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Sheryl Sandberg: Facebook spoke too slowly about Cambridge Analytica
A day after Mark Zuckerberg's media tour, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg did her part in front of cameras to apologize and also make a muted reference to possible regulation. Speaking to CNBC the exec said "It's not a question of if regulation, it's a question of what type" and said that if she could do the last week over again, she'd have spoken publicly sooner on the company's dealings with Cambridge Analytica. Like Zuckerberg, there isn't much new in her comments, as Sandberg reiterated that Facebook changed the data privacy policies in question years ago, "but that wasn't enough."
Amazon brings voice control to Hulu and other video apps on Fire TV
You can already use Alexa voice commands to steer some video playback on a Fire TV, but Amazon is about to throw the doors wide open. It just unveiled a slew of partners that will use the Video Skills Kit to add Alexa support to their video apps, and these are definitely companies you'll recognize: Hulu, PlayStation Vue, CBS All Access, Bravo, Showtime and multiple NBC apps will all take spoken playback commands. You might not have to lift a finger to skip backwards in The Handmaid's Tale or switch live channels in Vue.
CNBC shows how not to handle a security screwup
As articles go, Tuesday's CNBC piece trying to cobble together the Apple/FBI fight with interactive clickbait -- a little box where readers should enter their password to test its hackability -- was a stretch. Worse, the story, called "Apple and the construction of secure passwords," hinged entirely on encouraging people to do something no one should ever, ever do. Namely, enter a password anywhere except the proper login page. CNBC, it seems, was trying to teach its readers about security.
CNBC taught a horribly botched lesson in password security
CNBC just learned a hard, hard lesson about password security. The news outlet posted (and promptly took down) an article on the subject whose centerpiece was a "how strong is your password?" text entry box that, if anything, was a classic example of how not to manage those all-important logins. For a start, Google's Adrienne Porter Felt noticed that the box sent your password unencrypted, guaranteeing that any snoop could intercept it and test it against your real accounts. To make matters worse, others discovered that the site sent the password to not just a Google Docs spreadsheet, but to multiple third parties -- when CNBC said "no passwords are being stored," it was flat-out wrong.
Hyperloop might be 'free to play'
We're all expecting to pay through the nose to travel between LA and SF in just 30 minutes, but the minds behind Hyperloop may have a surprise up their sleeve. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies' Dirk Ahlborn has told CNBC that he's considering a business model that apes what we see in free-to-play mobile games. The CEO is kicking around the idea that the travel itself would either be free or dirt cheap, with passengers charged for a series of as-yet undisclosed upgrades. Of course, since we're still a decade or more away from a commercial version of the system, there's plenty of time for him to change his mind.
Apple TV gets two new apps: Fox Now and CNBC
One of the things you can't find on the Apple TV is an official store for apps, but this hasn't kept the tiny box from becoming a solid device for entertainment purposes. To make things better, the Apple TV is adding Fox Now and CNBC to its ever-growing content repertoire, though there are the usual pay-TV caveats to consider. If you do have the right subscription, however, you can unlock each application's full potential right away, which means access to a lot more videos, live and on-demand. Fox Now, for its part, features full episodes from different shows, including Glee, Family Guy, New Girl and Masterchef. CNBC, meanwhile, lets you watch a live stream of some of its programming if you're a cable subscriber; as 9to5Mac points out, there are on-demand clips available within the news-focused channel, but that's as much as cord-cutters should expect. Both new apps are showing up on our Apple TV already, so be prepared to see them on yours the next time you power it on.
Jobs tops CNBC's "most influential" list and more news for April 29, 2014
A free iPhone voice & data plan (no, really), Steve Jobs back in the news and a reminder that there's a lot more to do in this world that stare at your phone. Here's this afternoon's Apple news. CNBC has compiled a list of the most influential business leader of the last 25 years, and Steve Jobs is at the top. "More than any other member of our group of extraordinary entrepreneurs and executives-all outstanding leaders-his vision spurred changes far beyond his industry and put an indelible stamp on the wider culture," the magazine wrote. In the number two spot is Steve's former rival, Bill Gates. FreedomPop has announced free voice and data plan for iPhone. The offer is location-specific so enter your zip code and physical address to see if you qualify. If so, you've got a choice: buy a refurbished 16 GB iPhone 5 (US$349) or BYO Sprint-ready iPhone 4, 4s, or 5. Finally, a gentle reminder that not everything is available in the App Store. So power down once in a while.
