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Microsoft says its $22,000 85-inch Surface Hub S2 can help with social distancing
Microsoft's giant Surface Hub 2S display will arrive in January.
Last month was the hottest January on record
In 141 years of climate records, January 2020 was the hottest January yet, according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. Global land and ocean surface temperatures were 2.05 degrees Fahrenheit (1.14 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-Century average, beating the previous record set in January 2016 by 0.04 degrees F (0.02 degrees C).
TUAW Year In Review: January 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Apps to kickstart your New Year's resolutions With the first day of the new year falling on a Sunday, it's a great day to organize whatever resolutions you've made. Here are a few apps to get started with. Get more organized I'm spending... In which Steve once again predicts the future: the Newton and the iPhone AllThingsD has an interesting story on their site about the Newton and a few specifics on the end of its short life. At the 1997 Worldwide Developer Conference (held the year Steve returned to... Take a tour of the Macworld | iWorld 2012 show floor Just as soon as the show floor opened at this year's Macworld | iWorld 2012 in San Francisco, we grabbed a camera and did a run through the exhibitions on display. You can see all of the various... January 9, 2007: iPhone introduced at Macworld Expo, five years ago As we bid goodbye to this January 9, amidst the CES chaos, we pause to remember. It was five years ago today that Steve Jobs announced the very first iPhone, at the annual Macworld keynote, and... Apple confirms purchase of flash memory firm Anobit Apple spokesperson Steve Dowling spoke to Bloomberg's Business Week and confirmed the company purchased Anobit, an Israeli-based flash memory firm. Israeli newspaper Calcalist broke the story in... Also of interest: "Ask Different" welcomes your Apple questions Target confirms it'll open Apple shops in 25 locations Apple publishes Supplier Responsibility Progress Report The MacBook Air turns four years old today Apple to bring interactive textbooks to the iPad with iBooks 2 (Updated) iBooks Author makes its debut today for creating ebooks (Updated) Three new apps support console games from iOS Apple Store almost worth as much as the White House iPod line experiences major decline year-over-year Macworld | iWorld attendance steady in 2012; many newbies in the crowd New Flaming Lips song features Siri on vocals Siri guest stars on CBS's Big Bang Theory Siri VC Morgenthaler weighs in on iPhone 4S bandwidth badmouthing (Updated) Steve Jobs kept letter from Bill Gates on his nightstand
TechCrunch: January's Apple event to focus on iBooks and publishing
TechCrunch dug up a bit more info on the media event Apple is reportedly holding later this month. According to the site's sources, the event will have less of a consumer focus (don't expect any new hardware), and it will be more about unveiling improvements to the iBooks platform to the publishing industry. TechCrunch's sources haven't determined anything more exact than that, with the exception that this isn't expected to be a "major" event. I don't know about anyone else, but when I hear about "improvements to the iBooks platform" I immediately think, "iBooks for the Mac? I really hope you're talking about iBooks on the Mac, because next to the Kindle platform you're looking kind of silly without it." No specific date for the event has been announced yet, but it's expected later this month.
iPhone alarms work fine on 1/1 and 1/2, if you update iOS
There's two possible explanations for why Engadget's tipline was heating up this morning with emailed complaints about iPhone alarms not going off as scheduled on New Year's Day (first reported last year and fixed in iOS 5), but we haven't heard a peep about the problem. Explanation #1: The vast majority of TUAW readers sporting iOS 5-eligible devices (everything after the 2nd-gen iPod touch and the iPhone 3G) have already updated, and the ones who haven't don't depend on their on-device alarm clocks. Explanation #2: TUAW readers like to do New Year's Eve up good and proper, and are still all sleeping it off. Either way, we wish you a happy 2012, free of handy excuses for oversleeping like "My iPhone didn't wake me up!"
Sphero shipments delayed due to high demand, won't be here-o until January
Our hearts were aflutter with anticipation when the Sphero went up for pre-order last month, but that excitement has since been supplanted by a big knot of disappointment, because the smartphone-controlled robotic ball won't be hitting the market until after the holiday season. In a letter published yesterday, Orbotix CEO Paul Berberian attributed his company's setback to a fundamental economic quandary. "Demand has been greater than expected and our production capabilities are slower than we planned," Berberian wrote. "What that means is only a handful of orders are going to be fulfilled before the holidays and the majority of orders will be fulfilled in January." Writing on behalf of the manufacturer, Berberian went on to accept full blame for the delay, with rather admirable honesty: "We simply underestimated the number of units we'd need to make and, more importantly, we miscalculated how long it would take to bring up the production line." To make up for it, Orbotix is offering free expedited shipping to all customers who pre-ordered the device in time for the holidays, along with a free Sphero t-shirt.
