4th gen iPad’s A6X chip runs quad-core PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics

Apple introduced the new A6X with the fourth-generation iPad on October 23. It’s an improved version of the A6 silicon powering the iPhone 5 by increasing clock frequency for the CPU (1.5GHz) and GPU (500MHz) part in order to achieve Apple’s claim of twice the CPU and GPU performance.

Though the A6X still runs two ARM Cortex-A15 cores with a heavily customized, Apple’s own ARMv7 based processor design (called Swift), the company has improved graphics performance compared to the A6′s three PowerVR-based GPU cores by moving to a newer GPU core: the PowerVR SGX 554 from UK’s fabless semiconductor maker Imagination Technologies, where Apple has an ownership stake…

AnandTech analyzed benchamrks performed by Kishonti Informatics and concluded that Imagination Technologies’ quad-core PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics powers the A6X package, itself fabbed on Samsung’s 32-nanometer process.

The A5X package found inside the original and now phased-out iPad 3 model had two ARM Cortex A9 cores running at 1GHz paired with four PowerVR SGX 543 cores running at 250MHz.

The A6X retains the 128-bit wide memory interface of the A5X (and it keeps the memory controller interface adjacent to the GPU cores and not the CPU cores as is the case in the A5/A6). It also integrates two of Apple’s new Swift cores running at up to 1.4GHz (a slight increase from the 1.3GHz cores in the iPhone 5′s A6). The big news today is what happens on the GPU side.

Imagination provides little data about the 554 but Chipworks was able to determine that “each GPU core is sub-divided into 9 sub-cores: 2 sets of 4 identical sub-cores plus a central core”.

Because of this doubling of the per-core count (two sets of four identical sub-cores plus a central core) and the increase in clock frequency, the A6X fares substantially better in GLBenchmark than its A5X counterpart, fulfilling Apple’s “twice as much” performance claim.

Claimed unlocked iPhone 5 prices show up on Apple’s website

While Apple offers unlocked iPhone 5s in Canada and other countries, it has yet to give buyers inside the US that option. So unless you go through a third party vendor, you can’t get an unlocked iPhone 5 here in the States.

That could be changing in the near future though. Purported prices for unlocked versions of the new handset have been discovered hidden on Apple’s US website, which could mean that they’re preparing to roll them out…

AppleInsider reports:

“While not listed anywhere else on the site, a query for “iPhone 5 factory unlocked” in the Apple.com search bar reveals “Apple Store Results” as seen above. The units are priced at $649 for the 16GB version, $749 for the 32GB model, and $849 for the 64GB iteration.”

Though not shown in the above screenshot, all prices for both GSM and CDMA models can be found this way by adding the storage size. So searching for “iPhone 5 factory unlocked 32GB” will return results for both models.

It’s unknown how long these search results have been on Apple’s website, so there’s no way to know when or if we’ll see unlocked iPhone 5s in the US. Last year, though, Apple started selling unlocked 4S models on November 11.

It’s also worth noting that back in September, we discovered that the Verizon version of the iPhone 5 comes with an unlocked SIM card slot, meaning it will work on GSM networks. Something to keep in mind if you’re in the market.

The HiLO Lens: an angled camera lens for your iPhone

A friend of mine asked me the other day what I thought about add-on camera lenses for the iPhone. I told him the Olloclip was pretty popular, but I hadn’t ever owned any myself so I probably wasn’t the best person to ask.

You see, I’ve never really seen the point to these clip-on lenses. They just never seem to improve picture quality enough to justify the cost and hassle. But this new HiLO Lens might actually be worth taking a look at…

The HiLO is an angled, innovative camera lens for your iPhone. It fits over the handset’s rear iSight lens, and attaches via a sticky pad. Don’t worry, it won’t leave residue on your device and can be cleaned with soap and water. The casing of the lens is made from machined aluminum, and inside you’ll find custom designed optics, made with three lenses and a prism. This essentially gives you a pariscope-like setup, so you can take angled photos.

If you’re interested in the HiLO, you might consider heading over to its Kickstarter page and backing the project. With 14 days left, they’re at $21,000 of their $27,500 goal. A $60 pledge scores you an early version of the lens.

The team says the HiLO will start shipping in February of next year, and will be compatible with the iPhone 4, 4S and 5. It’s an interesting product, for sure, and will make a nice addition to any iPhoneographer’s lens kit.

