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Apple rumor roundup: pipe dreams, Lala's role and Verizon's iPhone 4G
In case you haven't noticed, things are getting out of hand in the world of Apple rumors. Frankly, it's all we can do to read another one and trudge onward, but hey -- we've no problem with folks putting their reputations on the line here. Let's dig in to the latest pair, shall we? The rumor: Apple's acquisition of Lala will actually lead to customers having access to an "online locker" for multimedia. This could be a cloud storage location for one's iTunes library, enabling them to have access to their jams and vids even when away from their at-home storage. The trick is that the cloud would only hold the metadata, and streaming would originate from somewhere else on Apple's end. Our take: Okay, so we want to believe. Just imagine if your next Apple tablet or iPhone knew exactly what songs you owned in iTunes, and at a moment's notice, you could tap into the iTunes store and stream full, unedited versions of those songs from anywhere. Amazing, no? Problem is, the bulk of iTunes libraries aren't made up of content that was purchased in iTunes (or purchased at all). It seems that the best Apple could do would be to negotiate streaming deals for content you've actually purchased within iTunes, which results in a half-baked user experience. Last we checked, Stevie J wasn't much on half-baked user experiences. The rumor: Astoundingly, the mythical Apple tablet won't be the company's "one more thing" next week; instead, it'll be a refreshed iPhone... that works on Verizon Wireless. Oh, and iPhone OS 4.0. So says Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek, anyway. Our take: Ha! Apple has never been one to showcase too much at one time, and we're guessing that the outfit would be smart enough to withhold a new iPhone introduction for a separate press event. We don't doubt that a Verizon iPhone is in the works (though an LTE version will be at least a year or two out), but there's no way Jobs steals the tablet's thunder by giving every rabid iPhone user hot sweats when considering the switch to Big Red. Bottom line? Don't bank on it. At this point, we reckon everyone would be best served by taking a huge step back, a deep breath and one of those so-called "chill pills." Next Wednesday ain't so far away, now is it?
Analysts debate P.A. Semi's role in forthcoming Apple wares
It's easy to forget that Apple snapped up P.A. Semi for a song way back when, but now that we're just days, hours and seconds away from Apple's expected tablet reveal, a new wave of processor-related conjecture is hitting the fan. Richard Doherty, director of technology consulting firm Envisioneering Group, has come forward with some exceedingly detailed rumors on said tablet, a touchscreen MacBook and an OS X-based unicorn that lives in the cloud. As the story goes, Apple's pickup of P.A. Semi was primarily an effort to acquire a huge pool of engineering talent to use for its own internal designs, and now Doherty is saying that "before the year is out, Apple will have the most powerful, lowest-cost SoC in the industry." According to him, there's nothing from "ARM licensees or Intel that could challenge the power-per-watt, the power-per-buck, the power-per-cubic-millimeter of size," and he anticipates that four new products are in the pipeline from Cupertino. Need details? How's about a touchscreen iMac, an "iPod touch on steroids" with a 5-inch display, and "two different versions of media pads in the 7- to 9-inch (screen size) area." Alright Dick, you just put your reputation on the line -- here's hoping you've got your story straight. Update: Looks like UBS Investment Research has been hearing something similar. According to it, the forthcoming tablet "will be powered by a processor designed by P.A. Semi and built by Samsung."
Rumor: Apple tablet said to be "iPhone on steroids"
If there's anything consistently consistent about the purported Apple tablet, it's that it's said to be, in essence, a larger iPhone. Expanding on this, Boy Genius Report cites its "close Apple contact" that claims the device is "an iPhone on steroids." Like its iPhone brethren, the tablet is said to sport an ARM processor, adding the caveat that the processor will be "incredibly fast." Also according to the report, the tablet will support multi-touch gestures that are said to be "out of control." Back in 2005, Apple acquired FingerWorks, a company that specialized in gesture-based computing. According to former Apple engineers, FingerWorks will have its footprint -- er, fingerprints -- on the purported tablet. The meat behind these potatoes is said to be the iPhone OS kernel. For this reason, there hasn't been an updated build of the iPhone OS out of fears that tablet-related references in the code would leak.
