iLounge

iOS continues to lead in platform interest among mobile developers, according to the latest data from Appcelerator/IDC. The Appcelerator-IDC Q2 2011 Mobile Developer Survey Report, taken April 11-13 among 2,760 developers, shows that 91 percent of developers say they are “very interested” in iPhone development, while 86 percent are similarly interested in developing for the iPad. These numbers compare favorably to the 85 percent interest in Android phones and 71 percent in Android tablets, both of which fell from the previous survey primarily due to concerns over device fragmentation. [via MDN]

Sony has announced that it plans to release two tablet devices based on Android 3.0 Honeycomb with which it plans to compete with the iPad, reports Reuters. The two tablets, codenamed the S1 and S2, offer a 9.4-inch screen and curved design or dual 5.5-inch displays in clamshell design, respectively, and will feature Wi-Fi and 3G/4G connectivity, as well as support for Sony’ PlaystationSuite Android gaming service. Pricing and release information was not revealed.

Sony has started sending out emails to customers of its PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, admitting that a recent, extended service outage was due to a catastrophic data breach that left users’ personal information exposed. “We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network,” the company said. It continued, stating that breach included “name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID” information, and that “while there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility.” The service remains down as of this post.

Walker Digital, founder of the travel site Priceline.com, has filed a second lawsuit against Apple and other companies, alleging patent infringement related to a system that provides supplemental information for video programs. According to AppleInsider, Apple was included in the suit not due to its own applications, but for making available on the App Store allegedly infringing apps from other named companies like The Walt Disney Company, The Weather Channel, The Nielsen Company, Digimarc Corporation, and TV Aura Mobile. Walker Digital’s first suits named Apple along with more than 100 other major technology companies, claiming patent infringement related to technologies it claims to have invented in the 1990s.

Apple has revamped its former Support Discussions section, renaming it Apple Support Communities. The new support section divides the discussion and question threads into “communities” based on certain products, offers the ability to track community activity via email or RSS, the ability to “Like” posts, the ability to see correct and/or helpful answers without needing to dig through an entire thread, and more. The new section can be accessed by visiting discussions.apple.com.

Apple has added Chimei Innolux, an affiliate of the Foxconn Technology Group, as a third supplier for touchscreen sensors for the iPad 2, according to a new report. Citing two people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports that Innolux will begin supplying the components next month, joining TPK Holdings and Wintek, who will remain Apple’s key suppliers for the sensors. Notably, Foxconn is also the assembler of both the iPad and iPhone.

Former Apple iPhone Game Technologies team member Graeme Devine has made several comments regarding the state of iOS gaming. Speaking in an interview with Business Insider, Devine said with a chuckle that he “can’t talk so much” about Apple’s future plans, but said that Apple is serious about gaming on iOS. “Apple is clearly focused on gaming. A lot of people say Apple doesn’t get gaming, but Apple has probably the most popular gaming device on the planet right now, and that doesn’t happen by accident,” said Devine. “Apple is intensely focused on gaming and intensely aware of it. Every ad for the iPod Touch only shows games; no running music.” Devine, who left the company in December 2010 to start his own studio, added that it “would be crazy cool” if Apple decided to expand the Apple TV’s reach into the gaming segment.

Apple is cracking down on applications using pay-per-install marketing campaigns, according to a new report. Citing Tapjoy, developers of a number of such apps, GigaOM reports that a number of developers have recently seen their apps rejected because they were running incentivized app installs, in which developers pay to have their app installed in other apps, including offering virtual currency in exchange for app downloads. Tapjoy speculates that Apple may be using section 3.10 of the developer program agreement to justify the rejections; the section states, “[d]evelopers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program.”

Research firm Gartner has released its latest forecasts for tablet sales through 2015, which predict that Apple will still hold a 47.1 percent of the market in 2015, on sales of over 135 million iPads. “Seeing the response from both consumers and enterprises to the iPad, many vendors are trying to compete by first delivering on hardware and then trying to leverage the platform ecosystem,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. “Many, however, are making the same mistake that was made in the first response wave to the iPhone, as they are prioritizing hardware features over applications, services and overall user experience. Tablets will be much more dependent on the latter than smartphones have been, and the sooner vendors realize that the better chance they have to compete head-to-head with Apple.”