What do you think of the HiLO? Cool idea, or expensive novelty?

Angry Birds Star Wars gameplay video debuts ahead of Thursday release

I’m sure you know Angry Birds Star Wars is due on iOS, Android and a bunch of other platforms this coming Thursday. Rovio’s been promoting the hell out of this game and today the Finnish developer posted the official video that reveals much more in terms of gameplay than half a dozen previously released clips. Angry Birds Star Wars better be darn good. Otherwise, I’m gonna be hating everything Star Wars till the grave. I’ve also included a nice Darth Vader & Han Solo video after the break…

And here’s the Obi Wan & Darth Vader clip. I know who’s gonna be playing it like there’s no tomorrow – my mom.

Ever since inheriting my iPad 2, she can’t get enough of Angry Birds and constantly keeps asking me about content updates.

I don’t think there has ever been a mobile game franchise like this.

I was – and still am – a big fan of the series but am nonetheless surprised that the game hasn’t run its course yet.

You?

The iPad mini launching in 34 countries, here are launch videos

On Friday the new 7.9-inch iPad and a retooled fourth-generation iPad with Retina display both went on sale in what goes down in history as Apple’s broadest and deepest iPad launch ever. The initial pre-order stock was sold out within hours a week ago, with expectation that the smaller iPad will move 1.5 million units during the weekend.

According to first reports, the launch drew shorter lines than for previous iPad launches, with places like Sydney experiencing the familiar lines that stretch for several blocks. Though the turnout wasn’t as big as for a new iPhone, you had to stand in line if you wanted to buy the iPad mini at an Apple store. We’ve got some pretty nice launch videos right below the fold…

The iPad mini first hit New Zealand hours ago. The gizmo represents, according to Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets, Apple’s “broadest and deepest iPad launch ever, just in time for the holidays”.

This is the line outside Apple’s Amsterdam store.

No jokes about the “mini” lines, please.

In comparison, the iPad 3 launched in just twelve countries back in March. The iPad 2 and the original model were available only in the United States at launch, later rolling out worldwide.

In addition to the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, the iPad mini launched today in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Hong Kong

Tokyo

Seoul

Sydney

It’s available in black & slate and white & silver and the usual storage tiers: 16/32/64GB for $329/$429/$529. The Wi-Fi + Cellular model is a $130 extra and will ship a week from today. Apple will announce additional countries getting the iPad mini in due time.

Our own Jeff Benjamin already has his unit and will be posting the unboxing video. The iDB will be right here, reporting throughout the day about the launch festivities, posting hands-on videos, our impressions and everything else we find out about the device so stay tuned.

Did you stand in line for your iPad mini?

Lockscreen music controls in iOS 6.1

Apple released iOS 6.1 beta to developers earlier today and we’ve been on the hunt for new interesting features ever since. iDB reader Darryl R. sent us an interesting find that isn’t life changing, but still deserves a little attention.

When playing a song from the Music app, if you are on the Lockscreen and double tap the Home button, you will notice the new music controls and layout that are now consistent with the controls you find inside the Music app itself…

As I said above, it’s probably not going to change your life, but it will certainly make your Music experience that much more pleasant.

As always, please make sure to let us know if you find anything interesting in iOS 6.1.

Teardown of 4th gen iPad reveals LG Retina display and more

With the newly-unveiled fourth generation iPad now on sale in some parts of the globe, the inevitable teardowns have begun. As usual, iFixit was first on scene, and has posted a detailed breakdown of the tablet’s innards.

As you might expect, there aren’t many internal differences between the new iPad and the one Apple launched 6 months ago. But it does have a new processor, and a few other changes, so it’s certainly worth taking a look at…

The biggest change in the iPad 4 is obviously the A6X. Apple has given its latest tablet its newest processor, giving it double the speed of its predecessor. We’ll likely hear more about this customized chipset as time goes on.

Of course, the 4th gen iPad also has an upgraded FaceTime camera, which iFixit says is noticeably thicker than the previous model, and it has Apple’s new Lightning plug. But perhaps the most interesting discovery is in the display.

The Retina screen in the 10-inch tablet isn’t made by Samsung this time around, at least in iFixit’s unit, it’s made by LG. Apple likely split display orders for the iPad 4 between different manufacturers, but it’s worth mentioning.

