Here’s an interesting find sent by a tipster. Staples, the biggest office retailer in the United States, has a page showing an Apple TV with a list price of $49.99. While that price is very low, we were not able to add it to our cart or check out because the following page said “out of stock” (screenshots below). Staples also recommended a $24.99 Apple Lightning charge and sync cable when you visit the page. In fact, there is a bunch of Apple’s products sitting on “Mockup Pages” section.
Last year, 2012, was Tim Cook’s first full year at the helm, and the first full year without Steve Jobs. It was a year filled with new products and advancements, but it was also a year of controversy, mounting competition from companies like Google and Samsung, and a year of a rising—and later falling—stock share price.
To address the last year and the year ahead, Apple CEO Tim Cook summoned corporate employees to his Cupertino Campus’s De Anza 3 auditorium. With the company’s top executives in the first row, followed by several rows of employees, Cook spoke in his signature black, buttoned, untucked dress shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
Cook was reportedly pumped up during this Town Hall meeting, rallying troops amid questioning from analysts regarding Apple’s future as a global technology titan. According to multiple people in attendance at the meeting, Cook rallied his staff by discussing Apple’s latest earnings, its competition, and its future.
In July 2011, a federal jury in Texas awarded “patent licensing company” Personal Audio LLC $8 million in its patent infringement lawsuit against Apple. The jury found Apple infringed two valid patents related to downloadable playlists with its iOS devices as far back as the original iPod. One covered an “audio program player including a dynamic program selection controller,” while the other covered an “audio program distribution and playback system.” 9to5Mac has now learned Personal Audio LLC is attempting to target content creators directly, starting with a new patent infringement case in Texas against one of iTunes biggest podcasters, Adam Carolla’s Ace Broadcasting.
If the outcome of the case is anything like Personal Audio’s previous cases, it could have a major impact on podcasters and other content creators on iTunes and elsewhere. Personal Audio also sued and entered licensing agreements with Sirius XM Radio, Archos, Coby, RIM, Samsung, Amazon, and Motorola related to its downloadable playlist patents and others.
The new patent, issued just last year on Feb. 7, 2012, is quite broad and describes a “System for Disseminating Media Content Representing Episodes in a Serialized Sequence.” Personal Audio is also suing the popular Howstuffworks.com series, which like Ace Broadcasting, is a large podcasting presence on iTunes and across the web…
Once connected, you can use a wireless keyboard to completely control the Apple TV without using the included remote. The arrow keys function for navigation, the Return key is the play/pause, and the Escape key maps to ‘menu’ or up ‘one level’ functionality.
More importantly, searching for content becomes a thousand times easier when you can enter search terms with a hard keyboard.
Until now, you’ve been able to pair an iOS device to an Apple TV with the Remote app to handle keyboard entry, but it appears Apple is ready to expand that.
Early builds in testing of the next-generation Mac operating system, OS X 10.9, point to Siri and Maps integration coming to Mac computers next year, according to our reliable sources.
These sources say that early builds of OS X 10.9 integrate Apple’s Siri voice command software much like Apple’s newest iPad models running iOS 6.
It is currently uncertain if Siri will be available, if it goes past the early testing stages, in OS X 10.9 for all users. Siri on iOS devices is tied specifically to certain, newer iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches, so it is possible that Apple will make a similar decision for Siri on the Mac. However, Dictation, which uses a similar infrastructure and hardware resources as Siri, is available on all Macs capable of running Mountain Lion, the current Mac operating system that introduced Dictation.
In addition to that, Apple plans to integrate its so-far criticized and controversial mapping service into OS X as a framework for developers, according to people familiar with early testing. Like on iOS devices, if the feature moves past early testing, developers will be able to embed a map into their applications for the Mac App Store. More details after the break:
According to our sources, Apple’s already announced plans for November and December launches of the redesigned 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac lines are still on track. This refutes a report from French site MacBidouille which claimed that both the new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs would see their respective launches delayed until 2013.
Our sources say that Apple is already shipping new 21.5-inch iMacs to its distribution hubs across the United States and several other countries across the world. These sources also expect the 21.5-inch computers to be available to order from Apple’s online store by the end of this month. It is also likely that the new models will reach Apple’s physical retail stores by the end of November. More details after the break:
Following Apple’s major executive-related news this afternoon, Apple CEO Tim Cook has emailed employees with information on the announced changes. Additionally, Cook has shed light on some new details not included in the public press release. First of all, Cook thanks Apple’s iOS Senior Vice President Scott Forstall “for all of his many contributions to Apple over his career.” As for Forstall’s replacement, Craig Federighi, Cook notes that Federighi led the successful release of OS X Mountain Lion earlier this year.
