Section: Rumors , iPhone / iPod touch / iPad , iPhone It appears Apple is having a hard time keeping their signature death grip on all of their prototype next generation iPhone units.  This one surfaced on a Vietnamese forum called Taoviet.tn. The only real differences from the Gizmodo iPhone are the 16GB label instead of XXGB and the lack of screws near the dock port. Images like these tend to get leaked almost every time a new Apple product is nearing release, but the amount and quality of material available on unreleased Apple devices has never been so good. In terms of case design, we pretty much know exactly what the next gen iPhone is going to look like. It has a front facing camera, a flash for the standard camera, and a ceramic (or other glass-like material) back that is completely flat.  The sides are aluminum and flat and the volume buttons are completely separate circles.  Plus, the whole package is different enough in shape to require all new accessories.  With the amount of stuff you have to buy to be a constant iPhone early adopter, I’m almost wondering if Apple has consulted George Lucas on how to monetize everything. And yet, we’re still all excited about the next hardware revision of the iPhone. It’s unclear what Apple will call this new iPhone, but our sources point to “ iPhone HD .”  The images above just say “iPhone” on the back, like all of the currently available iPhones.  So I guess that’s two things for which we actually have to wait on Apple: the name and to see it in action.  As much as I like seeing leaked images, I’m ready to see how well the front facing camera works and see whatever else Apple may still be hiding. You can see the innards here as well, though it likely doesn’t tell you that much.  Looks cool though, doesn’t it?  Actually, there’s an A4 chip in there, like in the iPad.  Sounds like this thing is going to be much more powerful than previous generations.  I’ll leave you with one more thing, a video of the next generation iPhone.  It’s interesting to note that somehow this guy got his hands on an unreleased device from Apple but can’t get those same hands on a nail clippers or pair of nervous teeth… Read [ Taoviet.tn ] Via [ MacRumors ] Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell

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More next gen iPhone images emerge

In the wake of the tsunami of iPad related rumors and news both before and after it was unveiled in late January, new rumors about the next iPhone have been scarce by comparison. But that may be about to change, with various sources reporting that multitasking will finally come to the iPhone with the next major software update. AppleInsider is reporting that “people with a proven track record in predicting Apple’s technological advances” have leaked some significant details that point to a “full-on solution” to multitasking on iPhone OS 4.0. With competitors like Palm’s WebOS and Google’s Android flaunting their multitasking in recent hardware, it was probably only a matter of time before Apple figured out a solution for the iPhone. If the reports are true, it would silence once and for all the one major criticism of the device at long last. Apple introduced push notifications with iPhone OS 3.0 to stem some of the complaints, but ultimately that solution only made things more complicated, since the software is only capable of displaying one notification at a time, which limits its usefulness. Of course, since iPhone OS has its roots in Mac OS X to begin with, you wouldn’t think that multitasking should have taken Apple four generations to figure out in the first place. The current iPhone OS 3.x software is a “fully preemptive multitasking operating system, but it artificially restricts apps (other than specific ones bundled with the system by Apple) from running in the background” — for instance, the ability to leave the Phone app during a call while entering another app such as Maps, or playing music via the iPod app while reading e-mail or browsing the web. Multitasking on the iPhone is not a technical problem, but rather one of battery life and the ability to optimize resources, which Apple has not been shy about stating publicly. Jailbreak users already have the ability to install software via Cydia or Rock Your Phone which will allow multitasking on the device as well. If it’s true that Apple will introduce multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0 — presumably with a new hardware model in June as they’ve done for the last three years — the only challenge will be how to implement it in a user-friendly way without consuming further battery resources. Apple, we have faith in you… bring it on!

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iPhone OS 4.0 To (Finally) Bring Multitasking?

