MacRumors

Apple's new Lightning connector introduced on the iPhone 5 has generated a significant amount of interest, both from a usage standpoint as the company abandons its nearly decade-old 30-pin dock connector and from a technical perspective. On the technical side, the new Lightning connector uses adaptive technology to enable it to perform a variety of functions with just eight contact pins, dynamically assigning pin functions to suit a given situation.

One other aspect of the Lightning connector that has generated interest is whether Apple has also incorporated some sort of authentication functionality into the handful of chips found inside the Lightning connector assembly in order to inhibit third parties from manufacturing unlicensed cables. Scattered reports have indeed indicated that Apple has included authentication features in its cables, but companies have reportedly already cracked the security feature.

Chipworks has now taken a closer look at the chips found inside the Lightning to USB cable, highlighting a Texas Instruments (TI) chip that seems "likely" to include a security feature. While the exact "BQ2025" chip used in the cable is not documented in TI datasheets, four other chips with very similar part numbers are documented.

These four chips are cataloged on TI’s website as battery fuel gauges, but they are not identical, with three of them being serial EPROMs and one of them being a battery monitor IC.

However, all four do have some common characteristics. All use a single wire SDQ interface (TI’s proprietary serial communications protocol), and all have some basic security features such as CRC [cyclic redundancy check] generation. So, it is certainly likely that the BQ2025 does have some security implemented on it. It would also seem likely that it includes an SDQ interface.

Further investigation of the layout of the chip is consistent with a communication chip employing some "simple security features", and Chipworks notes that this seems to be the first time the firm has found such security features in a cable. CRC does not, however, serve to authenticate connections and is instead primarily used to check for errors in data transmission.

The security does not come close to the herculean approaches that are used in (for example) today’s printer cartridges, but resembles the level of effort that cartridge manufacturers used to implement in the olden days. This is likely a calculated decision by Apple to keep costs to a minimum knowing that their core customer base prefers to shop in Apple stores or for brand name peripherals. In these places, piracy is not a concern. In other words, at this time the security is “just enough.”

Many users have been frustrated by Apple's tight control over the Lightning standard, a grip that has slowed accessory companies as they are still waiting to receive instructions from Apple and to have their facilities certified by Apple under the Made For iPad/iPhone/iPod (MFi) program. In the meantime, unauthorized third-party manufacturers are likely to begin filling the void.

Apple has hired William Stasior, a search veteran from Amazon and early search engine AltaVista, to run its Siri unit, according to a report from All Things D.

Stasior was previously in charge of Amazon's A9 unit, the company's worldwide search and search advertising division.

Stasior has an impressive pedigree (you can read his resume and see a really geeky binary image he posted of himself here). The MIT Ph.D. has taught here too and has done stints at Oracle, Netcentives and AltaVista. He came to Amazon in 2003 as its director of search and navigation.

He will now be in charge of Siri, which is Apple’s famous voice-activated personal-assistant program. The tech giant acquired Siri in April of 2010 to garner a big stake in voice-activated search.

Apple purchased Siri in April 2010 and launched Siri as a major component of iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S in October 2011. However, two major Siri executives -- Adam Cheyer and Dag Kittlaus have left the company in the past year.

The addition of Stasior, a search expert, to the Siri team could give a hint to where Apple plans to take the product in the future.

Apple Retail Store customers will soon be able to pay for product in-store using the new Passbook feature of iOS 6, according to a report from 9to5Mac. It appears to be an expansion of the self-checkout option that was added to the Apple Store app last year.

While Apple’s EasyPay software should be ready for Passbook this month, some sources noted that the current EasyPay hardware, at least at some retail stores, may not be capable of scanning iOS device displays. Presumably, Apple has a solution for this in the works.

Also, Apple’s plans for rolling out the consumer-facing Apple Store app update to support Passbook-based Apple Store cards is currently unclear. But with Apple preparing to seed software to its stores that interacts with Passbook on customer iPhones and iPod touches, we believe that the feature is close to being a rolled out.

It is likely, though not confirmed, that customers will now be able to pay for Macs and iPads in-store with their iTunes account payment information. This would be a change from the current system where users can only purchase select accessories using the EasyPay self-checkout system within the Apple Store app.

This past June, Apple reported having 400 million active accounts in iTunes with credit cards attached. It's easy to see how Passbook could be expanded from its current feature set to include payments to third party providers in competition with Square and other such services.

