MacRumors

According to Digitimes, Apple is continuing to diversify its suppliers and moving away from its dependance on Samsung:

Apple has increased its purchases of DRAM and NAND flash from Japan, according to industry sources, adding that Toshiba and Elpida Memory are being pinpointed as beneficiaries of the increased procurement.

Apple and Samsung have been in increasingly escalating legal battles over patent claims concerning Apple's iOS devices and Samsung's Galaxy line These lawsuits are said to be the reason for Apple's shifting of suppliers. Apple had previously been reported to have moved from Samsung to TSMC for production of the A6 processor in 2012. Meanwhile, Samsung has even threatened to sue Apple over the iPhone 5 once it is released.

Apple had quickly become Samsung's biggest customer with contracts for over $7.8 billion in parts in 2011. Apple seems to be doing its best to shift those contracts to Samsung's competitors over the next year.

Update: Reuters reports that Samsung has announced a $10 billion investment in a new flash memory production line, hoping to increase its share of the market and lower its own costs. Samsung will take approximately nine months to get the new line fully up and running.

SprintFeed reports that Sprint will be limiting its mobile hotspot plans to 5GB of data as of October 2nd -- only days ahead of the rumored iPhone 4S/5 launch.

Bloomberg had reported that Sprint would finally be getting the next generation iPhone when it launches in October. Sprint is expected to provide unlimited data plans for the new iPhone and will be the only U.S. provider to offer such a plan. Both AT&T and Verizon originally offered the iPhone with unlimited mobile data, but later transitioned to tiered plans of limited data.

Sprint will still offer "unlimited" for those using data on-device, but for those who purchase the additional $29.99/mo hotspot plans will be limited to 5GB of data a month. Mobile Hotspot plans allow users to tether their iPhone to their laptops and share their mobile internet connection. This is presumably to prevent individuals from consuming large amounts of data through their laptops. Sprint's on-device mobile plan appears as if it will remain unlimited for the time being.

BGR reports on a new research note from Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair, who claims that Apple will be introducing only one new iPhone model, the so-called "iPhone 4S", at its October 4th media event. The claim runs contrary to some other recent rumors that Apple will be introducing both an iPhone 4S and a redesigned iPhone 5, but agrees with other analysts who have seen no sign of a redesigned iPhone 5 coming through Apple's supply chain.

“We expect the focus of the new iPhone will be iOS 5, a speedier A5 processor and a higher resolution 8 MP camera with a small possibility of a larger 4 inch screen,” Blair wrote. “We believe the casing will be largely similar to the iPhone with some particular modifications to the antennae [sic]. We don’t expect a second, dramatically different iPhone to accompany this as we don’t think Apple needs to have 3 models in the market to address the high end, mid-tier and low end since the iPhone 4 (with memory lowered to 8 GB) will drop to $99 and effectively attack those markets.”

The complete lack of parts evidence for a redesigned iPhone 5 has led to serious questions about the potential for such a device being launched this fall, and with the iPhone 4S having been seen sporting an A5 processor it seems possible Apple may be planning only the iPhone 4S as its next-generation iPhone model.

According to The Next Web, Apple board member Al Gore today claimed that Apple will be releasing "new iPhones" next month, making the first such public comment on Apple's next-generation iPhone release plans from anyone closely connected to the company.

Gore's use of the plural "iPhones" is naturally sparking speculation that Apple may indeed be planning to launch both a redesigned iPhone 5 and a more modest "iPhone 4S" based on the current iPhone 4 design.

We’ve been informed by Toby Shapshak, the editor of Stuff Magazine in South Africa that is attending the conference, that his quote was specifically: “Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug.”

Shapshak says that the statement was definitely plural, although it wasn’t clear whether that meant two different models, as the statement was not clarified in any way by Gore.

It's not entirely clear just how familiar Gore would be with exact details of the next iPhone, as most boards of directors are more concerned with broader issues such as establishing corporate policy frameworks and objectives, monitoring financial performance, and representing shareholder interests. But Gore certainly could have knowledge of Apple's general timeframe for such a major product launch.

Meanwhile, Electronista and Reuters report that Sprint CEO Dan Hesse danced around the topic of the iPhone at a Goldman Sachs investor conference today, noting that the company's financial guidance does not take the device into account and would have to be adjusted if the carrier were to begin offering the iPhone.

