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DOJ reportedly expands Apple probe
The New York Post is reporting this week that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is expanding its investigation of Apple in regards to iTunes and changes to the beta iPhone OS 4 SDK. As for iTunes, Apple is accused of allegedly threatening to withhold their typical promotional activities from labels who continued to offer exclusives to Amazon via their Daily Deals campaign. Additionally, the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are negotiating which of them will launch an inquiry into a clause in the iPhone OS 4 SDK that bans the porting of software originally written for Adobe's Flash, Sun's Java or Microsoft's Silverlight/Mono to the iPhone OS. The Post cites "one Hollywood industry source" in their article, so you're free to guess who that might be. In the meantime, we'll follow this story as it develops. Here's hoping justice -- and not sour grapes -- is served. [Via Edible Apple]
Apple to trademark distinctive retail store layout
Patently Apple points out another Apple filing today, this time in reference to the retail stores. Specifically, Apple is looking to trademark the "distinctive design and layout" that they've cultivated since opening their first retail location in 2001. The filing provides two sketches -- one in full color and the other in black-and-white -- and a photo depicting the typical exterior and interior of Apple Stores. On one hand, you've got to wonder exactly how "distinctive" a retail store's interior can be. You've got counters, products, stools and a checkout/desk area. On the other hand, consider the fervor that accompanied the opening of the first Microsoft stores, which bear a striking resemblance to Apple's outlets. Not that they're targeting Microsoft specifically, but any company that would blatantly mimic their successful model. I wonder if the trademark addresses the dancing. [Via MacDailyNews]
Could a closed Mac be in Apple's future?
By all accounts, and despite the groans of inconvenienced developers, iPhone OS has been a smashing success. In the second quarter of 2010, Apple sold roughly 20 million iPhone and iPods, compared to about 3 million Macs. The iPad alone has already sold its millionth unit. That means there are a lot of iPhone OS installations out there on Apple-branded equipment. Under the hood, iPhone OS is virtually the same as the OS X that runs on Mac desktops. Steve Jobs announced this back in 2007, and it has been confirmed by any number of jailbreaks that allow third parties to explore the iPhone OS from the command line. It may be closed but iPhone OS is still basically OS X. What differentiates iPhone OS from Mac OS has been the openness of the platform. Developers must go through Apple's review process to deploy software to the vast audience of iPhone OS device owners. Apple sets the rules, ensures the quality, polices the system. It's a new way of computing, closer to the TiVo or Wii experience than, say, the Windows or Linux experience. Could it be the future of a new Macintosh line?
WSJ: Apple to charge a premium to put ads in mobile apps
When Steve Jobs introduced iAd on April 8th, he provided some details on how it would work, but not all. Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting on the cost for early participants, and it's steep. Apple is currently on a dog-and-pony-show tour, proclaiming the benefits of iAd to potential customers across the US. According to a "person familiar with the matter," initial participants could be charged as much as $10 million. It's a number that has some market veterans surprised. Phuc Truong, managing director at Mobext, called it "...a hefty sum... What Apple is trying to do is certainly above and beyond what's been done in the past." Mobext's clients include Sears, Choice Hotels, Amtrak and Volvo. Apple and developers will share iAd revenue with a 40/60 split; that is, Apple gets 40% while developers get 60%. In addition, Apple will charge advertisers US$0.01 for each ad displayed. If a user taps a banner and brings up an ad, Apple will charge $2. Under the $1 million package, the WSJ points out, costs would potentially reach $1 million with all of that tapping. With 85 million installed iPhone, iPod touch and iPad customers, the potential customer base is huge. I tend to ignore ads in apps, but if they can provide me with something more than a picture and a pitch -- location-based store finders, coupons or a little entertainment for example -- I'll pay attention. Now what about iAd for podcasts?
