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Foxconn Accused of Hiding Underage Workers During Audits

Eric Slivka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:03:43 +0000

AppleInsider reports on an interview with a representative of Hong Kong-based nonprofit Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) claiming that Foxconn used advance knowledge of recent audits by the Fair Labor Association to hide underage workers from auditors. Specifically, the report addresses the issue of 16- and 17-year olds, who are permitted to work under Apple's supplier code of conduct if allowed under local laws, but with special restrictions on types and duration of their work.

[SACOM project officer Debby Sze Wan] Chan said she had heard from two Foxconn workers in Zhenghou last week that the manufacturer was "prepared for the inspection" by the Fair Labor Association that had been commissioned by Apple and began last week.

"All underage workers, between 16-17 years old, were not assigned any overtime work and some of them were even sent to other departments," Chan reported the workers as having said.

Other workers reported to the agency that Foxconn had relaxed certain policies such as by adding additional break periods ahead of the audits.

Fair Labor Association president Auret van Heerden noted to Nightline's Bill Weir in a segment that aired yesterday that his group always expects to receive "a show" when it arrives for its audits, but that its interview techniques and other strategies help to dig beneath the surface to find more accurate representations of working conditions.

Chan's organization also focuses on issues of student labor, alleging that local Chinese governments have in some cases forced school to sent their students to Foxconn for internships even when the work is completely outside of their field of study.

Apple's high-profile presence and Foxconn's role as its largest manufacturing partner have cast the two firms into the spotlight over the issue of worker rights and factory conditions. The issues are of course not unique to the two companies, although Apple's public statements and attempts transparency have also contributed to the focused attention.

Japanese iTunes Store Enhancements: iTunes Plus, 3G Downloads, Ringtones, Complete My Album

Eric Slivka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:07:47 +0000

Yesterday, we noted that the music component of iTunes in the Cloud was rolling out to Japanese users, allowing them to freely download any music content previously purchased from the iTunes Store. But as now summarized by 9to5Mac, various reports in the Japanese media reveal that the additions have been much more extensive and have brought Apple's Japanese iTunes Store offerings nearly on par with most of the company's other major markets.

Highlighting some of the changes, Apple has posted a What's New page [Google translation] for iTunes on its Japanese site. The new additions include:

- 3G downloads: Music downloads from iOS devices had previously been restricted to Wi-Fi only, but users can now access content over 3G networks.

- iTunes Plus: The Japanese iTunes Store now supports the DRM-free 256 kbps iTunes Plus format, up from the previous 128 kbps versions carrying usage restrictions. Labels will need to upgrade their content to the new standard, so it may take some time for all music to become available in iTunes Plus format.

- Ringtones: Music ringtones are now available for purchase in the Japanese iTunes Store.

- Mastered for iTunes: Rolling out on a worldwide basis, Apple is now featuring songs and albums that have been specifically mastered for the iTunes Store to provide the best sound quality for the format.

- Complete My Album: Users who previously purchased individual tracks from an album can now purchase the entire album for a discounted price based on a credit for their individual-track purchases.

As for iTunes Match, Apple's subscription service currently available in 37 countries that allows users to either match or upload their entire music libraries regardless of source for access from any iCloud-enabled device, the company is reportedly planning to bring the program to Japan during the second half of 2012.

Apple and Proview Face Off in Shanghai Court Over iPad Trademark

Eric Slivka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:46:36 +0000

While Proview has had some success in its battle against Apple's use of the "iPad" trademark in China with minor court decisions against local retailers, the two companies are now going directly head-to-head in a higher-profile case underway in Shanghai. There has been no decision in the case yet, but lawyers for both sides spent four hours today laying out their evidence for the presiding judge. Reuters notes that Apple has gone on the offensive by citing the impact on the Chinese economy if iPad sales were to be halted, given the iPad's massive popularity and Proview's current lack of any product offering under that name.

"Proview has no product, no markets, no customers and no suppliers. It has nothing," Hu Jinnan, a partner at Guangdong Shendadi law firm, which is representing Apple in the case, told the court.

"Apple has huge sales in China. Its fans line up to buy Apple products. The ban, if executed, would not only hurt Apple sales but it would also hurt China's national interest."

Apple's tactics of highlighting the economic impact of the iPad and calling into question the validity of Proview's trademark given a lack of physical product using the name are side arguments to its primary claims, which hold that Proview agreed to transfer the rights to an Apple-held company in late 2009 and has failed to uphold its part of the deal.

Proview's iPAD, sold from 1998 until 2009 (Source: The Wall Street Journal)
A Hong Kong court sided with Apple last year, ruling that Proview and its subsidiaries had colluded to extort significant sums of money from Apple in refusing to hand over the Chinese rights to the trademark. But Apple needs to convince courts in mainland China to adopt the same view as it seeks to thwart Proview's attempts at halting iPad sales and its requests for as much as $2 billion in compensation. Proview has argued that the Hong Kong ruling is inadmissible in Chinese courts, although Apple could presumably submit the same primary evidence to the Chinese court that it did in the Hong Kong case, seeking to convince the Chinese judge to independently come to the same conclusion.

The Beatles Launch Exclusive Ringtones Through iTunes Store

Eric Slivka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:42:44 +0000

Continuing their close relationship with the iTunes Store following a landmark deal to launch their music in the store in late 2010, The Beatles today announced the release of their first official ringtones, available exclusively through the iTunes Store.

Beginning today, fans around the world can, for the first time, purchase ringtones for the Beatles’ 27 UK and US #1 hits, exclusively on iTunes.

The 30-second ringtones are priced at $1.29 each, and the full list of available ringtones includes: "Love Me Do", "From Me to You", "She Loves You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "Can't Buy Me Love", "A Hard Day's Night", "I Feel Fine", "Eight Days a Week", "Ticket to Ride", "Help!", "Yesterday", "Day Tripper", "We Can Work It Out", "Paperback Writer", "Yellow Submarine", "Eleanor Rigby", "Penny Lane", "All You Need Is Love", "Hello, Goodbye", "Lady Madonna", "Hey Jude", "Get Back", "The Ballad of John and Yoko", "Something", "Come Together", "Let It Be", and "The Long and Winding Road".

Apple and The Beatles have an extensive history together, dating back to disputes over the Apple name that The Beatles have long used for their business ventures. As Apple moved into the music business, the two sides came into conflict over the trademark, eventually leading to a 2007 agreement that saw Apple obtain all rights to the trademark and license it back to The Beatles for their specific uses.

Following the November 2010 addition of The Beatles to the iTunes Store, Apple has prominently featured the band's music at times. The Beatles published an exclusive free animated e-book of Yellow Submarine on the iBookstore last year, and Apple accompanied that release with a dedicated television commercial of its own focusing on The Beatles.

Apple Confirms March 3 Opening for Amsterdam Retail Store [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:18:18 +0000

Following reports yesterday that Apple would open its first Dutch retail store in Amsterdam on March 3, the company has confirmed that date today with emails to customers and a new dedicated store page on its website.

The new store will open at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 3, with press reportedly having been invited to a preview event two days earlier. With the opening, the Netherlands will become the twelfth country to host at least one Apple retail store.

$16,000 Worth of iPhones Stolen from Charlotte Apple Store in Apparent Inside Job [iOS Blog]

Eric Slivka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:24:31 +0000

The Charlotte Observer reports that a total of 25 iPhones valued at over $16,000 have been reported stolen from Apple's Northlake Mall retail store in Charlotte, North Carolina. While smash-and-grab robberies are not terribly unusual at Apple retail stores, this case has an unusual twist in that the suspect appears to have been an employee of the store.

“The iPhones were stolen from the Genius Room located inside of the store," a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police report says. "The suspect did have access to the Genius Room."

The stolen phones, which are valued at $16,425, include 22 16-gigabyte iPhone 4S models, one 64-GB 4S model, one eight-GB iPhone 4 model and one 32-GB 4S model.

Charlotte's WBTV confirms that the suspect was a store employee and that the 25 phones were stolen over a period of time between December 1 and January 11. Police are reportedly searching for the suspect.

Apple's Northlake Mall retail store is one of two in the Charlotte area, having just opened last August.

Nightline’s Look into Apple’s Foxconn Factories

Arnold Kim — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:29:16 +0000

ABC aired their Nightline special tonight where they took an inside look at Apple's Foxconn factories. Apple allowed Nightline access to the Foxconn factories that produce iPhones and iPads. Foxconn is the world's largest electronics manufacturing company that has contracts with most major U.S. electronics companies. The full video is not available online at this time.

Overall, the report held no real surprises. They summarized many of the events leading up to the bad press surrounding Foxconn's working conditions. The cluster of suicides was mentioned over the past few years that led to the installation of suicide netting to discourage impulsive suicide attempts. Nightline did note that the suicide rate at Foxconn was still below the Chinese national average. Tim Cook, then Apple's COO, flew to China during that time to help coordinate the response. Beyond the suicide netting, pay was increased and counseling offices were set up.

Work on the factory line is described as monotonous with 12 hour shifts with two hour long meal breaks. When questioned, workers complained about cramped dorms and low pay, but the jobs were in high demand with thousands coming to Foxconn for work. Nightline traveled to a nearby village to compare those living conditions which didn't seem any better. The families who remained in the village told Nightline that their living conditions were better with the "young people" working in the factories.

The Verge compiled some interesting statistics from the report:

- It takes 141 steps to make an iPhone, and the devices are essentially all handmade
- It takes five days and 325 hands to make a single iPad
- Foxconn workers pay for their own food — about $.70 per meal, and work 12 hour shifts
- Workers who live in the dorms sleep six to eight a room, and pay $17.50 a month to do so
- Workers make $1.78 an hour

Nightline's visit coordinated with Fair Labor Association who is compiling their own report on the factories.

Overall, the report was fair-to-positive making it seem like Apple was being very responsive to the concerns.

Update: Video of the segment is now available to U.S. viewers through ABC's website.

Apple Confirms Plans for Another Large Data Center in Prineville, Oregon

Arnold Kim — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:16:17 +0000

KTVZ.com has received confirmation from Apple that the company plans to build a new data center on a 160-acre lot in Prineville, Oregon. The land was reportedly purchased for $5.6 million from Crook County. A February 15th filing first identified Apple, Inc. as the purchaser of the land, which Apple later confirmed:

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet confirmed Tuesday that “we purchased the land and it’s for a data center,” but could not speak to details beyond that, other than to say it will be a "green" facility.

Facebook's data center in Prineville, Oregon
Word of the possibility of a new Apple data center in Oregon was first reported in December when it was revealed that Apple was in discussions over the location. The new data center would be near a recently opened Facebook data center in the same area.

Apple has been working hard to expand its data center capacity to handle iCloud and other services, having invested $1 billion in the North Carolina center and revealing a master plan that could see the size of that facility double in the future. Apple also maintains a smaller data center in Newark, California and has been building out minor additional capacity in Santa Clara, California near its corporate headquarters in Cupertino.

Qualcomm’s Next-Generation Gobi Platform Consolidates Mobile Standards Support for Future iOS Devices

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:53:08 +0000

Qualcomm today announced the launch of its fifth-generation Gobi reference platform that seeks to pack support for nearly all of the major worldwide mobile standards into a single chip. While the reference platform is not ready in time for inclusion in the iPad 3, it does pave the way for future world-mode iOS devices and is targeted at ultra-thin notebooks and tablets.

Based on Qualcomm’s Gobi 4G LTE wireless baseband modems, the MDM9615™ and MDM9215™, the technology delivers fast LTE connectivity on FDD and TDD networks worldwide, with backwards compatibility to both HSPA+ and EV-DO networks. This will allow support for regional LTE frequencies with backwards compatibility to existing 2G/3G technologies, allowing Gobi 4G LTE devices to connect to the faster LTE network locally and stay connected to the Internet globally on 3G networks worldwide. [...]

Qualcomm’s latest Gobi 4G LTE connectivity reference platform includes embedded GPS capability and features an application programming interface (API) with LTE extensions, which is compatible with leading connectivity standards, including CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B, HSPA+, dual-carrier HSPA+, TD-SCDMA and LTE, with integrated backwards compatibility to HSPA and EV-DO.

Gobi offers a layer of software enhancements on top of Qualcomm's MDM chipsets in order to streamline wireless connectivity across technologies.

Apple already uses a world-mode chip to support both GSM and CDMA networks in the iPhone 4S, but the device does not support faster LTE networks now being deployed. The iPad 3 has been claimed to support LTE, and will likely be using a world-mode chip capable of falling back onto both GSM and CDMA 3G networks.

Apple has held off on supporting LTE so far because the technology has simply not been available in a single-chip solution meeting Apple's size and power requirements. But with Qualcomm's new single chip designs now making their way to availability, Apple has options that suit its design and performance goals for future devices.

While the identity of the LTE wireless chip in the iPad 3 has not yet been revealed, Qualcomm's roadmap suggests that Apple may be looking to use the MDM9600 (or MDM9615) in the iPad 3. For the iPhone 5 due later this year, Apple would likely utilize the MDM9615, which does pack voice capabilities onto the LTE chip.

U.S. Mac Demand Soft in January as Customers Wait for Updated Models

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:37:29 +0000

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is out with a new report today citing data from research firm NPD on U.S. sales of Macs. According to the data, Apple's U.S. Mac sales were up only 1% year-over-year in January, tracking behind predictions that have called for roughly 20% year-over-year growth for the full quarter. Munster believes, however, that continued strength in international markets and the potential for new Mac updates such as a refreshed MacBook Air near end of the quarter will likely help Apple close strongly to meet expectations.

We have analyzed domestic NPD retail data for the first month of the March quarter, which is up 1% y/y. The early data appears soft on a y/y basis; however, last quarter actual Mac growth outpaced NPD by 14 percentage points. Also, we believe Apple may launch new MacBook Airs as early as March. Net-net, we believe this early data suggests Mac sales in the range of 4.4m-4.6m, or 17%-22% y/y growth (we believe Street consensus is 4.5m Macs in the quarter and we are also at 4.5m).

With historical evidence showing overall growth outpacing NPD's U.S. data by 14 percentage points, Munster believes that Apple's actual worldwide Mac growth for January could be in the 15% range, close enough to the 20% target for the full quarter to give a Apple a reasonable chance at making up the difference with a strong finish.

Piper Jaffray's independent data on iPhone sales for January are tracking toward full-quarter sales of 32-34 million, a figure that would help overcome any softness on the Mac side. iPod sales trends remain in line with predictions of continued declines as customers shift from the aging iPod line to iPhones and iPads.

Apple Extends Deadline for Sandboxing of Mac App Store Apps to June 1

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:51:52 +0000

Apple today announced that it has extended the deadline for Mac App Store apps to implement sandboxing until June 1. The requirement had been set to go into effect on March 1 after already having been delayed from last November, but continued uncertainty about implementation and its effects on app functionality has caused Apple to again slow down the transition.

We have extended the deadline for sandboxing your apps on the Mac App Store from March 1st to June 1st to provide you with enough time to take advantage of new sandboxing entitlements available in OS X 10.7.3 and new APIs in Xcode 4.3.

We first profiled the sandboxing requirements, which would restrict apps from initiating operations outside of their operational confines, back in November. While users could override the sandboxing with their own commands, compromised apps would be prevented from affecting a user's entire system. But concerns over the effect of the requirement on apps requiring system-wide file access or allowing inter-app scripting have given some pause about how sandboxing should be implemented.

The issues was revisited earlier this month as the deadline approached, with several developers noting that there were still questions and concerns over how to implement sandboxing in their applications. One developer noted to MacRumors at the time that there were likely to be major issues if Apple were to enforce the requirement on March 1, given lingering bugs and other issues, and Apple has clearly taken those concerns to heart and given itself and developers an additional three months to work through the issues.

Creator of Futuristic Theme Park In Hollywood Suicide

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:00:23 +0000

SEOUL, South Korea – The young South Korean creator of a futuristic “4D” theme park that sparked interest in countries around the world has committed suicide in Los Angeles, officials told ABC News today. Eun-Seok Chey, 39, was CEO of d’strict, a New York and Seoul-based creative agency….

Continue reading here:
Creator of Futuristic Theme Park In Hollywood Suicide

Microsoft Denies Claims of Imminent Launch of Office for iPad [Updated x4]

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:42:55 +0000

Earlier today, a report from The Daily claimed that Microsoft has a "working prototype" of its Office suite for iPad, with the app reportedly set to be submitted to Apple for App Store approval "soon".

The New York Times now reports that Microsoft has issued a statement denying at least some of the claims made in the original report, although the company offered no detail on what specific claims it was objecting to.

