Will Apple’s Tablet Actually Be Called the iPad? New Trademarks Filed This Week

A lot has been said about the rumored Apple tablet, and after evidence was discovered that Apple was interested in the name "iSlate", many have adopted that as the most likely name for Apple's new device.

New evidence however has revea...

Apple rumor roundup: future of media edition

Now that Apple's officially announced an event to show off its "latest creation" on the 27th, the rumors and gossip are about to get even more out of hand -- eventually we expect them to take flight and start raiding small towns for soda water and appetizers. In the meantime, however, we've got the latest batch of somewhat-sober whispers to tide us over, so let's run through 'em, shall we?

The rumor: The iPhone Blog points us to a China Times piece setting the tablet's screen size at 9.7 inches. (We covered the 22-inch touchscreen iMac rumor separately.)
Our take: At this point we've heard pretty much every screen size from eight inches to 11, so we're not making a call either way on this one. We will say that the only other product with a 9.7-inch screen we can think of off-hand is the Kindle DX -- a relatively simple device that's still so large and heavy we generally hold it with two hands. Just something to think about.

The rumor: Ars Technica talks to the director of the OLED Association, who rules out a 10.1-inch AMOLED screen by saying "there's no real production of 10.1-inch panels." Oh, and the only place to buy those would be Samsung, really, and Sammy doesn't have the capacity.
Our take: We never thought a 10.1 OLED screen was likely: not only are prices insane, but OLED still has terrible daylight viewing issues. The Ars piece is well worth a read, though -- it's a nice look at the state of OLED.

Continue reading Apple rumor roundup: future of media edition

Apple rumor roundup: future of media edition originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone OS 4.0 Claimed to Include Multitasking, Revamped Interface

Boy Genius Report claims to have received information from a source regarding iPhone OS 4.0, which is rumored to be introduced at next week's media event in San Francisco. According to the source, iPhone OS 4.0 will be limited to the iPhone 3G and 3...

BGR: iPhone 4.0 to Bring Gestures, Multitasking, More Efficient UI, 3G/3GS Only, New Syncing

The Boy Genius brings the iPhone 4.0 hype with some leaks about Apple’s next-generation iPhone OS — confirming some of what we’ve heard before with some new tidbits to light our imaginations:

• Global multitouch gestures, leveraged from similar iTablet OS
• Background apps/Multitasking
• UI enhanced for easier, more efficient navigation
• iPhone 3G/3GS only (and presumable 4th gen iPhone later in June)
• Will put iPhone way ahead of smartphone market, more like “full-fledged computer”
• Apple people “really excited”
• New but nebulous syncing for contacts and calendars

As with anything, especially Apple-related anything, we’ll never know for 100% certain until Steve, Phil, or Scott hold it up on stage at “Come see our latest creation” but, yeah, we can’t wait for next Wednesday either…

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

BGR: iPhone 4.0 to Bring Gestures, Multitasking, More Efficient UI, 3G/3GS Only, New Syncing

Gaming Industry Invited to Apple Media Event

Several media sources related to gaming, including IGN and Kotaku, have received invitations to Apple's media event scheduled for next week. According to IGN, representatives of several game makers have also been invited to the event. While the inv...

Windows Mobile 7, Microsoft’s Attempt to Leapfrog iPhone 4 — The Competition

Rumors about Windows Mobile 7, or Seven as our sibling site WMExperts is calling it, are near-iTablet level over on that side of the smartphone space. If you read my Windows Phone (based on 6.5) review, you know I had only questions and no answers for Microsoft when it came to what they could do to become competitive in the increasingly important consumer space.

Well, Mal over at WMExperts has put together a ton of whispers, mixed it with keen insights, and unleashed a Windows Mobile 7: What we expect and what we are hearing article of epic proportions. Here are some highlights, but you need to go read the whole thing:

• Two versions, stripped-down Business and pimped-out Media.
• Business Edition will be more like current WM, skin-able by HTC Sense UI and the like, and is more complete right now.
• Media Edition (yes, ME is back, baby!) will be the closest thing possible to a ZunePhone without being a ZunePhone, with maximum Microsoft Experience, but it’s not yet as far along.
• Office 2010 super-integration
• Silverlight (Microsoft’s inversion of Flash), Mediaroom (Microsoft’s TV center), Xbox Live (possibly gaming!), Facebook and Twitter, and Zune Music integration.
• New “Orion” platform to do GPS faster and better.
• 720p (!!) 1280-720 resolution screen on LG “Apollo” handset.
• Dieter and Phil should get the first glimpses for us at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona next month.

