iOS 5.1 Beta seems to be a treasure trove of product ids with the exposure of the iPad 2,4 and the J33 codename for the next generation Apple TV. The latest part number to come from iOS 5.1 is the iPhone 5,1 as noted by both @FilippoBiga and 9to5Mac.
The progression of iPhone product numbers are as follows:
iPhone5,1 clearly represents the next generation iPhone that Apple is working on. Rumors have suggested the next iPhone will carry a 4" screen rather than the usual 3.5" screen found in all previous iPhone models. The new iPhone is also believed to have been prototyped with a tapering design in the past, though the most recent rumors suggest the actual release iPhone will not resemble the mockups.
The iPad3,2 reference has been previously seen though iPad3,3 appears new.
Tether.com has somehow gotten App Store approval for their iPhone companion application "iTether". The $14.99 App Store app allows users to share their iPhone's internet connection with their Mac or PC computer over USB.
Tether is an application that allows your Mac and PC to take advantage of your smartphone's data plan, providing you access to the Internet on your laptop anywhere there is cellular coverage from your smartphone.
Tether is easy to install, easy to use, works practically anywhere, and is very cost-effective.
Tether offers companion applications for the Mac and PC. Mac version shown here:
Running both apps on your iPhone and your Mac allows your Mac to use your iPhone's internet connection over a USB cable (no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support). Apple has traditionally not allowed such applications to become available on the App Store due to agreements with carriers.
Back in 2008, Apple briefly approved another tethering app called Netshare but quickly pulled it from the App Store. Instead, users have been expected to pay additional fees to U.S. carriers such as AT&T and Verizon who offer tethering as an add-on service for $20/month. The approval of iTether may have been inadvertent by Apple again and could be pulled at any time. It is presently available in the App Store for $14.99. As in the case of Netshare, if Apple does pull the app from the App Store, it should continue to work for those who bought it.
Tether offers a similar app for both BlackBerry and Android platforms and has been reviewed in the NYTimes and Entrepreneur.com.
We should note that excessive unauthorized tethering has previously resulted in warnings from AT&T to users about their usage. In many of these examples, however, the unauthorized use was dramatic and on unlimited plans. Still, it is good to be aware of that possibility. [App Store Link]
Update: Tether's website is presently down due to the traffic, which means you can't download the Mac/PC apps and it also appears the iOS app verifies with Tether.com on each run, so it won't work while the main website is down.
Update 2: Tether claims "We were very clear with Apple what our app did. They asked us a bunch of questions and then approved us." So it may not be getting pulled.
The latest cool Kickstarter project that we've run across is one by Jason Giddings who promises to build a modern multi-touch keyboard and mouse. Multi-touch keyboards have been done before, but none that we've seen in recent years since the rise in popularity of the iPhone.
This project seeks to modernize the multi-touch keyboard with an attractive glass design:
Multi-Touch keyboards and mice are the next generation in computer peripherals. These elegant well made devices are composed of quality tempered glass, a solid metal base, and the finest components. They are designed using simple existing technology and have no moving parts. They have rechargeable Lithium Polymer batteries and are completely wireless. The tactile sounds and lighting can be turned on or off per the users' preference plus they are coffee and doughnut resistant!
The software might be the most difficult part in integrating into the OS, and is planned to be released as open source in order to give tinkerers the ability to continue to tweak the experience. The cost for one of these finished keyboards will be $250 or more, with $350 to get both the keyboard and mouse. The project requires $50,000 backing total for it to go forward.
9to5Mac identifies the next generation Apple TV as codename "J33" based on newly found references from the iOS 5.1 beta. Previous references had pinpointed the "AppleTV3,1" in earlier versions of iOS 5, which appears to be the corresponding product id. The "J33" codename doesn't provide any more information about the device, but just provides an extra little hint that Apple is working on a next generation device.
A new Apple TV could integrate Apple's new A5 processor, which offers much faster graphics processing, and include true 1080p support. But unless Apple plans on offering 1080p content on iTunes, that feature would be of limited use to the majority of consumers. Fortunately, Apple has been rumored to be prepping movie studios to start submitting 1080p content to iTunes.
iOS 5.1 Beta SDK reveals a never seen before iPad product id, according to 9to5Mac. The new product id is "iPad2,4", suggesting a minor variant of the current iPad 2 line.
