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Just as it has done for the past three years, a new iPhone should play a major role at Apple’s Worlwide Developers Conference next week. And when CEO Steve Jobs takes the stage on Monday to give his keynote address, I’ll be there, along with CNET reporter Erica Ogg, to bring you all the details.

Until that time, I’m happy to speculate on what the new iPhone will offer. Although this year has been a little different because of a well-publicized leak of an iPhone prototype in April, few details about new devices emerge form Apple’s labs before a formal unveiling. But that won’t stop us from putting together the various clues to make our own guesses.

What we won’t see
4G or not 4G? First off, an important clarification is in order. Though some have called the new handset the “iPhone 4G”–and we refer to it as such in informal conversations around the CNET office–we do not expect it to run on a 4G network. It will be the fourth-generation iPhone model, but because it should operate solely on AT&T’s network (more on that later), its fastest data speeds will continue to be 3G. AT&T will begin testing its 4G LTE network later this year, but commercial deployment won’t begin until 2011 at least. So check back then for a faster iPhone.

Verizon: I also have to repeat what we’ve said already. There will not be a Verizon iPhone this year. And if you don’t believe us, just consider that Verizon spokesman John Johnson told Beet.TV on Wednesday that the carrier has no plans to carry the phone in the “immediate future.”

Yes, it’s a carefully worded statement, which means that it’s very possible that we’ll see a Verizon iPhone at some point in the future. Yet, when that will happen–if happens at all–is unclear. This fall has been suggested as a likely time frame, but I think that’s unlikely. I predict that Apple will wait until Verizon rolls out its own 4G LTE network, which should begin later this year. There’s also the matter that AT&T’s exclusivity contract won’t end until 2012, but that could change at any time.

Design
Pictures of the new iPhone have been all over the blogsphere since Gizmodo paid $5,000 for a prototype of the new iPhone that an Apple engineer allegedly lost.

From what we can tell from the pictures, the device will be marginally heavier with a flat back, sharper corners, a smaller and brighter display, and an aluminum border around the edge. Indeed, that’s a break from the iPhone 3G and 3GS, which have a curved back and wobble slightly when resting on a table.

I’ll save my opinions until I see the actual handset and get it in my hands, but a boxier shape would put it more in line with the iPad and some Google Android devices, such as the HTC Incredible. According to Gizmodo, the new iPhone also should have a flash for the main camera, split volume buttons, a micro-SIM card slot (like the iPad), and a possible noise cancellation microphone.

We’ll reportedly see a front-facing video camera, as well, though I’m not convinced that it will be used for video calling. AT&T offers its Video Share application on a limited number of phones, but the service isn’t available everywhere, and the carrier hasn’t promoted it aggressively. The new iPhone might mark a change in strategy for AT&T, but then again, the new camera could just be for self-portraits.

Features
Tethering: AT&T’s recent announcement that it was revamping its smartphone data plans brought welcome news about tethering. We’ve waited more than a year for the capability, since Apple executives first mentioned it during the iPhone OS 3 announcement in March 2009. It’s worth noting that tethering is available on the iPhone in other countries, which means that AT&T has been the holdup, so we’re glad that it’s finally here.

Horsepower: The new iPhone could have a faster processor similar to the iPad’s A4 chip. We’d welcome any added zip to the handset’s performance, particularly since we’ll get multitasking with iPhone OS 4.

Battery: Of course, a faster processor would mean improved battery life. Indeed, any change for the better would be more than welcome. I also wouldn’t worry about the effects of a more vibrant display on performance. Even with twice the resolution, it would still be smaller than the iPad, and it wouldn’t have to push as many pixels.

In the cloud: The adoption of a cloud-based music service is another popular Apple rumor. Music industry sources told CNET in March that such a service won’t be ready until the third quarter of this year, which is a likely time frame, given that Apple usually reveals music announcements in September.

iPhone OS 4
Of course, the new iPhone will debut with all the new features of iPhone OS 4, including multitasking, home screen folders, a unified e-mail in-box, and a 5x digital zoom in the camera. During the keynote speech, we should hear more about the new mobile operating system and when it will roll out to the iPhone 3GS.

