Getting Rid of Your Old iPhone 4S? Apple Will Pay You For It

With mere weeks until the rumored release of the iPhone 5, Apple fanboys and girls may be clamoring to rid themselves of the old to make room for the new.

Looking to offset the cost of upgrading? If you own an iPhone 4S, then you’re in luck. Through its Reuse and Recycling program, Apple will offer $345 on an Apple gift card in exchange for the old device, depending on its condition, The Next Web reports.

The online wizard lets users select the model, color and condition of your iPhone 4S, and will then provide an estimated value of the device. Naturally, its value diminishes if there are scratches, water damage and other issues.

Reuse and Recycling extends to other Apple devices, including iPads, Macs and even PC computers. If your device qualifies after being sent in for assessment, the gift card you receive can be used at any Apple retail and online store. If not, the company says it will recycle it for you at no cost.

Other third-party retailers, such as eBay, also sell the iPhone 4S. A quick look at the site shows the device going for much higher prices, often upwards of $500.

Would you sell your iPhone 4s to Apple? And would you use the earnings on a brand-new iPhone 5? Tell us in the comments below. (Mashable.com)

Apple sets record for company value at $621B

NEW YORK—Apple is the world’s most valuable company, ever.

On Monday, its surging stock propelled the company’s value to $621 billion, beating the record for market capitalization set by Microsoft Corp. in the heady days of the Internet boom.

Apple’s stock has hit new highs recently because of optimism around what is believed to be the impending launch of the iPhone 5, and possibly a smaller, cheaper iPad.

Apple Inc. has been the world’s most valuable company since the end of last year. It’s now worth 53 percent more than No. 2 Exxon Mobil Corp.

The comparison to Microsoft does not take inflation into account. In inflation-adjusted dollars, the software giant was worth about $850 billion on Dec. 30, 1999. Microsoft is now worth $257 billion. (Inquirer.net)

We Knew The iPhone Was Popular, But We Didn’t Know It Was Worth More Than All Of Microsoft

We’ve had the talk about the reported miniature iPad, we seem to have gotten over the physical Apple television set rumors and we have had our fair share of the Apple versus Samsung discussions so with the company looking likely to announce the next-generation release of their popular smartphone, it must be time to turn focus back onto the iPhone. Thanks to unprecedented interest in the possible specifications of the release, the iPhone is very rarely out of the media, which is something that has obviously paid off for Apple when you consider the staggering statistic that we are about to talk about.

Apple aren’t just the company that makes the iPhone. They also have the iPod touch, the iPad and an extremely powerful range of high-end Mac machines that are successful in their own right and classed as products that form the upper end of their individual markets. With that said, it is the iPhone that forms the basis of the amazing statistic that shows the product generates higher sales than the combined total of all of Microsoft’s products and services.

If you told me that the iPhone sales were higher than the combined sales of some other run of the mill, moderately successful company. then I wouldn’t be as surprised as I am but we are talking about Microsoft and talking about sales of Windows, the Office suite of applications, the Xbox gaming console, the emerging Windows Phone mobile operating system and the revenue that their Bing search engine provides. In fact, as Forbes points outs, we are talking about every single Microsoft product that has been created since 1975.

One Apple product, something that didn’t exist five years ago, has higher sales than everything Microsoft has to offer. More than Windows, Office, Xbox, Bing, Windows Phone, and every other product that Microsoft has created since 1975. In the quarter ended March 31, 2012, iPhone had sales of $22.7 billion; Microsoft Corporation, $17.4 billion.

It might seem a little hard to believe, but the figures speak for themselves. For the first financial quarter of 2012, the iPhone had shipped enough units to bring in total sales of $22.7 billion, with Microsoft bringing in $17.4 billion across the company. It is worth noting that it is an extremely difficult task to attempt to compare the worth of the iPhone against Microsoft as one is a product of a company and well, the other is an entire company with multiple products. Although Apple have numerous other successful products and are the worlds richest company, the bottom line is that their iPhone sales are currently more than the whole of Microsoft. Remarkable. (Remondpie.com

Apple Tried to License Its Patents to Samsung in 2010

This whole Apple v. Samsung thing didn’t have to happen in a court room.

Over two years ago, in fact, Apple — now the plaintiff in one of the highest-profile patent cases ever — offered the Korean company a royalty-based license program for its various (allegedly) infringing wares. Even as Apple historically shies away from licensing any part of its “non-essentials” patent portfolio, the iPhone and iPad maker made an exception.

