Feb 16

As OS X Mountain Lion Proves, Twitter Is Apple’s Social Network

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At Apple’s WWDC event last June, Twitter made a new best friend: Apple. The tech giant announced that it would bake the social network into every single iOS device by way of the new iOS 5 software. This left many stunned for two reasons. 1) Apple rarely does such deep partnerships with third-parties. 2) It wasn’t Facebook.

It was all-around a huge win for Twitter. And a win for Apple as well, as it has been proven throughout the years that they don’t get social — a subject which was a topic of debate again yesterday coincidentally. Apple needs to build it’s own social network, Dan Frommer argued! No, they need to get their social platform right, argued TechCrunch editor Eric Eldon. Well, today they’re taking a big step: by doubling down on Twitter.

Apple has just revealed that Twitter is also going to be baked into the latest version of OS X, Mountain Lion. This means that every single new Mac sold beginning this summer will have Twitter functionality built in. And all of the older ones that upgrade will have it too. There are now just over 60 million Macs out there. Again, a huge win for Twitter.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said in December that following the iOS 5 integration, Twitter monthly sign-ups jumped 25 percent. iOS already has a much larger user base than the Mac does, but still, Twitter could see another double digit jump from this integration as well.

More importantly, Twitter has now firmly established itself as not just the iOS go-to social service, but Apple’s go-to social service. Sure, Apple could always rip Twitter out of iOS and OS X at any point in the future, but doing so would now piss off users who are being trained to expect it as an Apple core OS feature. For a service still not making a ton of money and as such, has its future questioned constantly, this is important. It’s a huge endorsement.

It’s also big news for Twitter because it opens up a whole new world for the service as a method of authentication. With iOS, apps can choose to use Twitter to ease new sign-ups — allowing people to get going with one or two clicks. Now Mac apps will be able to do the same thing. I don’t think there’s any question that Facebook still dominates this authentication space, but Twitter’s Apple alliance is making them much more compelling for this purpose — for developers, at the very least.

Just last week, some were criticizing Twitter for seemingly wayward focus. Today, they just scored a second massive partnership with the most valuable company on the planet. That sure seems like a sign of good focus to me.

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Feb 16

Test Drive Apple’s New Messages App Before Mountain Lion Launches

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Members of the general public will have to wait a few more months before they can play with Mountain Lion proper, but one of the update’s newest features is ready for a taste of the limelight. Apple has just made their revamped Messages app available for everyone to download, but don’t go looking for it in the OS X App Store.

Since Messages is still in beta, interested users will have to download it from Apple’s website instead. Be warned though — Messages will only work if your Mac is running OSX Lion with all of the recent latest in place, so all of you still chugging along with Snow Leopard (like yours truly) will have to sit this one out.

If you choose to take the plunge, you’ll find that Messages replaces iChat almost completely, though Apple notes that iChat services will continue to work. While Messages retains support for all the major messaging protocols, the biggest addition to the mix here is seamless support for iMessages. Conversations over iMessage that are initiated from a Mac carry over to any other iOS device that’s tied to the the same Apple ID, which makes for an easier transition as users bounce between their myriad Apple products.

Messages also allows for dead-simple multimedia transfers between users on Macs and their iOS compatriots, as dragging images and video into a conversation sends it over to your buddy post-haste. FaceTime calls can also be initiated from within Messages, though The Verge notes that FaceTime will still exist as a separate application. If Apple could somehow fold SMS support into the app we could be looking at a real winner, but these are early days for Messages — hopefully the best is yet to come.

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Feb 16

Annoucning Mountain Lion OS X! Closer To iOS

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Ever since Apple released OS X Lion, its desktop operating system started the long trek towards iOS, Apple’s other, more popular operating system. With the next version of OS X, Mountain Lion (released today as a developer preview), OS X will prowl even closer to its iOS cousin.

A number of the new features in OS X come directly from iOS. These include deeper iCloud integration, Messages, Reminders, Notes, a Notification Center, a Game Center, AirPlay, and built-in sharing to Twitter, email, and more.

As time goes on, Apple is building more and more iOS features into OS X to create a more seamless experience between the two. As Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned earlier this week at a Goldman Sachs conference, many more people’s first experience of an Apple product is an iPhone or iPad than a Mac. “The iPhone started to introduce Apple to hundreds of millions of people who had never met Apple before,” he said. This the famed halo effect of the iPhone is orders of magnitude larger than it was for the iPod. People who buy an iPhone are more likely to buy a Mac, and when they do buy a Mac they are going to expect a familiar experience.

