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The devices that run the world’s most advanced mobile operating system

Check out our top stories on iOS Devices:

iOS devices refer to any of Apple’s hardware that runs the iOS mobile operating system which include iPhones, iPads, and iPods. Historically, Apple releases a new iOS version once a year, the current version is iOS 10. Here is the complete list of iOS 10 compatible devices.

Motorola Droid reviewed by BGR

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BoyGenius has the Droid review up and fankly, they’re pretty smitten with it.   It looks a little "square" to us but we have to admit, that 850×480 screen  has us a bit green. The "not on AT&T’s network" part also sounds nice except for international travel. 

They say the Android 2.0 "Eclair" software is also much more refined.  It is interesting to note that this is the first Android-based phone with the ARM Cortex A8-class chips that the iPhone and Pre have.  In fact, it has the same TI OMAP 3430 CPU as the Pre.

Interestingly, they mention that this won’t compete with the iPhone:

The Droid isn’t an iPhone competitor because nothing at this point in time is an iPhone competitor besides the new iPhone. And things don’t have to be right now. Everyone can eat. So will the Motorola Droid be successful? Absolutely, we think. It will eat in to BlackBerry sales, Windows Mobile sales, and positively murder any lingering Palm Pre sales. It’s that good. Did you notice how Verizon still hasn’t announced the BlackBerry Storm2?

Another release of Aperture hinted at by Amazon page

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Apple’s next generation of professional photo management software may be getting an update (finally!) in the coming months if an Amazon page is to be believed.  The site has a placeholder for an Apple Aperture X (3) – UNDER NDA: A Workflow Guide for Digital Photographers (Paperback).

Interestingly, the news comes the same week as Adobe Lightroom beta 3 is released.

The book is due out in May 2010 and will retail for $40.

Amazon notes:

Product Description
Aperture is a dedicated end-to-end workflow tool for photographers and this book guides the reader through the complete process from capture to output.

The beauty of Aperture is that – unlike Adobe’s rival workflow software, Lightroom – it doesn’t force a particular structure or workflow on to the user. This more open-ended approach means it is becoming increasingly popular with photographers – but also means that there is a lot to learn for a newcomer to the software.

Whether you are cataloging, organising and adding Metadata to thousands of RAW files; selecting, cropping and correcting an individual image or preparing files for final output to web or print, this book provides a complete reference for producing high-quality results with Aperture.

* Clear, step-by-step explanations simplify the features and uses of this extensive application
* Real-life examples show you a complete digital photography workflow with Aperture at the core
* Fully updated for Aperture X

About the Author
Ken McMahon runs Pelican Graphics, a digital design consultancy specializing in design and artwork production for print media and the web. He is also a freelance journalist, writing for PCWorld, Mac User and PC Pro in the UK, and a best-selling author.

Nik Rawlinson is the editor of MacUser magazine in the UK. He switched from PCs five years back, and now lives a happier, more colourful, drop-shadow-filled life of sleek white surfaces and gently rounded corners.

via AppleInsider

Charge up your iPhone the wireless way – Powermat ships US/UK

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If you’re not already ever so slightly excited by wireless charging systems for tech devices, where have you been?

We think these solutions have that whizz-bang factor of combining simple utility with technology that makes you go “hmm” in spades, so we need to tell you all about Powermat, which launches its “revolutionary” range of wireless charging systems today in the US and UK (shipping next week, we believe).
 
‘Oh enough of the hyperbole already, just what does this stuff do?,’ you ask, well, here’s the skinny: Powermat allows you to charge your iPhone, BlackBerry, iPod, PSP, Nintendo DS etc just by attaching a special receiver to the device and then placing them on the mat.  No wires, no bulky rechargers, no need to remember which charger works with which device.

The first products in Powermat’s range of wireless charging systems are dubbed Powermat Home & Office and Powermat Portable.

They use wireless energy transfer, combining an ultra-thin mat with a receiver that connects to your device. Place an enabled device on the Powermat and the mat and receiver will work together to recharge up to three devices at once. Charging occurs at the same rate or faster than if the device was using a standard charger plugged into an electrical socket, even when multiple devices are placed on the Mat.
 
