MacRumors

setteB.IT reports [Google translation] that unauthorized Mac clone manufacturer Psystar has announced the launch of a new licensing program that will enable third-party PC manufacturers to preload their systems with Psystar's boot loader to allow for simple installation of Mac OS X Snow Leopard directly from a retail disc. The move comes as Psystar has launched an increasing number of its own hardware products over the past 18 months that offer the ability to run Mac OS X.

In an effort to spread the Snow Leopard experience to an ever-expanding number of people, the licensing initiative will allow manufacturers to have their hardware Psystar Certified and have their computers pre loaded with our unique technology including the Darwin Universal Boot Loader (DUBL). Qualifying products must fall in Desktop, Server or Mobile categories. Once a product is certified, consumers can purchase it off the shelf or through standard channels and when labeled Psystar Certified would allow the installation of Snow Leopard simply by inserting the retail OS X DVD.

Apple and Psystar have been engaged in several ongoing lawsuits over the clone manufacturer's unauthorized use of and modification of Apple's Mac OS X offerings for installation on non-Apple hardware.

According to market research firm NPD's 2009 Household Penetration Study, approximately 12% of U.S. computer-owning households have an Apple computer, up from 9% in last year's study. But of these Mac-owning households, nearly 85% of them also own at least one Windows PC.

Multiple computer ownership is a common thread in Apple computer households, with 66 percent of households owning three or more computers, compared to just 29 percent of Windows PC households. Apple owning households are decidedly more mobile as well, with 72 percent of them owning a notebook, whereas only 50 percent of households that have a Windows PC own a notebook.

The study also notes that Apple households tend to be more affluent than average computer households, and Apple owners also tend to own more types of consumer electronics devices (and twice as many of them) than the average computer-owning household.

The study notes that because these characteristics place Apple owners at the forefront of consumer electronics, their purchasing decisions can be valuable to the industry as a measure of upcoming trends and popular products.

Ad Age reports that the print industry is not sitting idly by while it becomes increasingly obvious that Apple is planning to enter the tablet market. In fact, these traditional publishers are worried that Apple may quickly dominate the industry in the same way they dominated the music industry with iTunes and the iPod.

As a result, publishers are discussing the creation of an industry-wide digital storefront to allow customers to purchase digital content and subscriptions in an effort to bypass whatever solution Apple might provide.

It's true that magazine and newspaper publishers are eager to sell digital editions tailored for the tablet and other devices -- but they're just as determined to prevent Apple from getting between them and their readers along the way.

These concerns don't appear to be unfounded, as reports have described Apple's plans as "redefining" print media. Sources within The New York Times claim that Apple has already approached the newspaper regarding plans to distribute its content on a "new device".

The New York Times recaps many of the rumors and expectations about the upcoming Apple Tablet, but also introduces a few original sources of information about the tablet project within Apple.

According to former Apple engineer Joshua A. Strickland, Apple had been working on a tablet-based device since at least 2003. According to the newspaper, one 2003 prototype used the PowerPC chip and was so power hungry that it quickly drained the battery:

"It couldn't be built. The battery life wasn't long enough, the graphics performance was not enough to do anything and the components themselves cost more than $500.

Another Apple executive claims that the idea had been shelved a number of times at Apple due to Steve Jobs who questioned "what they were good for besides surfing the Web in the bathroom."

Whether or not the success of the iPhone has changed the mind of Jobs remains to be seen. In fact, reports have suggested that Jobs has not given final approval of the product yet. As always, the question remains how Apple might expect such a product to fit into people's lifestyles. Back in July, we questioned what this "killer feature" could be in the Apple tablet.

Feeding into recent rumors of imminent iMac, MacBook and Mac Mini updates, some new online ads have been spotted at Google.nl that potentially point to new versions of these products. While Apple's Google text ads always refer to their products as "new", these specific ads do highlight features that have not been the focus of previous revisions. The translations provided by AppleInsider describe the possible changes:

MacBook: Thinner, lighter and faster! Free delivery. Order today.
iMac: Ultra Thin 20 & 24 inch models. From only €1099. Apple Store
Mac mini: Faster and more affordable than ever. From only €499. Order immediately.

