Tech Industry

As we reported way back in January, Slingplayer IS coming to the iPod Touch, iPhone platform.  It has been an extremely busy topic on their forums for the past 6 months. Sling has also been hiring iPhone Engineers since earlier in the year.  But all of that doesn’t an iPhone Slingplayer make….

Engadget finally got its hands on the real deal…at least in Beta, below.  AT&T, say goodbye to all of your 3G bandwidth!

http://www.viddler.com//simple_on_site/984c53dc

Hopefully we’ll see this in much better form later today…

 Do you really believe Apple has time to waste on a “hobby”?

Steve Rubel at Micro Persuasion so very doesn’t. He’s written an insightful examination of the deeper plan for the product. He argues that with maybe four or five million to be sold by the end of the year, and with the OS X developer community expanding at a phenomenal rate on strength of the iPhone (and, let’s face it, the Mac) it’s only a question of time before Cupertino ups its game for Apple TV. 

“To date, more than 100,000 developers have downloaded the iPhone software development kit (SDK). This will create all kinds of value on a platform that has arguably sold double the units as Apple TV. Expect Apple to do the same with Apple TV in the near future. It may not be at this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), but I guarantee it’s coming. They’re not going to let the hackers have all the fun. Further, watch for TiVo and Slingbox to do the same,” he writes. Read it.

Is this iChat for Windows?  Or a slightly clever Photoshop?  We’ll know in T-minus 2 days and counting…

Found originally here

Telecom Italia has confirmed it will announce the launch date for the iPhone in Italy following the Apple keynote at WWDC, by Tuesday morning "at the latest," Reuters Italia reports.

This news clinches expectation Apple will announce its latest 3G iPhone next week, and suggests an international ring of networks will clarify the actual shipping dates for the device in their countries next week.

A Telecom Italia spokesperson reportedly said the network must wait until after the keynote to announce the news, saying "We must wait for them." The network previously promised the product will ship by the end of June. Pricing and most other details regarding the new model remain unknown, though it is thought iPhone buyers in Italy will only be locked to their choice of carrier (Vodafone or Telecom Italia, both of which have announced plans to ship iPhone in Italy) for nine months, under local law.

This news comes out as reports intensify claiming Quanta Computer has begun shipping unmarked boxes in small quantities using multiple vehicles, suggesting Apple and its manufacturing partner to be distributing new product to Apple retail stores, generating further speculation the company may already be supplying iPhones to retailers. Similar claims from Australia would suggest some possibility of a simultaneous global launch, though the logistics of simply keeping confidentiality over such a move makes that unlikely.

Illusions that tech isn’t colourful were blasted last night when it emerged the boss of a company whose chips are used in almost every Apple product was involved in drugs, prostitution and financial double-dealing that would make Harvey Keital’s character in Bad Lieutenant look like an innocent schoolboy.

Yes, it’s true, Broadcom co-founder and former CEO Henry Nicholas has been charged with maintaining and distributing drugs from his various homes, spiking customer and employee drinks with ecstasy, and more. He’s also facing charges of stock options backdating to the tune of $2.2 billion – the largest such case in US history.

You can read the drugs indictment here, thanks to The Register, which explains: "The indictment also claims Nicholas constructed an underground room and tunnel beneath his Rodeo residence for drug use."

In one incident, which sounds like an event from a Hunter S. Thompson novel or Cheech and Chong movie, it has been alleged Nicholas and others smoked so much marijuana during a flight on his private plane between Orange County and Las Vegas that the pilot had to put on an oxygen mask.

Drug distribution involved his home, a hired warehouse and a Las Vegas condominium, from which drugs including ecstasy, cocaine and methamphetamine were supplied.

Nicholas is also accused of spiking the drinks of industry executives and employees of Broadcom customers (though it’s hard to believe they wouldn’t have noticed this). He faces 20 years in jail on the drugs charges, and more for the stock options backdating.

What makes this case so tragic is that Nicholas has been widely involved in a host of philanthropic causes, with a particular focus on supporting victim’s rights. His Henry T. Nicholas, III, Foundation, focuses on improving the quality of life through various investments in education, youth sports, medicine and more, including supporting education and scholarships for children.

Interestingly, Broadcom recently secured a deal to provide GPS chips for the 3G iPhone, a feature the device reportedly must carry because of pressure from the FCC. 

