5 reasons my Zune is dead to me
5. The software and music categorizationThe Zune software (its equivalent of iTunes) is slow and super-unintuitive. When I first started using it, I literally could not figure out how to start adding songs. I had to look it up, and discovered it's a common bug when you use the device and software for the first time, so I had to unplug the Zune, restart the software, and then I could drag-and-drop songs onto the device. It's also nowhere near as good at categorizing music as iTunes. In fact, when I imported my iTunes library into the Zune software, it couldn't figure out the difference between album and artist for most songs, so browsing the collection on the device is a total nightmare. In the software itself, there are way too many menu options--without the Zune plugged in, there's a two-line menu with five separate options: Collection, Device, Marketplace, Social, and Disc on the top line, and then Music, Playlists, Videos, Pictures, Podcasts on the second line. Plug the device in, and there's one moremenu option once you click Device (Status). Plus, the software and device don't seem to respond to my settings choices. I asked the Zune, under Settings, to "Let me choose" to sync music, video, pictures, and podcasts--but whenever I plug in the Zune, it auto-syncs. Eh? Worse, settings in the software menu (like, "Keep 3 episodes of each podcast") override the already-overridden "let me choose" option on the Zune, so the software ends up taking podcasts off the Zune when I don't want it to. But that's hardly the worst sync sin the Zune performs. More on that later. Note: I did not subscribe to the Zune Marketplace, because I'm not even remotely interested in a heavily DRM'd subscription service, so I have not taken advantage of the joys of Squirting Songs or anything like that. However, since I've never encountered another Zune user in the wild, I haven't felt like I missed out.4. The headphonesThe Zune's headphones were, at first blush, one of the best things about it. They're nice, in-ear headphones with really good quality sound. They look good and fit comfortably, and the ends of the earbuds are magnetic, so they can hang around your neck without falling off. But here's the thing. The headphone cord is fabric, instead of the plastic-coated cable of iPod headphones or their ilk. And fabric, which is basically string, is one big knot waiting to happen. Combine the knotting tendencies of string with the magnetic ends of the earbuds, and the headphones are constantly in a state of tangle that you cannot even believe. It's a 10-minute endeavor to untangle them every time I pull them out of my bag. My bus ride is only 25 minutes to 30 minutes long. It's just not worth it.3. The player interface Yes, the iPod makes navigation easy. At first blush, so does the Zune. I love the big menu items on the home screen for Music, Videos, Pictures, Social, Radio, Podcasts, and Settings. But there are just way too many clicks required to play a song, way too many to add a song to a playlist on the fly, and way too many menu items that aren't songs at the top of the Quick List playlist. Playing an album is pretty easy--you just side-scroll to Albums, choose it, click the Album title, and choose Play All (other options are "add all to quick list" or "send"). On this screen, you'll actually see a list of all the songs on the album. But to find and then play a song by a specific artist (which I usually do, because artist names are easier to remember than album names), you first find the name of the artist, then click it. Now, you'll see "Play all" and "add all to quick list," but no "send" option. That's an annoying interface consistency issue. Anyway, under that, there's the album cover and the album title--but no list of songs. So, if I want to play the first song on the artist's album, I then have to scroll down to the album name, click that, then scroll past "play all," "add all to quick list," and "send" to the song name, and click the song name. But that does not start playing the song. At this point, I go to yet another screen, where I can "play," "add to quick list," or "send." After a few weeks of use, I had added pretty much every song on the device to the Quick List, which kind of defeated the purpose, you know? Also, and this is nit-picky, but the Zune has a huge screen. In most cases, that's great. But does it really have to display the album art for what you're listening to at the full size of the display? Because I don't really need everyone on the bus to see that I'm having a Carrie Underwood moment, know what I'm sayin'?2. The wireless is worthless What is the point of the Zune having Wi-Fi? Seriously? All it can do is sync music wirelessly on my home network. That's a neat trick, but it's not that much of an advantage over plugging it in, considering that my laptop lives in a tangle of connector cords on my breakfast bar anyway. I can't download songs over-the-air, and there's no browser and no sign of there ever being a browser. The best trick it's got is that I can unsubscribe to a podcast over Wi-Fi. But I can't browse for and subscribe to anything new, so I'm really just depriving myself of content on the go. Hooray. But all four of these issues with my Zune pale in comparison to the number one reason the Zune is, and forever will be, dead to me. 1. The erasing of my server-stored musicAt my house, we keep all our MP3s stored on a Media Center PC, which we mount as a networked drive for adding music to portable devices. So, when I first got my Zune, I ripped three CDs using this laptop, then loaded up the MP3 server and painstakingly picked out some 2,000 songs over about a three-hour period. I didn't sync again for a couple of months, because, well, I had all the music, video, and photos I needed--and it actually has pretty impressive battery life, so I hadn't even bothered to plug it in to charge it. Then, about two weeks ago, I was going on a trip. My Zune's battery had run out, so I plugged it in to charge it to take on the plane with me. Despite my settings in the Zune software not to sync all my music, video, pictures, and podcasts, the Zune started its sync dance. When it was complete, it gave me this message: 10 items added 2,372 items removed WHAT!!!??? Yep. The software, in its auto-sync wisdom, removed every single song from the device that was not stored locally on the computer. There was no prompt, there was no "I can't find this" warning like the iTunes Library will sometimes offer. It just decided, out of what I assume was some misguided antipiracy effort, to remove any songs that it couldn't find on my hard drive. What if I were syncing the machine with two different computers with two different music libraries, you ask? Too bad. Zune is in control. And you know what? I don't like being told what to do. I don't like sitting on a wiped Zune two hours before I'm supposed to leave from the airport. I don't like software that ignores what I think is a pretty specific request for manual syncing, and I don't like device behaviors that assume I am stealing music. What this all boils down to, I'm truly sorry to say, is that I don't like my Zune. Hello, again, little iPod buddy.
