MacRumors

Among Apple's early competitors in the tablet market, HP gained a significant amount of attention as it initially sought to build its niche around webOS, which it acquired along with Palm in early 2010. HP introduced its webOS-based TouchPad in early 2011, launching the device on July 1 of that year only to exit the tablet and smartphone business just six weeks later.

HP then successfully sold off its backlog of TouchPads at $99 fire sale prices, announcing that it would make webOS an open source project.

The Bangkok Post now reports that HP has decided to reenter the tablet market, this time taking advantage of Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 8 platform in a fresh attempt to make an impact in the rapidly-growing tablet market.

Restarting production is a strategic move aimed at capitalising on the extraordinary growth in tablet sales, chief executive Meg Whitman said yesterday at the Global Influencer Summit 2012. [...]

Todd Bradley, the executive vice-president for printing and personal systems, said HP's Windows 8 tablets will come equipped with cloud-based technology, enabling users to share and store content online between different devices.

Apple continues to dominate the tablet market two years after the debut of the original iPad, with its shipment share even rising to 68% in the first quarter of 2012 as early momentum from Amazon's Kindle Fire seems to have faded.

Google's Android operating system has had only limited success in the tablet market, led by Samsung's Galaxy Tab offerings, while Amazon's heavily-customized Kindle Fire implementation of Android has also attempted to stake a claim to the market. Other competitors have had less success, with webOS falling by the wayside almost before it got started.

Microsoft is the latest entrant into the tablet market since Apple reinvented the segment, banking on its Windows 8 products to bridge the gap between PCs and tablets. The company showed off Windows 8 last September and earlier this year revealed its plans for bringing Windows to ARM processors in a further effort to blur the lines between desktop and mobile. HP, the world's largest PC manufacturer, could play a key role in working to spread Windows to the tablet market, but it remains to be seen whether Microsoft will have success with its efforts.

Last week, we noted that several iOS developers were seeing their apps being rejected from the App Store for their inclusion of Dropbox integration that could allow users to sign up for Dropbox accounts and purchase extra Dropbox space. Dropbox moved quickly in attempting to roll out a new SDK to avoid the issue and noted that it was "working with Apple" on a solution, but developers continued to experience problems with their apps being rejected.

Dropbox has continued to tweak its SDK in order to fully comply with Apple's requirements, and while Apple has not officially given the latest SDK its blessing, it appears to be satisfying App Store reviewers.

So we didn't get an official verdict (imagine the worst game of telephone you've ever played), but we do have reason to believe that this build is more likely to get approved than the previous build I posted earlier. [...]

What has changed is if the Dropbox app is not installed, it opens a login view directly in your app rather than going to Safari, and there is no option to create an account.

Filip Radelic, the developer behind Cambox, quickly incorporated the new SDK into his app and submitted it to Apple yesterday. The app was quickly approved by Apple's reviewers and it is now available in the App Store.

Dropbox notes that the new SDK does not allow for account creation through the login webview if the Dropbox app is not installed on the user's device, but the company is hopeful that it will be able to add that feature as it continues to work with Apple to ensure the SDK's compliance.

As noted by Steven Troughton-Smith (via 9to5Mac), Apple appears to be testing a revised iCloud.com portal at beta.icloud.com that shows two additional icons for Notes and Reminders in the background of the login screen. The standard iCloud.com portal displays only icons for Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone, and iWork.

Attempts to log in through the beta portal are unsuccessful, and even access to the portal has become intermittent, with it occasionally showing broken images or simply redirecting to Apple's standard iCloud information page.

The development comes just days after Apple was observed testing notifications on the regular iCloud.com portal, suggesting that Apple may indeed be working on a significant enhancement to its iCloud services. More information may become available at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Update: Tom Klaver notes that the following text was included in one of the .js files used on the beta site:

To use http://beta.icloud.com, first sign in to iCloud with the iOS 6 Beta.

Update 2: A second portal at developer.icloud.com has also been active periodically, and SlideToLock has pulled out an iCloud developer icon from that background.

In line with its Creative Suite 6 announcement from earlier this week, Adobe today launched its Creative Cloud subscription service. As part of the Creative Cloud debut, Adobe has also publicly debuted Muse, a subscription-based website creation package that allow users to easily create websites without needing to know HTML. Muse has been in public beta since last August.

Adobe Creative Cloud Membership Delivers:

- Access to download and install all CS6 applications, new HTML5 desktop products – Adobe Muse and Adobe Edge preview – and integration with Adobe Touch Apps
- Easy storage and sharing of content across desktop, mobile devices and the cloud
- Integrated website publishing and hosting
- Ongoing innovation that provides members with the most up-to-date products and services

Individual pricing for Creative Cloud is set at $49.99 per month with an annual commitment or $74.99 on a month-to-month basis. Muse is included in that package, but is also available as a standalone subscription product priced at $14.99 per month with an annual commitment or $24.99 on a month-to-month basis.

