Apple buys Chomp to 'revamp' App Store search

Apple has splashed-out on application discovery website Chomp and plans to use the technology to revamp the App Store, according to TechCrunch.

Recent speculation has hinted that an overhaul is due for Apple's application download portal so Apple's reported acquisition arrives at an opportune time.

Three year-old start-up Chomp.com arguably gives smartphone and tablet owners a more efficient way to discover new apps by simply asking 'what kind of app are you looking for?'

It brings easy access to categories like trending apps, free apps of the day, all time greats, and on-sale applications for iPhone, Android and iPad.

Moving to Cupertino

The TechCrunch report says the entire Chomp team will transition over to Apple, when the purchase is completed.

"This is not a cheap acqui-hire," says the article. "Apple has bought the Chomp team and technology and plans to use both to completely revamp App Store search and recommendations."

There has been no official confirmation from Apple or Chomp.

Apple shutters iCloud push services in Germany

Apple has halted its iCloud push service in Germany as a result of losing a patent dispute with Motorola.

Although customers will still be able to access their email through iCloud and MobileMe on their iOS devices, they'll have to physically log in to their mailboxes to do so.

"Affected customers will continue to receive their iCloud and MobileMe email," explains Apple's German support page.

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"New messages may only be loaded on their devices when the mail program is opened or if the device periodically retrieves new emails, depending on the configuration of the iOS settings.

"The push email service for desktop computers, laptop computers and the internet, and other service providers such as Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, are not affected."

There's no indication of how long the push services will be down though, as Apple still maintains that Motorola's claim over the relevant patent is invalid and plans to appeal the court's decision.

While all eyes will be on MWC 2012 next week, Apple will be staying characteristically quiet (unless it steals all the thunder by announcing the date of its iPad 3 event, presumed to be imminent).

Motorola is also expected to be fairly quiet in Barcelona; perhaps because it's focusing all its efforts on suing Apple and selling itself to Google instead. Or because it already launched its Droid Razr Maxx and the new Xoom this year. Either way.

Apple iPad 3 ready to leave Foxconn for US?

Shipments of Apple iPad 3 tablets are ready to depart the Foxconn plant in China and head for the United States, leaked documents have revealed.

The Apple Pro blog has obtained what it claims to be a shipping document that says the tablet is set to arrive on US shores no later than March 9th, two days after the rumoured date for the launch event.

The document shows that shipments will be made to three major airports in the United States for easy distribution around the country.

Combine the two assumptions and it seems fair to suggest that, just like last year, the Apple iPad 3 will go on sale in the United States around a week after the launch date.

Price hike incoming?

Recent reports seem to suggest that the iPad 3 will boast a much-improved Retina Display, a faster A5X or A6 processor as well as a 4G LTE radio and a camera with a larger sensor.

However, reports today suggest that Apple fans may be forced to pay more for those extra features.

Speculation from the far east suggests that the base price for the iPad 3 will be $579, rather than the $499 users are currently paying for a Wi-Fi-only 16GB iPad 2.

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Opinion: Apple iPad 3 launch: time for Cook to shine

Not that long ago I was sat at the London iPhone 4S announcement writing a live blog as several of the company's big wigs went through the phone that wasn't the iPhone 5 but that did become a truly monumental success for the company.

It was Tim Cook's first major consumer announcement and yet the whole thing felt muted. Cook himself was typically confident and forthright, and yet he was happy to let his team do the majority of the talking.

A few days later and we found out the sad news of Steve Jobs, and the conference was thrown into stark relief.

The questions about the lack of impact without Jobs on stage fell away. Now we knew that Jobs wouldn't only not be at the announcements of the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5, but that wouldn't be around to see the launch of his beloved devices.

iPad 3 launch

Less than six months on and we are only days away from the launch event for what is almost certainly the iPad 3 and all eyes will be on Cook as he kick starts the new post-Jobs era for Apple.

Perhaps that's overstating it a little. Apple has been beavering away on the iPad 3 for a long time, and yet this is one of the two key launches on Apple fans' calendars, with the belated iPhone 5 announcement likely to be later this year.

And it is up to Cook and his team to show that Apple is just as confident that it can flourish in the post-Jobs era as Jobs was confident that Apple would flourish in the post-PC era.

One more thing...

That doesn't mean that Cook needs to take to the stage in a black turtleneck, grandstanding, charming the crowd and closing with "one more thing".

