A couple of reports today are suggesting that Apple is advancing its development and production of the rumored smart watch. The reports come from the Taiwanese newspaper Economic Times. The first report claims that Apple has started testing 1.5-inch OLED displays from RITEK subsidiary TiRdisplay.

According to the report, RITEK’s joint partnership with RitFast will also supply the touch sensor technology that will be used for the watch.

This report reflects earlier rumors about Apple’s plans for RiTdisplay’s 1.5-inch displays and Intel being involved in the project. Today’s report also mentions that Apple had originally wanted to use a 1.8-inch display in the smart watch. That size proved to be too large, however, so the company decided on a smaller 1.5-inch display.

The second report talked about the smart watch industry as a whole. According to “market rumors,” Foxconn has already received orders for Apple’s smart watch, but only with small volume orders around 1,000 units for small-scale production trial.

The Apple smart watch rumor really picked up speed in December after reports that Apple and Intel were working together to produce it surfaced. Other rumors have suggested that Apple has experimented with curved glass designs for the smart watch’s display. Other than that, the rumor mill has been relatively quiet the last couple of months concerning the Apple smart watch. At the beginning of March, reports claimed that the rumored device could launch this year.

Image Credit: Sizzlehut

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The latest rumor from none other than DigiTimes claims that trial production of Apple’s thinner and lighter fifth-generation iPad will begin soon with production really ramping up in July. As usual, DigiTimes is citing sources at Taiwan’s supply chain for the information.

According to DigiTimes, the new iPad is expected to launch in stores as early as September and will have a 2,048 x 1,536 Retina display, which is the same as the fourth-generation iPad. The new display, however, will reportedly be built on a glass substrate of 0.2mm, which is thinner than the one in the current iPad. Sources also say that the new iPad will have a narrow bezel.

On top of that, the next iPad will supposedly use just one LED light bar for backlighting. As of now, all Retina display iPads feature two LED light bars. All of these reported changes are expected to make the next-generation iPad thinner and 25-33% lighter than the previous model.

LG Display, Samsung Display and Sharp are expected to supply the display panels for the fifth-generation iPad.

Image Credit: gdgt

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It seems as though Apple is prepping to unveil a new version of the Macbook Air at next month’s WWDC. This conclusions comes after almost every major store is reporting that they no longer have any stock of the 13-inch default high-end Air that comes with a 1.8GHz processor and 256GB of flash storage.

One of the most telling signs of an upcoming new Apple product revision is when the current stock for that product starts drying up at stores. Apple always chooses to stop shipping and producing its old computers to ramp up production of their new model and to free up space at retail stores for the new device in the weeks leading up to its release.

AppleInsider reports that the Air is currently sold out at Amazon, B&H, MacConnection, MacMall, and J&R. The only Apple reseller they found that was actually still selling the device was Best Buy.

Rumors have been circling for some time that a new Macbook Air would be unveiled at WWDC and that it would include Intel’s new Haswell processor. The Haswell processors are set to launch in a couple of weeks, so the timing works out perfectly.

Long story short, if you’re thinking about getting a Macbook Air, you should probably wait a month.

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While the word has been that Apple was planning to unveil its “iRadio” music streaming service at WWDC, it seems as though the company may not hit this June date due to licensing agreement problems with music publishers.

While previous reports have said that Apple has already signed a deal with Universal Music Group, The Verge is now reporting that the largest music publisher, Sony/ATV, has recently rejected signing to Apple’s current terms. The report also states that the fourth largest publisher, WMG, is still holding out on closing the deal as well.

If the deals cannot be made soon, we may either not see iRadio at WWDC at all, or we may see it launch with a limited selection as the companies continue to negotiate.

Apple is likely more keen than ever now to get its streaming service out into the world, with Google’s recent launch of its own music streaming service.

WWDC is just less than a month away, stay tuned.

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Citing the elusive “Taiwan-based supply chain sources,” DigiTimes is reporting that AU Optronics is seeing decreased shipment orders of iPad mini panels, going from four million units in the first quarter of 2013 to 2.5-2.8 million units in the second quarter. The supplier is also rumored to be getting dropped by Apple as a major panel supplier for the next-generation iPad mini.

The iPad mini is also expected to see a drop in overall shipments of around 20-30% as we enter a period that is traditionally “a slow purchasing period for consumers.”

AU Optronics has reportedly faced issues in producing iPad mini display panels, which is why LG and Sharp might step in to replace the supplier. According to DigiTimes, AU Optrinics is “not expected” to remain an iPad mini panel supplier though.

Despite the issues that the supplier has faced, AU Optronics has still reportedly submitted panels for use in the next-iPad mini for Apple certification. So far though, sources say that LG and Sharp are the only ones that have been chosen as panel suppliers for the next-generation iPad mini.

Image Credit: Mobile Orchard

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In a move that result in more competition in an already highly competitive market, sources close to the company say that Google is planning to launch a streaming music service at its developer-focused I/O event this week. Rumor has it that the company has the top 3 music labels onboard, including Warner Music Group, Universal Music, and Sony.

Google would already face competition from established music streaming services like Rdio, Spotify, Deezer, MOG, and Pandora. It is currently unclear if Google would be an all-you-can-eat service such as Rdio, or a streaming radio service such as Pandora. There is no word yet on pricing, which countries will get the service, or even which mobile platforms could be initially supported.

Google sells digital music already in the Google Play store, but its offering is not as popular with consumers as iTunes and Amazon. YouTube has been Google’s most successful way for people to access music.  Google does not charge for the music shown on YouTube, instead showing ads and giving some of the profits to the record labels.

The streaming music service has been a tough market to crack, with services such as Spotify having huge net losses, while getting large investments from companies like Goldman Sachs.

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According to new rumors that stem from supply chain sources in Taiwan, Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5S could feature a sapphire crystal home button that comes complete with a new fingerprint sensor.

Apple is reportedly getting rid of the traditional physical home button and turning instead to a touch-sensitive button covered by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. By using the sapphire crystal, Apple hopes to prevent the button from getting scratched and ruining the fingerprint sensor.

The iPhone 5 already features sapphire crystal materials with a sapphire crystal camera lens on the back, which Apple used to prevent scratches from ruining photos. Apple is now expected to use the same material for the iPhone 5S home button.

According to Taiwanese website TechNews, the iPhone 5S won’t be a physical button that you push and instead will be a touch home button. It would get rid of one of the more unreliable aspects of the iPhone as the home button occasionally fails after being used for a long time as it collects dirt and other grime from daily usage.

Since Apple acquired AuthenTec last year, it’s been rumored that Apple would employ touch sensors in the next iPhone, and the use of sapphire crystals makes this rumor even more plausible. Add in Apple’s penchant for removing unnecessary buttons and ports, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for an Apple rumor.

TechNews says the next-generation iPhone will launch in August or September, along with the rumored plastic lower-cost iPhone.

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Apparently there’s no need for Google to be worried that Facebook will take over all Android phones in the near future. A new report published online by BGR has hinted that AT&T may no longer sell the HTC First to its customers.

The news is not shocking, as only 15,000 phones ended up being sold to customers since its April 12^th release. The price of the phone was recently dropped from $99 to $0.99, although in response to the speculation, AT&T emailed BGR saying, “As mentioned previously, we do pricing promotions all the time and have made no decisions on future plans.”

Facebook Home also can be downloaded to compatible phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note II and HTC One X. It has received tons of one-star reviews from the Google Play Store and it has been downloaded over a million times. Some of the negative comments include that it “ruins the interface” and “you can’t log out or stop this app.”

Clearly there’s some confusion about what Facebook Home does to a handset. Maybe Facebook didn’t realize how important the regular interface is for Android users, many of whom are accustomed to widgets, folders, and docks.

This news does not spell the demise of Facebook Home. While there is a chance for it to succeed in the future, right now its prospects look pretty grim.

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Sharp, a company that has found itself on hard times lately, caught a break a month back when Samsung invested over $100 million into the company. This clearly wasn’t enough to advert all disaster, however, as Sharp will reportedly announce plans Tuesday to let go of 5,000 employees over the next three years.

The Asahi Shinbum reports that Sharp’s corporate head office in Osaka, Japan will have half of its executive staff cut. Besides its head office, most of the job cuts will reportedly take place outside of Japan. The job cuts are being made in an attempt to bring the company back to a profitable state, somewhere it has not been in sometime.

The company will also allegedly begin to focus more on creating high-end TVs for U.S. customers by producing more 4K TVs and TVs that are over 70-inches. Sharp will also be putting more focus on small-panel smartphone displays.

Even for a company like Sharp that has nearly 60,000 employees, getting rid of 5,000 people is a significant number.

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Since rumors of Apple acquiring Waze quickly fizzled out, Facebook is now reportedly in talks to acquire the navigation start-up for somewhere between $800 million and $1 billion. According to business daily Calcalist, Facebook and Waze started discussing the possibility about six months ago and a term sheet has already been signed.

Waze uses satellite signals from users’ smartphones, which generates maps and traffic data. This information is then shared with other users, providing real time traffic information. Waze also offers voice-guided turn-by-turn navigations, notifications for police traps, accidents, road hazards, and traffic jams.

Waze and Facebook first partnered in October of 2012 when Waze released a new updated version that lets users share their drive information with Facebook friends.

In the last year, Waze tripled the number of users it has to 45 million with 1.5 million signing up in March alone.

If this deal goes through, it’ll be Facebook’s third acquisition in Israel. In 2011, it bought Snaptu for $70 million and Face.com for $60 million in 2012.

Image Credit: BGR

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Pegatron, one of Apple’s major iPhone and iPad assemblers, has said it will be increasing the number of its workers in China by up to 40% in the second half of this year. This really adds fuel to the already blazing fire that says Apple is working on a cheaper iPhone model.

Pegatron currently employs 100,000 workers, so adding another 40,000 workers is no small task. Apple suppliers have reportedly told Reuters that Apple is, in fact, developing a cheaper model iPhone to reach lower-income buyers in growth markets like China and India. One source even revealed that a small-scale production of the display panel for the model would start in May, with production really picking up in June.

The cheaper iPhone model is expected to launch in the third quarter and Pegatron’s Chief Financial Officer, Charles Lin, told Reuters that 60% of the company’s 2013 revenue would come from the second half of the year.

Lin didn’t comment any further and didn’t say if the cheaper iPhone will be one of the products that Pegatron will make in the second half.

It’s still unclear what exactly a cheaper iPhone model will include, but rumors have suggested a range of colorful plastic casings. The device is expected to go for somewhere between $200-$500 for an unlocked device.

Image Credit: Mashable

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In line with reports from yesterday that said Sharp would begin mass production of the iPhone 5S display in June, Apple is reportedly on track to start production of multiple iPhone models in the June-July period, according to Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty.

Huberty believes Apple’s new iPhone models will launch in September, which she has determined from her meetings in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Her report definitely lines up with rumors that Sharp would begin mass production of the iPhone 5S LCD displays in June.

Along with the next-generation iPhone, Apple is also rumored to be developing a new lower-cost iPhone that would target consumers who prefer not to go the way of carrier contract subsidies. Huberty also said that Apple could see strong sales of the lower-cost iPhone in China.

As for the iPhone 5, Huberty learned that iPhone 5 shipments are in line with expectations, which is different from a few months ago when it was rumored that Apple was cutting orders of the iPhone 5. This prompted CEO Tim Cook to publicly shoot these rumors down.

“After a slow start, iPhone 5, is now on track to meet carrier volume expectations and iPhone 4 price cuts could stimulate incremental demand near-term. Carriers see the opportunity for Apple to expand market coverage with 5-inch and lower priced iPhones over time. TD-LTE licenses, and related phone launches, are expected by year-end,” Huberty explained in her note.

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With the release of the iPhone 5, some Apple fans are starting to get concerned with where Apple goes next with its smartphone. With the phone’s size and display being arguably almost perfect, there doesn’t seem like there’s much the company can change in the upcoming versions. That’s why former Apple advertising expert Ken Segall predicts that it is time for the iPhone to follow the path that was set out for it by the iPod.

Segall, who used to work for Apple overseeing the company’s marketing efforts, says that its now time for the iPhone to follow the same product cycle that the iPod went through. In his most recent post on his blog, he writes:

“Back when the very first iPhone was about to launch, it was assumed by many inside Apple that iPhone would follow the path of iPod before it. The first year or two would be devoted to evolving and perfecting the device — and then the iPhone line would be expanded to address various types of customers.

iPod’s biggest years came after it had expanded into a family of products.

Given that history, and given the growing demand for certain variations on the theme, there’s a good chance that the next iPhone will actually be a family of iPhones.”

Segall goes on to list a few iPhone variants that he thinks Apple might soon decide to launch.

The first is the iPhone Mini, targeted to be a lower-cost iPhone. The device wouldn’t be cheap by any means, but it would feature things such as a plastic case and an iPhone 4 sized screen to help significantly reduce costs.

The second is a line of colorful iPhones. Whether this comes with the iPhone 5s, or the lower-cost iPhone, the phones will come in a variety of different colors that help customers add more personality to their device. “Color is personal, and our phones are more personal than iPod ever was. Color will make the new iPhone instantly recognizable as something new.”

The third is an “iPhone Max.” This would be a phone to rival devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S4, which captures a market of consumers looking for a massive vibrant screen.

“The smartphone audience has grown exponentially in recent years,” says Segall. “The simple reality is that different people have different needs. Creating a family of devices would widen iPhone’s appeal as it squelches the perception that Apple is somehow losing touch.”