According to AllThingsD, the two companies met in 2010 after Samsung launched its iPhone-esque Galaxy S handset, and Apple opened discussions thus:

Samsung chose to embrace and imitate Apple’s iPhone archetype. Apple would have preferred that Samsung request a license to do this in advance. Because Samsung is a strategic supplier to Apple, we are prepared to offer a royalty-bearing license for this category of device.

The price Apple proposed would have cost Samsung $30 per smartphone and $40 per tablet, well under current estimates of what the software patents in question are actually worth. Apple even offered to give Samsung a 20-percent discount should the rival manufacturer enter into a cross-licensing agreement.

Unsurprisingly, Samsung thought the proposed value of Apple’s portfolio was unrealistic, and further negotiations were abandoned.

Here’s the kicker: If Samsung had simply played ball, it would’ve only cost it around $554 million (at a rate of roughly $250 million per year). That’s a big chunk of change to be sure, but when you consider that Samsung made $5.9 billion in profits last quarter alone, said premium seems much more affordable. Indeed, for about $63 million per quarter (or 1.05 percent of its quarterly haul), all this unpleasantness could’ve been avoided.

Instead, Samsung’s being sued for $2.5 billion.

And the company’s probably going to lose.

Volvo Turns iPad Into X-Ray Scanner

Volvo launched an x-ray app at the Geneva Auto Show that allows users to turn their iPhones and iPads into handheld x-ray scanners.

Digital agency La Comunidad Miami created the app. Users can walk around a Volvo and see a full 360-degree x-ray view beneath its skin, with callouts to the patented, world’s first Volvo innovations inside. The augmented reality technology behind it fuels the app, enabling devices to read markers that are placed around the car.

A huge success at the Geneva Auto Show, the app will be used in other Auto Shows around the world, as well as Volvo dealers. Take a look at the video below showing how this innovative technology works.

Siri Rival Google Voice Search Coming to the iPad

Watch out Siri, Google is bringing its Voice Search app to the iPhone and iPad.

As with the Android version, the app taps into Google’s Knowledge Graph function to consider the user’s location and the context of what is being searched.

This means that the app can suggest films at nearby cinemas when users ask “What movies are playing this weekend?” or understand that a search for ‘Rio’ could mean a city, movie or casino.

Comparisons with Apple’s Siri are bound to be made — not least because both apps can respond to direct questions — but in reality Google Voice Search is someway off its Apple rival. After all, Siri is able to search and carry out other functions across the Internet, apps, calendar entries and messages.

The free Google Voice Search app is currently available for Android on the Google Play store but will come to Apple’s App Store in the coming weeks.

Samsung Will Give You Up to $300 for Your Old Smartphone

Samsung is giving you another reason to choose its smartphones — a rebate of up to $300 for your old smartphone.

The program, unveiled on the brand’s Facebook Page on Monday and on samsungupgrade.com, promises a refund within 30 days for anyone who buys a new Samsung smartphone and mails in their old one. A trade-in on an iPhone 4S 64GB in perfect condition will fetch you the full $300, but the rebates fall sharply from there. For instance, a 32GB version of the same model will only get you $230 and the 16GB version will get you $215.

However, such a rebate will essentially render a new top-of-the-line Samsung smartphone free or close to it: A Samsung Galaxy S III is $199 with a new contract and a Galaxy Note costs $249 with a new contract. The push comes as Samsung’s sales far outpace Apple’s on a global basis, but, like Microsoft, is viewed these days as an underdog against the Cupertino powerhouse. The Samsung-Apple skirmish isn’t just happening in the marketplace, though: The two are in the midst of a protracted courtroom battle over Samsung’s alleged theft of Apple’s mobile phone intellectual property.

In addition, both Apple and Samsung look to be planning big announcements over the next few weeks: Samsung has a mysterious event planned for Aug. 15 that appears to be related to its Galaxy Note devices. Apple, meanwhile, is reportedly planning to introduce a new iPhone model on Sept. 12.

What do you think? Is this incentive enough to make you want to switch to Samsung? Let us know in the comments. (Mashable.com)

Steve Jobs Dreamt of Building an iCar

Say what you will about him — Steve Jobs dreamt big. He didn’t just set out to change personal computers, or even stop at mobile devices. He clearly wanted Apple‘s influence to extend to all areas of daily life. Case in point: He once seriously considered designing a connected car, probably called the iCar.