Apple has won a preliminary round in its ongoing lawsuit against companies manufacturing and/or selling unauthorized accessories for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Ars Technica reports that U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel has denied a request from four of the companies to have the case dismissed on procedural grounds, ordering the suit to proceed. Apple sued Eforcity Corporation, Accstation, Itrimming, Everydaysource, United Integral, Crazyondigital, and Boxware Corporation last July, claiming that the companies violated as many as 10 of Apple’s patents and additional trademarks by selling unauthorized electronic accessories, including chargers, speakers, and cables. “Many are of inferior quality and reliability, raising significant concerns over compatibility with and damage to Apple’s products,” the company said at the time.

Boy Genius Report, citing an Apple source, has claimed that iOS 4.3.2 is due in “the next week or so,” and will deal with several issues, namely problems experienced by Verizon iPad 2 owners unable to connect to 3G, FaceTime issues, and security fixes. While BGR’s record on predicting Apple iOS update releases is mixed, Apple has confirmed that it is aware of the Verizon iPad 2 troubles, saying, “We are aware that a small number of iPad 2 customers have experienced connectivity issues with the Verizon 3G network and we are investigating it.”

According to In The Plex, a new book about Google penned by technology writer Steven Levy, Apple hid the development of the iPad from then-current Apple Board member and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. As reported by the Daily Mail, the book claims that Apple CEO Steve Jobs was so enraged after seeing iPhone features such as pinch-and-zoom being implemented in Android after a visit to Google’s Mountain View campus that he hid the iPad’s development from Schmidt. Schmidt resigned from Apple’s Board of Directors in August 2009; the iPad was unveiled roughly six months later.

Apple has once again lowered its shipment wait times on new iPad 2 units ordered from its online store. A quick check of the U.S. store shows a 2-3 week wait for all new models, down from 3-4 weeks; the same estimated shipment times are given on Apple’s international stores, as well, according to Mac Rumors.

An Apple patent application covering an electronic document authoring system has suggested the company plans to release a version of its iWeb website building application for the iPad. In the patent, pointed out by Patently Apple, Apple lists iWeb in a list of productivity apps that have been designed to work with gestures and touchscreen displays such as the iPad, alongside existing applications Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.

AT&T has quietly raised its early upgrade pricing on the iPhone, according to a new report. Citing an image of an internal AT&T memo, Android Central reports that the company is adding $50 to its early upgrade pricing for iPhone, bringing the 8GB iPhone 3GS to $299, the 16GB iPhone 4 to $449, and the 32GB iPhone 4 to $549.

Nature’s Eye Studios has discovered how to enable display mirroring on the first-generation iPad. According to a blog post on the company’s website, the hack requires that the iPad be running iOS 4.3 or later and be jailbroken; users then need only make a simple change in a .plist file, save, and restart the device.

Apple has reached a deal with AU Optronics for the latter to supply large amounts of flat panel displays for the iPad 2, according to a new report. Without citing any sources, the Economic Daily News reports that Apple offered three to four times the going rate for the displays, but has managed to secure half of the company’s fifth-generation plant’s capacity, and due to Apple’s rigorous quality demands, the yield rate is only expected to reach 60-70 percent.

Samsung is set to hire 300 engineers and technicians as part of a $3.6 billion expansion of its Austin, TX plant. According to the EE Times, the decision to expand the plant, which previously only made NAND flash memory chips, was made last year. The plant will now also produce logic devices as well, with Apple said to be the primary customer, suggesting that the plant may house production facilities for future versions of Apple’s mobile processors. [via MDN]

Apple is among a group of companies named in a lawsuit by H-W Technology. H-W is claiming that Apple, along with a host of other companies that includes Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, RIM, Samsung, and Verizon, infringes on a patent entitled “Internet Protocol (IP) Phone with Search and Advertising Capability,” which the company claims covers smartphones. H-W is seeking a permanent injunction against the companies, as well as damages.

