Apple trying to store your video in the cloud
Apple has told the studios that under the plan, iTunes users will access video from various Internet-connected devices. Apple would, of course, prefer that users access video from the iPad, the company's upcoming tablet computer, the sources said. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said Apple doesn't comment on rumors or speculation. The news comes a month after Apple spoke to the major record companies about a similar plan involving music.Apple's vision is to build proverbial digital shelves where iTunes users store their media, one of the sources, adding "basically, they want to eliminate the hard drive."By cramming digital songs, videos, and all manner of software applications on computers and handheld devices, there's some indication that consumers are maxing out hard drives, particularly on smaller mobile devices. That has led to speculation among Apple watchers that some consumers might slow their purchasing of new content, if they have nowhere to easily put it.It's a bit of leap to reach that conclusion,certainly when a stagnant economy might be hampering sales, but there are some worrisome signs. The NPD Group reported last week that the number of people who legally downloaded songsdropped by nearly a million, from 35.2 million in 2008 to 34.6 million last year.Screen Digest, a research firm that focuses on the entertainment industry, on Monday said growth in movie downloads slowed dramatically in 2009, following sharp increases in the two prior years. Screen Digest had projected that total U.S. online movie sales for 2009 would come in at about $360 million, but the total reached only $291 million, the company said. "(Apple) just doesn't have the leverage it once did. Apple can't dictate terms or position itself as a digital savior."--James McQuivey, Forrester analyst Before iTunes users can store their movies and TV shows in Apple's cloud, the company must get the studios to sign on. This may not be easy. The studios want to make sure that Apple's plans play nice with non-Apple devices and services. Hollywood isn't interested in any walled gardens, said James McQuivey, a media analyst at Forrester Research."The studios are very concerned that they're going to get roped into somebody's proprietary platform," McQuivey said. "They want a world where consumers have a relationship with the content, and not with the device or the service. They are in a position to force Apple to go along and make sure that content bought [via] iTunes will play on a Nokia phone. That is very un-Apple-like."The upper hand in Hollywood"Apple would prefer not to do this," McQuivey continued. "But it just doesn't have the leverage it once did. Apple can't dictate terms or position itself as a digital savior." The reason that Apple doesn't wield the same power over the film and TV industries that it did with music is that more players are willing to give the studios what they want. The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, or DECE, is a consortium of heavy-hitting media stakeholders lining up to create standards for file formats, digital rights management, and authentication technologies. The group includes Adobe Systems, Best Buy, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Lions Gate Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Microsoft, Netflix, Panasonic, the four largest recording companies (Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Group, and Warner Music Group), Samsung, Sony, and Warner Bros. Entertainment. DECE's goal is to make sure that a movie or TV show bought from Comcast's video service will play on Samsung devices or on Netflix's service. Not all the studios have joined. Walt Disney has create a DECE-like service called KeyChest, which is supposed to be DECE-compatible. Applying more pressure on Apple is Google, one of its main rivals. Google, obviously, has YouTube. It's also eyeing some start-ups with cloud technology to beef up its streaming services.Two weeks ago, sources told CNET that Google had informal acquisition talks withCatch Media, a Los Angeles company that wants to become a clearinghouse of sorts, in which consumers move media around the Web, and Catch handles the permissions and licensing. So what's Apple's answer to the Google threat? Apple is building a new data center in North Carolina that, according to reports, will be the backbone of its streaming offerings. In December, Apple bought Lala, a struggling music service with an expertise in cloud computing. Google was also trying to acquire the company, but Apple outbid Google.The one thing that could help Apple pull away from Google and hand it more clout with the studios and TV networks, is if iPad catches on with consumers. The Web-enabled computer tablet, which is due to hit store shelves later this month, features a 9.7-inch display screen and can play back video at up to 720p resolution, the sources said. If consumers start buying video to watch on the iPad, Hollywood could soften its stance on standards. But McQuivey says Apple can't create any proprietary formats, at this point. "Apple can't suddenly make the iPad a closed environment," he said. "Apple is not in any position to refuse to limit its customers' choices. By pioneering (the apps), Apple is stuck doing what's right for consumers."
