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Tim Cook ordered to undergo questioning in anti-poaching case
Even though he wasn't CEO at the time, Apple's Tim Cook will be questioned about the company's hiring practices as part of a anti-poaching lawsuit, says a Reuters report. Apple, along with several other tech heavyweights, is embroiled in a civil lawsuit that accuses the company of illegally instituting anti-poaching hiring policies. According to the suit, executives at major companies like Apple, Google, Pixar and others agreed to not poach each other's employees. As part of the agreement, employees would be hired collectively and individual negotiations would not be allowed. Though Cook was not CEO at the time, Judge Lucy Koh said Cook should still be questioned. "I find it hard to believe a COO would have no say over salary and compensation for all employees," Koh said. Google's Eric Schmidt will also be questioned and other executives are slated to participate in upcoming depositions. The civil suit was filed by several ex-employees and follows a DOJ investigation into these hiring practices. Apple, Google and others eventually settled with the DOJ and agreed to stop instituting no solicitation policies. [Image via Flickr member walknboston]
Rumor: Disney Infinity is a sandbox game for consoles, iOS and Android
Next month, Disney Infinity will be revealed to the press at an event in Los Angeles. Aside from a lenticular invitation, there's nothing else concrete on Disney Infinity right now.According to a Polygon source, what we're going to see is an open-world sandbox game with characters from Disney and Pixar. It mixes elements of Minecraft, such as building, with Just Cause's open-world gameplay – if you played Toy Story 3: The Video Game, it sounds reminiscent of that game's Toy Box mode. In fact, "Toy Box" is a codename for a project that sounds an awful lot like these rumors about Disney Infinity.Disney Infinity is rumored to be on multiple platforms, including current consoles, iOS and Android devices, with development duties falling squarely on Utah-based Avalanche Software, the same developer responsible for Toy Story 3: The Game. According to Polygon's report, the mobile versions of Disney Infinity lacked the building aspects seen in the console versions. It also suggests that Disney considers the game as a "platform" to be expanded with more characters and scenarios as time goes by.
Daily Update for November 7, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Pixar names building after Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was critical to the early success of Pixar, and the animation company has honored that legacy by naming the studio's main building the Steve Jobs Building. A photo posted to Twitter by Pixar employee Junn Lee shows the building, which was designed by Jobs during his time at the company. Jobs bought Pixar, then known as The Graphics Group, from Lucasfilm's computer graphics division in 1986. He adopted the name Pixar and was the executive producer on the company's first film, Toy Story, which was released in 1995. A series of animated hits including Finding Nemo, Cars, and Ratatouille followed the breakout success of Toy Story. Pixar was acquired by Disney in 2007. The all-stock transaction totaled US$7.4 billion and made Jobs the largest individual shareholder in Disney. [Via Pixar Times; hat tip to Jeff Agapitos]
'Toy Box' to bring Pixar and Disney characters together in game
Disney is working hard and spending a lot of money on an unannounced gaming initiative tentatively called Toy Box, according to an interview with the company's chief executive, Robert Iger, in the New York Times.Toy Box is an upcoming console game that will make use of both Pixar and Disney characters in the same environments for the first time. It will extend into mobile and online gaming realms, perhaps offering tie-in games on a number of different platforms, made for different audiences.Disney Interactive has been struggling lately to find a real hit, especially after the lukewarm reception to the company's Epic Mickey. But the House of Mouse has had some good news from the online and mobile divisions lately, where big titles like Club Penguin have worked with breakout mobile hits like Where's My Water? to prop up the ailing Interactive group.It sounds like the plan is to better incorporate future console titles like Toy Box with the online and mobile strengths. We'll have to wait and see just what this project turns out to be; it sounds like the official announcement isn't set until next year.
Pirate101 co-creator: 'Our goal is to become the Pixar of online gaming'
KingsIsle Entertainment Vice President J. Todd Coleman sat down with Forbes to give some insight into the development process of the studio's upcoming Pirate101 -- and how the studio plans to expand its empire. "We have more plans for the 101 universe," Coleman said, "but we're also looking to expand beyond it with other properties. Our ultimate goal, to summarize it easily, is to become the Pixar of the online gaming space." Coleman went into the challenges of developing a title set in the same universe but with a different thematic bent and combat system. He also said that the Pirate101 team is twice the size of Wizard101's, mostly because the studio's follow-up MMO is bound to be compared with its eight-years-in-development predecessor. Competitors might want to think twice about taking KingsIsle on, however. Coleman notes that many have tried and failed, such as LEGO Universe. "Realistically, if you want to compete with Wizard101 at this point, you're looking at an investment of at least 5 to 6 years and well over $100 million in total cost," he said.
