Tech Industry

4,153 'Tech Industry' stories June 2007 - December 2012

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Former Apple execs Pascal Cagni, Tony Fadell, and others talk Apple at LeWeb (Video)

Jordan Kahn Dec 5 2012 - 9:36 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sMmme6wvJCw#!]

The LeWeb conference is running Dec. 4 through Dec. 6 in Paris, and father of the iPod and Nest creator Tony Fadell sat down yesterday to talk about Nest, product design, and the company’s future plans to bring Nest to 500 retail shops starting with Canada. Of course, as usual, Fadell’s former employer Apple was a topic of conversation. Fadell talked a little bit about what he learned from Steve Jobs in terms of product design, and he talked about his time at Philips compared to Apple and Nest.

Another interesting guest that made an appearance is Apple’s former Vice President and General Manager for Europe, Middle East, and Africa Pascal Cagni. He resigned in May. Pascal talked about his time at Apple and his former role at the company. He also talked about his working relationship with Jobs, his continued admiration for the company, and secrecy at Apple. The full video is below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dzSrB-b5yNs]

(via ComputerWorld)

Tech Industry

‘jOBS’ biopic starring Ashton Kutcher premiering at Sundance Film Festival Jan. 27

Jake Smith Dec 3 2012 - 3:10 pm PT

Sundance Film Festival announced this afternoon that the Steve Jobs biopic, titled “jOBS”, starring famed-actor Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, would premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival this January.

As we previously covered, the biopic will look at the early founding and 30 years of Apple, while centered on the late co-founder Steve Jobs. Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak will make an appearance in the film, played by Josh Gad, and former CEO and cofounder John Sculley will make an appearance, played by Matthew Modine. Scenes in the movie were also filmed in the “historic garage” where Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple. The film’s early scenes will even feature Jobs’ Los Altos home where he grew up to maintain “accuracy and authenticity” during the movie-making process, as the film makers revealed in the summer.

The 2013 Sundance Film Festival will run from Jan. 17 to Jan. 27, and “jOBS” will get the honor of being the festival’s closing film on Jan. 27, as Hollywood Reporter first noted. It is not clear whether it will air thus after.

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Google plans to launch open AirPlay-like alternative

Jake Smith Nov 20 2012 - 4:43 am PT

As the television race heats up, Google said it is working on an open alternative to Apple’s AirPlay—a technology first introduced in iOS 4.2 that allowed users to share photo, audio, and video to the Apple TV.

Google had a similar streaming product to the Apple TV this summer—the Nexus Q— that allowed for sharing of content via an Android device to the TV. However, the product flopped and didn’t see the light of day for many customers. Additionally, in Google’s move to try to compliment streaming to the TV, the folks at YouTube launched an AirPlay-like feature last week that allows users to beam YouTube videos from their Android device straight to the television.

Speaking to GigaOm, Google Product Manager Timbo Drayson made it clear that Google has big plans in the space and wants to move forward. “We really want to move the whole industry forward,” Drayson told the publication.

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After failing in mobile, Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini is out May 2013

Seth Weintraub Nov 19 2012 - 6:12 am PT

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Apple’s Mac partner Intel is having trouble getting its chips into the booming tablet and smartphone space. That has lead to flat earnings and trouble for the once-dominant chipmaker. Today, Intel announced that CEO Paul Otellini would be replaced in May.

[tweet https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/270528253150773248]

Otellini is also on Google’s Board of Directors and is pictured above in three of his Apple Keynote event cameos. Release follows:

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Microsoft CEO Ballmer still thinks iPhones are too expensive, opens door to Microsoft doing their own phone

Jordan Kahn Nov 15 2012 - 6:17 am PT

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been making the rounds following the launch of Windows 8 and Surface, and yesterday he sat down for an interview in Santa Clara with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. TechCrunch pointed us to audio from the interview (embedded above), where Ballmer is asked about the role of Windows Phone 8 within the iOS- and Android-dominated smartphone market. Ballmer famously laughed about the iPhone’s high price point back in 2007, but apparently, the Microsoft CEO still thinks iPhones are priced too high. While claiming Android’s ecosystem is “not always in the consumer’s best interest,” Ballmer made a point of mentioning the high cost of iPhones abroad:

The ecosystem of Android is a little bit wild, from an app compatibility perspective, a malware perspective… maybe in a way that’s not always in the consumer’s best interest… conversely, the Apple ecosystem looks highly controlled, and by the way, quite high priced. The fact that we live in a country where almost every phone is subsidized, you may forget it. But I was in Russia last week where you pay $1000 for an iPhone.. you’re not going to sell that many iPhones… The question is how do you get the quality, but maybe not the premium price. A controlled, but maybe not quite as controlled ecosystem.

