
Here are some other interesting roots from the grapevine:
* The actual release date hasn't been set, but March 26 is very likely.
* The 3G versions won't be available until April or May.
* Commercials will start airing on March 15. E-book capabilities will be emphasized.
* People who camp out for the iPad lauch will receive a "special gift." Via
Examiner.com
PreCentral is reporting that a "tipster" has told them webOS 1.4 will be released on February 25th.
Stay tuned.
Labels: iPad, palm webos, rumors

Labels: palm, palm webos, rumors
MacDailyNews is reporting that Apple will rename iPhone OS to iOS.
in order to better reflect the diversity of devices that will run the operating system: iPhone, iPod touch, and "future devices to be announced."
With a little more than 24 hours to go until Apple's event, "Apple Tablet" mania is in full swing complete with pictures claiming to be the device. PocketLink has posted the above picture claiming it to be "real but doctored". Check out PocketLink for another shot of the supposed tablet.
"'Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone,' said Taipei-based Chen, a member of Asia’s top-ranked technology hardware research team," Culpan and Engle report. "The handset will feature a new plastic casing similar to that used for Apple’s touch-panel Magic Mouse released last year, he said."
Culpan and Engle report, "Magic Mouse, a computer mouse released in October, has a touch-sensitive solid plastic shell that replaces mechanical buttons. The technology may be replicated in the new iPhone to offer touch-sensitive features on the rear of the handset, Chen said." Via MacDailyNews .
This would be a welcomed addition. I can't tell ya how many times I've tried to do this on my iPhone 3GS since it's become second nature and so intuitive doing it on my Palm Pre.
* The tablet’s multi-touch gestures are “out of control.”
* It’s powered by an incredibly fast ARM CPU
* It runs on the iPhone kernel.
* The internal model number is K48AP.
* There hasn’t been an updated iPhone OS build because there’s too much tablet-related code/references in the OS and Apple obviously didn’t want that to leak. Oops.
* The tablet is basically an “iPhone on steroids.”
* iPhone 4.0 OS to allow multitasking (run more than one application at once)
* OLED screen
* live video chat
* possible removable battery
* dual core processors
* better video chip
* an earlier than usual release in April/May
Stay tuned.
MacRumors has uncovered some major Apple news. Apple acquired the website islate.com. Apple is expected to announce a tablet device in 2010 and if history repeats itself the name may be exposed as iSlate. Apple had acquired macbookair.com before the company introduced the MacBook Air.
Labels: apple, att, iphone 3GS, rumors
Word on the street is Apple will be announcing some brand new hardware tomorrow.
New iMacs
Plastic MacBooks
New Mac Minis
A multitouch "Magic Mouse"
"Multitouch desktop trackpad"
Via Engadget .
Stay tuned to see how this plays out.
A reliable source emailed me today when the Verizon/Pre story broke and told me that Verizon "might" pass on the Pre, not because they don't want it, but there's a "great" possibility that Verizon would be the exclusive carrier of an unannounced Palm webOS device in the near future. Palm has made it clear that there are more Palm webOS devices in the pipeline, so if Verizon did pass on the Pre it could be because they will get the exclusivity on a new Palm webOS device. This source is very reliable. Stay tuned.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, rumors, verizon
Labels: itunes, palm webos, pre, rumors, sprint
Shares of the Sunnyvale mobile device maker (NASDAQ:PALM) rose almost 14 percent on Monday to close at $15.95 a share. Palm rose strongly earlier this year after it introduced its Pre smart phone, hitting $16.80 a share on July 1 after drifting as low as $1.14 in December.
But its shares fell below $14 this month based on reports of sluggish sales of the Pre and a disappointing earnings report on Sept. 17.
The shares closed at $17.07 on Tuesday, up about 7 percent from Monday's close.
The rumor that Nokia might want to buy Palm sent its shares up 13 percent in Frankfurt before the U.S. market opened, despite skepticism from analysts there about such a deal." Via Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal .
"The tablet PC [wince] features a 9.6-inch screen, finger-touch function and built-in HSPDA (high speed download packet access) module, and adopts a P.A. SEMI processor chip and long lasting battery pack, selling for between US$799 and US$999," Chuang reports.
Chuang continues, "DynaPack International Technology Corp. has been exclusively contracted to supply up to 300,000 units of long lasting battery packs a month for Apple`s newest tablet PCs... Wanshih Electronic Co., Ltd., a leading supplier of PC mini coaxial cables in Taiwan, is expected to absorb around 70% of Apple's orders for mini coaxial cables for the tablet PCs [wince]... Mag. Layers Scientific-Technics Co., Ltd. and Wintek Corp. will supply power chokes and touch panels, respectively, for use in Apple`s newest tablet PCs [wince]." MacDailyNews .
A person with a strong track record in predicting Apple's upcoming product launches recently told AppleInsider that the iPod maker has experienced technical problems (bad parts) with the cameras modules. The person said that it was uncertain whether the new hardware, which has been widely expected to debut at Wednesday's "Only rock and roll" media-centric event, would make the cut for early September retail distribution." Via AppleInsider .
Everyone is waiting for Apple to announce a Mac tablet computer, the above picture is supposedly a "pre release shot of Apple's website featuring their upcoming/unannounced MacBook Touch". It's not Apple's nature to make this kind of mistake, but could it be?? Stay tuned.
Apple’s product roadmap for the next year is likely to include iPods with video cameras, a tablet computer, a low-end Macbook and an upgrade for Apple TV, according to reports on Friday.
Reitzers said he expected Apple to launch iPods with cameras before the end of August and a new tablet computer in the first half of 2010." Via PC Authority .
"The talks come as Apple is separately racing to offer a portable, full-featured, tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season, in what the entertainment industry hopes will be a new revolution. The device could be launched alongside the new content deals, including those aimed at stimulating sales of CD-length music, according to people briefed on the project," Garrahan, Li, and Menn report.