We’ve heard a number of reports that the relationship between Apple and Samsung is decaying due to their ongoing legal battle, and that Apple is looking to move away from Samsung as a parts supplier. We’ll probably hear more about this in the coming weeks as well.

At any rate, if you want to check out the full teardown, you can find it on iFixit’s website here. And if you missed yesterday’s iPad mini gutting, we have links to that too.

Also, we should have our hands on both tablets shortly, so stay tuned for our unboxings and first impressions.

[HOW TO] How to kill all running apps with a swipe

SwipeAway is a new jailbreak tweak that allows you to easily kill running apps with a simple swipe within iOS’ App Switcher. The tweak includes two options in the Settings app: the ability to swipe up, or swipe down to invoke the killing measure.

This certainly isn’t the first tweak that allows you to kill all running apps, but it’s likely one of the more intuitive methods for doing so. Take a look at our full video walkthrough inside for all of the details. As mentioned, SwipeAway contains two gestures to kill all of your running apps. Unfortunately, the swipe down gesture is not as preferred as the swipe up gesture for smaller devices like the iPhone or iPod touch. You can see a good example of why this is in the video above. For a device with more screen real estate like that iPad, then either gesture is be suitable.

As you can see, SwipeAway is far from a complex tweak; it’s a simple effort that does one thing particularly well. If you want to give it a shot for yourself, then check it out on Cydia’s BigBoss repo.

SwipeAway is a free download, so if you’re looking for a more convenient method to kill all of your running apps, then it’s certainly worth a try. Be sure to let us know what you think about SwipeAway in the comments section below.

[HOW TO] How to jailbreak Apple devices running iOS 6.0.1

iOS 6.0.1 was just released a few minutes ago, but we’ve already confirmed it can be jailbroken right now using the existing jailbreak tools for iOS 6.

Although RedSn0w was recently updated to 0.9.15b3, the update doesn’t yet include support for iOS 6. That’s okay, because you can still point at the already supported iOS 6 firmware and successfully jailbreak iOS 6.0.1.

Check inside for the full video walkthrough that shows how. Note: This is a tethered jailbreak for pre-A5 devices (iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4th generation) only.

Step 1: Download RedSn0w 0.9.15b3 and iOS 6.0 for your specific device from here.

Step 2: Connect your device to your computer and place it into DFU mode.

Step 3: Open RedSn0w, and ensure it detects your device.

Step 4: Click Extras > Select IPSW, and select the iOS 6.0 firmware for your device. It should successfully identify the build.

Step 5: Go back to the main RedSn0w page and click Jailbreak. RedSn0w will process, and then allow you to install Cydia, which should be already checked on the next screen. Click Next, and the jailbreak will finish processing and begin on your iPhone. Keep RedSn0w open.

Step 6: Once the jailbreak is complete and you are back on your device’s Lock screen, place your device back into DFU mode.

Step 7: On the main page of RedSn0w click Extras > Just boot. This will perform a tethered boot. Your device should reboot with a pineapple logo.

Step 8: Once the device reboots, you should see Cydia on the Home screen.

That’s it, you’re finished! For more info on RedSn0w be sure to check out our dedicated RedSn0w page.

Were you able to successfully jailbreak? Share your experience in the comments section below.

Apple iPhone 5: Specifications, price and availability

Apple on Wednesday has finally revealed a new phone that's taller and has a bigger display. iPhone 5 comes in either white and silver or black and slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model.

iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5 beginning Friday, September 14. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

What makes it unique?

Even though it's taller than the iPhone 4S, it's lighter. The bigger screen - 4 inches measured diagonally - creates room for another row of icons on the screen and lets widescreen movies fit better. Previous iPhone models carried 3.5-inch screens.

Even video and photos look more lush on the iPhone 5's bigger and better screen. The device is also speedier because of a more powerful processing chip and upgraded wireless technology that accelerates Web surfing.

Apple also has equipped the iPhone 5 with a superior sound system, courtesy of the new headphones that the company says it spent three years developing. The headphones, called "EarPods," are a vast improvement on the ear buds that Apple has been giving away with its devices for more than a decade. The new headphones actually stay in your ears and make it seem as if the sound is playing inside your head. The EarPods come free with the iPhone 5, and they sounded as good as $100 headphones sold by a variety of other companies.

