During a BUILD 2011 presentation, Microsoft told Windows 8 developers to plan their artwork for High DPI (dot per inch) monitors with varying artwork sizes. In particular, they mentioned Retina-class desktop and laptop monitors. @Stroughtonsmith tweeted from the talk which is not yet online:
We'd previously reported that Apple had also been planning for ultra high resolution Retina displays in Mac OS X Lion. These ultra-high resolution displays would increase the number of pixels per inch found on both laptop and desktop displays.
There's been some doubts about when such displays will become commercially available, but it seems both Apple and Microsoft have built in support for it in their latest operating systems. Microsoft seems to indicate that they will be available within the next couple of years.
AppleInsider claims that Apple may be bumping the processors of the MacBook Pros before the end of this year, but will make no other changes to the notebooks.
According to people with proven insight into Apple's future product plans, the late-2011 MacBook Pro refresh will deliver marginal speed bumps to the notebooks' Core i-Series of Sandy Bridge processors but will otherwise introduce no material changes over the existing models.
Intel recently introduced 16 new Sandy Bridge processors, some of which could be used in the current generation MacBook Pros.
Last year, Apple quietly added a high end 2.8GHz Core i7 option to the MacBook Pros in late October. So, the move is not without precedent, though last year it was offered only as a built-to-order option and not an across the board upgrade.
Slide from Intel's Haswell preview (Source: Gizmodo)
Intel today previewed its future "Haswell" family of low-power processors at its Intel Developer Forum, showing how the line of chips planned for a 2013 debut will be able to dramatically increase power efficiency to increase battery life on its so-called "Ultrabook" systems.
[Intel CEO Paul] Otellini also described the new class of platform power management in development for the 2013 "Haswell" products for Ultrabooks. The advances in silicon technology and platform engineering are expected to reduce idle platform power by more than 20 times over current designs without compromising computing performance. Otellini said he expects that this design change, combined with industry collaboration, will lead to more than 10 days of connected standby battery life by 2013. The advancements will aid in delivery of always-on-always-connected computing where Ultrabooks stay connected when in standby mode, keeping the e-mail, social media and digital content up-to-date.
Intel demonstrated the low-power nature of the Haswell platform by rigging up a prototype Haswell system running off a solar cell powered by light bulbs and other ambient light. Full systems based on Haswell will obviously contain many other components that will increase the power draw, but it is clear that Intel is taking power consumption seriously as it seeks to facilitate thinner and longer-running notebook systems running on a platform that can compete head-to-head with the efficiency of the ARM chips used in many smartphones and tablets today.
Intel demonstration of Haswell system running on solar power (Source: This is my next)
Bentley Motors revealed a new connectivity concept for its flagship Mulsanne sedan at the Frankfurt Motor Show today. The company built two iPads with Apple Bluetooth Keyboards into the retractable "picnic tables" mounted in front of both rear passengers, and a 15.6" LCD screen that flips down from the roof of the car.
The additions to the Mulsanne are intended to allow passengers to "conduct business on the move or just unwind between meetings". Alasdair Stewart, Member of the Board for Sales & Marketing, comments:
Many customers use their time in the Mulsanne to keep on top of their business commitments or simply take a few moments to relax. This fully functioning concept highlights the Mulsanne’s potential to help busy executives to communicate effectively and quickly whilst travelling. As you would expect from Bentley, all these features work in harmony with the handcrafted cabin and can be displayed or hidden at the user’s discretion.
The concept includes:
Key entertainment and business features
- Two electric-powered, foldable wood veneer picnic tables in the rear cabin, each with Apple iPad and Apple Bluetooth keyboards. - The twin iPads enable the Apple Media Centre to play video files and music, provide access to personal and work e-mail as well as the internet (via W-Lan). - Apple Mini Mac stored in boot compartment enables integration of iPad with Bluetooth keyboard and iPod acts as control panel in rear console. - Roof console with 15.6 inch High Definition LED dropdown monitor. Plays videos (from both DVD changer and Mac Mini) and watch Television.
Comfort, control and stowage features
- Illuminated rear centre console fitted with twin, individual armrests offers true, spacious 4-seat configuration. - Rear console also houses Apple iPod (control panel), two cupholders, tissue box and large stowage area. - Apple iPod controls – Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE) and audio system, Apple Media Centre, plays music and access to internet. - Two USB connectors provided for the Apple system and one Apple interface connector for the iPod. - Bespoke control keys on rear console operate picnic tables, reading lights, control HD LED screen and select video and audio options. - Armrest contains Tibaldi pen and Privacy Telephone handset. - Bespoke bottle cooler in rear centre console with illuminated, double-glazed frosted glass door. - Additional, multi-directional reading lights are provided for each rear passenger and can be operated with Apple devices. - Sophisticated mood lighting in the rear centre console (using multiple soft glowing LEDs) ensures the stowage areas are lit and the docking station and cupholders are also illuminated for extra convenience.
