9to5 Staff

We’re not sure how fair this contest is but it certainly looked like fun! Crave UK got to put the iPhone up against the EeePC in a pretty speedy little Citroen in a drive around a race track.  While we’ll concede that the Eee isn’t built to be typed on going around corners at 700MPH, the accuracy of the iPhone doing those same corners was still impressive.  When not racing around a track we think the Eee might be a bit faster, especially if it is the 1000HE’s MacBook style keyboard but we’ll give it to the iPhone in this case.

The Apple Blog has the goods.  Basically, now you can have more than one account on your Touch device.  We’re not sure how often this would come up or why someone would need multiple accounts (work/play?) but apparantly now you can switch between the two on the iPhone.

Anybody able to enable the video features?? 

The latest version on iTunes 8.2 prerelease contains a Notes syncing pane. But you’ll need 10.5.7 to use the functionality. So we are going to hazard a guess that 10.5.7 is going to have a Notes update…and is probably coming fairly soon. 

Update: It was working (buggily) for iTunes 8.1 + iPhone 3.0Beta 3 in 10.5.6 and broke in iTunes 8.2b + iPhone 3.0B4

The Inquirer reports that beyond last week’s news of Bob Drebin defecting to Apple, AMD/ATI processor star, Raja Koduri is heading to Cupertino as well.

We’ve just heard from sources deep inside 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, California that Raja is heading there.

Between PASemi, Bob Drebin and other things we can’t talk about yet, Apple is building up some serious hardware talent. All they need now is a good reliability person and a fire chief, and things will get really interesting on the hardware front in Cupertino.

This is getting quite interesting, if true.  These aren’t low level employees.  Both of these men have held CTO positions at AMD/ATI.  It would appear that Apple is ramping up to become a real chip player.

"I don’t think he [Steve Jobs] would be strong enough if we were here until 1 a.m., and I think there’s a strong possibility of that,"

That’s what Steve Jobs’ Attorney told the Woodside Town Council on why his client couldn’t make the meeting to discuss the demolition of his house.  Before anyone goes Armageddon, remember that Jobs doesn’t really want to be at this meeting anyway and his attorney needs an excuse to keep him out.  Plus, 1 am is pretty late on a school night.

Also longer version number.

 Thanks Allan!

Yep, Apple fans, we now have a big old bag of hurt called Blu-ray in our iTunes.  iTunes 8.2 now comes with Gracenote support for BluRay according to the About screen.  Is this just a licensing update or does it mean there will be some sort of ripping support for video media in upcoming versions?

Compare with iTunes 8.1.1 screen below:

We caution you not to get too excited, DVD wasn’t in the previous version either.  Perhaps we’ll have an announcement at WWDC?

 Thanks Jim!

SprintGurus has the date of the Pre launch (as opposed to pre-launch) on June 7th, the day before WWDC.  We’re not seeing any hard evidence in the image they propose but it makes sense for Palm to be out of the gate first. Will this take the shine off of iPhone 3 or will this just be the "Pre-event"?  We are still hedging our bets on May 17th.

In related news, WWDC sold out in record time this year.

via Mobilecrunk

Developers, start your downloads.  Beta 3 killed Skype over 3G.  Will Beta 4 kill your precious tethering?  We’ll let you know that and all of your other questions as soon as our download completes.

 Oh, and you’ll need iTunes 8.2 Pre-Release…

For those of you iPod Touch users who would like to have an iTunes account without plopping down your CC#, Apple has a nice little gift for you (via) from the Apple KB feed.  While this was posted last week (April 16th), we missed it and thought you might like to know

Read steps below:

To create an iTunes App Store account without a credit card please follow the steps below.

Note: In order to create an account without a credit card, you must make sure you are in the App Store, not the iTunes Store. 

1. If you already have an account, choose Store > Sign Out.
2. Pick your country from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the iTunes Store homepage.
3. If your country also has an iTunes Store, you’ll need to navigate to the App Store by clicking on the "App Store" link from the menu on the left.  If not, proceed to step 4.
   

    

4. Important: Before proceeding to the next step you must purchase a free application by clicking ‘Get App’.
   
5. Click create new account.

   

6. Click Continue.
7. You’ll need to read and agree to the iTunes terms and conditions, make sure you check the box next to where it says "I have read and agree to the iTunes Terms and Conditions." Click Continue.
8. Enter in your email address, create your password, continue to create and answer your security question, then enter your birthday. Click Continue.
9. Select None as the payment option.
   
