What Will iCloud Be?

With Steve Jobs’ WWDC keynote in just a handful of hours, the news feeds are afire with people opining on what we’ll see at the conference — especially since we know iOS 5, iCloud and Lion will be unveiled. But what are the details? It looks like iCloud might be bigger than we originally thought. Cult of Mac has a very interesting exclusive, and they say that iCloud will be accompanied by a refresh to Time Capsule, which will serve as a file host connected to iCloud. You back up your documents to Time Capsule, and then can use iCloud from any machine in the world to get at them.

John Gruber has written a lengthy post about what he knows, what he thinks is happening, and what he would like to happen. His sources are generally immaculate, but his key takeaway (in my opinion) is this “don’t think of iCloud as the new MobileMe; think of iCloud as the new iTunes.” As in, all your computers and devices sync files from iCloud, not from iTunes.

We’ll know more in just a handful of hours.

Apple Refunding MobileMe Subscriptions?

According to TUAW, a reader pinged them to let them now that his auto-renewal of MobileMe triggered this week, and that the money was immediately refunded back into his account. We haven’t heard any other reports of this happening, but this could be an indication of iCloud taking many of MobileMe’s features, and hopefully doing them for free.

Have any of our readers scored back their subscription fees from MobileMe? Or is this just an isolated incident? We’ll hopefully know a lot more in just over half an hour, when the WWDC keynote kicks in.

Target and Best Buy Offering Discounted iTunes Cards

Do of the nation’s biggest retailers are offering lower prices on iTunes gift cards. If you need to stock up on stocking stuffers and miscellaneous presents, this is a great time.

Best Buy will give you 15% off your iTunes card (with free shipping online!)

However, if you don’t mind doing a bit of legwork, Target has an even better deal. They’re offering 20% off in-store. Just search their weekly ad for Apple, and you’ll see the discount. The discount is for iBooks or App cards, but it’s all the same, and just puts money on your iTunes account.

What I’m hoping is that Lion will be released via the Mac App Store, and I can use this to score a good deal on it.

[via DealMac, DealsPlus]

Last Minute Rumors: Free Texting For iOS Users?

This is coming in at the literal 11th hour, but This Is My Next’s Joshua Topolsky (late of Engadget), has posted a major rumor. His sources tell him that Apple is introducing their own texting network, which will be free for iOS users. If correct, any texts between iOS users will skip the carrier — saving you some money — and travel for free. This would also be a major hit against BlackBerry and BBM — their IM client which retains many loyal users.

He also claims that you’ll be able to swipe up from the homescreen for notifications and widgets, and that some form of notifications will be on the lock screen.

Very interesting.

iCloud to be more about replacing iTunes than actually streaming music? [rumor]

Could iCloud be much more than a streaming music service and data store? John Gruber of Daring Fireball seems to think so. He has put together a post on what he expects at today’s WWDC Apple keynote and reveals a snippet of fourth hand information that is quite interesting.

Don’t think of iCloud as the new MobileMe; think of iCloud as the new iTunes.

So what can we glean from this? Well, if you imagine buying a new iOS device – instead of taking it home and tethering it via USB to a Mac or PC, all you would have to do is input your iCloud / iTunes log in details. Your device would then download all your apps, music, game saves and everything else that iTunes currently handles over the air, without the need to be tethered to a computer.

We assume that this would all have to be done over a WiFi connection due to 3G data limits. Not that much longer to wait to find out for definite! We will be live blogging all the events as they unfold later today.

What do you think? Would this be a feature you would like to see implemented by Apple? Let us know in the comments!

[Daring Fireball]

 

Is this a screen shot of an iPhone running iOS 5?

TechCrunch has got its hands on a picture that may well be from an iPhone running iOS 5. The picture shows a notification bar at the top of the screen, under the time. The notification bar shows two new twitter mentions. Now this could very well be a fake; based on previous information that Twitter may be baked into iOS 5. We don’t know and neither does TechCrunch at this stage.

They do note that the iPhone shown could be European; as the weather icon shows 23 degrees and sunny rather than the US 73 degrees. The icons are in the correct out of the box order; however, the camera icon has changed to black from silver.

What do you think? Is this real, fake or really fake? Let us know in the comments!

[TechCrunch]

 

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Monday, June 6

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

Cube Dog: Cube Dogs are adorable, 3D, interactive pets that you can customize to your hearts content! They love it when you rub their tummies, they play baseball, and they even fend of ninja attacks. Build the perfect pet, and snap photos to share with friends! [Free - iTunes link]

Instagram: Now you can view photos that you’ve liked, add a link to your website in your profile, and auto-complete for hashtags. [Free - iTunes link]

ScoreMyDay: An everyday app to register your daily scores and achievements. It’s also a great way to share them with the world, without losing your privacy. Create personal, professional or common labels to identify each score class. [$0.99 - iTunes link]

Mighty Fin: Fin needs a vacation. He’s signed up for Shady Sal’s suspiciously cheap — and possibly deadly — Round the World Tour. [$0.99 - iTunes link]

PhotoNoter: This app makes it easy to write beautiful notes on your photos. You can write directly on the photo with your finger just like sketching or drawing with a pen. [$1.99 - iTunes link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

Follow along after the break to watch a trailer for Mighty Fin.

WWDC 2011 Edition – From the Forums

If you are looking to kill a little time waiting for Steve to take the stage for his WWDC keynote why not to spend some of that time in our forums speculating with other forum members? In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already, head on over and register now!

WWDC expectations

What feature do you want to see included with iOS 5?

It’s very probable that we will not see any announcements regarding a iPhone 5 but that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss it.

Did I mention we are giving away a white iPhone 4?

See you in the forums!

Developer Spotlight: Martin Dufort and Fred Brunel of WhereCloud

TiPb’s developer spotlights are like DVD/iTunes Extras for the App Store — a weekly look behind the scenes at the programers and designers that bring you the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games you love. This week Rene talks with Martin and Fred from WhereCloud.

What are your names? Martin Dufort (CEO), Fred Brunel (CTO)

What’s your company’s name? WhereCloud Inc

Where do you live? Montreal, Canada

Where can we find you on the web? http://www.wherecloud.com

And on Twitter? @mdufort, @fbrunel, @wherecloud

What apps do you make? NFB Films for iPhone and iPad, YellowPages for iPhone and iPad (with more than 2M downloads), Reportage for Twitter, LolePop with iPad-driven LoleWall

What apps, other than your own, are currently among your favorites? Camera+, Path, Zite, Flipboard, Tiny Wings

How long have you been a developer? Martin: I graduated in 1984 and been developing software since then. However nowadays, my software involvement is very limited. Doing a bit of Objective-C and some Python/Tornado to support some of the applications we do.

Fred: I’ve been a developer as long as I can remember, started young (around 10) and graduated in 2000. I’ve worked in a lot of startups for the last 15 years, always being on the edge of technology (from 3D games to mobile apps).

How long have you been an iOS developer? Martin: Since the SDK was available. Fred: Same here.

Do you develop for any other platform in addition to iOS? If so, which one(s)? We do web development only to support our mobile initiatives, we also have done some Android development. However 95% of our work is on iOS.

