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What is APPLE planning?

So basically he'll leave Apple, create a new technologically advanced but poorly marketed product, and then after Tim Cook has sufficiently destroyed Apple he'll come back and rescue the company?

Lol. I am not a Tim cook fan at all. He's making it all about the bottom line.
 
So basically he'll leave Apple, create a new technologically advanced but poorly marketed product, and then after Tim Cook has sufficiently destroyed Apple he'll come back and rescue the company?

No, what I'm saying is that he basically was a dictator like Jobs was and demanded a lot. Forstall did come from NeXT when Steve Jobs sold it to Apple and came back to run the company. So they had a lot of history working together, I can see how Scott would be a lot like Steve. I don't know if he would make a comeback like Jobs did.
 
I've been playing with an iPad Mini over the weekend; here are a few random observations.

* The battery life is incredible. I charged it on Friday, and that charge lasted the entire weekend, even with a couple movies watched. Even now it's still at 49%.

* I didn't really notice the low-ish resolution, nor the slow-ish speed. From a nerd point of view, these things jam me up, but in actually using the device, it's no big deal.

* It is too big. During the announcement they made a big deal out of being able to hold it with one hand, but frankly even with my big hands it's a stretch, and becomes uncomfortable quickly. My wife couldn't do it at all, and resorted to traditional tablet holding styles.

* I still couldn't find an iOS app that can play video off of a DLNA server that actually works. That's not Apple's fault, but it still angers me.

* More frequently than I would expect I was unable to access the App Store. Also, when I enabled "Genius" in the App Store it locked the iPad Mini hard -- had to reboot to bring it back.

* Just me, but iOS is still frustrating and unintuitive. I'm glad so many people find it useful, but every session I have with the device is an exercise in frustration.

* After using gestures on Safari on Mountain Lion, it is very perplexing that these same gestures are not on Safari on iOS. In particular, swipe to go back a page. Having to actually click the "Back" button seems so last decade.

The iPad Mini is a tough pill to swallow. It is too big to be a small tablet; too small to be a proper tablet. It is too expensive -- maybe $199 is too cheap, but $249 seems reasonable as a start. I think people are going to feel suckered when in six months Apple brings out the "new iPad Mini" that has the A6 processor and retina display.
 
I've been playing with an iPad Mini over the weekend; here are a few random observations.

* The battery life is incredible. I charged it on Friday, and that charge lasted the entire weekend, even with a couple movies watched. Even now it's still at 49%.

* I didn't really notice the low-ish resolution, nor the slow-ish speed. From a nerd point of view, these things jam me up, but in actually using the device, it's no big deal.

* It is too big. During the announcement they made a big deal out of being able to hold it with one hand, but frankly even with my big hands it's a stretch, and becomes uncomfortable quickly. My wife couldn't do it at all, and resorted to traditional tablet holding styles.

* I still couldn't find an iOS app that can play video off of a DLNA server that actually works. That's not Apple's fault, but it still angers me.

* More frequently than I would expect I was unable to access the App Store. Also, when I enabled "Genius" in the App Store it locked the iPad Mini hard -- had to reboot to bring it back.

* Just me, but iOS is still frustrating and unintuitive. I'm glad so many people find it useful, but every session I have with the device is an exercise in frustration.

* After using gestures on Safari on Mountain Lion, it is very perplexing that these same gestures are not on Safari on iOS. In particular, swipe to go back a page. Having to actually click the "Back" button seems so last decade.

The iPad Mini is a tough pill to swallow. It is too big to be a small tablet; too small to be a proper tablet. It is too expensive -- maybe $199 is too cheap, but $249 seems reasonable as a start. I think people are going to feel suckered when in six months Apple brings out the "new iPad Mini" that has the A6 processor and retina display.

I played with one at costco. I wasn't impressed. The screen looked really bad compared to the nexus 7 I used 10 seconds prior.

The size is weird. It really big compared to other 7-inch tablets and I felt it was a little awkward to hold. It was very light and thin though.

I would skip this thing and get the new, newest iPad.
 
I've been using StreamToMe for a few years and love it:

http://projectswithlove.com/streamtome/

I'm pretty sure it uses DLNA under the hood.

