rumors
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Blizzard removes Titan from careers page
Here are the facts: There is a career page for Blizzard Entertainment. The mysterious project known as Titan used to have job listings there. Now there is no mention of Titan on this page. Here is another fact: The man up there represented the beginning of Blizzard's cinematics department. This picture has nothing to do with Titan, but it amused us to include it. What does this mean for the project? There are many possibilities: Blizzard is abandoning it, Blizzard has enough people working on it already, or Blizzard is regrouping on it. Considering that the studio said back in May that it was scrapping its development on Titan to start over, we think that the latter could be quite likely.
Blizzard trademark hints at next WoW or Diablo III expansion [Updated]
According to the ever-churning rumor mill, Blizzard Entertainment may be on the cusp of announcing a new expansion to World of Warcraft or Diablo III. The studio has just snagged a new trademark for The Dark Below and identified that trademark as "computer game software" and "downloadable electronic game." The trademark could be for a new game or unannounced IP, but it's more likely the title of an upcoming expansion to one of Blizzard's big existing titles. Smart money is on Diablo III, since Blizz did tease its August 21st Gamescom press conference by saying it would, "capture the attention of the Heavens, Burning Hells, and all the shadowed places that lie between." We also know that Blizzard plans to show off a brand new cinematic at Gamescom -- cinematics tend to come with either new games or new expansions. Any guesses on what The Dark Below might be? [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip!] [Update: Our sister site WoW Insider argues convincingly that this particular registration was merely a hoax.]
Talkcast tonight, 10 PM ET: Plastic iPhones, Dev Center woes, Beard
All-new dial-in experience! See below -- do not call into Talkshoe, we won't be there. Be sure to set up Fuze Meeting before the show if you want to join in live. Sheeeesh. Can you believe it's the end of July already? It's like we just went from June to August this year. Anyway, we're going to liven up the evening tonight with the usual TUAW Talkcast, this one with yours truly hosting and with The Loop's Jim Dalrymple (AKA The Beard) as our special guest. Topics will include the continuing rumors about low-cost plastic iPhones, the return of the Dev Centers, and probably some banter about the Apple Q3 financials. All this, and your comments and calls -- what more could you ask? Join us at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT, and we'll have a grand old time. Reminder on new-style talkcasting: With some help from the fine folks at Fuze, we're using a new system to record the show. This should let everyone listen in live -- and, if you want, raise your hand as you would in the Talkshoe room to get unmuted and chime in. You can join the call in progress (meeting # is 20099010) at 10 pm ET from any computer via this link; if you download the Mac or Windows Fuze clients ahead of time, you'll get better audio and a slicker experience, but browser-only will work fine. Just click the phone icon to join the audio once you're in. Using an iPhone or iPad? Grab the native clients from the App Store and get busy. (Even Android users can join the party.) Still feel like using the conventional phone dial-in? Just call 775-996-3562 and enter the meeting number 20099010, then press #. While the Fuze web and native clients have a chat channel, we'd like to reserve that for host participants, requests to talk and other real-time alerts... so the full-on chat for the show will appear in this very post at 10 pm tonight. You'll need Twitter, Facebook or Chatroll credentials to participate in the chat. We'll remind everyone to check back in at that time. Your patience and forbearance with our new tech is appreciated in advance. For the time being, the podcast feed of the show will continue to originate from Talkshoe and should be there within 24-36 hours. See you tonight!
Daily Update for July 22, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
WSJ: Apple testing larger iPhone, iPad screens with suppliers
Rumors that Apple is looking to super-size its upcoming iPhone and iPad lineups are gathering steam, thanks to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal. It cited Apple's suppliers in Asia, who said that Cupertino is testing a 12.9-inch iPad design and prototype iPhone screens larger than the current four inches. While Apple wouldn't comment, of course, that jibes with an earlier Reuters report, which claimed it was considering 4.7- and 5.7-inch iPhone screens. If accurate (and that's always a big if with such rumors), the report doesn't necessarily mean that products with larger displays will ever come to market -- Apple routinely changes specs and tests components during the development cycle. Still, it would be further evidence that the company's willing to bend on its one-size-fits-all screen size policy, which is something that the large-handed (or weak-eyed) among us might appreciate.
