Microsoft today used its Windows Partners Conference to expand the details of Office 2010, including its web version. Initially considered separate, Microsoft now says Office Web is a counterpart to 2010 but will make it freely available to anyone with a Windows Live account. It will also be free to use on the local network for companies that buy volume licenses of Office 2010, though companies that just want the web app component will also have the option of a subscription.
New Apple tablet rumors suggest $800 device coming in October
The rumors about an Apple tablet or netbook have been revived thanks to a report in the China times that says the device is on its way in October.
According to a translation in Macrumors Forum, three Taiwanese companies Foxconn, Wintek, Dynapack have received orders related to the device.
The story goes on to say the netbook/tablet will not compete against other major netbooks and will likely sell for $800. It’s unclear to me if this is a tablet without a keyboard or a more conventional netbook. The story makes it sound like it’s a 9.7 inch screen netbook with touch-screen capabilities.
Apple has said in the past it’s keeping an eye on the space but downplayed any moves into the market because it hasn’t figured out a way to make something with those price limitations that’s not a piece of junk.
Perhaps, Apple has figured it all out. If it’s a real netbook, will it be running OS X? Or will it be a souped iPod Touch running iPhone OS 3.0? If they can do a $999 Macbook, it’s certainly possible to get to $800. But will Apple just strip down a computer or do something really interesting?
IF they do a tablet, I don’t think they would include a keyboard. Perhaps enable a optional USB or bluetooth one, but the main focus will be on the touch environment, similar to the iPhone and iPod Touch: on screen keyboard, but on a large enough scale for two handed typing, gestural controls without a track pad, 3G and Wi-Fi chip built in but phone service will not be required, merely an option. $800 is a good price point to separate it from the iPod line. I assume there will be an earphone jack, but don’t see it positioned as a music player (imagine the arm band when your working out!).
1.5 Billion Apps now distributed through the App Store
Apple issued a brief press release today indicating that, on its one year anniversary, the App Store has reached the following milestones: 1.5 billion apps distributed, 65,000 app catalog, and 100,000 developers.
“The App Store is like nothing the industry has ever seen before in both scale and quality,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With 1.5 billion apps downloaded, it is going to be very hard for others to catch up.”
Also of note, Apple has crossed the 40 million mark in total iPhone/iPod touch sales.
Apple Tablet to have PA Semi Chip? Two processor teams at Apple?
Some interesting news coming out of VentureBeat (via Giz) on the state of Apple’s in-house processor development as it relates to tablets:
..we’ve learned that PA Semi’s team was split into two parts, one designing portable ARM-based processors for iPhones and iPods, and another designing a processor for the tablet device.
Interesting. This would seem to indicate that a tablet isn’t going to be a “big iPod touch” and it might actually be running a desktop-ish version of Snow Leopard like the Apple Tablet Patents indicated. It will still be ARM-based obviously, but could be a multi-core ARM Cortex A9 which would push it past Intel’s Atom-Moorestown’s speed while using less electricity.
As a throwback to the old days of the two-song 45 rpm vinyl record, the iTunes Store launched a new “D45” section Tuesday, featuring discounted prices on packs of two digital song downloads.
Just like old 45s, the iTunes D45 selection includes a popular single accompanied by a B-side song. Prices on the D45s range from $1.49 to $1.99.
“iTunes is bringing this concept to a new age with D45s – two great tracks at an equally great price,” the iTunes Store reads.
Music company EMI announced Tuesday that the release of D45s marks the 60th anniversary of the 45 single record. The digital bundles will be sold exclusively by iTunes through July 27. After that, they will be available for purchase from “all major digital service providers.”
“More than 35 digital singles will launch the campaign,” the EMI press release states, “including original 45 single A-sides and B-sides and top hits by Coldplay, David Bowie, R.E.M., Poison, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dean Martin, Duran Duran, Nat King Cole, Blondie, and Billy Idol, among others.”
The D45 section represents another opportunity for record labels to to restructure pricing on music sold on the iTunes Store. Last year, through negotiations, the record companies leveraged flexibility on pricing.
Then, earlier this year, Apple removed restrictive digital rights management fingerprints from all of the songs it sells, allowing consumers greater flexibility as well.
This year, Apple began charging for music based on what the music labels charge Apple. Songs are available at three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29. Most albums are priced $9.99.
Intel Corp. (INTC) reported second quarter earnings of $0.18 per share on revenue of $8.02 billion. The consensus earnings estimate was $0.07 per share on revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter ending June 30, 2009. The Earnings Whisper ® number was $0.10 per share.
..we’ve learned that PA Semi’s team was split into two parts, one designing portable ARM-based processors for iPhones and iPods, and another designing a processor for the tablet device
That really surprised me; I would have thought the same design would stretch across both applications. So could the tablet be PowerPC? OSX runs on PPC. Remember how PA Semi thought their big design win was going to be PowerPC for Apple, then Apple went and switched to Intel. After the dust settled, Apple bought the company instead. A PowerPC CPU is already done and shipping to PA Semi legacy customers, and Apple still has rights to PowerPC architecture from the original AIM alliance. I know that PA Semi had licensed part of their design from IBM, so that part either has to be replaced or re-licensed, and the shipping CPU isn’t a low power design. But the idea that Apple might come full circle back to PPC after dominating all their competitors is nice to imagine. Intel, with its hold over its architecture (already making life difficult for AMD and Nvidia) is just the sort of supplier to whom SJ doesn’t like to be beholden. Imagine Apple leaving the PC market wallowing in overcapacity in a year or three.
