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Rumor Mill: What's on the Apple horizon

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Hey there, it's Jake, Jason's evil twin. It's Friday which means that it's my turn to take the wheel for trip down Apple rumor lane. Fasten your seat belts because here we go: Apple Developing Wiimote-Like Controller? – AppleInsider reports that a new Apple patent application reveals Apple has done research on a 3D remote control device similar to the Nintendo Wii remote.

The present invention can include multi-dimensional (e.g., 2-D or 3-D) remote control systems that can detect an absolute location to which a remote control is pointing in first and second orthogonal axes (e.g., the x- and y-axes). Remote control systems of the present invention also can detect the absolute position of the remote control in a third orthogonal axis (e.g., the z-axis).

No vacations for AT&T retail staff during iPhone 3G launch – Boy Genius Report published an AT&T memo that restricts vacation requests between 15 June and 12 July 2008. The reason given is

"to ensure adequate store staffing and to give everyone an equal opportunity to benefit from an exciting product launch." AT&T expects "heavier than normal customer traffic" in their stores due to an "exciting Summer Promotional Launch."

Hmmm... I wonder what that could be.

Speaking of the iPhone 3G. Rumors of the glossy black rear panel were quickly ruled fake by a jury of your Internet peers. Then there's these pics of a white iPhone rear panel. Personally, it looks like ColorWare PC paint job to me.

iLounge has posted what appears to be parts of an iPhone reference design. And if that wasn't enough, check out this World Map of iPhone availability.

TUAW brings us a couple of juicy rumor nuggets: Push e-mail coming to iPhone 2.0 and .Mac relaunch to coincide with iPhone 2.0. According to TUAW's source, .Mac could undergo the following changes as soon as next month:

Full over-the-air syncing including calendars, contacts, and email (similar to Exchange)
.Mac syncing on Windows

What have you been hearing?

posted by Jason D. O'Grady
May 9, 2008 @ 10:06 am

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