AllThingsD reports this morning that Apple has booked New York City’s Guggenheim museum for an “education event” on January 19th.

This is the same location that Apple and News Corp chose to announce The Daily, the first iteration of subscription newspaper and magazine content available on the iOS platform.

Speculation about the purpose of the event has so far centered around Apple’s existing iBooks and iTunes University platforms being tied together as part of a push into the educational textbook market, with the iPad serving as the delivery device.

Stay tuned for more!

It’s no secret that wireless carriers want the iPhone on their networks, and until last year if you wanted an iPhone in the U.S., AT&T was your only official choice.

However 2011 brought us the CDMA iPhone 4 for Verizon, and later on the iPhone 4S was released with full support for GSM along with CDMA, allowing carriers like Sprint to begin offering the device as well.

But T-Mobile USA has yet to bring the iPhone to their network in any official capacity, in part because their 3G network uses a different radio frequency band than AT&T and the rest of the world, one that current iPhone hardware does not support.

Unlocked iPhone owners will be quite familiar with this limitation, as unlocked devices built for AT&T’s network will fall back to 2G EDGE service when used with a T-Mobile USA sim card.

However, comments from T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray on CNET suggest that the next iPhone will be able to run on T-Mobile’s 3G network:

The next chipset will support AWS

…

The challenge that existed in the past will go away

Ray says he has inside knowledge of Apple’s plans for the next iPhone chipset, and that it will support T-Mobile’s AWS 3G band. However, he made it clear that Apple ultimately decides which carrier networks get the iPhone regardless of technical capability.

Given Apple’s recent expansion of iPhone availability in the U.S., it only makes sense that T-Mobile would be next in line.

9to5Mac has discovered some interesting bits of information buried inside the latest iOS 5.1 beta.

As 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman explains, the numbering in this particular section of code in iOS 5.1 suggests that Apple will be shipping a quad core processor at some point in the near future:

Extremely reliable and knowledgeable people familiar with iOS’s inner workings explained to me that core references begin at “0.” For example: A single core device would be limited to ”/cores/core.0,” and a dual-core device would come in at ”/cores/core.1.” A “core.2″ (which is not referenced in iOS code) would be a triple-core processor according to this labeling method. iOS 5.1 beta 2 now includes core.3, a seemingly quad-core chip from Apple.

Apple’s A6 is rumored to be a quad core design slated for release in 2012, might we be seeing the initial support in iOS necessary for an A6-bearing iPad 3?

Stay tuned!

Australian, Canadian and U.K. Apple TV owners should now be able to stream and purchase TV shows from the device with a new update Apple just pushed out.

If you haven’t been prompted to update yet, just head over to the Settings area and trigger the update manually.

No word yet on the version number of this particular update, but it’s likely just a software “switch” that needed to be flipped in the software to enable the TV functionality.

Previously, Apple TV owners in those countries were able to stream content from iTunes on a local machine, but now they will have access to their purchased content directly from the Apple TV, through iCloud.

In a statement made this morning to AllThingsD, Apple says it no longer uses Carrier IQ in iOS 5, had never used it to record or transmit personal information, and plans to remove the software entirely in a coming update to the mobile OS:

We stopped supporting Carrier IQ with iOS 5 in most of our products and will remove it completely in a future software update. With any diagnostic data sent to Apple, customers must actively opt-in to share this information, and if they do, the data is sent in an anonymous and encrypted form and does not include any personal information. We never recorded keystrokes, messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so.

Apple’s statement follows just one day after iPhone hacker Chpwn revealed that Carrier IQ was indeed present in iOS versions as far back as iOS 3.1.3, and was still present in some form in iOS 5.

Updated at bottom

Earlier tonight, iPhone hacker Chpwn tweeted what appears to be the first discovery of Carrier IQ involvement in Apple’s mobile OS.

The Carrier IQ story has until now focused entirely on Android, Nokia and Blackberry devices, however Chpwn has discovered references to servers operated by Carrier IQ in a binary called /usr/bin/IQAgent in iOS 3.1.3.

In addition, a MacRumors forum poster has found references to Carrier IQ in iOS 4.0+, though under a different name. Instructions for disabling the system are also given at the above forum link.

Chpwn later confirmed that the same file was still present in iOS 5.0+.

What is not yet clear is how and when the Carrier IQ system is enabled on iOS, if at all, and what exactly it is being used for. Chpwn suggested in a later tweet that the system may be disabled by default.