New Nexus 7 coming to retail outlets next week, according to documents (update: pricing and pics)
It appears that the rumored sequel to the Nexus 7 is close at hand, according to internal documents sent to us by an anonymous tipster. Apparently, the new device will be sold in stores alongside the current iteration (at first, at least, though we can't be certain if this will only be until existing stock runs out). The docs indicate that stores will receive the tablet as early as the 20th, though we wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see it until the 24th or later, given Google's product event on that date. This particular model being discussed is the 32GB version, but we're not certain if it will be available in 16GB as well or if it's just not going to be offered at this specific outlet. We'll update you as we learn more about it, but it's pretty clear that next week's announcement will be rather significant. Update: According to a shot of an inventory screen sent in by our tipster, the retail price for the 32GB model is set at $269.99. Update 2: A tipster sent in photos of the alleged device to Android Central. While we can't know for sure that this is the exact same tablet that we expect to see next week -- it could simply be a prototype, for instance -- it at least looks quite feasible. There's a pair of pictures after the break.
Is Epic hiring devs for a Gears of War MMO?
GamesRadar reports that Epic has posted a job listing related to "an unannounced competitive online action game." Senior Systems Designer is the official position title, and it apparently requires someone with "a passion for building and/or playing shooters, MMOs, RPGs, or RTS games." Epic is advertising for one of two projects. The first is a tower defense title called Fortnite, while the other is an unnamed game that "includes player progression, heavy itemization, and a dynamic economy." GamesRadar notes that its Gears of War speculation is just that, but we have to admit that it sounds both plausible and interesting.
Now Apple files for iWatch trademark in Mexico, Taiwan, and Turkey
Just yesterday word spread through the technology sphere that Apple had filed for an iWatch trademark in Japan. The news seemed to give some limited credence to earlier rumors that Apple had filed for the same iWatch trademark in Russia. Now, less than 24 hours after that Japan trademark surfaced, trademark registrations for iWatch have appeared in Mexico, Taiwan and Turkey, according to MacRumors. As I wrote yesterday, a trademark registration does not mean the imminent arrival of Apple's fabled smartwatch. However, the fact that Apple is registering iWatch in countries across the globe does now seem to strongly suggest that work on the device is well underway and we may see it early next year. But only time will tell.
South Korea, Apple reportedly in iPhone talks
The Korea Times is reporting that Apple has been talking with South Korean based SK Telecom about the possibility of introducing an iPhone that would support its recently introduced LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network. "SK Telecom is approaching Apple to put our LTE-A technology on the upcoming iPhone 5S. We are in the middle of negotiations," said an SK Telecom executive, requesting anonymity. ... Because Korea has recently seen a huge demand for devices supporting high-speed networks, Apple intends to use Korea as the litmus test to gauge the marketability of LTE-A technology before making inroads into China, according to industry sources. The report notes that Samsung recently introduced an LTE-A-compatible Galaxy S 4 device in South Korea and that SK Telecom anticipates a number of other LTE-A-compatible devices to hit the market over the next few months. Now as for how fast LTE-A is, well let's just say that it's blazing. SK Telecom said that its LTE-A network can support data transfer rates of up to 150 Mbps, about twice as fast as LTE speeds in the US and 10 times as fast as 3G.
Reuters: Apple considering 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhones, $99 model
Apple could be looking to buttress its iPhone range considerably over the next year by adding larger 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch models and a cheaper, $99 handset with a wider range of colors, according to sources from Reuters. The media outlet added that the moves are still under discussion, but represent an attempt to gain back share from arch-competitor Samsung, which has flooded the market with so-called phablets like the Galaxy Note II along with a wide range of inexpensive handsets -- neither of which Apple currently makes. That jibes with earlier rumors of a budget, plastic-bodied iPhone, and CEO Tim Cook didn't exactly deny it when asked if the company was interested in large-screen phones. Still, the manufacturing sources said it's unclear whether the company will actually proceed with any of those plans -- meaning the information should be taken with a very large dose of salt. Update: We reached out to Reuters for a little more clarification on the $99 price for the lower-end device. While they're unsure, they believe that to be a subsidized price.
