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Macworld Expo Rebranded as 'Macworld|iWorld' for 2012
Oct 25, 5:49PM
For many years, Macworld Expo served as one of the main events for Apple product introductions, with the annual January event in San Francisco in particular being the stage for some important events such as the unveiling of the original iPhone. Apple last presented at Macworld Expo in January 2009, deciding that trade shows were no longer important for allowing the company to reach consumers as the Internet and the company's network of retail stores provided better opportunities for interaction.
Macworld Expo has reinvented itself since 2009, naturally refocusing on third-party companies offering products of interest to Apple users following the loss of Apple's presence. While attendance is down from Apple's last few years of involvement, the event has still been drawing crowds in the neighborhood of 25,000 attendees, and Macworld Expo organizers are now looking to continue rebuilding the show with a new rebranding that will emphasize the rapid increase in visibility of the iOS side of Apple: Macworld|iWorld.
"The brand is evolving from Macworld [Expo] to Macworld|iWorld to illustrate that the show is about the whole ecosystem of Apple products," said Paul Kent, the event's vice president and general manager.Among the new showcases for Macworld|iWorld are the "Music Experience", which features performances and sessions from musicians who use Apple technology, and the "Film Event", which highlights Apple's role in television and movies.
The exhibits and conference sessions that have characterized past expos remain with Macworld|iWorld. But show organizers are also adding elements aimed at providing what Kent characterized as a "dynamic culture experience."
Even with the rebranding, Macworld|iWorld will reportedly retain a heavy OS X presence, with organizers introducing new packages to attract OS X developers.
Macworld|iWorld will be held at the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco from January 26-28, 2012, and registration for the event is now open.
iPod Creator Tony Fadell's Next Quest Is to Revolutionize Thermostats [iOS Blog]
Oct 25, 5:35PM
>From TechCrunch's post introducing Nest's Learning Thermostat:
Fadell got the idea designing his green home in Tahoe. He was shocked there wasn't a single attractive thermostat on the market so he decided to build his own. The size of the market and the potential impact on the planet convinced him it was a great business. And if he didn't do it, who would? The unit uses the guts of a smart phone and required someone who knows how to build drop-dead-easy user experiences.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is connected to Wi-Fi and can be remotely controlled by a iPhone app or a laptop. The thermostat will retail for $249 when it goes on sale in mid-November.
Steve Jobs Biography: On the Development and Launch of iPad
Oct 25, 4:32PM
While reading through Steve Jobs' biography, we discovered a number of interesting behind-the-scenes facts related to the development of the iPad.
When Steve Jobs was first hammering out the concept for the iPad, Jonathan Ive created a large number of mockup designs in order to figure out the right size and aspect ratio. Apple ultimately decided to go with a 9.7" screen at a 4:3 aspect ratio, but not without trying many other variations:
The process began with Jobs and Ive figuring out the right screen size. They had twenty models -- all rounded rectangles, of course -- in slightly varying sizes and aspect ratios. Ive laid them out on a table in the design studio, and in the afternoon they would lift the velvet cloth hiding them and play with them. That's how we nailed what the screen size was," Ive saidThere have been persistent rumors that Apple had been developing a 7" iPad. It seems possible that that size was a runner-up choice that made it to late prototypes before Apple ultimately decided on the 9.7" model.
As for the processor being an ARM chip, Jobs had initially planned on using Intel's low-voltage Atom chip, even though the iPhone used an ARM chip. Tony Fadell successfully argued for ARM, even threatening to resign over the issue.
Much of the initial press reaction to the iPad was negative, which both "annoyed and depressed" Steve Jobs on the evening after the launch. Jobs says he received 800 emails that day -- many of them complaints.
Finally, Jobs thought the iPad could revolutionize the textbook industry, and had considered a plan to include textbooks as a feature on the iPad.
"His idea was to hire great textbook writers to create digital versions, and make them a feature of the iPad. In addition, he held meetings with major publishers, such as Pearson Education, about partnering with Apple."He specifically wanted to make textbooks free and bundled with the iPad, and such a system would give states the opportunity to save money during the slow economy.
Comparison of Cameras Across iPhone Generations [iOS Blog]
Oct 25, 4:01PM
Lisa Bettany, one of the developers behind Camera+, has posted two interesting series of photos comparing the camera quality across all generations of the iPhone, as well as to Canon point-and-shoot and professional-level cameras.
The iPhone 4S is dramatically clearer and sharper than previous iPhone versions. Using separate focus and exposure in Camera+ on the iPhone 4 & 4S significantly helped create a more balanced exposure. While it's not nearing the same quality as a professional level dSLR, it is comparable to a top of the line compact camera and even outshines it in some ways.PetaPixel has taken the images from the iPhones and presented portions of them side-by-side to provide the clearest example of how the iPhone's rear-facing camera has evolved over the years.