A further device can be charged via a USB cable, making Powermat able to charge four devices at the same time.

It’s a little bit Green, too, as Powermat only generates energy when a device with a Powermat receiver is placed on the mat. It stops when that connection is broken, making it more energy efficient compared than standard chargers which are frequently left plugged in when not being used and consume unnecessary energy when they are plugged in.

How the technology works
Inductive coupling transfers energy via a magnetic field from a charging circuit inside the mat to another charging circuit in the receiver which is embedded in, or attached to, the device.  The uniqueness of the Powermat technology lies in its intelligent power management features:
 
When the mat and the device are in immediate proximity, an RFID “handshake process” evokes to identify:
    1.    if there is a valid connection between the mat and the device,
    2.    the amount of power required, and its existing level of stored battery power,
    3.    which component in the Mat should be activated to transfer the required power. Then and only then does the transfer of electricity begin.

 
The connection is monitored at all times and the power transmission will cease once the connection is broken.

Powermat receivers are currently available for the iPhone, iPods, BlackBerry and Nintendo DS Lite and DSi devices. Consumers can also purchase the Powermat Powercube which comes with eight unique tips including mini USB to connect to additional devices such as Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG handsets as well as Sony PSP consoles.
 
The products are available at various locations in the UK, where Carphone Warehouse CEO Andrew Harrison, seems intrigued, saying: “We believe that this product will completely revolutionise the way we power our electric devices, using unique cutting-edge technology. This ground-breaking device could one day see us all using one charger for all our gadgets, and doing away with all those tangled wires.”
 
Now, these things aren’t cheap – the Home and Office mat costs £69.99 in the UK or $99.99 in the US; while the Portable Mat costs £79.99 in the UK or $99.99 in the US. Receivers costs vary – an iPhone or iPod touch receiver costs an additional £34.99 (UK) or $39.99 (US). Despite the relatively high price, we do think this new technology is interesting just of itself.

Powermat also has a product roadmap which it says “paves the way for the truly wireless home”.
 
If you’d like to find out a little more about these solutions, then here’s the relevant Amazon pages:
US Powermat page
UK Powermat page..

Apple

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There’s an Apple iPod ad in Boston, with a trail of political intrigue behind it.

The Boston Globe has the story of how the giant-sized iPod ad won approval, and it seems a tale of influence, persistence and deep, deep pockets.

The story begins: “The mayor’s campaign treasurer acknowledged this week that he called the Boston Redevelopment Authority two years ago about the permitting process for a massive iPod banner ad along the Southeast Expressway, an outsize display that Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s administration ultimately endorsed, despite its usual discouragement of new billboards.”

Read it here

New 'Get a Mac' ads focus on Windows 7 upgrade pains

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Remember when Phil Schiller, Apple’s Head of Marketing, said, "Win 7 upgrade hassle – why not just buy a Mac?"

Most Windows Upgraders were going to have to go through a series of steps including reinstalling all of their apps and moving things over from another storage space.

"Any user that reads all those steps is probably going to freak out. If you have to go through all that, why not just buy a Mac?" Schiller helpfully pointed out.

Indeed, just 20 percent of Windows users have shifted to Vista, while over 70 per cent of Mac users migrated to Snow Leopard. "I expect Snow Leopard will have an amazing upgrade rate, and Windows 7 won’t,” Schiller said, bullishly.

With Snow Leopard available at a reasonable price, Schiller’s next statement could be prophetic (At the very least in the below ads): "We’ve been through these transitions before, and no matter how you look at it – it’s still Windows. When all is said and done, the Mac picks up share a bit at a time."

With that in mind, have a look at the ads (2 more below):

Broken Promises

http://movies.apple.com/media/us/mac/getamac/2009/apple-mvp-broken_promises-us-20091022_480x272.mov

 

Teeter Tottering

http://movies.apple.com/media/us/mac/getamac/2009/apple-mvp-teeter_tottering-us-20091022_480x272.mov

 

PC News

http://movies.apple.com/media/us/mac/getamac/2009/apple-mvp-pc_news-us-20091022_480x272.mov

Also on Apple’s Site.

