MacRumors

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will launch its 99-cent TV show rentals through the iTunes Store tomorrow, with Fox and ABC set to serve as launch partners for delivering content. A report earlier today had indicated that Walt Disney (which owns ABC) was on board with that plan and that News Corp. (which owns Fox) was undecided but leaning toward participating.

As part of the Apple event Wednesday, News Corp.'s Fox and Walt Disney's ABC networks are slated to be announced as offering 99-cent rentals of television shows through the iTunes store, according to people familiar with the matter.

According to the report, Fox's participation will be limited in duration, at least to start, and will be limited to shows such as Glee, Bones, and Lie to Me for which it owns both the production and broadcasting rights.

Echoing the report from earlier today, the new article claims that a number of News Corp. executives are uneasy about Apple's plan, fearing a disruption of the traditional television business. The company ultimately agreed to go along with Apple, however, as an experiment in alternative means for delivering content to consumers and in order to win goodwill with Apple to set stage for partnerships in other digital content ventures.

Apple announced this evening that they will be broadcasting their media event live over the internet.

Apple will broadcast its September 1 event online using Apple's industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards. Viewing requires either a Mac running Safari on Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard, an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad. The live broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT on September 1, 2010 at www.apple.com.

This is the first time for many years that Apple has decided to offer a live video stream of their media events.

We will continue to offer Twitter updates at @MacRumorsLive.

Bloomberg reports that Apple will be introducing a revamped Apple TV at tomorrow's media event, and that the new device will offer Netflix movie streaming. Netflix offers a subscription service allowing customers to receive DVDs and Blu-ray discs by mail while also accessing a library of streaming content through an increasing array of compatible devices such as TiVos, DVD players, and gaming consoles. Netflix currently offers free applications for other iOS devices to allow subscribers to access streaming content on the go.

Apple Inc., preparing to announce a new set-top box that delivers TV to consumers, will include movies from Netflix Inc., according to three people with knowledge of the plans.

The streaming service would be available on the revamped version of Apple TV, due to be introduced tomorrow in San Francisco, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been made public. Users would pay a subscription fee to Netflix for the service, the people said.

According to the report, the revamped Apple TV will carry the $99 price tag that has been rumored for some time.

In addition to the Apple TV, Bloomberg's sources claim that Apple tomorrow will introduce updated iTunes functionality, as well as a new iPod touch with higher-resolution display, presumably matching the iPhone 4's Retina display.

9 to 5 Mac shares a video discovered on YouTube showing a brief clip of the 3 cm x 3 cm touch screen supposedly destined for the next-generation iPod nano rumored for introduction at tomorrow's media event. While we've already seen the small touch screen in photos, the video provides a good demonstration of how the screen (and consequently the device, as rumors have the device being essentially the size of the screen) would look in the hand.

The video also briefly shows off black and white iPhone 4s, while the video and a second one posted on the same account also show the purported next-generation iPod touch digitizer carrying a hole near the top center, presumably to accommodate a front-facing FaceTime camera. Such parts have been well-documented over the last several months.

AppleInsider reports that it has received information claiming that Apple's next-generation iPod nano, rumored to carry a smaller form factor and touch screen, will maintain the existing price range for the line. And despite the significant decrease in size, pricing at current iPod nano levels of $149 for 8 GB and $179 for 16 GB will leave the door open for Apple's diminutive iPod shuffle to continue to exist at its much lower price point.

Sixth-generation iPod nanos on deck for an introduction by Apple on Wednesday will reportedly be priced in-line with existing models and will not replace the company's other diminutive media player, the iPod shuffle.

Although the new nano, built around a 1.7-inch display, is expected to sport similar dimensions to the second-generation clip-on iPod shuffle, people familiar with Apple's plans say the company will continue to market its button-less iPod shuffle as an entry-level player.

In addition, the report's sources claim that while the new iPod nano will be introduced at tomorrow media event, it will not begin shipping immediately. No information on when shipments are expected to begin has been divulged.

Engadget yesterday reported on an Apple customer service survey going around in recent days that specifically addresses the ability to "instantly" watch iTunes Store video on the iPad, a feature not currently available.

. . .it lists "Titles are available to watch instantly" as a reason you might totally love watching video on the iPad. Of course, you can't watch iTunes videos "instantly" right now -- the iPad requires the entire video file to download before playback begins, and the current Apple TV requires a fair bit of buffering -- so this could be a big hint that instant streaming is coming quite soon.

With Apple's media event scheduled for tomorrow, speculation of course tends to surface about whether Apple might announce a new streaming video service for iTunes.

Customer service and market research surveys are typically poor sources for such information, as those in charge of the surveys are generally far removed from any product development processes. Consequently, it seems more likely that this is item is simply an error or unclear wording on the part of the survey staff, but given that the source is Apple itself, it bears noting.

Most of the rumors regarding a cloud-based streaming service for iTunes have centered around music, but sources have indicated that Apple has yet to even formally approach music labels about making licensing deals to allow the service to be implemented. Rumors of video streaming have, however, occasionally cropped up, including claims that the Lala Media team that was expected to work on music streaming has been diverted to tackle an unknown video feature. A focus on video streaming would also play into the rumored Apple TV/iTV revamp.

