MacRumors

In addition to its report today about a potential 14-inch MacBook Air, DigiTimes also claims that Apple is expected to launch its thinner MacBook Pro models perhaps as soon as April. The report is a bit inconsistent in describing the timing, initially stating that the debut would be in April "at the soonest" while later simply mentioning that they are expected in April.

The report specifies that the redesigned models will include 13-inch and 15-inch models, but there is no word on the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Previous reports have indicated that the redesigned 17-inch model could appear slightly later than the smaller models, similar to Apple's rollout of the unibody MacBook Pro in late 2008 and early 2009.

Apple is expected to launch new MacBook Pro notebooks with an even thinner and lighter design than existing models in April, at the soonest. [...]

Apple is expected to launch upgraded 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros in April with initial shipments estimated to reach 900,000 units.

The report also addresses claims of delays in mass availability of Intel's Ivy Bridge chips, suggesting that Apple could gain an advantage over its competitors looking to release ultrabooks, as Intel's ultra-low voltage chips destined for those machines may not arrive until June.

Chip availability for revamped MacBook Pro models is a bit uncertain, as Intel has not specifically addressed the timeline for quad-core mobile processors such as those found in the current 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro. Dual-core processors such as those found in the smaller 13-inch MacBook Pro do seem to have been pushed back a bit, although it is possible that Apple could squeeze a quad-core Ivy Bridge chip into the 13-inch MacBook Pro as Intel is releasing a chip with a somewhat lower 35-watt thermal design requirement.

Even with potential delays in mass availability of new chips, Apple has on occasion received preferential treatment from Intel, a relationship that could give Apple greater access to limited initial supplies of new Ivy Bridge chips.

Apple's stock has hit yet another psychological milestone today, pressing through to reach $500 billion in market capitalization. Apple passed the milestone in after-hours trading yesterday, but has just now passed it in regular trading as the trading day opens.

At the end of January, we noted that Apple had seen a remarkable 50-point gain during the first month of 2012 that saw the company's stock price increase by nearly 13%.

Amazingly enough, Apple's stock growth has only accelerated in February as anticipation for the iPad 3 and optimism over the company's continued strong financial performance has attracted investors. As Apple hits the $500 billion market cap milestone and is currently sitting at over $507 billion, it is now up over 34% in the first two months of 2012.

DigiTimes reports that Apple is considering launching a 14-inch MacBook Air model, a move that would appear to be targeting Asian markets where the size is popular with consumers.

Apple is reportedly considering launching a 14-inch MacBook Air and may start mass production in the near future to fully enter the Asia PC market, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

Currently, 14-inch panels are the mainstream specification of the Asia notebook market, while consumers in Western countries prefer 15-inch models. In the global market, 14-inch models have an about 20-25% market share, but in Asia, the market share is about 35-40%, an indication of Asia consumers' fondness for 14-inch models, the sources noted.

Apple first launched the MacBook Air in a single 13-inch size, adding an 11-inch size as part of a revamp in late 2010. Apple has also been said to be bringing a MacBook Air-like form factor to its MacBook Pro line, although it is unclear whether the company plans to unify its notebooks under a single line or maintain separate Air and Pro categories.

DigiTimes has an uneven track record when it comes to rumors, but the site has on occasion offered accurate information and so is followed fairly closely for its claims.

Earlier this month, privacy issues related to the uploading of users' address books to developers' servers were cast into the limelight as Congress requested details from Apple on how private information is handled and protected. While Apple quickly responded to note that it would be addressing the issue by requiring explicit permission to be granted by users for apps to access their address book data, it has been a relatively open secret for some time that developers can gain access to a broad array of what might be considered private information, including photos, calendars, and other content.

The New York Times today is taking a closer look at the topic of photos and videos, noting how easy it is for developers to quietly gain access to such content when given permission to collect location information.

After a user allows an application on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to have access to location information, the app can copy the user’s entire photo library, without any further notification or warning, according to app developers.

