set to launch updated iMacs on October 24, the day after the company's rumored media event.

The person also added that Apple is rumored to begin selling new iMac desktops on Oct. 24, one day after the anticipated Oct. 23 event.

While there have been rumblings of an iMac update for some time, and earlier this week we shared a report claiming that the new models will be thinner than current ones, today's report appears to be the first to specifically claim that they will launch next week.

For those keeping track, Apple's plans for next week now appear to include the iPad mini, updated iMacs, a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, and updated Mac mini models.

Update 8:49 AM: 9to5Mac has now posted the four new iMac model numbers, which presumably correspond to two different standard configurations each of the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, although the report claims that at least some configurations may not ship until several weeks after their introduction. This would presumably refer to the 27-inch models, which have reportedly been suffering from lower yields on the display-glass lamination process and have been rumored to be seeing a later launch than their smaller counterparts.

AppleInsider has posted a list of 24 different model numbers said to be for Apple's "iPad mini" scheduled for introduction at a media event next Tuesday.

According to the list, the iPad will be available in four basic device variants that presumably correspond to different capacities: P101, P103, P105, and P107. The set of four variants suggests that Apple may be releasing the iPad mini with capacities ranging from 8 GB up to 64 GB.

Each of those four variants is available in three different flavors designated "GOOD", "BETTER", and "BEST" that are presumed to be related to connectivity options. Apple appears set to launch both Wi-Fi and cellular-capable models, with the three flavors suggesting that there may be multiple cellular-capable versions such as separate 3G and 4G LTE models. Alternatively, there may simply be two different LTE-capable versions in order to support the various carrier networks available around the world, although it is unclear why one such model would be designated "BETTER" and another "BEST".

Finally, each model and variant is available in "A" and "B" versions, which almost certainly refer to color options. Current iPad models are available with black and white front panels, but rumors and part leaks have suggested that Apple may be extending those color differences to the aluminum rear shell with anodization as on the iPhone 5.

Update 7:36 AM: An alternate theory on the various models suggests that the "Good, Better, Best" designations refer to three different capacities, which would be more in line with Apple's previous use of the terms. In this scenario, the P101/P103/P105/P107 would refer to four separate hardware models, which could include Wi-Fi only models and perhaps several different cellular-capable models. The A/B designations would continue to refer to two color options.

Update 7:59 AM: 9to5Mac has independently received the part numbers and believes that some of them refer to the rumored tweaked full-size iPad with Lightning connector.

In this scenario, 12 of the new model numbers represent the iPad mini in a combination of three capacities, two colors, and two connectivity variants (Wi-Fi and cellular). The remaining 12 model numbers would represent the tweaked full-size iPad with a similar matrix of configurations. In the United States where Apple sells both GSM and CDMA cellular models, the full product matrix could include 36 different iPads: 18 iPad mini models and 18 tweaked full-size iPad models.

Apple's new Lightning connector introduced on the iPhone 5 has generated a significant amount of interest, both from a usage standpoint as the company abandons its nearly decade-old 30-pin dock connector and from a technical perspective. On the technical side, the new Lightning connector uses adaptive technology to enable it to perform a variety of functions with just eight contact pins, dynamically assigning pin functions to suit a given situation.

One other aspect of the Lightning connector that has generated interest is whether Apple has also incorporated some sort of authentication functionality into the handful of chips found inside the Lightning connector assembly in order to inhibit third parties from manufacturing unlicensed cables. Scattered reports have indeed indicated that Apple has included authentication features in its cables, but companies have reportedly already cracked the security feature.

Chipworks has now taken a closer look at the chips found inside the Lightning to USB cable, highlighting a Texas Instruments (TI) chip that seems "likely" to include a security feature. While the exact "BQ2025" chip used in the cable is not documented in TI datasheets, four other chips with very similar part numbers are documented.

These four chips are cataloged on TI’s website as battery fuel gauges, but they are not identical, with three of them being serial EPROMs and one of them being a battery monitor IC.

However, all four do have some common characteristics. All use a single wire SDQ interface (TI’s proprietary serial communications protocol), and all have some basic security features such as CRC [cyclic redundancy check] generation. So, it is certainly likely that the BQ2025 does have some security implemented on it. It would also seem likely that it includes an SDQ interface.