Looks like it requires a server component to be installed on a PC or Mac. I run mine off of a NAS, with no computer connected.

EDIT: Confirmed: "StreamToMe cannot stream directly from a DLNA server."

My NAS streams great to my Samsung TV, Sony Blu-ray player, PS3, and WDTV. But I can't get it to work on my kids' iPod Touch or iPhone 5 at all, nor with the iPad Mini (which I have to return today).
 
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iOS in the Galaxy Note II, please!

Dunno eggactly why, but I'm drawn to the Samsung GALAXY Note II as an actual personal/professional device, leisure/commuting toy, and else. It would in-essence, for me, do what the iPad Mini would do but w/ cellular/mobile-data functionality.

I'm satisfied w/ my iPhone 5, but it has it's limitations in the work environment & I personally find tablets cumbersome when I'm on the run.
 
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Dunno eggactly why, but I'm drawn to the Samsung GALAXY Note II as an actual personal/professional device, leisure/commuting toy, and else. It would in-essence, for me, do what the iPad Mini would do but w/ cellular/mobile-data functionality.

I'm satisfied w/ my iPhone 5, but it has it's limitations in the work environment & I personally find tablets cumbersome when I'm on the run.

The iPad mini does have cellular/mobile-data functionality.

But any of these tablets that are out nowadays would add lots of functionality to any ICE system. I particularly like this install of a Nexus 7 in a Ford Edge. What I like about it is that the factory dash is untouched, other than the magnets that are placed behind the dash panel. The only drawback is the lack of a charging port, but I'm sure that can be addressed with a bit more of work.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lmbh7eAYL8k?list=UU_ojrdK0jMGKFduQuDcyanw&hl=en_US" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
different needs/requirements...

The iPad mini does have cellular/mobile-data functionality...
The iPad Mini doesn't have mobile GSM cellular capability to place voice calls (as a cellular phone would), it can use the 4G/LTE data capability to place voice-calls (using various messaging & voice-call apps). Namely, a voice-plan from a service-provider can't be used on the iPad Mini.

I also should've articulated better that a more usable form-factor of the Samsung Galaxy Note II works better for me, relative to the iPad Mini, w/ regards to being on-the-go (suit/coat pocket, meeting, commuting/driving, etc)... as well as having true cellular voice-call capability.
 
So Eddy Cue of Apple is now on the Board of Directors at Ferrari, announced by Luca di Montezemolo.


http://www.ferrari.com/english/abou...rd-results-for-first-nine-months-of-2012.aspx


“These results confirm Ferrari’s excellent performance in practically all of the 60 nations in which it is present despite the continuing economic climate. Once again the exception is Italy where we have witnessed a drop partly due to the economic crisis, but also to a hostile environment for luxury goods which have long been, and continue to be, an important resource for the country,” said Luca di Montezemolo who then announced the addition of a new Ferrari board member. “I am delighted that Eddy Cue, one of the main driving forces behind Apple’s range of revolutionary products, has now joined our board. His huge experience in the dynamic, innovative world of the Internet will be of great assistance to us.”

Eddie Cue is Apple’s Senior Vice President Internet Software and Services and oversees Apple's industry-leading content stores including the iTunes Store, the revolutionary App Store and the iBookstore, as well as Siri, Maps, iAd and Apple's innovative iCloud services. He is a 23-year Apple veteran and played a major role in creating the Apple online store in 1998, the iTunes Music Store in 2003 and the App Store in 2008. He earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Economics at Duke University.

“I am pleased and proud to become a member of the board. I have personally dreamed of owning a Ferrari since I was 8 years old and have been lucky to be an owner for the past 5 years. I continue to be awed by the world-class design and engineering that only Ferrari can do," said Eddie Cue, commenting on his nomination to the board.
 
Interesting article about the tablet market:

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/g...tition-abounds-ipad-hangs-its-crown-1C7275559

Tablets 2012: As competition abounds, the iPad hangs onto its crown

1C4948715-ipad-et-al.streams_tablet_medium.jpg
Jim Seida / NBC News
Apple iPad, pictured in front of Amazon's Kindle Fire HD 8.9, Microsoft's Surface RT and Google's Nexus 10 by Samsung


Non-iPads from Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others are flooding the market, bringing more diverse experiences, often at better prices than the iPad and its little sibling, the iPad Mini.