Allison Johnson, Apple’s vice president of worldwide marketing communications, is leaving the company, according to a new report. Citing several unnamed sources, AllThingsD reports that Johnson will be leaving her post sometime during the summer to co-found a new marketing and communications firm with former Facebook PR executive Brandee Barker. Johnson has held her position at Apple since 2005, and previously worked for HP.

Record labels are looking to dedicated iPad apps to expand on the concept of the album, according to a new report. The New York Times reports that Universal recently teamed with a video company to create iPad versions of films about classic albums, with social networking features, while EMI recently released an iPad version of the album Until One by dance group Swedish House Mafia, which for $9.99 includes the album as well as documentary videos, a photo gallery, and writings from the band, all laid out like a coffee table book.

An obscure Japanese chemicals maker is to blame for tight supplies of lithium ion batteries, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The report states that Apple recently called Kureha Corp. to discuss the problem; Kureha enjoys a 70% global market share for a crucial polymer used in lithium ion batteries, but only produces the substance at its factory located in Iwaki, which it was forced to close down following the recent earthquake. The company’s CEO said the situation would accelerate its plans to move more production overseas; it is unsure when the factory will reopen.

William Tang is now accepting Kickstarter pledges for his new Hinge stand for the iPad and iPad 2 (Pictured). Available in two versions—the Classic, made from sustainably harvested birch and leather, and the Crystalline, made from polypropylene—the Hinge sports a simple design that relies on a single hinge and two arms, and can be repositioned to provide a variety of viewing angles. Pledges begin at $25.

Element case has announced a new version of its Joule stand compatible with the iPad 2. Dubbed the Joule Chroma, the new stand mirrors that of the company’s original Joule stand, but offers compatibility with both iPad models, and is available in six anodized colors for $150.

Apple is now accepting online reservations for next-day, in-store iPad 2 pickup in Australia. MacStories reports that customers can only reserve an iPad 2 if their selected Apple retail store has them in stock. Interested customers can access the reservation system via Apple’s retail site.

Apple has reportedly blocked access to the Cydia jailbreak app store on its retail store networks. The iPhone Download Blog reports that if a user attempts to load the Cydia store while on one of Apple’s free wi-fi networks, they will be redirected to Apple’s website instead.

Apple has removed all external liquid contact indicators (LCI) on the iPad 2, according to a new report. 9to5Mac claims that Apple’s Genius database now lists checking the SIM card tray (if present) for corrosion as the only way to externally check for damage caused by liquid. iFixit’s teardown of the iPad 2’s headphone jack showed no LCIs present, as they were in the first-generation design; the first-generation iPad also had LCIs in the 30-pin connector port, whereas the iPad 2 appears to have none.

Some iPhone users in the U.K. are reporting that a glitch in iOS caused their alarms to malfunction. BBC News reports that the problem is related to the clocks going forward for British Summer Time, and left some users’ alarms coming one hour late, one hour early, or not sounding at all. The report notes that the glitch appears to have affected non-recurring alarms set within the iPhone’s calendar application, rather than its dedicated alarm clock.

Aging rocker Jon Bon Jovi has accused Apple CEO Steve Jobs of ‘killing’ the music business. Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, he said, “Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it. God, it was a magical, magical time.” He added, “I hate to sound like an old man now, but I am, and you mark my words, in a generation from now people are going to say: ‘What happened?’ Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business.”

Update: We’ve penned an Open Letter to Jon Bon Jovi on the topic, which is generating substantial reader interest.

Apple will not be including Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the next iPhone, according to a new report. Citing sources at several large UK mobile operators, the Independent reports that Apple has disclosed in meetings that it will not offer NFC in its next iPhone. “The new iPhone will not have NFC, Apple told the operators it was concerned by the lack of a clear standard across the industry,” said one source. Apple is reportedly working on incorporating NFC technologies into future iPad and iPhone models, including creating accessories that use NFC to offer additional functionality, and a NFC-based payment system.

Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller has confirmed that the white iPhone 4 is on track for a spring release. In reply to a customer inquiry, Schiller wrote on Twitter, “The white iPhone will be available this spring (and it is a beauty!).” Curiously, Schiller didn’t specify that he was speaking about the iPhone 4, but Apple has previously stated a spring release date for the long-delayed model.

