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By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
Today at Macworld, in his keynote, Steve Jobs announced a number of items, but this is what companies like Netflix were expecting - and fearing: iTunes Video Rentals. According to Jobs, they have every studio (he listed Touchstone, Miramax, MGM, New Line, Lion’s Gate, Fox, Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount, Universal and […]

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
This was previously announced in December, but now it has a real name: “Pepsi Stuff.”
Four billion (with a b!) specially marked packages of Pepsi products will have collectible points on them that can be “banked,” starting Feb. 1, on PepsiStuff.com - and later redeemed for purchases at Amazon MP3.
This was one […]

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
It’s all Macworld, all day long today, right? At Macworld, in his keynote today, Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Air, the thinnest (he says, and it sure looks like it!) laptop in production.
It’s priced at $1,799 to start and will be available in two weeks.
Specs:
3.0 pounds, 0.16 -0.76″ thickness, […]

We’re on the Macworld show floor, here’s what was announced today from Apple. Click the read more link below to see all the new products announced today.

(more…)

Welcome to our live coverage of the Macworld Expo 2008 keynote. Stay tuned throughout the morning for constantly-updated keynote coverage.

Click read more below (if it appears) to view the coverage.

(more…)

Apple CEO Steve Jobs gave his latest performance to the faithful and a few items stood out. He was in good form as usual, and his friends from Google, including CEO Eric Schmidt and co-founder Sergey Brin, as well as Chad Hurley and Steve Chen (YouTube founders), were in the front rows watching the master.
Here’s […]

It’s been a busy day for the Apple tribe. Steve Jobs announced the thinnest notebook in the universe (I’m not sure that’s what the universe needs, but he is at least pushing lowly competition to innovate more) and updates for the iTunes, iPhone, iTouch, AppleTV and Time Capsule wireless backup (check out our full coverage). […]

Programming note: Our live coverage of the Steve Jobs keynote at Macworld has begun. Jason O’Grady will be live blogging and David Morgenstern and Dan Farber are on scene for the festivities.
Here’s Jason’s live blog.

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Yes, I’m in Hawaii right now, enjoying the sunny weather. I thought I’d share with everyone the five reasons I’d rather be here in Hawaii, instead of at Macworld.

• If I need to update my iPhone, I can do that from anywhere. I don’t need to be at Macworld to upgrade something. I’m sitting here using my wireless broadband connection right from the cruise ship. So, I’ll be able to download any updates!
• In Hawaii, there are no smelly Mac geeks. This is true! I’ve read it in Wikipedia! Mac and PC Geeks alike have a “bouquet” about them. Have you ever left eggs out too long? Well, that’s the Mac geek smell. That’s not here in Hawaii.
• A Mac Pro wouldn’t fit inside my luggage. I’m planning to get one, but don’t want to buy it from Macworld. I wouldn’t be able to take it with me.
• There are no Pina Coladas at Macworld. Pina Coladas… or Macworld? You decide.
• You can’t beat the view here in Hawaii. It’s amazing, and absolutely gorgeous. Later today, I’ll be climbing a mountain… or not.

Would you rather be at Macworld with the other geeks… or here in Hawaii with Ponzi and me?

• The 12 Month Internet Millionaire.
• Apple IPhone Rabid Niche Cash System.

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Predictions and advance commentary for tomorrow’s Macworld keynote, some based on consensus rumors, some based on no more than wishful thinking on the part of yours truly. This is all conjecture and tea-leaf-reading (well, mostly), so, please, no wagering.

I keep two questions in mind when evaluating Apple product ideas:

1. Would people run out to stand in line to buy this immediately?
2. If not, is there a long-term strategic reason for Apple to start selling this now?

If the answer to both questions is “no”, then Apple isn’t going to do it. The iPhone is a perfect example of a #1; the Apple TV is a #2.

New Sub-Notebook MacBook: Yes

Apple hasn’t had a small notebook in its line-up since the 12-inch PowerBook G4, which I still see in wide use. If you’re using a portable as a portable, smaller size and lighter weight make a tremendous difference. The demand for a good notebook smaller and lighter than standard MacBooks is strong; I think it’s a sure thing that Apple is set to announce one. (Of course, I said so before last year’s Macworld, too.)