What primary computer setup do you use for your iOS development? Martin: I have a MacBook Air with 2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo with 4GB ram and a 256GB SSD. Connected to a 24in DELL Monitor. Fred: I have the latest MacBook Pro 2011: 2.3 Ghz Core i7, 8GB RAM, ATI Radeon 1GB RAM, 512 SSD. Connected to a 24in DELL monitor. I also have a 23in Cinema Display at home.

What iOS device(s) do you personally use most often? Martin: I use my iPhone 4 a lot. I also have an iPad 2 but given that my MacBook Air is so light I don’t use the iPad as much as I want to. Fred: Like Martin, my iPhone 4 is my primary mobile device. I also have an iPad 2 of course and I use it pretty much everyday. I also have a Kindle.

What mobile devices, other than iOS, do you currently use? Martin: Google Nexus One, Samsung Captivate S Fred: Martin is the Android guy, I don’t use any of those, even though I’ve been testing them intensively.

What’s your favorite thing about developing for iOS? Fred: The tools and the framework are really mature (after all, the foundation has been around for 15 years). You’re pretty close to developing for a gaming console. You can make the best of the platform and make sure users have the best possible experience. I like that Apple is eating their own dog food, the way they design apps is always a great inspiration.

What’s your least favorite thing about developing for iOS? Fred: The flexibility of UIKit could be improved a lot. You can see that Apple designed it for their own purpose first, and third-party second. It becomes complicated if you want to do things on the edge of the framework, but there is always a way to do it. That said, the same could be said from other platforms, it becomes very hard to make a UI framework flexible & performant in all situations. Apple is always about making compromise on the technology to ensure that the user-experience is the best.

What feature would you most like Apple to add to the iOS 5 SDK? Martin: The ability to sync content and application using a wireless connection. Support for NFC. Fred: Beyond the obvious things you can read in the rumors, I’d like to be surprised!

What feature would you most like Apple to add to the App Store? Martin: The ability for a developer to comment on reviews for applications Fred: Being able to contact the customer directly (or through a form within the App Store) would be very important, sometimes you get back reviews because the user missed something. Continue to improve the discovery of new apps (Apple should also begin to sort apps out, there is still a lot of crap in there). The user experience of the iOS App Store app is not my favourite, I think there is room for improvement.

If we were to eavesdrop on you while you were coding, what curse word would we hear you use the most? Martin: Calisse de tabarnack! Fred: Eh oh, fait pas chier!

What do you do when you’re not coding iOS apps? Riding the road bike (Just got a new BMC SLX01) or cross-country skiing. Fred: It’s summer! Partying with my friends, biking (not like Martin) and having good time in the city. I’m trying to keep a balance, but I’m kind of obsessed with technology, I just can’t help myself to spend time reading and experimenting with new stuff outside the job (like I’ve always done).

What should we look for from you next? Martin: We are looking at providing a very interesting framework combining the team experience we put in all our projects. Fred: Yeah, putting our own iOS framework on the market would be our next move. It’s taken from our experience building dozen of products for the last 2.5 years, as well as our experience in designing systems for the gaming industry. We like to call it the framework Apple forgot. As far as products are concerned, we’re always taking some time to experiment with new ideas and build prototypes. So stay tuned!

Bonus Question: With Reportage, you created one of the most innovative Twitter clients we’ve ever seen. What are your thoughts on Twitter now trying to lead developers away from producing strict client apps? Martin: That is a very interesting question especially since Twitter is really trying to own the client application space. We are seeing this now that they have acquired TweetDeck and introduce new policies to access Direct Messages. This is putting additional burden on us to provide a compliant application. Not sure it is worth it in the end. But Reportage was and still is a very innovative and we tried to break the timeline-based reading mechanism. However the mind shift was too big. We even got a 2 mice review by MacWorld.

Merci Martin et Fred!

Apple USB Power Adapter with Sync and Charge Cable 50% off!

Whether you’ve had an iPhone for a while or just picked up a new Verizon iPhone, nothing comes in more handy than an extra Apple charge and sync cable with USB power adapter. One for home and one for the office, one for travel and one for your school bag, whatever the combination a good backup is essential and a good backup at 50% off… well that’s just outstanding.

Shop Apple USB Power Adapter with Sync and Charge Cable now…

Warning: iPhone 4GS/5G Phishing Attacks Spread Malware

Speculation and rumors are floating around today as it’s Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference where, in previous years, CEO Steve Jobs has announced new models of the iPhone. There’s a just a tiny (and I mean very tiny) chance that Apple will announce a new iPhone today at their annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference, despite slight hints by both ATT and Verizon. Though the time for Mr. Jobs to announce anything like that or related has yet to come, cyber-hackers have been launching phishing scams that take advantage of all of the pre-announcement hype to infect PCs with Trojans.

Graham Cluley, a technology consultant at Sophos, has posted part of the threat in his blog post about a phishing attack by scammers. The email supposedly boasts the “new iPhone 5G”, or in some cases the 5GS in the form of enticing pictures of a new iPhone with a sliding keyboard along with some text and links. The links have been seen to be linking to malware targeting only PC users, so you really huge Apple fanboys are safe! The text from the email:

Subject:

Finally. The amazing iPhone 5. Now available in black edition.

Text:

Introducing the iPhone that lets you do more than ever. And do it amazingly faster. Launch and switch between applications quickly. Bigger display, transparent mode, better cloud integration. Shoot, edit, and share video like never before. Slimmer, faster and sleeker. Discover many more features that make iPhone 5G S the best iPhone yet.

If you can easily recognize a fake iPhone in an email, and receive an email that cleverly claims to be from noreply@apple.com, but also not-so-cleverly spells iPhone wrong (yes, I noticed that from the picture above), then immediately delete. The worst thing you can do is click on the links.

On a better note, who’s ready for iOS 5, iCloud, OSX Lion and more? Stay tuned to iPhoneAlley’s homepage for all of the news – also, if you want to be surprised, tune into Michael’s post later tonight to watch the whole keynote spoiler-free.

[Sophos and PCWorld]

AMOLED Display for the Next-generation iPad?

Although it may sound like a good idea, it is unlikely to happen because Samsung are not keen on letting Apple get its hands on their active-matrix organic LED technology (AMOLED). Maybe a lawsuit (current) can help them in their cause.

However ’9to5mac’ reports that according to ‘The Korea Herald’ sources, Apple is courting Samsung with a request to build AMOLED displays for iPad 3. A deal with Samsung has become a priority matter for Tim Cook, Apple’s COO, who has been running the Cupertino company in Job’s absence.

Apple wants to tap into Samsung’s AMOLED technology for an upgraded version of the iPad2 –  considered by many as the iPad3 – that is likely to be launched toward the end of this year. During Cook’s recent last week, it seems as if Apple offered Samsung a substantial advance for the AMOLED displays.

AMOLED technology does, indeed, have many benefits, such as lower power consumption, high refresh rate, good outdoor visibility and realistic vivid colors.

But the deal is not likely to happen, because it sounds strange for Apple to launch the iPad 3 at the end of 2011. It seems as though ‘The Korea Herald’ source is not familiar with Apple’s rules. Reference to Apple’s history would not provoke this kind of fluff.

