Apple, hoping to get its millions of iTunes users into the HD TV show format is offering up a free selection of HD content for iTunes 8 users. C|Net put together a helpful list for us:
Oh, and when we say "us", we mean US users….sorry…
Why are you still reading this? Go grab them before they are taken down!
Shhh! Keep it quiet, but it looks like BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion is quietly weaving together a strategy designed to help it in its digital media-driven battle for market share with Apple’s iPhone.
Strike one: News emerged today that RIM is climbing in with TiVo, developing software for the BlackBerry that could vastly improve the way the device links up with video content. The first jointly-developed software app should ship this year.
Initially, BlackBerry smartphone users will gain the convenience of being able to discover what shows are on and schedule television recordings while away from the living room and on the go. "Future collaboration between the companies will focus on software applications that further simplify mobile access to video content," the partners said, leading to speculation BlackBerry users will be able to stream video from their TiVo to their handheld.
It’s a battle on Apple’s home turf, bestowing improved media access and playback features on RIM’s device. It’s a strategic move, said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO of Research In Motion. "As the BlackBerry smartphone continues its evolution as a modern lifestyle device, the importance of home entertainment integration will continue to grow and TiVo will be the key in providing consumers with greater flexibility in accessing television content."
Tom Rogers, CEO and President of TiVo Inc. "RIM and TiVo share a commitment to great user experiences, which cause our products to become seamlessly integrated into the consumer’s lifestyle. We also share a vision for the future of mobile entertainment services and we look forward to a variety of future innovations as a result of this relationship."
Strike Two: RIM has also made a move to team with Ticketmaster, Billboard revealed this morning. Under this new deal, BlackBerry has become the official smartphone for Ticketmaster, and users of the device will be able to buy tickets from the booking service in the US, Canada and UK using software that’s being jointly-developed by RIM and Ticketmaster.
"Our new agreement with RIM ushers in the next generation of lifestyle innovation designed to conveniently connect fans to live entertainment," Ticketmaster CEO Sean Moriarty said in a statement.
Also this week, RIM debuted its all new Pearl Flip device at the CTIA show. This looks and acts like the standard Blackberry Pearl, but has a flip-down cover for the screen, WiFi, mobile streaming, video recording and other features and will be made available on T-Mobile in the US.
RIM really has no choice. Even as Apple continues to improve its iPhone offering to the enterprise, the BlackBerry maker must strive to strengthen its move toward becoming a more consumer-friendly device.
With reports suggesting that the iPhone 3G is the fastest selling phone for both AT&T in the States and O2 in the UK, it’s no surprise that its sales are taking customers away from other smartphones including the BlackBerry Curve, Samsung Blackjack 2, Palm Centro, and BlackBerry Pearl.
But RIM has more to concern itself with than Apple – the company is also facing renewed vigour from competitors, Nokia and Microsoft, who have clearly announced a plan to go up against the Canadian company.
Nokia and Microsoft this week announced a deal that brings Exchange support to nearly all of Nokia’s smartphones. Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia’s executive vice president for markets, told BusinessWeek that the deal is “absolutely” aimed at RIM and its BlackBerry handsets and software.
As Mobile Today observed yesterday, achieving a 5 per cent share of the smartphone market means you’ve made it in the mobile industry – and Apple seems set to exceed this notional target.
"The first sales figures obtained by Mobile for the 3G iPhone reveal that Apple is on course to breeze by this milestone. Its sales have consistently hovered at around 4-7% of the market. What is amazing about this feat is that it has been achieved on the back of a single product, sold at a premium price on terms dictated by the manufacturer," editor-in-chief, David Nunn observed.
Changewave director of research David Carton has also noted RIM’s plans to counter the Apple offensive. "RIM isn’t taking the Apple 3G challenge lying down," Carton notes. "The Canadian manufacturer has multiple plans in motion to counter Apple’s momentum among consumers, including an already announced new product release (the Bold) and two likely additional product releases (the Thunder and Kickstart)."
