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When you’re looking to overhaul your retail store line, there’s really know better place to turn than Apple. If you visit an Apple store, you’ll generally see a huge consumer base who many times isn’t really buying anything. They just enjoy the Apple retail experience. Disney is looking to harness that same energy as they’ve turned to Steve Jobs for help in re-imagining their own retail experience.

In 2006, Jobs joined the Disney Board of Directors, so seeing him help them with a new retail store idea isn’t anything drastically surprising. However, Jobs has really opened up Apple and let Disney have a look at store development and operations. Disney execs also visited Apple’s campus to help aid them with providing a positive customer experience.

Disney’s plan is to turn their stores into ‘Imagination Parks’. Where visiting the store becomes more of an experience then just visiting and buying a product. They’ve used Apple’s ideas for in-store theaters and mobile checkout as a base for starting out.

The idea has been approved by the board, and concepts are currently being brought to life. You can expect the first stores to open sometime in May of next year.

When enough publications write about the same story, in this case the release of the new iMac line you almost have to report it as fact. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t commented on the rumors so for now the iMac’s release is “unofficial”. So, take that for what you will.

AppleInsider is reporting that the new lines were finalized and sent to production earlier this September. They are now rolling down the product lines of Apple’s Taiwanese factories. Along with AppleInsider, Tech Trader Daily is referencing that the new iMacs and MacBooks could see release in the next several weeks.

While the release of the iMac is all but official, the features for the new iMac line is really up in the air. Many believe that the new line will be more affordable in price, and will sport a thinner design. Some more of the flashier rumors is that Apple might be embracing Blu-Ray for the first time in their history. This of course contradicts that Apple is looking to go ‘more affordable’, though they could counter that by making Blu-Ray optional.

If you wish to not wait on the new line, you should know that Apple is offering instant discounts of $100 and $200 on existing models. Which only fans the rumor flame even more, as it’s a sign of Apple wanting to clear out inventory for their new line.

Reports are drifting in from random iPhone addicts that their multimedia messaging system (MMS) is working, an event that wasn’t supposed to happen until several days hence, September 25 to be exact. Somehow, somewhere, someone slipped up (maybe), and now many iPhone users have full functionality for the MMS on AT&T-carried iPhones.

Though it may sound somewhat like a small chocolate candy, MMS actually stands for Multimedia Messaging System, the basic gist being that you can easily send songs, videos, pics, and fancy flashing fonts with ease and joy. Chances are, you enjoyed the blessings of MMS last week when you took a picture of your kid from your (non-iPhone) phone and sent it to your mom.

MMS is nothing new, but the iPhone integration with MMS is new, which is not Apple’s fault: it’s AT&T’s. The iPhone’s major carrier wasn’t quite in sync with iPhone’s June rollout of OS 3.0, which supported MMS. AT&T probably enjoyed a few rounds through the ringer from Apple and iPhone users alike for that snafu.

Until now, iPhoners wanting to send a picture of their pet dog have to take a picture of their dog, save it, make an e-mail message, attach the picture of the dog on the e-mail, and then send it. Kind of a hassle, huh? MMS makes the whole process a lot simpler, faster, and smile-inducing. Basically, it’s like text-messaging pics, videos, and songs in a typical SMS-kind of a way. Simple. Fast. Easy.

AT&T, who bears the onus for the late release of the MMS may trying to clean pie off their face with an early release for some. The reason that MMS wouldn’t work is something called opt-out codes that were pandemically slapped on every iPhone account. The opt-out codes put the kibosh on MMS-capability. In order to reinstate MMS capability those opt-out codes have to be removed in a one-by-one fashion. Yeah. Somebody at AT&T is getting some serious overtime. That’s why they may be trying to go at it early.

Blogger Ash Kalib from Mediaite was one of the first to hail the entre of the great MMS, when he blogged on Saturday, “for me at least, it seems to just be working.” Within moments, fellow iPhone users joined in the jubilant chorus of similar reports.