A Microsoft spokeswoman issued this statement: “The Daily story is based on inaccurate rumors and speculation. We have no further comment.”

Following the introduction of the original iPad back in 2010, Microsoft indicated that it was "looking at", the possibility of bringing Office to the device, but by the time the device launched a few months later the company said it had "no current plans" for such a project. Rumors of Office for iPad were revived by The Daily late last year with claims that Microsoft was "actively working" on an app.

Update: Microsoft has also responded to ZDNet, claiming that the screenshot accompanying The Daily's report is "not a real picture of a Microsoft software product".

A Microsoft spokesperson said the screen shot accompanying The Daily’s story is not a real picture of a Microsoft software product. But the spokesperson also said Microsoft is declining to comment as to whether or not the company has developed a version of Office for the iPad and/or when such a product may come to market.

Update 2: The Daily's Peter Ha has taken to Twitter to defend the original report, saying that "a working version of the app was demoed to us by someone at Microsoft."

Update 3: TechCrunch has also weighed in, offering another statement from Ha and its own confirmation that the project is indeed real.

Sure enough, they did their homework and Ha stands by the story and pic.

"We’ve been chasing this story down for weeks. We did not fabricate the image and Microsoft isn’t denying the existence of Office for iPad. All this fuss over a photo is nonsense. The story is real."

We also got confirmation from local sources in Seattle, who assure us that the software is real and being developed in-house. However, as the build in the picture is far from final, Microsoft can deny (in its overly specific way) that it’s not a real product.

Update 4: Microsoft's official Microsoft News account on Twitter has weighed in promising that the situation will become clear in the "coming weeks".

Great respect for The Daily but regrettably someone is giving them bad info, and that’ll be clear in the “coming weeks.”

iPad 3 Launching in Germany on March 23? [iOS Blog]

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:07:47 +0000

German site iFun.de reports [Google translation] that has it has received information from a source "to be taken seriously" claiming that the iPad 3 will debut there on Friday, March 23.

No other details on the claim are offered, although the report does conflict with an Asian report from earlier today claiming that the iPad 3 would begin appearing in Europe in April following a mid-March launch in the United States.

With no other information to go on and uncertain reliability for the report's source, we hesitate to put too much weight on the claim, but we are noting it for interest and discussion.

iTunes in the Cloud for Music Rolling Out in Japan, iTunes Match Coming Soon?

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:57:34 +0000

It has been just over a month since Apple's last round of expansion for its iTunes Match service, but it appears that the company may be preparing to add Japan to the mix.

As noted by Macotakara, the "iTunes in the Cloud" music component has gone live in Japan, with the "Purchased" tab within the desktop iTunes Store and the iOS music application now allowing users to access their previously-purchased iTunes Store music. The iTunes in the Cloud service has until now been limited to apps and books in Japan.

Apple's iTunes Match service that allows users to match or upload their entire libraries of music acquired from any source to Apple's iCloud is a step further than the music re-download service just now rolling out. There are, however, currently no other countries in which Apple offers iTunes in the Cloud music capabilities without also offering iTunes Match. iTunes Match is currently available in 37 countries, and if iTunes in the Cloud music downloads are now appearing in Japan it seems that iTunes Match may not be far behind there.

iPad 3 Front Glass Reveals No Significant Changes: Round Home Button, Camera and Sensor Holes

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:56:58 +0000

While a number of alleged iPad 3 parts have leaked in recent weeks, one piece that has so far remained unseen is the device's front panel. But now Apple.pro points to a posting (registration required) on Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo showing what is claimed to be the front glass and digitizer assembly from the iPad 3.

The part appears nearly identical to that of the iPad 2, with the major distinguishing feature being a relatively long ribbon cable extending up the side of the display as opposed to a shorter cable with a sideways orientation seen in the iPad 2. Other features of the iPad 3 display include the same round home button seen in all iOS devices so far and a hole in the top bezel to accommodate both the front-facing camera and the ambient light sensor.

A separate posting from the same blogger claims that the A5X system-on-a-chip seen in a leaked photo has a dual-core processor and that the iPad 3 will support Siri. The report also claims that the iPad 3 will launch with iOS 5.1 and a rear camera capable of recording 1080p video. Finally, the posting says that the iPad 3 will launch in the U.S. in mid-March with France, Germany, Japan, and the UK to follow in April. Other markets including China and Hong Kong should see the device launch by June 1. The reliability of that report is, however, unknown.

With the revelation of the front glass assembly and earlier leaks of the rear casing, ultra high-resolution display, logic board, and several other internal components, most of the iPad 3's major parts with the exception of the battery and camera modules have now been seen. Apple is expected to introduce the iPad 3 with a media event scheduled for March 7.

Proview Willing to Discuss Settlement with Apple in iPad Trademark Case [iOS Blog]

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:17:13 +0000

AFP reports that Proview Technology has expressed a willingness to work toward a settlement with Apple in the "iPad" trademark dispute in China, even as the company continues to press forward with current lawsuits and plans for new ones seeking as much as $2 billion in damages.

"We are now preparing for negotiations," Proview's lawyer, Xie Xianghui, told AFP. "The court cases will continue until we reach an agreement."

He declined to give further details, but he added Apple had told Proview it had "peaceful intentions".

Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Analysts expect the companies will reach an out-of-court settlement.

Apple has been ramping up its efforts in the dispute, just yesterday sending a warning letter to Proview outlining numerous false public statements made by the company and threatening to sue Proview for defamation. Apple had previously won a court case in Hong Kong in which a judge ruled that several Proview subsidiaries had colluded in order to breach an agreement to transfer the trademark rights to Apple and then attempt to extort million (and now billions) of dollars from Apple.

Apple Beginning Independent Environmental Audits of Chinese Suppliers’ Facilities

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:59:21 +0000

While Apple's partnership with the Fair Labor Association to conduct independent audits of working conditions at factories in Apple's supply chain has been gaining headlines in recent weeks, USA Today reports that Apple is also gearing up for independent environmental audits of several suppliers. The news comes as Apple yesterday released its annual environmental report, touting a number of new initiatives and improvements, including significant investments in alternative energy at its new North Carolina data center.

Ma Jun, founder of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, told USA TODAY in a phone interview Monday that Apple agreed to the independent reviews in late January in response to two reports that IPE and other environmental groups released last year documenting hazardous-waste leaks and the use of toxic chemicals at suspected Apple suppliers.

The reviews, which could begin in March, will start with two suppliers but might expand to others, said Ma, one of China's leading environmental activists.

Linda Greer, Washington-D.C.-based director of the National Resources Defense Council's health program, said Apple agreed to allow environmental groups to examine at least two of the 14 suppliers that Apple did environmental audits on last year. Apple has promised the groups access to the factories, she said. The reviews will focus on environmental issues, such as whether Apple suppliers are discharging toxic waste into the water supply and soil.

Apple is reportedly also working with the IPE's database of environmental violations in China, using the data to help monitor current supply chain partners and evaluate potential new ones.

Apple is said to be looking to add a similar level of transparency to its environmental auditing as it is deploying for audits of working conditions, seeking to make the results public and naming the audited suppliers once they have had an opportunity to address any deficiencies.

Apple’s First Dutch Retail Store Reportedly Set for March 3 Opening [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:41:36 +0000

After one false alert claiming a February 18 opening for Apple's new Amsterdam retail store, the company's first in the Netherlands, One More Thing now reports [Google translation] that the grand opening is apparently set for March 3.

Glass staircase at Apple's Amsterdam retail store
The sources of the information are said to be "numerous and come from different angles", making One More Thing very confident in the opening date. Dutch media has reportedly also been notified to pencil in March 1 as a date for a media preview of the new store. The opening of the Amsterdam store will bring Apple's count of countries with retail stores to 13, with the company counting China and Hong Kong as separate markets.

Vote in the Senior Living Art Showcase

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Assisted Living Federation of America is inviting the public to vote for their favorite artwork as a part of the ALFA Senior Living Art Showcase, a premier art competition for senior living residents.

Go here to see the original:
Vote in the Senior Living Art Showcase

Microsoft Office on iPad Spotted, Coming Soon to App Store

Arnold Kim — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:47:42 +0000

The Daily claims to have had hands-on time with a working prototype of a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad (via TheVerge). The Daily had previously reported that Microsoft was actively working on bringing Microsoft Office to the iPad.

The version (pictured above) is said to allow the creation and editing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint files both locally and online.

A brief hands-on with a working prototype of the software revealed a number of new things. The app’s user interface is similar to the current OneNote app, but it has hints of Metro, the new design language that can be seen in Windows Phone and in the as-yet-released Windows 8 desktop operating system.

They claim the app will soon be submitted to Apple for App Store approval. Notably, a version of Android is "not in the works" according to the same source.

Thousands of students ‘like’ new Miami Memes Facebook page

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:02:39 +0000

If you are a Miami University Facebook user, you have probably noticed the explosion of “memes” on your news feed lately.

See the rest here:
Thousands of students ‘like’ new Miami Memes Facebook page

Side by Side Photos of iPad 2 and iPad 3 Casing Shows Gradual Taper and Slightly More Thickness

Arnold Kim — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:58:03 +0000

MICGadget posts a roundup of circulating iPad 3 rumors, and also includes a few better side-by-side shots of what is believed to be the new iPad 3 back enclosure and the iPad 2 one.

Seen on top of each other, the iPad 3 does appear to have a more gradual taper to the edges than the iPad 2. The difference in size, however, is said to be minimal but seems exaggerated in this shot above due to the staggered positioning of the casings. The next shot shows that the difference in thickness is only 1-1.5mm, with the iPad 3 enclosure being slightly thicker than the iPad 2.

MICGadget also confirms that the iPad 3 camera lens hole is "noticeably larger", suggesting that there has been some improvement in the camera quality, though they seem to question whether or not it will make it all the way to 8 Megapixels as claimed by one publication.

These same iPad 3 enclosures have been seen in the hands of many sites now. It's not uncommon for parts and enclosures to leak out of Apple's supply chain as production of new products ramp up. The iPad 3 is believed to be in manufacturing at this time with an expected announcement date on March 7th.

China Telecom to Start Selling iPhone 4S on March 9th

Arnold Kim — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:05:08 +0000

As has been long rumored, China Telecom announced today that it has signed an agreement with Apple Inc to sell iPhones in China. China Telecom will start taking preorders for iPhone 4S on March 2nd with sales beginning on March 9th.

China Telecom would be the second carrier in China to carry the iPhone. Previously, China Unicom had exclusive rights to the iPhone in China. Apple PR released a statement to LoopInsight confirming the announcement.

“iPhone 4S has been an incredible hit with customers around the world,” Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison, told The Loop. “We’re thrilled to be launching iPhone 4S with China Telecom and can’t wait to get it into the hands of even more customers in China.”

China is a major new market for Apple and Tim Cook described the demand for the iPhone 4S in China as "staggering" this past quarter. Apple also included China specific changes as one of the major new features of OS X Mountain Lion for the Mac.

China Telecom to Start Selling iPhone 4S on March 9th

Arnold Kim — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:05:08 +0000

“iPhone 4S has been an incredible hit with customers around the world,” Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison, told The Loop. “We’re thrilled to be launching iPhone 4S with China Telecom and can’t wait to get it into the hands of even more customers in China.”

Apple Working to Update and Simplify iTunes Store and App Store in 2012? [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:04:37 +0000

9to5Mac reports that Apple is working on an overhaul of its iTunes Store and App Store marketplaces, seeking to simplify the user experience while also increasing interactivity and discoverability. The revamped stores are reportedly planned to launch later this year.

The new design is said to be even simpler and more user-friendly than the current design. Apple is working on ways to enhance the speed and efficiency of finding new content, such as songs, videos, and applications. The cornerstone element of Apple’s new iTunes Store is interactivity. As Apple vaguely explained to a number of music labels and entertainment partners, Apple is looking to make the iTunes Store a much more engaging experience.

According to the report, the focus is currently on the desktop iTunes Store and App Store experience as managed through the iTunes application, although it is unclear whether the revamped stores will come alongside a major revision to the application itself. And along with the revamped desktop experience, Apple will also be working to refresh the interface on iOS, although those changes may come somewhat after the changes on the desktop side.

iPhone 5 Due for Release in September-October Timeframe?

Eric Slivka — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:01:21 +0000

Japanese blog Macotakara today reports that it has learned from a "reliable" source that Apple is targeting another September or October release for the iPhone this year, continuing a shift away from the mid-year launches seen prior to 2011 and yielding an approximately 12-month upgrade cycle for the iPhone 4S. The report also claims that Apple intends for the later timeframe to be part of Apple's long-term plans for iPhone launches.

According to Asian reliable source, next iPhone will be released in September or October , and this cycle seems to be kept for years.

MacRumors has similarly heard from a representative of a supplier known to provide parts for the iPhone that Apple's ordering plans are pointing toward a launch of new hardware in the September.

A third source also claimed to iMore last week that Apple is targeting an October launch for an LTE-enabled iPhone 5, with that source also apparently having accurately named March 7 as the date of Apple's iPad 3 media event. Apple has yet to officially announce that iPad 3 event, but the date has been confirmed as accurate by the well-connected Jim Dalrymple at The Loop.

The claims of a September or October launch for the iPhone 5 directly contradict several previous rumors that had claimed Apple would be releasing the iPhone this summer, presumably at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. That event that may be held during the week of June 11-15 this year, meaning that a product launch in the weeks after such an introduction would result in a very short lifecycle of only eight months for the iPhone 4S. Consequently, many have believed that Apple will indeed hold off on the iPhone 5 launch until later in the year as it did in 2011.

Apple Touts Plans for Massive Solar Farm and Fuel Cell Facilities at North Carolina Data Center

Eric Slivka — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:41:13 +0000

As noted by CNET, Apple today updated its environmental site with updated data for 2011, revealing a few tidbits of new information about the company's work on energy usage and other topics.

Apple's data center in Maiden, North Carolina
Among the additions is a brief discussion of the company's massive new data center in Maiden, North Carolina, which Apple touts as being the only such facility of comparable size to earn LEED Platinum certification. The company also notes that the solar farm being built across the street from the facility will be the largest user-owned solar array in the United States, registering at 20 megawatts. Finally, Apple will also be powering the facility with a 5-megawatt fuel cell installation, the largest in the country not owned by a utility company. Additional details are available in the company's facilities report (PDF).

Our new data center in Maiden, North Carolina, demonstrates our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our facilities through energy-efficient, green building design. The facility has earned the coveted LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. We know of no other data center of comparable size that has achieved this level of LEED certification. Our goal is to run the Maiden facility with high percentage renewable energy mix, and we have major projects under way to achieve this — including building the nation’s largest end user-owned solar array and building the largest nonutility fuel cell installation in the United States.

Still, rapid growth in the company's sales have caused Apple's carbon footprint to balloon, with greenhouse gas emissions increasing by 56% from 14.8 million metric tons in 2010 to 23.1 million metric tons in 2011. The biggest swings in terms of share of Apple's carbon footprint come from product use itself, which declined from 45% of the company's use to just 30%, and manufacturing, which increased from 45% to 61% between 2010 and 2011. But even with the rapid growth in carbon footprint, Apple touts that greenhouse gas emissions per dollar of revenue have decreased by 15.4 percent since 2008.

Among other additions in Apple's 2011 environmental report, the company touts increased usage of "environmentally conscious materials" such as repolymerized plastic bottles in fan assemblies, recycled plastic in speaker assembles and internal brackets, recycled paper in packing, and renewable tapioca paper foam in iPhone packages.

ABC Previews ‘Nightline’ Visit to Foxconn’s Chinese Factories

Eric Slivka — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:04:32 +0000

Over the weekend, ABC announced that it had been granted exclusive access to Foxconn's factories in China where the company assembled products for Apple, with the segment scheduled to air on a special edition of Nightline on Tuesday night.

ABC has now posted a preview of the segment, along with a teaser video from Nightline co-anchor Bill Weir.

Apple promised complete access, no dog-and-pony, no Potemkin Village, but they denied my repeated requests to interview Apple CEO Tim Cook or the senior vice president of industrial design, Jony Ive.

In a three-golf-cart convoy, both Apple and Foxconn reps took us around to a half dozen production lines in Shenzhen and Chengdu, and there were always five to six people with us as we toured the factories and dorms. But aside from suggesting a visit to the counseling center or canteen, they never steered us to interviews and never interrupted.

The extensive preview offers comments from several Foxconn employees, as well as Louis Woo, a former Apple executive who now serves as an advisor to Foxconn CEO Terry Gou, and Fair Labor Association president Auret van Heerden.

