Today, Apple has posted a developer update to iWork bringing it to Beta 4. iWork for iOS is an early version providing support for Apple's upcoming iCloud services in iOS 5. Apple has been issuing updates over the past few days, presumably in preparation for next week's media even where iOS 5 is expected to be discussed.
Meanwhile, Apple has also issued a small iBooks 1.3.1 update that is available on the App Store. The update only lists "important stability and performance improvements" but may include additional support and compatibility with iOS 5 which is sure to launch soon.
Mashable offers an inside look at the relationship between Apple and Facebook, exploring how HP's effort to bring a dedicated Facebook application to the TouchPad resulted in a severe falling out of the already-strained relationship between Apple and Facebook.
While the relationship has apparently been mended and the two companies are planning a Tuesday launch of Facebook's iPad app, a revamped iPhone app, and new HTML5-based web services, Apple and Facebook have a long history of being at odds.
The report notes that issues date back to the release of iOS 4 last year, when Apple was planning to integrate Facebook across the operating system. But negotiations between Apple and Facebook over the APIs to be used for the integration apparently broke down and Apple pulled the feature from iOS 4. That incident led to growing mistrust between the two companies that further manifested itself in issues over Facebook apps for iOS and Facebook integration being pulled from Apple's Ping social networking service for iTunes.
Nearly a year later, those hard feelings still framed discussions between the two companies, and a personal visit by Steve Jobs to Facebook's headquarters led to an additional blowup when Jobs learned that HP was planning a native webOS Facebook application for its TouchPad tablet.
Roughly three months ago, Steve Jobs — then the Apple CEO — paid a visit to Facebook to discuss a Facebook for iPad application with CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg promised Jobs that the social network would release its first ever tablet application for iPad. Jobs, however, learned during his visit that HP was about to release a native webOS Facebook application for the TouchPad.
[...]
When Jobs learned of the webOS Facebook app during his summer visit to Facebook, he was livid. Zuckerberg vowed to get the app pulled. But Jon Rubinstein, the former CEO of Palm and then the GM of HP’s webOS division, refused to halt the release of the app.
Sources indicate that Facebook was fully aware of the positions and plans of both Apple and HP, but was attempting to play both sides for maximum benefit and only turned its back on HP when it became clear that its relationship with Apple was in danger of disintegrating completely.
With HP and TouchPad now out of the picture, Apple and Facebook have reportedly patched up their differences in the face of a common threat from Google, and sources indicate that "this is the closest Apple and Facebook have been to creating something meaningful together". The two companies are said to be "scrambling" to pull together their announcement for Tuesday's iPhone media event.
CNet reports that Apple is actively trying to lock down worldwide cloud-music rights for a possible October 4th launch.
Sources familiar with the discussions between Apple, record companies, and music publishers, say Apple is seeking international music licenses for its iCloud service. The licenses would be similar to those the company has already obtained for U.S. operations, the sources said.
CNet believes if the negotiations wrap up in time, they could be part of Apple's October 4th media event where the company is expected to launch the next generation iPhone. Deals are reportedly close but "nothing is signed".
Apple's iCloud service offers a number of different backup and syncing services over the air. In particular, they allow users to re-download previously purchased music. And with the addition of iTunes Match, allow users to match and store all their music in the cloud. Amongst the countries that could see iCloud agreements are Germany, France and the UK.
Previous estimates had pegged UK support to be delayed until 2012.
Apple has started seeding a new Lion 10.7.2 (11C71) build to developers, though it is not yet appearing to all developers. The new build lists no new issues and includes a Lion Recovery Update which includes improvements to Lion Recovery and addresses an issue with Find My Mac when using a firmware password.
Apple has also sent out some premature iCloud welcome emails. AppleInsider publishes a welcome email that was sent to one of its readers:
The link to the instructions found in the email is not yet active. Apple must be making final preparations to launch iCloud. iCloud is expected to launch alongside iOS 5. We should hear more about the service at next week's media event which takes place on October 4th.
