Slashdot Mirror
Macworld Rumor Round-Up
seamuskrat writes to mention that LoopRumors has a round-up of many of the different Mac rumors making the rounds for the next Macworld. Among the front runners are the ITV, iPhone, and Mobile OSX. From the article: "In an uncharacteristic move, Steve Jobs previewed this new digital lifestyle device and gave us a release timeframe of 'early 2007.' iTV will stream movies, pictures and more from your Mac or PC to your television wirelessly. We expect to see the 'hidden features' of iTV spelled out, and a release date announced, if not immediate availability at the keynote. Apple has said it will not use the name iTV for the product, so we can expect a new moniker for the media device."
If they open up the protocols for this, thus allowing other devices to be compatible and streaming software to be created, say goodbye to over-the-air, cable, and satellite TV.
Knowing Apple, that isn't going to happen. A shame.
I wonder if I use bold in my signature, people will notice my posts.
Isnt there a british TV Channel called ITV? If so, that might be why he wont call it iTV.
2nd time this week
I'm amazed the dupes aren't showing up on the same day the way things are going.
I've read 'em in the last year, for whatever they're worth:
Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
The only thing more pathetic than a PC user is a PC user trying to be a Mac user. We have a name for you people: switcheurs.
There's a good reason for your vexation at the Mac's user interface: You don't speak its language. Remember that the Mac was designed by artists, for artists, be they poets, musicians, or avant-garde mathematicians. A shiny new Mac can introduce your frathouse hovel to a modicum of good taste, but it can't make Mac users out of dweebs and squares like you.
So don't force what doesn't come naturally. You'll be much happier if you stick to an OS that suits your personality. And you'll be doing the rest of us a favor, too; you leave Macs to Mac users, and we'll leave beige to you.
For a girl like that, I'll gladly be "beige." Strange fascination with bodily fluids be damned.
Since the site is being /.'d. Here you all go.
As promised, LoopRumors is posting a round-up of all the rumors we expect to become a reality at this year's Macworld Expo. Please take into consideration that the following article is purely speculation, and nothing is concrete until Steve Jobs says it is. This is our best hypothesis as to what we might expect at Macworld based on the information we've been given. If you have any comments or questions regarding this round-up, or the Macworld keynote, you may address them here. So here's what we have:
iTV:
In an uncharacteristic move, Steve Jobs previewed this new digital lifestyle device and gave us a release timeframe of 'early 2007.' iTV will stream movies, pictures and more from your Mac or PC to your television wirelessly. We expect to see the 'hidden features' of iTV spelled out, and a release date announced, if not immediate availability at the keynote. Apple has said it will not use the name iTV for the product, so we can expect a new moniker for the media device.
Leopard:
Steve Jobs has been touting Apple's next generation operating system, Leopard, for quite some time. He promised to hold back on unveiling some 'Top Secret' features so Microsoft wouldn't be able to copy them prior to their Vista release. We initially thought Steve might surprise the crowd with an early release of the new OS at Macworld, but that seems to be more unlikely as the time draws near. New information targets a release date of Saturday, March 24th, exactly 6 years to the day of the initial OS X release.
Mobile OS X:
LoopRumors told you first that Apple is developing a mobile, 'lite' version of its OS to be used in smaller devices. It's possible this OS may make its debut at Macworld. Some of Leopard's hidden features may have tie-ins to this mobile OS. One possible 'Top Secret' feature of Leopard may be the ability to sync with the scaled down version of itself.
New Macs:
After all, this is Macworld. We expect Apple to introduce new Macs at the Expo. Signs point to new Mac Pros, with Core 2 Quad processors by Intel. Apple's flagship models have been lagging since there is no native Intel version of Adobe's creative Suite software available yet.
New Displays:
Apple recently discontinued its iSight camera which enables iChat video conferencing for computers without built-in displays. Since updating to Intel processors, all of its computers with the exception of the Mac Pros have included built-in iSight cameras. Information suggests that Apple will include iSight cameras in its new displays which are expected to be unveiled at Macworld. Some reports have expected the new displays to come in sizes up to 50-inches. The new displays are said be even thinner, with a lighter design and have more mobility.
