It seems as if the new iPad's potential "TemperatureGate" is flaring up and burning even hotter than this morning (okay, enough with the bad puns), but Apple is all like, "Dude, we don't know what you're talking about." Between you and us, it sounds like another one of these non-issues that will wind up becoming a class action lawsuit. Yawn… new Apple product, new headaches, we guess. Thankfully there's more going on today than just warmed-up iPads, so here's the rest of the news for Tuesday, March 20, 2012.
Apple: Chill, Dude -- There's No Heat Issue with New iPad
Judging from our Twitter feed, the whole "new iPad gets too warm" thing we reported on this morning is spreading like… well, like a wildfire started by a hot iPad, maybe. We quipped earlier that Apple may have a "TemperatureGate" on their hands if the complaints keep up, but Cupertino is playing it cool (get it?), with Apple PR rep Trudy Miller telling AllThingsD: "The new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications. If customers have any concerns they should contact AppleCare." Well yeah, but remember, Steve Jobs told us we were holding our iPhone 4 wrong initially, too…
Hey, Tim Cook! Please Unlock Our AT&T iPhones, Too
In the years since the original iPhone launched in 2007, many of the reasons for jailbreaking have been stripped away as Apple added new features or once-forbidden apps like Google Voice eventually made it to the App Store. While you can now buy an unlocked iPhone 4S at a premium price, many users continue to jailbreak just so they can travel abroad with a local SIM card and avoid those absurd AT&T international roaming charges. According to 9to5Mac, one lucky iPhone 3GS owner recently convinced none other than Apple CEO Tim Cook to push AT&T into unlocking his device the right way, whitelisting the IMEI of his handset via iTunes, which doesn't break under future software updates the way jailbreak unlocks do. Now the real question is: When is Apple and/or AT&T going to allow us to do the same thing? Particularly for iPhone owners who are out of their two-year agreement, there's no compelling reason for Apple's handsets to remain locked when almost every other cell phone on the planet can be unlocked with a simple code.
Report: HP Merging Printer, PC Groups
While Hewlett-Packard is remaining mum on the subject for now, AllThingsD is exclusively reporting that the company plans to combine its Imaging and Printing groups into one -- bringing PCs and printers under the control of one executive vice president, instead of two. According to the report, that man will be Todd Bradley, who would essentially be pushing longtime VP Vyomesh "VJ" Joshi out of the picture -- and out of the company -- entirely. "A source familiar with HP's thinking regarding the reorganization said the combination of the two groups is part of a cost-cutting and simplification measure of the type discussed by CEO Meg Whitman during HP's last earnings conference call on Feb. 22," the report reveals. "During that call, Whitman discussed ways of streamlining HP's operations, both in how it interacts with customers and in how its employees do their jobs internally." Needless to say, combining HP's operations in this way would create the largest single group at the company, with combined 2011 sales of $65 billion -- more than 51 percent of HP's sales for the year.
Marvel Comics, comiXology Apps Bring HD Books for New iPad
We love this Retina Display on the new iPad, so it does our heart good to see a steady stream of app updates flying off the virtual shelves of the App Store over the last week or so. Today, comic book fans have reason to rejoice as well, with updates to both the comiXology Comics app as well as the Marvel Comics app, introducing CMX-HD books for the new iPad. "See more vibrant colors and richer detail on the third-generation iPad," the Marvel Comics update notes read. That app also gains the ability to begin reading immediately after purchasing a title, when the purchase button will now change to "Read." Meanwhile, the Comics app adds Retina assets for the new iPad across the entire app as well as sharing to Facebook, Twitter or email. Whether you prefer Marvel, DC or any number of indie publishers, the free, universal Comics app brings them all under one roof -- or you can show your allegiance to the Marvel Universe by downloading their free, universal app as well. Either app will recognize new iPad users and offer an update to existing comics (when available) similar to the one shown above.
Report: HTC's Beats Audio Buying Music Streamer MOG
AllThingsD is on a tear today, with a report that streaming music service MOG is about to be purchased by headphone maker Beats Audio, whose majority owner is none other than handset maker HTC, who sunk $300 million into Beats only last year. Of course, the report flies in the face of MOG CEO David Hyman's recent insistence that the company isn't trying to sell, despite the uphill battle it's facing in the wake of competitor Spotify washing ashore here in America. The report arrives by way of "multiple sources familiar with the deal," but cautions that nothing is yet set in stone. So what's in it for Beats? "The subscriber base won't be material, say people who have looked at the MOG deal recently," the report claims. "Instead, Beats' main interest will be in MOG's deals with the major music labels, and the front end of the music service it has built." Doesn't sound particularly promising for anyone currently paying to use MOG, but time will tell...
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