Apple has purchased mobile assistant app Siri
Siri, the so-called mobile assistant for iPhone, has been purchased by Apple, according to Business Insider (we first looked at Siri in February). Siri reps did not comment on the deal's details, but Business Insider suggests that "a $200 million to $250 million ballpark" is within reason. Siri is a terrifically useful app. Basically, you ask it a question like "nearest cheeseburger" with your voice or by typing. It then notes your location, scours the web and returns the best results. I've used it out here in the middle of nowhere with much success. The speech recognition is quite good. It comes from Nuance, the company who's software powers both Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search. What will Apple do with it? Essentially, it's a mobile, location-based search engine. Steve Jobs recently criticized Google for "...getting in the phone business." Does that mean Apple is getting into the (mobile) search business? Perhaps the technology behind the application will appear in a future iPhone update, perhaps as a standalone app. We imagine it could be a part of the next-generation maps application. Congratulations to the Siri team. [Via Robert Scoble]
Loyal Apple customer bases waited for stores
A study by Experian Simmons demonstrates that customers in several of the USA's ten most Apple-loyal regions waited 5 years or more for an Apple Store to open. The study ranked US cities by the number of adults who own (at least) one iPod, iPhone or Mac. It shouldn't shock you that San Francisco/San Jose area of California ranked highest (32.3 percent of adults met their criteria), while Boston, San Diego, New York City, Chicago, Denver and Las Vegas were also among the top ten. DC, the study points out, is still without a store, despite 30.1 percent of its residents meeting Experian's criteria. Boston's Boylston Street store only opened within the past few years, and other high-ranking cities (Baltimore, Md. at #13, Charlottesville, Virg. at #16 and Boise, Idaho at #25) are still waiting. Of course, some of these cities have stores in the suburbs. The Cambridgeside Apple Store, reachable from Boston by the subway, was one of the very first stores to open. Other stores like Braintree and Peabody are arguably within driving distance of Boston. Likewise, Apple Store Bethesda Row and Apple Store Montgomery Mall are in the greater DC metro area. [Via IfoAppleStore]
Apple Store employees in the dark about iPad
If you want to get an inside tidbit, or even a glimpse of an iPad, don't ask an Apple Store employee. They don't know any more than you do. An article at Reuters describes the cloud of secrecy that continues to enshroud the device, even among its primary sales team. In interviews with anonymous employees (they're barred from speaking with the media), Reuters notes that none of them have seen an iPad, including store managers and Geniuses. "We haven't seen it; we never do," said one employee. Additionally, the Apple Store Geniuses haven't yet been briefed on how to repair iPads. The iPhone's launch in June of 2007 was monitored just as closely by Apple. In fact, Reuters reports that one Apple Store saw two pallets of iPhones arrive 24 hours before launch day; one contained boxed iPhones while the other was just a decoy. Additionally, an assistant manager was told to remain in his store overnight, to provide added security for the iPhone prior to launch. The moral of the story is, don't bother poking around the store and pestering the bright-shirted workers. There's nothing they can tell you. [Via MacNN]
Greenpeace 'unappy' with iPad cloud
Oh, Greenpeace. We thought you and Apple were buddies again. How fragile friendship can be. The iPad's tenuous association with cloud computing has prompted the environmental group to criticize Apple for a carbon footprint that's "...much larger than previously estimated." The concern is that the proliferation of devices that make use of data centers requires ever larger facilities, most of which run on what Greenpeace calls "dirty coal power." In the report, the group emphasized that they are not picking on Apple specifically. "We are not picking on Apple [and] not dissing the iPad. But maybe someone can come up with an app that calculates the carbon footprint of using different web sites based on their location and energy deals." Apple has received both criticism and praise from Greenpeace before. For example, Greenpeace hit Apple with a mock Apple website a few years ago and had fig-leaf clad representatives visit the first Apple Store in continental Europe. Conversely, the group praised Apple's resignation from the US Chamber of Commerce over the group's resistance to limit greenhouse gasses last October. The iPad isn't alone among Apple devices as a stand-in for the environmental flaws of the entire electronics industry and computing infrastructure. Mother Jones magazine, a standard-bearer for progressive causes, has posted a rather blunt "scary truth about your iPhone" page; the app buttons on the mocked-up iPhone 3GS reveal details like where the tin, tungsten and tantalum used in the device are sourced. It's a clever approach, but the iPhone's components and manufacturing process aren't markedly different from those of thousands of other cellphones; MoJo's use of the iPhone, like Greenpeace's targeting of the iPad, is as much about harnessing buzz as it is about raising awareness of environmental challenges. [Via AppleInsider]
Steve Jobs can't wait for your hands and fingers
There have been no shortage of jokes and sniggers about the "iPad" since it was announced, and it's getting more and more difficult to tell reality from a Saturday Night Live skit. Just the other day my non-technical wife asked me, in all sincerity, if "iPeriod" was a real Apple product (no, honey, just someone making a "joke" ... but there is an app for that.) Apple isn't helping matters either. In the press release regarding the iPad's imminent arrival, Steve Jobs is quoted as saying the "iPad connects users with their apps and content in a far more intimate and fun way than ever before" and "[w]e can't wait for users to get their hands and fingers on it this weekend" in reference to the iPad's "revolutionary Multi-Touch™." Really, Steve? Really? The only people I expect to be this excited to get their "hands and fingers busy" over the weekend are teenagers who have just started dating. Read on for more...