Of all the iOS features being ported to the the Mac, the most significant ones are iCloud, notifications, and social sharing. Of course, iCloud is already a part of some Mac desktop apps like iPhoto, but with Mountain Lion it will embrace iWorks docs. All of your docs will be synced to the cloud, eliminating the headaches of keeping track of different versions. Apple could open up this iCloud functionality to other apps as well, making it a key feature of the OS (but it is going to have to increase the free storage from the measly 5 GB it offers now). iCloud is the link between iOS and OS X apps, and it will only keep growing.

Apple’s own desktop apps such as Safari will start featuring the sharing button icon familiar to iOS users (the box with the right-facing arrow coming out of it). This will allow users to share a web page, photo, or document via email, as a message, to Twitter, or other services. In this way, sharing will be baked right into the OS. Facebook isn’t included as an option here yet, but that could happen if the two companies ever work out their differences.

Finally, adding push notifications to the desktop could be the biggest change of all. Anyone with an iPhone or iPad knows how addictive the app notifications can be (or annoying, if it’s not your iPhone). Notifications have become the new message bus—persistent, always in your face, and realtime. They are IM for apps, and increasingly they are the way our machines talk to us, pulling us into an app with constant pings saying, “Hey, something just happened.” These push notifications will start with Apple apps, but will soon become available to developers via an API. As iOS developers create more Mac companion apps, you should start to see the same notifications pop up whether you are on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

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Feb 14

IPad 3 to Run on Verizon, AT&T LTE Networks; Apple Making 8-Inch iPad

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AT&T and Verizon are likely working to boost demand for their ultra-fast LTE networks by offering a new 4G-enabled iPad

As the introduction of the iPad 3 nears, it’s iPad-mania as usual. Many are wondering what the new device will feature and what’s next in the Apple line of gadgets. The Wall Street Journal has now answered both of those questions, reporting that the iPad 3 will run on 4G networks and that Apple is currently working on an iPad with a smaller screen.

It has been confirmed that AT&T and Verizon Wireless will both sell a version of the iPad 3 that has 4G capabilities. Both AT&T and Verizon are currently the only two carriers who sell the iPad.

At this point, it’s uncertain if other carriers like Sprint Nextel Corp. or T-Mobile USA will also sell the new iPad.

AT&T and Verizon are likely working to boost demand for their ultra-fast LTE networks by offering a new 4G-enabled iPad. Carriers typically prefer that customers use LTE networks because they’re 50 percent more efficient than 3G networks, according to Verizon. The latest LTE networks are just capable of handling data traffic more easily than 3G networks.

Verizon’s LTE network covers approximately 200 million people while AT&T’s LTE network covered 74 million people at the end of 2011. AT&T is working to cover 80 percent of the population in 2013.

The iPad 3 will test both carriers’ LTE networks come March, as Apple plans to introduce the new gadget at an event during the first week of next month.

In addition to new iPad 3 features trickling into the news, Apple has some other iPad-related plans up its sleeve. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is working on creating an iPad with a smaller screen.

The iPad and iPad 2 both rocked a 9.7-inch screen. While the iPad 2 was about 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter than the original, the screen size remained the same. This was likely because former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said that the 9.7-inch screen was the smallest possible size required to house top-of-the-line apps.

However, other tablet makers have proved otherwise. For instance, Samsung sells its Galaxy Tab in three different screen sizes, including 7 inches, 8.9 inches and 10.1 inches. Also, Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet has a 7-inch screen and has become one of the most popular tablets on the market (likely because of the $199 price tag, but the ultra-portable 7-inch feature hasn’t generated any criticism either).

With competitors making smaller-screen options for customers, it appears Apple may be working to do the same. The tech giant is currently collaborating with component suppliers in Asia to test an 8-inch iPad.

For now, many reports are saying that the iPad 3 will have the same 9.7-inch screen as the previous two, but an 8-inch version could make an appearance later on. A smaller iPad could potentially make the device a bit more affordable and competitive with the likes of the $199 Kindle Fire, making the purchase of an iPad a more attainable effort.

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Feb 10

Apple to Debut iPad 3 in Two Weeks

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Rumors regarding the iPad 3′s introduction and release dates began circulating back in December, with many suspecting that the iPad 2 successor would make an appearance in February 2012. However, All Things D has reported that an event to introduce the iPad 3 will take place during the first week of March.