How to activate tethering on any iPhone without jailbreaking
How to activate tethering on any iPhone without jailbreaking
Setting up tethering for your iPhoneUninstall iTunes 8.2 Mac1. Drag the Application iTunes from the apps folder on your Mac to the Trash.2. Launch Activity Monitor from Applications/Utilities and kill the iTunes Helper process.3. Go to Finder. Navigate to your ~/Library folder and delete the iTunes folder at ~/Library/iTunes.4. Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences, locate the following three files, and drag each one to the Trash: com.apple.iTunes.eq.plist, com.apple.iTunes.plist, and com.apple.iTunesHelper.plist5. Empty the TrashInstall iTunes 8.2 prerelease Mac6. Install the iTunes 8.2 prerelease you downloaded.7. Connect your iPhone with iPhone OS 3.0 software loaded on it to your computer with the standard USB sync cable.8. Once the iPhone is connected, go to the Device Summary page in iTunes.9. While pressing and holding the Option key on your Mac, click the Restore button in iTunes10. Browse to the mounted carrier settings file you downloaded and mounted above and select the ATT_US.ipcc file. iTunes will now perform an upgrade on your iPhone and display the following message:Set up tethering on your iPhone11. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and go to General and then Network while your iPhone is still tethered to your computer.12. Locate "Internet Tethering" and turn it on. | If tethering is successful, you will see a message that is similar to the following:Go into Preferences Network select the adapter as displayed above, and you'll see something similar to this as it becomes active:Your iPhone will display a blue background banner on different screens to indicate that tethering is active and running as shown below. | Our brief tests found tethering to be zippy fast on an iPhone 3G. Your experiences may vary, but we would like to hear about them in the comments.06/18/09 at 1:30 PM PDT: This post was updated to reflect some additional tethering information.According to CrunchGear you can also turn tethering on and MMS directly from your iPhone by visiting this Web site using Mobile Safari: http://help.benm.at/help.php. We tested tethering and that worked, but have yet to get the MMS portion of this Web sites hack up and running.You can go to this site that we found via gizmodo.com and get some instructions on performing these hacks on a Windows computer.Gizmodo also notes that "Some people are reporting that these hacks can screw with your visual voicemail. Careful! " While we have not seen this happen yet - it is possible that performing an iTunes restore on your iPhone will resolve the issue, but erase all the hacks as well.06/17/09 at 10:15 AM PDT:This post was updated to reflect some sourcing and additional tethering information.willson556 and gointoscott in the comments below suggest a shorter version - replacing Steps 1-6 with a defaults write command for users with the release version of iTunes 8.2. We've tried this version and can confirm that it, too, works. b3baby in the comments below asks if this hack will also work on a desktop. This hack will work on any Mac - desktop or portable. We tested it on an iMac and a Macbook Pro.thisismatthewcrosby2 in the comments below complains about issues with his Mac not seeing his iPhone - suggest doing the iTunes removal step again - be sure to delete the three appropriate COM files and re-install iTunes.Once the hack is complete you can re-install iTunes 8.2 if needed, but future updates may undo the hack.(iPhone Atlas came up with this process independently, but other publications, including 9to5Mac here, have come to the same conclusion).
Setting up tethering for your iPhoneUninstall iTunes 8.2 Mac1. Drag the Application iTunes from the apps folder on your Mac to the Trash.2. Launch Activity Monitor from Applications/Utilities and kill the iTunes Helper process.3. Go to Finder. Navigate to your ~/Library folder and delete the iTunes folder at ~/Library/iTunes.4. Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences, locate the following three files, and drag each one to the Trash: com.apple.iTunes.eq.plist, com.apple.iTunes.plist, and com.apple.iTunesHelper.plist5. Empty the TrashInstall iTunes 8.2 prerelease Mac6. Install the iTunes 8.2 prerelease you downloaded.7. Connect your iPhone with iPhone OS 3.0 software loaded on it to your computer with the standard USB sync cable.8. Once the iPhone is connected, go to the Device Summary page in iTunes.9. While pressing and holding the Option key on your Mac, click the Restore button in iTunes10. Browse to the mounted carrier settings file you downloaded and mounted above and select the ATT_US.ipcc file. iTunes will now perform an upgrade on your iPhone and display the following message:Set up tethering on your iPhone11. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and go to General and then Network while your iPhone is still tethered to your computer.12. Locate "Internet Tethering" and turn it on. | If tethering is successful, you will see a message that is similar to the following:Go into Preferences Network select the adapter as displayed above, and you'll see something similar to this as it becomes active:Your iPhone will display a blue background banner on different screens to indicate that tethering is active and running as shown below. | Our brief tests found tethering to be zippy fast on an iPhone 3G. Your experiences may vary, but we would like to hear about them in the comments.06/18/09 at 1:30 PM PDT: This post was updated to reflect some additional tethering information.According to CrunchGear you can also turn tethering on and MMS directly from your iPhone by visiting this Web site using Mobile Safari: http://help.benm.at/help.php. We tested tethering and that worked, but have yet to get the MMS portion of this Web sites hack up and running.You can go to this site that we found via gizmodo.com and get some instructions on performing these hacks on a Windows computer.Gizmodo also notes that "Some people are reporting that these hacks can screw with your visual voicemail. Careful! " While we have not seen this happen yet - it is possible that performing an iTunes restore on your iPhone will resolve the issue, but erase all the hacks as well.06/17/09 at 10:15 AM PDT:This post was updated to reflect some sourcing and additional tethering information.willson556 and gointoscott in the comments below suggest a shorter version - replacing Steps 1-6 with a defaults write command for users with the release version of iTunes 8.2. We've tried this version and can confirm that it, too, works. b3baby in the comments below asks if this hack will also work on a desktop. This hack will work on any Mac - desktop or portable. We tested it on an iMac and a Macbook Pro.thisismatthewcrosby2 in the comments below complains about issues with his Mac not seeing his iPhone - suggest doing the iTunes removal step again - be sure to delete the three appropriate COM files and re-install iTunes.Once the hack is complete you can re-install iTunes 8.2 if needed, but future updates may undo the hack.(iPhone Atlas came up with this process independently, but other publications, including 9to5Mac here, have come to the same conclusion).
4G rules at CTIA
4G rules at CTIA
As we pack our bags to leave Las Vegas, It's time to reflect on the CTIA that was. After a sleeper of a show last year, 2010 was quite eventful. The show floor was busier, the announcements were bigger, and there was more of a buzz permeating the Las Vegas Convention Center. It can be hard to keep track of it all, so here's a summary of what we saw.4GSprint and HTC grabbed most of the spotlight when they announced their new HTC Evo 4G. The Evo is more than just hype; it's slick and powerful and Sprint has a growing WiMax network (it might switch to LTE, however). Indeed, we liked it so much that we named it the top phone at CTIA. Yet, Sprint was not alone in pushing 4G; MetroPCS and Samsung announced the LTE-equipped SCH-r900 for Las Vegas and other markets later this year. Read Maggie Reardon's recent take on 4G for a great perspective on how the technology could develop. T-Mobile tried to counter the 4G news by promoting its 3G network and AT&T execs advocated for more spectrum.AndroidJust like at CES and Mobile World Congress, Android went big at CTIA this year. We saw the first Android phone from Nextel, Kyocera's first Android handset, a Dell Android device, and the promising Samsung Galaxy S. Oh, and did we mention that the Evo 4G runs Android 2.1? Nice.Sights from CTIA 2010 (photos)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrevOther phonesLG announced an eco-friendly phone for Sprint, the LG Remarq, and a basic handset for Verizon Wireless, the LG Cosmos. Nicole Lee visited LG to handle both phones and she took a closer look at the LG Arena, the LG Wine II, and both the LG BL40 and BL20. AT&T promoted its new messaging phones and cloud services at the show. It had the Pantech Link and Pursuit and the Samsung Strive and Sunburst. If you're looking for a user-friendly phone for the senior set, try the Just5, and if you like the unusual, see the Kempler & Strauss W Phonewatch.Accessories and serviceLast, but not least, there was quite a bit of accessory and service news. Nicole delved into Bluetoothland with the BlueAnt T1, the Samsung Modus HM1000, and the other Samsung models. AT&T launched a new music service, HTC announced a new online store for its phones and accessories, and Verizon Wireless said it would start its own app store. And from Download.com, Jessica Dolcourt covered Opera's browser submission for the iTunes App Store, the new Yahoo iPhone app, Firefox's mobile browser, Verizon and Skype Mobile, and PayPal's "bump" feature for Android and BlackBerry.That wraps it up from Sin City. See you next year CTIA, in Orlando.
