Apple

Finally! January 27th marks Apple's special press conference, where they will unveil their "latest creations." Will it be a tablet device or an iPhone for Verizon? What will Steve Jobs reveal in his keynote address? The speculation is running rampant, but thankfully, we've got Chris Hardwick reporting from the event to tell us all about it.

Tune in to Attack of the Show at 7pm on Wednesday, 1/27 to see what Hardwick find out from Apple, what this all means on The Loop and even a special appearance from Steve Jobs himself.

For more Apple coverage, check it out right here on TheFeed!

In less than 24 hours Apple will unveil something in San Francisco. That something is widely expected to be a tablet, a device that Apple has been working on for years. Apple has confirmed it will be unveiling a new product at the event. Outside of that, however, we're in speculation territory. If you're unfamiliar with all the talk about Apple's rumored new device, I've rounded up the rumors for you.

Here's what we expect to see from Apple tomorrow:

• The name is expected to be iSlate or iPad
• A device with a 10-inch or 11-inch touch screen, like a large iPod Touch
• Focus on media-focused format for existing literature -- magazines, books, etc.
• Most existing iPhone/iPod Touch applications should work with the device
• There will be subsidized versions of the device (to provide data) to drive down the price
• Connections will be driven between both persistant 3G and Wi-Fi access
• The price will be somewhere between $500-1,000
• It will be running a modified version of the iPhone OS, not OS X
• There will be a virtual keyboard
• The touch screen will sport tactile feedback, an advancement over other touch screens
• Multi-touch will drive the new interface moreso than on iPhone
• There will be a camera, possibly two -- one on the front, one on the back

Did I miss anything? That's quite the list. I'll have to hide my wallet tomorrow...

Be sure to check back on our continuing coverage in the morning (starting at 10am Pacific) and tune in at 7pm Eastern for Attack of the Show's in-depth Apple analysis!

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Tomorrow is a big day for Apple. Not only is the house that Jobs built expected to unveil their long rumored tablet device, but we could also be seeing a new iPhone model, a new iPhone OS, a new Apple-design planet that will be all the rage for about six months and then be replaced by a sleeker, less expensive one. In other words, it’s going to be pretty wild.

And since we've already told you what we're anticipating from tomorrow's event, we thought we’d take a look at what you all are expecting from it (the good, the bad, the indifference, and so on). After going over the comments thus far, several clear points of view have emerged: dubiousness based on Apple’s track record when it comes to releasing new devices, enthusiasm over what iTablet-like devices mean for the future of media consumption and curiosity regarding what Apple’s “oversized iPhone” will mean for portable gaming.

Hit the jump to see what your fellow G4tv.com readers have to say about some of the tech we could be seeing from Apple tomorrow.

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As you've probably noticed, everyone here at G4 is excited about Apple's upcoming announcement. Tomorrow morning at 10AM PST, we'll finally know what Steve Jobs and company have up their tech-sleeve. Check back here to find out all the Apple news, as it breaks. Are the persistent, overwhelming rumors of an Apple slate going to be confirmed? Is Apple adding other cell providers to the iPhone? Will an as-yet-unimagined bombshell be dropped all over the Apple-faithful?

We can't answer those questions yet, but I have a query you can answer: How hyped are you? On a scale of one to ten, describe your excitement/anticipation level.

Also: Tomorrow, don't miss Attack of the Show at 7PM for info, analysis, reaction and more, as AOTS takes you deep inside the world of Apple.

This Wednesday morning, Apple will be holding an event in San Francisco that will feature the debut of their oft-rumored and long-awaited tablet device. We've been keeping tabs on the rumors just like you, and that's what we're basing the following bits of speculation and pieces of expectation on. Stay with G4 all week for our onslaught of iBook/iSlate/Canvas/Newton 2: The Newtoning coverage, and check out Attack of the Show on Wednesday, 7PM (EST) for in-depth analysis of the Apple announcement!

Soon, all will be revealed. Apple is on the cusp of announcing its long-rumored tablet device, but before that happens, we're free to continue speculating on what it'll actually be. The editors of G4tv.com laid out their thoughts yesterday, but today, it's in the developer's court. Some studios have likely been contacted to produce demos for the new device, but I tracked down five developers who -- as far as I can tell! -- aren't in the know. These designers are sucking away our free time on the iPhone and iPod Touch and may be doing the same thing with Apple's next device, too. Here's what they want to see:

(Note: All game links will open their iTunes page with the exception of Edge)

The Developer: David Papazian, Mobigame
What's He Made? The stylish-looking futuristic puzzle game Edge.

"About the iPad, we are very excited to see Apple's next move. I only heard rumours, but all seem very promising. I guess that we will see less games with virtual d-pad on Apple iDevice, and more games based on multitouch and gestures -- that is good in my opinion. On the iPhone it is hard to control a character with a finger when your finger hides the character itself, and this should be fixed with a bigger screen. Also there is a limitation to 5 fingers on the actual iPhone OS, we wanted to use more fingers for our last game Cross Fingers and the tablet should make it possible. We hope to see an 'analogic touchscreen,' it would be great to know the pressure of the touch, and not only for games. After all, it could be something similar to the latest generation of Wacom tablet.

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This Wednesday morning, Apple will be holding an event in San Francisco that will feature the debut of their oft-rumored and long-awaited tablet device. We've been keeping tabs on the rumors just like you, and that's what we're basing the following bits of speculation and pieces of expectation on. Stay with G4 all week for our onslaught of iBook/iSlate/Canvas/Newton 2: The Newtoning coverage, and be sure to catch Attack of the Show this Wednesday at 7PM (EST) for expert analysis and opinions of Apple's major announcement!

Patrick Klepek, News Editor

When I travel, I like to read. When I travel, I like to read comic books. So far, I've managed to hold off on investing in an e-book because the lack of color means it'd eliminate the possibility of subscribing to one of my favorite mediums in a digital format. I'm not expecting Apple's tablet to introduce colored, affordable e-ink, but it's a step in the right direction for my preferred take on portable media. I'm curious whether the mythical tablet is anything more than a giant iPod touch, however. That's not to say a massive iPod Touch with more advanced computing power wouldn't be an interesting development, but the too-many-to-count rumors about Apple's new device have me more interested in sitting back and waiting to see what happens. Of course, that's not stopping me from speculating here anyway!

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The pieces are falling into place. Apple is holding a press briefing in San Francisco on Wednesday, where the company is widely expected to reveal a tablet media device. Apple has not commented on the nature of the event, but in its financial earnings call this afternoon, Apple CEO and tech prophet Steve Jobs would confirm the company would reveal a "major new product" this week.

Given all the speculation, it's hard to imagine it's anything but the rumored tablet.

"The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong," said Jobs in Apple's financial release, "starting this week with a major new product that we're really excited about."

Stay tuned for continuing coverage leading up to the Apple's major event on Wednesday, not to mention live coverage of the announcements made there. We're so close, people! I can feel it.

Make sure to set your TVs to tune-in to Attack of the Show this Wednesday at 7pm Eastern for in-depth analysis and expert opinion!

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Apple is expected to unveil its new tablet device next week, and, just like the iPhone, gaming is expected to play a role in its appeal. To that end, it appears that Apple has reached out to mega publisher EA to develop games specifically designed to showcase the new device’s capabilities, reports the Wall Street Journal (via GamesIndustry.biz).

Nothing more is really known about the partnership at this point, but expect to hear plenty more about it, and the host of other deals Apple has struck with other media companies and content providers, in the coming weeks. I contacted EA just to see what I could find out, so I’ll let you know if I hear anything.

Source: Wall Street Journal (via GamesIndustry.biz)
 

This week's launch of World of Warcraft Patch 3.3 has unleashed plenty of new content driven towards the ultimate goal of bringing justice to a long-deserving Arthas. If you haven't already caught the chilling trailer, check out The Fall of the Lich King below.

If you've had time to venture through Blizzard's latest offerings feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. (screams of vengeance for Muradin Bronzebeard are welcome).

Have you finished watching Morgan Webb's World of Warcraft interview blowout? We hope not. Let's not kid ourselves. WoW is a massive game and to do it justice, we feel the need for a second set of interviews to satisfy that massively multiplayer online hunger.

