Apple's iMessage is stuck in the depressing past
commentary I'm generally an optimistic guy, but iMessage left me feeling that the cup is half empty.Apple's new service for iOS 5 devices lets people send messages to each other through a system that embraces and then extends the traditional text-messaging world. It's got plenty to be excited about, but overall I'm sad that a powerful computer is repeating the mistakes of the instant-messaging market.Here's why: I'm glad somebody with Apple's clout is sticking it to the carriers when it comes to overpriced text messages. But I need another proprietary messaging network like I need a hole in my head.With iMessage, somebody with an iOS 5 device can address messages with either any e-mail address their correspondent has registered with Apple or with an iPhone's phone number.Like the iOS messaging app it replaces, iMessage integrates with the SMS (Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Message Service) that wireless network operators offer. Also like regular messaging, iMessage messages are delivered with Apple's push servers and thus arrive with an attention-getting notification.Unlike the iOS earlier messaging method, though--and here's the big deal--iMessage communications sent from one iOS device to another are free on Wi-Fi and use only a miniscule amount of data on data subscription plans. That could save some folks some real money, especially if they text with iPhone-toting friends or relatives who are overseas.Apple's iMessage service lets iOS device users send text messages to each other for free. It also dovetails with existing SMS and MMS messaging services from carriers.Screenshot by Jason CiprianiAnd a broader role for iMessage seems likely. It's for iOS right now, but especially that it can use e-mail addresses, it seems obvious that Apple would build iMessage abilities into iChat, its instant-messaging app for Mac OS. It's also conceivable that Apple would extend iMessage by building apps for other devices, of course, but I wouldn't bet on it.What's good about iMessageLike most people I know, I have no love for the carriers from whom I've purchased phone and data subscriptions over the years. Ideally, they should reliably send and receive bits wherever I am and otherwise stay out of the way.It can be tough being a carrier. There's a constant need to upgrade and expand the wireless-network infrastructure. Soaring data demand means a large number of customers are disgruntled from congestion and reliability problems. And as much as carriers want to have a relationship with their customers, the fact of the matter is those customers care far more about the companies at the other end of the pipe--Facebook, Google, and so on--than they do about the pipe itself.But one reason I have no special love for the wireless operators, though, is the fees they exact for text messages.Take Verizon as an example. With its pay-as-you go plan for messaging, text messages cost 20 cents each, and MMS messages, which include a photo or video, cost 25 cents each. Alternatively, $20 a month gets you unlimited messaging, a better deal if you send and receive more than 100 messages a month.So for text messages with a 160-character length costing 20 cents each, that's a price of $1,250 per megabyte. Verizon's smartphone data plans, by comparison, starts at $30 for 2GB for the lowest tier, which is to say 15 cents per megabyte. So by that measure, text messages cost a factor of 8,333 more.Text messaging adds up. According to a Sanford Bernstein analyst estimate quoted in The New York Times, the U.S. wireless industry brings in $20 billion in messaging revenue each year.I'll grant that text messages carry much greater value per bit than most data, in part because of their immediacy and the fact that they can be exchanged using only phone numbers for message addressing.But I still resent what looks an awful lot like gouging to me. For that reason, I welcome Apple's iMessage. The carriers might just raise rates elsewhere through data caps or other means, but at least that will be more honest pricing.I expect iMessage will gain enough adherents that even if you can't use it directly, it could lead to more rational text-message pricing from carriers. And it's likely to draw attention to new or existing alternatives--BlackBerry Messenger, Samsung's ChatOn, WhatsApp, Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, and who knows what else.What's bad about iMessageHere's what I don't like about iMessage, though: it's yet another proprietary service.There are times when I'll grudgingly step into somebody's walled-off online service. I've bought videos and apps over iTunes that I can't play without Apple's software. I've bought plenty of Android apps from the Android Market and stored plenty of files at Google Docs. I've posted innumerable moments of life history at Facebook, uncomfortably cognizant of the fact that Facebook then effectively owns an important part of social interactions with my friends and relations.But when it comes to sending tidbits of text here and there, I don't want lock-in.I want a standard.I've been spoiled here by e-mail. All I need is your e-mail address, and I can drop you a line, and vice-versa.It's not CompuServe e-mail, AOL e-mail, or Prodigy e-mail, for those of you who can remember back to the proprietary networks of the 1980s and 1990s. Those went extinct when the Internet's standards won out.But no such thing happened with instant messaging. To this day, I have to deal with three instant messenger networks, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, and Gmail Chat. People ping me with Facebook chat, Skype IM, and Twitter direct messages. And from a practical point, it's hard for me to archive and search all these disparate communications channels. It's not the end of the world, but I do think that the fact that the networks didn't cooperate on something as fundamental as exchanging real-time text was important in the history of the computing industry.Specifically, I expect that if Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL had reached some agreement in the 1990s about IM protocols, then we wouldn't be having this discussion about iMessage and SMS today. If instant messaging had been standardized, it would have become just as ordinary as e-mail is today on smartphones. SMS may or may not have integrated, but I believe its utility would have been comparatively low with effective IM that spanned computers as well as phones. And the carriers wouldn't be able to charge so much for text messages.Overall, I see iMessage as a useful addition for people who have lots of iFriends, and Apple shouldn't be criticized for bringing it to market any more than Skype should be blamed for undermining per-minute voice-call pricing. And who knows--with iCloud and iMessenger, Apple is finally building a suite of compelling online services that could make the company a player on the Internet as well as on computing hardware.But unless iMessage lays the foundation for an industry-spanning messaging standard that sweeps away today's proprietary networks, I'm afraid I see it as just the latest in a series of disappointments.
