MacRumors.com

According to a new research note from Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, Apple's manufacturing partners are now pushing out two million iPads per month, with Apple urging them to boost production to three million per month for the fourth quarter of this year.

Says Huberty, "Apple recently indicated to its suppliers a desire to move to 3 million per month in C4Q10. This implies a run rate of 36 million in CY11, close to the current 40 million supply chain forecast."

Huberty's comments suggest that the 2-million production rate is a new milestone, although a report from early July claimed that Apple was planning for about 2.3 million units that month. A few weeks earlier than that, Apple was claimed to have been shooting for production rates of 2.5 million per month by the end of the year, and today's report suggests that Apple has continued to increase its targets in order to meet strong demand for the tablet device.

Apple's increased iPad production has apparently finally helped the company to close the supply-demand gap, with shipping date estimates for orders placed through its online store dropping rapidly over the last several weeks before reaching the minimum "within 24 hours" level just last weekend.

The rapid decrease of shipping estimates had led to questions about whether increased production or sagging demand was driving the supply-demand ratio into balance, but it appears that Apple's continued increases in production are at least a major factor in achieving equilibrium.

As noted by Computerworld, Internet research firm Net Applications has calculated that Apple's iOS has passed Linux to become the third-most popular Internet platform, surpassing Linux to trail only Windows and Mac OS X. According to Net Applications, the milestone came in July, when the release of the iPhone 4 apparently created a surge for iOS past 1% market share while Linux dropped below 1%. The trend continued in August, with iOS taking a 1.13% share compared to Linux's 0.85% share.

"It's something to take note of when a mobile operating system passes something that's been around forever," said Vince Vizzaccaro, a Net Applications vice president, talking about iOS overtaking Linux. "Mobile's growth curve is strong, and mobile is becoming quite a phenomenon on the Internet."

Net Applications, which measures data from actual browser usage based on network of 40,000 websites that it monitors, found that mobile platforms accounted for 2.6% of the overall Web usage last month. The data also revealed much stronger Web usage for iOS than for Android, which clocked in at only 0.2% share.

Android devices made up just 0.2% of the operating systems that powered browsers Net Applications tracked last month. "Whatever the sales are, we're seeing iOS totally dominate the market on the Web," Vizzaccaro said. "iOS has nearly a 6:1 advantage over Android."

Apple has posted a dedicated page detailing the new features coming to the iPad in November. iOS 4.2 is the unifying release that finally brings the iPad and iPhone in feature sync. The iPad was originally launched with iOS 3.2 and has since fallen behind the iPhone and iPod touch's iOS in features.

Besides multi-tasking and folder organization, iOS 4.2 also brings some brand new features including:

- Printing: Print mail, photos, web pages, and more directly to a printer on a wireless network.
- AirPlay: Wirelessly stream videos, music, and photos from iPad to the new Apple TV, and stream music to AirPlay speakers or receivers, including AirPort Express.

The iOS 4.2 release will be be released for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch in November.

Earlier today, we reported on confusion surrounding the brief appearance of Facebook Connect functionality in iTunes 10's "Ping" social networking feature that initially appeared to allow users to find friends by checking their Facebook contacts. The feature quickly disappeared from Ping without explanation from Apple.

All Things Digital now follows up with a report claiming that the disappearance is due to Apple's unauthorized usage of the Facebook Connect application programming interfaces (APIs) after the two companies failed to reach a deal regarding access.

According to sources familiar with Facebook's platform, the social networking giant essentially denied Apple's Ping access to application programming interfaces that would allow it to search for an iTunes user's friends on Facebook who also had signed up for Ping.

Normally, this API access is open and does not require permission.

That is, unless some entity wants to access it a lot. In that case, Facebook requires an agreement for reasons primarily centered on protection of Facebook user data and, of course, infrastructure impact.

With 160 million iTunes users, that could mean a possibility of a lot of impact.

