Steve Jobs responsible for i-i-i Generation, says chief rabbi
And he heaped blame for society's rotten, self-centered core on the recently deceased Apple co-founder. "The consumer society was laid down by the late Steve Jobs coming down the mountain with two tablets, iPad 1 and iPad 2, and the result is that we now have a culture of iPod, iPhone, iTunes, i, i, i.What would Jobs have said to that? What would Siri say?Sacks' thesis is that when you only care about yourself, you won't get very far. Which might be news to many in the corporate world, but certainly not to members of the U.S Dream Team basketball squad at one two recent Olympic Games.Rising to his ring tone, the chief rabbi said: "If in a consumer society, through all the advertising and subtly seductive approaches to it, you've got an iPhone but you haven't got a fourth generation one, the consumer society is in fact the most efficient mechanism ever devised for the creation and distribution of unhappiness."It's hard not to have a little sympathy with Lord Sacks' sacking of the consumer culture. Somewhere inside, we know that our greed for more gadgets, more online shopping and a suit that finally fits nicely around our bulging midriff is slightly empty.But the alternatives that seem troubling to so many of us too. For Lord Sacks, the perfect and only antidote to all of this iVenality is faith. At the personal level, faith can offer emotional and spiritual relief. Yet, too often in history, world religions seem to have been at the forefront of rather i-i-i concepts as war and denial of personal freedoms.Just as there is no perfect shopping experience, there is no perfect religion. We have to trudge through life trying to find something, anything to believe in.It may be true that so many people seem to believe in iPads and iPhones rather than whatever they find in their local place of worship. But mightn't this suggest that it is those faiths that have lost their way, rather than the gadget-makers like Jobs?To suggest that it was Jobs who laid down the consumer society seems a little odd. For myself, I can say that my local church was asking for my money on behalf of my maker a long time before the iPad maker.
iPod dying- It's already dead
iPod dying? It's already dead
News flash: it's already there. Sure, Apple will still sell millions of units every quarter, and it might even continue to grow unit sales and revenue for a while. But it's clear from Apple's most recent announcements that the company no longer views the iPod as its main vehicle for innovation--new (old) form factors, colors, and one interesting update are the kind of incremental tweaks you make to a cash cow product line, not the groundbreaking innovations that move markets forward. Apple passed its mantle of innovation to the first iPhone a year ago, and that's where the action's going to be, from now on--multifunction devices with interesting new interfaces (touch is just the beginning) that act more like tiny computers than single-purpose devices. iPod? That's just another application icon on the iPhone deck.(And here's something you'll never hear in a presidential debate: I was wrong. Specifically, I was wrong when I suggested that consumers would continue to favor single-function devices and that the iPhone's bet on convergence would sink it. I underestimated the power of the touch screen and Apple's relentless focus on ease of use, which have made the iPhone the first ultraportable computer for mere mortals.)I appreciate Microsoft's latest Zune innovations, but they needed to be in the product when it launched two years ago. MP3 players are becoming a commodity in which low price overrides new features--especially given how tight consumer spending is likely to be this holiday season. Microsoft isn't into commodities, unless it's got dominant market share, so look for the company to turn its attention to building a more competitive version of Windows Mobile. Zune will live on--as the music playback application for Microsoft's mobile phones.
News flash: it's already there. Sure, Apple will still sell millions of units every quarter, and it might even continue to grow unit sales and revenue for a while. But it's clear from Apple's most recent announcements that the company no longer views the iPod as its main vehicle for innovation--new (old) form factors, colors, and one interesting update are the kind of incremental tweaks you make to a cash cow product line, not the groundbreaking innovations that move markets forward. Apple passed its mantle of innovation to the first iPhone a year ago, and that's where the action's going to be, from now on--multifunction devices with interesting new interfaces (touch is just the beginning) that act more like tiny computers than single-purpose devices. iPod? That's just another application icon on the iPhone deck.(And here's something you'll never hear in a presidential debate: I was wrong. Specifically, I was wrong when I suggested that consumers would continue to favor single-function devices and that the iPhone's bet on convergence would sink it. I underestimated the power of the touch screen and Apple's relentless focus on ease of use, which have made the iPhone the first ultraportable computer for mere mortals.)I appreciate Microsoft's latest Zune innovations, but they needed to be in the product when it launched two years ago. MP3 players are becoming a commodity in which low price overrides new features--especially given how tight consumer spending is likely to be this holiday season. Microsoft isn't into commodities, unless it's got dominant market share, so look for the company to turn its attention to building a more competitive version of Windows Mobile. Zune will live on--as the music playback application for Microsoft's mobile phones.
