Intel promo points to new Core i5 MacBook Pro

It’s a pretty safe bet Apple will eventually incorporate Intel’s latest processors into its MacBook lineup, though when that will happen is still unknown.
But on Wednesday, AppleInsider got its hands on an e-mail promotion sent to participants in the Intel Retail Edge Program (IREP)–a training program for Intel sales representatives–that hints something might be coming soon. The e-mail to participants includes this language: “January Prize Draw: Win a MacBook Pro. Pass this month’s trainings for 2 chances to win one of 2 MacBook Pro laptops with the accelerated response of an Intel Core i5 processor.”
Reached for comment, an Intel spokesman said, “There was an error on IREP and we are investigating.”
It could have been a mistake in the language in the e-mail, or–and this seems more likely–the mistake could have been that it was sent out too early. MacBook Pros with Arrandale architecture, which includes the Core i5 processor, have been anticipated for some time, as my colleague Brooke Crothers wrote on Monday. Check out his post for more about what to expect if Apple does indeed add Intel’s latest silicon to its notebook lineup.

Apple tablet supply chain points to Q2 launch

Suppliers for Apple Inc’s new tablet computer have begun shipping touchscreen panels and will start delivering aluminum casings for it next month, sources said, implying a second-quarter product launch.

AVY Precision Technology Inc, a Taiwanese manufacturer of covers for electronic products, will begin production of the cases in February, two sources familiar with the situation said on Friday.

TPK Solutions, an unlisted touch screen panel maker also based in Taiwan will also supply panels for the product, a third source said, on top of those already being manufactured by another Taiwan company, Wintek Corp.

“Production of the cases will begin in February, so everything points to a second-quarter launch right now,” said one of the sources. “It doesn’t take that long for the company to assemble the PC together, but a second-quarter shipment date is what we’re looking at now.”

The sources declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Apple’s spokesman would not comment. Officials at AVY and TPK also declined to comment.

A barrage of manufacturers are jockeying for attention ahead of Apple’s widely expected announcement of a 10- to 11-inch tablet computer in late January, which analysts say could redefine the nascent category much as the iPhone did for phones. Apple has not publicly confirmed its existence.

Hewlett-Packard Co, Microsoft Corp, Dell Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd were among the global technology names that launched thin, touchscreen, multimedia devices this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

These wireless gadgets can stream video, download music, surf the Web and play games, aiming to win over consumers by bridging the gap between smartphones and laptops.

Some analysts doubt consumers would take to tablets or slates, which join a market crowded with netbooks, e-readers, smartphones and laptops of all configurations.

Most technology companies do their own design work in-house, but outsource much of the assembly and manufacturing to companies based in Asia, which operate large production facilities in lower cost countries.

Next-gen iPhone rumored for April

The next iPhone will appear as soon as April and will include a host of upgrades that include a dual-core processor, improved graphics, video chat, an OLED display, plus – and this one is hard to believe – a removable battery.

Or so say two reports out of Korea on Tuesday, one from The Korea Times and the other from Telecoms Korea, which cites the Korean-language Etnews. The former relies for the most part on sources at Korea mobile provider KT, while the latter adds details from a mole at Apple Korea.

A KT source has built-in cred, seeing as how the company is South Korea’s second largest mobile phone carrier and Apple’s Korean iPhone supplier. They’re a successful partner as well, with 220,000 iPhone 3GS sales by the end of last year, according to TKT, including 60,000 sold in their first weekend of availability at the end of last November.

Although both reports refer to the upcoming Cupertino smartphone as the “iPhone 4G” or “4G iPhone,” it’s 99 per cent certain that the “G” refers to “generation” and not 4G wireless broadband capability as, for example, Sprint and Clearwire brand their WiMAX service.

The original iPhone was announced in January 2007 and shipped in June of that year. The iPhone 3G was announced in June 2008 and shipped in July. And the iPhone 3GS was announced and shipped in June of 2009. Ipso facto, the next iPhone would be the fourth generation, hence iPhone 4G.