9to5Mac is reporting that Apple will announce a new version of the Mac Mini at next week's rumored media event, alongside the 13" Retina MacBook Pro and the iPad mini.

These new Mac minis are said to begin shipping immediately after announcement. Apple last redesigned the Mac mini with a unibody aluminum enclosure in 2010, and last updated the computer with faster processors last summer. These current Mac minis are on last-generation chipsets and lack USB 3.0, so we should be seeing those components updated in these new models.

According to the report, the Minis will come in similar configurations to current Mini models, two standard versions and a third setup that runs Mountain Lion Server.

The Mac Mini is overdue for an update; the last refresh occurred in July 2011, some 450 days ago.

With multiple reports now indicating that Apple will be introducing its 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro at next week's rumored media event, details on the machine are also beginning to leak out.

According to a forum thread [Google translation] posted to Chinese site WeiPhone.com last week, the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will indeed be launching late this month. The report claims that it will carry the same thermal design as the larger 15-inch model, but with only one contact pad indicating that it will not include a discrete graphics chip.

The source reports that the 13-inch model will include an "unprecedented" battery design and offer the same set of ports seen on the 15-inch model: MagSafe 2, a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a USB port, and a headphone jack on the left and a USB port, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader on the right.

The report's source has also added a pair of photos showing what is claimed to be the display of the 13-inch model wrapped in plastic atop the same part from the 15-inch model. It doesn't appear that part can be conclusively identified as for a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro given the poor quality of the photos and an inability to assess the thickness of the display assembly, but it does appear consistent with the 15-inch Retina display and lacks the "MacBook Pro" branding seen on the bezel of non-Retina models.

The forum poster does have at least some track record of obtaining photos of unreleased product parts, as he previously posted a photo of the current 15-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro's graphics chip and surrounding logic board components a day before the machine was announced.

Following yesterday's report from 9to5Mac stating that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro would be introduced alongside the "iPad mini" at Apple's media event all but confirmed for October 23, AllThingsD now weighs in with its own sources making similar claims.

The smaller iPad may be the star of Apple’s as of yet unannounced October 23rd invitation-only event, but it will have an impressive supporting cast.

Sources familiar with Apple’s plans tell AllThingsD that the company plans to unveil a smaller version of its MacBook Pro with Retina Display as well.

The report summarizes expectations for the new machine, which include a 2560x1600 display, same thin profile as the 15-inch model, and all-flash storage. Pricing remains unknown, but if the 15-inch model is any indication consumers can expect a significant price premium for the Retina 13-inch model compared to the thicker non-Retina models that will undoubtedly remain available.

AllThingsD has an excellent track record when it comes to rumors regarding Apple's media event plans, and thus it does indeed appear that Apple's media event will focus on several different products next week.

Amid reports of component yield issues holding back launch supplies of the "iPad mini" earlier this month, it was reported that AU Optronics, which had been slated to produce two million display panels during the third quarter, was experiencing issues that resulted in the company providing only 400,000 units over that time period. AU Optronics was said to be responsible for 40% of Apple's target of five million panels for the quarter, with LG Display responsible for the other 60%.

Just a week before Apple is expected to introduce the iPad mini, China Economic News Service now reports that AU Optronics has resolved its production issues and is making up for lost time by boosting its production from two million panels per month to three million at Apple's request.

AU Optronics Corp., a major maker of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel in Taiwan, has replaced old photo masks to overcome problems in production of display panels for Apple's new iPad mini, hence motivating Apple to increase order by 50%, according to insiders but not commented upon by AUO.

The new production target is said to be going into effect in "mid-October", although it is not entirely clear how quickly those additional panels will make their way through the supply chain and into finished products.

A launch date for the iPad mini is not yet known, but Apple's history of major iOS device launches suggests that availability could come approximately a week and a half after its October 23 introduction, with Friday, November 2 being a possible debut date. First-generation products have, however, in the past seen longer lead times than new versions of existing products.

Apple and Samsung have long had a complicated relationship, with the two companies locked in numerous court battles linked to their competition in the smartphone and tablet marketplaces even as Samsung serves as Apple's largest component supplier. As tensions have continued to ride high between the two companies, there have been signs that Apple has been trying to cut back on its reliance on Samsung for component production.

