iPad By Davis: “Apple wins a Technology and Engineering Emmy award” plus 17 more |
- Apple wins a Technology and Engineering Emmy award
- The less expensive iPhone
- The day Steve Jobs unveiled the Safari web browser
- Cut the Rope releases 25 new levels
- How to create HTML rich email signatures on your iPhone and iPad
- Angry Birds celebrates 3rd 'birdday' with 30 new levels, cake, and a new bird
- Amazon launches AutoRip feature, offers free MP3 versions of purchased CD musc
- Vaja at CES 2012 gallery: High-end meets high-color
- Security oversight in some apps could leave you vulnerable to hacking, data theft
- Phil Schiller reportedly debunks rumors of cheaper iPhone
- Highlights from the Mobile Nations 2013 CES Experience
- Review: Portenzo Alano Leather Book Style iPad mini Case
- Case-Mate at CES 2013 gallery
- Best App Ever Awards – Have You Voted Yet?
- BodyGuardz Pure offers strong protection, great glass feel
- Case-Mate Crafted Collection brings high-end wood, mother-of-pearl, gemstone, and more to the iPhone
- Lego MINDSTORMS EV3 brings robot might to iPhone, iPad
- Tim Cook continues discussions aimed at bringing the iPhone to the world's largest carrier, China Mobile
| Apple wins a Technology and Engineering Emmy award Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:19 AM PST
Whatever the award is for, it is more recognition of how Apple has made the system of watching movies and TV shows so much easier. The iTunes Store offers a fantastic catalogue of shows that can be downloaded and watched in just a few clicks; it's hard to cast your mind back to how it used to be! Of course the award could just as easily be for Apple's implementation of HTTP Live streaming which is part of its QuickTime applications. 
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:40 PM PST
Rumors of a less expensive iPhone, in one form or another, certainly aren't new. Rumors follow want. We want iPhones, the less expensive iPhones are the more of them we can have, and the more often we can have them. We know that. Analysts know that. And Apple knows it too. In 2007, the original iPhone was mass-market prohibitively, Ballmer-laugh-inducing-ly expensive, so Apple and Steve Jobs adjusted the price down. In 2008, Apple changed course, worked out a subsidized model for the iPhone 3G, and the price of entry became only $199. In 2009, when Apple introduced the the iPhone 3GS, they kept a lower-capacity version of the iPhone 3G around, and the price of entry became $99. In 2010, when Apple introduced the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS went to $99. And in 2011, when Apple introduced the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4 became the $99 iPhone, and the iPhone 3GS dropped the on-contract price of entry to $0. With the 2012 introduction of the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4 has become the $0 iPhone. It's not difficult to imagine a second line of thinking at Apple, however, one where they also tossed around the idea of a secondary line of iPhones. One where older models weren't price dropped, but new models were designed to be less expensive from the start. But if that was ever the case, if Apple ever had such a device in the planning stages, be it since 2010 or even earlier, they haven't chosen to go that way, or to introduce more than one new iPhone model a year. At least not yet... Never say never
Something I've learned, sometimes embarrassingly, over the years is to never say never when it comes to Apple. Apple would never switch to Intel... Apple would never put video on an iPod... Apple would never use the name iPhone 5... Apple would never release an iPad mini... Apple would never change the iPhone's aspect ratio... Apple would never release two iPads in a year... But Steve Jobs said... But Tim Cook said... But Phil Schiller said... Never is a hyperbolically long time, and no one outside a fictional universe can see to the end of it. But whether or not Apple is likely to do something, for what reasons and under what market conditions, is interesting to consider. Less expensive vs. cheap
The easiest way to lower costs is to make something cheap. Cheap components, cheaply assembled, cheaply packaged, with cheap software and services, and cheap support, sold at razor-thin margins, results in really cheap price tags. Nothing exemplifies this better than the netbooks of the last decade. Sold at unprecedentedly low price points, they ultimate pleased almost no one, not the customers who bought and suffered through trying to use them, or the manufacturers who saw their profitability vanish and their market get trashed. No one but people for whom price is the only important feature, the kind of customers who break companies and entire industries, if those companies and industries are foolish enough to cater to them, benefited from netbooks. The harder way to lower costs is to make something -- or things -- transformative. Instead of a netbook, Apple released the MacBook Air, ultimately providing greater value at a consistent price point, rather than less value at a lower price point, and the iPad, which ditched the keyboard and trackpad but added multitouch to the mix, kept production values high, and still started at half the price of the lowest