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Seth Weintraub

llsethj

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 20072010.  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.

Connect with Seth Weintraub

Apple Watch Shop signage goes up at Isetan Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo

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Apple Watch Store japan

At the Isetan Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Apple is building a store specifically for the Apple Watch on the ground floor. Macotakara thinks it might be a permanent fixture because it is listed in the mall directory below.

Japan is one of the 9 countries where the Apple Watch will launch on April 24th. Earlier this week we saw the size of the Apple Watch Store at Galleries Lafayette in Paris and at London Selfridges. Apple also began advertising for its Apple Watch in its traditional stores this week.

This will take some getting used to. Imagine a world where there is an Apple Store on one side of the mall and an Apple Watch store on the other like so many Starbucks. 
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‘Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine’ documentary debuts at SXSW today

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7hP47HogmY]

Oscar winner Alex Gibney’s documentary about Steve Jobs. The film debuts at SXSW this month.

Sometimes I lose count of the movies about Steve Jobs but I’m pretty sure this one wasn’t on my radar until recently. Premiering at SXSW today is “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine”, a documentary funded by CNN and directed by Alex Gibney, who is just off releasing a controversial Scientology exposé “Going Clear”.

Alex Gibney is one of America’s pre-eminent filmmakers. He won an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side and was nominated for Enron:The Smartest Guys in the Room. Most recently Mea Maxima Culpa:Silence in the House of God won three Emmys and a Peabody. This spring Going Clear:Scientology and the Prison of Belief and a Sinatra doc miniseries airs on HBO.

Reading the Q&As at Variety and Hollywood Reporter, it appears that this isn’t going to be a love-fest like the new book. Still, given the subject matter and the brief clip above, I’m intrigued…

Steve Jobs- The Man in the Machine

Update: notes from the film, which we can now confirm doesn’t cast a good light on the Apple founder follow. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Apple Employees who attended the film walked out:


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Did Apple invent USB Type-C? Maybe a little bit

Lightning and USB Type-C Connectors

Yesterday on his Talk Show podcast, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber suggested that his Apple sources told him that Apple invented USB Type-C. Known for often insightful but always ‘not negative‘ Apple commentary, Gruber sometimes peppers his stories with info he’s gained from inside Apple which he calls “little birdies” (that admittedly haven’t been 100% recently, but used to be spot on).

The quote, taken from TheTechBlock about 54 minutes in:

I have heard, can’t say who, but let’s call them “informed little birdies”, that USB-C is an Apple invention and that they gave it to the standard bodies. And that the politics of such is that they can’t really say that. They’re not going to come out in public and say it, but they did. It is an Apple invention and they do want it to become a standard.

That’s a bit weird, because if Apple did invent USB Type-C, it would seem like a no-brainer for replacing Lightning. But Gruber noted in a post earlier this week that he didn’t think Apple would replace Lightning with USB Type-C.

I think the answer is probably “No, Apple is not going to switch the iPhone and iPad to USB-C”. I think Lightning is a more elegant design, including being slightly thinner. And I think Apple likes having a proprietary port on iOS devices.

But, if they did move iOS devices to USB-C, then you could charge your iOS devices and MacBook with the same cable. And within a few years, all phones and tablets from all companies would charge using the same standard.

A few minutes of research into the matter yields a wealth of data about the genesis of USB Type-C and while Apple does play an active role, it appears they had a lot of help – to put it charitably…
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OSMO’s new iPad drawing Masterpiece app draws impressive reviews

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What kind of parent are you if you don’t plunk down $80 for one of these OSMO things right now? I just got one. Amazon reviewers gave it an impressive 4.8/5 stars and it comes with 4 apps. The latest, Masterpiece for iPad [free, App Store] lets kids learn to draw by a type of tracing using the iPad camera illustrated in the excellent Sandwich video above.

After the kids are done you can send it all over the place or print it out. There is a nice video capture feature as well that replays the drawing which looks like it will pump up your kids for the next drawing.

The OSMO game system has three other games at present: Words, Newton and Tangram

OSMO

It looks pretty cool but I’ll see if I can corral my 6 year old into a review.

Press release follows:
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Poll: Which MacBook are you? Space Gray, Silver or Gold

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If you are like us, probably the toughest decision you are facing this year is figuring out which new Retina MacBook color you will be getting. The buying process otherwise is more like buying an iPad than a Mac with only 2 speed/storage models.

Will you match your Space Gray iPad and iPhone and now Apple Watch? Or, will you sport the same silver of the Macs that actually do some real work? Will you go off the grid and show your lawyer/banker colleagues who is boss with the gold model?

