• apple,  ios,  ipad,  retail

    Apple Launches ‘Retail 2.0’ Store Format

    May 22, 2011 /

     Rolling out across all of Apple’s Retail Stores this morning is the “Retail 2.0” make over.  As seen from the picture above, Apple has replaced the paper details display with interactive iPad 2 displays.  Cool!  Not get-out-of-bed-super-early-on-a-Sunday-morning-and-drive-an-hour kind of cool, but cool none the less.

    In addition to the changes to the retail displays, Apple is expected to deploy a new Apple Store iOS app that will allow you to customize your online order, something that is not possible with the original app.

    Apple retail employees are getting some new toys also.  They are suppose to be outfitted with iPads to help manage the large numbers of customers that come to the store each day.  9To5Mac.com writes:

    “The new iPads are imaged with: RetailMe, Apple Connect, Apple Directory, Concierge, and strangely enough, the Easy Pay application (huge credit card readers on the way?!), as well as the standard Mobile Genius and iRepair.”

    Click the Read More link for more photos.

    [Via MacStories.net, 9To5Mac.com…]

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  • apple,  retail,  rumors

    Apple Retail Stores Turn 10

    May 19, 2011 /

    On Thursday, Apple’s retail stores turn 10 years old.  Over the last few days there have been muted rumblings across the Internet that Apple could have a bit of a surprise for retail store customers this weekend to help celebrate the occasion.

    Take for example, BGR.com is reporting that they have received a tip “from a solid Apple source” that Apple will be doing “something this weekend.”

    While I was really looking forward to a *cough*sickdayofffromworktomorrow*cough* it looks like Apple will be running their special event on Sunday, May 22.  To help prepare for the event, Apple is allegedly bringing in staff overnight to setup for Sunday morning.

    Adding to the aura surrounding Sunday’s event, Apple employees will be putting up black curtains over the class windows and doors to the retail stores, are being required to sign NDAs, and to have their cell phones locked in a secured location during the setup.  BGR also reports that, “[t]here are a wide variety of roles, we’re told, for the overnight shift. This includes all visuals staff, a manager, a business team member, a few Genius team members, one back-of-house employee, and a few generic Apple specialists.”

    Ok, so, I’m already making plans to trek down to the nearest Apple Store on Sunday morning.  The nearest stores are 45-60 minutes away by car.  With all the secrecy around the event rumored to be planned for Sunday, it sounds like Apple has more up their sleeves than iTunes gift card or iPod nano case give aways.  But what is it?  Will Apple finally bring their new massive North Carolina data center online to support iCloud?  Will iTunes finally go streaming subscription based?  New Mac hardware refresh?

    We’ll have to wait a few more days to find out.

    [Via BGR.com…]

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  • apple,  iphone,  rumors,  sprint

    Rumor: More On Possible Sprint iPhone 4S This Fall

    May 17, 2011 /

    Late last week there was some new chatter about the fifth generation iPhone being an evolutionary upgrade and the next iPhone would be the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 4S is rumored to coming to T-Mobile and Sprint this fall. Well, it looks like that rumor just became a little bit more credible.

    Last week, Peter Misek, an analyst for investment firm Jeffries & Co. wrote that the new iPhone would have “minor” cosmetic differences over today’s iPhone 4; that it would include the A5 processor, and have improved cameras.
    Today, Electronista.com staff point out that Apple has a new job posting up for a Kansas City, Missouri based “carrier engineer” and would “be responsible for getting technical certification of devices[.]”
    Ok, I think this is a good news/bad news thing. Since I like to get bad news first, I’ll take this in reverse order. The bad news is that I’m not going to purchase another webOS phone or tablet to replace my aging Palm Pre smartphone. The good news, if this rumor is in fact true, I won’t have to leave Sprint, with whom I’m happy, to get a pair of iPhones when they become available. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy being contract free.

    [Via Electronista.com…]

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  • att,  hp,  veer,  web os

    HP Veer Now Available

    May 16, 2011 /

    HP’s new tiny webOS smartphone, the Veer, is now available from AT&T here in the United States.

    For anyone who wants a smartphone that packs the features they crave without the extra size they don’t, HP has introduced the powerfully small HP Veer smartphone running HP webOS.

    Veer is one of the products HP announced today to introduce a unique experience for customers around connected mobility. It’s one of the building blocks in HP’s vision to seamlessly connect all your worlds through the power of HP webOS.
    Veer is the smallest webOS phone to date – the size of a credit card and no thicker than a deck of cards – yet it offers the higher-end features of a smartphone, such as easy messaging and access to apps, social networks and the web, including support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 beta in the browser for access to rich, Flash-based web content.

    It has a full slide-out keyboard, vivid touchscreen and access to thousands of webOS apps in a surprisingly small, modern package that fits easily into a pocket or purse. It’s everything a smartphone should be, but in a smarter size.

    “While much of the industry is trending toward larger and larger devices, we believe there’s also a whole lot of room for thinking small,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “Veer bridges the gap for a new generation of smartphone users, proving they really can have it all without sacrificing the size they want.”

    Less is more

    At just 54.5 mm x 84.0 mm x 15.1 mm and only 103 grams, Veer touts an 800-MHz processor; a vivid 2.57-inch glass display; full slide-out keyboard; 8 gigabytes (GB) of internal user storage; a high-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta; Wi-Fi; integrated GPS; robust messaging support; and multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, and a 5-megapixel camera.

    Veer also includes HP Synergy, which is exclusive to webOS devices. Synergy brings together information from multiple sources across the web automatically, so the information you need is all in one place.

