July 25, 2011
Macworld:
“Based on Macworld Lab’s benchmark results, the new Mac mini models provide a great leap in processor performance over the previous generation.”
James Galbraith reports that the new Mac mini beats the pants off its predecessor in most tests, though the integrated graphics in the low-end model were left wanting. People looking for maximum performance out of the little box may want to opt for the Mac mini that includes a discrete graphics chip from AMD instead.
Apple on Monday released iOS 4.3.5. You can download the new update by connecting tethering your iPhone to your Mac, opening iTunes and clicking the Update button. (more…)
Geekwire:
“Google engineer Steve Lacey, 43, a veteran of the Seattle region’s tech community who worked for more than a decade at Microsoft, died Sunday in a car crash in Kirkland.”
Lacey, a British ex-pat worked on DirectX and Xbox-related software, including several iterations of the hugely popular Flight Simulator titles, Munch’s Oddysee, NFL Fever and Crimson Skies. Most recently he had been working at Google.
Lacey was apparently the victim of road rage, and not the intended victim, either. An imbecile (that authorities believe had been drinking) smashed into him in pursuit of another car. A tragic, senseless loss. Our thoughts are with Lacey’s family.
Wall Street Journal:
“In a pair of moves that suggest Apple Inc. is enforcing rules for selling content on its devices, Kobo Inc., the Canadian e-book retailer, and The Wall Street Journal said Sunday they will no longer sell content directly to customers through their apps for Apple devices.”
The article also notes that Google Books has been removed from the App Store – whether it’s a temporary change or permanent removal is unclear. A spokeswoman for the Journal quoted in the story said that the paper is concerned that Apple’s subscription rules “would create a poor experience for [the Wall Street Journal’s] readers.” Google wasn’t available for comment.
[Updated headline and article to reflect that Kobo app has not, in fact, been removed.]
Dave Winer:
There’s a very simple business reason why Google cares if they have your real name. It means it’s possible to cross-relate your account with your buying behavior with their partners, who might be banks, retailers, supermarkets, hospitals, airlines. To connect with your use of cell phones that might be running their mobile operating system. To provide identity in a commerce-ready way. And to give them information about what you do on the Internet, without obfuscation of pseudonyms.
Follow the money.
Paul Baldovin posted this on Twitter this morning: (more…)
BGR.com:
AT&T is asking managers to finish training in order to have employees available for the influx of foot traffic expected in September.
I don’t think there’s been much doubt that the iPhone 5 would launch in the September timeframe.
Nuance on Monday unveiled Dragon Dictate for Mac 2.5, the newest version of its speech recognition software for Mac users. (more…)
Mac Rumors:
We’ve now learned that at least some U.S. Apple Retail stores are also recruiting former employees to return as part time employees for Holidays, new Product Launches and Back to School time. A former employee received emails asking to return between August 15 and September 15th.
Could be nothing at all. As Mac Rumors points out, this is the back to school time, but it could also be the time for the iPhone 5. Only Steve knows for sure.
Melanie Lee for Reuters:
Chinese officials in Kunming have ordered two fake Apple shops to close, not because of piracy or copyright concerns, but because the stores in the southwestern city did not have an official business permit.Five self-branded “Apple Stores” were found to be selling Apple products without authorization from the California-based company but only two were told to shut, officials said.
I must admit this went much quicker than I thought it would.
The hammer fell today at RIM as the company tries to bring costs in line with its falling sales. (more…)
July 24, 2011
Reuters:
The inspections will look into business licenses, authorized permits on brand use, and the purchase channel of each store, said a worker with the city’s industrial and commercial department.
I don’t think anyone was surprised when these fake stores first cropped up. We were all watching it like we watch a train wreck, wondering what was going to happen, but we weren’t surprised. Remember all of the fake iPods? I don’t know what will happen here.
Jim Dalrymple and Peter Cohen were featured on several podcasts this week. If you’re interested in hearing them share their opinions on various topics, here’s where you can find them.
(more…)
July 23, 2011
NY Post:
The 23,000-square-foot store will take up Grand Central’s north and northeast balconies, displacing Charlie Palmer’s Metrazur restaurant, according to MTA documents.Apple will initially pay rent of $800,000 a year, nearly half a million more than Metrazur paid.
On top of the rent, Apple will also pay to renovate the space. You just know it’s going to be the major attraction… well, besides traveling.
TMZ:
A press release from the Metropolitan Police, which doesn’t specifically name Winehouse, says:“Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased.On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Too bad.
July 22, 2011
Apple is plugging along with more iOS updates. The company has been on a furious pace lately, working on Macs, Lion and iOS. You might think that they would have slowed down this week, but apparently not. Of course, this release is only available to registered Apple developers and not the general public.
IndustryGamers:
“An Ohio-based firm, Impulse Technology, says that Microsoft is violating seven patents on motion tracking technology, and has decided to take things to court. Impulse alleges that they developed the technology first and rightfully own the technology thanks to patent filings.”