408 Chevrolet Volts and Nissan Leafs sold in US during January, limited supply probably to blame
The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are alike in a lot of ways: both rely on electric motors for their locomotion, both have earned Car of the Year awards (Volt in North America, Leaf in Europe), and both have had stunningly low sales in their first couple of months on sale. January's numbers have just come out and the Volt leads the way with 321 vehicles sold or leased, while Nissan scores an even weaker 87 purchases. That compares to figures of 326 and 19, respectively, for the month of December. Before we all start writing off the EV as DOA (again), let's remember that both companies have massive back-orders for their electrified people carriers, leading us to believe that the most likely cause for this slow trickle of deliveries is a limited supply rather than dwindling demand. Production volumes of the Volt and Leaf are expected to ramp up as we go forward, so panic's inadvisable -- unless we come around to January 2012 and are still looking at fewer sales than the Joojoo managed.
Microsoft's first Windows Phone 7 update coming this month?
It's no secret that Microsoft is anxious to get copy / paste functionality rolled out to Windows Phone 7 users on the double. In his CES keynote last night, Steve Ballmer himself said that it'd be coming soon -- but a little hint on Microsoft's site indicates that it might be coming as soon as this month: the URL Microsoft is using for the update's details page includes "january-update.aspx" in it, which we'd say is pretty telling. Of course, launch dates inevitably slip, and perennial Microsoft guru Paul Thurrott thinks it's tracking for early February before it'll actually reach users' devices... so we wouldn't go canceling vacations you've got scheduled this month just so you can be around to score the update as soon as it's available.
Sony Ericsson LiveView getting much needed January update
Good news for those early adopters burdened by an underperforming Sony Ericsson LiveView: help is on the way. According to the official Sony Ericsson Product Blog, the company will roll out an update via its SE Update Service in January that should address connection issues between the wrist-worn display / remote control and Android phones. Other "minor issues" will be solved with updates to the LiveView Application in the Android Market, though SE isn't clear on when those might be made available -- hopefully soon because we can't wait for this device to finally achieve its potential.
News Corp's 'The Daily' pub to hit iPad in January?
We heard News Corp's "iPad newspaper" The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week of January 17th, in fact, with the caveat that the launch plans have "moved around a couple of times in the past few months." From what we've gathered previously, The Daily will be published daily (surprise, surprise) and cost 99 cents per week (about $4.25 per month) and might leverage a new App Store subscription payment system that could be announced at an Apple event. So... nothing definitive, really. Got that? Good.
Toshiba and Vizio expected to join Google TV bandwagon in January
Content providers might be banning Google TV left, right, and center, but hardware partners don't seem to be losing any enthusiasm. After Samsung openly admitted to contemplating a HDTV with Google TV hardware and software built right in, Toshiba and Vizio are now said to have firm plans to introduce such new products at January's CES 2011. While neither manufacturer would be drawn into confirming this latest bit of insider info, Toshiba's American GM, Jeff Barney, is quoted as saying, "Google certainly is a key partner for us on the PC side and will likely be key for us on the TV side as well." How else could Google function as a key TV partner than with its web-connected TV experience?
