Tech Industry

4,149 'Tech Industry' stories June 2007 - March 2013

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Tech Industry

Canon introduces world’s smallest and lightest Rebel SL1 — available in April starting at $799.99

Élyse Betters Mar 21 2013 - 7:55 am PT

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From 9to5Toys.com:

Canon, the Japanese company behind all-things imaging and optical, unveiled a bevy of new cameras on Thursday.

Canon notably manufactures compact digital cameras, as well as film SLR and digital SLR cameras, and now it has bulked its impressive lineup with the new EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera, EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR, and PowerShot SX280 HS Digital Camera.

The Rebel SL1 is the most noteworthy addition. Touted as the “World’s Smallest and Lightest DSLR Camera,” and in fact SL stands for “super lightweight,” the camera weighs just 14 ounces. Despite its smaller size, the SL1 carries a standard kit EF-S 18-55mm IS STM optic EOS lens, 3-inch Clear View LCD monitor with two-finger touch gesture support, 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, and DIGIC 5 image processor that allows up to four FPS.

The camera also offers an ISO range of 100-12800 for photos and ISO-6400 for video, as well as handles 1080p video at 34 or 30 FPS, and it features a built-in mono mic and stereo input jack.

The EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera will become available in April at $649.99 for the body or $799.99 bundled with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens, but it is available for pre-order at B&H now.

For more information on the EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera Canon, as well as the EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR for easy video capture and PowerShot SX280 HS with built-in Wi-Fi, see 9to5Toys.

: PowerShot SX280 HS Digital Camera

: EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR Camera

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Tech Industry

Will the looming $99 tablets threaten iPad market and margins?

Ben Lovejoy Mar 20 2013 - 9:03 am PT

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It sounds like 2013 might be the year of the $99 7-inch tablet with Google and now Amazon rumored to be putting low-cost devices together.

Will this threaten Apple’s market and margins? So far, the company has remained relatively immune to the influx of cheaper tablets, just as MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs have been largely unaffected by the mass of cheap Windows laptops. But, as CEO Tim Cook has himself said, if Apple doesn’t cannibalize its own market, someone else will. A decent $99 tablet will pull down prices of better-specced ones, and no brand —not even one with the halo effect enjoyed by Apple— can remain immune to market forces forever.

Update: Amazon has told BusinessInsider that it is not readying a $99 Kindle tablet: “It’s not happening–we are already at the lowest price points possible for that hardware.”

Smartwatch race is on as Samsung confirms it’s in the game

Ben Lovejoy Mar 19 2013 - 5:08 am PT

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Samsung has confirmed to Bloomberg the rumors that it’s working on a smartwatch to rival the widely-speculated Apple iWatch.

Known for being a ‘fast follower’, a company that, er, watches what others do and aims to quickly launch a competitive product, Samsung appears to be following Apple’s lead in revealing nothing at all about the device: no feature-list, no visuals, no price, no launch-date. Samsung’s executive vice president of mobile business Lee Young Hee said only: “We’ve been preparing the watch product for so long. We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them.” Thanks for that, Samsung.

The alleged screenshots that appeared last month on Slashgear suggested a 500×500-pixel touchscreen device running a new operating system supposedly named AltiusOS.

The smartwatch market is estimated to be worth $60 billion a year. Just to put that in perspective, that’s about 16 percent of the $358 billion handset market. Marshal Cohen, an analyst at NPD Group in Port Washington, told Bloomberg: “We’re going to see formidable competition coming from many different directions — from device makers, accessory makers, even fashion designers.”

Laurence Balter, chief investment strategist at Oracle Investment Research, said he believed Apple’s strategy should be to use the iWatch as an affordable entry into the Apple ecosystem, generating sales for its more expensive products. “If I were Apple, I’d strategically price the watch as low as possible to bring as many as possible into the ecosystem,” he said.

It’s expected that most smart watches will follow Pebble’s lead in making the device a Bluetooth accessory to a phone and not a standalone gadget, but there has been speculation that the iWatch will run iOS, potentially allowing it to perform useful functions without a link to an iPhone.

