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Korean investment firm forecasts Guild Wars 2 expansion
This year's biggest trend thus far in the MMO space is to talk about the Guild Wars 2 expansion as if it's already here. But it's not! It hasn't even been announced yet. Gamers are speculating on whether or not it even exists. This didn't stop Daewoo Securities from predicting that NCsoft's income will see a nice boost in Q3 thanks to the sales of the presumed Guild Wars 2 expansion. Daewoo Securities is not an official NCsoft source, of course, but it sure does throw another bit of kindling on the fire. ArenaNet will be at PAX South very soon to discuss the future of Guild Wars 2, and while the word "expansion" hasn't been used, the expectation that it's going to be the big announcement has been echoed by our own Guild Wars 2 columnist. Whether or not it'll be out by Q3 2015 is another story altogether.
Rumor: The Elder Scrolls Online console version may be close
Let's just start with the disclaimers, for those who have forgotten: Online retailers do not necessarily know the date of releases any more than you do. They just enter a future date for preorders and go. Amazon's release date for the console launch of The Elder Scrolls Online is still December 31st, 2015, which isn't a prediction so much as a way of keeping it in the system for this year. But Microsoft's listing of the game for Xbox One on February 24th, 2015, does merit at least a little attention. Sure, it could just be a placeholder date, but it's awfully soon for a placeholder when the store could easily list December. It would also make a certain amount of sense, since the console version was originally slated for last month after its initial delay. So what do you think, readers? Is The Elder Scrolls Online just around the corner for console owners? Or is it just another placeholder date? While you're munching on that rumor, you can also speculate about the fact that Australian EB Games stores are recalling all boxed copies of the game and all time cards, supposedly as part of a normal post-holiday stock recall. Or as a prelude to free-to-play. You decide. [Thanks to squidgod2000 for the tip!]
The Elder Scrolls Online quietly removes six-month subscriptions
Players are just a little bit leery of the fact that The Elder Scrolls Online has removed the six-month subscription option from the game. Oh, sure, it seems innocent enough; it's just a change in billing options. But it's also one of those changes that's happened in more than a few other games indicating that the game was removing the need for a subscription... or that the game was no longer going to be playable at all, in the case of Warhammer Online. The official ZeniMax response on the French forums is simply that players indicated they preferred the shorter billing options, so the six-month option was removed. General sentiment in the thread is that this answer is not entirely credible. If it really is a harbinger of something more to come... well, we'll find out about it in about six months. Maybe five. [Thanks to Siphaed for the tip!]
Gene Munster predicts! This time, Apple television coming in 2016
For all the fun we Apple bloggers have with Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster's insistence that Apple's going to come out with some sort of amazing smart TV, you have to hand it to the man for two things. First, his persistence in believing that dream and second, his ability to go public yet again with a new prediction on when Apple's fabled smart television will appear. Munster first made his prediction at Business Insider's Ignition conference in 2011, and he's been wrong each and every year. Saying that he was "paying penance" for being incorrect on the timing of the mythical device, Munster doubled down on his bet by saying that it will arrive in 2016. He based that prediction on a sudden realization that "Apple takes a long time between products." Based on a market for connected TVs of about 220 million units worldwide, Munster boldly "assumes" that they'll get about 10 percent of the market, or sell 22 million units in the first year. And even better: it's going to cost about US$1,500 or "double a comparable-sized TV". A look at Amazon shows that LED TVs in the 50 - 60 inch range are selling for about $750, so now he's also predicted the size of the unit. Personally, I'm looking forward to the Ignition conference in 2016, when Gene Munster talks about how the Apple smart television will be arriving in 2020... Now, sit back and listen to the man himself:
Rumor: A Borderlands MMO might be in the works
Back in February this year, Randy Pitchford, CEO and president of Gearbox, specifically stated that the developer was not working on Borderlands 3. In fact, the most he'd say on the matter was that the team knew a sequel would have to be massive and impressive. All fairly standard interview stuff. Not too long ago, a Chinese site for publisher Shanda Games was discovered, with what certainly appears to be a silhouette of the franchise's iconic robot Claptrap. This would all seem completely unrelated if not for the fact that Pitchford had stressed both the need for a massive game and the possibility of making the next Borderlands title into something endless, akin to League of Legends. None of this serves as a single smoking gun, but if you look at all the evidence through the right lens, it does start to appear awfully gun-like. Then again, this is Borderlands; everything looks gun-like.
