MacRumors

As part of its iOS 6 preview at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced that it would officially be bringing its FaceTime video calling feature to cellular networks, significantly expanding the usability of the feature for users on the go.

FaceTime now works over cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi, so you can make and receive FaceTime calls wherever you happen to be. You can even make and receive FaceTime calls on your iPad using your phone number. That means you can use FaceTime wherever you are, on any device. And never miss another wink, smile, air kiss, or eye roll.

But as with other carrier-dependent features like tethering and personal hotspot, FaceTime could still find itself subject to limitations imposed by the carriers.

MarketWatch takes a look at the impact of FaceTime over cellular, noting that it could soak up significant amounts of cellular bandwidth just as carriers are moving to refocus their service plans to emphasize data usage over calling minutes. But so far the carriers are silent on how and even whether they will support FaceTime on their networks.

The carriers that offer the iPhone wouldn't comment on their plans for offering FaceTime on their networks, but an AT&T spokesman said the company is "working closely with Apple on features disclosed for iOS 6, and we'll share more information with our customers as we get closer to launch."

The report notes that with customers being shifted to tiered data plans on most carriers, carrier concerns over FaceTime usage may be lessened, but it still remains to be seen just how they will handle the new functionality and how it will impact their networks.

Apple's small-print footnotes on FaceTime in iOS 6 mention only that "carrier data charges may apply", making no disclaimer that the feature could be not supported at all by certain carriers. And with FaceTime over cellular networks working under the iOS 6 beta, it seems likely that carriers will support the feature and simply rely on customers' data caps to keep usage in check or increase revenue through higher-cost plans.

Last week, the teardown experts at iFixit took a look at the new Retina MacBook Pro, noting how Apple used a number of innovations first deployed in the MacBook Air to reduce the machine's thickness but in the process hampered users' ability to repair and upgrade components.

As it notes on its blog, iFixit has now taken apart the Retina display itself to further examine the steps Apple took to mount the breakthrough 2880x1800 display within the thin lid of the notebook.

The Retina display is an engineering marvel. Its LCD is essentially the entire display assembly. Rather than sandwich an LCD panel between a back case and a piece of glass in front, Apple used the aluminum case itself as the frame for the LCD panel and used the LCD as the front glass. They’ve managed to pack five times as many pixels as the last model in a display that’s actually a fraction of a millimeter thinner. And since there’s no front glass, glare is much less of an issue.

With the LCD so tightly integrated into the display assembly, iFixit actually broke the LCD in the process of trying to disassemble it, noting that anyone looking to replace their display would need to replace the entire assembly instead of trying to swap in a new LCD panel.

The teardown documents the full range of features used to keep the display slim and light while delivering crisp images on the ultra-high resolution screen, including routing of cables through hinges, 48 LEDs at the bottom of the screen to light the display, and various diffuser, prism, and polarizing sheets to generate the screen's images.

The new Retina MacBook Pro remains in high demand amid tight supplies, with shipping estimates for new orders through Apple's online store remaining at the 3-4 week figure reached less than two days after the machine debuted.

Apple today posted a new television ad for the new iPad called "Do It All". The Retina Display is the focus, with a number of different apps sharing the spotlight.

Send a note. Stay informed.

Catch a show. Make your point.

Make a memory. Make a masterpiece.

Read something. Watch something. And learn something.

Do it all more beautifully, with the Retina display, on iPad.

This is the second television spot that Apple has released for the new iPad. The first, released in March after the introduction of the product, was titled "This Good". It also focused on the new Retina display. Last week, Apple released an ad for the new Retina MacBook Pro that also focused on the screen.

Microsoft today unveiled a major tablet initiative to compete with Apple's iPad, Google's Android, and its own PC hardware partners.

The Microsoft Surface is a 10.6" tablet powered by Windows 8, coming in two distinct versions -- both equipped with touch screens. One will be powered by an ARM processor and will be more like a traditional tablet running Windows RT. The other will be powered by Intel's 22nm Ivy Bridge chips running the desktop version of Windows 8.

As reported by The Verge:

The Windows RT version is just 9.3mm thin, weighs 1.5lbs, includes a built-in kickstand and is the first PC with a vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium case, according to Microsoft. It will ship in 32GB or 64GB versions.

Microsoft's Intel-based Surface tablet will run Windows 8 Pro, with a thickness of 13.5mm, a weight of 1.9lb, and USB 3.0 support. This particular version will also include magnesium casing and a built-in kickstand, but will ship with either 64GB or 128GB storage. The Intel version will include additional digital ink support through a pen that magnetizes to the body of the tablet.

In addition to the tablet itself, Microsoft will sell two Smart Cover-like devices that attach magnetically to the Surface. Unlike Apple's add-on, which serves only as screen protection and as a stand, Microsoft's Touch Cover and Type Cover turn into a full-sized keyboard complete with a built-in trackpad. Microsoft says using the Touch Cover is "twice as efficient as typing on glass", a clear shot at the iPad's on-screen keyboard.

Microsoft did not share any information on pricing or availability, saying both the ARM and Intel editions would be price competitive with like products.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made today, Liquidmetal Technologies announced that it has extended its agreement with Apple to effectively license its ongoing intellectual property development for an additional two years.

