Category: News

Last year when Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage at D10, it occurred to me that he had probably the hardest job in American business: certainly the hardest job in technology, following in Steve Jobs’ shadow. This year at D11, it’s clear Cook is up to the job; but he needs something new to talk about to move Apple firmly into the post-Jobs era.

It’s been ages since the last Apple public event in September 2012 to introduce the iPhone 5. Since then, one of the premier sources of showmanship in the tech industry has kept a very low profile, surfacing only to deflect pesky questions about taxes and wax poetic about the magic of Apple for a network television audience. Those aren’t exactly the kinds of topics that have made Apple events and appearances must-see theater for going on six or seven years.

Apple Tim Cook D11 Credit: Asa Mathat/D: All Things Digital

And despite Cook’s best efforts to explain his thinking about how Apple works, he covered well-trodden ground Tuesday evening at the exclusive Terranea Resort just outside Los Angeles:

• Cook isn’t worried about Android’s market share. He’s more fixated on stats that show iOS users actually seem to use their devices way more than Android users.
• Cook isn’t worried about the scrutiny over Apple’s taxes. The U.S. tax system is ridiculous, and Apple navigates it the same way any multinational corporation does.
• Cook isn’t worried about TV. “Many of us agree there are things about the TV experience that could be better,” he said, but believe it or not, he didn’t have a TV to talk about.
• Cook isn’t worried about Google Glass. “I would say that the (wearable computers) that are doing more than one thing, that there’s nothing … great out there that I’ve seen. There’s nothing that’s going to convince a kid that’s never worn glasses or a band or a watch to wear one.” Is Apple making a wearable computer? Maybe … “It’s ripe for exploration.”
• Cook isn’t worried about making a lower-cost iPhone. Apple once made a bunch of different kinds of iPods, but “those products all serve a different person. And so on the phone, that is the question: are we now at a point to serve enough people that we need to do that?”

You get the picture. For two straight years at the highest profile executive conference in the tech industry, Cook has been unable to talk about anything relatively new or exciting for Apple. Obviously no CEO worth a damn is going to preannounce a consumer electronics product at a show like D11. But Apple’s crown jewels are old news in a tech industry that moves at light speed: the iPhone will be six years old this summer, and the iPad just turned three. Six years before the iPhone was introduced, the personal digital assistant represented the vanguard of mobile computing.

We know the story of those products. They’re still growing strongly despite shipping in immense volumes, they’re still the favorite of mobile software developers, and they still (for the most part) set the standard by which all other mobile devices are measured.

Cook is talking about mature products and mature businesses when he takes the stage on behalf of Apple. That’s a weird place for a company that has always prided itself on being outside the mainstream to be, and it shows. Ours is an industry that is always searching for that next big thing, and for many years, Apple has been a reliable source for that item.

In mid-2013, we’re in a collective lull. Mobile is old news, dominated by Apple and Android. The Mac/PC market is in freefall, even if Apple is still doing better than the competition. And with apologies to Samsung, the next big thing — disruptive TV, wearable computing, the internet of things, or robot butlers that make drinks and crack jokes — is not here yet.

The Apple that will attempt to shape that next era has yet to show its hand, leaving Cook in a holding pattern talking about the strategies of the past and present while buying time until Apple’s wizards figure out how they’re going to put their stamp on the products of the future.

Let’s be very clear: should these next-generation products Cook has teased for years actually exist somewhere in a secretive lab in Cupertino, this is a blip in time for Apple. We’re simply between breakthroughs as an industry, searching for something that will galvanize a generation of technologists the way the iPhone did. Apple produced the last breakthrough, and people naturally expect that it will produce the next one given that so much of the company remains intact despite the loss of Jobs.

That may or may not happen. But until then either Apple or someone else produces that breakthrough, Cook’s public appearances grow less and less important: if all he’s going to do is cover ground he’s covered before without a new story to tell, the need to pay attention to Apple’s every word becomes less and less important.

Let’s hope that next breakthrough comes soon. Technology is a more interesting subject when we’re all watching something new and exciting bloom.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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• Flash analysis: Steve Jobs
• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues
• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era

Apple has hired former EPA Chief Lisa Jackson to oversee environmental activities at Apple, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced at AllThingsD’s D11 conference on Tuesday night. Jackson stepped down as EPA head in January, after serving under the Obama administration.

Cook said that Jackson will be reporting directly to him and will be in charge of Apple’s environmental policy. Cook made the announcement following a shout-out to Apple’s data center in North Carolina, which has a huge solar farm and fuel cell farm next to it, and used the data center as an example of how Apple can turn around public scrutiny.

Over the past several year’s Apple’s attention to environmental concerns has grown significantly. Once targeted by advocates like Greenpeace over toxic chemicals, batteries that can’t be easily replaced, and poor conditions of its manufacturers’ employees overseas, Apple now often times receives high marks around its attention to the environment. Apple has been increasing its dedication to running its data centers off of clean power, to lowering its carbon footprint, and to reducing waste and toxic chemicals from its devices.

