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Over the past few days, we have been audience to a number of rumors and speculations about Apple's upcoming product announcements.

With the Apple media event set to get underway at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts in San Francisco in less than a few hours from now, here is a recap of all the possible announcements that may be in store for us.

iPod Touch

• The next generation iPod Touch could come with a microphone and a front facing camera that supports FaceTime video calling. A 5MP or 3.2MP rear-facing camera that supports HD video recording too is not ruled out.
• A new high resolution display is on the cards. Apple is expected to bring the new iPhone's popular 960×640 pixel resolution retina display to the upcoming version of iPod Touch.
• The back casing could be flatter and similar to what we see on MacBook Pro.
• Apple could introduce a new 3G-capable iPod Touch model.

Apple TV

• Apple may rebrand Apple TV as iTV that is expected to launch at a $99 price point.
• The new iTV is expected to be based on the iOS platform and will be integrated with the Apple App Store.
• The hardware is likely to see major changes with an iPhone-like form factor that runs on Apple's native A4 processor.
• Full HD video streaming may not be enabled. Instead, Apple TV could render video at 720p resolution.
• The new Apple TV may offer streaming of movies and TV shows via Netflix.

iTunes

• Apple could launch a new $0.99 TV show subscription service. Speculations are rife that this monthly subscription could give users unlimited access to any particular TV show. Update: We are hearing a last minute rumor that Apple will introduce Debut $0.99 iTunes TV Show Rentals from Fox and ABC. 
• The rumored cloud-based iTunes system may not be unveiled. However, Apple is likely to enhance the web-based iTunes service with new social features that will make it easy for users to share their music tastes with their friends on Facebook and Twitter.
• The duration of iTunes music preview could be extended from 30 seconds to 60 seconds.

iPod nano

• The form factor of iPod nano could be modified significantly to include a more squared design measuring 3 cm x 3 cm with touch screen display and could do away with the familiar clickwheel.
• The upcoming version could be touch-enabled and run a version of iOS.

Others

• Apple may announce a new version of iPhone 4 that will address the highly publicized antenna issue (though we think it very unlikely).
• Apple is very likely to unveil their social gaming network, Game Center, with a brand new look.
• Apple might release or announce the release date of iOS 4.1. It might include the fix for the proximity sensor and Bluetooth problems reported by iPhone 4 users and also fix for the performance issue observed by iPhone 3G after upgrading to iOS 4.

The media event shall commence at 10 AM Pacific Time. You can watch the live streaming of the event on your iDevice as well as follow the coverage here on iPhone Hacks.

Source: Apple’s September 1 Media Event – News & Rumors Roundup

jj110888 writes “CyanogenMod has just been updated to version 6.0, bringing Android Open Source Project 2.2 (Froyo) to several devices. This fork includes enchantments to many of the built-in apps, Ad-hoc network connectivity, OpenVPN support, Bluetooth HID, Incognito browsing, extensive control over audio and UI elements, and more found in the extensive CHANGELOG. The CyanogenMod team uses an instance of Google’s gerrit tool for code review and patch submission, helping make this former backport of Android 1.6 to T-Mobile’s G1 into thriving development for the G1/MyTouch/MyTouch 1.2, Droid, Nexus One, HTC Aria, HTC Desire, HTC Evo 4G (minus 4G and HDMI output), Droid Incredible, and MyTouch Slide. HTC Hero (including Droid Eris) are coming soon for 6.0, with Samsung Galaxy S devices expected to be supported in 6.1.”

Source: Android Fork Brings Froyo To 12 Smartphones

adeelarshad82 writes “Microsoft unveiled a new wireless Xbox 360 controller, which features a revamped D-pad that transforms from a plus to a disc. The new D-pad was developed to address complaints from users. Other new features include: A, B, X, and Y buttons that are gray instead of the standard red, green, yellow, and blue; and a matte silver color. The controller includes 2.4-GHz wireless technology with a 30-foot range.”

Source: Microsoft Unveils New Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Lucas123 writes “Researchers at Rice University said today they have been able to create a new non-volatile memory using nanocrystal wires as small as 5 nanometers wide that can make chips five times more dense than the 27 nanometer NAND flash memory being manufactured today. And, the memory is cheap because it uses silicon and not more expensive graphite as been used in previous iterations of the nanowire technology. The nanowires also allow stacking of layers to create 3-D memory, even more dense. ‘The fact that they can do this in 3D makes makes it highly scalable. We’ve got memory that’s made out of dirt-cheap material and it works,’ a university spokesman said.”