Hacker ‘Weev’ gets 41 months for exploiting AT&T vulnerability, exposing iPad records to publication

Seth Weintraub Mar 18 2013 - 9:18 am PT

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Andrew ‘weev’ Auernheimer was sentenced today for his role in the 2010 ‘hack’ of AT&T’s iPad database in which he and an accomplice brute forced a weakness in AT&T’s network to gain access to the names and other details of iPad owners on AT&T’s network. His security group, ‘Goatse’ (don’t Google it), then showed the information to Gawker. It published some of the more famous names in the records including entertainment stars, active duty Congressmen, and high-ranking military figures.

Auernheimer was charged by a Newark, N.J., grand jury with one count of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers and one count of identity theft in July of 2011.

In the initial search of Weev’s home, FBI agents also ‘discovered’ a cache of schedule 2 and 3 drugs including LSD, Ecstasy, and Cocaine.

Although he seems to be a particularly unsavory character, his case has drawn a lot of attention because of the contention “that he did not illegally access a private server and he wasn’t able to gain a list of user passwords — which was confirmed during testimony.”

Weev did a Reddit AMA last night, and his pre-sentencing NSFW video below.
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BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins says iPhone is old news

9to5 Staff Mar 18 2013 - 4:54 am PT

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.
“Clackedy-Clack”

The CEO of BlackBerry, whose market cap is around $7.7 billion at the time of this writing, had some nice words and some harsh words for the folks doing the innovating over at Apple. According to the Australian Financial Review, Thorsten Heins doesn’t think Apple has done much in the way of innovation since its original and revolutionary iPhone touch-design in 2007.

“Apple did a fantastic job in bringing touch devices to market … They did a fantastic job with the user interface, they are a design icon. There is a reason why they were so successful, and we actually have to admit this and respect that,” Mr Heins said.

“History repeats itself again I guess … the rate of innovation is so high in our industry that if you don’t innovate at that speed you can be replaced pretty quickly. The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about is now five years old.”

Mr Heins said one area that the new BlackBerry phones had surpassed the iPhone was in the ability to multi-task – running multiple apps at once – meaning that users could work in the same fashion on their smartphone as they liked to on a laptop.

Along with Samsung, other phone makers, like HTC and Nokia have also impressed industry watchers with the quality of their top-end smartphones, leading to questions about whether Apple needs to speed up its release cycle of new iPhones.

“The point is that you can never stand still. It is true for us as well. Launching BB10 just put us on the starting grid of the wider mobile computing grand prix, and now we need to win it,” Mr Heins said.

BlackBerry’s market share has collapsed in recent years and its hopes of survival are now pinned on the new BlackBerry 10 devices. With the $7.7 billion market valuation (much less than Apple’s quarterly profits), it doesn’t seem like investors are putting much faith in the new OS’s key differentiators that include multi-tasking of up to eight apps, BlackBerry Enterprise Server integration, and BlackBerry Messaging.

Reviews of the new BB10 phones have mostly been even-keeled to favorable, but most reviewers wonder if there is enough in the phones to turn the tide. With the new BB OS, IT integrators will face the question of whether to jump to the new OS or use one of the market leaders like iOS or Android.

As for tablets, Heins is taking a more measured approach by noting Apple’s iPad owns the space.

Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs told an analyst conference call that he viewed RIM [Blackberry] to be in Apple’s ‘rearview mirror’ in 2010.

THX sues Apple over iMac, iPhone and iPad narrow profile speaker design

9to5 Staff Mar 16 2013 - 11:00 am PT

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Images from Patent no. 7433483

Apple has found itself on the wrong side of another patent lawsuit. Lucasfilm-owned THX sued Apple yesterday over a claimed infringed patent relating to the speaker designs found on the new iMacs, iPhones, and iPads.

