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Apple Researching Stylus Concepts with Optical Tracking and Haptic FeedbackThu, 24 May 2012 09:35:28 PDT
While Steve Jobs famously panned the idea of a stylus for the iPhone at the device's unveiling in January 2007, Apple has continued researching ideas for stylus-based input, if only as part of continued reevaluation of how users interact with their devices and how technology will change those interactions over time. Toward that end, Unwired View highlights a pair of Apple patent applications filed in late 2010 and published today addressing optical and haptic stylus concepts.
Apple's idea for an optical stylus takes advantage of a tiny camera on the tip of the pen that would allow it to track patterns on a device's screen that are invisible to the user's eye. The stylus could also incorporate other sensors such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes to help determine orientation and movement.
Apple's generic iPhone stylus concept with enlarged view of encoding pattern for tracking movement
Alternatively, Apple suggests that it could incorporate haptic feedback to allow users to gain a tactile feel for the content on a device's screen via a stylus. Apple has researched haptics for quite some time, and the patent application published today describes how a haptic actuator embedded in the stylus could receive signals from a device to help users gain a tactile feel for the context of their onscreen input.
Apple's concept for stylus with haptic feedback
There has been essentially no evidence that Apple is seriously looking at incorporating a stylus into its products, but it remains clear that the company is thinking about how such pen-based input could be used in novel ways.
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Apple's idea for an optical stylus takes advantage of a tiny camera on the tip of the pen that would allow it to track patterns on a device's screen that are invisible to the user's eye. The stylus could also incorporate other sensors such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes to help determine orientation and movement.
In some embodiments, a stylus is provided with an optical sensor, such as a camera, that is used in determining a location and movement of the stylus relative to a touch screen display of a computing device. It should be appreciated, however, that displays other than touch screens may be implemented in some embodiments. The optical stylus may be configured to transmit the location and movement to the computing device. In some embodiments, the optical stylus may be configured to process and/or filter the location and movement information prior to transmission, whereas in other embodiments, raw data may be transmitted.
Apple's generic iPhone stylus concept with enlarged view of encoding pattern for tracking movement
Alternatively, Apple suggests that it could incorporate haptic feedback to allow users to gain a tactile feel for the content on a device's screen via a stylus. Apple has researched haptics for quite some time, and the patent application published today describes how a haptic actuator embedded in the stylus could receive signals from a device to help users gain a tactile feel for the context of their onscreen input.
Generally, input devices do not provide haptic feedback to a user in response to interactions with the input device. The user can typically only feel the rigid surface of the touch screen, making it difficult to find icons, hyperlinks, text boxes, or other user-selectable input elements on the display. An input device capable of generating haptic feedback may help a user navigate content displayed on the display screen, and may further serve to enhance the content of various applications by creating a more appealing and realistic user interface. "Haptic feedback" may be any tactile feedback. Examples include forces, vibrations, and/or motions that may be sensed by the user.
Apple's concept for stylus with haptic feedback
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Absinthe 2.0 Brings Untethered Jailbreak to iOS 5.1.1 Devices Including New iPadFri, 25 May 2012 09:07:42 PDT
Chronic Dev Team today announced the release of Absinthe 2.0, which offers users the ability to jailbreak numerous iOS devices running iOS 5.1.1, including the third-generation iPad, without having to tether the device to a computer for booting. The jailbreaking process allows users to load third-party software and hacks not authorized by Apple onto their devices.
Absinthe 2.0 works only on iOS 5.1.1, and enables jailbreaking of all iPad models with the exception of the revised 16 GB iPad 2, although compatibility with that device is scheduled to be added in the future. On the iPhone side, Absinthe 2.0 can jailbreak all devices from the iPhone 3GS onward, while the software is also compatible with the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch models.
Absinthe 2.0 is available for OS X (Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Lion), Windows (XP, Vista, and 7), and Linux. Users who have already jailbroken their iOS 5.1.1 devices using tethered options available prior to today can untether their devices using the Rocky Racoon 5.1.1 Untether package available through Cydia.
The release comes from the same partnership of Chronic Dev Team and iPhone Dev Team that released Absinthe A5 earlier this year to offer the first untethered jailbreak of iOS devices based on Apple's A5 system-on-a-chip, which included the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.
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Apple Launches 'Free App of the Week' and 'Editors' Choice' Promotions on App StoreFri, 25 May 2012 07:10:49 PDT
As noted by our sister site TouchArcade, Apple yesterday issued a Tweet announcing that Cut the Rope: Experiments is the company's "Free App of the Week", discounted from its usual $0.99 price [App Store] for the iPhone version and $1.99 price [App Store] for the iPad version.
While Apple has previously offered some apps for free through its App Store Facebook page, the new promotion directly through the App Store will make such offers more visible to users.
