Much of the speculation around an “iPad” — a rumored 10″ Apple tablet — has portrayed it as an Amazon Kindle-killer or a large-screen iPod touch, but there’s a strong case that such a product could effectively serve as a replacement for – or a compelling complement to — Apple’s non-platform sleeper Apple TV.
Apple faces a dilemma in moving iPhone apps to a larger screen size or higher resolution. It must either scale them (ugly), ask developers to create a large-screen version (cumbersome), or run them in a window (which would beg some level of multitasking at least beyond what the iPhone OS does today). Not only that, but a 10″ device is simply inconvenient for some of the iPhone’s apps. Just try focusing on the road with a 10″ navigation screen suctioned to your windshield.
The base version of Apple TV is 40 GB, just a bit over the 32 GB that has been offered on the iPod touch and iPhone. By the end of the year, a 64 GB flash product could be well within reach for a flash-based iPad. That would easily store many consumers’ photo libraries and a Netflix queue’s worth of movies. Rumors about the “Cocktail” music experience notwithstanding, the tablet would make an excellent platform for watching and displaying video and photos. a 10″ screen would be a fine fit for 720p video and the small size would mask artifacts that could show up on the 50″ television. But the iPad would be even more versatile than Apple TV.
According to a report in Barron’s, a phantom “veteran analyst” has actually handled Apple’s heavily rumored tablet-device-thing. If you believe what the report is laying down (and honestly, that’s a big if — analysts have a funny habit of making things up) the tablet is still on for a September unveiling, with a shelf life beginning somewhere in November. What’s also interesting about the report is that the analyst claims the device will be marketed somewhere in the $699-$799 range — as was previously rumored — and will be aimed at uses as a media player (with some kind of potential Apple TV tie-in) and gaming device. The analyst, who obviously declined to be named, said that the tablet is simply awaiting Steve Jobs’ final blessing, and claimed that other ODMs have paused new products until they see the finished version of what Apple has in store. That last bit is potentially the most interesting of all, as we’ve recently heard reports of device-makers freezing new production until 2010, which definitely raises the possibility that the industry is holding its breath to see what kind of new trick Apple has up its sleeve. Yeah — things are about to get fun. [Warning: read link requires subscription]
Apple has updated the software for both Apple TV (v2.4) and the iPhone Remote App (v1.3). Users will see little, though, unless they use both together. When used in conjunction, you can now control the Apple TV by using swipe gestures on the iPhone (or iPod Touch).
As befits a remote control, the gestures are easy and unobtrusive: flick right or left to skip tracks and do the same and hold for fast-forward and rewind. Touch to play/pause and swipe down to access chapter markers. Dragging two fingers to the left will skip video back ten seconds. These gestures work in both audio and video playback and effectively give the Apple TV a remote, multi-touch trackpad. Combined with the already useful search from the iPhone, these free updates make the already killer Remote App even better.
Apple computers, meet the Wiimote. In a customary bit of patent digging, Apple Insider happened upon plans for a “wireless remote wand,” which would give users motion sensing controls over the Apple TV, a la Nintendo’s popular console.
The proposed device utilizes an accelerometer or gyroscope to control the system with three-dimensional movements. Also:
The wand may include an optical component for capturing images of the infrared modules, and may calculate its orientation and distance from the modules based on the captured images. In some embodiments, the electronic device may direct the infrared modules to identify the position of an infrared emitter incorporated on the wand, and may calculate the absolute position of the wand relative to the infrared modules.
Apple recently introduced a new version of the Apple TV, so I’m guessing we’ll have to wait at least a year for something like this to come to fruition–if in fact it ever does.
We’ve already seen some patent evidence that Apple has at least been considering a Wiimote-like controller for the Apple TV, and a newly published patent filing has now thrown yet more fuel onto the fire, although, as with all Apple patents, that’s hardly a guarantee of anything. Still, this latest filing is nothing if not detailed, and it clearly shows the so-called “remote wand” being used to control just about every aspect of the Apple TV, with the wand being twisted and turned to flip through a music library, rotate pictures, and simply control a cursor on the screen — there’s even a glimpse of it being used with a paint application. So, it’s certainly possible, perhaps even likely given Apple’s increasingdistaste for buttons, but just keep all those Apple patents for head-mounteddisplays in the back of your mind lest you get too excited.