Reuters: Apple to show off iRadio streaming service next week
Reuters is reporting that among the announcements we'll see at next week's WWDC keynote, Apple will introduce a new music-streaming service called iRadio. The service will be free and ad-supported, Reuters says those in the know claimed, and will feature ads from the iAds team. The service is designed to dive into the already crowded market of music-streaming services, which includes Pandora, Rdio, Spotify, Slacker Radio and a number of other sizable options. I will buy this rumor, but I don't know if Apple's plan is simply to just introduce "another" music streaming service. The company has been working hard with iCloud and iTunes Match to get you access to your music from any of your devices, and my guess is that any "iRadio" reveal would be along those lines, aimed at providing you direct access to any tunes you want to listen to from anywhere. The iAds division was of course put together for running ads on apps, but it makes sense that Apple would want an in-house solution for them to sell, so it sounds like this could work. As with all of these rumors, we won't know what's true until Apple actually takes the stage next week. But at least we don't have too much longer to wait.
Rumor: Blizzard's Titan has fallen, won't be getting up until 2016 [Updated]
Are you looking forward to Titan? It's a bit odd, since the game hasn't had so much as a screenshot released yet, but we can understand it. If that's the case, though, we've got some bad news for you, as the project is rumored to have been completely restarted. According to an unnamed GamesBeat source, the project has had 70 people taken off its previously 100-strong workforce, with the title's release delayed until at least 2016 as a result. Those who have followed Blizzard Entertainment for a while will remember that the last project restarted more than once was the ill-fated Starcraft: Ghost, which doesn't bode well for the future of Titan. With World of Warcraft's subscription numbers in decline, it's possible that the company is moving in a different direction. No official statements have been issued regarding the development of Titan or any expected release window for the game. [Update: ZAM reports that Blizzard has responded to that site's queries with the following statement: "We've always had a highly iterative development process, and the unannounced MMO is no exception. We've come to a point where we need to make some large design and technology changes to the game. We're using this opportunity to shift some of our resources to assist with other projects while the core team adapts our technology and tools to accommodate these new changes. Note that we haven't announced any dates for the MMO."]
Bungie quashes rumors that Destiny might come to the PlayStation Vita
Some rumors recently started circulating regarding Bungie's upcoming title, Destiny, and the PlayStation Vita. Bungie confirmed that these rumors are false and that Destiny will not be revealed on the PlayStation Vita (despite some previous vague hints to the contrary in the preorder page's source code). The rumors started after the release of an image that hinted at a Bungie game coming to PS Vita in 2014 called Destiny of Spirits. Given that Sony trademarked the name Destiny of Spirits, something may still be afoot there. Destiny officially launches for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation4 some time next year.
Rumor Roundup: Psychic Friends Network
Back in the 90s, you couldn't watch TV after 10 o'clock at night without seeing at least one commercial for the Psychic Friends Network and/or Miss Cleo. I always used to wonder what happened to those guys after the bankruptcies and fraud investigations, but I think I've got it figured out: they all became financial analysts and Apple rumormongers. It makes perfect sense. Rumor: Apple's expiring chip contract with Samsung will lead to TSMC-built 'A7' chips (AppleInsider) Remember back in 2011, when TSMC started building A5 processors and Apple kicked Samsung to the curb? Remember when it happened again in 2012 with the A6? ...No? You don't remember either of those events? Weird. Neither do I. More signs point to 2013 Apple 'iWatch' launch (BGR) In this case, "signs" can be defined as some analyst's random ravings about Apple's future plans, with no evidence to support any of his claims. We'll hear more truly laughable stuff from this particular analyst later. Apple to Begin iPhone Production This Quarter (Wall Street Journal) Despite the mainstream pedigree of the Journal's name, this article brings absolutely nothing new to the table. Other rumors have already suggested virtually everything contained here: Apple may or may not launch the iPhone 5S in the summer, and it may or may not launch a "budget" model at the same time or soon thereafter. "Kudos" to the Journal, however, for somehow managing to frame this as yet another problem for Apple. And a very special shout-out to the concussed analyst they interviewed who suggested that "Apple needs to take a page from Samsung and launch more products faster." It's so obvious now; the only way to "save" Apple is to copy