The latest generation of the iPhone — still the smartphone industry’s gold standard after four years — is expected to see the light of day this Tuesday, just in time for the holidays.

Even in a dismal economy, consumers should again line up in droves for a souped-up device that also marks Cook’s first major product launch since taking over from Jobs in August.

The so-called iPhone 5 is widely expected to have a bigger touchscreen and faster processor than the current iPhone 4, which helped the company stay a step ahead of rivals in an increasingly competitive smartphone market.

Its challenge will be to “wow” consumers with yet more game-changing innovations and top itself. The aging iPhone 4 is still an unqualified blockbuster: with more than 20 million sold in the third quarter that ended June 25 alone, it is likely to become the world’s top-selling smartphone.

“Consumers view Apple products as a must-have,” said Channing Smith, co-manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund, which owns Apple shares. “Apple phones and products have become almost a necessity. We don’t expect them to falter.”

But the latest version of the gadget that helped define the smartphone category is coming at a time when the world economy is slowing and competition is at its peak. More than 550,000 Google Inc Android-based devices — including tablets — are activated each day globally.

Apple’s ability to generate enthusiasm among consumers and its command of the higher-end market, however, may make it less susceptible to a broader slowdown, investors and analysts say.

Cook is likely to take the stage at Apple central at Cupertino’s 1 Infinite Loop, where Wall Street will get a chance to see first-hand how the acknowledged operations maven fares at a major product launch. Although a highly regarded executive, he is not known for pitching products.

SILICON VALLEY DEBUT

Apple product launches are the most closely watched events on the technology calendar. The new model, which some have dubbed the iPhone 5, will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in August.

The event will take place in Silicon Valley rather than downtown San Francisco where Apple made some of its most famous announcements.

“Most interesting is whether new CEO Tim Cook will lead the keynote and whether … Steve Jobs will participate,” Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said.

“Tim is perceived as an operations and supply chain guru and that he certainly is, but we believe it is too early to write him off as not a visionary and showman like Steve Jobs.”

The Apple co-founder, a pancreatic cancer survivor who stepped down in August after his third medical leave, is expected to make an appearance, though a no-show by the Apple co-founder will not be a major disappointment.

“Investors would like to see Steve Jobs to confirm that he is still involved, but we have dealt with the fact that he’s not going to be as involved,” Smith said. “We’d love to see an appearance but it’s not critical.”

Apple’s iPhone has been a huge success since it debuted in 2007, transforming the company from a computer and music-player maker into one of the world’s leading mobile device makers. It accounts for about 40 percent of Apple’s revenue, with margins estimated at roughly 60 percent.

But it faces stiff competition from phones based on Google’s Android operating system, such as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy line.

The iPhone’s U.S. market share in August was 28 percent, making it No. 2. Android was No. 1 with 43 percent of the U.S. market, Nielsen data show.

Yet longer-term, investors are more focused on Apple’s international push, particularly in Asia.

Cook has said China is a key market. The world’s most valuable technology company has mostly catered to the higher end of a booming market in those countries, but is now trying to release a cheaper phone, sources told Reuters in August.

WHAT’S IN STORE TUESDAY?

Finnish rival Nokia dominates the lower end of the lucrative Asian market. Some investors and analysts expect another version of the iPhone 4 to be launched along with the next-generation model.

“We also expect the announcement of a lower-priced iPhone that will basically be a lower-cost 3GS,” Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek said, referring to the event.

The new phone is prompting Wall Street to forecast that Apple will post enormous sales in the October-to-December quarter, with shipments expected to be in the range of 29 million.

The iPhone is currently sold by AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc. Many analysts expect Sprint will become the third U.S. operator to sell the iPhone when the next version is launched.

The new phone is also expected to accelerate the momentum in Apple shares, which are trading at around $381, off a record high of $422.86. The stock remains a far cry from brokerage price targets that range from an average of $490 to a high of $666.

The launch event invite, when it landed last week, set off a typical frenzy of speculation. Various analysts quickly dissected one image in particular on the Apple invitation, which depicts four familiar icons found on iPhones, as a possible signal for the number of new phones to be unveiled.

Speculation about the new iPhone’s features is fevered, with the list of possibilities ranging from faster wireless Internet connectivity to voice-navigation capabilities.

“What we found most intriguing is that the green phone icon on the invite has a number 1 next to it, perhaps signaling that only one new iPhone will be announced,” Wu said.

