Wednesday, September 19, 2012

iOS 6 Apple release date, (AAPL) features: Download new iPhone 5, iPad, iPod ... - NewsNet5.com

What if you found yourself stuck alone at a faraway airport -- with no money, credit cards or ID? How easily could you fly back home again?

You might survive if you had a smartphone. Emerging "empty pockets" technology is increasingly allowing travelers to use their phones to make purchases, book flights, check in and board planes.

Wallets? They're so 2008.

Delta, American and United are already big into electronic boarding passes on smartphones, and stragglers like JetBlue are planning e-boarding programs in the near future.

What's next? If some visionaries have their way, the future of mobile travel will touch virtually every key activity at the airport -- including security and U.S. passports. Smartphone technology might improve airport efficiency and help ease the pain from skyrocketing traffic predicted in the next 20 years.

But is a post-9/11 world comfortable with the idea of merging personal cell phones into the airport security network?

Apple -- still basking in the afterglow of last week's iPhone 5 curtain raiser -- is also unveiling Passbook, an app which organizes e-boarding passes, flight reservations, coupons and other documents.

But Apple has a much more grandiose plan for its empty pocket dreams, according to public U.S. Patent and Trademark Office documents. Read the patent document (PDF).

For example, imagine checking bags with your cell phone -- or passing through security by flashing an official driver's license or U.S. passport displayed on your phone.

Outside the airport, envision using just your phone to rent a car or to check into a hotel. How about using your phone as an electronic hotel room key?

But let's get real, say industry experts and government officials. As cool as all these ideas sound, extending Apple's technology and influence to airport baggage tracking and TSA security would be unprecedented.

"I'm always kind of staggered by the scale and complexity and the ambition that they have," says mobile phone industry analyst Nick Holland of Yankee Group.

As you might expect from the secretive folks at Apple, they wouldn't talk to CNN about the patent documents. But we did grab some time with "Apple Insider" reporter Neil Hughes, who covers nothing but Apple, including its patents for future products.

"Security may be the biggest issue," says Hughes. Carrying all your personal ID and travel documents on a single device would be very tempting for skilled password hacks, says Hughes.

The concept

The 2008 patent application was approved in July and filed under the working title "iTravel." Hughes suspects the iTravel concept will be folded into Apple's Passbook app, which will be available for download on Wednesday. Right now, Passbook will store electronic versions of airline boarding passes which will automatically pop up on iPhone screens when you arrive at the airport. The phone knows where you are, thanks to geo-locator technology.

That aspect alone will make a lot of gadget-geeky travelers feel all gee-whizzy inside.

Even more gee-whizzy: The patent calls for iPhones to automatically check in luggage when passengers approach an airport baggage check-in kiosk. (See details in the photo gallery above.)

Would security benefit from smart-phone based e-passports and e-drivers licenses? Would they increase speed, efficiency or security at TSA check points?

Currently -- as most of us know -- TSA agents briefly examine government ID and boarding passes as each passenger presents their documents at a checkpoint at the end of a security line.

Under Apple's patent, a traveler's phone would automatically send electronic identification to a TSA agent as soon as the traveler gets in line.

While each traveler waits in line, TSA agents would examine the electronic ID at an electronic viewing station.

Next, at the X-ray stations, a traveler's phone would confirm to security agents that the traveler's ID had already been checked. Throughout the process, the phone photo could be displayed on a screen for comparison with the traveler. Facial recognition software could be included in the process. (See details on Apple's proposal in the photo gallery above.)

The patent documents offer a surprising number of details which open doors to key questions about the system, but Apple declined to discuss the patent.

The TSA wouldn't comment either on the viability of Apple's plan. But other government officials, aviation authorities and longtime industry experts say Apple faces at least three high hurdles if they want to see this idea to fruition.

Verification

Several experts say a key question that must be answered is: How would you prove that the phone is yours? In other words, how would you prove that the e-passport is actually you?

To get around this problem, future phones or electronic ID may require some form of biometric security function -- like fingerprint matching.

In general, passports must be designed to be difficult to copy. Recent security changes to U.S. passports have included a hidden

radio frequency identification chip to hinder counterfeiters. The chip includes the same data as the paper passport, a unique chip ID number, a digital version of the passport holder's photo "which will facilitate the use of face recognition technology at ports-of-entry," according to the State Department website.

Universality

Any company that intends to create an official electronic ID will have to work closely with countless government authorities to come up with secure, verifiable standards. Think about the complexity of that idea across 50 U.S. states and all the nations that travelers visit each year.

An electronic passport would have to be approved by an international standards organization, and it would have to be usable from country to country, according to the U.S. State Department, which oversees U.S. passports.

There are ongoing government efforts aimed at using technology to enhance passport security and convenience, according to a State Department official.

But the State Department says a smartphone portable e-passport is unlikely to become a reality anytime soon.

"We're not at a point where the government is going to go digital for any of that stuff," says Hughes, of "Apple Insider." Then he laughs and says, "I mean, I'm not even allowed to laminate my Social Security card."

Related story: Opinion: Airport Wi-Fi and mobile services are lacking

Infrastructure

Apple's patent calls for the placement of special kiosks around the airport which will automatically exchange data with your phone via a close range wireless technology called near field communication (NFC). Apple phones -- including the new iPhone 5 -- don't include NFC, but they eventually would, according to the iTravel patent.

If consumers, airlines, airports and the TSA don't embrace the NFC kiosks, experts say it's unlikely Apple's vision would become reality.

"First you would have to sell industry on Apple's idea, says Hughes. "Then you'd have to sell it to travel consumers."

Case in point: Google Wallet, a mobile phone app which allows people to make purchases with their NFC-enabled android phones. You set it up by attaching your Wallet account to your credit card. Then, you wave your phone near a special NFC-enabled point-of-purchase terminal, and voila! It's paid for.

Most NewYork City taxis take Google Wallet. Travelers using Newark Liberty Airport can tap their Wallet-enabled phones at the New Jersey Transit rail station and at New York's Penn Station. Many cabs in San Francisco also are Wallet-friendly. Also, using Google Wallet will get you access to special discount offers. Google isn't ruling out adding more travel features to Wallet -- like e-boarding passes. "A wallet can hold all kinds of things," hints Google's Nate Tyler. "Things are absolutely in development."

A little more than a year after launching, Google Wallet has about 200,000 NFC point of purchase terminals nationwide, according to Google.

Although the concept may be ahead of its time, analyst Holland says Google Wallet remains less than successful because there simply aren't enough terminals. "They're probably about three years premature," Holland says.

"It's a chicken-and-egg problem," says Hughes. "You need to have the NFC kiosks there and you need to be aware of it and the stores have to invest in it, so sometimes it just doesn't catch on."

Along with making a buck, Silicon Valley appears to be trying to make travel more convenient through smartphone technology. That makes sense, because travelers will need all the help they can get to plot a course through increasingly crowded airports.

