Archive | April, 2012
Apple addresses working conditions abroad while competitors get a free pass
For whatever reason or reasons, Apple is seemingly held to a higher standard than most other tech companies. This phenomenon is most apparent when it comes to working conditions in the factories that manufacture Apple products, and in particular, those owned by Foxconn. For some inexplicable reason, perhaps because Apple has money, or perhaps because […]
Continue reading...RIM removes ability for BlackBerry PlayBook users to sideload apps
9. April 2012
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Funny how many of the things Apple’s iPhone used to get chided for – lack of a removable battery, no Flash support – are now becoming standardized across all platforms. In the most recent example, RIM is removing the ability for BlackBerry PlayBook users to sideload apps. Under the new scheme, users will have to […]
Continue reading...Foxconn HR head reportedly pegs October 2012 for iPhone 5 launch
9. April 2012
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Despite what critics were quick to call a “modest upgrade”, the iPhone 4S burst out of the gate this past October and quickly became Apple’s most popular iPhone ever. But as with all things Apple, the focus isn’t on what they’ve done, but tends to fall on what they’re going to do. That said, and […]
Continue reading...The New York Times’ horrible article on Apple’s design challenges
9. April 2012
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A week ago, I clicked onto a New York Times article detailing how Apple might lose its design edge, much in the way that Braun – once the world’s darling of design in the 60s and 70s – became less and less of a player in the design world. The article ostensibly appeared to be […]
Continue reading...Qualcomm and Intel hand over source code to Apple
6. April 2012
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As part of Apple’s defense against Samsung’s claims that iOS products infringe upon certain wireless patents owned by Samsung, Apple argues that they have an implied license via Qualcomm to those patents. In other words, because Qualcomm is licensed to use the patents at issue, Apple’s own contract with Qualcomm to provide the baseband chips […]
Continue reading...Android manufacturers may start following Amazon’s lead
6. April 2012
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Though Android fans like to downplay the problem, platform fragmentation remains a huge problem that manifests itself in a myriad of ways. Whether it means that your brand new Android device isn’t up to snuff to play the latest game or take advantage of the latest Android update, or that the user experience varies wildly […]
Continue reading...Facebook Engineering
6. April 2012
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It’s funny how few people realize the tremendous technical underpinnings of a site like Facebook, that on its face, may seem to be pretty simple. But don’t get it twisted, Facebook has some of the brightest engineers on the planet working on some pretty impressive underlying architecture to ensure that the hundreds of millions of […]
Continue reading...Rumored Apple HDTV to be named iPanel, says analyst. Launch expected in late 2012
5. April 2012
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Much like the buzz surrounding the iPhone before it was officially announced, the hype that hovers over the mythical Apple HDTV continues to grow in unexpected directions. The latest mutation, so to speak, comes in the form of a research note from Jefferies analyst Peter Misek who is calling the as of yet unreleased device […]
Continue reading...“A healthy disregard for the impossible”
5. April 2012
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From Larry Page’s 2012 update which is well worth a read: When I was a student at the University of Michigan, I went on a summer leadership course. The slogan was “a healthy disregard for the impossible,” and it’s an idea that has stayed with me ever since. It may sound nuts, but I’ve found […]
Continue reading...Apple and the supply chain
5. April 2012
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Told via a Beer Game analogy: Because of the bullwhip effect illustrated by the game, Apple needs to have factories in China because the supply chain is there. We learned in the Beer Game that minute changes have massive ripple effects along the supply chain. The U.S. has lost that industrial base and it’s extremely difficult to get […]
Continue reading...Larry Page says Steve Jobs’ anger of Android was “just for show”
5. April 2012
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In a bizarre revelation, Google CEO Larry Page claimed in an interview yesterday that Jobs’ anger towards Android was just for show, and was simply a means to inspire the rank and file at Apple. I think that served their interests. For a lot of companies, it’s useful for them to feel like they have […]
Continue reading...iPad Mini with 7.85 inch screen remains something Apple is “noodling with”, says John Gruber
5. April 2012
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Steve Jobs once said that tablets with smaller 7-inch screens would be dead on arrival. Customers, Jobs explained, wanted tablets with bigger screens and after much research, Apple deduced that 9.7-inch screens were the most optimal. And for a while, Jobs’ prediction was spot-on. Many iPad competitors came and went without so much making the […]
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9. April 2012
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