I say the consensus rumors are right: super-thin, no built-in optical drive, widescreen 12-inch display. It will use a hard drive, not flash memory, for storage. (Look no further than the iPod Classic to see how hard drives don’t keep a device from being super-thin).

Rumors are already running strong that it’ll be called MacBook Air. (I like it, not sure though if Nike would.)

Newton-y Tablet Thing: No

I am nearly convinced that this product exists, at least as a project in development. My hunch is that AppleInsider has it spot-on: it’s in development, but not yet ready to launch, and, perhaps, never will if Apple can’t get it right. (Recall Steve Jobs’s statement to Walter Mossberg that he’s as proud of some of the products Apple decided not to ship as he is of the ones they did.) Like the iPhone, it runs “OS X” but not Mac OS X, does not run Mac apps, and will not be called a “Mac”.

The big problem with a “tablet” computer of any sort is that 15 years of industry history indicate that people do not want to buy tablet computers. But the iPhone, arguably, is a tablet computer — a sub-tablet, if you will. The key mistake with failed efforts like Microsoft’s Tablet PC (and even Apple’s own Newton) was that these devices attempt to do too much. It’s seen as a feature that Tablet PCs run the full version of Windows. But why force software UI’s designed for traditional hardware form factors upon a totally different device? A successful tablet-like device from Apple, I think, would clearly be designed as a secondary computing device — a satellite attached and synched to a Mac or PC (probably, of course, through iTunes).

There’s still the “what would I use it for?” factor. It seems to me it would need to be something more than just an iPod Touch with a larger screen — if that’s all it is, then what’s the point of buying one instead of a smaller, pocketable, iPod Touch or iPhone? I simply lack the cleverness to imagine what that hook might be — but I can’t imagine Apple releasing such a product without an obvious “Oh I gotta buy that” hook.

Anyway: I do think something like this is in the works, but I don’t think it’s coming out now. I’d love to be wrong.

Ubiquitous Wireless Networking for MacBooks: Please

After using my iPhone for a few months, it started feeling weird that my PowerBook doesn’t have ubiquitous wireless networking: Wi-Fi when available, and seamless, instant switchover to something else when it isn’t. Just what that “something else” is, I don’t know. EVDO? WiMax? A Bluetooth connection to share an iPhone’s EDGE connection? I don’t care. But I’d pay for it.

Ubiquitous networking is certainly the most intriguing thing about Amazon’s Kindle. It just feels crippled that I can’t get a network connection — even a slow one — once I’m outside the range of Wi-Fi.

Wireless Time Machine Backups: Yes

Time Machine is very cool; the first backup that qualifies as “you don’t have to do anything, it just works”. But currently it only works using a storage device connected via USB or FireWire. Tethered backups are irritating with notebooks — and MacBooks are the fastest-growing segment of Apple’s Mac hardware sales. The problem is that when you want to use your portable away from your desk, it’s a pain to disconnect mounted USB and FireWire drives. You can’t just pull the plugs — you’ve got to unmount them in the Finder first. And, once you do so, to get Time Machine backups running again, you’ve got to re-tether your storage drive.

Leopard developer seeds all supported network backups to USB drives connected to an AirPort base station. The feature was also demoed at WWDC. It was removed (or, better said, disabled) very late in Leopard’s development, supposedly because of a security problem that was discovered, but I expect the feature to return, perhaps in 10.5.2. It’s a terrific idea, perfect for multi-Mac homes and small offices.

But so why not sell a device as a dedicated product — a big 500 GB or larger hard drive (or array of them) with built-in AirPort networking. No need to attach it to a separate AirPort base station, no temptation to use the device for anything other than one purpose: backing up via Time Machine. Just plug it into a power outlet, run through a simple configuration tool a la AirPort Utility, and it’s ready. When it first appears on your network, your (Leopard-running) Mac could prompt to ask if you’d like to use it for Time Machine, the same way it prompts when you first plug in a new USB or FireWire drive.

iTunes Movie Rentals: Yes

This one seems like such a done deal that it barely qualifies as a rumor. It seems obvious: Unlike with music, there’s been a strong market for movie rentals for as long as there’s been a home video market. Most movies aren’t worth watching more than once. Reports (based on leaks from studio executives) indicate rentals will cost $3-5, and will expire after 24 hours. If true, presumably that means they’ll expire 24 hours after you beginning playing them, not 24 hours after downloading. It’d be nice if the terms were a bit more flexible than that. One of the best things about Netflix, and something which makes it far more appealing than traditional brick-and-mortar Blockbuster-style rentals, is that you can watch movies on your own terms.

