• iPhone 5 Production Begins in September With “Lite” Version Possible As Well

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPhone, Rants & Raves, Rumors No Responses

    Apple’s next-generation iPhone should go into production as early as September, according to one analyst in news first reported by BusinessInsider. This would mean the iPhone 5 wouldn’t hit stores until later this year, or early in 2012. But, could it come along with a smaller model?

    According to a note released today, Avian Securities states:

    “Supporting out comments over the last month, conversations with yet another key component supplier indicates that production for iPhone-5 will begin in September. This is consistent with Avian findings in the supply chain in recent months and we believe the consensus view is moving towards this scenario. “

    Perhaps more surprisingly, Avian believes Apple is also working on a lower-spec/lower-priced iPhone model too.

    They state:

    “As a reminder, Avian has uncovered several data-points in recent months pointing to the existence of a lower-spec/lower-price iPhone. A lower-spec/lower-price iPhone has also been speculated in the press and gadget blogs, though we do not believe consensus currently discounts the existence of such a model.”

    Lots of stories emerged in recent weeks, indicating the iPhone 5 will not make it at this June’s WWDC event. however, we are waiting for more speculations.

  • Windows App Store Screenshots leaked: Looks Suspiciously Like Apple’s

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Microsoft, News, Rants & Raves No Responses

    Images of the new Windows App Store have emerged, showing similar functionality to not only Apple’s App Store, but also the Ubuntu Download Center. Regardless, it is bringing Windows 8, for which these screenshots are taken from, into the next-generation application game. From what we see here, it suggests one will be able to download a vast number of applications, ranging from games to office applications. With applications available like Opera and Angry Birds, it’s clear that Microsoft are following suit with other content providers by opening up to third-party applications.

    Since Apple released the Mac App Store, Microsoft has been fighting to get the application store ready for users in time. However, considering Apple’s move to sue Amazon for the use of the name “App Store”, Microsoft could also be in hot water if it continues to use the name. Apple maintains it should have control over the “App Store” name, though Microsoft is contending the challenge.

    Though it does look suspiciously similar to the Mac App Store and the Ubuntu Download Center, I don’t think much can be taken from it. Personally, I think it looks strangely similar to Windows Media Player.

    Regardless, these rumours we keep hearing about seem to be ringing true week by week as these leaks slip out. What else is Microsoft hiding up their increasingly long sleeves?

    [via: zdnet]

  • Glasses Free 3D on iPad 2 and iPhone 4 via Head Tracking

    // Gradly // 3D, Apple, blog, Gadgets, iPad, iPhone, Rants & Raves, Tech. 1 Response

    Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay from the Laboratory of Informatics of Grenoble at the EHCI Research Group have created an amazing tech demoes by combining head-tracking technology that uses the iPad’s front facing camera to deliver glasses-free 3D experience that doesn’t require the accelerometer, but it’s entirely based on the camera and the movements of a user’s head in front of the screen. The position of the user will give the illusion of tridimensional objects moving on the display.

    We track the head of the user with the front facing camera in order to create a glasses-free monocular 3D display. Such spatially-aware mobile display enables to improve the possibilities of interaction. It does not use the accelerometers and relies only on the front camera.

    Francone and Nigay were inspired by the work of Johnny Lee who built a similar system using a Wii system.

    Glasses-free 3D has been deployed by Nintendo in its latest 3DS portable gaming console, and a series of reports in the past suggested Apple could implement glasses-free 3D in the future. The app does not yet appear to be available for download.

  • Apple Ordered 12 Petabytes of Storage For iTunes Video Offerings

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, News, Rants & Raves No Responses

    Citing a new reports by StorageNewsletter.com,  Apple has placed a order for about 12 petabytes of storage from Isilon Systems. According to an inside source, the company will use this storage to support iTunes video downloaded by its customers. This order will make Apple the largest Isilon’s customer.

    Apple ordered as much as 12PB of capacity from Isilon Systems, notably to manage the video download of its customers using iTunes, according to an inside source of the new division of EMC. It’s probably the largest of its 1,500 customers recorded at the end of December, including 20% in Europe

    Already several journalists have been briefed under embargo on the new releases and we will publish a deep analysis on the subject next week.

    A petabyte of data is a huge amount of data; it’s 1024 terabytes. If you tried to store a petabyte of data on dual-layer Blu-ray discs (50 GB each), it would take almost 21,000 discs to fit it all… and Apple just bought 12 of those. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with all of that storage? Maybe with the new MobileMe and a more cloud-based “locker” that stores media.