MacRumors

iLounge and Macworld are reporting that Apple has banned the sale of film-based screen protectors for its iPhone, iPod, and Mac lines in its retail stores.

In communications with vendors that have been ongoing for "some time now," according to one company, Apple has said that it will remove both film-only solutions from its stores, as well as any case or other accessory that includes film protection as part of its package, such as cases that include film screen protectors. According to sources, the ban will impact all forms of screen film, including completely clear film, anti-glare film, and mirrored film, regardless of whether the purpose of the film is protective, decorative, or both.

The reason for the removal of film-based screen protectors is currently unknown, although speculation centers around the company looking to reduce the perception that such protectors are a necessity because the devices' screens are not sufficiently durable. Another theory involves high return rates for the products due to difficulties with blemishes and air bubbles introduced by users as they attempt to adhere the products to their devices.

Macworld claims that the ban even extends beyond screen protectors to include protectors and cushions designed to adhere to palm rest areas on Apple's notebook computers. Apple has yet to respond to either publication with comment on the reports.

Apple today sent an e-mail to users of its iWork.com beta announcing several enhancements involving document sharing and access to the service from the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

- Share documents on websites and social networks. iWork.com allows you to share a document by creating a public link. Use the link to share your document with large groups or on websites and social networks. There's no need to set a password or send an invitation. Anyone with the public link can view your document but cannot add comments or notes.

- Improved Shared Documents page. Download documents shared on iWork.com without leaving the Shared Documents page. You can also track the number of views your publicly shared documents receive.

- Refined user interface. A redesigned Sign In and Shared Documents page for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch makes it easy to access your documents while on the go. The new interface and improved scrolling help you find your shared documents faster. Visit www.iwork.com from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to view your shared documents.

iWork.com, introduced in January 2009, is a Web-based interface for sharing documents and allowing others to comment on them. iWork.com has been free for iWork users while in beta, but Apple has said that it plans to charge a fee for the service once it officially launches at some point in the future.

Engadget today pointed to a series of Apple ads appearing on Australian site PC Authority appearing to show significantly increased prices for Apple's MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Pro lines, suggesting that new, more expensive models may be imminent. An update to the story added evidence of inconsistencies in pricing on Apple's own Australian and New Zealand sites.

The real story appears to be, however, that Apple has mistakenly included old pricing on its site and in its advertising in these countries. Last October, alongside a slew of product updates including the iMac, Apple also reduced prices on its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines in some countries. For example, in Australia, Apple dropped the entry-level MacBook Pro to A$1599 from A$1899 and the entry-level MacBook Air from A$2399 to A$1999. These are same price points appearing in conflict on Apple's site and ads at this time, strongly suggesting that the issue is simply a mistaken use of outdated graphics with incorrect prices.

Apple similarly introduced the Mac Pro in Australia in March 2009 with an entry-level price point of A$4499, as shown in the advertising images currently being seen on Apple's site and elsewhere. The prices were, however, dropped to begin at A$3599, apparently in December when Apple slightly tweaked build-to-order options on the Mac Pro.

We still continue to expect updates to Apple's MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Pro models in the relatively near future, and while the new inconsistencies on Apple's site and advertising banners may be an error made as the company prepares some tweaks for an imminent release, the new images appear to reflect outdated rather than upcoming pricing.

The train of Mac OS X 10.6.3 developer seeds continues today, with Apple pushing out Build 10D571 to developers for testing. iPhone in Canada offers the details, which include a request that developers focus their testing on Graphics Drivers, iChat, QuickTime, and Fonts. Additional changes in the latest update include:

- Issues addressed that caused background message colors to display incorrectly in Mail when scrolling
- Issue resolved that caused machines using BTMM and the Bonjour Sleep Proxy to wake unexpectedly

The seed notes also apparently document one known issue involving Software Update reoffering last week's Safari 4.0.5 update after upgrading to the new build.

The last developer build of Mac OS X 10.6.3 was seeded 11 days ago, and we continue to expect Apple to release a final version to the public in the relatively near future. Apple's release schedule is difficult to predict, however, as it seeks to polish each release to address both documented and publicly undocumented issues in its builds.

Mac OS X 10.6.2 was released in early November, and Apple began seeding versions of 10.6.3 to developers in early January.

Intel today announced the launch of its new Xeon 5600 series processors, bringing to market a number of new four-core and six-core processors that Apple could choose to utilize in an update to its Mac Pro line. The company also introduced its Core i7-980x processor, a high-end consumer-focused relative of the new Xeon chips.

These are also the first server and workstation chips based on the groundbreaking, new Intel 32nm logic technology, which uses Intel's second-generation high-k metal gate transistors to increase speed and decrease energy consumption. The Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series supports up to six cores per processor and delivers up to 60 percent greater performance than the 45nm Intel Xeon processor 5500 series.