A Netflix-style iTunes movie subscription service that lets you keep a certain number of unlocked movies open at the same time would be killer.

Apple TV 2.0: Yes

Jobs has called Apple TV a “hobby” for Apple. I think they have high hopes for it, but calling it a hobby is a practical way to buy time for it. What Apple did with the iPod was start as small and simple as they could — one device, in one configuration, only for the Mac, and all it did was play recorded audio — and then build the platform slowly from there. Things like Windows support, color screens, video playback, and expanding to a range of form factors all came incrementally.

I think that’s the plan with Apple TV. Start simple and humble, and build from there, year after year. One obvious improvement (albeit contingent upon another rumor) would be to allow us to buy (or rent) movies and TV shows directly from the iTunes Store, right from the Apple TV. If the iPhone can do it, the Apple TV should too.

I still think it’d be good business for Apple to sell their own HDTV sets with Apple TV built-in — more money for Apple, one fewer device spewing cables behind the display.

DRM-Free iTunes Plus Music From the Other Major Music Labels: No

I think Apple would love to have this, but it seems pretty clear that the major labels — other than EMI, of course — are convinced that it’s in their interest to withhold DRM-free music from Apple, in the hopes of helping Amazon gain market share.

I actually agree that it’s in the music labels’ interest for Amazon’s music store to succeed. I’m not sure, though, that withholding DRM-free music from Apple is spiting anyone other than iTunes customers. I suspect the vast majority — an overwhelming majority — of iTunes music purchases are made by people who have at best only a vague inkling of what “DRM” is. If there’s any actual logic to it, it’s PR — withholding DRM-free music from Apple makes it easier to paint Apple as a company bent on using iTunes as a competitive cudgel to lock customers in to iPod hardware. Only a hack reporter would buy into that line, given Steve Jobs’s unequivocal “Thoughts on Music” open letter last year.

One thing that would dispel any negative stories on the state of the iTunes empire, of course, would be the long-awaited debut of the Beatles catalog, exclusively at iTunes, perhaps with an on-stage visit from Paul McCartney.

New iPhone Hardware: No, With a Minor Exception

Apple announced the original iPhone a year ago, but they didn’t ship it until six months ago. They’re not going to announce new iPhones six months in advance again. (It was to their advantage last year to cause people to postpone phone purchases until the iPhone appeared; that’s not the case now that the iPhone is on the market.)

If anything, I don’t expect new iPhones to appear until next fall, at the yearly iPod/iTunes pre-holiday season special event, leaving the original iPhone on the market for over a year. Why revise hardware for a product that, by all accounts, is selling remarkably well as-is?

The only exception I could see would be a 16 GB iPhone that’s otherwise unchanged from the current 8 GB model.

iPhone SDK News: No

I can see the upcoming iPhone SDK getting a mention from Jobs on stage, a reminder that it’s coming and that’s it’s going to be great, but Macworld isn’t WWDC, and SDKs don’t make for splashy presentations. If I’m wrong, it’ll be because they have a demo queued up from a third-party developer with early access to the SDK. Actual third-party software (written against the actual official SDK) is demoable. Games, perhaps?

The apparently-leaked 1.1.3 firmware might make for a good demo, what with the jiggly icons and whatnot.

Cinema Displays With Better Resolution, Brighter Screens, and Built-In Cameras: Yes

If I keep predicting it, eventually I’ll be right.

I understand the desire for an ultra-light laptop, but there has always seemed to be a limit to which people will sacrifice functionality for weight. In the case of the MacBook Air announced at MacWorld that missing functionality will be the non-replaceable battery. The prime target for an ultraportable laptop is the traveller, and if you travel you want to be able to change the battery. I travel frequently for work and know many other people that do as well, and the standard pack includes a second fully charged battery. There will be initial sales as what is known in the industry as “executive jewellery” but long term success for this product will require at the least an external battery option.

What I liked about the product was the multitouch trackpad, which I presume is licensed from Elantech (as seen at CES). While the demo’s for this will invariably all involve people manipulating images, I think this inovation has real business advantage for mobile users. I would equate the benefits from this feature to the trackpad as to the scroll wheel for the mouse. Multitouch for the trackpad allows aditional contexts to the same action dependant on a secondary finger position or movement.