The new iOS also offers a feature called "Passbook," where digital coupons, airline tickets and gift cards can be conveniently stored in one location. This, too, is going to be popular.

iPhone 5 tech specs:

- Display: 4-inch (diagonal) with a resolution of 1136 by 640 pixels.

- Memory capacity: 16, 32 or 64 gigabytes, depending on price. There's no way to expand it with memory cards.

- Price: Starting at $199, for 16 gigabytes of memory.

- Size: height: 4.87 inches; width: 2.31 inches; depth: 0.30 inch (124 x 59 x 7.6 mm)

- Weight: 3.95 ounces (112 grams)

- Cameras: 8-megapixel camera on back, 1.2-megapixel on front.

- Video recording: high-definition (1080p - comparable to the resolution of a 40-inch flat panel TV) up to 30 frames per second with audio

- Battery life: talk time is up to 8 hours on 3G. Internet works for up to 8 hours on LTE and up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi. Up to 10 hours of video playback. Battery can be replaced by service personnel only.

- US wireless carriers: Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and others.

- Network compatibility: 3G networks worldwide, plus 4G LTE networks in the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, UK, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.

- Operating system: Apple's iOS 6 (will also be available for download to older iPhone models)

- Near-field communications: Not available.

Apple Said To Plan Overhaul Of iPhone With Bigger Screen

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is preparing to overhaul the look of its iPhone, three people with knowledge of the plans said, refreshing the company’s top-selling product amid competition from rivals such as Samsung Electronics Co. (005930)

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, has placed orders from suppliers in Asia for screens that are bigger than the 3.5- inch size now on the smartphone, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had worked closely on the redesigned phone before his death in October, one person said. The design change will be Apple’s first for the iPhone since 2010, when it introduced the iPhone 4. Electronics makers, led by Samsung, are moving toward bigger screens, as consumers use handheld devices for a broader array of tasks, including watching video, playing games and browsing the Web.

Apple is girding against competition from rivals such as Samsung, which have made Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android the most widely used smartphone software. Samsung regained the lead in smartphones in the first quarter using screens of many sizes.

A new iPhone could be released by October, analysts have predicted. Apple has been working on the new device since before the current iPhone 4S model was introduced last October, said one person with knowledge of the project. Jobs, who had gone on medical leave from Apple starting last January, played a key role in developing the phone, this person said.

Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment.

Popular Product

The iPhone, introduced in 2007, is Apple’s most-popular product, accounting for 58 percent of its sales in the fiscal second quarter. The product, along with the 2010 debut of the iPad, has helped catapult Apple past Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) to be the world’s most valuable company. Since Jobs unveiled the iPhone, the company’s stock has risen more than fivefold.

Apple fell 2.9 percent to $530.12 at the close yesterday in New York. The shares have risen 31 percent this year.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Apple would be adding a 4-inch screen. The company is working with several screen makers on the new iPhone, including LG Display Co. (034220), Sharp Corp. (6753) and Japan Display Inc., the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the plans. Production could begin as early as next month, the report said.

Apple’s rivals have been introducing devices with bigger screens than the iPhone. Samsung sells at least 13 smartphones with screens ranging from 2.8 inches on the Replenish to 5.3 inches on the Galaxy Note. HTC Corp. (2498)’s One X has a 4.7-inch screen. Apple, which has always favored a limited number of models, offers only a 3.5-inch display on the iPhone.

Faster Wireless Network

Piper Jaffray Cos., Barclays Capital and Sterne Agee & Leach Inc. are among securities firms that have predicted Apple would introduce a new iPhone in the fall.

In addition to the larger screen, analysts including Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray have predicted the next iPhone will be compatible with the new wireless networks being built by carriers including AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless. The new iPad released earlier this year works on those networks.

What’s unclear is whether the screen size change means the device will be bigger or the screen will take up more space on the front -- with the iPhone keeping the same general dimensions it has had since 2007. A 4-inch screen, measured diagonally, can fit on the face of the iPhone with the current dimensions.

Speculation that Apple is planning a new iPhone can lead to a drop in sales of current models. In the company’s fourth quarter, Apple reported sales and profit that missed analysts’ estimates as customers waited for the iPhone 4S to be introduced. In April, Apple predicted sales and profit in the current quarter would decline compared to last quarter.

