Yoni Heisler

Facebook and Apple have had their share of spats over the years. You might remember Steve Jobs' explanation as to why there was no Facebook integration in Ping, noting that Facebook was demanding terms Apple deemed too burdensome. More recently, Apple reportedly tried to build system level support for Facebook into iOS 5. Once again, though, the two companies were unable to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, prompting Apple to approach Twitter instead.

That notwisthstanding, it doesn't seem that Steve Jobs bore any ill will toward Facebook or Zuckerberg. In his recently released biography, Jobs had high praise for the Facebook founder.

Apple products have historically been thoughtfully designed so that people with disabilities can enjoy using them without any hindrance. User accessibility is so important to Apple that they even have a page on their website devoted to assistive technology, which it describes thusly:

Apple includes assistive technology in its products as standard features — at no additional cost. For example, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Mac OS X include screen magnification and VoiceOver, a screen-access technology, for the blind and visually impaired. To assist those with cognitive and learning disabilities, every Mac includes an alternative, simplified user interface that rewards exploration and learning...

Apple continues to set a high standard for accessibility. Inventions such as braille mirroring, which enables deaf and blind kids to work together on the same computer at the same time; the world’s first screen reader that can be controlled using gestures; and captioning of downloadable digital movies are perfect examples of Apple innovation.

Recently, there have been a number of stories discussing the iPad's impact on the visually impaired. In one case, a woman suffering from an eye disorder called Macular degeneration was aboe to see the faces of her kids for the first time in more than 30 years.

With Steve Jobs currently on his second medical leave, the WSJ posts an interesting, and perhaps curiously timed, article detailing efforts from Apple's board of directors to explore possible successors to Jobs.

Though it's largely believed that Jobs' successor would come from within Apple, the WSJ reports that members of Apple's board have begun discussing CEO succession plans with executive recruiters. While sources told the WSJ that these talks weren't "explicitly aimed" at handpicking a new CEO, the report nonetheless states that these efforts were undertaken to gain a better grasp of the company's option post Jobs.

Final Cut Pro X was by all accounts supposed to be a monumental upgrade and a significant step forward for video editing. Well, that's how Apple at least described it in the months before FCP X hit the market.

But things haven't exactly gone as planned. Final Cut Pro X has been utterly lambasted by video professionals who are quick to point out a litany of missing features and usability issues. Even Conan O'Brien took some time to poke some fun at the negative reaction to FCP X. Apple for its part has indicated that it will be issuing updates frequently but that hasn't done much to the quell the discontent.

A recent research note from Jeffries & Co. analyst Peter Misek last week stated that Apple's next-gen iPhone will be available on both Sprint and T-Mobile by the 2011 holiday shopping season. Misek also writes that the next-gen smartphone will be called the iPhone 4S, perhaps indicating that the next iPhone upgrade won't be as big of a leap as the one from the 3GS to the iPhone 4 model.

Echoing other speculative reports about the next iteration of the iPhone, Misek writes that the iPhone 4S will come with Apple's A5 dual core processor, an upgraded camera (rumored to be 8 megapixels), and HSPA+ support. As you're probably all aware by now, the next iPhone won't be introduced this Summer but rather this Fall at the earliest. More specifically, the latest rumors are pointing to a late September launch.

With the iPhone and iPad both bonafide successes, some folks are already speculating where Apple might be headed next. One potential play for Apple is to infiltrate the living room via an Apple branded HDTV, a rumor that has been picking up momentum in recent months. Taking things further, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek recently opined that with Apple's massive data center in North Carolina set to become operational, Apple's living room plans will extend far beyond hardware and will involve a streaming video service to rival Netflix.

There has of course been a lot of talk surrounding Apple's North Carolina data center and what exactly its going to be used for. Many theorize that it will play an integral role in Apple's cloud strategy where users will be able to permanently back up their purchased content from iTunes. That's all well and good, but Apple often tends to dream big and has made a lot of coin using attractive software to push their high margin software.

With the iPad 2 still in short supply, the ongoing tragedy in Japan may further limit Apple's capability to churn out iPads and sufficiently meet demand. Looking at the iPad 2, Andrew Rassweiler of iSuppli identified five component parts sourced from Japan (NAND flash, DRAM, an electronic compass, the touch screen overlay glass and the battery), a few of which Apple may have trouble replacing from other sources.

While Apple could acquire the iPad 2s NAND flash memory and DRAM from other sources such as Samsung and Micron, the iPad 2's glass, battery, and compass, are not as easily replaceable.

Apple COO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and VP of Online Services Eddy Cue recently held court with a number of analysts to discuss, in vague terms no doubt, Apple's product roadmap and strategy moving forward. In the wake of that meeting, analyst Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein Research issued a research note to investors recounting some of the key points discussed with some of Apple's top executives.

Most interesting was Cook's intimation that Apple is cognizant of the fact that iPhone pricing is cost prohibitive for many and that the company has no intention of having the iPhone be a product "just for the rich." While you can find great deals on iPhones nowadays -- just $49 for the 3GS on AT&T for example -- expensive data plans inevitably leave a lot of consumers on the sidelines. And much how Apple slowly but surely enveloped the MP3 player market with a range of devices at varying pricepoints, don't be surprised if Apple does the same with the iPhone. Apple is "likely to develop lower priced offerings" in the future, Sacconaghi writes.

As 2011 arrives, a lot of iPad 2 rumors are floating around. A few days ago, it was reported that the iPad 2 will sport a smaller bezel, include wide range speakers, and come with a flattened back - much like the most recent iteration of the iPod Touch. Shortly thereafter, the following video emerged purporting to show an iPad 2 case molding which suggests that the next-gen iPad will, in fact, be a tad bit smaller, come with rounded edges, and have a flattened back.

By now, the notion of the iPhone coming to Verizon is more a matter of when than if. Over the past few months, an increasing number of credible sources, like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, have intimated that the iPhone will hit Verizon in early 2011.

While some speculative, if not downright fanciful, rumors have indicated that the long-sought-after Verizon iPhone will be an LTE device, the most likely scenario is that Verizon will get the same iPhone 4 currently available on AT&T. Interestingly, it's even been rumored that Verizon, during its negotiations with Apple, demanded that Apple not make the iPhone available on any other CDMA carrier -- sorry, Sprint.

Back in October, Ryan Block of GDGT noted that slide-on iPhone cases could sometimes cause iPhone 4's to crack when tiny debris became lodged between the case and the rear of the device, which is made out of glass. Citing sources within Apple, Block explained that Apple was well aware of the "potential design flaw" and that a team of Apple engineers were working dilligently to accurately gauge the seriousness and potential impact of the problem.

Whether it was overblown or not, the fiasco that was antennagate was a public relations nightmare for Apple that ultimately forced Steve Jobs to reluctantly get up on stage this past Summer and announce that all iPhone 4 owners would be eligible for free Bumper cases. With that ordeal now firmly behind us, the last thing Apple wants is yet another controversy to envelop its most profitable device.

Well that sure didn't take long. iOS 4.2 Beta 2 is barely a day old and folks are already finding some interesting nuggets. As you can tell from the screenshot below, the new beta includes an option for Internet tethering, a feature that will allow iPad 3G owners to share their Internet connection with any ole' laptops they have lying around.