Seth Weintraub

Masdar, Abu Dhabi

El Economista reports (English)that renowned British architect Norman Foster is hard at work designing Apple’s new campus in Cupertino.  The 100 acre campus was picked up from HP last month for a measly $300M.

The architect has some pretty incredible plans, including an underground tunnel system linking the two campuses (called it). In fact, the entire road transportation system will operate through a network of tunnels (tubes?) that will clear the surface areas for green. “The buildings which will house the engineers and R&D will also be multifunctional and will incorporate cutting-edge technology in materials and equipment as well as renewable energy resources,” according to the report.

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The computer that saved Apple, the original Bondi Blue iMac had to get its inspiration from somewhere.  Floating around Apple at the time must have been some these old translucent Mac SE’s that were given to designers so they could see what was going on inside these machines without opening them (opening these with the exposed CRT is a bit dangerous).  Perhaps Jony Ive and Jon Rubinstein had seen these as inspiration for what would become the Bond Blue iMac.

One collector certainly thought so. Today, this Mac SE went on eBay for $25,000.  (via Giz)

Some of the new signage going up in Apple Stores around the country has a little news item: The white iPhone will be available Spring 2011.  That confirms an earlier report and also would seem to put to rest the rumors that Apple killed it.  Thanks James!

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Apple caused quite a stir when it announced the discontinuation of its Xserve line on November 5th.  Mac IT departments immediately went scrambling for new solutions.  Apple officially offered up a faster Mac Mini as a low end replacement and the Mac Pro as a high end replacement, both with Snow Leopard Server installed.  IT professionals who maintain data centers small and large know that these aren’t complete solutions compared to the density of the Xserves.

So, what is everyone doing?  CNET quotes the Enterprise Desktop Alliance that says about a third of Xserve shops will be migrating to other hardware within the year.  That reaction might be a little extreme for Apple because we’ve heard that Apple has been sending out reps to quell the exodus.

One Apple Enterprise shop we spoke to said that Apple’s System Engineers have been on a campaign to assure that Apple has another solution in the pipeline beyond what they’ve announced.  There wasn’t an exact timeline of release but there was an indication that when the Xserve inventory runs out, the new product will be released.  That means a new Enterprise product could be ready in February.
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It kinda just looks like a regular Android slider…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6cxaVRs60w&w=640&h=390]

…with some keys missing.  (Like the one below).  The real issue is game selection which iOS absolutely destroys Android.  Oh and Sony: You missed Christmas.
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Interesting breakdown of who uses what platform. Is it un-PC to say that richer countries seem to have embraced the iPhone while developing countries/regions still trend toward Symbian?  (Note: iOS numbers include iPod touch but not iPad)  Pingdom via Daring Fireball

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From the Toys section:

Amazon.com offers the Western Digital My Passport Essential 500GB Portable USB 2.0 External Hard Drive, model no. WDBAAA5000AD6-NESN, for $49.99 with free shipping ($0.10/GB). That’s $10 under Western Digital’s own Black Friday offer and the lowest total price we’ve ever seen for this limited-edition hard drive, which features robot graphics. (It’s also tied as a price low on any 500GB Western Digital My Passport Essential drive.)
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Install Graviboard on their iOS device without telling them.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzoYzKaOT3Y&w=640&h=385]
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Apple seeded a new build to developers tonight that weighs in at an even 1GB.  The release contains developer support for fetching and renewing App Store receipts. See “Validating App Store Receipts” for more details.  There are no known issues and the build addresses issues related to Bonjour, Dock, OpenGL, Printing and Spotlight.

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It looks like Apple has lopped the compact (number pad-less) wired keyboard from the Apple Store today.  No reason was given but if you are into that sort of thing you may want to head over to Amazon and stockpile a few for $47.

When the number pad-less keyboard was introduced alongside upgraded iMacs in March of 2009, we were pretty sure the number pad keyboards were on the way out entirely.  Perhaps people kept buying the bigger ones and left the smaller ones on the shelves forcing Apple to reverse course.