The current iPad carries the following number designations, which show differences based on the type of cellular antenna, if any:
Naturally, "iPad2,4" could represent a Sprint supporting variant of the iPad 2 that has been previously rumored. Apple was reportedly considering a Sprint iPad launch before the holidays, though it seems less likely at this late date.
At this stage, it's not clear if and when Apple might introduce such a model or wait until the iPad 3 launches to introduce Sprint compatibility.
Apple has seeded developers with the first version of iOS 5.1 Beta and Xcode 4.3.
iOS SDK 5.1 provides support for developing iOS applications and includes the complete set of Xcode tools, compilers, and frameworks for creating applications for iOS and Mac OS X. These tools include the Xcode IDE and the Instruments analysis tool among many others.
With this software you can develop applications that run on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 5.1. You can also test your applications using the included iOS Simulator, which supports iOS 5.1. There are two Xcode iOS SDK 5.1 images, one for installing on a Macintosh computer running Mac OS X 10.6.7 (Snow Leopard) or later, the other for installing on a Macintosh computer running Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion).
BGR provides some release notes which presently list some known issues but are otherwise unrevealing.
The LandingZone is a docking station for the MacBook Air that hopes to become a reality via Kickstarter pledges. The dock circles the end of the MacBook Air, plugging into the ports on both sides of the device and including a full range of ports on the back -- including a 10/100 ethernet port and a Kensington-compatible lock, two things the MacBook Air lacks. The planned retail price of the LandingZone is around $200, but can be purchased with a $159 pledge.
LandingZone is a docking station for the MacBook Air. We love the MacBook Air for its beauty and functionality. The MacBook Air deserves a docking station that's just as beautiful and functional. So we designed one and we think it's pretty cool. We hope you agree.
- Total of 4 USB 2.0 ports; no need to attach a separate USB hub - Built in 10/100T Ethernet port; no more dongles for the Ethernet or fumbling with the cable - Built in Mini DisplayPort capable of driving resolution up to 2560x1440 - Built in locking port compatible with all the Kensington Locks; now you can secure your MacBook Air - Two models to support either the 11" or 13" version of the MacBook Air (2010 or later) - Beautifully designed and engineered for simplicity, elegance, reliability and functionality (patent pending) - Comes with US power adapter which accepts wide range of input voltage (100~240 Vac)
The project is looking to raise $50,000 by January 1st, 2012 to begin production of the LandingZone. 111 backers have pledged more than $17,000.
Market research firm comScore today released data on U.S. online shopping for Black Friday, showing strong sales of $816 million, up 26% over last year's numbers. According to the data, Apple ranked as the fifth most-visited online retailer in the country on Black Friday, trailing Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. comScore noted in a statement to AllThingsD that Apple was "nipping at Target's heels" for fourth place in the rankings.
Fifty million Americans visited online retail sites on Black Friday, representing an increase of 35 percent versus year ago. Each of the top five retail sites achieved double-digit gains in visitors vs. last year, led by Amazon. Walmart ranked second, followed by Best Buy, Target and Apple.
“Each of the top online retailers generated significantly greater Black Friday activity compared to last year,” added [comScore chairman Gian] Fulgoni. “Amazon.com once again led the pack, with 50 percent more visitors than any other retailer, while also showing the highest growth rate versus last year. However, it is telling that the top multi-channel retailers also showed strong growth in visitors, demonstrating the importance of the online channel to the retail industry as a whole.”
In addition to its online retail presence, Apple obviously also operates an extensive network of retail stores, with nearly 250 locations in the United States. The company's products are also carried by the four online retailers that ranked ahead of Apple in Black Friday traffic, increasing its impact for what is expected to be a blockbuster holiday quarter for Apple.
The Register points to a press release (PDF) from Australian airline Regional Express describing an incident last Friday in which an iPhone experienced "self combustion" onboard an aircraft just after the flight landed in Sydney. Based on an accompanying photo of the damaged iPhone, the device appears to be an iPhone 4.
Regional Express (Rex) flight ZL319 operating from Lismore to Sydney today had an occurrence after landing, when a passenger’s mobile phone started emitting a significant amount of dense smoke, accompanied by a red glow.
