Beginning on June 22nd, consumers in the United States will be able to purchase a new iPhone to be used alongside prepaid wireless service. Regional carrier Cricket, owned by Leap Wireless, will offer Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 off contract alongside its $55 unlimited talk, text and data plan. Though labeled as unlimited, the plan includes 2.3GB of full-speed data, and speeds will be throttled once that threshold is reached. While the news marks the start of a new chapter for Apple’s current iPhone models, the high hardware cost compared to other prepaid smartphones may be a substantial barrier for many subscribers. Cricket plans to charge $399.99 for the 8GB iPhone 4 and $499.99 for the 16GB version of the iPhone 4S. Apple’s iPhone 3GS is seen as a much more compelling handset for prepaid carriers, which may soon begin offering the 3-year-old device for between $200 and $250 off contract. Cricket’s full press release follows below.

Apple has reportedly purchased Redmatica, an Italian startup that specializes in digital music editing apps, according to Fanpage. The Italian blog cites a weekly bulletin from Italy’s antitrust regulatory agency, AGCM, who has approved the purchase. Redmatica is the creator of four Mac-specific music editing applications, including Keymap Pro, AutoSampler, ProManager, and GBSampler Manager. The company’s revenue last year was less than €100,000, with an income of €26,000, meaning an Apple buyout would not be costly. The Cupertino-based company is likely interested in an “acqui-hire” and looking to integrate Redmatica’s employees into Apple’s own Logic Pro and Garageband teams.

[Via TechCrunch]

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Apple makes use of a number of open source technologies in its software products, but operating systems like iOS and OS X are hardly considered “open.” Apple has tight control over nearly every aspect of its mobile and desktop operating systems, ensuring that its products come as close as possible to resembling Apple’s vision from the moment they reach consumers’ hands until they are eventually replaced. While no one can deny the fact that Apple’s strategy has been a recipe for success thus far, a number of pundits believe Apple needs to loosen its grip on iOS and OS X if it hopes to maintain this success moving forward. Now, digital freedom fighters at the Electronic Frontier Foundation have weighed in on the issue.

“Apple’s recent products, especially their mobile iOS devices, are like beautiful crystal prisons, with a wide range of restrictions imposed by the OS, the hardware, and Apple’s contracts with carriers as well as contracts with developers,” the EFF’s Micah Lee and Peter Eckersley wrote in a post on the group’s blog. “Only users who can hack or ‘jailbreak’ their devices can escape these limitations.”

Apple pundits argue that this very notion is the reason Apple’s products are so successful. According to the EFF, however, consumers are being hurt by Apple’s closed model. Using the iOS App Store as an example, the group states that Apple is locking down its devices and preventing users from accessing an endless supply of great apps since only software approved by Apple makes it into the App Store.

“Apple changed the way we think about mobile computing with the iPhone, but they have also lead the charge in creating restrictive computers and restrictive marketplaces for software,” the EFF wrote. “You may have purchased an iPad, but unless you’ve exploited a vulnerability in iOS to jailbreak it, there are many things you cannot install on it. The App Store has thousands of apps to choose from, but your choices are limited to apps that both Apple has approved, and which can function without ‘root’ or ‘administrator’ privileges.”

The organization continued, “Apple has been known to reject or remove apps from sale because of their content (WikiLeaks app banned, eBook reader with access to Kama Sutra banned), for not using Apple to process payments, and for being capable of executing code that Apple can’t approve. While Apple’s policies have improved in the the years since the iPhone first launched, the company still maintains total control over what apps are available to consumers. Unlike Android, iOS does not have an option to install apps from sources other than the App Store.”

Lee and Eckersley conclude that Apple and its customers would be best served if the company takes the advice of Apple co-founder and former executive Steve Wozniak, who recently called for the Cupertino, California-based company to open its platforms for those who wish to alter them or add functionality not approved by Apple. ”No place, and no system, can be perfect if it denies its citizens the freedom to change it, or the freedom to leave,” the EFF said.

BGR has learned from a trusted source that Apple is planning to demonstrate a brand new version of the Apple TV operating system next week at WWDC. This new OS is said to be much more feature-complete than the current OS that runs on the Apple TV, and is apparently the one that Apple’s upcoming HDTV will run. Yes, that one.

We’ve heard Apple is actively trying to court manufacturers to use a new “control out” API in order for third-party manufacturers to make accessories that are compatible with the new Apple TV OS and the upcoming “iTV.” It’s said that by using the API, it will be possible to control any connected components all from the Apple remote (and the Apple remote iOS app as well, we’re assuming).

This would be a huge change in the home theater landscape, which has until this point relied on a mess of thousands of infrared codes and physical cables in order for devices to be interoperable, or Wi-Fi-controlled apps for each component and piece of hardware.

