Rumor: Next iPod Touch To Have Glasses-free 3D Screen?

Here’s an interesting rumor coming from Japanese blog Macotakara [Google Translation] while you’re still trying to wrap your head around the news that Steve Jobs has taken another medical leave of absence. According to “sources of information” close to Macotakara, Apple is considering a glasses-free 3D screen technology for a future iPod touch, with an approach similar to what Nintendo is doing with the 3DS – a gaming handheld capable of projecting 3D images out of the screen without the need of wearing glasses.

In the past, Apple was granted several 3D-related patents and other third-party manufacturers played around with the idea of bringing 3D to iOS devices. Macotakara, however, reports that Apple is willing to integrate 3D into the iPod touch’s screen without any external peripheral or accessory. The 3D panel should be developed by Sharp.

According to a source of a company which provides LCD to Apple, they seems to begin preparing to manufacture small glasses-free 3D LCD panel for iPod touch.

This 3D LCD panel looks similar to Sharp, corp’s LCD which is capable for displaying 3D image without glasses on vertical and horizontal position.

While this is all based on pure speculation, it’s interesting to think that Apple might fight Nintendo at its own game with the iPod touch, which has been touted has world’s most popular gaming device several times in the past. Apple is clearly investing on the appeal of the iPod touch as an entry-level iOS device that’s perfect for portable games, and a mobile 3D screen would be another technological breakthrough for the company.

Steve Jobs To Take “Medical Leave of Absence”

According to a press release that just went out, Apple’s board has granted Steve Jobs a medical leave of absence. He will stay as CEO and Tim Cook will handle day to day operations. In the letter to the Apple team, Jobs says he wants to focus on his health and will still be “involved in major strategic decisions”. He is confident Tim Cook and the executive management team will manage to accomplish the goals set for 2011.

It is unclear at this point what the reason for this medical leave is; Jobs underwent a liver transplant in 2009 and, similarly to today’s news, Tim Cook took over day to day operations at Apple. In 2004, Jobs contracted Pancreatic Cancer, which he beat.

All we can say is – get well soon, Steve.

Press release below. Read more

First iPad 2 LCD Screen Picture?

Over the weekend, several blogs reported of “2x” graphic files (which we spotted last August) found in the iBooks application binary that suggested an increased resolution in the next generation iPad. Apple, in fact, uses the “2x” suffix to separate graphic elements belonging to non-Retina devices from those designed for the iPhone 4 Retina Display. The rumored increased resolution for the iPad 2 would be 2048x1536 pixels, double the current one.

As noted by MacRumors, website GlobalDirectParts (the same company that posted leaked photos of the CDMA iPhone parts weeks ago) is now selling an “iPad 2 LCD Screen” for $218.19. The website also sells screens replacement for the first-generation iPad and a variety of other Apple products. The $218.19 price point seems to suggest higher production costs for the new screen, which may or may not imply a higher resolution built-in the unit.

The same website has also update its catalogue with an “iPad Vibrating Motor” (the current iPad doesn’t have vibration like the iPhone) and a white iPad 2 that, however, it’s just a mockup from a few months ago. According to recent speculation, the iPad 2 will come out in the first two weeks of April with an SD card slot and a higher resolution screen.

iPhone Hack Enables FaceTime on Unsupported Carriers

iPhone owners who have been trying to use the device on unsupported carriers like T-Mobile in the U.S. through an unlock procedure have noticed the FaceTime functionality doesn’t work. Even if the iPhone can work on other “unofficially supported” GSM networks, FaceTime is still tied to specific carriers selected by Apple and can’t get activated by standard unlocking tools.

MiTime is an app recently updated to work with iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2.1 that allows users to easily activate FaceTime on unsupported carriers. The app will force the iPhone to send two international SMS messages to enable FaceTime on a network that’s not officially backed by Apple.

The hack should be working with any GSM carrier and is available in Cydia. You can follow the instructions on how to install MiTime over at iPhone Download Blog.

Apple Asking Federal Government To Fight iPhone Jailbreak?

In spite of the Digital Copyright Millenium Act marking the iPhone “jailbreak” procedure as legal, it appears that Apple is still going after hackers and jailbreakers who modify its mobile OS to install unapproved apps and use the handset on unsupported carriers, the NBC reports. By definition, “jailbreak” refers to a set of tools and hacks used to run software and third-party apps Apple doesn’t want in the App Store, whilst “unlock” is a term to indicate the hacks that allow users to let the iPhone work on carriers that don’t support the device, like T-Mobile in the US or other carriers worldwide. Unlock tools and various jailbreak techniques have existed since the original iPhone came out. Most notably, unlock app Ultrasn0w and jailbreak software like PwnageTool, Spirit, Blackra1n and Limera1n. Read more

Save MP3s On Your Device with YouTubeToMp3 [Cydia]

YouTubeToMp3 is a new tweak available for free in Cydia that, as the name suggests, allows you to save MP3 audio files on your jailbroken iOS device through Youtube. It may happen sometimes, in fact, that you stumble upon a live performance of your favorite artist on YouTube and you can’t find the single audio files anywhere else; in the past, we reviewed Grappler for Mac, a utility for OS X that allows you to convert videos from the popular video service to audio files also compatible with iTunes.

YouTubeToMp3 only needs the URL of the video you’d like to save and a tap on “Convert”. The UI isn’t exactly great, but the tweak gets its job done by saving .mp3 files into /var/mobile/Media/Downloads. You can manage files from the utility itself, too.

YouTubeToMp3 is available under BigBoss repo and it’s compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch.

OMGuitar for iPad Was Meant for Auditions [Video]

We don’t know whether Steve Jobs knew the iPad would turn out to be a popular music instrument or not, but it’s undeniable that more and more artists every week are coming out with videos showing their live performances entirely based on the tablet. Even the Gorillaz created an album using only iPad apps. In the video embedded after the break, you can take a look at the functionalities offered by a new music app for the iPad called “OMGuitar” that, according to the Amidio developers, is the most innovative and realistic “guitar synth” for iOS.

The app lets strum away on your iPad’s screen and captures the speed and “emotion” of your strumming. You can choose between 6 different guitar models (from the most classic one to the electric Les Paul) and play through an interface that’s divided in two parts: one for the notes and chords, one for the actual strumming. The developers write:

The strings themselves respond to the speed of strumming and the distance between themselves and the initial screen tap. The player is supposed to strum with one finger and place the second finger on the guitar at any time for muting all the strings. With such approach, many common guitar playing techniques can be easily accomplished.

OMGuitar employs an absolutely new way of choosing chords called CH#RD. More than 300 chords are basically at the fingertips. Only one finger is needed to play all the common chords, such as Minor, 7th, Major 7th, power chords, 6th chords, diminished or suspended. For more special chords, one more finger is needed. In total, there is access to 23 chord variations per every root note, which is more than enough for any song.

OMGuitar is available at $14.99 in the App Store. While we think you shouldn’t really try to go to an audition with an iPad as your main instrument, we’re still hoping in the future that won’t look weird. Perhaps in a few years. [Youtube via TUAW]
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