World of Apple

Just over a week after the release of the first beta of iOS 4.3 to developers Apple has given registered iOS developers access to the second beta for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Apple TV.

The second beta of iOS 4.3 carries the build number 8F5153d, included in the first beta last week was new four and five finger gestures for the iPad. Apple has now clarified how the gestures will be implemented in the future:

This feature will not be enabled in iOS 4.3 for customers, but we are providing this preview to gather input on how these gestures work with your apps.

Included in iOS 4.3 is the new Personal Hotspot functionality that appeared with the unveiling of the Verizon iPhone. Although at this stage it is unknown whether carriers will be able to choose whether they allow access to the feature.

Developers are now able to stream video from their apps and have access to iOS 4.3 for Apple TV to test the feature.

Included in the iOS 4.3 beta is:

• 4 or 5 finger multi-touch gestures on iPad
• Option on the iPad to use the hardware switch as orientation lock or mute switch.
• Personal Hotspot is enabled, allowing access to a personal Wi-Fi network from up to 5 devices.
• AirPlay streaming from third party apps.
• iAds for the iPad
• FaceTime, Camera and Photo Booth icons found on iPad
• Evidence of features known as “Find My Friends”, “Media Stream” and “Photo Streaming”

Apple has today released the first beta of iOS 4.3 to registered developers. The iOS 4.3 beta is available for iPod touch (3rd and 4th gen), iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPad, for the first time iPhone 3G devices are excluded from the update. Apple is also offering a version of iOS 4.3 for the new Apple TV so developers can test AirPlay functionality from their apps.

Included in the beta is the new Personal Hotspot functionality that appeared with the unveiling of the Verizon iPhone earlier this week. Although at this stage it is unknown whether carriers will be able to choose whether they allow access to the feature.

World of Apple will offer a more detailed look at iOS 4.3 in the coming hours but for now the new features of the update include:

• 4 or 5 finger multi-touch gestures on iPad
• Option on the iPad to use the hardware switch as orientation lock or mute switch.
• Personal Hotspot is enabled, allowing access to a personal Wi-Fi network from up to 5 devices.
• AirPlay streaming from third party apps.
• iAds for the iPad

Apple announced today that it expects to sell its one millionth Apple TV since the new device went on sale in early September.

Apple also said that Tunes users are now renting and purchasing over 400,000 TV episodes and over 150,000 movies per day—although not all through the Apple TV.

Apple TV is just a fourth of the size of the original and is available for just $99 (£99) and has built-in HDMI, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and an internal power supply for easy set-up, and features silent, cool, very low power operation.

Apple has today released a minor update to iTunes. iTunes 10.1.1 is available via software update or Apple’s website and is accompanied with the following list of fixes:

• Addresses an issue where iTunes may unexpectedly quit when resizing the iTunes window.
• Addresses an issue where some music videos may not play on Macs equipped with NVIDIA GeForce 9400 or 9600 graphics.
• Resolves an issue where iTunes may unexpectedly quit when deleting a playlist that has the iTunes Sidebar showing.
• Fixes a problem where iTunes may unexpectedly quit when connecting an iPod to a Mac equipped with a PowerPC processor.
• Addresses an issue where some music videos may not sync to an iPod, iPhone, or iPad.

Apple has also released a minor software update for the Apple TV, like the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch the Apple TV runs iOS. The latest release for the Apple TV is iOS 4.2.1 build 8C154 and in a support note claims to resolve a pair of issues.

• TV resolution fix: Addresses an issue that causes some high-definition TVs to incorrectly display at 480p.
• Download fix: Addresses an issue that may cause a movie or TV show to be re-downloaded.

Apple TV orders have begun arriving thick and fast at customers doorsteps and in typical fashion iFixit was on hand to tear apart a brand new Apple TV to offer a look at the internals.

iFixit has been able to reveal that the new Apple TV shares very similar internals as the iPad, the device carries 8GB of onboard NAND with what looks like space for a second chip. The new Apple TV also has 256MB of RAM and features Apple’s A4 processor.

In keeping with Apple’s promise of creating green devices iFixit discovered that the Apple TV uses just 5.95 watts of energy.

The second generation Apple TV marks the first revision to the product in four years. Announced on September 1 the new Apple TV is primarily designed to stream content from the iTunes store, Apple TV users in the U.S. can now also watch their Netflix queue.

Apple has today announced the first major refresh to the Apple TV in four years. The new Apple TV is just a fourth of the size of the original and is available for just $99 (£99).

Apple TV users can choose from the largest online selection of HD movies to rent, including first run movies for just $4.99, and the largest online selection of HD TV show episodes to rent from ABC, ABC Family, Fox, Disney Channel and BBC America for just 99 cents. iTunes TV show rentals are only available in the US.

Apple TV has built-in HDMI, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and an internal power supply for easy set-up, and features silent, cool, very low power operation and is 80 percent smaller in size than the previous generation.