But even without a 4G broadband speed bump, KT’s iPhone has some enticing tricks up its unsubstantiated-rumor sleeve. According to a source that TKT identified as “a high-ranking KT executive,” the new phone will have – as The Reg reported last March as a possibility for the iPhone 3GS – an OLED display, as does Google’s new Nexus One.

The same exec also said that the new iPhone would have what TKT refers to as “live video chat functionalities,” which the Etnews’s Apple Korea mole clarified by saying that the phone would have two camera modules, one front-facing and one peeking out the back as in all previous iPhones.

One tidbit that seems out of character for Apple would be the TKT source’s assertion that a removable battery for the phone “is highly likely.” Seeing as how Apple has sealed all its batteries tight inside devices from the first iPod through the latest MacBooks we find this detail highly unlikely.

When the first sealed-battery MacBook was introduced one year ago, an Apple rep told The Reg that the trade-off for a lack of a user-replaceable battery was the ability to fit more battery cells inside that laptop, thus allowing for longer battery life between charges. Since the Etnews’ Apple Korea mole claimed that the new iPhone would have “up to double” the battery life of the iPhone 3GS, we find a move to removable batteries questionable.

Another oddity in the KT exec’s story is that the company plans to offer the new phone to large corporate clients as a “litmus test” in April, then open general sales in June – a sequence not seen in previous Apple dealings

The KT exec also told TKT that the new iPhone would have a dual-core processor and higher-resolution graphics. Whether that rumored processor upgrade would be based on the ARM Cortex-9 MPCore or ARM11 MPCore, a chip arising from Apple’s own acquisition of PA Semi back in 2008, or something else entirely is of course both unknown and – without Cupertino spilling the beans – unknowable. Likewise the chip providing improved graphics, although Imagination Technologies’ PowerVR SGX Series5XT GPU comes to mind.

Higher-resolution graphics seem a safe bet for the next generation of iPhones, seeing as how the current iPhone’s display is a behind-the-curve HVGA 480-by-320 pixel, 3.5-inch TFT LCD, while that pesky upstart the Nexus One enjoys a lovely WVGA 800-by-480 pixel, 3.7-inch AMOLED.

Of course, rumors – even those claimed to be from informed insider sources – are to be taken lightly. But if this one is true, here’s hoping that Apple doesn’t tag its next phone with the name “4G” – there’s enough confusion in the tech world as it is. ®

Some more rumours about 2009 iPhone.

Apple iPhone Apps, a site with no known track record (which is also down right now) just leaked a July 17 release date and a bunch of specs for the next iPhone. They look fishy.

The July 17 release could technically be possible, since it’s on a Friday and Apple’s been releasing their iPhones on Fridays, but the specs are weird.

• 32GB and 16GB storage (up from the current 16GB and 8GB models)
• $199 and $299 price points to be maintained
• 3.2-megapixel camera (up from the current 2-megapixel camera)
• Video-recording and editing capabilities
• Ability to send a picture & video via MMS
• Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
• OLED screen
• 1.5 times the battery life of the current models
• Double the RAM and processing power
• Built-in FM transmitter
• Apple logo on back will glow
• Rubber-tread backing
• Sleeker design
• Built-in compass
• The camera, GPS, compass and Google map combined will identify photo and inform about photo locations
• Turn-by-turn directions

So what’s weird? The OLED screen, for one. The 1.5x battery life, for two. And a rubber-tread backing/sleeker design for three. It’s still quite cost-prohibitive to use OLED screens on devices, and it’s difficult to see how Apple could shrink down the size of the device to make it “sleeker” while at the same time making the battery 1.5x. Maybe because they’re using an OLED screen?

It’s all very pie in the sky, so don’t take it as literal proof that the next iPhone will have this. And the rubber tread backing may or may not be this leaked image from MacRumors, which isn’t quite rubber, but more of a matte feel than the current version.

