Report: Apple Demands Suppliers To Reduce Costs For iPhone And iPad Components

According to reports in today’s Economic Daily News, Apple has demanded cuts in supplier’s quotes for various components that are vital to the production of the iPhone and iPad. The paper has reported that Apple is putting significant pressure on the suppliers of PCBs, optical components, battery modules and touch panels to cut costs by 10% in the second quarter of 2011.

Apple is using the increased business it brings to the suppliers as a bargaining chip to get a 10% cut in costs. In particular the growing popularity of the iPad has meant that analysts are expecting a 70% growth in the second quarter, a significant windfall for Apple’s suppliers.

With a new iPhone expected sometime later this year and continued growth because of the iPad, Apple is expected to continue to demand cuts both in this quarter and on an ongoing basis.

[Via DigiTimes]

iPhone 4 Becomes The Most Popular Camera On Flickr

Sometime in the past few days, the iPhone 4 became the most popularly used camera on Flickr – two months after TechCrunch noted that it was poised to take the top spot. The Nikon D90 now holds the second spot, although its share of users has remained constant whilst the iPhone 4 has surged to the front. The next three spots are taken up by various Canon EOS line cameras including the 5D Mark II, Digital Rebel XSi and Rebel T1i.

In terms of smartphones the iPhone 4 took the lead a long time ago but it continues to extend its lead. It is followed by the iPhone 3G, 3GS and then the HTC Evo 4G. Surprisingly the iPod Touch rounds out the top smartphone cameras at number 5.

The iPhone 4 becoming the most popular camera in the Flickr community comes after the iPhone 3G held the top spot for just over a year. It lost the top spot earlier this year as it saw a significant reduction in users as the iPhone 4 surged in popularity (just see the above graph and the drop-off in 3G users).

[Via @espiekermann]

Firefox 5 Launches Today, Downloads Already Available

After a number of months in Aurora and Beta testing, the public release of Firefox 5 is expected to come sometime today, but ahead of schedule the downloads are already available now for all platforms.

Although the Firefox page has not yet been updated, notable new features in Firefox 5 include improved support for HTML5, MathML, XHR, more support for CSS animation, a ‘do not track’ option in the privacy pane and general speed and perfomance gains. There is also improved sync support, better add-on updates and improved spell checking for many languages.

You can download Firefox 5 here for Mac, Windows or Linux.

Update - Federico Viticci 5 PM GMT +1: Mozilla has announced the official release of Firefox 5, the first browser to enable the “Do not track” feature on multiple platforms. A full list of detailed changes to the browser can be viewed here.

The latest version of Firefox includes more than 1,000 improvements and performance enhancements that make it easier to discover and use all of the innovative features in Firefox. This release adds support for more modern Web technologies that make it easier for developers to build amazing Firefox Add-ons, Web applications and websites.

Here’s a direct link to Firefox 5.0 for Mac.

Apple Planning New Store in Sydney, Grand Opening in Reading This Saturday

According to two separate reports from the well-sourced ifoAppleStore.com, Apple is about to open a new retail location in Reading, UK, on Saturday. The grand opening, scheduled for June 25 at 9.30 AM, comes after a five-year wait that saw rumors constantly pinpointing the new Reading Apple Store about an hour west of London. Located in The Oracle Shopping Centre, the store is said to occupy spaces of two former stores on the upper level of the mall. Rumors of a new Apple Store in Reading go back to 2007.

The Westfield Hornsby shopping centre.

Meanwhile, the website also claims Apple is considering another store in Sydney’s suburban area, at the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall about 17 miles northwest of Sydney. Early rumors suggest a 2012 grand opening in this location that already has 305 retailers, a cinema, and a restaurant across its 1 million square feet space.

Update: screenshot of an Apple email about the Reading grand opening this weekend, courtesy of @HabibCham.

[The Oracle photo via]

New Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme Launching Today?

Speculation around a Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme refresh has been intensifying lately and it looks like the new models are ready to go as model numbers have surfaced and an FCC filing discovered by Engadget confirms Apple is about to launch at least a new AirPort Extreme device, model A1408. Little is known from the FCC documents, but in a separate report 9to5mac shares the new model numbers and indicates the AirPort Extreme will keep a single configuration, with the Time Capsule adding a 3 TB option in addition to the existing 2 TB one.

  • MD031LL/A – AIRPORT EXTREME 802.11N (5TH GEN)- USA
  • MD032LL/A – TIME CAPSULE 2TB (4TH GENERATION) – USA
  • MD033LL/A – TIME CAPSULE 3TB (4TH GENERATION) – USA

The new Time Capsules are rumored to be getting a new functionality to cache software updates for iOS and OS X devices, in order to speed up the process of downloading and installing new software. This feature was also confirmed by some code strings found in the latest AirPort Utility update. As Apple usually likes to time its hardware refreshes with FCC document releases, there’s the possibility the new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule will come out later today.

