MacRumors

A series of reports over the weekend and today are lending credence to claims from earlier this year that media conglomerate News Corp is moving forward on a tablet-focused news service, amplifying those earlier reports to note that Apple is playing a crucial role in the development of the product, despite the fact that its distribution will reportedly not be limited to the iPad.

One of the most specific reports in recent days came from fashion magazine Women's Wear Daily, which outlines News Corp's recent moves to hire 100 staffers to help bring the product, to be known as The Daily, to the iPad and other tablets in beta mode by Christmas at a price point of $0.99 per week.

News Corp. has spent the last three months assembling a newsroom that will soon be about 100 staffers strong. The Daily will launch in beta mode sometime around Christmas, and will be introduced to the public on the iPad and other tablet devices in early 2011. It is expected to cost 99 cents a week, or about $4.25 a month. It will come out - as the name suggests - seven days a week. The operation is currently working out of the 26th floor of the News Corp. Building on Sixth Avenue in a space that looks like a veritable construction zone. The staff's permanent home will be on the ninth floor, and they'll move down once it's ready.

While the report only briefly mentioned discussions between Apple CEO Steve Jobs and News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch about the project, The Guardian claims that Apple has played an integral role in the at least the technical side of The Daily's development.

According to reports, there will be no "print edition" or "web edition"; the central innovation, developed with assistance from Apple engineers, will be to dispatch the publication automatically to an iPad or any of the growing number of similar devices.

CNBC has also weighed in on the rumors, reporting that secrecy has been of the utmost importance during development of The Daily, with the floors directly above and below the offices of its staffers being "quarantined". The report notes that the publication will place a strong focus on interactivity and high-quality video.

The tablet-only news outlet called "The Daily" will contain what is being described as "highly visualized" and interactive content.

According to the report, high-quality video cameras will be used to provide content across a broad array of topics from news to gossip to children's content.

As promised earlier today, iOS 4.2 is now available for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Users should be able update their devices by connecting them to iTunes and clicking the "Check for Update" button. Despite Apple calling the update "iOS 4.2", the company's servers and the devices themselves refer to it as iOS 4.2.1 Build 8C148, which was seeded to developers last Thursday.

iOS 4.2 brings a number of new features to Apple's mobile devices, including AirPrint and AirPlay, as well as multitasking and features for the iPad for the first time.

Earlier this month, TiPb published a pair of excellent overviews of iOS 4.2 for the iPad and iPhone/iPod touch.

Update: A software update for the new Apple TV is also now available, with Apple's servers reporting that it is iOS 4.2. The Apple TV itself, however, reports the software version as "4.1".

Update 2: Apple has posted a support document containing an extensive list of security issues addressed with iOS 4.2.

UK wireless carrier Orange today announced that it will soon begin offering subsidized pricing on Apple's WiFi + 3G iPad models for customers willing to sign up for a contract data plan.

Orange UK today announced it will offer new purchase options for iPad users, including more affordable prices when purchased with a data service plan, for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models in the coming months.

No details on pricing for the subsidized models or the data plan packages that will be required have yet been released, although reports have claimed that the subsidized device could cost as little as 200 and launch early next month.

The current business model in use for cellular data service on the iPad involves non-subsidized device pricing paired with contract-free data packages, allowing customers to pay for data service only as needed. Orange's forthcoming offerings will be more in line with pricing models for mobile phones such as the iPhone, offering the customer a discounted upfront purchase price for the device in exchange for a fixed-term service contract.

As we await today's release of iOS 4.2, Apple has been making several other changes and updates in conjunction with the release:

- MobileMe: Apple's Me.com web-based MobileMe services are currently down as the company makes changes presumably associated with its "Find My iPhone" service transitioning from a part of the paid MobileMe service to a free service on compatible devices.

A revamped login page has occasionally been visible, giving a fresh look to the service with a prominent MobileMe cloud logo and animated wisps of the cloud offering some additional visual interest. The login page invites users to sign in with their Apple IDs, but they will not be able to so until they have set up Find My iPhone on their iOS 4.2 devices using their Apple IDs.

If the user proceeds to enter a Me.com email address as the login, the page automatically recognizes the entry as the user types and dynamically changes to display icons for the full suite of MobileMe services.

- iWork for iPad: Macworld reports that Apple will unsurprisingly be rolling out updates to its three iWork applications for the iPad today: Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. The updates will bring support for iOS 4.2 features such as multitasking and AirPrint, as well as several other changes including improved PDF export and presenter-display support for Keynote when connecting an iPad to an external display. Numbers will see the addition of print previews including Auto Fit functionality, as well as support for formula entry with a keyboard. Pages will gain automatic pagination of tables and fixes for several importing bugs.

