Appletell

Now that we’re pretty certain something is in the pipes for a September Apple event, let’s start sifting through rumors. One notable rumor has to do with possible changes to the inner workings of certain Macintosh Laptops and Desktops. For a long time, Apple has been regarded as the company to go to if your computing needs fall in a more creative range than what is offered with a PC. At the top of that list for creative computing needs is movie making. With Apple’s many applications just for this (iMovie, iDVD, Final Cut, Shake), Apple has taken out (most of) the guesswork when it comes to putting your clips into a polished home movie. Now, should these rumors prove to be true, Apple may hope to go the extra mile when it comes to ease of use for their movie editing software.

Find out how after the break.

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Apple is treating UK iTunes customers with the availability of movies in the iTunes store. The iTunes movie collection features premier titles from major studios including 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, MGM, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate UK. Apple said that more than 700 films are now available for rent or purchase at the UK iTunes store. Even sweeter is the fact the iTunes users can download movie titles on the same day their DVD version is released.

With iTunes movie rentals now available, UK fans can start watching movies as soon as their iTunes setup starts downloading the movies they just rented. Customers will have 30 days to start watching the rental. Once the movie has been started, consumers have 48 hours to finish it. If there are some time left, they can watch it repeatedly until the 48 hour time limit expires.

To kickstart the iTunes movie rentals and sales, recent movie hits such as Hitman, I Am Legend, National Treasure 2 and Into the Wild were just released by iTunes. Movies for sale cost around $13 for library title purchases and $21 for new releases. Movie rentals would burn customers some $5 for library title rentals and $6.8 for new releases.

Via [Apple Press Release] Product [iTunes]

This coming Monday, Apple is expected to announce their 2008 Back-To-School Promotion, and, according to Apple’s senior Vice President Ron Johnson, it is the biggest promotion of its kind “ever”.  Specifics on the promo have yet to surface, but the iPod Touch and MacBook Air are probably going to be added to the slew of products to get rebates.  If past trends continue into this year’s promo, rebates could be as much as $219 for any qualifying Mac or iPod, with rebates coming in last year and the year before at $199 and $179 respectively.  MacNN reports the following:

The expectations are based upon yearly increasing incentives, with last year’s $199 discount covering the cost of a 4GB Nano. In 2006 and 2005, the promotion ran for a $179 rebate, which earned students a 2GB iPod nano and Mini, respective to the years.

The iPhone, iPod Shuffle, Apple TV and Mac Mini are expected to again be excluded from the deals, but all other Mac and iPod models are most likely to be covered by the rebates. 

Via [MacNN]

If you want to really get more out of your Apple TV, head on over to Apple Core, LLC, and check out their USB flash drive called aTV Flash.  Currently at $59.95 (down from $69.95), this product will add a lot of new features to your Apple TV and doesn’t void the warranty.  However, Cult of Mac points out that this could be harmful to future updates and is considered hacking your system.  That said, here are some of the features from the description:

• Play most video formats (DivX, Xvid, AVI, WMV, RMVB + more)
• Play DVD files WITHOUT converting them
• Sync, organize and watch non-iTunes video files
• Browse the web with a Safari based web browser
• Rent & watch Hi-Def movies from Jaman.com
• Stream media from UPnP(v1) media servers
• View local weather forecasts
• View RSS Feeds
• Enable SSH access

If these seems a little scary to you, they are offering a 100% money back guarantee with free software updates for one year.  If you like to put your Apple products to the test, go check this out and let us know what you think.  Hopefully it doesn’t go haywire on your system!

The World Trade Organization and members of the G8 are working on new regulations that would instate an international Copyright Police.  The tasks of that force would include many things, but there are two main purposes.  the first would be to monitor Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to sniff out any pirate’s.  The second purpose would be to monitor international borders and customs installments to possibly search and seize your iPod, iPhone, computer, or any other electronic device with pirated music.  Andy Space for 9 to 5 Mac reports the following:

Nations including Canada, the US and various European states (including the UK, which sits on the G8) are secretly agreeing a new pan-global state police deal in which information held on iPods and other devices could be subject to investigation by customs officials tasked with a new role, as copyright police.  Dubbed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), signatory nations will form an international coalition against copyright infringement.

And to pour some salt into the wounds, the investigator of said devices has complete discretion on whether any music on it is infringing any copyrights, and has the authority to do anything from heavy fines to a total seizure of the device.  And here’s the doozy- the investigator doesn’t even have to tell you why he applies said punishment to said crime.  Everything in this proposal seems like the brass is taking a “Stalinist” approach to the war against pirates, and everything seems a bit extreme, from the unwarranted searches and seizures to having Big Brother looking over your shoulder while you’re on the internet.  I think that there are certain steps to preventing copyright infringement that are much less harsh, in some ways more effective, and not in the G8’s proposal’s.  Wouldn’t that ruin your trip top France is some random customs officer thinks that any of your music on your iPhone was obtained illegally and seizes it and sbsequently destroys it without explanation or warrant?  That would sure tick me off. 

