Apple shares close at all-time high weeks before iPhone 6 launch
Apple shares on Tuesday closed at their highest ever level as investors looked ahead to next month's iPhone 6 launch. The Cupertino, Calif., tech company's shares ended at $100.53, up 1.4 percent for the day, and the highest closing level ever when adjusted for June's 7-for-1 stock split. Apple's previous high closing price of $702.10, or $100.30 adjusted for the split, came September 19, 2012 -- two days before the iPhone 5 went on sale. Apple shares on Tuesday also neared their all-time high in regular trading. The stock hit its previous intraday high of $705.07, or $100.72 when adjusted for the stock split, on Sept. 21, 2012, the first day the iPhone 5 hit stores. Shares rose as high as $100.68 in midday trading Tuesday.The high comes less than a month before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 on September 9. The smartphone, which contributes to more than half of Apple's total revenue, serves as the lynchpin to its overall growth, particularly as the market awaits the widely speculated iWatch and as the iPad struggles against lower-cost rivals and larger phones. Apple shares have tended to climb ahead of product launches as investors hope to get ahead of big sales numbers. See alsoApple posts solid Q3 profit, but iPhone sales don't wowWWDC set the stage. Now Apple needs to deliverDon't freak out. Here's why Apple's stock is below $100CNET's iPhone 6 rumor roundupApple shares had slid from their high in 2012 on worries that Apple CEO Tim Cook wouldn't be as successful as co-founder Steve Job at developing new blockbuster devices. Cook has promised several times over the past year that Apple would enter "exciting new product categories" in 2014. And in May, Eddy Cue, head of iTunes and the man behind Apple's $3 billion acquisition of headphone and streaming service Beats, upped the pressure by boasting that the consumer electronics giant is working on its "best product pipeline in 25 years."Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty earlier Tuesday recommended that her clients buy more Apple shares ahead of the iPhone 6 and iWatch product releases. "Apple shares do not price in upcoming hardware, software, and services innovation," Huberty said. She noted that the new iPhone should gain market share and reaccelerate sales, while the iWatch -- which Apple so far hasn't acknowledged -- is "an underappreciated market opportunity with the potential for up to 60 [million] shipments in the first year."Apple's stock closed at an all-time high Tuesday, when adjusting for its 7-for-1 stock split.Google FinanceMany market watchers expect Apple in September to introduce two new iPhone 6 models with display sizes of 4.7 and 5.5 inches, though some recent reports speculate one device could be released at a later date. Apple has asked manufacturing partners to produce about 30 percent to 40 percent more iPhones by the end of this year than it ordered for its initial run of last year's iPhone 5S and 5C, reports have said. Most analysts expect an iWatch to hit the market later than the iPhone 6. Apple in April said it planned to give investors six additional shares of stock for every Apple share they owned as of June 2. Because of the split, shares now trade at a much lower level than in the past, but it also makes the stock more accessible to investors. It's much cheaper to own a chunk of Apple at about $100 versus $600. The split went into effect in June, with shares trading at about $93.The stock split came as part of Apple's effort to meet the demands of current shareholders, as well as attract a new group of investors. Under the leadership of Cook, Apple started returning some of its massive cash hoard to investors. Shareholders, such as activist Carl Icahn, asked for even more, and Apple earlier this year revealed a big increase to its dividend and share repurchase program, along with the stock split. The companyat that time boosted the amount of cash that it's returning to shareholders by about $30 billion to more than $130 billion.Apple iPhone 5SSee full gallery1 - 4 / 9NextPrev
Maybe there's hope for the music industry yet
Maybe there's hope for the music industry yet
The big digital music companies, from Internet radio company Pandora to fast-growing startups like Spotify and Deezer, face huge business challenges because of the simple fact that the majority of the money they bring in -- either from ads or subscriptions -- goes to the big music labels and publishers. And that's starting to look pretty good for the long suffering music industry.A pair of reports published today on the music industry -- one from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the other from research firm NPD -- highlighted the first glimmer of good news that the music biz has seen in a long time. First, IFPI said that global recorded music industry revenue edged up by 0.3 percent to $16.5 billion in 2012, marking the first year of industry growth since 1999. Granted, that's not a big jump up -- but the first since 1999? Not bad. Meantime, digital revenue saw accelerating growth for the second year running, up 9 percent, as all formats -- downloads, subscriptions, and ad-supported businesses -- are on the rise. In other words, it's not just about iTunes