This year's WWDC keynote saw no new hardware announcements and instead it was iOS that took center stage. Apple unveiled the next major release, iOS 5, for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, which packs over 200 new features or say they say.

The greatest new feature of iOS 5 is the notification area, which comes to replace the annoying pop-ups. Taking a leaf of Google's Android book, the company has added a dedicated screen that you open by pulling from the top of the screen downwards. It contains all your notifications and if you click one of them it takes you to the app responsible for it.

The new notification area
Clicking on the X icon on the right removes the notification. We didn't see an Android-like button for clearing all notifications, or quick radio settings (i.e. Wi-Fi, GPS or Bluetooth toggles) though. By the way the Notification center, as Apple likes to call it, also features stock updates and weather information. Also visually, it looks like quite a ripoff of David Ashman's popular LockInfo app available as an unofficial tweak from Cydia. But is Apple running out of fresh ideas?

Next came Twitter integration, which covers Contacts, Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube and Maps. You can now Tweet from all those apps and your contacts are automatically synced with their Twitter accounts. It's a rather strange move from Apple adding Twitter integration, when fans have been asking for Facebook for what seems like ages. makes us wonder if perhaps there's some grudge going on between the two companies.

Twitter integration is fine, but what we really wanted was Facebook
The company is also launching the iMessage service, which is basically an IM client built-in right into the Message app. It supports sending texts, photos, videos, contacts to both single users and groups over encrypted connection. And yes, this time it works over both Wi-Fi and 3G from the start.

iMessage is the iOS version of BlackBerry Messenger
Reminders were also unveiled, bringing all your to-dos together and allowing you to set-up, well, reminders. The good news is that the app is location aware so it can now remind you of events based on where you are. It’s nothing that you couldn't achieve with an app anyway, but it's always better when things come built-in (for free!).

Reminders
The camera department got an upgrade, too, with a dedicated camera shortcut landing on the lockscreen and some settings finally making their way to the UI. You now get the option to add grid-lines to your viewfinder, lock exposure and focus by pressing on the screen and using the digital zoom by pinching in ala Galaxy S II.

The camera got its due update
Oh, and you can now use the volume key for taking photos - it's not as good as a dedicated two-position camera key, but it's way better than nothing. And yes, it's the same tweak that Apple banned from the AppStore a while ago.

The Safari browser was arguably the app to get the most significant update, but alas, those were mostly for its iPad version. The Apple slate got tabbed browsing, bringing it on par with the competition. The Reading list plug-in for both the iPad and the little iOS devices allows you to save pages for reading later. Those get synced between devices too.

Safari was probably the app to get the most significant update
A particularly cool-sounding new feature of the Safari, called Safari Reader, Safari Reader lets you see web articles sans ads or clutter so you can read without distractions. It also supposedly merges multi-page articles in one big page for more convenient reading.
Moving on, the iOS5 brings the Newsstand app - it gathers all magazine and newspaper subscriptions in one place, making it easier for you to access them.

The Newsstand app
The photos app got image editing, allowing you to crop and edit images straight on your iOS device. Editing boils down to red-eye removal and Auto-enhance so don't get your hopes too high, though.

Finally, Apple decided to break the computer-chains imposed on their iOS devices. You will no longer need to connect your iPhone/iPad/iPod to a computer before your first use or for each firmware update. Starting with iOS 5 updates will be pushed over the air and they will come in smaller sizes thanks to the implemented Delta encoding. While it sounds good, it sure sound like it's going to make the job of jailbreakers all the harder.

iOS 5 will be pushed to end users this Fall, which seems like a pretty long wait considering that it isn't the major step forward that everyone was expecting it to be. At least that gives us a rough estimation as of when we should expect the next iPhone - be it iPhone 5 or 4S. Obviously a late September release is the best we can hope for.
The iDevices eligible for an upgrade are the iPhone 3GS and 4, the iPad and iPad 2 and latest two generation of iPod touch - 3rd and 4th.