And while RIM could be seen as isolated with Apple on the one side, and other competitors on the other, one thing the BlackBerry family shares with the iPhone is product loyalty – so Nokia and Microsoft may in the end find themselves sharing a shrinking bed.
"The Apple iPhone has captured the hearts and minds of its user base, and so has the RIM BlackBerry," Carton said. "Fortunately for both, the global consumer and enterprise smart phone markets are big enough to support both Apple and RIM – it’s the other cell phone manufacturers that look like the real losers."
The question is – will RIM’s move to make its device more consumer multimedia friendly help it retain its Q2 2008 US 46 percent marketshare? And will Apple’s iPhone sales remain strong in the months ahead?
In related news: Google today announced its free Google Mobile App for BlackBerry.
Visit http://www.tonchidot.com/ for more information…
This chip didn’t just fall into the device – there are plenty of stand alone 802.11 chips on the market. While it is thought that this chip might be used for Nike+ which uses a special ANT PAN, it has capabilities to do so much more. It looks like Apple could have some plans for Bluetooth on the touch. What do you think this means for the future of the iPod touch? Will you be able to tether to another phone? Will Apple even open it up for use? How about wireless syncing?
Bonus: Oh, yeah the chip also supports an FM radio reciever. My oh my!
This particular bluetooth chipset supports BT2.1+EDR. No word yet on whether the one Apple included supports A2DP, which would enable stereo headphones.
Part numbers: BCM4325GKWBG CD0825 B76332 P40 SF
via Giz
There is nothing I love more than Apple rumors. So, in that respect, I have some great news for everyone. One of our tipsters has a bit of a riddle for us.
S/he says that the MacBook update event in a few weeks (you know the one with the glass trackpads) is ‘all about the Brick’. What does "The Brick" mean? Can anyone out there help us out? This is one of those tipsters that has a solid track record so we want to go along for the ride.
Maybe we can figure out this riddle together?
Update: John Gruber from Daring Fireball says the announcement will occur October 14th
..those of you holding out for a new lineup of MacBooks will have to wait until October 14, according to sources who, as they say, are familiar with Apple’s hardware plans.
Update: Clue number 2
Full coverage of the Apple MacBook Series updates here:
MacBook Pro
MacBook
MacBook Air
Once again, we thought our readers may take an interest in the latest post-event client bulletin from American Technology analyst, Shaw Wu.
While he maintains Apple is a stock to buy with a $220 value, Wu seems a little unsure on Apple’s announcements, saying, “while we are pleased to see lower pricing, we are concerned that price points may remain too high given the tough macroeconomic environment and relative to the 3G iPhone at $199 and $299.”
Without further ado, here’s Wu’s message to clients, in full:
"Yesterday (09/09/08), at AAPL’s "Let’s Rock" special event, Steve Jobs announced new iPods with lower price points and a renewed content partnership with NBC.
New iPod nano Pretty Much As Expected.
While we find the new fourth generation iPod nanos impressive with 9 bold colors and an accelerometer, the refresh is arguably moderate, similar to its earlier 1G and 2G designs. We find the $50 price cut to $149 and $199 for 8 GB and 16 GB models positive and believe it should help make this an attractive holiday item.
Price Cut On iPod Touch Nice, But May Not Be Enough.
As expected, the new second generation iPod touch has a slimmer form factor with lower price points of $229, $299, and $399, respectively (from $299, $399, and $499) for its 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB models. While we are pleased to see lower pricing, we are concerned that price points may remain too high given the tough macroeconomic environment and relative to the 3G iPhone at $199 and $299.
Minor iPod Classic And Shuffle Updates.
Other minor updates Steve didn’t mention in his keynote include consolidation of its iPod classic to one price point ($249) with two colors, and new colors (but no price cut) for its iPod shuffle.
No Material Change In Build Plans.
From our supply chain checks, we have not picked up a material change in iPod build plans. At this point, we remain comfortable with our forecast of 11 million iPods for the September quarter and 24 million for the December quarter.