Apple Releases iTunes Festival 2011 App with Live Shows and AirPlay

Kicking off on July 1 at the Roundhouse in London for 31 nights of consecutive live performances from 62 bands, the iTunes Festival 2011 has seen Coldplay, Beady Eye, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters and Mogwai signing up for Apple’s annual initiative, among others. Today Apple released an official app for the iTunes Festival 2011 which, besides letting you check on the schedule for the venue and check out more information about the performing bands, will enable you to follow shows live or on demand “for a limited period from wherever you are in the world”, as well as beam video contents from your iPhone or iPad to an Apple TV or unofficial third-party receiver like MacStories staff favorite AirServer. This is the first time Apple is supporting both the iPhone and iPad with options for live streaming, AirPlay and Apple TV. Apple’s recent experiments with live streaming events include special media events and WWDC keynotes, though they have seemed to refrain from streaming announcements as of lately. It’ll be interesting to see how the app will allow users to watch live concerts come July 1.

You can download the iTunes Festival London 2011 app for free here.

Intel Confirms Sandy Bridge ULV Processors, Likely For New MacBook Airs

As noted by Cnet, Intel has updated its official processor price list to include new Sandy Bridge-based Corei5 and Corei7 processors with ultra-low voltage power specifications that will make them suitable for future ultra-thin laptops like the upcoming MacBook Air refresh, set for a June or July release. The new processors, as included in the list:

  • i5-2557M (3M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 1.70 GHz 32nm) - $250
  • i7-2677M (4M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 1.80 Ghz, 32nm) - $317
  • i7-2637M (4M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 1.70 Ghz, 32nm) - $289

As reported back in May, these new power-frugal processors make for a great option when it comes to powering thin machines like Apple’s MacBook Airs or other devices called “ultrabooks” by Intel. By increasing clock speed from 1.4 GHz and 1.6 GHz to 1.7 GHz and 1.8 GHz from the previous-gen Arrandale CPUs, and with turbo boost frequencies set at 2.8 GHz and 2.9 GHz, Intel’s new ULV chips seem to fall in line with Apple’s requirements for low power consumption and speed. More importantly, the new Sandy Bridge processors dissipate only 17 watts, unlike standard laptop-oriented processors from Intel that with 35-watt dissipation would be too much for the MacBook Air’s thin and slim design.

The new MacBook Airs were initially rumored to be receiving an update in June, though recent speculation claims Apple will refresh the line in July – also holding out for new Mac releases until Lion comes out, so the new OS will come pre-installed on new Mac models. Many have indicated the MacBook Air as Apple’s new “crown jewel”, the most popular new MacBook model that will be perfectly capable of running OS X Lion thanks to its fast SSD, instant-on feature, high portability and multitouch trackpad.

The Freelance Mac App Bundle Giveaway

Mac owning freelance web developers might be able to push pixels in Photoshop and write code in BBEdit, but just how are you going about your invoices, backup, and how do you even begin to collect all the little bits of inspiration you find around the web? Clients need secure passwords to protect their websites, and responding to gobs of email can keep you from being focused on what really matters. Entertainment and keeping your daily routine in check are just as important. Freelancers also need to be on top of their game, and thus, we have the Freelance Mac App Bundle which packages $300 worth of goodies together for only $49.

Billings ($39.99)
TextExpander ($34.95)
WriteRoom ($24.99)
Radium ($9.99)
Arq ($29)
LittleSnapper ($29)
1Password ($39.99)
Alarms ($16.80)

Envato is also throwing in a wordpress theme, client manager, a professional business card, and an eBook from RockablePress to round out the bundle.

Freelancers looking for a bargain on really great apps can grab their copy today. Being a MacStories reader, however, also gives you a chance to win one of two bundles which you’ll find past the break. Read more

1Password for Mac Adds OS X Lion Support

1Password for Mac, the must-have utility we at MacStories use on a daily basis to manage and organize our web logins, credit card data and anything else that can go into AgileBits’ secure and encrypted database, was updated a few minutes ago to include support for OS X Lion and Mozilla’s latest desktop browser, Firefox 5. For those who have been keeping an eye on 1Password’s releases, you might have noticed the developers put great effort into building an amazing Google Chrome extension that allows you to easily access your web logins, identities, or generate passwords for new accounts. The Google Chrome extension was far superior to the Safari 4 counterpart, which was stuck on old interface schemes with less features and a clunky menu to fill web fields and account credentials. 1Password 3.6 finally brings the same extension seen on Chrome to Safari 5.1 on Lion and, after a quick test, I can say the extension looks even better than Chrome’s version as it’s powered by a neat animation for opening / closing. Overall, the new 1Password extension on Lion looks great, it’s fast and, from what I’ve seen so far, very stable when browsing around, filling logins and generating new passwords.

1Password 3.6 also adds support for apps created with Fluid 1.0, as well as Firefox 5. As AgileBits have added support for OS X 10.7 and Mozilla’s new browsers, the developers recommend people willing to use Leopard or older versions of Firefox to stay on 1Password 3.5.9. Support for new OSes and browsers aside, 1Password 3.6 is filled with welcome minor changes and bug fixes: whilst you can see the full list when upgrading from 3.5.9 to 3.6 in the built-in changelog screen, let me highlight that the new 1Password supports the latest Dropbox file configuration for sync, and it brings improved backups to detect problems with the app’s backup folder. On top of that, Lion-specific improvements will make the app a joy to use for those who have already made the jump on Apple’s new big cat.

1Password is a priceless utility that at $39.99 (Mac version) will change the way you manage, save, organize and keep data safe on your computers. The Mac app can be downloaded here, and you can find iOS counterparts for iPhone and iPad (with sync) here, here, and here.