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is keeping a close eye on iPhone development as the importance of its strategy for mobile computing continues to unfurl. Jobs is taking Apple’s future so seriously he’s effectively handed over more control to fellow exec, Tim Cook, who now oversees the work of the Mac engineering teams.

Well, not exactly – Apple has added two new faces to its executive team, Scott Forstall (pictured, now senior vice president, iPhone software) and Bob Mansfield (now senior vice president, Mac hardware engineering). 

Forstall reports directly to Jobs, and is responsible for the development of iPhone software, "including the user interface, applications, frameworks and the operating system," according to Apple, at least.

Mac engineering leader Bon Mansfield will be reporting instead to Tim Cook, (who himself answers to Jobs). Mansfield’s the man who led the teams building the MacBook Air and the all-in-one iMac.

While all these men now sit on the executive board (so communications between all parties should be better than ever before) we do think the move represents just how important Jobs & Co. consider the company’s iPhone developments.

Mansfield and Forstall were each awarded a grant for 25,000 restricted Apple shares as part of their promotion, worth over $4.17 million as of May 30, but not scheduled to vest until March 2010.

New Photos emerging from Moscone reveal a new branding strategy for Apple’s OSX.  Take a gander:

Some things to note: Is that MacBook Air is using a 16:9 14 inch display we mentioned earlier? To the right you see the little accelerometer icon.  And what is that iPod Touch orange icon?  Is that the new iPhone?

Cirrus Logic shares took a hike North today on strength of market rumours that company’s audio codec chips will be deployed in future Apple iPods, including the iPod touch.

The scene it seems means, “Apple could become a meaningful revenue contributor to Cirrus starting in the second quarter of fiscal 2009,” well, that’s what Roth Capital Partners analyst, Jay Srivatska said.

He added:

“In our recent trip to Asia, our channel checks at consumer electronics manufacturers confirmed that Cirrus has been designed into next-generation Apple’s Classic, touch and nano iPods," according to the AP. 

If true, this deal’s going to iPour around $20 million in revenue for the company, “over the next 12 months”, the report says. Odd really, as the analyst in question added, "While the company is not commenting on these two design wins, we believe Apple could become a meaningful revenue contributor to Cirrus starting in the second quarter of fiscal 2009."

Apple has used Wolfson Microelectronics’ as supplier of low power Codec’s in every iPod, though that company last March admitted to losing Apple’s business.

The immediate effect of the analyst claims has been a 5.43% hike in Cirrus Logic shares shares, up 36-cents to $6.99 each at time of writing.  

Apple’s move to field more environmentally-friendly LED displays seems set to yield a much larger field of so-equipped Macs, with news this morning that AU Optronics has announced a full range of 16:9 LCD panels for displays.

We know that AU Optronics is one of two display manufacturers contracted to produce screens for the new MacBook models, which are expected to ship in the third quarter of 2008.

The new displays even include a 21.5-inch 1080p full HD resolution panel – large enough for Apple to potentially introduce the technology into iMacs and a small Apple display,

The new products are set for demonstration at Display Taiwan 2008 next week, and the display range includes screens which could soon appear in MacBooks and MacBook pros – even the 17-inch MacBook Pro.

"To meet the fast growing trend of digital content, AUO’s new 16:9 widescreen series include four MoniTV LCD panels: 24-inch Full HD, 21.5-inch Full HD, 18.5-inch and 15-inch. There are also two LED notebook LCD panels: 15.6-inch and 14-inch," the company said.

Both 15.6-inch and 14-inch TFT LCDs are equipped with an LED backlight, HD resolutions, 500:1 contrast and 60% colour saturation. The panels’ PCB structure has also been "designed to reduce noise when wireless networking, the company highlighted".

16:9 widescreen LCD panels are the trend for information technology display applications, and it is one of our focuses at Display Taiwan 2008 exhibition," said Michael Tsai, General Manager of IT Display Business Group of AUO. "The migration from 16:10 to 16:9 in widescreen market has gone fast. After AUO launched the 24-inch 16:9 Full HD LCD panel for desktop in the first quarter this year which became a big hit in the market, we released another 3 models for desktop in the second quarter; we will complete our 16:9 lineups for desktop with 27-inch model by the end of this year. In the near future, we plan to utilize LED-backlit green LCD panels for 16:9 desktop products. For notebook PC application, AUO aims to be the forerunner of 16:9 widescreen LCD panels with LED backlight. We will release another 4 LED-backlit panels: 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch, 13.3-inch, and

17.3-inch by the first half of 2009. AUO will take the lead in 16:9 aspect in IT display area, so as to provide consumers better enjoyment in digital media and Full HD contents such as Blue Ray DVD playback or high definition TV broadcasting."