Pixar Image Computer surfaces on eBay, $25k will let you buy it now
Still have another cube-shaped hole in your vintage computer collection? Then you may be interested in this rare specimen that's currently up for auction on eBay. Long before Pixar produced its first feature film, it sold the Pixar Image Computer, a high-end system developed at Lucasfilm and intended for a variety of professional uses (from medical to meteorological applications). As the eBay seller notes, the computer also has a distinctive "tombstone" design, with the Pixar logo emblazoned on the front (not to mention a matching CRT). Unfortunately, the seller isn't able to verify if the computer is actually in working condition as it's missing a power cord, but that little detail hasn't gotten in the way of a $15,000 starting bid and a $25,000 buy it now price. Pricey, to be sure, but a steep discount from its original $135,000 selling price.
Pixar Image Computer: Yours on eBay for a cool $25K
So, you purchased a mint condition Apple I at an auction, have every model of Mac Quadra and Performa ever made, use your NeXT cube every day, love your working Newton MessagePad and QuickTake 100, and you're looking for something Apple-related that will finish off the collection. How about an ultra-rare Pixar Image Computer? There's one selling on eBay with a starting bid price of US$15,000 and a BuyItNow price of $25,000, and at the time of publication there were still no bids. This is a very unique piece of equipment tied to Steve Jobs and Apple. The Pixar Image Computer was originally developed by the Computer Division of Lucasfilm. When Steve Jobs purchased that division in 1986, the Pixar Image Computer was made commercially available. At the time, you would have paid $135,000 for the privilege of owning this piece of gear. It was aimed the medical, geophysical, and meteorological visualization markets, and was never meant to be a consumer device. The seller says that he's unsure if it's in working condition as he doesn't have a power cord with which to power it up, but he was able to turn on the monitor. Get your bid in now, as the auction ends on July 26 at 4:42 PM PDT. [via Cult Of Mac] #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Pirate101 to harness 'the Pixar effect' for a multi-generational audience
What do you do when hard-core gamers start having families? If you are KingsIsle Entertainment, the makers of Wizard101, you don't worry about gamers leaving the market; instead, you harness "the Pixar effect" and make a game that will bring all generations together to interact and play in the same world. That game is the upcoming Pirate101. What is the Pixar effect? KingsIsle VP of Marketing Fred Howard points to the success of the Pixar movies like Toy Story and explains, "They were successful because not only do they cater to what would be a younger core audience but very much to an adult and more mature audience." Pirate101 will incorporate elements that will appeal to the different generations, including a good story, professional voice acting, and turn-based combat to equalize the playing field. And be on the lookout for various references and puns when Pirate101 launches later this year.
Dolby Atmos crosses the Atlantic in time for Barcelona's CineEurope 2012
If you're a European jealous of those of us stateside when you first read that we had fourteen theaters featuring Dolby's new end-to-end revolution in surround sound, Atmos, then maybe this news will give you solace. Starting today the new technology will be demoed at CineEurope at both Dolby's booth as well as at the Cinesa Diagonal Mar Screen 9 theater in Barcelona. No word on when you'll actually be able to take in Disney's Brave in said format, but the Mar Screen 9 will be joined at the Atmos party by a number of other theaters in Europe in the coming months, like the Empire Leicester Square in London. Want to know more? Well, check out the full press release after the break.
Dolby confirms 14 theaters for inaugural screening of Pixar's 'Brave' with Atmos audio
If you want to be among the first to experience Dolby's new Atmos surround sound experience, the company has released a list of 14 theaters that will have it up and running in time to show the first movie with the technology. Disney / Pixar's Brave hits the screens June 22nd and thanks to the Atmos setup is ready to direct sound to listener's ears from as many as 64 speaker feeds and 128 simultaneous inputs, combining with 3D visuals to increase viewer immersion. Not sold yet? Check out a few instructional videos about intelligent surround sound, and why 13.1 channels just wouldn't have been enough, plus of course, the list of all fourteen theaters.
Pixar president Dr. Ed Catmull, Oracle's Larry Ellison discuss Steve Jobs
Over the years, Steve Jobs was a big part of the annual D:All Things Digital conference and his presence at the recent D10 was sorely missed. In one long sit-down session, both Pixar President Dr. Ed Catmull and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison talk candidly about their interactions with Jobs and his influence on technology. In one part of the interview, Ellison focuses on Jobs's cutting personality and how that led to his removal from Apple in the early days of the company. Ellison called this removal "an incredible mistake" and said it influences how young CEOs do business today. In another clip from the interview, Catmull, who worked with Jobs at Pixar, and Ellison reflect on their 25+ years of friendship with the Apple founder. This clip is filled with insight into Job's personality and leadership skills.
Antitrust suit carries on against Intel, Apple, Google and others
They can hope and pray all that they want, but Google, Intel, Apple, Adobe, Intuit, Pixar and Lucasfilm will soon be facing some serious accusations in a courtroom under the Sherman Antitrust Act and California's Cartwright Act. After years of trying to dodge legal action over an "informal agreement" to not pinch each others employees, and an effort to have the case dismissed, the seven defendants will have to stand trial as ordered by District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California. In her decision Koh said, not only was there evidence that these agreements were made at the highest levels of the company but, that six such deals were struck in secret in such a short time frame "suggests that these agreements resulted from collusion." There's still time for yet another deal to be struck, however, this time between the defendants and the DOJ. Otherwise it looks like all seven will have to stand trial in June of 2013.