Nightline's "iFactory: Inside Apple" segment airs tomorrow, February 21, at 11:35 PM Eastern and Pacific on ABC.

Apple Threatens to Sue Proview for Defamation as Chinese Court Asks Distributors to Pull iPads

Eric Slivka — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:18:25 +0000

Associated Press reports that a Chinese court has ruled against Apple in its ongoing trademark dispute with Proview Technology over the rights to the "iPad" trademark in that country, deciding that distributors should halt sales of the iPad in China. The impact of the ruling is, however, unclear as the lawsuit is just one of many Proview has filed against Apple in its efforts to extract as much as $2 billion for the trademark rights.

Xie Xianghui, a lawyer for Shenzhen Proview Technology, said the Intermediate People's Court in Huizhou, a city in southern China's Guangdong province, had ruled on Friday that distributors should stop selling iPads in China.

The ruling, which was also reported widely in China's state media, may not have a far-reaching effect. In its battle with Apple, Proview is utilizing lawsuits in several places and also requesting commercial authorities in 40 cities to block iPad sales.

Apple Inc. said in a statement Monday that its case is still pending in mainland China. The company has appealed to Guangdong's High Court against an earlier ruling in Proview's favor.

Meanwhile, IDG News reports that Apple sent a letter to Proview today threatening a lawsuit over defamation charges. Apple had previously won a case over the trademark rights in a Hong Kong court, and Apple's threats claim that Proview has issued false public statements regarding the dispute.

On Monday, Apple sent a letter to Chinese display vendor Proview, demanding its founder Yang Rongshan cease releasing what it said was false information to the media. Apple then warned it would sue for damages caused by "defamatory statements."

"It is inappropriate to release information contrary to the facts to the media, especially when such disclosures have the effect of wrongfully causing damage to Apple's reputation," said the letter, which was provided by a person familiar with the matter.

Apple claims that a shell company it set up for the purpose of anonymously acquiring intellectual property rights purchased the iPad trademark rights in China and a number of other countries from Proview in 2009 for $55,000. But Proview later reported that the subsidiary making the deal did not hold the Chinese rights and demanded that Apple pay $10 million before a different subsidiary would transfer the rights.

The Hong Kong court ruled last year that the various Proview subsidiaries colluded in an effort to extort millions of dollar out of Apple, a figure that has now risen to $1-2 billion as Proview has continued to press its case. Chinese courts have so far sided with Proview, however, with Apple continuing to appeal there using the Hong Kong ruling to demonstrate the strength of its case.

Update: Financial Times clarifies that the court ruling today specifically related to a single retailer, Sundan. While the impact of the decision is limited due to its effect on a single retailer in a single city and the fact that it can still be appealed by Sundan, it may provide Proview with leverage as it pursues other lawsuits against resellers to try to halt the flow of iPads and force a settlement from Apple.

Consumer Confidential: Facebook shows how privacy is passé

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:35:20 +0000

WHAT’S most striking about Facebook’s initial public offering (IPO) isn’t that it values the eight-year-old company at up to $100 billion, or that this will be the biggest-ever IPO for an Internet firm. What’s most striking is that Facebook is serving up to investors the prospect of 845 million users (read: consumers) worldwide being a captive market for businesses looking to sell them stuff.

Originally posted here:
Consumer Confidential: Facebook shows how privacy is passé

Most of Intel’s Ivy Bridge CPUs Not Actually Delayed Until June

Arnold Kim — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:33:52 +0000

Last week, a Digitimes report claimed that Intel was going to delay mass availability of its new Ivy Bridge processors until after June. Ivy Bridge represents the next generation processors from Intel and are expected to power any new Macs in the coming few months. The original target date for Ivy Bridge shipments was in April.

VR-Zone now reports that the report wasn't entirely correct and that Intel will only be delaying the release specifically of mobile Dual-Core Ivy Bridge processors.

Remember that article from the other day that made some people panic as Intel might've delayed Ivy Bridge to June? Well, there's no need to be worried if you're planning on getting a new desktop system, as none of the desktop parts that were originally meant to launch have been delayed and on the mobile side, only the dual core models have been pushed back.

According to the site, the reason for the delay of those specific processors is due to an overstock of the previous generation chips.

What that means is that it may not have an effect on Apple's release plans for updated MacBook Pros and iMacs. Apple currently offers Quad-Core processors in their iMac, so that product line should see no added delays. The iMac was last updated in May, 2011 and is getting due for a refresh. Meanwhile, in the MacBook Pro line, the 13" model is the only MacBook Pro that currently uses a Dual-Core processor.

As it turns out, we previously reported that Intel's new Quad-Core Ivy Bridge processor will be heat efficient enough to fit in Apple's 13" MacBook chassis for the first time. The limiting factor for a Quad-Core 13" MacBook Pro had previously been the heat output of the processor. If Apple chooses to go this route, they could eliminate Dual-Core processors entirely from their MacBook Pro line, side stepping any delays.

However, this line of reasoning assumes that Apple will not be making any dramatic changes to the MacBook Pro enclosure. Persistent rumors have suggested that Apple may be considering more MacBook Air-like designs for at least some of the new MacBook Pro models. Such a drastic change would change Apple's choice of processors considerably.

It's also worth noting that Apple isn't a typical Intel customer and has, in the past, been able to secure chips earlier than the rest of the industry.

Penn State Football: What Will the Theme for 2012 Be?

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:46:40 +0000

With a new coach and coaching staff in place and the entire university looking to start fresh, in a sense, in 2012, it should be relatively easy to come up with a theme or motto for the football season at Penn State. The problem is finding one that is not already played out or unoriginal. So scratch the following suggestions right now. “A New Chapter Begins.” “The Dawn of a New Era.” These are …

Go here to read the rest:
Penn State Football: What Will the Theme for 2012 Be?

Photo of iPad 3 Logic Board with "A5X" System on a Chip

Eric Slivka — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:33:37 +0000

A forum post at Chinese site WeiPhone offers a photo of what is claimed to be the iPad 3's logic board showing an "A5X" system-on-a-chip.

Apple is expected to introduce an upgraded processor and graphics package for the iPad 3, with the assumption being that it would be called the A6 after the A4 initially appeared in the original iPad and iPhone 4 and was succeeded by the A5 in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. But if this photo is to be believed, that assumption appears to have been incorrect, with Apple instead having branded the upgraded package with the A5X name.

Click for larger
A date code of "1146" on the A5X indicates that it was manufactured in the 46th week of 2011, which would have corresponded to November 14-20.

An "A5X" as a step-wise upgrade to the A5 corresponds with progression of processor part numbers as revealed by BGR in February. At the time the A4 was known to be the S5L8930X, the A5 as the S5L8940X and the new iPad processor as S5L8945X.

Several other features are also visible on the logic board, including a pair of 16 GB flash memory chips from Hynix and a rectangular Apple-branded chip. That chip appears to correspond to power management chips found in previous iPad teardowns but which carries a higher part number, suggesting an upgraded part.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPad 3 at a media event on March 7, with the device also receiving an ultra high-resolution display and LTE capabilities. Other claims have suggested that it will carry a slightly more tapered case design and perhaps offer an 8-megapixel rear camera.

iPad 3 with More Tapered Edge and an 8 Megapixel Back Camera?

Arnold Kim — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:12:45 +0000

NextMedia / Apple Daily claims to have received the following photos and information through "special channels". The photo below shows what is claimed to be an overview shot of the new iPad 3 back enclosure (top of image) as well as a comparison shot between the original iPad, the iPad 2 and the New iPad (inset). (via Apple.pro)

The shell should look familiar as it seems to be the same part we previously published. The lighting, however, is much better in this shot, and reveals the more subtle changes. There are notably no markings on the back of the case besides the Apple logo, itself.

The iPad 3 enclosure seems to have a more gradual taper to the edges than the iPad 2. The taper is seen better on the top overview photograph. As a result of this longer taper, the iPad 3's camera rests on the taper itself. We saw this before but due to the dark lighting of that image, the taper seemed more exaggerated.

The absolute positioning of the camera doesn't seem that far off from the iPad 2, but the lens does appear larger. According to NextMedia, the new iPad 3 camera will see a significant upgrade to 8 megapixels. The current iPad 2 back camera is 1 megapixel in resolution. The site also summarizes many of the other expectations for the iPad 3, such as an improved display, quad-core CPU, and a March 7th announcement date.

We've seen a rumor from the site only once before. They predicted new MacBooks, MacBook Pros and MacBook Air models back in April 5, 2010. The MacBook Pros (alone) did launch 8 days after that report, though some of the details (hard drive sizes) didn't match up to the report. Overall, the images here seem to match up to other parts that have been floating around China. Apple Daily is described, however, as a "tabloid-style" newspaper, but the Hong Kong edition is said to be quite popular as the second best selling publication.

Best theme bar, 2012: Safe House

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:32:44 +0000

Just like it does each and every single year, Safe House took home the readers' pick for best theme bar, trouncing second-place finisher, Old German Beer Hall. Not bad for a place that doesn't even have a a sign.

See the article here:
Best theme bar, 2012: Safe House

Apple Settles Class Action Suit Regarding iPhone 4 Antenna

Arnold Kim — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:18:43 +0000

CNet reports that Apple has settled a class action suit over the iPhone 4's antenna.

The settlement comes from 18 separate lawsuits that were consolidated into one. All share the claim that Apple was "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4--particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."

When the iPhone 4 launched in 2010, some customers were affected by low signals and dropped calls that were believed to be related to the iPhone 4's external antenna. At the time, Apple's response was a press conference as well as a refund offer for iPhone 4 customers or free bumper cases.

Based on the preliminary approval, U.S. residents who bought the iPhone 4 will be entitled to $15 in cash or a bumper case provided by Apple. The lawyers claim that the 25 million customers may be eligible.

Update: The Loop's Jim Dalrymple has obtained a statement from Apple on the settlement:

“This settlement relates to a small number of customers who indicated that they experienced antenna or reception issues with their iPhone 4 and didn’t want to take advantage of a free case from Apple while it was being offered in 2010,” Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison told me on Saturday.

Apple Grants ABC’s ‘Nightline’ Access to Foxconn Factories in China

Arnold Kim — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:56:20 +0000

ABCNews reports that Apple has given Nightline anchor Bill Weir exclusive access to their suppliers' factories in China.

"For years, Apple and Foxconn have been synonymous with monster profits and total secrecy so it was fascinating to wander the iphone and iPod production lines, meet the people who build them and see how they live. Our cameras were rolling when thousands of hopeful applicants rushed the Foxconn gates and I spoke with dozens of line workers and a top executive about everything from hours and pay to the controversies over suicides at the plant and the infamous "jumper nets" that line the factories in Shenzhen. After this trip, I'll never see an Apple product the same way again" said Weir

This special edition of "Nightline" will air Tuesday, February 21st at 11:35pm ET on ABC.

Apple and Foxconn have been under fire due to working conditions in the factories that manufacture iPads and iPhones. Apple has also allowed the Fair Labor Association to start auditing their factories. FLA has reportedly uncovered "tons of issues" that will need addressing. A full report is to be coming in the next few weeks.

'Tech companies are cash rich and cheap'

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:00:12 +0000

Veteran tech manager Ben Rogoff of Polar Capital on Facebook, Apple and the ECB.

Read this article:
'Tech companies are cash rich and cheap'

Confirmed: iPad 3 Has a 2048×1536 Retina Display

Eric Slivka — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:32:14 +0000

Over the past couple of months, several photos of displays claimed to be for the iPad 3 have surfaced from various sources. Such parts leaks are typical with the device's expected debut early next month. While reports have claimed that these displays are high-resolution "Retina" displays, there has been no definite confirmation of these claims so far.

MacRumors has now been able to obtain one of these iPad 3 displays and examine it under a microscope in an effort to determine whether it is indeed an ultra-high resolution Retina display. Physically, the purported iPad 3 display is the same size as the current iPad 1 and iPad 2 display at 9.7" in diagonal, and looks quite similar to the naked eye.

However, when comparing the iPad 3 display to one from an iPad 2 under a microscope, the difference in resolutions becomes readily apparent, with the iPad 3 display's pixels appearing to be one-quarter the size of those on the iPad 2.

Since we only had a raw iPad 3 display with no method to power it, taking high quality photos of the pixels was difficult. Still, even with the relatively poor lighting, you can easily make out the pixels on each display (made up of red, green and blue elements). We highlighted a cluster of 4 pixels (2x2) from the iPad 2 to compare it to the same area on the iPad 3. On the iPad 3, the same cluster was occupied by 16 pixels (4x4) -- exactly twice the resolution in each direction.

Extrapolating out, the iPad 3 screen should carry a full resolution of 2048x1536, exactly twice the linear resolution of the iPad 1 and iPad 2 which is 1024x768. Such a screen should be able to display much sharper images as compared to the previous generation iPads.

While these iPad 3 screens weren't directly sourced from Apple, they are labeled as OEM replacement parts for the iPad 3 and are apparently in mass production. The difficulties of any 3rd party in mass producing 2048x1536 9.7" Retina displays make us quite confident that these represent legitimate iPad 3 parts.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPad 3 with a media event on March 7, and the device is rumored to be carrying this high-resolution display, a new A6 system-on-a-chip, and LTE support for models with cellular data capabilities.

Apple Announces Countdown to 25 Billion App Store Downloads with $10,000 Gift Card Prize

Eric Slivka — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:04:28 +0000

Apple has posted a new feature on its site promoting a countdown to 25 billion downloads for the App Store.

As of today, nearly 25 billion apps have been downloaded worldwide. Which is almost as amazing as the apps themselves. So we want to say thanks. Download the 25 billionth app, and you could win a US$10,000 App Store Gift Card. Just visit the App Store and download your best app yet.

Users can enter the promotion either by purchasing/downloading an app from the App Store or by filling out an entry form. The contest winner will be the individual who either downloads the 25 billionth app as determined by Apple or who submits the alternate entry form immediately after the 24,999,999,999th app download, whichever comes first.

Apple has run similar promotions in the past, with a nearly identical one for ten billion App Store downloads taking place just over a year ago and another one for ten billion iTunes Music Store downloads coming in February 2010. Earlier promotions occurred at the one billion song and app marks and at the 100 million song milestone.

Foxconn Again Raises Wages for Entry-Level Workers

Eric Slivka — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:53:53 +0000

Reuters reports that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn has announced new wage increases for entry-level workers at its facilities in China, boosting pay anywhere from 16-25 percent. The increase, which comes as Foxconn is again under increasing global pressure stemming from reports on working conditions and worker rights issues at the company, is the company's third wage hike since 2010.

In a statement on Friday, Taiwan-based Foxconn said the pay of a junior level worker in Shenzhen, southern China, had risen to 1,800 yuan ($290) per month and could be further raised above 2,200 yuan if the worker passed a technical examination.

It said that pay three years ago was 900 yuan a month.

Foxconn says that its wages are already far above minimum wage standards set by the government and that it will continue to focus on training and education for its employees. The company also provides room and board for its employees, although some have criticized the living conditions centered around cramped dormitory-style housing with various reports citing anywhere from eight up to fifteen or more beds per room.

Foxconn made a significant boost to worker salaries in mid-2010 following significant scrutiny over worker suicides at the company's facilities. Initial reports had claimed that Apple was directly subsidizing those wage hikes, but Foxconn later denied those reports.

Apple Removes X11 in OS X Mountain Lion, Shifts Support to Open Source XQuartz [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:27:28 +0000

As noticed by several users running the developer preview version of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Apple is no longer including its X11 application for running software through the X Window System interface. A popular option for scientists and others seeking to run specialized UNIX software both on local machines and across networks, X11 has been available on OS X for a number of years and has been included as a default install since Mac OS X Leopard.

The X Window System has an extensive open source history, with development on the Mac side being handled under the XQuartz project. Apple's X11 application has been based on this effort, although as with many open source projects bundled for use in commercial software, X11 has generally been somewhat behind the latest XQuartz releases. The current version of X11 is 2.6.3, while XQuartz is currently available in version 2.7.0.

With Mountain Lion, Apple seems to eliminating its dedicated support for the X11 application, instead redirecting users to the open source XQuartz project, which it will continue to support.

Don't Tell The Bride

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:29:20 +0000

It was all about flame throwers, burlesque outfits, pole dancing and Facebook wedding invitations, on this week' s episode of Don't Tell The Bride.

Go here to read the rest:
Don't Tell The Bride

Apple Shuns The New York Times in OS X Mountain Lion Coverage Over Foxconn Reporting

Eric Slivka — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:14:53 +0000

With yesterday's announcements from Apple regarding its forthcoming OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion operating system, a number of media outlets had been provided with advance briefings and early copies of the software for the purposes of having reviews prepared and ready to go. When Apple published its press release and went live with OS X Mountain Lion information at 8:30 AM Eastern yesterday, the embargo was lifted and all of the pre-briefed publications immediately posted their stories on the topic.

But one publication with a long track record of receiving favored access from Apple was missing from that group: The New York Times. An article from the Times' David Pogue was published about five hours after Apple's announcement, and it did not appear to include any specific details suggesting that he had received advance notice of the release.

As reported by The Washington Post, Apple apparently shunned The New York Times over the newspaper's "iEconomy" series of articles that has focused in large part on working conditions in Foxconn's manufacturing plants in China.

Says a source at the Times: “They are playing access journalism...I’ve heard it from people inside Apple: They said, look, you guys are going to get less access based on the iEconomy series.”

The on-the-record word from the New York Times differs only slightly from the not-for-attribution word: “We’re never happy with our access to Apple. We never have been. Apple is a difficult company to report on,” says Damon Darlin, the paper’s tech editor.

A decision by Apple to cut off access for a publication presenting the company in a less-than-favorable light should certainly be no surprise to longtime Apple watchers, and the technique is not an unusual one in business as companies constantly seek to ensure the most positive coverage possible. But as The Washington Post notes, the Times may be more than happy to lose some access to Apple in exchange for its ability to publish high-profile investigative reports such as its iEconomy series.

Update: David Pogue did report on Twitter yesterday that he had been "running Mac OS X Mountain Lion for a week", so it is unclear exactly why his report was not ready to go when the embargo lifted and why his article did not offer any mention of a pre-briefing session as a number of the articles from other publications did.

Update 2: John Gruber reports that David Pogue was indeed present for a pre-briefing with Apple.

When I left my briefing with Schiller last Wednesday in New York, waiting in the hallway for the next briefing was: David Pogue.

Google Under Fire for Circumvention of Cookie Settings in Safari for iOS to Track Users

Eric Slivka — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:42:26 +0000

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google and several other advertising agencies have been discovered to be circumventing privacy protections in Apple's Safari browser for iOS devices in order to track users through ads on numerous popular websites. Google implemented the technique in order to embed +1 buttons on its ads, tricking users' systems into allowing cookies by using an invisible form submission to make Google's third-party cookies, which are blocked by Safari, appear as first-party cookies that are allowed.

To get around Safari's default blocking, Google exploited a loophole in the browser's privacy settings. While Safari does block most tracking, it makes an exception for websites with which a person interacts in some way—for instance, by filling out a form. So Google added coding to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google. Safari would then let Google install a cookie on the phone or computer.

The cookie that Google installed on the computer was temporary; it expired in 12 to 24 hours. But it could sometimes result in extensive tracking of Safari users. This is because of a technical quirk in Safari that allows companies to easily add more cookies to a user's computer once the company has installed at least one cookie.

Google halted the practice once it was contacted by The Wall Street Journal about it, but has tried to downplay the impact of the issue.

In a statement, Google said: "The Journal mischaracterizes what happened and why. We used known Safari functionality to provide features that signed-in Google users had enabled. It's important to stress that these advertising cookies do not collect personal information."

In a companion blog post, The Wall Street Journal notes that the loophole that had permitted Google to bypass Safari's privacy protections has been closed in WebKit, the open source engine behind Safari, with the change having been made by two Google engineers. Consequently, Apple could and appears to be preparing to bring that fix to the public version of Safari.

An Apple spokesman said: “We are aware that some third parties are circumventing Safari’s privacy features and we are working to put a stop to it.”

An update to the software that underlies Safari has closed the loophole that allows cookies to be set after the automatic submission of invisible forms. Future public versions of Safari could incorporate that update. The people who handled the proposed change, according to software documents: two engineers at Google.

The issue was discovered by Stanford graduate student Jonathan Mayer, who has also published an extensive blog post offering additional technical details on how Google and other advertising companies circumvented Safari's default cookie settings.

After Beta, Messages Will Be Exclusive to OS X Mountain Lion

Arnold Kim — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:07:45 +0000

Consomac has discovered that the OS X Lion Messages Beta that was released yesterday will not be a permanent feature for Lion users. Messages is the new iMessage-compatible version of iChat that will be included in OS X Mountain Lion. Apple also released a public beta version for OS X Lion users to try the app in the meanwhile.

Based on the text strings found in the App's resources, it has been revealed that Messages will no longer be available for Lion users once the beta expires. Instead, Apple tells users to visit the App Store to purchase OS X Mountain Lion to continue to use Messages:

Thank you for participating in the Messages Beta program. With the inclusion of Messages in OS X Mountain Lion, the Messages Beta program has ended.

To continue using Messages, please visit the Mac App Store and purchase OS X Mountain Lion.

OS X Mountain Lion will be a paid update and is expected to be released in late summer.

Apple’s Messages Beta for Mac Includes Retina Sized Artwork

Arnold Kim — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:14:35 +0000

There has been plenty of evidence that Apple is planning for ultra high resolution Mac displays. In July 2011, we first detailed the existence of a new "HiDPI" mode in OS X Lion. This HiDPI mode was put in place in anticipation of the day that Macs would have double-resolution (4x the number of pixels) "Retina" Displays.

As on the iPhone, Apple's plan was to make it easier on developers to jump to exactly 2x the linear resolution. For example, a 1440x900 pixel screen would go straight to 2880x1800 pixels. This would allow applications to automatically scale up by a factor of two without necessarily having to include high resolution artwork. Apple already made such a transition when going from the iPhone 3GS's screen (320x480) to the iPhone 4's Retina Display (640x960).

In iOS, Developers can include high resolution versions of their artwork designated by the "@2x" suffix. From the developer documentation:

The inclusion of the @2x modifier for the high-resolution image is new and lets the system know that the image is the high-resolution variant of the standard image.

A look at some of the resources from Apple's new Messages app shows several graphics that come in multi-part TIFFs that include regular and double resolution versions. In fact, if you look at the information embedded within the images, you can see the resources were at one point named in the same "@2x" convention. So, it seems Apple's Messages App is already building in support for Retina displays on the Mac.

Rumors have even suggested that we might see our first Retina Display Macs in 2012. One early report claimed Apple was working on a 2880x1800 MacBook Pro for the middle of this year.

Apple’s Messages Beta for Mac Includes Retina Sized Artwork

Arnold Kim — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:14:35 +0000

The inclusion of the @2x modifier for the high-resolution image is new and lets the system know that the image is the high-resolution variant of the standard image.

Apple’s Messages Beta for Mac Includes Retina Sized Artwork

Arnold Kim — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:14:35 +0000

The inclusion of the @2x modifier for the high-resolution image is new and lets the system know that the image is the high-resolution variant of the standard image.

Apple’s Messages Beta for Mac Includes Retina Sized Artwork

Arnold Kim — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:14:35 +0000

The inclusion of the @2x modifier for the high-resolution image is new and lets the system know that the image is the high-resolution variant of the standard image.

Video Walkthrough of AirPlay and Other Features in OS X Mountain Lion

Arnold Kim — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:48:28 +0000

Earlier today, Apple announced the developer preview for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. OS X 10.8 offers a number of new features we've detailed before.

InsanelyGreatMac has put together this nice walkthrough video of OS X AirPlay mirroring. That feature allows you to transmit your OS X desktop onto your Apple TV over Wi-Fi:

Meanwhile, CultofMac does a walkthrough of 30 other features in OS X 10.8. Some previously listed, and some new:

There's more discussion on OS X Mountain Lion in our forums.

iOS 5.1 ‘Pre-GM’ Seed Leaked? Camera Slider, Japanese Siri

Arnold Kim — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:57:09 +0000

BlogdoiPhone claims to have somehow obtained a "pre-GM" version of iOS 5.1. GM refers to Golden Master version of the software which is typically the final production version.

Only two new minor findings have been discovered. One is an ever-present camera icon on the lock screen of iOS 5.1. In present versions, the camera button only appears if you double-tap the home button. In this version of iOS 5.1, the camera icon is there at all times, but instead of a button, it's a slider.

Sliding up on the camera icon seems to reveal the Camera app that allows you to take photos without fully unlocking the iPhone. Presumably, this is quicker than the existing solution which actually requires the Camera app to be launched.

The other finding is the presence of a Japanese language setting in Siri. This has been rumored to be an impending feature for Siri.

Apple has been seeding developers with versions of iOS 5.1 beta for some time, but the last release was January 9th. Apple may be waiting to release iOS 5.1 alongside the new iPad which is expected on March 7th. We're not certain about the legitimacy of BlogdoiPhone's screenshots, but carriers presumably do get early builds that may not make it into developer betas.

March Madness Comes to iPad and iPhone March 7 for $3.99 [iOS Blog]

Jordan Golson — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:50:08 +0000

As it has in previous years, the NCAA division I men's basketball tournament -- also known as March Madness -- will be streamed both online and to iPhones and iPads. Unlike previous years, iPad and iPhone users will need to pay a $3.99 to watch the Big Dance. CBS and Turner are sharing the NCAA broadcast duties across four television stations. Here's how it breaks down:

Mac users will be able to watch all the CBS-broadcast games for free on CBSSports.com. Games aired on TBS, TNT and TruTV will be available to authenticated watchers of certain pay-tv providers.

For iPad and iPhone viewers, everyone will be required to pay a $3.99 fee to watch the entire tournament. That fee covers all devices, so no mucking about with authentication to watch tournament games on the Mac. Once the fee is paid, all 67 games will be streamable on iOS via Wi-Fi or 3G.

NCAA(r) March Madness(r) Live will offer higher quality live video streams across platforms; video highlights for every game of the Tournament on the iPhone and Android phones; live game alerts for Android phones, as well as iPhones and iPads; an updated design; and live radio broadcast courtesy of Westwood One/Dial Global Radio Network, for all 67 games across the suite of digital products. In addition to the new offerings, NCAA(r) March Madness(r) Live will again provide the same fan-favorite features from last year including: schedules and live game scoring, live tournament brackets, personal channel lineup features, live stats, and live social companion views.

The NCAA March Madness apps for iPhone and iPad will go live on March 7, in time for the tournament to begin on March 13. Sign up on the NCAA's March Madness website to be notified when the apps go live.

Roundup of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Features and Notes

Arnold Kim — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:40:20 +0000

Apple surprised everyone this morning with a developer preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. The new release brings a number of iOS-like features to the Mac, as detailed in this video:

- Messages - new version of iChat with iMessage support
- Reminders - create lists and tasks, synced via iCloud
- Notes - create notes, synced via iCloud
- Notification Center - on screen pop-up notifications
- Share Sheets - share buttons to email, tweet, message, etc...
- Game Center - social gaming center for Mac
- AirPlay Mirroring - broadcast your Mac's screen to your Apple TV

Apple also released a public beta of the Messages App for OS X Lion users and is available today.

Apple did give some of the media early previews of Mountain Lion, which we suspect may have been the unusual media event that had been predicted. OS X Mountain Lion is available to registered developers today, and will be go on sale in late summer 2012.

Roundup of our earlier coverage:

- OS X Mountain Lion's Documents in the Cloud Simplifies File Access Across Devices
- Apple Officially Drops 'Mac' Name from OS X Mountain Lion
- Software Update to Move Inside Mac App Store in OS X Mountain Lion
- OS X Mountain Lion Limits Apps to Mac App Store, Signed Apps by Default
- OS X Mountain Lion Drops Support for Many 2006-2008 Macs with Integrated Graphics
- OS X Mountain Lion to Be True Mac App Store Exclusive

We've also opened an OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion forum for questions and discussions about Apple's new operating system.

Apple Sold More iOS Devices in 2011 Than It Sold Macs in Almost 30 Years [iOS Blog]

Jordan Golson — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:42:25 +0000

Asymco's Horace Dediu noticed a startling statistic: Apple sold 156 million iOS devices in 2011. That's 30 million more than the 122 million Macs that Apple has sold since the first one went on sale in 1984.

To date, Apple has sold 316 million iOS devices total, across the three iOS product lines.

Which theme is worse: Bones or NCIS?

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:29:18 +0000

Last July, we tackled the subject of our favourite theme songs – I listed my Top 10, with The Simpsons in the top spot, and wrote that “a great TV theme tune carries some connotations: the excitement you'd feel as an episode of your favourite show was starting, anticipating the sheer entertainment to follow, or that feeling of nostalgia as you're launched back into the days when you'd watch a …

Read the original here:
Which theme is worse: Bones or NCIS?

Gatekeeper Already Present in OS X 10.7.3, Available for Developer Testing

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:05:21 +0000

With developers needing to prepare for Apple's new Gatekeeper feature in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Apple has revealed that the functionality is already baked into OS X 10.7.3 but hidden by default. Apple has instructed developers that they can enable Gatekeeper on OS X 10.7.3 from the command line in order to test the functionality.

Mac OS X users will soon have the option of turning on Gatekeeper, a new Mac OS X security feature. When a user does this, the system provides an additional measure of safety: it blocks that user from opening newly-downloaded applications that are not Developer ID–signed. In this scenario, the same user is easily able to launch downloaded applications that are Developer ID–signed.

By default, Gatekeeper is not enabled in Mac OS X v10.7.3. For testing purposes, you can turn it on by using the new Mac OS X system policy control command-line tool, spctl(8).

Running the command "sudo spctl --enable" in Terminal will enable Gatekeeper on OS X 10.7.3, and the system can be turned off by replacing "enable" with "disable". With the system enabled, developers can then test how their applications will behave on systems using Gatekeeper.

Warning for non-signed application download with Gatekeeper activated on OS X 10.7.3
Regular users obviously would have little use for activating Gatekeeper on their Lion systems at the present time, as developers have not yet had a chance to begin distributing updated versions of their applications integrating the new Developer-ID functionality. But its inclusion in OS X 10.7.3 is an interesting tidbit that will help developers test their applications with the new program and explains why the new Xcode 4.3 that supports Developer-ID requires OS X 10.7.3.

In another sign of Apple's desire to quickly implement Gatekeeper, Panic's Cabel Sasser notes that Apple contacted select developers last week to invite them to learn more about the feature.

OS X Mountain Lion Drops Support for Many 2006-2008 Macs with Integrated Graphics [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:25:29 +0000

Cult of Mac points to a report from French site MacGeneration highlighting the system requirements for OS X Mountain Lion. Among those Macs currently compatible with OS X Lion, those with lower-end Intel GMA X3100 or GMA 950 integrated graphics will not be able to upgrade to Mountain Lion:

- Any Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook from late 2007 – late 2008 (Model Numbers: MB061*/B, MB062*/B, MB063*/B, MB402*/A MB403*/A MB404*/A, MB402*/B)

- The Mid-2007 Mac mini (Model Numbers: MB138*/A, MB139*/A)

- Late 2006 polycarbonate iMac (Model Number: MA710xx/A)

- The original early 2008 MacBook Air (Model Number: MB003LL/A)

Users of those older systems may still receive a few of Mountain Lion's enhancements such as with Apple's Safari 5.2 for Lion, but the vast majority of improvements will require a new machine with higher specs.

Update: At least one developer tells us he has been able to install Mountain Lion on a Late 2006 iMac and MacBook Pro without problems. So, the developer builds do not seem to enforce these restrictions.

Update 2: Systems using ATI's Radeon X1600 graphics will also be incompatible with OS X Mountain Lion.

Apple Wins German Injunction Against Motorola Over "Swipe to Unlock" Patents [iOS Blog]

Jordan Golson — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:22:39 +0000

Apple has won what could be a fairly significant victory in its wide array of ongoing patent lawsuits. A German court has ruled that a number of Motorola Mobility products infringe on Apple's European slide-to-unlock patent, EP1964022. The ruling is a permanent -- but appealable -- injunction that Apple can enforce today if it is willing to post a large bond against Motorola's almost certain appeal.

Florian Mueller at FOSS Patents reports on the details of the decision:

The court evaluated three different embodiments. Apple won on the two that Motorola's smartphones implement. It did not prevail on the third one, which the Xoom tablet uses. That implementation is very similar to what I have on my Samsung Galaxy Note: the user has to make a swiping gesture from the inside of a circle to the outside. It requires a relatively large screen to work somewhat well, but even then it's not very intuitive. (I'm a very happy Galaxy Note user, but it has its shortcomings and the slide-to-unlock circle is one of them.)