Further investigation of the layout of the chip is consistent with a communication chip employing some "simple security features", and Chipworks notes that this seems to be the first time the firm has found such security features in a cable. CRC does not, however, serve to authenticate connections and is instead primarily used to check for errors in data transmission.

The security does not come close to the herculean approaches that are used in (for example) today’s printer cartridges, but resembles the level of effort that cartridge manufacturers used to implement in the olden days. This is likely a calculated decision by Apple to keep costs to a minimum knowing that their core customer base prefers to shop in Apple stores or for brand name peripherals. In these places, piracy is not a concern. In other words, at this time the security is “just enough.”

Many users have been frustrated by Apple's tight control over the Lightning standard, a grip that has slowed accessory companies as they are still waiting to receive instructions from Apple and to have their facilities certified by Apple under the Made For iPad/iPhone/iPod (MFi) program. In the meantime, unauthorized third-party manufacturers are likely to begin filling the void.

Apple has hired William Stasior, a search veteran from Amazon and early search engine AltaVista, to run its Siri unit, according to a report from All Things D.

Stasior was previously in charge of Amazon's A9 unit, the company's worldwide search and search advertising division.

Stasior has an impressive pedigree (you can read his resume and see a really geeky binary image he posted of himself here). The MIT Ph.D. has taught here too and has done stints at Oracle, Netcentives and AltaVista. He came to Amazon in 2003 as its director of search and navigation.

He will now be in charge of Siri, which is Apple’s famous voice-activated personal-assistant program. The tech giant acquired Siri in April of 2010 to garner a big stake in voice-activated search.

Apple purchased Siri in April 2010 and launched Siri as a major component of iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S in October 2011. However, two major Siri executives -- Adam Cheyer and Dag Kittlaus have left the company in the past year.

The addition of Stasior, a search expert, to the Siri team could give a hint to where Apple plans to take the product in the future.

Apple Retail Store customers will soon be able to pay for product in-store using the new Passbook feature of iOS 6, according to a report from 9to5Mac. It appears to be an expansion of the self-checkout option that was added to the Apple Store app last year.

While Apple’s EasyPay software should be ready for Passbook this month, some sources noted that the current EasyPay hardware, at least at some retail stores, may not be capable of scanning iOS device displays. Presumably, Apple has a solution for this in the works.

Also, Apple’s plans for rolling out the consumer-facing Apple Store app update to support Passbook-based Apple Store cards is currently unclear. But with Apple preparing to seed software to its stores that interacts with Passbook on customer iPhones and iPod touches, we believe that the feature is close to being a rolled out.

It is likely, though not confirmed, that customers will now be able to pay for Macs and iPads in-store with their iTunes account payment information. This would be a change from the current system where users can only purchase select accessories using the EasyPay self-checkout system within the Apple Store app.

This past June, Apple reported having 400 million active accounts in iTunes with credit cards attached. It's easy to see how Passbook could be expanded from its current feature set to include payments to third party providers in competition with Square and other such services.

9to5Mac is reporting that Apple will announce a new version of the Mac Mini at next week's rumored media event, alongside the 13" Retina MacBook Pro and the iPad mini.

These new Mac minis are said to begin shipping immediately after announcement. Apple last redesigned the Mac mini with a unibody aluminum enclosure in 2010, and last updated the computer with faster processors last summer. These current Mac minis are on last-generation chipsets and lack USB 3.0, so we should be seeing those components updated in these new models.

According to the report, the Minis will come in similar configurations to current Mini models, two standard versions and a third setup that runs Mountain Lion Server.

The Mac Mini is overdue for an update; the last refresh occurred in July 2011, some 450 days ago.

With multiple reports now indicating that Apple will be introducing its 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro at next week's rumored media event, details on the machine are also beginning to leak out.

According to a forum thread [Google translation] posted to Chinese site WeiPhone.com last week, the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will indeed be launching late this month. The report claims that it will carry the same thermal design as the larger 15-inch model, but with only one contact pad indicating that it will not include a discrete graphics chip.

