Apple's iPod event: 800-lb gorillas don't need buzz
Apple appears to be taking that old adage to heart as it concerns its iconic iPod lineup: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.Tuesday's iPod event provided few surprises but reiterated Apple's commitment to making the kinds of incremental changes to its iPod lineup needed to stay on top of the competition and to keep customers coming back for more. New colorful iPod Nanos and a cheaper iPod Touch introduced by CEO Steve Jobs will be the centerpiece of the company's lineup for the holidays, which account for up to 40 percent of annual sales for iPods.Investors seemed unimpressed with the new iPods. But it was a supremely awful day for the stock market as a whole, and sell-on-the-news is the standard reaction from the market to an Apple event. Despite what you might have heard from certain pundits so adept at building men from straw, few onlookers who spend their personal and professional lives watching Apple expected anything crazy from this event. Over the past three or four years Apple has indeed written itself into future marketing textbooks with its penchant for special events that generate buzz, but the iPod is old hat. Almost seven years after the introduction of the first iPod, over 73 percent of all U.S. residents who want a portable digital music player choose an iPod, according to NPD figures presented at Tuesday's event.This is no longer about a scrappy underdog company cementing its dominance of an industry--as Apple did in 2005 when it stunned people with the iPod Nano--or an outsider looking to shake up an established market, like Apple did in 2007 with the iPhone. Apple owns the music player market. Apple is the 800-pound gorilla of this market, and companies unassailed by competitors have less incentive to take bold risks: just ask Intel or Microsoft.So while there may not be anything earth-shattering that emerged from Tuesday'sevent--other than the somewhat-surprising news that Jack Johnson is the top-selling male artist in iTunes history--there was certainly no clunker. Check out CNET iPod expert Donald Bell's thoughts for more color on the new devices. Truly, few expressions of disappointment came from those outside of Wall Street, with its narrow-minded focus. The new design for the iPod Nano doesn't break as much ground as its great-grandfather did in 2005, but the return to a long and slim design aesthetic seemed at first glance more pleasing to the masses than the "fat Nano" unveiled last year. The addition of the iPhone's accelerometer to the new Nano makes watching video on the most popular iPod more inviting.When people love your product anyway, a good bet to keep them entertained is to make sure they are having fun.James Martin/CNET NewsLikewise, few radical changes were expected to the iPod Touch celebrating its second first birthday, but the addition of the Nike+iPod software, as well as the slimmer design and cheaper price tag, should keep people interested in the device that Apple hopes will be the future of its iPod division.Overlooked among new iPods and dreamy surf-rock crooners was perhaps the most important announcement of the day: Apple believes it has fixed what might be its buggiest software release in years, the OS X 2.0. iPod Touch and iPhone owners will get a chance later this week to patch what Jobs himself called "lots of bugs," such as dropped calls, dysfunctional applications, poor battery life, and interminable backups.It's not unreasonable to wonder whether Apple can continue to be the tech darling of the 21st century without the kinds of buzz-generating events that propelled it to the position it enjoys today. Perhaps that's true of the Mac or the iPhone, markets where Apple is a relatively small player among giants. But event-related buzz is much less of an important factor when it comes to the iPod; at this point, few need to be persuaded that Apple has music-player design chops.There are much more important factors than buzz for Apple's iPod engineers and marketers to worry about if the iPod is to stay atop the mountain. Since no competitors are really pushing Apple to innovate at the moment, it's incumbent on the company to motivate itself by designing compelling products that give people ways to enjoy digital media on the go while looking cool and ensuring that its quality control doesn't suffer in order to stay on top of this market. Otherwise, perhaps some scrappy underdog could sneak up on Apple farther down the road.Apple has earned the luxury of making an incremental change or two to its iPods each year that don't necessarily dazzle but do keep the train rolling. When nearly three-quarters of digital-music listeners are walking the streets with your product in tow, when you have the ability to blanket the airwaves with your advertising, and when your competitors can merely match your advances, you don't need to hit a home run every time.Click here for full coverage of Apple's "Let's Rock" event.