Mueller believes that Motorola is unlikely to win on appeal. If the injunction stands, the user experience for the owners of Motorola products might be just a little bit poorer -- exactly what Apple wants.

Apple Seeds Safari 5.2 for OS X Lion to Developers [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:00:47 +0000

Alongside the OS X Mountain Lion developer preview released today, Apple has also pushed out Safari 5.2 for Lion to developers. The update brings a number of new features that will be included with Safari in OS X Mountain Lion later this year.

Among the new additions are a unified address/search bar, new persistent Reader icon that is blue when available and grey when inactive, and new URL styling to highlight the domain the page is on while deemphasizing other aspects of the URL.

Apple has not said when it plans to release Safari 5.2 for OS X Lion to the public, but it will presumably do so alongside OS X Mountain Lion in "late summer". Apple just recently began seeding Safari 5.1.4 to developers, and the company will likely continue with the 5.1.x line on Lion until the Mountain Lion launch.

OS X Mountain Lion’s Documents in the Cloud Simplifies File Access Across Devices

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:32:36 +0000

One of the major new features in OS X Mountain Lion is greater integration with iCloud, with one of the additions being new Documents in the Cloud functionality. As noted by John Gruber, the feature expands significantly on the existing feature that allows limited syncing and transfer of iWork documents across their iOS devices and Macs.

iCloud document storage, and the biggest change to Open and Save dialog boxes in the 28-year history of the Mac. Mac App Store apps effectively have two modes for opening/saving documents: iCloud or the traditional local hierarchical file system. The traditional way is mostly unchanged from Lion (and, really, from all previous versions of Mac OS X). The iCloud way is visually distinctive: it looks like the iPad springboard — linen background, iOS-style one-level-only drag-one-on-top-of-another-to-create-one “folders”. It’s not a replacement of traditional Mac file management and organization. It’s a radically simplified alternative.

iCloud Documents in Pages (Source: Pocket-lint)
Apple is of course already extending this functionality beyond iWork in OS X Mountain Lion, with the iCloud file storage showing up in other apps such as TextEdit. Apple is also releasing APIs to allow third-party apps to take advantage of the feature.

iCloud Document within a folder in TextEdit
The functionality is naturally being compared to that of Dropbox, which allows users to save files directly to their Dropbox accounts for access anywhere, but Apple's new iCloud solution offers the advantage of displaying only those files intended for use with the app being used, helping to filter the list of documents and offering iOS-like folder organization of files.

Apple Officially Drops ‘Mac’ Name from OS X Mountain Lion

Jordan Golson — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:50:47 +0000

With the launch of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in the middle of last year, Apple was clearly trending towards dropping the 'Mac' From 'Mac OS X', which has been the name of the Macintosh operating system for more than 10 years.

Though it still used the 'Mac OS X' naming scheme in press releases, Apple called the new system 'OS X Lion' on both the main product webpage and the Mac App Store product page [Direct Link].

As The Verge points out, Apple has completed the transition to 'OS X' across both the Mountain Lion product pages, and the press release announcing the developer preview.

We confirmed the official name change with Apple, who told us that the preferred full name is "OS X Mountain Lion".

The Macintosh (as Tim Cook prefers to call it) brand is still alive and well, though Apple seems to be focusing that term on hardware, instead of software.

Lion was the beginning of a unification of sorts between the Mac OS and iOS. It was, as Steve Jobs put it, what would happen if a MacBook Air and an iPad "hooked up". iOS is based on Mac OS X and, at a fundamental level, there are more similarities than differences between the two operating systems. Dropping 'Mac' completely from the name of the OS solidifies the subtle, but important, distinction between hardware and software.

OS X Mountain Lion is expected to be released later this year.

Software Update to Move Inside Mac App Store in OS X Mountain Lion

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:11:30 +0000

Apple's Software Update has long been the primary method for users updating their systems, with the tool accessible through the Apple icon in the menu bar offering automatic weekly checks for new software updates from Apple. But as shown by iClarified, Apple is doing away with the standalone Software Update tool in OS X Mountain Lion and integrating it directly into the Mac App Store.

Pocket-lint has more on Apple's decision:

Currently Apple's Software Update system in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion force users to use a dedicated update procedure that constantly checks to see if updates are available. Apple now feels, it seems, that this way of doing things might be slightly confusing to users coming from an iPhone or iPad who are used to seeing updates for apps appear in the App Store rather than buried elsewhere.

Explaining to Pocket-lint in a behind-closed-doors briefing for the new developer preview of Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Apple has told us that the new method will offer updates to the OS and Apple applications in a similar way to how it does on iOS via the App Store, but in this case via the Mac App Store.

The report notes that the move appears to require that users sign up for an Apple ID if they have not done so already in order to access the updates, and also encourages them to keep the Mac App Store within easy access in their Docks so that they will notice badges informing them of available updates.

OS X Mountain Lion Limits Apps to Mac App Store, Signed Apps by Default

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:33:21 +0000

One of the significant new features in OS X Mountain Lion is Gatekeeper, a new security system to help keep users from installing nefarious applications on their machines.

The new system relies not only on Mac App Store distribution as means of vetting apps, but also on a new "identified developer" program under which developers distributing their applications outside of the Mac App Store can register with Apple and receive a personalized certificate they can use to sign their applications. Apple can then use that system to track developers and disable their certificates if malicious activity is detected.

As Macworld notes in its review of Gatekeeper, OS X Mountain Lion's default setting will be to only allow initial launching of apps either downloaded from the Mac App Store or which are digitally signed under Apple's identified developer program. Users will be able to access Gatekeeper's settings in the Security & Privacy section of System Preferences, where they will also be able to choose from an even stricter setting that will allow for installation of Mac App Store apps only or a looser setting that will allow all applications to be installed and launched.

Located in the General tab of the Security & Privacy preference pane is a setting called “Allow applications downloaded from,” with three options:

Anywhere: This choice uses the same set of rules as every previous version of Mac OS X. If an app isn’t known malware and you approve it, it opens.

Mac App Store: When this choice is selected, any apps not downloaded from the Mac App Store will be rejected when you try to launch them.

Mac App Store and identified developers: This is the new default setting in Mountain Lion. In addition to Mac App Store apps, it also allows any third-party apps that have been signed by an identified developer to run.

For users on the default setting, they can bypass the initial Gatekeeper check the first time they launch an unsigned third-party app by right clicking on the app itself and choosing the "Open" command. Once the application has been opened one time, Gatekeeper no longer has any control over it.

As for apps that are signed by an identified developer, Macworld notes that OS X Mountain Lion will perform a daily check with Apple's servers for blacklisted developer signatures, and if an app from a blacklisted developer is installed on the user's system it will not open.

Importantly, Apple's identified developer program does not involve any sort of vetting on Apple's part, as certificates are automatically issued upon request and can be freely used by the developers. But what the program does do is provide a way for Apple to link specific developers to specific apps and use Gatekeeper to revoke application functionality should a developer be discovered to be distributing malware.

OS X Mountain Lion to Be True Mac App Store Exclusive [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:01:36 +0000

While OS X Lion was initially announced as an exclusive Mac App Store release, Apple did backtrack slightly before launch with a decision to offer a $69 USB thumb drive to assist users without access to broadband connections.

As reported by Pocket-lint, Apple has decided to end that experiment with OS X Mountain Lion, making the forthcoming release a true Mac App Store exclusive.

Apple has confirmed to Pocket-lint though that its concerns weren't justified with customers not remotely interested in the USB drive offering:

"It was an interesting test, but it turns out the App Store was just fine for getting the new OS."

OS X Mountain Lion is scheduled for a public launch in "late summer", with pricing yet to be announced.

Apple Releases Xcode 4.3, Now Offered as App Instead of Installer [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:35:46 +0000

Apple today released Xcode 4.3 [Mac App Store], making a number of improvements to the software. Among the notable changes, Xcode is now offered directly as an app. It had previously been offered as an installer package, and the move simplifies the installation and update process.

What's New in Version 4.3

Xcode is now distributed as an application, rather than as an installer. This change enables Xcode to be updated directly from the Mac App Store.

- Includes SDKs for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and iOS 5
- New code signing workflow supports signing OS X apps with Developer ID
- Adds installation of command-line tools to the Downloads preference pane
- Open Developer Tool menu launches Instruments, File Merge, and other tools
- ARC migration tool converts both retain/release and garbage collected code
- Additional bug fixes and stability improvements

Xcode is a free download, but users must be registered members of Apple's iOS or Mac Developer Program in order to submit apps created with Xcode to the respective App Stores.

Apple Releases Public Beta of New Messages App for OS X

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:04:06 +0000

Alongside today's OS X Mountain Lion news, Apple released a public beta version of its new Messages app for OS X for existing users. Set to replace iChat in OS X Mountain Lion, the new Messages app integrates features of iChat and FaceTime and adds compatibility with the iMessages service introduced for iOS last year.

Download Messages Beta and get a taste of what’s coming in OS X Mountain Lion. When you install Messages, it replaces iChat. But iChat services will continue to work. And Messages brings iMessage to the Mac — just like on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch running iOS 5. Here are the features you can expect with Messages:

- Send unlimited iMessages to any Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
- Start an iMessage conversation on your Mac and continue it on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
- Send photos, videos, attachments, contacts, locations, and more.
- Launch a FaceTime video call and bring the conversation face-to-face.
- Messages supports iMessage, AIM, Yahoo!, Google Talk, and Jabber accounts.

Update: Apple's servers appear to be overwhelmed at the moment, with the download button for the Messages beta showing an error message. The app is, however, still available via direct download (63.8 MB).

Update 2: The Messages download button is now operating properly.

Apple Releases First Developer Preview of OS X Mountain Lion, Public Launch in Late Summer

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:54:48 +0000

Apple today announced that it has released the first developer preview of the company's next-generation operating system, named OS X Mountain Lion. The release will bring over 100 new features, including a number of those familiar to iOS users such as Messages, Notes, Reminders, Game Center, Notification Center, Twitter integration, and AirPlay Mirroring. The first developer preview is available to registered developers today, with a public launch through the Mac App Store scheduled for late this summer.

“The Mac is on a roll, growing faster than the PC for 23 straight quarters, and with Mountain Lion things get even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The developer preview of Mountain Lion comes just seven months after the incredibly successful release of Lion and sets a rapid pace of development for the world’s most advanced personal computer operating system.”

OS X Mountain Lion included deeper integration with iCloud to automatically configure services like Mail, FaceTime, and Find My Mac, while iCloud Documents handles automatic push syncing of documents across devices. Security is also a focus in the upcoming release, with a new feature called Gatekeeper helping users to specify from which sources apps may be installed on their computers.

Finally, Apple is continuing its emphasis on expanding into China with substantial improvements for Chinese users included enhanced Chinese input methods and the addition of Baidu as a search engine option. Integration with Chinese email and video hosting sites as well as the Sina weibo microblogging service is also included.

Advance previews of OS X Mountain Lion are available from a number of sources:

- The Loop
- Macworld
- Engadget
- The Verge
- AllThingsD
- CNET
- The Wall Street Journal's interview with Tim Cook

And perhaps most interestingly, Daring Fireball's John Gruber relates the private briefing he received from Phil Schiller and other Apple executives.

Intel Delaying Mass Availability of Ivy Bridge Processors Until ‘After June’?

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:17:20 +0000

Digitimes reports that Intel has apparently begun informing partners that mass availability of its forthcoming Ivy Bridge processors will be delayed until "after June". Intel is said to be sticking to its initial schedule calling for an April introduction of Ivy Bridge, but only very limited supplies of the chips will be available at that time.

Intel recently notified its partners about plans to postpone mass shipments of its upcoming Ivy Bridge processors. Despite that the company will still announce the new products and ship a small volume of the processors in early April, mass shipments are not expected to occur until after June, according to sources from notebook players.

The report suggests that the delay may simply be due to Intel holding off in order to draw down both its own oversupply of current Sandy Bridge processors and its partners' PC stocks that have been selling more slowly than anticipated as consumers continue to hold off on new computer purchases.

Many Apple fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Ivy Bridge, as it has been pegged as the processor family to be used in the next updates of most of Apple's Macs.

Apple is rumored to be planning for Ivy Bridge to usher in a revamped MacBook Pro that will take a number of design cues from the MacBook Air and perhaps even see a merger of the two lines. While observers have been hoping that such an update could come as soon as April with the Ivy Bridge timeline, it is now unclear whether the chips will be available in sufficient supplies for Apple to update the MacBook Pro within that timeframe.

iPad Issues in China: Amazon Not an Authorized Retailer, Apple’s Victory in Hong Kong Trademark Case

Eric Slivka — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:02:44 +0000

Earlier today, we noted that the iPad had been pulled from sale at online retailers Amazon China and Suning.com, with the development coming just days after authorities had seized some iPads over a trademark dispute involving the "iPad" name. At the time of the removal, an Amazon China spokesperson indicated that the iPad had been removed at Apple's request rather than as a result of actions associated with the trademark dispute, but Apple's reasons for the request were unknown.

The Wall Street Journal now reports that Apple did indeed request that Amazon China remove the iPad from sale, simply due to Amazon China not being an officially authorized retailer.

The Cupertino, Calif., consumer electronics giant asked Amazon in China to stop selling iPads because it is not an authorized reseller, according to people familiar with the matter. Amazon has since removed iPads offered by other resellers on its Chinese website as well.

The report's sources indicate that the move was not specifically related to the ongoing trademark dispute, although the timing suggests that it perhaps did play some role in the decision, if only by spurring Apple to reassess iPad distribution in China and tie up any loose ends.

While Chinese courts have so far ruled against Apple in the trademark dispute with Proview Technology, Apple has noted that it did win a court case on the issue in Hong Kong last year. The Wall Street Journal's report offers some additional details on that decision, which held that Proview and its subsidiaries had conspired against Apple in a scheme to extract more money from Apple.

The court said, in its findings, that Proview, its subsidiaries and at least one other company had combined together "with the common intention of injuring Apple," by breaching the agreement over the iPad name. The court, calling the event a conspiracy, further said Proview had "attempted to exploit the situation as a business opportunity," by asking for money.

"It is accordingly important that (Apple) is able to secure and obtain the China trademarks," the court wrote in its decision.

Proview reportedly failed to transfer the iPad trademark assignment in China to Apple as required by a 2009 agreement, instead demanding that Apple pay $10 million for the rights. Proview is now seeking as much as $1.6 billion in damages in Chinese courts.

SecondMarket: We'll survive without Facebook

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:02:50 +0000

SecondMarket rose to fame by offering investors a way to trade shares of the hot private companies they clamored for. Now many of those startups — including the private market's Goliath, Facebook — have gone public or will soon.

Go here to read the rest:
SecondMarket: We'll survive without Facebook

Apple to Require Explicit Permission for iOS Apps Accessing Address Book Data

Eric Slivka — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:04:08 +0000

Just hours after a pair of U.S. Congressmen sent a letter to Apple requesting information on privacy practices, specifically as they relate to address book data being collected and stored by the apps' developers, Apple has issued a statement to AllThingsD indicating that the issue will be addressed in a forthcoming iOS software update.

“Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told AllThingsD. “We’re working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.”

Apple has been testing iOS 5.1 for some time, but appears to have slowed development as the company is assumed to be waiting to release it to the public alongside the iPad 3 early next month. The company has not, however, specified whether the new address book permission feature will be included as part of iOS 5.1 or if it will arrive in the form of a separate update, perhaps as an iOS 5.0.2 update to enable a faster turnaround on the fix.

Apple Seeks Bankruptcy Court’s Blessing to Sue Kodak over Patents

Eric Slivka — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:50:54 +0000

With Kodak having filed last-minute patent lawsuits against Apple and HTC as it was heading into bankruptcy last month, Bloomberg reports that Apple is looking to assert itself against the pioneering photography company with a new lawsuit alleging infringement of Apple-held patents.

While Apple says in its filing with the bankruptcy court overseeing Kodak's case that it is not required to seek approval for a lawsuit, Apple notes that it is requesting the court's blessing "out of an abundance of caution".

Apple Inc. asked a bankruptcy judge for permission to sue Eastman Kodak Co. over allegations it’s infringing patents that Apple says cover technologies used in printers, digital cameras and digital picture frames. [...]

While arguing bankruptcy law doesn’t prevent the filing of infringement suits against a company in court protection, “Apple requests express authority from this court before it initiates the actions out of an abundance of caution,” the company’s lawyers wrote in the filing.

In a separate case, Apple has been contending that it is the rightful owner of a patent currently held by Kodak. Apple claims that through its partnership with Kodak to produce QuickTake digital cameras during the mid-1990s, Kodak misappropriated intellectual property involved in the project and patented it for itself.

