Microsoft to release a magic mouse of its own?

Microsoft has been teasing a future hardware product on its @msfthardware twitter account:

Here’s a hint for you: “Don’t be so touchy…flat is where it’s at.” We’ll share another glimpse of our upcoming product with you tomorrow. [tweet link]

Here’s your second clue to our next product release: http://twitpic.com/2baujg . Any guesses as to what it might be? [tweet link]

Today Neowin is reporting:

Details of the Arc Touch Mouse began surfacing in early July as several European retailers began publishing listings for a “Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse”. Company officials registered arctouchmouse.com on Tuesday March 30 this year and according to an insider that spoke to Neowin, the device will launch in September.

Also, going to arctouchmouse.com takes you to a Bing search for Arc Touch Mouse. So could this be Microsoft trying to get in on the touch mouse / trackpad game?

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Apple vs ?, Microsoft, Speculation

MonoPrice stops selling iAccessories, Apple to blame? (Updated)

Looking at MonoPrice’s FaceBook page you can see that they have stopped selling Apple accessories.

Kyler Pace What happened to your iPod accessories, and earphones w/ built-in mic!!??

Monoprice We have decided to suspend offering these products as part of our business plan. We will let you know if and when we resume selling these products

Brian Klug suggest that it has to do with an Apple crack down on 3rd party accessories:

Wow, Apple cracked down on 3rd party accessories and @monoprice removed their whole section.

UPDATE Brian tweeted a link to a Bloomberg article on the crackdown:

The suit is an example of the tight grip Apple keeps on its products, including approval of accessories and applications. Apple has a program called “Made for iPod” under which manufacturers get a license to sell accessories for devices. Apple collects a royalty of 20 percent to 25 percent from each sale of a licensed accessory, according to Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Bros. LP in San Francisco.

UPDATE 2 MonoPrice just posted to their Facebook:

Good news! Cases and protective films for iPhones & iPads are back on the site.

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Apple vs ?, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Speculation

Looks like the iPad is hurting Barnes & Nobel

TheStreet:

The book retailer said its board will consider strategic alternatives for the company, which include a possible sale of the chain.

And the the potential buyers:

Speculation regarding potential buyers for Barnes & Noble has, in the past, focused on Amazon(AMZN), which is competing with Barnes & Noble for dominance in the e-reader market.

Microsoft(MSFT), meanwhile, was also named as a potential Barnes & Noble buyer on CNBC’s Fast Money.

Guess the nook was having a hard enough time against the kindle and things just got worse when the iPad was introduced.

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Apple vs ?, iPad, iPhone, Speculation

iOS 4 runs really, really slow on the iPhone 3G

This is kind of a joke, but kind of not. I’ve had more than one person tell me about issues with iOS 4 on a 3G. One person I see a couple times a week keeps showing me / letting me know about it. I was going to tell him to upgrade to an iPhone 4, but…well you know.

(via Daring Fireball)

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Apple vs ?, Humor, iOS 4, iPhone

White iPhone delayed until “later this year”

Woah, Apple is really off it’s game this year.

Apple PR:

White models of Apple’s new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.

First, the white iPhone 4 not being available on launch day, delayed until late July. Then the antenna issue being mocked in the mainstream press. Next having to do an out of the ordinary press conference that cut Jobs’ Hawaiian vacation short. And now, today, they have delayed the White iPhone until “later this year”. Apparently Apple is an unstoppable machine though. Even when they aren’t running smoothly, it doesn’t seem to slow down sales at all. Actually it just helps them set new records!

How many of you are going to keep waiting?

(via TiPb)

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Apple vs ?, iPhone, iPhone 4, White iPhone 4

From Tiger Woods to antenna gate, NMA’s latest animated cartoon

Got to love Taiwan’s NMA News…maybe not the best quality videos, but definitely some of the funniest! In this episode they cover the dropping bars, Jason Chen’s house being searched, and Consumer Reports.

You’ll also remember these other great videos NMA News has created:

Tiger Woods:

Jay Leno vs Conan:

(via @moylan)

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Antenna Issue, Apple vs ?, iPhone 4