Patent no. 7433483, filed in 2008 by THX, protects “narrow profile sound systems” that shoot sound out a “narrow sound duct.” The exact patent description reads as follows:

A narrow profile speaker unit comprises at least one speaker outputting sound towards an internal surface and through a duct with an output terminus, such as a slot, having a narrow dimension, effectively changing the cross-section of the speaker’s audio output wave. A pair of speakers may face one another, outputting sound towards a common output slot. Multiple pairs of speakers may be used to form an inline speaker unit for increased sound output. A slotted speaker unit may include multiple speakers facing the same direction, towards a groundplane or reflecting surface, and having parallel apertures for allowing sound radiation. The speaker units may be integral with or attached to electronic appliances such as desktop computers or flatscreen devices, or may be used in automobiles or other contexts.

THX was founded in 1983 as a division of Lucasfilm and was re-booted in 2001 as an independent company. Apple and THX have never had friction in the past, and, just two months ago, THX released ‘THX tune-up’. It’s an app that allows you to adjust your “TV, projector and speakers” all from your iPhone or iPad.

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Samsung goes theatrical, launches Galaxy S4 with 5-inch 1080P, 441ppi display

Jordan Kahn Mar 14 2013 - 5:25 pm PT

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Following Apple’s Phil Schiller’s comments on the eve of the Galaxy S4 launch yesterday, Samsung has now finally unveiled the device at its launch event live in New York. While Schiller was quick to point out that the S4 was rumored to ship with an OS that’s almost a year old, Samsung announced today the S4 would launch with the latest Android 4.2.2 at the end of April on 327 carriers in 155 countries.

The device certainly sports some impressive specs (most of which were already rumored or confirmed in leaks), including a 5-inch Super AMOLED 1,920-by-1,080 display with 441 ppi. The S4 isn’t as thin as the iPhone 5 at 7.9MM thick, but it includes some other enticing specs compared to Apple’s latest offering, such as: a 13 megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, and up to 64GB onboard storage. WSJ compared the two devices specs for spec here. Samsung put on quite a Broadway-style, theatrical presentation, and you can get the blow-by-blow and photos from the event on 9to5Google here.

Yesterday, Apple Worldwide Marketing SVP Schiller gave interviews to several media outlets and pointed to issues with the Android platform. As DaringFireball called an “unforced error,” Schiller said that the Galaxy S4 would contain an old OS:

“And that extends to the news we are hearing this week that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is being rumored to ship with an OS that is nearly a year old,” he said. “Customers will have to wait to get an update.”

and

“When you take an Android device out of the box, you have to sign up to nine accounts with different vendors to get the experience iOS comes with,” he said. “They don’t work seamlessly together.”

As noted above, the S4 will come out with Android 2.2.2 (though it is unlikely it will be upgraded to the next OS as it is introduced in May).

Samsung also announced a number of new camera features, the addition of new sensors including temperature and humidity sensors, and new software features exclusive to the S4. Get all the details on 9to5Google.com
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FreedomPop now lets users roll over unused data from one month to the next

Jordan Kahn Mar 14 2013 - 2:37 pm PT

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Ahead of the company’s plans to roll out LTE service and a new iPad clip through Sprint’s network later this year, wireless provider FreedomPop announced today a new rollover data feature that allows users to keep their unused data from one month to the next. As to be expected from FreedomPop, the service will also let users share data with friends as part of its social broadband feature that it enhanced last month.

FreedomPop told us the new rollover data feature is now available to all users. It also said “30 percent of FreedomPop’s users have opted into this value-added service within the first 24 hours it’s been live.”

FreedomPop is a wireless provider offering customers free 500MB to 1GB per month data plans through devices such as its $99 WiMAX sleeve for iPod touch or the recently announced $89 Burst 4G home wireless router. It also has an iPhone 4/4S case that is awaiting Federal Communication Commission approval. Last month, the company announced an extra $4.3 million in Series A1 funding, increased additional data rewarded for referrals from 10MB to 50MB, and it expanded its social broadband sharing platform.