The good news is that Apple announcements didn't end with the iOS 5. The company introduced its iCloud online synching service, which might as well be more beneficial to iOS users than the firmware update. Check out what that's all about here.
In case you feel like getting a dose of video demos, you can check out the iOS 5 new features coverage in our blog.


source : apple.com

READ MORE - Apple unveils iOS 5, brings notifications but little else

We are about ten hours away from the start of the WWDC ’11 where Apple will demonstrate the new iOS 5. Now the last few weeks have been quite busy with all sorts of rumors of what’s going to be changed or added to this next version. So we’ve compiled a little list of things that we have heard so far and are sure would make it to the final version.
iCloud Integration

This one’s a no brainer. From what we’ve heard about this service so far, we know it was designed specifically for Apple’s mobile products, which means you can expect tight integration of iCloud with iOS 5.

For now we know that it will allow you to upload your music to the cloud so you can stream it over the internet any time you want. But it could very well move beyond that, as you can figure out from the name itself. The name doesn’t just hint at music service the way, say, iTunes does. We can expect a lot more from iCloud, like the ability to upload/backup other kinds of data such as movies, contacts, bookmarks, game saves, application settings, etc. to the cloud and then transfer it to another device or restore it to the same device later. Perhaps, finally we wouldn’t have to connect the iOS devices to a PC or Mac anymore so that we may start using them. It could all be done over-the-air.

Improved Notifications System
There is a reason we would like to call it an “improved” notification system instead of a “new” notification system because anything would be better than what iOS currently ships with. And by the looks of it it seems Apple has a pretty decent job of it.

What you see above is something that was uncovered by Techcrunch just a few hours ago. Here you can see what we hope is the new iOS 5 screen. Notable changes include a new top bar, which has doubled up in size, as it usually does when it wants to get your attention, and displaying notifications, new tweets in this case. We assume when you tap the top bar it will take you to the app responsible for the notifications and if the notifications are from multiple apps it will show some kind of list.

Of course, the above image might just be a fake and someone could be playing with our emotions here, knowing how badly we want a new notification system in iOS. In which case that person can go to hell.

Also note the dark gray camera icon. Much cooler than the current light gray version.
Widgets

Ah, widgets. Android has them. WebOS has them. Symbian has them. Windows Phone 7 sort of has them. iOS was the only major OS that did not have them so far. But if the rumor mills are to be believed, Apple might just be looking at implementing them in iOS 5.

We have absolutely no idea how they will work though. In fact after looking at the above screenshot we are even doubting if at all it will be there in the OS. The current iOS homescreen is designed in a way that places application icons at the forefront, instead of in a separate list, unlike the aforementioned platforms. Implementing widgets would probably involve reworking of this entire system. And if the above screenshot is true, Apple hasn’t done that in iOS 5.
Of course, it could be done differently. The app icons themselves may show information.

Currently only the Calendar icon changes according to current date; every other icon is static. Perhaps Apple will implement a feature that will let developers animate their icons to show information. Like the weather app showing the actual temperature, for a change. The iPod icon can show the album art of the currently playing track. Photos app could show the last taken shot. Clock app could show the time you set for the alarm. Maps could show your current location. And with the high resolution Retina display on the new iPhone and iPod touch, developers also have plenty of pixels to play around with.
New Multitasking System

The current multitasking method on iOS was welcomed by its users because any kind of multitasking is better than no multitasking. However, when seen on its own, it isn’t particularly great and nowhere near as good as it is on Symbian^3, WebOS or even Android. We are not talking about the way it works, i.e., by pausing apps instead of actually running them in the background, but more about the way it looks. Having a row of icons below and then scrolling through them four at a time wasn’t very convenient.

You may remember the video that was leaked that showed a white iPhone 4 with a very different kind of multitasking. It looked and worked similar to the way windows do in Safari on the iPad, with the last nine apps showing their windows in a grid. You could also see the Spotlight window now part of this screen instead of a different homescreen altogether. We do hope this is the new multitasking system as in our opinion it beats the current system hands down. We just wonder what happened to the audio playback controls along with the UI rotation lock that are present in current iOS as they are not shown in in that video.

