MacRumors

Digitimes reports that Intel will be slashing prices 40-60% on their Quad-core server processors including the Kentsfield Xeon and the Clovertown Xeon processors in late July:

The Kentsfield Xeon X3210 and X3220 will have their prices cut to US$224 and US$266 respectively, while prices for the Clovertown Xeon E5310, E5320, E5335, E5345, and X5355 will go down to US$209, US$256, US$316, US$455, and US$744 respectively, the sources said.

The motivation for the price cuts is to ramp up shipments and to counter competition from AMDs future server processors.

Absent from the list is the Clovertown Xeon X5365 (3.0GHz) chip which is currently used in Apple's 8-Core Mac Pro. The Xeon X5365, however, may not have made the list simply because it is still not generally available to the public. Apple was one of the early customers for the Quad-core 3.0GHz Xeon, and so it's unclear if the upcoming price cuts will have any effect on the price Apple is presently paying Intel for their 3.0GHz Clovertown Xeon processors.

Regardless, it's unlikely any price cut Apple would get would necessarily be passed on to 8-Core Mac Pro customers until the next Mac Pro hardware revision from Apple.

In the meanwhile, cheaper prices on the Quad-Core processors could interest motivated Mac Pro owners interested in swapping out their existing Dual-Core processors for Quad-Core replacements. It was demonstrated in September 2006 that existing Mac Pro designs could accommodate Woodcrest (Dual Core) to Clovertown (Quad Core) upgrades.

Think Secret believes that the iMac may be updated by late June, and echoes a previous report by Appleinsider that the revision would not include the 17" model.

While no technical details have been discovered regarding the next iMac revision, Appleinsider said in its previous report that the revision would showcase "striking new industrial designs aimed at leaving both competitors and onlookers smitten."

On a related note, Think Secret believes that Apple will soon update its display line to swap out the 23" display for the same 24" LCD used in the iMac.

When Apple announced the iPhone in January, they did so with a partnership with Cingular as their exclusive mobile phone service provider. Last year, AT&T acquired the remaining 40% of Cingular it had not already owned and over the past year, the company has been transitioning the Cingular brand towards the AT&T name.

International Herald Tribune notes that on Monday, AT&T has entered the final phase of their transition with changing the name of their retail stores to AT&T from Cingular.

Despite early photos of the iPhone carrying the Cingular name, the final devices will be branded under AT&T. AT&T will be using the iPhone launch as a marketing event to reinforce the new AT&T brand.

The iPhone is expected to be released in late June at both AT&T (formerly Cingular) retail stores as well as Apple Stores.

Engadget reported on the latest class-action lawsuit against Apple.

The lawsuit claims that Apple's laptop screens are not as good as advertised to be:

Citing observances that MacBook (Pro) displays are too often "grainy" and "sparkly", that Apple uses dithering to achieve higher color depths than is feasible for the equipment, and that apparently customers seeking repair or replacement were rebuffed, even "chastised" by rogue Geniuses, telling users they are "too picky about... the quality of the display."

Apple has been the target of a number of "class action" lawsuits in the past.

In the wake of the fake iPhone and Leopard delay rumor that hit the web on May 16th, there's been a number of stories and claims regarding the events.

Engadget posted their sequence of events, which involved the fake email sent through an internal Apple distribution list to employees indicating that the iPhone and Leopard would be delayed. A couple of hours later, Apple sent out a followup memo stating that the previous memo was fake.

From what we've heard, the sequence of events described is accurate. A fake email was indeed sent to an internal email Apple distribution list as described. The source of the fake email is unknown, but an internal investigation has been launched at Apple to seek out this individual. There is speculation that the author of the email was an ex-Apple employee.

A December 2006 patent application (published today) from Apple indicates they are working on thinner / stronger enclosures for their laptops.

Apple describes two conflicting design goals for producing thinner and lighter laptops: "the desirability of making the enclosure lighter and thinner, and the desirability of making the enclosure stronger and more rigid."

Instead, Apple describes an improved enclosure where the parts are "structurally bonded together" to form a singular composite structure. In the application, Apple acknowledges that while "current enclosure designs work well, in many instances it would be desirable to provide enclosures that are thinner, lighter, stronger and aesthetically more pleasing than current enclosure designs."

These goals for thinner and lighter laptop designs reinforces rumors of ultraportable and thin Apple laptops.

Adage reports that Apple's ad agency will handle the upcoming iPhone ad campaign.

People familiar with the account confirm that TBWA's Media Arts Lab will handle all creative for the iPhone, much as the agency has for iPod. The agency has handled creative duties for Apple since 1997.

TBWA/Chiat/Day also produced the Apple iPhone teaser advertisement that aired during the Oscars.