Adobe's Creative Cloud launch has also seen several improvements to the company's suite of iOS applications, including the launch of two new iPad apps: Adobe Proto [App Store] and Adobe Collage [App Store]. Plans for the two apps were announced last October as part of Adobe's push into tablet apps.

Proto is a protoyping tool that allows users to create wireframes of websites and apps right on their iPads using touch gestures, while Collage is a mood board app allowing users to combine images, video, and text to help define creative concepts and share them with others. Adobe has also updated its existing Photoshop Touch [App Store] and Ideas [App Store].

All four iOS apps, which are priced at $9.99 each, integrate with the new Creative Cloud services, including the free level of support which offers 2 GB of cloud-based file storage to allow for syncing of documents across applications.

9to5Mac reports that Apple will moving away from Google Maps services in iOS 6, making the transition to an in-house mapping service that included 3D views. According to the report, Apple's prior acquisitions of mapping companies Placebase and Poly9 are ready to bear fruit, with last year's purchase of 3D mapping firm C3 Technologies rounding out the suite of services.

The most important aspect of the new Maps application is a powerful new 3D mode. The 3D mode does not come enabled by default, but users simply need to click a 3D button that is conveniently and visibly stored in the app. Perhaps under the fold like the current traffic, pin, and map view buttons. This 3D mode is said to essentially be technology straight from C3 Technologies: beautiful, realisitic graphics based on de-classified missile target algorithms.

Apple's in-house mapping services will otherwise be rather similar in appearance to the current Google Maps application, although Apple's implementation is said to be a "much cleaner, faster, and more reliable experience" and will include a new icon based on the same view of the company's Infinite Loop headquarters in Cupertino but with new colors and styling.

Apple has clearly been working for some time to reduce its reliance on Google by developing its own mapping services for iOS, as evidenced by its acquisitions of mapping expertise and job postings addressing its ambitions for mapping. The company has already moved location services in-house and revealed last year that it is building a crowd-sourced traffic database based on users' GPS data.

With the release of iPhoto for iOS back in early March, Apple took its first big step outside of the actual Google mapping services, taking advantage of OpenStreetMap and other services to generate its own map tiles for the application's Photo Journals feature.

Apple is expected to preview iOS 6 at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, with the operating system presumably making its public debut alongside new iPhone hardware later in the year.

Update: AllThingsD says that it has independently confirmed the claim.

We’ve independently confirmed that this is indeed the case. Sources describe the new Maps app as a forthcoming tent-pole feature of iOS that will, in the words of one, “blow your head off.” I’m not quite sure what that means, and the source in question declined to elaborate, but it’s likely a reference to the photorealistic 3-D mapping tech Apple acquired when it purchased C3 Technologies.

China Daily briefly notes (via How To Arena) that Foxconn chairman Terry Gou directly addressed the topic of Apple's rumored television set yesterday at a news conference in Shanghai marking the start of construction on a new company headquarters facility.

According to the report, Gou claimed that Foxconn is making preparations for Apple's television set, with its recent partnership with Sharp to push forward LCD display technology being one of those moves.

Gou said Foxconn is making preparations for iTV, Apple Inc's rumored upcoming high-definition television, although development or manufacturing has yet to begin.

iTV reportedly features an aluminum construction, Siri, and FaceTime video calling

Foxconn's recent 50-50 joint venture factory with Sharp in Japan is one of the preparations made for the new device, Gou added.

Rumors of an Apple television set have been picking up steam since Steve Jobs was quoted in his authorized biography as noting that he had "finally cracked" how to create "the simplest user interface you could imagine" for a television set, presumably referring to Siri voice control.

Update: Foxconn has issued a statement to The Next Web officially denying that Gou made any such comments.

In remarks at a media briefing during the groundbreaking of Foxconn’s new China headquarters in Shanghai on May 10, Terry Gou, Foxconn’s Chief Executive Officer, made it very clear that he would neither confirm nor speculate about Foxconn’s involvement in the production of any product for any customer because Foxconn’s policy is not to comment on any customers or their products.

At no time did he confirm that Foxconn was in development or manufacturing stages for any product for any of its customers. He did say that Foxconn is always prepared to meet the manufacturing needs of customers should they determine that they wish to work with Foxconn in the production of any of their products. Any reports that Foxconn confirmed that it is preparing to produce a specific product for any customer are not accurate.

Apple has released a new update for the generation 2 and 3 Apple TV models. The update allows movies and TV show previews from the iTunes Store to be viewed in HD and fixes a few other minor issues.

Apple TV Software Update 5.0.1

iTunes previews - Previews for movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store can now be viewed in HD.
AirPlay - Fixes an issue that caused some iOS apps to have trouble connecting via AirPlay.
Home Sharing - Improves the reliability of Home Sharing connections.
Netflix - Addresses an issue affecting Netflix login and navigation.
Stability and performance - Includes fixes for issues affecting stability and performance.

