Snow Leopard is going to be uber cheap, so there's not really any reason to not pick it up -- if you make good, regular use of your Mac, odds are that you'll also make enough use of a copy to justify the value. But even if you're not taking the $30 plunge, Macenstein has the most important part of the OS upgrade covered: the wallpaper. Just like the OS itself, Snow Leopard's wallpaper is only an incremental update from the current version (Macenstein says it looks "faster," and we can see what he means), but just in case you want to at least make your old G5's look like they're all upgraded, just "Set as Desktop Background" and there you go.

Rumors that the wallpaper will actually make your computer faster (or give you back that 6GB of hard drive space that the actual upgrade will give you) are unfounded, and probably shouldn't be trusted. But then again, you never know.

This video is making the rounds lately -- on first glance, it looks someone running the iPhone OS on a Mac Pro with a 24" multitouch monitor. As you can see, everything more or less works as you'd expect, and therein lies the rub: anyone who's looked at it with a critical eye, including our friend and former TUAW-er CK Sample III, has pronounced it fake. I'd have to agree -- besides the fact that it comes from a visual effects house, the picture flipping at about :56 is a little bit off. How'd they do it? It's most likely just a movie running on a screen, with a guy pretending to control it. But even so, it's a compelling idea -- if you could find a multitouch monitor that worked like that and ran the iPhone OS with it, wouldn't it work exactly that way anyway?

I've actually brought up this idea before -- there is a ton of software running on the iPhone currently, and some of it is even better than the equivalent versions on the Mac. It would be extremely useful to port the iPhone's OS (and all of its software in the App Store) to another form, whether that be on your TV (I originally suggested a Wii-like interface) or on a multitouch input like this desktop. Apple has sunk a lot of work and design thought into this OS -- they may never do it, but it seems like it would be a terrific decision to bring some of that successful R&D back on to the TV or the desktop.

We're down to the wire -- less than 90 minutes before the WWDC Keynote ramps up, and the rumor mill has wound down to a murmur after a week of wild speculation. Want to read about how the new iPhone will singlehandedly boost your love life, bring you millions of dollars and boast a video camera, Swiss Army knife, automatic can opener and turn into a mini TARDIS? Sadly, those rumors have yet to appear. Except maybe the video camera.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber has been the focus of most of the very last-minute guessing with his thoughts of today:

• The iPhone 3G ... oh, sorry, iPhone 3GS: It'll be faster, twice the current amount of RAM, video camera, more storage ... those aren't new rumors. But, Gruber says that he's heard that the phone will also receive a name upgrade to the iPhone 3GS. The other nice piece of speculation is that the iPhone 3GS will also have a 15-20% longer battery life over the current model.
• Cheaper phones for the masses: A $99 version of the iPhone that will not have as many features as its more expensive siblings, though it could just be the existing 3G iPhone at a lower price after the new models are introduced. This isn't exactly that new of a rumor considering that The Financial Times had this one over the weekend.
• Snow Leopard pricing: Gruber believes we could see Snow Leopard priced as low as $19 considering it doesn't have any major features ... unless Apple manages to pull out something today.
• Playing with Marble: Of course, that new $129-cost "feature" could be that Snow Leopard will feature a reimaging of the OS's visual appearance. However, it's more likely that a move to "Marble" is slated for OS 10.7.
• The Holy Grail ... er Mac tablet: It's real, but not today.

To prepare your rumor checklist, check out our other posts rounding up rumors, speculation and just plain ole guessing from over the weekend.

Well! Our tips line has certainly been a beehive of activity with WWDC just around the corner. We've gotten several purported iPhone images, which range in quality from meh to ludicrous. Particularly interesting: the iPhone Blog's 16x9 widescreen model.

As for availability of the rumored phone, GearLive is laying it on the line for an on-sale date of Monday, immediately after the announcement. Technologizer responds with four reasons we wouldn't see the new device in stores right after the keynote.

Interested to see what everyone else has cooked up for Apple to release on Monday? Check out the gallery for pictures galore.

Thanks to everyone who sent these in!

If the promise of a new, faster and video-editing enabled iPhone isn't enough to make you block out time for Monday's WWDC keynote on your calendar, check out the Financial Times report that revitalizes rumors of a new lower-priced iPhone model (iPhone mini? iPhone nano?) said to be ready for announcement on Monday. The new device would also come subsidized with a carrier contract, but would cost buyers just $149US or $99US up front.

While rumors of a cheaper iPhone have been circulating since the original iPhone introduction, the option to split the product line may make more sense now that consumer spending is in recession-tightened mode. Still, PCworld points out that FT's choice of analysts to quote is a little bit problematic; Morgan Stanley's Kathryn Huberty got cited by Seeking Alpha as the worst predictor of Apple's numbers in September 2008.

If you had a choice between a full-featured iPhone capable of video calls and clip capture/editing, or saving $100+ on a 4GB model with capabilities similar to today's iPhone 3G, which would you choose?