Sony Courting Aaron Sorkin to Write Screenplay for Steve Jobs Movie?
Oct 25, 2:51PM
Earlier this month, Sony Pictures acquired the movie rights to Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs, seeking to adapt the story for the big screen. Sony was viewed as being a good fit for the film, as the studio's Columbia Pictures arm had successfully transitioned the story of Facebook to film with last year's release of The Social Network.
Aaron Sorkin
The writer behind The Social Network was Aaron Sorkin, who also gained fame for his work on A Few Good Men, The West Wing, and most recently Moneyball. And according to The Los Angeles Times, Sony is once again trying to pair up with Sorkin for the Steve Jobs screenplay.
Sony is moving forward with a Steve Jobs movie based on Isaacson's book. And one of the writers being courted by producers to pen his story, according to a person who was briefed on the project but not authorized to speak about it publicly, is Aaron Sorkin, Hollywood's chronicler-in-chief of the complicated visionary.Sorkin and Jobs actually did have a bit of history with each other, as Jobs had tried to convince Sorkin to write a film for Pixar, a proposal Sorkin declined because he didn't "think [he could] make inanimate objects talk."
The "Moneyball" and "Social Network" writer was said by the person to be considering the prospect but had made no decisions. Sony and a Sorkin representative declined to comment on the writer's potential involvement.
STEVE: Once you make them talk they won't be inanimate.A timeline for the potential Jobs movie is not yet firmed up, and casting is obviously still a ways off. Former ER star Noah Wyle, who played Jobs in the 1999 made-for-TV film Pirates of Silicon Valley, has expressed interest in reprising the role.
ME: The truth is I don't know how to tell those stories. I have a young kid who loves Pixar movies and she'll turn cartwheels if I tell her I'm writing one and I don't want to disappoint her by writing the only bad movie in the history of Pixar.
Are you kidding? I would give my eye teeth, in the heartbeat, of a New York minute. There are certain roles you wish you could tackle over and over again. That's one for me.Isaacson's Steve Jobs experienced very strong pre-orders and early sales, and is headed toward the top of Amazon's list top-selling books for 2011, currently ranked #12.
Apple Releases Apple TV Software 4.4.2 to Resolve Updating Issues [iOS Blog]
Oct 25, 3:26AM
Less than a week later, Apple released version 4.4.1 of the Apple TV software to address some of those previous issues, but the new update was also met with complaints of Apple TVs needing to be connected to iTunes to restore. Apple quickly pulled the update and re-released it a day later, presumably fixing the issues.
Apple has now released yet another software update for the Apple TV, pushing out version 4.4.2 today to hopefully resolve the issues once and for all. Apple details some of the issues in a support document addressing the update.
Apple TV devices with software version 4.4 and 4.4.1 have an issue with updating software to later versions. The recommended way to resolve this is go to Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings, prior to updating. Note: If you apply the software update without resetting all settings first, the updater will reset the settings for you.The $99 Apple TV set-top box offers access to a wide variety of media sources and features, including TV and movie content from the iTunes Store, Netflix streaming, sports content, AirPlay streaming, and iCloud integration. The company is also set to be working on an actual connected television set, with those rumors receiving significant attention in recent days.
Once the Apple TV has been reset, you can then successfully update to the latest software by going to Settings -> General -> Update Software.
We recognize that this is an inconvenience and apologize.
Apple Addresses Video Freeze Issue on Mid-2010 15-Inch MacBook Pro [Mac Blog]
Oct 25, 3:06AM
This update addresses an issue where MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2010) computers may intermittently freeze or stop displaying video.An associated support document offers additional information on the issue:
Apple has determined that a small number of MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010) computers may intermittently freeze or stop displaying video on the built-in display or on an external display connected to the MacBook Pro. In this situation, you may also see a restart warning message before the video is lost or the display turns black or gray. Affected computers were manufactured between April 2010 and February 2011.The software update, which weighs in at 70.97 MB, does require OS X Lion 10.7.2. Users still running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and experiencing issues are advised to contact Apple technical support, Apple retail store, or an authorized service provider in order to assess whether service is required. OS X Lion users who continue to experience issues after applying the new update are also advised to contact one of the support options for follow-up diagnostics and potential servicing.
iTunes Creator Jeff Robbin Heading Apple Television Effort?