New album from ex-Groupon CEO fails to crack iTunes Top 100
New album from ex-Groupon CEO fails to crack iTunes Top 100
I confess that I have never bought a Groupon, because it always seemed to require paying money to do something I didn't want to do.I feared I might feel the same way about listening to former Groupon CEO Andrew Mason's new album "Hardly Workin'."I had understood that Mason was a bit of a wag and a prankster, and I thought that when his opus hit iTunes Tuesday morning there might be, well, a Groupon. Or at least a deal.With only seven tracks, there was surely that possibility.And yet, when I went to the iTunes store, I discovered that the price of these seven little ditties was $9.99 (or $6.93 if you buy the tracks individually -- but then you don't get the no doubt unmissable "digital booklet" that comes with the album). This struck me as something of a Group(Turn)off.I therefore listened only to snippets. But I had been told the lyrics were quite outstanding. They are already being analyzed at RapGenius. Moreover, Mashable told me this was a serious work of art. Indeed, it was as if Tom Peters and Bob Dylan had enjoyed a brief romance and decided to span the business/poetry continuum.Here is a sample from the song "Look No Further": I see you look at my bookshelf Eyeing 'Catcher In The Rye' Jack Welch didn'tNeed no 'Tipping Point'And friend neither do II was climbing Machu Picchu As I beheld the splendid view An idea came for 100 million of shareholder value. Having read these inspiring words, I felt sure that "Hardly Workin'" would have already broken into the iTunes Top 100 and spawned a self-help book or 10.Sadly, the chart is currently free of rambling Masonry. Instead, it is full of albums by bat-eaters, alleged child molesters, and the Beatles.Becoming a rock star, like becoming a rock star CEO, can take time. Mason majored in music. However, in listening to the previews (you didn't really expect me to pay the 10 bucks, did you?), even the briefest moments did bring a touch of discomfort.The track "My Door Is Open" involves what sounds like a child actor, down on his or her luck. In response to Mason singing "Where do you think great ideas be coming from?" this prepubescent voice offers: "From people like me who bring them to your door."It's as if someone had dragged Shirley Temple into a recording studio and made her recite the collected works of Tony Robbins.I worry that a work that is allegedly intended to be motivational may not create the conditions for sufficient motivation to purchase.Still, like all great artists, Mason has penned a blog post to accompany this new release. He explains that he's taking all his vast learnings from business and "packaging them as music."He adds: "Executives, midlevel management, and front-line employees are all sure to find valuable takeaways. I've probably listened to the album over a dozen times now, and with each spin I feel like I learn something."Oh, of course it's a joke. Isn't it?
I confess that I have never bought a Groupon, because it always seemed to require paying money to do something I didn't want to do.I feared I might feel the same way about listening to former Groupon CEO Andrew Mason's new album "Hardly Workin'."I had understood that Mason was a bit of a wag and a prankster, and I thought that when his opus hit iTunes Tuesday morning there might be, well, a Groupon. Or at least a deal.With only seven tracks, there was surely that possibility.And yet, when I went to the iTunes store, I discovered that the price of these seven little ditties was $9.99 (or $6.93 if you buy the tracks individually -- but then you don't get the no doubt unmissable "digital booklet" that comes with the album). This struck me as something of a Group(Turn)off.I therefore listened only to snippets. But I had been told the lyrics were quite outstanding. They are already being analyzed at RapGenius. Moreover, Mashable told me this was a serious work of art. Indeed, it was as if Tom Peters and Bob Dylan had enjoyed a brief romance and decided to span the business/poetry continuum.Here is a sample from the song "Look No Further": I see you look at my bookshelf Eyeing 'Catcher In The Rye' Jack Welch didn'tNeed no 'Tipping Point'And friend neither do II was climbing Machu Picchu As I beheld the splendid view An idea came for 100 million of shareholder value. Having read these inspiring words, I felt sure that "Hardly Workin'" would have already broken into the iTunes Top 100 and spawned a self-help book or 10.Sadly, the chart is currently free of rambling Masonry. Instead, it is full of albums by bat-eaters, alleged child molesters, and the Beatles.Becoming a rock star, like becoming a rock star CEO, can take time. Mason majored in music. However, in listening to the previews (you didn't really expect me to pay the 10 bucks, did you?), even the briefest moments did bring a touch of discomfort.The track "My Door Is Open" involves what sounds like a child actor, down on his or her luck. In response to Mason singing "Where do you think great ideas be coming from?" this prepubescent voice offers: "From people like me who bring them to your door."It's as if someone had dragged Shirley Temple into a recording studio and made her recite the collected works of Tony Robbins.I worry that a work that is allegedly intended to be motivational may not create the conditions for sufficient motivation to purchase.Still, like all great artists, Mason has penned a blog post to accompany this new release. He explains that he's taking all his vast learnings from business and "packaging them as music."He adds: "Executives, midlevel management, and front-line employees are all sure to find valuable takeaways. I've probably listened to the album over a dozen times now, and with each spin I feel like I learn something."Oh, of course it's a joke. Isn't it?