[via Engadget]

Further fueling the iPhone fire (try saying that one five times fast), TUAW has received an anonymous tip stating that AT&T's support website will be updated with "iPhone Video" as one of the model choices when choosing Apple as the phone manufacturer.

While I only see the original iPhone and 3G choices on the support site now, it stands to reason that this photo may have been taken from a screen showing unpublished support content. Click the image for the full-res photo.

This adds to some already interesting news, reported earlier by AppleInsider, that new model placeholders have begun appearing in inventory for Carphone Warehouse, a retailer that resells the iPhone. These models were labeled with a "V3", which could simply mean Version 3, or the V may also stand for "Video" or "Video 3G". Other retailers have also recently reported additional entries or placeholders showing up in their inventories, and many carriers have also received end of life notices for the current 3G models.

So even if a new model isn't announced at WWDC, it's a pretty safe bet that Apple has something in the pipeline.

With the increasing evidence that a new iPhone may be just around the corner, we've seen our share of screenshots, speculations, and mock-ups. Now, the Italian iPhone blog iSpazio has posted pictures of what could possibly be the next iPhone (English Translations: here and here).

These images were provided by an anonymous source, who states that the featured photo is a picture of a screen showing an as-of-yet unpublished update to the iPhone page on Apple's website. Reportedly, the website also features the text "Ebony, curious, advanced. The new iPhone is for everyone. Available today." along with references to the phone's "sleek all black build, including the slip-resistant backing and bezel."

As can be seen from the images, the new model appears to feature some interesting changes near the earpiece. In addition to the slot already present on the existing models, both of these images clearly show a wider slot at the top of the face, just below the bezel. Also of note is the small, green LED present near the earpiece on the screenshot. Our tipster suggests this could be part of a front-facing camera. It also looks like the mute/sleep switch has been moved to the top-left of the phone. However, the supposed website image still shows the switch on the top right.

While I personally am skeptical about the LED in the screenshot, these pictures do look promising. What's your verdict? Could this in fact be a first look at the next iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

Update: As eagle-eyed reader John points out below, the headphone jack appears to have been moved to the bottom right of the device (if you're looking at the front of the phone). Good catch!

Update 2: After looking closer at these images, I noticed that there is a small button near the bottom of the right side of the phone. It looks to be in the right position for a shutter control when you are using the camera horizontally.

Source #1, Source #2

Even though the new iPhone is still hypothetical, imaginary phones need spare parts too. German site iphone-ticker.de reports that one of their readers contacted Hong Kong firm China Ontrade seeking replacement items for his iPhone 3G, and much to his surprise they told him

"This is great honor for China Ontrade (HK) chinaontrade.com to be the 1st started to supply iphone 3gen 2009 parts directly from factory."

Indeed, the photos sent along with the offer of parts for a yet-unannounced phone seem to show a black front bezel instead of chrome, a tapered bottom of the case (vs. the rounded end of the current model) and a revised headphone jack.

We'll keep an eye out for more photos of bits of the iPhone-in-waiting and pass them along when they appear.

Thanks to Ben and Nicholas for sending this in, and Heidi for translation assistance.

The sharp-eyed writers at iPhone Buzz pointed out that the T-Mobile Austria site was showing a placeholder for a 32GB iPhone earlier today -- at least until someone at T-Mobile pulled the item.

In case you've been off-planet for awhile and haven't kept up with the news, speculation is rampant about when the next iPhone will appear or be announced, and what new features we can expect. Industry pundit John Gruber, for example, speculated in an article yesterday that the next-gen device would have more storage (like the 32 GB described here), more internal memory -- 256 MB, a 600 MHz processor to replace the existing 400 MHz model, a built-in electronic compass, an autofocus lens, and video capabilities.

The Austrian faux pas appears to be proof that at least one of the features, more storage, is going to appear on whatever new iPhone may be coming our way soon. Speaking of that new iPhone, take our poll (below) and let us know when you think it will be shipping.

The previously unheralded Apple iPhone Apps blog has a rumor post up regarding the next generation iPhone hardware, suggesting that July 17th is the expected date for the new phone to be on shelves (reasonably well aligned with an announcement at WWDC). As 9to5Mac and Gadget Lab note, most of the covered ground is familiar -- better camera, storage bump, magnetometer & turn-by-turn, video recording -- but there are a few interesting tidbits, including the suggestion of an OLED screen, an illuminated backside logo (perhaps capable of doubling as a photo flash?), the integration of Google Street View with the compass for 'visual intelligence' as in the Android demo, and a built-in FM transmitter.

I'm not sure that an FM transmitter as an onboard capability is such a great idea, considering the percentage of car stereos nowadays that include either an iPod dock connector or an aux-in jack, but maybe it's plausible. Everything else seems to pass the sniff test, although OLED and a lit back panel are an odd combination. If we do see the new device in mid-July, how many of you are checking your contract expirations right now to see if you can pick one up? Mmm-hmm, thought so.

[via Techmeme]

The internal email list for all the TUAW bloggers is a busy place. Some of the best conversations from the list, including musings, rants and raves, don't ever appear on the site. Today we wanted to give you a taste of one of those conversations, about Apple's 'next big thing.'

