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Grand Central Terminal Retail Store Opening 'Won't Be Any Time Too Soon'
Nov 22, 9:23PM
Earlier this week, it was reported that Apple was set to announce its grand opening plans for its massive new Grand Central Terminal retail store today, with rumors suggesting that Apple would open the store this Friday or "shortly thereafter".
Apple's Grand Central Terminal retail store under construction (Source: techfootnote)
Mashable now reports that construction workers at the site have indicated that a significant amount of work still remains to be done and that the opening "won't be any time too soon."
Although many anticipated that Apple would open its Grand Central Terminal store in New York City before Black Friday, construction workers at the location confirmed on Tuesday that it won't be ready in time. The store, opening in the highly-trafficked commuter terminal, will be Apple's largest retail venue.Early reports had targeted a mid-November opening for the project as Apple rushed to try to have the store open by the start of the busy holiday shopping season, but it appears that the company will not meet that goal. The company had been pursing an aggressive four-month buildout schedule made possible by the fact that major alterations to the building's structure are not permitted, but it seems that there still is some work left to be done.
"It won't be any time too soon," a construction worker at the site told Mashable. "We still have a lot to do, so my guess is that it will be ready in December."
U.S. Non-iPad Tablet Market Led by TouchPad Fire Sales as iPad's Domination Continues
Nov 22, 6:50PM
Research firm NPD today released a new study of non-iPad tablet sales in the United States, revealing that sell-through remains extremely small in the face of Apple's dominant market share. According to the report, only 1.2 million non-iPad tablets were sold in the United States during the first ten months of 2011, with HP leading the pack with 17% of that market, or about 200,000 units sold.
HP famously discontinued its TouchPad tablet just weeks after it launched, although the company has been periodically offering stocks of the device at bargain basement prices as low as $99 or as part of bundles with HP computers.
PC manufacturers are dominant in the tablet space, as four of the top five tablet brands already have a strong U.S. consumer PC presence. Only two of the top five brands play in the smartphone market.Apple's sales performance is not included in the study, but it is clear that the total of 1.2 million non-iPad tablets fails to come close to Apple's sales numbers. For the first three quarters of 2011, Apple reported total iPad sales of just over 25 million iPads on a worldwide basis, and while the company does not break out its U.S. iPad sales, that number is almost certainly well above 10 million units, putting Apple in the neighborhood of 90% sales share.
"The market is filled with long-time PC and phone brands as well as low-cost entrants," stated Baker. "With a limited amount of shelf space and challenges in overcoming the iPads first mover strength, not all brands will be successful."
Recent studies have pegged Apple's share of iPad shipments at closer to 65-70%, but those studies measure shipments from manufacturers to distribution channels and not sales to end users. While Apple has repeatedly noted that it is selling every iPad it can make, competitors' devices still appear to be languishing on store shelves amid low interest from consumers.
VMware's New Virtualization of Snow Leopard and Leopard Allowed in Error
Nov 22, 4:33PM
Over the weekend, we noted that the new VMware Fusion 4.1 release added the ability for users to virtualize Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Leopard client versions. Previous virtualization options had been limited to the client version of OS X Lion and server versions of Lion, Snow Leopard, and Leopard.
VMware now reports in a blog post, however, that the change was an error in a new license verification implementation and that the company is developing an update to properly disallow virtualization of Snow Leopard and Leopard client versions.
VMware Fusion 4.1 was released late last week and includes many great improvements. One change was the introduction of a new license verification step for users to verify they are in compliance with the OS licensing terms.VMware has offered no timeframe for the release of the patched version of Fusion 4.1, and it is unclear whether Apple itself has been involved in pushing VMware to fix its error. Apple's official statement on the initial discovery, provided to Macworld, reiterated that client versions of Snow Leopard and Leopard are not included on the list of operating system versions for which virtualization is allowed, but did not directly address VMware's error in license verification in Fusion 4.1.
