Saturday, April 24, 2010
BLOG UPDATE
HEY ALL PLEASE GO TO MY NEW BLOG ac1dsn0w.wordpress.com I WILL UP DATE THIS BLOG MORE BECAUSE IT HAS A MOBILE WEB PAGE SO IF YOU LIKE YOU CAN FOLLOW IT TO !!!!!! HAVE FUN!!!!
Apple News | Check Out the iPad Camera Connection Kit in Action [Video]
A video demonstrating the usage of the iPad Camera Connection Kit has been posted online.
Take a look at the video below...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuW7Exs53bc&feature=player_embedded
Take a look at the video below...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuW7Exs53bc&feature=player_embedded
Friday, April 23, 2010
Apple News | Two iPod Touch Prototypes (With Cameras) For Sale on eBay
Someone has posted two iPod touch prototypes with cameras for sale on eBay, according to 9to5Mac.
Someone has put up two semi-working iPod touches WITH cameras and a development version of the iPod OS on Ebay. They are marked with 'DVT-1' and 'DVT-2', 'Apple Development Team' and one is running some sort of 'switchboard' OS window.
It was widely expected that the iPod touch 3G would have a camera; however, when released it did not. It was later confirmed that the leaked pictures showing a camera were indeed authentic.
*Update: the eBay auction has been pulled.
Someone has put up two semi-working iPod touches WITH cameras and a development version of the iPod OS on Ebay. They are marked with 'DVT-1' and 'DVT-2', 'Apple Development Team' and one is running some sort of 'switchboard' OS window.
It was widely expected that the iPod touch 3G would have a camera; however, when released it did not. It was later confirmed that the leaked pictures showing a camera were indeed authentic.
*Update: the eBay auction has been pulled.
Apple News | Police Open Investigation Into Lost/Stolen iPhone 4G Prototype
Silicon Valley police have opened an investigation into how Gizmodo came into possession of the iPhone 4G prototype, a law enforcement official told CNET on Friday.
Apple has spoken to local police about the incident and the investigation is believed to be headed by a computer crime task force led by the Santa Clara County district attorney's office, the source said.
The purpose of an investigation is to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to file criminal charges.
Gizmodo, part of Gawker Media, paid $5,000 for what they believed to be an Apple iPhone 4G prototype. The iPhone was reportedly lost by an Apple employee then found by someone who contacted the site.
There has been much discussion online as to whether the finder/seller or Gizmodo violated any laws by taking possession of the device. CNET has not been able to confirm whether the investigation is targeting Gizmodo.com, the seller, or both.
The computer crime task force is called REACT, which stands for Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team, and was established in 1997 with a goal of working closely with Bay Area technology companies.
Apple has spoken to local police about the incident and the investigation is believed to be headed by a computer crime task force led by the Santa Clara County district attorney's office, the source said.
The purpose of an investigation is to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to file criminal charges.
Gizmodo, part of Gawker Media, paid $5,000 for what they believed to be an Apple iPhone 4G prototype. The iPhone was reportedly lost by an Apple employee then found by someone who contacted the site.
There has been much discussion online as to whether the finder/seller or Gizmodo violated any laws by taking possession of the device. CNET has not been able to confirm whether the investigation is targeting Gizmodo.com, the seller, or both.
The computer crime task force is called REACT, which stands for Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team, and was established in 1997 with a goal of working closely with Bay Area technology companies.
Apple News | Mac OS X 10.7 Will Only Allow Apple Approved Apps?
A new report suggests that Apple is planning to lock down Mac OS X 10.7 in a similar manner to the iPhone, iPod, and iPad.
According to Rixstep, Developers planning on marketing software for 10.7 will submit their products to the App Store as iPhone and now iPad developers have already done. 10.7 will have kernel support for ('insistence on') binaries signed with Apple's root certificate. No software will be able to run on Mac OS X 10.7 without being approved and signed by Apple, Inc.
Apple will supposedly begin signing up independent software vendors (ISVs) for the 10.7 developer program by early autumn 2010. Rixstep expects that there will be efforts to jailbreak OS X 10.7 just as there have been with the iPhone.
No information is provided about the source of this speculation...
Read More [via MacDailyNews]
According to Rixstep, Developers planning on marketing software for 10.7 will submit their products to the App Store as iPhone and now iPad developers have already done. 10.7 will have kernel support for ('insistence on') binaries signed with Apple's root certificate. No software will be able to run on Mac OS X 10.7 without being approved and signed by Apple, Inc.
Apple will supposedly begin signing up independent software vendors (ISVs) for the 10.7 developer program by early autumn 2010. Rixstep expects that there will be efforts to jailbreak OS X 10.7 just as there have been with the iPhone.
No information is provided about the source of this speculation...
Read More [via MacDailyNews]
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Apple News | Google Says It Plans to Bring Its Free Navigation App to the iPhone
Google confirmed at a London press conference that it plans to bring its free turn-by-turn navigation app to other smartphone platforms, including the iPhone, according to a MacUser report.
The company wouldn't say when it expected the application to be available for the iPhone.
Google Maps Navigation requires an active data connection when planning routes, though not while traveling.
“Google Maps pre-caches the entire route,” said Mobile Maps product manager, Steve Lee. “It needs a data connection when you ask for navigation. But while driving to your destination, if you intermittently lose the connection, it will still carry on. As long as you stay on the route.”
You can take a look at the Android app in action by watching the video below.
Read More
The company wouldn't say when it expected the application to be available for the iPhone.
Google Maps Navigation requires an active data connection when planning routes, though not while traveling.
“Google Maps pre-caches the entire route,” said Mobile Maps product manager, Steve Lee. “It needs a data connection when you ask for navigation. But while driving to your destination, if you intermittently lose the connection, it will still carry on. As long as you stay on the route.”
You can take a look at the Android app in action by watching the video below.
Read More
Apple News | Apple is Imposing a Lifetime Limit on iPad Purchases
I had planned on reviewing the iPad in my next post, but instead I’ll dedicate this entry to my photo below and an incident that happened today. Review of the iPad coming soon.
As was correctly guessed, those iPads in the photo are not for me. When Apple delayed the international iPad launch by a month, early adopters worldwide started to panic. Since my nearby Apple store initially had plenty of stock, I offered to purchase and ship iPads internationally for members of the NeoGAF gaming forum. I was doing this as a favor, unlike hoarders who were unloading iPads on eBay to cash in on the $150+ markup. Instead, my asking prices were very reasonable, just enough to cover all the tax, international express shipping, and Paypal fees with a little left over for unexpected costs.
So as the pick-up requests came in, I went on multiple visits to the Apple store, buying no more than 2 per day since I had heard there was a limit per person. I found this whole situation pretty funny considering I had never bought an Apple product prior to this madness (the iPod Touch I use at work was given to me by my medical school). But the store recently went completely out of stock. I had one last order to fulfill so an employee helped me place a reservation. A few days passed and yesterday I was sent an email notifying that my reserved iPad had come in. The story begins here…
I walk into the store today and ask somebody where I can pick up my iPad reservation. He notes my name and says he’ll be back, going behind closed doors to the stockroom.
I take advantage of this opportunity to place another iPad reservation using a store PowerBook. There are a couple more NeoGAF people considering a purchase, but they haven’t paid me yet. Oh well, by the time this reservation comes in, one of them should have made up his mind and sent payment.
But drats, reservations are limited to one per iTunes account. Luckily I have a second account so I used that to place the reservation. No sweat.
The employee emerges a few minutes later with the iPad and I hand over my credit card. If you’ve never been to an Apple store before, instead of checking customers out at a register, the employees use hand-held credit card terminals to ring up purchases. Adds to the hip factor, I suppose.
But instead of using his handheld device, he walks to the back of the store where the “Genius Bar” is. Naught a word spoken. There are registers here but this area is used mainly for technical support. I follow the guy there. He still hasn’t said anything to me. He gives my credit card to one of the staff there and says, “I want you to help me ring up this purchase.”
Guy #2 (looking at the handheld terminal) — “Why don’t you just use that?”
Guy #1 — “I need to check the card for… uh, pre-authorization.”
