The written musings of a long-time Apple //e and Macintosh tech nerd. Opinions are my own.
We all get it – Apple isn’t about pinstripe suits, and Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs wears a black turtleneck shirt and jeans. He wears it to work, during keynote speeches, and when meeting with government officials.
I found the above photo on 9To5Mac.com, which shows Disney CEO Bob Iger talking to Apple CEO Steve Jobs – wearing a black shirt with a collar!
You can read the article over at 9To5Mac.com.
[Via 9To5Mac.com…]
Unfortunately, Sprint isn’t working with Apple to bring the iPhone to the Now Network; at least that we know of. For now, this modified photo of the iPhone will have to do.
And while we’re waiting, check out some of the Sprint buy out/merger ideas that 9To5Mac.com has up on their site today.
[Via 9To5Mac.com…]
I just found out about this a short while ago, but The Deep (App Store link), a super cool pinball game for the iPhone and iPod touch is available free today. Normally, The Deep is $0.99.
Go grab it now for free before time runs out!
[Via MacStories.net…]
Today, Apple has released Mac OS X 10.6.7, the latest service pack update for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
In addition to numerous minor bug fixes, Mac OS X 10.6.7 also improves the reliability of the Back to My Mac feature (requires a MobileMe account, $99/year and rumored to be going free later this year), corrects an issues with transferring files to Windows PCs and Servers using the SMB protocol, and lastly, corrects some Mac App Store bugs.
Mac OS X 10.6.7 is available now by running the Software Update control panel in the Settings application.
Following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and with the seemingly imminent threat of an unimaginable nuclear disaster, only one technology company is brave enough to stand up an offer the kind of help their employee need.
Today, a reported email from Apple CEO Steve Jobs was sent to the company’s employees in Japan offering to help them in their time of national crisis.
“To Our Team in Japan,
We have all been following the unfolding disaster in Japan. Our hearts go out to you and your families, as well as all of your countrymen who have been touched by this tragedy.
If you need time or resources to visit or care for your families, please see HR and we will help you. If you are aware of any supplies that are needed, please also tell HR and we will do what we can to arrange delivery.
Again, our hearts go out to you during this unimaginable crisis.
Please stay safe.
Steve and the entire Executive Team”
While still unauthenticated, this really seems like the kind of thing that Apple would do for their employees and their families in Japan.
I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m an Apple fanboy, but I have to ask, where are Microsoft and Google? Surely they can offer to do the same for their employees?
Apple enjoyed long lines and strong sales of their new table device, iPad 2 this weekend.
The iPad 2, which went on sale this past Friday at 5pm, generated the kinds of lines that the previous iPad and iPhone 4 created. According to a post this weekend on AppleInsider.com, Piper Jaffray researcher said that there where over 1,000 people in line at Apple’s 5th Ave retail store in Manhattan, New York City. Friday afternoon hoping to get their hands on the new device.
Throughout the weekend, “supply checks” at various Apple retail locations and other authorized resellers indicated that the iPad 2 had been selling well and that some models had already sold out.
Orders placed online for any of the Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad 2 are listed as shipping in 3-4 weeks.
In the days leading up to the iPad 2 launch, Apple was not taking online reservations or pre-orders as they had done with the original iPad and the Verizon iPhone 4. As a result, the launch of the iPad 2 generated the kind of customer lines that have become almost common place for an Apple mobile device product launch.
For competitors hoping to finally get product out on the market this year who had been chasing after the original iPad, the bar has just been raised that much higher.
[Via AppleInsider.com…]
According to a new report from Boy Genius Report, Google has used the remote kill switch feature in the Android operating system to kill and remove malware installed on Android phones.
“To try and fix the problem, Google has started using a remote kill switch feature in Android to wirelessly nuke those installed apps on user’s handsets. That’s not the entire story, though, as Google is actually installing new code in the process. The new code undoes the exploit and prevents your data from being shared, and it’s kind of creepy to plainly see how much control Google has over your Android phone from afar. “
I’m glad to see that Google is using their powers for good. Earlier uses of the kill switch angered users, if not make them a bit paranoid that Google has a back door into their devices. But I have to wonder, shouldn’t Google have done a better job of curating their Android Market and have prevented these apps from becoming available for download in the first place.
Regardless of whether or not you believe the Android platform and the Android Market is any more or less “open” and the Apple iOS platform and the App Store, it is up to us, the consumer, to make sure we know and understand what software we are installing on our devices.
Update
ComputerWorld has posted an article covering this issue online, stating:
“Last Wednesday, Google removed more than 50 infected apps published by three different developers from its marketplace, but didn’t trigger automatic uninstalls until several days later.”
You can read the full article on the ComputerWorld website.
[Via BGR.com…]
9to5Mac.com is reporting that the iPad will go on sale at Best Buy, Sam’s Club, and Walmart on March 11 along side Apple retail store and Apple.com.
[Via 9to5Mac.com…]
I just finished reading John Paczkowki’s Digital Daily post titled “HP to RIM: Our iPad Challenger Is More Original Than Your iPad Challenger”, in which HP and RIM fight over who’s Apple iPad clone is more original.
“Isn’t this ironic. Hewlett-Packard and Research in Motion, two companies that haven’t officially launched their first tablets yet, talking smack to one another the day before Apple debuts its second.”
Apple indirectly squashed iPad 3 rumors today be calling 2011 “the year of the iPad 2.”
If I talked to you in the last two weeks warning that iPad owners hold off on getting an iPad 2 because iPad 3 could be coming in September, you now have an official Smartphone Fanatics green light to purchase an iPad 2.
[Via AppleInsider.com, Engadget.com…]