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.
Mac developers were perplexed when Apple announced a completely iPhone-focus to its annual Apple Design Awards this year, leading some to speculate it reflected a lessening in importance of Apple
I hate to say it, but I really think Apple needs Verizon. I love my iPhone and I love Apple, but it isn’t hard to see that they aren’t the only game in town anymore.
Today, a Taiwanese report says that Pegatron is building a CDMA iPhone. That echos an earlier report from the WSJ that said Verizon phones would be coming in September from Pegatron. Just in time.
Verizon or even Sprint is good news for Apple. The Android is eating the iPhone’s lunch in the US and you didn’t need the NPD report to know it. Android is on every carrier and comes in all shapes and sizes. You can pick up a Droid for $20 or you can pick up an Incredible or EVO for $200 with two year plans on better networks than AT&T’s. The software that Google makes isn’t bad (just like Windows isn’t bad compared to the MacOS) and the hardware that HTC is now making is flat out better than the iPhone 3GS. Some Apple fans will have a hard time reconciling that, but after playing with the HTC EVO tonight, there is no way anyone can convince me that an iPhone 3GS is even close.
The iPhone has better software most of the time, and the 4th Gen iPhone will be smaller and thinner. But if you were buying a phone on hardware and carrier alone since the Nexus One, Incredible and now EVO came out, you’d have a hard time justifying the iPhone 3GS. It is basically the same 320×480 screen device that was introduced in 2007 with a faster processor, GPS, a plastic back and a few other tweaks.
Sure, there are tons of apps on the iPhone. But Maps are better on Android. I use those a lot. So is voice navigation (Apple recently bought Siri to fight back). Google Voice and Google Apps integration are awesome. Android 2.1 screen resolution makes browsing better than the iPhone 3GS. (OLED vs. LCD is another story) Sure, the next iPhone will catch up to Android’s resolution, but from January to June, Android had iPhone beat. Android has an official Twitter app now too. Their Facebook and Youtube Apps are every bit as good as Apple’s. In fact, most apps on Android are as good as they are on iPhone.
It’s not all good for Android, however. The interface still isn’t as polished as Apple’s. It isn’t as intuitive. There aren’t as many apps. But just like Windows, it is plenty good enough.
And Google is playing nice with everyone. They have partners in Adobe, all of the carriers, advertisers and they treat their developers better without cryptic rules and moral judgements.
The reality is that Apple needs to start making moves.
As Steve Jobs told the town hall meeting at Apple, they have a fight on their hands. If Apple wants to fall to #2 or #3 in markets where it competes with Android and become a bit player, all they have to do is keep on trucking with AT&T. I’m pretty sure that everyone who is willing to get on AT&T’s network already has an iPhone.
If Apple wants a shot at the rest of the US populace, they had better start making some inroads with Verizon.
Apple posted a new ad to its website today.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fihOmQY-JxY&w=700&h=400]
As Arnold Kim points out, it is a rare shout out by Apple to a bygone era of Newton.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh-yed48e0Y&w=700&h=400]
Kinda reminds me of an Old Spice ad too. Via Macstories.
Fortune shows that iPad supplies are now 1-2 weeks behind demand. Also, it goes international at the end of the month (May 28th) which might constrain supplies further.
You know how these things work right? Somebody in tech sues you for patent violations. What do you do?
Not wholly unexpected, HTC is suing Apple back.
Press Release follows.
HTC SUES APPLE FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT
Complaint outlines five HTC patents infringed by Apple products
Seattle
Shop at Amazon? Own an iPad? Then you may like this free shopping-focused iPad app, which lets you explore other retailers too.
Developers (Amazon) say this will give you a
For those who are getting pumped for Valve’s Mac gaming debut tomorrow, some news via a Press Release. First, if you’ve purchased a game on the PC, it will show up, free in your Mac Steam account via ‘Steam Play’.
Also, among the initial games released for Mac will be Runic Games’ critically acclaimed Torchlight. More titles and functionality will appear on subsequent Wednesdays.