CNBC publishes abysmal list of "things Apple needs to do right now"
Apple naysayers are a dime a dozen these days, and you don't have to dig very far on any business or general tech website to find someone who thinks Cupertino is akin to a barn on fire. So when I say I was actually shocked at how ridiculous CNBC's recent "Three things Apple needs to do right now" op-ed is, you know it has to be especially bad. And it is. The article was written by Michael Yoshikami, CEO of Destination Wealth Management. Let's dive in. Apple is trying to tap into the billion-dollar industry of health and well-being monitoring, which is currently dominated by Sony and Fitbit. This is an encouraging sign of innovation at the company, something many question whether Apple possesses or not now that Steve Jobs is no longer at the helm. I think it's well past time to drop the whole "can Tim Cook lead Apple?" schtick. Under Cook we've seen the release of the iPhone 4s, 5, 5c and 5s, the iPad 3, 4, Air, and both minis, and a wealth of new Mac products, not to mention the completely revamped iOS 7. Yes, many of those -- particularly the products released in late 2011 and 2012 -- are evolutions of products that were likely well underway while Jobs was still calling the shots, but we've seen absolutely nothing to suggest Cook is anything but perfectly in tune with what consumers want. Suggesting otherwise is irresponsible, useless hand wringing. Without innovation, tech companies get left behind. That's something Apple knows all too well and something we've seen in a couple of other tech giants recently. Apple ≠ BlackBerry. Apple ≠ Sony. Apple ≠ HTC. Apple can't just come out with a new iPhone that is a minor upgrade to their current iteration; it simply won't fly. Correct, and that's why Apple has never, ever done that in the history of the iPhone. There's no reason to think it's going to start now. Apple needs to do three things to regain their reputation for innovation: 1. Present to the marketplace new products in untapped segments (such as TV, payment mechanisms, and health-tracking devices) First, I'd argue that Apple hasn't lost any of its reputation for leading the way with new and unique technology. Its smartphones and tablets are the most capable, shaming its competitors almost universally, and when Apple introduces a new iPhone feature, you can mark your calendar and expect it to appear on a Samsung phone within six months. Second, these new product categories read like something the author overheard at a Starbucks in the valley last summer. Yes, Apple is building a team of health experts that are almost certainly working on adding new functionality to existing gadgets, creating an entirely new product, or both. Yes, Apple is interested in expanding its capabilities in the living room, as evidenced by emphasis on its Apple TV offerings. And yes, mobile payments are something every company would like a piece of. Telling a company it "needs to do" something it's already doing isn't prophetic. 2. Deliver a next-generation iPhone that isn't just evolutionary but instead contains meaningful technological advances such as the fingerprint scanner included in the iPhone 5s. Let me rephrase this one to make its silliness crystal clear: "Remember how Apple introduced a revolutionary feature with the iPhone 5s just a few months ago? Well they need to do that again... or they're doomed." This is a bit like saying that Paypal needs to keep taking online payments or they're screwed. Yeah, we get it, Apple needs to keep being awesome. 3. Paint a clear vision as to their view on the emergence of new technology and how it will be incorporated into products. Is this the 1980s? Do you want a mission statement? Apple paints a clear picture of their view on new technology every time a new Apple product is introduced. Apple has never been shy about both introducing completely new features and adopting fantastic functionality from its competitors. If you don't know how Apple feels about this, you really haven't been paying attention. I believe Apple will shock skeptics and demonstrate in 2014 that innovation is alive and well at the company. While no one can replace Steve Jobs, there is ample bench strength that will push Apple into new markets with innovative products. Oh lovely, and the entire rant is wrapped up with a prediction that Apple will be just fine. Of course it will. Apple will be fine because the company doesn't read ridiculous lists of things it "needs to do." Nothing to see here, folks.