Again, go read the full article and then hurry back an let us know if you think this is finally Microsoft getting Xbox 360 and ZuneHD serious with Windows Mobile/Windows Phone, and if it’s enough to make them competitive — or more than competitive — with the iPhone in 2010.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Windows Mobile 7, Microsoft’s Attempt to Leapfrog iPhone 4 — The Competition

No Subscriptions From Apple, Future iTunes to Upgrade Users’ Media Catalogs to Lala Cloud?

In a guest-post on TechCrunch, MP3.com founder and MP3tunes CEO, Michael Robertson cites a “wide variety of insider sources” when saying Apple will NOT offer subscription services any time soon, but rather leverage their recent acquisition of Lala to take iTunes to the cloud:

An upcoming major revision of iTunes will copy each user’s catalog to the net making it available from any browser or net connected ipod/touch/tablet. The Lala upload technology will be bundled into a future iTunes upgrade which will automatically be installed for the 100+ million itunes users with a simple “An upgrade is available…” notification dialog box. After installation iTunes will push in the background their entire media library to their personal mobile iTunes area. Once loaded, users will be able to navigate and play their music, videos and playlists from their personal URL using a browser based iTunes experience.

This, Robertson maintains, will allow Apple to sidestep new licensing agreements and still provide content to the tens of millions of iPhones, iPod touches, Apple TVs, and (presumably forthcoming) iTablets/iSlates. Lala’s involvement in specific, he says, will give Apple a jump-start in rolling out the service, essential in competing with the likes of online-powerhouse Amazon.

And Robertson states flat out we can expect mobile iTunes in 2010.

You want?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

No Subscriptions From Apple, Future iTunes to Upgrade Users’ Media Catalogs to Lala Cloud?

From the Forums: iPhone OS 4.0, Nokia Experts Needs Your Help, 4th Gen iPhone Concepts, Plans and Carriers

From the Forums is a great way to see what all of the current hot topics are on the TiPb forums. Today we would like to go over some of the popular sub-forums for those of you who may not be familiar with our forum setup. Becoming a member is fast and free, so if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now.

• iPhone OS 4.0 is coming soon so why not discuss it in our forums? Rumor is we will see a sneak peak on the 27th…
• The Smartphone Experts Round Robin continues and this week it is Matt Miller’s turn from Nokia Experts and he needs your help! Participate in this thread for your chance to win a free device! Yes, I said free!
• Speaking of iPhone OS 4.0 why not discuss what the 4th generation of iPhone will bring us in Rene’s thread: 4th Gen iPhone Concept Designs!
• Lastly, be sure to check out iPhone Plans and Carriers, a forum which is home to all of the latest discussions regarding Verizon, AT&T, etc…

See you on the forums!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

From the Forums: iPhone OS 4.0, Nokia Experts Needs Your Help, 4th Gen iPhone Concepts, Plans and Carriers

Apple Tapping Lala Media Team for Cloud-Based iTunes?

With Apple's acquisition of streaming media firm Lala Media last month, speculation about Apple's plans for the company has suggested a number of possible opportunities, including a new iTunes streaming service or simply a "talent" acquisition of Lal...

Say It & Mail It updates improve map features

The latest version of Say It & Mail It improves the way the mobile app handles map screenshots; it also allows you to shake your mobile device to start recording a new voice message.

Quick Review: eBuddy Pro for iPhone

If you have been searching for a fresh instant messaging client, we have good news for you — eBuddy Pro [iTunes Link - $4.99] is quite a solid performer. For the price, you get a very respectable instant messaging client with a ton of great features that rivals those of higher priced apps.

• Push notifications
• All your friends in one buddy list
• Receive message alerts & typing notifications
• Send pictures to friends
• No ads
• Receive message alerts & typing notifications
• Supports chat for AIM, GTalk, Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo, MSN and ICQ

I personally have been using this application for about a week now and can honestly say I enjoy using it more than the bigger name IM apps. If you want to give eBuddy a try for before you buy, take the free version [iTunes Link] for a spin. Just keep in mind you will be without some of the great features present in the Pro version.