The number of yearly U.S. commercial airline passengers is expected to nearly double to 1.2 billion by 2032, according to the FAA. As increasingly complicated smart-phone partnerships evolve between the tech world and the sprawling travel industry bureaucracy, it looks like growing pains will be unavoidable.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Everything you need to know about Apple's new Lightning connector - Las Vegas Informer

By Alex Kosmach

Las Vegas Informer

In the week since Apple announced its new line of iPhones and iPods, much of the public’s reaction has been focused on the devices themselves. Does it matter that the iPhone 5 is longer and runs faster than its predecessor if it doesn’t contain an NFC chip, improved Bluetooth, or other key new technologies that Android phones either will soon adapt if they have not already? Does it matter how many colors the iPod nano comes in if it only comes in a 16 GB model? Does Apple actually still sell iPod Classics? All of these questions have been hotly discussed but don’t engage what may be Apple’s key new development announced at Wednesday’s event.

Lightning.

Lightning, Apple’s new charge and sync connection that will replace the proprietary dock plug that has been used since at least 2003, struck on Wednesday and caused a firestorm. The Apple fanboys either love itâ€"possibly too muchâ€"or loathe itâ€"also probably too much. Android loyalists are glad they still can talk about how the iPhone and iPod can’t connect via MicroUSB. Middle of the road folks are not quite sure what to think.

Lightning, despite all of Apple’s fanfare and the actual advancements it has made in terms of quality and durability, is still much of the same technology that most iDevice users are already accustomed to. Let’s analyze how different the world will be with Lightning plugs as a part of it.

WHY LIGHTNING?

The simplest explanation thus far as to why Apple changed its proprietary dock connection to Lightning is less about the cable or plug itself but the iDevice it connects to. According to Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of Apple, the Lightning connection was adopted for the iPhone 5 and new iPods so the devices could be made thinner. Put simply, a bigger plug requires more internal hardware to make it operate properly. If Apple wanted a thinner phone, it needed a more dynamic port inside of the phone. Thus, Lightning was born.

WHAT’S THE SAME?

It’s still USB 2.0

The Lightning dock connector, despite the advancements it represents, is still somewhat hindered by the fact that it has not yet made the jump to USB 3.0. Like the cables that have shipped with the iPhone since the debut of the 3G, the new Lightning sync cable still runs on the USB 2.0 standard. This seems counterintuitive for multiple reasons, the least not being that a USB 3.0 cord can still operate over a USB 2.0 connection. A USB 3.0 Lightning sync cable would make sense, especially considering that every iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini ships with at least one USB 3.0 port. With Apple making the jump to Thunderbolt and the increased adoption of USB 3.0, it seems like an upgrade to the Apple Lightning USB cable’s standard might already be long overdue, and it’s only been two days.

It’s still not MicroUSB

With every Android phone, every BlackBerry, and every Windows Phone device syncing and charging over MicroUSB in the status quo, many hoped that Apple would give in to public demand, just this once, and make the iPhone 5 charge and sync via USB micro. Much to their chagrin, the Apple Lightning port and a MicroUSB port are not at all alike. Of course, Apple has always wanted to create a closed ecosystem of products that work over protocols that Apple, and only Apple, gets to dictate.

The Lightning sync port is another step along that line. Lightning allows Apple to continue what they’ve been doing since introducing the long-form 30-pin connector in 2003, which is charging companies who manufacture docks, accessories, and other third-party connectors based on Apple’s proprietary connection a solid amount of money for the right to use that proprietary connection to manufacture their products. Apple doesn’t want that to change anytime soon, even though just a few months ago the mothership threw its support behind a worldwide push for a standard of MicroUSB for charging portable devices. It is possible that future generations will be dual-compatible with Lightning and USB micro, but that seems unlikely. According to Apple’s Senior VP Phil Schiller, “this is the new connector for many years to come.”

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?

It’s 80% smaller

Apple put major work into shrinking the old, 30-pin, inch-wide dock connector to something thinner, smaller, and more intuitive. Mission accomplished.

The Lightning dock connector, compared to its 30-pin predecessor, only has eight pins. That’s 22 less than before. Apple got rid of all those signals by stripping out obsolete technology that made sense for early-era iPods and iPhones, but has been surpassed by alternative methods since. Apple’s new Lightning dock connector is entirely digital; you won’t find any analog channels in the Lightning connector. Apple managed to shrink it and still make it work as well as before â€" a feat indicative of significant technological advancement but one that has been long overdue.

It can plug both ways

Unlike the older Apple proprietary connection that could only be plugged in one way, the Lightning charge and sync plug can be inserted into the iPhone 5′s dock connector regardless of which direction it is facing. As long as it lines up flat with the Lightning dock port, it will plug in. Pretty neat, and definitely more usable.

It’s more durable

Apple claims to have made the new Lightning USB cable more durable and sturdy, which should be a welcome improvement. For as many fully broken iPod and iPhone charge and sync cords out there, there exist an equal number of ones wrapped up in electrical tape as a form of emergency technological triage. Plain and simple, iPhone and iPod sync cables have plain old stunk up the place in terms of overall long-term durability. They rip and tear easily and don not often last more than a year or two. If Apple speaks true and the Lightning charge and sync cable is, in fact, more durable, that is a solid improvement on a longtime shortcoming.

ADAPTATION

All of the hullaballoo and hubbub revolving around the iPhone 5′s new Lightning dock connector is not so much about how it works, but how the new connector is going to work with older devices that use the former Apple proprietary connection. Most iPhone, iPod, and iPad users have some sort of additional accessory for their device, like a speaker dock, charger, cradle, or car mount. Those users, who also may want to upgrade to the new iPhone 5, do not want to go out and buy all new accessories and devices to replace ones made for the older connection standard. Apple is making it somewhat easy for users to adapt their devices to older legacy dock connections, but not everything will work like a charm. Here are the adapting issues you need to know about.

It’ll run you about $30-$40

Apple’s already offering adapters for the new Lightning dock connection on its website. The first is a simple 30-pin to Lighning adapter plug that you’ll need your old 30-pin cable to use, and that costs $29.

The second employs the same concept of plugging the older 30-pin cable or dock connector into the adapter to make it work, but this one is 0.2 meters long and offers a little more flexibility and length. It costs $39.

It can charge and sync

Both of the Apple Lightning dock connector adapters will be able to perform traditional charge and sync duties. As long as you have that older 30-pin dock connector, you can charge your Lightning-equipped devices or sync them via USB. The performance, though not necessarily improved by the new Lightning charge and sync connector, will not be hampered by the extra adapter.

It supplies analog audio

You can process analog audio from your Lightning device to your old speaker dock or speaker adapter in your home or car. Any speakers that ran off of the proprietary 30-pin dock connector will be able to play audio from a Lightning-equipped iDevice.

It doesn’t supply video output

In a push by Apple to encourage users to use other methods of sharing video like its built-in AirPlay technology, the new Lightning dock connector adapters won’t be able to supply analog video through a connection to a display or a television. If you want to share video to another screen from your Lightning-equipped iPhone 5 or iPod touch, you won’t be able to do it with the new adapters.

