MacRumors

DaringFireball's John Gruber appears to have slyly hinted that Apple may be planning to open the door to browser extensions on Safari at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) early next month. Gruber's comments come in the form of an apparent random musing that appears as part of a post on Google Chrome for Mac and Linux advancing out of the beta channel carrying support for thousands of extensions.

The other big thing that's missing (compared to both Chrome and Firefox) is a proper extension API. If only Apple had an imminent developer conference where they could unveil such a thing.

As is common with Gruber's hints, the tidbit is phrased more as a "what if" statement than an outright declaration that we should expect such an announcement, but it seems reasonable to guess that he may have some inside knowledge of Apple's work in this area.

Browser extensions are software add-ons designed to offer new functionality beyond that offered in the basic browser package or alter the way tasks are handled or content displayed. Application programming interfaces (APIs) for browser extensions provide a means for third-party developers to create their own add-ons, opening the door to significant modification of browsers' capabilities.

Apple has in the past used WWDC has a stage for Safari-related announcements. In 2007, the company announced the first beta versions of Safari 3, extending the browser onto Windows for the first time. A year later, as part of its early ramping of developer previews of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the company began seeding beta versions of Safari 4 during WWDC. And in 2009, Apple officially brought Safari 4 out of beta at the conference.

Google today announced that it has released its first "stable" version of its Chrome browser for the Mac platform, finally deeming the application complete enough and having undergone enough testing to promote a beta version to the top level of the company's three-tier development cycle. Chrome for Linux similarly made its first stable channel appearance today.

Today, I'm happy to announce that Google Chrome for Mac is being promoted out of beta to our stable channel. We believe that it provides not only the stability, performance and polish that every Mac user expects, but also a seamless native Mac application experience that Mac users will feel instantly at home with.

The release brings a number of highly-requested features that have been testing, including access to over 4,500 extensions, full-screen mode, bookmarks management, and bookmark and preference syncing across computers.

As noted in its broader blog posting on the Chrome updates, the new release offers support for a number of new HTML5 features, including geolocation and file drag-and-drop. The company also notes that the integrated Flash Player plug-in currently available in beta versions of Chrome has not been included in the new stable channel release, but will be released alongside the full Flash Player 10.1 when that becomes available.

Fortune notes that Intel's forthcoming Google TV hardware platform to be found in Sony TVs and Blu-ray players and in a standalone set-top box from Logitech utilizes the same PowerVR SGX535 graphics processor used in the iPad.

GoogleTV is manufactured by Logitech and Sony and contains a System on Chip (SoC) designed by Intel. The iPad's SoC is an ARM design made by Apple (though manufacturing is outsourced to Samsung). However, both of these SoCs use a PowerVR graphics processor from a small UK-based company called Imagination.

The same graphics processor is also used in the iPhone 3GS and third-generation iPod touch.

Apple and Intel are both significant investors in Imagination Technologies, the company behind the PowerVR series of graphics processors, so it is not entirely surprising that both companies are tapping Imagination for their products.

Rumors and speculation, backed in part by a job posting earlier this year, have suggested that Apple is considering extending the iPhone OS to new platforms, possibly including the Apple TV. Hardware similarities between Google's television offering and Apple's mobile devices further reinforces the idea that such a transition could be relatively feasible.

Microsoft is continuing to push forward with work on Office for Mac 2011, issuing a third beta release of the productivity suite in advance of a final release scheduled for launch around the end of the year. With Office 2011's features and functionality becoming firmed up, Microsoft has begun putting more effort into some of the finishing touches that offer some obvious visual changes.

Some of those changes included in the latest beta version are new icons and splash screens for the Office applications, as well as minor tweaks to several toolbar and ribbon icons. Application interfaces otherwise appear largely the same as in earlier beta versions, although Microsoft is undoubtedly continuing to refine its flagship productivity suite with functionality fixes and enhancements.

We'll keep our eyes peeled for information on more substantial functional changes included in the latest beta as testers put it through its paces.