As we pack our bags to leave Las Vegas, It's time to reflect on the CTIA that was. After a sleeper of a show last year, 2010 was quite eventful. The show floor was busier, the announcements were bigger, and there was more of a buzz permeating the Las Vegas Convention Center. It can be hard to keep track of it all, so here's a summary of what we saw.4GSprint and HTC grabbed most of the spotlight when they announced their new HTC Evo 4G. The Evo is more than just hype; it's slick and powerful and Sprint has a growing WiMax network (it might switch to LTE, however). Indeed, we liked it so much that we named it the top phone at CTIA. Yet, Sprint was not alone in pushing 4G; MetroPCS and Samsung announced the LTE-equipped SCH-r900 for Las Vegas and other markets later this year. Read Maggie Reardon's recent take on 4G for a great perspective on how the technology could develop. T-Mobile tried to counter the 4G news by promoting its 3G network and AT&T execs advocated for more spectrum.AndroidJust like at CES and Mobile World Congress, Android went big at CTIA this year. We saw the first Android phone from Nextel, Kyocera's first Android handset, a Dell Android device, and the promising Samsung Galaxy S. Oh, and did we mention that the Evo 4G runs Android 2.1? Nice.Sights from CTIA 2010 (photos)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrevOther phonesLG announced an eco-friendly phone for Sprint, the LG Remarq, and a basic handset for Verizon Wireless, the LG Cosmos. Nicole Lee visited LG to handle both phones and she took a closer look at the LG Arena, the LG Wine II, and both the LG BL40 and BL20. AT&T promoted its new messaging phones and cloud services at the show. It had the Pantech Link and Pursuit and the Samsung Strive and Sunburst. If you're looking for a user-friendly phone for the senior set, try the Just5, and if you like the unusual, see the Kempler & Strauss W Phonewatch.Accessories and serviceLast, but not least, there was quite a bit of accessory and service news. Nicole delved into Bluetoothland with the BlueAnt T1, the Samsung Modus HM1000, and the other Samsung models. AT&T launched a new music service, HTC announced a new online store for its phones and accessories, and Verizon Wireless said it would start its own app store. And from Download.com, Jessica Dolcourt covered Opera's browser submission for the iTunes App Store, the new Yahoo iPhone app, Firefox's mobile browser, Verizon and Skype Mobile, and PayPal's "bump" feature for Android and BlackBerry.That wraps it up from Sin City. See you next year CTIA, in Orlando.
Radiohead mobile -game- is a beautiful, explorable fantasyland
Radiohead mobile "game" is a beautiful, explorable fantasyland
Rock band Radiohead has expanded beyond its audio walls and created a visual experience based on its music. Created in collaboration with digital agency Universal Everything, with art by Stanley Donwood, PolyFauna â€" free for iOS and Android â€" is a sort of game based on recording sessions for 2011's King of Limbs â€" in particular, the first track, "Bloom".If you could call it a game, though, we'd have to put it solidly in the "experimental" camp. It's based on a lunar calendar, so every day of the month presents a different experience, with different elements constantly changing: weather, colour palette, moon phase, the types of creatures that occupy the landscape and music.The music itself is quite strange and hypnotic. The band exchanged audio stems from "Bloom", each remixing each other's, resulting in dozens of different audio stems. The soundtrack for each environment in PolyFauna consists of four of these stems, which means that no two environments sound exactly alike.It also has no particular goal. Instead, the idea is simply to explore both sights and sounds. For this, it makes use of the phone's accelerometer, which becomes a sort of window into PolyFauna's world. To look around, you need to physically move the phone in space. The point of view is continually moving forward, so you don't have to worry about walking; just seeing. The loops and lines you draw on the screen become fabulous floating creatures inhabiting that particular environment.If you need a goal, though, you can chase a red dot that hangs in space. When you reach it, it explodes the world around you, giving birth to a new world, so that you can spend as long or as little in each world as you like.The result is something polished and wonderful and strange â€" a fascinating new way to experience Radiohead's sound.You can pick it up on Google Play and the iTunes App Store.
Rock band Radiohead has expanded beyond its audio walls and created a visual experience based on its music. Created in collaboration with digital agency Universal Everything, with art by Stanley Donwood, PolyFauna â€" free for iOS and Android â€" is a sort of game based on recording sessions for 2011's King of Limbs â€" in particular, the first track, "Bloom".If you could call it a game, though, we'd have to put it solidly in the "experimental" camp. It's based on a lunar calendar, so every day of the month presents a different experience, with different elements constantly changing: weather, colour palette, moon phase, the types of creatures that occupy the landscape and music.The music itself is quite strange and hypnotic. The band exchanged audio stems from "Bloom", each remixing each other's, resulting in dozens of different audio stems. The soundtrack for each environment in PolyFauna consists of four of these stems, which means that no two environments sound exactly alike.It also has no particular goal. Instead, the idea is simply to explore both sights and sounds. For this, it makes use of the phone's accelerometer, which becomes a sort of window into PolyFauna's world. To look around, you need to physically move the phone in space. The point of view is continually moving forward, so you don't have to worry about walking; just seeing. The loops and lines you draw on the screen become fabulous floating creatures inhabiting that particular environment.If you need a goal, though, you can chase a red dot that hangs in space. When you reach it, it explodes the world around you, giving birth to a new world, so that you can spend as long or as little in each world as you like.The result is something polished and wonderful and strange â€" a fascinating new way to experience Radiohead's sound.You can pick it up on Google Play and the iTunes App Store.
