MacRumors

A new iTunes 10.2.1 update has appeared in Software Update, superseding the iTunes 10.2 update released just last Wednesday to support iOS 4.3. The new update can also be obtained from Apple's iTunes download page.

The update description is exactly the same as for iTunes 10.2, so it is unclear what has been changed since last week's release at this time. Changes are presumably minor, however, although they may include important bug fixes.

After an initial report this morning claiming that iOS 4.3 would appear today, three days ahead of schedule, The Loop has reported that users should expect the public launch to occur tomorrow.

German site Macerkopf.de claims [Google translation] to have received word from a source that Apple is planning an early April media event to introduce iOS 5 and revamped MobileMe services. The report seems to indicate that the event would take place on Apple's campus in the 14th or 15th week of the year, which would be the first or second full week in April.

An early-to-mid April developer event to show off the next-generation iOS version would be in line with Apple's pattern in recent years as it seeks to get third-party developers on board ahead of a public release in June or July alongside new iPhone hardware. For example, last year's iOS 4 event took place on April 8th at the company's headquarters in Cupertino. We do not, however, have much of a track record for Macerkopf.de when it comes to rumors, so it is difficult to assess a level of confidence in the claims.

Previous claims had "almost guaranteed" that last week's media event would see a preview of iOS 5 and cloud-based services, but those topics were not included with the iPad 2 unveiling.

Earlier today, BGR reported that Apple will release iOS 4.3 today, three days ahead of the previously-announced Friday launch date. But according to The Loop, the early release will actually occur tomorrow.

The speculation of iOS coming early seems to be solid, it's just the day that's off. If I were sitting waiting for iOS 4.3 to hit, I'd be ready tomorrow.

Potential support for the notion of a release tomorrow comes from a MacRumors reader who just asked an Apple chat representative about the release and was informed that it will indeed be tomorrow.

While Apple's sales staff is usually not kept up to date on the company's product and software release plans, it is possible that Apple has provided the information about the upcoming free update in order to assist its customers. Not all chat support representative are offering the same information, however, as one representative we just asked claimed that the release is coming on Friday as originally scheduled.

Regardless, BGR's report claimed a release time of 1:00 PM Eastern / 10:00 AM Pacific today, the company's usual time for iOS releases, so we should know in less than half an hour whether iOS 4.3 is coming today.

Alongside its "Wallaby" Flash-to-HTML5 converter, Adobe has also released a beta version of Flash Player 10.3, introducing a number of new features. Among the most notable are enhanced privacy and setting controls that integrate with System Preferences in Mac OS X and with browser preferences.

- Integration with browser privacy controls for managing local storage -- Users now have a simpler way to clear local storage from the browser settings interface - similar to how users clear their browser cookies today. Flash Player 10.3 integrates control of local storage with the browser's privacy settings in Mozilla Firefox 4, Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 and higher, and future releases of Apple Safari and Google Chrome.

- Native Control Panel -- Flash Player 10.3 provides users with streamlined controls for managing their Flash Player privacy, security and storage settings. Windows, Mac, and Linux users can access the Flash Player Settings Manager directly from the Control Panels or System Preferences on their computers.

Also new for Mac users is an update notification system to help users ensure they are running the most up-to-date version of Flash Player. Other general improvements include video measurement analytics and acoustic echo cancellation for improved audio quality in collaborative environments.

Pioneer today announced its new VSX-1021 receiver, the first of eight receivers from the company scheduled to be released this year with support for Apple's AirPlay technology. The VSX-1021, which carries a suggested retail price of $549, can be easily configured to join a home network and automatically appears as an output option via AirPlay on iOS devices.

Once the VSX-1021 is connected to a home network through Ethernet or Wi-Fi using Pioneer's optional AS-WL300 wireless LAN adapter (sold separately), AirPlay lets consumers stream their favorite songs to the receiver from iTunes on Mac and PC, or their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. AirPlay requires iTunes 10.1 or later and iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.2.

