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Wall Street Journal suggests higher-resolution iPad next year
Apple is prepping its Asian suppliers to begin production of the next generation iPad in October, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Cupertino company has placed orders for about 1.5 million iPad 3 tablets. Apple is targeting a launch in early 2012 which fits in perfectly with the company's current yearly upgrade schedule. Apple is reportedly ordering 9.7-inch displays with a resolution of 2048 x 1536, increasing the 1024 x 768 resolution of the current iPad and iPad 2 display. Foxconn is the assembler of the iPad and has not commented on its future plans. Apple's Beijing spokeswoman Carolyn Wu also declined to comment.
Kobo, Wall Street Journal, Amazon to stop directly selling through iOS devices
Apple is clearly enforcing its stated rules about not selling content through iOS devices unless Apple gets a cut in revenue. The latest companies to comply are e-book sellers Amazon and Kobo, and newspaper publisher The Wall Street Journal. The Journal is reporting this morning that it will remove all purchasing options, which have included links to the WSJ website in its iPad app. "We remain concerned that Apple's own subscription [rules] would create a poor experience for our readers, who would not be able to directly manage their WSJ account or to easily access our content across multiple platforms," a Journal spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, a Kobo spokesman says it has updated its app so no books can be purchased from it, and customers will have to use the Safari browser to go to the Kobo store. Amazon has also caved. In a an update released today to the Kindle apps for iPad and iPhone, Amazon has removed the Kindle Store button from the app. Apple had set a June 30 deadline for companies to comply with app store rules. How do you feel about this latest chapter in this saga? Is Apple being greedy, or do content vendors owe Apple a toll for the privilege of selling in the app store?
Baidu Browser tips hat to old Steve Jobs quote, copies Chrome's special sauce
Could this be a case of Baidu's browser in Chrome's clothing? The Wall Street Journal seems to think so and the Chinese company isn't exactly dismissing the KIRF claims. Announced back in April, the recently beta-released Baidu Browser brings a "sleek, stripped-down interface" eerily reminiscent of Google's web-surfing entry (or a likely fork of Chromium). The copycat similarities don't just end in the looks department: there's also an app store, fast-tab functionality and familiar menu icon placement. In its defense, the company claims its 30,000 plus free app offerings, in addition to China-specific entertainment features are enough to set it apart. Sure, this may seem like a case of the Asian search giant that doth protest too much, but it's the company's desire to drive traffic to its own engine that has us seeing Google. [Thanks, Hardy]
WSJ: Apple prepping thinner, lighter iPhone 5
The Wall Street chimed in with its insider information on the rumored iPhone 5. According to the report, Apple's next generation iPhone will be thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4. It also may include an 8-megapixel camera, which is a nice boost from the 5-megapixel shooter on the current model. Qualcomm will supposedly provide the wireless baseband chips which suggests the handset may be a world phone capable of connecting to both CDMA and GSM networks. Apple apparently expects the iPhone 5 to be popular and has warned suppliers it plans to ship 25 million units by the end of the year. Foxconn will be the assembler for the rumored iPhone, but these yields may be lower than Apple wants as the iPhone 5 is described as being complicated and difficult to assemble. We're not sure what that means, but it is intriguing.
iPhones now being sold by 200 carriers worldwide
Whether or not a new iPhone will be introduced this year is largely irrelevant to sales of the device, according to Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope, quoted in a Wall Street Journal All Things Digital post today. That's primarily due to the continuing addition of new carriers throughout the world. Apple officials noted that the company is now selling iPhones through 200 carriers, up from 186 at the beginning of April. This kind of continued expansion of sales of the iPhone 4 and 3GS all over the world means, according to Shope, "iPhone shipments can remain robust through this summer, even with a delayed product refresh." Shope believes that Apple's iPhone carrier expansion may actually be accelerating, which will further fuel sales of the iconic smartphone. We'll have to wait until Apple's third-quarter figures are available in July to find out for sure, but iPhone 4 sales may also have been helped by the long-delayed release of the white model.
Apple working on major revamp of MobileMe, could be free
On the eve of the start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today, the Wall Street Journal online tech section ran a short post discussing a new, less-expensive iPhone that is apparently in the works (and all but confirmed by the Wall Street Journal). The timing of the post was impeccable -- by "leaking" this information on Sunday, the WSJ and Apple ensured that the iPhone will be the major topic of discussion at MWC without Apple having to exhibit or even attend the conference. In order to achieve a low price point that would make iPhones even more ubiquitous than they already are, the post speculated that MobileMe would become a free service that purchasers could use to contain their music, photos, and videos. The result? The new iPhone wouldn't need as much storage to hold all of those memories and tunes, so the price would drop. According to sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, the new MobileMe service could make it to iOS devices by June depending on the outcome of licensing talks. WIth the new service, your iPhone or iPad would have access to your iTunes library wirelessly. No syncing to your Mac or PC would be required, nor would you need to have massive amounts of memory to store the music and video files locally. To paraphrase the Microsoft ads that are currently making the rounds, "To the cloud!" The Journal went on to say that the service would probably be backwards-compatible with the iPhone 4. As with all rumors, remember that despite the source, this may be well-meaning fiction. We'll see for sure as 2011 progresses. In the meantime, what do you think about a free MobileMe? Do you think it will happen this year? Leave a comment below.
