Apple’s co-founder “Woz” to appear at MacWorld?

AppleInsider.com is reporting that Apple’s well-known co-founder Steve Wozniak is rumored to make an appearance to help lauch a 3rd party product.

Modbook maker Axiotron announced Wednesday that Wozniak, an active member of its board of advisors, will participate in the unveiling of the company’s latest products and technologies in the main presentation area of its booth (#502) on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009, at 12 pm.

Axiotron’s booth has drawn some of the largest crowds at the past two Macworld Expos as show-goers flocked to take its “Modbook” tablet computer for a test run. The device, which sells for $2,249 and above, is an after-market hardware modification to Apple’s MacBook notebooks that transforms the portables into the “first ever Mac OS X tablet computer solution.”

At this year’s show, Axiotron’s chief executive Andreas Haas will highlight the improved and enhanced Modbook and also provide a first look at the company’s latest innovations, including Quickscript, its new handwriting recognition software.

Haas will also offer a window into Axiotron’s unique product development process, while Wozniak present his vision of how Axiotron’s approach may represent a bridge between past breakthroughs and future innovations.

2nd case maker points to an “iPhone Nano”

As reported earlier in the week, some iPhone case manufacturers have been putting up a reference to an “iPhone Nano”, which as fuled speculations that Apple will be announcing such a device at their final appearance at MacWorld in January.

Now, yet another case company (photo above) is also advertising said device.

It should be noted that Apple does not offer specifications to unannounced products to 3rd party companies, so we’re speculating that these companies are getting this information from overseas sources.  It should also be made aware that Apple has been known to pull product announcements at the last minute during a Keynote address.

Photo Credit: AppleInsider.com

How to get rich selling iPhone apps…(Read on)

iFart Mobile, a 99-cent “fart machine for all ages,” has been the top selling iPhone app in Apple’s (AAPL) iTunes App Store for days. And it’s made developer Joel Comm a healthy stream of cash since it launched in mid-December — likely more than $100,000 in sales so far after Apple’s 30% cut.

Joel has updated his iFart sales chart, including Christmas sales. He says sales grew 50% on Dec. 24 to 19,520 units, and doubled again on Dec. 25 to 38,927 units.

After Apple’s 30% cut, Comm took home $27,249 in revenue on Christmas Day alone. Assuming sales fell after Christmas at the same rate they grew before it, Comm has already netted more than $100,000 from his app. Not bad — it couldn’t have taken too much effort to make.

What’s that mean? Electronic Arts (ERTS) probably had a good Christmas, too. Its $9.99 SimCity game has been near the top of the sales charts, too. Thanks to Comm, we have a better idea of what those charts look like. If EA sold just 20,000 SimCity apps on Christmas Day, the company took in $140,000 in revenue. Won’t move the needle for EA, which is expected to come close to $4.7 billion in sales this year. But not bad.

Meanwhile, is the market for scatological apps tapped out? Many iFart reviews note that the sounds aren’t very realistic. Same goes for rival Pull My Finger, which has slipped to no. 92 in the App Store. So an enterprising entrepreneur might want to get cooking on something more realistic. Or perhaps there’s a future for iVomit?

Source: Dan Frommer of Alley Insider.com

Rumor: Turn any Mac into an Apple TV?

Web site MacDailyNews.com is reporting that Apple may be prepping new software that would turn “any Mac into an Apple TV device.”

We’ve heard through the grapevine that Apple is considering releasing the Apple TV software as a separate box / download purchase.

Take any Mac, install the Apple TV software on it, deploy the appropriate video adapter, and “Boom!” – you have an Apple TV.

We heard a range of prices: Free – US$99. We’ve also heard that the release may be limited to Macs with Mini DisplayPorts.

Our grapevine also says to prepare for the Apple TV to be opened up to a special gaming section of the App Store, where multiplayers can use their iPhones and iPod touches as controllers.

To  see the original story (and additional comments) go here.

C|Net offers “Mac Starter Kit”

Over the weekend, well known tech site C|Net has been offering a “Mac Starter Kit” to help new (and experienced) Mac users get the most out of there machine.

The site offers links to helpful applications and utilities for the Mac.