Apple is now accepting monetary donations via iTunes for the American Red Cross to benefit Japan earthquake and tsunami victims. Donation buttons are available on a dedicated page in $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, and $200 amounts; as with past iTunes donation drives, 100% of the donation will go to the Red Cross to support disaster relief efforts, specifically to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Notably, because iTunes does not sharing user information with the organization, the Red Cross will be unable to further acknowledge any donations made, and an email receipt will serve as the only record of the donation. Apple has also posted a direct link to the iTunes donation page on its company homepage at apple.com.

A number of iPad 2 owners are reporting problems with backlight light leakage. The issue, when present, is most noticeable in a dark room with the iPad 2’s brightness turned up and a black or similarly dark image on the screen, however, it can be noticed under other circumstances, as well. One report claimed that the issue is similar to past yellow tinting issues, related to a bonding agent not having dried yet; should that be the case, the problems will likely dissipate over a few days of use, but if not, repair or replacement may be necessary. [via Engadget]

The iPad 2 is selling well on the gray market in China, according to a M.I.C. Gadget report. According to the report, a Hong Kong retailer named Mr. Lo received 200 pre-orders for the device prior to its launch, and had eight couriers in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles working to get his customers the device by March 13. Prices range from HKD$7,980—roughly $1,025—for a black 16GB Wi-Fi model to HKD$11,880 (~$1,525) for a black 64GB 3G model; white units carry a HKD$1,500-$2,000 premium. The retailer was also offering Smart Covers and the Apple Digital AV Adapter, with prices set between HKD$580 for the adapter to HKD$1,280—or over $160—for a leather smart cover. The report notes that most of the 60 units that arrived yesterday were 64GB 3G models, as most customers are more concerned with having one than with the capacity, and the higher-end models allow the retailer to make more profit.

IHS iSuppli has completed its teardown analysis of the iPad 2, claiming that the 32GB GSM model carries a bill of materials (BOM) cost of $326.6, while the 32GB CDMA model has a BOM of $323.25. As reported by DigiTimes, the company claims that the cost of the device’s touchscreen has shot up since the introduction of the original model, with the display and touch screen subsystem accounting for $127 of the device’s BOM cost, compared to the initial $95 estimate for the original iPad. Other major components, such as the NAND Flash memory, battery, and A5 processor, are estimated to cost $65.7 (in the 32GB model), $25, and $14, respectively, with the latter cost expected to go down over the course of the year as Apple ramps up production.

Lead designer at Mozilla Labs Kevin Fox has suggested that the iPad 2’s headphone port, which is set on a steep curve, could actually be the first of a new kind of headphone jack from the company. Citing an Apple patent application from September 2010, Fox argues that the port’s slim design suggests that it may be one of the “pogo pin” jacks described in the application. Named after the pogo stick, the jack described in the patent employs retractable Pogo pins to conserve space, and replaces the traditional, larger “cantilever beam” design. [via Gizmodo]

According to the latest data from IDC, Apple’s iPad accounted for 73 percent of the 10.1 million media tablets shipped in the fourth quarter of 2010. The research firm states that although this number was down from 93 percent share in the third quarter, it still expects Apple to maintain a 70-80% share of the market in 2011. “Strong holiday sales of media tablets were in line with IDC projections and strong consumer interest in the category while device vendors scrambled to offer products competitive with Apple’s iPad and now iPad 2,” said Loren Loverde, vice president, IDC Consumer Device Trackers. “Media Tablets are on pace to reach shipments of roughly 50 million units in 2011.” Overall, Apple held an 83 percent share of all tablets shipped in 2010.

As noted in our Instant Expert article, some second-generation Apple TV users are finding that their International NBA League Pass subscription does not include access to the new NBA League Pass feature of the Apple TV. According to an email from the NBA League Pass service posted on Apple’s discussion boards, “The application you are looking at on Apple TV is for the US League Pass which is a different product for the International League Pass. At this time NBA International League Pass does not have an Apple TV application.”

Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) have entered into an agreement that will see the latter make the A5 dual-core processor on a foundry basis, according to a new report. Citing anonymous sources, EETimes reports that the deal could be a blow for Samsung, which makes the A4, although it notes that it’s unclear whether Samsung will also make A5 chips for Apple. According to one source, Apple will use TSMC because Samsung competes with the iPhone and iPad, because TSMC has the highest yielding 40-nm process, and because it has the most 40-mm capacity.