I am also announcing that Scott Forstall will be leaving Apple next year and will serve as an advisor to me during the interim. I want to thank Scott for all of his many contributions to Apple over his career.
Perhaps in bigger news from this internal email, Cook says that Bob Mansfield, the new executive in charge of Apple’s new “Technologies” group will remain at Apple for two years. This is notable as Mansfield announced his retirement earlier this year. Mansfield came back to lead this new Technologies group, and Dan Riccio has filled the void of Mansfield’s former post as Senior VP of Hardware Engineering.
As part of this, I am thrilled to tell you that Bob will remain with Apple for an additional two years. Bob has led some of our most challenging engineering projects for many years.
As for John Browett’s departure, Cook is less thankful (as he was for Forstall). Cook adds an extra note regarding those in Apple’s retail division by saying, “this phenomenal team of talented and dedicated people works their hearts out making our customers happy. They have our respect, our admiration and our undying support.”
Cook also shares additional information on Jony Ive’s expanded role at Apple.
Cook ends his letter with a personal note, thanking everyone at Apple for working so hard:
Please join me in congratulating everyone on their new roles. I’d like to thank everyone for working so hard so that Apple can continue to make the world’s best products and delight our customers. I continue to believe that Apple has the most talented and most innovative people on the planet, and I feel privileged and inspired to be able to work with all of you.
Apple’s entry price for its upcoming smaller iPad is between the base model of the new, fifth-generation iPod touch ($299) and the currently shipping WiFi-only 16GB iPad 2 ($399). According to our sources, the base model of the smaller iPad will likely be priced at a minimum of $329 in the United States.
Two higher capacities of the smaller iPad will be available in the WiFi-only configuration. These will likely be priced at $100 premiums over each other at a minimum of $429 and $529.
It is possible that this base price for the smaller iPad could be higher, but our best guess is $329.
Apple’s smaller iPad will also come in a version that connects to cellular networks. Like the third-generation iPad, these models will come at a $130 premium over their corresponding storage capacity in the WiFi-only line. This comes out to likely minimum price points of $459, $559, and $659 for the WiFi + Cellular line…
Apple will announce a refreshed version of its full-sized, 9.7-inch Retina display iPad at its media event October 23rd, according to our sources. These people say that the new version of the iPad will retain the same $499, $599, and $699 WiFi-only price points, and the LTE line will retain the current $629, $729, and $829 pricing. With no price changes or additional storage capacities, we believe that the storage options of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB will also be retained.
Launching roughly half a year after the current third-generation iPad, this new iPad is said to be a tweaked model and not a complete revamp. As iMore and iLounge previously reported, we expect this new iPad to gain the smaller Lightning connector from the iPhone 5, fifth-generation iPod touch, and seventh-generation iPod nano. Also likely in the mix for this tweaked iPad is global LTE support, just like in the iPhone 5, according to a recent report from The Guardian. Apple could also use this opportunity to upgrade other internals like the processor, screen, battery, etc. but we don’t yet have specifics on this.
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Out of the many new iPad models coming at this event, these new full-sized iPads make up half of the SKUs. The other half belong to the smaller ‘mini’ iPad.
Alongside the smaller iPad, Apple plans to announce a new version of its Mac mini. Sources say that these Mac minis will come in two standard configurations, with different storage and processor options, and a third model that runs OS X Server.
These new Mac minis are said to begin shipping immediately after announcement. Apple last redesigned the Mac mini with a unibody aluminum enclosure in 2010, and last updated the computer with faster processors last summer. These current Mac minis are on last-generation chipsets and lack USB 3.0, so we should be seeing those components updated in these new models.
Alongside the smaller iPad, Apple will debut a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, according to a consistently reliable source at a high-profile U.S. retailer.
This new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display is said to pick up the thinner and lighter enclosure of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display that was released in June.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be sold in two configurations, with differing processors and storage, and will be available for purchase soon after introduction.
Like with the 15-inch MacBook Pro lines, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display will be sold (at a higher price) in addition to the current non-Retina display model. That computer was updated with faster processors and USB 3.0 in June.
The current 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display is codenamed D2, and its smaller sibling is in fact, as predicted this morning, dubbed D1 internally.