end Mac. With the iPod shuffle and the Mac mini, Apple removed the screen but kept their amazingly high manufacturing standards in place. Both are great products, just not expensive ones relative to the rest of the line. The second Apple TV was much less expensive then the first because it was smaller, used mobile rather than desktop components, and was built to stream rather than store huge amounts of content. The current line of MacBook Airs brought MacBook Pro quality components to a lower price point at the cost of power and ports. Even with the iPod mini/nano and the iPad mini, Apple introduced slightly lower priced versions of popular products by reducing size rather than build quality. Apple may not know how to (i.e. be willing to) make cheap products, but over the last decade they've proven they can continuously introduce lower cost ones when and as they choose. Less expensive vs. subsidized
While Apple has released lower-cost versions of the iPod, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, they've never released a lower-cost version of the iPhone. Apple has price-dropped the original iPhone, and they've arranged for carriers to subsidize the vast majority of the cost of every iPhone that's followed, the off-contract cost has never varied much. The original iPhone was introduced at $499 for the 4GB model and $599 for the 8GB model. Today, a new, off-contract iPhone 5 costs $649 for 16GB, $749 for 32GB, and $849 for 64GB. Even the $100 iPhone 4S is still $549 for 16GB, and the $0 iPhone 4 is still $450 for 8GB. Apple's current strategy of keeping previous generation iPhones around at lower, subsidized price points absolutely creates the perception of a cheap iPhone on-contract and in established markets. But it does little or nothing to address a lower cost, off-contract iPhone, especially in emerging markets, the ones dominated by cheap Android phones, outdated BlackBerries, and the remnants of Symbian, the ones responsible for some part, even a large part, of those platforms' market shares. Apple kept the iPhone 3GS on the market from when it was introduced in June of 2009 to when it was put to rest in September 2012. That worked out to one year starting at $299 on contract, $650 off-contract, a second year at $199 and $550 respectively, and a third and final year at $0 and $450. Just before it went end-of-life, and just before the iPhone 5 was announced, there were rumors that the iPhone 3GS might be kept around for yet another year -- it was binary compatible with iOS 6, after all, even if nowhere near feature-complete. Since there was no way Apple could further drop the price without paying people to take it -- -$100 if you sign up now! -- speculation was Apple could instead drop the off-contract price further, perhaps to $350, and make a run at Android and BlackBerry in those emerging markets. Apple, however, has two core beliefs that make that strategy unlikely: 1) Apple believes in offering delightful products and, 2) Apple believes in turning a healthy profit while they do so. To sell an iPhone 3GS into 2013, as hardware limited as it is, and at a price point where even mind-boggling economies of scale wouldn't allow for Apple level margins, was likely a non-starter. So the iPhone 3GS was put out to pasture, and the idea of a less expensive iPhone for emerging markets was, at least temporarily, put out the pasture with it. Never say never, again
So, if we assume a less expensive iPhone wouldn't be old and outdated, or sold at low-or-no margins, then that only leaves a new product sold at acceptable margins. If Apple doesn't follow the BlackBerry or Android strategy, which isn't in their DNA anyway, then they're left to follow the Apple strategy. Dropping the screen from a less expensive iPhone, the way Apple dropped it from the iPod shuffle and Mac mini could work for a phone-only device, but that would remove the immense platform value -- and lock-in -- of the App Store, and that seems unlikely. Reducing something else, the way Apple reduced the size of the iPod mini/nano, or the screen resolution of the iPad mini, seems more likely. An iPhone 3GS but not, perhaps with a non-Retina but still 4-inch display, perhaps offered in colored plastic or even iPod touch-style colored aluminum, without the latest processor, perhaps without LTE, at least initially, or lots of RAM or storage capacity, absent every bell and whistle but keeping every iota of build quality, could be a candidate. Or they could do to the lower cost, emerging phone market what they did to the netbook market, and zag instead of zig in it, and introduce something -- or things -- new and different, that once again makes complete sense only in hindsight. The bottom line is, it's never a matter of saying Apple couldn't, shouldn't, or wouldn't ever do something. Times change. Markets change. Companies change. Plans change. And change again. If Apple decides they don't particularly care about emerging markets right now, then if history is any indicator, we can still look forward to a $0 iPhone 4S whenever the next update cycle rolls around. If, however, Apple does decide to put their foot on the gas and head straight towards a less expensive iPhone, then history also shows they're plenty smart enough to do it. 