10. Continue to fill out the required name and address fields.
11. You’ll then see a screen that says ‘Verify your Account’. Click Done and then check your email for a verification email from "iTunes Store."
12. Open the mail, and click on the phobos link enclosed in the email to activate your account.

    

13. Once you click on the link, iTunes should then prompt you to sign in with your account name and password.
14. You’ll then see a "Congratulations" screen. Click Done to be taken to the App Store home page.

    

Here’s the WSJ story*.  The short of it:  Microsoft can’t handle the iPhone nuttiness and blames its hardware partners for not getting the Windows Mobile implementation right.  So they are going to go with an OEM (ironically, probably HTC – which is also a hardware partner) and do it "themselves" – kinda like Google is doing with Android.  Which means they’ll be responsible for the outside colors (Brown!) and the advertising/product placement/branding.  Maybe they’ll even *gasp*  use Lauren.

Verizon also would like to have something to battle the iPhone, if it can’t get Apple hardware.

This plan is likely to backfire because Microsoft’s current partners aren’t going to be happy with competition from the OS provider and will be more likely to move to Android or Symbian.  Zune all over again.  They should call the device "Calls for Sure™"

The one upside?

The group [creating Pink] includes staffers from Danger Inc., a company that Microsoft acquired a year ago that designs the software in the Sidekick, a popular cellphone sold by T-Mobile. 

The Sidekick was a revolutionary device that, if marketed and updated properly, should have owned the smartphone space.  They had an app store two years before Apple did and had proper multitasking, keyboard and email that killed the Blackberry and everything else around.  Unfortunately, it didn’t get sexy hardware upgrades and it was marketed toward consumer youth and hip hop stars (yeah we had em!).  Then Microsoft bought it.

*Just an FYI on WSJ security.  If you Google a quote from the snippet they provide, and then go to the story from Google, you can read the whole thing.  Shhh

How badly do you want to believe?  Badly enough to disregard the fact that it would take someone three seconds to fake a computer signature in an Adium log?  Yes, we want to believe too, so there it is to your right.   Remember, we outed the MacBook Air this way back in January of 2008.  But those logs happened before the "Something is in the Air" signs were trotted out so it lent a bit of legitimacy to the whole thing. 

Also remember, the shots we found (more pics below) were named MacBook Mini and this could be a copycat-type of incident.

Could Apple have made the same stupid mistake twice?  Perhaps.

Adium via TUAW

The NYTimes’ Jenna Wortham is reporting that an as-yet unreleased Compete study proves that iPhone users don’t use their devices for work.  Well, that’s not what the study really says.  But the title of the story is an eye-grabbing: "Apple iPhone Owners Don’t Use It For Work"

This is based on the statistics:

"73 percent of iPhone owners used their mobile devices primarily for personal reasons, such as entertainment. By comparison, 59 percent of owners with other types of smartphones — from manufacturers like HTC, Research in Motion and Nokia — primarily used their devices for business and work-related needs."

Even if you use your iPhone as your sole work communications device, you probably also use it more for personal reasons.  It does have a video iPod built-in and access to thousands of games, camera and location-based utilities for personal use. For those 27% who use the iPhone primarily for work, you are missing out!

Do you use your car primarily for work?

http://feedroom.businessweek.com/linking/index.jsp?skin=twoclip&fr_story=816e6f8e0ae953ce1c952ae3b0cac12dd829fd61&rf=ev&hl=true

Starting to see a pattern here?  We are.  According to Businessweek:

Verizon Wireless is in talks with Apple to distribute two new iPhone-like devices, BusinessWeek has learned. Apple has created prototypes of the devices, and discussions reaching back a half-year have involved Apple CEO Steve Jobs, according to two people familiar with the matter.

One device is a smaller, less expensive calling device described by a person who has seen it as an "iPhone lite." The other is a media pad that would let users listen to music, view photos, and watch high-definition videos, the person says. It would place calls over a Wi-Fi connection. One of these devices may be introduced as early as this summer, one person says.

Are you starting to believe that this Verizon thing might actually be true? Whatever the case, this rumor just got a whole lot more interesting!  Is Apple just playing hardball in its negotiations with AT&T or is it interested in selling two different portable devices on Verizon’s network, including the mythical tablet device?  We’re kinda wondering why Verizon would be carrying a device that would place calls over Wifi…but don’t let the details get it the way.  There’s more!

Businessweek continues:

The new Apple devices under development, if introduced, hold the potential to shake up the tech industry. The media pad is smaller than an Amazon (AMZN) Kindle electronic reader, but its touchscreen is bigger than the Kindle’s, says the person who has seen it [The Kindle has a 7-inch screen]. Carriers such as Verizon and AT&T are keen on striking deals to supply wireless Internet access to these new small computing devices, such as netbooks, which represent revenue growth opportunities. Phone carriers also fear being cut out of their core markets for supplying land-line and wireless voice services.

