Next week, next iPhone? (Apple Talk Weekly)

Next week the rumors, the speculation, and the curiosity come to an end. Or at least that's the hope.

Apple on Tuesday is holding an event at its campus with the tag line "Let's talk iPhone." It's been more than a year since the last iPhone came out, and the event is expected to bring a full unveiling of its successor.

Along with the iPhone, next week's event should give us full details, if not the formal release, of iOS 5 as well as iCloud, the latter being the company's backup and synchronization service. Both got their debut in June during WWDC with the promise of a release this fall.

We'll be there to cover the news live, as it happens. Look for more details on how to view our live coverage in the coming days. Now, as usual, here's a wrap up of some of this week's big Apple news and rumors to get you all caught up.

News of the week

Apple sets Oct. 4 as date for iPhone event

As mentioned above, Apple sent out its invites to select press bright and early Tuesday morning, a week from when the event is being held. The invite features a cluster of four iOS icons and the tag line "Let's talk iPhone" (see above). The move is a departure to last year, when Apple took the wraps off a new iPhone at its annual developers conference in San Francisco. This time around, the event is being held at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.

iPod click wheel games disappear from the iTunes Store 

You might remember that not too long before the App Store, Apple began selling games through iTunes for its click wheel iPods. Even since the popularity of Apple's touch-screen iPods and the iPhone and iPad, those games have remained. But as noted by AppleInsider, Apple quietly removed them from the iTunes Store earlier this week, prompting speculation that the click wheel sporting iPod Classic is well and truly on its way out.

Apple denied Multi-Touch Trademark

A filing picked up on this week by MacRumors shows that the United States Patent and Trademark Office denied Apple's application to trademark the term "Multi-Touch," the technology that registers multiple touches at once on touch-screen devices. The filing says the mark was denied for simply describing the feature and not backing up the application with proof that consumers associate the term with Apple. The application itself goes back to when Apple first introduced the iPhone in 2007, which made use of multi-touch in apps like viewing photos and navigating through maps.

New European countries get iTunes Stores

Apple's iTunes Store expanded into new territory this week. As noted by MacRumors on Wednesday, Apple's iTunes Music Store launched in a number of new countries, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

Court sides with Apple in Mac clone case

An appeals court this week sided with Apple against Mac clone maker Psystar for infringing on its copyrights. You might remember that as the company that began offering custom-built PCs running Apple's Mac OS X. Apple filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Psystar for doing that in 2008, winning in a ruling a year later. Apple was also awarded a permanent injunction against Psystar, keeping the company from selling any hardware.

Rumors of the week

Next iPhone to sport 1GB RAM, voice assistant

A new rumor roundup of sorts from 9to5mac this week claimed Apple's next iPhone will sport 1GB of RAM as well as a substantially more complex voice-recognition control system that lets users navigate about the phone as well as launch apps with their voice. Apple has long been rumored to be working on such efforts given its pick-up of Siri and its voice-activated assistant application last year. Macrumors piled on, providing mock-ups of what the system is said to look like, as well as a video of how it works.

New iPhones, iPods in Apple's inventory system

Citing new information from "Mr. X," a frequent leaker of Apple product numbers, 9to5mac this week reported that two new iPhones have appeared in the company's inventory system alongside three new iPod Touch models. Before getting too excited, the blog suggests the iPods could just be white versions of existing models, with the iPhones being a low capacity model of the iPhone 4 aimed at budget-conscious buyers.

iPad shipments cut 25 percent? Not so fast

A report from a J.P. Morgan Chase analyst made waves at the beginning of the week, suggesting that Apple cut fourth-quarter iPad shipments by 25 percent, a signal sales of the device might be slowing. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster disputed the idea, suggesting any drop in Apple's iPad production in Asia could be due to a ramp up in iPad production in Brazil.

A lost Foxconn iPhone 5 prototype the cause for case designs?

What's up with that bevy of iPhone 5 cases that have popped up in the last few months? Well, according to a new report, you can blame that on a prototype of the device that went missing earlier this year. Blog M.I.C. Gadget said that while visiting Shenzhen, China, last week, it heard from an "iPhone accessories supplier" that a prototype of the device had gone missing from Foxconn's factory in that area. The tipster alleged that the device had then been sold to case makers who were eager to get a head start on production.

iPod Classic and Shuffle to be discontinued?