For more information, click here.

And so it begins: iPhone now @ WalMart

Sunday, WalMart started selling the iPhone.  Click here for more information.

WalMart to sell iPhone beginning Sunday

Wal-Mart on Friday formally announced plans to begin carrying the iPhone later this week but will not be selling the device at rock bottom prices as once rumored.

In total, nearly 2,500 Wal-mart stores will carry the Apple handset, selling the 8GB model for $197 and the 16GB model for $297 with a new two-year service agreement from AT&T or qualified upgrade.

Wal-mart also announced that its price match policy allows stores to match the price of any local competitor’s advertised store price on the iPhone should one of its rivals announce lower pricing.

“We are delighted to bring customers this ground-breaking mobile technology,” said Gary Severson, senior vice president, Entertainment, Walmart. “Our electronics associates have been preparing for many weeks for the arrival of iPhone 3G. We are excited to now help new customers learn more about the features and services that make the iPhone unique.”

Once inside a Wal-Mart store, customers can find more information and assistance at the Apple iPhone 3G kiosks located at the Walmart Connection Center in the Home Entertainment department.

Word that Wal-Mart would join Best Buy as the only other third-party US retailer to offer the iPhone first surfaced in October.

Source: AppleInsider.com

Happy Holidays from AppleScoop.com!

The staff of AppleScoop.com wish you and yours a Happy Holiday season.  We’re taking a break, but we’ll be back reporting Apple news and rumors on Friday, December 26th.

Dan Uff
Senior Editor

iTunes Connect shuts down for Holidays

iTunes Connect, the interface that movie studios, record companies, and iPhone developers use to maintain content on the iTunes store has been shut down from December 24th thru December 28th.  No actual reason is given for the shutdown.  Developers will not be able to maintain their apps until the 28th.

However, iPhone developers had received an email from Apple about this shutdown a few weeks ago.

Apple updates Mobile Me web apps

On Tuesday morning, Apple announced some improvements to their Mobile Me web apps.  The changes are described below:

Contacts

- Searching for contacts in a large address book (more than 1000 contacts) is faster and no longer results in a “slow script” browser alert message.
- Exported vCards with multi-line addresses or notes can now be imported into the Mac OS X Address Book.

- Adds keyboard shortcut to create a new contact.
- Additional formatting options for European phone numbers are now supported
Calendar.

- Adds sorting of To Do items by calendar or title.
- Long event titles now appear properly in Month view
Gallery

- Updated “Tell a friend” email message

- Resolves an issue related to setting a new album’s key photo

iDisk

- Files and folder names that contain Japanese language characters now display properly on the web Account.

- Hosting of iWeb pages can be configured for personal domains ending in “.eu”, “.ax”, “.tl”, “.gw”, “.kp”, “.rs” or “.su”.
- Family Member accounts now display the accurate renewal/expiration date

- Resolves an issue that prevented some members from using an activation key (MobileMe box) to renew a subscription

Login

- “Keep me logged in for two weeks” checkbox now works reliably
Additional Information.
For the best MobileMe experience, you should use the latest versions of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (if you use a Mac), MobileMe Control Panel (if you use a PC), and iPhone software (iPhone or iPod touch).

iPhone Nano “concept photos”

Web site MacRumors.com is publishing what it says are “concept photos” of what they say could be a concept design of Apple’s ‘iPhone Nano’ that’s been making the rounds on the Internet for the past few days.

We are publishing the photos to give our readers a chance to decide for themselves as to if these rumors are indeed real or fake.

It should be noted, that this rumor has been out ever since Apple first presented the iPhone two years ago.

Photo Credit: MacRumors.com

Apple Stores staying open late for Holidays

Monday, Apple announced its Holiday hours for this week’s holiday rush.  For more information, click HERE.

To find how late your local retail store is, click here.

XSKN.COM fans iPhone Nano rumors

With just weeks before the final MacWorld for Apple, 3rd party company XSKN.COM is fanning the rumor that Apple is set to announce another iPhone model to its lineup – the iPhone Nano.

This company has been known to “spill the beans” for Apple in the past by announcing cases for unannounced Apple devices.

