Apple prepping two wireless devices with Verizon?

Concept art for an Apple touch-screen Netbook.

Over the last few months rumors have continued to swirl around a possible Verizon-Apple deal to bring the iPhone to Verizon once Apple's exclusive pact with AT&T expires in 2010. But Tuesday BusinessWeek added a new twist to the rumor, reporting that Verizon and Apple are in talks to develop two new wireless devices that may hit the market this year.

Allegedly, one device would be a thinner, lighter, and lower-priced version of the iPhone--an iPhone Lite, if you will. While the other device would be something akin to the jumbo iPod Touch that we wrote about previously. BusinessWeek's anonymous source describes it as a "media pad that would let users listen to music, view photos, and watch high-definition videos."

The source, who claims to have seen the new media pad, says it's "smaller than an Amazon Kindle electronic reader, but its touch-screen is bigger than the Kindle's." It would be able to place calls over Wi-Fi and a high-speed wireless data connection from Verizon.

In discussing the latest rumor, BusinessWeek and some analysts seemed to downplay the possibility of the iPhone Lite coming to Verizon as long as Apple has an iPhone deal in place with AT&T. While details of that agreement remain scant, the assumption is there's a clause that very likely imposes "strict limits on Apple's ability to introduce an iPhone on a rival network," according to BusinessWeek. There's also a strong possibility that Apple is using all the Verizon talk to put pressure on AT&T to extend its deal with Apple at better terms.

All that said, with all the chatter, it seems more likely we'll see that media pad--or what some people are calling Apple's version of a Netbook--this year. And the wireless portion of it might very well be powered by Verizon.

New iMac

New iMac If we all expected the iMac to be sort of refreshed or updated, Apple surprised us all as they very well know how to.... by annoucing deeply reengineered iMacs.

LED 21,5 and 27" screen for the new iMac The new iMac will now come in 2 screen sizes which are 21,5" and 27" with LED technology inside offering the full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 in 21,5" and even ubove on the 27" giant 16:9 screen with a resolutin of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The contrast ratio is expected to reach 1000 : 1 which would lead to vibrant colors and deeper darker blacks. Photographers beware !  When usual screens need a delay to come to their maximum brightness, these LED displays offer their maximum as soon as they are on and don't suffer from vignette displaying a stable brightness level on their entire surface.

Core i5 et i7 Quad-core processors The new 21,5" iMac as well as the 27" iMac, in their entry level version, embed a traditionnal Core 2 Duo Intel processor while, and it becomes quit einteresting, in their upgrade versions, they offer the very new Intel Core i5 and even i7 as an extra choice. The power of Quad core processor in an imac should allow your desktop to remain updated for a long time.

iMac : SD card reader, wireless keyboard and new Magic Mouse The new iMac more and more looks like a professional powerful desktop, therefore, Apple preserved its Firewire 800 port. It will also come with a built-in SD memory card reader to download photos or videos from you memory card without having to use any external card reader. That is a cool and great feature we found on the macBook pro.   In addition to that, the latest iMac will be the first Apple computer to come with the new multi-touch Magic mouse as well as a redesigned wireless keyboard.

Prices and availability of the new iMac An other very good surprise : the price tag of the new line is clearly lower than the previous generation, this is good ! The entry level model, yet, is sold at the same price as before. 21,5" Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, GeForce 9400M and 500 GB  : $1199 21," Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, Radeon HD4670/256 and 1 TB : $1499 27" Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, Radeon HD4670/256 and 1 TB : $1699 27 " Core i5 (4-Core processor) 2.66 GHz, Radeon HD4850/512 and 1 TB : $1999  Optional Core i7 (4-Core processor) 2.8 GHz worth $199 extra money.   They will ship in november but can be ordered from the Apple Store.

Apple Products

Apple tablet could have Jan 2010 debut

Previously it was looking as if the Applelaunched in March 2010, but now word on the street is that the device could be officially announced in January 2010. Tablet could be
An article from the Financial Times states “Apple is preparing an announcement next month that many anticipate will be the official unveiling of its tablet, but the company has so far declined to confirm the existence of the device,”.

Apple Store offers next day delivery

The Apple store is in a gift giving mood. Their gift to you? Not great prices, but a nice offer for those who are too busy to buy presents. The Apple store is offering free next-day delivery with no minimum order.
With this deal, you can shop as late as 1pm on Dec 23rd, and still receive your order before Christmas. Of course custom configurations will take longer and probably won’t ship on time. Great for those who are too busy to shop around.

Apple Tablet could appear in March/April 2010

We already knew that we wouldn’t be seeing the Apple tablet this year. The latest rumors have some analysts saying we’ll be seeing a 10.1-inch tablet in March or April of 2010, and it will cost $1000. They also say that the tablet’s multitouch screen will not be an OLED panel, but an LCD display that could be up to 12 inches with “stunning graphics.”
1080p video? The sources claim that manufacturers are getting ready up to drop up to 10 million tablets in 2010.

Is Apple field testing the next generation iPhone?

Is Apple field testing the next generation iPhone? Could be. iPhone developer Pandav noticed some usage records of an unreleased iPhone in the iBART app’s analytics. The iPhone that’s listed in the usage logs is iPhone 3.1, which I don’t have to tell you, does not match any current iPhone.
The iPhone 3GS is listed as iPhone 2,1. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see that Apple is busy working on a new iPhone, (There are rumors that Verizon will be getting an iPhone somewhere in2010) is this the one?