In a recent interview with Tech Radar, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson made several complimentary comments about Apple and its CEO Steve Jobs. When asked about the biggest name in technology, Branson responded “Steve Jobs,” adding, “I hope he gets through his current illness. He’s the entrepreneur in the world I most admire and I think [Apple] is the brand I most admire.” Continuing, he said, “[Jobs] is the greatest comeback artist as well. He’s twice been down and out and fought his way back and created a brilliant global company. Everything he does is real class and if he wants to rename his company Virgin Apple I’d be happy to merge! It’s a great brand and a great company and may he get well soon.”

Google has announced that its Instant Previews feature is now available on select mobile devices, including those running iOS 4.0 or later. The feature places a magnifying glass icon next to each search result, allowing the user to hop between traditional results and visual search results that provide a swipe-through gallery of site snapshots. To take advantage of the new feature, simply do a Google search from any iOS 4.x device.

M.I.C. Gadget has obtained what it claims is a “engineered prototype” iPhone leaked from Foxconn’s factory in Shenzhen. The device, which is in a working state and contains 64GB of internal storage, is physically similar to the iPhone 4 prototype photographed by Gizmodo last year. As Mac Rumors notes, the device’s serial number indicates that it was produced in early 2010, meaning it is more likely evidence that Apple considered releasing a 64GB iPhone 4 model than evidence of any future 64GB iPhone model from Apple.

A number of UK mobile carriers have announced their plans for the iPad 2. According to posts on the Twitter accounts of T-Mobile UK and Orange UK PR Manager Conor Maples, both T-Mobile and Orange—collectively known as Everything Everywhere—will be selling the iPad 2 in the UK once it’s made available in the country “later this month.” O2, meanwhile, has confirmed that will not be stocking the iPad 2, but will allow customers to use the carriers’ Pay & Go Mobile Broadband iPad tariffs. [via Macworld UK]

TiVo is considering offering live streaming of content from the company’s DVR boxes to the iPad, according to a recent survey. Engadget reports that several readers have reported receiving surveys from TiVo in which they’re asked their opinion on an option to “stream live TV, DVR recordings and TV shows from a cable company’s On Demand library to one’s iPad.” As is typical with surveys, the wording of this question is in no way confirmation that such a feature is coming, but is instead evidence that the company is exploring the possibility.

Apple has introduced Joint Venture, a new Retail Store program aimed at small businesses. Under the plan, businesses pay $499 a year for up to five systems—each of which can include a Mac, two displays, an iPhone, an iPod, an iPad, and Apple peripherals—and in return get help from Apple in setting up the computers, transferring any necessary data, and installing any software, up to three in-store training sessions a year, a number for phone-based Apple Genius support, a dedicated Joint Venture website, and, should a covered system need service, access to a loaner MacBook while the system is down. For more information, see Apple’s dedicated Joint Venture webpage.

AT&T has confirmed that it will offer support for the Personal Hotspot feature of iOS 4.3 at launch, according to Electronista. The feature expands on iOS’ prior tethering feature, allowing up to five devices to share an iPhone 4’s cellular data connection over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB. Notably, the feature will cost the same amount—$20 with 2GB of extra data on top of the $25/2GB data plan—as the prior tethering option. The carrier has also announced that it will offer postpaid billing options for tablets, allowing users to choose between the $15/250MB or $25/2GB plans, add the plans to existing monthly wireless statements, and pay at the end of the month. Unlike with the prepaid plans, users who exceed their monthly data allotment are charged $10 for each 1GB of overage, instead of having to pay for a second monthly term at the $15 or $25 price levels.

Following Apple’s announcement of the iPad 2, Lee Don-joo, senior vice president of Samsung’s mobile unit, made several comments related to the new device, according to the Yonhap News Agency. Comparing it to Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, he said, “We will have to improve the parts that are inadequate,” adding, “Apple made it very thin.” Lee also appeared to be concerned with pricing, saying that “The 10-inch (Galaxy Tab) was to be priced higher than the 7-inch but we will have to think that over.”