Carrier IQ itself issued a press release (PDF warning) November 16th attempting to calm fears of spying and wiretapping.

However, earlier today Forbes cited Paul Ohm, a former Justice Department prosecutor, in suggesting that Carrier IQ’s software may run afoul of federal wiretapping laws:

If CarrierIQ has gotten the handset manufactures to install secret software that records keystrokes intended for text messaging and the Internet and are sending some of that information back somewhere, this is very likely a federal wiretap.

…

And that gives the people wiretapped the right to sue and provides for significant monetary damages.

Apple has yet to comment on the situation.

Update 1: Chpwn has written a blog post about the situation, stating that testing so far reveals that the system is disabled by default, however log files containing diagnostic data from the Carrier IQ daemon were found. Chpwn believes that text entered into the iOS device is not being collected at all, but investigation is ongoing.

The next minor version of iOS has just been seeded to Apple developers, bringing with it at least one welcome addition: voice recognition in text input areas.

This would allow the user to speak instead of tapping through the on-screen keyboard in any area that requires text input, for instance you could dictate messages to the AOL Instant Messenger app or the Twitter app.

Apple notes that the new feature will be coming to “supported devices”, which could mean all devices that can run iOS 5, or it could mean all devices that support voice dictation via Siri, which would be just the iPhone 4S.

We will update this post when we hear more about how it all works and whether older devices will be able to use it.

Reliable sources have reported on prototype Mac motherboards based on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) chipsets being tested in Cupertino for years, but so far none have seen the light of day. One recent rumor even suggests the current Macbook Air was planned around AMD’s “Llano” platform but switched to an Intel alternative at the last minute. Will the latest generation of prototypes be any different?

According to a rumor currently making the rounds on the grapevine, Apple very nearly based its most recent generation of Macbook Air on AMD’s “Llano” chipset but changed course at the last minute. This doesn’t entirely comport with our own source reports at the time, but is close enough that we found SemiAccurate’s article on the topic to be of significant interest and took it with only the usual grain of salt.

SemiAccurate’s take and comments posted by their readers highlight the widespread belief on the grapevine that production problems at AMD’s manufacturing division spin-off GlobalFoundries Inc. are largely responsible for Apple’s hesitancy in relying on AMD hardware for its products. Given Apple’s history of extreme caution in depending on unreliable component suppliers going back to the “G4 fiasco” caused by Motorola’s problems with the first generation of PowerPC 7400, any doubts about a supplier’s ability to deliver will result in Apple looking elsewhere for alternatives.

More recently, sources have told Rumors that AMD based motherboards for the entire Mac product line-up are being evaluated for the company’s 2012 hardware roadmap. The Executive Suite has reportedly undertaken intensive talks with both AMD itself and GlobalFoundries not only for AMD’s products but also for possible future partnerships involving Apple’s future in-house A-series ARM System-on-a-Chip (SoC) designs beginning with the quad-core Cortex 9 based “A6″…and much depends on Apple’s evaluation of GlobalFoundries’ ability to deliver on its promises in the year ahead.

Apparently Apple has not yet finalized its plans on either front, but key decision points are fast approaching and we expect to hear more before the end of the month because production of Infinite Loop’s next generation AppleTV is very much dependent on the outcome of these deliberations. Stay tuned; this rumor will almost certainly prove to be a major pivot point for the shape of the year ahead and we are keeping a close eye on developments.

We enjoy answering your questions and sharing your insights with our readers, so don’t hesitate to email us, or contact us on Twitter.

Several of our followers on Twitter and Facebook have recently expressed interest in the state of Apple’s efforts to merge its various forms of messaging/chat/videoconferencing/IM functionality across its two key platforms, iOS and Mac OS X. New code spotted in iOS by third party developers may shed some light on this.

IMService is just the first step in a new set of unified functionality spanning FaceTime, iChat and iMessage that will begin with a point update to iOS 5 (based on previous versioning habits, this could be 5.2 or 5.3 as 5.1 is likely to be a unified big fix/feature release spanning both handheld and iPad device families while the following two point releases will be hardware-specific to recent-model handhelds and iPad 3 respectively) somewhere in the same timeframe as the iPad 3 launch — specifically, between mid March and early April 2012.

