Apple takes on Google with own maps, better Siri

Source: Yahoo7! News
June 12, 2012, 5:25 am Poornima Gupta and Alexei Oreskovic Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc took the wraps off its own mobile mapping service and made its enhanced Siri voice-search available for iPads as it rolled out souped-up software and hardware on Monday to help it wage war on Google Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc took the wraps off its own mobile mapping service and made its enhanced Siri voice-search available for iPads as it rolled out souped-up software and hardware on Monday to help it wage war on Google Inc.

CEO Tim Cook, who took over from late co-founder Steve Jobs last August, spearheaded the unveiling of new services -- such as in-house mapping and beefed-up Siri software -- to help keep at bay Google and its fast-growing Android mobile platform.

Its new mobile operating software -- the iOS6 -- comes with a mapping system "built from the ground up," said software chief Scott Forstall, sidelining the Google map service that the Internet giant has invested heavily in.

Apple's map service comes with three-dimensional images of cities called "Flyover" along with real-time traffic updates and turn-by-turn navigation.

And Siri, the innovative voice-activated iPhone search-feature users have criticized as faulty and inadequate, is now available on iPads and recites a larger database of answers, especially sports, restaurants and movies. It is also integrated into the new mapping service.

Finally, executives said Apple has integrated No. 1 social network Facebook deeper into the operating system, allowing Siri-users to post photos with voice commands.

THE EDGE

Long lines marked the beginning of the week-long annual Worldwide Developers' Conference, where Apple developers rub shoulders with employees, test the latest products and software, and connect with peers. Apple kicked off proceedings by touting its hardware, its biggest edge over Google.

At 0.7 inches, the new MacBook Pro -- Apple's highest-end laptop -- ranks among the thinnest laptops in the market and will hit store shelves months before many Microsoft Windows-equipped "Ultrabooks." They will employ the "retina" displays that have won strong positive reviews for the new iPad, but start at an eye-popping $2,199 price tag.

Marketing chief Phil Schiller outlined how the redesigned MacBook Air notebooks, also unveiled at the conference, will be about $100 cheaper on average than predecessors, but sport quicker Intel Corp processors, potentially eating into territory staked out by Hewlett-Packard, Dell Inc and other PC makers.

Analysts have speculated that the company will begin aggressively competing on price, gradually shrinking the premium its Macs carry in general.

More than ever, Apple finds itself in a pitched battle with Google: in smartphones, cloud computing, and a never-ending competition to attract the best software developers. That is crucial as Apple looks to draw users deeper into its applications ecosystem.

Cook told the audience that customers have downloaded more than 30 billion Apple apps so far, choosing from more than 650,000 apps -- the largest library in the industry.

Battling in many arenas, the rivals employ different weapons. Apple's vise-like grip on its ecosystem - with the closely managed app store and its seamless integration with the hardware - stands in sharp contrast to Google's free-for-all approach.

The open system approach, reminiscent of Microsoft Corp's hugely successful strategy of creating standard-setting software that runs on a variety of hardware, has allowed Android to capture the market lead in smartphones, albeit with nothing close to Apple's profit margins.

Android has also helped create several potent hardware rivals to Apple. Samsung Electronics' Android-driven Galaxy SIII is drawing favorable comparisons to iPhone and Amazon.com Inc's cheaper Kindle Fire is challenging Apple in tablets and digital content.

The move - years in the making - to replace Google Maps is a dramatic example of how the rivalry between the companies has been evolving.

Google has invested huge sums in mapping technology over the years, and about half its map traffic now comes from iPhones and iPads. Among other things, the traffic from those devices reveals valuable location data that helps improve the mapping service and provides features like real-time traffic reports.

(Reporting by Poornima Gupta and Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

Five Apple predictions for 2012

APPLE some surprises for 2012

Source: Yahoo!7
December 21, 2011, 4:05 pm CNET Australia CNET Australia

Expecting something from Apple can be a dangerous game, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to try and read the tea leaves every once in a while.

 

Below are five things I think we can expect from Apple next year. Some of these are based on a long ramp-up of rumors and telltale signs from this year, with others outright speculation from trends and the company's product release habits.

It's worth pointing out that Apple's usual lack of predictability is what makes it such an interesting company to watch. Nowhere was that more clear than what happened with the iPhone 4S. While most of the press and rumour blogs were anticipating a full overhaul of the iPhone's hardware, we got a souped up iPhone 4 instead. Sure, Siri turned out to be pretty cool, but many were expecting something else.