Bill Gates shares his notes
Bill Gates shares his notes
SEATTLE--Now you have a chance to compare notes with Bill Gates.The Microsoft chairman is launching a Web site on Wednesday designed to to share his thoughts on everything from his foundation work to musings on other topics including energy and the environment.Dubbed Gates Notes, the site is launching with postings from Gates himself, and in the works are plans to allow for more discussion on the topics he raises.Bill GatesMicrosoftIn an exclusive interview, Gates told CNET that he missed having the kind of Web presence he had at Microsoft."The Internet is tailor-made for the kind of activities I am involved in," Gates said. "When I take a trip, we have all these photos. People want to see that and it's very easy to put it up there. If I read a book, some people are considering whether to read that book or want a short understanding of what that's like."Gates said he plans to post content about three times a week, with some posts being brief and others being more in-depth."I think it's going to be a lot of fun to share on an ongoing basis," Gates said, adding that he is looking forward to the feedback. "It will help guide me."In its initial form, the site features articles on education reform, lessons from the swine flu pandemic, and the need for help in Haiti. There's also a podcast series with Gates speaking on climate change and the challenges of developing friendlier alternatives to today's energy sources. (Along with being available for download from the Gates Notes site, the podcasts will be on both iTunes and the Zune Marketplace, I'm told).Although energy and climate issues are not something the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has directly focused on, it is an area of keen interest for Gates and will be the focus of his talk at next month's TED conference."The interest in some of the energy things I have been doing has been very high so I will elaborate on that," Gates said.Gates Notes also features a section on Gates' travels, where he narrates some of the video footage taken on trips, such as last year's visit to India. Another section includes notes on some of the books Gates is reading.Another section, dubbed "conversations," is designed to include both interviews with Gates as well as excerpts from some of the long e-mail exchanges he has with various thinkers as well as question-and-answer sessions with students from around the world.The launch of Gates Notes comes a day after Gates joined Twitter, where he quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of followers.Although Gates Notes draws on work from the foundation, as well as from Gates' work at Microsoft and at Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures, the Web site is a project of his personal staff.In a note, Gates welcomes visitors to the site.CNET
SEATTLE--Now you have a chance to compare notes with Bill Gates.The Microsoft chairman is launching a Web site on Wednesday designed to to share his thoughts on everything from his foundation work to musings on other topics including energy and the environment.Dubbed Gates Notes, the site is launching with postings from Gates himself, and in the works are plans to allow for more discussion on the topics he raises.Bill GatesMicrosoftIn an exclusive interview, Gates told CNET that he missed having the kind of Web presence he had at Microsoft."The Internet is tailor-made for the kind of activities I am involved in," Gates said. "When I take a trip, we have all these photos. People want to see that and it's very easy to put it up there. If I read a book, some people are considering whether to read that book or want a short understanding of what that's like."Gates said he plans to post content about three times a week, with some posts being brief and others being more in-depth."I think it's going to be a lot of fun to share on an ongoing basis," Gates said, adding that he is looking forward to the feedback. "It will help guide me."In its initial form, the site features articles on education reform, lessons from the swine flu pandemic, and the need for help in Haiti. There's also a podcast series with Gates speaking on climate change and the challenges of developing friendlier alternatives to today's energy sources. (Along with being available for download from the Gates Notes site, the podcasts will be on both iTunes and the Zune Marketplace, I'm told).Although energy and climate issues are not something the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has directly focused on, it is an area of keen interest for Gates and will be the focus of his talk at next month's TED conference."The interest in some of the energy things I have been doing has been very high so I will elaborate on that," Gates said.Gates Notes also features a section on Gates' travels, where he narrates some of the video footage taken on trips, such as last year's visit to India. Another section includes notes on some of the books Gates is reading.Another section, dubbed "conversations," is designed to include both interviews with Gates as well as excerpts from some of the long e-mail exchanges he has with various thinkers as well as question-and-answer sessions with students from around the world.The launch of Gates Notes comes a day after Gates joined Twitter, where he quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of followers.Although Gates Notes draws on work from the foundation, as well as from Gates' work at Microsoft and at Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures, the Web site is a project of his personal staff.In a note, Gates welcomes visitors to the site.CNET
The 404 372- Where we don't stop 'till we get enough
The 404 372: Where we don't stop 'till we get enough