The source reports that the 13-inch model will include an "unprecedented" battery design and offer the same set of ports seen on the 15-inch model: MagSafe 2, a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a USB port, and a headphone jack on the left and a USB port, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader on the right.

The report's source has also added a pair of photos showing what is claimed to be the display of the 13-inch model wrapped in plastic atop the same part from the 15-inch model. It doesn't appear that part can be conclusively identified as for a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro given the poor quality of the photos and an inability to assess the thickness of the display assembly, but it does appear consistent with the 15-inch Retina display and lacks the "MacBook Pro" branding seen on the bezel of non-Retina models.

The forum poster does have at least some track record of obtaining photos of unreleased product parts, as he previously posted a photo of the current 15-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro's graphics chip and surrounding logic board components a day before the machine was announced.

Following yesterday's report from 9to5Mac stating that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro would be introduced alongside the "iPad mini" at Apple's media event all but confirmed for October 23, AllThingsD now weighs in with its own sources making similar claims.

The smaller iPad may be the star of Apple’s as of yet unannounced October 23rd invitation-only event, but it will have an impressive supporting cast.

Sources familiar with Apple’s plans tell AllThingsD that the company plans to unveil a smaller version of its MacBook Pro with Retina Display as well.

The report summarizes expectations for the new machine, which include a 2560x1600 display, same thin profile as the 15-inch model, and all-flash storage. Pricing remains unknown, but if the 15-inch model is any indication consumers can expect a significant price premium for the Retina 13-inch model compared to the thicker non-Retina models that will undoubtedly remain available.

AllThingsD has an excellent track record when it comes to rumors regarding Apple's media event plans, and thus it does indeed appear that Apple's media event will focus on several different products next week.

Amid reports of component yield issues holding back launch supplies of the "iPad mini" earlier this month, it was reported that AU Optronics, which had been slated to produce two million display panels during the third quarter, was experiencing issues that resulted in the company providing only 400,000 units over that time period. AU Optronics was said to be responsible for 40% of Apple's target of five million panels for the quarter, with LG Display responsible for the other 60%.

Just a week before Apple is expected to introduce the iPad mini, China Economic News Service now reports that AU Optronics has resolved its production issues and is making up for lost time by boosting its production from two million panels per month to three million at Apple's request.

AU Optronics Corp., a major maker of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel in Taiwan, has replaced old photo masks to overcome problems in production of display panels for Apple's new iPad mini, hence motivating Apple to increase order by 50%, according to insiders but not commented upon by AUO.

The new production target is said to be going into effect in "mid-October", although it is not entirely clear how quickly those additional panels will make their way through the supply chain and into finished products.

A launch date for the iPad mini is not yet known, but Apple's history of major iOS device launches suggests that availability could come approximately a week and a half after its October 23 introduction, with Friday, November 2 being a possible debut date. First-generation products have, however, in the past seen longer lead times than new versions of existing products.

Apple and Samsung have long had a complicated relationship, with the two companies locked in numerous court battles linked to their competition in the smartphone and tablet marketplaces even as Samsung serves as Apple's largest component supplier. As tensions have continued to ride high between the two companies, there have been signs that Apple has been trying to cut back on its reliance on Samsung for component production.

The Korea Times now takes a look at how the relationship between the two companies has evolved from a "love-hate" relationship to a "hate-hate" one. The report highlights Apple's move to cut Samsung out of the chip development process for the new A6 system-on-a-chip found in the iPhone 5, with Samsung simply serving as a foundry to manufacture the chip and no longer contributing its expertise to designing Apple's chips.

According to industry sources, Apple has not collaborated with Samsung in the process to develop its A6 microprocessor used in its latest iPhone 5. Samsung has handled the manufacturing of the processors used in previous iPhones and believed to have contributed in their design to some degree.

Apple is still relying on the Korean firm to manufacture its chips but has made it clear it will no longer use its rival's technology, according to a senior Samsung official.