"Apple is working with EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group, on a project the company has codenamed 'Cocktail,' according to four people familiar with the situation," Garrahan, Li, and Menn report. "The labels and Apple are working towards a September launch date for the project, which aims to boost interest in albums by bundling liner notes and video clips with the music."
"The new touch-sensitive device Apple is working on will have a screen that may be up to 10 inches diagonally. It will connect to the internet like the iPod Touch – probably without phone capability but with access to Apple’s online stores," Garrahan, Li, and Menn report. . "It’s going to be fabulous for watching movies,' said one entertainment executive. Book publishers have been in talks with Apple and are optimistic about their services being offered with the new computer, which could provide an alternative to Amazon’s Kindle."
"Taiwan's high-tech supply chain companies said Apple will debut its first netbook in October; Apple will pose itself to tackle the Christmas shopping season. Three corporations – Foxconn, Wintek, Dynapack have received direct orders from Apple.
Because Apple will adopt touch screen technology on its netbooks, Apple will not target low-end consumers, avoiding direct competition with Acer, Asus, as well as their less-than-500-dollars netbooks. Apple's netbook (or a "tablet" as many call it,) will probably be sold at around $800 USD each."
Via Gizmodo .
Engadget has posted a picture of what's claiming to be a case for a next generation iPod nano featuring a camera.
Macsimum News is reporting that a new case for an iPod touch 3G has popped up online. The iPod touch 3G does not exist (yet), it is believed that Apple will be releasing an updated iPod touch and iPod nano that will feature a camera (the above case has a cut out where the camera is expected to be). These are expected somewhere in the late August - September time frame.
Labels: accessories, ipod, rumors, touch
The rumors of Dell getting into the smartphone arena have been going on for years now. The above picture was leaked showing what appears to be a Dell branded smartphone running Android. Via EngadgetMobile .
MacDailyNews has a picture of an iPhone claiming to be the 4th generation iPhone. We'll know very soon. Stay tuned for news from Apple's WWDC today.
With all the Pre coverage it's time to be fair and report on other things non-Pre. TUAW has posted a screenshot of what might be coming soon to AT&T's iPhone support website. Would Apple name the new iPhone, iPhone video? We'll find out Monday June 8th @ the WWDC. Stay tuned
Labels: macbook air, rumors
iLounge has gotten word from a source who has a perfect track record with them that Apple will soon unveil a new iPod nano 5th generation with a built in camera.

I was reading an article on the Reuters' website this morning and an article on Wal-Mart caught my eye. In the article, Reuters was reporting on how "Wally World" was revamping their electronics department in an attempt to bring in customers who had been formerly shopping at the now defunct Circuit City stores.
At the end of the short article, the following was written:
"Wal-Mart executives said the stores would soon offer Palm Inc's Pre smartphone, a highly anticipated gadget. The retailer also is adding to its selection of higher-end televisions by manufacturers Sony Corp and Samsung Electronics Co, and broadening its array of movies, the newspaper said."
It has been a long time since I've been in a Wal-Mart electronics department and I didn't know if Wal-Mart has partnered with Sprint for retail sales. I'll have to stop by one or both of the local stores to see if they carry Sprint phones. If they don't, either the unnamed Wal-Mart executive was wrong or this could be an indication that a GSM Palm Pre might become available sooner than we originally though in the US. My personal guess is that a GSM Pre will go on sale here in the States late in 2009 at the earliest, with the first round of GSM Pre smartphones going to Vodafone first.
Read the full Reuters article...
[Via SmartphoneFanatics.com...]
"A whole new rabbit hole to jump down. One of our better sources indicated to us that Palm is “very far along” on a second Pre-like device and currently has plans to put it on the market in the late part of 2009, possibly as early as the Fall.
The details are still slim - it’s a smaller device (and hopefully that means slimmer), but it will run Palm’s new WebOS operating system that everyone is raving about. We’re trying to determine if the device has a physical keyboard - no word on that yet."
Labels: palm, palm. treo, pre, rumors
Mr. Seidenberg also addressed the notion of Apple Inc.'s iPhone ever coming to the Verizon Wireless network, saying it is more likely that Apple would be willing to work with the carrier under the fourth-generation, or 4G, network, which follows the same technology standard as AT&T Inc.'s 4G plans." Via PC World
More importantly is there are 2 launch dates. The memo also reportedly says Sprint retail stores will begin receiving the Pre in late April for a targeted launch of May 17th (if this is true expect to see Pre retail box pics showing up online, and people trying to score a Pre early). The next date is June 29th if retail inventory appears to be low for the May 17th launch. Sounds a little crazy, but one of these launch date rumors we're seeing every day is going to end up being real.
"Employees had also noted that Sprint does not typically institute vacation/paid time off freezes in May, lending credence to the rumors of a late April-mid May launch while also falling inline with the oft-repeated first-half 2009 launch window first confirmed at CES."
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, rumors, sprint
A posting by someone identified as "Inittowinit" on the Everything Treo forum claimed that a Sprint Nextel Corp. customer-service representative on Saturday said that the Pre would be available on April 15 or 16 and that it would cost $300 after discounts with a two-year agreement." Via ComputerWorld .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, rumors, sprint
Palm is going to have to launch the Pre ASAP. Apple's WWWDC is taking place June 8th-12th. Apple used last year's WWDC to officially announce the iPhone 3G. It's widely expected that Apple will announce a new iPhone at the WWDC. So time is ticking for Palm.
Labels: palm webos, pre, rumors, sprint
* New iPhone announcement around mid-June (duh)
* New iPhone will be faster and have a more seamless experience unmatched by any device (could be just talking about 3.0, but we think it’s also a new iPhone)
* U-Verse iPhone application; will allow control of your home DVR (play, pause, rewind, etc.)