AT&T Wireless CEO implies iPhone exclusivity in U.S. to end

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Matt Hamblin at Computerworld writes:

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega strongly implied today that the carrier’s exclusive deal to sell the iPhone in the U.S. is ending, although he gave no details in a conference call with analysts…"We have a legacy of having a great portfolio…that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us," de la Vega said. "We think we will continue after the iPhone…to drive [results]…."

AT&T announced earlier today that iPhones were 75% of their new Smartphone activations and brought 40% of their customers from other carriers so losing exclusivity might not be in their best interests.  Interestingly,  de la Vega noted the advantages of AT&T’s 3G technology (talking and using data at the same time) vs. Verizon/Sprint’s services which lose data when a voice call is initiated. 

He also talked up Android devices and eBook readers saying:

"Even if we lose exclusivity [of the iPhone], we will be the only carrier with HSPA 7.2 [a network specification being deployed at AT&T] and [new devices] will work on our network faster," de la Vega said. "I feel as strongly as ever [about] the capability of devices in our lineup and [am] super-excited about the deals with e-readers and personal navigation devices. "

De la Vega also said AT&T is now working with device manufacturers to build Android phones that will "work best" on the AT&T network. "They are terrific devices and much better on AT&T than on anybody else’s network."

With Verizon’s latest Droid/iPhone attack ads, and Sprint ahead in 4G coverage, we’re thinking a new CDMA front-runner could be emerging.  Would anybody else out there be interested in a WiMAX iPhone?  Also, Tmobile would be an easy choice as they use the same GSM/EDGE network as AT&T, albeit with differenct 3G frequencies.

Ballmer takes another stupid swipe at the iPhone

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Look, we know it is his job to downplay the iPhone, but his rationales keeps getting weaker and weaker.  Yesterday in an AP article, Steve Ballmer said:

"Let’s face it, the Internet was designed for the PC. The Internet is not designed for the iPhone. That’s why they’ve got 75,000 applications — they’re all trying to make the Internet look decent on the iPhone."

Now let’s take a look at a Morgan Stanley slide posted by Techcrunch on the relationship of mobile Internet adoption on iPhone+iPod as it relates to desktop Internet adoption.

You don’t just get the name "Monkey Boy".  You have to earn it.

 

 

AT&T activates 3.2 Million iPhones in the quarter, a new record

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iPhone growth certainly hasn’t slowed.  AT&T released its quarterly earnings report today and among the announcements was the activation of 3.2 million iPhones in the quarter.  That, not only was a new quarterly record, it was 3/4ths the total of 4.3 million postpaid 3G integrated wireless devices (devices with keyboards – or "smartphones") that AT&T sold.  Incredible. 

4.3 million postpaid 3G integrated wireless devices added to AT&T’s network, the largest quarterly increase in the company’s history; integrated device growth included 3.2 million iPhone activations, also the company’s largest quarterly total to date (integrated devices are handsets with QWERTY or virtual keyboards in addition to voice functionality)

Also, similar to recent quarters, 40 percent of the iPhone activations were for customers who were new to AT&T.

Apple sold 7.4 million devices in the quarter so around 4.2 million were sold internationally.

Free, ad supported version of OSX being investigated

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Apple patented a method for putting ads into the OS X last year which was revealed today by MacRumors and Engadget.  This one has Steve Jobs’ name on it so it might have some significance.  While this initially seems waaaay out of character, there might be some interesting possibilities here.

 

First, this type of OS could be used in a super low cost Mac.  Just as Microsoft is crippling its Windows 7 to go on Netbooks, Apple may be looking for ways to subsidize the cost of building a machine and selling it for less than $400. 

Also, could this be a hint that Apple is considering releasing OS X, at some time in the future, for Generic PeeCees?  While Apple makes most of its money on hardware -and therefore can afford to sell its OS for cheap and not enforce "Genuine Advantage" type OS security, it could allow an ad-supported "free" version of the OSX to hit the marketplace. This would eliminate the need for people to Hackintosh their computers and also allow apple to compete with the ChromeOS in the Netbook arena.