    4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Requires 4G device and compatible data plan. Learn more at att.com/network.

    Availability

    The black HP Veer smartphone is available today from AT&T Wireless for $99.99 with the purchase of a qualifying 2-year service agreement which includes a minimum $15/month data plan.  You can also purchase the black HP Veer contract free for $449.99.

    For more details, visit the HP website.

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  • apple,  iphone,  rumors,  sprint,  tmobile

    Rumor: Sprint, T-Mobile iPhone 4S This Fall

    May 14, 2011 /

    Well, well, well, maybe I spoke too soon about Sprint not getting the iPhone.

    Take the following with a heaping helping of salt, Morton’s is my favorite brand, but Peter Misek, an analyst for investment firm Jeffries Co. has released a research note indicating that the next iPhone will be called “iPhone 4S” and will be released for both Sprint and T-Mobile here in the United States.

    “Citing industry checks, he said the fifth-generation iPhone will arrive in September with “minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support.” New carriers are expected to include Sprint, T-Mobile, and China Mobile.”

    The research note also points to comments made by Apple COO Tim Cook, that Apple won’t release an LTE 4G version of the iPhone until the LTE chip set technology evolves to a point that does not cause the company to have to make compromises that could negatively impact the customer experience.

    [Via AppleInsider.com…]

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  • android,  games,  google,  hp,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  palm,  touch,  web os

    Angry Birds Rio Updated With Beach Volley Levels

    May 14, 2011 /

    Rivio’s Angry Birds Rio has been updated to include the 30 new Beach Volley levels.

    The update is available now for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  Angry Birds Rio for iPhone/iPod touch is $.99; the Angry Birds Rio HD edition for iPad is $2.99.  The upgrade with the new levels is free to all existing Angry Birds Rio customers.

    Angry Birds Rio, like other versions of the Angry Birds franchise, includes Game Center achievements and new hidden fruits to find.  Once you have completed episode one, Blu and Jewel will be added to your avian arsenal. 

    Rovio has also released a free edition of Angry Birds Rio which features three levels per episode.

    Google Android and HP webOS users, unfortunately, still have to wait for Rovio to release the Beach Volley update.

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  • android,  apple,  google,  ios

    Google Admits Android Platform Fragmentation, Vows to Address Problem

    May 11, 2011 /

    After repeated denials from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Mobile VP Andy Rubin, the Internet search giant unveiled plans today to address fragmentation of the Android problem.

    Google will be pulling together a standards board of sorts, made up of OEMs and wireless carriers, with the intention of standardizing when and how Android updates would be rolled out to new and existing hardware.  The target is to have Android hardware supported with software updates for at least 18 months.

    You may recall that things got a little bit heated between Google and Apple late last year, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs lacing into the issue of Android fragmentation during the company’s October, 2010 quarterly conference call.

    “Unlike Windows, however, where most pc’s have the same user interface and run the same app, Android is very fragmented. Many Android OEMs, including the two largest, HTC and Motorola install proprietary user interfaces to differentiate themselves from the commodity Android experience. The users will have to figure it all out.” “We think Android is very, very fragmented and becoming more fragmented by the day. And as you know, Apple’s provides with the integrated model so that the user isn’t forced to be the systems integrator.” (Source: CNNMoney)

    The few mobile software developers that I’ve talked to in the past six months all cited platform fragmentation as the main reason why they were sticking with iOS application development for the time being.  Hopefully, Google can get their act together and provide more clear guidelines on the modification of the Android platform because getting OEMs and carriers to all go in the same direction is about as difficult as herding cats.

    [Via Electronista.com…]

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  • blackberry,  rim,  rumors

    Rumor: New BlackBerry Handsets On the Horizon

    May 10, 2011 /

    Late last week a friend of my told me that she was interested in renewing her contract with Sprint and what new BlackBerry phone she should get.

    While reading up on the Windows Phone event I just wrote about, I noticed that BGR.com also had written an article about the upcoming BlackBerry handsets that should be arriving at US carriers this summer.

    I think my favorite model is the GPS/Wi-Fi enabled edition of the Curve.  Call me crazy, but I was addicted to my Curve 8330 that I used in the six months between my Palm Treo 755p and my Palm Pre.  I also liked the Verizon exclusive BlackBerry Storm2.  It is the only smartphone that I liked using the on screen keyboard on.  (Hey, I just said to call my crazy!)

    If you are interested in reading about what to expect from Research In Motion this summer, check out BGR’s featured article.

    [via BGR.com…]

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  • apple,  ios,  microsoft,  windows phone

    Microsoft To Hold VIP Future of Windows Phone Event

    May 10, 2011 /

    BGR.com is reporting that Microsoft will be holding a VIP media event on May 24 to talk about what’s coming for the next release of their Windows Phone smartphone operating system.

    BGR blogger Todd Haselton writes:

    “We know Mango will offer Internet Explorer 9 with an integrated Twitter experience, better multitasking, and new apps such as Angry Birds, Skype, and Spotify. We’ve also heard that Microsoft will add Bing Audio for identifying music, Bing Vision for scanning bar codes, and voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation with Bing Maps, although none of these features have been confirmed by Microsoft just yet.”

    Sounds interesting.  The timing is also interesting to me because Microsoft will be holding their event just days before Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference, at which, they will be talking about the future of the iOS platform, Mac OS X, and hopefully, new cloud based services.

    By the way, over the weekend, I saw that the B&N Nook now supports apps, including the insanely popular Angry Birds game.  Is there any platform out there that Rovio hasn’t invaded yet?

    [Via BGR.com…]

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