Of note, the current price of the Mac mini in the Netherlands online store is €599.

These imminent updates were first reported back in September with the iMac specifically described as "thinner, organic design, likely with smoothed or rounded edges".

Engadget reports that Apple has filed testing information with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for approval of a new Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The filings briefly included basic drawings of the forthcoming devices, although they were quickly removed.

A new Apple Bluetooth keyboard and mouse have arrived at the FCC, and they've got new model numbers of A1314 and A1296 -- the current wireless keyboard is A1255 and the Mighty Mouse is A1197. That's pretty much all we know for now, but these keyboard dimensions are also smaller than the current model, which rules out a return of the numeric keypad -- sorry to dash your hopes, Excel jockeys.

Several reports in recent days have suggested that a redesigned Apple mouse has been under development and may be released alongside new iMacs in the very near future.

AppleInsider points to a patent application filed in June and released yesterday that brings renewed attention to two-handed multi-touch capabilities previously included in patent applications from Apple and Fingerworks, the company acquired by Apple in 2005 for its multi-touch technology.

The latest patent application appears to be a slightly edited version of content found in several patent applications made by Fingerworks in mid-2006.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.

The technology has gained renewed interest as a rumored launch of Apple's much-anticipated tablet computer appears to be approaching and speculation mounts about how the device will function. In brief, the Fingerworks patent application addresses multi-touch functionality extended to be able to sense full touch input from ten fingers, as well as the palms of the hands. The complex touch sensing would allow for such features as intelligent typing capabilities and graphical manipulation abilities more sophisticated than the "pinch and zoom" found on the iPhone and multi-touch trackpads, and provide the versatility for multiple types of input without the need for multiple input devices.

Last week, French site Mac4Ever briefly noted among other topics that Apple is reportedly working on a new touch-sensitive mouse capable of "complex movements" from its touch surface. A new report today from AppleInsider offers additional claims of a new mouse in the works, possibly to debut in the very near future alongside revamped iMacs.

Building on a patent application addressing multi-touch mouse technology filed in March 2006, the new mouse is rumored to lack a roller ball for scrolling purposes and instead incorporate touch sensitivity for such actions while also offering a responsive scrolling system similar to that seen in the iPhone OS.

Given Apple's patented "inertia feedback" used on the iPod and iPhone, where item lists bounce when reaching the top or bottom and scrolling speeds accelerate in response to how the user touches the surface, the next Apple mouse is similarly expected to wed new hardware with sophisticated software to deliver an intuitive new feel in scroll navigation.

Should the new mouse arrive alongside revamped iMacs, its also likely to drop the white plastic finish it formerly used to match previous Mac models, possibly adopting an aluminum appearance to fit in with Apple's current lineup of desktop computers and notebooks. People familiar with the company's plans have indicated the new iMac will eventually receive a retooled IR remote that drops white plastic for an aluminum finish.

The new report's claims of an aluminum finish conflict with those of Mac4Ever, whose sources reported that the new mouse would retain the clear plastic shell of the existing Mighty Mouse, although with a more slender form factor.

In its annual list of wealthiest Americans known as the Forbes 400, Forbes magazine has ranked Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 43rd place with a net worth of approximately $5.1 billion. Despite a decline in net worth of approximately $600 million, Jobs moved up from last year's 61st spot to claim his highest ranking yet, topping his 49th place showing in 2007.

The report notes as Jobs' best investment his purchase of Pixar from George Lucas in 1986 for $10 million. With Disney's acquisition of Pixar in 2006, Jobs became the largest individual Disney stockholder with a stake currently worth $3.9 billion.

Jobs' $5.1 billion net worth marks a significant turnaround from just six months ago, when Jobs checked in as the 178th wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of only $3.4 billion. Since that time, Disney's stock price has risen nearly 90% while Apple's has more than doubled, generating significant gains for Jobs.

