Appletell

“Apple might as well put out a press release”, says Forbes’ writer Brian Caulfield. 

With the iPhones sales only at 1.7 million so far, and Apple standing fast with their 10 million iPhones sold by 2009, that can only mean one thing.  There will be a fairly major overhaul of the iPhone, and soon.  The sales announcement was included in a conference call hosted by Steve Jobs, talking about Q2 profits, which, by the way, increase 37% from the previous year.  One thing that was also noted in the call were the soaring Mac sales and the slumping iPhone and iPod sales.  Another interesting little tidbit about the call was the responses from Apple COO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer when asked about details of the possibility of a new iPhone.  Cross Research’s analyst Sharon Cross was the most bold in prodding the two men for information, asking if “Apple will still sell the current-model iPhone once it rolls out an iPhone able to work on high-speed so-called “3G” networks.” Nice try, Sharon.  When shot down by Cook, she replied “We’ve got to try sometimes”. 

It seems pretty apparent that a new iPhone is in the works, and it is only a matter of time.  Leave a message in the comments about whether or not you think the iPhone will get a redesign in the next few months.

Via [Forbes]

In light of a recent patent application from Apple, a redesign to the Online Apple Store and the iTunes Music Store may be in the works.  The new store would be radically different, replacing the “sterile and isolated” environment of online shopping with a huge, interactive site resembling that of Second Life.  The patent, titled ”Enhanced Online Shopping Atmosphere”, shows the above picture, along with details about how customers could literally “walk” around the store, and interact with customers.  You could communicate with other customers, ask for advice from the Geniuses, even ask peoples opinion on something or ask why they abandoned one product for another.  There is also talk of interactive forums and group chats within the store.  One of the main arguments behind the patent is that with an online store, users cannot “Window Shop”, but with an interactive environment such as the one presented, window shopping will be enabled and thus increase potential sales from Apple.

Voice your opinions about the pros and cons of an interactive store below in the comments.

Via [MacWorld]

According to an undisclosed Taiwanese worker at an undisclosed Taiwanese case company, Apple is planning on a redesigned case for their MacBooks.  On a Taiwanese Apple forum, the worker wrote about Apple’s recent order for Aluminum casing for the MacBook.  Citing a non-disclosure agreement, he refused to answer further questions about the order.  This move to anodized aluminum cases would unify the entire Macintosh computer line, with everything from iMacs to MacBook Airs in sleek aluminum coverings.  When talking about a partial redesign of the Apple computer line, Appleinsider writer Kasper Jade reports that “13-inch consumer MacBooks will undergo the most significant metamorphosis, shedding their plastic enclosures for ones constructed from more eco-friendly materials such as aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel, people familiar with the matter say.” Some of the other possible changes to the line up include thinner computers across the board.  All of these changes are highly anticipated, as the MacBook and MacBook pro have looked the same and have been built the same since 2006.  It will hopefully be coming soon, as Apple’s average design cycle (18-24 months) is up for the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

Via [Appleinsider]

Here’s another rumor to add to the June speculation - not only will 3G iPhones be supposedly released, but Apple will apparently redesign their notebook line. If you take a look at the MacBook and MacBook Pro - their designs have been around for quite some time now. The MacBook Pro even shares an almost identical design to that of the PowerBook G4. According to AppleInsider’s sources, brand-new redesigned MacBooks and MacBook Pros will be released in the third quarter of this year. The newly designed notebooks will sport the same sized enclosures as the current models: 13-inch MacBooks, and 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros. MacBook Pros are expected to use Intel’s Montevina chips that are being released in June. The new designs will most likely be inspired by the current iMacs and the MacBook Air.

Via [AppleInsider]

If you haven’t come across Growl yet, you need to go and get it now. Growl has become a part of my daily usage on my Mac, seamlessly integrating with dozens of shareware applications. For those that don’t know, Growl is a notifications system for Mac OS X - hundreds, maybe even thousands, of Mac developers have integrated the system into their apps, to bring the ultimate notifications system. For example, Skype notifications of incoming calls and IM messages.

This weekend, Growl’s website received a brand new design. The new site is much easier to navigate and looks much nicer. Unfortunately, the appear to be using the same web hosting as before - which means right now their site is very slow, if up at all.

Via [TUAW]