Conclusion:
While AAPL shares will likely remain volatile given market sentiment, we view current levels as a buying opportunity for longer-term investors. AAPL remains one of the best positioned large-cap technology companies. We see upside to $220 based on 32.5x our CY09 EPS of $6.73.
Favorable Component Pricing Trends Should Help Offset Lower Price Points:
We believe continued favorable component pricing trends, particularly in NAND flash and memory, as well as less upward pressure on commodities and plastics should allow AAPL to absorb these iPod lower price points without impacting its margins materially. Arguably there could be room for upside given the lack of pricing change for the iPod shuffle.
Renewed Content Partnership with NBC:
AAPL also announced that NBC Universal content will return to its iTunes store including programming from NBC, USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, Sleuth and NBC News. We view this as a positive that demonstrates AAPL’s market power and ability to negotiate deals. Hit shows include “Heroes”, “The Office”, “Battlestar Galactica”, and “30 Rock”.
New Macs Likely At A Later Event:
We continue to believe that MacBook Pro and MacBook are due for refreshes with more radical redesigns, likely at a special event later this fall. In addition, we are picking up that MacBook Air could see a minor refresh and potential price cut to increase its value proposition as build plans have slowed from earlier robust levels as customers have opted for MacBook or MacBook Pro instead.
Competitive Advantages Intact:
We believe AAPL’s key competitive advantages remain its 1) strong brand loyal customer base; 2) vertically and horizontally integrated hardware, software and service model (iPod + iTunes, Mac, Apple TV, and iPhone); 3) proprietary interface technologies (clickwheel and multi-touch); and 4) unique and pleasant customer experience with its Apple stores.
Macro headwinds are becoming more apparent:
We continue to see AAPL as the best play on digital media in the home and a large beneficiary of the shift to mobile computing. In two of its three big franchises, Mac and iPhone, penetration is very low and starting in the higher-income demographics. The disturbance in the macroeconomic environment is within lower-income demographics and financial institutions with exposure and impact to overall liquidity. This could certainly spread, but we believe AAPL’s business will remain strong in the near- to medium-term. Enough high-end consumers are still buying tech, though commodities inflation could pressure future margins."
David Nunn has a nice little op ed piece today in Mobile Magazine which lays out Apple’s high level strategy going into the mobile handset arena. The numbers he quotes are quite impressive.
The first sales figures obtained by Mobile for the 3G iPhone reveal that Apple is on course to breeze by this milestone. Its sales have consistently hovered at around 4-7% of the market. What is amazing about this feat is that it has been achieved on the back of a single product, sold at a premium price on terms dictated by the manufacturer. In contrast, the likes of LG climbed up through the second division of handset manufacturers by cheap 3G handsets to the whim of operators (namely 3). It then graduated to the top tier by turning cartwheels to produce one eye-catching designer product after another.
But the interesting thing is the comparison between Apple and out-matched military commanders who see a weakeness and exploit it.
Great military commanders in history, such as Nelson or Napoleon, were masters at winning battles against larger enemies. Their technique was to mass small forces at a single point where the enemy was weak, to create an overwhelming advantage that would force a breakthrough. That’s pretty much what the polo-neck brigade at Apple has achieved.
Good analagy except it is the ‘mock turtle neck brigade’.
While the iPod has become a mature product and Apple and the world’s attention has shifted to the iPhone and iPod touch, the product range seems set to attract 20 million Windows switchers in the next 12 months, said Needham & Co. analyst, Charlie Wolf, this afternoon.
"We estimate that 20 million or more Windows users will join the iPod nation annually over the next few years and potentially fall under the sway of the iPod halo effect, which is great for Mac sales," he said.
What’s also behind the reduced impact of the current crop of music players is a change in the market dynamic, Wolf also observed, as reported by Distorted Loop: "…The importance of the iPod in Apple’s product portfolio has definitely taken a back seat to the iPhone, which is targeting a market that’s 20 times larger than the music player market," he said.
