Here are the latest Apple-related rumors from the blog-o-sphere: "An historic landmark building at the epicenter of San Francisco's gay district is rumored to become the city's fourth Apple Store." -- "AppleInsider" (www.appleinsider.com) "Apple is apparently working to make the next generation of Numbers for iWork a reality as they looking to hire a Software Engineer to work as part of the Numbers team. The position, posted on Apple’s recruitment site, offers the opportunity ‘to deliver beautiful and engaging applications on the Mac and iPad platforms’ for the future direction of the software." -- "AppleBitch" (www.applebitch.com) "iPad mini shipments rumored to hit 12 million in Q1 2013" -- "AppleInsider" (www.appleinsider.com)

Bretford Manufacturing, which specializes in tech-enabled furniture, has announced the interactive book, "iOS Deployment: A Guide to Managing iPad, iPhone and iPod touch in Your Organization." It's available for free on the iBookstore.  The book, which was created with iBooks Author, provides a picture of how Apple iOS devices can be integrated and managed effectively within an organization. Readers will learn what they can expect during the critical initial setup and how to avoid possible pitfalls throughout deployment. The intuitive guide was designed to receive updates as the family of Apple iOS devices continue to evolve, says Huey Ng, the book’s author and business development manager at Bretford. "As Apple iOS devices become ubiquitous in industries such as education, healthcare, enterprise and government, the need for such a guide became apparent," he says. "Whether a person has dealt with challenges in the past or is new to the process, they will find the insight they need...

Samsung wants a judge in Japan to dismiss Apple's appeal in a patent infringement case Samsung won in August, reports "Bloomberg" (http://tinyurl.com/ajjo76m). Samsung and Apple representatives made their first oral arguments before Judge Shuhei Shiotsuki at the Intellectual Property High Court in Tokyo today. The next round will be on March 21. Last August Apple lost a patent lawsuit in Japan as a Tokyo judge ruled that Samsung's smartphones and a tablet computer didn’t infringe on an Apple invention for synchronizing music and video data with servers. Apple was ordered by Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji to pay costs of the lawsuit after his verdict, the article adds. This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. For example, Apple alleges that Samsung copied the slide-to-unlock technology of its iPhone and iPad devices.

Parallels has announced Parallels Management, a plug-in for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) that lets enterprises extend System Center capabilities to efficiently and cost-effectively manage the growing number of Macs on their network. Parallels Management extends System Center to become a universal and complete cross-platform solution for managing both Macs and PCs, as well as virtual machines running on Macs. This new software adds to the growing list of cross-platform solutions Parallels offers that are paving the way for Macs in business environments -- including Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition. This first component of the Parallels Management Suite enables CIOs and IT administrators to solve the problem of full Mac management, letting enterprises leverage the existing infrastructure and extend it to Macs without costly build out, as well as giving them the power to gain complete control of the Macs on their network. "IT departments are...

Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps: Apple has upgraded its Xcode suite of development tools for iOS and OS X to version 4.6. The new version sports SKDs for OS X 10.8 and iOS 6.1, along with improvements to code completion heuristics, new compiler warnings, and bug fixes. Xcode is available at the Mac App Store. Apple has updated the second- and third-generation Apple TV to version 5.2. the upgrade adds Bluetooth keyboard support, Airplay enhancements, and features such as "Up Next." RoGame Software (http://mac.rogame.com/pages/BandMaster.html) has updated Bandmaster, an improvisational music utility, to version 1.0.5. The upgrade offers support for the full screen window in Mac OS 10.7 and up and sports a restructured help menu. Houdah Software (www.houdah.com/) has updated HoudahGeo, a geocoding solution for the Mac, to version 3.2.4. The new version adds metadata to the user visible HTML content of notes it creates. iBeeZz (ww.ibeezz.com), which lets you schedule daily...