[Thanks: http://www.reuters.com]

1. SEGA has announced that Brick People for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. You will build brick steps and structures to help the hungry Brick People reach a collection of delicious snacks. Brick People utilizes the Multi-Touch capabilities of iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, enabling quick brick stacking and allowing players to race against each other to become the best bricklayer. Use Bluetooth® to compete against friends in multiplayer match-ups, or use iPad to compete head-to-head on a single device. Players can also compete with others around the world when posting high scores on the Game Center leaderboards. Get on iTunes

2. CustomEgo has announced Carma 1.0.556, a new app that allows the user to report other drivers for good and bad behavior on the road using their tag numbers. Drivers gain and lose points based on reports against them from others. This gives bored passengers a form of entertainment, gives angry drivers an outlet for their road rage, and gives all motorists a score and achievements system to strive for by driving more safely. Get on iTunes

3. Independent software developers Francesco Chessari and Nicola Pacini today announced Stamp Art Fever 10.0.0, an update to their simulation game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. In Stamp Art Fever you trade and collect artistic stamps, manage your Gallery, compete against players the world over for the most valuable collection. Version 10.0.0 features a new “Hall of Fame” gaming mode as well as an additional 45 new stamps to collect. Get on iTunes

4. Carl Jones announces the release of ZombieGP 4.0, for iOS devices. When there’s no more room in hell, the dead shall race on earth. You will race your zombie in both day and night around 7 varying courses and against CPU players on this new release for iOS devices. Simply race around the track, avoid obstacles in a bid to earn your freedom. Zombie GP is easy to pick-up-and-play by all ages. Get on iTunes

5. XIMAD has announced the release of Bubble Birds 2.0. for iO - new design, levels and characters will make the game more fun and cool. As usual, you have to match three or more birds of the same color to remove them from the field and score as many points as possible. In addition, on each level you can shoot down the bubbles with coins, and then spend them on another attempt, open more levels, different birds. Get on iTunes

6. Developed by Realore Studios, Jane’s Hotel is a casual time management game that was originally released on PC but due to its success was ported to a number of platforms, including PSP, Nintendo DS, Android and iPhone. Now it finally came to the Mac App Store. In Jane’s Hotel the players are given a chance to help the series’ main protagonist Jane run her own hotel empire. The player controls Jane and a chambermaid in order to keep the guests comfortable by providing them with everything a traveler needs to relax. Get on iTunes

[Thanks: http://www.gamershell.com]

Former US Vice President Al Gore has taken time out from saving the world, and getting conned out of elections, to suggest there may be more than one new iPhone coming next month.

Global warming activist Gore, who is also an Apple board member, confirmed that new iPhones will be coming in October. That’s plural, not singular.

The Next Web site is reporting that Gore told a leadership conference in South Africa: “Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug.”

It remains unclear whether Gore meant that there would be multiple models or many of the same new model. The source, Stuff Magazine South Africa’s Editor Toby Shapshak, says Gore did not clarify.
Clearly plural

Later on Twitter, Shapshak followed up by saying “I clearly heard “iPhones”. I recorded it. Double checked. Clearly plural but could be millions of one model.”

Speculation has been rife that Apple is targeting the pre-pay market with a scaled-back iPhone 4S model, which may launch alongside the long-awaited iPhone 5.

Regardless of how many iPhones will be launched, Gore’s slip of the tongue is the first public confirmation from anyone connected with Apple that the company will launch new devices in October.

Earlier today we reported on leaks that point to an October 4th launch event with Tim Cook taking the stage in San Francisco.

[Thanks: http://www.techradar.com]

The screenshot, sent to American blogger Chris Ziegler by an anonymous employee of the Best Buy electronics chain, which recently launched stores in the UK, shows an email sent to American Best Buy employees regarding an upcoming Apple launch. It requests that a manager be present at 6am on October 21 to install a ‘large Apple fixture’ on the big screens in the American electronics store.

The tantalising aspect to this detail is that 6am is the time at which Apple requested managers attend for the launch of iPhone 4 last year - also to install screens. The Best Buy employee also revealed that an event was scheduled for October 10 for managers to discuss upcoming ‘big releases’ - which would fit with an iPhone 5 launch a fortnight later.

Apple’s iPhone 4 is a bestseller: could its successor be due for release on October 21?

Last year’s iPhone 4 launch saw the device released in the UK and the US simultaneously, with other countries following rapidly afterwards.

An Apple spokesperson said, ‘We are not commenting on rumours or speculation.’ While the company is typically tight-lipped about the launch dates of its iconic smartphones, evidence has been mounting that a late October release seems likely.

Apple’s marketing machine is extremely well-oiled, particularly when it comes to their hero product, the 100-million-selling iPhone - and preview events are usually orchestrated weeks in advance. With no official word from within the company in early September, a late October release looks increasingly likely.