Samsung. Why didn't anyone think of this before? Anyone without a history of massive head trauma, I mean. The Latest Apple Scuttlebutt (Daring Fireball) In contrast to most of the frankly absurd Apple rumors out there, this thread on Branch contains some very interesting analysis from several people who have offered very accurate insights on Apple in the past. Most intriguing is the rumor that Jonathan Ive's sweeping UI changes to iOS 7 have set the OS update behind schedule, and both resources and employees have been transferred from development on OS X 10.9 to help get iOS 7 out the door on time. Rumor: Apple television with 'iRing' motion controller to launch this year (AppleInsider) In direct contrast to the well-sourced and level-headed analysis of the previous item comes this... thing... which is easily the dumbest thing I've read all week. This "iRing" concept looks like something from The Onion, or a poorly-executed April Fool's gag. Instead, some analyst actually floated this as a possible future Apple product... and he did it with a straight face. Do you need any more evidence that these so-called "analysts" are not worth taking even the slightest bit seriously? Fingerprint scanning tech predicted to be major component of Apple's 'iPhone 5S' & 'iWatch' (AppleInsider) The same analyst responsible for this week's most ridiculous rumor reached into 2012's rumor bin and dragged out the old "iPhone will have a fingerprint sensor" chestnut. Apple reportedly closing in on deal with record labels for 'iRadio' service, could sign within a week (AppleInsider) How many years has it been now that Apple has been asymptotically approaching a deal with record labels for a streaming music service? RUMOR: Apple to announce replacement for Mac Pro soon (MacDailyNews) According to MacDailyNews, "Our source offered no information as to whether the 'Mac Pro replacement' would be a tower, mini-tower, or some other solution." The Mac Pro might even be a razor. It could have two blades! Or three! Or -- and we caution that we have not been able to independently corroborate this information -- the Mac Pro could have as many as five blades. If anyone can do it, Apple can. Apple Notebook Refresh Expected Late This Quarter, But Only Modest Shipment Growth for 2013 (MacRumors) Citing supply chain sources, Digitimes reports that you are not the father.
Scuttlebutt: iOS 7 development behind schedule
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 7 at WWDC this year, and anticipation is high for the next version of Apple's mobile OS. With the departure of former iOS chief Scott Forstall and the transition of iOS into the hands of Jony Ive, everyone is excited by the potential changes that may be in store for iPhone and iPad owners. In a recent conversation on Branch, John Gruber of Daring Fireball claims that "iOS 7 is running behind, and engineers have been pulled from OS X 10.9 to work on it." Clayton Morris of FOX News adds that he has also heard from engineers who were moved from "non-profit generating projects" to high-priority software projects. Part of the reason for this scramble with iOS is allegedly a "system-wide UI overhaul" that Gruber says has prompted engineers to put polarizing filters on their iPhone displays so other people can't see what they are developing. Rene Ritchie corroborates what Gruber has heard and adds that "Ive's work is apparently making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad." There are also some rumblings about an April or May event to announce a new iPad. Supposedly, this tablet event will be distinct from WWDC, which will focus on iOS 7. The launch window for the next iPhone also is still up in the air with dates of July and August being tossed around. [Via Daring Fireball]
Streaming radio may be the next frontier for Apple's music efforts
In a rather interesting article last week detailing music service Pandora's ongoing struggle with record labels' streaming fees, The Verge says that "iRadio," Apple's rumored Pandora competitor, is being primed for a launch this Summer. "Much has been written about Apple's plan to launch a Pandora-esque service this year. Now multiple music industry insiders have told The Verge that significant progress has been made in the talks with two of the top labels: Universal and Warner. One of the sources said 'iRadio is coming. There's no doubt about it anymore.' Apple is pushing hard for a summertime launch." Given the seemingly fickle nature of record labels and Apple's well-known intransigence when it comes to negotiations, our advice is to take this report with a grain of salt. Still, rumors of Apple's interest in launching its own streaming music service have persisted for quite some time. The likeliest sticking points in Apple's efforts to launch an iRadio service are the royalty payments to music labels. Most recently, the New York Post claimed that Apple was hoping to pay record labels about US$0.06 per 100 songs streamed. To put that into context, Pandora currently pays record labels 12 cents per 100 songs streamed. Meanwhile, Spotify (which allows consumers to select individual songs for playing / mobile sync, in addition to its streaming