Apple's new Senior Prototype Engineer to work on wearable computing
More news from the HR department, as Apple's hiring is extending beyond the Googleplex raid noted earlier. The company's new Senior Prototype Engineer, Richard W. DeVaul, has a Ph.D. in Media Arts & Sciences from MIT. The cool part, Computerworld notes, is that DeVaul has experience in wearable technologies. He's the co-founder of AWare Technologies, and his dissertation was on a project called "The Memory Glasses," a wearable memory aid that required minimal attention from the user. The only wearable technology that Apple has produced is the Nike+ iPod kit. When stuck inside a sneaker (or attached to the laces), it feeds information to an app running on an iPod or iPhone regarding a jogger's speed, distance, calories burned and so on. While serious runners have questioned its accuracy, it has motivated a number of otherwise couch-bound geeks to hit the street. As Computerworld points out, Apple has patented a large number of wearable fitness devices lately. Perhaps it's these that DeVaul will be working with, though we imagine that such a brilliant engineer will have his own ideas. In either case, we're looking forward to what comes of this new collaboration. [Via MacRumors]
Apple earns 5.5 percent total market share in France
Apple had a great holiday sales quarter in the US and now research firm Gartner is reporting similar good news from Europe. Specifically, Apple shipped 182,000 machines in the fourth quarter of 2009, giving it a 5.5 percent total market share in France. It should be noted that Apple didn't reach the top five in any other European country. Overall PC sales declined throughout Europe in 2009, while Mac sales in the U.K. increased from 3.8 percent in 3Q 2008 to 5 percent in 3Q 2009. Gartner attributed the increase partly to the "halo effect." That's the common term for increased sales of Macs from PC owners who have purchased iPods or iPhones and find that they love the design and ease of use of the Apple devices. The only manufacturer to out-perform Apple's growth in Europe during 2009 was Acer, which saw 35.5 percent growth. Currently there are two Apple retail stores in France: Apple Store Odysseum in Montpellier and Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre in Paris.
Wired: Steve's six sneakiest statements
Steve Jobs' ability to enchant and persuade is often referred to as the "Reality Distortion Field." It's this power that convinces people who own 2 or 3 iPods that they need just one more. He's also made some convincing statements that his company later contradicted in grand fashion. Last week, Brian X. Chen compiled six of the biggies at Wired's Gadget Lab (reprinted at CNN), including one of our favorites: "There are no plans to make a tablet," Jobs once told Walt Mossberg. "It turns out people want keyboards ... We look at the tablet, and we think it is going to fail." Brian also listed Steve's insistence that Apple won't make a cell phone and that "...people don't read any more." Of course, part of Steve's purpose here is to misdirect market watchers, customers and competitors from his company's plans. But more than that, this speaks to Apple's incredible patience. Apple isn't usually the 1st to market. It didn't create the first digital music player. It certainly didn't create the first mobile phone and it didn't create the first tablet computer. The important thing is that Apple engineers took the time to devise the absolute best way to implement each of those devices. If that requires a bit of reality distortion, so be it.