Reuters also has a quote of Ballmer from an event last night, when the CEO seemed to hint at the possibility of a Microsoft-branded smartphone:
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Former OS X chief’s UpThere cloud startup gets less cryptic, starts pushing for hires

Mark Gurman Nov 13 2012 - 4:07 pm PT

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Bertrand Serlet was working with other former Apple employees and other Silicon Valley veterans on a new cloud startup called UpThere. Today, it appears, that UpThere has put up a new website that shares a little more detail on the company. The company’s new website is still cryptic, but it is more than just a logo with a white backdrop on the old website.

With this new website, the company is now pushing for new hires to join the firm. The company issued a Tweet from its Twitter account @upthere announcing the move:

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Microsoft follows Forstall departure by firing their head of software Steve Sinofsky

Jake Smith Nov 12 2012 - 5:44 pm PT

The New York Times reported that Microsoft Windows head Steven Sinofsky has left the Redmond-based company after a “mutual decision by Mr. Sinofsky and Steven A. Ballmer.” Julie Larson-Green will take over Sinofsky’s position.

Microsoft described the departure of Mr. Sinfosky, a 23-year veteran of the company, as a mutual decision by Mr. Sinofsky and Steven A. Ballmer, the chief executive of the company. Julie Larson-Green, another Microsoft veteran in its Windows division, will take over the leadership of all engineering responsibilities related to Windows. Tami Reller, the chief financial officer of the Windows division, will run business and marketing for the group.

This is a similar situation to Scott Forstall leaving Apple earlier this month. Sinofsky joined Microsoft in 1989, where he rose to become head of the Windows division in July 2009. Much like Forstall, he was an integral part in the development of Microsoft’s core products. The Microsoft veteran gave the following statement:

“It is impossible to count the blessings I have received over my years at Microsoft. I am humbled by the professionalism and generosity of everyone I have had the good fortune to work with at this awesome company.”

Ballmer added:

“I am grateful for the many years of work that Steven has contributed to the company. The products and services we have delivered to the market in the past few months mark the launch of a new era at Microsoft. We’ve built an incredible foundation with new releases of Microsoft Office, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Microsoft Surface, Windows Server 2012 and ‘Halo 4,’ and great integration of services such as Bing, Skype and Xbox across all our products. To continue this success it is imperative that we continue to drive alignment across all Microsoft teams, and have more integrated and rapid development cycles for our offerings.”

WinSuperSite obtained Synopsky’s letter:
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Sprint buys $480M in spectrum/customers from US Cellular, FCC fines AT&T $700K for overbilling

Jordan Kahn Nov 7 2012 - 6:31 am PT

A couple carriers are making headlines today for different reasons. Sprint, which could soon be scooped up by Softbank, announced today (via Engadget) it is spending $480 million to acquire PCS spectrum and 585,000 customers from U.S. cellular across the Midwest. As always, the deal is subject to approval from government officials in the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission, but Sprint could take over the spectrum and customers in “parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio including the Chicago and St. Louis markets” by sometime next year:

Under the terms of the agreement, Sprint will acquire 20 MHz of PCS spectrum in the 1900 MHz band in various Midwest markets including Chicago, South Bend, Ind. and Champaign, Ill. and 10 MHz of PCS spectrum in the St. Louis market.