Apple QuickTake 100, manufactured by Kodak (Source: Time)
Apple last month filed a petition with Kodak's bankruptcy court requesting that Kodak not be permitted to use the disputed patent to secure loans supporting the company's restructuring until ownership of the patent is resolved. The U.S. International Trade Commission has preliminarily rejected Apple's ownership claims, but the case and a parallel federal lawsuit remain pending.

Congress Weighs in on iOS Apps Collecting Address Book and Other Personal Data

Eric Slivka — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:13:23 +0000

Last week, controversy erupted when it was discovered that the popular iOS app Path was uploading users' entire address books to the company's servers without alerting users or asking for authorization. While Path quickly deleted all address book data on its servers and updated its app to make the data collection an opt-in service, the issue has cast a fresh light on user privacy issues on iOS.

As noted by The Next Web, U.S. Congressmen Henry Waxman and G.K. Butterfield have now weighed on in the issue, sending a letter to Apple requesting information on the company's data collection policies it imposes on App Store developers.

In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the legislators state:

"This incident raises questions about whether Apple’s iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts."

Butterfield and Waxman then quote parts of Apple’s iOS developer website which states that Apple provides a comprehensive collection of tools and frameworks for storing, accessing and sharing data. It is then questioned whether Apple requires apps to request user permission before transmitting data about a user.

Butterfield and Waxman have requested that Apple provide answers to a series of questions by February 29, with the topics including Apple's definition of user data, how the App Store review process assesses compliance with guidelines on privacy, and data on how many apps transmit "data about a user" in general and address book data in particular. The Congressmen have also asked Apple to explain why it has not instituted a simple toggle setting for address book sharing as it has for location information.

It is not terribly unusual for Congress to request information from companies when issues related to consumer protection and privacy arise, and Apple was subject to a similar process when questions about location information arose last year. In that case, Senator Al Franken contacted Apple with questions about the company's policies, with executives from Apple and Google later testifying in a Senate hearing on the matter.

Fair Labor Association Offers Initial Impressions on Foxconn Audit as iPads Used to Collect Survey Data

Eric Slivka — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:24:06 +0000

With the Fair Labor Association's independent audit of Foxconn's manufacturing facilities for Apple products having been underway for several days now, Reuters reports on the association's initial impressions as it works to collect and analyze data on working conditions.

According to Fair Labor Association president Auret van Heerden, Foxconn's facilities appear to be "first-class" in comparison to the garment factories the association has typically monitored, with van Heerden suggesting that monotony and boredom associated with repetitive assembly tasks may be among the most significant threats to workers' all-around health at the facilities.

After his first visits to Foxconn, van Heerden said, "The facilities are first-class; the physical conditions are way, way above average of the norm."

He spent the past several days visiting Foxconn plants to prepare for the study.

"I was very surprised when I walked onto the floor at Foxconn, how tranquil it is compared with a garment factory," he said. "So the problems are not the intensity and burnout and pressure-cooker environment you have in a garment factory. . It's more a function of monotony, of boredom, of alienation perhaps."

The report notes that the Fair Labor Association has 30 employees on hand to conduct the audit, with Foxconn employees being surveyed for the audit using iPads to record their responses. Three separate Foxconn factories representing 300,000 workers are being audited over the course of three weeks, with 35,000 employees participating in the group's anonymous assessment surveys.

Questions will include:

- how the workers were hired
- if they were paid a fee
- if they were offered and signed contracts and whether they understood them
- the condition of their dorm rooms and food
- if complaints are acted upon
- their emotional well being

Apple CEO Tim Cook had much to say on the topic of worker safety during an interview at a Goldman Sachs investor conference yesterday, noting that Apple is working closely with the Fair Labor Association and attempting to be as proactive and transparent as possible in addressing the issues.

Apple Pulls Online iPad Sales from Amazon China for Unknown Reasons

Eric Slivka — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:21:04 +0000

Just as Chinese authorities have indicated that it would be difficult to impose a ban on Apple's iPad over a trademark dispute, Tech in Asia notes that the popular tablet has gone missing from online stores at Amazon China and Suning.com.

The removal is apparently not, however, the result of a request from Proview Technology, which is laying claim to the iPad trademark and which has been seeking to halt both imports and exports of the device in China. The company's efforts earlier this week resulted in local Chinese authorities seizing a small number of iPads from retailers as others removed their stocks from display to avoid the seizures.

M.I.C gadget reports that the removal of the iPad from sale at Amazon China and Suning.com is actually by Apple's request, although the reasons for the move are not entirely clear.

According to an Amazon China spokesman, the withdrawal is on the notice of Apple and also it’s the adjustment on its sales strategy [...]

Meanwhile, Apple has not made any comments on the issue, and Apple’s staffs in China refuse to reply too. However, as confessed by the lawyer of Proview, Proview did not apply for the administrative ban on the online sale of iPad in Beijing where Amazon China is located; also he has no idea about Apple’s demand for the iPad withdrawal from Amazon China.

The dispute over the iPad trademark in China relates to a deal Apple made with the Taiwanese arm of Proview under which it claims it received the rights to the mark in China. But Proview's Chinese arm has argued that it controls the rights to the trademark in China, and thus Apple's deal with the Taiwanese subsidiary could not have included rights for mainland China. Chinese courts have sided with Proview in the dispute, but Apple is appealing the ruling.

Chinese Customs Tells Proview That Ban of iPad Exports Would be Difficult

Arnold Kim — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:10:49 +0000

Reuters reports that Proview Technology will apparently have a hard time blocking Apple iPad exports from China. On Tuesday, we reported that Proview was seeking a block on both Chinese imports and exports of the iPad over a trademark dispute with Apple. Given that Apple's iPad manufacturing is centered in China, such a move would be "catastrophic" for Apple.

However, China's customs authorities told Proview that it would be difficult to execute such a ban due to the popularity of Apple's products:

"The customs have told us that it will be difficult to implement a ban because many Chinese consumers love Apple products. The sheer size of the market is very big," Yang Long-san, chief of Proview Technology (Shenzhen), told Reuters in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

As many commenters have noted, China's Foxconn manufacturers many of Apple's products including the iPad, and a ban on exports would negatively impact Foxconn as well.

Apple claims that it purchased the Chinese rights to the trademark several years ago, but the original owner Proview and Chinese courts have disagreed with that assertion. Apple's case is still pending with Chinese courts as it seeks to appeal earlier rulings.

Epson wraps up 'Beautiful Philippines' imaging contest

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:56:30 +0000

Epson Philippines Corporation, together with SM malls and SM Cyberzone, is concluding its Epson Color Imaging Contest (CIC) 2011 which highlights the splendor of the Philippines.

See original here:
Epson wraps up 'Beautiful Philippines' imaging contest

Page 2: NVIDIA Presentation Slide Seems to Show a MacBook Air / Pro Hybrid [Mac Blog]

Arnold Kim — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:47:19 +0000

Hardware.info points to a presentation slide from NVIDIA showing the range of products the company's graphics chips power. The tagline reads,"From Super Phones to Super Computers". The site also noted a strange looking Mac notebook in the middle of the lineup.

The notebook seems to carry characteristics from both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line.

The lower part of the body has a tapered rather than squared off shape like the original MacBook Air. Meanwhile, the screen has the black border of the MacBook Pro line. The MacBook Airs have all had silver borders on their screens ever since their release. NVIDIA also doesn't power any of Apple's Mac laptops at the moment, but is rumored to be powering the next generation MacBook Pros.

Still, we wouldn't read too much into the photo. NVIDIA did power the 2008 MacBook Air which did carry a similar look to the bottom shell with the tapered edges. Our best guess is that the photo is of the 2008 MacBook Air that has been manipulated to include the darkened screen border.

We frequently see ads and slides that seem to depict an upcoming device, though it's rare that they ever amount to anything more than creative artist renditions.

Update: As a number of commenters have noted, NVIDIA has been using this slide for quite some time and the desktop wallpaper on the machine is from Mac OS X Leopard.

‘Clear’ To Do App Launches on the App Store [iOS Blog]

Arnold Kim — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:00:05 +0000

Realmac Software and Impending have just released Clear to the App Store. Clear is a simplified list making application that was announced at Macworld. The App's claim to fame is the extremely minimal interface that uses natural touch gestures for all functions. Some of these include:

- Pull down on a list to add an item
- Swipe an item right to complete it
- Swipe an item or list left to delete it
- Pinch apart two items to insert a new one between them
- Pinch vertically together to close the current list and show all the lists

The app is meant to be quick to launch and use. Lists are color coded in priority from top to bottom.

Clear has launched for $0.99 [App Store] and should now be available worldwide.

Siri Admits To Speaking Japanese

Jordan Golson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:43:08 +0000

Following up on an earlier rumor that Siri would soon support Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Japanese languages, 9to5Mac noticed that if Siri is actually asked what languages it supports, Japanese is listed as one of the options.

At launch, Siri could converse in the American, UK and Australian dialects of English, German and French.

Contrary to what Siri claims, Japanese is not available as a choice in the Siri preferences pane. It's possible that Siri's additional languages will be launched with the iPad 3 launch next month. That launch is rumored to be set for March 7.

Apple Slashes iAd Minimum Buy-In Fee Yet Again

Jordan Golson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:23:37 +0000

Apple has cut its minimum iAd buy-in fee to $100,000 according to a report from Advertising Age. The new lower price, one-tenth the $1 million originally required when iAd launched in July of 2010, dropped to $500k and then $300k per package.

Even the $300k level has apparently not been enough to keep existing advertisers on board and bring on new ones to meet the ever-growing number of ad slots available. In addition to the reduced minimum spend, Apple is increasing the cut that developers receive from iAds running within their apps from 60% to 70%. The extra money is expected to cover lower ad rates and encourage developers to include iAds within their applications.

AdAge continues:

Apple is also planning to change the way it charges for ads, which irked some advertisers and agencies. Since it launched in 2010, Apple has charged advertisers twice: a fixed rate for every 1,000 ad impressions plus an additional fee every time a user clicked on the ad. Apple will now only charge the cost-per-thousand rate.

Apple recently hired former Adobe executive Todd Teresi to head up the iAds service after Andy Miller departed to join a venture capital firm.

Tim Cook at Goldman Sachs: Worker Safety, iPhone and iPad Growth, and Financial Strategy

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:54:13 +0000

Apple CEO Tim Cook has just completed a Q&A session with analyst Bill Shope at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference. While we liveblogged the event with a rough transcript of Cook's comments, here are a few of the highlights:

- Worker safety: Addressing ongoing publicity about working conditions at Apple's suppliers' facilities, Cook reiterated his position that no company is doing more or being more transparent about the issue than Apple. Cook specifically addressed Apple's efforts to address underage labor, safety, and excessive overtime. Apple has also partnered with the Fair Labor Association to conduct what is likely the largest and most extensive audit in manufacturing history. Apple will also be continuing to collect its own data and will be releasing it monthly on the company's website.

- iPhone growth: Dryly noting that Apple's record-smashing sales of 37 million iPhones during the holiday quarter led to "a decent quarter", Cook noted that 90% of mobile phone purchasers and 75% of smartphone purchasers are still choosing something other than an iPhone. Consequently, Apple still has remarkable room to grow.

- Emerging markets: Cook noted that Apple has placed significant energy on emerging markets, with China being the primary focus but Brazil and Russia also receiving attention. While the iPod created a halo for the Mac and other Apple products in developed markets, that didn't work for emerging markets. It took the iPhone to generate that momentum in those countries. In China, Mac grew 100% year-over-year compared with 10% for the broader industry. The Mac growth was from a small base, but still demonstrates significant momentum. Revenue across Apple's emerging markets has grown from $1.4 billion in 2007 to $22 billion in 2011.

- iPad growth: Cook noted that no one could have predicted 55 million units at this point, by far the fastest growth ever for an Apple product. The iPad benefited significantly from an established base of users familiar with the iPhone and iPod and from the established infrastructure of the iTunes Store and App Store.

- Competing tablets: Addressing the Kindle Fire and other cheaper competitors, Cook noted that price is rarely the most important thing for consumers. Long-term, people aren't happy about getting a good deal on a terrible product. Cook noted that he loves competition (as long as other companies "invent their own stuff") and that he believes Apple's innovation will drive things forward.

- Stock buybacks/dividends: Cook noted that Apple is judicious with its cash, and acknowledged that the company currently has much more cash on hand than it needs to run its day-to-day business. He acknowledged that discussions on the topic at board meetings have ramped up as Apple's cash hoard has grown, but asked for patience as Apple considers its options and works to make the best decision for shareholders.

- Apple TV: Cook reported that Apple still considers the Apple TV to be a "hobby", in the sense that it shouldn't be thought of as a major pillar of Apple's business. That said, Apple has always felt that if it kept "pulling the string", there would be something there. Consumer satisfaction is reportedly off the charts and sales are growing quickly.

- Siri and iCloud: Cook's belief is that iCloud is the strategy for the next decade, enabling users to access their content from anywhere. iCloud already has over 100 million users just months after launching. Siri, on the other hand, is a profound change in input methods in Cook's view, and he notes that never before had he considered a beta product to be indispensable.

- Cook's legacy: In a question that seemed to have caught Cook a bit off-guard, Shope asked what Cook believes his stamp on Apple will be and what he will seek to maintain. Cook seemed to very much be speaking from the heart as he focused on the latter portion, outlining the culture of Apple and how important a factor it has been in Apple's success.

The most important is the second part. Apple is this unique culture and unique company. You can't replicate it. I'm not going to witness or permit the slow undoing of it. I believe in it so deeply.

Steve grilled in all of us over many years, the company should revolve around great products. We should stay extremely focused on a few things, rather than try to do so many that we did nothing well. We should only go into markets where we can make a significant contribution to society, not just sell a lot of products. These things, along with keeping excellent as an expectation, these are the things that I focus on.

Cook has participated in this Goldman Sachs event a number of times in the past, but this was his first time as CEO and provided a rare opportunity outside of the company's earning conference calls for him to address questions from those who follow the company from the outside.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks at Goldman Sachs Technology Conference

Jordan Golson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:10:23 +0000

Apple CEO Tim Cook will speak at the Goldman Sachs Technology Conference today at 3:30PM Eastern / 12:30PM Pacific. Cook's presentation will be broadcast via Quicktime on Apple's website and MacRumors will be liveblogging the event on this page.

Cook has spoken at the annual conference a number of times (2007, 2008, 2010), but this will be his first time at the event in the role of Apple CEO. While he has not made any major announcements at the venue in the past, he has at times offered an interesting perspective into Apple's business.

Tim Cook is on-stage. Opens with "safe harbor" statement noting that his speech may include "forward-looking statements." Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope is conducting the interview.

What should investors know about Apple's relationship with the supply chain and the workers within it?

First thing I would want everyone to know is that Apple takes working conditions very seriously, and we have for a very long time. Whether workers are in Europe or Asia or the United States, we care about every worker. I've spent a lot of time in factories, personally. Not just as an executive. I worked at a paper mill in Alabama and an aluminum plant in Virginia. Many of our top executives visit factories on a regular basis. We have hundreds of employees based there full time.

We are very connected to the process and we understand working conditions at a very granular level. I realize that the supply chain is complex and I'm sure that you realize this. The issues around it are complex. Our commitment is simple: every worker has the right to a fair and safe work environment, free of discrimination, where they can earn competitive wages and they can voice their concerns freely. Apple's suppliers must live up to this to do business with Apple.

We also believe that education is the great equalizer and that if people are provided the skills and knowledge, they can improve their lives. We've put a lot of effort to supplying educational resources to our workers throughout our supply chain. We supply free classes in many place thoroughout our supply chain. More than 60,000 employees have attended these classes, which is pretty amazing when you think about it.

If you take all these employees and move them to one location, it would be larger than Arizona State -- which is the largest college in the United States. This is a powerful stepping stone for workers looking to enhance their careers and their lives.

You can read the details on problems we're looking to fix on our website, but I can tell you that no one in our industry is doing more to improve working conditions than Apple. We are constantly auditing facilities going deep into the supply chain, looking for problems, finding problems and fixing problems. We report everything because we believe transparency is so very important in this area. I am so incredibly proud of the work that our teams are doing in this area. They focus on the most difficult problems and they stay with them until they fix them. They are truly a model for the industry.

We think the use of underaged labor is abhorrent. It's extremely rare in our supply chain, but our top priority is to eliminate it totally. We've done that with our final assembly and we're now working with vendors farther down in the supply chain. If we find a supplier that intentionally hires underage labor, it's a firing offense.