The Korea Times now takes a look at how the relationship between the two companies has evolved from a "love-hate" relationship to a "hate-hate" one. The report highlights Apple's move to cut Samsung out of the chip development process for the new A6 system-on-a-chip found in the iPhone 5, with Samsung simply serving as a foundry to manufacture the chip and no longer contributing its expertise to designing Apple's chips.

According to industry sources, Apple has not collaborated with Samsung in the process to develop its A6 microprocessor used in its latest iPhone 5. Samsung has handled the manufacturing of the processors used in previous iPhones and believed to have contributed in their design to some degree.

Apple is still relying on the Korean firm to manufacture its chips but has made it clear it will no longer use its rival's technology, according to a senior Samsung official.

"Samsung's agreement with Apple is limited to manufacturing the A6 processors. Apple did all the design and we are just producing the chips on a foundry basis," he said on the sidelines of a technology fair at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

With Apple having recently hired Samsung chip designer Jim Mergard and reportedly seeking to shift A-series chip production to TSMC, it seems that Apple is seeking to further distance itself from Samsung. It remains to be seen, however, just how cleanly Apple can sever its component relationships with Samsung, as the Korean company's technical and manufacturing expertise in some cases make it difficult to shift to other suppliers.

9to5Mac claims that Apple will debut the long-rumored 13" Retina MacBook Pro alongside the iPad Mini later this month.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be sold in two configurations, with differing processors and storage, and will be available for purchase soon after introduction. Like with the 15-inch MacBook Pro lines, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display will be sold (at a higher price) in addition to the current non-Retina display model.

The site typically sources this information from early part numbers, suggesting that two higher priced configurations have already appeared in Apple's systems.

The new models line up with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's predictions of a separate Retina display lineup that will sell alongside the existing MacBook Pro line.

Apple introduced the 15" Retina MacBook Pro in June, but retained the existing 15" MacBook Pro as well. Apple appears to be continuing this pattern by providing two 13" MacBook Pros -- one with a Retina display and one without.

The iPad mini event is reportedly scheduled for October 23rd.

Apple received significant criticism when it replaced Google Maps in iOS 6 with its own custom mapping solution. Google has since been said to be working on releasing its own standalone version to be released in the iOS App Store.

App Map [iTunes Link] developer Ben Guild has posted some early details and partial screenshots from Google's upcoming Maps application for iOS.

According to Guild, the standalone version of Google Maps for iOS is presently in alpha testing, but has some promising improvements over the old Google Maps. Guild reports that the new Google Maps is vector-based, has two-finger rotation to any angle, is "super fast" and supports the taller iPhone 5 screen.

The released partial screenshots aren't particularly revealing, but do seem to show that work is actively being done on the product. An early report claimed that Google may be targeting release by Christmas of this year. Meanwhile, Apple has been making improvements to its own Maps over time.

As was rumored last week, Japanese carrier Softbank is purchasing 70% of Sprint for $20 billion. The deal is expected to be announced tomorrow morning, but the boards of both companies have agreed to the transaction. Softbank will buy $8 billion in shares directly from Sprint, and another $12 billion from existing stockholders at $7.30 per share, a 27% premium from Friday's close.

The purchase is a huge one for Softbank, which is essentially making a $20 billion gamble that it success in developing LTE wireless services in its home market of Japan can be translated to the U.S. Sprint, while the third largest wireless provider in the U.S., significantly trails the two market leaders, Verizon and AT&T.

Softbank's hope, say people familiar with its strategy, is to build on Sprint's spectrum position, while hoping the company can further consolidate the wireless industry through acquisitions of more spectrum and other operators. The deal is expected to close in roughly six months.

This puts another major carrier in the United States in foreign hands. Verizon is 45% owned by UK carrier Vodafone, T-Mobile is owned by German-firm Deutsche Telekom, and Sprint will now be majority owned by Softbank. There are no details regarding Sprint's branding in the US, or if Softbank will begin promoting itself within the country.

Sprint became the third of the four major U.S. carriers to offer the iPhone upon the release of the iPhone 4S in October 2011, with company executives moving to "bet the company" on the iPhone in committing to purchase more than 30 million iPhones worth $20 billion over the first four years of the partnership. The move has impacted Sprint's financials over the short-term, but the carrier believes that the long-term effects of having the iPhone will be positive.

