MacRumors

At the Santa Monica Planning Commission tonight, Apple is believed to be proposing a dramatic new Apple Retail Store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. As first noted by Curbed, the proposal is from an unnamed retailer who is seeking to construct a new 8,084 square foot commercial building in the place of an existing three story Borders Bookstore.

The applicant is listed as "Howard Robinson" and the property owner as ASB/Blatteis Promenade Holdings, LLC, but one look at the renderings (above and below), and it's clear that this is an Apple Retail store project.

The proposal (PDF) is for a one-story, 34-foot high commercial building with an "expansive floor-to-ceiling height accentuated by a transparent glass ceiling." The front will be entirely glass that will project from stone paneled side walls. A 5,210 sq foot basement will also be included.

The applicant also intends to implement a transportation program for employees to travel to and from the store using alternative modes of transportation. Full-time employees will be offered $100 monthly transit subsidy and a $20/month bicycle reimbursement subsidy as well as bicycle parking in the basement level.

Apple has been making some major upgrades to their retail stores in the recent months. Their 5th Avenue Store in New York is undergoing a $6.6 million upgrade while a new Grand Central project has also been making headlines.

Apple, of course, already has an Apple Retail store on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade, but it has been said to get very crowded on weekends, so this may represent an upgrade and replacement to the existing store.

Apple today released OS X 10.7.1, the first maintenance update to OS X Lion. The update is available via Software Update and Apple's download pages.

The 10.7.1 update is recommended for all users running OS X Lion and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability and compatibility of your Mac, including fixes that:

- Address an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when playing a video in Safari.
- Resolve an issue that may cause system audio to stop working when using HDMI or optical audio out.
- Improve the reliability of Wi-Fi connections.
- Resolve an issue that prevents transfer of your data, settings, and compatible applications to a new Mac running OS X Lion.

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4764.

Apple has also released a version of OS X 10.7.1 specific to the latest MacBook Air and Mac mini models, adding a few additional fixes.

- Resolve an issue where MacBook Air may boot up when MagSafe Adapter is attached
- Resolve an issue causing intermittent display flickering on MacBook Air.
- Resolve an issue that causes the SD card slot in Mac mini to run at reduced speed with SD and SDHC media.

Finally, Apple has released a separate OS X Lion Update 10.7.1 (Server) update for those systems with Lion Server components installed, improving the reliability of the Apple File Service, and a unique OS X Lion 10.7.1 Update for Mac mini 2011 (Server) update including all of the OS X 10.7.1, Lion Server, and specific Mac mini changes.

Apple has been seeding developers with builds of 10.7.2 to prepare for the launch of Apple's full iCloud service later this year, but the company did not provide any builds of OS X 10.7.1 for developer testing.

Backing up a report from TiPb last week claiming that Apple is shooting for an October 7th launch of the iPhone 5, 9 to 5 Mac now reports that it is hearing similar information. According to source, Apple is reportedly planning to begin pre-orders for the iPhone 5 on September 29th or 30th, with the actual launch scheduled for either October 7th or 14th.

According to our sources, Apple has been weighing between launching the new iPhone on October 7th or October 14th, but with the product’s latest stages of pre-mass-production currently moving along nicely, Apple is presently shooting towards a launch on the 7th. On top of this, unlike with the iPad 2, Apple plans to offer pre-orders for the new iPhone.

Apple currently plans to begin pre-orders for their next-generation smartphone in the final days of September. The company has still not finalized the pre-order start date, but is debating between Thursday, September 29th and Friday, September 30th. The 30th seems more likely at this point according to one of our sources.

The report comes with strong caveats that Apple's launch plans are a constantly shifting target and that things could change at any time, but expresses confidence that these are indeed the dates Apple is currently shooting for.

With pre-orders coming at the very end of September, that milestone would presumably be preceded by a media event to introduce the new iPhone and other hardware such as new iPods. While there has been a considerable amount of back-and-forth about whether Apple will bring out the new iPhone in September or October, some of the more mainstream reports have been adamant about an October launch. Complicating the issue is the fact that an introductory media event, possible pre-order start date, and product availability can all occur on separate dates over a period of several weeks, and few reports have specified exactly which, if not all, of those three events they are referring to with their timeframe claims.