Wall Street Journal backs up "iPhone nano" rumor
We may be in for quite the shakeup of the iOS world if Ethan Smith's new article in the Wall Street Journal has any weight to it. Smith makes some pretty bold claims about a new, less-expensive iPhone, which he states has an edge-to-edge screen and weighs quite a bit less than the current iPhone 4. This lines up pretty well with a lot of the "iPhone nano" rumors that we've been seeing for years, and it's certainly intriguing to see the Wall Street Journal putting its stamp on the story. Presumably, this smaller iPhone would behave more like a data "access point" than a place to store all of your music, movies and books. Those, says Smith, could be managed by Apple's MobileMe service (which would be turning into a free cloud computing service alongside the launch of the new phone), therefore eliminating the need for large amounts of storage space on the actual device. How well this would work is a topic still up for debate, but you know how it goes: Apple always finds a way. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what Jobs (or Cook) has up his sleeve in the coming months. The WSJ article hints at a summer release for both the micro phone and the revamped MobileMe service.
WSJ: iPad 2 in production; to be offered through Verizon and AT&T
In what shouldn't be too much of a shock for anyone, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the next generation iPad is now in production, which would concur nicely with the rumors that the iPad 2 will be released in the next four to six weeks. The WSJ report doesn't offer a whole lot of details, but they cite their sources as saying that the new iPad will be thinner, lighter and will come with a faster processor, more memory, a more powerful graphics processor and a front-facing camera (no word on a rear-facing camera). However, the next iPad will not feature a higher resolution display. WSJ sources note that the new iPad's display will be "similar" to the current model. The Wall Street Journal also noted that the new iPad will be available through Verizon and AT&T stores, which is no surprise since both now offer the iPhone. However, the new device will not be available through Sprint or T-Mobile. The next generation iPad is widely expected to be unveiled by the end of February with a March shipping date.
Apple to require in-app subscriptions for periodicals by March 31st, fine print still a bit fuzzy
We knew The Daily was to be just the first drop what's destined to be a flood of titles with in-app purchases for the iTunes store, but we weren't quite sure how hard Apple would be twisting the faucet -- until now, that is. According to The Wall Street Journal, Cupertino will reject any newspaper or magazine app that doesn't take subscription payments through the iTunes store. It doesn't have to be solely Apple's store -- developers can still sell through websites in addition to the mandated in-app option. (If you recall, this is the same issue that Sony Reader for iOS just faced.) There are a few big questions lingering out there: will the 70 / 30 revenue sharing apply? Does the "rejection" apply to apps already in the store like Amazon's Kindle? You bet your (virtual) bottom dollar we'll be finding out soon enough.
Wall Street Journal confirms iPhone coming to Verizon
Rumors of the iPhone coming to Verizon are almost as old as the iPhone itself, and earlier today we heard about a Verizon event next week, cleverly timed for 11 AM on 1/11/11. That set off speculation across the Internet, but we paid special attention to when the Wall Street Journal confirmed the rumor, citing "a person familiar with the matter." The WSJ has a solid history and isn't prone to confirming without good sources, so it seems a sure thing at this point. While Apple has not been involved in this announcement (the WSJ says Apple declined to comment), many people have noted that Apple has generally not been involved in the "second carrier" in any country getting the iPhone. I will be glad to see the iPhone on Verizon for the same reason that I am glad The Beatles are finally on iTunes: so that people can stop talking about it and speculating about when it is going to happen. That said, I've paid enough attention to Verizon's customer service reputation that I'm not convinced that I would switch. Competition is almost always a benefit to customers, so I am hoping that the arrival of the iPhone on Verizon will give customers more choice about calling plans, data plans, and (heck, let me dream) more reasonable SMS pricing. Fingers crossed?
