Apple

Some may recall Unilever to be one of the big brand names to first jump onto the iAds mobile ads bandwagone way back in June, now Europe’s about to see the first Unilever iAds make their appearance as Apple’s ad system hits Europes this month — and the ads will feature the “Lynx effect”.

Unilever is launching a new campaign for Lynx’s Excite range, with a major push through Apple’s iAds, as part of a £8.3m marketing spend. The “Falling Angels” campaign launches next week and will be supported by print, TV, digital and other activity.
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We’ve come across an interesting Apple job listing today noting the different operating systems which power Apple’s North Carolina data center. The most interesting system mentioned is Mac OS X. With Xserves on the way out is Apple really stacking the place up with Mac Pro/Mac Mini server machines?  Not bloody likely!

Our data center environment consists of Mac OS X, IBM/AIX, Sun/Solaris, and Linux systems.  Though this position is focused primarily on Red Hat Linux and Oracle Enterprise Linux, you should also understand SAN, RAID, file system, and IP networking technology.

So the question is: Is Mac OS X running on Macs (old Xserves?) or is it running virtualized on data center hardware? We’d heard some rumblings of such a virtualized Mac OSX running on vSphere a few months ago.  Such a setup would make sense in this situation.

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At 4:12 ET today Apple updated its AppleTV firmware.  It should be hitting devices shortly or can be downloaded for fun below.  There is no update list as of yet.

Update: According to Apple’s release notes the update resolves an issue regarding 480p playback as well as a video re-downloading issue.

Feature	Summary
TV resolution fix	Addresses an issue that causes some high-definition TVs to incorrectly display at 480p.
Download fix	Addresses an issue that may cause a movie or TV show to be re-downloaded.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQg046aoV9Y&w=640&h=390]

For those of us who still use a Mac Mini (or other Mac) as a MediaCenter connected to our TVs, today’s hack from Erica Sadun is a blessing.  She created a Mac Application that can catch Airplay from iOS devices and output the video on the screen.  For all intents, AirPlayer lets your Mac do what an AppleTV does naturally.

You can download the Macintosh Application, called AirPlayer.app here.

The interesting question is: Does Apple want us doing this?  They make much more money selling Minis (and other Macs) than they do on AppleTV units.  However, it would seem easy enough for Apple to include this type of Application with Mac OSX.  So why does Sadun have to build it instead?  Are we in for another cat and mouse chase?

(update: it is a .01 release and we did have some trouble getting it to work with a YouTube video over wifi)
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4yApx5zyCk&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3]

OK, we’re excited to see this, even if it is just an ad.  Adage says that it is the only iAd we’ll see on iPad this year.  Next year we’ll see plenty more.   On iAds, digital agencies are gushing about the quality even if it takes a lot of time and effort to bring the ads to fruition.

“I think as a media format it has the potential to surpass anything that has come before,” said Carrie Frolich, digital director at WPP unit MEC Global, which bought iAd inventory for Citi, AT&T, Chanel and Campbell Soup. “It delivers all the emotive qualities of television or video advertising with the interactivity of a website, plus the functionality of location and all the bells and whistles of Apple devices like the accelerometer.”

More from Adage:
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I can’t wait until my iPod touch/Mifi  is my only phone. This is another step in that direction.

Google today announced Google Voice for iPad and iPod touch as well as some significant updates.  No VoIP gateway yet, but you know it is coming.

What’s New in Version 1.1.0.636

* Support for iPod Touch
* iPod Touch and iPhone can now make calls using Click2Call
* Do Not Disturb setting
* Text forwarding is automatically disabled when registering for Push notifications
* Added Text forwarding setting to the app
* Easier to make calls from the phone Address Book
* Removed annoying OK dialog every time you send an SMS
* Fixed crashes caused by text messages that begin with a space character
* Fixed bug that caused the entire Inbox to load
* Fixed bug that caused Contact pictures to get mixed up
* Improved access to Contact groups
* Improved speed of Contact search

The Google Voice app is available to download from the Apple App Store today. You’ll need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with iOS 3.1 or later and a valid Google Voice account to use the app. At this time, Google Voice is available in the U.S. only.
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COMPUTERWORLD: If you thought Apple had a busy year in 2010, expect even more in 2011, when at least one analyst is expecting significant acquisitions, a move into 3D, the introduction of its connected TV set and the emergence of multi-core processors in the iPhone and other mobile devices.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZNxjBKI0fI&w=640&h=390]

If you are the adventurous type and want 4G wireless (and it is available in your place of residence), you now have a few more options, thanks to your friendly neighborhood hackerz.

