Technology News: Apple Juice

Apple's Core Problem: Making Consumers Crave an iPad
March 05, 2010

We now know when the first iPads will be available for sale in U.S. Apple Stores: April 3rd. We now know what kinds of iPads you'll be able to buy at that time: the WiFi models only. And we now know when you'll be able to pre-order your iPad via online delivery or Apple Store pickup: March 12. What we don't know: How will Apple sell the iPad?

Of the China Market, Cheaper New iPhones and the iPad
March 03, 2010

Apple's share prices have begun climbing back since Feb. 23, closing Tuesday at $208.85. It's not yet quite clear why -- it could be the imminent shipping of the iPod or the shareholders' meeting Feb. 25, among other things. Still, investors should take what they can get. They'll have to -- Cupertino isn't about to fork over any dividends soon.

Production Problems Could Cut Both Ways for iPad Devs
March 02, 2010

An analyst's research note has thrown the expected launch date of the iPad into doubt -- or at least raised questions about how easy it will be for consumers to get their hands on the device. Unspecified production problems may cause Apple to delay or limit the size of its launch, according to Canaccord Adams' Peter Misek.

Compliant Media Help Apple Skirt Child Labor Scandal
March 02, 2010

You don't have to search very hard on Apple.com to find the 2010 Supplier Responsibility Report, the company's internal audit of how workers are treated on the assembly lines at the overseas third-party companies making its Macs, iPhones and iPods. "Read about Apple's continuing commitment to social responsibility" says the link on the lower right-hand corner of the home page.

The iPad Catalyst Will Light a Lot of Fires
March 02, 2010

I'm still not personally sold on the idea that I need an Apple iPad, but I very much like what I'm seeing in the publishing industry in response to the fledgling product. Conde Nast is a respected publisher that's looking to do something cool, new and proactive for its magazines -- create digital versions that push the boundaries of digital magazine delivery.

Was the iPad a Mistake?
March 01, 2010

This isn't to ask whether it will be successful. Apple is a master at setting goals and then exceeding them, and a lot of folks are clearly excited about the iPad -- but the first generation iPhone was kind of a mistake that got corrected in later versions. I'm increasingly thinking that Steve Jobs' initial concerns with this offering were well founded.

Apple: Stock in the Clouds, One Toe Still in the Gutter
February 24, 2010

Apple stock closed at $197.05 Tuesday, down $3.37 after a five-day rally that saw it hit $203.08 Friday. However, that slide was part of an overall market phenomenon. On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 100 points and the NASDAQ composite index lost about 29 points as consumer confidence took a tumble.

With Smut Ban, App Store Exposes a Jiggly Set of Rules
February 23, 2010

I'm both irritated and pleased that Apple is waging a war on anything sexy in its iPhone, iPod touch, and soon-to-be-released iPad App Store. The company in Cupertino has been systematically removing thousands of apps that could be construed as sexy, have adult-oriented images, or just simply show chicks in bikinis -- wait, now that's a great idea for an app.

Is Google the Next Microsoft and Microsoft the Next Apple?
February 22, 2010

This past week, two rather interesting events got me thinking about how Apple, Google and Microsoft seem to be changing places. Microsoft announced Windows Phone Series 7, and Google announced Buzz (also known as "Buzz Kill") into the market. Microsoft kind of pulled an Apple with this, in that it stepped away from the field and created something distinctly different and potentially more capable.

Rivals Rendezvous in Europe to Plot Against Apple
February 17, 2010

Apple's rivals have launched a flurry of broadsides against the iTunes App Store at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. Twenty-four wireless carriers around the world, supported by major smartphone manufacturers, teamed up to build an open app platform through their new organization, the Wholesale Applications Community.

Get Ready for Apple to Murder the Status Quo One More Time
February 16, 2010

As near as I can tell, Apple is the ultimate tech industry disrupter. In recent memory, Apple's iPhone put applications in the hands of millions of consumers, wrenched a good measure of control out of the cold grip of cellular service providers, and sparked a fire of touchscreen smartphone competitors.

Sorry, You Just Can't Pin Down Apple Consumers
February 09, 2010

When I first noticed the Retrevo Pulse headline for its study that examines consumer interest in buying the Apple iPad, my first reaction was eerily in line with the traffic-grabbing headline, "Apple iPad Hoopla Fails to Convince Buyers." I'm an unabashed fan of almost every Apple product the company in Cupertino produces, and yet I'm still not convinced the iPad is a worthy addition to my personal Apple lineup.

How Microsoft Could Beat Apple and Google: Needed - One Child Executive
February 08, 2010

The iPad has captured much of the technology coverage so far this year. It is a poorly named copy of a product that Microsoft launched nearly a decade ago, based on a concept Steve Jobs personally thought was stupid: the tablet computer. Yet Apple has effectively convinced the market that its device is new, different and desirable.

Apple and Oracle: Will the Real Tech Titans Please Stand Up?
February 05, 2010

I was a bit distracted from the Apple iPad news due to the marathon Oracle conference last week on its shiny new Sun Microsystems acquisition. However, the more I thought about it, the more these two companies are extremely well-positioned to actually fulfill what other powerful companies tried to do and failed.

Taking the Good With the Bad in the New iPad
February 02, 2010

More so than than any other major Apple product in recent memory, Apple's new iPad tablet device presents the world with a confounding mixture of good and bad -- or perhaps it's more of a yin and yang, or some other sort of cosmic force. Depending on who you are, and depending on what you need, some of Apple's deal-breaker decisions might be the killer feature someone wants most.

Jobs Mixes It Up With Adobe, Google
February 01, 2010

The comments were made during a town hall meeting. The person leading the town hall trashes a competitor who used to be a partner, and intemperate language may have been used. Another competitor who may yet end up as a partner is called "lazy." A media primed to snap up conflict and sensationalism does so, splashing the headlines all over.