As long as I can get a low-cost neon pink iPhone Max, I’ll be happy.

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A new report out of CNET claims that Apple is finally gearing up for the launch of its rumored Retina display iPad mini, and that mass production of the device is set to begin in either June or July.

NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim says that the device’s display will pack a resolution of 2,048×1,536 for a PPI (pixels per inch) that is roughly equivalent to what we currently have on the iPhone 5, which has a PPI of 326. This will make it one of the most pixel dense tablets to date.

LG Display will reportedly be the main manufacturer of the device’s display.

Shim also claims that while the Retina iPad mini is scheduled to be released this fall, he says that Apple will release a 3rd generation iPad mini with an updated processor in Q1 2014, similar to what happened with the 4th gen original iPad.

The iPad mini turned out to be tremendously popular for Apple, so it should be interesting to see how big of a launch a Retina version will have. The original iPad mini’s display was the center of much of the device’s criticism, so the launch of a Retina version should sway both tons of new customers and those looking to upgrade from their old device to run over to an Apple Store.

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ETrade Supply is definitely in the know when it comes to rumored Apple products. The electronics supply company was the first to show real images of the iPhone 5, and more recently has managed to get its hands on some iPhone 5S parts, like the FaceTime camera and the front and back panels. Now ETrade Supply is “confirming” that the lower-cost iPhone model does exist and Apple will be releasing it this year.

And, that’s it. Unfortunately, ETrade Supply hasn’t managed to actually get its hands on any parts or release any photos to really solidify this confirmation.

We already know what the lower-cost iPhone could look like anyway, with a plastic shell similar in shape to the iPad mini, thanks to alleged images that were previously leaked. It’s also expected to come in different colors and feature an A5 processor and 4-inch Retina display.

ETrade Supply sums up nicely just what a lower-cost iPhone could do for Apple. With analysts and investors often disappointed with Apple’s earnings, “by releasing lower end models [Apple] plan[s] to recapture market share, hold interest in their OS and keep investors happy.”

The picture is starting to become a little more clear when it comes to a lower-cost iPhone model, but it’s still not really evident just what a lower-cost iPhone actually means for the smartphone wars. Will it be close to the price of an iPad mini, or, even better, like the iPod touch? Only time will tell at this point.

Image Credit: ETrade Supply

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A few weeks ago it was reported that Apple could release the Retina iPad mini in the third quarter of 2013. It’s possible that Apple is not only planning to launch a Retina iPad mini in the third quarter of 2013, but that a third refreshed model is also planned for early 2014, according to DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim.

Shim believes the third-generation iPad mini will also feature the Retina display as well as an updated processor. Apple made a similar move with the slightly-updated fourth-generation iPad when it was released not long after the third-generation model.

An earlier report by Shim suggested that consumers wouldn’t see any new iPad mini until at least 2014, but he has since released updated expectations. “We’re looking at Q1 2014,” Shim said in reference to the third-generation iPad mini. “The date’s in flux.”

According to Shim, Apple is still undecided about the screen technology it wants to use in the next-generation iPad mini. Shim is speculating that Apple will use the iPhone 5′s low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) display, but yield rates for this type of panel really decreases when the size of the screen is increased.

Image Credit: CapMac

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Since he was given his new responsibilities of overseeing user interface design for Apple, many have wondered how much of an impact Jonathan Ive would have on future versions of iOS. Rumors came out in the past that Ive was working on bringing a “flatter” more modern look to iOS 7. It seems like this major effort to redesigning iOS might even delay its launch.

Bloomberg reports that Apple’s internal deadlines have been pushed back in order to incorporate Ive’s changes and to get a preview build ready for June’s WWDC, with Apple’s goal of having the full version into consumers’ hands by as early as September.

Ive is also reportedly trying to revamp a number of Apple’s apps, including dramatic changes to both E-Mail and Calendar.

Ive, 46, has begun revamping iPhone and iPad applications, shunning realistic images, such as wood bookshelves for the Newsstand feature, and he’s exploring more dramatic changes to the e-mail and calendar tools, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.

Bloomberg’s report also backs up a previous report by Daring Fireball that says Apple employees who already have their hands on iOS 7 and are using it in public are required to put a special film over their screens to help prevent others from seeing it as the UI changes are so apparent.

Jony Ive has been recognized time after time as one of the world’s most brilliant creative minds, and it should be exciting to see what sort of impact he’s been able to have on the OS.

Time to start counting down the days ’til WWDC.

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iPhones and iPods and iPads, oh my! The latest rumor has it that Apple will launch the iPhone 6, complete with larger screen, in June 2014, according to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek.

This might seem really far away, especially considering Apple still has yet to launch the iPhone 5S, but Misek explains the reason for the wait is because of the time needed by Apple to transition the device’s display technology. There’s no mention of the “delays” being caused by a drastic overhaul of iOS 7.

During Apple’s latest earning call, CEO Tim Cook was pretty ambiguous about Apple’s interest in even making a larger screened iPhone. He didn’t completely shoot down the possibility of one, but said Apple wouldn’t launch an iPhone with a larger screen until the current tradeoffs of a larger screen can be solved.

“Our competitors have made some significant tradeoffs in many of these areas to ship a larger display,” he said. “We would not ship a larger display iPhone while these tradeoffs exist.”

Misek also said that the Apple’s supply chain is ready to produce the iPhone 5S and transitioning to the iPhone 6 will take at least two or three quarters. There’s the rub. Apparently, according to Misek, we’re back on the two new iPhones in one year territory again.

As for the iPhone 5S, he predicts that it will come in different color options, have a faster processor and a better camera. Misek also believes that the iPhone 5S will have a fingerprint sensor near the Home button.

We’re not sold on any of this…

Image Credit: Know Your Mobile

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With WWDC fast approaching, many are speculating as to what features Apple will announce for the company’s new version of OS X. 9to5Mac is reporting from anonymous sources that the update will bring fullscreen multi-monitor support to the OS as well as a number of other features designed for power users.

The multi-monitor improvements will provide users with the ability to run full-screen apps on one monitor while still being able to access other full-screen apps or parts of the desktop on the other, something that currently hasn’t been possible. This is a feature that power users have long-awaited for and will be glad to finally see arrive on OS X.

Professionals will actually have a lot to be happy about, as the report says, the majority of the update will be towards improving the experience for power users. These improvements will include various enhancements to the Finder application and a much faster and more stable Safari.

10.9 may also bring more iOS inspired features over to the Mac, with rumors that there will be a sort of quick-app-switcher that will help with multitasking and conserving the computer’s battery life.

There are also rumors that Siri may make its way over to Mac with the update.

Look for an in-depth showcase of the new OS at June’s WWDC.

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It appears that Apple may have turned away a recent batch of as many as 8 million iPhones produced for their them by Foxconn due to quality concerns.

The news is shaky as part of it has been lost in translation from Chinese to English, but the Register reports that Apple has in fact sent back between five to eight million iPhones to its manufacturer Foxconn because of quality related issues. With each phone costing $200 to manufacture, this would put Foxconn’s potential loss from the error as high as $1.6 billion. This is an unrealistic figure, however, as it is doubtful that Foxconn would simply scrap the faulty phones as opposed to fixing them or re-using their parts.

Forbes is suggesting that the original report was intended to say eight million iPhones have been returned in total, to date. This is due to the fact that it seems almost impossibly unlikely that Foxconn or Apple could make such a massive quality control gaff as to produce such a massive number of defective devices.

I certainly tend to agree with the Forbes analysis as these numbers would certainly be reasonable for the total number of iPhone 5s returned but just seem too unbelievable for a one time error. If the news does turn out to be true, expect Apple’s stock to take a significant hit.

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Despite Apple’s iWatch still being no more than a rumor, a new survey has found surprisingly strong interest, 19% of consumer, in buying the smart watch should Apple really release one.

The data comes from ChangeWave Research, which found that 5% of consumers surveyed said they are “very likely” to buy an iWatch from Apple either for themselves or someone else. Another 14% said they are “somewhat likely” to do the same.

ChangeWave surveyed 1,713 consumers in the U.S. between March 4 and March 19. While 19% doesn’t necessarily sound like that much, it could be a sign of stronger demand then you may realize.

To compare, in January 2010, 18% of consumers said they were likely to buy a hypothetical Apple tablet, with 4% of those being “very likely.” Another poll in 2005 found that the number of people interested in buying an Intel-based Mac was the same at 18%.

If those numbers are anything to go buy, an Apple smart watch could be well-received among consumers, if the company actually plans to release one. Since the launch of the first iPad in 2010, Apple’s tablet line has dominated the tablet market, laying to rest any copycat rumors, while the Intel chips have played an important role in boosting Mac sales.

The driving force behind consumers who say they’ll buy an iWatch stems from their trust in the company. “Apple’s track record of delivering ultra-convenient, easy to use products with a perceived ‘cool factor’ is driving pre-release demand for the rumored iWatch” ChangeWave’s Andy Golub said. “While an ‘iWatch’ doesn’t yet exist – and if it ever does it will have to live up to super high expectations – it has the potential to be another huge success for [Apple].”

Recent reports have suggested that Apple could launch the iWatch as early as this year.

Image Credit: Investor Bistro

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There’s been a lot of back and forth as to whether or not Apple is really going to release a lower-cost iPhone in the near future. A new image has hit the web today that suggests that it’s actually a possibility.

The image was discovered by Tactus and features the alleged rear shell of the rumored lower-cost iPhone. According to Tactus, it looks to be a uniform plastic polycarbonate shell, which is very different from the iPhone 5′s sleek aluminum look. The plastic shell looks to measure 0.4-0.6mm thick, but the actual phone could be around 9mm thick, 120mm in height and about 62.65mm in width, which means it would be taller and wider than the iPhone 4/4S.

The overall design looks to be similar in style to the iPad mini, with the rear panel being more square than the 3G design and more rounded than the iPhone 4 and 5.

Tactus also claims that the lower-cost iPhone will be available in the traditional black and white colors, as well as blue, red and yellow. He also predicts that it will go on sale on October 15 for around $300.

Nothing whatsoever concerning a lower-cost iPhone has been confirmed or denied by Apple, but the phone has been rumored to feature an A5 processor and a 4-inch Retina display like the iPhone 5, although Tactus suggests it would be closer to the iPhone 4 in size.

Of course, it’s possible that this is just a fake based on circulating rumors so we’ll all have to wait a little while longer to see if Apple really does have a lower-cost iPhone up its sleeve.

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It’s always the same story. When Apple is on the verge of releasing a new product, third-party accessory makers jump up and start producing cases for the still rumored and unannounced devices. Well, it’s the same story for the fifth-generation iPad, which is rumored to be released sometime this summer.

Third-party accessory makers have started releasing cases for the next iPad, and they’re designed to fit the rumored changes in the next-generation model’s device, which is expected to be an 9.7-inch version of the iPad mini, complete with thinner bezel and slimmer profile.

Alibaba.com is full of different cases that you can get ahead of the actual release of the fifth-generation iPad. This started happening for just about every Apple device released since the launch of the iPhone 4. Every iPad was revealed before Apple announced them through case makers, and a lot of case makers display their cases on the Alibaba site.

It’s often been thought that Apple releases the dimensions of upcoming devices to accessory makers months before the announcements so that when the device actually launches, accessories can be purchased alongside it.

Most of these factories have likely not even seen the next iPad yet, so most images are physical mockups or renderings, even if they do know the device’s dimensions.

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The fourth-generation iPad featured only minor changes compared to the previous model, but it looks like the fifth-generation iPad might be a little thinner thanks to a smaller backlight. This could bring the new iPad closer to the second-generation iPad in thickness and weight.

According to Paul Semenza of NPD DisplaySearch, “It’s likely that part of the thinner/lighter design will be reducing the size of the LED backlight, partly by making the display more efficient and partly by using more efficient LEDs.”

He expects other modifications to reduce thickness as well, including a shift to a film-based touch sensor. It’s still not clear if Apple will change the display technology though, such as by using IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide).

IGZO technology has been pursued by Sharp and it was actually thought that it would be used in the third-generation Retina iPad, but it wasn’t. Sharp’s IGZO technology is used in smaller devices sold in the Japanese market.

Compared to the second-generation iPad, the third- and fourth-generation models gained some weight and thickness, mostly because of the technologies that supported the Retina display.

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In January, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlined when he expected Apple would release the next cycle of products in 2013. Last month, rumor had it that the new iPhone would likely launch in the June/July period. Now Kuo has released a new report indicating that a number of production issues might delay the launches of the iPhone 5S, lower-cost iPhone, and Retina iPad mini.

Due to the reported production issues, Kuo thinks Apple’s third quarter might see smaller shipment growth than previously expected. Obviously Apple hasn’t confirmed anything at this point — neither delays nor actual launch plans — so these “delays” are relative to market expectations and not necessarily accurate of Apple’s plan.

In his report, Kuo doesn’t provide a new target date for the launches of new models, but he laid out three potential scenarios, including August/September, September/October, and October/November time frames.

He also detailed the issues that Apple is facing:

Fingerprint sensor for iPhone 5S: Trying to find the right color coatings to prevent interference with the sensor is proving to be a technical challenge for Apple. Software integration for iOS 7 also needs work.