Apple reportedly slows iPhone orders, increases iPad orders

Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said in a note to investors on Tuesday that Apple has reduced iPhone orders by between 20% to 25% from the 35.1 million units the company shipped in the March quarter. Wu now expects shipments of between 26 million and 28 million iPhones, lower than the Street’s consensus of between 30 million and 31 million units. The analyst also noted that Apple has an estimated 8.6 million iPhones in channel inventory, 2.6 million of which were added in the most recent quarter, allowing the Cupertino-based company to achieve supply-demand balance of between four to six weeks. “From our understanding, the reason for the reduction is not demand related but rather due to the upcoming 6th generation iPhone refresh likely in the September-October timeframe,” Wu explained. “It appears that AAPL is opting to be conservative with its suppliers to factor in a potential 2-quarter pause ahead of the refresh and also to manage inventory. We believe this helps explain why its June quarter guidance was somewhat more conservative.” The analyst went on to state that the opposite is occurring with Apple’s iPad tablet, which is seeing increased build plans. Shipments of the device were previously held back due to supply constraints on its new Retina Display, although it has been “greatly improved with an additional supplier.” Wu believes that this will help Apple to better meet the strong demand for its iPad. For the June quarter, Wu reduced his iPhone forecast from 28 million units to 27 million, and raised iPad shipment expectations from 14 million to 15 million units. Due to improved iPad profitability, the analyst is increasing his gross margin assumption from 42.5% to 43.5% and forecasting $36.1 billion in revenue and $10.16 in EPS. Wu reiterated his Buy rating on shares of Apple stock, as well as his $780 price target.

Check out these awesome iPhone-controlled RC cars

There’s no shortage of iPhone-controlled vehicles on the market these days. We’ve seen cars, helicopters, robots, and even tiny spheres that can be controlled with Apple’s handset. But we’ve never seen anything look this good. The folks over at iHelicopters.net, yes, the makers of the rocket-launching Cobra copter, just informed us that they’ve got a new lineup of iPhone-controlled RC cars out that we wouldn’t want to miss. And they were right… The company’s RC car collection comes in a number of different flavors. You can choose from gorgeous replicas of popular makes and models including an Audi R8, Q7, BMW X6, 5 series, or a more ruggedly-designed stunt racer. The cars are controlled by a dedicated iOS app, which interfaces with an audio jack transmitter. And judging from the video, they seem to be pretty well made. They’re fast, responsive, and can last for up to 60 minutes on a single charge. If you’re interested, you can purchase one of these awesome cars from iHelicopter’s online store. It looks like all models run just under $60/RM180, which is about middle-of-the-road for remote control vehicles. What do you think? Are these cars awesome or what?

Steve Jobs didn’t really like the Siri name. What about you?

Siri, a digital assistant exclusive to the iPhone 4S, is heavily featured in Apple’s advertising as it’s the handset’s key differentiator in the eye of public. For all the rage surrounding Siri, Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs didn’t really like her name to begin with. This comes from the mouth of Dag Kittlaus, the guy who made Siri and became a millionaire following a personal phone call from Steve Jobs.

“Siri” is Norwegian for “beautiful woman who leads you to victory.” A new report highlighted Kittlaus’s speech from last weekend in which he briefly reflected on how he came up with the Siri name and why Steve Jobs wasn’t a fan of his choice.

Yoni Heisler of NetworkWorld quotes Kittlaus on choosing the name of Siri:

I worked with a lady named Siri in Norway and wanted to name my daughter Siri and the domain was available. And also consumer companies need to focus on the fact that the name is easy to spell, is easy to say…

Previous news articles also asserted that Kittlaus named its startup after the famous Norwegian meteorologist and business woman Siri Kalvig, with whom he had worked during his tenure at Telenor, a Norwegian telecommunications company. At the time, Kalvig worked for meteorologist company Storm.

Kittlaus also recounted that Jobs didn’t like the Siri name so he had to persuade Apple’s chief executive quite consistently that “it’s a great name”. Jobs eventually relented because he couldn’t think of a better name himself so he “decided to stick with ‘Siri’”.

This bit on that life-changing phone call from Apple is also interesting:

Three weeks after we launched I got a call in the office from someone at Apple that said, “Scott Forstall wants to talk to you and he’s the head software guy.”