There had reportedly been some speculation that AT&T's agency (BBDO) might handle part of the account. AT&T had indicated that they would use the iPhone as a branding and marketing event.

FCC Documents indicate that Apple has received FCC approval for the iPhone.

Apple submitted the documents to the FCC on March 8th. Approval was granted today, May 17.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris acknowledged the news: "The iPhone has passed its required FCC certification milestone and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned"

Macworld notes that Apple asked the FCC not to release documents including photos of the phone or the username for 45 days after certification.

While few details are available, MacRumors has heard that Apple is in the process of gathering testers for another update to Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger." The update would bring the version number to Mac OS 10.4.10.

Apple released Mac OS 10.4.9 in March after a prolonged period of testing and refining. Despite this, some Intel iMac users have reported that the update created audio problems, which Apple has reportedly pledged to fix in the "next update."

Apple started shipping Final Cut Studio 2 today according to several reader reports.

Apple announced of Final Cut Studio 2 at NAB in April:

"Final Cut Studio 2 was specifically designed to enable the rapidly growing community of over 800,000 Final Cut editors worldwide to animate, mix, grade and deliver their work as a natural extension of the editorial process, said Rob Schoeben, Apples vice president of Applications Product Marketing. Final Cut Studio 2 is the most powerful production suite on the planet.

The new bundle incorporates Final Cut Pro 6, Motion 3, Soundtrack Pro 2, Compressor 3, DVD Studio Pro 4.2, and Color. Apple ProRes 422 format was also introduced with Final Cut Studio 2, which is a new post-production format which claims "uncompressed HD quality at SD file sizes." Apple previously published a white paper (pdf) detailing the new format.

I'm cautious to post this, as there has been no other verification, but Engadget claims that both the iPhone and Leopard have been delayed. According to the gadget site:

This one doesn't bode well for Mac fans and the iPhone-hopeful: we have it on authority that as of today, the iPhone launch is being pushed back from June to... October (!), and Leopard is again seeing a delay, this time being pushed all the way back to January. Of 2008.

Engadget only states "we have it on authority" and no other source is given.

In the past, Engadget has been very liberal about linking almost any Apple rumor found on the internet, but they rarely post Apple rumors based on their own sources. That being said, the last time they did (October 2006), they were wrong. However, due to Engadget's popularity and confidence in this report, this has been posted on Page 1 rather than Page 2.

Apple has repeatedly stated that the iPhone is on track for a late June release.

Update: Engadget has retracted the story, saying they received "further correspondence stating that this isn't accurate" and that Apple PR let them know that the iPhone and Leopard are still on track.

The Washington Post reports that Amazon has announced that they will be launching a digital music store "later in 2007" which will offer "millions of songs, free of copy protection technology [DRM] that limits where consumers can play their music."

Like Apple, Amazon has licensed music from EMI but will be offering songs in MP3 format.

"Our MP3-only strategy means all the music that customers buy on Amazon is always DRM-free and plays on any device," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO.

No word on pricing is available, but these DRM-free MP3s will play in Apple's iTunes and on the iPod.

Other record labels have not yet adopted this DRM-free strategy. Apple and EMI jointly announced in April that Apple's iTunes would begin selling DRM-free music from EMI beginning in May.

One additional press release from Apple yesterday alongside the MacBook release was the pre-ordering availability of Paul McCartney's new album "Memory Almost Full" from Apple's iTunes store. This represents his first digitally distributed album:

Paul McCartney is one of the greatest musicians of all time, and we're extremely excited to offer his first digitally distributed album on iTunes, said Steve Jobs, Apples CEO.

News of the deal first emerged last week with McCartney also revealing that the Beatles catalog would also soon be available for sale online.

Apple posted a new iPod television ad last night. The new ad continues the silhouette dancer theme and features Mi Swing Es Tropical (iTunes link) by Nickodemus & Quantic featuring Tempo.

As predicted, Apple released revised MacBooks today. The modest updates include faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 1GB of memory and larger hard drives:

Apple(R) today updated its MacBook(R) consumer notebooks with faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 1GB of memory and larger hard drives in every model. The MacBook is just one-inch thin and features built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.* Every MacBook also includes a built-in iSight(R) video camera for on-the-go video conferencing, Apple's MagSafe(R) Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain, and iLife(R) '06, Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications.

- 2.0GHz, 13.3" White MacBook, 80GB, 1GB RAM, Intel Graphics 950, $1099
- 2.16GHz, 13.3" White MacBook, 120GB, 1GB RAM. Intel Graphics 950, $1299
- 2.16GHz, 13.3" Black MacBook, 160GB, 1GB RAM, Intel Graphics 950, $1499

The new Apple laptops are available at the Apple Store U.S. (U.K. Store)