Another reason is that it would be illogical for Samsung to allow Steve Jobs to beat them to market with the world’s first AMOLED tablet, ’9to5mac’ reports, because Samsung is more likely to use the technology on its own tablets.

And finally there is that lawsuit again. But it is difficult to say something will never happen, because large sums of money have a habit of making consumer’s dream become reality. But that is next year’s story?

iOS will Feature Widgets and Revamped Notifications

As Apple approaches the coming WWDC, new rumors are starting to surface about the new iOS and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. TechCrunch are already reporting that Apple will unveil a new version of its mobile operating system, which has been described by its writer MG Siegler as having completely revamped notifications and widgets.

That is not much of a surprise in view of happenings since last June when the Cupertino company hired him to create a notification system for the Palm’s webOS. Since then there have been several patent filings from Apple to show that they are also interested in creating always-in-sync widgets for touchscreen devices.

Sources have notified TechCrunch the reason that Apple is imploring journalists from all over the world to attend this year’s show is because the software announcements are expected to be extensive, while the expected change in the iOS is to make up for the lack of new hardware to be shown at this year’s event.

Although we have to sleep several more nights before this year’s WWDC takes place, Jan Michael Cart could not wait for the Apple presentation – he created his own version of how a widget will work on iOS 5. You can view a video on his web site – janmichaelcart.com.

Maps and You Are Never Lost

Maps+ is a new and free application developed by IZE and recently released in the App Store for iPhone and iPad. This is not their first application designed for the iOS, OpenMaps is still available from the App Store, although it does not use Google Maps. Now they have developed a map application that does use Google Maps and it does offer the user some useful features.

When you launch the application it is possible to customize the buttons that overlay the map. Further, Maps+ offers a location-based alarm on the map – now you set your alarm to remind you to get off at a train station!

Maps+ also offers Twitter integration, which could prove interesting – using Twitter’s geolocation support you can now see all your friends and people you follow on a map, see who replied to you and from where, and you can even report a spammer’s location from within the application.

Maps+ is free for download, but it does have its limitations:

If you want to enable the Twitter feature or to unlock these limitations, there is an in-application purchase for a professional version at $3.

ooVoo Video Chat for iPhone

ooVoo has released the long-awaited update to its video chat client for iPhone recently, so all those who downloaded the 1.0 version can now fully enjoy the application because the developers have fixed all the reported bugs.

The application offers free video calls to PC, Mac, Android phones and, of course, other iPhones. There is also text messaging, as you would expect from this category of application. But it does have its limitations, as it only supports up to three people on audio or video calls. PC or Mac user can receive chats in their browser, and the application does support both 3G and Wi-Fi.

When the application came out earlier, the user reviews were positive. The ooVoo application can be downloaded free from the App Store, but it also offers a paid version with enhanced features that include calls to landlines with up to 500 minutes per month and up to a maximum of six people on video and audio calls. This paid version is ad-free and it costs $10 per month – this could be useful for those who do a lot of conference calls.

Further, it is possible to get more talk time, call recording and other features if you are prepared to pay $30 per month. Full details are available from their website.

ooVoo shows us that, although ‘FaceTime’ is a useful application, it is still Wi-Fi only – so it has its limitations – so that it is only possible to call another iDevice or Mac. ooVoo joins a market where Skype, Tango and Fring are fighting for a bigger market share. It requires iOS 4.0 or later, and Mac or PC versions can be downloaded from their website.

Analysts: iPhone 4S heading to Sprint and T-Mobile

There have been a lot of rumors about the upcoming version of the iPhone.  People have been wondering whether it will be named 4GS or iPhone 5. Other questions that people ponder with include whether it will be a 4G, available on different couriers or probably adopt the near field kind of communication system. There are two companies that specialize in research who have come up with their opinion of the new upcoming version.

Bernstein Research was of the view that the upcoming iPhone will not feature the technology that is referred to as the NFC. This technology is become increasingly popular in the US smartphones industry. Apple may not be interested to jump straight in and make use of this technology. In this day and age, the NFC technology is mainly being utilized to make the mobile kind of purchases. With Apple, making a purchase will involve swiping your card over the reader and you are good to go. The NFC technology is also being utilized to download updates. A good example would be having two phones of the Nokia brand connecting or having the phone positioned at close proximity to the NFC tag. This makes a totally fresh level to be downloaded and unlocked. Apple will definitely require additional time to make this technology perfect and therefore they may have to wait another year to release a phone that makes use of the NFC technology.

When it comes to the name of the next iPhone brand, both researchers companies agree that the phone may be called the iPhone 4GS. This phone is expected to be an upgrade of the 4G. It will be fitted with an A% processor and stronger camera. However, the technical kind of updates may only be visible with the HSPA kind of support and the inclusion of different networks such as the T mobile and even sprint. China Mobile may also be included in the list. The opinion of an analyst from Forbes, Jeffries & Co stipulates that the iPhone 4Gs should cut across more carriers by the year end.

The iPhone 4S may just be a good option for Apple since they were not able to get the 4G LTE Qualcomm kind of chips on time. With the news breaking that the latest version of the iPhone may be made available to the four largest networks, T-Mobile and Sprint will definitely be interested to be the owners of an iPhone on the network that they have accommodated for a long time.

The T- Mobile has got a large following probably due to its price and excellent network coverage. The users have been anticipating having the iPhone on the T- Mobile. The IPhone 4S may be released in September but it may also go ahead and make a release of the iphone 5 a few months late once the chipsets of the 4GS are ready for use.  Making a release of the 4Gs on new carriers is an intelligent move to have the iPhone clients subjected to a two year kind of contract without having knowledge that they could be another faster version of the iPhone on the way to the market.

 

Four Track – The Music App For Audio Enthusiasts

As a songwriter, musician or singer you will love this new app for the iPhone – FourTrack. If you love music, than you will also enjoy this app because it will turn your iPhone into a genuine four-track audio recorder. If you are familiar with multi-track recording software, like Pro Tools, Garage Band, Audacity, n-Track or Logic you know what a multi-track recorder does. For the rest of you a multi-track recorder allows you to record one track, listen to that track while you record another track and so on. It can be used by singers, guitar players, piano players and others who want to capture music ideas on their iPhone while traveling, exercising or just for their own amusement.
Here´S How You Can Use Four Track:
You choose a tempo and turn on the built-in metronome and then record your acoustic guitar, piano or else on the first track. When you are happy with your guitar/piano work you can already listen to this first track in your earphones while you can record a bass on the second track. If you are happy with both of first two tracks you can listen them in your earphones while in the same time record a third track, probably a harmony or a double vocal part. And if you want to go even further and you are confident in your ability to create even more complex tracks you can add even a second guitar part or a second vocal part on the fourth track.
After you are satisfied with your current recording, you can mix the tracks by adjusting the track levels (volume) and the controls (stereo image left or right). You can mix the tracks by making the fourth track the loudest while the second track will be the quietest, and while track one and three will be somewhere between this two. It´s even possible to have the track two about halfway between the center and left speaker and the other three tracks completely other ways. Another great feature of FourTrack is the possibility of enhancing the recorded sounds by applying some EQ (equalizer) or compression. When you are finally happy with how everything sounds you can export the tracks to a WAV file. You can export either all four tracks as a stereo mix or four individual tracks each one separate. If you export the tracks individually you can then import them back into a desktop audio program such as Garage Band, Audacity etc and further enhance, mix or add filters.
The sound quality of FourTrack is excellent, and you can make it even better if you use a professional headset or external microphone instead of the iPhone´s built in mic. Long time ago you could record a multi-track song only in professional recording studios. Fourtrack´s excellent audio quality and features are just mind blowing. If you are a singer, song writer or you play an instrument or just looking to fill your time you can be certain you´ll have a lot of fun creating your own multi-track recordings with FourTrack.