Now, without further ado...

1. No TV set, yet

The rumoured product that's spent most of 2011 as an abstraction of data points is almost certainly on its way to being a real thing, but likely won't be seen next year.

In the recently released biography of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, author Walter Isaacson noted Jobs' efforts on making an easy-to-use TV set that is integrated with the company's various products and services. "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," Jobs told Isaacson. "It would be seamlessly synched with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

Of course how far along Apple really was in that endeavor remains a significant question. In an interview with CNET, Isaacson said Apple wasn't "close at all," and that "it was very theoretical." In late October, Bloomberg claimed that the company had already turned to one of the founding team members of the iPod and iTunes Music Store to get a TV set out the door. More recently, Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek claimed that Apple was tapping Sharp for display panels in order to make a TV for a mid-2012 release.

But that estimate seems awfully bullish, especially given where Apple's home entertainment landscape currently sits. For better or worse, the Apple TV box remains a hobby product for the company. No doubt it will become more capable in future iterations, but what many are expecting with a TV set would be something that leapfrogs that effort. Will Apple deliver that in 2012? My guess is no.

2. Siri opened up to developers

The sassy voice assistant has been a breakout hit for Apple since its introduction with the iPhone 4S in October, but it's missing something big. Apple's current implementation is limited to Web queries from partners like Wolfram Alpha and Yelp, along with Apple's own apps. What's missing is a way to hook it into the half a million or so apps that are on the App Store.

Much as those very same apps helped expand what one could do with the iPhone itself, creating voice plug-ins for apps could very well be the next step in making Siri a more useful service.

It took Apple a little less than four months after the launch of the original iPhone to announce a software developer kit, a move that led to the App Store in 2008. In Siri's case, the apps are already there, as are the tools to make them. However Siri does most of its magic on Apple's servers, and is currently limited to the iPhone 4S.

Would developers take on extra work for just one device? They certainly did that with the iPhone 4 and its move to a Retina Display, as well as the iPad and its bigger resolution.

3. The end of the Mac Pro

Desktop sales just weren't what they used to be compared to when Apple introduced the original design of the Mac Pro (then the Power Mac G5) in mid-2003. While Mac hardware sales have grown considerably since then, notebooks have been the belle of the ball since they surpassed the company's sales of desktop computers in 2004. Those same notebook units now face cannibalization from Apple's iPad, which itself blew past Mac sales last year.

So why keep the Mac Pro around? It certainly links back to Apple's roots in providing designers and professionals with beefy workstations. But it's one of the only products in Apple's lineup that just doesn't fit in anymore. Apple's Macs are basically sealed up, and need to be taken to a repair professional for anything outside of swapping out the RAM. By comparison, the Mac Pro lets you open up the side and fiddle around with the inside bits. That's the standard for PC manufacturers, but Apple's made a hefty business out of doing things the other way around.

An anonymously sourced report from AppleInsider in October suggested that Apple's seen a sharp decline in sales of the workstations, which begin at $2,499 in the U.S., and that the drop has led executives to reconsider whether it's worth continuing to invest in the product. Lending further credence to that idea is the fact that Apple hasn't given the line a proper overhaul since before it made the move to Intel processors, instead putting its focus on updates to its Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook portable lines.

 

The real question is how the Mac Pro will take its bow. Will Apple announce its demise, or simply replace that spot in its product line with something else?

4. Apple ditches Google for Maps

Google's been closely tied to Apple's iOS since the first iPhone was unveiled, but that could change next year if the company ends up introducing its own mapping service. Why would Apple do that? Tensions between the Apple and Google have increased in recent years with the rise of Android, Google's mobile operating system.

Making matters more interesting was Apple's acknowledgement that it was collecting traffic data "to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years." That sounds more like a layer on top of an existing mapping service than a standalone service of its own. Yet, Apple acquired C3 Technologies this year, the third such mapping company it's bought up, and one that specializes in eye-popping 3D imagery.

Something that throws some cold water on this prediction is that Apple renewed its deal with Google to use its mapping service earlier this year, but we don't know how long that's good for.

5. A truly new iPhone

Apple's released a new iPhone every year since its introduction, making this one a bit of a no-brainer. So far that cycle's consisted of a steady stream of internal tweaks, with every other year including a full-scale overhaul. The iPhone 4 was the last such big change to Apple's iPhone design formula, with the 4S getting speedier guts.

