John Packowski writes for The Wall Street Journal’s blog AllThingsD that, alas, iPhone 5 will belaunching in October, not in September as the rumor mill has been buzzing over the past few weeks. This information apparently comes from an unnamed source close to Apple. The blog has been right about many things Apple in the past so it’s worth mentioning here:

So those rumors claiming the iPhone 5 will debut in late September? They’re wrong. Instead, it’s going to be an October surprise — the month in which Apple will be launching its next generation iPhone.

We received solid information last month that AT&T was making big changes to its insurance policy related to iPhones in the first week of October.  Additionally, we broke the news that AT&T was introducing a new throttling policy as of October 1st as well.  The writing appears to be on the wall.

Others have reported that AT&T has blacked out employee vacations in the September’s last two weeks, which is usually a sign of a major product launch which may or may not be related to a new phone from Apple. This unconfirmed piece of the puzzle was apparently provided to Gizmodoby an AT&T employee this past Friday who noted that “historically the only time they’ve done this was for an iPhone release”, adding that “we’re looking at the last two weeks of September”.  BGR said that it was the first two weeks of September.

The source who spoke to AllThingsD offered a similar story, saying “it will be later in the month rather than earlier”. This could still mean a September event to announce iPhone 5 with the shipping date set a month later. An October launch also jives with an iPhone Italia report citing “a very reliable” high-ranked executive of Switzerland’s carrier Swisscom, calling for a limited iPhone 5 availability in September in the United States and international roll out in October. At this point, too much conflicting information pertaining to the iPhone 5 launch is cropping up everywhere and while we have our share of doubts about some of them, the abundance of leaks is always a sign of a product launch from Apple. The latest case leaks point to a larger display on iPhone 5, curved back and a larger home button. We have also learned that the iPhone 3GS supply is tightening and that phone is apparently no longer available at UK’s Orange. 9to5Mac on its part speculated that Apple could be prepping two iPhones this Fall, one an iPhone 4 successor and the other a cheaper, possibly pre-paid model.

With the iPhone 5 expected in September, rumors of the next generation of its younger brother – the iPod touch – have started springing up.

Outside of the possibility of more RAM, we really never were expecting much from the next iPod touch. This is what we thought until today, when a report from Dutch blog AppleSpot.nlopened our eyes to the possibilities of a 3G-ready iPod touch.

A (very) rough translation of what AppleSpot.nl posted:

Apple could be a source of ridicule us today to report that in September a new iPod Touch will be marketed. This will only happen simultaneously with the launch of the new iPhone. The specifications of the new iPod Touch knew our sources are not fully reporting, but knew the person telling us that the iPod Touch 3G will contain.

AppleSpot.nl provides no sources, so this cannot be taken as-is, however, a 3G-capable iPod touch makes a lot of sense, so the chances of AppleSpot’s claim to being true eventually are very much high.

The iPod touch, currently in its fourth-generation, is a multimedia powerhouse: it does games, it lets you watch movies/TV shows, browse the web and lets you download apps of your choice from the 425,000-strong App Store. It’s lacking in one key area though: connectivity.

You can only harness the iPod touch’s capabilities when it’s connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot; majority of the non-game apps do not work well without an internet connection. Now there are two ways of looking at this. One may either think of this as that’s exactly what the iPod touch is supposed to do OR one may consider it to be a limitation.

Many people don’t want to get into contracts, which is one of the major reasons why, in America at least, iPod touches sell like hot cakes. So why would such people want 3G on their iPod touch?

Well, consider the iPad: besides being sold in three different memory capacities, it has two types of models based on connectivity i.e. WiFi or WiFi+3G. Two different models to cater to two different kinds of consumers.

If the next-gen iPod touch were to have a WiFi-only model and a WiFi+3G model, it would keep both kinds of people happy.

Pricing would be similar to the iPad WiFi vs. WiFi+3G models in the sense that a baseline, Wi-Fi only iPod touch would cost $229 whereas its 3G variant would cost $70-$100 more.

9to5Mac suggests that if Apple actually adds GPS, voice+data chips to the iPod touch and includes a 3 megapixel camera then this could be the cheaper version of the iPhone that we’ve been hearing about so much lately.

Thoughts? Do you own an iPod touch? Would you like for it to have 3G connectivity or would you prefer it being WiFi-only?