NBC says bye to iTunes, hello to piracy and lost revenue
NBC says bye to iTunes, hello to piracy and lost revenue
I'm not quite sure what any of these companies are thinking.First, Universal Music Group steps away from the third-largest music retailer in the world because it thinks iTunes is suffocating it, then NBC walks away to make more money and stop people from stealing its media.But what both companies don't understand is that they need Apple far more than Apple needs them.Let me paint a scenario for you of what happens as soon as NBC pulls its programming off iTunes.First, the company will tout its new video service, Hulu, as the savior for this generation.After that corporate-speak is completed, it will begin telling the world about the issues with iTunes in an attempt to downplay its importance.First, NBC will use the line, "Well gee, shouldn't we be allowed to make some money too?"And after that doesn't work, the company will resort to the classic, "Well, look at all of these pirates!It's the actors who are getting hurt by this.Think of them!"After this new PR campaign is complete, NBC executives--obviously without any grasp on reality--will sit there and expect their assistants to bring them financial numbers that show exploding growth in programming sales.With cigars firmly in place, the big shots will open up the revenue reports and come to one damning conclusion: revenue from programming has gone down, yet piracy has increased tenfold.Meanwhile, back in Cupertino, Steve Jobs and company are left counting their iTunes revenue with nary a blink at the modicum of lost revenue they experienced from the NBC move.Give it about six months and NBC will be calling back with an olive branch in hand, hoping to get back onto iTunes.Only this time, NBC will have an even worse agreement with Apple.How many times do I have to say it until someone at NBC finally hears me?There is no way you can benefit from leaving iTunes.People who would normally have purchased shows like The Office are now going to their favorite torrent site and downloading each episode to their hearts' content.From there, they'll be adding those illegally downloaded songs directly to their iTunes account and will enjoy them on their Apple TV or iPod.It's about time that NBC, Universal and the rest of these bozos realize that without iTunes, their online presence is nil.Sure, Universal can sell its music to Wal-Mart or the Zune Marketplace and do um, fine, but is it really willing to lose all of the revenue iTunes has provided for it?I guarantee it'll be back.Right now, Universal is a lone duck on an empty pond--it's in for trouble.But more than anything, this NBC move really baffles me.If you want to stop piracy of your programming, why would you take it off legitimate services?Am I missing something here?Is it the company's greed or belief that it can go it alone?Either way, it's a dumb move.Sad as it is, there's no way to fully eliminate piracy.Whether you want to believe it or not, the best way to stop piracy is to give people most of what they want: no DRM, an affordable price and ease of purchase.NBC wants stronger DRM and higher prices and it's making its product less available.Sounds like a recipe for trouble.NBC is in for a rude awakening.Because it currently can not see through its greed and short-sightedness, its goals will be trumped by its biggest fear.Get ready, NBC, because a flurry of piracy, lost revenue and eventual Steve Jobs genuflection is on your 2008 calendar.Nice move.