When the license verification step was added in VMware Fusion 4.1 the server edition check was omitted. We are preparing an update.
Porn Site Operator Turns Over iPhone-Related Domain Names to Apple
Nov 22, 4:17PM
Earlier this month, we noted that Apple had filed a complaint under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) in an attempt to gain control of several iPhone-related domain names that had been registered by another party and set to forward to a porn site. Most notable among these domain names was iPhone4S.com, the highest-profile domain associated with Apple's new iPhone hardware.
Domain Name Wire now reports that Apple has won control over the domain names in question, as the UDRP case has been terminated following the defendant's agreement to turn the domains over to Apple.
Apple terminated the case after the owner of the domains agreed to turn the domain names over. The whois record for the domains changed to brand protection company MarkMonitor today.MarkMonitor is the brand protection agency used by Apple and a number of other large companies to anonymously manage such holdings as domain names. As a word of warning to our readers, the domain names in question continue to forward to the porn site at this time, as the site continues to point to the previous owner's DNS server settings and only the various contact information fields for the site are appearing under MarkMonitor at this time.
Of the seven domain names, Apple is only expected to utilize iPhone4S.com, which it will presumably redirect to the company's main iPhone page at some point in the relatively near future. Apple will likely simply shut down the other six domain names while preventing others from using them.
Apple On Track for NFC-Enabled iPhone in 2012?
Nov 22, 3:26PM
Following conflicting rumors about whether the iPhone 4S would include near field communication (NFC) technology (rumors that were eventually decided in the negative), Digitimes reports that Apple is indeed one of the vendors still expected to introduce NFC-enabled operating system software (and thus hardware) in 2012. Apple's inclusion of NFC in next year's iPhone would appear to come as part of a tipping point for the technology, with the technology's prevalence in the smartphone industry set to increase from about 10% to over 50% in the span of two to three years.
As Android, Symbian, BlackBerry and Bada have supported NFC (near field communication) functions and Microsoft and Apple plan to make Windows Phone and iOS support NFC in 2012, the proportion of NFC-enabled smartphones will quickly increase from less than 10% currently to over 50% in two to three years, according to Taiwan-based smartphone makers.NFC standardization issues have been one problem slowing adoption of the technology, but with 45 wireless carriers including AT&T; and Verizon now signed on to a SIM-based standard, those issues may be reaching a resolution.
Back-and-forth rumors about whether NFC would appear in the 2011 version of the iPhone led to considerable uncertainty about where Apple stood on the technology, with The New York Times noting in March that NFC would be a part of a "coming iteration" of the iPhone without specifying a product generation. By mid-May, Bernstein analysts correctly predicted not only that NFC would not be included in Apple's forthcoming iPhone hardware but that the new iPhone would be an iPhone 4S and not a radically redesigned iPhone 5.
More Claims of a 2048x1536 Resolution iPad 3 Display
Nov 22, 9:01AM
iPad 3 rumors seem to be ramping up. DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim now tells CNet that Apple has started production of a 2048x1536 resolution iPad 3 display."It's happening--QXGA, 2048x1536. Panel production has started [for the next-generation iPad]. There's three suppliers," Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch, said in an interview today. Shim confirmed other reports that cite three companies, Samsung, Sharp, and LGD.DisplaySearch is research firm focused specifically on the display supply chain market and related industries. The same claims have been previously made by Digitimes who also cited the same three suppliers.
We've already seen evidence from Apple that they've been working on resolutions of that size in versions of their iOS applications. Most recently, background images of exactly 2048x1536 were found in early builds of iOS 5. In comparison, the current iPad carries a resolution of 1024x768. The iPad 3 is expected to be released sometime in the first half of 2012.
iPad 3 Codename Found in iOS 5 Confirms Validity of Some Rumors
Nov 22, 6:39AM
Digitimes has been the source of many supplier rumors for Apple's upcoming products, though their accuracy is always up for some debate. Based on our own record keeping at this time, Digitimes has had about a 55% accuracy on rumors that could later be validated.