The update can be performed directly on the Apple TV by going to the Settings menu, then General, then selecting Update Software.

Apple is continuing the process of preparing OS X Lion for Macs offering ultra high-resolution "HiDPI" screens, upgrading several application icons to higher resolutions in yesterday's public release of OS X 10.7.4.

AppleInsider pointed to TextEdit as one example, with Apple having upgraded its icon's previous maximum size of 512x512 under OS X 10.7.3 to 1024x1024 in OS X 10.7.4. But the larger image 1024x1024 is also listed as measuring at 512x512 points, indicating that it is indeed being targeted for screens measuring at double the resolution of current displays in each dimension.

Under OS X 10.7.3, the TextEdit icon file included four different image sizes: 16x16, 32x32, 128x128, and 512x512. With the move to OS X 10.7.4, the icon now comes in ten different sizes: 16x16, 32x32 HiDPI, 32x32, 64x64 HiDPI, 128x128, 256x256 HiDPI, 256x256, 512x512 HiDPI, 512x512, and 1024x1024 HiDPI.

TextEdit is not the only application to see an upgrade, however, as Automator has not only seen new HiDPI icons appear in OS X 10.7.4, but the icon itself has also undergone some tweaking. In OS X 10.7.4, the Automator robot has taken on a somewhat darker tone, with the glossiness being toned down and the previously silver arms, legs, and pipe now appearing black. The tweaked design had previously surfaced in developer previews of OS X Mountain Lion, but is now included in OS X Lion.

Like TextEdit, Automator has seen an increase in the number of image sizes included in the icon file, although to a smaller extent. Under OS X 10.7.3, the Automator icon included the same four basic sizes: 16x16, 32x32, 128x128, and 512x512. But under OS X 10.7.4, the new icon now comes in six different sizes: 16x16, 32x32, 128x128, 256x256, 512x512, and 1024x1024 HiDPI.

Retina-sized graphics have been appearing with increasing frequency in both OS X Lion and developer previews of OS X Mountain Lion. In line with those changes, Apple has been rumored to be launching a Retina display 15-inch MacBook Pro in the near future, with a 2880x1800 display measuring in at twice the resolution of the current 1440x900 display in each dimension.

As with the move to Retina displays on Apple's iOS devices, content would appear at the same physical size on these new displays as on current displays, but with much sharper image quality for applications bundling resources supporting the HiDPI mode. Even applications that do not immediately update their resources to HiDPI quality should see improvements in sharpness, as Apple will undoubtedly include the same font scaling improvements used in iOS to automatically scale up text in applications to HiDPI resolution.

(Thanks, Mario!)

iMore reports that Apple is "currently targeting" an October launch for a smaller iPad, with the device carrying a display of roughly 7 inches and being priced in the $200-$250 range.

According to our source, which has proven reliable in the past, the reason for such aggressive pricing is to do to the tablet market what Apple did to the MP3 market in 2004 with the expansion of the iPod product line -- leave absolutely no space for competitors.

Interestingly, the report's source claims that the 7-inch iPad will be "identical in every way" to the current iPad with the exception of the display size, apparently including a Retina display. That would give the smaller iPad a pixel density roughly identical to that of the iPhone 4S.

It remains unclear how Apple would be able to meet a $200-$250 price point for the smaller iPad given the apparent specs, although the device will reportedly come with only 8 GB of storage. Still Apple's current iPod touch starts at $199 and this smaller iPad will undoubtedly carry significantly higher component costs.

Reports of a smaller iPad have been circulating ever since the launch of the original iPad, enhanced in recent months by perceived competition from Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire. The sheer number of rumors suggest that Apple has at least been working on such a device, and reports of a planned launch for later this year have been increasing. Most observers have, however, believed that the device would carry a non-Retina display in order to allow Apple to meet lower pricing targets.

iMore has been rather accurate with its recent iOS device rumors, correctly pinpointing the third-generation iPad launch event date back in February and backing claims of LTE compatibility for the device ahead of its launch.

The site has since offered claims of a smaller dock connector for the next-generation iPhone, an idea which has been gaining traction with other rumors. The site has also issued claims of a fall (likely October) launch of an LTE iPhone anticipated to carry the same 3.5-inch display size seen in all iPhone models to date.

Last week, Network World shared a long-lost internal Apple video from 1984 featuring a brief cameo by Steve Jobs in the role of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Given the early 1980s production value and Apple's alternate universe take on its battle with IBM, the video naturally sparked an array of reactions from around the Apple community,

But now another internal Apple video from the same timeframe is gaining some renewed attention for its inclusion of Jobs in another cameo appearance. The video, entitled "Blue Busters", is a spoof of the movie "Ghostbuster" using a reworked version of the film's theme song. And while edited clips of the video including an appearance by Steve Wozniak have been floating around for some time, Network World earlier this week posted an uncut version of the video which includes Jobs' brief appearances.