Android rivals such as Samsung’s Galaxy S II are now also considerably faster than the current iPhone 4: the company may not be able to afford to wait much longer than late October to release their upgraded handset.

An Apple engineer losing a prototype in a bar a few weeks before release has also become a regular ritual. This year, a prototype iPhone 5 was reportedly lost in Cava 22, a San Francisco bar, and sold via the internet - although details of the incident are disputed, and no clear details of the device itself have emerge.

New CEO: Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998

The late October release date would appear to be supported by images that appeared on the internet recently said to show production parts for a new model that have arrived at Chinese resellers in preparation for the global launch of the high-powered phone.

The images of parts labeled N94, have been reproduced by industry websites such as Apple Leaks, MacPost and Apple Insider.

It’s perhaps wise not to place too much faith in Chinese components or one grainy email screenshot, however.

The enthusiasm of the Apple faithful is such that by this stage in the genesis of ANY Apple device, the rumour mill is in such overdrive that ‘evidence’ such as sketches, grainy pictures, and even orders  placed with Taiwanese chip foundries have all been hailed as definitive ‘proof’ of a release date, or form factor, for iPhone 5.

As ever, the one thing is certain is that Apple will continue to ‘not comment on rumours or speculation’ until the company are ready to tell us, where and when we can buy iPhone 5 - and what exactly the much-hyped phone will do that makes it worth all this attention.

[Thanks: http://www.dailymail.co.uk]

Now, the whole tech world is buzzing about the lost prototype incident and the upcoming iPhone 5 - as if there isn’t already enough hype generated by constant rumors surrounding its release date.

Last year, Apple also reportedly misplaced an iPhone 4 prototype. Back then, it was obtained by tech publication Gizmodo, which then wrote a widely-read article on the device and generated hype for its official release.

The pattern of losing iPhone prototypes, and the resulting effect of generating hype for the devices, has raised some suspicion.

“Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me,” say the Apple conspiracy theorists, who believe the company is deliberately misplacing prototype iPhones in order to generate free publicity and hype.

However, I seriously doubt that Apple is stupid enough to go that far.

It’s plausible that the Apple PR mastermind would plant photos, rumors, and details. Had their actions been different, it’s even plausible that Apple would purposely misplace an iPhone 5 prototype.

What’s not plausible, however, is leading U.S. police forces to ransack an American citizen’s residence to look for a lost iPhone 5 prototype weeks before the public knew it was missing.

Apple isn’t stupid.

It knows that stringing the police along in a fake iPhone 5 prototype chase is blatantly illegal and carries serious criminal consequences. Moreover, it would look extreme bad to the public and consumers if Apple knowingly and purposely searched the home of an innocent individual.

The risks are simply too great and the rewards are limited. Plus, Apple isn’t in desperate need of more hype for the iPhone 5.

There is already a considerate buzz and speculation surrounding the iPhone 5; the constant rumors, planted by Apple or originating from elsewhere, seem to do a fine job.

Even without any rumors, Apple would still enjoy rampant lust for its products, particularly for the highly-anticipated iPhone 5.

Last year, when an iPhone 4 prototype was mysteriously sold to tech publication Gizmodo, one can make a plausible argument that Apple did it on purpose. (However, Gizmodo gives a detailed account of how an Apple engineer legitimately may have lost the iPhone 4 prototype and how it ended in the publication’s possession).

This year, however, the actions of contacting the police to ransack an individual’s house before the public even knew a prototype was missing simply don’t point to an elaborate publicity stunt.

Instead, it points a corporation urgently trying to recover a prototype that was misplaced at a tequila lounge by a possibly intoxicated Apple employee.

[Thanks: http://www.ibtimes.com]

A source tells CNET that the iPhone was lost at Cava 22, a self-described tequila lounge, in late July.

Apple declined to comment, but the source says the tech giant frantically tried to retrieve the lost phone days after it disappeared, telling police it was priceless. However, no report was filed.

An electronic trace for the phone led to a two-floor, single-family home in the city’s Bernal Heights neighborhood, CNET reports.

Police and investigators from Apple then showed up at the house and spoke to a man who claimed he was at Cava 22 the night the phone was lost, but said he didn’t have it. He further denied possession of the device when Apple offered money for it.

He allowed authorities search the home, but they did not find the device.

Last year an iPhone 4 prototype was lost at a San Francisco bar and was later allegedly sold to a technology blog for $5,000. The prototype was then unveiled to the world before then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs could showcase it in one of his trademark product announcements.

