All Things Apple

2009-03-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

Apple Has a Virus

2008-12-03T22:17:00.001-08:00

Following a flurry of arguably unwarranted media attention, Apple has removed an online help document that advised customers to use multiple antivirus products to keep their computers secure. However, a company spokesman still sees value in antivirus software for the Mac.
"We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate," an Apple spokesman said in an e-mailed statement. "The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box. However, since no system can be 100% immune from every threat, running antivirus software may offer additional protection."

kick it girl

2008-10-05T13:59:00.001-07:00

"Piper Jaffray analyst (and strong Apple bull) Gene Munster told Cult of Mac Tuesday that Apple must report strong sales of Macs during the quarter ending September 27th or "the importance of the new Mac increases substantially." Munster believes that Apple will introduce redesigned notebooks, including a sub-$1,000 MacBook. I've written previously about the importance of a sub-$1,000 MacBook for Apple.

In an investor's note, Munster wrote that Apple is likely to introduce lower-priced products after the company warned of upcoming "new, lower margin products" which haven't yet materialized. "The product changes we have seen thus far do not warrant such a dramatic decrease in margins."

Apple has historically guided expectations lower, but Munster called guidance for 31 percent margins "conservative" and said those numbers were being used to reduce expectations for the latest quarter and for the holidays. Apple warned its quarters would be 31.5 percent in Q3 but that number ended up being significantly higher at 34.8 percent.

Apple's fourth quarter results will be announced after the end of trading Tuesday October 21. Rumors are flying that peg October 14th as the date for new MacBook introductions, but those aren't confirmed yet."

2008-10-05T13:58:00.002-07:00

Fring has released the iPhone version of their service today as a free download in the App Store.Fring allows you to chat and interact with others on a variety of networks including Skype, MSN, GoogleTalk, AIM, Yahoo, Twitter, and ICQ. In addition, Fring offers Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) using the iPhone's Wi-Fi connection. Features listed include:• VoIP (Voice) Calls over WiFi• Instant Messaging• Integrated dynamic contact list  with real-time contact availability• SIP integration• Multiple Connection typesFring supports SkypeOut and SIP which allows you to make calls to landline and mobile phones. Some charges may apply depending on the type of call and plan. Fring is available as a free download in the App Store. (App Store Link)Steve Jobs had said that VoIP calls over Wi-Fi was allowable in the App Store when the iPhone SDK was first released. Fring should also work with the new iPod touch, which supports an external microphone.Update: Some are confused about the benefits of fring. One user details some of the features:- Can call directly using iPhone to another person with iPhone running Fring- Call MSN or Skype users that are using their computer- Call using Skype account, which allows you to have your own Skype number and at a discount rate for international calls- Receive phone calls using Skype with your own custom Skype number- Basic chat functions with most chat platforms, such as AIM, Yahoo and ICQ

2008-10-05T13:58:00.001-07:00

Apple Troubles

2008-10-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

"Yesterday, Apple's stock price took a huge hit based on their revised growth estimates, and their weak outlook in a poor US economy. Apple relies on a strong medium to high end consumer market to profit from their notebook and desktop lines. Though this gives them strong control in a niche market, this surely will hurt them at a time when discretionary spending will go down. As the phone market gets more and more saturated iPhone sales will slow hurting Apple's bottom line. Apple is severely lacking an enterprise business and they are not able to sell notebooks to businesses due to their costs and that they are not universally compatible.

People who don't see Apples niche market as a weakness do not understand the tech industry. In the US growth has slowed for these companies and they rely on emerging market growth to pick up the slack. For an emerging market, Apple's products are over-valued and frankly people in emerging markets are not willing to pay so much for a system that they probably don't need. Companies like HP and Lenovo which have low-end machines are dominant in this market; therefore, enabling them to survive through tough economic times. The second problem, relating to Apple's lack of exposure in a commercial environment, deprives them from crucial services revenue during an economic contraction. The few businesses that do use Apple products internally are less likely to upgrade or replace any hardware."

How To Build A Great iPhone App - Forbes.com

2008-09-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

The problem is, if applications aren't easy to use, they won't have a future. The phone only has a limited amount of memory. In addition, too many unused applications will only make the phone harder to get around. "Novelty increases people's tolerance for unusable things," says Dave Yeats, a senior research scientist at Perceptive. "As they use it and the novelty wears off, some of these usability problems will start to be more irritating."