Apple has been rumored to be working on advanced speech recognition technology for some time.
After Apple's acquisition of Siri, TechCrunchreported in May that negotiations were ongoing with Nuance to integrate their speech recognition technology into iOS. Earlier this week, 9to5macdetailed much of what is expected to be the major new feature in the next generation iPhone to be release on October 4th. The story was met with some skepticism in our forums, but we were especially confident in the report as we had privately heard the exact same story from our sources.
The Siri/Nuance-based voice recognition Assistant will be the major new feature in the next generation iPhone and will be an iPhone 4S/5 exclusive feature. As detailed, the Assistant will allow users to speak to their iPhones in order to schedule appointments, send text messages, retrieve information and much more. Voice recognition happens on the fly and reportedly with great accuracy.
Assistant interface, artist rendition
We've created this artist rendition (above) of what the Assistant interface looks like based on sources with knowledge of the feature. After a long press on the home button, the screen fades and slides up, just like with the multitasking interface. Revealed is a silver icon with an animated orbiting purple flare which indicates a ready state. From what we've been told, this image is a close representation of the actual Assistant interface.
From there, the user may be taken to a conversation view that somewhat mimics Siri's original interface, but in Apple's own styling.
Based on this knowledge, we contracted Jan-Michael Cart to put together a video representation of the Assistant workflow. Cart had been responsible for a number of iOS concept videos in the past, but we wanted to mock up what the actual Assistant interface looked like. Due to the short turnaround, we know that not all elements in the video represent actual look/feel of the Assistant interface, but should show off the general workflow.
After receiving spoken commands, the Assistant shows you back the recognized text and then takes the next step. This could involve sending a text message (with confirmation) or pulling data from Wolfram Alpha. The feature is said to be one of the major differentiators for the next generation iPhone.
Apple is hosting a media event on October 4th, where they will introduce the next iPhone and these new features.
Just days before Apple's iPhone media event where the company is also expected to make the final public introduction of its iCloud services, Apple has seeded developers with the ninth beta version of iTunes 10.5. The release comes three weeks after Apple seeded the previous beta.
The beta 9 release is a required update for all developers testers of the company's forthcoming iTunes Match service, although the company continues to note several known issues with the release, including the following:
- "Scan and match" feature is not yet complete. Some users' tracks may not be recognized by iTunes Match even if the tracks are available in the iTunes Store, and those tracks will be uploaded to the users' iCloud storage. Some tracks may also be mis-matched to a different version of the same song on the iTunes Store.
- Music can only be added to iCloud from one computer at a time.
- Updating an iOS device to iOS 5 beta 7 may result in music failing to play. Users should turn off iTunes Match in settings and then turn it back on to restore functionality.
Apple continues to warn developers that their iCloud music libraries will be deleted at the end of the beta, so developers should be sure to maintain local copies of their music libraries.
In late July, AT&T announced that as of October 1st it would begin throttling data speeds for customers on unlimited data plans who registered in the top 5% of heaviest data users. While AT&T no longer offers unlimited data plans, customers who had signed up for such plans prior to their discontinuation, including many iPhone users, have been grandfathered in and allowed to keep their unlimited plans.
Reddit user "TheReverendZ" yesterday reported (via 9to5Mac) that he had received a text message from AT&T warning him that he had fallen into that top 5% group and encouraging him to use Wi-Fi to help avoid throttling of his data speeds. TheReverendZ notes that he typically uses 10-12 GB of data per month, as he does not have home Internet service, while "skelatwork" reports that he received a similar notice when he had passed approximately 11 GB of data for the month.
AT&T has noted that it will provide multiple warnings and a grace period before beginning to throttle data speeds, and it now appears that the carrier has begun the warning process. Customers subject to throttling will retain access to unlimited data but will see their speeds reduced until the start of the next billing cycle.