Google Play Music comes to AirPlay devices via hack
Google Play Music comes to AirPlay devices via hack
DoubleTwist, a San Francisco company with a self-proclaimed vision to "offer music without boundaries" is getting closer to achieving that goal with a new hack for Google Play Music.With some help from a DoubleTwist plug-in added to a Google application programming interface (API), users can stream Google Play Music to AirPlay-enabled devices, like the Apple TV. Google Play Music, the search company's answer to Apple's iTunes, doesn't support Apple's AirPlay technology, leaving those who want to stream their music library to products like the Apple TV out of luck. However, Google does provide a systemwide plug-in API in Android that allows for streaming to other devices, such as a Sonos product.Using the same technology that allows streaming to Sonos, DoubleTwist created a package that plugs into the API and creates AirPlay support through that streaming standard. The steps for actually getting the feature to run, however, aren't for the faint of heart.According to DoubleTwist, users will first need to have root access to their Android-based device. From there, they should install the DoubleTwist AirPlay for Android package and launch the Google Play Music app. Upon clicking the "Cast" option in the app, they'll be asked to grant root access, which they should accept. Users will then need to force-stop the Google Play Music app and relaunch it. After all that's done, they should have the ability at that point to stream Google Play Music to AirPlay-enabled devices.The DoubleTwist package is available now in the Google Play store for $3. The listing on the Google Play store says that the feature also allows users to wirelessly transmit videos over AirPlay.CNET has contacted Google for comment on the feature. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via Engadget)
DoubleTwist, a San Francisco company with a self-proclaimed vision to "offer music without boundaries" is getting closer to achieving that goal with a new hack for Google Play Music.With some help from a DoubleTwist plug-in added to a Google application programming interface (API), users can stream Google Play Music to AirPlay-enabled devices, like the Apple TV. Google Play Music, the search company's answer to Apple's iTunes, doesn't support Apple's AirPlay technology, leaving those who want to stream their music library to products like the Apple TV out of luck. However, Google does provide a systemwide plug-in API in Android that allows for streaming to other devices, such as a Sonos product.Using the same technology that allows streaming to Sonos, DoubleTwist created a package that plugs into the API and creates AirPlay support through that streaming standard. The steps for actually getting the feature to run, however, aren't for the faint of heart.According to DoubleTwist, users will first need to have root access to their Android-based device. From there, they should install the DoubleTwist AirPlay for Android package and launch the Google Play Music app. Upon clicking the "Cast" option in the app, they'll be asked to grant root access, which they should accept. Users will then need to force-stop the Google Play Music app and relaunch it. After all that's done, they should have the ability at that point to stream Google Play Music to AirPlay-enabled devices.The DoubleTwist package is available now in the Google Play store for $3. The listing on the Google Play store says that the feature also allows users to wirelessly transmit videos over AirPlay.CNET has contacted Google for comment on the feature. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via Engadget)
Red carpet rundown- Celebrities spotted at Apple's iPhone 6 launch
Red carpet rundown: Celebrities spotted at Apple's iPhone 6 launch
Gwen Stefani and Beats'Dr Dre enroute to the iPhone 6 launch. In a private jet of course. Slash Gear suggests the man sitting with his back to camera is Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Gwen Stefani/InstagramApple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak was spotted walking into the event. Steve Wozniak has arrived -Apple's giant white cube demo center in background. #applepic.twitter.com/gFFKnoFkJ4â€" Connie Guglielmo (@techledes) September 9, 2014 TV practitioner Dr Oz has been spotted at the Apple event, leading to heavy speculation of a health component to the presentation. Dr. Oz at #Apple: Photographic evidence! pic.twitter.com/wqDQp8EV6yâ€" CNET (@CNET) September 9, 2014 Apple's Sept 9th eventLive blog: CNET's live coverageiPhone 6: What we know so fariWatch rumor roundupApple's September 9 event: CNET's complete coverage Self-confessed geek Stephen Fry has confirmed he is at the event. As a presenter, perhaps?We’ll, can’t deny it any more. I’m in Cupertino, CA. At the Flint where the iMac was launched and today … ? We’ll soon see!â€" Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) September 9, 2014 Academy Award nominee CoCo Lee, who was nominated for Best Original Song "A Love Before Time" from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" tweets as she travels to the launch On my way to #apple live in cupertino.. 9/9/2014 pic.twitter.com/JoMceFKCntâ€" coco lee (@cocolee117) September 9, 2014
Gwen Stefani and Beats'Dr Dre enroute to the iPhone 6 launch. In a private jet of course. Slash Gear suggests the man sitting with his back to camera is Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Gwen Stefani/InstagramApple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak was spotted walking into the event. Steve Wozniak has arrived -Apple's giant white cube demo center in background. #applepic.twitter.com/gFFKnoFkJ4â€" Connie Guglielmo (@techledes) September 9, 2014 TV practitioner Dr Oz has been spotted at the Apple event, leading to heavy speculation of a health component to the presentation. Dr. Oz at #Apple: Photographic evidence! pic.twitter.com/wqDQp8EV6yâ€" CNET (@CNET) September 9, 2014 Apple's Sept 9th eventLive blog: CNET's live coverageiPhone 6: What we know so fariWatch rumor roundupApple's September 9 event: CNET's complete coverage Self-confessed geek Stephen Fry has confirmed he is at the event. As a presenter, perhaps?We’ll, can’t deny it any more. I’m in Cupertino, CA. At the Flint where the iMac was launched and today … ? We’ll soon see!â€" Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) September 9, 2014 Academy Award nominee CoCo Lee, who was nominated for Best Original Song "A Love Before Time" from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" tweets as she travels to the launch On my way to #apple live in cupertino.. 9/9/2014 pic.twitter.com/JoMceFKCntâ€" coco lee (@cocolee117) September 9, 2014
Real or not, 'iPhone 6' photos are everywhere
Real or not, 'iPhone 6' photos are everywhere
Purported iPhone 6 photos have landed.But the usual caveats apply about fakes when the real iPhone 6 is likely still in the testing stage at Apple. First the caveat. "It is entirely unclear whether the device in the images is a legitimate iPhone 6 prototype or whether it is a fake," according to MacRumors, which obtained the photos via an anonymous Twitter user.And indeed it may be a fake in the form of a render. Other blogs that follow Apple quickly posted the photos too. Some of this was driven by Sonny Dickson, known for photos of the iPad Air before its release, who posted a number of photos on Thursday in Australia where he is based. That aside, MacRumors did a quick analysis about the size of the purported iPhone 6 shell.The conclusion:The photos show a phone that is 4.7 inches diagonally (the iPhone 5S is 4 inches) and 2.3 inches wide (the latter measurement the same as the iPhone 5S) . In line with rumors, the device in the photos also appears to be thinner. Other rumors about the iPhone 6 that have gained currency include a sapphire glass display and a bezel-free design.The 4.7-inch display in the photos comports with rumors that claim one version of the iPhone 6 will come in that size.Another larger, phablet-like device may be as large as 5.5 or 5.7 inches, according to recent speculation. Sonny DIckson
Purported iPhone 6 photos have landed.But the usual caveats apply about fakes when the real iPhone 6 is likely still in the testing stage at Apple. First the caveat. "It is entirely unclear whether the device in the images is a legitimate iPhone 6 prototype or whether it is a fake," according to MacRumors, which obtained the photos via an anonymous Twitter user.And indeed it may be a fake in the form of a render. Other blogs that follow Apple quickly posted the photos too. Some of this was driven by Sonny Dickson, known for photos of the iPad Air before its release, who posted a number of photos on Thursday in Australia where he is based. That aside, MacRumors did a quick analysis about the size of the purported iPhone 6 shell.The conclusion:The photos show a phone that is 4.7 inches diagonally (the iPhone 5S is 4 inches) and 2.3 inches wide (the latter measurement the same as the iPhone 5S) . In line with rumors, the device in the photos also appears to be thinner. Other rumors about the iPhone 6 that have gained currency include a sapphire glass display and a bezel-free design.The 4.7-inch display in the photos comports with rumors that claim one version of the iPhone 6 will come in that size.Another larger, phablet-like device may be as large as 5.5 or 5.7 inches, according to recent speculation. Sonny DIckson
A glimpse into the XP version of the Asus Eee PC
A glimpse into the XP version of the Asus Eee PC
The anticipated Windows XP version of the Asus Eee PC has landed at Best Buy as well as CNET Labs. We had hoped our Windows-based Eee PC review unit would arrive by way of the forthcoming 9-inch model, but alas, the hardware remains the same as the 7-inch Linux version we reviewed last year. It runs Windows XP Home Edition SP2, but features the same chassis with the same internal specifications: a 900MHz Intel Celeron M CPU, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB solid-state drive. As for the software bundle, Microsoft's Windows Live messenger, photo gallery, and e-mail suite are preinstalled, in addition to Microsoft Works. What also stays the same is the 800x480 resolution display. You can switch the size of the desktop to a virtual resolution of 800x600, but this adjustment causes many of the icons to appear below the screen, forcing you to scroll to the bottom of the screen to reveal the rest of the desktop. The 9-inch Eee PC will reportedly bump the resolution up to 1024x600.We were able to use some of our standard laptop benchmarks, despite the limited hard drive space, including one of our most taxing tests. The Eee PC has neither the memory nor screen resolution to run our Photoshop test, but it performed admirably on our multitasking test, which uses iTunes to convert 128Kbps MP3's to AAC in the background while converting a QuickTime movie in the foreground. The Eee PC outpaced the 9-inch Intel Classmate PC, which has a 1.8-inch 30GB hard drive and the same Celeron chip, completing the test in 102 minutes--more than 35 minutes faster than the Classmate. Before we got to our benchmarks, we noticed how quickly the boot time was--15 seconds flat--thanks in part to the solid-state drive. We were also able to get more than three hours of battery life running a DivX-based movie on the internal drive, which is better than most mainstream consumer laptops with larger batteries, but not enough for a half day's worth of work.While we're curious to see what a larger screen and keyboard does for overall functionality, our initial experience with the 7-inch Windows XP-based Eee PC has been a positive one. With the 7-inch version currently priced at $399 (at Best Buy in either white or black), we think the Asus Eee PC stands out among the world of affordable, ultraportables. Stay tuned for a full review in the coming days.
