Tech Industry

…except the huge smartphone sticking out the back.

Imitation=flattery? Check the whole lineup below. via 9to5Google

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“It’s meaningless unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size,” – Steve Jobs on a potential 7-inch iPad from the Q4 2010 earnings call

After digesting that boulder-sized grain of salt, here’s the latest rumor out of Taiwan.

A report from UDN (via Unwired View), claims manufacturers LG Display and AU Optronics have sent samples of 7.85-inch “iPad Mini” displays to Apple for approval. Apple has apparently already approved specifications for the device and the report claims it could ship as early as next year. Perhaps Apple execs don’t any longer share Jobs’ view that a 7-inch model would be “useless” or “dead on arrival”.

A rough translation of the report seems to mention the same resolution as iPad 2 but also notes 52% increased resolution “per unit area” for the smaller iPad variant. It also mentions “lower prices” and “emerging markets” as the motivating factor for Apple. We already know how Steve Jobs felt about the possibility a 7-inch iPad. After his sandpaper comment (above), Jobs continued:

“Apple has done extensive user testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff. There are clear limits on how close you can physically place elements on a touchscreen before users cannot reliably tap, flick, or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons, we think, the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps”

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According to several news sources, the partial shutdown of key Apple manufacturer Catcher Technology due to environmental concerns could lead to supply constraints for the company’s MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups.

Financial Times reports:

In an emergency announcement on Sunday night, Taiwan’s Catcher Technology (2474:TAI), one of the world’s biggest makers of metal casings for notebook PCs, said it had been ordered to close part of its plant in China’s Suzhou province by regulators, after local residents complained of bad odours generated by the plant.

If you’ve never heard of Catcher Technology, you’re probably more familiar with their work than you think. The unibody casing of Apple’s current MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups is perhaps the main reason Catcher is one of the world’s biggest makers of metal casings for computers. The company expects the shutdown to cut sales by a fifth in October and Catcher’s president Allen Horng had this to say at a press conference on Monday (via WSJ):

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Sprint took a big risk on the iPhone, paying a rumored $20B up front to get the iPhone over the next four years (that is some pipeline!).

Mr. Hesse told the board the carrier would have to agree to purchase at least 30.5 million iPhones over the next four years—a commitment of $20 billion at current rates—whether or not it could find people to buy them, according to people familiar with the matter. In order to keep the price people pay for the phone low and competitive with rivals, Sprint would be subsidizing the cost of each phone to the tune of about $500, which would take a long time to recoup even at the high monthly fees iPhone users pay.

Directors debated what they had just heard. Some worried the payoff would be too long in coming. One member questioned whether the multiyear deal might outlast the iPhone’s popularity. To sell that many iPhones, Sprint would have to double its rolls of contract customers, convert all of them to the Apple device or a combination of the two.

It appears that the risk is already starting to pay off.

Today, spokeswoman Michelle Mermelstein told us:

Fared Adib, Sprint Product Chief, issued the following statement: “Sprint today reported its best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family in Sprint history with the launch of iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. We reached this milestone at approximately noon CT/1pm ET. The response to this device by current and new customers has surpassed our expectations and validates our customers’ desire for a truly unlimited data pricing plan.”

Unlimited is a good thing.

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Update: Hard Candy CEO Tim Hickman reached out on 9to5Mac to talk about the experience. His full comment after the break.

Ever wonder exactly what iPhone case manufacturers go through prior to an next-gen iPhone unveiling? When it comes to Tim Hickman and his company Hard Candy Cases, the process consisted of spending more than $50,000 to create cases based on a rumored iPhone 5 design that never came to fruition. He even started taking pre-orders on his site.

Based on tipsters in China who sent Hickman 3D models claiming to be that of the, at that point, yet to be unveiled next-gen iPhone and sporting a widened Home button and tapered design, the company got to work. Unfortunately, when October 4th rolled around, that design was nowhere to be seen. Bloomberg reports:

“After three separate manufacturing partners in China sent him detailed 3D models of an iPhone with a widened, pill-shaped “home” button and a slightly tapered back, Hickman decided to roll the dice. He paid $50,000 to make steel moldings to mass-produce cases for the new design and, on the morning of Apple’s announcement, began taking orders on his website. The gamble backfired…Hickman suddenly owned $50,000 worth of paperweights.”

Hickman is hoping his $50,000 investment will pay off with the design being incorporated into a future iPhone saying, “The data we got came from somewhere.” It’s not surprising that Hard Candy took the risk, however, as the company won big with the September 2010 iPod touch, with their cases hitting the shelf the same week of release thanks to leaked designs.

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US District Judge Lucy Koh came down on Samsung today for infringing on Apple’s patents in a preliminary hearing on Apple’s request to bar some Galaxy products from being sold in the United States. She stopped short of issuing an injunction however, like her Australian counterpart yesterday, saying that Apple may have some issues establishing the validity of its patents.

Apple and Samsung have been at each others’ throats in more than 20 districts around the world. The fight has ensnarled some of the two companies’ partners and vendors.

Mobile providers Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA have opposed Apple’s request, arguing that a ban on Galaxy products would cut into holiday sales.

Apple must show that Samsung infringed its patents and that its patents are valid under the law.

At the hearing on Thursday in a San Jose, California federal court, Koh also said she would deny Apple’s request for an injunction based on one of Apple’s so-called “utility” patents.

She did not say whether she would grant the injunction based on three other Apple “design” patents.

Koh characterized her thoughts on the utility patent as “tentative” but said she would issue a formal order “fairly promptly.

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846.

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Apple’s current line of MacBook Pros is heavily constrained with all models appearing to be nearly out of stock. Don’t fear, though, if you want a MacBook Pro because new models are right around the corner. Updates to all MacBook Pro models have appeared in Apple’s inventory system for the 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch screen sizes. Apple will continue to ship two 13-inch models, two 15-inch models, and one 17-inch model.

This MacBook Pro refresh will not be the expected re-designed models, but will likely bring some marginally faster processors and the Bluetooth 4.0 technology that Apple started shipping in the latest MacBook Airs and the new iPhone 4S. The new internal code names for the updated MacBook Pro line are K90IA (13-inch), K91A (15-inch), and K92A (17-inch). The A in the codename signifies this next MacBook Pro refresh as being relatively minor. Thanks, Mr. X!

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Update: He’s wrong.  We’ve heard from an impeccable source that Google plans to have invites out “in the next day or so” and there is no patent delay.

We reported earlier that Google and Samsung were delaying the release of the new Nexus Prime phone and Android 4.0 “Ice cream Sandwich” out of respect for the passing of Steve Jobs.

“We believe this is not the right time to announce a new product as the world expresses tribute to Steve Jobs’s passing,” the companies said.

But according to often (but not always) correct blogger Eldar Murtazin, there are patent issues at hand which need to be addressed before the devices and OS  ship.  Specifically, Google is slicing out features which may be subject to Apple’s Patents…

See Steve Jobs introducing multi-touch in 2007 below, saying “Boy have we patented it!”.  More coverage at 9to5google.com
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxjiQoTp864]

Damn impressive.  I’m with the audience at 1:18 and again later when Kevin Lynch’s picture is unblurred.  I just hope I kept all of those amazing but flawed pictures that I can now unblur. via TNW

Update: A better version is over at Adobe.
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We’ve been hoping for a new Apple TV since Apple began transitioning its iOS device lineup to dual-core A5 processors, and we now have some compelling evidence for a next-generation Apple TV being in the works. Deep inside the iOS 5 file system is a reference to a Apple TV 3,1. This would be an upgrade from the current Apple TV’s 2,1 marking. The number changing from 2 to 3 represents major changes, and with the Apple TV recently gaining a fully re-designed case, we expect this upgrade to mainly consist of internal changes.

In all likelihood, this new Apple TV will gain some of internal power from the iPhone 4S and iPad 2: the dual-core A5 chip and maybe a boost in the RAM department. The Apple TV 3,1 reference comes from a file that Apple uses to activate unreleased devices that are in testing; furthermore this Apple 3,1 is already in testing stages. A dual-core Apple TV will likely mean 1080P video playback, a current restriction due to the current model’s A4 processor. We will also likely see some 1080P iTunes content to come along with this next-generation model’s new abilities.

Although this model has turned up in the iOS 5 file system, we must warn that devices that never have come to fruition have also shown up in the iOS file system; namely an iPhone 3,2 and an iPod touch 4,2. These devices have been characterized as internal development units, but with previous rumors pointing to an A5, 1080P capable Apple TV, we’d say this Apple TV 3,1 becoming a reality is very likely. Also lookout for an Apple TV with bluetooth in the near future.

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The same antenna expert who claims to have predicted the iPhone 4 “antennagate” controversy thinks Apple may once again run into trouble with the new antenna tech in the iPhone 4S. This time, however, the problems may arise due to patent infringement. This according to a translated report from ComON.

Danish professor Gert Frølund Pedersen thinks the new wireless system will be good enough to fix the antenna issues that “plagued” the iPhone 4, but questions whether or not Apple is entitled to use it:

“The idea is good enough, but the question is whether they are allowed to use it.”

Pedersen and others at the Aalborg University think Apple will run into legal issues related to patents the professors sold to Samsung in 2007. The report also notes Samsung has not yet used these patents in litigation with Apple.

He seems to explain the patents cover technology that intelligently switches between multiple antennas. The two he thinks Apple will most likely infringe on can be seen here and here. Both relate to an apparatus and method of selecting an appropriate antenna in a system utilizing multiple antennas.

As an example, one method in the patents selects an antenna based on whether a device is in portrait or landscape mode, and Gert speculates Apple might have included that feature in the new antenna:

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py9TfZGie48]

Here’s the official statement from Google and Samsung:

“We believe this is not the right time to announce a new product as the world expresses tribute to Steve Jobs’s passing,” the companies said.

They are likely to make an announcement on the launch late next week.  The new Google phone is built by Samsung and is rumored to have a 4.65-inch, 720P display with dual core 1.5GHz Samsung processor, NFC, 1GB of RAM and other speeds and feeds.  It will likely be one of the stronger competitors the iPhone 4S faces this holiday season.

More at 9to5google.com
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Update: Photoshop Touch is now available for the iPad

I am hands on here at Adobe Max where they are demo-ing Photoshop touch.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_-2oFbt4e4]

They said the Android version was further along(!!).  Adobe Collage Touch and others below:
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Funny, because it is true? SNL’s Seth Meyers tackles the Fire vs. iPad debate at 48 secs in (YouTube).

[vodpod id=Video.15495947&w=650&h=420&fv=]

You know, no one is really talking about this, but at a smaller 7 inches and priced at $199, the Kindle Fire is more of an iPod touch competitor than a iPad competitor…at least as far as budgets and capabilities are concerned.

We’ve heard there are some iPod touch price cuts coming on Tuesday which should make them even more competitive.

First Apple, then Microsoft, now Google…

Google has opened up its first retail store in London this morning. While the “Chrome Zone” is actually a store within a store inside the Tottenham Court Road PC World, it still marks Google’s “first foray into physical retail”, and the company already has plans for more.

You can get the full story over at 9to5Google.com.

Reddit user TheReverndZ shows the text he just got from AT&T.  He was over 11GB (!!) today for the month which is pretty hefty to say the least.  Next month, he’s probably going to get throttled as per the news we broke in June.

Starting October 1, smartphone customers with unlimited data plans may experience reduced speeds once their usage in a billing cycle reaches the level that puts them among the top 5 percent of heaviest data users.  These customers can still use unlimited data and their speeds will be restored with the start of the next billing cycle.  Before you are affected, we will provide multiple notices, including a grace period.