Microsoft's desktop future may look like a phone
Microsoft's desktop future may look like a phone
It is precisely this fuzziness that offers Google and Apple a chance to get a leg up on Microsoft, but is also why Microsoft may be able to cement its lead.Google is clear about its aims: it wants to get users into a browser as fast as possible. Why? Because the more we use the Web, the more likely it is that we'll bump into Google's revenue-generating services. While this started as a PC initiative for Google with the Chrome OS, the Chrome browser, and other projects, Google has kicked it into hyperdrive with its increasingly popular Android mobile operating system.Apple, for its part, is equally clear about its aims: it wants to get users into iTunes or its App Store. Why? Because for all the money it makes on hardware like Macs and the iPhone, Internet-scale revenues derive from such services that aggregate and distribute digital goods. Apple's strategy is bidirectional: its Macs drive adoption of iPhones, and the iPhone drives sales of Macs.But mobile is what makes it hum.Microsoft, however, has been less clear about its aims, particularly with the traditional desktop. It wants people on Windows...why? Well, because Microsoft earns a license fee for every copy of Windows sold./p>This has historically been a home-run strategy, but it may be a decreasingly defensible revenue model in a world conditioned by the Web (and Google) to expect software to be free.;p>Neither of its primary competitors charges for the OS, which will eventually call into question Microsoft's practice of doing so.Of course, Apple's OS X can't be easily divorced from Apple's hardware, making it arguably a much more expensive OS than Microsoft ever dreamed of selling.But Google? It's serious about giving away Microsoft's business.Is Microsoft doomed?Of course not. Any company with billions in profit each quarter can afford to spend its way into a winning strategy.Microsoft has already sold 90 million copies of Windows 7, suggesting that its demise will be greatly exaggerated for some time to come, especially as its market share is again on the upswing with Windows 7.Even so, I suspect the future of Microsoft's "desktop" OS business is going the same direction as Apple's and Google's: mobile.Mobile gives Microsoft a fresh start with lots of room to grow.It also gives it an effective way to extend its brand into others' platforms, as its Bing search growth on Apple's iPhone could signal, while simultaneously letting Microsoft experiment with new business models that don't threaten its traditional licensing-based model (as cloud computing does for its server and "desktop" businesses). Perhaps most importantly, and this is equally true for both Google and Apple for their respective environments, mobile allows Microsoft to innovate the Windows user experience.Apple has started to extend the iPhone experience with its iPad, and I suspect we'll see Microsoft do the same with Windows Phone 7.Microsoft's consumer and enterprise customers will have little appetite for a radically changed "desktop" experience...unless they first grow accustomed to it on their phones.For each of these three major OS vendors, the nature of the OS, and its associated business models, is changing rapidly.Mobile, however, holds the key to each company's growth, and may signal convergence on a new way of monetizing an OS: app stores, advertising, and other online services.But all delivered on a mobile device that looks less and less like a phone and more and more like a PC...without actually being one.
It is precisely this fuzziness that offers Google and Apple a chance to get a leg up on Microsoft, but is also why Microsoft may be able to cement its lead.Google is clear about its aims: it wants to get users into a browser as fast as possible. Why? Because the more we use the Web, the more likely it is that we'll bump into Google's revenue-generating services. While this started as a PC initiative for Google with the Chrome OS, the Chrome browser, and other projects, Google has kicked it into hyperdrive with its increasingly popular Android mobile operating system.Apple, for its part, is equally clear about its aims: it wants to get users into iTunes or its App Store. Why? Because for all the money it makes on hardware like Macs and the iPhone, Internet-scale revenues derive from such services that aggregate and distribute digital goods. Apple's strategy is bidirectional: its Macs drive adoption of iPhones, and the iPhone drives sales of Macs.But mobile is what makes it hum.Microsoft, however, has been less clear about its aims, particularly with the traditional desktop. It wants people on Windows...why? Well, because Microsoft earns a license fee for every copy of Windows sold./p>This has historically been a home-run strategy, but it may be a decreasingly defensible revenue model in a world conditioned by the Web (and Google) to expect software to be free.;p>Neither of its primary competitors charges for the OS, which will eventually call into question Microsoft's practice of doing so.Of course, Apple's OS X can't be easily divorced from Apple's hardware, making it arguably a much more expensive OS than Microsoft ever dreamed of selling.But Google? It's serious about giving away Microsoft's business.Is Microsoft doomed?Of course not. Any company with billions in profit each quarter can afford to spend its way into a winning strategy.Microsoft has already sold 90 million copies of Windows 7, suggesting that its demise will be greatly exaggerated for some time to come, especially as its market share is again on the upswing with Windows 7.Even so, I suspect the future of Microsoft's "desktop" OS business is going the same direction as Apple's and Google's: mobile.Mobile gives Microsoft a fresh start with lots of room to grow.It also gives it an effective way to extend its brand into others' platforms, as its Bing search growth on Apple's iPhone could signal, while simultaneously letting Microsoft experiment with new business models that don't threaten its traditional licensing-based model (as cloud computing does for its server and "desktop" businesses). Perhaps most importantly, and this is equally true for both Google and Apple for their respective environments, mobile allows Microsoft to innovate the Windows user experience.Apple has started to extend the iPhone experience with its iPad, and I suspect we'll see Microsoft do the same with Windows Phone 7.Microsoft's consumer and enterprise customers will have little appetite for a radically changed "desktop" experience...unless they first grow accustomed to it on their phones.For each of these three major OS vendors, the nature of the OS, and its associated business models, is changing rapidly.Mobile, however, holds the key to each company's growth, and may signal convergence on a new way of monetizing an OS: app stores, advertising, and other online services.But all delivered on a mobile device that looks less and less like a phone and more and more like a PC...without actually being one.