AT&T is also making the news today with the FCC announcing the carrier will pay a $700,000 fine to put an end to the agency’s investigation into how the carrier handled its transition to mandatory monthly data plans (via BGR). The investigation followed complaints from consumers that AT&T had switched them from grandfathered pay-as-you-go plans to its new monthly plans as far back as 2009. According to the FCC, as part of the settlement, AT&T “has agreed to refund excess charges paid by individual customers, which could be as much as $25 to $30 a month, depending on data use”:
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Foxconn chairman Terry Gou says company is ‘falling short’ of iPhone demand

Jordan Kahn Nov 7 2012 - 5:58 am PT

According to a report from Reuters, citing a statement from Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou, Apple’s assembler is having a hard time keeping up with iPhone 5 demand. Gou confirmed previous rumors that the company is indeed “falling short” of meeting supply for iPhones and its other unit, Foxconn International Holdings, is assisting with production:

“It’s not easy to make the iPhones. We are falling short of meeting the huge demand,” Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou told reporters after a business forum.

Following the launch of the iPhone 5, reports claimed employees at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant went on strike over quality control concerns and lack of training. The same quality control issues were linked to scratching found out of the box on some iPhone 5 units, but it’s unclear how much these setbacks have contributed to iPhone 5 delays. Another unnamed executive speaking to The Wall Street Journal last month said the iPhone 5 is “the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled. To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated.”

To speed up production of new iPhones, specifically the production of display components, Reuters suggested Apple could provide cash incentives to Sharp, one of its keep suppliers that was thought to have contributed to initial low supplies. Following rumors yesterday that Apple might even be considering making further investments in the failing company, Asymco’s Horace Dediu (via Fortune) speculated today that a $2.3 billion discrepancy in Apple’s 2012 financials might have already went to Sharp:
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Pixar names its main studio building after Steve Jobs

Jordan Kahn Nov 6 2012 - 5:42 pm PT

As noted by the PixarTimes, a Pixar employee tweeted the photo above showing what is apparently the entrance to the main building on Pixar’s campus newly named in memory of Steve Jobs. Jobs actually played a big role in designing the building itself as CEO of Pixar, as recently noted in the Walter Isaacson “Steve Jobs” biography. Pixar recently honored Jobs for his contributions to the company in the end credits of its latest animated film “Brave”, but the naming of the building is obviously a more permanent tribute to the man who helped form the company. OfficeSnapshots has a good account of Jobs’ role in creating the main Pixar building, much of which is found in the biography (excerpt below):

According to Jobs’ recent biography, the headquarters was to be a place that “promoted encounters and unplanned collaborations.”… Jobs also strived for a campus that stood the test of time. Tom Carlisle, Pixar’s facilities director adds that, ”He didn’t want a standard office-park building—one with corrugated-metal siding or ribbon windows. The building had to look good 100 years from now. That was his main criterion.”

Pixar’s campus design originally separated different employee disciplines into different buildings – one for computer scientists, another for animators, and a third building for everybody else. But because Jobs was fanatic about these unplanned collaborations, he envisioned a campus where these encounters could take place, and his design included a great atrium space that acts as a central hub for the campus.

Brad Bird, director of The Incredible and Ratatouille, said of the space, “The atrium initially might seem like a waste of space…But Steve realized that when people run into each other, when they make eye contact, things happen.”

And did it work? “Steve’s theory worked from day one,” said John Lasseter, Pixar’s chief creative officer “…I’ve never seen a building that promoted collaboration and creativity as well as this one.”

[tweet http://twitter.com/ijunns/status/265678354794037249/photo/1]

How Google wants to own the iPhone and how Apple is trying to stop it

Jordan Kahn Nov 6 2012 - 11:17 am PT

A Google Zombie iPhone?

With Android now on 75 percent of all smartphones sold, and Apple and Samsung battling in and out of court for the top vendor position, the smartphone wars usually come down to units sold. Apple vs. Samsung. Android vs. iOS. Less of a focus has been Google’s steady invasion of iOS, providing users with an alternative universe to most of the core features of Apple’s mobile operating system. The importance of Google’s ecosystem of iOS apps has never been more apparent than following the recent controversy over the removal of YouTube and Google Maps as default features of iOS. Apple realized the necessity of controlling key experiences on iOS, such as Maps, but it is running into a backlash from users in the process. It is not just facing competition from Android vendors; it is also now engaged in a struggle to keep Google from creating its own layer on top of iOS.