As predicted in a brief note yesterday, Apple has launched its annual "Back to School" promotion targeted at college and university students in the U.S. and Canada. The promotion offers customers qualifying to purchase through the company's education channel in those countries rebates of up to US$199 or C$219 for the purchase of a qualifying Mac and iPod on the same sales receipt.

New standard and build-to-order configurations of all Macs except the Mac mini qualify for the purposes of the offer, with a variety of rebates available for various iPod models. Refurbished Macs and iPods are not eligible for the offer, and no rebates are available for iPhone or iPad purchases.

Maximum U.S rebate amounts:

- iPod touch: $199
- iPod classic 160 GB: $199
- iPod nano 16 GB: $179
- iPod nano 8 GB: $149
- iPod shuffle 4 GB (stainless steel): $99
- iPod shuffle 4 GB: $79

The promotion runs through September 7th, 2010, and customers are limited to five rebates per household. Full details on the program are available in the Terms and Conditions for programs in the U.S. and Canada.

Engadget reports that Apple has already started filming new ads featuring the next generation iPhone. The new ads are reportedly being directed by Sam Mendes.

According to the site's source, the new iPhone is referred to internally as Mammoth / N90. At least one scene from the ad is said to be featuring a video chat conversation between a mother and daughter using the iPhone's new front-facing camera. Engadget also cites a few recent tweets from actors who have revealed they have been auditioning for the new Apple ads.

Video conferencing has been a long discussed possibility for Apple's iPhone, though it has not yet been a very popular feature across many other phones. We've put together this poll to ask how appealing a feature it really is for the next iPhone:

AP News reports that Wal-Mart will be cutting the price of the iPhone 3GS down to $97 with contract starting on Tuesday. The company presently sells the 3GS for $197.

Apple is widely expected to introduce a next iPhone on June 7th. Analysts have already predicted that the current iPhone 3GS will be discounted across the board to $99 while the new iPhone will slide into the $199/$299 price points. Earlier today, there had been reports that iPhone 3G stock has been running low, suggesting that Apple may be discontinuing the current $99 model.

Apple's yearly Back to School promotion is due to kick off tomorrow (Tuesday, May 25th). Apple will be offering a free iPod (up to $199 value) to students and faculty purchasing a qualifying Mac. Discounts do not extend to iPads or iPhones.

The promotion is expected to run from May 25th to September 7th, 2010. More details should be available tomorrow.

With just two weeks to go until Apple is expected to unveil new iPhone hardware, it appears that supplies of the low-end 8 GB iPhone 3G are beginning to run dry. According to Boy Genius Report, Apple has stopped supplying AT&T stores with the device, suggesting that the model is being phased out of production.

We've heard that Apple has stopped shipping iPhone 3G 8GB units to AT&T stores and orders are not being placed for the device. Could this mean we might see the iPhone 3GS drop to $99 and make way for a new model?

Meanwhile, several MacRumors readers have noted shortages of the iPhone 3G in other countries. In Australia, where Apple sells contract-free iPhones online at unsubsidized prices, the 8 GB iPhone is listed as "Currently Unavailable". Similarly, customers looking to order iPhone 3G models in the United Kingdom through carrier O2 similarly appear to be having a difficult time, with a drop-down menu on O2's iPhone ordering page showing only new and reconditioned iPhone 3GS options despite the menu's description noting an iPhone 3G option.

While Apple's exact plans for the next line-up of iPhone models are not yet known, many observers, including analyst Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley, have suggested that Apple may follow its existing pattern by introducing new hardware in multiple capacities while sliding the existing low-end iPhone 3GS down to the $99 price point currently occupied by the 8 GB iPhone 3G.

Update: Even Apple's U.S. online store appears to be out of iPhone 3G models, as the "Select" button has been removed from under the model's listing on the ordering page.

PocketNow offers a comparison of Web browsing speeds between Apple's iPhone 3GS and Google's new Android 2.2 "Froyo" announced earlier this week. Froyo is notable for Google's claims regarding browsing speed, but also for its support of Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 Beta, which will allow Android devices running the updated operating system to handle Flash content on the Web, unlike the iPhone.