A new codename finding by 9to5Mac in the latest iOS 5 betas seems to confirm that Digitimes has been accurate about some of their reporting on the upcoming iPad 3.
The "J2" model listed above corresponds to recent report in which Digitimes discusses two prototype models codenamed J1 and J2 that Apple has been working on.
Apple is currently giving two tablet PC projects codenamed J1 and J2 to its upstream partners for development. The sources revealed that the major differences of the new tablet PCs compared to the previous model are their size, specifications and technologies.The report is quite vague but does touch on an issue that has appeared from other sources as well.
Since the new tablet PCs have a higher resolution, Apple has demanded the design of the light source to be changed from a single LED light bar to two LED light bars on the left and right sides of the machine, but since the method of adopting two LED light bars has created difficulty in shrinking the machine's thickness, some vendors have come out with designs that only adopt one light bar, but are packing two LED chips into one package.
The issue of the the higher resolution screen of the iPad 3 requiring a second light bar for the iPad 3 was also reported by Digitimes. iLounge later reported that the new iPad 3 would end up being 0.7mm thicker than the iPad 2 due to this need to incorporate a dual light bar system to support the higher-resolution display.
Apple is widely believed to be working on an iPad 3 with a "Retina" display that may double the iPad's screen resolution. Persistent rumors have suggested that Apple's partners have had difficulties in mass producing such screens.
Apple Posts New iPad 2 TV Ad: Love [iOS Blog]
Nov 22, 3:02AM
Apple has posted a new iPad 2 TV ad on their YouTube page. The new ad is titled "Love":
For some it's a lifelong passion, for others, it's something discovered yesterday. We all have things that speak to us. They drive us to get up early and stay up late. Getting lost in the things we love has never felt quite like this.As always, Apple appeals to iPad usage and emotional response over technical specifications.
iPhone 4S Becomes Second Most Popular Cameraphone on Flickr
Nov 22, 2:52AM
Apple's newly launched iPhone 4S has quickly shot up to become the second most popular Cameraphone on Flickr.com. Flickr's Camera Finder page shows graphs of the popularity of both smartphones and Point and Shoot cameras.
The iPhone 4S has beaten out the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and HTC EVO 4G, but still lags behind the original iPhone 4. The iPhone made headlines in 2009 when it became the most popular camera on Flickr, even beating out all dedicated non-smartphone cameras. The iPhone 4S still has a ways to go before dethroning the iPhone 4, which remains the most popular overall camera on Flickr.
The iPhone 4S introduced a number of significant improvements to its camera, drawing praise from many. Arstechnica recently posted a comparison pitting the iPhone 4S camera against several others, and found the 4S with competitive image quality and the advantage of convenience.
Thanks @rogerdodgerTM
Apple Announces (Black Friday) Holiday Sale for Friday, November 25th
Nov 22, 2:31AM
As noted by MacStories, Apple has started posting teaser announcements about their Black Friday holiday sale for Friday, November 25th. The teaser first appeared on their Australian online store and will likely be propagating around the world.
The special one-day Apple shopping event. This Friday, November 25.Apple's discounts are typically relatively small compared to other retailers. Last year, Apple offered $101 discounts on their iMac, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines, with $11-$41 discounts on the iPods and iPads.
Mark your calendar now, and come back to the Apple Online Store for the special one-day event. You'll discover amazing iPad, iPod and Mac gifts for everyone on your list.
Apple Retailers Preparing for Black Friday Sales
Nov 21, 10:28PM
BestBuy Black Friday sales for Apple Products
Online and retail stores are already starting to promote their upcoming "Black Friday" sales. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the United States and marks the traditional start to the holiday shopping season. The day brings early store openings and deep discounts from many retailers, and ranks as one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
BestBuy has posted a preview their Thanksgiving/Black Friday sales advertisement already showing the following discounts on Apple products:
- $45 off an iPad 2
- $150 off $1199 MacBook Pro
- $150 off $1199 iMac
- $10 off $99 Apple TV
- $100 iTunes Card for $80
Apple also typically participates in Black Friday sales with more moderate discounts. Last year, Apple offered $101 discounts on their iMac, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines, with $11-$41 discounts on the iPods and iPads.