Microsoft and Yahoo reportedly trying to convince Apple to dump Google as the default search engine in Safari
According to a new report from Amir Efrati of The Information, Google's contract with Apple regarding the former's position as the default search engine in Safari is set to end next year. As a result, the both Yahoo and Microsoft are reportedly doing their best to pitch Apple to use their respective search engines instead. BusinessInsider got a full look at Efrati's report and relays the following highlights: Yahoo and Microsoft have already started pitching Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP of internet products and services, on the idea of replacing Google with their respective search engines, sources have told Efrati. Apple has been trying to decrease its reliance on Google, one of its biggest rivals, for years. As of now, Google is the default search engine in both the web and mobile versions of Safari. This means millions of Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users are exposed to Google's search engine every day. That's a valuable spot Yahoo and Microsoft seem eager to take, according to Efrati. Famously, Apple and Google, once close partners, quickly became rivals with the advent of Android. In turn, Apple actively began trying to lessen its reliance on all things Google, the most prominent example being Apple's in-house Maps app. Search, though, is an entirely different animal. A good search engine takes time and deep expertise to cultivate. These days, despite improvements from the likes of Bing, Google's own search engine remains the best in the business. That said, is it possible that Apple's aversion to all things Google might persuade it to lend a serious ear to the pitches being made by Yahoo and Microsoft? I'm skeptical, but it's not necessarily outside the realm of possibility. After all, Microsoft's Bing now provides search results for web queries initiated via Siri and Spotlight in OS X. But it's not exclusively about who can provide the best search results. There is, as one might expect, a lot of money at play here. Advertising accounts for over 95% of Google's revenue and Google understandably places a lot of value on knowing what consumers are searching for. One report which surfaced last year claims that Google pays Apple approximately $1 billion a year for the right to be the default search engine on iOS devices. Microsoft certainly has deep enough pockets to make a similar deal with Apple, and one has to imagine that they'd be willing to pay much, much more for the privilege of supplanting Google as the default Safari search engine.
John Gruber: Next-gen iPhone may feature "the biggest camera jump ever"
The original iPhone camera was nothing to write home about. Even at the time of its release, photo quality on the original iPhone lagged behind a number of competing smartphones. Today, the story is much different. Today, photo quality on the iPhone is arguably best in class and Apple, understandably so, loves talking about it. They even made a commercial about it. During every iPhone unveiling, it's a safe bet that Phil Schiller well spend a good deal of time talking about all of the great new picture quality and engineering enhancements Apple managed to bake into the latest and greatest iPhone. Looking ahead to the iPhone 6s (assuming Apple keeps its iPhone nomenclature intact), Apple may have few camera tricks up its sleeve. During the most recent episode of John Gruber's podcast, "The Talk Show", the well-connected Gruber passed along an interesting nugget he picked up from a "birdie of a birdie." The specific thing I heard is that next year's camera might be the biggest camera jump ever. I don't even know what sense this makes, but I've heard that it's some kind of weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery. While iPhone rumors are a dime a dozen, especially this early on, Gruber network of "birdies" are on-point more often than not. If Gruber's off-hand remark comes to fruition, a dual camera implementation would certainly help improve overall image quality and photos in low light conditions. DSLR image quality would be incredible, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. If Apple goes down this route, they wouldn't be the first company to release a smartphone with dual cameras; the HTC M8, released earlier this year, incorporates such a feature. On a related note, Engadget this past February profiled a startup called Corephotonics which developed a dual camera implementation of its own.
