Gizmodo’s Jason Chen has retained a criminal defense lawyer and Gawker has hired a First Amendment specialist, according to Law.com.

Gizmodo recently published photos and video of a lost iPhone 4G prototype which was reportedly purchased from the finder for $5000. At Apple’s prompting the police have launched an investigation into the incident and may have used an invalid warrant to raid the home of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen. Read more…

Online subscription streaming service Rhapsody has added the ability to download playlists for offline listening via its iPhone application. Also, this past weekend Israel formally lifted its ban on iPad imports, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak revealed that an Apple engineer was fired for showing off a 3G iPad. Read more…

The general look and feel of the prototype iPhone recently discovered and disassembled will likely be very similar to the final shipping product of the next-generation handset Apple will release this summer.

Citing sources familiar with Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber revealed that the barcode affixed to the prototype device obtained by Gizmodo, which read “N90_DVT-GE4X_0493,” gives insight into how far along Apple is in the design of its next-generation phone. Read more…

A California hospital plans to distribute more than 100 Apple iPads among its health care workers to allow them look at X-ray images, EKG results and more on the portable touchscreen device, according to a new report. Read more…

Apple will stick with its June launch for a new iPhone this year, with the next-generation handset scheduled to be released in just a few months, according to one Canadian wireless provider.

According to the Regina Leader-Post, SaskTel, a Saskatchewan-based wireless provider, will offer the next-generation iPhone starting July 1. That will be after the company’s new handset launches in June, said Robert Watson, president and CEO of SaskTel. Read more…

A new report profiling the troubles AT&T has faced with millions of bandwidth hungry iPhone users revealed Tuesday that Apple has modified its handset to make it less taxing on its wireless partner’s network.
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Apple has been making last-minute changes to its App Store and iBookstore leading up to the April 3 launch of the iPad, according to a new report.

Citing data from San Francisco mobile media research firm Busted Loop, Forbes reported Thursday that Apple has designated 20 categories for books on its iBookstore, which will be available for download on the iPad. That number has been whittled down from about 35 categories that were listed in February. Read more…

A new corporate job listing implies Apple’s iPhone OS could become the interface for new hardware beyond the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch in the future.

Last week, Apple revealed it is looking to hire an engineering manager to work at its corporate headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. The full-time job would lead a team responsible for the architecture, firmware, core drivers and bring-up of new hardware based on the iPhone OS.

“The Core Platform team within Apple’s Core OS organization is looking for a talented and inspired manager to lead a team focused on bring-up of iPhone OS on new platforms,” the job listing reads.
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Apple’s retail “experts” — a new position that will serve as a roaming counterpart to existing “geniuses” at brick-and-mortar locations — are expected to debut in stores in a matter of weeks, people familiar with the matter have told AppleInsider.

Interviewing for the expert position is said to start this week at the company’s retail outlets, and Apple plans to debut the new personnel in about two weeks. Originally, the “expert” title was only available to current Apple Store employees who sought a promotion within the company.

Apple has referred to the experts as “Family Room expertise out in the Red Zone.” The “Family Room” at an Apple Store is known to customers as the Genius Bar. The “Red Zone” equates to the sales floor.
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As Apple and Verizon are rumored to be in negotiations for a summer 2010 CDMA iPhone launch, the nation’s largest wireless carrier and the handset maker are believed to be at odds over pricing.

In a new note to investors Tuesday morning, Maynard J. Um of UBS Investment Research said that a new iPhone is expected to launch in mid-2010. Whether that phone would be available for Verizon’s CDMA network remains to be seen.

“We believe a CDMA-iPhone is also in the works,” Um wrote, “though believe Verizon Wireless and Apple may currently be apart on pricing.”
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