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.
Skype just updated its iPhone client to enable ‘Skype for TV’. WTF is that?
Skype for TV is apparently an application that runs on a few Samsung and Panasonic TVs that you likely don’t have. You’ll also need a compatible webcam. But it sounds like a promising technology, right? IF anyone is doing this, hook us up with a YouTube of it in action.
I know Steve Jobs doesn’t like Flash, so I’m just saying this matter-of-factly. Flash 10.2 is a screamer! We’ve been beta testing it since it was first released but now that Flash 10.2 is final, it’s on the MacBook Air that I use from day to day. Opening a full screen 1080P YouTube on a MacBook Air used to cripple the whole machine. Not anymore.
Now, we are seeing 10-15% of one CPU usage. That’s about the same as playing a similar-sized MP4 in Quicktime. That means Flash is offloading a lot of the heavy lifting to the Air’s GPU (they’ve said as much in their Flash 10.2 release notes).
Transformers 1080P reference video played on MacBook Air 1.8GHz
About F(lash)ing time. (download here)
In a fascinating and bold note to Nokia employees, CEO Stephan Elop talks candidly about Nokia entirely missing the boat on Smartphones since the iPhone was released.
In 2008, Apple’s market share in the $300+ price range was 25 percent; by 2010 it escalated to 61 percent. They are enjoying a tremendous growth trajectory with a 78 percent earnings growth year over year in Q4 2010. Apple demonstrated that if designed well, consumers would buy a high-priced phone with a great experience and developers would build applications. They changed the game, and today, Apple owns the high-end range.
And..
The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don’t have a product that is close to their experience. Android came on the scene just over 2 years ago, and this week they took our leadership position in smartphone volumes. Unbelievable.
The battle of devices has now become a war of ecosystems, where ecosystems include not only the hardware and software of the device, but developers, applications, ecommerce, advertising, search, social applications, location-based services, unified communications and many other things. Our competitors aren’t taking our market share with devices; they are taking our market share with an entire ecosystem. This means we’re going to have to decide how we either build, catalyse or join an ecosystem.
Read: We are announcing a partnership with Android or Microsoft soon.
For those of you who said Android, check this:
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Google just released their native translation app for iOS (iTunes download) which allows you to speak translations and hear results.
OK, this is friggen awesome! details, below:
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Contrary to their negative view on the GSM iPhone and its non-issue spot of death (as well at AT&T separately), Consumer Reports today issued confidence in the Verizon iPhone.
Consumer Reports Mike Gitkas says that several million iPhones hitting Verizon’s network may affect the quality of the Verizon network. That remains to be seen.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
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Great, another Apple Store to lure me into buying more iGoods on my commute :D
The New York Observer is reporting that Apple is considering putting an Apple Store inside the iconic New York Grand Central Terminal.
Reliable sources tell The Observer that the maker of ubiquitous iGadgets—from computers to cell phones—hopes to open a store in the transportation and retail hub, though it has yet to begin the long approval process necessary for opening in a city landmark.
The process, unfortunately, isn’t a straightforward one:
For its part, MTA Real Estate/ Retail+Leasing division, which will have the final word on any new store, offered this careful response: “We select tenants through a public process that features a formal request for proposals,” said Aaron Donovan, a spokesman for the MTA. “We don’t comment on prospective tenants outside of the process. Robert K. Futterman, which handled Apple’s first three New York spaces, declined to comment.
The main concourse, shown below, would seem to offer the up-scale type of setting that Apple is after and the stores within its corridors are already filled with commuter foot traffic. Need a new iPhone headset for the train ride home? Booya!
AppleBitch reports that the iPod classic supplies are drying up at Target, Amazon (2), Best Buy and even Apple is giving a 1-3 days before shipping. While we’re often hearing about the end of the Classic line, the hard drive-based iPods have continued on even though they got no significant update at last year’s music event.
Notably, Toshiba updated their iPod sized hard drives last month (55,000 songs) so perhaps Apple is finally going to give the venerable iPod a bump, off schedule?
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That’s a lot of crappy electronics off the street.
poor fatty nanos. We remember when you were cool.
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You didn’t think the jailbreak community would leave the Verizon iPhone be did you? BlogsDNA and lots of others have posted the Verizon iPhone with Cydia running nicely over the last few hours.
Official Greenpois0n RC6 or (5.4) to jailbreak Verizon iPhone 4 from Chronic Dev team should be released very soon.
We, with the iPhone repair specialists at iFixyouri have done a quick teardown of the new Verizon iPhone and have found the Qualcomm MDM6600 chip inside. That’s kinda interesting because that chip is dualmode GSM and CDMA compatible. Since the Verizon iPhone doesn’t have a SIM slot, it probably won’t be doing GSM duties, but it all but guarantees that the iPhone 5 will be dual-mode, perhaps one phone that can be used on both Verizon and AT&T (and obviously every other carrier outside the US.)
In fact, why wouldn’t Apple use this chip in its upcoming iPad 2?
MDM6600™: supports HSPA+ data rates of up to 14.4 Mbps and CDMA2000® 1xEV-DO Rev. A/Rev. B
Check out the side by side below:
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Remember this touch screen iMac patent? Steve Jobs said at the Lion/Air event a few months ago that users didn’t want to touch a vertical screen. But what about one that goes nearly horizontal?
Yeah, apparently HP loved it.
Who knows, maybe HP patented it first, or maybe it isn’t patentable. But is seems awfully familiar to those of us who watch Apples patents!
MacRumors posts that Apple is getting rid of boxed software in its stores this morning.