NBC lays out 2012 London Olympics broadcast plan on TV, internet, apps and in 3D (video)
Love it or hate it, we're stuck with NBC as our Olympics broadcaster in the US, and the company recently laid out its full plans for the 2012 Olympics in London this summer. The good news first: NBCOlympics.com will live stream every single event (they'll even be on YouTube, and in the UK the BBC has its own plans) for the first time ever including streams of each of its channels, encompassing 3,500 total hours and the awarding of all 302 medals. The bad news is that if you're not a cable subscriber, many of those hours will not be available to you, and even if you are, you're looking at a (likely convoluted) authentication sign-in process. That's a little bit of pain, sure, but it should mean what we've been asking for -- the ability to watch all Olympics events as they happen, not tape delayed for prime time after viewing grainy bootleg streams over the internet. Also new for the internet are multiple streams for the same event, so for example, viewers can select a particular gymnastics apparatus or track and field event at will. On mobile devices, NBC also has plans for two different apps on phones and tablets, with one that brings live video streams and another with highlight clips. It didn't specify what platforms they would be available for, but we'd assume the usual suspects (iOS, Android) will be first up. On pay-TV cable, satellite and telco providers it's also providing dedicated channels for basketball and soccer, although it's up to your provider to pick them up. The same goes for the 242 planned hours of 3D coverage it's producing in partnership with Panasonic, which will unfortunately air on 24 hour tape delay, just like the HD broadcast was back in 2004 (we've got chips.... and salsa!). For the full breakdown of all 5,535 hours of coverage across NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Telemundo and everything else check out the press release after the break, plus an Olympics preview trailer. While there are some limits for cord cutters, sports fans with pay-TV should be ready to experience the best Olympics coverage ever with the ability to watch what we want, instead just what's on the TV schedule.
CNBC: Quad-core iPad 3 with LTE to be unveiled in New York (update: not New York)
The above tweet from CNBC says it all, really. Apparently sources close to the news network have revealed that the iPad 3 will be unveiled in New York rather than the traditional West Coast unveiling of previous products. It's interesting to note that the recent Mountain Lion briefings and Education event were both based in the Big Apple, lending some weight to the claim. Although company expert Jim Dalrymple has already rebutted the broadcaster's claim about the location. The rest? Well, it certainly tallies with the most recent crop of rumors, but when it's Apple-silly season we won't believe anything until we see it.Update: Here it comes. The official invitations have been sent out by the company to an event in San Francisco on March 7th.
LightSquared's Phil Falcone talks to CNBC, airs his feud with Verizon and AT&T (video)
Time to call in the wireless waahmbulance. LightSquared's billionaire backer Phil Falcone made his television debut on CNBC's Power Lunch to cry foul at the behind-the-scenes lobbying drama that could put the brakes on his 4G dreams. The hedge fund manager pointed his finger at AT&T and Verizon, claiming both are trying to "stomp out innovation" and competition by working in cahoots with the Save Our GPS Coalition. The soon-to-launch LTE network continues to encounter significant opposition from the group, as its tests have shown LightSquared's planned 40,000 stations will transmit signals "up to 800 billion times" more powerful than low-powered GPS, effectively blocking it out. Falcone insists that all parties involved knew of the potential interference issues back in 2003, when the FCC first mandated the network's build-out, and promises a switch to the company's lower block of spectrum will remedy 99 percent of the problem. Whichever side of this he said / they said brouhaha you believe, one thing's for sure -- the 4G race is getting pretty ugly.
"CNBC Titans" Steve Jobs biography airs Thursday
CNBC will air an unauthorized biography of Steve Jobs on its "CNBC Titans" show this Thursday. The season premiere of the Titans show will explore "the undisputed king of Silicon Valley for the better part of three decades." Being an unauthorized documentary, there's probably not that much new information on Jobs that people can't find elsewhere. However, any show about the man who brought us the Mac, iPod and iPhone is sure to be interesting -- at least if you're a tech geek like me. If you don't want to wait until Thursday, CNBC has posted some web extra video clips on its Titans site. CNBC Titans: Steve Jobs airs Thursday, June 23 at 9 PM PT/1 AM ET. For those of you interested in more Steve Jobs history, his official biography is now available for pre-order on Amazon; the book is scheduled to be published in 2012.
