Think of Mac

iPhone developer Pandav has informed MacRumors that they have spotted usage records for an unreleased iPhone in their app’s analytics. The app used was iBART [Free / Paid], a public transportation guide for the San Francisco train system.

PinchMedia who provides the analytics for the application breaks down customer usage including what specific devices are being used. This list of devices is reported to developers using internal device identification numbers assigned by Apple. In this case, “iPhone3,1″ was first spotted in Pandav’s usage logs in November. This “iPhone3,1″ identifier does not match up with any shipping iPhones. The last iPhone released to the public was the iPhone 3GS which carries the identification string “iPhone2,1″.  Read more... (187 words, estimated 45 secs reading time)

Another rumor has hit the world of Apple just earlier, bringing some whispers that the company has a refresh of its iMac line all geared up and ready to be released. As usual, AppleInsider has the sources behind the headline, and they believe that the new model of the computer was finalized some time in September.  Read more... (174 words, estimated 42 secs reading time)

Citing a “100 percent reliable” source, a new report alleges that Apple has fully working prototypes of 13-inch and 15-inch touchscreen tablets, with one model running Mac OS X.

The rumor reported Friday by Gizmodo states that the two new devices could be in addition to the long-rumored 10-inch device believed to be coming in early 2010.

“This source claims that the two touchscreen prototypes — made of aluminum, but on the shape of big iPhones — were in a factory in Shenzuen, China,” the report states. “One of them ‘was running Mac OS X 10.5.’ When I asked, the source didn’t know if these were built for demonstration purposes, or if they were preproduction units. The company has a tight relation with Apple but ‘it’s not FoxConn.’”  Read more... (133 words, estimated 32 secs reading time)

I generally don’t comment on rumors, but, well, let’s face it, Apple is the most important company in consumer electronics today, and my phone’s been ringing continually lately with press, analysts, clients, and assorted others looking for insight on what Apple is doing with regard to a tablet PC or similar product. Officially, I have no idea what Apple is doing here. But, in what appears on its way to becoming yet another worst-kept secret in tech, there are plenty of folks who seem to be hinting that they know all about this unannounced product which, again let’s face it, would clearly be an important direction for the company. But there is really only one question that matters here, and it’s not whether Apple is developing a tablet. Of course they are, and, if they’re not, heads should be rolling in the marketing department at One Infinite Loop. Rather, the question is whether such a device should be a big iPod Touch (or even an iPhone), or a highly-mobile “netbook” Mac  Read more... (362 words, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

Photos claiming to be shots of the final box art for Apple’s upcoming operating system, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, have been posted, suggesting the product could be very close to retail.

The photos, sent to MacRumors, show what is alleged to be the Portuguese packaging and disc art. The art on the disc is consistent with the OS install icon found on the reported Golden Master of the software, Mac OS X 10.6 build 10A432.

The Mac Rumor mill is churning out all sorts of juicy tidbits on Apple’s latest operating system update, known as Snow Leopard.

MacRumors has said that 10.6 build 10a432 has gone Golden Master, and Daring Fireball has a short cryptic post saying that 10.6 Snow Leopard will be available as early as Friday, August 28! Also of interest is AppleInsider’s suggestion that OS X 10.6’s disc art will feature a Snow Leopard, literally (shown in accompanying image). And according to ArsTechnica, the install process for 10.6 has been dramatically improved over past versions as well, making for a more simplified, slimmer, and substantially faster upgrade.  Read more... (109 words, estimated 26 secs reading time)

Citing a “pretty reliable source,” The Boy Genius Report revealed Saturday what could become new features in an anticipated upcoming new release of Apple’s digital media software.

“One of the new additions to iTunes is said to include Blu-ray support which lines up nicely with a recent AppleInsider report about Apple integrating Blu-ray into their new iMac line-up,” the report states. “Something else that will most likely make a bunch of people happy is that we’ve been told iTunes 9 will finally include the ability to visually organize and arrange your iPhone and iPod touch applications. Something that wasn’t so clearly described was some kind of Twitter/Facebook/Last.fm integration. Maybe broadcasting what song you’re playing to your friends?”  Read more... (122 words, estimated 29 secs reading time)