Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently addressed the companies Surface and the tablet's sales (or lack thereof).
We're going to try our best not to characterize his comments as whiny or envision the firm's leader stomping his foot in the face of gloomy analysis. But it's hard - real hard.
Speaking with MIT Technology Review, while admitting the Microsoft product was not an iPad-killer, Ballmer stressed the Surface isn't a post-PC fantasy, either...
I get literally 90+ percent of my digital music through Spotify. Just ten bucks a month buys me unlimited, high-quality, ad-free streaming. Apple's à la carte iTunes downloads just don't stand a chance. But Spotify isn't the juggernaut of Apple's calibre so no wonder record labels have limited free streaming to computers and notebooks. That could change now as the Swedish startup is reportedly in talks with content owners over extending free streaming to smartphones and tablets like iPads and iPhones...
In the speeded up world I'm increasingly finding myself listening to audiobooks because I just don't have the time for long reads. Besides, reading is rarely a background activity.
That's what I love about spoken word: it saves time. I can enjoy my audiobooks while jogging, cooking, commuting and what not. Heck, I sometimes even listen to audiobooks while I simultaneously blog about technology.
Amazon-owned Audible sells some awesome digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs and today they've finally launched an iPad app. And let me tell you, it's been a worthwhile wait.
Of course, the Newark-based company has had an iPhone app in the App Store since July 2010. That piece of software, too, has received a major refresh today, bringing out a revamped interface, quick sign ups / sign ins and other tidbits...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDovrpaocH8
Apple's London-born VP of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive was last week honored with the greatest accolade in United Kingdom’s children TV, BBC’s Blue Peter programme. BBC’s Barney Harwood briefly interviewed Ive on his design work and journalist and recording engineer Tom Davenport has posted a video where Ive discusses how product naming philosophy can affect the design process. And as 9to5Mac noted, Ive also reveals a little known connection to David Beckham. Another video right after the break...
Shares of Apple are (again) under pressure as Financial Times issued a report Wednesday that Foxconn, the world's largest contract manufacturer that assembles iPhones and other products for Apple and other tech giants, is putting a freeze on recruitment in China as it slows production of the iPhone 5.
It wasn't clear whether Foxconn winding down iPhone manufacturing means that Apple is getting ready to produce a next-gen iPhone or that iPhone 5 demand is falling amid fierce competition in the smartphone market, but investors are already punishing the stock which fell in pre-market trading to under $460, even with a Foxconn spokesperson clarifying that the decision wasn’t related to iPhone 5 production as more employees returned from the Chinese New Year break than a year earlier...
After the new iOS 6.1.2 firmware arrived this morning apparently solving battery woes caused by an Exchange bug, and following up on the just released Java update that has patched a major vulnerability which led hackers to break into Apple employees' computers, the Cupertino firm has just issued iTunes 11.0.2, a maintenance update. In addition to the various stability improvements and performance enhancements, the new version brings an all-new view for your music...
In line with previous reports, Apple has released iOS 6.1.2 this morning to fix the Exchange calendar issue that has garnered so much attention in the past few weeks. The bug significantly increases network usage, which affects device performance and battery life.
As you can see in the screenshot above of the firmware's release notes, the patch for the Exchange problem appears to be the only change in the new software. But still, we recommend that jailbreakers refrain from updating until it's been deemed safe by the community...
Apple is just the latest technology firm to announce it was the victim of hackers. Tuesday, the iPhone maker announced a limited number of employee computers were affected, however software would be released today protecting consumers. The malware infected a limited number of Macs through a vulnerability in the Java plug-in for browsers, the company confirmed.
The announcement - unprecedented from the usually tight-lipped company - included a statement by Apple attempting to calm consumer fears, saying there was "no evidence" that any data leaked out. This comes on the heels Facebook had also been targeted by hackers. Friday, the social networking giant said hackers based in China breached employee laptops, but no Facebook user data was taken.
UPDATE: less than three hours later, Apple has pushed out a Java update to patch the vulnerability...
https://vimeo.com/sunriseapp/ios
If the stock iOS Calendar app is too boring and you wish Fantastical, a nice iOS/OS X calendar alternative from Flexibits, had a raft of social features, don't miss out on Sunrise Calendar, a free iPhone calendar alternative by Sunrise Atelier, Inc.
The program pulls your appointments from multiple Google Calendars and Facebook Events and retrieves your weather forecast. Frankly, I was wondering why there was no app to combine weather data with my appointments, so I could make changes to upcoming meetings in case my weather forecast takes a turn for the worse. The only downside: Sunrise Calendar is made with Google Calendar users in mind (for now)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9A8NnBbW_A
Earlier this morning, Taiwanese handset maker HTC at a high-profile media event in London introduced its latest flagship handset, the One. In terms of speeds and feeds, this Android LTE device seems a winner: it sports a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB of RAM, has front-facing speakers complete with a dedicated amplifier that play Beats Audio and boasts a 4.7-inch 1080p display coated with Gorilla Glass 2.
Encased in an Apple-like aluminum-clad chassis, the phone is bound to turn heads with its sleek appearance measuring 0.37 inches thick and weighing in at 143 grams. On the software front, the One runs HTC's Sense 5 UI layer on top of Google's latest Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system.
And borrowing from Windows Phone, there's a new feature called Blink Feed, basically a glorified Flipboard-like aggregator that turns your home screen into an endless stream of social updates, email messages and news articles. More tidbits and a few press shots right after the break...
Apple's handset sales in India have quadrupled and now the company has expanded its presence in the 1.25 billion people market by launching its third-generation Apple TV for Rs. 7,900, or about $150. The set-top box costs $99 in the United States, but Apple's products typically command a premium in BRIC countries due to high import taxes and VAT.
After launching the iPhone 5 in India in November 2012, and as a prelude to today's Apple TV launch, Apple in December 2012 officially launched the iTunes Store in 56 new countries, including India...
According to new reports by Taiwanese media outlets, Apple is said to be lining up suppliers for a fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad. The gizmo is said to adopt a revamped touchscreen technology, basically the same "GF2" display tech found on the 7.9-inch iPad mini. The iPad mini's display assembly is notably thinner compared to its bigger brother that sports the glass-on-glass design so the reports jive nicely with previous rumors pointing to the iPad 5 borrowing a few design ideas from the iPad mini, namely a thinner and lighter appearance...