App Store and Mac Store Are Now Open To 33 New Countries and Territories

Effectively immediately, the iOS app store and the Mac store are now open to 33 new countries and territories.  It's All Tech has the full list.

However, the listen doesn't really say anything.  I reckon most of the people in the world have not heard of half the countries and territories part of the list of 33.  So, I went to Wikipedia and added up the population to give us a perspective.

In all, the 33 new fronts has a combined population of around 375 million with Nigeria account for 155 million alone.  Together, they have a combined GDP of 850 billion USD.  

I can't say that this means much.  Nor do I think these territories have that many Macs or iOS devices.  Having said that, it is better to for Apple and developers to be ready once Apple finds a way to increase its presence in these new markets.

Apple Staffing Up For the Fall - Back-To-School And iPhone Launch

Reports are circulating that Apple is staffing up for the fall as the back-to-school season gets into full swing.  An added element to all this is that Apple will be launch the new iPhone 4GS or 5 around the time students follow campus stores and, likely, Apple stores for their mobile gears to tackle the new school year.

We can safely assume that the new staffing will be for both purposes.  Therefore, it does not give us additional information to pin down a timeframe for the iPhone launch.  My guess is that I'll be lining up right around early September.  How do I know that?  I don't. It is just a gut feeling.

Having said that, there is one way we can know for sure.  Apple will have to hold a media event for the iPhone unveiling.  The time of this is critical.  If we are going to see the iPhone in early September, that would mean Apple will be holding its event about two weeks before it goes on sale.  An early September launch could mean that we'll be learning from Apple in about three weeks.  

Another way to look at it, we can keep an eye on the iOS 5 beta progress.  We are about half way there with the beta releases from Apple.  In the past when Apple held developer events to introduce new iOS versions, Apple held the event in April with iPhone launches about 8-10 weeks later.  Going by this fact, we are looking at an iPhone launch early September as well.

I think these approaches are a better measurement of gauging when we'll see the next iPhone rather than "trusted" sources or leaks.

Watch Out, Android And iPhone! Mango Is Here

If Apple's fruity brand is any indication that a benign fruit can be potent, then you ain't see nothing yet with Mango.  That is, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5, Mango.

Wow, I totally screwed that one up didn't I?  

Well, Mango is the WP OS that Microsoft should have released a year or so ago but did and decided to go with WP7.  And while WP7 was a markedly departure from the icon style UI, the tile UI was much different and there was much to like about it.  So much so that Windows 8's UI is modeled after it.

And now, Mango is on its way to manufacturers and we could be seeing new Mango devices later this winter.  And with Nokia's support, Mango could be a true force to be reckon with.  And given the legal trouble that Android makers find themselves under with Apple and Microsoft, it is possible that more than a few of them will be looking at Mango to avoid future legal issues.

Google has got to be watching this closely.  On top of that, Mango's new features and mobile implementation shows just what Microsoft is about.  You never want to count Redmond out no matter what.  

And that means not even iPhone is safe.  Apple and Microsoft may both be going after Google through proxy wars, it doesn't mean that competition between these two bitter enemies ceased or took a break.  I expect the fight to continue as before.  No, I expect the fight between the two to escalate even more once the Android issues are resolved and the two companies goes gunning for each other again.

What Mango brings to the market is a full-featured modern mobile OS that can stand toe-to-toe with Android and iOS.  In fact, Microsoft has a secret weapon.  And that Nokia.  

So, for anyone who thought that the mobile war is settling down with Android taking close to 50% of the market and Apple's iPhone coming in around 30% and the rest belong to "others", think again.  

Obviously, nothing is a lock when it comes to mobile.  Microsoft, Nokia, and other WP makers will still require to convince the mobile warriors that Mango devices are what they want and need.  And that's not going to be easy with Android 4 devices and iPhone 5 sweeping through the market this winter.

Source:  Arstechnica.

LTE Tablets Comig - Great But What About the Battery Life?

LTE tablets are the future and no one is disputing this fact.  Near-term, is LTE just a marketing gimmick the way Verizon Wireless marketed the Thunderbolt as being the first LTE device that resulted in a lot of complaints about coverage and battery life?