- Find My iPhone: Apple's Find My iPhone application has also just been updated to add support for iOS 4.2 and the free service.

What's New in Version 1.1

- iPhone 4, iPad, or 4th generation iPod touch owners can use Find My iPhone for free with their Apple ID (iOS 4.2 required)
- Support for 30 additional languages
- Important: this update is required for users of the previous version of Find My iPhone app (v1.0 and v1.0.1)

Apple today announced that iOS 4.2 will be released today for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, bringing iOS 4 features to the iPad for the first time.

Apple today announced that iOS 4.2, the latest version of the world's most advanced mobile operating system, is available today for download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. iOS 4.2 brings over 100 new features from iOS 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 to iPad including Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint.

"iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Once again, the iPad with iOS 4.2 will define the target that other tablets will aspire to, but very few, if any, will ever be able to hit."

Apple also announced that its Find My iPhone feature designed to assist users with locating lost iOS devices is now available to all users of Apple's current-generation iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch free of charge. The feature had previously required a paid MobileMe subscription.

iOS 4.2 has not yet appeared for download through iTunes, and Apple has not offered an exact time for the release.

Update: According to Macworld, Apple has said that iOS 4.2.1 will be released "by 10 a.m. Pacific Time".

Update 2: There seems to be some confusion over whether the free "Find My iPhone" service is limited to current-generation hardware or if it extends to all devices capable of running iOS 4.2. Apple's press release appears to clearly state that the feature is limited to current-generation hardware:

The free Find My iPhone feature is available for iPhone 4, iPad or new iPod touch (4th generation).

Apple's newly-updated Find My iPhone setup page suggests, however, that current-generation hardware is only required to set up an Apple ID for access to the service, with the actual service potentially then being available on all iOS 4.2-compatibile hardware:

Create a free Find My iPhone account on any iPhone 4, iPad, or iPod touch (4th generation) running iOS 4.2. Once you create an account on a qualifying device, use your Apple ID and password to enable Find My iPhone on your other devices running iOS 4.2.

Update 3: Macworld also reports that an update for the new Apple TV will arrive today as iOS 4.1, enabling AirPlay functionality and VoiceOver.

As noted by Business Insider, Apple has updated its iAd page for advertisers, posting a new highlight reel showing off some of companies and ads that have been featured in the program since its July launch.

The updated page also offers a quick glance at some of the individual brands participating in iAds, including AT&T, Audible.com, Campbell's, Dove, JCPenney, and Nissan, as well as highlighting ngmoco's We Rule as an example from the iAds for Developers program.

Apple is aggressively expanding its iAd program beyond the initial launch markets, beginning to offer worldwide viewing of the ads earlier this month and quickly following that up with announcements that it will be bringing the program to advertisers in Europe beginning next month and Japan as of early next year.

Earlier this month, we noted that the original golden master version of iOS 4.2 appeared to be preparing to allow users to sign in to MobileMe using their Apple IDs and even offer users the ability create a free Apple ID right from the MobileMe settings page in iOS. At the time, we cautioned about reading too much into the change but speculated that Apple could be looking at bringing some of the features of the paid MobileMe service to a new free offering tied to users' Apple IDs. At a minimum, it appeared that Apple was looking to create a consolidated login to allow MobileMe users to access features with their Apple IDs.

New evidence uncovered in recent iOS 4.2 builds and the iOS 4.2.1 golden master seed is suggesting, however, that Apple will be offering a free MobileMe tier to users. The evidence comes in the form of a new private framework known as AppleAccounts.framework that includes a series of device-specific error messages referring to free MobileMe accounts. In particular, the error messages include alerts regarding having reached "the maximum number of free accounts" for a given device and certain devices not being "qualified for free MobileMe service".

The framework has been localized for dozens of languages and countries, and is not present in the currently-shipping iOS 4.1. Meanwhile, an error message in another part of iOS suggests that free accounts may be used for features other than email, as an error message specifically restricts certain Apple IDs from being used with MobileMe Mail:

"This Apple ID cannot be used for MobileMe Mail, but you can use it for other MobileMe services."

Other MobileMe iPhone services include Find My iPhone, iDisk, Contact/Calendar/Safari/Notes over-the-air sync, and Photo Galleries.

This might fit nicely with a previously unconfirmed rumor that Apple would begin offering MobileMe syncing services for free. Over-the-air syncing has been an area where iOS has lagged in comparison to Google's Android operating system.

Market research firm ChangeWave today published the results of its latest survey of its professional and early-adopter consumer audience, again finding that Apple's exclusivity agreement with AT&T for the iPhone in the United States is costing it customers.