Color coatings for lower-cost iPhone: Apple’s rumored lower-cost iPhone has been said to feature a plastic shell in a number of colors, and Apple’s efforts to keep the shell as thin as possible could prove challenging and likely lead to production ramping issues for coatings and surface treatments.

iPad mini with Retina display: Adding the Retina feature to the iPad mini could cause technical issues related to its design and manufacture, which will likely slow Apple’s release timetable.

With later-than-expected launches, Kuo believes Apple will only see single-digit growth for iPad and iPhone shipments year-over-year for the third quarter of 2013, which is much lower than current market expectations of 30-40% growth.

Image Credit: Gotta Be Mobile

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The rumor mill is starting up again with new product releases just on the horizon, and now we have what is sure to be the first of many alleged photos of upcoming Apple products. The first is a photo of the top cover glass of the fifth-generation iPad, complete with thinner side bezels à la iPad mini.

The photos popped up online early this morning on the French blog Nowhereelse.fr. If this is indeed the cover glass of the next-generation iPad, it looks like Apple might have made a few minor changes to the design, including thinner bezels on the side and some tweaked proportions. It also looks to be a lot similar in design to the iPad mini.

The photos of these parts definitely line up with previous rumors of what the fifth-generation iPad is expected to look like, but it’s still entirely possible that this is just a knockoff and someone is having a good laugh that we’re examining it so closely. It’s still not really clear when we can expect Apple to announce its new products, with a new iPhone also expected in the coming months.

Recent rumors have been pointing to July-August for production to begin on the fifth-generation iPad.

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Earlier rumours suggested that the fifth-generation iPad could launch as early as April, but a new report from DigiTimes is claiming that production of the next full-sized iPad will actually begin in July-August, citing the usual Taiwan-based supply chain makers as sources.

Consistent with other rumors, the report also says the new iPad will be lighter and thinner than the fourth-generation model with a thin bezel design similar to the iPad mini. The display for the new iPad will reportedly be produced by LG Display and Sharp and the touch panels will come from TPK.

Previous rumors have suggested that Apple would hold an event this month, announcing the fifth-generation iPad and speculation picked up when a number of U.S. retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and MacMall cut prices of the iPad.

It’s definitely getting trickier to predict when Apple is planning to release a new product. Last year Apple launched two iPads with minor updates: the third-generation model with Retina display in March and the fourth-generation model with a faster A6X CPU, Lightning connector and FaceTime HD camera a few months later in October. Then Apple quietly launched a new higher-capacity 128 GB model in early February.

Only time will tell if production for the fifth-generation iPad will really begin in July-August.  Stay tuned.

Image Credit: MacRumors

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Google and the City of Austin have sent media invitations out for a press conference that is set to take place in Austin, Texas. Rumors have begun swirling that Google is planning to expand its Google Fiber ISP to the Austin, Texas, area. These rumors were started by reporters at Venture Beat, who supposedly have unnamed sources that informed them of this Google Fiber expansion. On the other hand, the press conference may also be for a new Google campus in Austin. The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 9th at 11 A.M. Central/12 P.M. Eastern.

Google Fiber is Google’s new and ultra fast ISP and cable television provider. The service features speeds of up to 1 Gbps and comes with a really neat set of home networking hardware. The service is currently only available in certain parts of Kansas City, though Google will be expanding the service soon. Those who don’t need ultra fast Internet can sign up for a free (minus installation fee) Google Fiber plan that features DSL like speeds.

It would make a ton of sense for Google to expand its new ISP to Austin due to the growing startup and tech community in the city. The city also hosts the yearly SXSW event, a showcase for cutting-edge technology, music and film.

Image Credit: brionv

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It’s only been six months since Apple announced the iPad mini and slightly updated iPad 4, but already it looks like new generations of both models could be arriving sooner rather than later. Walmart, Best Buy and MacMall have all cut prices on the devices, which is usually a good sign that new models are on the way.

All three retailers have cut prices by 30% on the 3rd generation iPad and current iPad mini. If you still haven’t gotten your hands on either of these devices, now might be a good time. That being said, the next iPad mini is rumored to feature a Retina display, so you might want to wait for that one.

It’s getting harder and harder to predict when Apple is going to launch new devices. Apple could be moving towards a 6-month product release schedule with new iOS models, but if that’s the case, then we should have seen a new iPhone last month. With rumors flying around that the new iPhone could arrive in July, it’s hard to know what to believe. Then again, maybe that’s just what Apple wants. Either way, hopefully we’ll see some new-generation devices in the coming months.

Image Credit: The New iPad Blog

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Analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets released some new research today outlining some interesting features for Apple’s still-rumored television set, including an iRing motion control device. He also claims that it could launch later this year and will be available as a 60-inch model, with 50-55 inch models also possibly being available.

White’s research brings a new feature to the iTV rumours. He claims that Apple will release an “iRing” motion control device for it. He wrote:

[W]e believe Apple will release a miniature device called “iRing” that will be placed on a user’s finger and act as a navigation pointer for “iTV,” enhancing the motion detection experience and negating some of the functionality found in a remote.

White also thinks that Apple’s iWatch will have a role in Apple’s television, complimenting the iRing to support interactive TV services and phone calls.

On top of that, White expects Apple to release auxiliary screens similar to iPads, which would allow users to watch TV content on wireless devices within range of the larger television.

“iTV” will come with a “mini iTV” screen that will seamlessly allow users to view content on this smaller, 9.7-inch screen, while also opening up use cases around home security, phone calls, video conferencing and other areas. As part of this experience, Siri and FaceTime will be important. Essentially, we believe the “mini iTV” screens will be able to capture content from the 60-inch “iTV” across a distance of up to 200 meters, allowing a user to view “iTV” content in the kitchen, washroom, garage, bedroom, backyard, etc.

White believes the basic iTV package would include a mini iTV for customers to add additional screens, up to a maximum of four. He says some parts of the mini iTV would be similar to the full size iPad. They would have much more limited functionality and features and would not be a replacement for the iPad itself.

He expects the iTV package to be priced at $1500-$2500, with some service providers to possibly subsidize the cost.

Apple has been said to be trying to revolutionize the television experience, but White’s report has so far been uncorroborated, obviously.

We also believe White is on drugs…

Image Credit: AppleInsider

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New reports are indicating that iOS 7 is behind schedule and John Gruber, an unofficial Apple spokesman over at Daring Fireball, suggested that as a result of its delay Apple is getting engineers from the OS X 10.9 project to work on the new iOS version.

iOS 7 would usually be ready in time for the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is just a few months away. If it’s true that Apple is pulling resources from OS X, it definitely wouldn’t be the first time that the company had to transfer developers to work on iOS instead of OS X. In 2007, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was delayed by four months to make sure the iPhone project was on time.

A lot of rumors are suggesting that Jony Ive, who is the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design and new head of Human Interface, has made some changes to iOS, giving it a fresher and flatter look. Rene Ritchie noted:

Ive’s work is apparently making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad.

It’ll definitely be interesting to see what Apple comes out with. If it’s as different as some are suggesting and with Ive making some new changes, it’s no wonder that it could be take a little longer than expected.

Image Credit: Cult of Mac

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Facebook has been rumored to be designing its very own mobile device for years. Despite constant denials at the highest levels, the rumors refuse to die.

After all, why would a company that dominates online social interactions not want to get into the mobile phone game? Given its plethora of apps, and continued dominance on the iOS App Store, it makes a lot of sense on plenty of levels that Facebook would be working on its very own phone.

A new alleged leak from @evleaks on Twitter is claiming that HTC has built a phone for Facebook. Take it for what it is, a random tweet from a random Twitter account.

Here’s the tweet, as it appeared on Twitter:

HTC first, 2013 twitter.com/evleaks/status…

— @evleaks (@evleaks) April 2, 2013

That said, HTC is making some of the nicest phones not branded by Apple lately. It blows my mind (but not really) that people keep picking up Samsung phones made of plastic when they could have a phone that looks as great as an iPhone from HTC. If I was buying an Android phone, it would be the HTC One. If I was Facebook, I’d partner with HTC to make my first phone too.

Could Facebook be the first company to offer up a truly cloud based operating system for a mobile phone ? Things could get interesting in a hurry. Facebook already does photos, video, social, chat, instant messaging, games, apps, and pretty much everything else you would need out of an operating system. A hardware device is the next logical step.

The post Facebook Phone Images Leak Online? appeared first on Macgasm.

And so it begins. With a new iPhone expected in the summer/fall months, it’s time to start speculating about the specific launch date of the next iPhone. According to MacFan, a Japanese website dedicated to Apple news, the iPhone 5S will launch on June 20 and go on sale sometime in July.

MacFan claims that the next-generation iPhone will debut at an Apple event that is reportedly planned for June 20, and then go on sale a few weeks later in early July.

Apple is also rumoured to launch a low-cost iPhone in August and target it as a pre-paid device for markets like China and India.

Analysts have also projected a June or July timeframe for the next-generation iPhone. In the past, Apple released the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4 during the June/July period and only switched to the fall launch for the iPhone 4S and newest iPhone 5.

MacFan seems to be the first to suggest a specific date for the launch. Gene Munster also projected the iPhone 5S to launch in late June, with the low-cost model to debut in September. Ming-Chi Kup of KGI Securities suggested it would launch in June and go on sale in July.

Stay tuned, since I’m sure there will be plenty more speculation about when the iPhone 5S will launch in the coming months.

Image Credit: Edmodo

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It’s been rumored t that the Evasi0n jailbreak could be the last public jailbreak since Apple closed the security holes that make Evasi0n work. Evad3rs team member David Wang (a.k.a. Planetbeing) even said it would be difficult to jailbreak iOS 7. But now a team member from the Greenpois0n dev team, Joshua Hill (a.k.a. p0sixninja), hinted that it’s a definite possibility.

Hill took to his Twitter account saying, “Well, so far it looks like the next jailbreak might be created entirely by me.”

He continued with a clarifying statement: “Evad3rs haven’t gone anywhere, I’ve just discovered all the needed exploits on my own over the past few months.”

The latest version of iOS to be jailbroken is iOS 6.1.2., which means that iOS 6.1.3. has yet to be exploited. Apple specifically patched the exploits that the Evad3rs team would need to jailbreak it.

It’s unclear if a jailbreak will arrive for iOS 6.1.3. or if the dev team will just wait for iOS 7 since the new software is expected to be announced sometime in June.

Image Credit: Digital Trends

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Rumors upon rumors upon rumors, and here’s the latest: according to DigiTimes, Apple is still working on developing a TV that will be called the iTV and it will likely support Ultra HD (3840 by 2160). It will also feature voice and motion control functions and Internet connectivity. Essentially, it will be a monitor.

Sources close to DigiTimes revealed that Apple and Foxconn Electronics have been in talks for a while concerning the TV’s mass production schedule, but Apple is still considering where the panel supply for the TV will come from since Ultra HD TV panel makers, most of which are based in Taiwan, are expected to be producing at close to full capacity in 2013 in order to meet demand from China-based TV vendors.

Other panel makers in Apple’s supply chain that might be able to produce the panels are expected to concentrate their panel production on the iPhone, iPad and iPad mini products.

Sources claim that Apple is depending on LG Display to mass produce the Ultra HD TV panels by the second half of the year. If LG pulls through, Apple might be able to release the TV by the end of 2013, but the beginning of 2014 is reportedly more likely.

Or, we’ll never see an Apple branded television ever, which is more likely at this point in the television rumor cycle…

Image Credit: AppleInsider

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It looks like Google is jumping on the smart watch bandwagon along with Apple and Samsung. According to The Financial Times, Google is rumored to already have an Android smart watch in development that would be like the iWatch for Android users.

Google’s smart watch is reportedly being developed by Google’s Android team and will function with its own version of the Android operating system. It will be designed to work alongside an Android smartphone, much like Samsung’s smart watch and Apple’s rumored iWatch is expected to do.

While this is mostly just a rumor at this point, it’s interesting to note that Google actually filed a patent application back in 2011 that details a “smart watch” with a dual-screened “flip-up display,” a built-in camera, and a “tactile user interface.” So it’s definitely a possibility that Google really is working on its own version of a smart watch.

No more details were given about the rumored device and there’s no launch date was given.

Image Credit: Businessweek

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Whether you knew it or not, Amazon powers a massive amount of all the popular websites on the Internet. The company sells cloud storage space to a number of popular companies to help run their websites, with clients such as Netflix, Reddit and Pinterest. The company also sells storage space to governments, and now it seems that they have acquired a new, top secret customer.

A report out of the site FCW states that Amazon has recently won a 10 year contract with the CIA worth over $600 million. The deal would have Amazon helping the Agency build their own private cloud network that would provide much better functionality than the CIA’s current cloud system. Amazon and the CIA both declined to comment on the rumors.

Reports say that the CIA has been looking into working with more commercial companies as a way to save money and to take advantage of these companies’ innovations.

You can now sleep easy knowing that information concerning your country’s national security is being run by the same people that deliver you your overnight toilet paper.

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Federal investigators in the U.S. have reportedly launched an investigation into Microsoft following claims that the software company bribed foreign government officials in China, Italy and Romania in order to acquire software contracts.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission received the claims from a former Microsoft employee in China and that it is now investigating. The allegations against Microsoft claim that a Microsoft executive living in China was told to give Chinese officials monetary kickbacks in return for government issued contracts to Microsoft. Microsoft is also accused of hiring consultants in Italy simply as a means of giving gifts and trips to Italian procurement officials as a way of getting government business.

