All Things Apple

New tablet magazine

2009-12-02T19:29:00.001-08:00

2009-03-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

Apple Has a Virus

2008-12-03T22:17:00.001-08:00

Following a flurry of arguably unwarranted media attention, Apple has removed an online help document that advised customers to use multiple antivirus products to keep their computers secure. However, a company spokesman still sees value in antivirus software for the Mac.
"We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate," an Apple spokesman said in an e-mailed statement. "The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box. However, since no system can be 100% immune from every threat, running antivirus software may offer additional protection."

kick it girl

2008-10-05T13:59:00.001-07:00

"Piper Jaffray analyst (and strong Apple bull) Gene Munster told Cult of Mac Tuesday that Apple must report strong sales of Macs during the quarter ending September 27th or "the importance of the new Mac increases substantially." Munster believes that Apple will introduce redesigned notebooks, including a sub-$1,000 MacBook. I've written previously about the importance of a sub-$1,000 MacBook for Apple.

In an investor's note, Munster wrote that Apple is likely to introduce lower-priced products after the company warned of upcoming "new, lower margin products" which haven't yet materialized. "The product changes we have seen thus far do not warrant such a dramatic decrease in margins."

Apple has historically guided expectations lower, but Munster called guidance for 31 percent margins "conservative" and said those numbers were being used to reduce expectations for the latest quarter and for the holidays. Apple warned its quarters would be 31.5 percent in Q3 but that number ended up being significantly higher at 34.8 percent.

Apple's fourth quarter results will be announced after the end of trading Tuesday October 21. Rumors are flying that peg October 14th as the date for new MacBook introductions, but those aren't confirmed yet."

2008-10-05T13:58:00.002-07:00

Fring has released the iPhone version of their service today as a free download in the App Store.Fring allows you to chat and interact with others on a variety of networks including Skype, MSN, GoogleTalk, AIM, Yahoo, Twitter, and ICQ. In addition, Fring offers Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) using the iPhone's Wi-Fi connection. Features listed include:• VoIP (Voice) Calls over WiFi• Instant Messaging• Integrated dynamic contact list  with real-time contact availability• SIP integration• Multiple Connection typesFring supports SkypeOut and SIP which allows you to make calls to landline and mobile phones. Some charges may apply depending on the type of call and plan. Fring is available as a free download in the App Store. (App Store Link)Steve Jobs had said that VoIP calls over Wi-Fi was allowable in the App Store when the iPhone SDK was first released. Fring should also work with the new iPod touch, which supports an external microphone.Update: Some are confused about the benefits of fring. One user details some of the features:- Can call directly using iPhone to another person with iPhone running Fring- Call MSN or Skype users that are using their computer- Call using Skype account, which allows you to have your own Skype number and at a discount rate for international calls- Receive phone calls using Skype with your own custom Skype number- Basic chat functions with most chat platforms, such as AIM, Yahoo and ICQ

2008-10-05T13:58:00.001-07:00

Apple Troubles

2008-10-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

"Yesterday, Apple's stock price took a huge hit based on their revised growth estimates, and their weak outlook in a poor US economy. Apple relies on a strong medium to high end consumer market to profit from their notebook and desktop lines. Though this gives them strong control in a niche market, this surely will hurt them at a time when discretionary spending will go down. As the phone market gets more and more saturated iPhone sales will slow hurting Apple's bottom line. Apple is severely lacking an enterprise business and they are not able to sell notebooks to businesses due to their costs and that they are not universally compatible.

People who don't see Apples niche market as a weakness do not understand the tech industry. In the US growth has slowed for these companies and they rely on emerging market growth to pick up the slack. For an emerging market, Apple's products are over-valued and frankly people in emerging markets are not willing to pay so much for a system that they probably don't need. Companies like HP and Lenovo which have low-end machines are dominant in this market; therefore, enabling them to survive through tough economic times. The second problem, relating to Apple's lack of exposure in a commercial environment, deprives them from crucial services revenue during an economic contraction. The few businesses that do use Apple products internally are less likely to upgrade or replace any hardware."

How To Build A Great iPhone App - Forbes.com

2008-09-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

The problem is, if applications aren't easy to use, they won't have a future. The phone only has a limited amount of memory. In addition, too many unused applications will only make the phone harder to get around. "Novelty increases people's tolerance for unusable things," says Dave Yeats, a senior research scientist at Perceptive. "As they use it and the novelty wears off, some of these usability problems will start to be more irritating."

Even when an iPhone has the capability to do something, some applications tap that feature better than others--a situation that can vex some users. For instance, some applications are tuned to be exquisitely sensitive to the phone's accelerometer. Tilt the phone just a hair in some applications and a game character, for example, might go flying off the screen. Other applications, such as a free game called "Tilt Snake," aren't sensitive enough. "You had to almost hold your phone upside down and shake it to get the snake to turn," Yeats says.
The iPhone's original applications typically relied on the same cues for navigating through a program. Not so with the hundreds of newbie apps. "Things that were typically on the top would go to the bottom," Thornton says. "Now there is more variation out there."

Shortcuts are another thing Apple does well. For example, when a user pulls up the keyboard to type in a URL on their gadget, it includes a button marked ".com" that saves them four taps. "They just put themselves in the users' shoes to think about what the user is doing at a particular moment," Yeats says.

The solution, according to Thornton, is to study the applications Apple has crafted for the phone and to copy their structure. One of Apple's best tricks, Thornton says, is to use visual cues to help users figure out what to do next. For example, when a phone goes into sleep mode, an animated slider bar draws users' attention to what they have to do to wake the phone up.

"It's a simple thing like letting your user know where they are at all times," says Yeats. "When your screen is so small, you have to let users know where they are at all times."

And if you're lost on how to help your users find their way, just crack open one of Apple's applications and see how it does it.

apple

2008-08-31T02:24:00.001-07:00

An obituary for Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs was mistakenly published by Bloomberg News on Thursday, according to several reports.
The stock story detailing the death of the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) founder, who is still alive, appeared “momentarily” after a reporter had updated it, Bloomberg said. The incomplete obit was distinctly marked “Hold for release — Do not use,” the reports said
Following is the opening paragraph as it appeared on the Bloomberg wire:
“Steve Jobs, who helped make personal computers as easy to use as telephones, changed the way animated films are made, persuaded consumers to tune into digital music and refashioned the mobile phone, has XXXX. He was TK. Jobs XXXX, TK said XXXXX.”
Bloomberg, which was founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and prides itself on its accuracy and transparency, later published a note acknowledging the story's retraction on its wire.
“An incomplete story referencing Apple Inc. was inadvertently published by Bloomberg News at 4:27 p.m. New York time today,” the message read. “The item was never meant for publication and has been retracted.”

Apple hits 3 million iPhone's sold in its debut month - Aug. 11, 2008

2008-08-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

"Talk about your summer scorchers.
One month after its debut, Apple's new iPhone has hit the 3 million sold mark, according to analyst Michael Cote of the Cote Collaborative.
'They are seeing unprecedented demand,' says Cote, adding that there appears to be no signs of a let up yet. Cote, a former T-Mobile executive, has been extremely accurate with wireless predictions in the past.
An Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) spokesperson declined to comment on Cote's projections."

2008-08-08T01:32:00.001-07:00

"Eight iPhone owners have joined an elite clan: Their gadget is running a program that cost nearly $1,000.

When the iPhone first hit the market in June 2007, those who paid the $499 entry price -- and signed the two-year AT&T contract -- owned a status symbol. A year later, we have the iPhone 3G, Apple Inc.'s speedier, sleeker and, most important, less expensive smart phone, which introduced a section for downloading third-party applications.

Now that the phone is affordable enough for a wider audience, a new status symbol has emerged: a seemingly useless application called I Am Rich.