Finally, Steam is bringing its Steamworks suite of publishing and development tools available to the Mac platform as well. Developers can now build Steam titles on Mac.
STEAM FOR MAC LAUNCH DETAILS REVEALED
Roll Out Begins Weds, May 12
May 11, 2010 – Valve announced that Steam will launch on the Mac platform this Wednesday, May 12.
On subsequent Wednesdays, additional collections of Mac titles will become available, each designed to highlight specific functionalities of Steam on the Mac.
The first collection of Mac titles will demonstrate “Steam Play,” which allows customers to purchase a game once and play it on all Steam supported platforms. Gamers who have previously purchased games on Steam will find them available in their account on the Mac as they are released.
Portal, in addition to supporting Steam Play, will be the first of Valve’s Source engine based games available on the Mac. Native OS/X support for the Source engine is also available immediately to licensees for use in their games.
Among the initial titles available on Wednesday will be Runic Games’ critically acclaimed Torchlight. “We’re very excited to be bringing Torchlight to the Mac,” said Max Schaefer, co-founder of Runic Games. “Having Steam for the Mac solves so many problems for us as a developer. We look forward to our future games coming out on the Mac as well.”
In addition to bringing the online functionality of Steam to the Mac, Valve will also make its Steamworks suite of publishing and development tools available on the Mac platform. These include product key authentication, copy protection, auto-updating, social networking, matchmaking, anti-cheat technology, and more. The features and services available in Steamworks are offered free of charge and may be used for both electronic and tangible versions of games.
For more information on Steam, please visit www.steamgames.com.
About Steam
The leading online service for games and digital entertainment, Steam delivers new releases and online services to over 25 million gamers around the world. For more information, please visitwww.steamgames.com
http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/microPlayer.swf Steve Jobs will appear at this years annual All Things D event. Marking the moment the site has published two rare video clips of interviews with the Apple CEO conducted in 2003 and 2004 (the last time he appeared at the tech events). Oh 2007 too!
You
Off topic, I know, but interesting and funny after some initial awkwardness.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7TwqpWiY5s&w=700&h=420]
Also, Conan is a large man.
SmartphoneMedic looks like they’ve ordered the middle bezel of the iPhone 4/HD. They already had the screen. Now all they have to do is get the insides and the ceramic back plate.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRTE0cQywgE&w=700&h=400]
via MacStories
This is kinda awesome and a big temptation to Jailbreak the iPad.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GbQyEAYiQo&w=700&h=400]
via iEvolution.ca. More below
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8x-1cH7rtM&w=700&h=400]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ug55F6_t74&w=700&h=500]
We’ve seen that the new 15 and 17-inch MacBook Pros are a bit strange about when they decide to turn on their heavy-duty, power-sapping discrete video chips.
For those who don’t think they need discrete graphics for Tweetie, or want to be in full control of what graphics card their MacBook is using, gfxCardStatus by Cody Krieger might be something to consider. It has a simple menu bar toggle (‘N’ and ‘I’ below) that overides the OSX’s choice of chip. Engadget says it is a “little bit buggy” so proceed with a “little bit” of caution.
Features:
Why can’t we all just get along?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilEdroh3uzM&w=700&h=500]
Gizmodo points us to the artist himself:
I decided to create the same mobile app – a small piano/drum sequencer thing – on 3 mobile platforms: Android, Windows Mobile and iPhone OS. As a developer I didn’t quite succeed: audio latency is a b*tch and building the app from the same source proved to be possible but unusable, so I ended up writing it three times: in java for android, in C# for windows mobile and in Objective-C for iPhone… To play them all at once I just taped them on a piece of wood together with a battery powered speaker. Add lots of audio cables and TADAAA: a very playable guitar shaped instrument that makes a hell of a noise… I added Pocket Stompbox, a virtual amp with lots of great real time effects and of course the FANTASTIC iShred app from Frontierdesign.
War has (almost) been declared..
No, not between Apple and your choice of:
Nintendo
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president, has reportedly told his senior executives recently to regard the battle with Sony as a victory already achieved and to look to Apple, and its iPhone and iPad devices, as the “enemy of the future”, the Times Online tells us.