Apple hired Sally Cole as the Director of Employee Communications last month. Cole comes from cross-town rival Google, where she served as the Director of Internal Communications for almost six years. The Scarsdale native has a B.A. in history from Yale and a J.D./M.B.A. from nearby Stanford University, from which both companies hire liberally.
As someone intimately familiar with Internal Communications at Google, Cole’s experience could prove very valuable at Apple. Apple is rumored to be after Google Maps employees, for instance, where Cole’s Rolodex could prove “fruitful.” Google and Apple previously had a “no-poach” agreement instituted by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Clearly, that is no longer the case.
We just received (and verified headers of) an email exchange from a 9to5Mac reader to Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller, where the Apple executive gave his take on the small amount of scratches and chips that black iPhone 5 users have experienced. Our reader noted his black iPhone 5 saw some “scuffs, scratches and marks” around the band, and he wondered if Apple had any plans to fix or address the issue. Schiller responded:
Any aluminum product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver color. That is normal.
If you missed purchasing an iPhone 5 this weekend, we might have some good news for you. We are hearing Apple expects to launch its in-store product reservation system, Personal Pickup, for iPhone 5 tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern. Customers can use the Apple Store app or website between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. nightly to pre-purchase available iPhone 5 inventory for the next day. Because customers are actually purchasing the iPhone, they will have upwards of two weeks to pick up the phone (when it becomes available).
This certainly seems to be the best way to get your hands on Apple’s newest phone as ship times at Apple.com are still delayed “3-4 weeks”. Demand has been extremely high for this phone, so we recommend logging on to the reservation system as it becomes available.
Update: It appears Apple’s iPhone 5 Personal Pickup page has been updated ahead of the 10 p.m. launch. It reaffirms the reservation process which we outlined early this afternoon. All pre-purchased iPhone 5 units will be available for in-store pickup the next business day and any units not pre-purchased will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
We’ve received word that Apple is building another enormous data center—this time in Hong Kong SAR, China.
Apple recently finalized a location in the New Territories region of Hong Kong near the Shenzhen China border for the data center. We spoke to a bidding contractor employee who, on the condition of anonymity, told us the planned data center’s scale is unprecedented for his business: “There is simply nothing to compare it to and therefore it is hard to make estimates on size based on the materials required.” We were told that construction is to begin in Q1 2013, and it will likely take over a year for operations to start in the data center. The aim is to have it operational by 2015, which is the same time that Apple’s Spaceship Campus 2 is scheduled to go online.
According to our sources, Apple’s new, smaller 9-pin dock connector is dubbed “Lightning” internally. As of this evening, we believe that this name will extend to the new connector’s marketing name. The moniker makes sense for two reasons. One: it goes along with the Thunderbolt connector name on the Mac (Thunderbolt and lightning!). Two: perhaps “Lightning” means that the new dock connector will be able to sync via a computer at faster speeds than the current 30-pin connector. With Apple’s new USB3-enabled Macs, we’d hope so anyway. It will sell for around $20 though previous reports indicated$10
One thing to consider: Apple’s Thunderbolt ports have a little lightning bolt on them. How many newbs will mistakenly try to plug their Lightning cables into that port?
We’re also told that an entirely new version of Apple’s headphones will be announced tomorrow. Last week, a pair of new Apple earphones leaked onto the web (shown above, gallery/video here) with a unique new design. We’re told that these will be called “Earpods” and will retail for the same price as the current headphones – $29 in the US. The acoustics are obviously improved and they may not fall out of your ears every time you turn your head. We don’t now for sure if these will come standard with all Apple iPhones and iPods but that very well could be the case.
We’ve also received word that a couple variations of a new dock adapter between Lightning (get used to it!) and the 30-pin connector will be announced. The first version apparently clips onto the bottom of the new iOS devices. The second is a version with a little cable attached for accessories like tight-fitting cases.
According to a source at a high-profile U.S. retailer, the new iPod shuffle, which we previously reported on, will remain at its current 2GB capacity. It will come in the new lineup of 8 colors: pink, yellow, blue, green, purple, silver, ‘slate’ and red.
Update: This U.S. retailer source also says that the 4th-generation iPod touch will stick around, as we previously reported, but its storage capacity will be doubled from 8GB to 16GB. Though, it will likely keep the same $199 price point.
Lastly, we’re also told that Apple will ship a unique new ‘Loop’ accessory in multiple colors for the new iPod touch. This new accessory will come in white+black, white+red, white+pink, white+yellow, and white+blue and retail for around $10. Perhaps some of these colors will be seen on the fronts of the redesigned iPod touch line.
