As noted by CoveringWeb, Apple has pushed out to developers the first beta version of iOS 4.2. At its media event on September 1st, Apple announced that iOS 4.2 would be released in November and would unify iOS across Apple's mobile devices, bringing iOS 4 features such as multitasking to the iPad for the first time.
Soon after the media event, Apple posted a preview page showing some of the features coming to the iPad in iOS 4.2, including the multitasking and folders already available in iOS 4 for iPhone and iPod touch but also such features as printing and AirPlay support for streaming media from the iPad.
Coming just a week after the public launch of iOS 4.1 for iPhone and iPod touch, the initial iOS 4.2 beta is available for iPad, iPhone (3G, 3GS, and 4) and iPod touch (second-, third-, and fourth-generation).
Update: Users are reporting that the AirPrint feature in iOS 4.2 beta also requires that users install the latest Mac OS X 10.6.5 beta. The Mac OS X beta has reportedly been made available to developers in the iOS Developer Program for this purpose.
The San Jose Mercury News reports that Apple is preparing to roll out support for newspaper subscriptions on the iPad, opening the door for new revenue streams for publishers. The information apparently comes via Roger Fidler, head of digital publishing at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, who works closely with many newspapers and has received the information from industry sources.
Apple is expected to announce soon a new subscription plan for newspapers, which hope tablets like the iPad will eventually provide a new source of profits as media companies struggle with declining print circulation and advertising revenue.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the report, Apple may be looking to take a 30% cut of subscription revenue and up to 40% of advertising revenue from the digital newspaper content. Apple and major newspaper publishers have also reportedly agreed on an "opt-in" option for subscribers that would allow user information to be passed along to the publishers for generating advertising commitments. Those two items of contention have been seen as the primary barriers to bringing newspaper and magazine subscriptions to the iPad.
Publishers wanted to pay Apple a fee rather than a cut of subscription and advertising revenue, and are not happy with Apple's terms, he said. They had hoped to offer app editions as part of subscription bundles that include print versions of the paper. Instead, they must use Apple as an intermediary with subscribers.
Several publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have been able to roll out subscription-based content for the iPad, but the vast majority of newspaper publishers have yet to see access to their e-editions come to the iPad as negotiations over how the subscriptions will be handled have continued.
DigiTimes reports that Apple is adding another supplier of touch panels for the iPad, likely addressing what has been thought to be the primary bottleneck on production rates for the device.
Cando, a subsidiary of AU Optronics (AUO), is scheduled to start shipping 9.7-inch touch sensors for Apple's iPad from its newly reformed 4.5G production line in September-October 2010.
Overall output of the newly reformed 4.5G plant will be mainly for iPad touch sensors with a monthly capacity of almost one million units.
According to industry sources, Apple initially contracted with both Wintek and TPK for iPad touch panels, but claims of production issues at Wintek were blamed for a slightly delayed launch and tight supplies for the device as it debuted in the U.S. in early April. TPK was also rumored to be experiencing difficulties with production, forcing Apple to shift some production back to Wintek as it scrambled to fill its sales channels in the early weeks of availability.
iPad production has apparently already been boosted significantly over the past few months, with shipping estimates in its existing markets dropping down to "within 24 hours" and Apple reportedly looking to boost output even further to 3 million units per month. The further expansion in production appears set to support expanded distribution, with the device launching in China and several South American countries later this week and Best Buy expanding U.S. retail store distribution. Target has also been claimed to be rolling out iPad availability early next month.
Letemsvetemapplem.eu has posted a series of videos providing some direct comparisons between the iPhone 4 and 4th generation iPod Touch. The first one is a speed boot test between the iPad, iPhone 4, iPod Touch and iPhone 3GS. We're not sure if it shows very much, though the iPad booted the fastest of the bunch.
More interesting is the embedded (above) video showing the differences in the display angles between the iPhone 4 and the 4th generation iPod Touch. While the new iPod Touch does contain a retina display, it is not the same high quality display found in the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 uses an IPS display which offers better viewing angles.