Earlier this week, a report claimed that Apple is preparing to discontinue the iPod classic and iPod shuffle, leaving only the iPod touch and iPod nano in its iPod lineup. Supporting the idea that the iPod classic may soon be coming to an end after ten years on the market is a new report from AppleInsider noting that Apple has removed access to the iPod Click Wheel Games section of the iTunes Store.
No new click wheel games had appeared in the iTunes Store since February 2009 as Apple apparently ended support for development of such games, but existing titles continued to be available through the store until recently. It is unclear, however, exactly when the listings disappeared from the iTunes Store, as reports dating back nearly two weeks indicated that the click wheel games had indeed gone missing.
You can watch a video preview of Click Wheel games on the iTunes Store before you buy. Once you purchase the games you want, simply sync them to your iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd, 4th, or 5th generation), or iPod (5th generation). Each game plays perfectly on your iPod using the intuitive Click Wheel as a controller.
Concern over the fate of the iPod classic arose when the model did not receive an update at last year's iPod media event, despite the fact that Steve Jobs touted that September's lineup as "all-new". Although the news wasn't revealed until months later, one customer did email Steve Jobs regarding the fate of the iPod classic after the September 2010 event, with Jobs responding that Apple had "no plans" to discontinue the model.
Additional hope of new life for the iPod classic came in February with Toshiba's launch of a 220 GB hard drive of the form factor used in the iPod classic, opening the door to a capacity increase over the existing 160 GB size. It now appears, however, that Apple may be winding down the high-capacity iPod model in favor of its popular iOS-based iPod touch and its new iCloud services that will allow users to store their music on Apple's servers and download it to their Internet-connected iOS devices as needed.
With Apple adding movie content to its iTunes Stores in a number of new European countries earlier this week, some have wondered whether Apple will be bringing its Apple TV set-top box to those countries to help users take advantage of the new content.
We have now received word that Apple has informed resellers in seven new European countries that the Apple TV will indeed be launching as of next Tuesday, October 4th, the day of Apple's iPhone media event. Countries set to receive the Apple TV on Tuesday include Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
All-new Apple TV Now Available for Order in Seven New Countries
We are delighted to announce the all-new Apple TV, with an enhanced user interface and a breakthrough price point, is now available to order in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.
The Apple TV is planned to sell at a price of €119, including VAT, in Finland, in line with existing pricing in other eurozone countries. AppleCare will be available for an additional €29 charge. The device has already been added to at least one reseller site in Norway, with pricing there shown at kr 849.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung's lawyers have proposed a deal to Apple that would allow Samsung to launch its delayed Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia as soon as next week. Samsung has already delayed the launch of the device several times as Apple pursues a preliminary injunction to officially halt the device launch ahead of a full hearing on alleged intellectual property infringement. The terms of Samsung's proposed deal were not disclosed to the court audience.
It wasn't clear what benefit Apple would gain from any agreement, as details of the proposed deal were not discussed in full in front of the court. But Apple's attorney, Stephen Burley, conceded there was some potential benefit from an agreement on the matter. "(Samsung's) inconvenience would be diminished and we would be comforted" by such a deal, he said.
Justice Annabelle Bennett said that the proposed deal wouldn't give Samsung the satisfaction of a final answer to the dispute, but Mr. Catterns said it would at least allow the company to sell its new tablet computer ahead of the crucial Christmas sales period.
Apple and Samsung are locked in numerous legal battles in a number of countries, and Apple has had some success in preventing Samsung from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 device.
Just yesterday, we noted that Samsung had agreed to make some concessions to Apple such as the removal of a feature designed to recognize and ignore accidental touch input, but it is unclear what else Samsung might be offering in hopes of convincing Apple to allow it to launch the Galaxy Tab in Australia.
The following photo has appeared on JailBreakiPhone4u and is beginning to circulate across the internet. The claim in the original article is that this somehow represents an iPad 3 Prototype.
