iPhone Cruncher

An Apple leak, hedge fund FUD or a false rumor out of the wild west of the blogosphere?

Several Wall Street analysts finally caught on to the significance of Jim Dalrymple’s report in The Loop Monday that there would be no new hardware unveiled at Apple’s (AAPL) Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

What this may mean — as BMO Capital’s Keith Bachman and Jefferies Co.’s Peter Misek explained to clients Wednesday –  is that for the first time since 2007, summer will come and go without a new iPhone.

All this triggered some predictable selling on Wall Street — by 10:30 the stock was down $3.05 (0.9%) — and a furious note on Seeking Alpha by Jason Schwarz that began with a bang:

“Today we have a perfect example of why Steve Jobs hates bloggers.”

He goes on to ridicule the “latest rumor” out of the “wild west of a blogosphere” and to characterize Dalrymple and MG Siegler, who posted a similar report on TechCrunch, as “no-name bloggers looking to make a name for themselves.”

Well now. Where to begin?

Let’s stipulate at the outset that we don’t have any inside information about when or even if Apple intends to release the much-rumored iPhone 5.

But we’ve been following Siegler and Dalrymple long enough to recognize that Schwarz doesn’t know a good blogger from a bad one.

Siegler has proved over the years to have excellent Apple sources and Dalrymple, who was the news director at Macworld for nearly a decade, may have even better.

But before we went too far out on a limb, we thought we’d ask Jim how much of his “No iPhone, iPad or Mac hardware coming at WWDC” post was, as Schwarz suggests, speculation based on the wording of the WWDC invitation, and how much came from his Apple sources. His reply:

“This isn’t speculation on my part at all. I have very good sources that have confirmed my Monday post to be true.”

Schwarz, who has written some sensible things

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FuzeBox, the developer of an online meeting software, is launching its multi-party HD video conferencing technology for the iPad 2 and Android devices. Previously released in private beta, the software had been updated with support for more devices, an improved user interface, and more multimedia sharing and annotation options.

As I’ve written in the past, Fuze’s video technology provides a WebEx-like conferencing service that allows users to share screens and run meetings online. As opposed to its competitors, Fuze promises a sleeker more lightweight interface that incorporates HD video. I’ve tested the technology out multiple times, and not only is Fuze easy to use, but there is little to no latency and features high video quality.

With the debut of video capabilities in the newest version of the iPad, Fuze has updates its own technology to support the device and has also added a few bells and whistles. The multi-party conferencing, which works for up to 10 participants, includes support for multimedia sharing (documents, presentations, videos and images), real-time annotation within the conference and activiate a laser pointer within meetings.

The company is also introducing French and Spanish support and more international toll-free numbers. And what makes the meeting application unique is that it works across all major platforms including Macs, PCs, iOS devices, and Android tablets.

While Fuze has a somewhat unorthodox past, the company has made a big met on video conferencing and meetings software recently, which could pay off with enterprise customers. To date, Fuze has been awarded 23 patents around telephony and collaboration with an additional 42 pending.

Fuze is also offering TechCrunch readers 5 VIP Fuze Meeting accounts (a value of $210). The first five readers to email techcrunch@fuzebox.com will receive a free account.

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By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 12:00 PM EST

AppleInsider sponsor MacMall has again teamed up with eBay to offer serious savings on a Mac mini for just $599. Also, labels and musicians have begun to bring enhanced albums to the iPad, and Google has debuted in-app billing for Android.

$100 savings on 2.4GHz Mac mini

MacMall and eBay have partnered yet again to offer AppleInsider readers a killer deal on Apple’s 2.4GHz Mac mini. The limited promotion amounts to a $100 savings off of Apple’s regular asking price for its diminutive desktop.

The deal, part of eBay’s March Madness blowout sale, is for a new, unopened Mac mini with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB SATA hard drive, Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics, 8X SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI port and SD card slot. The limited quantity sale is strictly available to just one per customer.

eBay’s March Madness deals are limited to 24 hours or less, or while supplies last. To compare this deal to prices from Apple’s other authorized resellers, see the AppleInsider Mac Price Guide, of which the Mac mini section is included below:

Labels, artist create enhanced albums for iPad

As noted by The New York Times, numerous music labels and artists have begun creating iPad-specific versions of albums, allowing greater interactivity and enhanced features.

One album profiled was released by EMI last week: “Until One” by Swedish House Mafia. Selling for $9.99, it comes with documentary video scenes, a large photo gallery, notes from the band, and is arranged like a coffee table book.

The goal is to preserve the value of complete albums, as record labels struggle with lost revenue from sales of single tracks. Universal Music Group has teamed up with Eagle Rock Entertainment to bring classic albums, like “Nevermind” by Nirvana, to the iPad as well.

A similar concept to sell entire albums, iTunes LP, was launched by Apple and record labels on iTunes in September of 2009. iTunes LP content includes and entire album

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The more recent Dell Streak 7-inch tablet, as offered by T-Mobile, which uses the Android OS.