All of these allegations, however, are at least three years old, even though the investigation is just beginning now.

John Frank, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Microsoft, made a blog post commenting on the recent allegations. Here are a couple quotes taken from the original blog post: (which can be found in its entirety here)

Today, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. government is reviewing allegations that Microsoft business partners in three countries may have engaged in illegal activity, and if they did, whether Microsoft played any role in these alleged incidents.

In a company of our size, allegations of this nature will be made from time to time. It is also possible there will sometimes be individual employees or business partners who violate our policies and break the law. In a community of 98,000 people and 640,000 partners, it isn’t possible to say there will never be wrongdoing. Our responsibility is to take steps to train our employees, and to build systems to prevent and detect violations, and when we receive allegations, to investigate them fully and take appropriate action. We take that responsibility seriously.

This story seems to be just getting started, and right now it seems like it could end up going any way. Still, it likely isn’t the type of publicity Microsoft was looking for right about now.

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With speculation of Apple’s iWatch heating up, Samsung’s Executive Vice President of Mobile, Lee Young Hee, confirmed that it is also working on a smart watch, a wearable device that functions similarly to smartphones.

Lee didn’t comment on what features the watch would have, how much it would cost, or when it would be available to the public, but he did say that Samsung has been working on a smart watch product for a long time. “We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them,” he said.

Some have speculated that Apple is planning to introduce its smart watch device as soon as this year. Apple’s iWatch could feature the ability to make calls, see the ID of incoming calls and check map coordinates. It would also have a pedometer for counting steps and sensors for monitoring health-related data, like heart rates.

It looks like Apple and Samsung will be going head to head again and “the issue here is who will first commercialize it so consumers can use it meaningfully.”

Gentlemen, start your engines.

Image Credit: redOrbit

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Those who were disappointed with the display of the iPad mini will be happy to hear that Apple is rumored to release a Retina iPad mini in the third calendar quarter of this year.

Some people were expecting Apple to release the new iPad mini in the spring, but a new report suggests that we’ll have to wait until the third quarter of 2013 to get our hands on the Retina iPad mini we’ve been waiting for.

Apple is reportedly working on a redesigned 9.7-inch iPad as well. The new fifth-generation iPad could see a redesigned aluminum alloy metal chassis and could feature a design similar to that of the iPad mini, with a thinner bezel and lighter frame.

Previously, Apple would update the iPad on an annual refresh cycle, but in late 2012, Apple launched the fourth-generation iPad, about six months after the third-generation iPad was released. The hardware was upgraded to an A6X processor and the new Lightning port was added. So right now, it seems releases are kinda up in the air.

Despite releasing the iPad mini without Retina display, Apple hasn’t seen a big decline in iPad mini shipments since it first launched towards the end of 2012 and the company is supposedly planning to ship 55 million iPad mini units in 2013.

It looks like Apple doesn’t need to rush into releasing a new iPad mini since the first-generation device is continuing to sell at a steady pace.

Image Credit: GDELUXE

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There are so many rumors swirling around out there that it’s hard to keep up. The latest one suggests that Apple’s budget iPhone will have the same 4-inch display as the iPhone 5, despite it being previously thought that it would feature a larger 4.5-inch display.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, who has been fairly accurate when it comes to predicting Apple’s plans, the specs for the budget iPhone were decided back in 2011. That’s a pretty large claim to make. KGI Securities believes the company likely won’t change the size specs due to the market shift towards larger 5-inch screens because they’re already locked in to a design.

The new low-cost iPhone model is expected to have a “super-thin plastic casing mixed with glass fiber.” Kuo explains that the material is supposed to make it stronger, thinner and lighter than previous plastic smartphone casings. It’s expected to be between 0.4 and 0.6 millimeters thick, which is thinner than the previous plastic casings, which were between 0.7 and 1 millimeters.

Like the latest iPod touch lineup, the budget iPhone will reportedly come with a range of color options, expanding from the black and white choices currently available with another 4-6 options.

Alongside a low-cost iPhone, Kuo says Apple will release an updated premium iPhone 5S later this year. Kuo also said the next high-end iPhone will have a fingerprint sensor under the home button that will eliminate the need for passwords and possibly add a new functionality, like secure e-wallet transactions through Passbook.

Image Credit: Cult of Mac

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It was recently rumored that Intel is in talks with Apple to produce chips for the giant tech company. Now that rumor has gone a step further in that Intel may actually get as much as 10% of Apple’s next-generation mobile chip orders.

The rumor comes from none other than Digitimes, so the accuracy of it still remains to be seen. According to Digitimes, however, Intel, who is looking to to do outside contracting for chips, could produce some for Apple’s next-generation iPhone. Apple has been looking to move its chip production away from Samsung as the two companies are locked in a never-ending limbo of legal battles.

Samsung currently manufactures all of Apple’s current A-series chips,  so Intel could be just the type of solution Apple needs to start its prolonged breakup with Samsung.

TSMC has also been rumored to become the second largest supplier for Apple’s A7 processors, taking a good chunk of orders from Samsung.  TSMC’s chip production for Apple is reportedly starting in 2014.

If these rumors are true, Samsung could end up with only 50% of Apple’s chip orders, with 40% going to TSMC and the last 10% going to Intel.

Paul Otellini, Intel’s current CEO, is set to retire in May. Some believe a new chief executive could push the company in a new direction by contracting out to build custom chips for mobile device makers like Apple.

Image Credit: Intel

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A surprising rumor today suggests that Intel could be in talks to produce Apple chips, which would be an interesting shift for the company. For years, Intel has made its business from manufacturing its own PC chips that are superior to rival products.

Manufacturing custom chips for other companies, like Apple, would be a huge move for Intel, but one that could boost stagnant production lines while also bringing in more revenue.

Last week, Intel said that it will be making chips designed by Altera, its first customer to contract chips, so this is definitely something that Intel is open to currently. All this has fuelled talk of an impending Apple deal. A source apparentely close to the companies said Intel and Apple executives have been in discussions for the past year but no agreement has been reached yet.

Making a deal with Intel would definitely benefit Apple, which still relies on Samsung in an awkward partnership for its chips. Samsung produces the A series of processors that are found in the iPhone and iPad.

Whether or not Apple and Intel decide to make a deal will depend on Intel’s new CEO, who has yet to be announced. Intel’s current CEO, Paul Otellini, is planning to retire in May.

Image Credit: Wired

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A recent research report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that a new iPhone 5S could arrive as soon as July and now more rumors are surfacing that support this claim. iMore is ‘confirming‘ that a new iPhone will arrive this summer, specifically in August, with the next-generation iPad and iPad mini expected in April.

Previously, Apple has launched new iPhones anywhere between June and October. The iPhone 4S was launched in October while the more recent iPhone 5 was launched in September.

According to iMore, the next-generation iPhone, unofficially dubbed the iPhone 5S, will be similar to the iPhone 4S, improving the internals of the phone, like a better camera and a more advanced processor, but leaving the outside as it is, looking like the iPhone 5.

April is also being targeted as a possible launch date for the second-generation iPad mini. This would follow similar spring release patterns of the original iPad, iPad 2 and the third-generation iPad. According to iMore, the fifth-generation can expect a casing redesign, but it’s still unclear if the iPad mini will feature a Retina display.

iMore has been pretty accurate in the past about some Apple releases, like reporting the Lightning connector a few months before its release, predicting the iPad mini launch date for the iPad mini as well as the announcement date for the iPhone 5. So while there’s no guarantee, these dates are a definite possibility for a new iPhone and new iPads.

Image Credit: Gotta Be Mobile

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Apple may be working on massive 2TB solid state drives for the rumored 2013 Mac Pro. The report, although unconfirmed, claims that Apple is working on a 2TB SSD with a standard SATA connector, not a proprietary SAS port. The drive also features standard 3.5-inch sizing, just like the drives in the current generation Mac Pro. The originators of the rumor reportedly saw the drive for themselves and noted a large Apple logo printed on it.

If the new Mac Pro does indeed feature four-hard-drive bays like the current generation Mac Pro, we could see the Pro boast up to 8TB of storage if completely maxed out. Unfortunately, we’d also expect a high price tag to go with this as a standard 512GB SSD costs an additional $750 via Apple’s website on the current Mac Pro. The publication did not post photos of the drive.

Hopefully we’ll see Apple’s new Mac Pro launch sometime this year once Intel’s next-generation Xeon chips arrive. Apple CEO Tim Cook also promised something new for professional users sometime during 2013.

Image Credit: Yutaka Tsutano

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Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S IV will be officially released on March 14 so the only question that remains is what it will actually look like, and Samsung’s newest video isn’t giving any hints.

The clip shows a young boy at a top secret meeting who has the role of “secret messenger of SAMSUNG UNPACKED 2013.” He has been entrusted with a package that holds the secretive Galaxy S IV and is expected to bring it to the official launch in just ten days.

Those hoping for a little more insight on the actual device will be disappointed. The only thing the video tells us is that the newest Galaxy S IV really glows.

Other than that, the device has been rumored to have a 4.99-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, one of Samsung’s new Exynos Octa chipsets, 2GB of RAM, and a 13-megapixel camera. All of this might be packed into another larger device. Samsung is the only company that hasn’t yet revealed its 2013 smartphone.

The post Samsung Releases First Galaxy S IV Teaser Video, Not Telling What To Expect appeared first on Macgasm.

Same as it ever was, and infinitely more useful than the rumors suggest. We have no idea where this came from, but someone just sent it in anonymously.  We laughed, we shared.  Now it’s your turn.

Honestly, though, can someone tell me one good reason why I need an iWatch? In our last poll ~75% of you said you’d buy one and wear it. That blew my mind, and I’m not alone either. Mr. Marks has a hard time understanding the intrigue too.

The post We Found A Picture Of The iWatch… appeared first on Macgasm.

In the hopes of strengthening its communications team in the EMEIA region, which includes Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, it is being reported that Apple’s director of corporate communication, a newly created role, is none other than Josh Rosenstock, Ex-Rolls-Royce Director.

Both Apple and Rolls-Royce have declined to comment on this little tidbit of information, but should an inquisitive sleuth choose to investigate further into this matter, he or she would find that Rosenstock’s contact details have been removed from Rolls-Royce’s Media Contact page on its website. His name had been shown as recently as February 10. A mere 10 days later, his name is no longer listed. Interesting.

One source suggests that Rosenstock’s hire is an indication of Apple’s desire to improve its “corporate affairs capabilities” as it becomes more involved with global regularity and political issues. Apple has had several legal cases go through courts in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, dealing with intellectual property rights issues and tax debates, among others.

Reportedly, Rosenstock, who has worked for Rolls Royce for four and a half years, will work under Apple’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications, Alan Hely. Rosenstock has also previously worked as head of corporate communications at Misys, a financial tech firm, and head of communications at RWE Thames Water. Rosenstock could not be reached for comment either.

Image Credit: assignmentcscrazil

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Foxconn, the company responsible for manufacturing Apple’s iPhone and iPad lineup, has frozen recruitment at all of its factories across China due to slowing sales of the iPhone 5 and iPad, which is the first time the company has had to scale back hiring since the financial crisis in 2009.

According to a Foxconn spokesperson, “none of the plants in mainland China have hiring plans” and the Financial Times has tied the downturn to weakening demand for some Apple products:

Human resources officials at Foxconn’s largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5.

Recruiters have also told the Financial Times that iPhone 5 and iPad lines have stopped hiring employees at the Shenzhen plant recently. The report is now, hours after being reported, being denied by Foxconn. The company has indicated that the hiring freeze is “due to a higher return-rate than expected following the Chinese Lunar holiday” and not iPhone 5 demand.

The second and third generation iPad was announced and released in March (2011,2012), so traditionally we’ve seen an iPad announcement around this time of year. If that continued to be the case, Foxconn would likely be scaling up its hiring, and not freezing things. The fourth generation iPad and iPad mini, however, were announced in October (2013), so there’s a good chance that iPad releases have been placed on a new fall based schedule. Apple also recently released a silent “spec” update to the iPad 4 in January, so it’s unlikely that we’ll see anything on the iPad front in the short term. The iPhone seems to also have been moved to a fall release schedule with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 being released in October and September the last two years (2011, 2012).

That could be a major tell about why Foxconn is in a holding pattern at some of its factories. If there’s nothing new to release in the short-term, why would the company hire anyone?

The post Foxconn Freezes Hiring, iPhone 5 Demand Waning? appeared first on Macgasm.

A Taiwanese report claims that Apple has begun lining up suppliers to launch the new MacBook Air, complete with Retina display, and the next-generation iPad with redesigned touchscreen technology.

One of these reports claims that Apple’s list of suppliers for its next iPad includes companies such as Nitto Denko, TPK, and Japan Display Inc. The report also says that assembly will be done by Foxconn, Apple’s regular partner, and that Wintek could lose out on iPad orders for the next-generation model.

Another report claims that parts for the new MacBook Air with Retina display are scheduled to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2013, with plans to launch the new MacBook Air in the third quarter. In 2012, Apple began offering Retina display resolutions on its MacBook Pros with redesigned and thinner hardware, while continuing to offer MacBook Pros with lower resolution screens and integrated disc drives.

The iPad 5 is assumed to have a similar design to the iPad mini, which will make it both thinner and lighter. Another report repeats previous claims that Apple’s next-generation iPad will use the same ‘GF2′ display technology that is found in the 7.9-inch iPad mini, instead of the thicker glass-on-glass design feature of the most recent full-size iPad generation.