Rumor: Tablet set for Q2 launch, manufacturers ramp up
More from the rumor mill: It appears that suppliers for Apple have already begun shipping touchscreen panels and will begin shipping aluminum casings for the much-anticipated-but-unannounced Apple "tablet" next month. This, according to Reuters, implies a Q2 product launch, right in line with what other predictions have been. Supplying the cases is AVY Precision Technology, and both TPK Solutions and Wintek Corp are supplying the touch screen panels. All companies are based out of Taiwan. TPK, through its German counterpart, Balda, was the initial supplier for the iPhone touch screen module. It's unknown whether Balda is currently involved or whether Apple went directly to TPK. The flow of information through Apple's suppliers has always been sparse, due to Apple's stranglehold on its own product message. Competition in the Taiwanese electronic component industry is fierce, keeping individual manufacturers toeing the line with Apple. But now that components are actually shipping, it's harder to hide how things are shaping up for the as-yet-unannounced product.
Ballmer reveals some 'slate' PCs, but does not thrill
There was quite a bit of anticipation that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would upstage Apple with an exciting new tablet design at his CES keynote last night, but it pretty much turned out to be a dud. After more than an hour of bobbing and weaving through several topics, and quickly skipping over Windows Mobile, Ballmer showed a prototype tablet from Hewlett-Packard and two other suppliers. They were running Windows 7 and looked a lot like other touchscreen prototypes we've seen, but none of them seemed to do anything special. You can see the tablet presentation over on YouTube. What we really saw was Ballmer trying a pre-emptive strike against the probable appearance of an Apple tablet later this month. He even referred to 'slate' PCs, a bit of a swipe against the oft-reported Apple-owned iSlate name. I suppose this is better than Ballmer's 2007 interview where he dissed the iPhone when it launched. He's trying to get ahead of the curve, but his keynote got pretty ho-hum reviews and Microsoft really didn't show anything of interest. There was a buzz that Microsoft might show the Courier device it hinted at in September, but it didn't appear yesterday. We don't know if Apple will reveal a tablet, although it seems pretty likely. Do you think Apple can trump Microsoft with a tablet and dominate the market as they have with the iPhone against Windows Mobile phones? Or has Microsoft learned their lessons by trying to be a little more pre-emptive with a tablet release?
Rumor: Apple employee says tablet UI has "steep learning curve"
There's yet another tablet post at Cult of Mac today. This time, a reader shares info from a "friend" who works at Apple (the Internet seems rife with people who've got loose-lipped friends at Apple; friends who are willing to discuss their employer's secrets at coffee shops) regarding the tablet's UI. According to the friend, consumers should "...be ready for a steep learning curve regarding the 'new' Apple product about to be released [and its] interface." The reader goes on to say that his informant was fresh from a meeting when s/he shared this little tidbit. Perhaps using her iPhone. In the hallway. The takeaway is obvious without this post: The tablet will behave in a way that we aren't expecting. For some, the iPhone's UI took some learning, as most consumers hadn't seen a touchscreen device before, let alone a touch-based phone. That doesn't mean it will be difficult to use, just different. Rumors are rumors but one thing is certain: they're only going to get worse between now and the tablet's release. [Via MacDailyNews]
3D UI patent snapped up by Apple in 2008: could be bases-covering, could be life-changing
We've seen this done badly so many time that it's hard to imagine anyone so self serious as Apple taking a crack at it (even if they've already done so in the desktop space), but for whatever reason the company picked up this 3D UI patent back in 2008 under the guise of a few French employees. The patent was just released in December, and describes in some detail a method of zooming around in 3D using multitouch. Of course, this picture seems to imply that it's for jumping through some representative icons on a 3D plane, but the patent seems more concerned with the core mechanics of using multiple fingers at once to get around in 3D space and manipulate 3D objects -- and then going to great lengths to cover Apple's back in regards to multitouch, capacitive touch, and "multifunction" devices. So, this could be something we see in "the tablet," the next iPhone or even never, but at least we can rest assured that pinch to zoom won't be the only multitouch game in town forever.
WSJ: Apple tablet device to be 10 inches, "shipping in March."