Looks like Apple’s not the only one in the middle of a patent war. The hardware technology used to create Kinect was originally developed by an Israeli company, so it’ll be interested to see how far Impulse Technology thinks it can go.
Electronista:
“Apple added $60 billion to its market cap during the month of June. The company may be able to leapfrog Exxon if several planned products prove enough of a catalyst…”
Wow. And if it comes to pass, Apple will have done so without destroying the environment.
BGR.com:
A new page on T-Mobile USA’s website makes some fairly bold claims about the carrier’s premier Honeycomb tablet, the LG G-Slate. In comparing the sleek device to its steepest competition at AT&T and Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile says the G-Slate is “more than two times faster than the Apple iPad 2 on AT&T and Verizon, and three times faster than the Motorola XOOM on Verizon — and it’s less expensive, too!”
Whatever. Good luck with that.
I am always amazed at the detail Apple puts into the simple things with its products, like packaging. But that’s the first impression we have of the product, so it does matter. With the latest MacBook Air, Apple changed from a flip lid to a box style, where the top lifts off completely. The attention to detail just with the box is great. (more…)
Ben Bajarin:
I believe that this inflection point can be described as going from personal computing to personalized computing and will be defined by tablets and smartphones that take all types of shapes, form factors and designs that make the computing experience more personalized and customizable. This inflection point is just as dramatic as when the PC came on the scene and cut the chord between the mainframes and mini’s and brought personal computing local. Another way to think of this is that we are moving into a phase in which people want a PC on their desktop and in their pocket.
It’s the post-pc world.
James Brightman, IndustryGamers:
“Now, in Microsoft’s just released fourth-quarter and year-end earnings, we see that Xbox 360 shipped 13.7 million units (up from 10.3 million in 2010) and operating income more than doubled for the Entertainment and Devices Division from $618 million to $1.32 billion.”
Nintendo plans to release the Wii U in 2012, and Sony is rumored to be readying a PlayStation 4 console. But momentum is clearly on Microsoft’s side with the Xbox 360, which saw renewed interest with the release of the Kinect peripheral in 2010. Gamers still love to play Xbox 360 games, and Microsoft has built a thriving, vibrant online ecosystem in Xbox Live Arcade, as well.
AppleInsider:
“As Apple’s patent lawsuits against HTC have created concerns among market watchers, and have even strongly impacted HTC’s stock price, Wang pointed out that the player, which started the patent war, wants either money or market influence and should consider any related losses as costs of doing business,” the report said.
Acer’s chairman said his company is “ready to face any patent infringement challenges associated with adopting Android.” Be careful what you wish for.
Ben Berkowitz, Reuters:
“One of Sony Corp’s insurers has asked a court to declare that it does not have to pay to defend the media and electronics conglomerate from mounting legal claims related to a massive data breach earlier this year.”
The crux of Zurich American’s argument is that their policy was for general liability against possible property damage, and was never intended to insure against the type of digital attack Sony suffered when its PlayStation Network servers were hacked into this past April.
Sony said that the hacking attack has cost it $178 million, and in May said it was expecting insurers to help pay.
ComScore:
To get a better understanding of how Google+ is performing to date and who is using it, comScore pulled together some figures based on the first 21 days of its public existence (June 29, 2011 – July 19, 2011). Importantly, these data are based on unique visitors (which is different than “users” in that people who never sign up may visit Google+ pages) from home and work computers (which excludes usage via mobile devices). In addition, comScore is measuring behavior from people who visit plus.google.com pages, which may not include usage that occurs through the Google+ bar at the top of most Google pages.
20 million users in 21 days. Not a bad start. I’m on Google+ — just search for Jim Dalrymple and you’ll find me.
Jason Subler for Reuters:
After the stir provoked by her first blog, titled “Are you listening, Steve Jobs”, the woman invited readers to send their photographs of fake Apple stores worldwide — and has received responses from place including Costa Rica, Caracas and Vietnam.“You just made me realize, I, too, have been in a fake Apple Store without knowing it! While I was living in Bogotá, Colombia last year I found an Apple Store in the middle of a very trendy area of the city,,” wrote a reader named Laura.
Let the madness begin.
Freeverse has announced that it’s discontinuing a number of Mac game titles because of the release of OS X Lion: (more…)
Reuters:
Wang, a petite, 23-year-old office worker who would not give her first name, spent 14,000 yuan ($2,170) last month buying a Macbook Pro 13-inch and a 3G iPhone from the Kunming store. She wasn’t issued a receipt at the time, with staff telling her to come back later.“Where’s my receipt, you promised me my receipt last month!” Wang shouted at employees, before being whisked away to an upstairs room.Staff were also angry at the unwanted attention after more than 1,000 media outlets picked up the story and pictures of the store from the BirdAbroad blog.
It’s an almost perfect replica of a real Apple Store, right down to the color of the staff’s shirts.
This year marks the end of “Entourage,” one of my favorite HBO shows. The network released a special tribute about the show on iTunes. (more…)
