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Archive for September, 2011

iPhone 4S (”N94″) to Come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB Sizes?



According to 9to5Mac source Mr. X, the upcoming “N94″ next generation iPhone is being stocked by Apple in 3 different capacities. The iPhone 4 currently comes in only two capacities: 16GB and 32GB. They are interpreting this to mean that the next generation iPhone will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities. However, they can’t be certain. The three different sizes could conceivably be 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, or some other combination altogether. All that is known is that the upcoming “N94″ model will be available in three different capacities.

However, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of a 64GB iPhone. In March, a prototype 64GB iPhone model began making the rounds in China.

The owner of this engineered prototype told us that he got it from a source who has a small quantity of these prototypes. They are definitely leaked from Foxconn’s factory in Shenzhen. What’s more, according to the owner, he believes that the next iPhone will bring 64GB storage capacity to users.

The circulating model at the time was an iPhone 4 design with 64GB of internal storage, revealing that Apple had been working on such a model at some point.

Apple will be introducing the next iPhone on October 4th during a media event held on Apple’s campus. So far, there has been evidence of a revised iPhone 4 model, rumored to be of 8GB capacity, and this N94 next generation iPhone which will be coming in 3 sizes. The N94 carries the same overall look as the iPhone 4, but is believed to incorporate a much faster processor (A5) and better camera (8 megapixel).

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‘iPhone 5′ Silicone Sleeves Already Arriving at AT&T Retail Stores

Earlier today, we noted that Case-Mate cases for the redesigned “iPhone 5″ had appeared in AT&T’s inventory database. The addition yielded the interesting observation that AT&T is apparently placing orders for the cases despite the growing feeling that Apple may not be releasing such a device and instead releasing only the “iPhone 4S” design that is nearly identical to the iPhone 4.



We now have evidence that cases for the rumored iPhone 5 redesign have already begun arriving at AT&T retail stores, as one reader has sent us alleged photos of iPhone 5 silicone sleeves that appear to have arrived at his AT&T store today. Like other cases for the rumored redesign of the iPhone 5, these cases appear to show a tapered design and the mute switch moved to the opposite side of the device.



Third-party cases continue to be essentially the only evidence in favor of a redesigned iPhone 5 even as evidence for the iPhone 4S continues to mount in the form of parts leaks, inventory database listings, and other reports from sources.

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World of Goo Offered 80% Off In Anniversary Sale

Developer 2D Boy, the maker of very popular puzzle game World of Goo, has slashed the prices on both the Mac and iOS versions in honor of 2D Boy’s fifth anniversary.

World of Goo, which was named by our sister site TouchArcade as the iPad Game of the Year in 2010, is an immensely entertaining game and prices for the Mac version were cut from $9.99 to $1.99 and the Universal iOS version going from $4.99 to $0.99. The discounts will be in place through the weekend.

From the TouchArcade review:

At first, World of Goo is about manufacturing bridges and towers with the stretched tissue of little balls of goo. The point is to provide a path that other goo balls can follow into a metal pipe, the end point. Physics play a key role in this process: you’ll need to build sound structures, which sounds easier than it is. Goo isn’t concrete.

Each level requires a set number of goo balls to reach the pipe, and each goo ball you use for a structure counts against the total provided. This constant negotiation of goo resources is pleasing because it forces you to think around the obvious solution, which is often one of brute building.

The universal iPhone/iPad universal version is $0.99 on the App Store, down from $4.99. The Mac version is available for $1.99 down from $9.99 on the Mac App Store.


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Case-Mate ‘iPhone 5′ Cases Headed to AT&T

Earlier this month, case manufacturer Case-Mate drew some attention for promotional images that briefly appeared on its site showing cases for the rumored redesigned “iPhone 5″ form factor. Case-Mate quickly pulled the page, however, replacing it with a signup form for potential customers to receive information, as well as a note indicating that the company believes that Apple will be releasing both iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 models next month.

Hope for the arrival of the redesigned iPhone 5 form factor has been waning as Apple’s media event approaches with no concrete signs of the device, but BGR reports that Case-Mate’s iPhone 5 cases have now appeared in AT&T’s inventory database.



