Hasta La Gadget!

According John Paczkowski over at All Things D, Apple is planning a “major product announcement” for Wednesday, January 27th — not the 26th as we’ve heard in previous reports. Additionally, the French site Mac4Ever says developers have been given a beta of the iPhone OS 4 SDK which includes a “simulator” for reformatting / scaling applications to a new, tablet-sized screens. Here at Engadget, we can confirm that sources very familiar with the situation over in Cupertino have been given info about a tablet heading for launch at the end of January, which will — in fact — require reformatting and resizing for (we assume)… yep, its new screen size and resolution. As far as details, they’re pretty scarce right now, but you can probably begin preliminary salivating and / or player hatin’ as it relates to new Apple hardware. We’ll have more info as it becomes available, but for now, stay tuned.

Update: The Wall Street Journal just added its support for the rumor by saying that Apple will unveil its “new multimedia tablet device later this month” with a “10- to 11-inch touch screen” with plans to ship it in March. The WSJ’s sources claim that Apple believes it can “redefine the way consumers interact with a variety of content” as we’ve been hearing all along. [Thanks, David]

‘Major’ Apple announcement coming January 27th, devs already working with beta SDK (update: shipping in March) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEW DEADLINE: Due to the overwhelming number of entries, we’re closing this contest on January 5, 2010, at 5pm Pacific time.

Gadget Lab has been accused of being somewhat obsessed with the Apple tablet. Guilty as charged! We are obsessed, we admit it.

After all, who wouldn’t be obsessed with a device that promises to revolutionize mobile computing, make our iPhones look tiny and stupid, overhaul book publishing, inject new lifeblood into the consumer electronics industry, and maybe even save the dying world of print magazines upon which our livelihoods depend?

Okay, so we may be going a bit over the top, especially for a product that doesn’t exist — and may never exist.

It’s important to remember that Apple has never confirmed it’s even working on a tablet. Everything up to this point is speculation and conjecture. But the signs are very suggestive, and most industry observers, including Gadget Lab, expect Apple to release a tablet-like device in 2010.

Even if Apple doesn’t release a tablet, other manufacturers likely will, from startups like Fusion Garage to (rumors suggest) HP, Dell, Nokia and others.

Still, most eyes are on Apple, thanks in part to its impressive track record with the iPhone. Love it or hate it, the Cupertino company definitely knows how to reimagine a product category and reinvent an industry.

For that reason, we’ll keep covering the rumors, the leaks, and — if it emerges — the device itself. We cover this topic because you readers have let us know, with your comments and your many, many clicks, that you are interested in it.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with it.

So here’s the deal: Predict how many stories Wired.com will publish about an Apple tablet during 2010. Whoever comes the closest will win an actual Apple tablet (assuming one exists). If there is no such thing at the end of 2010, we’ll give the winner a consolation prize: A subscription to Wired magazine.

How to enter: Fill in the form below. It’ll go into a Google spreadsheet, where it will sit, undisturbed and unseen by our reporters and editors, until January 1, 2011. At that time, we’ll count the number of Apple tablet stories that have appeared on Gadget Lab and elsewhere on Wired.com. Whoever comes the closest will win the prize. In case of a tie, the winner will be chosen at random from among those whose guesses are closest.

Deadline: All entries must be received by January 5, 2010, at 5pm Pacific time. At that point we will close the form and seal the spreadsheet until January 1, 2011.

Problems? Questions? Snarky remarks? Put them in the comments below. And good luck!

Illustration: Matt Skach

So apparently the cats over at Gizmodo have gotten their hands on leaked pics of the Nexus One‘s landing and purchase page. First, the meat. According to the pages, the phone will be available in two ways: as a $529.99 unsubsidized and unlocked device, and as a $179.99 T-Mobile device locked to a two year contract. Sound familiar? It should, because it’s exactly the same story as every other phone available on the market right now. Additionally, the pics seem to suggest that there will only be one plan available should you get the device on contract — 500 minutes of talk time, unlimited text, data, and mobile to mobile for $79.99 — which happens to exactly equal what you’d pay for a T-Mobile Even More 500 plan with unlimited smartphone data and unlimited messaging, so that means there’s no bogus premium here. Furthermore, Giz claims that if you cancel your contract within 120 days you have to pay a $350 fee (a la Verizon) or return the phone to Google, and any existing customer that wishes to buy the phone has to switch to the Nexus One plan.

One thing that caught our eye is a mention of personalization — you’ll be able to get the phone engraved, something that we’ve been able to independently confirm through another tipster of ours. It looks like you can do two lines of text on a metallic bar on the back of the device… just don’t expect to return it if you do (seriously, it says right in the terms of service that you’re married to that thing if you get it etched).

To be perfectly honest, it’s hard to say if this is the real deal or not. We don’t get why Google would want to lock you into a single plan, nor do we fully understand why you would need to activate your phone via the website (as shown in the grab). Of course, the big G sometimes works in mysterious ways — perhaps they’re going for a little Apple magic here with restrictive plans and draconian ideas about how you can use the phone. It wouldn’t be surprising given the timing of the company’s little event next week. Don’t worry, all will be revealed soon enough.

Update: Well what do you know. We’ve just been hit with a few photos of our own, apparently straight from HTC training materials, according to a tipster. And what else? Oh yes — a PDF of the terms of sale, which you can download and view right here.

Allegedly leaked Nexus One purchase page answers, raises questions (update: we’ve got the terms of sale) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After Wednesday’s barrage of Apple tablet rumors from media outlets big and small, Wired.com is convinced the long-awaited product will see the light of day in 2010. But there is one more thing.