It doesn’t support iPod dock controls

If you have an iHome or other home iPod or iPhone dock that has controls for iPod functions like play/pause, skip, fast forward and such, the Lightning dock connector to 30-pin adapter will not support those controls. Dock remotes and on-board button controls that help you control your music will not work with the 30-Pin to Lightning adapter. This also applies to car stereos with proprietary iPod input and on-face iPod controls.

Video adapters are coming soon

According to Schiller, Apple will be debuting two different video adapters for the Lightning dock connector in the coming months. Apple has both Lightning to HDMI adapters as well as Lightning to VGA adapters in the works that willl be available soon.

It’s already sold out

As of publication, the wait to receive your adapter will be about two to three weeks thanks to a quick sellout and rapidly increasing backlogs. If you want to adapt your Lightning dock connector to your other 30-pin devices, you’ll probably have to wait.

Apple iPod shenanogans - ZDNet

Summary: Something's going on with the iPod nano and I can't put my finger on it. It's almost too lame to be an Apple product. Could it be a smokescreen to divert attention away from another product?

Shenanogans - Jason O'Grady

Lost in the hype of the iPhone 5 announcement was a less memorable product, the new seventh-generation iPod nano.

Unlike the big star of the event, the new iPod nano is a nothing upgrade to a dead-end product. It doesn't have iOS, apps or WiFi, so there's no way to consume music from the cloud (Spotify, Pandora, Sirius, YouTube, etc.) The only music supported on the iPod nano is whatever you sync from iTunes -- via a cable, no less. Which is Lame.

The Verge's Nilay Patel called it "an impulse buy holiday present that almost makes it seem like you care about the recipient."

Unlike the iPhone and the iPod touch, the iPod nano is a product looking for a problem to solve. Someone looking for an inexpensive music player, could easily pick up a $49 iPod shuffle instead.

Patel put it even more succinctly when he said that "anyone thinking about spending $149 on the iPod nano should tap-dance on street corners until they make the extra $50 it takes to buy the entry-level iPod touch instead."

I'm also a little bitter about the 7th-gen iPod nano because it completely killed the growing and fun iPod-watch industry.

There are two potential reasons why Apple eliminated the square iPod nano form-factor:

1) It cares more about selling (and renting) movies that it does about giving you the time of day, or...

2) Apple's building its own iWatch and doesn't want to compete against itself. 

The latter is a conspiracy theory raised by gdgt's Peter Rojas that I happen to like. Maybe it's just wishful thinking? 

It's easy to imagine all the things that an iWatch could do: it'd be the perfect accessory for an iPhone or iPad. Bluetooth 4.0 could make it a satellite screen for your larger iOS device (which could stay in your pocket or bag) while it displayed things like Tweets, Facebook posts, text messages, emails or the currently playing track. If Apple sold it for $99 (granted, a long shot) it would sell one with every iPhone and iPad sold.

Apple's already innovated the hell out of the palm, now it's time to tackle the wrist.

Apple iPod shenanigans - ZDNet

Summary: Something's going on with the iPod nano and I can't put my finger on it. It's almost too lame to be an Apple product. Could it be a smokescreen to divert attention away from another product?

Shenanogans - Jason O'Grady

Lost in the hype of the iPhone 5 announcement was a less memorable product, the new seventh-generation iPod nano.

Unlike the big star of the event, the new iPod nano is a nothing upgrade to a dead-end product. It doesn't have iOS, apps or WiFi, so there's no way to consume music from the cloud (Spotify, Pandora, Sirius, YouTube, etc.) The only music supported on the iPod nano is whatever you sync from iTunes -- via a cable, no less. Which is Lame.

The Verge's Nilay Patel called it "an impulse buy holiday present that almost makes it seem like you care about the recipient."

Unlike the iPhone and the iPod touch, the iPod nano is a product looking for a problem to solve. Someone looking for an inexpensive music player, could easily pick up a $49 iPod shuffle instead.

Patel put it even more succinctly when he said that "anyone thinking about spending $149 on the iPod nano should tap-dance on street corners until they make the extra $50 it takes to buy the entry-level iPod touch instead."

I'm also a little bitter about the 7th-gen iPod nano because it completely killed the growing and fun iPod-watch industry.

There are two potential reasons why Apple eliminated the square iPod nano form-factor:

1) It cares more about selling (and renting) movies that it does about giving you the time of day, or...

2) Apple's building its own iWatch and doesn't want to compete against itself. 

The latter is a conspiracy theory raised by gdgt's Peter Rojas that I happen to like. Maybe it's just wishful thinking? 

It's easy to imagine all the things that an iWatch could do: it'd be the perfect accessory for an iPhone or iPad. Bluetooth 4.0 could make it a satellite screen for your larger iOS device (which could stay in your pocket or bag) while it displayed things like Tweets, Facebook posts, text messages, emails or the currently playing track. If Apple sold it for $99 (granted, a long shot) it would sell one with every iPhone and iPad sold.

Apple's already innovated the hell out of the palm, now it's time to tackle the wrist.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Apple's new iPod lineup pops up on Amazon - CNET (blog)

Amazon buyers can preorder the new iPod Touch, Nano, and Shuffle.

September 17, 2012 5:56 AM PDT

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

Unveiled last week, Apple's 2012 iPod lineup is now available for preorder through Amazon.

The fifth-generation iPod Touch offers the same 4-inch display found on the new iPhone and includes a more powerful A5 processor and a 5-megapixel camera. The new Touch comes in both 32GB and 64GB versions and offers a choice of five different colors. Some models list an estimated ship date of two to five weeks; others three to five weeks. The 64GB pink version shows a wait time of one to two months.

The 16GB version sells for $299, while the 32GB model goes for $399.

The seventh-generation iPod Nano has grown in size, offering a 2.5-inch display. The new Nano comes with 16GB of storage and sells for $149. Buyers can choose among seven different colors - silver, slate, purple, green, blue, yellow, and pink. Some models point to a ship time of two to five weeks and others three to five weeks. But as with the new Touch, pink seems to playing hard to get, with an estimated wait time of one to two months.

Apple's online store doesn't list a specific ship time for the new Touch or Nano, simply listing October as the availability date.

The fifth-generation iPod Shuffle offers 2GB of storage and a choice of the same seven colors as those for the Nano. Depending on the color, shipping dates from Amazon range from two to five weeks all the way to one to two months.

But the only change to the Shuffle is a wider choice of colors. Otherwise, the device is the same as last year's model. Apple's store lists the Shuffle's ship time as three to five business days.

(Via 9to5Mac).

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Is the iPod Anti-American? - Opposing Views

Apple released its latest iPhone model last week, sending its stock price to record levels. Some even believe the Chinese assembled phone could significantly boost the U.S. economy. Back in 2009 Reason TV looked at Apple's iPod to show just how much America has benifited from modern global manufacturing.

Here is the original text from the July 20, 2009 video:

Is your iPod unpatriotic? 


