If you’re still using a Kindle Fire and haven’t gotten an iPad, you’re about to get another reason to just cough off a bit more cash for a better experience, ads are coming to the welcome. Ad Age reports that Amazon is about to whore out the Kindle Fire welcome screen for about $600,000.

It further states:

The ad campaigns would run for two months and also include inventory from Amazon’s “Special Offers” product. For $1 million, advertisers would get more ad inventory and be included in Amazon’s public-relations push, according to this executive and an exec at another ad agency.”

Sounds like the low profit margins Amazon is making on sales is going to be attempted to be made up in ad revenue. Sounds like it is going to be worse than “the netbook of tablets“.

A couple of iPhone related bits of news emerged today, first, Verizon plans on killing its unlimited data plan that its customers have been grandfathered in to. How? Well if you want to upgrade to that new 4G LTE device, they’ll be forcing you to “upgrade” your data plan. Verizon CEO Fran Shammo doesn’t want you to worry though because the shared data plans coming this summer are going to compensate for that (as long as you’re in a small business/family plan).

Unfortunately for most, the next iPhone will likely have LTE support built in, forcing all current unlimited data iPhone users to lose their plan.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has come out and stated that they are very happy with the iPhone deal they’ve made with Apple despite the fact that they won’t be making any profit from it until 2015. He believes that the iPhone brings lower subscriber turnover rate as well as bringing in high value subscribers and that it will ultimately prove to be a winning situation for Sprint.

HTC’s newest flagship phones are going to be delayed “indefinitely” at the US Customs due to a patent investigation of their phones to see if they infringe against Apple’s patents.

The Verge breaks it down into (mostly) simple English:

Apple won a wide-ranging exclusion order banning the importation of HTC Android devices at the International Trade Commission last December — the ITC found that Android’s messaging app and browser infringed upon Apple patent #5,946,647, which covers automatically converting things like phone numbers and email addresses into actionable links that open a menu of options.

The ban itself started on April 19th in order to give HTC time to fix the problem. The ITC is now investigating the issue to see if it has indeed been fixed.

This could mean bad news not only for HTC but other Android handset makers as well. With Apple actually being able to prevent their hardware from being sold, this will obviously cut greatly into their sales and could be a huge problem for the Android ecosystem as a whole.

Is Apple being a bully or are they just following the rules of the game?

Earlier today a rumor broke out stating that Apple and Disney were in talks on bringing the WatchESPN app over to the Apple TV platform. Exact words being:

Walt Disney Co. (DIS)’s ESPN sports network is talking with Apple Inc. (AAPL) about giving subscribers online access to programming through the computer maker’s Apple TV device, according to two executives.

Then later on they went on to receive confirmation from an ESPN spokesperson that it was indeed a false rumor:

“We’re not having conversations with Apple about authenticating WatchESPN,”

Unfortunately, few sites have been updated with this information so if you had your hopes up, we’re glad we could crash them for you.

In the past couple days, many new rumors, speculation and possible controlled leaks have surfaced so we thought it be a great idea to put all of them into one post for you.

First, 9to5Mac reported that the new MacBook Pros would feature a new, thinner design but not like the wedge-shaped MacBook Air that all the rumors are pointing towards. Instead it would simply be reduced in its height taking away the DVD drive and a couple of ports (more on that in a second). They also reported that the power button would now be on the keyboard itself, replacing the Eject disc key (seeing how there is no DVD drive, this makes complete sense). The ports available will be a MagSafe power connector, two USB ports, and audio in/out jacks along the left side, with a battery level indicator also included along the same side. The right side is said to offer a pair of Thunderbolt ports, another USB port, an SD card slot, and a Kensington lock slot. Lastly, the long-rumored retina-display will also be coming to the MacBook Pro.

The Verge went on to confirm that the new MacBook Pro would be packed with an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics card as well.

Finally, Bloomberg came out and confirmed that these facts are likely true and that Apple will be debuting the new MacBook Pro at WWDC.

Usually around the time of a refresh/possible makeover, there are a bunch of scattered (almost made-up sounding) rumors, but seeing how many larger publications seem to be agreeing on specs, this will very likely be the 2012 MacBook Pro.

