MacRumors

AppleInsider reports that it has received information from sources detailing the appearance of Apple's much-rumored tablet device, noting that it is reminiscent of a "first-generation iPhone that's met its match with a rolling pin."

According to the report, the device looks remarkably similar to a concept rendering published early last year but with even more similarities to the iPhone beyond those depicted in the rendering, offering buttons and other features nearly identical to the iPhone 3GS.

Nestled in an aluminum shell that leverages the Apple's expertise in unibody construction but thinner proportionality than the original iPhone, the tablet reportedly sports all of the same buttons found on the handset, right down to its iconic home button -- which, like the volume toggle, is missing from the rendering.

Similarly, the tablet is said to sport all the same in/out connectivity as the current iPhone 3GS, including a 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack, built-in speaker grills, a microphone, GPS, 3G connectivity and a 30-pin dock connector. Like the rendering, its 10-inch display is framed by a black border that bleeds into its wrap-around aluminum enclosure.

Such proclaimed similarity to the iPhone 3GS may lend credibility to recently-published images claimed to be the tablet's front bezel. The images had been thought extremely suspect, in part due to their near exact likeness to the iPhone 3GS.

Other sources cited in today's report also claim that prototypes of the tablet have offered components making it compatible with CDMA wireless networks such as Verizon's, which would back up increasing claims, including some as recently as today, that Apple and Verizon have partnered on the new device. AppleInsider is careful to note, however, that it has been unable to confirm CDMA compatibility for the final shipping product.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published several new patent applications from Apple, revealing research into several areas, including the use of gesture-based input devices and solar panel technology in the casings of iPods.

In the first application, entitled "Methods and Apparatus for Processing Combinations of Kinematical Inputs", Apple describes the use of force and velocity sensors included in an input device such as a mouse to record gestures, which can then be interpreted as input by a computer.

Some embodiments of the present invention therefore enable a user to provide a series of gestures as input to the receiving device. Such gestures may include, for example, brushing motions, scooping motions, nudges, tilt and slides, and tilt and taps. The application can then respond to each gesture (or gesture combination) in any number of ways.

Embodiments of the present invention may therefore have applicability to any electronic system or application capable of receiving input. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be useful with video games, file browsing, interactive navigation, communication systems, control systems, military systems, medical devices, and industrial applications.

The patent application, which was filed on July 18, 2008, is credited solely to Apple engineer Omar Leung.

The second application, entitled "Power Management Circuitry and Solar Cells", describes a power management system that would allow portable media devices such as the iPod and iPhone to operate primarily on solar power. The details of the application describe methods for integrating both solar and battery power sources, using switches to reconfigure sections of solar cells on the exterior of the device such that a constant voltage is generated even if certain solar cells are obstructed by a user's hand or device orientation.

The patent application, which was filed on August 5, 2008, is credited to prominent Apple iPod engineer Michael Rosenblatt and iPod systems engineer Daniel Warren.

Apple has revealed an interest in solar technology for its portable devices in the past, previously filing a patent application describing the addition of solar cells behind the glass of an LCD screen. It is unknown, however, whether such technology will ever be included in shipping devices, as Apple has a history of applying for patents on technologies that never end up seeing the light of day.

The New York Times reported late last night that Amazon is deploying a software development kit (SDK) to allow developers to bring applications to the company's Kindle e-book reader. The move follows a change in the Kindle Store's e-book royalty program, with the two events suggesting that Amazon is making a major push to tackle Apple's as-yet-unreleased tablet device head-on.

Amazon says it has already released the Kindle Development Kit to a select number of partners, including the video game giant Electronic Arts, and will make it more widely available when a limited beta period starts next month. It anticipates formally adding what it calls "active content" to the Kindle store sometime later this year.

According to the report, Amazon will be allowing free, paid, and subscription-based applications on the Kindle and will use the same pricing structure as its new e-book royalty program: 70% of revenue (after subtracting delivery costs) goes to developers, roughly comparable to Apple's App Store arrangements.