Nintendo is attempting to seize back the market it feels it helped develop with its mobile devices, and is plotting to “unleash the full force of its development and marketing artillery against Apple”.
Meanwhile, Apple
Interesting chart of the day from SAI today. With all of those iPhone and iPad ads everywhere, you’d think Apple would be outspending everyone in the tech space. However, it appears that Microsoft has spent more than double Apple’s budget in 2009 ” across print, online, radio, tv, and outdoor.”
It is also interesting to note that Google is spending almost nothing ($11 mil?!) in advertising. Perhaps it gives itself good rates on Adsense.
Nokia has filed a fresh lawsuit against Apple with the Federal District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin, alleging that Apple iPhone and iPad 3G products infringe five important Nokia patents.
The patents in question relate to technologies for enhanced speech and data transmission, using positioning data in applications and innovations in antenna configurations that improve performance and save space, allowing smaller and more compact devices.
These patented innovations are important to Nokia’s success as they allow improved product performance and design, the company said.
“Nokia has been the leading developer of many key technologies in mobile devices” said Paul Melin, General Manager, Patent Licensing at Nokia. “We have taken this step to protect the results of our pioneering development and to put an end to continued unlawful use of Nokia’s innovation.”
The suit follows previous litigation filed in the Delaware District Court for infringement of Nokia GSM, UMTS and WLAN patents, this prior lawsuit concerned ten patents relate to technologies fundamental to making devices which are compatible with one or more of the GSM, UMTS (3G WCDMA) and wireless LAN standards. The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and are infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, Nokia alleges.
Nokia has already entered into license agreements including these patents with approximately 40 companies, including virtually all the leading mobile device vendors, the company then said.
“The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for,” then said Ilkka Rahnasto, Vice President, Legal & Intellectual Property at Nokia.
“Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia’s intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation.”
Apple’s customers outside of the US have been told the iPad ships at the end of the month. Some prices have been announced and European prices have been leaked. Here’s how all the prices compare if converted into the same currency at today’s currency exchange rates. Here’s the dollar price between countries. Bear in mind these include different levels of sales tax (0%-9%), which doesn’t feature in US prices.
You are going to need a miracle (or know a scalper) if you want to get into WWDC 2010 and haven’t already bought your tickets. Wow, that only took 8 days.
The US Stock market today had a bit of a wild ride and AAPL certainly didn’t escape its effects. AAPL briefly traded as low as 199.25 before rocketing back up to 246, still nearly 10 points off the opening.
According to CNBC, the selloff was triggered when a Citigroup trader entered a ‘b’ instead of an ‘m’ in selling off Proctor & Gamble shares (see video below). Can this really happen?
http://plus.cnbc.com/rssvideosearch/action/player/id/1487022682/code/cnbcplayershare
We can’t decide whether to be surprised or not at the fact that 10% of iPad traffic (and therefore around 10% of iPads) comes from outside the US. Sure some travelers probably picked one up when they visited the US, and surely a few Canadians traveled a few miles south to the nearest Apple Store, but 10% is a pretty high number. Then there are the Americans who travel with their iPads. But still…
One surprising data point is the non-U.S. IP traffic on the iPad that
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8&w=640&h=505]
Adobe feels another blow this morning on news that popular online document sharing service, Scribd, intends scrapping use of Flash in favour of basing its service on HTML5.
Meanwhile, Adobe CTO, Kevin Lunch, maintains his attack on Apple Inc., calling the company
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl5QWmhRYSw&w=700&h=400]
What
Apple is making good use of its position as iTunes App Store manager in its attempt to create a market for its future iAds product.
TechCrunch notes the company
We’ll skip over personal opinion and head straight to the data here. Changewave says that AT&T is dropping more calls than ever and more than any of the four big US carriers.
Over 4,000 smartphone users were polled in the survey which had Verizon ranked as first and Sprint and T-Mobile second and third respectively. AT&T, who’ve been announcing and announcing big expenditures on infrastructure, have actually been getting worse month after month. See the graph below:
