This morning, the online Apple store went offline for a short time. When it came back, there were no signs of an Apple tablet, but it seems the Christmas elves had been speaking to Mr. Jobs about gift options. If you’ve thought about buying gifts from Apple this festive season, you’ll be happy to hear of the elegant gift wrapping options, Christmas-styled gift cards and, of course, the personalization options available for several Apple products.

So now you have all you need to get your Christmas shopping started nice and early. Apple makes it simple to send gifts to friends and family outside of the U.S., too. According to the online store, simply navigate to the store of that country (for example, for the U.K., head to store.apple.com/uk) and purchase the gifts using your U.S. credit card. If you decide against gift wrapping, you can write a small free gift message with the package, but rest assured Apple won’t send any pricing information with that product.

With the great range of iPods, the newly updated line of laptop and desktop computers, and more accessories than you could possibly want in one go, the online Apple Store is the place to shop this Christmas. You’ll be guaranteed to gain the “cool” status from your friends and family for buying them an Apple gift.

Stay tuned on Appletell over the coming weeks for tips and tricks on the best holiday gift ideas, the best festive software from the App Store, and the best collection of music to suit your holiday spirit from iTunes.

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Currently, Apple’s most affordable model of iPhone is the 8GB iPhone 3G, also known as “last year’s model.” But that could change soon. Pat, I’d like to buy a consonant.

The Boy Genius Report has received a number of unconfirmed tips—along with a few, not so blurry, pics—that seem to confirm that Rogers in Canada is draining their 8GB iPhone 3G stock to make way for the new 8GB iPhone 3GS. I think it’s fair to assume this rumor would apply to AT&T and elsewhere too.

This just makes sense. It’s not like Apple to keep an old model around when they can instead force you to buy a new one.  I’m just hoping this works like Wheel Of Fortune, you know, where the consonants are free!  I’d say there’s at least a fair possibility that a new 8GB iPhone 3GS for $99 just like the current 3G model, but that’s completely my own speculation.  I also wouldn’t be surprised to see an extra $49 tacked on.

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Apple could already be testing next generation iPhones equipped with RFID (radio frequency identification) capabilities if a less than rock solid rumor is to be trusted (as if rumors could be solid in the first place).

9to5Mac admits their source, Einar Rosenberg from Nearfield Communications, isn’t exactly the end all, be all source for inside Apple info, but they have a pretty interesting rumor. Read:

A highly reliable source has informed me that Apple has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built in and they have seen it in action. So its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery and I’m told that the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone.

Cool. Let’s assume this to be true, just for the sake of discussion. What exactly would you do with RFID in your iPhone? A host of things actually, but the most useful for regular users would likely be how it could simplify device discovery and syncing. You could just bring your iPhone within close proximity of your next gen Mac (presumably also equipped with RFID) and syncing could happen wirelessly. Now that’s something I think we’ve all wanted for some time.

Adding to the believability of this rumor is the fact that Apple has a patent for a “Touch Screen RFID Tag Reader.” But hey, that could be for any of the other touch screen devices Apple makes…

Another use could potentially be a form of credit “card” or ever a credit card reader. This also explains the rumor source, since Einar Rosenberg is the CTO at Narian Technologies.  They are all about mobile advertising and payments, two things that could leverage RFID in devices like the iPhone.  I’m sure Apple wouldn’t mind using RFID to accept credit cards with a future version of their already new iPod touch mobile scanners they’ve recently started using in Apple Stores.  And using the iPhone like a credit card wouldn’t be a bad idea either.  I’m never without my iPhone.  Never.  I can think of several times I’ve forgotten my wallet at home but somehow managed to have my iPhone with me.  Now that I think about it, I really wish I could have paid via iPhone the last time I did that, too.

RFID presents a lot of opportunities for devices and accessories to work seamlessly with each other, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see this rumor pan out.

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Fortune Magazine has decided to call the 2000s “the decade of Steve” for his role with Apple, Inc. As they mention, he has overcome being forced to leave his own company, returning back for a salary of $1, a securities-law scandal, two close calls with death, and his “own often unpleasant demeanor” to earn himself the title of CEO of the Decade.

In the last ten years, Apple has stretched out into the areas of media and cell phones. But they didn’t just enter these markets; they changed them. I don’t need to remind you of the huge success the iPod continues to have, and with over 100,000 applications available in the iPhone App Store, it seems obvious their venture into the cell phone market has proven a success, too.

It’s often noted that he’s a showman, a born salesman, a magician who creates a famed reality-distortion field, a tyrannical perfectionist. It’s totally accurate, of course, and the descriptions contribute to his legend.
Fortune Magazine.

In 2000, Apple was worth $5 billion. Not a small number by any means, but just ten years later Apple is now worth around $170 billion, putting themselves just ahead of Internet giant, Google. Thanks to being debt-free, Apple has around $31 billion in cash and investments, which is the highest amount for any technology company.

So, in ten years, Apple has gone from a relatively small computer company—with no Apple Stores, iPod, iTunes, Mac OS X or iPhone—to being a technology leader with a range of great products, while being the most valuable company in Silicon Valley. I think, looking back, it’s no wonder Steve Jobs is Fortune’s “CEO of the Decade.”

Via [AppleInsider]

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You have a map for that, Verizon? Okay, well I see your map, and raise you an app. 100,000 apps, actually. Apple has announced that developers have created over 100,000 apps for the App Store, the largest applications store in the world. Apple did not comment on whether they’re including the myriad “fart” apps in that number.

From the release:

iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. App Store users have downloaded well over two billion apps, continuing to make it the world’s most popular applications store.

And it likely will be for quite some time. Apple has done two smart things, here, both of which their competitors haven’t figured out. First, they made the cell phone appeal to people who otherwise wouldn’t need one, and certainly not at the iPhone prices/rates. Before I bought my first iPhone, I was using a Virgin Mobile “pay as you go” plan on a $20 phone. It’s all I needed or wanted. But the 100,000 available apps on the iPhone has turned the device into something that never leaves my side. I’ve got books, music, games, health info, work schedules, hockey schedules, voice files, recipes, movies and much, much more at my fingertips at any given time. Some smart phones can handle some of that, but not at the volume the iPhone can, and not with Apple’s ease of use.

Second, via the iPod touch, Apple made all of these available to users who don’t have an iPhone. This creates much greater demand for iDevice applications, which leads to more developers, which makes the devices that much more appealing to consumers. Is there a non-cellular companion to the Pre? Will there be for the Droid? It’s unlikely, so even if those devices do start to rival iPhone sales, they simply won’t be able to withstand with the one-two punch of the iPhone + iPod touch. Therefore, I don’t see that they’ll have an app selection as robust as what we see in the iTunes App Store.

Of course, the other hidden benefit to the iPod touch is that when it comes time for owners to upgrade their cell phones, they may as well consider the iPhone if it’s available to them. They already have all those apps for their iPod touch, so why not move everything onto one device?

100,000 is an impressive number, but iPhone and iPod touch owners don’t need me to tell them that. They already know they’ve got “...an app for everything.”

Even farting.

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Ah, I remember not so long ago when we heard news of the App Store surpassing 2 billion downloads. However, the App Store has now reached another very important milestone: 100,000 available applications. In a marketplace where other companies are struggling to get 1,000 applications available for purchase and download, Apple and the developers with accounts have once again risen to the occasion. 100,000 certainly isn’t a small number, and it undoubtedly has brought much success for Apple and the iPhone OS platform.

In a statement, Apple SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller said, “The App Store, now with over 100,000 applications available, is clearly a major differentiator for millions of iPhone and iPod touch customers around the world. The iPhone SDK created the first great platform for mobile applications and our customers are loving all of the amazing apps our developers are creating.”

While there may be 100,000 apps on the App Store, this isn’t all good. With so many applications available, it’s safe to assume some (if not the majority) of basically crap or useless. This makes it hard sometime to navigate through all the cruft to find the real winners among the crowd. Thankfully, Apple has done pretty well so far adding features to the App Store to help discover some of the best apps, such as the Top Selling (free and paid) and Top Grossing lists.

I’m sure it won’t be long until we see posts reading of 200,000 applications available.

Via [Ars Technica]

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A while back, we wrote about how Apple is transitioning from Windows based EasyPad checkout systems to iPod Touch based mobile checkout systems. While it’s still unclear as to what manufacturer has helped Apple create the product you see below, we do know this is what Apple will be using for their new point of sale solution.

As you can see, the device contains hardware to slide credit and debit cards in the back while still allowing the user to have access to the normal buttons and connecters (via a dongle). It also manages to have a barcode reader in the top of it to allow for easy scanning of products. Furthermore, the device has its own battery with a strength indicator on the back to tell employees when they should recharge. A pen that allows customers to sign their names to their purchases is also included with the unit.

Don’t worry, though; the unit will still be able to go through cash transactions via cash registers throughout the store that can be opened from the application. According to AppleInsider, this will be rolling out to select stores over the next six months.

These systems are great in that they allow Apple to get rid of the regular cash register stations and open up more room for both employees and customers to move about the store. Also, it means that nearly every employee will be able to conduct sales and transactions with customers, so they can hopefully have a more pleasant experience without lines. On top of that, it is also a first-hand experience as to how useful iPod Touches can be to potential customers. That said, there are also some downsides to becoming entirely dependent on systems like this. Since they use WiFi to communicate with the purchase servers, a loss in signal means no transactions can be processed.

It will be fun to watch these in action when (and if) they make it to my local Apple Store.

Via [AppleInsider]

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According to sources for All Things Digital, Apple has been pitching a $30 per month TV subscription service via iTunes in the past weeks. The sources are saying that various TV networks have been approached by Apple about the deal, and if enough support is gained, this could potentially rival the way we’ve accessed our TV through cable for years now. The good news about this information, though, is that Apple apparently hasn’t been tying a service such as this in with the Apple TV hardware, but rather would make it available through iTunes, which has 100 million users already. Furthermore, the sources state a service such as this may be available as early as this coming year.

This idea poses a couple of interesting ideas. For one, it would introduce a new source of revenue to the cable networks who have been eager to do such a thing for a while now. However, it would also potentially conflict with currently existing relationships with cable providers such as Comcast and Time Warner. That said, companies such as Disney have shown a willingness to experiment with things such as this in the past, so it could happen. There still remains the issue of how this would affect actual TV viewers and ratings, then, which would have to also be figured out by Apple and their possible agreements.

Via [All Things Digital]

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According to the Associated Press, the iPhone has finally officially launched in China, with one major feature missing: built-in Wi-Fi. A ban on Wi-Fi by the Chinese government had forced Apple to produce iPhones with Wi-Fi removed specifically for sale in China, but the ban on Wi-Fi had been lifted shortly after Apple started producing the modified iPhones.

With the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity in the iPhones that had gone on sale today, many are speculating on why the devices remain so expensive. The relatively high price may be due to competition with unlocked iPhones from the United States and other countries that are being sold on the streets for a cheaper price and no contract. The imported iPhones reportedly cost Chinese buyers up to 20% less than the official Chinese version in stores. An estimated 1.5 to 2 million imported iPhones are already operating on China’s Unicom carrier network.

So far, Apple has refrained from offering public sales targets for the Chinese market. A rumor had gone around in the past claiming that China’s Unicom carrier had committed to purchasing 5 million iPhones for sale on its network, although it was quickly denied by a spokesperson for the carrier.