If you own a MacBook you are probably already familiar with two finger scroll. If you drag down the trackpad with two fingers instead of one you scroll instead of moving the cursor. This is not multitouch, just registering a single wider touch. With multitouch you could do the same , but the distance between your fingers can dictate the speed, e.g. wide apart for slow, close together for fast. The pinching to zoom function would work well when navigating pdf files with TOC and find open (Those that use Acrobat Reader a lot know what I mean). It also opens the door for lots of ‘gesture’ style shortcuts.

Consumer love can create a great niche for a company, but the technologies that boom are those that business adopt. In the multitouch trackpad I see something that will make a difference to business laptop users. I am sure this feature will make it quickly to the greater range of Apple laptops, and to other manufacturers.

We’ve just posted videos of the Apple TV 2.0 software, iPod touch, and iPhone 1.1.3 software to our YouTube account. They’re now available for viewing. Enjoy! Apple TV: The biggest changes of the day were reserved for the Apple TV, which saw a comprehensive interface overhaul with movie rentals, movie and music purchasing, Flickr photo browsing, and new iTunes Store search features for all forms of media, including podcasting. The software…

Updated! iLounge’s editors have arrived in San Francisco, California to provide live coverage of the 2008 Macworld Expo, which kicks off Tuesday morning at 9:00AM Pacific Time with a keynote speech from Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The Expo, which traditionally sees the introduction of new Apple and third-party hardware and software, is expected to include substantial upgrades to iTunes, the iPhone, and Apple TV, and other Apple wireless products,…

Continue reading a full play-by-play transcript of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ keynote address from the 2008 Macworld Conference and Expo. Most of the announcements found in this transcript are explained in further detail in separate news articles; photos from the event can be found here.
…

We’ve spent the entire morning and afternoon adding a massive collection of Macworld Expo show photos to our Flickr account for your enjoyment. You can currently see pictures from all across the show floor, including new hardware and software from major iPod, iPhone, Mac, and iTunes vendors; new pictures are constantly being added, so keep checking.
…

You asked, we delivered. Our massive guide to what’s new at Macworld Expo, and what was shown at CES now covers announcements from over 75 different vendors, after 10 major updates. Be sure to check out the article to see what’s coming soon for the iPod, iPhone, and iTunes; we’ll be updating it throughout the show.
…

Filed under: Cellphones, Features

Enjoy this special moment that can only occur between one happy iPhone user and their consenting device. You’ll get to witness the miracle of icon rearranging, the joy of Google Maps location finding, and the unending pleasure of homescreen Safari bookmarks. We didn’t grab the multiple SMS recipient function on film, but we assure you it’s exactly like it should have been to begin with.

Continue reading Video: iPhone firmware 1.1.3 doing its thing

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Filed under: Laptops

We’ve got word back from Apple on MacBook Air battery replacement. The good news is a new MBA battery is the same as a new MacBook Pro battery: $129. And hey, installation is even free! The bad news hasn’t changed though, you’ll still likely have to hand over your machine to Apple until they can get the new battery installed. Who knows, maybe they’ll roll out a program for end-user battery installation.

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Filed under: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment

We got a quick runthrough of the Apple TV’s new menus, and we liked what we saw. Everything seems crisp and intuitive, and Transformers looks oh-so Transformer-ey. Unfortunately we couldn’t see an actual rental transaction take place, but we’ll take Apple’s word for it on this one. Video is after the break.

Continue reading Video: Apple TV Take 2 menu hands-on

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Filed under: Features, Laptops

That’s right, it’s like you’re looking into some crazy crystal ball, one which is showing you how all your future interactions with your Mac will be carried out… probably. Feast your eyes on this glimpse into the soon-to-arrive apocalyptic nightmare-world of gestures.

Continue reading First Macbook Air multi-touch control panel screenshot

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Filed under: Features, Laptops

Apple’s Macworld 2008 booth is naturally gargantuan this year, but practically empty — that is, if you don’t count the teeming hordes of people surrounding the MacBook Air table and watching the presentations on the big screen. Apple only has its new product on display, which means mainstays like regular iPods, iMacs, MacBooks and MacBook Pros were nowhere to be seen. The booth is fairly dominated by an end-to-end table filled with MacBook Airs and their respective Apple guardians. Time Capsule seems a bit of an afterthought, as does Apple TV.

