Leander Kahney's Blog, page 1486

Tim Cook Is Cozying Apple Up With Big Business

Photo by lemagit - http://flic.kr/p/5SFWHN

After a rather thorny relationship with the corporate class, Apple is getting downright chummy with businesses buying thousands of iPhones and iPads. The Cupertino, Calif. company now has access to the boardrooms co-founder Steve Jobs once rejected.

That newfound friendliness is present when Apple talks to the financial press. No longer does the company focus only on its consumer successes, but now includes its forays into business. Apple execs now mention its iPads and iPhones are used in up to 93 percent of Fortune 500 companies. That's a change from the past, when IT departments regularly dissed the Apple brand in favor of Windows PCs and BlackBerry phones.

"The reason why is they struggled for decades, and finally they [Apple] have a story to tell in the enterprise," Piper Jaffray's Apple watcher Gene Munster tells the New York Times.

The new story of Apple in enterprise comes complete with some huge examples. Home improvement chain Lowe's just bought 42,000 iPhones for its employees to more quickly help customers. The newly-merged United and Continental Airlines handed out 11,000 iPads to their pilots, replacing flight manuals, navigation charts and other, once printed information. Some 5,000 Siemens Energy technicians will get iPads to replace bulky laptops to search for information while dangling hundreds of feet working on wind turbines.

But the improved business relationship extends beyond hardware sales. There is a new sense of acceptance, coming both from Apple and palpably felt by enterprises. The Times tells of a 2007 meeting Jobs had with "the head of the health care division of a major conglomerate." Upon a request that Apple add a few corporate-friendly features to the iPhone, Jobs scoffed at the idea. The then-CEO of Apple told the executive sales of the business-centric BlackBerry were overshadowed by the overall number of cell phones sold.

"Which market would you build for?" the newspaper quotes Jobs, citing an unnamed former Apple worker. Current Apple CEO Tim Cook has always understood the needs of business, even while he was the Chief Operating Officer.

Although iPads and iPhones are making it into the office many times through the back door, and despite the current official endorsement of the Apple brand, there is one sticking point left: the IT department. It seems corporate IT loves to know where a technology company is headed with its products, in order to better plan. Apple's lack of details and downright secretive nature isn't likely to change.

Some things change, but others stay the same with Apple, which has always valued its image as an outsider and rebel. Despite the cozier relationship with business, Jobs would probably approve of the current course Cook is taking Apple.

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Published on November 16, 2011 13:36

Tim Cook IS Cozying Apple Up With Big Business

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Photo by lemagit - http://flic.kr/p/5SFWHN

After a rather thorny relationship with the corporate class, Apple is getting downright chummy with businesses buying thousands of iPhones and iPads. The Cupertino, Calif. company now has access to the boardrooms co-founder Steve Jobs once rejected.

That newfound friendliness is present when Apple talks to the financial press. No longer does the company focus only on its consumer successes, but now includes its forays into business. Apple execs now mention its iPads and iPhones are used in up to 93 percent of Fortune 500 companies. That's a change from the past, when IT departments regularly dissed the Apple brand in favor of Windows PCs and BlackBerry phones.

"The reason why is they struggled for decades, and finally they [Apple] have a story to tell in the enterprise," Piper Jaffray Apple watcher Gene Munster tells the New York Times.

The new story of Apple in the enterprise comes complete with some huge examples. Home improvement chain Lowe's just bought 42,000 iPhones for its employees to more quickly help customers. United and Continental Airlines, which just merged, handed out 11,000 iPads to their pilots, replacing flight manuals, navigation charts and other information once printed. Some 5,000 Siemens Energy technicians will get iPads to replace bulky laptops to search for information while dangling hundreds of feet working on wind turbines.

But the improved business relationship extends beyond hardware sales. There is a new sense of acceptance, coming both from Apple and palpably felt by enterprises. The Times tells of a 2007 meeting Jobs had with "the head of the health care division of a major conglomerate." Upon a request that Apple add a few corporate-friendly features to the iPhone, Jobs scoffed at the idea. The then-CEO of Apple told the executive sales of the business-centric BlackBerry were overshadowed by the overall number of cell phones sold.

"Which market would you build for?" the newspaper quotes Jobs, citing an unnamed former Apple worker. Current Apple CEO Tim Cook has always understood the needs of business, even while he was the Chief Operating Officer.

Although iPads and iPhones are making it into the office many times through the back door, and despite the current official endorsement of the Apple brand, there is one sticking point left: the IT department. It seems corporate IT loves to know where a technology company is headed with its products, in order to better plan. Apple's lack of details and downright secretive nature isn't likely to change.

Somethings change, but others stay the same with Apple, which has always valued its image as an outsider and rebel. Despite the cozier relationship with business, Jobs would probably approve of the current course Cook is taking Apple.

