MacRumors

The next iPhone screen has been confirmed to be at running at a resolution of 960x640, according to SuperPhone.cz (via Engadget). The site claims to have obtained a next generation iPhone screen (parts have been floating around) and magnified it under a microscope.

From this procedure, they were able to count the RGB elements of the screen and found it to be exactly twice the density in both horizontal and vertical directions compared to the current iPhone. This would quadruple the total number of pixels and increase the resolution from the current 480x320 to 960x640. This would increase the pixel density to a whopping 320dpi -- higher than any other device on the market.

Rumors of this high resolution display were first reported back in March. The big advantage of exactly doubling the vertical and horizontal resolution of the iPhone's screen is that backward compatibility with existing apps would be trivial to implement. A similar pixel-doubling system is already in place for running iPhone applications on the iPad.

Boy Genius Report claims to have received information from a source at AT&T indicating that the carrier is set to introduce a hardware insurance program for the iPhone, allowing users to protect themselves (for a relatively substantial monthly fee) against replacement costs for out-of-warranty hardware failures, as well as accidental (including liquid) damage and loss or theft. The "MobileProtect" insurance program will be set up through the App Store and then billed monthly via credit card.

AT&T will be launching a new insurance service starting June 6th, named MobileProtect, designed specifically for the Apple iPhone. The insurance plan, which will be run by Asurion, will carry a price tag of $13.99/month and will be available for purchased through Apple's App Store. The charges will be billed to the credit card on file with Apple. The deductibles range from $99 for an 8GB 3G to $199 for a 32GB 3GS, which is pretty steep - but not quite as steep as $699 for a new 32 GB 3GS off-contract.

Set to launch on June 6th, the program goes into effect just one day before Apple is expected to introduce its next-generation iPhone hardware at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Users must also register for the program within 30 days or purchasing a new iPhone, and it will not be offered retroactively to existing users.

As the report notes, $168 in insurance premiums per year appears to be a relatively steep cost, especially considering the deductibles to be charged on top of that for replacement. Its comprehensive coverage may, however, make the proposition worthwhile for some customers.

Since its 2007 launch, the iPhone has been specifically excluded from AT&T's standard Wireless Phone Insurance, which is also run by Asurion and carries substantially lower premiums and deductibles than the new iPhone-specific plan.

Digital Daily reports on a new research note from Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu, who offers his thoughts on what else Apple may deliver at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) beyond the next-generation iPhone.

In an inspired bit of entrail reading this morning, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu says Apple may have a libretto of big WWDC announcements. "Other announcements we are picking up that could potentially be made are iTunes.com, a web-based version of its iTunes client, and new Mac refreshes with faster processors and graphics, namely the Mac Pro and MacBook Air, which were last refreshed in March and June 2009, respectively," he wrote in a note to clients this morning.

Wu doesn't appear to have given specific evidence for his claims, suggesting that they should simply be taken as speculation at this time.

Rumors about a cloud-based iTunes service have been floating around for some time now, gaining steam with Apple's construction of a major new data center in North Carolina apparently just starting to come online and its acquisition of streaming music service Lala Media with reports that its efforts would be directed to a cloud-based iTunes.

With news late last month that Lala's existing service will shut down on May 31st, some have wondered whether Apple is preparing to make way for an introduction of its cloud-based service, but recent music industry rumors suggest that such an announcement is likely not in the near future.

Wu's claims regarding Mac Pro and MacBook Air refreshes seem plausible, however, if only because both lines appear well overdue for an update, as detailed in our Buyer's Guide. WWDC would appear to be an ideal venue for a Mac Pro upgrade in particular, and while earlier rumors of an imminent release failed to pan out, one report from March did suggest that a refresh might not come until as late as June. In addition, Intel has reportedly experienced shortages of its new hexacore processors expected to be used in high-end Mac Pro configurations, with suggestions that the constraints may be resolved by late next month.

After issuing a price drop and slight update to the MacBook Air at last year's WWDC, it seems reasonable to think that Apple might put on a repeat performance this year with a refresh to the company's ultra-portable notebook. Rumors of a MacBook Air update have been increasing in recent weeks, making a release in the near future not unlikely.

Engadget reports that it has received detailed information on a forthcoming revamp of the Apple TV, a major shift for the product that will reportedly see it resembling "an iPhone without a screen". Based on the next-generation iPhone hardware and software and relying on cloud-based storage rather than an internal hard drive, the new Apple TV is said to be set to carry a price point of only $99.