But…will there be more?

It appears to be a new model of the MacBook and iMac running Mountain Lion. MacRumors notes:

This new MacBook Pro is listed as carrying an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3820QM quad-core processor running at 2.7 GHz…The unreleased system carries a benchmark of 12,262, compared to scores in the range of 10,500 for the corresponding current MacBook Pro processor, the Core i7-2860QM.

On the iMac:

The machine is listed as running an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770 quad-core processor running at 3.4 GHz, which would correspond to a relatively high-end option in a new model. The system carries a benchmark of 12,183, only slightly higher than typical scores in the range of 11,500 for current iMac models using the top-of-the-line Core i7-2600 processor.

The MacBook Pro models are rumored to lose their DVD drives and look more like MacBook Airs.

Apple has released a Java update that will remove the FlashBack malware if your Mac is infected.

This Java security update removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware.

This update also configures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-enable automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application. If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets.

Hit up Software Update for the update.

It has been over 6 months but a judge has finally given Apple the permission to intervene over the Lodsys case against many iOS developers.

Foss Patents states:

Judge Rodney Gilstrap concluded that Apple was entitled to intervene, and in any event, a permissive intervention (one that the court can allow in its discretion) was also an option.

Check out our original post including why Lodsys is suing here.

When downloading a new app from the App Store, a user will now be prompted to set up three security questions and to give an alternate email address. This may happen in either iTunes or the App Store, some are saying they getting it in both.

After completion it’ll ask to verify that email:

Thank you.

You’ve taken the added security step and provided a rescue email address. Now all you need to do is verify that it belongs to you.

The rescue address you have given us is xxx@xxx.com. Just click the link below to verify, sign in using your Apple ID and password, then follow the prompts.

The rescue email address is dedicated your security and allows Apple to get in touch if any account questions come up, such as the need to reset or change your security questions. As promised, Apple will never send you any announcements or marketing messages to this address.

Good to know Apple is continually upping its security for its users.

The Daily reports that Ashton Kutcher believes the role of Steve Jobs was meant for him to play in the upcoming indie film he is starring in.

“He is already meeting with folks that knew Steve Jobs. He’s working with professionals to get inside the voice. He’s letting his hair grow out. I understand he’s canceled all meetings and actually canceled all other projects,” producer Mark Hulme, whose newly formed Five Star Feature Films is the sole investor behind “Jobs,” told Flash.

“He believes the role was meant for him.”

Although he looks strikingly like Steve Jobs at the moment, it’ll be tough to convince anyone that Ashton Kutcher was meant to play Steve Jobs in a movie.

Also, it’s important to note this is not the film that will be based on Steve Jobs’ authorized biography. Sony has the rights to that.

Gene Munster reports via MacRumors that 34% of high school students own an iPhone:

In our most recent survey the percentage of teens that own an iPhone came in at 34%, up from 23% in the Fall and 17% last Spring. We believe the meaningful uptick in iPhone ownership among teens may be driven by the cheaper $49 iPhone 3GS (in some cases free). Interest in purchasing an iPhone in the next 6 months rose to 40% (another all-time high vs. our previous surveys). Purchase intent was at 38% in our last survey in the Fall.

It also reports that tablet ownership is around the 34% mark also with 70% of those being iPads.

With the new iPad just launched and a lower $399 price point for the iPad 2, expect these numbers to increase.

It’s been a few days but here’s everything on what Apple in now calling “the new iPad”.

Main Features:

• Retina Display at 2048 x 1536 resolution (264 ppi)
• Dual core A5X processor with quad-core graphics
• 4G LTE capable
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 5 MP camera with optics from the current iPhone
• 10 hours of battery life on Wi-Fi, 9 hours on 4G LTE
• Capable of AirPlay mirroring at 1080p to a Apple TV 3rd gen

What Apple is gloating is that in order to fit all these into the iPad shell, that it actually got a bit thicker and heavier, but not enough for anyone to really notice.

It comes in the same sizes of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage capacity as well as remaining the same pricing starting at just $499.

More over at Apple here.