Twitter Integration
Another thing that the rumor milled produced was new of Twitter integration in iOS. And we are not just talking about a Twitter app built-in but system-level integration, which would allow you to, say, go to Pictures app and share a picture there on Twitter without the need for any application. As you can see from the notifications screen above, the phone also notifies you about new tweets but we are guessing any app with access to the notification API would be able to do that.

Now some may be wondering why they chose the relatively new Twitter over the clearly more popular Facebook but it’s not really that difficult to guess. Twitter has always been looked at as the cooler alternative to Facebook; anyone who’s been long enough on Twitter will tell you that. Apple would certainly think so too and we all know how much Apple likes to maintain their image as the cool brand. Also, everyone else is merging Facebook in their phones, from Android OEMs to Microsoft in Windows Phone 7. Apple would definitely like to be different from the crowd while not wanting to miss out on the social networking action. Hence, Twitter.
Automatic Download for Apps


A feature discovered in iTunes by a Mac Rumors reader, iTunes application update was hinting at an option that currently does not exist in the current iOS, but will allow apps on the device to automatically update themselves over-the-air as and when a new version is available. Currently, the App Store lets you know if there are updates available but you would have to download them manually.

These are some of the things that we are sure about. We'll find out soon enough though how many of these are actually present in the real iOS 5. And you can be sure we'll bring you the complete lowdown when iOS 5 is officially released.


source : gsmarena.com

READ MORE - iOS 5 to be unveiled later today, here's our rumor roundup

As the WWDC comes closer and closer the rumor mill keeps churning details of the next-gen iPhone. This time we got word that the smartphone that will be named either iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S might have a curved glass display. The rumor was fueled by the reported purchase of between 200 and 300 glass-cutting machines by Apple.

The supposed reason behind this purchase is the fact that manufacturers are hesitant to purchase such machinery due to their high costs. The Cupertino-based company is said to be trying to speed up manufacturing of curved glass as it will be needing it for their next iPhone.
Currently the machines are being stored and will be assembled once yield rates for the production of curved glass reach a satisfactory level.

If this rumors turns out true the iPhone 4S will be Apple's second curved glass device, following the iPod Nano. In the smartphone world the curved glass debuted on the Samsung-made Google Nexus S.

There's still no word on the availability of the next iPhone or on when will it be announced or anything, really. But this is the Apple way of doing things and we'll just have to wait for it to be announced, or lost in a bar somewhere.

source : digitimes.com

READ MORE - Next-gen iPhone to have a curved glass display?

What do we have here? A white prototype iPhone 4 running on the T-Mobile USA 3G network has been spotted. It looks like the magenta-loving carrier will be getting the Apple iPhone too, just like like Verizon did a few months ago.

Now, the phone hasn’t entered mass production or anything - it’s just a prototype, but this means that we could actually see the next generation iPhone run on T-Mobile USA network as well.

For the uninitiated, T-Mobile uses the rare AWS 3G band (1700Mhz). None of the iPhones released so far has supported that band so what we are seeing here is obviously a new device.

The prototype iPhone 4 is running a test version of the iOS. It includes internal Apple apps such as Apple’s employee directory and Radar app, so it's almost certain that it's the real deal. To further prove this, the device has a new model number - N94. The Verizon version is N92 and the GSM model is N90.

Despite the ongoing AT&T and T-Mobile USA merger that’s pending approval of the US authorities, a T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 looks pretty certain.

Check out the source link below for even more photos of the leaked prototype.


source : bgr.com

READ MORE - Apple iPhone getting geared to hit T-Mobile USA too

Apple iPod Touch 4G Specification, Pros and Cons

Display
• 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
• 960×640-pixel resolution at 326 pixels per inch
Graphics look incredible on 960×640 Retina Display. Which means games are even more immersive on the highest-resolution iPod Touch screen even made.

Processor
• Apple A4 Processor
The A4 chip – the same technology as of iPas and iPhone 4 helps giving a gaming experience like no other. It also makes iPod Touch more powerful and more power efficient.

Sensors
• Three-axis gyro
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light sensor
The new, built-in, 3-axis gyroscope on iPod Touch gives you fantastic pitch, roll and yaw. Rotation around gravity and extremely precise position information.

