Thursday, May 19, 2011

GigaOMTheAppleBlog · Apple and iOS News, Tips and Reviews (9 сообщений)

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  • Apple's Cloud Music Service Could Use Local Storage, Patent Reveals

    A new patent published earlier this week describes a system of partial local storage of music for cloud-based streaming for use with Apple devices. It could be a preview of what Apple’s cloud music service will look like when it launches, something rumored to be happening soon.

    The patent, discovered by AppleInsider, describes a hybrid system whereby users can sync a portion of their music locally to their iOS device, with the remainder to be streamed remotely. The advantage would be that the device would have a sort of pre-loaded buffer of each song ready to go, so that playback would be instantaneous when users select a song, while in the background the bulk of the track is streamed from the cloud. It’s a smart approach, and one that bears some similarity to the system described behind HP’s planned music service for its upcoming TouchPad tablet.

    Also included in the patent is the suggestion that users can either choose to stream from their own library on a home computer or remote server, or directly from a larger content source, which AppleInsider interprets as Apple’s iTunes music library. If Apple is successful in securing license agreements with music labels, that option could definitely be on the table.

    It isn’t clear from the patent whether the partial syncing would be required for cloud music streaming, or just an option that users can enable or disable at their leisure. Certainly, it’s more appealing as an optional setting, since having it disabled would reduce the need to physically tether your iOS device to your computer for syncing.

    There has been lots of talk about how Apple might be able to offer a more attractive cloud streaming option than its competitors Google and Amazon, but specific details about what perks it could introduce have been vague and speculative so far. This patent reveals some very specific advantages. Being able to choose from a variety of streaming sources and the ability to start playback instantly with no waiting, regardless of your data connection’s quality, are all noteworthy options not offered by either Amazon or Google.

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  • When It Comes to Video, Why Is the iPhone a Second-Class Citizen?

    Comcast’s Xfinity TV app for iOS has been updated to allow iPhone and iPod touch users to get in on the on-demand streaming video action. Before the update arrived late Wednesday, streaming was restricted to iPad devices. The update is a welcome one, but I can’t help but wonder why the iPhone always gets treated like a second-class citizen when it comes to streaming video.

    Time Warner Cable and Cablevision have yet to introduce iPhone versions of their streaming video iPad apps, and even Netflix’s iPad client predated the arrival of the iPhone version by around five months. The ABC Player for iPad remains restricted to that platform, and here in Toronto, where major networks CityTV and Global both offer iPad apps, only Global also offers an iPhone version of the same content-streaming software — and its introduction only happened recently, months after the iPad app went live. There are many other examples of iPad-specific video apps without iPhone counterparts, too, like HGTV.

    In some ways, it makes sense: Due to its size, the iPad is a better video consumption device than the iPhone, even when one considers the iPhone 4′s Retina Display. Given the choice, I’d much rather watch video on my iPad than on my iPhone. But while I have the luxury of being able to choose, many more users don’t. Estimates for active iPhones and iPod touches are somewhere between 50 and 80 million, while there are only probably about 19 million iPads active worldwide, and that’s a generous estimate based solely on reported sales. Catering only to the iPad means that video apps are conceivably only reaching about one quarter of the potential iOS audience. While the iPhone may not be as good as the iPad for mobile viewing, it’s still an attractive option to owners of that device.

    Creating a universal or iPhone-specific version of an app is definitely a non-trivial undertaking, but it also isn’t an endeavor that could account for many months of delay between the release of an iPad and iPhone version on its own. There seems to be a consensus among video content providers that the iPad is for video, and the iPhone is not (or only sort of it, at a later date).

    Even though I have both an iPhone and an iPad, it’s a priority arrangement that doesn’t make much sense to me. I am far more likely to have my iPhone when I’m on the train or otherwise mobile, and that makes it my preferred video device in many instances. It’s frustrating to know that often, the content I’d like to use is available for another, slightly larger device with the same operating system, but not for the one I have with me.