To be honest, if I lived in China, I would most likely buy a 3G S with Wi-Fi on the streets rather than pay 20% more for a legit Chinese iPhone without Wi-Fi capabilities, wouldn’t you? Leave feedback in the comments.

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Lee Clow, the chief creative officer at that ad agency that created Apple’s iconic “1984” ad, as well as the “Think Different” and “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” campaigns, has stepped down from his position at TBWA/Media Arts Lab. The Apple account will be in good hands, however, as the new CCO is “Duncan Milner, executive creative director on Apple and a TBWA alum since 1990.”

AdAge reports:

In his more than 40 years in advertising, he is best known for his work for Apple, which includes what many have called the best commercial of all time, “1984,” that launched the Macintosh computer; the now iconic dancing silhouettes for the iPod; and the more recent “Mac vs. PC” campaign featuring actors John Hodgman and Justin Long. His other memorable campaigns include the Energizer Bunny and the Taco Bell Chihuahua.

We’ll forgive him for the Chihuahua, since he created so many iconic ads for Apple:

The Martinetti family was unavailable for comment.

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Yesterday, Apple seeded Mac OS X 10.6.2 to developers, a release which comes only one week after the previous build was seeded to developers for testing. According to AppleInsider, the new build focuses on graphics drivers, trackpad preferences and virtual machine creation, and continues to list that there are no known issues remaining. This information suggests that Apple is finishing up the 10.6.2 update and release it to users in the near feature.

One of the biggest changes in Mac OS X 10.6.2 is a serious bug fix that involves guest accounts and has caused data loss among some users’ regular user accounts. Another major change is for full native support for Apple’s new Magic Mouse, which began shipping today. Software updates are already available for Leopard and Snow Leopard users so they can take full advantage of the new mouse without requiring OS X 10.6.2.

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The current word is that most Apple retail stores have received and begun to sell the new Magic Mouse. Mel Martin of TUAW took a trip to his local Apple retail store in Tucson, Arizona to try out the new mouse, and reported positive results from his tests. Quoted below is some of what Martin noticed about the new mouse:

The top surface is smooth and comfortable. The mouse does sit lower than a standard rodent, but I wasn’t bothered by it. Clicking on the right side of the surface gives you the second mouse button with no pain or problem. You can switch the left and right ‘buttons’ if you are so inclined.

Scrolling was smooth, and you can adjust the momentum of the scroll. I especially like the 2 finger swipe for going backward and forward in web pages and iPhoto.

The only thing I think was missing is that I’d like the surface of the mouse to mimic the iPhone gesture of pinching and spreading for zoom in / zoom out. You have to use the control key to enable zooming, and I’d rather not have to go to the keyboard for that.

Otherwise, everything was good.

I also posted earlier that Apple had started giving out shipping notices to customers who bought the Magic Mouse online. I haven’t actually gone to my local Apple retail store, but have also heard from friends that the new mice were there. Have you seen the new Magic Mouse at your local Apple retail store? Leave a comment.

To read Mel’s full report, visit TUAW.

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Today, Apple announced the launch of the 3.0 software upgrade for its Apple TV, which offers a redesigned user interface and compatibility with Apple’s recently released iTunes LP and iTunes Extras, along with Genius Mixes and Internet radio. Shortly thereafter, Apple also released iTunes 9.0.2, which adds support for Apple TV’s 3.0 software, a new “dark” viewing option for Grid View, and additional accessibility support.

The redesigned main menu in Apple TV’s 3.0 software offers direct access to recently rented and purchased movies, as well as a variety of other content. iTunes LPs and iTunes Extras are available in full-screen viewing for both audio and video titles. The addition of Genius Mixes in Apple TV, a feature which was first introduced by Apple last month with iTunes 9, allows users to listen to automatically generated playlists from their iTunes libraries. Thousands of Internet radio stations are now also accessible within Apple TV with the new software update. Finally, another new feature included is enhancements for viewing photos, as the Apple TV can now make use of the Faces and Events features in Apple’s iPhoto Mac software.

Along with adding support for the Apple TV 3.0 software and the other two new features/additions, iTunes 9.0.2 also once again breaks syncing with the Palm Pre.

Read [Engadget]

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One of the strangest things about the Apple Stores, in my opinion, is how they always used Windows based PDAs for customer checkouts not at the register. Sure, Apple didn’t want or really need to make their own system, but it was just a little strange to me. Now that Apple has the iPod Touch—a very mobile device capable of many features—it only seems fitting the company would transfer to this type of platform for checkouts. Instead of using the Windows based EasyPad systems, Apple will now be using iPod touches combined with barcode scanners and credit card readers.

According to a reader of AppleInsider, the Valley Fair Mall Store in Santa Clara is already using these devices and, “These things look really cool, much smaller than the Windows-based ones and faster too. They seem to be running a trial at that store, Palo [Alto] did not have them.”

This transition will certainly make checkouts easier for the Apple Store employees as the old EasyPad systems were large, clunky, and required a stylus to operate. They also have black and white screens and commonly lost wifi signals in the middle of a transaction. I’ll definitely be looking for these new systems next time I’m at my local Apple Store.

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In the 10-K annual report (PDF) Apple filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (posted yesterday), the company made note that it plans to “vigorously” defend itself in a lawsuit that Nokia filed last week. The lawsuit claimed Apple had infringed multiple cellular and Wi-Fi patents in their iPhone, which Nokia apparently owned.

A portion of the filing can be found below:

The complaint alleges that these patents are essential to one or more of the GSM, UMTS and 802.11 wireless communications standards, and that the Company has the right to license these patents from plaintiff on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (“FRAND”) terms and conditions. Plaintiff seeks unspecified FRAND compensation and other relief. The Company’s response to the complaint is not yet due. The Company intends to defend the case vigorously.