The agreement, which is funneled through a subsidiary known as Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC, provides Apple with a full license to all of Liquidmetal's intellectual property for commercialization in consumer electronics. The original deal required that Liquidmetal submit all of its intellectual property discoveries to the subsidiary through February 5, 2012, but the new amendment effective as of last Friday extends the agreement through February 5, 2014.

Under the MTA [Master Transaction Agreement], the Company was originally obligated to contribute to Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC, a special purpose subsidiary of the Company, all intellectual property acquired or developed by the Company through February 5, 2012, and all intellectual property held by Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC is exclusively licensed on a perpetual basis to Apple for the field of use of consumer electronic products under the MTA. Under the Amendment, the parties agreed to amend the MTA to extend the February 5, 2012 date to February 5, 2014.

The foregoing does not purport to be a complete description of the Amendment and is qualified by reference to the full text of such agreement, which will be filed with the Company’s next Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Apple acquired the rights to Liquidmetal's amorphous metal alloys in August 2010 after having tested the material in the iPhone 3G SIM eject tool. But broader use of Liquidmetal's alloys, which offer improvements in strength and durability over current alloys while proving easy to cast into complex shapes, is likely several years off.

Apple has issued a software update via the Mac App Store to Mountain Lion Developer Preview 4, originally released last week.

This update is the second time Apple has updated the Mountain Lion Developer Preview via the Mac App Store rather than releasing an entirely new DP -- Apple issued a similar update in May.

Apple did not specify changes in the update, saying only that it "is recommended for all users running OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 4. With Mountain Lion's final release expected next month, Apple should be moving towards a final build soon.

Among other things, the update adds support for more Facebook notifications and PowerNap support for supported machines. It weighs in at 1.08GB and has a build number of 12A248, up from 12A239 previously.

With the public release of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion coming next month, some have wondered whether the current OS X 10.7.4 will be the final maintenance update for OS X Lion. OS X 10.7.4 was released to the public in early May, and the timeline would be tight for releasing another update prior to the debut of Mountain Lion.

AppleInsider now reports that Apple is preparing to begin seeding builds of a new OS X 10.7.5 to developers in the coming days. No details on the upcoming release have yet been revealed, as the first sign of impending developer builds typically comes from Apple's developer programs simply posting new discussion forums related to the releases.

The new Retina MacBook Pro is currently shipping with a special build of OS X 10.7.4 to include Retina-capable versions of core OS X apps, although Retina capabilities have been showing with increasing visibility throughout the various versions of OS X Lion and now developer builds of OS X Mountain Lion. It is unknown whether these new machines will receive a special build of OS X 10.7.5 or if Apple will incorporate the new Retina display capabilities into a single OS X 10.7.5 build available for all Macs even if they do not support ultra-high resolutions.

A timetable for a public release of OS X 10.7.5 is also currently unknown, including whether it will appear before or after OS X Mountain Lion is released to the public. Apple has on occasion released full maintenance updates after the launch of a successor operating system, most recently with Mac OS X 10.4.11 arriving nearly three weeks after the debut of Mac OS X Leopard, but the company typically limits its older operating systems to security fixes once their successors have launched.

Back in mid-2010, Mozilla released Firefox Home, an iOS app designed to sync users' Firefox histories, bookmarks, and open tabs from their desktops to their iOS devices. Several months later, Mozilla acknowledged that it had no plans to bring a full-fledged Firefox browser to iOS, due in part to "technical and logistical restrictions" that would make it difficult to create an acceptable user experience on the platform.

While Mozilla apparently still has no desire to try to replicate Firefox on iOS, The Verge reports that Mozilla has been working on a stripped-down browser known as "Junior" that is intended to simplify and improve the browsing experience on iOS.

"So here comes the fun stuff," said Alex Limi as he began discussing the prototype iPad browser Mozilla has been working on for several months. "We wanted to make something entirely new. We wanted to look into how we could reinvent the browser for a new form factor," he said.

Junior offers a full-screen experience for users that forgoes tabs and relies on a pair of navigation buttons at the side of the screen to access the browser's functions. Navigation is accomplished through a separate page showing recently-visited pages, bookmarks, and a unified address/search bar. Junior also supports the creation of multiple user accounts, recognizing that the iPad is frequently shared among members of a household.

Mozilla still has a fair amount of work to do on Junior, and thus it will likely not be making a public appearance for some time, but it could add another notable browsing name for iOS users to consider as Google has also been reported to be bringing Chrome to iOS.

Update: A Mozilla spokesperson has contacted MacRumors to clarify that Junior is still in the experimental stage and may never see a public release.

Junior is an early-stage experimental project and is not confirmed for development by Mozilla or for a future version of Firefox. All projects and experiments at Mozilla are developed in the open to gather ideas and feedback.

Last week, Primate Labs summarized its Geekbench 2 database results for Apple's new MacBook Air and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, but did not address the 13-inch MacBook Pro as not enough data had been collected at that time.

But over the past week more data has come in, and the firm now shares its results which show the new 13-inch models are yielding approximately 10-15% higher Geekbench 2 scores than both the corresponding previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Pro models as well as the current 13-inch MacBook Air models against which they are directly competing.

