MacRumors

TechCrunch noted that Apple's Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Scott Forstall has created a Twitter account at http://twitter.com/forstall. The account has been labeled as "Verified" which means that Twitter has authenticated the identity of the user.

Forstall hasn't tweeted yet, and who knows if he actually will. But what I do know is that his account has been verified by Twitter -- meaning it is actually him. And I also know that there's no way Twitter would have verified the account unless he (or someone at Apple on his behalf) asked Twitter to.

The move is strange for a company as secretive as Apple. Forstall is a high profile executive at Apple, frequently featured during Steve Jobs' keynotes. Apple has been said to actively discourage blogging or other forms of communication from its employees. Forstall's identification as a verified account as well as his official Apple position suggests his plans for the account are not simply personal.

Update: The account is no longer listed as "verified", though Twitter had confirmed they had verified the account for Forstall. It appears the loss of verified flag is simply a security measure by Twitter when someone changes their account info (Forstall changed his profile to read iOS rather than iPhone):

For security reasons, changes made to your profile result in the loss of the badge. If you've lost your verified badge, just log into your account and re-apply here.

Update 2: He's verified again.

With the official introduction of iOS 4 at last month's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple modified its developer terms to again allow limited collection of analytics data for advertising purposes, but apparently left open the possibility of shutting out high-profile competitors such as Google's AdMob by requiring that such analytics companies be "independent" and not involved in mobile operating system development as Google is.

AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui acknowledged that the change threatened AdMob's existence on the iOS platform and thus significant potential revenue streams for developers, even as Apple prepared to roll out its own iAd mobile advertising platform. At the time, Hamoui noted that AdMob would be speaking with Apple in an attempt to resolve its concerns over the new policy.

CNET today reports on new comments from Hamoui revealing that Apple has yet to enforce the new terms that would shut AdMob out of the iOS platform.

"They haven't been enforcing (the new regulations) yet. We're very appreciative of that," he said at the MobileBeat 2010 conference here.

The news is not unexpected, of course, as developers have reported that they have been able to continue using AdMob's services in their applications, but Hamoui's comments mark the first acknowledgement by Apple, Google or AdMob that AdMob's service is continuing uninterrupted for the time being. But Hamoui did not address the state of talks between Apple and AdMob and whether a more permanent resolution to the issue is in the works or if the status quo of simple non-enforcement on the part of Apple might be the policy going forward.

Hamoui also noted that he is pleased by Apple's iAd effort as it works to bring more publicity to the concept of mobile advertising.

"The really rich pretty ads they're doing are making advertisers and agencies think about what mobile means," Hamoui said. "Anybody getting advertisers interested in mobile is a good thing. It's not at all a zero-sum game."

Google and AdMob are of course interested in what Apple is doing as a competitor, and Google itself has suggested that it too is looking at "interactive video ads" as the future of mobile advertising.

Apple today sent out an email to registered developers reminding them to submit their Safari 5 extensions for consideration for inclusion in the company's "Safari Extensions Gallery".

We'll soon be launching the Safari Extensions Gallery, a new destination that provides you with an opportunity to increase the visibility of your Safari extension beyond your website.

The Safari Extensions Gallery will feature selected extensions that offer an innovative user experience. And a one-click installation process will allow users to seamlessly install extensions from a developer's website without ever having to leave the Gallery.

Have your extension considered for the Safari Extensions Gallery. Submit your extension download URL and supporting metadata today.

Apple released Safari 5 at its Worldwide Developers Conference just over a month ago. Among other enhancements, Safari 5 includes support for extensions, add-ons created by third-party developers to offer new functionalities within the browser. Several early extensions have already been released, but Apple is still preparing the official launch of the feature with its gallery of featured extensions in the near future.

In mid-June, the company officially invited developers to submit their Safari extensions, noting that the gallery would be coming "later this summer". While still has not provided an official date for the launch, it does appear to be approaching in the relatively near future.

Interested developers can find out more in Apple's Safari Dev Center.

Cult of Mac spoke with several public relations experts who suggest that a recall of Apple's iPhone 4 is "inevitable" given growing criticism over the device's antenna issues that is spilling over from blog communities into the mainstream media. The PR crisis grew substantially yesterday when the widely-read Consumer Reports review and recommendation magazine failed to recommend the iPhone 4 to potential customers despite the device otherwise topping the rankings of smartphones.

"Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product," said Professor Matthew Seeger, an expert in crisis communication. "It's critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating."

Crisis communication experts contacted by CultofMac.com, including Chris Lehane, former Clinton White House "Master of Disaster," agree: the iPhone 4 reception issue presents a Toyota-style PR crisis for Apple, and the company must respond with a more meaningful fix than a software patch.