Apple Store has been down since late yesterday and a lot of folks have been keeping their credit cards ready for new products. Well, Apple has just upgraded Mac minis and MacBook Airs featuring the latest Sandy Bridge processors and Intel’s speedy Thunderbolt I/O technology. As a bonus, Cinema Displays have been refreshed with Thunderbolt technology as well. In line with9to5Mac’s report, the new MacBook Air family finally features backlit keyboard. Just like before, the new MacBook Airs come in 11.6-inch and 13-inch flavors, each is available in baseline, more powerful and build-to-order flavors.

The base line 11.6-incher includes a 1.6 GHz processor, 2GB RAM and 64GB of flash storage and the pricier model doubles RAM and storage. The entry-level 13-incher sports a 1.7 GHz processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB of flash storage while the more expensive 13-inch MacBook Air doubles the storage to 256GB. Build-to-order options for both 11.6-inch and 13-inch models include a 1.8 GHz chip, 4GB RAM and 256 GB of flash storage for 13-inchers. Note that a 1.8 GHz processor and 256GB flash storage upgrades are the firsts for the 11.6-incher. Go past the break for information about the new Mac minis and nice press shots.

The new Mac minis include Sandy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 chips, new AMD Radeon HD 6630M discrete graphics and Thunderbolt I/O, delivering “up to twice the processor and graphics performance of the previous generation”. This time around, however, the minis come without an optical disc drive. Instead, you can access the optical drives on other PCs and Macs or hook up an external MacBook Air SuperDrive if you’re feeling old century. The new lineup has the same aluminum design like its predecessor and measures 7.7-inches square and are 1.4-inches thin.

The entry-level model includes a 2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with 2GB RAM and a 500GB hard drive storage. The pricier machine has a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM and a 500GB hard drive, with build-to-order options including a 2.7GHz dual-core Core i7 processor, up to 8GB RAM and a 750GB hard drive with an option to add or replace with a 256GB solid state drive. The server variant with Lion Server included runs a 2.0 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and comes with 4GB RAM and dual 500GB hard drives, with build-to-order options including 8GB RAM, two 750GB hard drives or up to two 256GB solid state drives. Customization options on all models include up to 8GB RAM, a faster 7200 RPM hard drive and a 256GB solid state drive. The entry-level Mac mini retails for $599. The more powerful model will set you back $799, or $999 for the server version . Both machines are available for order today via the online Apple store and in stores tomorrow.

Apple today released its new Apple Thunderbolt Display with Gig Ethernet, Firewire 800, USB 2.0 and access to more Thunderbolt accessories, all over one cable.

Those ports are now on the rear of the Cinema display, much like an iMac…

All in one singe cable.  Full specs below:

Introducing the world’s first Thunderbolt display.

Thunderbolt technology built in.

Thunderbolt I/O technology lets you move data between your devices and your computer with unprecedented speed. With two channels of 10-Gbps throughput in both directions, it’s up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800. And it allows you to connect as many as six devices through a single, compact port.

The ultimate docking station.

With just one cable, connect any Thunderbolt-enabled Mac and get 27 inches of high-resolution screen space, high-quality audio, a FaceTime HD camera, FireWire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet ports — and a Thunderbolt port you can use to daisy-chain additional high-performance peripherals such as hard drives and video capture devices.

Plug in and power up.

The Thunderbolt Display includes a MagSafe connector that powers and charges your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. The connector sits on your desk, ready and waiting. No need to unwind the cord to the power adapter that came with your notebook. Leave it exactly where it is, in your bag.

A bigger display for your biggest ideas.

Connect your Thunderbolt-enabled Mac to the Thunderbolt Display for a panoramic viewing experience unlike any other. This huge 27-inch glossy widescreen display features a cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio and an astonishing 2560-by-1440 resolution. That gives you more room to work with apps on your MacBook Air. More pixels for your MacBook Pro. And a worthy desktop companion to your iMac or Mac mini.

LED backlighting.

Full brightness with no waiting. That’s the big advantage of LED backlight technology. Unlike most displays that take time to warm up before they reach maximum brightness, an LED-backlit display is instantly on and uniformly bright. LED backlighting also gives you greater control over screen brightness. So you can tune the Thunderbolt Display to suit the ambient light in even the dimmest room.

Built-in FaceTime HD camera and microphone.

With the built-in FaceTime HD camera and microphone, you can connect your Mac desktop or notebook — open or closed — and make HD video calls* or take a few snapshots using Photo Booth.