The revelation was among the many tidbits coming out of the Samsung-Apple trial underway in San Jose. Although the idea of Apple building some kind of high-tech vehicle has been floated from time to time, it’s usually after someone’s had a few too many martinis for lunch.

However, when Apple Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller recently took the stand, he says there was discussion about Apple making a car or camera, the New York Times‘ Nick Bilton tweeted. Although he punctuated the comment with “crazy stuff,” the fact that the fact that the revelation is coming out in court testimony indicates it was more serious than just idle chatter. Schiller says the company considered building a car sometime before creating the iPhone.

What might an iCar be like? You could probably imagine a very modern interior, with a Ford Sync-like interface that would certainly sync wirelessly with your iPhone, iPad or iPod. Apps would adapt so you could interact with them via the dashboard, and Siri would definitely be present (voice control makes the most sense in the car).

What about the exterior? That’s anyone’s guess, but designers have been creating iCar designs for years. There was the bulbous iMove from Liviu Tudoran that resembled a vehicular iMac (see below) to the recent iCar design from Franco Grassi.

What do you think an Apple iCar would be like? Have your say in the comments. (Mashable.com)

Purported Non-Functioning Next-Gen iPhone Appears.. In Bangkok

Depending on which report you happen to come across, we could be anywhere between six or ten weeks away from a possible Apple announcement regarding the technical details and visuals of the next-generation iPhone. Over the last few weeks, it has been widely reported that the new iPhone will launch during the month of October, exactly twelve months after the announcement of the iPhone 4S. However, recent speculation seems to be pointing towards a September 12th Apple media event where we could see a new model iPad as well as a couple of new iPods and the new iPhone.

It doesn’t really matter on which date we’ll actually see the new iPhone in person. The fact is; the release of the highly anticipated device is fast approaching us, so we need to get our wallets ready for action. Although Apple never officially showcase their releases until the actual media event itself, we somehow always manage to get a pretty decent idea of what the product might look like from piecing together various leaked parts and components.

The images of the purported device are claimed by the source to be of prototype iPhone which is used to allow manufacturers to finalize designs and production of accessories such as cases. Before we all get excited, it’s worth noting that even if this is an official prototype unit, Apple doesn’t just send out fully functional devices to any random company. The unit is non-functional and is primarily used for getting a better feel of the actual physical size.

As mentioned earlier, it really is impossible to determine whether or not this is a legitimate resource or just an elaborate fake to look and mimic the upcoming iPhone. If it is the latter, then the creator has done a pretty impressive job of knocking up a shell that looks extremely convincing. The device in the images show the smaller 19-pin dock connector which we are pretty sure will be on the new iPhone, as well as the new speaker grills and the 9mm audio socket relocated to the bottom rim of the device. I for one hope that this is an exact representation of what is to come as it looks pretty stunning. (Redmondpie.com)

What Is Apple Building in North Carolina?

Apple’s building something new — that is, something other than a new iPhone.

Earlier this week, Wired sent a plane down to Apple’s Maiden, N.C. data center. The magazine then shared these exclusive photos of what appears to be a groundbreaking at the center, showing construction workers building the foundations of a 20,000 sq. foot structure.

If Wired‘s theory is correct, Apple is finally beginning the construction of its solar farm and Bloom Energy Fuel cells, which will convert biogas into electricity.

The new facilities lie northwest of Apple’s already functioning data center in the North Carolina town, which is the 500,000 sq. foot home of the Apple servers used to run iCloud.

Though Apple would say its data center is a model for energy self-suffiency, the company has come under fire from environmental advocacy group Greenpeace, which attacked Apple for building its facilities on Duke University’s cheap coal and nuclear power grid.

What do you think Apple has cooking in North Carolina? Let us know in the comments. (Mashable.com)

Apple aims for salted earth in Samsung fight

NEW YORK -- As the high-stakes patent trial between Apple and Samsung Electronics moves into its second day Tuesday, one thing is clear: Apple is committed to waging total war. Like the Roman Empire in its victory over Carthage, Apple seems determined to salt the earth so that its competitor can never rise again.