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Published on November 16, 2011 13:36

Rock Star Sting Says Apps Are The New CDs

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(Photo by Adam Riggall, used with thanks under Creative Commons license)

Former Englishman-in-New-York Sting has been speaking to journalists to plug his solo career retrospective album, the 25 Years box set. And in his opinion, the music industry is facing another big change. The CD is dead. And its replacement is apps.

In an interview with Billboard, Sting said:

I think the app is the new model. People are going to stop buying CDs. People are going to stop selling and making them, so I am looking for different ways to get music to people, and the application at the moment seems to be the favorite.

He's not the only one looking for new ways to sell songs. Icelandic genius Bjork released her last album as an app alongside the traditional CD. Only yesterday, we reported efforts by rock legends Pink Floyd to re-invent their archives as a "this day in history" style app for fans.

It makes sense. The more you stop and think about it, the more apps feel analogous to albums: a self-contained work by an artist, a thing they can put together over a period of months or years and then sell to fans. Many of today's youngsters don't see why they should pay for music – but they're perfectly happy to pay for apps.

You can see why Sting and his peers are turning towards the App Store.

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Published on November 16, 2011 12:52

Oh Goody. Google's Gmail App For iOS Is Back, This Time Mostly Functional

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We've been burned on Google's official Gmail app for iOS before, but after having been pulled mere hours after its initial release for being completely broken, it is now back with fixed push support.

Don't expect any other new features though: there's no multi-account functionality or anything else, just a simple app wrapper around the HTML5 interface. Google swears more features are coming, but at this point, we're taking any of Google's promises with a grain of salt.

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Published on November 16, 2011 12:27

This Insanely Great History Of Mac Print Is The Perfect $20 Holiday Gift For Your Favorite Apple Die-Hard

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Looking for a nice Christmas gift for the Apple diehard in your life? Brooklyn-based Pop Chart Lab's latest print, The Insanely Great History of Apple, gorgeously maps out the complete history of Apple products over the course of the last thirty years: from the original Apple I to the MacBook Air, from the Newton to the iPhone 4S.

Printed on 100 lb. archival stock certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, the first 500 copies are signed by the artists. Even better, the price is right: The Insanely Great History of Apple is a hell of a deal at just $20 a print.

You can grab the poster over at PopChart Lab, where you can also see a blown-up, zoomed-in version of the design. Want.

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Published on November 16, 2011 11:26

101 Year Old Inventor Of LSD Asked Steve Jobs How Dropping Acid Helped Him Create The Mac

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Steve Jobs had a life-long fixation on LSD, and often ended up asking potential Apple employees during interviews how many times they had dropped acid to throw them off guard. Steve Jobs personally considered doing LSD to be one of the formative experiences in his life, and was insistent that others should do it, too.

With such a famous advocate working for free, it's not a surprise that the man who invented LSD eventually contacted Steve Jobs. What is surprising, though, is how long he waited to get in touch… until he was 101 years old!

In 2007, Albert Hofmann, the man who created LSD in a Swiss lab in the 1930s, wrote this letter to Steve Jobs:

Dear Mr. Steve Jobs,

Hello from Albert Hofmannn. I understand from media accounts that you feel LSD helped you creatively in your development of Apple Computers and your personal spiritual quest. I'm interested in learning more about how LSD was useful to you.

I'm writing now, shortly after my 101st birthday, to request that you support Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Peter Gasser's proposed study of LSD-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with anxiety associated with life-threatening illness. This will become the first LSD-assisted psychotherapy study in over 35 years, and will be sponsored by MAPS.

I hope you will help in the transformation of my problem child into a wonder child.

Sincerely
Albert Hofmannn

The last line refers to Hofmann's book, My Problem Child, which describes his discovery of LSD and how it was eventually misused, vilified and outlawed thanks to its role in the 1960s counterculture movement.

Unfortunately, there's no word if Steve Jobs ever responded to Hofmann, and the LSD inventor died the next year at the ripe old age of 102. Who knows? Working together, Steve Jobs and Albert Hofmann might have finally managed to reverse LSD's social stigma and maybe even make popping a few tabs mandatory for employment at Apple.

[via OS X Daily]

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Published on November 16, 2011 11:20

iOS 5.0.2 Is Coming Next Week To Solve Your iPhone 4S Battery Problems, While iOS 5.1 Will Make Siri Even Smarter [Rumor]

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Still having battery life issues on your iPhone 4S under iOS 5.0.1? We've already proven the issue is a software problem, not a hardware problem, which means Apple should be able to fix the iPhone 4S's electric arterial spray… but when?

Real soon, as it happens. In fact, one Apple software engineer says the iOS 5.0.2 update is coming next week. In addition, Apple's working on its first big point release of iOS 5, which will bring new extensions and abilities to Siri!

