On Thursday, at the 2009 Intelligence Warfighting Summit, Raytheon announced that they are developing a series of mission software applications designed for the iPhone.  At the summit, Raytheon showcased their One Force Tracker. This app allows the military to pinpoint their targets’ exact position using the Iphone’s GPS system. In a New York Times blog post, it says that there will also be maps that will use augmented reality qualities to show battlefields. “Maps with an overlay of points of interest are familiar to every GPS user. The Raytheon app would use the same concept, but points of interest might be known sniper sites or safe fallback positions,” says the New York Times.

“Raytheon’s experience with mobile communications in the tactical environment and the government customers’ need for low-power, simple plug-and-play applications led to the development of a real-time situational awareness application using Apple‘s touch technologies,” said Dr. J Smart, chief technology officer of Raytheon’s Intelligence and Information Systems business.

Raytheon indicated that the iPhones would have to be altered to have increase security that the military would need. They will also address the battery issue that the iPhone has, so that the military will have a longer-lasting iPhone. In a press release, Raytheon stated that they are working with Apple on these military apps. In the past, Apple has been very strict with what apps they approve. Also, these military apps will cause the iPhones to be altered to address some of the extra features that the military will need. Will Apple actually do this?

If Apple wants to get into the government and business arenas, then they should definitely assist Raytheon in doing this. In business, companies usually only supply Blackberries. This could leverage the iPhone as a business phone, which really hasn’t been the case in the past.

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On Monday, Apple and Psystar have finally strike a deal in the copyright case that has been going on for months. If you haven’t heard, Apple was suing Psystar for shipping out Intel-based systems with Mac OS X preinstalled on them.  Apple finally got what they wanted because Psystar has agreed to stop selling these Mac clone computers.  A statement was released about the deal:

“Psystar and Apple today entered into a partial settlement that is embodied in a stipulation that will be filed with the Court tomorrow,” Psystar’s motion of Monday began. “Psystar has agreed on certain amounts to be awarded as statutory damages on Apple’s copyright claims in exchange for Apple’s agreement not to execute on these awards until all appeals in this matter have been concluded. Moreover, Apple has agreed to voluntarily dismiss all its trademark, trade-dress, and state-law claims. This partial settlement eliminates the need for a trial and reduces the issues before this Court to the scope of any permanent injunction on Apple’s copyright claims.”

It doesn’t seem that this ends Psystar creating these clone-Mac computers. Psystar will now shift responsbility for their customers to do the dirty work. Psystar has been able to do this by a product they designed called Rebel EFI, which they are fighting to keep out of the deal. This will allow their customers to still install Mac OS X on their systems. Does this mean that this allows Apple to sue individuals, similar to the music industry?

Psystar said released following statement about this shift: “Psystar’s end users do not engage in commercial use of Mac OS X and their use would qualify as use for ‘internal purposes’ even under the standards articulated by Apple in its summary-judgment briefing.”

We’ll definitely see how this concludes.

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Rumors are flying that Apple is working on a “world mode” iPhone that is compatible with Verizon Wireless” CDMA network. According to the Money Times, here are the rumored iPhone specs:

• Handset set to release in 2010 will have a smaller screen
• 2.8-inches, way smaller than the current iPhone’s 3.5-inch display
• Place calls over Wi-Fi
• Display photos
• Play music as well as high-definition video

The Apple/AT&T exclusivity deal is suppose to end next year, but no one is for sure if it will or not. Apple would benefit greatly if they were to end this deal because they will be able to extend their popular phone to a stable network and leave behind the connectivity issues that AT&T has.

However, can this be true? It makes you wonder if it is being that Verizon has been heavily advertising new Android phones, the DROID being recently released. Verizon seems to be partnering up with Google, so is there any room for Apple? Then there are the rumors that the Palm Pre is suppose to head to Verizon next year as well.

It will be interesting to see the events unfold in the next few months. For someone who wants to get an iPhone or an Android phone, I will hold off on getting any new phones until next year to see if the rumors are true.

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Apple will be spending $4-million dollars to renovate a triangle in a run-down area in Chicago. This area is next to its future Halsted Street retail store. The agreement was signed on 19 August with the Chicago Transit Authority to use that money to add subway access to that area.

“In the agreement approved at an August 19th Chicago Transit Board meeting, in exchange for the improvements the CTA will lease the bus turnaround to Apple at no cost for 10 years, with options on four, five-year extensions. The CTA will also give Apple “first rights of refusal” for naming the station and placing advertising within the station, if the CTA later decides to offer those rights.”

Chicago officials hope that this will bring developersand other shops to this run-down part of the city.  I wonder what Apple will call the renovated subway station: iTrain, iMode, or iLuvApple.  Regardless of the name, it’s great that Apple is doing this because they are helping Chicago and creating new jobs.