Capacity
• 8GB, 32GB or 64GB flash drive

Size and weight
• Height: 4.4 inches (111.0 mm)
• Width: 2.3 inches (58.9 mm)
• Depth: 0.28 inch (7.2 mm)
• Weight: 3.56 ounces (101 grams)

Wireless
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
• Bluetooth® 2.1 + EDR
• Maps-location based service
• Nike + iPod support built in

Cameras, photos, and video
• Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio
• still photos (960 x 720) with back camera 0.7MP
• VGA-quality photos and video up to 30 frames per second with the front camera
• Tap to control exposure for video or stills
• Photo and video geo tagging over Wi-Fi

Battery and power
• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Playback time
o Music playback time: Up to 40 hours when fully charged
o Video playback time: Up to 7 hours when fully charged
• Charging times: Fast charge in about 2 hours (80% capacity), full charge in about 4 hours.

Audio
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and video
• H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
• MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
• Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
• Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)

Input and output
• 30-pin dock connector
• 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
• Built-in speaker
• Microphone

# Pros
Still a top-notch music player. Retina display makes text and images look incredibly sharp. Shoots HD video, takes photos. Front-facing camera for FaceTime video chat. Slimmer, narrower design. GameCenter allows social gaming with other iOS devices.

# Cons
Quite expensive. Limited storage. Lousy earbuds


Source : HotMobileNews.Com

READ MORE - Apple iPod Touch 4G Specification, Pros and Cons

JAKARTA — Telkomsel, Jumat (10/12/2010), secara resmi mengumumkan peluncuran iPhone 4 di Indonesia yang berlangsung pada 17 Desember 2010. Dua model iPhone 4, masing-masing dengan kapasitas memori 16 GB dan 32 GB, ditawarkan dengan berbagai pilihan paket harga.

iPhone 4 akan tersedia di 15 gerai GraPARI, antara lain di Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Medan, Pekanbaru, Palembang, Balikpapan, Manado, dan Makassar. Paket iPhone 4 juga akan dijual di semua outlet resmi Apple Premium Reseller (iBox, eStore, EMAX, PCMax, dan Infinite), Oke Shop, Sarindo, Telesindo Shop, Global Teleshop, serta Selular Shop.

Masyarakat juga bisa membeli iPhone 4 Telkomsel saat berlangsungnya pameran penjualan yang digelar pada 17-19 Desember 2010 di Senayan City Jakarta dan Tunjungan Plaza Surabaya serta 20-26 Desember 2010 di Mal Kelapa Gading 3 Jakarta.

"Kami bangga dapat meluncurkan iPhone 4 dan terus melanjutkan komitmen kami menghadirkan pengalaman mobile lifestyle terbaik untuk masyarakat," kata Direktur Utama Telkomsel Sarwoto Atmosutarno dalam rilis persnya. Selama ini Telkomsel memang menjadi partner eksklusif Apple untuk menjual iPhone di Indonesia.

Dibanding iPhone versi sebelumnya, iPhone 4 kini lebih lengkap dengan fitur FaceTime untuk video call dan menggunakan layar resolusi tinggi Retina Display. iPhone 4 juga dilengkapi kamera 5 megapiksel dengan flash LED, fitur perekam video high-definition, prosesor A4 Apple, dan giroskop 3 sumbu. Daya tahan baterai pun lebih lama, 40 persen. Selain itu, iPhone 4 hadir dengan sistem operasi terbaru dan akses ke lebih dari 300.000 aplikasi, termasuk aplikasi iMovie baru yang dihadirkan khusus untuk iPhone ini.

Telkomsel menawarkan berbagai pilihan harga paket iPhone 4, baik dengan paket langganan maupun beli putus. Telkomsel menyediakan potongan harga spesial dengan cicilan 0 persen selama 6 bulan bagi pemegang kartu kredit BCA, Mandiri, BNI, dan Citibank.

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source : tekno.kompas.com

READ MORE - iPhone 4 Hadir Mulai 17 Desember

SAN FRANSISCO - Apple Inc memutuskan untuk menghentikan program pemberian casing iPhone gratis untuk mengatasi masalah Antennagate. Program tersebut resmi dihentikan akhir September.

