Here are your Apple rumors and news items for Wednesday:
iPad 3 Certified: Taiwan’s DigiTimes has indicated that although 2011 is still the “year of the iPad 2” as Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) marketing proclaimed, the company is already gearing up to unveil the next evolution of its popular tablet PC. A number of manufacturers are already moving fast to have their tablet components certified for use in building third-generation iPads. Backlight manufacturers have already had their products approved for use in the next iPad and Apple management recently made a trip to Samsung’s facilities to inspect display panels, indicating that the company is at least considering an alternative to the 10-inch LCD screen used in previous tablet models. The report restates that Apple likely won’t release its next iPad until 2012.
Movie Rush: Next Monday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs will reveal his company’s new iCloud service, the next evolution of iTunes that allows users to save music and media on Apple’s servers for access anywhere on any machine. iCloud will not, however, be ready to offer the same product selection as the traditional iTunes store when it opens, according to a CNET report from Tuesday. The report says Apple has yet to secure the right to distribute all movies it would like to over iCloud. One problem is the so-called HBO window, a distribution agreement among Time Warner (NYSE:TWX) News Corp.’s (NYSE:NWS) 20th Century Fox and Comcast’s (NASDAQ:CMCSA) NBC Universal. The deal requires all other cable and alternative distribution outlets, presumably including iCloud, to not offer certain films when HBO is showing them. This would mean that customers who paid to own a movie in their iCloud account may suddenly lose access to it depending on HBO air dates.
Google Renewal: On Tuesday, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, a former Apple director, said recently his company’s partnership with Apple is strong. According to Engadget, Schmidt confirmed that Apple would continue using Google’s search and map technology in the next version of its mobile operating system. Earlier in 2011, rumors suggested that Apple would attempt to produce internally developed global-positioning and search services for future devices.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at @ajohnagnello and become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook.