The entries point to three different case designs for the iPhone 5, including versions of its Barely There, Pop!, and Touch Case lines. The appearance of the cases in AT&T’s inventory system is certainly not significant evidence that Apple will be introducing a redesigned iPhone 5 next week, but it is interesting that the carrier is apparently at least making the effort to arrange for offering cases based on the design.

Update: TiPb actually reported on this development over this past weekend.


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Foxconn’s $12 Billion Plan for Brazilian iPad Production in Trouble



Reuters reports that Foxconn’s previously-announced $12 billion plan to begin producing iPads in Brazil appears to be faltering as Foxconn and the Brazilian government have been unable to reach an agreement.

A much-hyped $12 billion plan for Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn to produce iPads in Brazil is “in doubt” due to stagnant negotiations over tax breaks and Brazil’s own deep structural problems such as a lack of skilled labor, government sources tell Reuters.

[...]

“The talks have been very difficult, and the project for a Brazilian iPad is in doubt,” one official said. “(Foxconn) is making crazy demands” for tax breaks and other special treatment, the official added.

Reports in the Brazilian media have indicated that the country’s development bank is on the verge of withdrawing funding for the project, a move that would likely kill the plan as it currently stands.

One option could be for Foxconn or a Brazilian partner to simply assemble foreign-made parts to the iPad, rather than producing screens and other components locally. Other steps could also be taken to reduce the project’s scale, which may simply have been too ambitious for all parties.

High import tariffs and taxes push the entry-level iPad price to approximately $900 in Brazil, nearly double the model’s $499 price tag in the United States. By moving production into Brazil, Apple would be able to address the country’s market of 190 million consumers at lower price points.


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Physical Mockup of ‘iPhone 5′ with Tapered Design

Although hope for the redesigned iPhone 5 seen through third-party case designs is waning as evidence continues to stack up for the “iPhone 4S” design and no sign of the larger, tapered iPhone 5, that hasn’t halted interest in the iPhone 5 design.



And while we took a stab at some renderings of a potential iPhone 5 based on the case designs, benm.at has now taken things a significant step further and created a physical mockup of the device.

Based on CAD designs, hardware components, several leaked hints, cases and recent, believable mockups we created a three-dimensional computer model. This virtual model was then used to build a very detailed, true prototype that you can hold in your own two hands.

The process to create this prototype is the same that’s used to create the iPad. The back was machined from a sold block of aluminium, which was later treated with glass pearls to get the same slightly rough touch that we already know from the iPad.

The mockup offers an excellent view of what the rumored iPhone 5 design might look like, and while the actual device may not be making an appearance next week, it is possible that the design may have been from a prototype that Apple could be working toward for a future generation of the iPhone.



Left to right: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, “iPhone 5″ mockup

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Appeals Court Sides with Apple in Dispute over Psystar’s Unauthorized Mac Clones

It has taken nearly two years, but CNET reports that an appeals court has ruled in favor of Apple in its lawsuit against Psystar, a company that began selling unauthorized Mac clones back in 2008.

Circuit Judge Mary Schroeder ruled yesterday that Psystar’s Mac clones violated copyrights Apple holds, and its ban on sales will be upheld. According to Judge Schroeder, Psystar specifically violated copyrights Apple holds in Mac OS X, and said that the U.S. District Court’s ruling in favor of Apple was just.

Apple was awarded a permanent injunction against Psystar in December 2009, but Psystar appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit a month later.



Psystar’s 2009 last-ditch effort to raise funds for its legal fight against Apple

Psystar was unusually defiant in its stance against Apple given the threat it faced from the substantially larger company, and extended its legal efforts well beyond what most small companies would typically be willing to engage in. Those efforts lead Apple to suggest that Psystar could have been part of a conspiracy with the backing of a larger entity attempting to break open Apple’s stranglehold on Mac OS X systems, but no concrete evidence of such a connection has ever been exposed.

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Apple’s ‘N94′ iPhone 4S Appears in Inventory Database

Yesterday, word surfaced that entries for revised iPhone 4 models had appeared in Apple’s inventory database, but at the time there was no sign of new iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 models.