"Samsung's agreement with Apple is limited to manufacturing the A6 processors. Apple did all the design and we are just producing the chips on a foundry basis," he said on the sidelines of a technology fair at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

With Apple having recently hired Samsung chip designer Jim Mergard and reportedly seeking to shift A-series chip production to TSMC, it seems that Apple is seeking to further distance itself from Samsung. It remains to be seen, however, just how cleanly Apple can sever its component relationships with Samsung, as the Korean company's technical and manufacturing expertise in some cases make it difficult to shift to other suppliers.

9to5Mac claims that Apple will debut the long-rumored 13" Retina MacBook Pro alongside the iPad Mini later this month.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be sold in two configurations, with differing processors and storage, and will be available for purchase soon after introduction. Like with the 15-inch MacBook Pro lines, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display will be sold (at a higher price) in addition to the current non-Retina display model.

The site typically sources this information from early part numbers, suggesting that two higher priced configurations have already appeared in Apple's systems.

The new models line up with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's predictions of a separate Retina display lineup that will sell alongside the existing MacBook Pro line.

Apple introduced the 15" Retina MacBook Pro in June, but retained the existing 15" MacBook Pro as well. Apple appears to be continuing this pattern by providing two 13" MacBook Pros -- one with a Retina display and one without.

The iPad mini event is reportedly scheduled for October 23rd.

Apple received significant criticism when it replaced Google Maps in iOS 6 with its own custom mapping solution. Google has since been said to be working on releasing its own standalone version to be released in the iOS App Store.

App Map [iTunes Link] developer Ben Guild has posted some early details and partial screenshots from Google's upcoming Maps application for iOS.

According to Guild, the standalone version of Google Maps for iOS is presently in alpha testing, but has some promising improvements over the old Google Maps. Guild reports that the new Google Maps is vector-based, has two-finger rotation to any angle, is "super fast" and supports the taller iPhone 5 screen.

The released partial screenshots aren't particularly revealing, but do seem to show that work is actively being done on the product. An early report claimed that Google may be targeting release by Christmas of this year. Meanwhile, Apple has been making improvements to its own Maps over time.

As was rumored last week, Japanese carrier Softbank is purchasing 70% of Sprint for $20 billion. The deal is expected to be announced tomorrow morning, but the boards of both companies have agreed to the transaction. Softbank will buy $8 billion in shares directly from Sprint, and another $12 billion from existing stockholders at $7.30 per share, a 27% premium from Friday's close.

The purchase is a huge one for Softbank, which is essentially making a $20 billion gamble that it success in developing LTE wireless services in its home market of Japan can be translated to the U.S. Sprint, while the third largest wireless provider in the U.S., significantly trails the two market leaders, Verizon and AT&T.

Softbank's hope, say people familiar with its strategy, is to build on Sprint's spectrum position, while hoping the company can further consolidate the wireless industry through acquisitions of more spectrum and other operators. The deal is expected to close in roughly six months.

This puts another major carrier in the United States in foreign hands. Verizon is 45% owned by UK carrier Vodafone, T-Mobile is owned by German-firm Deutsche Telekom, and Sprint will now be majority owned by Softbank. There are no details regarding Sprint's branding in the US, or if Softbank will begin promoting itself within the country.

Sprint became the third of the four major U.S. carriers to offer the iPhone upon the release of the iPhone 4S in October 2011, with company executives moving to "bet the company" on the iPhone in committing to purchase more than 30 million iPhones worth $20 billion over the first four years of the partnership. The move has impacted Sprint's financials over the short-term, but the carrier believes that the long-term effects of having the iPhone will be positive.

A forum thread [Google translation] posted to Chinese site WeiPhone.com earlier this month claims that Apple is planning to introduce its next iMac at a press conference either this month or next month, with the new iMac offering a redesigned body with a thinner profile. The report includes a photo of what is said to be the logic board and other internal components of the new iMac.

The authenticity of the photo can not be confirmed, but iFixit's Kyle Wiens tells us that it does appear to be plausible based on some similarities to current iMac components. One example is the silver disc located behind the main layer of components. This disc has been found in Apple's iMac models over the past several years, and it houses the Wi-Fi antenna directly behind the Apple logo on the rear of the iMac's body. The Apple logo is the only plastic portion of the iMac's otherwise aluminum rear shell, thus providing the best location for optimizing signal reception.