Oct 25, 12:51AM
Apple Inc. is turning to the software engineer who built iTunes to help lead its development of a television set, according to three people with knowledge of the project.Earlier today, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster issued a research note with several tidbits of evidence to support his long-held assertion that Apple is working on a television.
Jeff Robbin, who helped create the iPod in addition to the iTunes media store, is now guiding Apple's internal development of the new TV effort, said the people, who declined to be identified because his role isn't public.
Rumors of an Apple television have been getting significantly louder since this weekend, when Steve Jobs' biography quoted Jobs as saying he had "finally cracked" the problems standing in the way of an Apple television set.
Sprint and Apple Working On "Issue" With iPhone Data Speeds
Oct 24, 9:49PM
In the days after the iPhone launched on Sprint, a number of customers complained about extremely slow data speeds on Sprint's network. Sprint initially denied that there were any problems, but now a report from TheNextWeb suggests that is a problem with Sprint's iPhone data speeds:
Now it seems that an internal email has been sent to Sprint representatives, informing them that Apple and Sprint are working together on a "confirmed nationwide issue" dealing with the slow data rates many users are experiencing. There was no information about what the cause of the issues are or what the expected resolution date might be.The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S broke Sprint's "device family" one-day sales record on October 14, the first day the phones were available on the network.
The email did contain a reference to a 'Service Settings' update, which sounds like it could be referring to the carrier settings file that contains access point info for the carriers.
Three Ways to Read the Steve Jobs Biography [iOS Blog]
Oct 24, 9:39PM
A reader who purchased Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography in multiple forms sent in this image of three different ways to read what could be Amazon's bestselling book of the year.
Bluetooth 4.0 Becomes 'Bluetooth Smart' as iPhone 4S Creates New Opportunities
Oct 24, 8:31PM
Following the debut of the iPhone 4S as the first phone to support the Bluetooth 4.0 standard, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has begun promoting the technology under the new "Bluetooth Smart" marketing term. In a press release issued today, the Bluetooth SIG outlined the types of devices that will fall into the Bluetooth Smart categories.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced two new brand extensions to its globally recognized logo today in an effort to create consumer awareness around compatibility for new devices implementing Bluetooth v4.0 – the Bluetooth Smart Ready trademark and the Bluetooth Smart trademark. Bluetooth Smart Ready devices are phones, tablets, PCs and TVs that sit at the center of a consumer's connected world and implement a Bluetooth v4.0 dual mode radio. Bluetooth Smart devices are sensor-type devices like heart-rate monitors or pedometers that run on button-cell batteries and were built to collect a specific piece of information. Bluetooth Smart devices include only a single-mode low energy Bluetooth v4.0 radio.Bluetooth Smart has been promised as a way to allow devices to interact wirelessly using low-power standards, enabling countless new potential uses.
Bluetooth Smart devices are designed to gather a specific type of information—are all the windows on my house locked, what is my insulin level, how much do I weigh today?—and send it to a Bluetooth Smart Ready device.While the iPhone 4S is not yet able to make extensive use of the features specific to Bluetooth Smart due to a lack of peripheral single-mode Smart devices capable of transmitting data to the iPhone, it is clear the Bluetooth standards bearers and manufacturers will be quickly pushing forward to promote the adoption of Smart technology in a host of new product categories.
Examples include heart-rate monitors, blood-glucose meters, smart watches, window and door security sensors, key fobs for your car, and blood-pressure cuffs—the opportunities are endless.
Beyond the iPhone 4S, Apple has also been building Bluetooth 4.0 support into several of its latest Mac lines, including the Mac mini and MacBook Air introduced back in July. Notably, today's MacBook Pro update did not bring Bluetooth 4.0 support to that line, although the update was an extremely minor one that Apple is not even acknowledging as a refresh on its promotional product pages. Consequently, the update appears to have been limited to core "plug-and-play" features such as CPU, GPU, and hard drives that could be easily upgraded rather than features like new Bluetooth 4.0 capabilities that could require more significant engineering work.
China Mobile Hits 10 Million iPhone Users Despite Lack of Agreement with Apple [iOS Blog]
Oct 24, 6:25PM
China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier by subscribers, has 10 million iPhone users even though it does not yet have an agreement with iPhone maker Apple, its chairman told Reuters on Monday.With the iPhone incompatible with the TD-SCDMA 3G network used by China Mobile, the ten-million-user milestone comes even as users are limited to slower 2G network speeds.
Wang Jianzhou also said Apple had promised to make an iPhone compatible with China Mobile's TD-LTE standard when its next-generation model comes out. He could not say when this would happen.