Hesse also cited the iPhone as the number one reason customers have left Sprint, noting that the carrier has added subscribers over the past two quarters in spite of its disadvantage against iPhone-offering rivals AT&T and Verizon.

Adobe today announced the upcoming launch of Flash Player 11 and AIR 3, promising "console-quality 2D and 3D games" delivered over the Internet to a full range of computers, mobile devices, and other connected appliances.

Dozens of new features in Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 allow developers to deliver a new class of gaming and premium video experiences, as well as sophisticated, data-driven applications with back-end systems integration across devices, including the iPhone and iPad via AIR. AIR native extensions add support for unique device features and native code libraries, empowering developers to freely choose the right mix of Flash, HTML5 and native code to provide powerful user experiences across PCs and devices.

AIR 3 is also bringing improvements to video streaming, offering the ability to stream full frame rate HD video within AIR applications for iOS via H.264 encoding.

Hardware-accelerated rendering of 2D and 3D graphics is said to see a 1,000-fold increase in performance over Flash Player 10.2 and AIR 2, offering animation of millions of objects at 60 frames per second for smooth video performance on computers and connected televisions, with support for mobile devices currently in a pre-release state. Other improvements include new support for content protection, rentals and subscriptions, as well as support for thousands of AIR native extensions to allow developers to increase the functionality of their software.

Public release versions of Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 will debut early next month.

With Apple set to broaden access to digital subscription content with the debut of its prominent Newsstand feature in iOS 5, Reuters reports that a group of major French newspapers are banding together to strengthen their positions in negotiating with Apple over digital distribution.

The bid by eight publications, including newspaper Le Figaro and sports daily L'Equipe, is the latest sign of growing disillusionment among some global publishers over what they consider Apple's rigid terms and high commission of 30 percent.

[...]

They are also negotiating with Apple as a collective, and will not sell their products on Apple's own kiosk, dubbed the Newsstand, set to launch next month, without key concessions.

The report notes that media companies have already made some headway in resisting Apple's demands, with Apple backing off on its pricing demands for in-app purchases and subscriptions earlier this year. Prominent business newspaper Financial Times has also made a stand by pulling its iOS application and utilizing a well-regarded web app to offer its content without being subject to Apple's rules.

Le Figaro executive Pascale Pouquet said the French publications were still in talks with Apple over whether it would accept the changes to the kiosk, but insisted that the papers would not fold on their key demands such as a reduction in the 30 percent commission and access to the customer data.

"We'll have to be ready to accept to lose some sales if we cannot come to terms with Apple," he said. "But sometimes it's better to cut off a finger than to sever the whole arm."

The publications have come to terms with Google to sell their content for Android, with Google charging only a 10% commission on sales and allowing publishers to have control over pricing and customer data collection.

Apple has been firm in its stance regarding a 30% commission as has become standard for many types of content on the iOS platform, and has insisted on users retaining control over whether their personal information is shared with the publications.

AllThingsD reports that Apple will be holding its highly-anticipated iPhone 5 media event on October 4th.

While Apple could certainly change its plans anytime, sources said that the October 4 date has been selected by the company to showcase the iPhone 5. Sources added that the plan is now to make the new device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement.

According to the report, new Apple CEO Tim Cook should play a prominent role in the event in order to assert himself as the new leader of the company, although it will almost certainly be a team presentation with other executives such as Phil Schiller, Scott Forstall, and Eddy Cue leading portions of the event. It is unclear whether Steve Jobs will make an appearance at the event, with the report suggesting that a decision on whether or not he appears would be a last-minute one based on his health.

MacRumors noted yesterday that Apple is expected to also be introducing minor updates to its iPod line, and had pinpointed the first week in October for that introduction, with availability set for the middle of the month. Apple generally issues invitations to its media events about a week ahead of time, so we can expect official notice of the event to appear sometime around early next week.

Update: The Loop's Jim Dalrymple confirms with a simple "Yep" that October 4th is the date of the event.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) today released its latest results on U.S. consumer satisfaction in the personal computer industry, with Apple topping the charts for the eighth consecutive year and setting a new company high for ratings.

Apple’s record of customer satisfaction preeminence in the personal computer industry continues unabated in 2011, as the company adds another point to its already exceptional score. At 87 (+1%), Apple outdistances its nearest competitor by 9 points.

“In the eight years that Apple has led the PC industry in customer satisfaction, its stock price has increased by 2,300%,” remarks Claes Fornell, founder of the ACSI and author of The Satisfied Customer: Winners and Losers in the Battle for Buyer Preference. “Apple’s winning combination of innovation and product diversification—including spinning off technologies into entirely new directions—has kept the company consistently at the leading edge.”

Apple's score of 87 rose by one point over last year's score of 86 that had been its previous record high in the survey. This marks the third straight year that Apple has held a nine-point lead over its nearest competitor in the industry.

As reported by CNET and Macworld, Apple has released a major update to its Final Cut Pro X software, making a number of improvements and addressing some of the strong criticism that has been levied against the revamped video production software.

One of the major features included in the update is support for XML, an addition that had been promised in an Apple FAQ posted to address the backlash against the software. CNET notes:

Among the biggest new feature to be added as part of a software update that will go out to users this morning is support for XML. This adds the option to both import and export projects and events in the XML format, meaning users can take XML formatted projects and work on them in Final Cut Pro X.

That addition addresses one of the potential sticking points for upgraders, who were left unable to open old Final Cut Pro projects in the newer version of the software. XML support brings that indirectly, as users can export Final Cut Pro 7 projects in XML, then import them into Final Cut Pro X via a third-party tool like CatDV from Square Box.

Other additions in Final Cut Pro X 10.0.1 include support for events and projects through Xsan, support for media stems, custom starting time codes, full-screen view for OS X Lion, and GPU-accelerated export. Apple has also released a new software development kit in order to help camera manufacturers create plug-ins to make their latest cameras compatible with Final Cut Pro X.

Apple is also promising another update to bring multi cam editing and broadcast video output support, but that update isn't expected to launch until next year.

One other important change for Final Cut Pro X is the addition of a new 30-day free trial for the software, giving users the opportunity to test out the software before committing to a $299.99 purchase. Apple did issue refunds for unhappy early purchasers of Final Cut Pro X, and thus it appears that the company has launched the free trial in order to cut down on those refund requests.

Update: Apple has also released a 4.0.1 update for Compressor.

This update improves overall stability and performance including:

- Updates the bitrates in Cellular settings for HTTP Live Streaming.
- Fixes an issue with accessing QuickTime Export Component settings in Final Cut Pro X.
- Fixes an issue in which This Computer cluster does not appear when system is configured in Chinese.
- Resolves stability issues when launching Soundtrack Pro after Compressor 4 is installed.

Motion has also received an update to version 5.0.1.

This update improves overall stability and performance including:

- Adds support for dual displays.
- Fixes an issue with the import and playback of multichannel audio.
- Resolves a stability issue when navigating to keyframes at a negative time.
- Fixes an issue with incorrect text positioning when the Inspector is open.
- Provides for correct kerning between characters when applying adjustments.
- Resolves stability issues when entering an empty string in a title while in Draft Mode.

Finally, Apple has released an updated version of its ProApps QuickTime Codecs to support the new releases.

TmoNews reports that it has received an image of an internal news posting from T-Mobile USA sharing word from Chief Marketing Officer Cole Brodman that the carrier will not be offering the iPhone 5 this year. Brodman's comment apparently came as part of a September 15th company town hall meeting.

"Our business is working very hard to improve performance over the last couple of years and we've had some great success," said Brodman. New products and value plans are fueling customer response, he added, and Brodman expects the excitement to continue into the holiday season as T-Mobile introduces two new smartphones. Note: "We are not going to get the iPhone 5 this year," Brodman said.

Brodman's comment does not eliminate the possibility of T-Mobile offering the iPhone 5 at some point in the future, but it seems that the carrier will not be a launch partner for the device.

Several mainstream media reports have claimed that Sprint will become the third major U.S. carrier to offer the iPhone with the debut of the iPhone 5 next month, but the fate of the iPhone on T-Mobile USA has been less clear. Despite a few claims of a T-Mobile iPhone coming this year and evidence of prototypes for testing on the carrier's network, there had yet to be any solid reports of an launch from mainstream sources.

T-Mobile's status is of course complicated by AT&T's efforts to acquire the carrier, and effort that is being opposed by the U.S. government, Sprint, and a number of other groups.