Apple to reportedly unveil new iPads and Retina iMac on October 16
The Apple Watch may not be available until early 2015, but Apple is still gearing up for what promises to be a busy holiday shopping season. According to John Paczkowski of Re/Code, Apple is planning to hold a special media event on Thursday, October 16 where the company is expected to unveil new upgrades to its iPad lineup and, rumor has it, a 27-inch Retina iMac. If the rumor mill is to believed, the 21.5-inch iMac model will, unfortunately, not be graced with the retina treatment. It's also believed that Apple will finally add Touch ID functionality to the iPad. The event will reportedly be held in Apple's Town Hall Auditorium. While Apple hasn't yet sent out any invites or issued any type of official confirmation, Paczkowski in particular has an exemplary record when it comes to disclosing the dates for Apple media events. Not only did he nail the date for Apple's iPad Air unveiling last year, he also correctly anticipated the date Apple would introduce the Apple Watch and its new iPhone models.
Perfect Ten: What Titan's death means for the industry and you
Blizzard's fans are in mourning this weekend and its competition is no doubt rejoicing after the World of Warcraft developer finally cancelled its seven-years-in-the-making Titan MMO. Word on the street is that Titan was a little too similar to what Bungie came up with in Destiny, although all the studio itself will say is that it ultimately wasn't fun. So Titan joins Starcraft Ghost and Warcraft Adventures in the Blizzard graveyard. It's a loss for those who were hoping to see what Blizz could do outside of World of Warcraft in the MMO space. But what does this cancellation mean for Blizzard, the industry, and us as MMO gamers? I have a few thoughts, although I'll pre-empt them by predicting that your life will most likely go on just the same it did before this momentous announcement.
Rumor: Blade & Soul 2 is under development
If you're still holding out hope for a Blade & Soul release in North America, you have an admirable amount of patience. But a recent rumor might sink that hope a bit further. Website 2P.com claims to have insider information that points to the development of a Blade & Soul 2, which is good news if you're a fan of the game but bad news if you're still hoping to see an official release of the original. The Shanghai studio behind the concept art was a part of the original team responsible for the game's art direction, so it could very well point to something new in the works. Whether that means a sequel, an expansion, or even an actual release on this side of the pond is all up for speculation. It's too early to flag as anything but a rumor, although the concept art that's been leaked certainly looks as if it comes from the game in question.
Is Turbine developing an MMO for mobile devices?
No. Yes. Maybe? We're going to level with you, dear readers: We frequently have no idea what Turbine Entertainment is doing. We had no idea the studio was going to bring back Asheron's Call 2, for example, and our bets about Infinite Crisis were way off. So when we say that the company might be developing an MMO, well, it's a shot in the dark, but there's reason to suspect this might be happening. The studio is looking for both a Senior Mobile Engineer (that is, an engineer experienced with mobile engineering, not an engineer who is both a senior and mobile) and a new Art Director, both of which seem to imply that the studio is developing something completely new rather than a mobile port. Or maybe it's baseless speculation. Who knows?