Via ifoAppleStore

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“It is unfortunate that your company didn’t take the time to understand the Chamber’s position on climate and forfeited the opportunity to advance a 21st century approach to climate change,” Donohue says in the letter, which goes on to slam the leading proposal in Congress to limit U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions as one that “will cause Americans to lose their jobs and shift greenhouse-gas emissions overseas, negating potential climate benefits.”

This letter shows that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is aware of what it means with a big player like Apple leaving the Commerce due to their latest stance against environmental issues. Instead of writing this letter, why didn’t they write a letter or something about the 21-century approach that the Chamber plans to take against greenhouse gases, and how this would cause American to lose their jobs? The only thing this caused was for Apple and environmentalists to snicker about how this is starting to make you realize that your past actions are causing you present headaches.

We’ll see the next actions that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or Apple will take.  Don’t forget the popcorn!

Image Credit: MyEyeSees

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This was due to the US Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to last week’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) attempt to regulate about 14,000 coal-burning power plants. This is going to be a huge blow to the US Chamber of Commerce because Apple is the first technology-based company to leave and also to have consumer products that many people are loyal to.

I wonder how the US Chamber of Commerce is going to proceed after this. It’s baffling that they are not trying to back something that would help the environment, which affects people and animals as well.  Recently, a high official compared environmental issues with the Scopes trial, which had to deal with a teacher teaching his students evolution. Many environmentalists were very upset over this because it made it seem like environmental issues are in the imagination of a few people, when in reality is something that can be backed up by scientific research.

I’m glad that Apple did this. Hopefully it gets the US Chamber of Commerce to wake up and start doing something over the environment.

Get the Tee: Here.

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There were rumors in the past about Apple possibly inventing  its own search engine.  However, the idea slowly died down as quickly as it was circulated.  If Apple decidees to create its own search engine, it would more thank  likely be more of a mobile search engine to go with its popular iPhone.  Apple was rumored to have disliked the search functionality on the iPhone, so it would make more sense for them to do this.  With Google, Bing, and Yahoo being the forerunners of search engines, I don’t think that Apple would stand a chance.  Also, it wouldn’t make sense to create one just for Safari because not everyone uses the browser.

“The idea gets its latest traction because Apple has recently ejected Google CEO Eric Schmidt from its board.  Apple and Google are in competition with each other on a number of fronts. There is Apple’s Safari versus Google’s Chrome browser, which is not yet ready as a Mac OS X browser but is close to release. There is the iPhone and O/S versus Google’s Android mobile phone O/S, and Apple banning Google Voice from the iPhone.”

Read more: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/04/apple_search_engine/

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Apple has just released Safari 4.0.2.

The security announcement indicates that “An issue in WebKit’s handling of the parent and top objects may result in a cross-site scripting attack when visiting a maliciously crafted website. This update addresses the issue through improved handling of parent and top objects.”

This will affect a Mac or PC, so leave the battle for another day.  Download it now and protect yourself from malicious attacks.

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Morgan Stanley analyst Kathryn Huberty issued a report this week on Apple’s performance.  “Even before the new MacBook Pros launched,” she writes, “Apple began to outperform the broader commercial PC segment “” with commercial Mac shipments up 25% [month over month] in May versus market growth of just 1%.”

Two reasons for Apple’s remarkable growth is cheaper Macbooks and a back-to-school promotion that offers students a free iPod touch with every Macbook purchase.  This was a good strategy because Apple was able to compete with the cheaper PCs and Netbooks being offered.

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There have been ongoing rumors that a 4G iPhone would be coming in 2010, but Seidenberg didn’t comment if there have been any talks between Verizon and Apple.  Seidenberg stated that usually exclusive relationships only last one or two years, and then it opens up to the rest of the phone carriers.

Rose asked about a rumor that Verizon will be coming out with Motorola “œAndroid” phone.  Seidenberg said that he can’t disclose any information about this. From his reaction, I think there is something in the works.

Watch Highlights of Seidenberg Interview

Watch Full Episode of Seidenberg Interview

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Four U.S. Senators from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation have sent a letter to Michael J. Copps, acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, urging the FCC to examine the issue of exclusivity arrangements between handset carriers and manufacturers. On four things:

• The increasing prevalance of exclusivity arrangements between cell phone manufacturers and carriers
• How exclusivity agreements may be restricting consumer choice, particularly for consumers living in rural areas;
• How exclusivity agreements may place limitations on a consumer’s ability to take full advantage of handset technologies, such as the ability to send multimedia messages or the ability to “tether” a device to a computer for internet use;
• How exclusivity agreements may be inhibiting the ability of smaller, more regional carriers to compete;
• How exclusivity agreements may play a role in encouraging or discouraging innovation within the handset marketplace.

What does this mean for AT&T and Apple?  If this happens, then the iPhone will be accessible to anyone on any network. This is already something that might occur in 2010, but AT&T is fighting hard to stop that.  However, if this bill is carried out, then there will be nothing to do but to let Apple go.

What do you think about exclusivity arrangements? Do you think they should be banned?