It is unclear whether any apps in Apple’s App Store are actually doing this. Apple says it screens all apps submitted to the store, and presumably it would not authorize an app that clearly copied a person’s photos without good reason. But copying address book data was also against Apple’s rules, and the company let through a number of popular apps that did so.

The New York Times tested this behavior by commissioning an iOS developer to write a simple test application dubbed "PhotoSpy" that demonstrates how a simple pop-up requesting permission to access location information can actually lead to broad access to all photos and videos in a user's photo library on the device.

When the “PhotoSpy” app was started up, it asked for access to location data. Once this was granted, it began siphoning photos and their location data to a remote server. (The app was not submitted to the App Store.)

Apple and other mobile app distributors recently signed on to a new agreement with the California Attorney General's office that will see the companies making it easier for users to examine privacy policies associated with apps before they download them. And with pressure mounting on Apple to take further steps to ensure that apps can access only information explicitly permitted by users, many are undoubtedly hoping that more changes are coming in the relatively near future.

Update: The Verge reports that "sources familiar with the situation" have indicated the photo and video access is a bug and that a fix is in the works.

We spoke to sources familiar with the situation, and were informed that a fix is most likely coming for the loophole. According to the people we talked to, Apple has been made aware of the issue and is likely planning a fix with an upcoming release of iOS. Those sources also confirmed that the ability to send your photos and videos to a third-party is an error, not an intended feature. If we had to guess, the fix will likely come alongside a patch for Apple's other recent security issue — the ability for apps to upload your address book information without warning.

In line with expectations, The Loop reports that Apple today sent out invitations for a media event scheduled for next week Wednesday, March 7. The event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern. The tagline on the invitation reads "We have something you really have to see. And touch."

Apple is of course expected to introduce the iPad 3 at the event, with an upgraded Apple TV set-top box also reportedly in the plans. Rumors have also suggested that Apple could show off a new high-definition audio format with "adaptive streaming" that could allow Apple's iCloud and iTunes Match services to send varying qualities of audio files to different devices depending on bandwidth and hardware requirements.

CNBC has just issued a Tweet claiming its sources have indicated that Apple will indeed be launching a quad-core iPad 3 next with 4G LTE cellular data capabilities next week. Interestingly, the tweet claims that the unveiling will take place in New York, a departure from the company's typical major announcements that have taken place either in San Francisco or at the company's headquarters in Cupertino. A full report from CNBC is presumably forthcoming.

Bloomberg issued a nearly identical report about the iPad 3 specs in mid-January, but the recent revelation of an A5X system-on-a-chip has led to questions about whether Apple will be utilizing a beefed-up version of its dual-core A5 chip found in the iPad 2 instead of a quad-core processor. Apple does appear to have been simultaneously working on A5X and A6 chips, so it is unclear exactly how and when Apple is planning on utilizing the two chips.

Update: The reliable Jim Dalrymple has Tweeted to say that CNBC is wrong about the event being held in New York.

Update 2: CNBC had posted a breaking news banner on its main homepage touting the information, but the banner has now been removed. CNBC's Tweet remains, however, and we are still awaiting its full report.

Update 3: Jon Fortt is currently on CNBC discussing the source's claim that New York is a "key location for an upcoming product launch" without specifically claiming that it will involve the iPad 3. He appears to be hedging significantly about whether New York will be THE location for the media event (as opposed to "a key location"), and is trying to avoid "conflating" what he is hearing about the media event with the iPad 3 specifically.

Update 4: CNBC continues to backtrack a bit with a pair of Tweets clarifying that there is an unspecified "Apple product launch slated for next week & key location will be NYC". The specific claim on LTE quad-core iPad 3 is now being tied back to iMore's report from two weeks ago.

9to5Mac reports that reliable source Mr. X has revealed part numbers for at least some models of the iPad 3 as well as an updated Apple TV set-top box.