New apps will make iPod touch more useful in Apple stores

Looks like Apple store employees will be getting at least 3 exclusive and separate applications that will help with several important tasks. One of them will allow employees to swap iPhones or iPods on the store floor, which previously could only be done at the Genius Bar.
Another proprietary app will help employees in the stock room. The apps should make tasks done in all of Apple’s retail locations easier and more efficient.

MacBook Pro battery explosion reported

All of the battery issues that we have seen over the last few years have forced me to reconsider using a laptop actually in my lap. I don’t mind the heat from the computer nearly as much as I would mind a battery exploding on my gonads. Typically, these battery explosions have been mostly limited to Windows computers, but today a new report of a MacBook Pro battery blowing its top has come in.
Engadget reports that the MacBook Pro is a 17-inch non-unibody machine that was being used on a desktop at the time the incident occurred. According to the user, a strange noise began and then got louder.

Apple is tops in mobile phone profits

The mobile phone industry is hurting except for the high-end smartphone and feature phone segments. These more expensive devices are selling and smartphones are actually growing in popularity. The latest numbers for the mobile phone market are in and Apple is tops when it comes to profits.
According to Strategy Analytics Apple has posted $1.6 billion in operating profits for Q3 2009. The second place manufacturer is Nokia with $1.1 billion in operating profits. The impressive part here is that Apple is doing this with one or two models while Nokia has a full line of devices.

iFixit tears down 27-inch iMac

Apple only recently announced its new iMac line including the sexy 27-inch iMac with that big beautiful screen. Despite the expense and the fact that the new iMac just came out, iFixit has already torn one up for us to check out.
The big feature is that huge 27-inch LCD with 2560 x 1440 resolution. IFixit reports that the screen is made for Apple by LG. The iMac has an input that will allow you to play your Blu-ray through the iMac, but the machine does not ship with the adapter needed for connection.

Apple’s Magic Mouse

Also in Apple news, say hello to the Magic Mouse. It’s a “two button” laser mouse, which has one button and no scroll wheel. Instead it has a multitouch surface across the top that allows you to do similar gestures like with the Mac trackpad: two-finger swipes, single-finger horizontal and vertical scrolling etc.
The wireless mouse has an impressive four-month battery life, and is available today for $69. Apple is marching toward a future devoid of buttons entirely. In case this mouse doesn’t make that clear. |

Apple not happy with new Woolworths logo

Attorneys for Apple have initiated a legal response against the largest supermarket chain in Australia. At issue is a logo that Apple says is too similar to its own trademark. You can judge for yourself, but I think Apple is way out of line on this one.
It all began when Woolworth’s Supermarkets announced in August 2008 that it would refresh its corporate branding strategy with a new logo. The Australian company hasn’t mentioned apples at all in relation to the new logo. They claim that the stylized ‘W’ has been paired with “an abstract leaf symbol” to represent fresh food. But it didn’t take long for others to note its similarity to an actual apple.

Apple Tablet rumored for an early January launch

It’s been a long and wild ride with the Apple tablet rumors and it isn’t over yet. iLounge has itself a reliable source that has revealed more information on the upcoming Apple Tablet.
According to the source Apple is all set to reveal the touch-screen tablet on or before January 19, 2010. Some other tidbits are that Apple has created at least three prototypes. Version 1 has a 7” screen, which was too small. The latest version has a 10.7” screen. It runs iPhone OS, and it looks like an iPhone 3G, complete with a curved back.

China Unicom set to launch iPhone in October

China Unicom and Apple signed a deal a month or so back, that resulted in the iPhone 3G getting ready to head over to China with the 700 million mobile subscribers in the country. What we didn’t know is when the phone was coming and how much it would cost.
China Unicom announced today that it would be selling the iPhone at a standalone price of 5,000 yuan or about $732.50. Most people will opt to choose a subsidized package that will bring the cost of the phone down significantly.

Apple iPhone apps hit 2 billion downloads

Apple has announced yet another milestone along with all of the other milestones it has hit. In the iPhone and iPod Touch App store, they have now reached 2 billion iPhone apps downloaded.
This news comes only five months after Apple announced that their app store had reached the 1 Billion mark. One wonders how many fart and booby apps that accounts for.

Apple to offer iPhone on new U.S. carriers within a year?

Many users have switched to AT&T just to get the iPhone, while some of you have been waiting for it to be available on another carrier. Well, if you are one of the ones who have been patiently waiting, there may be good news.
Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray believes that within a year, iPhones will be available on other U.S carriers. In Europe, when Apple switched to multi-carriers, it enjoyed a dramatically higher market share. So it makes sense that when the AT&T exclusivity expires, Apple would do the same in the U.S.

We don’t know what it is, but we want one

We have almost zero info on this beauty, but it has us drooling like a rabid dog. It’s a little touchscreen device that’s running Android and looks like it’s about 4.5 inches by 4 inches, like a larger version of the iPhone. Looks like it has two buttons on the top of the device and SD storage.

It may be a prototype. We don’t know who makes it or if it will even be for sale. Hopefully we’ll learn more about this device soon. If it’s real and the price is good, this could be a pretty neat open-source tablet. It’s sexy no?