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This is an ingenious way to introduce children to the wonderful world of Apple.  They will be able to get an early start on creating all sorts of skills that will help them in the future.

The courses are first come, first serve basis, so hurry up and sign up your little geeks now before it’s too late.  Click here to sign up.

Here are more details on what will be taught:

Movie Workshop: Lights. Camera. Action.

Kids take the director’s chair in the Movie Workshop, where they learn how to make a movie in the time it takes to watch one. From importing and cropping video clips to adding cool special effects and transitions, kids go home as up-and-coming filmmakers with a DVD of the movie they’ve just made.

What to Bring: If you have an Apple notebook running Mac OS X, a digital camcorder, or existing footage, feel free to bring them, along with any required cables.

Music Workshop: Ready to rock?

Kids become instant rock stars in the Music Workshop. With GarageBand and a MIDI keyboard, they get to play bass, electric guitar, drums, and sing their own lyrics “” even learn how to play a real instrument. Kids will also explore iTunes and see how to sync an iPod. And they’ll burn their latest hit to a CD so they can share it with adoring fans at home.

What to bring: Have your kid bring a few favorite CDs or an iPod or MP3 player to work with. Sample CDs will also be available for demonstration purposes.

Photo Workshop: Point. Shoot. Share.

The iPhoto Workshop will show kids the basics of digital photography “” and then some. They’ll learn how to import photos from a digital camera and make them look even better. Organize photos by who’s in them and where they were taken. Create slideshows with music and cool photo effects. And even build their own photo web page using iWeb to show them off to the world.

What to bring: If you have an Apple notebook running Mac OS X, a digital camera, or favorite photos, feel free to bring them, along with any required cables.

Presentation Workshop: Take the stage.

Kids are the stars in the Presentation Workshop. First, they’ll create a super-slick slideshow with movies, music, photos, and charts and graphs. Then, they’ll learn how to present it all to a captivated audience. By the time this workshop is over, they’ll go home with a multi-media presentation in hand and lots of tips to wow family, friends, and everyone at school.

What to bring: If you have an Apple notebook running Mac OS X, favorite photos, videos, or music, feel free to bring them along, with any required cables.

[photo via Sun in Photos]

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What is the prize? The architect gets a $100 Apple gift card. Only $100! I am designing an Apple store, and all I am getting is $100? The most you can get with that money is an iPod shuffle. They really need to rethink the prize. In a way, the person also gets bragging rights and can put on his/her resume that "I designed an Apple store!"

All submitted graphics will be considered to be under the Creative Commons license, allowing publication on the IFO Web site with attribution (indicate how you want to be credited). E-mail two to four views of the final design (any graphic format, high-res, any size) so viewers can see the full impact of your work. Send the e-mail to gary@ifoAppleStore.com

Source: ifoAppleStore

Photo by:Tony Shi, NY-N

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Apple has been sued due to their MagSafe Adapter.  In the claim, it states that their 85-watt and 60-watt adapters have been horribly designed and can be a potential fire hazard.

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court in San Jose and alleges that both the 85-watt and 60-watt adapters have been negligently designed and manufactured. According to the suit, the cable from the power supply to the MagSafe connector “dangerously frays, sparks, and prematurely fails to work.”

– CIO.com

As someone who had her 60-watt MagSafe Adapter begin to burn with no warning, I’m actually surprised that it took so long for this lawsuit to appear.  It cost $79 to replace when I thought it was something that I shouldn’t have to pay. The court papers state that Apple is aware of this issue and hasn’t done anything to correct it.  The plaintiffs want Apple to provide safe adapters or refund the price of the laptops.

I am happy to hear that no one is asking for a ridiculous amount in this case.  Their terms seem fair, and they are able to help others, like me, who have dealt with this similar issue.  Additionally, they are also helping Apple because there are others who would sue for $200 billion and would cause more of an uproar than these users are doing.

This is a wake-up call to Apple to fix this issue before it escalates, so we’ll see how they proceed.

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“œAccording to a well-connected Silicon Valley source who spoke with Gawker, and who may have been recruited by Apple for a senior position, Apple and Twitter’s management are engaged in serious negotiations. In fact they may be close to sealing a deal for as much as $700 million, with the intention of announcing the purchase at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in June.“

—- Fast Company

Twitter interfaces with smartphones with ease and is currently on the rise with celebrities starting to use the service. The iPhone, Apple’s smartphone, has several Twitter apps that are very popular with Twitter users.  Additionally, the rumors indicate that Apple might want to bundle it up with their MobileMe cloud service. In the Fast Company article, they say that another reason for Apple’s increased interest in Twitter is Twitter’s new live search function. Some experts are saying that it will soon rival Google’s search.

However, will Google not fight to acquire Twitter? The interesting part in all this is that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently investigating the ties between Apple and Google. You have to wonder if there is something in the works under the surface between the two companies with this shift from Google to Apple working to buy Twitter.

All we can do is see what happens at the Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in June, and we will know if this rumor is actually true.

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