Jobs' cameos appear at the 3:00 and 4:04 marks in the video, while Wozniak makes an appearance at 2:21.

Apple's "1944" and "Blue Busters" videos demonstrate the company's commitment to taking on IBM in the corporate world, an effort that saw Apple making forays into printers and other peripherals in an attempt to gain a foothold with businesses. But between expensive machines and a lack of software, Apple experienced only limited success despite some devoted fans of its innovations.

Reuters reports on comments from Foxconn chief Terry Gou, who claims that Apple and Foxconn will be splitting the initial costs to improve working conditions at Foxconn's facilities in China.

"We've discovered that this (improving factory conditions) is not a cost. It is a competitive strength," Gou told reporters on Thursday after the ground-breaking ceremony for a new China headquarters in Shanghai.

"I believe Apple sees this as a competitive strength along with us, and so we will split the initial costs."

It was unclear if the split would be 50/50 or in some other ratio.

Foxconn has raised wages several times over the past couple of years as it has faced scrutiny over the treatment of its employees. And following a series of audits, Foxconn and the Fair Labor Association reached an agreement in late March to reduce overtime while boosting compensation packages to compensate for the reduction in hours.

It is unclear how much the actions are costing Apple and Foxconn and how the costs are being split, but with Foxconn operating on a very slim profit margin it has limited ability to finance such improvements without raising costs for its customers or receiving direct support from Apple to assist with the changes.

Two months after the public release of Photoshop Lightroom 4, Adobe has now brought the software to the Mac App Store [Direct Link]. The release marks the most substantial Mac App Store release yet for Adobe, joining Photoshop Elements 10 Editor and Premiere Elements 10 Editor as well as the subscription-based Revel (formerly known as Carousel) in Apple's online marketplace for OS X software.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is priced at $149.99 in the Mac App Store, identical to Adobe's suggested pricing for the boxed version, although Adobe also offers a $79 boxed upgrade version for users of previous Lightroom versions. Adobe also offers the boxed Lightroom 4 at a discounted $99 when purchased with one of the company's new Creative Suite 6 bundles. Per its standard policy, Apple takes a 30% cut of purchases made through the Mac App Store.

The Creative Suite package has of course been one of the major software titles users have been looking for to come to the Mac App Store, with Microsoft Office being another popular software package high on users' wish lists. And while Adobe has not yet made the leap to offering any of the Creative Suite packages or even standalone applications from those bundles available through the Mac App Store, the addition of Lightroom is certainly a significant step for Adobe in the direction of offering higher-end titles through the marketplace.

Apple today released OS X 10.7.4, the fourth maintenance update to OS X Lion. The update is currently available via Software Update and should appear on Apple's download pages soon.

The 10.7.4 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:

- Resolve an issue where the “Reopen windows when logging back in” setting is always enabled
- Improve compatibility with certain British third-party USB keyboards
- Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to a server
- Improve the reliability of copying files to an SMB server

Detailed information is available in the full release notes. Notably, the update also includes a fix for the password security hole detailed earlier this week.

An issue existed in the handling of network account logins. The login process recorded sensitive information in the system log, where other users of the system could read it. The sensitive information may persist in saved logs after installation of this update. See http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4272 for more information about how to securely remove any remaining records. This issue only affects systems running OS X Lion v10.7.3 with users of Legacy File Vault and/or networked home directories.

Available versions include:

- OS X Lion Update 10.7.4 (Client) (692.68 MB)
- OS X Lion Update 10.7.4 (Client Combo) (1.4 GB)

- OS X Lion Update 10.7.4 (Server) Client (738.71 MB)
- OS X Lion Update 10.7.4 (Server) Combo (1.49 GB)
- Server Admin Tools 10.7.4 (212.4 MB)

Apple has also released Security Update 2012-002 to bring security fixes to users running systems with Mac OS X Snow Leopard:

- Security Update 2012-002 (Snow Leopard) (238.73 MB)
- Security Update 2012-001 Server (Snow Leopard) (258.11 MB)

Apple has separately pushed out a Safari 5.1.7 update containing several improvements including disabling out-of-date versions of Adobe Flash Player for security reasons.

Out-of-date versions of Adobe Flash Player do not include the latest security updates and will be disabled to help keep your Mac secure. If Safari 5.1.7 detects an out-of-date version of Flash Player on your system, you will see a dialog informing you that Flash Player has been disabled. The dialog provides the option to go directly to Adobe's website, where you can download and install an updated version of Flash Player.

Finally, Apple has also released Apple Remote Desktop 3.5.3 Client (3.80 MB) to address general compatibility issues.