We all had busy weekends, especially since it was so sunny in New York, but we wanted to thank our buddy Juan Garzon of MOUSE Squad for inviting us to speak at the first annual Digital Youth Media and Technology Festival on Saturday. We definitely do a lot of damage on The 404, so we felt the need to give something back to some of our younger listeners. Kids can't live on toilet jokes alone, after all. We each had the chance to speak to several groups of young people interested in pursuing a career in technology. Listen in to the first half of the show to hear how we all managed to sneak our way into CNET. Somehow, two years later, we're still here!In usual fashion, Wilson blindsides us with the news that his weekend was spent desperately trying to track down an iPhone 3GS to replace his broken Nokia. You really need to listen to Wilson justify spending money on an iPhone after holding out for two years. Anyway, for some reason, AT&T refuses to do business after 6 p.m. and shuts down all its servers, so two separate Apple stores told him to head over to the 24-hour Apple cube store on Fifth Ave., but the lines ended up being 3 HOURS long! I won't give away what happened, but based on Wilson's prior Apple fandom, I think you guys can predict what he did.All this plus a bunch of awesome Calls From the Public, including several Michael Jackson tributes and a touching story from Jeff about a spinal implant that'll give you a very surprising, very delightful surprise. If you want to hear YOUR voice on The 404, give us a call at 1866-404-CNET! EPISODE 372Download 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.PlayCNET review of the LG enV3"Transformers 2" blows up the box officeMan "420 friendly" on Craigslist caught by policeFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
We all had busy weekends, especially since it was so sunny in New York, but we wanted to thank our buddy Juan Garzon of MOUSE Squad for inviting us to speak at the first annual Digital Youth Media and Technology Festival on Saturday. We definitely do a lot of damage on The 404, so we felt the need to give something back to some of our younger listeners. Kids can't live on toilet jokes alone, after all. We each had the chance to speak to several groups of young people interested in pursuing a career in technology. Listen in to the first half of the show to hear how we all managed to sneak our way into CNET. Somehow, two years later, we're still here!In usual fashion, Wilson blindsides us with the news that his weekend was spent desperately trying to track down an iPhone 3GS to replace his broken Nokia. You really need to listen to Wilson justify spending money on an iPhone after holding out for two years. Anyway, for some reason, AT&T refuses to do business after 6 p.m. and shuts down all its servers, so two separate Apple stores told him to head over to the 24-hour Apple cube store on Fifth Ave., but the lines ended up being 3 HOURS long! I won't give away what happened, but based on Wilson's prior Apple fandom, I think you guys can predict what he did.All this plus a bunch of awesome Calls From the Public, including several Michael Jackson tributes and a touching story from Jeff about a spinal implant that'll give you a very surprising, very delightful surprise. If you want to hear YOUR voice on The 404, give us a call at 1866-404-CNET! EPISODE 372Download 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.PlayCNET review of the LG enV3"Transformers 2" blows up the box officeMan "420 friendly" on Craigslist caught by policeFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Make It Rain- The Love of Money soars to No.1 on iTunes
Make It Rain: The Love of Money soars to No.1 on iTunes
Money, greed, politics, and corruption are apparently appealing to mobile gamers -- at least in the US. A new app called Make It Rain: The Love of Money has gone viral in the past seven days -- hitting the top of iTunes' free charts -- without any promotion from the app's developers. They can't seem to figure it out."We don't know why it's only popular with Americans," Make It Rain lead developer Ari Kardasis said in a statement. "Maybe it's because we only have US currency, or maybe it's because Americans have a love-love relationship with money."Just seven days ago, Make It Rain hadn't even made the Top 200 apps, and now it appears gamers can't get enough. As of Tuesday, the app had nearly 1.9 million users who had played nearly 30 million sessions. The game was created by US-based indie mobile game company Space Inch, which also made Say the Same Thing and Disco Bees.Make It Rain isn't your typical cartoony game, its premise is for players to be as corrupt, crooked, and manipulative as possible in order to make beaucoup virtual money. The game's creators designed it to be a tongue-in-cheek satire about wealth obsession, but it appears to be striking a nerve with players.Related storiesThe search for an awesome Flappy Bird replacement2048 is the new Flappy Bird in so many waysCandy Crush: The one-hit wonder worth billions?"Make It Rain is a lot of fun to play on a superficial level," Space Inch CEO Josh Segall said. "But what makes it particularly fun for players is the concept: you only get insanely rich in the game if you get into insider trading, subprime mortgages, and bribing political officials." Segall is a criminal lawyer for his day job and he even once ran for Congress in 2008. He says that it's a bit unsettling that the game's highest selling in-app purchase is a FBI "bribe pack."The app makes money with ads and by selling virtual items like the FBI bribe pack, which costs 99 cents. For now, Make It Rain is played only with US dollars but the company plans to start adding Euros in the near future.Make It Rain's usage chart over the past month.Space Inch