Apple bans hackers from App Store
"Banned" might not be the right word, but that's what user serif_hashim is saying. He says he's been denied access to the App Store from their iPhones by Apple. When sherif_hashim tried to connect, he was greeted with the image at right, which he explained via Twitter: "Your Apple ID was banned for security reasons", that's what i get when i try to go to the app store, they must be really angry :) )))) and guess what my apple ID was, "sherif_hashim@yahoo.com", what a fool was me not to notice :) )), can't help laughing, they are babies :) ))" Sherif Hashim recently found an exploit in iPhone OS 3.1.3 to unlock 05.12.01 Baseband for iPhone 3G and 3GS, which was later confirmed by the iPhone Dev-Team. Hacker iH8sn0w was the second to report the issue, saying on Twitter: "@sherif_hashim lol, they did that to my ih8sn0wyday[@t]googmail.com too. (right after I posted XEMN)..." iH8sn0w is the user behind Sn0wbreeze, the jailbreaking tool for Windows. It should be noted that these users aren't typical jailbreakers. One has publicized an exploit and the other maintains a jailbreaking tool. Plus, they used their handles in the account emails, which wasn't the best choice. We'll see if the issue becomes more widespread. We question serif_hashim's used of "banned" because this message can be triggered by entering a bad password several times across any service that uses your Apple ID, like the App Store, iTunes, Apple Photo Services and MobileMe. It's not likely that he entered a bad password enough times, but it's possible. Users in this situation can use iForgot to regain access. [Via 9 to 5 Mac]
Chinese manufacturer prepared to sue over iPad
It's Monday, let's sue Apple! Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen Great Loong Brother Industrial is reportedly considering suing Apple over the design of the iPad, claiming that it bears too close a resemblance to their P88. in an interview with El Mundo, Shenzhen Great Loong Brother Industrial's president Xiaolong Wu said that the two devices are "completely identical." In fact, the P88 features that are "completely identical" to the iPad include: Windows XP A webcam A 250GB internal hard drive A thicker and heavier body A resistive touch display (the iPad uses multi-touch) 1.5 hours of battery life Plus they're both rectangles. With black borders. Ed Sutherland summed it up best at Cult of Mac: "How do you get more attention for a largely unknown netbook at a time when the tech press has the vapors for Apple's iPad? You sue Apple and claim its new device is just a clone of your netbook."
Analysts project iPad sales
Some people hate it, some people love it and some people attempt to predict its future.* Members of the last group include Shaw Wu of Kaufman Brothers and Needham's Charlie Wolf, both of whom are cautions about the iPad's performance. Wu brandishes the obvious like broadsword, noting that the Wi-Fi iPad will probably sell better than those with a data plan because it will cost less and that 3G users can expect slower speeds that those with Wi-Fi. He feels that Apple's prediction of 10 million units sold in 2010 won't be realized. Instead, Wu surmises, they'll sell about 5 million. Kaufman holds that the iPad is "...not a revolutionary product" that won't take off without certain 3rd-party solutions, like books and customized iPad apps. His sales prediction is even more conservative than Wu's at 4 million units sold. They both like the entry price however, and we agree with them there. When the pundits were saying $1,000 before the announcement, we knew that wouldn't jibe with Steve's ambition to get one in as many homes as possible. Wu notes that the displays alone may be costing Apple $100 each, yet they've been very aggressive with the pricing. Here's my prediction: Apple will sell a mountain of these things and by this time next year, the nay-sayers will be downloading Humble Pie 1.0. *But none have USED it, so let's keep that in mind.
Apple has scheduled internal town hall-style iPad meeting
Just a day after the iPad's introduction, MacNN reports that Apple has scheduled an internal, town hall-style meeting for employees regarding the iPad. Details of the meeting's agenda are unknown to us outside of Apple, but it's a safe guess that attendees will receive a thorough overview of the device, both in function and philosophy, perhaps iPads themselves and a clear sense of what Steve Jobs called "the most important thing I've ever done." Shortly after the iPhone was introduced, a similar internal meeting was scheduled. At that gathering, employees supposedly received iPhones and asked questions of Steve. One attendee famously asked about the simultaneous existence of the iPhone and iPod, to which Steve said that if some company was going to cannibalize their sales, it might as well be Apple. Certainly meetings like these inform employees but also generate precious word-of-mouth. Apple is obviously deadly serious about the device and we're looking forward to its appearance on store shelves.