Partnerships:
We've heard a lot of rumblings about Apple making partnerships with other companies such as Google and Disney. Expect more partnerships, possibly a collaboration with Google. Also, we expect more movie studios to make their films available on iTunes. Apple has worked very hard to ensure its iTunes Store stays up-to-date and offers a wide variety of media. Currently, only Disney movies are available for download on iTunes, but we expect that to change in the very near future. This won't happen over night, but the information we gathered suggests Apple will offer new films from other movie studios with the launch of iTV.
One more thing...
iPhone?
Notice the question mark. We are skeptical about this one. So much speculation about an Apple Phone has been made all over the internet and television, that we are going to remain conservative on this one. So-called authorities in the tech business have claimed unabashedly, that Apple will deliver a new iPhone at Macworld. At this point, the possibility of an iPhone at Macworld may be more wishful thinking than actual concrete evidence. We do believe that Apple is developing an iPhone, and there is information to support that. But Apple is
iTV, the $299 TV device showed last time
Leopard, the new OS
New displays, some rumors about that going around
iLife '07, new year, new iLife, new iWorks
video iPod, new full video iPod's? Maybe
Apple Phone, lots of vibe about that
Mac Pro with 8 processors. Intel got the chips, did Apple implement them?
Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
Digital Lifestyle Device = DiLDo
I spend most of my time in bed, darling.
That's what I'm hoping for anyway. Dedicated graphics, matte screen option, and under 4 lbs. would seal the deal so I can finally upgrade my aging 12" Powerbook.
All of these products are already available in the market from several manufactures.
Apple is just playing catch-up.
As promised, LoopRumors is posting a round-up of all the rumors we expect to become a reality at this year's Macworld Expo. Please take into consideration that the following article is purely speculation, and nothing is concrete until Steve Jobs says it is. This is our best hypothesis as to what we might expect at Macworld based on the information we've been given. If you have any comments or questions regarding this round-up, or the Macworld keynote, you may address them here. So here's what we have:
iTV:
In an uncharacteristic move, Steve Jobs previewed this new digital lifestyle device and gave us a release timeframe of 'early 2007.' iTV will stream movies, pictures and more from your Mac or PC to your television wirelessly. We expect to see the 'hidden features' of iTV spelled out, and a release date announced, if not immediate availability at the keynote. Apple has said it will not use the name iTV for the product, so we can expect a new moniker for the media device.
Leopard:
Steve Jobs has been touting Apple's next generation operating system, Leopard, for quite some time. He promised to hold back on unveiling some 'Top Secret' features so Microsoft wouldn't be able to copy them prior to their Vista release. We initially thought Steve might surprise the crowd with an early release of the new OS at Macworld, but that seems to be more unlikely as the time draws near. New information targets a release date of Saturday, March 24th, exactly 6 years to the day of the initial OS X release.
Mobile OS X:
LoopRumors told you first that Apple is developing a mobile, 'lite' version of its OS to be used in smaller devices. It's possible this OS may make its debut at Macworld. Some of Leopard's hidden features may have tie-ins to this mobile OS. One possible 'Top Secret' feature of Leopard may be the ability to sync with the scaled down version of itself.
New Macs:
After all, this is Macworld. We expect Apple to introduce new Macs at the Expo. Signs point to new Mac Pros, with Core 2 Quad processors by Intel. Apple's flagship models have been lagging since there is no native Intel version of Adobe's creative Suite software available yet.
New Displays:
Apple recently discontinued its iSight camera which enables iChat video conferencing for computers without built-in displays. Since updating to Intel processors, all of its computers with the exception of the Mac Pros have included built-in iSight cameras. Information suggests that Apple will include iSight cameras in its new displays which are expected to be unveiled at Macworld. Some reports have expected the new displays to come in sizes up to 50-inches. The new displays are said be even thinner, with a lighter design and have more mobility.
Partnerships:
We've heard a lot of rumblings about Apple making partnerships with other companies such as Google and Disney. Expect more partnerships, possibly a collaboration with Google. Also, we expect more movie studios to make their films available on iTunes. Apple has worked very hard to ensure its iTunes Store stays up-to-date and offers a wide variety of media. Currently, only Disney movies are available for download on iTunes, but we expect that to change in the very near future. This won't happen over night, but the information we gathered suggests Apple will offer new films from other movie studios with the launch of iTV.