Your new, fully gay Nintendo world, as revealed by John Oliver
Your new, fully gay Nintendo world, as revealed by John Oliver
It must have slipped their joysticks.Nintendo apologized last week for its unfathomable oversight in not allowing same-sex marriages in its new game, Tomodachi Life.This was a life-simulator game that didn't quite simulate life.In its apology, the company admitted it was too late now to change the game. Thankfully, though, we have enterprising journo-comedians like HBO's John Oliver, who burrowed away into Nintendo's vaults to discover the essences of some of the company's most famous characters.Given that Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of gay marriage's legalization in Massachusetts, Oliver presented the reactions of, for example, Mario and Link. More Technically IncorrectTeacher allegedly breaks into student's phoneApple-approved drug-dealing game tops iTunes chartDear Ashton Kutcher, where are my T-shirts?Princess Peach and Princess Zelda also seemed in an especially celebratory mood that Nintendo was going to allow same-sex avatars to make it official.Yoshi and Toad, however, decided to finally come out and make the ultimate nuptial stand. You might especially enjoy (or not) their first long, lingering kiss.And then there's the domestic partner that Donkey Kong left behind, again, again, and again. I'll leave you to guess who that might have been.It's good to know that freedom can come to gaming too. Eventually.
It must have slipped their joysticks.Nintendo apologized last week for its unfathomable oversight in not allowing same-sex marriages in its new game, Tomodachi Life.This was a life-simulator game that didn't quite simulate life.In its apology, the company admitted it was too late now to change the game. Thankfully, though, we have enterprising journo-comedians like HBO's John Oliver, who burrowed away into Nintendo's vaults to discover the essences of some of the company's most famous characters.Given that Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of gay marriage's legalization in Massachusetts, Oliver presented the reactions of, for example, Mario and Link. More Technically IncorrectTeacher allegedly breaks into student's phoneApple-approved drug-dealing game tops iTunes chartDear Ashton Kutcher, where are my T-shirts?Princess Peach and Princess Zelda also seemed in an especially celebratory mood that Nintendo was going to allow same-sex avatars to make it official.Yoshi and Toad, however, decided to finally come out and make the ultimate nuptial stand. You might especially enjoy (or not) their first long, lingering kiss.And then there's the domestic partner that Donkey Kong left behind, again, again, and again. I'll leave you to guess who that might have been.It's good to know that freedom can come to gaming too. Eventually.
Yoko Ono- iTunes-Beatles deal still long way off
Yoko Ono: iTunes-Beatles deal still long way off
Yoko Ono said Beatles fans shouldn't hold their breath waiting for a deal that would allow them to buy the band's music digitally from online retailers such as iTunes.In an interview Thursday with Reuters about an upcoming documentary on her New York life with late husband and Beatle John Lennon called "LENNONNYC," she said there were still a few sticking points that need to be worked out between Apple Corps, the holding company that controls the rights to the Beatles music and Apple, the company that owns the iTunes digital music store.The two Apples have had a contentious past. One major issue was their shared name. The music holding company sued Apple, the computer maker, for using its name. The two sides settled their dispute in 2007. And many hoped it would lead to a deal where Apple Corps would finally begin offering the Beatles songs digitally. But three years later, and the two sides are still negotiating.Apple CEO "Steve Jobs has his own idea and he's a brilliant guy," Reuters quoted Ono as saying in her interview."There's just an element that we're not very happy about, as people. We are holding out."Don't hold your breath...for anything," she said with a laugh, the news agency reported.Ono, who is now 77 years old, has been blamed for breaking up the Beatles in 1970. Forty years later, she said that tensions have softened and that she and the other three equal shareholders of Apple Corps--Paul McCartney, bandmate Ringo Starr and Olivia Harrison, the widow of George Harrison--are in agreement over the last sticking points involved in the iTunes negotiation.
Yoko Ono said Beatles fans shouldn't hold their breath waiting for a deal that would allow them to buy the band's music digitally from online retailers such as iTunes.In an interview Thursday with Reuters about an upcoming documentary on her New York life with late husband and Beatle John Lennon called "LENNONNYC," she said there were still a few sticking points that need to be worked out between Apple Corps, the holding company that controls the rights to the Beatles music and Apple, the company that owns the iTunes digital music store.The two Apples have had a contentious past. One major issue was their shared name. The music holding company sued Apple, the computer maker, for using its name. The two sides settled their dispute in 2007. And many hoped it would lead to a deal where Apple Corps would finally begin offering the Beatles songs digitally. But three years later, and the two sides are still negotiating.Apple CEO "Steve Jobs has his own idea and he's a brilliant guy," Reuters quoted Ono as saying in her interview."There's just an element that we're not very happy about, as people. We are holding out."Don't hold your breath...for anything," she said with a laugh, the news agency reported.Ono, who is now 77 years old, has been blamed for breaking up the Beatles in 1970. Forty years later, she said that tensions have softened and that she and the other three equal shareholders of Apple Corps--Paul McCartney, bandmate Ringo Starr and Olivia Harrison, the widow of George Harrison--are in agreement over the last sticking points involved in the iTunes negotiation.