Google’s iOS apps are not just driving iPhone and iPad users to use Google services instead of Apple’s; they are increasingly an important aspect of the iOS experience for a large amount of users. Sixty-one percent of iOS users in our own polls said they were hesitant to even update to iOS 6 because of Apple’s new Maps app, many of which are still waiting for a standalone Google Maps app that Apple has yet to approve. Some say the Maps fiasco coupled with Siri might have even led to the departure of long-time iOS chief Scott Forstall, which many think could result in a new direction for iOS. What this means for Google’s presence on iOS going forward remains to be seen, but Apple does not appear to be ignoring the control Google’s apps have over its users.

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Microsoft ‘already’ has an answer to the iPad Mini: The XBOX Surface 7-inch gaming tablet

9to5 Staff Nov 6 2012 - 7:40 am PT

The Verge reports that Microsoft’s fashionably-late entry into the smaller tablet market will be the smaller “XBOX Surface”.

Microsoft is building its own 7-inch gaming tablet. Multiple sources familiar with plans within Redmond have confirmed to The Verge that initial hardware planning for an Xbox Surface is underway. Specifications for an Xbox Surface 7-inch tablet computing deviceleaked back in June ahead of Microsoft’s Surface RT and Surface Pro announcement. We’re told that the initial specs were accurate and that the final implementation is being worked on.

Not sure how heavy a ‘gaming tablet’ needs to be, but the thing I like the most about the iPad mini is how little it weighs.

Amazon Prime now available as a $7.99/month plan (Updated)

9to5 Staff Nov 6 2012 - 3:32 am PT

Update: An Amazon spokesperson says this is just a test (but you still can order this per month)“We are always looking at ways to improve the shopping experience for our customers. We are testing a monthly Prime subscription. Beyond that, we don’t have anything further to offer.”

It appears Amazon is joining Hulu and Netflix with a monthly subscription plan for its Prime video streaming service, according to a new pricing scheme found by Hacking Netflix. Some users are seeing the new pricing scheme come up, while others see only the $79/year options (compare right and above).

Amazon also offers a one-month free trial (Hulu free trial, Netflix free trial).

In addition to the free streaming video service, users of Amazon’s Prime get access to free two-day shipping on product orders (amazing to have for the holidays—especially on a month-to-month basis), as well as access to the Kindle lending library.

While Amazon’s streaming player isn’t yet available on Apple TV like Netflix/Hulu, its recent iPad app has impressed us. The $7.99/month price comes out to $95.88 per year. So, if you aren’t timid about joining Prime, it is probably better to jump on the $79/year plan.

9to5Toys.com deals: Get a new Toshiba Wifi-ready BluRay player with Netflix for $30, or a Toshiba 24″ 1080P slim HDTV for $150

With more and more first rate content, according to a recent Changwave/451 Group study, Amazon’s Prime streaming service is said to be gaining on industry heavyweight Netflix (graphed below):
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Use Sophos antivirus? Watch out

Seth Weintraub Nov 5 2012 - 12:19 pm PT

Tim Bray notes a post on Neohapsis:

A working exploit for Sophos 8.0.6 on Mac is available, however the
techniques used in the exploit easily transfer to Windows and Linux,
due to multiple critical implementation flaws described in the paper.
Testcases for the other flaws described in the paper are available on
request.

Sophos responded with a post on the multiple vulnerabilities, and it responded over and over that “Sophos has seen no evidence of this vulnerability being exploited in the wild.” But, is that really good enough? How about issuing a fix in the two plus months that they’ve known about these issues? It only takes one wild exploit.

Sophos gave 9to5Mac the following comment:

Some were fixed last month, and for others we started rolling out patches to our users today. :-)

Users of Sophos products should be automatically updated, but if anyone wants to be sure they can initiate a manual update.
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Windows RT 32GB tablets actually only have 16GB of usable space nullifying storage cost advantage over iPad

Seth Weintraub Nov 5 2012 - 10:25 am PT

Here’s the Fun FAQ for Microsoft Surface users who are wondering why the 32GB version they bought actually only has 16GB of usable space:

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While Microsoft will certainly get off on the wrong foot here in terms of customer expectations, they are still technically accurate—at least in the old desktop world. When you buy a Windows/Mac machine with a 100GB HDD, you expect some of that (but certainly not half of it!) to be used by system software. However, with the paired-down iOS/Android OSes currently so optimized, you pretty much get what it says on the box.

We reported on a Microsoft Engineer last month, saying users would have more than 20 GB of space.