A forum thread [Google translation] posted to Chinese site WeiPhone.com earlier this month claims that Apple is planning to introduce its next iMac at a press conference either this month or next month, with the new iMac offering a redesigned body with a thinner profile. The report includes a photo of what is said to be the logic board and other internal components of the new iMac.

The authenticity of the photo can not be confirmed, but iFixit's Kyle Wiens tells us that it does appear to be plausible based on some similarities to current iMac components. One example is the silver disc located behind the main layer of components. This disc has been found in Apple's iMac models over the past several years, and it houses the Wi-Fi antenna directly behind the Apple logo on the rear of the iMac's body. The Apple logo is the only plastic portion of the iMac's otherwise aluminum rear shell, thus providing the best location for optimizing signal reception.

Other items of interest pointed out in the photo include the Bluetooth antenna (top edge), fans, and hard drive.

The redesigned iMac is said to be considerably thinner than the current form factor, with the machine's thickness almost impossible to gauge when viewed from the side. The curved rear shell is also said to appear more like a water droplet than the squared-off design seen in the current model.

The report also claims that the new iMac's screen is glued to the front glass of the machine, in line with previous rumors stating that Apple is moving to fully laminate the two components together for improved display quality.

Also in line with previous rumors, the report suggests that Apple may first update the 21.5-inch model with the new design, which is said to maintain the existing "chin" below the display even as the body is tweaked with a thinner profile. The updated 27-inch model could then follow somewhat later, as has been suggested due to the challenges of laminating the larger display and glass with acceptable yields. The new iMacs are also said to be more expensive than the current models, but it is unclear how significant any pricing changes would be.

Finally, the report claims that Apple is indeed working toward a release of a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. The notebook is said to already be in assembly in "Mexico and other places", with Chinese production coming later this month. The new 13-inch model is said to carry a code name of "D1", which fits with the "D2" code name that turned out to be the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

The report also seems to suggest that Apple will be tweaking the 15-inch model to address a few technical issues such as heat dissipation, but these changes will apparently be made behind the scenes and not be presented to consumers as an updated model.

Apple is reportedly set to hold a media event on October 23 to introduce the iPad mini, but it has been unclear if the company plans to introduce its new Mac products at the same event. If Apple does decide that its updated Macs are significant enough to warrant a presentation for the media, it will likely show them at the iPad mini event rather than trying to squeeze in yet another separate event.

(Thanks, Jun!)

MacRumors has received a pair of photos showing what is claimed to be the battery from Apple's forthcoming "iPad mini". The photos show a battery carrying a model number of A1445 and an Apple part number of 616-0641. The battery runs at 3.72 volts, offering 16.7 Whr of energy on 4490 mAh of charge.

While we can not confirm the authenticity of the part, the markings are consistent with those seen on batteries from other Apple products. The battery's proportions also seem to fit fairly well with what is expected for the iPad mini, although the exact dimensions of the part are unknown.

The 16.7 watt-hour capacity for the iPad mini battery unsurprisingly places the device between the iPhone 5 at 5.45 watt-hours and the third-generation full-size iPad at 42.5 watt-hours. Given that the iPad mini has been said to be based more on the iPad 2 and lack a Retina display, the iPad mini's battery may be more appropriately compared to the 25 watt-hour battery of the iPad 2.

The battery is clearly not yet an official part ready for shipping, as it contains placeholders for several portions of regulatory text and blank rectangular placeholders for a number of regulatory logos. It seems likely, however, that this is the final design simply awaiting final certification.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPad mini at a media event all but confirmed to be scheduled for October 23.

Apple yesterday expanded its iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program, significantly increasing the number of machines eligible under the program to include iMacs sold between October 2009 and July 2011 with 1 TB Seagate hard drives.

Apple has determined that certain Seagate 1TB hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail. These systems were sold between October 2009 and July 2011.

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will replace affected hard drives free of charge.

Apple launched the program in July 2011, but at that time it covered only those machines sold between May 2011 and July 2011. Apple has apparently now determined that the issue extends further back in time than previously thought, and has now included machines sold as far back as October 2009.

The original program was originally valid for one year, scheduled to expire July 23, 2012, but as that deadline passed the company extended the program for an additional year. With the program now covering a number of other machines, some of which were sold as much as three years ago, Apple has again updated the coverage terms.