What else?
We have a standing list of features the iPhone still lacks. Nicole Lee wrapped them up nicely, following the OS 4 announcement, so I’ll refer you to her blog post for the full story. Some items–such as compatibility with Adobe Systems Flash and a removable battery–we’re pretty sure we’ll never get, but others–such as audio profiles and a multiple-notifications bar–may indeed come. Whether the new iPhone will have them, however, is a mystery until Monday.

Release date
Speculation abounds over when the new iPhone will hit stores, and AT&T has reportedly blocked employees from taking vacations in June. I’ve heard that Monday, June 21, is a possible release date, whereas another rumor says it could hit stores as early as Monday. Both dates would break from Apple’s tradition of Friday iPhone releases, but Apple always can surprise us. I’m guessing that we will see it during the second or third week of this month. I’m not inclined to believe rumors of a July release.

Be sure to tune in Monday to get the full scoop. And before you go, please tell us what you expect and what you want from the new iPhone.

A month after the rumors first started flying, Apple finally confirmed that it has indeed purchased Intrinsity, a Texas-based chipmaker.

Apple confirmed the acquisition on Tuesday to The New York Times, though it did not disclose the purchase price or what Apple’s plans for Intrinsity are. One guess has the value at $121 million.

It’s the second chipmaker purchased by Apple in two years starting with P.A. Semi, which it bought for $278 million. It’s also the fourth acquisition Apple has made since last fall; it bought map API maker PlaceBase in October, social music site LaLa in December, and mobile ad company Quattro Wireless in January for $275 million.

Though it appears like Apple is on a bit of a shopping spree right now, the company has the funds to back it up. At the end of its second fiscal quarter of 2010, Apple reported it had accumulated $41.7 billion in cash. Though Steve Jobs told investors at the annual company meeting that he had no plans to use that to offer a dividend to shareholders, he did hint what he’d rather do instead.

“You never know what opportunity is around the corner,” Jobs said at the February meeting. “We’re very fortunate that if we needed to acquire something we could write a check for it and not have to borrow money.” In light of the recent string of purchases, that could be a hint there are even more small acquisitions like this to come.

But what does Apple need Intrinsity for? It’s unclear, but it’s been rumored that the chipmaker is the outfit that assisted Samsung in building the speedy processor inside the iPad.

Twenty-four telecom operators have formed an alliance to build an open platform that will deliver applications to all mobile phone users in an effort to compete with Apple’s successful apps store.

The move is supported by three of the world’s largest device makers — LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony Ericsson the telecoms industry body GSM Association said on Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

AT&T, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, MTN Group, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Orascom Telecom, Telefonica and Vodafone are among those who have agreed to the initiative, the GSMA said.

Together these operators have access to over three billion customers around the world, the GSMA said, adding the plan would help reduce fragmentation in the industry.

In a first step, “the alliance will seek to unite members’ developer communities and create a single, harmonized point of entry to make it easy for developers to join,” the GSMA said.

Be aware that Snow Leopard seems to have a problem with how guest accounts are handled on systems that had them enabled before upgrading from Leopard. In several cases, people have accidentally logged in to their guest accounts and upon logging out and back into their normal accounts have found their data missing. We reported on this problem in the past, but here are some extra options for restoring the lost home folder from a backup.

This problem seems to be occurring with people who have had the guest account enabled for log-in before upgrading to Snow Leopard. After the upgrade, some problem with the account configuration can result in a non-guest account being cleared and reset the same way guest accounts are reset upon logout .

So far this has not happened for computers where the guest account has been enabled after upgrading. As such, one preventative measure is to disable the guest account’s ability to log in (and then disable the account altogether), and re-enable it so Snow Leopard sets it up instead of using the configuration that Leopard set up. I tested this out on my Snow Leopard upgrade (upgraded from 10.5.8 to 10.6) and the guest account worked as expected when enabled in Snow Leopard.