Things are beginning to firm up on the specs of the rumored tablet device. According to the Wall Street Journal, who interviewed people who were apparently briefed today on the subject by Apple, "Apple plans to unveil a new multimedia tablet device later this month, but doesn't plan on shipping the product until March. While the shipping time hasn't been finalized and could change, people briefed on the matter said the new tablet device will come with a 10- to 11-inch touch screen." Apple is apparently also working on two different material finishes for the device. Unknown is whether or not there will be two versions or if Apple is selecting one finish over another for the final device. This overlaps with a few predictions on the topic naming 10" as the proposed size of the device, and adds yet another example where rumor has risen above the tech/Apple blogosphere to more general news sources. All eyes on the January 27th event. (Thanks to John H. for the tip.)
'Major' Apple announcement coming January 27th, devs already working with beta SDK (update: shipping in March)
According John Paczkowski over at All Things D, Apple is planning a "major product announcement" for Wednesday, January 27th -- not the 26th as we've heard in previous reports. Additionally, the French site Mac4Ever says developers have been given a beta of the iPhone OS 4 SDK which includes a "simulator" for reformatting / scaling applications to a new, tablet-sized screens. Here at Engadget, we can confirm that sources very familiar with the situation over in Cupertino have been given info about a tablet heading for launch at the end of January, which will -- in fact -- require reformatting and resizing for (we assume)... yep, its new screen size and resolution. As far as details, they're pretty scarce right now, but you can probably begin preliminary salivating and / or player hatin' as it relates to new Apple hardware. We'll have more info as it becomes available, but for now, stay tuned. Update: The Wall Street Journal just added its support for the rumor by saying that Apple will unveil its "new multimedia tablet device later this month" with a "10- to 11-inch touch screen" with plans to ship it in March. The WSJ's sources claim that Apple believes it can "redefine the way consumers interact with a variety of content" as we've been hearing all along. [Thanks, David]
Apple event scheduled for Wednesday, January 27th, NOT the 26th
Apple is toying with us. Remember the information a few weeks ago about the big event scheduled for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on January 26th? Of course, all of the Apple bloggers and pundits jumped all over this date as being the date for the announcement of something big like the tablet. After thousands of posts have touted that date as the day that Steve Jobs will come down from the mountain carrying the 7" tablet under one arm and the 10.1" tablet under the other, the Wall Street Journal's Digital Daily is reporting that the event is going to be held on Wednesday, January 27th. According to Digital Daily's John Paczkowski, sources have told him that this event is planned to announce a "major new product." We're all assuming that this is going to be the most widely-hyped product since the iPhone, so wouldn't it be hilarious if it was actually something completely different? I, for one, am beginning to think that Apple is going to pull one of the biggest pranks ever on the world at large. How 'bout you? Leave your comments below for the world to see. [Awesome graphic from MacDailyNews.com]
iSlate specs "revealed." We also have a bridge to sell you.
We are publishing this purely for the sake of community interest. PhoneArena.com has published photos of "internal Apple documents" that claim to list the specifications of the impending Apple iSlate. The two-page document "reveals" that the iSlate will run "Mac OS X Clouded Leopard" on a 7.1-inch multitouch display with fingerprint-resistant coating, 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 120GB hard drive, and... a built-in projector. PhoneArena admits they don't know if the document is real or not, but I'll tell you the top two reasons why it's a fake: The document is still up. If it were real, Apple legal would be on them like a bear on honey. After just refining OS X 10.5 "Leopard" with 10.6 "Snow Leopard", Apple is not going to confuse customers with another OS X called "Clouded Leopard" Read over the document yourself. What do you guys and gals think of the specs? Are the documents fake, really fake, or really really fake? Tell us in the comments!
