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.
MacStories is today citing a reliable source saying that iOS 4.3 will be delivered to end users on Feb 14th at the normal 10am PT.
According to several reports surfaced earlier this week, Apple is targeting a release of the next major iOS update, version 4.3, in two weeks. We just got word from a reliable source that iOS 4.3 should be available on February 14th at 10 AM PST.
MacStories was a few weeks off on their 4.2 prediction (Wifi Bugs?) and previously reported 4.3 would come in December. Hopefully this is a different source. We’re pencilling it in because we hope they’ve nailed this one :D Expand Expanding Close
I’m posting this becuase it is an interesting observation from Joe Wilcox, but also because that picture above of Jobs, Cook and…RoJo?
Anyway, Wilcox makes a great point that 2001 was a banner year in Apple history. A decade ago was when Apple stopped its comeback from the dead and started its rocket to the top of the Tech world.
1. In January, Apple unveiled the iTunes music player.
2. In March, Apple launched troubled Mac OS X 10.0 and relaunched as 10.1 in September.
3. In May, the company opened Apple Store, in two locations — California and Virginia.
4. In October, the first iPod debuted
What’s interesting is that all of these were going against the grain of the conventional thinking at the time. Gateway was closing its country stores. No one believed in the commercial relevance of MP3 music (though piracy was rampant) and OSX was so different than anything that had come before. Expand Expanding Close
It looks like Apple might be stepping up its presence in Washington as Politico reports that Apple has hired a new firm to represent them.
Apple’s 2010 lobbying forms reflect the company has been an active participant in those conversations, speaking to lawmakers and federal regulators about patents, research funding, free trade agreements and taxes. It’s new outside firm, Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock, has handled some of those issues for other industry clients such as CTIA, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Time Warner Cable and the Coalition for Patent Fairness.
Among the lobbyists handling Apple’s work is firm president Mark Isakowitz, who previously headed up federal relations for the National Federation of Independent Business. Isakowitz’s resume also includes work on former President George W. Bush’s transition team, and time spent as press secretary for Rep. Paul Gilmor (R-Ohio), a former top member of the House Commerce Committee.
With all of the money Apple’s competitors like Adobe, Microsoft, Google and others have been spending, it only makes sense that Apple keeps up with the Joneses. Expand Expanding Close
For those waiting on line for the Verizon iPhone, Apple is opening its doors three hours early to help meet the demand of the Verizon iPhone. Apple Store employees tell us that a rush comparable to the original iPhone launch is expected. No word yet on Verizon Stores but we’re already seeing the first nutty campers. Holy. Image via T-GAAP.
We’re hearing from some Verizon customers that their Verizon iPhones are stuck in Memphis due to weather. Flights have been cancelled or delayed pushing deliveries back from today to Monday.
All Verizon iPhones are being distributed through the Memphis hub, which is severely restricted today with many flights cancelled due to the snowstorms last night
We’ve also recieved these unconfirmed numbers:
250,000 units were ordered of the Verizon iPhone 4 before sales were closed.
100,000 had been ordered by noon yesterday.
Update: We’ve heard from a lot of you that your iPhones are going out thru Memphis on UPS and they haven’t got the same warnings (screenshot below) but there is this
Here’s an interesting piece of information. For all of the exclusive Droids and such that have been released over the years on Verizon’s network, the iPhone 4 has beaten them all. But not just beaten them…here are some amazing qualifiers:
The 8 month old iPhone 4 that will be replaced in 5 months.
It beat everything else in just two hours
Those two hours were from 3am to 5 am.
It was only available to current Verizon customers, not the world at large (AT&T customers)
Verizon employees weren’t allowed to buy them
That is pretty incredible.
Also, some WalMart Stores will have the iPhone 4 at launch as well, which is news to us. Full press release below: Expand Expanding Close
For you Chrome Domes out there, there is a new version of Chrome available for download.
Today, we’re excited to bring several new features from Chrome’s beta channel to the stable build, including WebGL, Chrome Instant, and the Chrome Web Store.
WebGL is a new technology which brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the browser. With WebGL in Chrome, you can experience rich 3D experiences right inside the browser with no need for additional software. Curious about the three-dimensional possibilities? Try out these demos to experience the power of WebGL in the latest stable version of Chrome.