    Maybe, in the case of cable companies, de-prioritizing the iPhone makes sense because the apps they create keep content in the home. But by that logic, even providing an iPad app could be considered pointless, since there are better viewing options available (i.e. the TV), and yet the apps are doing very well. In households without iPads, an iPhone app would probably do equally well.

    The iPad is newer, more exciting, and arguably better suited to video than either the iPhone or the iPod touch, but for the vast majority of iPhone owners who don’t have an option, platform limits for iOS video apps are a considerable drag. Content providers would do well to consider a reversal of the current paradigm and target the largest audience first, if they want to stand out from the crowd.

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  • Apple Reportedly Closer to Cloud Music Label Partnerships

    Apple users eager to see what the company has in store for cloud music may not have to wait long to find out, as Cupertino is said to have closed a cloud music licensing deal with EMI, according to Cnet . Apple is already said to have a deal in place with Warner Music Group , and is “very near” similar deals with both Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, according to various sources.

    While both Google and Amazon have already launched cloud music offerings of their own, which allow users to upload their music collections to remote servers for streaming on various devices, those companies both decided to launch without securing any special license privileges from record labels. Instead, both suggest that they don’t need any additional licenses to offer music owners a new alternative to local storage. Despite the stance, license negotiations are said to be ongoing behind the scenes, at least for Amazon.

    Support from record labels shouldn’t be discounted as an insignificant advantage in the cloud music race. Proper licenses mean Apple will be able to make music available in the cloud directly from time of purchase, eliminating the annoying step of requiring you to purchase and then upload your music separately, as users have to do with Google’s offering. And, like the music service Lala it acquired in late 2009, Apple should be able to provide a service that scans your existing iTunes library and provides instant streaming access to all licensed music it has in its collection. Considering some users have huge existing libraries that would take hours or even days to upload using Google’s service, for example, this would be a non-trivial advantage.

    Record labels are reportedly pulling for Apple in this case, since they’ve already been left out of the party by Google and Amazon. The hope is that Apple’s service will be much more attractive to users than either Google’s or Amazon’s, which could bring those companies back to the table and make them much more eager to negotiate new licensing deals.

    Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference begins June 6, and it’s supposed to be a software-focused event. A cloud music service is definitely a software product, and the unveiling of one by Apple at the event could help people get over an iPhone hardware refresh missing until later this year. If reports are true, all that remains before Apple can introduce the service is for a few remaining pieces to fall into place, so I think it’s likely we’ll see something musical at WWDC.

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  • Quick Tip: Enable iChat Encryption for Private Chats

    Most of the time what I say on iChat is unimportant and uninteresting and would bore any eavesdropper, but on occasion I need to type a password, a social security number, or an account number and I feel uncomfortable doing that over an unsecured connection, and too often forget I've got a great way of sharing such info securely thanks to MobileMe.

    Although many of us may have Google Chat, AOL, or Jabber accounts, the only way to get an encrypted channel is for both parties to have MobileMe/.Mac accounts.  If you aren't already using your MobileMe account in iChat, you'll have to first add it.  Go to Preferences and then under Accounts click the + icon.  Put in the name and password for your MobileMe account and click “Done.”

    Next you'll be presented with a dialog box confirming you want to enable encryption.

    By default it's enabled so you'll click continue.  If all goes well,  you'll get a confirmation the encryption certificate was requested and within a few minutes you'll be good to go.  I recommend quitting iChat and then opening it back up.  Check your account preferences and make sure that it says encryption is enabled.  If you use multiple accounts via iChat, make sure you begin your chat via your MobileMe account rather than one of the other services you use.  I log out of all other chat accounts just so I don't accidentally respond to the wrong chat with private info.

    If you already have your MobileMe account configured in iChat, simply be sure that you go to preferences and enable encryption.  If you haven't used encryption in a while, it may take MobileMe's servers a few minutes to enable it.

    Once all set up, if you want to tell someone the secrets of the universe, just be sure to look for the lock during your conversation to make sure encryption is enabled.  If it's not, Apple has some good troubleshooting tips, the obvious one being to make sure the person on the other end also has encryption enabled.