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Steam is finally coming to the Mac, and bringing the entire library of Valve games with it. The popular application is King of the Games on Windows, but now it has expanded its reign to include Mac OS X, too. Steam is a digital games distributor, a social networking platform for gamers, a multiplayer host for huge frag fests, and one of the most essential pieces of software for computer gamers everywhere. And if you still have no idea what we’re talking about, think of game titles like Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life, Portal, and Counter Strike–these gems will finally be available for Mac heads everywhere. The availability of Steam for Mac gamers means that we’ll finally be able to kick the butts of our PC brethern, without investing in a pricey gaming console, or a Windows PC. Additionally, game publishers will be able to distribute all of their latest game titles via digital downloads, and we’ll be able to play all the various Valve titles across a multitude of different computers, regardless of operating system. We don’t doubt that the Mac versus PC debate won’t continue on for generations to come, but at least there’s finally some common ground. The Steam client for Mac beta will be available in April. To prepare you for the inevitable long nights of multiplayer game playing and trash talking, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the most essential things you’ll be able to do with the Steam client. Think of it as, a beginner’s guide to a whole new world. Create a personal gaming profile The avatar you choose is the first important step to becoming an integral part of the Steam community. Choose wisely, and your future as an elite computer gamer will flourish. However, if you choose poorly, you may be susceptible to a variety of cruel gamer jokes. See what your friends are up to Valve has managed to virtually emulate those treasured times during our childhood, when you’d head outside just to see what the neighborhood kids were up to.

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The Mac Users Guide to Cool Things You Can Do With Steam

Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate tasty eye candy like Avatar. But documentaries tend to be the films that really amaze us. The impact of the right story told by an artist compelled to share it tends to stay alive in our hearts and heads long after we’ve forgotten whatever passed for a plot in the big blockbuster productions. And our fondness for documentaries and independent film makers was deepened this year when we found out that nine of the ten Oscar nominated documentaries in both the "Documentary Feature" and "Documentary Short" categories were made using Apple’s Final Cut Pro software. Some of the 2010 documentary nominees kindly took time out of their busy Oscar weekend to talk to us about their films and how they made them.   Credit: Errol Webber Music by Prudence Director: Roger Ross Williams The story of Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Prudence Mabhena, 21, who was born severely disabled and has struggled to overcome poverty and discrimination What made you want to make this film? Roger Williams: I was very interested in making a film in Africa, yet I didn’t want to make a film about struggle, war, or aids.

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Oscar Nominated Documentary Film Makers Talk About Their Films and Final Cut Pro

(Images courtesy of 9to5Mac.com) On the heels of last week’s patent application that featured a front-facing camera on an iPhone-like device, some further digging into the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK reveals that video chatting may well be on the way. 9to5Mac is reporting on the new discovery, claiming that “some interesting information has come to light this evening that may indicate a future direction of Apple’s iPhone OS products.” The images above and below show “some pretty definitive evidence that future iPhones and iPads will have video chatting capability.” The icons above were found lurking in the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK, while the two images below reveal some strings related to “VideoChat” and, even more telling, “iChat” — the current instant messaging software Apple provides as part of Mac OS X. As 9to5Mac notes , “While it is possible that Apple brought code over from its Mac telephony products, it is unlikely that they also built icons and compressed them into the iPad SDK for such a product if it weren’t being built for future release.” There has been speculation even with the original iPhone in 2007 that a front-facing camera would be added to the device, but three generations later and it’s still a no-show. Here’s hoping the fourth time will be the charm!

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Video Chat Finally Coming to Next iPhone or iPad?

Section: iPhone , iPhone , Mac + Computers , Peripherals , Keyboards Blogger Phil Gyford recently decided he’d stop wondering which text input device is best for him and put them to the test. So, he gathered up six gadgets with different types of input and from different generations. To undergo his test, he decided upon a 221 word passage that he would type on each device and time the amount of time it took him to complete the passage. As you can see from the chart below, the results, while interesting, aren’t really surprising. It makes sense that the keyboard would be the quickest, yet I’m also not surprised the iPhone, with its superior predictive text, is right behind it. He also offers some fascinating analysis of each input method based upon how many corrections he found himself making while entering the passage. Obviously, the more mistakes you make, the longer it takes. Therefore, the better the device is as finding these mistakes itself, such as with the iPhone, the more painless it’s going to be to use. For those interested, the passage he typed was: I have enough faith in my fellow creatures in Great Britain to believe that when they have got over the delirium of the television, when they realize that their new homes that they have been put into are mortgaged to the hilt, when they realize that the moneylender has been elevated to the highest position in the land, when they realize that the refinements for which they should look are not there, that it is a vulgar society of which no decent person could be proud, when they realize all those things, when the years go by and they see the challenge of modern society not being met by the Tories who can consolidate their political powers only on the basis of national mediocrity, who are unable to exploit the resources of their scientists because they are prevented by the greed of their capitalism from doing so, when they realize that the flower of our youth goes abroad today because they are not being given opportunities of using their skill and their knowledge properly at home, when they realize that all the tides of history are flowing in our direction, that we are not beaten, that we represent the future: then, when we say it and mean it, then we shall lead our people to where they deserve to be led! Be sure to head over to Mr.