According to the report, Apple is releasing three different variants of the new iPad, going by code names J1, J2, and J2a, with the presumption being that J1 corresponds to a Wi-Fi only model while the J2 variants correspond to models with cellular data capabilities. The part numbers also include reference to the J33 product that had previously been identified as a new Apple TV.

MD328LL/A – J1 GOOD B- USA
MD329LL/A – J1 BETTER B-USA
MD330LL/A – J1 BEST-B-USA

MD366LL/A – J2A GOOD A-USA
MD367LL/A – J2A BEST A-USA
MD368LL/A – J2A BEST A-USA

MD369LL/A – J2A GOOD B-USA
MD370LL/A – J2A BETTER B-USA
MD371LL/A – J2A BEST B-USA

MD199LL/A – J33 BEST -USA

The report indicates that iPad 3 shipments are indeed already making their way around the world in advance of the device's introduction, suggesting that customers should see availability come relatively quickly after the media event.

Speculation based on the part numbers suggest that the J1 variant (presumably the Wi-Fi only models) may come in only one color at launch. Part numbers are also showing a mystery "B82" product launching alongside the new iPads and Apple TV. It is unclear what that product is, but is likely to be a new accessory of some sort.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPad 3 at a media event rumored for March 7, while we have believed for some time that the upgraded iPad 3 would pave the way for an update to the Apple TV and higher-resolution iTunes Store content.

Update: Three more part numbers corresponding to the "J1" iPad 3 have been added:

MC705LL/A – J1 GOOD A-USA
MC706LL/A – J1 BETTER A-USA
MC707LL/A – J1 BEST A-USA

While comparison photos of the iPad 2 rear shell and a claimed iPad 3 rear shell have shown slightly increased thickness for the forthcoming model and reports have suggested that the difference is roughly 1 mm, no measurements had surfaced to quantify the exact difference in thickness between the two devices.

Apple.pro now points [Google translation] to a new photo showing both shells being measured with a digital caliper. According to the photo, the iPad 2 rear shell measures in at 8.69 mm thick while the iPad 3 part comes in at 9.50 mm, a difference of 0.81 mm.

Apple's official iPad 2 specs peg the device at 8.8 mm thick, just slightly thicker that the rear shell itself, which wraps around the sides of the device. Given a nearly identical design for the iPad 3, the overall device would measure in at roughly 9.6 mm, or about 9% thicker than the iPad 2 but still well below the 13.4 mm thickness of the original iPad. Sources who have handled the iPad 3 rear shell suggest that the difference from the iPad 2 will be nearly imperceptible to users.

The Guardian reports that Apple is currently working on a new audio format that could allow the company to offer "high definition" audio via iTunes. The format would also integrate an "adaptive streaming" component that would allow music being accessed from iCloud and iTunes Match by portable devices to be automatically adapted to fit bandwidth or storage constraints.

Apple is working on a new audio file format that will offer "adaptive streaming" to provide high- or low-quality files to users of its iCloud service. [...]

The new system would adjust itself to the bandwidth and storage available on the receiving device.

It is believed that Apple will use the new file type to upgrade its iTunes Match service, which allows users to re-download music from iCloud to their Apple devices.

According to the report's source, Apple has asked one London music studio to prepare audio files in the new format, which would allow Apple to instantly and automatically improve the quality of iTunes Match content. The source is unclear, however, on whether Apple would transcode the higher-quality files on the fly to match a given bandwidth/hardware setup or if it would simply maintain several versions of the track at different qualities and serve the most appropriate one for a given situation.

Given the timing of Apple's work, the source suggests that the company is likely preparing the new format for a demonstration at its iPad media event rumored for next Wednesday, March 7.

The new report comes less than a month after Neil Young revealed that he had worked with Steve Jobs on a high-definition music format for the iTunes Store but that "not much" had ended up happening with the effort. Apple has also recently begun a significant expansion of its Mastered for iTunes program. The initiative encourages recording professionals to utilize high-quality master recordings of songs and albums as the initial source material for iTunes Store submission, processing them using Apple's guidelines and tools to achieve file compression allowing for the highest-quality sound available.