Screen shots after the break!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Quick Review: eBuddy Pro for iPhone

iPhone Hands-on from a Nokia Expert’s Perspective — Smartphone Round Robin

We’re in the final “away” week of the 2009 Smartphone Round Robin, and since I began the event looking at Nokia, what better way to cap it off than with NokiaExperts‘ Matt Miller looking at our iPhone 3GS.

Matt’s got his thread going at TiPb’s iPhone Forums, trying to figure out if even a applezillion apps can make up for the loss of full-on N900 Mozilla, so hit reply and help him out. Every day you help him on that thread, you’re entered for a chance to WIN AN iPHONE 3GS! (smartphoneroundrobin.com has all your details!)

As for me, I’m over at the PreCentral.net Forums learning me some webOS via the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi. Give me a hand over there, and you could win one of them as well!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone Hands-on from a Nokia Expert’s Perspective — Smartphone Round Robin

Review: Finger Physics for iPhone

Finger Physics by PressOK Entertainment is a beautifully crafted puzzle game that will satisfy everyone from the casual gamer to someone seeking a real challenge.

iTablet to Have Gaming, be US-Only on Launch? Playing “Come see our latest creation” Guest List Detective!

Going all Mentalist on Apple’s Jan. 27 “Come see our latest creation” invitee list has led to conjecture that gaming will be shown off for the iTablet/iSlate, but that perhaps the hardware itself will be US-only at launch.

Gizmodo says Apple invited their gaming-focused sibling site, Kotaku to the party, they may have graphics on the card:

Because the tablet’s not a phone, both in terms of computing capability and input mechanics, people are going to be expecting more from its performance. Especially in the gaming realm, which Apple has been pushing hard in their ads for the iPod Touch and iPhone. If the guess that Apple will include iPhone App Store support on the tablet is true, it’ll at least enough graphical capability to run those games.

9to5mac, meanwhile, speculates that Apple is not holding a simultaneous European media event because, just like the iPod and iPhone before it, the iTablet might be US-only on launch day:

If content and carrier deals form some kind of road block here, then global launch could take time – consider the speed of multiplication of content-selling iTunes Stores as an intimation of such possibility (though Apple now has content connections in most key territories, so the wait might not be so extended).

They hedge by saying some European media are being flown to the US event, but getting e-book deals in the US will be one thing, getting them signed and sealed across even a small group of countries by launch — given the disgusting and disgraceful mess that’s international media licensing — could be beyond even Apple.

And hey, TiPb hasn’t gotten an invite (yet!) but we’re betting that’s just because we’re us, and Apple will indeed give iPhone 4.0 some love on Jan. 27.

But why should all this conjecture be theirs and ours alone — what do you think?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iTablet to Have Gaming, be US-Only on Launch? Playing “Come see our latest creation” Guest List Detective!

Apple’s Invite Reveals Its “Latest Creation” to be Unveiled On January 27; Demo iPhone OS 4.0

Yelp 4.0 update lets others know your business

Yelp has introduced version 4.0 of its iPhone app, adding a "check-in" feature which tells your Yelp friends that you're visiting a particular business.

App Store accounts for 99.4% of mobile apps in 2009?

Filed under: Apple, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Ars Technica has reported that a recent study from market research firm Gartner shows Apple's App Store is responsible for a staggering 99.4% of all mobile app sales in 2009. However, as Daring Fireball's John Gruber points out, Apple didn't say it sold 2.5 billion apps in 2009; users downloaded 2.5 billion apps in 2009, including free apps.

Even with that distinction between sales and downloads in mind, it's not difficult to see that Apple has a huge hold on the mobile app market, although it's probably not as huge as Gartner's numbers would lead us to believe. According to the Gartner study, all other mobile manufacturers' platforms combined accounted for a mere 16 million apps downloaded in 2009.

Note, however, that Gartner's analysis appears to focus on manufacturer-based stores (RIM, Microsoft, Google, etc.) rather than carrier-based stores (Verizon, Vodafone, etc.). It's likely that mobile phone service providers' stores account for a higher number of downloaded apps than the 16 million cited in Gartner's research; the study also doesn't appear to account for third-party stores for jailbroken iPhones, such as Cydia. This means Gartner's 99.4% number for Apple's mobile application marketshare is likely to be fairly wide of the mark.

Regardless of the possible inaccuracy of Gartner's figure, it's still clear that when it comes to mobile applications, the App Store has very effectively set the standard for the market.

App Store accounts for 99.4% of mobile apps in 2009? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Store accounts for 99.4% of mobile apps in 2009? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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