FaceTime finally coming to 3G?

Apple introduced the FaceTime video calling service back in 2010 alongside the iPhone 4. At the time, the company said that FaceTime would only work over Wi-Fi, but it was working with carriers to add 3G network support. Nearly two years later, however, 3G support for FaceTime has yet to arrive, but new evidence in iOS 5.1 may show that Apple is at least making progress.

According to a report from The Verge, the above error message is new in iOS 5.1, which has been out for a few weeks now, but only discovered recently. With the Worldwide Developers Conference taking place in a few weeks, it seems possible we may see some FaceTime-related announcement coming.

Apple seeking preliminary injunction against Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in U.S.

According to a report from FOSS Patents, Apple late last week filed for a preliminary injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the United States, accusing Samsung of infringing upon an iPad-design related patent. Based on other recent rulings in the Apple versus Samsung case, it's actually likely that the motion for injunction will be granted, meaning Apple will have a ban on the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple proposes to give Samsung until May 25 to respond, and would file its reply brief five days later. At any rate, Judge Koh won't grant this motion during the settlement talks that are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. But if those talks fails (which is what I expect to happen), the injunction might come down very soon.

Apple releases update to OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3

Apple has just released an update to developers running on OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3, bringing the build number of the upcoming OS to 12A206j. The update has been released via the Mac App Store and weighs in at about 1.60 GB. Apple is noting in developer release notes that this build is not compatible with "MacBookPro3,1" models (mid and late 2007 computers), but this issue will be corrected in the future.

At this time, it's unclear what changes are included in this most recent seed. Apple is expected to give a full preview of OS X Mountain Lion at its Worldwide Developers Conference next month. A public release is scheduled for "late summer."

WSJ: Next iPhone features a 4″ display

The Wall Street Journal reports Apple has ordered displays from Asian suppliers that measure at least 4-inches diagonally with production beginning in June.

Production is set to begin next month for the screens, which measure at least 4 inches diagonally compared with 3.5 inches on the iPhone 4S, the latest phone from Apple, the people said.

Seeing competition from other smartphone manufacturers whose phones feature much larger displays than the current iPhone, Apple has been expected to debut a device with a larger screen. The report is unclear that on the exact dimensions or resolution of the newly ordered display but it is expected to be an Apple set Retina Display.

While the report says that production for the phone will begin next month it does not give a clear launch date with the usual "later this year."

Foxconn chairman confirms preparations for Apple television set

According to a report from China Daily, Foxconn chairman Terry Gou addressed Apple's long-rumored high-definition television set at a press conference in Shanghai yesterday. Gou apparently confirmed that Foxconn has already begun making preparations for the product, which includes a partnership with Sharp for LCD displays. Actual production of the "iTV" has not begun, however.

Gou said Foxconn is making preparations for iTV, Apple Inc's rumored upcoming high-definition television, although development or manufacturing has yet to begin.

iTV reportedly features an aluminum construction, Siri, and FaceTime video calling

Foxconn's recent 50-50 joint venture factory with Sharp in Japan is one of the preparations made for the new device, Gou added.

Report: Apple to drop Google Maps for in-house service in iOS 6

According to a report from AllThingsD, Apple will be dropping the Google Maps app that comes built-in on iOS devices in favor of its own in-house mapping software solution. Google Maps has been powering the Maps app on iOS since day one, but recent tension between the two companies has likely caused the change. In addition, Apple has recently purchased three mapping companies: Placebase, Poly9, and C3 Technologies.

We’ve independently confirmed that this is indeed the case. Sources describe the new Maps app as a forthcoming tent-pole feature of iOS that will, in the words of one, “blow your head off.” I’m not quite sure what that means, and the source in question declined to elaborate, but it’s likely a reference to the photorealistic 3-D mapping tech Apple acquired when it purchased C3 Technologies.

Notes and Reminders coming to iCloud.com soon?

iOS hacker Steve Stroughton-Smith posted a picture to his Twitter account earlier this afternoon that gives evidence Apple is testing both the Notes and Reminders app for iCloud.com. The current iCloud.com includes email, calendar, contacts, Find My iPhone, and iWork integration (and icons for each service). This screenshot, however, adds in two new icons: Notes and Reminders, both of which are currently available on iOS devices and will be coming to Macs this summer with OS X Mountain Lion.

