Tech Industry

The Financial Times is reporting that Google is in deep talks with them’ popular movie studios to bring à la carte movie rentals to YouTube. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last month, it is well known that Apple is also in very deep negotiations with the major content hubs to bring more lower-priced movie rentals to iTunes.

Google has been renting movies since January, but on an extremely limited basis.

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We are just days away from the possible unveiling of Apple’s radically new AppleTV, rumored to be re-named as its former codename, iTV. Since this device is speculated to be running Apple’s iOS, there are countless rumors and debates as to how the planet’s folks will control the thing. Apple’s current remote definitely won’t do the job with its 5 physics buttons. There’s the Magic Trackpad but that might not be convenient with it’s desktop design. Then there’s using an iPhone/iPod/iPad app which would double or triple the $99starting price for some.  Maybe something cheaper?

The concept you see above, put together by Dan Wineman, is the perfect concept of an iTV remote. The remote is a pure fusion of the Magic Trackpad and an iPhone. The remote takes the physical appearance and multi-touch technology from the Magic Trackpad and scales it to the size of an iPhone. The controller will adapt some iPhone-hardware features like the gyroscope, compass, and accelometer. Essentially, an iPhone without a screen. Or it could be just like this Wii-like “Magic Wand” patent we covered last New Years Eve (pictured below).

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According to a new report from Digitimes, Samsung’s 7-inch Galaxy Tab is being aimed to take on Apple’s rumored 7-inch iPad. Samsung’s Tablet is set to debut in Berlin, Germany on September 2nd, one day after Apple’s annual Fall music event (coincidence?).

A smaller iPad is rumored to be in Apple’s pipeline and Digitimes’ sources indicate Apple could be planning to show off their latest tablet at this event. Their sources also claim that Samsung skipped the current iPad’s 10-inch form factor to go right against its upcoming smaller iteration.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is powered by their own processor and runs Android’s Froyo 2.2 operating system. Samsung unleashed a promotional teaser for the device just days ago and it admittedly looks like an interesting concept, packing in iPad-esque features in a smaller package, bundled with camera and calling features.

For some other (shocking….shocking!) duplication check Samsung’s accessories below:

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Here’s an intriguing one; according to first hand reports in China, the iPhone 4’s carrier China Unicom is advertising a jailbreak service with purchase. With online services such as Jailbreakme.com, jailbreaking has never been easier and it seems the Chinese cell carrier has realized this and has turned it into a clever marketing scheme. This jailbreak service is not unique to the iPhone 4 as iPad 3G sales from China Unicom will get the same treatment.

According to M.I.C. Gadget, the promotional poster above reads “Support Service: Free SIM-trimming, jailbreak, installation of more than 10 hot apps.” These posters are not showing up in all of China Unicom’s stores but enough for this report to take place. One major thing to note is that iOS 4.0.2 breaks Jailbreakme.com so it is yet to be determined how these phones will be jailbroken. Maybe the service will only exist for phones which shipped with earlier versions of iOS 4.

Another point of interest is that China Unicom will reportedly provide free iPhone 4 cases with purchase, furthermore removing the need for customers to use Apple’s case program. There is no word on what cases will be provided and maybe this is Apple’s “better solution,” providing cases at purchase instead of through the app (Probably not)? Let us know what you think about this service in the comments.

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The rumors of an upcoming iTunes TV show rental service from Apple are in full swing, and we’re hearing more and more juicy details each day. First we heard that TV show rentals would be $1 per show and good for a 24 hour watching period. This is the same as Apple’s current movie rental service but for television programs at a cheaper price instead. Just the other day we heard that Apple’s in deep negotiations with News Corp., NBC, and ABC in regards to the rumored service.

Today, Cult of Mac’s taking a swing into the action reporting on a tip they believe has merit. The report agrees with the 1$ per show service, but takes the concept even further. This rumored 1$ per show concept supposedly means $1 per show per month. To simplify this, imagine your favorite show. Lets say your show has had 50 episodes so far in its life time. For $1 a month you will have access to the entire 50 show library as well as all new additional shows airing during that month.

Furthermore, to gain access to the entire show library for an entire year it would cost you $12. Looking down the line if you signed up for 10 individual shows, it would cost you $120 to access the complete show libraries for an entire year. This seems sort of sketchy and we are definitely taking this lightly. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Patent trolling isn’t just for the relevant these days according to the WSJ.  Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who lost $8 billion in the cable industry and now owns the Seahawks and Trailblazers, is suing Apple (and everyone else) over some mundane patents.

The technology behind one patent allows a site to offer suggestions to consumers for items related to what they’re currently viewing, or related to online activities of others in the case of social networking sites.

A second, among other things, allow readers of a news story to quickly locate stories related to a particular subject. Two others enable ads, stock quotes, news updates or video images to flash on a computer screen, peripherally to a user’s main activity.

The Journal notes that Allen’s Vulcan Ventures conveniently  isn’t suing anyone in the local Seatlle area.
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Computerworld: The smartphone wars are a battle for the future of computing. And with computers central to the experience of most people across most industries worldwide, you could argue that the importance of this battle could affect the future of the world itself.

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Valve has released some detailed figures on Mac user habits in the Steam for OS X universe, confirming a mass move to portable computers and strong steps for Mac gaming.