Based on what we’ve heard, however, Apple is planning on making the move to all digital sooner than expected at their retail stores. Apple is working towards eliminating boxed software and presumably focusing sales through the Mac App Store.
Apple’s recent plans to start offering Personal Setup for Mac seems to be in line with that goal.
They quote this line from a previous 9to5mac post:
When you purchase a Mac at an Apple Retail store an employee will help you setup your e-mail accounts, walk you through the Mac App Store, setup an iTunes account for you, and show you the basic pointers of owning a Mac. Some stores will even have dedicated Mac setup stations.
Sure, you may ask about software that can’t be put in the App Store. Like Apple’s OSes for instance. Or Hard Drive utilities. Or Creative Suite. Or any software that doesn’t fit in the App Store for one reason or another.
That’s a good question because those products are on Apple’s store shelves now and there doesn’t appear to be a quick replacement. Perhaps we’re seeing a move to USB software installers (Which still need a physical container). With 8GB USB sticks at around $10, it may make more sense to install off of USB rather than DL-DVD, especially for the expensive stuff. Apple included an 8GB USB software reinstall stick with its Air for instance.
Either way, with USB installers or without, the change may also signal a move away from optical in Apple products….
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Against a broader up market, Apple broke two barriers in trading today (as you can see on the ticker to the right). The world’s most valuable tech company and second biggest company by market cap overall is trading at over 352 as of this writing which puts its market cap north of $325 Billion. Perhaps related, Susquehanna upped their AAPL target to $465 today.
For those of you scoring at home, Exxon is valued at $417.59B.
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AppleBitch was first to spot that Apple’s annual WWDC will likely be held on June 5-9th this year and is marked by the typical ‘Corporate Meeting’ placeholder. They note that no other time in the schedule would fit Apple’s usual parameters.
WWDC is traditionally when Apple announces new iPhones as well as releases final major versions of the iOS software. Setteb.it notes that June 6th would be a likely day for a Keynote. Though Steve Jobs presence is in question, the timeframe of these announcements shouldn’t be. (via Setteb.it)
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Apparently this is the type of gift you get when you visit Georgia’s Presidential Palace. Sign us up!
At about 1:10 in this interview Elton John says he’s getting a ‘Skype iPad’ in April which seems to indicate an iPad with cameras. Who else is getting a Skype iPad in April?
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Engadget posts an image of a Best Buy placeholder sticker for a white iPhone which we’re assuming is pretty recent They also note that the Source, a Canadian electronics retailer (eh), is also clearing out some space. $599 off contract is the same price as the Black iPhone but we’re certain that a white one will attract more attention.
From the Toys Section:
Amazon offers the Seagate Barracuda 2TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. ST320005N4A1AS-RK, for $79.99 with Free shipping. That’s $0.04/GB and the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model. Sales tax is added where applicable. It runs at 5900 rpm and features a 32MB cache. Its Super-low power consumption reduces power costs over the life of the system up to 50% over those of standard desktop drives. Runs cooler and performs better than other drives in its category.
Buy two, hook yourself up with a 1Gb Ethernet D-Link DNS-321 2 drive NAS case for $93 and you’ll have a sweet 4TB Network Attached Storage setup for $253.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kKerSnyIZw&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Yeah it had to happen. Fits pretty good with this one..
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According to AppAdvice, Target is offering trade-ins on various older iPhones for those who wish to upgrade to iPhone 4, starting tomorrow.
iPhone 3G or 3GS trade-in – In order to take advantage of this in-store only offer, guests must trade in a working iPhone 3G or 3GS and sign a two-year contract with AT&T. Guests may receive up to $100 credit for an iPhone 3G 16GB and up to $200 credit for an iPhone 3GS 32GB, offering great cost savings on a new iPhone 4 16GB priced at $199 or an iPhone 4 32GB priced at $299.
The promotion only lasts a week. If you look over at eBay however, you’ll see some legwork will be more handsomely rewarded there.
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If true, here’s a pretty nutty survey from an outfit called uSamp which has surveyed Android and Blackberry owners to gauge interest in the Verizon iPhone 4.
The key findings:
Perhaps that’s why we are seeing those significant numbers of Verizon customers getting in on the fun. Read the rest at Fortune.
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From the Toys Section:
For Valentine’s: Microvision via Ebay Daily has a new pink iPod Nano 8GB for $119.99 with free shipping. That’s $30 off of retail and the lowest price we could find. This nano is 47% lighter and 46% smaller than the previous model and features a 1.7″ Multi-Touch LCD (no more click wheel), 24-hour battery life, clip, volume buttons, VoiceOver, FM Radio and more. Deal ends February 9 at 4:56 pm ET.
Get a slap wristband ‘iWatch’ for $25 more.
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Too little too late?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M5u6ES7BBo&w=100&h=100]
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We’ve heard about NFC but iLounge floats two more very interesting, if unlikely rumors out there today.
First, Carbon Fiber to be used in the shell of some test units which would drop the weight of the device down further. We’ve been hearing that Apple has been trying to shave some weight off wherever it can (displays?), so this would be another step in that direction. An <1 lb iPad 2 would be insane.
Secondly, contrary to Steve Jobs saying that 7-inch tablets were dead on arrival, Apple is working with a seven inch iPad. Unlikely, but remember what Jobs said about video on iPods. (“‘I’m Not Convinced People Want to Watch Movies on a Tiny Little Screen”)
About NFC, iLounge largely reiterates an earlier Bloomberg report and says:
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