The leak comes via http://beta.icloud.com, which Apple appears to be using for the test. The link doesn't always work, and will sometimes redirect to Apple's iCloud information page.

It's possible that these announcements will be coming at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.7.4 software update

Earlier today, Apple released the fourth maintenance update to Mac OS X Lion, addressing a number of issues with the company's latest desktop operating system. Among the fixes included in the 10.7.4 update is the recently discovered FileVault glitch where user passwords were being stored in plain text.

Full release notes are below:

The 10.7.4 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:

• Resolve an issue where the “Reopen windows when logging back in” setting is always enabled
• Improve compatibility with certain British third-party USB keyboards
• Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to a server
• Improve the reliability of copying files to an SMB server

Mac OS X 10.7.4 is available either via Software Update on a Mac or Apple's Support pages.

Apple testing iOS 5-esque notifications on iCloud.com

According to a report from AppleInsider, some users who logged into iCloud.com this afternoon found that Apple has begun testing a notification system for its cloud service that launched late last year. At the top of the screen, users saw a message with the title "Default Title for English" and a description of "English - this is a test message description." The notification has a very similar design to the notifications found in iOS 5.

It's not clear how Apple is planning to use notifications on iCloud.com, but it's possible we may see some sort of syncing of notifications across all devices through iCloud.

Report: Apple television set to include support for FaceTime, similar design to Thunderbolt Display

Cult of Mac reports that it has received information regarding Apple's long-rumored television set from a "well-placed" source, who claims that the TV will look similar to the company's current Thunderbolt Display, just larger in size. In addition, the source says that the TV will be coming with an iSight camera that is Siri-enabled and can be used for making FaceTime calls. The camera will also include face tracking technology that will follow users around the room and automatically zoom when needed.

The Apple HDTV makes FaceTime calls using the built-in iSight camera. The camera is sophisticated, with facial recognition and the ability to zoom into the user’s face and follow them as they walk around the room. This allows users to make video calls from the couch across the room, rather than having to stand smack in front of the TV.

In addition, calls are initiated by Siri, the iPhone 4S’s virtual assistant. “[Apple] used Siri to make a FaceTime call,” the source said.

Report: Apple planning to introduce cheaper $799 MacBook Air in Q3 2012

According to a report from DigiTimes, Apple is planning to introduce a cheaper $799 MacBook Air sometime in the third quarter of this year. Currently, the entry-level MacBook Air comes in at $999, and the new price is likely to compete with recent introductions of "ultrabooks" from competitors.

Although Acer has recently reduced its ultrabook shipment target, Intel continues to aggressively push ultrabooks and is aiming to have the devices priced at US$699 in the second half of the year. However, if Intel is unable to bring down ASPs to its goal, the price gap between ultrabooks and the US$799 MacBook Air may further postpone the time ultrabooks become standardized, the sources noted.

Bug discovered in OS X Lion 10.7.3 that displays user passwords in plain text

According to a report from ZDNet, a bug has been discovered in Apple's most recent update to OS X Lion, version 10.7.3, that stores in clear text the passwords of any user who has logged into the computer since the update was applied. The security breach lies within Apple's FileVault encryption system in OS X Lion.

In specific configurations, applying OS X Lion update 10.7.3 turns on a system-wide debug log file that contains the login passwords of every user who has logged in since the update was applied. The passwords are stored in clear text.

Apple has yet to comment on this issue, but it's unclear when the company was made aware of it.

Apple releases iOS 5.1.1 software update to address bugs

Earlier today, Apple released the iOS 5.1.1 software update to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users. The update addresses issues with HDR photos, AirPlay video, syncing of Safari bookmarks and Reading List. The full release notes are below:

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut
• Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks
• Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List
• Fixes an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

The update is available for download either via iTunes or over-the-air on devices already running iOS 5.

Report: Next-generation iPhone to be taller with 4-inch display

According to a report from iLounge, Apple's next-generation iPhone, being dubbed the "iPhone 5" by the press, will indeed sport a long-awaited 4-inch display. The size difference, however, will be achieved by making the device taller and thus, thinner as well. The phone is rumored to be up to 20% thinner than the current-generation iPhone 4S.