anymore.Second, as CNET reported earlier, piracy is falling -- the result, the studies conclude, of both legal attacks on sites like the once-popular LimeWire, and a rise of easy-to-use services such as Spotify, which let people listen to music for free if they're willing to put up with a few ads. Last year, according to NDP, the number of consumers using peer-to-peer services to download music dropped 17 percent compared with the prior year.Related storiesWith RealNetworks' influence waning, CEO departsFetus and mother's playlists join at the hipPortable games to take on your travelsFlipSync keeps iPod cable in reachSlicethepie scores first signing: Fan-financed band win major label record dealAll the data points around piracy have to sound good to the industry. The report found that P2P file sharing peaked in 2005, when one in five Internet users older than 13 -- around 33 million people -- downloaded music via services such as LimeWire. Last year, that number fell to 11 percent, or 21 million people. In addition, there was a 26 percent drop in the volume of music downloaded from P2P sites, and a 25 percent decrease in the number of files swapped from hard drives.At long last, it seems, the combination of improved services and a plentiful selection of legal music is pushing consumers to go the legal route. Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said in a statement. It is hard to remember a year for the recording industry that has begun with such a palpable buzz in the air. These are hard-won successes for an industry that has innovated, battled, and transformed itself over a decade. They show how the music industry has adapted to the Internet world, learned how to meet the needs of consumers and monetized the digital marketplace. That's surprising talk from the industry perhaps hardest hit by the rise of the Internet. (You can check out the full IFPI Digital Music report here, in PDF form. The question that still looms, however, is whether Spotify and others can become thriving, standalone businesses. So far, that's proven a stadium-size challenge for digital music startups.
The big digital music companies, from Internet radio company Pandora to fast-growing startups like Spotify and Deezer, face huge business challenges because of the simple fact that the majority of the money they bring in -- either from ads or subscriptions -- goes to the big music labels and publishers. And that's starting to look pretty good for the long suffering music industry.A pair of reports published today on the music industry -- one from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the other from research firm NPD -- highlighted the first glimmer of good news that the music biz has seen in a long time. First, IFPI said that global recorded music industry revenue edged up by 0.3 percent to $16.5 billion in 2012, marking the first year of industry growth since 1999. Granted, that's not a big jump up -- but the first since 1999? Not bad. Meantime, digital revenue saw accelerating growth for the second year running, up 9 percent, as all formats -- downloads, subscriptions, and ad-supported businesses -- are on the rise. In other words, it's not just about iTunes anymore.Second, as CNET reported earlier, piracy is falling -- the result, the studies conclude, of both legal attacks on sites like the once-popular LimeWire, and a rise of easy-to-use services such as Spotify, which let people listen to music for free if they're willing to put up with a few ads. Last year, according to NDP, the number of consumers using peer-to-peer services to download music dropped 17 percent compared with the prior year.Related storiesWith RealNetworks' influence waning, CEO departsFetus and mother's playlists join at the hipPortable games to take on your travelsFlipSync keeps iPod cable in reachSlicethepie scores first signing: Fan-financed band win major label record dealAll the data points around piracy have to sound good to the industry. The report found that P2P file sharing peaked in 2005, when one in five Internet users older than 13 -- around 33 million people -- downloaded music via services such as LimeWire. Last year, that number fell to 11 percent, or 21 million people. In addition, there was a 26 percent drop in the volume of music downloaded from P2P sites, and a 25 percent decrease in the number of files swapped from hard drives.At long last, it seems, the combination of improved services and a plentiful selection of legal music is pushing consumers to go the legal route. Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said in a statement. It is hard to remember a year for the recording industry that has begun with such a palpable buzz in the air. These are hard-won successes for an industry that has innovated, battled, and transformed itself over a decade. They show how the music industry has adapted to the Internet world, learned how to meet the needs of consumers and monetized the digital marketplace. That's surprising talk from the industry perhaps hardest hit by the rise of the Internet. (You can check out the full IFPI Digital Music report here, in PDF form. The question that still looms, however, is whether Spotify and others can become thriving, standalone businesses. So far, that's proven a stadium-size challenge for digital music startups.