programming) pays record labels 36 cents per every 100 songs streamed. As to why Apple wants to get into the music streaming business: it's always helpful to follow the money. To that end, approximately 50 percent of Apple's iTunes revenue originates from purchases made on mobile devices. And when you also consider that both Pandora and Spotify are extremely popular iOS applications, it's clear that there's already a huge market for music streaming. It only makes sense that Apple would want a piece of that pie. With a streaming radio service under the iTunes umbrella, Apple could generate revenue from advertising and music subscriptions -- all the while funneling customers who want to buy songs from the iRadio service to the iTunes Music Store. While record labels might be wary of ceding any ground to Apple, they shouldn't let old grudges get in the way of acquiring new revenue streams. Streaming radio is a great idea, as long as there's an ecosystem of mobile devices to listen in. While there have been upwards of 500 million iOS devices sold, Apple says nearly 300 million (60 percent) of those devices have shipped with or have been updated to iOS 6 (as of January 2013). The takeaway is that iOS users, more so than their Android counterparts, are much more likely to upgrade to the most current available mobile OS version. [In fairness, with Android updates bottlenecked through the mobile carriers, a much smaller proportion of the Android installed base is eligible to run the latest version. –Ed.] Consequently, if Apple updates iOS such that an iRadio service is embedded into the Music app -- or perhaps as a featured standalone app, in the same fashion that the Podcasts app has been broken out from Music -- it may very well shake up the digital musical landscape yet again.
Rumor: War Z forums compromised, user game accounts might be affected
Hooboy, it's been a while since we've had a proper War Z clusterfunk, hasn't it? Unfortunately for the zombie shooter's playerbase, the latest brouhaha involves some potential account security issues. What we know for sure is that a Hammerpoint forum admin account was compromised, and the company says that "many posts were unable to be restored as a result." There are also rumors that producer Sergey Titov's admin account was affected and that those responsible are now in possession of War Z user info including account and email data. We've contacted Hammerpoint for clarification and will update this post if we receive a response. [Thanks Nephi and everyone who tipped us!]
Talkcast tonight, 10 pm ET: Watching the detectives
At last weekend's Engadget Expand conference, three Apple-centric brains put on their thinking caps to forecast the company's next big product move. Although analyst Gene Munster, blogger/investor MG Siegler and our own fearless leader Victor Agreda, Jr. may not have found consensus on the prospects for an Apple-branded TV set, they all did agree that there's a wearable device (presumably worn on the wrist) coming in the not too distant future. Now's your opportunity to chime in, tonight at 10 pm ET. The Talkcast is about watches: making them smart, making them useful and making them Apple-style. Is the hypothetical iWatch a product you could use, or just an expensive and unneeded luxury? Call in, we'll talk. To participate live during the show, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, the best way to have your voice heard is to call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (viva free weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free X-Lite or other SIP clients (aside from Skype or Google Voice), basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
Latest Apple TVs have smaller A5 chip
When Apple tweaked its third-generation Apple TV earlier this year, rumors suggested it might use Apple's A5X chip instead of the A5 chip. However it's now been confirmed that the tweaked Apple TV uses an A5 chip, although it's slightly smaller than the A5 chip found in the previous model. MacRumors cracked one of the new Apple TVs open and found the smaller A5 chip. The 2012 Apple TV's chip measured 8.19 x 8.68 mm, while the new 2013 model's chip measures just 6 x 6 mm. While users shouldn't notice any difference between the models, the smaller A5 chip in the new model could represent an important shift for Apple. As MacRumors notes, the chip could mean Apple is piloting a 28-nanometer process from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for the new chip. That would make it the first iOS device chip from Apple that does not use a chip from Samsung. [Image credit: MacRumors]
Rumor: BioWare San Francisco shuts down
According to GamesRadar's unnamed sources, BioWare San Francisco has reportedly been shut down as of today, resulting in the layoffs of 25-30 employees associated with the studio. The studio formerly known as EA2D was responsible for the Dragon Age Legends Facebook game and the browser-based Mirror's Edge 2D. While it was focused on developing mobile and social games, Electronic Arts found that handling development in the area was too expensive and has shut down operations. Our condolences to all those affected by this shutdown.