I'm not quite sure what any of these companies are thinking.First, Universal Music Group steps away from the third-largest music retailer in the world because it thinks iTunes is suffocating it, then NBC walks away to make more money and stop people from stealing its media.But what both companies don't understand is that they need Apple far more than Apple needs them.Let me paint a scenario for you of what happens as soon as NBC pulls its programming off iTunes.First, the company will tout its new video service, Hulu, as the savior for this generation.After that corporate-speak is completed, it will begin telling the world about the issues with iTunes in an attempt to downplay its importance.First, NBC will use the line, "Well gee, shouldn't we be allowed to make some money too?"And after that doesn't work, the company will resort to the classic, "Well, look at all of these pirates!It's the actors who are getting hurt by this.Think of them!"After this new PR campaign is complete, NBC executives--obviously without any grasp on reality--will sit there and expect their assistants to bring them financial numbers that show exploding growth in programming sales.With cigars firmly in place, the big shots will open up the revenue reports and come to one damning conclusion: revenue from programming has gone down, yet piracy has increased tenfold.Meanwhile, back in Cupertino, Steve Jobs and company are left counting their iTunes revenue with nary a blink at the modicum of lost revenue they experienced from the NBC move.Give it about six months and NBC will be calling back with an olive branch in hand, hoping to get back onto iTunes.Only this time, NBC will have an even worse agreement with Apple.How many times do I have to say it until someone at NBC finally hears me?There is no way you can benefit from leaving iTunes.People who would normally have purchased shows like The Office are now going to their favorite torrent site and downloading each episode to their hearts' content.From there, they'll be adding those illegally downloaded songs directly to their iTunes account and will enjoy them on their Apple TV or iPod.It's about time that NBC, Universal and the rest of these bozos realize that without iTunes, their online presence is nil.Sure, Universal can sell its music to Wal-Mart or the Zune Marketplace and do um, fine, but is it really willing to lose all of the revenue iTunes has provided for it?I guarantee it'll be back.Right now, Universal is a lone duck on an empty pond--it's in for trouble.But more than anything, this NBC move really baffles me.If you want to stop piracy of your programming, why would you take it off legitimate services?Am I missing something here?Is it the company's greed or belief that it can go it alone?Either way, it's a dumb move.Sad as it is, there's no way to fully eliminate piracy.Whether you want to believe it or not, the best way to stop piracy is to give people most of what they want: no DRM, an affordable price and ease of purchase.NBC wants stronger DRM and higher prices and it's making its product less available.Sounds like a recipe for trouble.NBC is in for a rude awakening.Because it currently can not see through its greed and short-sightedness, its goals will be trumped by its biggest fear.Get ready, NBC, because a flurry of piracy, lost revenue and eventual Steve Jobs genuflection is on your 2008 calendar.Nice move.
Best Apple product lineup in years, says Eddy Cue
Best Apple product lineup in years, says Eddy Cue
It's not just Apple CEO Tim Cook who's promising great new products this year. Now Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of Internet software and services, is jumping on the bandwagon. The executive, who oversees iTunes, said Wednesday at the Recode Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., that Apple this year has "the best product pipeline I've seen in 25 years."He noted that "the reason we've been successful is because we're completely focused on the products we're building. We're not focused on building 100 things...We want to do a few great things."Check out CNET's roundup of WWDC predictions.Cue added that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs "would be extremely proud of the products we're building."Apple will host its Worldwide Developers Conference next week in San Francisco. The company won't introduce new hardware, sources tell CNET, but instead will detail new software features and services. Those could include iOS 8, OS X 10.1, a home-automation service, and maybe even mobile payments. The lack of new hardware in June could mean a very busy fall for Apple.Cue, of course, didn't reveal what new products Apple is developing, but he gave some possible hints. For one, Cue said Apple has some interesting plans in store for Beats and its curated music streaming service. See alsoApple iTunes head Cue and Beat's Iovine: Apple's going to put Beats on steroids'New product categories' ahead for Apple, says CEO Tim CookWoz on Beats: Apple's 'getting back to some cool roots'Apple finally confirms it's buying Beats for $3B"We have a lot of customers, and we know what they listen to," he said. "We have a lot of customers who have an easy way to pay. We have a great relationship with artists. ... We think all of those things, when you put them all together, it's [Beats] on steroids. It's going to bring great opportunities for artists and great music for customers."Then there's also Apple TV. Apple has hinted for quite some time that it's working a more complete, over-the-top video streaming service. However, there are no signs such a product is close to ready, which largely has been attributed to difficulties securing content deals at reasonable rates. "TV is a hard problem to solve," Cue said. "One of the problems you have with a TV is you have a disparate system with a bunch of providers. There's no standards. There's a lot of rights issues."But even if Apple does't release the anticipated iTV anytime soon, it will keep working on its current Apple TV box. "Apple TV is going to continue to evolve," Cue said. "It gives a great experience, and we're going to keep improving it."