Speaking with reporters at a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party, China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou said that Apple CEO Steve Jobs wants to make a version of the iPhone that works on the carrier’s proprietary TD-SCDMA 3G network. “Jobs has said he’s very interested in developing an iPhone that will run on TD,” he said. China Mobile is the world’s largest mobile carrier with over 580 million subscribers as of January.

A new report claims Apple is considering using a four-inch screen in the fifth-generation iPhone. Citing upstream component suppliers, DigiTimes reports that production lines for the next-generation iPhone have begun testing, and that Apple is interested in expanding the screen size of the iPhone to four inches to help it compete with Android in the four- to seven-inch smartphone/tablet market. Notably, an increase in screen size without a similar increase in resolution could leave Apple marketing a four-inch “Retina” display that has fewer pixels per inch (ppi) than the 3.5-inch version from the prior model.

Verizon has announced a new promotion for its FiOS bundles that includes a “free” iPhone 4. If a customer signs up for FiOS TV + FiOS Internet + home phone service on a two-year contract and a $200 Visa Prepaid Card which can be used towards the purchase of an iPhone. In addition, customers who sign up for the bundle and add Verizon Wireless service to the package receive an extra $9.99/month discount.

AT&T has started to air a new television commercial for the iPhone 3GS. Referred to in the commercial as “the phone that changed everything,” the 8GB iPhone 3GS appears in front of a plain background as the 30-second spot highlights the device’s recently-dropped $49 price tag. The spot is likely another move by AT&T to retain as many iPhone customers as possible, as Verizon doesn’t have an equivalent iPhone model—at an equivalent price—to offer customers, although that situation could change following the announcement of the fifth-generation model.

Speaking in an interview in Barcelona, Spain, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson made several positive comments relating to the end of iPhone exclusivity in the United States. “It’s good for the industry, you can’t turn on a TV now without seeing an Apple commercial,” Stephenson told Bloomberg. “So the iPhone is getting broadly promoted.” He also admitted that his company would lose some customers to Verizon Wireless, saying, “When you have an iconic device and you lose exclusivity to another carrier, it’ll have an effect, obviously. Verizon is going to have a lot of success with the iPhone, just like we did.”

Apple has hired a new team of lobbyists to represent its interests in Washington, D.C. Citing official lobbying disclosures, Politico reports that Apple hired the firm Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock on February 1 to handle “innovation” issues for the company. The report notes that Apple spent just over $1.6 million on lobbying in 2010, compared to the almost $7 million spent by Microsoft during the same period. Among the lobbyists at the firm are president Mark Isakowitz, who spent time on former President George W. Bush’s transition team, Kirk Blalock, who served under Bush as special assistant and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison, and Kristen Chadwick, another former Bush special assistant.

Some NFL teams are considering abandoning physical playbooks in favor of iPads, according to a new report. Citing Pete Walsh, head of technology for the Dallas Cowboys, Cnet reports that the Cowboys and at least a “couple” of other teams are considering the move, which could save them as much as 5,000 pages of paper printouts per game. Walsh also cited as a positive the ability to remotely wipe the device should it become lost, which could keep all the plays for the following week’s game from falling into opposition hands. Still, Walsh said all privacy and security concerns would have to be met before such a transition could be made, adding, “I’ve got that responsibility to the Jones family to make sure those [football] assets don’t get out there.”

Speaking in an interview with Beet.TV, Ann Derry, Editorial Director for Video and Television for the New York Times, said the paper was supplying reporters with iPhone 4s to record and upload video to the paper’s server. According to the report, the NYT is using an app made by Aspera to handle the file transfers; the first staffer to use the system was Andrew Ross Sorkin, who used it for his Davos coverage. The report describes the audio portion of Sorkin’s shot as “surprisingly good;” Derry herself called the iPhone 4 a “game changer” for the paper’s video news gathering operations. [via TUAW]

During yesterday’s Super Bowl, News Corp. aired a new commercial for The Daily, its new tablet-based newspaper. Touting the product as “the world’s first daily tablet newspaper,” the spot demonstrates several of the app’s features, and repeatedly shows it being displayed on an iPad, despite the fact that the commercial makes no direct reference to Apple’s tablet. The 30-second spot is available for viewing on YouTube or below in embedded form. Our full review of The Daily is available here.