Guy #2 — “Ok.”
He swipes my card and they click around for about half a minute while looking at their monitor and whispering. Meanwhile, I’m standing on the other side of the Genius Bar, only half paying attention to these two guys. Instead I was curiously watching an employee ask a girl what she loves most about Apple.
Guy #2 (murmuring) — “…yeah, the 14th.”
My attention snaps back when I catch this snippet. April 14th was my last trip to the Apple store, and I had bought 2 iPads that day. When I walked to the Genius Bar, I hadn’t suspected anything out of the ordinary. But now I suddenly realize I will not be walking out of here with an iPad today.
Guy #1 says to Guy #2 — “Hold on, I’ll be right back” and disappears to the stockroom again. Guy #2 is still clicking around, not looking at me.
Me (nonchalantly) — “Is there an issue?”
He’s still staring at his monitor and a few seconds pass before Guy #2 carefully says, “There is a limit to the number of iPads that customers can buy.”
Me (playing dumb) — “Oh, is that right? What’s the limit?”
Guy #2 — “Only 2 per customer.”
Ok, so the gig is up. I stand around waiting for a bit and was preparing to leave when Guy #1 returns.
Guy #1 — “I’m sorry sir, but you have reached your lifetime limit of iPad purchases and will not be allowed to buy any more.”
Me (anticipating that statement) — “Is the iPad limit per person? Per credit card? Per household?”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.”
Me — “What does that mean? Can I use a different credit card to buy it? I’m buying this for a friend.”
Guy #1 — “You are not allowed to buy this iPad.”
Me — “Uhh… is it ok if I have a family member or friend come to buy it for me? My reservation doesn’t expire until 6:00 PM.”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.”
Me (suddenly realizing what he’s saying)– “Wait, what? Lifetime? What does that mean?”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit of iPads and will not be allowed to buy any more.”
Me — “I’m banned from buying iPads? I know there’s a shortage right now, but I can’t buy any more once there’s plenty of stock?”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.”
I pause and look at him with incredulity undoubtedly written all over my face. Everybody tells me I have the worst poker face. Hey asshole, nice job with the passive aggressiveness, but who do you think you’re talking to? I’m from Los Angeles; nobody does passive-aggressive like we do!
Me — “Ok buddy, I’m not going to make a scene so I’m leaving. How many iPads is the limit by the way?”
Guy #1 — “That information is not available.”
Me (looking at Guy #2, who has been silent this whole time) — “He tells me that the limit is two.”
Guy #1 — “I wish I could say but I do not have that information.”
Me — “I’ve already purchased more than 2 iPads. Why didn’t anybody else stop me in the past?”
Guy #1 — “I wish I could say but I do not have that information.”
Me — “Alright, I’ve had enough. Have a good day.”
The icing on the cake? When I came home, I found an email from Apple waiting for me. It was an update about my reservation, the one I had placed today in the store using my 2nd account!
As was correctly guessed, those iPads in the photo are not for me. When Apple delayed the international iPad launch by a month, early adopters worldwide started to panic. Since my nearby Apple store initially had plenty of stock, I offered to purchase and ship iPads internationally for members of the NeoGAF gaming forum. I was doing this as a favor, unlike hoarders who were unloading iPads on eBay to cash in on the $150+ markup. Instead, my asking prices were very reasonable, just enough to cover all the tax, international express shipping, and Paypal fees with a little left over for unexpected costs.
So as the pick-up requests came in, I went on multiple visits to the Apple store, buying no more than 2 per day since I had heard there was a limit per person. I found this whole situation pretty funny considering I had never bought an Apple product prior to this madness (the iPod Touch I use at work was given to me by my medical school). But the store recently went completely out of stock. I had one last order to fulfill so an employee helped me place a reservation. A few days passed and yesterday I was sent an email notifying that my reserved iPad had come in. The story begins here…
I walk into the store today and ask somebody where I can pick up my iPad reservation. He notes my name and says he’ll be back, going behind closed doors to the stockroom.
I take advantage of this opportunity to place another iPad reservation using a store PowerBook. There are a couple more NeoGAF people considering a purchase, but they haven’t paid me yet. Oh well, by the time this reservation comes in, one of them should have made up his mind and sent payment.
But drats, reservations are limited to one per iTunes account. Luckily I have a second account so I used that to place the reservation. No sweat.
The employee emerges a few minutes later with the iPad and I hand over my credit card. If you’ve never been to an Apple store before, instead of checking customers out at a register, the employees use hand-held credit card terminals to ring up purchases. Adds to the hip factor, I suppose.
But instead of using his handheld device, he walks to the back of the store where the “Genius Bar” is. Naught a word spoken. There are registers here but this area is used mainly for technical support. I follow the guy there. He still hasn’t said anything to me. He gives my credit card to one of the staff there and says, “I want you to help me ring up this purchase.”
Guy #2 (looking at the handheld terminal) — “Why don’t you just use that?”
Guy #1 — “I need to check the card for… uh, pre-authorization.”
Guy #2 — “Ok.”
He swipes my card and they click around for about half a minute while looking at their monitor and whispering. Meanwhile, I’m standing on the other side of the Genius Bar, only half paying attention to these two guys. Instead I was curiously watching an employee ask a girl what she loves most about Apple.
Guy #2 (murmuring) — “…yeah, the 14th.”
My attention snaps back when I catch this snippet. April 14th was my last trip to the Apple store, and I had bought 2 iPads that day. When I walked to the Genius Bar, I hadn’t suspected anything out of the ordinary. But now I suddenly realize I will not be walking out of here with an iPad today.
Guy #1 says to Guy #2 — “Hold on, I’ll be right back” and disappears to the stockroom again. Guy #2 is still clicking around, not looking at me.
Me (nonchalantly) — “Is there an issue?”
He’s still staring at his monitor and a few seconds pass before Guy #2 carefully says, “There is a limit to the number of iPads that customers can buy.”
Me (playing dumb) — “Oh, is that right? What’s the limit?”
Guy #2 — “Only 2 per customer.”
Ok, so the gig is up. I stand around waiting for a bit and was preparing to leave when Guy #1 returns.
Guy #1 — “I’m sorry sir, but you have reached your lifetime limit of iPad purchases and will not be allowed to buy any more.”
Me (anticipating that statement) — “Is the iPad limit per person? Per credit card? Per household?”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.”
Me — “What does that mean? Can I use a different credit card to buy it? I’m buying this for a friend.”
Guy #1 — “You are not allowed to buy this iPad.”
Me — “Uhh… is it ok if I have a family member or friend come to buy it for me? My reservation doesn’t expire until 6:00 PM.”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.”
Me (suddenly realizing what he’s saying)– “Wait, what? Lifetime? What does that mean?”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit of iPads and will not be allowed to buy any more.”
Me — “I’m banned from buying iPads? I know there’s a shortage right now, but I can’t buy any more once there’s plenty of stock?”
Guy #1 — “All I can say is that you have reached your lifetime limit.”
I pause and look at him with incredulity undoubtedly written all over my face. Everybody tells me I have the worst poker face. Hey asshole, nice job with the passive aggressiveness, but who do you think you’re talking to? I’m from Los Angeles; nobody does passive-aggressive like we do!
Me — “Ok buddy, I’m not going to make a scene so I’m leaving. How many iPads is the limit by the way?”
Guy #1 — “That information is not available.”
Me (looking at Guy #2, who has been silent this whole time) — “He tells me that the limit is two.”
Guy #1 — “I wish I could say but I do not have that information.”
Me — “I’ve already purchased more than 2 iPads. Why didn’t anybody else stop me in the past?”
Guy #1 — “I wish I could say but I do not have that information.”
Me — “Alright, I’ve had enough. Have a good day.”
The icing on the cake? When I came home, I found an email from Apple waiting for me. It was an update about my reservation, the one I had placed today in the store using my 2nd account!
History Of Apple Product Leaks And Apple's Response
History Of Apple Product Leaks And Apple's Response
Apple is a company that is not just known for great products, but also for the extremely secretive nature of operations.
The company has traditionally shrouded its new products in mystery ahead of their official launch. Gizmodo's leak of the new iPhone earlier this week is one of the very few instances where intricate details about an upcoming Apple device made its way to the media even before it is officially unveiled.
