Back in February, Apple announced plans to build a new data center in Prineville, Oregon, and by late April it was revealed that Apple had agreed to invest $250 million in the project. The company has already begun installing modular data center buildings at the site while it continues to work toward permanent facilities.
The Associated Press now reports that Apple has filed its plans with the city of Prineville, revealing its goal of constructing 500,000 square feet of data center space, on par with Apple's facility in Maiden, North Carolina.
The plan shows two buildings with more than 500,000 square feet of what are described as "data halls," The Bend Bulletin reported Wednesday. The plan doesn't say when Apple might start building.
"They really didn't say how long they are looking at," Prineville senior planner Joshua Smith said.
A company spokeswoman, Kristin Huguet, referred Wednesday to the company's early statements on the development, which forecast "hiring dozens of people and bringing hundreds of construction jobs to the area" but didn't set a construction schedule.
The report notes that Apple is also partnering with Prineville on expanding the city's water supply by tapping a newly-discovered underground stream. Under the deal, Apple will help convert some existing test wells into production wells to meet the company's needs and beyond, with the city reimbursing Apple over time.
Instagram has updated its app to version 3.0, adding significant support for location -- both for browsing your own photos, and finding those taken by others.
Among other things, the focus on location will allow users to find other pictures taken around them -- at a concert or sporting event, for example -- but will also allow them to navigate through old photos as well. Instagram founder Kevin Systrom told The Verge that it was often difficult to find older photos because of Instagram's focus on the timeline.
"One of the biggest problems in social media is that you often post things that are very ephemeral," Instagram Founder and CEO Kevin Systrom told The Verge. "Things live for a couple hours and then they float off into the ether." Instagram 3.0 was designed to be useful for browsing, but also as a tool to better surface old content. Until now, you'd have to thumb through a friend's pictures chronologically, whereas in 3.0, you can browse your own or someone else's photos on a map, setting aside date and time.
In addition to the focus on mapping, Instagram has also redesigned the profile and photo upload screens, and streamlined processes throughout the app. One especially useful new feature is infinite scrolling on photo feeds, making it easier to browse through dozens of photos at a time.
Instagram was purchased for $1 billion by Facebook earlier this year, though that purchase has yet to finalize. The app is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]
Following our report from earlier this week regarding word from Apple retail store sources of cutbacks and layoffs, Dow Jones Newswires now shares word that Apple has acknowledged that it "messed up" in adjusting its staffing formulas, although the company denies mass layoffs at its stores.
In a communication with store leadership teams, senior vice president of retail, John Browett, who took the reins of Apple's retail stores in April, said that the company had been trying a new staffing formula for its retail stores, leading some employees to see their hourly shifts cut and retail locations to be understaffed. This happened for a few weeks before the company decided to revert to its older system, hoping to rectify the problem.
He instructed leadership teams to tell employees, "We messed up," according to two people who were aware of the communication, which also stressed that while shift schedules were affected, no one was laid off. He also wanted employees to know that it was hiring new staff, these people said.
Apple acknowledged the retail staffing changes. "Making these changes was a mistake and the changes are being reversed," said Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman. "Our employees are our most important asset and the ones who provide the world-class service our customers deserve."
Despite Apple's claims that "no one was laid off", we have indeed heard from several Apple employees who have been laid off in recent weeks, with several of them independently claiming that there have been others, although some have called the moves "isolated" while others have characterized them as "many". ifoAppleStore reported yesterday that the cutbacks were made by Browett in an effort to meet profit goals and encourage the "bloated" store staffs to run "leaner", despite the objections of retail veterans within the company.
We did receive an unconfirmed report yesterday claiming that at least some stores held meetings addressing the issue, with promises that the cut hours would be restored and a phone call from Apple's corporate offices apologizing for the situation. It was unclear, however, exactly which employees were included in those meetings.
This is the second high-profile acknowledgment of a "mistake" on Apple's part in recent weeks, with Apple just last month having backpedaled on removing its products from the EPEAT environmental registry. In that case, Apple senior vice president Bob Mansfield posted an open letter apologizing for the company's error.