It's not just Apple CEO Tim Cook who's promising great new products this year. Now Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of Internet software and services, is jumping on the bandwagon. The executive, who oversees iTunes, said Wednesday at the Recode Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., that Apple this year has "the best product pipeline I've seen in 25 years."He noted that "the reason we've been successful is because we're completely focused on the products we're building. We're not focused on building 100 things...We want to do a few great things."Check out CNET's roundup of WWDC predictions.Cue added that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs "would be extremely proud of the products we're building."Apple will host its Worldwide Developers Conference next week in San Francisco. The company won't introduce new hardware, sources tell CNET, but instead will detail new software features and services. Those could include iOS 8, OS X 10.1, a home-automation service, and maybe even mobile payments. The lack of new hardware in June could mean a very busy fall for Apple.Cue, of course, didn't reveal what new products Apple is developing, but he gave some possible hints. For one, Cue said Apple has some interesting plans in store for Beats and its curated music streaming service. See alsoApple iTunes head Cue and Beat's Iovine: Apple's going to put Beats on steroids'New product categories' ahead for Apple, says CEO Tim CookWoz on Beats: Apple's 'getting back to some cool roots'Apple finally confirms it's buying Beats for $3B"We have a lot of customers, and we know what they listen to," he said. "We have a lot of customers who have an easy way to pay. We have a great relationship with artists. ... We think all of those things, when you put them all together, it's [Beats] on steroids. It's going to bring great opportunities for artists and great music for customers."Then there's also Apple TV. Apple has hinted for quite some time that it's working a more complete, over-the-top video streaming service. However, there are no signs such a product is close to ready, which largely has been attributed to difficulties securing content deals at reasonable rates. "TV is a hard problem to solve," Cue said. "One of the problems you have with a TV is you have a disparate system with a bunch of providers. There's no standards. There's a lot of rights issues."But even if Apple does't release the anticipated iTV anytime soon, it will keep working on its current Apple TV box. "Apple TV is going to continue to evolve," Cue said. "It gives a great experience, and we're going to keep improving it."
The 404 360- Where we've gone to plaid
The 404 360: Where we've gone to plaid
Starting this Saturday, June 13, Facebook will roll out a service called "Facebook Vanity" that lets users choose a specific username that will make it easier to direct friends to their profile address. For example, our friend Richard Topping can choose to assign his username and point people to "facebook.com/richardtopping" instead of just a string of random numbers. It's a great idea and makes pimping yourself out a lot easier, but be sure to wake up early on Friday night to be the first to register your own name. That is, unless your name is Wilson Tang--who the hell would want that awful handle?Next in the lineup are two Twitter services that show you who are, and more importantly who ARE NOT your true friends. FriendorFollow tells you who you are following that isn't following you back in return. Sorry to open up the floodgates on this one, but beware the angry tweets directed your way that'll read something like, "WTF?! @Malusbrutus stopped following me, that SOB! I'm so not signing your yearbook!" Or, if you're really desperate, you can sign up for Useqwitter and the site will e-mail you immediately when one of your friends stops following you on Twitter, and it'll also tell you exactly which of your tweets caused their departure. For example, a message you receive from Qwitter could look like this:Justin Yu (malusbrutus) stopped following you on Twitter after you posted this tweet:OMG this Dave Matthews Band concert surreausly rulez0rZ, I luvvv the way Davey can't seem to open his whole mouth when he sings! Creed is performing next, I'm in muzik HEAVEN! EPISODE 360Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayCalifornia students cease buying books, go digitalFacebook appeals to users' vanityUseQwitter exposes the desperate loser in all of us"Futurama" revived on Comedy CentralFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson Tang
Starting this Saturday, June 13, Facebook will roll out a service called "Facebook Vanity" that lets users choose a specific username that will make it easier to direct friends to their profile address. For example, our friend Richard Topping can choose to assign his username and point people to "facebook.com/richardtopping" instead of just a string of random numbers. It's a great idea and makes pimping yourself out a lot easier, but be sure to wake up early on Friday night to be the first to register your own name. That is, unless your name is Wilson Tang--who the hell would want that awful handle?Next in the lineup are two Twitter services that show you who are, and more importantly who ARE NOT your true friends. FriendorFollow tells you who you are following that isn't following you back in return. Sorry to open up the floodgates on this one, but beware the angry tweets directed your way that'll read something like, "WTF?! @Malusbrutus