 "The media pad category might go to Verizon," said the person who has seen the device. "We are talking about a device where people will say, ‘Damn, why didn’t we do this?’ Apple is probably going to define the damn category."

The new iPhone-like device is slightly thinner and smaller than the existing iPhone, people say. The reason the device is much cheaper than existing iPhones is that it relies on a so-called system on a chip, which incorporates many types of chips and drives down the cost of silicon in such devices, says one source familiar with the design. This new chip could also potentially be used in the media pad. "It will have a much lower cost that will blow away the margins on the BlackBerry and the iPhone," the person says.

Wow.

According to SAI, MLB.com’s At Bat 2009 iPhone application (iTunes Link) is currently the no. 3 app in Apple’s iPhone store, and is one of two $9.99 apps in the top 100.  It is closing in on a $1 million in revenue on sales of 130,000 downloads at $10/each.  Apple’s 30% cut is over $300,000.  Also, 220,000 copies of the free At Bat Lite have been installed on the iPod Touch and iPhone.  Not too shabby.

From the Toys Section:

Amazon.com offers the Pure Digital Flip Video Ultra F230w Digital Camcorder in White for $59.99. With free shipping, that’s $10 under our March mention and the lowest total price we could find by $20. This VGA-quality camcorder holds up to 30 minutes of video on its 1GB of onboard memory. It offers USB connectivity and direct uploading to YouTube and AOL via the included software.

Manufacturer Description

It’s the power of video in your pocket. Capture the everyday moments that happen anywhere, and share them with family and friends everywhere. That’s idea behind the new Flip Video Ultra Series. It’s portable, simple to use and amazingly affordable. Shoot anything. Share everything.

Flip Ultra Series Camcorder Highlights

Simple to Use

The Flip Video Ultra Series’ simple, one-touch recording and compact size make it the ideal choice for shooting video on the go. Capture memories as they happen – no fiddling around with memory cards, chargers or tapes, With four buttons, it’s incredibly simple to record, zoom, playback instantly or delete your videos. Flip Video’s internal flash memory holds up to 30 minutes of high-quality video.

Quality

The new Flip Video Ultra Series line produces video that rivals that of more expensive camcorders. With 1 GB of memory, a high-quality microphone and no-glare display, now anyone can make impressive videos.

Organize, Edit, and Share

Flip Video makes sharing footage incredibly simple. Its revolutionary software enables you to share videos instantly. Plug the USB arm into your computer, upload your videos and share them in minutes. Direct links to AOL Video and YouTube make it easy to publish videos online.

Flip Video’s software also enables you to email videos or greeting cards privately, create custom movies and capture still photos. Perfect for video blogging and social networking

Optional Accessories

Customize your new Flip Video Ultra Series camcorder with a colorful protective pouch. Extra USB Extension Cables give you even more flexibility when uploading video.

What’s in the Box

TV connector cable, soft carrying case, wrist strap, two AA batteries and instruction booklet.

Product Description

The FVULT30MINW 30-Minute Flip Video Ultra Camcorder lets you capture the everyday moments that happen anywhere and share them with friends and family everywhere. It’s simple, portable, and amazingly affordable. Simple editing tools let you make custom-edited movie mixes with music Create and organize your personal video library 1.5 diagonal color anti-glare playback screen for instant viewing and deleting, 528 x 132 pixels screen resolution Video Resolution – 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second Video Bitrate – 4.5Mbps (average – auto adaptive algorithm) Video Format – Advanced Profile MPEG4 Lens Type – Fixed Focus (0.8m to infinity) Aperture – f/2.4 (fast lens for great results in low-light environments) Fast lens for great results in low and bright light, smooth multi-step 2x digital zoom Interface – 8 Buttons (Power, Play, Delete, Record and 4 way navigation) PC Connection – Built-in flip-out USB arm (up to USB 2.0 speed) NTSC TV Out with included cable Battery Life – Up to 2.5 hours with 2x AA Alkaline batteries, Up to 6.5 hours with 2x AA Energizer e2 batteries System Requirements – Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz, Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista, SVGA display monitor (1024×768) and video card, Windows Media Player 9.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0, PowerPC G4 1.0 GHz, 512 MB RAM, Mac OS X 10.3.9, SVGA display (1024 x 768) monitor and video card, QuickTime 7 or later Dimensions – Height 4.17 x Width 2.16 x Depth 1.25

We really like the Live Chat helpdesk idea in general and are glad to see Apple jumping on the bandwagon here.   When done correctly and scaled reasonably, it allows a much better experience than talking on the phone.  It is also a lot easier to cut and paste from a chat than from a phone conversation. 