Yet before the 4S launched, the rumors were hot and heavy with Apple pushing out a drastic design change. That device never materialized, putting all bets on it arriving next year.

So what features will it have? The big thing to expect is a larger screen. The traditional 3.5-inch displays have served Apple well, but other manufacturers have bumped up to the 4-inch range, with some going bigger. Other things to put on that list include a jump to 4G networking, near-field communications (NFC) for transferring information between devices, and of course the usual tweaks to the camera and processor

The hidden cost of iCloud, and how to avoid it

Excelent article can help for every one

Source: CNET Australia

The magic of iCloud may seem free, but it comes at a cost: your data. Find out how to avoid paying bucket loads just for the convenience of Apple's cloud syncing.

When the late Steve Jobs introduced iOS 5 during his last keynote address in June, he touted iCloud as something that "just works", saying that users would have nothing to learn. As it turns out, he was right — but only on his first point.

Not only is there a lot to learn about iCloud, but users also have little control over it once they start. So, before you jump in, it's important to know a few things about it.

What is it?

If you don't quite understand iCloud, you're not alone. Even Apple hasn't done the best job of explaining it.

In a nutshell, iCloud is more than just a cloud storage solution that gives you the first 5GB of storage for free; you can use it to store songs, apps and ebooks that you've purchased from the iTunes App Store, or photos shot with your device, on Apple's servers. It also pushes that data to up to 10 iCloud-enabled mobile devices and computers (running iTunes 10.5 or later) that belong to the same Apple ID account. So, for example, when you download an app on one iDevice, that app will also be downloaded to your iPhone, your iPod Touch and to your computer.

For the most part, it's all pushed in real time, with the speed depending on the internet connection. So by replacing the old way of syncing your mobile devices with a computer one at a time, you can keep your digital library updated as soon as you download a new song. As far as convenience goes, this seems to be a genius solution. However, you'll pay a potentially hefty price for the privilege.

The abuse of internet data and bandwidth

Let's say you want to download a game that's 20MB, which is pretty small as mobile apps go. In the past, you downloaded it to your computer using iTunes, and then synced it to your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad by plugging the devices into the computer. (Or, if you chose to download directly to an iDevice, you could transfer that app back to iTunes before syncing to other devices.) This way, no matter how many iOS devices you wanted to put the game on, you just needed to use only 20MB of your internet bandwidth for the initial download.

Turning the Automatic Download setting on within iTunes means that apps, songs and ebooks will be re-downloaded on the computer. You can save bandwidth by turning these off, plugging the iOS device in and choosing "transfer purchases". (Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CBSi)

With iCloud, this changes dramatically. Let's say that you have an iPad, an iPhone, an iPod Touch and a MacBook Pro, all with iCloud turned on. Once you have started downloading the 20MB iOS game on one of these devices, the same game will be downloaded to the other three, making the total internet data needed 80MB. (The data concern aside, you'll probably find this automatic downloading very cool — I did — at least, until you realise that there are four concurrent downloads, instead of just one, going through the pipe. This means that your internet connection will also be significantly slower for other use.)

Now let's imagine that you intend to download about 20MB of apps, songs and books from the App Store per day (20MB is equal to about six songs, by the way). With iCloud, your data use jumps to 80MB per day or 2400MB (about 2.4GB) per month — an excessive amount.

That 2.4GB is more than the first-tier data cap that most wireless carriers impose on a mobile broadband plan. So watch out when you're on the road with iOS devices, especially if you like snapping photos with your iPhone (more on this below).

On iOS devices, you can turn off certain download types from the App Store to minimise internet use. (Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CBSi)


















Note that when you use a mobile broadband modem, the router creates a small Wi-Fi network for the other mobile devices to connect to and share internet access. But remember that you're still using a carrier's data network to access the internet. So any device connected to a modem will still eat up your mobile router's data allowance, including those you have set not to use data.

Even while at home, where your internet provider offers a high monthly cap, iCloud could still put a strain on your connection.

iCloud also allows you to sync photos that you take across iDevices via Photo Stream. Yet, because these features also need to use the internet to upload the data from one device before pushing it to others, they can be even bigger bandwidth killers.