Online retailers MacMall and MacConnection also offer similar online sales, typically offering the deepest available discounts. We'll provide more coverage on specific discounts as Black Friday approaches.
Ron Johnson Says People Come to Apple For The Experience [Mac Blog]
Nov 21, 9:39PM
Ron Johnson, the architect behind the Apple Retail Stores, has moved on to be CEO of JC Penney. But, he still remembers the lessons he learned while at Apple. Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Johnson reflects on what makes the Apple Store unique:
People come to the Apple Store for the experience — and they're willing to pay a premium for that. There are lots of components to that experience, but maybe the most important — and this is something that can translate to any retailer — is that the staff isn't focused on selling stuff, it's focused on building relationships and trying to make people's lives better. That may sound hokey, but it's true. The staff is exceptionally well trained, and they're not on commission, so it makes no difference to them if they sell you an expensive new computer or help you make your old one run better so you're happy with it. Their job is to figure out what you need and help you get it, even if it's a product Apple doesn't carry. Compare that with other retailers where the emphasis is on cross-selling and upselling and, basically, encouraging customers to buy more, even if they don't want or need it. That doesn't enrich their lives, and it doesn't deepen the retailer's relationship with them. It just makes their wallets lighter.Perhaps as a hint toward the direction he intends to take JC Penney, Johnson ends by noting that "the retailers that win the future are the ones that start from scratch and figure out how to create fundamentally new types of value for customers."
iOS 5.0.2 Not Coming This Week? [iOS Blog]
Nov 21, 8:50PM
Macerkopf.de follows up their original iOS 5.0.2 report and now says the 5.0.2 update won't be coming this week, as originally reported.
According to the German site, ongoing issues with memory leaks are going to require further testing. The site had originally claimed 5.0.2 would be coming this week to address battery bugs that persist in iOS 5.
App Store Holds 85-90% Share of Mobile App Dollars Says Analyst [iOS Blog]
Nov 21, 8:40PM
Apple has frequently promoted how much money has been paid out to developers selling apps via the App Store. The latest pronouncement was during the iPhone 4S introduction when Scott Forstall announced that Apple had paid out three billion dollars for app sales. The point Fostall is making when sharing these totals is that developing for iOS is more profitable for developers than other platforms, most notably Android.
According to analyst Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray, Apple commands 85 to 90 percent of mobile app dollars, with Google's Android Market Place generating just 7 percent of the gross revenue of the App Store. Munster anticipates Apple will continue to hold more than 70 percent of mobile app dollars going forward.
Munster says Apple developers have made more than $3.4 billion since the App Store opened, compared to just $240 million for Google developers. As with all analyst estimates, these numbers should be taken with a little skepticism, but by all accounts the App Store is a tremendous success.
Image courtesy The Verge
Apple Switching Back to NVIDIA for Next-Generation MacBook Pro Graphics Chips?
Nov 21, 4:55PM
SemiAccurate reports that Apple will be transitioning back to NVIDIA from AMD as its graphics chip supplier for the next-generation MacBook Pro models offering discrete graphics. The move comes after Apple just recently completed a multi-year effort to switch its entire Mac lineup from NVIDIA to AMD.Yes, your read that right, Nvidia has won the next round of Macs, likely starting with the Ivy Bridge models next spring. About three years after the decision to boot Nvidia out of the company was made, and two years after the first ATI/AMD Macs in recent memory hit the shelves, you will see Nvidia macs reappearing. I guess 'never' at Apple means single digit years.The report notes that discrete graphics for notebooks are a shrinking market as notebooks become smaller and thinner and integrated graphics solutions from the likes of Intel and AMD continue to improve.