The survey builds upon one conducted in August that showed significant numbers of AT&T and non-AT&T customers alike waiting for Verizon to begin offering the iPhone. This new survey, however, specifically asks recent purchasers of non-AT&T smartphones whether they would have purchased an iPhone had it been available on their chosen carriers, and more than a third of those surveyed responded that they would have, with an additional 20% registering as unsure.

We asked non-AT&T respondents whether they'd have still purchased their new smart phone if the iPhone had been available at their wireless service provider at the time of purchase. The results show the continuing threat the iPhone poses to the rest of the industry.

In short, an extraordinary one-in-three non-AT&T smart phone buyers (34%) say they'd have bought the iPhone instead if it had been available at their service provider.

The survey goes on to examine which smartphone manufacturers matched up most poorly against the iPhone, and Motorola topped the list with a nearly equal percentage of its customers saying that they would have bought an iPhone if it had been available on their carrier as those who would still have bought their Motorola phone.

On the consumer satisfaction front, ChangeWave continues to find strong ratings for the iPhone 4, even higher than those for the iPhone 3GS and leading the industry, with 77% of iPhone customers registering as "very satisfied". Motorola took second place with 71% of its customers reporting being "very satisfied", while Samsung and Research in Motion trailed with results in the 45% range.

Late last month, we reported that Apple has been rumored to be developing a custom built-in SIM card solution for the iPhone, a programmable chip that would allow users to activate their devices with a broad array of carriers without requiring extensive interactions directly with the carriers. In support of that notion, the GSM Association yesterday announced that it is launching a task force to study how such technology could be adopted, bringing on representatives from cellular network operators to help develop a list of requirements for the technology by January 2011 and bring products to market by 2012.

The GSMA today announced the formation of a task force of mobile operators to explore the development of an embedded SIM that can be remotely activated. The move is expected to enable the design of exciting new form factors for mobile communications. It will also speed the development of M2M services by making it easier to bring mobile broadband to non-traditional devices such as cameras, MP3 players, navigation devices and e-Readers, as well as smart meters.

But while the GSMA and carriers appeared to be getting on board with the overall concept of embedded SIMs, Financial Times reports that several European carriers are threatening to withhold their iPhone subsidies if Apple deploys the technology on the iPhone.

The operators are privately saying they could refuse to subsidise the iPhone if Apple inserts an embedded subscriber identity module, or Sim card.

The operators are accusing Apple of trying to gain control of their relationship with their mobile customers with the new Sim. The technology could allow customers to buy the iPhone and sign up for service on Apple's website and start using it immediately.

Closer to the operators' hearts, it could allow customers to switch more easily from one to another or insist on shorter-term contracts. It could even set the stage for Apple to resell connection service on its own, although the company has not indicated such plans.

According to Rodman Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar as relayed by TheStreet, Apple has already relented and will not be pursuing the technology in the immediate future.

"Apple is relenting," said Rodman Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar. "They are now completely backing away from their plan to take the carrier out of the equation," said Kumar, who discovered the change in plan after talking with Apple suppliers and manufacturing sources.

TheStreet and Kumar have a mixed track record, however, and it is unclear whether this information is accurate. Given that the GSMA appears to be getting on board with the technology, it may simply be a matter of slowing down the development process being pursued by Apple in order to ensure that all of the involved players can have their concerns address and that a broader strategy for the technology can be planned.

A pair of reports today are rekindling anticipation for the next-generation iPad, with one note from DigiTimes suggesting that Apple has already locked in an initial set of circuit board suppliers for the forthcoming device, with more suppliers set to come online in February to support what is expected to be a very significant build rate.

Ibiden, Tripod Technology and TTM Technologies have been named as the initial PCB suppliers for a second-generation Apple tablet PC, which is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2011. Four more suppliers will be added to the list in February 2011, when shipments of the new iPads ramp up, according to industry sources.

The sources said Ibiden, Tripod and TTM have received certification from Apple, and will start shipping any-layer HDI boards for iPad 2 in small quantities in December, the sources said.

Separately, Apple has been rumored by Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair to have adopted a "world mode" GSM/CDMA chip from Qualcomm to provide cellular data access for the next-generation iPad.

"Recent checks... suggest Apple is going to be ratcheting down production of the existing 3G iPad over the next two months in anticipation of ramping up a new World iPad that is powered by Qualcomm and will run on both GSM and CDMA based networks around the world," Blair writes.

Such a move would allow CDMA carriers such as Verizon to offer an iPad directly compatible with their networks, avoiding the need for the packaging of Wi-Fi-only iPads with MiFi mobile hotspot devices currently offered by the carrier.