China Unicom is currently the exclusive official iPhone carrier in China, although China Mobile and China Telecom have been working hard to strike deals to offer the device. Talks between Apple and China Mobile, the world's largest wireless carrier with over 600 million customers, have apparently been conducted at the highest levels, with Steve Jobs having been involved and Tim Cook even having been spotted at China Mobile's headquarters.
'Steve Jobs' Poised to Become Amazon's Top-Selling Book for 2011
Oct 24, 5:30PM
The book is the best-selling book on Amazon.com and is also listed as the top-selling electronic book on the company's Kindle eBook store.Amazon declined to comment on the split between digital and physical versions of the book, although one analyst suggests that digital sales of best sellers have typically been coming at 50-70% of total sales, suggesting that the digital version of Steve Jobs is likely to outsell the print version for at least the next six months.
"The way things are trending, it could very likely be our top-selling book of the year," Amazon spokeswoman Brittany Turner said in a statement.
Steve Jobs is already ranked #13 on Amazon's list of best sellers for the year on the strength of pre-orders. The book was already highly anticipated before Jobs' death, but immediately shot to the top of Amazon's charts with a sales increase of as much as 40,000% following his October 5th passing.
Apple Television Set Prototypes Reportedly 'In the Works'
Oct 24, 3:09PM
One of the major revelations pulled out of the new authorized Steve Jobs biography has been Jobs' disclosure that he "finally cracked" the problems standing in the way of an Apple television set.
Rumors of an Apple-branded television have been circulating for years, but have been gaining steam following the release of the iPad as observers look to Apple's "next big thing". One of the strongest proponents of an Apple television set has been Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has issued a number of reports about Apple's prospect for such a device.
With Jobs' comments once again fanning the flames of speculation regarding an Apple television, Munster has weighed in (via Fortune) to claim that all evidence is pointing to a launch as soon as next year. Among the newly presented evidence from Munster is a claim that prototypes of the Apple television set are now "in the works".
- Based on Jan-11 meetings in Asia (not with component suppliers), we believe Apple is investing in manufacturing facilities and securing supply for LCD displays. These displays could range from 3.5" mobile displays to 50" television displays.Munster also points to several patents and patent applications filed by Apple addressing the company's work into television-related technologies as further evidence of the company's interest. And while Apple routinely files for patents on technologies that never appear in its products, it is clear that the company has been thinking about how it could make a bigger impact in the television-related market if it elected to go down that route.
- More recently, in Sept-11 we met with a contact close to an Asian component supplier who indicated that prototypes of an Apple television are in the works.
While any specifications on an Apple TV remain unknown beyond Jobs' suggestion that it would integrate iCloud presumably with iTunes Store video content, Munster believes that Apple could sell 1.4 million television sets at an average selling price of $1800 in 2012, ramping up to 4.3 million units by 2014 as costs drop to an average selling price of $1400. Munster's estimates, which are of course essentially guesses informed by current market trends, put Apple's share of the connected TV market at 3% in 2014, with the company bringing in $6 billion in revenue from the segment.
Apple Updates iPad 2 Smart Cover Offerings with Color Tweaks
Oct 24, 1:39PM
Alongside today's quiet MacBook Pro refresh, Apple has also updated its iPad 2 Smart Cover offerings, perhaps most notably discontinuing the orange polyurethane cover and replacing it with a new dark gray cover.
New dark gray Smart Cover
Other changes include:
- Interior color now matches exterior color. The interior side of the Smart Cover facing the iPad screen had previously been a uniform gray color on all models with the exception of the (PRODUCT) RED version. All Smart Covers are now a consistent color inside and out.
Smart Cover showing tan color on outside and inside
- More vibrant colors for polyurethane covers. Aside from the replacement of the orange cover with a dark gray one, sources indicate that the colors on the polyurethane models are now more vibrant. Polyurethane Smart Covers come in blue, green, pink, light gray, and dark gray.
- Color adjustment on navy leather cover. Apple offer five different leather Smart Covers, and sources reports that Apple has slightly tweaked the color on the navy version to make it "more navy" than the original version. All other colors (tan, black, cream, and red) remain unchanged.
Pricing on the Smart Covers remains the same, with polyurethane covers coming in at $39.00 and leather covers priced at $69.00. While Apple's store pages have been updated with the new colors, the company's Smart Cover page does not yet reflect the changes.
Apple Retail Stores to Offer In-Store Pickup of Online Orders
Oct 24, 1:21PM
Apple is making plans to roll out a new pilot program that will allow customers to pickup orders placed through the company's online store at one of their local retail stores. The program, reportedly known as Sherwood, will include any product available through the online store, including custom-configured Macs, engraved and gift-wrapped products, and the full slate of third-party accessories.