Image Credit: Bloomberg

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New rumors circulating are suggesting that the next iPad mini’s production costs will increase by about 30% because of the new rumored pixel density of the display. The new resolution, according to rumormongers, could increase costs by more than $12/unit, and would have a ‘Retina’ resolution of 2,048×1536. Comparatively, the first generation iPad mini’s resolution is 1,024×768.

Many consumers were upset by the iPad mini’s lack of Retina display. The decision to increase the display resolution will let Apple’s smaller tablet  compete with Android-based products, as well as Apple’s own full-sized iPad.

In order to increase the Retina display, the next iPad mini will need more components to increase the DPI and brightness of the backlight and improve the GPU performance, raising the cost by more than 30%. Market observers say that the 7-inch section of Apple’s lineup will account for 45-60% of total tablet shipments in 2013.

The release date for Apple’s 2013 iPad mini generation is still unknown, but rumors are suggesting either early spring or late fall.

Image Credit: AppleScene

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It looks like Apple might be thinking about offering full USB 3.0 support to its iOS devices as the company is seeking individuals for USB testing on new iOS and iPod product lines.

Today, Apple posted a new job position for a Senior Software Quality Engineer (USB) to join the USB Connectivity Compliance QA Team. Applicants are expected to have knowledge of high speed bus device testing, including SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

USB 3.0 connectivity is supported through USB 3.0 ports on newer Macs, but it is not supported by iOS devices right now. Some say the new Lightning connector is able to support USB 3.0 data transfer speeds, but when it’s plugged into the new USB 3.0 ports in the latest Macs, the data transfer is the same as USB 2.0, which Apple states in the specifications for the Lightning connector cables.

With this new hire, Apple could be looking into expanding their testing team for bring the new USB 3.0 connectivity standard to iOS devices, but probably not the next generation devices. Apple might also be looking to evaluate data transfer performance between iOS devices and Macs using the existing 2.0 standard.

Though just a rumor at this point, if the USB 3.0 compatibility is already included on new Macs, Apple is probably working on ways for iOS devices to take full advantage of that feature.

Image Credit: Techworld

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Like the New York Times and Wall St. Journal before it, Bloomberg has just announced that it has also heard that 100 product designers are working on a ‘wristwatch-like’ device at Apple. Some are referring to it as an iWatch, some as iJewelry. This rumor seems to keep growing legs, and this time around there seems to be two names attached to the project.

According to Bloomberg:

Apple’s James Foster, senior director of engineering, and Achim Pantfoerder, another manager, are part of the efforts to introduce a wristwatch-style computer, according to the people. Apple has worked on wearable devices for tracking fitness in the past and never brought them to market, said one of the people.

Kicking tires on an idea is one thing; releasing a product to the buying masses is something else entirely. I have a hard time believing this one. It wouldn’t be the first time I called B.S. on something only to have it happen, but is Apple really working on a Power Glove, Minority Report, watch of the future that controls devices, displays information, and does everything else we’ve seen in science fiction the last two decades?

It’s a neat idea, but I’m not sold. We should also point out that these mainstream media agencies seem to be getting worse and worse at running Apple rumors that turn out to be nothing.

The post Third News Outlet ‘Confirms’ iWatch Project Rumors appeared first on Macgasm.

Woke up this morning to new “leaked” iPhone 5 images in my inbox, RSS reader, and Twitter stream from some random assembly line from god knows where. As it turns out, original reports of the device images actually being iPhone 5S pictures are starting to look a bit foolish. A follow-up article from our friends over at MacRumors is already beginning to debunk the images, taking potshots at their veracity, and instead pointing to the device as a clone of some kind.

If it looks like an iPhone, and smells like an iPhone, it certainly must be a real iPhone. Right?!?!

From 9to5Mac

“In the images we see a front panel largely resembling the currently shipping iPhone 5, as well as some rather nice shots of the devices components, which is where we get clues that this is indeed the next-gen iPhone and not the iPhone 5 … While it wasn’t exactly clear why, Apple switched back to the sometimes louder, rotational motor that utilizes a counterweight for the iPhone 5. The alleged images of the iPhone 5S above shows that Apple appears to be going back to a linear vibrating motor design, which also makes these spy shots a little bit more believable than otherwise.”

Thing is, these aren’t iPhone 5S parts. MacRumors points to a few things worth noticing in the pictures, notably a smaller battery, an SD Card slot (or a SIM card tray), random wires, and a random dock connector. Clearly, what we’re looking at must be an iPhone 5S though…

Clearly.

The post ‘Leaked’ iPhone 5S Images Looking More Like Clones Every Second… appeared first on Macgasm.

New reports are indicating that Apple might really have a few new phones up its sleeve for 2013. According to the reports, Apple could be working on releasing two new iPhone models at some point this year: the iPhone 5S and an even bigger iPhone. Just like they were going to do the last time, and the time before that, and the time before that… oh, wait. Yeah.

The two models that Apple is rumored to be working on include the previously rumored iPhone 5S, which would be similar to the iPhone 5, and a new 5-inch iPhone model that is said to be lighter and thinner.

With rival companies like Samsung producing larger phones, like the Galaxy Note, there has been increasing speculation that Apple is planning to go even bigger with a new iPhone model. Apple has already increased the size of the iPhone screen with the iPhone 5, moving from 3.5 inches to 4 inches. So logically an iPhone with a five-inch screen, six-inch screen, and seven-inch screen are just a formality at this point.

Apple has also been rumored to launch an iPhone with a bigger 5-inch display but keeping the same 640-by-1,136 pixel resolution as the current iPhone 5 screen. Stretching the pixels out to a 5-inch display would give a lower pixel density of 264-per-inch, but developers would still be able to create applications for one screen resolution.

As usual, this is all speculation at this point, but it will be interesting to see what Apple decides to launch later this year. Our money is the same launch as every other year though, so don’t hold your breath.

The post Apple To Release ‘iPhone 5S’ And New 5-Inch ‘iPhone 6′ In 2013? appeared first on Macgasm.

It’s amazing what a little PNG can do to the music listening masses. Our best friends over at 9to5Mac have dug deep into the iOS 6.1 code base and pulled out a couple of images that hint that Apple may be considering adding radio streaming to its iPad and iPhone lineup. It’s about time too; we’re starting to have serious withdrawal for used-car sales pitches and ladies night ads down at the local watering hole while we’re getting our indie-pop grooves on.

From 9to5Mac:

“…we happened on a new set of files in the iPad Music.app. The files are called some variation of “radio button” with an icon that looks similar to the radio icon that used to be in iTunes for Mac (it was traded for a more prominent top location in iTunes 11 without the antenna tower). The iPad music app currently doesn’t have any radio functionality, so our first thought was that Apple would be adding an iTunes-like ‘traditional’ streaming radio to the iPad. Notably, jailbroken iPhones don’t contain these files in the Music app.”

Who the hell knows at this point. Maybe it’s a digital radio streaming service; maybe it’s something else. It is what it is, and at this point, we’re not exactly heartbroken that the iPhone and iPad don’t have digital radio streaming apps. It’s 2013. For the love of all that’s holy, go buy a Spotify or Rdio subscription. Heck, if you want to be all cheap about it, go check out Songza. It’s a modern day radio service but without the non-stop Nickleback, Bieber, Call Me Maybe lovefest.

The post Random Images In iOS 6.1 Has Public In iPad Radio Streaming Frenzy appeared first on Macgasm.

It’s been several months since the July release of the Jellybean Android update and users are beginning to get hungry for some Key Lime Pie. Fortunately, it seems as though Google’s next major update for the OS will be arriving sometime this spring.

Android Police managed to get its hands on some Qualcomm documents that show a spring release for the coming update. Google, however, quickly forced the site to take down the documents, reinforcing the presence of some truth behind them.

Google plans to hold their annual Google I/O conference from May 15 to May 17 this year, which would make for a perfect time to announce a spring update.

There are still no details on what to expect from the update, rumored to be named Key Lime Pie; however, users should expect an update comparable in size to that of Jellybean.

The post Major Android Update Leaked, Coming This Spring. Key Lime Pie, Anyone? appeared first on Macgasm.

It seems that all signs are pointing towards a February 20th announcement date for Sony’s next Playstation. Sony today tweeted about a big Playstation event along with the term “Playstation 2013″. The announcement includes a video that focuses on the iconic Playstation controller buttons and further enforces that the big reveal will be hardware related.

Most of the gaming press have agreed in the past that Microsoft and Sony’s new consoles will likely be released around the holidays in 2013. This announcement date would make for a logical amount of time to make for a successful and smooth holiday launch for the Playstation 4. Many people also believe that it’s important for Sony to announce, market and release their new console before Microsoft releases the Xbox. One of the major advantages the Xbox 360 had over the Playstation 3 was that it came out almost a full year earlier and had time to cement itself into the market.

It’s almost a certainty that this announcement is about the Playstation 4. Consumers wouldn’t stand for Sony using 2013 as simply another year for a couple big game releases. With that being said, sales of the six and a half year old Playstation 3 are constantly slowing and now is the right time for Sony to start prepping for their next big launch.

Tune-in to the Internet on February 20th at 6 PM EST to see the big reveal. We’ll have more as we get closer.

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Earlier this week the team behind the iOS 6.1 jailbreak teased that the jailbreak might get released this weekend on Super Bowl Sunday. Now the team has given it the name “evasi0n” and set up a website to keep everyone in the loop on the jailbreak’s progress.

All of Apple’s recent devices, except for the third-generation Apple TV, running iOS 6.0 or 6.1, will be supported by evasi0n and the jailbreak app will be compatible with Windows, OS X, and Linux. According to the development team, it will only take as little as 5 minute to complete the process.

The new jailbreak is expected to go live this Sunday, February 3, and based on the dates in the calendar pictures on the website, this date is looking even more likely.

If you don’t know, jailbreaking your device is the process of modifying its software so that apps from third-party sources can be installed in addition to apps from the Apple App Store. Jailbreaking your device, however, violates the end user license agreement with Apple and the company could refuse to support your device if it fails during a jailbreaking attempt or while in a jailbroken state.

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The rumored iOS 6.1 jailbreak could be arriving as soon as this Sunday. It’s actually been in testing for a while now and has been working well with each beta release of iOS 6.1., but from the sounds of it the team needed to wait for the official release of iOS 6.1 so it could be tested with the final version of the firmware. Turns out the final iOS 6 version was released to the masses yesterday.

MuscleNerd, one of the members of the new jailbreak team that goes by the name of Evad3rs, confirmed on Twitter that the final version of iOS 6.1 is safe and can be jailbroken in the same way as other beta releases of the iOS 6.1 firmware before the final release. The bigger tweet, though, was when MuscleNerd teased that the jailbreak could arrive on Super Bowl Sunday. He tweeted, “Hey did everyone know the Super Bowl is this Sunday? What will you be doing? /cc @evad3rs evad3rs.com”

If you like to jailbreak your device, then you won’t have too much longer to wait. One thing to be aware of, though, is that the Evad3rs team is advising those who want to jailbreak their device to avoid the OTA update method and instead connect your device to iTunes and do a full backup and update this way. Over the air updates usually take the team more time to test than the normal tethered update method.

Image Credit: iTechBook

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The folks at 9to5mac have just posted a set of unconfirmed images of the iPad 5′s rear shell. The part looks to be very similar to that of the iPad mini with chamfered edges, pill shaped volume buttons and a thinner bezel around the screen. The color scheme also looks to have changed as the Black and Slate color has been used in these leaked parts. Apple currently uses this color as well as the White and Silver scheme in the iPad mini and iPhone 5. In the past, iPad purchasers were able to choose the color of their iPad’s glass, though the rear of the device was silver regardless.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen reports of an iPad mini-styled full-sized iPad. Last week iLounge reported that the iPad 5 will look like an iPad mini and will feature a full internal redesign. The publication also stated that the iPad 5 will indeed be powered by a lower-powered version of the Apple A6X chip. iLounge is basing this information off of a mockup of the iPad 5, which is reported to resemble the real thing. The photo they posted of the mockup looks to be identical to the one posted by 9to5mac.

It looks like it’s iPhone/iPad rumor season. Get your B.S. detector ready. Things could get pretty interesting over the next couple of months.

Image Credit: 9to5mac

The post As If By Magic, Rear Shell Of Alleged iPad 5 Appears Out Of Thin Air… appeared first on Macgasm.

So, ”reliable sources” now have an inside track on the much rumored, lower priced iPhone’s design. The device will reportedly take design elements from the iPhone 5, iPod classic as well as the iPod touch to create a plastic and curvier version of the iPhone 5. The device will also apparently be just a tad taller than the iPhone 5 as well. Step two? Galaxy Note big…

As far as the curved back goes, Apple will apparently be taking a much less substantial approach than it did with the iPhone 3GS. The device is rumored to have very minor curves like the ones found on the iPod classic. But, because of these curves, the publication has also reported that the device will be a bit larger than the iPhone as a whole. Finally, the device may also have “pill shaped” volume buttons like the ones found on the iPod touch.

As far as internals go, the budget iPhone is set to offer the same camera and button arraignment as the iPhone 5. The bottom of the device will also look similar as it will feature a 3.5mm headphone jack and Lightning connector. It will also apparently feature less speaker holes and a second mic hole next to the headphone jack.

The post Apple’s Budget iPhone Could Look Curvier Than The iPhone 5 appeared first on Macgasm.

