There are some business acquisitions that make perfect sense, some that seem a little strange but are understandable and others that we can see coming from a mile off, but the latest rumor is suggesting that Apple is in the process of acquiring Color Labs Inc. doesn't really fit into any of those categories. Color Labs is the company behind the drastic iOS and Android app called Color that managed to raise a fairly large pot of funding in 2011, but if the reports turn out to be true then it looks like the company executive have found their way out.
Apple might have had the most notable and high-profile win in the on-going patent battle with Samsung when a judge in San Jose ruled that more than $1 billion in damages were due to the company from Samsung, but it hasn't all been about victory for Apple who have had their fair share of patent related setbacks. One of the latest has come right from the United Kingdom where an Apple appeal to have an earlier ruling overturned has proven unsuccessful.
With the next Apple event being officially penned in for October 23rd, the floodgates are now open for iPad Mini related rumors to start doing the rounds. Although, it has been heavily speculated on over the last few weeks, there has been little in terms of possible technical specifications or component leaks. It has been less than twenty-four hours since Apple sent out their official invites but we are already seeing some photographs of what are reported to be the official displays being used in the miniature iPad.
Although the form factor of the iPhone 4 / 4S was relatively compact and by no means bulky to hold, the recent release of the iPhone 5 has left many consumers amazed at just how much thinner and lighter Apple has managed to go with regards to design. Svelte it may be, but packing in the (improved) technology took a lot of effort, and while Jony Ive and team would have thrown quite a few pieces of paper into the waste-basket in trying to get the radical interior reshuffle to work out, the main manufacturer of the device - Foxconn - also had a few headaches.
Now that Apple has officially sent out event invites for the predicted media event on October 23rd, we can be rest assured that Tim Cook and his executive team are planning on introducing us to the miniature iPad that has been so heavily speculated on over the last few months. As the company gears up to present their new mid-range tablet to the world; it looks like they also have one eye on the next major iPad release coming in 2013. According to new reports that have surfaced today; Apple has already been in contact with parts and components suppliers regarding the next version of the 9.7-inch iPad.
Just as we expected, Apple has sent out media invites for an event which they are going to host in the California Theatre, San Jose, dated 23rd October.
Earlier, we revealed the a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display was likely to drop alongside the iPad Mini later this month, and to add to those two significant releases, it looks as though the Mac mini will be getting a refresh in the image of the WWDC enhancements offered to the MacBook Air and Pro ranges.
The elusive iPad Mini is, despite the setback of the announcement date having been incorrectly predicted, set to be arriving in the coming weeks, and although the specification of the device has seemed relatively assured for some time, pricing hasn't. With the smaller slate supposedly preserving Apple's dominance in fending off the growing list of cheaper tablets, the cost of the iPad Mini will be a large attributing factor to wither it serves its purpose, and a leaked snap of a German retailer's internal database appears to have shed a little light on the matter.
The new and extremely useful Passbook app has now been an official part of iOS for nearly a month, and although a number of high profile companies are starting to create their own virtual coupons and cards to be used within the app, it could really do with some high profile support to give it the boost that it deserves. It looks as if that boost could arrive quite soon, with the news that Apple themselves are extending their in-store payment capabilities to support their own Passbook creation for iOS 6 users.
Apple has been busy over the last few weeks with the introduction of new iPods, launching the all-new iPhone 5 and the accompanying iOS 6 software. The hardware and software that has come out of Cupertino’s doors recently would normally be enough for any other company but it looks like Apple aren't finished yet with the introduction of a miniature iPad on the cards as well as the possible announcement surrounding a much welcome refresh to their iMac computers.