After a more than 15-year absence from the Mac, Autodesk released AutoCAD for Mac last year. Today, Autodesk released AutoCAD LT 2012, the "lite" version of AutoCAD, on the Mac App Store for $899.99. The company also announced a new version of its flagship AutoCAD for Mac software, and AutoCAD WS mobile product.

Autodesk is the first third-party developer to launch a high-end product on the Mac App Store, and hand over 30 percent of its software revenue to Apple -- a controversial move to some, but Autodesk isn't concerned. Amar Hanspal, Autodesk's senior vice president for platform solutions and emerging business, told the Wall Street Journal that Apple is "acting as an agent for us" and is "commercially rewarded for doing that."

Autodesk's full-featured flagship AutoCAD for Mac product, which retails for $3,995, will not be sold through the Mac App Store. Hanspal noted "there is a price level you cannot exceed" at the online store -- Apple's maximum price for any App Store application is $999.99.

“Since the release of AutoCAD for Mac last year, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, further validating the need for professional design and engineering software on the Mac platform,” said Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, Autodesk Platform Solutions and Emerging Business. “Bringing AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD WS to the Mac shows our continued commitment to making design more accessible for an ever-greater number of people to shape the world around them.”

AutoCAD for Mac 2012 software includes familiar AutoCAD capabilities, such as 2D and 3D design tools, and includes 3D free-form modeling capabilities; 3D visualization and rendering; network licensing; advanced customization of the menus; support for LISP and ObjectARX and ObjectDBX applications; and more. AutoCAD LT for Mac follows common native Mac application user interface guidelines, with a familiar Apple menu bar together with a number of workflow-based palettes. AutoCAD LT for Mac also supports native Mac OS X behavior, including Cover Flow navigation and Multi-Touch gestures.

AutoCAD LT for Mac is perfectly suited for designers, architects and engineers who prefer to work in a native Mac environment and need to create, edit or review designs, technical drawings and documentation.

AutoCAD LT 2012 is available for $899.99 on the Mac App Store. AutoCAD for Mac 2012 is $3,995 and purchasing options are available through Autodesk.

Following up on the interest generated by yesterday's disclosure that wireless carriers are using a special build of iOS containing unique property list files referring to LTE compatibility, Engadget now reports that AT&T has recently installed LTE network equipment in at least one Apple retail store.

Now we've received the image you see above, which shows some 4G LTE equipment that was recently installed in a major Apple store -- by AT&T, according to our source. Making things somewhat more interesting is the equipment itself, one piece of which supports only the 700MHz and AWS bands -- both of which AT&T plans to use for its LTE network if the T-Mobile acquisition goes through.

Rumors have indicated that the iPhone 5 will be supporting the HSPA+ 4G standard, with Apple reportedly holding off on supporting the more advanced LTE 4G standard for the time being until adoption spreads and chips meeting Apple's size and performance standards become available early next year.

But with Apple providing its carrier partners with special iOS builds referencing LTE and carriers like AT&T apparently installing LTE equipment on-site at Apple stores, it seems natural to speculate that Apple is indeed testing LTE-enabled iPhones, perhaps in real-world settings. The developments also provide hope for those seeking an LTE iPhone later this year, but the majority of reports continue to indicate that Apple will be holding off until 2012 to make the technology available to the public.

Update: Engadget's source has requested that the image be removed, and we have complied with the request.

Apple's blitz of retail store openings continues this week, with ifoAppleStore reporting that the company is set to open three new stores in three different countries this Saturday. The openings come after Apple opened five new stores this past weekend as part of a push to open over 30 new stores between July and September.

The stores opening this week include a new location in Berkeley, California, as well as locations in Leganés, Spain near Madrid and Basingstoke, United Kingdom.

- 4th Street (Berkeley, California): The latest of more than a dozen stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, the new Berkeley store is just three miles from Apple's Bay Street store in nearby Emeryville and is about 2.5 miles from the University of California, Berkeley.