“The new Apple TV, paired with the largest selection of online HD movie and TV show rentals, lets users watch Hollywood content on their HD TV whenever they want,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “This tiny, silent box costing just $99 lets users watch thousands of HD movies and TV shows, and makes all of their music, photos and videos effortlessly available on their home entertainment system.”

Apple TV users can now rent thousands of commercial free, HD TV episodes on iTunes for just 99 cents, with up to 30 days to start watching and then 48 hours to finish—or watch multiple times. Users can also rent over 7,000 movies with over 3,400 available in HD, with most new releases available the same day they are released on DVD.

Apple TV also gives access to the Netflix streaming catalog for Netflix subscribers, and the ability to browse and search, rate content, add to or remove from your queue, or instantly stream straight to your HD TV. Apple TV users can also enjoy millions of YouTube videos, more than 200,000 podcasts, 4,000 Internet radio stations and personal photos from MobileMe and Flickr with several gorgeous new slideshow themes. Music, videos and photos can also be streamed from PCs and Macs, turning your HD TV into the hub of your home entertainment system.

Apple has today announced the date of its annual special event. The invites sent out to members of the media today featurea an image of a large guitar with an Apple shaped sound hole.

Apple’s event will take place in San Francisco on Wednesday, September 1 at 10AM Pacific/1PM Eastern and 6PM London.

In the past few years Apple has used its September special event to release new iPods before the holiday shopping season. This year rumours suggest that Apple could also
give new life to the Apple TV.

Kevin Rose founder of Digg.com has revealed some information he has heard from sources regarding the Apple TV update. Rumours of the Apple TV’s first major hardware revamp first appeared in May this year.

Engadget has since reiterated the initial rumour stating that the future Apple TV will have the innards of an iPhone 4, will have an App Store and will cost just $99. Engadget also dubiously claims that the Apple TV will be renamed to iTV.

Now Digg founder Kevin Rose is weighing in with what he has heard. In a blog post Rose states that Apple will be launching a “revamped/renamed version of their ‘Apple TV’ set-top box, called ‘iTV’.”

iTV as the rumours insist it is called claim that it will run iOS and Rose expects a marketplace for TV apps. TV channels will also come in the form of apps with on demand options. Rose also discloses close integration with MobileMe and that the iPad could be used as the preferred input device.

Rose expects the device to arrive in September, presumably during Apple’s annual iPod event usually held in mid-September.

As for the name, it’s not uncommon for Apple to license trademarks from other companies or enter an agreement to use them but iTV is the name of a major TV network in the UK. ITV in the UK hold a very wide trademark covering everything and anything Apple would want to do with the renamed Apple TV. ITV are also reportedly “furious” with the idea that Apple would bring a product to market with such a name, although the source of this comment isn’t exactly solid.

Suspiciously there is also a refused trademark application for iTV filed by a non-descript Austrian company.

The coming week marks one of the most important in Apple’s calendar, with the demise of Apple’s presence at Macworld the Worldwide Developers Conference marks the only occasion for Apple to host a scheduled stage event. WWDC also allows a significant number of developers across all of Apple’s platforms to learn new skills and come face to face with hundreds of Apple engineers.

On Monday morning Steve Jobs will take the stage at 10 a.m. Pacific time to open WWDC and announce a flurry of new and/or updated products. Speculation leading up to this years WWDC has been particularly dull following Gizmodo’s revealing of the latest iPhone some two months ago.

But it’s possible that Apple will have a couple of surprises up its sleeve, so here are the rumours that have led up to this years WWDC and World of Apple’s take on how likely they are to appear during the keynote.

Join World of Apple on Monday, June 7 at 10AM PT/6PM BST for up to the minute coverage of WWDC 2010.

iPhone HD – Very likely

It’s unlikely that Apple won’t announce a new iPhone on-stage tomorrow and to the same extent it looks unlikely that Apple will surprise us. For lots of information about what we do know about the next iPhone take a look here.

In summary World of Apple expects Apple to announce a new iPhone called iPhone HD and will make it available for sale to a number of countries on June 22. The iPhone HD is likely to still only be available from AT&T in the U.S.

iPhone OS 4.0 – Very likely

Apple has pegged iPhone OS 4.0 as being ready for the summer and in past years has coincided the software release around hardware updates. Last week Apple didn’t release iPhone OS 4.0 beta 5 and beta 4 is not ready for the prime time. It is likely that Apple will take another look at iPhone OS 4.0 and release either beta 5 or a release preview to developers.

Mutli-touch Trackpad for Desktop – Very likely

Although hints of a desktop based trackpad have been in the air for a couple of years it was Monday morning that saw photos purporting to be the device. Dubbed “Magic Trackpad” it looks likely that Apple will unveil the device at WWDC for use with desktop computers and will bring the multi-touch gestures that notebook users have enjoyed for years to the desktop.