On average, each photo taken by an iDevice is about 2MB in size, so if you take 10 photos per day, the total monthly upload will be about 600MB. Keep in mind that this amount gets progressively larger if you have multiple people in the family using multiple iDevices for snapping photos.
And what would happen if different people shared one Apple ID account? Their privacy might be at risk.

When sharing the same Apple ID with others, turning Photo Stream off will not just help save internet bandwidth, but also the risk of sharing something that causes embarrassment. (Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CBSi)

 

 

 

The risk of sharing sensitive information

iOS devices, like the iPhone and the iPad, are designed to build a personal relationship between the product and the user. Unlike a PC, they don't support multiple profiles, which is why some families buy multiple tablets rather than just share one device.

Even with multiple devices, families may still share a single Apple ID. This saves them from having to buy the same app more than once; parents can monitor which apps their children use; and they can use one Find My Phone app to know the whereabouts of one another.

Before iCloud, this "sharing" scenario worked well, because regardless of how many iDevices a family has, each member could pick and choose which apps he or she wanted on the device when syncing with a PC. With iCloud, however, that's no longer the case. Anything that you buy for yourself will be downloaded on all of the devices instantly. So if you're using the same Apple ID, there may be times when books or songs not appropriate for kids will end up on their devices.

This could become even more embarrassing with Photo Stream, which, as mentioned above, automatically upload photos taken by one device and pushes them to all the others. Note that when you turn on the iCloud's Photo Stream feature, even photos taken before that will be uploaded from the device and downloaded to others that share the same Apple ID account.

What you can do to keep things in check

Now that it's pretty obvious that iCloud offers convenience at the expense of excessive use of the internet, and potential risk of privacy, there are few ways for you to keep it under control.

 Using iTunes Wi-Fi Sync is a great way to keep your iOS devices synced without using the internet. (Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CBSi)



• Use Automatic Download selectively: turn off types of automatic downloads that are not important to you. For example, you probably don't need to use the automatic download for ebooks on the iPod Touch if you only use your iPad to read books. Also note that your iDevices have different amounts of storage space. Your 8GB iPhone can't hold everything that you want to put on your 64GB iPad, so don't fill it with unnecessary downloads.

• Opt to use iTunes Wi-Fi Sync instead of iCloud: iTunes Wi-Fi Sync allows you to download purchases from the Apple Store to one computer, then sync them with other iOS devices via your local Wi-Fi network. It basically works the same way as plugging the iDevices into a computer without actually plugging it in.

• Use the traditional plugged-in-to-sync method: this works especially well for those who use the computer to charge the device anyway.
Note that, although more convenient, syncing using iCloud is not always faster than the alternative ways. This is especially true for those with a slow internet connection.

In regards to privacy, it's best not to share your Apple ID account with others if you can afford it. If not, you should turn off Photo Stream, or just be aware that photos you take with your device can be seen by others. Maybe in the future, Apple will offer a way for users to disable this feature on certain photos.

In all fairness, this doesn't mean that iCloud is not a great feature. It really is, and you should definitely turn it on for non-data-intensive applications, like contacts, calendars, bookmarks and notes. However, like all online storage-based services, you need to exert more control over it, or risk finding yourself paying more than you should, or, even worse, regretting using it at all.

Smartphone war pauses as world mourns Steve Jobs

Phone war on hold

Google and Samsung have delayed the announcement of their new smartphones to honour Steve Jobs.

Source: Yahoo 7 News
AFP
October 8, 2011, 12:27 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - The launch of a hot new Google smartphone was delayed as the world mourned the loss of legendary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and sales began of the latest iPhone.

Unconfirmed word also spread that a private funeral was taking place for Jobs, who died Wednesday at the age of 56 after battling cancer. Apple has indicated that no public memorial is planned.

People touched by the death of the Apple co-founder have made pilgrimages to Apple stores, the company's Cupertino headquarters, and even his family's two-story brick home in an old section of the Silicon Valley city of Palo Alto.

Apple security and local police have discretely ringed the house, clearing the way for dark vehicles bearing flowers or friends to get through the barricaded intersection and into a driveway of the corner property.

On the far side of the slate-roofed house is an apricot orchard.

Jobs bought the neighboring property a long time back and knocked down the house there to put in a swing set for his children and an apricot orchard because he so loved the fruit, according to neighbors.

People, some with children, came to pay tribute to Jobs and a collection of orchids, roses and other flowers grew.