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| The day Steve Jobs unveiled the Safari web browser Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:06 PM PST
Don Melton, the man hired by Scott Forstall to build a web browser for the Mac, and later iOS, is continuing his post-Apple turn as a blogger, this time reminiscing about the day Steve Jobs introduced Safari at Macworld 2003. Writing on donmelton.com talks, in part, about the reaction to their use of Konquerer's KHTML instead of Firefox's Gecko rendering engine:
I won't spoil the next word for you. Go read it. Source: donmelton.com 
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| Cut the Rope releases 25 new levels Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:22 PM PST
Cut the Rope for iPhone and iPad has been updated with a new Steam Box that includes 25 new levels featuring steam clouds that make candy float in the air and low-to-high pressure valves that control the amount of steam. The steam will help the candy rise and reach the adorable candy-addict called Om Nom. Cut the Rope continues to be one of my favorite iOS games and I still get excited for new levels. What about you? Do you like the addition of steam to these levels? Have you completed them all with three stars, yet?
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| How to create HTML rich email signatures on your iPhone and iPad Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:30 PM PST
If you've got an iPhone and iPad, you most likely have all your e-mail accounts linked to it. Not only can you create multiple email signatures for each account, you can also add HTML links such as links to a website or email address. This is a great way to give people you email access to the content that matters most. Not sure how? Follow along and we'll help. Most people already have email and webpage links in the desktop version of their email clients. There's actually an easy way to transfer your existing signatures right to your iPhone and iPad.
         
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| Angry Birds celebrates 3rd 'birdday' with 30 new levels, cake, and a new bird Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:16 PM PST
Angry Birds is celebrating its 3rd "birdday" with an update that includes 30 new levels, birdday cake, and a new bubbly pink bird. And have no fear, this cake is no lie, but is explosive! Happy 3rd birthday, Angry Birds. Thanks for all those hours of killed time. We look forward to even more. Cheers!
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| Amazon launches AutoRip feature, offers free MP3 versions of purchased CD musc Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:25 PM PST
Amazon has announced the launch of AutoRip, a service that gives customers free MP3 versions of albums that they have previously purchased through Amazon as CDs. This includes albums from the beginning of the Amazon music store back in 1998. While not all albums are eligible, Amazon says that more than 50,000 albums are ready for AutoRip. According to Amazon, the full AutoRip feature list includes:
For anyone that has purchased a lot of CDs through Amazon, this is a nice feature. It's so nice, in fact, that it would be incredibly useful in other parts of the Amazon ecosystem. Offering free MP4 versions of purchased DVDs and BluRays, though likely something Hollywood would never allow, would be great for customers transitioning away from physical, scratchable media. Offering a free Kindle version of every eligible book that a customer has purchased since the beginning of Amazon would also be fantastic. Most customers get their music digitally now, whether though iTunes, Amazon, or services like Spotify and Rdio, but, though their sales are decreasing, physical books remain popular items. What do you think the odds are of getting publishers on board? Any better than Hollywood? Would getting digital versions of all physical media through a your entire purchase history be something you're interested in? Source: Amazon 
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| Vaja at CES 2012 gallery: High-end meets high-color Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:58 PM PST
Vaja was at CES 2013 showing off their high-end, high-color leather line-up and once again Derek Kessler caught them in-camera. In a world dominated by the little black case, what do you think of Vaja's 2013 palette? More: Vaja
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| Security oversight in some apps could leave you vulnerable to hacking, data theft Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:14 PM PST
