Mac News and Rumors for December 7th

 

This week, we have more rumors about a new iPad.  We also have word about new devices from Apple for the kitchen and an update to the Universal Dock kit.  Finally, we have some good news from Full Tilt Poker and will wrap it up with a potentially exciting legislative development.

Cameras for iPad 2?

Rumors are red hot regarding a next generation iPad that will come armed with a front-facing camera so people can use it to FaceTime with those who use iChat and iPhone.  The rumor mill churns harder thanks to a DigiTimes report that says a Taiwanese firm has been select to provide camera lenses for the new iPad. The report also states that the lens is the five-megapixel variety, which is nearly identical to the rear-facing camera on the iPhone.

iKitchen Coming Soon?

As if you didn’t have enough Apple devices in your home, there’s been an interesting article published at InformationWeek that states Apple has interest in using Microsoft Kinect-like interfaces for kitchen appliances.  An inventor recently moved three of his patents over to Apple, one of which describes how a rear-projection display could be used on a kitchen countertop.

Apple Updates Universal Dock

Apple updated the Universal Dock package, which is what is used to charge iPhones and iPods and connects these items to a stereo or television.  The dock itself is still the same, but the package will include the now-standard aluminum remote instead of a white one.  The new dock package also has a USB power adapter and a USB cable.  The price of the package is up to $59.

Apple’s Predicted Mobile Ad Market Share Slashed

We had been hearing projections of huge chunks of the mobile ad market belonging to Apple.  According to an updated report from Bloomberg, the new research says that Google is dominating the market at 59%, while Apple only is expected to have 8.4%. Earlier predictions had Apple around 21% of the market.  Apple is continuing to expand its iAds system and pushed out worldwide support of ads last month.

Iron Man Plus Returns to Full Tilt Poker

Regulars bemoaned the loss of the Iron Man Plus program, which rewarded players for playing a ton of hands at the Full Tilt Poker tables.  The Plus program is back and rewards bonus medals for days of 1,000 Full Tilt Points.  These bonus medals are added to your monthly medal count.  Inside the Iron Man Store, you can buy cash bonuses, Full Tilt Points, and specialized gear.

Harry Reid Online Poker Bill Bonanza

As reported at various media outlets, Senate Majority Leader Harry Read (D-NV) is set to introduce a bill legalizing and regulating online poker in the United States, dubbed the Internet Poker Act of 2010.  Under this act, only existing brick-and-mortar casinos would be allowed to operate online gaming outlets for the first two years. This bill might be fast-tracked to becoming a law before the 2010 Congressional session ends.

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