From what we can gather, even Apple purist Jeremy Mehrle doesn’t own one of these ultra-rare set-top-boxes, and if you think you’re the only Apple fanboy out there eying this one seriously, we fear you’ll be sorely mistaken. This prototype Interactive Television Box was crafted in or around 1994 and was designed to deliver content to one’s TV by connecting to a central server and downloading content. Thus, the unit itself doesn’t boot into anything nor does it feature an internal hard drive. Still, DIYers and collectors alike will have a hard time passing up the opportunity of snagging this piece and turning it into a makeshift iTunes server, but given the remarkably low $249.99 buy-it-now price, we’d say that window of opportunity may not be open for long. Oh, and Apple TV — you ain’t got nothin’ on this in terms of desirability. Sorry, bub.
Macworld 2009 is the last one for Apple. Will El Schillerino come up with a hubblelicious supernova of hardware and software? Will it be a farty puff? Here are all the rumors, sorted by probability.
While Apple has downplayed its importance, maybe the Macworld 2009 keynote with Phil Schiller will be a special part of Steve Jobs’ exit strategy: Perhaps there will be a last explosion of announcements to show that the company can still hit the ball out of the stadium without El Jobso doing the show-n-tell.
In any case, here are all the rumors that have been circulating the web lately. Like always, remember our first rule of rumors: Never believe in them.
Sure shot iLife ’09 and iWork ’09: It’s a new year and time to get new versions of the most popular software suites for the Mac. Will they migrate to the cloud with tighter integration with MobileMe? Scary thought.
MacBook Pro 17: Another strong rumor this weekend has been the possibility of a new MacBook Pro 17-inch model. The new flagship (literally flagship, as you can probably sail the Atlantic on top of one) will have the same looks of the latest MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and perhaps a new battery technology that will push its autonomy to 50%.
Cinema Displays: Long overdue, the redesign of the 30-inch Apple Cinema Display, with new looks and LED backlighting, seems like a strong possibility. This has been rumored for quite a while, but after the announcement of the latest 24-inch LCD, this Macworld 2009 may be a good venue to announce a relatively low-key product like a display. Or maybe they will save this one for the new Mac Pros (which are long due for a redesign).
Hmmmmaybe iMac Early 2009: A site called PC Perspective claims that Apple will launch new revisions of the iMac, including a crazy 28-inch model that could be a great home computer/TV (and a great work computer for megalomaniacs like me).
Both Apple Insider and Ars Technica echo this rumor, pointing out that the supersizeme iMac will use Intel’s X58 chipset and an Intel Core i7 CPU with four cores and HyperThreading, which emulates the behavior of an eight-core system. On the graphics, they say to expect a dedicated Nvidia card, all tied together with a new cooling system technology. I wonder if it will have a new simplified look—like the one above—without the chin (thanks for the illustration, Sebastian).
My only “but” about this is the fact that Apple may want to save this one for an special event. After all, this approaches TV territory and may require its own sales pitch, not just a space in the keynote.
What?
Home server: Another rumor is a home server, a grown-up Time Capsule that will centralize all your media and available through the Web via MobileMe. Sure, because the media companies, like Disney—Steve’s other darling—will love that.
Snow Leopard: Given the fact that this new release is still a long time away, I don’t think this will happen at all. The features we already know—which are quite esoteric for most consumers—were announced at WWDC. And, whatever other secret features Snow Leopard has under the hood, they won’t be announced so much in advance. Specially with Windows 7 coming soon and with MS apparently back in the OS race. Wait for a Snow Leopard update later in the year.
Hahahaha. Ha
iPod Touch Pro:Some analysts are hot about a potential Apple netbook at Macworld. Jobs said they didn’t want to do it because it would be crap. I agree. But he didn’t exclude the possibility of expanding the iPhone/iPod touch family to fill that space, which Apple obviously sees as a computing platform with the same validity and scope of the Mac itself.
That’s why I think an iPhone OS-based tablet could be a possibility. But certainly, whatever product it is, it will require its own special announcement, not a segment at the last Macworld.
Or maybe Schiller will pull it out of a magic hat just to tell the world that nobody f*cks with The Schiller.
New version of the iPhone OS: Some people are saying new colors, others are saying new capacity. I’m saying: For the love of all that is good and sacred, add the bloody Copy and Paste. That’s my hope. Schiller talking about how good the iPhone has been doing and then saying that the next OS will add copy and paste at last.
One more thing
My personal bet is Steve Jobs appearing at the end, after Phil says “one more thing.”
And then they will do a tap dancing number like this:
Most of us have reached a turning point. That point is, if you hear anything else about Apple TV you’re going to vomit. Don’t hold it back, or it’s going to come out your nose. More »
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Macworld 2009 is the last one for Apple. Will El Schillerino come up with a hubblelicious supernova of hardware and software? Will it be a farty puff? Here are all the rumors, sorted by probability.