The anticipated Windows XP version of the Asus Eee PC has landed at Best Buy as well as CNET Labs. We had hoped our Windows-based Eee PC review unit would arrive by way of the forthcoming 9-inch model, but alas, the hardware remains the same as the 7-inch Linux version we reviewed last year. It runs Windows XP Home Edition SP2, but features the same chassis with the same internal specifications: a 900MHz Intel Celeron M CPU, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB solid-state drive. As for the software bundle, Microsoft's Windows Live messenger, photo gallery, and e-mail suite are preinstalled, in addition to Microsoft Works. What also stays the same is the 800x480 resolution display. You can switch the size of the desktop to a virtual resolution of 800x600, but this adjustment causes many of the icons to appear below the screen, forcing you to scroll to the bottom of the screen to reveal the rest of the desktop. The 9-inch Eee PC will reportedly bump the resolution up to 1024x600.We were able to use some of our standard laptop benchmarks, despite the limited hard drive space, including one of our most taxing tests. The Eee PC has neither the memory nor screen resolution to run our Photoshop test, but it performed admirably on our multitasking test, which uses iTunes to convert 128Kbps MP3's to AAC in the background while converting a QuickTime movie in the foreground. The Eee PC outpaced the 9-inch Intel Classmate PC, which has a 1.8-inch 30GB hard drive and the same Celeron chip, completing the test in 102 minutes--more than 35 minutes faster than the Classmate. Before we got to our benchmarks, we noticed how quickly the boot time was--15 seconds flat--thanks in part to the solid-state drive. We were also able to get more than three hours of battery life running a DivX-based movie on the internal drive, which is better than most mainstream consumer laptops with larger batteries, but not enough for a half day's worth of work.While we're curious to see what a larger screen and keyboard does for overall functionality, our initial experience with the 7-inch Windows XP-based Eee PC has been a positive one. With the 7-inch version currently priced at $399 (at Best Buy in either white or black), we think the Asus Eee PC stands out among the world of affordable, ultraportables. Stay tuned for a full review in the coming days.
A driver update cures slow Windows 7 shutdowns
A driver update cures slow Windows 7 shutdowns
Display driver refresh does the trickThe forum posts indicated that some people solved the slow-shutdown problem by updating the PC's display driver. Since Windows 7 had warned me that my PC's ATI driver was old, I ran Device Manager's updater: Device Manager's Update Driver function will search for a more recent version of your system's device drivers.screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly/CNETClick the Start buttonType "device manager" in the search boxSelect Device ManagerRight-click the device's entry under "Display adapters"Choose Update Driver SoftwareClick "Search automatically for updated driver software" In my case, Windows found and installed a more recent version of the display driver. After restarting the PC, shutdowns took only a few seconds. Note that you may need to manually find and download the driver update, and then choose "Browse my computer for driver software" and navigate to the downloaded file.Updating the display software was much simpler than the solutions recommended on the Microsoft Answers site, which entailed a clean boot and selective disabling of processes and services in Task Manager. The driver update was also safer than editing the Registry, as other comments in that post suggested. Even though I appreciate being able to breathe new life into a well-worn PC, it's time for a truly new version of Windows. The operating system is overdue for a total revamp, similar to Apple's approach with Mac OS X. Truly successful software is invisible and effortless. Traditional operating systems are becoming less important. To stay relevant, Microsoft has to come up with a system that automates updates (and rollbacks, if necessary) and generally makes fewer demands on users.
Display driver refresh does the trickThe forum posts indicated that some people solved the slow-shutdown problem by updating the PC's display driver. Since Windows 7 had warned me that my PC's ATI driver was old, I ran Device Manager's updater: Device Manager's Update Driver function will search for a more recent version of your system's device drivers.screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly/CNETClick the Start buttonType "device manager" in the search boxSelect Device ManagerRight-click the device's entry under "Display adapters"Choose Update Driver SoftwareClick "Search automatically for updated driver software" In my case, Windows found and installed a more recent version of the display driver. After restarting the PC, shutdowns took only a few seconds. Note that you may need to manually find and download the driver update, and then choose "Browse my computer for driver software" and navigate to the downloaded file.Updating the display software was much simpler than the solutions recommended on the Microsoft Answers site, which entailed a clean boot and selective disabling of processes and services in Task Manager. The driver update was also safer than editing the Registry, as other comments in that post suggested. Even though I appreciate being able to breathe new life into a well-worn PC, it's time for a truly new version of Windows. The operating system is overdue for a total revamp, similar to Apple's approach with Mac OS X. Truly successful software is invisible and effortless. Traditional operating systems are becoming less important. To stay relevant, Microsoft has to come up with a system that automates updates (and rollbacks, if necessary) and generally makes fewer demands on users.