It was previously rumored that Apple would be opening a research and development center in Shanghai. Turns out, it’s now been confirmed. Apple will open the new R&D center in the summer of 2013 in Pudong, Shanghai. Apple has registered three buildings in Pudong, with one dedicated to procurement management and R&D. The registrations were filed with the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce.

Previous reports about the R&D center said that Apple has been laying out the project for the past six or seven years, aiming to have it completed by this summer. The center’s exterior is reportedly complete, but the interior has yet to be decorated. Annual rent for the facility is estimated to be about 50 million yuan, or more than $8 million.

Apple has named China a major area of growth for the company’s future. During Apple’s first quarter of fiscal 2013 conference call, CEO Tim Cook described China as “already [Apple's] second largest region,” with Apple’s revenue in Greater China at $7.3 billion for the quarter.

How long until we see “designed in Shanghai” adorning Apple products?

Image Credit: ultrahdwallpapers

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When it comes to smartphones, there is nothing people argue and brag about more than how good their phone’s display is. Samsung supporters, therefore, may have some more ammo for their debates as rumors continue to come out saying that the upcoming Galaxy S4 will sport a 4.99-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of at least 440 ppi.

While many think that the S4 will have a pixel density of 440 ppi since its the highest amount feasible for the 5-inch screen size, there is now some speculation that this ridiculous number could get even higher. The pixel density of 440 ppi is the maximum one could do with the standard side-by-side pixel layout; however, new reports are claiming that Samsung may be working on new diamond and hexagonal pixel layouts that would allow for even more pixels to be crammed in a small space. Either way, the S4′s pixel density will almost certainly beat out the S3′s 306 ppi as well as the iPhone 5′s 326 ppi.

Phones such as HTC Droid DNA and the Sony Xperia Z both already have 440 ppi in their 5-inch displays, so the specs aren’t totally revolutionary. If the S4′s screen can pass these numbers with a new pixel layout, then I think the marketing for Samsung’s new phone should be fairly straightforward.

Either way, expect the S4′s screen to be a decent sight to see.

Image Credit: Android Tapp

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Rumors began to circle last week over the possibility that the computer giant Dell was looking to leave the publicly traded stock market and was planning to go private. These rumors have since been strengthened and now reports are coming out that Microsoft may be one of the groups looking to invest and help bring the company to a private state.

CNBC reports that Microsoft is currently in talks with investment firm Silver Lake, the firm heading-up the buy-out, as well as Dell CEO and major shareholder Michael Dell that could have Microsoft invest anywhere between $1 billion and 3 billion into the electronics company. These are reportedly loose talks with no firm plans yet in place.

While this investment would give Microsoft a good share of a major PC hardware manufacturer, it could also have some negative consequences. Other PC manufacturers such as HP and Asus may be concerned that they will no longer be able to compete if Microsoft begins to focus all of its marketing and support on Dell products. Microsoft’s deal with Nokia for Windows Phone has provided a lot of benefits to the platform; however, it has also scared off almost all other hardware manufacturers due to fear of competing with Microsoft and Nokia’s flagship phone.

The post Microsoft May Invest $3 Billion In Dell To Help It Go Private appeared first on Macgasm.

It would have been hard to anticipate just how popular the iPad mini has been. The downsized tablet has been easily selling out since its release and has been beating out the original full-sized iPad in sales. This is reportedly one of the reasons why Sharp is bringing the production of the iPad 4 to almost a complete halt.

“Sharp’s iPad screen production line at its Kameyama plant in central Japan has fallen to the minimal level to keep the line running this month after a gradual slowdown began at the end of 2012,” reported Reuters.

Apple also has display panels manufactured by Samsung and LG, both of which have stated that they haven’t done any major production cuts and that any production cut they did was simply due to seasonality.

There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of proof to support Reuters‘ report that the iPad mini could have contributed at all to the decrease in production of the iPad 4. While there have often been concerns of the mini cannibalizing the sales of the full-sized iPad, it’s unlikely that this would be such a significant issue that it caused for a factory to nearly halt production.

It will be more interesting to see how production and sales numbers start off between the two models when the next iPad mini with Retina is released. With an already surging popularity, we may then clearly see the iPad mini taking the majority of Apple’s production efforts.

The post iPad Mini Popularity May Have Sharp Cutting Production Of iPad 4 Displays appeared first on Macgasm.

Orders for iPhone 5 screens have been cut in half for the January-March quarter and Apple has also cut orders for other components as well. Weak demand isn’t Apple’s only challenge as Samsung still holds the spot for world’s largest smartphone vendor by market share.

In the third quarter of 2012, Apple held 14.6 percent of world-wide smartphone shipments, which is down 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. In contrast, Samsung rose to 31.3 percent in the third quarter of 2012, compared to 8.8 percent in the third quarter of 2010.

Apple cutting down on parts orders might have nothing to do with weak demand. It’s possible that Apple made bigger component orders during the October to December quarter because of manufacturing difficulties, which could have led to shipping delays. As a result, Apple may have reduced orders to get rid of some of those parts.

Apple could not be reached for comment.

Image Credit: Absinthe Jailbreak

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In a note to investors, Munster said, “We believe that the high-end smartphone market (above $400 USD off contract) for [calendar year 2013] will be about 320 million units, of which we believe Apple will capture 50% market share. We believe this means Apple is missing the other 65% of the market, or 580 million units, given its current product lineup without the lower priced phone.”

Munster thinks the opportunity is too big for Apple to pass up, as the low-end market is growing faster than the high end smartphone market.

He previously said that he sees a cheaper iPhone generating $6.5 billion in revenue for Apple, assuming the rumored iPhone were to launch at the end of 2013. Munster expects a cheaper iPhone to go for around $199 for a new, unsubsidized iPhone.

Right now Apple’s cheapest iPhone without a contract is the iPhone 4, which sells for $450 in the U.S. Taxes bring this up to $490 in China and $750 in Brazil, two key countries where low-end, contract-free smartphones are big sellers.  That said, on contract, customers can walk away with an iPhone for free (iPhone 4), $99.00 (iPhone 4S), and $199 (iPhone 5). It doesn’t really get much cheaper than that, considering the majority of consumers buy their phones on contract still.

Image Credit: BGR

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Here’s this week’s rundown:

Monday

• iPad Mini More Popular In China Than First Thought
• Hackulous Closes Its Doors, Says Goodbye To Installous And AppSync

Tuesday

• The New Year Causes Issues With iOS Do Not Disturb Mode
• iPhone 6, iOS 7 Show Up In Developer Logs
• Apple To Break Into Japanese Ebook Market This Month

Wednesday

• Apple Granted Original iPad, Smart Cover Patents
• Goodbye Samsung, Hello TSMC For A6X Chip Production
• Apple Applies For New Stylus Patent
• Apple Found Guilty Of Copyright Infringement In China
• Book Review: Game Design Secrets By Wagner James Au
• Intel Seeing Delays In Developing Internet-Based TV Service, Go Figure
• Babak Parviz Reveals Progress And Future Of Google Glass In New Interview
• Samsung Forced By Judge To Reveal Sales Numbers In Apple Case

Thursday

• Do Not Disturb Broken Until January 8th
• App Piracy Is Back And Easier Than Ever
• Apple Testing New Touch-On-Display Technology For Next iPhone?
• Power Tipping In Apple’s Favor, China Mobile Starting To “Need” The iPhone
• EXCLUSIVE: Do-Not-Disturb-Gate Sparks Imaginary Outrage Among Tech Press
• Microsoft Only Surviving Because Customers Don’t Know Other Alternatives, Says Forbes
• iPad Case Takes 100,000 Foot Tumble, Survives

Friday

• Sorry Folks, Apple Isn’t Buying Waze After All
• Apple’s iRadio To Launch This Year, Just Like Last Year, And The Year Before That
• Forbes Magazine Finally Makes Its Way To iOS And Newsstand
• Mountain Lion Takes A Majority Of Mac Web Traffic

The post Top 24 Stories This Week – A Week in Review (01.05.13) appeared first on Macgasm.

Sources are saying that Apple is in talks with people in the recording industry, looking to negotiate a deal they hope to debut in 2013. Apple’s iRadio would be advertising-supported, but all parties involved have yet to decide how they will share ad revenue. Well-connected analyst Richard Greenfield stated this week:

“Consumer behavior (is) increasingly shifting toward access to a music catalog from ownership of specific songs. We expect iRadio to be incorporated into the iTunes iOS app with personalized radio functionality akin to Pandora, integrated with iTunes to purchase music and other music related content such as concert information/tickets/merchandise via Live Nation (LYV) and Ticketmaster.”

Given the fact that Apple purchased Lala, a popular music streaming service back in 2009, it seems obvious that Apple’s working on something deep in its research labs, but we’ve been hearing about Apple streaming services since the day after news of the acquisition broke online. At this point, we’ll believe it when we actually see it.

The post Apple’s iRadio To Launch This Year, Just Like Last Year, And The Year Before That appeared first on Macgasm.

Sources say that Waze, the voice-guided navigation system, is reportedly interested in the idea of being acquired by Apple but is looking for a pretty big cheque of $750 million. Waze collects and analyzes data from active users to improve its service, so this is something that could help Apple improve its own Maps app in a hurry. Considering the negative press, and the number of people looking for a Maps alternative, a Waze acquisition could right the ship pretty quickly.

Apple is reportedly only willing to pay $400 million plus $100 million in incentives. Waze had less than $1 million in revenues last year, mostly from ads. So while negotiations are pretty advanced, there is still a ways to go for the two companies to settle on a price tag that both will be happy with.

Want to know what you could get from a Waze powered Maps app? Download Waze and give it a try — it’s free.

Image Credit: Google Play

The post Apple’s Rumored Waze Acquisition Looking More Likely, But Waze Wants A Hefty Payout appeared first on Macgasm.

To make the iPhone 5 lighter and thinner than any iPhone before it, Apple used a new in-cell display technology that puts the touch sensors right into the display, instead of in a separate layer. The screens themselves are difficult to manufacture, which lead to supply shortages upon launch and some have experienced touch sensitivity issues on the new iPhone. Because of these issues, Apple is rumored to be testing out a new touch-on-display technology for the next iPhone.

Apple is said to already be working with Chimei Innolux, the largest LCD maker in Taiwan. According to new rumors, Innolux has already sent displays that feature the touch-on-display technology to Apple developed by the company for testing.

Innolux’s touch-on-display technology is thin, just like Apple’s current in-cell technology displays, and also has better touch sensitivity than most other touch panel designs. If Apple’s testing is successful, it’s likely that Innolux’s technology will be featured in the next iPhone, as well as Innolux becoming an important part of Apple’s supply chain.

These reports are in line with reports from last week that Apple had contacted Innolux in regard to its IGZO panels, which has been licensed to IGZO by Sharp. These panels will reportedly be included in the next generations of iPhone, iPad, and iPad mini products.

Image Credit: PCWorld

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One company that many think Apple may be planning to purchase is Waze. Waze is one of the most successful mapping apps in the App Store and it has collected a wide variety of user information that other map companies don’t have. Waze is one of the fastest growing mapping apps, currently sitting at roughly 30 million users located around the world, all of which who help deliver unique information back to the software. The app is constantly live-tracking user data to help suggest the fastest route and users can report things such as police speed traps and road construction to help deliver the Waze motto of “Outsmarting Traffic, Together.”

There has also been recent speculation that Apple plans to buy Foursquare as a way of helping to improve Maps. Foursquare would cost Apple over $500 million and would mainly provide the company with information on things such as restaurants and stores. Foursquare has a large amount of active users with most being located within the U.S.

It seems like it would make much more sense for Apple to buy a company like Waze than Foursquare. Apple already partners with Waze in terms of collecting information for Maps and many of the complaints against the Maps app have been directed at its poor navigation and location awareness abilities, issues that Waze would greatly help with. Waze collects valuable information from live moving cars, as opposed to Foursquare, which collects stationary people in buildings. Foursquare would certainly bring its own advantages as well, but perhaps they aren’t as important right now as Apple’s main priority should be making their service more functional and reliable.

Maybe Apple will just go all in and buy both companies? Either way, it will be interesting to see what steps Apple will take to try and revive its infamous app. If Apple did manage to pick up both companies, it would certainly help it compete with Google’s mapping service in relatively short order.

The post Is Apple Planning To Buy Mapping Company Waze? appeared first on Macgasm.

802.11ac has been referred to by many as ’5G Wi-Fi’. The technology allows for “faster throughput, higher capacity, wider coverage and improved power efficiency.” The current networking standard of 802.11n can provide connections of up to 450mbps with three antennas, while 802.11ac can easily reach the same speeds with one antennae and can reach speeds of 1.3gps when it uses three.

The Broadcom chip is reportedly still in development, however, and not immediately ready for mass production. The report claims that the plan is for the chip to be ready for the upcoming Mac lineup; however it is unknown whether the chips will find their way into other Apple products such as the iPhone and Apple TV.

Apple adopting a new and improved technology like 802.11ac should be a great thing for both consumers and other tech companies alike. A massive company like Apple can easily help the technology take off and gain popularity with the hope of quickly making it an industry standard. This will lead to companies developing products and accessories with 802.11ac in mind and will eventually bring the world a more enjoyable, capable and faster Internet experience.

The post Upcoming 2013 Macs To Include Super Fast 802.11ac ’5G Wi-Fi’ appeared first on Macgasm.