What we’ve learned: the new iPhone will indeed be longer and thinner than the iPhone 4 and 4S. Approximate measurements are 125mm by 58.5mm by 7.4mm—a 10mm jump in height, nearly 2mm reduction in thickness, and virtually identical width. According to our source, Apple will make one major change to the rear casing, adding a metal panel to the central back of the new iPhone. This panel will be flat, not curved, and metal, not ceramic. Our artist’s rendition provides a rough idea of what this change will look like; it echoes the current-generation iMac design, to be sure.

In addition, the report claims that the next iPhone will receive a smaller dock connector port on the bottom. It's expected that Apple will provide some sort of adapter to connect the new port to the current 30-pin dock connector because of the amount of accessories already on the market.

[UPDATE: CHANGES] Apple seeds incremental update to OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3

Late last evening, Apple released an update to the third developer preview seed of OS X Mountain Lion, bringing the build number up to 12A193i. The update is available via Software Update for those developers already running Developer Preview 3 of Apple's next desktop operating system.

We're currently gathering a list of changes in this build and will update as we find them.

UPDATE: Changes follow:

• First look at the update installation screen under OS X Mountain Lion

• Simplified "General" preference pane in System Preferences

• New "Do Not Disturb" option found in Notification Center

• New "Group windows by application" option in Mission Control preferences

• Safari's "Reading List" feature has received a design refresh

• Safari's Reading List feature now supports offline reading. Any page added to the Reading List will be saved automatically for offline reading
• Safari's redesigned "iCloud Tabs" feature

• The background image used in Dashboard has been modified

Research in Motion behind “Wake Up” protests at Australian Apple Store?

Last week, news broke of a planned protest in front of an Australian Apple Store where likely paid protestors were dressed in all black and held signs that said "Wake Up." Early rumors pointed to Samsung being the creator of the protest, but after the company denied involvement, Macworld did some digging and now has proof that Research in Motion actually sent the protestors to the Apple Store.

The protestors identified themselves from an organization called "Tongue," and some of the code on their website points to Research in Motion identifier numbers.

Kaspersky: Apple is “ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security”

Speaking at the Info Security 2012 conference, Kaspersky Lab founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky stated to CBR that he believes Apple is  "ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security." He continues on by saying that, while Windows is still a hacker's favorite, Mac OS X malware and attacks are growing rapidly, something that was "just a question of time and market share." Kaspersky also states that, if Apple wants to keep its users safe in the near future, it will be forced to change update cycles for security patches.

This news comes just weeks after Apple's OS X platform was hit by two high-profile malware attacks, Flashback and SapPub. Apple has often prided itself on having a much securer environment than Windows, but it seems possible this is quickly changing.

Apple announces Worldwide Developers Conference 2012 dates: June 11-15

Earlier today, Apple announced that it will be holding the 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference (a.k.a. "WWDC")  between June 11 and 15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This year's announcement comes just six weeks before the event takes place, and with a new restriction - all attendees must be a part of at least one Apple Developer Program (examples include iOS or Mac).

Passes were on sale at $1599 for a mere two hours before they were sold out completely, a new record for the event. Apple's WWDC this year should focus around OS X Mountain Lion, which is currently in testing with developers, as well as the next version of iOS. The conference also includes hundreds of workshops hosted by Apple engineers that developers can attend to strength their skills.

Apple reports Q1 2012 financial results: $39.2 billion in revenue

Apple has just reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2012, announcing a revenue of $39.2 billion and a net profit of $11.6 billion. Gross margin was up in this quarter (47.4%) when compared year-over-year, while international sales accounted for 64% of Apple's overall revenue in the quarter. Revenues and profit were both records for the Cupertino-based company for the quarter.

Sales numbers break down as follows:

• 35.1 million iPhones shipped (up 88% year-over-year)
• 11.8 million iPads shipped (up 151% year-over-year)
• 4 million Macs shipped (up 7% year-over-year)
• 7.7 million iPods shipped (down 15% year-over-year)

"We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter," said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. "The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver."

Apple’s Phil Schiller: Instagram “jumped the shark” with Android app launch

Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, has stated to a curious Twitter user that he believes Instagram "jumped the shark" by launching its Android app to the public. Schiller also deleted his Instagram account (@schiller) completely, which further shows his frustration with the $1 billion company that was just acquired by Facebook.

Instagram launched its Android app after a long wait from users earlier this month. In the first twenty-four hours, the app saw over one million downloads, and in the first five days, five million downloads.