Here is a look at some of the earlier instances when details about Apple's upcoming products were leaked ahead of the official launch.
2000: PowerMac, iBook and Mouse
In July 2000, a person only known by his online handle "worker bee" posted several details about an upcoming version of iBook on the AppleInsider forum. "Worker Bee" also followed this up by divulging more details about Apple's new mouse and a dual-processor PowerMac. Apple responded by filing a lawsuit even before knowing who the culprit was. "Worker Bee" was later identified as an ex-Apple employee named Juan Gutierrez. The case was settled outside the court.
At around the same time, Apple news website MacInTouch published pictures of a Cube-Shaped Mac that was apparently leaked to them by an anonymous tipster. Apple responded by issuing a "Notice of Infringement" asking for the content to be pulled down. A week later, Steve Jobs announced the cube-shaped Mac at MacWorld.
2005: iWork and Asteroid
Apple's launch of its iWork productivity suite in 2005 was preceded by accurate leaks on a Mac fans website Think Secret. The website also leaked information about the launch of a $499 Mac besides offering information on an upcoming music device codenamed Asteroid. Claiming that the company's "DNA is innovation, and the protection of our trade secrets is crucial to our success", Apple filed a lawsuit against Think Secret. After three years of legal dispute, the company reached a settlement with the owner of Think Secret, Nick Ciarelli, who agreed to shut the site down.
2007: Fat Nano
In one of the more recent instances, CrunchGear, Gizmodo and 9to5Mac published leaked pictures of an upcoming model of iPod Nano that was nicknamed "Fat Nano". Apple's legal team soon responded by issuing cease-and-desist notices to these websites. While CrunchGear and Gizmodo replaced the pictures with mock renderings, 9to5Mac pulled the entire content down.
Apple's response to product leaks in the past have shown that the company has always been concerned about the source of leaks and the media publications are spared of legal action if they comply with the company's take down request. In the latest case however, the leak appears to have happened by accident rather than any deliberate attempt by the Apple employee. Under such circumstances, we wonder if Apple's legal team would take any action against Gizmodo or the person who sold the next generation iPhone prototype to them.
What are your thoughts? Do you think its the last we've heard of this story?
Apple is a company that is not just known for great products, but also for the extremely secretive nature of operations.
The company has traditionally shrouded its new products in mystery ahead of their official launch. Gizmodo's leak of the new iPhone earlier this week is one of the very few instances where intricate details about an upcoming Apple device made its way to the media even before it is officially unveiled.
Here is a look at some of the earlier instances when details about Apple's upcoming products were leaked ahead of the official launch.
2000: PowerMac, iBook and Mouse
In July 2000, a person only known by his online handle "worker bee" posted several details about an upcoming version of iBook on the AppleInsider forum. "Worker Bee" also followed this up by divulging more details about Apple's new mouse and a dual-processor PowerMac. Apple responded by filing a lawsuit even before knowing who the culprit was. "Worker Bee" was later identified as an ex-Apple employee named Juan Gutierrez. The case was settled outside the court.
At around the same time, Apple news website MacInTouch published pictures of a Cube-Shaped Mac that was apparently leaked to them by an anonymous tipster. Apple responded by issuing a "Notice of Infringement" asking for the content to be pulled down. A week later, Steve Jobs announced the cube-shaped Mac at MacWorld.
2005: iWork and Asteroid
Apple's launch of its iWork productivity suite in 2005 was preceded by accurate leaks on a Mac fans website Think Secret. The website also leaked information about the launch of a $499 Mac besides offering information on an upcoming music device codenamed Asteroid. Claiming that the company's "DNA is innovation, and the protection of our trade secrets is crucial to our success", Apple filed a lawsuit against Think Secret. After three years of legal dispute, the company reached a settlement with the owner of Think Secret, Nick Ciarelli, who agreed to shut the site down.
2007: Fat Nano
In one of the more recent instances, CrunchGear, Gizmodo and 9to5Mac published leaked pictures of an upcoming model of iPod Nano that was nicknamed "Fat Nano". Apple's legal team soon responded by issuing cease-and-desist notices to these websites. While CrunchGear and Gizmodo replaced the pictures with mock renderings, 9to5Mac pulled the entire content down.
Apple's response to product leaks in the past have shown that the company has always been concerned about the source of leaks and the media publications are spared of legal action if they comply with the company's take down request. In the latest case however, the leak appears to have happened by accident rather than any deliberate attempt by the Apple employee. Under such circumstances, we wonder if Apple's legal team would take any action against Gizmodo or the person who sold the next generation iPhone prototype to them.
What are your thoughts? Do you think its the last we've heard of this story?
Apple News | Women Found More Likely To Give Their Number to a Man With an iPhone
A new survey has found that women are more likely to give out their phone number to men who have iPhones.
CultofMac reports that a Phones4U survey of 1,500 women found that 54% of them would be more likely to give their digits and date an iPhone owner than a non-iPhone owner and 37% said that owning an iPhone makes a man seem more reliable.
The survey also found that iPhone owners were better groomed, more likely to have a good sense of humor, and better at conversation.
“There’s just something about a man who’s good with computers that makes him more trustworthy,” said Lucy, a 23-year-old primary school teacher from London, in the press release. “If he’s got the cash for an iPhone then he must be very good at his job, too.”
Read More
CultofMac reports that a Phones4U survey of 1,500 women found that 54% of them would be more likely to give their digits and date an iPhone owner than a non-iPhone owner and 37% said that owning an iPhone makes a man seem more reliable.
The survey also found that iPhone owners were better groomed, more likely to have a good sense of humor, and better at conversation.
“There’s just something about a man who’s good with computers that makes him more trustworthy,” said Lucy, a 23-year-old primary school teacher from London, in the press release. “If he’s got the cash for an iPhone then he must be very good at his job, too.”
Read More
How Apple Conceals Prototype iPhones
There's a reason why more people haven't seen the next iPhones before Steve Jobs makes an announcement: They're in disguise.
This iPhone, which looks drastically different from the 3GS, was enclosed in a custom-molded plastic case so it could be used in public without attracting attention. In regular use, you would think that this was just a standard iPhone with the writing scratched off the back. Very clever.
The plastic case, which comes apart easily, looks just like a 3GS. When you pry the case apart, three bits--the power button, the mute switch and the volume rocker--quickly shed off. It's weird that these bits are made of plastic, when the corresponding parts on the 3GS are made of aluminum/metal.
To reassemble the case, all you have to do is make sure the little plastic bits are in the right place before popping the front back on. A very ingenious solution to protect future designs from lookeyloos. One of the best bits is that the case looks like a case FOR an older iPhone. iPhone cases are seen so often, that even if this one looks weird and doesn't match up to the 3GS body, it can be easily dismissed as just being a lousy case.
The Complete Lost iPhone Saga
All the details about the next iPhone including a dissection
How Apple lost the next iPhone
How Apple missed chances to get the device back
Conspiracy theorists: Why Apple didn't leak the iPhone to us
Why it's not about the iPhone
And finally, how Apple asked to get their phone back
This iPhone, which looks drastically different from the 3GS, was enclosed in a custom-molded plastic case so it could be used in public without attracting attention. In regular use, you would think that this was just a standard iPhone with the writing scratched off the back. Very clever.
The plastic case, which comes apart easily, looks just like a 3GS. When you pry the case apart, three bits--the power button, the mute switch and the volume rocker--quickly shed off. It's weird that these bits are made of plastic, when the corresponding parts on the 3GS are made of aluminum/metal.
To reassemble the case, all you have to do is make sure the little plastic bits are in the right place before popping the front back on. A very ingenious solution to protect future designs from lookeyloos. One of the best bits is that the case looks like a case FOR an older iPhone. iPhone cases are seen so often, that even if this one looks weird and doesn't match up to the 3GS body, it can be easily dismissed as just being a lousy case.
