John Gruber on the Verizon iPhone: Yes.

John Gruber:

If there are going to be millions of CDMA iPhones in January, we’re going to start hearing about signs of production.

And, it seems, we are.

[...]

But I do know that engineering-wise, the wheels are turning on N92, the CDMA variant of the iPhone 4. It’s certainly not in production yet, and hasn’t reached DVT status (device verification test — like Gray Powell’s infamous stolen unit), but it is, a few little birdies claim, at EVT (engineering verification test). That’s one step below DVT, which is one step below production. So it’s right about where you’d think it would be if it were scheduled to go on sale in January. The CDMA iPhone is no longer a cold storage, keep-it-alive-just-in-case-we-need-it project.

Gruber takes the CDMA chip orders, mixes that in with a few of his little birdies, and he has himself a solid argument. I’ve been on the side saying it won’t happen, at least not until LTE. I argued Apple would stick to making one phone per year, to keep cost down, in my post Economy of Scale. I thought, why would they go to all the trouble to make a special phone just to support Verizon? Maybe, as Gruber suggest, they’re not just making it for Verizon, but Sprint and lots of other CDMA markets throughout the world. Also, not sure if it’s technically feasible, but what about a single iPhone that supports CDMA and GSM networks. If either of these is true, this argument holds no water.

What about other issues, like a CDMA iPhone owner wondering why they can’t talk on the phone and look up movie times like they just saw in that commercial? With this one iPhone per year model so entrenched in everyone’s mind, it will be hard for people to understand why the Verizon iPhone works differently than the AT&T iPhone. I’m not sure of other noticeable GSM/CDMA differences, so this could be a non-issue.

I offer a third argument, Verizon and Apple themselves. I ignored this before because I was so caught up with technical side of it, but I think this is the strongest reason for no Verizon iPhone. We know how stubborn Apple has been with the iPhone control already, letting AT&T know who is running the show. The issue here is Verizon is just as stubborn and powerful. Great example of this is Verizon, not the handset manufactures, owns the Droid name. Gruber joked today on The Talk Show: Episode 3, that a Verizon iPhone deal could fall apart because Apple says no to the Verizon logo on the back of the iPhone…it’s funny because it could be true. Also, don’t forget that Verizon has publicly bashed the iPhone with their Droid Does campaign and have very strong ties to Google (net neutrality anyone?). Remember this is the “the summer of Droid”.

Gruber goes on to point out:

The key bit: “At the critical juncture […], when they should have gone for market share, they went for profits.” I think this encapsulates Jobs’s philosophy since taking over Apple in 1997. Take the high end of the market first, establish a brand and presence, then steadily start to expand.

If they’re at that juncture with the iPhone now, expansion means CDMA. And in the U.S., it means Verizon.

I agree that Apple wants to expand the iPhone to more markets and now is a great time. The iPhone has a well established name and filled out most of the must have features (still waiting on a better notification system). The timing, CDMA chip orders, and especially Gruber’s little birdies have now convinced me that the N92 CDMA compatible iPhone is just around the corner. To be clear, I would love nothing more than a Verizon iPhone to help spread the load to more towers, but ask me whether I think we’re going to see it happen and I still have to say no.

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iPhone, iPhone 4, Speculation, Verizon

White iPhone delayed until the very end of the year?

TiPb got there hands on a letter from Orange in the UK on the white iPhone:

We wanted to let you know that there won’t be any white iPhone 4’s in the UK until the end of the year.

If you’re happy to wait another few months we’ll let you know as soon as they’re back in stock. want an iPhone 4 now?

Alternatively, if you want it now, click here or visit your local Orange shop to get the iPhone 4 Black 16GB or 32GB today. Best wishes

Orange

It’s possible the US will get it first and earlier, but doesn’t look good if you are still waiting.

Related Poll: when will white iPhone 4 be released?

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iPhone, Speculation, White iPhone 4

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

Apple to get more touchy-feely?

No, not emotionally, but with their touchscreen devices.

Patently Apple:

Prototypes have recently surfaced using Apple devices to show off a new tactile feedback technology. The company behind this next generation tactile technology is Senseg. Senseg’s technology isn’t powered by mechanical motors like older technology but rather based on virtual touch technology. This means that it doesn’t have any mechanical parts that could wear-out. Senseg E-Sense™ software could produce localized tactile feedback in small areas of the surface of the device without having to vibrate the whole surface.

The old mechanical ways of giving tactile feedback didn’t seem “Appley” enough for it to actually happen, but if this technology works well, I can definitely see Apple incorporating it into their iOS devices.

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iPad, iPhone, Speculation