MacRumors

Marketwatch relays a Commercial Times report that suggests we will see the next MacBook revisions in Q3 2008 (July-September).

According to the newspaper, AU Optronics Corp.and Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. received orders for flat-panel displays to be used in the next MacBook.

Taiwan's top two flat-panel makers by revenue, have obtained flat-panel orders for Apple Inc.'s new MacBook, the Commercial Times reported Friday, citing industry sources.

The shipment target for this new MacBook is said to be in the 3rd quarter of 2008 for up to 3 million units.

The MacBook was last updated ahead of expectations in late February. Those updates were relatively modest, primarily replacing the MacBook processor with the new Penryn chips. A 3rd Quarter release would put the next MacBook revisions behind the introduction of the Montevina platform which is due in June. Other reports have claimed that the next MacBook would see "major design changes" with a transition from plastic to aluminum and stainless steel.

A much publicized patent application published in December 2007 revealed that Apple had explored allowing handheld owners (such as the iPhone) to place orders from local stores. The system would, for example, allow customers to order a drink with the press of a button on their iPhone which would then notify them when their order was ready.

A new patent application today expands that concept to different types of local content, including events, movies, concerts and could even present you with general information and reviews about local restaurants. This location-based content could also include ordering food as detailed in the previous patent application, but also movie tickets and music purchasing.

Beyond this, it appears local content could be customized, with businesses publishing content themselves to be distributed to passers by. A particularly useful example would be at an Airport where flight schedules, maps, weather, and city information could be offered. Presumably, those with a properly equipped iPhones (or other devices) would be able to access this content simply by connecting to their local Wifi network.

Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog notes that Intel has now denied the statements published by ZDnet.de yesterday. Specifically, they claim that the Intel Germany's CEO was making general remarks about the kind of mobile devices that the Atom might power in the future. They go on to claim they know "nothing" about future products from other manufacturers. Fscklog also contacted an Intel Germany spokesperson who also claims that this statement never happened.

The confusion, however, is not one of poor German-to-English translation, as the original ZDnet article clearly stated what was reported. In fact, ZDNet's original article is now linking to another account of the same event. PCGamesHardware.de confirms statements like these were made, though without direct quotes the exact interpretation of it remains up for debate (translated by Leo from Fscklog):

PCGH-Editor Daniel Waadt was there as well an can attest, that Schwaderer referred to the iPhone as an example for the use of the atom-processor from Intel. The Intel CEO mentioned furthermore, that the display on iPhone 2 would be bigger than on iPhone 1 (although it is already quite big). iPhone 2 is also thinner than iPhone 1.

Update: Golem.de claims to have also been at the talk and they did not find any iPhone-related news in his talk:

Golem.de, too, was present at last night's intel-event, however, our hardware editor - who is at AMD channel summit in Dresden right now - did not find anything related to the iPhone in Schwaderer's comment.

Apple confirmed to Macworld that the 2008 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) has sold out for the first time.

"Response to this year's WWDC has been off the charts and we are delighted with the show of enthusiasm and support from the developer community for the new iPhone SDK," Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Macworld. "The conference is now sold out. For those unable to attend WWDC, session videos will be available to purchase on iTunes shortly after the conference."

Apple declined to provide an exact tally for the record-breaking attendance. Certainly, opening the conference up to iPhone developers has increased interest in Apple's developer conference.

According to ZDNet.de, Intel Germany CEO Hannes Schwaderer confirmed that Apple would be using the Intel Atom processor in a future version of the iPhone. The new model will reportedly be a larger model with a larger display, correlating with circulating rumors about a mini-tablet (720x480) device rumored to be coming from Apple. English translation:

As part of an Intel event for the 40th birthday of the semiconductor company at Munichs BMW World, Germany managing director Hannes Schwaderer confirmed today what has long been a rumor on the Internet: namely, that there is an iPhone with Intels new Atom chip. The device is slightly larger than the current version, Schwaderer said. That is not, however, because of the Intel chip, but because of the larger display used in the new iPhone.

He goes on to say that an upgraded version of the current form factor of iPhone would also exist as a 3G-model.

While Schwaderer calls the larger device a "version of the iPhone", it seems clear that it refers to the rumored mini-tablet device. Some rumors have suggested that it would be introduced at WWDC.

As rumored, Swisscom announced today that they would be delivering the iPhone to Switzerland later this year:

The iPhone will be available later this year. We will inform you personally as soon as we have more news.