The Complete Lost iPhone Saga
All the details about the next iPhone including a dissection
How Apple lost the next iPhone
How Apple missed chances to get the device back
Conspiracy theorists: Why Apple didn't leak the iPhone to us
Why it's not about the iPhone
And finally, how Apple asked to get their phone back
Apple News | 99 Year Old Woman Finds It Easy to Use the iPad [Video]
A 99 year old Lake Oswego woman has found the joy of reading again thanks to the iPad.
Glaucoma made it difficult for Virginia Campbell to read. "I found recently that I wasn't even able to read large-print library books because there wasn't enough contrast between the print and the page," Campbell said. "I could write them all right, but I couldn't read what I wrote."
Luckily an iPad given to her by her family is making things easier. "The type jumps out at me," she said. "Now I can read again and it's just opened up the world."
Campbell's son-in-law posted a video of her using the iPad on YouTube which has since received about 38,000 views.
The iPad even inspired Campbell to write a poem:
To this technology-ninny it’s clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.
"You're never too old to take advantage of something that will help you," Campbell said.
Read More [via MacStories]
Glaucoma made it difficult for Virginia Campbell to read. "I found recently that I wasn't even able to read large-print library books because there wasn't enough contrast between the print and the page," Campbell said. "I could write them all right, but I couldn't read what I wrote."
Luckily an iPad given to her by her family is making things easier. "The type jumps out at me," she said. "Now I can read again and it's just opened up the world."
Campbell's son-in-law posted a video of her using the iPad on YouTube which has since received about 38,000 views.
The iPad even inspired Campbell to write a poem:
To this technology-ninny it’s clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.
"You're never too old to take advantage of something that will help you," Campbell said.
Read More [via MacStories]
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Apple News | Steve Jobs: 'Folks Who Want Porn Can Buy An Android Phone'
Steve Jobs has responded to a customer concerned about Apple's censorship by stating that 'folks who want porn can buy an Android phone'.
-----
Steve,
I was converted to Apple products with the announcement of the iPhone 3G. (My friends have been trying to convince me for years.) Since then I’ve purchased 4 iPhones, 2 computers, several routers, and miscellaneous other items. Unfortunately, I’m really starting to have a philosophical issue with your company. It appears that more and more Apple is determining for it’s consumers what content they should be able to receive. For instance, the blocking of Mark Fiore’s comic app (due to being political satire) or blocking of what Apple considers to be porn.
I’m all for keeping porn out of kids hands. Heck – I’m all for ensuring that I don’t have to see it unless I want to. But… that’s what parental controls are for. Put these types of apps into categories and allow them to be blocked by their parents should they want to.
Apple’s role isn’t moral police – Apple’s role is to design and produce really cool gadgets that do what the consumer wants them to do.
Thanks for listening
-Matthew
-----
Fiore’s app will be in the store shortly. That was a mistake. However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy and Android phone.
-----
Read more
-----
Steve,
I was converted to Apple products with the announcement of the iPhone 3G. (My friends have been trying to convince me for years.) Since then I’ve purchased 4 iPhones, 2 computers, several routers, and miscellaneous other items. Unfortunately, I’m really starting to have a philosophical issue with your company. It appears that more and more Apple is determining for it’s consumers what content they should be able to receive. For instance, the blocking of Mark Fiore’s comic app (due to being political satire) or blocking of what Apple considers to be porn.
I’m all for keeping porn out of kids hands. Heck – I’m all for ensuring that I don’t have to see it unless I want to. But… that’s what parental controls are for. Put these types of apps into categories and allow them to be blocked by their parents should they want to.
Apple’s role isn’t moral police – Apple’s role is to design and produce really cool gadgets that do what the consumer wants them to do.
Thanks for listening
-Matthew
-----
Fiore’s app will be in the store shortly. That was a mistake. However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy and Android phone.
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Verizon Launching HTC Droid Incredible On April 29 - Should Apple Be Worried?
HTC has been regularly churning out new Android smartphone models.
Just weeks after HTC EVO 4G was unveiled, the company got together with Verizon last week to unveil new HTC Droid Incredible.
The Android 2.1 based smartphone will launch on April 29 at a starting price of $199.99.
Here is a look at the technical specifications
Dimensions: 4.63" x 2.30" x 0.47"
Display: 3.7 inch screen with 480 x 800 WVGA OLED touch screen
Platform: Android 2.1 with Google Experience and Sense UI
Internal Memory: 8GB
Processor: 1 GHz Snapdragon
ROM: 748MB
Storage: Up to 16GB optional microSD support
Camera: 8 megapixel with auto-focus and video capture
Battery: Up to 312 minutes usage time and 146 hours of standby
Tether: Ability to tether via cable to a computer through the VZ Access Manager
You can checkout the video demo of the device below:
In terms of features, the Droid Incredible appears to be an improved version of Google's Nexus One. Considering that the Nexus One was touted to be the iPhone killer when it was launched, it will be interesting to see how the new Droid Incredible compares to Apple's iPhone.
There is little doubt that Droid Incredible is a better smartphone than iPhone 3GS if you compare the hardware features. However, with the next generation iPhone and Sprint's HTC EVO 4G, which has also generated a lot of interest expected to be launched in June, we wonder if the new Android phone will be able to match up to them.
Based on today's breaking news and several speculations, Apple's new iPhone also dubbed iPhone HD will most probably include features such as front facing camera, higher resolution screen, higher resolution camera with flash, Apple A4 chip and more, in which case Apple's next generation iPhone bundled with iPhone OS 4.0 with 100 new features will be very difficult to beat.
What do you think?
[via Engadget, Verizon]
Just weeks after HTC EVO 4G was unveiled, the company got together with Verizon last week to unveil new HTC Droid Incredible.
The Android 2.1 based smartphone will launch on April 29 at a starting price of $199.99.
Here is a look at the technical specifications
Dimensions: 4.63" x 2.30" x 0.47"
Display: 3.7 inch screen with 480 x 800 WVGA OLED touch screen
Platform: Android 2.1 with Google Experience and Sense UI
Internal Memory: 8GB
Processor: 1 GHz Snapdragon
ROM: 748MB
Storage: Up to 16GB optional microSD support
Camera: 8 megapixel with auto-focus and video capture
Battery: Up to 312 minutes usage time and 146 hours of standby
Tether: Ability to tether via cable to a computer through the VZ Access Manager
You can checkout the video demo of the device below:
In terms of features, the Droid Incredible appears to be an improved version of Google's Nexus One. Considering that the Nexus One was touted to be the iPhone killer when it was launched, it will be interesting to see how the new Droid Incredible compares to Apple's iPhone.
There is little doubt that Droid Incredible is a better smartphone than iPhone 3GS if you compare the hardware features. However, with the next generation iPhone and Sprint's HTC EVO 4G, which has also generated a lot of interest expected to be launched in June, we wonder if the new Android phone will be able to match up to them.
Based on today's breaking news and several speculations, Apple's new iPhone also dubbed iPhone HD will most probably include features such as front facing camera, higher resolution screen, higher resolution camera with flash, Apple A4 chip and more, in which case Apple's next generation iPhone bundled with iPhone OS 4.0 with 100 new features will be very difficult to beat.
What do you think?
[via Engadget, Verizon]
Things We Still Don't Know About Apple's New iPhone
So much has been revealed about Apple's next generation iPhone in the last few days that the launch of the new iPhone in June could turn out to be a mere formality.
While this could be partly true, there are many things that we still don't know about Apple's fourth generation iPhone and are likely to find out when Apple's CEO Steve Jobs unveils the next iPhone at Apple's WWDC 2010 Keynote address.
Here are the list of things that we still don't know about Apple's new iPhone:
Processor:
Though iPhone 3GS is quite fast, we hope and expect the iPhone to be even faster. Gizmodo has not provided any details about the processor found in the next iPhone prototype. It has been widely speculated that the next generation iPhone could include Apple's in-house A4 processor - the 1 GHz system-on-chip that runs the iPad.
RAM:
iPhone 3GS has 256MB RAM, which is twice the RAM available in iPhone 3G and iPhone 2G. One of the reasons why features like multitasking won't be available on the older iPhone models. So we need to see if the next iPhone will get more RAM. It looks unlikely based on the 256MB RAM available in the iPad.