[Thanks: http://www.foxnews.com]

The company announced on Wednesday that it has filed complaints against both Apple and Research in Motion, alleging patent infringement in the lawsuit filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission. As is standard in such filings, Openwave has asked the ITC to ban the import of smartphones and tablets made by Apple and RIM.

“Openwave invented technologies that became foundational to the mobile Internet,” Ken Denman, Chief Executive Officer of Openwave, said in a statement. “We believe that these large companies should pay us for the use of our technologies, particularly in light of the substantial revenue these companies have earned from devices that use our intellectual property.”

“Before filing these complaints, we approached both of these companies numerous times in an attempt to negotiate a license of our technology with them and did not receive a substantive response.”

In all, Apple is accused of infringing five Openwave-owned patents related to Internet access on mobile devices. Those patents are:

• U.S. Patent No. 6,233,608: Method and system for securely interacting with managed data from multiple devices
• U.S. Patent No. 6,289,212: Method and apparatus for providing electronic mail services during network unavailability
• U.S. Patent No. 6,405,037: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
• U.S. Patent No. 6,430,409: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
• U.S. Patent No. 6,625,447: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network

“In the end, litigation is the only way we can defend our rights against these large companies that have effectively refused to license the use of the technologies we invented, are using today, and are continuing to develop for our customers,” Denman said. “We are proud that our technology is helping deliver such a rich mobile internet experience to consumers around the world.”

In its press release, Openwave touted that in 1997 it was the first company to enable operators to deploy mobile Internet browsing, while in 2001 it was the first to provide technology for photo messaging. The company said it owns about 200 patents related to its software business.

[Thanks: http://www.appleinsider.com]

This level of loyalty can be traced back to before Apple even released the Mac. The company’s fervent followers, circa the Apple II, embraced Jobs and Wozniak’s creed that computers should be affordable to all, not just the computer professionals in business and higher education. When the Mac vowed to make the computer more user-friendly, new disciples pledged allegiance to Apple.

But is the reason more people are buying Apple’s products simply because Apple creates clean and dependable products? Partly, yes. But I’ve had a nagging feeling inside that this only explains half of the reason. Last year, I came across a Ted Talk by Simon Sinek titled “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” that helped me get a better handle on this question.

I highly recommend you spend 18 minutes and watch it, as it explains not only why Apple is successful but why major leaders like the Wright Brothers and Martin Luther King, Jr., were so effective as well. Sinek also wrote a great book on this subject called Start With Why

While I don’t want to steal Sinek’s thunder, I want to share some of his key points that helped me understand Apple’s success in more succinct terms.

Sinek explains what he calls the “Golden Circle.” Imagine three concentric circles: the innermost labeled “Why,” the middle labeled “How,” and the outermost labeled “What.” He says that all members of an organization know what they do, and some know how they do it, but most don’t know why they do it.

He argues that most companies lead with messages about what they sell, but that the great leaders and companies communicate why they do what they do. This part really struck me, as it applies to Apple. Sinek says that Apple’s why message is that “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently.” Apple challenges the status quo is by making beautifully-designed, reliable products. So Apple can then say, “We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”

He maintains people don’t buy what you do but why you do it. Almost from the beginning, with Jobs and Wozniak, Apple told you why it developed the Apple II—to create a more affordable computer. When Jobs introduced the Mac, he said he believed that computers were too boxy, unexciting, and difficult to use. If you watch the famous 1984 Apple Super Bowl ad you’ll quickly realize Apple believed it was breaking the mundane tyranny of the boring PC and creating the next computer for the Everyman. It had new graphical user interface, mouse drawing software, and was fun to use. He invited customers to follow him away from the stodgy old PC and into the new world of computing.

Jobs started attracting new converts. Sure, most business stayed with the PC, but those who believed in Jobs’ vision followed him. He often uses the term “I believe” in his speeches at product launches as he preaches things like, “I believe people want products that are easy to use, and always work.” Every chance he gets, he shares his vision—the why that drives him and Apple forward.

Watch Apple’s iPad ads closely. Unlike HP’s TouchPad ads that glorify stars, Apple’s simply show you what you can do with its products.

But Jobs is a realist. You never hear him say things like, “the iPhone will rule the world,” or “the iPad will take over.” Sure, he is often moved to hyperbole, but for the most part, he states his vision and goals. For example, at the iPhone launch in 2007, he told us he would be happy if Apple got ten percent of, what at the time was, the emerging smartphone market.

Sinek also says that people will follow leaders or buy products they believe in. That’s why Google’s Android also has a strong following, although its crowd is driven by more tech-savvy users who want more control of their user experience. Apple knows that the vast majority is not necessarily interested in tweaking products for more personal customizations. The iPad ads convince you that it is elegant, easy to use, and will meet your needs as is.