For more information, click here.

Fake new Mac Mini photos start to curculate

The photos claim to be that of a new design for the Mac Mini.  After some investigation, we’ve determinate that they are fake, but we’re posting them anyway for your reference.

Apple fans plan protest at MacWorld in January

Paul McDougall of InformationWeek has found some Apple fans who are trying to organize a “Let there be no applause, no whistling just utter and complete silence” protest when Apple’s Phil Schiller takes the stage for the company’s final Keynote.

A miffed Mac user is asking fellow Apple fans to protest Steve Jobs’ decision not to participate in next month’s Macworld conference by remaining absolutely silent during a keynote presentation by Jobs’ stand-in.

“Let there be no applause, no whistling just utter and complete silence,” wrote Lesa Snider King, on a Web page she posted in order to publicize her campaign.

Apple earlier this week stunned the tech world with its announcement that Jobs would not deliver his annual keynote at Macworld — a platform that he’s used previously to introduce high-profile products like the iPhone — and that Apple itself would pull out of the convention following the 2009 show in San Francisco.
Apple said the Macworld 2009 keynote will be delivered by senior marketing VP Philip Schiller instead of Jobs. That’s not good enough, says Snider King, who claims she’s “mad at Apple.”

“By announcing their departure from this beloved show hosted by IDG, Apple is sending a message to the entire community — professionals, hobbyists, media, Mac User Groups, and even IDG themselves — that they care nothing for the community who supported them through thick and thin,” Snider King wrote on her Web page.

IDG, Macworld’s host, said in a statement this week that it has no plans to discontinue the conference, despite Apple’s withdrawal.

“We are obviously disappointed in Apple’s decision not to participate in Macworld 2010,” IDG said. Still, the company added, “We look forward to many more successful years of Macworld to come.”

The news of Jobs’ decision has revived speculation about the CEO’s health, which has come under scrutiny given his gaunt appearance at times.

Apple said it merely wants to use new venues to reach potential customers. “Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers,” the company said in a statement.

Apple noted that it has been scaling back its appearances at other trade shows, including NAB, Macworld New York, and Apple Expo Paris, in recent years.

Apple details fix for software update hang issue

Recently, Apple has been getting reports of computers locking up when users apply  a software update to their systems.  Thr issue accures after the update has been downloaded via software update and the computer is in the process of installing it.

Official statement from Apple:

“When attempting to update software using Software Update in Mac OS X 10.5, the update process may stop responding while ‘Configuring installation’ is visible in the update window,” the company said. “This can occur if Software Update attempts to install an update that was only partially downloaded.”

The recommended fix is a simple one.  The user needs to delete the old update files from the /update/ folder.  Here’s how:

1.  Go in to Finder and select “GO”
2. When that window opens, type: /Library/Updates
3. Move all of the files in the Folder to the Trash.
4. Try the update again.

You can find the official support document here.

Some WalMart stores jump the gun about iPhone availability

For the past few weeks, it has been reported that WalMart will be selling Apple’s iPhone 3G sometime after the Holidays.

Several rumor web sites are now reporting that some WalMart stores have went ahead and started advertising iPhone availability weeks before the actual launch, all but confirming that the retail giant will be selling the device on Sunday, December 28th starting at 9:00 a.m. according to leaked internal memos.

(Photo by AppleInsider.com)

IDG “Completely Blindsided” by Apple’s announcement

C|Net News.com is reporting that the organizers for the annual MacWorld were “completely blindsided” by the announcement of Steve Jobs not giving his annual Keynote and the fact that 2009 would be the last year for Apple.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Apple Expo in Paris cancelled after MacWorld pullout

Organizers for the Apple Expo in Paris confirmed Wednesday that the show has been cancelled.  The announcement comes just hours after Apple announced that MacWorld 2009 will be Apple’s last appearance.

Both MacWorld and Apple Expo Paris have been an annual event for over 25 years.

TIME Magazine alters Steve Jobs photo for story

Above: Time Magazine’s altered photo

Now here’s one for the ‘bullcrap’ pile, well known magazine TIME has done an article questioning why Steve Jobs is skipping the last MacWorld Keynote and showing the above photo – which is altered to make the co-founder look thinner then he actually is.

