Photobook and calendaring service Mixbook has launched a new photo book product designed for the iPhone. The product, called Mosaic, takes photos from the iPhone's camera roll and turns them into a 7" square physical photo book, designed to make gifting unique photo books quick and easy.
The idea is similar, in a way, to Apple's Cards app; users take photos on the iPhone, combine them into a unique product, and then it's printed and shipped within a few days. The team behind the product believes that users will order their photo books for smaller events, instead of the more traditional weddings and births that people typically order photo books to commemorate:
People don’t want to spend 10 hours building a book about a day at the park with friends, it just doesn’t make sense. But if it only took 60 seconds, then something really great happens. It becomes a no brainer. It becomes something you do time and time again.
Mosaic is more than just an app. It is the complete experience. It’s the app, it’s the book itself, it’s the packaging, it’s everything. We are leaving no stone unturned.
BGR reports that Apple has begun carrier testing of iOS 6.0.1, the first bug fix update to iOS 6 since its release just over a month ago. According to the report, iOS 6.0.1 addresses several issues including a visual glitch most commonly seen on the iPhone keyboard when entering an account password in the App Store.
iOS 6.0.1 should fix the horizontal lines bug on the screen when the keyboard or app folder is open, and it will also fix a problem with the camera’s flash not going off.
In addition, the new software will improve Wi-Fi support, fix cellular data not working in some cases, add a consolidated cellular data switch for iTunes Match, fix a bug that allowed access to Passbook pass details from the lock screen, and also finally fix the bug that caused Exchange meetings to be unexpectedly cancelled for the entire calendar invite group.
Apple is reportedly also just beginning testing of iOS 6.1, with the timing of that testing suggesting that the update is not likely to arrive in time for any of the new hardware launches over the coming weeks. It is also unclear what changes are included in iOS 6.1.
Earlier this month, several sources indicated that Apple will focus on iBooks at its "iPad mini" media event tomorrow, with reports indicating that both personal and education consumption will be of key importance for Apple. Bloomberg Businessweek now profiles Apple's efforts to bring tablets into education, noting that education will indeed be an important theme of the iPad mini unveiling.
Beyond the school market of course, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will use the device to try to widen Apple’s lead over Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc. and fend off a more recent threat from Microsoft Corp. in the market for tablets, which NPD DisplaySearch predicts will more than double to $162 billion by 2017. Cook will unveil an iPad with a 7.85-inch screen diagonally, people familiar with its development said in August. The current iPad has a 9.7-inch screen.
Yet Apple executives plan to make a point of highlighting the iPad’s educational capabilities at tomorrow’s event, according to a person with knowledge of the planning. Little wonder. Education spending on information technology, including hardware, was about $19.7 billion in the 2010-2011 period, according to the Center for Digital Education.
The report notes that Apple has realigned its educational sales effort to focus on the iPad, recognizing that school budgets and a desire for more engaging technology are driving a shift in schools' purchasing decisions
Perhaps supporting the notion of enhanced educational offerings coming to the iPad and iPad mini this week, French site igen.fr reported [Google translation] over the weekend on an iBookstore title showing up with compatibility for an unreleased iBooks 3.0. The Digital Reader later noted that at least half a dozen titles were showing up with the new compatibility requirement, noting that one developer working to create books using Apple's latest tools found that iBooks 3.0 appears set to provide compatibility with the latest EPUB 3 standard at a minimum.
Liz Castro connected me with another ebook developer who has been making ebooks for iBooks 3.0 for the past few days. He has been tweeting his progress and one thing he’s already noticed is that iBooks 3.0 appears to offer more Epub3 support. The fixed layout spec in Epub 3 requires the latest version of iBooks, only Apple hasn’t released it yet.
iBooks 2 was launched earlier this year with a heavy focus on support for new iBooks Textbooks, interactive digital textbooks intended to revolutionize education, starting with high school textbooks. With iBooks 3, it appears that Apple may be set to take its next steps toward improving that experience even further.
The Korea Times reports that the deteriorating relationship between Apple and Samsung that has seen the two companies reducing their component supply deals is now extending to LCD panels, with Samsung reportedly ending supplies of the panels to Apple next year.
The Cupertino, California-based firm has been lowering its reliance on Samsung-manufactured displays for use in its popular i-branded devices as it is leveraging its influence to source components from Samsung’s rivals attracted by better pricing.