Its 451 parts are made in dozens of nations, and creating the little doodads employs thousands of foreigners. Final assembly is done in China-a country that right-wingers and left-wingers alike fear is an economic threat to the U.S.


As the recession worsens, maybe patriotic Americans should be smashing foreign-made iPods in protest. Or at least hiring bikini-clad American women to do the job, which is exactly what Reason.tv did. Our patriotic, sledgehammer-wielding bikini bandits headed to California's Venice Beach to smash some foreign-made iPods to make a political statement about saving American jobs.

 
Maybe the United Steelworkers Union (USW), one of the biggest "Buy American" backers would like to hire these patriotic ladies for their next rally.


"Every other nation during this economic downturn is directing their stimulus money inward," thunders USW's Billy Thompson at a rally in West Virginia. "Now if they can do it, why in the hell can't we?"


Actually, we are. President Obama's $800 billion stimulus package came equipped with a "Buy American" provision, and more than 500 state and local governments have signed "buy American" resolutions. And that may be just the beginning of the protectionist push. 


Reason.tv went to a Washington, D.C. event where business owners and activists learned how to lobby for more protectionist laws. "If you want to sell it here, build it here," says one participant who referrs to those who ignore the "buy American" imperative as "uneducated, ignorant people." 


And shouldn't we be patriotic purchasers? That's what car ads, draped with Old Glory and heartland visuals, suggest. What could be more patriotic than buying a Jeep Patriot? With American automakers hurting so badly, that's got to help America.
"That's nonsense," says George Mason University economist-and Cafe Hayek blogger-Donald Boudreaux. 


"The Jeep Patriot, despite it's name is actually less American than some Toyota products. It's literally impossible-at least in any practical sense-to buy American.'" 
Boudreaux argues that Americans should buy whatever products they choose; neither guilt nor laws should push them to buy American. "The thing that is most distinctively American is freedom. To insist that Americans should not be free to buy good from foreigners that's very anti-American."


And what about your iPod?


Even though plenty of foreigners have jobs thanks to it, so do 14,000 Americans whose duties include designing and marketing the little buggers. So the iPod is a product of America and the world, and these days that describes nearly all the items we buy. 
Welcome to the iPod economy, where just about everything is made everywhere.
After hearing the whole story, Reason.tv's bikini bandits decided to put down their protectionist sledgehammers. Will America's people, pundits, and politicians follow suit?


"Is Your iPod Unpatriotic?" is written and produced by Ted Balaker and hosted by Nick Gillespie. Field producer is Hawk Jensen and director of photography is Alex Manning. 


iPod 5th generation release date uncertain - Techwatch

ipod-5th-gen

Uncertainty remains about the launch of the 5th generation iPod, despite it’s announced launched last week and pre-order status.

When we covered the Apple news conference about the headline launch of the iPhone 5, it was also announced that a new 5th generation iPod, and iOS 6, were to be released as well.

However, while the iPhone 5 is currently under pre-order status, Apple have stated it will hit the shops from September 21st.

iOS 6 has been officially slated for release on October 19th.

But as yet, no launch date has been provided for the 5th gen iPod, with any pre-order on the Apple website simply suggesting a delivery date in “October” but with no suggestion as to whether this will be at the beginning or end of the month.

A new iPod

The Apple iPod’s 5th generation is a much improved affair â€" it gets the same larger 4″ screen as the iPhone 5, and will also sport the iPhone 4′s coveted iSight camera, allowing for 5MP photos and 1080p HD video recording.

It will also come with iOS 6 preloaded, and Apple’s new Earpod headphones â€" as well as the same new colour range as the iPhone 5.

Although the iPhone 5 will have a 8MP iSight camera, the iPod 5 will in effect be an iPhone without the phone capabilities â€" which is hardly a bad thing for anyone who doesn’t want to spend the few hundred extra pounds on a new iPhone.

However, confusion remains as to when the iPod 5 will be launched.

No set date

Unlike other Apple products announced at the 12th September news conference, the iPod 5 has yet to be given an official launch date.

While the iPod 5 is available to pre-order from the Apple store, there is no delivery date provided â€" simply the message “Dispatched: October”.

This can only be disappointing for those people looking to either upgrade their iPod, buy it as a mini-tablet, or else treat it like a phone-less iPhone 5.

Especially for those of us looking to not only buy one for ourselves, but also as a birthday present for a loved one.

The danger is, that by delaying the sale, iPod 5 sales may end up being cannibalised by a heavily-rumoured mini-iPad release.

Mini iPad â€" the new iPod

Normally Apple can never be considered a budget manufacturer. The company sells at premium prices, making around 30% gross profit on each item sold.

While Apple reinvented the tablet PC market for mass appeal, there have been clear budget rivals intruding on the scene, not least the Nexus and Kindle Fire, both of which are 7″ tablets that retail for less than £200.

Apple has no 7″ tablet â€" Steve Jobs was originally against the idea â€" but it has been heavily rumoured that Apple are about to release a new product line known as the iPad mini.

That would mean a 7″ tablet joining Apple’s product range, standing somewhere between the iPod and iPad.

However, if that really is the case, then what we would then be looking at is a homogenisation of Apple’s products. The iPod, iPad mini, and iPad, would also effectively be nothing more than different size tablets, at 4″, 7″ and 10″ respectively.

That also suggests that Apple could even end up dropping the names â€" why call something an iPod when it’s just a small iPad? And what’s mini about the iPad mini when it’s just a big iPod?

So far Apple have let on very little. Yet because of the general accuracy of the iPhone 5 rumours, it remains quite likely that we will see the iPad mini coming in early October at Apple’s new big product launch.

The question is, if the iPod 5 isn’t going to be released until then, then why announce it alongside the iPhone 5 and not the iPad mini?

Either way, the lack of clarity on Apple’s iPod 5 release can only disappoint consumers ready to part with their cash for them.

While Apple may be hoping some of these buyer will instead be tempted to “upgrade” to an iPad mini, the iPod is an established best-selling product, and Apple customers, past and present, certainly should expect a little more information on the release date of a product already announced.

Nice Phone, Apple, But What's The Deal With The $29 Lightning To 30-Pin ... - TechCrunch

Lightning to 30-pin Adapter

Chances are you have a few iPhone or iPod chargers and cables in your house right now and maybe even a speaker dock or alarm clock that lets you plug in your iPhone. In one fell swoop, Apple made these obsolete when it launched its new Lightning connector on Wednesday. In typical Apple fashion, the company didn’t just replace its old proprietary connector it introduced in 2003 with a standards-compliant one. Instead, it went with its own design. The Lightning connector is significantly smaller than the old 30-pin connector, but the one feature that Apple really seemed to feel the need to stress is that it’s “reversible” (because plugging in the old connector was always so hard).

If you made any investment in iPod/iOS hardware ecosystem in the last 10 years, chances are you will need to buy a few of Apple’s overpriced $29 adapters (or $39 with a cable) so you can keep using your devices.