* The annual iPhone launch is “becoming a tradition.”
* Nothing official is being confirmed, but they said that people should prep for an exciting time this summer.
* AT&T is said to be working with Apple to create a unified product with an unparalleled experience across all their products and services.
* Apple’s 3.0 software should tell us where the iPhone platform is going… uh, k?
* They said customers shouldn’t need to choose from AT&T’s high-end devices because of features, they should choose based on preferences. The gap in capability should be filled with the new iPhone. Ok, bets on slide out QWERTY, autofocus camera, video sharing, blah blah?
* Seems like the higher speed HSDPA (7.2Mbps) is being hinted at too which should confirm the earlier rumors of the new Infineon chipset.
"Taiwan touchscreen specialist Wintek already makes small screens for Apple iPhones, and has received orders for the larger ones that are roughly the same size as those used in mini PCs, said the source close to the Taiwan firm. He asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
He added that he did not know what the final product would be, or who would make it.
Wintek spokesman James Chen confirmed Apple was a major client of his company, but declined to comment on any new product development.
Taiwan media reported this week that Apple, which has brought touchscreens to the forefront with the success of its iPhones, is currently developing a touchscreen PC, as lines begin to blur between sophisticated smartphones and traditional PCs."
Via MacDailyNews .
Someone posted the above video online claiming it's the new Mac Mini. Stay tuned.
Labels: apple, apple. mac, rumors
MacRumors has discovered a reference to a new iPhone in the latest 2.2.1 firmware.
"Apple uses these models numbers to distinguish between different hardware models. The original iPhone carries the model number of "iPhone 1,1" while the 3G iPhone is labeled "iPhone 1,2". These numbers do not change for simple storage increases and instead represent functionally different devices."
An ad network is also reporting web hits from an iPhone 2,1.
Phil Schiller, Apple's Vice President of World Product Marketing recently said:
Apple's natural product timelines and acknowledged that June is the usual timeframe for major iPhone revisions, although storage increases could happen at any time.
"TreoCentral forum member Vyruz Reaper said:
News on the market is palm pre will be avail 2/15. This is from the same source I got some info on for the palm 800w coming out... he was 75% accurate with his info on the 800 and its release."
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, rumors, sprint
Jason Oxman of the CEA confirmed Saturday that the group "dedicated a special area at the 2010 CES to Apple-related CE manufacturers." That immediately sets up an alternative for companies thinking about exhibiting at Macworld 2010, which will not have Apple present for the first time in 12 years.
"We decided to create this special area based on discussions we've had with companies regarding 2010 show participation. We are pleased with the feedback we've received regarding this space," Oxman said in an e-mail.
Oxman, however, deferred all questions regarding whether Apple would participate to the company itself, which did not return calls Friday and Saturday seeking comment on reports that it will be involved. "(Apple) is a member of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and we are delighted to have a longstanding relationship with them," he said." Via CNET .
Crunch Gear.com has what they claim to be an exclusive mock up of what will be Palm's new Nova smartphone. This is Gear's exclusive, so I won't be a fly in their soup.
Make the jump to CrunchGear.com...
Photo courtesy of Crunch Gear.
AppleInsider has posted some pictures of an iPhone nano knockoff that is currently being sold in Thailand. Is it really a knockoff if the knockoff isn't knocking off? Where's the iPhone nano? ;)
I'm not sure about the whole iPhone nano being announced at MacWorld. Would Steve Jobs really let Phil Schiller do the honors of unveiling an iPhone nano?? Stay tuned.
AppleInsider is reporting that a 3rd party case maker has begun selling cases for an iPhone nano. Apple has not released or announced an iPhone nano (yet), but that's not stopping XSKN from making and selling the cases. This is the same site that began selling cases for the iPhone 3G and the 4th generation iPod nano before Apple announced them, so there might be some truth to this rumor.
Labels: accessories, iphone, rumors
It looks like the rumors from last week about a 4GB Apple iPhone heading to Wal-Mart are true if the Barron's Tech Trader Daily website sources are correct. Barron's writes:
"Remember last week’s rumor that Wal-Mart (WMT) is about to start selling Apple (AAPL) iPhones?Apparently, it’s true. Both Bloomberg and the San Jose Mercury News quote employees at various Wal-Mart stores saying they expect to start selling the phone before the end of the month, likely between Christmas and New Year’s Day - maybe sooner.
According to the Merc, Kim Nguyen, manager of the cell phone department at the Milpitas Wal-Mart, said she was told by an AT&T representative that her store would be getting a 4 GB model. She also said the store was supposed to get some iPhones two days before Christmas."
Via Tech Trader Daily...
Labels: apple. iphone, rumors
"Mr. Jobs answered that decades-old complaint by stating, 'We don’t know how to build a sub-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk.' He argued instead that the company’s mission was to add more value for customers at current price points," Markoff reports.
"However, he gave a more nuanced answer to the question of whether Apple plans to jump into the 'nascent' market for netbooks, essentially restating his comments on the question from last week at the Macbook introduction in Cupertino by saying the company was taking a wait-and-see attitude," Markoff reports. "At the same time, he noted that the company already had a powerful entry in the category: the iPhone. (By that standard, Apple is already the dominant netbook manufacturer by orders of magnitude.)"
"Mr. Jobs also said the company “had some pretty interesting” ideas if the category continues to evolve," Markoff reports.
"UPDATED: That would seem to confirm findings that a search engine company shared with me on condition that I not reveal its name: The company spotted Web visits from an unannounced Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook," Markoff reports. "Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0?" Via MacDailyNews .
Engadget has posted a picture of what it supposed to be the new MacBook Pro Steve Jobs will announce tomorrow.