The latest figures show us that over two thirds of Mac users on Steam own a MacBook or MacBook Pro, another 23 percent use an iMac.
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One more tale from the Farewell Flash Dept.: online video service Vevo last night announced its iPhone app has been downloaded over one million times since its release on August 18.

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Apple has severed its relationship with a small design firm engaged in tablet development, a report claims.

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Google’s attempt to create its own royalty-free video standard took a blow last night on news that MPEG LA has declared the popular H.264 codec will be made available royalty-free forever.

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Mixing fast luxury sedans with Apple iPads and Macintoshes?  What else could you ask for?

(Click for larger)

In addition to the cushy leather seats and Alcantara headliner, the rear compartment is stocked with two Apple iPads, two seat-mounted multimedia screens, a 64GB iPod Touch and a 15.2-inch headliner-mounted Mac display. Not only can these products be used for personal use, but the two iPads also control the car’s Command system, encompassing the radio, navigation and telephone systems. The whole Apple setup is powered by an ultra-small Mac Mini in the trunk that is housed in an electronically deployed drawer.

via Autoblog

This is one of those Chicken or the Egg riddles.  Is Plex 9  (the best Macintosh Media Center) coming out on the same day as Apple’s media event because it is taking part, related to what Apple is unveiling, or being bought?  Or is Plex just jumping on the bandwagon for the sake of publicity?  Either way, we’re pumped!

September 1st.  We’ll be covering

Computerworld: I can understand all the excitement about Apple’s special event next week, but looking at the invitation I really wouldn’t be at all surprised if Apple doesn’t focus on video and the Apple TV, but on new iPods and cloud-based services for iWork and iLife….

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Apple, Tivo, Adobe, HP, Xerox and eighteen other firms have been named in a new slice of US legal lawsuitage as defendants in a case set down by another firm, Ganas.

The case — filed in the patent-holder friendly court of the Eastern District of Texas — alleges companies of breaching a patent that relates to object orientation, patent 7,316,913.

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Orange has channeled some of its iPhone profits into creating products designed to compete with the iPad, but Apple needn’t worry as analysts expect it will dominate the tablet market all the way to 2012.

A French report in Les Echos tells us Orange is preparing to introduce its own tablet device at a price under half that charged by Apple for the iPad.
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Computerworld: Apple-watchers look to September 1. That’s when Apple is now expected to host a special event to introduce its new products for music and television, including a 99-cent TV show rental service.

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Preservationists have finally ended their battle to preserve the house that Apple boss, Steve Jobs, loves to hate, the Jackling House in Woodside.

Jobs has wanted to demolish the house to replace it with his style of ‘iHome’ for years, which has led him into a fierce court battle with the local planners and preservationists. Even the local historical society seemd to think the place, owned by Jobs since 1984, had some significance.

Of course, it does, the house is a historic mansion in Woodside, California, designed and built for copper mining magnate Daniel Cowan Jackling and his family by the noted California architect George Washington Smith in 1925.

In 2004, Jobs received permission from the town of Woodside to demolish the house in order to build a smaller contemporary styled one. Local preservationists created a new group, ‘Uphold Our Heritage’ (UOH), dedicated to saving the historic residence. They sued the town and Jobs.

Eventually the courts gave Jobs permission to tear down the place if an appeal against the permit was not received.

Uphold Our Heritage on July 19 dropped its appeal of the last March 2010 ruling by San Mateo County Superior Judge Marie S. Weiner that granted Mr. Jobs a demolition permit.

They decided to do this once Jobs failed to respond to a proposal by Woodside residents Jason and Magalli Yoho to dismantle the house and move it elsewhere.

Jobs’ attorney, Howard Ellman, said that now the appeal had been abandoned, “we’re going forward”.

“The town has hired architectural historian Michael R. Corbett to conduct an inventory of historically significant parts of the house. Preserving these items for posterity is a key condition of the demolition permit issued by the town in 2009,” Almanac News reports.

iPad and iPhone production rates are beginning to catch-up with demand, Rodman and Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar has said.

He believes Apple’s on course to achieve 14 million iPhone 4 sales in the current (September) quarter and another 15 million by the end of the year.

iPad sales continue to be strong. LG has apparently managed to boost display manufacturing, beefing up iPad supplies. Apple should sell between 5 million and 6 milllion iPads in the current quarter, the analyst said.

Apple’s soon-to-be-revealed 7-inch iPad also seems set to boost sales. The Economic Daily News of Taiwan is reporting that construction of a 7-inch iPad has begun.

This is likely to be cheaper and more portable while also offering good screen real estate for reading and games playing. It is likely to be a smash for the holiday and back-to-school market.

Kumar believes the growth trajectory on both devices will translate into continued stellar earnings in Cupertino.

UK major label EMI this week railed against Apple’s iTunes in the body of its latest annual financial statement.

The record labels are unanimous in their praise for Apple’s achievements in online music sales, but resent the huge slice of the music sales market the company has carved out. Apple is now the biggest music retailer in the US, for example.

This gives Apple too much control, label bosses feel. Now EMI has found this sufficiently significant to warn that a key risk to the music industry is:

“The substantial dependence on a limited number of online music stores, in particular the iTunes Store, for the online sale of music recordings, and the resultant significant influence that they can exert over the pricing structure for online music stores.

Office 2011 will be so compatible with Windows that you can hold up overlaid printouts from both platforms to the light and if there are any differences, that will be a considered a bug. –K. Schmucker

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