MacRumors

While Apple is not expected to reveal its long-rumored television set product that has been the subject of increasing rumors at today's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White has published a new research note addressing some of his expectations for the device based on a recent visit to Taiwan for the Computex trade show and to visit with supply chain companies in several markets.

White believes that the Apple television set will adopt several methods of interaction, most significantly including motion detection technology, perhaps similar to that found in Microsoft's Kinect offerings. He also suggests that the television will still include a remote control, which will arrive as an iPad-like touchscreen device.

Regarding Apple TV, the data points during our trip indicate the Company will use a special type of motion detection technology on future full blown Apple TV that we expect to be unveiled within the next couple of quarters, rather than touch technology. Also, our contacts indicate a unique remote control with a touch panel form factor that looks similar to the iPad would be used to control the device. The bezel is expected to be a plastic composition, rather than the aluminum unibody exterior that surrounds the MacBook Air.

White makes no mention of Siri voice control, but many observers expect that Apple will also make use of its voice recognition and natural language processing algorithms to make it easy for users to control their television viewing experiences.

Finally, the new report from White also outlines his continued belief that Apple is preparing to launch a smaller "iPad mini", with both that product and the next-generation iPhone reportedly lining up for a simultaneous launch in September of this year.

Just hours before Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to take the stage to kick off the keynote at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, AllThingsD has posted the full video of his interview at last month's D10 conference. MacRumors was on hand for the event to offer a rough transcript of the interview and AllThingsD previously posted video highlights, but today's release includes the entire 100-minute interview complete with the Q&A session.

Aside from a few short interviews and an investor conference, Cook’s session with Walt Mossberg and me was the first extended public talk as the newish leader of perhaps the most important and definitely most influential company in tech.

So, getting to see Cook in action is probably the most important part of this interview. While clearly playing it close to the vest, he ranged over a wide number of topics from secrecy at Apple (it’s now apparently been doubled!) to the iPhone to controversies in China to a possibly more social partnership with Facebook more television efforts to, of course, the legacy Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs, who died last year.

Steve Jobs was a regular participant at the annual D conference, and Cook has carried on that tradition by serving as the opening session interview at this year's event.

(Photo by Asa Mathat | All Things Digital)

9to5Mac reports that it has obtained details on the configurations of the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro to be released later today, with specifics on a number of accessories also appearing. The list is not complete, however, as it does not include details on the thinner Retina-display notebook, which is believed to be coming as a third member of the MacBook family, or the MacBook Air.

As previously noted, the Mac Pro is set to arrive in three separate stock configurations: two standard and one server. There have long been rumors of a case redesign, but so far only specs of the base models are known.

- Normal configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 6GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

- Normal configuration: 2.4GHz 12-core processor, 12GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

- Server configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, Two 1TB hard drives

Oddly, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 is the stock graphics card included on the current, nearly two-year old Mac Pro. Apple would be expected to use a much newer graphics card option in its revised machines.

On the MacBook Pro side, the report points to four stock models, two each in 13.3-inch and 15.4-inch sizes. These machines are thought to be upgraded versions of the existing design, lacking a Retina display. Photos of what is claimed to be the graphics hardware on the logic board of the 15-inch MacBook Pro appeared just a short time ago, showing an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics chip with 1 GB GDDR5 graphics memory.

- 13.3 inch: 2.5GHz dual core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive

- 13.3 inch: 2.9GHz dual core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive

- 15.4 inch: 2.3GHz quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive

- 15.4 inch: 2.6GHz quad core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive (BTO upgrades to 2.7GHz quad core and 1TB HD will be available)

The report notes that the thinner "MacBook Pro" models with a Retina display are still expected to be introduced, with an analyst report from a few days ago having specifically claimed that they would be arriving alongside the existing MacBook Pro form factor for the time being. Details on the new Retina-capable notebook do, however, remain unknown. The MacBook Air is also expected to be gaining an update later today, and details on those models are not yet available either.

Apple will also be releasing a number of new accessories today, and the report indicates that these will include an updated AirPort Express, new USB SuperDrive, and a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter. Apple may also be revising its MagSafe power connection standard, with new accessories related to that change making an appearance.

Update: As several readers have noted, not only is the inclusion of an old graphics card on the Mac Pro a strange detail, but the listed processors do not even exist at the appropriate price and performance points in the Sandy Bridge E Xeon E5 line of Intel processors Apple is expected to use. 9to5Mac's pre-launch spec sources have generally been very accurate in recent years, but they appear to be off this time on at least the Mac Pro models.

M.I.C. gadget points to a pair of posts from Chinese forum WeiPhone.com showing portions of what is claimed to be the logic board and graphic hardware from the next-generation 15-inch MacBook Pro set to be introduced tomorrow.

The images show an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics chip and 1 GB of GDDR5 graphics memory, which many have expected would make an appearance in the new MacBook Pro. Interestingly, the posters have also compared the leaked photos with the logic board of the current MacBook Pro, finding the layouts to be nearly identical all the way down to the screw holes on the board.

One of the reports also claims that the new 15-inch MacBook Pro will arrive with 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz chip options on stock models, with a 2.7 GHz chip available as a high-end custom configuration. The exact chips to be offered are not detailed by the poster, but some attempts at matching up to Intel's Ivy Bridge offerings can be made.

At the 2.3 GHz level, Apple would have its choice of the Core i7-3610QM or Core i7-3615QM. For a 2.5 GHz chip, the only appropriate Ivy Bridge processor currently available is a dual-core Core i5-3210M, which would actually be the low-end chip. And at the high end, Apple would apparently be offering the Core i7-3820QM as had been seen in benchmarks that appeared last month.

Apple has been widely rumored to be introducing a redesign MacBook Pro with a Retina display and a thinner profile. But if the leaked photos are genuine they may indicate that no redesign of the body is forthcoming, as Apple would be expected to make significant changes to the logic board to accommodate rearranged internals in a thinner enclosure.

An alternative explanation relates to claims put forth late last week by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who indicated that a thinner, Retina-capable Mac notebook would appear as a third member of the MacBook family with Apple continuing to offer the existing MacBook Pro alongside the new model for the time being. In that case, these leaked photos could represent the updated version of the current MacBook Pro with the new notebook still remaining under wraps.

A post [Google translation] from the staff of Chinese forum WeiPhone.com claims to share a host of official Apple download links for tomorrow's software releases. While the links are not currently active, they include iOS 6 beta build 10A5316k for a variety of devices, as well as a developer preview of Safari 6 for OS X Lion.

The accuracy of the claim can not be confirmed given that the links are not yet pointing to the files, but clicking on the links does take users to an error page stating "Your session has expired." Altering the URLs to reference a different build number or making other changes yields an "Access denied" error message, suggesting that there is indeed something unique about the leaked URLs.

A similar list of links addressing last year's downloads also leaked out just as Apple's WWDC 2011 keynote was getting underway.

Assuming that the list is accurate and complete as far as iOS 6 beta is concerned, it appears that Apple will not be including support for the original iPad in its next-generation operating system. In addition, Apple appears to be dropping support for the third-generation iPod touch.

The full list of links includes:

Third-generation iPad
- Consumer: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi + Cellular (GSM), WiFi + Cellular (CDMA)
- Enterprise: Wi-Fi, WiFi + Cellular (GSM), WiFi + Cellular (CDMA)

iPad 2
- Consumer: Wi-Fi, WiFi + 3G (GSM), WiFi + 3G (CDMA), Revised Wi-Fi
- Enterprise: Wi-Fi, WiFi + 3G (GSM), WiFi + 3G (CDMA), Revised Wi-Fi

iPhone
- Consumer: 4S, 4 (GSM), 4 (CDMA), 3GS
- Enterprise: 4S, 4 (GSM), 4 (CDMA), 3GS

iPod touch
- Consumer: 4th Generation
- Enterprise: 4th Generation

Apple TV
- Consumer: 2nd Generation, 3rd Generation

Other iOS
- iOS 6 Beta Guide (PDF)
- Installing Apple TV Software (PDF)