Originally, these restrictions were being written up in secret, but certain US privacy groups implemented the Freedom of Information Act after getting wind of the proceedings. 

Via [The Ottawa Citizen]

Netflix has introduced a $100 Apple TV competitor that will offer its users more than 10,000 movies and TV shows with a $8.99/month unlimited subscription plan.  Coming in at 5 by 2 inches, this device will offer the same component ports as the Apple TV plus one for S-Video and one for Composite video.  It has no hard drive, but rather streams the videos.  Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings says, “The key breakthroughs of the Netflix Player are simplicity and cost.” Right now, it’s looking like a pretty serious competitor to the Apple TV if you ask me.

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There are reports that within the next couple of weeks iTunes will be host to some of Time Warner’s HBO content.  What’s interesting about this deal versus any other iTunes content agreement is that Apple has supposedly agreed to a different pricing structure than the rest of their deals.  According to an article at Portfolio.com, “One possibility is that HBO programming will have a higher retail price than the flat $1.99 fee Apple currently charges for video content. [A]nother is that HBO will receive a larger cut of the same flat rate than other iTunes content providers receive.” However, as usual, Apple spokespeople have not commented on this report.

What does all this mean for Apple?  Well, it’s not just another content deal.  HBO has quite a few hit shows such as “The Wire” that could really help drive sales behind iTunes videos.  This could not only help iPods and computers, but also devices like the Apple TV.  As iTunes adds more and more content to it’s library, it is just gaining and even larger edge in the market and further revolutionizing the way we get our media.  Like I said in my post from a while back, this could be another step towards moving completely to online media.

You all remember the Apple Pippin, the greatest biggest flop of a game system ever, don’t you?  Since then Apple has stayed relatively far away from the gaming market all together.  However, I believe some of there products have, coincidentally, brought them somewhat back into it.  Look at the iPhone and its accelerometer.  Those two devices together make a great pair for a handheld gaming system and developers have already begun to take advantage of that with games like Spore (in the keynote).  Still, I think there is yet one more product that could soon be a nice little gaming device, and that’s the Apple TV.

A recent patent filing by Apple suggest a 3D gaming controller for their Apple TV that would supposedly be much like the Wii’s system.  This would be great for casual gaming on the Apple TV.  Think about it.  This device was made to be put in a living room with a large HD TV and home entertainment system.  It has the iTunes Store on it with a full library of podcasts, etc.  Why not add games to that list of items that can be purchased with this device?  It already has everything it needs besides the most vital part, the games and the controller (Apple remote?).  With those two additions, I feel it could one day become a serious competitor to the Wii.  Now, this probably won’t happen anytime soon if at all, but it’s a possibility.  What do you think?

Apple has just released an update for Apple TV.  This update, 2.0.2, is the second one since the Apple TV Take 2, but there is no word yet on any big changes besides the normal bug fixes.  It appears that this update came at a perfect time as you can now use your newly updated Apple TV to buy PBS content from iTunes.  Also quietly released, this new content includes video, as well as teacher guides, from stations such as WGBH, KQED, and WETA.  There are also some NOVA episodes up, making this a great resource for teachers.

There are over 200 tracks up on iTunes including interviews and radio shows, so feel free to go check them out and let us know how it is.  Also be sure to tell us if you find anything new or interesting in the Apple TV update.

Rumor has it that BlockBuster Video has had its equivalent of Apple TV in the works for some time now, and is set to release it within the next few months.  Although the company refused to comment, it is fairly obvious that something is in the works.

‘We’re talking to numerous companies and vendors about products, services, alliances and initiatives that can help us achieve our mission to transform Blockbuster into a company that provides access to media content across multiple channels—from our stores, by mail, through kiosks, through downloading, through portable content-enabled devices-- so it’s not surprising that there are rumors out there.’- BlockBuster spokeswoman

These talks with “companies and vendors” make things seem fairly obvious that they are not just trying to compete against NetFlix.  Blockbuster also knows the importance of things such as easy online movie rentals that can be added to an mp3 player or set-top device, like Apple TV.  The day after iTunes movie rentals was announced, BlockBuster stock fell a ghastly 17%.

Is BlockBuster making a serious bid into the market, or are they just trying to get revenge on Apple?