That being said, I wonder what the first LTE tablets will be come when it comes to battery life?  We won't have to wait long as VZW and Samsung are able to until the LTE Galaxy tablet.

If they don't match up to rivals like the iPad, well, you know how the story will end.

Source:  MobileTopSoft.

Apple's 15" Macbook With Air-Thinness In the Works - Obviously

Boy Genius Report via Macumors is reporting that Apple is working on a 15" Macbook that may or may not be a part of the Air line up.  

Obviously, no one should be surprised by this at all.  Given Apple's propensity to shake things up from time to time, I reckon an 17" version was probably worked on as well.  Whether we'll see them released into the market is anyone's guess.  Macrumors suggests that Apple is in the late stages of development.  

My curiosity lies on just how much this 15" Air will hold up against the 15" Macbook Pro.  Performance, weight, battery life, and whether it'll still have a dedicated GPU all comes to mind.  And ultimately, how much  

It is conceivable that by releasing a 15" Macbook Air, Apple is finally getting rid of internal optical drives from the entire line of Macbooks.  And we might see the 17" version as well.  What does that mean is that mobile warriors maybe able to carry around their Macs that are a couple of pounds lighter.  

It also means some savings for Apple if there is no optical drive.  Anyone who needs a DVD burner can still buy the Superdrive.  

Now, if Apple can push the battery life back up closer to ten hours, I'm sold on these 15" and 17" Macbook Airs.

iPod touch 3G Pictured or Possible New Pre-Paid iOS Device

Either it's a mistake on the part of the art department or we can really be seeing and iPod touch with 3G connectivity coming from Apple.

What is interesting is that if this was a mistake, it was one made deliverately to take out whether the data plan comes from ATT or Verizon Wireless.

Now, Cult of Mac, site that spotted this interesting info, is erring on the side of caution here but I think there could be something to this.  

If you compare the touch picture with those of the iPhone pics on Apple's site and the screen of your iPhone, you'll will see that any information about the carrier was taken out by Apple online - after all, Apple doesn't want to favor one carrier over another now that it has two in the US.  

Furthermore, I like to throw this in.  Is this new iPod touch a pre-paid iPhone rather than a new iPdo touch with 3G capability?

I believe it's time that Apple really rearrange the chairs on the mobile deck.  In fact, I like to see Apple throw those chairs overboard and start building something new for the smartphone market.  Abandon traditional telephony and go with a VOIP plan based on FaceTime with just voice.

A VOIP solution from Apple would just blow the roof off the wireless market and put the market into a frenzy.

Kindle Tablet: Amazon Is Making Its Upcoming Tablet With An Attractive Price and Market It as "Good Enough"

Our bank accounts are limited.  Well, maybe some of yours are not but mine definition has its limits.  Small limits.  Therefore, you can understand that pricing plays a big role in a vast major of my purchases?  

Therefore, it is not surprising that in a survey by Retrevo, nearly 50% of respondents attach price as a major factor regarding their tablet purchases.  In the same survey, 55% of the respondents will purchase a tablet from Amazon with the nearest competitors coming in at 31% for both Motorola and HP.  

Taking both into consider, and the fact that the Kindle tablet will sport a LCD screen coming in at 9" rather than the customary 10" its competitors like the iPad, Touchpad, and Xoom, and the report that it will have a more rudimentary two-finger touch support than more advanced touch features more capable in competing devices, Amazon could be going for the lower price entry with a  good enough product this go around

If Amazon can come out with a single-core or a lower-end dual-core powering a 9" LCD running a modified Android from Google with its own ecosystem, it could be just "good enough" for a large segment of the mobile warriors.  It's possible for Amazon to price it $400 and possible $300 if it it subsidized by a 3rd party.  There are also reports that the tablet will not have any extra features like cameras.  

What this will do to the competition is obvious.  And should the Kindle tablet take off, which I believe it will, Amazon can upgrade the following with additional features once they are cheap enough to do so without losing its margins.  At the same time, don't think that Amazon isn't above selling these tablets at near cost if it thinks it'll help gain a marketshare away from the iPad.

It's competition grand?

Source: Business Insider.