Web site MacDailyNews.com has the original photo, showing how TIME has indeed altered it to make it more of a story then it is.

TIME is sinking to a new low on this one!

AppleScoop’s founder makes 1st iPhone app

Dan Uff, founder of AppleScoop.com has joined the ranks of iPhone developers by coding his first iPhone application.

Mr. Uff has a long history with computers and programming dating back to 1982, when he first made and then ran his own BBS (Bulletin Board System) for many years until 1994.  It was during this time he also learned many computer languages including BASIC, RPG, COBAL, among others.

His app, dubbed QFlash, is a fast loading flashlight for the iPhone and iPod Touch and is available now.

Reson for Apple’s MacWord pullout – Politics

Ever since Apple announced that 2009 would be the company’s last year at the annual MacWorld event, the rumor mill has been a buzz as to why the company is pulling out of the event.  One major rumor has been – of course – Steve Jobs’s health.

But according to CNBC, politics, not health issues, has prompted for the decision.

As our readers may know, Jobs’s health has come into question several times ever since it was discovered that the co-founder announced that he had a health scare with cancer a few years ago and has been looking “very thin” in recent years.

In the meantime, MacWorld’s organizer, IDG, is trying to put on a strong face in the light of the announcement by saying that they are committed to MacWorld 2010 and by saying that they “look forward to many successful years of Macworld to come.”

Apple: “MacWorld 2009 will be Apple’s last”

On Tuesday, Apple announced that the upcoming MacWorld event will be the company’s last time appearing there, and Steve Jobs will NOT be the keynote speaker this year.  The company said in a statement.

Apple’s Senior VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller, will be the opening keynote speaker at this year’s event and will be the company’s last.

Within the surprise statement, the company said:

 

“Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers,” the company said. 

“The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.”

It should be noted that Apple has been scaling back on attending events in recent years, BUT this should come as quite a shock to those who have been following the company for many years.

Apple rejects another app due to hidden API

C|Net News.com’s Tom Krazit writes about an iPhone app that was submitted to Apple and then rejected because it used a “hidden API” – something that Google.com did with its app – that got accepted and is now available on the app store.

Apple has rejected an iPhone application that supposedly uses off-limits technology just like Google’s mobile application–only the developer swears it’s not true.

Landon Fuller, who developed a photo contact management system called Peeps, said on his blog that Apple had rejected Peeps from the App Store because, “Peeps cannot be posted to the App Store due to the usage of a non-public API. Usage of non-public APIs, as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.1, is prohibited.” The thing is, Fuller insists that Peeps does not use any programming tools but the public ones Apple exposes to developers as part of the iPhone SDK, saying “the last thing I would do is deliver time-bomb code to a paying customer.”

APIs are tools that applications use to exploit parts of a computer’s operating system. Operating system developers usually label some proportion of the various APIs in the OS as “public,” meaning they’ll support the use of those APIs well into the future to ensure applications will not break with future OS updates.
There are usually lots of other APIs lying around that the OS vendor doesn’t make public, but that developers can see if they poke around a little bit. Google used such an API to trigger a voice prompt from the iPhone’s proximity sensor in its Google Mobile application, which the company admitted was against the rules of the App Store.

Fuller seems to believe this is all just a misunderstanding, since his application looks an awful lot like Apple’s Cover Flow feature but doesn’t actually use the same implementation Apple does to display album covers in iTunes. Maybe he just needs a bigger market cap: Google Mobile is still available on the App Store, and a Google representative said he had no updates on whether Apple had ordered any changes to Google Mobile or if Google planned to make any changes on its own. An Apple representative did not return a call seeking comment, but Apple representatives have never returned any calls seeking comment about the App Store approval process.

Sometimes it really does seem that getting your iPhone application approved or rejected for the App Store comes down to whether or not you draw Inspector No. 1 or Inspector No. 2 that day.

Exclusive: Trouble in iPhone app store land

A source, who is a registered iPhone developer has come to us with information about a problem with Apple approving new iPhone or iPod Touch apps in a timely manner.