Doesn’t matter. Odds are, you’ll still ask Santa for an Apple tablet. And new research suggests Apple iPads large and small will dominate this rapidly growing business, at least through 2013.

OK OK, you're thinking, "Thanks for the newsflash, fanboy." But seriously, in a universe where shoppers operate on cold logic and ever-tightening budgets, the iPad should fall under the wheels of Android any minute now, the same thing that happened with smartphones. So how does Apple maintain its grip?

It's not design or ease of use. Although they surely contribute to customer loyalty, they're not enormous differentiators any more. (Don’t believe me? Ask Apple’s patent lawyers.)

So what’s the answer? Tablets aren’t smartphones and they’re not PCs. While the Android camp waited for a bounce from the successful phone business, and Microsoft and the computer vendors groped for a bridge between PCs and tablets, Apple made this middle ground the iPad's kingdom.

Heated competition
In the fall of 2011, when Amazon and Barnes & Noble axed their tablet prices down to under $200, Apple held its $499 starting point.
Logic suggested that the iPad would lose its lead, or at least, its majority. The non-Apple upstarts did see spikes in shipments over the 2011 holiday quarter, according to NPD DisplaySearch, a top global research firm. But by mid-2012, Apple was once again shipping over two thirds of the world’s tablets.

This fall, the non-iPads redoubled their attack. Asus and Samsung teamed up with Google to create Nexus-branded 7-inch and 10-inch tablets (respectively). Amazon multiplied its Kindle Fire by three, and dropped the entry-level 7-inch tablet's price down to $159. Barnes & Noble launched a video service and put out a 9-inch tablet at the unheard-of price of $269.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, the sleeping giant, finally addressed the bite iPad is taking out of PC sales by launching its own tablet. Or is it a PC? Whatever it is — and believe me, the debate still rages — the $499 Surface RT with its clever keyboard add-on and its full version of Microsoft Office was built to challenge the notion that an iPad can satisfy most computerly needs.

Apple's response to the increased competition made sense ... sort of. It jacked up the specs on its flagship 9.7-inch tablet, and addressed the growing interest in 7-inch tablets by popping out the iPad Mini, a 7.9-inch model. But Apple priced the Mini at $329 — well above devices from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Google. And the screen on the Mini doesn't measure up, resolution-wise, to those same cheaper competitors.

Again, doesn’t matter.

Apple — or at least, the 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch displays unique to Apple — will account for two thirds of tablets shipped through 2013, according to a forecast from NPD DisplaySearch, which uses research from over 140 display component manufacturers around the globe.
1C4948907-holiday-devices-k6-12-nielsen.streams_tablet_medium.jpg
Nielsen
U.S. kids age 6-12, interest in buying gadgets in the next 6 months


A recent study from Nielsen tells a similar story, at least for kids writing letters to Santa. Nearly half of surveyed U.S. kids between the ages of 6 and 12 want an iPad, and 36 percent want an iPad Mini. Even respondents age 13 and up said the iPad was No. 1. (While a “Tablet computer other than iPad” also rated relatively highly, the only specific non-iPad to reach double-digit demand in either survey was the Kindle Fire.)

What tablets aren’t
Unlike smartphones, there is no inherent reason to buy a tablet. (Don’t kid yourself.) People must rationalize their $499 iPad purchase, and here's how they do it: "We just need something to use in the family room and kitchen," or "We just need something to take on trips," or "We just need an extra computer for the kids."

Most if not all tablet households already have a PC, so people don't need to use an iPad to set up their routers, archive their photos or whatever else a full-blown PC might be especially good for. What an iPad does is fulfill the needs of a secondary computer, without the hassle.

While tablets can replace PCs, they aren't PCs, and thank God for that.

Even in the business world, this PC replacement is gaining momentum. This past week, Barclays Bank made news by buying 8,500 iPads for use in branches, what is being called the biggest purchase of the tablets by a financial services firm.

"On the business side — and on the consumer side — it's about the apps,” says Paul Semenza, senior vice president of analyst services for NPD DisplaySearch, whose firm has identified that tablets are eating into PC sales. Enterprise-focused apps by the likes of Salesforce, Cisco and Oracle mean that an iPad can provide a convenient way to do highly specialized work quickly on a touchscreen, "rather than having to crack open the notebook."