Its function is exactly what the name implies: to alert people that you have money in the bank. I Am Rich was available for purchase from the phone's App Store for, get this, $999.99 -- the highest amount a developer can charge through the digital retailer, said Armin Heinrich, the program's developer."

dem apples

2008-08-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

iphone

2008-07-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

Apple - iPhone- 7/5/07
iPhone 3G combines three products in one - a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device. It features 3G, built-in GPS, ...www.apple.com/iphone/

2008-07-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

2008-07-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

One Million IPhones Sold. Did Apple Mess Up?
Wired News - 9 hours agoBy Charlie Sorrel July 15, 2008 12:45:08 PMCategories: Apple, iPhone After the initial weekend blowout, you'd think that all things iPhone would be ...

Apple says a million iPhones were sold in three days Newsday

iPhone 3G lives up to the hype CNN International

iPhone 3G lives up to the hype Detroit Free Press

iPhone 3G debut tops 1 million

2008-07-14T23:20:00.001-07:00

Apple Sells One Million Of New iPhone in 3 Days

Wall Street Journal - 2 hours agoAnd new software was released for the old iPhone, which required reactivation of those devices. The iPhone 3G was introduced simultaneously in 21 countries, ...

Can I Resist the iPhone 3G? Slate

Glitches mar debut of iPhone Dallas Morning News

Apple Sells One Million 3G iPhones First Weekend. Ten Million ... Washington Post

2008-07-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

11 cool new apps for the iPhone
Computerworld, MA - 1 hour agoBy Michael DeAgonia July 14, 2008 (Computerworld) With the release of the iPhone 2.0 software on Friday and the opening of the App Store -- where hundreds ...
With the new 3G iPhone an explosion of apps development

2008-07-12T20:17:00.001-07:00

"Early reviews on the iPhone 3G are trickling in, and it looks sweet. It's a little bit faster and a little bit better than the first-generation iPhone. But it's not a breakthrough device. If you already have an iPhone in your pocket, you'll want to think hard about whether to shell out to upgrade.
If you already own an iPhone -- or an iPod Touch -- you'll get the best feature of the iPhone 3G on Friday, delivered to you discreetly by tiny little invisible elves wearing soft-soled shoes. Or, rather, it'll be pushed out to you over the Internet when Apple updates the firmware on existing devices to the iPhone 2.0 operating system, which permits running third-party apps. The software is free for iPhone users, $9.99 for users of the Touch.
What do you get if you spring for the iPhone 3G hardware? Access to the 3G network, of course -- but only if you live in one of the 280 U.S. cities now served by AT&T (NYSE: T) 3G, with AT&T expecting to broaden coverage to 350 cities by year end. A friend who's considering buying the iPhone 3G lives in Iowa -- that whole state isn't served by 3G. The New York Times's David Pogue notes that 10 states don't have any 3G coverage at all."

U.K. demand for iPhone 3G halts O2 preorders | One More Thing - CNET News.com

2008-07-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

"If the online demand for the iPhone 3G in the U.K. is any indication, Apple, O2, and U.S. carrier AT&T could be in for a long weekend.
O2, the U.K. carrier of the iPhone, had hoped to deflect some of the expected demand for Apple's new iPhone, scheduled to launch Friday, by taking preorders for the phone. It sent text messages to existing O2 customers Monday morning informing them of a chance to upgrade to the iPhone 3G. But that prompt overwhelmed O2's Web site Monday, forcing the carrier to halt the upgrade process just minutes after it began, according to a report in The Register. The carrier was likewise forced to pull a separate preordering system for new customers."

Average iPod Has 800-Plus Illegal Tunes

2008-07-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

"The average iPod has more than 800 illegally downloaded songs on it, according to research commissioned by British Music Rights. The group is seeking ways to make illegal downloading less appealing by creating alternatives, such as subscription services."

Apple 3G is here. FINALLY

2008-06-09T22:36:00.001-07:00

"Steven P. Jobs, chief executive of Apple, introduced a new cheaper iPhone model that navigates the Internet more quickly, expanded its distribution overseas and displayed a range of new applications and services in order to establish Apple as a major player in the cellphone industry."

"Apple, the maker of consumer electronics and computer equipment, had set a goal of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008, which would establish it as one of the major smartphone makers in the less than two years since it began shipping the original iPhone. Apple has sold six million phones globally since its introduction.
Analysts said that Mr. Jobs, one of the world’s best product marketers, had largely accomplished what he set out to do and they welcomed the moves he outlined in a presentation before software developers on Monday.
“This is the phone that has changed phones forever,” Mr. Jobs said.
Mr. Jobs said the new iPhone 3G, to be available in the United States through AT&T beginning on July 11, will sell for $199 for the 8-gigabyte model and $299 for a 16-gigabyte model. He said the biggest barrier to people buying the phone had been price. "

apple-grade.jpg (JPEG Image, 463x354 pixels)

2008-05-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

asdfasfaslkja;fjwiej

Verify or Claim All Things Apple - MyBlogLog

2008-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

Bloomberg.com: Research In Motion Unveils Speedier BlackBerry, Beating IPhone

2008-05-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled a BlackBerry phone with quicker Web browsing and more room for songs and videos, getting a jump on a faster iPhone that analysts expect next month.
The device, called the BlackBerry Bold, has a brighter screen and better Web browser than previous models, co-Chief Executive Officer James Balsillie said in an interview. The phone, which also has satellite navigation and a video camera, will start selling at AT&T Inc. for $300 to $400 this summer in the U.S., he said."

14918_large.jpg (JPEG Image, 350x399 pixels)

2008-05-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

14918_large.jpg (JPEG Image, 350x399 pixels)

Slashdot | Apple, New York City In Legal Dispute Over Logo

2008-04-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

"Apple, Inc. has filed a suit to prevent New York City's non-profit 'GreeNYC' initiative from using a logo that incorporates an apple in its design. Commentators have noted the substantial differences between the two designs, not to mention the irony of this sort of infringement apple big micsrosft claim. The city of New York has filed to have the claim rejected, and even possibly the cancellation of Apple's logo in light of the long history of the nickname 'The Big Apple' to describe the city.""

Apple rumors run wild, slow news day confirmed | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

2008-03-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

"When it comes to writing about Apple, deciding what you should and should not cover can be tricky.

You can take the machine gun approach: Anything said, written, rumored, or signaled via smoke should be dutifully blogged with a hint of snark and just enough insight to make readers think, "Heeeeeeey, that fella must know the inside dope." This, unfortunately, is what most of the tech press (mea culpa: sometimes including CNET) following Apple does these days. If you don't give readers their Apple fix, the other guys will."

steve jobz

2008-03-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

Apple commits to June iPhone release, 10M units in 2008

2008-03-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

"Development of the iPhone is keeping up its pace, and Apple says their June release date is on schedule. Some concerns arose when they mentioned not too long ago that the Leopard release for OS X would be delayed to push development of the iPhone up, leading some to believe that perhaps both projects might end up not meeting their deadlines. It's quite common for releases to be pushed back (we're looking at you, R600), but Apple is committed: From the beginning, Apple said that the iPhone would ship in June of this year and would be a Cingular Wireless (AT&T Wireless) exclusive phone. Late last month, an unofficial launch date of June 11 was reported by CNET. The launch would coincide with Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco which is slated to run from June 11 through June 15. A timely release is important for them, especially considering they are planning to have sold at least 10 million units by the end of next year. At $499-599 a pop, that might be difficult. "

Gates

2008-03-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

iFund

2008-03-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

"KPCB’s iFund™ is a $100M investment initiative that will fund market-changing ideas and products that extend the revolutionary new iPhone and iPod touch platform. The iFund™ is agnostic to size and stage of investment and will invest in companies building applications, services and components. Focus areas include location based services, social networking, mCommerce (including advertising and payments), communication, and entertainment. The iFund™ will back innovators pursuing transformative, high-impact ideas with an eye towards building independent durable companies atop the iPhone / iPod touch platform.
"A revolutionary new platform is a rare and prized opportunity for entrepreneurs, and that's exactly what Apple has created with iPhone and iPod touch," said John Doerr, Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. "We think several significant new companies will emerge as this new platform evolves, and the iFund™ will empower them to realize their full potential."
"Developers are already bursting with ideas for the iPhone and iPod touch, and now they have the chance to turn those ideas into great companies with the help of world-class venture capitalists," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We can't wait to start working with Kleiner Perkins and the companies they fund through this new initiative."
The iFund™ will be managed by KPCB Partner Matt Murphy in collaboration with partners Chi-Hua Chien, John Doerr, Bill Joy, Randy Komisar, Ellen Pao and Ted Schlein. Apple will provide KPCB with market insight and support. "

Apple Is Transparent in Bid To Broaden iPhone's Reach - WSJ.com

2008-03-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

"Apple Inc.'s iPhone boasts the power of a computer under its metallic-and-glass shell, including a stripped-down version of the software that runs Apple's Macintosh computers. Soon independent software makers will be able to harness that power themselves, in a development that could broaden the iPhone's appeal."