Graphics performance has indeed been an issue for Apple's smallest machines over the past several years as it has sought to balance both CPU and GPU performance. Licensing restrictions from Intel prevented third-party graphics manufacturers such as NVIDIA from building integrated graphics solutions for Intel's most recent processors, forcing Apple to choose between subpar integrated graphics from Intel and older Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs that could still be paired with third-party integrated graphics.
With Intel's integrated graphics improving significantly over the past year, Apple has finally been able to transition its small notebooks to all-Intel solutions, while its larger notebooks continue to offer switchable graphics using the integrated Intel and discrete AMD options. It now appears, however, that Apple will be moving back to NVIDIA for those discrete options.
As integrated graphics continues to improve, they may also eat into the discrete GPU market in larger machines. Apple is also said to be preparing to launch a thinner 15" notebook, although it is unclear at this time whether it will be positioned as a MacBook Pro revamp or a new MacBook Air size. There is no word yet on Apple's plans for the new machine's capabilities, but it seems reasonable that Apple may at some point begin transitioning larger machines in the thinner form factors that have proven very popular with consumers to integrated graphics alone.
The report from SemiAccurate does not address Apple's GPU plans for its desktop models, which also currently utilize AMD for their discrete graphics after also having been included in the recent transition from NVIDIA to AMD.
Apple's Grand Central Terminal Retail Store to Open as Soon as Black Friday?
Nov 21, 4:31PM
Rendering of Apple's Grand Central Terminal retail store
9to5Mac reports that Apple is set to announce tomorrow its plans for opening the company's new retail store in the historic Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Apple had been said to be trying to get the store open by mid-November for the holiday shopping season, but it still appears to be unclear whether it will have the store open in time for Black Friday later this week.
From what we have now heard, Apple will be filling the store with stock and applying the finishing touches this week putting the the actual opening of the store on Black Friday or shortly thereafter. The goal all along has been to get the store open for the holiday shopping and to make a big splash with Apple's new crown jewel of retail.The store's 300 staff members have been in training for some time now, and are currently dispersed to other New York City stores for final training ahead of the store opening.
Photo from techfootnote
techfootnote grabbed some photos of the black screening surrounding the under-construction store, which reveal some large panels on the front of the barrier that are said to potentially be hiding large video display boards to highlight the store's opening.
Sprint Touts Unlimited Data in New iPhone Ad
Nov 21, 3:24PM
Sprint has released a new television commercial for the iPhone, pushing its unlimited data plan as an advantage over its rivals.There are over half a million apps and counting on the iPhone. Apps that can take you anywhere, do anything. You might say there's no limit to what this amazing device can do. So the question to ask is, "Why would anyone want to limit the iPhone?" We don't.The ad does not specifically promote the iPhone 4S, with the carrier instead opting to focus on the generic iPhone line given that it offers both the iPhone 4S and the new 8 GB iPhone 4 that serves as a low-end option priced at $99 on contract.
Truly unlimited data for you iPhone...only from Sprint.
Both AT&T; and Verizon initially offered unlimited data plans for the iPhone but have since transitioned to tiered plans, although customers on those carriers who had previously signed up for unlimited plans have been allowed to keep them.
Apple Poised to Become World's Top-Selling PC Vendor with Tablets Included
Nov 21, 2:24PM
Research firm Canalys today noted that Apple appears set to become the world's largest PC manufacturer by volume if the iPad and other tablets are included in the figures. The company already ranks second behind HP by that measure, but Canalys is unsure whether Apple will take the lead in the fourth quarter of this year or if it will require a boost from the iPad 3 launch early next year in order to surpass HP.
"Apple has seen its PC market share expand from 9% to 15% in just four quarters, though iPad shipments in its core market – the United States – are likely to come under pressure in Q4 due to the launch of the Fire and Nook at extremely competitive price points," said Canalys Analyst Tim Coulling. "HP and Apple will fight for top position in Q4, but Apple may have to wait for the release of iPad 3 before it passes HP."Apple already ranks as the #1 mobile PC vendor when the iPad is included, but HP's lead over Apple in desktop sales has been enough to hold off Apple in the overall market.