iPads are becoming as important to doctors as their stethoscopes
For many doctors, iPads are becoming "...as important to patient care as their stethoscope," according to a segment on CNBC. Last year about 22 percent of doctors started integrating iPads into their practice. At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, iPads became a mainstay in patient care from day one. Describing medical conditions to patients using the graphics of iPads made maladies far more understandable to many. Additionally, a rush to use Electronic Health Records (EHR) is being fueled by a US Government program called Meaningful Use, in which doctors and hospitals can be reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid for technology when meeting certain criteria. This, and the clarity brought to patients, is causing medical software companies to quickly scramble to get medical apps ready for the iPad and other tablets. The iPad should benefit most from this initiative since it's a known quantity and (as long as you're not looking for an iPad 2) readily available. Hospitals can settle on a tablet now without waiting for what might be coming out later. This can also be a boon to the sanitizing business, since products like Lymsat are a much more elegant solution to keeping tablets clean and safe than using a Ziploc bag, which our own Erica Sadun swears by. After the break is a video showing doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess in action with their iPads.
HP's Todd Bradley all but confirms webOS tablet for February 9th event, promises even more devices
We do love to hear from loquacious execs, and HP's Todd Bradley has been the very definition of one in an interview conducted with CNBC during CES. In a discussion revolving around webOS, Bradley was asked how HP intends to differentiate itself from the iPad and improve upon it, to which he quipped, "you and I will talk about that on the 9th." If that's not a confirmation that we'll finally have our unicorn of a webOS tablet next month, we don't know what is. Even more encouraging is the implication further on in the interview that HP could have debuted this slate at CES, but opted to do an unveiling at a separate event so as to properly highlight just how awesome it is. But wait, there's yet more good news for webOS fans: Bradley's crew sees its upcoming tablet as just "one piece" of the connected experience that is the company's goal and we're promised to be enlightened about a broad range of webOS devices at the February 9th event in San Francisco, though the lack of any Palm namedrops seems to suggest they might not bear the name of their maker. Even if they're called iPaqs, we just want to see them already!
'Can Apple maintain profitability?' Yes.
Seriously? This is the question of the day? When people are still voicing serious and legitimate concerns about the rest of the economy? We're talking about a company with enough money in the bank to make a Goldman Sachs-sized investment in Facebook if it wanted to, more than triple the amount Dell had in the bank at the end of the last quarter, plus more than five times the amount HP had too, while we're at it. Let's look at a number for a minute: Apple has 51 billion dollars in cash. That's 51,000,000,000 bucks. Or, approximately the amount of money it takes to fill a vault-slash-swimming-pool. Who has that kind of money these days and didn't get it via government bailout? Apple, that's who. What is its secret? It made that money the old-fashioned way, by selling new-fashioned things. In a time when few companies are profitable and everyone's excited about a flat line since it isn't a downward curve, Apple is making money iHand over iFist. One could presume from this that analysts and others who watch CNBC professionally would be excited about a company with growth and profitability in the current climate. However, that's not the case. Remember when Apple wasn't doing well? Those bygone days when people may have actually believed the name of the company was "Beleaguered Apple Computer?" Well, once Uncle Steve made his return in 1996, that started to turn around. Apple Computer started making things that start with "i," and in 2001 with the launch of the iPod, Apple was officially cool again. You know, unless you were an analyst on Wall Street, in which case Apple wasn't cool, it was just less lame than before. But seriously, have you seen what sort of stock prices Dell and HP have these days? Now those are tech companies. I call shenanigans! Now, instead of being impressed with profitability, the question is "Oh sure, you're all profitable, but can you stay that way?" Apple hasn't proven that yet? Explain to me how making ANY money in a time of unprecedented financial volatility is something that gets played down. What will it take before Apple gets a fair shake? A brand new device that sells a million units in three months? Try two and a half. A new version of the same thing released a year later, how long did that take to sell a million? Three days. Find and replace "Apple" with a non-tech company in some of these articles and see if it still makes as much sense. Just the iPhone product line by itself is bigger than Coca-Cola, but Apple still gets dismissed like this? Someone needs to have a little heart-to-heart talk with some of these guys. Apparently they've all had their heads down in their BlackBerrys for so long that they don't realize it's cool these days to carry around something Designed In Cupertino. Clearly a lot of other people have figured it out -- what's stopping Wall Street from seeing the light?