September 25 was the great day when MMS was allegedly coming out. With the Christmas present already unwrapped, so to speak, that date may just be moot, but not for all iPhone users. Kalib recommends that “if you can’t wait for the 25th, or don’t trust AT&T to get there on time, give it a try. Your iPhone might just MMS too.”

Users Complaining of Frequent Crashing

Variously dubbed as the “spinning wheel of death,” or the “gray screen of death,” users of Apple’s new Snow Leopard operating system are crying out with grief. When users attempt to perform a system upgrade and installation to the OS X 10.6, some have been met with a screen that interminably displays a monochromatic screen and spinning wheel. The “spinning wheel of death” is the Apple equivalent to the Windows “blue screen of death.”

The Apple forums have been slammed with cries of outrage from disgruntled users. One frustrated user raged: “I…now have a totally non-functioning machine - just a spinning wheel and then black screen.” One other hopeful-installer tried to install, and wrote, “the SBBoD [acronym for “spinning beach ball of death”] started its spinning. After waiting about 10 minutes, I restarted the computer, and reinstalled SL. Same result upon restart. I fell asleep on the couch.”

Although the problem occurs when users try to install the new operating system, there are some techies who claim that Snow Leopard isn’t really the problem. The real problem, according to the report, is “preexisting faults on your computer.” A hardware problem, a corrupt file system, or a past experience with a sudden disk or power shutdown, are all likely candidates. An installation of a new operating system merely expose the problem.

Possibly. But despite those comforting words, it’s too late for a glorious reception of Apple’s new operating system. Of all of Apple’s OS upgrades, Snow Leopard seems to have the most tics. However, according to reports, “Apple is moving quickly to patch holes and repair incompatibilities within Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, having already providing some developers with betas of the first maintenance and security update planned for the new operating system.” Observers who are close to the situation predict that the upgraded OS X 10.6.1 should remedy any problems with the spinning wheel of death.

Spinning wheels of death haven’t been the only gripes. Some complain about printer driver failures (especially with HP printers), a slough of incompatible programs, failure of VPN clients, and security concerns.

No doubt, Microsoft execs are chuckling with unrepressed glee. Apple’s release of the Snow Leopard operating system comes mere weeks before the long-awaited release of Windows 7, Microsoft’s new operating system. Other Apple critics comment that for those who are “tired of the sanctimonious smugness of Apple users, it makes extremely entertaining reading.”

Undeterred, Apple devotees work, and wait for a solution. For Apple users, at least it’s better than the legendary blue screen of death.

The White, Polycarbonate MacBook Is Due for an Upgrade

Just when you were getting used to your MacBook, Apple is getting ready to give it an upgrade. After handling the cool metallic surface of the MacBook Pro, typing on a backlit keyboard, and enjoying the glassy screen of my MacBook Pro, reverting to the plastic white veneer of the old 13-inch MacBook seems so old school.

Apple thinks so, too. That’s why, according to reports, Apple is preparing to give the runt of the family a makeover that would make it an even more formidable contender in the laptop competition, which is still hot. Here is how Apple plans on doing that.

First of all, and most importantly, the MacBook will get a price cut. The market is now flooded with inexpensive netbooks. Many consumers are in no position (let alone the mood) to throw several hundred dollars more toward a computer just because it has a luminescent apple on the screen. Steve Jobs is famous for his quip, “”We don’t know how to make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk.” So ‘price cut’ is not going to get you as low as $500, especially with the kind of upgrade Apple has in mind. On the flip side, it’s not going to go for the envelope-pushing pricetag of $1300, which is where aluminum MacBooks come in. Between $500 and $999 is as specific as we can get at this point.

From a body perspective, the MacBook should get a sleeker feel. Apple’s appeal comes in large part from their clutter-cutting design. While it may have once been cool to have plugs, buttons, and useless slots violating the sides of laptops, that day is no longer. The MacBook redesign will amplify Apple’s trademark simplicity with less girth, less weight, and the unibody look.

Internally, MacBook should get a new heart, too. The Core 2 Duo chip is the only likely candidate for this change. Having this better faster chip as the standard internal architecture for the MacBook would place it in the speed ranks of its pricier cousins, but would still keep it out of their price range.