In accordance with company standard safety procedures, the Flight Attendant carried out recovery actions immediately and the red glow was extinguished successfully.
A photo of the device shows a shattered rear glass panel and an apparent burn or scorch mark in the area corresponding to the lower half of the device's battery.
The press release offers no additional information on the circumstances surrounding the incident, such as whether the passenger was attempting to use the device at the time, but the iPhone has been turned over to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau for investigation.
iPhone-related combustion is not an unheard-of phenomenon, although most reported incidents appear to have involved charging issues. This incident's occurrence on an airplane does, however, obviously draw some attention to the dangers of any potential combustion sources in such settings and will no doubt be thoroughly investigated in an attempt to determine its root cause.
A new website gives users an easy way to create fake Siri screenshots, allowing the comically inclined to create all manner of humorous -- but fake -- Siri messages.
iFakeSiri is made by the same folks as iFakeText, an iPhone text message generator. While the fake screenshots do look convincing, there is one small difference -- in the real Siri, apostrophes in the user's transcription are straight, while Siri's apostrophes are curly. In the fake Siri, both apostrophes are curly -- a small, but noteworthy difference for those trying to determine if a screenshot is real or fake.
Over the weekend, Best Buy began running a new television ad promoting the chain as the best place to buy Apple products. The ad begins with a woman examining an iPad while talking to a blue-shirted Best Buy employee, saying "I didn't know you guys had all the Apple products." The ad ends with a voiceover: "All the hottest Apple gifts, and the professionals to help. At Best Buy."
Apple has run store-within-a-store concepts at most Best Buy locations in the U.S. for years. Apple crews the locations with Apple-trained and paid staffers to augment the Best Buy employees. With hundreds of locations, Best Buy gives Apple a much larger reach than it would have with only standalone Apple Retail Stores.
Bloomberg reports that Sotheby's is preparing to auction off the original three-page document that served as the contract among Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ron Wayne to establish Apple Computer on April 1st, 1976. The auction, set for December 13th, is predicted to see the document fetch $100,000 to $150,000.
“This is a foundation document in terms of financial history, social history and technological history,” said Richard Austin, the head of books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s in New York.
Additional papers documenting Ron Wayne's withdrawal as a partner just 12 days after the company was formed are also included in the auction package. Wayne initially received $800 for his 10% share of the company, and later received an additional $1,500 payment.
According to Sotheby's, Wayne sold the documents to a manuscript dealer at some point before another party acquired them in the mid-1990s as Apple appeared close to bankruptcy before Jobs returned to the company. That party has now decided to sell the documents given the recent publicity about Jobs following his death and the release of his authorized biography.
The Sotheby's auction of "fine books and manuscripts" includes over 350 separate lots, with the $100,000-$150,000 estimate for the Apple documents ranking in a tie for third with a 1733 map of America. The most valuable lot is predicted to be a 1789 letter from George Washington, which is estimated to sell for $300,000-$500,000.
Apple today revealed on its U.S. online store page that it will be offering free shipping on all orders placed through December 22nd. Free shipping from Apple typically requires a minimum $50 purchase, so the new program offers customers the opportunity to save some money on lower-cost purchases such as accessories.
In addition to the free shipping on all orders, Apple touts several other benefits such as free engraving on iPods and iPads, signature gift wrapping, and build-to-order Mac configurations as reasons to buy directly from Apple.
The free shipping situation is a bit more complicated internationally, however, with some countries such as New Zealand offering free shipping on all orders through December 25th while stores for other countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom are only offering the free shipping for today.
Today is "Cyber Monday", as the Monday following Thanksgiving in the United States has become significant day for online holiday shopping as customers return to work from travels over the holiday weekend. While Apple does not offer specific Cyber Monday discounts on its products, a number of other retailers do participate in deals to help attract customers today.
Digitimes reports that Apple is set to update its MacBook Air line early next year, with a new 15-inch model appearing alongside refreshed 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models. The update will reportedly take place during the first quarter of 2012.
Apple reportedly is set to launch its new MacBook Air series notebooks with panel sizes of 11.6-inch, 13.3-inch and 15-inch in the first quarter of 2012 and will directly compete against ultrabooks from PC brand vendors, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.