Money, greed, politics, and corruption are apparently appealing to mobile gamers -- at least in the US. A new app called Make It Rain: The Love of Money has gone viral in the past seven days -- hitting the top of iTunes' free charts -- without any promotion from the app's developers. They can't seem to figure it out."We don't know why it's only popular with Americans," Make It Rain lead developer Ari Kardasis said in a statement. "Maybe it's because we only have US currency, or maybe it's because Americans have a love-love relationship with money."Just seven days ago, Make It Rain hadn't even made the Top 200 apps, and now it appears gamers can't get enough. As of Tuesday, the app had nearly 1.9 million users who had played nearly 30 million sessions. The game was created by US-based indie mobile game company Space Inch, which also made Say the Same Thing and Disco Bees.Make It Rain isn't your typical cartoony game, its premise is for players to be as corrupt, crooked, and manipulative as possible in order to make beaucoup virtual money. The game's creators designed it to be a tongue-in-cheek satire about wealth obsession, but it appears to be striking a nerve with players.Related storiesThe search for an awesome Flappy Bird replacement2048 is the new Flappy Bird in so many waysCandy Crush: The one-hit wonder worth billions?"Make It Rain is a lot of fun to play on a superficial level," Space Inch CEO Josh Segall said. "But what makes it particularly fun for players is the concept: you only get insanely rich in the game if you get into insider trading, subprime mortgages, and bribing political officials." Segall is a criminal lawyer for his day job and he even once ran for Congress in 2008. He says that it's a bit unsettling that the game's highest selling in-app purchase is a FBI "bribe pack."The app makes money with ads and by selling virtual items like the FBI bribe pack, which costs 99 cents. For now, Make It Rain is played only with US dollars but the company plans to start adding Euros in the near future.Make It Rain's usage chart over the past month.Space Inch
Confused about iTunes Match- Apple tries a new explanation
Confused about iTunes Match? Apple tries a new explanation
Hey, iOS users! Are you still scratching your heads over what exactly iTunes Match is supposed to do for you? Apple has done its best to come to your rescue with a new Web page designed to answer your lingering questions about the service.Launched last month, the $24.99-per-year iTunes Match service lets you store your iTunes collection in Apple's cloud-- even content you've ripped from CDs or purchased from other music sites. From the cloud, you can then sync and listen to your music across an array of devices, including an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV.But there's at least one area of confusion that Apple has attempted to address on its new page: Does iTunes Match stream songs or download them? Well, it depends.iOS devices will start playing songs from iCloud as they download, though they'll also store them locally for you to play without a network connection. PCs and Macs will stream your songs, but you can download them by clicking on the iCloud download button. And Apple TV will only stream your songs.Further, you can store as many as 25,000 songs in iCloud, or more if you buy them from iTunes. But only the tracks you want to play are stored on your device.Related storiesiTunes Match arrives, as does a new Apple board memberHow to use iTunes MatchHow to use iTunes Match to upgrade audio qualityApple also explains that iTunes Match can handle any music format iTunes itself uses, including AAC, MP3, WAV, and AIFF. The service will support up to 10 different devices.You also have the option of downloading and playing music via your 3G connection or only Wi-Fi.And for people who purchased or ripped songs at a low quality, iTunes Match will automatically match your music with a higher-quality 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free format.To learn more about setting up and using iTunes Match, you can check out CNET's helpful how-to guide.
Hey, iOS users! Are you still scratching your heads over what exactly iTunes Match is supposed to do for you? Apple has done its best to come to your rescue with a new Web page designed to answer your lingering questions about the service.Launched last month, the $24.99-per-year iTunes Match service lets you store your iTunes collection in Apple's cloud-- even content you've ripped from CDs or purchased from other music sites. From the cloud, you can then sync and listen to your music across an array of devices, including an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV.But there's at least one area of confusion that Apple has attempted to address on its new page: Does iTunes Match stream songs or download them? Well, it depends.iOS devices will start playing songs from iCloud as they download, though they'll also store them locally for you to play without a network connection. PCs and Macs will stream your songs, but you can download them by clicking on the iCloud download button. And Apple TV will only stream your songs.Further, you can store as many as 25,000 songs in iCloud, or more if you buy them from iTunes. But only the tracks you want to play are stored on your device.Related storiesiTunes Match arrives, as does a new Apple board memberHow to use iTunes MatchHow to use iTunes Match to upgrade audio qualityApple also explains that iTunes Match can handle any music format iTunes itself uses, including AAC, MP3, WAV, and AIFF. The service will support up to 10 different devices.You also have the option of downloading and playing music via your 3G connection or only Wi-Fi.And for people who purchased or ripped songs at a low quality, iTunes Match will automatically match your music with a higher-quality 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free format.To learn more about setting up and using iTunes Match, you can check out CNET's helpful how-to guide.