We don't let anyone cut corners on safety. If there is a problem on safety, we seek out the foremost experts and set a new standard and apply that to the entire supply chain. We focus on the details. If there is a fire extinguisher missing from a cafeteria, that facility doesn't pass inspection until that fire extinguisher is in place.

We are continuing to focus on problems endemic to our industry like excessive overtime. Our code of conduct has a cap of 60 hours per workweek. We have consistently found violations of this code over the course of our time, so at the beginning of this year we announced that we are determined to drive widespread change. We have begun to manage working hour at a very micro basis.

In January, we collected weekly data on over a half million workers in our supply chain. We had 84% compliance. This is significantly improved from the past, but we can do better. We're taking the unprecedented step of reporting this monthly on our website, so it's transparent to everyone what we're doing.

The Fair Labor Association began an audit of our final assembly vendors. We started with this last year and in January we were the first technology company to be welcomed into their assembly. Their audit is probably the biggest audit in manufacturing in history. I'm looking forward to seeing the results. We know that people have a very high expectation of Apple. We have an even higher expectation of ourselves. Our customer expect us to lead and we will continue to do so. We are blessed to have the smartest and most innovative people on earth. We put the same kind of effort and energy into supplier responsibility as we do with our new products.

That is what Apple is all about.

37 million units of iPhones shipped. When do we run into the Law of Large Numbers? What are the growth opportunities coming up?

37 million is a big number. It was a decent quarter. It was 17 million more than we'd ever done before. We were pretty happy with that, but let me give you the way I look at the numbers. As I see it, that 37 million for last quarter represented 24% of the smartphone market. There's 3 out of 4 people buying something else. 9 out of 10 phone buyers are buying something else.

Handset market is projected to go from 1.5 to 2 billion units. Take it in the context of these numbers, the truth is that this is a jaw-dropping industry with enormous opportunity. Up against those numbers, the numbers don't seem so large anymore. What seems so large to me is the opportunity.

What we're focusing on is the same thing we've always focused on. Making the world's best products. We think if we stay laser-focused on that, and continue to develop the ecosystem around the iPhone, that we have a pretty good opportunity to take advantage of this enormous market.

The biggest opportunity is the emerging markets. Large portion of that is the prepaid market. Apple has done very well but the wholesale iPhone price point is nowhere near what we would expect in the prepaid market. How do you make it more affordable to those markets?

Those markets are critical. The smartphone market is projected to be 1 billion units in 2015, 3 years from now. 25% of that is projected to come from China and Brazil. Just two of those markets -- 25% -- obviously those are very critical markets, but there are others as well.

We've been very focused on China. We've had incredible success with iPhone -- we've gone from a few hundred million in revenue to last year with $13 billion. We've been really focused on trying to understand there market there and taking those earnings to other markets. As it turns out, not very many people agree with me on this, probably.

What I see is that there is a lot of commonality in what people around the world want. Everyone in every country wants the best product as it turns out. They're not looking for a cheap version of the best product -- they're looking for the best product.

In the emerging markets there are very big differences in go-to-market. In most of the developed market, the carrier owns most of the distribution. In emerging markets, the retailer has most of the distribution. The whole go-to-market has to be changed significantly. Last year, we covered price points in the subsidized markets from $0 on up. That doesn't translate to zero in the prepaid market, but we're covering more price points there.

The paramount thing is the product. It is the focus. Of course distribution, we've recognized the difference there and in purchasing power. Unlike many people, I don't subscribe to the premise that prepay is prepay is prepay. We convinced China Unicom to try postpay. It wasn't big there but they tried it and it's working really well. Postpay is great for everyone because customer gets a cheaper phone and the carrier locks in a customer. It's a different way to look at the issue and it's been successful in China.

When Apple introduced the iPod in 2001, when we launched the iTunes Music Store and launched that on Windows, the iPod created a halo for the Mac. For 23 straight quarters -- 6 years -- we've outgrown the market on the Mac.

The halo that was created by iPod for the Mac, was created in developed markets. It was created in the US, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada. It didn't work nearly to the same level in Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, China, Latin America. People were already getting music from their phones. The world changed for us when the iPhone was launched.

The iPhone introduced Apple to millions of people -- our brand -- to people who had never met Apple before. Now, it's interesting to look -- take China as an example -- last year the Macintosh grew more than 100% in China, year-over-year. Not on a big base, but 100% is pretty good. The market grew 10%, so we outgrew the market 10x.

The iPhone is creating a halo for the Macintosh. iPhone has also created a halo for iPad. You can definitely see the synergistic effect of these products, not only in developed markets, but also in emerging markets where Apple wasn't resonant for most of its life.

In 2007 -- we didn't launch the iPhone until 2008. In 2007, the revenue combined from Greater China, several other parts of Asia, India, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, was $1.4 billion. Revenue last year for that same group of countries was $22 billion. We're only on the surface. That's how I feel. We focused mainly in China. Last year we began to focus increasingly more in Brazil and Russia.

Shifting to the iPad, it's been around 7 quarters of iPad shipments. You've shipped 55 million units and it's the fastest product ramp for any Apple device in history. What is it about that item that has caused that ramp to occur so quickly and what does that tell you about the tablet market long term?

This 55 million is something no one would have guessed. It took us years to sell iPhones, Macs and iPods. This thing is on a trajectory that's off the charts. The product is incredible, the pace of innovation on the product has been incredible. We went from iPad 1 to iPad 2 in fairly short order. The ecosystem is 170,000 apps that are optimized for iPad.

The reason that it is so large in my view is that the iPad has stood on the shoulders of everything that came before it. The iTunes Store was already in play, the App Store was already in play. People were trained on iPhone. They already knew about multitouch. Lots of things that became intuitive when you used a tablet, came from before. I gave one to my mother and she knew how to use it from watching the commercial.

It's amazing how the product has captured so many people. My mother uses it, my 7-year-old nephew uses it, at Starbucks everyone is using one, in education it's being used, in the enterprise it's being used in big numbers.

From my point of view, it's the fastest adoption across a wide range that I've ever seen before.

You expect it to be larger than the PC market over time.

We started using it at Apple well before it was launched. We had our shades pulled so no one could see us, but it quickly became that 80-90% of my consumption and work was done on the iPad. From the first day it shipped, we thought that the tablet market would become larger than the PC market and it was just a matter of the time it took for that to occur. I feel that stronger today than I did then. As I look out and I see all of these incredible usages for it, I see the incredible rate and pace of innovation, and the developers -- If we had a meeting at this hotel, and we invited everyone doing cool stuff on PC, we wouldn't have anyone here.

If you invited everyone working on iOS or on that other operating system, you wouldn't be able to fit everyone! That's where the innovation is! That doesn't mean the PC is going to die. I love the Mac and it's still growing and I believe it can still grow. But I believe that tablet market can replace the unit sales of the PC market, and it's just a matter of the speed at which that happens. It's too much of a profound change in things for that to not happen. That's just my opinion.

Now, just about every company is launching a tablet. When we look at the competitive landscape, no one really made a dent in Apple's market. We see some innovative models, Amazon for instance. Companies undercutting the iPad. I know it's not all about price, but what do you think about that?

Price is rarely the most important thing. A cheap product might sell some units. Somebody gets it home and they feel great when they pay the money, but then they get it home and use it and the joy is gone. The joy is gone every day that they use it until they aren't using it anymore. You don't keep remembering "I got a good deal!" because you hate it!

What happened last year, everybody that was in the PC industry and everybody in the phone industry decided they had to do a tablet. There was 100 tablets put on the market last year! They aimed at iPad 1 and by the time they came out with something we were on iPad 2. We wound up with 170,000 apps and I'm not sure there is 100 yet on the other platform. At the end of the day, people want the great product. Amazon is a different competitor. They have different strengths. They'll sell a lot of units. They have and they will.

But, the customers that we're designing our products for are not satisfied with limited function types of products. I think the real catalyst of the tablet market will be innovation and pushing the next frontier. Honestly, we'll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.

How cannibalistic are tablets on PCs? We want to figure out how quickly the PC market falls down on tablets. As a company that offers general purpose computers and the iPad, how do you feel about it?

iPad has cannibalized some Mac sales. The way that we view cannibalization is that we prefer to do it to ourselves than let someone else do it. We don't want to hold back one of our teams from doing the greatest thing, even if it takes some sales from another product area. Our high-order bid is "we want to please customers and we want them buying Apple stuff."

I don't predict the demise of the PC, I don't subscribe to that. Given what we've seen, I believe the iPad is cannibalizing some Macs but more PCs. There are more of them to cannibalize than Macs so thats a plus to us. Tablets in general will cannibalize the PC. I think what it will do largely is that when you're competing with someone -- maybe politicians do this, I'm not big in politics -- it forces you to sharpen your message and tell who you are.

It'll be good for the PC industry because there will be this strong competitor and tablets will innovate like crazy and customers will decide which to buy. There will be a strong PC industry but tablets will be stronger in units.

Shifting to your balance sheet, you have just under $98 billion in cash and liquid investments. In the past you've used your cash very sparingly. Why has there been a reluctance to buy back stock and/or to issue a dividend? Do we expect that to change?

I disagree with your use of the word sparingly. We've spent billions in the supply chain. We've spent billions in acquisition including on IP. We've spent billions on retail, the infrastructure of the company, the data centers et cetera.

Yes, we still have a lot. I would say we're judicious and deliberate. We spend our money like it's our last pennies. I think shareholders want us to do that. They don't want us to act like we're rich. We've never felt that way. It may sound bizarre but that's the truth. In terms of our approach to cash, I've said since becoming CEO that I'm not religious about this. I'm not religious about holding it or not holding it. We're in very active discussions at the board level on what we should do.

I think everyone would want us to be deliberate and really think it through. That's what we're doing. We're not going to go have a toga party and do something outlandish. People don't have to worry that it's burning a hole in our pocket.

Have the discussions become more active? The point I'm getting to, is the cash balance is so large, is there a point that it becomes inefficient to carry?

It's not new that we're discussing it. We are discussing it more and in greater detail. The balance has risen to the point you've made and I think it's clear to everyone and I'd be the first to admit that we have more cash than we need to run the business on a daily basis.

I only ask for a bit of patience so we can do this in a deliberate way and make the best decision for the shareholders.

Looking at the living room, you've said Apple TV is still on the hobby stage. What has the challenges been saying it's on the hobby stage or going into the future?

In terms of existing product, we sold just shy of 3 million Apple TVs in the past year. It's very cool product and I can't live without it. We sold 1.4 million last quarter. It's clearly ramping, but the reality -- the reason we call it a hobby -- we don't want to send a message to our shareholders that we think the market for it is the size of our other businesses. The Mac, the iPad, the iPod, the iPhone. We don't want to send a signal that we think the length of that stool is equal to the others. That's why we call it a hobby.

Apple doesn't do hobbies as a general rule. We believe in focus and only working on a few things. So, with Apple TV however, despite the barriers in that market, for those of us who use it, we've always thought there was something there. If we kept following our intuition and kept pulling the string, we might find something that was larger. For those people that have it right now, the customer satisfaction is off the chart. We need something that could go more main-market for it to be a serious category.

If you don't have one, you should get one because it's a really cool product.

Wanted to touch on Siri and iCloud. How important is Siri and iCloud to Apple going forward?

Siri and iCloud are profound. If you take iCloud -- rewind 10 years. Steve announced the strategy for Apple as the hub for someone's digital life. Out of that we developed iLife. You could connect many gadgets off of this and sync all of your music and photos. You can edit photos and movies. The Mac becomes the repository.

iCloud turns that on its head. It recognizes that in the last 2-3 years, we live off multiple devices. It's no longer a great customer experience to have to sync your iPad to your Mac and then your iPhone to your Mac and then resync your iPad to your Mac. This is a hair-pulling exercise. iCloud recognizes the Mac or PC as just another device and now your life is a lot easier. We have 100 million users of iCloud -- we just launched it in October! This is unbelievable.

I view iCloud not as something with a year or two product life -- it's a strategy for the next decade or more. It's truly profound.

Siri... for years if you were a PC or Mac user, you used a physical keyboard and mouse for input. You pretty much did that for a long, long time. There wasn't a great deal of revolution. Evolution, yes. All of a sudden, Apple comes out with Multitouch on the MacBook Pro and then extended that into phones and tablets and has completely changed those industries.

Siri is another profound change in input. All of us wanted this to work, it's sort of having a video call with FaceTime -- AHA! It can work! -- Siri is still a beta product, but now I feel like I can't live without it. They're not something we run P&L's on, we don't believe that. We run the company from the top and don't worry about the iCloud team or Siri team making money. Measuring things at that level wouldn't achieve anything.

Both of these things go in the profound category. They're things that you'll talk to your grandkids about that are profound changes.

Obviously you've stated several times that you want to preserve on Apple's culture and strategy. When we look back at CEO changes, every CEO leaves their mark on strategy and culture. What do you think your leadership will change at Apple? What are you determined to maintain?

The most important is the second part. Apple is this unique culture and unique company. You can't replicate it. I'm not going to witness or permit the slow undoing of it. I believe in it so deeply.

Steve grilled in all of us over many years, the company should revolve around great products. We should stay extremely focused on a few things, rather than try to do so many that we did nothing well. We should only go into markets where we can make a significant contribution to society, not just sell a lot of products. These things, along with keeping excellent as an expectation, these are the things that I focus on.

Those are the things that make Apple this magical place that really smart people want to work in, and do not just their life's work, but their life's best work. I want to look out at an audience and see people using iPhones and see people using iPods at the gym, or going to Starbucks and seeing people use the iPad. These are the things that bring a smile to my face. There is no substitute for that.

We're always focused on the future. We don't sit and think about how great things were yesterday. I love that trait, I think it's the thing that drives us all forward. Those are the things that I'm holding on to and it's a privilege to be a part of it.

Samsung Underestimating Apple’s Potential Impact on Television Market?

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:51:17 +0000

Soon after rumors of Apple's plans for entering the television market began to gain significant momentum late last year, analysts noted that the industry's existing players were already "scrambling" to react to Apple's likely entry and its chances of remaking the industry.

But perhaps not all television manufacturers are sweating Apple's arrival, as Pocket-lint reports on comments from a Samsung product manager indicating that his company is confident that its massive investment in picture quality improvements will trump anything Apple might be able to put together in other areas.

"We've not seen what they've done but what we can say is that they don't have 10,000 people in R&D in the vision category," [Samsung product manager Chris Moseley] said.

"They don't have the best scaling engine in the world and they don't have world renowned picture quality that has been awarded more than anyone else.

"TVs are ultimately about picture quality. Ultimately. How smart they are...great, but let's face it that's a secondary consideration. The ultimate is about picture quality and there is no way that anyone, new or old, can come along this year or next year and beat us on picture quality.

"So, from that perspective, it's not a great concern but it remains to be seen what they're going to come out with, if anything."

As a product manager, Moseley's words carry less weight than if they had come from a senior executive with broader responsibility for the company's overall direction, and so it remains unclear whether Moseley's lack of concern about Apple's plans is a personal perspective or a broader indication of the company's thinking on the matter. Moseley is also obviously charged with promoting his company's products and thus would be expected to position them as industry leaders.

Nevertheless, Moseley's comments leave him open to comparisons with other representatives of Apple's competitors who underestimated the company as it entered new markets. Executives at Microsoft and Research in Motion famously panned Apple's iPhone announcement, while others scoffed at Apple's plans to completely reinvent the tablet market with the iPad.

Apple's ultimate plans for a television set are unknown, and its ability to drive a revolution in the well-established and low-profit television industry remains to be seen, but the company's success over the past 10-15 years has proven that competitors would be wise to keep an eye on Apple's efforts.

Apple Switching Back to NVIDIA Graphics for Upcoming Mac Pro Update? [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:26:51 +0000

M.I.C gadget reports that it has received information from sources indicating that Apple is "close to finally updating" its aging Mac Pro line. As we detailed in a report last month, the window for a potential Mac Pro update is approaching as Intel prepares to launch its Sandy Bridge E Xeon processors and AMD is pushing out its new "Tahiti" family of graphics cards.

But M.I.C gadget reports that Apple may be planning to switch back to NVIDIA for its stock graphics options in the next Mac Pro instead of sticking AMD as on the current models. The move, which would line up with a rumored similar shift for the MacBook Pro, could open the door to improved performance on a number of applications such as those from Adobe that embrace NVIDIA's CUDA architecture.