"Masalah antena ternyata hanya menyentuh sedikit pengguna iPhone. Bahkan jumlahnya sangat kecil dibanding yang kami perkirakan," ujar pihak Apple, seperti dikutip melalui Straits Times, Minggu (12/9/2010).

Apple sendiri telah mengadakan program tersebut sejak Juli lalu. Pemberian casing gratis ini ditujukan bagi para pemilik iPhone 4 yang memiliki masalah penerimaan sinyal antena.

Meski dihentikan, Apple masih mempersilakan para pengguna iPhone 4 yang masih menginginkan casing tersebut untuk mendatangi Apple.

"Kami menyadari jika masalah antena di iPhone 4 ternyata lebih kecil dari yang kita duga. Namun begitu, sebagian kecil pengguna iPhone 4 yang membutuhkan casing tersebut masih kami berikan kesempatan untuk memilikinya secara gratis," tambah pihak Apple.

Casing tersebut dipercaya mampu meningkatkan performa dan kekuatan sinyal dalam smartphone. Sebelumnya, iPhone menyalahkan 'cara pegang' pengguna iPhone 4 sehingga mengakibatkan sinyal tidak mampun tertangkap dengan baik.


source : http://techno.okezone.com

READ MORE - Apple Hentikan Program Penukaran Casing iPhone

SAN FRANCISCO - Akhirnya hadir juga model baru iPod Touch yang dilengkapi fitur-fitur unggulan iPhone 4 sesuai diprediksikan selama ini. Dua produk Apple tersebut memang bak pinang dibelah dua. Banyak yang menyebut iPod Touch sebagai iPhone tanpa telepon.

Hal tersebut diakui sendiri CEO Steve Jobs saat memperkenalkan produk-produk terbaru Apple di San Francisco, Rabu (1/9/2010) waktu setempat. Bagi Apple, iPod Touch pun telah menjadi pundi-pundi utamanya dan memberikan keuntungan yang signifikan seperti halnya iPhone. Meski tanpa telepon, 
 iPod Touch baru bisa jadi bakal menyusul jejak iPhone 4.

"Touch telah menjadi produk yang sangat berati bagi kami. Ia merupakan iPod paling populer. Orang menyebutnya iPhone tanpa telepon. Ia juga iPhone tanpa kontrak langganan. Namun, ia telah menjadi portable game player nomor 1 di dunia," kata Steve Jobs bersemangat.

Steve Jobs mengklaim, penjualan iPod Touch selama ini bahkan melampaui total penjualan perangkat portabel Nintendo dan Sony. iPod Touch, menurut Jobs, menguasai lebih dari 50 persen pangsa pasar portable game player di seluruh dunia. Saking populernya, lebih dari 1,5 miliar aplikasi game dan konten hiburan lainnya di app store diunduh hanya dari iPod Touch sejauh ini.

Pada iPod Touch generasi keempat ini, Apple pun melakukan revisi agar lebih berekelas. "Kami membuatnya lebih baik. Lebih tipis dan lebih cantik," ujar Steve Jobs.

Seperti halnya iPhone 4, iPod Touch terbaru menggunakan layar Retina Display sehingga menampilkan kualitas dan resolusi gambar yang tajam dan jernih. Kualitas pikselnya empat kali layar LCD biasa, dengan 326 ppi, warna 24 bit, dan dukungan LED backlit.

Untuk pertama kalinya, prosesor A4 juga dipakai juga di iPod Touch. Selain itu, perangkat ini dilengkapi gyroskop 3 sumbu untuk mendukung sensor gerak yang lebih halus dan akurat. Di bagian depan terdapat kamera untuk video call lewat layanan FaceTime melalui WiFi baik dengan sesama iPod Touch maupun iPhone 4.

Kamera utama di belakang sudah bisa merekam video HD dan daya baterainya sanggup menjalankan video HD selama 40 jam tanpa henti. Juga ada fitur iMovie untuk melakukan pengeditan (trim) video.

