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 an interesting scenario: If Google does stick to its guns and leaves China because the country continues to insist on censoring web search results and blocking websites, will it also pull Android cellphones from the Chinese market? That’s just the beginning…
On the heels of last night’s French report of a May release, the Korea Times today says that the 4G iPhone will be released ‘as erly as April’ and they’ve got some mouthwatering specs as well:
They said the coming 4G iPhones will be equipped with organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens on surface and live video chat functionalities, while removable battery is ‘highly likely’. The new 4G iPhone is also going to be loaded with dual core processors and higher and powerful graphic chips that can deliver higher video resolutions and better “still” images when taking pictures.
They also expect to see 500,000 iPhones – both current and 4G models fly off the shelf this year. Interesting.
For you AAPL junkies, Apple’s got their big Q1 2010 earnings call slated for two days before the supposed tablet announcement on January 27th. Listen in as Peter Oppenheimer and Tim Cook dodge analyst questions about tablets and slates and repeat the words “we have nothing to announce today” over and over. Oh
Network conflicts may be the culprit for recent reports of iPhone reception problems in Canada, as other carriers begin to install
Computerworld informs us that Apple has delayed shipping its newly-launched 27-inch iMacs until it can trace the source of a series of reports claiming flickering and other display problems.
Citing contacts within Apple
This one has little to no corroboration but the Business Insider’s heard that Apple may be making another purchase. This time, the target is a VoIP provider called iCall and the amount they’ve been hearing is $50-60 million.
Here’s why it makes sense (even if the VoIP provider isn’t iCall): Google is building a VoIP phone that works with Google Voice and recent purchase Gizmo5, if rumors are to be believed. The Google phone would be free to move between networks and wouldn’t be beholden to carriers’ phone systems/voicemail, etc. It would just need data…from Wifi, WiMAX 3G or any other source.
Apple, at some point — probably in July 2010, will need to release a “phone” that can also utilize a VoIP service to counters Google’s offer. Unless they’re building out this internally, they’ll need to pick up some VoIP expertise.
Either that or someone wants to jack up the price of iCall.
You know what is interesting about this tablet from an Apple patent application published last month (besides the fact it looks like it is from 2003 – or the next gen iPod classic)? Give up? Head south for the answer…
One of the patent applicants for Apple is a one Dr. Carlin Vieri. He’s no longer with Apple (hel left just over a year ago). He happens to be the VP of Engineering for Pixel Qi right now. Just in case you didn’t think there was enough of a connection already.
You almost knew this had to happen. Nokia sued Apple over claims that it violated their 3G product patents in October. Now Apple’s army of lawyers have focussed their ICBMs at the telecom giant in a battle which will raise both companies’ overhead costs and likely end in a lengthy court battle and cash settlement.
Apple posted this short blurb on their website today, showing this battle wasn’t only going to be fought in court. It will be fought over public opinion…
CUPERTINO, California
MacRumors today reports that Pixel Qi’s screens would make a great match for the rumored Apple tablet. Indeed, 10.1 inches and the ability to display eInk-like text in full sunlight as well as full color video — and at the same time using a fraction of the energy could make Apple’s tablet a real “game changer”. This isn’t the first time the two companies have been seen together, however. Many reports from 2008 and this year have wondered the same question: Are apple and Pixel Qi working together on the Tablet?
Beyond the questions and the obvious excitement at the technology – which would seem to be a perfect fit, we’ve found some very interesting additional connections between Apple and Pixel Qi that aren’t as anecdotal.
Pixel Qi’s VP of Engineering is a November 2008 transfer from Apple. What did he work on? He “engineered new generation display electronics for the iPhone and other devices”. His official title was Principal Driver Architect – Displays at Apple Inc. This is a huge connection. It is hard to imagine a person as tapped into Apple’s tablet plans as this guy. He’s even on Apple’s multi-touch display patents.
Dr. Carlin Vieri – VP of Engineering
Carlin Vieri joined Pixel Qi from Apple Computer where he engineered new generation display electronics for the iPhone and other devices. Previously he pioneered liquid crystal on silicon electronics backplanes, drive schemes and interfaces with the MicroDisplay Corporation…
Pixel Qi is currently building a display for a multi-touch tablet. Which tablet? We’re not sure, but here’s what they say:
Our first production batch of screens will be ready shortly. We will be ramping production scale over Q1 2010. We can now announce that the first units are going into specialized tablet devices with multi-touch. Increasingly these screens will be super-slim, but some customers prefer the standard thickness.
Also, the Pixel Qi displays were originally due in Q3 of 2009. The delay in the delivery of these displays would explain the delay of the tablet which was originally forecasted to be delivered in late 2009.
We will be sampling our 10? screens this spring and plan to be in high volume mass production this summer. These screens have an epaper state that rivals the best epaper on the market today. What
Perhaps to compete with Amazon’s excellent free Holiday Samplers, Apple is doing one of their own. It includes tracks from artists such as Amy Grant, David Archuleta, Rascal Flatts, Weezer, Toby Keith, Barry Manilow (yay!), Sarah McLachlan, and more.
Note that this is an iTunes LP, which includes photos, lyrics, and artist info. If you have yet to see Apple’s new LP’s, this is a great (free) example of the format and why it is a much better experience than regular old MP3s.
If there is any PC manufacturer that has been even a little bit creative over the past decade, it is ASUS. They’ve not only invented the NetBook (which is responsible for most PC growth lately) but also more outlandish things like the ‘computer in a keyboard’ (pictured below).
Today Digitimes informs us that they’re entering the tablet game with a…
..new device named Eee Pad featuring a 4- to 7-inch panel, and which will offer a combination of tablet PC and MID functions.