The iPad 3 event will be held in San Francisco, California during the first week of March, according to All Things D. Some suspect that Apple will present its latest tablet at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where Apple usually makes its huge product announcements.

The iPad 3, which is still not the confirmed name of the tablet, is expected to resemble the iPad 2 as far as shape and size, but differ as far as what’s under the hood. The big difference will be the Retina Display, offering a 2048×1536 pixel screen, which is just over 3 megapixels.

While the Retina Display update is a sure thing, many other possible features are up-in-the-air at this point. There are questions floating around in regards to whether the iPad 3 will have a dual or quad-core processor, for instance. The Verge reported that a dual-core processor is the likely answer after supposed iPad 3 back-shell photos leaked, but Bloomberg reported the opposite, claiming the iPad 3 will have a quad-core chip and LTE capabilities.

Other questions remain, such as whether the iPad 3 will have the digital assistant Siri included as well as NFC, an updated camera, and a 128 GB option.

While the iPad 3′s features are uncertain to the public for now, questions won’t go unanswered for long as Apple prepares for its March introduction. In fact, Apple is currently scrambling to gather apps for the tablet’s debut next month.

According to CNET, Apple typically takes its sweet time picking out the perfect apps to show off during introductory events. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case this time, as Apple is reportedly in “crunch mode” to find the best apps that show off the new Retina Display. Apple isn’t strictly concerned with apps for the debut, though; it’s also working to send its best apps to advertising agency TWBA/Chiat/Day for its iPad 3 commercials.

So far, there’s no set date for the release of the iPad 3, but if the iPad 3 is anything like the iPad 2, it will launch about a week or so after the debut event in March.

The iPad 3 launch may be exactly what Apple needs after a tough start to 2012. Last month, The New York Times released its second installment to its iEconomy series, which focused on the poor treatment of workers at Apple’s suppliers in China. The report, which cited issues like working long hours with extended overtime, poor working conditions that have led to explosions, and crowded living spaces, drew plenty of attention from both Apple and the public.

Apple CEO Tim Cook blasted the report, saying that Apple cares about each and every worker employed by its overseas suppliers. However, his speech didn’t seem to sway the public. Just yesterday, social activist groups Change.org and SumOfUs.org organized demonstrations in front of key Apple stores around the globe to protest Apple’s lack of empathy for the workers in factories like Foxconn.

Apple is also facing other issues, such as trouble over its use of its name “iPad,” which could possibly ban the tablet in China.

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Feb 09

Apple To Announce The iPad 3 The First Week Of March

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Shocking news of the day: Apple is preparing to announce the iPad 3. Crazy news, I know. That announcement, if AllThingsD is to be believed, should come in the first week of March. The next-gen tablet itself is reportedly an upgraded version of the iPad 2, featuring a dual-core CPU and a higher-resolution display. But then again, that’s to be expected. Of course the iPad 3 will have better specs than the year-old iPad 2.

Apple announced the iPad 2 in the same timeframe last year. Steve Jobs made a surprise return from medical leave to deliver the announcement. It was sadly the last Jobsnote. There’s no word who will take the stage and announce the iPad 3, though.

If this rumor doesn’t pan out, it’s still a safe bet that the iPad 3 announcement is right around the corner. Apple generally sends invites out two weeks in advance so the announcement could still happen this month.

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Jan 27

Apple Overtakes Samsung As World’s Largest Smartphone Vendor In Q4

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According to the latest report from Strategy Analytics, Apple has now overtaken Samsung to become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume. Apple achieved 23.9% market share during Q4 2011, narrowly beating out Samsung’s 23.5% share.

In addition, Apple shipped 37 million units in Q4, again going neck-and-neck with Samsung and its 36.5 million units shipped during the same time.

However, notes Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, “while Apple took the top spot in smartphones on a quarterly basis, Samsung became the market leader in annual terms for the first time with 20% global share during 2011.” Apple’s annual share, meanwhile, was 19%.

In other words, Apple won the quarter, not the year.

Smartphone global shipments reached nearly half a billion units in 2011 (488.5 million units), the firm found, turning the smartphone battle into a two-horse race between Apple and Samsung in terms of units shipped.