With the two companies unable to reach a deal over Ping's access to the APIs, Apple apparently deployed the functionality anyway, but it was quickly blocked by Facebook for violation of its terms of service. Apple then removed the non-functioning feature entirely.

According to the report, Facebook and Apple remain in discussions about bringing Facebook Connect connectivity to Ping, so it may make a reappearance at some point in the future.

Included in a nice overview of Apple's new iPods and Apple TV from Ars Technica is confirmation that users of Apple's earlier Apple TV models will not be receiving a software upgrade to enable Netflix streaming and other software features of the revamped model. Users of the older models will, however, continue to be able to purchase content, as opposed to the rental-only model for the new version, which lacks significant onboard storage.

Additionally, there will be no software update to bring the new features to older Apple TVs. Older Apple TVs will continue to work as they have been working up to this point, and they will continue to be able to purchase movies and TV shows even though the new Apple TV is rental-only.

Apple first offered a sneak peak of the Apple TV, then known by its code-name of "iTV", in September 2006. The device was officially announced at Macworld San Francisco in January 2007, and began shipping as a 40 GB model in March 2007 with a 160 GB model following just two months later. The hardware had remained unchanged since that time aside from the discontinuation of the 40 GB model in September 2009, although Apple has offered several software updates over the years to increase the functionality of the device.

Apple continues its trend of weekly releases of Mac OS X 10.6.5 developer builds today by pushing Build 10H535 to registered developers. The release marks an increment of four builds since last week's release.

According to those familiar with the new build, Apple continues to ask developers to focus their testing on the same six areas as in the previous build: 3D Graphics, iCal, Mail, QuickTime, Time Machine, and USB Devices.

The one documented known issue from the previous build, involving issues with USB devices operating after waking from sleep on machines with VMware installed is still present, but has been expanded to also include machines running Parallels.

A date for the public release of Mac OS X 10.6.5 is unknown, as Apple's development cycle can be highly variable. Mac OS X 10.6.4 was released in mid-June, soon after Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.

It's been less than 24 hours since Apple released iTunes 10 and its integrated social networking functionality, Ping, but spammers and scammers are already starting to spread their messages via the service. The first major instance appears to be a "free iPhone" scam that has seen multiple accounts posting replies to entries from a number of the most popular music artists currently using Ping.

While it shouldn't be a surprise that spammers would seize upon any opportunity to get their links in front of a large number of people, Ping's linkage to the iTunes Store would at first glance appear to make things more difficult for spammers, who would need to create verified iTunes accounts before spamming.

But while Apple has touted over 160 million iTunes Store accounts with credit cards associated with them, a credit card is not required to open an account, as Apple allows users to create accounts to download free iTunes Store content without the need for confirmed payment details that might otherwise discourage spammers.


It remains to be seen how well prepared Apple is to deal with this influx of spam, although the company has built in the ability to report postings containing offensive, inappropriate, or spam content. The multiple spam accounts for the first "free iPhone" spam wave remained active for up to four hours before being disabled just minutes ago, although their posts still remain visible in Ping.

Engadget notes that Apple's new iPod touch introduced yesterday has appeared on the website of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Along with other standard information on radiation emissions required by the FCC for approval, the documents contain a series of internal and external photos of the device, which will not be making its way into the hands of consumers until next week.

Here, the FCC got its greasy paws on the new Retina Display-packing iPod touch, aka "Apple A1367," and in the gallery below you can see exactly where Cupertino keeps that A4 processor, 3.44 watt-hour battery, internal antenna, and 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz WiFi.

Engadget's gallery of images from the FCC's site shows how Apple has been able to pack the iPod touch's internals into an increasingly thin form factor now checking in at just 0.28 inches thick. Also included are shots at various stages of disassembly, as well as several individual parts.


We'll likely have to wait until next week for teardown experts like those at iFixit to get their hands on the device and rip it apart to perform complete analyses of the components found inside, but the FCC's photos provide an interesting first look inside the new iPod touch.


