Do you remember buying your first iPhone? Installing your first app from the App Store? Jailbreaking for the first time?
Although it can been called melodrama, there comes a point where you look back and see the profound impact technology has had on your life. Besides amazing technology, Apple products have always been a source of inspiration. The iPhone has literally changed the course of people's lives, and that's something special...
Although in many cases they don't make it to consumer products, patents kind of give us an inside look at what a company is working on. Trust me, there's no better company to peek in on than Apple.
Their latest patent filing to make its way around the web, describes hybrid laser projection technology. Before you start thinking Star Wars, let me explain.
Apple describes the hybrid laser projection technology as a system that can be used to display images using coherent laser light as opposed to incoherent incandescent light of normal projectors.
The benefits include lower production costs and higher quality images. It also notes that combining an incoherent light source with a coherent one would consume less power and could reduce the size and complexity of light projecting systems.
How could they use this technology in their products? 9to5Mac seems to think they might be integrating it in an Apple-branded TV set. That's not a bad prediction considering all of the recent Apple TV rumors, but I've got another idea.
Remember the LG Expo? It was an LG smartphone with a built-in micro projector. You could project captured and downloaded content onto any flat service, with quite a sizable viewing area.
The phone was essentially a flop but the technology was still fascinating. Now there are dozens of pico projectors on the market, many of them even compatible with Apple products.
I could definitely see Apple doing something along similar lines. They have a history of bringing innovative technology to the average person by making it simple and sexy.
Imagine an Apple TV device, much like the ATV2, that has a built-in high definition laser projector. It has outstanding battery life and content can be projected clearly on almost any surface. Maybe it even supports iOS apps and obviously AirPlay.
My head spins with the possibilities, you could have TV anywhere. You could set up multiplayer games anywhere. This would be a revolution, especially if it were priced and marketed properly, which Apple also has a knack for.
While the idea is intriguing, known projected light-obstacles like daylight and lack of available projection surfaces certainly stand in the way of it making its way to shelves anytime soon. Maybe Apple is just going to project the laser images into thin air, Minority Report-style.
What do you think?
It's recently been confirmed by multiple sources that Apple will indeed unveil the long-awaited white iPhone 4 in the coming weeks. Various rumors have pointed to the white iPhone over the last 10 months, but these last set of reports affirm a definite release in the next few weeks.
The Wall Street Journal has gotten word directly from Apple that the white iPhone will debut "this spring." Bloomberg recently reported this news with added info that the device will be available on AT&T and Verizon.
Men lie, women lie, numbers don't. According to a recent report from Millenial Media, iOS is the hottest platform right now for developers and advertisers. The Application Platform Mix is part of Millenial Media's monthly Mobile Mix report.
The release is full of statistics on market share and advertising impressions by mobile device platform. While Android seems to sustain a lead in the smartphone market by sheer volume, iOS is still considered the most profitable platform...
We told you last year about the workers in Suzhou, China suffering from health problems due to toxic chemicals. The employees were poisoned in 2009 using a hazardous chemical to clean iPhone LCD screens.
Their employer is a subsidiary of Wintek corporation and is the number one producer of small to medium sized LCD screens in the world. Although Apple has since released information that the workers have fully recovered, a special report by PBS Newshour scheduled to air tonight tells a different story...
Things can get a little heated when iPhone and Android users start arguing over who has the better phone. The Android/iPhone debate is king of the smartphone rivalries, and iPhone fanatics swear by their platform just as much as Android users.
Few people actually use both an Android and iPhone device for any extended period of time. Usually, the fights occur between people that are sitting on opposite sides of the smartphone fence. It's always interesting to hear the experience of someone that's thoroughly used both platforms...
After a 10 month delay, it looks as though the white iPhone 4 will finally be available by the end of this month. According to a report from Bloomberg Buisnessweek, sources familiar with Apple's secret release plans say that the mystical white iPhone 4 will indeed ship in the "next few weeks."
Although it's unclear as to whether Apple will hold a media event for the white iPhone's launch, it appears that the device will be unveiled very soon...
RBC Capital Markets' Mike Abramsky issued a new report today sharing his expectations for Apple's quarterly earnings report next week. The analyst is predicting that the Cupertino company will handily beat market expectations.
Abramsky's looking for Apple to post a revenue of $24 billion and an earnings per share of $5.75 for last quarter. The boost in revenue is said to be a product of strong iPhone 4 and iPad sales.The note also included results from an interesting survey of over 2000 consumers.
Of those polled, 28% said that they were "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to purchase the latest version of Apple's tablet. That's 40% higher than their previous polling in May of 2010, where respondents were questioned in a similar fashion about the original iPad.
The research also revealed a survey of potential iPad 2 purchasers before it launched. The poll showed that out of customers who were planning to purchase a 3G model, 46% wanted Verizon service.
Abramsky's report should not only please investors but help eradicate rumors of a 2011 iPad 3 launch. Apple is making too much money on its current iPad 2 model to even think of shipping an update this year.
What do you think?
[MacRumors]
We've reported about the rumored MobileMe revamp and possible digital locker feature multiple times. It looks like if you are really concerned with what Apple's new cloud-based services will look like, you can go give them your input first hand.
This afternoon, a BGR reader spotted an Apple job listing requesting a Cloud Systems Software Engineer. The position is for a spot on a small team of programmers looking to form the foundation of new Apple products and services...
If you have been coming to the blog for a while, you definitely recognize the name Foxconn. The infamous manufacturer of popular Apple products has certainly had its share of bad publicity.
For those that don't recall, Foxconn has made the headlines multiple times over the last couple of years due to its poor working conditions. This time they aren't garnering attention for worker suicides, they're in the spotlight because they're looking to make a very public move to Brazil...
If you recall, we reported on a rumor last month that Apple was looking to turn their TV product into something more than just a hobby. Well it looks like the gossip mill is turning again as more analyst chime in on a possible TV set from the Cupertino company.
9to5Mac is reporting today that Gene Muster, of Piper Jaffray, has predicted we will indeed see a new Apple-branded television set by 2012 accompanied by a host of unique features.
Obviously Apple TV services would be built in, but he predicts it will also have DVR capibilities, live programming and television channels via iTunes, and 1080p gaming via the App Store.
The prophecies don't stop there. Analyst Peter Misek believes a Netflix-like $10 a month subscription could be in the works for future iTunes programming. He also believes that networks removing channels from iPad apps could be a clue that they are "negotiating some sort of deal with Apple."
A subscription service could be likely, considering all of the data storage Apple has acquired in the past year. They just ordered 12 Petabytes (12 million gigabytes) of storage from Isilon Systems, and let's not forget about that large data center they've been building in North Carolina.
While an Apple-branded TV doesn't seem feasible, they've certainly managed to surprise me before. I just don't see them taking a big risk with such an expensive product. Hopefully we'll get some more details at this year's WWDC.
You think we'll see an Apple TV set anytime soon?
iOS 4.3.1 has been out for less than a month, and Apple is already planning on releasing 4.3.2 in the coming week. According to BGR, iOS 4.3.2 will address minor bugs and several issues concerning the iPad.
The folks at BGR have already gotten their hands on 4.3.2, and they claim that Apple will push the update for all iDevices in the next seven days...