And I said sure…

Only it wasn’t Scott that called it was Steve. And Steve never announces where he’s gonna be and what he’s gonna do because there’s too much commotion around it. So he said, “Dag, this is Steve Jobs.”

And he wanted me to come over to his house the next day, and I did, and I spent 3 hours with him in front of his fireplace having this surreal conversation about the future.

And, you know, he talked about why Apple was going to win, and we talked about how Siri was doing. And he was very excited about the fact that.. you know, he was very interested in this area in general but, you know, they’re patient, they don’t jump on anything until they feel they can go after something new and he felt that we cracked it. So that was his attraction.

I ended up very lucky, timing wise. I got to work with him for a year before he got real sick. And he’s pretty incredible. The stories are true. All of the stories.

Eagle-eyed readers could point out that Steve Jobs initially disliked the iMac and iPod names as well. iDownloadBlog also reported last week that Jobs said ‘no’ to the new Apple TV interface five years ago.

In my Dag Kittlaus report over at 9to5Mac, I noted that the sale to Apple for an estimated $200 million turned him and and other co-founders into millionaires. It was sourced from Norwegian publication E24! which also quoted Kittlaus, a former Motorola executive, as saying that by 2013 Apple will produce a full-blown television set featuring Siri voice interface (hope it doesn’t look like this).

According to a recent survey, nearly 90 percent of iPhone 4S owners use Siri and roughly a third would love to see it featured on the Apple TV.

It’s worth mentioning that the machine-translated version of the Norwegian article had later been confirmed to me as accurate.

Remarkably, Kittlaus emailed me to express his disatisfaction over the article. He claimed to have never mentioned the Siri TV thing to the reporter. I removed that bit, though the original article still has it intact. Editors of the magazine and authors of the report wouldn’t return my phone calls seeking clarification.

After Apple snapped up their startup, Kittlaus and his team moved to Apple’s headquarters. Kittlaus left Apple eighteen months later and is now writing a futuristic techno-drama and developing new projects.

I would love to hear from you about the Siri name…

Did you like the sound of it when you first heard it mentioned in an Apple product?

iPad 3 Announcement Coming March 7

We have a news for Apple lovers, now we have news about iPad 3 announcement.

It’s been quite a busy Monday evening since our daily recap was put to bed, particularly for those waiting on the rumored iPad 3 next month. A rumor about the announcement date was quickly confirmed, followed by additional confirmation that the next iPad will come packing 4G LTE for AT&T and Verizon.

MacRumors has collected a volley of Monday night rumors about the next iPad, with iMore reporting that the announcement itself will be held on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 -- just a hair over three weeks from today. That date was just as quickly confirmed by Jim Dalrymple over at The Loop, who quoted the iMore post and replied with a simple “Yep.” Given Dalrymple’s own sources inside Apple, that’s probably all the confirmation one should need.

But the guessing game doesn’t end there! The iPad 3 has widely been rumored to come packing 4G LTE radios, which The Wall Street Journal is confirming with a report also published on Monday night.

“Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter, as the battle to cash in on big investments in mobile broadband heats up,” the report reads. “Apple Inc. appears to be planning to announce the latest version of its tablet computer in the first week of March, according to another person briefed on the matter. Whether other carriers will also sell the device couldn't be learned.”

The real question is how the next iPad will handle traditional 3G, given that LTE hasn’t gained any significant traction overseas to date. The report notes that a 4G LTE-equipped iPad would automatically switch to a “slower network technology” (presumably 3G or even EDGE, where available) when LTE isn’t available.

You probably already know the rest of the iPad 3 story: 2048x1536 Retina Display, quad-core A6 processor and likely beefed up GPU. Is that credit card in your wallet or purse getting warm yet…?

Retina Ready: Apple’s New Year’s Resolution?

In a few weeks, Apple will unveil the next generation iPad, John Packowski of AllThingsD confirms today. If history (and carrier code) is any indication, it should go on sale shortly after that. Maybe even just a few days later. And that’s interesting because it doesn’t give developers a lot of time to prepare. And they’ll want to prepare for the higher resolution “Retina” display that the device will pack.

The situation is similar to the Summer of 2010. That year at WWDC, Apple unveiled the iPhone 4, the first device to feature a Retina display. That conference took place on June 7. The iPhone 4 first went on sale on June 24 — two and a half weeks later. That timeframe allowed some developers to get their apps Retina-ready, but for many it took quite a bit longer. Again, this year, the window may be even more condensed.

