Founder, Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek/DroneDJ sites.
Seth Weintraub is an award-winning journalist and blogger who won back to back Neal Awards during his three plus years covering Apple and Google at IDG’s Computerworld from 2007–2010. Weintraub next covered all things Google for Fortune Magazine from 2010-2011 amassing a thick rolodex of Google contacts and love for Silicon Valley tech culture.
It turns out that his hobby 9to5Mac blog was always his favorite and in 2011 he went full time adding his Fortune Google followers to 9to5Google and adding the style and commerce component 9to5Toys gear and deals site. In 2013, Weintraub bought one of the Tesla’s first Model S EVs off the assembly line and so began his love affair with the Electric Vehicle and green energy which in 2014 turned into electrek.
In 2018, DroneDJ was born to cover the burgeoning world of drones and UAV’s led by China’s DJI.
From 1997-2007, Weintraub was a Global IT director and Web Developer for a number of companies with stints at multimedia and branding agencies in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Madrid and London before becoming a publisher/blogger.
Seth received a bachelors degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California with a minor in Multimedia and Creative Technology in 1997. In 2004, he received a Masters from NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s ITP program.
Hobbies: Weintraub is a licensed single engine private pilot, certified open water scuba diver and spent over a year traveling to 60 cities in 23 countries. Whatever free time exists is now guaranteed to his lovely wife and two amazing sons.
More at About.me. BI 2014 profile.
Tips: seth@9to5mac.com, or llsethj on Wickr/Skype or link at top of page.
Here’s a poll going on at the Wall St. Journal right now of reader opinions on who makes the best mobile OS. Who is winning?
That’s right. Microsoft who just released its Windows phone 7 without multi-tasking and about 30 apps. Their old OS is by their own admission a dead end steaming pile. Maybe they like the Kin? Can anyone explain this?
Geekbench did some benchmarking of the new Airs vs. MacBook Pro 13-inch and older Airs and got results similar to what you’d expect. While those 1.4GHz 11.6-inchers are uber-tiny, they unsurprisingly aren’t anywhere near as fast as the 13-inch models at higher clock rates:
Geekbench’s scores don’t take in consideration the increased speed of the new Nvidia video cards which will only further distance the current lineup from Airs of old.
There are two ways you can look at the new 11-inch MacBook Air; it’s either a much smaller but slower MacBook Pro, or a much faster but larger iPad. The 11-inch MacBook Air is small enough that I’d consider bringing it instead of an iPad, but I’d worry it’s not fast enough (or have enough screen space) to be my primary laptop.
The 13-inch MacBook Air is a much more straightforward produc; it has 80% of the processor performance of the latest 13-inch Pro, making it an acceptable substitute for users looking for a slightly more portable Pro.
Speaking of old Airs, check out these two idiots:
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No comment on Antoine:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OopwzJdfIak&w=640&h=390]
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We had a look at the VLC player for iPhone last week but now it is available for general consumption. While there are some issues, you can now play a much wider array of movie formats on the iPhone. Download here free.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0k-ZAicEek&w=640&h=390]
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We’ve been getting an unusually large amount of user submissions about issues when upgrading from iPhoto ’09 to iPhoto ’11. Specifically, some people are losing some or all of their photo libraries when upgrading. Also, iPhoto ’11 drops support for older AppleTVs as well as photo calendars.
Apple’s Discussion Forums are lighting up with people who are losing data..
So, don’t let Apple’s consistent delivery of fine software lull you to sleep. Back up your photos and videos before doing the $49 iLife ’11 update.
Unlikely, but Mashable is throwing it out there (Update: Not happening):
It’s the second piece of information from our tipster that really piqued our interest, though. Leading the potential round will be Digital Sky Technologies (an existing investor) and Apple. Yes, Apple. The funding is part of a partnership between the two companies that will eventually result in deep Facebook integration into Apple’s suite of products, including Ping, iTunes, iLife and iWork.
Digital Sky is a somewhat shady Russian Venture capital group funded by Oliarchs that lists Goldman Sachs as part owners. It would seem a bit out of character for Apple to participate in a funding round with Digital Sky.
Also, Microsoft owns 5% of Facebook so it would seem a little strange for both Apple and Microsoft to join in as owners.
That said, Steve Jobs is known to enjoy long walks with the Facebook founder, who is richer than Jobs, at least on paper. Apple would also like more Facebook integration into Ping and probably GameCenter as well.
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One benefit of iMovie ’11 not talked about at the keynote or on Apple’s pages is the ability to export 1080P video to YouTube.
Interesting and welcome for Apple’s consumer video product considering Apple’s iOS devices don’t yet support anything above 720P. Yet.
We might have missed this earlier, but an Apple Emailler came to us today with the Apple Box Set upgraded for iLife ’11 at $129. It also includes Snow Leopard and iWork ’09. It isn’t a terribly awesome deal for a single license because Snow Leopard is $29 + iLife ’11 is $49 ($45) + iWork ’09 is $79 ($61), though technically, if you are on Tiger, Apple wants you to use the box set instead of the Snow Leopard upgrade. Also, there is an iLife family pack for $79 (on sale for $75)
Of note, Amazon is also carrying Apple’s new software along with the new MacBook Airs at a slight discount (and possible tax advantages).
