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.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F22LtYYx6U]
There isn’t much here that you didn’t see yesterday but it is satisfying to see the MTA’s pride in the accomplishment, which may also be in response to concerns that Apple got a ‘sweetheart deal‘.
Update: Apple posted some choice shots to their gallery as well (below)
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Logitech first started producing solar wireless keyboards for PCs earlier this year but didn’t make a Mac version until a few months ago. The PC version got incredibly solid reviews at Amazon so I thought this would be a good pick up for my Mac workstation when it was released. As a veteran of Apple’s original Wireless Keyboard, I was sick of dealing with battery and connectivity issues plus I wanted the full layout with numeric keypad, extra function keys extra and full arrows. I’ve been using it almost exclusively for the past three months.
First, I’ll say that the solar panels make the footprint about 25% bigger than a standard full Apple keyboard. That can be a hassle if you are cramped for space at your desk. On the other hand, the keyboard feels a bit more solid, perhaps because of the increased size and weight. Keystrokes are very similar feel to Apple’s standard keyboards and spacing and layout are all but identical. Logitech adds a power switch and battery tester at the top right.
I got the piano black version because it matches my monitor and my Logitech Mouse (which also works with this USB dongle) but there are 5 colors to choose from. I imagine the standard “silver” will be the most popular.
As far as the solar is concerned, I never had a single problem with charging or connection. I have a florescent lit basement office and a workspace with natural light from a shaded back yard and both kept the keyboard charged at all times. The keyboard usually sits in front of a large 30″ monitor, so that probably helps. But from reviews I’ve read, almost no one has a problem keeping this charged with normal office lighting so I don’t think this is a concern.
There are some tradeoffs for having solar, however…
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From 9to5toys.com:
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The Apple Store offers the factory-refurbished Apple iPad 16GB Wi-Fi Tablet in Black (pictured) or White for $419. With free shipping, that’s $30 under our mention of a refurb from a month ago and $70 under the lowest total price we could find for a new one today.
The 32 and 64GB Wifi iPads drop to $499 and $599 respectively. That’s $50 below yesterday and $100 below new.
3G iPads are also $80-$100 off new prices, starting at $549 for 16GB models.
A full 1-year Apple warranty applies.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5LOcUkm8m9w]
As we reported over on the sister blog, Google just launched Currents, their Flipboard/Pulse style reader for iPhone and iPad (and I guess Android too). Head over for the details. (Yes, 9to5Mac is a launch partner so look for us on the App!)
Google Currents is now available for download in Android Market and the Apple App Store for US users.
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According to Macotakara, the next generation iPad will be thicker and therefore won’t be compatible with all current iPad 2 cases. That however won’t affect Apple’s Smart Covers which only cover the front. They believe that the front screen will be the same as the other iPads, with the same types of corners and bezel as well.
We don’t know what that image is up there but Macotakara seems to imply it is a case for the new iPad. Update: The case is for the original iPad 3G according to its seller.
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That iPhone dock up above is no joke (notice the scale of the iPhone in it). It was built as a one-off for CES 2012 by Behringer, the award-winning innovator of affordable professional audio and music equipment. Known appropriately as iNuke, this $30,000 8ftx4ft, 700 pound dock pumps out a handy 10,000 Watts of power. All in a package the size of a refrigerator. How about a giveaway, Behringer?
We’ll be on hand at CES this year to check it out. PR below:
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Today’s updated Apple Headquarters Spaceship campus plans include a roof made almost entirely out of solar cells, according to details released today. With a building as large as Apple’s, that puts it in the top corporate solar installations in the world and the biggest in the US. The current title holder is the 4.26 MW system in Edison New Jersey and another being built by ToysRus in sunny NJ is rated 5.38MW
From today’s plans
From today’s plans, we can estimate the roof surface area to be over 750,000 square feet. Assuming (conservatively) 2/3rds of that, or 500,000 square feet of that is utilized for solar, that gives Apple close to a 5MW installation on the amin building alone. On average or as a general “rule of thumb” modern photovoltaics (PV) solar panels will produce up to 10 watts per square foot of solar panel area. Since Cupertino is generally favorable in terms of weather and Apple will obviously use the latest Solar technology developed in the coming years, that could give Apple over 5,000,000 Watts of power to play with. Additionally, Apple has a few other buildings on campus that could be outfitted with solar roofs. The plans list a photovoltaic roof canopy of 320,000 sq.ft. just on the parking building.
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Speaking at the UBS 39th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference, TDS (parent to US Cellular) CEO Ted Carlson said:
“We’re never going to say never about the iPhone. The iPhone for us would need to be at the cutting edge of where we’re going, and then there might be an opportunity to consider it.” U.S. Cellular revealed last month that it had the opportunity to sell the current, non-LTE iteration of the iPhone but decided against it because it was not the right economic fit for the regional carrier.
In context, US Cellular is in a drive to migrate its 26-state customer base to LTE. Previously, it was revealed that the terms of the agreement for the iPhone were reportedly “unacceptable”.