Apple issued a press release earlier this month claiming that the problem is merely a software issue that causes the onscreen signal strength display to overstate the actual signal strength, also noting that some attenuation of signal while the device is being held is normal. But Consumer Reports and others have determined through their own testing that the iPhone 4 does in fact suffer more significant signal attenuation than other devices, an issue that would not be remedied by a simple software fix to signal strength displays.

Apple has consequently been taking criticism for not coming clean about the issue or tackling these reports of demonstrable signal laws head-on. In fact, Apple has been going so far as to delete threads in its support forums pointing to the Consumer Reports article rather than allowing an open discussion of the topic or addressing the claims. Meanwhile, some observers hope that Apple's seemingly extended timeframe for pushing out the promised software update to address the signal strength display issue could indicate that the company is quietly working on more substantial software changes to address the issue in some way if at all possible.

DigiTimes today reports on rumors that Apple is looking to launch its second-generation iPad as soon as the fourth quarter of this year, adding OLED-based 5.6-inch and 7-inch models to its existing 9.7-inch LED display model.

The sources noted that Apple has recently placed new iPad orders to Taiwan-based component makers for the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011 with 9.7-inch, 5.6-inch and 7-inch models all included.

The 9.7-inch model will see some minor changes, while Apple will add Chimei Innolux (CMI) as one of its panel suppliers.

The new 5.6- and 7-inch iPads will mainly target the e-book reader market, separating them from the 9.7-inch model, which mainly targets multimedia entertainment, the sources stated.

The report also suggests that Taiwanese manufacturer Compal will be producing the new iPads, a surprise given earlier expectations that Pegatron would be the manufacturer brought on board to supplement Apple's existing production for iOS devices through Foxconn.

DigiTimes' own research analyst , Mingchi Kuo, casts some doubt on the rumors, however, claiming that Samsung, the world's dominant OLED manufacturer, can't even keep up with demand from its own product lines, and even with new investments in production there appears to be no way the company could ramp up production to the levels needed by Apple within the timeframe indicated.

Kuo also claims that Compal would be unlikely to be interested in producing the new iPad models given the scant profit margins available on the device in relation to its current profitable work assembling netbooks.

While claims of OLED displays for a number of Apple products have been around for many years without coming to fruition, DigiTimes in April specifically floated the idea of an OLED display for the second-generation iPad, but noted that pricing and production volume issues were likely to preclude the possibility. DigiTimes has also reported in April that Apple was looking to launch a smaller iPad in the 5- to 7-inch range as soon as the first quarter of next year.

Earlier today, a Consumer Reports post made headlines after they concluded that they simply could not recommend the iPhone 4 due to the widely reported signal issues related to touching the lower-left corner of the device. This single issue alone has prevented them from fully recommending the iPhone 4. However, their formal testing otherwise revealed that the iPhone 4 ranked the highest amongst all smartphones in their testing.

AllThingsD (via LoopInsight) summarizes the report (subscription required).

The [iPhone 4] scored 76 out of 100 points -- two points ahead of its closest rivals, the iPhone 3Gs and the HTC Evo 4G.
...
The product evaluation agency rated the iPhone 4 "Excellent" in its display, navigation, Web browsing, multimedia and battery life categories, "Very Good" in phoning and messaging and "Good" in voice quality.

The iPhone 4 beat out the HTC Evo as well as all the other Smartphones and had the highest score of 76/100. The signal issue described is that holding the lower-left corner of the iPhone 4 can reduce cell phone signal and affect calls in areas with lower reception. The issue depends on your local coverage and can be alleviated with a phone case.

Late last week, Wired reported that a lawsuit filed against Apple and AT&T over the carrier's exclusivity arrangement for the iPhone has received class action status, meaning that it now automatically covers every iPhone customer in the United States.

In an interview Friday with Wired.com, Mark Rifkin, lead counsel representing the plaintiffs of the suit, highlighted that the terms of AT&T's two-year customer contract say that customers have the option to terminate whenever they wish for a fee to switch to another carrier.

By only offering the iPhone on one carrier, iPhone customers are still essentially locked in despite having the termination option, the suit argues.

Playing a significant role in the lawsuit has been the disclosure in documents related to the case that AT&T's exclusivity agreement with Apple was originally scheduled to last five years from the device's 2007 launch, or into 2012. The plaintiffs have argued that even customers fulfilling their two-year contracts with AT&T for the iPhone are unable to switch carriers and continue using their handsets, effectively locking them in to AT&T for longer than their signed contract unless they are willing to switch phones.

In a response filed by Apple's legal team in 2008, Apple claimed the allegations of monopoly were contrived.