It doesn't even mean that Cook needs to take the bulk of the time on stage; it would be entirely understandable that Apple does not want to fill the vacuum of Jobs with another single figure. Instead it will try to share the load across its luminaries: Ive, Cook, Schiller, Forstall et al.

But what it will need to do is prove that the iPhone 4S announcement was not the new Apple; that the figure-heavy presentation and sombre mood was for the perfectly acceptable reason of Jobs' illness.

Make no mistake, the iPad 3 launch is a massive deal for Apple.

Few would doubt that Apple will continue to go from strength to strength assuming it continues with the perfectionism that marked Jobs' time at Apple.

But this conference is the time for Apple to show that it can still wow the world, leave the fanboys giddy with glee and convert the cynics with the familiar spellbinding mix of showmanship and gorgeous gadgets.

In Depth: Apple iTV rumours: what you need to know

Apple iTV rumours: what you need to know

We love our Apple TV, but we're not sure Apple does: the firm's more interested in getting iPads into your living room than Apple TVs under your flat screen.

Apple says the Apple TV is a hobby, but it turns out Apple is thinking bigger. Much, much bigger: it wants to sell you the entire TV set, not a little box beneath it.

In a 15 February 2012 earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted again at the release of something bigger and better than the current Apple TV (credit CNN Money).

And, with the iPad 3 launch announcement set for 7 March, rumours are rife that Apple will also announce some kind of TV product then - largely since the invite to the event said the launch was "something you really have to see. And touch."

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"With Apple TV, however, despite the barriers in [the TV set top box] market, for those of us who use it, we've always thought there was something there. And that if we kept following our intuition and kept pulling the string, then we might find something that was larger.

"For those people that have it right now, the customer satisfaction is off the charts. But we need something that could go more main market for it to be a serious category."

Here's all the rumours and speculation surrounding the next-generation new Apple TV.

Apple iTV design

Forget the current hockey-puck form factor: the rumour mill is unanimous that the third generation Apple TV will be a proper TV.

The Telegraph says that "sources within the company" say that Jeff Robbin, the man who helped create the iPod, is leading the team.

Remember that hockey puck we told you to forget about two sentences ago? You might want to remember it again, because 9to5Mac has found a reference to a new Apple TV (AppleTV3,1; the current model is 2,1) in the latest build of iOS. That could indicate an upgrade to the current Apple TV before the new sets ship.

Apple iTV specifications

Engadget predicts an A5 processor and 1080p video - neither of which are a huge surprise, granted.

Australian tech site Smarthouse says that the Apple iTV will come in three sizes, including 32-inch and 55-inch models.

Sources at "a major Japanese company who are involved in manufacturing the TV" reckon the sets will have the same processor as the forthcoming iPad 3, which presumably means an Apple A6.

Smarthouse isn't usually the go-to site for Apple rumours, but its report echoes similar claims by respected Apple analyst Gene Munster, who told the recent Future of Media conference that Apple will make its TV in a range of sizes.

The supply chain for the iTV is set to get going during the first quarter of 2012. That's according to Digitimes on 27 December 2011.

Apple iTV operating system

As with the current generation, the third generation Apple TV is likely to run iOS, albeit in slightly disguised form. Compatibility with other iOS devices is a given: current Apple TVs already accept video streamed via AirPlay and access shared iTunes libraries. We'll be amazed if the iTV doesn't get apps.

Apple iTV and iCloud

Steve Jobs told his biographer: "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

Apple iTV remote control

Munster says the iTV will come with an ordinary remote control, and will be controllable with iPhones, iPod touches and iPads, but the real remote control will be Siri.

Apple's voice recognition system will be the heart of the new Apple TV, enabling you to choose channels and control the TV's functions with voice alone. That means " the simplest user interface you could imagine" is voice.

Apple iTV AirPlay mirroring

After AirPlay mirroring from Mac to Apple TV was present in the developer preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, it's not a great leap to suggest that the Apple iTV could mirror the display of your Mac or iPad wirelessly too. AirPlay mirroring is 720p only at the moment - could it be 1080p compliant on in the Apple iTV?

Apple iTV programmes

While the iTV will get content from iTunes and iCloud, it's not going to be completely separate from current TV broadcasters: Munster says that you'll still need a cable TV subscription and decoder because Apple doesn't have enough content.

We're not sure whether it would play nicely with Freeview and Freeview HD here in the UK, but perhaps a DVB-T compatible unit will arrive as part of a second generation.