The Next Web points to a Tweet from developer Shahruz Shaukat noting that the desktop version of iTunes is currently experiencing an interesting glitch in which searching for "podcast" or "podcasts" in the U.S. iTunes Store yields only a single app result: Apple's own Podcasts app. Clicking through to "See all" under both iPhone and iPad apps similarly displays only Apple's app.
Default results showing only Apple's Podcasts app
The issue is clearly a glitch, as the behavior is not consistent across international stores and even within the U.S. store, where the issue appears in the default "All Results" display but not when results are filtered to show only apps. The issue is also not present in searches performed in the App Store application on iOS.
Filtering results to show only apps displays full set of results
Apple has yet to fix the issue, which was noticed by Shaukat over 18 hours ago.
Late last month, fingerprint scanner firm AuthenTec announced that it had been acquired by Apple, naturally leading to speculation that Apple is looking to include the company's biometric security technology in its products.
A lengthy report from The Next Web now takes a look at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing documenting the negotiations that led to the acquisition, highlighting Apple's sense of urgency in obtaining access to AuthenTec's technology, whether through acquisition or licensing. According to the filing, Apple and AuthenTec began discussions in late 2011, with serious talks about a potential licensing deal starting up in late February 2012.
Then the agreement shifted completely.
On May 1, Apple decided it wouldn’t be satisfied with a commercial agreement and notified AuthenTec’s representatives of its proposal to acquire the company instead. Apple offered a price of $7.00 per share, valuing AuthenTec at a 115% premium over the closing price of its common stock as a day previous, pricing that Apple believed “other potential buyers would be unwilling to pay.”
On May 2, Apple started tightening the screws. The company believed its price was “very attractive” as AuthenTec would face challenges trying to develop new technologies for its rivals, which “have dozens of different smartphone platforms, in contrast to Apple’s unique narrow product platform, which allows for unity of design in component parts across significant unit volumes.”
The regulatory filing details how Apple insisted that negotiations proceed quickly due to its "product plans and ongoing engineering efforts", with Apple informing AuthenTec that it would not participate in an auction for the company due to the tight timeline. Negotiations continued under a tight time schedule, but they hit a snag when Apple discovered some unacceptable issues during its due diligence process, and discussions once again turned back to a potential licensing agreement rather than an acquisition.
[F]rom June 1 to July 3 both parties continued to “design and develop the technology for Apple and continued to negotiate to narrow the significant differences between the parties regarding acceptable terms for a commercial agreement.”
If there was a sign that Apple was hell-bent on integrating the technology in its products no matter what, this was it.
Gears shifted once again in mid-July once AuthenTec reported that it had resolved the issues raised by Apple during the due diligence process, and a full acquisition of AuthenTec by Apple was once again back on the table. Negotiations over just a handful of days brought together the final package that saw Apple pay $8.00 per share for AuthenTec and make licensing-related payments totaling $135 million.
The Next Web points to Apple's urgency during the negotiations and willingness to obtain access AuthenTec's technology under whatever scenario it could achieve as reason to believe that Apple is under a very tight timeline to bring the technology to its new iOS device hardware. The technology would be a nice complement to iOS 6, serving as one component to unlock the potential of Apple's new Passbook digital wallet feature.
Throughout its meetings with AuthenTec, Apple was keen to express that work on the new technology must continue unhindered, regardless of whether it entered a commercial agreement (which involved royalties, patent licensing and its exclusive use) or it acquired the company.
Will we see fingerprint technology in the new iPhone (or iPad)? It seems almost certain.
Apple is expected to introduce the next-generation iPhone on September 12, and while part leaks seen so far have yet to reveal evidence of the incorporation of a fingerprint sensor, a number of observers have argued that the capabilities could be relatively easily incorporated into the device's home button.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has a set-top box in the works that would allow viewing of live cable television as well as other content.
Apple Inc. is in talks with some of the biggest U.S. cable operators about letting consumers use an Apple device as a set-top box for live television and other content, according to people familiar with the matter.
The talks represent Apple's most ambitious crack at infiltrating the living room after years of trying.