Even so, Apple has still stumbled over environmental regulations. A year ago, Apple, newly led by Cook, decided to walk away from certifying its computers for the green electronics method EPEAT, but then later reversed that decision, calling it a mistake. Cook can now take a cue from a leader, Jackson, with a long history with environmental regulations and metrics.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Analyzing the wearable computing market
• Why tomorrow’s iPad will need a battery breakthrough
• Confused about the wireless markets? Here’s a breakdown

Earlier today, we showed you the new Google Chrome Experiment game “Roll It” which virtually lets you play SkeeBall on your phone through your PC. “RACER,” which we first saw at Google I/O and has now launched, might be even cooler. “RACER” lets up to five smartphone or tablet users virtually race cars on a track that is built depending on how many users are playing.

“RACER” is built on HTML 5, so any device with Chrome (iOS or Android) can play. To set up, all you need to head to the source link, sync up your devices, and you’re ready to race. Gameplay is incredibly easy, and quite fun – the only thing you need to control is pressing on the screen to accelerate.  The color on the top of the display indicates which car the device is controlling.

You can check out yourself through the video and source link after the break. Enjoy, and happy racing!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Chrome RACER

Come comment on this article: Google debuts RACER, another Chrome cross-platform game

This video is definitely NSFW, so heed the warning if you aren’t in a safe place. If you are, then enjoy the stinging humor of this video that pokes fun at a problem plaguing us today. What will happen to the world if everyone was ‘Samesies’? The video shows a prehistoric community who runs into a problem, as they love samesies, but more people can’t be created. Hilarity ensues.

You’re welcome for the laughs, and enjoy.

Politicians who are involved in actual scandal could take some notes from President Obama, who explained lipstick on his collar before others could use their imagination.

The POTUS was speaking at a White House reception for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, when he noticed a red mark on his collar. He jokingly explained to the audience who the culprit was, and it just so happens to be someone related to an American Idol runner-up. Jessica Sanchez’s aunt to be precise.

“I just want everybody to witness. I do not want to be in trouble with Michelle. That’s why I am calling you out right in front of everybody.”

Enjoy the humorous and well played moment by our President below.

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Reviews

PAUL the app [Entertainment]

Apps

Music app doubleTwist to undergo Holo UI redesign

Qualcomm’s BatteryGuru app now out of beta

New Spotify update rolling out, finally brings landscape support

Carriers

AT&T boasts best 3G/4G speed combo while Sprint falls short

Google

Google makes use of Chrome’s cross-platform syncing in new game “Roll It” for Chrome/Android

Google Glass

Lambda Labs to release a facial recognition API for Google Glass developers

Phones

HTC rumored to only release a limited number of One Google Edition units for the general public

Leaked screenshot says Verizon HTC One to launch before July

HTC may be working on a new smartphone with Liquidmetal casing for the second half of 2013

The white Nexus 4 is official and will be available on May 29 in Hong Kong

Meizu MX3 circuit board image hints at 5.5-inch or larger device

Samsung Galaxy S 4 will be first phone to work on Verizon’s AWS airwaves

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 and Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 preparing for June launch

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rumored to have Snapdragon 800 CPU alongside a 13-megapixel camera

Umeox X5 smartphone officially outed, shows off its 5.6mm profile in the process

Tablets

Nexus 7 with Android 4.3 receives Bluetooth certification

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 and Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 preparing for June launch

ASUS teases us once again in preparation for Computex 2013

Acer teases us with Computex 2013 video, event set for next week

Miscellaneous

LG confirms it’s not working on new Nexus device… for now at least

HTC video showcases their history of handhelds to smartphones

Worldwide tablet shipments to surpass laptops in 2013, all computers in 2015

Come comment on this article: TalkAndroid Daily Dose for May 28, 2013

While details are still coming in, reports reveal an explosion at Disneyland’s Toontown has caused the attraction to be evacuated. The Anaheim Police Department were part of the first responders, and based on their observations, the explosion was caused by placing dry ice in plastic bottle.

Apparently, a bomb squad from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department continued the investigation. As indicated, further details have been sparse, however, Twitter has been active with updates, including some featuring images of patrons leaving in an orderly manner:

As all four of the big US carriers board the 4G LTE train it would be only a matter of time before a comparison study involving them came to be. While Verizon has the upper hand in the LTE market with roughly 95% of its 3G network covered with LTE speeds, AT&T is quickly rolling out its LTE service. They’re doing that while maintaining their quick 4G services as well. However as carriers focus on their LTE services the use of 3G networks are still prevalent. So the handoff between 3G and 4G networks is important.

A Galaxy Note II was used to measure the LTE speeds while an iPhone 4S was used to measure 3G speeds as both those devices are offered on all four networks. Hit the break to see how everyone ranked.

As you can see from the average download speeds T-Mobile had the best 3G speeds and AT&T had the best LTE speeds. Verizon barely trumped T-Mobile in LTE data speeds, however the handoff is where these numbers actually shine. AT&T’s average drop from 13.15 mbps to 2.97 mbps came to about 77%. Verizon’s drop was a bit more significant with its 9.61 mbps down to 0.80 mbps coming to 92%.  Sprint didn’t have as big of a handoff but that’s because its network speeds were much lower than that of everyone else.

This is all well and good but what it boils down to is usage. With varying coverages and network speeds your milage may vary. If you’re wanting the full nitty gritty you can hit the source link below. Enjoy.

source: TechHive

Come comment on this article: AT&T boasts best 3G/4G speed combo while Sprint falls short