Even when an iPhone has the capability to do something, some applications tap that feature better than others--a situation that can vex some users. For instance, some applications are tuned to be exquisitely sensitive to the phone's accelerometer. Tilt the phone just a hair in some applications and a game character, for example, might go flying off the screen. Other applications, such as a free game called "Tilt Snake," aren't sensitive enough. "You had to almost hold your phone upside down and shake it to get the snake to turn," Yeats says.
The iPhone's original applications typically relied on the same cues for navigating through a program. Not so with the hundreds of newbie apps. "Things that were typically on the top would go to the bottom," Thornton says. "Now there is more variation out there."

Shortcuts are another thing Apple does well. For example, when a user pulls up the keyboard to type in a URL on their gadget, it includes a button marked ".com" that saves them four taps. "They just put themselves in the users' shoes to think about what the user is doing at a particular moment," Yeats says.

The solution, according to Thornton, is to study the applications Apple has crafted for the phone and to copy their structure. One of Apple's best tricks, Thornton says, is to use visual cues to help users figure out what to do next. For example, when a phone goes into sleep mode, an animated slider bar draws users' attention to what they have to do to wake the phone up.

"It's a simple thing like letting your user know where they are at all times," says Yeats. "When your screen is so small, you have to let users know where they are at all times."

And if you're lost on how to help your users find their way, just crack open one of Apple's applications and see how it does it.

apple

2008-08-31T02:24:00.001-07:00

An obituary for Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs was mistakenly published by Bloomberg News on Thursday, according to several reports.
The stock story detailing the death of the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) founder, who is still alive, appeared “momentarily” after a reporter had updated it, Bloomberg said. The incomplete obit was distinctly marked “Hold for release — Do not use,” the reports said
Following is the opening paragraph as it appeared on the Bloomberg wire:
“Steve Jobs, who helped make personal computers as easy to use as telephones, changed the way animated films are made, persuaded consumers to tune into digital music and refashioned the mobile phone, has XXXX. He was TK. Jobs XXXX, TK said XXXXX.”
Bloomberg, which was founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and prides itself on its accuracy and transparency, later published a note acknowledging the story's retraction on its wire.
“An incomplete story referencing Apple Inc. was inadvertently published by Bloomberg News at 4:27 p.m. New York time today,” the message read. “The item was never meant for publication and has been retracted.”

Apple hits 3 million iPhone's sold in its debut month - Aug. 11, 2008

2008-08-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

"Talk about your summer scorchers.
One month after its debut, Apple's new iPhone has hit the 3 million sold mark, according to analyst Michael Cote of the Cote Collaborative.
'They are seeing unprecedented demand,' says Cote, adding that there appears to be no signs of a let up yet. Cote, a former T-Mobile executive, has been extremely accurate with wireless predictions in the past.
An Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) spokesperson declined to comment on Cote's projections."

2008-08-08T01:32:00.001-07:00

"Eight iPhone owners have joined an elite clan: Their gadget is running a program that cost nearly $1,000.

When the iPhone first hit the market in June 2007, those who paid the $499 entry price -- and signed the two-year AT&T contract -- owned a status symbol. A year later, we have the iPhone 3G, Apple Inc.'s speedier, sleeker and, most important, less expensive smart phone, which introduced a section for downloading third-party applications.

Now that the phone is affordable enough for a wider audience, a new status symbol has emerged: a seemingly useless application called I Am Rich.

Its function is exactly what the name implies: to alert people that you have money in the bank. I Am Rich was available for purchase from the phone's App Store for, get this, $999.99 -- the highest amount a developer can charge through the digital retailer, said Armin Heinrich, the program's developer."

dem apples

2008-08-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

iphone

2008-07-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

Apple - iPhone- 7/5/07
iPhone 3G combines three products in one - a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device. It features 3G, built-in GPS, ...www.apple.com/iphone/

2008-07-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

2008-07-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

One Million IPhones Sold. Did Apple Mess Up?
Wired News - 9 hours agoBy Charlie Sorrel July 15, 2008 12:45:08 PMCategories: Apple, iPhone After the initial weekend blowout, you'd think that all things iPhone would be ...

Apple says a million iPhones were sold in three days Newsday

iPhone 3G lives up to the hype CNN International

iPhone 3G lives up to the hype Detroit Free Press

iPhone 3G debut tops 1 million

2008-07-14T23:20:00.001-07:00

Apple Sells One Million Of New iPhone in 3 Days

Wall Street Journal - 2 hours agoAnd new software was released for the old iPhone, which required reactivation of those devices. The iPhone 3G was introduced simultaneously in 21 countries, ...