“We are unable to supply our flat-screens to Apple with huge price discounts. Samsung has already cut our portion of shipments to Apple and next year we will stop shipping displays,” said a senior Samsung source, asking not to be named, Monday.
The report claims that Samsung shipped approximately 15 million LCD panels to Apple in the first half of 2012, with the pace falling to 3 million panels in the third quarter and expected to drop to 1.5 million in the fourth quarter as Apple has shifted to other suppliers.
Samsung is reportedly not involved in LCD production for the "iPad mini", with LG Display and AU Optronics said to be handling component production. And with Apple reportedly cutting back on memory orders from Samsung and now designing its own A-series chips while using Samsung simply as a contract foundry, it seems clear that Apple is steadily reducing its reliance on Samsung as the two companies have continued to face off both in the marketplace and in courtrooms around the world.
Techie Buzz posts a gallery of photos from the California Theatre in San Jose where Apple will be hosting their Media Event. The choice of the California Theatre is a bit unusual for Apple. According to Mercury News, Apple last used this venue to introduce new iPod products back in 2004 and 2005.
9to5Mac reports that pricing for the "iPad mini" is likely to begin at approximately $329 for the entry-level Wi-Fi model, with two higher-capacity models arriving at $429 and $529.
Three models of cellular-capable iPad minis will also be available and appear set to carry the same $130 premium over their corresponding Wi-Fi models as seen with the full-size iPad, putting these iPad mini models at $459/$559/$659.
Last week, we noted that Apple had expanded its iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program to include iMac models sold between October 2009 and July 2011. The program provides for free replacement of the defective Seagate drives or reimbursement for repairs already paid for out of pocket by machine owners.
Apple has now begun emailing customers for whom it has contact information associated with a purchase of one of the affected machines. The email provides essentially the same information as is posted on the replacement program's support page, but helps ensure that iMac owners are aware of the issue.
Dear iMac owner,
Apple has determined that certain 1TB Seagate hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail. These systems were sold between October 2009 and July 2011.
Our records show that you have an iMac with an affected 1TB Seagate hard drive. Apple will replace your hard drive with a new one, free of charge, under the iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program.
Owners of affected iMac machines are covered for three years or until April 12, 2013, whichever provides longer coverage.
In line with one of the theories explaining two dozen iPad part numbers that appeared earlier this week, 9to5Mac reports that half of those part numbers are indeed for a revised version of the third-generation full-size iPad.
The revised iPads arriving at next Tuesday's media event will reportedly make the switch to Apple's new Lightning connector, and may include other enhancements as well while retaining the same pricing as the current models.
Apple will announce a refreshed version of its full-sized, 9.7-inch Retina display iPad at its media event October 23rd, according to our sources. These people say that the new version of the iPad will retain the same $499, $599, and $699 WiFi-only price points, and the LTE line will retain the current $629, $729, and $829 pricing. With no price changes or additional storage capacities, we believe that the storage options of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB will also be retained.
Claims of a revised full-size iPad surfaced in July amid considerable skepticism, but gained momentum with several follow-up reports in subsequent weeks and were fleshed out with additional rumors over the past several months.
Rumors for the tweaked iPad have included a shift to new indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) display technology, better heat dissipation, backlight changes, 4G LTE support for the UK and other countries using the 1800 MHz frequency band, and perhaps even a move to Apple's new A6 chip found in the iPhone 5. It is, however, unclear just which of the rumored changes will actually be included in the revision.
Earlier this week, we pointed to a forum thread [Google translation] at Chinese site WeiPhone.com sharing a pair of photos of what was said to be the display assembly from Apple's upcoming 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
Battery layout of 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro
The poster of that thread has now updated the original post with additional photos showing a number of features of the machine, including the battery layout, the ports on the left and right sides of the machine, and a number of other internal features. Unfortunately, the pictures are generally rather small and of low quality, but it seems clear that the poster does indeed have access to an unreleased 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
Left-side ports: MagSafe 2, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt, USB Right-side ports: SD card, HDMI, USB
Other photos include small shots of the main logic board, internals for the various ports, and 8 GB of RAM from Elpida. Several screenshots said to be of the machine booted into Windows 7 and showing an available Retina display resolution of 2560x1600 pixels are also included.
Update October 20 10:23 AM: The poster has added several more images of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, including several comparing it to the MacBook Air.
Last month ahead of the iPhone 5 launch, we rolled out the first in a new series of "Roundups", designed to be a one-stop location for readers to catch up on our up-to-date thoughts on Apple's upcoming product releases and updates.
With another Apple media event right around the corner, we've added new Roundups to include a significant number of products expected to see releases next week. Our new pages, all of which are accessible through the "Roundups" tab in the site navigation bar, include:
Comex, the hacker responsible for JailbreakMe.com, is no longer employed at Apple after working at the company as an intern for just over a year. Forbesreports that Allegra forgot to respond to an email offering him a continuation of his employment at the company:
When I followed up with Allegra in a phone call, he explained that the email he forgot to answer was an offer to continue his employment at Apple as a remote intern. At Apple, apparently, offer letters are taken rather seriously, and Allegra soon learned that his had been rescinded. "I wasn’t too happy about it, but it didn’t seem like I was able to fix it," he says. "So that’s what it is."
Allegra added that his departure from Apple was more complicated than just a forgotten email, and that "it wasn’t a bad ending," but declined to say more. He also wouldn’t say what he worked on during his two internships at Apple–one in the fall of last year and one over the past summer–but he said he enjoyed his time in Cupertino.
Last year, Forbes unmasked Comex as Nicholas Allegra, a Brown University student from Chappaqua, NY. In that article, Allegra described jailbreaking as "like editing an English paper... You just go through and look for errors. I don’t know why I seem to be so effective at it."
AppleInsider reports on a research note from Evercore Partners analyst Robert Cihra, who suggests that Apple may discontinue the iPad 2 alongside the launch of the "iPad mini" next week in an effort to keep the company's product lineup from expanding too much.
Rob Cihra with Evercore Partners said in a note to investors this week that he sees Apple phasing out the current iPad 2, because Apple's overall vision calls for "clearer product tiers." The prediction comes as Apple is expected to lower the barrier to entry of its iPad lineup by unveiling a new, smaller iPad next Tuesday.
In a similar strategy to that used for the iPhone, Apple has continued to offer the iPad 2 since the launch of the third-generation iPad earlier this year, offering consumers a $399 entry point for its tablet family. With the introduction of the iPad mini, Apple will be able to offer the tablet experience at even lower pricing, albeit with a smaller screen, lessening the need for the company to continue offering the iPad 2.
The claim appears to be based entirely on speculation and we have heard no specific word of Apple planning to discontinue the iPad 2, so we are treating the report with skepticism unless additional information surfaces.
Earlier this week, we pointed to a couple of claims suggesting that Apple is planning to launch the "iPad mini" on Friday, November 2, also making the case that the date is the most reasonable one given Apple's past history and the media event scheduled for October 23.
Reports are continuing to pile on that November 2 date today, with TechCrunch reporting that it has received information from its own sources pointing to the same date.
November 2 is the ship date we’ve heard today from a source close to Apple’s supply chain, echoing an earlier report by Geeky Gadgets that that’s the day the iPad mini will go on sale. [...]
Our own source has also previously proven reliable with unreleased Apple info.
German site iFun.de is also weighing in with its own report claiming that Apple has informed a major shipping logistics partner that it should be preparing for a significant boost leading up to that date.
9to5Mac reports that it has begun to receive pricing information on the upcoming 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. According to the information, the entry-level model should be priced in the neighborhood of $1699, a $500 premium over the corresponding non-Retina model.
We’ve now received pricing information on the base model and the “better” model. Based on wholesale prices we’ve received, we believe the entry model 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will cost roughly $1699 at launch while the higher specc’ed model will cost $300 more making the $2000 price point likely.
Current pricing on non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro
Interestingly, the estimated $500 price premium for the Retina version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro compares to a $400 premium on the entry-level 15-inch Retina versus non-Retina models. The higher-level 15-inch configuration carries a $600 price premium over its non-Retina counterpart due to the significantly more expensive 512 GB flash storage included with the machine.
The Oregonian reports (via Wired) that Apple has begun construction on the $68 million first phase of its data center project in Prineville, Oregon. The first phase will see the construction of one of two 338,000 square foot buildings planned for the site, but that building will apparently only be partially fitted out for the time being.
The price tag covers the cost of one building and two "data halls" inside. Plans filed with the city and Crook County last summer call for adding a second building and, eventually, 14 more data halls.
There's additional space on the property for more buildings, identified in planning documents in two sections marked "Future Development Area."