In Nokia’s press release regarding the lawsuit, the company noted that approximately 40 other technology-related companies, according to Reuters, apparently including “virtually all the leading mobile device vendors,” have licensed the intellectual property but that Apple refused to agree to appropriate licensing terms.

Nokia could be seeking up to $1 billion in damages from Apple in what is likely to be a long and costly lawsuit, regardless of the eventual outcome.

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In an agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority, Apple will be supplying $4 million to help fix up a run down triangle of land near their future Halsted Street store. While Apple has given money to areas where they had stores before, this will be the largest to date, as most of the previous ones were simply for fixing sidewalks and other minor tasks. This one will involve constructing a subway entrance building and bus turnaround driveway in order to help make the store more accessible and prominent. Part of the ordinance notes, “Apple will pay all costs of the exterior, interior, and platform refurbishment and desires that all work at these locations be completed not later than September 30, 2010.” This means that the Apple Store may open in late fall 2010.

The signing of this agreement took place on August 19th and entails some interesting details. Since Apple has agreed to pay for the improvements, the CTA will leave the bus turnaround to Apple for 10 years at no cost and will also give Apple the first rights of refusal for naming the station as the advertisements in that station. As you can see in the image, the area of land that Apple will be helping out with will be very important to their store (the red area). However, I’m sure this will also help the public in general, which will be nice for those who live there.

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There have been stories floating around the web claiming that Apple is not going to release anymore products this year. With the new 27” iMac, Magic Mouse, and unibody MacBook being released last week, this shouldn’t really surprise anyone. After all, the holiday season is only a month or so away, and I’m not sure Apple would update the products again that soon. However, of interest in this story is how Apple has called the tech website Gizmodo and stated, “The holiday lineup is set” [our emphasis]. Now, isn’t this basically what no more products in 2009 means?

While I’m fairly certain we won’t see any new products out of Cupertino this year, I do find it interesting that Apple would bother calling tech blogs in order to clarify something so simple. Perhaps Apple will be announcing new products sometime before the end of the year, but won’t actually be releasing them until early next year? It would seem out of the normal time frame from Apple, but it would make sense if they wanted to let people to know to hold off on a certain type type of product their competitors may already be selling. It’s definitely up for speculation.

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People have started receiving shipping notices from Apple stating that their Magic Mouse orders have been shipped. When the Magic Mouse was introduced, Apple stated it would be bundled with the new iMac models and would not be available for standalone purchase until the end of October. These new shipping notices show that Apple is likely meeting this goal even though the Magic Mouse has yet to make its appearance in Apple retail stores.

Yesterday, Apple released two software updates that will allow Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard users to access the full set of features built into the Magic Mouse. Rumor is that full support for the Magic Mouse is being built into the upcoming OS X 10.6.2 update, which will eliminate the need for a software update for Snow Leopard users.

Product [Magic Mouse]

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Today, Google released their free GPS guidance app for Android 2.0, called Navigation. But rumor, or CNET, has it that the app will make its way to iPhone at some point in the future.

Google posted a video today on YouTube to demonstrate all the features of the beta Navigation app, and it’s really quite amazing. Navigation is GPS guidance Googlefied. Just like on Google.com, you can misspell all of your destinations, or, like the Google app for iPhone, just speak them. There’s free access to traffic data. The app renders its maps in 3D, and will even put their satellite view over the map so you can see what the area around you looks like from the sky. Oh yeah, you probably guessed already, but you can search for anything, such as restaurants, along your route or close by, as well.

Here’s the video for Android phones, in case you’d like to view it.

I can only hope this makes it to the iPhone. Many first time users guess, erroneously, that the iPhone has a GPS navigation app built in. This could fix that, especially if the way it makes it to the iPhone is to replace the Maps app. And considering that Google and Apple worked together to create that app, it’s possible. Here’s to hoping.

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A couple weeks ago a story floated around the internet about the appearance of a job application from our favorite secretive company, Apple. This week, more unboxing photos from the company have surfaced. These show what it’s like to unbox an Apple Retail Store employee shirt instead of a formal Cupertino job offer. It appears Apple puts just as much attention into this part of their hiring process as they do in their products.

As you can see in the photo above, the shirt comes in a simple gray box with an Apple logo. The shirt is on the inside along with a letter thanking the employee for helping to make Apple shopping experiences better. Our favorite Apple stickers are also included. It certainly is interesting to see how much time and effort Apple puts into simple things such as this. I wouldn’t mind receiving a box like this sometime…

Via [MacRumors]

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Apple has posted a notice on its ZFS open-source project page indicating that the project has been terminated, as quoted below:

The ZFS project has been discontinued. The mailing list and repository will also be removed shortly.

ZFS is an advanced file system developed by Sun that had been ported to Mac OS X and released in 2007 as an open-source project on Apple’s Mac OS Forge collaboration site. ZFS had been rumored to become the default file system for Mac OS X Leopard, but ended up appearing with only limited read-only capabilities.

Apple continued to show interest in ZFS when they included the technology in its early product description pages for Snow Leopard Server, although the information was subsequently removed from Apple’s site and support for ZFS was not included in either Snow Leopard or Snow Leopard Server upon release.

Rumor was that the lack of ZFS support in Snow Leopard was caused by licensing issues with Sun, leaving the future of ZFS uncertain; although Sun’s pending acquisition by Oracle left open the possibility that the technology could be revisited by Apple in the future. Apple’s discontinuation of the ZFS project, however, suggests that the company may have given up hope of achieving decent licensing terms for the technology, and has instead redirected its resources elsewhere.