stopped following me, that SOB! I'm so not signing your yearbook!" Or, if you're really desperate, you can sign up for Useqwitter and the site will e-mail you immediately when one of your friends stops following you on Twitter, and it'll also tell you exactly which of your tweets caused their departure. For example, a message you receive from Qwitter could look like this:Justin Yu (malusbrutus) stopped following you on Twitter after you posted this tweet:OMG this Dave Matthews Band concert surreausly rulez0rZ, I luvvv the way Davey can't seem to open his whole mouth when he sings! Creed is performing next, I'm in muzik HEAVEN! EPISODE 360Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayCalifornia students cease buying books, go digitalFacebook appeals to users' vanityUseQwitter exposes the desperate loser in all of us"Futurama" revived on Comedy CentralFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson Tang
LPs and CDs, get 'em while you can
LPs and CDs, get 'em while you can
PopMarket is a Sony Music Entertainment online club, or more specifically, it's a (free) members-only music club that caters to fans, bargain hunters, and serious collectors. The site offers "Daily Deals" (changing each day at 9 a.m. PT) and five channels containing a mix of premium music and rare, collectible albums, boxed sets, and memorabilia at discounted prices. Shipping is free on most items. PopMarket is an online store, but Sony temporarily converted New York City's Morrison Hotel Gallery into a brick-and-mortar record shop on May 25, and will continue selling a limited selection of CD and LP box sets, T-shirts, and more through June 30 at the store. I attended the opening party at the Gallery, and I have to say the presentation was a feast for the eyes. There were some Dylan LP sets I've never seen before, packaged in beautifully constructed boxes. Miles Davis' music was also well represented. Sure, downloaded music is the future, but I don't think a music file will ever be as meaningful as physical formats. I still treasure LPs I bought when I was a kid, and I'll probably own those records for the rest of my life. When I play them and look at the jackets, every little imperfection is meaningful to me. I remember going to my local record shop and buying The Clash's "London Calling" LP the day it came out. Does anybody think the "21 by Adele" iTunes download will bring back memories decades from now? If you can't touch the music, is it real? A Bob Dylan LP box set at PopMarketSteve GuttenbergSony will be selling, exclusively through PopMarket, "The Complete Album Collections" by The Byrds, Aretha Franklin, Stan Getz, Sam Cooke, and Return To Forever. Each set features 5-by-5-inch minijacket reproductions of the original album art and new booklets in a slip case. Some of PopMarket's best-selling offers to date included the "Miles Davis Genius of Miles Davis" collector's edition set in a real trumpet case; AC/DC's "Backtracks" anniversary collection in a working guitar amp case; Pearl Jam's "Ten" deluxe set; Jimi Hendrix's "West Coast Seattle Boy" deluxe set; Aretha Franklin's "Complete On Columbia" set; Yo-Yo Ma's "Outside the Box" deluxe set; and Lamb of God's "Hourglass" collectible with a signature guitar in a custom coffin case.
PopMarket is a Sony Music Entertainment online club, or more specifically, it's a (free) members-only music club that caters to fans, bargain hunters, and serious collectors. The site offers "Daily Deals" (changing each day at 9 a.m. PT) and five channels containing a mix of premium music and rare, collectible albums, boxed sets, and memorabilia at discounted prices. Shipping is free on most items. PopMarket is an online store, but Sony temporarily converted New York City's Morrison Hotel Gallery into a brick-and-mortar record shop on May 25, and will continue selling a limited selection of CD and LP box sets, T-shirts, and more through June 30 at the store. I attended the opening party at the Gallery, and I have to say the presentation was a feast for the eyes. There were some Dylan LP sets I've never seen before, packaged in beautifully constructed boxes. Miles Davis' music was also well represented. Sure, downloaded music is the future, but I don't think a music file will ever be as meaningful as physical formats. I still treasure LPs I bought when I was a kid, and I'll probably own those records for the rest of my life. When I play them and look at the jackets, every little imperfection is meaningful to me. I remember going to my local record shop and buying The Clash's "London Calling" LP the day it came out. Does anybody think the "21 by Adele" iTunes download will bring back memories decades from now? If you can't touch the music, is it real? A Bob Dylan LP box set at PopMarketSteve GuttenbergSony will be selling, exclusively through PopMarket, "The Complete Album Collections" by The Byrds, Aretha Franklin, Stan Getz, Sam Cooke, and Return To Forever. Each set features 5-by-5-inch minijacket reproductions of the original album art and new booklets in a slip case. Some of PopMarket's best-selling offers to date included the "Miles Davis Genius of Miles Davis" collector's edition set in a real trumpet case; AC/DC's "Backtracks" anniversary collection in a working guitar amp case; Pearl Jam's "Ten" deluxe set; Jimi Hendrix's "West Coast Seattle Boy" deluxe set; Aretha Franklin's "Complete On Columbia" set; Yo-Yo Ma's "Outside the Box" deluxe set; and Lamb of God's "Hourglass" collectible with a signature guitar in a custom coffin case.