This is part of Microsoft’s no compromises approach. You get a bunch of legacy stuff that requires a lot of legacy space.

[Via Engadget]

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First Nexus 10 reviews show off a laggy Android 4.2 (Video)

Jordan Kahn Nov 2 2012 - 10:25 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1ZKiZaem8&feature=youtu.be&start=72]

Reviews are starting to hit the web for Google’s new Nexus 10 tablet, its first true 10-inch iPad competitor. Most reviewers are praising the device’s display—some even calling it equal to or better than the full-sized iPad’s Retina display. Hardware aside, it appears even the latest version of Android might be the biggest source of frustration as perfectly highlighted at 1:17 in The Verge’s hands-on review above.

Stay tuned for the 9to5Google review of the Nexus 10 this weekend.

OWC announces 480GB SSD upgrade for 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro

Jordan Kahn Oct 30 2012 - 9:46 am PT

Like it does for the 15-inch model, OWC announced today it is offering its 480GB Mercury Aura Pro SSD for Apple’s new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. As noted by OWC, the $580 aftermarket upgrade option will cost you approximately $220 less than Apple’s comparable 512GB built-to-order upgrade, and will also allow you to keep your original base flash module. The press release (below) also said additional capacities would be available sometime in November, while an OWC Envoy Pro Enclosure for re using the factory flash module will be landing in December:

Available in 480GB capacity for immediate ordering and with additional capacities to be announced in November, the 6G (6Gb/s) SandForce Driven Mercury Aura Pro offers rMBP owners up to nearly 3x more storage and/or backup capacity than the factory 128GB flash module… In addition to offering significantly more capacity over the factory base 128GB SSD, the 480GB Mercury Aura Pro offers a $220 savings over the comparable sized 512GB factory capacity upgrade costing $800. Savings, however, aren’t always measured just in dollars. A key benefit for Apple notebook owners when choosing an OWC SSD is the retention of the original factory flash module.

OWC Announces Mercury Aura Pro as Industry’s First Solid State Drive Upgrade for the New 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

October 30, 2012, Woodstock, IL — Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today the OWC Mercury Aura® Pro is the industry’s first high-performance Solid State Drive upgrade for the new 2012 13″ MacBook® Pro with Retina display (rMBP) computers introduced by Apple® last week.

Available in 480GB capacity for immediate ordering and with additional capacities to be announced in November, the 6G (6Gb/s) SandForce-Driven™ Mercury Aura Pro offers rMBP owners up to nearly 3x more storage and/or backup capacity than the factory 128GB flash module.

Offers $220 Savings, Continued Use of Factory Flash Module

In addition to offering significantly more capacity over the factory base 128GB SSD, the 480GB Mercury Aura Pro offers a $220 savings over the comparable sized 512GB factory capacity upgrade costing $800. Savings, however, aren’t always measured just in dollars. A key benefit for Apple notebook owners when choosing an OWC SSD is the retention of the original factory flash module.

When upgrading directly with the factory, consumers pay for the base flash capacity module, but do not get that original base flash module returned to them for re-use. Thanks to the OWC Envoy Pro USB 3.0 bus-powered portable enclosure (available late December), rMBP owners upgrading with a Mercury Aura Pro SSD can re-task the original factory flash module as an external drive for additional storage and/or backup duty.

Expert Tested and Reviewed

Several leading technology sites have noted the Mercury Aura Pro’s performance advantage compared to the Apple factory SSDs. Electronista.com pointed out “new and improved” Apple SSDs reach read speeds of 461MB per second and write speeds of 364MB per second, while the Mercury Aura Pro is rated at up to 500MB/s. Expert SSD industry source TheSSDReview.com found LSI SandForce-Driven™ based SSDs offer “excellent performance” over 500MB/s and that these SSDs “excel in highly compressible data testing which is the bread and butter of typical consumer use.” The Mac Observer performed extensive benchmark testing and declared “The Aura Pro SSD outperforms the Apple SSD in nearly every way. For rMBP owners (or soon-to-be-owners) who ordered a model with the stock SSD, the upgrade to the Aura Pro is a no brainer if you need more capacity, speed, or both.”