But as Steve Jobs noted at the iPhone 4 unveiling, the Retina display made existing apps “look even better”. One reason for this is that the version of iOS that shipped with the device automatically rendered text to be optimized for the new display. Expect the same for the Retina iPad. But Jobs also noted that apps which updated to higher-resolution artwork would look “stunning”. “We suggest that you do that,” he said at the time.

And that will undoubtedly be the suggestion again. Luckily, because the Retina display iPad has been rumored for a long time and because many developers remember the initial Retina transition, some developers have jumped the gun and prepared the graphics in their iPad apps to be Retina-ready as well.

The first two iPads had a resolution of 1024 x 768 — which actually isn’t all that far from the Retina display iPhone resolution of 960 x 640. The new iPad will have a resolution of 2048 x 1536. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Apple was now requiring developers to submit Retina-level screenshots of their apps to the App Store (for new apps, at least). Some assumed this was related to the gradual fade out of the iPhone 3GS. But it may also be related to this new iPad. Because Apple allows the iPad to run iPhone/iPod touch apps with the option to scale them up 2x, non-Retina iPhone apps (480 × 320) will undoubtedly look pretty bad on the Retina iPad.

Given how many visually-focused apps there are for the iPad, some developers are worried how their apps will look on the new device. Apple, of course, isn’t talking yet. While there may be a handful of larger developers that will get an early peek at (or a heads up on) the Retina iPad, most will get to see the thing the same time the rest of us do — on stage in early March.

Some aren’t just worried about the iPad either. Rumors have been circulating for a few months that Apple may also be on the verge of launching high-resolution Mac displays. It’s looking increasingly likely that Apple will do a one-two high-resolution punch with high-res Macs (probably MacBook Pros or maybe even a new MacBook Air) and Retina iPads in the coming weeks.

Recent code changes in OS X with added HiDPI support suggest the former may be coming very soon.

If you think a 2048 x 1536 iPad sounds great, think about a 2880×1800 MacBook. Unlike resolution changes in the past, elements on the screen wouldn’t get smaller, they’d just get crisper. But to take advantage of all those pixels, Mac developers will also have their work cut out for them updating all the graphical elements in their apps.

My suggestion is that developers get ready. The future is looking crisp.

Access iOS 5′s Notification Center From Your Lock Screen With Bulletin

One of my favorite features about IntelliscreenX is the fact that you can access your notification center from your lock screen. I don’t use the popular tweak anymore, it was too much for me. And that’s really the only element I miss.

Since I dropped Intelliscreenx, I’ve been looking for a developer to come up with a standalone jailbreak tweak to enable lock screen notification center access. And finally, it’s here. Introducing Bulletin…

From developer Ma Jun comes Bulletin, a simple utility for enabling iOS 5′s notification center from your lock screen. This way you can access all of your useful notification center widgets without needing to unlock your device.

The tweak comes with a handful of options, accessible from the Settings application. You can turn lock screen notification center access off and on, and enable/disable window transparency.

For the most part, Bulletin works as advertised. I’ve noticed that the notification center sticks from time to time, but it’s nothing in comparison with the convenience of having access to my notification center widgets from my lock screen.

If you want to check out Bulletin, it’s available in the Cydia Store, BigBoss repo, for $0.99.

Have you tried out Bulletin yet?

Apple Makes it Mandatory For iPhone App Developers to Submit Retina Display Screenshots

Apple has notified developers of iOS Developer program to only upload images for Retina Display for their iPhone and iPod touch apps while submitting them to the App Store.

Prior to this, developers could upload images for Retina Display, but it was not a mandatory requirement.

Apple has issued the following notification:

Required iPhone & iPod touch Screenshot Upgrade for Retina Display

When you create or update your apps in iTunes Connect, you must upload screenshots that are high-resolution. We require your screenshots as high-resolution images so that your app is optimized for the Retina display.

The requirements for high-resolution images are 960 x 640, 960 x 600, 640 x 960, or 640 x 920 pixels. Images must be at least 72 dpi, in the RGB color space, and the file must be .jpeg, .jpg, .tif, .tiff, or .png. You can update your screenshot files at any time in iTunes Connect.