If Sinek’s theory holds, then people are not only buying Apple products because they are great, but because they are also buying into Apple’s vision of why. They believe in the same vision and want the benefits that this vision gives them. At first, these people were called Mac heads and then Mac cultists. But as millions of mainstream consumers begin to appreciate Apple’s vision, Apple users move well beyond cult status and into the bigger market at large.

I suspect Apple will continue to gain even more converts who also believe, like Steve Jobs, that tech products should make their digital lives richer. They relate to what the products do for them and are willing to follow Apple since they have adopted its vision for themselves.

I highly encourage you to watch Sinek’s Ted Talk. It is quite enlightening.

[Thanks: http://www.pcmag.com]

We all want to know

Though highly speculative, there’s little new in this morning’s claims, in brief: Digitimes now says the iPhone 5 won’t possess a 4.2-inch screen. (iPhones have never had such a screen). The iPhone 5 will boast a metal back with a 3.5-3.7 inch screen with a thinner bezel for a larger-looking screen.

The new claims do render some interesting gleanings: “The rumored specifications of iPhone 5 include a 4- to 4.2-inch HD touch panel, 8-megapixel camera, Full HD video recording, A5 dual-core processor and new ultra-thin industrial design; however, the sources believe that the leaked specifications are rather the market’s expectations for iPhone 5.”

This is interesting because a second rumor this morning claims that the introduction of Apple’s A6 processor may not take place until the second-half of next year, which suggests a late 2012 launch for post iPhone 5 models and any significant A6-powered iPad upgrade.

A6 for late 2012?

Analysts at the Linley Group say that the A6 processor “may not arrive until later in 2012″. That’s no great surprise — particularly since Apple seems far more amenable to remaining flexible in its product release schedules these days, presumably to keep competitors guessing.

However, any perceived delay in the introduction of any predicted (or imagined) Apple product in the coming months will likely be seized on by a traffic-greedy media as evidence the company under new CEO, Tim Cook, is losing its grip.(Which it isn’t).

Such reports will hopefully be taken by the majority of the Apple faithful as the shoddy wish-fulfillment fantasies that they will eventually emerge to be.

Returning to the Linley Group, analysts there warn the A6 processor won’t likely hit market until the second half of next year.

This is interesting because it could imply the iPad 3 will host an A5 processor, fully souped-up to deliver the more advanced ‘pro’ features many expect this imagined configuration may deliver. It could also suggest the A6-powered iPad 4 will make its own blushing debut at a later-than-anticipated juncture.

Apple ditches Intel?

Linley analyst Kevin Krewell explains: “This pace would make the A6 one of the first 28nm mobile processors (along with Qualcomm’s MSM8960) to enter production.”

The move to 28nm process is likely to be a tough one for Apple’s suppliers, but will offer the company some serious possibilities when it comes to the development of new, ultra-powerful but low power mobile devices, perhaps equipped with multiple multi-processors.

That’s well-timed as Apple continues to apply pressure to chip giant and current Mac processor supplier, Intel, to deliver ever-faster, ever-more-low-power processors to feed its busier than ever production lines.

Meanwhile, Apple’s moves to replace Samsung as supplier continue while the company’s litigation against its old ally seem to support Cupertino’s claims against it. Samsung is not winning the legal arguments in any territory, and faces real danger of its seemingly Apple-inspired Galaxy products being banned in key markets.

[Thanks: http://blogs.computerworld.com]

Sure, Tim Cook has the business-sense to keep Apple afloat. But he seems to lack Jobs’ creativity and showmanship. Can you imagine him unveiling a new product?

With that in mind, the iPhone 5 announcement is expected to take place within the next few weeks. And there has been some rumblings around the web that the retired CEO might make an appearance.

The newly-named Chairman of the Board of Directors might take the stage one last time at the upcoming iPhone event. The move would certainly calm nervous investors, and the extra media attention wouldn’t hurt.

But you also have to expect that Tim Cook will be highly visible. You know, because he’s the new CEO, and Apple wants to prove that the company is just fine without Jobs at the helm.

Obviously, a Jobs-Cook combo would be the perfect balance, but it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out. Maybe Tim Cook won’t be the visible CEO that Jobs was. Maybe Jobs stays away from the event to avoid overshadowing the products, or undermining Cook.

Here’s hoping we at least see an appearance from Steve this Fall, if for no other reason than to confirm he’s ok.

Who do you hope to see introduce the iPhone 5? Will Steve be the one to come back on stage for “one more thing?”

[Thanks: http://www.idownloadblog.com]