Apple is seeking to have the court case declared "exceptional," a legal standard under which the jury could award treble damages. That's three times the amount of actual, provable damages -- which Apple is claiming run to billions of dollars.

Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) is also seeking to recoup 100% of Samsung's profits from the sales of any products found to be in violation of Apple's patents. Although the bone of contention is the allegedly infringing outward appearance of Samsung's smartphones and tablets -- "trade dress" in patent-law lingo -- Apple says that it is entitled to revenues from the whole enchilada.

It's also seeking a permanent injunction to stop Samsung from selling all infringing products.

Apple partially got its way when Judge Lucy Koh, a former patent lawyer, issued an injunction barring sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet while the trial proceeds. In a second, related case, Koh issued a similar injunction to stop U.S. sales of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. The Nexus remains on sale, though, thanks to a temporary stay from an appeals court.

Apple's thirst for blood isn't unusual. "You always wage total war in litigation -- that's the way this works," said Harold Edgar, a professor of law and technology at the Columbia Law School.

Apple's accusations -- among them that Samsung practices "a corporate policy of deception" -- provoked a furious response from the Korean electronics manufacturer.

"Apple's overreaching claim for damages is a natural extension of its attempt to monopolize the marketplace," Samsung said in its trial brief. It added that Apple's key design patent "shows little more than a blank rectangle with rounded corners."

Samsung's counter-claim is that Apple should pay Samsung for Apple's use of Samsung's core smartphone technology, including a patented five-step method for "sending text-only emails, sending emails displaying both text and an image, and sequentially displaying images stored on the device."

Should Samsung carry the day on those allegations, Apple would be required to pay Samsung royalties. (CNN.com)

Latest Apple Ads Take a Turn for the Worse

Apple’s latest ads premiered Friday in support of the Olympics. The three commercials show a “Genius,” someone you would encounter at your Genius Bar appointment, in other settings where his savvy comes to the rescue.

The Genius helps technologically inept acquaintances understand how simple it is to use the product they’ve recently purchased — but the humor misses the mark.

Instead of showing the simplicity of the operating system, they seem to be emphasizing the ineptitude of those who do not know how to use the machine.

While Mac fanboys can often make Apple seem exclusive, these ads play on that ineffectively by furthering that stereotype. This may have been inadvertent, but is present nonetheless.

Where Apple’s previous ads famously delivered smart, concise quips that allowed users of PCs and Macs to chuckle, their latest are benign and simple instead of inclusive.

By featuring a Genius in these settings, Apple makes it seem as though new customers won’t be able to figure it out once they take their machine home.

Of course, this is only one opinion. Watch for yourself and tell us what you think in the comments. (Mashable.com)

iPhone catches fire in 17-year-old’s pocket

Just a week after we reported that an iPhone had overheated, melting a mat, video footage has emerged of an iPhone allegedly exploding in a 17-year-old’s pocket.

Finnish news site Kauppalehti has obtained security camera footage of Henri Helminen leaving a van and walking calmly away as smoke billows from his back pocket, he eventually pulls the smouldering device out of his pocket and throws it to the floor.

Helminen told Kauppalehti: “The phone was working perfectly” before the incident.

These kinds of overheating incidents are frequently the result of a previous knock or liquid intrusion, either of which can disrupt the internal circuitry and cause short-circuits. Ivanov has said she dropped the iPhone 3GS into a swimming pool more than a year before it overheated, but thought she’s solved the problem by leaving the iPhone in a bowl of rice for a few days. (http://www.macworld.com.au)

Apple's rivals swoop as iPhone China sales flag

(Reuters) - Apple Inc's disappointing China sales suggest that its customers will not always wait for the next iPhone when rivals such as Samsung have plenty of flashy new models available now, analysts and resellers said on Wednesday.

China is Apple's second-largest market, and its rabid fans have been known to seek out smugglers just to get their hands on the latest gadgets before they officially go on sale in Beijing and Shanghai stores.

But an iPad 3 launch in China last week did not generate the normal buying frenzy, and lackluster April-to-June sales of the iPhone 4S have some analysts questioning whether Apple products are losing their status as the must-have accessory for China's hip and affluent.

"The (iPhone 4S) model is a little bit too long in the tooth when compared to other phones with better specs," said TZ Chuang, a Beijing-based analyst from research firm IDC.

"To put it plainly, consumers are getting a little bit tired of the look of the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S."