Source: New Silicon-Based Memory 5X Denser Than NAND Flash

itwbennett writes “Is open source’s growth in emerging markets what is driving Microsoft to say ‘we love open source’ with an attempt at a straight face? ‘The emerging markets (like the BRIC nations) are a huge potential market for Microsoft,’ says Brian Proffitt. ‘And I believe Redmond is wisely not taking the FUD route on open source software in those markets. Why? Because open source already has some strong roots in the BRIC nations (heck, in Brazil, open source is the whole darn tree), and any attack on open source would be seen as a foreign company attacking local software projects. If Microsoft attacked open source publicly in this environment, a lot of potential customers and developers in those countries could react in a protectionist manner and start giving Microsoft the stink-eye.’”

Source: Why Microsoft Is Being Nicer To Open Source

Apple has just announced that it will be live video streaming tomorrow’s special media event.

This is the first time after many years Apple will be live streaming a media event.

Apple is using HTTP Live Streaming to stream the event, which means that you will be able to watch the event live not only on your computer but also on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

Apple announced:

Apple® will broadcast its September 1 event online using Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards. Viewing requires either a Mac® running Safari® on Mac OS® X version 10.6 Snow Leopard®, an iPhone® or iPod touch® running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad™. The live broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT on September 1, 2010 at www.apple.com.

We will provide coverage of the event so please don’t forget to visit iPhone Hacks.

[via Apple PR]

Source: Apple: Watch Live Video Streaming Of Tomorrow’s Media Event On Your iPhone, iPad And iPod Touch

FleaPlus writes “NASA is spending a total of $475,000, split between Masten Space Systems and John Carmack’s Armadillo Aerospace, for a series of seven test flights of the companies’ reusable suborbital rockets over the next several months, going to altitudes as high as 25 miles. NASA’s goal is to foster a more cost-effective and flexible way to conduct microgravity and upper-atmosphere research. Jeff Bezos’s suborbital spaceflight company Blue Origin has also been making steady progress this year on their $3.7M contract to test pusher-escape system and composite pressure vessel technologies, which NASA is interested in for orbital spaceflight.”

Source: NASA Buying Private Companies’ Suborbital Rocket Flights

Bloomberg is reporting that according to ‘three people with knowledge of the plans’ Apple will be unveil the next generation Apple TV at the special media event tomorrow.

According to Bloomberg, the next generation Apple TV will offer Netflix – TV shows and movie streaming service.

Ronald Grover and Peter Burrows from Bloomberg report:

Apple Inc., preparing to announce a new set-top box that delivers TV to consumers, will include movies from Netflix Inc., according to three people with knowledge of the plans.

The streaming service would be available on the revamped version of Apple TV, due to be introduced tomorrow in San Francisco, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. Users would pay a subscription fee to Netflix for the service, the people said.

According to the report, Apple will introduce the new Apple TV for $99, which will be $130 less than the current model.

We have also heard that the next generation Apple TV will run a version of iOS and renamed as iTV. It needs to be seen if it will also have access to the App Store.

There is no doubt that Netflix will be one of the killer features of the device but Netflix as a native app that can be downloaded from the App Store makes more sense as Netflix is currently available only in the US and Canada.

Bloomberg also reports that Apple will release a revamped version of iTunes and next generation iPod Touch with higher resolution screen just like iPhone 4’s retina display.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

[via Bloomberg]

Source: Apple To Unveil New Apple TV Tomorrow; Will Offer Netflix Streaming

An anonymous reader noted that the SCO Group is having a
bankruptcy auction in October. The article says ‘After bankruptcy in September 2007, SCO and an affiliate filed schedules listing combined assets of $14.2 million and debt totaling $5.2 million.’ I wonder if we could all chip in and buy something as a sort of ‘Thanks for being a pimple on the face of humanity’ present.

Source: SCO Assets Going To October Auction

Folks at 9to5Mac have discovered YouTube videos showing the 3 cm x 3 cm touch screen of the next generation iPod Nano and the digitizer of the next generation iPod Touch, which are expected to be unveiled at Apple’s special media event tomorrow.

We have already seen photos of the touch screen, third party cases and a mockup of the next generation iPod Nano.

As you can see in the video below, someone from iPod.dj first shows off a white and black iPhone 4 and then reveals the small touch screen of the next generation iPod Touch.

In the second video, he shows off the digitizer of the next generation iPod Touch. As you can seen, the digitizer has a hole at the top centre, which could be for the front facing camera to support FaceTime.

It will be interesting to see if the touch screen iPod nano will run a version of iOS.

We can’t wait for September to find out what Apple has in store for us tomorrow. How about you?

[via 9to5Mac]

Source: Videos Of Next Generation iPod Nano Touch Screen And iPod Touch Digitizer