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Filed under: Features, Laptops

How does Apple’s new wonder of the world stack up to its fat, old, slow, nasty brethren? Well, you may be surprised to learn that the footprint doesn’t change that much, but in the thickness category there’s simply no comparison. Take a look at the shocking gallery below and you’ll see just what we mean.

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Filed under: Features, Laptops

Want more pedantic details on the MacBook Air? You got ‘em.

• The micro-DVI out is single-link only, meaning it can drive a 24-inch monitor, not a 30-inch. There’s no DisplayLink converter / adapter yet.
• Remote Disk comes on the install DVD — ironically, Apple expects you to carry around a DVD to install so you can access someone else’s DVD drive. Righty-o.
• It uses MagSafe, but the new connector is angled 90-degrees to stay out of the way. You can use a regular MacBook / Pro adapter, assuming you don’t mind the side being propped up a little (or hanging off the edge of a table). You can also use the MBA’s 45w adapter on other machines — the plug should still fit, but the adapter may not have enough juice to charge AND power a running machine.
• The MacBook Air superdrive needs special hardware in the MBA to work — Apple wouldn’t tell us if any other devices will be able to use the thing, but we imagine the ~500mA USB outputs won’t be enough.
• The 64GB SSD option is +$1000 — but you probably already knew that if you hit Apple’s site.
• The speaker is mono only (not stereo), so your audio output will suffer a bit. The audio comes out of the keyboard holes in the right side, and it sounds a little funny.
• The port array folds down, it’s not a door over ports that don’t move. It feels extremely sturdy.
• Duh, the only audio input will have to be via USB or the built-in mic.
• The machine comes packaged with micro-DVI to DVI and micro-DVI to VGA adapters, but you have to snag the S-Video and composite adapters separately.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

So while the iPhone and Apple TV got shiny new firmware updates and new features for free today, iPod touch owners will have to lay out $20 to get Mail, Weather, Stocks, Notes, and Maps — five apps the iPhone’s had since day one. That seems like a raw deal to us — but then again, we’re up to our necks in handheld devices that can check email and take notes. So what’s it going to be, iPod touch owners — will you be laying down a Jackson or what?

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Filed under: Laptops

Curious minds need to know — despite the built-in RAM, the fixed battery, single (and soon to be overworked) USB port, lack of integrated 3G and the lofty $1,799 starting price point, did you still pull the trigger on a MacBook Air pre-order? We know, it is ridiculously thin, and it is ultra-light, so we’re wondering just how many of you ponied up the premium for all that sexiness. Drop your answer in the poll below, and feel free to add a couple pennies (or more, we won’t mind) in comments.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

So let’s just boil down the newly-available firmware 1.1.3 to the nitty gritty, shall we? Here’s what Apple’s latest juicy morsel is going to do to your iPhone (or iPod touch, if that’s how you roll and you have $19.99 to spare) once you can finally reliably get it from iTunes:

• Maps: New hybrid view, same as Google Maps. Satellite imagery and street mapping available on a single view.
• Maps: Location triangulation. Uses nearby WiFi access points and GSM towers (on the iPhone, anyway) to roughly guesstimate your current location.
• Web Clips: Web bookmarks can now be saved as home screen icons, including zoom and location information.
• Home screen: Icons on the home screen can now be rearranged.
• Home screen: Up to 9 home screens can now be created and “flicked” between.
• SMS: A single text message can now be sent to multiple recipients; groups can be recalled for future use.
• iTunes: Movie rentals are now supported.
• iTunes: Support for lyrics.
• iTunes: Option to “manually manage” music and videos instead of synchronizing. Thanks, Vlade D!

Additionally, the iPod touch now features Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather, and Notes, all of which were previously exclusive to the iPhone. Cheers!

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Filed under: Cellphones, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment

iPhone / iPod touch updates

• The iPhone 1000 SMS limit is now lifted! Huzzah!
• You can now “pre-type” with two thumbs on v1.1.3 now (i.e. type, type, lift thumb, lift thumb — instead of the usual type, lift, type lift, which is a big slow-down). Thanks Dan L.
• Gmail IMAP is now officially supported! Thanks, Niall.
• iPod touch can still geolocate, but using Skyhook only (since, naturally, it doesn’t have cell tower access like the iPhone + Google).