"I just wanted to know I could do something," Judith Sallot said of how she and others around the world sought ways to express their sense of loss since no public event is expected.

"People just want to do something," she explained.

Sallot, who recently turned 65 years old, confided that she was computer illiterate until she got an iPhone.

"I am computer savvy now," she said with a smile. "I feel so much better about myself, and it's because he made it easy."

Grim-faced people came and went, pausing to gaze thoughtfully at a growing shrine that included a classic white iPod with the words "Stay hungry" and "Stay foolish" written on it in black marker.

A pile of apples, each with one bite taken out in tribute to Apple's famous logo, was growing and heartfelt messages written in colored chalk coated the sidewalk.

On the other side of a low wooden-post fence lining the front yard, a small apple orchard laden with fruit stood in a sea of orange poppies.

Pictures of Jobs were tacked to the fence, along with messages including "Often imitated, never duplicated."

"It is sad, especially for the family," said a neighbor who asked only to be identified by her first name, Karelle. "He was part of the neighborhood."

As was the case with many of the others who stopped to leave notes, flowers, or other tributes to Jobs, Karelle snapped pictures with her iPhone.

Samsung and Google on Friday postponed a "Mobile Unpacked" press event planned for next week at an international wireless telecommunications industry conference in Southern California.

"Under the current circumstances, both parties have agreed that this is not the appropriate time for the announcement of a new product," Samsung said in a statement at its official blog.

"We will announce a new date and venue in due course," the South Korean consumer electronics titan promised.

Samsung was expected to unveil a Galaxy Nexus smartphone powered by a yet-to-be released version of Google-backed Android software and designed to challenge market-leading iPhone.

Postponing the launch was seen as a temporary truce of sorts in honor of Jobs, who died Wednesday at the age of 56 after battling cancer.

Apple on Friday began taking online pre-orders for an updated iPhone 4S that is to be available on October 14 in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Britain.

The iPhone 4S features a speedier processor, a "personal assistant" that responds to voice commands and a more powerful camera.

It remained to be seen whether the legions of people from around the world touched by the death of Jobs would buy the iPhone 4S in tribute to the man who altered lives with iPods, iPhones, iPads, and Macintosh computers.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

World mourns Steve Jobs

Source: Reuters

Fans' Apple HQ shrine to Jobs (01:26)

By Jennifer Saba

NEW YORK | Thu Oct 6, 2011 2:50pm EDT

(Reuters) - Outpourings of public grief and appreciation swept the globe on Thursday after the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Jobs, who touched the daily lives of countless millions of people through the Macintosh computer, iPod, iPhone and iPad, died on Wednesday at age 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He stepped down as Apple chief executive in August.

Reaction in the stock market was muted as Apple shares quickly recovered from an initial 1.5 percent decline. The shares were up 1 percent to $382.15 at midday.

In New York City, an impromptu memorial made from flowers, candles and a dozen green and red apples was erected outside a 24-hour Apple store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, with fans snapping photos of it on their iPhones.

"It was really sad news for us," said Daiichiro Tashiro, 25, visiting from Tokyo. "A lot of Japanese use the iPhone. We're here to thank him."

Tributes poured in both from ordinary people and from the pinnacles of the business and political worlds.

"He's the hero to everybody of this generation because he did something that I think is very hard, which is be both a dreamer and a doer," General Electric Co CEO Jeff Immelt told reporters in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.

"I wouldn't be able to run my business without Apple, without its software," said David Chiverton, who was leaving Apple's flagship Regent Street store in London. "I run a video production company. It's allowed me to have my dream business."

News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch said, "Steve Jobs was simply the greatest CEO of his generation."

At an Apple store in Sydney, lawyer George Raptis, who was five years old when he first used a Macintosh computer, spoke for almost everyone who has come into contact with Apple. "He's changed the face of computing," he said. "There will only ever be one Steve Jobs."

U.S. President Barack Obama remembered Jobs as a visionary. "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators -- brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it," Obama said in a statement.

Microsoft's Bill Gates, who once triumphed over Jobs but saw his legendary status overtaken by the Apple co-founder in recent years, said, "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor."

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, whose company competes with Apple's iPhone in the handset market, said, "The world lost a true visionary today. Steve's passion for simplicity and elegance leaves us all a legacy that will endure for generations."