Apple's WWDC keynote- What we didn't get
Apple's WWDC keynote: What we didn't get
It seems like every Apple event comes with an increasingly large dose of sparkling hype, and plenty of supposedly imminent announcements end up not happening.This year's Tim Cook keynote speech at WWDC had its share of big news, and plenty of excitement -- iOS 6, Retina Display MacBook Pros -- but here's what wasn't there.Related storiesComplete WWDC 2012 coverageApple's WWDC news: New MacBook Pros, iOS 6, upgraded SiriFirst take: MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayApple unveils iOS 6 with 200 new features, Siri gets updateConsolidation of the MacBook lineYes, that Retina Display MacBook Pro is stunning and covers a lot of what I was looking for in a MacBook, but Airs and Pros still exist, and with lots of different screen sizes. Is choice confusing or welcome? I personally would have preferred the fancy Pro to be a bit more affordable.4G on a MacBookWell, there still aren't any MacBooks with built-in mobile broadband. The Retina Display MacBook Pro seemed like a shoo-in for 4G LTE, but it didn't come to pass.No new iMacs or Mac MinisThe Mac Pro got stealthily updated on Apple's Web site without a mention in the keynote speech, but the iMacs and Mac Minis are still last year's models. Best guess: news will come on those soon.Apple TV SDK/App StoreThe biggest pre-WWDC rumor fell flat on its face: Apple didn't speak a word about the Apple TV or any apps. Apple HDTV hardwareAs mentioned above, no Apple TV, and that included hardware as well as software. We knew the odds on Apple TV hardware were slim to none, and the keynote didn't pull any surprises.The next iPhoneNo one expected a new iPhone, but still: while iOS 6 was a star of the keynote, the next iPhone remained a mystery. However, iOS 6 practically offers enough new features to make an existing iPhone (3GS or later) feel new.iPad MiniWas anyone expecting this? For the sake of being a completist, this is on the list. The newest iPad remains the third-gen version that debuted in March.Update/overhaul of iTunesDo you find discovery of apps difficult? Feel frustrated by the design of iTunes? There are redesigned mobile versions of iOS content apps like the App Store in iOS 6 along with integrated Facebook recommendations, but iTunes hasn't made many changes.Anything you were expecting that didn't appear?This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayApple's WWDC 2012: iOS 6, Mountain Lion,...See full gallery1 - 4 / 27NextPrev
It seems like every Apple event comes with an increasingly large dose of sparkling hype, and plenty of supposedly imminent announcements end up not happening.This year's Tim Cook keynote speech at WWDC had its share of big news, and plenty of excitement -- iOS 6, Retina Display MacBook Pros -- but here's what wasn't there.Related storiesComplete WWDC 2012 coverageApple's WWDC news: New MacBook Pros, iOS 6, upgraded SiriFirst take: MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayApple unveils iOS 6 with 200 new features, Siri gets updateConsolidation of the MacBook lineYes, that Retina Display MacBook Pro is stunning and covers a lot of what I was looking for in a MacBook, but Airs and Pros still exist, and with lots of different screen sizes. Is choice confusing or welcome? I personally would have preferred the fancy Pro to be a bit more affordable.4G on a MacBookWell, there still aren't any MacBooks with built-in mobile broadband. The Retina Display MacBook Pro seemed like a shoo-in for 4G LTE, but it didn't come to pass.No new iMacs or Mac MinisThe Mac Pro got stealthily updated on Apple's Web site without a mention in the keynote speech, but the iMacs and Mac Minis are still last year's models. Best guess: news will come on those soon.Apple TV SDK/App StoreThe biggest pre-WWDC rumor fell flat on its face: Apple didn't speak a word about the Apple TV or any apps. Apple HDTV hardwareAs mentioned above, no Apple TV, and that included hardware as well as software. We knew the odds on Apple TV hardware were slim to none, and the keynote didn't pull any surprises.The next iPhoneNo one expected a new iPhone, but still: while iOS 6 was a star of the keynote, the next iPhone remained a mystery. However, iOS 6 practically offers enough new features to make an existing iPhone (3GS or later) feel new.iPad MiniWas anyone expecting this? For the sake of being a completist, this is on the list. The newest iPad remains the third-gen version that debuted in March.Update/overhaul of iTunesDo you find discovery of apps difficult? Feel frustrated by the design of iTunes? There are redesigned mobile versions of iOS content apps like the App Store in iOS 6 along with integrated Facebook recommendations, but iTunes hasn't made many changes.Anything you were expecting that didn't appear?This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayApple's WWDC 2012: iOS 6, Mountain Lion,...See full gallery1 - 4 / 27NextPrev
The 404 1,054- Where we're gonna need to see some ID (podcast)
