As New iPad Debut Nears, Some See Decline of PCs

The chief executive of Apple, Timothy D. Cook, has a prediction: the day will come when tablet devices like the Apple iPad outsell traditional personal computers.

His forecast has backing from a growing number of analysts and veteran technology industry executives, who contend that the torrid growth rates of the iPad, combined with tablet competition from the likes of Amazon.com and Microsoft, make a changing of the guard a question of when, not if.  Full story

Apple Uses Over-the-Air Software Update for Battery Fix

Apple on Thursday issued a software update for its iOS 5 mobile platform that fixes a number of minor problems on the iPhone and iPad.

The software update, called iOS 5.1, rectifies a battery problem on the iPhone 4S that created less-than-expected battery life on the phone. The update also adds some missing multitasking gestures for the first iPad, fixes a syncing problem with documents and iCloud and improves some minor voice recognition bugs.  Full story

What’s Really Next for Apple in Television

“I’ve finally cracked it!” Steven P. Jobs, co-founder of Apple, told his biographer, Walter Isaacson.

Although Mr. Jobs was referring to Apple’s plans to build a full-fledged television, he was not actually referring to the TV set, which is how the comment has been widely interpreted. Instead, it is becoming clear that Mr. Jobs was talking about Siri, Apple’s new artificial intelligent software on the iPhone 4S.

Apple engineers and designers, spurred by Mr. Jobs, have been struggling for years to find a new interface for the television. One of the biggest hurdles, according to people with knowledge of the project, has been replacing the television set’s annoying best friend: the awkward and confusing remote control.  Apple would give people a way to choose the content on their television that is as easy as choosing the content on their iPod, iPhone or iPad.

Alternative remote ideas floated by Apple included a wireless keyboard and mouse, or using an iPod, iPhone or iPad as a remote. None of these concepts worked. But there was one “I finally cracked it” moment, when Apple realized you could just talk to your television.

Enter Siri.  Full story

Apple Says Pre-Orders of iPhone 4S Break Record

Apple says first-day pre-orders of the iPhone 4S topped 1 million, breaking the record set by last year’s model. Apple Inc. and various phone companies in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Britain started taking orders for the phone last Friday. It hits stores this Friday.

The base model of the iPhone 4S costs $200 with a two-year contract. It has a faster processor and an improved camera compared to last year’s model. However, some customers and investors were disappointed that Apple didn’t launch a more radical new model. It’s been more than a year since Apple since the previous model was released.

Despite the record-breaking pace of iPhone 4S pre-orders, it’s hard to determine whether consumer demand is stronger for the new device than it was for previous versions. Although first-day orders for the iPhone 4 were 600,000 when it launched last year, Australia and Canada weren’t among the launch countries then — they got the phone a month later.  Full story

Apple to Announce New iPhone

Finally, it’s here. After months of speculation about timing, shape and sizes, Apple sent out media invites Tuesday for a special event on Apple’s campus next week. The invitation was sparse, with the headline simply saying: “Let’s talk iPhone.”

The event is Oct. 4 and will be at Apple’s campus in Cupertino, Calif. The invitation says it will begin with a “breakfast and coffee bar at 9 a.m.,” followed by an “executive presentation at 10 a.m.” According to sources and rumors sprinkled all over the Web, the event will be held to announce the next generation iPhone 5.

The next generation iPhone is expected to have completely revamped hardware. The camera, processor and other internal organs will all receive drastic upgrades, according to reports. The design of the phone will be different too. Last month, images of an alleged iPhone 5 case appeared online, although only for a short period.  Full story

Apple Sounds the PC Death Knell (or at least they’ve got the bell handy)

If Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, gets his way, the PC could be on its last legs.

For over two years now, Mr. Jobs and other Apple executives have been pushing the concept of a “post-PC era” where most people no longer have, or need, traditional computers and instead engage with the digital world though iPhones, iPods and iPads…

…”Once these new services begin later this fall, people who buy an iOS device can fully get by without a computer. They will no longer need to plug an iOS device into a PC to activate it; iCloud will automatically sync and backup people’s photos, music and documents. All software will be updated over the Internet.” Full story

Apple Operating System Affected by Malware

For years Apple Mac users have boasted about the lack of malware on their computers. In comparison, Microsoft Windows owners have regularly felt the brunt of viruses and malware that can easily debilitate an entire computer system in minutes.

Now Apple is in that camp too after a barrage of malware began infiltrating computers over the past few days.

To fix the problem, Apple posted a list of instructions on its Web site Wednesday telling users how to remove the intrusive software from Macs. The company also said it planned to offer a software update that would completely eliminate the malware in the coming days.  Full story

The iPad in Your Hand: As Fast as a Supercomputer of Yore

It’s common wisdom that the computer you can hold in the palm of your hand today is as powerful as a computer from years ago that filled an entire room.

But now Jack Dongarra, one of the computer scientists who keeps track of the world’s 500 fastest computers, has figured out just how fast that computer in your palm really is.

Dr. Dongarra, who is on the computer science faculty at the University of Tennessee and a researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is one of the keepers of the Linpack computing benchmark, a linear algebra test that measures  the mathematical capabilities of computers.

His research group has run the test on Apple’s new iPad 2, and it turns out that the legal-pad-size tablet would be a rival for a four-processor version of the Cray 2 supercomputer, which, with eight processors, was the world’s fastest computer in 1985.  Full story

iPhone keeps record of everywhere you go

Security researchers have discovered that Apple’s iPhone keeps track of where you go – and saves every detail of it to a secret file on the device which is then copied to the owner’s computer when the two are synchronised.

The file contains the latitude and longitude of the phone’s recorded coordinates along with a timestamp, meaning that anyone who stole the phone or the computer could discover details about the owner’s movements using a simple program.

For some phones, there could be almost a year’s worth of data stored, as the recording of data seems to have started with Apple’s iOS 4 update to the phone’s operating system, released in June 2010.

Full story from The Guardian (UK)

Helping Drunken Drivers Avoid Tickets, but Not Wrecks

FRIENDS don’t let friends drive drunk. If they can’t take their friend’s keys away, they take their smartphone. Why? The phone may have an app that can help them avoid sobriety checkpoints.

Last month, Senators Harry Reid, Charles E. Schumer, Frank R. Lautenberg and Tom Udall asked Apple, Google and Research In Motion, the maker of BlackBerrys, to remove apps from their online stores that help drunken drivers evade sobriety checkpoints.

On March 23, the day after the letter went out, the group said BlackBerry agreed to pull the apps and thanked the group for bringing them to its attention.

Apple and Google? Nothing.

An Apple spokeswoman said the company would not comment. A Google spokesman said the apps did not violate the company’s content policies.

Full story