Dipterologiae Italicae prodromus

Eight 'Dipterologiae Italicae prodromus' stories May 2012 - October 2012

Apple didn’t buy Color, it bought 20 engineers for a few million

Seth Weintraub Oct 18 2012 - 9:26 am PT

It turns out yesterday’s report about Apple buying Color for “high double digit millions” was mostly off base. At least that is according to AllThingsD:

What’s really happening is that Color’s engineering team — about 20 people, comprising almost the entire company — is being “acqhired” by Apple at what’s being called a “nominal” price of something like $2 to $5 million, according to multiple sources familiar with both sides of the situation. To repeat, there are no “double-digit” millions involved, according to many people familiar with the deal.

Apple is not buying Color’s technology, intellectual property, domain names or liabilities. Those are being left with the company, which still has considerable cash in the bank — something like $25 million — and is going to be wound down.

The engineers could help with Apple’s photo and video-sharing capabilities across devices, or maybe Apple is just getting a HR jump on the competition in the red hot Silicon Valley talent marketplace.

Color is said to be winding down, with the $25 million it has left in the bank going to investors.
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Report: Apple to hold iPad mini media event on Oct. 23

Jordan Kahn Oct 12 2012 - 5:22 am PT

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While the press has not received any invites to an Apple media event, AllThingsD writer John Paczkowski is claiming today that the invite-only iPad mini event is still scheduled for this month. According to the report, the event will likely be held in Apple’s Town Hall auditorium later this month on Oct. 23:

Apple will hold a special event this month at which it will showcase a new, smaller iPad. People familiar with Apple’s plans tell us that the company will unveil the so-called “iPad mini” on October 23 at an invitation-only event… Sources declined to specify where the event is to be held, and I’ve not been able to confirm a location.

That would put the launch just two days before Apple is set to announce its earnings for Q4, and it is only three days before Microsoft is expected to launch its new Surface tablet. It would also be a Tuesday, rather than a Wednesday, but Paczkowski seems quite confident of the date.

Well, details are slim. Sources say the iPad’s diminutive sibling will feature a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display and a Lightning connector. It will also probably be thinner. And that’s about it… But we’ll know more soon. On October 23.

As expected, both The Loop and iMore later agreed with the date.

Apple says it didn’t give FBI UDIDs, soon replacing and banning the use of UDIDs

Jordan Kahn Sep 5 2012 - 9:52 am PT

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After a denial from the FBI, Apple finally confirmed in a statement to AllThingsD that it did not give any UDIDs to the FBI, nor did the FBI request the information from Apple. Apple spokesperson Natalie Kerris also confirmed iOS 6 would introduce a new set of APIs that both replace and ban UDIDs:

“The FBI has not requested this information from Apple, nor have we provided it to the FBI or any organization. Additionally, with iOS 6 we introduced a new set of APIs meant to replace the use of the UDID and will soon be banning the use of UDID,” said Apple spokesperson, Natalie Kerris.

Samsung’s new Sydney store is ‘Apple-esque’ [Video]

Élyse Betters Aug 23 2012 - 8:54 am PT

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“I made it through the whole video without cracking up.” -No one.

The Sydney Morning Herald just posted a video of Samsung’s new Syndney store:

Everything from the store layout to the sales staff to the products and even the packaging and promotional material is uncannily Apple-esque.

Samsung’s shop is just a block away from Apple’s Sydney store. Despite the ongoing U.S. trial against Apple, as SMH noted, the South Korea-based company is certainly not quelling accusations that it is a Cupertino copycat.

(via Daring Fireball)

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Samsung presents its closing arguments against Apple, with claims Apple tried to mislead jury

Jake Smith Aug 21 2012 - 4:34 pm PT

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After Apple finished its closing arguments in the Apple vs. Samsung trial earlier this afternoon, it was Samsung’s turn to close its case. First off, Samsung’s Charles Verhoeven explained that Apple is trying to go for a bigger target than the $2 billion in damages it think it deserves. Samsung rather believes Apple is trying to win this case to leverage itself in the smartphone and tablet market by blocking Samsung. If Samsung is found to have “slavishly copied” Apple as proposed, Samsung would not on pay huge damages to Apple, but it could also be barred from the market. Verhoeven stated that Apple could not prove Samsung copied in its closing statement nor that customers became confused over Apple and Samsung products.