Via [TUAW]

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Several people have noticed and pointed out that Apple’s user guide for its new Magic Mouse makes a reference to the not-yet-released Mac OS X v10.6.2. Quoted below is the specific reference to OS X 10.6.2 in the user guide:

To use your Apple Magic Mouse and its full range of features, update your Mac to Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later and install the Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0; or update to Mac OS X version 10.6.2 or later.

While OS X 10.6.2 is not required for the Magic Mouse to function, users running OS X 10.5.8 through OS X 10.6.1 will have to install a separate software update to enable support for the new device. The mention of OS X 10.6.2 suggests that Apple plans or at least did plan for the update to be released to consumers around the product launch.

After more careful review of the Magic Mouse’s user guide, it is also noted that the Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0 will enable the Magic Mouse to work on Leopard and earlier versions of Snow Leopard as well (from Mac OS X 10.5.8 to 10.6.1). However, since the user guide references 10.6.2 as including built-in support for the new mouse, it still suggests that Apple had intended to release OS X 10.6.2 around the same time it launched the Magic Mouse.

To date, Apple has already seeded four builds of OS X 10.6.2 to developers, with the most recent (Build 10C531) having been delivered earlier this week. Although we cannot be certain at this point, it is safe to say that the likeliness of OS X 10.6.2 coming very soon is quite high.

Read [Ars Technica]

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In an oddly unusual patent application Apple filed back in 2008, the company seemingly explores the possibility of integrating advertisements into its Mac OS X (or possibly even a new and unreleased) operating system. The graphics that have been provided even show how Apple might implement it into OS X, as shown in the image above. In exchange for viewing the advertisements, the user would receive some goods or service for free or at a discounted price, as noted in the excerpt from the patent below:

Among other disclosures, an operating system presents one or more advertisements to a user and disables one or more functions while the advertisement is being presented. At the end of the advertisement, the operating system again enables the function(s). The advertisement can be visual or audible. The presentation of the advertisement(s) can be made as part of an approach where the user obtains a good or service, such as the operating system, for free or at reduced cost.

In the late 1990s, free computers were offered to customers in exchange for viewing advertisements, although that practice has lost popularity over the past couple of years. It remains unclear if Apple has any real intentions of pursuing this concept, although Steve Jobs is listed as one of the inventors of the patent, so the possibility is there.

What are your thoughts on an ad-supported Mac OS X? Let’s hear them in the comments.

Read [Engadget]

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Whether you like or use Twitter, it is certainly clear the service has had some value when it comes to promoting brands. Until recently, Apple has solely had iTunesTrailer, an account with around 1.2 million followers, as part of their social media band wagon. However, Apple has recently created a few more Twitter accounts to help promote various types of media in the iTunes store.

The accounts are as follows:

• iTunesMusic
• iTunesMovies
• iTunesTV
• iTunesPodcasts

While some of the accounts have more followers than others, and some have yet to tweet, they are a great place to go if you are looking for some highlights of recent content in the store. I’ve personally been following iTunesTrailers for a while and have also now added iTunesPodcasts since I am an avid podcast listener. Even though you could just open iTunes and explore for yourself, it’s interesting to see what Apple is promoting and what others may think of it.

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In the slew of Apple product updates released yesterday, the company also quietly introduced a new remote to be used with their new iMacs. According to Apple, this device will allow you to, “Control your Mac, iPod, or iPhone from afar with the sleek aluminum Apple Remote. Play, pause, adjust volume, move forward and back, and access menus while playing music and video.”

This remote, which takes on the aluminum enclosure of many of Apple’s other products, has a small interface change but the same amount of buttons. For some reason, Apple decided to move the Play/Pause button from in the middle of the circle to the bottom right and pushed the Menu button a tad to the left. As far as the reasoning for this goes, I can only assume it’s because some people, such as myself, may have complained about sometimes accidentally hitting the middle button when adjusting volume, etc.

The remote is available for individual purchase at a price of $19.00 through the online Apple Store, and will ship in 2 to 4 weeks. If the configuration of the current Apple Store remains, the Apple Remote will not longer be included with Mac computers, but can be added for the $19.00 fee when ordering.

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Along with several other updates today, Apple gave some lovin’ to the all-in-one machine: the iMac.

The most obvious change would be the screen. There are two models available—a 21.5-inch and 27-inch—both in 16:9 aspect ratio. The glass goes right to the edge of the machine, so, as Jony Ive himself says, “It’s all display.” The 27-inch model has the option of being wall mounted using Apple’s VESA Mount Adapter Kit, and with a viewing angle of 178 degrees, you’re sure to be in full few of your projects.

A top-spec new iMac could see you with a 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM (with support for up to 16GB) and a 2TB Serial ATA hard drive. Now that’s sounding like quite a mean machine; you’re really not going to be too limited by what this computer will allow you to do any time soon. The base iMac comes with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor, with the option to upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics card for use with the quad-core processor. Since the 21.5” iMac display is 1920-by-1080 HD and the 27” display is a whopping 2560-by-1440 resolution (78 percent more pixels than the 21.5-inch iMac), you’re really going to see amazing quality imaging on the glossy 16:9 widescreen.

I think it’s also worth a mention that the new iMac comes equipped with an SD card slot. This is something that has been missing from Macintosh computers for some time, with many consumers wishing they had the ability to import photos form their digital cameras by simply inserting their SD card. It’s nice to see Apple addressing this request, and including four USB 2.0 ports for the rest of your peripherals.

Every iMac ships with a Bluetooth Apple Keyboard, the brand new Magic Mouse, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife ‘09, so you will be enjoying your new purchase in no time. Unless you’re using any additional hardware, the only cable you’ll need is the power cord. I hate to bring it up, but have you looked behind a PC recently? You get the point.