With millions of devices ranging from simple speaker docks to clock radios and all the way up to cars featuring 30-pin dock connectors, most people probably would have preferred for Apple to keep the old connector anyway. But time obviously moves on and Apple had good reasons to switch to a new and smaller plug, but going with yet another proprietary connector is a step backwards and the $29 price feels like a slap in the face to the company’s long-time supporters.

Apple wouldn’t be Apple if it just sold the adapter for a more reasonable $9, but its users (and all those hotels, car manufacturers and others that only recently started investing in accessories with 30-pin connectors) would surely appreciate it.

In Europe, where Micro USB is now the standard for all phones, Apple offers a Lightning to Micro USB adapter and currently bundles a Micro USB adapter for its old dock connector with all of its phones there to comply with this standard. As far as I can see, neither the old nor the new adapters are available in the U.S. store.

The fact that converting Lightening to USB is apparently no problem for Apple makes it even more annoying that Apple didn’t just go with a standard USB plug to begin with. A regular Lightning to USB cable is “just” $19, which is a bit easier to stomach, but just to put that into perspective, a 6ft USB to Micro USB cable costs just under $1.50 on Monoprice.com.

The USB adapter apparently doesn’t even support all of the Lightning and 30-pin connectors’ features, but most Android OEMs seem to make do with them just fine and Apple could surely make Micro USB work for its purposes, too.

All of this obviously didn’t stop iPhone 5 pre-orders from breaking records, though most mainstream users probably aren’t even aware of this new adapter yet. I have to say that it did put a damper on my enthusiasm for the new iPhone, though, given that I will likely have to shell out a good $100 extra just to keep using my old accessories.


April 1, 1976

NASDAQ:AAPL

Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook Air) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod, the...

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The end of (iPod) nano watches - GigaOM

The launch of the new seventh generation iPod Nano means curtains for the square-shaped nano that sparked a Nano-watch revolution, thanks to the work of designers like Scott Wilson who created the straps to accommodate the Nanos. On the upside, maybe rarity will make them collectibles.

lunaTik-feature

Apple, as it often does, once again last week changed the design of iPod nano, a music player that inspires debates and passions like none other.  We all prefer one iPod nano design over the other. My favorite was the second generation nano, and I still carry it around. However, the sixth generation iPod nano became something of a cult favorite thanks to its square shape. It also inspired a cottage industry of sorts â€" accessories that turned it into a watch.

It all started when designer Scott Wilson created the Tik-Tok strap that essentially turned the square-shaped iPod nano into a watch. The success of the project also put a spotlight on Kickstarter and its use as a platform for creating gadgets. Nano watches became somewhat of an obsession for many in Silicon Valley. Apple, too, offered up many watch interfaces, which stoked the fires of imagination and a whole slew of products followed. Many even dreamed up scenarios where Apple ushered a new world of wearable computing. The release of the new seventh generation iPod nano now means curtains for the movement.

Last week when I had a chance to appear on John Gruber’s The Talk Show podcast, our conversation turned to watches in general, and iPod nano in specific. I made it clear in no uncertain terms that while I celebrated the ingenuity of folks such as Wilson who created marvelous products, I didn’t much care for the iPod nano watches themselves.

Actually I don’t really care for any digital watches. I am first and foremost, a lover of mechanical watches, lovingly crafted by hand and with meticulous care.  And to be more specific, I love German-made watches, especially from some of the smaller brands. It is fairly easy to see time these days; from microwaves to mobile phones, time is always blinking at us only a glance away. For me, mechanical instruments of time are not just for telling time, but giving time a heartbeat.

Perhaps that is why you won’t find me crying over the loss of iPod nano watches due to the new design. However, there is an upside to the introduction of the new design: They are now out of production and hence a rare commodity, which means they can command a decent after-market price, much like limited edition time-pieces that see their demand increase in direct proportion with their rarity.

As for the seventh generation iPod nano itself, since it doesn’t have a network connectionâ€"either WiFi or Bluetoothâ€"I don’t find it very interesting. The new iPod Touch â€" now that is something to write home about.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Apple iPod Touch, iPod Nano: What's New? - Tech Gadgets Web (blog)

iPod Touch, iPod NanoApple’s media event on 12th September at Sans Francisco was not about iPhone 5 alone. Along with iPhone 5, Apple also unveiled iOS 6 and announced some important news about iPod Touch, and iPod Nano as well. These announcements include new features, software upgrades, and lower pricing of both iPod models.

Apple is always keen to improve their devices and products by bringing some additional features in order to increase the users’ functionality level and when it comes to best portable media players, Apple’s iPod is on the top of the list without any second option.

The most successive models of the iPod family are iPod Touch, iPod Classic, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle.

iPod Touch (Fourth Generation):

The fourth generation iPod was released in the 2011, and this year Apple brings some minor changes in the device. The screen of the device is 3.5 inches and it will be available in two colors that are black and white. The fourth generation iPod Touch is using the same 30 pin old connector unlike the iPhone 5 and fifth generation iPod Touch. This will allow the users to still use their older accessories without buying the new 30-pin to 8-pin adapter, which will cost you extra $9.99. The price tag of the 16 GB and 32 GB models are $199 and $249 respectively.

iPod Touch (Fifth Generation):

The new iPod Touch is the most significant upgrade among the iPod Touch series, as it has a same 4 inches screen just like the iPhone 5, and guess what it features an A5 processor just like the iPhone 4S for the better gaming and graphics experience. So, in short Apple combines some features of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 in fifth generation iPod Touch. In addition new iPod Touch is also quite thinner and lighter and it will run iOS 5, which bring some new and cool features like iCloud and iMessage to any iPod device for the very first time. Available colors of the new iPod Touch are blue, green, red, silver and black, while pricing starts at $299 for the 32 GB model and $399 for the 64 GB model and it will hit the markets in October.

iPod Nano:

The new iPod Nano comes with a new fancy design and multi-touch support having a 2.5 inches screen. Apple replaces the older home screen icons with new bigger icons for easy swipe. It also comes with the built-in radio tuner and fitness pedometer as well. The new iPod touch price starts at $129 for the 8GB and $149 for the 16GB.

About Faisy

An IT Guy who loves to write about tech, gadgets, How To Tutorials and proud owner of the Geek Portal. Contact me at: m (dot) faisal (dot) suleman (at) gmail.com

iPod app helps Wichita center help children - Sacramento Bee

A Wichita center for children with special needs is using a new iPod Touch app to better track the students' health and behavior.

Employees at Heartspring can use the app to input data about a student's behavior while it is happening. It also allows the staff to note behaviors for specific students, such as those who hit themselves or don't follow instructions.

Riley Dutton developed the app for Heartspring. Dutton says it allows hundreds of people to take data throughout the day and quickly compile their findings for the professional staff.

The Wichita Eagle reports ( http://bit.ly/RPy7bE) the old paper system required psychologists and paraprofessionals to fill out 21 pages per student per week. The staff then spent about 30 hours per week inputting the data into the computer.