Iphone 5 Display: Apple Invests On Glass Cutters

It is only prudent to acknowledge the fact that Apple is a very rich company.  The screen on the iPhone 5 is some thing worth looking at. It has seen the company purchase hundreds of glass cutters so as to provide the iPhone 5 with a cover glass that is covered.  Apple has made a decision to invest on this due to the high price of the machines. Manufacturers’ definitely play on the small profit margins and thus would not want to go for an investment that is just an experiment. Apple made a decision to pay up for the machines in a bid to give the iPhone 5 the look it deserves.

Coming up with a curved glass for the smartphones is a rather recent technology. This has resulted to the yields from the screen being much lower. Apple desires to make some improvements on these yields which makes the glass cover for the iPhone 5 very practical. Apple requires producing millions of this without any manufacturers defect.

Apple is actually not the first company to make use of the curved glass since the Nexus S from Samsung used this technology before. The iPod Nano has already made use of the curved glass. If Apples ultimate goal is to come up with the curved glass and combine it with the tapered bezel free, then this phone will be something to talk about. The iPhone 5 is intended to be thinner and smaller as compared to the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 5 will be thinner and have a smaller sim card so as to accommodate additional features. Apple has a challenge on its hands to ensure that it is able to work with smaller space and yet fit in all the features that it desires.

The Apple fans all over the globe have been longing to witness the introduction of the iPhone 5.  A lot of speculation and expectations have been made by the aspirants who expect the features to be more advanced as compared to the iPhone 4.  Apple may even provide its users with the chance to make use of the credit cards on the iTunes to pay up for the goods that are outside the stores.

The iPhone has definitely changed the face of the mobile phone industry and with the wake of the iPhone 5 there is a lot of anticipation from the Apple enthusiasts. The cost will definitely not come cheap though on the other hand it is worth it. Other than the curved glass, the iPhone 5 will be something worth purchasing. The features are better and stronger. Though Apple had the intentions of making use of the e-sim in a bid to create more space, this was highly discouraged by the experts whose particular concern was on the security and authentification that the physical sim card provides. This will see the IPhone 5 have a physical sim card that is much smaller as compared to the one used in the other versions of the iPhones.

 

iPhone 5: Slimmer!

Since the inception of the iPhones into the market, the face of the mobile phone industry has really changed. This can be attributed to the fact that the iPhone is more than a simple mobile device. It is a smart phone that provides powerful features that the user can enjoy. There are different models of the iPhone in the market today with each being an upgrade of the other. The technology is getting better by the day and one wonders what next for Apple.

The iPhone 5 is definitely something to watch out for. It is designed to be smaller, slimmer with a tiny sim card. The Orange network realized that Apple had a desire to eliminate the sim cards from the phones.  Apple has actually been trying to discuss this possibility with the networks that are to design a software solution for this. This venture is referred to as the e-sim. However, the networks have pointed out that this could be a terrible idea because of factors such as security and even the verification that is offered by the physical kind of sim card. Apple understood this point and instead of this approach decided to design smaller sim cards.

The main reason behind coming up with the smaller sim card is actually the fact that Apple requires additional space.  The next iPhone which is IPhone 5 is designed to be much smaller and thinner as compared to the iPhone 4. This will definitely require more space and therefore if the sim card is smaller then more features can be fitted. Since more space is desired, then a reduction in the size of the sim card is required.

All the rumors about the iPhone 5 point towards having a slimmer gadget. The issue about it being too small can be contended since it will have a much bigger display in comparison to the iPhone 4. Going with the word that is being spread around, the iPhone 5 should have a design that is tapered fitted with a design that has got dimensions of four inch between the edges. The cover made of glass will take on a curved shape based on the fact that Apple has recently purchased machines specially designed to cut glass. In general the phone will be smaller which makes Apple face the challenge of looking for space to fit in all the features that they require on the phone. Doing away with the sim card sounded great but since it is not recommended by the experts then Apple has to think out of the box for other kind of options.

Most people would want to buy a new iPhone but are challenged with resources. On the web you can find people who are selling their iPhones in a bid to upgrade. Most of these iPhones are in good condition and therefore landing on a good deal would not be that difficult. The best approach is to carry out extensive research online and who knows you could be the next owner of an iPhone from Apple.

 

Iphone Tracking Made Easy

Imagine the thought of having to loose your iPhone after spending so much money to buy it. The good news is that IPhone tracking is available and the technology will allow one to trace his or her iPhone in case it gets stolen or lost. The reality is that the iPhone is not cheap and therefore a lot of care and diligence has to be given to it. Technology has made it possible to track the iPhone right to its location with the use of the iPhone tracking software programs. There are quite a number of online companies that have invested into this venture which provides one with an option of selecting the tracking software program that he or she would require. Most of these programs are easy to download through online.
How does iPhone tracking work?
IPhone tracking can be done using different kinds of methods. There is a chip kind of hardware that can be utilized within the phone. This device is able to provide you with the information that you may require. These devices are becoming outdated and therefore going down this route would not really be the best approach. Getting a software program is the best approach to use. This software is fitted within the iPhone once and for all and it will work perfectly as long as the phone is functional.
The best iPhone Tracker
There are some companies online that are in the business of manufacturing the iPhone tracker software devices. It is therefore advisable to go through the different websites and get to read about the products. In most of the sites you will be exposed to product reviews that will greatly assist you in determining the opinion of other users. There are certain features that you can look out for such as the GPS tracking, sms tracking and even email tracking. It is possible to make use of the history on the web browser and also the contact information that is available. With this information in place, then you should be in a position to acquire the best iPhone tracker. In case you do not get good reviews online, then keep checking as there are many options that are available.
The iPhone tracker is one good example of a tracking software program that works well. It has received high accolades in the market and happens to be among the top rated in its class. It can be easily downloaded and it will take a few hours to do this. This software program can easily be tracked on the GPS map which makes it possible for you to be in the picture of what is happening.
For all those people who own iPhones it is definitely worth it to buy a tracker. This can be attributed to the fact that you may have no idea about the security of your phone which makes it essential to take all the appropriate measures to protect this investment. The iPhone is an investment that should be safeguarded.

Used iphones Online: Getting A Good Deal!

It can be rather tricky to try and locate a cheap used iphone. However, if you are determined to accomplish the same, there are certain strategies that one can use. With the evolution in technology, the iphone has got different models available such as the 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4G and even the 5G which was launched recently.