"Apple has invited the media to an event Thursday at the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, where it plans to present an "iPhone software roadmap." One of the event's highlights will be a software-development kit that will let independent programmers build iPhone applications, according to Apple's invitation.

Since the iPhone made its debut in June, software developers have bridled over how Apple hasn't allowed them to create programs that could tap into the device's full potential. To prevent viruses that could wreak havoc on the gadget, Apple has only allowed developers to make software that runs through the iPhone's Safari Web browser, but not more full-featured "native" applications that users could download and store on their phones.

In plain English, that means iPhone users have been stuck with hobbled software from independent developers. Although the applications that run through its Web browser are more secure, they can't be accessed when users are away from a wireless network."

TTD: Apple COO Cook Confirms Forecast For 10 Million iPhone Sales In 2008; Stock Jumps After Hours (Updated)

2008-02-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

"Apple (AAPL) shares are making a nice move after hours, apparently in response to a talk COO Tim Cook gave a little while ago at the Goldman Sachs tech conference in Las Vegas. I’m trying to track down a transcript or a playback; no luck so far. However, the talk was covered by live by MacDailyNews, which will have to do for now. (Update: I listened to the call, and can confirm that he said it.)
(A spokesman for Apple tells me that a playback should be on the Apple IR web site soon; I will add a link once they have it live.)
Update: There is a link here; I can’t seem to get it to work through our fire wall, but I’ll try it again from another spot shortly; please let me know if you successfully launch the replay.A few tidbits from the MacDailyNews account:
He was bullish on Mac: “huge headroom,” iPhone: “enormous potential,” iPod: “transforming into first mobile platform” with the Touch, and AppleTV “potential exists for enormous opportunity.”
Lower price on Shuffle should help sales in emerging markets.
To Apple, iPod does not feel like a saturated market.
On track for 10 million iPhones in 2008.
iPhone unlocking shows pent-up worldwide demand.
Did not rule out selling unlocked iPhones; will roll out in more markets.
In after hours trading, Apple is up $4.54, or 3.7%, to $127.50; the stock was up $3.81 in the regular session.
UPDATE: So, the link works fine. And MacDailyNews did a pretty nice summary of the call; the confirmation on the iPhone sales goal is correct.
Here are some additional tidbits:
Cook said they can grow the Mac even if the PC market were flat, since the target is to switch Windows users over. He says the AppleTV market is not is the same realm as its other three businesses, but that “our gut” tells us there is something there.
On exposure to the consumer economy, Cook says he’s “stopped watching TV, totally…except for AppleTV, where I can watch the movie of my choice.”
On possible saturation of the iPod, he notes that units grew 5% year over year in the December quarter, with 17% growth in revenue, the highest in a year. Cook notes that he put energy into the launch of the Touch, to extend brand into being the first mainstream WiFi mobile device. They added to that with new mail and other software. The SDK next week will broaden it further. Shuffle did not do as well last quarter. Shuffle was down 17% globally, and more than that in the U.S. Shuffle pulled units down; Touch pulled ASP up. They, of course, took down the price of the Shuffle recently. Dropping entry price makes it more affordable to more buyers. Last quarter in U.S. 40% of iPods sold were to people who did not own one previously…does not feel like a saturated market, he said. Although units were flat in the U.S. Part could be the economy, part the Shuffle issue; part could be other issues.
The iPhone has the highest customer “sat” of any product ever shipped. They will talk about third party apps for the iPhone at the event next week.
On the difference between the activated phones and the total number sold - the missing iPhones - he says Apple has rolled out iPhone in four markets - U.S., U.K., Germany and France. Then they will apply learnings to future markets. The 4 million units over first 200 units gave confidence they are right on track for 10 million units in 2008 - as noted above. Demand for iPhone is so intense in markets where we are not officially selling, people are shipping them out of the country and using on other carriers. Shows a lot of world wide demand. He also says some phones sold late last year were not immediately registered.
He says they will roll out more European countries this year, and will roll out Asia this year. He also says they could use different business models in different markets. Carriers see it as a way to raise ARPU, a revolutionary device that gets people interested in using data. How many people really browse on a phone if they don’t use an iPhone: not that many, he says.
Apple in 2007 surpassed Dell as the number one supplier of portables PCs to the education market.
Target market for the air Air? Road warriors, professors, student, person on the go. We put the things in there that we think people really desired.
AppleTV: right now it IS a small nichey product. But we believe it is an area that could be big for us. But its not now."

Jimmy Kimmel is Fucking Ben Affleck!

2008-02-26T06:50:00.001-08:00

Apple wont sell 10m units

2008-02-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

"Before January, 2007, the last time Steve Jobs made a prediction based on hard numbers was June, 2003. The number then was 3Ghz in a Power Mac G5 within a year, but a year later, Jobs was forced to admit failure. A year after that, he fired IBM as Apple's CPU manufacturer. One wonders who will be fired this time if Apple fails to sell 10 million iPhones in 2008. MarketWatch reports on a conference call with Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi, who suggests that Apple may not make its goal.

"Apple's goal of selling 10 million iPhones this year is optimistic, particularly if Apple insists on carrier revenue sharing without significant price cuts or new model introductions," Sacconaghi said.

While there are a lot of 'ifs' in that prediction, there are also some numbers behind it. Sacconaghi asserts that iPhone sales averaged 180,000 per week during the busy holiday quarter. Going by that baseline, he expects Apple to sell just under 8 million iPhones in 2008. If measuring sales of iPhones were a linear process, that might be true, but there are several unknowables to ponder, the most salient being whether iPhone sales are accelerating the way iPod sales once did. iPhone sales more than doubled from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2007. Continued growth like that would make 10 million iPhones in 2008 a low-end estimate. However, if iPhone sales spiked like iPod sales do during the holiday quarter, then there might be a problem, as even sales averaging 180,000 per week will fall short of 10 million iPhones in 2008.

Of course, as the chart shows, there are a number of events that might boost sales of iPhones, and there may be one other factor to consider: the ego of Steve Jobs. After all, it's not like he can fire AT&T from the remaining four years of the companies' exclusivity agreement. That leaves new models and/or a price drop as potential boosters of iPhone sales in 2008. With a gross margin as high as 60 percent, there is a lot of room to drop the price. If and when that happens will likely be determined by how well the iPhone does in making the numbers, but you can bet Steve Jobs isn't going to be wrong again. Well, that and the fact that the stock of the company would suffer considerably with the realization that the iPhone was not the Next Great Thing™.

Google Sees Surge in iPhone Traffic - New York Times

2008-01-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Of all the iPhone’s features, none had reviewers gushing more than its Internet browser. It was the first cellphone browser that promised something resembling the experience of surfing the Internet on a PC. Santa helped deliver on that promise.