In confirming the iPad as “winner and still champ,” Consumer Reports’ Jeffrey Fox also cites apps: "With dozens of Android-based models nipping at its heels, the iPad managed to not only hold its own, but up the ante for performance. When you add to that the breadth and quality of its apps, the iPad is still the tablet to beat."

Apple’s commanding lead in tablet-friendly apps — over 275,000 built specifically for the iPad’s larger screens, versus the underwhelming handful of tablet-specific apps available in the Google Play store — helps keep it on top. A key reason for the App Store’s initial success is that Apple has its customers trained to spend money, something Google has never really been able to do. When developers release iPad apps, they expect to get paid by the download; to spend time and money bringing the same app to another platform, they must first calculate the risks and rewards.

This can be a vicious circle: If nobody's paying for Android tablet apps, new ones won't be quick to show up, and then nobody will buy the tablets ... because of a lack of apps. Google has revamped its Google Play store, combining apps with movies and music, in the hope that at least some customers would start paying for some content.

Engage!

But there's more to it than just numbers: There’s increasing evidence that iOS users are far more engaged than Android users. NetMarketShare data reported in Fortune last June say that the share of mobile Internet usage for iOS had reached 62 percent, while the far greater population of Android devices hadn’t quite reached 20 percent.

A fresh study by IBM takes it further: Nearly 10 percent of all online shopping over Black Friday was done on iPads, beating "any other tablet or smartphone," says the tech firm. iPhones made up 8.7 percent, while Android was down at 5.5 percent. The so-called “iPad Factor” is even more pronounced when compared to other tablets: It represented 88.3 percent of tablet online shopping, followed by the Barnes & Noble Nook at 3.1 percent, Amazon Kindle at 2.4 percent and the Samsung Galaxy at 1.8 percent, says IBM's press release.

And that's why makers of Android tablets should be afraid, because when it comes to tablets, the desire for engagement must precede the tablet purchase.

Amazon and Barnes & Noble have had more luck than other non-Apple tablets in grabbing market share, at least in short bursts, because their tablets come with a built-in sales argument: Buy this to enjoy books and videos to your heart's content.

Amazon has the added advantage of customers who spend so frequently that they keep their credit cards on file, and enough revenues that it can sell tablets at cost, hoping to see profits through media sales.

But while the $70-per-year Amazon Prime video service is nice, its library is not as nice as the omnipresent Netflix's, and the service itself has a large base of customers who signed up for shipping perks, not streaming TV shows.

Most importantly, Amazon makes most of its digital products available on competing iPads, too. The customer's dilemma becomes: "Do I go cheap and get an Amazon-focused experience? Or do I spend more for a broader platform that includes Amazon's services and a lot more?" Apple may push its own services pretty hard, but the flowering of the App Store means that the iPad has become a crossroads of Internet experiences.

All of these factors mean that the iPad, this expensive-ish not-quite-a-PC that was laughed at when it launched in 2010, will hold onto its crown for the foreseeable future, as alternatives continue to scramble for relevance. In the smartphone world, someone shopping for an iPhone may well settle for a cheaper Android phone. Yet when it comes to tablets, someone who decides not to buy an iPad may simply choose nothing at all.
 
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Looks like it requires a server component to be installed on a PC or Mac. I run mine off of a NAS, with no computer connected.

EDIT: Confirmed: "StreamToMe cannot stream directly from a DLNA server."

My NAS streams great to my Samsung TV, Sony Blu-ray player, PS3, and WDTV. But I can't get it to work on my kids' iPod Touch or iPhone 5 at all, nor with the iPad Mini (which I have to return today).

I'm using Media Link Player to access my DLNA Buffalo Linkstation NAS on my iPad as well as iPhone 4 and 5 (running iOS 6.0.1) on my home network.

It works great with most videos, photos, and music.
 
Just checking in.

The new "late 2012" iMac online ordering went live today!

I just placed an order for a maxed out 27 incher with the 3.4 ghz quad core i7, fusion drive, and upgraded graphics card...