The 2010 Winter Olympics kicks off tonight in HD
The wait is finally almost over and tonight at 7:30PM Eastern the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics will kick off 14 days of Winter fun. There's a total of 835 hours of HD coverage spread across NBC Universal's various channels. With so many hours of HD coverage it really shows how far we've come since the first HD Olympics in Athens in 2004, when NBC broadcast one 24 hour Olympic HD channel with events were from the previous day, and only one commercial -- you know, the Sony "Chips and Salsa" commercial that was played ad nauseam. Our favorite way to keep up with the HD sports schedule is HDSportsGuide.com but we're also sure to check out as much of the coverage online at NBCOlympics.com as we can.
McGraw-Hill CEO: "The tablet is going to be just really terrific"
McGraw-Hill's CEO Terry McGraw is obviously very excited that he's been asked to work with Apple on a brand new type of computer, and he just couldn't wait another 24 hours to tell somebody -- he showed up on CNBC today to talk about his company's latest earnings, and he more or less spills the beans, saying that Apple will "make their announcement tomorrow," that the tablet will be "based on the iPhone operating system," and that it "will be transferable" (so anything on iTunes now will go straight on the tablet?). He also says that they've got 95% of their materials up and ready to run as e-books, and it's not a stretch to think that Apple has made similar deals with other major publishers as well. This still isn't official confirmation of the tablet (remember, it's not real until Jobs is actually holding it on stage), but man, we're about as close as we can get at this point. Watch the whole video after the break, with the Apple stuff starting around the 2:50 mark.
Reminder: Welcome to Macintosh airs tonight on CNBC, more docs to follow
As we mentioned a few days ago, CNBC will air Welcome to Macintosh tonight at 9:30Pm Eastern/6:30 Pacific time. Welcome to Macintosh is an indie documentary that provides an intimate look at Apple's history. It's been shown at different times and places over the past year, and you can also buy it from iTunes [link], but now you can watch the documentary for free. Then tomorrow night, Tuesday January 5 at 10PM, CNBC will be airing another Mac documentary, MacHEADS, a film that explores the fanaticism and loyalty of Apple users. Finally, don't forget to set your DVRs for CNBC's third Mac feature, Planet of the Apps, airing on January 7th at 10PM ET/PT, the only CNBC original of the three where they take a look into the "app-economy." Is it just me, or does January 2010 seem to be Apple's month?
Welcome to Macintosh to air on CNBC on January 4th, 2010
If you missed Macworld Expo 2009 in San Francisco last January, then you probably missed the premiere showing of Welcome to Macintosh, an indie documentary that provides an intimate look at Apple's history. It's been shown at different times and places over the past year, and you can also buy it from iTunes, but now you can watch the documentary for free. On Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 9:30 PM ET, CNBC is broadcasting the documentary for the first time on a major network. Welcome to Macintosh features interviews with many of the early forces in Apple history, including Andy Hertzfeld, Guy Kawasaki, and Ron Wayne (often referred to as the "third founder" of Apple and the person who designed the original Apple logo). CNBC seems to be vying for the title of "The Apple Channel," as we reported yesterday that they're airing a special about the app revolution titled "Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution" on January 7th. [via Macworld]
CNBC to air 'Planet of the Apps' on January 7
I was just watching CNBC and saw a commercial for a special called "Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution!" The one-hour program looks at how the launch of the Apple iPhone in June of 2007 gave birth to a revolution in mobile technology. The main site lists some highlight from the show, including a piece on Heroes actor Greg Grunberg and his "second job" as an app developer (he's one of the people behind the Yowza! app). From the press release: Apps are everywhere. In less than two years, the app craze has taken over. These small applications – or apps – that fit on our mobile phone do everything from helping us accomplish mundane tasks to keeping us entertained while we wait for the bus. Apps are popular and profitable. Studies estimate, the Apple iPhone apps store alone generates about $200 million a month in sales. Innovative and often addictive apps are changing the way we work and live. Welcome to Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution. In this hour we'll look at how apps have changed our lives, meet some of the creators behind them, and figure out just how big a business they really are. CNBC's "Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution!" will premiere on Thursday, January 7th at 10PM, and repeats at 1AM. No comment on the cleverness of the show's title, or lack thereof.