Safari 6
- Consumer: Safari 6 Developer Preview for Lion, Uninstaller

It is unclear whether the leaked list is intended to cover all of Apple's software releases for tomorrow, but we would also expect a new build of OS X Mountain Lion to appear as Apple moves closer to a public release.

(Thanks to @xystudioo on sina weibo!)

With Apple appearing to have a full slate of announcements lined up for its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote on Monday, we're offering this roundup to summarize a number of the high-profile rumors that have been circulating ahead of the event.

Apple has already announced that it will be previewing iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion at the event, and with Apple also expected to introduce a number of new Macs and perhaps make some additional announcements, the schedule appears to be packed.

iOS 6

Apple is not keeping it secret that iOS 6 will be a major component of WWDC 2012, with banners featuring the unannounced version of iOS having already been hung at the site of the conference. While we expect Apple will detail the many new features of iOS, the biggest new feature will be Apple's own mapping solution, which has been reported by multiple sources. Apple has been dependent on Google for mapping and navigation since the iPhone's original launch, but over the past several years Apple has made moves and acquisitions in an attempt to build its own solution. Here is a list of rumored features for the latest version of iOS:

- Apple's own Mapping Solution
- Facebook Integration
- Siri for iPad
- Developer usage tracking tools
- iCloud Safari Tabs/VIP Mail Highlighting/Do Not Disturb mode
- Baidu search option in China

OS X Mountain Lion

OS X Mountain Lion is another known product that Apple will be discussing at the conference. Apple previously announced the new version of OS X back in February. The features included Notification Center, Messages, Reminders, Game Center, and Airplay. We've since seen hints at several other new features that Apple may also be including in OS X:

- Automatic App Downloads
- Password Generation in Safari
- Offline reading list / Voice Dictation

iCloud

The third banner that is being prominently displayed in the Moscone lobby is one for iCloud. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that iCloud is a strategy for the next decade. Due to a slip-up by Apple, we've already seen some of the new features that Apple is planning to bring to iCloud in iOS 6:

- New web apps (Notes, Reminders)
- Enhanced photo sharing / Photo Stream for videos

MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, Mac Pros, iMacs and Retina

Due to a leaked inventory list, we know that Apple is shipping a dozen new Mac models to their retail stores, although the exact breakdown is somewhat open to how you interpret the part numbers and prices. At the least, it seems we'll see new MacBook Airs, Mac Pros and MacBook Pros. Depending on your interpretation, we may also see iMacs.

Meanwhile, Retina-class displays on Apple's new Macs has been an ongoing rumor that's even been corroborated by Bloomberg. Apple has already built in Retina-display support in OS X, and many expect them to release the corresponding hardware this week.

- Dozen New Mac Models Coming
- Apple to Release Thinner Retina MacBook Pros at WWDC
- New MacBook line with Retina Display
- Retina coming to iMac too?
- Anti-reflective glass for iMac?

Apple TV

Apple has been rumored to be bringing a television set to market late this year or early next year, and there have been rumblings that the company may take its first steps toward that goal at WWDC with an unveiling of the operating system that will power the TV. Additional claims have suggested that Apple will be introducing an SDK to open up the current Apple TV set-top box to third-party developers. Those apps would naturally also be compatible with the television set should it come to fruition. We should note that all these Apple TV claims come from a single uncorroborated source, and may not happen next week.

iPhone

A number of parts claimed to be for the next-generation iPhone have already begun leaking from Apple's supply chain, with the highest-profile leak so far being a hands-on video showing the back cover of the device. Apple is unlikely to introduce new iPhone hardware at WWDC, however, with most observers believing that the company will stick to the September/October timeframe seen last year with the iPhone 4S.