PocketNow's lengthy video comparison seems to show that Froyo does in fact offer a speedy browsing experience, but that speed increase is canceled out by the need for it to load Flash content on many websites. The result means that users may be able to enjoy the benefit of seeing webpages rendered with Flash content included, but at the expense of slower page loading.

Furthermore, while the demonstration appears to show adequate ability to play Flash-based games, the browser's ability to deal with Flash content on a fluid basis as integrated into a webpage seems less impressive. Flash elements lead to stuttering while scrolling and zooming on webpages with Flash content, and even resulted in a low memory warning requiring the tester to actively manage the currently open applications on the test device. Commenters on the PocketNow article report that users have the ability to load Flash elements only on demand, but that even so the browser experiences some increased lag compared to Flash-free browsing.

While Flash 10.1 remains in beta form and will likely see improvements in both the software and hardware partners' ability to offer hardware-accelerated Flash performance on mobile devices, the current performance is not likely to sway Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who noted in his "Thoughts on Flash" open letter last month that he had yet to see Flash "performing well" on mobile platforms.

We have routinely asked Adobe to show us Flash performing well on a mobile device, any mobile device, for a few years now. We have never seen it.

PocketNow is planning to completely uninstall Flash from its Nexus One handset running Froyo in order to more accurately assess the speed increase associated with the new Android browser when not being hampered by Flash content. Preliminary indications based on benchmarks suggest that its speed easily exceeds that of Android 2.1 and should significantly surpass that of the iPhone 3GS.

Update: PocketNow has now posted a follow-up video showing that, with Flash disabled, the Android 2.2 browser is indeed faster than Safari on the iPhone 3GS in many of the real-world tests shown, sometimes by a significant margin.

Elgato today announced the launch of its new EyeTV HD for Mac, offering users the ability to bring high-definition TV content to their Mac and stream it to iPhone OS devices using the dedicated App Store app.

Today, Elgato debuted the world's only DVR solution which provides full access to premium cable or satellite TV content on a Mac - EyeTV HD. Customers can now watch record, edit and enjoy cable and satellite in high-definition, including all their premium channels. EyeTV HD includes a unique dual-format capture mode that records in iPad and iPhone formats at the same time, allowing users to stream live and recorded TV to an iPhone or iPad using the optional EyeTV app.

EyeTV HD offers easy setup, simply requiring the user to connect the device to his or her cable box via component cables and Mac via USB. Simple configuration of an IR blaster for channel changing then brings the user's complete TV package onto their Mac, where Elgato's EyeTV 3 software handles navigation, editing, export, and streaming of content.

EyeTV HD also offers S-video and composite inputs to allow users to connect standard-definition sources such as VCRs and camcorders to video import and manipulation.

EyeTV HD sells for $199.95 with one free year of TV Guide service. Renewal service is available for $19.95 per year. Streaming to the iPhone or iPad requires the company's EyeTV App Store application, priced at $4.99.

Fortune reports on a new research note from Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty incorporating survey data suggesting significant upside for the next iPhone upgrade cycle. One of the most interesting pieces of data to come from the survey shows 16.8% of Verizon customers saying that they are "very likely" to purchase an iPhone once it breaks free of AT&T's exclusivity to land on their carrier. Huberty notes that that demand could add 8 million iPhone sales per year once Verizon gains access to the device.

Huberty also raised her target price for Apple from $275 to $310 on the basis of a number of factors.

In a note to clients issued early Monday, Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty raised her Apple (AAPL) price target to $310 per share (from $275), suggesting that investors continue to underestimate 1) continued iPhone share gains, 2) better-than-expected iPad demand, 3) the growing Chinese market, and 4) increased penetration of the corporate market.