As noticed by The Verge, the Editors' Choice terminology has also been picked up in the Mac App Store, with Cobook [Mac App Store] being the initial recipient of the designation. Deus Ex: Human Revolution [Mac App Store] has also been made an Editors' Choice pick, but there appears to be no Free App of the Week in the Mac App Store to correspond with the feature on the iOS side, although Cobook is a free app.
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While Apple has previously offered some apps for free through its App Store Facebook page, the new promotion directly through the App Store will make such offers more visible to users.
As the official App Store Twitter account posted earlier today, Cut the Rope: Experiments is their "Free App of the Week", which as far as we can tell is the first of its kind.TouchArcade also notes several other tweaks to the App Store, including new "Editors' Choice" picks and the removal of the "Staff Favorites" section. In the U.S. App Store for iOS, Apple is currently featuring Facebook Camera [App Store] and Extreme Skater [App Store] as Editors' Choice picks on the iPhone side, with SketchBook Ink [App Store] and Air Mail [App Store] being highlighted on the iPad section of the store.
Now, don't get me wrong, Cut the Rope: Experiments is an excellent game and you should go download it immediately if you haven't already, no matter what the promotion is. But it will be interesting to see if this is something that Apple keeps doing each week, and I'd be curious to know how they decide on which games or apps to promote.
As noticed by The Verge, the Editors' Choice terminology has also been picked up in the Mac App Store, with Cobook [Mac App Store] being the initial recipient of the designation. Deus Ex: Human Revolution [Mac App Store] has also been made an Editors' Choice pick, but there appears to be no Free App of the Week in the Mac App Store to correspond with the feature on the iOS side, although Cobook is a free app.
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Apple Paying Dividends to Employees with Restricted Stock Units, CEO Tim Cook Declines to ParticipateThu, 24 May 2012 14:26:07 PDT
Apple's board has decided to award dividend equivalent payments to employees holding restricted stock units or RSUs. Apple announced a quarterly dividend of $2.65/share in March, to commence in July. RSUs are typically issued to employees to encourage them to stay with the company. They are awarded in a similar way to stock options, but convert directly into shares of stock upon vesting.Apple CEO Tim Cook was awarded 1 million RSUs upon his promotion to CEO last year to entice him to stay with the company for the foreseeable future. Half of the shares vest in 5 years, and the other half in 10. Cook has specifically declined the dividend equivalents, turning down more than $75 million in dividend payments over the life of the RSUs.
From an Apple SEC filing today:
On May 24, 2012, the Compensation Committee (the "Committee") of the Board of Directors of Apple Inc. (the "Company") approved amendments to each outstanding and unvested restricted stock unit award granted by the Company to its employees (other than Timothy D. Cook, the Company's Chief Executive Officer). The amendments provide that if the Company pays an ordinary cash dividend on its common stock, each award will be credited with an amount equal to the per-share cash dividend paid by the Company, multiplied by the total number of restricted stock units subject to the award that are outstanding immediately prior to the record date for such dividend. The amounts that are credited to each award are referred to as "dividend equivalents." Any dividend equivalents credited to an award will be subject to the same vesting, payment and other terms and conditions as the unvested restricted stock units to which the dividend equivalents relate. Depending on the domicile of the employee, accumulated dividend equivalents will either be paid in cash or used to offset employee taxes due upon vesting of the restricted stock units.
The Committee determined these amendments were appropriate in light of the Company's announcement on March 19, 2012 that it intends to commence paying ordinary cash dividends of $2.65 per share to its shareholders on a quarterly basis sometime during the fourth quarter of its 2012 fiscal year. As restricted stock units are not outstanding shares of common stock and thus would not otherwise be entitled to participate in such dividends, the crediting of dividend equivalents is intended to preserve the equity-based incentives intended by the Company when the awards were granted and to treat the award holders consistently with shareholders.
At Mr. Cook's request, none of his restricted stock units will participate in dividend equivalents. Assuming a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share over the vesting periods of his 1.125 million outstanding restricted stock units, Mr. Cook will forego approximately $75 million in dividend equivalent value.
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Facebook Launches New iPhone App Dedicated to Posting and Sharing PhotosThu, 24 May 2012 11:18:00 PDT
Facebook today released a new standalone iPhone app dedicated to posting and sharing photos on the 900-million strong social network. Facebook Camera aims to make using photos on Facebook "faster and easier", according to a press release.The app, much like the Facebook Messenger app launched last year, is designed to streamline a single Facebook feature that users are constantly interacting with, rather than using the clunkier Facebook iOS app. Photos are such a large part of Facebook that the company recently spent $1 billion to purchase photo sharing service Instagram.
Facebook built the app to make it much easier for mobile users to share multiple photos to the network -- something that is cumbersome in the standard Facebook app. Facebook Camera, made by a dedicated Photos team, streamlines browsing photos that friends have posted, a task which is all many users want to use Facebook for. From All Things D:
Facebook seems to have learned a heck of a lot from Instagram. Photos in Facebook Camera are full-bleed, spanning the entire width of the iPhone’s screen (which was probably tested when Facebook tweaked the photo experience for mobile last week). You’re able to comment and like photos directly from the stream. And of course, there are filters (albeit ones with names nowhere near as fun as Toaster or Valencia).