The control out API is said to work with all aspects of various popular components, even allowing control over things like program guides on a cable operators’ set top boxes and other hardware components.

Our source believes Apple won’t actually show its physical TV at WWDC, but it’s certainly possible. Maybe Tim Cook and Apple are finally almost done “pulling that string.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook opened up All Things Digital’s tenth annual conference on Tuesday evening and while no one expected any product announcements during his time on stage with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, all eyes were on Cook during one of his first public appearances as CEO. Highlights from the interview:

• Cook believes the system that governs standards-essential patents is broken, and he says that Apple’s ongoing patent disputes with rival vendors like Samsung and HTC are a “pain in the ass.” We’re sure Samsung, HTC and other vendors targeted by Apple would agree.
• While the company is considering killing off its social network flop “Ping,” integration with social services like Facebook will play a more important role in iOS moving forward.
• Tim Cook would like to see his company launch products that are made in America.
• Where Apple’s voice-controlled virtual assistant Siri is concerned, Cook made it clear that big things are coming in the next few months. “There’s more that it can do,” Cook said. “We have a lot of people working on this. You’ll be really pleased with the things you’ll see over the coming months. The breadth that you’re talking about… we’ve got some cool ideas about what Siri can do. We have a lot going on on this.”
• Cook wouldn’t comment specifically on the upcoming “iTV” Apple is widely rumored to be readying for launch, but he did say Apple will focus more on the television market moving forward. ”This is an area of intense interest for us,” Cook said while speaking about Apple TV, noting that Apple has sold more than 2.7 million Apple TVs so far in 2012. “We’re going to keep pulling this string and see where it takes us.” Some reports suggest Apple’s HDTV will launch in the fourth quarter this year.
• While he obviously didn’t get into specifics, the CEO mentioned that we can expect exciting new product launches from Apple in the near future. Apple’s annual WWDC convention kicks off next month and the rumor mill suggests we’ll see new MacBooks and iMacs unveiled with Retina Displays.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani on Tuesday stated that Apple will revamp its MacBook computers in June and release a new iPhone in September or October. Daryanani reiterated his Outperform rating for the Cupertino-based company’s stock and maintained his price target of $700, achievable thanks to new MacBooks, the upcoming next-generation iPhone and a potential “iTV” television set, which would make “strategic sense” for the company. The analyst believes Apple’s latest iPhone will come equipped with “the latest 4G/LTE technology” and will feature a redesigned look. A MacBook Pro update could arrive as early as next month, and an “updated version” of the MacBook Air could potentially happen in six months according to the analyst, which could help sales of the entire Mac lineup to grow between 10% to 15% this year.

Apple’s next iPhone, which is reported to launch in the fall, seems to have leaked. It’s entirely possible these parts are for a non-final version of the handset, but they do perfectly match up with what has been reported about the new iPhone — mainly a metal and glass rear case, and a new dock connector. Smartphone repair company uBreakiFix has sent us in these photos of the new case, and there’s a lot of differences compared to the current iPhone 4S. Among a redesigned rear case, the camera module cutout looks to be larger, there is a redone speaker and microphone configuration at the bottom, new dock connector, and it looks like Apple has moved the 3.5mm headset jack to the bottom of the device like the iPod touch. Read on for more photos.

UPDATE: 9to5Mac has high resolution photos of the parts.

Apple has officially confirmed that the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote will be held at 10:00am on June 11th at Moscone West. Surprisingly, Apple has not confirmed who will in fact be delivering the keynote. Traditionally Apple’s CEO has participated, with Steve Jobs famously speaking for many years, and Tim Cook filling in for him among other executives. We’ll be covering the WWDC keynote live.

Apple has been working on an in-house mapping solution for a few years, and it appears as if the company is finally ready to release a new Maps app for iOS, sidestepping Google’s mapping data for its own. BGR has obtained exclusive information and photos of parts of Apple’s new Maps app from a trusted source, and the app features a refreshed user interface including a brand new navigation bar. This bar, we’re told, is silver instead of blue. Since the current Maps app follows the standard blue iOS color scheme, we think it’s possible Apple might shift toward a silver color theme in iOS 6 like on the iPad.

The iPhone version of Maps has a floating locate me button (it sounds very similar to Android’s Google Maps app) in the bottom left corner. To access 3D mode, which will make use of Apple’s C3 Technologies acquisition, you have to peel back the lower right corner of Maps just like the current version and enable 3D mode. Once enabled, you can switch in and out of 3D mode by tapping a 3D icon in the lower left corner. A photo of this feature can be seen in our gallery.

Apple is now putting the finishing touches on its 3D mapping functionality, and it is currently being tested in build 10A3XX of iOS 6.