It is not yet entirely clear whether the applications will merged on either platform, but under the hood, Apple is attempting to tie together all three areas of its realtime communication functionality and prepare for a time when rather than being so separate, FaceTime iChat and iMessage will be far more seamlessly integrated than today’s fragmented implementation.

2012 will also see Macs and iPod Touch models with 3G and 4G data-only (no voice capability, though SMS/MMS support is possible) cellular radio chipsets similar to those used in the iPad, and this will mesh nicely with Apple’s efforts to bring FaceTime to the full range of mobile environments (3G/4G support rather than today’s Wi-Fi only implementation) as well as providing a standardized iMessage/iChat experience across its full product lineup.

Have questions you’d like to see answered here on Mac OS Rumors? We’re always eager to answer them! Email us, or contact Rumors on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MacOSRumors

Apple announced today that it is appointing multi-industry giant Art Levinson as Chairman of the Board, and added Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, as the board’s newest member.

With this move, insiders at the Executive Suite say that Apple’s corporate structure will get a big boost on both the traditional fronts and many unique new ways of moving Infinite Loop’s business forward with unparalleled strength of innovation and fresh perspectives as Levinson is known for having a foot firmly planted in both of those starkly different worlds simultaneously — and with Iger’s addition to the Board, Apple’s growing ties with Disney are cemented and that will be hugely important for the company’s next big strategic move: AppleTV.

Although no one could ever truly replace Steve Jobs, these appointments are both very wise and well-thought-out moves that will lay a foundation for Apple to grow by leaps and bounds in 2012.

In particular, watch for Levinson’s guiding hand behind a number of mergers and acquisitions that will begin in the weeks ahead with a rapidly accelerating pace that should peak by mid-2012 with some truly staggering dollar figures and large numbers of new research/development level employees flowing through both Infinite Loop and Apple’s new “UFO” campus as it begins to take shape in that same timeframe.

Levinson’s legendary success in encouraging strong R&D driven innovation at Genentech will be key to driving Apple’s efforts to build new markets rather than trying to fight yesterday’s battles as so many other Silicon Valley giants have in recent years. Keep a close eye on the travels of these new board members if you want to have an idea of where Apple is headed in the new year.

Apple’s next generation of mobile iDevices will be powered principally by A5-class System-on-a-Chip (SoC) hardware, according to Rumors’ sources. The A6 will indeed be introduced next year, as has been long rumored, but may be exclusive to the family of next-generation AppleTV devices at first.

According to sources, the iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5 and iPad 3 will all be powered by a series of chips that, regardless of how they will be marketed by Apple, will be essentially unchanged from the A5 except for clock speed differences and a possible switch of suppliers (thusly, also possibly a switch in manufacturing processes but with little functional effect). Unless the iPad is split into two or more tiers as has been considered for the entire iOS device family more than once in the past and is expected to happen with the AppleTV’s next generation, the A6 is expected to be exclusive in its initial production run to the new AppleTV family.

The A6, although only recently a finalized design and still only in initial test manufacturing runs at TSMC, Apple’s only known manufacturing partner for the new design (but at least one other is believed to be quietly working with Apple to ensure that Cupertino is never as dependent on any one supplier as they have been with Samsung in recent years with the A1-A5V1), will be a quad-core Cortex 9 MPCore SoC with significantly expanded coprocessor units, a considerably upgraded GPU unit capable of driving resolutions in excess of 2800×1600, and twice as much RAM (1GB) with significantly greater performance (LPDDR2 at 300-333MHz doubled to 600-667) than the 512MB 266MHz LPDDR2 in the A5.

This will bring Apple nearly up to parity with Nvidia’s quad-core “Tegra” ARM SoCs which are considered to be among the leaders in the ARM marketplace, and enable interpretation of very complex speech and visual (3D gesture — think Kinect) input technologies that will make today’s “Siri” look crude by comparison.

The next-generation iPhone and iPod Touch will be based on a unique type of OLED display, according to sources, which is far more shatter-resistant than the current “gorilla glass” and LCD design used in the iPhone 4/4S and previous generations.

One of the chief problems with the iPhone and iPod Touch to date has been its easily damaged glass touch screen, and in the case of the iPhone 4/4S, the glass back panel. The iPhone 5 and its corresponding iPod Touch cousin will, according to a report just in from sources familiar with Apple’s 2012 Hardware Roadmap, replace the “square” design of the iPhone 4 and 4S with a solid frame — in some prototypes, this is metal (usually aluminum, though Titanium has been explored due to its superior strength in extremely thin configurations) and in others, a thermoplastic carbon fiber material — and a new type of capacitative touchscreen which incorporates a much tougher, nearly shatterproof outer surface material with an organic LED (OLED) display that is significantly larger than today’s “retina” TFT LCD.