More than this, it’s very lightweight. The app moves much faster than browsing photos within Facebook’s proper app. And by introducing a separate camera app, it’s another way of bypassing the cumbersome, clicky process of adding pictures via the main Facebook app.
Instagram and Facebook Camera may seem like competitors -- and within Facebook they will be, sort of. Ellis Hamburger reports for The Verge:
The Facebook Camera team has been working on the app for months, and Mark Zuckerberg reportedly kept his desire to purchase Instagram close to the vest, as if he almost impulse-bought it. Had the Instagram deal never occurred, Facebook Camera wouldn't really be much of an Instagram competitor anyway, lacking any mobile-only social circles and hashtagged sharing around specific topics. "Enhancing the Facebook photos experience on mobile is long overdue," Facebook's Derick Mains told me. "We really had to step up our game, and we're committed to building Instagram independently."Facebook Camera is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]
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Following a March agreement that saw Foxconn and Sharp entering into a partnership to advance LCD technology, Reuters reports on a new article from Japan's Nikkei business newspaper indicating that the two companies are specifically teaming up on a new plant in Chengdu, China to produce displays for the iPhone.Japan's Sharp Corp will supply technological know-how to Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co for a plant in China that will produce panels for Apple Inc's iPhone and other consumer electronics products, the Nikkei business daily said on Thursday. [...]Apple has been working hard to continue streamlining its supply chain, and closer partnerships between component suppliers such as Sharp and device assemblers like Foxconn will likely help Apple move more quickly and efficiently to the latest technologies for its products.
The Nikkei said that the new technology handover, for which Sharp will receive tens of billions of yen in fees, is aimed at improving quality management at Hon Hai's planned plant in Chengdu.
Sharp was reportedly behind the main force in development of the third-generation iPad's Retina display technology, but quality control issues led to the company being shut out of the initial batch of devices as it sought to bring its production up to Apple's standards. The company has reportedly begun shipping its displays for the new iPad, joining Samsung and LG in efforts to meet Apple's demand.
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Back in November, The Wall Street Journal took a look at how Tim Cook was putting his stamp on Apple just two months after officially being elevated to the position on Chief Executive Officer. But with Cook now having been on the job for nine months, Fortune examines in a lengthy profile how the company and its culture have continued to evolve under his leadership.
But that operational efficiency has led to the belief that Apple is becoming more traditional and conservative, becoming an "execution engine" driven by business-oriented managers with MBAs and less dependent on its design and technical expertise to lead the way.
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A 14-year veteran of the company, Cook is maintaining, by words and actions, most of Apple's unique corporate culture. But shifts of behavior and tone are absolutely apparent; some of them affect the core of Apple's critical product-development process. In general, Apple has become slightly more open and considerably more corporate. In some cases Cook is taking action that Apple sorely needed and employees badly wanted. It's almost as if he is working his way through a to-do list of long-overdue repairs the previous occupant (Jobs) refused to address for no reason other than obstinacy.Calling Tim Cook "the master of operational efficiency", the report notes that Cook continues to spur Apple to both streamline and innovate with its manufacturing processes, bankrolling purchases of equipment and other infrastructure with its own money to allow its supply chain and assembly partners to improve efficiency and output.
But that operational efficiency has led to the belief that Apple is becoming more traditional and conservative, becoming an "execution engine" driven by business-oriented managers with MBAs and less dependent on its design and technical expertise to lead the way.
It looks like it has become a more conservative execution engine rather than a pushing-the-envelope engineering engine," says Max Paley, a former engineering vice president who worked at Apple for 14 years until late 2011. "I've been told that any meeting of significance is now always populated by project management and global-supply management," he says. "When I was there, engineering decided what we wanted, and it was the job of product management and supply management to go get it. It shows a shift in priority."The entire profile is an interesting look at how Apple is changing under Tim Cook, also highlighting his own evolution in becoming the face of Apple and how he differs from Steve Jobs, from his quiet nature to his willingness to listen to investors to sitting down to eat with random employees in the Apple cafeteria.
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Apple Running New Celebrity iPhone 4S/Siri TV Ads Featuring John MalkovichWed, 23 May 2012 18:39:57 PDT
Apple has begun running a pair of new television ads for the iPhone 4S and Siri featuring actor John Malkovich. This comes after a pair of celebrity ads started running last month with Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel.
John Malkovich is well known for his unique acting style and his iPhone 4S ad reflects his somewhat peculiar persona. The query that Malkovich posits -- "Life"-- elicits a number of different responses from Siri, including:
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Malkovich: Life.The celebrity ads scored very well with viewers, registering higher scores from advertising tracking firm Ace Metrix than any other iPhone 4S ad released so far this year.