With the technology now available, we think it’s time to commence speculation on a new MacBook with a 14-inch 16:9 display capable of playing Blu-ray as it should be played, and a MacBook Pro with a similar, larger display.

This is pure speculation, of course…

 Research In Motion’s BlackBerry remains the darling in corporate America, but recent price cuts and the imminent arrival of enterprise-class support in the iPhone means Apple’s a growing contender for corporate purchases.

A May ChangeWave survey of 2,049 respondents reveals a still soft corporate technology spending environment in which Research In Motion continues to dominate the smart phone market. The survey was conducted among respondents with purchasing responsibility at their firms.

BlackBerry grew its lead, climbing three points to secure 76 per cent of the market, Palm its already vast lead (76%; up 3-pts) in the corporate smart phone market. Second-place Palm lost one point to take 17 per cent, "and shows no signs of halting its long-term decline," the researchers said.

Looking to the coming quarter’s planned corporate purchases, RIM has overwhelming momentum, with 82 per cent of respondents buying smart phones next quarter saying they’ll purchase BlackBerries – a five-pt jump since the previous survey in February.

"When you’re hot, you’re hot, and the latest results for RIM are scorching," said Tobin Smith, founder of ChangeWave and editor of ChangeWave Investing.  "If every product had such market dominance, it would be easy to pick the winners in each space," added Smith.

Despite the good news for RIM, it looks like Apple’s beginning to make its mark. iPhone sales climbed 2 points on the previous quarter, grabbing 13 per cent of the market, with the company now ranking second in terms of planned corporate purchases, according to Changewave. Pity Palm, which seems on the edge of becoming the third-place contender with just 8 per cent of purchasers confirming their company plans to purchase a Palm device.

When asked if their overall IT spending was on track thus far in the 2nd Quarter, 11 per cent of respondents said their company had spent "More than Planned" – up 1-point since February.  Another 27 per cent say they’ve spent "Less than Planned" – unchanged from previously. Which means things haven’t got worse, even if they haven’t yet recovered, the researchers said, though moving forward 24 per cent of respondents confirmed their spending will decrease in the coming third quarter.

"While the slowdown in overall spending may finally be stabilizing, this survey suggests that IT spending will remain anemic for the rest of the year," said Smith. "The one exception here is RIM, which just keeps on rolling."

(IMAGE FROM SLATE)

 Remember the Times report which claimed the 3G iPhone will cost £100 in the UK, as it’s to be subsidised? Now comes a new report which adds weight to that earlier speculation.

Telefonica SA’s Movistar brand will be the sole distributor of the iPhone in Spain, the company revealed last night. Local Spanish press reports claim the new device will be sold for under €100 to customers prepared to sign a 24-36-month contract with the company.

The report – straight outta Madrid and carried by Thomson Financial – also informs: "The Spanish telecom group will sell the third generation of the iPhone, which has a video camera and GPS."

…yeah wtf does that mean?

Another day, another tale or two: The 3G iPhone will be thinner and cheaper, confirms Cult of Mac; one analyst doesn’t believe the 3G iPhone subsidy chatter; Apple has officially launched its Back to School promotion in the US, offering a free iPod touch or iPod nano to students;  a batch of new universities join iTunes U; Radiohead catalogue hits iTunes; Firefox to grab 20 per cent or more of the browser market next month. Read on…

3G iPhone

Cult of Mac’s Leander Kahney has the information. Citing a supersecretsource, the veteran Mac writer claims Apple’s new 3G iPhone will be thinner, host GPS and 3G and will be available in 16GB and 32GB versions. Oh yeah, and he claims the iPhone will be subsidized in the US and UK (at least)…

Subsidy no way…

Always rely on an analyst to, well, analystisize the latest topics (did’ja know some analysts get a bonus payment whenever they’re cited in the media?) Not saying that analyst Roger Entner at Nielsen/IAG, got paid, but he’s been quoted saying, "There’s no need to upgrade the device’s capabilities and lower its cost at the same time." He doesn’t think AT&T will subsidise iPhone after all; fortunately a batch of other analysts think it will. We’re heading to the melting pot of rumour now, we reckon. Now let’s begin prognosticating the iPhone nano…

Touching offer

Apple is offering rebates up to $299 against the cost of an iPod touch or iPod nano to education purchasers buying a new Mac between June 3 to September 15. This deal’s going to massively expand the number of iPod touch users on US college campuses, we think. And the deal is available in Canada too, helpful reader Kev Orng let us know.

iTunes U

iTunes U is Apple’s education-focused service offering podcasts, lectures, video and other content from higher education institutions. The service has always had a US bias, but that’s now changed with the addition of content from two UK and one Irish university; three Australian higher education institutions and a batch of new US colleges. If you haven’t spent time exploring what’s available in iTunes U, you should – it’s a rich resource for learning.