EU privacy watchdog issues new recommendations for App Stores & developers

Jordan Kahn Mar 14 2013 - 7:50 am PT

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Following investigations into Google and others, EU privacy watchdog group known as the Article 29 working group have today issued new guidelines for mobile app developers. The group is made up of EU data and privacy protection authorities, and the new recommendations extend to “all other parties involved in the development and distribution of apps under European data protection law.” That means Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and other app marketplaces could be affected. IDG News Service reports Apple and other mobile platform owners will have to “implement consent collection mechanisms in their OSes at the first launch of the app or the first time the app attempts to access one of the categories of data that have significant impact on privacy.”

“The default settings must be such as to avoid any tracking. Third parties must not circumvent any mechanism designed to avoid tracking, as it currently often happens with the ‘Do Not Track’ mechanisms implemented in browsers,” according to the Article 29 document.

The rest of the recommendations focus on restricting the amount of data collected from users, and the group noted that special attention has been given to apps that target kids:

On average, a smart phone user downloads 37 apps. These apps are able to collect large quantities of personal data from the device, for example by having access to the photo album or using location data. “This often happens without the free and informed consent of users, resulting in a breach of European data protection law”,according to the Chairman of the Article 29 Working Party Jacob Kohnstamm.

Privacy risks mobile apps

Smart phones and tablets contain large quantities of intimate personal data from and about their users, such as contact details, locational information, banking details, photos and videos. In addition, these devices can record, or capture in real-time, a range of data types from a multitude of sensors including microphones, compasses or other devices used to track a user’s movement. Although app developers want to provide new and innovative services, the apps may have significant risks to the private life and reputation of users of smart devices if they do not comply with EU data protection law. Individuals must be in control of their own personal data. Therefore apps must provide sufficient information about what data they are processing before it takes place in order to obtain meaningful consent.Poor security is another data protection risk, which could lead to unauthorised processing of personal data through the trend of data maximisation and the elasticity of purposes for which personal data is being collected, such as for ‘market research’. This increases the possibility of a data breach.

Tech Industry

Apple’s Schiller takes more jabs at Android ahead of Samsung Galaxy S4 event: ‘4x as many iPhone switchers’

Seth Weintraub Mar 13 2013 - 2:46 pm PT

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Just last week, Apple Worldwide Marketing SVP Phil Schiller was tweeting a warning out to Android users to be safe in light of a recent F-Secure report which said the overwhelming amount of mobile malware floating around was on Android.

Today, the WSJ reports that Schiller has more tough words for the Android platform (which today saw a change in leadership). Beyond the 4X switching rate to iPhone vs to Android, he also said that Android users are often running old operating systems and that the fragmentation in the Android world was “plain and simple.”

He added that “Android is often given a free replacement for a feature phone and the experience isn’t as good as an iPhone.”

Mr. Schiller said the Android service suffers in part because different elements come from multiple companies, where Apple is responsible for all its mobile hardware and as well as its iOS operating system.

“When you take an Android device out of the box, you have to sign up to nine accounts with different vendors to get the experience iOS comes with,” he said. “They don’t work seamlessly together.”

Interesting words from Schiller ahead of the Galaxy S4 launch. On one hand the timing makes Apple seem defensive as the WSJ notes. On the other, most of these stats, while widely known for the most part, are indicative of Apple success.

Schiller gave the same ‘interview’ to Bloomberg:

[ooyala code=”xneXQ1YTo4_akx4MNTb_4Ro1fZwFMoBL”]

The Galaxy S4 launch is tomorrow and will be covered on 9to5Google.
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Andy Rubin leaves Android for new role at Google

Jordan Kahn Mar 13 2013 - 10:14 am PT

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From 9to5Google:

Google posted an Update from the CEO on its Official Google Blog today where Larry Page announced that Android chief Andy Rubin will officially be leaving the Android team to take up a new role at the company. Taking his place to lead the Android team at Google is Sundar Pichai, who will also continue his work with Apps and Chrome.

https://twitter.com/arubin/status/211939156451012609

Full story on 9to5Google.com.