It is a tough and important call because you WILL be judged – you can’t just embarrassingly hide a MacBook in a wallet case like my Gold iPhone.  You’ve had a few days to mull it over. So what’s it going to be?

Apple supply chain buyers, this ^^^ data is on us. Feel free to send any leftover MacBooks as compensation.
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KGI: Less than half million new Retina 12″ MacBooks expected to ship in 1st half of 2015

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In the latest sales forecast from KGI securities, Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects a number of factors to contribute to initial slow sales of Apple’s thin new 12-inch MacBook w/Retina display. The analyst with an excellent track record believes that “higher price and concerns about the model having only one USB-C I/O, a potential inconvenience, along with supply chain constraints” will keep unit numbers at around 450K units leading up to Apple’s WWDC in June. That’s the event where a new Mac operating system, OS 10.11, will likely be unveiled.

Kuo is much more bullish on the long term prospects of the device and its features, however. He believes the product will “prompt the market to refocus on the thin and light form factor design trend, including metal casing, hinge, fanless thermal system, USB Type-C and thinner keyboard/ panel,” which already has begun to happen if our inboxes are any indication.

Full Note on MacBooks follows:


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USB-C cable gallery, compare to Lightning and Micro-USB, specs and Apple’s future

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Lightning USB-C

Lightning vs. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aukey-Hi-speed-Reversible-Connector-Supported/dp/B00RGNJXD4/ref=sr_1_1?amp;amp;qid=1421386415&amp;amp;sr=8-1&tag=thepartim-20&ie=UTF8&amp;amp;peasin=B00RGNJXD4&amp;amp;keywords=B00RGNJXD4&amp;amp;pebp=1421386732649">USB-C cable from Aukey</a>

We’ve been poring over Apple’s change to the 8.4mm by 2.6mm USB Type C standard since we got tipped the design of the new MacBook late last year. It is a big change for Apple and puts the future of longstanding technologies like Thunderbolt and MagSafe into questionable status.  Even Lightning seems a whole lot more vulnerable when an adapter that is marginally bigger, but has the whole industry behind it, shows up in Apple’s future flagship laptop.

Some quick, fun facts on USB Type C that make it pretty amazing:
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Latest 4K drone video of Apple Campus 2 posted, roof now started

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Screenshot 2015-03-08 10.01.58

The latest 4K flyover video showing construction progress on Apple’s Campus 2 has just arrived in our inbox. Thanks to our good friend MyithZ, we see that the full internal structure has now been started including all the way to the roof in one part of the video.

The full drone flyover is available in full 4K video below:
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Apple Watch ‘pop up’ stores prognosticated for Paris, London and SXSW

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Selfridges_London
Over the past week, we’ve heard rumors that Apple planned “pop up” stores for displaying the new Apple Watch inside high end stores in both Paris Galeries Lafayette and London Selfridges (pictured above). Now the Austin Statesman notes that Apple has participated in SXSW in a number of ways over the past few years and it would almost be surprising if the Apple Watch wasn’t displayed in some capacity to the international SXSW Interactive audience there. Apple set up a pop-up shop for the iPad 2 during its spring launch in 2011 (pictured right).

inside-apple-pop-up-austinApple has used the festival in the past to showcase a new product (like the iPad 2) or to promote its services (like the iTunes Music Festival last year). SXSW Interactive is the perfect audience of early adopters for a product like the Apple Watch and it wouldn’t be surprising if the company offered a preview of the device there.

SXSW is an annual Music/Film/Interactive conference that runs March 13th-22nd this year, the week following the March 9th event and before the Apple Watch goes on sale in April. One SXSW event Apple Watch enthusiasts may want to check out: Wearables and the Happiness Quotient.

A possible counter-argument to an Apple Watch presence that Apple has focused on Fashion audiences and not Tech audiences for the Apple Watch launch.

Apple also plans another showcase of the Apple watch outside of the Yerba Buena Center where it will hold its Spring Forward event on March 9th.

$40 Mac Bundle: Things, ScreenFlow, Typed, Civ, ExpanDrive, Aftershot Pro 2, more

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Mac-software-bundleFrom 9to5Toys Specials:

Today we’ve put together a really impressive bundle of 8 Mac apps including the latest versions of Screenflow and Things (which are $100 and $49 at the Mac App Store by themselves!).

Using the coupon code ULTRAMAC5 at checkout, 9to5 readers can get an extra $5 discount over at Specials.9to5Toys.com to buy the whole bundle for $39.99 – that’s 91% off from the $470 retail price. 

Every app’s latest version is included, none of which has ever been in a bundle before (except AfterShot Pro 2). In fact, 6 of the apps cost more by themselves than the whole bundle does!