Adobe Photoshop Touch iPad app now supports Retina Display
Adobe Photoshop Touch iPad app now supports Retina Display
Owners of the latest iPad who use Photoshop Touch can now view their images in all their Retina Display glory.Version 1.3 of Photoshop Touch for the iPad now handles the higher resolution found on Apple's third-generation tablet. The new support will not only enhance images but also render the interface, text, and other areas more "crisp and clean," according to Adobe.Photoshop Touch users can also now work with images of print quality, up to 12 megapixels withseveral layers included. The default resolution is 4.2 megapixels with 10 layers, but users of the Retina Display iPad can bump that up to 12 megapixels. The app itself can handle up to 16 layers in a single file.Users will discover other enhancements as well.A new "pixel nudging" mode can help you more precisely move around individual pixels. A new three-finger tap gesture lets you switch between 100 percent view and a fit-screen view. Two effects have been added -- Shred and Colorize. And Adobe promises better animation and scrolling in the app's organizer, tutorial browser, and file picker.Adobe didn't forget about Android users of Photoshop Touch. The app's Android version kicks in most of the same improvements, including support for 12-megapixel images, pixel nudging, Shred and Colorize effects, and smoother animation.Related storiesPhotoshop touches down on the iPadRetina Display support coming to Adobe CS6 softwarePremiere Pro supports Retina displays, Windows 8Blame the app stores: Adobe Touch apps not in Creative CloudPhotoshop Touch costs $9.99 in both the Apple Store and Google Play. The latest update is free for all current owners.Adobe is on a mission as of late to update many of its products to tap into Apple's Retina Display.The company today enhanced its Premiere Pro video editor to support the higher-resolution MacBook Pro. Also in the works are updates to other CS6 applications, notably Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Edge Animate, SpeedGrade, and Prelude.
Owners of the latest iPad who use Photoshop Touch can now view their images in all their Retina Display glory.Version 1.3 of Photoshop Touch for the iPad now handles the higher resolution found on Apple's third-generation tablet. The new support will not only enhance images but also render the interface, text, and other areas more "crisp and clean," according to Adobe.Photoshop Touch users can also now work with images of print quality, up to 12 megapixels withseveral layers included. The default resolution is 4.2 megapixels with 10 layers, but users of the Retina Display iPad can bump that up to 12 megapixels. The app itself can handle up to 16 layers in a single file.Users will discover other enhancements as well.A new "pixel nudging" mode can help you more precisely move around individual pixels. A new three-finger tap gesture lets you switch between 100 percent view and a fit-screen view. Two effects have been added -- Shred and Colorize. And Adobe promises better animation and scrolling in the app's organizer, tutorial browser, and file picker.Adobe didn't forget about Android users of Photoshop Touch. The app's Android version kicks in most of the same improvements, including support for 12-megapixel images, pixel nudging, Shred and Colorize effects, and smoother animation.Related storiesPhotoshop touches down on the iPadRetina Display support coming to Adobe CS6 softwarePremiere Pro supports Retina displays, Windows 8Blame the app stores: Adobe Touch apps not in Creative CloudPhotoshop Touch costs $9.99 in both the Apple Store and Google Play. The latest update is free for all current owners.Adobe is on a mission as of late to update many of its products to tap into Apple's Retina Display.The company today enhanced its Premiere Pro video editor to support the higher-resolution MacBook Pro. Also in the works are updates to other CS6 applications, notably Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Edge Animate, SpeedGrade, and Prelude.
Adobe moves mobile Flash from rhetoric to reality
Adobe moves mobile Flash from rhetoric to reality
But don't be surprised to see them coming soon--the new Motorola Droid going on sale on Verizon's network, to be announced Wednesday, seems a likely candidate. "Expect additional news later this week with OEM-related news," Murarka said.And though there's no deal to announce, he said Adobe is in talks with Samsung about bringing Flash to its Bada operating system.Adobe likes the Android Market style of distribution, which helps Adobe manage Flash Player and doesn't require them to wait for a device manufacturing cycle. Also coming is a pop-up message that Web sites can show suggesting people install Flash, an experience drawn from personal computers.But Adobe will work with others, too; for example, Palm will distribute Flash Player 10.1 through a system update, he said.Programmers, too, will have to adjust to the new Flash Player 10.1. Many existing Web sites will work fine on mobile phones with Flash Player, Murarka said, but those that assume a person controls the application with a keyboard and mouse or that assume the user has a large screen could have troubles.Consequently, Adobe encourages programmers to consider touch interfaces and other newer developments. Flash Player 10.1 includes support for multitouch, but an application will work differently controlled that way compared to more traditional interfaces.To run on a phone, a relatively powerful processor is required. Adobe's official list includes ARM11, Cortex A8 and A9, Intel Atom, nVidia Tegra, and Qualcomm Snapdragon. The software can take advantage of processor sleep states to conserve power and of accelerometers to control screen orientation.Such engineering work is necessary and important for a good experience, and Adobe has Moore's Law on its side: new devices will come with more memory, better graphics, brawnier processors, better displays. But that's in the future.Today's challenge will be just getting Flash onto mobile devices and getting programmers to adjust their ways. With Flash Player 10.1, though, Adobe has something more than words to persuade others to sign up for Flash.
But don't be surprised to see them coming soon--the new Motorola Droid going on sale on Verizon's network, to be announced Wednesday, seems a likely candidate. "Expect additional news later this week with OEM-related news," Murarka said.And though there's no deal to announce, he said Adobe is in talks with Samsung about bringing Flash to its Bada operating system.Adobe likes the Android Market style of distribution, which helps Adobe manage Flash Player and doesn't require them to wait for a device manufacturing cycle. Also coming is a pop-up message that Web sites can show suggesting people install Flash, an experience drawn from personal computers.But Adobe will work with others, too; for example, Palm will distribute Flash Player 10.1 through a system update, he said.Programmers, too, will have to adjust to the new Flash Player 10.1. Many existing Web sites will work fine on mobile phones with Flash Player, Murarka said, but those that assume a person controls the application with a keyboard and mouse or that assume the user has a large screen could have troubles.Consequently, Adobe encourages programmers to consider touch interfaces and other newer developments. Flash Player 10.1 includes support for multitouch, but an application will work differently controlled that way compared to more traditional interfaces.To run on a phone, a relatively powerful processor is required. Adobe's official list includes ARM11, Cortex A8 and A9, Intel Atom, nVidia Tegra, and Qualcomm Snapdragon. The software can take advantage of processor sleep states to conserve power and of accelerometers to control screen orientation.Such engineering work is necessary and important for a good experience, and Adobe has Moore's Law on its side: new devices will come with more memory, better graphics, brawnier processors, better displays. But that's in the future.Today's challenge will be just getting Flash onto mobile devices and getting programmers to adjust their ways. With Flash Player 10.1, though, Adobe has something more than words to persuade others to sign up for Flash.