Developers need to meet this new requirement even when they submit an update for their existing apps. While this could well be a house-keeping exercise to ensure that the images in the App Store look good on iOS devices like iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S with Retina display, it has also led to speculation that iPhone 3GS may not be around much longer.

We don't agree. While we expect Apple to phase out iPhone 3GS when it launches the next generation iPhone, we don't think Apple will stop supporting iPhone 3GS so soon. Also screenshots are used in the App Store and has no bearing on the support for a particular device.

What do you think?

Google Chrome For iOS Isn’t Ruled Out

In case you haven't heard, Google just launched the Chrome browser for Android. It is free, in beta and available for all Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) devices.

Since Chrome has made the move to mobile devices, MG Siegler wonders about a similar version for iOS.

When he asked Google SVP from Chrome, Sundar Pichai, about Chrome for iOS, his reply was:

“It’s a tough question for us.”

His response isn't really hard to decrypt. Given Apple's strict policies of disallowing any code interpreters on the App Store, Google's engineers can't port their V8 JavaScript engine for iOS. The V8 engine is primarily responsible for the speed Chrome is famous for. Another possible limitation could be non availability of public APIs to enable GPU acceleration.

There is, however, a silver lining despite these problems. As Siegler notes, Chrome and Safari are both based on WebKit, the open source web browser engine. Both Apple and Google contribute code to the project. So even if, theoretically, Chrome for iOS ends up being just a wrapper around a UIWebView, Google does have a bunch of features that make it a killer for iOS devices especially for users who use Chrome on their desktop.

One such feature could be Sync. Chrome for Android implements sync really well, as per Siegler's description. In addition to data like bookmarks, saved passwords etc., Chrome syncs opened tabs across multiple devices. Apple, for all its efforts around simplifying the Cloud, has failed to provide any such mechanism. The nearest to this is, "Reading List," which isn't all that good.

Mozilla does provide a syncing solution for iOS called Firefox Home, but it's not that good.

Siegler adds:

It would be fantastic to get some of the Mobile Chrome UI elements on iOS. For one thing, the multi-tab experience is much better (and sort of Apple-like) [on Chrome for Andorid].

Google's revenues directly depend on searches, which in turn to some extent depends on its penetration of the mobile browser market. And although Android devices may have a larger marketshare, almost every report on web browsing released up till now concludes that iOS users spend a lot more time online than Android users. Google wouldn't want to let go of this lucrative share of users that surf the web a lot more than their counterparts.

Ironically, the Chrome browser is currently available only to 1 percent Android users who have an Ice Cream Sandwich device.

Siegler's impressions of the browser after a few days of usage are positive. Although he did notice a few kinks, Google's rapid update cycle would iron them out quickly.

We'd be thrilled to have Chrome on our iPhone and iPad. What about you?

[via MG Siegler's blog]

iPhone 4S Pushed Apple Store Sales Through the Roof Last Quarter

When Steve Jobs unveiled the first Apple Store back in 2001, critics laughed at him. Many believed that Jobs’ plan to open retail stores on prime real estate to spotlight Apple’s products would send the company into bankruptcy.

But as we all know, things didn’t quite play out that way. As with a majority of its other endeavors, Apple’s retail chain is the best, and most lucrative in the business. And thanks to the recent iPhone 4S launch, the best just got better…

Fortune passes on some interesting numbers from analyst Charlie Wolf regarding Apple Store sales during its monster $47 billion quarter. The three month period started in October, and ended December 31st of last year.

• Revenue per store: $17.08 million (up $5 million from 2010)
• Same store sales up 42.6% year over year
• Vistors per store up 15.3% year over year
• International sales: 58% of Apple’s worldwide total
• Stores at the end of the quarter: 361

The report mentions another interesting fact: Apple Stores average a staggering $8,133 in sales per square foot (store sales/store square footage). To put this number in perspective, Tiffany’s, a high-end jewelry store, brings in an average $2,974 per square foot. Wow.

As we’ve said before, Apple’s freakish quarter was the result of a number of things. Not only was it the holidays (including Black Friday), but there was also pent up consumer demand for Apple’s new iPhone — the iPhone 4S.

The true test will be if Apple can continue to churn out impressive results, without any of the above-mentioned factors. Seriously, how long can it keep posting these ridiculous numbers?