The 404 1,054: Where we're gonna need to see some ID (podcast)
This Friday, 25 bars and restaurants around the San Francisco Bay Area will adopt Scenetap, a social analytics app that uses facial recognition technology to gather real-time data on customer relations and crowd sizes. Don't worry, the cameras only analyze facial features to determine approximate age and gender of clients entering the bars, and the restaurants swear that they won't upload videos of patrons stumbling out and doing whatever people do outside of bars at 4 a.m.Today we'll also tell you about a new project from Disney called Touche that can turn anything into a button using a single electrical wire and a wireless connection back to a controller. This new device is still in testing, but soon you'll be able to effortlessly automate all the functions in your house, from doorknobs to couch cushions and even underwater. This is not the same thing as the The Clapper.Finally, we're warning all our young listeners about their long-banged hairstyles -- according to optometrist Andrew Hogan, young chaps with "emo" hair are at a higher risk of developing Amblyopia, commonly known as a "lazy eye." It's all blamed on the long, sweeping bangs that have a tendency to obstruct view in one eye that can lead to stunted visual developments, so either cut your hair or harness the power of the head-shake-bang-straightener.Video Voicemail: Matt honks his hornThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayEpisode 1,054Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
This Friday, 25 bars and restaurants around the San Francisco Bay Area will adopt Scenetap, a social analytics app that uses facial recognition technology to gather real-time data on customer relations and crowd sizes. Don't worry, the cameras only analyze facial features to determine approximate age and gender of clients entering the bars, and the restaurants swear that they won't upload videos of patrons stumbling out and doing whatever people do outside of bars at 4 a.m.Today we'll also tell you about a new project from Disney called Touche that can turn anything into a button using a single electrical wire and a wireless connection back to a controller. This new device is still in testing, but soon you'll be able to effortlessly automate all the functions in your house, from doorknobs to couch cushions and even underwater. This is not the same thing as the The Clapper.Finally, we're warning all our young listeners about their long-banged hairstyles -- according to optometrist Andrew Hogan, young chaps with "emo" hair are at a higher risk of developing Amblyopia, commonly known as a "lazy eye." It's all blamed on the long, sweeping bangs that have a tendency to obstruct view in one eye that can lead to stunted visual developments, so either cut your hair or harness the power of the head-shake-bang-straightener.Video Voicemail: Matt honks his hornThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayEpisode 1,054Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
iTunes tip- Organize your music for better Cover Flow
iTunes tip: Organize your music for better Cover Flow
There are three things that you should check for:The Album Name differs slightly. This is particularly possible if your main way of acquiring music is not via the iTunes Music Store or another online retailer or by ripping compact discs. Downloaded music can often have incomplete or funky information in the fields that iTunes reads. Make sure there are no extra spaces, including a space before the Album Name, and that all the capitalization and spellings are exactly the same. To be sure, users can access the info pane in iTunes and copy/paste the Album Name to each song in the album or select each track in the album and edit them all with the Multiple Item Information pane (below).The songs of an album have different artists. Many albums are compilations of performances by several artists. Sometimes iTunes will split the album up between the artists instead of linking them all together. To alleviate this problem, select each song in the album, access the Multiple Item Information pane in iTunes, and check the box for "Part of a Compilation." Choose "Yes" from the drop-down menu.AppleThe Album Artist field is different. The Album Artist field is an optional field that allows you to organize an album that contains several contributing artists by the main artist's name. If you're unsure which artist you should put in this field, you can leave it blank and follow the compilation method above to keep all the songs in the same album.Once you've made the changes to your iTunes Library, sync your Apple mobile device and the changes should show up, making your listening experience much more enjoyable. If you upkeep your iTunes Library often, tasks like this won't seem as daunting, and you'll have much more power when sorting and organizing your media.How do you keep your iTunes Library in order? Let me know your methods in the comments!