"[T]here was widespread disclosure of [AT&T's] five-year exclusivity and no suggestion by Apple or anyone else that iPhones would become unlocked after two years," Apple said in a response. "Moreover, it is sheer speculation - and illogical - that failing to disclose the five-year exclusivity term would produce monopoly power."

Some observers have pointed to the original five-year exclusivity agreement between Apple and AT&T as evidence that the iPhone will not be making an appearance on Verizon or any other U.S. carrier in the near future. Multiple sources have indicated in recent years, however, that the exclusivity agreement is for a significantly shorter period of time, possibly expiring this year and opening the door for the iPhone to make its way to competing carriers. Even if the original agreement did call for a five-year exclusivity period as detailed by USA Today in 2007 and confirmed in the court documents associated with this case, it is certainly possible that Apple and AT&T have renegotiated their agreement such that more recent reports of shorter timeframes are accurate.

Engadget reported over the weekend that some of AT&T's "most valuable customers" have been receiving offers for free 3G MicroCell devices, which recently went nationwide after being tested in limited geographic areas. The 3G MicroCell taps into a user's home broadband Internet connection, routing voice and data over the customer's own connection to provide enhanced coverage in areas with weak cellular signal. Carrying a $150 list price, the MicroCell can be used with a customer's own cellular plan minutes for no additional charge or customers can purchase additional MicroCell minutes for a monthly fee.

While we've no clue how widespread AT&T's generosity is, or how you might get one, it appears that the company's "most valuable customers" are now receiving free range-boosting femtocells. Today, loyal reader Jason got a old-fashioned paper letter in the mail, offering his iPhone-wielding family a 3G MicroCell with no strings attached.

Speculation has suggested that customers being signaled out by AT&T for the offer are high-value customers with substantial monthly contracts that are nearing expiration. The MicroCell offer could then be considered an enticement to convince those customers to re-commit to AT&T for a new contract term.

AT&T has reportedly claimed that the free MicroCell offers are part of a trial the company is running to test various methods of offering the device. As Engadget notes, "free" is usually a pretty good method, although the company has provided no additional information on how it is selecting customers for the trial offer.

Earlier this month, popular product review and comparison group Consumer Reports noted that it felt that signal issues with the iPhone 4 were not significant enough for users to forgo buying the device, citing overall improvement in signal strength and the fact that many phones experience the same issue.

There's no reason, at least yet, to forgo buying an iPhone 4 over its reception concerns. And even if those do materialize, Apple's Steve Jobs helpfully reminds new iPhone buyers that "you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund."

Just one day later, however, Consumer Reports confirmed that it had been able to duplicate the signal loss issue in real-life settings, something it wasn't able to do in its testing center.

Today, as part of its smartphone ratings, Consumer Reports officially reports that it is unable to offer a "recommended" label for the iPhone 4, despite the fact that the device's feature set placed it at the top of the magazine's rankings.

It's official. Consumer Reports' engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there is a problem with its reception. When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side -- an easy thing, especially for lefties -- the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal. Due to this problem, we can't recommend the iPhone 4.

The magazine confirmed the signal loss issue in its testing laboratories while also finding no comparable loss in other smartphones, including the iPhone 3GS, suggesting that Apple's claim that the problem is simply a software display issue may not be true. The magazine also confirmed that duct tape placed over the affected portion of the case alleviates the issue, as should also be the case with cases and bumpers.

Consequently, Consumer Reports notes that it is unable to recommend the iPhone 4 until Apple comes up with a permanent and free fix for the signal issues.

As noted by Hardmac, Apple on Friday issued a support document outlining a repair/replacement program for users experiencing power problems with Time Capsules manufactured between February and June 2008.

Affected Time Capsule models
Some Time Capsules with serial numbers in the following range may be affected:
XX807XXXXXX - XX814XXXXXX

How to find the serial number on your Time Capsule.

If your Time Capsule falls within serial number range above and it does not power on or shuts down unexpectedly after starting up, it may be eligible for repair or replacement.

Users experiencing the documented issues are invited to contact Apple, an Apple retail store, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for diagnosis and repair or replacement. Users in the U.S. and Japan wishing to retain the data on their Time Capsules can contact Apple to arrange for mail-in service, while customers in other countries can arrange for data transfer to a replacement device through their Apple retail store or service outlet.

Apple notes that the program will cover Time Capsules for three years from the date of original purchase, and customers who previously paid for repair or replacement of Time Capsules experiencing the issue can contact Apple for a refund.

BMW is the first car manufacturer to have announced support for a little-known feature in iOS 4 called iPod Out. CNET reported last week on this new iOS 4 feature:

This feature allows a connected iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, or iPod Touch (second or third generation) to output and display an iPod interface on a connected device's external screen. That device, in this case, would be a future BMW or Mini vehicle.

