Apple in talks with cable operators to use Apple TV device as set-top-box

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is in talks with cable television operators to use an Apple TV device as a set-top-box. Instead of Apple building their own TV show database to compete with the cable operators – as Apple has discussed with show creators in the past – this approach would simply plug cable operators to televisions via an Apple device.

The report says that Apple’s plans with cable TV networks aren’t necessarily for the current Apple TV $99 box. The plans could be for a future version of Apple’s current device, or for the much-rumored Apple Television set.

Two people briefed on the matter said the technology involved could ultimately be embedded in a television. Apple has worked on prototypes for televisions in the past, according to people briefed on the projects.

Additionally, the report says that Apple has not yet come to any agreements with any cable TV operators.

[Source: 9to5Mac - Read the full story]

Sky+ iPad app update brings remote control and DVR scheduling

After being teased earlier in the year, v4.0 of the Sky+ app for iPad has arrived in the UK and brought a number of new features to subscriber's tablets. Now, it can be used as a remote control to change channels or select DVR functions, as well as view scheduled recordings and add to or change them, or just browse the TV guide's new look. Even with the changes however, Sky has more planned for later this summer when it will integrate zeebox technology to bring second screen features and data to accompany live TV. The free app is up in iTunes now, however customers will need the latest HD guide upgrade on their cable box that's connected to the same local network as the iPad to make it all work. There's a quick demo video of the new features embedded after the break plus more official information on the Sky website.

[Source: Engadget]

Potential Samsung Galaxy Note 2 bezel gets snapped, measured at 5.5 inches

Here's an image purporting to be of the Galaxy Note 2's bezel, and if it's a fake, it's a very good one. Taken by a (sharper-than-usual) blurrycam snapper wearing factory-style dust booties, the hardware suggests a chunky, squared-off design for the second-generation phablet that rejects the Galaxy S III'smore curvaceous body. The ruler draped from corner-to-corner jibes with earlier rumors that it would have a slightly expanded 5.5-inch canvas for your S-Pen fun. We just have one question: does that photo make it look curved along the horizontal axis, or is the loose component just bendy?

[Source: Engadget]

PS Vita firmware update adds button controls, iTunes playlists and more

If you're a Vita owner, then this week must feel like running through rain of joy, as new features and functionality keep coming. Well, why not splash in a puddle or two along the way, as we learn what treats the next firmware update for the handheld -- version 1.80 -- will bring. First up is the ability to use the console's buttons on the home screen and within some applications -- yeah really! In addition to that mind-bomb, you'll also be able to fast-forward and rewind video, import playlists from the PS3 and iTunes (10.6.3 or later) as well as use the rear touchpad for scrolling and zooming in the browser. There's a bunch of other minor tweaks, too, just skip down to the source for the breakdown or wait until "late August" for the download.

[Source: Engadget]

OWC offers 480GB SSD upgrade for Retina MacBook Pro, requires screwdriver and careful math

Order up a Retina MacBook Pro and you'll likely be confronted with a gravelly message about how the SSD is "built into the computer" and not user-upgradeable. As it turns out, that's not quite true -- so long as you're prepared to ignore a whole bunch of other warnings written inside the chassis itself, iFixit has shown how to remove the factory drive and now OWC has a new SSD to replace it with. The only downside is the cost: at $580, OWC's 480GB Mercury Aura Pro is actually more expensive than Apple's official 512GB upgrade. In an effort to sweeten the deal, OWC is offering those who buy before September 30th a compact USB 3.0 enclosure to make use of the freed-up drive. Alternatively, you may want to wait for prices to drop or for OWC to offer an even bigger capacity with better cost / benefits.

[Source: Engadget]

Panasonic AG-AC90 professional camcorder: three CMOS sensors in a handheld package for $2,250

While filmakers have gone gaga over huge sensor'd video cameras, there's still a need for smaller chips and pro features -- to that end, Panasonic has just announced the AG-AC90 AVCCAM. Destined for event and corporate users, it features three smallish 1/4.7-inch CMOS sensors ("3MOS" in company-speak), a 12X zoom, native 1,920 x 1,080 at 60p, 60i, 30p and 24p, and a five-axis image stabilizer. As for video quality, there's a new "premium professional" recording mode with 28 Mbps throughput at 60p, on top of 24 Mbps and 17 Mbps modes. With two memory card slots, the camcorder supports Panasonic's proprietary UHS-1 cards, and fortunately works with SDXC and SDHC to boot. It's slated to arrive in "late fall 2012," according to the company, and will ring the register at $2,250. So, if the first thing that pops into your mind is not DOF, but zebras, timecode and XLR inputs, check the PR for all those specs.