By Suzanne Choney

Dell is not on a streak with its Streak tablet, so it’s understandable that the company would be critical of Apple’s iPad, especially in the enterprise market, where Dell is a huge player.

In an interview with CIO Australia, Andy Lark, Dell’s v-p of global marketing for Dell’s large enterprise group, said while he “couldn’t be happier that Apple has created a market and built up enthusiasm” for tablets, over the long haul, “open, capable and affordable will win, not closed, high price and proprietary” such as Apple’s operating system.

Google’s Android operating system, which Dell uses on its 5- and 7-inch Streaks, is “outpacing” Apple, Lark said. That is true in terms of the smartphone world; tablets, not yet. But while other Android tablets, like Motorola’s Xoom and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, are receiving more favorable reviews, the Streak is not.

Lark said Apple ”is great if you’ve got a lot of money and live on an island. It’s not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex.” 

Lark said Dell’s business approach to tablets will ultimately give it the edge in the business world:

“We’ve taken a very considered approach to tablets, given that the vast majority of our business isn’t in the consumer space,” he said. “[A company] like Samsung has to aggressively go after their business, but we’ve got a far more diversified footprint than some of these players.”

The cost of Apple products was another deterrent to iPad deployments, with Lark claiming that a the economics on a fully kitted iPad did not add up.

“An iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you’ll be at $1500 or $1600; that’s double of what you’re paying,” he claimed. “That’s not feasible.”

Not sure how Lark came up with those figures, even based on the most expensive model of the iPad, which is $829. A mouse

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The iPhone 5 might not make its debut until October or later, according to a Monday report.

Citing a translated story on Macotakara.jp, AppleInsider said today that Apple has not yet ordered components for the next-generation iPhone. As a result, the iPhone 5 might be planned for Apple’s 2012 fiscal year, which begins on September 25.

The Macotakara report predicted an iPhone 5 launch in the first half of fiscal 2012, but as AppleInsider notes, Apple probably won’t miss the opportunity for holiday season sales, making an October or November launch most likely.

The iPhone 4 was released at last year’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June, but this year, the focus will be on software, according to Apple.

“At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, said earlier this week. “If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.”

As a result, many are skeptical that WWDC, which kicks off June 6, will include any hardware announcements. ITProPortal suggested the delay will “give Apple enough time to iron out any issues with the iOS 5, which is gradually turning out to be one of the most important iOS since its launch back in 2006.” Over the weekend, TechCrunch also reported that iOS 5 would be pushed to the fall.

The iPhone 5 rumors have been floating around for several months now. The most recent reports contend that the phone will have an edge-to-edge screen. Other rumors claim that the design of the back of the phone could be different, ditching glass for aluminum and moving the antenna from the external frame.

For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

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A Chicago church deacon who volunteered in homeless shelters and “would give the shirt off her back” to people in need died Tuesday, after someone stole another person’s iPhone at the Fullerton L stop, knocking her down the stairs while he made his escape.

Sally Katona-King, 68, was on her way home from her job as a church receptionist Tuesday when she fell down the stairs during a robbery and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, the Chicago Tribune reports. She reportedly lost a lot of blood on the scene, and was pronounced dead after arriving at a nearby hospital.

“To die over an iPhone? It’s senseless,” her son, David King, told the Tribune.

Katona-King maintained her generosity and compassion despite several major tragedies in her life, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Her first marriage failed, and her second husband was murdered in an armed robbery in 1971. At 29 years old, she was widowed and raising three children alone, according to the paper.

Jeff Drake, an associate to the Bishop at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church where the victim worked, told NBC Chicago that everyone loved Katona-King, and that she was always happy to help others. She reportedly found the church in the 1980′s when her 2-year-old grandson died in a fire, and worked there ever since.

“She loved people,” he said. “She cared about everyone.”

The iPhone thief who caused Katona-King’s death was still at large Wednesday morning. Police issued an alert describing him as a black man between the ages of 17 and 30, standing between 5-foot-6 and 6-foot-4. Police said he weighs between 130 and 210 pounds and was wearing a black hat, blue jeans and a black jacket with the letters “WS” on the back during the robbery. Anyone with information is asked to contact Belmont Area detectives at (312) 744-8262.

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A senior Dell executive says Apple’s iPad is not fit for enterprise customers because of its high price (when you account for peripherals), and will eventually be outpaced by Android tablets.

“Apple is great if you’ve got a lot of money and live on an island. It’s not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex,” Andy Lark, Dell’s global head of marketing for large enterprises and public organisations, said to CIO Australia.

As a company that plans to build tablets based on Android and WP7, it’s understandable that Dell is bearish on Apple’s iPad. Unfortunately, Lark chooses to back his claims with an example that simply doesn’t add up.

“An iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you’ll be at $1,500 or $1,600; that’s double of what you’re paying. That’s not feasible,” says Lark.

The cheapest iPad 2 model costs $499. A dock is $29, and a wireless keyboard is $69. Case options abound and range from $20 to $100, with Apple’s Smart Cover starting at $39. The iPad doesn’t natively support a mouse (you can use a hack on a jailbroken iPad to use a Bluetooth mouse with a device, though), but even if it did, you can get a decent wireless mouse for $20.