Additionally, if you do not need the guest account, just disable it. If you do need guest log-in functionality and do not want to take any chances, you can create a managed user account without a password to use instead of the guest account. Parental controls can then be used to apply extra restrictions to the account (the only main difference will be the account will not reset upon logout).

As for tackling the lost home folder problem when it has occurred, you will need to have a backup of your data. We strongly urge everyone to use Time Machine or a similar full system backup for this very purpose, and hopefully those who are affected have a recent backup handy. Here are the ways to restore your home folder from a backup:

Immediately restore the entire system

If this problem just occurred, and you have Time Machine running all the time, you should be able to restore your whole system installation to the most recent backup (within the hour). To do this, follow these steps:

1. Boot from the Snow Leopard DVD (hold “C” at start-up with the disk in the drive).
2. Select your language and choose “Restore from Backup” from the “Utilities” menu.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions and be sure to select the most recent backup from the list of available restore points.
4. Click “Restore” and wait for the procedure to complete (may take an hour or two).

After this process is completed, try disabling and re-enabling the guest account, or using the alternatives I suggested above.

Restore the home folder

You can restore the lost home folder from a backup without restoring the full system (though the first method is the most straightforward). To do this, follow these instructions:

1. Create a new admin account in the “Accounts” system preferences (new name, new password).
2. Log out, and log into the new account.
3. Go to the /Macintosh HD/Users/ directory in the Finder and invoke Time Machine.
4. Navigate back in time to where you can see the most recent intact home folder that was lost.
5. Select and restore that folder to the Users directory using the “Restore” button.

(Skip the following steps for the alternative method below.)
6. Go back to the Accounts system preferences and right-click the account with the lost home folder, and choose “Advanced Options.”
7. Next to the “Home directory” field click “Choose” and select the restored home folder.
8. Click “OK” and save the changes, and then log out of the new admin account.
9. Log into the old account.

An additional step to this is to ensure the old account is working properly. After step five above, where you restore the folder to the Users directory, follow these steps instead of the remainder of the steps in the above procedure:

6. Go to the Accounts system preferences and delete the old account.
7. Use the “+” sign to create a new account, giving it the same short and long names as the previous one, with the same password.
8. If the system claims an old home folder exists with that name, select the option to use that folder.
9. Check that the new account is using the old home folder by right-clicking it and in the “Advanced Options” check the home directory path (changing it as described above if it is different than that of the restored home folder).
10. Log out and log back into the newly created account to test it.

This alternative procedure will ensure the old account is refreshed and started new, but keeping the data in it preserved. This will give it new user and group IDs, along with other unique identifier numbers that may have been in conflict with the “guest” account, resulting in the lost home folder upon logout of the guest account.

source :- Cnet reviews

For the past month, some Mac OS X users have been reporting their personal data missing after logging into their guest accounts, and Apple now says it’s working on finding a fix.

“We are aware of the issue, which occurs only in extremely rare cases, and we are working on a fix,” an Apple representative said in a prepared statement Monday.

It’s the first time Apple has said it is looking into the issue. In early September, a handful of Mac users reported the issue on Apple’s discussion boards. The problem, when it occurs, goes like this, according to CNET’s MacFixit: when logging into the guest account on their Mac first and then logging into their regular account, some users are finding all their data to be missing and their accounts completely reset.

It doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem–there are less than 100 posts on several current discussion threads on the issue–but it’s certainly topical. Microsoft is currently dealing with a massive data loss at its Danger subsidiary, the company it acquired that makes the Sidekick mobile phone.

Apple’s data loss issue is also yet another problem related to its most recent operating-system release. Snow Leopard has been plagued with bugs since its release, including problems with the Finder hanging or crashing, incompatibility with certain apps, and the AirPort connection dropping.

Although Apple doesn’t yet have an answer for why this is occurring, you can check here for some suggested fixes, if you’re experiencing the problem.

