Both Apple and AT&T don't have no-commitment pricing options on their websites. Apple now states on its US website:
At launch, AT&T said that they'd sell iPhone 4s without contract for $599 and $699 for the 16 and 32 GB versions. Now you can't buy it without a plan online at Apple or AT&T for any price.
(Update: AT&T has contacted us and stated that there is no difference in policy on their end and they can't account for Apple's website. Also, you can only buy a no-commitment iPhones in an AT&T store, there is no way to do so online [which seems insane because less paperwork has to be filled out])
------
Relying on a user's picture or the sound of their voice, future portable devices from Apple like an iPhone or iPad could recognize individuals who pick up and use the item.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week revealed a patent application from Apple entitled "Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device." The security-centric invention describes methods to identify users through a picture, the sound of their voice, or even their unique heartbeat.
"The photograph, recording, or heartbeat can be compared, respectively, to a photograph, recording or heartbeat of authorized users of the electronic device to determine whether they match," the application reads. "If they do not match, the current user can be detected as an unauthorized user."
If an unauthorized user were to attempt to access an iPhone or another device, the owner of the handset could be notified in a variety of manners, including a phone call, text message or e-mail. It could even send the owner -- or the police -- a picture of the unauthorized user, or other information specific to the potential thief, such as the current location.
The handset could also recognize an unauthorized user if they do certain uncharacteristic activities with the phone. Specifically named are hacking, jailbreaking, unlocking, or removing a SIM card.
But beyond security, such technology could also be used to identify individual users and allow users who share a product, like an iPad, to customize it to their liking. Apple has shown interest in such capabilities for some time.
In January, before the iPad was announced, The Wall Street Journal revealed that an early prototype of the device would use a camera to recognize users' faces, allowing it to be one device easily shared by the entire family. Apple reportedly experimented with the ability to customize the device, and have it automatically switch to a user's personal settings once they picked it up.
One early feature included virtual "sticky notes" that one user could leave for another, and would be read the next time they picked up the iPad.
Apple's security-centric patent application was first filed on Feb. 19, 2009. It is credited to Taido Nakajima, Pareet Rahul and Gloria Lin.
The invention is also not the first time Apple has explored recognizing users by their heartbeat. One patent application revealed in May dealt specifically with that technology, describing a heart rate monitor seamlessly built in to the exterior of an iPhone. Reading a user's unique biometric data, the iPhone could then recognize them.
------
A new "Compare Macs" option was added to Apple's online store Thursday, allowing customers to review the hardware specifications and prices of multiple machines at once.
The Apple Store was down temporarily early Thursday, and returned to quietly offer the unannounced new feature, which was first noted by The Loop. When browsing the Mac section of Apple's online store, the new feature is listed to the left of the product lineup atop the page.
After selecting Compare Macs, users are taken to an interactive Web application in the browser that allows them to select up to three different Macs, including notebooks and desktops. Users can view the standard hardware, or make additions such as more RAM or a larger hard drive, and compare the prices of each machine.
The side-by-side breakdown of each computer is presented in five categories: hardware, software, technical specifications, environmental status report and configuration summary.
After configuring a Mac in the comparison tool, if customers decide they want to buy that machine, they can quickly add it to their cart with the click of a button. In addition, customers save the configuration for later as they ponder their purchase.
Shoppers can also compare prices on Macs from Apple and other resellers by turning to the AppleInsider Mac Pricing Matrix, including below. Deals are available on all current generation Macs, which include the MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro.
------
Apple is internally testing the first material update to its iOS 4.0 mobile operating system against a handful of new devices, including next-generation iPod touches, an iPad revision, and an "unknown" product, AppleInsider has discovered.
According to people familiar with the matter, the latest beta of iOS 4.1, due to ship in the coming weeks, includes three new "Configuration Descriptors" within its USB configuration files -- all of which pertain to devices that list "Apple, Inc." as their "manufacturer" -- as can be seen in the screenshot below.
The first product, a fourth-generation iPod touch, is referenced within the code as "iPod 4,1." That particular identifier indicates the device will be the first iteration of a fourth-generation device, rather than a revision to the touch's existing design, which would have been denoted as an "iPod 3,2."
For Apple, this represents the fourth consecutive year in which the company will deliver a significant internal or external design change to its flagship iPod, preserving a tradition that has seen the media player's adopt the architecture of iPhones that hit the market a few months earlier.
As such, this year's iPod touch family calls for models akin to a slimmer iPhone 4, equipped with dual cameras, FaceTime support, Apple's custom A4 processor, and high resolution Retina Display. For reference, the first three generations of the iPod touch were identified as "iPod 1,1," "iPod 2,1" and "iPod 3,1," respectively.
The second unreleased product referenced in the USB configuration files is "iProd 2,1." All indications are that this device represents a material update to the company's iPad, as the inaugural version of the device released this past April was similarly listed in configuration files as "iProd 1,1" prior to its announcement.
Finally, and most intriguing, is a previously undiscovered mention of a mysterious device listed only as "unknownHardware." Although the configuration files tag this device with a unique Apple product ID of 20547, it's textual descriptor is similarly listed as "Unknown- Add device descriptor info for this device."
While purely speculative at this time, it's possible that those place holders are related to an Apple TV reincarnation -- rumored to be dubbed iTV -- that will reportedly jettison its existing Mac OS X-based software platform for one built around iOS 4.0 and capable of running applications found on the App Store.
Apple is widely expected to hold its annual music and media event next month, as it has done for the past several years, ushering in the fourth-generation iPod touches and potentially the much rumored Apple TV makeover.