Rather than displaying BMW or Mini's iPod interface, the connected vehicle would display Apple's own interface, which will be controllable with the vehicle's controls. Users will be able to control the iPod's music playback and browse their music catalog, playlists, podcasts, and Genius mixes.

BMW has released a video demonstrating the feature that is coming in their cars in 2011.

The new feature allows users to see an iPod interface on the car's display while also providing direct control and access to features such as Genius mixes.

An Apple patent application filed in May 2008 and published in November 2009 revealed that the company had been researching methods to allow media devices like the iPhone and iPod to "push" their interfaces to accessories to provide more native-like control from the accessories. That technology seems to have finally made its appearance as iOS 4's "iPod Out" feature being used by BMW.

Apple continues pushing their easy to use the video conferencing of the iPhone 4 as its main marketing message. Four new FaceTime TV ads debuted tonight on Apple's website. Two (Meet Her and Big News) are embedded above. They include:

- Meet Her
- Haircut
- Smile
- Big News

Each commercial shows personal conversations and moments where video conferencing plays a key role. The iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million units in the first three day of sales, making it Apple's most successful product launch to date.

Apple's impressive new retail store in Shanghai, China opened today to large crowds. MICGadget provides a gallery of photos from the launch and the Wall Street Journal reports that 150 fans were waiting overnight to be the first in the Store.

Apple opened the doors of its second store in the entire country on Saturday, drawing crowds of all ages as early at 5 a.m. Some drove several hours or flew in from other provinces for a chance to line up outside the cylindrical glass building. Many hoped to catch a glimpse of the iPhone 4 or of Steve Jobs, but were disappointed.

Like the company's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the Pudong store is located below ground level and utilizes the glass tower as an iconic entryway with a glass stairway descending to the store below.

Early visitors were given free special edition t-shirts celebrating the store's opening.

Apple expects to open a second retail store in Shanghai and a total of 25 stores in China by the end of 2011.

Arstechnica reports on at least one other iTunes user who also claims to have been the victim of fraudulent App Store charges, possibly by a developer.

Ars reader Harper Reed contacted us to detail the problem. His account was used earlier today to purchase 34 of WiiSHii Network's apps without his permission, for a total of $168.89. The apps appear to mostly be travel guides for cities in China, and come in both English and Chinese versionsoddly enough, Reed ostensibly bought both.

Coincident with this activity which occurred today, WiiSHii's apps are also rising in the travel section suggesting that Reed's account may not have been the only one compromised. WiiSHii's apps were previously noted to be look suspicious by TheNextWeb.

The news comes soon after another report of similar fraudulent activity for another developer. In that case, Apple shut down that developer's account, reported that only 400 accounts were affected and denied that there was any compromise of Apple's iTunes servers themselves. Analysts had speculated that phishing had been the source of the account information:

"Standard phishing attacks," said Sullivan when asked to speculate on the most likely way Nguyen obtained access to the iTunes accounts. "That's much more likely than someone hacking the accounts or Apple's database," he added.

According to F-Secure's data, approximately 20% of online users use the same password across multiple accounts, so if that one password is stolen, it opens up access to all of those user's accounts. In this instance, Reed's password was apparently not an easily guessable word, but there was no indication if he used his password elsewhere on the internet.

According to one forum report, stolen iTunes account information is readily available for sale through certain Chinese web sites. If true, this means that the individuals actually stealing the accounts and those using them might not be the same. Based on the single data point, it's also impossible to say for sure the developer was behind the attacks, though they had the most to benefit. That said, it seems unlikely they will benefit from their efforts as Apple will almost certainly shut down their account if they are responsible.

ifoAppleStore reports that Apple has decided to pay out bonuses of $150 to its retail store employees who worked the iPhone 4 launch day, at least in the U.S. But there appears to be a catch: Eligible employees have to have worked at least 12 hours on that day, far in excess of the normal workday.

The company wasn't able to give store employees a free iPhone 4 back in June because of severely constrained supplies of the smartphone. However, the company did allow employees to reserve an iPhone 4 in the days before the launch, and pay with their own money. Apparently that gesture wasn't enough to stem some grumbling among store employees. Now, sources say, Apple will hand out $150 bonuses to those who worked at least 12 hours on iPhone launch day, which could presumably be used to help pay for a new iPhone.

It is unknown what percentage of retail store employees will qualify for the bonus, although it is likely that many of them signed up for extended hours on that day given Apple's need for an "all hands on deck" presence to assist with the crowds.

The report also notes that the bonuses will qualify as taxable income, reducing their final value by a significant amount. Had Apple been able to provide employees with "free" iPhones, however, they too would have been subject to tax on their value.