Internal Storage:
The maximum storage available in iPhone 3GS is 32GB. Gizmodo has reported that the iPhone prototype has storage of 80GB. So it will be interesting to see the storage options available in the next iPhone.
Display:
According to John Gruber from Daring Fireball, the iPhone 4G will have a 960 x 640 display. Gizmodo has observed that the screen resolution is higher but since they couldn't play with the device, it was not possible to confirm the resolution of the next iPhone prototype. It is also speculated that Apple's next iPhone could get an AMOLED or OLED screen.
Network Connectivity:
Will the launch of fourth generation iPhone finally bring an end to AT&T's exclusivity? With carriers like Verizon expected to roll out their 4G service in a few months after the launch of the new iPhone, will the next iPhone actually be 4G compatible? Will we finally see a Verizon iPhone?
Battery Life:
In its report, Gizmodo has noted that the battery of iPhone HD prototype appears to be 15% bigger than that of iPhone 3GS. But with a faster processor in the new iPhone and features like multitasking it will be interesting to see if Apple will be able to significantly improve battery life in the next iPhone to address one of the biggest concerns of the iPhone since it was launched in 2007.
Camera:
While we already know that Apple's new iPhone will get a front facing camera, we don't know the resolution of that camera. We also don't know the megapixels of the camera at the back, though we've heard rumors that the resolution will be higher than the one in iPhone 3GS.
That's not all, there are a lot of other things that we still don't know like:
The name of Apple's new iPhone - we've heard iPhone 4G and iPhone HD so far. iPhone HD is currently our favorite due to the higher resolution screen.
Will the 16GB iPhone 3GS be the new entry level iPhone model after the launch of the fourth generation iPhone?
How will the video chat feature work with the new front facing camera?
Will there be any hidden features in iPhone OS 4 for the new iPhone?
We have a cool list of features that we want in Apple's next iPhone, will Apple surprise us by including some or all of them in its fourth generation iPhone.
Though we don't expect Apple to increase the prices, we will have to wait and see if Apple will continue to offer the new iPhone for $199 and the model with more storage for $299, while the older iPhone model for $99.
Have we missed something out from the list? Let us know your views in the comments below.
[via Technologizer]
While this could be partly true, there are many things that we still don't know about Apple's fourth generation iPhone and are likely to find out when Apple's CEO Steve Jobs unveils the next iPhone at Apple's WWDC 2010 Keynote address.
Here are the list of things that we still don't know about Apple's new iPhone:
Processor:
Though iPhone 3GS is quite fast, we hope and expect the iPhone to be even faster. Gizmodo has not provided any details about the processor found in the next iPhone prototype. It has been widely speculated that the next generation iPhone could include Apple's in-house A4 processor - the 1 GHz system-on-chip that runs the iPad.
RAM:
iPhone 3GS has 256MB RAM, which is twice the RAM available in iPhone 3G and iPhone 2G. One of the reasons why features like multitasking won't be available on the older iPhone models. So we need to see if the next iPhone will get more RAM. It looks unlikely based on the 256MB RAM available in the iPad.
Internal Storage:
The maximum storage available in iPhone 3GS is 32GB. Gizmodo has reported that the iPhone prototype has storage of 80GB. So it will be interesting to see the storage options available in the next iPhone.
Display:
According to John Gruber from Daring Fireball, the iPhone 4G will have a 960 x 640 display. Gizmodo has observed that the screen resolution is higher but since they couldn't play with the device, it was not possible to confirm the resolution of the next iPhone prototype. It is also speculated that Apple's next iPhone could get an AMOLED or OLED screen.
Network Connectivity:
Will the launch of fourth generation iPhone finally bring an end to AT&T's exclusivity? With carriers like Verizon expected to roll out their 4G service in a few months after the launch of the new iPhone, will the next iPhone actually be 4G compatible? Will we finally see a Verizon iPhone?
Battery Life:
In its report, Gizmodo has noted that the battery of iPhone HD prototype appears to be 15% bigger than that of iPhone 3GS. But with a faster processor in the new iPhone and features like multitasking it will be interesting to see if Apple will be able to significantly improve battery life in the next iPhone to address one of the biggest concerns of the iPhone since it was launched in 2007.
Camera:
While we already know that Apple's new iPhone will get a front facing camera, we don't know the resolution of that camera. We also don't know the megapixels of the camera at the back, though we've heard rumors that the resolution will be higher than the one in iPhone 3GS.
That's not all, there are a lot of other things that we still don't know like:
The name of Apple's new iPhone - we've heard iPhone 4G and iPhone HD so far. iPhone HD is currently our favorite due to the higher resolution screen.
Will the 16GB iPhone 3GS be the new entry level iPhone model after the launch of the fourth generation iPhone?
How will the video chat feature work with the new front facing camera?
Will there be any hidden features in iPhone OS 4 for the new iPhone?
We have a cool list of features that we want in Apple's next iPhone, will Apple surprise us by including some or all of them in its fourth generation iPhone.
Though we don't expect Apple to increase the prices, we will have to wait and see if Apple will continue to offer the new iPhone for $199 and the model with more storage for $299, while the older iPhone model for $99.
Have we missed something out from the list? Let us know your views in the comments below.
[via Technologizer]
Apple Announces Best Non-Holiday Quarter Ever; Sells 8.75 Million iPhones In Q2
Apple has posted record revenue of $13.50 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion for its fiscal 2010 second quarter ended March 27, 2010.
Apple sold 8.75 million iPhones in the quarter, up 131 percent over the year-ago quarter, which has helped Apple post its best non-holiday quarter ever.
Apple sold 2.94 million Macs during the quarter, up 33 percent unit over the year-ago quarter. Apple also sold 10.89 million iPods during the quarter, representing a one percent decline over the year-ago quarter.
Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs said:
“We’re thrilled to report our best non-holiday quarter ever, with revenues up 49 percent and profits up 90 percent. We’ve launched our revolutionary new iPad and users are loving it, and we have several more extraordinary products in the pipeline for this year.”
Below are some of the estimates made by analysts on how many iPhones Apple will sell in the second quarter (from CNNMoney):
Analyst, affiliation iPhones (millions) Date of est.
Turley Muller, Financial Alchemist 7.85 4/12/2010
Daniel Tello, Deagol's AAPL Model 7.5 4/12/2010
Peter Misek, Canaccord Adams 7.5 4/9/2010
Mike Abramsky, RBC Capital 7.5 4/16/2010
Gene Munster, Piper Jaffray 7.5 4/8/2010
Maynard Um, UBS 7.5 4/7/2010
Alexis Cabot, Apple Finance Board 7.5 4/12/2010
Ashok Kumar, Rodman & Renshaw 7.5 4/13/2010
Robert Paul Leitao, Apple Finance Board 7.45 4/12/2010
Bill Shope, Credit Suisse 7.41 4/8/2010
Mark Moskowitz, J.P. Morgan 7.35 4/12/2010
Toni Sacconaghi, Bernstein Research 7.3 4/14/2010
Chris Whitmore, Deutsche Bank 7.3 4/5/2010
Jeff Fidacaro, Susquehanna Financial 7.2 4/5/2010
Ben Reitzes, Barclay's Capital 7.2 4/13/2010
Yair Reiner, Oppenheimer 7 4/5/2010
Kathryn Huberty, Morgan Stanley 7 4/12/2010
Patrick Smellie, Apple Finance Board 7 4/12/2010
Doug Reid, Thomas Weisel 6.91 4/12/2010
Keith Bachman, BMO Capital 6.9 3/25/2010
Tavis McCourt, Morgan Keegan 6.8 4/5/2010
Scott Craig, Merrill Lynch 6.74 3/5/2010
Shaw Wu, Kauffman Bros. 6.5 4/9/2010
Brian Marshall, Broadpoint AmTech 6.2 4/11/2010
Richard Gardner, Citigroup 6 4/12/2010
As you can see Apple has beaten analyst estimates by a huge margin.
Wall Street seems to really like the results. Apple's stock went up by over $19.00 (~8%) per share in after hours trading, and is currently trading at approximately $259.00 up approximately $14.50 (~6%).