    Some caveats with secure iChat is the fact that it only works with Leopard and above, and no encryption system is foolproof, but I'd certainly feel more comfortable giving confidential secure info via encrypted iChat than over any unsecured channel.

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  • What to Expect From the Next iPhone

    Rumors are beginning to approach consensus with regards to Apple’s next iPhone, with much of that info coming from sources reportedly within Apple’s supply chain. Here’s a look at what Apple appears to be planning, and when you can expect to see it.

    The iPhone 4s

    DigiTimes joined the chorus of those claiming the next iPhone will be called the “4S” Wednesday. The “S” moniker was first used by Apple with the iPhone 3GS, which ostensibly stood for “speed.” According to the rumors of what we’ll see in the next iPhone, that S is no less appropriate. The name first was cited as an informal designation used for prototypes passed among Apple’s big-name development partners, but more recent reports from analysts and supply-side sources seem to agree that it will also be the name of the next shipping iPhone.

    Internal Updates in Keeping With iPad Refresh

    The next iPhone will be an evolutionary update according to most reports, along the lines of the changes made to the iPad 2′s internals. That means the likely addition of Apple’s latest, in-house designed A5 dual-core processor, and likely more RAM, too. The iPad 2 is said to have provided twice the processing power, and nine times the graphics performance of its predecessor by Apple. Expect similar gains in performance for the iPhone 4S.

    Better Cameras

    Another point almost all recent rumors agree on is that the iPhone 4S will have better cameras than its predecessor. The rear camera will be an 8-megapixel model, according to DigiTimes, which would best the current 5-megapixel sensor found in the iPhone 4. Earlier reports suggested both cameras would be improved, and its possible Apple would opt to include an HD video-capable front camera for use with FaceTime HD, which is available on new iMac and MacBook Pro hardware.

    Better Cellular Network Chips

    While LTE isn’t apparently on the table, reports claim that the next iPhone will support HSPA+ networks, which should provide mobile broadband speed boosts where carriers offer that type of network. DigiTimes reports that Qualcomm will be the sole provider of both GSM and CDMA chips in the next iPhone, though it doesn’t indicate whether those chips will support switching between protocols, as in a true dual-mode world phone. At least one analyst reports suggests that will indeed be the case, however.

    Edge-to-Edge Screen

    According to case designs, the next iPhone could have a larger, edge-to-edge screen that would provide a similar screen ratio to the iPad. The cases come from AliBaba, a B2B trading site servicing the Asian market. The site has proven accurate with case designs for unreleased Apple products in the past, and earlier rumors stemming from what are said to be engineering drawings show the same edge-to-edge screen. A larger screen has long been a subject of debate, including between me and my colleague Kevin Tofel.

    More Carriers

    Analyst Peter Misek of Jeffries & Co. said that Apple is working with Sprint, T-Mobile and China Mobile to expand the next iPhone’s carrier availability. More recently, a job ad popped up that cited familiarity with Sprint’s CDMA network as a valuable asset for the desired candidate.

    Arriving Fall or Later

    Those putting off a new smartphone purchase in hopes of waiting for the next iPhone will find it discouraging that most rumors now point to a fall release date. The only report to put a specific date on its release is from UK retailer Phones4U that cites Nov. 21. A Phones4U customer service rep told T3 that the phone was “delayed until November following an issue with the handset’s software.” While it’s unlikely that person had access to accurate information, this report is only one of many that cite a later release date. Almost none have surfaced recently to suggest a June release in keeping with previous hardware iterations.

    Even if the next iPhone only boasts the relatively unglamorous updates listed above, and doesn’t arrive until fall, expect it to still succeed among consumers. If released alongside a major software update, as seems likely, it’ll still refine the experience of owning and using a smartphone, and it’ll still more than keep pace with the competition when it comes to how users will actually be using their phones for the next year, even without fancy additions like NFC. New iPhone hardware may not dazzle, but combined with iOS 5, new cloud computing and music offerings, and OS X Lion integration, Apple will still put on quite a show in mobile in 2011.