CanalMX reports [Google translation] on comments from an executive at Mexican carrier Telcel claiming that Apple is set to release a revised version of the iPhone 4 by the end of September to address the highly-publicized antenna issue. Telcel began offering the iPhone 4 in Mexico last Friday as part of a quiet expansion that saw the device also come to the Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Portugal, and Slovakia.

According to Marco Quatorze, Telcel's Director of Value Added Services, the iPhone 4 sold in Mexico will initially be the same hardware as that sold in the U.S. and elsewhere, with Apple offering a free case to address potential issues with antenna performance. But he also noted that as of September 30th, when the free case program expires, revised hardware without the reception issues will become available.

The veracity of Quatorze's claim is unknown, as it is unclear whether a carrier executive at his level would even be privy to such information, and it is possible that he may simply be mistaken in his understanding of Apple's September 30th expiration date for the free case program. At Apple's iPhone 4 press conference last month, Steve Jobs noted that the free case program was launched with an initial expiration date of September 30th to provide the company with time to continue its investigation of the antenna issue and perhaps come up with a better solution for future customers.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Apple is still working to convince media companies to adopt its plan for 99-cent TV show rentals through its iTunes Store. According to those close to the negotiations, a number of media companies, including NBC, CBS, and Time Warner, are against the plan, but Disney is currently prepared to go along with it.

News Corp., the parent company of FOX, is still sitting on the fence, however, with its executives split on whether to sign on with Apple for the rental plan. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch is said to be in favor of it, which may tip the balance in favor of Apple's plan for News Corp., and possibly even the entire industry should the early adopters see success with their offerings.

News Corp. executives are divided over selling TV shows at such a discount, according to people close to the conversations who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal company matters.

Single episodes of such popular shows as "Glee" or "Lie to Me" are available to purchase for as much as $3.99 at Apple's iTunes store. Some executives of News Corp., which owns the Fox network, worry that offering 99-cent episode rentals will cut into lucrative DVD sales and pull viewers away from watching network TV, thereby eroding a $20-billion advertising market, these people said.

But other top officials at News Corp. - especially Murdoch - are prepared to join Apple's six-month pricing trial because it could cement a relationship with Apple's powerful chief executive, Steve Jobs, and reap benefits for other divisions within the company, namely newspapers.

According to the report, Apple's plan calls for a six-month trial in which content providers would be guaranteed to receive the same revenue for rentals that they have been receiving for sales of TV show episodes. Apple's iTunes Store would offer commercial-free versions of the episodes at the 99-cent rental price point within 24 hours of their original airing on television.

Those media companies currently holding out against Apple's plan cite a number of factors, including fears of sabotaging their own lucrative DVD sales and losing customers for traditional cable companies that pay significant fees for the right to carry their content, in their reluctance to sign on. The companies are also worried about an overall devaluation of their content due to dropping prices, causing a ripple effect for revenue streams such as syndication.

Apple's September media event kicks off on Wednesday, September 1st at 10 a.m. Pacific. The annual event typically focuses on Apple's iPod line, though recent rumors have suggested that the Apple TV may finally be getting a revision.

Rumors

Here are the major rumors heading into the event.

- Apple TV - A next generation Apple TV based on iOS, priced at only $99, as well as support for Apps.
- iPod Touch - Backside camera, mic, new shape, front facing camera, possible 3G and even a Retina display.
- iPod Nano - Smaller, square shaped design with a 3cm x 3cm touch screen. Case manufacturers have already been producing covers for the unannounced device (see above).
- Other updates to iTunes including TV show rentals and longer song previews.

Speculation

Meanwhile, here's a collection of fun speculative content that we can't verify, but in the run up to the event may inspire some interesting discussion:

- iPad 4.0? - We expect Apple will announce their plans for the deployment of iOS 4 for the iPad during the event. It's unlikely Apple will be able to launch tomorrow as Apple still needs developers to update their apps. So, hopefully we'll get a roadmap and a developer beta of iOS 4 for iPad.
- 2.8" iPod touch? iLounge suggests that perhaps we will see the long rumored 2.8" iPod touch emerge to fill the gap left by the former iPod nano.
- iPhone as Apple TV Remote? iLounge's Charles Starrett speculates that the rumored $99 Apple TV might actually require an iOS device to serve as a remote. Beyond his speculation, we'd actually heard unconfirmed whispers of the same, so it seems within the realm of possibility.
- iLife Mystery App is a Make Your Own App Tool? Rumors of iLife '11 suggested a brand new app would be introduced with the iLife '11 suite. We've heard an unconfirmed whispers that the new app could actually be a way for end users to create simple apps and deploy them directly (not through the App Store) to their iOS devices. Is Apple returning to their Hypercard roots? It's hard to say how feasible this would be.