Conan O'Brien rips Apple's Final Cut Pro X on show
Conan O'Brien rips Apple's Final Cut Pro X on show
Late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien took time out of his show Thursday to take a crack at Apple's latest video-editing software, which the company released on Tuesday."Apple just released a new version of their famous editing software Final Cut Pro, but apparently it's so different from the last version of Final Cut, video and film editors all over Hollywood are having a hard time adjusting to it," O'Brien said. "Well our editors here at 'Conan' are some of the best in the business. They actually like the new software, in fact they prepared this video statement voicing their support for the new Final Cut Pro." What follows is a video that O'Brien's staff jokes was made with Final Cut Pro X. It contains numerous hiccups, from ill-timed cuts, to problems with audio and video synchronization and color matching, to media showing up as offline.While the joke may be inside baseball to most viewers, it comes at a time when Apple is receiving considerable criticism about the software from longtime Final Cut Pro users due to some of the drastic changes made. Final Cut Pro X represents a complete rewrite, and rethink, of the platform used by what Apple says is about 2 million customers. As a result, many features available in legacy versions of the software have not made the transition, keeping some professional outfits from making the jump.Final Cut Pro X currently sits as the second most popular paid application on Apple's Mac App Store, just behind the company's 99-cent FaceTime application. So far it's amassed more than 900 customer reviews, 421 of which are one star out of five. On Wednesday--the day after the software's release--some reviews briefly disappeared, returning a day later, prompting speculation that Apple was trying to shape perceptions.You can catch the whole segment from O'Brien's show below:(via @1001noisycamera)
Late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien took time out of his show Thursday to take a crack at Apple's latest video-editing software, which the company released on Tuesday."Apple just released a new version of their famous editing software Final Cut Pro, but apparently it's so different from the last version of Final Cut, video and film editors all over Hollywood are having a hard time adjusting to it," O'Brien said. "Well our editors here at 'Conan' are some of the best in the business. They actually like the new software, in fact they prepared this video statement voicing their support for the new Final Cut Pro." What follows is a video that O'Brien's staff jokes was made with Final Cut Pro X. It contains numerous hiccups, from ill-timed cuts, to problems with audio and video synchronization and color matching, to media showing up as offline.While the joke may be inside baseball to most viewers, it comes at a time when Apple is receiving considerable criticism about the software from longtime Final Cut Pro users due to some of the drastic changes made. Final Cut Pro X represents a complete rewrite, and rethink, of the platform used by what Apple says is about 2 million customers. As a result, many features available in legacy versions of the software have not made the transition, keeping some professional outfits from making the jump.Final Cut Pro X currently sits as the second most popular paid application on Apple's Mac App Store, just behind the company's 99-cent FaceTime application. So far it's amassed more than 900 customer reviews, 421 of which are one star out of five. On Wednesday--the day after the software's release--some reviews briefly disappeared, returning a day later, prompting speculation that Apple was trying to shape perceptions.You can catch the whole segment from O'Brien's show below:(via @1001noisycamera)
ComScore- Verizon iPhone was top phone in Feb.
ComScore: Verizon iPhone was top phone in Feb.
A new report from analyst ComScore says that the Verizon iPhone was the "most acquired" handset during the month of February. ComScore's sampling, which consisted of more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers, notes that the surge of handset buyers responding to the phone's launch earlier this year helped give Apple the strongest gain of market share in the OEM category. That gain amounts to an additional 0.9 percent between November 2010 and the end of February 2011.Nonetheless, Apple remains below competitors at 7.5 percent overall in terms of OEM market share. Leading the way is Samsung at 24.8 percent, followed by LG at 20.9 percent, Motorola at 16.1 percent, and Research in Motion at 8.6 percent. Breaking down the platforms running on those devices, ComScore has Google's Android topping the charts at 33 percent, growing an impressive 7 percent in that three-month period. Google is trailed by RIM at 28.9 percent, which ComScore says dropped 4.6 percent. Coming in at third place is Apple at 25.2 percent, gaining 0.2 percent. Both Microsoft and Palm saw drops of just more than 1 percent, bringing Microsoft down to 7.7 percent and Palm at 2.8 percent. One other tidbit from the report notes that users are increasingly accessing social-networking sites, downloading apps, and using their phones' Web browsers, with gains in all three of those categories topping 3 percent. The firm also says that 68.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers text message with their phones, which was up just 1.7 percent compared to November's numbers.
A new report from analyst ComScore says that the Verizon iPhone was the "most acquired" handset during the month of February. ComScore's sampling, which consisted of more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers, notes that the surge of handset buyers responding to the phone's launch earlier this year helped give Apple the strongest gain of market share in the OEM category. That gain amounts to an additional 0.9 percent between November 2010 and the end of February 2011.Nonetheless, Apple remains below competitors at 7.5 percent overall in terms of OEM market share. Leading the way is Samsung at 24.8 percent, followed by LG at 20.9 percent, Motorola at 16.1 percent, and Research in Motion at 8.6 percent. Breaking down the platforms running on those devices, ComScore has Google's Android topping the charts at 33 percent, growing an impressive 7 percent in that three-month period. Google is trailed by RIM at 28.9 percent, which ComScore says dropped 4.6 percent. Coming in at third place is Apple at 25.2 percent, gaining 0.2 percent. Both Microsoft and Palm saw drops of just more than 1 percent, bringing Microsoft down to 7.7 percent and Palm at 2.8 percent. One other tidbit from the report notes that users are increasingly accessing social-networking sites, downloading apps, and using their phones' Web browsers, with gains in all three of those categories topping 3 percent. The firm also says that 68.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers text message with their phones, which was up just 1.7 percent compared to November's numbers.