Here’s what’s in the goodie bag:

  1. ScreenFlow 5 ($99.99) – The best screen recording tool for Mac. Version 5 was released in October and has never been in a bundle before.
  2. Things 2 ($49) – Award-winning task management app that’s never been in a bundle before.
  3. Civilization: Beyond Earth ($49.99) – The latest in the epic Civilization series.
  4. ExpanDrive 4 ($49.95) – Slick utility app.
  5. ProSoft Data Rescue 4 ($99.99) – Market leader in data recovery. This is the new version 4.
  6. AfterShot Pro 2 ($79.95) – A very solid photo editor, and the only app included that’s been in a bundle before.
  7. Typed ($24.95) – A new text editor that has gotten a lot of hype and acclaim out the gate.
  8. Snapselect ($24.99) – Handy new photo app from MacPhun.

In all, the value is almost $470, and with the coupon code “ULTRAMAC5” 9to5 readers can grab it for $39.99 (91% off). This one will go really quick.

Apple’s electric car plans

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Apple-Car

It looks like Apple is working on an electric, possibly autonomous automobile. Numerous publications have reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook started the project about a year ago, which followed a M&A meeting with Tesla’s Elon Musk in the Spring of 2013.

We must remember that Apple has many R&D projects and “says no a thousand times for every yes” and of course even if the car project does happen, any type of product is many years off (barring any acquisition). Then there is the current mess that is CarPlay
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Reuters: Apple’s electric car is ‘all about autonomous driving’, Apple is in talks with automotive suppliers

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Oatmeal-autonomos-carImage via the Oatmeal

One of the weird details in the WSJ report on the Apple electric car project yesterday was this bit:

Other Silicon Valley giants are looking at autos. Google Inc. has been working on a self-driving car for years. The head of Google’s autonomous vehicle project said last year that the company aims to forge a partnership with auto makers to build a self-driving car within the next few years. A self-driving car is not part of Apple’s current plan, one of the people familiar with the project said.

This morning’s Reuters report contradicts the earlier WSJ report saying that Apple’s electric car will be autonomous.

“It’s a software game. It’s all about autonomous driving,” the source said.

That makes a lot of sense. In 5 years, many cars will have some level of autonomy built in. In 10 years, most cars will be autonomous. Every major automobile manufacturer and most big tech companies see the huge potential here and are actively investing in R&D.

[tweet https://twitter.com/llsethj/status/402446541031755776 align=’center’]

Google and Tesla are the most obvious leaders in this field. Google’s Autonomous car project is well on its way. With public demonstrations already happening and Google lobbying governments for legislation to allow for autonomous driving, the groundwork is already being laid out.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqSDWoAhvLU]

Doug Field, a former Apple executive, demonstrated Tesla’s autonomous driving to me a few months ago (along with an insane 0-60mph time). Tesla expects to have at least partial autonomy in its cars within a year and its cars coming off the assembly line already have the hardware on board to do a lot of this.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6XS6HE178I]


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Tesla thinks it can grow to an Apple-sized market cap in a decade

Black Tesla Model X prototype with a trailer hitch and redesigned front end

Quite an interesting statement from Tesla CEO Elon Musk in last night’s earnings call. With all of the “Apple car” talk and fight for employees, it is interesting to note how big Tesla thinks the market for electric cars and lithium batteries will be in the coming decade (assuming 10% yoy growth and P/E ratio of 20).

For the record, I’ve also heard rumblings of an early vehicle program at Apple which could be an R&D exercise or turn into something significant. One of the leaders of the program recently left Apple for Oculus if that’s any indication of what kind of technology Apple is hoping to bring to the automotive world.

Also make sure to read about Elon Musk’s secret demand weapon to deploy on car dealers and new consumer battery product.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvB01EibT2g&start=900]

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Apple becomes 1st company ever to close at market cap of over $700B (AAPL)

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Update 2/11: After passing $700 billion in market capitalization yesterday, Apple has been trading up as high as $124.43 a share raising market cap over $720 billion.

Apple’s stock price closed up 2.3 points today to close at 122.02 giving the Cupertino company that was on the verge of bankruptcy less than 2 decades ago, the highest market cap of all time. The closing market cap of $710B reflects significant growth since it hit a recent low of a split-adjusted 56 in mid-2013.

To put it into perspective, Apple is now valued at $100 for every man, woman and child on the face of the earth.

Speaking of AAPL, Tim Cook is at Goldman Sachs today discussing Apple’s recent success and announcing a industry first Solar farm that will offset all of Apple’s California electricity use including its Campus 2, offices and 40 retail stores. 

And on that note, First Solar, the company that is partnering with Apple on the Solar Farm is up almost 10% on the news.

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