NYT provides iWatch details, claims iPhone 6 will include a "one-handed mode";
The New York Times today published a report claiming that the highly anticipated iPhone 6 will come with a "one-handed mode" to enable easier operation on account of what is rumored to be a larger display. As has been reported numerous times over the past few months, there's a lot of evidence to suggest that Apple next week will unveil two new larger-screened iPhone models, one with a 4.7-inch display and another with a 5.5-inch display. While larger displays are unquestionably great for some tasks, they also come with some trade-offs, one-handed usability being one of them. To deal with concerns that a bigger phone will make typing with one hand difficult (the current iPhone has a 4-inch screen), some changes to the design of the iPhones' software interface will allow people to type or use apps with just one hand - there will be a one-handed mode that can be switched on and off, two employees said. Indeed, the ability to use the iPhone one-handed has long been a favored marketing point for Apple, especially in the face of increasingly popular Android handsets with much larger displays. Apple a few years ago even centered an entire iPhone commercial around one-handed use. On another note, the Times article also provides us with some more speculative information regarding Apple's rumored iWatch, tantalizingly relaying that some employees they talked to indicated that it was the company's "most ambitious project to date." The company put an enormous amount of time and money in the wearable device's sensors so that they would track movements and vital signs, like heart rate and footsteps, much more accurately than existing fitness devices, two employees said. It has a flexible display panel that is protected by a cover composed of sapphire, a type of tougher glass, they said. The device's circuit board, which includes its sensors and chips, was described as tiny, about the size of a postage stamp. The Times also echoes a number of previous reports which have said that Apple's first smartwatch won't ship until early 2015. Lastly, while we're talking all things iWatch, the Wall Street Journal today published a story claiming that the iWatch will come in two distinct sizes and, as John Gruber subtly hinted, will support mobile payments as well.
Mobile Payments may be a big part of the next iPhone
As we laid out earlier today, it seems that the stars are aligning in such a way as to make Apple's upcoming September event the company's biggest and most impactful event in years. In addition to new iPhones and swirling reports of a new type of wearable device, one rumor that's been picking up steam in recent weeks centers on Apple entering the big bad world of mobile payments. Now the ability to make mobile payments is of course nothing new, but none of the the implementations introduced by a myriad of companies over the years have ever gained mainstream traction. To that end, perhaps Apple will be able to usher mobile payments into the mainstream in the same way that they revived a tablet market that was previously DOA. So without further ado, below are a few pieces of compelling evidence which suggest that a mobile payments announcement from Tim Cook and co. may just a few days away. Earlier this week, Wired reported that Apple's upcoming iPhone will feature a mobile payment system reliant upon NFC functionality. The company's next iPhone will feature its own payment platform, sources familiar with the matter told WIRED. In fact, that platform will be one of the hallmark features of the device when it's unveiled on September 9. We're told the solution will involve NFC. And just yesterday, the well-connected John Gruber not so subtly hinted that mobile payments will be on the agenda come September 9. I've been working on a new joke - about NFC and a new secure enclave where you can store your credit cards, so you can pay for things at brick and mortar retail stores just by taking out your iPhone, but only if it's one of the new iPhones - but no one seems to get my sense of humor. Follow-up joke: It would be cool, and would make a lot of sense, if the new wearable thing had the same magic payment apparatus. The "joke" reference is in regards to Gruber previously stating that Apple would release a wearable device in September, only to claim later on Twitter that it was a "joke." Of course, with Re/Code yesterday reporting that a wearable device will be announced at Apple's upcoming media event, Gruber's "jokes" are worth paying attention to. It's also worth highlighting a July, 2014 report from Amir Efrati of The Information which claimed: Apple has told some partners its [mobile payments] system would involve a so-called secured element in the phones-a piece of hardware where sensitive information such as a phone owner's financial credentials can be stored. The company also aims to run the system without giving up