Among the studios serving up films on the UK store are 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Sony Pictures Television International and Lionsgate UK.
Apple said the service is already pre-loaded with 700 films available for rent or purchase, with titles available for purchase on the same day as their DVD release, including favorites such as �Hitman,� �I Am Legend,� �National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets� and �Into the Wild.� Over 100 titles are also available in high definition for viewing on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.
�We�re kicking off movies on the iTunes Store in the UK with over 700 films for purchase and rent,� said Eddy Cue, Apple�s vice president of iTunes. �We think customers in the UK are going to love being able to enjoy their favorite movies on their iPod, iPhone or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.
In Canada, Apple said over 1,200 films are available for rent or purchase, including 200 titles in high definition. Movies are available from all the same studios as those in the UK, with the addition of those from Canadian film house Maple Pictures.
With iTunes Movie Rentals, once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 48 hours to finish it�or watch it multiple times.
In the UK, iTunes movies are available at �6.99 for library title purchases and �10.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are �2.49 for library title rentals and �3.49 for new releases, and high definition versions are priced at just one pound more.
In Canada, iTunes movies are available at CAN$9.99 for catalog title purchases, CAN$14.99 for recent releases and CAN$19.99 for new releases. iTunes Movie Rentals are CAN$3.99 for library titles and CAN$4.99 for new releases, with high definition rental versions priced just one dollar more.
AT&T is blacking out vacation days for its retail staffers from June 15th to July 12, presumably in preparation of the 3G iPhone launch in late June. Apple, however, isn't asking the same of its store employees until mid-July, people familiar with the plans say.
Apparently, the Mac maker is expecting a flood of back-to-school shoppers starting the third week of July and running through the second week of August. As such, retail staffers in some regions are being told that back-to-back vacation days during that period are a no-no, as are multiple weekend absences.
The company's annual Back-to-School promotion will actually kick-off much earlier, and it's reported that this year's incentives will be even more compelling than last. Apple will be briefing its partners in higher-ed on the matter at 11:30 a.m. Pacific on Monday, meaning a formal announcement is likely that day or the next.
A tale of two Apple product shoots
We have a little bit higher conviction today that Thursday evening's filming outside the Apple Store Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was indeed tied to the upcoming 3G iPhone launch, and may have even been a continuation of a shoot that took place in Los Angeles last week (as first reported by our friends over at Gizmodo). Explanation follows:
In its report last week, Giz noted that it had it "on good authority that an iPhone ad is being shot today by a big name director." AppleInsider later noted that director was said to be David Fincher, an avid Final Cut Pro user and director of big-time flicks such as "Se7en," "Fight Club," and "Panic Room."
People familiar with the shoot in Los Angeles say Apple and its production crew built a replica Apple retail store interior on stage for the filming. It was said to be a typical production for the most part, until the "product" was brought on stage. At this point, all non-essentials were forced to vacate, leaving just the director, producer, props and camera assist crews.
One person on hand did not get the clearest of looks at the iPhone, but said "it looked pretty much like the current one."�Even so, "everyone knew they were working on the 3G iPhone commercial," that person added.
The set outside Apple Store Fifth Ave. | Image credits: The iLife.
Fast forward one week, and Apple's filming around what's arguably its most lavish retail exterior -- the giant 32-foot cube that sites atop its flagship shop on Fifth Avenue like a giant gemstone. Not much could be made of exactly what was going on by the folks at The iLife who were blogging the event, though there was bit of hoopla over some blurry photographs they took of black cases marked "Anonymous 5+4" making their way into the store.
Those cases, people familiar with the filming say, belong to production studio Anonymous Content and contained walkie-talkies used by the production crew during filming, not 3G iPhones
Ballmer: you can buy Vista and downgrade to XP for free
Published: 08:00 PM EST
While Apple is encouraging its install base to upgrade to the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system, a new sales pitch by its Redmond-based rival to the north recommends that customers unhappy with Vista take a step in the opposite direction 'for free.'
Speaking at an event Tuesday in the nation's capital, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said his company's licensing policy allows for customers to install the previous generation of Windows should Vista not impress.
"Customers get both," he said. "I don't know how you can do better than getting both."
Baller's comments were in response to a question about whether Microsoft will continue to market retail copies of Windows XP for mainstream PCs beyond its scheduled June 30 expiration.
The Microsoft headman explained that his firm holds no such plans because any customer who wants to purchase XP after June 30 can just as easily buy Vista and trigger its built-in downgrade option.
Earlier this week, the software maker said it would extend the shelf life of XP for installations on "nettops" -- it's term for ultra-low cost desktop systems -- for an undetermined amount of time. That followed an earlier move to continue selling the six-and-a-half year old operating system for ultra portable notebook systems for up to two more years.
InformationWeek's Paul McDougall points out that a number of PC makers, including Dell, already offer business systems that have been "pre-downgraded" from Vista to XP. Though that raises the question, he says, about the accuracy of the sales figures Microsoft has provided for Vista.
"In April, the company said it had sold more than 140 million Vista licenses since the OS became available to the public early last year," he wrote. "But Microsoft did not indicate what percentage of those Vista licenses have been downgraded to XP."
Ballmer egged in Hungary last month.
Ballmer, 52, also told those in attendance at the event Tuesday that he expects to retire from running the world's largest software company within the next "9 or 10 years," at which time the eldest of his three children will be on the way to college.
Speaking at an event Tuesday in the nation's capital, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said his company's licensing policy allows for customers to install the previous generation of Windows should Vista not impress.
"Customers get both," he said. "I don't know how you can do better than getting both."
Baller's comments were in response to a question about whether Microsoft will continue to market retail copies of Windows XP for mainstream PCs beyond its scheduled June 30 expiration.
The Microsoft headman explained that his firm holds no such plans because any customer who wants to purchase XP after June 30 can just as easily buy Vista and trigger its built-in downgrade option.
Earlier this week, the software maker said it would extend the shelf life of XP for installations on "nettops" -- it's term for ultra-low cost desktop systems -- for an undetermined amount of time. That followed an earlier move to continue selling the six-and-a-half year old operating system for ultra portable notebook systems for up to two more years.
InformationWeek's Paul McDougall points out that a number of PC makers, including Dell, already offer business systems that have been "pre-downgraded" from Vista to XP. Though that raises the question, he says, about the accuracy of the sales figures Microsoft has provided for Vista.
"In April, the company said it had sold more than 140 million Vista licenses since the OS became available to the public early last year," he wrote. "But Microsoft did not indicate what percentage of those Vista licenses have been downgraded to XP."
Ballmer egged in Hungary last month.
Ballmer, 52, also told those in attendance at the event Tuesday that he expects to retire from running the world's largest software company within the next "9 or 10 years," at which time the eldest of his three children will be on the way to college.
Roku's Single Trick
The Roku box currently does one thing: stream select Netflix titles from a library of content available for immediate viewing. Netflix says that around ten percent of its library of 100,000 DVDs is available for streaming from its Watch Instantly service. Using it previously required hooking up a Windows PC running Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player to your TV set. With the Roku box, you can tune into Netflix Watch Instantly streams a bit more conveniently with minimal setup.
The downside to the $99 Roku box's core simplicity that it requires adding yet another remote and video input to your home theater setup just to expand your potential movie viewing options. Netflix's service might be more attractive if integrated into a DVR such as the Tivo, or into Apple TV as a software module. Netflix plans to license its service to other hardware makers, so anything's possible.
Apple TV allows users to buy or rent movies online in a pay-per-view model, but it also serves as a link between the computer and the living room home theater and stereo, allowing users to show off their iPhotos libraries and stream audio from any iTunes computer to the stereo system, as well as shop for movies, TV, music, and music videos that can sync back to iPods and iTunes computers in the household.
View more high-quality Netflix Player unboxing and setup photos
Lots of Cheap Content
On the other hand, viewing streamed titles on the Roku box doesn't cost anything extra for existing Netflix subscribers; being able to immediately watch any of the subset of movies and TV episodes available for streaming at no additional fee is a pretty sweet deal. All of the iTunes movies and TV episodes available for Apple TV have a rental or download fee that can add up for users who love watching TV.
Larger Apple multi-touch devices move beyond prototype stage
Published: 09:00 AM EST
There's a 50-50 chance that Apple will introduce new form factor multi-touch devices at its developers conference next week, ushering the company into the ultra-mobile computing space, one Wall Street analyst says.
"We believe there is a 50% chance that a new form factor will be introduced, marking Apple's entrance into the emerging "MID" or mobile internet device market," American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu wrote in a report to clients Thursday. "Our sources indicate 4-inch and 7-inch touchscreen devices beyond prototype stage that are a cross between a Mac and iPod touch."
It's believed the analyst is referring to a long-running skunkworks project at Cupertino-based electronics maker, first reported by AppleInsider last September, aimed at producing a more capable, modern day reincarnation of its Newton MessagePad that will also dual as an Internet tablet and more.
