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Rank and file tech workers have been fed up. In 2022, they organized
There are any number of reasons to give a failing grade to The Year That Was, but for those searching for a glimmer of hope, 2022 was the year unions won elections at two of the world's biggest tech companies, with a third likely on the way.
Mozilla is ready to test Firefox on iOS, but only in New Zealand
iPhone and iPads owners looking for a browser alternative are one step closer to seeing Mozilla's option on their devices, but right now a "preview" of the app is only available in New Zealand. In a blog post it says this limitation is so it can gather feedback before taking it to a few more countries ahead of any public launch. Assuming you are a Kiwi, you can try out its Intelligent Search with suggested results across certain sites, and sync your info from the desktop with a Firefox account. Everyone else is invited to sign up for a notification of when the app will arrive in their country.
Carl Icahn's open letter to Tim Cook
Activist shareholder and invstor Carl Icahn is back at work poking at Apple, this time in a letter to Tim Cook published on the Shareholders' Square Table website. The short version? "Dear Tim, Remember all of those shares of Apple stock I bought? Speed up your stock repurchase plan by buying them back from me." Of course, there's much more than that to the letter from Icahn, his son Brett Icahn, and David Schechter. For example, a breakdown of how each Apple product line is performing both now and how Icahn expects the products to do in the future, as well as forecasting that Apple will get into UltraHD Television in FY 2016. Icahn goes so far as to forecast that Apple's going to sell "12 million 55" and 65" TV sets in FY 2016 and 25 million in FY2017". That should make Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster ecstatically happy. So why the interest in the company's future fortunes? Icahn makes his case that Apple stock is currently undervalued - the price of a share of Apple today was just over US$101, and Icahn thinks the company is actually worth about double that: $203 per share. And what he's doing is asking Apple to buy back his shares, of course at a premium over the current market price - that's what a tender offer is. Icahn, who owns 53 million shares of AAPL, would like for Cook to communicate "to the rest of the board our request for the company to make a tender offer, which would meaningfully accelerate and increase the magnitude of share repurchases." This, of course, will benefit Icahn hugely: "We feel compelled to do so because we forecast such impressive earnings growth over the next few years, and therefore we believe Apple is dramatically undervalued in today's market, and the more shares repurchased now, the more each remaining shareholder will benefit from that earnings growth." The letter is well thought out, peppered with statements from Wall Street analysts, and optimistic about Apple's fortunes for the future. But there's a bit of "we know better than you" snarkiness throughout, ending with "To be totally clear, this letter is in no way intended as a criticism of you as CEO, nor is it intended to be critical of anything you or your team are doing from an operational perspective at Apple. Quite to the contrary, we could not be more supportive of you and your team, and of the excellent work being done at Apple, a company that continues to change the world through technological innovation." So why tinker with a finely-oiled machine? Because Icahn can easily help his 53 million shares gain value just by publishing a "friendly letter" like this. It will be fascinating to see what response, if any, is forthcoming from Cupertino.
NFL Network's Thursday Night Football Xtra app comes to Android
Just in time to arrive alongside some real referees, the NFL Network has expanded the companion app experience for its Thursday night game to include Android users. Now active as the Browns take on the Ravens in a game where a defender catching the ball in the end zone with both hands is likely to be ruled an interception and not a touchdown, Thursday Night Football Xtra promises fans additional interaction with polls, games, stats. There's also live video reports from Simon Wilcots on the sideline, as well as some conveniently placed ads as seen in the screenshot above. We checked it out early on and the content available was mirrored across devices and platforms, although it was oddly stuck in portrait mode on our Nexus 7. The feature debuted on iOS last week, and is now available on Android phones and tablets as a separate app from the standard NFL '12. Hit the source link below to download it (Verizon subscribers have their own version) as we wait to see if Brandon Weeden can learn to play quarterback before he turns 30.
Griffin's Helo TC Assault helicopter now on sale, gives you yet another way to annoy co-workers
It was way back at CES when Griffin's Helo TC Assault chopper first landed on our radar, and now it's set for retail takeoff. Remember the original TC we played with last summer? This Apache-inspired RC helicopter comes with the same IR flight deck, allowing for motion or touchscreen controls with Android and iOS devices. Aside from its aggressive design, the Assault lives up to its moniker thanks to six plastic missiles which you can "live-fire" toward unsuspecting co-workers. If you're ready to wage war against the likes of desk-mounted USB Missile Launchers, the TC Assault is on sale now for $60 -- though, you'll need to add-in a quartet of AAs on your own. Jump past the break to see how Griffin envisions the chopper serving during deployment, along with a detail-packing press release.
Apple Cash Call: TUAW Liveblog
Welcome to our liveblog of the Apple financial call discussing the company's cash position. As announced in the 8:30 am press release, Apple plans to issue a dividend and initiate a stock buyback program.