The above image is a mock up based on what Maps will look like, as communicated by our source, and it includes elements of Apple’s actual refreshed Maps app taken from photos we received. These photos can be viewed in the gallery linked above.

Apple’s Chinese manufacturing partner Foxconn has reportedly begun accepting orders to build an Apple TV set, according to Chinese news website Sina. The publication’s sources claim the long rumored iTV is currently in the “trial production stage,” however more details were not given. Earlier this month Foxconn’s CEO denied that his company would soon begin manufacturing a television for Apple. It has long been rumored that the Cupertino-based company was looking to enter the TV market with an HDTV that will reportedly look much like the company’s current LED Cinema Display. The device is said to feature an aluminum casing, iOS, Siri voice controls and an iSight camera for FaceTime video chats. Earlier reports claim that the device would debut later this year, however some reports peg it to launch in 2014.

[Via Business Insider]

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Absinthe 2.0, the untethered jailbreak solution for iOS 5.1.1, has already been downloaded almost one million times. According to the Chronic Dev Team, 973,086 devices had been jailbroken as of Sunday evening, 211,401 of which were Apple’s newest iPad. The program, which was released to the public on Friday and runs on a computer connected to an iOS device, is compatible with A4 devices like the iPhone 4 and iPad as well as A5 and A5X-powered devices such as the iPhone 4S and the new iPad. It is not compatible, however, with iPad 2 models powered by Apple’s newer 32-nanometer chipset, though this updated iPad 2 only became quietly available a few months ago.

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Strong orders of Apple’s next-generation MacBook laptops are causing labor shortages within the Cupertino, California-based consumer electronics company’s Asian supply chain, a recent report claims. Citing multiple unnamed sources, Digitimes on Monday reports that heavier than expected MacBook orders have created labor shortages so serious at some Apple suppliers that they have been forced to outsource orders to meet shipment schedules. The report notes that May and June are typically slower months among PC component suppliers in eastern China, however Apple’s orders have caused recent labor shortage issues to grow more serious. New MacBook laptops and iMac all-in-one PCs will reportedly launch this summer. Apple’s new notebook computers are expected to be thinner than previous models, and both the MacBook Pro and iMac lineups are expected to include new high-definition Retina displays. Apple’s next-generation MacBook Air laptops may be updated with Retina displays as well, recent reports claim.

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Facebook has reportedly hired more than half a dozen former Apple engineers as part of renewed efforts to build an own-brand smartphone. According to a recent report from The New York Times, the hires are comprised of former hardware and software engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one engineer who worked on the iPad. Why the renewed interest in a Facebook phone? “Mark is worried that if he doesn’t create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms,” an anonymous Facebook employee reportedly told the Times. Rumors of the “Facebook phone” resurfaced last month after the rumor mill had been silent on the matter for some time. The previous round of rumors suggesting Facebook was working with HTC on an own-brand phone were off base; HTC ended up launching a pair of low-end smartphones with dedicated Facebook sharing buttons rather than a Facebook-branded device. It may have been for the best, however — a study conducted earlier this year found that most consumers wouldn’t be interested in a smartphone offering from Facebook.

According to a new report from online advertising network Chitika, smartphones and tablets now account for 20% of all Web traffic in the U.S. and Canada. Traditional PCs accounted for 80% of Web traffic, with smartphone traffic totaling 14.6% and tablets making up 5.6%, AllThingD reported. Chitika found that a whopping 95% of tablet Web traffic came from a version of Apple’s iPad, mainly the newest iPad, and 72% of smartphone traffic also belongs to Apple, compared to 26% for Android devices. The Cupertino-based company didn’t fare as well on the desktop side, which saw 85% of Web traffic from Windows machines compared to 13% from Macs. The report also noted that Windows Phone now accounts for a third as much traffic as BlackBerry phones, and while Microsoft’s mobile platform owns a smaller share of the market, the handsets’ larger displays may be responsible for the proportionally large share of Web browsing.

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Usage of Apple’s third-generation iPad in the United States has passed the original iPad model after just over two months of availability. According to a recent report from software analytics firm Localytics, Apple’s latest iPad captured a staggering 14% of the U.S. iPad market in just four days when Apple sold more than 3 million devices during the tablet’s debut. Now, a week and two months after the third iPad launched on March 16th of this year, the new model’s share of U.S. usage topped 20% during the week of May 16th, narrowly surpassing the original model for the first time. Apple’s first iPad tablet launched in the U.S. on April 3rd, 2010 — more than two years ago — and was available for purchase at a discounted price until the third-generation iPad launched in March of this year. According to Localytics, Apple’s iPad 2 currently accounts for 60% of all iPad usage in the U.S.

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