The resolution of this display would remain the same, 960×640, and would still be in the “retina” range (approximately 300DPI) of pixel density but would increase its size to approximately 4 inches. Even larger prototypes were spotted by at least two separate sources earlier this year, with displays as large as 4.65 inches (most closer to 4.5), but little has been heard or seen of such designs since that time; it is believed that some combination of a need for a change in resolution — something Apple has sought to avoid whenever possible — and cost/supply-chain concerns with these larger OLED panels have convinced Infinite Loop to take a more conservative tack.

Whereas previous generation (original iPhone through 3GS) designs would usually suffer severe cracking of the display when dropped on a hard surface from more than 3 feet and iPhone 4/4S units experience either front or rear glass panel shattering at less than 2 feet in some cases depending on the surface and angle of impact, this new design would be nearly identical across the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5 — and in Cupertino’s testing thus far, has reportedly had a 0% crack rate when dropped from as high as 12 feet onto a concrete or tile surface. When dropped higher, other damage becomes possible but so far in the testing that has been described to Rumors, it seems to take truly unrealistic amounts of force to cause significant damage (beyond mild scratching) to the new display panel itself.

Similar technology is reportedly in the works for the iPad 3, and may in fact premiere in that device first. That version of the shatterproof OLED display would be the same size as the current iPad, and result in a device of similar shape and thickness, but quadruple resolution to 2048 x 1536.

Apple has quietly updated their Macbook Pro line with slightly faster processors, more hard drive space and improved discrete GPUs for the 15-inch and 17-inch models.

The entry level 13-inch MBP now ships with a dual-core 2.4ghz Core i5 processor, paired with integrated Intel HD graphics 3000, and a 500GB rotating hard drive. A dual-core 2.8ghz Core i5 processor is optional.

The 15-inch and 17-inch models received slight CPU bumps: the 15-inch model now ships with a quad-core 2.2ghz Core i7 processor, while the 17-inch model ships with a quad-core 2.4ghz Core i7. Both the 15-inch and the 17-inch models can be ordered with a quad-core 2.5ghz Core i7 processor.

The 15-inch model is also moving to an AMD HD6750M or HD6770M discrete GPU, while the 17-inch model moves up to an AMD HD6770M discrete GPU.

All Macbook Pro models can be ordered with a 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB solid state drive.

4GB of ram is standard across the board, and Apple says that all MBP models will support up to 8GB. Apple’s stated memory limits tend to be based on the availability of specific RAM module sizes rather than technical limits, however we will update this post with the actual limits when they become known.

All Macbook Pro models ship with an SDXC, Firewire 800, and Thunderbolt port.

The release of iOS 5 and Mac OS X 10.7.2 today will bring with it the public launch of Apple’s new iCloud service.

Accordingly, Apple has removed the “beta” tag from iCloud.com, the main portal on the web for features like Find My iPhone, Back to my Mac, remote wipe and lock. The site also provides access to iWork and your iCloud or “me.com” email and contacts.

For now it appears that only registered developers and those who have installed iOS 5 on a device (legally or otherwise), can login to the site.

Everyone else will be greeted with this message:

Stay tuned for more

After months of waiting, the day is finally here.

Today, Apple will push the final build of iOS 5.0 out to the iTunes update servers for the following devices:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4 CDMA
• iPhone 4 GSM
• iPhone 4S (single model, for recovery purposes)
• iPod Touch 3rd generation
• iPod Touch 4th generation
• iPad
• iPad 2 CDMA
• iPad 2 GSM
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi

The links above are direct firmware file links so you can restore or update with option+click in iTunes.

The iOS 5 update includes iCloud, a completely overhauled notification system, Wi-Fi sync, Newsstand for reading magazines and newspapers, Twitter integration, a much improved Mail app, and the ability to setup and use your iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone without tethering it to iTunes on a desktop PC or Mac.

Mac OS X 10.7.2 is also set for a release today, with full support for iCloud, back to my mac and a new “remote wipe” and lock feature. Should your Mac get stolen, you will be able to login to iCloud.com, find your Mac on a live map, force it to display a message remotely, lock the computer or wipe the contents of the hard drive.