Apple's iPod nano now $149 for 16GB and $129 for 8GB (update: 2010 nanos get the goodies too)
Apple keeps coming with the news from its "Let's talk iPhone" event, and the latest is a price drop for its diminutive PMP, the nano. From now on, you'll be forking over $129 for an 8GB version and $149 for twice the tunage space. Additionally, Cupertino's tossing in big icons -- as opposed to the grid of 4 that was the only option previously -- 16 new clocks (Mickey Mouse included!) to go with all those fabulous watch accessories, and workout tracking abilities right out of the box so you no longer need a Nike+ shoe dongle to see how many calories you've burned. Not bad for a little guy, eh? Full PR after the break. Update: Thanks to the folks over at 9to5 Mac, we now know that owners of 2010 nanos will get the software update with the new features too. %Gallery-135721%
HDMI group reportedly putting a stop to Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapters
If you've been thinking about buying a one piece Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cable to bring vids from your Macbook to an HDTV, you may want to get it now. According to a report from TechRadar, the group behind HDMI has decided they don't meet the requirements and cannot be tested or licensed for compatibility. Their sin? Not having a male HDMI plug on each end as required by the spec, which only allows for dongles featuring an all-female pairing of Mini DisplayPort and HDMI to get the job done. We've contacted the group to find out exactly what's going on, but until we hear back it may be prudent to keep an eye on suddenly black-market cable pricing like gasoline before a big holiday.
Engadget Podcast 123 - 12.27.2008: Goodbye 2008 edition
Yes, it's that time of year again. The end of the year. This is the final podcast of 2008, but just the tip of the iceberg in the world of Engadget podcasting. Cuddle up by the fireplace and listen in as Josh, Nilay, and Paul reminisce about their time at the reader meetup, pontificate on Apple's exit from Macworld, speculate about the Adamo and VAIO P, and much, much more. Go on and listen -- you know you want to. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Jump 01:22 - Apple announces final MacWorld, Steve Jobs won't deliver keynote 13:15 - Thank you NYC! 20:26 - Dell confirms shocking truth: Adamo to rival MacBook Air 27:34 - Sony P-series "netbook" unveiled, underwhelming 37:51 - HP Firebird 803 tower with VoodooDNA leaked! 51:32 - Editorial: All I wanted this year was the best smartphone ever Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.
Apple investors miss one more thing
Hey, you can't announce a new iPhone every year.
Apple stock help drive mutual fund returns
I'm not Wall Street wunderkind but it doesn't take Warren Buffet to know that Apple's stock has been performing well. It would seem that, at least according to the New York Times, Apple's performance coupled with Google and RIM has lead to many mutual funds seeing extraordinary growth this year. Many funds are glad they didn't sell all their Apple stock when it seems that it just couldn't go any higher (how high can it go? I have no idea, but since I don't own any Apple stock it really matters little to me).
Motley Fool declares Apple stock of 2008
Will 2008 be the year of Apple? I thought 2007 was the year of Apple (and before that 2006 wasn't too shabby as I recall), but it would seem that those foolish stock dudes over at The Motley Fool think that Apple stock will be the stock to have in 2008. They point out Apple's aggressive, and successful, retail growth, the iPod and iPhone, and rumors of movie rentals in iTunes as reasons to be bullish about Apple. Not to mention that people actually like Leopard (no offense, Vista, you are trying pretty hard and we appreciate it!).I, personally, do not own a single share of Apple but I wonder how many TUAW readers out there are shareholders. Sound off in the comments.
Vodafone to have exclusive rights to 3G iPhone in Q1?
It's been awhile since we've had a decent 3G iPhone rumor to kick about. Perhaps it was the collective disappointment of the 2.5G release on Europe which deflated all the mongering. Whatever it was, we all know it's coming, it's just a question of when. Well, the gossip coming out of Italy calls for a Q1 release of a UMTS iPhone. Italian site Morse.IT claims to have spoken to high-level sources and "confirms" in no uncertain terms that Vodafone has signed an exclusive deal with Apple. Right, the same company currently suing T-Mobile in Germany for their iPhone exclusivity. The launch of the 3G iPhone would occur simultaneously in all countries where the carrier operates but will not be announced until after the holidays (MacWorld?) to avoid impacting sales of the existing iPhone. The timing jibes well with other rumors calling for a 3G release before May. Still, a Vodafone iPhone sold in the UK and Germany would seem a violation of those long-term exclusive deals presumably signed with Apple by O2 and T-Mobile, right? Sure, unless of course, those contract were for rights to the "iPhone," not the "iPhone 3G" you silly lawyers. [via Unwired View]
Nasdaq warns Apple of non-compliance
Following reports of possible stock option improprieties by Apple executives and continuing internal and external investigations of these concerns, Apple has announced that it will delay the filing of its Q3 quarterly earnings reports until it is satisfied that the issues have been properly accounted for and addressed. Delay of the filing puts Apple out of compliance with Nasdaq regulations, and continued non-compliance without taking proper measures are grounds for Nasdaq to cease listing of Apple shares. Apple has said it's stock will remain listed pending a hearing and decision by the Nasdaq listing qualifications board. Despite these issues, perhaps because Apple itself–and not a third party, uncovered the irregularities, Apple stock has remained fairly stable.
Welcome Blogging Stocks
We here at TUAW don't know our dividends from our splits, luckily for us the latest member of the Weblogs, Inc family is here to save the day. Blogging Stocks is a finacne focused blog that, for the moment, is covering eight differnet companies. Why should you care? Well, our favorite fruity computer company is one of the eight. Check out bloggingstocks:aapl for obsessive Apple stock coverage.