Yang istimewa, iPod touch terbaru menjadi produk pertama apple yang dirilis dengan platform versi terbaru iOS 4.1 yang juga diluncurkan bersamaan. Salah satu fitur baru pada platform teranyar adalah Game Center yang memungkinkan pengguna bisa berbagi permainan dengan sesama pengguna lainnya.

Namun, tampilan fisiknya sedikit berbeda dengan iPhone 4. Bagian sisi belakangnya tidak datar, tapi tetap melengkung seperti iPod Touch versi pertama. Ada tiga varian yang tersedia masing-masing dibanderol dengan harga 229 dollar AS untuk versi 8 GB, 299 dollar AS untuk 32 GB, dan 399 dollar AS untuk 64 GB.


source : tekno.kompas.com

READ MORE - iPod Touch Menyusul Jejak iPhone 4

Aplikasi iPhone : Terima Fax di iPhone dengan MyFax

Jakarta - Dalam benak Anda, mesin fax mungkin terdengar jadul. Namun jangan salah, masih ada orang yang setia menggunakannya.

Mungkin itu sebabnya, hadir sebuah aplikasi iPhone bernama MyFax yang 'mendigitalkan' barang kuno ini.

MyFax diciptakan Protus IP Solutions sebagai aplikasi gratis yang terhubung langsung dengan situs MyFax.com. Dengan aplikasi ini, pengguna bisa menerima fax melalui akun MyFax langsung di iPhone.

Jadi, bagi pengguna yang berpikir bahwa fax merupakan satu hal kuno yang masih eksis di dunia bisnis, mungkin aplikasi ini yang mereka cari.

Dikutip detikINET dari Appolicious, Selasa (17/8/2010), MyFax memiliki interface yang cukup sederhana dan mudah digunakan. Ketika pengguna menjalankan aplikasi ini untuk pertama kali, mereka harus memasukkan informasi akun MyFax dan akan digiring ke halaman utama.

Mereka kemudian tinggal memilih 'Inbox' dan akan menemukan inbox mesin fax virtual. Fax yang masuk juga akan muncul pada inbox email yang disertakan saat mendaftar ke situs MyFax.com.

Aplikasi MyFax untuk iPhone tersedia secara gratis. Namun, layanan MyFax.com merupakan layanan berbayar dengan sistem langganan.


sumber : www.detikinet.com

READ MORE - Aplikasi Iphone:Terima Fax di iPhone dengan MyFax

Apple telah dituntut oleh Nokia. Dakwaannya, melanggar lima paten penting pada iPhone dan iPad 3G. Menurut juru bicara Nokia, Paul Melin, perseteruan paten ini terkait dengan teknologi untuk meningkatkan transmisi data dan percakapan. "(Teknologi) penggunaan penempatan data di aplikasi dan inovasi di konfigurasi antena yang meningkatkan kinerja dan menghemat tempat memungkinkan perangkat yang lebih kecil dan lebih kompak," jelas Melin.

"Nokia adalah pengembang pemimpin dari banyak teknologi kunci di perangkat mobile. Kami telah mengambil langkah ini untuk melindungi hasil-hasil dari pengembangan pionir kami dan mengakhiri penggunaan tak legal dari inovasi Nokia," kata Melin.

Casey Johnston dari Ars Technica mengatakan bahwa sebagai ganti tuntutan penuhnya mungkin saja Nokia tertarik menerima pembayaran royalti dari penjualan iPhone and iPad. "Ini akan membuat Nokia menerima 1-2 persen dari setiap penjualan atau sekitar 6-12 dollar AS per iPhone dan 10-17 dollar AS per iPad," katanya.


source : kompas

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READ MORE - Apple Dituntut Nokia Gara-Gara iPhone dan iPad 3G

The rumor mill is gearing up for the launch of Apple's fourth-generation iPhone, and the latest rumor has an aroma of fermented hops and barley.

Many observers expect Apple to release a new model in late spring or early summer. CEO Steve Jobs said recently that an updated mobile OS would be ready this summer--a perfect opportunity to release new iPhone hardware. Fueling speculation that a June launch is imminent is a report from Boy Genius Report that it has "confirmed with multiple AT&T sources that the carrier has now put a block on employees taking vacations in June."