An iphone is one device that deserves to be cherished due to its great functionality. Owning an iPhone is a dream come true to many people who are faced with limited resources. There are those on the other hand who would like to upgrade their iPhones and thus make them available on platforms such as eBay at a very affordable price.

By all standards the iPhones can be classified as being expensive. They need extra care and most of the used iPhones are in great condition. Ebay happens to be the most ideal place to purchase a used iPhone online. There are certain things that you should look out for before making the ultimate purchase.

Ask questions

Before making the purchase, do not shy away from asking all sorts of questions in relation to the iPhone and its functionality. Inquire if the iPhone has got warranty and for how long. Request the seller to provide you with additional photos of the entire phone in a bid to detent if they are any kind of damages on it.

Inquire about a return policy:

Most of the legitimate sellers on eBay should offer a return policy in case the product does not meet the buyer’s standards. It is worth noting that eBay does not have a specific policy on this and therefore be careful not to deal with the unscrupulous sellers.

Look out for damages:

Once you have finally got hold of the iPhone, the first thing is to check it out for any kind of damage that probably was not listed earlier. Water damages are often very common and are a silent killer for the phone. It is not very easy to identify a phone that has been through water damage until you are able to put it on. Check out the phone for scratches and dents which is also a very common problem with the iPhones.

There are also other dealers on the web who sell the used iPhones. With the aid of the search engine optimization, you should be able to get a detailed list of dealers. However, one should be very careful not to be scammed since there are those who utilize the web as an avenue to reap people of there hard earned cash.

Once you identify the used iPhone on the web, it is very vital to ensure that you negotiate with the dealer and try and get the best offer possible. Try and identify if the dealer is legitimate before making an expensive mistake. As mentioned earlier, owing an iPhone is a dream come true for many people and the good news is that you should not be scared of by the prices at Apple stores.

 

Apple Releases WWDC Universal App

If you’re lucky enough to have scored a ticked to this year’s WWDC, why not grab the app to go with it? The free app from Apple. Unfortunately, you need to be a registered attendee to use the app — so those of us stuck at home can’t even vicariously live through it. The app can be used for all sorts of scheduling and organizing for your time at the Moscone Center. You can create your schedule, look at a map, find news, or check out regularly updated images from the event. Cool!

Official description after the jump:

The WWDC 2011 app is your mobile guide to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Access a range of conference information on-the-go from your iPhone or iPad. You can quickly search the conference schedule, make a reservation at the User Interface, App Review, iTunes Connect, Program Support, or Developer Publications lab, view floor diagrams of Moscone West, and create a custom schedule of the sessions, labs, and events you plan on attending.

Reserve Time at the Labs
The WWDC 2011 app allows you to make a reservation at the User Interface, App Review, iTunes Connect, Program Support, or Developer Publication lab. Once you make a lab reservation, it will appear in the schedule section of the app when you filter your view by Favorites.

Sessions and Labs Schedule
View the daily conference schedule including lunchtime and evening events. Filter your view to search by technology, platform, sessions, or labs.

Create Your WWDC Schedule
Tap on the detail view of any session, lab, or event. Then tap “Add to Favorites”. Your selections will be added to the Favorites section of the app and can be updated on-the-go.

Locate Sessions and Labs
Easily find your way around Moscone West with detailed floor maps. You can also tap on a specific session or lab for the level and location where you need to go.

Conference News
Stay up-to-date with all the announcements during the week. The WWDC 2011 app provides you with the latest news as soon as it’s announced.

Conference Photos
View photos of the WWDC experience. Images from the sessions, labs, and special events will be added daily.

[via MacStories]

iCloud Icon Revealed

Courtesy of AppleInsider. Lion + iOS 5 + iCloud = WWDC. Related shot from MacRumors. The cloud icon looks pretty much exactly like we expected it to. No surprises there.

iCloud To Be $25/Year, Free With iTunes Purchase?

The LA Times has some interesting info on iCloud, and if it’s accurate, this is the first major hint we’ve seen of the pricing. According to their sources, streaming your music will cost “about $25 a year”, but will initially be offered as a free trial to people who purchase things off iTunes.

Wouldn’t it be cool if it was totally free for your iTunes purchases, and you only had to pay if it was from somewhere else? Personally, I’d much prefer that.

They also say “Apple would also sell advertising around its iCloud service,” so there may be ads in the service, even though we’re already paying for it.

In related news, Apple has apparently finally signed Universal Music Group up for iCloud, meaning that all the major record labels are now on board.

[via MacRumors]

Mossberg Rips Into Adobe CEO Over Crappy Flash On Android

One of the things that iOS still gets the most flack for is that Flash doesn’t run on the platform — and it does on Android. Yet reviews of Flash on Android are…mixed at best. During the All Things D conference, Walt Mossberg took time in his interview with Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to lay out some verbal smackdown. You can watch the video above (ironically Flash encoded, or watch it here). For those who don’t want to sit through the vid, here’s the relevant transcript, via Cult of Mac:

Mossberg: What’s the deal between you and Steve Jobs? He was here last year, and he had a chance to expand on what he had previously written about [Flash], and summarized, he said “Well, I think our duty is to pick technologies in the ascendancy. We feel like Flash is not on the ascendency, we think HTML 5 is, so that’s who we decided to go with for iOS Devices. What’s your respons eto that?

Narayen: There are a lot of misperceptions out there. When it first broke, people talked about the fact that they thought it was a technology issue, and I think it’s become fairly clear over the last year that it’s not about the technology: it’s about a business model issue. It’s about control of a platform. It’s the control of the app store that’s really at issue here. The value proposition Flash has is that we allow people to author programs once and get them to as many devices as possible. We’ve done that with Android. We will have 130 million phone devices that will have Flash on them by the end of the year…

Mossberg: And I have yet to test a single one where Flash works really well. I’m sorry. They struggle on those Android devices.

Oh, snap!

AT&T Claims To Be Working On Shared Data Plan

Why is it that I have to pay for two separate data accounts for my iPhone and iPad (and 3G modem, if you have one)? Why can’t AT&T combine all of these devices into a single plan, and just let you share minutes and data between them? Well, it looks like something in that vein may be in the works. At the D9 conference, AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega said that the carrier is “working on” a shared plan.

Given AT&T glacial pace on implementing useful features, I’d expect this in time for the successful construction of a moon base.

While we’re throwing around good ideas, how about rollover megabytes? Let me stash the ones I don’t use.

[via Engadget]

Found Sounds: “One More Thing”

One More Thing (WWDC 2011 Song) by Smixx
To help you get amped up for next week’s WWDC, lets get a bit of nerdcore rap going. Rapper and developer Cory Smith has created this fine piece of work in excitement for Job’s keynote at WWDC, and our hopes that are pegged on the infamous “One More Thing.”

Here are some of the lyrics, in case you’re wondering:

Phil Schiller told us
we wouldn’t want to miss this
would have been gold
if there’d been more specifics
so I look to Gruber
discern his predictions
to see if the rumours
will turn into fiction
damn this consumer addiction
to all these gadgets
and the magic within them
all the designs
by jonny ive
so I guess I better check who’s blogging live
can’t wait to download the developer preview

Tight.

