MacRumors

Apple's MobileMe iDisk application for iPhone [App Store, Free], which has been listed as a forthcoming feature since Apple revamped its iPhone feature pages following its Worldwide Developers Conference in early June, is now available for download from the App Store. The application allows MobileMe members to easily browse and view files stored on their iDisk and share files with others via integrated e-mail links.

- View files on your iDisk
- Access Public folders
- Easily share files from your iPhone
- Quickly access recently viewed files
- View iPhone-supported file types-including iWork, Office, PDF, QuickTime and more. (Files larger than 20MB may not be viewable.)

MobileMe iDisk is available for the iPhone and iPod touch and requires iPhone OS 3.0 and a MobileMe subscription.

Update: Apple has posted a video overview of the new MobileMe iDisk application.

MacRumors has heard that Apple has begun requesting that developers add keywords to their App Store application submissions in order to facilitate improved searching. As detailed in a report from AppleInsider, developers are permitted to enter up to 255 characters' worth of keywords for each application.

"It is important to enter keywords for all applications as soon as possible so your application can continue to be successfully located on the App Store," the update from Apple reads. "Keywords can be updated with the submission of a new binary."

At its quarterly earnings conference call last week, Apple noted that it was working on improvements to App Store categorization in order to combat the "race to the bottom" in pricing that many users have complained is hampering developers' efforts to bring high-quality titles to the App Store at sustainable price points. Improvements to the App Store's search function appears to be a logical first step toward improving users' ability to find relevant applications.

Update: Users are reporting that, despite Apple's claims that up to 255 characters are allowed, the actual limit currently appears to be only 100 characters.

According to CNET, Microsoft has confirmed that it has signed leases for upcoming retail stores in Scottsdale, Arizona and Mission Viejo, California. The stores are among the first in Microsoft's retail store initiative that is planned to directly compete with Apple's retail stores in a number of locations beginning later this year.

The Orange County, Calif., store is in a mall that already houses an Apple retail store. Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner said at this month's Worldwide Partner Conference that some of the locations would be right near Apple stores.

The first stores' fall opening comes at an opportune time for Microsoft, which is launching Windows 7 on October 22.

According to a presentation from Microsoft's retail consultant leaked last week, concepts for the stores include an "Answer Bar" or "Guru Bar" similar to Apple's Genius Bar, large digital media walls presenting dynamic information and images, and themed "stage areas" for various Microsoft technologies utilizing "Surface" multi-touch tables for interactive experiences.

Microsoft has reportedly hired former Apple real estate chief George Blankenship as a consultant to assist the company with securing locations for its new retail stores.

With the growing evidence that Apple will be releasing some sort of Apple Tablet in the next 3-6 months, analysts and writers have started speculating about the potential success or failure of such a device.

Both Gizmodo and PC World have taken the time to detail why they think that such a product will be a flop. John Gruber, however, points out that these people are incorrectly assuming that such a device would mimic present day tablets and offer no compelling new features.

This is not the first time that Apple has been close to releasing a tablet device. Back in 2003, the evidence for a Mac Tablet had reached similarly high levels, but for whatever reason, Apple ultimately decided not to release that device. We've always felt that the reason has been more a marketing decision than a technical one. Until Apple comes up with that "killer feature" for a tablet, we don't believe that Apple would commit to the market. Apple has always said that they won't pursue a product line unless they feel they can offer something new and compelling. While these promises could simply be dismissed as marketing propoganda, it seems clear that Apple's entries into the MP3 and mobile phone markets have met those standards.

Arguably, the iPhone's killer feature on launch was its excellent mobile web browser. This feature was poached from another internal Apple tablet project called "Safari Pad". Steve Jobs is said to have recognized its value and morphed it into what became the iPhone.

So the question remains, what added value has Apple decided it can provide in a tablet device that its competitors have been unable to offer? Are interactive album booklets alone compelling enough to launch this new device? Or have they finally decided to deploy more advanced multi-touch on a larger screen?

MacRumors has received word that Apple seeded OS X Leopard 10.5.8 Build 9L30 to developers last night, including only a single documented change related to an issue with external monitors and waking from sleep mode. There are reportedly no listed outstanding issues in the latest build.

Apple's previous seed of 10.5.8 (Build 9L29) was pushed to developers just five days earlier, and the single increment in build number between the two releases suggests that Apple may be very close to completing work on what many expect to be the final update to Leopard before the release of OS X Snow Leopard in September.

OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard will be available to Leopard users for only $29 and will primarily incorporate "under the hood" changes designed to improve performance and stability.

TechCrunch notes that Apple has rejected Google's official Google Voice iPhone application. Apple has also begun disabling and pulling all applications that take advantage of Google Voice functionality, claiming that they "duplicate features that come with the iPhone". A Google spokesperson confirmed Apple's rejection of the official application.

We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users -- for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers.