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Apple EarPods Review - Digit

After 11 long years, not counting a very minor mid-cycle update, Apple has finally completely redesigned its trademark white earphones that come bundled with every iPod and iPhone. And with good results. In fact, Apple may have achieved the impossible: The EarPods ($29 direct, if purchased separately) actually deliver some bass punch, without resorting to an in-canal, rubber-tipped design that accumulates ear wax (ick). Despite Apple's claims, the EarPods still don't fit everyone. But for doing what the Apple earbuds should have done all alongâ€"providing good sound quality and comfort on a budgetâ€"the EarPods are an easy recommendation.

Concept and Fit
Remember that the goal here isn't for Apple to deliver a high-end pair of earphones that compete with our favorites from AKG, Sennheiser, or Shure. Instead, the question is, are the EarPods good enough that you won't feel like you need to upgrade immediately? And if they break and you need another set, or if you're looking to replace a worn pair on an older iPod or iPhone, should you get these, or head to Amazon or Best Buy and pick up a different pair?

Let's talk about the unique design first. The EarPods are made entirely of white plastic. They look custom molded, thanks to the unusual earbud shape. Apple claims the idea is to build the diaphragm out of both rigid and flexible materials, which minimizes sound loss, while adding acoustic vents in the stem of each EarPod to improve bass. A few inches down the right earbud wire, you'll find inline call controls that will work with all iPhones; you get prominent volume buttons and an indented multi-function button.

The EarPods are compatible with any device with a 3.5mm headphone jack, including all iPads, iPods, and iPhones, though Apple says some models may not support the inline volume controls. Apple includes a small plastic carrying case that takes a little workâ€"you need to wrap the earbuds in, then the inline controls, and then the wire around the edgesâ€"but it's a nice touch and infinitely preferable to untangling them every day on the subway.

First welcome surprise: The EarPods fit and don't fall out, at least for me. Not everyone has this problem, but for whatever reason, the original Apple Earphones (not to mention many Bluetooth headsets) have never stayed in properly. I guess I'm lopsided, but the right earbud always falls out, which is one of the reasons I prefer in-canal earphones and over-the-ear headphones to earbuds. The EarPods are the first ones I've tried that are made entirely of plastic yet still stay put. On the other hand, my editor tried them, and they wouldn't stay in her ears. We'll call the fit a toss-up, but certainly not the sure thing Apple implies.

Performance and Conclusions
Second welcome surprise: Bass. In my tests, Muse's "Uprising" had all the kick drum and midbass rumble it was supposed to have. In Metallica's Mastered-For-iTunes "Hate Train," I could still hear the kick drum even with the guitars crushing down, albeit barely. On The Knife's "Silent Shout," our standard bass test track, there is actually some decent tail "boom" on the 808 kick drum, although some details in the bass synth behind the kick drum are a bit lost and distorted at higher volumes.

Okay, there's still not much low-end extension. Hip hop, rap, and other electronic music lovers, not to mention classical listeners looking to vibrate their skulls with a pipe organ's low notes or rumbling timpani rolls, should stick with an in-ear rubber-tipped setâ€"even an inexpensive pair, because the tight seal you get automatically enhances those frequencies. But there actually is some low-end extension, which is surprising, particularly once you turn up the volume. The only thing I worry about here is that while the EarPods can get pretty loud, they don't really punch until you turn 'em up, which is not good for your hearing. Watch the volume dial and add a little EQ if you need more bass.Apple EarPods

Otherwise, the EarPods sound fine, but by no means exceptional. You don't get a lot of midrange or high-end detail. In fact, from the midrange on up, they sound a lot like the original Apple earbuds, though they're a bit smoother and more detailed. There's also some slight audible harshness in the upper midrange, but it's not offensive. And that's expected for less than $30. Metric's "Youth Without Youth" had tons of energy, and didn't distort at all (besides what it was supposed to do). Ludovico Einaudi's "A Fuoco" lacked a sense of air around the instruments that you'd get with higher-end earphones, and you don't hear the little noises that indicate a bow on strings, but at least the piano and violin sound smooth and natural.

Note that there's also some sound leakage that people nearby will hear. It's a bit more than you'll get with in-canal earbuds, but a little less than with the regular Apple earbuds. Also, for the same reason, the EarPods don't block out much external noise; if you want something that minimizes train or airplane noise, for example, go with an in-canal design or a noise-cancelling pair.

Finally, for phone calls, voices sounded fine in both directions, with a warm tone in the earpiece. Transmissions through the inline microphone were clear and well balanced, if slightly muffled.

So the EarPods aren't perfectâ€"far from itâ€"but in most cases, you're not paying for them since they come with iPods and iPhones. And many missteps can be forgiven with a $29 price tag. Our budget Editors' Choice earphone pair, the AKG K 350 sound better all around, particularly with midrange and high-end detail and low-end bass extension, but they also costs a lot more. Apple is still selling the original "classic" earphones for the same $29. Steer clear of those and grab the EarPods instead; you'll be glad you did. Even better if they came with your new iPod or iPhone.

 

Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc

Ears-On: Apple's New EarPods Are Worth Listening To - Wired

Apple’s EarPod headphones sound and look fantastic, pushing the iconic white iPhone freebie forward. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

The EarPods, Apple’s new headphones announced alongside the iPhone 5 on Wednesday, rectify nearly every complaint I’ve had with Apple’s white earbuds over the last decade. And while they won’t convert those spending hundreds of dollars on luxurious over-the-ear models, these new in-ear headphones do raise the bar for entry-level audio.

Apple’s original Earbuds are an icon of mobile technology, but not because they actually sound good. It’s because every iPod and iPhone sold since the first iPod landed in 2001 has included a pair of Earbuds. Hundreds of millions have made their way into consumer ears, delivering flat, muddled sound absent of any significant bass. The rounded shape was comfortable enough, but the buds could easily fall out of an ear while you were running, and they did little to block out noise around you.

Not so with the EarPods, which look and sound far better than their predecessors. When the EarPods are in someone else’s ear, you likely won’t even notice there’s anything different. But Apple has changed much from bud to pod. The EarPods have a sleek, retro-futuristic cool that evokes Arne Jacobsen‘s Egg chairs. They’d look at home floating next to Eve, the hovering robot in Wall-E. And the improvements to sound quality are especially striking, especially considering the fact that these are $29 headphones (or free with new iPods and iPhones) with drivers smaller than a dime. The EarPods offer a level of richness and detail that I’d usually associate with mid-range and high-range in-ear headphones such as $100-ish sets from Beats, Aiaiai and Shure.

Apple says its goal with the EarPods was to deliver the experience of “a person sitting in a room listening to high-quality speakers.” The EarPods aren’t quite that good, but they’re close. Distinct instruments and inflections are much clearer now, and there’s been a noticeable boost to the mid-range and bass. This is largely due to all the ports in the EarPods. There are five on each one â€" a large port on the front of the headphone, which directs sound into the ear canal, and others strategically placed on the sides and further down on the stem. These allow air to flow in and out as the speakers inside work, so that the speakers can move more freely. The result is a bass-producing air chamber that the previous Earbuds didn’t have.

