Rumors

Apple's iBookstore is going live in 18 new countries, according to AppleInsider and other tech blog sites.

Citing information from an Australia-based iBooks label, AppleInsider said that the countries in line for iBookstore are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. Those 18 would bring the total number of iBookstore-supported countries to 50.

The expansion of iBookstore comes on the same day that Apple is expected to unveil the iPad Mini. The company also is reportedly aiming to push the education angle with its new tablet, … Read more

While most of the hype surrounding Apple's much-anticipated news event tomorrow is focusing on the possible iPad Mini, rumors are also spreading about a new regular-size iPad.

Leaked photos last week showed the alleged Lightning dock connector for an iPad 4, suggesting a new-generation iPad is being redesigned to accommodate a wide range of new components. Now, more photos have surfaced that show the iPad 4's possible new screen.

The new photos show what seems to be a larger front-facing camera cutout, according to Boy Genius Report, which published the images. This larger cutout could mean that Apple … Read more

iTunes users waiting for the new version could find their wait over sometime tomorrow.

Reports cited by MacNN and other blog sites say that Apple will officially kick off iTunes 11 at its iPad Mini event tomorrow.

Apple showed off the latest update to iTunes at its iPhone 5 launch event on September 12, promising that the new version would come sometime in October. So tomorrow does seem a likely candidate.

iTunes 11 offers the latest refresh to the now 12-year-old music player. The interface itself has been redesigned, while iCloud support is now built in. And the new mini … Read more

Apple's iPad Mini is likely to steal more sales away from the weakening PC market, says J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz.

"In our view, the iPad Mini stands to target price-sensitive users and the e-reader crowd," Moskowitz said in an investors note today. "Given the global economic uncertainty, we think price-sensitive users could gravitate toward an iPad Mini instead of making a PC purchase."

In difficult economic times, consumers opt for "feel good" purchases, said the analyst, giving the edge to the iPad Mini and other tablets over PCs. Further, consumers are … Read more

By now, the fact that Apple is holding a press event on October 23 is old news. It's widely agreed that the long-rumored smaller iPad will finally be unveiled. But it's likely that the iPad Mini isn't the only thing that Apple will have up its sleeve. Expect to see at least one new Mac grace the stage during Tuesday's event.

There are a couple of reasons I'm confident that we'll see new Macs. First off, they're overdue -- Apple refreshed MacBooks last … Read more

Color Labs founder Bill Nguyen has a relationship with Apple. In 2009, the tech giant bought one of his startups called Lala for $80 million.

Now, rumor has it that Apple may be after his Color Labs too.

According to The Next Web, sources say that Apple has picked up the startup for a price in the "high double digits," and the deal is final even though papers aren't yet signed.

Color made a big splash when it launched last year as a location-based photo-sharing app for iOS and Android. Its charismatic founder, Nguyen, won big backers, … Read more

Verizon Wireless is set to become the next wireless provider to offer carrier billing for Google Play purchases, according to unconfirmed reports. An internal Verizon screenshot obtained by Droid Life shows that the feature will be enabled later this week, specifically on October 18.

It it follows through, Verizon would be the last major U.S. carrier to adopt the billing strategy for apps, games, and other content. With that in mind, it appears that Big Red is going to employ a somewhat different tactic from the other players.

As evidenced in the photo, Verizon will put a $25 cap … Read more

Apple customers will soon be able to pay for store items via the Passbook app, according to Tuaw and 9to5Mac.

Citing an "unnamed Apple source," TUAW said the company will update the EasyPay software used by store employees to scan Passbook-enabled Apple Store gift cards.

Slated to roll out soon, the update would let iPhone and iPod Touch owners with Passbook pay for items using payment card codes, 9to5Mac said.

In preparation, Apple has reportedly just finished replacing the cases on the EasyPay-equipped iPod Touch units used by store staffers in order to allow access to the rear … Read more

A pair of photos circulating the Internet today may be the first images of a rumored Sony Xperia Nexus, but it's more likely an elaborate hoax.

Appearing on Picasa this morning, the photos are tagged as "sony nexus" and "xperia nexus" and have EXIF details that show they were taken on a Galaxy Nexus over the weekend.

The front side of the handset is void of branding, but the backside shows both the Sony and Google logo, suggesting a "Pure Google" experience a la the Nexus program. Although the handset doesn't match … Read more