Week in Apple: Light Peak, MMS, and dropped calls

Autumn is here and we're getting ready to snuggle into our caves with our favorite new iPhone apps, iTunes LP, and MMS on the iPhone. But not all news is good: Apple has been irking some Windows users again, and AT&T's dropped call rate for New York city iPhone owners is borderline criminal. Read on for more:
Apple pushes unwanted enterprise tool to Windows users: Apple is telling iTunes and QuickTime users on Windows that they need to download the iPhone Configuration Utility, an enterprise tool that is useless for most consumers, via its Apple Software Update program for Windows.
A peek inside an iTunes LP file: Is iTunes LP another proprietary format or something different? We peer inside the beast that is Apple's latest foray into the hocking of digital music.
New Apple tablet rumor says it's more media, less computer: Apple tablet hopefuls may be disappointed by what Apple has in store for its first tablet if the latest rumors are to be believed. In its current form, the tablet is said to be a jumbo iPhone, and will focus on media, games, and "light communications."
Quickie: AT&T's iPhone MMS update is live in iTunes: AT&T has officially rolled out MMS for the iPhone. iTunes has the goods.
Apple may have Google Maps replacement waiting in the wings: Apple has bought a mapping service company called Placebase and its former CEO is now working on the "Geo Team" at Apple. The move could be designed to provide a backup to the Google Maps service that Apple uses heavily in iPhone OS, especially since the relationship between the two companies appears to be straining.
Apple reframes the green debate, backs it up with new data: Apple has released a comprehensive environmental evaluation of its products showcasing the company's efforts to make things more energy efficient and use less (and less toxic) materials. To Apple, walking the walk is more important than talking the talk.
Zipcar, Tweetie 2, EyeTV iPhone apps have us titillated: It seems like a big week for iPhone app news, and we're not talking about those heaps of crappy apps. Zipcar and EyeTV are out, Tweetie 2 is on the way, and all three seem to be worth a look.
Apple inspiration behind Light Peak optical connection: Apple talked Intel into developing the Light Peak optical interconnect standard, according to a new report. And it may have plans to roll out Light Peak across its entire product like within a year or two, possibly forgoing USB3 or eSATA altogether.
Poll Technica: iPhone dropped calls—is 30% normal? Defensible? Apple Geniuses claim that a 30 percent call rate is "normal" in New York City. We want to know: how often does your iPhone drop calls, and do you consider that level "normal," or even acceptable?
Zdroj: arstechnica.com