Engadget also notes that the FCC has posted documents relating to the new Apple TV, but that photos of the device are not included. According to a letter included with the documentation, Apple has requested confidentiality on such photos for a period of 180 days.

Screenshot from Follow Music and People with Ping video tutorial
With yesterday's release of iTunes 10, Apple also deployed a new music-focused social network feature known as Ping. When it initially launched yesterday, users creating their profiles were presented with an option to use Facebook Connect to find friends who had already created their own Ping profiles. It is unclear, however, whether the feature was functioning properly, as a number of users reported that searches yielded no results.


Screenshot from Ping overview page
The Facebook Connect feature now seems to have disappeared from Ping, with many users not even realizing it was ever there. The flurry of activity has generated some confusion in the Apple media, especially after All Things Digital chatted with Steve Jobs about the lack of Facebook integration before people realized that the functionality was in fact partially present.

And Facebook is nowhere on Ping too. Currently, there is no linking, sharing or participation of any kind with Facebook - or Twitter or MySpace either - on Ping, which will work only on the iTunes software on computers, iPhones and iPods.

When I asked Jobs about that, he said Apple had indeed held talks with Facebook about a variety of unspecified partnerships related to Ping, but the discussions had gone nowhere.

The reason, according to Jobs: Facebook wanted "onerous terms that we could not agree to."

Despite Jobs' claim that discussions with Facebook regarding Ping were unproductive, ample evidence of the integration is present in the form of the earlier Facebook Connect option in the service itself, as well as mentions and screenshots of it in Apple's promotional materials for Ping. Consequently, Apple observers are left scratching their heads until (or unless) Apple makes a statement about the incident.

Tonight Twitter released a new update to their popular Twitter application that makes it a Universal app with native support for the iPad's large display. While native support has been a long requested feature for the official Twitter app, the company has also implemented a number of new interface features that seem quite natural on the iPad's large screen.

The most obvious feature is the use of movable Panes that allow you to actively manipulate content around the screen. Panes can be swiped left/right to move to cover or expose other panes and works surprisingly well.


A TechCrunch review explains the system well:

What Twitter has done is create an amazing user experience for reading information. This is thanks to an intuitive user interface that layers on top of itself. So, for example, if I click on a link in my tweet stream, I’ll have a new layer that rolls over to show that webpage in a customized browser window. If you've used Flipboard, it's somewhat similar, but better because it’s much easier to go back to where ever you previously were before you clicked the link. You simply swipe something to the side to move it temporarily or swipe it again to get it off the screen (in portrait mode anyway, where there's less space).

Beyond that, the Twitter app also incorporates multi-touch gesture support to provide useful but more hidden functionality. Pinch-zoom can be used on a tweet to get more details about the user. Meanwhile, two-finger drag down on a tweet instantly shows the previous replies.


Even if you're not a regular Twitter user, it's probably worth a peek to see their take on an iPad user interface. As Engadget notes, we also expect other iPad apps will start adopting these user interface features.

Twitter is a free download on the iTunes app store.

Apple has posted the full stream for today's Media event. While the stream had been available for Mac OS X 10.6 and iOS users immediately after the broadcast, it is now provided in multiple formats that can be viewed cross platform on both Windows and Mac. The video is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

Apple introduced a number of new products which we covered earlier today:

- Apple Announces All New iPod Models: Shuffle, Nano, and Touch
- Apple Introduces Updated Apple TV
- Apple Releases iTunes 10 With 'Ping' Social Networking
- Apple Announces Pending Release of 4.1 and 4.2 Preview

Apple has finally posted the iTunes 10 release for download. iTunes 10 was introduced today during the keynote event. The new version of the media management application features a streamlined interface and a new networking feature called Ping, along with a new, more modern icon.