Radiohead’s iTunes connection

Yes, it’s true. Radiohead has made its music catalogue available through iTunes in the UK and US (and probably beyond), with much of the band’s music being made available in DRM-free iTunes Plus format. This is a hugely significant step, as Radiohead have determinedly resisted the notion of allowing the band’s music to be sold on a per-song basis, pointing to the album as an art form. 

Firefox wins through

Firefox will grab in excess of 20 per cent of the web browser market by the end of July, Net Applications believes – and could exceed that with the release of Firefox 3 set for this month, and the SpreadFirefox campaign’s attempt to get the release into the Guinness Book of Records as the most software downloaded in 24-hours.

Which other tales have caught your eyes today? Let us know in the comments below.

New research confirms Macs have 33 per cent fewer problems than Windows PCs in a business environment – and that it’s easier to resolve Mac problems than those with Windows.

Nucleus Research has been conducting an in-depth study on Mac versus PC in the enterprise. Ian Campbell, CEO of the company, writes: "We’ve been investigating the ROI from Macs versus PCs in the business environment. I was reviewing the data from a case study one of our analysts is completing and the results are interesting."

He continues: "This particular company has approximately 1700 employees with a mixed environment of PC users and Mac users. Here’s the interesting data point: On a per user basis, for every 3 trouble tickets the help desk opens for PC users they only open 2 for Mac users. In addition, the Mac trouble tickets are closed 30% quicker. To net it out, in this company the Macs have 1/3 fewer problems and the problems are solved a lot quicker."

While the CEO freely admits the data only comes from one company, he calls it a "fair comparison of sophisticated users in a roughly balanced Mac versus PC environment."

The researchers are investigating numerous similar deployments, and will publish additional findings as and when case study work is complete, Campbell said.

The cost of investment is higher for Windows, too, as Computerworld suggested last year when it found that the true cost to put together a BTO Dell laptop to be as well featured as a MacBook Pro cost $650 more from Dell than the equivalent Apple laptop.

Today’s highlights include: iPhone Q1 marketshare impacted as RIM, others engage in pre-3G model fight back, IDC explains; Adobe gets agile with Acrobat; Steve Jobs safe from options fall-out; Safari and Mac usage up; and Intel pushes WiMax and Centrino 2 at Computex. Oh yeah, Microsoft tells Windows users to avoid Safari, citing S.E.C.U.R.I.T.Y., because Windows is so incredibly secure without the Apple browser (yeah, right..).

iPhone Q1 marketshare

IDC reports Apple’s iPhone took 19.2 per cent of the US smartphone market in the first quarter, down from 26.7 per cent in the Christmas quarter of 2007. Research In Motion’s BlackBerry took 44.5 per cent in the first quarter, the analysts said. While being reported as some kind of tragedy, it’s pretty clear that most potential iPhone customers are now simply waiting for the 3G model, so we anticipate the marketshare equation will soon see change, it’s just a blip, we reckon.

Adobe Acrobat

Making another move to develop its online software-as-service platform/offering (AJAX, AIR, Flash et al.), Adobe’s introduced a new version of Acrobat that’s equipped with Flash support and other high-end design features. Boosting the software release, the company’s also opened up its Acrobat.com service, a free beta trial of PDF-based online collaboration, creation, storage, web conferncing and management tools as it keeps pushing the paperless office pipedream.

Steve Jobs – safe?

Well, according to Forbes, Apple CEO Steve Jobs now seems unlikely to be slammed with a US government lawsuit over stock options backdating irregularities at both Apple and Pixar. Seems SEC don’t want to take one of the most famous US businessmen down. Action has been taken against former Apple and Pixar execs, though.

Safari, Mac usage climbs

Safari usage online crossed 6 per cent for the first time last month as Mac use continues to climb online, says Net Applications. The figures? Mac OS takes 7.83 per cent, iPhone 0.16 per cent, iPod touch grabs 0.03 per cent while Safari achieves a record new 6.25 per cent marketshare.