When he stepped down as CEO in August, Jobs handed the reins to long-time operations chief Tim Cook. With a passion for minimalist design and a genius for marketing, Jobs laid the groundwork for the company to continue to flourish after his death, most analysts and investors say.

But Apple still faces challenges in the absence of the man who was its chief product designer, marketing guru and salesman nonpareil. Phones running Google's Android software are gaining share in the smartphone market, and there are questions about what Apple's next big product will be.

LEGENDARY ENTREPRENEUR

A college drop-out and the son of adoptive parents, Jobs changed the technology world in the late 1970s, when the Apple II became the first personal computer to gain a wide following. He did it again in 1984 with the Macintosh, which built on breakthrough technologies developed at Xerox Parc and elsewhere to create the personal computing experience as we know it today.

The rebel streak that was central to his persona got him tossed out of Apple in 1985, but he returned in 1997 and after a few years began the roll-out of a troika of products -- the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad -- that again upended the established order in major industries.

A diagnosis of a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 initially cast only a mild shadow over Jobs and Apple, with the CEO asserting that the disease was treatable. But his health deteriorated rapidly over the past several years, and after two temporary leaves of absence he stepped down as CEO and became Apple's chairman in August.

Jobs's death came just one day after Cook presented a new iPhone at the kind of gala event that became Jobs's trademark. Perhaps coincidentally, the new device got lukewarm reviews, with many saying it wasn't a big enough improvement over the existing version of one of the most successful consumer products in history.

Apple paid homage to its visionary leader by changing its website to a big black-and-white photograph of him with the caption "Steve Jobs: 1955-2011."

On Google's home page, the same line appeared just below its search box. It was a link to the Apple site.

(Reporting by Jennifer Saba; additional reporting by Sinead Carew and Liana Baker in New York; Scott Malone in Columbus, Ohio; Sarah McBride in Cupertino, California; Poornima Gupta in San Francisco; Edwin Chan in Los Angeles; Matt Cowan in London; and Amy Pyett in Sydney; editing by John Wallace)

Steve Jobs dead at 56

"To Day We lost a the most of true visionary. My condolences to his family and whole Apple family too."

Source: Yahoo 7 News

Steve Jobs, the mind behind the iPhone, iPad and other devices that turned Apple Inc. into one of the world's most powerful companies, has died.

Jobs, 56, stepped down as Apple's CEO on August 24 after suffering from a rare form of pancreatic cancer. He handed the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook.

Jobs had been suffering various health issues following an operation for cancer in 2004 and a liver transplant in 2009. In January this year Apple announced he would be taking indeterminate medical leave of absence.

Apple released a statement on its website announcing Jobs' death and describing him as an amazing human being.

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius,” the statement said.
“Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.

“Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

• CNET: The life and death Steve Jobs
• Search: Steve Jobs
• In pictures: Apple develops over the years
• Tributes pour in for Jobs
• Apple launches iPhone 4S

The American entrepreneur had a devoted fan base after being credited with reinventing Apple Inc. as a power player in the tech scene. He was also deemed the heart and soul of the company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in the United States.

He was considered one of the most legendary businessmen in American history, turning three separate industries on their head in the 35 years he was involved in the technology industry.

Apple are credited with the invention of personal computers with the launch of the Apple II in 1977. The iPod and iTunes then brought legal downloads into the mainstream in 2007 followed by the iPhone mobile device, which made the tech industry fall to its knees. The mobile phone market was never the same, with copycat products flooding the market - yet rarely competing.

The pinnacle of Jobs' career came with the development of the iPad. His vision to take personal computing to a new level made the touch-screen tablet a technological revolution.

A creative genius, he excelled at business by being a master salesman but always considered himself an artist. His elegance in design was revered, yet he was rarely seen in public wearing anything more than a black turtleneck, blue jeans and a three-day growth. Apple customers considered him superhuman, while he was often feared by the staff who worked for and against him.

His life started in San Francisco, where he was born to young parents and adopted out to Paul and Clara Jobs. The couple and their new son moved to Santa Clara Valley in 1960, which was to become the Silicon Valley, where Apple headquarters are located.

His career kicked off when he discovered his friend Steve Wozniak had been assembling small computers. Forming a partnership, they created Apple Computer in 1976 and like many Silicon Valley start-ups, built the company out of their parent's garage.