There are three things that you should check for:The Album Name differs slightly. This is particularly possible if your main way of acquiring music is not via the iTunes Music Store or another online retailer or by ripping compact discs. Downloaded music can often have incomplete or funky information in the fields that iTunes reads. Make sure there are no extra spaces, including a space before the Album Name, and that all the capitalization and spellings are exactly the same. To be sure, users can access the info pane in iTunes and copy/paste the Album Name to each song in the album or select each track in the album and edit them all with the Multiple Item Information pane (below).The songs of an album have different artists. Many albums are compilations of performances by several artists. Sometimes iTunes will split the album up between the artists instead of linking them all together. To alleviate this problem, select each song in the album, access the Multiple Item Information pane in iTunes, and check the box for "Part of a Compilation." Choose "Yes" from the drop-down menu.AppleThe Album Artist field is different. The Album Artist field is an optional field that allows you to organize an album that contains several contributing artists by the main artist's name. If you're unsure which artist you should put in this field, you can leave it blank and follow the compilation method above to keep all the songs in the same album.Once you've made the changes to your iTunes Library, sync your Apple mobile device and the changes should show up, making your listening experience much more enjoyable. If you upkeep your iTunes Library often, tasks like this won't seem as daunting, and you'll have much more power when sorting and organizing your media.How do you keep your iTunes Library in order? Let me know your methods in the comments!
Apple's ginormous iPad prototype kept out of trial
Apple's ginormous iPad prototype kept out of trial
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- One of the first iPad prototypes will not be used as evidence in the trial between Apple and Samsung, despite it having been shown to jurors.In a ruling near the end of the court session here today, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said that Samsung could not use the tablet, which cropped up in a pile of new evidence last month, to help show differences in what Apple originally envisioned for its patented tablet design, and what it eventually shipped.The design patent, called the '889 patent in the case between the two tech giants, depicts a rectangular tablet device. So far Apple says that has become the look of the iPad 2 and beyond, but that some of its subtleties -- like round corners, unibody back, and bezeled glass -- applied to the first-generation iPad as well.A drawing of what a tablet looks like in action in Apple's '889 design patent.Apple / U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeIn early court filings, Samsung argued that the differences were more broad, pointing to an early prototype of the iPad, dubbed the 035 model (pictured above), which looked more like the thick lid of one of the company's plastic MacBook laptops.Despite Koh's decision, today was the second time the 035 prototype has been shown to jurors during this trial. Samsung's attorneys held it up during the company's opening statements last week, and once again today before Apple's attorneys took offense to its presentation, calling it an "ambush" during the tail end of industrial design expert witness Peter Bressler's testimony.The trial continues tomorrow, with the expected testimony of early Apple designer Susan Kare, who is perhaps best known for creating the initial set of icons for the first Mac.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- One of the first iPad prototypes will not be used as evidence in the trial between Apple and Samsung, despite it having been shown to jurors.In a ruling near the end of the court session here today, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said that Samsung could not use the tablet, which cropped up in a pile of new evidence last month, to help show differences in what Apple originally envisioned for its patented tablet design, and what it eventually shipped.The design patent, called the '889 patent in the case between the two tech giants, depicts a rectangular tablet device. So far Apple says that has become the look of the iPad 2 and beyond, but that some of its subtleties -- like round corners, unibody back, and bezeled glass -- applied to the first-generation iPad as well.A drawing of what a tablet looks like in action in Apple's '889 design patent.Apple / U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeIn early court filings, Samsung argued that the differences were more broad, pointing to an early prototype of the iPad, dubbed the 035 model (pictured above), which looked more like the thick lid of one of the company's plastic MacBook laptops.Despite Koh's decision, today was the second time the 035 prototype has been shown to jurors during this trial. Samsung's attorneys held it up during the company's opening statements last week, and once again today before Apple's attorneys took offense to its presentation, calling it an "ambush" during the tail end of industrial design expert witness Peter Bressler's testimony.The trial continues tomorrow, with the expected testimony of early Apple designer Susan Kare, who is perhaps best known for creating the initial set of icons for the first Mac.