Availability and pricing of the concept weren't detailed. The Bentley Mulsanne starts at $291,295.
Turntable is a musical chat room. You like talking to your friends. You like playing your favorite songs. You like hearing good songs you didn't pick. Turntable puts all of these nice things into one cartoonish online dance floor. Five DJs at a time queue up tracks of their choosing, while everyone else sits back and enjoys. Or doesn't enjoy! If a dud comes on, the audience can vote it off the speakers with enough dislike clicks. Or if a DJ's playing good stuff, you can reward them with likes, which translate into points, which are worn around as a badge of distinguished taste.
The service, which intentionally slowed its growth by only allowing in users who had Facebook friends already in the service, has now opened up to anyone with a Facebook account.
The iPhone app, released today, completely replicates the desktop experience.
You can create your own Turntable.fm rooms, or start DJing within a current room, right from within the app.
[...]
For an initial release, the app is reasonably polished. Everything takes a bit longer than the desktop version of Turntable.fm — like joining new rooms, or creating a room — but the fact that it works at all is amazing. Surprisingly, it even works well over 3G, although music switching and room joining suffers even more delays because of it.
Turntable.fm is available free on the App Store. Users need a Facebook account to use the service. [iTunes]
AnandTech reports that Intel has announced that its next-generation processor code-named Ivy Bridge will offer lower-power quad-core chips than the current generation of Sandy Bridge chips. In particular, Intel has revealed that it will introduce a 35-watt quad-core Core i7 processor.
Next year Ivy Bridge will expand the range to include a 35W quad-core Core i7 SKU. Shaving off 10W off the TDP should enable somewhat smaller notebooks to enjoy the benefits of a quad-core CPU.
As AnandTech notes, this development means that Apple could offer quad-core processors in its smallest 13" MacBook Pros.
The current 13" MacBook Pro design is limited to processors with a 35W thermal design power (TDP). The larger 15" and 17" MacBook Pro models are capable of handling higher-power processors with TDPs up to 45W. As a result, the 15" and 17" MacBook Pros are the only models that presently offer quad-core processors.
This news of lower power targets for Intel's mobile processors should come as no surprise, as Intel has admitted that it has been slow to respond to the low-power trends and has redoubled its efforts to lower the power requirements of its future CPUs. Apple may even have helped prompt the shift by threatening Intel with the potential loss of Apple's business.
While fitting a quad-core processor into the current 13" MacBook Pro will be possible with the new CPUs, Apple may take a different approach. We've long heard that Apple will be introducing a new case design for the next MacBook Pro, with many expecting it to take on thinner, more MacBook Air-like design. While Apple may choose to slim down the MacBook Pro by making the optical drive an external option and moving toward integrated solid-state storage, the company may also opt to utilize processors with lower heat requirements to design a thinner/sleeker machine rather than simply trying to boost the raw power of its low-end model.
Ever since Apple introduced its new Apple Thunderbolt Display, which should begin shipping in the very near future, users have been hoping for a product that offers the same docking station capabilities without the integrated monitor and $999 price tag.
Belkin may soon have an answer for those users, as DailyTech notes that the company is using this week's Intel Developer Forum to show off a new docking station offering essentially the exact same connectivity as found on the back of Apple's new display.
The Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock features three USB ports, a Thunderbolt port for daisy chaining, a Firewire port, and a GbE port. This is basically the same port setup that’s found on the new 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display.
For Apple users looking for expanded port offerings via the Thunderbolt port and don’t want to pay $999 for the functionality, the Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock will come in handy.
Unfortunately, there is no word yet on pricing or a launch date for the docking station, so users will have to wait for Belkin to release more details.
Microsoft today officially unveiled its next-generation Windows 8 operating system, detailing how the company has "reimagined" the software to allow a single operating system to run on a variety of systems from tablets to desktops and Intel to ARM. The company's new "Metro" user interface emphasizes touch-centered input and full-screen apps much like the iPad, but also supports full mouse and keyboard input with the familiar underpinnings of earlier Windows versions.