» Apple rolls out new eight-core Mac Pro, Xserve refresh | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

2008-01-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

Apple on Tuesday unveiled its latest Mac Pro, which the company claims is its fastest ever with eight processor cores standard.

The Mac Pro definitely sounds like it pops a wallop. Here are the details:

Two Intel 45 nanometer quad core Xeon processors running up to 3.2 Ghz–each

processor has 12 MB of L2 cache;
Up to 4 TB internal storage;
1600 MHz front side buses and up to 32 GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM;
ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256 MB of GDDR3 memory.
Add it up and Apple claims a 61 percent increase in memory throughput based on preproduction testing. The full footnote provided in Apple’s statement is as follows:
Testing conducted by Apple in December 2007 using a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz quad-core Mac Pro. All systems were configured with 4GB of RAM. Results are based on the STREAM v. 5.6 benchmark (http://www.cs.virginia.edu/stream/ref.html) using OMP support for multiprocessor-compiled builds. All systems were configured with 8GB of RAM. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac Pro.
The new Mac Pro starts at $2,799, but build to order systems will run you more. Apple also touted the Mac Pro’s expansion capabilities. There are four internal hard drive bays with direct-attach, cable free installation of four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives. If you’re a video, content, creative professional type you’re probably salivating. And if you’re not a creative professional you’ll probably still want one (at least I do).
Separately, Apple rolled out its latest Xserve rack server. The Xserve starts at $2,999 and has up to two quad-core Xeon processors. An unlimited client license to Mac OS X Server Leopard is included. Here are the standard specs:
a single 64-bit 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Xeon processor with 12MB of L2 cache and a 1600 Mhz front side bus;
2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM RAM, expandable up to 32GB;
a single 80GB SATA Apple Drive Module;
dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board;
internal graphics;
two FireWire 800 and three USB 2.0 ports; and
an unlimited client license for Mac OS X Server version 10.5 Leopard.

First Apple-Authorized Tablet Mac Shipped -- Apple -- InformationWeek

2008-01-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

Axiotron has released to retailers its Apple-authorized tablet Mac, which targets artists and design-oriented professionals.

Tech Startups 3.0: New York Times: Inside Apple Stores, a Certain Aura Enchants the Faithful

2007-12-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

"Apple now derives 20 percent of its revenue from its physical stores. And the number is growing. In the fourth quarter in 2007, which ended Sept. 30, Apple reported that the retail stores accounted for $1.25 billion of Apple’s $6.2 billion in revenues, a 42 percent increase over the fourth quarter in 2006.Apple stores generate sales at the rate of about $4,000 per square foot a year, according to a report last year by Sanford C. Bernstein analysts.As other electronics makers like Dell, Nokia and Sony still struggle to find the right retail formula, Apple seems to have perfected it."

Merry Xmas and Happy iPhone!

2007-12-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

Analysis: The many faces of Apple advertising

2007-12-13T20:52:00.001-08:00

"Among technology companies, Apple is often perceived to have something that the likes of rivals Dell, Microsoft, and Hewlett-Packard lack—that indefinable element of cool. Apple carefully cultivates a specific image for itself, and a cornerstone of those efforts is its advertising, especially the 30-second spots that air on television.
“Apple has long history of exceptional advertising, starting with 1984,” said Ross Rubin, director of analysis at NPD Group, referring to the iconic Super Bowl commercial that introduced the Macintosh to the world.
Hoag Levins, executive producer of AdAge.com, agrees, calling advertising a “core pillar” of Apple’s strategy: “It’s bringing in new people to Apple products.”
And these days, there are plenty of Apple products for that growing audience to consider. In the past year, Apple has added another major product line—the iPhone—to its existing Mac and iPod offerings. While all three of these product areas share common qualities—namely, style and ease of use—Apple and its advertising agency take very different approaches to get that message across.
Despite their differences, Apple ads have in common at least one major advantage over many competitors’ commercials: regardless of whether you love or hate the spots, you’ll likely remember them, and that’s the first step to building a successful image.
Hello, I’m a Mac
Apple’s current campaign for the Mac, “Get a Mac,” conveys just as simple and straightforward a message as the name would suggest. It’s a deliberate attempt to appeal to the vast majority of computer users who, as Apple sees it, are using a Windows machine either because they aren’t aware they have an alternative, or because they’re nursing some erroneous preconceptions about Macs."

iPhone/iPod Touch-specific sites

2007-10-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

"I was trying out surfing on the iTouch (which, despite the vaguely scandalous nature of the nickname, is what I insist on calling it - iPod Touch is a bit kludgy) and went to one of my favorite sites, iLounge (which is the best all-around site for the iPod geek subculture). I was surprised by the first page that came up. Apparently it had detected I was using the new iPod and it invited me to surf the site on iPhone/iPod Touch-specific pages. Oooh.

So I went, and it showed me a portrait-mode Music menu-type of implementation which was all flickable text. Touch an item and it went to that redone article in the Phone/Touch manner of navigation."

Thin Apple notebooks may come clad in black aluminum

2007-09-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

"A new line of Apple notebooks believed to be nearing release have been spotted in both black and traditional aluminum enclosures, according to a new report.The systems are said to be thinner than the company's existing MacBook and MacBook Pro offerings, while also sporting a more compact footprint that includes a thinner display bezel. Outside of this information, details appear to be scarce. It's not entirely clear whether the notebooks are part of an upcoming revision to Apple's consumer-oriented MacBook line or are simply one-and-the same with the much rumored "ultra-portable" design first detailed back in February.The latter systems are expected to include L.E.D-backlit 13-inch LCD panels, on-board NAND flash (for faster application launching and boot times), and lack a traditional optical disc drive.It's believed that Apple had originally intended to launch the slimmer notebook line alongside its next-generation Leopard operating system back in June, but subsequently pushed the release out to "late 2007 or early 2008" when Leopard's expected release date slipped to October. "

Unlocking an iPhone

2007-09-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Unlocking an iPhone

http://www.macworld.com/2007/09/secrets/iphone_sim_unlocking/index.php
Take advantage of hacking techniques to use non-AT&T SIM cards
By Cyrus Farivar
If you’re one of the million people who’ve purchased an iPhone since the end of June, you probably signed up with Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T, when you activated your phone. That means your iPhone identifies itself to AT&T’s network using an AT&T SIM card, a smart card that’s located in a small tray between your iPhone’s sleep/wake button and its recessed headphone jack.