Live Keynote Coverage

The WWDC 2012 Keynote kicks off at 10am Pacific on Monday, June 11th. We will be providing live text and photo coverage here. We will also be issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account. Separate news stories regarding the event announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.

Apple's kicking off their 2012 Worldwide Developer's Conference at 10am Pacific on Monday, June 11th. MacRumors will be at the keynote and we will be providing live text/photo coverage of the event here. We will also be issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account. Separate news stories regarding the event announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.

Apple will not be streaming a live video feed, but does offer the video for download several hours after the event. MacRumors readers interested in a "spoiler-free" environment to wait for the full keynote video to become available can follow the spoiler free story. A direct link to the official keynote video will be posted there when it becomes available.

Apple is expected to make a number of announcements at the keynote. We already know that both iOS 6 and Mountain Lion will be major focuses of the event. We will be posting a full roundup of all rumors shortly. As always, stay tuned for last-minute leaks and rumors as there is usually activity leading right up to the event.

Photo: Thanks Andrea

Last year, Apple announced that it was phasing out developer access to UDIDs, the unique iOS device identifiers that allowed developers and advertisers to not only track usage of their own content, but also in some cases track users' movements across apps and browsing sessions. The company earlier this year began rejecting apps that continued to use the UDID rather than implementing unique identifiers that would enhance privacy by remaining unique to the developer's app.

The Wall Street Journal now reports that Apple is preparing to release new tools to assist developers with tracking usage of their apps without using the UDID, maintaining user privacy while still making it easy for developers to gather usage data on their apps.

Apple Inc. is planning to release a new way for mobile app developers to track who uses their software, according to people briefed on Apple's plans, the company's latest attempt to balance developers' appetite for targeting data with consumers' unease over how it is used.

The new tool, which could be detailed in the coming weeks, aims to better protect user privacy than existing approaches, these people said.

The report notes that Apple has been inconsistent about blocking apps that use the UDID for tracking purposes and that the new tools will provide developers with ways to collect important data anonymously without being linked to the UDID that when combined with data from other apps could be used to identify the specific user of a given device.

No other details on the tools have yet been revealed, but the company could share more information at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Instagram user Zac Altman has posted a photo showing a new banner going up at the Moscone West convention center confirming that Apple will be unveiling iOS 6 at next Monday's keynote address.

iOS 6 has been assumed to be a major topic of discussion for the event, but Apple has so far mentioned only that it will discuss the "future of iOS" at the event. The banner also displays a silver-colored theme that has been rumored to making its way to the iPhone to replace the blue theme present in many of Apple's apps. The silver theme has already been showing up on the iPad, but rumors of an Apple mapping app have suggested that the silver theme will moving to the smaller screen as well.

With Apple having dropped numbering and other descriptors from its latest model of the iPad earlier this year, there has been speculation that the company may follow suit with other products such as the iPhone. Today's banner indicates that the company will at least continue marketing iOS using its version number.

Update: A clear shot from CNet:

iOS 6 icon cropped from CNet's image shows the background is water ripples:

Yesterday, 9to5Mac reported that an iPhone user running on T-Mobile's network had observed the curious phenomenon of 3G connectivity showing up on his device when in the immediate vicinity of the Moscone West convention center where Apple is holding its Worldwide Developers Conference next week. The user, who frequently passes by the convention center, had never seen 3G network support there before.

iPhone users on T-Mobile USA have historically been limited to the carrier's slower EDGE network due to frequency incompatibility, but late last year the carrier began refarming its spectrum in select areas to move 3G service over to the 1900 MHz frequency band compatible with the iPhone. Just one month ago, T-Mobile announced that it would be taking the initiative nationwide, making the carrier ready for the iPhone by the end of 2012.