Daily Update for April 18, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Fast Company on the 'wilderness years' of Steve Jobs
Brent Schlender of Fast Company has written a great long-form article on Steve Jobs's so-called "wilderness years" -- the period between when Jobs was ousted from Apple in the mid 80s and his return in the late 90s. Many people (wrongly) tend to think of this period as Jobs sort of aimlessly drifting until his triumphant return to Apple, but Schlender convincingly argues that it was during this time that Jobs grew into the sort of businessman who could not only bring Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy, but transform it into the world's most valuable company. Jobs was indeed busy during that decade, founding NeXT and helping to transform Pixar into a giant force within the entertainment industry. While Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs goes into the details of this period of Jobs's life, Isaacson seems to treat both NeXT and Pixar as diversions or distractions from the bigger goal: Apple. Schlender instead argues that Steve Jobs brought the same devotion to those two companies that he brought to Apple, and his work at both companies made him into exactly the CEO Apple needed. Schlender's article is quite long, but it's a very good read. If you can, set aside some time and read the whole thing.
DOJ investigation yields fresh evidence against Google, Apple in antitrust lawsuit
Back in 2009, a small controversy began swirling around Google and Apple, amid allegations that the two companies had struck an informal agreement to not poach each other's employees. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the matter in 2010, but details of the case were only made public for the first time yesterday. TechCrunch was the first to sift through the documents, and has uncovered some ostensibly incriminating evidence against not only Google and Apple, but Pixar, Lucasfilm, Adobe, Intel, and Intuit, as well. According to filings from the US District Court for the Northern District of California, these companies did indeed enter "no poach" agreements with each other, and agreed to refrain from engaging in bidding wars. The documents also suggest that they collectively sought to limit their employees' power to negotiate for higher salaries. Some of the most apparently damning evidence derives from archived e-mails, including one that Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen penned to Steve Jobs in May 2005. In the message, sent under the subject "Recruitment of Apple Employees," Adobe's SVP of human resources explains that "Bruce and Steve Jobs have an agreement that we are not to solicit ANY Apple employees, and vice versa." Pixar's Lori McAdams expressed similar sentiments in an internal e-mail from 2007, writing: "I just got off the phone with Danielle Lambert [of Apple], and we agreed that effective now, we'll follow a Gentleman's agreement with Apple that is similar to our Lucasfilm agreement." This would suggest, as the DOJ writes, that there's "strong evidence that the companies knew about the other express agreements, patterned their own agreements off of them, and operated them concurrently with the others to accomplish the same objective." The DOJ announced in September that it had reached settlements with the six implicated firms, but a class-action lawsuit is scheduled to get underway next week in San Jose.
THQ adaptation of Pixar's 'Brave' pops up in Australian ratings
THQ suffered a rocky patch in the universe of potentially fake things this week, with rumors suggesting its entire 2014 game lineup was canceled and that it was in serious financial trouble -- THQ refuted all of these, and there is now some more credence to its denial. One of the games rumored to be canceled was an unannounced Disney IP, which most believed to be THQ's tie-in with Pixar's Brave.Brave the video game today has a rating on the Australian classification database, published by THQ, developed by Behaviour Interactive and rated PG for mild violence. A senior source at Disney also told Develop that there was no reason to believe Brave was canceled, although THQ has yet to officially announce the existence of the project, Develop says.
Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure CES screens are new, recycled
Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure brings five modern-classic animated films into real, still-animated life this March. The following screens offer a glimpse of each movie -- Cars, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up and Ratatouille -- and how they'll transfer to motion controls. We're not entirely sure which full-body gesture is required for "riding sewage like it's a boat," but it appears we'll get the chance to find out with Kinect Rush. Thanks, Pixar. %Gallery-144735%
Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure combines Kinect and Pixar flicks next March
What's better than a Kinect game styled after a Disney Pixar movie? Try a Kinect game styled after five Disney Pixar movies! The overly branded Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure is exactly that, offering up a series of Kinect-enabled minigames centered around five Disney Pixar movies: Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up, Ratatouille, and ... Cars. Well, four out of five ain't too bad. As you can see in the trailer above, it looks pretty fun if you happen to be a little kid who really likes waving your arms around. You can see another shot of Woody and Buzz waving said arms around in the gallery below. Kinect Rush will be available on March 12 20, 2012 (for $49.99), and just a few weeks later, your kids will probably have some killer triceps. Update: This post originally had March 12, 2012 has the launch date, when in fact it is March 20, 2012. Sorry about that!%Gallery-141361%
Disney films begin storming YouTube's magic video kingdom
Looking for something fun to do with the family over the holiday weekend? Why not huddle up in front of the old laptop with some Pirates of the Caribbean? Or perhaps Alice in Wonderland and Pixar's Cars are more your speed? The Google-owned video streaming site announced today that movies from Walt Disney Studios have begun creeping their way into its rental selection. The selection of films is the first of hundreds from Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks.