We expect Apple to announce these products tomorrow and for them to go on sale immediately.
Reliable sources recently provided 9to5Mac with official blueprints of Apple Campus 2 that detail and illustrate the mammoth project currently in development. (These are just a few of the confidential images.)
Solar panels cover the main building’s entire roof, and the images above depict additional outdoor and indoor aspects of the new structure. The exclusive slides named Foster + Partners as one of the architecture firms working on the project, and they cited Arup for consulting engineering, OLIN for landscape architecture, and Davis Langdon for construction. Previous reports indicated that construction is supposed to start later this year.
In related news: Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer sent neighbors brochures recently to solicit feedback on the project.
Earlier this week, we reported that the iPhone 5 (codenamed N42) will share the stage with a string of new iPod announcements on September 12th. At that time, we believed Apple would introduce two-to-three iPod refreshes next week, and now, we’ve received some more information on the matter. Based on the information we’ve received, Apple will be introducing a tweaked iPod shuffle, new iPod nano, and new iPod touches.
iPod shuffle:
According to our sources, a new iPod shuffle will be announced next week at or around the current $49 price point. We’re currently unsure of capacity. We’re also told that the changes to this new iPod shuffle will not be major changes. We’re also told that the new iPod shuffle will come in eight colors. That is up from the current line of five iPod shuffle colors.
iPod nano:
A new iPod nano is also said to be announced next week, but we’re currently unsure of technical specifics. The new iPod nano is said to have a completely new codename from last year’s model, which may point to some design and internal changes. Last year’s iPod nano update had the same design as the 2010 model, and its codename was the same as the 2010 iPod nano codename plus an “A.”
This new iPod nano, like the Shuffle, will come in eight colors. It appears that Apple may only have the higher-priced, higher configuration iPod nano this year. The current high-end of the iPod nano line is a 16GB player for $149. The price and capacity for this year’s model is still unconfirmed, though, but the price will likely not differ by much, if at all.
All these new lines will come in multiple colors, one of the lines will come in two size capacities, and the other two lines will come in a single storage capacity.
With the current iPod nanos and iPod shuffles both available in multiple colors (and with the nano currently available in two capacities and the shuffle in one), we think it is likely that new iPod nanos and iPod shuffles are launching next week.
However, it is possible that there is a third line as well (that, too, comes in multiple colors). With the iPod touch currently available in two colors and three capacities (black/white, 8GB, 32GB, 64GB), we don’t believe the iPod touch is the third line that comes in multiple colors.
As part the International keynote presentations at IFA this year, AMD exec and president of the HSA foundation, Phil Rogers, took the stage to give an update on the current state of the not-for-profit alliance. For those of you unfamiliar with the foundation, HSA (Heterogeneous System Architecture), is described as “a heterogeneous compute ecosystem, rooted in industry standards, for combining scalar processing on the CPU with parallel processing on the GPU while enabling high bandwidth access to memory and high application performance at low power consumption.”
While the addition of Samsung, among other partners Texas Instruments, ARM, AMD, and Imagination Technologies, was the big news of the day for most, a short demo by partner Apical was what really caught our attention.
Apical’s “Assertive Display” technology is already present in a few devices, such as Sharp’s AQUOS PHONE SH-01D, but during its demo for the HSA keynote, Apical showed off the tech working on an iPad…
Ahead of Apple’s likely September 12th iPhone-related media event, Apple has warned its retail store Genius Bars of low iPhone 3GS stock. According to a note sent to Genius Bar employees worldwide, “until further notice,” Genius Bars should perform the following for iPhone 3GSs: screen repairs, discuss the advantages of buying a new iPhone, and lastly, swapping out the full iPhone 3GS hardware.
The process of a screen repair or buying a new iPhone altogether conserves the limited amount of iPhone 3GS replacement units in Apple’s current global inventory.
With supplies of the iPhone 3GS so low, Apple even tells employees to swap out affected 3GSs with an iPhone 4 replacement unit. That is if the particular store is completely out of the 3GSs. Current Editorials previously noted signs of iPhone 3GS shortages at Apple Stores.
With the iPhone 3GS already being on the market since 2009, many believed that the iPhone 3GS would be discontinued when the 2012 version of the iPhone launches. However, Apple’s iOS 6-based support of the iPhone 3GS points to the iPhone 3GS remaining on the market in some fashion.
Even with these apparently heavy 3GS supply constraints, it is still difficult to determine if the 3GS will be discontinued when the new iPhone launches.
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