The report states that Apple will be working with Intel to help create the device and that the watch will sport a 1.5 inch PMOLED display. The watch will largely be focused on integrating itself with other products, such as the iPhone, wirelessly over Bluetooth and has an expected release date of sometime in 2013.

The Smart Watch market is one that is just starting to find some popularity within the tech world. New products, such as Sony’s SmartWatch, are starting to gain followers, and integration with smartphones is beginning to get intelligent and useful.

While Smart Watches are currently a small niche market, and may very well remain like that, it’s possible that Apple might be able to find a way to market this kind of device to the masses. The company has already had a minor role in the watch market, with a small number of people having adopted the previous iPod nano as a watch of its own.

While I personally can’t see myself wearing an Apple watch, or any smart watch for that matter, in the near future it would be interesting to see what an innovative company like Apple could do if they officially enter the wrist accessory market.

Image Credit: Staple News

The post Apple Working With Intel To Create New Smart Watch? appeared first on Macgasm.

Apple will be moving its Mac mini production line into the U.S. and will use Foxconn’s American manufacturing plants to produce the devices. Foxconn, Apple’s major Chinese production company, has 15 facilities within the U.S. that the company is likely to use for manufacturing the Mac mini.

The report also mentions that Foxconn is looking to hire employees to help implement new automated production lines within its American factories. If production in Foxconn’s American plants was mainly automated, this would help reduce a large percentage of the production costs that saw Apple choose foreign manufacturing in the first place.

Digitimes anticipates that roughly 1.8 million Mac minis will be shipped in 2013. This makes a nice test market for Apple as it represents a small percentage of their overall Mac product line, yet it is still much larger than the small niche market that is the Mac Pro.

Image Credit: Cult of Mac

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Sharp’s screens are thinner and more efficient than those used in current Apple devices, but Apple has been unable to use the technology so far because of Sharp’s initial setback with production delays.

These supply constraints seem to be a continuing concern, as Apple is reportedly looking into whether or not AU Optronics’s “L5C” line can be used to produce the new technology. On top of that, Innolux Corporation has also reportedly been licensed by Sharp to use its IGZO technology on its 3G and 5G lines, which means the company could become part of Apple’s supply chain in the future.

Using Sharp’s IGZO technology for Apple’s device screens could mean thinner and smaller devices, which is obviously something Apple would be interested in. The third-generation iPad was thicker and heavier because of the bigger battery needed to support the Retina display and the iPad mini is likely missing out on Retina display this time around to keep the device as thin and as light as possible. If Apple is able to make thinner screens, it would mean thinner devices overall, even with the bigger battery needed for Retina displays.

Image Credit: TechRadar

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The fifth-generation iPad is also expected to be thinner and lighter than the current iPad model. The fourth-generation iPad was launched just seven months after the third-generation iPad, which was the first iPad to feature a Retina display. The fourth iPad, which is basically just faster than the third, was introduced alongside the iPad mini.

Apple strayed a little from its usual trend of releasing new products, so a new iPad in March isn’t completely hard to believe. That being said, three new iPads all being released in about a year seems a little unlikely. Before the fourth-generation iPad debuted so soon, Apple typically unveiled a new version every March.

Apple could be releasing the fifth-generation iPad in March to compete with other tablets like Google’s Nexus 7 and Microsoft’s Surface. Macotakara says it will be similar to the iPad mini in being lighter and thinner, apparently smaller by 4mm in height, 17mm in width, and 2mm in depth.

On top of that, a new iPad mini may even be released in March. Macotakara added to this rumor, saying a second-generation iPad mini could feature a Retina display and faster A6X processor, which are both found in the fourth-generation iPad.

So if these rumors are true, we have a lot to look forward to in March.

Image Credit: Yahoo! News

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Id8 Group R2 only has one product on the market: their Android application lets home owners control pretty much anything directly from their mobile devices. Think TVs, stereos, thermostats, lights, and anything else lazy geeks would want access to from the luxury of their couch. The software currently sits priced at $99.00 on the Google Play store.

Now, more than ever before, the fight for dominance in your living room is nigh. There’s always been talk about companies looking for new ways to gain access to customer living rooms, but until this point we haven’t heard of any of the major players in the industry looking to acquire an actual home automation company.

When I was in high school, back in about 1998, I wrote an essay about the future home technologies we might see. It sucked. But, one thing that’s always stood out to me was an article I read at the time that illustrated a smart, connected home. I’ve lost the reference material over the last decade, but in it, there was mention of being able to start the oven, draw a warm bath, and even queue up music from a mobile device across the Internet or from the office. It always conjured up images of Bill Gates talking to his car on the way home, getting things ready for an evening of relaxing.

Back then it was a pipe dream, maybe even science fiction. Today, over a decade later, it’s pretty close to becoming reality. Blows my mind every single time I think about it.

The post Apple, Microsoft, Others Looking To Acquire Home Automation Company appeared first on Macgasm.

From Focus Taiwan:

[quote]“However, the Hon Hai source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the initial phase of tests on the TVs has kicked off … Nevertheless, the source said it is unlikely that shipments of the appliances will begin as soon as the end of next year … The source also predicted that Apple TV shipments could be huge and that new Apple TV-related products might be put on display at the well-known international consumer electronics trade fair, CES, to be held in Las Vegas in January.”[/quote]

They had our attention until all the talk about Apple TV related products going on display at CES. I’m not entirely sure what that even means when I read it. Are we talking third-party remote controls, bluetooth keyboards, or potential gaming pads that are compatible with bluetooth and iOS? As cool as that may be, it sounds pretty unlikely. Apple doesn’t show their hand before they get a chance to announce a new product. You just know that Apple would have a “Made For Apple Television” licensing program too if this was all legitimate.

I dunno, this whole thing sounds like bunk the more I write…

What do you think? Hit up the comments below.

The post Apple Televisions, Apple Televisions Everywhere At Hon Hai! appeared first on Macgasm.

Business Oregon declined to discuss the details of their effort due to a signed nondisclosure agreement.

Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo hinted that Apple would be building a 3.2 million square foot computer chip factory in his state, known as Project Azalea. California and Texas are also believed to be competing for “Project Azalea” and have reportedly been considered by consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu for the company behind Azalea.

A number of reports point towards Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as the company behind Project Azalea, which is rumored to be the company that will take over the mobile chip production for the iPhone and iPad, pushing out Samsung, Apple’s current supplier.

Samsung currently makes Apple’s custom processors, like the A6 in the iPhone 5 and the A6X in the fourth-generation iPad, at a chip manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas. Samsung also happens to be Apple’s rival, as the two companies are competing both in and outside of the courtroom with patent infringement lawsuits. Apple has been rumored to be trying to push Samsung out, which is one of the only companies in the world to make Apple’s custom-designed chips. Apple’s solution is a custom-built “fab” that would make them independent of Samsung.

Oregon is a definite possibility for Apple chips to be produced because Apple is already committed to building a data center in Prineville, Oregon, which began construction in October.

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Apple isn’t even finished its global rollout of the iPad mini yet, but according to one analyst Apple might be moving production of the next-generation iPad mini to a quicker timeline.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Doug Freedman is in China visiting chip companies this week and believes Apple is already getting ready for production of the next-generation iPad mini, which might feature the Retina display so sorely missed in the original. Here’s what Freedman had to say:

“iPad Mini Gen-2: Apple’s gen-2 iPad mini is getting pulled-in, and is likely to have several new suppliers, with TXN gaining content.”

TXN is Texas Instruments, which has supplied components to iPads in the past, including obscure silicon parts like touchscreen line drivers. This actually isn’t a lot to go on, but Freedman seems to think that Apple is moving up the introduction of the second-generation iPad mini. However, given the fact that the first-generation iPad mini is still in short supply, he might be jumping the gun a little on this one.

iPads are typically on a one year schedule between versions; however, the third generation iPad only lasted eight months until Apple pushed it aside and released the fourth generation iPad. If that kind of schedule and turnaround is in place for the next generation iPad mini, we could begin to see invites for an announcement some time in late June or early July.

The post Apple Might Already Be Gearing Up For Next-Generation iPad Mini Production? appeared first on Macgasm.

Image Credit: iClarified

It’s one of the least surprising rumors so far, but those who are waiting for the iPad mini to come out with a Retina display will be happy to know that the second-generation iPad mini is expected to have just that. Industry sources in Taiwan have said that Apple will be “enhancing” the display resolution for the next iPad mini, bringing a 2058×1536 panel with 326 pixels-per-inch.

These specifications may not be entirely accurate but it’s the same resolution seen in the third- and fourth-generation iPads. Also, the rumor comes from DigiTimes, which isn’t known for its great track record (read: they make stuff up, a lot) with Apple rumors. But the fact that one of the biggest critiques of the iPad mini is its terrible display and that a better screen would only be a logical step for Apple in improving the iPad mini makes the rumor seem more credible.

If the next iPad mini comes with a Retina display, that could also mean that the device would be thicker the second time around. Apple is believed to have left out the Retina display initially to make the device as thin as possible. A Retina display requires more battery power, which would mean a bigger battery, which would mean a thicker device.

Only time will tell what the next generation iPad mini will be like. A new iPad mini launch is still months away, so I’m sure we’ll hear about more snippets and rumors along the way, just like usual.

The post Rumor: Next iPad Mini To Have Retina Display? appeared first on Macgasm.

Google releasing its mapping application on the App Store has been much requested by iOS users. Apple’s in-house mapping application kind of sucks at giving people directions. In fact, the Australian government recently warned that Maps may cause you to get stranded in a conservation reserve.

Apple also decided to leave biking and public transportation directions out of its official Maps app, two features which I (and many others) used on a frequent basis before iOS 6. Google has long offered stellar directions for both bikers and public transportation commuters, so it’ll be pretty exciting to check out its new and improved application when it hits the App Store tonight.

The post Google Maps For iOS To Launch Tonight appeared first on Macgasm.

Leave it to a politician to light a fire that produces enough smoke that the entire Internet tech press comes running. New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, blew his cover in a radio interview with AM1300′s Fred Dicker earlier this week. In response to questions about the rumors that Apple’s looking around upstate New York for a new factory home, Cuomo stated, “Apple has a lot of competition, obviously, for their location. I don’t think they’re anywhere yet in the decision-making.”

Apparently that’s enough information to deduce that Apple is, in fact, secretly shopping around New York state for a new U.S. factory. Apparently Apple’s been trying to set up shop in the U.S. to build ARM chips for the iPad and iPhone for quite some time.

We’ll let you decide how much of this you want to believe. We still can’t believe that a secret slipped out on the Internet. It’s going to take us a while to recover from it.

For those keeping score, we used the word ‘secret’ nine times in this post. Totally on purpose… wait, that last one makes it ten times. Boom.

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If the 47 percent of consumers interested in the product purchased it, this would give Apple 43 million TV units sold. Not only that, but some people even said they would be willing to buy multiple Apple televisions for their home. While the average American home has 2.8 TVs in it, 14 percent of those surveyed said they’d consider replacing all their TVs with the Apple product, while 9 percent said they would replace “most”.

People are also showing a willingness to pay a premium for the rumored Apple product. forty-six percent of people polled said they’re willing to pay over $1,000 for the device, while 10 percent said they’re willing to pay over $2,000. The poll shows that the average price people are willing to pay for the device is $1,060. This is $200 higher than the $884 paid for the average TV set, which marks an increase of 20 percent.

People listed their main interests for an Apple television; top of the list requests include a high screen quality and an easy to use interface.

There is much contention on whether Apple is in fact working on a television or whether it is simply another type of box product that connects to your existing TV. No matter what it ends up being though, it’s clear that people are going to buy it.

Image Credit: iDownloadBlog

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Believe us, it’s a real reach. According to Forbes, Mac Pro manufacturing could happen in the U.S. because:

1. Apple only sold 1 million Mac Pros in 2012, and that lines up with speculation that the U.S. Apple factory will be able to turn out about 1 million products a year.
2. The Mac Pro is heavy, and it will cost less to ship from the U.S.
3. A new Mac Pro will be available in 2013, the same year a new U.S., Apple run factory should open.
4. Mac Pros are easy to build.
5. Mac Pros are expensive, and so is American labor, so Apple can build the cost into the price.

I. Kid. You. Not. I don’t even know what else to say about this goldmine or hilariousness. Putting everything else aside, and just focusing in on the fact that Apple has to set up a new factory and get it running in tip top shape in order to produce its professional, server class computer by 2013, it’s still a stretch. Building a $100 million dollar factory, and meeting Apple’s publicly stated goals of shipping a Mac Pro in 2013 is going to be a challenge.

It’s also important to note that a new Mac Pro would likely have the most build-to-order options, and people purchasing the computer would have a whole array of different specifications they’re trying to meet with a new server class computer from Apple. The pro crowd is plenty specific about what it wants out of a machine. It’s hardly going to be easier to manufacture and process in the U.S. This logic also fails to account for the fact that rumors have the Mac Pro getting a drastic redesign this time around. It could easily be lighter and thinner.

Maybe it’s true, and maybe Apple pulls it off. Either way, that’s one heck of a speculative piece in Forbes.

The post Forbes Tries To Connect Invisible Dots Again, This Time It’s The Mac Pro appeared first on Macgasm.