Apple's giant data center pops up on Google, Bing
Apple's giant data center pops up on Google, Bing
Apple's 500,000-square-foot behemoth of a data center in Maiden, N.C., is now ready to have eyes laid on it. Satellite eyes that is.As picked up by Fortune this morning, Apple's data center--which the company said would go live in the spring--now appears in Google Maps (map), having previously shown up as a large patch of empty land. Of course all the exciting bits are inside, including what has been estimatedto be capacity for 95,000 to 120,000 servers. While the satellite imagery has been updated, Google's Street View has not. Entering into Street View on the road just outside the facility yields a nice view of a large, open field. Microsoft's Bing Maps also has satellite imagery (map), which has more cars in the parking lot, but appears to have been taken earlier than Google's based on the progress of nearby construction:The same data center seen through Microsoft's Bing Maps.MicrosoftAlong with its existing facility in Newark, Calif., Apple reportedlysigned a seven-year lease with DuPont Fabros Technology earlier this year for approximately 11,000 square feet of data center space in DuPont Fabros' Santa Clara, Calif., facilities. That data center would reportedly go live later this year. Apple said yesterday that it will be taking the wraps off iCloud at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off next week. So far it's only been described as a "cloud services offering," though signs have hinted that it will be anything from a digital storage locker to a subscription service for music and movies. Apple's data center efforts are expected to be tied closely to that effort, along with the company's advertising and voice services.Updated at 1:18 p.m. to correct time differences between the Google and Bing images.
Apple's 500,000-square-foot behemoth of a data center in Maiden, N.C., is now ready to have eyes laid on it. Satellite eyes that is.As picked up by Fortune this morning, Apple's data center--which the company said would go live in the spring--now appears in Google Maps (map), having previously shown up as a large patch of empty land. Of course all the exciting bits are inside, including what has been estimatedto be capacity for 95,000 to 120,000 servers. While the satellite imagery has been updated, Google's Street View has not. Entering into Street View on the road just outside the facility yields a nice view of a large, open field. Microsoft's Bing Maps also has satellite imagery (map), which has more cars in the parking lot, but appears to have been taken earlier than Google's based on the progress of nearby construction:The same data center seen through Microsoft's Bing Maps.MicrosoftAlong with its existing facility in Newark, Calif., Apple reportedlysigned a seven-year lease with DuPont Fabros Technology earlier this year for approximately 11,000 square feet of data center space in DuPont Fabros' Santa Clara, Calif., facilities. That data center would reportedly go live later this year. Apple said yesterday that it will be taking the wraps off iCloud at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off next week. So far it's only been described as a "cloud services offering," though signs have hinted that it will be anything from a digital storage locker to a subscription service for music and movies. Apple's data center efforts are expected to be tied closely to that effort, along with the company's advertising and voice services.Updated at 1:18 p.m. to correct time differences between the Google and Bing images.
Apple's founding contract to be auctioned off
Apple's founding contract to be auctioned off
The paper contract that marked the legal beginnings of Apple goes on sale next month.Bloomberg reported today that Sotheby's is selling the document at its Fine Books and Manuscripts auction on December 13. The item is estimated to sell for anywhere between $100,000 and $150,000, Sotheby's said in a release (PDF) announcing the sale. The three-page document is signed by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne. Wayne famously decided to walk away from his 10 percent share of the company in return for $2,300 split up between two payments. Before that happened though, he offered to draft the original letter, which Sotheby's notes is filled with "legal jargon." The document, dated April 1, 1976, changed hands twice since their original signing, Bloomberg says. A manuscript dealer purchased it from Wayne, then sold it in the mid-1990s to the owner who's put the document up for auction. Along with the original contract, the lot being sold includes an amendment noting Wayne's withdrawal as a partner in the venture (seen in the photo above).The sale follows the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in early October, who stepped down as the company's CEO in August. During Jobs' second stint at Apple, following his return after being ousted in 1985, the company went on to become immensely profitable. Apple surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company by market capitalization earlier this year, a spot that Exxon has taken back following a decline in Apple's stock price during the past two months. Along with the contract, Sotheby's is also selling three of Andy Warhol's self-published books, and letters from George Washington and Vincent Van Gogh as part of its auction.The signatures of Wozniak, Jobs, and Wayne in the 1976 contractSotheby's