If 4G WiMAX from Sprint is what your are after, you can pick up the Clear iSpot for $100 and connect all of your (up to 8 ) iOS devices to it for $25/month (deal!).  However a simple hack allows you to take it a bit further and connect those bandwidth-heavy Macs (and PCs and Androids and Linux if you are into that sort of thing) to your $25/month iSpot.  The hack releases the MAC address restrictions which ironically include the latest batch of iPads…yes that’s right, it will only work as intended if hacked.  Be warned however that Sprint could take it all away with an over the air update to their little iSpot…unless you are savvy enough to change your Mac MAC address.

If, for whatever reason, you were after Verizon’s USB 4G Wireless service on your Macs, you are officially out of luck.  However, a hack developed within the gardens of Howard Forums allows one of the two USB Modems (Pantech) to work on the Mac.  Verizon is said to be working on an official Mac version of the drivers for both modems so this would just be a holdover until the better drivers/setup come along.

Now, is anyone thinking about replacing their Broadband connection with 4G Wireless?
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En7cdBhlrGU&w=640&h=385]

(I checked the date.  It says today.)  The NYTimes says that Microsoft is going to announce some iPad competin’ Slates at CES:

Next month, at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft will present a slew of new slates that it hopes will offer some competition to the Apple iPad, which has quickly become the leader in this market.

According to people familiar with Microsoft’s plans, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, is expected to  announce a number of these devices when he takes the stage at C.E.S., showcasing devices built by Samsung and Dell, among a number of other manufacturing partners.

This apparently has been an anual event since 2000.
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Look, we want the most awesome iPhone available to be on Verizon’s network ASAP.  But the rumor today about the 4G iPhone waiting in stockpiles isn’t realistic at all.

Remember how Apple’s original iPhone was EDGE at a time when most new phones were coming out with the new 3G technology?  The reasons: Cost, complexity, size, battery life and benefit to the user.

Every single one of those factors also applies to 4G.  The chips aren’t mature, the network is just being rolled out, and the battery life will take a hit.  Have you seen how long an EVO 4G battery lasts with 4G on?  How big it is?

Besides, one of the big benefits of 4G is use as a hotspot, something no un-jailbroken iPhone can do yet.

So iPhone 4G?  Yes!  January?  No.
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We already know that Xserves will be officially discontinued come January 31st and today Apple already started the process. They’ve removed the SSD option from custom ordered Xserves. The option is still listed on Apple’s Xserve promotional literature, but is gone as a configurable option. A 9to5mac reader contacted Apple business representatives and they reportedly don’t know the reason for the change either.

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Reuters reports that Apple and Toshiba are working together on a plant to make displays for iOS devices.

Toshiba Corp will spend about 100 billion yen ($1.19 billion) to build a factory for making small LCD panels, mainly to supply to Apple Inc’s iPhones, the Nikkei business daily said.The company’s wholly owned unit, Toshiba Mobile Display Co, will construct the facility in Ishikawa prefecture and the plant will churn out low-temperature polysilicon LCD panels, which allow for high-resolution images, the paper said.Work on the plant will start by early next year, with the production due to begin in the second half of 2011, Nikkei said.Toshiba Mobile Display already makes low-temperature polysilicon LCD panels at a facility in the prefecture and its monthly production capacity of 8.55 million units is projected to more than double with the new factory, the daily said.  Apple will invest in a portion of the investment for the factory, the Nikkei said.

What’s interesting is that current LCD display leaders from Korea,Samsung and LG (maker of the Retina Display), are not only competing with Apple but also selling products that go into Apple products to others.  For instance, Apple CEO Steve Jobs told the WWDC audience that he thought that Apple would have the lead in displays for years with the Retina, yet Sharp and other manufacturers released Android devices with the same LG display within months of the iPhone.  LG also had a display deal with Apple and gave Apple a few month head start on those awesome 27″ panels before giving them to Dell as well.