The site also provides a side-by-side comparison of the iPhone 4 and iPod touch taking video:
Following on last week's announcement, Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac launched today with a number of new features and refinements for users looking to run alternative operating systems in virtual environments on their Macs. As summarized on Parallels' site, the update brings enhancements to gaming and graphics, simpler setup and integration, greater manageability and mobility, and better performance.
Parallels Mobile
Beyond improvements to the standard Parallels Desktop application for Mac OS X, the company has also released a new, free iOS application, Parallels Mobile, bringing remote access on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch to users running the desktop software.
Parallels Mobile lets you:
* access any virtual machine running in Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac * use any Windows application in your virtual machine, from Internet Explorer to Outlook * remotely start, stop and reset virtual machines * stay connected via WiFi or 3G networks * access your Windows applications from anywhere over the Internet * optimize for either speed or graphics performance.
Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac is priced at $79.99 for an electronic download, with upgrade pricing of $49.99 available for existing users of Parallels 4 and 5. Users of Parallels 2.5 and 3, which are no longer being supported by the company, are also eligible for upgrade pricing for the next 30 days.
Parallels is also offering its Switch to Mac version with additional tools for customers new to the Mac platform, priced at $99.99.
VMware, the primary competitor of Parallels in the consumer operating system virtualization market, has responded with an offer allowing users of any version of Parallels to switch to VMware 3 for only $9.99. Users of VMware Fusion 1 and 2 are also eligible for the discounted upgrade pricing, and the offer is valid through December 31st, 2010. Meanwhile brand new customers are offered 30% off of the retail price.
Note: VMWare and Parallels are both affiliate partners so sales from these links support this site financially
- Managing a team responsible for developing amorphous alloy composition, molding and forming processes, and secondary operations (e.g. machining, grinding, finishing) as applicable to Apple requirements.
- Meeting all quality, capacity, logistics and cost requirements working closely with Industrial Design, Product Design and Global Supply Managers.
- Identifying, researching, developing, and qualifying world-class equipment manufacturers and suppliers.
- Managing the optimization of process capability to achieve dimensional tolerance and cosmetic finish requirements.
Liquidmetal's alloys, which were tested in the SIM card removal tool for the iPhone 3G, are said to offer rapid, low-cost fabrication of relatively complex parts while offering superior strength and corrosion-resistance compared to traditional metals. One former Liquidmetal executive has speculated that Apple is planning to use Liquidmetal alloys in future iPhone models.
Consumer electronics chain Best Buy today announced that, as of September 26th, it will expand availability of Apple's iPad to all 1,093 stores across the U.S., up from about 675 stores at the device's launch in early April.
Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY), the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, today announced that it will expand availability of the Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi +3G models to all 1,093 U.S. stores beginning Sept. 26. Best Buy is a preferred channel partner for the Apple iPad, now selling the popular device online (for in-store pick-up) and through Apple Shop locations within 673 Best Buy stores.
Best Buy will also begin carrying an expanded assortment of iPad accessories in its stores.
The announcement is the latest in a series of rumors and official announcements regarding expanded availability for the iPad, which has seen supply shortages ease as Apple has been able to ramp up production of the device. Just yesterday, Apple announced plans to bring the iPad to China and a number of South American countries beginning this Friday. Leaked inventory screenshots also suggest that the iPad will be coming to Target in early October.
MacRumors has received word today that Apple has seeded yet another version of Mac OS X 10.6.5, termed Build 10H542, to select developers. According to those familiar with the release, the new build offers the following improvements:
- improve reliability with Microsoft Exchange servers - resolve a delay between print jobs - address a printing issue for some HP printers connected to an Airport Extreme - resolve an issue when dragging contacts from Address Book to iCal - address an issue where dragging an item from a stack causes the Dock to not automatically hide - add SSL support for uploading files to iDisk - resolve an issue with Wikipedia information not displaying correctly in Dictionary - improve performance of MainStage on certain Mac systems - resolve spacing issues with OpenType fonts - improve reliability with some Bluetooth braille displays - resolve a VoiceOver issue when browsing some web sites with Safari 5 - address stability and performance of graphics applications and games
Apple's most recent developer seed of Mac OS X 10.6.5 before today was Build 10H535, released to the general Mac OS X developer community on September 2nd. Apple had generally been sticking to a weekly release cycle for new builds, and it is unclear why this build has seen a longer interval since the previous release. It is possible that Apple has been devoting its developer resources primarily to iOS 4.1 since its announcement on September 1st and public release last week, but such a conclusion is merely speculation at this point. A public release date for Mac OS X 10.6.5 remains unknown.