To use Airplay, users can simply choose a song or playlist on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and then tap the AirPlay icon. The VSX-1021 will appear as an available device, and once selected, the receiver automatically turns on or switches to the Airplay source to start music playback.

Pioneer also announced the release of several new iOS apps to support the VSX-1021, offering similar functionalities found in Apple's Remote app for navigating iTunes libraries, although with additional features and Pioneer-specific implementations.

Pioneer Air Jam allows users to contribute songs from multiple iOS devices to a single playlist via Bluetooth, with all users being able to see the common playlist and access links to the iTunes Store and YouTube for more information on tracks from others.

Pioneer's new iControlAV2 app for iPad and iPhone/iPod touch is a revamp of the company's original iControlAV app that offers full remote control of certain Pioneer components such as the new VSX-1021.

Pioneer's iControlAV2 App enables VSX-1021 owners to put away the included remote control and utilize an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch as their main home theater controller, enabling direct control of the receiver's volume, bass, balance and room settings.

The app is further enhanced when used on an iPad, with most major functions combined into a single, intuitive screen. Additional features include detailed graphic representations of before and after MCACC room calibration, and sound adjustments that enable users to create their own equalizer settings with a simple "touch and draw" on the screen. The iControlAV2 App also includes Blu-ray player control when connected to a compatible Pioneer Blu-ray player.

All apps require a minimum of iOS 4.2 and are available from the App Store free of charge.

Last October, Adobe demoed new conversion software that could allow Flash developers to port their content to a combination of HTML5 and related non-Flash technologies, making it considerably easier for developers to make their content available for platforms such as iOS that do not support Flash.

While at the time the conversion software was not promised for a public release, Adobe has now published a prerelease version of the technology known as "Wallaby".

"Wallaby" is the codename for an experimental technology that converts the artwork and animation contained in Adobe Flash Professional (FLA) files into HTML. This allows you to reuse and extend the reach of your content to devices that do not support the Flash runtimes. Once these files are converted to HTML, you can edit them with an HTML editing tool, such as Adobe Dreamweaver, or by hand if desired. You can view the output in one of the supported browsers or on an iOS device.

As detailed in the release notes, not all features are currently supported, but Adobe has clearly made significant progress in moving many basic Flash features such as buttons, fills, layers, and text to HTML. The current focus of Wallaby is on converting Flash-based banner ads to non-Flash, as that is one of the most-requested features with a rather straightforward implementation generally requiring only a subset of supported features.

Wallaby is currently available as a free download as Adobe seeks to gain feedback on its performance and utility. As refinements continue, the company will consider whether or not to include the functionality in future versions of Flash Professional.

BGR reports that Apple is preparing to release iOS 4.3 today at the company's usual 1:00 PM Eastern / 10:00 Pacific timeframe for iOS releases. A release today would be a bit of a surprise, given that Apple announced last week that the update would launch on Friday alongside the iPad 2 debut. BGR does, however, have a strong track record of pinpointing iOS build numbers and releases.

Apple seeded the golden master version of iOS 4.3 to developers last Thursday.

Today's report also addresses the issue of personal hotspot device limitations, following considerable discussion around the fact that Apple's iOS 4.3 pages for some markets mention that users may only utilize the hotspot via Wi-Fi with up to three devices simultaneously, while pages for other markets place the limit at five devices.

According to BGR, iOS 4.3 supports three devices via Wi-Fi by default, but can support up to five if requested by carriers.

As noted by 9 to 5 Mac, Apple yesterday seeded a seventh build of Mac OS X 10.6.7 to registered Mac developers. The new 10J868 build comes nearly two weeks after the previous seed.

As with the last several builds, Apple lists no known issues and asks developers to focus their testing on Safari, Mac App Store, AirPort, Bonjour, SMB, and Graphics Drivers. The new build also remains at nearly the same size as the previous one, suggesting that Apple may be primarily tweaking things at this point rather than making substantial additions to the update.

Apple began seeding Mac OS X 10.6.7 builds in late January, two weeks after the public launch of Mac OS X 10.6.6 to support the Mac App Store.