I believe it’s safe to say that these updates have seriously improved the iMac. A few days ago, for serious computing, your best bet was probably the Mac Pro. Now, with up to 16GB of RAM and a 2TB hard drive, the iMac is not to be laughed at. And with a 27-inch widescreen beyond HD display, everything will look amazing. Shame there’s no ability to watch Blu-ray discs, but that won’t stop you from downloading high definition titles from the iTunes Store.

The new iMac. The ultimate all-in-one. Available now, either at Apple’s online store, or at your nearest Apple Retail store.

Product [iMac]

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Without much fanfare, Apple this morning announced the Magic Mouse, “the world’s first multi-touch mouse.” Taking cues from the iPhone and MacBook track pad, the Magic Mouse takes advantage of multi-touch technology to deliver much more control than was possible with buttons and a scroll wheel. Instead the seamless surface reads gestures of one and two fingers to provide functionality. Hold down the control key on your keyboard, and you’ll enable even more multi-touch commands.

From Apple’s website:

The Multi-Touch area covers the top surface of Magic Mouse, and the mouse itself is the button. Scroll in any direction with one finger, swipe through web pages and photos with two, and click and double-click anywhere. Inside Magic Mouse is a chip that tells it exactly what you want to do. Which means Magic Mouse won’t confuse a scroll with a swipe. It even knows when you’re just resting your hand on it.

Very cool stuff. The Magic Mouse also features laser tracking that Apple claims is “... far more sensitive and responsive on more surfaces than traditional optical tracking,” and connects to your iMac or MacBook/Pro via Bluetooth (secure connection of up to 33 feet). The mouse will ship with all new iMacs, but I’m betting a lot of MacBook owners will picking one up separately. I use an external keyboard with my MacBook at my desk, and I hate losing the multi-touch functionality of the track pad. The ability to get some of that back with the mouse will be awesome.

Via system preferences, you’ll be able to disable whatever commands you don’t like, and as with all recent Apple mouse devices, the Magic Mouse has 100% ambidextrous design. Lefties are just as welcome to the magic as are righties.

The Magic Mouse requires a Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer, Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later with Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0, and existing keyboard and mouse for setup. It’s available now online for $69 with a shipping estimate of 5 to 7 business days. We’ll have a hands-on up at Appletell very soon, so be sure to check back with us.

Product [Magic Mouse]

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

We have rumors gone true, folks. I like to call those trumors. Just as predicted, we have new unibody MacBooks (not Pro), Mac Minis (including a Server version), iMacs and the Magic Mouse.

MacBook

You’ll be able to pick up the new unibody MacBook today in Apple Stores. The casing is made in the unibody fashion, but it’s made of plastic. It also has a new glass multitouch touchpad to go along with it’s non-user-replaceable 7 hour battery.

iMac

We have two sizes, 21.5 and 27 inches. These are both 16 by 9 format, and all aluminum. They have viewing angles of 178 degrees and a bare minimum resolution of full 1080p HD.  The insides are pretty similar as that of older models, with some obvious bumps up. The most notable differences are the new SD card slot and a video-in on the 27 inch model (it needs a special cable). And now, you’re new iMac will come standard with a wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse!

Mac mini

The base model is now a 2.26GHZ Core 2 Duo CPU with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB HDD at a cool $599. Possibly the biggest news in the Mac Mini world is the option for a Mac Mini Server. The Mac Mini already makes a great server, but this version does away with the optical drive and replaces it with another 500GB HDD. It also does away with the Mini DisplayPort and $999 of your cash.

Magic Mouse

My favorite product of the day Now you see it, now you don’t. Okay, that’s not what’s magic here, but I’m happy to report that the new Magic Mouse is scrollball-less.  The multitouch gestures you’ll be using will replace that and then some.  All of your flicking will be accompanied by inertia, so your webpages will scroll smoothly.  Its battery (yes, it’s wireless) will last about 4 months. This guy’s sleek acrylic case will cost you $69.

Apple Remote

Apple also snuck one past the rumors. It’s a new Apple remote. Its design fits right in with the newest iMacs and MacBook Pros. Aluminum with black buttons. $19.

Wow, quite a round of updates for Apple. I’m very surprised there wasn’t a press event or the like.  Either way, I think Apple will be seeing a lot of our money today.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

It seems that John Gruber could, in fact, be correct with his ideas that Apple will release new iMacs, MacBooks (the white plastic model), Mac Minis, and of course a new Mighty Mouse. Almost as though he knew something, the Apple store has indeed gone down this morning, which leads to either maintenance (yeah, right) or the possibility of new toys from Apple.

While we have been waiting for sometime for an update for the Mac Mini, I am personally looking forward to the release of a new Mighty Mouse, or “Magic Mouse” as John Gruber believes. A multi-touch mouse would be a great addition to any computer set up, and without the tiny trackball to gather dust at an alarming speed, people’s issues with the Mighty Mouse may fall to the sideline.

Either way, check out the rumors that Jake Gaecke wrote up earlier today and stay tuned for the store to return back online. If anything does change, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

It seems that even in this economy, there’s no slowing Apple down. The company announced its quarterly earnings Monday, revealing that its net income rose 47 percent. The earnings, which were driven by record Mac computer and iPhone sales, sent Apple shares surging 7 percent in extended trading to an all-time high.

The Company posted revenue of $9.87 billion and a net quarterly profit of $1.67 billion, or $1.82 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $7.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.14 billion, or $1.26 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. “We are thrilled to have sold more Macs and iPhones than in any previous quarter,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

And how many is “more Macs?” How about 3.05 million during the quarter, a 17 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. During this time, Apple also sold 7.4 million iPhones, a 7 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Not all Apple products saw their sales go up, however; the 10.2 million iPods sold represents an 8 percent unit decline from a year-ago.