First off the bat, listen in on former Star Wars: Galaxies developer, now turned seasoned Blizzard production director, J. Allen Brack, as he chats about his storied fanboy past with Blizzard and how he has progressed into a key development member for World of Warcraft.

Then, Morgan Web visits the long-time (15 years running!) Blizzard production veteran Shane Dabiri to chronicle his rise through the Blizzard ranks and the inception/progression of the MMO behemoth WoW franchise.

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Not very good at RTSes? Don't watch this, it'll only intimidate you more. Blizzard's latest Starcraft II Battle Report, rolls through the remade classic "Lost Temple" map as elite players Yeon-Ho Lee (Protoss) and David Kim (Terran) go head-to-head in another intense play-by-play battle.

Prep your missile silos, this one's jacked up and good to go with plenty of nukes.

Ah, finally. Apple has announced developers can now implement in-app purchases for free applications. This is a massive change in policy for Apple and over the course of the next few months could potentially restructure the entire application economy.

Since the launch of the application store, there's been a massive problem for every application (especially games): there are no demos or trial versions. Developers came up with own solution to the problem with the ever-popular "lite" (and free) version of applications, which essentially doubled the amount of content on the application store unnecessarily and created more work for applications interested in making money.

I've always balked at paying $9.99 for the Beejive instant messaging application for the iPhone and there's no "lite" version. I understand Beejive's argument. They don't want to offer a demo version that could possibly be just enough for what I want from the application, stopping me from ultimately buying the full-featured application. Now, however, Beejive can offer a limited demo version for free and provide me with incentives within the application itself to upgrade. This is a powerful tool for games.

It'll take time for developers to upgrade existing applications and it's possible this will be a movement better embraced by new applications, but it was a move Apple should have made ages ago.

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Apple's apparent rejection of Google Voice for iPhone is silly. The company claims that it's evaluating the product and hasn't approved it because it duplicates some of the iPhone's features and might confuse its users. As much as I admire certain Apple executives and enjoy the company's products, its line of reasoning has me thinking one thing: what a load of crap!!! Let's break it down.

Google Voice duplicates iPhone features: It sure does...but so do several other programs that are available on the iTunes App Store. Whether you're talking about TomTom's GPS app, Spotify, Vonage, or countless other applications, Apple has approved many programs that duplicate the iPhone's functionality. This "concern" is garbage.

Google Voice might confuse iPhone users: Apparently all iPhone users are stupid, unable to tell the difference between the phone's native dialer and Google Voice's. Or maybe iPhone users are stupid for paying AT&T's rates for sending text messages and making international calls -- things Google Voice can do for free and cheap, respectively. Seriously though, there are many iPhone users that aren't tech savvy, but I have to believe that the majority of iPhone owners aren't complete morons. I don't see how the app is confusing to a reasonably intelligent person.

So what's the real reason for the "rejection" of Google Voice? That's easy: Apple doesn't like it. As I explained last month, Apple and Google are competing in more and more areas. Apple doesn't want a filthy Google product infecting its precious iPhone. Furthermore, the iPhone is Apple's house and any visitors have to abide by its rules. I wish the company would fess up and just say that, instead of making pretentious claims about confusing its users.

Anyway, that's my rant on the matter. What do you guys and gals think? Do you think Apple is genuinely concerned about duplicating features and confusing users? Or is that all a bunch of hot air?

The war between Apple and Google just got a wee bit more interesting -- an unredacted version of a document filed with the FCC shows Google claiming that it was informed of Google Voice's rejection from the iTunes App Store by Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller. According to the Google-filed document:

"The primary points of contact between the two companies were Alan Eustace, Google Senior Vice President of Engineering & Research, and Phil Schiller, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing. On July 7, Mr. Eustace and Mr. Schiller spoke over the phone. It was during this call that Mr. Schiller informed Mr. Eustace that Apple was rejecting the Google Voice application."

As I reported in August, Apple filed a document with the FCC that claimed, "Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application". The whole affair has become a "he said, she said" matter and I'm sure both sides are going to claim miscommunication. Certainly someone's pants should be on fire because one of the parties isn't telling the truth.

What do you make of this latest information? Who's telling the truth? Did Apple reject Google Voice? Or is Apple merely evaluating the product (over the course of several months)? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

Source via Engadget Mobile