Apple will be holding its Q2 conference call at 5:00 EDT today. You can listen to the audio webcast of Apple’s conference call here.
It will be interesting to see if someone will asks Apple about the next gen iPhone leak. We’ll update this post with coverage of the conference call highlights.
[via Apple]
Apple sold 8.75 million iPhones in the quarter, up 131 percent over the year-ago quarter, which has helped Apple post its best non-holiday quarter ever.
Apple sold 2.94 million Macs during the quarter, up 33 percent unit over the year-ago quarter. Apple also sold 10.89 million iPods during the quarter, representing a one percent decline over the year-ago quarter.
Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs said:
“We’re thrilled to report our best non-holiday quarter ever, with revenues up 49 percent and profits up 90 percent. We’ve launched our revolutionary new iPad and users are loving it, and we have several more extraordinary products in the pipeline for this year.”
Below are some of the estimates made by analysts on how many iPhones Apple will sell in the second quarter (from CNNMoney):
Analyst, affiliation iPhones (millions) Date of est.
Turley Muller, Financial Alchemist 7.85 4/12/2010
Daniel Tello, Deagol's AAPL Model 7.5 4/12/2010
Peter Misek, Canaccord Adams 7.5 4/9/2010
Mike Abramsky, RBC Capital 7.5 4/16/2010
Gene Munster, Piper Jaffray 7.5 4/8/2010
Maynard Um, UBS 7.5 4/7/2010
Alexis Cabot, Apple Finance Board 7.5 4/12/2010
Ashok Kumar, Rodman & Renshaw 7.5 4/13/2010
Robert Paul Leitao, Apple Finance Board 7.45 4/12/2010
Bill Shope, Credit Suisse 7.41 4/8/2010
Mark Moskowitz, J.P. Morgan 7.35 4/12/2010
Toni Sacconaghi, Bernstein Research 7.3 4/14/2010
Chris Whitmore, Deutsche Bank 7.3 4/5/2010
Jeff Fidacaro, Susquehanna Financial 7.2 4/5/2010
Ben Reitzes, Barclay's Capital 7.2 4/13/2010
Yair Reiner, Oppenheimer 7 4/5/2010
Kathryn Huberty, Morgan Stanley 7 4/12/2010
Patrick Smellie, Apple Finance Board 7 4/12/2010
Doug Reid, Thomas Weisel 6.91 4/12/2010
Keith Bachman, BMO Capital 6.9 3/25/2010
Tavis McCourt, Morgan Keegan 6.8 4/5/2010
Scott Craig, Merrill Lynch 6.74 3/5/2010
Shaw Wu, Kauffman Bros. 6.5 4/9/2010
Brian Marshall, Broadpoint AmTech 6.2 4/11/2010
Richard Gardner, Citigroup 6 4/12/2010
As you can see Apple has beaten analyst estimates by a huge margin.
Wall Street seems to really like the results. Apple's stock went up by over $19.00 (~8%) per share in after hours trading, and is currently trading at approximately $259.00 up approximately $14.50 (~6%).
Apple will be holding its Q2 conference call at 5:00 EDT today. You can listen to the audio webcast of Apple’s conference call here.
It will be interesting to see if someone will asks Apple about the next gen iPhone leak. We’ll update this post with coverage of the conference call highlights.
[via Apple]
iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 2 Released To Developers
Apple has seeded developers of its iPhone Developer Program with the second beta version of iPhone OS 4 (build 10M2240).
The first beta version of iPhone OS 4.0 was released two weeks back when Apple gave us a sneak peak of next generation iPhone OS at a special event.
iPhone OS 4.0 includes 100 new features for iPhone users such as multitasking, folders etc and more than 1500 new APIs for app developers.
Based on initial reports the new beta version of iPhone OS 4 includes some changes and bug fixes.
Apple has apparently changed the time limit for task completion process, which is one of the services available to developers for the multitasking feature from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. It means third party iPhone apps will be able to execute a task for 10 minutes in the background. Apple had given an example of uploading photos to your Flickr account as an example.
We will let you know if the latest beta version of iPhone OS 4 beta 2 and SDK reveals any interesting new features.
The first beta version of iPhone OS 4.0 was released two weeks back when Apple gave us a sneak peak of next generation iPhone OS at a special event.
iPhone OS 4.0 includes 100 new features for iPhone users such as multitasking, folders etc and more than 1500 new APIs for app developers.
Based on initial reports the new beta version of iPhone OS 4 includes some changes and bug fixes.
Apple has apparently changed the time limit for task completion process, which is one of the services available to developers for the multitasking feature from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. It means third party iPhone apps will be able to execute a task for 10 minutes in the background. Apple had given an example of uploading photos to your Flickr account as an example.
We will let you know if the latest beta version of iPhone OS 4 beta 2 and SDK reveals any interesting new features.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Apple News | Apple Warns Users Against Jailbreaking
Apple is warning users against jailbreaking their iPhones and iPods calling it a major source of instability, disruption of services, and other issues.
As designed by Apple, the iPhone OS ensures that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operate reliably. Some customers have not understood the risks of installing software that makes unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS ("jailbreaking") on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Customers who have installed software that makes these modifications have encountered numerous problems in the operation of their hacked iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Examples of these issues supposedly caused by jailbreaking include the following:
Device and application instability: Frequent and unexpected crashes of the device, crashes and freezes of built-in apps and third-party apps, and loss of data.
Unreliable voice and data: Dropped calls, slow or unreliable data connections, and delayed or inaccurate location data.
Disruption of services: Services such as Visual Voicemail, YouTube, Weather, and Stocks have been disrupted or no longer work on the device. Additionally, third-party apps that use the Apple Push Notification Service have had difficulty receiving notifications or received notifications that were intended for a different hacked device. Other push-based services such as MobileMe and Exchange have experienced problems synchronizing data with their respective servers.
Compromised security: Security compromises have been introduced by these modifications that could allow hackers to steal personal information, damage the device, attack the wireless network, or introduce malware or viruses.
Shortened battery life: The hacked software has caused an accelerated battery drain that shortens the operation of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch on a single battery charge.
Inability to apply future software updates: Some unauthorized modifications have caused damage to the iPhone OS that is not repairable. This can result in the hacked iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone OS update is installed.
Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks the iPhone OS. It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iPhone OS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has asked the Copyright Office to officially exempt jailbreaking from Apple's DMCA claims stating that this sort of claim is absurd. Imagine GM trying to claim that only GM could do any mechanical work on your car. You can read more about this case here.
Read More [via Nathaniel]
As designed by Apple, the iPhone OS ensures that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operate reliably. Some customers have not understood the risks of installing software that makes unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS ("jailbreaking") on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Customers who have installed software that makes these modifications have encountered numerous problems in the operation of their hacked iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Examples of these issues supposedly caused by jailbreaking include the following:
Device and application instability: Frequent and unexpected crashes of the device, crashes and freezes of built-in apps and third-party apps, and loss of data.
Unreliable voice and data: Dropped calls, slow or unreliable data connections, and delayed or inaccurate location data.
Disruption of services: Services such as Visual Voicemail, YouTube, Weather, and Stocks have been disrupted or no longer work on the device. Additionally, third-party apps that use the Apple Push Notification Service have had difficulty receiving notifications or received notifications that were intended for a different hacked device. Other push-based services such as MobileMe and Exchange have experienced problems synchronizing data with their respective servers.
Compromised security: Security compromises have been introduced by these modifications that could allow hackers to steal personal information, damage the device, attack the wireless network, or introduce malware or viruses.
Shortened battery life: The hacked software has caused an accelerated battery drain that shortens the operation of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch on a single battery charge.
Inability to apply future software updates: Some unauthorized modifications have caused damage to the iPhone OS that is not repairable. This can result in the hacked iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone OS update is installed.
Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks the iPhone OS. It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iPhone OS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has asked the Copyright Office to officially exempt jailbreaking from Apple's DMCA claims stating that this sort of claim is absurd. Imagine GM trying to claim that only GM could do any mechanical work on your car. You can read more about this case here.