The non-touch based version of the iPod's taken a back seat to the iPhone for years now, but people are still snapping up millions of them each quarter. Nonetheless, that number's long been in decline. A new report from TUAW this week suggested Apple plans to trim some of the fat by shelving its two non-touch-screen based iPods: the Classic and the Shuffle. Following the quiet removal of iPod click wheel games from iTunes this week, this rumor certainly becomes a whole lot more interesting.

See also my colleague Donald Bell's take on why it might not be a bad time to kill off the product that helped turn Apple into a consumer tech giant.

Patent of the week

A 2010 application published this week points to some interesting video stabilization technology Apple is seeking to patent.

The filing, picked up by Patently Apple, is for "accelerometer/gyro-facilitated video stabilization." In short, it details a system for making use of the accelerometer and/or gyroscope to track when shaking is happening during video recordings. The patent then describes a system for selectively running that data stream through any stabilization process to smooth out just the bits that register with lots of shakes.

Apple already offers stabilization in its video editing software, including both iMovie and Final Cut Pro X. The first Apple portable hardware to ship with both an accelerometer and a gyro was last year's iPhone 4, though the patent suggests the system could be used in other portable devices like handheld video cameras and portable computers.

iOS 5 rumored Sept. 23-30; iPhone 5 mid-October?

Apple plans to release the Golden Master of iOS 5 to its overseas assemblers between September 23 and 30 according to a new rumor, which would peg the iPhone 5 at around mid-October.

Apple plans to release the Golden Master (”GM”) of iOS 5 to its overseas assemblers between September

23 and September 30 according to a report from AppleInsider (via CNet). This would mean that iOS 5 — and the  fifth-generation iPhone by extension – would be on schedule a mid-October launch.

Citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, AI notes that the Golden Master (GM) version of the much-anticipated software update for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is scheduled to go to overseas “assemblers” in as soon as 11 days. The report also states that new iPhone and iPod touch went into mass production in late August.

Upon receiving the software, Apple’s overseas assemblers will be able to install it on the finalized hardware and prepare it for shipping. The latest version of iOS will come preinstalled on both the fifth-generation models of the iPhone and iPod touch, set to be released in the coming weeks.

A release of iOS 5 to assemblers the week of Sept. 23 means its likely finalized hardware units for the new iPhone and iPod touch will begin to ship at the end of September. With an estimated 10 to 12 days for shipping, the two new devices are likely to be available by mid-October, Kuo said.

This will come as great news to people clinging to dying iPhone 3G and 3GS’.

Apple rumored to add system-wide Twitter integration to iOS 5

As rumors swirl of an upcoming image service from Twitter, a new report alleges that Apple will participate as a major launch partner with system-wide support in iOS 5. Various sources have confirmed that Twitter plans to announce a photo-sharing service, reportedly called Twitter Pictures, at the D9 conference later this week. TechCrunch now reports that Twitter has lined up Apple as a key partner for the upcoming service. Though a number of popular third-party image services already cater to Twitter users,

the company is reportedly moving to take more control of its product in hopes of creating a more consistent user experience. Of course, money could also be an issue, as sites like Yfrog make millions by selling advertising next to images uploaded by Twitter users. According to the report, multiple sources have said that Apple's iOS 5 will have Twitter's image service "baked into the OS" with a "Send to Twitter" option similar to the current integration of YouTube in iOS. "A tipster informs us that one trigger happy Apple iOS designer has already released a test link into the wild," Alexia Tsotsis said in a separate report for TechCrunch, though she declined to provide the link. John Gruber of Daring Fireball took things one step further, hinting at possible deeper integration. "So close to the bigger story, but yet so far," Gruber said of the report. "Imagine what else the system could provide if your Twitter account was a system-level service." Apple confirmed Tuesday that CEO Steve Jobs will unveil iOS 5 next Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. iOS 5 is also rumored to include "deep" voice command integration. Last week, reports emerged that Apple will revamp notifications and widgets in iOS 5. WWDC kicks off Monday, June 6 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. In addition to iOS 5, Apple will present Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and introduce its new iCloud service. Last month, sources told AppleInsider that the iCloud service, which is expected to replace the existing MobileMe product, will store more than just music. Apple is rumored to be pursuing licensing deals with movie and TV studios for the forthcoming service.