- Parquesur (Leganés, Spain): Located in a large suburb southwest of Madrid, the store will be Apple's second in the Madrid area and third in Spain. The store is actually closer to central Madrid than the existing Xanadu store.

- Festival Place (Basingstoke, United Kingdom): Located about 50 miles southwest of central London and 30 miles northeast of Southampton, the new store is in a large mall near the center of town and will be the 31st Apple retail store in the United Kingdom. The closest existing Apple retail store is The Oracle, approximately 15 miles away in Reading.

HBO has been a popular programming source for iTunes Store users since its debut three years ago due to the premium cable channel's highly-regarded original programming. As noticed by one MacRumors reader, the iTunes Store has just begun offering HD versions of a number of HBO shows, adding another option for those looking for higher-quality content.

Among the shows now available in HD: Big Love, Bored to Death, Carnivale, Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 7), Deadwood, Eastbound & Down, Entourage (Seasons 3–7), Flight of the Conchords (Season 2), The Life & Times of Tim, Hung, Rome, Six Feet Under (Seasons 3–5), The Sopranos, True Blood

As with most HD content on the iTunes Store, episodes carry a $1.00 premium over their respective standard-definition versions. Most HBO content is priced at $3.99 HD and $2.99 SD, although some shows come in at $2.99 HD and $1.99 SD. The new HD offerings appear to be available in the United States and Canada.

Reuters briefly reports that Android smartphone manufacturer HTC has struck back at Apple with a new patent lawsuit targeting not only iOS devices but also Macs. The suit was filed in United States District Court in Delaware.

Smartphone maker HTC Corp sued Apple Inc on Tuesday, claiming infringement of three patents through Apple's sale of Macintosh computers, iPhones, iPads and other devices.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware seeks to halt Apple's importation and sale of infringing products in the United States. It also seeks compensatory damages, triple damages for willful infringement, and other remedies.

The lawsuit addresses the following patents:

- 7,765,414: Circuit and operating method for integrated interface of PDA and wireless communication system
- 7,672,219: Multipoint-to-point communication using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
- 7,417,944: Method for orderwire modulation

HTC was the first Android handset manufacturer to be targeted by Apple in the current web of patent lawsuits, with Apple having filed suit back in March 2010. Last month, an International Trade Commission judge ruled in favor of Apple in an initial determination, setting the stage for a more thorough review by a panel of judges and increasing pressure on HTC to settle the lawsuit.

Fortune's Philip Elmer-DeWitt contacted Walter Isaacson and got some more details on Steve Jobs' biography that is due on November 21st. The above cover is described by Isaacson:

"The cover," writes Isaacson in private e-mail, "is the Albert Watson portrait taken for Fortune in 2009. The back is a Norman Seeff portrait of him in the lotus position holding the original Macintosh, which ran in Rolling Stone in January 1984. The title font is Helvetica. It will look as you see it, with no words on the back cover."

Isaacson also clarified to Elmer-DeWitt the moving forward of the publication date was not due to any health concerns or decline. The book was mostly completed in June, and is now "all done and edited".

The publisher describes the biography as being based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years. Meanwhile, hundreds of interviews were also conducted with family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues.

Slowly and surely, more iPhone 5 parts seem to be leaking into the wild. MacPost has spotted two new claimed iPhone 5 parts from different online suppliers. The new parts include a camera lens replacement for the iPhone 5, as well as replacement headphone jacks for the iPhone 5.

The headphone jacks come in two colors: white and black, suggesting that Apple will be offering the iPhone 5 in at least the same two colors as they offer the iPhone 4.

Apple has always produced black and white headphone jacks to maintain the consistency of appearance of their iPhones even on the small amount of the interior of the jack visible. For some reason, these parts (along with the sensor flex cable) seem to be amongst the first to leak. Similar parts leaked in the weeks leading up to the iPhone 4 launch back in 2010:

The camera lens replacement for the iPhone 5 sounded like it could be more interesting, but no details are offered for the part.

