World of Apple

Apple has today released a software update for the fourth generation iPod nano. The update which weighs in at 58MB and is labelled as version 1.0.3 contains the following:

• Support for Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic
• Support for Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
• Fixed instability issues when using Nike + iPod Sport Kit
• Added a setting to turn off Cover Flow when rotating iPod nano and a Cover Flow menu item under the Music menu
• When Shuffle setting is set to Songs, pressing play on a song in a saved Genius playlist will now follow the Shuffle setting
• After playing a slideshow with TV out, Cover Flow album art is no longer distorted
• Waking iPod nano after hibernating no longer distorts photos
• Other minor bug fixes

The update can be obtained through iTunes for owners of the iPod nano 4G.

Several weeks since the initial build of Mac OS X 10.5.6 Apple has released another build (9G35) to developers today. The sixth update to Mac OS X Leopard is said to be the largest yet with the current build containing over 80 fixes.

The latest builds of which the seed notes can be seen below show that Apple is improving compatibility and reliability between Mac OS X and MobileMe.

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iPhoneHellas.gr is claiming that the latest update for the iPhone will see the light of day on November 21. iPhone OS 2.2 which has been in extensive testing in the developer community. Whilst MacRumors reports limited experience with the site, Gizmodo pins the site as “reliable”.

The site also lists the changes that will come in the latest iPhone update:

• - New look for the Safari with the Google search bar now occupying its own space on the title bar
• Toggle On / Off to disable the auto-correction
• 461 Japanese emoji icons
• Support for new languages.
• Line-in audio is activated and can be used through the headphone jack
• Google Street View, Google Transit information - Routes public transport, Walking directions, Location sharing.
• App Store: ‘Categories’ now shows the icons of the applications instead of the list, In each page of the application has been added by a button ‘Tell A Friend’ & ‘Report A Problem’, Added the possibility of scoring the application when the user chooses to delete from the device, Added the possibility for direct downloading of podcasts from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store

AppleInsider is today reporting that Apple has been looking into replacing the aluminium enclosure on the MacBook Air with a carbon fibre case. Apple is apparently happy with the “thinnest” of the MacBook Air but wishes to trim the weight to below 3 pounds (1.3KG).

AppleInsider adds that Apple will likely keep the upper aluminium enclosure and only replace the lower enclosure with carbon fibre. Finally the rumour site believes the change could come as soon as next year.

AppleInsider and MacBidouille.com are both reporting that Orange France could be set to dramatically lower the pricing of the iPhone.

In a flyer sent to AppleInsider the price of the 8GB iPhone is shown as €99 down from €149. While MacBidouille notes that the 16GB model will see a price cut from €199 to €129.

The promotion will reportedly run from December 14 2008 through to January 14 2009.

Last week it was revealed that AT&T is planning to unveil an official tethering plan for the iPhone stating that it was coming “soon”. MacBlogz is now adding further information about what to expect from AT&T:

• 5GB Data Cap (just like Blackberry users) - AT&T will automatically turn off your tethering connection if you use too much bandwidth. Of note, the 5GB cap might get sliced for all users, not just iPhone users, in order to accommodate all new tethering plan customers (bandwidth demand).
• Initial connection through iTunes? (not sure if this is every time you connect, or just for initial setup)
• Expected speeds: GPRS: 30k - dialup speeds / EDGE: 110k - ISDN speeds / 3G: 1000k - slow broadband.
• You’ll want to disable auto-updates for everything, so as to not go over usage limitations.
• Will be +$30/month, new iPhone plans may be rolled out with tethering rolled in.
• Do not pro-rate tethering/bandwidth, it can become a nightmare, instead wait until new billing cycle.
• For unlimited bandwidth, AT&T will tell you to get a wireless PC card.
• No idea on a launch date.

Amid uncertainty Apple has removed an executive biography from its website for Mark Papermaster the latest executive to join Apple’s team. The Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering was hired from IBM and has been the centre of a lawsuit from the company.

Following his employment at Apple, IBM sued Papermaster under allegations that he could give out critical trade secrets belonging to IBM. In response Papermaster filed papers that read, “Until this litigation effort by IBM, aside from the divested IBM personal computer business and a single sale several years ago of Apple’s Xserve product to a university, I do not recall a single instance of Apple being described as a competitor of IBM during my entire tenure at IBM.”

Last Friday IBM was granted an injunction to prevent Papermaster from working at Apple for the near future, CNet points out that a Google Cache of the bio is still available.

During Thursday’s (11/6/08) hearing on Apple’s Motion to Dismiss Psystar’s Counterclaims, Psystar learned that a lawyer at the firm representing Apple had previously clerked for Judge Alsup. The Court gave Psystar until noon on Monday, November 11, 2008, to file a Motion for Recusal. I have checked the docket, and it appears that no such motion has been filed. Even though Psystar was given the opportunity to move for recusal, it is conceivable that this could become a later issue in the event of an appeal if Psystar could credibly claim that it had no reasonable basis to believe that the Judge was biased at the time of the deadline, but further proceedings demonstrated such bias. It would be a high burden to overcome, but these are the types of issues that crop up in appeals.

NPD Group is reporting today that the iPhone 3G has surpassed the Motorola RAZR as the leading handset purchased by adult consumers in the U.S. in the third quarter (Q3) of 2008. The RAZR had been ranked number one by NPD for the past 12-months.

“The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD. “Four of the five best-selling handsets in the third quarter were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features.”

The top handset models in rank order, based on unit sales in Q3, were as follows:
1. Apple iPhone 3G
2. Motorola RAZR V3 (all models)
3. RIM Blackberry Curve (all models)
4. LG Rumor
5. LG enV2

iLife Support 8.3.1 - 11.7MB

iLife Support provides system software components shared by all iLife ’08 applications. This update improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues. It is recommended for all users for iLife ’08.

[Update] Update only available to iLife users on Mac OS X 10.4.11.