any control to wireless carriers. Some more evidence to consider: Well for starters, Tim Cook hasn't exactly been shy about expressing Apple's interest in mobile payments. During an April 2014 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Cook explained: I think it's a really interesting area. We have almost 800 million iTunes accounts and the majority of those have credit cards behind them. We already have people using Touch ID to buy things across our store, so it's an area of interest to us. And it's an area where nobody has figured it out yet. I realize that there are some companies playing in it, but you still have a wallet in your back pocket and I do too which probably means it hasn't been figured out just yet. And it sure is interesting that Gruber references the secure enclave first introduced with the iPhone's Touch ID feature; You might recall that Tim Cook a few months ago flat-out said that mobile payments was one of the thoughts behind Apple implementing fingerprint authentication on the iPhone in the first place. "The mobile payments area in general is one that we've been intrigued with," Cook explained during an Apple earnings conference call. "It was one of the thoughts behind Touch ID." Now in order for consumers to trust Apple, or any company for that matter, to handle mobile payments, a whole lot of trust is required. And therein lies the beauty of Apple's slow and methodical approach to product innovation. With last year's rollout of Touch ID (and its accompanying secure enclave), Apple was able to demystify a feature that previously resided, almost exclusively, in the purview of science fiction and gadget geeks with a penchant for technical bells and whistles. Now that consumers have had a year to get used to using their unique fingerprints as an access point to the iPhone, the next logical step is to get consumers used to using that same fingerprint (again, safe and sound in the secure enclave) to make mobile payments right from their device. Today, the notion of using one's fingerprint to make mobile payments is a lot less daunting than it was even 9 months ago. There have also been a few alleged leaks of iPhone schematics and logic boards which purport to show the inclusion of an NFC chip. While such leaks are typically great fodder for our Rumor Roundups, they arguably carry more weight than usual given all of the circumstantial evidence cited above. Furthermore, the Financial Times today is reporting that Apple has been working with NXP Semiconductors (a supplier of NFC chips) to help implement a wireless payment system. Note that the Financial Times report was co-authored by Tim Bradshaw who was the first person to break the "Apple is buying Beats" story a few months ago. Apple is working with Dutch chipmaker NXP to add secure short-range wireless technology into the next iPhone, enabling new pay-by-touch capabilities in the latest bid for the smartphone to replace the wallet. Several people familiar with Apple's plans say NXP will provide the secure near-field communications chips that will allow an iPhone to connect with payment terminals or ticketing systems, as well as opening up the possibility for other applications in the "internet of things". Also, Apple has a number of employees with notable experience in the mobile payment space. Some examples include Mehdi Ziat who specializes in, amongst other things, NFC and mobile payments. Prior to joining Apple in March 2012, Ziat worked as an embedded security architect at, surprise surprise, NXP Semiconductors. There's also Raghu Battula who joined Apple as a Senior Software Engineering Manager this past January. Prior to that, Battula spent almost two years as PayPal's Mobile Wallet Engineering Leader. Battula describes his work at PayPal as follows: Lead Mobile Wallet Development teams on iOS, Android and Windows phone platforms. Built revolutionary payment apps used by millions of users across the world. Battula also holds a few patents relating to secure mobile payment transactions. And there are also a smattering of current Apple employees who spent time at companies like American Express working on digital wallet centric projects. And last but not least, Apple a few years back hired Benjamin Viger, an NFC expert with years of deep NFC experience. Near Field Communications World reported at the time: Benjamin Vigier has been working on NFC technology since 2004 and has been responsible for NFC activities at both French mobile network operator Bouygues Telecom and flash memory manufacturer Sandisk. Most recently Vigier was product manager for mobile wallet, payment and NFC at US mobile payments specialist mFoundry. There he conceived and managed both the PayPal Mobile service and Starbucks' barcode-based mobile payments service and was also responsible for the development of mobile wallet applications for two top US mobile network operators and an NFC wallet application for a top three US bank.