The inspiration for this device? The non-existent Apple tablet. Or, at least the rumors of such a device.
Current details of the Eee Pad suggest the product has been inspired by the rumors of Apple’s planned tablet device, the sources commented.
One thing we know about ASUS. They make inexpensive products. The Eee Pad will be cheaper than the $499 JooJoo, especially at the 4-7 inch size.
Buying gifts for the holiday can have a little reward component to it, can’t it? Amazon thinks so. Their new ‘disc+ on demand’ service allows you to buy your gift DVD or BluRay, just as you’d normally do. But, once the package is paid for, you can watch the flick immediately via Amazon’s streaming on demand service. Try not to spoil the movie for your giftee!
That’s one advantage of having one foot in the old physical world of discs and the other foot in the digital distribution business that Apple’s iTunes can’t match.
GigaOm’s graphics dept has been working overtime on this one. In short, the iPhone has earned iPhone parts manufacturers almost $1 billion…in the third quarter of 2009. AT&T? Oh, don’t worry about them. They’ve got $2 Billion in revenue from monthly charges related to the iPhone coming over the next two years.
AT&T made more threatening remarks aimed at iPhone users (“Wireless data hogs”) who use too much “audio and video streaming” today. AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega told attendees at a UBS conference in New York…
Wireless data hogs who jam the airwaves by watching video on their iPhones will be put on tighter leashes, …[AT&T] will also give high-bandwidth users incentives to “reduce or modify their usage.”
Just 3 percent of “smart” phone users are consuming 40 percent of the network capacity, de la Vega said, adding that the most high-bandwidth activity is video and audio streaming. Several applications on the iPhone provide nonstop Internet radio.
De la Vega also defended the network’s performance, saying testing showed that AT&T’s third-generation, or 3G, network was faster than that of competitors, and that major problems are concentrated in New York and San Francisco, which are packed with smart phone users.
AT&T has already pushed iPhone Tethering back into 2010 with no hard date in sight.
In related news, UStream broadcaster got accepted into the App Store last night.
Apple tonight will officially introduce the iPhone into Israel, ending two years of delay and chasing thousands of sales of jailbroken/unlocked/grey market iPhones in the country.
The device officially launches in Israel at midnight on Wednesday,
We have noted that the new 21.5 and 27-inch iMac packaging has the “Macintosh. Think Different’ moniker inside it, below the specifications. In previous Macintosh packaging, Apple’s website URL is printed below the specifications list.
Today we find out, that on December 8, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple’s new trademark application for Think Different under application 77882684.
Apple’s application makes note that Think Different was used as early as September 28, 1997. In 1997 there wasn’t an iPod and this may be one of the main reasons for Apple’s new trademark application for Think Different. However, Apple’s International Classification 009 now covers the iPod under MP3 audio players in addition to generically covering “Portable and handheld digital electronic devices” so as to cover any future tablet Apple may be contemplating in the future. Is Apple gearing up for something?
Our moles at TBWA Chiat’s MediaArtsLab have confirmed that there has been lots of ‘Think Different’ talk lately but nothing specific has been fully developed.
Oh, and of course the Text Edit icon in Snow Leopard contains the words from those very famous “Crazy Ones” commercials.
Apple
It looks like the Knocking Live Video (which we’re told is due for an update next week btw) App approval has let open the floodgates for streaming video apps in the iPhone. Last night, UStream, which has brought us live coverage of live Apple events before, got their Live Broadcaster (Free App Store Link) through the approval gauntlet. You can now broadcast via the web to thousands of people simultaneously via your iPhone 3G or 3GS.
We can also postulate that this marks the end of liveblogging events such as Apple’s WWDC as there now will be 200 video feeds to choose from.
via TechCrunch
Chinorockwell made a cool video using only Google Maps for visuals. Have a look:
Update: Nuance has responded to these concerns in the comments. For their side of the story on this, hit up their page on the matter.
Dragon’s Dictation iPhone app, which we posted about last night, is getting some poor ratings in Apple’s comments. The app works really well, so what’s the major gripe? Turns out most of the negative comments involve the EULA which states that Nuance…
“collects and uses: the names of individuals and companies that appear in your address book in order to improve the quality of service…”
“You acknowledge and agree that Nuance may collect the names of individuals and companies that appear in your address book and the Speech Data as part of the Service and that such information shall only be used by Nuance or third parties acting under the direction of Nuance pursuant to the confidentiality agreements as identified above.”
Oh, and everything you say is obviously uploaded to Nuance. Obviously, some people might take issue with the company that pulls all of your contacts and uploads them to their server. Perhaps Nuance needs to be more clear about this policy, rather than burying it in the EULA.
So, read the EULA before installing the Free Dragon iPhone app. Perhaps Dragon will have a sans-contact-sharing option in an upcoming version.
Here’s a riddle:
What is five times faster than an Intel Atom chip, yet is 60% smaller and uses about the same power? Oh, and it costs about half as much to produce? Give up?
It is a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 chip running at over 1GHz…and someone is building something with it as we speak.
Buried inside ARM’s 3rd quarter earnings announced today was that they’ve given one of their licensees the rights to a chip that is truly a laptop-class processor, yet has the physical and energy footprint of a smartphone:
Twenty-three of the licenses were for ARM
Well, whaddya know? Adobe has released a set of HTML5 authoring tools for its market leading vector authoring product. The download is only 2.8 MB and can be found here. Somehow I don’t think those 2.8mb of data are going to be enough to replace all of the functionality of Flash, but it is a start.
Apple has posted its latest ‘Get A Mac’ ad, ‘PC Innovation’.