Intel pushing WiMax

We know we’re possibly ahead of the curve in speculating Apple plans to push WiMax in future devices and computers, but with key partner Intel seemingly utterly determined to generate mass deployment of such devices and systems, we can’t believe the two firms don’t discuss it from time to time. This week, Intel will show Centrino 2 laptops equipped with WiMax support at Computex. It’s just a shame the Centrino 2 processor’s been delayed until later in the year.

Microsoft’s anti-Safari security salvo

This makes us laugh. Microsoft’s warning Windows users to avoid Apple’s Safari web browser on their platform. Why? Because a recently disclosed flaw can let attackers fill up a victim’s desktop with malicious .exe files. We reckon a safer bet for Windows users is to "ex-" Windows – and these days the market seems to agree…

IMAGE: We plan on using a picture of Award-winning artist, Adam Reeder ‘s sculpture, Pan With His iPod, which took first place in San Francisco Academy of Art University’s Annual Spring Show this year. Sculptor explains, "In mythology Pan played his flute and danced in the woods. In my sculpture, the flute is replaced with an iPod. The nature of Pan hasn’t changed, but the context in which he is seen has changed. The technology has changed what Pan is doing." (We’re just tinkering with the site at present, and images are a little troublesome…sorry…

No big surprise here…we’ve been telling you about this for months.  Today, however, the iPhone Movistar went official with a webpage and everything.  As per usual, no launch date, specifications or anything of interest.

One more week!

UPDATE: WOOPS!  Looks like someone jumped the gun.  The site is down, Movistar and Apple both quiet.  Ouchy

 Here in the land of Mac we’ve been gleefully wishing May out of the way as we wait in excitement for Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ keynote session at WWDC this year – we all hope the company will announce the next-generation iPhone during the event.

We still do.

However, we’ve just learned that Apple will not be holding an exclusive invite-only media event in London during the keynote session. And while the keynote is expected to be made available on video after the event, there will be no chance in Europe for people outside of Apple to watch what Jobs says as it happens.

This may mean nothing at all, but given Apple’s penchant in recent years for inviting select media to the BBC for a chance to watch a satellite feed of the Jobs-note, we’re beginning to wonder if there’s a reason the company doesn’t plan to invite them this time.

We all anticipate Apple will introduce the 3G iPhone at the show, but Apple has previously only said it intends the keynote to focus on Mac OS X and iPhone software development. What if it meant what it said?

What if the lack of an as it happens satellite feed to European media in London means the 3G iPhone won’t be announced at the show?

In brief we’re saying: There will be no live satellite feed going out from WWDC 2008 to European media. We speculate this could mean the keynote speech will be 100 per cent focused on developers. Makes sense, it’s a developer’s event. We want your opinion on this, drop them into the comments below.

 First signs that investors are beginning to chase the potential gravy train that is iPhone application development emerges in force today with news that New York’s Pinch Media has attracted initial funding from Union Square Ventures, First Round Capital and a few other investors.

Founded in April by Greg Yardley and Jesse Rohland, the company today introduced its first product. Aimed at iPhone application developers, Pinch Analytics is a free hosted analytics service that lets iPhone developers track how their applications are used. Developers must integrate the software within their iPhone SDK application, once it is it will track handy statistics such as the number of unique, active users, the length of time your application is being used, and if enabled, the geographic location of your users. The software should help developers understand how many people actually use their applications.

“We’re ridiculously pleased to get this out to developers, so we can see how it performs on a wide variety of applications. If you’re building something with the SDK, check us out – we’d love your feedback. We’re already working on our next iteration of Pinch Analytics and our additional products for iPhone apps, and getting ready for WWDC in early June,” the company said.

Pinch Media wouldn’t exist without the revolutionary nature of the iPhone and its software development kit – for the first time, mobile is moving unambiguously from a medium that does less than the desktop to one that does more, with the iPhone leading and forcing change throughout the entire market. “We’ll be discussing the implications of the iPhone and its SDK here in much more detail in the weeks ahead,” they explained.

 Apple’s 3G iPhone launch plans may have seen a slight delay, at least, reading between the lines of today’s profit warning from mooted chip supplier, Infineon.

What has occurred? Infineon today warned its profits and sales would be impacted by a delay in a project to supply components to Nokia. The company also said Infineon had also received lower orders than expected for a project to supply HSDPA chips for high-speed internet phones. This immediately generated analyst speculation Apple’s new iPhone would “launch at lower volumes”.