The sources noted that related upstream players have already started pilot production of the MacBook Air models and will add a 15-inch model into the product line to expand its reach in the ultra-thin notebook market.
The report notes that discounts on the current MacBook Air models should extend through the lead-up to the debut of the new models, continuing to drive Apple's already-strong sales of the ultra-thin notebook line.
We first began hearing word of an ultra-thin 15-inch notebook from Apple back in July, with other sources also weighing in on the topic in recent weeks. Digitimes had previously indicated that component production for the notebook had begun with an eye toward a second quarter 2012 launch.
Sources have generally been unsure whether the new 15-inch notebook would be an expansion of the MacBook Air line or if it would appear as a slimmer MacBook Pro model, but this latest report indicates that it will indeed be a MacBook Air product.
Intel's Ivy Bridge platform, which is due for a spring launch in line with the reported MacBook Air revamp timeline, will bring a significant upgrade to the line's performance, particularly with regard to graphics improvements and new OpenCL support.
Friday after Thanksgiving marked 2011's Black Friday sales. Retailers including Apple offered modest discounts on Apple products that day. Cyber Monday is the online extension of that sale into the following week.
Amazon, MacMall and Best Buy are continuing some sales today. The greatest discounts that remain are on Apple's MacBook Pro line. We've highlighted the largest discounts here:
iDownloadBlog reports on a new package available for jailbroken iPhones that enables Siri-like dictation on previous generation iPhones. The package is called Siri0us and is being distributed via Cydia to jailbroken devices only.
Dictation works great on the iPhone 4, transcribing words into text rather quickly. The technology is actually Naunce-based dictation, but the end result is pretty much the same as Apple’s Siri. As you can see in the video, small ads are displayed in the bar above the mic icon. You will need an internet connection for the microphone to show up.
The package seems to emulate the Siri interface for dictation, but reportedly uses Nuance speech recognition on the backend. This video shows it in action:
There have been a number of attempts to port the entirety of Siri to previous generation devices, but those attempts have been limited by the need for Apple server authentication. This port bypasses Apple's servers and seems to use Nuance for the voice recognition engine. Of course, you won't get Siri's artificial intelligence features or sassy attitude, but you can get some on-the-go dictation.
iPhone 4 (3.5") top vs Galaxy S (4") bottom via Engadget
Macotakara claims that Hitatchi Displays and Sony Mobile Display Corporation have begun shipping 4-inch LCDs for a new iOS device:
According to Asian source, Hitachi Displays, Ltd. and Sony Mobile Display Corporation started to ship 4-inch LCD for new iOS device and LCD for iPad 3. These 2 companies will be merged their business with Toshiba Mobile Display Co., Ltd., as "Japan Display" in 2012 spring.
The report doesn't specify which iOS device that the screens would be used for, but the most natural choice would be the next generation iPhone. Apple has been said to be exploring the use of a 4" display for their upcoming iPhone. iLounge previously indicated that the 2012 iPhone would use a 4" display.
So far, Apple has only used a 3.5" display across its iPhone line, and there have been arguments that 3.5" may be the ideal size for one-handed use.
VR-Zone reports that Intel is quietly working on developing a standard docking format for their upcoming Ultrabook platform. The new docking system would incorporate a Thunderbolt connector as well as what appears to be a proprietary connector as well.
The non-Thunderbolt port would reportedly be used for power as well as direct access for the Ethernet controller which is required to support technologies such as Intel vPro and Microsoft's Connected Standby.
Apple's own solution has been much simpler. Their Thunderbolt Cinema Display offers a single cable which splits into a Thunderbolt cable and a Magsafe power cable. The Thunderbolt cable carries USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Ethernet, and Video from your laptop to the monitor.
Unfortunately, that separate non-Thunderbolt docking connector in Intel's proposal would likely prevent it from being directly supported on the Mac. Still, any major adoption of Thunderbolt technology can only help industry acceptance and the proliferation of more accessories. Belkin has already announced their own Thunderbolt docking solution which works much like Apple's display.
Intel is aggressively pushing forward the concept of the Ultrabook which bears a close resemblance to Apple's MacBook Air. Ultrabooks are expected to be the hot product at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 which takes place in January.