Bigger, thicker, cheaper, plastic iPhone coming next year (rumor)
Bigger, thicker, cheaper, plastic iPhone coming next year (rumor)
Holdouts expecting a larger version of the iPhone this year will have to keep on waiting, a new report says.Citing sources, Japanese Apple-news site Macotakara says such a device is instead slated for next year, and will use plastic instead of aluminum for its body.Macotakara says the device will sport a polycarbonate plastic enclosure much like the one found on the MacBook and iBook before it. Other rumored details include a 4.5-inch screen, which would be half an inch larger than the one found on the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch; Apple's usual home button; and a $330 price tag that would be a little less than half of the average selling price of the iPhone 5 (without carrier subsidy). As MacRumors notes, Macotakara has had a mixed rumor scorecard, but it had accurate information about Apple's latest batch of iPods, some two months before they were officially unveiled.Related storiesCNET's iPhone 5S rumor roundupLow-cost iPhone will be like a plastic iPhone 5, claims siteiPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone 5 to debut this summer, analyst saysWall Street analysts have, for months, opined about the possibilities of a larger-screened device, and the potential financial windfall it could provide Apple. In a note earlier this month, Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes said the firm believes Apple is cooking up a 5-inch model for later this year or the first quarter of next year, and that during the 2014 calendar year such a device could boost by about 5 percent the average amount Apple sells the iPhone for. The rumor is separate from those pointing to another "S" iteration from Apple later this year. The company has released both the iPhone 3GS and 4S between major device generations, something that is expected to happen once again. Purported shots of the device's internal components surfaced in January alongside reports Apple was planning to double down with a second, cheaper model to gain ground in emerging markets. (Via Apple Insider)
Holdouts expecting a larger version of the iPhone this year will have to keep on waiting, a new report says.Citing sources, Japanese Apple-news site Macotakara says such a device is instead slated for next year, and will use plastic instead of aluminum for its body.Macotakara says the device will sport a polycarbonate plastic enclosure much like the one found on the MacBook and iBook before it. Other rumored details include a 4.5-inch screen, which would be half an inch larger than the one found on the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch; Apple's usual home button; and a $330 price tag that would be a little less than half of the average selling price of the iPhone 5 (without carrier subsidy). As MacRumors notes, Macotakara has had a mixed rumor scorecard, but it had accurate information about Apple's latest batch of iPods, some two months before they were officially unveiled.Related storiesCNET's iPhone 5S rumor roundupLow-cost iPhone will be like a plastic iPhone 5, claims siteiPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone 5 to debut this summer, analyst saysWall Street analysts have, for months, opined about the possibilities of a larger-screened device, and the potential financial windfall it could provide Apple. In a note earlier this month, Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes said the firm believes Apple is cooking up a 5-inch model for later this year or the first quarter of next year, and that during the 2014 calendar year such a device could boost by about 5 percent the average amount Apple sells the iPhone for. The rumor is separate from those pointing to another "S" iteration from Apple later this year. The company has released both the iPhone 3GS and 4S between major device generations, something that is expected to happen once again. Purported shots of the device's internal components surfaced in January alongside reports Apple was planning to double down with a second, cheaper model to gain ground in emerging markets. (Via Apple Insider)
Bigger MacBook Pro battery equals higher replacement cost
Bigger MacBook Pro battery equals higher replacement cost
Apple's new top of the line MacBook Pro with its Retina Display packs a battery that's 23 percent larger than what can be found in the usual 15-inch MacBook Pro, and Apple seems to have passed that extra cost down to owners when the time comes to replace it. Computerworld today notes that the price of replacing the massive battery -- which makes up more than a third of the computer's innards -- runs $199. That's up $70, or 54 percent compared to the $129 Apple currently charges to swap it out on the non-Retina 15-inch model.Apple began the practice of using built-in batteries on its notebooks beginning with the first MacBook Air, later bringing it to the 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro. Incidentally, the companykilled off the 17-inch version of its notebook this week.When introducing the idea to consumers in 2009, Apple noted that the integrated design saved space, allowing the company to fit more battery into the enclosure, and thus get longer battery life. That design trickled down into the rest of the line, and shows no sign of reverting back to a point where users can simply buy a battery and swap it out themselves. Related storiesComplete WWDC 2012 coverageApple: Retina display MacBook Pro starts at $2,199CNET review: Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayAn analysis on the new notebook released by teardown site iFixit earlier this week, dubbed it "the least repairable laptop we've taken apart." The site called Apple out for using glue to secure a series of six battery packs that keep the unit juiced up.As for how often notebook batteries actually need replacing, Apple says the integrated packs in its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines provide "up to 1,000 full charge and discharge cycles," before only being able to support 80 percent of its original capacity.Read CNET's review of the 15-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro here.