Pricing, Availability
The Mercury Aura Pro for the 2012 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina display is available immediately for $579.99. Additional capacity models will be announced and made available for ordering in November. For more information on the Mercury Aura Pro for 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Retina_2012/

“When we introduced the Mercury Aura Pro for the 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina display this past June, we had received significant user feedback that the factory base 256GB flash capacity just wasn’t adequate,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. “Considering that the new 13″ models offer as little as 128GB standard, the need for greater capacity is quite apparent. The Mercury Aura Pro offering nearly 3x the capacity, higher performance, and the ability to reuse the factory drive as a high speed external drive is an unbeatable combination upgrade value.”

New Model Continues OWC’s First-to-Market Streak

The Mercury Aura Pro for the 2012 13″ rMBP continues OWC’s two-year streak as being the first manufacturer offering an SSD upgrade for the latest Apple notebook computers. There’s an Aura Pro/Envoy enclosure bundle for 2010 and 2011 MacBook Air computers and an Aura Pro SSD upgrade for 2012 MacBook Air owners.

In addition offering first and only upgrades for the latest Apple machines, OWC also offers world record-breaking 3G (3Gb/s) and 6G (6Gb/s) Mercury SSDs for nearly every Mac and PC produced over the past decade in capacities from 30GB to 1TB with prices starting from $49.99. For more information on the complete OWC Mercury SSD line, including expert benchmark reviews, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/.

For more information on the OWC catalog of over 2,900 performance upgrades and accessories, or for reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/

If Apple adopted Samsung’s product strategy

Jake Smith Oct 30 2012 - 8:24 am PT

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J2Au80BmHc”]

Google’s launches Android holiday lineup: LG Nexus 4, Samsung Nexus 10, $299 4G 32GB Nexus 7

Jordan Kahn Oct 29 2012 - 10:16 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pHuoDqcIyqk]

Google is making some big product announcements today, despite having to cancel its event due to Hurricane Sandy. Among the announcements: a new Nexus smartphone from LG, a Samsung-built Nexus 10 tablet, and updates to Google’s 7-inch Nexus 7 lineup.

LG Nexus 4: Google is launching the much-rumored LG Nexus 4 on Nov. 13 starting at $299. Much of the specs were confirmed previously, but Google has interestingly decided to not offer an LTE-capable model of the device. It is, however, including a wireless charging dock. T-Mobile is Google’s premier launch partner for the Nexus 4. Full specs on 9to5Google.

Samsung Nexus 10: Clearly, Google’s iPad competitor, its new 10-inch offering, is a Samsung-built tablet that packs in iPad-like specs starting at $399. The Verge said its 10-inch 2,560-by-1,600-pixel resolution (same as 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro) display is “on par with the iPad’s Retina display, with sharp text, excellent color fidelity, and great viewing angles.” Full specs and more here.

Nexus 7: Google has also confirmed today that its 7-inch Nexus 7 lineup is being refreshed. Google’s iPad mini competitor will now start at $199 for 16GB, and it will offer a 32GB model for $249. Those are both Wi-Fi-only, but Google will also offer an HSPA+ 32GB model for $300, $30 less than Apple’s entry-level iPad mini. The 8GB model is gone. That 32GB HSPA+ Nexus 7 is going up the bigger iPad mini that starts at $329.

Head over to 9to5Google.com for more coverage of Google’s leaked product announcements. Oh, and Microsoft is launching Windows Phone 8 as well.

Philips launching app controlled ‘hue personal wireless lighting’ bulbs at Apple Stores tomorrow

Jordan Kahn Oct 29 2012 - 7:09 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT5W_Mjuz5I]

Philips announced today that it would launch what it called “the world’s smartest LED bulb” exclusively at Apple stores starting tomorrow. The bulbs themselves work like any standard light bulb, but they use a bridge plugged into your router to allow you to personalize lighting settings and timers. This of course is not the first app-enabled product for the home to hit Apple Stores. Apple already sold the first and second-generation of the Nest Learning Thermostat.

The hue bulbs provide all “shades of white, from warm white light to cold with light,” as well as a selection of colors and pre-programmed settings. You can even use a photo from your device as a color palette and save and program settings to activate at certain times of day. Philips said the hue bulbs consume 80 percent less power than traditional bulbs.