Google’s Instant in the Omnibox is pretty cool. You need to enable it manually.
If you are leaving AT&T and heading to Verizon, should you get a Google Voice account? The number porting fee is $20 but you get so many new features, it isn’t even funny. If you are making the move to Verizon consider Google’s amazing Voice product. Here’s how and why at Fortune. Expand Expanding Close
Data Center Knowledge has an interesting report which has all the hallmarks of Apple unique ability to rewrite the technology playbook. There isn’t much meat but check out these quotes:
Instor and Electrorack said they have completed a project providing tailor-made enclosures for an unnamed client at a large data center in North Carolina. The vendors said the units were “built specifically to address the owner’s precise and unique requirements concerning airflow, cable management and equipment mounting.”
Large Data Center in North Carolina? Check. Precise and unique requirements? Ummm..
They were hired by Holder Construction, whose many data center projects include Apple’s 500,000 square foot iDataCenter in Maiden, North Carolina. While Instor and Electrorack aren’t talking, the project description suggests a massive facility.
We’ve gotten a few tips that AT&T is now sending some prospective switchers some last minute love in the form of a free AT&T Microcell. The only caveat is that you need to stay on AT&T an additional 12 months. What say you switchers? Is this Microcell enough to keep you from switching over to Big Red?
Just as an FYI, if you are staying with AT&T for another 12 months, now may be a good time to ask your local AT&T rep for a Microcell of your very own. We hear they are awfully friendly these days.
Apple has put the finishing touches on XCode 4 and it is now ready for Mac Developers to download.
Update: Macstories was first to report that Apple has now pulled the release and has now reverted to a previous beta. Perhaps there is something interesting in that big download we aren’t supposed to see. Anyone?
Patently Apple points us to a new filing which shows an Apple display/iPad with a built-in stand. A kickstand if you will. The patent looks like it covers both monitors and iPad type devices and rotates 90 degrees for Landscape/Portrait.
At the moment, Apple’s (and 3rd party) cases do this stuff but it’d be nice to roll nekked with the kickstand available for watching videos.
Admittedly, we kinda like the kickstand on that EVO.
BGR caught a new policy floating around in the Verizon archives that may cause a few of you on the fence on switching carriers to take pause. Verizon says it will throttle the bandwidth of its top 5% of users going forward. Verizon has about 94 million customers currently. Add another 5 million iPhone users who will likely make up the majority of the top 5% and you might be in for some disappointment.
Verizon Wireless strives to provide customers the best experience when using our network, a shared resource among tens of millions of customers. To help achieve this, if you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of Verizon Wireless data users we may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically for the remainder of your then current and immediately following billing cycle to ensure high quality network performance for other users at locations and times of peak demand. Our proactive management of the Verizon Wireless network is designed to ensure that the remaining 95% of data customers aren’t negatively affected by the inordinate data consumption of just a few users.
Although every review we saw of the Verizon iPhone gave it glowing marks on voice quality –read fewer dropped calls– every one of the reviews said the data speed lagged significantly behind AT&T as well usually by a factor of 2. With Verizon throttling even that bandwidth, the experience on Verizon might not be what you’re after.
The NYTimes’ David Pogue did a nice review of the Verizon iPhone replete with all of the typical observations: Doesn’t drop calls, can’t talk/data at same time, etc.
Here’s where it gets mildly interesting. The initial review had the following passage (we recieved like 5 different tips with the info below cut/paste –thanks tipsters!):
The single new feature in Verizon’s iPhone is Personal Hotspot, where the iPhone becomes a Wi-Fi base station. Up to five laptops, iPod Touches or other gadgets can get online, using the phone as a glorified Internet antenna.
That’s incredibly convenient. Many other app phones have it — AT&T’s iPhone gets it on Feb. 13 — but Apple’s execution is especially nice. For example, the hot spot shuts itself off 90 seconds after the last laptop disconnects. That’s hugely important, because these personal hot spot features are merciless battery drains.