Apple's sales from greater China, which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, totaled $5.7 billion for its third quarter ended June, an unexpectedly steep drop of $2.2 billion from the January-March period.

Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, told analysts that about half of the quarter-to-quarter decline stemmed from "changes in the inventory channel" rather than weak sales of its iPhone 4S, which analysts took to mean that Apple had built up excess inventory in the first three months of the year.

That extra inventory meant resellers did not need to buy as many iPhones in the April-June period. The iPhone 5 is expected to be released later this year, with enhanced Chinese language capabilities, so that likely contributed to resellers' slower orders of the 4S as well.

Cook also pointed out that iPhone 4S sales were very strong in China over the first three months of this year, so there was probably some drop-off in demand after that period.

SIRI LEARNS MANDARIN

Consumers in China, which has the world's largest number of mobile subscribers, were spoilt for choice with a slew of new phones available over the past few months from brands such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and HTC Corp.

Samsung, which flagged a record quarterly profit of $5.9 billion earlier this month, saw stronger-than-expected demand for its latest Galaxy S III model, while HTC's One X also gained popularity among phone users globally, including the greater China region.

"The S III and One X are outselling the iPhone now because people like their wider screens, better cameras and the apps are pretty good," said a salesperson at an electronics store in Hong Kong that carries phones from Apple, Samsung, HTC and Nokia Ojy.

New smartphones made by China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, ZTE Corp and Xiaomi were also hot sells, in part because the price was right. They are heavily subsidized by China's three telecom carriers.

Apple is expected to release its next iPhone around October, according to sources, about a year after the launch of the 4S, which was a hot seller in the first three months of 2012 and helped to drive Apple's stellar earnings in that period.

There was one hitch for Chinese consumers, however: Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant program that was a popular selling point globally for the 4S, does not speak Mandarin or Cantonese, which are widely spoken in mainland China and Hong Kong.

The iPhone 5 version of Siri will have those language skills, according to sales staff in an Apple store in Shanghai's Pudong financial district, which a Reuters reporter visited on Wednesday. That is one more reason for Chinese customers to hold off until the new phone is available.

"Since iPhone 5 will come out soon, operators don't want to buy in any more iPhone 4S as they will add to the inventory," said Ming Chi Kuo, an analyst from KGI Securities.

(Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee in HONG KONG, Clare Jim in TAIPEI and Melanie Lee in SHANGHAI; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Alex Richardson)

After Malware Scare, Apple Makes First Appearance at Black Hat Conference

Apple will make its first appearance at computer security conference Black Hat on Thursday when Dallas De Atley, Manager of the Platform Security team at the company, takes the stage to talk about key security technologies in iOS.

Typically absent for security conferences, the move is a significant one, and one that shows Apple realizes that its operating system is vulnerable and that the company could benefit from the input of a group of people who have the main goal of revealing those vulnerabilities.

The first iOS malware app was confirmed earlier this month. Called “Find and Call” the app would have users upload all of their contact information to a server that would them spam all of their contacts with messages that appeared to come from the victim’s phone.

Hackers have started to pay more attention to the OSX platform. Previously thought to be free from viruses and attacked, Apple computers have started to see a rise in malicious software attacks.

Black Hat has been going on for the past 15 years. The conference brings together thought leaders from different facets of the information security worlds – everyone from corporate and government employees to academic and underground researchers – to help attempt to “define tomorrow’s security landscape.”

Since its initial conference in 1997, Black Hat has expanded its conference from a single event each year in Las Vegas to a series of conferences around the world in locations such as Abu Dhabi, Barcelona and Washington DC.

Microsoft first made an appearance at the conference in 1998, and Google took the stage in 2010. While most of the speakers at the Black Hat conference have a detailed description of their planned discussion topic, Apple’s description merely says it will “discuss key security technologies in iOS.”

The conferences are vendor-neutral and bring together some of he brightest and most prestigious names in the space for briefings as well as hands-on, high-intensity, multi-day trainings provided by some of the most respected experts in the world. Attendees can also receive formal certifications while attending the conference.

What do you think about Apple participating in the Black Hat conference? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Source: Mashable

Rumor: New iPod Touch to Feature Bigger Screen

The new iPod touch, due to be released this fall, will feature a 4-inch screen, just like the upcoming next-generation iPhone, Japanese blog Macotakara reports.

