The Latest Apple Scuttlebutt
And regarding that system-wide UI overhaul, I hear the same thing as Rene Ritchie: “Ive’s work is apparently making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad.”
Now, this is exciting.
iPhone 5S In August, New iPads In April
So says Rene Ritchie of iMore, who tends to be very accurate when it comes to such information.
Sounds about right. The third generation iPad was released last March, and the fourth generation was a very minor revision, so we are due for a new iPad.
It will be interesting to see if Apple releases a new iPad Mini at the same time.
iTunes U Content Tops One Billion Downloads
Apple announced that iTunes U has reached a new milestone — over one billion content downloads. iTunes U features the world’s largest online catalog of free educational content from top schools and prominent libraries, museums, and organizations.
This is the future of education.
Don't worry about Apple's business, worry about its products
Apple’s business was our business—not because we had some stake in the company, but because we’d grown to love Apple products, and if Apple went away, so would our Macs. Nobody liked the idea and everybody worried about it. That experience left an imprint on us as a community.
Smart piece.
Google Reportedly Planning Retail Stores
An extremely reliable source has confirmed to us that Google is in the process of building stand-alone retail stores in the U.S. and hopes to have the first flagship Google Stores open for the holidays in major metropolitan areas.
I want to get on the record early. If Google opens stores, they will fail.
Google’s obsession with Apple is getting ridiculous and it will be their undoing, if they keep it up.
Apple Takes 3 Of Top 5 Spots In U.S. Mobile Phone Sales For Q4 2012, Says NPD
Apple has managed to nab three of the top 5 spots for the top-selling mobile phones in the U.S. during Q4 2012 according to the NPD Group, with the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 ranking first, third and fourth, respectively. Apple also retained the crown for best-selling overall smartphone maker, accounting for 39 percent of smartphone sales in Q4 2012, compared to Samsung’s 30 percent.
Despite the never-ending stream of “Android is winning” reports, the iPhone continues to be the top selling phone in the U.S.
Netbot Is Free For Now
Netbot is an App.net client by Tapbots (one of my favorite developers) and they have just made it free for an “unspecified” amount of time.
Even if you don’t currently use App.net, it’s probably a good idea to download the app. There are some big things happening and I suspect there will be free accounts in the near future.
Is this the back of Apple’s redesigned fifth-generation iPad?
While we cannot confirm that the above image is legitimate, it does provide a solid representation of what Apple’s next iPad will likely look like. We were told this is a prototype back piece for the fifth-generation iPad with a 9.7-inch display. We were also told that the casing is almost as thin as the iPad mini’s back (pictured to the right).
I can’t imagine the next iPad not looking like the iPad Mini. A full size iPad that is almost as thin and light as the iPad Mini is what I’m looking forward to most this year.
Apple announces 128GB iPad with Retina display will be available on February 5th
Just as the rumors foretold, Apple has just anounced a 128GB version of its fourth-generation iPad with Retina display — the Wi-Fi model costs $799, while the Wi-Fi plus LTE model costs a whopping $929.
I was hoping Apple would discontinue the 16 gig model and just double all the current storage and charge the same prices. I bet that happens when they release the new iPad next fall.
Apple Slashes iPhone 5 Part Orders Due to Weak Demand
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has slashed component orders for the iPhone 5 this quarter, responding to weaker-than-expected demand.
Bullshit.
