MacRumors

An Apple patent application published today rehashes some concepts and diagrams from 2006 patent but generates continued interest due to persistant rumors that Apple may release a multi-touch tablet Mac.

AppleInsider details some of the techniques in accessing small user interface controls when using your fingers on a multi-touch tablet Mac:

Apple explains that on a tablet Mac, the buttons of a control box may be smaller than a users finger and located close together. Therefore it may be difficult for the user to make a selection directly without possibly pressing an undesirable button. To solve this problem, at least a portion of the control box would be enlarged, including the buttons therein when the user places their thumb over the control box.

Apple also details the use of swipe and scrolling to manipulate on screen lists as well as the implementation of a full screen multi-touch keyboard.:

While we've heard rumors of a tablet Mac for years, this year we've heard claims that either a tablet or mini-tablet Mac could be coming soon.

AppleInsider recaps many of the circulating rumors which expect both iPod and Mac notebook updates in the coming months. Some rumors have pegged September 9th as the possible day for at least some of the updates.

The iPod Nano and iPod touch are expected to see revisions, and long standing MacBook and MacBook Pro rumors point to revised case designs (MacBook, MacBook Pro) that adopt an aluminum/tapered look.

Newly reported, however, are expectations that the Apple iMac will see a refresh prior to the holiday season:

Separately, Apple is also planning to refresh its line of 20- and 24-inch iMac seasons ahead of the holidays. People familiar with these plans have described the refresh to consist of 'speed bumps' rather than major internal or external changes. Based on the roadmap presented to AppleInsider, these systems would debut later this fall following the release of the new MacBooks, making their way to market with little fanfare.

An iMac update would be contrary to expectations as the iMac is the most recently updated Mac. The iMac was updated in April of this year and introduced early Montevina-like technology. As a result, there would be only marginal improvements if it were updated to the most recently released Penryn/Montevina chipsets.

As previously reported, Psystar is planning on countersuing Apple for anticompetitive business practices, as reported by CNet. Psystar is a small company that made headlines when it started selling Mac-compatible PCs in April. Apple filed a lawsuit against the company based on a copyright infringement claim.

Psystar defends its actions and describes Apple's claims as "misinformed and mischaracterized."

Psystar argues that its OpenComputer product is shipped with a fully licensed, unmodified copy of Mac OS X, and that the company has simply "leveraged open source-licensed code including Apple's OS" to enable a PC to run the Mac operating system.

Psystar will reportedly countersue Apple and invoke the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act to prove that Apple's tying of Mac OS X to Apple-labeled hardware as "an anticompetitive restrain of trade". Experts have said that such an argument will be hard to make.

Gizmodo publicizes an iPhone security flaw that was publicly posted last night to MacRumors' Discussion Forum. The vulnerability allows individuals to easily bypass the built-in passcode protection offered by Apple to lock your iPhone.

The workaround allows unauthorized individuals access to the iPhone's Safari, Contacts list, SMS, Maps, and Mail.

MacRumors has been told that this security flaw was already reported to Apple earlier this month and has been acknowledged as an issue. A fix will presumably be included in a future firmware update.

Update: A simple fix is available in the meanwhile. Users should set their "Home Button" double-click preference to "Home" or "iPod" rather than the default "iPhone Favorites".

The Guardian reports that a television ad for the Apple iPhone has been banned by the U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority after receiving complains about misleading claims.

The television ad which can be viewed online claims that "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone." The complaints about the ad pointed out that the iPhone does not support Flash or Java which may be required for some websites. The Advertising Standards Authority concluded that "the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone".

Apple responded by saying that the purpose of the ad was to point the iPhone's ability to access standard websites and that it could not ensure compatibility with "every third-party technology in the marketplace".

While rumors have focused on iPod Nano and iPod Touch updates as early as September 9th, the fate of the MacBook Pros and other updates have been less clear.

It appears, however, that Apple could be prepping for a wide range of product updates, with signals to at least some resellers to halt resupplies of Mac minis, MacBook Pros, iPods and even Cinema Displays.

Unfortunately, reseller signals can be misleading and could simply represent temporary supply shortages. Best Buy, for example, had shortages of MacBooks towards the end of July.

Our buyer's guide does show that many of Apple's products are due for revision.

As rumors continue to build of upcoming Apple product updates, more hints are starting to suggest that Apple will be holding a special event in September to launch these new products.

A rumor over the weekend originating from Kevin Rose claimed that we could see iPod Nano and iPod Touch updates in the next few weeks. A subsequent report from Rose indicated that September 9th could be the date for the launch.

While we had initially housed that rumor on our Page 2 (rss) which consolidates minor news and unverified tidbits, an ArsTechnica article now suggests that there may be some validity to that "general date".

More possible case photos for the upcoming 4th Gen iPod Nano and 2nd Generation iPod Touch have also been posted to Page 2.

Update: Brian Lam of Gizmodo has "heard similar things" regarding the September 9th date.

EA's Spore Origins has arrived for the Classic iPod and iPod Nano [iTunes link (not compatible with iPhone or iPod touch)] well ahead of its multiplatform launch scheduled for September 7th.

The $4.99 game offers an early look at Spore Origins which is also expected for release on the iPhone and iPod Touch soon. EA describes the gameplay:

Eat or be eaten when you play SPORE Origins on your iPod. Guide your spore through its evolution and shape its destiny. Devour smaller creatures, explore primordial worlds filled with bizarre organisms, and avoid larger, lethal life forms. Grow from single-cell to complex predator as you rise through the levels. Customize your spore, and watch it move to the tunes in your iPod. Battle friends by importing their spores into your iPod from the Sporepedia website.

Spore Origins was expected to be released across the iPhone, Nintendo DS and other mobile platforms on September 7th. Spore Origins is a smaller companion game to the desktop version of the game called Spore.

Apple demoed Spore as one of the many examples of iPhone apps that could be developed with the SDK.

Update: A couple of early adopters (see discussion thread) are having trouble getting the game to run.

Update 2: Apple has pulled the game from the App Store.