Add all that up, and you’re nowhere near Lark’s figures, even if you go with the most expensive iPad model which costs $829. It’s fine to believe in the success of Android, but if you’re going to dismiss the iPad, using bogus numbers simply won’t convince anyone.

[CIO via TUAW]

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On a recent trip Down Under, a Dell executive made an over the top slam against Apple’s iPad. Head of global marketing Andy Lark apparently went on a bit of a verbal Walkabout in an interview with PCWorld’s sister publication CIO Australia, calling the iPad too expensive, closed and complex to keep up with Android.

“I couldn’t be happier that Apple has created a market and built up enthusiasm but longer term, open, capable and affordable will win, not closed, high price and proprietary,” Lark told reporter Lisa Banks.

Lark was particularly pointed in his criticism that the popular tablet doesn’t work for enterprise users.

Dell’s own Streak tablet“Apple is great if you’ve got a lot of money and live on an island. It’s not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex.”

Dell has struggled by comparison in the tablet and portable computing market, but Lark claims the company’s approach will be most appealing to enterprise users, citing what he calls a “multi-OS” strategy.

“We will do Windows 7 coupled with Android Honeycomb, and we’re really excited. We think that giving

people that choice is very important.”

Dell recently unveiled a ten-inch Windows 7 tablet aimed at business users. Previously, the company failed to gain much traction with its five-inch Streak, a cross between a smartphone and tablet.

Apple’s iPad 2Lark’s other central rip against the iPad was price.

“An iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you’ll be at $1500 or $1600; that’s double of what you’re paying,” he said. “That’s not feasible.”

Apple should take some comfort in the fact that Lark’s stinging criticism wasn’t only directed at the iPad during his trip to Sydney. He also complained to his foursquare followers that Wi-Fi at the Sheraton where he stayed was overpriced… a

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By Jon Friedman, MarketWatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — When it comes to the iPhone, I think Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs is a marketing genius. His company gets otherwise sensible consumers to buy a gadget that they don’t really need, but think they can’t live without.

I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m calling Apple’s iPhone customers a bunch of suckers — because I’m one of them. Filled with the promise of joining Apple’s
/quotes/comstock/15*!aapl/quotes/nls/aapl
(AAPL
350.96,
+0.52,
+0.15%)
 legions of shiny, happy people, I bought an iPhone last year. Now, it’s time for me to give you a progress report.

Sure, this gadget has many uses, and my fellow residents of Apple Nation say they love it more than oxygen or water. But let’s be objective for a moment, please. It’s far from perfect.

Reuters

Apple’s Steve Jobs shows off the iPad.

Here are my gripes:

1. The unfortunate phone component

Speaking of those aforementioned “many uses,” the iPhone features a cell phone — when it works, that is.

I love the iPod, the texting, the Soundhound, the Bump and all of the other groovy services and killer apps. But the phone? Not so much.

Before I bought my iPhone, friends scoffed at me for not waiting until Verizon
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(VZ
38.29,
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+1.43%)
 stepped forward with an iPhone connection. I scoffed back and said, “ATT Inc.
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(T
30.05,
+0.69,
+2.35%)
 isn’t so bad.” Well, let’s define “not so bad.” It’s not so good, either. The tales of dropouts during phone conversations were unfortunately accurate.

2. Snob appeal

As a group, iPhone users are pretty smug. We’re a little like those Toyota
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Anticipating that both the Apple (AAPL) iPhone 5 and version 5 of the company’s iOS mobile device software will debut no sooner than this fall – rather than this summer – Jefferies analyst Peter Misek late Tuesday trimmed his EPS and revenue estimates for the company.

“We believe that iOS 5 and the iPhone 5 (both previously expected this summer) are now unlikely to be available earlier than this fall as Apple incorporates new cloud-based services,” he writes in a research note.

Misek notes that previously he had been anticipating an iOS 5 launch at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June in San Francisco, with an iPhone 5 launch in the same time frame. He’s also been anticipating an LTE iPhone launch in October or November.

But he adds that new market chatter suggests iOS 5 will be previewed at WWDC, with a launch in summer or early fall, with an iPhone 5 launch in September or October.

“Our checks indicate Apple is aiming for a significant step forward [with iOS 5] with a strong focus on integrating cloud services into the operating system,” he writes. “We believe this additional functionality is taking longer to incorporate than expected, leading to the next iOS launch being later this summer or fall.” As for iPhone 5, he adds that he thinks Apple wants the next phone to be LTE capable, and to have a chip set compatible with both ATT and Verizon Wireless.

He also contends that iPhone 5 could contain new chips from Qualcomm (QCOM) that include both GPS and WiFI functionality, and in the future could add Bluetooth and near-field communications capability.

Misek cuts his FY 2011 revenue forecast to $103 billion from $106.9 billion, with EPS of $23.03, down from $24.17. For FY 2012, he now sees revenue of $133.9 billion, down from $140.6 billion, with profits of $28.02, down from $29.92.

Misek keeps his Buy rating and $450 price target.

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