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OmniVision to Provide Front and Rear Cameras for Second-Generation iPad?




Barron's reports on a new research note from research firm Detweiler Fenton claiming that OmniVision Technologies has won the contract to supply image sensors for both a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera and front-facing VGA camera for the second-generation iPad. The report claims that the revamped iPad will debut in the first quarter of 2011, likely relatively late in the quarter. The research firm contends the new iPad will ship with two cameras, a 5 MP camera and a VGA camera, and likely will support Apple's FaceTime video chat software. Detweiler says their early read is that Apple will build 2.5 million units of the next iPad in calendar Q1, providing an incremental 5 million units of demand from Apple for OVTI, which also supplies sensors for the iPhone.

A front-facing camera for the next-generation iPad has been a solid assumption considering the proliferation of Apple's FaceTime video chatting capabilities, but a rear-facing camera has been less of a sure bet.

Rumors dating back a number of months have also pointed to the possibility of a 7-inch iPad to join the existing 9.7-inch form factor, but Apple CEO Steve Jobs' recent criticism of tablets in the smaller size coming from competitors strongly suggests that the company is not pursuing such a release.


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New Java-Based Malware Targets Mac OS X, But Threat Level Disputed



toprightWednesday October 27, 2010 01:59 PM EST
Written by Eric Slivka


Security alert dialog box generated by malware's installation attempts
Yesterday, Mac antivirus firm SecureMac issued an alert regarding a new piece of malware capable of infecting systems running Mac OS X by using a trojan horse method of entry to deploy a Java-based payload enabling a wide variety of nefarious functions. The trojan horse, trojan.osx.boonana.a, is spreading through social networking sites, including Facebook, disguised as a video. The trojan is currently appearing as a link in messages on social networking sites with the subject "Is this you in this video?"

When a user clicks the infected link, the trojan initially runs as a Java applet, which downloads other files to the computer, including an installer, which launches automatically. When run, the installer modifies system files to bypass the need for passwords, allowing outside access to all files on the system. Additionally, the trojan sets itself to run invisibly in the background at startup, and periodically checks in with command and control servers to report information on the infected system. While running, the trojan horse hijacks user accounts to spread itself further via spam messages. Users have reported the trojan is spreading through e-mail as well as social media sites.

Rival antivirus firm Intego responded with a notice of its own, downplaying the imminent threat from the malware due to the fact that it does not appear to be functioning as intended. While Intego has evidence of several infections in the wild, we are not currently able to go beyond this step, as either the malicious malware has bugs preventing it from running correctly, or the servers it contacts are not active or are not serving the correct files.

Potentially, if it installs correctly, it functions the same as the Koobface worm running on Windows. It runs a local web server and an IRC server, acts as part of a botnet, acts as a DNS changer, and can activate a number of other functions, either through files initially installed or other files downloaded subsequently. It spreads by posting messages on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, usually trying to get people to click a link to view some sort of video.

While this is an especially malicious piece of malware, the current Mac OS X implementation is flawed, and the threat is therefore low.

Both companies have conveniently noted that they offer products capable of identifying and eliminating the malware, although users without protection software should be alerted by the malware installation generating a Mac OS X dialog box regarding the attempted action.

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Apple Patent Application Discloses Process for Creating Scratch-Resistant Stainless Steel



An Apple patent application published yesterday has been gaining some attention for its discussion of a system for creating a nitride layer on the surface of stainless steel components to assist in providing durability and scratch resistance while allowing the natural color and texture of the stainless steel to remain visible.
Cross section of nitrided stainless steel
Apple notes that the nitrided stainless steel components "can be used for a variety of applications, such as to form outer housings for a laptop computer, media players, cell phones or other similar devices." According to Apple's patent application, the stainless steel components are immersed in a high-temperature, nitrogen-based salt bath for up to an hour an half, allowing for nitrogen to penetrate the surface of the steel and combine with chromium atoms in the stainless steel alloy to create a ceramic nitride layer 15-30 microns thick on the surface of the steel.
While some reports have suggested that Apple is considering using the technology in future products, the nitrided stainless steel is likely already in use on the stainless steel band of the iPhone 4 that has garnered significant attention as part of the antenna reception issues experienced by some users. The patent application describing the technology was filed in April 2010 but is essentially identical to a provisional patent application that was filed in April 2009.

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Apple Developing Custom Built-In SIM Card for iPhone?




GigaOM reports that Apple has partnered with digital security firm Gemalto to create a custom SIM card that would exist as a built-in chip inside the iPhone to allow users to activate their devices with a broad array of carriers without requiring extensive interactions directly with the carriers. It is rumored that Apple and Gemalto have created a SIM card, which is typically a chip that carries subscriber identification information for the carriers, that will be integrated into the iPhone itself. Then customers will then be able to choose their carrier at purchase at the Apple web site or retail store, or buy the phone and get their handset up and running through a download at the App Store as opposed to visiting a carrier store or calling the carrier.

The report notes that the new technology would be of most use in Europe, where there are many competitive carriers operating on similar technologies within a relatively compact geographic area. The Gemalto SIM, according to my sources, is embedded in a chip that has an upgradeable flash component and a ROM area. The ROM area contains data provided by Gemalto with everything related to IT and network security, except for the carrier related information. The flash component will receive the carrier related data via a local connection which could be the PC or a dedicated device, so it can be activated on the network. Gemalto will provide the back-end infrastructure that allows service and number provisioning on the carrier network.

Sources for the report have indicated that executives from several French carriers have traveled to Apple's Cupertino headquarters in recent weeks to discuss the development, which could allow Apple to significantly simplify the iPhone sales and distribution process while offering customers the flexibility to easily activate service and switch carriers on their own.

Apple's iPhone currently utilizes a removable SIM card, issued by the user's carrier to allow the device to operate on its network.


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Apple Becomes Fourth-Largest Mobile Phone Vendor



toprightFriday October 29, 2010 09:38 AM EST; Category: iPhone
Written by Eric Slivka


Research firm IDC yesterday released results for global mobile phone unit sales in the third quarter of 2010, highlighting Apple's leap into the top five vendors to grab the fourth spot behind Nokia, Samsung, and LG, and ahead of Research in Motion. Apple leapt ahead of several vendors in 3Q10 including RIM, which it surpassed by 1.7-million units, and Sony Ericsson by 3.7-million units. The company's record shipment performance can be attributed to the introduction of the iPhone 4 in 17 new countries last quarter. The record performance came despite "Antennagate," the name used to describe the controversy around alleged iPhone reception problems, in July.

Apple's 90.5% year-over-year growth dramatically outpaced the overall industry's 14.6% increase.

The report points to the key role smartphones are playing in the growth of the broader mobile phone industry, with Apple and Research in Motion both having joined the top five overall mobile phone vendors over the past few quarters and showing the strongest growth among those companies. Based on expectations of a continuation of that trend, IDC projects that the smartphone market will grow by 55% this year.


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Walt Mossberg Reviews the New MacBook Air



toprightThursday October 28, 2010 11:05 AM EST
Written by Eric Slivka


Walt Mossberg, the influential tech columnist for The Wall Street Journal, has published his review of the new MacBook Air, which comes after testing both the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models over the past week. Overall, Mossberg finds the new MacBook Air to be a true hybrid between Apple's traditional Mac portables and the iPad in many ways. I've been testing both versions, but especially the 11.6-inch model, and I find that, despite a few drawbacks, they really do offer the different, more iPad-like experience Apple claims they do. Battery life is strong, and the wake up from sleep is almost instant, even after long periods of being unused.

In Mossberg's battery tests under harsh usage conditions, he found the 11-inch model offering 4 hours and 43 minutes of runtime while the 13-inch model offered 6 hours and 13 minutes. As his report notes, those figures should allow users to reach Apple's stated battery life of 5 hours (11-inch) and 7 hours (13-inch) under more reasonable usage battery and with a minimum of energy-saving techniques.

On the negative side, Mossberg dings the MacBook Air for its "paltry" 64 GB of storage on the low-end 11-inch model and notes that the entry price rises quickly once users start upgrading storage and RAM, as well as adding peripherals such as an external SuperDrive and Ethernet adapter.

But overall, Mossberg finds the machines to be remarkably capable for their size, finding them likely to be satisfactory as a primary machine for many light-duty users, while heavy users may find them to be handy secondary machines. I was surprised to find that even the base $999 model was powerful enough to easily run seven or eight programs at once, including Microsoft Office, iTunes and the Safari browser with more than 20 Web sites open. It also played high-definition video with no skipping or stuttering.

So, if you're a light-duty user, you might be able to adopt one of the new Airs as your main laptop. If you're a heavy-duty user, who needs lots of power and file storage, they're likely to be secondary machines.

Those users who are considering the new MacBook Air for frequent traveling may also be interested to know that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has determined that the 11-inch MacBook Air does not need to be removed from passengers' bags when passing through airport security, ruling it to be smaller than a traditional notebook. The status of the 13-inch MacBook Air remains unclear, however, as the agency is still deciding whether the machine qualifies as a full-fledged notebook computer that would require separate examination or if its thinness and reduced complexity achieved through the lack of an optical drive and traditional hard drive would allow it to slip through as a smaller electronic device.

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Ratings and Reviews Disappear From iTunes App Store [Updated]



toprightFriday October 29, 2010 04:01 PM EST
Written by Eric Slivka

Several readers have pointed out that app ratings and reviews are currently missing from App Store listings as viewed through iTunes. The reason for the change is unknown, but reports of it have been trickling in over the past fifteen hours and Apple has apparently yet to acknowledge the issue.
The issue appears to be a bug rather than an intentional change to the App Store, as ratings and reviews remain visible in both the browser-based iTunes Preview pages for the apps and in listings viewed through the App Store application on iOS devices. Consequently, we expect the ratings and reviews to return to the iTunes App Store in the near future, or that Apple will at least offer an update on the situation.

Updated: As suspected, the reviews have returned so it appears it was simply a temporary outage.


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