Apple doesn't appear to have reached a deal with any cable operators. One obstacle may be the reluctance of operators to let Apple establish a foothold in the television business.
The WSJ suggests Apple's set-top box will be an aftermarket item that could cost "hundreds of dollars" rather than $10-$15 per month for the standard one provided by cable companies. Companies such as Tivo already provide similar boxes to independently replace your cable box by utilizing CableCARD technology.
By following this path, Apple would avoid having to license content directly from providers and instead piggy-back on existing cable television distribution. The report also notes that this technology could eventually find its way into a standalone Apple television set.
Apple is said to have considered a set top box as long as 2 years ago, but Steve Jobs had previously dismissed the market due to the lack of national-providers. Meanwhile, cable companies are reportedly reluctant to give up some control and revenue by allowing Apple into their set top boxes.
Apple has released a new beta build of OS X Lion 10.7.5 to developers. The new beta has a build number of 11G36.
Apple reports that it has no issues, but asks developers to examine graphics performance and quality, as well as image and media importing, editing or viewing. A previous build of 10.7.5 was released on July 30.
Photos of what has been claimed to be a nano-SIM tray for the next-generation iPhone have surfaced several times this month, and repair firm SmartPhone Medic now posts a video comparison (via Cydia Blog) of several next-generation iPhone parts including the nano-SIM tray and external buttons compared to the corresponding parts from the iPhone 4S.
"iPhone 5" nano-SIM tray on top of iPhone 4S micro-SIM tray (Source: Nowhereelse.fr)
The comparison of SIM trays demonstrates how the micro-SIM used in the iPhone 4S/4 does not fit in the smaller tray that is reportedly being used in the next-generation iPhone. Like the nano-SIM tray, other parts shown in the video including the sleep/wake button, volume buttons, and mute switch are notably of a "gunmetal grey" color distinct from the silver color seen on the iPhone 4S. The video also shows the home button that was the first next-generation iPhone part to leak back in late April.
Apple is expected to introduce the next-generation iPhone with a media event on September 12, with the major new features of the device being a taller 4-inch display and a redesign resulting in a taller but thinner form factor.
Nowhereelse.fr shares [Google translation] a new photo of what it believes may be a flex cable component for the "iPad mini", housing Apple's smaller dock connector, the headphone jack, and the home button connector. The layout of the component is similar to that of a part said to be for the next-generation iPhone that surfaced back in May.
The report notes that Kyle Wiens of iFixit has offered his thoughts on the photo, with Wiens reporting that it is indeed consistent with being an Apple component but that he is unable to confirm its authenticity. The part does bear a close resemblance to the part claimed to be for the next-generation iPhone, and it also carries a part number in the style of Apple's other iOS device flex cable components.
Possible iPad mini dock connector/headphone jack component with similar part from next iPhone shown for comparison
The most troublesome aspect of the part is the location of the headphone jack directly next to the dock connector. While evidence has accumulated suggesting that Apple will be moving the headphone jack to this location on the next-generation iPhone, case leaks, design drawings, and physical mockups have so far all suggested that the headphone jack will be located on the top edge of the iPad mini, as found on the full-size iPad.
Apple's next-generation iPhone is of course expected to support LTE connectivity in at least some markets, but given differences in LTE frequency bands around the world it is interesting to note that The Korea Times reports (via The Next Web) on comments from sources at current iPhone partners SK Telecom and KT claiming that they are currently in negotiations with Apple over LTE service for the forthcoming device.
"KT is in negotiation with Apple to persuade the latter to support KT’s 1.8-gigahertz frequency in Korea for the upcoming iPhone," said one senior KT executive, asking not to be identified. KT spokeswoman Kim Yoon-jeong declined to confirm.
The company, which joined the race for LTE-enabled smartphones later rivals SK and LG, is trying to persuade Apple to have its new iPhone support LTE connectivity, according to KT officials.
SK Telecom is also pushing for the same. Officials from the nation's biggest mobile carrier are currently in Apple headquarters in California to persuade Apple to support SK's LTE frequency for its local customers.