Apple TV updates

• The update adds AirTunes support for the Apple TV for streaming directly to the device.
• Your average HD movie download for the ATV is going to be about 4GB — but if you’ve got a reasonably fast connection it should start streaming and playing within a minute.
• Standard SD movies should be a bout 1.2GB.
• Just to be clear about how rentals work, they can’t move OUT of the Apple TV if acquired ON the ATV. If you need to finish your movie on the go but bought from ATV, you have to rent it again on iTunes with your computer.
• You’ve also now got “favorites,” which act as pseudo-subscriptions. These aren’t synced or the same as the subs in iTunes.
• Front Row is NOT undergoing any UI changes (at this time). Don’t expect it to look the same as the new Apple TV.
• Search isn’t alphabetical, it’s predictive and recommendation based. So if you’re looking up a letter, the results will seem out of order, but will actually be calculated to be the most likely hit based on popularity.
• There’s Dolby Digital 5.1, as we saw, but otherwise there are no codec changes in the ATV.

Head this way for even more on the new Apple TV and iPhone / iPod touch v1.1.3 updates:

Apple TV Take 2 hands-on
More details on Apple’s iTunes movie / HD rentals

Video: iPhone firmware 1.1.3 doing its thing
The skinny on iPhone and iPod touch firmware 1.1.3
iPhone firmware 1.1.3 update announced: it’s just like we heard

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Filed under: Features, Handhelds

Live from the heart-pounding, pulse-racing showfloor of Macworld 2008, we bring you a full frontal hands-on of Axiotron’s long-awaited Modbook — the MacBook tablet conversion. After all the waiting and wondering, we’re not totally blown away by the end result, though if you’re an artist or designer, this could be a real boon to your productivity. The build is sturdy, and the screen feels solid beneath your stylus (stylus only that is — no touchscreen here), though the pressure sensitivity seemed to give out at really soft touches… of which there were many. Check the gallery and see for yourself.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It was a big first day at Macworld — maybe not iPhone big, but certainly big enough. We know most anyone who’s not into Apple (and even a few who are) is ready for their regularly scheduled programming to return, and the good news is, for you, the Apple glut is over. But if you’re not quite ready to let go (or missed the real-time wall to wall coverage), check it all out below.

Keynote

• Live from Macworld 2008: Steve Jobs keynote
• Stevenote video now live on Apple’s site

MacBook Air

• The MacBook Air
• Apple MacBook Air first hands-on
• Video: MacBook Air hands-on
• MacBook Air: plenty more details
• MacBook Air doesn’t have a user-replaceable battery
• MacBook Air battery replacements: $129, free install!
• MacBook Air features Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• The MacBook Air SuperDrive
• Apple USB Ethernet Adapter brings RJ-45 to your MacBook Air
• Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro size showdown
• Apple offers up Micro-DVI to DVI / VGA / Video adapters for MacBook Air
• Apple announces Remote Disc to wirelessly install software on MacBook Air
• Meet the new MacBook family
• Apple’s MacBook Air is available for pre-order
• First Macbook Air multi-touch control panel screenshot
• Poll: Did you pre-order a MacBook Air?

iPhone / iPod Touch

• Apple’s sold 4 million iPhones since launch
• Apple adds five apps to the iPod touch — for a price
• iPhone firmware 1.1.3 update announced: it’s just like we heard
• Updated firmware 1.1.3 is available for iPhone and iPod touch, sort of
• The skinny on iPhone and iPod touch firmware 1.1.3
• Apple iPhone firmware 1.1.3 hands-on
• Video: iPhone firmware 1.1.3 doing its thing
• Apple TV (Take 2), iPod touch, and iPhone: yep, more details here, too
• Poll: Are you spending $20 on new iPod touch apps?

More (groan!) after the break.

Continue reading Way too much Apple coverage at Macworld — it’s all here

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Filed under: Features, Portable Video

Perhaps overshadowed by yesterday’s MacBook Air announcement is Apple’s big move into movie rentals. The fact that all the majors have joined the on-line offering makes it a compelling service to say the least. That is, if it’s as easy to use as they say. Is it? Read on for the first hands-on.