What’s in the Box

• Apple Thunderbolt Display
• AC power cord
• Printed documentation

System Requirements

• Thunderbolt-enabled Mac computer, including MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac
• OS X v10.6.8 or later

Technical Specifications

• Screen size: 27 inches (diagonal viewable)
• Screen type: TFT active-matrix LCD with in-plane switching (IPS)
• Resolution: 2560 by 1440 pixels
• Colors: 16.7 million
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Viewing angle: 178° horizontal; 178° vertical
• Brightness: 375 cd/m²
• Contrast ratio: 1000:1
• Response time: 12 ms

Cables

• Built-in Thunderbolt cable
• Built-in Universal MagSafe cable (up to 85W)

Ports

• Three powered USB 2.0 ports
• FireWire 800 port
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• Thunderbolt port
• Kensington security slot

Camera and Microphone

• Built-in FaceTime HD camera with microphone

Speakers

• Built-in 2.1 speaker system (49 watts)

Electrical Requirements

• Input voltage: 100V to 240V AC; 50-60Hz
• Maximum power: 250W (Thunderbolt Display while charging MacBook Pro)
• Energy saver mode: 1W or less

Environmental Requirements

• Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
• Storage temperature: -4° to 116° F (-20° to 47° C)
• Operating humidity: 20% to 80% noncondensing
• Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet

Size and Weight

• Height: 19.35 inches (49.1 cm)
• Width: 25.7 inches (65 cm)
• Depth (with stand): 8.15 inches (20.7 cm)
• Weight: 23.5 pounds (10.8 kg)

VESA Compatibility

• Compatible with VESA Mount Adapter Kit (sold separately)

It appears that Apple has dropped the White MacBook from its lineup today with the release of its new MacBook Airs.  Searching for White MacBook still brings up cached pages but going to them yields the Mac Homepage.

For those who like plastic, you can still pick up a White MacBook in the refurb store for $849.

China might be known as the home of the fake iPhone, but what about whole stores? Surprising almost no one, China is indeed home to the fake Apple Store. These pictures from BirdAbroad (viaIFOAppleStore), show a fake Apple Store complete with everything that a real Apple Store offers. Right down to the blue shirts with Apple logos and name labels for the employees. Starting from the top, this ‘Apple Store’ features a shiny exterior with a big glowing, white Apple front and center.

When you walk into the store, you will be stepping on wood or grey stone floors, depending on the section of the store, and will be surrounded by a showroom filled with iPads, Macs, and more… all on wooden tables. These tables are even equipped with the Apple (patented!) product holders. In fact, these tables are nearly identical, if not identical, to the tables used in Apple’s official stores. These stores went as far as to completely rip off Apple’s official press images – as you can see with the iPad 2 and iPod shuffle banners. Also notice the extremely outdated pink iPod posters.

Making this sound even more unbelievable are the twisted stair cases, accessory and software walls (which are nearly identical to the official ones), an area for children with cushy and fun chairs, and of course what appears to be a mini Genius Bar or a section of the store to take product lessons from employees. The most amazing part is what these employees think of their jobs:

Being the curious types that we are, we struck up some conversation with these salespeople who, hand to God, all genuinely think they work for Apple.

The “bosses” of this fake Apple Store, in Kunming, knowing that they are up to no good, informed their multiple plain clothed security guards to ban all picture taking. The best part is that there are three of these stores all within walking distance of each other. Check out some more pictures after the break that are courtesy of BirdAbroad.

And so it begins. The Apple Store has been taken down for updating and it probably won’t reappear until it’s rocking the hotly awaited $30 Mac OS 10.7 upgrade. We’ll have a full review of Lion later in the week, but if you can’t wait that long check out our hands-on preview. There’s a chance we’ll see some MacBook Air action today too, so we’ll keep you posted.

Jarrod McKinney’s iPhone 4 — a notoriously fragile device — cracked when his 2-year-old knocked it off a bathroom shelf.

“I was like, ‘Man! That’s all it takes to crack the glass?’ ” he said.

So it’s easy to see why McKinney, a 37-year-old in Minnesota, would be “just absolutely shocked” when that same phone survived a fall from his pocket — while he was skydiving from 13,500 feet.

He found the gadget, its glass surfaces shattered, on top of a building about a half-mile away from where he landed with his parachute.

Joe Johnson, a skydiving instructor, said he and a few friends watched from the ground below the two-story building as McKinney raised the phone above his head in triumph after he located it using a GPS tracking app.

Just to be funny, Johnson decided to call the busted phone.