Adobe moves further into Google's orbit
Adobe moves further into Google's orbit
For now, however, Adobe and Google have struck a partnership of convenience based on mutual need and mutual distrust of Apple's intentions for the mobile computing market. It's not that Adobe has turned a blind eye to the rest of the mobile computing market: it plans to make Flash available on Research In Motion's BlackBerry software as well as Hewlett-Packard's WebOS and Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Phone 7, company officials said Monday. As for Apple, any chance of detente in that relationship seems unlikely.But Flash will have its most immediate impact on Android, which has surpassed the iPhone and BlackBerry to become the leading smartphone operating system in the U.S. Almost overnight with the release of the Droid 2 last week--the first smartphone to ship with Android 2.2 and Flash Player 10.1 preinstalled--Android users had a wealth of Flash games to choose from, a key selling point against the plethora of games found in Apple's App Store that will get stronger as more and more Android users upgrade to 2.2.More and more serious application developers are starting to think about Android as a viable alternative to the iPhone after years of App Store madness, and the addition of Flash-based opportunities can only help expand the pool of developers creating apps for Android phones (Flash workarounds for the iOS world aren't dependable). The key question for Google and Adobe is whether they can deliver on the performance issues and user-interface weirdness that have plagued Flash on mobile to date, and whether developers start to see as many opportunities in Android as they have in the iPhone.Adobe still makes a lot of money selling "shrink-wrapped" software, such as Photoshop, Lightroom, and software development environments like Dreamweaver. However, no modern tech company can afford to ignore the shift to mobile computing, and for Adobe, the road is being paved by Google.
For now, however, Adobe and Google have struck a partnership of convenience based on mutual need and mutual distrust of Apple's intentions for the mobile computing market. It's not that Adobe has turned a blind eye to the rest of the mobile computing market: it plans to make Flash available on Research In Motion's BlackBerry software as well as Hewlett-Packard's WebOS and Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Phone 7, company officials said Monday. As for Apple, any chance of detente in that relationship seems unlikely.But Flash will have its most immediate impact on Android, which has surpassed the iPhone and BlackBerry to become the leading smartphone operating system in the U.S. Almost overnight with the release of the Droid 2 last week--the first smartphone to ship with Android 2.2 and Flash Player 10.1 preinstalled--Android users had a wealth of Flash games to choose from, a key selling point against the plethora of games found in Apple's App Store that will get stronger as more and more Android users upgrade to 2.2.More and more serious application developers are starting to think about Android as a viable alternative to the iPhone after years of App Store madness, and the addition of Flash-based opportunities can only help expand the pool of developers creating apps for Android phones (Flash workarounds for the iOS world aren't dependable). The key question for Google and Adobe is whether they can deliver on the performance issues and user-interface weirdness that have plagued Flash on mobile to date, and whether developers start to see as many opportunities in Android as they have in the iPhone.Adobe still makes a lot of money selling "shrink-wrapped" software, such as Photoshop, Lightroom, and software development environments like Dreamweaver. However, no modern tech company can afford to ignore the shift to mobile computing, and for Adobe, the road is being paved by Google.
AdMob CEO- Apple not enforcing ad restrictions
AdMob CEO: Apple not enforcing ad restrictions
SAN FRANCISCO--Despite putting a scare into AdMob and its customers with its new policies on third-party ad networks, Apple has not yet enforced those policies, AdMob's CEO confirmed Tuesday.Omar Hamoui, founder and CEO of Google's AdMob division, said it has been business as usual for AdMob's ad network customers seeking to place ads in iPhone applications ever since Apple inserted language into its iPhone Developer Agreement in June that appeared to kneecap ad networks owned by anyone competing with Apple in mobile computing, such as AdMob parent Google. "They haven't been enforcing (the new regulations) yet. We're very appreciative of that," he said at the MobileBeat 2010 conference here.When iOS4 was announced Apple changed the terms of the iPhone agreement by prohibiting ad networks owned by competitors from collecting certain types of analytic data. Were Apple to actually enforce those terms, "it would mean we could not run ads on the iPhone at all," Hamoui said, explaining that without the analytical data, AdMob couldn't even track who had clicked on their customer's ads. Advertisers won't buy ads when they can't even tell how many people had clicked on that ad, he said.Anecdotal reports from developers had suggested that Apple was not enforcing these terms in iPhone applications approved for the App Store after the changes were released, but Apple, Google, and AdMob had not commented on the reports.Despite the change in policy, Hamoui said that Apple's work on its iAds platform was actually a very good thing for the mobile advertising industry, suggesting that when a company like Apple starts talking up the value of mobile advertising, big-name brand advertisers start paying more attention to the market. That means there will be more business for everyone to go around, since advertisers don't like to put all their eggs in one basket."The really rich pretty ads they're doing are making advertisers and agencies think about what mobile means," Hamoui said. "Anybody getting advertisers interested in mobile is a good thing. It's not at all a zero-sum game."
SAN FRANCISCO--Despite putting a scare into AdMob and its customers with its new policies on third-party ad networks, Apple has not yet enforced those policies, AdMob's CEO confirmed Tuesday.Omar Hamoui, founder and CEO of Google's AdMob division, said it has been business as usual for AdMob's ad network customers seeking to place ads in iPhone applications ever since Apple inserted language into its iPhone Developer Agreement in June that appeared to kneecap ad networks owned by anyone competing with Apple in mobile computing, such as AdMob parent Google. "They haven't been enforcing (the new regulations) yet. We're very appreciative of that," he said at the MobileBeat 2010 conference here.When iOS4 was announced Apple changed the terms of the iPhone agreement by prohibiting ad networks owned by competitors from collecting certain types of analytic data. Were Apple to actually enforce those terms, "it would mean we could not run ads on the iPhone at all," Hamoui said, explaining that without the analytical data, AdMob couldn't even track who had clicked on their customer's ads. Advertisers won't buy ads when they can't even tell how many people had clicked on that ad, he said.Anecdotal reports from developers had suggested that Apple was not enforcing these terms in iPhone applications approved for the App Store after the changes were released, but Apple, Google, and AdMob had not commented on the reports.Despite the change in policy, Hamoui said that Apple's work on its iAds platform was actually a very good thing for the mobile advertising industry, suggesting that when a company like Apple starts talking up the value of mobile advertising, big-name brand advertisers start paying more attention to the market. That means there will be more business for everyone to go around, since advertisers don't like to put all their eggs in one basket."The really rich pretty ads they're doing are making advertisers and agencies think about what mobile means," Hamoui said. "Anybody getting advertisers interested in mobile is a good thing. It's not at all a zero-sum game."
Ad for Apple's Siri gets poison oak wrong, report says
Ad for Apple's Siri gets poison oak wrong, report says
Apple's Siri has been known to get some queries wrong. But it might have flubbed an advertising opportunity as well.In a July issue of The Economist, Apple reportedly took out an ad for Siri. In it, users are shown a forest behind a hand holding the iPhone, and a question at the top, saying, "What does poison oak look like?" On the iPhone, Siri provides an answer, but appears to display poison ivy and not poison oak.According to the Associated Press, which was first to report on the news, Lena Struwe, an associate professor of botany at Rutgers University, caught the gaffe, and after sharing it with fellow botanists, found that the image was actually poison ivy.Related storiesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)At SRI, developing an expertise in R&D, innovationReport: Apple using Nuance voice tech in data centerWatching TV backfires during 'SuriTV' parodyApple iPad live blog (Wednesday, March 7)Images of the ad have been posted on Flickr and several other sites across the Web. However, CNET has not been able to independently confirm that the ad does, in fact, come from Apple. CNET has contacted Apple for clarification, and will update this story when we have more information.To determine if the issue was a marketing error or part of Siri, CNET queried the virtual personal assistant with the same question posed in the ad. Siri quickly responded with a listing from Wolfram Alpha describing poison oak and displaying the proper image. The ad also shows Siri pointing to a Wolfram Alpha result.Siri has found her way to a host of Apple commercials and ads, and has typically been correct in those spots. However, last month, Fortune reported that in real life, Siri is wrong 38 percent of the time she's queried.Siri has also been known to offer up some embarrassing answers from time to time. Back in May, when asked what "the best smartphone ever" was, she responded with Nokia's Lumia 900.Whoops.
