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Walmart to carry iPhone, but not 4GB, not for $99
Whither the cheap, low-capacity Walmart iPhone? MacRumors' Arnold Kim now anticipates that Walmart will be offering 8GB iPhones for $197, with no mention of smaller capacities or lower prices. The price is two bucks cheaper than at an AT&T retail store. MacBlogz's Aviv Hadar mentioned late last week that their sources at AT&T said a 4GB model was "simply not true." The original story, from BoyGeniusReport, was treated with a heavy dose of skepticism even from them, as the source wasn't one of their usual fonts of reliable information. In related news, the San Jose Mercury News notes that Bay Area Walmart stores may begin carrying iPhone handsets before Christmas, citing employees and managers at those stores. Otherwise, expect the devices to go on sale December 28. [Via MacDailyNews.]
Rumor roundup: iPhone 2.2 firmware details
Apple has given developers a taste of the new iPhone firmware, version 2.2 beta 2, and it includes a host of spiffy new features that are making the rounds online. A tipster shared with us some screenshots of the new firmware, including what appears to be the ability to download podcasts directly to your iPhone (and presumably your iPod touch). This could tidily explain why Apple rejected the Podcaster app last month. The option to "get more episodes" doesn't appear to work in this firmware build, however. MacRumors' Arnold Kim links to an iPhoneHellas.gr screenshot showing the iPhone software asking for a rating before you delete an application. Kim speculates Apple is looking to increase participation in the App Store rating process. Om Malik's Apple Blog is showing off screenshots from the iPhoneYap.com message boards, including new Maps functionality. Google Street View will apparently be available by rotating the device into landscape mode. Public transportation support and directions for walking also seem to be included. In the same report, the Apple Blog's David Appleyard also mentions location sharing via email and SDK support for manipulating line-in audio as part of the seed.
Google Street View, emoji coming to iPhone 2.2?
MacRumors hears news of some interesting new features that may see the light of day in the next iteration of iPhone firmware. The Maps application will apparently have support for Google Street View. It remains to be seen if the integration will be as impressive as that of Google Android, which used GPS compass data to dynamically change the street view depending on which way you're actually pointed. Also included is support for Japanese emoji icons: 461 popular pictures that can be added to text messages and emails. Emoji support is popular on Japanese phones, and including it on the iPhone might give a boost to sales there (described as less-than-stellar by the WSJ). In a move sure to be popular with non-English users using the English keyboard, the new firmware will also let you turn off auto-correction. It's not clear when the new firmware will be generally available. Developers received version 2.2, beta 1 on September 25.
Courts dismiss iPhone battery lawsuit
If you remember when the first, first-generation iPhone launched, Jose Trujillo sued Apple over the fact that the handset has a non-removable battery. That lawsuit has now been dismissed. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said in his opinion, "Apple disclosed on the outside of the iPhone package that the [battery has] limited recharge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced by [an] Apple service provider." "Under the circumstances, no reasonable jury could find that deception occurred." Trujillo sued Apple in Illinois state court in July 2007, accusing the company of consumer fraud. [Via MacRumors and Bloomberg.com.]
Effin' NDA now applies to rejection letters, too
In response to the negative publicity surrounding some recent, high-profile rejections from the App Store, Apple is now reminding developers that the rejection notices themselves are covered under their non-disclosure agreements. In what is probably a recursive black hole of logic waiting to swallow the Earth whole, we now know that messages to developers now contain the line "the information contained in this message is under non-disclosure" in all caps. Not knowing the specific terms of the NDA (because I haven't signed an NDA with Apple), I can't personally say if those terms were in the contract to begin with. Knowing Apple's penchant for secrecy, they probably were, and they're just being a bit more forceful with their reminders. [Via MacRumors.]
iPhone factory worker is newly Internet famous
Last week you may have caught some photos going around of a cute Foxconn factory worker flashing peace signs. The photos were found on a UK man's brand-new iPhone, and posted at MacRumors. The mystery girl's identity is being protected by Foxconn, and a company spokesman said that her job is not in any danger. Taking pictures with the camera is a normal part of the testing procedure done before the phone is shipped out. As with other Chinese internet celebrities, identities are hard to come by. Second Brother on the Right, who was part of the Olympic torch procession through many countries, is still anonymous. [Via Reuters.]
MobileMe not so pushy
Many commenters and bloggers hither and yon have noticed that MobileMe lacks "true push" capabilities, even though Apple uses the "push" buzzword extensively to describe MobileMe services. A commenter in a MacRumors thread about the subject took screenshots from Apple's site, showing they had removed the phrase "Push happens automatically, instantly, and continuously." In its place, Apple clarifies that changes from the iPhone and web apps are updated instantly on connected computers, but not vice versa. Apple also notes in a Knowledge Base article that changes "made on your computer will be synced to the MobileMe 'cloud' once every 15 minutes (or every hour in Mac OS X 10.4.11)." That, to me, doesn't sound like "push," it sounds like "sync." The term "push" still applies, however, to me.com email, as that shows up immediately (in my experience, at least.) Calendars and contacts, though, not so much, apparently. [Via BetaNews.]
