Jordan Kahn

Along with updates to just about every other one of their apps, Apple has also just updated iMovie, Remote, and Find My iPhone for iOS 5.

Find My iPhone has been updated to version 1.3 with the ability to find your Mac, and the option to request a notification via email when a device is located and online.

iMovie is updated to version 1.2.2 which brings support for iOS 5, and enhanced support for videos imported from external cams. Remote version 2.2 brings only iOS 5 support and the typical “stability and performance improvements”.

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9to5Mac has confirmed that the iTunes in the Cloud portion of iCloud has started rolling out in Canada, and we’ve also received tips from the UK, France, Australia, Ireland, Spain, and elsewhere. Depending on your exact location, you should soon see the “Purchased” tab within the iTunes Store on your iOS device, as well a Music toggle under “Automatic Downloads” in the Store tab within Settings.app. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Apple to broaden their iTunes Match licenses for international appeal as well.

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In order to get around the temporary sales injunction on their Galaxy S, S II, and Ace product lines in The Netherlands, Samsung today said (via Reuters) they’ve altered the devices to avoid infringing on Apple owned patents.

“We’ve fixed the technological problem and upgraded products to address the issue. They will be shortly available for sale,” Samsung spokesman James Chung said.

Originally Apple cited ten patents in the case, but a Dutch judge ultimately ruled the Galaxy devices breached only one Apple patent related to swiping through photos. Samsung will also be heading to court with Apple in Australia this Thursday for the official ruling regarding a potential ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. These are just two of the more than twenty smartphone, patent related cases in multiple countries between the two companies.

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With a ton of iOS apps inevitably getting updates with iCloud and iOS 5 support today and over the next little while, we also expect to see Mac App Store apps incorporate the cloud functionality. While there doesn’t appear to be many live just yet, we did spot SingleText, which was just released and designed specifically for iCloud.

SingleText is essentially just a simple text box, allowing you to take notes and have them automatically stored in iCloud. The app doesn’t actually have any settings, simply enter your iCloud login and you’re good to go. You can then retrieve any text entered into the SingleText text box through the iOS app companion or any Mac with the app installed.

Both the Mac and iOS apps go for $0.99 each and are available to download now. We expect to see many more iCloud compatible apps popping up shortly.

Newsweek reporter Dan Lyons recently interviewed Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and Apple employee #6, Randy Wigginton, following the passing of Steve Jobs. In much of the interviews Wozniak and Wigginton recall early stories of Apple’s garage days that you’ve probably heard versions of, but the men also offer a few interesting insights into their relationships with Steve when Apple was still in its infancy.

During the interview, Wozniak mentions he was asked by Walter Isaacson to talk about Steve for his upcoming biography, but Woz turned down the offer saying, “I didn’t want to talk about Steve. I was afraid he wouldn’t want it.”

When asked if he had ever had a falling out with Jobs, Wozniak remembered a story regarding  him leaving the company in 1985 leading Jobs to confront Wozniak’s new partners:

“The closest thing we ever had to an argument was when I left in 1985 to start a company to build a universal remote control. I went to Frog Design to do the design. Steve dropped in there one day and he saw what they were designing for me and he threw it against the wall and said they could not do any work for me. “Anything you do for Woz, belongs to me.” I was on my own, but I was still friendly with Apple. But Steve had a burst-out there. The people at Frog told me about it. That was the only time there was ever a fight between us, but it wasn’t actually between us. Nobody has ever seen us having an argument.”

Wigginton, who started writing software at Apple when he was 14, thinks back to when Jobs called all of Woz’s friends to ask them to convince Woz to leave HP and start Apple:

“They got along but it was funny. It was more like Woz would put up with Jobs. Jobs would bug him to get stuff done. I’ll never forget the night Jobs called all of Woz’s friends and wanted us to call Woz and tell him to quit HP and start Apple. Woz wanted to stay at HP. So we did it. Until that point, Woz was undecided.”

Wozniak also confirms the legendary story of Jobs cheating him out of money on Atari bonuses:

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Right after releasing iTunes 10.5, Apple has begun seeding developers with the iTunes 10.5.1 beta, which also includes the latest iTunes Match beta. Like before, the release notes mention iCloud libraries will be deleted at the end of the beta. Of course it also comes with the usual bug fixes and enhancements, but we’ll let you know if we find anything interesting. Full release notes after the break.

The official Twitter iOS client has also been given an update today (via MacStories), bringing an “enhanced sign up experience”, the ability to upload photos to pic.twitter.com, and a redesigned direct message UI for iPad. The improved sign up experience comes courtesy of iOS 5’s ability to access Twitter account data from the Settings app, opposed to re-authenticating manually. You can grab version 3.5.0 from the App Store now.