[Source: Engadget]

Motion outs F5t, C5t rugged tablet PCs with Ivy Bridge and optional SSD, pricing starts at $2,240

Okay, these might not be quite as elegant as, say, that 10-inch, high-res slate coming out of the famed Cupertino labs, but hey, folks working on construction sites (or doing other types of handy work) need to get some actual work done. Here's where Motion Computing comes in. The outfit's just taken the wraps off of its newest rugged tablet PCs, the F5t and C5t -- both of which can be loaded with a choice of an i3, i5 or i7 third-gen Intel CPU, also known as Ivy Bridge. What's more, the company's also letting users pick between a 64 or 128GB solid-state drive, which can then be paired alongside 2 or 4GB of RAM. As you can imagine, this ruggedized duo isn't exactly aimed at something like the Nexus 7 crowd, since the starting price point for the Windows 7 Pro couple starts off at around $2,240 ($2,236, to be exact) depending on configuration. Either way, you can give 'em both a better look after the break, thanks to a press shot gallery courtesy of their creator.

[Source: Engadget]

Putting An End To The Biggest Lie On The Internet

It’s long been said that “I agree to the terms of service” is the biggest lie on the internet. And even if you do read them, many TOS are so ridden with legalese that you practically need to be a lawyer to understand them. Also, as I wrote in a gloomy post last weekend, users have no choice but either agree to the terms offered by a web app or simply not use the service at all.

But a new project called TOS;DR wants to change that. The site aims to give more power to users by summarizing terms of service, flagging potential issues and rating apps on a scale from A (the best) to E (the worst).

So far the only company with an E, the worst possible rating, is TwitPic, which reserves the rights to sell users’ photos to news agency without giving the photographer a cut.

Project lead Hugo Roy tells me that he considers Wikipedia to be an exemplary service, though it hasn’t been rated by TOS;DR. He says both Wikipedia’s short, clear summary of its TOS and its practice of soliciting feedback from users before a change in terms should be widely adopted as best practices for the web.

[Source: TechCrunch - Read the full story]

Facebook’s Instagram Deal Moves One Step Closer: UK’s Office Of Fair Trading Gives It The All-Clear

Facebook has today moved one step closer in its proposed acquisition of photo-sharing app Instagram. The Office of Fair Trading in the UK has given the deal the all-clear.

The announcement was made via an RNS regulatory statement, which briefly says the OFT would not refer the deal to the Competition Commission. A spokesperson for the OFT has given us more detail:

“We examined this in light of them both offering social networking services, looking at potential competition in social networking services, and in the supply of photo apps and whether the merger might result in the merging parties limiting people from others using other apps or other sites,” he said. “In brief we concluded that there are several relatively strong competitors to Instgram which appear to pose a stronger constraint to Instagram than Facebook does.”

[Source: TechCrunch - Read the full story]

Third Beijing Apple Store planned

Apple already operates two stores in Beijing, and a report from ifoAppleStore suggests the company will add a third location early next year. According to local sources, Apple may open a street-level store on Wangfujing Street, a popular pedestrian-only thoroughfare that's lined with over 200 retail stores. This new location is not too far away from the Xidan Joy City store, which was visited by Tim Cook earlier this year. It's also close to the Sanlitun store, the country's first Apple store. The Wangfujing Street store could open sometime in early 2013.

[Source: TUAW]

BBC iPlayer for iOS gets Retina display support for iPad

The BBC has just finished what was probably the best coverage of the Olympic games in the world, but the corporation is not slowing down. Today the BBC released an update to its wildly popular BBC iPlayer app for iOS.

The major feature improvement in this update is support for the new iPad's Retina display. Other changes include improved video performance for better playback, bug fixes and "general tidying, so you'll notice even smoother performance," and more Voice Over controls for better accessibility.

BBC iPlayer version 1.3.2 is a free download from the UK App Store. Now let's just hope BBC and Apple can agree to get iPlayer on the Apple TV.

[Source: TUAW]

iOS 6's "Wi-Fi + Cellular" option will solve some network conundrums

DownloadBlog's Jeff Benjamin has taken a look at the new "Wi-Fi + Cellular" option that will be in iOS 6. On the surface, the concept is brilliant. If you encounter issues with your Wi-Fi connection, iOS 6 automatically will tap your data plan as a back-up until you're back on the Wi-Fi successfully.

This scenario can occur you've made a Wi-Fi connection and it turns out to be pretty bad. The connection to the router is solid, but the Internet itself is pretty horrid -- case in point, most hotel rooms I've stayed in the past couple of years. Benjamin cites cases where you're making the transition between a place with Wi-Fi, such as your home or a coffee shop, and places without. There's a middle ground where you're barely hanging onto a Wi-Fi connection.

There are restrictions to this, for the frugally minded. You can't be downloading an app that's bigger than 50 MB, be using a third-party browser or an app that streams audio or video content. Benjamin managed to get FaceTime working using Wi-Fi + Cellular, but receiving a call forced the app to hang.

Most people will not notice any sort of change to data consumption, but you can toggle the option off if you're worried about hitting a data cap. While we don't know if Apple will have this option on by default, it won't hurt to make sure once iOS 6 is live.

[Source: TUAW]