Apple's iCloud music service to scan, mirror iTunes libraries(Photos)

Sources allege that the much-rumored streaming music service from Apple will scan users' iTunes libraries and mirror them in the cloud, but it reportedly won't be free. Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports that, according to people briefed on talks between Apple and the music labels, Apple has obtained new licenses for its so-called iCloud service that will allow the company to mirror individual iTunes music collections on its servers. Additionally, Apple will replace low-quality music files stored on users' har drives with higher-quality versions on its servers.

However, the convenience of increased access to one's music will come at a price, according to the report. While Apple's upcoming music service "may be a huge shift, it won't be free," wrote authors Brad Stone and Andy Fixmer. Label executives have reportedly said they are negotiating aggressively for profits in the cloud. Though specific details on pricing remain unclear, Stone and Fixmer speculate that Apple could bundle streaming music services into its revamp of MobileMe, which currently costs $99 a year. Fees for the service could also help labels "claw out some money" from pirated music, the authors noted.

A separate report suggested last month that the rumored service could be free at first, but would eventually require a fee. Sources close to the negotiations between Apple and the record companies corroborated earlier reports that Apple had reached agreements with three of the four major labels and is close to a deal with Universal Music. Music executives also alleged that Google had offered $100 million up front to the four major music labels for licenses, but negotiations stalled over the labels' concerns that Google doesn't do enough to protect copyright holders on Google.com and YouTube. Without the licensing agreements needed to sell music, the search giant eventually launched its Music Beta service as just a 'digital locker.' Rival Amazon launched its Cloud Drive online music streaming service in March without renegotiated licenses. Music industry executives, who were notified of Amazon's plans just days before the launch, have questioned the legality of a feature that automatically adds Amazon.com digital music purchases to customers' Cloud Drive accounts. Apple is expected to unveil its iCloud service in June at the annual Worldwide Developer's Conference in San Francisco, though the company reportedly has yet to finalize negotiations for new licenses with music publishers. Apple appears to have completed work on the service, with negotiations with rights holders standing as the final hurdle. 

AppleInsider exclusively reported last month that the iCloud name is being used by Apple internally on several different projects and will extend beyond just streaming music by syncing and storing other personal data such as bookmarks, email, contacts and iCal events. Apple reportedly purchased the iCloud.com domain last month from a Sweden-based desktop-as-a-service company for $4.5 million. The company's plans for iCloud are also believed to center around its massive data center in Maiden, N.C. Apple executives have said that the $1 billion, 500,000 square-foot facility will support the company's iTunes and MobileMe services. An Apple patent application discovered by AppleInsider last week hints at one possible solution for streaming music. According to the filing, Apple is investigating a method of storing portions of songs on devices such as the iPhone in order to allow immediate playback, while the device initiates a download from a remote location.

Apple's 'Retail 2.0' overhaul launches with interactive iPad displays(Photo-Gallery

Apple retail stores have taken the wraps off Apple's new retail upgrade, which makes use of interactive iPad displays to provide product information, pricing and features.

Apple launched "Retail 2.0" on Sunday morning in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Apple retail stores, as noted by Mac Prices Australia. The Cupertino, Calif., company opened its first retail stores on May 19, 2001, in McLean, Virginia and Glendale, Calif.

According to the report, the main change is the addition of stationary iPads placed next to other Apple products in order to display product prices, information and features. The touchscreen tablets can also be used to compare models and ask for help from a specialist. Photos of the new iPad display units reveal that the devices are placed in plexiglass.

The iPads appear to be running a custom software, as customers report that pressing the home button on the tablets does nothing. Though the power cable for the device does not appear to connect to the dock, one person familiar with the matter said the cable is indeed connected to the dock connector, but is "very well hidden." Also, detaching the cable will reportedly activate an alarm.

Some reports also suggested that Apple retail employees were wearing party hats to celebrate the occasion. Customers reported via Twitter that the Apple store updates created a "totally new experience."