 

Can't beat 'em? Sue 'em! Nokia files suit against Apple

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Update: PED Reports: According to Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster, is 1% to 2% of the cost of an iPhone, or in the worst case, about $12 per unit.

Nokia announced that it has today filed a complaint against Apple with the Federal District Court in Delaware, alleging that Apple’s iPhone infringes Nokia patents for GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN (WLAN) standards. 

We’re sure we’ll hear something from Apple soon. 

From Nokia’s PR:
As a leading innovator in wireless communications, Nokia has created one of the strongest and broadest patent portfolios in the industry, investing more than EUR 40 billion in R&D during the last two decades. Much of this intellectual property, including the patents in suit, has been declared essential to industry standards.  Nokia has already successfully entered into license agreements including these patents with approximately 40 companies, including virtually all the leading mobile device vendors, allowing the industry to benefit from Nokia’s innovation.
 

The ten patents in suit relate to technologies fundamental to making devices which are compatible with one or more of the GSM, UMTS (3G WCDMA) and wireless LAN standards. The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and are infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007.
 
"The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for," said Ilkka Rahnasto, Vice President, Legal & Intellectual Property at Nokia. "Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia’s intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation."
 
During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 40 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry’s strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families. Nokia is a world leader in the development of GSM technologies and its evolution to UMTS / 3G WCDMA as well as wireless LAN, which is also demonstrated by Nokia’s strong patent position in these technologies.
 
About Nokia
Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the world’s leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways – fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.
 
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
It should be noted that certain statements herein which are not historical facts, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) the timing of product, services and solution deliveries; B) our ability to develop, implement and commercialize new products, services, solutions and technologies; C) our ability to develop and grow our consumer Internet services business; D) expectations regarding market developments and structural changes; E) expectations regarding our mobile device volumes, market share, prices and margins; F) expectations and targets for our results of operations; G) the outcome of pending and threatened litigation; H) expectations regarding the successful completion of contemplated acquisitions on a timely basis and our ability to achieve the set targets upon the completion of such acquisitions; and I) statements preceded by "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "foresee," "target," "estimate," "designed," "plans," "will" or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) the deteriorating global economic conditions and related financial crisis and their impact on us, our customers and end-users of our products, services and solutions, our suppliers and collaborative partners; 2) the development of the mobile and fixed communications industry, as well as the growth and profitability of the new market segments that we target and our ability to successfully develop or acquire and market products, services and solutions in those segments; 3) the intensity of competition in the mobile and fixed communications industry and our ability to maintain or improve our market position or respond successfully to changes in the competitive landscape; 4) competitiveness of our product, services and solutions portfolio; 5) our ability to successfully manage costs; 6) exchange rate fluctuations, including, in particular, fluctuations between the euro, which is our reporting currency, and the US dollar, the Japanese yen, the Chinese yuan and the UK pound sterling, as well as certain other
currencies; 7) the success, financial condition and performance of our suppliers, collaboration partners and customers; 8) our ability to source sufficient amounts of fully functional components, sub-assemblies, software and content without interruption and at acceptable prices; 9) the impact of changes in technology and our ability to develop or otherwise acquire and timely and successfully commercialize complex technologies as required by the market; 10) the occurrence of any actual or even alleged defects or other quality, safety or security issues in our products, services and solutions; 11) the impact of changes in government policies, trade policies, laws or regulations or political turmoil in countries where we do business; 12) our success in collaboration arrangements with others relating to development of technologies or new products, services and solutions; 13) our ability to manage efficiently our manufacturing and logistics, as well as to ensure the quality, safety, security and timely delivery of our products, services and solutions; 14) inventory management risks resulting from shifts in market demand; 15) our ability to protect the complex technologies, which we or others develop or that we license, from claims that we have infringed third parties’ intellectual property rights, as well as our unrestricted use on commercially acceptable terms of certain technologies in our products, services and solutions; 16) our ability to protect numerous Nokia, NAVTEQ and Nokia Siemens Networks patented, standardized or proprietary technologies from third-party infringement or actions to invalidate the intellectual property rights of these technologies; 17) any disruption to information technology systems and networks that our operations rely on; 18) developments under large, multi-year contracts or in relation to major customers; 19) the management of our customer financing exposure;  20) our ability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled employees; 21) whether, as a result of investigations into alleged violations of law by some former employees of Siemens AG ("Siemens"), government authorities or others take further actions against Siemens and/or its employees that may involve and affect the carrier-related assets and employees transferred by Siemens to Nokia Siemens Networks, or there may be undetected additional violations that may have occurred prior to the transfer, or violations that may have occurred after the transfer, of such assets and employees that could result in additional actions by government authorities; 22) any impairment of Nokia Siemens Networks customer relationships resulting from the ongoing government investigations involving the Siemens carrier-related operations transferred to Nokia Siemens Networks; 23) unfavorable outcome of litigations; 24) allegations of possible health risks from electromagnetic fields generated by base stations and mobile devices and lawsuits related to them, regardless of merit; as well as the risk factors specified on pages 11-28 of Nokia’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008 under Item 3D. "Risk Factors." Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proving to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Nokia does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.
 