While well-known companies such as gaming firm Electronic Arts and Handmark, developer of Zagat restaurant guides for mobile devices, have been looking into the Kindle SDK, the current Kindle hardware will impose some limitations on the types of offerings that can be included. The Kindle offers only a monochrome e-ink display and has limited graphics capabilities, meaning that traditional-style handheld games and video will not be possible. But certainly a wide array of applications would be able to make their way to the Kindle in one form or another.

The Wall Street Journal provides some new tidbits of information about the upcoming Apple tablet that is expected to be announced next week. The article summarizes many of the recent rumors and suggestions about the tablet device which is expected to be 10 to 11 inches in screen size and be priced around $1000. The article cites several different people "in the know" about Apple's plans and reveals the following new tidbits.

According to those familiar with the situation Apple will be targeting the new device at both homes and classrooms. Apple is said to envision that one device might be shared by multiple family members to read news and check email. For classrooms, Apple is looking into electronic textbooks. The device will include a virtual keyboard for input.

Apple is, of course, working with book, magazine and newspaper publishers for content, but also television networks. Apple has apparently been pitching some sort of "best of TV" subscription service to media companies. Invites to the gaming media seem to have some substance as Apple is also said to have worked with EA to show off the tablet's gaming capabilities.

In the end, it seems Apple is working on all fronts to bring various types of media together on the single device. Sharing of a single device seems to have importance to Apple with experiments in users leaving virtual sticky notes for each other, and even automatically recognizing the user by built-in camera. The author isn't sure if these features will make it into the final shipping product.

Yesterday, we uncovered evidence that Apple has been pursuing trademarks for the name "iPad", with some filings occurring as recently as late last week. The move has obviously led to speculation that Apple may be planning to use that name for its tablet device rumored for introduction next week.

At the time, we noted that Apple had not pursued an "iPad" trademark in the United States, ostensibly due to existing claims on the name by Fujitsu for an electronic retail inventory device. While Fujitsu initially filed its trademark application for "iPad" in March 2003, the trademark has yet to be officially accepted, and was in fact classified by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as "abandoned" in April 2009 after Fujitsu failed to respond to a request for additional information. In June 2009, Fujitsu applied to have the application revived and, after amendment, was published for public comment and opposition on September 1, 2009.

Gawker reports today on documents dug up by a new tablet-focused blog that show that Apple's lawyers have filed three requests with the USPTO over the past few months asking for extensions to the allowed time for parties to oppose the trademark application filed by Fujitsu. In their most recent request, which has been granted, Apple's lawyers requested an extension of the opposition period to February 28, 2010.

The reason for Apple's potential opposition is unknown, with speculation of course centering on its desire to publicly introduce its tablet device as the "iPad" before filing documents stating its case to the USPTO. While it is possible that Apple may simply object to Fujitsu's "iPad" trademark on the grounds of possible confusion with its similarity to Apple's "iPod" trademark, those circumstances do not necessarily offer an explanation as to why Apple has requested so many extensions to the opposition period rather than simply filing its opposition.

With Apple's media event only a week away, research analysts are lining to offer up their predictions of what the company will introduce at the event and over the next few months. 9 to 5 Mac offers a summary of several of the reports hitting the news wires today.

The report points to analyst Ashok Kumar of Northeast Securities, who claims that Apple is preparing to launch its tablet at a price point of $600-$800 with shipment expectations of one million units by March and 400,000-500,000 units per month thereafter. Also rumored is the ability to dock with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, as well as cellular data access, likely through Verizon.

Among the most provocative of predictions comes from Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group, who takes a longer-term view and sees four products in Apple's pipeline: two different tablet models in the 7-to-9 inch range, a gaming-focused "iPod touch on steroids" with a screen of approximately 5 inches, and a touchscreen iMac as has been recently rumored.

When it comes to the tablet, most sources are continuing to point to an ARM-based chip design from Apple's in-house P.A. Semi team, with Samsung reportedly manufacturing the chip. In particular's ARM's multi-core Cortex A9 is seen as a likely engine for many of Apple's forthcoming devices.

Another report from Shaw Wu of Kaufmann Bros. suggests that the ship date for Apple tablet may slip to June as the company works to address "minor issues" with battery life and durability. Many reports have pointing to a March or April shipping date for the device.