[via TechCrunch]

Did Apple Drop $150m On iCloud Streaming Rights?

The New York Post has an interesting comment about Apple’s push to get all the major music publishers signed up for iCloud:

Apple will fork over between $100 million and $150 million in advanced payments to the four major music labels in order to get its iCloud off the ground, three separate sources told The Post. The Cupertino, Calif., tech giant has agreed to pay the labels between $25 million to $50 million each, as an incentive to get on board, depending on how many tracks consumers are storing. The size of the advance payments have been a major hold-up for Google, which had been negotiating with the music companies and now will likely have to pony up higher fees to get a rival cloud service into action, said music industry sources.

If true, I guess Apple’s immense war chest if going to good use to get all of the big four on board. Hopefully Apple manages to recoup the loss with the rumored $25 annual fee for the service — though they might have trouble if we see another Ping-like flop on our hands.

[via 9to5]

Check Out The Apple Store’s Amazing 10th Anniversary Poster

MacRumors have grabbed this incredible shot of a special poster that Apple has been sticking up behind the scenes at their stores. That’s right, this moving piece of work is kept in the employee only area, where plebs like us don’t get to see it. The poster begins:

In the last 10 years, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve learned to treat every day with the same enthusiasm we had on the first day. We’ve learned the importance of giving our customers just as much attention as they give us. And we’ve learned the art of hiring the right people for the right positions. We’ve learned it’s better to adapt to the neighborhood rather than expecting the neighborhood to adapt to us. Which is why we spend so much time and energy building stores the way we do…”

You can see the full transcription here.

Apple’s always been immensely successful at tugging our heart strings, and it seems their staff is just as valid a target as we are.

Did Apple Hire A Jailbreak Dev For Notifications?

This delves pretty far into rumor territory, but could prove to be interesting. Peter Hajas is a developer who crafted the MobileNotifier app for jailbreakers, a complete notification redesign. However, a couple of weeks ago he quit the community and moved to California to start a new job — and there’s reason to think it may be with Apple. In a blog post about leaving, he said:

I can’t say why, but it’s worth it. Trust me. If you look around hard enough, you’ll probably figure it out.
I hope you guys understand, and I look forward to bringing you more awesome, great, free open source software in the future. Stay tuned for some amazing things!
If you absolutely must get in touch with me, send me an email.
Until then, stay hungry and stay foolish.

Stay hungry and stay foolish is phrase that Steve Jobs famously used at his Stanford Commencement Speech in 2005.

He also posted a now deleted tweet, where he said he was “off to work in CA for a “fruit” company.” If that isn’t a reference to Apple, I don’t know what is.

There’s no solid evidence, but we’re all hoping that this means a major notification redesign is in the works.

[via RedmondPie, BI, MR]

The Week in iPad

Missed a compelling piece of iPad news, a great review, or a killer how-to? We’re not collecting absolutely everything in iPad here — you can hit up TiPb.com/iPad for that! — but we’re carefully picking what we think is the best of the last 7 days and presenting it here for your review.

And hey! — these double as show notes for our iPad Live! podcast tonight at 9pm Eastern. So join us at TiPb.com/live and follow along!

German vandals deface new flagship Hamburg Apple Store with a Windows logo

A couple of cheeky German guys decided to have a bit of fun this weekend by defacing the under construction Apple Store in Hamburg with a Windows logo.

Now before we get too upset by this, when we say deface it, it was more a bit of fun with no permanent lasting damage. Posing as a couple of construction workers, they climbed a ladder and pieced together a poor attempt at a Windows Logo.

In fact if you wanted to be really mean, you could say that this is an excellent deterrent to any would-be thieves! Take a look at the video after the break!

[9to5Mac]

.wav from .wav on Vimeo.

iOS 5 update really is going to be magical [Sunday fun]

The iOS 5 big reveal will be at WWDC tomorrow, Apple always like to say its devices are magical; well if you watch this video they really are. German magician Simon Pierro, who is a German Magic Circle Master, has put together his take on what to expect from iOS 5. He demonstrates some amazing new magical features on his iPad 2. As you would expect, it is rather different to what we all expect but it is well worth a watch.

Check it out after the break. Which features from this video would you like to see in iOS 5? Let us know in the comments!

[iOS Magic]

Apple Time Capsule to be local hub for iCloud?

Cult of Mac‘s source claims to have the inside info on just how Apple’s new iCloud service will work, and they’re saying Apple’s Time Capsule (Airport Extreme + hard drive combo) will serve as its local hub.

Files saved on your computer are backed up instantly to Time Capsule, which makes them available to remote Macs and iOS devices.

If you make any changes on any computer, those changes are updated through iCloud and stored on your Time Capsule. The Time Capsule archives and serves up your files even when your computers are off. When you get home and fire up your desktop computer or laptop, the files are automatically synced across your devices.

This service will also allow you to upload photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Time Capsule. The media will be stored on the device and be made available for other devices to sync. iCloud is the “conduit” through which everything moves, the source said.

“Your computer gets backed up to Time Capsule anyways,” said the source. “Now it’ll serve up your content when you want it, where you want it, right there on your iOS device.”

Rumors of a Time Capsule update have been circulating recently in regards to iOS updates. If this new source is accurate, it raises some important questions. Would the $299 1TB or $499 2TB Time Capsule be required for iCloud, or just be an additional option if you prefer to control your own data? If required, that’s an expensive ticket for entry into the iCloud.

Time Capsule is also presented as a single drive, with none of the parity and redundancy of something like the RAID 6-like Drobo, and the offsite protection of something like DropBox. Will iCloud offer that?

If the base iCloud service is on Apple’s data center, but you can keep a cache locally on Time Capsule, you’d get local + local backup + offsite backup, which is pretty much the magic formula. That would be a very interesting service. Wouldn’t it?

[Cult of Mac, @arnoldkim]

iPhone nano still in the pipeline?

While it may not be tomorrow’s one more thing, could Apple be just about ready to release an iPhone nano? The Wall Street Journal claimed they were working on it, and while there may not be any new hardware at WWDC, there certainly could be soon.

If they do, would it be an iPhone 3GS style, non Retina device to keep compatibility, a third, HP Veer screen size added to iPhone and iPad, or a feature phone, shades of ROKR’s past?

None of those sound like ideal options. Touch targets on a Veer-sized iPhone would be tiny or congested, or another complete re-write for developers. A feature phone wouldn’t harness Apple’s App Store ecosystem. And we already have an iPhone 3GS that could be miniaturized a bit but would it be compellingly different than the original?

High school student sells kidney to buy an iPad 2

A 17 year old high school student from China’s Anhui province wanted an iPad 2 so much, that he sold one of his kidneys to pay for it.

I wanted to buy an iPad 2 but could not afford it. A broker contacted me on the Internet and said he could help me sell one kidney for 20,000 yuan.

The deal was agreed and the kidney removed. He received the money which was approximately $3000; he used some of the money to pay for an iPad 2. When his mother saw the iPad 2 she was surprised that he had one; due to the high cost in China. She then discovered the horror story and notified the authorities of how it all transpired.