The report goes on to note that the next-generation iPad will include at least a front-facing camera, which appears to be a given considering the company's recent focus on FaceTime video chatting, although some reports have claimed that Apple will also include a rear-facing camera. Finally, Blair claims that the next-generation iPad will be thinner than the current model and will require a new manufacturing process to create the thinner unibody design.

Earlier this month, we reported on several issues related to the display on Apple's new MacBook Air, with flickering and fading upon waking from sleep being the most common symptoms. Just a few days later, it was revealed that Apple support was aware of the issues and was planning on releasing a software update to address them.

Based on a new support document posted today, Mac OS X 10.6.5, which was released last week, does indeed include the fixes designed to address these video anomalies.

Symptoms
After waking from sleep, your MacBook Air display may flicker or fade from light to dark repeatedly.

Resolution
Download and apply the Mac OS X v10.6.5 update to resolve this issue.

We've yet to hear from MacBook Air users who had been experiencing the problem about whether the update has in fact cured their video issues, but Apple appears confident that it has indeed solved the problem.

Engadget reports that it has received word that discount department store chain T.J. Maxx is carrying the 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad in at least some of its stores, notably pricing the devices at $399.99, nearly $100 off of Apple's price.

We made a couple phone calls and found some at stores in Ohio and New Jersey (including one who said they were holding their stock back for Black Friday) while we struck out in other parts of the country. Still, if you're looking to drop cash on one of these guys, we'd make a quick call to your local outlet before heading to the Apple Store.

Based on the images presented, the offer appears to be legitimate, but it is unclear how the retailer is able to offer the iPad at such a low price.

Warehouse club chain Sam's Club recently began carrying the iPad in a number of its stores, offering Wi-Fi models at a $12 discount from Apple's prices and Wi-Fi + 3G models at a $20 discount.

Update: A post from early last week by a blogger who attended an event at T.J. Maxx headquarters had indicated that such an offering was in the works.

PSST, TOP SECRET ANNOUNCEMENT: TJ Maxx will be selling iPads in select stores across the country, starting this week. Since TJ Maxx promises to offer products at 20%-60% below retail, the president assured us the iPads will be discounted.

Update 2: As noted by I4U News, T.J. Maxx has confirmed on its official Twitter account that the deal is in place.

The rumors are TRUE! Select (unadvertised) locations/limited quant

Update 3: T.J. Maxx sister chain Marshalls is apparently also offering the same deal. A MacRumors reader notes that several Marshalls stores in Florida are stocking the entry-level iPad and are reportedly receiving 100 iPads per day over a three-day period.

MacRumors has just received word that Apple has seeded a new golden master of iOS 4.2, known as iOS 4.2.1, to developers. The new version carries a build number of 8C148, up from the previous 8C134.

According to those familiar with iOS 4.2.1, Apple has instructed developers not to resubmit their applications under the new build, suggesting that only minor fixes are included.

Toktumi, the firm behind the popular Line2 VoIP application for iOS devices, today sent an email to its customers warning them of a bug in iOS 4.2 that results in the ringer continuing to ring even after a call is answered when Line2 is running in the background. According to Toktumi, Apple's engineers are aware of the issue, which reportedly affects all VoIP applications, and have classified it as "severe".

Attention all Line2 iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users:

Please do not upgrade to iOS version 4.2.

If you upgrade to iOS 4.2 and you are running Line2 in the background, the ringer will continue to ring even after an incoming call is answered. This affects Line2 as well as all other VoIP and social calling apps. (Note: If you do not use Line2 your Toktumi service will not be effected.)

Apple Developer Support is aware of this issue and has designated its status as 'severe'. However, as of the most recent iOS beta (GMSeed build), this issue is still not resolved. We apologize for this inconvenience and will update you as soon as we get more information from Apple.

Line2 will continue to work as normal with your current operating system. We strongly encourage you not to install iOS 4.2 until Apple fixes the upgrade issue. We will send out an email update as soon as it is safe to upgrade.

Sincerely,
The Toktumi/Line2 Team

Apple released a golden master version of iOS 4.2 to developers on November 1st, and a public release was expected last week. Reported issues with Wi-Fi connectivity on the iPad have been blamed for delays from Apple's original internal timeline and resulted in Apple pushing out a revised golden master build for the iPad late last week.

Update: It is not yet known if the issue is addressed in the iOS 4.2.1 golden master that was just seeded to developers.

Update 2: One beta tester has informed us that this bug is indeed fixed in the new iOS 4.2.1 seed.