Report claims Apple unveiling new wearable device along with iPhones on 9/9
Mark your calendars, folks. September 9, 2014 is primed to be an exceedingly busy day. A few weeks ago, John Paczkowski of Re/Code reported that Apple plans to hold an iPhone-oriented special media event on September 9. As we previously pointed out, the date is exactly 364 days since the iPhone 5s and 5c were revealed. In other words, the timing certainly makes a lot of sense. Earlier today, Paczkowski updated his post with news that Apple also plans to introduce its long-rumored wearable device at the same September media event. Apple now plans to unveil a new wearable alongside the two next-generation iPhones we told you the company will debut on September 9 ... The new device will, predictably, make good use of Apple's HealthKit health and fitness platform. It will also - predictably - make good use of HomeKit, the company's new framework for controlling connected devices - though it's not clear how broadly or in what way. Now Apple rumors are admittedly a dime a dozen, which is to say that a rumor is only as good its source. To that end, Paczkowski has a pretty good track record with this stuff. Just last year, for example, he correctly anticipated, two weeks in advance, Apple's plans to hold a special iPad oriented media event in late October. While it's widely believed that Apple this fall will unveil two new iPhone models with larger displays, we really don't know much about what Apple's mythical wearable device will bring to the table aside from speculation regarding a number of fitness-oriented features. With August steadily winding down and Apple seemingly gearing up for a busy fall, it's worth mentioning that Eddy Cue a few months back boldly stated that Apple's 2014 product pipeline is the best he's seen in 25 years. And for someone who was around for the development and launch of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, that's saying something. Meanwhile, shares of Apple are up on the news to about $102.22 at the time of this writing. Earlier in the day, the stock hit an all-time intraday high of $102.57 a share.
Tesla may soon let you start your car with your iPhone
If you're obsessed with feeling like a secret agent, you might already be interested in one of Tesla's sexy electric cars, but if these images of the company's upcoming 6.0 software update are to be believed, you're going to really want one. That's because -- according to a user on the Tesla Motors Club who allegedly has access to the update already -- you'll be able to use your iPhone to start up your vehicle, 007-style. In the images posted, the update's patch notes describe the ability to use a Tesla Mobile App in place of a standard keyfob if needed. "The new Calendar app also requires use of a new Tesla Mobile App (currently available for iPhone only) - which also has new notifications functionality and the ability to start your car (in case you forget your keyfob)." Forget the keyfob? How about I leave the keyfob on the countertop and impress all the latte-sippers at the local Starbucks when I tap my iPhone and my Tesla roars to life (or, you know, hums to life)? Yeah, that sounds like a fantastic idea to me.
TMZ thinks this Android phone is the iPhone 6
TMZ is super, super proud of its "exclusive" scoop on the iPhone 6 today, as is clear by its obnoxious headline and loaded article that tells the story of a former Foxconn employee heroically smuggling the highly anticipated device out from manufacturing. As you'd expect from TMZ, there are plenty of grainy photos to go along with this. The only problem is that they don't have photos of an iPhone 6. It's an Android phone. First, let's tackle a couple of the images of the supposed Apple gadget and do some sleuthing. We'll start with this: I see a "lock" button that's been moved to the side of the device. Fair enough, given the larger size. But what's with the SIM Card door? It's not even flush with the phone's frame. That, alone, is a dead giveaway that it wasn't built from an Apple design. Apple doesn't design something that doesn't fit together, and we're reminded of that literally every single time it releases a new device. Next, we'll check out the front: Again we see that the SIM door is wildly misfitting, but look at the screen itself. Five icon rows on the new 4.7-inch display? That doesn't seem right, especially considering that's essentially a stock screenshot from iOS 7. But what's even more telling is the date icon. Do you see that "13"? That isn't the font that Apple uses for the date icon, it's far too thick. If you shift your attention to the lettering used for each icon you'll see that they have drop shadows which, again, aren't present in either iOS 7 or iOS 8. What we have here is an Android phone dressed up in an iPhone exterior, running a heavily modified version of Android 4.2.2. I know this because a Redditor posted images of a remarkably similar device -- complete with the iPhone 6 box seen in the TMZ images, and running on Android -- which was purchased by a Chinese knockoff seller: Look familiar? Oh, and by the way: Welcome, TMZ, to the world of Apple rumors. Next time, bring your 'A' game.
Which iPhone 6 rumor do you believe the most? [Poll]
With less than a month left before Apple will allegedly release the next-generation iPhone, rumors are running rampant. TUAW is doing a good job of keeping rumors out of the headlines; we'll see the actual devices soon enough. Of the rumored features of the upcoming iPhones, which do you think is the most plausible? Be sure to leave comments if you have your own thoughts about features that may -- or may not -- make it into the iPhone 6. Which iPhone 6 rumor do you believe the most?