Onset (www.onsetcomp.com), a supplier of data loggers, has announced the HOBO UX100 Series, the company’s next-generation family of Mac-based data loggers for tracking temperature and relative humidity in indoor environments. Starting at US$75, HOBO UX100 Series data loggers offer higher accuracy, larger measurement capacity, and more LCD display features to make environmental data collection faster and easier than ever, according to Jessica Frackelton, Onset’s senior manager of product marketing. Building owners, facility managers, energy auditors, and others will use the matchbox-sized UX100 Series data loggers to quickly and easily collect indoor environmental data in a broad range of applications, she adds. This includes monitoring occupant comfort in office buildings, tracking food storage conditions in warehouses, logging temperature trends in server rooms, and measuring humidity levels in museums. HOBO UX100 data loggers streamline indoor environmental monitoring applications...

Macbundler has partnered with five indie Mac developers to launch a "Name Your Own Price" Mac bundle. It allows Mac fans to pay what they want for two different Mac apps: Image Tricks PRO and Destination: Treasure Island. If customers pay more than the average price, they'll unlock three additional apps: Data Guardian, Cockpit and Thoughts. A charity component is also added to the bundle. Customers can select how much they want to donate to charity, to the developers and to Macbundler. The NYOP Mac bundle will run for 10 days expiring on Feb. 6. For more info go to http://www.macbundler.com/nypb?aff=prM .

Samsung is recommended more often by British retailers than Apple, with BlackBerry and LG having almost no presence, according to new research by Informa Telecoms and Media -- as reported by "The Telegraph" (http://tinyurl.com/aze7jmh). The article says the researchers visited John Lewis, Everything Everywhere, O2, 3, Maplins, PC World, Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U. The mystery shoppers scored manufacturers based on whether they were advertised in the store window or in-store, then asked a sales assistant to recommend three smartphones or tablets. While some retailers recommended Apple's iPhone 5, rival manufacturers such as ZTE, Motorola, LG, Huawei and BlackBerry-maker RIM had little or no presence. "he mystery shop showed that the most recommended Samsung handsets were the Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note II, despite having been on the market longer than the latest handsets from Apple, Nokia and HTC," says Julian Jest of Informa.

Massive Dynamics announces today that the company has doubled its initial distribution of its iPhone 5 battery pack. Massive and its strategic partner, CoCoBlue, are working overtime to ensure that the first shipment of units will arrive in the United States within the next two weeks. The battery pack effectively purportedly doubles the battery life of the iPhone 5. The battery pack is the first product released under the newly formed CocoBlueUSA brand, a joint venture between Massive Dynamics (www.massivedynamicscorp.com/) and CoCoBlue (http://cocoblue.com.cn).

9T9Cents has launched its February 2013 Mac App bundle. It includes YummyFTP, CleanGenius, Smaller and Cookie for 78% off the regular price. Yummy FTP is an FTP and SFTP client application for the Mac. CleanGenius is an all-in-one Mac maintenance utility. Smaller is a HTML, PHP, CSS and JavaScript compressor. Cookie helps you to manage exactly who can access information about your online activities. You can find the bundle details at http://tinyurl.com/av59zdl . It costs US$20.

DevStorm Apps (www.devstorm-apps.com) has released DCommander 1.0, a two-pane file manager for Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher. Optimized for quick access and user-friendliness, DCommander gives you control over your computer's filesystem as soon as your Mac is started. Featuring the naming, size, kind and date sorting of files and folders, the app provides a familiar file management companion for new Mac users transitioning from other operating systems, as well as advanced power users that demand more control of their computer, according to the folks at DevStorm. DCommander 1.0 is available for US$9.99 at the Mac App Store worldwide in the Utilities category.

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) , global smartphone shipments grew 43 percent annually to reach a record 700 million units in 2012. Samsung was the star performer, capturing 30% marketshare worldwide and extending its lead over Apple and Nokia, according to the research group. "Global smartphone shipments grew 38 percent annually from 157.0 million units in Q4 2011 to 217.0 million in Q4 2012," says Neil Shah, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics. "Global smartphone shipments for the full year reached a record 700.1 million units in 2012, increasing robustly from 490.5 million units in 2011. Global shipment growth slowed from 64% in 2011 to 43% in 2012 as penetration of smartphones began to mature in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe." Samsung shipped a record 213.0 million smartphones worldwide and captured 30 percent marketshare in 2012. This was the largest number of units ever shipped by a smartphone...