According to German Apple blog Macerkopf, an Apple engineer hard at work in the iOS division tells them that Apple has finally licked the battery problems, and will release the fix no later than the end of next week, bringing all iPhone 4Ses up to a standard 40 hours of standby and 10 hours of use.

More exciting, though, is what Apple has in store for iOS 5.1. Siri will apparently be getting some incredible new functionality, including support for these commands:

Take a picture. Make a video. Switch on/off WiFi Switch on/off BlueTooth

If true, not only is Siri going to become even more integrated with the iPhone 4S and iOS 5, but it sets a great standard for future point releases, where Apple makes Siri even more smart every few months by expanding her vocabulary. Unfortunately, outside of word that Apple's working on the update, there's no ETA, but I think most of us would be happy with the battery life being fixed for now, don't you?

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Published on November 16, 2011 10:06

The Tango Bar Gives Your iMac The Sleek, Powerful Speakers It Deserves

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The sound from my iMac is actually pretty good, but for parties, I've long wanted a better speaker system that can really blast my iTunes tracks across the house, vaporizing any plaster that stands in the way. There are plenty of good options around, but I don't like how they would disrupt the minimalist, contained aesthetic of my office.

The Tango Bar looks like just what I might want. It's a USB powered sound bar that contains six, perfectly self-contained speakers, and looks great sitting beneath an iMac, matching its clean lines. And you can even use the build in 3.5mm jack to amplify your iPhone or iPad in a pinch.

Gorgeous, and not too pricey at just $100. Someone add this to my Christmas list.

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Published on November 16, 2011 09:49

Minecraft Is Coming To The iPhone And iPad Later Today!

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We're unabashed fans of Mojang's Minecraft, and we've been waiting forever for the popular block-based exploration game to hit the iPad. Now it's just twelve or so hours away from being here, but for those of us hoping for the full Minecraft experience, think again.

The iOS version of Minecraft is called Minecraft: Pocket Edition and for those of us who love the game's adventure mode, we're just $%@! out of blocks. Unlike the desktop version's robust adventure mode featuring craftable items, weapons and armor, dragons,underground dungeons, hellish alternate dimensions and even NPCs, Minecraft: Pocket Edition is basically just a world of LEGO blocks, in which you are the sole builder.

For some, that's probably enough to warrant the $9.99 asking price for Minecraft: Pocket Edition, but if you're used to the desktop version, it's a significant step down in functionality. That said, maybe it'll get more capable in time: Minecraft's desktop version initially launched with a similarly slim feature set. In fact, it was just a building block game, and look what Notch and Co. built over time. Fingers crossed!

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Published on November 16, 2011 09:12

How Do I Remove Data From My Old Mac Before Passing It Along? [Ask MacRx]

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So you've upgraded to the latest and greatest and its time to give your old Mac to a new owner. But how do you get rid of all your old data and software before making the handoff?

I just pulled the trigger on ordering a new iMac, a nice new 21.5″ i7 quad core. Needless to say I can't wait, even though it will be my first venture with OS X Lion. I get doing a full backup from my current iMac on my Time Capsule to load up my new iMac when it arrives, but I am wondering what is the best step by step way to prep my old iMac running Snow Leopard, to make it clean and ready to gift to the Grandkids' family.

All my sordid and questionable web wanderings, inappropriate downloads, etc. need to be gone, this I need help with. How do I get it ready for a new administrator and computer name? What do I do with iTunes to get it ready for them? Is a total wipe of the hard drive desirable? If so I am not familiar with the how to do this. Whatever help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely yours, David

Hi David,

One way is to create a new admin user account, delete the old account(s) from the Users & Groups System Preference Pane, then browse through the hard drive and Applications folder to remove any remaining items. However probably the easiest way to prepare a system for handoff when you don't want to include existing data and applications is to do an Erase and Install of Mac OS X.

You can do this with the DVD which originally came with the iMac or with any retail OS X disc which supports your model. Hold down the "C" key to boot off the disc, then follow the instructions presented. When you get to the page which ask whether you want to Install OS X on the computer, click the Options… button and choose the Erase and Install option.

After the reinstall and a reboot you will be asked to setup a new account name and password. Next run Software Update from the Apple menu to update the system to the latest point release. Get all subsequent updates and patches, then you're good to go.

One caveat: if you reinstall using the Software Restore DVD which came with the Mac you will get a fresh copy of the iLife apps along with Mac OS X. If you use a retail OS X installer you will only get the OS, the iLife programs (other than iTunes) are not included. You will need to use a dedicated iLife install DVD to replace iPhoto, iMovie, etc., or download these programs from the Mac App Store after replacing the OS.

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Published on November 16, 2011 06:00