Siri: Try and be nice to people. Avoid eating fat. Read a good book every now and then. Get some walking in. And try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.
Malkovich: That's pretty spectacular advice, actually. Thank you. I enjoyed this chat immensely. You are very eloquent.
Siri: That's nice of you to say.
John Malkovich is well known for his unique acting style and his iPhone 4S ad reflects his somewhat peculiar persona. The query that Malkovich posits -- "Life"-- elicits a number of different responses from Siri, including:
"42"A second ad is airing as well, showcasing a bit more of Siri's talents:
"I Kant answer that. Ha ha!"
"It's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya."
"Life: the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death."
"I don't know. But I think there's an app for that."
"I can't answer that now, but give me some time to write a very long play in which nothing happens."
"I find it odd that you would ask this of an inanimate object."
"That's easy… it's a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general."
"Life: a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings. I guess that includes me."
"A movie."
"I give up."
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North Carolina Regulators Approve Apple's Plans for 4.8-Megawatt Fuel Cell Facility at Maiden Data CenterWed, 23 May 2012 13:29:00 PDT
The North Carolina Utilities Commission today officially approved (PDF) Apple's proposal to construct a 4.8-megawatt fuel cell electric generating facility near its data center in Maiden, North Carolina. The Commission previously approved a plan by Apple to build the first of two 20 megawatt solar farms around its data center.
Bloom's Fuel Cell Boxes
Apple is acquiring the fuel cell boxes from Bloom Energy, based in Sunnyvale, California, near Apple's Cupertino headquarters where Apple already has some Bloom boxes installed. It appears that the fuel cell boxes will be powered by standard natural gas from the grid, while Apple will be purchasing environmentally-friendly biogas from a local provider which will be inserted into the grid at a 1:1 ratio. This will keep the system as "green" as possible.
Apple signaled its intentions to build a data center at the site last October, moving to clear and grade the land as it sought approval for the project. The company publicly unveiled its plans back in February, noting that the facility will be the largest user-owned fuel cell installation in the United States not owned by a utility company.
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The Public Staff presented this matter to the Commission at its Regular Staff Conference on May 21, 2012. The Public Staff recommended that the Commission approve the application and issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity.Previous filings (PDF) with federal regulators have indicated that Apple plans to have the fuel cell facility installed by July 16, with operation to begin by July 30.
After careful consideration, the Commission finds good cause to approve the application and issue the attached certificate of public convenience and necessity for the proposed 4.8-MW AC fuel cell electric generating facility located at 5977 Startown Road, Maiden, Catawba County, North Carolina.
Apple is acquiring the fuel cell boxes from Bloom Energy, based in Sunnyvale, California, near Apple's Cupertino headquarters where Apple already has some Bloom boxes installed. It appears that the fuel cell boxes will be powered by standard natural gas from the grid, while Apple will be purchasing environmentally-friendly biogas from a local provider which will be inserted into the grid at a 1:1 ratio. This will keep the system as "green" as possible.
Apple signaled its intentions to build a data center at the site last October, moving to clear and grade the land as it sought approval for the project. The company publicly unveiled its plans back in February, noting that the facility will be the largest user-owned fuel cell installation in the United States not owned by a utility company.
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OS X Mountain Lion Adding Offline Safari Reading List Mode and Dictation to MacWed, 23 May 2012 12:57:30 PDT
In the week since Apple's last developer update of OS X Mountain Lion, several new features including hints of automatic app downloads have been discovered in the next-generation operating system. The discoveries are still continuing, with signs of two new features: offline Reading List mode and iOS-like dictation.
Gear Live highlights the offline reading list option, which is an augmentation of the Safari bookmarking feature that debuted in OS X Lion and syncs saved articles across devices. As noticed by Gear Live, a warning screen in Safari on OS X Mountain Lion indicates that articles saved to Reading List are available for viewing even when the user's Mac is not connected to the Internet.
Meanwhile, 9to5Mac reports that a keyboard shortcut listing in the latest build of OS X Mountain Lion suggests that built-in dictation capabilities will be coming to the Mac. Such capabilities debuted as part of Siri on the iPhone 4S, with only the dictation portion making its way into the third-generation iPad released earlier this year.
No other evidence of dictation or other Siri-like features has yet been discovered in OS X Mountain Lion, but Apple continues to work on the next-generation operating system and will undoubtedly issue an extensive preview of it at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
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Gear Live highlights the offline reading list option, which is an augmentation of the Safari bookmarking feature that debuted in OS X Lion and syncs saved articles across devices. As noticed by Gear Live, a warning screen in Safari on OS X Mountain Lion indicates that articles saved to Reading List are available for viewing even when the user's Mac is not connected to the Internet.