The frustrated source has found recent postings in Apple’s new iPhone developer’s forums, expressing concerns from developers on the length of time that it’s taking for the company to approve any new apps.

Says one frustrated developer:

“My app that I submitted 6 weeks ago is also very unique and does not at all compete with Apple in any way.  The only thing I can think of that might cause some concerns – at least to Apple – is that my app does contain an E-Commerce  section that allows purchasing of merchandise on our website.  I don’t really know why this would cause any hold up.”

There is also frustration with trying to get any assistance with finding out why a developer’s app got rejected by Apple:

“Submitted on Oct. 5th, initially rejected for using “Apple trademarked images”.  Replied informing that those images are on flickr, and any application using flickr “has” those same images (I am not proactively finding apple logos in my app, they made no mention of how they came across).  Back in review now, I imagine it’ll languish…

Really revs you up to continue developing.”

We will continue to follow this and update as necessary.

Apple exec: iPhone a challenger to Nintendo DS

Friday, an Apple executive stated outright that the iPhone is a genuine competitor to the Nintendo DS gaming system, as web site AppleInsider.com reports:

The comments come from Apple Director of Technology Evangelism John Geleynse, who witnesses for Engadget say made the aggressive claims at an iPhone Tech Talk in San Jose, near the company’s Cupertino headquarters.

At the developer gathering, the official urged developers to forget about the handset as a traditional cellphone and, as game developers, to think of it strictly as a game console.

“It’s not a phone, it’s a console experience,” Geleynse is reported as saying.

While a bold statement, the claim is in line with an increasingly gaming-centric marketing strategy at Apple. Virtually all of the electronics firm’s video ads for the second-generation iPod touch have focused on gaming, while the majority of paid apps at the App Store have typically been games.

Other parties are also known to be getting involved as well. Electronic Arts on Friday said it will host special events at flagship Apple retail stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco during December to promote the iPhone and iPod touch as gaming platforms and show off the software company’s game library.

Apple hasn’t necessarily needed to ask for help to position its touchscreen handhelds as gaming devices, though, and has been achieving similar or better sales than offerings from Nintendo or Sony. Nintendo recently touted NPD Group data noting that it sold a near-record 1.56 million DS handhelds during November, but is likely to be outpaced by Apple’s iPhone sales alone: in summer, the company sold 6.9 million iPhones.

Apple changes stance on iPhone apps – Approves “Pull My Finger”

MacRumors.com received an email from the creator of the once rejected application called “Pull My Finger”.  The creater of the app (known only as Sam) said that his app is now available in the iPhone app store.  He got notified of the news via phone, which he claims that an Apple rep said:

[Apple] told me that they are going to start approving a whole new “genre” of apps, and that Pull My Finger will be the first to be accepted in this genre. As of now Pull My Finger is available in the app store.

The very kind Apple Team Member told me that they didn’t want to reject it originally, but that they were sorting out how this “genre” of apps were going to be handled. She told me they’d be lifting the restriction on them, and more apps will follow that may have been previously not allowed.

The app is now available in the app store but without any fanfare.

For more information, click on this [iTunes Link]

New Apple web ad “shakes things up” on Yahoo!

Web site Adage points to a new web ad from Apple featuring the iPod Touch.  The ad is currently available on Yahoo’s Game web site.

The ad first appears as a banner ad, and when the user clicks on it, the below happens

(Click link below to see video).

Video

Mac 10.5.6 update may be around the corner

This week, Apple is believed to be putting the finishing touches on the last planned update for its latest Leopard operating system for the 2008 calendar year.

On Wednesday, developers were equipped with build 9G55 of the software, which included no noticable changes from an earlier build.

Another sign of an immediate release is that both client and server builds reflect no known issues, according to our sources.

Throughout the testing process, developers were asked to test and give feedback on Mobile Me syncing who may be behind firewalls, reporting any syncing issues.

AT&T now offering home activations of iPhones sold online

As of now, AT&T is now offering at-home activations of the Apple iPhone at home.  The carrier is now accepting orders for the device for new and existing customers that may want to add an additional line to their current plan.

AT&T is also offering free overnight shipping with each order.

For more information, click the above link.