TechCrunch

Late last week, we reported on claims that Apple is in discussions with voice recognition firm Nuance Communications regarding some sort of partnership presumably linked to rumors that Apple is integrating significant voice capabilities into iOS 5. TechCrunch now follows up to report that the deal seems to revolve around Apple utilizing Nuance's technology in its new North Carolina data...

TechCrunch reports that Apple is rumored to be negotiating some sort of deal with Nuance Communications, the speech recognition company behind the Dragon NaturallySpeaking engine that powers a number of popular applications for Mac OS X, iOS, and other platforms. Apple has been negotiating a deal with Nuance in recent months, we've heard from multiple sources. What does that mean? Well, it could ...

TechCrunch has posted another lengthy report detailing what it is hearing about Apple's plans for the fifth-generation iPhone and iOS 5, now both rumored for release closer to a "fall" timeframe than the traditional June/July timeframe seen in past years. Perhaps the most notable information comes at the end of the article, revealing that sources have said that Apple's April 2010 acquisition ...

TechCrunch reports that Apple may be departing from its usual pattern of releasing major new iOS releases alongside new iPhone hardware in the June-July timeframe, instead pushing iOS 5 to a release in the fall, potentially with an initial unveiling at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference. Many people (including myself) were a bit disappointed that Apple didn't devote any time during the...

TechCrunch reports that Apple is preparing to seed the first golden master candidate version of Mac OS X Lion to developers. While Apple may yet issue several such candidates before reaching the final version to be released to consumers, the candidate designation would suggest that Apple has essentially completed development on the new operating system version and will simply be fixing bugs...

TechCrunch claims to have heard that the next version of Final Cut Pro is due soon and it's supposed to be a big one: According our very own people familiar with the matter, a small group of video editors were on the Apple campus recently in order to preview the new version of video editing software, which is in the same space as Avid and Adobe Premier. Apparently Apple is still putting the...

Last year, Apple provided the public with a sneak peak and the next major version of Mac OS X (Lion). Steve Jobs showed off only a few of the new features that were inspired by iOS: "Lion brings many of the best ideas from iPad back to the Mac, plus some fresh new ones like Mission Control that Mac users will really like," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Lion has a ton of new features, and we...

Even though Apple hasn't yet even announced the 2nd generation iPad, we are already hearing the first rumors of the 3rd generation iPad. Those rumors seem to suggest that Apple is planning on accelerating the iPad's release cycle with the 3rd generation model arriving as early as this fall (September). The buzz started when Daring Fireball's John Gruber mentioned that the new HP tablet may ...

TechCrunch reports that both Apple and Google are in early talks with mobile payments company Boku. Boku is a startup company that has partnered with mobile carriers to allow customers to purchase goods using their mobile phones. Customers simply enter their mobile phone number when looking to purchase an item and a confirmation message is sent to their device. The resulting charges are...

TechCrunch reports that Apple and Swedish music streaming service Spotify have been engaging in very early-stage discussions about a possible acquisition by Apple. Discussions have apparently yet to progress beyond the feeling-out stage, however, with no firm offers on the table at this time. "Apple, Inc. (AAPL) in negotiations to acquire Spotify," read the tip that came in yesterday via email...

TechCrunch, which offered some of the earliest specific claims of a late 2010 manufacturing run for the Verizon iPhone, now reports that the fifth-generation iPhone due for release in mid-2011 will utilize a dual-mode chip to provide compatibility with both GSM and CDMA network technologies on a single device. The updated model will not, however, support the 4G LTE standard that several carriers ...

Yes, it's the subject that's been beaten to death: a Verizon iPhone. The ongoing rumors have been stoked in recent weeks by a claim from Bloomberg that the device will launch in January, with this week's announcement that Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg will offer the keynote address at CES 2011 sparking speculation that an iPhone introduction could occur there. TechCrunch weighs in today with...

TechCrunch reports that it has received information claiming that Apple is set to roll out support for Facebook Connect in iTunes, making it easier for users to share items and information with their friends and extending the social aspects of the iTunes Store to broaden its reach. It certainly adds up. Over the last few weeks, iTunes has been building out its Facebook Page at Facebook.com/iTunes, ...

TechCrunch reports that popular video site Hulu is working to bring its content to the iPad, despite the lack of support for Flash content on Apple's new tablet device. One rumor I've heard from an industry insider is that Hulu is working on an iPad-friendly version of its site that should be ready by the time the iPad hits the market. Hulu itself is still vague about its plans. When asked...

After just five days free of Apple tablet rumors, it has begun again. TechCrunch claims that they have heard that Apple is working on a second larger tablet that will be "much more like a Mac than an iPhone." But the information were hearing is that Apple is thinking much larger for another version of the product, maybe all...

TechCrunch reports that Steve Jobs has been heard saying that the upcoming Apple tablet "will be the most important thing I've ever done." The report is said to come from multiple independent sources: We haven't heard this first hand, but we've heard it multiple times second and third hand from completely independent sources. Senior Apple execs and friends of Jobs are telling people that he's...

With Apple's acquisition of streaming media firm Lala Media last month, speculation about Apple's plans for the company has suggested a number of possible opportunities, including a new iTunes streaming service or simply a "talent" acquisition of Lala's engineers. In a guest post on TechCrunch today, digital music executive Michael Robertson claims that rather than a traditional...

In a brief note, TechCrunch reports that it has heard from multiple sources that Google is preparing to launch a music service that would appear to compete against Apple's iTunes Store. Google will soon launch a music service, we've heard from multiple sources, and the company has spent the last several weeks securing content for the launch of the service from the major music labels. One source...

TechCrunch reports that Apple and Google had an unofficial policy not to poach each others' employees during Google CEO Eric Schmidt's tenure on Apple's Board of Directors. The policy only covered contact initiated by the two companies in "head-hunting" capacities, and not unsolicited applications from employees. This news follows a report by The Washington Post in early June that the Justice...

TechCrunch now claims that they too have heard evidence that the next generation iPod Touch will have a built in video camera. One of our sources in Asia say that Apple has placed an order for a massive number of camera modules of the type that they include in the iPhone. These are inexpensive cameras, in the $10...