The paper contract that marked the legal beginnings of Apple goes on sale next month.Bloomberg reported today that Sotheby's is selling the document at its Fine Books and Manuscripts auction on December 13. The item is estimated to sell for anywhere between $100,000 and $150,000, Sotheby's said in a release (PDF) announcing the sale. The three-page document is signed by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne. Wayne famously decided to walk away from his 10 percent share of the company in return for $2,300 split up between two payments. Before that happened though, he offered to draft the original letter, which Sotheby's notes is filled with "legal jargon." The document, dated April 1, 1976, changed hands twice since their original signing, Bloomberg says. A manuscript dealer purchased it from Wayne, then sold it in the mid-1990s to the owner who's put the document up for auction. Along with the original contract, the lot being sold includes an amendment noting Wayne's withdrawal as a partner in the venture (seen in the photo above).The sale follows the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in early October, who stepped down as the company's CEO in August. During Jobs' second stint at Apple, following his return after being ousted in 1985, the company went on to become immensely profitable. Apple surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company by market capitalization earlier this year, a spot that Exxon has taken back following a decline in Apple's stock price during the past two months. Along with the contract, Sotheby's is also selling three of Andy Warhol's self-published books, and letters from George Washington and Vincent Van Gogh as part of its auction.The signatures of Wozniak, Jobs, and Wayne in the 1976 contractSotheby's
Apple's Flashback malware remover now live
Apple's Flashback malware remover now live
Apple this afternoon released an integrated tool to remove Flashback, malware designed to steal user information that was estimated to be present in more than half a million machines just last week.The tool, which was made available as part of a security update to Java today, comes two days after Apple said it was working on an automated way for users to remove the infection. Flashback is a form of malware designed to grab passwords and other information from users through their Web browser and other applications. A user typically mistakes it for a legitimate browser plug-in while visiting a malicious Web site. At that point, the software installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers. In its most recent incarnations, the software can install itself without user interaction.According to Apple, the new tool removes "the most common variants" of the malware, as well as turning off automatic execution of Java applets on Web pages. After being discovered by Russian antivirus company Dr. Web earlier this month, several security firms -- including Kaspersky and Symantec -- verified its prevalence, while noting that infections have been in a decline. Yesterday Symantec estimated around 270,000 machines to be infected with the malware worldwide, down from an estimate of more than 600,000 counted last week. Related storiesMac Flashback malware: What it is and how to get rid of it (FAQ)How to remove the Flashback malware from OS XSymantec cuts Flashback infection estimates in halfApple's removal tool joins a small number of other solutions created to detect and remove the malware. Yesterday F-Secure released a small piece of software that makes use of AppleScript to detect it and make any necessary repairs, with Symantec rolling out its own such tool today, just ahead of Apple's. Kaspersky Lab, which was the first company to verify Dr. Web's infection numbers, introduced one of the first automated removal tools last week.Updated at 3:28 p.m. PT to note that infection numbers were estimates.
Apple this afternoon released an integrated tool to remove Flashback, malware designed to steal user information that was estimated to be present in more than half a million machines just last week.The tool, which was made available as part of a security update to Java today, comes two days after Apple said it was working on an automated way for users to remove the infection. Flashback is a form of malware designed to grab passwords and other information from users through their Web browser and other applications. A user typically mistakes it for a legitimate browser plug-in while visiting a malicious Web site. At that point, the software installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers. In its most recent incarnations, the software can install itself without user interaction.According to Apple, the new tool removes "the most common variants" of the malware, as well as turning off automatic execution of Java applets on Web pages. After being discovered by Russian antivirus company Dr. Web earlier this month, several security firms -- including Kaspersky and Symantec -- verified its prevalence, while noting that infections have been in a decline. Yesterday Symantec estimated around 270,000 machines to be infected with the malware worldwide, down from an estimate of more than 600,000 counted last week. Related storiesMac Flashback malware: What it is and how to get rid of it (FAQ)How to remove the Flashback malware from OS XSymantec cuts Flashback infection estimates in halfApple's removal tool joins a small number of other solutions created to detect and remove the malware. Yesterday F-Secure released a small piece of software that makes use of AppleScript to detect it and make any necessary repairs, with Symantec rolling out its own such tool today, just ahead of Apple's. Kaspersky Lab, which was the first company to verify Dr. Web's infection numbers, introduced one of the first automated removal tools last week.Updated at 3:28 p.m. PT to note that infection numbers were estimates.