The creation of Apple I, with Jobs handling the sales and Wozniak taking care of the technical, made the pair rich and earned them a reputation for brilliance, arrogance, and the possibilities that come with the sheer force of will and persuasion. Though, It was with Apple II they made their name as a company to watch.

The Macintosh was invented 1984, and cemented the company as a big player in the tech scene. It was only a year later, Jobs was removed from his position by his friend, Apple CEO John Sculley, who he had earlier convinced to leave Pepsi and run Apple. The drastic move was put down to a clash on the future vision of the company and backed by the Apple board.

After this, Jobs told a group of university graduates: "What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating."

In a poetic twist, Jobs would return to the company as its saving grace in 1996.

During his hiatus from Apple, he went on to found NeXT, which set about making the next computer in Jobs' eyes. NeXT was never the commercial success that Apple was - yet it was here he concentrated on object-orientated software development. NeXT chose one of his models for its operating systems, proving to be more advanced than the developments being undertaken at Apple without Jobs.

Jobs also served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios and became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, following the acquisition of Pixar by Disney.

Just as Apple found itself in a shambles and on a downhill track, Jobs returned. He convinced then-CEO Gil Amelio to adopt NeXTStep as the future of Apple's operating system development. Apple was losing money, market share, and key employees at the time. It was to be Jobs' guidance which saved them from the brink of collapse.

He became the head of Apple once again in 1997, bringing the buzz back to his brainchild and creating a new following of loyal fans. He also became the brand's superstar.

In touching remarks in 2005, he envisioned how his last years at Apple would come to be his finest:
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

Jobs leaves behind his wife, four children, two sisters, and 49,000 Apple employees.

Related stories:

• Gillard praises Apple co-founder
• Steve Jobs died peacefully: family
• Video: Jan. 24, 1984: First Apple Macintosh Computer
• Finance: The power of Steve Jobs
• Steve Jobs and an Apple retrospective

iPhone 5: Most wanted features

iPhone 5 Very soon you will enjoy

Source: Yahoo 7 News

Friday, September 30th, 2011

DesignedbyItem's concept design for a future iPhone. Credit: designedbyitem.com

Rumours and speculation are flying thick and fast over the iPhone 5; apparently "sources" have leaked details and rough release dates for the new Apple product.

Until Apple actually confirms or denies these rumours, we can't give any details on the phone itself … but here is a list of the top features we hope to see included in the iPhone 5.

Credit: CBSi

Enhanced voice control

Apple didn't show off any new voice-control features as part of its iOS 5 preview. But rumour has it that those features weren't quite ready to be shown off at Apple's WWDC in June, so we may very well get them. We do expect that Apple will continue to flesh out the voice controls for the iPhone with significant enhancements. It would be cool to be able to compose and send e-mails or text messages by just using your voice, no?

Chance of implementation: 70 per cent.

Credit: Apple

Micro HDMI out

In March, Apple finally announced support for full 720p or 1080i HD video output for the iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4G, and iPad 2. However, you need Apple's $39 Digital AV to send that HD video (audio) to a TV or monitor, whereas many Android-powered smartphones offer a built-in Micro-HDMI port that only requires an inexpensive $5 cable to run video to your TV.

Apple's recent announcement that it would be adding AirPlay mirroring as part of iOS 5 fueled hope that the feature would be available for the iPhone. In demos, Apple has shown the new feature working with the iPad 2, (what's on your iPad 2's screen is wirelessly streamed to an Apple TV connected to a TV), but it's quite possible that the next-generation iPhone will support AirPlay mirroring. Still, it's worth mentioning that Apple TV is an AU$129 accessory.

Chance of implementation: 2 per cent.

Credit: Jim Young

Removable battery

This well-known rendering of a future iPhone dreams of a model with a removable battery. That appears to run counter to Apple's current design principles.

Chance of implementation: 0 per cent.

Credit: Kingston

Expandable memory

Not happening, but just thought we'd mention it.

Chance of implementation: 0 per cent

Credit: Visa

NFC-enabled (near field communication technology)

Rumor has it that Apple may be working on adding near field communication technology (NFC) into the next iPhone. This is sort of a bar code replacement technology that would allow your iPhone — among other things — to act as a payment device (e-wallet) or even a car key.

Chance of implementation: 35 per cent.

Credit: iLounge.com

More memory

A lot of people were disappointed that the iPhone 4 didn't come in a 64GB version (only 16GB and 32GB). Maybe next year we'll get 64GB.