Regional carriers supporting new cellphone unlocking bills in hopes of attracting iPhone customers

Jordan Kahn Mar 13 2013 - 7:07 am PT

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Earlier this month we told you that lawmakers were working on introducing new legislation to legalize cellphone unlocking following a statement from the White House confirming that it would support “narrow legislative fixes.” The new laws would attempt to reverse a decision was made by the Library of Congress in October to make the act illegal that resulted in a petition from consumers and prompted a response from the White House. We already knew that most of the big carriers including Verizon and AT&T are not in support of unlocking, but today Bloomberg reports smaller, rural carriers are backing new bills in hopes it will attract new iPhone customers:

“Smaller carriers have a very difficult time getting access to smartphones and handsets,” said Steven Berry, president of the Competitive Carriers Association, which represents such companies as U.S. Cellular Corp. (USM) and Bluegrass Cellular. “The unlocking is one way the consumer can make the decision that I can try someone else who has better coverage in the area where I live or play.”

While the Senate bills are “excellent first steps,” Congress needs to go further, Carri Bennet, general counsel for Rural Telecommunications Group, a Washington association representing rural carriers with fewer than 100,000 subscribers, said in an e-mail.

Many of these smaller regional carriers, including Bluegrass Cellular, typically offer the latest iPhone for a price lower than Apple and the major carriers in order to attract customers. Bloomberg also reports that a number of lawmakers have committed to introducing or supporting bills to legalize unlocking phones:

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, and Charles Grassley of Iowa, the panel’s top Republican, introduced a bill March 11 to overturn the Library of Congress’s decision and direct the agency to consider adding tablet computers to devices that consumers can unlock.

Democratic Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have also introduced bills to unlock mobile phones. House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, and John Conyers of Michigan, the panel’s top Democrat, have also announced plans to sponsor such legislation.

ChronicUnlocks.com has been a solid provider of iPhone unlocks for our readers and us for a while now if you are looking for a good place to unlock an iPhone

Samsung’s ad budget exploded past Apple and the rest of the field in 2012

Jordan Kahn Mar 13 2013 - 6:06 am PT

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We have been hearing much about Samsung’s advertising efforts in recent months including its efforts crafting the now well-known ad campaign mocking iPhone line sitters, to some of the companies recent marketing tactics used to target iPhone users. Last night The Wall Street Journal published a new piece outlining Samsung’s increasingly aggressive advertising thanks to new data from research firm Kantar Media. According to the report, Samsung passed Apple in 2012 for ad spending by around $68M in the US:

Outspent by rival Apple Inc. more than three to one in advertising for mobile phones in the U.S. in 2011, Samsung responded with a marketing blitz on TV, billboards, the Internet and print media that moved the Korean company into the pole position last year… In 2012, Samsung spent $401 million advertising its phones in the U.S. to Apple’s $333 million, according to ad research and consulting firm Kantar Media.

Apple spent more than three times Samsung on marketing its mobile devices in 2011. If a slew of recent media reports is any indication, including one from Apple’s own former ad man Ken Segall, many seem to think Apple is losing its advertising momentum to Samsung.

The Wall Street Journal added that executives at carriers said Samsung “also spends more on “below the line” marketing than any device maker. Those funds help pay for in-store advertising, promotions and training for carrier sales representatives that help close the sale.”

To put the spending in perspective for the global smartphone market, Tech/telco analyst Benedict Evans noted the figures above account for around 10% of Samsung global ad budget compared to 1/3 of Apple’s, which also somewhat reflects sales proportions.

Tech Industry

Apple and Google both release some iOS maps info

Seth Weintraub Mar 12 2013 - 8:41 pm PT

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It’s an interesting evening for Maps on iOS. First up, Google released a rudimentary iOS Google Maps video that feels circa 2007 and includes all the gestures that made Steve Jobs go thermonuclear on Android. We’re not sure who the intended audience is, but this was just released. Maybe it is for the people who’ve never used a smartphone before?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpTqpjT6ZM0&feature=player_embedded

Rounding things out, Jim Darlymple from the Loop posts what appears to be a roundup of new Apple data on improvements in mapping (supporting the stance that it’s rapidly improving):

In the last few months, Apple added or expanded flyover support for:

Baltimore, MD

Providence, RH

Portland, ME

Cleveland, OH

Green Bay, WI

Minneapolis, MN

Albany, NY

Indianapolis, Indiana

Cologne, Germany

Glasgow, Scotland

Buffalo, NY

Vancouver, BC

Tulsa, OK

Hoover Dam

Modesto, CA

Stockton, CA

Portland, OR

Boston, MA

Houston, TX

Stockholm, Sweden

Munich, Germany

London, England

Madrid, Spain

Rome, Italy

Copenhagen, Denmark

Berlin, Germany

Lyon, France

Birmingham, AL

Toronto, ON

Barcelona, Spain

Maps has also updated 3D buildings for standard view and turn-by-turn navigation. Read the rest at The Loop

Google Now for iOS promo video leaks to YouTube

9to5 Staff Mar 12 2013 - 3:18 pm PT

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[viddler id=a66cf352 w=704 h=400]

Google Now, the prediction software that debuted on Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich last year, may be crossing over to iOS in the very near future. A promotional video posted on YouTube today—but was pulled minutes later—showed Google Now on the iPhone and iPad.

A tipster for Engadget recorded the video and re-uploaded it online, which is now available above. The speaker in the video seems to be the same female voice found in the original Google Now promotional video from last year (below). Unless this is a very elaborate hoax, it would seem that a Google Now update is in store for Google Search app.

Perhaps the delay in going live is due to App Store approval.

We’ll update when/if the app update to the Google Search app goes live.

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Honda R&D’s Senior iOS Architect controls iPhone using brainwaves and custom Siri API (Video)

Jordan Kahn Mar 11 2013 - 11:30 am PT

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The video above came from Senior iOS Architect at Honda R&D Americas Duane Cash, and he is claiming to have come up with a method of controlling Siri through “a brainwave-reading device.” This isn’t the first video that has popped up online claiming to show brainwave activity controlling an iOS device, but many past videos have been faked. Duane’s role as senior iOS architect at Honda R&D in Silicon Valley seems to provide a little more credibility to the project.

Hello, my name is Duane Cash. I am an iOS developer working on the project to produce a mind-controlled virtual assistant on the iPhone. This is a one of my initial tests using a brainwave-reading device to control some custom Siri functions on a iPhone.

We talked to Duane, and he confirmed it isn’t a project that Honda is officially working on. Duane said he is researching various brainwave-reading methods, but he told us he is using a Neurosky MindWave and “the iOS SDK for the software implementation” in the prototype above.

As you’ll see in the video, Duane explained he uses “mental commands from the EEG signals to command the iPhone to open a map, open a menu and close a menu with voice feedback from Siri.”

(via SlashGear)

Gogo: Apple and its iPads dominate in-flight internet usage

Seth Weintraub Mar 8 2013 - 3:52 am PT

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Gogo published the above infographic yesterday on the state of devices using its in-flight network that covers the air over much of North America.

Interestingly, Google’s Chromebooks currently offer free usage of Gogo’s in-flight wireless service yet tablets out number laptops (and by tablets we’re talking iPads). While Apple still owns 84 percent of the device market, Android is gaining some ground after climbing from a 3.2-percent low in 2011 to a 16-percent share in 2013.

Blackberry and Windows Phone? Combined, they don’t make up .02-percent of the share.

(via Daring Fireball)

iPhone 5 coming soon to regional carrier Strata Networks covering Idaho, Utah and Colorado

Jordan Kahn Mar 6 2013 - 5:42 am PT

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It looks like another regional carrier is set to receive the iPhone 5. While it has yet to post pricing or exact availability dates, Utah-based Strata Networks recently started advertising that the device is “coming soon” to its network. In November, Strata officially rolled out its LTE network, the first in the Uintah Basin covering several counties in Utah, and the carrier also has local coverage in Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. A map of the carrier’s LTE coverage in Utah is below, while a full map of nationwide coverage can be found here.

Many other regional carriers have been known to offer the device at a discounted price compared to Apple and the major carriers with the iPhone 5 starting at $149 on a two-year contract through many. We’ll update when Strata confirms pricing and availability.

