iPod iTunes Zone

In tandem with the release of iTunes 7.7, Apple has formally launched both its MobileMe online service and the iTunes App Store. The former is a dramatic revision of .Mac, emphasizing content sync between computers, handhelds and the web; push e-mail is also integrated. Existing .Mac subscribers can sign in at me.com with their old usernames and passwords, but some are reporting slow access, likely due to a large influx of visitors. Others are reporting prompts from Apple to install the “OS X Update for MobileMe,” though this has not yet appeared via Software Update.

The App Store is not currently highlighted on the iTunes US storefront, but can be accessed by enabling “Applications” in the General tab under Preferences, and then clicking “Get More Applications” when the appropriate Library view is selected. Available software covers a variety of categories, from social networking apps such as AIM and Twitterific through programs for finance, navigation, news and gaming. Many titles are free, but a number cost anywhere between 99 cents and $20.

source: ipodnn.com

Maverick Software on Thursday announced four new native iPhone applications Comet Cowboy, Yulan Mahjong Solitaire, Snowglobe, and Blip Solitaire all of which will be available at the launch of the App Store later this month. Comet Cowboy allows players to explore space in order to mine comets with their virtual lasso. The game boasts sharp graphics, multiple levels, and an automatic quick-save feature for when a call is received or if the user switches apps. Comet Cowboy will sell for $5.

Yulan Mahjong Solitaire ($5) uses the multi-touch screen’s various functions like pinch-and-squeeze so players can zoom in and out from any of eight tile layouts, matching pairs as they go.

Maverick’s Snowglobe ($1) app allows users to put a virtual snowglobe on the screen that uses the iPhone’s accelerometers to determine which side of the device is down, letting the flakes fall into the proper direction. Users can put custom photos into the globe, or a pre-selected image.

Lastly, Blip Solitaire pits players against themselves in a circular-style solo game of Pong. Blip Solitaire is free from the App Store.

source: macnn.com

The iPhone 3G carries a lower price, but it also costs about half as much to make, according to a report in the EETimes. The report says tests by teardown specialist Portelligent put the bill of materials for the new model as low as $100. That should help offset the 3G’s lower $199 price point. Portelligent estimates that based on materials alone, Apple’s gross profit on the iPhone 3G totals about $99, compared to $229 for the previous version. Apparently, Apple is counting on sales volume to make up the difference and Apple may also be receiving a payut for each carrier activation, although the revenue sharing plan with carriers, as with the original device, is no longer in place.

Portelligent says the cost savings comes from a variety of areas, including a touch screen assembly which, at roughly $30, cost half that of the original iPhone. Additional costs associated with the 3G upgrade were more than offset by savings in memory, improvements in engineering and other areas, according to the EETimes.

The report also says the iPhone 3G uses the HSDPA version of W-CDMA, supporting a minimum of 1.5 Mbits per second, up to a maximum of 7.5Mbits/s. Will Strauss, President of Tempe, Az. based Forward Concepts, told the publication he believes Apple is using an infineon baseband and RF transceiver and a Samsung Applications processor, based on sources he would not name. Strauss says the the new iPhone uses a GPS chip from Infineon with technology licensed from the startup Global Locate, now owned by Broadcom.

“Gen2 iPhone pricing is aggressive enough that it made me think Apple’s really taking the gloves off on this one,” said said David Carey, president of Portelligent. “They are probably not as worried about iPhone hardware profits as they are about getting a piece of the action on service revenues and getting more Macs in homes and offices all around the globe,” he told EETimes. The iPhone 3G is scheduled to go on sale July 11th.

source: macnn.com

Managers at retail locations of Rogers Wireless, one of Canada’s three major cellular companies, are being told not to take vacations during a specific period beginning later this month, a source from within the company claims. The “blackout” stretch is said to extend from June 23rd through July 16th, although no reason for the dates has been given. Apple is widely expected to announce the 3G iPhone on Monday, however, and Rogers has confirmed that it will carry the iPhone “later this year.”

A similar vacation blockage is alleged to have been imposed on AT&T staff in the US, with a slightly different timeframe falling between June 15th and July 12th. This coincides with an anticipated launch period for the 3G iPhone, and the release date of the original device, which debuted on June 29th of last year. AT&T employees were said to have been barred from vacations then as well.

source: macnn.com

Several Apple patent applications have today been published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, focusing around wireless location technology. The first involves Bluetooth devices, and specifically a means of finding them when they are lost; a master device “pings” the lost slave, which in turn makes audible or visible signals to lure a person towards its hiding place. The master could also be used gauge the distance to the slave, narrowing its location down even further.

The application makes specific reference to a cellphone as the master, and the slave being a headset; in theory this would allow iPhone owners to locate missing earpieces, but the current model does not have such a function. The invention was first submitted to the USPTO in November of 2006.