Still, Wu hedges his bets somewhat on an introduction at next week's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, explaining that "exact timing of production isn't clear." He added, however, that he believes "it is inevitable that Apple will bring more touchscreen devices to market" that will further leverage its trademark multi-touch technology first introduced on the iPhone.
More certain is the analyst on Apple's iPhone-related announcements for the conference. He said supply chain sources indicate at least two new models of the touch-screen handset will make an appearance, including a much anticipated version that will run on so-called 3G networks for $399 to $499, in addition to a revised 2.5G version that will sell for $50 to $100 less than today's $399 introductory price.
"Our sense is that Apple is more focused on driving volume compared to a year ago, raising the possibility of carrier subsidies as likely," the analyst told clients. "In terms of features, we are picking up on an improved virtual keyboard with haptics giving it a more tactile feel, GPS and improved location services, and thinner and lighter casing that is more durable and inexpensive to produce."
Wu defended his belief that Apple will continue to market a 2.5G iPhone by noting that 3G coverage is still relatively small and concentrated globally compared to 2.5G technology. In many parts of the world such as Latin and South America where the iPhone has potential with a high number of subscribers, "having just a 3G version to offer doesn't make much technical and economic sense," he said. "The components in a 3G phone are more expensive, not to mention consume more battery power and generate more heat."
The AmTech analyst also told clients that while WWDC has traditionally been a forum for Apple to introduce new Mac systems, that's unlikely to be the case this year due to a conflict in deployment schedules.
"While we believe it makes logical sense for Apple to introduce new Macs at WWDC, our sources indicate radically refreshed portable Macs most likely won't be ready for volume production until the September quarter," he explained. "We believe we could end up with a 'special event' in calendar quarter three to announce these new Macs."
Wu advised Apple investors that shares of the company are often volatile around keynotes by chief executive Steve Jobs, like the one set for Monday, but nevertheless reiterated his Buy rating and $220 price target.
"With new products widely anticipated, we do not have a good feel for how the stock will trade on new product announcements, which are sometimes 'sell the news' events," he wrote. "We would take advantage of weakness to add to positions."
"We believe there is a 50% chance that a new form factor will be introduced, marking Apple's entrance into the emerging "MID" or mobile internet device market," American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu wrote in a report to clients Thursday. "Our sources indicate 4-inch and 7-inch touchscreen devices beyond prototype stage that are a cross between a Mac and iPod touch."
It's believed the analyst is referring to a long-running skunkworks project at Cupertino-based electronics maker, first reported by AppleInsider last September, aimed at producing a more capable, modern day reincarnation of its Newton MessagePad that will also dual as an Internet tablet and more.
Still, Wu hedges his bets somewhat on an introduction at next week's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, explaining that "exact timing of production isn't clear." He added, however, that he believes "it is inevitable that Apple will bring more touchscreen devices to market" that will further leverage its trademark multi-touch technology first introduced on the iPhone.
More certain is the analyst on Apple's iPhone-related announcements for the conference. He said supply chain sources indicate at least two new models of the touch-screen handset will make an appearance, including a much anticipated version that will run on so-called 3G networks for $399 to $499, in addition to a revised 2.5G version that will sell for $50 to $100 less than today's $399 introductory price.
"Our sense is that Apple is more focused on driving volume compared to a year ago, raising the possibility of carrier subsidies as likely," the analyst told clients. "In terms of features, we are picking up on an improved virtual keyboard with haptics giving it a more tactile feel, GPS and improved location services, and thinner and lighter casing that is more durable and inexpensive to produce."
Wu defended his belief that Apple will continue to market a 2.5G iPhone by noting that 3G coverage is still relatively small and concentrated globally compared to 2.5G technology. In many parts of the world such as Latin and South America where the iPhone has potential with a high number of subscribers, "having just a 3G version to offer doesn't make much technical and economic sense," he said. "The components in a 3G phone are more expensive, not to mention consume more battery power and generate more heat."
The AmTech analyst also told clients that while WWDC has traditionally been a forum for Apple to introduce new Mac systems, that's unlikely to be the case this year due to a conflict in deployment schedules.
"While we believe it makes logical sense for Apple to introduce new Macs at WWDC, our sources indicate radically refreshed portable Macs most likely won't be ready for volume production until the September quarter," he explained. "We believe we could end up with a 'special event' in calendar quarter three to announce these new Macs."
Wu advised Apple investors that shares of the company are often volatile around keynotes by chief executive Steve Jobs, like the one set for Monday, but nevertheless reiterated his Buy rating and $220 price target.
"With new products widely anticipated, we do not have a good feel for how the stock will trade on new product announcements, which are sometimes 'sell the news' events," he wrote. "We would take advantage of weakness to add to positions."