Chance of implementation: 50 per cent.

Credit: Apple

Improved home screen and notifications system

iPhone users have been waiting a long time for a more customisable home screen, with a real "dashboard" and a better, streamlined notifications system. Apple is delivering all that in OS 5, and though the new design may fall a little short for some folks, it's certainly a huge advancement. Of course, Android users will point out that these features, including customisable widgets, have long been available on Android smartphones.

Chance of implementation: 100 per cent.

Credit: Apple

Better cloud-computing support

In previous versions of this list, we've asked for this feature, and we'll now get it with iCloud in the fall. In some ways iCloud is more restrictive than Amazon's iDrive cloud storage solution, which allows you to store all your photos and videos (Apple's iCloud has not addressed video yet), but it's a big step forward, and the fact that you can mirror your iTunes music library (regardless of where you got your music) for US$25 a year is an enticing offer.

Chance of implementation: 100 per cent.

Credit: Apple

Video chat (FaceTime) over cellular network

Currently, on the iPhone 4, FaceTime only works over Wi-Fi (yes, there are some workarounds to get it to work over 3G, but Apple doesn't officially support it). In iOS 5, doing FaceTime over a cellular data network is now part of the settings menu but it looks like the carriers have control over whether it's enabled.

Chance of implementation: 75 per cent.

Credit: CBSi

Flash support

It'll be a cold day in hell when Apple allows for Flash support on the iPhone. But that doesn't mean we can't ask for it.

Chance of implementation: 1 per cent.

Credit: 9to5Mac

Larger screen

Rumours continue to surface that Apple will be expanding the size of its iPhone screen to compete with the larger screens on Android smartphones.

From our polling on CNET, we've found that a clear majority of our readers want a larger screen. However, they don't want the iPhone to get any bigger or lose any battery life.

We're hoping Apple can come up with the right balance, but as you can see from this mock-up, going to 4 inches makes a significant difference and is probably the optimal size for a smartphone screen.

Chance of implementation: 50 per cent.

Credit: CBSi

Better camera

We certainly appreciate that Apple improved the camera in the iPhone 4 (5 megapixels; LED flash), but we've seen rumors that Sony is developing an even better 8-megapixel camera for the fifth-gen iPhone.

It's worth noting that as part of iOS 5, you'll be able to launch the camera app right from the lock screen, and the hard volume-up button on the side of the phone now becomes the shutter button while taking pictures. That's a big improvement.

Chance of implementation: 95 per cent

Credit: Apple

Dual-core processor

With Apple's acquisition of PA Semiconductor, it's started designing and churning out its own CPUs, including the new 1GHz A5 dual-core processor that's in the iPad 2. That same processor will almost assuredly make its way into the next iPhone. (The iPhone has an A4 processor that also runs at 1GHz, but the A4 has a single-core architecture).

It's worth mentioning that LG, Motorola, and others have already released dual-core Android phones.

Chance of implementation: 100 per cent.

Credit: Imagination Technologies

Improved 3D graphics

The A4 CPU has a Imagination PowerVR graphics chip integrated into it. Like the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 uses a PowerVR SGX535 chip. But the iPhone 5 will presumably get the PowerVR SGX543MP found in the iPad 2.

For those who keep track of this sort of stuff, a PowerVR SGX545 was also announced last year.

Chance of implementation: 95 per cent.

Credit: CBSi

Better battery life

Every time Apple puts out a new iPhone, the battery life gets better, so we expect no less from the fifth-generation iPhone. Apple says the iPhone 4 has 40 per cent more talk time than the iPhone 3GS. So, if the past is any indicator, we might see similar gains in next year's model, though Apple did not improve the iPad's battery life when moving to the A5 processor in the iPad 2 (many say it made it worse).

Chance of implementation: 80 per cent.

Credit: cultofmac.com

An actual redesign

Rumours have been all over the map with the next-generation iPhone. Some reports suggest that the fifth-generation iPhone will actually be called the iPhone 4S and offer performance improvements (along with a better camera) but maintain the same design.

You'd hope that a true iPhone 5 would look different than an iPhone 4 and offer an improved design. Some say that Apple may mimic the design of the iPad 2. Or the company could even do two different models (an entry-level iPhone along with a standard higher-end model). We'll know soon enough.

Chance of implementation: 50 per cent.

Via CNET.com.

Jun 23, 2011