Communist Chinese media mouthpiece bashes Apple again
Communist Chinese media mouthpiece bashes Apple again
Three's usually a charm -- but not when you're talking about the government of China and Apple. For the third day running, the country's state-controlled media has taken a swipe at Apple, ostensibly over its warranty policy. The Wall Street Journal refers to an article in the People's Daily, which describes Apple's defense of its policy as "arrogant." While that description might not shock people who follow the company closely, it's unclear why the official state organs have decided to cuff Apple around.Under the heading "Apple unmoved by repairs complaints" in its March 26 edition, the People's Daily complains that Apple's "Chinese consumers are being given a rough ride" when it comes to dealing with the company's repairs and warranty policies.In China, consumers can have the electronics replaced but not the outer-casing. Some think that's unfair. In an announcement on its website on Saturday, Apple denied discriminatory practice in China. But the company didn't refer to the specific allegations over the non-replacement of the outer casing.According to The Wall Street Journal's dispatch, the financial magazine Caijing followed up on the People's Daily piece with its query:Playing on the title of the People's Daily article -- "Smash Apple's 'Incomparable' Arrogance" -- Caijing wrote on its account early Wednesday morning: "As a consumer, which arrogant company or companies do you want to smash? Please give specific names so that we can announce a top 10."Meanwhile, Apple has been on a nonstop tear in China. During the company's first fiscal quarter of 2013, the Greater China region's quarterly rose to $6.83 billion from $4.08 billion a year earlier. Indeed, China, which is Apple's fastest-growing region, accounted for 15 percent of the company's revenue last quarter.
Three's usually a charm -- but not when you're talking about the government of China and Apple. For the third day running, the country's state-controlled media has taken a swipe at Apple, ostensibly over its warranty policy. The Wall Street Journal refers to an article in the People's Daily, which describes Apple's defense of its policy as "arrogant." While that description might not shock people who follow the company closely, it's unclear why the official state organs have decided to cuff Apple around.Under the heading "Apple unmoved by repairs complaints" in its March 26 edition, the People's Daily complains that Apple's "Chinese consumers are being given a rough ride" when it comes to dealing with the company's repairs and warranty policies.In China, consumers can have the electronics replaced but not the outer-casing. Some think that's unfair. In an announcement on its website on Saturday, Apple denied discriminatory practice in China. But the company didn't refer to the specific allegations over the non-replacement of the outer casing.According to The Wall Street Journal's dispatch, the financial magazine Caijing followed up on the People's Daily piece with its query:Playing on the title of the People's Daily article -- "Smash Apple's 'Incomparable' Arrogance" -- Caijing wrote on its account early Wednesday morning: "As a consumer, which arrogant company or companies do you want to smash? Please give specific names so that we can announce a top 10."Meanwhile, Apple has been on a nonstop tear in China. During the company's first fiscal quarter of 2013, the Greater China region's quarterly rose to $6.83 billion from $4.08 billion a year earlier. Indeed, China, which is Apple's fastest-growing region, accounted for 15 percent of the company's revenue last quarter.
Coming soon to air travel- the iPad
Coming soon to air travel: the iPad
Bluebox Avionics, a company that offers in-flight entertainment products to airlines, said this week that it will start delivering its service on Apple's iPad in July.Dubbed Bluebox Ai, the company's in-flight entertainment will run on iPads given to travelers to use while on the plane. Through iPads with Bluebox Ai, passengers can watch "first-run" movies, play games, read e-books and magazines, and even gamble in an in-flight casino. They can also access Apple's App Store and download any of the more than 200,000 apps available, Bluebox asserts on its product page.Bluebox Avionics is marketing Bluebox Ai to airlines. Although details are scant, the company apparently wants airlines to offer Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads during flight to travelers. They are meant to replace typical in-flight entertainment systems that force travelers to watch a movie chosen by the airline on a screen either on the seat in front of them or overhead.Although the iPad is the flashy part of Bluebox Avionics' new service, it is the software running on the iPad that airlines would covet. The service streams content wirelessly to the iPad based on what the traveler chooses to view. Bluebox also points out that its software comes bundled with security that will allow travelers to view content throughout the flight, rather than at specified times when using electronic devices is allowed.Bluebox Ai for the iPad will be rolled out in July. So far, Bluebox has inked a deal with an international airline, though it wouldn't divulge the name. It hopes to bring its Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads to more airlines in the future.
Bluebox Avionics, a company that offers in-flight entertainment products to airlines, said this week that it will start delivering its service on Apple's iPad in July.Dubbed Bluebox Ai, the company's in-flight entertainment will run on iPads given to travelers to use while on the plane. Through iPads with Bluebox Ai, passengers can watch "first-run" movies, play games, read e-books and magazines, and even gamble in an in-flight casino. They can also access Apple's App Store and download any of the more than 200,000 apps available, Bluebox asserts on its product page.Bluebox Avionics is marketing Bluebox Ai to airlines. Although details are scant, the company apparently wants airlines to offer Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads during flight to travelers. They are meant to replace typical in-flight entertainment systems that force travelers to watch a movie chosen by the airline on a screen either on the seat in front of them or overhead.Although the iPad is the flashy part of Bluebox Avionics' new service, it is the software running on the iPad that airlines would covet. The service streams content wirelessly to the iPad based on what the traveler chooses to view. Bluebox also points out that its software comes bundled with security that will allow travelers to view content throughout the flight, rather than at specified times when using electronic devices is allowed.Bluebox Ai for the iPad will be rolled out in July. So far, Bluebox has inked a deal with an international airline, though it wouldn't divulge the name. It hopes to bring its Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads to more airlines in the future.