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Apple's new top of the line MacBook Pro with its Retina Display packs a battery that's 23 percent larger than what can be found in the usual 15-inch MacBook Pro, and Apple seems to have passed that extra cost down to owners when the time comes to replace it. Computerworld today notes that the price of replacing the massive battery -- which makes up more than a third of the computer's innards -- runs $199. That's up $70, or 54 percent compared to the $129 Apple currently charges to swap it out on the non-Retina 15-inch model.Apple began the practice of using built-in batteries on its notebooks beginning with the first MacBook Air, later bringing it to the 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro. Incidentally, the companykilled off the 17-inch version of its notebook this week.When introducing the idea to consumers in 2009, Apple noted that the integrated design saved space, allowing the company to fit more battery into the enclosure, and thus get longer battery life. That design trickled down into the rest of the line, and shows no sign of reverting back to a point where users can simply buy a battery and swap it out themselves. Related storiesComplete WWDC 2012 coverageApple: Retina display MacBook Pro starts at $2,199CNET review: Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayAn analysis on the new notebook released by teardown site iFixit earlier this week, dubbed it "the least repairable laptop we've taken apart." The site called Apple out for using glue to secure a series of six battery packs that keep the unit juiced up.As for how often notebook batteries actually need replacing, Apple says the integrated packs in its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines provide "up to 1,000 full charge and discharge cycles," before only being able to support 80 percent of its original capacity.Read CNET's review of the 15-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro here.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Bigger iPhone still coming -- just not this year, report says
Bigger iPhone still coming -- just not this year, report says
In an about-face, Digitimes -- the purveyor of numerous Apple rumors, some of which have been true -- says not to get your hopes up for an even larger version of the iPhone. At least not this year.The tech news site says Apple's still working on one but that it won't come in the second half of this year, as Digitimes excitedly reported earlier this month. That report made waves with the claim that Apple was working on a low-cost model with an even larger screen than the 4-inch display found on the iPhone 5. "Previously it was said that Apple would release a lower-cost version of its iPhone with a bigger screen in 2013," Digitimes said this morning. "But the sources claimed that Apple is indeed developing an iPhone with a bigger screen, but that will not be among the models to be lancuhed [sic] this year."The reasoning behind the time frame, the updated report offers, is that the supply of the larger displays could be creating production issues. The report follows one from the Chinese language outlet Commercial Times yesterday, which said Apple has a low-cost, 4.8-inch iPhone model in the hopper, dubbed the "iPhone Math." Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, who watches Apple's supply chain closely, put out a note to investors this morning agreeing with that possibility."Our checks agree three different models are scheduled for launch in 2013 but disagree on the details," Misek said. "We believe a lower-cost 4.3" iPhone and multicolor 4" iPhone 5S will launch in June/July. Additionally, we believe a 4.8" iPhone model is scheduled for the end of October. We do not know what this phone will be called and think 'Math' might be a mistranslation or a code name."Apple currently sells three different models of the iPhone but has only ever introduced one model at a time, choosing to sell the older model at a lower price.There were numerous rumors ahead of the iPhone 4S in 2011 that Apple planned to change that with the simultaneous release of a 4S and the 5, something that proved to be wrong.
In an about-face, Digitimes -- the purveyor of numerous Apple rumors, some of which have been true -- says not to get your hopes up for an even larger version of the iPhone. At least not this year.The tech news site says Apple's still working on one but that it won't come in the second half of this year, as Digitimes excitedly reported earlier this month. That report made waves with the claim that Apple was working on a low-cost model with an even larger screen than the 4-inch display found on the iPhone 5. "Previously it was said that Apple would release a lower-cost version of its iPhone with a bigger screen in 2013," Digitimes said this morning. "But the sources claimed that Apple is indeed developing an iPhone with a bigger screen, but that will not be among the models to be lancuhed [sic] this year."The reasoning behind the time frame, the updated report offers, is that the supply of the larger displays could be creating production issues. The report follows one from the Chinese language outlet Commercial Times yesterday, which said Apple has a low-cost, 4.8-inch iPhone model in the hopper, dubbed the "iPhone Math." Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, who watches Apple's supply chain closely, put out a note to investors this morning agreeing with that possibility."Our checks agree three different models are scheduled for launch in 2013 but disagree on the details," Misek said. "We believe a lower-cost 4.3" iPhone and multicolor 4" iPhone 5S will launch in June/July. Additionally, we believe a 4.8" iPhone model is scheduled for the end of October. We do not know what this phone will be called and think 'Math' might be a mistranslation or a code name."Apple currently sells three different models of the iPhone but has only ever introduced one model at a time, choosing to sell the older model at a lower price.There were numerous rumors ahead of the iPhone 4S in 2011 that Apple planned to change that with the simultaneous release of a 4S and the 5, something that proved to be wrong.
Big names unveil iPad apps
Big names unveil iPad apps
Fans of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk will be able to view more than 500 comic books on the iPad's high-resolution screen, via an iPad app from Marvel. Each comic has been optimized for the iPad by redigitizing and recoloring each print issue for the tablet's larger, brighter format, said Marvel. Using the device's touch screen, readers can virtually flip from one page to another by swiping their fingers and can zoom in or out of each page and panel.Marvel's iPad app is free, but each individual comic will cost $1.99. Readers can view the first three pages of a comic for free before deciding whether to buy it. And for the launch, Marvel is offering a few titles for free for a limited time, including New Avengers No. 1, Captain America No. 1, Invincible Iron Man No. 1, Thor No. 1, and, for the younger readers, Super Hero Squad No. 1.The app can offer all fans recommendations of new comic books based on their past reading habits. And for people who miss the feel of a good, old-fashioned print comic book, the Marvel app even features a comic shop locator to track down their friendly neighborhood comic book dealers.These are a few of the apps debuting in time for Saturday's iPad debut. Other new iPad apps launching include:Citrix Systems' GoToMeeting (free)The Weather Channel (free)Yahoo (free)Zillow Real Estate Search (free)Dragon Dictate (free for a limited time)Autodesk SketchBook Pro ($7.99)Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Experiences ($19.99)Updated 11:00 a.m. PDT with further details on Marvel app and list of other companies announcing iPad apps.
