Read on for more technical details on the processor in the new iPod touch.

What makes up a rumor? The common recipe starts with some truth or factual information, adds a healthy dose of hearsay, and then gets topped off with a 'pinch of this and a dash of that.' Then someone else starts with that entire rumor as their 'factual information', and adds to it from there. Pretty soon, you've got 100 different flavors in the wild, and some of them don't even taste remotely like the original dish.

The recent storm of rumors surrounding the iPhone 3G S turned out exactly the same way. Several of them shared some common elements, such as a better camera, video editing, and a compass. But beyond that, the features were anyone's guess, especially when it came to the physical appearance of the device. When Apple broke the news that the appearance was identical to the existing 3G, I really had to wonder: how many times have we seen someone using the new iPhone, and not even noticed?

And then there was the name: iPhone Video, or iPhone 3GS? Just plain 'iPhone'? Whatever the case, it is a given that the name would reflect one of the most important aspects of the device. After all, the iPhone 3G takes its name from its 3G radio, and the 4th-generationsorry, 5th or 5.5 gen iPod were oft referred to as the "iPod Video" due to their video capabilities. So it stood to reason that if the most obvious feature of the new phone would be video recording (and possibly editing) capabilities, it could easily be called the 'iPhone Video'.

What is interesting, though, is that Apple instead chose to name it 'iPhone 3G S', stating that the 'S' stands for faster speed. But even a quick perusal of the specs on Apple's website will tell you that speed is far from the only improvement over the original 3G. Of course, there are the obvious features that Apple pointed out: video recording & editing, an auto-focus camera, voice control and dialing, and a digital compass, just to name a few. But what about all the other features listed on the website. How do they compare to the iPhone 3G?

Read on for a head-to-head comparison of the new features...

Computerworld's Seth Weintraub speculates that Apple will choose ARM processors for a rumored upcoming tablet or netbook, versus an Intel processor of the same caliber.

He cites several reasons, including the acquisition of PA Semi, cost, size, and power efficiency as evidence of the likelihood that Apple will use an ARM processor over an Intel one. ARM processors, he argues, are getting powerful enough to rival their Intel counterparts as Intel chips become more efficient to rival their ARM counterparts.

Weintraub spoke with Bob Morris, director of platform enablement for ARM's mobile processor group, who said that two ARM-powered netbooks will hit store shelves in 2009, both probably running the Android operating system.

Since we know OS X already works with the ARM architecture, it raises the question: What will this device be, a netbook or a tablet? Analyst Ezra Gottheil from Technology Business Research says Apple can't afford to ignore consumer clamor for dropping prices, and expects Apple to release a $600 netbook in the first half of next year. We'll see.

How about you? What would you prefer? Take our poll in the 2nd half of this post.

[Via MacDailyNews and O'Grady's PowerPage.]

Apple Senior Manager Wei-han Lien let slip that teams acquired with the purchase of PA Semi are working on an ARM-based processor for the iPhone, and possibly other devices, according to The New York Times.

While not a huge surprise, as Steve himself said that's what the former PA Semi staff was working on, the question was still "what kind of processor?"

ARM variants can be customized to meet the needs of very specific devices, including supporting the multi-touch screen, or QuickTime playback. Electronista suggests that this supports earlier hints that Apple licensed the architecture from ARM under a secretive arrangement in late June.

Lien updated a section of his LinkedIn profile to describe what he was working on. (The NYT has a screenshot.) Oops. The profile, as you might expect, has been changed.

Yummy news on the chip front today. (Not so much on the fish front, but Apple's never been big on the iCod.) Samsung recently introduced the S3C6410, a hybrid processor that merges a sweet 667MHZ ARM CPU with a cool multi-format video decoder that handles H.264, MPEG-4 and VC-1. By offloading all that video work from the main CPU, you get increased performance and you can do other fun things with your CPU while the video is recording or playing back. This baby can handle 640x480 full-speed video, possibly both sending and receiving, with little demand on your system.

The iPhone and iPod touch use an earlier sibling of this chip. Now pass me the vinegar and mayo.

[via Electronista]

InformationWeek reports that Warren East, president and CEO of ARM Holdings, confirmed that the iPhone will use at least three ARM processors. The main CPU will reportedly be a PXA320.

So does this tell us anything new and important about the iPhone internals? Er, probably not much. But for those of you who enjoy these kinds of chip reveals, we seriously encourage you to go wild with the news.