The new architecture of the device will be based directly on the iPhone 4, meaning it will get the same internals, down to that A4 CPU and a limited amount of flash storage -- 16GB to be exact -- though it will be capable of full 1080p HD (!). The device is said to be quite small with a scarce amount of ports (only the power socket and video out), and has been described to some as "an iPhone without a screen." Are you ready for the real shocker? According to our sources, the price-point for the device will be $99.

According to the report, while streaming content will be the focus of the device, users will also have the option of pairing the new Apple TV with a Time Capsule for external local storage. In addition, while the forthcoming Apple TV will reportedly utilize an iPhone OS-based operating system, there is no word on whether it will support App Store applications as with Android applications on the forthcoming Google TV platform.

The report concludes by noting that we should not expect to see an introduction of the new Apple TV at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) early next month, as that event is set to primarily focus on the next-generation iPhone. And so while no specific timeframe for a launch of the revamped Apple TV is known, the project "is most definitely full steam ahead."

Apple has long considered the Apple TV a "hobby", noting numerous times that it feels "there is something there" and that it will keep investing in the platform. Rumors and speculation, as well as an Apple job posting, had also suggested that the company is looking to extend the iPhone OS to new devices, possibly including the Apple TV.

Update: Daring Fireball's John Gruber notes that the revamped Apple TV carries an internal codename designation of "K66", which has been mentioned in the iPhone OS 4 betas for several months now.

TheStreet reports on a new research note from Rodman Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar claiming that Apple appears to be ramping toward a possible November launch for a Verizon version of the iPhone.

The Mac maker has also told its manufacturing partner Asustek to plan on starting full-scale production of a CDMA version of the iPhone to be available at Verizon as early as November, Kumar says. The report is yet another confirmation of Apple's long-awaited Verizon iPhone, which still awaits final approval from the two companies that have not always seen eye-to-eye.

Multiple reports have pointed to Pegatron, an operating division of Asustek, as the manufacturer for the Verizon iPhone, a departure from Apple's partnership with Foxconn/Hon Hai for manufacturing of current GSM-based iPhones.

Kumar notes that a Verizon launch could push Apple's iPhone production for the year past 40 million, well ahead of Wall Street expectations. He cautions, however, that such a launch is not a certainty and is ultimately subject to the decisions of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

A recent survey of Verizon customers showed 17% of the sample registering as "very likely" to purchase an iPhone should it appear on the carrier. Despite the hopes of many that Apple might make a Verizon iPhone announcement at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) early next month, most observers have indicated that such an announcement is unlikely, seeing such a move more likely to occur at Apple's traditional iPod-focused media event in September at the earliest or even not until 2011.

Apple's iPad officially launched internationally overnight in 9 countries. Long lines were reported in many locations with photographs posted from Paris, Sydney, Italy and a video from Japan. According to Reuters, Apple's flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza had a line of over 1200 people waiting to buy an iPad.

"I wanted to touch it as soon as possible. I felt real excitement when it was finally in my hands," said Takechiyo Yamanaka, 19, who camped out in front of the Ginza store from Wednesday evening to be the first in line.

The iPad's international launch was delayed due to high demand in the U.S.

ZDNet reports on comments made by AT&T Business Solutions CEO Ron Spears revealing that 40% of the company's iPhone sales are to business customers, dispelling the notion that businesses are not willing to adopt the popular smartphone over security fears and an unwillingness to make changes to their existing IT infrastructure and policies to accommodate the device. According to Spears:

Four out of 10 sales of the iPhone are made to enterprise users. When the iPhone came out, what most people heard in the first year from '07 to '08 was oh my God, it's not BlackBerry secure. This is not going to work on the enterprise space.

At the end of the day, it's just software. That's all it is.

Spears notes that Apple had solved about 80% of the iPhone's enterprise security issues with the iPhone 3G, and by the time the iPhone 3GS was released last year it was seen as offering adequate security for corporate settings.

According to Spears, many businesses are seeing the iPhone as a computing devices, allowing them to forgo some laptop purchases and move to the more portable iPhone as an all-in-one device. The iPad is likely to see similar traction as it begins to make inroads into the enterprise community.

While Apple may be struggling to sign up major publishers for international eBook distribution through its iBookstore, the company appears to be making things easier for independent authors without a publisher to have their work included in the store.