Fans of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk will be able to view more than 500 comic books on the iPad's high-resolution screen, via an iPad app from Marvel. Each comic has been optimized for the iPad by redigitizing and recoloring each print issue for the tablet's larger, brighter format, said Marvel. Using the device's touch screen, readers can virtually flip from one page to another by swiping their fingers and can zoom in or out of each page and panel.Marvel's iPad app is free, but each individual comic will cost $1.99. Readers can view the first three pages of a comic for free before deciding whether to buy it. And for the launch, Marvel is offering a few titles for free for a limited time, including New Avengers No. 1, Captain America No. 1, Invincible Iron Man No. 1, Thor No. 1, and, for the younger readers, Super Hero Squad No. 1.The app can offer all fans recommendations of new comic books based on their past reading habits. And for people who miss the feel of a good, old-fashioned print comic book, the Marvel app even features a comic shop locator to track down their friendly neighborhood comic book dealers.These are a few of the apps debuting in time for Saturday's iPad debut. Other new iPad apps launching include:Citrix Systems' GoToMeeting (free)The Weather Channel (free)Yahoo (free)Zillow Real Estate Search (free)Dragon Dictate (free for a limited time)Autodesk SketchBook Pro ($7.99)Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Experiences ($19.99)Updated 11:00 a.m. PDT with further details on Marvel app and list of other companies announcing iPad apps.
Beware the allure of Apple's Retina Displays
Beware the allure of Apple's Retina Displays
Apple's Retina Displays are drop-dead gorgeous. But be careful what you wish for. Like many, I got the third-generation iPad because of the 2,048-by-1,536-pixel-density Retina Display. And, like many, I didn't see a huge difference at first.That was then.Now it's painful to pick up my Dell laptop with its 1,366x768-pixel 13.3-inch display and Windows 7 fonts (note: font-smoothing utilities go just so far). And while my 11.6-inch MacBook Air fares better than the Dell (it packs the same number of pixels but into a smaller area giving it a higher PPI or pixels per inch), I'm suddenly questioning my preference for portability (the Air is under 2.4 pounds) and wondering if I should go with a 4.5-pound 2,880-by-1,800 MacBook Pro Retina instead.In short, I have become a pompous pixel ass. Thanks to Apple. And it's not so much images and graphics that grate -- they're usually fine by comparison on Dell's display -- but text.It's become hard to tolerate the choppy, jagged text on Dell's display.But I shouldn't single Dell out. I just happen to have a Dell laptop.This could apply equally to any Windows machine with a 13.3- or 14-inch 1,366x768 display.Related storiesCNET's review of the Apple MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayChange is coming, though. In addition to existing very-high-resolution laptops like Sony's Vaio Z, newcomers like Vizio are touting machines with breathtaking high-pixel-density displays.For instance, I would have no problem staring at the 15.6-inch Vizio Thin+Light laptop's screen every day. And Microsoft's Windows 8 Pro (Intel-based) Surface tablet is expected to have a Retina-like display.As I'm sure others will. Wait, did someone mention a 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina?
Apple's Retina Displays are drop-dead gorgeous. But be careful what you wish for. Like many, I got the third-generation iPad because of the 2,048-by-1,536-pixel-density Retina Display. And, like many, I didn't see a huge difference at first.That was then.Now it's painful to pick up my Dell laptop with its 1,366x768-pixel 13.3-inch display and Windows 7 fonts (note: font-smoothing utilities go just so far). And while my 11.6-inch MacBook Air fares better than the Dell (it packs the same number of pixels but into a smaller area giving it a higher PPI or pixels per inch), I'm suddenly questioning my preference for portability (the Air is under 2.4 pounds) and wondering if I should go with a 4.5-pound 2,880-by-1,800 MacBook Pro Retina instead.In short, I have become a pompous pixel ass. Thanks to Apple. And it's not so much images and graphics that grate -- they're usually fine by comparison on Dell's display -- but text.It's become hard to tolerate the choppy, jagged text on Dell's display.But I shouldn't single Dell out. I just happen to have a Dell laptop.This could apply equally to any Windows machine with a 13.3- or 14-inch 1,366x768 display.Related storiesCNET's review of the Apple MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayChange is coming, though. In addition to existing very-high-resolution laptops like Sony's Vaio Z, newcomers like Vizio are touting machines with breathtaking high-pixel-density displays.For instance, I would have no problem staring at the 15.6-inch Vizio Thin+Light laptop's screen every day. And Microsoft's Windows 8 Pro (Intel-based) Surface tablet is expected to have a Retina-like display.As I'm sure others will. Wait, did someone mention a 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina?
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