It is unclear, however, exactly what SK Telecom and KT are attempting to achieve in their efforts to "persuade" Apple to support their LTE frequencies on the next-generation iPhone, given that the hardware capabilities of the device have long been finalized. If the hardware does support the Korean carriers' frequencies and the negotiations are simply over contractual terms, it would suggest that there could be significant expansion of international LTE compatibility for the iPhone compared to the third-generation iPad.
The third-generation iPad supports LTE only over the 700 MHz and 2100 MHz frequency bands, with only a handful of carriers including AT&T and Verizon in the United States and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada being supported for the device. With SK Telecom using the 800 MHz band as its primary LTE spectrum and 1800 MHz as a secondary band, and KT operating solely on 1800 MHz, the next-generation iPhone hardware would need to have new LTE frequency support for service on those carriers to even be possible. Notably, the 800 MHz and 1800 MHz bands are also the spectrum being used for LTE in Europe, Australia, and other markets, and thus hardware compatibility with those frequencies could significantly expand the number of countries and carriers on which the next iPhone could support LTE connectivity.
A trio of reports out today is beginning to pin down some more rumored details for Apple's smaller "iPad mini", suggesting that the device will carry a narrower profile than previously thought and perhaps match the iPod touch's 7.2 mm thickness.
The first report comes from 9to5 Mac, which claims that the iPad mini will "look like a big iPod touch", with narrower bezels along the sides of the device paired with more traditional, thicker bezels at the top and bottom.
This iPod touch-like design makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons. For one, when compared to the Nexus 7 (and Kindle Fire, Galaxy Tab 7, RIM Playbook, etc.), this would give the iPad mini a similar, “purse-able,” and “big pocket-able” form factor but with a larger 4:3 display. The lack of a bezel on the sides will make it easier to hold too.
The report goes on to speculate that the iPad mini will offer at least a front-facing camera and perhaps LTE connectivity on some models, and a lack of significant part leaks suggests that the device may not be ready to begin shipping for several more months.
The second report comes from iMore, which backs up the earlier report and offers its own thoughts on the iPad mini's design, as well as a rendering of the rumored device.
Based on several sources, I believe that design to be an accurate representation of what the iPad mini will look like. In addition, it's my understanding that it will be the exact same thinness as the iPod touch, which is substantially thinner than the 9.7-inch iPad. The quick mockup [below] shows what I believe are accurate proportions for the iPad mini compared to the 9.7-inch iPad and the current generation iPod touch 4.
Finally, Daring Fireball's John Gruber shares his thoughts on the device, including his belief that some of the leaked rear shell photos may indeed be genuine given the similarities seen among several independent leaks. Gruber goes on to argue in support of the narrower side bezels, noting that with the device falling in between the full-size iPad and the iPod touch its design is likely to similarly fall somewhere between the two existing devices.
The iPad 3 — the whole device, not just the display — measures 241.2 × 185.7 mm. Divide and that comes out to roughly 1.3, which is very close to the aspect ratio of the iPad display (1.333…). [...]
That’s not true for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The iPhone 4S is 115.2 × 58.6 mm; divide and you get roughly 1.97 — far different proportions than the 1.5 (3:2) aspect ratio of the display. Again, just look at it.
Should not the iPad Mini fall somewhere in between?
Gruber goes on to perform some calculations estimating the size of the iPad mini at roughly 200 x 135 mm, only slightly larger than Google's Nexus 7 despite having a screen 0.85 inches larger diagonally, a feat made possible by the narrow side bezels on the iPad mini.
But with a thickness in line with the iPod touch, the iPad mini would be one-third thinner than the Nexus 7 and thus encompass roughly one-third less volume and one-third less weight. Comparing this to the Nexus 7's weight of 340 grams, Gruber suggests that the iPad mini could weigh just 265 grams, marking a major weight savings over the full-size iPad while still retaining a reasonable display size.