Engadget is fanning the flames with photographs it says contain images of the forthcoming phone. Here's Engadget's explanation on how the images surfaced:

Apparently the phone was found on the floor of a San Jose bar inside of an iPhone 3G case. Right now we don't have a ton of info on the device in question, but we can tell you that it apparently has a front facing camera (!), 80GB of storage (weird, right?), and isn't booting at this point (though it was previously, and running an OS that was decidedly new). It's not clear if this is definitely a production model, or just a prototype that found its way into the world, but it's certainly a compelling design, no matter how you look at it.

Perhaps bolstering Engadget's report is a Twitpic posted in February that bears a striking resemblance to Engadget's images. However, other blogs reported that the images were actually of a Japanese iPhone counterfeit. As "proof" of the validity its report, Engadget reposted a grainy, heavily redacted photo it posted with a January iPad prototype story it now says shows the forthcoming iPhone sitting next to the then-yet-to-be released iPad.

Additionally, a MacRumors reader posted these images--purportedly from a Chinese Web site--that appear similar to those posted earlier by Engadget, although some readers suggest these are really images of the what was described as a Japanese counterfeit.

Of course, one has to wonder whether a company that guards the secrecy of its unreleased products as fiercely as Apple would actually allow an employee to take a prototype out to mingle with pretzels and spilled beer.

Update April 19 at 7:15 a.m. PDT: Gizmodo is now weighing in with a lengthy post titled "This is Apple's Next iPhone." Where Engadget says the device it's reporting on was found in a bar in San Jose, Gizmodo claims that it got hold of a gadget "found lost in a bar in Redwood City, camouflaged to look like an iPhone 3GS."

And, says Gizmodo: "We disassembled it. It's the real thing."

Whereupon it offers up a bevy of photos and video, along with details such as a "front-facing video chat camera," camera flash, micro-SIM, and a larger battery.

Beyond that, Gizmodo assembles such an array of circumstantial evidence as to suggest that, in Gizmodo's judgment, "there's very little possibility that it's a fake." Those clues range from Daring Fireball's John Gruber asserting that a prototype iPhone has gone missing from Apple to the lack of firmware for the device (which reportedly "was running iPhone OS 4.0 before the iPhone 4.0 announcement," though it was later remotely killed by Apple), and the fact, Gizmodo says, that the device "behaves exactly like an iPhone does when connected to a computer" and that "Mac OS X's System Profiler also reports this as an iPhone in restore mode...but report different product identifiers (both CPID and CPRV) than either the 3G or the 3GS."


source : m.news[dot]com

READ MORE - iPhone 4G prototype?

Verizon Report Sends Apple Shares to All-Time High
3/30/2010 12:04 PM

Apple shares have hit another all-time high now that it appears the iPhone could find a new sales outlet through Verizon Wireless.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple plans to release an iPhone this year that would work on the network technology used by Verizon Wireless. For now the phone is available only to subscribers of AT&T.

Apple and Verizon declined to comment.

Apple shares rose as high as $237.48 on Tuesday before retreating to $235.30, up 1.3% on the day. Apple has jumped about 13% this month.

In the past year, Apple shares have more than doubled.

If Apple opens up its wildly popular gadget to other networks, it stands to gain a massive pool of customers who hesitated to switch to the phone because of reservations about AT&T.

Handsets such as Apple's iPhone may also help Verizon Wireless boost its subscriber and revenue growth, a Jefferies & Co. analyst said Tuesday.

In a client note, Jefferies analyst Jonathan Schildkraut reiterated a "Buy" on Verizon Communications, which operates Verizon Wireless in a joint venture with Britain's Vodafone Group.

Schildkraut said if Verizon could bring its cellphone selection in line with the competition with the iPhone or other devices it would free customers up to choose carriers based on network quality.

"We believe (Verizon) Wireless is currently viewed as the network leader," Schildkraut said.

Along with subscriber growth, Schildkraut said "handset parity" could boost Verizon's average revenue per customer, or ARPU, on data plans that provide services such as Web browsing and e-mail.


(source:usa today)

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