The image appears to show an iPad-like case with Apple logo, and iPad name, but with some differences to the currently shipping design. The most noticeable difference is the presence of a bulge near the bottom of the device that appears to be for a port. The area is also labeled with an ethernet port symbol. Next, based on the single shot, the device appears to be widescreen configuration. There is also no camera seen.
We tried contacting the poster to get some backstory, but with no response. Given the current information, our best guess is that this represents a knock-off / clone iPad design. It seems impossible that Apple would add an ethernet port, change the aspect ratio, or remove the camera of the iPad in the next version. The iPad 3 is rumored to be coming in 2012.
Update: As noted by German site Tablet test and a number of posters in our discussion thread, the tablet in question appears to be a Chinese Android-based tablet modeled after the iPad and then altered to appear to be an actual iPad.
According to 9to5Mac source Mr. X, the upcoming "N94" next generation iPhone is being stocked by Apple in 3 different capacities. The iPhone 4 currently comes in only two capacities: 16GB and 32GB. They are interpreting this to mean that the next generation iPhone will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities. However, they can't be certain. The three different sizes could conceivably be 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, or some other combination altogether. All that is known is that the upcoming "N94" model will be available in three different capacities.
However, this isn't the first time we've heard of a 64GB iPhone. In March, a prototype 64GB iPhone model began making the rounds in China.
The owner of this engineered prototype told us that he got it from a source who has a small quantity of these prototypes. They are definitely leaked from Foxconn's factory in Shenzhen. What's more, according to the owner, he believes that the next iPhone will bring 64GB storage capacity to users.
The circulating model at the time was an iPhone 4 design with 64GB of internal storage, revealing that Apple had been working on such a model at some point.
Apple will be introducing the next iPhone on October 4th during a media event held on Apple's campus. So far, there has been evidence of a revised iPhone 4 model, rumored to be of 8GB capacity, and this N94 next generation iPhone which will be coming in 3 sizes. The N94 carries the same overall look as the iPhone 4, but is believed to incorporate a much faster processor (A5) and better camera (8 megapixel).
A number of Apple's MobileMe services appear to have been down for several hours now, and Apple's system status page indicates that the company is experiencing issues with MobileMe Mail, me.com web apps, and Find My iPhone.
Occasional downtime for MobileMe is not terribly unusual, but today's issues appear to be more widespread than usual and lasting a fairly significant period of time.
Apple is of course expected to officially launch its iCloud services in the near future, with much of MobileMe's functionality transitioning to the new service. Users with active MobileMe subscriptions will, however, be able to continue using the service through June 30, 2012, after which time MobileMe will be officially discontinued.
Earlier today, we noted that Case-Mate cases for the redesigned "iPhone 5" had appeared in AT&T's inventory database. The addition yielded the interesting observation that AT&T is apparently placing orders for the cases despite the growing feeling that Apple may not be releasing such a device and instead releasing only the "iPhone 4S" design that is nearly identical to the iPhone 4.
We now have evidence that cases for the rumored iPhone 5 redesign have already begun arriving at AT&T retail stores, as one reader has sent us alleged photos of iPhone 5 silicone sleeves that appear to have arrived at his AT&T store today. Like other cases for the rumored redesign of the iPhone 5, these cases appear to show a tapered design and the mute switch moved to the opposite side of the device.
Third-party cases continue to be essentially the only evidence in favor of a redesigned iPhone 5 even as evidence for the iPhone 4S continues to mount in the form of parts leaks, inventory database listings, and other reports from sources.
Developer 2D Boy, the maker of very popular puzzle game World of Goo, has slashed the prices on both the Mac and iOS versions in honor of 2D Boy's fifth anniversary.
World of Goo, which was named by our sister site TouchArcade as the iPad Game of the Year in 2010, is an immensely entertaining game and prices for the Mac version were cut from $9.99 to $1.99 and the Universal iOS version going from $4.99 to $0.99. The discounts will be in place through the weekend.