Philips will sell a hue starter kit at Apple stores tomorrow that consists of three 50Watt hue bulbs and the hue bridge. That will sell for $199. You’ll also have the ability to purchase additional individual bulbs for $60 and add up to 50 to your existing hue bridge.

Philips is even offering the hue app and an open source platform to developers:

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Ron Johnson’s leadership lessons from Apple: No shortcuts and shield team from tough times

Jordan Kahn Oct 25 2012 - 12:04 pm PT

Fortune is asking 21 luminaries the best advice they ever got. One of them is Apple’s former Senior Vice President of Retail Ron Johnson:

-Ron Johnson (CEO of J.C. Penney) on leadership lessons from Apple and how he’s applying them to his new position: “I remember when Apple went through a tough period. I didn’t feel the pain as much as Steve [Jobs] did. When you are in the leadership position, the tough times can be much more difficult, because your job is really to shield your team through that, to keep them from taking shortcuts. We are building J.C. Penney for the next century. It’s not about the quarter or the year.”

Here’s what early reviews of Microsoft’s new Surface tablet are saying

Jake Smith Oct 23 2012 - 9:17 pm PT

Early reviews for Microsoft’s new Surface tablet have been released this evening, giving us a look at the company’s supposed “saving grace.” According to the pundits who got their hands on it early, things aren’t looking too good for Microsoft. Many are complaining about a lack of apps, awkwardness of the Windows 8 RT operating system, and a buggy platform. It sounds like the iPad will remain unchallenged by Microsoft…for now.

It does the job of a tablet and the job of a laptop half as well as other devices on the market, and it often makes that job harder, not easier. Instead of being a no-compromise device, it often feels like a more-compromise one.

There may be a time in the future when all the bugs have been fixed, the third-party app support has arrived, and some very smart engineers in Redmond have ironed out the physical kinks in this type of product which prevent it from being all that it can be. But that time isn’t right now — and unfortunately for Microsoft, the clock is ticking.

The Surface is full of potential, but until its software performance and apps are as strong as its hardware, I, unfortunately, will still drag both a laptop and an iPad through security.

My 48-year-old eyeballs have no trouble telling the difference between iPad Retina text and the Surface’s ClearType — but overall, the Surface’s screen is one of the best I’ve seen on a tablet.

The screen, incidentally, is 16:9, an aspect ratio designed with Windows 8′s panoramic interface in mind. It lets you see more apps without panning, and is well suited to the feature that allows you to snap a widget-like version of one app on the side of the primary program you’re using. Microsoft thinks Surface buyers will use the tablet mostly in landscape mode; it works in portrait orientation too, although the aspect ratio leaves it looking like a small-but-tall magazine.

In the end though, this is nothing more than Microsoft’s tablet. And a buggy, at times broken one, at that, whose “ecosystem” feels more like a tundra. There’s no Twitter or Facebook app, and the most popular 3rd party client breaks often. The Kindle app is completely unusable. There’s no image editing software. A People app is supposed to give you all the social media access you’d ever need, but It’s impossible to write on someone’s Facebook wall through the People app, Surface’s social hub; the only workaround is to load Internet Explorer. Blech. Something as simple as loading a video requires a jumbled process of USB importing, dipping in and out of the stripped-down desktop mode, opening a Video app, importing, going back into the Video app, and then playing. What.

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Zynga lays off over 100 employees during Apple keynote, discontinues ‘The Ville’ [Update: company memo]

Mike Beasley Oct 23 2012 - 12:59 pm PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/303/status/260801024732827649]

Justin Maxwell tweeted during today’s Apple event that Zynga, the developers of popular iPhone and iPad games such as Words with Friends, has laid off over 100 employees at the company’s Austin, Texas location, giving them only two hours to vacate their offices.

According to The Next Web, the company also announced they would discontinue its clone of EA’s popular The Sims Social game, The Ville, and it may continue laying off employees by shutting down their Boston office in the near future.

Update 3:08PM: Zynga CEO Mark Pincus issued a note to employees confirming the layoffs. You can find it below.

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Samsung/Google’s new ARM-powered Chromebook looks like a MacBook Air, costs just $249

9to5 Staff Oct 18 2012 - 10:41 am PT

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The price is right, and the processor is an interesting choice (ARM), but unfortunately, the look is unmistakably Apple.
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