Seth Weintraub

Microsoft unveiled its Surface Tablet at an event in Los Angeles today. As Microsoft attempted to demonstrate, it follows a long line of Microsoft hardware achievements including the Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft Keyboard, and more recently the XBox (we must have missed the Zune, Courier, and Kin slides). The Surface has some notable features including a full-sized USB port, kickstand, and a 9.3-mm thickness. It runs on an ARM processor, and it is housed in a magnesium alloy case.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzu3HM2CIo&feature=player_embedded]

Probably the biggest feature is its 3 mm thick Touch Cover. Added to the iPad 2-ish 9.3-mm thickness, you get a “full package” of just 12.3-mm total. The ability to touch type on a 3 mm thick piece of plastic compared to, say, an 8 mm thick UltraThin Logitech iPad keyboard case, for instance, will be a big determining factor for this thing to take off.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jozTK-MqEXQ&start=840]

While it would not be a Microsoft demo without a few crashes, Microsoft Vice President Steven Sinofsky was eventually able to launch apps like MS Office, Adobe Lightroom, and Netflix on a backup demo model. The Surface will come in 32GB and 64GB ARM RT varieties and separately with Intel processors.

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We just received word that Apple will release a new “iPad Smart Case” in a few moments. We do not have word on what these are exactly, but they are personalize-able and come in the following colors:

• Dark Gray
• Light Gray
• Pink
• Green
• Blue
• Red

Perhaps the back of the iPad will be covered now as well. The $50 price seems too cheap for a keyboard, no?

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So we have at least two, and maybe a few more live audio feeds of the keynote.  Because WordPress VIP suddenly doesn’t allow us to embed videos (I know wtf, right?) we have to plop them along the sidebar to the right —->>>

Edit: Looks like Chrome is blocking Usteam atm so here are some direct links: Here’s one:Ustream

Ustream (off), MacMasi: Ustream down another Ustream (no audio)

We’ll embed as many as we can and will update as the show goes on.  We hope this adds some excitement to the event and don’t forget to check out the liveblog that were doing separately including glorious pictures streamed through highly taxed Verizon LTE (AT&T is already DOA).

Fox News’ Clayton Morris tweeted today that he got word there will be two new iOS apps revealed today:

[tweet https://twitter.com/ClaytonMorris/statuses/212195055782469632]

We detailed one called Organize.app:

Get Organized… with an all-new app from Apple?

iOS 6 will likely feature everything we’ve reported thus far (above: Siri on iPad, a 3D Apple-based Maps application, and features from OS X Mountain Lion), but there has been one possible feature that we’ve been hearing whispers about, but not full, concrete details like we heard for other features. Apple is working on a new in-house application for iOS called “Organize,” but we’re not sure if Organize will be announced with iOS 6 at WWDC, or if it is a future App Store app from Apple, a future iOS enhancement, or something scrapped all together. The application is said to be a virtual pocket, and the app’s purpose is to be able to replicate a person’s pocket and store things such as coupons, travel information, credit card info and more. We speculate that Apple will be using the neat camera-based scanning software that we reported to be in development for the scanning in of business cards, receipts, and using that to provide virtual items that get used when shopping and travelling. We can’t help but think that this application will eventually tie into the rumored Apple wallet/NFC service at some point in the future.

So, what is the other app?
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While double the RAM and 512GB SSDs on the new MacBook Airs is interesting, I think a lot of us are focusing on the Retina MacBook Pros.

Well, here they are:

• MC975LL/A – MBP 15.4/2.3/8GB/256GB FLASH-USA
• MC976LL/A – MBP 15.4/2.6/8GB/512GB FLASH-USA
• MD831LL/A – MBP 15.4/2.7/16GB/768GB FLASH-USA

We were told these will not be cheap. They will even pass the $4,000 equivalent mark on the high-end in some countries. Who is going to throw down for these?
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We are just getting the latest news on the updated MacBook Airs. We hear they start at 4GB of RAM and go up to 8GB now on the high-end. Here are three Airs we have received word on thus far:

• Base Model: MD223LL/A – MBA 11.6/1.7/4/64FLASH-USA
• Better: MD224LL/A – MBA 11.6/1.7/4/128FLASH-USA
• High End: MD845LL/A – MBA 11.6/2.0/8/256FLASH-USA

Update: We are now getting specs on the 13s:

• MD231LL/A – MBAIR 13.3/1.8/4/128FLASH-USA
• MD232LL/A – MBAIR 13.3/1.8/4/256FLASH-USA
• MD846LL/A – MBAIR 13.3/2.0/8/512FLASH-USA

The bolded numbers are the RAM and would be a significant (and welcome) increase over the previous models.