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Text input speed test: Pen vs. keyboard vs. Newton vs. Graffiti vs. Treo vs. iPhone

Image courtesy of 9to5Mac.com and Patently Apple With all the talk recently about an Apple tablet and speculation about what the next iPhone will bring, the device that helped get the company where it is today seems largely ignored. Thankfully, new patents revealed from Apple may provide clues as to where the iPod is going. After years of being primarily a music player, more recent generations of iPods have landed the ability to watch — and even create — movies, tag songs and even play FM radio, which has long been on the wish list of potential device owners. 9to5Mac has uncovered some new patents that go far beyond those modest abilities. The patent was first disclosed by Patently Apple and essentially makes an iPod into a pocket TV receiver and maybe even a portable DVR. “In the very same manner that radio is handled today, the patent carries this concept through to television,” the site reports. “Not only for watching it, but for recording it as well, even on the go. To me that sounds a lot like a portable DVR — and that would be very cool.” The patent would allow Apple media players to receive content and other media assets from a variety of sources, including over-the-air radio or television, satellite radio or television, cable TV or music services, Internet streaming broadcasts, podcasts, you name it. Best of all, owners of older iPods may not be totally left behind. It seems that Apple may at least be considering an accessory to enable such features for the aging media players of yesteryear, according to details in the patent itself

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Patent Patrol: The Future of the iPod?

Image courtesy of 9to5Mac.com and Patently Apple With all the talk recently about an Apple tablet and speculation about what the next iPhone will bring, the device that helped get the company where it is today seems largely ignored. Thankfully, new patents revealed from Apple may provide clues as to where the iPod is going. After years of being primarily a music player, more recent generations of iPods have landed the ability to watch — and even create — movies, tag songs and even play FM radio, which has long been on the wish list of potential device owners. 9to5Mac has uncovered some new patents that go far beyond those modest abilities. The patent was first disclosed by Patently Apple and essentially makes an iPod into a pocket TV receiver and maybe even a portable DVR. “In the very same manner that radio is handled today, the patent carries this concept through to television,” the site reports. “Not only for watching it, but for recording it as well, even on the go. To me that sounds a lot like a portable DVR — and that would be very cool.” The patent would allow Apple media players to receive content and other media assets from a variety of sources, including over-the-air radio or television, satellite radio or television, cable TV or music services, Internet streaming broadcasts, podcasts, you name it. Best of all, owners of older iPods may not be totally left behind. It seems that Apple may at least be considering an accessory to enable such features for the aging media players of yesteryear, according to details in the patent itself. It’s a fairly comprehensive patent filing that you can read in full detail here . We don’t know about you, but the ability to schedule show recordings on a portable device certainly has us excited.

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Patent Patrol: The Future of the iPod?

Filed under: Apple , Macbook Pro , MacBook , Retro Mac Oh man. I’m tempted to just sit back and let you marvel at the beauty, history, innovation, and intelligence that is on display in the picture above, taken and posted by Robert Donovan on Flickr (and be sure to check out the alternate view , too — I actually like the alt view better, given that it shows all of the ports over time). But just in case you’re wondering: Unibody 13″ 2.53Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro 15″ 400Mhz G4 Titanium PowerBook 15″ 1.25Ghz G4 Aluminum PowerBook 15″ 2.5Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro Amazing stuff — think of the engineering, manufacturing work, and design arguments that went into those little bands of metal, and all of the good work and art that has since been created with them. Beautiful. Flickr Find: MacBook Generations originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Flickr Find: MacBook Generations originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Flickr Find: MacBook Generations