Following Digitimes' report (and then debunking) that Apple planned to launch a 5-inch iPhone later this year, Russian site AppleDigger.ru has created a mockup of what such an iPhone could look like [Google Translate].

The original rumor was always suspect, but is even more so now that DigiTimes is backtracking on its own story. We post this video now mostly for discussion purposes.

Microsoft today announced that its Surface Pro tablet will go on sale on February 9 in the United States and Canada. Originally slated to arrive in January, the Surface Pro tablet is priced at $899 for the 64GB model and $999 for the 128GB model.

The Surface Pro sports an Intel Core i5 processor with Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4GB of RAM, and a more robust battery. Unlike the RT version of the Surface, it is able to run the full version of Windows 8 as well as Windows 7 applications.

Both versions of the Surface Pro ship with a Surface pen, but the Touch or Type Covers, which retail for $100, are not included.

Anandtech took a preliminary look at the tablet, and created a chart comparing the Surface Pro to the Surface RT and Apple's iPad.


Beginning on February 9, the Surface Pro will be available for purchase on Microsoft’s website, at Microsoft retail outlets, and third party retailers like Staples and Best Buy.

Alongside the Pro, Microsoft is planning to release a 64GB standalone version of the Surface RT for $599, $100 less than the version that ships with the included Touch Cover, and a slew of new Surface accessories.

Earlier this month, Digitimes claimed that Apple was planning to launch a larger and cheaper iPhone in the second half of this year, seeking to make an impact on emerging markets and combat the growing screen sizes seen on Android devices.

Rumors of cheaper and larger iPhones as part of a multi-pronged product strategy for Apple have continued to circulate, but the idea of a new iPhone being both larger and cheaper drew skepticism and questions about how the company would be able to accomplish both goals in a single device.

Digitimes has now published a new report backtracking on its earlier claim and indicating that Apple only plans to launch two new 4-inch iPhone models in 2013, presumably the iPhone 5S and some form of a new iPhone 5, perhaps revamped into a cheaper form factor based around a plastic shell. A larger iPhone is reportedly still in the works, but will not be seeing a launch this year.

Previously it was said that Apple would release a lower-cost version of its iPhone with a bigger screen in 2013. But the sources claimed that Apple is indeed developing an iPhone with a bigger screen, but that will not be among the models to be launched this year.

One of the two versions to be introduced this year will target the midrange market segment, but both will adopt in-cell touch technology.

The report notes that Apple may struggle to bring in-cell display technology to a lower-cost iPhone given issues with yields on the panels, which allow for the thinner profile seen on the iPhone 5, but yields on the new technology are reportedly improving.

NZweek reports (via The Next Web) that government officials in Indonesia have revealed that Apple has submitted an application outlining plans to relaunch its online store in the country, to be followed by the opening of its first Indonesian retail store in Jakarta.

Chatib Basri, BKPM chairman, said BKPM has given official permission to Apple relating to its plan to open online store in Indonesia. “We have approved their (Apple) application,” he said here on Tuesday.

Apple online store in Indonesia is expected to give shorter supply chain and distribution of its products.

Azhar Lubis, deputy chairman of BKPM said Apple will open its store in Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta. “The investment worth around 2 million to 3 million U.S. dollars,” he said.

The Next Web notes that Apple previously operated an online store for Indonesia but shut down the store in early 2011 due to issues with shipping products from the store's central hub in Singapore. The store currently remains online only to provide pricing information and connect customers to resellers.


Apple has been focused on expanding its international retail store presence, and the company revealed in job listings late last year that it is making plans for its first stores in Brazil and Turkey. Apple has also been said to be looking at expanding sales in Russia.

Twitterrific has become one of our favorite Twitter clients for iOS since it was overhauled back in December, and The Iconfactory continues to make it even greater with every update. The latest, version 5.0.2, brings a number of new features, plus a whole host of improvements to things like the in-app browser, VoiceOver, and lists.

Twitterrific’s in-app web browser now offers a handy reading mode using Instapaper or Readability, which strips away adverts and other distractions to leave you with just the text, images, and videos that are relevant to the story you’re reading. In addition to this, the update also allows you to see image previews in the timeline (finally!), find tweets in all timelines via ‘History’ search, and view images in the photo viewer without a frame.

There is also a whole host of improvements and bug fixes, including:

IMPROVEMENTS

• In-app web browser now uses the entire screen on iPad
• Twitterrific now loads 100 tweets while refreshing or loading more
• New gesture: Tap and hold the RT icon on a tweet to quickly retweet with a comment
• When user avatars are hidden in the timeline, tap on a username to open a profile
• VoiceOver now uses a relative date/time on tweets instead of an absolute one
• Added VoiceOver accessibility to the Load More button
• Searches and Lists in the sidebar are now ordered alphabetically
• Tapping outside of popup navigation on iPad now dismisses view
• Visual improvements to popup navigation and views
• Other minor interface improvements

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue where empty Twitter accounts in iOS Settings could cause a crash
• Adjusted scroll to top area so it’s less likely to be tapped by accident
• Foreign keyboards no longer cover up the bottom of the compose screen
• Fixed a bug that prevented some of your friends/followers from being displayed
• Replying to your own reply no longer loses the conversation thread

Finally, this update also forces Instagram links to open within the built-in browser. This isn’t exactly an improvement — it was much nicer when we could see Instagram photos in our timelines — but unfortunately, the photo sharing service doesn’t allow that anymore.

You can download the latest Twitterrific release from the App Store now using the source link below. If you don’t already have the app, we highly recommend it; check out our review.

Source: App Store

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Apple today announced its annual Lunar New Year sale, a one day event for Asian countries that is also known as "Red Friday" because of its similarity to November's Black Friday sales.

As with its Black Friday event, Apple will be offering limited time deals on Macs, iPads, iPods, and accessories like the Smart Cover.

Last year's sales saw discounts of up to 8% on iPads, 10% on iPod touches, and a flat discount of HK$ 770 on all models of the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, and the iMac. This year’s discounts are expected to be similar, and free shipping will be offered.

Apple has also published a gift guide for the event, which features its flagship products like the iPad mini and the iPhone, alongside several third-party accessories from manufacturers like Bose, Logitech, and Griffin.

The Red Friday sale will take place on January 25 and is valid in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

You’ve probably seen stills of Ashton Kutcher dressed up in 1970s Steve Jobs attire, and that’s because he’s playing the former Apple CEO in a new biopic called jOBS. His co-star, Josh Gad, is playing co-founder Steve Wozniak. The film is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and then hitting theaters in April.

The annual Macworld/iWorld conference kicks off later this month. Kutcher and Gad will be giving the opening talk, entitled “Playing Steve and Woz.”

“Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad take the Macworld/iWorld Main stage to share their experiences playing the technology industry’s two most celebrated and influential personalities, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak,” according to the convention’s website. Kutcher and Gad will give the opening keynote at 9 A.M. on Thursday, January 31st at Moscone Center West in San Francisco.

jOBS is directed by Joshua Michael Stern and is set to have its first public viewing at Sundance on January 26th. Kutcher looks like he may actually fit the part, while Gad looks pretty much nothing like Woz.

Will.i.am, everyone’s favorite Black Eyed Peas member/tech entrepreneur, will be giving a talk right after Kutcher and Gad. Joining him will be Intel “futurist” Brian David Johnson to “explore the future of technology, creativity and the gadgets we all love.” Who wants to place bets on Will.i.am pimping out his ultra-expensive iPhone lens kit.

Cult of Mac will be at Macworld/iWorld next week reporting from the show floor! Stay tuned for more coverage.

Source: Macworld

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Home automation is here, but it isn’t cheap — unless you go the smart route with Securifi‘s new Almond+ router. For $100, this thing has much of what you’d expect from a top-tier router: Fast, next-gen 802.11ac compatibility (but still works with this-gen “n” devices), a claimed 5000 ft radius of coverage, four ethernet ports, a USB port and some slick mounting options.

But the kicker is that it’s also compatible with the two most popular home-automation device languages, Zigbee and Z-Wave, and can control a variety of cheap, generic home-automation sensors (like these) through the built-in, generic, modular control screens on its touch-screen interface.

Another plus: Because it has its own touch-screen interface, you could ostensibly control your house without even needing a computer, or from your iOS or Android device (Securifi says iPhone and Android apps are imminent).

The Almond+ Router should hit Kickstarter in a week or so. It’ll initially sell for $99, but jump to $129 on Amazon when it leaves Kickstarter.

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Even the game icon is surprised.

Today, Imangi Studios announced that Temple Run 2–sequel to runaway hit mobile game, Temple Run–recorded an outrageous 20 million downloads in its first week on the iTunes App Store. The game shot up to the number one free app in only eight hours, and is now the number 2 top grossing app on the App Store charts. Pretty amazing for a free to download game, right?

The original Temple Run was downloaded over 170 million times across the Google Play, Amazon Marketplace, and iOS App Store. In under one week, Temple Run 2 has been played in over 210 million sessions, which totals up to over 1,775 years of gameplay combined. Whew.

“The response from fans has been overwhelming,” says Keith Shepherd, co-founder of Imangi. “We are thrilled players want more of the Temple Run universe, and we hope to grow and expand the game over the coming months.”

Shepherd and his wife, Natalia Luckyanova, started Imangi Studios in the early days of the App Store, releasing Word Squares to a small but dedicated audience. They have had some success with other mobile games, including Max Adventure and Harbor Master, but none quite as amazingly as with Temple Run and it’s sequel.

Temple Run 2 happens in a new challenging world with curvier roads, hills, valleys, and zip lines with a bigger, badder monkey chasing you down. A couple of wrong turns or missteps and it’s game over, monkey-lunch style. The graphics are improved, as well, bringing an almost console-quality experience to the iOS platform. The game is expected to release on Android platforms later this week.

Source: TriplePoint

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Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad, the actors who play Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the upcoming independent movie jOBS, will be hitting up the annual Macworld/iWorld conference in San Francisco next week.

The two actors will be attending a talk where they discuss their experiences portraying the two Steves, who famously began Apple Computer in 1976. The session is titled "Playing Steve & Woz," and it will take place on the main stage of room 2005 at 9:00 a.m. on the first day of the event.

jOBS will be premiering at the Sundance Film Festival later this week, with a public release set for April.

Musician Will.i.am also plans to attend the Macworld/iWorld conference this year, pairing with Intel futurist Brian David Johnson in a discussion on future technology and gadgets. Fred Armisen, of Portlandia and Saturday Night Live, will also be present.

Though Apple has not attended Macworld/iWorld since 2009, the conference has continued to be popular with third party companies, developers, and Apple enthusiasts. Over the years, Macworld/iWorld has expanded to include Apple's mobile operating system in addition to the traditional Mac hardware and software.

The conference, which features upcoming products, apps, and tech talks, is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased beginning at $25 for access to the Expo hall.

Macworld/iWorld begins on January 31 and will run until February 2 at Moscone Center West in San Francisco.