Technology News and IT Business Intelligence

An anonymous tipster has just dropped us a tip which reads “Apple will demo iPhone OS 4.0 on March 14th”. Digging for more info on this, we found out that Cult of Mac also received a similar a tip yesterday but since 14th March happens to be a Sunday, it is highly unlikely that Apple is going to demo or unveil their new OS on a Sunday morning.

iPhone OS 3.1.3 was released earlier this month which brought some important security and bug fixes for iPhones and iPod touches.

iPhone OS 3.2 SDK for iPad was released last month at the event held at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco where Apple also unveiled their much hyped tablet – the Apple iPad. This version of OS does not support iPhone and iPod touch devices. It runs only on iPad.

iPhone OS 4.0 is expected to be released in the last week of March to go concurrently with iPad which will ship in the same timeframe. Next-gen iPhone 4G however will most probably be unveiled in June at this year’s WWDC conference.

Earlier this year, several pieces of evidence from the internal computer sales system for Canada’s Rogers Wireless suggested that an 8 GB iPhone 3GS was in the works, although Rogers representatives claimed that the listing was an error and no such model has appeared in the months since. Early last month, a new report claiming that AT&T was looking to deploy an 8 GB version of the iPhone 3GS before Christmas also surfaced, but again nothing materialized.

A new report [Google translation] from German forum apfeltalk.de, discovered by Electronista, has revived the speculation with news of a user who ordered a refurbished 8 GB iPhone 3G and received the proper model but in a box carrying a label reading “iPhone 3GS v2.2, 8GB”.

After buying a refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G, the Hamburg resident received the promised device but with a label on the back pointing to an “iPhone 3GS v2.2, 8GB.” The model (A1241) and part number (MB490DN/A) point to the older model, but “iPhone 3GS” appears elsewhere on the packaging and implies that its mention wasn’t a mistake.

It is unclear why such a label mentioning “iPhone 3GS” in several locations would appear at this time on a plain white box used for refurbished iPhones.

In a pair of articles published over the past week, Hardmac reveals that Apple has been working to fight against fraud perpetrated against the company by third-party authorized service centers. According to the initial report published last week, the fraud was conducted by repair centers both charging customers for out-of-warranty repairs and also reporting to Apple that the machines were under warranty, thus receiving free parts as well as remuneration from Apple for conducting the repairs.

Thus, certain After-Sales Service Centres could pass under guarantee of repairs, machine that were not covered, and also invoiced these repairs to the customer thus ensuring a healthy profit to them.

In yesterday’s follow-up article, Hardmac provides a bit more detail on how this was accomplished, using a process known as “stitching” in which vendors utilized the serial numbers of computers under warranty held on file at the repair facility when reporting issues to Apple rather than the actual serial numbers of non-covered equipment brought in for service.

Stitching is the process by which an Apple Service Provider (ASP) technically defrauds Apple. This happens by a customer coming in for an out-of-warranty repair (as an example lets use a macbook top case). The customer’s macbook top case is no longer working and they are happy to pay to get it fixed. Instead of the ASP ordering the part from apple as out-of-warranty and making around 15% gross profit margin, the ASP would find a serial number in their database of previous repairs (of an identical model) and order the part as a warranty part from a serial number they have found. This technically allows the ASP to pay nothing for the part, but then make 100% margin.

Apple reportedly discovered the fraud only after several years of experience with its own Genius Bar repair channel, where significantly lower proportions of warranty repairs were seen. Upon conducting audits of its American and then global authorized service centers, the company apparently found a number of cases of significant fraud perpetrated using this method.

According to the report, at least one large service center in the United Kingdom has been entirely closed down in the wake of Apple’s fraud investigation, with several others in the “Far East” also possibly meeting the same fate.

In order to address the fraud, Apple has reportedly rolled out enhanced tracking of part numbers in its repair ordering system and deployed software to assist the company in making sure that the proper parts are being installed in the proper computers.

While we normally avoid purely speculative pieces here on MacRumors, John Gruber has posted a particularly interesting opinion piece on what void or need the Apple Tablet might fill. Gruber acknowledges that this is not based on inside knowledge, but he is certain that a Tablet project is in the works and describes a “cone of silence” surrounding all those involved in the project.

Exactly what purpose or role an Apple tablet will fulfill is a legitimate question that has been raised on a number of occasions. Since other company’s tablets have so far been commercially unsuccessful, what could Apple bring to the table that will suddenly make them a success? Steve Jobs himself has previously questioned what they were good for besides surfing the web in the bathroom.

Gruber believes the upcoming Apple Tablet will replace the low end of Apple’s portable computer market which is currently held by the MacBook and instead focus on some core functionality and do it well.