The report notes that AT&T is certainly the most likely force behind Apple's rejection of Google Voice, given the service's tools that provide free texting and reduce some of the barriers to switching carriers. However, Phil Schiller himself had reportedly given his personal blessing to the official Google Voice application, leading Google to believe that approval of the application would be a straightforward process.

Here's another testament to just how ridiculous this move is: GV Mobile's developer Sean Kovacs says that the app was personally approved last April by Phil Schiller, Apple's senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing -- the man who often takes the stage during Apple keynotes when Steve Jobs isn't around. Kovacs says that Schiller called him to personally apologize for the delay in initially getting the application approved. Now, I'm sure Apple has laid out in its terms of service somewhere that you're not allowed to mimic the iPhone's functionality. But when you've got a blessing from that high up, that would seem like a pretty good indication that the application belongs in the App Store.

This is the second setback for Google in its quest to bring its tools to the iPhone within the past week. Last week, Google launched Google Latitude for the iPhone and iPod touch, a service that allows users to track their friends' locations in real-time, as a web application after Apple rejected a native version of the application "in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone".

Fortune summarizes recent fast-moving developments in reports of Apple and China Unicom's negotiations to bring the iPhone to China. While an initial story out of China claimed that the two companies had reached a three-year deal, subsequent reports cited a China Unicom representative who stated that no agreement had been reached and that discussions were still ongoing.

First Shanghai Security News reported that Apple (AAPL) had reached a three-year deal with China Unicom to market the iPhone in the world's largest cellphone market (600 million-plus subscribers).

Then AFP and Reuters reported what China Unicom's spokesperson told them: that the two companies were still in negotiations and no agreement had been reached (something, by the way, any company dealing with Apple will say before Cupertino has had a chance to break the news itself).

Fortune then points to iPhonAsia.com, which provides some details on the rumored agreement, along with a supposed late September launch date.

- The Apple and China Unicom deal will be a 3-year exclusive.*
- The iPhone will be customized for the China market (e.g. Chinese language and preloaded with "for China" apps).
- China Unicom will pay Apple 3,000 CNY ($439 USD) per unit.
- China Unicom will subsidize iPhone by pricing the iPhone below the 3,000 CNY paid to Apple. This would take the official iPhone price below the grey-market price for smuggled iPhones.
- China Unicom has promised to sell a minimum 1 million units per year with significantly higher sales targets.
- The iPhone for China will make use of Apples China App Store.

*There is no mention of the terms of exclusivity, such as whether this will be for all iPhones or 3G models only? (leaving the door open for an unlocked 2G model in 2010/11 for all carriers).

Recent reports have claimed that a China-specific version of the iPhone lacking Wi-Fi connectivity is already in production.

In a companion piece to its report on Apple and record labels planning to launch interactive album booklets for iTunes Store music, The Financial Times provides additional details regarding Apple's planned launch of a tablet computer. Concurring with other reports, the new tablet is rumored to carry a screen of up to 10 inches, Internet access, and integration with Apple's music and application stores.

In a twist on previous rumors, the report closely ties the new device to the rumored new music content deals, which The Financial Times claims are planned for a September launch.

The device is expected to be launched alongside new content deals, including some aimed at stimulating sales of CD-length music, according to people briefed on the project. The touch-sensitive computer will have a screen that may be up to 10 inches diagonally.

It will connect to the internet like the iPod Touch probably without phone capability but with access to the web, and to Apple's online stores for software and entertainment.

The report also focuses on the tablet's apparent importance to the movie and e-book industries.

The entertainment industry is hoping that Apple, which revolutionised the markets for music players and for phones, can do it again. "It's a portable entertainment device," said one entertainment executive. "It's going to be fabulous for watching movies."

Recording industry executives said Apple planned to use the larger screen to offer new services such as interactive booklets and liner notes that come along with purchases of entire music CDs.

While Apple has reportedly not been in touch with movie studios, film executives have expressed interest in providing new content for the rumored tablet, and video game publishers are also looking to the device as a new platform for their content.

Apple today seeded iPhone developers with iPhone OS 3.1 Beta 3, termed Build 7C116a. Apple also released a new version of the iPhone SDK 3.1, Beta 3 (Build 9M2808). Both downloads are available to registered developers through Apple's iPhone Dev Center.

Apple seeded the previous beta nearly two weeks ago, and it remains to be seen what new changes are present in the third beta version.

Apple is reportedly relying on new developer tools present in iPhone OS 3.1 to deploy augmented reality applications that are capable of overlaying live video from the iPhone's camera with real-time data.

DigiTimes reports that Toshiba is planning to ramp up its NAND flash memory production in August, with claims that the production is tied to contracted orders leading to speculation that Apple has begun preparations for launching new iPods soon after. The news is unsurprising, as Apple's yearly product cycles generally see updates to the iPod line in the September/October timeframe.

Toshiba is expected to ramp up its NAND flash production to over 90% of its capacity in August, according to sources at memory card makers. Despite the increases in output, the chipmaker has told downstream players that its supply to the spot market will be limited, prompting speculation that the Japan supplier is seeing strong demand from Apple, the sources indicated.