We also bolded the “512GB SSD” on the high-end Air. As we said previously, these will be SATA 3 Solid State drives. At least some will also be based on Samsung’s 830 series—which are super fast.

We released information on MacBook Pros and Mac Pros earlier this morning.

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Chinese forum WeiPhone.com [Google translation] (via MacRumors) shows what appears to be not yet working links to the new software that will showcase at the Worldwide Developers Conference. The website was able to leak the same software links correctly last year, so we are taking these links seriously.

Besides the beta build of 10A5316k, we are noting that there are no links to the builds of the original iPad. This perhaps signals that Apple will not support the device.

Also of interest: Apple still sells the iPhone 3GS, despite it having an older processor (Samsung) than the original iPad (A4). Moreover, it appears they will support it—at least if these builds hold up. It also appears that only the latest (fourth-generation) iPod touch is supported, even though the third-generation iPod touch had a slightly faster processor than the supported iPhone 3GS and is not supported.

Note that the links below say expired…

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A T-Mobile spokesperson told us in a response to our story earlier that yes the carrier is going to have an iOS device-compatible “4G” HSPA+ Mobile network available to attendees in Moscone. The 3G signal that our reader caught was not a fluke.

While upgrading coverage inside the West side of the Moscone Center, T-Mobile has also deployed 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band to test the live network on a small scale. As part of the company’s previously announced $4 billion network modernization effort, T-Mobile plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year, which will make our 4G network compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone.

NOTE: The time and location of this test is just coincidental.

For those with unlocked devices, it might be a great time to try T-Mobile’s $30 unlimited data prepaid plans (ahem Virgin).

This is clearly great news for Europeans who carry T-Mobile iOS devices too. It is surely also welcome news for other Moscone exhibitions including Google I/O later this month.
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A reader reports that while walking by San Francisco’s Moscone West with his unlocked iPhone 4 on T-Mobile’s network today, he noticed something strange and perhaps very exciting for those million or more iPhone users on T-Mobile’s US network.

His iPhone popped over to “3G” for just one block (screenshot, right). It went back to “EDGE” as he left the WWDC area. Our reader walked across Moscone again, saw 3G for one block, and then EDGE appeared when he got a few hundred feet away.

He has been near Moscone before and never noticed 3G.

It would appear that T-Mobile might be beefing up its network with a 1900MHz MicroCell for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, as most wireless carriers SHOULD.

Update: A T-Mobile Spokesperson gave us this statement:

While upgrading coverage inside the West side of the Moscone Center, T-Mobile has also deployed 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band to test the live network on a small scale. As part of the company’s previously announced $4 billion network modernization effort, T-Mobile plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year, which will make our 4G network compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone.

NOTE: The time and location of this test is just coincidental.

To be clear, we are not implying that T-Mobile will be part of the WWDC announcements and it seems that they verified this, above.

But, T-Mobile appears to be using its soon-to-be rolled out 1900MHz network, so maybe it is readying a demonstration of its ability to carry the iPhone on 3G (or better —”4G”, as fast as AT&T 21MB HSPA+ speeds).

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Virgin Mobile USA announced today that it will offer the iPhone to its prepaid customers beginning June 29 for a pretty insane $30 a month unlimited data plan (throttled at 2.5GB) to celebrate the its 10th birthday this month.

Virgin Mobile will offer the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S with its Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plans as low as $30(!)—opening up the iPhone to a whole new world of consumers. The Virgin plan requires registration for automatic monthly payments per-month on the Sprint Nationwide Network, but the plan is cancelable at any time. Purchase pricing on the iPhone is the same as Apple: iPhone 4S 16GB $649 and iPhone 4 8GB $549. That pricing suggests Cricket, a pre-paid carrier that announced the iPhone earlier for $399 for iPhone 4 and $499 for iPhone 4S with a $55 per month plan, is subsidizing the iPhone.

The iPhone will be available without a contract and with no fees for activation or roaming. New and existing customers can buy the iPhone at www.virginmobileusa.com, RadioShack, Best Buy, and select local retailers.