WSJ: Apple bringing Beatles to iTunes after a seven year wait
It's not like The Beatles are lacking in legacy and cultural saturation, but we have to lament the generation of kids that have yet to hear the Fab Four in album form -- at least, in legally-obtained album form -- thanks to the group's conspicuous absence from the largest music retailer in the US . Now, a mere seven and a half years after Apple launched the iTunes store, with countless hopeful rumors in-between, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The Beatles catalog is a lock for tomorrow's iTunes announcement. This is according to WSJ's "people familiar with the matter," and matches with what Billboard calls "the best bet" from what it's managed to scrounge up. Even with such an imminent announcement, WSJ's sources warn that plans could change at the last minute, and that the talks between Apple, Beatles reps, and EMI were taking place as recently as last week. Still, we just have to believe this is going to happen, cross our fingers, and wear our lucky socks tomorrow -- because really, who wants to wait another seven years?
iPad affecting newspaper sales
Today at the Monaco Media Forum, another nail was pounded into the coffin of that cornerstone of traditional media, the newspaper. News Corp's Asian/European operations lead, James Murdoch, noted that the switch to iPad and other mobile reading apps has had a direct effect on newspaper sales. Murdoch said that the apps were "much more directly cannibalistic" than web sites, as subscribers read the apps in a manner similar to how they read traditional newspapers. Web readers apparently consume their news somewhat differently. While he didn't disclose sales numbers, Murdoch said that the newspapers affected include the Wall Street Journal, News of the World, and the Times of London. News Corp isn't making as much money on subscriptions through mobile apps, but is happy with selling news through the iTunes model. Apple's 30% take isn't that bad when the cost of printing and distribution of traditional newspapers is taken into account. Murdoch mentioned that "the guy on the newstand and the newsagent charge a percentage, and they don't even merchandise it properly." While the iPad is the current leader in electronic news sales, News Corp just delivered an Android tablet version of the Wall Street Journal yesterday and also provides a version for the Amazon Kindle and other e-readers.
App review: Wall Street Journal Tablet Edition for Android
We'd always thought this was going to be the year of Android tablets, but until the day Google gives its full blessing for the tablet form factor, the market will still be lacking in apps that make good use of the extra screen estate. Funnily enough, today the Wall Street Journal took a leap of faith and pushed out an Android version of its tablet app, just in time to ride on the Samsung Galaxy Tab's first wave. In many ways, WSJ's Android app appears to be a slimmed down version of its iPad equivalent. Once logged in with a subscription account, users are greeted by the same start screen for choosing your papers, which are automatically downloaded at launch. Naturally, once the papers are on your device, you can read them regardless of internet connectivity, and you can save your favorites to a dedicated area there for quick access as well. More after the break. %Gallery-107209%
Wall Street Journal releases Android Tablet Edition app, phones need not apply
Given that the first truly respectable Android tablet just came out, the Wall Street Journal is timing its Tablet Edition app release pretty much perfectly. It aims to offer a faithful reproduction of the printed version of the paper while augmenting it with full-screen video, market data, customization options, and the ability to save articles for offline reading. $3.99 will net you a week's worth of access on both Android and iPad Tablet Editions along with subscriber privileges on WSJ.com. The app itself is free, so if you have a Galaxy Tab just hanging around (it doesn't work on phones, we've already tried on a Desire Z) you can give it a test-drive -- it's certainly what we intend to do, check back later for our impressions!
Facebook games transmitting your info to third parties
Our friends at Joystiq have turned us on to a Wall Street Journal article that concludes your privacy is at risk if you play Facebook games. The Journal discovered that each of the top 10 Facebook applications transmits user IDs, which may be shared with unauthorized third parties. We know, it's not exactly new or shocking information, but continued user ignorance -- or apathy -- regarding online habits is a troubling trend that bears examining. WSJ authors Emily Steel and Geoffrey A. Fowler did just that and turned up all manner up interesting findings including a data-mining firm called RapLeaf Inc. that linked Facebook user IDs to its database of internet users. RapLeaf didn't stop there, as it then transmitted the user IDs to a dozen other firms, an express violation of Facebook policy. Though RapLeaf vice president of business development Joel Jewitt said "we didn't do it on purpose," Facebook is nonetheless trotting out the damage control PR. "We have taken immediate action to disable all applications that violate our terms," said a company spokeman.
News publishers looking to the Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook for refuge as well
In case you were worried that it was just Apple love that got major news outlets on the iPad so quickly, you should know that the general sense of desperation (or is it their never ending sense of adventure?) pervading the likes of the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today has them building apps for the Galaxy Tab as well. The news comes courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, and has yet to be announced officially by the parties involved -- though we have a hard time doubting any of it. It makes sense, of course: the big cost is producing content for a tablet form factor, not building the reader app, and the Galaxy Tab naturally won't be the last of its Android kind. The WSJ and The Financial Times are also apparently some possible gets for RIM's PlayBook, though less is known about those deals. On the Tab, The New York Times is supposed to be pre-loaded with some carrier's versions of the device, and its app will be free until January of next year when The Times starts charging for its website.