A simple oversight in some apps' implementation of SSL could leave millions of users vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, opening the door for malicious hackers to obtain sensitive user dataUsually when sensitive information is being transferred over a network, the application will open an encrypted connection with the server using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). iOS ships with a list of Certificate Authorities whose SSL certificates should be trusted, helping to ensure traffic is only sent to trusted servers and not intercepted by a malicious third party using their own self-signed SSL certificate. Unfortunately, a number of applications have been found to bypass the list included in iOS, and instead accept an SSL certificate issued by anybody. This means that, combined with another attack called ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) poisoning, an attacker on the same network as a user can view all of the traffic going to and from a given app and potentially obtain such sensitive details as passwords, bank account numbers, or even credit card information. The good news is that a few of the companies who were notified that their apps had this problem responded promptly. E*TRADE has already released a partial fix, and have a more complete fix on the way. Users of TD Ameritrade and Credit Karma should keep an eye out for updates that are in the works. Cisco is also working on a fix for their WebEx app, and Cisco customers can view the bug details (login required). Sadly, not all companies were as responsive. Users who recently dropped Instagram over their terms & conditions fiasco may be disappointed to learn that Flickr was among the applications found to be affected, but has no timeline for when a fix will be available. Similarly, Monster was unable to say when or if a fix might be released. If you're using H&R Block or Fandango you're also out of luck for now; neither of them responded to emails about the issue. Users of Fandango should be particularly cautious about buying tickets within the app, as their credit card details will be transmitted and left vulnerable. As if it weren't enough to worry about what apps on your own devices are sending, the problem doesn't end there. Payment system software Lavu Lite and EVERPay Mobile POS share this security issue. Lavu Lite has already released an update to fix it that merchants should be sure to go grab. And remember when Verifone accused Square of being insecure? One of Verifone's own mobile payment apps, PAYware, has this vulnerability as well, though none of Square's apps do. Verifone did not respond when contacted. It's important to stay mindful of who you're trusting with your data. Incidents like this serve as a good reminder of why it's important to remain vigilant about personal security practices. Using unique passwords for all of your accounts with an app like 1Password, and having a VPN service like Cloak available are a couple of things users can do to help protect themselves from things like this. For more detailed technical information on this SSL issue and how to identify it in other apps, see the companion post on neglectedpotential.com 
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| Phil Schiller reportedly debunks rumors of cheaper iPhone Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:06 PM PST
Despite recent rumors pointing to the development of a less expensive iPhone, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller has reportedly indicated that no such device in development. Schiller criticized competitors for launching multiple mediocre products at once in order to find something that customers will buy. In speaking with the Shanghai Evening News, Schiller reportedly said that this was not Apple's product strategy:
If this is accurate, it isn't really that surprising. However, while it might not be in active development, it's likely that Apple is at least thinking about a less expensive iPhone. Such a device doesn't really make sense for many of the markets in which the iPhone is already sold because those markets also have access to previous iPhone models at lower prices. But there are emerging markets to think about, and Apple may be at least thinking about a device that they could sell in those areas. Apple as previously denied or derided products that they later sold, such as a video iPod. It's important to keep in mind, whether confirming rumors or debunking them, that Apple is not a company that says "never" too often. Source: Shanghai Evening News, via 9to5Mac 
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| Highlights from the Mobile Nations 2013 CES Experience Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:49 PM PST  It's hard to believe it has come and gone already, but the 2013 CES Experience is over. Right from the start, we had some great events and evenings planned for the crew… keep reading for some of the highlights... Initial Team Meet-Up With everyone flying in from all points across Canada and the US (everywhere from Hawaii to Montreal), we took some time to meet up at the Palms hotel prior to the NVIDIA press conference. A warm congratulations was given to all of our guests, and there may have even been a few hugs thrown in there too (for good measure). Near the end of the meet-up NVIDIA handed out brand new Nexus 7 tablets. Talk about a great way to start the experience!