He didn’t expect the call to go through. But it did.

McKinney felt the phone vibrate and started laughing.

“They were all like, ‘It works! It works!’” he said of his friends watching his rooftop search from the bottom of the building.

That’s especially amazing since the iPhone 4 can suffer from cell reception issues. When the Apple smartphone debuted in 2010, a saga the tech media called Antennagate followed. Consumer watchdogs claimed a design flaw on the phone’s antenna caused it to drop calls unexpectedly. Apple gave out free phone cases to address the issue.

Mike Gikas, a tech editor at Consumer Reports, the nonprofit group that tests phones and other gadgets for their reliability, jokingly said that McKinney finally found a way to fix the phone’s reception woes, by dropping it from a plane.

“That’s the proved method for fixing the antenna problem,” he said, laughing.

Gikas said it is possible a phone could survive a major fall. “I think that can happen,” he said. “I think water is harder to deal with than shock.”

McKinney, who first submitted this story on CNN iReport, the user-generated news site, said he’s not sure when the phone slipped out of his pocket during his fall from the plane.

He was in a rush to “get out the door” (of the plane), he said, and forgot to zip the pocket of his baggy skydiving pants, which are designed to be loose-fitting so they catch air and slow him down as he falls from the sky.

The iPhone had protective gear of its own — an Incipio-brand phone case that was broken after the fall but still was on the phone.

Even though the phone still makes and receives calls, it isn’t very practical to do so because the touchscreen is shattered. IPhone users must use the gadget’s screen to dial numbers and to answer incoming calls. The only way McKinney can use it is with a Bluetooth connection in his truck.

He plans to get the screen fixed, though.

Johnson, the skydiving instructor, was so impressed with the whole ordeal that he plans to pick up one of the phones sometime soon.

“It goes to show you if I crash land and need an ambulance, they can still track me down with the GPS,” he said.

Some Android phones — Apple’s main competitors in the smartphone field — are perhaps better known for their durability. As CNN’s Mark Milian reports, Google, which makes the Android mobile operating system, launched several of its phones into space, tied to balloons.

Also, in case you were wondering if it’s weird for a skydiver to take his phone on a jump in the first place, apparently it’s not.

There is a host of online videos of skydives filmed on smartphones.

McKinney said he always takes the phone with him so he can call someone if he gets lost after he hits the ground. Sometimes the wind blows skydivers away from the intended destination, he said.

He noticed his phone was missing after he was on the ground. He reached into his pocket, wanting to take a video of his wife, who had jumped after him.

“I was actually really bumming because I’ve lost a phone in the past and I usually just have a ton of photos and videos of my kids on the phone,” he said.

“I just knew it was gone. Falling from that height? (What are) the chances of you finding something like that or even knowing where to look?”

Shares of the Taiwanese Android phone maker HTC fell 6.5 percent this morning following the ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that the company violated two patents held by Apple. The company’s shares had been pretty much in a free-fall throughout last week as well. The agency’s commissioners still have to support the ruling, but investors are already panicking over fears that the ruling will favor Apple. This, in turn, would open doors to ITC’s ban on imports of HTC’s phones into the United States. In response to the crisis, HTC announced a share buy back program worth up to $760 million in an attempt to stabilize its share price and restore investor confidence, reports Financial Times:

The attempt to prop up HTC’s share price appeared to have little effect as the stock fell below HTC’s minimum purchase price of T$900 to close down 3.9 per cent at T$871. The sell-off highlights investor fears that the legal battle could have wider implications for the competitive balance between Apple and Google Android-based phonemakers like HTC, Samsung and Motorola.

HTC is thought to have recently acquired S3 Graphics for $300 million in a bid to secure a stronger ground in its legal dealings with Apple, which filed its patent infringement complaint against the Taiwanese company back in March 2010. That’s not all HTC’s been doing lately in order to buy its way out of this mess…

Apple accused HTC of violating up to twenty patents related to the iPhone’s hardware, software and its user interface. ITC recently ruled in favor of S3 Graphics, deciding the iPhone maker infringed on two patents held by S3 Graphics. They also acquired a portfolio of 82 patents from US-based ADC Communications for $75 million and signed an Android protection pact with Microsoft. HTC is expected to use all of this in the hope of relieving some of the pressure from Apple’s legal sharks. If ITC decides to ban import of HTC phones into the US and the company does not reach a timely settlement with Apple, its stock price would obviously fall further.