Labels: apple, macbook pro, rumors
"The inside shell, around the keyboard and the screen will be aluminum and that one piece structure will be the skeleton of the laptop," Nettles reports.
"It will be two-tone," Nettles reports. "Think if a iMac and a MacBook Air had offspring. Thinner than its predecessor. They are going to sell a lot of these." Via MacDailyNews .
"According to the source, Apple retail stores have been given price sheets that list 12 price points for the new range, with prices between $800-$3100. Current lines only have 8 price points, 3 Macbooks starting at $1099, 3 Macbook Pros and 2 Macbook Airs. According to the source, retail outlets usually get the price lists 10 days before products hit the market," Riley reports. "Technical specs for the new laptops were not included on the price sheet." Via MacDailyNews
Labels: apple, macbook, macbook pro, rumors
Verizon was Apple's first choice for the original iPhone, but Verizon rejected it because they did not want to give Apple full control over iPhone distribution.
It's no secret that Apple is going to refresh the MacBook Pro and MacBook lines, and a new blurry picture has leaked on to the internet claiming to be the new MacBook Pro. This picture leaked out as AppleInsider reported the design changes coming to the MacBook Pro and MacBook.
"Production ready versions of Apple's next-generation MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks have surfaced stateside in matching attire, according to reports."
"According to the latest reports, both the new 13-inch MacBooks and 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros will share similarities not only in their employment of aluminum enclosures, but in their overall aesthetic as well, with the new 13-inch MacBooks for the first time matching their higher-priced cousins as if they were members of the same product family," AppleInsider reports.
"The new designs were described as a cross between the 13-inch MacBook Air introduced this January and the aluminum iMacs that made their debut during the summer of 2007,"
Labels: apple, macbook, macbook pro, rumors
Kevin Rose doesn't have the greatest track record when uncoverin upcoming Apple products. Remember his prediction of the 1sy iPhone being on CDMA, GSM networks, have a slide out keyboard, and seperate removable batteries for the phone part abd iPod part? Well he's doing it again, this time he's providing a picture of the rumored redesigned iPod nano. He's also reporting:
- Revamp of entire iPod line.
- Small cosmetic changes to Touch, Nano to see significant redesign (see pic below).
- iPods to see fairly large price drops to distance itself from the $199 iPhone.
- iPod touch 2.1 software, iPhone to get update very soon after.
- iTunes 8.0 ("it's a big update w/new features").
- All of this coming in the next 2-3 weeks.
- iPhone will launch in 20 countries on July 11th: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US. (France and Belgium launches have been delayed)
- In the U.S., the iPhone 3G will be sold at Apple Retail or AT&T stores.
- iPhone 3G sales time is rumored to be 6PM on Friday, July 11th
- If all countries launch the new iPhone at the same local time (6pm), then New Zealand will be the first country where customers will have 3G iPhones in hand. This corresponds to 2am Eastern time on July 11th
- Reports of required in-store activation in the U.S. remain, but one unconfirmed tidbit we've heard is that customers with existing iPhones will be shunted to a separate line and will simply need provide the new IMEI number (printed on the outside of the box) from their iPhone 3G. Activation will reportedly then be completed at home after switching your sim card to the new phone and plugging into iTunes. If true, this would speed up sales for those upgrading their existing phones and also leave the iPhone 3G's packaging intact (to the relief of many).
Let's hope that the rumor about existing iPhone owners being able to activate at home is true.
Later this summer, it would appear that Palm is planning on releasing some ROM upgrades for their devices.
Of particular note is the Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional for the Verizon Treo 700wx. Note that this is not a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional upgrade and it will not be made available for the Verizon Treo 700w. (The Treo 700w has 32MB of RAM versus the 64MB on the Treo 700wx.) Palm is also reportedly working on two minor upgrades for the Sprint Centro and Treo 755p for Verizon that will likely be released later this year.
According to the latest rumor, the Windows Mobile 6.0 update for the Treo 700wx is no different than the already released update for the AT&T Treo 750. Also like the Windows Mobile 6.0 update for the Treo 750, there are some important things to consider before applying the upgrade:
[Thanks to Ain't No Snitch for the tip.]
[Via FoleoFanatics...]
Labels: palm, palm os, rumors, windows mobile

CrunchGear has tons of pictures of what they're claiming is the real 3G iPhone. According to the pictures from the Apple & or AT&T promotional material the new iPhone will be available in black, as well as a red version for Product (RED).
If this is legit, the new iPhone will be thinner than the original, same screen size as the original, have tapered edges similar to the MacBook Air, and will also include a front facing camera for iChat AV.
According to the promotional material it says:
"Video just became a little more fun. Start a real time video chat with other AT&T subscribers via 3G networking, or with iChat buddies via WiFi. The video calling revolution has begun."
The promotional material also shows that Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista will be required to use iChat. CrunchGear believes that Apple will be launching a version of iChat for Windows just like they did with Safari.
Check out CrunchGear for more pictures and updates.
This could turn out to be a fake, but we only have 2 days to go before Steve Jobs shows the world the real deal, so hang in there iPhone fan boys!!
In its report, however, ValleyWag adds that the set took two days to construct on the same Warner Bros. lot lot used to film the movie "The Perfect Storm." It added that film from the shoot will be shown off during Steve Jobs' opening keynote address at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference.
In speaking to AppleInsider, one person familiar with the filming claims that one of the scenes portrayed two CIA-type individuals trekking through the halls of a high tech building carrying an aluminum case. After a series of mundane corridors, they arrive at an Apple Store Genius Bar where they open to case to reveal the "product." Via AppleInsider.
Labels: apple. iphone, rumors
AppleInsider is reporting that the first third-party native iPhone applications will be ready Monday (iPhone OS 2.0 would have to be released Monday for this to happen).