NVIDIA Press Conference Following our meet up, we headed over to the NVIDIA Press Conference. It took place at the RAIN nightclub in the Palms Hotel. To say our crew was delighted would be an understatement. Sitting in the front row, we were able to take in the announcements as delivered by NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. The Tegra 4 Processor, NVIDIA Grid and NVIDIA Shield all made jaws drop, and it was really cool to hear all of the positive (and excited) chatter following the event.  Our front row view at the NVIDIA press conference
Tegra Community Dinner On Monday night, NVIDIA treated our crew to a luxurious dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant in the Paris Hotel (you know, the restaurant located within the Eiffel Tower!). Great views and delicious food was served alongside wine selections for each course… Ridiculous yes… ridiculously delicious.  Dinner was held in the Eiffel Tower Restaurant  The menu!
Night Out at the Marquee Nightclub With bellies full, we somehow managed to amble over to the Cosmopolitan hotel for an evening of fun at the Marquee nightclub. The place was packed wall-to-wall, and the crew got right into the fun. Besides the personal waitress, the security guards and private booth, I think it's fair to say our group was given the full out VIP treatment.  The Marquee was hoppin'.
CES Opens its Doors While some may have had a few cobwebs to shake out of their head in the morning, we still managed to get to CES the next morning. Passes in hand, a private tour of the NVIDIA booth was given, and our crew did their best to cover as much ground as possible on the show floor. It can be a little intimidating (especially for newcomers), but I think the guys did a great job of exploring and discovering some really great tech to look at, touch and drool over (booth staff wiped up the drool after we left).
Mobile Nations Community Dinner On Tuesday night, the Mobile Nations team got together with the 'experience' crew at FIRST: Food & Bar in the Palazzo. It was an amazing turnout and the crew really enjoyed meeting their favorite Mobile Nations team members.  L-R: Marcus, Robert and Phil (with photobomb from Kevin)
As the night went on, we began to hear rumblings that someone very special may be dropping by… you could feel the excitement and anticipation building, sort of like a 6 year old trying to stay awake on Christmas Eve… and sure enough, later on in the evening RIM CEO Thorsten Heins stopped by to chat with us. To say he's a super solid guy would be an understatement. Very personable, down to earth and excited about the launch of BlackBerry 10. I think he won us all over (even the diehard Android and iPhone users in the group!).  Talk about a great way to cap off the experience. RIM CEO Thorsten Heins stopped by to chat with us.
All Good Things Come to an End Sadly, we had to draw the curtains on the Mobile Nations 2013 CES Experience Tuesday evening. Our crew caught flights back home at different times on Wednesday, and some with later flights took the opportunity to pop back in to CES for another look. On a personal note, I had a FANTASTIC time with the crew that came down to take part. It's always nice to put a face to the name, and our group was definitely a solid one. To Michael, Rich, TJ, Marques, Martin and Robert, safe travels, and we'll be seeing you again soon. To the NVIDIA crew (especially @WillPark), thanks yet again for everything.  