Media Enquiries:
Nokia
Communications, North America
Tel. +1 972 894 4573
Email: communication.corp@nokia.com
 
Nokia
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34900
Email: press.services@nokia.com
 
Nokia
Mark Durrant
Communications
Tel. +358 71800 8000
 
www.nokia.com

Stephen Fry calls for mini-projector on future iPhone

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Noted UK personality and inveterate Mac user, Stephen Fry, wants the next-gen iPhone to carry a mini-projector, saying: "Beyond question, in a year’s time, we’ll be used to the sight of someone plugging their iPhone into a dock and broadcasting those beloved powerpoints, keynotes and films,” he told UK gadget mag, T3, during an interview to mark his recognition as ‘Personality of the Year’ in the T3 Awards.

He turned his turn of phrase on Apple, saying of the new iPhone, “it’s damn smart. It’s almost as if they knew that the rivals were bringing out phones that were better than the year before, but on last year’s chipset so wouldn’t have the speed, which explains this weird concentration on ‘S’ for speed.

“The minute you play with it and then try a rival you think ‘come on!’. The iPhone has this marvelous quality where you swear at it less."

T3 is hosting a complete interview with Fry here, including this clip we’ve published for your infotainment. Fry has the distinction of being the man who owned one of the first three Macs to reach the UK, the other being owned by his friend, ‘Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ author, Douglas Adams.

BBC plan makes iPlayer service international

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Looks like the BBC has a plan to go global with its popular iPlayer service, offering viewers worldwide the chance to take a look at its shows, albeit for a fee.

BBC Worldwide plans a paid for international version of iPlayer in a move which would give it more control over the price of its content, and could provide an alternative to iTunes for accessing the same.

The plan still requires approval from the BBC Trust. If approved, international viewers will be able to buy episodes of the BBC’s top-flight shows, such as Doctor Who, Torchwood and Top Gear. The broadcaster would also make available some classic shows from its archives.

Domestic UK iPlayer content won’t be made available because of rights issues, but the service will be able to carry content from other broadcasters, such as Channel 4, to an international audience.

The plan has been in development for the last six months, and is certainly an attempt on the part of the BBC to offer its shows at higher prices than Apple allows with iTunes.

“Millions of people love Torchwood and would probably pay 10 bucks an episode rather than two bucks,” said BBC Worldwide executive vice president, Luke Bradley Jones.

Via: Broadcast Now

AAPL crosses all time high today

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Apple is having a pretty solid week, and it is only Wednesday. 

The week began with Apple’s earning call which landed much higher than any analyst had hoped for. Then there was that little product refresh which was met with glowing reviews.  Probably realated to Monday’s and Tuesday’s news is Wednesday’s, which is that Apple’s stock price has reached an all-time high.  It closed today at just under 205 against a lower market and peaked at 208.71 earlier in the day.

The rise puts Apple’s market cap at $183.57 billion and as we know from the earnings call, Apple has $43 billion in cash.  The market cap is now bigger than  Google.  That cash is enough to buy Dell, at a value of $29 billion.