Potentially signaling its belief that the launch of the iPad 3 is imminent, Best Buy is now offering $50 discounts across the entire line of iPad 2 models, with pricing now beginning at $449.99 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi model.

Furthermore, Engadget reports that Best Buy has begun updating its internal inventory management systems to reflect a "deleted" status for iPad 2 models.

Best Buy generally does not have advance notice of new Apple products, especially those that are anticipated to appear as part of a major media event. Consequently, Best Buy's moves should not be taken as specific indicators of an iPad 3 launch, although numerous sources have indicated that a debut is near, with March 7 rumored for the planned media event.

But Best Buy certainly appears to be adjusting its offerings to make way for the updated model, and the company is not alone in that regard. Grocery and retail store chain Meijer earlier this month offered the entry-level iPad for $429, a $70 discount from the regular retail prices. Meijer's pricing has since returned to normal, but indications are that retailers are anticipating the arrival of the iPad 3.

Last month, we reported on Evi, an app from True Knowledge that offered some of the same features as Apple's Siri. While Evi lacks the system-level integration of Siri on the iPhone 4S, it does offer greater information content and expanded device compatibility.

TechCrunch reported yesterday that Apple has now contacted True Knowledge with the suggestion that it will soon remove Evi from the App Store for duplicating Siri's functionality and confusing customers.

On Friday evening True Knowledge had a call from Apple representative Richard Chipman. (If you Google Richard Chipman’s name you’ll find he is also the Apple rep that does the controversial calls about apps).

He told True Knowledge that Apple was “going to pull Evi from the appstore” as it was similar to Siri.

The rule being cited is number 8.3 in the App [Store] T&Cs” “Apps which appear confusingly similar to an existing Apple product or advertising theme will be rejected”.

The publicity has caused a spike in Evi's sales rank as users have sought to purchase the app before it disappears, but The Verge now reports that Apple is not planning on removing the app from the App Store. Instead, Apple is said to be "working with" its developers to reduce potential confusion with Siri.

Despite what True Knowledge told TechCrunch, the app remains in the App Store, and according to sources familiar with the matter, Apple is attempting to work with the developers on bumping out those similarities, rather than just pulling the product. It's apparently standard practice these days for Apple to flag something that could be confusing to end users and then try to work with developers to alter the appearance and / or functionality of the app, and we're told that's taking place with True Knowledge right now.

It remains to be seen just what changes to Evi will come out of these discussions between Apple and True Knowledge, but it seems clear that Apple is concerned about Evi's parallels to Siri.

AT&T plans to offer app developers and other mobile content providers the ability to pay for its customers' data usage on the carrier, according to the Wall Street Journal. The carrier compares the proposed service to toll-free 800-numbers for the mobile-broadband world.

[AT&T senior executive vice president for technology and network operations John] Donovan likened the service to toll-free calling for the mobile-broadband world. The move comes as carriers are hunting for new ways to make money on the rising data traffic on their networks, while mindful of limits on what consumers are willing to spend.

"A feature that we're hoping to have out sometime next year is the equivalent of 800 numbers that would say, if you take this app, this app will come without any network usage," Mr. Donovan said on the sidelines of a mobile-industry conference here.

Customer use of AT&T's data networks has exploded in recent years as smartphones have become increasingly popular. AT&T has made several moves to limit data usage, including dropping its unlimited data plan option and slowing the download speeds of its heaviest data users.

For customers on data-limited plans, the option to download a movie without it being charged against his or her data plan could be a motivating factor. Donovan compares it to including the cost of shipping in a catalog order. Of course, much like with "free shipping", while the customer wouldn't have to pay for the extra data usage directly, the cost would instead be bundled into the price of the app or service. Developers could, however, end up paying less for data than individual customers do if AT&T is willing to offer bulk purchase agreements.