Furthermore, Verhoeven discredited key Apple witnesses, including Susan Kare and Apple expert Russell Winer, asserting both witnesses admitted they could not provide any evidence. During all of this, The Verge reported that the jury was completely enthralled. Samsung continued pinpointing differences in all of its devices, even showing the startup screen of its Galaxy Tab, explaining, “You see Samsung Galaxy Tab for a long time. Then it has Verizon.” Obviously, he was tried to show that customers can make a distinction between devices.

Addressing the emails and documents that show Samsung execs discussing the iPhone, Verhoeven said, “That doesn’t show copying. It’s a company trying to figure out what’s going on.” He further stated that Apple is trying to mislead the jury. Verhoeven then made a comment to portray the good of Samsung:
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Apple launching Podcast app with iOS 6 and working on podcast-producing technology

Jordan Kahn Jun 15 2012 - 12:43 pm PT

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Much like Apple did when introducing its standalone iTunes U app at its education event last January, it is also planning to launch a standalone app for podcasts. A report from AllThingsD first mentioned Apple’s plans to include the app in iOS 6 this fall. We also heard that the app is in the works for a release with the final version of iOS 6.

People familiar with Apple’s plans tell me that when its new iOS 6 software becomes widely available this fall, podcasts will have their own app, where users will be able to discover, download and play them on mobile devices. Users who access iTunes via laptop and desktop machines will still find them in that version of iTunes, though.

Apart from the podcast app that AllThingsD noted would allow users to “discover, download and play” on iOS devices, we heard separately that Apple is working on podcast-producing technology, perhaps for inclusion into this app.

As part of its process of breaking the different content categories into standalone apps, many noticed with iOS 6 that Apple removed the Podcasts, Audiobooks, and iTunes U sections from the iTunes app.

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Will Microsoft try to take on Apple by manufacturing its own tablet?

Élyse Betters Jun 15 2012 - 12:13 pm PT

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Microsoft is allegedly prepping to directly compete with Apple in the tablet market

The Redmond, Wash.-based Company scheduled an event in Los Angeles on Monday to make a “major announcement.” AllThingsD reported earlier this week that the event would unveil Microsoft’s tablet plans:

After signaling for months that it would attack the market only through its traditional hardware partners, Microsoft has decided to enter the tablet business more directly. […]

Sources say that Microsoft concluded that it needs its own tablet, with the company designing both the hardware and software in an effort to better compete against Apple’s strengths. Microsoft’s tablets may include machines running ARM-based processors as well as models running on traditional PC processors, sources said.

Perhaps more interesting: The Wrap claimed Microsoft will self-manufacture the device, which is an assertion that AllThingsD supports. The move is certainly plausible, because Microsoft snatched a 17.6-percent stake in Barnes and Noble’s Nook eReader business last month for $300 million. One could speculate that Apple and Amazon’s dominating presence in the market causes companies like Microsoft and Barnes and Noble to join forces.

[tweet https://twitter.com/harrymccracken/status/213653354117738497]

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Tim Cook on Steve Jobs as flip-flopper, tablets & PC legacy, and ‘Pain in the ass’ patent wars [Video]

Jordan Kahn May 29 2012 - 8:59 pm PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2tkxWfDOaM]

AllThingsD just posted clips of almost the entire Apple CEO Tim Cook interview from D10. Our live blog of the event is here. The first video (above) is Cook’s comments on former CEO Steve Jobs as a “flip-flopper,” followed by a second video (below) where he discussed tablets and the PC legacy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r33DGQL35wQ&]

Links to the rest of the videos are below, where Cook talks about doubling down on privacy, the “Pain in the ass” patent wars, etc.

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