And so in answer to my central question, regarding why buy The Tablet if you already have an iPhone and a MacBook, my best guess is that ultimately, The Tablet is something you?ll buy instead of a MacBook.

Like all Apple products, The Tablet will do less than we expect but the things it does do, it will do insanely well. It will offer a fraction of the functionality of a MacBook ? but that fraction will be way more fun.

Apple clearly has been able to reinvent a class of product like they did with the MP3 player (iPod) and mobile phone (iPhone), and people are certainly hoping they will be able to do the same thing with the Tablet. Much of the differentiation of these products was done in software, so we agree with Gruber that the Tablet OS can’t and won’t simply be a scaled up iPhone OS or scaled down Mac OS.

One common prediction I disagree with is that The Tablet will simply be more or less an iPod Touch with a much bigger display. But in the same way that it made no sense for Apple to design the iPhone OS to run Mac software, it makes little sense for a device with a 7-inch (let alone larger) display to run software designed for a 3.5-inch display.

Exactly how that will be accomplished, of course, is the big secret.

Apple is rumored to be launching their Tablet in 2010 and Steve Jobs has been described as being extremely happy with the upcoming device.

The 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off this week and analysts are expecting the predominant themes to be connectivity and mobility. Mobile devices such as new Android devices and tablet computers are expected to be a big focus. Meanwhile, outside of CES, Google and Apple are both expected to make announcements regarding their future plans this month.

The launch of the Google Nexus One phone is planned for January 5th, while Apple is rumored to be announcing their tablet device on/around January 26th.

For our part, MacRumors will be attending CES for the first time this year. In the past our focus has been Macworld Expo which has tended to run concurrently with CES. This year, however, Apple withdrew from Macworld which resulted in it being rescheduled into February. We’ll be focusing on any relevant Apple-related announcements including new Intel chips, ARM-related technology, notable 3rd party Tablets and more. CES 2010 runs from January 7th – 10th.

The embargo is up for news and reviews on Intel’s new Arrandale mobile processors. Arrandale represents the 32-nm die shrink of the Nehalem processors and will represent the first Nehalem processors that are usable in a laptops such as the MacBook Pro. These new chips also offer improved integrated graphics on the same chip. While there was some unconfirmed talk that Apple may skip this generation of chips, they remain the best option to upgrade the MacBook Pro.

Anandtech provides an overview of the newly announced chips which run as fast as 2.66GHz (Dual Core) as a base speed with Turbo speeds as high as 3.33GHz. Direct comparisons of the 2.53GHz Arrandale and the 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo currently used in the MacBook Pro showed notable improvements at the same clock speed:

The performance advantage was even more impressive for Cinebench (38-43%) and x264 HD encoding (26-45%), along with notable improvements of the integrated graphics performance. Anandtech found battery life to be on-par with the current Core 2 Duos, but this is expected to improve with later generations of Arrandale. In conclusion:

From the balanced notebook perspective, Arrandale is awesome. Battery life doesn’t improve, but performance goes up tremendously. The end result is better performance for hopefully the same power consumption. If you’re stuck with an aging laptop it’s worth the wait. If you can wait even longer we expect to see a second rev of Arrandale silicon towards the middle of the year with better power characteristics.

Apple is, of course, expected to use these processors in their next generation MacBook Pros, though the exact timeframe for the adoption remains unknown.

In an e-mail sent today to registered iPhone developers, Apple announced the introduction of the App Store Resource Center (iPhone developer membership required), a new site within the iPhone Dev Center dedicated to assisting developers with the App Store application process.

We are pleased to introduce the App Store Resource Center, a single destination designed to make it easier for you to find details on everything you need to know about distributing your app on the App Store — from how to prepare for app submission to managing your app once it’s been posted.

Make sure you also check out the News and Announcements section of the iPhone Dev Center for tips on submitting your apps to the App Store, turnaround time for app review, new program features, and guidance on everything from development and testing to distribution and marketing.

Apple has received a significant amount of criticism from iPhone developers who have been frustrated by a lack of information, impersonal form letter e-mails offering minimal rejection explanations and little opportunity for dialogue with reviewers, inefficient processing of application resubmissions, and inconsistent application acceptances and rejections. The App Store Resource Center looks to be a new step taken by Apple in response to these complaints, offering to assist developers in guiding their applications through the approval process.

Google today announced today that it has released an unredacted copy (PDF) of its response to an investigation by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission into Apple’s apparent rejection of the company’s Google Voice iPhone application. Most significantly, Google’s filing claims that Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller personally informed Google that the Google Voice iPhone application had been rejected for the reason that it “duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone”.