For several years, trade shows-technology trade shows in particular-have been in serious decline. From Comdex to E3, large trade shows have been dying out or drastically changing their focus. Even Macworld Expo hasn’t been immune, as the east coast show was canceled after the 2005 event. (The Expo was moved from New York in 2004, and Apple declined to participate in the Boston show that year; the show lasted only one more year before being canceled.) The annual San Francisco Macworld Expo, however, seemed safe from the troubles. For nearly 20 years, the January event has been the one place to see and be seen in the world of all things Apple.

With Tuesday’s announcement that the upcoming Expo is Apple’s last, however, that era is coming to an end. While it’s entirely possible the show will survive as a smaller, more-focused version of its prior self, it simply won’t be the huge, all-encompassing event that it’s been with Apple’s participation. Without Apple’s huge booth-and the promise of cool new products delivered in an enthralling keynote presentation-both vendors and attendees probably won’t feel a compelling need to be at the show each January, so we’re not going to see a huge show with thousands and thousands of attendees walking a show floor loaded with hundreds of companies…and that’s really too bad.

As a business person, I think I completely understand Apple’s decision-not being tied to a huge annual event, occurring just after the Christmas buying season, is a good thing. Not spending a small fortune on everything involved in participating in a huge trade show is a good thing. Having more flexibility in releasing products whenever you want to is a good thing. Not having to come up with One More Thing every year is a good thing. So really, I get it; it makes perfect business sense. As an individual and Mac enthusiast, though, I think it’s one of the worst things to happen to the Mac community in many years.

Don’t get me wrong-I’m not saying this will have a negative long-term impact on Apple. There may be some short-term pain, but I do think it really is the right business decision (that doesn’t mean I agree with it, just that I understand it). But for the community that surrounds the Mac, this is truly the end of an era. The most-affected group, I think, will be the Mac fans who made the annual trek to the Expo. Speaking as one of those folks-yes, it’s my job to go, but I still have a blast going-I’ll definitely miss the keynote, the One More Things, the cool new products (not just from Apple but the other vendors as well), and that great psychological kick I get from seeing the show every year. But those aren’t the things I’ll miss the most.

Mac OS X Hints dinner, 2005Instead, what I’ll really miss is the once-a-year chance to meet with people who I would otherwise never get to meet in the flesh. When I ran macosxhints.com as an independent site, for example, I hosted a “Mac OS X Hints reader dinners” during Expo week in 2005. I had the chance to meet and talk to about 30 macosxhints.com readers who previously were only screen names and e-mail addresses to me. Converting those meaningless data items into real people, and spending a few hours talking with them, was priceless, and well worth the effort involved in setting everything up.

I also have friends from other places that I will only see at Expo-a buddy in London, for instance, or developer friends from various corners of the planet. During the year, iChat and e-mail were our only contact. But at Expo, we’d have the chance to sit down together and catch up in person. As a speaker-I’m giving my “Best of Mac OS X Hints” talk again this year-I’d also run into people in the speaker’s lounge who I rarely if ever talked to during the year. And yet, because we were Mac users, we were able to sit down and start talking again as if were just yesterday (and not a year ago) when we last talked.

In the Expo of the future, sans Apple, I fear such meetings are all but done; the attendees at such a show won’t come from all over the globe, and to even draw from around the country, there will need to be some very compelling reasons for people to fly in. Without Apple, it’s hard to imagine far-flung attendees and developers finding enough reasons to attend and/or exhibit, given the costs involved. Time will tell, of course, but it seems that my annual chance to catch up with some of my electronic acquaintances in real life has now passed.

The other group that will really feel the impact of Apple’s announcement are small developers. As a small developer, exhibiting at Expo presented the opportunity for great success. Sure, you needed to have an excellent product with an eye-catching booth to grab some attendee attention…but if you had that, you could find your product taking off in a big way, as the 50,000-plus attendees who had the chance to try out your product at Expo flew home and spread the word of your greatness. We’ll see that in the upcoming Expo, of course, with those who’ve already made their plans for the event.

Looking forward to 2010, though, I think many developers (large and small) will be hesitant to spend the money to exhibit, knowing that Apple-and the crowds and publicity it brings to the show-won’t be there. So while Macworld Expo was really the one annual chance for small developers to make a name for themselves with an excellent product, I think 2009 is the end of the road for that opportunity.