Mac|Life reports that Apple has rolled out a new portal for iTunes Connect that allows authors to self-publish their work in the iBookstore if it meets certain identification and format standards.

Book Content Requirements:
- ISBNs for all titles you intend to distribute
- You must be able to deliver your book content in EPUB format, passing EpubCheck 1.0.5.

A similar interface has been present in iTunes Connect for several months, but previously required submitters to have invitation codes from an iBookstore representative. Apple also continues to support authors working with approved third-party iBookstore aggregators who can help streamline the process for authors.

Apple notes that all authors signing up to work with Apple must have a U.S. tax ID and valid iTunes Store account with credit card on file. Apple also requires authors to meet certain minimum sales in individual markets before making payments to authors and recommends that authors weigh that factor before deciding whether to work directly with Apple or through a third-party aggregator.

In a tweet from Microsoft's official Twitter account, the company has denied a claim that CEO Steve Ballmer would be speaking at the keynote for Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on June 7th.

Steve Ballmer not speaking at Apple Dev Conf. Nor appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Nor riding in the Belmont. Just FYI.

Ballmer had been rumored by Wall Street analyst Trip Chowdhry to be making an appearance at WWDC to announce support for iPhone OS and Mac OS X development in Microsoft's Visual Studio 2010.

Chowdhry's claim, however, centers around the Visual Studio 2010 announcement, with the appearance by Ballmer to deliver the news as an apparently less-certain rumor. While Microsoft's denial regarding Ballmer leaves open the possibility that another Microsoft executive could make such an announcement during the seven-minute block reportedly set aside, the development would still certainly come as a significant surprise.

Update: Barron's reports that Chowdhry has retracted both of yesterday's claims, indicating that there will be no Microsoft announcements at WWDC. Chowdhry notes with any remaining credibility he might have, however, that his contacts "insist that both MSFT and AAPL are working on development tools - probably our timing is off".

While the iPad's first batch of international launches in nine new countries is not scheduled until tomorrow, a significant number of customers are reporting that their pre-orders are arriving today. The United Kingdom in particular has seen a lot of activity, with customers' delivery progress being tracked in this extensive thread. Both UPS and TNT are handling iPad deliveries in the UK today.

Today's shipments represent those orders placed very soon after Apple began taking pre-orders, as shipping estimates quickly slipped from the May 28th launch to dates in early June. Customers looking to order an iPad online in the new international launch countries are currently faced with a vague shipping estimate of "June". Consequently, those not wishing to wait for online orders to ship at this point should probably try to snag one from the undoubtedly scarce supplies headed for Apple retail stores and other third-party retailers tomorrow.

Last week, we noted that Apple's iBookstore had begun to live ahead of the iPad's launch in nine new countries scheduled for tomorrow. At the time, the stores contained only free content from Project Gutenberg, a limitation that remains in place today just hours before the iPad officially launches in the new markets.

A new report from The Bookseller indicates that the free Project Gutenberg content that initially populated the store may in fact be all international customers have to choose from at launch, with "not one" publisher having confirmed that a deal with Apple to distribute its content is in place.

Apple's iPad is unlikely to have more than a limited selection of e-books for its launch tomorrow (28th May), with not one publisher confirming it had a deal in place just hours before the device hits the shelves.

Although it has been widely rumoured Hachette UK and Penguin were close to finalising deals, no one from either company has confirmed or denied whether that is the case.

According to the report, publishers have been blaming a shortage of Apple staff for at least part of the holdup, with one source indicating that Apple has dedicated only two representatives to negotiating deals throughout Europe. In addition, concerns over Apple's "agency model" are for book pricing also contributing to publishers' reluctance to sign on to the iBookstore.

Update: One user in the UK has reported that a handful of paid titles from publisher HarperCollins have now gone live in that country's iBookstore.

The New York Post reports that a number of media companies, including NBC and Time Warner, have informed Apple that they plan to continue offering their content in Flash formats, opting not to follow the lead of other companies like CBS that are rolling out iPad-friendly HTML5 versions of their Web content.

Sources said several large media companies, including Time Warner and NBC Universal, told Apple they won't retool their extensive video libraries to accommodate the iPad, arguing that such a reformatting would be expensive and not worth it because Flash dominates the Web.

Media companies embracing the iPad have typically taken one of two routes to ensure compatibility: Serve HTML5 browser-based video as CBS is doing or release dedicated applications as ABC has done. The Post's report seems to suggest that NBC and Time Warner are not open to either option at the present time, although their decisions could obviously be revisited in the future.