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  • Apple Is Instrumental to Intel's Roadmap, Says Executive

    Apple “helps shape” Intel’s road map, according to Intel SVP Tom Kilroy. Kilroy told Reuters  that the iPad and Apple’s other successes play a big role in how Intel thinks about the future of computing devices and the chips that power them, at the news organization’s Global Technology Summit in New York City on Wednesday.

    It’s interesting that Intel looks to the iPad, because Apple uses its own, in-house A4 and A5 processors in that tablet, which are based on technology licensed by ARM, Intel’s primary chip design competitor for mobile devices. Recent rumors have suggested Apple may be considering a move to similar ARM-based designs for its MacBook line, though that wouldn’t be possible for at least another couple of years. Kilroy dismissed such speculation, citing the comparative power of Intel and ARM chips:

    Go look at the performance of those platforms. They’re taking our latest and high-end end versions of second-generation core, and ARM doesn’t even come close to any capability there.

    He wouldn’t go so far as to guarantee that Intel will be included in future MacBook products, but obviously that’s not something Apple would ever allow a manufacturing partner to do, even if a deal was in fact in place.

    Meanwhile, at Intel’s annual investor day yesterday, CEO Paul Otellini addressed the perception that Intel is losing the mobile processing game by pointing out that his company still makes the most money on smartphones and tablets today. He says (via Barron’s) that’s because “the money is in the infrastructure,” and Intel is still very much the leader in supplying data-center oriented processors, which are in high demand to support connected mobile devices.

    Otellini also brought up Intel’s role as a chip foundry, noting, “[i]f you look at the profitability around the smartphone chips, it’s mostly going to the foundry guys.” Intel is reportedly interested in becoming a foundry partner for Apple, which seems to want to expand beyond its main processor supplier for the iPad, Samsung. Samsung is arguably Apple’s most significant hardware competitor when it comes to mobile devices, thanks to the successful Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets.

    Apple just unveiled new iMacs featuring the Intel Sandy Bridge line of processors, and the company is expected to release similarly equipped MacBook Air notebooks soon. According to all the obvious signs, the relationship between Apple and Intel has never been tighter. Intel could do far worse than hitch its mobile hopes to Apple’s wagon, and between Apple’s NC data center and a foundry deal, it would certainly be doing just that.

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  • Apple Stores Reportedly Getting 10th Anniversary Makeover

    Blacked out Apple Store in Durham, NC, before the iPad 2 launch

    Earlier this week, BGR cited a “solid” source concerning a possible “major product launch” in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Apple retail. Details focused on mysterious “hardware” that had already been received, overnight shifts this weekend, black helicopters curtains, and the always insanely tight security. Of course, the longtime Appleologist would be rightly be skeptical at the company launching a new product on a Monday, unless the new product was the Apple Store itself.

    Like pieces in a puzzle, additional rumors are putting together a picture of a new retail experience to start the second decade of the Apple Store. 9to5 Mac has coined it the “Apple Store 2.0 event,” citing a source that provided “a load” of tantalizing unconfirmed information.

    9to5 Mac asserts the new retail experience has been in planning for a while, led by CEO Steve Jobs and VP of Retail Ron Johnson. That makes sense, as the original Apple Store design was heavily influenced by those two. Supposedly, Apple industrial design wizard Jonathan Ive has also been involved with the planned changes.

    Those changes reportedly include more emphasis on personal services relating to new products. Last quarter, Apple set up more than a million products for customers for free. Supposedly, a dedicated part of the store will be used for personal setup going forward.

    In terms of the shopping experience, signage next to Apple products like Macs will be replaced with iPads, presumably to provide information displays. There will also be new, “huge” displays in some stores, as well as new sound systems. A few stores currently have wall-screen projectors. There will also be a new Apple Store app, if that’s not being too redundant, that will help guide consumers through a local shopping experience.