Verizon CFO talks iPhone: Free iPhone gains, incentivizing employees to sell lower subsidy devices & Share Everything plans

Jordan Kahn Mar 4 2013 - 2:41 pm PT

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Verizon CFO Fran Shammo spoke at the Duetsche Bank Annual Media, Internet & Telecom conference this morning, where he was asked a few questions related to the iPhone. Verizon reported its fourth quarter 2012 earnings last month with 9.8 million smartphone activations—a record 6.2 million of which were iPhone. We knew about half, or 3.1 million, of those iPhone sales were driven by the first full quarter with the iPhone 5, but today Shammo talked about just how important getting the free iPhone 4 was during the quarter:

But this past fourth quarter you had a couple — you had really one thing happen that never happened before, especially with Verizon Wireless, and that was for the first time ever, because of the iPhone 5 launch, we had the 4 at free. So it was the first time ever you could get a free iPhone on the

Verizon Wireless network. So that produced a lot of volume for us. We had a lot of new customers come into Verizon who took that free phone, and that was great for us because again if you think about — we sold a lot of LTE product in the fourth quarter. We sold a lot of 3G product from the iPhone products in the fourth quarter.

But that is key for us, because if you think about our two networks it is important for me as I migrate people into the 4G network I still have this very large 3G network that operates very efficiently. We are not investing any more capital in that network other than to keep it up and running, so no more coverage capital, no more capacity capital. If I can keep that network up and running that just generates more contribution margins for us. So it is critical for us to balance that. But, again, I think you had one point in time where you had a free phone, a free Apple phone that never happened before with us and that generated a lot of volume.

While noting that 53 percent of the carrier’s smartphone activations were iPhones in 2012, Shammo was asked about the opportunity to incentivize employees to sell non-Apple devices that would also come with lower subsidies for Verizon:

The answer is, no, we don’t and it is critical that we don’t do that. The reason for that is because what is more important for us is when a customer walks into a store that customer walks out with a phone that they will be happy with and not return under our 30-day guarantee. Because the worst thing that can happen for us is for me to incentivise a salesperson to get you into a phone that you walk out the door with thinking you are going to like and in three days you come back because you don’t like it. Therefore, now I’ve just subsidized two smartphones because that phone you used I can’t resell as a new phone.

You can read more from Shammo’s presentation and where he discusses the growth of Share Everything plans, tablets, and more here.

Fool me twice: Apple releases Java update for the latest Zero Day

Jordan Kahn Mar 4 2013 - 2:40 pm PT

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Following a number of reports of new zero-day vulnerabilities in the Java browser plug-in, Oracle has today released an emergency update to Java 7 as Apple updates Java SE 6 to version 1.6.0_43.

Today Oracle released Security Alert CVE-2013-1493 to address two vulnerabilities affecting Java running in web browsers (CVE-2013-1493 and CVE-2013-0809). One of these vulnerabilities (CVE-2013-1493) has recently been reported as being actively exploited by attackers to maliciously install the McRat executable onto unsuspecting users’ machines. Both vulnerabilities affect the 2D component of Java SE. These vulnerabilities are not applicable to Java running on servers, standalone Java desktop applications or embedded Java applications. They also do not affect Oracle server-based software. These vulnerabilities have each received a CVSS Base Score of 10.0.

Researchers from security firm FireEye warned users last week of yet another new Java zero-day vulnerability and recommended users disable Java until Oracle addresses the issue. Today, Oracle said it knew about the flaw since Feb. 1 but didn’t get around to patching it in the last release:

Though reports of active exploitation of vulnerability CVE-2013-1493 were recently received, this bug was originally reported to Oracle on February 1^st 2013, unfortunately too late to be included in the February 19^th release of the Critical Patch Update for Java SE.

The company intended to include a fix for CVE-2013-1493 in the April 16, 2013 Critical Patch Update for Java SE (note that Oracle recently announced its intent to have an additional Java SE security release on this date in addition to those previously scheduled in June and October of 2013). However, in light of the reports of active exploitation of CVE-2013-1493, and in order to help maintain the security posture of all Java SE users, Oracle decided to release a fix for this vulnerability and another closely related bug as soon as possible through this Security Alert.