Apple updates figure on work week labor compliance
Apple updates figure on work week labor compliance
Apple on Wednesday updated its tracking of labor compliance, saying that 95 percent of its supply chain partners now comply with a work week that is less than 60 hours. The company also said the average hours of work per week was under 50.The company initially released its Supplier Responsibility Report (PDF) in January, detailing external audits made in 2012 at factories where its parts and products are assembled. In that report, the figure was at 92 percent. Since then, it has updated that figure every month.The January report came from almost 400 audits performed at all levels of the supply chain -- a 72 percent increase from Apple's audits in 2011, the company said. More on the issues behind Apple productsWhat Foxconn workers have to say about making iPhones'No more iSlave:' An activist fights for iPhone workersThe environmental pitfalls at the end of an iPhone's lifeMining the minerals that go into iPhones (and why it's environmentally risky)Apple has been under the microscope for its labor practices for a while now. Last year, The New York Times printed a scathing account of some of the working conditions at the factories of some of its suppliers, which ultimately won the paper a Pulitzer Prize. Later that year, Apple became the first tech company to open its supply chain to the Fair Labor Association. Correction, 11:21 a.m. PT: This story incorrectly reported the release date of Apple's Supplier Responsibility Report. The report initially was released in January. On Wednesday, the company updated the figure on work week compliance.
Apple on Wednesday updated its tracking of labor compliance, saying that 95 percent of its supply chain partners now comply with a work week that is less than 60 hours. The company also said the average hours of work per week was under 50.The company initially released its Supplier Responsibility Report (PDF) in January, detailing external audits made in 2012 at factories where its parts and products are assembled. In that report, the figure was at 92 percent. Since then, it has updated that figure every month.The January report came from almost 400 audits performed at all levels of the supply chain -- a 72 percent increase from Apple's audits in 2011, the company said. More on the issues behind Apple productsWhat Foxconn workers have to say about making iPhones'No more iSlave:' An activist fights for iPhone workersThe environmental pitfalls at the end of an iPhone's lifeMining the minerals that go into iPhones (and why it's environmentally risky)Apple has been under the microscope for its labor practices for a while now. Last year, The New York Times printed a scathing account of some of the working conditions at the factories of some of its suppliers, which ultimately won the paper a Pulitzer Prize. Later that year, Apple became the first tech company to open its supply chain to the Fair Labor Association. Correction, 11:21 a.m. PT: This story incorrectly reported the release date of Apple's Supplier Responsibility Report. The report initially was released in January. On Wednesday, the company updated the figure on work week compliance.
Apple updates App Store screenshot rules to shutter scam
Apple updates App Store screenshot rules to shutter scam
Apple announced a new App Store policy for developers today that effectively puts an end to a common bait-and-switch scam.In a note on its Developer Portal, Apple said screenshots submitted by developers to accompany app descriptions in its App Store will be locked in place when the app wins approval.Beginning January 9, app screenshots will be locked in iTunes Connect once your app has been approved. New screenshots may be uploaded when you submit a binary for an update to an existing app or a new app.Before the new policy went into place, app developers would often upload legitimate game screenshots to accompany the app description, then switch them out for screenshots that resembled more popular games once the app was approved. The switch often snagged unsuspecting victims who assumed they were downloading a different app.The popular game Minecraft was a frequent target of clone apps, with developers lifting screenshots from the game to promote an unrelated game. One example, cited by Panic Blog, showed a game called Mooncraft with a Minecraft app image that billed itself as "a moon-themed Minecraft-type game for iOS." But as a Panic video shows (see below), the game was instead an app that featured building blocks labeled with numbers and letters. While this presumably means that scamming developers will no longer be able to game the App Store, it also hobbles legitimate developers trying to keep their app descriptions up to date.So, the bad apples in the App Store once again make it harder on the rest of us. Thanks! [I do think it'll help, just wish it wasn't needed]â€" David Barnard (@drbarnard) January 9, 2013(Via MacRumors)