The Chicago, Illinois-headquartered company is the nation’s sixth-largest wireless carrier, serving about 6.1 million customers in half the country’s states. Competitor C-spire, another regional carrier, was able to get the iPhone and is currently selling it.
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Jeff Han wowed everyone with his multi-touch display more than a year before the iPhone debuted, now he’s got a 82-incher under his control in the video above. (more videos here)
Perhaps more interesting, his Perceptive Pixel company also has a “desktop” 27-incher which he says is more for “all day” usage. Apple has been playing around with the idea of a multi-touch iMac for quite awhile. Last year, Apple submitted the following patent drawings, and many still hold out hope that upcoming iMacs will gain touch entry in a more draft table form factor.
Perceptive Pixel’s design is available in 6 months.
via John Nack Han’s 2006 Multi-touch 2006 TedTalk below:
XbitLabs.com this week publishes some new information about Intel’s next generation 22nm Ivy Bridge Desktop Processors as well as revealing that Intel has told its partners (of which Apple is one) that the rollout would be delayed until the second quarter of 2012.
Intel Corp. has notified its partners about its decision to introduce of its next-generation code-named Ivy Bridge processors in the second quarter of 2012. Previously the company planned to release the Core i 3000-series central processing units (CPUs) for desktops in March – April timeframe, which left a possibility to unveil the chips in the first quarter.
Intel’s Ivy Bridge was originally planned to be released right about now but got pushed back to early 2012 back in May.
Xbit also note that the initial processors to be released in Q2 2012 will not include Core i3-3200-series chips and will consist of Core i7-3700 and Core i5-3500/3400 families. The inexpensive Core i3-3200 will be made available later in Q2 2011. Apple doesn’t currently use these but they work great in Hackintoshes.
Also, ComputerBase.de leaked some Ivy Bridge slides this week showing modest CPU improvements but more importantly showing huge integrated graphics improvements in the Intel 4000 series processors. These products should allow native 4K resolution displays and yet still consume less power than the current generation chips.
Apple’s iMacs use these desktop processors, the current iMac lineup pictured below:
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[Editor’s note: We got a satchel to review so I asked the style expert of the house do this one]
I’m a big fan of Jill.e’s uncommon (read: not black) camera bags, but the company seems to be expanding its offerings to style-minded users of other technology. I’m talking about women and men who have laptops, iPhones, e-readers and tablets to cart around (sometimes all at once), but who do not find those black polyester padded bags appealing in the least. So it piqued my interest when the company offered to send us a bag to review. As Mrs. 9to5mac and mother of two, I often have gadgets on the go. Even our 3-year-old has his own iPhone. (It’s simcard-free and makes eating out possible. Don’t judge.)
The women’s bag I have been toting for the past week is the laptop satchel, part of the company’s plaid-clad E-GO line. It’s worked well for many configurations of gadgetry: iPad + Canon SLR, MacBook + Canon SLR, Kindle + iPad. This thing is surprisingly huge, which can be a bad thing for your back, or a good thing when you want to commute with your laptop and ereader in style.Truth be told, the satchel has often doubled as a diaper bag, which is the reality of trying to leave the house with a baby and a preschooler.
[vodpod id=Video.15763976&w=650&h=420&fv=]
Earlier Robin Williams did his Siri bit. Here is Stephen Colbert, who is no stranger to Apple products. He paints Siri as a conservative because of yesterday’s abortion clinic ‘story’. Har.
Important takeaway: Siri has entered the mainstream vernacular. Anyone heard of Google ‘Voice Actions’? (Flashless)
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The bad news is that yes, Carrier IQ is running on iPhones right now, as we speak. Carrier IQ, you’ll recall is the rootkit that Carriers put on many of their phones to monitor customer usage. As a security researcher found out, Carrier IQ monitors keystrokes and sends that back to its own servers. On Apple’s devices, it appears to have been cut off from such activities. Developer chpwn breaks it down:
Carrier IQ, the now infamous “rootkit” or “keylogger”, is not just for Android, Symbian,BlackBerry, and even webOS. In fact, up through and including iOS 5, Apple has included a copy of Carrier IQ on the iPhone. However, it does appears to be disabled along with diagnostics enabled on iOS 5; older versions may send back information in more cases. Because of that, if you want to disable Carrier IQ on your iOS 5 device, turning off “Diagnostics and Usage” in Settings appears to be enough.
So it appears that on iOS it stores less information, and it doesn’t seem to be sending anything as long as ‘Diagnostics and Usage’ (iOS 5) is turned off – which is the default (you are asked to enable it during the iOS5 setup). On older versions of iOS, especially v3, it appears to be sending data without a toggle.
Verizon representatives have said that they do not run Carrier IQ on their devices which include iPhones, iPads, and Android, Blackberry and other devices. Other carriers have yet to make a statement on the matter but Carrier IQ brags on its homepage that it tracks information on 141 million devices (and counting) which is about half of the US population.