Perhaps most notable for Apple observers is Microsoft's tablet effort with Windows 8, marking yet another significant effort to unseat Apple's iPad from its dominating position atop the tablet market. This is my next offers a hands-on look at Windows 8 running on a prototype Intel-powered tablet device from Samsung, sharing a number of details about the functionality of the operating system. But while Microsoft acknowledges that Windows 8 is a work in progress, the current tablet implementation appears to be a somewhat rough integration of the Metro touch experience with more traditional desktop computing. The report summarizes Windows 8 for tablets as follows:
There’s a lot to digest here, and we’ve barely scraped the surface of Windows 8, so we’re sure our impressions will change over time… much as the OS will hopefully congeal later in the development cycle. If we’re going to be totally honest though, we’d describe Windows 8 right now as incoherent and contradictory. Touch response in the Metro UI is stellar, Contracts sound seriously useful, and snapping apps can make you more productive on a tablet, but whenever you want to get down and dirty with a traditional program, it’s back to the traditional desktop interface. There are two Control Panels, two versions of IE, and core apps are nowhere to be found (i.e. Mail, a camera app, etc.) Meanwhile, if you want to do anything with the desktop interface (save things you’ve actually planted on your desktop) you’ll probably find yourself thrown back to Metro since the traditional Start menu is gone. The whole user experience feels schizophrenic, with users having to jump back and forth between the two paradigms, each of which seem like they might be better off on their own. Still, as the title of the Microsoft show suggests, this is very much a work in progress and the apps and the tools are, well, still being built.
Questions also remain about architecture support, with the Intel-powered tablet running Windows 8 serving as a capable device but missing the benefits of ARM-based systems such as power efficiency. Microsoft promises that ARM support is an important component to the Windows 8 strategy, but the company is not yet able to offer hands-on time with such devices.
Powered by a 1.6GHz Core i5-2467M processor and a 64GB solid state drive, the system is absolutely no slouch on performance — everything from scrolling in the browser to the Start screen is extremely speedy and the system boots incredibly quickly. However, fan noise is very noticeable, as is the heat coming out of the top vent, and a fast boot doesn’t excuse the slow wake-up times compared to ARM-based cellphones and tablets.
It’s for these reasons we were pretty disappointed to see the tablet running on x86 architecture, with only a token gesture to ARM during our session, but VP of Windows Planning Mike Angiulo assured us that the progress on ARM is coming along quite nicely. He maintains they wanted developers to have top-notch hardware that was capable of running multiple instances, and thus went with the Core i5 hardware.
A developer preview version of Windows 8 will be available for download later today.
Starbucks has partnered with iTunes to give away free content since 2007, offering free redemption codes for a "song of the week". Earlier this year, Starbucks began offering a "Pick of the Week" iPhone app, including a high-profile promotion of SPY Mouse, a new game from Firemint/EA Games.
This week, Starbucks is offering an iBookstore redemption code for The Night Circus, a $12.99 book from Erin Morgenstern. The book is also being heavily promoted on the front page of the iBookstore.
Update: The "free" book does indeed appear to be an extended sample, not the complete book.
Starbucks noted last month that it would begin offering free "Pick of the Week" redemption codes for "Apps, extended samples of books on the iBookstore, TV shows, and more from iTunes."
TUAW reports that it has received word that Sprint has begun training its sales representatives for a planned October launch of the iPhone 4 on the carrier.
A Sprint Nextel sales associate told TUAW that the carrier has started briefing its employees on an imminent Sprint iPhone 4 launch.
The briefing reportedly told the sales team that Sprint will begin offering the iPhone 4 in October 2011 (next month) with standard Sprint data plans; they will include a $10 data smartphone premium that is not specific to iPhone.
The report offers two other curious tidbits, however, claiming that Sprint will at some point offer a "4G" iPad and that Sprint will not begin offering the iPhone 5 until sometime next year, most likely early spring. The iPhone 5 claim directly contradicts earlier mainstream media reports indicating that Sprint would launch the iPhone 5 at the same time as AT&T and Verizon in mid-October.
A source connected to Apple's AppleCare customer service call centers has reportedly indicated to AppleInsider that the company is expecting a large influx of iOS-related support calls beginning Monday, October 10th, potentially signaling a release of iOS 5 to current users on that date.
For instance, one person familiar with the matter said his local AppleCare call center has been told to expect an eightfold increase in customer calls on that day, and that staff are being advised ahead of time for the increased traffic.