"In our view the profit warning has been caused by ramp changes of next generation iPhone," UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudouis said as reported by Reuters.

JP Morgan analyst Sandeep Deshpande also speculated on a change in Apple’s iPhone launch plan, saying: "It could be possible that the lower volumes in the certain platform ramp cited could be Apple reducing the initial launch volume."

It’s all speculation, of course, as Infineon has never confirmed it will supply chips for the iPhone – but code indicating deployment of one of its chips was found within the iPhone SDK last month. A later report indicated United Microelectronics Corporation had been contracted to produce the chips for Infineon for use in the iPhone. 

This news follows recent “rumours of a rumour” that the 3G iPhone release has been delayed, but the veracity of those claims remains extremely dubious.

Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. was claimed to have secured the manufacturing deal for the 3G iPhone in March.

 The New York Attorney General’s office is urging customers who believe they have been victims of Dell’s deceptive and negligent business practices to get in touch in order to claim compensation.

The Attorney General has launched a website through which customers affected by Dell’s dubious dealings can register their complaints in an attempt to seek compensation.

The move follows this week’s judgment against the computer company in which New York State Supreme Court Judge Joseph Teresi declared Dell had engaged in fraud, false advertising, deceptive business and abusive debt collection practices. The company was also found guilty of a sustained pattern of depriving customers of tech support.

The new website explains itself to be: “Dedicated exclusively to your complaints against Dell and/or Dell Financial Services. To file your complaint, you may complete the Form made available to you online. Additionally, please download your copy of the completed printable Complaint Form, sign and mail it with any related documentation.” 

The site also offers a couple of examples of Dell’s abusive practices, one being particularly telling: “When 67-year-old Barbara Williams, President of the Crochet Sewing Guild, bought a Dell computer, she also purchased 3 years “on site service.” When Ms. Williams’ computer crashed, she called Dell’s technical support. Ms. Williams says Dell simply abandoned her for 2 months before agreeing to send a technician to her home.”

In another stated example, a customer was convinced to purchase a Dell computer using Dell’s own finance scheme. While offered a good rate, the customer was then switched to a different plan with a 29 per cent interest rate – this customer’s regular credit card would have charged no more than 8 per cent.

Dell shares are currently trading at $21.69 with the company scheduled to reveal its Q1 earnings today. Should company founder and now CEO Michael Dell simply sell the company and return the money to company shareholders?

Image: Thanks to Gizmodo, image illustrates a Dell laptop bursting into flames at a conference in Japan in 2006.

 Apple has reached a deal to bring the iPhone to Hong Kong and Macau, the latest in a plethora of agreements to widen the addressable market for the next-generation of the product.

The company will offer the iPhone in Hong Kong and Macau through Hutchison Telecommunications International. More details regarding availability and pricing will be revealed at a later juncture, Bloomberg explains. The device is expected to ship in the new territories later this year. The report observes Apple to also be discussing iPhone launches in China and Japan, through China Mobile and NTT DoCoMo, respectively.

This week it was revealed the company will introduce iPhone in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia through TeliaSonera AB, while Royal KPN NV has confirmed it is also in talks with Apple to sell the iPhone in the Netherlands.

Vodafone will sell the iPhone in India, Australia, and New Zealand, while SingTel and its affiliates will offer the device in Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia.

With deals for Canada (Rogers Telecom), South America (America Movil) and numerous destinations in Africa and Europe already on the table, the only major country so far not to reveal any launch plan is Russia. We have a list of countries claimed so far just here.

 Apple is preparing to announce film download and rental services through iTunes in the UK and Canada.

The company is understood to have reached deals with Disney, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Lions Gate and MGM under which iTunes in both named countries will begin offering popular films for purchase and rental using Apple’s service. The move is likely to help boost Apple TV sales, and to improve the utility of iPod and iPhones.

Despite the lack of costs of manufacture or distribution of physical product, the studios have insisted they don’t want to undercut DVD prices with the move, suggesting prices for films will be set between £6 and £25, depending on the title, according to a report in The Times. The eternal refuseniks, Sony Pictures and Universal Studios have refused to agree the new deal at this point, the report claims.

Disney CEO Bob Iger last year explained his company has sold four million films and 40-50 million videos through iTunes since making its media available through the service in 2006.

In the US, Apple has reached deals to offer films through iTunes on the same day they ship on DVD.