Huberty also increased her prediction of 2011 iPhone sales to 61.5 million, 25% higher than the current consensus among Wall Street analysts. Driving that projection is a surge in the percentage of customers looking to upgrade their current iPhones and expectations of Apple being able to offer a $99 iPhone 3GS as part of the hardware revisions expected next month.

Morgan Stanley's Huberty was famously pessimistic on Apple and the iPhone in recent years, but has come around in recent months with significant boosts to performance predictions for the iPhone and iPad.

Apple today officially announced that CEO Steve Jobs will present an opening keynote address on June 7th to kick off the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco.

Apple will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address by CEO Steve Jobs on Monday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m. This year's WWDC sold out in a record eight days to over 5,000 developers.

The five-day event running from June 7 to June 11, is focused on providing advanced content for skilled developers across five key technology tracks: Application Frameworks; Internet & Web; Graphics & Media; Developer Tools; and Core OS. Apple engineers will deliver over 100 solutions-oriented technical sessions and labs. WWDC 2010 gives an incredibly diverse community the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iPhone, iPad and Mac developers from around the world.

The news is not considered a surprise, as Jobs has traditionally presented the keynote address at major Apple events. Jobs did miss headlining at Macworld Expo and WWDC 2009, however, due to a liver transplant.

Just this weekend, Jobs reportedly emailed a customer about WWDC, noting that "you won't be disappointed" in response to a question about announcements scheduled for the conference.

While all eyes have been on the possibility of a Verizon release of an iPhone this year, we've also been hearing whispers that Apple's phone may be spreading to Sprint as well.

The problem is we hear whispers of a lot of things all the time, so it can be hard to substantiate these unconfirmed rumors. For what it's worth, James Kendrick of jkontherun first posted about the possibility in early May. Kendrick dismissed the possibility even while acknowledging that the source had been reliable in the past:

In the totally unlikely to come true department, yesterday I was told that Sprint will be getting the iPhone this summer. You heard that right, while rumors have long pointed to Big Red getting the iPhone this year, never has it been mentioned that Sprint would be selling the iPhone. I cant believe this is true, although the source has been reliable in the past and does work for Sprint.

Since this time, we had also heard similar rumblings from a Sprint-connected source that Sprint was going to be readying for the iPhone later this year. Likely in the September timeframe -- placing it in the same timeframe as Verizon rumors.

Finally, a TechUpdate post claims that a BestBuy employee "confirms" that Sprint will indeed be one of the new iPhone's carriers. Unfortunately, this is the sketchiest of sources. Best Buy employees tend not to be privy to much advanced Apple-related information, and, if it were true, I suspect we'd be hearing it from multiple sources.

Sprint has been suffering from subscriber losses and is only now reaching stability. When questioned last week about the possibility of offering the iPhone, Sprint's Chief Financial Officer Robert Brust said "we'd love to have it", though said he denied any knowledge of it being a possibility.

While all the attention has been on Verizon, itself, Apple would stand to gain the most by expanding to multiple U.S. carriers as its exclusivity contract with AT&T expires. One of the reasons for Android's growing success has been attributed to broad availability across multiple carriers.

After the big news from Google last week, MacRumors reader Bryan Webster emailed Steve Jobs: "I hope you have some good WWDC announcements to blow [Google] out of the water".

To this, Steve Jobs reportedly replied "You won't be disappointed". While it's always hard to authenticate emails sent to and from 3rd parties, Bryan did post headers as an offering of proof.

Apple is expected to be making new product announcements at the Worldwide Developer's Conference from June 7th-11th. In particular, everyone expects that the next generation iPhone will be introduced at that event. Other rumors have suggested that we may see the iPhone with Verizon this year, though it may not come as early as June.

Apple Pro has posted photos of a partially assembled 4th generation white iPhone. As best we can tell, the images are of a white front plate, LCD screen and metal casing put together. All these parts have been circulating in the past, so it appears they simply put them together to show what a completed unit might look like. (via Engadget)

The case contains the screwholes seen in the Gizmodo leak. Apple is widely expected to introduce the next generation iPhone at WWDC in June.