A new string has been found in the iOS 4.3 beta that suggests the iPad may be getting a proximity sensor in a future version. MacStories reports that the new string is tied to a property called “pad_case_lock,” and is described as a way to “Automatically lock and unlock your iPad when you close and open the iPad cover.” Such a feature would most likely require a proximity sensor, and could be of help to those who carry their iPads in folio-style or other covered cases. [Thanks, Mike]

Citing new text on Apple’s online stores, M.I.C. Gadget reports that Apple is now imposing a one per customer limit on iPhone 4 orders in both Hong Kong and China. The report speculates that the limitation is due to a combination of high demand and the prevalence of scalpers in the two markets.

Following an earlier report citing internal Best Buy information that AT&T is planning changes to its text messaging plans, GearLive is now citing similar documents which show that the big box retailer plans to steer customers away from the Verizon iPhone. According to the document, Verizon’s recent focus at CES was on 4G, LTE-enabled devices—devices which Best Buy apparently plans to push on customers—while the iPhone 4 will “still be puttering at EVDO speeds.”

Mobile analytics company Zokem has posted the results of its 2010 Mobile Life panel in the U.S. According to the study of over 1,500 smartphone users, the iPhone had the highest loyalty ranking of any smartphone platform—more than 80 percent higher than Google’s Android—and among non-iPhone users, the number one preference for the next smartphone is iPhone, although users of Blackberries and Android devices are still more likely to choose a similar device than switch from their current platform with their next smartphone purchase.

Rovi Corp. has announced a multi-year licensing deal with Apple that allows it to use Rovi’s technology. The Wall Street Journal reports that Rovi declined to provide more details as to exactly what technologies Apple was interested in. According to Rovi’s website, the company “licenses leading interactive program guide (IPG) and digital content protection technologies to third parties to facilitate navigation of digital entertainment media and protect valuable assets. ”

Apple has reportedly acquired Polar Rose, a small Swedish company that specializes in facial recognition. Norwegian website Mac1.no reports (Translated Link) that the company offers several products based on its technology, including FaceCloud, a facial recognition service for websites, and FaceLib, which offers similar functionality on mobile phones. The company also makes a product called Recognizr that can store an image of a person and then recognize that user in a video stream, which could potentially allow products to recognize users using a forward facing camera and customize the user experience based on their preferences. [via AppleInsider]

Best Buy CEO has issued a statement backpedaling from a recent quote attributed to him that said the iPad had cannibalized sales of laptop PCs by as much as 50%. “The reports of the demise of these devices are grossly exaggerated,” Dunn said. “While they were fueled in part by a comment in the Wall Street Journal that was attributed to me, they are not an accurate depiction of what we’re currently seeing. In fact, we see some shifts in consumption patterns, with tablet sales being an incremental opportunity.  And as we said during our recent earnings call, we believe computers will remain a very popular gift this holiday because of the very distinct and desirable benefits they offer consumers. That’s why we intend to carry a broad selection of computing products and accessories to address the demand we anticipate this season.”

O2 in the UK has reduced the amount of data it is offering iPad users on its data plans. 3G.co.uk reports that the carrier’s £15 plan now offers only 2GB of data instead of the previous 3GB, and that the £2 daily plan now offers only 200MB, down from 500MB. O2 says the previous limits were based on a promotion which was scheduled to end on September 30, although the report claims that the company gave no mention of the expiration date in its promotional materials advertising the tariffs.

The sixth-generation iPod nano’s OS contains code that points to potential video playback features. Erica Sadun of TUAW reports that the device’s internal settings property list contains options for captions and alternative audio, hinting that video playback support may be added to the device sometime in the future; it is also possible that this code is simply left over from the prior iPod nano OS.

Apple has re-enabled the iPhone’s Field Test mode in iOS 4.1, Gizmodo reports. To activate Field Test mode, simply dial *3001#12345#*—once activated, the phone’s signal bars will change to a negative number, with higher negative values equaling reduced signal strength. Users can switch between the numeric and bar signal strength indicators by tapping on the designated signal reporting area, and can leave the testing mode by pressing the Home button.

Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand’s top mobile phone operator, has announced plans to offer the iPhone 4 in the coming months. Reuters reports that Singapore Telecommunications owns 21% of AIS, which will become the third iPhone carrier in the country, behind True Move and Total Access Communication. No pricing or further release information has yet been announced.

TomTom has announced that it will offer free adapters to owners of its Car Kit for iPhone allowing the accessory to work with the iPhone 4. Current customers will be able to claim their free adapter beginning tomorrow on a dedicated webpage; the company began shipping the adapter in the Car Kit packaging on September 1st.

Wired Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson recently tweeted that a T-Mobile manager “casually mentioned to [him] that they’re going to get the iPhone 3GS (but not 4, oddly) later this year,” and asked if this was common knowledge. As Business Insider points out, it is odd that Anderson would broadcast this rumor over Twitter instead of giving it to one of Wired’s reporters to research and report.

Asymco has posted an analysis of Apple’s recent announcement that it has sold 120 million iOS devices, using it to estimate total iPod touch sales to date. Based on sales of 59.6 million iPhones sold through June, and 3.2 million iPads sold, along with estimates of 8 million iPhones and 4 million iPads sold during August and July, Apple has sold 45.2 million iPod touch units, or 37.7% of all iOS devices sold thus far.

According to an internal Google document obtained by Advertising Age, Apple spent just under $1 million on AdWords advertising during June. This compares to the Google’s top advertisers Expedia, which spent $5.9 million, Amazon, which spent $5.8 million, and eBay, which spent $4.2 million in June.

For the launch of the fourth-generation iPod touch with FaceTime, Apple has put up new window treatments (Pictured) at its retail stores, highlighting the ability to do FaceTime calls between the iPhone 4 and the iPod touch 4G. A larger version of the image appears below.

iLounge will be only modestly updated today as our editors celebrate Labor Day. We hope you, your family, and friends enjoy a relaxing holiday together. 

iOS 4.1 will be released for the iPhone and iPod touch on September 8, 2010, according to a small banner on Apple’s United Kingdom website. The text, which has since reverted to ‘Coming Soon,’ did not appear on the United States Apple site, but is likely to be accurate. A subsequent release of iOS 4.2 to let iPad users in on the fun is still planned for November. (via Macworld UK)

The new iPod touch 4G packs a vibrating motor, apparently to signal incoming FaceTime requests while the device is in silent mode, notes an FCC teardown of the new device. This motor adds one of the few remaining iPhone hardware features that previously differentiated the iPod touch from its more powerful cousin; it is likely activated and deactivated in Settings, as the iPod touch has no ringer switch. (via MacRumors)

China Unicom will begin offering Micro SIM-sized “USIM” cards for the iPad beginning tomorrow, September 1, according to a new report. Chinese-language Sina reports (Translated Link) that the card is primarily aimed at customers importing iPads from other markets, as the official launch date for the iPad in China has yet to be announced.

The Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock, U.K., has moved all its students away from pen and paper and onto iPads. The Daily Record reports that the move was the idea of Frasier Speirs, the school’s IT teacher, who also happens to be an accomplished Mac and iOS developer. Speirs wrote on his blog that the first day was an “unqualified success,” adding that he “got the impression that the kids were almost relieved to be working with iOS. I have no doubt that, for a lot of them, it’s already the OS they interact with most often.” [via MDN]

A quartet going by the name of “The iPad Orchestra” has been featured in an online video. The four members of the group each play a separate iPad, using the app Seline HD to simulate the sounds of the clarinet, cello, flute, and violin. The performance pf “Sweet Dream” by Ilya Plavunov captured in the video was given for a live audience on August 8th; the video is available for viewing in embedded form below.

Uzibull has introduced its new Ektopad case for the iPad (Pictured). The Ektopad is a silicone case featuring molded grips on the ends and back for gaming, an interior rib structure for added protection, openings on the corners for attaching the included woven elastic strap, openings for access to the headphone port, dock connector, power button, and orientation lock switch, push-through button covers for the volume buttons, and open access to the screen and Home button. Uzibull’s Ektopad case for the iPad is available now and sells for $40.