[sfexaminer]

Best of Smartphone Experts, 5 June 2011

iPad Live 59: WWDC 2011 preview

Georgia, Seth, and Rene preview Apple’s WWDC 2011 — iOS 5, iCloud, Time Capsule, and Storm Shadow (we kid you not!) This is iPad Live!

Thanks to the TiPb iPad Accessory Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Music Hear me Roar by iPad Live theme song contest winner, DieselJesus!

ZENandTECH 2: Sleepy

Georgia and Rene kickoff ZENandTECH episode two by talking… sleep — what it is, why it’s important, and what it does to your body and your stress levels if you don’t get enough of it. We’ve got some app and gadget suggestions to help you sleep better, and some exercises to bring it all together.

Read on for the topics, our big Nexus One give away, exercises, our tech (and zen!) picks of the week, and more!

Congrats @carpathia16, you’re getting a Nexus One!

This episode of ZENandTECH is brought to you by the CrackBerry.com Stoe, your #1 stop shop for BlackBerry users… and abusers. Check out the awesome new accessories for Torch and PlayBook. You spent a lot of money on your device, protect it, keep it charged, and keep yourself happy!

You can reach all of us @ZENandTECH, via email at podcast@zenandtech.tv, or leave a comment below!

Thanks everyone, you’re the best community on the web and we love having you with us!

While Georgia is a therapist, she’s not YOUR therapist. Everything said or implied on this show is for informational and entertainment purposes only. And shouldn’t be taken in any way as a replacement for proper, professional care.

WWDC 2011 meta live blog

Apple’s WWDC 2011 Keynote is here, and it’s bringing iOS 5, (iCloud)(http://www.tipb.com/tag/icloud), and Mac OS X Lion loaded for bear. We’ll kick things off about 12:45pm, so sit back, grab a beverage, and watch along with us for all the coverage, color, and commentary you’ve come to expect from TiPb!

Interested in Cool iPhone Gadgets/Projects Soon to Be?

I’ve always been compelled and mostly amused by the amount of cool things that iPhone entrepreneurs are always looking to create. That’s why for the past few weeks, I’ve been taking an interest in keeping an eye out for the newest endeavors that show up on Kickstarter. If you don’t know what Kickstarter is, it’s basically a website that allows people with unique ideas (not just iPhone) express those to a huge community willing to help “kickstart” the whole process of making a product. By donating as little as $1 to project, people help boost cool or revolutionary projects reach their money goal so that the project can materialize and the people that donated, and the ones that didn’t, can be happy when the projects are released.

The website hosts all kinds of projects whether they are actual, solid things are simply abstract things. I’ve compiled a list of all of the things that I, personally, found were interesting:

(Successfully funded)

Now, these things are super sweet, so I thought they should be first to be listed here. They’re really speakers, that, because of their clever design, don’t run on electricity and will amplify your music solely with the aid of your earbuds. You just hook up your buds, and they do the rest without you constantly worrying about charge and such. What’s even cooler is that the trunks are light, are 100% invincible to water, shock and dust and will be available in 4 bright colors when they soon launch.

WALdok

(Successfully funded)

Ok, don’t make fun of me but I do like to sing in the shower along with some music in the back as well. The only problem was the only real place to put my iPod is directly next to the sink, which resulted in my paranoia of my iPod getting wet or some other unthinkable thing screwing up screwing up my device. So the WALdok appeals especially to me since its genius design allows you to plug it in to any standard wall outlet, dock your iPod/iPhone and play music while your device charges at the same time. It looks sleek, portable and most all something that I would most definitely use to satisfy my singing habits!

The Oona

(Successfully funded)

Creativity comes into play with the Oona, on the customers part in that they control what it actually does. This genius, nicely made, piece of aluminum serves multiple purposes as the several parts they come in can be built differently, allowing for an almost endless amount of uses. To name a few, it can be used as a stand, tripod adapter, magnetic stand, GPS stand and much, much more.

Juicies

(Successfully funded)

We all know that Apple tends to stick to more grayscale colors, save for the fact that they have the nano chromatic line. Well, some people just don’t like black, white or gray over a bright green or baby blue; in this case, the people behind Juices appeal to iPhone, iPod and iPad users who hate their white colored charge and sync cables. The Juices or basically Apple’s cables transformed into a wide array of colors. Personally, I don’t really care what color my charge and sync cable is, but believe me, I wouldn’t mind getting a Juicy (if that’s the singular form of the product?)

Turf Geography Club

(Successfully funded)

Freemium endeavors on the app store have really hit it big, as they boast free, usually social, gameplay that tends to appeal to tons of iDevicers. Me, I’m not really a big fan of freemium titles, but Turf caught my eye the other day as I was scrolling through the projects on Kickstarter. It’s going to be a free, location-based game, in which the object is to earn coins, hang with friends, and purchase customizable property. The idea is average, but the game is constructed with the pixel artwork that I’m a true sucker for. I truly can’t wait for the game to be released, so you can definitely expect a full review once it is out.

Those are pretty much all of the projects that I found to be interesting and to be worth keeping a close look at. But of course, there are plenty more that I didn’t cover that have both been funded and are in the process. You can check them out at Kickstarter

Microsoft Reveals Unique Windows 8 Tablet Home Screen

Taking cues from the unique styling of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft continues actually standing out to an extent in the mobile operating system scene with the tablet version of Windows 8. Or more specifically, its intelligent tile-based home screen. Watch a demonstration by Jensen Harris, Director of PM Windows User Experience, of Redmond’s new touch-friendly creation:

One of Microsoft’s goals with Windows 8 is to build two distinct variants – one for full-fledged PC hardware and another for mobile hardware, specifically useful for tablets. There are a number of caveats, such as no or little backwards compatibility with unoptimized apps in the mobile version, severely limiting the app selection. Impressively, the mobile, tablet-focused offering was written in just HTML5 and JavaScript.

Of course, “under it all, it’s still Windows.” As in the home screen is really just partly a portal to Windows applications and content. (Also, brownie points if you recognize the quote.)

Recreating Windows from the ground up for a tablet is an ambitious venture. It is likely that Windows 8 for tablets will run, work, and feel much less bloated than the release for PC hardware thanks to the completely new code. It remains to be seen if this is a better idea than creating an entire operating system for a tablet, but hey, whatever people are familiar with, right?

[news via Gizmodo]

Apple Regulates iPad and iPhone Giveaways

Google iPad giveaway and you are sure to get tens of thousands of sites giving away Apple devices as a promotion. That will soon end. Apple has put a halt on all third-parties giving away their products. Apple created a document titled “Guidelines for Third Party Promotions” in January says Fortune. Now they have begun to enforce it. Looks like if you were looking to score a free iPad, you are out of luck.

The major points of the document state:

1. Use of the words FREE are strictly prohibited.
2. iPad, iPhone and iPhone gift cards may not be used in third party promotions.
3. iPod Touch is allowed, but only if you purchase a minimum of 250 units.
4. The Myriad set font is not allowed in conjunction with any related promotions.
5. All marketing materials must be submitted for review prior to offering any promotion or contest.
6. Third parties may not use any Apple corporate photos unless given to you with strict permission.
7. Must include the verbiage: “Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.”