In response to the observation of 1900 MHz 3G service showing up specifically at Moscone West to beef up service for its users and speculation that Apple could make some sort of announcement about a T-Mobile iPhone at the event, the carrier issued a statement acknowledging the testing but calling its alignment with Apple's WWDC keynote "coincidental".

While upgrading coverage inside the West side of the Moscone Center, T-Mobile has also deployed 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band to test the live network on a small scale. As part of the company’s previously announced $4 billion network modernization effort, T-Mobile plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year, which will make our 4G network compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone.

NOTE: The time and location of this test is just coincidental.

T-Mobile is the only one of the four major U.S. carriers to not offer the iPhone, due to its current frequency incompatibility, and the carrier has been increasingly disadvantaged as even small regional carriers and prepaid networks have begun rolling out the device to an increasing number of customers.

Following up on its report from last week claiming that Apple will show off the operating system for its future television set product at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, BGR now briefly reports that Apple will be using the event to introduce a new software development kit (SDK) to allow third-party developers to build apps for the Apple TV.

We have heard from a trusted source that Apple will be introducing a TV SDK at WWDC next week. This would enable third-party developers to create software for Apple’s TV products.

The report reveals no other details on Apple plans, but we do note that Steve Jobs himself admitted just as the revised Apple TV was launching in September 2010 that the company could open an App Store for the Apple TV "when the time is right".

With rumors of an Apple television set continuing to build, Apple may now consider the time right to begin allowing developers to build apps for the existing Apple TV set-top box ahead of the company's larger entry into the market.

Bloomberg Businessweek publishes a new profile of Phil Schiller, Apple senior vice president of marketing who served for years as Steve Jobs' right-hand man regarding the company's public presentations and comments, but who has also been intimately involved in product development and positioning.

He helped Apple’s late CEO work through the meat-and-potatoes of creating new products: Defining target markets, determining technical specs, setting prices. It was Schiller who came up with the spin-wheel interface on the original iPod, and he was a champion of the iPad when other executives questioned its potential. “Because Phil’s title is marketing, people believe he’s focused on what’s on the billboards,” says Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray (PJC). “He’s much more important than people give him credit for.”

The profile notes that while Schiller and Jobs appeared vastly different in their personal lives and interests, the two were always on the same wavelength with regard to Apple's plans, earning Schiller the internal nickname of "Mini-Me". Like Jobs, Schiller has also been known to be ruthless in shooting down ideas considered not good enough for Apple to pursue, earning him another nickname of "Dr. No".

Schiller is one of the key executives responsible for helping Apple maintain its momentum as it transitions away from Jobs' influence, and he knows that he will be one of those held most acutely responsible if Apple's future products fall short.

Schiller shares many of Jobs’s passions and impulses. The big question is how well he can channel them into new ideas and products. Four former Apple managers say many consider him overly controlling and worry that he lacks the bold creative instincts needed to maintain Apple’s edge. Particularly in his expanded marketing role, some fear he will be a more conventional leader, prone to hyping products in ways that tarnish Apple’s hard-won brand loyalty.

With the iPad now over two years old and experiencing booming growth, the pressure is on Apple to set the stage for its next breakthrough product, which some believe to be television. But regardless of Apple's plans, Schiller will be playing a key role in nurturing Apple's progress and serving as a public face for Apple to help spread its message.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today issued a new report outlining his belief that Apple's thinner, Retina-equipped Mac notebook will arrive next week as a new model, referring to the machine simply as a "MacBook". Kuo believes that this MacBook will be offered alongside upgraded versions of the existing 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, with Apple being reluctant to do away with the current 13-inch design in particular due to its massive popularity.

We expect Apple (US) to unveil a new MacBook series independent from the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines at Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. We expect the new MacBook to have the following features:

(1) Basic 13” model to be priced at US$1,199
(2) No disc drive
(3) To come in both SSD and HDD
(4) Lighter and slimmer than MacBook Pro, with equal computing power
(5) Retinal display with tapered edge, larger battery capacity

Kuo also reiterates his earlier claims that Apple will discontinue the 17-inch MacBook Pro this year, citing estimates that the model makes up only 1% of Apple's notebook sales.