5 iPhone apps that will rock on a tablet
Until we're holding our Apple tablets in our hands, we can only speculate as to what the next wondergadget will do. Still, it's safe to assume that the tablet will offer more than web browsing from the bathroom. With that in mind, let's have a little fun. Here are five iPhone apps that would be a joy to use on a large, touch-screen device. Panelfly My favorite comic app [iTunes link] is just begging for a larger format. When first launched, Panelfly presents four options across two layouts. In portrait mode, it lists your library of comics, bookmarks, news and finally the Panelfly store. In landscape, you can flick through your library and tap any title to begin reading. Reading a comic is a pleasure. Simply tap the right-hand side of the screen to move from element to element (like bits of dialogue or important parts of the image). This "narrative navigation" leads you through the story as opposed to just moving through the pages. You can flick pages back and forth, of course, but the built-in navigation is the best way to go, and all you need to do is tap the page. Adding a bookmark or bringing up additional information is just as easy. Simply tap the middle of a page to bring up three options: add a bookmark, more info on a given issue or an overview of all pages. While in the store, you can browse featured comics, top tens, genres and publishers. Most cost about a dollar and there are even some freebies. Every issue can be downloaded with a tap and is ready for reading in seconds. Panelfly is nice on the iPhone and would be stellar on something the size of a legal pad of paper. With its beautiful and intuitive UI, clever navigation and inexpensive, access-anywhere store, it's just the kind of thing a comic fan would use during a commute or a lazy afternoon. And what artist wouldn't rather have his or her art on a nice, big screen? Count me in for Panelfly for the tablet. %Gallery-81330%
Apple tablet team in a "cone of silence", 10.7 to be previewed
Electronista summarizes John Gruber's report that a "cone of silence" exists surrounding those developing the tablet and virtually no information comes from those directly involved. Many of the tablet team are reportedly the same as those that developed the Calendar, Mail, and Safari iPhone apps – and those people are used to this. They underwent a similar radio-lockdown in late 2006. Gruber also maintains that Steve Jobs has given the tablet his "undivided attention" since returning to Apple in September. Apple's secrecy is legendary and Gruber's assertions seem to be more conjecture than insider knowledge. He does admit "I don't know anyone who works at Apple who doubts these things; nor do I know anyone at Apple who knows a whit more. I don't know anyone who's seen the hardware or the software, nor even anyone who knows someone else who has seen the hardware or software." Gruber does seem more confident that his sources say Mac OS X 10.7 is on track for a developer release at WWDC in June. Unfortunately they haven't mentioned any public-release time frame or a possible name – although I'm hoping for "10.7 Lynx."
Apple tablet rumor party: Fox News, former Google China president, and the 'iGuide' (updated)
No words can stress how much we're sick of Apple 'iSlate' rumors right now, but when someone with powerful links speaks up, we gotta take note. Kai-fu Lee -- former Google China president -- has joined the Apple rumor mill by leaking what he claims to be insider knowledge of the device. Now, we've heard a lot of this same noise before: sub-$1000 price, an iPhone-like appearance, 10.1-inch multitouch screen, video conferencing, cellular connectivity, 3D graphics and virtual keyboard. What really got our attention is Lee's link with Foxconn -- the Apple OEM is one of the main contributors to Lee's post-Google investment venture, Innovation Works, so there's a good chance that Lee's spoken to someone overlooking the manufacturing of a certain Apple device. Of course, we can't abide Lee's final proclamation that "Apple expects to produce near ten million units in the first year!" This is pretty bold considering Apple's only sold five million portable computers so far this year (and ten million was the number of iPods sold in Q3 2009 alone), but hey, who knows if Steve Jobs has already worked out a subsidizing plan with some carriers to lure us all?
Fox News backs up "big" Apple event rumors for January, cites "mobility space"
Shortly after Google China's former head posted what appear to be insider details about the upcoming Apple tablet, Clayton Morris at Fox News has confirmed the Apple January event will be "big" and focus on the "mobility space." Fox's story follows up on the original Financial Times report that Apple is hosting an event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Tuesday, January 26th. Morris reports: I've spoken to a source inside Apple who confirmed a "big" event for January. While nothing official has been handed down from the notoriously tight-lipped company, my source took the Financial Times report one step further by saying this event will focus on the mobility space, meaning we'll see something related to the iPhone/iPod touch product line. What will Apple announce that day? Only Steve and the team at Apple know for certain, but I can bet you that it's not just going to be an 8GB iPhone 3GS. Here's hoping it will be the Apple tablet, whether it's called the iSlate, Magic Slate, or iGuide. Personally, my money is on the iSlate running the iGuide OS/app.
Entelligence: iSlate or just uWish?
