China Unicom confirms iPhone 5 with 21 Mbps HSPA+ support?

According to a poorly translated report from Macotakara, China Unicom’s Deputy Director of Research has confirmed an iPhone 5 with HSPA+ capabilities (21Mbps) during a keynote at Macworld Asia 2011. The image above is from the presentation via PC Watch.

Japanese IT News Site ” PC Watch “Tells That, Research vice president of China Unicom , Huan Wenliang, told iPhone five Will Support W-CDMA based high-speed Data Transfer standard HSPA Evolution “HSPA +” (21Mbps) at Keynote speech in Macworld Asia 2011.

Some rumors point that Apple is in early testing of LTE-capable test devices, and we know AT&T has already started rolling out their HSPA+ tech and even marketing HSPA devices as “4G”.

Curiously, the Qualcomm Gobi MDM6600 chips found in the Verizon iPhone support HSPA+ data rates of up to 14.4 Mbps. Analysts are expecting a 4G LTE iPhone in 2012. 




[via: 9to5mac & Macrumors & MacPost) 

Facebook to Launch iPad App Early Next Week

According to MG Siegler of TechCrunch, Facebook is set unveil its long awaited iPad app and Project Spartan, the HTML 5-based mobile platform the company has been working on for months, early next week.

We know the iPad app has been ready for a while – which was confirmed by a former Facebook employee – but it appears that Spartan has been ready for quite some time, too. But the company has apparently been working out the kinks with Apple. Better than that, Facebook may unveil these new products at Apple’s iPhone 5 launch next week…

“Earlier this week, Mashable reported that Facebook’s iPad app would launch at Apple’s iPhone event this coming Tuesday. For what it’s worth, we’ve heard Facebook is actually planning to launch the iPad app at their own iPad/Spartan event on Monday. But they’re still discussing all of this with Apple. And Apple has been well known to change things at the last second. It is possible that they want Facebook to launch this on stage at their event to showcase some of the new HTML5 capabilities of iOS 5 (which will also be formally unveiled at the event).

I believe the Monday launch is a fallback option. Facebook is apparently ready to go with or without Apple.”

Would it be surprising if Facebook was invited to speak at Apple’s event? Yes and no. Yes, because the two companies hate each other. And no, because both companies hate Google even more. Teaming up against Google seems to be the strategy adopted by Apple and Facebook.

One thing is sure, next week is going to be a hell of a week for iOS. And of course, @BlogAboutEverything's here to keep you posted! 




[via: idownloadblog]

Twitter Can’t Wait for iOS 5 Public Release

Twitter are just as excited for iOS 5 as we are, with Apple set to unveil the final version of the software to the public alongside a new iPhone on next Tuesday.

In iOS 5, Twitter has been integrated at a system level into the OS to give users the ability to share statuses and photos with friends on the popular social network. In a recent interview, Twitter talked about how it expects huge growth and increased popularity from its iOS 5 integration…

Twitter’s engineering VP Michael Abbott shared some of Twitter’s expectations at the GigaOM Mobilize 2011 conference. He was quoted as saying, “iOS is not something we have to brace for.”

“During the last nine months, there’s been more infrastructure changes at Twitter than there had been in the previous five years at the company,” said Abbott, who joined Twitter in May 2010. “So that whether it be the death of bin Laden, or someone announces a pregnancy, we can handle those issues and you’re not seeing a fail whale.”

That’s not to say that Twitter does not expect the Apple integration to be a big deal. “I anticipate a lot of growth because [Twitter] is going to be on every iOS device. And certainly there’s a good number of those out there in the world,” Abbott said. “It’s going to result in more tweets.”

With Twitter already serving over 230 million tweets per day, there’s no telling how that number will influx when millions of iPhone users can suddenly tweet within iOS next month. (Jailbreakers can already tweet anywhere in iOS, thanks to a nifty tweak called TwitkaFly.)

Twitter is planning a developer conference on October 10th, meaning that iOS 5 will most likely be seeded to the public before or on that date.

There are flaky rumors circulating that Apple has partnered with Facebook to introduce iOS 5 integration with that social network as well next week. It’s rumored that Apple will unveil the official Facebook iPad app at its next event as a flagship app for iOS 5, but that remains to be seen.

Do you plan on tweeting from iOS 5? Or would you prefer Facebook integration? 



[via: idownloadblog]

Behold the World’s Largest Flashlight

Remember the bright as hell, flashlight royalty X21? Well now there's a version that's 13 feet tall, weighs 176 pounds, and shoots out a mind (and eye) blowing 100,000 lumens. And it just set a Guinness World Record.

Made of solid aluminum and stuffed with 19 LED lamps, the LED Lensor's giganto X21 would probably blind you so hard you'd loop all the way back around with 20/20 vision. Luckily, as you can see above, it was pointed at the ground during the record certification ceremony. Bonus: in case you need to take it with you, it can actually run on its own battery power, and still output 30,000 lumens. 

[via: Gizmodo & LED Lenser]

Get Your Very Own Cydia “Reloading Data” Shirt

Jay ‘saurik‘ Freeman, the creator of Cydia, is known for wearing a black t-shirt wherever he goes that says “Reloading Data.” Jailbreakers will recognize these two words because that’s the message that gets displayed in Cydia all of the time when content is loading.

Every time Freeman is spotted in public, like at JailbreakCon, readers always ask this one question: “Where can I get one of those Cydia shirts?”

Here is the good news for you…

Graphic artist Amnesiaco has re-created Freeman’s infamous t-shirt and made it available for purchase on RedBubble. The t-shirt looks exactly like the one worn by Freeman himself, with the “Reloading Data” message displayed proudly on the chest.

And guess what? Amnesiaco’s creation actually comes in t-shirt, v-neck t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, “girly fitted” t-shirt, and even hoodie form! The design is also available in a range of colors, although black is obviously the preferred choice. You can even get the “Reloading Data” text displayed on the back or front of the shirt as well.

This is an awesome shirt to own if you’re a jailbreak enthusiast. Are you going to buy one of these “Reloading Data” shirts? 

[via: idownloadblog & Thanks, Andrea!]

iPhone5 cases are now everywhere in China

The idea of a next-generation iPhone shaped like a teardrop dates back to a report published by This is my next in late-April, describing a 3.7-inch iPhone with edge-to-edge glass and striking new design shape akin to the late-2010 MacBook Air, meaning thicker to thinner from top to bottom. Piggy-backing on the story, agile Asian vendors followed up with teardrop-shaped cases.  Or so we thought.

While we will ‘talk iPhone’ next Tuesday, M.I.C. gadget reveals that an iPhone 5 prototype had recently gone missing from the Shenzhen district. “This should explain why we are seeing a whole lot of iPhone 5 cases in China today”, the publication concludes.

Much like the widely publicized iPhone 4 prototype that had gone missing at a German beer bar in California, the missing handset was camouflaged in an iPhone 4-like case (strange because the teardrop phone is wider and taller ). Inside: A test model with a finalized iPhone 5 chassis sporting the tear-drop design.  The publication then builds on this tip by speculating that the device houses“slightly modified iPhone 4 electronics” plus the A4 chip “and even the same amount of memory”.

If this is true, then the tear drop iPhone may be the low end device, and the one inside the iPhone 4 case might be the high end.

[via: 9to5mac]

Apple will launch New iPhone on October 4 event: Let’s talk iPhone

Hours ago,Apple sent out invites for its October 4th media event where the curtain will be lifted on all things iPhone.

Interestingly, the image that Apple used on the invites may provide a clue as to what we can see come October 4th at 10:00am PST.

The image contains the Apple 1 Infinite Loop campus in the Maps app (where the event will be held), the correct date (Calendar app), the correct time (Clock app), and one more little interesting tidbit…

Did your eagle eyes catch it? That’s right, a one (1) notification badge on the Phone app. Now of course, this could just be a coincidence, but seeing as everything else coincides with a real world fact, I think it’s highly probable that Apple just confirmed that we’ll only see one iPhone on October 4th.

Not to mention that fact that the message says “Let’s talk iPhone.” Singular.

Apple may have also just hinted at the super secret “Assistant” feature that was detailed yesterday.

This could also be Apple’s method of easily letting down any ridiculously high expectations for next Tuesday’s event.

What do you think? WIll be iPhone5 or iPhone 4s Launch?

[via: idownloadblog]

Happy Birthday Google

Anyone notice the party that is going on at Google's website today? In case you forgot, September 27th is the date Google chose for their birthday.

It's an arbitrary date selected in 2005 to celebrate Google's September milestones. Google first registered Google.com on September 15, 1997 and the company was incorporated on September 7, 1998. Instead of either one of those two dates, Google selected the 27th because they're Google and they can.

It's hard to believe the search engine is now officially entering the troubled teens. I remember when Google first launched. I was enjoying a fast university internet connection and using both Alta Vista and Yahoo as my main search engines. With Google's minimal interface and lightning fast search results, I was a convert from day one. 

[via: Gizmodo & Google.com]

Ex-Facebook Employee Tells All, iPad App Has Been Ready Since May

Last week, Facebook held its annual F8 conference. Much like Apple’s WWDC, F8 is an event where Facebook shows off new innovations to the media and its developers.

While there were a number of announcements made on Thursday, there was something noticeably missing from Mark Zuckerburg’s keynote: the iPad app. We know it exists, so why hasn’t Facebook released it yet?

The Next Web helps shine some light on the topic by pointing to a blog post written today by Jeff Verkoeyen, an ex-Facebook employee. Verkoeyen was actually the lead engineer on the iPad app project, but has since left the company.

Jeff’s post has been deleted, but luckily The Next Web was able to snag the message:

“On Quitting Facebook

I’ve had many people question why I would quit working for Facebook. It’s a complicated answer, but it’s related to the fact that since January of this year I was the lead engineer on Facebook’s iPad app.

The app still hasn’t been released, though it was infamously leaked via TechCrunch. It was feature-complete in May and for reasons I won’t go into details on the app was repeatedly delayed throughout the summer. Over the past 8 months I dedicated a significant amount of time toward building this app, sometimes putting in over 80 hours of work in a given week in the hopes of meeting the “perpetually moving tow-weeks-away launch date” every software developer fears.

After the app reached feature completion in May and I was told that it was going to be delayed yet again, I stopped working on the project entirely. A few weeks later I decided to focus my energy on the Nimbus project.

It is now nearly 5 months since the app was feature complete and I haven’t seen it released except for when the project was leaked on TechCrunch. Needless to say this was a frustrating experience for me. The experience of working on this app was a large contribution to the reasons why I left Facebook, though that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a difficult decision.

I learned a lot during my time at Facebook. Facebook is truly an exciting place to work at and I am sad that my experience there was less than ideal. I had the great privilege of working closely with some of the best designers in the industry and shadowing David Recordon as we looked into the possibility of me working on their open source team. I spent a significant amount of time thinking about what I wanted to do and decided in the end that I needed to switch things up and step away from Facebook.

I wish them the best of luck going forward. Timeline was an incredible launch and I look forward to following the company’s progress going forward.”

 If you were one of the lucky folks that unlocked the iPad app before Facebook blocked the option, you know it’s pretty solid. So, why the on going delay? There has been speculation that Facebook’s growing competition with Apple has contributed to the holdback.

On the other hand, as TNW points out, there have also been rumors of a special presentation of the app at Apple’s October 4th event. We’re not sure how iPad software would fit in with an iPhone/iPod touch unveiling, but we’re not ruling out the possibility.

Why do you think Facebook’s iPad app hasn’t been released yet?

[via: idownloadblog]

Apple preparing to produce devices with curved glass next year

Sources close to Apple’s manufacturing and supply chain (via DIGITIMES) claim Apple, along with others from the “non-Apple camp”, is prepping to produce devices that include curved glass, specifically touchscreens, in early 2012.

“…Apple reportedly also has bought glass polishing equipment for its suppliers in preparation for the production of devices fitted with curved cover glass. Lens Technology, Fuji Crystal, G-Tech are said to be major cover glass suppliers of Apple. While Lens and Fuji focus on iPhones, G-Tech supplies mainly for iPad.”

The report notes that other companies were expected to use curved cover glass in “attempts to gain a competitive edge” over Apple in the current iPhone and iPad dominated smarpthone and tablet markets. We’ve certainly heard of the company’s plans for curved glass in Apple’s retail stores and their new spaceship campus, but only heard rumors and speculation regarding possible consumer product applications. 



[via: 9to5mac]

NASA’s Satellite Crashes In the Pacific Ocean (Updated)

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite that has been befuddling NASA scientists with its unpredictable reentry path has finally fallen back to Earth. We... just don't know where yet exactly. But you're safe to look up now.

According to NASA, the satellite penetrated the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean between 11:23 p.m. and 1:09 a.m. on SEP25, making it likely that it's floating out in open water somewhere. As expected, most of the 20-year-old, 12,500 pound satellite probably burned up upon reentry. The UARS was launched in September 1991 as part of a mission with the just-decommissioned Space Shuttle Discovery. It measured ozone and chemical levels in our atmosphere until 2005, when the Bush administration pulled the plug on it. 

Update: The Christian Science Monitor reports that debris fell over Okotoks, Canada late last night. No one was hurt. Also, people from Maui all the way out to Florida report having seen the metal debris burn up in the night sky.

[via: Gizmodo & NASA & Washington Post]

Twitter Developer Event Confirms iOS 5 Release by October 10th

Twitter has coincidentally scheduled a pair of “Developer Teatimes” for October 10th and October 12th. The meetings will focus heavily on Twitter’s integration with iOS 5 — a feature that was announced by Apple at WWDC this past Summer.

Apple has also told its AppleCare division to expect a high influx of iOS 5-related questions on October 10th.Do we finally have our iOS 5 release date?

Twitter’s message to developers:

“There’s a lot going on in the ecosystem and we’d like to take this chance to share the highlights with you – including the latest developments with the platform, areas of opportunity that we’re seeing, and a heavy focus on the iOS 5 Twitter integration for developers.”

It’s unlikely for Twitter to hold a public event for iOS 5 until the software is made available to the public, so this news all but confirms the iOS 5 public release by October 10th.

The final iOS 5 GM build was expected to be released to developers this past Friday, but Apple has yet to release the firmware. Apple media invites and the iOS 5 GM are expected to drop during this upcoming week.

iOS 5′s integration with Twitter was demoed months ago to developers. The integration allows users to tweet from certain iOS apps and share pictures via the popular social network.

Apple is expected to announce next generation iPhone hardware alongside iOS 5 and iCloud to the public on October 4th. Following the announcement, iOS 5 should be made available to the public by October 10th, with new iPhone hardware hitting the shelves by October 13th/14th.

[via: idownloadblog & AppleInsider] 

Here’s What the iPhone 4S Could Look Like

Between all the reports and case leaks we’ve seen over the last several months, we have a pretty good idea of what the iPhone 5 looks like. The tear drop design, with the capacitive home button, has been documented by several sources.

But with more and more rumors pointing to the Cupertino company only unveiling one handset this Fall, the iPhone 4S, a lot of folks are wondering what to expect. As usual,graphic design artists have used their skills to help us predict the future…

Since March of this year (and maybe even before that) we’ve heard multiple reports that Apple’s next smartphone would bear a striking resemblance to its predecessor. That phone was later dubbed (by the media) as the iPhone 4S.

Even though it will look a lot like the previous model, there will be some differences. The handset will likely include a better camera, 8MP, and the processor will almost certainly be switched out for the blazing fast A5 (as seen in the iPad 2).

There has also been speculation that the screen will be stretched out further across the device’s frame. This would shrink the border around the display, but allow for as much as a .5 inch increase in viewing area.

Sure, these renders aren’t half as beautiful as some of the designs we’ve seen. But save for a little bit thinner profile, they could be very close to what we see come out of Cupertino this year. Our fingers and toes are still crossed for a redesigned model though.

[via: idownloadblog & iSpazio]

Apple Preparing for iPhone Launch, Denying Employees Vacations for 2nd Week of October

Apple has started denying vacation requests from employees for the 2nd week of October, indicating that the company expects a high influx of customers during that time.

Rumors have suggested that the next iPhone launch will take place in the 2nd week of October along side the public launch of iOS 5 and iCloud. Apple is expected to hold its next media event on October 4th to announce its new products for the holiday season…

AppleInsider reports:

“Apple is quietly denying requests for employee vacations during the second week of October, hinting that the company currently anticipates an influx of customers to its stores around that time related to availability of its new iOS 5 and fifth-generation iPhone products.

More specifically, the iPhone maker has in some locations blacked out vacation time for employees from October 9th through 12th and October 14th through 15th, according to people familiar with the matter.”

Apple has told its AppleCare employees to expect an influx of iOS 5-related questions on Monday, October 10th. This would suggest that Apple plans to release iOS 5 to the public first, followed by next generation iPhone hardware later in the week.

The iPhone 4 was made available on a Thursday, and Apple could very well follow suit with an October 13th release date. Friday, October 14th could also be a potential date for carrier availability.

Apple denying employees vacation time for product launches is to be expected, as all hands will be needed to handle new customers.

[via: idownladblog]