Other items of interest pointed out in the photo include the Bluetooth antenna (top edge), fans, and hard drive.

The redesigned iMac is said to be considerably thinner than the current form factor, with the machine's thickness almost impossible to gauge when viewed from the side. The curved rear shell is also said to appear more like a water droplet than the squared-off design seen in the current model.

The report also claims that the new iMac's screen is glued to the front glass of the machine, in line with previous rumors stating that Apple is moving to fully laminate the two components together for improved display quality.

Also in line with previous rumors, the report suggests that Apple may first update the 21.5-inch model with the new design, which is said to maintain the existing "chin" below the display even as the body is tweaked with a thinner profile. The updated 27-inch model could then follow somewhat later, as has been suggested due to the challenges of laminating the larger display and glass with acceptable yields. The new iMacs are also said to be more expensive than the current models, but it is unclear how significant any pricing changes would be.

Finally, the report claims that Apple is indeed working toward a release of a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. The notebook is said to already be in assembly in "Mexico and other places", with Chinese production coming later this month. The new 13-inch model is said to carry a code name of "D1", which fits with the "D2" code name that turned out to be the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

The report also seems to suggest that Apple will be tweaking the 15-inch model to address a few technical issues such as heat dissipation, but these changes will apparently be made behind the scenes and not be presented to consumers as an updated model.

Apple is reportedly set to hold a media event on October 23 to introduce the iPad mini, but it has been unclear if the company plans to introduce its new Mac products at the same event. If Apple does decide that its updated Macs are significant enough to warrant a presentation for the media, it will likely show them at the iPad mini event rather than trying to squeeze in yet another separate event.

(Thanks, Jun!)

MacRumors has received a pair of photos showing what is claimed to be the battery from Apple's forthcoming "iPad mini". The photos show a battery carrying a model number of A1445 and an Apple part number of 616-0641. The battery runs at 3.72 volts, offering 16.7 Whr of energy on 4490 mAh of charge.

While we can not confirm the authenticity of the part, the markings are consistent with those seen on batteries from other Apple products. The battery's proportions also seem to fit fairly well with what is expected for the iPad mini, although the exact dimensions of the part are unknown.

The 16.7 watt-hour capacity for the iPad mini battery unsurprisingly places the device between the iPhone 5 at 5.45 watt-hours and the third-generation full-size iPad at 42.5 watt-hours. Given that the iPad mini has been said to be based more on the iPad 2 and lack a Retina display, the iPad mini's battery may be more appropriately compared to the 25 watt-hour battery of the iPad 2.

The battery is clearly not yet an official part ready for shipping, as it contains placeholders for several portions of regulatory text and blank rectangular placeholders for a number of regulatory logos. It seems likely, however, that this is the final design simply awaiting final certification.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPad mini at a media event all but confirmed to be scheduled for October 23.

Apple yesterday expanded its iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program, significantly increasing the number of machines eligible under the program to include iMacs sold between October 2009 and July 2011 with 1 TB Seagate hard drives.

Apple has determined that certain Seagate 1TB hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail. These systems were sold between October 2009 and July 2011.

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will replace affected hard drives free of charge.

Apple launched the program in July 2011, but at that time it covered only those machines sold between May 2011 and July 2011. Apple has apparently now determined that the issue extends further back in time than previously thought, and has now included machines sold as far back as October 2009.

The original program was originally valid for one year, scheduled to expire July 23, 2012, but as that deadline passed the company extended the program for an additional year. With the program now covering a number of other machines, some of which were sold as much as three years ago, Apple has again updated the coverage terms.

The program covers affected iMacs for three years after the first retail sale of the unit or until April 12, 2013, whichever provides longer coverage for you. Apple will continue to evaluate service data and will provide further updates to this program as needed.

This is not the first time Apple has had issues with Seagate hard drives in its products, as the first several generations of the MacBook had the potential to experience data loss when the read/write heads on the Seagate drives failed prematurely, gouging the hard drive platter. Apple acknowledged the issue soon after it was first reported in late 2007, but waited over two years to launch a repair program to address the problem.