This isn’t a good sign if you are looking to get your hands on a Verizon iPhone. Verizon is urging its employees to hold off on buying iPhones until its customers’ demand is met. That means that they anticipate selling a whole lot more than they have initially. Via TiPB
One big question about the Verizon iPhone that neither company is answering is whether it will be updated to a new iPhone 5 model when the AT&T model is updated. Such updates typically have occurred in June or July, which could make people who buy a Verizon iPhone now resentful that their new phone was bested so soon. Of course, Verizon customers who wait might be resentful if their version of the iPhone isn’t upgraded at the same time as AT&T’s.
Here they come. We’ve spotted our first Verizon iPhone review. MG Siegler, professed AT&T h8r is up first with his glowing review of Verizon’s network. No big surprises here, unless you live in NYC or San Francisco…or don’t have a flair for dramatics.
Yesterday, I made a 45-minute phone call from my office.
This seemingly unremarkable statement is remarkable for two reasons. First, I was able to place a call from my office — something which was impossible for me to do a week prior. Second, I made it through the entire 45-minutes without the call being dropped once. Again, this was impossible a week prior.
Some Fun facts:
AT&T is still faster at data – when there is a connection
The Hotspot feature runs down the battery in about 4 hours (tested twice)
There are fewer international (hint that this ain’t going international?) government electronics symbols on the back making it look even cleaner (see image above)
After a couple of days of use, the fear that normally sets in about five minutes into a connected call with an AT&T iPhone all but disappeared, and we found ourselves wanting to have longer talks and not worrying so much about the potential for dropped and interrupted calls.
The fear!…and
When using data on 3G, calls take precedent, but if you’re in Verizon’s 2G territory and using data, your call will go to voicemail. Another thing to consider is how Verizon’s network handles multiple calls. You can add up to two people to a call, but after that, everyone gets shot to voicemail, unlike the AT&T phone, where the numbers go way beyond that.
Remember that iPad 2 screen from yesterday? Some of you were after some more details. We had iPhone repair specialists at iFixyouri.com measure up the iPad 2 display in their office and compare it to the current repair part. Here are the results:
iPad 1 display : Weight: 153.2 grams. Length: 20.1 cm x 15.2 cm
iPad 2 display: Weight: 143.9 grams Length:20.1 cm x 15.2 cm
So 10 grams lighter and a mm thinner from before. Let’s see what Jony Ive can do with that? Expand Expanding Close
From a press release today, AT&T has said they will add 2GB of data to customers tethering plans on Feb 13th because of their new hotspot offer (Android only atm-wtf?!) offers more data. Still, if you are tetherin’ with your iPhone, and extra 2GB of data doesn’t hurt. You know what else doesn’t hurt? Competition from Verizon!
2 GB of data added to tethering plans: In addition, also on February 13th, to bring AT&T’s smartphone tethering plan in line with the AT&T Mobile Hotspot offer, AT&T will automatically add the additional 2GB of monthly data usage to smartphone customers already on a tethering plan – at no extra charge. Customers will incur the same $20 monthly fee they’re accustomed to paying, only now they’ll receive an extra 2GB of data each month that can be used among all devices. (Customers will receive a text message from AT&T – as soon as February 13 – once the additional 2GB has been auto-added to their plan.)
Does that mean you can start overing your monthly allowance now? We wouldn’t try anything funny.
Best Buy today announced that the iPhone 4 from Apple on the Verizon Wireless network will be available in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores across the country beginning Feb. 10, the first day the device is available to the public.
“The iPhone 4 is an important device for Best Buy and we are excited to help Apple and Verizon Wireless bring it to even more consumers,” said Shawn Score, president of Best Buy Mobile. “Our customers have come to expect Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores to carry the best selection of mobile phones anywhere, and offering the iPhone 4 on Verizon’s network is our latest effort to deliver on that promise.”
The iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless retails for $199 for 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model with a new or qualified upgrade with two-year agreement.
We’re not so sure we understand why anyone would buy this but here’s the link. Was anyone else as underwhelmed as we were? We miss our reality distortion :( (we’re not the only ones!)
Greg Claymen has just tweeted that the Daily announcement will be livestreamed. I’m glad I didn’t get invited :D and have to sit around in freezing rain at this point (suckers!)