But what if you’re planning a trip to Europe and rather than paying AT&T to use the networks of its European partners, you want to take advantage of the favorable rates and local phone numbers offered by replacing your AT&T SIM card with a pre-paid European card? Or what if you’d prefer to use T-Mobile as your cellular provider, rather than AT&T?
In the past month several groups have announced that they’ve found a way to “unlock” the iPhone, allowing it to use a SIM card from any provider. (Keep in mind that this is only half the story: the iPhone uses the GSM radio band for its communications, meaning that it’ll only work with providers that use the GSM network. In the U.S., that means T-Mobile and AT&T.)
In August, a group of hackers demonstrated a method for unlocking SIM cards and sold its software to resellers, who in turn began selling it to the public for as much as $100 last week.
But another group has came up with its own hack that, with the help of some free, open-source software, lets you unlock your iPhone in about an hour, free of charge. Below, I’ll show you how it works — and it does work, because I’ve used this technique to unlock my own phone. (One important caveat: Certain AT&T-only features, such as Visual Voicemail, will not work when you’re connected to other cellular networks.)
Before we get started, you’ll want to disable the iTunes helper application that may get in the way of the installation. Make sure iTunes is not running, then open OS X’s Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder of the Applications folder. Search for or scroll down to iTunes Helper, select it, and then click on the Quit Process button in the top left of the screen. You’ll also need your iPhone, your data cable, and a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet.
(If you haven’t already activated your iPhone with AT&T—and aren’t planning to—you need to conduct a fake activation. To do this, you’ll need to follow the excellent instructions at ModMyiPhone and download and install a program called iNdependence.)
Install AppTapp
Apple doesn’t support the installation of third-party applications on the iPhone, but the enterprising developers at NullRiver have created a program called AppTapp that will let you install including chat clients, games, and other pieces of software — including those that are needed to unlock your iPhone. (For more detailed instructions on using AppTapp, see our iPhone Hacking Kit.)
Download and install AppTapp. Once you run the program, the first thing it will do is ask what version of the firmware you’re running. If you’ve just updated your iPhone, you probably have Firmware 1.0.2—select that and click on Continue.
Assuming all goes well, you should get a screen that begins with the words: “Congratulations! You have successfully installed AppTapp Installer onto your iPhone.” You should then find a new application on the iPhone’s home screen called Installer.
The next instructions will require downloading some applications from the Internet to your iPhone—so make sure your iPhone is connected to a WiFi network. Launch the Installer program, and you’ll see a long list of various applications that you can install. Scroll down, then select and install—in order—Community Sources, BSD Subsystem and OpenSSH.
Perform the GSM Unlock
First, download and install Unlock.app, lockdownd, and Cyberduck.
Then go to the iPhone’s General settings and set Auto-Lock to Never. Next, you’ll need to get your iPhone’s IP address on your local network. To do this, go to Settings: Wi-Fi and click on the blue arrow next to the network that you’re connected too. Write down the IP address, as you’ll need it for later.
Now, open Cyberduck and click on the Open Connection button in the top left of the window. In the connection window, type the IP address that you just noted. Make sure that SFTP (SSH Secure File Transfer) is selected, and that you are using Port 22. For the username, type root, with the password of dottie.
Once connected, navigate from /private/var/root to the main directory by choosing the / item. Next, navigate to /usr/libexec and drag the file named lockdownd (the one you downloaded earlier) into it. It will ask if you want to overwrite the existing file—click on Continue to do so.
Now, in Cyberduck, drag the Unlock file from the Mac’s desktop into the /Applications folder at the top of the main window. Once that’s done, turn off your iPhone and remove the SIM card, then turn your iPhone back on and choose the application on your iPhone called Unlock.
Assuming everything went smoothly, there should be a white screen that says “All files found. Ready to go. Press Start.” Once you press start, it will take about 20 minutes for all the files to install.
The progress messages will appear at the top of the screen as it progress—once you see “Completed” then you’re finished. Insert a new SIM card of your choosing into your iPhone. Congratulations, you’ve just unlocked your iPhone!
(If you’re planning on using a T-Mobile SIM card in your iPhone, you’ll want to modify the iPhone’s settings. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the ModMyiPhone tutorial to make sure the settings you enter conform to your T-Mobile data plan.)
The aftermath
One Macworld editor tried this approach — minus the faux-activation step — on his iPhone and was able to insert a T-Mobile SIM card from a co-worker and get the iPhone up and running on the T-Mobile network, as if it were her phone.
(To swap SIM cards in your iPhone, insert an unfolded paper clip into the small hole in the top of the iPhone, next to the headphone jack. This will open the iPhone’s SIM card slot, allowing you to remove your AT&T card and replace it with a different one.)
We don’t know if future Apple iPhone updates will break this functionality. But if you’re about to embark on a European vacation, or if you avoid downloading those iPhone updates, this method will allow you to use the SIM cards of other cellular providers in your iPhone, provided that those providers also use the GSM cellular radio frequencies.
[Cyrus Farivar writes for MacUser, The Economist, National Public Radio, Slate, and others. He is proudly using his new iPhone on T-Mobile’s network in Oakland, California.]

Apple Issues $100 iPhone Credit With Restricting Conditions - Apple Unvarnished - InformationWeek

2007-09-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

"iPhone customers like myself have been waiting for details on how to receive the $100 credit we're entitled to. Apple finally released those details today and while I can't complain (since nobody forced me to buy the iPhone back in June), Apple's tactics are disappointing. Apple posted a notice on its Web site, saying that if you bought the iPhone before Aug. 22, you may be eligible for an instant $100 electronic credit toward the purchase of products at Apple's retail stores or its online store. Don't wait too long to claim it. Requests for the $100 credit must be submitted by Nov. 30, 2007. To receive credit, Apple tells you to complete the following steps:"

Valleywag: TheStreet.com is reporting that AT&T is paying unusually large fees to Apple

2007-07-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

"TheStreet.com is reporting that AT&T is paying unusually large fees to Apple in exchange for the right to sell the iPhone. The totals? $150 to $200 per phone, plus a $9 per user per month cut of the service fees. The upfront commission, which you can also think of as a discount on the true cost of the phone, is common in the industry and widely predicted; sharing service-fee revenue is something new. For Apple, which already plans to account for its iPhone hardware revenues evenly over the 24 months after a sale, this means that iPhone sales will juice revenues even more than expected. And for AT&T? It's getting a lot of high-tech, early adopter customers who wouldn't have gone to the carrier otherwise, but at the cost of setting a revenue-sharing precedent that will ruffle feathers in the wireless industry. Steve Jobs strikes a hard bargain. "

Sources: Apple set to grow iPhone family pre-holidays

2007-07-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

"Apple Inc. this fall plans to accelerate its assault on the 1 billion unit worldwide cell phone market with a second incarnation of its iPhone handset that will likely appeal to an even larger audience, AppleInsider has learned.

The move is believed to be part of a broader, all-out blitz on the consumer electronics sector this holiday shopping season, in which a staggering array of gadgets from the Cupertino-based firm is expected to leave would-be rivals confused and unable to react.

Bobbing for Glasses Humor

2007-07-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Referred by Brian @ The FeedCompany:

Apple to gather iPhone apps windfall - vnunet.com

2007-07-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

"Business applications for Apple’s iPhone are beginning to crop up.
NetSuite will from next month offer SuitePhone, an optimised version of its hosted business applications for the iPhone. SuitePhone will provide subscribers with a free add-on that makes NetSuite’s accounting, e-commerce and business management tools available on the mobile Safari browser."

Apple iPhone: Too much hype!

2007-06-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

From CNET REVIEW: "The good: The Apple iPhone has a stunning display, a sleek design, and an innovative multitouch user interface. Its Safari browser makes for a superb Web surfing experience, and it offers easy-to-use apps. As an iPod, it shines.

The bad: The Apple iPhone has variable call quality and lacks some basic features found in many cell phones, including stereo Bluetooth support and 3G compatibility. Integrated memory is stingy for an iPod, and you have to sync the iPhone to manage music content.

The bottom line: Despite some important missing features, a slow data network, and call quality that doesn't always deliver, the Apple iPhone sets a new benchmark for an integrated cell phone and MP3 player. "

wired.com: IPhone First Impressions: Not Worth The Money

2007-06-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

"The camera isn’t bad either and even does reasonably well in low light situations, though the images are only two megapixels so I wouldn’t expect to them to look all that great when enlarged.

The other small widgets all work just as you’d expect, weather, stocks, maps and more are all easy to navigate and work quite quickly so long as you have a wireless connection.

Turn off the wifi and revert to AT&T’s Edge network and you’ll find yourself seized with an uncontrollable desire to do this.

Final verdict: There’s no denying the wow factor, but overall the iPhone isn’t worth the money. For $300 I’d give it the thumbs up, but at $600 you’re better off with something else for half the price."

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/06/iphone-first-im.html

VentureBeat » iPhone is phooey..shoo

2007-06-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

VentureBeat » iPhone reviews are out — NYT says hype is merited: "Then there’s the small matter of typing. Tapping the skinny little virtual keys on the screen is frustrating, especially at first…The BlackBerry won’t be going away anytime soon."

Don't buy the iphone!

2007-06-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

"We have been testing the iPhone for two weeks, in multiple usage scenarios, in cities across the country. Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes adds steps to common functions."