Read More [via Nathaniel]
Blog Update
If anyone reads my blog please tell me!!! If you are just comment and I will get an email if you do!! Thank you
How Apple Lost The Next iPhone
How Apple Lost the Next iPhone
The Gourmet Haus Staudt. A nice place to enjoy good German ales. And if you are an Apple Software Engineer named Gray Powell and you get one too many beers, it's also a nice place to lose the next-generation iPhone.
The 27-year-old Powell--a North Carolina State University 2006 graduate and talented amateur photographer --is an Apple Software Engineer working on the iPhone Baseband Software, the little program that enables the iPhone to make calls.
On the night of March 18, he was enjoying the fine imported ales at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a nice German beer garden in Redwood City, California. He was happy. The place was great. The beer was excellent. "I underestimated how good German beer is," he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS. It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone. It was the last time he ever saw the iPhone, right before he abandoned it on bar stool, leaving to go home.
Knowing how ferocious and ruthless Apple is about product leaks , those beers may have turned out to be the bitterest of his life.
(Almost) Impenetrable Security
Until now, Apple's legendary security has always worked perfectly. Perhaps there was a blurry factory photo here, or some last-minute information strategically whispered to some friendly media there. But when it comes to the big stuff, everything is airtight. At their Cupertino campus, any gadget or computer that is worth protecting is behind armored doors, with security locks with codes that change every few minutes. Prototypes are bolted to desks. Hidden in these labs, hardware, software and industrial-design elves toil separately on the same devices, without really having the complete picture of the final product.
And hidden in every corner, the Apple secret police, a team of people with a single mission: To make sure nobody speaks. And if there's a leak, hunt down the traitor, and escort him out of the building. Using lockdowns and other fear tactics, these men in black are the last line of defense against any sneaky eyes. The Gran Jefe Steve trusts them to avoid Apple's worst nightmare: The leak of a strategic product that could cost them millions of dollars in free marketing promotion. One that would make them lose control of the product news cycle.
But the fact is that there's no perfect security. Not when humans are involved. Humans that can lose things. You know, like the next generation iPhone .
Lost and Found
Apple security 's mighty walls fell on the midnight of Thursday, March 18. At that time, Powell was at Gourmet Haus Staudt, just 20 miles from the company's Infinite Loop headquarters, having his fun. Around him, other groups of people were sharing the jolly atmosphere, and plenty of the golden liquid.
The person who eventually ended up with the lost iPhone was sitting next to Powell. He was drinking with a friend too. He noticed Powell on the stool next to him but didn't think twice about him at the time. Not until Powell had already left the bar, and a random really drunk guy--who'd been sitting on the other side of Powell--returned from the bathroom to his own stool.
The Random Really Drunk Guy pointed at the iPhone sitting on the stool, the precious prototype left by the young Apple engineer.
"Hey man, is that your iPhone?" asked Random Really Drunk Guy.
"Hmmm, what?" replied the person who ended up with the iPhone. "No, no, it isn't mine."
"Ooooh, I guess it's your friend's then," referring to a friend who at the time was in the bathroom. "Here, take it," said the Random Really Drunk Guy, handing it to him. "You don't want to lose it." After that, the Random Really Drunk Guy also left the bar.
The person who ended up with the iPhone asked around, but nobody claimed it. He thought about that young guy sitting next to him, so he and his friend stayed there for some time, waiting. Powell never came back.
During that time, he played with it. It seemed like a normal iPhone. "I thought it was just an iPhone 3GS," he told me in a telephone interview. "It just looked like one. I tried the camera, but it crashed three times." The iPhone didn't seem to have any special features, just two bar codes stuck on its back: 8800601pex1 and N90_DVT_GE4X_0493 . Next to the volume keys there was another sticker: iPhone SWE-L200221. Apart from that, just six pages of applications. One of them was Facebook. And there, on the Facebook screen, was the Apple engineer, Gray Powell.
Thinking about returning the phone the next day, he left. When he woke up after the hazy night, the phone was dead. Bricked remotely, through MobileMe, the service Apple provides to track and wipe out lost iPhones. It was only then that he realized that there was something strange that iPhone. The exterior didn't feel right and there was a camera on the front. After tinkering with it, he managed to open the fake 3GS.
There it was, a shiny thing , completely different from everything that came before.
He reached for a phone and called a lot of Apple numbers and tried to find someone who seems interested or was at least willing to transfer his call to the right person, but no luck. No one took him seriously and all he got for his time and troubles was a ticket number. He thought that eventually the ticket would move up high enough and that he would receive a call back, but his phone never rang. What should he be expected to do then? Walk into an apple store and give the shiny, new device to a 20-year-old who might just end up selling it on eBay?
The Aftermath
Weeks later, Gizmodo got it. It was the real thing. Once we saw it inside and out, there was no doubt about it. We learnt about this story, but we didn't know for sure it was Powell's phone until today, when we contacted him via his phone.
Gray Powell: Hello?
John Herrman: Is this Gray?
G: Yeah.
J: Hi, this is John Herrman from Gizmodo.com.
G: Hey!
J: You work at Apple, right?
G: Um, I mean I can't really talk too much right now.
J: I understand. We have a device, and we think that maybe you misplaced it at a bar, and we would like to give it back.
G: Yeah, I forwarded your email [asking him if it was his iPhone], someone should be contacting you.
J: OK.
G: Can I send this phone number along?
J: [Contact information]
He sounded tired and broken. But at least, he's alive. And apparently, he may still be working at Apple. As it should be, because it's just a fucking iPhone. It can happen to everyone, Gray Powell, Phil Schiller, you, me, and even Steve Jobs
Unlike Apple's legendary impenetrable security, breached by the power of German beer and one single human mistake.
Additional reporting by John Herrman; extra thanks to Kyle VanHemert, Matt Buchanan, and Arianna Reiche
Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com .
The Gourmet Haus Staudt. A nice place to enjoy good German ales. And if you are an Apple Software Engineer named Gray Powell and you get one too many beers, it's also a nice place to lose the next-generation iPhone.
The 27-year-old Powell--a North Carolina State University 2006 graduate and talented amateur photographer --is an Apple Software Engineer working on the iPhone Baseband Software, the little program that enables the iPhone to make calls.
On the night of March 18, he was enjoying the fine imported ales at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a nice German beer garden in Redwood City, California. He was happy. The place was great. The beer was excellent. "I underestimated how good German beer is," he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS. It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone. It was the last time he ever saw the iPhone, right before he abandoned it on bar stool, leaving to go home.
Knowing how ferocious and ruthless Apple is about product leaks , those beers may have turned out to be the bitterest of his life.
(Almost) Impenetrable Security
Until now, Apple's legendary security has always worked perfectly. Perhaps there was a blurry factory photo here, or some last-minute information strategically whispered to some friendly media there. But when it comes to the big stuff, everything is airtight. At their Cupertino campus, any gadget or computer that is worth protecting is behind armored doors, with security locks with codes that change every few minutes. Prototypes are bolted to desks. Hidden in these labs, hardware, software and industrial-design elves toil separately on the same devices, without really having the complete picture of the final product.
And hidden in every corner, the Apple secret police, a team of people with a single mission: To make sure nobody speaks. And if there's a leak, hunt down the traitor, and escort him out of the building. Using lockdowns and other fear tactics, these men in black are the last line of defense against any sneaky eyes. The Gran Jefe Steve trusts them to avoid Apple's worst nightmare: The leak of a strategic product that could cost them millions of dollars in free marketing promotion. One that would make them lose control of the product news cycle.
But the fact is that there's no perfect security. Not when humans are involved. Humans that can lose things. You know, like the next generation iPhone .
Lost and Found
Apple security 's mighty walls fell on the midnight of Thursday, March 18. At that time, Powell was at Gourmet Haus Staudt, just 20 miles from the company's Infinite Loop headquarters, having his fun. Around him, other groups of people were sharing the jolly atmosphere, and plenty of the golden liquid.
The person who eventually ended up with the lost iPhone was sitting next to Powell. He was drinking with a friend too. He noticed Powell on the stool next to him but didn't think twice about him at the time. Not until Powell had already left the bar, and a random really drunk guy--who'd been sitting on the other side of Powell--returned from the bathroom to his own stool.