There now is only one bigger tech company in the world, Microsoft (who launch their next OS tomorrow), with a market cap of $236.85 billion. Many think that lead won’t last long, however, $50 billion is a lot of value to gain.

ReelDirector: Much better video editing for iPhone 3GS

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The iPhone 3GS may be able to capture, trim and despatch video clips to YouTube, but its editing features are pretty limited. Now there’s a better choice, Nexvio’s ReelDirector.

This nice app lets you do all kinds of things, from adding titles and credits to your clips to editing and arranging clips to a timeline.

Not just that, but you also get to add transitions, arrange positions for text, and offers four different text styles you can apply to your clip.

We think it looks promising and it is available now from the App Store for just $7.99.

Via: OhGizmo
 

The Beatles come to iTunes (not really)

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Excuse the misleading headline, we’re just deadly bored waiting for the survivors of the popular 60’s beat combo to get their digital deal done with iTunes,

While they wait, fans can entertain themselves with Beatles Walk London iPhone App. The fact-packed guide takes in 16 key Beatles London locations and many extra smaller sites in an easy to follow walk from St. John’s Wood to Piccadilly Circus.

“Follow in the footsteps of The Fab Four as you visit the Abbey Road zebra crossing, the Marylebone station movie location for A Hard Day’s Night and the site of what would be the group’s extraordinary, final, live public performance on the rooftop at Savile Row.”

Via: AppShopper

BBC Trust bins universal iPlayer plan

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The BBC Trust just made a bad decision, acting to prevent the BBC offering its iPlayer technology to other UK broadcasters.

The BBC had hoped to turn its Adobe AIR application into a standard for UK broadcasters, offering them an alternative, non-US-owned way to bring their UK content to viewers online.

The BBC had proposed that ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 should have access to iPlayer to enable them to compete with other TV companies when the UK switches over to digital TV in 2012.

The Trust said it "supported the principle of sharing the iPlayer more widely" but said the plans would not deliver value to licence-fee payers.

Diane Coyle, BBC Trustee and Chair of the Trust’s Strategic Approvals Committee said: "The iPlayer is a success, and we believe that access to its technology could be useful to other broadcasters. The Trust supports the BBC’s aim of sharing the benefits of the iPlayer.

"When assessing the proposals submitted by the BBC Executive, the Trust weighed up a number of factors. These included their strategic significance, their impact on other BBC activities, the potential competitive impact, and their overall value to licence fee payers.

"We concluded that the open iPlayer plans in their proposed form, combining both commercial and public service elements, were too complicated. We were not convinced that there was enough potential value to licence fee payers in the public service part of the proposal, and we have therefore rejected the BBC Executive’s proposals for an open iPlayer federation.

"We will look again at future public service models for the online delivery of programming as part of the strategic review now in progress. In the meantime, the Trust is open to considering an alternative proposal for the licensing of the iPlayer technology to third parties if that can be done on a simple, fair and commercial basis."

As a response, Channel 4 has announced it will be offering full-length shows through Google’s YouTube.
 

Video – Apple's new Polycarbonite MacBook, strip-searched

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Engadget posts a link to iFixit’s MacBook teardown.  They get some information which is not in Apple’s specs.  Some of the highlights of the new Polycarbonate MacBook below:

  • The bottom (lower case) is actually aluminum with rubberized coating injection-molded onto one side
  • It has the same CPU and GPU as the base model MacBook Pro
  • Obviously, the MacBook is now made of plastic Unibody (we’d like to se ehow strong that really is) You obviously have a new rounded edge design.  Along with that goes a new "built-in" battery that has a lot more life (7 hours) than the previous models (5 hours).  This is done with only 23% more battery meaning there is a lot of energy efficiency in this thing.
  • Curiously, no SD card slot like the iMacs and MacBook Pros.  Also no IR port for a remote – the only shipping Mac without one.  Bluetooth+3rd party remotes or USB IR is available however.
  • MacBook loses the traditional MagSafe power adapter and gains a MacBook Air-like bent adapter.
  • The MacBook loses a Firewire port and combines the mic and audio out ports. It also loses Mini-DVI in favor of the Mini DisplayPort adapter
  • The MacBook gains a full sized multi-touch touchpad, similar to the Pro models except the glass is white instead of silver.
  • This new MacBook weighs in at 4.7 lbs. That’s .3 lbs less than the old plastic MacBook, but .2 lbs more than the 13" Unibody MacBook Pro.
  • It has a pretty amazing new heat sync (below) that spans the length of the computer.