One more thing...
iPhone?
Notice the question mark. We are skeptical about this one. So much speculation about an Apple Phone has been made all over the internet and television, that we are going to remain conservative on this one. So-called authorities in the tech business have claimed unabashedly, that Apple will deliver a new iPhone at Macworld. At this point, the possibility of an iPhone at Macworld may be more wishful thinking than actual concrete evidence. We do believe that Apple is developing an iPhone, and there is information to support that. But Apple is not going to release a product until it is ready. All eyes are on Apple t
let's look at Colbert Report and The Daily Show. These run on one of the smaller cable-only networks (Comedy Central), and many /. readers should be familiar with them. Daily show has a team of 40+ writers (iirc) and Jon Stewart (the "face" of The Daily Show) makes $1.5M+/yr (last I heard). Now, surely by doing a weekly show instead of a daily one, you could probably operate with substantially less writers (maybe three or four, if they are quite good), and maybe the face of your podcast is even going to be as comedically talented as Stewart (which is very doubtful, the guy is a genius). But there are still so many other elements to the production. Assuming you're broadcasting in standard def or below (320x240), you could get away with having simple DV cameras ($3k/each), of which you'll need at *LEAST* two for coverage, and probably would want three. Lighting will mean several thousand watts of very hot incandescent lights, or more expensive fluorescents. Cameramen. Production staff (cue card/teleprompter guy, boom operators, etc). Editing (equipment, trained editor, etc). A set. It gets expensive very quickly.
The bottom line is, shows like The Daily Show and Colbert Report have millions of dollars of budget per year, and even their day to day production values are pretty crappy. Comedy Central may run a lot of teaser compositing done by Interspectacular, but for the most part the graphics in the shows we're talking about are pretty low in quality (and this is coming from productions who have millions of dollars to play with.. if they have trouble coming up with slick graphics on a show-to-show basis, imagine the hurdles you will face).
Even if you're lucky and you already own a lot of the equipment and posess many of the skills needed, you will still be several orders of magnitude below anything produced for TV nowadays. The only place where video podcasts may excel is in giving people *SUBSTANCE* that they can't find on tv-- a different opinion or commentary from what you normally hear from broadcast media, access to interviews and coverage of subjects that would never make it on tv (because they are too specialized, or too tabboo or whatever the case). For instance, a Vegan Cooking Podcast may be able to draw many viewers simply because even the most specialized shows (on the cooking channel) don't ever cover vegan foods (let alone regularly devote a timeslot to it).
Video podcasts can definitely outperform traditional broadcast media in some ways, but to even imagine that they will supplant/usurp regaulr television is naive. (I know one post mentioned "goodbye to regular tv" and another mentioned this would be a "good opportunity" for new media.. so I want to make it clear I am not combining those posts inside my head.. re: post #2, this could indeed be a good opporunity for new media.. but even under the best circumstances, it won't even draw a fraction of a percent of users away from watching American Idol [which is what i am trying to say by agreeing with my parent post])
However, let me temper my analysis by saying that obviously some videos on YouTube, with low production values, have garnered hundreds of thousands or even (in a few cases) millions of views. It would be unlikely that all but a handful of video podcasts could regularly do this themselves (other than LonelyGirl15 and a few select others, most of these videographers don't have repeat success), but some might see this type of success.. which, when measured against the daily viewing of even reruns of Alton Brown or MythBusters, may not shatter any records, but it's still pretty impressive.
As someone who has done a lot of independent videography.. (spending one to two years shooting and traveling just to put together a film wit
I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
Leopard isn't done yet. It probably shouldn't be released until mid to late 2007, but Apple's history suggests the company doesn't mind pulling a "Vista" and releasing sort of half-baked software -- and maybe prefers doing so versus pulling a "Vista" by releasing something years late. A light demo of 10.5 features at MacWorld wouldn't be too surprising, but the system is still looking pretty rough around the edges. It also may be worth noting: If 10.5 isn't released until the second quarter of 2007, Apple may have to figure out what to name the 10.4 update that comes after 10.4.9. ;-)
Say no more.
as the premiere said. 'Screaming
I predict there will be an as yet unknown piece of software announced by the man in the black turtleneck. It seems Apple generally announces new hardware in the early summer and fall. Don't expect the ipod picoshizzle. By 'unknown' this excludes the iphone, itv, upgraded 'book, monitors/TV's.
