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Slow News Day... Time for the Latest Apple Rumors
2:01 PM, October 10, 2006, updated at 4:00 PM, October 11, 2006
This is a post from Amazon Current.
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It was a slow Columbus Day, so we might as well break out some of the various and sundry Apple rumors that have been flying about the Web to tempt our imaginations. First off, CrunchGear notes the strongest hint that an iPhone is coming down the pike (fake mockup photo courtesy of CG):
"Apple has inadvertently dropped another hint of features that the iPhone will probably have: a Mobile iTunes store. A job listing on Apple's website advertises that it's seeking a Mobile Marketing Manager for iTunes. The job is just what it sounds like from the listing, and it's looking for someone who can 'Collaborate with iTunes Engineering to build program components as the foundation of the mobile marketing strategy.' This most likely means an iPhone owner can browse iTunes from their iPhone handset, preview songs and purchase them for playback on the device. This functionality was rumored to be included with the Zune from Microsoft, but we now know it'll be missing at launch. Here, we have proof that Apple is taking the lead on this."
It should most likely be announced at the Macworld Expo in early January, with Cingular being the odds-on favorite to be the exclusive partner at launch.
T-Mobile made some waves on Friday with Chief Executive Robert Dotson giving heavy props to Apple in a presser announcing its 3G wireless spectrum plans for 2007. This got a lot of Apple bloggers wondering if there might be some future synergy (especially with a comment noting how closely aligned the visions of the two companies are). But Gizmodo is passing that off as just praiseworthy stroking of corporate egos.
Backwards (iPod History) and Forwards (iPhone Rumors)
4:38 PM, October 17, 2006, updated at 3:35 PM, October 17, 2006
This is a post from Amazon Current.
First, the pinball machine that is the gadget-o-sphere has been busy flipping the latest iPhone tidbits--specifically that Apple has made a trademark filing for the iPhone moniker "with a Far Eastern trademark office" (according to AppleInsider). Engadget (from which we get the improbable image) comments:
"t'll be interesting to see if Apple actually sticks with the name, seeing how it's become a bit... shall we say, overheated across the 'nets and it seems like it might be to Apple's advantage to take everyone by surprise with a creative new marque (iChat? iCall, perhaps? We know we're going out on a limb here)."
That Engadget post also points to a Red Herring story that quotes an industry analyst with a fairly confidant statement about two iPhone/iCall/iSomething models:
"'Based upon our early checks, we expect Apple to unveil two models of its widely anticipated cell phones,' Prudential Equity Group analyst Jesse Tortora said in a research note Monday. 'We believe the company could introduce the phones at its MacWorld Conference in January.' Mr. Tortora had more details. The analyst said that one of the phones would be a smart phone featuring an integrated keyboard, video, and music capabilities. The other will be a slimmer phone with music capabilities. Also, at least one of them will feature Wi-Fi, he wrote."
We've still got 83+ days until the Macworld Expo (according to this handy Mac OS dashboard widget), so to fill your time till then, here's a very interesting look at the birth of the iPod from Wired. Here's a tidbit:
"Digital music players were either big and clunky or small and useless. Most were based on fairly small memory chips, either 32 or 64 MB, which stored only a few dozen songs -- not much better than a cheap portable CD player.
"But a couple of the players were based on a new 2.5-inch hard drive from Fujitsu. The most popular was the Nomad Jukebox from Singapore-based Creative. About the size of a portable CD player but twice as heavy, the Nomad Jukebox showed the promise of storing thousands of songs on a (smallish) device. But it had some horrible flaws: It used Universal Serial Bus to transfer songs from the computer, which was painfully slow. The interface was an engineer special (unbelievably awful) and it often sucked batteries dry in just 45 minutes.
"[...] Apple's team knew it could solve most of the problems plagued by the Nomad. Its FireWire connector could quickly transfer songs from the computer to player -- an entire CD in a few seconds; a huge library of MP3s in minutes. And thanks to the rapidly growing cell phone industry, new batteries and displays were constantly coming to market.
"In February 2001, during the Macworld show in Tokyo, Rubinstein made a visit to Toshiba, Apple's supplier of hard drives, where executives showed him a tiny drive the company had just developed. The drive was 1.8 inches in diameter -- considerably smaller than the 2.5-inch Fujitsu drive used in competing players -- but Toshiba didn't have any idea what it might be used for.