Back cover of iPhone 4S

9to5Mac now reports that entries for an iPhone identified as “N94″ have indeed appeared in the database, courtesy of reliable source “Mr. X”. The N94 iPhone has been the subject of numerous parts leaks that have revealed it to be iPhone 4-like in appearance, with the device having been rumored to be called the iPhone 4S.

With one of higher-end models of the N94 iPhone listed in the database with a model number of MD234, the developments may lend credence to a leaked photo of what was claimed to be a label for the white 16 GB iPhone 4S. That label, which surfaced on a Chinese forum yesterday, refers to the lower-end device as model number MD239.



That label, presuming it is genuine, also makes reference to both IMEI and MEID numbers, which would indicate that the device is indeed a world-mode phone capable of operating on GSM (IMEI number) and CDMA (MEID number) networks.

There continues to be no sign of the rumored redesigned iPhone 5 that has been the subject of much discussion since case designs based on a leaked design document began appearing several months ago.

Mr. X also indicates that Apple’s iPod touch line may be seeing some price drops next week, at least in international markets. It is unknown exactly what price points the iPod touch will come in at in the United States, as it is unclear how much of the international price adjustment is due to currency fluctuation and how much might be due to an actual price cut.

The report suggests, however, that the entry-level 8 GB iPod touch could come in at $199 or below, down from its current $229 price point. The iPod touch is expected to see only very minor updates next week, with the addition of white models, improved ambient light sensors, and oleophobic coatings for the displays being the primary changes.

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Steve Jobs Tried Unsuccessfully to Defuse Patent Dispute with Samsung in 2010



Dow Jones Newswires and Bloomberg report on testimony from Apple patent portfolio manager Chip Lutton as part of the Australian dispute between Apple and Samsung, revealing that Steve Jobs personally initiated contact with Samsung in 2010 in an attempt to head off the conflict before it headed into the courts.

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Inc. (AAPL), initiated contact with rival Samsung Electronics Co. in July 2010 to try to resolve a patent dispute that has since become a legal battle on four continents, an Australian court was told.

Jobs wasn’t involved once the ultimately unsuccessful talks over the Galaxy smartphone began, Richard Lutton, a senior director at Apple and the company’s patent attorney, told Federal Court in Sydney today.

“Samsung is an important supplier with whom we have a deep relationship,” Lutton testified in response to questioning by Samsung lawyer David Catterns. “We wanted to give them a chance to do the right thing.”

Apple is seeking an injunction against Samsung preventing the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia. Samsung has agreed to delay the device’s launch several times as the injunction is being considered by the court, and today’s reports note that Samsung has offered to make some concessions such as eliminating a feature designed to recognize and ignore accidental touch input. The judge in the case has indicated that she plans to offer a decision next week on a preliminary injunction against Samsung, which would remain in effect as a full hearing potentially lasting several months is conducted.

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Shazam Brings Back Unlimited Tagging in Free iPhone App

Music identification service Shazam was one of the early hits on the App Store, with the company’s free iPhone application seeing 1.5 million downloads over the first few months of availability.

Shazam shifted gears slightly in November 2009, introducing a paid Shazam Encore application and limiting new users of the free application to only five tags per month. Users who had used the free application before that time were grandfathered in and have continued to have access to unlimited tagging.

But today, Shazam announced that it has brought back unlimited tagging for all users in the free application, relying on an ad-supported model.

Andrew Fisher, Shazam CEO said, “Shazamers already identify over 1 billion songs each year and go on to purchase over $100 million in digital music via our service. Now, with no limits, people can Shazam even more songs they don’t know – or they already know – to conveniently purchase them, see the lyrics, watch the official music video, share on Facebook, Twitter or email, get recommendations and purchase concert tickets instantly. Unlimited free access means people can use Shazam even more as part of their daily lives.”

The paid Shazam Encore continues to offer some benefits over the free application, including an ad-free experience and features such as LyricPlay, which allows users to view song lyrics as the tracks play.


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