Apple's retail store EasyPay system with Sherwood offerings
Customers placing online orders will be offered the ability to select an Apple retail store for pickup, with standard configurations and accessories generally being available on a same-day basis as store stocks allow. Other items may take a few days to be delivered to the store.
In-store pickup of items purchased online will reportedly require proof of purchase and an ID, with one major benefit of the program being the ability to designate one additional person to be eligible to pick up the order. One of our sources also notes that the program offers the benefit of being able to avoid home delivery of holiday gifts that might otherwise reveal the nature of the gift during the upcoming holiday period.
With the rollout of Sherwood, Apple retail stores will also begin accepting returns of eligible online orders, streamlining the return process so that customers do not necessarily have to deal with return shipping issues.
Apple already offers some integration of online shopping and its retail stores, offering users the ability to reserve products from available retail store stock. The company has also expanded that program during certain busy holiday shopping times to include gift wrapping of standard-configuration Mac and iPod products.
The Sherwood pilot program will reportedly be initially available only through select retail stores, with company planning to expand it across the retail store chain in the future.
Siri Co-Founder Dag Kittlaus Leaves Apple [iOS Blog]
Oct 24, 12:31PM
There were several reasons for the departure, which was amicable and has been planned for a while, sources said. They included Kittlaus' family being in Chicago, a desire to take time off and an interest in brainstorming new entrepreneurial ideas.The report claims that Kittlaus left Apple just after the iPhone 4S launch but that his departure is not indicative of a mass exodus of the Siri team, as other key former Siri executives are remaining at Apple.
Apple Bumps MacBook Pro with Processor, Graphics, Storage Upgrades
Oct 24, 11:48AM
Apple today quietly released a minor update to its MacBook Pro line, offering upgraded processor, and in some cases graphics and/or storage options at the same price points as the previous models. Portions of the improved specs had been leaked to 9to5Mac by reliable source Mr. X late yesterday.
Among the key changes:
13-inch MacBook Pro:
- Processor options move from 2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 and 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 to 2.4 GHz and 2.8 GHz options.
- Hard drive options offer increased capacity, moving from 320 GB in the low-end configuration and 500 GB in the high-end configuration to 500 GB and 750 GB respectively.
15-inch MacBook Pro:
- Standard processor options move from 2.0 GHz and 2.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 to 2.2 GHz and 2.4 GHz options. The high-end custom processor option at 2.3 GHz has now become a 2.5 GHz option.
- For discrete graphics, Apple had previously offered the AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB of memory on the low-end configuration and the Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB of memory on the high-end configuration. Apple has now moved the 6750M to the low-end configuration with 512 MB of memory and given the high-end configuration a Radeon HD 6770M with 1 GB of memory.
- The previous build-to-order option of a 500 GB hard drive running at 7200 rpm has been bumped to a 750 GB drive at the same speed.
17-inch MacBook Pro:
- Processor speeds have been bumped from a base 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 with a 2.3 GHz upgrade option to a 2.4 GHz base processor with a 2.5 GHz option.
- Graphics have been improved from the AMD Radeon 6750M with 1 GB of memory to the Radeon HD 6770M, also with 1 GB of memory.
- The previous build-to-order option of a 500 GB hard drive running at 7200 rpm has been bumped to a 750 GB drive at the same speed.
Steve Jobs Biography Now Available in U.S. On iBooks
Oct 24, 3:08AM
The Steve Jobs biography is now available in the U.S. on Apple's iBooks. The book had been rolling out across the world and is now available in all regions.
The book is an authorized biography by Walter Isaacson that has received positive reviews as many facts have leaked in the days before its official release. Steve Jobs, himself, reached out to Isaacson to suggest the author write a biography on Jobs. At the time of the initial offer, Isaacson was unaware of Steve Jobs' declining health. Isaacson had asked Jobs prior to his passing why he had agreed to participate:
In order to mask my emotion, I asked the one question that was still puzzling me: Why had he been so eager, during close to 50 interviews and conversations over the course of two years, to open up so much for a book when he was usually so private? "I wanted my kids to know me," he said. "I wasn't always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did."Jobs passed away on October 5th from pancreatic cancer.
The book is also available in hard copy at Amazon.
Steve Jobs Biography Released Early on Kindle, Coming to iBooks at Midnight
Oct 24, 2:02AM
The Steve Jobs biography is officially launching on October 24th and it's become available around the world as the local clock hits midnight. So, we expect it to be become available in the U.S. iBooks at the same local time (midnight Eastern).
Early Kindle customers, however, have started receiving the book a little early. Several people are now reporting their pre-orders are now available on their Kindles. The image above from a reader in Florida.
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