Get your 2.0 firmware on ... early!
Just as the MobileMe software was found early, so has the iPhone 2.0 firmware! Yes, you heard me correctly, you can now download the long-awaited, much-anticipated, 2.0 firmware. MacRumors reports that you can download the 2.0 firmware by clicking this link (iPhone1,2_2.0_5A347_Restore.ipsw). Before you just up and download this random file from Apple's website, note this knowledge base article in which Apple notes that your iPhone/iPod touch will be erased in order to perform the 2.0 install. "Normally if you choose to update, the iPhone or iPod touch software is updated but your settings and media are not affected. If your device currently has a software version prior to 2.0 (1.x) and you are updating to software version 2.0 or later, all data on your device will be erased in order to perform install the new software. In this case, iTunes will offer to create a one-time media backup of your device depending on what content is on your device and what content is stored in the iTunes Library you are connected to. You should ensure that you have enough free space on your Mac or PC to accommodate a backup that matches the capacity of your iPhone or iPod touch (4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB) if you proceed with the this backup," explains Apple.To install this update, you must download the ipsw file and iTunes 7.7. Open iTunes and clicking the option + clicking the check for update button will prompt iTunes to ask for the ipsw location; once you've done that, iTunes will begin the firmware update. Auntie TUAW's note: we would recommend you wait for the "official release" of the 2.0 firmware; it's not a good idea to go poking around on Apple's servers and download random files for installs. [via MacRumors]
iPhone firmware 1.1.1 may break unlocks
Mac Rumors is reporting that iPhone 1.1.1 is due soon (duh), and they say that it'll bring an International Keyboard, some extra settings for the Home button, the likely WiFi store update, and an update to the Modem Firmware. As usual, this is a rumor, so don't hold your breath-- this could be coming next week or next month.But there is a little twist that Mac Rumors missed. An iPhone hacker birdie tells me that their open source software unlock actually patches the Modem Firmware to do its thing. Which means that if the Modem Firmware gets a significant upgrade, it's very, very likely that it's game over for the current unlocks.Now, I'm not sure how iPhoneSIMFree's unlock works-- as far as I know, this might only affect the open source iUnlock app. But while Apple has said they're taking a neutral stance against hackers, AT&T may have pressured them to push back against an unlock. As we've known all along, Apple could choose to update the firmware and break any hacks so far, and with a large upgrade to the Modem Firmware, that could be exactly what they've done.
What happened to the iPhone's Ringtones tab?
See that picture on the right? It comes straight from the iPhone's Q&A page. Go ahead, count the iTunes tabs... we'll wait. Right, 8 tabs. Up until now, Apple's only been showing the iPhone's iTunes sync with 6 tabs: Summary, Info, Music, Photos, Podcasts, and Video. So what can we expect on the other two (assuming this isn't another graphics screw-up)? Well, MacRumors is speculating Ringtones on one of them, and we think they're right. After all, we photographed a Ringtones tab during the iPhone's MacWorld debut. They're reporting that the unreleased iTunes version 7.3 -- listed as a requirement on the iPhone specs page -- will introduce a steep, $0.99 ringtones service to create your own 30 second ringtone from available iTunes (store) tracks. No word on whether it will work with tracks you already own. Whatever the case, Apple certainly seems poised to make good on their promise to "surprise and delight" iPhone owners with software updates. $0.99, though? If true, well, it would definitely be surprising since that's the cost to purchase a full single. Now, what could that other tab be for?Update: And sure enough, Apple's dropped the image back down to six tabs. (Shown above.) Why fight it, Cupertino? You know we're all watching. Thanks, Duvi.
iPhone sales training materials leaked
If you want to know how the AT&T sales folk will respond when you object to the iPhone's lack of GPS or 8GB storage cap, well, wonder no longer. MacRumors has posted scans of the entire iPhone Sales Training workbook that AT&T is using to bring the cell salesforce up to speed. Plenty of interesting tidbits, including some answers on a few items: No IM on the iPhone at launch, SMS only for text messaging Simultaneous voice use and email/Web connections requires WiFi Bookmarks in iPhone Safari will sync back to your computer Weather & Stocks are the only Widgets mentioned in the training materials Of course, the first page of the manual does note that there may be additional features announced at launch, so we won't have the full picture until June 29. On a side note, does the context-sensitive touchscreen UI of the iPhone remind anyone else of the concept behind the LCARS interface? Perhaps Michael Okuda should be looking for a piece of the action.[via digg]
Put iPhoto on a diet
Avid users of iPhoto who also count their megs and gigs typically notice that the darling iLife app can quickly gobble up a good chunk of the hard drive. One practice that is sure to help inflate the size of your library is editing images. As it turns out, whenever you make edits and save, iPhoto duplicates the image, creating a backup; hence the usefulness of that 'Revert to Original' option. One problem with this system is that all these duplicates can pile up fast if you're an avid iPhoto editor - but thanks to some simple instructions in this MacRumors forum thread, you can put iPhoto on a diet. If you don't want to read through all the posts, Adriaan Tijsseling, the developer of ecto, endo and 1001 (an excellent Flickr client), has whittled out the meat to help get you on your way. Adriaan's post contains the simple commands to run in Terminal (along with an explanation of what is going on) that will effectively remove all the original copies of any images you have edited in iPhoto. While this obviously means you'll lose the ability to use that 'Revert' option (in case you try it, you won't break iPhoto; it's just that nothing happens), this could be a useful trick for anyone trying to reclaim every last byte of free space.