I'm just here for the sigs
PLEASE consider lowering the prices on your overpriced stuff. I'd love to buy a mac, and lots of people I know would buy a mac, but considering you need to spend nearly $3000 on an imac before it's a comparable config to a normal PC, that ain't gonna be happening soon.
maintai%ned that too any doubt: FrreBSD serves to reinforce whether to repeat could save it Niggerness? And bad for *BSD. As For the record, I
There was a rumor in 1997-8 about Apple developing a mobile version of MacOS to replace the Newton.
I still don't think this is going to happen.
Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
Apple had a mobile MacOS for a pen based computer along time ago. They dumped working on it because it'd compete with the Newton. Then Steve Jobs returned and dumped Newton. Now there are rumors of a mobile MacOS, again.
Sometimes when I'm working on projects things disappear, I suspect gremlins.
The one I was specifically referring to was the Allegro-Lite rumors which Apple came straight out and denied on the Newton developer conference call in 1997.
Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
Yeah, I have a few questions about the statements you make here. $3k for a DV camera? I don't think so, and I also don't think the daily show is using DV cameras either. You can pick up a great Canon GL1 for $1.5 and I'm pretty sure the daily show is using betacam or an equivalent which is probably pushing the $20k range. I also think they're using 4 if not 5 of them including one on a crane. The daily show has no need for boom operators (maybe 1 max for backup), I know for a fact they use wireless mics. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure standard Def maxes out at 640x480 and betacam and DV will cover that very well. The editing equipment would probably be minimal for a show like this, maybe 4-5 avids max and I would *HOPE* they had at least 1 trained editor, lord knows I've seen what happens when you have *untrained* editors, it's not a pretty sight. I really don't see how The Daily Show and Colbert Report's graphics are THAT bad, I'd say they have MARGINALLY less quality than network news braodcast and their graphics(for story bits) are often well done and if not, it's on purpose. The fact that it's taken you 2 years to make a 1 hour film is a little dicey. Is that shooting time or complete pre-production, production, post-production? That either covers alot of travel or is just one of those "labor of love" productions that you have to space out because of money and time constraints. Otherwise, I don't know, I've shot 1 hour shorts in 2 weekends and 2 of them are going to be hitting the film festivals pretty soon. I guess it depends exactly what the situation is. All in all though, I'd say your analysis of the Daily/Colbert report is a tad off, but hey, I could be wrong.
Apple is planning to develop an iPod that will receive LIVE broadcasted signals. It's rumored to be called a radio.
I imagine this is because there is a popular UK television channel called ITV, and Apple have saw what troubles Gmail had in the UK over name copyrights (and most Brits haven't even heard of the "UK gmail").
I don't know how they missed the idea of new versions of iLife and iWork coming out, those are almost givens.
Clicked on the link and found out that Looprumors website has been suspended. So, do you think the cause was the lack of non-payment or a little legal letter to their ISP?
If it was the latter, does that mean they were hot on the trail of something?
You mistook my comments above. I was not postulating as to the Daily Show's production equipment, but rather giving a basic laundry list of what "one would need to produce a video podcast" that might even approach the production value of the Daily Show.
You are correct, Comedy Central almost certainly shoots on broadcast quality cameras. My statement was asserting that to create a SD (or 320x240) podcast that can even hope to compare itself to these shows, you would need a couple of prosumer cameras (i.e. Z1U, XL2, DVX100, HVX200, etc). I picked $3k because it's a nice average figure.. some prosumer DV cameras cost $2k.. some cost $5k. Your "OMG YOU CAN BUY A GL1 FOR $1500!" comment just seems like semantic fight-picking, especially because the GL1 hasn't been made for several years (which means you'd be buying used) and they must surely be well below $1000 used now.