NPR reports that, “Apple weathered the economic meltdown better than other computer companies, giving it a running start when PC sales grew in the quarter. Apple had also updated its Mac operating system and refreshed its Macbook Pro line. Apple sold 3.1 million Macs, a 19 percent rise from the same period a year ago.”

Apple tempered this news by stating the outlook for the current quarter would be well below analysts expectations, but the company’s shares still shot up $13.38, or 7.1 percent, to $203.24 in extended trading.

And there’s even better news for Apple fanboys. Included in the official press release is Jobs’ statement that, “We’ve got a very strong lineup for the holiday season and some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010.”

Some really great new products? Let the Apple rumors begin continue.

Read [Apple.com] and [NPR.org]

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Yes, it seems that Apple plans to refresh or update every product you already own in an attempt to make you lust for a new ones. We’re talking about newMac Minis, iMacs and even a new iMouse! At least, that’s what the latest report from Engadget claims, and it’s all set to go down today.

John Gruber seems to be the source of all of the new Apple hardware fun.  He’s claiming that today Apple will announce a new Mac Minis, iMacs, (low end) plastic MacBooks, and the new Mighty Mouse. The new Mac Minis may even have a model that ships with Mac OS X Server. The new Mighty Mouse, which can no longer be marketed as such, will be rebranded as the “Magic Mouse,” and it will have multitouch support.  Will it revolutionize the way you computer?  Will Apple sell millions of them even if it doesn’t?

I’m most excited to see the new Magic Mouse, even though this name sounds ridiculous to me.  I’m very interested to see how multitouch will be incorporated; hopefully it rids the device of it’s easily broken scroll ball.  I’m also quite intrigued by the new Mac Mini.  Perhaps they’ll finally receive that long overdue new design I’ve been dreaming about, but I’m not holding my breath. And the OS X Server option sounds like a step in the right direction for many users.

I think today is going to be interesting…

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple has pulled Elgato’s EyeTV app for iPhone from the App Store. Why? I like to think it’s because the app was too awesome, but they say the official reason is due to its hidden ability to stream live TV over 3G. Mind you, EyeTV for iPhone doesn’t actually appear to stream live TV over 3G to the casual user. In fact, I was unable to verify this feature myself until…

Sorry, I’m back.  I just had to check “something.”  Like I said, it’s not immediately apparent how to get this to work.  So let me tell you!  When the notification that you aren’t allowed to do this pops up, all you have to do is miss the “OK” button and tap the text above it instead.

The whole business here is actually some leftover testing code that was never removed before submission being submitted to the App Store.  They weren’t trying to circumvent AT&T, but it seems they have done so by accident. Elgato made a Press Release today about all of this silliness, and here it is for your reading pleasure:

Some test code that enabled live TV streaming over the cellular network was accidentally left in the the EyeTV App.  Apple requested that we remove the code since their agreement with AT&T does not allow redirecting TV signals over the cellular network.  The code was removed and a 1.0.1 version of the EyeTV app was submitted.  We expect EyeTV to return to the App Store when the 1.0.1 version is approved.

Honestly, this is quite silly, and here’s why.  The EyeTV app streams prerecorded videos over 3G, so why the big fuss over live TV?  Does it really matter that it happened only a few seconds ago?  The video still has to be converted by your machine.  The process of streaming prerecorded media and live media are very much the same.  As far as I can tell, no more or less data are transmitted with either method.

While AT&T is not directly to blame for the pull from the App Store, I’d like to place all of the blame right on their shoulders.  Once again, AT&T is letting their true colors show.  They might be cool with you making VoIP calls over 3G, but darnit, if you want to watch live TV, you’re SOL. Just to say thanks, I totally won’t be streaming live TV to my iPhone all night. Remember, the “upgrade” will likely make it to the App Store soon. Though, AT&T likely won’t disconnect your iPhone if you don’t upgrade. Just sayin’.

UPDATE:  Looks like the original version of EyeTV is once again available on the App Store.  A change of heart from AT&T?  Probably not, but you might want to grab it ASAP if streaming live TV is your thing.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

When iPhone OS 3.0 was first released, Apple stated that only paid apps would be able to take advantage of in-app purchases. This allowed developers to offer, say, the first 10 levels of a game, then to charge a little extra for additional levels. Now, free applications will be able to offer upgrades via in-app purchases, which will hopefully clear the App Store of the hundreds of lite titles of which I am personally not a fan.

For developers, this will hopefully simplify things. Rather than having separate applications for full-featured and lite versions, developers could now concentrate on a single application, offering upgrades to more features through in-app purchases.

There are a few questions for current applications that may choose to migrate to using in-app purchases, especially if you’ve already bought the full-featured version. We’re still waiting on an answer from Apple on this one, as there are a few things that need to be altered in Apple’s App Store policies.

You can expect to see new applications using the new free/in-app purchases model hitting the App Store in the coming weeks. We’ll let you know when they begin to arrive.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Listen up Rebel scum; Apple may soon be making the iPhone 3GS fully operational. What’s that? You didn’t know your iPhone 3GS hasn’t hit puberty yet? Well, soon you may finally be able to use that FM radio that’s been hiding inside of your iPhone 3GS and/or iPod Touch (2nd Gen) unbeknownst to you this whole time.

According to a 9to5Mac tipster, Radio.app, as it’s referred to, will be allowed to run in the background a la the iPod.app we all know and love. It will function very similarly to the iPod nano’s FM radio app. A notable feature of the existing iPod nano app is its ability to pause live radio, and continue whenever you please, just like a DVR.  It’s rumored that Apple wants to incorporate iTunes Store linking to songs played on radio stations broadcasting with RDS information (song metadata).

