on2apple.com - Apple News

TODAY    GO TO ARCHIVE    HACKED IPHONE SUPPORT

Apple Inc

• Apple announcements brewing for late October [updated] - Apple Inc. has begun preparatory measures for significant announcements to take place during the last full week of October, AppleInsider has been told. AppleInsider
•  THIS DAY IN APPLE HISTORY October 4, 1995: Sell Apple, even if it means smashing it to pieces - In 1994 Apple CFO Joseph Graziano told Business Week, “We don’t have any room for error in any respect.”
  A year later, the PoweerBook 5300 fiasco was in full swing (read more) Applematters
• Fake Steve on tour - Now with a book coming through, author Dan Lyons (better known as 'Fake Steve') plans a limited US tour for his latest book, Options. Macworld UK
• Analysts raise on Apple - Analysts predict strong iPhone and Mac sales as Apple prepares for the Christmas quarter. Macworld UK

Mac Hardware

• Apple exploring pressure-sensitive touchscreens, touchpads - Seeking to improve its portable devices, Apple has applied for a patent that could lead to touch-sensitive Macs or handhelds which react to the level of force, rather than just contact. AppleInsider
• EFI Firmware Updates: More on sluggish operation (pauses) - More on sluggish operation (pauses) Users continue to report sluggish system performance after applying the recent batch of Intel-based Mac EFI firmware updates MacFixIt
• '80s Style Lives On in All-in-One PCs and Macs - Computer makers are going all out for all-in-one PCs, which combine a monitor and a processing unit in one piece. Gateway last week launched its first consumer all-in-one in four years. The Gateway One, starting at US$1,300, squishes all the parts needed to make a PC into a 3.6-inch-thick flat-panel monitor case and comes with a wireless mouse, keyboard and remote. Rivals have released similar products. MacNewsWorld
• MacBook Pro Battery Update 1.3 Addresses Performance Issues - Apple released Battery Update 1.3 for the MacBook Pro on Wednesday. The battery firmware update addresses battery performance issues on the company's 15-inch display pro-level laptops. Mac Observer
• Apple Exploring Pressure Sensitive Touch Input - Apple has filed a patent application published on October 4th, which reveals that as far back as March 2006, they have been investigating the possibility of pressure sensitive touch screens MacRumors.com
• Apple Acknowledges iMac Freezing Issue, Fix In Works - Apple has acknowledged an iMac freezing issue that was published by AppleInsider earlier this week. MacRumors.com
• Apple acknowledges problems with some ‘aluminum’ iMacs - Macworld is reporting that Apple has acknowledged a problem with some models of its new “aluminum” iMacs. MacimumNews
• Apple patent involves interface connector between a media player, computer - An Apple patent (20070232098) for an interface connector between a media player and computer has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It’s designed to improve the functionality of an iPod as a portable “hard drive.” MacimumNews
• iMac freeze cools Mac hearts - Latest fault report claims new iMacs will suffer from inexplicable screen freezes, with fingers pointing at recent GPU firmware update as the cause. Macworld UK
• CEATEC: Toshiba platform aims to connect Cell devices - Toshiba has developed a common platform for consumer electronics products that it hopes will spur adoption of the Cell processor. Macworld UK
• Apple updates MacBook Pro battery - Apple has released its latest battery firmware update for portable systems, this time for the MacBook Pro. Macworld UK
• Apple acknowledges iMac freezing issue - Apple acknowledged on Thursday recent problems with its consumer iMac computer and promised a fix as soon as possible. Yahoo! NEWS

OS X & Software

• ZFS to play larger role in future versions of Mac OS X - Sun Microsystems' relatively new ZFS filesystem will see rudimentary support under the soon-to-be released Mac OS X Leopard, but will eventually play a much larger role in future versions of the Apple operating system, AppleInsider has been told. AppleInsider
• Road to Mac OS X Leopard: Dictionary 2.0 - Apple has significantly updated Dictionary 2.0 for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, expanding it from a simple word lookup into a complete multilingual reference tool. Here's a look at what's new in Dictionary. AppleInsider
• Leopard to leap Oct 26 - Two weeks to wrap development, deliver golden master Insanely Great Mac
• End of month debut for Apple's Leopard? - It look like Apple may just manage an already-delayed launch of Mac OS X by the end of October. itwire
• Halo for the Apple? - Rumours have been circulating of late that Halo developer Bungie may be getting its independence back in a split from Microsoft. itwire
• Parallels Provides Guidance on Expiring Boot Camp - Ben Rudolph, the Director of Corporate Communications at Parallels, provided some guidance on Wednesday on how to handle the expiration of the Boot Camp beta license when Leopard ships this month. Mac Observer
• Spiderweb Software Cuts Prices 10% for October - Spiderweb Software has cut prices on all its games, CDs, bundles, and even previously discounted products for the month of October. Mac Observer
• Montage 1.3 Now in Beta - Mariner Software announced the immediate availability of Montage 1.3 beta on Thursday. The beta version of the screenwriting application includes the ability to export Montage scripts in Screenwriter. Mac Observer
• ProSoft Acquires myStock - ProSoft Engineering announced that it purchased the stock portfolio management application myStock from Bare Reef on Wednesday. The application will be renamed Stox and sold through the company's JoeSoft brand later this month. Mac Observer
• Apple Seeds ZFS Read/Write Developer Preview 1.1 for Leopard - Apple has seeded version 1.1 of ZFS (Zettabyte File System) for Mac OS X to Developers this week. The preview updates a previous build released on June 26, 2007. MacRumors.com
• Mac OS X Leopard on October 26th? - Appleinsider believes that Apple is preparing for announcements late in October, specifically between the 22nd and 27th of the month. MacRumors.com
• Ableton announces Live 7, new add-on instruments, Ableton Suite - Ableton has announced a range of new products to be released before the end of 2007: Ableton Live 7, several new add-on instruments, and Ableton Suite, a product that combines Live 7 with a choice selection of instruments in one comprehensive, discounted package. MacimumNews
  