Apple's Siri has been known to get some queries wrong. But it might have flubbed an advertising opportunity as well.In a July issue of The Economist, Apple reportedly took out an ad for Siri. In it, users are shown a forest behind a hand holding the iPhone, and a question at the top, saying, "What does poison oak look like?" On the iPhone, Siri provides an answer, but appears to display poison ivy and not poison oak.According to the Associated Press, which was first to report on the news, Lena Struwe, an associate professor of botany at Rutgers University, caught the gaffe, and after sharing it with fellow botanists, found that the image was actually poison ivy.Related storiesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)At SRI, developing an expertise in R&D, innovationReport: Apple using Nuance voice tech in data centerWatching TV backfires during 'SuriTV' parodyApple iPad live blog (Wednesday, March 7)Images of the ad have been posted on Flickr and several other sites across the Web. However, CNET has not been able to independently confirm that the ad does, in fact, come from Apple. CNET has contacted Apple for clarification, and will update this story when we have more information.To determine if the issue was a marketing error or part of Siri, CNET queried the virtual personal assistant with the same question posed in the ad. Siri quickly responded with a listing from Wolfram Alpha describing poison oak and displaying the proper image. The ad also shows Siri pointing to a Wolfram Alpha result.Siri has found her way to a host of Apple commercials and ads, and has typically been correct in those spots. However, last month, Fortune reported that in real life, Siri is wrong 38 percent of the time she's queried.Siri has also been known to offer up some embarrassing answers from time to time. Back in May, when asked what "the best smartphone ever" was, she responded with Nokia's Lumia 900.Whoops.
27-inch iMacs now being prepped to ship to early buyers
27-inch iMacs now being prepped to ship to early buyers
iMac buyers who already ordered one of the new 27-inch models are now being told by Apple that their units are one step closer to shipping.A few MacRumors forum members who snagged the new large-screen iMacs say they've received notices indicating that the order status has been changed to "Preparing for Shipment." At least one person also said his credit card has been charged.Both signs mean the 27-inchers are almost ready to be handed off to the shippers. Customers say the estimated delivery time is still being quoted as somewhere between December 21 and 31, according to MacRumors. But buyers could see them sooner if Apple can get them out the door fast enough.Related storiesSay hello to iMacThe wait resets: New 27-inch iMacs to ship in JanuaryFirst glimpse at the inside of Apple's new iMac lineApple's new iMac to arrive November 30Consumers still looking to buy the 27-inch iMac face a longer wait time.Late last week, Apple changed the ship time for the larger iMac from three to four weeks to a more vague "January." The new estimate means the units will be delayed even further than previously expected, possibly not even shipping until later next month.Popping up for preorder on November 30, the 27-inch iMac was given an initial wait time of two to three weeks. But that jumped to three to four weeks after just a few hours.At Apple's fourth-quarter earnings call in October, CEO Tim Cook did admit that supplies of the iMac would be "constrained" the rest of the year. The 21-inch iMac is more readily available than its larger brother as it shows a ship time of just 7 to 10 days.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
iMac buyers who already ordered one of the new 27-inch models are now being told by Apple that their units are one step closer to shipping.A few MacRumors forum members who snagged the new large-screen iMacs say they've received notices indicating that the order status has been changed to "Preparing for Shipment." At least one person also said his credit card has been charged.Both signs mean the 27-inchers are almost ready to be handed off to the shippers. Customers say the estimated delivery time is still being quoted as somewhere between December 21 and 31, according to MacRumors. But buyers could see them sooner if Apple can get them out the door fast enough.Related storiesSay hello to iMacThe wait resets: New 27-inch iMacs to ship in JanuaryFirst glimpse at the inside of Apple's new iMac lineApple's new iMac to arrive November 30Consumers still looking to buy the 27-inch iMac face a longer wait time.Late last week, Apple changed the ship time for the larger iMac from three to four weeks to a more vague "January." The new estimate means the units will be delayed even further than previously expected, possibly not even shipping until later next month.Popping up for preorder on November 30, the 27-inch iMac was given an initial wait time of two to three weeks. But that jumped to three to four weeks after just a few hours.At Apple's fourth-quarter earnings call in October, CEO Tim Cook did admit that supplies of the iMac would be "constrained" the rest of the year. The 21-inch iMac is more readily available than its larger brother as it shows a ship time of just 7 to 10 days.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
A6 chip: More Apple, less ARM
Apple's chip investments may have borne native fruit with the A6. The iPhone 5's A6 may be more of an Apple creation than previous A series chips, according to an updated post by review site Anandtech. Like Qualcomm, Apple is incorporating more of its in-house expertise into chips.And that means it's getting further away from pure ARM designs. For example, the latest design from U.K.-based ARM is the Cortex A15, which Texas Instruments is using in future chips. But Apple isn't going that route, according to Anandtech.And that means that past Apple buyouts of chip design houses PA Semi and Intrinsity are bearing fruit. Related stories2009 PC shipments inch into positive territoryMicrosoft brings kids developer tool to the PC Anandtech initially believed the A6 used the Cortex-A15 design.But in a post on Saturday, Anandtech said that's not the case."Based on a lot of digging over the past couple of days, and conversations with the right people, I've confirmed that Apple's A6 [chip] is based on Apple's own ARM based CPU core and not the Cortex A15," wrote Anand Shimpi. And this probably isn't good news for Intel.If Apple is able to make increasingly powerful A series processors, they could theoretically be used for a MacBook Air-style product.But only time will tell.Intel's next chip, codenamed "Haswell," will be its most power-efficient mainstream chip to date and also well suited for future MacBooks.
37 years later, world's first Apple reseller to close its doors
Flashback to the late 1970s, when Apple was but a pup and graphics were barely graphical.AppleAlthough Apple has a group of stores all its own, the company has a chain of resellers that are also authorized to sell and fix its products. And now, its oldest reseller is shuttering its doors.FirstTech, a company once known as Team Electronics, will close its doors next week, the company confirmed to TwinCities.com.• See also: Selling the Apple II: Three true stories After nearly 37 years selling Apple's products as an authorized reseller, the company has decided that it can't keep profits high enough to justify keeping its doors open. The main culprit, the company said, has been major box stores that are selling products below cost -- something the small FirstTech can't do.The news that the world's oldest Apple authorized reseller is closing its doors surely says something about the state of the retail environment for electronics -- those big box stores aren't exactly having it easy these days, either, what with the easy appeal of online sales.It seems quite possible, then, that more resellers might close their doors as time goes on.(Via 9to5Mac)
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