Jordan Ostreff

Alongside today's release of iOS 6.1, Apple also issued an update for the Apple TV. The new 5.2 software update includes a number of enhancements including direct iTunes in the Cloud music streaming, Bluetooth keyboard support, Up Next support, and more.

- iTunes in the Cloud: Browse and play your purchased iTunes music directly from iCloud.
- Bluetooth keyboard: Use your Apple Wireless Keyboard to control your Apple TV. See this article for more information.
- AirPlay audio for videos: Send stereo audio from movies, TV shows, and other videos on Apple TV to AirPlay-enabled speakers and devices (including AirPort Express and other Apple TVs).
- Stability and performance: Includes performance and stability improvements with the iTunes Store, AirPlay, Netflix, iTunes Match, and wired Ethernet connections.

Curiously, Apple has released three versions of the Apple TV update, covering not only the second-generation (AppleTV2,1) and third-generation (AppleTV3,1) boxes but also a new AppleTV3,2 box. It is unclear exactly what the difference is with the new box, but the numbering scheme suggests that it is a relatively minor change.


Three versions of Apple TV 5.2 update (Source: e-lite.org)
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted earlier this month that Apple was preparing to launch an updated Apple TV this quarter, although it was anticipated to be a minor upgrade. Apple has not, however, made any public announcements regarding an updated Apple TV.

Update: Apple appears to be referring to the new Apple TV model with a code name of J33I, compared to the J33 code name used on the third-generation Apple TV. While we have no direct evidence, it is possible that the "I" simply refers to an international variation of the current box. Just last month, Apple launched iTunes movies in nearly four dozen new countries.

WhatsApp Messenger, a popular cross-platform SMS and group chat replacement, is the subject of a joint report between Canadian and Dutch authorities. The report says the app violates the countries' privacy laws because users are required to give the company access to both users and non-users in its address book, reports Reuters.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) and the Dutch Data Protection Authority, in a joint report released on Monday, said the app violated privacy laws because users have to provide access to all phone numbers in their address book, including both users and non-users of the app.

"This lack of choice contravenes (Canadian and Dutch) privacy law. Both users and non-users should have control over their personal data and users must be able to freely decide what contact details they wish to share with WhatsApp," said Jacob Kohnstamm, chairman of the Dutch Data Protection Authority.

The report revealed that WhatsApp stores the mobile numbers of non-users from users' contact lists, a violation of Dutch privacy laws. The Dutch Data Protection Authority said it could impose financial penalties if the violations continue.

In iOS 6, Apple introduced a new feature that required user permission before apps could access the users location, calendar, contacts, reminders and photos. However, the feature does not allow users to only give access to certain contacts -- instead, users are required to give apps access to their entire address book.

WhatsApp Messenger is available for $0.99 on the App Store. [Direct Link]

iLounge follows up its reports from last week about Apple's future iOS device plans with a new report sharing details on Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone. According to the report, the new device will indeed be constructed primarily of plastic and offers design similarities to the iPhone 5, iPod touch, and even the iPod classic.

From the front, the new iPhone looks almost identical to the iPhone 5—the same exact shape, with the same sensor, camera, and button arrangement. The 1136 x 640 screen isn’t a surprise, but will be a nice step up in specs for the lowest-cost iPhone. Rather than making the display flush with the enclosure, as it was in the plastic iPhone 3G/3GS, the front glass sticks out a little, just as it does with the iPhone 5 and iPod touch. Despite the shift to plastic for the rest of the enclosure, our sources believe that Apple will continue to use Gorilla Glass for this model’s screen.

Differences become more obvious when the new iPhone is turned on the side. The circular volume buttons of the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 will shift to elongated, pill-shaped designs closer to the iPod touch and iPhone 3G/3GS.

Similarities to the iPod classic are said to arrive in the form of the curves on the rear edges of the device. The report indicates that the sides and rear of the device will all be flat and connected by distinct curves rather than extending the curves all the way through the rear shell of the device.

Unlike the plastic iPhone 3G/3GS, which featured soft curves on all sides, the budget iPhone’s curves start and end at flat surfaces, so each side and the back are flat. This seems like a trivial change, until you realize that it allows Apple to use flat rather than curve-matched parts: the right side has a flat, centered SIM card tray just like the iPhone 5’s, while all of the buttons and ports are on flat rather than curved surfaces. A flat-backed iPhone won’t rock on a flat surface when it vibrates, either.

The rear and bottom edges of the lower-cost iPhone will reportedly be something of a hybrid of the iPhone 5 and the current iPod touch, with a the bottom edge showing a similar layout of features to the iPhone 5 but with fewer holes.

Apple has long been rumored to be working on a lower-cost iPhone, but rumors have accelerated in recent weeks with indications that the company may launch the device later this year.

Recent production problems with the 2012 iMac have largely been solved, suggesting that supply constraints may ease, according to a report from China Times, summarized by BrightWire.

- [T]he company's Taiwanese component suppliers noted that the assembling conformity rate for the new iMac has been improved and mass production started in December 2012. Sales of the device may be boosted in 1Q 2013.

- As new products will usually see orders peak within the first four months after they are launched, the shipments of the new iMac are expected to remain stable through 1Q 2013.

Apple CEO Tim Cook noted in last week's analyst call that iMac shipments would remain constrained through Q1, with the company giving this as a large part of the reason for selling 1.1 million fewer Macs in Q4 2012 compared to Q4 2011.

Currently 27-inch iMacs are showing delivery times of 3-4 weeks, with 21.5-inch models showing 2-3 weeks.

Josh Gad in ‘JOBS’ vs. the real Steve Wozniak — You be the judge.

Reviews of the new JOBS movie starring Ashton Kutcher are mixed, but Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak’s sentiments about the film are certainly not. After the first clip of JOBS surfaced, Woz was quick to say that the scene portrayed never actually happened. That isn’t a surprise considering how Hollywood reconstructs history for narrative’s sake, but Woz’s also said that the portrayed personalities were “very wrong.”

Now it has been revealed that the makers of JOBS approached Woz to help with the project in its early stages, but he turned them down because the script was total “crap.”

Another movie about Steve Jobs is being made by Sony. Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is currently writing the script, and Woz has already signed on with the project as its technical guru and official advisor about all things Apple. So Woz is putting his name behind the big budget movie based on the official Steve Jobs biography instead of this indie flick with Ashton Kutcher.

Here’s what Woz had to tell The Verge after Kutcher’s JOBS premiered at the Sundance Film Festival over the weekend:

“I was approached early on [for JOBS],” Woz tells us. “I read a script as far as I could stomach it and felt it was crap. The Sony people got in contact with me too and in the end I went with them. You can’t do both [films] and be paid.”

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go out and see JOBS went it arrives in theaters this April. It will probably still be entertaining. Just don’t hold your breath for something incredibly accurate.

Source: The Verge

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Following today's revelation of code in iOS 6.1 Beta 5 hinting at future 128 GB iOS devices, 9to5Mac reports that four new high-end iPad configurations have appeared in a U.S. retailer's database.

While the exact identity of the devices is not revealed in the stock database, they do appear as "ultimate" configurations of the current full-size iPad models, suggesting that they may represent 128 GB models of the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad in both black and white.

While it is certainly plausible that this new iPad model is the 128GB iPad, we are currently not confident enough to outright claim that, but it seems likely based on the evidence. [..]

The P101 and P103 names are Apple’s internal nomenclature for the WiFi-only and Cellular-compatible fourth-generation iPads, respectively. Both of those models comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB configurations. These storage sizes are known as “GOOD,” “BETTER,” and “BEST,” respectively. As you can see in our table above, Apple is preparing to release the additional “ULTIMATE” model. “ULTIMATE” frequently refers to the most premium or highest capacity model available. The “A” points to a black configuration, and “B” stands for the white option.

No additional information such as specifications, price, or a launch date for the new configurations have yet been revealed.

Every week Mac Games and More (http://www.macgamesandmore.com/) features a fun, Apple computer game to try out for free and play over the weekend. This week, enter the disturbing world of Edgar Allan Poe where golden bugs bite and jump into an engaging hidden object adventure. Download it now

Dark Tales – Edgar Allan Poe’s The Gold Bug – Collector’s Edition (hidden objects/adventure) – Loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Gold Bug, the game takes you on an adventure with William Legrand and his friend in search a treasure hunt. Legrand reveals that he was bitten by an insect and it now has the key to Captain Kidd’s buried treasure. Your mission as his hired detective is to find that key, ward off bandits and help Legrand find his trove of pirate booty. Download it now

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As noted by @iNeal and iDownloadBlog, the new iOS 6.1 Beta 5 released yesterday contains a reference suggesting that Apple may be looking to offer 128 GB iOS devices in upcoming generations.


The reference to a 128 GB capacity comes as part of SystemPartitionPadding key in the build manifest associated with the release and is not found in publicly available versions of iOS.

While the observation does not mean that a 128 GB iOS device is definitely coming later this year, this is not the first time in recent months that Apple has hinted at future 128 GB iOS devices. iTunes 11, released in late November, contains a graphic corresponding to a mobile device with a capacity of 128 GB, although no such device has been released so far.

Cult of Mac Deals offers up killer deals each and every week, and this past week has been no exception. While you can find all of our deals going on over at the Cult of Mac Deals page right now, we’ve got three in particular from the past week that we’d like showcase for you.

Stay Organized with iDocument

There’s nothing worse for your productivity – or your sanity – than trying to find that elusive document you need right at that moment. This offer will set you up so that you never come across this again – thanks to iDocument. And you’ll get this document organization tool for just $25…but only for a limited time!

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Keep Your iTunes Library Neat and Tidy with Tunes Cleaner for Mac

The iTunes library on your Mac can get a bit unwieldy at times, right? It can become disorganized, with duplicate tracks, multiple spellings for one artist, and a bunch of other oddities that can keep it from being in the bast shape possible. That’s why we’re proud to bring this $5 Cult of Mac Deals offer to the table so you can now enjoy your music collection in peace. This intelligent iTunes cleanup tool will allow you to organize your iTunes library in just a few clicks.

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You’ve always wanted to put a dent in those hard-to-modify PDF files of yours. There are only a few solutions out there, but one stands ut from the rest in both feature and value – and that’s PDFpen by Smile. But with this Cult of Mac Deals offer, we’re upping the ante, and giving you 50% off of its power-packed sibling, PDFpen Pro. For just $50, you can take your PDF manipulation to a whole new level – and you can do it with ease!

For more details on this offer visit the Deals page. (We’re also offering PDFpen for staggeringly low price of just $30, so if PDFpenPro has got more that what you think you’ll need then PDFpen is a great starting point. For more on that offer, visit the Deals page.)

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