In his Monday Note, Gassée states:

[quote]“To realize the dream, as discussed previously, you need to put a computer — something like an Apple TV module — inside the set. Eighteen months later, as Moore’s Law dictates, the computer is obsolete but the screen is just fine. No problem, you’ll say, just make the computer module removable, easily replaced by a new one; more revenue for Apple…and you’re right back to today’s separate box arrangement. And you can spread said box to all HDTVs, not just the hypothetical Apple-brand set.”[/quote]

His entire article is well worth a read, and we suggest taking a moment and giving it a once over and actually thinking about what he’s saying. We’ve been saying the same thing. The Apple TV in its current state is almost a perfect solution for consumers. People keep televisions a lot longer than they do phones. I don’t see that changing any time soon. If Apple simply included an input for cable into their Apple TV, or actually pulled a rabbit out of its hat and got all the major networks to provide apps for their channels, there’s very little reason why Apple would need to even create a television. They would be able to cash in on those sales the same way they do with music, apps, and books.

The content-consumption model of television is broken. I think that’s what Tim Cook was talking about when he told NBC’s Brian Williams, “When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years.” It’s the content consumption that feels, and is, obviously broken. The physical hardware on the other hand isn’t exactly something people are excited about changing. Sure, there’s a small market of people, who just like me, would prefer the aesthetic of an Apple branded television, but that’s also why I’m in the minority and own a cinema display for my Mac Pro. It’s a small market right now.

I’m with Gassée on this one. Apple may be playing around with the idea of a full television, they may even be puttering around with designs, but until they figure out how to entirely flip the content-consumption and network model on its head, the AppleTV is the closest thing we’re going to get to a full-on television experience from Apple.

The post Quick Thought: Former Apple VP, “Apple TV Fantasy” appeared first on Macgasm.

Samsung today released a short video teasing the announcement of a new product between January 8th and January 11th, the dates of the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES). While the video isn’t much more than a bunch of bold text flying at your face with words like “innovation”, “design” and “wonder”, it does focus heavily on the words “something new”.

Whether this something new is the Samsung Galaxy S4, the sequel to last May’s S3, or something entirely different remains unknown. The show is a popular place for companies like Samsung to show off their new TVs and phones; however, it is also a popular place to show off tech-demos and early versions of cool new technologies.

Whatever it is, Samsung seems to be excited for it. The Galaxy S3 was announced in early May and was released at the end of that same month, so if the announcement is the S4, you won’t have to wait much longer to get your hands on one.

The post Samsung To Announce New Product At CES In January — Might Be The Galaxy S4 appeared first on Macgasm.

It’d be like all our Christmases come early.

At least, those of us who routinely jailbreak their phones for nefarious and not-so-nefarious purposes.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been reporting on alleged progress of the iPhone 5 untethered jailbreak. The short answer for all of that is: they’re still working on it. Sadly, that’s also the case today. It looks like the Chronic Dev Team is still hard at work chipping away at the defences that Apple has erected for iOS 6, something that many have come to regard as a major inconvenience. Still, there’s hope. There’s always hope but this is a more concrete form of hope. According to Auto-o-mobile, a team of jailbreakers going by the name of Dream JB has announced the seemingly impossible: a release date for the jailbreak. December 22nd.

The team is, in no way, affiliated to the Chronic Dev Team. They do, however, have a website where they will be delivering details about the jailbreak. Needless to say, there’s been a fair amount of disbelief expressed in the community. How could anyone who is not the Chronic Dev Team come up with a jailbreak? A member of Dream JB had apparently spoken out in regards to their disappointment about this, saying ”it is ridiculous for them to say that jailbreaking is impossible outside of the Dev Team.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t care who comes up with that jailbreak so long as the solution is made available.

The post iPhone 5 Untethered Jailbreak Hopefully Released December 22nd appeared first on Macgasm.

Er.

Given the competitive nature of their relationship, the idea that the two mega-corporations might come together to do anything feels a little weird. Still, this isn’t the first time this has happened. Previously, a group consisting of Apple, Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Research in motion LtD. went ahead and bought Nortel Networks Corp.’s more than 6000 patents for $4.5 billion sometime last year.

Of course, while the idea that companies are capable of waving $500 million dollars around might be staggering to contemplate, it’s not a significant sum when compared to the patents’ actual worth. According to Bloomberg, as spotted by CultofMac, Kodak’s patents may be worth somewhere between $2.21 billion to $2.57 billion, so if Apple and Google can acquire them for the proffered figure, it’s going to be quite the steal.

Now for the million dollar question: what will they be doing with it all? The patents for sale appear to be connected to the capture, manipulation and sharing of digital images. As such, is this going to herald some snazzy new innovations or will this simply mean an improvement of pre-existing features? Only time will tell.

The post Did Apple And Google Band Together For Kodak Patents? appeared first on Macgasm.

Rumors concerning Apple’s plans to reinvent the television set have been up and down for the past few years. They picked up steam last year when the biography of Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs was published. In it, Jobs had revealed that he had “finally cracked” the secret to building a television and that “it will have the simplest interface you could imagine.”

In his interview with Brian Williams, Cook said “When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years. It’s an area of intense interest. I can’t say more than that.”

Cook’s comments are the clearest hints from Apple that the company is working on a television set, or possibly an Apple TV set-top box that has also been rumored.

Analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray predicted in November that an Apple Television would be one of Apple’s key product launches in 2013, alongside a refreshed iPhone and updated iPad lineup.

At this point, all we can do is speculate about what Apple has up its sleeve. The company is being characteristically tight-lipped about it all, but, like other Apple products before, something more concrete is bound to be leaked sooner or later.

Image Credit: AppleInsider

The post Tim Cook Confirms Apple’s Plans To Redefine Television Is “An Area Of Intense Interest” appeared first on Macgasm.

The cases, published on the eTrade Supply website, show what they believe to be an iPhone 5S backplate.

We actually just wanted to take a moment to tell you to brace yourselves, the latest and greatest in made up iPhone rumors are coming, and just in time for the holidays.

In other news, Apple’s working on a new iPhone. The iPad and iPad mini will see an update in the next calendar year. Apple makes billions. Steve Jobs would have “never released that.” And, Apple’s clearly losing its swagger to Android.

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Russia has been waiting for iTunes access for a while now. It was originally set to launch in October of this year, but was delayed indefinitely, according to a Russian News Agency.

Rumors have been circling about iTunes arriving in Russia for a little while now. Apple will reportedly sell songs cheaper in Russia for 11 to 20 rubles each, which is about $0.35 to $0.65 in the U.S. Some people have also reportedly been able to search for some music tracks in the Russian version of the App Store, which points towards a launch soon.

Up to now, the iTunes launch in Russia has seen major challenges. Russia is notorious for music piracy and the Intellectual Property Alliance named Russia one of the worst offenders when it comes to illegal, unauthorized content. One of Apple’s biggest delays in launching iTunes in Russia has apparently been due to negotiations with music labels over rights for the store.

Image Credit: RIA Novosti

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On their website announcing the company’s upcoming “Create Now Live” webinar event, Adobe also posted a video that shows a MacBook Pro with Retina display running Photoshop CS6, which suggests the photo editing software could be getting support for the high-resolution Retina display.

The video shows some close-ups on buttons and other items that seem to look like Retina-quality graphics, which would suggest its announcement is all the more likely. A number of other features were also highlighted in the video.

“Create Now Live” will be a live streamed event on YouTube on December 11, though it was originally scheduled for December 5. In August, Adobe announced that it would be bringing support for both Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS6 by the end of the year. In early November, Adobe released Lightroom 4.3 with support for both the 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro models.

The “Create Now Live” event includes a keynote from Vice President of Products, Jeffrey Veen, and other notable pros and Adobe evangelists, according to the event announcement. The webinar will go from 10:00a.m. to 1:30p.m. on December 11, so stay tuned to find out if the new Photoshop CS6 software will be Retina-ready.

The post Adobe To Announce Retina-Ready Photoshop CS6 On December 11? appeared first on Macgasm.

Both of these graphic cards hold 3 gigabytes of GDDR5 memory and are based on a 28-nanometer chip manufacturing process. They’re also the first to feature AMD’s “Graphics Core Next” compute architecture.

Support for these graphics card series could be a sign that AMD’s latest GPUs might be included in the updated Mac Pro. The computer was updated in June with a bit of speed enhancement, featuring a two-year-old Intel Xeon E5645 chip.

In response to complaints over this small update, CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Apple was working on an overhaul of the Mac Pro. He also suggested that the updated desktop would be released in 2013, though no specific date was given.

Cook said to a customer in an email, “Don’t worry as we’re working on something really great for next year.” An anonymous Apple executive also told the New York Times that an updated Mac Pro was in the works for release next year.

Signs of a new Mac Pro also showed up in the internal configuration files found in Mountain Lion earlier this year. The “MP60″ is expected to be a pretty big overhaul of the current Mac Pro model, which has had the same basic aluminum box design that was introduced in the 2005 PowerMac G5.

The post OS X 10.8.3 Beta Hinting At New Mac Pro With Support For AMD Radeon 7000 Drivers? appeared first on Macgasm.

Ah, Christmas. The season for mass consumerism and justified greed. What better time to announce the release date of Apple’s first television set? At least, that’s what certain people are claiming.

According to Press Blue, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster apparently has intimated that the Apple Television project would most likely be realized sometime during the holiday season of 2013. (Gee, I wonder why.)

Additionally, he also outlined several features he thinks will be vital for the Apple Television’s global popularity.

“We expect the beauty of the design to be a feature, but the most important thing will be the ability to use the TV as the main interface for the living room across multiple devices. We believe that the TV will include Siri and FaceTime. The biggest item unlikely to come with the TV will be unbundled channels.”

The price, however, if Munster’s predictions prove accurate, may be a bit of a hindrance. The 55-inch Apple Television is expected to retail for $2,000 while the 47-inch version may well come up to $1500. That said, there’s no way to validate these claims so be certain to process everything with a serving of salt.

The post Rumored Apple Television Set May Have Predictable Holiday 2013 Release Date, Prices Being Guessed At Too appeared first on Macgasm.

This news should be taken with a grain of salt, as conflicting reports regarding Samsung’s dealings with Apple have been coming out over the past few weeks. I would recommend waiting for an official statement from either Apple or Samsung before taking anything as fact. If the reports are true, this would mean a much more rapid separation of Apple and Samsung than expected. While Apple definitely wants to separate itself from its Korean competitor, the company has previously stated to shareholders that it currently has a strong and healthy business relationship that isn’t expected to end in the immediate future.

Clearly, the media has overplayed the seemingly malicious rivalry between the two competing companies. While the two companies can often be found battling it out in court over several minor issues, these shouldn’t be viewed as moves sparked by rivalry, nor should they be linked to the business and manufacturing deals that the companies share. These are both publicly owned companies that are simply trying to maximize profits at all costs, whether this means winning a court case against a competitor, or using a competitor as a parts manufacturer.

Apple will continue to partner with Samsung until the point where it makes more sense financially to switch to a different supplier. If Apple has in fact already switched battery suppliers, maybe this complete separation of the two companies will come sooner than expected.

Image Credit: Detect Apple

The post Samsung Reportedly No Longer Producing Batteries For Apple appeared first on Macgasm.

A recent job posting on Apple’s website says the company is seeking a Cloud Services Engineering Intern looking to “join the team responsible for delivering Siri in different parts of the world for an exciting 6 month internship in Cupertino, California.” Qualifications for the position include being fluent in Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish and English.

The job description suggests Apple is looking to expand Siri’s current language offering by bringing it to several new languages and dialects. Siri is currently available in the 19 different languages/dialects listed below.

* United States (English, Spanish)
* United Kingdom (English)
* Australia (English)
* France (French)
* Germany (German)
* Japan (Japanese)
* Canada (English, Canadian French)
* China (Mandarin)
* Hong Kong (Cantonese)
* Italy (Italian)
* Korea (Korean)
* Mexico (Spanish)
* Spain (Spanish)
* Switzerland (Italian, French, German)
* Taiwan (Mandarin)

The post Siri Another Step Closer To Being C-3PO appeared first on Macgasm.

Munster is expecting Apple to release an Apple Television in November of 2013, just in time for next year’s holiday season. He says it will go for around $1,500 and $2,000 with screen sizes between 42 and 55 inches. According to Munster, ”We expect the beauty of the design to be a feature, but the most important feature will be the ability to use the TV as the main interface for the living room across multiple devices. We believe the TV will include Siri and FaceTime. The biggest item unlikely to come with the TV will be unbundled channels.”

The Apple Television would be that last product for Apple to release in 2013. Before that, Munster says Apple will hold an event around March 2013 to launch a new radio service that will compete with Pandora. The announcement of this service could also include an update for the iPad mini with a high-resolution Retina display.

Munster also believes Apple will introduce the next iPhone around September. He says the “iPhone 5S” would be a “modest upgrade” from the current iPhone 5, likely with a faster processor, more RAM and a better camera. At this point, Munster says Apple is expected to introduce a new full-size iPad that would have a redesigned exterior more like the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

The last major release Munster expects Apple to make is new MacBook Airs with Retina display and the next version of its Mac OS X and iOS operating systems at the WWDC in June. He says iOS 7 will start to show Jony Ive’s influences, who recently took over Apple’s Human Interface team.

While this all sounds pretty exciting, nothing is written in stone yet, although it does give us all a little something to look forward to.

Image Credit: Digital Trends

The post Apple To Release Apple Television, Retina iPad Mini, New MacBook Air, More In 2013? appeared first on Macgasm.