Whatever Apple is planning to unveil at its Worldwide Developer Conference next week, it's moving a large volume of products through its supply channels, Forbes's Brian Caulfield has found.
Acting on previous reports that Apple has shipped 19 deliveries overseas from Quanta, which is believed to be a current iPhone manufacturer, the journalist visited a Quanta facility in Fremont, Calif. that appears to be overflowing with Apple deliveries.
Despite being a large facility that processes the goods of multiple manufacturers, the location on Wednesday night had dozens of tall pallets of boxes that all reportedly belonged to Apple. Some of these were clearly iMacs, but 20 others placed side-by-side were wrapped in plain brown packaging.
These boxes could be any device, Caulfield warns, but employees at the Quanta building are said to be very active and also elusive: the shipping supervisor was "really busy" during one attempt to collect information, while another worker approached on the presence of iPhones said he was "not at liberty" to discuss what the manufacturer was shipping.
SquirrelFish to give Safari's JavaScript 60 percent boost
The team refining the WebKit engine behind Safari hopes to inject the renderer's JavaScript interpreter with a new high-speed platform, MacNN reports.
Called SquirrelFish, the engine switches from the basic engine currently in Safari, which simply walks through syntax, to a much more complex bytecode engine that avoids many of the code revisits and overhead as it deciphers JavaScript on a website.
Even though still in early testing with nightly builds of the Webkit test browser, the results are described as dramatic: in a SunSpider test of the scripting language, SquirrelFish runs 60 percent faster than Safari's stock interpreter.
There are no clues given as to when Safari will see the addition, but performance is expected to get better: the team is already happy but believes the current speed is "just the beginning."
Apple posts Mac OS X Security Configuration Guide
Further evidence that Apple is beginning to take security more seriously has surfaced this week in the form of the company's new Security Configuration Guides for Mac OS X Leopard, Tiger, and Panther.
Targeted at both advanced home and workplace users, the guides are billed as helping lock down Macs against most security threats but can compromise the computer in the hands of less experienced users. Any settings ought to be "thoroughly tested" before left alone, Apple warns.
Case makers caught off-guard by 3G iPhone change?
If one report is to be believed, prototype cases for 3G iPhones allegedly made by Griffin and others may be useless by the time the Apple device is on shelves.
iDealsChina claims that last-minute changes make the actual iPhone refresh 2mm (0.08 inches) shorter and 0.5mm (0.02 inches) thinner than originally thought, potentially leaving these companies with thousands of loose-fitting cases to either sell or destroy. A mockup provided by an insider purportedly shows proof of the end product's looks.
Notably, iDealsChina both provided the earlier Griffin leak and sells iPhone accessories, making it difficult to independently determine the authenticity of the report.
The photos, provided to iLounge, are of naked touch-screen components from Host Optical, a Taiwanese company that claims it's supplying the parts to Apple for the next-generation iPhone. It calls the parts "projected capacitance touch panels," and claims they contain technology that make them superior to those from Germany-based Balda used in the first-generation iPhone.
More specifically, Host claims the screens lack an aging effect, meaning they'll last longer and won't fade in sensitivity over the years. They're also said to be more robust and resistant to water and climates with high humidifies. However, even iLounge doubts the company's claims that the parts are destine for Apple's highly anticipated 3G iPhone, due to arrive next week.
"To be clear, we believe that there is zero chance that a 2.8� screen is going to be in Apple�s first 3G version of the iPhone, but as a component for an iPhone mini/nano, as well as a fourth-generation iPod nano, it makes a lot more sense," wrote Jeremy Horwitz. "Notably, Host�s displays place two and only two sensors off to the right of the ear speaker, a detail that doesn�t track with what we�ve heard about the 3G model."
Indeed, the vast majority of reports circulating on the Internet over the past few months have portrayed a next-generation iPhone with relatively the same exact footprint as the current version, the only disparity being some added tapering around the edges and opposing views over whether the model would be thicker or thinner.
Intriguing, however, is that on April 29th the Chinese-language Taiwan Economic News cited sources in saying that Apple's second-generation iPhone would be both lighter and more compact than the existing version. In its report, the newspaper specifically mentioned that the "LCD screen on the phone measures 2.8 inches diagonally, a downsize from first generation`s 3.5 inches."
View more photos and diagrams of the panels at iLounge
The growing consensus amongst people analyzing the flurry of next-generation iPhone reports is that Apple may possibly introduce two new models: a 3G model relatively the same size as the current iPhone at existing prices and a shrunken 2.5G model for considerably less.