Have we mentioned that we’d like to see a combo keyboard/trackpad yet?  (via Appleinsider)

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Update: after seeing their video I am having second thoughts:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOGmnnGpoqg&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3]

Talking about skating to where the puck was shot from:

Hoping to shake its reputation for aging or otherwise unappealing mobile interfaces, Research in Motion is bringing in some new design talent. The company has acquired The Astonishing Tribe (TAT), the Swedish design house behind the original Android interface.

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Macrumors reports that the djay iPad app has hit the App Store ($19.99).

The app provides a virtual turntable interface that allows scratching and multiple controls as well as full access to the iPod music library stored on the iPad. It is optimized for iOS 4.2 with multitasking and background operation capabilities.

The app’s features include:

– Realistic low-latency turntable interface
– Automix mode with automatic transition control (Fade, Backspin, Reverse, Brake, Random)
– Live Recording (with built–in organizer for recorded performances)
– Seamless AirPlay integration (wirelessly transmit your mix to Apple TV or AirPort Express station)
– Pre–Cueing (with optional headphones adapter)
– BPM analysis with automatic beat and tempo matching
– Full visual waveform with beat–synchronized scrubbing
– High–quality scratching
– Mixer, Tempo and EQ controls
– Pitch–Bend
– Cue Point Trigger

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KARq9YU1_B8&w=640&h=390]

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If you were going to build a docking system based on Light Peak, what would it look like?  Patently Apple dug up this ^.  Initially, we were like “why would you want to have USB ports at the power brick?”  But this contraption leaves the MacBook’s ports open for exploitation for non permanent USB usage.  The other stuff; Ethernet, Mini Displayport (né DVI) might all make sense to have tucked away behind the desk with the power adapter.

OK, we’re convinced.  Sign us up!

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For right now there are just USB modems (no phones or Mifi).  Verizon’s 4G network will launch on Dec. 5 in 38 “major” metropolitan areas, including New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Boston, etc.  (Sprint could take a lesson on rollout priorities having just released 4G in NYC last week, yet having Omaha covered for almost a year).  Verizon will include two plans: 5 GB for $50 per month, or 10 GB for $80 per month, both with $10/GB overage ‘fees’. (Quotes because it is the same rate as the $50/5GB plan)

It ill be interesting to see 4G Mifi iPad data plans when they come about.  Since the iPad 2 doesn’t utilize voice and will likely be a Verizon product as well, it will be a candidate to have LTE radios too.  Verizon via BGR and SAI.
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Though Android is gaining ground, Apple currently has the lead in installed base in the US.  Imagine if iPhone wasn’t just on AT&T, though?

More interesting demographics info at Nielsen.
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“iPad is Amazing” ad shows AirPlay, Pages Printing, and MultiTasking…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP8wKtFA4Io&w=640&h=390]

via MacStories
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Remember last week when we showed you a Cydia App that enabled Airplay for all devices? Based on the ease of getting it to work at the time we said:

This is big because it means Apple could easily (and will likely) enable [Airplay for all apps] in future versions of the iOS.

Today Steve Jobs went on record (more or less) saying that indeed Apple is planning to build it into Safari and the SDK.

Until then, there are the hacks.
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Interesting conversation with opinions on Rupert Murdoch, the future of publications and the new Project app from Virgin. Also dinner with a certain Apple CEO.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/.element/apps/cvp/4.0/swf/cnn_money_384x216_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=/video/news/2010/11/30/n_branson_ipad_mag.cnnmoney

Flash? Complain here.
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We absolutely love this idea:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8NKwFi8-WY&w=640&h=385]

Here’s the key:
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Here’s the story.  The short of it is that Softbank is giving away free 16GB 3G iPads with two-year data plans.  At ¥4,725 ($56)/month, that is $31 over the 2GB AT&T rates.  So $31×24(months)= $744.  A 3G iPad costs $629 in the US.  So roughly $115 to defer the purchase price over two years.  Not a bad deal at all.

How many of you would buy in if AT&T/Verizon did this?

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[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/17285675 w=651&h=488]

Project magazine looks to be a pretty exciting alternative to some of the print magazines that have been showing up for the iOS platform (some amazing, some not). Project will be iPad-only and what better a cover story than Tron?

iTunes link Screenies below:

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