 

What are your thoughts? Is Apple going to far? Or, do they have a right to get involved?

 

P.S. Bummer, cause iPhone Alley was just about to do a FREE iPad/iPhone giveaway. Dang!

First WWDC Rumors Spread, Predictions?

Rumors are piling up for what the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote event will entail this Monday. The first is a double-hitter from AppleInsider regarding Mac OS X Lion and iCloud. Rumor has it that the purchase of Mac OS X Lion will include access to a certain tier of iCloud, Apple’s cloud service that will officially be detailed at WWDC.

Following in Mac OS X Snow Leopard’s footsteps (which only costed $30), it is rumored that Lion will share similarly low, aggressive pricing. That pricing will likely be under the $129 standard that Apple set prior to Snow Leopard. To drive more Mac App Store usage, Lion may be priced at a discount exclusively in the App Store.

According to 9 to 5 Mac, an education discount will be offered on iCloud plans to those eligible. Rather than a simple discount, there is also the possibility that those who qualify will have the option of special plans.

Marking the first product rumor for WWDC 2011, it seems that AirPort and Time Capsule products may see a refresh, if not a total recreation considering how infrequently they are updated. That is, as long as a diminishing and almost-depleted stock of these devices can be trusted to be such an indication.

Well, I am looking forward to everything. Lion and iOS 5 demonstrations will be exciting. The potential AirPort update comes as nice surprise since I was looking to purchase one in order to make my speakers AirPlay-compatible (which I recently learned is one of AirPort Express’s selling points).

Though this has been confirmed to be a software-focused event, could Apple be keeping a new iPhone introduction under wraps amidst reports that its announcement has been pushed back into September? I would say that there’s a 30% chance that we will see the next iPhone at WWDC. Though Apple has traditionally announced new iPhone models during WWDC, numerous reports seem pretty confident that iPhone 4′s successor won’t make an appearance until after August.

What are your predictions for Monday’s keynote? Could there be a few surprises that have not already been unearthed? Will we see a new iPhone?

An Infrared System for Future iOS Cameras?

According to the patent website that files Apple’s newest applications, Patently Apple, Apple is working on a highly sophisticated infrared system for, possibly, newer generations of iOS devices. The new addition not only shows promise, but could also get Apple on the good side of, including but not limited to, music, movie and tourist industries.

Today, the US Patent and Trademark Office published an application for a patent from Apple that showed advanced camera systems that could “employ infrared systems”. If added to future generations of the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and other later devices that could feature a camera, Apple would be greatly appreciated by movie, music and other industries. Why? If infrared emitters were implemented into movie theaters or at indoor/outdoor arenas, Apple could include a feature that would prevent the cameras from recording material illegally; illegal filming of movies or singers could be taken care of, from people using iPhones anyways. Then Apple could maybe locate thugs like so.

The infrared cameras could also be of use in museums or other such tourist areas. Museums could incorporate infrared emitters beside exhibitions, which could then transmit info to your iOS device about that exhibition. This info could include written info, audio or video. People visiting the places, who also own iPhones (who doesn’t?) could conveniently have guided tours of info straight from their devices.

It’s not something totally revolutionary, in terms of what the infrared cameras will add to future generations of the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, though, something like this truly wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. Let’s just hope that Apple does capitalize on the technology. Apple does file for a ton of patents, so I wouldn’t bet my life on this patent coming true, but surely keep it in mind. Also, if the above will prevent you from doing anything that you currently do, certainly cherish the times!

[For the full details and diagrams, visit Patently Apple]

TenOneDesign Launching Little Brother to iPad Joystick, Fling Mini

It’s been greatly hyped about, TenOneDesign’s Fling Joystick for its innovative design allowing for sweet, simple joystick gameplay. Previously only available for the iPad, the joystick was an alternative way to play RPGs, dual-stick shooters, and other games with on-screen joysticks, for those iPad owners who weren’t comfortable with virtual controls. TenOneDesign is now, however, taking pre-orders for the little brother to the Fling, the Fling Mini.

There was question from iPhone and iPod Touch owners about when a mini version of the Fling would be made available. Turns out, TenOneDesign listened, and after an almost-interminable waiting time (well, just a few months really) are now letting people pre-order their newest, the Fling Mini. Coming in a pair, to be compatible with most games currently on the app store (or even the Android Market), the Fling Mini will cost you $24.95.

I haven’t tried the iPad predecessors of these things yet, so I can’t make any promises, but they’re supposed to be pretty darn good at providing a true “analog” feeling while playing. If you think that’ll improve your scores, go ahead and take the plunge. You might be cursing yourself now, but once you use them, and if they work, I’m sure you’ll be happy!

Own the iPad compatible Fling? Let us know how it is down below.

[Via TenOneDesign]

Automatic Over-the-Air Updating Practically Confirmed

Somebody that works on iTunes must be going “oops” right about now. For a brief period of time, the “My App Updates” page in iTunes mentioned an Automatic Download feature that would allow updates to be downloaded over-the-air without prompts to an iOS device.

The line that gave away the presumably upcoming Automatic Download option appeared as this, “Or if your device has Automatic Download enabled for apps, your updates will download to your device without having to sync.”

App updates can already be downloaded over-the-air either individually or by way of an “Update All” button. Of course, adding automation into the equation not only means less work but also ensures that you always have the latest version of every app.

While it would be nice if such updating extended to iOS system updates, this gives no indication that it will. Though competitors do offer seamless automatic system updates and it was previously rumored to be included in iOS 5.0, so there is hope. Either way, we’ll find out in just a matter of hours.

[via MacRumors]

AT&T Hints at iPhone 4S/5 Announcement on Monday

It seems like no coincidence that AT&T has been removing iPhone 4 from prime positions in its Wireless online store, trying to keep it away from a customer’s view, as early as days (though now we’re approaching hours) before WWDC. In past years, new iterations of the iPhone have been announced during a WWDC keynote, but rumors are pointing to a Fall introduction for the next iPhone.

Tons of smartphones are featured ahead of iPhone 4. In the list of 29 smartphones on AT&T’s site, a new iPhone 4 has been pushed down to 26 at the bottom. This list is not the only indication, as the iPhone 3GS is featured on the homepage rather than its newer, more expensive successor. In contrast to the early days following the device’s launch until even a few weeks prior, you would be hard-pressed to find the iPhone 4 promoted or distinctly-recommended anywhere on AT&T’s site.

AT&T has little to lose with the iPhone 3GS promotion since customers are drawn to it because of its low price-point iOS ownership rather than a desire for the newest, most capable device; the $50 price separates it from the newest models that sell subsidized for $200-$300

By taking iPhone 4 out of the spotlight, AT&T could simply be trying to save themselves the hassle of returns following the next iPhone’s announcement on Monday. If that announcement does not pan out, then it would be odd for AT&T to make its most popular phone (by far) difficult to find and not even in the top ten of featured choices – though of course, all of this only increases the likelihood of a next-generation iPhone being introduced at WWDC.

[via GottaBeMobile]