While troubleshooting a home network issue today, I stumbled upon a new feature that Apple is introducing in OS X Mountain Lion. [...]
When you aren't connected to a network and pull up Safari, you get a message that tells you that you aren't connected to the Internet, but that your "Reading List articles are available for viewing while you are offline."
Meanwhile, 9to5Mac reports that a keyboard shortcut listing in the latest build of OS X Mountain Lion suggests that built-in dictation capabilities will be coming to the Mac. Such capabilities debuted as part of Siri on the iPhone 4S, with only the dictation portion making its way into the third-generation iPad released earlier this year.
According to a resources file inside of the latest build of Safari in the newest seed of the upcoming OS X Mountain Lion, Dictation might be making its way to Macs next. Since Macs do not sport virtual keyboards or physical keyboards with a microphone-labled key, users (by default) will apparently need to simultaneously click both command keys to start voice input.
No other evidence of dictation or other Siri-like features has yet been discovered in OS X Mountain Lion, but Apple continues to work on the next-generation operating system and will undoubtedly issue an extensive preview of it at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
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BGR reports that Microsoft is planning to launch Office for iOS in November this year, with the source claiming first-hand knowledge of the software running on an iPad. With the app's splash screen referring to it as "Office for iOS", the source also speculates that the app may also be coming to the smaller screens of the iPhone and iPod touch. In addition to its iOS effort, Microsoft is also said to be bringing Office to Android-based tablets in the same timeframe.
Microsoft had indicated soon after the launch of the original iPad that it was investigating the possibility of bringing Office to the platform, but ultimately stated that it had no plans for such an effort. The Daily has since claimed several times that Office for iPad is in fact in the works, reporting in February that it had even had hands-on time with a prototype of the app.
Photo of claimed Office prototype app running on an iPad (Source: The Daily)
Microsoft denied the claim, but The Daily continues to stand by its report. Suggesting that there may have been a misunderstanding somewhere, Microsoft stated that the situation would become "clear in the coming weeks". No such clarification has yet surfaced, however.
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Microsoft had indicated soon after the launch of the original iPad that it was investigating the possibility of bringing Office to the platform, but ultimately stated that it had no plans for such an effort. The Daily has since claimed several times that Office for iPad is in fact in the works, reporting in February that it had even had hands-on time with a prototype of the app.
Photo of claimed Office prototype app running on an iPad (Source: The Daily)
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Planning Board Rendering Unveils New Glass-Enclosed Apple Store for StanfordWed, 23 May 2012 08:30:00 PDT
The Palo Alto Online has unearthed plans for a new glass-enclosed retail store going in near the current Stanford mini-store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA.
The store will have three floor-to-ceiling glass walls enclosing the front of the store with a visually free-floating white roof overhead. This is a similar design to the new store being built in Portland, OR, as well as a new store in Aix-en-Provence, France. What makes this store unique, however, is the interior.
In the middle of the store, it appears that Apple's architects have placed a stone wall that separates the store into two distinct areas. A front area enclosed by glass walls, and a rear space that will include the standard Apple Retail Store product tables and counters.
From the Palo Alto Online:
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The store will have three floor-to-ceiling glass walls enclosing the front of the store with a visually free-floating white roof overhead. This is a similar design to the new store being built in Portland, OR, as well as a new store in Aix-en-Provence, France. What makes this store unique, however, is the interior.
In the middle of the store, it appears that Apple's architects have placed a stone wall that separates the store into two distinct areas. A front area enclosed by glass walls, and a rear space that will include the standard Apple Retail Store product tables and counters.
From the Palo Alto Online:
One seasoned industry observer who had viewed the early drawings called the building design exquisite. "It makes an elegant and dramatic statement. It is destined to become Apple's flagship store," he said. The structure features a tall glass cube with an overhang that extends well beyond the building. "It makes the space between the outside and the inside almost indistinguishable," the source said, adding that it will bear some similarity to New York's Apple Store Fifth Avenue, which also has a distinctive glass cube as an entrance.The new store replaces the Rugby Ralph Lauren and Williams Sonoma Home stores that were previously in the space. IFOAppleStore notes the store, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, is expected to open by the end of the year. The existing Stanford mini-store will be shuttered once the new location opens.
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Patent Talks Between Apple and Samsung Chief Executives Yield Little ProgressWed, 23 May 2012 06:45:53 PDT
Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook met with his counterpart from Samsung, Choi Gee-sung, as part of court-mediated talks seeking to find common ground in the ongoing patent battles between the two companies. Unsurprisingly, the talks seems to have been relatively unproductive, with the U.S. case underway in California all but certain to proceed to trial.
Apple has been silent on the talks, but The Korea Times reports on comments from Samsung officials indicating that no agreement was forthcoming.
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Apple has been silent on the talks, but The Korea Times reports on comments from Samsung officials indicating that no agreement was forthcoming.