The new device will also sport the A5 processor — the same one that iPhone 4S has — and a case with an aluminum back that’s similar to the iPad’s.

The device will come in white and black, and will also feature a hole on the lower end of its back, whose purpose is unknown.

Of course, though the rumors about it are swirling about, not even the 4-inch new iPhone has been officially confirmed, so take this report with a grain of salt.

Source: Mashable

Apple OS X Mountain Lion Goes on Sale Wednesday

For Mac owners, it’s Christmas in July again.

In its earnings report Tuesday, Apple officially announced that the long-anticipated Mountain Lion, otherwise known as OS X 10.8, would go on sale first thing Wednesday morning — just as predicted.

Costing $19.99, it will be available in the Mac app store only. Anyone who bought a new Mac on or after June 11 is entitled to a free upgrade.

Apple is making a habit of releasing new versions of the Mac OS in July; that’s when we got our first taste of OS X 10.7, known simply as Lion. That, too, was announced on the company’s earnings call and made available the following morning.

Lion is now used by 40% of Mac owners, according to Apple. Some 50% are still using the previous version, Snow Leopard. Lion was criticized by some for being a minimal upgrade that removed some much-loved features, such as replacing the “save as” with the less user-friendly “export.”

Mountain Lion, by contrast, is a significant upgrade that adds plenty of integration with the iPhone and iPad operating system, iOS. Users will see their Reminders, Messages, Notes and other notifications automatically synced between devices.

The upgrade also allows you to post to Twitter, Flickr, Vimeo and other services from within every page and window. At Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers’ Conference, CEO Tim Cook boasted that Mountain Lion added more than 200 new features.

It’s only for current Lion or Snow Leopard owners, however; if you’re one of the few Mac users on a previous version, you’ll have to upgrade to Snow Leopard before buying Mountain Lion. And if you’re on a pre-2009 Mac, chances are your computer won’t have enough power to run Mountain Lion.

Stay tuned for our full Mountain Lion review Wednesday, and let us know in the comments: are you ready to buy?

What's up dock? Apple to shrink connector for iPhone 5

TAIPEI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Apple Inc's (NSQ:AAPL - News) new iPhone will drop the wide dock connector used in the company's gadgets for the best part of a decade in favour of a smaller one, a change likely to annoy the Apple faithful but which could be a boon for accessory makers.

The iPhone 5, Apple's next generation iPhone expected to go on sale around October, will come with a 19-pin connector port at the bottom instead of the proprietary 30-pin port "to make room for the earphone moving to the bottom", two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

That would mean the new phone would not connect with the myriad of accessories such as speakers and power chargers that form part of the ecosystem around iPods, iPads and iPhones, without an adaptor.

That means new business, analysts say.

"It represents an opportunity for accessory vendors," said Pete Cunningham, London-based analyst at technology research firm Canalys. "The iPhone connector has been a standard for a long time now and I would expect the same to be true for a new connector, should Apple change it as expected."

Apple did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

Tech blogs have long speculated on the demise of the 30-pin connector, which at 21 mm wide takes up a chunk of space, especially as the latest technologies such as microUSB offer more power in less space.

They say that a smaller connector would give Apple more scope for new product designs or a bigger battery, or simply to make ever smaller products.

Switzerland's Logitech (VTX:LOGN.VX - News), one of the biggest makers of Apple speakers, declined to comment.

But some enterprising vendors in China have already begun offering cases for the new phone, complete with earphone socket on the bottom and a "guarantee" the dimensions are correct.

For some in the peripherals industry, the change could open doors to new business.

"iPod docking speaker sales have been declining for one or two years," said an employee of a Hong Kong-based company that designs speakers especially for Apple products.

"My previous factory is a lucky one. They shifted the focus to Bluetooth speakers, which proved a wise decision now," the employee said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It looks like while iPod speaker sales are going down, Bluetooth speaker sales are going up."

HAPPY TO UPGRADE?

Apple has already said that some users of older models of its Macbook computers won't be able to use the latest operating system to be announced soon, but analysts think it will be kinder to mobile gadget users.

"Apple needs to find a solution not to disappoint their current clients who want to upgrade to the new iPhone but are tied to an expensive accessory that have bought," said Franciso Jeronimo, London-based analyst at technology research firm IDC.

"I believe Apple will come up with some sort of adaptor so the new iPhone can be used with previous connectors."

It could be a difficult change for Apple to manage, even with an adaptor.