There has been plenty of discussion lately about Apple's next category-defining product. For months, I've dismissed tablet rumors. I know that Windows-based tablets are plentiful, but I've never used one, and don't know what the most useful applications are. I immediately think of a guy conducting inventory in a warehouse, but I know that's only because I have no experience with these machines.

Some suggest something that's essentially a laptop inside a touch screen, much like the iMac is a computer within its display; of course, Axiotron already makes a MacBook-based tablet. I don't see the practicality. I certainly enjoy the internet and email on my iPhone, but the amount of typing I do on the iPhone is a small percentage of what I do on my MacBook Pro.

Still, I think a similar device is coming.

Get your scorecard here, can't tell the speculations without a scorecard... it's the midweek rumor roundup! While the rest of the tech blogosphere is mobbing Amazon's black & white imitation of a Stevenote (yes, the Kindle DX is already on sale), we'll catch up on the open threads of the past couple of days.

Kara Swisher at AllThingsD has the most complete take on the Apple/Twitter rumor from yesterday. While it's not beyond imagining that Apple and Twitter are talking, she says, it's only part of a dance with scores of other possible suitors and an inevitable rugby scrum at the finish line.

Mac|Life is citing a source within Apple on a release date for 10.5.7, and they pin it for this coming Friday. 9to5Mac points out that Friday is an unlikely day for an OS release, but there has been a spike in support staffing at the company's Austin offices in anticipation of customer questions.

Speaking of rumors from 9to5 and Computerworld, there was a brief spotting of an QA engineering job posting from Apple (since taken down on Apple's job site) that indicated a need within the Mac group for a 3G WLAN hire. While 3G talent is naturally present on the iPhone team, this laptop-centric gig might lend more credence to the idea of a portable machine with onboard wireless broadband capability. [H/T to the Monitor]

Lastly, the rejection of Makayama's Newspaper app for iPhone on the grounds that it allowed access to the UK Sun tabloid's notorious Page 3 girls -- reminiscent of the Craigslist app commotion -- cites the upcoming parental controls in iPhone 3.0 as a possible mitigator for R-rated apps in the future. Got something sexy or skanky in the pipeline? You may not have to wait much longer.

Reader Josh sent along this little note -- nothing too important, just something for you to file away for future reference. He just wanted us to point out that way, way down in the stats for Adium, the IM client for everyone who's not using iChat, there is one surreptitious listing for a "MacBookMini."

Now, I assure you, we're thinking the exact same things you're thinking: these stats are totally bunk, anyone can edit their computer ID to be listed as anything they want, and one stat on Adium's page does not mean that Apple is coming out with some sort of revolutionary miniature laptop. And we agree with you -- it's almost certainly nothing of consequence. Or, that is, we would completely agree with you, except for one thing: it's happened exactly this way before. A little computer called the MacBook Air first showed up in Adium's stats, and people argued those exact same things at the time, and it all turned out to be real.

You might say that makes it doubly likely for someone to tweak their computer's settings to show up as some legendary Apple test machine, and again, we'd agree with you. But it's a big world out there -- unless you work at 1 Infinite Loop, you have no idea what Apple is testing and working on right now. Like I said, we just thought we'd let you know. Just in case.

Macrumors has a detailed breakdown of a couple of new iPhone patent applications, but here's the gist: Apple is looking at how to trigger events based on movements (or gestures), and one patent filing shows a front-facing video camera. The camera is easy -- there's your 2-way video chat (we hope). The motion stuff? Well, Apple could go in several directions with that.

According to the indications in the patent filing, Apple is suggesting the interface on the iPhone could change under certain conditions. Specifically, contacts would get larger if you are running. That makes them easier to tap when you aren't able to be as accurate. This is just one example, but I think the more the iPhone can correctly guess the context of its use, the better. We were all a little excited when we saw the auto-orientation of (some) apps, and the relatively minor miracle of a proximity sensor which turns off the screen when you raise the phone to your face. The motion-sensing stuff takes this way beyond all that.

While this stuff won't likely make it into the next iPhone revision, it does show you where Apple is headed: more features, better usability. Although I do notice the power button seems to have moved to the right, away from the top. Will that be part of the next iPhone? There's mention of everything from a stylus to a scroll wheel (like BlackBerry), but I think that's just patent chatter (covering the bases, as it were). Here's a link to the patent filing.

[thanks to Alejandro for help in plumbing the patent filing]

VOIP for iPhone is the dream of many a user, and Om Malik suggests that it might be days away. Citing a "...very reliable source," Om says that Skype is ready to launch their iPhone app, perhaps at next week's CTIA Wireless event.

That's whole lot of "suggests" and "might" and "perhaps," is it not? Frankly, I don't see why Apple or AT&T would be keen on Skype for the iPhone or iPod touch. Of course, here are other VOIP options available, like fring and iCall (among others), so what do I know? It's an interesting rumor, but for now, that's all.