Leaks, lies and the bottom line
"The iPhone 6 will be released globally on September 19th," an email in my inbox reads. I don't know who the tipster is, nor how they came across this nugget of information. The communication came from an email service called Leak, which allows anyone to send emails anonymously so the receiver can't trace it or reply to it. It could've come from Apple CEO Tim Cook himself and I'd have no way of knowing. (Though I doubt it.) Leaks like this not only show up all the time, they've increased in number over the years -- and now that it's easy to start anonymous rumors without accountability, our inboxes will simply give up. We are becoming a leak-obsessed culture. Nearly everyone wants to know about tomorrow's devices, today, and few (if any) smartphones get launched without someone spilling the beans. The next iPhone hasn't even been announced yet, but millions of people already think they know what it looks like and what it will do, thanks to images of its supposed chassis, casing and sapphire display. Even if the leaks aren't accurate, it's too late -- there are likely plenty of folks who have already (bizarrely) decided whether to buy it or not.
Ever, Jane updates on test builds and the ever-lost hankie
Yes, there is a hankie to worry about in the latest development build of Ever, Jane. Mrs. Hatch's hankie, to be specific. She's lost it before, she's lost it again, and it's up to players to retrieve it, assuming they'd like to curry favor with Mrs. Hatch. The build also adds a number of endgame raiding systems, by which we of course mean the first pass of the game's gossip and sleuthing system, key to the overall social experience of the game. Essentially, the gossip system allows you to craft a few different potential responses to NPCs and to track what other characters are saying about your character. This means that in addition to assassinating or bolstering the reputations of others, you can also try to sort out your own reputation for good or for ill. Take a look at the full update for an explanation of the system, future updates, and other improvements in the most recent build.
The iWatch/Swatch rumor that was, and then wasn't
Citing an anonymous source, VentureBeat yesterday posted a spurious report claiming that Apple has been working with Swiss-based watch manufacturer Swatch in an effort to release a varied number of iWatch designs. Apple has been working with at least one partner, Swatch, to release a line of smartwatches in variety of branded styles and price points, a source with knowledge of the situation tells VentureBeat. While most Apple-watchers and media have been laser-focused on one or two "iWatches" from Apple itself, the Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics and media giant may actually be working a number of partners in the watch business. Apple and its partners will offer a family of smartwatches to suit all tastes "from geek to chic," our source says. This source also told VentureBeat he "would be shocked" if Apple isn't concurrently partnering up with Timex. Now meaty Apple rumors about upcoming products are certainly intriguing, but the danger in the oft-cited "source with knowledge" is that the source is too often wrong. This is especially the case when we're dealing with a mythical first-generation product that's likely subject to the most rigorous secrecy measures Apple has at its disposal. While there are a few reasons why the rumored Apple/Swatch partnership should have raised red flags from the get go (not the least of which is an ongoing trademark dispute between the two companies), why not let Swatch speak for itself. No less than 24 hours after the rumor began spreading like wildfire, Swatch outright denied it. Reuters reports: A spokeswoman for Swatch Group said on Thursday the report was unfounded. She said the only business relationship Swatch Group had with mobile phone makers was as a supplier of integrated circuits and other electronic components. What's more, Swatch CEO Nick Hayek told Reuters yesterday that "he was not interested in teaming up with a tech group to develop a smartwatch." And oh yes, there's this also this quote from Hayek made about a year ago. "Personally, I don't believe [an Apple watch] is the next revolution. Replacing an iPhone with an interactive terminal on your wrist is difficult. You can't have an immense display." It's one thing to make reasonable and educated guesses about future iPhone models, but a device that hasn't even seen the light of day? Well, that's almost as absurd as making sales projections for such a product.