The two technology giants could find no clear agreement through the talks, according to a Samsung official. Apple Korea declined to comment on the matter.The Korea Herald reports that Samsung's contingent will be returning to Korea on Friday, and with Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee also returning from a three-week business trip to Europe, the company's top executives will almost certainly meet to discuss the talks. It appears, however, that there is little chance of Apple and Samsung budge from their positions sufficiently to prevent a trial from taking place.
The patent battle is now headed for trial on June 27, despite both firm’s stated wish to avoid legal proceedings.
According to foreign media outlets, both technology giants held firm on their assertions: Samsung continued to demand Apple pay royalties for using its wireless transmission technology and Apple insisted that Samsung copied its design in various products.
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Apple Design Chief Jonathan Ive Knighted in Buckingham Palace, Says 'Best Work' is Underway NowWed, 23 May 2012 06:29:22 PDT
BBC reports that Apple's design chief Jonathan Ive was knighted today in Buckingham Palace, with Princess Anne performing the honors. Ive's knighthood was announced in December, but the official ceremony was not held until today.
Ive's knighthood was accompanied by a rare extensive profile and interview with The Telegraph in which he shares details on his background and philosophy.
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Ive's knighthood was accompanied by a rare extensive profile and interview with The Telegraph in which he shares details on his background and philosophy.
"All I’ve ever wanted to do is design and make; it’s what I love doing. It’s great if you can find what you love to do. Finding it is one thing but then to be able to practise that and be preoccupied with that is another," he says. "I’m very aware of an incredible tradition in the UK of designing and making, and so to be recognised in this way is really wonderful."The humble Ive, who notably almost always uses "we" rather than "I" in discussion of Apple's design process, emphasizing the team aspect of the industrial design division's work, also discusses the care that Apple takes in designing every single aspect of each product.
"We’re keenly aware that when we develop and make something and bring it to market that it really does speak to a set of values. And what preoccupies us is that sense of care, and what our products will not speak to is a schedule, what our products will not speak to is trying to respond to some corporate or competitive agenda. We’re very genuinely designing the best products that we can for people."Asked which of his designs is most important to him and for which he would like to be remembered most, Ive notes that his team's current projects are "the most important and the best work we’ve done" but that he of course can't disclose details on that work.
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Studies of "brand value" are always difficult to compare, as widely differing methodologies used by those measuring such data yield markedly different results. But tracking year-to-year movements using a consistent methodology can offer some interesting perspectives, and so Millward's Brown's latest BrandZ study (via The Next Web) makes for a good look at trends in marketing and branding.
In the 2012 brand rankings released today, Apple tops the list for the second year in a row, scoring a brand value of nearly $183 billion as compared to last year's $153 billion figure that saw Apple move into the top position for the first time. Apple's 19% growth was the strongest among the top ten brands.
Among other top brands, IBM passed Google to take the second spot in the rankings with a brand value of nearly $116 billion as seven of the top ten spots were held by technology or communications companies. Facebook saw the largest percentage gain among top companies, with its brand value jumping by 74% to $33 billion, a leap of sixteen places to number 19 in the rankings.
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In the 2012 brand rankings released today, Apple tops the list for the second year in a row, scoring a brand value of nearly $183 billion as compared to last year's $153 billion figure that saw Apple move into the top position for the first time. Apple's 19% growth was the strongest among the top ten brands.
David Roth for WPP said "Brands help businesses create competitive differentiation, command a price premium and become more resilient to crises or economic turbulence. This year, those businesses that leveraged technology, focused on the customer experience or boosted control of their brands thrived."Still, Samsung's brand value of $14.1 billion for a 55th place ranking paled in comparison to Apple, and the company's 16% growth in brand value was unable to match Apple's performance.
Apple continues to innovate and maintain its ‘luxury’ brand status, but faces future competition from Samsung. Now worth more than $14.1 billion, thanks in part to the success of its Galaxy handsets, Samsung is successfully outpacing Apple in a significant number of markets by positioning as a cool, well-priced alternative to the ubiquitous iPhone."
Among other top brands, IBM passed Google to take the second spot in the rankings with a brand value of nearly $116 billion as seven of the top ten spots were held by technology or communications companies. Facebook saw the largest percentage gain among top companies, with its brand value jumping by 74% to $33 billion, a leap of sixteen places to number 19 in the rankings.
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New Part Leaks Include Taller iPod Touch Front Panel, 'iPhone 5' CamerasTue, 22 May 2012 09:02:26 PDT
In line with today's claims of taller iPhone prototypes with 3.95-inch displays, one of our sources has provided us with images of what are claimed to be new next-generation iOS device parts being carried by a supplier. The most significant of these parts is a claimed front panel from the next-generation iPod touch, with the supplier claiming that the display would be taller than the current model and that the opening in the front panel measures 4.1 inches diagonally.