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. Harry McCracken has a great post on Technologizer reviewing the tremendous buzz around the iPhone right before it launched -- it was about three years ago at this time that rumors were swirling around Apple getting into the phone market. All sorts of predictions had been made for years, dating back to a 2002 New York Times piece in which John Markoff said "Mr. Jobs means to take Apple back to the land of the handhelds, but this time with a device that would combine elements of a cellphone and a Palm -like personal digital assistant." Of course, it took until 2007 for Apple to announce the iPhone and nearly six months longer for Apple to actually ship it. The rumors of Apple doing a phone back then were at about the same fever pitch of the recent Apple tablet rumors. Like the iPhone, the tablet rumors aren't at all new -- in this case we can go back to 2003 for some of the earliest stories about this mythical device. Will Apple introduce a tablet in 2010, as some predict? Will there be in an introduction in January? What features might it have, and how could it be sold and positioned? I'm not going to speculate on those things for two reasons: first, if I don't know, my guess is as good as yours -- and second, if I do know, I probably couldn't tell you anything, could I? Having said that, I find it remarkable that the latest tablet buzz so closely echoes the run-up to the iPhone. Call it déjà vu all over again.
Rumor du jour: Apple ordering 10" tablet screens
Another week, another day, another round of tablet rumors for the now all-but-confirmed January event. The latest news bouncing around the Interwebs is that Apple has placed an order with panel supplier Innolux for a bevy of 10" touch panels to stick in the new devices, be they called iSlate or whatever the marketing team eventually hits on the dart board. This vibes with what we'd heard earlier about the screen being either 7 or 10" in the diagonal, and it reveals a little bit more about the process: apparently Apple wanted to go with this release earlier, but they were concerned about the strength of the glass. Now they've got the stronger glass they need, so supposedly the rumors on the wind say they're ready for a January announcement, with a release coming in March or April. They've even got another supplier lined up to crank out even more of these screens if needed. A translated WSJ article also says a Taiwanese company called Chang Uei Precision has been signed up to provide "connectors" for the device, but that sounds quite vague and they say a release isn't planned until Q3 of next year. As always, this all remains hearsay -- Apple hasn't even officially announced an event in January yet, much less hinted that they'll be releasing a revolutionary tablet-style device. So remember what Grandma said about counting chickens before they hatch, and don't. But if any of these rumors prove to be true, it'll be an interesting 2010. [via Engadget]
iTunes Connect is still down, was due back today
It looks like the iTunes Connect team is still on "holiday break"; it was scheduled to end today. iTunes Connect is used by developers to manage their apps on the iTunes Store and to check sales of their apps. Developers have been without iTunes Connect since last Wednesday. Those who were hoping to submit new versions or pricing changes will have a lot to catch up on once iTC goes live again, and the App Store reviewers will have a big backlog to go through. Update: iTunes Connect is back up! Developers on Twitter are noting the holiday surge in purchases...
Apple tablet terrorized by component rumors
Took some time off for the holidays, did you? Well, things haven't changed much since you've been gone. The world is still afraid of terrorists and Apple's still rumored to be working on a tablet. Regarding the latter, two rumors have coalesced this morning from component suppliers. First, Taiwan's Economic Daily is reporting via the Wall Street Journal that Cheng Uei Precision has landed "connector" orders for a "new flat-panel Apple Tablet PC" expected to begin shipping in Q3. Then DigiTimes piles on with its claims that Innolux (not WinTek) will be the initial supplier of 10-inch glass "touch panels" for Apple's new tablet. DigiTimes then muddles things by claiming that the tablet will begin mass shipments (presumably to consumers) in March or April based on its analysis of shipping schedules from Apple's upstream component suppliers. One thing's for sure: if Apple does ever announce an iSlate or whatever they decide to call it, you won't be using it during the last hour of your flight into the US.
iSlate has a friend -- meet the mysterious Magic Slate
The slates just keep coming. Now MacRumors is reporting that Apple has filed a trademark for a device called "Magic Slate." The term was categorized broadly to cover computers, computer peripherals, computer hardware and much more. "Magic Slate" adopts a similar naming convention to the recently released multi-touch Magic Mouse from Apple. It's not hard to imagine that a "Magic Slate" would be a multi-touch peripheral for computers, much like the multi-touch iGesture Pad released by Fingerworks before their acquisition by Apple. Back in October a multi-touch trackpad was rumored to be making an appearance but it never materialized. If Apple does still plan on releasing the device, it would fit in nicely with the "Magic"-peripheral theme. Now, where's that trademark for "Magic Keyboard"?