Coverage

We'll be providing live coverage on Twitter at @MacRumorsLive as well as major updates here on the site. Our main news Twitter feed is @MacRumors. A Spoiler Free page is also available for those who want to watch the event fresh.

Autodesk is expected to announce the release of AutoCAD for the Mac, iPad and iPhone platforms on Tuesday. This represents the return of AutoCAD to the Mac platform after nearly a two decade hiatus.

The return of AutoCAD to the Mac could help Apple sustain its momentum in the competitive market for personal computers, especially with business customers, where Apple has made significant inroads recently. Autodesk estimates that 10 million people use the AutoCAD software around the world, and the company said that its customers had been asking for a Mac version with growing frequency.

We first revealed screenshots of the beta version of AutoCAD back in May which had undergone early testing.

Meanwhile a mobile version called AutoCAD WS will be available free on Apple's App Store for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The free version is said to allow users to view AutoCAD designs and make minor changes.

The Mac OS X version of AutoCAD should be released by the end of October.

CNET reports that amongst the many rumored announcements for Wednesday's event, Apple may also plan on extending iTunes music previews from 30 seconds to at least 60 seconds:

On Wednesday, when Apple CEO Steve Jobs takes the stage at the company's annual September media event, he is expected to announce that iTunes users will be allowed at least twice the amount of time to sample a song, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the move.

The move is said to address criticisms that 30 seconds simply isn't enough time to preview a song.

Apple is also said to be focusing on their constant improvements in the iTunes music discovery experience. Meanwhile, Apple is not expected to announce any iTunes cloud plans so soon. According to CNET, the necessary agreements are still not in place.

Update: The original report has been updated to clarify that the previews will likely be extended to 90 seconds in length.

Last week, Realmac Software, the makers of RapidWeaver, LittleSnapper and other applications for the Mac, had released a teaser video of its upcoming Courier application. Courier will be released tomorrow and we've had a chance to try it out to provide a preview of how it works.

Courier for Mac is a file sharing utility that allows you to send files to multiple destinations at once, making it easy to do things like post pictures to Facebook and Flickr at the same time, for example. At launch, Courier will work with Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Ember, Amazon S3, and Vimeo with more services coming soon. Realmac will also be offering a plug-in API so that 3rd party developers can offer their own service plug-ins.

Courier's interface revolves around envelopes that you set up to use the desired services. For example, you can address (or "stamp" in Courier's parlance) one envelope to send items to YouTube and Vimeo, and another to Flickr and Ember.

If you have multiple accounts for any service, you can set up envelopes to target these specific accounts so you send files to only the ones you target. This would be useful for those who do something like sharing family pictures in a private Flickr account but also share other photos more publicly via Facebook and another public Flickr account. There is no limit to the number of envelopes you can create and you can even include multiple destinations for a single envelope.

Perhaps most importantly, Courier also integrates the envelopes you've set up with the Mac OS Services menu accessible with a right mouse click, making it easy and convenient to choose items to share and upload.

Once you've selected and uploaded items, these "Deliveries" will be shown in a cute map view that displays the originating and destination server locations.

Courier will be available starting tomorrow and will cost $19.95 for a limited time as a special introductory offer, after which it will cost $24.95. It will require Mac OS 10.6 or later and a 64-bit compatible Mac. Realmac Software has created a Courier Twitter account, @courierapp, where followers will have early access to the application before it's available on the Realmac site.

With Apple's media event just two days away, iPod rumors are swinging into high gear. Rumors of a smaller iPod nano kicked off late last week and have been quickly followed by a flurry purported case leaks and additional claims supporting the belief. 9 to 5 Mac and AppleInsider share some additional cases and screen protectors that have popped up on Asian e-commerce sites with claims that they are for a forthcoming iPod nano model.

One of the new case leaks offers enough detail that we can begin to guess at some of the physical features of the next-generation iPod nano. A long slot on the edge of case certainly appears to be designed to accommodate Apple's 30-pin dock connector, which has been claimed to be included on the new device. An elongated hole on the opposite edge likely represents an on/off or hold switch as found on several previous and current iPod models.

The remaining three holes visible on the claimed iPod nano case are less obvious in their functionality, but one (possibly the one next to the dock connector) is certain to be a headphone jack. The remaining pair of holes in close proximity along the opposite edge could accommodate physical volume buttons similar to those found on the iPhone 4, although that conclusion is the most speculative of the identifications.

Finally, all of the purported cases contain either a completely open back or an open slot on the rear of the case, a feature that is rumored to accommodate a clip as was found on earlier-generation iPod shuffle models.

Continuing the trend of decreasing shipping window estimates, all six models of Apple's iPad are now listed as shipping within 24 hours of ordering. The change, which appears to be taking effect in all of Apple's country-specific online stores, appears to be a milestone in Apple's efforts to ramp production to meet demand for the popular tablet device.

In less than two weeks, iPad shipping estimates have moved from 7-10 business days down to 3-5 business days and now down to the minimum possible turnaround time. Apple shipped 3.27 million iPads last quarter, nearly matching the company's total Mac unit sales of 3.47 million.