As noted by The Next Web, Apple has launched a new feature known as Express Lane on its support website, offering users a faster way to document issues with their Apple products and reach appropriate support solutions and personnel.
Express Lane is really 3 sections of support, rolled into one neat package. You can search by Apple product, search your own products (that you've registered) or look up cases that you've submitted previously.
The process, it seems, streamlines what you would normally have to do in order to find support answers for your devices. Clicking through, the My Products section is really handy and includes all devices you've registered along with the respective serial numbers.
Express Lane allows users to drill down to find support documents specifically related to their issues, along with contact options. Users are required to enter their hardware serial numbers for certain symptoms to help gauge warranty status and direct users to the proper support channels.
Influential ratings magazine Consumer Reports generated waves earlier this year by deciding that it couldn't recommend the iPhone 4 to potential customers due to its antenna issues, despite the fact that the device garnered the top score in the magazine's ratings of smartphones. With Apple's offer of free cases made at its July press conference about the issue, the magazine maintained its non-recommendation, claiming that the temporary program was insufficient in addressing the problem.
Now that Apple has officially announced that it will be ending the free case program as of September 30th, Consumer Reports has once again noted its displeasure with Apple's treatment of the issue and declined to add the device to its list of recommended models.
Our tests found the Bumper successfully mitigates the iPhone 4's reception issue, which was a weak point in the phone's otherwise-stellar performance in our tests. And we agree with Apple that not all iPhone 4 owners will experience reception difficulties with the device.
But putting the onus on any owners of a product to obtain a remedy to a design flaw is not acceptable to us. We therefore continue not to recommend the iPhone 4, and to call on Apple to provide a permanent fix for the phone's reception issues.
Apple has indicated that any customers experiencing reception issues on their iPhone 4s should contact AppleCare to obtain free cases, opting to end the blanket program in favor of an on-request policy to address what the company believes is a very small number of customers affected by the issue.
Bloomberg reports on claims in the most recent issue of Japanese tabloid magazine SPA! that Apple CEO Steve Jobs was recently stopped by airport security at Kansai International Airport near Osaka for attempting to bring Ninja throwing stars onto his private plane while heading home from a vacation in Japan.
A security scan at Kansai International Airport, near Osaka, detected the weapons inside the executive's carry-on luggage in July as he was returning home to the U.S. from a family vacation in Kyoto, the Japanese magazine reported, citing unidentified officials at the airport and the transportation ministry.
Jobs said it wouldn't make sense for a person to try to hijack his own plane, according to the report. He then told officials he would never visit Japan again, the magazine reported. Apple declined to comment.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that an incident similar to that described in the report did occur, but declined to identify the person involved, noting only that the passenger discarded the throwing stars and that both private and public passengers are subject to the same security arrangements at the airport.
Steve did visit Japan this summer for a vacation in Kyoto, but the incidents described at the airport are pure fiction. Steve had a great time and hopes to visit Japan again soon.
Amazon has taken Apple head on in their latest commercial for their Kindle e-reader:
The ad, shown here, features a guy sitting poolside in a t-shirt and shorts struggling to read an e-book on a black LCD-screen device that looks an awful lot like an iPad.
Next to him, a gal in a bikini is enjoying reading on her Kindle, featuring an E Ink screen that looks so clear in the sun that she can even read with sunglasses on. She tells iPad guy shes able to read in the sun because shes got a Kindle, which cost less than her sunglasses.