Apple had previously been rumored to be launching the iPhone 5 in white as well. The iPhone 4 was originally announced to come in both black and white, but production issues delayed the white iPhone 4 until the following April. The iPhone 5 is widely expected to launch in October.

Over the weekend, there had been a lot of interest in what appeared to be a 3G-capable MacBook Pro with an extendable antenna. The original eBay auction reached as high as $70,000 before being removed from the site. The listing was removed at the request of Apple. The seller, however, joined our forums, and provided additional photos and details about the unit.

Much of the initial commentary was about the look of the antenna, but it was actually felt to be nicely designed by the seller of the notebook. He wrote, "really in person it seems quite well designed, and not out of place with the rest of Apple's look."

The seller describes the antenna as "quite tiny" and attributes some of the initial reactions to the bad angle. It is said to protrude about 2" from the display when extended. Most notably, it's actually attached to the MacBook Pro with magnets, and can come off. This is shown in the following photos:

Apple has used magnets in their power cords for a number of years to help prevent damage from users accidentally tripping over cables. Apple applied this same design theory to the antenna. Apple had actually applied for a patent on this kind of magnetically attached and extendable antenna back in 2008, and recently republished.

In the patent application, Apple explained the reasoning behind the external antenna. According to Apple, metal enclosures, such as in the MacBook Pro, have a high conductivity which poses a challenge when designing an internal antenna.

The antenna may exhibit improved transmission and reception efficiencies when the antenna is placed in an extended position away from the conductive housing

They also acknowledge that external antennas that permanently protrude have an unattractive appearance and may be susceptible to damage. Their solution was to offer this retractable antenna design. When not in use, the antenna can be stowed and take on the look of the rest of the case design, and when extended, can break away with magnets to avoid damage to the computer.

Obviously, Apple decided against pursuing the design ultimately, but its very interesting to see an actual prototype of a concept that Apple had also submitted a patent for back in 2008.

Apple has started selling the OS X Lion USB Thumb Drive, intended for users without a broadband connection.

As noted by 9to5Mac, the USB thumb drive is available for sale on Apple's online store for $69.00. Apple had pre-announced that they would be selling the USB stick back in July. The USB stick offers the full OS X Lion installation without any need to download it over the internet:

OS X Lion is available on a USB thumb drive for installation without the need for a broadband Internet connection. Just plug the drive into your USB port and follow the instructions to install. OS X Lion is also available for a lower price as a digital download from the Mac App Store.

Earlier this month, Apple released a downloadable utility that would let users create a Lion recovery partition. That partition, however, still required you to download Lion from Apple's servers.

At $69.00, this USB option costs $39.01 more than the corresponding digital version through the Mac App Store. OS X Lion also remains available on the Mac App Store for $29.99.

Digitimes claims that Apple has canceled its iPad 3 supply schedule for the second half of 2011, which means the iPad 3 won't be launching until 2012:

Apple was originally set to launch its iPad 3 in the second half of 2011 with a supply volume of 1.5-2 million units in the third quarter and 5-6 million in the fourth quarter, but Apple's supply chain partners have recently discovered that the related figures have all already been deleted, the sources pointed out.

Sources seem to believe that poor yields of the new 9.7" 2,048 by 1,536 pixel Retina display are the reason for the delay.

Sources from panel players also pointed out that the 9.7-inch panel with high resolution requires a much larger backlight source and a single edge light bar is hardly able to reach satisfaction levels. Due to iPad 3's requirements over the physical thinness, rich color support and toughness will all conflict with the panel's technology restrictions; therefore, this could cause a delay in the launch.

This may finally put an end to iPad 3 rumors that seemed to crop up persistently for a fall release. Rumors had suggested it would be the iPad 3 would receive a high resolution retina display. In fact, Apple may have been preparing for the possibility as far back as January with the inclusion of double-resolution artwork for the iBook application.

It also adds some credence to rumors from TiPb last week which said the iPad 3 will be released "early next year" and that the iPhone 5 would launch on October 7th.