Continue reading Hands-on with iTunes movie rentals: quirky and restrictive, but dead easy

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Filed under: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Oh dear lord is there a lot of confusion about iTunes movie rentals, and how they differ from movie and TV purchases — and how the Apple TV and iTunes computer-driven downloads aren’t the same either. Granted, real world scenario won’t be too complicated for most people, but the nerds around these parts will probably want to check out our handy, aptly confusing chart to know exactly what’s in store. Hey, don’t look at us, we just parse the data.

Continue reading iTunes and Apple TV rentals and purchases: what you can (and can’t) do

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Another place brands need to monitor, especially techy brands: Twitter. Here’s what they’re saying today about the MacBook Air. Many agree — including me — that not being able to swap out a spare battery is a killer (or even attach a supplementary battery). Damn.

Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynote was today, and among a bevy of new hardware announcements, Apple has pushed out two very significant updates for iPhone and iPod touch users. Apple has added multi-recipient SMS (iPhone-only), faux-GPS on Google Maps using cell tower triangulation, Web Clips (i.e., bookmarks of web sites on your home screen), and home screen icon customization via drag and drop. iPod touch users can now get the Mail, Maps, Stocks, Notes, and Weather apps that came standard on the iPhone for a $20 upgrade (these features will come standard in new iPod touches). Hit the jump for a closer look at the new and improved features.

Faux-GPS in Google Maps

The faux-GPS feature works with both your cell signal or with Wi-Fi hotspots, which means that it will work for both iPhone and iPod touch. Of course, the accuracy and availability of this feature will vary depending on your location. Google Maps has also added the hybrid view you’re likely familiar with from Google Maps on the web.

Web Clips for Bookmard on the Home Screen

Also available on both the iPhone and iPod touch is the Web Clips feature, which creates icons on your home screen to launch Safari directly to your bookmark. You can create Web Clips of any site, and the home screen icon will grab a screenshot of what’s visible in Safari when you create the Web Clip.

Home Screen Customization via Drag and Drop

Now that you’ve got all these new icons on your home screen, you’re probably going to want to manage and customize their layout, right? Apple thinks so, which is why they’ve also added home screen customization to this update. It works like this: Just tap and hold any app on the home screen. After a second, your home screen will go all Jello-like, with the application and Web Clip icons jiggling back and forth. Now you can simply drag and drop any icon on the home screen to any new location (including the dock) or to a new page altogether. You can also remove Web Clips by tapping the ‘X’ button in the corner of the icon. When you’re finished rearranging apps, tap the home button to save your changes.

Multi-Recipient SMS

Multi-recipient SMS has long been supported by cell phones, so Apple’s just catching up on this one. On the plus side, the multi-SMS is made to work well with the iPhone’s conversation-focused SMS app, so conversations with multiple recipients should still be managed through a unified interface.

And More…

Gmail IMAP is now part of the default setup for the iPhone’s Mail app, so you don’t have to go through any nitty-gritty details setting up your Gmail IMAP account—you can just give your iPhone or iTouch your Gmail username and password and IMAP should be ready to go. iTunes is now doing movie rentals, which, obviously, can be synced to your iPhone/iPod touch. The iPod app will now support music lyrics, though I’ve yet to see this in action (the firmware update still isn’t available as of this writing).

Get It All Without Upgrading

As you may remember, I recently wrote about the 20 best iPhone and iPod touch applications, highlighting several applications that offer the same functionality that this firmware was to introduce. While the third-party apps don’t do everything that the 1.1.3 firmware does, the 1.1.3 update doesn’t do everything the third-party apps do, either. We’ve already got Navizon GPS for the same faux-GPS functionality, iSMS (or SMSD) for multi-recipient SMS and then some, and Customize for home screen customization and more. As I said, the new iPod will feature album lyrics, and though I haven’t seen it in action yet, I also am confident at this point that it won’t hold a candle to TuneWiki—but we’ll see.

It sort of goes without saying that the 1.1.3 update will break any third-party apps you’ve already installed, so if you’re running killer third-party apps that you can’t (or don’t want to) do without, I’d avoid this update until the iPhone hackers come out with another jailbreak method (like they’ve done in the past). If you’ve got a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch, I’m curious to hear if you’re going to update or wait for a jailbreak solution for 1.1.3, so give us your thoughts in the comments.