Apple would undoubtedly use the same display size on the iPhone and iPod touch if it were to bring a larger screen to both of the devices, so it is not entirely clear how to mesh recent claims of a 3.95-inch display with this measurement of 4.1 inches and The Wall Street Journal's claim of "at least four inches", but all of the reports are in the same general size range. The viewable portion of the iPhone's display is slightly smaller than the opening in the front panel, so that could explain the slight discrepancy in reported sizes.
Our source's supplier has also included listings for several new parts claimed to be for the next-generation iPhone, including the home button flex cable and front and rear cameras, although the camera parts are listed as needing "verification", so the supplier may yet be confirming their authenticity. The photos are extremely small, but at a minimum the home button flex cable and front camera assembly show distinct differences from their iPhone 4S counterparts, although they may end up being functionally indistinguishable from the user's perspective. The rear camera appears very similar to modules used in the last several generations of the iPhone, although it is lacking an associated LED flash.
Left to right: Home button flex cable, front camera, rear camera
Better shots of the cameras have been posted at BadGizmo Repair, which appears to have received its information from the same supplier as our source.
"iPhone 5" front camera (left) and rear camera (right)
Part leaks from Apple's supply chain have become fairly routine in the months leading up to a product launch, and these latest parts are by no means the first to appear for the upcoming hardware update. The plastic home buttons were the first to leak last month, followed by a micro-SIM tray and what claimed to be a headphone jack/earpiece assembly, although there has been some debate about exactly what the components on that part represent. The authenticity of all of the parts has yet to be confirmed, but past history suggests that these components are frequently genuine parts leaked from Apple's supply chain.
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Apple would undoubtedly use the same display size on the iPhone and iPod touch if it were to bring a larger screen to both of the devices, so it is not entirely clear how to mesh recent claims of a 3.95-inch display with this measurement of 4.1 inches and The Wall Street Journal's claim of "at least four inches", but all of the reports are in the same general size range. The viewable portion of the iPhone's display is slightly smaller than the opening in the front panel, so that could explain the slight discrepancy in reported sizes.
Our source's supplier has also included listings for several new parts claimed to be for the next-generation iPhone, including the home button flex cable and front and rear cameras, although the camera parts are listed as needing "verification", so the supplier may yet be confirming their authenticity. The photos are extremely small, but at a minimum the home button flex cable and front camera assembly show distinct differences from their iPhone 4S counterparts, although they may end up being functionally indistinguishable from the user's perspective. The rear camera appears very similar to modules used in the last several generations of the iPhone, although it is lacking an associated LED flash.
Left to right: Home button flex cable, front camera, rear camera
Better shots of the cameras have been posted at BadGizmo Repair, which appears to have received its information from the same supplier as our source.
"iPhone 5" front camera (left) and rear camera (right)
Part leaks from Apple's supply chain have become fairly routine in the months leading up to a product launch, and these latest parts are by no means the first to appear for the upcoming hardware update. The plastic home buttons were the first to leak last month, followed by a micro-SIM tray and what claimed to be a headphone jack/earpiece assembly, although there has been some debate about exactly what the components on that part represent. The authenticity of all of the parts has yet to be confirmed, but past history suggests that these components are frequently genuine parts leaked from Apple's supply chain.
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9to5Mac reports that Apple is currently testing two prototypes of the next-generation iPhone that offer a taller screen while maintaining the existing 640-pixel width. According to the report, the two prototypes carry a display with a height of 1136 pixels, up from the current 960-pixel height and leading to an increase in the diagonal size of the display from 3.5 inches to 3.95 inches.
Rendered mockup of taller iPhone with 4-inch display (Source: Ciccarese Design)
Click for larger
Today's report indicates that iOS 6 will support this taller screen by displaying an extra row of home screen icons, in line with previous speculation. The new iPhone hardware also reportedly includes the rumored smaller dock connector, with the report's source pegging its size at between micro-USB and mini-USB.
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These prototype phones are floating around Apple HQ in thick, locked shells in order to disguise the exterior design to "undisclosed" employees. We know of two next-generation iPhones in testing with a larger display: the iPhone 5,1 and iPhone 5,2. These phones are in the PreEVT stage of development and are codenamed N41AP (5,1) and N42AP (5,2). Because Apple reserves certain models for internal-only usage (such as the N96 phone we previously reported on), we’re not sure which of the two devices will make its way into the world later this year.The idea of a larger screen in the range of 4 inches for the iPhone has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, with some sources already having claimed that Apple will achieve that increase with a taller design.
Rendered mockup of taller iPhone with 4-inch display (Source: Ciccarese Design)
Click for larger
Today's report indicates that iOS 6 will support this taller screen by displaying an extra row of home screen icons, in line with previous speculation. The new iPhone hardware also reportedly includes the rumored smaller dock connector, with the report's source pegging its size at between micro-USB and mini-USB.