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Tim Cook has sent out an internal email to Apple employees informing them of a celebration of Steve Jobs’ life planned for October 19th in the outdoor amphitheater of Apple’s Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino.

Team,

Like many of you, I have experienced the saddest days of my lifetime and shed many tears during the past week. But I’ve found some comfort in the extraordinary number of tributes and condolences from people all over the world who were touched by Steve and his genius. And I’ve found comfort in both telling and listening to stories about Steve.

Although many of our hearts are still heavy, we are planning a celebration of his life for Apple employees to take time to remember the incredible things Steve achieved in his life and the many ways he made our world a better place. The celebration will be held on Wednesday, October 19, at 10 a.m. in the outdoor amphitheater on the Infinite Loop campus. We’ll have more details on AppleWeb closer to the date, including arrangements for employees outside of Cupertino.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Tim

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Apple has just issued a press release confirming they have topped one million pre-orders for the iPhone 4S in 24 hours. This surpasses the previous single day pre-order record of 600,000 held by iPhone 4. It also comes after AT&T on Friday confirmed processing over 200,000 preorders in the first 12 hours alone. Apple quoted its worldwide marketing honcho Phil Schiller in the release:

We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S. The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.

Full press release after the break.

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According to Palo Alto police department spokeswoman Sandra Brown (via Bloomberg), Apple executives may have known Steve Jobs’ condition at the time of the iPhone 4S launch event. Apple informed police that Steve Jobs passing was close, days before Apple’s official statement confirming he had passed.

As a result of the meeting, police apparently put plans in place for officers to patrol Jobs’ home after the news of his passing had broke. Of course this was to keep crowds under control when Jobs’ supporters inevitably visited his home following the news. From the report:

The Apple representatives told the police department there was “a possibility that it could happen this week,” Brown said in a phone interview. “It’s common sense for us to work together. If you think about who he was and his contribution to the world, people might come out in masses.”

Apple was apparently supposed to inform police of his death before issuing a public statement, but according to Brown, police found out through Apple’s press release on October 5th.

According to the WSJ, Jobs’ funeral is today.

Many have speculated that the empty chair marked “Reserved” next to Apple execs at the recent iPhone 4S unveiling may have been a silent tribute to Jobs. Long time Jobs confidant Jony Ive (they were so close many called the two ‘Jive’) was notably absent from the event.

Cook, Cue, Schiller and Forstall, though subdued, were nevertheless somehow able to put on a great show in the face of knowing their mentor and boss for over a decade was in bad condition.

The same antenna expert who claims to have predicted the iPhone 4 “antennagate” controversy thinks Apple may once again run into trouble with the new antenna tech in the iPhone 4S. This time, however, the problems may arise due to patent infringement. This according to a translated report from ComON.

Danish professor Gert Frølund Pedersen thinks the new wireless system will be good enough to fix the antenna issues that “plagued” the iPhone 4, but questions whether or not Apple is entitled to use it:

“The idea is good enough, but the question is whether they are allowed to use it.”

Pedersen and others at the Aalborg University think Apple will run into legal issues related to patents the professors sold to Samsung in 2007. The report also notes Samsung has not yet used these patents in litigation with Apple.

He seems to explain the patents cover technology that intelligently switches between multiple antennas. The two he thinks Apple will most likely infringe on can be seen here and here. Both relate to an apparatus and method of selecting an appropriate antenna in a system utilizing multiple antennas.

As an example, one method in the patents selects an antenna based on whether a device is in portrait or landscape mode, and Gert speculates Apple might have included that feature in the new antenna:

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dK_XEGrzHUo]

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak reflects on his relationship with Steve Jobs in an interview with The Associated Press this morning. 

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Apple co-founder and visionary CEO Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56.

Apple posted the following statement on their website:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

Below are pieces of remembrance from some of the people surrounding Steve Jobs.

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If you dont know by now, Apple has just wrapped up their iPhone media event and in the process of announcing the iPhone 4S, they also announced the iPhone would be coming to Sprint for the first time. This follows yesterday’s story that the carrier was committing to purchasing 30.5 million iPhones, a move that would see the company “lose money on the deal until 2014″. 

“And for the first time… iPhone on Sprint.”

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Image courtesy of The Verge

Apple’s Phil Schiller has just announced the iPhone 4S, which is both GSM and CDMA compatible, sports the new dual-core A5 chip, a redesigned 8-megapixel camera system, and the graphics are up to 7 times faster than the previous iPhone. Full details below.

As 9to5Mac predicted, the iPhone 4S will be available in 16GB ($199), 32GB ($299), and 64GB ($399) models. Pre-orders start on October 7th followed by a public release on the 14th of October in US, Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, and Japan. Twenty-two more countries will get the device on the 28th followed by over 70 countries by the end of the year.