Analyst: Sharp rise in iPad sales estimates
Yet again, more analyst news regarding the iPad impacting laptop and netbook sales. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that estimated sales of the iPad for 2010 have more than doubled to 11 or 12 million units sold this year, with 20 million iPads expected to be sold in 2011 -- which is still conservative according to some other analysts. In contrast, the NPD Group estimates that sales of laptop units in the US rose by only 12% in the first eight months of this year as apposed to a 30% percent increase in sales last year for the same period. On top of that, NDP Group reports that unit sales were down 1% over July and August -- the peak back-to-school season for such sales. Naturally, the WSJ points to the sluggish economy for such a shift. The paper does also note that some shoppers are preferring to buy the iPad, even at a premium price, over cheaper laptops and netbooks, though the iPad represents only a fraction of portable computer sales overall. The article suggests that the competition for consumers' dollars will become even more fierce with the emergence of competing tablet devices from other manufacturers later this year and next year. But for now, there is still no doubt that Apple is leading the way with the iPad. For the full WSJ article click here.
WSJ: Verizon to sell iPhone in 2011, fifth generation iPhone is in the works (updated)
We've been to this rodeo before (a few times, actually), but the smoke that leads to fire is getting far harder to ignore. Following a Bloomberg report in June that a Verizon iPhone was on track for a January 2011 release as well as independent confirmation from John Gruber, Yukari Iwatani Kane from The Wall Street Journal is now sounding mighty confident that the aforementioned plans are true. According to various people "briefed by Apple," Jobs and Company will begin "mass producing a new iPhone by the end of 2010 that would allow Verizon Wireless to sell the smartphone early next year." It'll rely on a key Qualcomm chip as well as a CDMA radio, but curiously enough, there's nary of a mention of LTE in this report. In closely related news, it's bruited that Apple is also developing a separate iPhone model, though it's unclear how soon VZW will be able to grab the fifth generation edition. 'Course, it's not exactly the shocker of the year to hear that Apple's toiling on a new iPhone without a dubious antenna design, but the real question is this: will the Verizon iPhone beat AT&T's elusive white iPhone 4 to market? Inquiring minds would love to know. Update: The WSJ udated the story to be more clear, "Apple Inc. is making a version of its iPhone that Verizon Wireless will sell early next year." So it's not just a generic CDMA iPhone that may or may not end up on Verizon Wireless. The WSJ also added that the CDMA iPhone 4 variant will be built by Pegatron and would only work on a CDMA network (i.e., it's not a dual-mode GSM/CDMA device). Also, according to one source, VZW has been working with Apple to test its network and is adding additional capacity to avoid being overwhelmed a la AT&T.
Rumor: Apple's newspaper subscriptions could debut next month
Last week the Mercury News reported that Apple is working on plans to sell newspaper subscriptions to iPad owners. Today, a follow-up from the Wall Street Journal suggests that it could launch as early as next month, and will include magazines as well. While Apple declined to comment, the WSJ's sources note that plans are moving forward, even though publishers are hesitant. Some see Apple's dominance over the online music market as foreboding, while others are leery of Apple's typical 30 percent cut. Among the reportedly agreeable publishers is Hearst, which owns huge properties like the Oprah Winfrey magazine, Esquire, Cosmo (admit it, you take the quizzes) and The Houston Chronicle, among others. I've used the current Popular Mechanics app, another Hearst product, and love it. Also in contention is data that publishers use for their marketing efforts, like name, email addresses, subscription histories and more. Apple reportedly doesn't want to turn it over, and publishers want it. I'm hoping it works out, because I find I'm reading newspapers more than I have in decades since buying my iPad. Also, I'd love to have a regular subscription to my old hometown paper delivered to me digitally every day.
Apple, others talking to DoJ about anti-poaching agreement
Apple, Google, Pixar, Intel, and a few other companies are currently in talks with the Department of Justice about an alleged anti-poaching agreement, according to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal. The government is considering accusing the companies of agreeing to not hire each others' employees for a certain period of time. If, as a law professor tells the Journal, the government finds that these companies are actually agreeing to not poach, then employees could be hurt by not having access to the best deal available. For their part, the companies are reportedly arguing that non-poaching agreements are a requirement, especially when companies are so closely collaborating on various technologies and standards. Apple and Google, for example, would want to create the best products possible for customers, and wouldn't be able to do that if they had to worry about their employees possibly getting hired away by the other partner. There's no actual lawsuit yet -- this is still just an investigation, and the Journal says that there are "some companies more willing to settle to avoid an antitrust case than others." But we'll see -- if the Department determines that the companies did make an agreement and that employees were punished by it, then the case could end up in court eventually.