Ping is a social network for music that will help users discover new music, allowing users to follow favorite artists and friends. Ping will also create a custom chart showing music selections based on those followed. Users can choose to allow others to follow them automatically or by approval. There are over 160 million iTunes users, all of whom will be able to sign up for the new Ping service immediately.

During today's media event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced two new commercials, one each for the new iPod touch and iPod nano. Apple has now posted the commercials to its product-specific sites, as well as its YouTube page.


iPod touch - All kinds of fun
The iPod touch commercial utilizes Chappo's "Come Home" [iTunes Store] and demonstrates the device's ability to capture and play video, as well as a wide variety of games available for the platform. Finally, the commercial wraps up by highlighting the new FaceTime video calling feature first introduced with the iPhone 4 and now made possible in the iPod touch by its front-facing camera.


iPod nano - New way to nano
The new iPod nano commercial features Cake's "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" [iTunes Store] as the soundtrack and shows off a number of features of the new device, including the versatility allowed by its rear clip, its multi-touch screen supporting swiping and rotation, and the ability to display album art.

Apple hosted their media event today and announced a number of new products and updates. For a summary of those announcements, see our previous coverage:

- Apple Announces All New iPod Models: Shuffle, Nano, and Touch
- Apple Introduces Updated Apple TV
- Apple Releases iTunes 10 With 'Ping' Social Networking
- Apple Announces Pending Release of 4.1 and 4.2 Preview

Here are some notes and observations about today's announcements.

- The iPod Classic is still for sale but with no changes.
- According to the tech specs, the new iPod Touch's back camera takes still photos at a disappointingly low 960x720 resolution.
- The new Apple TV is running an A4 processor. Previously it used a low end Intel chip. This means the Apple TV is running on the same hardware as the iOS devices, though Apple has not revealed any other connections.
- Apple's iTunes 10 Open/Minimize/Close buttons are vertically oriented (see screenshot above)
- The impressive game demo by Epic Games is now available on the App Store as a free download.
- The new iPod nano has no camera and apparently can't play video any longer.
- PING Golf has announced that it has entered into a trademark agreement with Apple to allow for the use of the "Ping" name in the new social networking feature of iTunes.
- Live Nation has acknowledged that it is powering the concert listing included in Ping. Ping's concert listings offer links to purchase tickets directly through Live Nation.
- The golden master build of iOS 4.1 has been seeded to developers ahead of its public release apparently scheduled for next Wednesday.

Along with announcing iOS 4.1 and the forthcoming iOS 4.2 for the iPad, Apple announced all-new iPod models at today's keynote event.

The new iPod shuffle will see the return of buttons and will still include the VoiceOver feature that debuted in the last Shuffle model. It also has playlists capability and will take advantage of the Genius Playlists recently introduced. It will have 15 hours of battery life and will come in 5 colors: silver, pink, gold, blue, and green. The 2 GB Shuffle will cost $49.


The iPod nano has also been updated, removing the click wheel and adding a multi-touch interface to reduce the device's overall size. The new nano is 46% smaller than its predecessor and will have 24-hour battery life.

The nano's new touch interface is similar to that of other iOS devices with a home screen populated with icons to access photos, artists, playlists, control playback, and more. The display's orientation can be manually rotated to accommodate the device's position when clipped to clothing. The nano will come in graphite, pink, blue, silver, green, gold, and a Product Red version will also be offered. It will cost $149 for 8 GB and $179 for 16 GB.


Finally, the next generation of the iPod touch includes the Retina Display with 324 pixels per inch that made its debut on the iPhone 4. The new iPod touch will also get Apple's A4 chip, a 3-axis gyroscope, a rear-facing camera that can record HD video, and a front-facing camera that will work with Facetime. The iPod touch will have iOS 4.1 with Apple's Game Center and will offer 40 hours of music playback battery life. The iPod touch will cost $229 for the 8 GB model, $299 for 32 GB, and $399 for 64 GB.

All new iPod models will be available starting next week and are available for pre-order on Apple's site today.