Meanwhile, on the iPhone front, Peter Misek of Canaccord Adams predicts that Apple will announce both iPhone OS 4.0 and that the iPhone will be coming to Verizon in mid-2010. Misek also predicts that an LTE "4G"-capable iPhone will likely not be available until a mid-2011 revision as carriers begin to build out their infrastructure, and that tiered pricing for data plans are likely in the near future.

Amazon today announced a revised royalty program for its e-book Kindle Store, significantly increasing the potential return to authors and publishers in exchange for commitments to meet certain feature requirements. The move, which takes effect on June 30th, essentially bumps the royalty payments to 70% of an e-book's list price, up from the existing 35% rate that will remain in effect for publishers who do not wish to meet the requirements of the new program.

For each Kindle book sold, authors and publishers who choose the new 70 percent royalty option will receive 70 percent of list price, net of delivery costs. This new option will be in addition to and will not replace the existing DTP standard royalty option. This new 70 percent royalty option will become available on June 30, 2010.

Delivery costs will be based on file size and pricing will be $0.15/MB. At today's median DTP file size of 368KB, delivery costs would be less than $0.06 per unit sold. This new program can thus enable authors and publishers to make more money on every sale. For example, on an $8.99 book an author would make $3.15 with the standard option, and $6.25 with the new 70 percent option.

Amazon will require that works offered under the new increased royalty program meet certain standards, including list prices of between $2.99 and $9.99 and at least 20% under physical book prices, as well as support for Kindle features such as text-to-speech.

The announcement comes just one week before Apple's media event where it is expected to introduce its long-awaited tablet device. e-Book functionality is expected to be included on the new device, with Apple reportedly in talks with book publishers to offer their content on the tablet. Apple currently offers developers whose applications appear in the company's App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch 70% of revenues, sparking speculation that Amazon's e-book pricing change is an effort to match what it expects Apple could offer publishers for distribution through the iTunes Store.

Businessweek reports that Apple and Microsoft are currently in negotiations to replace Google as the default search engine on the iPhone with Microsoft's Bing.com. The talks have reportedly been underway for weeks.

Businessweek cites the increasing rivalry between Google and Apple as one of the reasons behind the discussions.

"Apple and Google know the other is their primary enemy," says one of the people, who's familiar with Apple's thinking. "Microsoft is now a pawn in that battle."

If the negotiations are successful, it could also mean that Bing could eventually replace Google as the default search engine for Apple's desktop version of Safari as well.

With Google's entry into the mobile phone business as well as Apple's recent acquisition of a mobile ad company, the two businesses have encroached on each other's territories. Apple has even been said to be working on distancing itself from Google's Maps data in the iPhone.

Even if Apple and Microsoft do come to an agreement, Businessweek notes that this may just be a time buying move on Apple's part who is reportedly working on their own "skunk works" search technology.

Apple today released an update to Boot Camp to include support for Microsoft Windows 7, which was released last October, as well as addressing other issues and adding support for the latest Apple peripherals. Boot Camp is a Apple's tool to allow Intel Mac owners to boot dual boot Windows alongside Mac OS X. Running Windows under Boot Camp provides you with a fully compatible Windows environment.

This update adds support for Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate), addresses issues with the Apple trackpad, turns off the red digital audio port LED on laptop computers when it is not being used, and supports the Apple wireless keyboard and Apple Magic mouse.

Boot Camp 3.1 (in 64-bit and 32-bit versions) requires an authentic copy of Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows 7 upgrade, as well as an Intel-based Mac computer. In a support document about Boot Camp and Windows 7 last updated on January 6, Apple also noted that the following computers would not be supported for use with Windows 7 in Boot Camp:

iMac (17-inch, Early 2006)
iMac (17-inch, Late 2006)
iMac (20-inch, Early 2006)
iMac (20-inch, Late 2006)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2006)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2006)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006)
Mac Pro (Mid 2006, Intel Xeon Dual-core 2.66GHz or 3GHz)

In addition to Boot Camp 3.1, Apple has also released Boot Camp Utility for Windows 7 Upgrade, which is needed before upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 and "safely unmounts the read-only Macintosh volume on Microsoft Vista."

A lot has been said about the rumored Apple tablet, and after evidence was discovered that Apple was interested in the name "iSlate", many have adopted that as the most likely name for Apple's new device.