The primary points of contact between the two companies were Alan Eustace, Google Senior Vice President of Engineering & Research, and Phil Schiller, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. On July 7, Mr. Eustace and Mr. Schiller spoke over the phone. It was during this call that Mr. Schiller informed Mr. Eustace that Apple was rejecting the Google Voice application for the reasons described above in 2(a).

The claim directly contradicts Apple’s response to the FCC, which asserted that the Google Voice application had not been rejected and was still being studied. It is unknown at this time how the FCC is proceeding to reconcile the differing accounts.

The FCC had initially posted a redacted version of Google response at the request of Google, which had made the request in order to protect “sensitive commercial communications”. After several requests from individuals and organization made under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the redacted content and in light of Apple’s public posting of an unredacted version of its response, Google decided to allow the full text of its response to be published.

Update: Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple has issued a statement reiterating its contention that the Google Voice iPhone application has not been rejected.

We do not agree with all of the statements made by Google in their FCC letter. Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application and we continue to discuss it with Google.

Microsoft yesterday launched a Windows 7 campaign website announcing a discount program aimed at college and university students, bringing the cost of Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for eligible customers down to $29.99 to effectively match Apple’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard pricing. The offer, which expires January 3rd, 2010 is valid for the download version of Windows 7, and users wishing to purchase a physical disk will be required to pay an additional $13.00.

- You qualify if you have a valid .EDU e-mail OR an e-mail address through one of the educational institutions listed here.
- You are enrolled in coursework, current proof or enrollment may be required in the United States.
- Your PC is able to run Windows 7 – use this tool to check. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

Microsoft’s full terms and conditions note that students must be actively enrolled in at least 0.5 course credits at the time of purchase and may be required to provide proof of enrollment. As noted on the Windows 7 Team Blog, pre-orders are available in the US immediately, with the UK to follow on September 30th. Students in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Korea and Mexico will be able to take advantage of the program once Windows 7 launches on October 22nd.

At its October 22nd launch, Windows 7 will carry much higher non-promotional prices of $119.99 (upgrade) and $199.99 (full) for the Home Premium edition, $199.99 (upgrade) and $299.99 (full) for the Professional edition, and $219.99 (upgrade) and $319.99 (full) for the Ultimate edition. A comparison of the various versions is available to assist customers in deciding which version is right for them.

CNET reports that a coalition of music groups including publishers, songwriters, and composers is looking to increase the compensation they receive from digital distribution of their work. Having been unsuccessful at negotiating increased fees with distributors such as Apple, the groups, which include the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) among others, have begun lobbying the U.S. Congress for to pass legislation to address their claims.

At a time when many iTunes shoppers are still fuming over Apple’s first-ever increase in song prices, the demands by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), and other performing-rights groups, would likely lead to more price hikes at iTunes. This would also undoubtedly confirm the perception held by many that those overseeing the music industry are greedy.

At the heart of the issue is the “performance fee”, a type of licensing fee used to compensate composers and publishers when their work is performed in public. The music groups argue that digital distribution of their work, including 30-second song samples and in TV and movie downloads such as those found on iTunes, constitutes public performance and thus requires performance fees to be paid by the distributors.

Apparently, the music industry can’t obtain the fees through negotiations. They have begun lobbying Congress to pass legislation that require anyone selling a download to pay a performance fee, according to David Israelite, president and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association.

“If you watch a TV show on broadcast, cable or satellite TV there is a performance fee collected,” Israelite said. “But if that same TV show is downloaded over iTunes, there’s not. We’re arguing that the law needs to be clarified that regardless of the method by which a consumer watches the show there is a performance right.”

The issue is complicated by the existence of other fees such as upfront “synchronization fees” that cover inclusion of songs in film or TV shows. Those fees are typically supplemented by performance fees when the film or TV shows are aired, although many composers have given away their synchronization fee rights in hopes of obtaining performance fees further down the road, but as the landscape has begun shifting to digital distribution, those composers are finding themselves with shrinking performance fee income.

“This is really a fight about the future,” Israelite said. “As more and more people watch TV or movies over an Internet line as opposed to cable or broadcast signal, then we’re going to lose the income of the performance. For people who do production and background music, that’s how they make their living.”

On the topic of 30-second music samples, Jonathan Potter, executive director of the Digital Media Association that represents distributors such as Apple, argues that copyright law protects distributors from being charged performance fees for such offerings.

“They are picking on Apple because they say Apple is making a bundle of money,” Potter said. “But these companies should be thrilled that Apple and the other services are selling music and generating millions, maybe tens of millions, in royalties.”

The music groups have so far had little success in their lobbying efforts with Congress, and courts have consistently sided with digital distributors in their claims that downloaded songs are not considered public performances. Composers and publishers have not, however, given up the fight.