Jake Smith

Purported iPhone 6 case theorizes how thin next-gen iPhone could be

Jake Smith ∙ April 28, 2014

On par with the launch of any device from Apple, third-party case makers have taken rumors, maybe a little insider knowledge, and some guessing to theorize what the design of the next-generation iPhone could be, long before the launch.

YouTube channel Unbox Therapy got its hands on one of these cases floating around, and compared it alongside the iPhone 5s and iPod touch. The striking factor for the purported iPhone 6 case wasn't the height difference, but that its thinness matched up with the iPod touch, perfectly. 

Read More

AT&T planning in-flight 4G connectivity for late-2015

Jake Smith ∙ April 28, 2014

AT&T has announced on Monday plans to launch in-flight 4G connectivity as early as late-2015, a technology it touts could be more reliable than in-flight Wi-Fi already made available on some flights in the US.

To deliver the new service, AT&T plans to build an air-to-ground network in the US, based on global 4G LTE standards, to "provide fast speeds and efficient utilization" of spectrum already owned by AT&T. 

Read More

Facebook open sources animation engine behind Paper for iOS

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Facebook has open sourced the Pop animation engine that drives its Paper app, now available in a listing on GitHub.

The Pop engine supports basic static animations, and also has spring and decay dynamic animations for building realistic, physics-based interactions. The Paper app has been praised for its design, and now developers will be able to access the same engine that drives it for their own iOS and OS X apps. 

Read More

Top Apple execs Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi speaking at Code Conference

Jake Smith ∙ April 28, 2014

Top Apple executives Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi will headline the second night of Recode's Code Conference in May, joining an already high profile lineup including General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Hollywood mogul Ryan Seacrest.

Apple executives rarely make an appearance at events outside of those officially held by Apple, however, Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, formerly of the D Conference, obviously have a secret to doing it. The two have interviewed Apple co-founder Steve Jobs several times, including once alongside Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and most recently interviewed CEO Tim Cook. 

Read More

You can have lunch with Tim Cook, for a sizable charity donation

Jake Smith ∙ April 24, 2014

CharityBuzz is running a campaign for one donor to have lunch with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, at the Cupertino-based headquarters. The donor will have to make the highest, sizable donation, to benefit the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights.

The lunch donated by Cook himself, has an estimated value of $100,000, with the current bid on Tuesday currently sitting at $50,000. If past charity drives from Cook are any indication, the lunch should blow past the estimated value...

Read More

Google social boss Vic Gundotra leaving after eight years

Jake Smith ∙ April 24, 2014

There's a big shakeup at Google on Thursday as Vic Gundotra, the man charged with leading Google's social efforts and one of the creators of Google+, is departing the company after eight years.

Gundotra announced the news on none other than his Google+ profile, saying he is proud of what the Facebook-competing Google+ team has accomplished despite skepticism in the industry. Gundotra didn't offer any details as to why he's leaving. 

Read More

Analyst makes case for Apple replacing iPod touch with iWatch

Jake Smith ∙ April 22, 2014

Apple is planning to start production of the iWatch in multiple screen sizes during the fourth quarter of 2014, Christopher Caso, an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group, said in a note to investors on Tuesday.

Caso is reiterating what a lot of analysts and reports have already said, adding that two versions of the iWatch are likely and that Apple is planning production targets of five million to six million units in the fourth quarter of 2014. Caso adds one other interesting bit - the iWatch could essentially replace the iPod, which may make a lot of sense...

Read More

Apple seeds OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 build 13D45a to developers

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple has seeded OS X 10.9.3 build 13D45a to developers on Monday, following the release of build 13D43 last week.

Apple didn't detail features of the new build, but once again asks developers to focus on Graphics Drivers, Audio, Mail, Contacts and Calendar sync over USB in iTunes, and Safari.

Read More

Sony said to be considering Danny Boyle to direct Jobs biopic, Leonardo DiCaprio could star

Jake Smith ∙ April 21, 2014

Sony Pictures is eyeing Danny Boyle as the new director of its Steve Jobs biopic titled "Jobs", after David Fincher decided not to step in the role, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Boyle nor Sony have officially confirmed the news, and the publication reports the deal is not yet done and that both parties are still in talks. Boyle is known for his work in the Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later, among other films.

Furthermore, there's word Boyle has approached Leonardo DiCaprio, of The Great Gatsby and The Wolf of Wall Street fame, to star in the film as Jobs. Let's just hope he doesn't drop as many "F Bombs" as he did in The Wolf of Wall Street...

Read More

Apple reports earnings Wednesday: Here’s what analysts expect

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple reports its quarterly earnings on Wednesday for the January to March quarter - a typically slow time for technology companies following the Christmas quarter crunch.

On its last earnings call in January, Apple told investors to expect revenue between $42 billion and $44 billion, gross margin between 37 percent and 38 percent, operating expenses between $4.3 billion and $4.4 billion, other income/(expense) of $200 million, and a tax rate of 26.2 percent. Really, no better than the company did last year.

Analysts have been checking with industry sources, looking at retail logs, and number crunching to predict what Apple will announce on Wednesday. Whether the company misses or beats the expectations could have a big impact on the stock price, which is up roughly 36 percent year-over-year. Last quarter, the stock tanked in after hours following a bad guidance for the numbers that are set to be report on Wednesday. Here's what analysts are expecting: 

Read More