A lot is new in Apple’s EarPods, but the signature white cords are staying in place. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

For this hands-on, I listened to some Jazz (Sweetnighter by Weather Report and We Insist by Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln), Hip-Hop (The Morning After by the Jivin Scientists and De’Nir by Mestizo), Rock (Escante Calling by Maneja Beto and Coexist by The xx) and Electronica (Metahuman by Eprom and Beams by Matthew Dear). The EarPods handled all of it. I also noticed that the design allows for a comfortable level of isolation. The EarPods aren’t noise-canceling by any means, but they do a good job of blocking out background noise without the discomfort that can come from buds that completely seal off the ear canal.

As with any low-end earbuds, turning up the volume creates distortion and reduces mid-range detail. But I only noticed this when I was playing music with the volume all the way up, which is louder than anyone should be playing music.

Actually, because the EarPods fit so comfortably and securely in the ear, I found that I could get away with lower volume levels than with the original Earbuds. Apple scanned hundreds of ears to try and figure out how to come up with a shape that would fit comfortably for the widest possible range of people. That’s an incredibly tough thing to pull off, given that everyone’s ears are different shapes and sizes, but I found the EarPods to fit superbly for me. I went for a short run with the EarPods in place, and they didn’t slip out or irritate me at all. Wearing the EarPods for a few hours during the work day was also no bother.

I should note that, as comfortable as the EarPods are, they did fit in my right ear a bit more snugly than my left. (Again, no two ears are alike.) However, my colleague Christina Bonnington, who has also been using a set of EarPods for about the last day, said that her experience was the opposite with the left EarPod fitting perfectly and the right sitting more loosely, almost like the old earbuds.

A problem I have with almost every set of in-ear headphones I’ve tried is the suction effect that arises from a piece of rubber sliding into my ear canal. I find this so offensive with some models that I simply can’t stand wearing them for more than a few minutes. But this wasn’t the case with the EarPods. There’s no suction here despite these headphones being, technically, in-ear. This is because the EarPods are made of smooth plastic with no rubber on the earpiece. This also should help keep things clean â€" no more rubber to collect dirt from your ears or the inside of your laptop bag, purse or coat pocket.

Apple says it spent three years designing its EarPods, with more than 124 different prototypes tested out on more than 600 people. Given how much better the EarPods are than EarBuds, there’s no question that the effort was well worth it.

Apple’s EarPods, left, and the old EarBuds first introduced in 2001. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

Friday, September 14, 2012

New iPod Touch uses last year's parts, will become obsolete a year sooner - VentureBeat

Yesterday I reported that the new iPod Touch would ship with the A5x processor. That was a mistake in reporting. Greg Joswiak, VP of iOS and iPod product marketing, said that the new iPod Touch will ship with the A5 chip, the very same inside the iPhone 4S, not the A5X, which is used in the iPad (2012 model). This error in reporting made sense considering the announcement of new iPods; the A5x, scaled down, could provide the extra horsepower that games need. Or so it seemed.

After confirming with an Apple spokesperson earlier today, the upcoming iPod Touch does in fact have last year’s A5 chip. That information can further be confirmed on Apple’s features webpage for the iPod Touch. But in light of this error, a larger question arises; how is an A5 chip, the same in the iPhone 4S, going to keep the iPod Touch relevant? The iPod Nano and Shuffle both have very specific functions; the Touch has always been an iPhone minus the phone; all of the capabilities without the girth, the two-year contract, and without cellular service. That’s the price; buy a phone and get an all-in-one device, or get the Touch, pay less, but split the cost between the iPod Touch and something else.

For most people, that was a no-brainer â€" buy the iPhone. And with the ridiculous sales figures the iPhone has, Apple knows this. That begs the question: who buys the iPod Touch? Simple: people who don’t need or want a new phone, but still want the benefits of the latest iDevice. We all know parents who buy them for their kids, the responsible sort that doesn’t need a constant connection with their children through another line on that expensive family plan. Or as a gift to friends, family, neighbors…the iPod Touch has always been relatively inexpensive yet remarkably useful, so year after year it made for one of the best holiday buys.

That changed last year, when Apple announced the iPhone 4S but no new iPod. Not the Shuffle, not the Nano, and not the Touch. These devices were barely even discussed; only the iPod Nano was mentioned, and only because Apple wanted owners to upgrade the firmware so they would have access to new watch faces.

Not updating the iPod Touch made sense. The only real difference between the A4 and A5, as far as most people were concerned, was that the A5 was a dual-core CPU while the A4 had only one core. But in fact there’s more; the A5 is an ARM Cortex-A9, with a PowerVR SGX543MP2 on a 45nm chip, clocked at 1GHz but scaled back to 800MHz for the iPhone 4S. The A4 in an ARM Cortex-A8, with a PowerVR 535 GPU on a 45nm chip, also scaled back to 800MHz. That’s a whole generation difference in ARM processing technology.

The reason the iPod Touch never needed to be upgraded is simple enough. Business Insider reported that for the iPad 2, the cost of making the new A5 processor was 75% more expensive than the A4. Apple built the chip to fit in the iPad, but didn’t manage to scale it down to the smaller, easier to fit in a smartphone 32nm frame. With only a year for each new product, and only seven months from the iPad to iPhone 4S, Apple didn’t manage to do that, and the same A5 chip went into the iPhone. This can account for a number of potential reasons why the 4S was such an iterative update. There simply wasn’t enough space to add in features like an LTE antenna or a larger battery.

And the iPod Touch? As a hugely profitable company, one that’s struggled to fit its processor into its fine while simultaneously knowing that every phone has at least a two-year lifespan, there was only one smart business decision to make: don’t release a new iPod Touch. The old A4 was in tens of millions of iPhone 4′s sold worldwide, and they were all capable of running the same applications as the newer iPhone 4S. Meanwhile, the manufacturing of the iPod Touch, with no changes, gets cheaper and cheaper, and the product itself makes money either way. And most customers don’t know the difference, because unlike the iPhone, the iPod Touch isn’t numbered. Us media label them by generation number…but even in conversation, it’s still the same iPod Touch.

So the new iPod Touch? There’s very little new or noteworthy about it. It may start showing its age after only a year, instead of the typical two. Just like the iPhone, the iPod Touch lives on a two-year cycle because it has all of the same hardware. Only this time, for this new model, that hardware is already a year old.

Don’t get me wrong; you can read Meghan’s impressions on the iPod Touch for judgment on the actual device. And the upgrades since the last model are pretty major: the same 5MP camera that was in the iPhone 4, Siri, a widescreen display…and it even comes in six colors. It may well make for an excellent buy or a great gift.

But don’t be fooled: the iPod Touch doesn’t have new hardware. It has a bigger screen, but that’s it; everything else is from either the iPhone 4S or, like the camera, from the iPhone 4. In one year’s time, the current iPod Touch will be two generations behind the next iPhone, which is historically when devices stop getting regular software updates, and when applications require more power than the older devices can afford. In effect, Apple has limited the lifespan of the iPod Touch by a whole year by using an older processor and older parts, while still charging a $300 premium for the device.