Apple will announce immediate availability of the new iPhone for some regions next week.
Here's to hoping these rumors are facts come Monday.
The above pictures are what could be the 3G iPhone (or not) according to MacFreak . We'll know for sure in less than 2 weeks.
Tam over at TamsPPC has posted the supposed product specifications for the unannounced Treo 850 smartphone. Tam claims to have received the specs for the upcoming Treo from a source at Palm.
In the article posted on TamsPPC, the source writes:
"This is not the PalmOS version of the Centro. (I think they mean Windows Mobile version).It can be regarded as the evolution of the 750 line of devices. The unit is a little wider, but much slimmer than the Centro, it’s 175 MB for user), 32 MB SDRAM and Windows Mobile Pro 6.1.
The Codename for this unit was 'Skywriter' "
Tam goes on to list the specs for the Palm Treo 850 as the following:
- 14 mm in thickness, width 60 mm and length 113 mm
- GSM, EDGE and UMTS HSDPA 3.6
- assisted-GPS receiver
- Wi-FI b/g
- 320*320 screen, touch panel
- micro-SD slot under the battery
- 2 MP camera
- 1500 mAh battery
- a micro-USB connector for both power and sync
- bluetooth 2.0 EDR + A2DP, 256 MB NAND-Flash (> 175 MB for user), 32 MB SDRAM
- Windows Mobile Pro 6.1
![]()
Treo 850 comparison pic with the BlackBerry 8800. (Palm has finally realized thin is in) :)
All-in-all, this looks like it is going to be a solid device that will make many of Palm's customers happily fork over the cash to upgrade from older Treo products.
***Editor's note*** The Treo 850 is shaping up to be a VERY impressive device, just look at how thin and powerful it is . Palm is finally going head to head in features and design against the HTC's, and BlackBerry's of the smartphone market, and all I can say is it's about time!!
Pictures from The Boy Genius Report .
Labels: palm. treo, rumors, windows mobile
The Commercial Times also cited sources at component suppliers as saying they have been instructed by Apple to begin preparing material supplies by the end of May.
Shipments of the 3G iPhone are expected to top three million units in June with the model likely to ship a total of 24-25 million units throughout its life-cycle, the paper added.
Reports of a 3G version iPhone are all unconfirmed at present, although industry watchers are fairly confident an announcement will be made at or around Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 (WWDC 2008) in June based on the current high market demand for the device, plus the proposed timing of the announcement, approximately one year after Apple launched the first-generation iPhone, is characteristic for the company.
Foxconn is currently the sole manufacturer of first-generation iPhones."
"These thoughts put aside, prices of the 3G iPhone may be what most of potential buyers may be interested in. Our sources told us that there will be at least two models, one with 8 GB and one with 16 GB memory, priced at $399 and $499, respectively. This pricing structure is identical to current iPhones There is a chance that we could see a 32 GB version for $599, but we were not able to receive a confirmation for this claim.
The iPhone itself will come with a slightly thinner body, which sheds about 2.5 mm when compared to the original iPhone. The casing, we are told, will see revisions in its appearance, removing some of the “plasticky” feeling of some parts. There will not be any significant changes to the operating system as well as the graphical user interface, but we did hear that the accelerometer has been tuned a bit. Unfortunately, Apple decided to stick with a non-removable battery."
iPod Observer has posted a picutre that alleges to be the 3G iPhone. You can see that the iPhone in the picture has a glossy black case compared to the aluminum case of the original iPhone. One reason for Apple to replace the aluminum case with a plastic case is better reception for the 3G radio. The iPhone in the picture also shows that it is an 8GB iPhone, would Apple release an 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB 3G iPhone? As with all rumored Appke products we see "leaks" that usually turn out to be fakes, so take this with a grain of salt. Stay tuned.
"* One of our readers, Jon Cotton, found a mention of a "MacBook Air" on one of Adium's usage log reports. Subsequent verification from Google Cache reveals that this log entry was made on January 9th, BEFORE the Macworld posters were revealed. Therefore, someone would have had to have known about the posters and made the reference to "Air"."
Stay tuned to see how this rumor pans out.

Did Microsoft's Bill Gates "out" Palm's rumored Treo "Drucker"?
Over the weekend, Gadgets On the Go covered a leaked product roadmap from Vodafone that showed two slides of upcoming Windows Mobile-based Palm Treo smartphones. The high-end device, code named "Drucker" did not have an image. Did Bill Gates, accidentally give us a sneak-peek at the new device rumored to be due out by mid-year?
"Drucker", if the leaked information is to be believed, will include a built-in Wi-Fi radio (a first for Palm), Windows Mobile 6.1, a 320x320 display, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 2.0MP camera.
Photo Credit: Engadget.com
SprintUsers.com forum member TheRobin has posted what appears to be a promotional photo of the rumored pink Palm Centro that is expected to arrive on Sprint sometime in January or February 2008.
The information on the release date has been all over the map with rumored launch dates of January 6, January 13, and February 14 (Valentine's Day).
Palm and Sprint are going to sell a lot of these things.
"Once again, completely without a doubt confirmed Apple will be announcing a new sort of laptop at MacWorld. How do we know this? Apple had a recent holiday event where they had artists perform (some really big names, too), and they all did it for free! Why did they perform without being paid? Apple promised to give every performer and band member once of the new laptops they are coming out with at MacWorld!"
Some developers are gaining early access to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch software developer kit, according to reliable sources speaking to Electronista.A handful of companies are said to be getting rough versions of the tools to help code more advanced applications than would be possible with the current web-only solution. Exact details of what the kit allows are unknown, though it is confirmed that it produces native programs and somewhat resembles Google's OpenSocial in that it mediates between the programmer and the iPhone operating system.
