According to AppleInsider, iChat 4.0 (to be included with Mac OS 10.5 "Leopard") will include the capability to call traditional phone lines, much like existing VoIP top-dog Skype and betas from Microsoft and Google.
It should be noted that LoopRumors had previously mentioned this capability as early as March 21st in their fourth installment of information pertaining to Leopard. The site then reiterated its claims on June 21st, claiming that the information was coming from the same sources that gave their rather in-depth preview of Leopard.
We don't know whether AppleInsider's source is one of their more reliable sources, or whether it is a newer source that may be the same as LoopRumors. Going with the assumption, for now, that this is in fact a case of independent confirmation, then LoopRumors' other claims regarding Leopard may be more credible than at first thought.
Highlights of LoopRumors' Leopard Claims
- More transparancy
- Dashboard speed improvements
- Solid metal (iTunes 5+) theme throughout the user interface
- Tabbed iChat and whiteboarding
- Remote control access (VNC-like)
- Finder enhancements, including increased Spotlight integration
LoopRumors has previously been considered unreliable. Amongst the site's proven innacurate claims are that phones created through Apple's Motorola partnership would include light versions of other iApps, and that Apple's 30th birthday would be marked by a 30th anniversary Mac.
Update: Appleinsider informed us that their source of information is independent of LoopRumors' source/rumors.