Apple noted during its earnings conference call last week that it had made a $500 million prepayment to Toshiba for flash memory.

Third-party iPod case manufacturers in China have also been launching products designed to fit rumored iPod touch and iPod nano revisions, although just how much advance information such manufacturers are privy to remains unclear.

Continued rumors of an Apple tablet release before the end of the year will also lead to speculation that some of Toshiba's production ramp may be related to the launch of the new device.

BBC News reports that Swedish music subscription service Spotify has submitted its iPhone application to Apple for App Store approval. The free application would allow users of Spotify's premium service, which currently costs 9.99 per month in the UK, to stream millions of tracks to their iPhones and even allow users to cache streams for offline listening.

Spotify has been called an "iTunes killer" because of its ease of use and its comprehensive, free library of millions of songs.

It is also looked on as a possible saviour for the music industry, in its bid to offer alternatives to piracy.

The application is designed to search for new music and will allow users to temporarily store playlists to their phone for use when there is no connection.

It will also allow users to stream playlists.

Spotify has also posted a video preview of its new iPhone application.

TechCrunch addresses the issue of whether Apple is likely to approve Spotify's iPhone application, given its apparent direct competition with Apple's iTunes Store music offerings. The report notes that the iTunes Store is not designed to be a significant money-making enterprise on its own, and the paid nature of Spotify's service offers some limits to the degree of competition.

Keen observers will note that since Spotify allows access to millions of music tracks, why would Apple allow this app to go into the store and potentially compete with iTunes? Apple has allowed the Last.FM app into the store but this is more like a radio station - Spotify behaves like a jukebox, bringing up exactly the song and artist you want with one click.

However, it's common tech industry knowledge that Apple makes fairly meagre profits from iTunes, as it's largely a honeypot to get consumers to buy Apple hardware, sales from which form the bulk of their profits. So Spotify would not compete nearly as much as you might think - plus, making it a subscriber-only application on the iPhone further creates a barrier to competition with the iTunes store.

TUAW reports that has Apple has begun allowing developers of App Store applications carrying mature (age 17+) ratings to issue promo codes for the applications. The move apparently comes about a week after Apple's restriction preventing issuance of promo codes for such applications began gaining attention.

Luckily, it seems that Apple has been listening: over the past few days, we have received word from a number of developers stating that they are now able to request promo codes for their 17+ apps. While Apple has not made any official comment on the issue, it appears that they have quietly conceded this battle to the developers, once again enabling them to distribute promo codes as needed for all of their apps.

Apple's promo code policy for 17+ applications appeared to be related to a lack of parental controls applying to promo code redemption. At this time, it is unclear whether Apple has made any technical changes to the App Store to address this issue or if it is simply a policy change.

Financial Times reports that Apple is working with the four largest record labels to stimulate digital album sales by bundling a new interactive booklet, sleeve notes and other interactive features with music downloads.

While digital downloads are popular, the majority of those downloads are of individual tracks rather than full albums. According to those familiar with the talks, the project is codenamed "Cocktail" and aimed for a September launch. FT describes them as an interactive experience:

"It's all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music," said one executive familiar with the plans.

Consumers would be able to play songs directly from the interactive book without clicking back into Apple's iTunes software, executives said. "It's not just a bunch of PDFs," said one executive. "There's real engagement with the ancillary stuff."

The newspaper also tries to tie Apple's rumored tablet to these rumors, though there appears to be no direct connection between the products.

Apple appears to be making some final visual tweaks to Snow Leopard in their latest developer build. Several people have noticed that Apple has provided new Desktop pictures that come with the OS. Uneasy Silence offers a complete gallery of the images:

[edit: removed per request]

Another cosmetic changes include new avatars, an improved QuickTime pause button and a new QuickTime X icon:

[edit: removed per request]

Some behavior changes in Expose and scrubbing QuickTime movies have been noticed but were apparently introduced in earlier builds. Finally, there are reports that stability has significantly improved over the previous build.

Snow Leopard will be released in September and will be $29 for existing Mac OS X Leopard owners.

The L.A. Times reports that Apple will begin allowing developers access to the tools they need to produce augmented reality applications starting with upcoming iPhone OS 3.1. While there have been many impressive demos floating around showing the possibilities, these applications have used unpublished APIs which prevent them from being allowed on the App Store. Apple, however, told one developer that the tools necessary would become available with iPhone 3.1.

Apple told Acrossair, developer of the Nearest Tube train finder, that the app will be approved for distribution after Apple releases version 3.1 of the iPhone software, which the developer expects will land in early September.

The New York City version of this app is called Nearest Subway and is demoed in this video:

(Removed)

Augmented reality uses the device's GPS, camera and digital compass to overlay real-time data onto live video. Other possibilities include iPhone games as well as the Layar browser we've highlighted before. iPhone 3.1 has been seeded to early developers but the exact release date has not been revealed.