Although treated as a welcome development, the SDK will not be the same as writing a Mac OS X application and has its clear limits, people familiar with the matter say. These details are unavailable, though the features are broad enough that at least one major social networking site is reportedly interested what the native platform can offer versus existing web code. The group of companies has only received its development tools within the past two weeks and is allegedly unable to provide a timetable for when finished software will be ready, though it should be well ahead of the community at large, which only receives the SDK in February."
A TreoCentral forum member, "ashblades," is claiming to be a Sprint employee and states that Palm and Sprint will be launching a pink Centro on February 8 just in time for Valentines Day. You can read the entire TreoCentral thread here.
I've been wondering aloud with some of the other 1SRC'ers about why Palm isn't offering their smartphones in more rainbow flavors. With Palm's new found emphasis on the consumer market using the Centro as the vehicle to reach more feature phone users, it would seem that more color choices is a logical thing to offer.
Palm has offered the Treo 680 in several colors prior to the Cingular acquisition by AT&T. The copper Treo seemed to be the first color to sell out with customers clamoring to snatch up second-hand units on eBay once the primary channel dried up. Palm has seemed to have an on again-off again attitude toward colored devices. In the mid-90's Palm released a teal colored Palm Vx and a clear cased Palm IIIxe. Handspring's (now a part of Palm) Visor Deluxe line also came in a rainbow assortment of colors. (I did get an orange Visor). And there have been a few other limited and special edition Palm or Handspring devices since then.
While it is impossible to know if the poster at TreoCentral is credible at this time there is a prescient for a pink Centro late this coming winter.
Voice memo syncing with iTunes
Manually managing your music
Enabling disk use
Whether or not Apple actually enables these features is a whole other story. We've been seeing these strings since iTunes 7.3
"4301.079" = "The mobile phone “^1” contains new voice memos. Would you like to move these voice memos to your iTunes library?";
"4320.300" = "iTunes has detected a Macintosh-formatted iPhone. You must restore this iPhone before you can use it on Windows.";
/* ===== iPhone Game Item Strings ===== */
"4329.001" = "Are you sure you want to remove the selected game from your iPhone?";
"4329.002" = "Are you sure you want to remove the selected games from your iPhone?";
Rumor Mill EditionI was just looking at the Seidio online store and noticed that green was an option for the back plate cover for their 3200mAh battery. Could this mean that the Verizon branded Treo 755p will be green? Sprint has burgundy and blue. Altel has black. Since the the Treo 755p is a CDMA only device the only other major CDMA carriers in North America are Verizon and Telus Mobility (Canada). It is just something to think about. There has been no official word as to when the Treo 755p will make an appearance on the Verizon network, though many believe it will be sometime this month to help drive holiday sales.
Labels: palm. treo, rumors
Those are a lot of unknowns. But what I am hearing from several sources is that the announcement, one that Steve Jobs confirmed without any timetable some weeks ago, will happen soon. Perhaps this week." Via Tidbits .
"Overall volume will be shrunk almost 25 percent, weight by about 20 percent, and an all-new enclosure will be strikingly different from the design that has been the Mini's defining feature since its introduction," according to the report."
Labels: apple. mac, rumors
GearDiary has posted a picture of what appears to be a Centro with AT&T branding. They're calling it a Treo 500p and since Sprint has the Centro exclusively, maybe AT&T will be getting the same device under the Treo name?
***Update***
Palm has asked GearDiary to remove the picture. Notice the "My Centro" icon in the launcher? Looks like Sprint won't be the only carrier with a Centro;)
Labels: att, palm. treo, rumors
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple will be bringing back the Newton, sort of.
"Apple Inc, which helped spawn the PDA market with its Newton MessagePad line in the early '90s, plans to give the concept another go with a modern day reincarnation of the old fan favorite based on the company's new mutli-touch technology, AppleInsider has learned.
With the initial iPhone now out the door and two successive models well underway in Apple's labs, it's believed to be full steam ahead for the modern day Newton project. Like iPhone and the iPod touch, the new device runs an embedded version of Apple's Mac OS X Leopard operating system.
Externally, the mutil-touch PDA has been described by sources as an ultra-thin "slate" akin to the iPhone, about 1.5 times the size and sporting an approximate 720x480 high-resolution display that comprises almost the entire surface of the unit. The device is further believed to leverage multi-touch concepts which have yet to gain widespread adoption in Apple's existing multi-touch products -- the iPhone and iPod touch -- like drag-and-drop and copy-and-paste."
The above picture is an artist rendering. If true this would be Apple's response to the UMPC. Stay tuned.
"What we know:
Black aluminum and silver aluminum (like MacBook Pros) have been seen
They are considerably slimmer than current MacBook and even a bit more than MacBook Pros
The screen reaches much closer to the edges than current MacBooks but is the same size as current MacBooks - indicating a somewhat smaller footprint
The keyboards resemble Apple's new Bluetooth Keyboard
There is something strange about the touchpad (more on this to come)
They are set to be priced extremely aggressively
While they are dense, overall they are lighter than the current MacBooks "
This is pure rumor and speculation, but I could definitely see Apple rolling out iTunes 8 later today. 9to5mac also believes this could be possible since Apple is widely expected to announce new iPods today and updates to iPhone software and iTunes are almost guaranteed. iTunes 7 was made available almost a year ago today, it was released on September 12, 2006. Stay tuned.
According to the reports we obtained, the device will have similar form factor to the iPhone but should be thinner. It will include a touch-screen display with similar dimensions as the one found on the iPhone.
The question remaining unanswered is whether the new iPod will include flash memory or hard drive-based storage. Considering the fact it is thinner than the iPhone, sources speculated in favor of flash-based storage but today's pricing for this kind of storage is quite prohibitive compared to small hard drives." Via Mac Scoop .