Details on Apple's release plans for the iPad mini remain up in the air, but iMore appears to be standing by its earlier claim that the device will be introduced at Apple's iPhone media event reportedly set for September 12. Unlike the next-generation iPhone, it will likely be a fair amount of time before the iPad mini actually launches, with the company likely to begin ramping production to achieve availability just in time for the holiday shopping season.
The Dark Sky weather app was originally funded via a Kickstarter campaign. It is designed to provide precipitation predictions for the very short term and aims to tell you if it will rain at your location in the next hour. This information can be useful for commuters and joggers, and this intense focus cuts a bit of a niche in the crowded world of iOS weather apps. Dark Sky's developers raised nearly $40,000 on Kickstarter and now sell Dark Sky for $3.99 as a universal app on the App Store.
Dark Sky gets its data from the National Weather Service, and, as a result, only works in the United States. The developers are working to resolve this, but as radar data is controlled on a country-by-country basis, they have to negotiate with each individual country to provide coverage to that region. As a result, it may be a while before international customers can use it.
Version 2.0, which was just released [via Cult of Mac], adds a very useful push notification service to warn users of imminent precipitation in their area. Also added is a national radar view for Dark Sky's take on radar imagery. The app uses some clever technology to parse radar data, doing its best to remove false imagery and making it easier to read.
Push Notifications are a feature that our users have been requesting since we first launched last Spring. By enabling notifications within the app, we will tell you whenever it’s going to rain in the next ten or fifteen minutes, so you’ll never get caught in the rain — even if you forget to check the app. We’ve actually been working on this feature since the beginning, but it’s been very tricky to implement: we’re not quite 100% confident that we’ve gotten it perfect. For that reason, we’re currently considering the system to be experimental.
As it gets data from the National Weather Service, radar imagery will vary by area. Some parts of the country -- particularly rural areas -- are poorly covered by NWS radar. Dark Sky does its best, but will pop up a "Service Degraded" warning if radar coverage isn't up to standards.
Dark Sky is available as a universal app for $3.99 on the App Store. [Direct Link]
EA plans to release the next version of SimCity -- the classic city-building game -- on the Mac simultaneously with the PC release this February. EA will also be delivering Origin, its digital download service, at the same time. The game will be available for purchase and download via the service.
Mac users will be able to connect to the new multiplayer component in SimCity and appears to be feature-complete with the PC-version. EA has yet to announce pricing or system requirements.
The Mac version of the new SimCity is slated to arrive alongside its PC counterpart in February of 2013. Apple users will be able to take advantage of Glassbox-driven gameplay, along with SimCity World and CityLog connectivity features, by purchasing and downloading the game through Origin.
A couple weeks after dropping the price of the iPhone 4S to $149, Sprint has further slashed the price to $49 after a mail-in rebate for a $100 American Express gift card. Apple will price-match Sprint's offer, giving buyers in retail stores a $100 Apple Store gift card. All these purchases require agreeing to a new two-year contract.
This may be the lowest price for the iPhone 4S yet in the U.S., less than a month ahead of the rumored launch of the next iPhone. Sprint is being particularly aggressive moving the soon-to-be out-of-date iPhones -- perhaps because Sprint has "bet the company" on the iPhone, agreeing to pre-purchase agreements for millions of iPhones.
Update: Sprint has reached out to MacRumors with clarification on the promotion. The ad is an online web special, for new customers only, and is in place for all smartphones, not just the iPhone. The promotion is in place to drive traffic and purchases through Sprint's website.
Oracle today announced the release of several new Java software packages, including the new Java SE 7 Update 6 that brings full support for Java SE 7 to OS X for the first time. The release follows launch of Java development kits for OS X back in April.
- With this release, Oracle is providing full availability of Java SE 7 Update 6 on Mac OS X, including the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and the Java Development Kit (JDK), as well as the JavaFX 2.2 rich client platform and JavaFX Scene Builder.
- Consumers will soon be able to download the JRE for Mac OS X from Java.com, just as they do for all other operating systems, and Oracle will provide auto-updates for Mac OS X at the same time as for Windows platforms.