Can I Resist the iPhone 3G? Slate

Glitches mar debut of iPhone Dallas Morning News

Apple Sells One Million 3G iPhones First Weekend. Ten Million ... Washington Post

2008-07-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

11 cool new apps for the iPhone
Computerworld, MA - 1 hour agoBy Michael DeAgonia July 14, 2008 (Computerworld) With the release of the iPhone 2.0 software on Friday and the opening of the App Store -- where hundreds ...
With the new 3G iPhone an explosion of apps development

2008-07-12T20:17:00.001-07:00

"Early reviews on the iPhone 3G are trickling in, and it looks sweet. It's a little bit faster and a little bit better than the first-generation iPhone. But it's not a breakthrough device. If you already have an iPhone in your pocket, you'll want to think hard about whether to shell out to upgrade.
If you already own an iPhone -- or an iPod Touch -- you'll get the best feature of the iPhone 3G on Friday, delivered to you discreetly by tiny little invisible elves wearing soft-soled shoes. Or, rather, it'll be pushed out to you over the Internet when Apple updates the firmware on existing devices to the iPhone 2.0 operating system, which permits running third-party apps. The software is free for iPhone users, $9.99 for users of the Touch.
What do you get if you spring for the iPhone 3G hardware? Access to the 3G network, of course -- but only if you live in one of the 280 U.S. cities now served by AT&T (NYSE: T) 3G, with AT&T expecting to broaden coverage to 350 cities by year end. A friend who's considering buying the iPhone 3G lives in Iowa -- that whole state isn't served by 3G. The New York Times's David Pogue notes that 10 states don't have any 3G coverage at all."

U.K. demand for iPhone 3G halts O2 preorders | One More Thing - CNET News.com

2008-07-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

"If the online demand for the iPhone 3G in the U.K. is any indication, Apple, O2, and U.S. carrier AT&T could be in for a long weekend.
O2, the U.K. carrier of the iPhone, had hoped to deflect some of the expected demand for Apple's new iPhone, scheduled to launch Friday, by taking preorders for the phone. It sent text messages to existing O2 customers Monday morning informing them of a chance to upgrade to the iPhone 3G. But that prompt overwhelmed O2's Web site Monday, forcing the carrier to halt the upgrade process just minutes after it began, according to a report in The Register. The carrier was likewise forced to pull a separate preordering system for new customers."

Average iPod Has 800-Plus Illegal Tunes

2008-07-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

"The average iPod has more than 800 illegally downloaded songs on it, according to research commissioned by British Music Rights. The group is seeking ways to make illegal downloading less appealing by creating alternatives, such as subscription services."

Apple 3G is here. FINALLY

2008-06-09T22:36:00.001-07:00

"Steven P. Jobs, chief executive of Apple, introduced a new cheaper iPhone model that navigates the Internet more quickly, expanded its distribution overseas and displayed a range of new applications and services in order to establish Apple as a major player in the cellphone industry."

"Apple, the maker of consumer electronics and computer equipment, had set a goal of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008, which would establish it as one of the major smartphone makers in the less than two years since it began shipping the original iPhone. Apple has sold six million phones globally since its introduction.
Analysts said that Mr. Jobs, one of the world’s best product marketers, had largely accomplished what he set out to do and they welcomed the moves he outlined in a presentation before software developers on Monday.
“This is the phone that has changed phones forever,” Mr. Jobs said.
Mr. Jobs said the new iPhone 3G, to be available in the United States through AT&T beginning on July 11, will sell for $199 for the 8-gigabyte model and $299 for a 16-gigabyte model. He said the biggest barrier to people buying the phone had been price. "

apple-grade.jpg (JPEG Image, 463x354 pixels)

2008-05-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

asdfasfaslkja;fjwiej

Verify or Claim All Things Apple - MyBlogLog

2008-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

Bloomberg.com: Research In Motion Unveils Speedier BlackBerry, Beating IPhone

2008-05-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled a BlackBerry phone with quicker Web browsing and more room for songs and videos, getting a jump on a faster iPhone that analysts expect next month.
The device, called the BlackBerry Bold, has a brighter screen and better Web browser than previous models, co-Chief Executive Officer James Balsillie said in an interview. The phone, which also has satellite navigation and a video camera, will start selling at AT&T Inc. for $300 to $400 this summer in the U.S., he said."

14918_large.jpg (JPEG Image, 350x399 pixels)

2008-05-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

14918_large.jpg (JPEG Image, 350x399 pixels)

Slashdot | Apple, New York City In Legal Dispute Over Logo

2008-04-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

"Apple, Inc. has filed a suit to prevent New York City's non-profit 'GreeNYC' initiative from using a logo that incorporates an apple in its design. Commentators have noted the substantial differences between the two designs, not to mention the irony of this sort of infringement apple big micsrosft claim. The city of New York has filed to have the claim rejected, and even possibly the cancellation of Apple's logo in light of the long history of the nickname 'The Big Apple' to describe the city.""