Wolf also explained that in his opinion the two "most important aspects of Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event in San Francisco were Steve Jobs’ health and a software update for the iPhone."
Wolf reckons that the market will take a little reassurance from Jobs’ dynamic on-stage energy yesterday, and also pointed out that the iPhone 2.1 software update that’s set to ship later this week is an extremely important move, designed to eradicate criticism of the product for, "dropped calls, poor battery life and crashes…it was crucial that Apple address these problems."
Wolf, who maintains a strong buy rating and a $240 target price on AAPL stock, added, "The iPod continues to gain share in markets abroad, most notably in Europe, where iPod sales dramatically lagged those in the US, and in China and other countries in the Asia Pacific region."
Apple CEO Steve Jobs took a moment to let the world know he really isn’t dead during his ‘Let’s Rock’ keynote last night.
The health of the Apple boss has been in the spotlight for months, with some analysts, investors and media outlets attempting to force the company to issue some kind of statement on the health of America’s most disruptive business leader.
Editors note: We’ve heard from a number of unconfirmed sources (and a friend who is into this sort of thing who is totally sure) that Jobs is a recent follower of Calorie Restriction dieting. The main goal of calorie restriction is to lower metabolism and increase longevity. This kind of "thinking out of the box" diet/medicine is par for the course with Jobs who has a long history of living outside of the norms. Again, this is just something we’ve been told – we have nothing to back it up.
Now it looks like some of the speculation – based entirely on a fairly standard pattern of weight loss following life-saving treatment for pancreatic cancer – may be being spread about by unscrupulous investors.
Apple has only said the health of the company’s boss is a private matter, and declined to offer much in the way of a statement, other than accepting he was a little unwell during his WWDC appearance.
Peter Oppenheimer recently dismissed any notion the CEO is unwell, saying instead that Jobs loves Apple and has no plans to leave.
And Jobs took time out from his schedule to offer a now-famous off-record confirmation of his hale heartiness with New York Times writer, Joe Nocera.
"This is Steve Jobs,” he began. “You think I’m an arrogant [expletive] who thinks he’s above the law, and I think you’re a slime bucket who gets most of his facts wrong.”
"While his health problems amounted to a good deal more than “a common bug,” they weren’t life-threatening and he doesn’t have a recurrence of cancer," Nocera then wrote.
In an interview after last night’s event with CNBC, Jobs joked that he was underweight, but said there was little more he could do to reassure investors about his health. "I’m doing fine really," he said, adding that he could "stand to gain 10 or 15 pounds."
However, his real invective was off-camera, with CNBC’s Jim Goldman explaining that Jobs attributed his health scare rumors to "unnamed hedge funds" that were shorting Apple stock.
Jobs told him "there is only so much I can do to reassure investors" and that he is "doing just fine" and is "healthy."
Bloomberg News erroneously published Jobs’ obituary on August 28.
Apple, its officers and directors, including Apple CEO Steve Jobs, have reached a $14 million deal to settle a stock options backdating case against the company.
Apple has agreed to pay $7.3 million in legal fees and $300,000 to plaintiffs in the federal actions, alongside $1.2 million in legal fees and an additional $50,000 in expenses to the plaintiffs.
The company has also agreed to "certain corporate governance changes," Legal Week informs.
The settlement isn’t finalised yet – a judge has given preliminary approval and has declared a final settlement hearing on 31 October.
The plaintiffs said the deal: "Provides an excellent monetary recovery." They say they agreed to the settlement – despite believing their case had merit – because the cost of continuing litigation was so high.
The deal ends 14 derivative federal actions and five state derivative suits brought against Apple, which has accepted no liability.
Just heard from an Apple insider about this game, Touchgrind. "This is going to be huge," our source enthused.
We think it looks promising…you are the skateboarder, your fingers are your legs – you got to flip, skip and jump to get the high score – check the clip and a little more about the game straight after…
"Illusion Labs brings you the world’s first true multi-touch game for the iPhone. The board is controlled by using finger gestures similar to the legs and feet of a real skater.