Apple announces Q1 financial conference call
It's that time again. Apple will be live streaming their Q1 financial conference call on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 2pm PDT/5pm EDT. To follow along (Quicktime required), visit this page on the 25th. Of course, TUAW will be live-blogging the event with commentary, so feel free to join us for all the announcements plus a lively discussion. If the analyst's predictions are accurate, we should anticipate a blockbuster report. For example, Brian Marshall at Broadpoint.AmTech has estimated that Apple sold 3.3 million Macs during the last quarter, which would be an all-time single-quarter sales record. Meanwhile, estimates of iPhone sales during the same time period range from 11.30 million units sold (according to Brian Marshall at Broadpoint AmTech) to 8.17 million units (according to Mark Moskowitz, J.P. Morgan). The interesting thing is that the low estimate, 8.17 million iPhones sold, would represent a 10.8% increase from the last September's record of 7.37 million if true. We'll have all the facts in a few days.
Estimates emerge of Apple's Q1 iPhone, Mac sales
Apple typically reports their 1st quarter financial results in late January, so we'll have to wait a few more weeks for the official word. However, the analysts have begun to share their estimates and the numbers are very impressive. Brian Marshall at Broadpoint.AmTech has estimated that Apple sold 3.3 million Macs during the last quarter, according to MacNN. Here's a little perspective: Apple's all-time sales record for Macs, set during the previous quarter, is 3.05 million. That record was a 17 percent jump from the 2.6 million it sold in the same quarter a year ago. Marshall also suggests that laptop sales could be up as much as 19 percent year-over-year at 865,000 units. Meanwhile, Philip Elmer-DeWitt has begun gathering estimates of iPhone sales and posting them at Brainstorm Tech. They range from 11.30 units sold (Brian Marshall at Broadpoint AmTech) to 8.17 units (Mark Moskowitz, J.P. Morgan). The interesting thing is that the low estimate, 8.17 million iPhones sold, would represent a 10.8% increase from the last September's record of 7.37 million if true. Despite would could have been a rocky year for Apple -- Steve Jobs was out for serious health reasons and a lousy US economy -- they did very well. Are you optimistic for 2010 or waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Swedish developers vie for Steve Jobs's attention
The App Store approval process has been criticized, in part, for being too slow with approval decisions. Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller recently defended the process, saying, "You and your family and friends can download applications from the store, and for the most part they do what you'd expect, and they get onto your phone, and you get billed appropriately, and it all just works." That's all well and good, but most developers just want to get their app out. To that end, a group in Sweden is trying something unique. Dearstevejobs.com was built to win Steve's attention and ultimately approval for an app called SVT Play. SVT is a public television broadcaster, and SVT Play is their shows' home on the web (think Hulu). The iPhone app works as you'd imagine: With a few clicks, users can watch popular shows right on their iPhones. The promotional site is cute with live streaming video of eager developers, Facebook and Twitter integration plus an opportunity for Steve to use his Mac's built-in iSight to record a quick video of himself saying, "Ja!" Good luck, SVT! Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Fortune names Jobs "CEO of the Decade"
Forbes Fortune bestowed a significant honor on Steve Jobs today, naming him their CEO of the Decade. Fortune outlines the incredible leaps in business, technology and industry Apple has made since Steve's return. For anyone who might not remember, the 90's were not kind to Apple and nearly everyone thought the company was finished. Consider this incredible fact: Apple launched OS X and iTunes, opened the first two retail stores and introduced the first iPod ... all in the same year (2001). Fortune also goes on to describe how Steve changed the film industry with Pixar, the music industry with the iTunes Store and the cell phone industry with the iPhone and the App Store. He also kicked cancer's ass. This is precisely why I'm excited about the prospect of a new piece of hardware from Apple. I won't call it a tablet because that's not what it will be. Apple didn't invent the digital music player, the mobile phone or mass distribution of media. But, they did demonstrate how to do those things the right way, which no one else could come up with. If there's a new product coming, comparing it to contemporary tablets or netbooks is a huge mistake, because it won't behave like any of them. Click below to watch Fortunes' video on this announcement. [Via MacDailyNews]