New features discovered in iPhone OS 3.0

Developer sources familiarizing themselves with betas of Apple’s iPhone 3.0 software have uncovered a handful of additional tweaks and improvements to the system in recent weeks, including changes to Safari’s window handling, new battery status indicators and notification preferences, as well as the advent of data detectors in certain apps.

Safari

With the release of iPhone 3.0, Safari will let you close out and clear all your open browser windows without having to first create a new blank page to get rid of the contents of the last active window.

For example, you can have eight open Safari windows in the existing version of the iPhone software, seven of which you can close rapidly by using the red “x” icons in the upper left-hand corners of the pages. However, there’s no “x” icon to close out the last page standing. Therefore, the only way to get rid of the contents on this last remaining page is to first create a “New Page,” then cycle back to the page and close it out.

With iPhone 3.0, Apple has enabled the option to close out the lone remaining page. Once the “x” icon is triggered, the page disappears and a new blank page quickly slides into view. This process is reportedly difficult to capture in a screenshot, though an example illustrating part of the process can be seen below.

Battery indicators

Meanwhile, it appears that iPhone 3.0 will also introduce an option of showing you how much battery life you have left on your iPhone or iPod touch in a numerical percentage.

Resource files contained within the new version of the device’s Springboard application include 22 new PNG files to facilitate this option. Half are numerical characters (and a “%” sign) in black typeface for representing healthy battery level percentages while the other half are in red typeface for when battery life falls bellow a certain threshold.

It appears, though it’s not confirmed, that users will have the option of selecting how their battery status indicator appears in the menubar — such as an icon-only view (per current versions of the software), an icon + numerical view, or a numerical-view only. This would be similar to fast user switching menu option for Mac OS X that lets you display the accounts by “Name,” “Short Name,” or “Icon.”

Push Notification preferences

Also visible in the latest betas of iPhone 3.0 software is a new Push Notifications preference pane that will allow you to enable or disable any of the three types of notifications that third party applications can push to your handset: Sounds, Alerts and Badges. Alternatively, notifications can be disabled as a whole. This should provide users with tighter control of their battery usage.

Data Detectors

Finally, it’s also noted that Apple is enabling Data Detectors in a variety of new applications. Data Detectors automatically detect text fragments like email addresses, phone numbers, and street addresses, so you can execute actions on those fragments via touch selections — like dialing a phone number automatically by clicking on it or adding it to your address book.

The example above shows Data Detectors in action in the new Notes application. The detectors are only visible and executable when viewing a note, not while editing one.

Variable scrubber speeds

These shots just came in, showing the ability to change scrubbing speeds in the iPod application.

by appleinsider.com

4G IPhone Could Be on Verizon

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg took advantage of a recent chat with the Wall Street Journal to talk a bit about Apple. Seidenberg said that Apple never wanted to make a version of the iPhone for Verizon’s CDMA network, since it wouldn’t be able to be as widely distributed as the GSM-based models it eventually produced. Uh, yeah, Ivan, thanks for joining the rest of us over here in the nation of Duh.

Mr. Seidenberg also addressed the notion of Apple Inc.’s iPhone ever coming to the Verizon Wireless network, saying it is more likely that Apple would be willing to work with the carrier under the fourth-generation, or 4G, network, which follows the same technology standard as AT&T Inc.’s 4G plans.

That technology, which we’ve discussed before, is called LTE and is the next step along the GSM standard after the current 3G incarnation. Among U.S. providers, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon will all be transitioning to LTE for their 4G networks, a process expected to happen over the next few years. Rival Sprint is meanwhile planning on using a version of the WiMax standard for its next-generation infrastructure.

This shows a bit of a softening towards Cupertino on the part of the Verizon CEO. Back in June 2008, he told the Financial Times that “Steve Jobs will eventually get old,” adding that Apple was still a small player in the mobile industry and the iPhone was unlikely to become a mass-market hit.