"The dynamic and innovative controls together with the game being built on a high quality physics engine gives the players a high degree of freedom to come up with their own tricks."
You also get your own level editor, so you can share your own tracks – game ships in October. We think it’s kind of cool.
Apple’s European chief, Pascal Cagni, last night proudly reiterated (yes the news is 2 months old) that giant German publisher, Axel Springer, plans to move all of its 10,000 employees to the Mac across the next two to three years.
In this rerun, the giant German publisher’s CEO, Dr. Mathias Döpfner, explains the decision to switch to Mac – though it is in German.
We think what he says here goes as follows: – Most of the company’s layout work was already being done on Macs – Macs are more user friendly than other computers – Apple creates the most elegant computers – Macs are cheaper to buy and easier to maintain than they were in the past.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaWTaXKljqM&hl=en&fs=1]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgj89kNa_PY&hl=en&fs=1]
Been hitting the check for update button since the keynote ended…waiting for that juicy Touch 2.1 update that Stevo promised TODAY? Wait no longer, move to the front of the line.
We are like 90% sure this is the legit 2.1 version that Apple wants to release as soon as there is some bandwidth left over from us fanboys watching all of the new videos.
Once you download the file you have to do an option restore and choose the file to restore it to your iPod.
See it works right?
.png)
Lost amid the rainbow colors and stainless steel iPod Touches is the fact that all of the new iPods have Audio-in. While this is nifty on a Nano (record notes?), it is downright intriguing for the Touch.
The first thing that obviously comes to mind is the Voice over IP possibilities. Truphone(iTunes link), the Voice over IP application that was originally made for iPhone *should* work for iPod Touch 2G. Cool.
But this leaves a lot more interesting gaming possibilities as well. Specifically, will MMORPG games and such that use audio to communicate incorporate these features?
These are exciting times to be an iPod developer… or user!
Hot off of the presses..
You see? Our source told us rainbow Nanos and double sized flash storage..We were too dumb to understand that the rainbows were the whole line, not on one single device. A case of the game of operator. Shame on us..
Here we go again – Apple’s online store is down once again…its comin’…
There’s just a few hours left until Apple reveals the real deal at its special event in San Francisco today, but a new meme of speculation has emerged – that Apple’s “one more thing” may well be an all-new version of the Apple TV.
And even if this particular speculation proves incorrect, we think the commentator has come up with some compelling suggestions and effective reasons for Apple to make such a move – there’s money in it…
Peter S. Magnusson, founder of Virtutech, has gone on the record to predict the introduction of Apple TV 3.0 at today’s event – and his predictions make good reading, even as a simple list..
Apple TV 3.0 – a simple list
– Blu-Ray support
– Time Capsule functionality
– Keyboard support
– Support for iPod touch and iPhone as remotes
– Digital TV tuner
– Up to 1TB hard drive
– Built-in Safari browser
– More video codec support…
There are all quite tantalising – we particularly like the idea that we may be able to kick back with a keyboard and surf the web using an Apple TV and, erm, a TV..
We hope that at least some of the new features can be easily introduced via a Software Update for owners of older model Apple TVs.
One of the reasons Magnusson thinks Apple will reveal a new Apple TV is that in Feb. 2009 all analogue TV broadcasts in the US will cease, with 22 million (and maybe more) US households being offered two $40 coupons toward the cost of a set-top box to receive digital signals…
Can Apple afford to ignore the opportunity to seize a slice of the $1.6 billion (of government cash) that will be circulating in the US digital set top box business in the months ahead? Particularly given economic recession tends to drive people to become more home-based, gathering together around the TV until things improve.
Hey everyone, we’ve set up our 9to5Mac livepanel again for those of you with substantial monitors who want to view all of the liveblogs at once. Yes, it is decidedly low-tech frames but you can’t get information into your head any faster unless you are at the show itself.