Apple announced in October 2010 that it was discontinuing its support for Java, with Steve Jobs noting that having Apple responsible for updates generally resulted in Java for OS X being one version behind Java for other platforms. Jobs noted that that "may not be the best way to do it", and his belief was proven true earlier this year after the Flashback malware was able to infect 600,000 Macs by taking advantage of a Java vulnerability that had already been patched in most versions of Java but not yet addressed by Apple.
Apple has continued to maintain Java SE 6 while contributing resources to the OpenJDK project to help Oracle and other developers build and maintain Java SE 7 and future versions. Notably, Apple's latest update to Java SE 6 came in sync with Oracle's updates for other platforms, indicating that Apple is working closely with Oracle to make sure Mac users are protected with up-to-date versions of Java on their systems.
In its blog post announcing the release, OWC notes that "when introduced this past June, the MacBook Pro with Retina display base model offered a 256GB SSD configuration with no upgrade option." While this used to be true, at the beginning of this month, Apple expanded the custom configuration options for the Retina MacBook Pro. Now, users can upgrade the base model with either 512 or 768GB of storage.
The 512GB upgrade costs $500 from Apple, while OWC offers the 480GB SSD for $579.99. Though it appears to be more expensive, the OWC upgrade does allow users to keep the 256GB drive that comes in the notebook by default. For purchasers ordering the Mercury Aura Pro before September 30, OWC will include the $60 OWC Envoy Pro for free, an external USB 3.0 enclosure for the SSD drive from the Retina MacBook Pro. This gives users a very speedy (and very small) external drive.
Back in March 2008, an Apple patent application was published showing concepts for digital video recorder (DVR) and other television-related interfaces. While the focus of the patent application was actually on menu overlays appearing on top of video content, it did generate a fair amount of interest as evidence that Apple was at least thinking about how it could make television software more intuitive. The document dated back to a provisional patent application filed by Apple on September 11, 2006, the day before Apple first introduced its "iTV" set-top box that launched a few months later as the original Apple TV.
With Apple's rumored plans for a television set continuing to gain momentum, Patently Apple notes that a reappearance of the patent as it has finally been granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will once again spark interest in Apple's television plans.
Beyond a number of figures showing Apple's concepts for television menus, the patent also contains reference to the use of an iPod-like device as a remote control for the television content.
The idea of an Apple television set has been circulating for a number of years, with Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster being one of the strongest proponents of such a device. The rumors gained considerable steam late last year with the publication of Steve Jobs' authorized biography, in which he was quoted as saying he had "finally cracked" how to create a truly easy-to-use television built around the "simplest user interface you could imagine". That revelation was quickly followed with a report from The New York Times claiming that Apple was looking to launch a Siri-powered television set by late 2012 or early 2013. Additional rumors have trickled out since that time, although they have slowed considerably in recent months as attention has focused on the iPhone.
A newly-published Apple patent (via AppleInsider) reveals Apple's interest in so-called "in-cell" touchscreen technologies that have been rumored to be appearing in the next-generation iPhone. Adoption of in-cell technology, which integrates the touch sensors directly into the display rather than using a separate layer, is said to be one of the primary advances Apple is using to reduce the thickness of the iPhone to just 7.6 mm from the current 9.3 mm thickness.
The patent, which was originally filed for in June 2007 before the original iPhone even went on sale and is based on a provisional patent application dating all the way back to June 2006, highlights Apple's goals of reducing device size, complexity, and manufacturing costs just as it was attempting to revolutionize the mobile phone industry. The abstract begins:
Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates.
One of a number of Apple-proposed concepts for in-cell touchscreens
Apple's extensive patent with 85 claims and 107 different figures covers a host of concepts for how touch sensors could be integrated into LCD panels, including both the overall ideas as well as manufacturing processes that could be used to build the displays.
Back in February, Apple announced plans to build a new data center in Prineville, Oregon, and by late April it was revealed that Apple had agreed to invest $250 million in the project. The company has already begun installing modular data center buildings at the site while it continues to work toward permanent facilities.
The Wall Street Journal is 
A couple weeks after dropping the price of the iPhone 4S 
Oracle today 
Other World Computing has released a 