The person could not say with any certainty what will be released on that Monday, but noted that the increase in call volume is related to iOS. This led them to speculate that Apple could release iOS 5 and iCloud on Oct. 10.
Apple has in the past released iOS major updates a few days ahead of the new hardware running the operating system, spreading out demand for support services.
- 2008: iPhone OS 2.0 and iPhone 3G both released on July 11th - 2009: iPhone OS 3.0 released on June 17th, iPhone 3GS released on June 19th - 2010: iOS 4.0 released on June 21st, iPhone 4 released on June 24th
A planned October 10th debut of iOS 5 for existing hardware lines up nicely with current rumors of Apple shooting for October 5th for final carrier certification of the new operating system and a "mid-October" release of the new hardware, perhaps at the end of that week.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky today issued a new report sharing the results of a proprietary survey of 2,200 respondents, revealing significantly higher demand for the iPhone 5 than was evident for the iPhone 4 ahead of its release last year. The survey shows that 31% of respondents are either very likely or somewhat likely to purchase an iPhone 5, compared to 25% for the iPhone 4 back in June 2010. Moreover, Apple's 15-16 month gap since the iPhone 4 release is also pushing a strong upgrade cycle, with 66% of existing iPhone users very likely or somewhat likely to upgrade to the iPhone 5.
Customer likelihood of purchasing iPhone 5 ahead of launch compared to iPhone 4
Unsurprisingly, potential launches of the iPhone 5 on Sprint and T-Mobile USA are also having a favorable effect on customer demand at those carriers, with 50-55% of customers at both carriers reporting that bringing the iPhone 5 to their carrier would make them "significantly" or "somewhat" more likely to purchase the device. Of the two carriers, Sprint has seen the stronger rumors of an iPhone 5 debut, although hints of an iPhone 5 for T-Mobile USA have also been circulating.
Effect of iPhone 5 coming to Sprint or T-Mobile USA on customer purchasing plans
RBC's survey also takes a look at the tablet market, where Apple continues to hold a dominating position with 85% of all customers planning to purchase a tablet opting for an iPad. Samsung's Galaxy Tab takes second place with 4% of planned purchases.
Based on the strong survey results, RBC is raising its holiday quarter iPhone estimates from 24.4 million units to 27 million units and pushing total fiscal 2012 estimates from 105 million units to 110 million units. RBC is also raising its iPad estimates for the current back-to-school quarter from 10.5 million units to 12.5 million units as Apple continues to dominate the tablet market.
AppleInsider reports that it has heard from a customer who emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook expressing dismay over the discontinuation of several MobileMe features as the service is transitioned to iCloud. Surprisingly, the customer reports that he received a personal phone call from Cook's office noting that the company is indeed "open" to bringing some of the features back if customer demand supports their return.
"Specifically, I bemoaned the loss of sync services (syncing application preferences, keychain, etc.) and the loss of iDisk," the reader said of his initial email to Cook . "I was pleasantly surprised to get a call from his office just now.
According to Cook's people, while there are no plans to add those particular services to iCloud at this time, "Apple is open to it if there's enough feedback on the subject."
It is unclear exactly what aspect of the customer's email triggered a personal phone call from Apple's staff, as phone responses have typically been limited to resolving technical issues where discussions over the phone could expedite the resolution of the problems. Apple executives have on occasion personally responded to customer emails, with Steve Jobs being the highest-profile responder from the company over the past few years. Tim Cook has carried on that tradition since becoming CEO late last month, with other executives also taking part in responding to emails delegated by Cook.
Developments continue to arise on regular basis in the patent disputes between Apple and a number of Android handset manufacturers, with individual lawsuits seeing regular status updates and new suits being filed in countries around the world. Here is an update on a few of today's developments:
- Apple requests stay of Motorola lawsuits: FOSS Patents reports that Apple has requested a stay of a pair of lawsuits involving Motorola Mobility, claiming that the pending acquisition of Motorola by Google has resulted in Motorola losing its standing to sue. Apple requests that the suits be stayed until the acquisition is resolved, noting that the merger agreement prohibits Motorola from pursuing its patent rights without Google's consent and that Google itself currently has no rights to the patents in question.
- Samsung sues over iPad and iPhone in France: AFP reports that Samsung has taken its legal battle with Apple to France, where it has filed suit alleging infringement of three patents by the iPad and iPhone.
A source familiar with the complaint said it concerns three Samsung patents concerning UMTS, which is one type of so-called third generation mobile phone technology.
The complaint targets Apple's iPhone 3G and 3GS and iPhone4 smartphone models, and first and second-generation iPads that are mobile phone capable, added the source.