The ad points out that the iPad's screen is less readable in direct sunlight as compared to the Kindles e-ink screen. While the iPad is a more fully functional device than the Kindle, it overlaps the Kindle's e-reader usage with Apple's iBooks application.
Over the weekend, Epic Games released an update to its Epic Citadel demo app showing off the company's Unreal Engine 3. The demo had been featured during Apple's September 1st media event as an example of how the iPhone can handle generation of rich textures and imagery in gaming titles. The demo appeared in the App Store soon after the event, offering users the ability to play around with the demo themselves.
One of the bullet points in the "What's New" section of this weekend's update stands out, however, as it addresses iOS 4 for the iPad, an operating system that has not yet been released to the public or even pushed to Apple's general iOS Developer Program.
Fixed performance issues on iPad devices running iOS 4 or later.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs had announced at the media event that iOS 4 would finally make its debut on the iPad in November with the public launch of iOS 4.2.
While Epic may have received some preferential access to early iOS 4 builds for the iPad to support its efforts to demo its Unreal Engine 3 for iOS at the media event, it is still interesting to note that the operating system is making its way into the hands of at least one developer ahead of those involved in the general developer program.
Apple has partnered with major App Store developers in the past to show off new iOS features before they are opened up to the developer community at-large, but Epic seems to have an even more substantial head-start than usual on iOS 4 for iPad.
With iOS 4.1 making its way to the iPhone and iPod touch just last week, Apple has now paved the way to begin full developer testing of a unified iOS 4.2 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Consequently, many developers are hoping that they will be able to get their hands on testing builds of the new operating system in the near future.
Update: Epic's Mark Rein has clarified that the mention of iOS on iPad in the App Store update description was simply a reference to an "anticipated problem" for the iPad discovered on the new fourth-generation iPod touch.
Nearly a year ago, we noted reports of App Store "name squatting", a practice in which users signed for the Apple's App Store developer program could register the name of an application without actually submitting a binary for it. At the time, at least one developer admitted to hoarding "dozens and dozens of good sounding applications names" just in case they came up with an idea to go along with one of the names.
Email sent to developers "squatting" on application names (developer name and details altered for privacy)
Over the weekend, TechCrunch noted that Apple has begun to take steps to address the App Store name squatting, contacting developers who had yet to upload a binary within 90 days of creating their application's entry in iTunes Connect and notifying them that they will have 30 additional days in which to upload a binary before their entry is deleted.
But now, Apple has begun emailing developers if they've failed to upload their binary for 90 days after first starting the app creation process. Apple warns the developer that they have another 30 days to do so, or the record will be deleted from iTunes Connect. And the key point: "The app name will then be available for another developer to use."
Depending on how widespread the practice of name squatting is, developers may soon find themselves with additional options available for naming their apps as these names that have been limbo for extended periods of time begin to come off of the rolls.
One of the most highly-publicized features of iOS 4.1, released last week, is the ability to take High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos, a feature which allows the iPhone 4's camera to capture a wider range of light intensity and produce higher-quality photos under certain conditions. Based on evidence we've compiled, we believe that Apple may have purchased a small Cambridge, UK-based company known as imsense for its expertise dealing with just this technology.
imsense, a spin-off from the University of East Anglia, has developed a technology known as "eye-fidelity" for producing nearly instantaneous Dynamic Range Correction in both standard and HDR photos using software algorithms to remap image tones in order to recover details lost in underexposed or overexposed regions of photos while maintaining color balance and generating final images as close to that perceived by the eye in reality as possible.
While the iPhone 4's camera does generate true HDR images by combining three separate exposures into a single image, technology like eye-fidelity can help the HDR process maintain a realistic appearance for the final photos.
Apple promo image for iPhone 4's HDR capabilities
According to a note on the website of Braveheart Ventures, which backed imsense, the company was acquired by "an undisclosed trade buyer in July 2010". According to a press release from Braveheart, it received 342,000 for its minority stake in imsense, more than doubling its original 150,000 investment in two years.