Survey: Consumers are replacing other computers with iPad
So, now that both versions of the iPad are out and available, it's probably time to ask the question: does a device like this replace another computer, or is it an entirely new category? Back during the announcement, Jobs was adamant that it was definitely a netbook replacement ("Netbooks aren't better than anything," he said then), but could it even replace notebook computers? According to a new survey, 44% of iPad purchasers say they won't be buying a notebook because of the device. That's not the only computing category taking a hit, either. The same survey found that 41% said they didn't need an iPod touch because of the iPad, and 27% said they wouldn't even need a desktop computer. Now, obviously a survey is a temporary screenshot of people who have just spent $500 on a computer. Just because people say they won't need a new computer in a few years doesn't mean that they won't. Likewise, netbook sales are supposedly dropping off already. After reaching a high last year, they crashed in January after the announcement and then again when the iPad released. The statistics student in us points out that cause doesn't necessarily imply effect, though (and sure enough, the iPad wasn't actually announced until 17 days after the NPD data citing the netbook drop in interest). This is early, early research, and the actual effect the iPad will have on other markets isn't clear yet. As a trend, however, it certainly appears that the iPad will do its best to take a bite out of as many computing markets as it can (and possibly even some of Apple's own device markets). While anecdotal data tells us that the iPad is still mostly a "satellite" computer rather than a full-fledged workstation, this customer survey says that all sorts of users are ready to jump ship on their older technology. [via MDN]
EEDAR: Mass Effect 2 best-selling January release ever
EEDAR vice president and analyst Jesse Divnich has sent out some surprising facts about game sales during the month of January. Well, okay -- it isn't exactly chart shattering that a crapton (that's 572,000) of Mass Effect 2 units were sold last month, but, according to EEDAR's calculations, the game managed to become the best-selling January release of all time in just six days of retail availability. Even with such a small window to achieve the record, Mass Effect 2 completely destroyed the previous record-holder: Poor, poor NFL Street for PS2 (with 325,000 units in sales, for the old record). Though Mass Effect 2 certainly set a high bar for the quarter, Divnich's report suggests that game sales aren't likely to decline with blockbusters like Final Fantasy XIII and God of War III just around the corner. His firm also promises to closely watch sales of Dante's Inferno -- if the game can can beat its expected sales target of 500,000 units over the next three months, it means that those outlandish PR stunts were effective and we can look forward to more cake arms and $200 checks once Purgatorio is inevitably announced. Awesome.
Double XP in Aion this weekend
Since we're aware many of you get your MMO time in on the weekends, double XP events are always something we're keen to post about in a timely manner. This is especially true if you're stuck in a level spread that's seemingly impossible to grind past without developing a desire to redistribute objects on your desk in a forceful manner. Double XP weekends can be a real life saver for the jaded MMO gamer. That's why we're here to tell you that Aion is having one starting on Friday, January 22nd -- although make sure to take a gander at the official post, as it contains the starting time for each server timezone. The weekend ends at 8am (server time) the following Monday, so check which timezone your character's server is set to and plan accordingly. [Thanks, AterNox!]
Rumor du jour: Apple ordering 10" tablet screens
Another week, another day, another round of tablet rumors for the now all-but-confirmed January event. The latest news bouncing around the Interwebs is that Apple has placed an order with panel supplier Innolux for a bevy of 10" touch panels to stick in the new devices, be they called iSlate or whatever the marketing team eventually hits on the dart board. This vibes with what we'd heard earlier about the screen being either 7 or 10" in the diagonal, and it reveals a little bit more about the process: apparently Apple wanted to go with this release earlier, but they were concerned about the strength of the glass. Now they've got the stronger glass they need, so supposedly the rumors on the wind say they're ready for a January announcement, with a release coming in March or April. They've even got another supplier lined up to crank out even more of these screens if needed. A translated WSJ article also says a Taiwanese company called Chang Uei Precision has been signed up to provide "connectors" for the device, but that sounds quite vague and they say a release isn't planned until Q3 of next year. As always, this all remains hearsay -- Apple hasn't even officially announced an event in January yet, much less hinted that they'll be releasing a revolutionary tablet-style device. So remember what Grandma said about counting chickens before they hatch, and don't. But if any of these rumors prove to be true, it'll be an interesting 2010. [via Engadget]
Rumored tablet could include dynamic tactile surface
As a guy who still kind of winces at the iPhone's touch surface sometimes (especially when playing games -- you don't realize how nice buttons are until you see a character die because your thumb's in the way), this is extremely interesting news: Apple's rumored tablet, which we've been hearing a lot about lately, may include a dynamic, tactile surface. This one's on a little shakier ground than the other rumors that we've heard before, but it makes sense. After that anonymous exec told the NYT that the interface on the new tablet would be "surprising," AppleInsider notes this recent pulled out an old patent from a few years ago that talks about a surface that changes its shape and feel based on how it's being used. For viewing pictures with the multitouch, it stays smooth, but the second a keyboard or button pops up, it can push out dots or shapes and become slightly tactile. [Neil from AI sent a note to update us: "Just wanted to clarify that we didn't "dig up" an old patent -- it was filed for in August of this year, and was made public just today. It is, however, very similar to an application first revealed in 2007."] Sounds like it'd be tough to get right (you'd have to figure out when users expect a tactile surface and when they don't, among other interesting UI questions), but of course if anyone can pull it off, it'll probably be Apple. Note that this isn't the only futuristic idea Apple has had for larger multitouch surfaces, and there are lots of different options for interfaces that we'd find "surprising." But the fact remains that though touchscreen devices are extremely popular, users want a little more feel and a little less look. It'd be great to see Apple pull this off, if they are planning on showing off a larger touchscreen next month.