Oh, an no more fake screws!

Much more at iFixit

Hurrah, it

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In a wave of announcements which saw the term Apple shoot into the top ten trend topics on Twitter as Apple Stores worldwide shut down in a synchronised tease, Apple today introduced its all-new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to use MultiTouch technology, the same tech used on the iPhone, iPod touch and MacBook range.

Just as in those products, this will let you navigate your Mac using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the £55/$69Magic Mouse constitutes a seamless Multi-Touch surface.

It makes it a breeze to scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos.

“Apple is the MultiTouch leader, pioneering the use of this innovative technology in iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Apple’s Multi-Touch technology allows us to offer an easy to use mouse in a simple and elegant design.”

Magic Mouse features a touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support.

Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.

The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. It uses Bluetooth wireless and works from up to 10 metres from your Mac.

The mouse also includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included.

The new mouse ships as standard with the new iMac and will be made available through Apple’s various retail channels at the end of the month (wonder if this is the doo-dad Apple hopes to fly about and get under a few Mac user’s Christmas trees?)

Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5.8 or later.

As Apple explains the new product on its website: “It began with iPhone. Then came iPod touch. Then MacBook Pro. Intuitive, smart, dynamic. Multi-Touch technology introduced a remarkably better way to interact with your portable devices — all using gestures. Now we’ve reached another milestone by bringing gestures to the desktop with a mouse that’s unlike anything ever before. It’s called Magic Mouse. It’s the world’s first Multi-Touch mouse. And while it comes standard with every new iMac, you can also add it to any Bluetooth-enabled Mac for a Multi-Touch makeover.”

AirPort Extreme and Time Capsules add MIMO technology

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Another update lost in all the chaos today is the new multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology added to the Airport Express and Time capsule.

According to Apple, those improvements in antenna design give you up to 50 percent better Wi-Fi performance and up to 25 percent better range than with the previous-generation AirPort Extreme Base Station.

The FCC accidentally leaked this information out last night.

 

Apple updates iMacs, Minis, MacBooks Airports, Time Capsules…

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Sorry everyone – this made it to "published" accidentally before it was supposed to go live…but it is out there so here’s where we are consolidating info…

As anticipated by many, the iMac line got updated with a new, low cost 21.5 inch HD model. Utilizing a new 1920×1080 16:9 aspect ratio screen, the new iMac replaces the previous 20 inch models.  A new 27 inch model replaces the 24 inch model.

Mac Minis got a mild refresh updating processor speeds mildly while getting a new 1TB version media center model.

New MacBook…

Airport Extreme and Time Capsules will get the new 3×3 MIMO radios.

And now you can mount your iMac on the wall?

New Magic mouse as well

More coming shortly…

We now have some part numbers form AppleInsider:

MC207LL/A – K84 BEST BTR- USA
MC238LL/A – MAC MINI 2.26/2x1GB/160/SD/AP/BT-USA
MC239LL/A- MAC MINI 2.53/2x2GB/320GB/SD/AP/BT-USA
MC340LL/A – AIRPORT EXTREME (SIM DUALBAND) – USA
MC343LL/A – TIME CAPSULE 1TB (SIM DUALBAND) -USA
MC344LL/A – TIME CAPSULE 2TB (SIM DUALBAND) – USA
MC408LL/A – MAC MINI 2.53/2x2GB/1TB/NO ODD/AP-BT-USA
MC413LL/A – IMAC 21.5"/3.06/2x2GB/1TB/4670-256MB-USA
MC434LL/A – APPLE VESA MOUNT ADAPTER
MC461LL/A – MACBOOK 60W MAGSAFE POWER ADAPTER – USA