Another published document describes a technology related to wireless range, in which users of a device would be warned that they are wandering out of range. Apple notes that while many devices will tell people that their signal is low, its invention would deliver an estimated time before signal is lost. The technology would again apply mainly to cellphones, but virtually any kind of wireless could be supported, including WiFi, PCM and even infrared. This patent was also originally filed for in 2006.

source: macnn.com

The 3G iPhone is not only coming in June, but its early production numbers are already known, a Taiwanese newspaper claims. Industry publication Commercial Times is citing institutional investors, who say that Foxconn has landed a contract to begin assembling new iPhones for shipment in June. While this echoes earlier reports from March, CT says it has also obtained information from component suppliers, who have been told by Apple that the should begin preparing material supplies.

Foxconn is expected to ship over 3 million 3G iPhones in June, and produce as many as 24 to 25 million units before Apple switches to another product. Foxconn already assembles the current 2.5G iPhone. A 3G iPhone has long been expected this year due to a brief mention by the CEO of AT&T, but until recently it was assumed it would ship late in the year; recent reports have, however, increasingly pointed to a June/July launch, much as with the original iPhone. This would also coincide with the release of the iPhone 2.0 firmware and its accompanying App Store.

source: macnn.com

Apple on Monday celebrated the fifth anniversary of iTunes (Music Store) with a look at back at all “all of the great music, video, and exclusives” that users discovered on iTunes and highlighting the songs and shows that defined each year. On its iTunes store, Apple offered a brief history along with a collection of “best sellers”. The company, which launched the iTunes Store on April 28, 2003, claims grew its music catalog of more than 200,000 songs and a handful of exclusive tracks to more than 10 million, according to info available at the online store — up 66 percent from the 6 million song catalog announced in early April. Update: As readers point out, the iTunes software was released in 2001. [updated]Earlier this month, the company announced that the iTunes Store surpassed Wal-Mart to become the number one music retailer in the US based on data from January and February of 2008. Apple also touted that it had served over 50 million customers and sold more than four billion songs.

iTunes accounts for approximately 70 percent of digital music sold worldwide. Wired notes that in the next five years, Apple’s media service may well account for a staggering 28 percent of all music sold worldwide. Citing a report from market research firm Instat, the Wired blogger notes that digital music is projected to account for 40 percent of music sold and that if Apple holds onto its current market share, it will account for more than one-quarter of all music sales by its ninth birthday.

In 2004, the company expanded its music catalog, began offering exclusive content with the first digital boxset: the Complete U2, launched ‘iTunes Originals’ with sets from Sting and Alanis Morissette, and added audiobooks to the its expanding its collection content beyond music.

In its third year (2005) Apple added TV shows and music videos as well as its Podcast directory and iTunes Essentials, which offers collections of music based on artist, genre, and other themes.

The following year (2006), Apple introduced movies, offering both new releases and library titles for sale. Apple also launched downloadable iPod games and the iTunes Latino Store with music, video, and media dedicated to the Latino culture.

During the last year (2007), the company launched iTunes U with free lectures, lessons, and other academic content as well as custom ringtones and the iTunes WiFi music store alongside the introduction of the iPhone and iPod Touch. The company said it now has a catalog of more than 10 million songs and serves over 22 countries worldwide. It also claims it has delivered over 125 million TV downloads.

source: macnn.com

Apple has just released the latest version of its iPod Reset Utility, an emergency tool which completely reverts iPods when the normal iTunes option refuses to work. The utility should not be used lightly, as it will erase all music and other data on an iPod, and install the very latest iPod firmware. The v1.0.3 update expands support, including reset options for both first- and second-generation iPod shuffles. The Mac version is a 3.6MB download, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later; the Windows software is 4.9MB, and requires either Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4, or XP with Service Pack 2.

source: ipodnn.com

Apple has officially announced the grand opening of its newest retail store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Thursday, March 6th. A media event begins at 9:00 a.m. CST, and the store will officially open to the public at 10:00 a.m. The Apple Store in the Mall of Louisiana at 6401 Bluebonnet Boulevard offers all the standard amenities customers expect, like personal training through the company’s One to One program and face-to-face support via a Genius Bar.Apple opened its 14th UK-based retail store in Milton Keynes on Saturday, while a new store in Sydney Australia is entering the final stages of construction. That store is expected to open around the first week of April. Apple is also planning to open four new stores in Europe, branching out with retail outlets in Monaco, Zurich, Geneva, and Ireland. Apple posted job listings for three of those stores, but refrained from specifying opening dates or exact locations. The fourth outlet will serve as Apple’s first store in Northern Ireland, located on the upper floor of the new Victoria Square shopping center in Belfast. That store is scheduled to open March 6th.

source: ipodnn.com

UK-based Solar Technology today unveiled the Freeloader 8.0, a portable solar charger with a built-in battery, designed for the iPod and several other electronic devices. The Freeloader comes in silver and pink, and features two small sold-away solar panels that can charge the internal battery within 5 hours, supplying up to 18 hours of power for the iPod. Solar Technology is selling the Freeloader 8.0 for £30 (~$60 USD); as of now, it is available only in the UK. In addition to charging the iPod, the Freeloader comes with several adapters for Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and LG phones. Nintendo DS Lite and PSP users will also be able to use the charger, and it includes several generic USB connections for other devices that can charge through USB. Solar Technology also sells the enlarged Supercharger solar panels that reduce the Freeloader’s charge time by 50-percent, which it sells for £20 (~$40).

source: macnn.com