Mac News and Rumors for December 3rd

 

This week, there’s a potential date for the announcement of the iPad 2 as well as news about new MacBook Pros and a fresh edition of Final Cut Pro.  We also have a lucrative Mac-friendly freeroll promotion at Party Poker for you to check out.

Apple Stealing Staff from Research in Motion

There’s a report in the Wall Street Journal stating that Apple’s strong push into the enterprise market for the iPhone has meant poaching employees from Research in Motion’s sales staff.  Research in Motion is famous for the Blackberry line of products and, over the last 18 months, at least five members of its staff have left for Apple.

The same article states that 80% of Fortune 500 companies are piloting or using the iPhone.  Apple COO Tim Cook added that Apple has been working with carrier partners to support corporate-friendly billing solutions for both the iPhone and iPad.

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad

Sling Media, the clever folks behind the Slingbox, announced earlier this year that they were hard at work on an iPad version of the mobile player application.  What this would do is let you stream your home TV onto your iOS compatible device.  On Wednesday, Sling Media stated that SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad is available for $29.99 and offers higher resolution video support than the iPhone version.  It also has a revamped program guide that lets the user enjoy the iPad’s native interface.  This app is compatible with the Slingbox SOLO and PRO-HD set-top boxes and lets users change channels, control their DVRs, and watch shows over WiFi and 3G connections.

Apple Corporate Rumor Mill Churning

The Mercury News reported that Apple bought 98 acres of land in Cupertino, California that was owned by HP.  On top of that, we are hearing rumors about two major Apple special events coming up, the first being in January to announce the iPad 2, which will feature a front-facing camera and FaceTime compatibility.  In April, Apple is set to launch a new line of MacBook Pros and finally give us a major update for Final Cut Pro.

More on iPad 2

Whatever it might be called, the next edition of the iPad may have five new major features: a video phone, better mobility, USB ports, a new display technology, and three-axis gyroscopes, according to a Digitimes report.  The new display suggests that the Retina Display technology will be enhanced and the USB connector will be used for some unknown purpose.  Some speculate that the Mini USB connection might just be a way for Apple to stay in line with European regulations requiring the adoption of a universal USB charging standard.

PartyPoker Announces Five Star Poker Challenge

You could win your share of $5,000 every day in December at PartyPoker.  As part of the Five Star Poker Challenge, players need to earn five Party Points and, the next day, they’ll get entry into a $5,000 freeroll.  There are freerolls every single day in December, meaning that there are 31 chances to win some cash.  There are no restrictions on how many of these freerolls you participate in, so players are encouraged to qualify for them all.

In addition, players who qualify for five of these $5,000 Daily Freerolls will win a seat to a special $50,000 finale that will play out on January 2nd.  There are also three big jackpots for luckboxes who manage to win multiple $5,000 freerolls.  If you win two, you’ll win a $5,000 jackpot; if you win three, you’ll win $50,000; and if you win five, you’ll win $500,000.

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