The introduction of this new "MacBook" model would leave Apple with a lineup of six notebooks, although Kuo predicts that issues with display yield and heat dissipation will push the release of the 13-inch MacBook back until August, leaving only the 15-inch model to make its debut next week.

We should note that this configuration of models is not accounted for in our speculation on part numbers that leaked earlier this week, but we did receive an unconfirmed tip of a different configuration that would match up with Kuo's claims fairly closely. In that scenario, new iMacs are not accounted for in the list and the J30/J31 model numbers represent updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models while the D2 model represents this new Retina-equipped 15-inch MacBook.

Kuo believes that Apple will wait until next year to re-simplify its notebook lines with Intel's Haswell platform, at which point the company will merge the MacBook Pro and this new MacBook model, leaving a set of four models: 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs and 13-inch and 15-inch MacBooks.

We do find Kuo's claims to be somewhat difficult to believe, as we fail to see how this new "MacBook" model is substantially different in performance from the MacBook Pro and thus do not see why users would be interested in a non-Retina MacBook Pro given the existence of this new MacBook line. Given the scenario outlined by Kuo, the only "advantage" of the thicker MacBook Pro would be an included optical drive, but users are finding such a feature to be increasingly unnecessary and easily replaceable by digital downloads such as through the Mac App Store, direct file transfers, and cloud-based storage, with an external optical drive available to be connected only on the rare occasions when necessary.

Still, Kuo has offered accurate information on Apple's notebook plans in the past, being the first to outlined the MacBook Air redesign that included the new 11-inch model, and thus we feel that his claims are worth some consideration and discussion.

As noted by The Next Web, Apple late yesterday approved an update to the Mac app FolderWatch [Mac App Store] that lists "Retina graphics" as one of the changes.

The report suggests that the application's developer may possibly have been given advance notice of Retina Mac displays by Apple, but we believe that to be unlikely and assume that the developer included the improved graphics based on circulating rumors and Apple's existing HiDPI modes quietly built into its recent operating system versions. Supporting the latter speculation, the developer issued a Tweet earlier today indicating that the "Retina" claim simply refers to the HiDPI mode already seen in OS X.

Still, Apple approved the update with "Retina graphics" listed as the first bullet point in the "What's new" section regarding the update, suggesting that the mention was at least seen by reviewers who approved the update as it was submitted. Consequently, the move is gaining significant attention as a potential signal from Apple itself that Retina-capable Macs are on their way next week.

Of course, it is unlikely that even Apple's Mac App Store reviewers have been briefed on upcoming Mac capabilities, so we hesitate to make too much of the news at this point.

Apple is expected to introduce a Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro at a minimum next week, with the feature expected to make its way into Apple's other display-equipped Mac models over time.

Bryce Haymond of Blackpool Creative has created a set of high resolution 3D renderings of the "iPhone 5" based on the circulating part leaks and diagrams.

There’s been quite a bit of hype recently in the Apple universe over the imminent announcement of a new iPhone, or rather the new iPhone (aka iPhone 5). Many of the biggest media outlets have already published photos and videos of “leaked” parts that are supposedly from the iPhone 5 as it makes its way into the manufacturing phase at Apple’s suppliers. I thought it would be fun to piece together these fragments to see what the iPhone 5 might look like when Apple makes the big announcement

Besides the video below, he's also created a zip of 76 high resolution images for download.

The numerous part leaks have fueled interest in this longer 4" screen iPhone design. Last year, early 3rd party case designs had suggested an even more dramatic redesign, but that design never came to pass.

Apple will be taking the stage at WWDC next week, but most observers don't expect Apple to unveil the new iPhone at WWDC. The new iPhone is not expected to be introduced until the fall (September/October).