The Daily Show does use a jib as well for crowd sweeps after commercial, although you could get away without one.. or even if you did buy one, a decent prosumer-capable jib is only $1000ish. And wireless lavs are a matter of preference, although a few good lavaliers will cost around the same are one or two decent shotgun booms.
Ultimately, it all does add up, and that was my point; that to produce even a basic "look at funny guys sitting on a couch talking about how our leaders are retarded and also showing you the latest ipod gadget" show you're gonna need $20k in equipment, a couple of really smart and talented people, and a lot of freetime. Or the production value of that show will be on par with a high school video production class. Again, my comments weren't assessing what *THEY USE* at comedycentral, so much as what you would need to use to not look like a complete amateur in comparison.
One of my final points was that this could indeed be a good chance for "new media" as the grandparent comment stated, but that no one should even dream of video podcasts usurping regular tv shows.. except for the percentage of viewers who value the substance the podcasts bring (obscure interviews, uncensored conspiracy theorist commentary, whatever) over actual production value. And that even the "cheapest to produce" shows on brokeass cable-only networks still have millions of dollars of budget to play with.
Furthermore, I don't think you're in a position to be drawing conclusions about the production time of my films and whether or not they are "dicey." First of all, had you spent more than four seconds skimming my post, you probably wouldn't have misunderstood what I was saying (as it seems no one else did), and at the same time, you might have noticed that I seem to know what i'm talking about. This might have led you to suspect that i'm in the industry, and that i likely do something along the lines of video/film production as a fulltime gig. And although i wouldn't have expected you to read my profile, it does prettymuch come out and say as much.
If we go back to my comments, we'll see I said "one to two years" to put together a film. In fairness, I was being vague, since I do consider marketing and distribution part of that, and that adds several months (my last film was finished over a year ago, and the street date was just a few months back). However, even taking one (or heck, two) years to pre-produce, travel and shoot, edit/composite/title/conform a film (so we're leaving out distribution considerations) is not excessive. One of my favorite films, Fight Club, had a 6 month shoot schedule (according to IMDB).. and this is the first random film i pulled out of my head, I didn't cherry pick it. Now, you couldn't have known this, but I shoot mostly documentary work, which can take significantly longer to shoot (my next major project is going to take at least three years to shoot).. and although you couldn't have known exactly what I shoot, if you're halfway knowledgable you should be able to envision many circumstances that could take a project 1-2 years to be completed. Hell, in summe
I saw this thing on ITV the other week,
Said, that if she played with her hair, she's probably keen
She's playin with her hair, well regularly,
So i reckon i could well be in.
-- The Streets (A Grand Don't Come For Free)
Defining Statistics and Social Research
As a side benefit, this would finally put to rest the silly notion that a Mac's hardware is separable from its software
Only in the sense that Apple's hardware is mediocre and in many ways user-hostile and incapable of holding its own without the software propping it up.
Generally people bash on MS for 'innovating' by copying Microsoft's products. Isn't iTV just a clone of Windows Media Center? If not, how so? If so, is this one of the first instances of Apple copying Microsoft? Not trying to start a flamewar/troll here; just curious. Thanks.
a quick glance at past predictions for MacWorld illustrates that virtually NO ONE gets this rumor stuff right. between MacWorld predictions, mergers and acquisitions that never materialize, and the perennial articles about how Linux is soon to become the Next Big Thing for desktops, we are left with just a few quasi-interesting articles about cows, Mars robot software upgrades, and gaming devices. /. says it reports 'STUFF THAT MATTERS'. does a report on an possible branding lawsuit (with ITV) really deserve a post? or are your contributors just all cracked up on latte and thinking maybe they have ideas that matter?
What about those new 100GB iPod. http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/05/toshiba-announc es-100gb-1-8-inch-hdd-apple-swoons/
I just wish that Apple fixes the stupid font rendering on OS X. An option to disable anti-aliasing for *all* fonts and use font hinting (as in OS 9 and Windows without cleartype) would suffice. I'd prefer that to ANY "improvements" coming in leopard anytime.
That would make a much better 2007 for me.