Intel Xeon 5500 series processors are currently used in Apple's 8-core Mac Pro introduced last year. Using new six-core Xeon processors in a dual-processor configuration, Apple could now offer up to a 12-core Mac Pro running at base speeds of up to 2.93 GHz if it chose to remain within the thermal constraints of its existing dual-processor Mac Pros or up to 3.33 GHz if it was able to offer sufficient cooling for the increased heat load.

An update to the Mac Pro line is widely expected and earlier rumors had suggested that Apple might introduce Mac Pros today alongside Intel's announcement, but that does not appear to be the case. Apple has in the past even introduced new models using unannounced Intel processors, with last year's Mac Pro refresh utilizing 5500 series Nehalem processors coming a full three weeks before Intel officially announced the line.

MediaMemo reports that National Public Radio and The Wall Street Journal are preparing to roll out iPad-optimized versions of their websites as the device launches in the U.S. on April 3rd. Similar to sites formatted specifically for the iPhone or other mobile devices, users visiting the publications' sites using an iPad will be automatically redirected to the iPad-optimized version.

While the iPhone and other mobile devices with small screens relative to traditional computers can benefit from streamlined and reformatted versions of many sites' content, Apple intends for the iPad's larger display to be used for a much richer browsing experience. The iPad's lack of support for Adobe's Flash technology, however, means that many sites will not display as they would on a traditional computer supporting Flash. Consequently, publications such as NPR and The Wall Street Journal have turned to Flash-free versions of their sites to varying degrees.

So if all goes as planned, iPad users who want to listen to NPR programming will have a couple choices next month. They can:

- Download a free iPad-optimized version of the broadcaster's popular (two million downloads) iPhone app. Or
- Use the iPad's browser to visit NPR.org, which will detect that it's being viewed with Apple's device and serve up a custom-built site. This means no trace of Adobe's (ADBE) Flash, which is used to power graphics and media on the site.

I've heard about a handful of other big publishers who are altering some but not all of their Web sites to create iPad-optimized versions.

That's what The Wall Street Journal - like this Web site, the Journal is owned by News Corp. (NWS) - is doing, for instance: Visitors to the newspaper's front page will see an iPad-specific, Flash-free page. But those who click deeper into the site will eventually find pages that haven't been converted.

According to Kinsey Wilson, NPR's head of digital media, the publication recently rebuilt its entire site to separate content from design, allowing it to easily tweak the visual presentation for certain platforms. Another aspect in NPR's favor is its limited advertising, reducing the hurdles imposed by the need to work with that Flash-dependent industry.

So while developing Flash-free versions of websites may be reasonable for certain publications with the structure and resources to accomplish the feat, it is by no means an easy solution for the many sites out there currently relying on Flash to display their standard Web content. During a visit to New York City to promote the iPad to publishers, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reportedly argued against the need for Flash, pushing publications toward adoption of other technologies such as H.264 video and JavaScript that are more iPad-friendly.

DigiTimes reports that industry demand for NAND flash memory of the type used in iPhones, iPod touches, and now iPads has been relatively weak of late, but Apple has been reluctant to enter into deals with suppliers who have taken steps to prop up prices by limiting the supply reaching the market. According to the report, Apple is now preparing, however, to assert its influence over the market and begin negotiations for longer-term contracts as it undoubtedly begins to ramp toward another iPhone revision later this year.

NAND flash demand has been weak, but pricing has been stable as major suppliers are limiting their supply to the market.

But the sources said Apple may start negotiating long-term supply contracts with its chip partners in the second quarter. Apple's demand will continue to play a significant role in the NAND flash industry in 2010.

A report last October suggested that NAND supply-demand balance would tip back into positive territory early this year after the holiday rush, but tight supplies are again a concern as Apple looks to soak up more of the available industry capacity.

In 2005, Apple announced a long-term NAND flash memory agreement with a number of suppliers that was expected to carry through 2010, although Apple's product lineup has obviously grown by leaps and bounds since that time with tremendous growth in its iPod line accompanied by the iPhone and now the iPad.

9 to 5 Mac noticed yesterday that shipping windows for several of Apple's forthcoming iPad accessories have begun to slip well past the device's own April 3rd launch date.

First we noticed the iPad case making a slight shift from April 3rd to Mid-April. Today we notice Apple has delayed the iPad Keyboard Dock. The product was originally set to ship to customers in late-April but now the Apple store has placed the shipping time for sometime in May.

The reason for the delays are currently unknown, although it is reasonable to speculate that high demand may simply be outstripping Apple's supply in the initial rush.

A number of observers have also noted that the iPad Camera Connection Kit, which will offer users the option of USB or SD Card reader connectivity for transferring digital photos and video to their iPads, is yet to be made available for pre-order.

