Suppliers hint at changes to MacBook Air -- Digitimes

One of the first MacBook Air rumors of the season alludes to internal changes but few external tweaks.

A fresh report from the not-always-reliable Taipei-based Digitimes claims the "industrial design will not see any major changes" in 2013.

Apple introduced the accentuated wedge aesthetic in late 2010 (see photo above), so about a year and a half will have transpired if new MBAs are introduced in the first half of 2013.

The report makes no mention of displays, but that's an area of intense focus for Apple. The high end of the MacBook Pro line now sports … Read more

Android rumor roundup

Android rumor roundup is a weekly column that gathers the top rumors each week in the Android space.

The winter holidays have put the freeze on Android rumors this week, but a few trickled out regardless. Check out this week's newest Android whispers and brush up on other alleged devices and updates that could come down the pipeline.

December 22-28, 2012 T-Mobile's HTC One S getting Jelly Bean soon (December 26, 2012) Although Android 4.1 is now available for global HTC One S phones, T-Mobile's version isn't part of the rollout yet.

However, it's … Read more

Apple rumor watch: iOS timepiece on drawing board?

After creating the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, is Apple now working on an iWatch?

A report cited by Business Insider claims that Apple has partnered with Intel to develop an iOS watch. Supply chain sources reportedly told Chinese blog site Tech163.com that the watch would be Bluetooth-enabled and sport a 1.5-inch OLED screen.

The so-called smart watch would debut sometime in the first half of next year.

Other sources have chimed in on the general concept, with Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, for one, saying he thinks wearable computing is a line that Apple might eventually get into. … Read more

Foxconn reportedly 'testing' Apple TVs of up to 55 inches

Key Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn is reportedly at work on some "initial testing" on Apple TV sets, according to a new report.

Citing a source at Hon Hai (otherwise known as Foxconn), Focus Taiwan says the manufacturer is at work on some early testing of TV sets that range between 46 and 55 inches.

The report comes a week after similar claims from The Wall Street Journal that work had begun on an Apple TV set as part of a partnership between Sharp and Hon Hai.

As for timing, Focus Taiwan's source says the production schedule hints … Read more

Apple said to be talking to Foursquare for maps data

Days after Google launched its Google Maps iOS app, rumors are circulating that Apple is making another play to beef up its own mobile mapping service.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the tech giant is said to have been talking to social network Foursquare about integrating user data into Apple's maps app. Apparently, Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue has been meeting with Foursquare representatives over the past few weeks about how the service uses data to find locations and business listings.

Apple debuted its new mapping service and booted Google Maps from its mobile devices in September … Read more

Apple rumors never cease

Apple rumors are a fact of life.

And it's silly to think that tech sites will begin writing fewer stories about the latest iPad/iPhone chatter.

It's like asking the Washington press corps to stop writing about Beltway scuttlebutt or Hollywood reporters to cease scribbling about la la land -- however frivolous. Ain't gonna happen.

Let's take the iPad Mini Retina rumor-machine (which is just getting started, by the way).

Retina chatter: A Retina iPad Mini is an intriguing prospect, but it's hardly a fait accompli. If it were, Apple would have announced one on … Read more

Pantech preps 1080p smartphone for CES, rumors say

Competing with HTC's Droid DNA, Pantech could introduce a 5-inch 1080p HD smartphone at CES 2013 in January, according to a rumor that surfaced today.

Details of an unannounced Pantech handset called the Vega IM-A860 for now have spilled online, apparently via a Wi-Fi Alliance certificate. The document suggests that the Vega will carry a 1,920x1,080-pixel full HD screen, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with an Adreno 320 GPU, and support for 4G LTE.

CNET reached out to Pantech, however, the handset maker declined to comment for this story.

If history is an indicator, Pantech could … Read more

Is HTC's next flagship Android the 5-inch M7?

It's no secret that the last few quarters have been rocky for HTC. If this fresh batch of rumors prove true, the unannounced HTC M7 could get them back on track.

The Droid DNA and its Japanese counterpart, the J Butterfly, may have just launched, but HTC is allegedly hard at work on its next big thing. Known only by its M7 code name, the smartphone could be exactly what HTC needs to jump-start its comeback. Again.

Details so far point to a 5-inch HD display with a 1920x1080-pixel resolution, a quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, and a 13-megapixel … Read more

Will the Samsung Galaxy S4 be 'unbreakable'?

If the rumors are true, Samsung is looking to go big with its next flagship Android phone, presumably to be the Galaxy S4.

Not only is it rumored that the next batch of galactic goodies will pack a quad-core processor and 13-megapixel camera, as CNET's Scott Webster recently reported, but there's also word it could come with an "unbreakable" screen, according to one analyst quoted by Reuters.

For years now, Samsung has been teasing us with its fancy, flexible, unbreakable displays at CES and other venues, but little of the technology has actually been brought to … Read more