New evidence however has revealed that Apple may, in fact, be positioning "iPad" as the name for the imminent tablet device. The name iPad has had its proponents amongst several MacRumors readers due to the similarities to Apple's iPod name, but little evidence had actually suggested it to be the case.

A search in the Canadian trademark database reveals that Apple's dummy corporation Slate Computing, LLC also applied for a trademark for "iPad" under the categories of handheld mobile digital electronic devices with a broad range of applications. This application was filed in July 2009 -- much more recently than the original iSlate trademarks which date back to 2006-2007. Slate Computing, LLC did not apply for a similar trademark in the U.S. due to the fact that Fujitsu appears to control the U.S. trademark as it relates to handheld computing. Of course, this didn't stop Apple from using the iPhone name despite it being owned by Cisco in the U.S. at the time of the iPhone's launch.

Very similar trademark applications for "iPad" were also filed in Europe and Hong Kong in July. The European filing listed a UK law firm while the Hong Kong application listed a company called IP Application Development, LLC which is located in Delaware.

Based on a source who claims to have knowledge of Apple's plans, we found that this unknown company has been active again in the past week with new iPad trademark applications in New Zealand and Australia. The filing dates for these latest trademark applications are from Friday, January 15th, 2010.

Of interest, the company's initials actually spell out "iPad". While we can't link IP Application Development, LLC directly to Apple, the associated timing of the applications alongside Slate Computing's Canadian application is very suggestive. While it appears Apple did have an Australian trademark application for iPad back in 2007, it was a much more limited scope than the current applications.

In the end, we believe that Apple is behind these trademark applications for iPad and that it may be the name for Apple's new tablet device to be revealed next week.

Boy Genius Report claims to have received information from a source regarding iPhone OS 4.0, which is rumored to be introduced at next week's media event in San Francisco. According to the source, iPhone OS 4.0 will be limited to the iPhone 3G and 3GS (presumably including at least more recent iPod touch models and omitting the original iPhone) and will incorporate solutions for multitasking by running applications in the background and a revamped user interface for easier navigation.

- There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
- "A few new ways" to run applications in the background -- multitasking.
- Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven't had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.
- The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will "put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers" more than any other phone to date. Everyone is "really excited."
- The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.

The ability to run iPhone applications in the background has been near the top of many users' wish lists, but Apple has yet to implement full backgrounding and multitasking due to its effect on performance and battery life, instead opting to deploy push notifications as a means for closed applications to serve data to users. The expansion of the ability to run applications in the background beyond those few specified by Apple has been a relatively common theme, with multiple reports suggesting that Apple has been working on ways to deploy the functionality in at least a limited sense, although many expected such developments to be included in iPhone OS 3.0 last year.

Several media sources related to gaming, including IGN and Kotaku, have received invitations to Apple's media event scheduled for next week. According to IGN, representatives of several game makers have also been invited to the event. While the invitations suggest that gaming may be at least something of a focus at the event, it remains unclear it might be related to Apple's tablet device or simply iPhone OS 4.0, both of which are rumored to be topics of conversation.

Consider these few additional tantalizing hints about the event, though. Myself and another iPhone games writer received invites for this event today, as did contacts at a handful of iPhone game makers. Why would Apple want us collected at this event if there was not some game-related news on the horizon?

While gaming offerings for the tablet would certainly not be a surprise, the question remains whether Apple could look to position the tablet as a gaming device. Although the device's large screen could offer some distinct advantages over traditional handheld gaming systems and the company's own iPhone and iPod touch as has been demonstrated in the past, its expected relatively high price would likely make it difficult to position the tablet solely for gaming.

On the other hand, if iPhone OS 4.0 is in fact scheduled for an introduction at the event, the presence of gaming industry representatives may be less of a surprise. Gaming has played an important role in the success of the iPhone and iPod touch, and demonstrations from game developers have figured prominently in many of Apple's iPhone OS presentations. So while gaming appears to have garnered a greater importance to Apple when drawing up its guest list this time around, we still must wait until next week to discover whether Apple has some major gaming news up its sleeve or if it is simply acknowledging the important role gaming already plays in the iPhone ecosystem.