Apple announced a new App Store policy for developers today that effectively puts an end to a common bait-and-switch scam.In a note on its Developer Portal, Apple said screenshots submitted by developers to accompany app descriptions in its App Store will be locked in place when the app wins approval.Beginning January 9, app screenshots will be locked in iTunes Connect once your app has been approved. New screenshots may be uploaded when you submit a binary for an update to an existing app or a new app.Before the new policy went into place, app developers would often upload legitimate game screenshots to accompany the app description, then switch them out for screenshots that resembled more popular games once the app was approved. The switch often snagged unsuspecting victims who assumed they were downloading a different app.The popular game Minecraft was a frequent target of clone apps, with developers lifting screenshots from the game to promote an unrelated game. One example, cited by Panic Blog, showed a game called Mooncraft with a Minecraft app image that billed itself as "a moon-themed Minecraft-type game for iOS." But as a Panic video shows (see below), the game was instead an app that featured building blocks labeled with numbers and letters. While this presumably means that scamming developers will no longer be able to game the App Store, it also hobbles legitimate developers trying to keep their app descriptions up to date.So, the bad apples in the App Store once again make it harder on the rest of us. Thanks! [I do think it'll help, just wish it wasn't needed]â€" David Barnard (@drbarnard) January 9, 2013(Via MacRumors)
Apple updates Apple TV with iTunes Radio
Apple updates Apple TV with iTunes Radio
Apple released a software update for its Apple TV box Friday, adding iTunes Radio as well as features like playing content from iTunes in the cloud instead of your Airplay device.The over-the-air update comes two days after the rollout of iOS 7, the computer maker's most comprehensive change to its mobile operating system since it was introduced six years ago. That added iTunes Radio to Apple devices like iPads and iPhones as well. The new software for Apple TV also adds the iTunes Music Store to purchase music directly on the television and AirPlay from iCloud, which lets Apple TV play content from iTunes in the Cloud instead of your AirPlay device when possible, along with other updates. Ahead of an event last week that unveiled the new iPhone 5C and 5S, reports first raised anticipation that Apple had a new set-top box on deck after long neglecting the device from any significant refresh. But later, the company's TV plans for the event were said to be limited to a simple software update that might, among other things, let one person's Apple-purchased content stream on another person's Apple TV. But no news on Apple's TV ambitions came out of the unveiling. The $99 streaming box itself has been low on the company's totem pole since Chief Executive Tim Cook took over as chief two years ago. Recently, Apple TV's incremental improvements have been limited to bulking up with desirable channels, adding Vevo, Disney, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Watch ESPN, and Sky News. Sarah Tew/CNETUpdated, 11:33 a.m. PT: with details of additions with software upgrade.
Apple released a software update for its Apple TV box Friday, adding iTunes Radio as well as features like playing content from iTunes in the cloud instead of your Airplay device.The over-the-air update comes two days after the rollout of iOS 7, the computer maker's most comprehensive change to its mobile operating system since it was introduced six years ago. That added iTunes Radio to Apple devices like iPads and iPhones as well. The new software for Apple TV also adds the iTunes Music Store to purchase music directly on the television and AirPlay from iCloud, which lets Apple TV play content from iTunes in the Cloud instead of your AirPlay device when possible, along with other updates. Ahead of an event last week that unveiled the new iPhone 5C and 5S, reports first raised anticipation that Apple had a new set-top box on deck after long neglecting the device from any significant refresh. But later, the company's TV plans for the event were said to be limited to a simple software update that might, among other things, let one person's Apple-purchased content stream on another person's Apple TV. But no news on Apple's TV ambitions came out of the unveiling. The $99 streaming box itself has been low on the company's totem pole since Chief Executive Tim Cook took over as chief two years ago. Recently, Apple TV's incremental improvements have been limited to bulking up with desirable channels, adding Vevo, Disney, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Watch ESPN, and Sky News. Sarah Tew/CNETUpdated, 11:33 a.m. PT: with details of additions with software upgrade.
Apple updates App Guidelines with eye on children's privacy
Apple updates App Guidelines with eye on children's privacy
Apple has tweaked its guidelines for app developers to emphasize the latest rules regarding children's privacy.The guidelines have been updated to reflect the latest changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Apple's renewed focus on education with iOS 7, says blog site MacRumors.In the past, COPPA prevented developers from gathering the names, addresses, and phone numbers of children under 13 without parental consent. Since the start of the year, those restrictions have extended to photographs, videos, and audios as well.The specific guidelines now read as follows, according to MacRumors:17.3 Apps may ask for date of birth (or use other age-gating mechanisms) only for the purpose of complying with applicable children's privacy statutes, but must include some useful functionality or entertainment value regardless of the user's age17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children's privacy statutes.As part of its new emphasis on the educational market, Apple also updated its guidelines with a new section known as "Kids Apps," MacRumors added.Children under 13 will now be able to have their own individual iTunes accounts. But developers who design apps for kids must follow certain rules, such as including a privacy policy, excluding behaviorial advertising, and requiring parental consent before letting children "link out of the app or engage in commerce."