Barnes & Noble today announced the release of its free BN eReader for iPad application, joining Apple's iBooks and Amazon's Kindle as prominent eReader platforms for Apple's tablet device.

BN eReader for iPad is designed to offer an easy, yet sophisticated, customizable reading experience. Users can choose from multiple ways to view their library, including professionally designed themes with elegant and complementary text and page colors, as well as fonts; and instantly switch between portrait and landscape views based on personal preference. BN eReader for iPad users can further personalize their reading experience with unparalleled options: literally millions of colors for text, pages, highlights and links; eight typefaces and five text sizes; and a variety of margins and customizable spacing options.

Full details and an overview are available on Barnes & Noble's site.

BN eReader for iPad also supports the company's "LendMe" technology, which allows users to share certain eBook content with others. The feature integrates with the iPad's address book, making it easy for users to invite others to share their material. Content "lent" to another person is available for 14 days, and incoming LendMe invitations are visible directly within the the iPad application.

Like Amazon's Kindle application, users looking to purchase content through Barnes & Noble's eBookstore are redirected to the company's browser-based store rather than being able to purchase within the app, a generally minor inconvenience created by Apple's policies on in-app transactions.

Barnes & Noble officially acknowledged in mid-March that it was working on an iPad application, and the company has offered a version of its eReader application for the iPhone and iPod touch since last July.

Barrons reports that one analyst is predicting that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be part of Steve Jobs' WWDC Keynote presentation.

According to Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with tiny Global Equities Research, 7 minutes of Steve Jobs' keynote is allotted for Microsoft. Microsoft will reportedly be talking about their development tool Visual Studio 2010. The new version of Visual Studio will reportedly allow developers to write native applications for the iPhone, iPad and Mac OS.

The move would be a big surprise given Apple and Microsoft's competitive history. In addition, the announcement of PC-based development suite for iPhone and Mac OS would be major announcement. At present, developers may only create iPhone and Mac OS applications from within Apple's own Xcode development suite which only runs on Macs.

The iPad has been available in the U.S. for nearly two months now and is officially rolling out to nine more countries this Friday. At its U.S. debut, about 2,000 iPad-specific apps were available in the App Store and this number has since swelled to over 7,000 with more arriving every day. Here are a few notable ones that have been released over the past couple of weeks.

Air Display

Avatron Software, the makers of the Air Sharing HD document sharing app, recently released a new app, Air Display, that turns an iPad into an extra external display. In order to work, the app requires a desktop companion application - which is available for Macs running OS 10.6 only for now though a Windows version is coming and for the Mac and the iPad to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Set-up is pretty easy and we found that the app works as advertised, though video lags a little behind the accompanying audio and it's probably best suited for more static items such as Inspector windows, iChat buddy lists and the like. Youre also not restricted to using your computers mouse to navigate the display on the iPad you can use its multi-touch display to click links and buttons. To enter text, youll need to use your computers keyboard since the iPads virtual keyboard wont pop up when you get to a text field.

For $9.99, turning your iPad into a extra display is pretty cheap compared to buying a dedicated display and this app could be invaluable for laptop users who need a little more screen real estate while on the go.

CoPilot Live HD

ALK Technologies, the developer of GPS applications for a wide variety of mobile devices, was the first to put out a turn-by-turn navigation app specifically for the iPad. CoPilot Live HD North America debuted in the App Store earlier this month and it's priced aggressively relative to other GPS apps at $29.99. We've been trying it out and it is a joy to have navigation guidance on such a large screen, though we wish there was a setting to let the map take over the majority of the screen and force the next turn guidance section to be smaller.

CoPilot Live HD will work only on iPads with 3G connectivity since these models possess a GPS receiver while the Wi-Fi only models do not. Additionally, this version of the app works only on the iPad and not the iPhone, though ALK Technologies does offer CoPilot Live North America specifically for the iPhone, priced at $19.99.

BeejiveIM

BeejiveIM has been one of our favorite IM apps for the iPhone and the company put out an iPad-speciic version of the app just a few days ago. BeejiveIM for iPad lets you set up multiple IM accounts under the most popular instant messaging protocols used today and offers push notifications to let you know about incoming messages even when the app is closed. It also lets you send images and voice notes as attachments to your instant messages.

BeejiveIM for iPad is available at an introductory sale price of $5.99 right now for a limited time only.