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As noted by Zach Kahn (via 9to5Mac), the latest developer build of OS X Mountain Lion released last week sets the stage for bringing iOS-like automatic app downloads to Mac App Store purchases.
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Like on the iPhone and iPad, when you buy and install an app on one of your Macs, all of your other Macs logged into the same App Store account will automatically install the app too.Apple has been issuing regular updates of OS X Mountain Lion to its Mac developer community, and the company is expected to offer many more details on the next-generation operating system at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. OS X Mountain Lion is currently scheduled to see a public launch in "late summer" of this year and will bring a number of enhancements including several features drawn from iOS such as Notification Center, Game Center, Messages, and Reminders.
Unfortunately, the feature does not seem to be working completely. While the App Store will still offer to enable automatic downloads (as seen above), it does not actually install anything when you purchase apps from another computer.
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Apple last week sent out a mailing to neighbors of its planned Apple Campus 2, a massive new facility on the site of an old HP campus in Cupertino that is set to host 13,000 workers. The mailing offers details on the project, solicits feedback, and asks whether neighbors will support the project either in person at public meetings or by writing letters of support.
Click for larger
In the mailing, Apple touts how the project will enhance the neighborhood around the campus, from both functional and aesthetic perspectives. Apple notes that the project will bring upgrades to streets and sidewalks in the area and add more than 2,000 trees that will replace acres of parking lots with green space. Apple also emphasizes the environmental side of its efforts, from a commitment to 100% renewable energy including a massive solar installation to water reclamation and improved drainage.
Click for larger
Apple does note that the campus will not be open to the public, although many of its planned improvements will impact neighbors. The plan has not been without some controversy, however, as some critics have spoken out against the project design, the closed campus, and the amount of traffic it will bring to the area.
Apple's timeline calls for the City of Cupertino to review and approve the campus plans later this year, with construction to begin immediately following approval and the first move-ins planned for 2015.
(Thanks, Hansen!)
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Click for larger
In the mailing, Apple touts how the project will enhance the neighborhood around the campus, from both functional and aesthetic perspectives. Apple notes that the project will bring upgrades to streets and sidewalks in the area and add more than 2,000 trees that will replace acres of parking lots with green space. Apple also emphasizes the environmental side of its efforts, from a commitment to 100% renewable energy including a massive solar installation to water reclamation and improved drainage.
Click for larger
Apple does note that the campus will not be open to the public, although many of its planned improvements will impact neighbors. The plan has not been without some controversy, however, as some critics have spoken out against the project design, the closed campus, and the amount of traffic it will bring to the area.
Apple's timeline calls for the City of Cupertino to review and approve the campus plans later this year, with construction to begin immediately following approval and the first move-ins planned for 2015.
(Thanks, Hansen!)
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Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung Meeting Today to Discuss Patent IssuesMon, 21 May 2012 07:34:05 PDT
Following last month's announcement that Apple and Samsung had agreed to high-level talks involving the two companies' CEOs in an attempt to resolve ongoing patent litigation, Reuters provides a preview of the session set to begin today in San Francisco. The talks, which will be mediated by a federal judge, are scheduled to take place over the next two days.
Commenting before his departure to the United States for the talks, Samsung mobile division chief JK Shin noted that while significant differences between Apple and Samsung still exist, a number of "negotiation options" remain on the table.
Samsung is just one of Apple's main targets in its patent battles with Android-based hardware manufacturers. In another case, Apple succeeded in slowing U.S. imports of several HTC smartphones earlier this month, forcing the company to delay the launch of the Evo 4G LTE on Sprint although HTC has indicated that some shipments of some models are being released by U.S. Customs.
But while Apple's disputes with several Android device manufacturers center on functionality of the devices, the company's dispute with Samsung extends further to claims that Samsung has "chosen to slavishly copy" the design of Apple's products with its own line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
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Commenting before his departure to the United States for the talks, Samsung mobile division chief JK Shin noted that while significant differences between Apple and Samsung still exist, a number of "negotiation options" remain on the table.
"There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple," JK Shin said, before departing for the United States for the mediation talks. "But we still have several negotiation options."Legal experts are not optimistic that the two companies will reach a settlement, but with courts increasingly pushing companies to seek alternative dispute resolution processes in hopes of staving off drawn-out court battles, Apple and Samsung have agreed to participate in the talks.
Court documents show the two companies have had at least one mediation session, although it is not clear if Cook and Choi were involved.
Samsung is just one of Apple's main targets in its patent battles with Android-based hardware manufacturers. In another case, Apple succeeded in slowing U.S. imports of several HTC smartphones earlier this month, forcing the company to delay the launch of the Evo 4G LTE on Sprint although HTC has indicated that some shipments of some models are being released by U.S. Customs.
But while Apple's disputes with several Android device manufacturers center on functionality of the devices, the company's dispute with Samsung extends further to claims that Samsung has "chosen to slavishly copy" the design of Apple's products with its own line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
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