• ‘What to do with your expiring Boot Camp petition' - Benjamin Rudolph of Parallels has posted an article on what to do regarding an expiring Boot Camp partition. If you’re not ready to upgrade to Leopard right away and still want to use your Boot Camp partition, he tells you how to make it work with the Parallels Desktop virtualization software. MacimumNews
• Prosoft buys myStock - Prosoft acquires myStock software, will introduce its own solution - Stox - later this month. Macworld UK
• Apple updates Windows QuickTime - Apple's latest update for Windows users proofs QuickTime against well-known flaw in which malicious attackers could put computers out using cunningly-crafted media files. Macworld UK
• Apple patches Windows QuickTime bug - Look before you link The Register
• Leopard poised to leap last weekend in October - Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard remains on track for an October release on or around October 26, sources report. That date, the last Friday of the month, is similar to the release date of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Think Secret

iPods & iTunes

• New Zunes likely to cannibalize everything but iPod - analyst - A new line of Zunes introduced by Microsoft earlier this week signal forward progress for Microsoft in the digital media player market but pose a larger threat to the company's own partners than Apple, according to one Wall Street analyst. AppleInsider
• The CW: Free Season Premiers - A quartet of shows, full-length and without commercials Insanely Great Mac
• Radio giants adding iTunes tags - CBS, Clear Channel, Cumulus, etc want piece of the pie Insanely Great Mac
• Global iPod: What it Costs - Would you like a Nano with that Copacabana trip? Insanely Great Mac
• PRODUCT REVIEW iTunes vs. Amazon: The Devil's in the DRM Details - Amazon's week-old music download service is just the latest challenge to the 4 1/2-year-old heavyweight known as Apple's iTunes Music Store, which has sold more than 3 billion songs. Most music bought from the iTunes store will play only on Apple's iPod devices, though last May, Apple launched iTunes Plus to sell certain songs without that restrictive, digital rights management coding for $1.29 each. What's the big deal? Amazon MP3 sells DRM-free music for 89 cents or 99 cents per song. MacNewsWorld
• Time Warner Builds iTunes Competitor - iPodObserver - Time Warner Cable is launching a music service intended to compete with iTunes. The music subscription service will offer more than 3 million songs from EMI Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group as well as independent labels, according to Time Warner on Thursday. Mac Observer
• Gates: New Zune and New Strategies Against Apple - iPodObserver - Microsoft's Bill Gates has ambitious plans to take music customers away from Apple, according to the New York Times on Thursday. This is despite the fact that the Zune music player has just a few percent of the music player market and subscription music hasn't been a huge success. Mac Observer
• Analyst: New Zune Hurts MS Partners, Not Apple - Microsoft may have Apple and the iPod in its sights with the new Zune models it announced this week, but American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu thinks the company's aim is off. Instead of hurting Apple, Microsoft's new Zune models will likely take another slice of the media player market from the Redmond company's partners. Mac Observer
• iPod touch to Top Christmas Wish Lists - iPodObserver - Apple's iPhone-like movie and music player, the iPod touch, is likely to be one of the hottest gifts this holiday season according to the Toys R Us retail chain. The company's annual holiday best seller list for 2007 ranked the iPod touch as the most popular electronic gadget, pushing the iPod nano out of the number one position. Mac Observer
• How Broadcasters Are Driving Consumers to P2P Sites - Hot Forum Topic - Today TMO readers are discussing how broadcasters are inadvertently making it more convenient for people to download TV shows from file sharing sites instead of paying for legit downloads. Mac Observer
• Apple patent involves digital content rights - An Apple patent (20070233602) for decoupling rights in a digital content unit from download has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Obviously concerning the iTunes Store and current/future rights of consumers, it involves systems and methods for enabling a user to obtain rights in a legitimate copy of a digital content unit without downloading the copy from a digital content store are provided. MacimumNews
  