Jobs has famously received only a $1 annual salary from Apple for over a decade, although he has received stock options and other benefits from the company, including a private jet for which he receives financial compensation when used for company business.

Despite a decline of $7 billion from last year's survey, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates remains at the top of the list for the 16th consecutive year with a net worth of approximately $50 billion.

AppleInsider reports on new details from Apple resellers noting that lead times for reseller orders through Apple have begun to slip for a number of models. The changes are led by the Mac mini, which is now showing shipping windows of 2-3 weeks for both stock models of the desktop computer. Apple's constrained supply of Mac mini models has even reached its direct-to-consumer sales channel, with the low-end Mac mini slipping to 1-3 business day shipping yesterday and the high-end model following suit today.

As reports of a forthcoming hardware refreshes continue to mount, Apple has braced its certified resellers for unusually long shipping times of two to three weeks for both models of its minute Mac mini desktop systems.

Both the low-end, 120GB hard drive Mac mini and the top-tier 320GB model now have a wait time of two to three weeks. Typically, the hardware ships in one to three business days for non-custom orders, people familiar with the online Apple Store for Resellers told AppleInsider.

Lead times for reseller orders for Apple's iMac, MacBook, and MacBook Pro have reportedly also slipped slightly in recent days to 3-5 business days, up from normal shipping dates of 1-3 business days. Both the iMac and MacBook have been expected to see refreshed models in the near future, but there has been little speculation surrounding a MacBook Pro update of any sort.

Online research firm Net Applications today released data charting the growth of Mac OS X Snow Leopard's operating system market share since its launch just over a month ago. The data suggests that approximately 1% of computer users are currently running Snow Leopard, meaning that about 18% of Mac users (which represent approximately 5% of computer users worldwide according to Net Applications' data) are currently running Snow Leopard.

On August 28th, Apple released Snow Leopard, which is version 10.6 of the Mac operating system. Since then, it has had rapid adoption. On the day of Sept. 29th, the global share of Snow Leopard was .91%, and the overall Mac share was 4.93%. This means 18.45% of Mac users have upgraded to Snow Leopard in just one month after its release.

Readers will note weekly cycles in Apple's market share showing an increase in share on weekends, presumably due to the dominance of Windows-based PCs in business settings during the work week contrasting with primarily home computer use on weekends.

Computerworld reveals that Apple quietly acquired mapping company Placebase back in July.

Placebase is similar to Google Maps in that it is a mapping service and has the world mapped out. You can zoom in and out and it has different layers you can superimpose over your mapping data.

Placebase CEO Jaron Waldman LinkedIn profile now listed his position as part of the "Geo Team" at Apple.

The obvious interest Apple would have in the company would be the mapping content and expertise that they are currently relying on Google for in their iPhone maps application. Placebase, however, also offered additional functionality that is not currently available in Google's offerings that Apple could theoretically take advantage of. This primarily involves the aggregating of different data sets onto maps. PolicyMap was given as an example of this aggregate functionality.

In its August 2009 Mobile Metrics Report released today, advertising firm AdMob highlights the fact that Apple's iPhone OS commanded a 40% share of ad requests on the company's network during the month, up from 33% six months earlier. The increase, when paired with a corresponding decrease in market share for Symbian OS, has moved the iPhone OS into the #1 spot for worldwide ad request market share.

The study also examined the top smartphone models for ad traffic, where the iPhone ranked first, followed by the HTC Dream. The Palm Pre ranked fourth among smartphones, and worldwide mobile phone leader Nokia held down 12 of the top 20 positions.

When all types of "handsets" are included, Apple's iPod touch grabs the second spot behind its iPhone sibling. While not a mobile phone, the iPod touch is included in the survey because it runs the iPhone OS and accesses the same content being served to smartphones and other handsets.

AdMob is the world's largest mobile advertising marketplace, serving ads for more than 9,000 mobile Web sites and 3,000 applications worldwide.