"'They said they didn't know what to do with it. Maybe put it in a small notebook,' Rubinstein recalled. 'I went back to Steve and I said, 'I know how to do this. I've got all the parts.' He said, 'Go for it.'""
When the first 5 GB iPod came out, I was the editor for Amazon's growing MP3 store and was the proud owner of a Creative Nomad Jukebox, which looks like an OldsmoBuick now in comparison to the iPods of today (my review of it is still up). The iPod really changed my life--I could actually work out with it at the gym and didn't need an arctic surveyor's backpack to haul it--and I still occasionally use it (though I've recently bought my wife the new green nano, which will most likely relegate Ol' Faithful to my office's tech museum). You gotta love this modern world.
~Agen G.N. Schmitz, Amazon Current
This Week's Apple Rumors, Part 2: Wireless iPod (Finally) Coming?
1:49 AM, October 11, 2006, updated at 4:39 PM, October 11, 2006
Okay, so the wireless functions on the Microsoft Zune won't sync with your PC at launch. According to the latest rumors, however, Apple may be readying more robust Wi-Fi features.
This morning, Engadget speculated about the mythic Apple launch of a widescreen, wireless video iPod. The Web site says, "Believe it or not we tend to have to disregard the majority of rumors floating around (or that get sent in to us); that said, when not only one, but multiple trusted sources get in touch to let us know Steve Jobs & Co. are supposedly finally about completed with the wireless / video iPod, we have to take note."
The gist of the wireless functionality is that users will be able to sync up with iTunes sans cables and possibly access the iTunes store for purchasing and downloading songs.
Perhaps that's not much to hang a hat on, but Mobilewhack.com posted about a prototype Fujitsu Turntable PC that was unveiled at the CEATEC show in Tokyo. The back of the notebook's screen has a suspiciously iPod-like scroll wheel that can be used as a digital turntable to scratch and spin music. According to the site, "The turntable will also support a wireless connection with iPods."
Take that for what you will. Speculation is that Apple will unveil the "wireless iPod" right before or after the holidays. Your thoughts?
~Porter B. Hall, Amazon Current
Slow News Day... Time for the Latest Apple Rumors
2:01 PM, October 10, 2006, updated at 4:00 PM, October 11, 2006
This is a post from Amazon Current.
Would you like to continue receiving these posts?
It was a slow Columbus Day, so we might as well break out some of the various and sundry Apple rumors that have been flying about the Web to tempt our imaginations. First off, CrunchGear notes the strongest hint that an iPhone is coming down the pike (fake mockup photo courtesy of CG):
"Apple has inadvertently dropped another hint of features that the iPhone will probably have: a Mobile iTunes store. A job listing on Apple's website advertises that it's seeking a Mobile Marketing Manager for iTunes. The job is just what it sounds like from the listing, and it's looking for someone who can 'Collaborate with iTunes Engineering to build program components as the foundation of the mobile marketing strategy.' This most likely means an iPhone owner can browse iTunes from their iPhone handset, preview songs and purchase them for playback on the device. This functionality was rumored to be included with the Zune from Microsoft, but we now know it'll be missing at launch. Here, we have proof that Apple is taking the lead on this."
It should most likely be announced at the Macworld Expo in early January, with Cingular being the odds-on favorite to be the exclusive partner at launch.
T-Mobile made some waves on Friday with Chief Executive Robert Dotson giving heavy props to Apple in a presser announcing its 3G wireless spectrum plans for 2007. This got a lot of Apple bloggers wondering if there might be some future synergy (especially with a comment noting how closely aligned the visions of the two companies are). But Gizmodo is passing that off as just praiseworthy stroking of corporate egos.
Backwards (iPod History) and Forwards (iPhone Rumors)
4:38 PM, October 17, 2006, updated at 3:35 PM, October 17, 2006
This is a post from Amazon Current.
First, the pinball machine that is the gadget-o-sphere has been busy flipping the latest iPhone tidbits--specifically that Apple has made a trademark filing for the iPhone moniker "with a Far Eastern trademark office" (according to AppleInsider). Engadget (from which we get the improbable image) comments:
"t'll be interesting to see if Apple actually sticks with the name, seeing how it's become a bit... shall we say, overheated across the 'nets and it seems like it might be to Apple's advantage to take everyone by surprise with a creative new marque (iChat? iCall, perhaps? We know we're going out on a limb here)."