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“This month marks Virgin Mobile USA’s tenth birthday,” said Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson. “And what better way to thank our fans for ten years of loyalty than by giving them exactly what they want: the perfect plan for the perfect phone. That is the essence of ‘A Higher Calling.’”

Apple representative Natalie Harrison earlier said, “By making iPhone available on pre-paid plans [through Cricket Wireless], we are making the best smartphone more accessible to an even broader market in the US,”
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The image above represents the full pricing matrix for new devices expected to unveil in a few days at the Worldwide Developers Conference. You will notice the Mac Pros, Retina MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, and iMacs that we discussed before at length.

We have more notes on the unlabeled parts below—including the newly identified RAM update:
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Reuter’s reports today that Apple will expand its current five-store presence in China to the industrial cities of Chengdu and Shenzhen. Interestingly, both of those cities are where Foxconn produces iPhones and iPads (or have in the past). The Chengdu plant is where Want China Times (via MCV) reports a riot broke out late last night with male workers “taking advantage of a minor disturbance to address prior grievances.”

The pessimist would say: Now those hundreds of thousands of factory workers can save a few months wage and head across town to buy something they make hundreds of every day.

The optimist would say: Foxconn factories are expanding the middle class and creating more customers for Apple.

What is your opinion?

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iOS Firmware reports that Apple just updated Apple TV’s software.

We are not seeing any new features or apps (MobileMe is still there for instance). With WWDC so close, updates are carefully scrutinized.

Apple also released Mainstatge 2.2.2 on the Mac App Store today, bringing with it the following performance and stability improvements:

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As part of our meanderings through the output from a debugger from a prototype of the next iPhone, we discovered some of the new chips that are going into these devices. Lots of them.

One such part that we have not talked about is the Broadcom BCM4334 that has been found in code dumps. The BCM4334 is a step up from the 65nm BCM4330 used on the “new” iPad and the iPhone 4S, and it is notably built on a smaller, more efficient 40nm process.

From AnandTech:

BCM4334 which is the follow-up part to BCM4330 that we’ve seen in a bunch of devices. BCM4334 changes from a 65nm process to 40nm LP, which itself offers a power profile reduction. The change isn’t a simple die shrink either, Broadcom says it has worked on and refined the existing BCM4330 design and reduced power a further 40-50% and dramatically reduced standby power by 3 orders of magnitude. I asked Broadcom to give me a realistic estimate of power consumption – BCM4330 in full Rx mode consumes around 68mA, BCM4334 consumes 36mA at the same voltage, just to give an example of the reduction. Air interfaces don’t change between BCM4330 and BCM4334.

So, we are looking at nearly half the power required for Wi-Fi. That should add some power savings to offset the bigger screen and LTE radios. The power savings will also help Apple to make a thinner phone with a thinner battery.

Along with now-standard stuff like Bluetooth 4.0 and FM radios, this chip also features dual-band Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct. From Broadcom:

The Broadcom BCM4334 single-chip dual-band combo chip provides a complete wireless connectivity system with ultra-low power consumption for mass market smartphone devices. Using advanced design techniques and 40nm process technology to reduce active and idle power, the BCM4334 is designed to address the needs of highly mobile devices that require minimal power consumption and compact size while delivering dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity.

The chip includes IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n single-stream MAC/baseband/radio, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS, and an integrated FM radio receiver. It is designed to be used with external 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz front-end modules, which include power amplifiers, T/R switches and optional low noise amplifiers. The combo device also features advanced switching techniques that enable concurrent dual-band operation to simultaneously support network connectivity with one band while also allowing content streaming via technologies such as Wi-Fi Display and Wi-Fi Direct.

While Apple is not likely to use Wi-Fi Display over its own AirPlay protocol, Wi-Fi Direct/Adhoc on the second Wi-Fi connection would seem to be directed at something pretty interesting…
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This just in from 9to5Google.com:

Google will hold a morning event on June 6 to give the press a “behind-the-scenes look at Google Maps and share our vision.” Google will demo some of its “newest technology and provide a sneak peek at upcoming features that will help people get where they want to go – both physically and virtually.”

At this invitation-only press gathering, Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Google Earth, will give you a behind-the-scenes look at Google Maps and share our vision. We’ll also demo some of the newest technology and provide a sneak peek at upcoming features that will help people get where they want to go – both physically and virtually. We hope to see you there.

Apple, of course, is holding its WWDC event starting June 11, where it will reveal its own mapping solution instead of using Google Maps.

This should be interesting.
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