Nokia, the one-time smartphone leader, is still holding onto a top spot, in position #3, with 19.6 million units shipped during Q4 and 77.3 million shipped during 2011. But Nokia’s global share has been halved from 33% in 2010 to just 16% in 2011, indicating its ongoing decline.

Although Strategy’s numbers paint the Samsung vs. Apple battle as a tight race between mobile giants, there’s a big difference between the numbers being reported here. As MacRumors points out, Samsung no longer reports its mobile phone sales numbers, while Apple discloses its units sold each quarter. That means analysts are estimating Samsung’s numbers, but Apple’s numbers are provided by the company itself. It could be that Apple’s lead is even greater than what’s seen here.

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Jan 18

Pro Tip: Do Not Buy An iPad Made Of Clay

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The story goes that at least ten customers were sold clay iPads over the holidays from Canadian electronic stores. These customers were sold what appeared to be sealed iPad 2s, but turned out to contain slabs of clay rather than, you know, iPad 2s. Best Buy and Future Shop of Canada opened investigations, but since the stores already compensated the customers, we’re in the clear to laugh at the situation a bit.

This scam is a lot less scandalous than the iPad McDonalds story. In that case a lady went against every shred of common sense and purchased what she thought was an iPad from a pair of men in a McDonald’s parking lot. It turned out to be wooden block. But this time, the buyers purchased sealed boxes from reputable retailers. They had no idea that a slab of clay was inside the box.

The popular theory right now is that scammer purchased the iPads and replaced the units with a block of clay weighing the same as the iPad. The person than re-wrapped the iPad in retail-grade cellophane and returned it to the store as an unopened item, effectively circumventing any return policy. The scammer likely had to employ a bit of social engineering too as most stores log the customer’s ID on large returns. From there, the retailers simply returned the units to the shelves to be sold to unsuspecting customers.

Of course once these customers started showing up at the retailers, the stores responded with suspicion and bewilderment. At first the customers were turned away with the stores claiming they were the scammers. But after a bit of persisting, the stores recanted and refunded the purchase amount, and at least in one case, also gave the customer a free tablet to compensate for the hassle.

Returning a brick in a box is one of the oldest scams. If that box gets placed back on the store’s shelves, the customer will lose nearly every time. Consumers have no protection against it aside from opening the box right in front of the cashier. I mean, most will not buy an iPad from guys in a McDonald’s parking lot. That’s just straight up dumb. Buying an iPad from a major retailer shouldn’t throw up the same warning flags.

So here’s what you do: Skip the iPad and buy a Playbook or Xoom 2 next time. No one is going to go the trouble of putting a brick in Playbook box.

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Jan 17

Scratch Shield: Nissan Introduces World’s First Self-Healing iPhone Case

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An iPhone case from Nissan? As you can imagine, it would make no sense for the automaker to develop an ordinary case, and the so-called Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone Case is actually special. According to the company, it’s the world’s first “self-healing” iPhone cover: in other words, it quickly fixes (fine) scratches by itself.

Nissan says they used their self-healing paint finish originally developed for vehicles for the case, which is made from light weight ABS plastic. Scratch Shield as a paint technology has been used in various Nissan cars since 2005, before Nissan teamed up with the University of Tokyo and Japan-based Advanced Softmaterials [JP] to create the case.

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Jan 11

The iPad 3 at CES?

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Rumors about the next-generation iPad have been swirling around the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, with some saying a prototype of the new version of the Apple tablet is actually at the event.

According to a report by iLounge, you could walk right by the new iPad and not even know it. The tech blog is reporting that it saw the next-generation iPad and that it looks just like the iPad 2, only thicker by about 1 mm. The camera in the top left corner is expected to be a bit larger than the iPad 2 and similar to the improved camera featured on the iPhone 4S.

iLounge reported last year that it had seen an iPad 2 mock-up case at CES and the exclusive was later proven correct. In addition, MacRumors recently cited Japanese reports that Foxconn and Pegatron – two key manufacturing partners for Apple – have started producing the next-generation iPad and plan to ship the device in March.

It’s also been rumored that the next-generation iPad will have a high-resolution screen and a stronger interior but the updates seen by iLounge seem to be more cosmetic than structural. Could the next-generation device be an upgrade similar to that of the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S?

If the rumors hold true, most of the accessories that are compatible with the iPad 2 would work with Apple’s next-generation device. Accessory companies, however, might need to cook up new covers to fit if the thickness is actually 1 mm larger than the iPad 2.

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