As typical for these announcements, no details are provided.

Meanwhile, GeekSugar cites their "reliable inside source" and says that the 3G iPhone will indeed be launched on June 9th at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference keynote. This is in line with most evidence, though the recent disappearance of iPhone stock drove speculation that the 3G iPhone announcement could come even sooner.

Apple is set to open their new Boston Apple Store on Boylston Street on Thursday, May 15th at 6:00 pm. Apple will be giving away limited edition T-shirts and "other surprises" at the store opening.

Every Apple product is available for you to get to know and test-drive at the Apple Store. And the top floor is dedicated entirely to programs, support, and services. It's home to the Genius Bar, One-to-One personal training and free one-hour workshops to get the most out of your Apple products. Come early and be among the first to experience what the Apple Store is all about.

The latest Apple Store is reportedly the largest Apple store in the U.S. taking the title from the New York City 5th Avenue store.

Photos of the interior of the store are posted at ifoAppleStore, including a Spiral Staircase. Another exterior photo.

Microsoft announced today record sales of Mac Office 2008 which was launched at Macworld San Francisco:

"The response has been amazing; since we launched in January, the velocity of sales for Office 2008 is nearly three times what we saw after the launch of Office 2004," said Craig Eisler, general manager of the Mac BU at Microsoft. "As we set our course for future versions, we are working closely with customers and will also expand our staff to ensure that Office for Mac remains the most powerful and compatible productivity suite for Mac customers."

Microsoft also released the first Service Pack (SP1) for Mac Office 2008 which provides stability, security and performance enhancements. The update will be available at at Microsoft.com or via your Office software update. A list of fixes are provided in the press release.

Also notable is that Microsoft has announced that they will be bringing back Visual Basic for Applications in the next version of Mac Office:

...the team recognizes that VBA-language support is important to a select group of customers who rely on sharing macros across platforms. The Mac BU is always working to meet customers' needs and already is hard at work on the next version of Office for Mac.

Update: Microsoft Office 2008 SP1 is now available via Microsoft's website.

Troubleshooting: Tip for users with problems:

Some users who have installed Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 1 are reporting an issue that occurs after installation. The issue causes the Office Setup Assistant to open when they try to open an Office application. This situation occurs when the Office Setup Assistant detects that an invalid Product Key was used to install Office 2008. [ Read More ]

LeMatin.ch (French) reports that based on a source in Swisscom, Switzerland will be getting the iPhone this summer.

By itself, this news is not that surprising, as there have been a growing number of reports of the iPhone being delivered internationally in the coming months. Unique to this source, however, is the report that the iPhone would come with GPS, Video Conferencing and Mobile TV functionality.

GPS and video conferencing (with front-sided camera) have both been rumored for the next generation iPhone, but the addition of mobile television is new.

Apple officially announced today that "a team of Apple executives, led by CEO Steve Jobs" would kick off Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 9th.

This year's WWDC will be showcasing both Mac OS X and OS X iPhone:

The five-day WWDC event, which runs from June 9 to June 13, will feature the first ever iPhone track for mobile developers with in-depth sessions and hands-on labs to fully explore the capabilities of the OS X iPhone 2.0 software, including the iPhone SDK and the App Store, a breakthrough way for developers to wirelessly deliver their applications to iPhone and iPod touch users.

Apple is widely expected to introduce a 3G-capable iPhone at this year's WWDC.

A new job description posted by Apple on Monday, May 12th reveals that Apple is seeking an engineer to "lead the engineering activities to develop the new process and design for the multi-touch panel used in Apple products. This individual will serve as a focal point in the designing and the process development of advanced multi-touch panels from the concept to the product ramp."

Responsibilities include designing and developing new multi-touch panels for high volume production, and the candidate should have experience in the flat panel industry. Another job description reveals that some of these hires are entering into a newly created "Panel Process & Optics Group" at Apple which is responsible for future flat panel designs.

While the fruits of these specific employees' efforts won't likely be seen for years, it has been well established that Apple has long been been working on advanced multi-touch displays. Based on this job description and previous patent applications, it is clear that Apple's intentions are beyond the multi-touch display that currently resides on the iPhone and iPod touch. Advanced multi-touch gesturing patents have shown Apple's efforts to incorporate new gestures into Mac OS X itself. Simple multi-touch has already made its way into the trackpad of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

Apple has also been rumored to be working on a mini-tablet project which may incorporate more advanced multi-touch recognition over the existing iPhone and iPod touch.