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Reports are coming in that the AppleTV might have a very subtle skipping problem when playing video streams (which is all it does now). It’s not one that most people would catch, but for some with a trained eye, it is noticeable and annoying.
A few discussions are going on about it and it appears to be related to Apple’s streaming.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2599423&start=0&tstart=0
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1034558
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1025834
Seems like something that will be addressed in an upcoming update. Reader email explaining the details below (thanks Mike!)
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Apple’s latest developer build addresses 3D Graphics, Printing, QuickTime, Time Machine, USB Devices and there are no known issues.
Why are these so interesting to us?
Notes:
The battery layout looks a little different than what Apple has splayed. I wonder why Apple didn’t just create one big (flat) battery.
Also, this stuff isn’t supposed to be seen:
Apple apparently doesn’t want you inside this thing. They decided to use 5-point Security Torx to hold the case together.We had to file a couple of flathead screwdrivers to take out the funky screws.
Wow. That’s hardcore
Same Wifi/Bluetooth chip as MacBook Pro.
And can you update the SSD?
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http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/microPlayer.swf
Some heavy words from Goatberg:
But I couldn’t find a killer innovation that would be likely to make iPhone or Android users envious, except possibly for dedicated Xbox users. Even the built-in Office can be replicated with third-party Office-compatible apps on competing platforms; and the iPhone and Android phones also can interoperate with Microsoft’s corporate Exchange email, calendar and contact system.So for now, I see Windows Phone 7 as mostly getting Microsoft into the game, and replacing the stale, complicated Windows Mobile system that preceded it. It will get better. The company is already working on a copy and paste system, and said it is coming early next year. But, today, I see Windows Phone 7 as inferior to iPhone and Android for most average users. It’s simply not fully baked yet.
Engadget also isn’t thrilled, saying:
It still feels like the company is a good year behind market leaders right now, and though it’s clear the folks in Redmond are doing everything they can to get this platform up to snuff, it’s also clear that they’re not there yet.
http://www.viddler.com/simple/647b912f/
Lack of backlit keyboard is a bummer we have to say. But not enough to deter purchase!
A funny one:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxMRt7z1e1E&w=640&h=390]
Thanks Jessie!
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If you are on Aperture 3, you might want to hit the software update button. The laundry list of fixes and features is below.
Tucked away in all of today’s nuttiness, Apple upgraded the top end MacBook Pro to a snappy™ 2.8GHz.
Previously, the fastest MacBook Pro you could buy was 2.66GHz. The faster chip is a $200 premium on the 15 and 17-inch MacBook Pro configurations and can be applied during the build process. Core i5s in some cases have been eliminated.
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Along with releasing XCode 3.2.5, Apple has posted a new area on its Mac Developers site which shows developers how to prepare their Mac Apps for the store. Submissions will begin in November and the Store will roll out to users on Snow Leopard at the beginning of 2011.
A sneak peak of what developers are in for is below:
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We’re hearing odd reports of sign-in and downloading issues which are probably due to first-time excitement. Give the download a try
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From the Toys Section:
Today, Apple introduced two new MacBook Air Laptops, as listed below. These new models feature a slimmer, unibody frame (0.68″ at its thickest point), LED-backlit displays, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 320m graphics, 802.11n wireless, full-size keyboard, Multi-Touch trackpad, FaceTime camera, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and up to 7 hours of battery life. The new models, which are available today:
GET 4GB of RAM for $100 extra!
Apple also announced an updated version of its iLife suite of applications. Apple iLife ’11 will retail for $49, but as usual, it’s included for free with all new Mac purchases. Updates were added to the following programs:
Also Amazon has Microsoft Office 2011 for $20-40 Off.
Some good news for people who’ve purchased a Mac recently: As part of its up-to-date program, Apple is offering a $6.99 upgrade as long as you purchased the Mac in October. September 30th? $49!
Also, during the presentation, Jobs showed off buying a standalone iLife app for $19.99. That will likely be available next month for those who may wish to wait. Of note, Apple didn’t update its iDVD and iWeb applications which basically means they are now dead, even though the older version will come with new Macs.
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Some extras that were glossed over in the show: Apple is including a Software Re-install Drive (bye-bye optical). We’re expecting that Lion will be released on USB Stick (Or SD?) as well.
Also, Jobs had us worried, but we now see a 4GB option on MacBook Airs. We can now breathe again!
Instant On, great battery life, 30 day standby time, SSD storage, Thinner and lighter.
11.6 inch display, 2.6 lbs (little brother).
Pricing starts at $999 11.6 inch.
Flash Storage right on the board. SD Card. 2GB of RAM (WHY?!?!?!?!?) Available today.
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Apple’s new OS will ship in summer 2010, and offers a range of new features, including increased integration with iOS, in the form of borrowing some user interface ideas.
These include: App Store for Mac, Multi-touch gestures, App Home Screens, Full screen Apps, Autosave.
Steve Jobs says the touchscreen doesn’t work for Macs, the touch interface will be through the trackpad or Magic Mouse.
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