At first, World of Goo is about manufacturing bridges and towers with the stretched tissue of little balls of goo. The point is to provide a path that other goo balls can follow into a metal pipe, the end point. Physics play a key role in this process: you'll need to build sound structures, which sounds easier than it is. Goo isn't concrete.
Each level requires a set number of goo balls to reach the pipe, and each goo ball you use for a structure counts against the total provided. This constant negotiation of goo resources is pleasing because it forces you to think around the obvious solution, which is often one of brute building.
The universal iPhone/iPad universal version is $0.99 on the App Store, down from $4.99. The Mac version is available for $1.99 down from $9.99 on the Mac App Store.
Earlier this month, case manufacturer Case-Mate drew some attention for promotional images that briefly appeared on its site showing cases for the rumored redesigned "iPhone 5" form factor. Case-Mate quickly pulled the page, however, replacing it with a signup form for potential customers to receive information, as well as a note indicating that the company believes that Apple will be releasing both iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 models next month.
Hope for the arrival of the redesigned iPhone 5 form factor has been waning as Apple's media event approaches with no concrete signs of the device, but BGR reports that Case-Mate's iPhone 5 cases have now appeared in AT&T's inventory database.
The entries point to three different case designs for the iPhone 5, including versions of its Barely There, Pop!, and Touch Case lines. The appearance of the cases in AT&T's inventory system is certainly not significant evidence that Apple will be introducing a redesigned iPhone 5 next week, but it is interesting that the carrier is apparently at least making the effort to arrange for offering cases based on the design.
Update: TiPb actually reported on this development over this past weekend.
Reuters reports that Foxconn's previously-announced $12 billion plan to begin producing iPads in Brazil appears to be faltering as Foxconn and the Brazilian government have been unable to reach an agreement.
A much-hyped $12 billion plan for Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn to produce iPads in Brazil is "in doubt" due to stagnant negotiations over tax breaks and Brazil's own deep structural problems such as a lack of skilled labor, government sources tell Reuters.
[...]
"The talks have been very difficult, and the project for a Brazilian iPad is in doubt," one official said. "(Foxconn) is making crazy demands" for tax breaks and other special treatment, the official added.
Reports in the Brazilian media have indicated that the country's development bank is on the verge of withdrawing funding for the project, a move that would likely kill the plan as it currently stands.
One option could be for Foxconn or a Brazilian partner to simply assemble foreign-made parts to the iPad, rather than producing screens and other components locally. Other steps could also be taken to reduce the project's scale, which may simply have been too ambitious for all parties.
High import tariffs and taxes push the entry-level iPad price to approximately $900 in Brazil, nearly double the model's $499 price tag in the United States. By moving production into Brazil, Apple would be able to address the country's market of 190 million consumers at lower price points.
Apple is continuing its war on boxes. In July, Apple ended physical distribution to Apple Retail Stores and resellers of a number of software titles that it sells digitally on the Mac App Store. Now, ZDNet reports the company is discontinuing physical boxed software to educational resellers too:
Apple confirmed today that, with limited exception, they will cease to ship boxed software to campus resellers. This includes Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iLife, iWork, Apple Remote Desktop, and Aperture, among others.
We have a limited supply of copies of each in stock in the store, so consider this a “last call” for anyone who would like a hard copy before they are gone. Particularly anyone who would like to get Snow Leopard, as we just received our final shipment of that version of the OS.
The only products that will remain as boxed software offerings are Logic Express and Logic Studio.
For information on Apple Volume Purchasing Program for software, we’ve posted a page on our website that describes how departmental users can take advantage of purchasing volume licensing.
This is especially significant because Apple doesn't offer educational discounts on the Mac App Store like it does through educational resellers and the Apple Online Store. The educational discount on Apple software is typically 10% off.
Developer 2D Boy, the maker of very popular puzzle game World of Goo, has 
Apple is continuing its war on boxes. In July, Apple ended 