- Samsung appeals in Germany: Unsurprisingly, The Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung has officially appealed the injunction barring it from selling or promoting the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Germany. The company has yet to offer a basis for its appeal, and is presumably working diligently toward preparing its full filings for the court.
BGR reports that it has received information from a "trusted source" outlining Apple's plans for finishing up work on iOS 5 and delivering it to the public. According to the report, Apple is planning to release the eighth beta version of iOS 5 to developers this Friday, September 16th. A golden master version is planned to follow about a week later "on or around" September 23rd.
After beta 8, Apple will introduce a Gold Master build on or around September 23rd as has been rumored. We believe that build is what will be loaded onto the already-assembled iPhone 5 hardware currently waiting for final software in China.
Apple's iPhone carrier partners are said to then be scheduled to give final approval to iOS 5 by October 5th should no issues be found with the release. If any issues are found, Apple will likely have to quickly develop a minor software update to be released as a patch alongside the official iOS 5 and iPhone 5 release.
As we reported yesterday, Apple has been claimed to be preparing to send iOS 5 out to iPhone assemblers sometime between September 23rd and 30th, giving them time to load the operating system onto new iPhones for delivery in early-to-mid October.
As noted by Mac4Ever [Google translation], France Telecom CEO Stéphane Richard has reportedly claimed that the iPhone 5 appears set to debut on October 15th. It is unclear whether he has specific information on the release date or if he is simply basing his claim on circulating rumors of a mid-October launch, but as the top executive of a major iPhone partner Richard would be more likely to have accurate information than most.
If I believe what we heard, the iPhone 5 will be released on October 15.
Richard has a history of speaking rather openly about issues related to the carrier's business, including discussing Apple's desire to reduce the size of or eliminate SIM cards in its GSM-compatible devices, moving to a built-in "e-SIM". That idea has been opposed by carriers, and Apple has reportedly backed away from its e-SIM plans for at least the time being.
October 15th falls on a Saturday, which would be an unusual launch date for Apple, which prefers to launch its new iPhone models on Thursdays or Fridays. Consequently, some have suggested Friday, October 14th as the most likely date for a debut, although others have claimed that Apple could roll out the new hardware a week earlier on the 7th.
Just yesterday, we noted that Apple was planning two retail store openings for this week, with the Stratford City store in London opening today and the Jungfernstieg store in Hamburg, Germany following suit on Saturday. Apple has now announced two additional store openings for this Saturday, continuing its third quarter retail push to bring dozens of new stores online ahead of the holiday shopping period.
Cielo Vista Mall retail store in El Paso, Texas (Source: Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times)
- Cielo Vista Mall (El Paso, Texas): Apple's first Texas store west of San Antonio, the Cielo Vista Mall location will fill a significant hole in Apple's retail store coverage. The nearest existing store is over 250 miles north in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The nearest store to the west lies over 300 miles away in Tucson, Arizona, while the San Antonio stores are over 500 miles to the east.
Via Rizzoli retail store in Bologna, Italy (Thanks, Dimitris!)
- Via Rizzoli (Bologna, Italy): Apple's eighth Italian store is the company's first in Bologna and is located about 60 miles from the Florence store that opened just over a month ago. The standalone store is the company's first in Italy to not be located inside a shopping mall.
AppleInsider reports that Apple is preparing to release an updated version of its compact AirPort Express wireless base station. Hints of the imminent refresh come from shortages of the existing model being observed at several third-party retailers, but the most concrete evidence comes from a source reporting that Apple is finishing work on its AirPort Utility 5.6 software which makes reference to the new model.
Although Apple's online store still reflects availability of "AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n and AirTunes," authorized resellers like DataVision report that the same model (MB321LL/A) is discontinued, while Amazon estimates it will have new stock sometime in the next "2 to 5 weeks."
Additionally, a person familiar with the matter says Apple is wrapping up the release of AirPort Utility 5.6, makes reference to a second-generation 802.11n AirPort Express in its developer notes:
"Adds support for the AirPort Express 802.11n (2nd Generation) base station"
Similar references to updated Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme models were discovered in the public release of AirPort Utility 5.5.3 back in June, with the new models debuting a week later.
That update brought increased storage capacities for Time Capsule models, as well as improved range and performance. It is unclear exactly what changes Apple has in store for the AirPort Express, but similar wireless performance improvements may be the focus of the update.
A source connected to Apple's AppleCare customer service call centers has reportedly 
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