The reason for the lack of pre-order availability on the iPad Camera Connection Kit is similarly unknown, and many users are currently left waiting for news on how soon after the iPad launch they'll be able to easily directly move their photos and videos to their iPads.

In an interesting blog post today, mobile analytics firm Flurry offers estimates of unit sales for Motorola's Droid and Google's Nexus One smartphones over their first 74 days of availability, the amount of time it took for Apple to reach one million sales of the original iPhone in 2007.

According to Flurry's data, Google has sold only approximately 135,000 Nexus One units since its launch in January, despite a significant amount of publicity surrounding its launch.

Despite the fact that the Google Nexus One is the most advanced Android handset to date, and enjoyed substantial buzz leading up to its release, the launch has been overshadowed by lower than expected sales. In our previous reports we offered several possible reasons including unconventional choices in marketing, pricing and distribution.

The Motorola Droid, however, experienced relatively significant early sales success with approximately 1.05 million units sold in the first 74 days, slightly ahead of the original iPhone's pace. The original iPhone and the Motorola Droid of course launched under very different circumstances, several of which are highlighted by Flurry, including the growth of the smartphone market in the 2.5 years between the two devices' launch, Verizon's nearly-40% larger subscriber base for the Droid launch than AT&T offered at the original iPhone's launch, and momentum from a holiday season launch for the Droid.

In addition, Apple's iPhone launch at an unsubsidized $499/$599 price point, well above what many casual handset purchasers were willing to pay for their devices, undoubtedly hampered early sales. Just a week before Apple reached its one million milestone for the iPhone, it announced the discontinuation of the original 4 GB model and a $200 price drop for the 8 GB model to $399, setting the stage for increased sales.

The Wall Street Journal over the weekend profiled iPhone usage among employees of Apple's longtime rival Microsoft, noting that approximately 10,000 Microsoft employees, representing about 10% of the company's global headcount, were accessing their work e-mail accounts via iPhone last year.

Some Microsoft workers take pains to hide their iPhones. While rank-and-file workers tend to use the iPhone openly around peers, some conceal them within sight of more senior executives. One Microsoft worker said he knows several colleagues who try to disguise their iPhones with cases that make them look more like generic handsets.

"Maybe once a year I'm in a meeting with Steve Ballmer," said this employee. "It doesn't matter who's calling, I'm not answering my phone."

The report notes that Microsoft last year changed its corporate mobile phone reimbursement policies to cover only devices running Windows Mobile, although company executives have stated that the move was a cost-cutting measure rather than an attempt to clamp down on employee usage of devices from Microsoft's competitors.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has famously objected to his employees' iPhone usage, even singling out an iPhone-toting Microsoft employee at a company meeting and playfully pretending to stomp on the device.

Computerworld reports that Apple recently hired Richard DeVaul, an expert in wearable computers, to the position of "Senior Prototype Engineer". The move appears to signify efforts by Apple to remain at the forefront of computer technology as it looks forward to future devices and usage habits.

DeVaul has a background in wearable technologies as you can see from his personal homepage, as well as a PhD. in Media Arts & Sciences from MIT. At MIT, he worked on new human-computer interaction techniques for wearable, mobile, and portable applications.

DeVaul also founded AWare Technologies, a company originally focused on wearable motion monitoring system for athletes and the military that has since shifted to a consumer-based focus that offers several products including StepTrakLite for the iPhone.

According to today's report, DeVaul will be working on highly secret projects directly under Apple design guru Jony Ive.

DeVaul will be working under Jonny Ive in a secret lab focused on wearable computing technology where only seven people besides Ive and CEO Steve Jobs know what he is doing.

DeVaul gained some fame in 2003 for his development of Memory Glasses, a wearable computer system offering a tiny display capable of providing users with non-intrusive and even subliminal information to assist them with memory-related tasks.

Fortune continues following an organized effort being made to track iPad pre-orders in the U.S., noting that demand for Apple's new tablet device has significantly tapered off since Friday's pre-order launch and settled in the neighborhood of 150,000 as a rough estimate for the first three days of availability.

According to Daniel Tello, the Venezuelan blogger-analyst who has been tracking order numbers submitted by volunteers at Investor Village's AAPL Sanity board, orders on Saturday and Sunday slowed to an estimated 1,000 per hour.

Based on his analysis as the initial push from the launch day wears off, Tello predicts that Apple may see about 500,000 pre-orders and reservations by the time the iPad officially becomes available on April 3rd.

"My best guess, although very tentative given the early stage and few data we have so far, would be that they hit the 1 million unit milestone by the second week after it ships," he told Fortune. "But this is a very speculative guesstimate based on just a weekend of pre-orders."

Tello's formula for calculating iPad sales comes from a sampling of Order ID numbers from Apple customers adjusted for expected sales of non-iPad products and a weighting based on average number of iPads expected per order (currently 1.125).