Right now, MacBook is Apple’s cash cow. Due to its position on the lower-end of the price totem pole, most students (one of Apple’s biggest market sectors) would be more likely to make this lower-end MacBook their first choice. By juicing up the performance and slimming down the design, Apple will not only keep the MacBook as a front-runner, but may also be able to winch open the market sector to include a larger portion of the business community. By enhancing the selection with MacBook upgrade options, the redesigned MacBook can only be a winner.

For those using iPhoto ‘09, a new version is now available for download. iPhoto 8.1.

Here are some of the updates you can expect to find with the download:

- This update adds several new print product options to iPhoto “09:

- Hardcover books can be ordered in a new extra-large (13″ x 10″) size
Includes three new book themes with travel-oriented designs: Tropical, Asian, Old World
A variety of new holiday greeting cards themes are now available

The download is 160.4 MB, and is now available.

For those who are wondering what all is included with the Mac OS X v10.5.8 Update, here is all the information you need to know. If you follow that link, you’ll find instructions for updating, and options for installation.

If you just want to know everything on your system that is being updated, here’s a list of updates:

* Upgrades Safari to version 4.0.2.
* Improves the accuracy of full history search in Safari 4.
* Resolves an issue in which certain resolutions might not appear in the Display pane in System Preferences.
* Dragging an Aperture image into Automator now invokes an Aperture action instead of incorrectly invoking an iPhoto action.
* Resolves an issue that could prevent importing of large photo and movie files from digital cameras.
* Improves overall Bluetooth reliability with external devices, USB webcams and printers.
* Addresses an issue that could cause extended startup times.
* Improves iCal reliability with MobileMe Sync and CalDav.
* Addresses data reliability issues with iDisk and MobileMe.
* Improves overall reliability with AFP.
* Improves overall reliability with Managed Client.
* Improves compatibility and reliability for joining AirPort networks.
* Improves Sync Service reliability.
* Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
* Improves compatibility with some external USB hard drives.
* Includes latest security fixes.

Fresh rumors of the newest addition to the Apple family are again active. With the latest information comes new information on the release time for the new device as well as whispers of new content coming alongside.

When Steve Jobs first mentioned the device, speculation went gangbusters. It is now general knowledge that Apple is going to release a new device—maybe like a tablet, maybe like an iPod Touch, and maybe like a MacBook, and maybe like none of the above. What’s more, is nobody knows when it will be released.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to MacRumors, the the iPhone has a new beta out for the iPhone OS 3.1. The beta is termed as Build 7C116a. To coincide with the release, a new SDK for 3.1 is available in beta as well.

If you want to check out either items, visit the iPhone Dev Center.

There are a few new features with the iPhone OS 3.1 that Apple is wanting to test out. If you want people walking into walls because of their phones more so than they are now because of texting, just get this augmented reality tech completed..

If you’re as big as Apple, you’re bound to step on somebody’s toes. It’s happened to the Cupertino firm often for them to have assembled a small army of lawyers, litigation experts, legal analysts, attorneys, and an impressive collection of other legists to navigate their various legal challenges.

The most recent legal challenge comes from Tsera LLC, a little technology firm in Texas. The firm is not just targeting Apple, even though Steve Jobs is the biggest prize in their sights. They have also leveled charges against Microsoft, LG, Cowon, iRiver, Bang & Olufsen, Meizu, Philips and Trekstor, and a handful of other firms.

The charges come with allegations that Apple, Microsoft, LG, and all the rest have violated Tsera’s touchpad patent. In 2003, Tsera obtained a patent for media devices. In the six years since the event, every company that has produced a media player + touchpad of any significance has, according to Tsera, infringed upon their patent. The touchpad patent focused around recognition of swipe movements.

What does Tsera want? Besides the media recognition that is bound to fall upon them, they want royalties. Lots of them, apparently. They are not merely soliciting 20 major tech firms for money. They are also possibly asking for the royalty to apply to every device produced with a touchpad. And every future device produced. Oh, and they also want damage fees. Apple will be the biggest cash cow, since Apple has known about Tsera’s patent for five years.