On iPhones where Carrier IQ is activated, it appears to send the following information back to the servers:
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Some are saying that just because the Kindle sits atop the BestBuy.com “Best Selling” tablets category, it is outselling the iPad 2.
Not so fast.
There is exactly one model of Kindle Fire, while there are about 16 models of iPad, two of which are second and third on the list and iPads make up a majority of the top 15 list. Did number 1 outnumber #2+#3+#5+#6…?
Could the Fire be the top selling tablet at Best Buy still? Sure (unlikely), but there is no way to tell from the data provided.
And that’s before you get the to the whole $199, making money on the razor blades business model.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Hfcl1Z_PjfE]
Love this Best Buy commercial but I’m not sure Apple’s Retail division does. Best Buy also undercuts Apple significantly in Mac prices. For instance, they have the 15 and 17-inch MacBook Pros $200 off and $150 off the 13-inch MacBook Pro as well.
They even have $50 iTunes gift cards for $40. (see all discounts)
No offense to our friends at Best Buy, but those price discounts often have a cost: you will almost always get better customer support at an Apple Store.
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We obviously had to white out numbers above – From Apple’s Retail inventory system.
A source inside Apple Retail has shared with us the numbers for Apple’s Black Friday sales event. Black Friday is always huge shopping day and Apple forecasted at least 4X sales for the day. However, because Apple did have the lowest prices on big ticket items like the iPad, it blew away forecasts by 7PM and unsurprisingly had its biggest sales day of all time..
Apple Retail was forecast and broke Retail sales records all over the country today, this is from [redacted] today, the forecast today is more than 4 times what we normally do. We broke the forecast by 7pm.
MacBook Air sales were also particularly strong according to our source.
Apple Store discounts are extremely rare and with more Stores open than ever before, the temptation was too much for many.
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eChSxAxcxUE]
Not only can Siri and a Proxy Server start or lock you car, it can help you watch TV. This is, of course, using the Siri Proxy we’ve talked about before with a Plex command line interface allows the developer, above, to start movies almost immediately.
But, this works so quickly and effortlessly that we wonder if this is the “finally cracked it” interface that Steve Jobs was talking about in the bio.
This brochure might look familiar but it is now out in the open. Our leak earlier this week was obviously spot on.
Early visitors to the Apple Store noted that there was a lot of traffic but things were orderly and with the help of “EasySteal”, they were in and out in a matter of minutes and saved lots of money. Hit up our Black Friday 2011 Price Guide to get the best deals on Apple hardware and accessories.
[slideshow]
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Prices are pretty on par with our leaked Apple Black Friday Ad leak from yesterday.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tAQMXbrDgbM]
Last week we saw how a developer created a proxy server to sit between Siri and Apple to make certain commands perform command line functions. Another developer today took that proxy server and hooked it up to his Viper Car system which allows him to turn his car off and on.
The “Siri Proxy” plugin I wrote handles interaction with a php script that runs on my web server. The php script, which I developed months ago for personal use, allows me to send commands to my car which has a Viper SmartStart module installed.
Current commands accepted are: “Vehicle Arm”, “Vehicle Disarm”, “Vehicle Start”, “Vehicle Stop”, “Vehicle Pop Trunk”, and “Vehicle Panic”.
Siri hacking is rapidly turning into a fun sport. How long until Apple blesses third parties with this type of functionality?
Locking and arming the car alarm video below:
Big news today (surprisingly on a 4 day US weekend). The AT&T and T-Mobile merger was withdrawn from the FCC today.
On November 23, 2011, AT&T Inc. and Deutsche Telekom AG electronically withdrew without prejudice, as of that date, the pending applications listed in the Public Notice released by the Federal Communications Commission on April 28, 2011 in that proceeding. Associated manual notification of withdrawal filings also are being made.
The two companies look to be pursuing an alternative plan…
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Both Australia and New Zealand Online Apple Stores just went down for Black Friday updates. Here’s a pretty good idea of what’s coming. We suspect the rest of the world will shortly follow – feel free to update in the comments (Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving for those in the US!).
What we have here is a good old fashion Price War. Best Buy hit $849 about two hours ago. It isn’t likely that anyone can go any lower. The Apple Store will only hit $899 tonight at midnight.
Amazon has the current 13-inch MacBook Pro for $1049, another price low.
Update: These come and go.
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The wraps are coming off of the Grand Central Apple store frontage to reveal a ticker sign according to our morning commuter tipster. The screens move like flipping letters of the old Grand Central timetables. The design is reminiscent of Apple’s Green Monster Facade at the Boston Store.
A construction worker on the scene said that the store wasn’t going to be opening any time soon, reiterating a comment from yesterday. Apple had originally hoped to have the store open for the Black Friday shopping rush, but now rumors are floating around of Friday, December 9th.
Another angle and more signage snaps below — including video. Thanks Michael Ortega from Stamford, CT and others!
