MacRumors

One MacTalk.com.au forum goer, Jack112006, posted detailed impressions of the new Apple Retail store changes:

As I was purchasing an iMac today, I spent quite a while talking to a few different staff members about the changes. To them, having the iPads as product info stands was nice, but the real change to them caused by the iPads is the queue system they introduce. Now, instead of having to wait around to find a free Specialist, all you have to do is request a Specialist from an iPad at the table you are at and they will be over as soon as they can be. It even tells you what place in the queue you are.

This queue system is an improvement over the current system in which customers had to fend for themselves looking for a free specialist. One concern by the retail staff was if customers might get frustrated and leave if they find themselves at the end of a long queue.

The posting also confirms something else we'd heard -- that the display iPads use a special ultra-thin tape-like ribbon cable that does connect into the iPad's dock connector to provide charging as well as an alarm in case of removal. As reported, the home button is non-functional on the display units, to prevent people from exiting out of the interactive demo software.

The overall feel of the store is said to be changed as about 35% of the store is devoted to setup and is described as a "much more community-centered space, contrary to the showroom feel of before."

Finally, Apple slipped a special inspirational note in with the documents to Apple retail employees.

The much hyped retail meeting took place overnight in several parts of the world. Apple seems to have deployed major updates to their Retail stores including the use of iPads as interactive kiosks for customers. MacPricesAustralia posted some early details (via 9to5mac):

- iPads display product prices & information for products.
- iPads display product features, prices and lets you compare between models.
- Use the iPad to ask a specialist to come to you.
- Apple store staff appear to be wearing party hats.

MacStories offers some additional shots of the iPod display:

And iPads selling iPads:

Some observations: the interactive iPads aren't powered through the Dock connector. The cabling disappears behind the iPads. The home buttons don't do anything.

It is becoming clear that Apple is planning to roll out a number of changes to its store functionalities this weekend, including both online and brick-and-mortar purchasing platforms. With a number of tips regarding staff meetings set for Sunday morning at the company's retail stores, minor store makeovers, and now online order statuses going offline, Apple certainly seems to be seeking to roll out changes across the board.

While a revamped Apple Store application for iOS devices has been among the rumored rollouts for this weekend, we've now received a few additional details about changes coming to the app. According to sources, the revamped app will debut on Sunday with full support for customizing build-to-order Macs, offering the complete range of options currently available through Apple's website.

Customers are said to be able to customize the full range of processor, memory, hard drive, and other hardware options available for each model, as well as preinstalled software titles. In addition, customers will be able to select add-ons such as AppleCare and printers just as is currently possible through the full online Apple store portals.

The current Apple Store application supports only stock configurations for each model, along with the ability to add select options such as AppleCare and One to One.

Just over a year ago, we received word from a reader who had sent an email asking Apple CEO Steve Jobs whether the company had plans to roll out an iPhone-friendly version of its online store, to which Jobs reportedly responded "Coming soon." The company's Apple Store application appeared a little over a month later, but up until now has not supported the full range of ordering options available in the regular online store. With this update, it seems clear that Apple has opted to move the mobile ordering experience into an app rather than deploying it as a mobile-formatted website.

And just a few months ago, a number of job postings appeared suggesting that Apple was looking to make significant changes to its online store. We haven't yet heard, however, of any major changes coming to the regular online store this weekend aside from an update to the order status functionality, but it also seems rather soon for Apple to have filled the significant number of open positions and had the team in place long enough to complete a thorough redesign of the company's online store.

Apple is upgrading its online order status pages this weekend. The above message is displayed if you try to access your Order Status from Apple's Online Apple Store (thanks Jordan and Kris). The downtime corresponds to Apple's May 22nd retail event.

While there were some high hopes about the event, the latest rumors suggest that the event corresponds to many Apple Retail changes and improvements such as a revamped concierge system and other internal systems. The online order status must be tied into the upgrades.

CPU World reports that Intel is working on three new ULV (ultra low voltage) Sandy Bridge processors due later this year.

The three new processors increase the clock speed over their existing Sandy Bridge ULV processors from 1.4-1.6GHz to 1.7-1.8GHz while keeping the TDP (thermal design power) at 17 Watts. The TDP is one of the key factors in Apple's ability to fit these processors into their ultra-portable MacBook Air. At 17 Watts, these processors could indeed be used in Apple's MacBook Air.

We previously highlighted Intel's currently shipping ULV processors as likely candidates for the next MacBook Air. These unreleased processors are obviously even more attractive candidates with turbo boost speeds up to 2.7-2.9GHz. The new processors are listed here:

CPU World has no word on the launch date of these processors, but Apple's been known to receive Intel parts earlier than other manufacturers. The MacBook Air is rumored to be launching in the June-July timeframe. Any of the Sandy Bridge ULV processors would represent a significant boost over the existing MacBook Air processors which are still using the Core 2 Duo processors.

All Things Digital has obtained a statement from Apple on the explosion at manufacturing partner Foxconn's facilities in Chengdu, China where the iPad 2 is manufactured. In the statement, Apple expresses sympathy to those affected by the event and notes that it is working with Foxconn to address the cause of the explosion.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn's plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families," Apple said in a statement provided to AllThingsD. "We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event."

Apple declined to say what the impact to production might be, or comment beyond the statement.

Authorities in Chengdu have confirmed that two people were killed in the blast, with at least sixteen other injured. According to reports, Foxconn chairman Terry Gou is flying to Chengdu today, presumably to personally view the damage and oversee the company's efforts to determine the cause and aid those affected by the blast.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today issued a statement calling on Apple to defend App Store developers against patent lawsuit threats from Lodsys, a company seeking licenses from developers for their use of in app purchasing and upgrade links.

The EFF lays out its case that because the developers are taking advantage of Apple's developer tools to deploy the functionality being cited in the dispute, Apple is in the best position to defend against the threat.

This is a problem that lawyers call a misallocation of burden. The law generally works to ensure that the party in the best position to address an issue bears the responsibility of handling that issue. In the copyright context, for example, the default assumption is that the copyright owners are best positioned to identify potential infringement. This is because, among other reasons, copyright owners know what content they own and which of their works have been licensed. Here, absent protection from Apple, developers hoping to avoid a legal dispute must investigate each of the technologies that Apple provides to make sure none of them is patent-infringing. For many small developers, this requirement, combined with a 30 percent fee to Apple, is an unacceptable cost.

Apple's developer agreement, however, precludes developers from turning to Apple for assistance in legal disputes, meaning the company could leave developers to fend for themselves.

Many observers have, however, argued that it is in Apple's best interest to step into the situation, shouldering the cost and effort in order to protect its valuable ecosystem of independent App Store developers. If developers are reluctant to embrace the App Store for fear of being targeted by lawsuits driven by their use of Apple technology, the platform could suffer significantly.

By putting the burden on those least able to shoulder it, both Apple and Lodys are harming not just developers but also the consumers who will see fewer apps and less innovation. We hope that going forward companies like Apple will do what's right and stand up for their developers and help teach the patent trolls a lesson.

Meanwhile, one week has passed since the first notices from Lodsys arrived in developers' hands, leaving two weeks until the firm's deadline for licensing passes and at which point it has threatened to file suits against the developers. Apple has yet to address the issue publicly, but the company is famous for waiting to speak until it has a firm grasp of the facts at hand rather than trying to address public relations crises as quickly as possible.

As touched on in today's earlier report about Apple having reached agreements with three of the four major music labels regarding cloud-based streaming services, Apple will also need the agreement of a separate group of music publishers that also has a stake in the digital music market.

All Things Digital's Peter Kafka digs a bit further into that aspect of the negotiations, noting that while Apple began discussions with the labels first under the view that those would be the more difficult negotiations, Apple still has some work left to accomplish to get the publishers on board.

While Apple came to terms with Warner Music and EMI Music weeks ago, and has now struck a deal with Sony Music, industry sources tell me the company doesn't have agreements with labels' associated publishing companies -- Warner/Chappell, EMI Music Publishing and Sony/ATV. The deal Apple is about to sign with Universal, also won't include publishing, I'm told.

Kafka lays out how both labels and publishers receive varying levels of compensation for digital music sales, and while each label generally has an associated publishing arm, artists' work is sometimes controlled by publishers and labels under different umbrellas. For example, publishing rights to The Beatles' catalog are controlled by Sony/ATV while the recordings themselves are owned by EMI Music.

According to the report, Apple and publishers are basically on the same page, meaning that negotiations could proceed quickly if monetary compensation can be addressed to the satisfaction of both sides. That may yet take some time, however, meaning that rumors of an imminent signing by Universal to complete the label negotiations won't allow Apple to immediately roll out the service. At a minimum, Apple reportedly hopes to introduce the service at its Worldwide Developers Conference early next month, but whether it will be able to immediately go live with it depends on how quickly Apple can bring the publishers on board.

The dispute between Apple and Amazon over the term "App Store" continues, with Apple filing a new document with the court claiming that Amazon's "Appstore for Android" can't possibly be an app store because the term is a non-generic one referring only to Apple's App Store. Apple's official response comes via Bloomberg:

"Apple denies that, based on their common meaning, the words 'app store' together denote a store for apps," the company said in a filing yesterday in federal court in Oakland, California.

The term isn't commonly used by businesses to describe download services and, because the mark "app store" isn't generic, Amazon's Appstore for Android service isn't an "app store," Apple said in the filing.

Apple sued Amazon in late March over the "App Store" term after Amazon rolled out its marketplace for Android applications. Amazon fired back late last month, arguing that the term is generic and filing a counterclaim against Apple seeking dismissal of the original suit, reimbursement of costs, and a declaratory judgment giving Amazon free rein to use the term.

Apple is fighting a similar battle simply in trying to have the "App Store" trademark officially recognized. Microsoft in particular has been working hard to convince trademark examiners that the term is generic and not specific to Apple's implementation, using as one of its most important pieces of evidence quotes from Apple CEO Steve Jobs using the term generically to refer to non-Apple application stores.

Multiple news outlets are reporting that an explosion has occurred at Foxconn's new manufacturing facilities in Chengdu, China, a plant that opened last year in large part to support increased iPad production. M.I.C gadget has more information and several video clips, and while the extent of the damage remains unclear, reports have indicated that at least ten fire engines and ten ambulances are on the scene.

At around 19:00 in China, Foxconn Chengdu manufacture plant got an explosion, we are not sure actually what cause the explosion and how many casualties had resulted. At the scene, there are currently more than 10 fire engines, ambulances and 10 police cars had arrived on the scene.

According to the report, the explosion occurred in building A5, which is said to house iPad 2 production.

While the potential human toll is obviously the primary concern at this time, it is also unclear just how much of an effect the incident may have on Foxconn's iPad production capabilities. Apple has been struggling to keep up with demand for the new tablet device, seeking to improve component yields and production output to address stock shortages and lengthy shipping estimates.

Update: According to The Wall Street Journal, at least two people have unfortunately been killed in the explosion. At least sixteen others have been injured, with three of those in serious condition.

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Earlier this week, it was reported that one aspect of Apple's rumored retail store revamp reportedly set to launch this weekend was the deployment of new iPad 2s equipped with an updated version of the company's RetailMe training and information software for store employees.

9 to 5 Mac has gotten access to the new software, obtaining screenshots of Apple's new "Daily Download" iPad newspaper for store employees.

According to the report, Apple retail employees are also speculating that the rumored "gigabytes" of data set to be downloaded to the stores tomorrow may be Mac OS X Lion, based on a belief that all new software and training materials are already accounted for. There does not, however, appear to be any specific evidence of Lion coming this weekend, and it would be very strange for Apple to install unreleased operating system software on public-facing machines in its stores as the speculation suggests.

The New York Times' Nick Bilton spoke with Benedetto Vigna, general manager of the MEMS division of STMicroelectronics, about what kinds of sensors we might be seeing in the next generation of mobile phones.

The iPhone presently uses a number of sensors such as GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and digital compass. These sensors have found to be quite useful in various social applications and games.

The next generation of sensors could include additional location providing ones, such as an altimeter:

Mr. Vigna said the next smartphones would have altimeter sensors that would be able to detect your elevation. “These sensors will tell people what floor they are on in a building, or could be used to more precisely determine where you are in relation to your friends on a location-based service,” he said.

Other possibilities include heart monitors, perspiration/mood sensors, and temperature/humidity sensors. The new sensors could even be used in games to determine excitement or emotion during gameplay.

Meanwhile, a combination of factors (phone position, and other patterns) could be used to identify the user for security purposes.

After you use a new phone for a short period of time, it will start to learn your patterns and automatically lock or unlock the phone accordingly. This could be used for more secure banking too.

Following up on news from earlier this week regarding Apple having signed EMI Music to a deal to permit cloud-based music streaming of the label's content, Bloomberg now reports that Sony has reached a similar deal with Apple. With Warner Music Group having already agreed to a deal, Universal remains the lone holdout among the major labels, although sources indicate that Apple and Universal are close to a deal.

Apple has reached licensing accords with Sony Corp.'s music division, EMI Group and Warner Music Group, the people said. Universal Music Group, the largest recording company, is close to a deal, another person said. The company also would need to reach agreements with music publishers, which control different rights than the labels.

Sources have indicated to Bloomberg that Apple could preview the new cloud-based music streaming service at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco early next month. A public launch would presumably follow relatively soon thereafter.

Bright Side of the News offers some clarification on the Thunderbolt trademark question brought up yesterday. While Apple did do some of the early trademark filings, Apple will be transferring those trademarks to Intel:

"As part of our collaboration with Apple, they did some of the initial trademark filings. Intel has full rights to the Thunderbolt trademark now and into the future. The Thunderbolt name will be used going forward on all platforms, irrespective of operating system."

Apple had originally applied for the Thunderbolt trademark in Canada and the U.S. generating some questions about the ownership of the trademark, and the ability for 3rd parties to use the term.