New York Times writer Nick Bilton adds to the rumor frenzy with two sound bites from Apple staff.

“I can’t really say anything, but, let’s just say Steve is extremely happy with the new tablet,” a current senior Apple employee is quoted in Bilton’s post.

Bilton also cites a recently departed Apple employee who said, “You will be very surprised how you interact with the new tablet.”

Intriguing, especially the second quote. Just how could the interaction method surprise us? In August 2008, a 52-page patent filed by Apple described how a touchscreen tablet might work. The patent described a device that would be able to detect simultaneous touches and gestures from two hands. But that hardly sounds like it would be surprising.

Interestingly, AppleInsider spotted a new patent application that was appeared this week in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s database. Filed by Apple, the patent application is titled “Keystroke tactility arrangement on a smooth touch surface.” It describes a tactile-feedback mechanism for a touch surface keyboard to create physical bumps for the user to feel the keys:

One approach is to provide tactile feedback mechanisms, such as dots, bars, or other shapes on all or many keys. In another embodiment, an articulating frame may be provided that extends when the surface is being used in a typing mode and retracts when the surface is used in some other mode, e.g., a pointing mode. The articulating frame may provide key edge ridges that define the boundaries of the key regions or may provide tactile feedback mechanisms within the key regions. The articulating frame may also be configured to cause concave depressions similar to mechanical key caps in the surface. In another embodiment, a rigid, non-articulating frame may be provided beneath the surface. A user will then feel higher resistance when pressing away from the key centers, but will feel a softer resistance at the key center.

Could that be the big surprise? It would certainly be a welcome addition to eliminate the need to stare at the keyboard while typing. And one could imagine it would be a crucial feature on a touchscreen device with a bigger screen.

See Also:

• Why 2010 Will Be the Year of the Tablet
• Everything We Know About Apple’s Touchscreen Tablet
• Approaching January, Apple Tablet Rumors Run Wild

Photo illustration: Wired.com reader Gluepet

Apple is planning to offer television subscriptions over the internet, according to multiple industry sources, and so far CBS and Walt Disney are considering the idea.

The subscription service would involve allowing customers access to some TV shows from participating networks for a monthly fee, anonymous sources have told The Wall Street Journal. The subscription content would presumably be integrated into the iTunes Store and iTunes-compatible hardware. Though Disney and CBS are rumored to be interested, the companies have not officially commented on their plans.

Assuming the rumors are true, a subscription model would be Apple’s second major move to seize the digital video market. The Cupertino, California, company introduced the Apple TV in 2007, which stores and plays video content downloaded through iTunes. However, Apple has repeatedly referred to the Apple TV as a “hobby,” implying the product has not made a serious dent in the entertainment market.

Also, the iTunes Store’s offering of video content pales in comparison to competitors’ catalogs. In March, Apple reported the iTunes Store had accumulated 40,000 downloadable TV episodes and 5,000 movies. Around the same time, Netflix, which offers a rental service in addition to streaming-video hardware, had amassed 100,000 DVD titles and 12,000 choices of streaming content.

Apple’s rumored subscription strategy, if successful, could reshape the TV industry by offering a compelling (and cheaper) alternative to the pricey bundles sold by television providers. However, it will be tricky for Apple to get TV networks on board, said James McQuivey, a Forrester analyst who focuses on the consumer video market.

“It’s very hard to walk into these folks’ door and say, ‘I’m going to deliver revenue to you,’ when in the past few years they haven’t been able to do that,” said McQuivey, in a phone interview.

How could Apple persuade networks? The video-subscription strategy could work if Apple implements a streaming model, McQuivey said. That would involve allowing iTunes customers to stream TV shows without downloading them straight to their hard drives.

Studios typically prefer streaming technology over direct downloads. Streaming video is not only difficult to pirate; it also enables studios and networks to track their success. With streaming video, they can insert dynamic advertisements, create interactive experiences that can be measured, and report on success of promotional campaigns and content strategies.

McQuivey added that Apple could possibly offer to handle the bandwidth for streaming TV shows so that a subscription service could cost networks next to nothing.

“Apple could say, ‘We’ll pass revenue to you, and we won’t burden you with a single drop of cost,’” McQuivey speculated.

That would be a plausible gesture, since Apple is currently building a 500,000 square-foot data center in North Carolina, which could handle the bandwidth required for streaming video. The corporation also recently acquired Lala, a music streaming service, whose infrastructure could be shared with video.

However, McQuivey noted that streaming is getting “dirt cheap” thanks to technological innovations, and it’s poised to get even cheaper — so Apple will have to think hard about how to sell the idea of a subscription service to enough networks in order for the model to ever come into fruition.

TV networks will be especially defensive against Apple, in light of the corporation’s takeover of the digital music market. For the first half of 2009, iTunes-purchased songs accounted for 69 percent of the digital music market; Amazon is in a distant second with 8 percent. iTunes also accounts for 25 percent of the overall music market — both physical and digital — according to research firm NPD Group. iTunes is slowly chipping away at CD, still the most popular music format with 65 percent.

“You can’t get away with that in the video industry because they watched what you did, Apple, with music,” McQuivey said. “[TV networks] are going to be looking for short-term deals and offering no exclusive for content. It’s going to be difficult for Apple.”

See Also:

• Why Apple TV Must Evolve to Avoid Extinction
• Apple’s Next Media Frontier Will Be Streaming Video
• What We Want in an Apple TV
• The 27-Inch iMac Is the New Apple TV
• 5 Reasons Why Apple TV Rules, 5 Reasons Why it Sucks

Photo: niallkennedy/Flickr