That Engadget post also points to a Red Herring story that quotes an industry analyst with a fairly confidant statement about two iPhone/iCall/iSomething models:
"'Based upon our early checks, we expect Apple to unveil two models of its widely anticipated cell phones,' Prudential Equity Group analyst Jesse Tortora said in a research note Monday. 'We believe the company could introduce the phones at its MacWorld Conference in January.' Mr. Tortora had more details. The analyst said that one of the phones would be a smart phone featuring an integrated keyboard, video, and music capabilities. The other will be a slimmer phone with music capabilities. Also, at least one of them will feature Wi-Fi, he wrote."
We've still got 83+ days until the Macworld Expo (according to this handy Mac OS dashboard widget), so to fill your time till then, here's a very interesting look at the birth of the iPod from Wired. Here's a tidbit:
"Digital music players were either big and clunky or small and useless. Most were based on fairly small memory chips, either 32 or 64 MB, which stored only a few dozen songs -- not much better than a cheap portable CD player.
"But a couple of the players were based on a new 2.5-inch hard drive from Fujitsu. The most popular was the Nomad Jukebox from Singapore-based Creative. About the size of a portable CD player but twice as heavy, the Nomad Jukebox showed the promise of storing thousands of songs on a (smallish) device. But it had some horrible flaws: It used Universal Serial Bus to transfer songs from the computer, which was painfully slow. The interface was an engineer special (unbelievably awful) and it often sucked batteries dry in just 45 minutes.
"[...] Apple's team knew it could solve most of the problems plagued by the Nomad. Its FireWire connector could quickly transfer songs from the computer to player -- an entire CD in a few seconds; a huge library of MP3s in minutes. And thanks to the rapidly growing cell phone industry, new batteries and displays were constantly coming to market.
"In February 2001, during the Macworld show in Tokyo, Rubinstein made a visit to Toshiba, Apple's supplier of hard drives, where executives showed him a tiny drive the company had just developed. The drive was 1.8 inches in diameter -- considerably smaller than the 2.5-inch Fujitsu drive used in competing players -- but Toshiba didn't have any idea what it might be used for.
"'They said they didn't know what to do with it. Maybe put it in a small notebook,' Rubinstein recalled. 'I went back to Steve and I said, 'I know how to do this. I've got all the parts.' He said, 'Go for it.'""
When the first 5 GB iPod came out, I was the editor for Amazon's growing MP3 store and was the proud owner of a Creative Nomad Jukebox, which looks like an OldsmoBuick now in comparison to the iPods of today (my review of it is still up). The iPod really changed my life--I could actually work out with it at the gym and didn't need an arctic surveyor's backpack to haul it--and I still occasionally use it (though I've recently bought my wife the new green nano, which will most likely relegate Ol' Faithful to my office's tech museum). You gotta love this modern world.
~Agen G.N. Schmitz, Amazon Current
This Week's Apple Rumors, Part 2: Wireless iPod (Finally) Coming?
1:49 AM, October 11, 2006, updated at 4:39 PM, October 11, 2006
Okay, so the wireless functions on the Microsoft Zune won't sync with your PC at launch. According to the latest rumors, however, Apple may be readying more robust Wi-Fi features.
This morning, Engadget speculated about the mythic Apple launch of a widescreen, wireless video iPod. The Web site says, "Believe it or not we tend to have to disregard the majority of rumors floating around (or that get sent in to us); that said, when not only one, but multiple trusted sources get in touch to let us know Steve Jobs & Co. are supposedly finally about completed with the wireless / video iPod, we have to take note."
The gist of the wireless functionality is that users will be able to sync up with iTunes sans cables and possibly access the iTunes store for purchasing and downloading songs.
Perhaps that's not much to hang a hat on, but Mobilewhack.com posted about a prototype Fujitsu Turntable PC that was unveiled at the CEATEC show in Tokyo. The back of the notebook's screen has a suspiciously iPod-like scroll wheel that can be used as a digital turntable to scratch and spin music. According to the site, "The turntable will also support a wireless connection with iPods."
Take that for what you will. Speculation is that Apple will unveil the "wireless iPod" right before or after the holidays. Your thoughts?
~Porter B. Hall, Amazon Current
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