Apple has updated its iTunes privacy policy to inform customers that it will collect user data for iAds, according to an iLounge report.

“Apple and its partners use cookies and other technologies in mobile advertising services to control the number of times you see a given ad, deliver ads that relate to your interests, and measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns.” Read more…

Police were alerted to investigate Brian Hogan’s possession of the prototype iPhone after his roommate called Apple Security out of fear she might be considered an accomplice in the theft.

A new report by Kim Zetter published by Wired identified the roommate named in the affidavit, and reported that she contacted contacted Apple after Hogan connected the prototype iPhone to her computer.

The investigating detective wrote in the affidavit that “[The roommate] contacted Apple in order to absolve herself of criminal responsibility.” The tip resulted in police preparing a search warrant for Hogan’s apartment. Read more…

As part of a planned expansion of electronics products in its retail stores, Walmart hopes to sell Apple’s iPad in some of its retail locations starting this year.

Gary Severson, senior vice president of entertainment for Walmart’s U.S. stores, told BusinessWeek that his company believes it will carry the iPad later this year. Specific details, including timing and pricing, were not provided.

Since the iPad launched in early April, Apple has sold the multitouch device at its own retail stores, as well as Best Buy and other assisted locations. Some Apple Specialist locations also carry the hardware. Read more…

Apple has released a new iPad commercial titled “What is iPad?” This ad takes quite a different tone from the first iPad television commercial that premiered during the Oscars. The new commercial is more “in your face” in the way that a gangster is when he lets you know that your eyes were mistaken when they saw that man pushed off the ledge — “He tripped.” The gruff narrator starts out by asking “What is iPad?” He then proceeds to answer his own question. “iPad is thin. iPad is beautiful,” he tells you. The ad goes on to show the iPad in a variety of locations (including on a moped). Read more…

Initial impressions of the newly leaked iPhone 4G device have been translated into English and posted by MacRumors.

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iPhone 4G has a totally new design in comparing with previous generations of iPhone. Not only looking stronger (aluminum and glass) when holding in your hand, you will be surprise to think that it was put together by several separate parts because it feels like a solid block. Because of the square/block design, it feels a little uncomfortable in your hand in comparing with the previous generation of iPhone. You can feel the sharp edges come in contact with your hand. Read more…

An Apple patent application details a system by which customers can use their iPhone as an electronic wallet and payment system.

According to Patently Apple,

Apple’s patent is directed to various techniques for conducting peer-to-peer financial exchanges using a handheld, portable electronic device – which for the sake of simplicity is represented throughout several transaction-based patents – as the iPhone.
Read more…

That was fast. Apple has updated international websites to note that iPad pre-orders accepted from today on out will ship by June 7th. If you’ve already placed an order, you can still expect to receive your shiny new device on May 28th.

It was just this week that Apple began accepting pre-orders from the U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Spain and Italy with a ship date of the 28th. Could it be that they’ve exhausted that initial supply in two days? If so, “selling like hotcakes” is an understatement. Read more…

Well, look at that. The newest batch of leaked 4G iPhone photos includes crystal-clear* tear down shots, and one of them reveals what seems to be Apple’s own A4 processor. Engadget notes that “339S0084,” seen just below the Apple logo, identifies what we’re looking at as the A4, according to Chipworks.

The A4 is the Apple-designed system-on-a-chip (SoC) that’s manufactured by Samsung and currently used in the iPad. Nearly everyone who touches an iPad remarks on how snappy and responsive it is. Here’s hoping that the next iPhone offers similar performance — and prolonged battery life — with this thing under the hood. Read more…

The kids at Taoviet have really outdone themselves. From the looks of these images, the Vietnamese site has nabbed an honest to goodness 4th generation iPhone — a 16GB model to be exact. It’s clearly pre-production judging by the XXX placeholders on the backside stamp and likely lacks a bootable OS, just a “Bonfire” test routine. Nevertheless, it looks authentic enough that we expect Apple’s henchmen to be busting down the guy’s door before he pries it open to reveal Apple’s chipset of choice. A few more pics in the gallery. Read more…

When iPads fall into the eager hands of Apple fans in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on May 28th, the iBookstore and Apple’s free iBooks e-reader app may be there.

Apple has confirmed that iBooks and the iBookstore will be available in all of the listed countries with the exception of Germany and Switzerland, and we’ll be sure to update this post as soon as we’ve received word that those two countries have been added to the list (we’re starting a rumor here that Apple has to stock up on digital umlauts and eszetts before opening these iBookstores). Read more…