CNN: iPhone plans start below $60

2007-06-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

"Service plans for the iPhone, the much-anticipated creation of Apple and AT&T Inc. slated for release at the crack of dawn Friday, will start at $59.99 per month, the companies announced Tuesday.
The three plans covering the Apple iPhone each will include unlimited data, 200 SMS text messages, rollover minutes and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling, as well as the first-ever unveiling of visual voicemail."

Goople: Will Google Eventually Buy Apple?

2007-06-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

"There’s a very long, worthwhile piece by the author John Heilemann on Apple (AAPL) in the latest issue of New York magazine. Among other things, Heilemann looks at the growing competition for Apple in the digital music business, and considers whether or not the iPhone will be a success. It also quotes an unnamed person asserting that - get this - Jobs might want to sell Apple to another very large company with which you are familiar.
“I think Google (GOOG) is going to buy Apple,” the unidentified person says. “It would be a victory for Apple; they’d get major-league partners, money and engineers. And it would be a victory for Steve - a huge win that lets him leave the stage.”
Heileman thinks, though, that in such a combination, Jobs would end up as CEO, or at least chairman."

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2007/06/18/will-google-eventually-buy-apple/

Pollstar: The iPhone Cometh

2007-06-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

"That's the day the world changes. The day the mute will talk, the deaf will hear and the lame will walk. It will be Christmas in June, New Year's in summer and Valentine's Day all rolled into one.
It's the day Apple's iPhone hits the streets."

News::Child Orders Apple Juice, Is Served Margarita

2007-06-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

News::Child Orders Apple Juice, Is Served Margarita: "The two-year-old was supposed to get apple juice to wash down his food at an Applebee's. Instead he was served a margarita. The child grew drowsy and started throwing up a few hours after drinking the cocktail.

Applebee's says it keeps the apple juice and margarita mix in identical plastic bottles -- leading to the mistake.

The child's mother says she 'wasn't going to make a big deal about it' until the child had to be rushed to the hospital. ACT Policing are testing the contents of the drink a popular sparkling apple juice to determine whether it contained a caustic substance.

They are also investigating the circumstances of the incident.
The toddler is fine now, and the company plans to reimburse the family's medical expenses."

Is iPhone out of business?

2007-06-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

"Jobs tells developers that for them, iPhone is purely a portable browser. Microsoft, Nokia, and RIM rejoice.

At Macworld Expo in January 2007, Steve Jobs told the crowd that Apple's upcoming mobile device, iPhone, runs OS X. I think that it's an easy and reasonable leap from that statement to the expectation that iPhone will be open to custom applications, an expectation that I held and which I'm sure many developers shared. A Unix phone with Apple's UI panache? Touch, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile phone in one device? I was ready to take a three month sabbatical from InfoWorld just to spelunk around inside iPhone's APIs and its OS X core."

iLounge updates "everything iPod" guide, now with Apple TV and iPhone

2007-06-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

"With less than 24 hours to go before Steve Jobs (hopefully) regales us all with more details on Apple's newest and most expensive iPod, it's worth remembering that there are still iPods out there that only play music and video, for pete's sake. In fact, some of them don't even play video. How are you supposed to keep on top of which model does what? "

MacDailyNews - Accessories makers prep for Apple iPhone launch

2007-06-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

"Accessories makers are placing big bets on the iPhone [and] their payoff could be relatively huge, if the $1 billion a year spent on Apple iPod accessories is any indication," Ben Charny reports for MarketWatch.

"Yet despite their importance, Marware and other accessories makers say they began crafting iPhone items without the benefit of actually seeing the device. Apple, however, did release some basic specs about the iPhone in February, which made the process a bit easier," Charny reports.

"The accessories makers, for the most part, operate independently of Apple, which raises their risk even more. Apple only requires that accessories with the phrase 'works with iPhone' on the packaging first be approved by Apple. But in order to speed their goods to market, several accessories makers say they will go without the "'works with iPhone' on their packaging," Charny reports."

IBD: iPod's Been Mostly Virus-Free, But Hackers Might Be Lurking

2007-06-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

"One downside to developing a successful electronics product such as the Apple (AAPL) iPod is that it often becomes a bull's-eye that hackers try to hit.
'Hackers have big egos and their main goal is to get their work into the newspaper,' said Peter Lindstrom, an analyst at market research firm the Burton Group.
Newspapers are attracted by firsts, and in April security supplier Kaspersky Lab discovered the first virus designed to infect Apple's iPod portable media players. The virus, named Podloso, was more of a proof-of-concept program than malware, or malicious software, designed to bounce rapidly from device to device."

Is iPhone Just a Widescreen iPod That Makes Calls? - PMP Today

2007-06-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

"Even to diehard Apple fans, Steve Job’s 10 million iPhones in 2008 or one per cent of the entire mobile phone market is a i needed holds on my team or more good startingh pitchers. he's got great obp. someone gethim

if u have a good starting pitch i'll trade u either of my 2 bench playrs.wynn or mark reynolds (having an amazing yrs ambitious as it gets. Even if ten million people in the world can afford to put up $500 for an iPhone, there’s the AT&T exclusivity, which brings 56 million AT&T subscribers into the Apple iPhone market. But imagining even a tenth of a provider’s clients going over to one phone brand and one phone model is difficult. My own prediction? Why buy a product no matter how attractive when every other person on the street already has one."

YouTube - Macworld Boston 1997-The Microsoft Deal

2007-05-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Together at last / Tech titans Bill Gates and Steve Jobs appear on the same stage for the first time in 20 years at the All Things Digital conference

2007-05-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

"For 30 years, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have dominated the technology industry, often on opposite sides, each legitimately laying claim to many of the innovations that are now commonplace in today's computers.
After all the feuds, the rapprochements and the big business that continues to this day, the two tech titans, now elder statesmen, came together Wednesday night on a public stage for the first time in 20 years.
Gates, the co-founder and chairman of Microsoft Corp., and Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple Inc., appeared together at the D: All Things Digital conference at the posh Four Seasons resort in this coastal city.
The conversation had the feel of a front-porch reminiscence in a retirement home as each man reflected on the early days of computing. "

Steve Jobs Commencement

2007-05-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Zune Still Under 1 Million in Sales But Better Than First iPod - PMP Today

2007-05-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

"So we got it wrong, along with the rest of the tech blogging world and a bunch of very respected print publication. Zune went over a million only through a mis-transcription by The San Francisco Chronicle. Robbie Bach didn’t say that Mcrosoft has sold over a million Zunes already since November. What he said was, “When we finish our fiscal year in June we’ll have sold a little over a million Zunes, so we feel very good about that.”"

Zune beating Ipod

2007-05-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

"When Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) released the Zune digital music player last November, there were inklings that the company who could challenge Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iPod dominance had finally arrived. The splintered digital music universe of a zillion companies making MP3 music players was a dizzying array of incompatibilities and cheaply-made junk that gave Apple no challenge in creating an complete "music ecosystem" that has made it the undisputed champion in the digital music player arena.So, when Microsoft's Zune was launched, the company was attempting to compete with Apple head-on with nicely-designed products and a complete set of online music download tools that would attempt to re-create and complete Apple iPod experience -- but from Microsoft. Its Zune music and media player had a few features the iPod lacked -- like WiFi wireless networking -- but limited the usability of some of those advanced features as to make them useless to experienced digital music player fans."

I'm Steve Jobs, and I'm Bill Gates - BizTech - Technology - theage.com.au

2007-05-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

"No one expects sparks to fly when Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Apple's CEO Steve Jobs appear on stage together later this week. But it's clear there's no love lost between the two camps.
Apple's clever series of 'I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC' ads have needled Microsoft, portraying the software giant's products as awkward and unhip."

Tech Test: Sansa Connect is no iPod killer, but it combines solid mix of features, ease-of-use

2007-05-26T02:49:00.000-07:00

"So far, nothing but a new iPod has been able to tear me away from my old iPod. But after spending some time cozying up to SanDisk Corp.'s new Sansa Connect WiFi MP3 player, I'm willing to admit there are other players I'd use in a pinch.
The $250 Sansa Connect is a flash-based music player that lets users access Internet radio, view Flickr photos, see what their Yahoo Instant Messenger buddies are listening to and download music, all via Wi-Fi -- something no iPod offers."

PiperJaffray analyst predicts Autumn 6G iPod - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

2007-05-25T00:56:00.000-07:00

"Gene Munster, a PiperJaffray analyst, is predicting the debut of a widescreen 6G iPod early this autumn, possibly at a $399 price point according to this article at the UK's PC Advisor. "

New Red iPod Unveiled

2007-05-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

"Apple has launched a new special edition iPod nano, which comes in the colour red to support the Product Red campaign against HIV/AIDS.
Following the heels of companies like Motorola, which recently launched its own Product Red version of its popular Razr phone, Apple will give a portion of the purchase price of the red nano to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Available in 4GB and 8GB models, the new iPod nano comes in a red aluminium enclosure and features the usual claimed 24 hours of battery life and Click Wheel
The special edition red iPod nano is only available at the Apple online store."

iPod Lets You Download a Personal Trainer

2007-05-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

"It seems iPods and other digital audio players have become as important as running shoes and sweatpants to gym-goers. Now, instead of just music, exercisers can listen to a variety of prearranged playlists that also include virtual personal trainers pumping out instructions to digitally coach the workout."

Study: Half of iPod owners open to iPhone as next mobile phone

2007-05-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

" A survey conducted in Europe by market research firm Canalys shows that those who currently own iPods are pretty receptive to buying an Apple iPhone as their next mobile phone. The survey was conducted in April of this year as an online questionnaire of over 2,000 employed, adult mobile phone users. Survey takers were located in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK.
The respondents were asked to 'rate how likely they would be to choose different vendor brands for their next personal mobile phone.' While clear leaders such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson came out ahead, the iPhone didn't do too badly among iPod owners. Almost half of those who owned iPods said that they were likely to consider Apple's offerings for their next mobile phone—Apple even came out ahead of RIM, HP, and Palm in the ratings. "

Many iPod users will switch network for iPhone - iPod/iTunes - Macworld UK

2007-05-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

"The iPhone looks set to make a big impression when it launches in Europe.
A pair of Europe/UK surveys published today reveal that almost half of Europe's iPod users participating in its 2,000-person pan-European survey by Canalys said that they are likely to consider Apple for their next mobile phone.

“Apple’s rating improves dramatically when you talk to existing iPod owners,” said Pete Cunningham, senior analyst at Canalys. “Almost half the respondents who owned an iPod rated Apple as likely to be considered for their next phone, compared to just 20 per cent for those who didn’t have an iPod, and they were five times as likely to give Apple the highest rating. There is a lot of loyalty that Apple can tap into.” "

Rumor: Apple considering 3G for upcoming notebooks

2007-05-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

"With some US cellular providers having at least some kind of 3G cellular broadband coverage in many areas, it's no surprise that people are looking for ways to get their computers hooked up to the speedy new wireless broadband network. If you need some high-speed wireless from your laptop, you can always grab a 3G PCMCIA card, or get an ExpressCard from your carrier. Some of the bigger manufacturers like HP and Dell have also started offering internal 3G adapters as an option. Unfortunately, this option is usually only available on business systems and comes with a pretty hefty price tag, usually around $200. "

2007-05-13T01:32:00.000-07:00

AppleInsider | Jobs: 'I make fifty cents just for showing up'

2007-05-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

"Jobs quickly became the primary focus of the Q&A session at the end of the annual event, which created the first challenge for the Apple boss after otherwise rolling smoothly through the meeting agenda, in which his Board of Directors saw reelection and all shareholder resolutions were voted down.

Brandon Reese, a shareholder working on behalf of the AFL-CIO union federation was the most eager to grill Jobs on the matter, firing off a string of questions about the many elements surrounding the now-ended stock options scandal at Apple.

'What did you know and when did you know it?,' the union spokesman asked.

Rather than answer the question directly, however, Jobs instead pointed to the SEC exoneration issued late last month -- at one point deliberately re-reading the government body's statement to underscore his view that the firm's cooperation spoke for itself. The implication that there could be more to the story was rejected as irrelevant."

FIN24 : Apple wants music copying OK'd

2007-05-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

" The last time Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs took on major recording companies, he refused to budge on his 99-cent price for a song on iTunes.
As a new round of talks ramp up this month, however, Jobs has opened the door to higher prices - as long as music companies let Apple Inc. sell their songs without technology designed to stop unauthorised copying.
Jobs contends that would 'tear down the walls' by allowing consumers to play music they buy at Apple's iTunes store on any digital music player, not just the company's iPods.
Although most of the major labels insist that safeguards are still needed to stave off online piracy and make other digital music business models work, one company has already struck a deal with Apple. "

Apple unveils plans to go greener - Yahoo! News

2007-05-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

"Apple Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL - news), responding to criticism from environmental groups, unveiled plans on Wednesday that Chief Executive Steve Jobs claimed would make the company greener than most of its competitors. "

WebWire | Steve Jobs to Kick Off Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2007

2007-05-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

"Apple® today announced that Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, will kick off its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 11, 2007 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At WWDC, Apple plans to show developers a feature complete version of Mac OS® X Leopard and give them a beta copy to take home for final testing. Leopard is scheduled to ship in October.
The five-day event, scheduled to run from June 11 to June 15, will deliver more than 150 sessions and labs aimed at getting the most out of Leopard. The conference will also include new content to serve a wide range of developers, including Mac OS X Immersion Monday, designed to quickly get developers who are new to the Mac® up to speed; a content and media track that shows developers the best ways to integrate animation, motion graphics, video, rich-media and web-based content into their applications; and dozens of hands-on labs that offer a unique opportunity to work directly with Apple engineers. "

ABC News: Apple Shares Soar Above $100 Mark

2007-04-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

"Shares of Apple Inc. soared above $100 for the first time after the company walloped Wall Street expectations with quarterly profits that jumped 88 percent on strong sales of its iPod players and Macintosh computers.
The shares gained more than 7 percent on the news in after-hours trading Wednesday.
Investor optimism in the trendsetting company may have also been bolstered by a vote of confidence the board of directors gave Apple's chief executive officer, Steve Jobs. The board on Wednesday defended the iconic CEO from new accusations by a former Apple executive who alleged Jobs may have had a more significant role in the company's backdating of stock options than previously stated.
For the first three months of the year, the Cupertino-based company said it earned $770 million, or 87 cents per share, up from $410 million, or 47 cents per share, in the year-ago period. "

Jim Cramer's Stop Trading! Eyeing Apple

2007-04-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

"Cramer said the one tech stock he's looking at right now is Apple (AAPL - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) ahead of Wednesday's postclose earnings report. Cramer said this is the last quarter before Apple's release of its much-anticipated iPhone, and buying the stock at a recent $90 is a good move considering the weakness of the competition. Cramer said Nokia (NOK - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) has tacked on 6 points from its January lows largely because Motorola (MOT - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) is sputtering and misfiring. "

Apple iPod™ nano Second Gen. Black (8 GB) MP3 Player

2007-04-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

PC World review: Apple has released iPod nano software 1.0.2 on 9/27/06, which fixes the bug (noted in my review) that cause

Tech Startups 3.0: Photos: Vegas machines' new jackpot? iPods | CNET News.com

2007-04-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

"Architecture, entertainment and vice. Everything about this city is famous for being over the top. You can now add vending machines to the list. Can't sleep after bucking the roulette wheel? Forget the flat soda and stale chips. Patter downstairs and pick up an 80GB iPod for $349. Don't worry about scrounging for change. The machine only takes credit cards. This iPod dispenser from Zoom Systems resides in the lobby of the Las Vegas Hilton. The hotel is a stone's throw from where the National Association of Broadcasters is holding its annual conference this week."

Ipod for Every Student in Michigan

2007-04-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Press & Argus: "Of all the ludicrous ideas to come out of Lansing in recent years, this one has to rank right at the top. At a time when the state is staring at a massive budget deficit, two House Democratic leaders said last week that they wanted to spend $38 million on '21st Century Learning Environments.'
Part of the money, they said, would be used to buy an Apple iPod for every student in Michigan."

Apple might launch a Wi-Fi capable iPod later this year

2007-04-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

"Apple might launch a Wi-Fi capable iPod later this year. Online tech site DigiTimes has reported that the iPod maker Apple is working on a Wi-Fi capable version of their Apple iPod digital media player.
Incidentally, the company is due to launch their iPhone in June this year which would come with Wi-Fi support. Microsoft’s own Zune player comes with some basic wireless capability which is limited to other Zune players in the surrounding.
DigiTimes in its report has suggested that for this upcoming product USI will be shipping the Wi-Fi component. Apple should be able to release the product by the third quarter of this year just in time for the holiday season in the United States."

YouTube - Conan Skit NBC - iPhone Commercial

2007-04-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

2007-04-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

DRM activists hail EMI Apple deal - vnunet.com

2007-04-05T01:38:00.000-07:00

Digital rights groups have reacted with cautious optimism after EMI announced that it had struck a deal with Apple to distribute its titles in the iTunes Music Store without digital rights management (DRM) technology.
"Certainly this is a step in the right direction," Derek Slater, activism coordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told vnunet.com. "It is long past time that the record labels opened up."
Under the deal, Apple will sell EMI titles free of Apple's FairPlay copy protection software for $1.29 (99p in the UK).
The DRM

MacNN | Apple lax in keeping Mac OS secure?

2007-04-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

"Apple is falling behind in keeping Mac OS X as secure as it should be, according to InformationWeek. The author's latest article cites several sources as evidence, such as a recent Internet Security Threat Report by Symantec, which notes that it now takes an average of 66 days for Apple to patch a vulnerability; conversely, Microsoft is averaging three weeks. This is also substantially slower than what was noted in the last Threat Report issued six months ago, which gave Apple an average of 37 days. "

Real interview with Fake Steve Jobs - Engadget

2007-04-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

"We got a precious few minutes to sit down and talk to the man himself. That's right, we landed a real interview with Fake Steve Jobs. In it, 'El Jobso' reminisces about his drug-addled youth, what he does to the traitorous wretches that leak Apple products before they're launched, the questions they ask you when you apply for a job at Apple, and even how he really feels about my girlfriend. Not to be missed!"

MacDailyNews | Jim Cramer: Michael Dell is no Steve Jobs

2007-04-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

"The return of Michael Dell to his namesake company can't be compared to Steve Jobs' return to Apple, Jim Cramer said on TheStreet.com TV's Wall Street Confidential Web video Friday," TheStreet.com reports.

"'Jobs is a creative force,' he told Gregg Greenberg, the host of Wall St. Confidential. 'Dell is an efficiency of time and implementation and equipment force -- an operations guy.' Cramer said he fails to see how Dell is going to be able to maintain margins, especially with increased competition from Acer and Lenovo, two growing names in the PC market," TheStreet.com reports."

Apple's iPhone will be released on June 11 | News.blog | CNET News.com

2007-03-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

"Ever since Steve Jobs' keynote at the Macworld Expo in January, we've known that the iPhone is being released sometime in June. But we haven't known exactly when.
Now Cingular is confirming that the release date will be June 11. A customer service manager at Cingular (we called 800-947-5096 and were transferred to sales) gave us that date late Thursday, but, alas, said he didn't have any additional information beyond that.
That date is no coincidence. It's the first day of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled to be held in San Francisco from June 11 through June 15. (Incidentally, the agenda includes a focus on Leopard, the next generation of OS X that's supposed to be released sometime in the second quarter of 2007.) "

Apple Gets Behind the Album Format with New Offer

2007-03-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

"Apple is throwing its weight behind the music industry's efforts to protect the album format by allowing fans to buy complete digital albums without having to pay again for songs they already own.
The record industry is keen to maintain the profitable album format, which is under threat as users of Web-based music download stores, such as Apple's iTunes and Napster, prefer to buy individual songs rather than whole albums.
Apple said on March 28 that iTunes is introducing a 'Complete My Album' service that offers customers who want to turn individual tracks into an album a 99-cent credit for every song they have already purchased from the album.
For example, if a customer had bought three 99-cent singles and decides to download the entire album with a listed price of $9.99, the customer would only have to pay $7.02.
Fans will only be able to take advantage of the discount within 180 days after first buying the songs, Apple said. "

Nike Ipod

2007-03-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

"In an interview with AP Nike President and Chief Executive Mark Parker said that Nike "plans to make all its running shoes compatible with its Nike+ technology by the end of the year".

Currently only available for one of the company's trainers the Nike+ system allows runners to track their time, distance, pace, and calories burned with the Apple iPod.

"I won't get into specific dates or executions, but you can expect to see some of these new Nike concepts at retail this calendar year", Parker said."

PC World - Review: Apple TV Just Plain Works

2007-03-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

"To say that Apple TV is the world's best media streaming device could be considered faint praise, the tech equivalent of calling someone the world's tallest midget. After all, most previous versions of these devices, which take music, video, and photos from your PC and play them on your TV and stereo, have been very reliable, easy to use and generally shunned by the buying public.
Apple has managed to rise above that kind of failure with its typical mantra: Keep it simple and make it pretty. Setting up our $299 Apple TV was a breeze, and anyone who's used an iPod will be instantly familiar with its extravagantly attractive interface."

Elton John Music coming online on Apple iTunes

2007-03-21T22:26:00.001-07:00

"Elton John Music coming online on Apple iTunes
Famed musician Elton John has revealed that he would soon be making his entire catalogue of more than 30 music album available for digital download.
This would be the first this all of his songs would be made available for sale on the net legally. The catalogue features more than 400 songs.
Elton has already released some of his more recent work online in the United States but this upcoming release would feature all of his songs from his 40 years of career."

Apple '1984' ad mashup markets Barack Obama, not Macs

2007-03-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

"A remix of the classic Apple Inc. '1984' television advertisement has political tongues wagging, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign issuing denials and YouTube Inc. scoring more than 600,000 views.
Rather than pitch a new-fangled computer, the 74-second video (see below) replaces the droning Big Brother of the original with images and words from Obama's rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). And when it ends -- after the hammer tossed by an updated female athlete wearing, what else, an iPod, smashes an immense screen -- it's a revamped Obama campaign logo left standing, not the iconic Apple trademark.
The tagline of the mashup: 'On Jan. 14, the Democratic primary will begin. And you'll see why 2008 won't be like '1984.'' "

Strong Mac sales expected this quarter

2007-03-20T20:26:00.001-07:00

"Via Jeff Gamet at The Mac Observer, interesting prognostications are coming from research and investment firm Piper Jaffray concerning this quarter's Mac sales. It turns out that Wall Street is expecting around 1.45 million Macs to be sold this quarter, compared to 1,606,000 last quarter. While a decline in sales may seem disappointing, the first quarter of the calendar year is normally weak, as it's after the holidays end and before the educational buying season begins. Last year, 1,112,000 Macs were sold during the first quarter of 2006, so an increase of 400,000 Macs sold would actually be quite startling. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster thinks it might be even more startling than that. "

Apple seeks to seize digital TV marketMSNBC.com

2007-03-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

"The battle for control of the digital home reached a milestone on Tuesday as Apple began shipments of the Apple TV, the latest device designed to allow users to download, nuts store and play internet content on their televisions.
The devices could be in customers' hands as early as this week, according to people who said they had received emails from the company informing them that their Apple televisions had shipped. "