Now there’s always the possibility that this will actually be integrated into iPod.app before its final release, which is fine by me.  You should know, though, that the tip gives no hard date, or even that it will be released “soon.”  Still, it seems silly for Apple to include hardware you’ll never get to use.

Well, that’s not completely true. If you use your iPhone 3GS or iPod touch (2nd Gen) with some Nike+ gear, then you’ve used the FM radio already. Still, there’s so much more that could be done with this piece of hardware. Heck, it’s even able to function as an FM transmitter, though likely never will.

Personally, I’d love to see Radio.app see the light of day, though I’m not sure why.  The reason I use an iPod is so that I can escape what passes for radio.  But that’s just me.  Anyone truly excited for FM radio support?

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Did you salute Major Snow Leopard Bug? If you did, you watch entirely too much just the right amount of How I Met Your Mother. But even if that didn’t get your attention, I hope you’ll continue reading because there are few things worse than losing your data.

According to numerous discussions on Apple’s support board’s, there’s a major bug in Snow Leopard that can delete all of your data with very little effort on your part.

It appears the problem is a result of an error on how Guest Accounts are handled. If you upgraded to Snow Leopard from Leopard and had Guest Accounts enabled, you might be at risk. Normally, a Guest Account will delete its own data after log-out, but at risk machines may mistakenly clear data from the previous user’s account instead.

The proposed fix is to disable Guest Accounts all together. A separate account can be created in System Preferences - Accounts, and it can be restricted via Parental Controls if necessary.  It’s recommended that at the very least you take a peak inside of System Preferences, disable and re-enable Guest Accounts if you absolutely need the functionality until it can be patched.

As always, you should consult your Doctor before taking health advise to see what’s the best option for you…  Right, this is Mac health, not physical health. Sorry. Those warnings are just so fun to type. Seriously though, go check this out right now. There’s nothing wrong with double checking. The last thing you want to do is lose all of your data when it can be prevented. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, several times.

Read iTWire

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The latest firmware update for the iPhone and iPod touch has today been released from Apple. There are no new features here, just a few bug fixes to keep your iPhone or iPod touch on top form. The update should fix small issues regarding cellular service, video playback and a reported problem where the iPhone does not wake from sleep mode.

The update is available now from within iTunes via the usual method. It’s around 241 MB in size, and is for the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

The CEO we all know and love, Steve Jobs, has made his way up on the Forbes richest Americans list this year. Considering that Mr. Jobs makes a slim $1 salary at Apple, it may seem strange to see him at number 43 on the list of the top 400. However, you must remember that he has plenty of money in stock and benefits through Apple—enough to value him at $5.1 billion (which is a $600 million decline from a previous year). Coming in at 43rd this year has put Steve at a higher place than he was ever before, with the closest being a 49 in 2007.

It is also interesting to note that Bill Gates is still at number one on the list for the 16th year in a row with a worth of approximately $50 billion. That’s a really big number. All competition and fanboyism (yes, I just made that up) aside, it is great to see two of the most influential figures in tech rank so highly on this list. It just goes to show what a little hard work and innovation can do for your life. And it is even more inspiring to see that people such as Bill Gates are managing to donate millions upon millions of dollars to charity.

Congratulations, men.

Via [MacRumors]

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This week, Apple’s App Store reached two billion downloads, a little after a year since the store first launched for the iPhone and iPod touch. April saw the first billion apps downloaded, with just over half a billion downloaded in the last quarter. There are certainly no signs of things slowing down just yet.

As a recap, here are the basic stats.

• Two billion apps downloaded
• 85,000 apps available (paid & free)
• Over 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide
• Over 125,000 developers in the iPhone Development Program

On any scale, that’s impressive for just over a year of being available. Steve Jobs had this to say:

“The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year. The App Store has reinvented what you can do with a mobile handheld device, and our users are clearly loving it.”

Despite many other companies—such as Palm and Nokia—having their own application stores available on some of their devices, Apple is clearly far in the lead. Of course, Palm and Nokia’s stores have not been live for the same length of time, but it’s doubtful they will grow on the same scale as the App Store. As they say, on the App Store, there’s almost always, “an app for that”.

Read [Apple PR]

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If you’re in the market for a new iMac or Mac Mini, you’d be well advised to hold on for a week or two more. Reports from around the web all point to a refresh of both the iMac and Mac Mini by October 9th.

So, what do we know?  Not a whole lot actually.  So far all we really know is that retailers are extremely low in stock of iMacs and Mac Minis.  Apple has instructed retailers that orders of these machines will not be filled now.

One TUAW tipster even reported that an order of a Mac mini placed on September 18th will be held and shipped on October 9th. This leads many to believe that Apple will have some sort of special event or product announcement on this day. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

As far as product details are concerned, there’s much talk, but little evidence. Some think the new iMac will look more like a Cinema Display, and feature an SD card slot and a bag of hurt (Blu Ray support). I’m hoping for Blu Ray support, and I hope it makes it to the Mac Mini as well.

Who knows what we’ll see. We might even see a refresh on the MacBook line, which just goes to show you how far apart all of these current rumors are. One thing is promising though. I think it’s safe to say that we’ll see Apple do something very shortly. Stay tuned.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

It seems that once again the online Apple Store is down, on a Sunday too. Since it’s only a few weeks since Apple’s latest media event, it’s unlikely that any product updates will appear - it’s more plausible to simply be maintenance updates.

Still, the Apple TV has seen slight changes recently, with the removal of the 40GB system, and price drop for the 160GB model, there’s certainly a gap in the product line for an update. Whether today will see the release of that update, is anyone’s guess - if there is in fact an update in the pipeline.

We’ll keep you updated when the store comes back online later today.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »