Friday, July 4th, 2008
Although it's not the first release and ample supply is expected, a queue has reportedly begun outside of Apple's Fifth Avenue retail store to buy iPhone 3G a full week before its release. ( 93 comments )
One of Germany's largest newspaper publishers will become one of Apple's largest-ever customers when it converts all of its 12,000 computers from Windows systems to Macs. Also, the latest beta of Flash Player 10 promises to boost sluggish performance with Apple computers. ( 40 comments )
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008
In what's considered the definitive overview of Apple's attempts to patent its multi-touch interface, a deluge of newly-public filings show Apple considering technology that hasn't yet been used in the iPhone or the Mac -- including sensing the difference between body parts, explaining gestures through activities, and even responding differently to input from fingernails. ( 17 comments )
With the price of NAND flash memory continuing its steady sequential decline, Apple Inc. this month cut the price of its Solid State Drive (SSD)-equipped MacBook Air by half a grand, AppleInsider has discovered. ( 66 comments )
Apple this morning is sending couriers to fetch and recoup MobileMe retail boxes that were mistakenly delivered early to some customers. Meanwhile, Google has released a streamlined Google Talk messaging client for iPhone and the iPod touch. ( 37 comments )
Apple and Best Buy have internally announced plans to scale Mac sales beyond their previously stated 600-store goal, but will soon face real estate-related obstacles that could challenge further expansion, AppleInsider has learned. ( 40 comments )
Optus of Australia announced Friday that Australians can sign up for Apple's iPhone 3G on July 11th with plans starting at just $19 ($18 USD), while a second carrier, Telstra, said its own plans will start at $30 ($29 USD). ( 59 comments )
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Some of Apple's top executives, including Steve Jobs, have once again been accused of bad faith in backdating company shares. Simultaneously, Mac web share is nearing eight percent in one report, K-12 educational material has reached iTunes U, and Microsoft has shipped the second edition of Remote Desktop Connection for Mac. ( 22 comments )
T-Mobile has announced three distinct iPhone 3G plans for the Netherlands starting at $48 USD, meanwhile Telia of Denmark has introduce a single plan for $128 USD that will see a 33 percent reduction after the first six months. ( 30 comments )
Adobe has relinquished control of the Portable Document Format (PDF) to the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), which will now assume developmental control of the format as an industry standard. ( 44 comments )
Original iPhone owners who prefer not to give away or sell their old iPhones after upgrading to an iPhone 3G can instead keep their devices and use them as WiFi-enabled iPods, AT&T has confirmed. ( 66 comments )
Apple should have ample stock of iPhone 3G when it touches down this month, according to analysts, who also note that Apple stands to make more from each device than once thought -- and that iPod touch stocks are continuing to run down ahead of a possible refresh. ( 10 comments )
A small patent holding firm claims that Apple and other large PC makers are violating broadly-worded patents for encrypted wireless signals as well as the inner workings of many computer circuits. ( 9 comments )
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
New video walkthroughs of iPhone 3G help illustrate how to use the phone and what's changed in software, but also spill details of changes to the hardware design, a free official AOL instant messenger client, and more. ( 62 comments )
Original iPhone owners upgrading to an iPhone 3G can hand-down their old iPhone to a family member or friend with a few simple steps, the most complex of which entails a trek down to a local AT&T retail store to pick up a fresh SIM card. ( 31 comments )
AT&T is attempting to alleviate some of the confusion surrounding the upgrade paths to iPhone 3G with a series of video guides focused on getting customers "iReady" before the 8:00 a.m. launch on July 11th. The three videos covered in this report are aimed at 1) existing AT&T iPhone customers moving to iPhone 3G, 2) non-iPhone AT&T customers moving to iPhone 3G, and 3) customers new to AT&T moving to iPhone 3G. ( 33 comments )
With AT&T increasing data costs while simultaneously cutting text messages from its iPhone 3G plans, individual iPhone users upgrading to the 3G model will find themselves paying between 12.5% and 25% more to maintain the same level of service while FamilyTalk plan subscribers will likely see their costs rise anywhere from 8% to 27%. Included are some charts observations to help explain why. [Updated 9:00 p.m. Eastern with clarification on FamilyTalk SMS options and pricing.] ( 134 comments )
AT&T announced Tuesday that iPhone 3G buyers will be forced into more costly service plans than those offered alongside the original iPhone. Plans will now start at $70 for a package that includes 450 minutes and no text messages. The carrier also issued a series of "tips" on how to be "iReady" when the new Apple handset goes on sale at its retail stores at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, July 11. ( 231 comments )
Swisscom announced Tuesday four distinct service plans for Apple's iPhone 3G starting at $25 USD, though none of them include air time minutes. Separately, Sonera of Finland said its own iPhone plans will start at $50 USD and include minutes. ( 23 comments )
Monday, June 30th, 2008
Apple on Monday evening released Mac OS X 10.5.4, the latest significant revision to Leopard and a key part of its online strategy. Also, Security Update 2008-004 and Safari 3.1.2 for Tiger address security issues for earlier Mac OS X versions. ( 75 comments )
In a sign of "unprecedented pent-up demand" for the upcoming iPhone 3G, investment bank RBC Capital Markets says its own proprietary study has revealed that more than half of consumers who are in the market for a smartphone intend to purchase one of the new Apple handsets after its launch on July 11th. ( 24 comments )
Hutchison Telecom, which operates the "3"- branded mobile network in Hong Kong, announced Monday that monthly service plans for Apple's iPhone 3G will start at just $24, significantly less than the cheapest plan offered stateside by AT&T. ( 52 comments )
RealNetworks said Monday it's switching gears in its quest for a larger slice of the legal music download market with the launch a DRM-free a la carte MP3 store that will cater to iPod owners directly rather than through unauthorized hacks of the past. ( 20 comments )
A recent series of internal memos from AT&T to its Mobility staffers reveal a variety of preparatory measures ahead of next month's iPhone launch, including the deployment of an iPhone 3G unbricking tool, ongoing 3G network optimizations, regional advertising campaigns, and calls for part time crowd control, inventory runners, and floor coordinators. ( 26 comments )
Saturday, June 28th, 2008
In a rare example of the PC's performance tuning culture translating to the Mac, a new utility has surfaced that lets Mac Pro owners overclock their systems beyond Apple's official specifications. ( 42 comments )
Friday, June 27th, 2008
British carrier O2 plans a prompt morning launch for the iPhone 3G, AppleInsider has learned, and hints that it may unlock the iPhone for use on any carrier for Pay As You Go customers. ( 26 comments )
In response to a report earlier this week pointing out that many of the applications in early builds of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard are dramatically smaller in size, a number of developers have weighed in to explain where all those missing megabytes went. ( 70 comments )
Sweden's TeliaSonera said Friday that monthly service plans for Apple's iPhone 3G will start at $50 (299 SEK), while Netcom Norway announced that its own customers will have to pay a minimum of $80 (NOK 399) each month. ( 50 comments )
Rogers Wireless, Canada's exclusive service provider for Apple's upcoming iPhone 3G handset, announced Friday that monthly service plans for the new touch-screen handset will start at $60 for 150 anytime minutes, 75 outgoing text messages, and 400 megabytes of internet data. ( 143 comments )
Tucked away in Apple's pre-release version of iTunes 7.7 is word that the iPhone and iPod touch will soon act as remote controls for nearby computers. Also, Apple is now accepting submissions to the App Store. ( 27 comments )
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