Nvidia has their “Kepler” platform due out around the same time as Intel is making their changes, and our sources within the company indicate that they have chosen to have Nvidia lead the charge so to speak on the graphics front. This is good for all our compatriots who want to use the special graphics engine in Adobe products, as it supports Nvidia only, or for those who wish to do CUDA based programs as well, again only supported by Nvidia.

The report cites "rumblings" that Apple may be targeting a Mac Pro update "near the end of quarter three", although that timeframe may be subject to change. The report's definition of "end of quarter three" is a bit unclear, as that would equate to September as measured by calendar quarters or June as measured by Apple's fiscal calendar. But with Intel pushing out Sandy Bridge E chips in "spring" and NVIDIA reportedly launching Kepler in April, Apple would likely be able to follow fairly closely on the heels of those releases with a Mac Pro update if it elects to do so.

But curiously, the report also claims that Apple will be looking to jump directly to Ivy Bridge, Intel's successor processor family to Sandy Bridge, for the revised Mac Pro. Intel's Sandy Bridge E processors have seen significant delays but are now close to shipping, and it is unclear how Apple's Mac Pro plans would line up with any Ivy Bridge server chip plans from Intel.

Unfortunately, M.I.C gadget does not have a terribly accurate record on hardware rumors, particularly on the Mac Pro front where last year the site was one of those sources claiming that Apple would issue a mid-year Mac Pro update using a custom processor from Intel. So while a switch to NVIDIA for graphics cards in the next Mac Pro may make sense given the timeline for availability on NVIDIA's Kepler lineup, we hesitate to place too much faith in this report's claims for the time being.

North Carolina School District Has Success With MacBook Air Initiative

Jordan Golson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:57:20 +0000

The Mooresville, North Carolina district is one of a handful in the country to issue laptops, the MacBook Air in this case, to each student. Mooresville is attempting to turn the public school education on its head, using technology to change the culture of instruction. The district was profiled in the New York Times on Monday.

The Times says the district has "quietly emerged as the de facto national model of the digital school."

[Superintendent of schools Mark] Edwards spoke on a White House panel in September, and federal Department of Education officials often cite Mooresville as a symbolic success. Overwhelmed by requests to view the programs in action, the district now herds visitors into groups of 60 for monthly demonstrations; the waiting list stretches to April. What they are looking for is an explanation for the steady gains Mooresville has made since issuing laptops three years ago to the 4,400 4th through 12th graders in five schools (three K-3 schools are not part of the program).

The district’s graduation rate was 91 percent in 2011, up from 80 percent in 2008. On state tests in reading, math and science, an average of 88 percent of students across grades and subjects met proficiency standards, compared with 73 percent three years ago. Attendance is up, dropouts are down. Mooresville ranks 100th out of 115 districts in North Carolina in terms of dollars spent per student — $7,415.89 a year — but it is now third in test scores and second in graduation rates.

Each MacBook Air notebooks is leased from Apple for $215 per year, including warranty. The total cost for the computers is around $1 million per year, plus an additional $100K for software. Families pay a $50 fee

The Mooresville Graded School District paid for the initiative by eliminating 65 jobs, including 37 teaching positions, and accepting larger class sizes. At the same time, schools could get rid of computer labs and antiquated teaching materials like hanging wall maps.

Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson wrote about Jobs' feelings towards American public education. Jobs felt the system was "hopelessly antiquated and crippled by union work rules." Particularly galling to Jobs was that classrooms were led by teachers standing at a blackboard, using textbooks. He felt that "all books, learning materials, and assessments should be digital and interactive." Feedback should be tailored to each student and provided in real time.

Instead of simply throwing technology dollars at the problem, hoping it can fix itself, Mooresville is using technology as a tool to help students learn.

Mooresville frequently tests students in various subjects to inform teachers where each needs help. Every quarter, department heads and principals present summary data to Mr. Edwards, who uses it to assess where teachers need improvement. Special emphasis goes to identifying students who are only a few correct answers away from passing state proficiency standards. They are then told how close they are and, Mr. Edwards said, “You can, you can, you can.”

Apple made its biggest stride yet into the digital classroom at an education-focused event last month. At that event, Apple launched a new digital textbook initiative for the iPad, plus easy-to-use authoring tools to help educators collaborate and share knowledge across school districts and disciplines.

Jobs' vision for the digital school may be turning to reality in Mooresville, North Carolina.

(Image via Jeremy M. Lange/New York Times)

Facebook on Valentine's Day scam list

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:56:45 +0000

The Better Business Bureau is warning people to watch out for who — or in this case, what — they fall for this Valentine’s Day.

Go here to read the rest:
Facebook on Valentine's Day scam list

Apple Reportedly Planning Orders for 65-70 Million iPad 3 Displays in 2012 [iOS Blog]

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:46:44 +0000

Electronista reports on a new article [Google translation] from Taiwan's Commercial Times claiming that Apple is planning for production of 65-70 million iPad 3 displays in 2012, paving the way for a significant boost to Apple's tablet sales.

Shipments for the new LCD panel, believed designed by Sharp but being manufactured by LG Display and Samsung, were said by the Commercial Times to be already booked to the order of 65 million to 75 [70] million units for the year. Versus production of about 40.5 million in 2011, it would represent 60 to 73 percent higher shipments than last year.

That 65-70 million number includes only iPad 3 displays, and with Apple having nearly one quarter's worth of iPad 2 sales ahead of the iPad 3 introduction and the company being rumored to continue offering the iPad 2 as a lower-cost option following the iPad 3's introduction, Apple's total iPad sales projections for the year appear to b even higher.

Apple’s Architectural Contributions Examined in New Magazine [Mac Blog]

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:29:17 +0000

CLOG, a new quarterly architecture magazine, has opted to cover Apple in its just-published February 2012 issue. The magazine offers nearly 150 pages of stories and images about Apple and architecture, with coverage ranging from Steve Jobs' boyhood Eichler home to the company's forthcoming "spaceship campus" to Apple's network of over 350 retail stores around the world.

With one of the largest American office projects in history underway in Cupertino, CLOG : APPLE introduces the first comprehensive discussion of Apple’s architecture.

CLOG : APPLE showcases over 50 international contributors, including architects, designers, cartoonists, comedians, engineers and other industry leaders. Highlights include an examination of Steve Jobs’s Eichler-designed childhood home; the evolution of Apple’s store designs; its leading role in innovative glass engineering; the symbolism and urban implications of the new Cupertino headquarters design; reactions to Apple Campus 2 by notable architects and critics; and an interview with one of Apple Computer’s original three founders, Ronald Wayne.

The issue is a collection of brief essays, photos, illustrations, and other materials examining Apple from an architectural perspective. Among the features:

- An interview with Apple's third founder, Ron Wayne, addressing a number of topics including Wayne's design of the original Apple logo, Jobs' ambitions in his early days, and Wayne's thoughts on Apple's design and engineering work.

- A humor piece from Colbert Report writer Frank Lesser in which he examines what it would be like if Apple had to purchase a retail store design from a company like itself. In a letter from the fictional architecture firm responding to Apple's request for proposal for a store at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Lesser promotes store features drawn from Apple's own mystique, including a staircase known as "FeetTime", rubberized covers to product the store's glass panels, and an Apple Store Care extended warranty program.

- A visual size comparison of Apple's planned "spaceship campus" in Cupertino to a number of landmarks around the world.

- An illustrative view of Apple's prototype store facade and how that facade is modified at certain locations to respond to site-specific constraints to provide a customized and yet still-familiar look for most of its stores.

- Two pieces from ifoAppleStore's Gary Allen discussing the evolution of Apple's retail store designs and using the 4th Street retail store in Berkeley, California as an example of the company's attention to detail.

- A number of redacted response letters from people and companies who refused to comment for the CLOG issue, primarily due to confidentiality agreements with Apple.

CLOG : APPLE is available from a handful of bookstores, or directly from the magazine's site at a price of $15 plus shipping ($5 U.S. and $10 international).

Proview Seeking to Cut Off Apple’s Worldwide Supply of iPads

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:49:23 +0000

Earlier this week, we noted that Chinese authorities had begun seizing iPad stocks from a small number of retailers over Apple's alleged infringement of a disputed "iPad" trademark. Apple claims that it purchased the Chinese rights to the trademark several years ago, but the original owner Proview and Chinese courts have disagreed with that assertion.

Bloomberg now notes that Proview is seeking to go beyond local enforcement and is asking Chinese customs officials to block both imports and exports of the iPad over the issue. With iPad production taking place in China, a successful bid by Proview could cut off Apple's supplies of the device throughout the world.

“We are applying to customs to stop any trademark- infringing products from imports to China and also for exports,” said [Proview lawyer Roger] Xie, who is based in Shenzhen. “Apple wants to postpone and continue infringement of the iPad in China.”

Calling a potential export ban "catastrophic" for Apple, one Chinese legal expert notes that pressure on Apple to settle the case has dramatically increased.

A halt to exports from China would be “catastrophic” for Apple because it would mean a global halt to iPad sales, said Stan Abrams, an intellectual property lawyer and a law professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing. The threat of an export ban increases the pressure on Apple to settle the case, he said.

“There’s got to be a settlement, and fairly soon,” Abrams said. “I can’t see how much more incentivized to settle Apple could be.”

Apple continues to maintain that it acquired "worldwide" rights to the iPad in ten countries, including China, as part of an earlier deal. Apple's case is still pending with Chinese courts as it seeks to appeal earlier rulings.

Apple Unveils Striking New Window Coverings at Forthcoming Amsterdam Store

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:33:19 +0000

We've been covering Apple's forthcoming Amsterdam retail store with interest for some time now, as it will be the company's first location in the Netherlands. While development has been slowed by historic preservation issues, rumors last month suggested that the store could open on February 18.

Photo from One More Thing
Apple indeed appears to be getting closer to opening the store, as today it unveiled striking new orange window coverings announcing that the location will be "opening soon". Several Dutch sites including One More Thing [Google translation] and iPhoneclub.nl [Google translation] have posted photos of the store.

Photo from iPhoneclub.nl
Orange is the national color of the Netherlands, while the three vertically-stacked Apple logos are a play on the three crosses found in Amsterdam's coat of arms and which are popularly used to represent the city.

An opening date for the new store remains unknown, with hiring plans and glimpses of the store's interior suggesting that it will not quite meet the previously-rumored February 18 date.

Trend Micro reveals new fraud victimizing Facebook users

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:20:35 +0000

COMPUTER security firm Trend Micro recently revealed an online fraud surfacing the Internet this Valentine’s season which victimizes Facebook users.

Read the original here:
Trend Micro reveals new fraud victimizing Facebook users

Angry Birds fly to Facebook

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:47:40 +0000

“Angry Birds”, the most-downloaded mobile app of 2011, was catapulted to the world of Facebook on Tuesday in a bid by its Finnish maker Rovio to get one billion people playing the addictive game.

Original post:
Angry Birds fly to Facebook

Apple Working with Suppliers on 8-Inch iPad

Eric Slivka — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:20:05 +0000

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is working with suppliers on a smaller iPad carrying a display in the range of 8 inches on the diagonal, down from the 9.7-inch display in the current iPad but still larger than the 7-inch display found in the Kindle Fire.

Officials at some of Apple's suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has shown them screen designs for a new device with a screen size of around 8-inches, and said it is qualifying suppliers for it. Apple's latest tablet, the iPad 2, comes with a 9.7-inch screen. It was launched late last year.

One person said the smaller device will have a similar resolution screen as the iPad 2. Apple is working with screen makers including Taiwan-based AU Optronics Co. and LG Display Co. of South Korea to supply the test panels, the person said.

The report does caution, however, that Apple is continually testing new designs with its suppliers and could ultimately decide not to bring the smaller iPad to market.

According to the report, Apple has played with various tablet sizes in the past, but has so far stuck with a single form factor with a 9.7-inch display, a size Steve Jobs argued was the minimum to meet Apple's standards for usability.

An "iPad mini" has been rumored for quite some time, with reportedly having tested a variety of different screen sizes. A number of the rumors have pinpointed a 7.85-inch iPad that could be released late this year.

Mockup of 7.85" iPad on left, 9.7" (current) iPad on right
Back in December, we published mockups and "actual size" PDFs demonstrating how the device would appear and fit in the hand at that size. Our printable PDFs included home screen (6 MB) and keyboard (18 MB) views, and we also included an actual size image for viewing on a current iPad.

Squeezing the current iPad's resolution down to a smaller screen would also reduce the size of the interface elements on the device, and Apple is indeed said to be planning to move the current iPad's 1024x768 resolution to the smaller iPad in a move that would allow current iPad apps to "just work" on the new device. Testing with our "iPad mini" mockup suggests that interface elements would remain usable even at the smaller size.

Wall Street Journal Confirms 4G LTE iPad for AT&T and Verizon

Jordan Golson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:44:10 +0000

The iPad 3 will come in 4G LTE versions for Verizon and AT&T according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. It was reported earlier today that the iPad 3 announcement would come on March 7.

Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter, as the battle to cash in on big investments in mobile broadband heats up.

Apple Inc. appears to be planning to announce the latest version of its tablet computer in the first week of March, according to another person briefed on the matter.

Whether other carriers will also sell the device couldn't be learned.

The WSJ noted that the devices will fallback to a "slower network technology" when LTE isn't available. The next iPad is expected to have a high-resolution Retina Display and a quad-core A6 processor, in addition to the LTE capabilities. There is no indication if the AT&T and Verizon iPads would be one model that can operate on both networks or separate units with individual SKUs, as they are currently.

Apple insiders have noted that Apple frequently engages in the practice of "controlled leaks", briefing trusted reporters with product information before the launch of a big product.

iPad 3 Announcement on March 7th with Quad Core and 4G LTE? [Date Confirmed]

Arnold Kim — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:09:17 +0000

iMore reports that Apple is planning to hold their iPad 3 announcement on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Aside from the date of the announcement, iMore also claims that the iPad 3 will feature a 2048x1536 Retina display as well as a quad-core A6 processor and "possibly" 4G LTE networking. They cite sources "who have been reliable in the past".

Overall, the site seems least certain about LTE's presence in the iPad 3:

4G LTE networking has been another mystery surrounding the iPad 3, with a compatible Qualcomm chipset becoming available, but international LTE coverage is still slim, and in some cases a year or more away. It sounds like Apple has 4G LTE lined up for iPhone 5 this October, but we’re still not certain if the iPad 3 will get it earlier.

iMore (then called Tipb) had previously pinpointed the pre-order date for the iPhone 4S.

LTE has been rumored to be included in the iPad 3 in the past. As iMore notes, LTE's rollout has been slow, but many carriers are aggressively rolling out coverage and LTE requirements in 2012. Apple has also been testing LTE in iOS 5 and hiring LTE engineers.

Update: Jim Dalrymple of LoopInsight confirms the date with a simple "Yep". Dalrymple is known to have sources inside Apple.

Apple to Live Stream Audio of Tim Cook’s Speech at Goldman Sachs Conference Tomorrow

Eric Slivka — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:38:55 +0000

As noted by @settBIT, Apple has posted a notice on its investor relations page announcing that it will be offering a live audio webcast of a presentation by CEO Tim Cook tomorrow at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference. Cook's presentation will begin at approximately 3:30 PM Eastern / 12:30 PM Pacific.

Cook has spoken at the annual conference a number of times (2007, 2008, 2010), but this will be his first time at the event in the role of Apple CEO. While he has not made any major announcements at the venue in the past, he has at times offered an interesting perspective into Apple's business.

European Commission Approves Google’s Motorola Mobility Acquisition [Update: USA Too] [Mac Blog]

Jordan Golson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:21:56 +0000

Google has received approval from the European Union for its planned purchase of Motorola Mobility. This is one of a number of governmental approvals that Google needs before the purchase can continue, including sign-offs from the governments of Israel, Taiwan, China, and the United States. The U.S. Justice Department is expected to approve the acquisition this week.

Reuters:

The EU executive, which acts as the competition regulator for the 27-member European Union, said the deal would not significantly change the market for operating systems and patents for these devices.

"We have approved the acquisition... because upon careful examination, this transaction does not itself raise competition issues," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement.

But Almunia said he was worried about the possibility of abuse of patents by Google and other firms now involved in a series of legal disputes over intellectual property rights.

Last year, Google announced its would acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. If the acquisition proceeds, Google would gain control of thousands of Motorola's wireless patents, along with its handset manufacturing business, among a number of other components.

Google would also take charge of a number of lawsuits that Motorola is currently participating in, including a number involving Apple.

Update: The United States Department of Justice has signed off on the acquisition as well.