Apple's iPad actually carries a higher average selling price than Windows PCs, resulting in some comparisons between the two in consumers' minds when making purchasing decisions. Apple has acknowledged that the iPad is cannibalizing Mac sales to some extent, but notes that it is happy to make that tradeoff given that PC users in general are undoubtedly making similar decisions to opt for the iPad. Consequently, Apple's relatively small share of the PC market indicates that significantly more Windows PCs than Macs are being left on the shelves in favor of iPads.
VMWare Fusion Now Allows Virtualization of Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard [Updated]
Nov 20, 4:18PM
With the release of OS X Lion, Apple updated their licensing agreement to allow the virtualization of Mac OS X under programs such as VMWare Fusion and Parallels. This functionality allows you to deploy different sandboxed installations of OS X on a single machine. The change, however, appeared to only apply to OS X Lion and not to previous non-server versions of Mac OS X such as Leopard and Snow Leopard.
So, when the Lion optimized version of VMWare Fusion was released, it allowed users to run additional virtualized copies of OS X Lion, but continued to prohibit running older versions of Mac OS X under Lion.
Those rules seem to have changed a bit in the latest version of VMWare 4.1 which was released on Friday. As first noted by Macworld, VMWare's Fusion no longer strictly prohibits the virtualization of client editions of Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard.
But one big change with this update isn't documented anywhere: The software has been modified so that it will run the non-server versions of Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) and Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5). Previously, VMware Fusion supported virtual Macs running Lion, Lion Server, Snow Leopard Server, and Leopard Server.The change in support, however, is a bit subtle. Instead of prohibiting the use of non-server Snow Leopard and Leopard, VMWare prompts the user to verify that they are licensed to run such copies:
Macworld's Jason Snell confirmed that simply agreeing allowed him to to install and run non-server Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Leopard under Lion. Now, whether end users actually have such a license is less certain. When questioned by Macworld, Apple simply reiterated that virtualization is allowed for Mac OS X Lion, Snow Leopard Server and Leopard Server.
The main advantage for end users of such a configuration is the ability to run older PowerPC-based applications on demand. Apple removed Rosetta PowerPC emulation support in Mac OS X Lion, stranding some users who depend on legacy PowerPC applications. By running Snow Leopard in a virtual machine under OS X Lion, those users could continue to run their PowerPC applications on occasion while otherwise using OS X Lion.
Update: VMware has noted that the Snow Leopard and Leopard client virtualization was made possible by an omission of a server edition check from the new Fusion 4.1 software. WMware will be releasing an update to address the issue.
Nationwide Study Shows AT&T Has Fastest iPhone Data Speeds, Sprint Most Dropped Calls
Nov 18, 10:02PM
According to a study by Metrico Wireless, a mobile performance measurement company, AT&T; has the fastest iPhone 4S data speeds for both upload and download. Sprint's data speed is roughly five times slower, echoing earlier anecdotal reports of poor Sprint data connections.
In all, Metrico performed 21,000 Web page downloads nationwide with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 over the networks of the nation's largest three carriers. Metrico also ran more than 8,000 data download and upload tests and generated about 6,000 voice calls with recorded human voices. The tests were performed in a certified lab as well as several locations in five unnamed cities that Metrico called "representative of [network] conditions nationwide."Metrico claims Sprint has the highest voice call quality on the uplink -- when the iPhone owner is speaking -- while AT&T; had the highest quality on the downlink.
For dropped calls, something for which AT&T; has been consistently criticized, Sprint comes out worst. Metrico claims Verizon experienced a 2.1% call failure rate while AT&T; had 2.8% and Sprint was worst at 3.7%.
Computerworld noted that part of the intention of the nationwide study was to show "how performance problems in one city reported by the news media and bloggers shortly after a phone is launched can be less relevant over the entire network over time."
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