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| Review: Portenzo Alano Leather Book Style iPad mini Case Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:17 AM PST As some of you will recall, I've done a review of a Portenzo Composition Case for iPad 2 in the past, and was very impressed with it. So when I saw that Portenzo had a nice new lineup of cases for the iPad mini, I put my hand up right away to try out some [...]         Related Stories
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:53 AM PST
Case-Mate really is undergoing a renaissance at at CES 2013. We already showed you the video of their new crafted collection, so here it is now, captured by Derek Kessler, in fine photographic form. The manufacturing is incredible, the materials beyond premium, the accents perfectly matched, and the overall look takes the product from something meant to protect your iPhone to something with an intrinsic value all it's own. Take a look and let us know your favorites. More: Case-Mate
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| Best App Ever Awards – Have You Voted Yet? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:06 AM PST The Best App Ever Awards have been my favorite set of iOS app awards for many years now. I especially love the concept behind them: Honor the best, not just the best selling Another thing I really like about these awards is that they're chosen by users; last year more than a million votes were [...] Related Stories
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| BodyGuardz Pure offers strong protection, great glass feel Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:12 AM PST Plastic screen protectors are increasingly becoming a thing of the past, and just like how BodyGuardz went from wet to dry application on their traditional line of film-based products, they've gone from plastic to glass on their new line of Pure protectors. With an H8+ hardness, ultra-clear, smudge-resistant finish, the coolest part is putting it on. Just line it up, pull off the covering, and then tap the middle and the adhesive spreads out like a nano-tech army, lightly but securely bonding the BodyGuardz Pure to your iPhone. Check out the easy installation in the video above and let me know what you think, is glass the future for everyone? More: BodyGuardz 
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| Case-Mate Crafted Collection brings high-end wood, mother-of-pearl, gemstone, and more to the iPhone Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:15 AM PST Case-Mate is undergoing something of a renaissance, aspiring to a whole new level of timelessness and elegance with their new Crafted Collections line of iPhone cases. From sumptuous woods to radiant mother-of-pearl to exotic gemstones to finishes like tortoiseshell that will hit all your nostalgia buttons. We got to see the full line at CES 2013. The cases themselves are all the same design, it's the inlays and matching accents that vary. And because Case-Mate is using real, natural materials, each case ends up being as unique as the tree, oyster, or rock it comes from. It's definitely something different from Case-Mate, so let me know what you think. More: Case-Mate 
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| Lego MINDSTORMS EV3 brings robot might to iPhone, iPad Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:41 AM PST Lego MINDSTORMS have long been the subject of big geek love, giving us the ability to build and control our own robots. With EV3, they get even better for iOS users, since the control part can now be done with -- wait for it! -- our iPhones, iPads, and iPods. There will be 17 models offered initially. The only bad news? It doesn't ship until later this year. We'll keep you updated, of course, and in the meantime Mobile Nations's own Ashley Esqueda braved snake bites and robot roulette at CES 2013 to capture the video proof above, so check it out. Then let me know what kind of robot army... I mean, peaceful robot companions... you're going to build. More: Lego 
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:08 AM PST
The iPhone is one of the most popular phones on the world, yet almost 6 years later it's still not on China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world, and unavailable in any official way to China Mobile's over 700 million subscribers. Discussions have been going on for years, of course, and earlier today Apple's CEO Tim Cook met with China Mobile's Chairman Xi Guohua in Bejing to keep them moving. Reuters managed to get a brief, emailed statement from China Mobile spokesman Li Jun:
Cook has continuously pointed out the size importance of the Chinese market, and its importance to Apple now and into the future. From new, China-specific features in OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6, to increasing Apple's retail presence both in mainland China and Hong Kong, to keeping up relations with China Unicom and continuing negotiations with China Mobile, it's clear just how seriously Apple is taking that market. The iPhone does not currently support the network technology used by China Mobile, and the two reportedly also remain apart on financial terms of the deal. As was the case years ago when their was no iPhone on Verizon in the U.S., other smartphone vendors benefit from Apple's absence, gain footholds with the user base, and grow. Apple seldom seems willing to exchanges profit share for market share, however, so assuming the technology hurdles het solved in the next generation iPhone, would Apple concede anything on the business side just to get on China Mobile, access their subscriber base, and stall the adoption of competing devices? Source: Reuters 
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Apple has been awarded a Technology and Engineering Emmy award at a special reception in The Bellagio, Bellagio Ballroom, Las Vegas. The award given to Apple, was for the "Eco-system for Real Time Presentation of TV Content to Mobile Devices without the use of Specialized Television Hardware". While that sounds very impressive, we don't know exactly what that means. We assume it is something to do with Apple's music, movie and video sale and distribution system utilizing iTunes and iCloud but we could be wrong.
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