I have been an Apple watcher for years. I freelanced for Mac pubs in the mid 1990s. Now that doesn’t make me more of an expert than anyone else. However, I am inclined to believe this Steve Jobs keynote leak. It sounds real. Additional evidence is here.

We’ll find for sure out tomorrow. Go read it and you will pretty much get a rumored run down of everything Steve Jobs is announcing tomorrow at Macworld - widgets for iPhones, new Macbooks, candy canes and lollipops.

The reason I believe it’s real is because it leaked on Wikipedia. And Wikipedia promotes anonymity. So it’s very hard to trace who placed the leak and his/her motives. I could be wrong. But my gut is, this is the real deal and it’s a big moment in the history of public relations.

How big? Very big. This is like Fort Knox getting unlocked. Apple has long operated under a universal code of silence. And this event - again if it is true - shows that those days are ending.

So come back tomorrow and then either a) we’ll talk about what this all means or b) we’ll all make fun of me for being gullible and believing stuff on Wikipedia.

Apple has begun preparing Moscone Center, the site for Macworld Expo next week. One of their banners points to a wireless innovation, and the potential for a new product offering.

Apple has avoided talking about 4G for a long time, but it is no secret in the industry that WiMAX has been on Apple’s table for years now. In fact, it was one of the decisions that prompted Apple to switch to Intel technology from the PowerPC processor. Apple made the Intel transition both for increased power performance, as Apple has touted, and for Intel’s other technologies, including WiMAX.

With Sprint set to launch XOHM, their brand of WiMAX technology, it is logical that a UMPC/miniature MacBook offering would include WiMAX. Being platform agnostic, such a machine would be compatible with both Sprint’s network, as well as Clearwire’s existing Mobile WiMAX network, as well as any other network in the United States launched in the future.

Apple’s exclusivity agreement with AT&T only extends to the iPhone, and Apple has previously partnered with Verizon Wireless in launching EV-DO support for Mac OS X. Such support was later integrated into the Apple WWAN Framework.

The timing also lines up. Sprint XOHM WiMAX will launch in April. With Apple generally shipping new products an average of 90 days after announcement at Macworld, that would put such a machine in-line within a month of Sprint’s XOHM deployment. And, with WiMAX hardware being certified and shipping already, there’s nothing stopping the hardware from selling before the network is available to the public.

PhoneNews.com will have complete coverage of Macworld Expo next week, with full keynote coverage beginning early Tuesday morning.

Google confirmed Monday what most watchers of the search giant have known for weeks if not months–the company is doubling down on the iPhone.
Garett Rogers has been keeping tabs on Google’s iPhone efforts with the most recent item being the addition of iGoogle. In addition in recent weeks Google has tied together Search, Gmail, Calendar […]

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

It wouldn’t be the first time a company has used the press to bolster their negotiating position. Nevertheless, after saying the “iPhone model was not suitable for China” back in November, a spokesperson for China Mobile now says they’ve “terminated” discussions with Apple to bring the iPhone to China. China’s largest carrier gave no reasons for the decision though the fee sharing agreement is likely a contributing factor. Well Steve, there’s always China Unicom.

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Yep, we know there are a ton of you who want us to liveblog our keynotes in reverse chronological order (i.e. latest updates at the top, earliest updates at the bottom), and not how we normally do it, where you read from top to bottom like everything else. So we’re putting it to the vote — do you want our updates in order, top to bottom, as usual? Or would you prefer them close to the top of the keynote page? (We’ll probably go back later and reorder everything for the latecomers, if so.) Let us know, we aim to please.

Oh, and don’t forget, Steve’s Macworld 2008 keynote goes down here.

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Filed under: Features

Apple’s a bit short on banners this year — just that “There’s something in the air” teaser we saw yesterday in a couple of forms — but we’ve arrived in San Francisco to prep for the show, and thought we’d snap a few shots of the convention center before the Macworld 2008 attendees descend upon this place en masse.

Oh, and don’t forget:
Live Steve Jobs Macworld keynote (begins the morning of the 15th)
All Macworld 2008 coverage [RSS]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Apple, a company normally and notoriously known for being fast and loose with its product announcements just blew our minds: spy shots from within the Macworld expo revealed a large, black, shrouded booth; there’s simply nothing to see. More on this story as it develops — Tuesday morning.

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