Apple iTV price

Gene Munster reckons that the iTV will be twice the price of a similarly sized TV. Ouch.

Apple iTV picture quality

If the iTV does appear, it won't leave manufacturers quaking in their boots. That's according to Samsung's Chris Moseley who told Pocket-Lint in early February 2012 that the firm isn't overly concerned with what Apple launches if it decides to enter the TV market

"We've not seen what they've done but what we can say is that they don't have 10,000 people in R&D in the vision category," he says.

"They don't have the best scaling engine in the world and they don't have world renowned picture quality that has been awarded more than anyone else."

Apple iTV release date

Most rumours predict a 2013 Apple iTV release date, but the more optimistic observers think Apple won't want to miss 2012's Christmas shopping season. The New York Times says that price, not technology, is the problem: Apple is waiting for the cost of large LCD panels to fall further before building iTVs.

Apple iPad 3 Event Scheduled For March 7th In San Francisco

It's not like we weren't expecting it, but Apple's now made it official. The event is scheduled for March 7th at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10AM PST. 

Apparently, the event is about something they would really like us to see, and touch. If you pay close attention to the image, that is definitely not a 1024x768 pixel display, but instead a super-high resolution Retina display as most us have come to expect. Most estimates currently put the resolution at twice that of the original iPad/iPad 2; or at a ridiculous 2048x1536 pixels. That should put the iPad 3's display at 264ppi, which is still shy of the iPhone 4's 326ppi display, but impressive nonetheless. In comparison, the optional high resolution displays on the current-gen 15" MacBook Pros sport a modest 1680x1050 resolution.

Amongst other things, the new iPad should bring with it upgraded internals such as a faster processor; possibly an upgraded SoC with faster graphics and better front and rear-facing cameras. Since Apple never publicly releases the specifications of its SoCs, it would be unwise to comment on the exact nature of the silicon inside the iPad 3 until we can run benchmarks and draw some inferences about the architecture, process node, performance and power consumption of the new chip. It remains to be seen whether Apple offers Siri on the iPad 3 or if it would remain as an iPhone-exclusive feature. However, it would be fair game to expect iOS 5.1 to launch alongside the new iPad 3.

What is certain however, is that the added lure of the Retina display, amongst other things, should keep Apple comfortably ahead of the competition in terms of absolute revenue and unit sales. We can also expect pre-order systems to crash, and long lines outside Apple stores shortly.

If the date on the calendar is any hint, the wait isn't terribly long now. Keep your credit cards ready.

Source: The Verge

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Apple quizzed by Congress over Path row

Members of the United States Congress have written to Apple demanding answers over the Path application controversy, which saw iOS users' address books uploaded without consent.

Developers of the social networking app admitted it had mistakenly uploaded the contact information from iPhones, but has since cleared the data from its systems and issued an apology.

However, the case highlighted a flaw that could be repeated with every iOS app. They all have access to the same information, which allows apps to collate and upload the data without your permission.

Now the storm has reached government level, with Congress saying the Path incident "raises questions about whether Apple's iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts."

Questions, questions, questions...

The letter addressed to Tim Cook demands clarification on a number of issues including the company's app privacy guidelines and how the App Store determines whether an app meets that criteria.

Congress also wants to know whether Apple considers "the contents of the address book to be "data about a user"?", while asking how many apps transmit data from the address book.

It also asks this rather reasonable question: "You have built into your devices the ability to turn off in one place the transmission of location information entirely or on an app-by-app basis. Please explain why you have not done the same for address book information."

The letter, which can be read in full on the Energy and Commerce Committee site, requests a response from Cook by the end of the month.

Via: TheNextWeb

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Apps collecting address book data are 'in violation,' says Apple

Apple has released a statement claiming that all apps that collect address book data from iOS users, without explicit permission, are in violation of its policies.

The company says it is currently working on a software fix to prevent offending applications, like the Path social network app, from harvesting the data from your smartphone.

The statement from Cupertino follows over a week of controversy since it was discovered that Path stored data from the address books of its user base.

The company has since apologised and cleaned its servers, but other iOS apps still have the ability to collate the data without asking you first.

Violating guidelines

Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said: "Apps that collect or transmit a user's contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines.

"We're working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release."

Apple's insistence that it will fix the problem in a 'future software release' doesn't offer any sort of timeline for users worried about what third party companies may be doing with their data.

The company's statement on Wednesday may have resulted from a letter sent to Tim Cook by members of the United States Congress, pushing Apple for answers.