Federal judge hands Samsung setback against Apple - San Jose Mercury News

NEW YORK -- In a preliminary move, a federal judge has denied Samsung's request for a ban on imports of the iPhone, iPad and iPod.

It's another setback for Samsung in a globe-spanning legal battle, where each company is accusing the other of violating its patents.

A judge at the International Trade Commission in Washington ruled Friday that Apple (AAPL) doesn't violate four Samsung patents. The judge also found that the patents don't apply to any domestic industry. That will make it harder for Samsung to press the case before the full commission, says patent litigation expert Florian Mueller.

Three weeks ago, a jury in San Jose ruled that Samsung owes Apple $1.05 billion for violating patents on features of the iPhone and iPad.

"Apple at the ITC is bulletproof," said Rodney Sweetland, a lawyer at Duane Morris in Washington, who specializes in trade cases. "Nobody can get any traction against them there. The lesson is, if you want to get relief against Apple, it's going to have to be in a foreign forum where it doesn't have the clout or the cachet it has at the ITC or the northern district of California."

Gildea said there was no infringement of any of the four patents in the ITC case, and also determined that Samsung had not proven it had a domestic industry that used

the patents, a requirement that is unique to the trade agency. The judge didn't provide the reasons behind his findings. The opinion will become public after both sides get a chance to redact confidential information.

"We remain confident that the full commission will ultimately reach a final determination that affirms our position that Apple must be held accountable for free-riding on our technological innovations," Adam Yates, a Samsung spokesman, said. "We are proud of our long history of innovation in the mobile industry and will continue to defend our intellectual property rights."

Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple, said the company had no comment. Apple has previously won cases brought against it at the trade agency by HTC and Google (GOOG) Motorola Mobility, two other manufacturers of phones that run on Google's Android operating system. Apple lost its case against Motorola Mobility, and won an order that forced HTC to remove a feature from its phones.

Bloomberg News contributed to this report.

Apple Lightning Adaptor Kills iPod Out on BMW, Mini Models - Wired (blog)

Image: Apple

Would-be iPhone 5 owners are in store for disappointment when they connect their shiny new Apple device into their BMW or Mini model. The new Lightning connector and the adapter necessary to convert the nearly decade-old 30-pin arrangement to the new 8-pin setup won’t work with the vehicle’s iPod Out functionality.

iPod Out allows drivers to get a familiar, iPod-like interface displayed on the in-dash screen if they equipped their BMW and Mini models with the feature. The new Lightning connector eliminates the analog video signal required to transmit that display to the screen, so iPod Out functionality is dead … for now.

BMW spokespeople made it emphatically clear that owners will still be able to listen to music, podcasts and other audio over the built-in stereo, along with accessing BMW Apps and Mini Connected features using the combination of the new Lightning adaptor fitted to the existing 30-pin connector and the duo of USB and 1/8-inch audio jack supplied by both BMW and Mini. So yes, the tunes will continue to flow, but the automaker’s PlugIn feature â€" enabling video playback while stationary and the mirrored Apple interface â€" is officially out.

According to BMW spokesman Dave Buchko, “There is a lot we still don’t know, but BMW has a long history of finding compatibility solutions for iPods and smartphones where none existed.”

The Apple iPhone 5's Lightning Connector: What You Need to Know - PC Magazine

Getting an iPhone 5 or a new iPod? We break down what Apple's first new dock connector in nine years means for speaker docks, charging docks, and other Apple accessories.

Apple iPhone 5 Lightning Port

Here's a headline from a top national news site today: "New iPhone Cord Frustrates Millions." We're not thrilled about the connector change, but we also think that kind of sentiment is pushing it.

Still, there's some reason for the angst. It isn't so much that the connector changedâ€"eventually port standards come and go as the years progress and technology improves. It's that Apple is going from one proprietary 30-pin connector, which they charged hefty licensing fees to accessory makers for, to another proprietary connector, which will start the same thing all over again, instead of using an industry standard like microUSB.

Design and Lightning Adapters
Regardless, this is the hand Apple has dealt us, so let's talk about Lightning, the company's new 8-pin connector. It's much smaller and oval shaped, and looks to be about the same size as a microUSB jack. It's better suited to Apple's ever-shrinking iDevices, as it just fits better, and it should prove easier to line up and plug in, and therefore more reliable than the fiddly 30-pin connector ever was (or USB plugs are, for that matter).

Apple iPhone

As I'm writing this, there are conflicting reports as to whether Apple will bundle a Lightning adapter with each iPhone or iPod. Our best guess is no, given Apple's history of gradually removing every possible accessory out of the box over the years.

Assuming the answer is no, Apple is selling two separate Lightning adapters. The first one, the Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter ($29) is a hard plastic device that snaps onto your accessory and leaves an open connector for the latest iPhones and iPods. This one is good if you know that you've got plenty of room to work with, such as the top of some of those iHome clock radios or other stereos where the iPhone or iPod sits on top.

The second adapter, the Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter (0.2m) ($39), does the same thing, but it comes with a 7.8-inch wire. This way you can fit the adapter into an accessory with a tighter docking port. Having a wire hanging from your accessory won't be the most attractive thing in the world, but I could easily see this working well when hidden inside a car's glove compartment or center console, where the extra wire won't be seen.

Both Apple Lightning adapters are expected to ship in October. They're compatible with the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch, and the sevnenth-generation iPod Nano.

The Plot Thickens
Unfortunately, there's also a second frustration with the adapters themselves, and it has to do with Apple's changeover to an all-digital 8-pin port. With both adapters, Apple says you'll get analog audio output, USB audio output, iPhone/iPod syncing, and iPhone/iPod charging. Butâ€"and this is importantâ€"neither adapter supports iPod Video Out or its iPod Out protocol.

Losing the video out functionality itself isn't necessarily a big deal to most people. But what is a big deal is that many manufacturers over the years employed iPod Out as a way to pass iPod audio controls to another device. So that means you won't be able to use the iPhone or iPod controls on many accessories anymore, which is something that's much more common and frustrating. Worse, no one yet knows which ones won't be compatible anymore.

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A8

What if you want to buy a Lightning-compatible accessory now, so that you don't need an adapter? Unfortunately, it's still early; we haven't seen a ton of accessories yet. It's also not particularly important in terms of audio docks, because more and more these days, people are streaming music wirelessly over AirPlay or Bluetooth, not to mention wirelessly syncing with desktop and laptop PCs. It's more of a problem in terms of compatibility with existing audio accessories and current car stereo docking connectors.

Still, one notable early entry is the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A8 (pictured above), a high-end $1,149 stereo system that B&O is already providing a Lightning-compatible connector module for, even though the system itself came out earlier this year. Existing owners can get the new module free of charge. Soon, though, we expect to see more Lightning-compatible accessories (and we hope ones that are less expensive!); stay tuned to PCMag.com for more details.

For more, see PCMag's hands on with the iPhone 5 and the slideshow below.

For more from Jamie, follow him on Twitter: @jlendino.