The latest MacBook Pros offer a nice increase in performance over the previous MacBook Pros. Both the Core i5 and the Core i7 Mid 2012 13-inch MacBook Pros are over 10% faster than the equivalent Late 2011 13-inch MacBook Pros. Some of the increase is from higher processor speeds, while some of the increase is from the improved Ivy Bridge processor architecture.

The latest MacBook Pros also offer a nice increase in performance over the latest MacBook Airs. The Core i5 13-inch MacBook Pro is 10% faster than the Core i5 13-inch MacBook Air, while the Core i7 13-inch MacBook Pro is 15% faster (and $100 cheaper) than the Core i7 13-inch MacBook Air.

The popular Geekbench tool also provides a glimpse into the relative popularity of various models, and with the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air coming in at the same base price points at both low and high ends, the frequency with which those machines appear provides an interesting perspective on how customers are deciding between the two lines.

At the low end, Primate Labs notes that the MacBook Air is showing up in the database twice as frequently as the MacBook Pro, suggesting that budget-conscious consumers are opting for the slimmer form factor of the MacBook Air as a primary factor in their decision-making. But the ratio is reversed at the high end, with the MacBook Pro appearing twice as frequently as the MacBook Air, as may be expected as the market shifts more toward professional users looking for high performance as their primary criterion.

As is typical when previewing a new operating system, on Monday Apple's Scott Forstall showed off 10 main features of iOS 6 including improvements to Siri, Facebook Integration, a new Maps app, and a Do Not Disturb mode.

However, there is a lot more to the next iPhone operating system than that. A slide shown at the end of Monday's keynote displayed a number of new features that didn't warrant full keynote coverage but are still worth mention to iOS users:

- Users can now set custom email alerts for any of their VIP contacts.

- Turning Bluetooth on and off is much quicker than it was in iOS 5. Bluetooth controls are now located in first page of System Preferences, next to the Wi-Fi and Airplane Mode controls.

- The iPad gains a native Clock app with similar function to the iPhone version.

- Users no longer need to enter their password to update apps -- only when purchasing an app for the first time. Additionally, users aren't kicked to the home screen when buying or updating an app in the App Store.

- Newly downloaded apps gain a temporary 'New' banner on the icon to make them easier to pick them out.

- Geofencing alerts have been added to Find My Friends. One possible use, suggested by Macworld: "If you’re one of the many workers who carpools, you can set up a geofence on the driver to let you know when they leave their house."

- In iOS 5, the color of the menu bar would change depending on what was happening in the background -- green for a phone call or blue for Personal Hotspot. In iOS 6 those colors still exist, but the menu bar changes color to better complement the app. MaxThemes.com has more on how Apple color-matches the menu bar.

- One of the most unnecessary additions to iOS 6 is also one of the most telling. Apple has made the metallic volume slider in the iPod app and elsewhere change its reflection as the iPhone is tilted -- as if it were actually reflecting light. While some may say it's a waste of engineering resources, this shows Apple's incredible attention to detail.

Earlier this week, AppAdvice noted that three categories of content had disappeared from the iTunes app in iOS 6: Podcasts, Audiobooks, and iTunes U. Apple launched a dedicated iTunes U app earlier this year, but the fate of the other content types in iOS 6 remained unclear.

AllThingsD now reports that Apple will also be launching a standalone app for podcasts in iOS 6, giving them greater visibility while simplifying the iTunes app that has become home to an increasingly large number of content categories.

So why have podcasts disappeared from the new version of iTunes that Apple started showing to developers this week?

Because Apple plans on giving the recordings their own bit of digital turf.

People familiar with Apple’s plans tell me that when its new iOS 6 software becomes widely available this fall, podcasts will have their own app, where users will be able to discover, download and play them on mobile devices. Users who access iTunes via laptop and desktop machines will still find them in that version of iTunes, though.

Podcasts are one of the longest-tenured media types on Apple's portable devices, having been available through the iTunes Store since the release of iTunes 4.9 in mid-2005.

As we noted earlier this week as part of our roundup of device compatibility for various iOS 6 features, several of Apple's new mapping features including Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation are not officially supported on the iPhone 4, much less the iPhone 3GS.

But as reported by SlashGear, a member of Russian site iguides has posted videos [Google translation] showing the 3D maps and Flyover working on a jailbroken iPhone 4. The poster has also included instructions for adding the functionality, although the procedure is not yet a completely straightforward one.

Apple has historically placed hardware restrictions on certain features of its iOS release, based at least in part on how well older hardware handles the specific features. In other cases like Siri on the iPhone 4S, Apple's limitations may have more to do with differentiation and marketing. But it seems reasonable to think that 3D map performance on the pre-A5 devices like the iPhone 4 simply doesn't meet Apple's requirements, and thus the company has elected not to officially support the feature on that hardware.

Regardless of the reasons for Apple's limitations on mapping features, hackers and developers will undoubtedly continue working on ways to circumvent those restrictions, and we will likely see other features like turn-by-turn navigation also come to older devices for those willing to tweak their devices to enable them.