Thinner than the iPhone?? Is that possible?? We'll know soon enough. Check back here around 1pm ET for the details.
The new iPod will feature similar dimensions to Apple's iPhone with which it will share the same display, but sources except the iPod to continue to sport a hard drive in place of Flash memory. Solid state media commands a roughly 15-fold price premium per gigabyte over a 1.8-inch hard drive, which is now available in substantial quantities at capacities up to 120GB."
"Apple's new iPod nano, meanwhile, will gain much of the same functionality as Apple's current 5.5G iPod, including video playback and a higher resolution 320x240 pixel display. The nano will remain Flash-based, with capacities expected to top out at 12GB or 16GB, in keeping with rival product offerings.
The iPod nano is also expected to feature the first substantial improvement to the iPod's traditional interface. Rumored to have been in development for nearly two years, the click-wheel based interface will pack plenty of animation and other visual flair, including CoverFlow." Via Think Secret .
"A reliable industry insider has told vnunet.com that the announcement will include plans to bring digital radio to the iPod along with an option to buy music using the device," Thomson reports.
"The source said that the new iPods will be able to receive digital radio, and will include a 'buy-now' function to allow the user to download and buy tracks as they are being played," Thomson reports.
"Other rumors about the new iPod line suggest the inclusion of a full touch-screen that does away with hardware buttons, and a new version of the iPod Nano that can handle video," Thomson reports." Via MacDailyNews .
The fifth is odd day for an event (a Wednesday instead of the typical Tuesday), but we are told that the reason for this is the long holiday weekend. Whatever you say, your Steveness. It's also possible that Apple will make announcements on the 5th while shipping later in the month, which would validate the date range provided by AI's sources.
Four different models will be introduced next month, says AI, most of which will be NAND-flash-based and major evolutions of both the iPod video and iPod nano lines. Sources in the "far East" have allegedly seen fullscreen iPods that will have an OS that is based off of OS X. "What's interesting, however, is that the Apple has also been working on Mac OS-based iPod software for models that will retain their click-wheels—such as third-generation iPod nanos," writes Kasper Jade. "Interface concept videos recently published and then pulled from MacRumors consisted of genuine Apple material to this effect, AppleInsider can confirm." Via ArsTechnica .
Same form factor as the iPhone with some notable exceptions:
* Outside rim is black, not silver like the iPhone and more flush with the screen like the 5.5G iPods not rounded like iPhone
* No ear speaker or microphone for phoning
* Thicker - slightly
Things that are the same:
* OSX Embedded OS
* 480x320 screen
* Coverflow-enabled iPod application
* Single button home navigation
"Palm is expected to launch its first Linux-based smartphone in October, with the company likely to introduce more Linux models in the future, according to sources close to the company.
Palm's new smartphone will be based on the Linux platform developed for consumer devices by Wind River Systems – a continuation of cooperation between the two companies following Palm's launch of its "mobile companion," the Foleo, in the second quarter of this year, said the sources.
The Palm Foleo, an on-the-go device which can perform functions similar to a UMPC (ultra-mobile PC), is also based on the Linux platform from Wind River.
Palm's new Linux-based smartphone will help facilitate Linux applications between the smartphone and the Foleo, the sources noted.
Palm will also continue to cooperate with Microsoft to develop Windows Mobile-based devices, leaving the Palm OS (operating system) as a non-mainstream technology, the sources indicated."
Could this be the "but there is a bigger story coming, and will be revealed closer to the launch" statement that Palm revealed last week when it announced the Palm Centro? Stay tuned.
Labels: linux, palm. treo, rumors
9to5mac has posted pictures of what they are claiming to be the upcoming iPod nano.
"Further to last weekend's intel, we have a spy shot from one of our sources. Have a look. Believe us? If not maybe we can convince you in the coming days..."
9to5 mac is reporting that the new iPod nano will be available in new colors.
Light Green
Black-matte
Cranberry/Wine Red
Silver
Lighter Blue
The new nano's screen also reportedly takes up 1/2 the surface of the nano. It looks like the new iPod nano will also be able to play video.
"Due to scheduled maintenance, .Mac members might be intermittently unable to access some .Mac services from 10 AM to 12 PM PDT on 08/07/2007. We apologize for any inconvenience."
Hopefully this "maintenance" will bring great things to long overdue .Mac members like myself:)
These are supposedly "real" pictures of the new iMac that will be announced tomorrow? Real or fake? You decide.
"It will be about two inches square and play video (so technically we were right about being the new video iPods). It is coming in 4GB and 8GB size and will likely keep the same pricing.
These little square machines are also coming in a new set of colors for all of us sick of the five already out. Those 320x240 videos you saw with the new iPod OS? That was a Nano."
This nano will be the first iPod nano that will have video capabilities. The rumored price will be $299 and $399 if this rumor turns out to be the truth. Stay tuned.
Engadget has posted pictures of what could be the new iMac keyboard. This might not be legit for a number of reasons. There is no Apple logo key on the keyboard, and before an Apple product gets released there are always pictures surfacing that claim to be the real deal, but they're usually not. Stay tuned.
The Economic Daily News, a Chinese-language newspaper in Taiwan, reported that Quanta is already slated to become an iPhone assembler, the second Taiwanese company behind Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., to build the handsets for Apple. Quanta is also working on a new smartphone for Dell, the newspaper reported, without citing a source for the information.
Quanta does not discuss customer orders, a spokeswoman said, but noted that this year, the company is focused on building its smartphone and PDA (personal digital assistant) business." Via Yahoo News .
Labels: iphone, rumors, smartphone
"Extremely reputable sources have told AppleInsider in recent weeks that the company's iPhone roadmap for the 2007 calendar year includes not one but two distinct models, the second of which is set to turn up just months after the first.