Samsung, who make the A4 CPU and RAM for Apple’s iOS products, has been severely constrained with its high end Super-AMOLED display that powers its Galaxy S phones.  Those phones have been the primary high-end Android competition for the iPhone.

Perhaps Apple is trying to move away from doing business with its hardware competitors.

The bad news in this regard is that Toshiba also has just started to make Android devices.

Asymco has an interesting report today in which analyst Horace Dediu argues that Verizon may need the iPhone more than its letting on, and suggests Google Android may not be as big a business as many think it to be.

To be fair, while Dediu makes a good argument for his points, critics are already pointing out that they are based on data which may not be 100 per cent accurate, and that Verizon’s best month was in August, two months after iPhone 4 shipped. (Though it was only a slightly better month on back of hype around new product from Samsung).

We’ve had an update from the sources of the orginal data, which is posted at the foot of this article:

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Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s patent trolling lawsuit filed against Apple, Facebook, Google, YouTube and others has been dismissed by the courts.

“Plaintiff has failed to identify the infringing products or devices with any specificity,” wrote U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman in her order to dismiss. “The Court and Defendants are left to guess what devices infringe on the four patents.

Allen was claiming that the companies had violated four patents developed by Internal Research (a research firm he funded).
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Apple has just added Best Buy’s online store as another channel for iPad sales. Prior to today, customers were only able to purchase iPads at BestBuy.com as reservations for retail pickup. Now, all six models of iPad are available for purchase with free shipping in the US. The current shipping time from BestBuy.com is 6-10 business days with guaranteed delivery before Christmas for the WiFi-only models. BestBuy.com is now the third online store to sell the iPad with a brief stint at Amazon being the first and Verizon being second. Oh, and BestBuy.com charges $0.99 more than Apple – Dealbreaker?!

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Playlists allow you to share or create playlists with friends.  OK. (Thanks D. Jolesch!)

Check out how, below:

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Apple has been looking for CDMA engineers since 2008 (not since yesterday!) but Apple has just started looking for Verizon iPad engineers in New York this week.  Aren’t Verizon iPads just Wifi iPads with Mifis – there isn’t any special skills that are required by Verizon are there?  Why is there a need for a special ‘Verizon version’?

Certainly Verizon’s business customers need SE help with the iPad that Verizon sells now.  However, Apple is likely engineering up for April as well.

Apple is building a version of the iPad 2 that will work on Verizon’s wireless network either in conjunction with GSM networks with a Gobi-like Chip (just like the Google ChomeOS CR-48) or as a seperate product/version.

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Word is coming in from Europe that Apple is forcing users with under eight characters and without both a number and a letter to reset their passwords today.  The mandate is an invisible one and some users who don’t meet the criteria are just getting empty login failures.  The fix is easy.  Just head over to the MobileMe and reset your password to one with the appropriate strength.

IMAP Mail and other native applications will not have been affected.

In a possibly related note (and/or some unfortunate timing), Apple Discussion Forums are down for some. If you look at the iPhone forums for example, you’ll see no posts after about 1 AM this morning. (image below)
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COMPUTERWORLD: Fresh research from the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) offers us a few insights into the behavior of iPad users, suggesting the device may well diminish newspaper print sales in future. Overnight reports also confirm weve been on track with our predictions for the iPad 2.0, which, it appears, will indeed host cameras front and rear.

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Apple’s iPhone and iPad supply partner, Foxconn, this morning claimed its China workforce now exceeds one million workers — and the company continues to expand. A huge recruitment drive is taking place as the company rushes to build numbers to meet anticipated heavy demand for products to serve the Christmas market, a report claims.

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Apple is deadly serious with its App-driven vision for life in the clouds, with a new patent application describing its new way to share and buy apps from the cloud.

Published today and spotted by Patently Apple the application reveals the concepts behind the Apple vision, whch essentially allows users to share apps on their phones — say you were impressed the first time you saw Angry Birds, for example.
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