The program covers affected iMacs for three years after the first retail sale of the unit or until April 12, 2013, whichever provides longer coverage for you. Apple will continue to evaluate service data and will provide further updates to this program as needed.

This is not the first time Apple has had issues with Seagate hard drives in its products, as the first several generations of the MacBook had the potential to experience data loss when the read/write heads on the Seagate drives failed prematurely, gouging the hard drive platter. Apple acknowledged the issue soon after it was first reported in late 2007, but waited over two years to launch a repair program to address the problem.

The Next Web is reporting that the rumored iPad Mini event scheduled for October 23rd will have a heavy focus on iBooks. The iPad Mini will be aimed at smaller tablets like the Kindle Fire, that are generally used to consume content including books and movies.

In what will likely be completely unsurprising news to many, we’ve now heard from multiple sources that Apple’s as-yet-unannounced iPad mini event will have a strong focus on iBooks. Since an iPad mini would likely be squarely aimed at those who wish to partake of media on their tablets, that would make a lot of sense.

Apple executive Eddy Cue said in an email released during the Apple v. Samsung trial that he "found email, books, Facebook and video very compelling" on a 7-inch Samsung Galaxy tablet. It seems likely that Apple will focus on similar uses for the iPad Mini.

With millions of units shipped, and demand significantly outstripping supply, the initial launch of the iPhone 5 can probably be described as successful. Ad tracking firm has released some data comparing iPhone 5 mobile ad impressions to those from the Galaxy S III, a popular Android phone released by Samsung.

According to the firm, the three-week old iPhone 5 saw significantly more web traffic than the Galaxy S III, a phone that has been out for months.

Following the release of Apple’s iPhone 5 on September 21st, Chitika Insights was interested in comparing the Web usage rates of the newest phones from both manufacturers. To quantify our latest study, we conducted a user agent analysis on millions of mobile ad impressions, spanning a 7-day time frame from October 3rd through October 9th, 2012. Looking solely at impressions coming from the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, we were able to observe the difference in Web traffic volume between the two devices, depicted in the figure below:

Another study, this time from 451 Research/ChangeWave Research, found that one third of North American consumers were "somewhat" or "very" likely to purchase the iPhone 5, a number that is some 10% higher than the consumers who were planning to buy the iPhone 4S.

The firm also found that 9 in 10 users hadn't experienced any significant problems with Apple's new mapping software, something that has received a great deal of attention in the press recently.

China Economic News Service reports on a research note from Citigroup analyst J.T. Hsu claiming that Apple is working with Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC as its sole supplier for future quad-core chips based on more efficient 20-nanometer processes. The timeline shared by Hsu suggests that the quad-core chips could make their way into products such as the iPad in 2014.

Citigroup Global Markets’ market research fellow, J.T. Hsu, pointed out that Apple began verifying TSMC’s 20nm process in August this year and may begin risk production in November with the process. Volume production is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2013, raising the possibility that TSMC will hike capital expenditure to US$11-12 billion in 2013 and 2014.

Hsu estimated Apple to design quad-core processors into iPad, iTV and even Macbook. iPhones will be still powered by duo-core processors to highlight its low power consumption merit.

TSMC is in the early stages of developing its 20-nanometer processes, but the company promises significant improvements with the technology.

TSMC's 20nm process technology can provide 30 percent higher speed, 1.9 times the density, or 25 percent less power than its 28nm technology. TSMC 20nm technology is the manufacturing process behind a wide array of applications that run the gamut from tablets and smartphones to desktops and servers.

Apple currently uses Samsung as the manufacturer of its A-series chips for its iOS devices, testing out a 32-nanometer process with a revised A5 chip launched in the tweaked iPad 2 and the third-generation Apple TV earlier this year. Apple moved full-bore into the 32-nanometer process for the new A6 chip used in the iPhone 5.

Apple had been rumored several times over the past 18 months to be switching its ARM-based chip production to TSMC, but the company has so far stuck with Samsung. A late August report indicated that Apple and Qualcomm had each attempted to purchase exclusive access to TSMC's chip production, but TSMC ultimately rejected both bids. TSMC has, however, indicated that it remains open to dedicating individual factories to single customers, and it appears that Apple may be interested in pursuing that route in order to take advantage of TSMC's technical and manufacturing expertise.