Runware has introduced its Runalyzer Blue chest strap for iPhone 5. This heart rate monitor uses Smart Bluetooth technology and purportedly works with more than 100 applications such as 321Run, iSmoothrun, Endomodo, RunKeeper and Runtastic. An application like Runtastic provides your heart rate and "locates" you on the ski slopes. Features include heart rate, heart rate zones but also distance, altitude, speed, calories burned and more. Plus, voice sports coaching announcements can even alternate with your favorite music. The Runalyzer Blue runs for up to 18 months with a single battery on a daily use basis,. It has a suggested retail price of US$74. For more info go to http://tinyurl.com/bd7nxe7 .

A new ebook, "Take Control of iTunes 11: The FAQ," by Kirk McElhearn, answers common (and not-so-common) questions about Apple's iTunes media management software. The book walks readers through the process of becoming an iTunes power user, with chapters -- including Play, Rip, Buy, Tag, Organize, Search, and Sync -- that cover the basics and beyond. Learn more at http://tid.bl.it/tco-itunes11-pr . It costs US$15. McElhearn is a senior contributor to Macworld, where he frequently pens articles about iTunes, most notably in his "Ask the iTunes Guy" column. "Take Control of iTunes 11: The FAQ" is an ebook with 192 pages.

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out an email to employees congratulating the team, reports "9to5Mac." Within the email, Cook thanked employees for their “incredible hard work and focus” and highlighted that the company sold over 75 million iOS devices during the quarter. The boss is also asking employees to attend an employee communications meeting scheduled for today at 10 a.m. Pacific time, notes "9to5Mac." Yesterday Apple announced financial results for its 13-week fiscal 2013 first quarter that ended Dec. 29, 2012. The company posted record quarterly revenue of US$54.5 billion and record quarterly net profit of $13.1 billion, or $13.81 per diluted share.

Paul Solt has announced a live, online iPhone development class. The three-week iOS development course begins Jan. 18 and goes beyond Objective-C coding to "in-depth topics developers need to know to be successful." Filled with practical knowledge based on Solt's five apps and over 500,000 app downloads, the 500-plus students will learn about iOS development, coding, Apple App Store specifics and success, marketing, and user interface design, in an interactive learning environment. The class is entitled "Build Your First iPhone App in Three Weeks." The course requires that you have Mac OS X Mountain Lion (or PC users with MacInCloud online) and iOS 6.0. Tickets are US$49USD for a limited number of seats. Group discount codes are available on request. For more info go to http://tinyurl.com/b8ay7x6 .

Here are the latest Apple-related rumors from the blog-o-sphere: "Before Apple swooped in to purchase Siri, U.S. carrier Verizon was working on a deal that would make the intelligent voice-controlled assistant exclusive to Android devices on its network." -- "AppleInsider" (www.appleinsider.com) "Apple is expected to see the share of its iOS-based iPad and iPad mini in the tablet segment continue to be eroded by an array of Android-based tablets by other branded vendors in the first half of 2013. The iPad and iPad mini saw their combined market share drop to around 50% in the second half of 2012." -- "DigiTiimes" (www.digitimes.com) "Apple will adopt a Retina display in its next-generation iPad mini." -- "BrightWire" (www.brightwire.com)

Apple announced financial results for its 13-week fiscal 2013 first quarter that ended Dec. 29, 2012. The company posted record quarterly revenue of US$54.5 billion and record quarterly net profit of $13.1 billion, or $13.81 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $46.3 billion and net profit of $13.1 billion, or $13.87 per diluted share, in the 14-week year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 38.6 percent compared to 44.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 61 percent of the quarter’s revenue. Average weekly revenue was $4.2 billion in the quarter compared to $3.3 billion in the year-ago quarter. Apple sold a record 47.8 million iPhones in the quarter, compared to 37 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple also sold a record 22.9 million iPads during the quarter, compared to 15.4 million in the year-ago quarter. The company sold 4.1 million Macs, compared to 5.2 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 12.7 million iPods in the quarter,...

Noise Industries -- developer of visual effects tools for the post-production and broadcast markets -- is bringing 12 title effects to Apple's Final Cut Pro X with Ripple Tools (http://tinyurl.com/aa2jcge). Ripple Tools is a US$29 set of plugins that allow the user to accomplish a number of effects and editorial tasks. You can: add split screens; use 8 or 16 point mattes; add adjustment layers to control the look of multiple clips; color balance using traditional color wheels; apply vintage and black-and-white effects; move images in 3D space and use the incredibly useful guides for aligning text and graphic elements on the screen.