• Freshly Squeezed Reviews: My ears rejoice - OK. You can’t wait for Car Talk to come on each week. Your guilty pleasure. But it’s the school year and your playing Mommy/Daddy Taxi at your special time. So, you can listen to bits in the car, but it’s hardly a relaxing get-a-way. Do you have to write off your special time? MacimumNews
• iPod touch to top Xmas present lists - Move over iPod nano, says Toys R Us, the iPod touch is the new must-have consumer electronics sensation. Macworld UK
• Shure bows entry-level SE110 headphones - Shure has won awards and critical acclaim for its top-of-the-range headphones and is widening its market position with the late October launch of its £69 SE110's. Macworld UK
• Duracell makes iPod charge - Charge iPods, mobiles, digital cameras and batteries with Duracell's new Mobile Charger system, available this autumn in the US. Macworld UK
• Amazon MP3 may emerge as iTunes rival -"There is no question that while Amazon might have something competitive, they will not actually impact Apple's business," says Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin Macworld UK
• Don't want an iPod? Lots of choices available - NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Marybeth Miller decided she wanted a digital player to carry around music from her massive collection, she had one important rule: no iPod. Yahoo! NEWS
  
• iPod cheap in Hong Kong, but a Brazil bank-breaker - CANBERRA (Reuters) - In the market for a new video iPod? Head to Hong Kong or, if Europe-bound, stop off in Switzerland. But best avoid Brazil. Yahoo! NEWS

iPhone

• Report: 10 percent of September iPhones sold to unlocking teams - Analysts for investment bank Piper Jaffray recently spent more time tracking unit sales at Apple Inc.'s retail stores and reported Thursday that their observations indicate that as many as 10 percent of the iPhones sold by the stores during the month of September were being purchased with the intention to be resold unlocked. AppleInsider
• 10% of iPhones sold to unlockers - Indicates a thriving gray market for 'enhanced' handsets Insanely Great Mac
• Piper Jaffray Reports on iPhone, Mac Sales - While iPhone sales jumped 200% right after the price reduction, they've stabilized and are now up 56% from Jul/Aug sales according to a report published by Piper Jaffray on Thursday. However, Mac sales are down over the same period. Mac Observer
• Verizon Hopes to Kill iPhone with Voyager - iPodObserver - Verizon unveiled its Voyager cell phone on Wednesday that is designed to compete with Apple's iPhone. Verizon's Chief Marketing Officer, Mike Lanman, is so sure Voyager will trump Apple's offering that he dubbed in an iPhone killer. Mac Observer
• Apple's 3rd Party iPhone Application Plan? - 9to5mac suggests that Apple has already lined up specific development partners for 3rd party applications on the iPhone. EA is reportedly porting their existing iPod games over to the iPhone, with "other big developers" also on board. MacRumors.com
• iPhone coming to Canada in two weeks? - A Holt Renfrew insider has told DigitalJournal.com that the luxury retailer will be carrying the iPhone in Canada by mid-October. MacimumNews
  
• Applists.com 2.0 launched for the iPhone - Elias Corporation has launched Applists.com 2.0, fewer than 90 days after the original launch date of July 18. The site allows iPhone users to find software for use with the communications device (though with the “bricking” problems of the iPhone 1.1.1 update, you should proceed with caution). MacimumNews
• Analyst: iPhone sales up, Mac sales down - Research firm Piper Jaffray, in a note to clients, said that iPhone sales are way up, but Aple sales are down a bit. What’s more, according to the firm’s research, more than 10 percent of the iPhones sold at Apple retail stores during the month of September were to folks who planned to unlock them and resell them. MacimumNews
• Doing the math on iPhone sales - According to Piper Jaffray report the sales of iPhone jumped 56 percent in some of the most important Apple stores in US (New York City, Chicago and San Francisco) after the Sept. 5 price cut. On Sept. 10 Apple announced the sale of one million iPhones on the day before. MacimumNews
• O2 preps major iPhone ad campaign - Expect TV and other ads to reach screens in the fortnight before the iPhone launches. Macworld UK
• Apple improving web-based SDKs for iPhone - While third-party iPhone apps may remain web-based, Apple reportedly is working on improving what developers can do with its development solution. Macworld UK
• O2 UK digs deep for iPhone advertising splash - LONDON (Reuters) - Spanish-owned O2 UK and Apple plan to launch a multi-million pound joint advertising campaign later this month as they get ready to bring iPhones to Britain. Yahoo! NEWS
• Verizon unveils iPhone rival - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless unveiled three new cell phones on Wednesday for the holiday season, including a high-end handset named Voyager that will compete with Apple Inc's iPhone. Yahoo! NEWS