As part of the new camera system, you can now record 1080p HD video with real-time video image stabilization, and real-time temporal noise reduction. The new iPhone also includes a redesigned camera system that includes a new sensor and 8-megapixels for 60% more pixels than in the iPhone 4 camera. There is also a hybrid IR filter for “better color accuracy” and “more color uniformity”, and a 5 element lens resulting in 30% more sharpness. Schiller also notes face detection and improved white balance.

“We have an amazing lens system, five lens elements. It’s now a really wide f2.4. Compared to most point and shoots we can let in a lot of light.”

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Apple’s Phil Schiller just announced slightly refreshed iPod nanos. It appears to be largely the same design as the current nano with an altered UI allowing you to swipe through large icons. They’ve also included improved Nike+ fitness features, and included 16 new watch faces. We’ve also learned (via MacStories) that the 2010 iPod nanos will be able to get the new features via a firmware update.

The iPod nano will be available starting today in seven colors for $129 for 8GB and $149 for 16GB.

Apple has just announced they will be making iOS 5 GM available to developers starting today. This is in addition to the announcement that iOS 5 will be coming on October 12th as a free update.

UPDATE: More details from Apple after the break.

Scott Forstall is onstage at the Apple media event right now introducing a new iOS app called “Cards” that allows you to “create and mail beautiful cards right from your iPhone or iPod touch.” It comes with over 21 template designs for greeting cards.

Interestingly, Apple will provide you with high quality prints of your greeting cards mailed to you on 100% cotton paper. You’ll even get a push notification when the greeting card is delivered.

The app will be available free on Oct. 12th with prints going for $2.99 in the US and $4.99 elsewhere.

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Image courtesy of The Verge

Tim Cook is onstage talking about current iPhone stats. While talking about the incredible success that the iPhone 4 has had, he also notes that the device has only captured a 5% share of the global handset marketshare.

“Despite all this success and momentum, the iPhone has 5% share of the worldwide market of handsets. I could have shown a much larger number if I just showed smartphones, but that’s not how we look at it.”

He also mentioned iPhones being used in business:

“That momentum is far outpacing the industry. It’s not just consumer, 93% of the Fortune 500 are testing or deploying the iPhone. It’s consistently rated #1 in every customer satisfaction ranking I can find.”

Cook then showed slides related to customer satisfaction and continued about current stats.

“Customers love iPhone, and it’s consistently rated #1 in every satisfaction rating I can find.”

Image courtesy of GDGT

Tim Cook just took to the stage at Apple’s Let’s talk iPhone event and shared some of the incredible growth Mac OS X Lion has experienced since its launch.

“For the first time we’ve offered Mac OS as a digital download. The results are staggering, I’m proud to announce Lion has been downloaded 6 million times.”

Cook noted that in terms of upgrades it took Windows 7 over 20 weeks to reach 10% of their install base, while Lion took just 2 weeks.

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Update: Apple has now pulled the images from their site.

It seems the iPhone 4S has arrived on Apple’s Japanese website a little bit early. The rough translation tells us the device will be available on October 14th through retail stores starting at 8AM. It appears the price has been cut approximately 30% from the current 13,800 yen down to 10,800 yen.

We also just told you about images of the new device that were discovered on the Apple website showing a largely unchanged design from the iPhone 4 in both black and white models.

We’ll be bringing you updates from Apple’s Let’s talk iPhone event on our live blog here.

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MacRumors points us to correspondence between Apple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following Apple entering an undisclosed license agreement with Nokia in June stemming from patent litigation.

At the time, we knew the deal would include Apple paying a one-time sum to Nokia, followed by an on-going royalty, presumably based on devices infringing on Nokia patents. Below are letters between the SEC and Apple, in which the SEC urges Apple to disclose the terms of the settlement agreement.

This letter was sent to Apple in June requesting more details of the license agreements reached with Nokia:

“We note various news articles discussing the patent litigation settlement between Nokia and Apple. Supplementally tell us the amount and terms of such settlement agreement, any amounts accrued, the periods in which they were recognized, and the timeline of the negotiations with Nokia that led to the June settlement agreement. Also, tell us how you considered including a discussion regarding this matter in your MD&A [Management Discussion and Analysis] disclosures and financial statement footnotes, including disclosure of a reasonably possible range of loss in excess of amounts accrued. Further, tell us how considered disclosing this event in a Form 8-K or tell us how you determined that such disclosure was not necessary.”

Apple responded July 12th with this letter, much of which remains unavailable to the public after Apple requested confidential treatment of the document due to the “commercially sensitive nature” of information within. However, Apple does describe the agreement in that letter as an “ordinary course of business”.

The SEC then responded to Apple’s letter, once again requesting more information related to the agreement.

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