"With a smaller connector, what am I going to do with my loudspeaker at home and the fitness pack that I use when I go to the gym? That's the question," said 24-year old Travis Tam, who owns an iPhone 4 and works as an account executive at a social networking company in Hong Kong.

"I feel that the premium gap between the next iPhone 5 and newest Android models is getting much smaller these days. That will mean that details such as having a smaller connector will mean more in whether I will continue to use an iPhone and switch to other Android phones."

A salesman surnamed Chan at an Apple reseller in Hong Kong thought a smaller connector would be a "pain", and would spoil the clean lines and seamless connectivity that is Apple's trademark.

"There are ways around it as some of the speakers have an audio input point that can be connected directly to any iPhone with a earphone jack. It's not a very elegant way of doing things, but it's an alternative," he said.

In the end though, Apple fans are Apple fans.

"I don't think it will stop Apple consumers from buying the new gadgets," said C.K. Lu, Taipei-based analyst at research firm Gartner. "Many companies are interested in developing accessories for Apple because Apple users are more open and willing to buy accessories." (Additional reporting by Tarmo Virki in HELSINKI and Caroline Copley in ZURICH; Writing by Jonathan Standing; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Source: Yahoo!

Viber Gets Group Messaging and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. Today, we’re looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Viber Gets Group Messaging, Hits 90 Million Users

Mobile messaging application Viber has released version 2.2, introducing group messaging as well as improved call quality and several user interface enhancements.

The company also said it has reached 90 million users, with users making over 1.5 billion minutes of calls each month. This is a jump of 20 million users in just over two months.

Apple Wins One, Loses One in Patent Battle With Samsung

Apple has won a preliminary ban of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 across the European Union. Samsung said it is “disappointed” with the court’s ruling, though the company “welcomes” another court decision, which states that the company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1N does not infringe Apple’s intellectual property.

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity Comes to UK on August 31

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity will become available in the UK through Amazon on August 31 for £599, the company has announced.

The device features a 1920 x 1200 Super IPS+ display, Android 4.0 and a detachable Mobile Dock accessory which turns it from a tablet into a laptop.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mattjeacock

iPhone 5 release date rumors in September with quad-core processor, 4-inch front panel and in-cell tech

More rumors about the launch, components and others specs for Apple’s next flagship device have surfaced recently.

Gizmodo came up with a list of the benefits and drawbacks that such a 16:9 resolution could bring.

The site sees a 16:9 display as the “format of the future,” with HD videos, TV shows, home videos standing as proofs and also more pixels and more information added on the screen of the next iPhone.

In terms of disadvantages, the site believes that the battery life of the iPhone would be greatly affected because of the increase in graphic power demands, pixel activation, and backlighting.

Developers would have to redesign their apps for the new screen, and in addition, the idea of a 16:9 ratio was not approved of by Steve Jobs, who believed that such a change didn’t make sense in terms of design of the smartphone.

Adding to the recent iPhone 5 release date rumors was a note by Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White who estimates that the handset will hit the market in September this year.

White claims that Apple is likely to come up with a competitive iPhone that would be sold in tens of millions of copies by the end of the year in order to face up to competition with the next Samsung Galaxy Note and the possible release of the Microsoft Surface tablets.

The analyst also wrote that Chinese news website Sina.com reports that the company producing the battery for the iPhone 5 is having trouble meeting Apple’s standards in terms of batteries.

“If there is a battery challenge, we trust that Apple will be able to figure it out in time for a September launch,” White wrote, according to AppleInsider.

The same analyst also reported about a recent drop in sales at Wintek, Apple’s supply chain partner involved in production of display touch panels, and speculated that this decrease could be related to the implementation of in-cell panels for the iPhone 5.

White believes that Wintek’s role in Apple’s supply chain is fading as the company moves to new technologies.

As for specs of the iPhone 5, the device is also rumored to come with a quad-core processor, similar to the Samsung Series 4 Exynos.

In addition, Chinese technology blog MyDrivers posted a leaked picture of a larger, 4-inch front panel for the next iPhone, apparently from supply chain sources.

Insiders claim that in-cell technology was used in order to allow the introduction of touch sensors directly into the screen, which would help make the device thinner.

The first image presents the panel of the future iPhone, while the second one displays the iPhone 4/4S panel.

Source: InRumor.com