Rumor: Apple event in January, possible 10" tablet demoing iPhone apps
There's a flurry of rumors this morning that Apple is planning an event as soon as this January, though exactly what they'll be showing us is still in question. Most of the buzz (along with our buddy Gene Munster) says we will finally see the long-awaited tablet, and that after a January showing, it might actually be released as soon as March. Which means, of course, that by August, it'll completely revolutionize whatever industry it happens to fall into. That's usually how these things work. While a tablet is still only being bounced around, it's possible that a bigger screen is involved in some way, whether that be in a netbook style computer or something else. A few developers have reportedly been asked to ready their apps for a "full screen" resolution, which would seem to suggest that even if the new device is larger than an iPhone, it'll still run apps off the App Store. And we've even got a size for the screen: 7" has been the rumor, but now you can add three more inches to the diagonal, as a few sources are saying 10" will be the standard. Of course, all of this is hearsay and speculation so far, including the fact that we'll have an event at all. But 2010 has long been expected to finally be the year of the tablet, so why wait? We're looking forward to it. (Picture by Adam Benton for MacFormat magazine)
Rumor: Splinter Cell Conviction demo coming in January
As you might imagine, it's kind of hard to believe the words coming out of someone's mouth when a gold wrestling championship belt is gleaming in our eyes, which is why we're not sure what to believe coming from the mysterious "Adam" regarding a possible Splinter Cell Conviction demo coming this January. Seen with the Hip-Hop Gamer in a video after the break, Adam -- a gentleman who Ubisoft wouldn't confirm to us is an actual employee -- seemingly announces the existence of an upcoming Conviction demo. When asked by the eccentric interviewer about the possibility, Adam responds, "It's coming out in January, and then the actual game: February 23rd." We asked Ubisoft for verification of Adam's words, and were told by a rep, "I cannot confirm a demo at this time." So, anyone know Adam? %Gallery-64705%
Breakfast Topic: So far, so good?
Wow. It's already the end of January. Time flies by so fast that one twelfth of 2009 is already finished. Now would probably a good time as any to ask how you've done so far in Wrath of the Lich King. I'm rather proud that our little guild has downed 25-man Malygos -- I should probably tell Mike to give us a shoutout on Guildwatch -- and that the only thing left for us to do right now is Sartharion with three drakes. Sure, we didn't finish it all in an unimaginable three days, but I'm very happy nonetheless. On a personal note, my wife gave me a Nobles Deck, so I'm looking forward to turning that in for my Darkmoon Card: Greatness this week. It should go rather well with a pretty little hacking thing I got last week. On the other hand, I've neglected my Shaman, who's sitting lonely at Level 70 in Warsong Hold. The only nice thing is that his Engineering is almost maxed out, so I should have no problem learning that Schematic: Mechano-hog when the time comes. I just need to force my lazy butt to level him. My Hunter has yet to step foot in Northrend, and I don't think I've ever logged my Death Knight past the initial leveling experience. My Warlock finally got four pieces of Plagueheart, so I'll try out how that 4-piece bonus works out. Maybe on Loken later, since I've still got some backlogged quests with those happy little giants.Overall, I guess it's been a pretty good start of the year. I've gotten a bit of gear on some characters, decent progression in the endgame, and even enjoyed some success in my favorite thing to do, PvP. How about you? It's the end of January, how's your game coming along so far? Have you leveled more than one character to 80? Ventured into Naxxramas? Any Achievement is notable, even for seasonal things like getting the Elder title. In a game that rewards all our varied playstyles, I'm curious to know how everyone's doing so far.
DS releases for the week of January 19th
For those of us in the United States, this week may be notable for more than video games, despite the debut of the fascinating Big Bang Mini ... and that may not even be limited to us! Well, Big Bang Mini is, but the news goes everywhere.Of course, if you think about it, so do DS games, if you want to pay international shipping. If you want an Obama DS Lite, well, you've gotta do that yourself. Big Bang Mini Jumble Madness SimAnimals Gallery: Big Bang Mini