Of course, that was right around the launch of the iPhone 3G. Several million handset sales later, perhaps Seidenberg is rethinking his dessert plans, and eyeing a piece of that sweet Apple pie.

iProd – nothing interesting?

Yesterday we’ve been running through some DeviceClasses in windows registry and found interesting thing: iPod have strange Prod_ prefix in device name. So the “iProd” string spotted in new iPhone 3.0 firmware may be just something that is pointing to some internal thing about iPod and iPhone.

Apple Buying 3.2- and 5-Megapixel Sensors For Next iPhone

Taipei’s DigiTimes filed a report today that suggests the next version (or versions) of the iPhone will have much more powerful cameras. I can only hope that this is true.

Today, DigiTimes reported the following:

OmniVision has received 3.2-megapixel CMOS image sensor (CIS) orders for Apple’s next-generation iPhone, according to market sources. The company is also said to have secured 5-megapixel CIS orders for another Apple product expected to be launched later in the year.

DigiTimes has nothing to back this up, and Apple certainly hasn’t confirmed it.

The iPhone, as we know, has a 2-megapixel camera, which lags some of the competition, such as the 3.2-megapixel camera on the BlackBerry Storm. One of the many hoped-for upgrades for the next generation iPhone is a better camera. If Apple truly is buying OmniVision’s 3.2- and 5-megapixel camera modules as DigiTimes suggests, it would appear to be confirmation that Apple plans to level up

Apple netbook this summer?

According to unnamed spokeperson from AT&T, the upcoming summer is going to be hot!
Somebody “pretty high up in AT&T’s food chain” revealed some secrets:

• New iPhone announcement around mid-June (duh)
• New iPhone will be faster and have a more seamless experience unmatched by any device (could be just talking about 3.0, but we think it’s also a new iPhone)
• U-Verse iPhone application; will allow control of your home DVR (play, pause, rewind, etc.)
• The annual iPhone launch is “becoming a tradition.”
• Nothing official is being confirmed, but they said that people should prep for an exciting time this summer.
• AT&T is said to be working with Apple to create a unified product with an unparalleled experience across all their products and services.
• Apple’s 3.0 software should tell us where the iPhone platform is going… uh, k?
• They said customers shouldn’t need to choose from AT&T’s high-end devices because of features, they should choose based on preferences. The gap in capability should be filled with the new iPhone. Ok, bets on slide out QWERTY, autofocus camera, video sharing, blah blah?
• Seems like the higher speed HSDPA (7.2Mbps) is being hinted at too which should confirm the earlier rumors of the new Infineon chipset.
• The $99 3G netbook will start selling this summer, and the first one won’t be a Windows OS.

Especially exciting is the last one: there are no such cheap netbooks on the market.

By Boygeniusreport.com

Apple bringing out touchscreen netbook?

Although this is one rumour that has been around before, it is a persistent one that sources close to Apple claim to be true: Apple is apparently planning to bring out a touchscreen netbook sometime in 2009.

According to CNNMoney.com, the sources told Dow Jones Newswires that the touchscreen netbook would have a monitor sized between 9.7 and 10-inches and will be brought to market in the second half of 2009.

While most other computer manufacturers, including Dell and Hewlett-Packard, are already in the netbook market, Apple remains one of the few yet to make a move.

Talking about a possible foray into the netbook market back in January, Apple COO Tim Cook said the company could do it better: “Right now, we think the products are inferior and will not provide the experience to customers that they’re happy with.

“The products in that market are principally based on hardware that’s much less powerful than we think customers want, and software technology that is not good, cramped keyboards, small displays etc,” he continued.

Is Apple too late to the game? Most definitely not, if its track record is anything to go by. It was late to market with both the iPod and the iPhone in comparison with competitors, yet the iPhone now owns 17.3pc of the smart-phone market.

by siliconrepublic