As Apple's media event approaches, we've been noting a few last-minute rumors that deserve special mention.

First, Liquidmetal Technologies late yesterday announced that it had begun "shipping commercial parts to several of its customers world-wide". While the customers are unnamed, shipments are said to have begun in December and will be continuing in the months ahead.

liquidmetal banner
Apple acquired the rights to Liquidmetal's technology related to amorphous metal alloys for use in all consumer electronics applications back in 2010, while Liquidmetal has retained its rights in all other fields of use. While Liquidmetal has not named Apple as one of its customers for which it is shipping parts, the timing of the announcement is certainly raising some eyebrows.

Apple reportedly tested Liquidmetal's alloys in the SIM removal tool included with the iPhone 3G, but there has not yet been any evidence of it included in other Apple products.

Second, 9to5Mac reports that the "J2A" iPad for which part numbers leaked last week is now showing up in Apple's inventory systems as a "4G" device.

MD369LL/A – IPAD WI-FI 4G 16GBLACK – USA.

Apple is widely expected to introduce 4G LTE capabilities on at least some of its cellular-capable iPad 3 models, bringing significantly faster data speeds in areas where the technology has been rolled out by carriers.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

Virtualball Avatar
151 months ago
eBay spilled the beans this morning.

That's most likely a guess. I know Amazon frequently "leaks future Apple products and software" but they're always guesses.

Also, why would Apple tell eBay about their super secret product? Apple doesn't even use eBay as a retail option.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmwebs Avatar
151 months ago
eBay spilled the beans this morning.

Yes, because Apple are really going to pre-advise ebay so they can have people re-sell iPads 3's and rip people off.:rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bear Avatar
151 months ago
eBay spilled the beans this morning.
That's only ebays guess at what Apple is announcing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nickn Avatar
151 months ago
That's most likely a guess. I know Amazon frequently "leaks future Apple products and software" but they're always guesses.

Also, why would Apple tell eBay about their super secret product? Apple doesn't even use eBay as a retail option.

I tried the search again a few minutes later and it didn't come up with anything. The search was blank every time. Seems like eBay made a mistake...
Score: 0 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nickn Avatar
151 months ago
eBay spilled the beans this morning.
Score: -1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
macos sonoma 4

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma With New Widget Features, Safari Updates, Screen Sharing Improvements and More

Tuesday September 26, 2023 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS 14 Sonoma, the newest version of the operating system that runs on the Mac. macOS Sonoma has been in beta testing for several months, and it is compatible with the 2019 and later iMac, the iMac Pro, the 2018 and later Mac mini, the 2018 and later MacBook Pro, the 2019 and later Mac Pro, and the Mac Studio. The ‌macOS Sonoma update can be downloaded for free on...