    AppleInsider, citing sources “familiar” with Apple retail, suggests Apple is preparing to have employees use iPads on the floor. It’s unknown whether the iPads would replace the current EasyPay terminals used with the iPod touch, or perhaps be complementary. Those iPads could be the hardware BGR referenced.

    It’s looking more and more like these rumors will pan out. That means besides a press release on Monday, expect some kind of carefully staged unveiling at a flagship store with at least some Apple executives present, if not Steve Jobs himself.

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  • No LTE iPhone in 2011 Because There's No LTE

    Verizon LTE Coverage

    The on-again, mostly off-again rumor of an LTE iPhone is likely to remain off for the rest of 2011, at least according to the latest from DigiTimes. Citing “industry sources,” DigiTimes reports, “problems concerning yield rates of LTE chips offered by Qualcomm” is the latest issue with an LTE iPhone. Of course, the real problem remains a lack of coverage.

    Despite Verizon’s attempt at obfuscation in the chart above, the only U.S. carrier with 4G service worth mentioning doesn’t have much to show for LTE so far. Only cities with the yellow circles actually have the service, the green stars being planned for later this year. Not surprisingly, that’s still better than AT&T, which claims “4G” service with its HSPA+ upgrade, with LTE having an “initial” launch sometime this year. That’s important to the prospects of an LTE iPhone, because Apple still sells about a third of its iPhones in the U.S., making it easily the single largest market.

    Internationally, the situation is even less favorable for an LTE iPhone, though there is interest, notably in China. Last month, Bloomberg reported Chairman of China Mobile Wang Jianzhou said Steve Jobs had “expressed his interest in an LTE iPhone and is willing to start the development at an early date.” China Mobile is the world’s largest mobile phone provider, with more than 600 million subscribers. China Mobile is currently in the process of large-scale testing of TD-LTE networks in several large cities.

    It’s also rumored China Mobile may be getting the next generation of iPhone for its TD-SCDMA network. That makes sense for Apple, as the company has explicitly stated China is a major focus for future growth. However, it’s unlikely LTE networks will reach maturity in China by even the end of 2012, unlike in the U.S. Since coverage should be quite good by 2012, we can very likely expect an LTE iPhone to debut in the U.S. next year. For that reason, the rumored iPhone 4S for this fall will be the first model I pass on. How about you?

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  • Report: MacBook Air Update Coming in June or July

    Apple is looking to start production of new MacBook Airs in late May, in preparation for a product launch in June or July, according to Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes. The new Air would feature Intel Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt ports, according to this and earlier reports.

    DigiTimes has found that primary suppliers for the MacBook Air will remain the same, and that both the 11.6- and 13.3-inch models will continue to be produced. The source of the info is said to be “makers in the supply chain,” although none would go on record since Apple never reveals info about future product releases early and wouldn’t be too pleased with its suppliers doing the same.

    Rumors that Apple would be introducing a refresh of the new MacBook Air, which received a major overhaul in October of 2010, have been circulating for some time now. Some suspect a new Air could be unveiled at WWDC this year. Another possibility is that Apple is planning to launch it alongside the official public release of OS X Lion, the next iteration of its Mac operating system. Lion has a lot of features that make the Air the perfect platform for showing it off, like the ability to resume state on power on, and auto-save features that make the most sense in a mobile computer.

    A new Air within the next couple of months also makes sense because it sets up Apple’s computer line-up for the third quarter of 2011, which is when computer-makers traditionally see their peak volume for the year. The MacBook Air has, by all accounts, been a success since its redesign last year, but it still uses an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Upgrading to the Sandy Bridge platform will provide better power usage, better graphics and better performance, and make the Air much more attractive to back-to-school notebook buyers.

    The MacBook Air is the most exciting product in Apple’s Mac line, in my opinion, and I think a well-timed update that coincides with the release of Apple’s most significant operating system update in many years is a recipe for success. An update like the one described in this new report is definitely in the pipeline, and this timeline does make a lot of sense. Anyone putting their money down if this does come to pass?

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