Is that the article would get slashdotted to oblivion
I tried to go to the looprumors.com website it shows the site has been suspended and for what reason is unknown. Did we, slashdotters, overloaded the website and the ISP turned site off or the Apple lawyers come knocking. Hmmm this is a interesting story to be investigated.
I agree with most of what you're saying. The problem is that there *is* room for good video podcast content. You simply need to focus on what you do well and skip all the other stuff. It relies on creative talent though. If the actors/writers aren't talented, the show would stink with a $10bn budget.
Like all small ventures, it needs to focus on what it can do that larger productions can't. A video podcast can: address more controversial issues, use humor/language that is not FCC approved, be distributed freely in any form, and release on its own schedule.
If it does what you suggest as a minimum and get 3 cameras and try to compete on production value, it will fail. 1 Camera. 1 or 2 Anchors. No graphics, just talented actors and writers.
The one I heard about was being developed about the time of the original Messagepad. The developer was pulled from the project and put on the NewtonOS instead. I'll see if I can find the link to the article I heard about it in.
Sometimes when I'm working on projects things disappear, I suspect gremlins.
One thing I think is pretty sure is an update for Aperture. They did a pretty good 1.5 update a few months ago, but Lightroom is due to come out of beta soon and Apple would want to answer with a whole new version of Aperture.
I agree that iLife and iWork will see a makeover, though it seems to me they will launch with Leopard, as they would want to take full advantage of new OS features (especially Time Machine). The same may well be true of Aperture.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Comedy Central is Viacom, the people who bring you MTV, VH1, . They're not small. From the Viacom factsheet at http://www.viacom.com/view_brand.jhtml?inID=13&sec tionid=2
COMEDY CENTRAL, television's only all-comedy network, is a 24-hour, advertiser-supported, basic cable comedy service available to more than 87 million viewers domestically and is the #1 network in primetime among men 18-24, as well as a consistent top 10-rated network among all adults 18-49. A leader in delivering content to everywhere you need to be, COMEDY CENTRAL has broken beyond the traditional boundaries of the living room to offer cutting-edge originals both online, through the network's broadband channel MotherLoad, and on-the-go via arrangements with all the major wireless carriers. COMEDY CENTRAL is also involved in producing nationwide stand-up tours and boasts its own record label, which includes the platinum-selling album Dane Cook: Retaliation and the Grammy-nominated album Lewis Black: Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues. In addition, the network operates one of the most successful home entertainment divisions in the industry, generating the top two best sellers in the TV-to-DVD market with the releases of seasons one and two of the cultural phenomenon, Chappelle's Show. Other hit series include South Park, RENO 911!, The Colbert Report, Drawn Together, Mind of Mencia and, of course, the Peabody and Emmy-winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. With such a diverse array of hits and methods to deliver the funny, only Comedy Central gives you more ways to laugh.
The iPod was actually an impressive product for the time, just taking into account the specs. It was almost as small as flash players of the day, with a hundred times the capacity. It had about 10x the transfer rate of any other portable thanks to the Firewire connector and disk storage.
The iPod was great for the time, and as a hardcore PC backer it was EMBARASSING for me to see how slowly the rest of the industry responded.
Today, however, a good chunk of the industry has caught up. The iPod has serious large-market competitors from Creative and Sandisk. The iTV already has to compete with an installed base of almost 10 million Xbox 360s, not to mention the industry push from Intel (VIIV) and AMD (Live) to create "living room" PCs.
Also, now that Apple is Intel's bitch, I think it is bad that Apple is so set on the "Macworld major release schedule." Apple pulled some strings with the Core launch so it coincided with the x86 OS X launch, but I doubt Intel will ever cooridinate like that again for such a small vendor. Intel did not wait for January to release their quad-core, so the quad-core Mac Pro will end up looking more like a "me too" product instead of a market leader.
Apple can still shake things up, but in their current situation they will need to pull off some serious magic. All the "obvious" stuff just isn't that impressive.
Man is the animal that laughs.
And occasionally whores for Karma.
As there was a rumor that ATI (main grapic-chip-supplier of the intel-based Macs) is going to release a new version of their graphic chips, maybe there will be an upgraded version of iMac, Mac Pro and maybe MacBookPro!? The timing would be excellent...
Yours Gery
The answer is yes, me.