The Random Really Drunk Guy pointed at the iPhone sitting on the stool, the precious prototype left by the young Apple engineer.
"Hey man, is that your iPhone?" asked Random Really Drunk Guy.
"Hmmm, what?" replied the person who ended up with the iPhone. "No, no, it isn't mine."
"Ooooh, I guess it's your friend's then," referring to a friend who at the time was in the bathroom. "Here, take it," said the Random Really Drunk Guy, handing it to him. "You don't want to lose it." After that, the Random Really Drunk Guy also left the bar.
The person who ended up with the iPhone asked around, but nobody claimed it. He thought about that young guy sitting next to him, so he and his friend stayed there for some time, waiting. Powell never came back.
During that time, he played with it. It seemed like a normal iPhone. "I thought it was just an iPhone 3GS," he told me in a telephone interview. "It just looked like one. I tried the camera, but it crashed three times." The iPhone didn't seem to have any special features, just two bar codes stuck on its back: 8800601pex1 and N90_DVT_GE4X_0493 . Next to the volume keys there was another sticker: iPhone SWE-L200221. Apart from that, just six pages of applications. One of them was Facebook. And there, on the Facebook screen, was the Apple engineer, Gray Powell.
Thinking about returning the phone the next day, he left. When he woke up after the hazy night, the phone was dead. Bricked remotely, through MobileMe, the service Apple provides to track and wipe out lost iPhones. It was only then that he realized that there was something strange that iPhone. The exterior didn't feel right and there was a camera on the front. After tinkering with it, he managed to open the fake 3GS.
There it was, a shiny thing , completely different from everything that came before.
He reached for a phone and called a lot of Apple numbers and tried to find someone who seems interested or was at least willing to transfer his call to the right person, but no luck. No one took him seriously and all he got for his time and troubles was a ticket number. He thought that eventually the ticket would move up high enough and that he would receive a call back, but his phone never rang. What should he be expected to do then? Walk into an apple store and give the shiny, new device to a 20-year-old who might just end up selling it on eBay?
The Aftermath
Weeks later, Gizmodo got it. It was the real thing. Once we saw it inside and out, there was no doubt about it. We learnt about this story, but we didn't know for sure it was Powell's phone until today, when we contacted him via his phone.
Gray Powell: Hello?
John Herrman: Is this Gray?
G: Yeah.
J: Hi, this is John Herrman from Gizmodo.com.
G: Hey!
J: You work at Apple, right?
G: Um, I mean I can't really talk too much right now.
J: I understand. We have a device, and we think that maybe you misplaced it at a bar, and we would like to give it back.
G: Yeah, I forwarded your email [asking him if it was his iPhone], someone should be contacting you.
J: OK.
G: Can I send this phone number along?
J: [Contact information]
He sounded tired and broken. But at least, he's alive. And apparently, he may still be working at Apple. As it should be, because it's just a fucking iPhone. It can happen to everyone, Gray Powell, Phil Schiller, you, me, and even Steve Jobs
Unlike Apple's legendary impenetrable security, breached by the power of German beer and one single human mistake.
Additional reporting by John Herrman; extra thanks to Kyle VanHemert, Matt Buchanan, and Arianna Reiche
Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com .
Apple News | Gizmodo Reveals Which Apple Employee Lost the iPhone 4G
Gizmodo has posted some background information about how they obtained the iPhone 4G prototype and who lost it in the first place.
The Gourmet Haus Staudt. A nice place to enjoy good German ales. And if you are an Apple Software Engineer named Gray Powell and you get one too many beers, it's also a nice place to lose the next-generation iPhone.
The 27-year-old Powell—a North Carolina State University 2006 graduate and talented amateur photographer—is an Apple Software Engineer working on the iPhone Baseband Software, the little program that enables the iPhone to make calls.
On the night of March 18, he was enjoying the fine imported ales at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a nice German beer garden in Redwood City, California. He was happy. The place was great. The beer was excellent. "I underestimated how good German beer is," he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS. It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone. It was the last time he ever saw the iPhone, right before he abandoned it on bar stool, leaving to go home.
Hit the link below to continue the story and read about their phone conversation with Powell. Unfortunately, Gizmodo mentions nothing about how they actually obtained the device, how much they paid, or what Apple is saying.
Poor guy...
Read More
The Gourmet Haus Staudt. A nice place to enjoy good German ales. And if you are an Apple Software Engineer named Gray Powell and you get one too many beers, it's also a nice place to lose the next-generation iPhone.
The 27-year-old Powell—a North Carolina State University 2006 graduate and talented amateur photographer—is an Apple Software Engineer working on the iPhone Baseband Software, the little program that enables the iPhone to make calls.
On the night of March 18, he was enjoying the fine imported ales at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a nice German beer garden in Redwood City, California. He was happy. The place was great. The beer was excellent. "I underestimated how good German beer is," he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS. It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone. It was the last time he ever saw the iPhone, right before he abandoned it on bar stool, leaving to go home.
Hit the link below to continue the story and read about their phone conversation with Powell. Unfortunately, Gizmodo mentions nothing about how they actually obtained the device, how much they paid, or what Apple is saying.
Poor guy...
Read More
Gizmodo Acquires, Disassembles iPhone 4G Prototype [Video]
Gizmodo has acquired the much discussed iPhone 4G prototype and after disassembling and videoing the device they've declared it the real thing!
Their observations are as follows...
What's new:
• Front-facing video chat camera
• Improved regular back-camera (the lens is quite noticeably larger than the iPhone 3GS)
• Camera flash
• Micro-SIM instead of standard SIM (like the iPad)
• Improved display. It's unclear if it's the 960x460 display thrown around before—it certainly looks like it, with the "Connect to iTunes" screen displaying much higher resolution than on a 3GS.
• What looks to be a secondary mic for noise cancellation, at the top, next to the headphone jack
• Split buttons for volume
• Power, mute, and volume buttons are all metallic
What's changed:
• The back is entirely flat, made of either glass (more likely) or ceramic or shiny plastic in order for the cell signal to poke through. Tapping on the back makes a more hollow and higher pitched sound compared to tapping on the glass on the front/screen, but that could just be the orientation of components inside making for a different sound
• An aluminum border going completely around the outside
• Slightly smaller screen than the 3GS (but seemingly higher resolution)
• Everything is more squared off
• 3 grams heavier
• 16% Larger battery
• Internals components are shrunken, miniaturized and reduced to make room for the larger battery
Gizmodo also states the reasons they believe this is the real deal...
● It has been reported lost
● The screen
● The operating system
● It is recognized as an iPhone
● It uses micro-sim
● The camouflage case
● The fact that it's in the wild right now
● The guts, the definitive proof
Take a look at more video of the device and a detailed analysis at the link below...
Their observations are as follows...
What's new:
• Front-facing video chat camera
• Improved regular back-camera (the lens is quite noticeably larger than the iPhone 3GS)
• Camera flash
• Micro-SIM instead of standard SIM (like the iPad)
• Improved display. It's unclear if it's the 960x460 display thrown around before—it certainly looks like it, with the "Connect to iTunes" screen displaying much higher resolution than on a 3GS.
• What looks to be a secondary mic for noise cancellation, at the top, next to the headphone jack
• Split buttons for volume
• Power, mute, and volume buttons are all metallic
What's changed:
• The back is entirely flat, made of either glass (more likely) or ceramic or shiny plastic in order for the cell signal to poke through. Tapping on the back makes a more hollow and higher pitched sound compared to tapping on the glass on the front/screen, but that could just be the orientation of components inside making for a different sound
• An aluminum border going completely around the outside
• Slightly smaller screen than the 3GS (but seemingly higher resolution)
• Everything is more squared off
• 3 grams heavier
• 16% Larger battery
• Internals components are shrunken, miniaturized and reduced to make room for the larger battery
Gizmodo also states the reasons they believe this is the real deal...
● It has been reported lost
● The screen
● The operating system
● It is recognized as an iPhone
● It uses micro-sim
● The camouflage case
● The fact that it's in the wild right now
● The guts, the definitive proof
Take a look at more video of the device and a detailed analysis at the link below...
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