Rumors: CompUSA pulls Mac Pros
Are new Mac Pros on the way? That's what JackSYi, a poster over at the MacRumors forums, seems to think. He writes that CompUSA just placed their Mac Pro inventory as "D status", which I'm guessing means "discontinued", in anticipation of new models arriving next week. He says that all Mac Pros, including demo models, are being pulled off the shelves to make room for the new inventory. If true, what do you readers think the refreshed specs will be? Or do you think this is all malarkey? Let us know in the comments.Update: Since this post was written, JackSYi has posted again over at MacRumors saying that the memo was read wrong and the Mac Pros aren't being discontinued. Thanks Mark.
Apple's market share falls/rises, depending on who you ask
AppleInsider writes about a new Gartner report that states overall Mac market share has decreased in the first quarter of this year compared to the same quarter last year. However these findings conflict with an earlier news article by ZDNet based on earlier research by Gartner which suggested that worldwide Mac market share had actually increased slightly. MacRumors.com puts the numbers together:U.S. Mac Market Share 1Q 2005: 3.8% 1Q 2006 (ZDNet): 3.5% 1Q 2006 (AI): 3.6% Worldwide Mac Market Share 1Q 2005: 2.2% 1Q 2006 (ZDNet): 2.3% 1Q 2006 (AI): 2.0%So depending on which report you believe, Apple could have gained or lost overall marketshare across the world. Both articles state that Apple has lost market share in the U.S. The only thing that's really clear is that Mac sales have obviously been lackluster in the first quarter when compared to the rest of the industry.That's not entirely surprising considering that only Intel Mac that was available throughout the first quarter was the Intel iMac. The MacBook Pro didn't ship until mid-February, the Intel Mac mini wasn't released until late February and the MacBook was released just under three weeks ago. It's remarkable that the Mac market share has managed to stay as high as it is considering that half the Apple line-up hadn't made the transisition to Intel CPUs for much of the quarter. We've got to ask though, where did that 6.6% U.S. Mac marketshare that was reported last year go?
Mac rumors are boring
I don't mean Apple rumors are conceptually boring -- I enjoy the Mac and iPod rumor mill as much as the next Apple geek -- they're just boring to read. Daring Fireball's John Gruber hit the nail on the head last month when he wrote about his dislike for Mac rumor site Think Secret. At the time he was talking about a rumor suggesting that Aperture was about to bite the dust. Of course, we all know it didn't, as we covered later on, but the inherent poor aim of rumor sites isn't the topic of this post.What the Mac web really needs, ok, wants, is a rumor site that merges the style of Crazy Apple Rumors with that of Think Secret and AppleInsider. Like Gruber says, the "objective" style of TS and AI apes that of the Associated Press (read: dull) when it should be taking a page out of the much loved, but now-defunct, Mac the Knife column. That fundamental element of gossip, the "we know that you know that this isn't important, but we also know that you know that this is fun" tone is completely missing from sites like Think Secret, AppleInsider and even rumor aggregation site Mac Rumors. We can understand why these sites pretend to be objective. It certainly *sounds* more legitimate if you write like the NYTimes (coincidentally this style makes it easier for us to pick apart the rumors, as you saw last week). However, this isn't the NYTimes. It's just a bit of gossip about our favorite computer company. Nothing more, nothing less.[Image credit]
3 year warranty with Higher Ed. purchases, or not?
A few weeks ago, Apple stuck a message up on their Higher Education store (EU only) stating that due to a new national agreement for Higher Education individual purchases, any Macs purchased from the store would receive three years of parts and labor coverage at no extra cost. When I later purchased a MacBook from the HE store, I was so excited to be picking up a new Mac as to not notice that the sign had disappeared. I was reassured later on by several people in the support forums who showed me this extract from the HE Store's Terms and Conditions (no, not this one! Yes, there are two T&Cs *sigh*):"10.1.1 All Apple-branded desktop and portable computer products shall be subject to a 36 calendar month warranty period commencing from the date of delivery."When I received my MacBook, I checked the included booklet regarding my warranty: the above clause is nowhere to be seen. Instead the booklet talks exclusively about my one year limited warranty with no mention of Higher Education or extended warranties. Likewise, when I use Apple's tool to check how much AppleCare you have remaining, it returns a result of 356 days. Apple has confused me even further by allowing people who have purchased new Macs from the HE Store to purchase 3 year telephone coverage for around £50. When I bought my MacBook, there wasn't even an option to purchase AppleCare in the build to order section!I'm not the only one to feel confused. People over at the Apple support forums (1, 2, 3) and the MacRumors.com forums are equally mixed up. So, what's the deal Apple?