Mac OS X 10.6.4, Safari 5 and Xcode 4 – Very likely

Mac OS X 10.6.4 entered the testing cycle towards the end of April, after just a few seeds the OS release appeared to enter a finished state. It is possible that Mac OS X 10.6.4 will be released to accompany new Mac hardware and accessories as well as Safari 5.

The first mention of Safari 5 appeared over the weekend with French Apple rumour site Mac Generation publishing a spec list for the release of Safari 5 which is expected at WWDC.

The feature list for Safari 5 is expected to be as follows:

• Safari Reader: Click on the new reader icon to view articles on the web in a single, clutter-free page.
• Improved Performance: Safari 5 executes JavaScript up to 25% faster than Safari 4. Better page caching and DNS prefetching speed up browsing.
• Bing Search Option: New Bing search option for Safari’s search field, in addition to Google and Yahho!
• Improved HTML5 support: Safari supports over a dozen new HTML5 features, including Geolocation, full screen for HTML5 video, closed captions for HTML5 video, new sectioning elements (article, aside, footer, header, group, nave and section), HTML AJAX history, EventSource, WebSocket, HTML5 draggable attribute, HTML5 forms validation, and HTML5 Ruby.
• Safari Developer Tools: A new Timeline Panel in the Web Inspector shows how Safari interacts with a website and identifies areas for optimisation. New keyboard shortcuts make it faster to switch between panels.

Other improvements include:

• Smarter Address Field: The Smart Address Field can now match text against the titles of webpages in History and Bookmarks, as well as any part of their URL.
• Tabs Setting: Automatically open new webpages in tabs instead of in separate windows.
• Hardware Acceleration for Windows: use the power of the computer’s graphics processor to smoothly display media and effects on PC as well as Mac.
• Search History with Date: A new date indicator in Full History Search shows when web pages were viewed.
• Top Sites/History Button: Switch easily between Top Sites and Full History Search with a new button that appears at the top of each view.
• Private Browsing Icon: A “Private” icon appears in the Smart Address Field when Private Browsing is on. Click on the icon to turn off Private Browsing.
• DNS Prefetching: Safari looks at the addresses of links on web pages and can load those pages faster.
• Improved Page Caching: Safari can add additional types of web pages to the cache so they load quickly.
• XSS Auditor: Safari can filter potentially malicious scripts used in cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
• Improved JavaScript Support: Safari allows web applications that use JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) to run faster and more securely.

Xcode 4 is also expected to be demo’d at WWDC to the hoards of attending developers.

Mac Pro Refresh and 27-inch Display – Somewhat likely

The cards have been on the table for a while; Apple hasn’t update the Mac Pro since March 2009. Intel now has solid shipments of size-core Xeon chips which could be perfectly suited for the Mac Pro. We could see Apple announcing an update to the Mac Pro to feature 12-cores running at 2.93GHz. It is also possible that with keynote time restraints that Apple could just update the Mac Pro with no fanfare.

The first reports of a 27-inch Cinema Display appeared earlier this year and pointed towards the June timeframe for release. The report speculated that the 27-inch display had been delayed whilst waiting for the cost of 27-inch displays with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 to come down.

The 27-inch Cinema Display is expected to make use of the same IPS, LED-backlit display panel that is in the 27-inch iMac.

Apple TV Revamp – Unlikely

Apple continues to refer to Apple TV as a hobby, claiming that the TV market is difficult to penetrate. But recent rumours suggested that an Apple TV revamp would focus on streaming content but still allow the Apple TV to be paired to a computer or Time Capsule.

The hardware in the Apple TV was said to be based on the newest iPhone and the software built-upon iPhone OS 4.

At the time the rumour suggested that the Apple TV would not see primetime at WWDC.

Mac OS X 10.7 – Very unlikely

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was released last year in October, one years after it was previewed at WWDC 2008. Of course Snow Leopard was just building upon Leopard’s success. It is likely that 10.7 will be a significant update and although WWDC would be the place to reveal details it seems unlikely this year.

Others

• iPhone OS renamed “Touch OS” – possible
• Cloud-based iTunes – unlikely
• MobileMe revamp as well as cheaper or free – somewhat likely
• Mac mini, MacBook Air refresh – very unlikely

The Apple TV has been neglected by Apple for a while now, with the release of the iPad the “hobby” vanished from the front page of Apple’s online store but the details for the future of Apple TV look grand.

Engadget reports from two sources that the next Apple TV will be based on the next iPhone so will have an Apple A4 processor, 16GB of flash storage and be capable of outputting a 1080p full HD signal. The unit has been described to Engadget as small with just a power and video out ports and is said to resemble an “iPhone without a screen”.

Sources also told Engadget that the unit will be priced at just $99 and will not announce anything about the product at the upcoming WWDC 2010.

The Apple TV will move to a primarily cloud sourced content system with a focus on streaming rather than mass storage although storage will be available via Time Capsule or presumably a computer.

Finally, Engadget notes that Apple TV will move away from its Mac OS X operating system to a version of iPhone OS but details of how this will work are unknown.