Monotype Imaging Holdings has announced a new cloud-based technology that allows support for OpenType features in all popular browsers that support Web fonts and HTML5. Available to all subscribers of Monotype’s Fonts.com Web Fonts service, the capability enables Web designers to use discretionary ligatures, small caps, fractions and other typographic features available in OpenType fonts, regardless of whether full, native support for OpenType features is available through the browser.   Using Monotype’s new solution, Web designers are able to use standard CSS techniques for controlling OpenType features, while relying on Fonts.com Web Fonts to ensure that pages render properly, as intended, regardless of the browser the visitor is using. When working on their Fonts.com Web Fonts project, users can use the OpenType feature control to activate individual OpenType features.    Web designers are able to see which OpenType features are available in a selected font and which features are...

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs threatened to file a patent lawsuit against Palm if that company's chief executive didn't agree to refrain from poaching Apple employees, according to a court filing made public, reports "Reuters" (http://tinyurl.com/a49voch). The communication from Jobs surfaced in a civil lawsuit brought by five tech workers against Apple, Google, Intel and others, alleging an illegal conspiracy to eliminate competition for each other's employees and drive down wages. The defendant tech companies have attempted to keep a range of documents secret, notes "Reuters." Last May Joseph R. Saveri of the national plaintiffs' law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, says Siddharth Hariharan, a former software engineer at Lucasfilm and founder and CEO of InEarth, today filed a class action lawsuit charging that several of the nation's leading high-tech companies -- including Apple -- violated antitrust laws by conspiring to fix the pay of their employees and entering into "...

As more libraries develop digital programs as part of their core offering, Ingram Content Group (www.ingramcontent.com) has added a new content access model to its MyiLibrary e-content platform to provide libraries greater flexibility in e-book lending. "As use of our MyiLibrary solution grows, our ongoing development of the platform continues to be driven in a large part by industry growth and direct library and patron feedback," says Dan Sheehan, vice president and general manager, Ingram Content Group library services. "Patron usage of e-books continues to climb, and the addition of our new multi-user concurrent Access Model gives libraries the flexibility to meet the content requirements of their patrons, and manage budgets effectively." MyiLibrary's newest model, its Access Model, enables libraries to purchase a set of access credits for an e-book and lend it simultaneously to multiple patrons for a set cost, and lending period. For libraries, the model can easily eliminate...

Here are the latest Apple-related rumors from the blog-o-sphere: "Apple is planning a new push into Indonesian sales, says NZWeek. Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board has officially approved an Apple application to enter the country. The board's deputy chairman adds that the company is planning to invest between $2 million and $3 million to launch a retail store in the capital of Jakarta; the store would be Apple's first in the country, and in fact Apple's first in the Asia-Pacific region outside of China or Japan." -- "MacNN" (www.macnn.com) "Digitimes has now published a new report backtracking on its earlier claim and indicating that Apple only plans to launch two new 4-inch iPhone models in 2013, presumably the iPhone 5S and some form of a new iPhone 5, perhaps revamped into a cheaper form factor based around a plastic shell. A larger iPhone is reportedly still in the works, but will not be seeing a launch this year." -- "MacRumors" (www.macrumors.com) "The latest iPhone...

CS Odessa has announced a new solution for ConceptDraw MindMap: eLearning for Skype. It provides a set of features designed to augment and simplify the training process. Using this Solution will allow users to host content-rich presentations for small groups, remotely, according to the folks at CS Odessa. Now students, instructors, consultants, and subject-matter experts of all kinds can use the power of ConceptDraw MindMap coupled with the low-cost global communications of Skype, to deliver polished and complete lesson-plans that furnish their own documentation during the presentation. Documents can be customized to include embedded files, hyperlinks and mind map objects. This new solution is now included in the ConceptDraw Solution Park, which is a free set of features included with every ConceptDraw Product. Lecturers and attendees need only have a current license of ConceptDraw MindMap and a Skype account. For more info go to http://www.conceptdraw.com/solution-park/elearning-...