Apple has also included minor bugfixes for Time Machine, Mac App Store, Safari, Mail and other parts of the system in the 10.7.2 update.

Links to the combo packages are below

• Client
• Server

After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Steve Jobs died today at the age of 56.

Apple has posted a tribute to him on their homepage, along with this message:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.
Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

Apple CEO Tim Cook also sent this message to Apple employees earlier today:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim

Credit: GDGT

Starting today, the very successful iPhone 4 is just $99 for the 8GB model, pushed out of the top spot by the new iPhone 4S.

As far as we know, the iPhone 4 will remain unchanged aside from the reduced memory and a new Apple model number for inventory purposes. Given the popularity of the iPhone 4 even when it started for $199, we expect these things to fly off the shelves in the next few months.

In addition, the nearly 3 year old iPhone 3GS is simply free if you sign a contract. Despite its age, the 3GS can run iOS 5 when it comes out October 12th, making it an excellent option for someone on a budget.

Today during the press event at Apple’s Cupertino campus, CEO Tim Cook unveiled the next iteration of their popular iPhone platform: the iPhone 4S.

For those of you who were expecting an iPhone 5 today, you shouldn’t be disappointed. This is essentially what everyone was expecting the iPhone 5 to be: A5 processor, more ram, and a handful of new features, some exclusive to the new device. There’s no new design this time around, though.

Apple says the new iPhone 4S is 2x faster in the CPU department, with graphics performance 7x faster.

The new device also has a special antenna system designed to improve call quality by using one antenna for transmission and another for reception.

In addition the iPhone 4S is now a ‘worldphone’ and should work on pretty much any carrier* in any country, including Apple’s newest partner: Sprint. Starting with the iPhone 4S, Sprint is now an option for U.S. customers, alongside Verizon and AT&T.

*(this doesn’t mean the device is unlocked, we’ll hear more about how this multi-band functionality will work soon)

Scott Forstall demoed the new Siri assistant feature by scheduling a meeting and looking for restaurants, all without using anything but voice commands.

Apple says Wolfram Alpha and Wikipedia are both built in to Siri, so just ask for a definition or the solution to a problem and your iPhone can find it for you. You can also dictate email or a text message.

Siri is only available on the new iPhone 4S with English, French and German languages to start. Apple says this is a ‘beta’, and they’ll be adding more languages and features over time.

The iPhone 4S now has a much improved 8 megapixel camera sensor along with sophisticated processing capabilities in the hardware for things like face detection. Apple says the new iPhone has 5 lens elements and can let in a lot more like than the iPhone 4, allowing it to take better pictures.

In addition, the new device can shoot 1080P video without breaking a sweat, no word yet on just how much you can record without running out of space. Real-time video stabilization and noise reduction are now included.

Battery life is still fantastic, now with 8 hours of talk time in real world usage. The radio hardware has been improved and now supports download speeds doubled to a theoretical maximum of 14mbps.

The new iPhone 4S will be available for preorder October 7th, and will go on sale in Apple’s retail stores October 14th.

Pricing is identical for white and black, 16GB/$199, 32GB/$299, and a new 64GB model for $399.

Credit: GDGT

For the first time, the Touch is now available with a white face like the iPhone 4, previously it was only available in black.

The new model now has the same A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, along with an increase in ram memory (no word on how much, yet). ed: Apple for some reason chose not to include the A5 chip in the new Touch model, so it remains with the A4

Pricing on the white model is identical to the black version, 8GB/$199, 32GB/$299 and 64GB/$399.

• iPhone 4 now $99, iPhone 3GS free w/contract
• Apple reveals the iPad 2
• White iPhone not coming until 2011
• Apple releases iOS 4.3 beta
• Apple updates iPod Touch with cameras, Facetime

Though it is constantly overshadowed by its larger, iOS brothers, the iPod Nano still has a dedicated following due to it’s extremely small size.

Though the design of the device hasn’t changed much if at all, the interface is now supposed to be easier to navigate.

Apple has also added sensors built into the device for running and jogging, this essentially makes the device more usable out of the box, removing the need for users to buy a separate Nike sensor.

The multi-touch Nano has become something of a fashion item, with multiple companies now producing watch wrist bands specifically for the device, and Apple has now added new watch faces to the Nano for exactly that purpose.…