AppleInsider revealed on Wednesday that Apple was stockpiling iPads in preparation for a retail overhaul. The new in-house iPads were due to be rolled out alongside an updated version of RetailMe, Apple's proprietary retail software.

Apple reportedly scheduled overnight shifts for retail employees in preparation for the updates to the Apple store. AppleInsider was first to report in April that Apple was blocking employees from taking vacation from May 20 to May 22. Mandatory meetings have been scheduled on Sunday morning and evening for Apple retail staff.

Apple has also taken offline the Order Status page from its website until Sunday, May 22 in order to perform a system update.

A recent report claimed Apple will update its "Apple Store" retail app for iOS this weekend, adding full build-to-order purchasing options to the application. Apple first released the retail app last year with support for stock configuration orders.

Apple to add build-to-order Mac options to 'Apple Store' iOS app - rumor

A new report claims that Apple plans to update its "Apple Store" retail app on iOS to include support for build-to-order Mac purchases during its retail overhaul this weekend.

MacRumors notes that, according to sources, Apple plans to revamp its Apple Store application for iOS devices alongside other planned upgrades to its online and brick-and-mortar retail operations. Sources indicated that the updated app will debut on Sunday "with full support for customizing build-to-order Macs" identical to the range of options available through the Apple online store.

The current Apple Store app supports only stock configurations and a few options such as AppleCare and

One to One. After the upgrade, customers will reportedly be able to customized processor, memory, hard drive and other hardware options for each model, as well as select software titles for reinstallation.

Apple has planned a series of major updates to both online and in-store procedures that are set to take place this Sunday, May 22. On Friday, the Mac maker took the order status feature on its website offline until Sunday in order to update its systems.

On Wednesday, AppleInsider reported that Apple has begun amassing iPads that will run an updated version of the company's in-house RetailMe software and will be distributed to retail employees. According to numerous reports, Apple retail stores will hold both early morning and evening mandatory meetings to implement the changes on Sunday.

Apple first released a retail store application for iOS last June, allowing customers to browse and purchase Apple products and accessories, stay up to date with in-store events and make appointments for Genius Bar and One to One.

Last fall, Apple updated the Apple Store app to allow customers to check-in for appointments while at the company's retail locations. The company has also reportedly developed an internal Concierge application for iOS that allows retail employees to manage queues and appointments.

China iPad 2 frenzy causes Apple Store scuffle in Beijing

Just one day after Apple's iPad 2 launch drew long lines in China, conflicting reports emerged Saturday regarding an alleged altercation at an Apple Store in Beijing.

AppleInsider reported on Friday that the launch of the iPad 2 in China drew crowds containing both fans and scalpers. In anticipation of crushing demand for the touchscreen tablet, Apple retail staff had instituted new waiting procedures that included numbered wristbands.

Chinese Mac site MacX (via Google Translate) reports that the Beijing Sanlitun Apple Store temporarily closed for business on Saturday afternoon after an altercation allegedly broke out between scalpers and an

Apple Store employee, though the specific details of the incident remain unclear.

The apparent facts of the incident are that four people were injured and taken to the hospital, one of the glass doors for the Apple Store was broken and the store was closed for a time for cleanup and a subsequent police investigation.

The report alleges that a near "riot" erupted after retail staff attempted to close the store and usher customers out the back door. A separate unconfirmed report claims that a fight broke out between "a foreigner and a Chinese man," though MacX notes that the information "is difficult to distinguish between true or false."

According to another unverified report from Chinese micro-blog Sinatech, police sources claim that Apple Store employees battered a self-proclaimed "jobless" man who may have been acting as a scalper.

Apple has drawn crowds with each of its recent major product releases in China. The launch of the original iPad in September of last year drew long lines, with some customers waiting over 60 hours to purchase the device. A week later, the release of the iPhone 4 saw overwhelming demand as thousands of customers lined up for the smartphone.

The Cupertino, Calif., company has just four retail stores in the country, which has a population of over 1.3 billion. Apple has said last month that it has focused most of its emerging market efforts on China. The company has indicated plans to open 25 retail stores in the country over the next few years.