..we’ve learned that PA Semi’s team was split into two parts, one designing portable ARM-based processors for iPhones and iPods, and another designing a processor for the tablet device
That really surprised me; I would have thought the same design would stretch across both applications. So could the tablet be PowerPC? OSX runs on PPC. Remember how PA Semi thought their big design win was going to be PowerPC for Apple, then Apple went and switched to Intel. After the dust settled, Apple bought the company instead. A PowerPC CPU is already done and shipping to PA Semi legacy customers, and Apple still has rights to PowerPC architecture from the original AIM alliance. I know that PA Semi had licensed part of their design from IBM, so that part either has to be replaced or re-licensed, and the shipping CPU isn’t a low power design. But the idea that Apple might come full circle back to PPC after dominating all their competitors is nice to imagine. Intel, with its hold over its architecture (already making life difficult for AMD and Nvidia) is just the sort of supplier to whom SJ doesn’t like to be beholden. Imagine Apple leaving the PC market wallowing in overcapacity in a year or three.
According to this story, YouTube will no Longer support Internet Explorer 6.
“YouTube will no longer support Internet Explorer 6, TechRadar can confirm, with Google beginning to roll out warnings to those accessing the video site that they should update to a better browser.”
I like that last part… a better browser. A little jab at mr softee from google?
Apple Inc., which relies on Chinese manufacturers for its iPhones and iPod music players, found 45 of the 83 factories it audited last year didn’t pay proper overtime and 23 provided less than minimum wage, according to its 2009 progress report on supplier responsibility. The Cupertino, California-based company required them to adjust practices to ensure correct payments, it said in the report.
Apple has been auditing how its suppliers treat their workforce since 2006, spokesman Steve Dowling said. The number of units audited more than doubled last year from 39, and the company trained more than 400 of its employees to monitor compliance with its factory standards, according to the report. Apple also instructed more than 27,000 supplier employees and managers on worker rights and social responsibilities, the report found.
Special Chinese Wifi-less iPhones rolling off the assembly line in China
Wed, 07/15/2009 - 05:11 — Seth Weintraub
Every time we think AT&T are the biggest douchebags on the planet, we get a reminder that someone, somewhere is worse off. Trading Markets is reporting that iPhones designed to stay in the country are now rolling off the assembly line in Shenzen, China. They’ve been neutered of their ability to use Wifi.
Two production lines in the Foxconn Shenzhen plant are producing 90-coded mobile phones, device that looks like iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, said one source. The mysterious products might be the very model designed for Chinese users, according to another source, noting that the massively-produced device has no Wi-Fi functions, just like the A1324 model, the Chinese version of 3G iPhone being sent to the China Telecommunication Technology Labs (CTTL) for a test.
This sort of correlates to an earlier Commercial Times report saying that special iPhones for China were being manufactured.
iPhones sold in Egypt and a few other Middle Eastern nations have their GPS disabled by software only. Locals are able to circumvent the GPS unlock by jailbreaking. By physically removing the Wifi, China is insuring that iPhones won’t be able to use Wifi via a hack, nor will their users be able to fully enjoy all the powers of the iPhone.
Apple has been auditing how its suppliers treat their workforce since 2006, spokesman Steve Dowling said. The number of units audited more than doubled last year from 39, and the company trained more than 400 of its employees to monitor compliance with its factory standards, according to the report. Apple also instructed more than 27,000 supplier employees and managers on worker rights and social responsibilities, the report found.
Apple shifting MacBook orders from Hon Hai to Quanta
Wed, 07/15/2009 - 04:23 — Chauncey Dupree
According to Digitimes, Apple is continuing to shift its MacBook manufacturing away from Foxconn (Hon Hai) and to Quanta Computer. It isn’t certain what is causing Apple to move but things like manufacturing costs, quality and workplace conditions could all be factors.
Apple and Sony will reportedly shift some notebook OEM orders from Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) to Quanta Computer in 2010, according to sources at component makers. Apple already shifted some orders from Foxconn in June meaning the OEM’s share of Apple’s notebook shipments in 2010 is expected to drop from 20% to only around 10%, the sources noted. However, despite losing orders from Apple and Sony, Foxconn has reportedly formed partnerships with Dell and Asustek Computer, as well as landing orders from Hewlett-Packard (HP) for 2010, the sources added.
Special Chinese Wifi-less iPhones rolling off the assembly line in China
Hold on a second. So, all the Internet access they get is over cellular? I hope they have some decent packages available for cellular usage. As someone that has an iPod touch in preference to an iPhone due to call charges, that is one product I would have absolutely no interest in.
If I was in China I would probably seek to get a real iPhone from HK rather than an “iPhone 3GS eunuch”.
I believe crippled Nokia users in China simply take their phone to the nearest cellphone market stall to have the firmware reverted to one with WiFi enabled for a small fee.
The 3GS has a WiFi/bluetooth combo chip, doesn’t it? Doesn’t that mean no bluetooth either? Or maybe it’s only disabled by software, like Nokia.
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