Soon after purchasing the data center site in February of this year, Apple opened a 10,000 square foot modular data center to establish a presence there, but with permanent construction now underway Apple's longer-term vision is starting to play out.
Apple has been rapidly expanding its data center capacity at sites around the United States, expanding beyond the company's long-standing sites at its corporate headquarters in Cupertino, California and nearby Newark with a massive new facility in Maiden, North Carolina and now starting to bring its Prineville site online. The company has also announced plans for a data center outside of Reno, Nevada.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is on the verge of a significant expansion of its iPhone sales effort in India, bringing on two large distribution companies to help bring the device to more points of sale. The iPhone has so far been available almost exclusively through mobile phone carriers in the country, but with the iPhone 5 reportedly launching next week, the company appears to be significantly expanding its operations.
A person who has knowledge of the plans says Apple will begin selling the iPhone through specialized distribution companies in an attempt to reach a wider audience, especially Indians who live in thousands of smaller towns.
The Cupertino, Calif. company has recently tied up the local operations of Ingram Micro Inc., a large U.S.-based distributor of technology, and Redington (India) Ltd., a local distributor with 12,000 smaller partners across the country, the person said.
Apple has existing relationships with the two distribution companies, using them to offer products such as the iPad but reportedly having held the iPhone back from them for fear of eating into profit margins.
But with Apple's share of the mobile phone market in India falling by half year-over-year to 1.2% in the second quarter, the company may now be willing to sacrifice some profits in an effort to bolster its position in the country. Still, analysts believe that Apple's market share will remain low there given the premium pricing and the fact that over 70% of phones sold in the country are priced at under $100.
While Apple has been most heavily focused on China among emerging markets, there have been signs that the company is looking at the possibility of expanding its presence in India. Earlier this year it was reported that Apple was looking at opening retail stores in the country, but requirements for domestic sourcing of materials appear to be hindering those plans. In the absence of Apple-owned retail stores, the company earlier this year was also hiring staff for an effort to expand its reseller network in the country.
GOG.com is probably not a name familiar to many Mac users, but it's been around for years selling classic and out-of-date games on Windows. The Loop has more:
GOG.com, originally Good Old Games, has been around for the last four years, and originally made a name for itself offering Windows users a way to buy and download vintage games that have long since gone out of circulation, relying on emulation and other similar technology to work. The company licenses titles from a variety of publishers and is zeroing in on 500 titles in their catalog.
Sim City 2000, as an example, runs in an self-contained emulated DOS environment with seemingly no hiccups. The company says the original 50 games are just the beginning, promising to bring more games to the Mac in the future.
After several months in public and then private alpha and beta testing, Tweetbot for Mac has been released for $20 [App Store].
The app includes support for the Retina MacBook Pro, iCloud syncing with the iOS versions of Tweetbot, and more. There are also a number of excellent reviews out today to help users decide if the app is worth $20, including from The Verge, The Next Web, and MacStories.
Perhaps the biggest question from potential customers is regarding Tweetbot's $20 price. Mark Jardine, one of the developers behind Tweetbot, wrote this in a blog post announcing the release:
Why is Tweetbot for Mac $20?
If you think about it, it’s not that expensive. Twenty dollars for a quality piece of software that you use every day? That has been the price point for quality utility apps on the Mac for years. However, it’s not just the development time and attention we put into the app that commands the higher price.
Because of Twitter’s recent enforcement of token limits, we only have a limited number of tokens available for Tweetbot for Mac. These tokens dictate how many users Tweetbot for Mac can have. The app’s limit is separate from, but much smaller than, the limit for Tweetbot for iOS. Once we use up the tokens granted to us by Twitter, we will no longer be able to sell the app to new users. Tapbots will continue to support Tweetbot for Mac for existing customers at that time.
This limit and our desire to continue to support the app once we sell out is why we’ve priced Tweetbot for Mac a little higher than we’d like. It’s the best thing we can do for the long term viability of the product. We know some will not be happy about Tweetbot for Mac’s pricing, but the bottom line is Twitter needs to provide us with more tokens for us to be able to sell at a lower the price. We spent a year developing this app and it’s the only way for us to be able to make our money back and continue supporting it with updates in the future. Feel free to let Twitter know how you feel about it.
Regardless, Tweetbot for Mac is available on the Mac App Store for $19.99 [Direct Link]
Comex, the hacker responsible for JailbreakMe.com, is 
Earlier this week, we 
GOG.com -- short for Good Old Games -- has 