This will replace my well used 24" core 2 duo late 2007 iMac that is getting noticeably slower on the newer software and Mountain Lion OS.

Unfortunately the 27" build times are delayed so it may not make it under the Christmas tree...

Now, the question is what should I do with my old iMac? Hang it on a wall as a large digital photo frame? Put it in the garage as a media device and to surf 'Prime while I'm tinkering with the cars?
 
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the usa spec ipod thing will work with only the oem apple 30 pin adaptor ...

yay

just incase it wasnt posted yet

3rd party 30pin adaptor wont work, supposedly theres a chip inside the 30pin adaptor of the oem unit
 
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the usa spec ipod thing will work with only the oem apple 30 pin adaptor ...

yay

just incase it wasnt posted yet

3rd party 30pin adaptor wont work, supposedly theres a chip inside the 30pin adaptor of the oem unit

Once I found out that Apple moved the digital to analog converter out of the iPhone and into the lightning adapter I knew I should cancel my order for generic adapters on Amazon. No wonder why they cost so much!

But, now that Apple has met with their chosen 3rd party accessory manufacturers and provided them with the engineering specs we should start seeing a better selection of lightning products in the coming months. Also, heard that the Chinese knockoff companies may have finally cracked the proprietary design...
 
the usa spec ipod thing will work with only the oem apple 30 pin adaptor ...

yay

just incase it wasnt posted yet

3rd party 30pin adaptor wont work, supposedly theres a chip inside the 30pin adaptor of the oem unit


You mean with the lightning adapter?
 
yeah lighting to 30 pin adapter is what you need the oem apple one
 
I'm using Media Link Player to access my DLNA Buffalo Linkstation NAS on my iPad as well as iPhone 4 and 5 (running iOS 6.0.1) on my home network.

It works great with most videos, photos, and music.

Not too bad. The interface is a bit sparse, there are no options that I could find, but it did find my NAS right away. Many of the videos were tagged "may not be playable" but they played OK anyway. When I first started it there was no sound from the videos, but then after a few attempts it started working, and then worked reliably (even on videos that previously did not play sound). Not sure what was going on there.

All in all, it's the best one so far. Thanks for the tip!
 
I'm not sure if this news belongs in the Google thread or the Apple one but considering that the elimination of Google Maps from Apple iOS 6 was one of the most controversial tech events of 2012 I will mention it here:

GOOGLE MAPS FOR IOS 6 IS HERE!

http://gizmodo.com/5968065/go-download-google-maps-for-ios-right-now

Now the new freestanding Maps app by Google includes voice turn by turn (never available on the old Maps app) as well as integrated street view, and google search.

That being said my current favorite iOS Nav app is Waze and I've never had any issue using the "Apple" iOS6 Maps app via Siri so far.

Regardless, I have downloaded the new Google Maps app and will test it out.
 
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I'm not sure if this news belongs in the Google thread or the Apple one but considering that the elimination of Google Maps from Apple iOS 6 was one of the most controversial tech events of 2012 I will mention it here:

GOOGLE MAPS FOR IOS 6 IS HERE!

http://gizmodo.com/5968065/go-download-google-maps-for-ios-right-now

Now the new freestanding Maps app by Google includes voice turn by turn (never available on the old Maps app) as well as integrated street view, and google search.

That being said my current favorite iOS Nav app is Waze but I've never had any issue using the iOS6 Maps app via Siri so far.

Regardless, I have downloaded the new Google Maps app and will test it out.

I'm happy with iOS maps so far. I do miss using TomTom though.
 
I'm not sure if this news belongs in the Google thread or the Apple one but considering that the elimination of Google Maps from Apple iOS 6 was one of the most controversial tech events of 2012 I will mention it here:

GOOGLE MAPS FOR IOS 6 IS HERE!

http://gizmodo.com/5968065/go-download-google-maps-for-ios-right-now

Now the new freestanding Maps app by Google includes voice turn by turn (never available on the old Maps app) as well as integrated street view, and google search.

That being said my current favorite iOS Nav app is Waze but I've never had any issue using the iOS6 Maps app via Siri so far.

Regardless, I have downloaded the new Google Maps app and will test it out.

I can't find it. Mine shows Google Earth, and a bunch of crap but no Google Maps. :(
 
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