The Loop reports that Apple is planning to cut significant numbers of software titles and peripherals from its retail store sales floors, moving to free up space to accommodate the more extensive Personal Setup service for Macs launched in January.

Among the products that will no longer be displayed in the retail stores are printers, scanners and possible some hard drives. These peripherals will still be stocked in the store and available if a customer requests them.

At the point of sale, the Apple salesperson will still recommend the customer purchase one of those peripherals if they feel it fits in with the customer's purchase.

According to my sources, Apple is also getting rid of up to 32 game titles from its retail locations. That would reduce the number of games being displayed in the stores to around 8 per store.

We previously reported that Apple is looking to eventually discontinue all boxed software sales from its retail stores in favor of the Mac App Store, and the upcoming changes may be the first step down that road.

With the iPad 2 set for launch at 5:00 PM on Friday and Apple not offering pre-orders, those looking to get their hands on the updated tablet device as soon as possible may find themselves facing long waits to secure spots near the front of their respective lines. And just like with the iPhone 4, Dallas resident Justin Wagoner has already pitched a tent outside his local Apple Store in order to be first in line for the iPad 2 launch on Friday.

One catch for Justin is that the Knox Street retail store that has been the usual location for his campouts is currently closed for expansion, with Apple now operating out of a temporary location around the corner.

Seeking to capitalize on his growing publicity as an early camper for Apple devices, Justin has launched a new site at iJustinOfficial.com to document his wait. He will also be offering a live video broadcast on Ustream as the iPad 2 launches.

Apple's online store experience has remained relatively consistent for a number of years now, but a new hiring binge suggests that the company may be preparing to revamp the store from the ground up.

One job listing, which appeared late last week and hints at multiple available senior software engineering positions in the "Core Services" functionality of the store, explicitly references the "next-generation Apple Online Store".

Help build the next-generation Apple Online Store!

We are looking for highly motivated, creative and entrepreneurial Software Engineers to deliver projects aimed at advancing the hugely successful Apple Online Store. We are looking for senior-level engineers with demonstrated experience delivering advanced solutions in a multi-tier, distributed environment.

Do you enjoy building highly scalable, distributed web applications? Do you get excited about performance tuning java applications at the limits of memory and CPU? Do you enjoy working with other high output engineers? If so, then join our team and make a difference!

While Apple's online store is continuously evolving, making it arguable that the "next-generation" store comes about on a regular basis, the sheer number of positions being advertised suggests that something more may be going on. In late February, an earlier posting for senior engineers in Core Services appeared alongside two other listings looking for engineers focused on checkout services, while the company has also solicited for a host of other senior software engineer, software test engineer, content development manager, and senior-level portfolio manager positions for the store in recent weeks.

Apple is obviously hiring new staff to expand and replenish its ranks in support of existing programs on a regular basis and it can be difficult to separate out the rhetoric of human resources managers from Apple's true goals, but the recent surge seems quite out of the ordinary given the company's usual hiring trends, leading us to wonder whether Apple is taking steps to beef up its development teams to support a significant redesign of the online store in the months ahead.

Engadget reports that AT&T has confirmed that it will allow iPad users currently on the company's discontinued unlimited data plan to transfer the plan to a new iPad 2.

If you were lucky enough to snag one of those coveted unlimited data plans with your original AT&T iPad, you won't have to toss it when upgrading next week. The carrier has confirmed to us that those who currently have the aforementioned plan will be able to keep it on their account when upgrading to the iPad 2, which in turns gives you no reason whatsoever to turn down the opportunity.

At the launch of the original 3G-capable iPad in late April of last year, AT&T offered an unlimited data plan priced at $29.99 per month. But just a little over a month later, the carrier announced that it was discontinuing the unlimited plan and replacing it with a 2 GB plan priced at $25 per month, with customers reaching the maximum ahead of the end of the billing cycle able to initiate a new $25 cycle at that point. But customers who had already signed up for the unlimited data plan were grandfathered in and permitted to keep that plan as long as they did not let their plan lapse or switch to a lower tier.