Box Office Report: 'Need' Stalls at Home but Picks Up 'Speed' Overseas; Wes and 'Veronica' More Impressive Than Tyler
Here areyour three-day box office returns (new releases bolded): 1. Mr. Peabody & Sherman - $21.2 million ($63.1 million total) 2. 300: Rise of an Empire - $19.1 million ($78.3 million total) 3. Need for Speed - $17.8 million ($17.8 million total) 4. Non-Stop - $10.6 million ($68.8 million total) 5. Tyler Perry;s The Single Mom;s Club - $8.3 million ($8.3 million total) 6. The Lego Movie - $7.7 million ($236.9 million total) 7. Son of God - $5.4 million ($50.8 million total) 8. The Grand Budapest Hotel - $3.6 million ($4.7 million total) 9. Frozen - $2.1 million ($396.3 million total) 10. Veronica Mars - $2.0 million ($2.0 million total) The Big Stories What a difference a week makes. Last Monday, Wall Street was sent into a panic by Dreamworks Animation. The puns flew from the moneymen unenthused with the $100 million worldwide gross of Mr. Peabody & Sherman.Peabody & Sherman wasn;t hitting Lego numbers and its opening was only ranked 10th amongst animated March openers, but look what has hung around to benumber onein its second weekend. Meanwhile, as those same investors are sure to turn their ire to thenumber twofilm, there;s still something to be said about dogs and loyalty this week. Prepare to (Not) Qualify If driving games have been the rage all these years, then how come we never got a film made from Pole Position? That Spy Hunter movie with the Rock never got off the ground and everyone;s dream film of Bump ;n; Jump remains a fantasy. So I guess we have to stick with Need for Speed. Directed by Act of Valor;s Scott Waugh, the racing film features little in the way of active Navy SEAL members and even less support from critics. Audiences rated the film a B+ while critics ranked it 14th amongst 24 wide releases in 2014; the 12th film to score less than 25% at Rotten Tomatoes this year. As debuts of video game adaptation go: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider ($47.7 million), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($30.0), Mortal Kombat ($23.2), Silent Hill ($20.1), Need for Speed ($18.0), Resident Evil ($17.7), Max Payne ($17.6), Doom ($15.4), Hitman ($13.1), Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within ($11.4) The first Tomb Raider is the only true video game adaptation to gross over $100 million in the U.S. So even Need for Speed;s reasonable budget (by today;s standards) of $66 million seems pretty costly if it can;t pull in a fifth of what Fast & Furious 6 did overseas. (A $45.6 million start certainly helps.) With all the grief DreamWorks; animation division got last week, the live-action side cannot be feeling much better. Since 2011it hasbeen behind I Am Number Four, Cowboys & Aliens, Fright Night, Real Steel, A Thousand Words, People Like Us, The Fifth Estate and Delivery Man. All losers at the box office.Its only winners in that time have been The Help and anything associated withits frontman, Steven Spielberg (War Horse & Lincoln as well as Tintin on the animated side.) It;s too early to call the race for Need for Speed yet, but Dreamworks is surely counting the days until How to Train Your Dragon 2 comes out. Speaking of Dogs Tyler Perry had his worst opening as a director this weekend. Oh, we;re just kidding. He;s not really a director. Though the DGA may want to give him that credit, Lionsgate doesn;t seem to be that interested in granting him that privilege anymore. We;ll have to suffer a few more films under the studio;s banner, but the hack;s first-look deal over there was not renewed. That might seem odd to some since his films cost about a $1.05 to make. But both A Madea Christmas and Temptation came up in the red (not to mention Tyler Perry Presents Peeples.) With The Single Mom;s Club opening to under $10 million (the first of Perry;s films to do so) and his lastthree directorial efforts amongst his bottomfour openers overall it looks like we could be finally seeing him less than twice a year. Speaking of Loyalty Finally arriving (in a limited basis) in theaters was the big-screen adaptation of TV;s Veronica Mars. Fans put up $2 million and Warner Bros. kicked in another $4 million to see the beloved series released in more homes than theaters. Amazon and iTunes users could stay in their living room to check out the film which brings nearly enough sass to counterbalance a rather lame story and mystery. But the hard-cores truly showed their support, investing another $2 million in the project this weekend by paying the ticket costs. Then the Wes Anderson platform show continued with The Grand Budapest Hotel adding 62 screens and breaking into the top10 with $3.6 million. By contrast, Moonrise Kingdom shot up to 96 screens in its third weekend and only grossed $1.5 million. This is a good news/bad news situation depending on where you stand on Anderson;s cinematic quirks. Erik Childress can be seen each Thursday morning on WCIU-TV;s First Business breaking down the box office on the Movies & Money segment. [box office figures via Box Office Mojo]
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