Another Quarter, Another Record

Apple's financial results for Q1 (Oct-Dec '09) of 2010 are in. And while there are plenty of number to crunch, just know this: Apple had $3.38 billion in profit on $15.68 billion revenue, which is well above Apple's own estimates and the estimates of analysts. Oh, and gross margin was up to 40.9%. And the other big headline: iPhone sales doubled compared to the same quarter in the previous year.

One thing that stuck out in the quarterly earnings call, was the not-so-hidden enthusiasm for "Apple's latest creation" on Wednesday. This is Apple after all, so there weren't any details of course, but there was just something in their voices... Like knowing what the kids are getting for Christmas, that gives us hope that whatever is announced Wednesday will be at least half as good as rumors would imply.

You can listen to the earnings call replay here, or get into the nitty gritty here.

What Apple Product Do You Think Of When You See This Image?

It's official. The invites are out, and Apple will indeed have an event on Jan. 27th to celebrate their latest "creation." And in typical Apple style, the invite gave no other hints, tempting all of us to read far too much into the graphics on the front of the invite.

So based on this image, what do you think will be the name of the new Apple device? The Paintball? The Hype? Let us know in the comments.

All kidding aside, we are 90% certain, it will be the Apple Canvas. You heard it here first.

Apple Fantasy Merger of the Month: Chumby Industries

First thanks for the feedback and reminder that we neglected our fantasy merger duties in December. For those who might be new here, each month we propose a fantasy merger, just in case Apple would like some suggestions as to what to buy with their growing cash reserves. Bear in mind these are fantasy mergers, so the logic and/or merit of the merger should always be taken lightly.

With that said, this week's merger proposal could probably be bought by Apple from the change in the corporate couch, relative to their billions on hand. Chumby Industries is the company behind the Chumby. If you're not familiar, the Chumby is a standalone device allowing for the creation of channels of apps/widgets. (Look for our review of the new "chumby one" this week. Here's our review of the last generation.) Why on earth would Apple want such a product? The short answer is, they wouldn't.

The real value of Chumby is the people in the company. From the product design, to whimsical "feel" of the device, and the unique packaging (including Chumby charms), it's clear that the small but mighty team at Chumby get industrial design and the importance of user experience. I can tell you the Chumby is the only piece of non-Apple tech here at TDL HQ that people have built a bond with, and feel a great deal of attachment. 

We almost hate to suggest this fantasy merger because it would almost certainly mean the end of the Chumby device. It would also mean more smart minds making even better Apple products.

Ten Apple Hopes for 2010

We just received notice from the International Board of Blogging that we were in violation by not having some sort of 2010 prediction post, so in an effort to get back into compliance, we offer these ten hopes for Apple in 2010:

Return of Firewire on the MacBook. Apple, do you support this interface, or not? Firewire disappeared and re-appeared on the low end MacBook once before. Here's hoping it will be back once more, and not just because we missed an opportunity to buy a MacBook with it. No, that's not what this is all about, at all.

iPhone Tethering on AT&T. It's quickly going from long-running joke, to sad commentary on AT&T that they still cannot or will not offer tethering on the iPhone. Other carriers in other countries are doing it, and everything is just fine. Depending on the source, AT&T has blown anywhere from one to three deadlines to implement tethering, and they've been mum on the subject for some time now.

End of the Tablet Rumors. If rumors are any indication, an Apple tablet should be a go sometime in 2010, hopefully sooner rather than later. It's not that we necessarily know what we'll do with one yet, but rather a shipping device of any kind would silence the rumors, at least temporarily (hey, the next model is just around the corner!)

A Shipping Tablet. While we are excited to see what Apple would do with the tablet form factor, see above for the real reason we hope this comes true.

Apple TV Revamp. For longer than AT&T has been promising tethering, Apple has been peddling their "hobby" of Apple TV. It's incredible to think about the potential for Apple to change how we get TV programming, and maybe stick it to the cable companies at the same time. Still, with every passing moment, it seems like the Apple TV (hardware) is getting neglected. Here's hoping that changes in 2010.

App Store Tweaks. We don't have the answers, but it would be nice to see Apple at least experiment with ways to make the app store approval process more friendly to developers, and the store easier to search for consumers.

End of AT&T Exclusivity. Apple doesn't like having their customers' experience with their products shaded by the miscues of other companies. Get out of the exclusivity deal with AT&T, get the iPhone on T-mobile (simply because this is the only other major U.S. carrier the current phone would work with) then release a phone for the Verizon masses as well.

Focus on the Mac. Snow Leopard was a solid, under-the-hood release. With all the talk of the iPhone and even non-existent products, it feels like the Mac itself has been neglected. Here's hoping Apple takes the next year to give us a bushel-full of reasons that a Mac is the best computer choice.

Green Commitment Grows. The environmental impact of Apple's products was a rallying cry for environmental groups for years. Over the past two years, Apple has responded with some of the greenest computers, and is the only major manufacturer to factor the entire life of the product into its carbon footprint calculation. Still, a funny thing happens: as you get more "green" fewer people complain, but there isn't suddenly a chorus of people touting your green accomplishments. Apple probably sees little to no increased sales from these improvements, but we hope they'll continue to make their products as environmentally friendly as possible.

Keynote/Event Streaming. If you've been visiting the site a long time, you know this is a pet peeve of ours. As the only all-day video channel dedicated to Apple news/lifestyle, we know just how excited Apple fans are to hear/watch the latest Apple info. Hopefully, this will be the year Apple decides to finally (or more precisely returns to) stream keynotes and events throughout the year. While they have more than ample facilities to do it, we know a small streaming site that would be happy to take on the challenge, if Apple doesn't want to pursue it themselves. 

What are your hopes for Apple in 2010?

AT&T: No iPhone in NYC... By Mail

It seems AT&T has made a New Year's resolution: Do whatever they can to make Apple less happy to be stuck with them. The Consumerist has broken a bizarre story: Essentially, inputting NYC-area zipcodes into the AT&T website returns with a message that the iPhone isn't available.

Some have received explanations from sales reps that the outage is due to NYC not being "ready" for the iPhone, while others are getting an explanation that massive fraud is to blame.

Considering the phones have to be activated to be purchased, and it should be fairly easy to choose a zipcode where the iPhone is available, the fraud explanation doesn't make much sense.

Anyone inside AT&T care to offer some details? And to think this is all happening exactly one month before the predicted dates of an Apple event.