With Apple's acquisition of streaming media firm Lala Media last month, speculation about Apple's plans for the company has suggested a number of possible opportunities, including a new iTunes streaming service or simply a "talent" acquisition of Lala's engineers.

In a guest post on TechCrunch today, digital music executive Michael Robertson claims that rather than a traditional subscription-based streaming model, Apple is preparing to allow users to move their existing iTunes libraries into the cloud, allowing streaming to a variety of Internet-connected devices.

An upcoming major revision of iTunes will copy each user's catalog to the net making it available from any browser or net connected ipod/touch/tablet. The Lala upload technology will be bundled into a future iTunes upgrade which will automatically be installed for the 100+ million itunes users with a simple "An upgrade is available. . ." notification dialog box. After installation iTunes will push in the background their entire media library to their personal mobile iTunes area. Once loaded, users will be able to navigate and play their music, videos and playlists from their personal URL using a browser based iTunes experience.

Robertson claims that while Apple could have deployed such a functionality on its own, it decided to pursue Lala in order to speed the process while also adding expertise in the technology to its team.

Apple has been rumored to be including discussion of the next-generation iLife at next week's media event where the company is widely expected to introduce a tablet device, and although iTunes is technically no longer part of the iLife suite, a number of the applications do interface with iTunes media, suggesting that a shift to cloud-based iTunes could have implications for iLife. Today's report, however, does not offer a timeline for Apple's deployment of cloud-based iTunes functionality.

Apple received significantly publicity in mid-2009 for its announcement that it would build a $1 billion data center in North Carolina, scheduled to open sometime this year. While Apple has been silent on its plans for the data center, speculation has suggested that a data center of that size would most likely be targeting to supporting cloud-based services.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is in talks with book publisher HarperCollins to bring electronic books to the company's new tablet device, expected to be introduced at next week's media event. The report notes that pricing for the e-books, which would offer enhanced content, would be established by HarperCollins with Apple receiving a portion of the sales.

HarperCollins is expected to set the prices of the e-books, which would have added features, with Apple taking a percentage of sales. Details haven't been ironed out.

It couldn't be learned whether Apple will sell the HarperCollins titles via a new e-book store or through its existing iTunes Store, which sells music, television shows and movies. Other publishers also have met with Apple, people familiar with the matter said. Apple declined to comment.

While Apple has been rumored to be attempting to "redefine" print media with its new tablet device and e-books have naturally been considered a significant segment of that industry as evidenced by the rise of dedicated e-readers, reports on Apple's plans for e-book content have been relatively few and far between. Speculation surfaced a number of months ago that Apple would be unlikely to directly enter the e-book market given the fragmented and difficult industry, but tapping publishers themselves to provide content has long been considered a likely path for the company.

Apple has also reportedly been looking at other aspects of print media, apparently spurring magazine publishers to begin developing their own distribution models while electronic textbooks publishers have been envisioning their products on Apple tablet devices. A number of major newspapers have also reportedly held discussions with Apple about bringing their content to its tablet, with New York Times executive editor Bill Keller even mentioning the device in an all-hands staff meeting addressing the future of the paper.

FOXNews.com reports that Apple's January 27th media event is expected to include the introduction of Apple's much-anticipated tablet device and iPhone OS 4.0, as well as iLife 2010. According to the report, no iPhone hardware is expected to be shown.

I spoke to a source at Apple this morning, before the invite hit my inbox, who said the event would likely focus on three projects: The tablet device, iPhone 4, and a new round of iLife 2010 software. While we won't see new iPhone hardware just yet, we will see the next-generation software.

The author of the report, Clayton Morris, had previously claimed to have "confirmed" a January 26th date for the media event, although it is unclear whether the early reports of an event on the 26th were incorrect or if Apple tweaked its plans to move it to the 27th. Morris had also vaguely claimed in his earlier report that the media event would focus on the "mobility space", which would be in line with discussion of the tablet and iPhone OS 4.0.

A report from earlier this month claimed that Apple has been developing a multi-touch version of iWork, although Morris' source made no mention of iWork as a topic of discussion for next week. It is unknown at this time what enhancements will be included in the next generation of iLife and whether any of them will include multi-touch capabilities and the ability to run on Apple's tablet device as rumored for iWork.