Virtually all of imsense's web presence, including its website and Facebook and Twitter accounts, have been removed since its acquisition, although its flickr account remains active and shows several examples of how its eye-fidelity technology can draw out hidden features in images to create higher-quality photos. A video of a 2009 presentation by imsense CEO Philippe Dewost demonstrating the company's technology is also available.
Example of imsense's eye-fidelity image enhancement: before (left) and after (right)
In addition, imsense's App Store application imphoto has been removed from the App Store. That application utilized the company's eye-fidelity technology to produce nearly-instantaneous exposure improvements to photos on the iPhone, offering processing of photos within the user's Camera Roll as well as the ability to shoot from within the application itself.
The company's imphoto application also extended to the desktop, where a PC version was joined by a Mac version on July 1st, just ahead of the company's acquisition. Both desktop applications appear to have been discontinued.
We also note that imsense Director of Engineering Alexis Gatt left the company in July 2010, just as it was being acquired, to become senior engineer at Apple. Together, the information suggests that imsense may have been acquired by Apple, although no definitive evidence has yet been uncovered.
Update: As first noted by forum member bengladstone, according to UK government filings made on September 6th, three of Apple's officers were named directors of imsense as of July 15th, 2010: Gary Wipfler (Treasurer), Betsy Rafael (Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer), and Gene Levoff (Corporate Counsel). Levoff was also installed as imsense's secretary as of July 28th. The appointments of imsense's other directors have also been terminated.
The discovery leaves essentially no doubt that imsense is now owned by Apple.
Apple today announced that it will begin selling Wi-Fi iPad models in China as of this Friday, September 17th.
Apple today announced that the Wi-Fi models of its magical iPad will be available to customers in China from Apple Retail Stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers, on Friday, September 17 starting at 10:00 a.m.
Pricing comes in at CNY3988 ($590) for the 16 GB model, CNY4788 ($708) for the 32 GB model and CNY5588 ($827) for the 64 GB model.
There is no word on 3G-capable iPad models, with the delay presumably due to regulatory issues. Current iPhone carrier China Unicom had previously announced that it would offer the iPad, with the assumption being that it was referring to 3G models planned to run on its network.
Supply constraints for the iPad have begun to ease in recent weeks as Apple's efforts to boost production have allowed the company to drop shipping estimates to "within 24 hours" in its current markets for the device. Similar signs of the easing supply crunch can be read in the apparent expansion of retail store sales to include Target early next month. Wal-Mart has also announced that it plans to carry the iPad "later this year", and so it too may be set to come onboard alongside Target.
Update: According to Apple's Latin American site for the iPad, the device will also be launching this Friday in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Engadget claims that Target will begin carrying Apple's iPad in the coming weeks. The evidence comes in the form of inventory screenshots from Target's PDAs. Apparently 6 unnamed items are due on October 3rd and they match up with the iPads unique pricing (Wi-Fi and 3G models).
That includes a list featuring a mysteriously unnamed product that's set to become available on October 3rd (in six different versions, no less), and a series of images from a Target PDA (like the one pictured above) that seemingly show that the item numbers match the iPad prices exactly, and that it will be located in the Digital Audio section -- that's apparently also how e-readers like the Kindle are classified, in addition to iPods.
The Apple iPad has sold over 3.2 million as of Q3 2010. The iPad was in short supply in the early months after its release but these constraints have eased up in recent weeks.
Appleinsider claims that Apple may already be in "advanced testing stages" of a new FaceTime capable iPads.
A version of the tablet device with a built-in video camera and support for the new FaceTime video conferencing standard has already progressed to the advanced testing stages, according to a person with proven knowledge of Apple's future product plans.
The followup iPad is said to be due no later than 1st quarter of next year with some suggestion we could see them sooner. The report corresponds to recent claims that the iPad's next-gen firmware contains FaceTime debugging software, similar to that which was leaked prior to the iPhone 4 launch.
Apple released the first (and also current) iPad in April 2010.