White House agrees with consumers that criminal penalties shouldn’t be levied for unlocking phones

Jordan Kahn Mar 4 2013 - 10:41 am PT

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Unlock your phones at Chronicunlocks.com

Following a petition on whitehouse.gov that urges the Library of Congress to change its decision on making unlocking cellphones illegal, the White House has issued an official response agreeing with the over 110,000 people who have signed the petition (via AllThingsD). White House Senior Advisor for Internet, Innovation, and Privacy R. David Edelman issued the official response, admitting the White House agrees “consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties.”

He said the policy should also extend to tablets, while devices still under contract should be allowed to function on other networks:

And if you have paid for your mobile device, and aren’t bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network. It’s common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice, and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers’ needs.

The decision was made by the Library of Congress in October to make unlocking cellphones illegal, and that policy officially took effect in January. The Library of Congress issued a statement today in response to the White House, stating it agrees that “the question of locked cell phones has implications for telecommunications policy and that it would benefit from review and resolution in that context.”

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski also published a statement following the White House’s response to consumers today, explaining the FCC is investigating the decision by the Library of Congress to make unlocking illegal. He added that it didn’t “pass the common sense test.”

“From a communications policy perspective, this raises serious competition and innovation concerns, and for wireless consumers, it doesn’t pass the common sense test. The FCC is examining this issue, looking into whether the agency, wireless providers, or others should take action to preserve consumers’ ability to unlock their mobile phones. I also encourage Congress to take a close look and consider a legislative solution.”

Edelman said the Obama Administration will work with the FCC and others to implement legislative fixes that prevent consumers from risking criminal penalties related to unlocking:
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Leap Motion controller shipping May 13, Pre-order now at Best Buy

9to5 Staff Feb 27 2013 - 7:56 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXKindguPTI&start=20]

Leap, creators of the Mac and PC 3D motion-tracking device, announced this morning that it will begin shipping its Leap Motion on May 13. Last May, Leap announced it would open up pre-orders for the device for $69.99.

With today’s announcement, Leap raised the price of the controller $10 dollars; $79.99 is the new retail price. Leap also announced that starting today Best Buy would take pre-orders for the device with a May 19 delivery date…

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Samsung steals Apple’s wallet

Jordan Kahn Feb 27 2013 - 5:53 am PT

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From 9to5Google:

Samsung is today officially unveiling its “Samsung Wallet” mobile app solution, and it is quickly gaining attention for similarities to Apple’s iOS 6 ticket, card, and coupon solution known as Passbook. For those familiar with Apple’s app, Samsung Wallet appears to work much the same way. The app will allow users to store event tickets, membership cards, coupons, and boarding passes in one central app. From there, users will be able to present the digital passes. Companies supporting the standard can also scan a barcode included for each digital ticket.

Full story and video of the app in action is available on 9to5Google.

MLB increasing Passbook support from 4 to almost half of all Major League stadiums in 2013

Jordan Kahn Feb 27 2013 - 5:28 am PT

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On top of just recently updating its At Bat 13 iOS app for Spring Training with a ton of new features, MLB announced at an event last night in New York that it will increase the number of stadiums accepting Passbook this season. According to a report from GigaOm, the number of stadiums accepting tickets through Apple’s wallet app will increase from just four to 13:

The teams that will start accepting Passbook tickets for the first time are the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs. The New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals, which began accepting Passbook last September, will again offer the service this season. MLB says there are three more teams that will enable iOS tickets this season, but that are not yet ready to make an official announcement.

CEO of MLB’s Advanced Media Office Bob Bowman told GigaOm that iOS users currently make up approximately 70 percent of all At Bat users and around 85 percent of paid subscribers. The updated iOS At Bat app includes a classic games video library archive, re-architected app navigation, and searchable video highlight library expansion to include access to complete video archives.

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