For the developers, and for myself and my fellow members of the Mac community, I really hope that Macworld Expo finds a way to survive and thrive in the post-Apple era. I’d love to have a must-go reason to attend Macworld Expo 2010, knowing the all the developers will be there with their cool products, and my friends will be there for the conference and to see said developers.

Unfortunately, it seems to me that Macworld Expo is now like a mall that’s lost its large anchor tenant. While the mall may continue to operate for some period of time, the number of shoppers will decline, smaller retailers will fold up shop, and-eventually-the mall will close with a whimper, leaving people only with memories of what used to be. I hope that’s not the future for Macworld Expo, but I fear that it is.

source :- pc world news

There are a number of rumors circulating about what news Apple might make at next month’s Macworld expo. Last year’s Macworld brought the announcement of the Macbook Air, and two years ago, it was the iPhone. So what will be the big announcement this year? Depending on who you ask, we may see an Apple netbook, an iPhone Nano, or maybe just an updated Mac Mini.

An update to the Mac Mini line is long overdue, and a Wired report is giving some credence to this rumor. It cites an anonymous Apple corporate employee who said that the Mac Mini would see an update, though gave no specific details as to what those updates may be. The Mac Mini hasn’t had an update since mid-2007, despite strong sales (it is currently the number 2 bestselling desktop computer on Amazon.com), so an update with faster specs and an aluminum case seems almost like a no-brainer.

But Wired also notes that the updated Mac Mini is not meant to be the big announcement at the Macworld expo. Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheil might have the answer. In a report today TBR stated that it expects Apple to announce a new line of netbooks to capitalize on the popularity of these smaller, less expensive laptops.

Given Steve Job’s statement that Apple doesn’t “know how to make a $500 machine that’s not a piece of junk,” the Apple netbook is predicted to be priced around $599. That would put it on the more expensive side of netbooks, but with the popularity of the Apple brand it would surely still be competitive.

Most interesting about the TBR prediction is that the proposed Apple netbook would make use of the iTunes App store for most of its software. This isn’t especially surprising given the tremendous success that the App store has been, but it leads me to wonder about something that the TBR report didn’t predict. If the hypothetical Apple netbook makes use of the iTunes App store, it is quite possible that it would implement a multi-touch display. Could an Apple netbook be the first Apple tablet?

Something that would have a touchscreen is an iPhone Nano–if it ever came to be. As we reported yesterday, an iDealsChina report says that Apple will soon launch a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone. 

It’s all still rumors and speculation at this point, but it makes the anticipation of next month’s Macworld expo all the more exciting.

source :- pc world news

The Boot Camp control panel lets you set the default operating system for starting up your computer.

To set the default operating system using the Boot Camp control panel:

1. In Windows, click the Boot Camp system tray item and choose Boot Camp Control Panel.
2. Select the startup disk with the operating system you want to use by default.
3. If you want to start up that operating system now, click Restart.

You must install the Boot Camp drivers to use all the features of your Mac with Windows. If it appears that the Boot Camp drivers weren’t successfully installed, try repairing them.

To install or repair Boot Camp drivers:

1. Insert the Mac OS X Leopard disc or “Mac OS X Install Disc 1″ into your computer.
2. Double-click the setup.exe file if the installer doesn’t open automatically.
3. If you are repairing Boot Camp drivers that are already installed, click Repair.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions.If a message appears that says the software you are installing has not passed Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway.

You can upgrade Windows XP to Windows Vista if you have a licensed copy of Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate.

After upgrading to Windows Vista, you’ll need to reinstall the Boot Camp drivers using the Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard installation disc or the “Mac OS X Install Disc 1” that came with your computer to enable Vista on your Mac.

To upgrade to Windows Vista:

     Restart your Mac using Windows.

     Insert your Vista installation or upgrade disc.

     Follow the instructions that came with Vista.

     When the Vista installation is completed, insert the Mac OS X Leopard disc or “Mac OS X Install Disc 1” that came with your computer to install the Boot Camp drivers in Vista.