We Preview 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' Footage, Plus: Chris Pine on Why Harrison Ford's Version Was Boring
The first thing you should know about Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is that this film isn’t concerned with portraying an invincible, James Bond-like character in the lead. The second is while the movie features the same doomsday-esque scenario that has sadly come to define our current crop of action flicks, it appears to make an effort to include a new (and some might say nerdier) element to the consequences. At least that’s what was apparent from the 20 minutes of footage screened for press at Paramount Pictures’ offices in New York City on Monday night. The footage began with Our Man in Moscow, Jack Ryan (Chris Pine), who’s just arrived in Russia on a yet-to-be-detailed mission. After meeting up with a driver/bodyguard and picking up a few guns that apparently didn’t make it into Ryan’s carry-on luggage, they head towards a boutique hotel downtown. Unfortunately, all the chitchat between Ryan and his driver turns out to be––surprise!––a complete ruse: once they get to the hotel room, the man attempts to shoot Ryan in the back of the head. Luckily, Ryan ducks. Punches are thrown, sinks are broken, but eventually, our hero comes out on top, dispatching his would-be assassin by drowning him in the bathtub. Cue the anti-invincible, action-hero moment, as the incident leaves Ryan visibly shaken, having just realized he killed a man with his bare hands. After the footage, we spoke with Pine about the humanistic approach in this scene, which is something both he and director Kenneth Branagh discussed in full. “Ken and I always talked about that with big films you often see so much carnage and violence and mayhem… but no one seems to be reacting to the fact that they just watched someone die. We thought, what would that look like? What would that feel like?” said Pine, who described his version of Ryan as “MacGuyver-like.” “Even though [Jack Ryan] has been in the Marines, he’s never looked someone in the eye that died. We thought that was an interesting moment to have in a film like this. I don’t think one would expect to have that.” In terms of the unexpected factor, Pine’s absolutely right: you don’t see today’s action movies doing that. This concept is revisited later in the footage, where, having just killed a man, a now agitated and paranoid Ryan looks to rendezvous with his C.I.A. mentor/boss William Harper (Kevin Costner) for further instructions. Costner, playing a grizzled Agency vet, has no problem telling Ryan that he a) did a good job, but b) better man up because he’s “not just an analyst anymore, [he’s] operational.” The analyst reference is a throwback to the earlier incarnations of Jack Ryan, played by Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger) and Ben Affleck (The Sum of All Fears), respectively. While the previous films were all loosely based on Tom Clancy books, this particular chapter isn’t, instead opting for an adaptation of the character only. After watching the footage, this Jack Ryan appears to be a composite of the ones we’ve already seen on-screen: a mix of Baldwin and Affleck’s field-ready go-getter, along with Ford’s professorial, behind-the-desk analyst. “In terms of the character, what I like about [Jack Ryan]––with Harrison, there is this kind of innate humility to him... He’s the tweed coat man in his f***ing Volkswagen teaching at Annapolis, and he’s not really interested in anything other than his books. He’s boring and I love that about him,” said Pine, when discussing past Jack Ryan performances. “But Alec, he’s got that incisive, scalpel-like precision in his portrayal.” That combination will be put to use in Pine’s version of Ryan, which is laid out perfectly during the meet-up with Costner. Having just killed a man, he reveals to the audience the real reason he is in Moscow: to stop Russia from purposefully manipulating the dollar and collapsing the U.S. economy while coordinating a terrorist attack on American soil (in other words the aforementioned nerdy doomsday scenario). Granted, this was the simplified version of what was said during the footage. If you’re not versed in the Cliffnotes edition of our economy, it might be a struggle to keep up. Then again, we won’t know for sure until the full version gets screened in two months. For now, the few things that are certain are the slick fight sequences and the exotic locales detailed in the 20 minutes of footage I saw. That and Pine’s love of the character, including his favorite Jack Ryan flick, The Hunt for Red October. “I love the fact that macrocosmically the film is about nuclear catastrophe. But really what it’s about is this man knowing his bad guy, knowing his foe so well, and it’s picking apart this one man’s brain. That’s the key that opens up the rest of the movie.” Whether Pine and Branagh were able to find that same key won’t be known until Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit hits theaters on January 17, 2014.
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