Don’t laugh Verizon users.  Yours is coming too.  Sprint, for the record, says it won’t throttle guys like Skelatwork, if they get the iphone

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Adding to TiPb’s AT&T store inventory report from earlier this week (above), BGR has posted an image (below) of Case-Mate’s apparent iPhone 5 cases listed in AT&T’s inventory system. The leak comes before Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 5 and/or iPhone 4S Tuesday.

MacRumors mentions three different iPhone 5 case designs listed in AT&T’s inventory system, the Barely There, Pop!, and Tough cases, so an iPhone 5 could make sense. Next Tuesday is sure to be a big event, but in the meantime read what we know about Apple’s newest iPhone.

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According to a poorly translated report from Macotakara, China Unicom’s Deputy Director of Research has confirmed an iPhone 5 with HSPA+ capabilities (21Mbps) during a keynote at Macworld Asia 2011. The image above is from the presentation via PC Watch.

Japanese IT News Site ” PC Watch “Tells That, Research vice president of China Unicom , Huan Wenliang, told iPhone five Will Support W-CDMA based high-speed Data Transfer standard HSPA Evolution “HSPA +” (21Mbps) at Keynote speech in Macworld Asia 2011.

We’ve heard rumors that Apple is in early testing of LTE-capable test devices, and we know AT&T has already started rolling out their HSPA+ tech and even marketing HSPA devices as “4G”.

Curiously, the Qualcomm Gobi MDM6600 chips found in the Verizon iPhone support HSPA+ data rates of up to 14.4 Mbps. Analysts are expecting a 4G LTE iPhone in 2012. (via MacRumors and MacPost)

Just like Verizon, T-Mobile has chosen to side with Samsung in its fight against Apple reports Foss Patents. T-Mobile’s reason, in response to a preliminary injunction proposed by Apple, is that they don’t want key 4G devices to be banned for the holiday season. And since it doesn’t look like T-Mobile is getting the iPhone anytime soon, Samsung’s 4G phones could be a big part of their sales. Check out T-Mobile’s response below:

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Stocks of Apple’s component suppliers are experiencing increases stemming from today’s announcement confirming a next-gen iPhone related media event for October 4th.

Among them, Qualcomm, expected to provide the device’s GSM and CDMA compatible Gobi baseband chips, is up 3.9% as of this report. Broadcom Corp., providing wireless chip related components is up 3.5%, Gorilla-glass maker Corning is up 5.92%, and CMOS image sensor supplier OmniVision Technologies Inc. is up 3.4%.

Nuance Communications, Inc. is also up 5%, which many are speculating is due to the new iPhone’s Nuance-powered speech-to-text feature and the implications of the “Let’s talk iPhone” slogan on the iPhone event invites.

Other stocks from lesser known power amplifier component makers including Avago Technologies, TriQuint Semniconductor, and Skyworks Solutions were all also on the increase as of this report.

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T-Mobile’s CMO Cole Brodman recently published a letter addressing customers regarding the iPhone. While yesterday he confirmed the carrier would not be receiving the new iPhone come October, he described their desire to offer a “no-compromise iPhone experience” to current users:

“We’ve heard from many customers who love their T-Mobile service, but are disappointed that we don’t carry the iPhone. To these customers, first, thank you for your business. Please know that we think the iPhone is a great device and Apple knows that we’d like to add it to our line-up. Today, there are over a million T-Mobile customers using unlocked iPhones on our network. We are interested in offering all of our customers a no-compromise iPhone experience on our network.”

Of course the ability to capitalize on the over 1 million iPhone users currently on T-Mobile’s network that purchased the device elsewhere would be a huge advantage. Brodman then points out the carrier’s other offerings with the recently launched Galaxy S II and notes Android is outpacing iPhone in “consumer adoption, market share and capabilities like support for faster 4G networks”. He did, however, reiterate the carrier’s desire to get an iPhone in their lineup yesterday saying it’s in Apple’s hands now and that they are waiting for “that call”.