Hopefully, you won’t need it but it is there when you do…

Apple’s site says:

We’re pleased to announce that English language Live Chat support is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you encounter an issue while using MobileMe and would like to address it immediately, simply go to MobileMe support. Click on the topics at the bottom left of the page to see if your question has already been answered. If it’s not, click the Chat Now button to initiate a realtime help session with a MobileMe support agent.

CNet reports today on the state of Apple’s chip business.  Mark Papermaster finally started work after a few months of legal wrangling between Apple and IBM.  He still doesn’t have a press bio photo yet but is on the executive big board.  It isn’t known whether his late arrival has slowed the in-house chip development at Apple or if Apple would have even been ready for their own chips on upcoming iPhones, iPods and rumored tablets even with him.

Separately, the Inquirer is reporting that Bob Drebin, another big chip guy is now on the Apple payroll.  Drebing, a GPU guy, has been around the chip making world with recent stops at AMD and ATI (bought by AMD).  Before ATI, Mr. Drebin managed the architecture and design unit of ArtX, where he was instrumental in development of the graphics component for the Nintendo Game Cube. Prior to joining ArtX, Mr. Drebin was a chief engineer in Silicon Graphics’ Advanced Graphics Division, where he spent nine years developing high performance graphics systems.

Games.  Yay.

This one was found on a Wired website:

The text reads:

PC. Easy as 1-23
1. Remove unneeded bloatware
2. Configure security settings
3. Download and install OS security patches
4. Restart
5. Download / install extra security programs
6. Restart
7. Download / install drivers for peripherals
8. Restart
9. Remove optional Windows components
10. Update new virus list
11. Run full system virus scan
12. Update new malware list
13. Run full system malware scan
14. Download / install application updates
15. Restart
16. Clean out system registry
17. Repair corupt system registry
18. Defragment hard drive
19. Free up disk space
20. Scan disk for errors
21. Run system file checker
22. Read online instruction manual
23. Cross fingers

Via MDN

Sick of the Verizon/iPhone news yet?  Here’s another tidbit:  SAI is reporting that a Verizon spokesperson gave them the "I know something I won’t tell, I won’t tell, I won’t tell":

A Verizon Wireless spokesman, reached for comment, did not deny that Verizon is in talks with Apple to sell the iPhone. "We’re always ready to talk with suppliers, but nothing to announce today," he said.

Wow, we love PR speak.  We’d also love a Verizon iPhone, if only to light a fire under AT&T’s backside.  More iPhone Verizon coverage.

Update:The WSJ reports:

President and Chief Operating Officer Denny Strigl took a slight shot at AT&T in addressing a USA Today report that Verizon and Apple Inc. (AAPL) were in talks to bring the iPhone to the carrier after AT&T’s exclusivity agreement ends in 2010. While he declined to comment on the iPhone, he said that Verizon Wireless isn’t dependent on one device, and that it already has a strong base of high-value customers.

Apple this week informed the SEC that it had miscounted the shareholder votes on the ‘Say on Pay’ referendum at the February 25th shareholder meeting.  The referendum was intended to let shareholders weigh in on policies regarding executive pay and compensation.  The mistake was apparently made because Apple recorded the Abstentions as "No" votes.

After the recount, a majority of votes had been cast in favor of the excitingly-named "Shareholder Proposal No. 5 Regarding Advisory Vote on Compensation".   Apple chalked the problem up to human error.

Image via Gizmodo

CUPERTINO, California—April 27, 2009—Apple® today filed an amendment to correct the Form 10-Q it submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, April 23. Last week’s filing incorrectly reported the voting percentages for shareholder-submitted proposals because abstentions were counted as “No” votes. Very shortly after the original filing, the company learned that these votes had been incorrectly tallied and an internal investigation confirmed the mistake was due to human error, which Apple regrets. Today’s amendment correctly reports the voting results. 

As a result of the corrected vote count, Shareholder Proposal No. 5 Regarding Advisory Vote on Compensation, known as “Say on Pay,” was approved with a majority of votes cast. The Compensation Committee of Apple’s Board of Directors has been closely following the Say on Pay issue, and anticipates that new laws or regulations will require some form of Say on Pay vote at all public companies in the near future. Even if that does not occur, Apple is committed to implementing an advisory Say on Pay vote next year.