9to5mac received word from a reliable source at Foxconn in China “that indicated last summer that the iPhone 5 was not happening, and that Apple was building the iPhone 4S model instead”, and they are now saying that the iPhone 5 is now gearing for production. “The source said various sample devices are also floating around (they vary slightly from one another), so it is impossible to tell which one will be the final.” Check after the break for more details. » Next iPhone Ready For Production Launched This Summer [rumor]

Giving a little more back to the people who worked so hard to make Apple one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, Cook announced that Apple employees will soon be given $500 discounts on purchases of new Macs and $250 discounts on purchases of a new iPad. According to the sources this discount program will start somewhere in June 2012. » Starting In June Apple Employees Get $500 Off Macs, $250 Off iPads

Apple just emailed customers who pre-ordered the book “Inside Apple” from the iBookstore to let them know the book is now available to download and read. Those interested in downloading the book can do so from this direct link. The Amazon Kindle version can be found here. » Inside Apple In iBookStore: Book On How Apple Really Works

Geohot, the popular hacker made famous for contributions to the iPhone community and for hacking the Sony Playstation, has quit his job at Facebook, according to BusinessInsider. The hacker was spotted competing in a hackathon at Backplane, a startup funded by Lady Gaga. More info and video after the break. » Geohot Quits Working at Facebook, Competes in Backplane Hackathon [Video]

Last Friday the Chronic-Dev team release the long-awaited free unteathered jailbreak tool for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 called Absinthe. Absinthe is the Jailbreak tool for A5 devices (the newer faster devices including the iPhone 4S and iPad 2). Now the Dev Team announced that 1 million people jailbroke their A5 device in under three days. More Details and Absinthe jailbreak tutorial after the break. » Absinthe Installed Almost 1M Times In Just 3 Days [jailbreak]

The Netherlands is getting the first Apple Retails Store which will be build in Amsterdam and seems to be headed for a February 18 opening. “According to reports, much of the store staff is currently in training at the Amsterdam Hilton, while Geniuses have been trained at a number of UK stores“. In the picture after the break you can see the spiral glass staircase that customers will see front and center upon entering the two-level store. » First Dutch Apple Retail Store Will Open In Amsterdam Next Month

This is a demonstration of Hands-Free Control™! Once enabled, Hands-Free Control™ is always listening to you in a low-power standby mode. There is no setup or voice training required! Just install and it is immediately running and fully functional. Once it hears you speak the keyword, either Siri (on the iPhone 4S or via Spire) or Voice Control is activated. It works great with headphones and bluetooth headsets! » iPhone 4S Hands-Free Control For Siri Demonstration [jailbreak]