Conceived as a scaled back, lower cost alternative to today's iPhone, the second iteration of the handset is presumed to marry iPod functionality with rudimentary cellular capabilities. More resource-heavy Internet browsing and e-mail capabilities are not expected of the device.
In providing the first visual descriptions of the handset, long-standing industry sources -- who've continually been in tune with Apple's future music directions -- have dubbed the device "an iPhone nano" because they say it best describes the the handset's overall form-factor and aesthetic.
Pricing of the new handset is expected to fall significantly below the $500+ asking cost of today's iPhone models, these sources say, but not so much so as to pinch sales of an upcoming revision to the iPod nano."
"Multiple sources have said Apple's highly anticipated iMac revision is expected in the first week of August. The revamped iMac will represent the first substantial upgrade to the system since it initially adopted Intel processors in January 2006, and will sport an entirely new brushed aluminum enclosure."
Kevin Chang, a JP Morgan analyst based in Taiwan, cited people in the supply channel he did not name and an application with the U.S Patent and Trademark office for his report dated July 8.
Apple filed a patent application document dated July 5 that refers to a multifunctional handheld device with a circular touch pad control, similar to the Nano's scroll wheel.
Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined comment.
Long lines of people turned out on June 29 when U.S. sales began for the iPhone, a mobile phone with a music player and Web browser. Analysts have estimated that sales in the first weekend were as high as 700,000 units.
Chang said a way to follow up the iPhone with a cheaper version would be to convert the Nano into a phone and price it at $300 or lower. The iPhone sells for $500 and $600, depending on storage space. "We believe that iPod Nano will be converted into a phone because it's probably the only way for Apple to launch a lower end phone without severely cannibalizing iPod Nano," he said noting that the new phone could have "rather limited functionality."
Another analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray said he expects Apple to bring out iPods that resemble iPhone, which features such as a touch-sensitive screen, later this year. Such products would help stop iPhone eating into iPod sales.
"We believe the iPhone reveals much of what the iPod will soon be," Munster said in a note to clients, "iPods with some of the touchscreen features of the iPhone should lessen the impact of cannibalization." Via PDALive
***UPDATE***
"JP Morgan retracts. Now says "No" to near term "Nano" iPhone."
"JP Morgan has just issued a note retracting Kevin Chang's earlier projection about a near term iPhone Nano. The new report says that the majority of Chang's assumptions appear to have come from a review of the patent that was published last week, adding that a near-term launch of an iPhone-nano product would be "unusual and highly risky". Via TUAW .
"I met with my buddy from Apple for Coffee today, I told him I loved the interface, and all the great subtle little features it has that makes it so easy to use. I then told him I really, wanted a File System Access so I could store files, download images from the web, and generally carry around data, not just load it up from iTunes..
He said Apple IS absolutely BUILDING this, and it will come in a software update no later than when Leopard ships in two months (there will be updates before this)
Here is what he said:
There will be a build in file browser like the new finder in leopard for sorting through files
There will be a disk mode
The reason that there currently isn't a file browser + way to save files from web is because there isn't a file browser on the phone, and they wanted to release the same one that's gonna be in the upcoming leopard OS, complete with coverflow.
There will even be a special version of "iWork" so you can show your keynote presentations
So anyway a FULL file browser is coming so you can browse just like windows mobile explorer only in the cool way leopard's file browser is
Full spotlight like search is coming too
Widescreen keyboard support will be coming in every app, not just safari
Copy & Paste, Select Text is coming too (clipboard)
Also mail will see an upgrade so you can add accounts without doing so through itunes.
Most of the delays in this is because iTunes is the App Windows & Mac users are familar with for iTunes, so Apple didn't want to do a bad interface that had a file browser hacked into iTunes.
When Leopard FINAL release comes out, plugging in the iPhone will pop open a special window in the finder that has areas for dragging all your files like a file explorer only more advanced and designed specifically for the iPhone, it will make sure that it works so iTunes knows how much space is for data, and how much is for "iTunes" stuff.
Apple will be putting iChat on the phone, very, very soon, before Leopard.
Real Applications are coming to the phone shortly.
These are all updates that will be software based for the iPhone you already have, so give it a little bit of time. In the meantime enjoy the features it already has. Oh and also there will be Photo Sharing, just like in iPhoto how you can check an option to let other people on the network view your photos.
He said .Mac account would eventually sync your accounts to the .Mac server as well from the phone, and so forth.
Simplified File sharing when on WIFI networks through bonjour (auto ip discovery) is coming, so once the file system software is up, your buddy in the same room will be able to navigate to his file browser > Network, and grab a file off your phone that you are sharing.
Ringtones will be coming very, very soon.
The Camera Software will get upgraded soon to have stabilization (software based)
Flash is coming eventually, it's just a matter of handling it in a way so when i page has dozens of flash apps running at the same time the page doesn't slow to a crawl, so they have to take the Adobe flash and make some customizations, including for security.
Anyway, enjoy the great mobile phone for now, and look forward to all the great stuff coming really, really soon. I can't WAIT for the new file browser so I can store stuff on this device!!
Just remember Windows Mobile has been out or a long time, even everytime a new WM phone comes out all the apps that are supposed to work, have to be tweaked or don't fit on the screen or some bullcrap, so realize this is just Apple's very first OS release for mobile Phone. Apple has lots of treats instore for all of you."
We all know Leopard was delayed due to the iPhone and if what this person posted is true we're in for one helluva an upgrade. There has been talk that Leopard and the iPhone are going to be heavily integrated, so this makes sense if true. Apple will certainly sell even more iPhones if features like the ones above are added. Again, this was posted in a forum so it's a rumor for now, but a juicy one at that. Stay tuned.
Apple will likely make OS X based iPods pretty similar to the iPhone and include Safari for web browsing via built in WiFi. In essence it will be a phone-less iPhone.
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