Apple has tweaked its guidelines for app developers to emphasize the latest rules regarding children's privacy.The guidelines have been updated to reflect the latest changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Apple's renewed focus on education with iOS 7, says blog site MacRumors.In the past, COPPA prevented developers from gathering the names, addresses, and phone numbers of children under 13 without parental consent. Since the start of the year, those restrictions have extended to photographs, videos, and audios as well.The specific guidelines now read as follows, according to MacRumors:17.3 Apps may ask for date of birth (or use other age-gating mechanisms) only for the purpose of complying with applicable children's privacy statutes, but must include some useful functionality or entertainment value regardless of the user's age17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children's privacy statutes.As part of its new emphasis on the educational market, Apple also updated its guidelines with a new section known as "Kids Apps," MacRumors added.Children under 13 will now be able to have their own individual iTunes accounts. But developers who design apps for kids must follow certain rules, such as including a privacy policy, excluding behaviorial advertising, and requiring parental consent before letting children "link out of the app or engage in commerce."
Apple unveils iPhone OS 4
Apple unveils iPhone OS 4
Multitasking: iPhone developers and users will finally be able to switch back and forth between applications without having to shut down the app entirely to enter the new one. Probably the biggest development unveiled Thursday, it comes with a catch: iPhone 3G users won't be able to multitask due to hardware restraints.Folders: Apple's App Store has thousands and thousands of applications sorted in lots of categories, but once those applications made it to the iPhone they were laid out side by side in a checkerboard pattern, forcing users to scroll back and forth across multiple screens. No more: iPhone 4 users will be able to create folders like "Games" and drag and drop apps into those folders, simplifying the home screen.VoIP and location: Voice-over-Internet-Protocol applications like Skype could be found in the App Store already, but the new OS will make it possible for them to run in the background, mimicking the way the iPhone's native dialer allows users to open up another app while remaining on the phone. And like the VoIP apps, navigation apps and others that need your current location will be able to run in the background while doing other things with the iPhone.In-box improvements: Unified in-boxes and organize-by-thread features are coming to the iPhone, which will give heavy e-mail users some more options for organizing their e-mail.iAd: This was perhaps the one announcement where Apple is changing the playing field: it's going to give developers and advertising agencies a way to create in-app advertisements with iAd, giving ads OS-level integration that will expand the creative possibilities. It's a clear shot at Google and its plans to transform its desktop Web ad dominance into the mobile Web, if something that regular users aren't likely to be all that excited about.Stay tuned for much more coverage on the new software and its impact on users, developers, and the mobile industry.
Multitasking: iPhone developers and users will finally be able to switch back and forth between applications without having to shut down the app entirely to enter the new one. Probably the biggest development unveiled Thursday, it comes with a catch: iPhone 3G users won't be able to multitask due to hardware restraints.Folders: Apple's App Store has thousands and thousands of applications sorted in lots of categories, but once those applications made it to the iPhone they were laid out side by side in a checkerboard pattern, forcing users to scroll back and forth across multiple screens. No more: iPhone 4 users will be able to create folders like "Games" and drag and drop apps into those folders, simplifying the home screen.VoIP and location: Voice-over-Internet-Protocol applications like Skype could be found in the App Store already, but the new OS will make it possible for them to run in the background, mimicking the way the iPhone's native dialer allows users to open up another app while remaining on the phone. And like the VoIP apps, navigation apps and others that need your current location will be able to run in the background while doing other things with the iPhone.In-box improvements: Unified in-boxes and organize-by-thread features are coming to the iPhone, which will give heavy e-mail users some more options for organizing their e-mail.iAd: This was perhaps the one announcement where Apple is changing the playing field: it's going to give developers and advertising agencies a way to create in-app advertisements with iAd, giving ads OS-level integration that will expand the creative possibilities. It's a clear shot at Google and its plans to transform its desktop Web ad dominance into the mobile Web, if something that regular users aren't likely to be all that excited about.Stay tuned for much more coverage on the new software and its impact on users, developers, and the mobile industry.
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