Apple's Newsstand raking in $70K a day, study says
Apple's Newsstand raking in $70K a day, study says
Just how much are people spending on digital editions of newspapers and magazines on Apple's digital Newsstand app? In a study of Apple's App Store for iPad during the month of February, market research firm Distimo says the top 100 publications brought in more than $70,000 a day. That metric -- which is just revenues from the United States -- is led by News Corp.'s The Daily, followed by The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine, the firm said.Apple launched Newsstand as part of iOS 5 in October, providing a way for users to view newspapers and magazines they've purchased or subscribed to. The app also doubles as its own storefront, where users can browse and purchase content, similar to Apple's App Store, iBooks, and iTunes apps.Related storiesiOS 5 Newsstand is one small, small step for digital magazinesFinancial Times Web app skirts subscriptions fracasApple unveils subscription service in App StoreApple does not disclose what individual app makers and content providers earn on its store. The company doles out 70 percent of each sale to content creators, taking a 30 percent cut for itself. Publishers can also let existing subscribers view digital editions of content to which they already subscribe, however they're not allowed to link to outside Web sites where subscriptions can be struck outside of the App Store.That model has had a mixed reception by publishers, some of which have sidestepped selling through Apple and opted to offer tablet-optimized subscription versions of their sites through the Web instead.Distimo's studies track Apple's App Store, the BlackBerry App World, GetJar, Google Play, Nokia's Ovi Store, Palm's App Catalog, and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Marketplace using "collected transactional data." Other noteworthy metrics from the study:China has outgrown the United States, when it comes to daily downloads of free applications. The country tallied more than 1.1 million daily downloads from within the top 300 most popular free apps. By comparison, the U.S. tallied "just below" 1 million daily downloads, Distimo said. The U.S. is still the top-grossing country, when it comes to iPad app spending. It is trailed by Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.The iPad has more apps with in-app purchase than apps built for the iPhone. Ten percent of the iPad applications on the App Store had in-app purchase, versus 6 percent for the iPhone. Downloads of iPad apps by category (click to enlarge).DistimoiPad users download lots of weather apps. One of the omissions from Apple's iPad version of iOS is a built-in weather app. That has led to some serious downloading, Distimo said. While the number of downloads is nowhere near the same class as things like entertainment, travel, or photography, the study found the number of downloads for weather apps to be considerably higher than how many such apps are available.
Just how much are people spending on digital editions of newspapers and magazines on Apple's digital Newsstand app? In a study of Apple's App Store for iPad during the month of February, market research firm Distimo says the top 100 publications brought in more than $70,000 a day. That metric -- which is just revenues from the United States -- is led by News Corp.'s The Daily, followed by The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine, the firm said.Apple launched Newsstand as part of iOS 5 in October, providing a way for users to view newspapers and magazines they've purchased or subscribed to. The app also doubles as its own storefront, where users can browse and purchase content, similar to Apple's App Store, iBooks, and iTunes apps.Related storiesiOS 5 Newsstand is one small, small step for digital magazinesFinancial Times Web app skirts subscriptions fracasApple unveils subscription service in App StoreApple does not disclose what individual app makers and content providers earn on its store. The company doles out 70 percent of each sale to content creators, taking a 30 percent cut for itself. Publishers can also let existing subscribers view digital editions of content to which they already subscribe, however they're not allowed to link to outside Web sites where subscriptions can be struck outside of the App Store.That model has had a mixed reception by publishers, some of which have sidestepped selling through Apple and opted to offer tablet-optimized subscription versions of their sites through the Web instead.Distimo's studies track Apple's App Store, the BlackBerry App World, GetJar, Google Play, Nokia's Ovi Store, Palm's App Catalog, and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Marketplace using "collected transactional data." Other noteworthy metrics from the study:China has outgrown the United States, when it comes to daily downloads of free applications. The country tallied more than 1.1 million daily downloads from within the top 300 most popular free apps. By comparison, the U.S. tallied "just below" 1 million daily downloads, Distimo said. The U.S. is still the top-grossing country, when it comes to iPad app spending. It is trailed by Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.The iPad has more apps with in-app purchase than apps built for the iPhone. Ten percent of the iPad applications on the App Store had in-app purchase, versus 6 percent for the iPhone. Downloads of iPad apps by category (click to enlarge).DistimoiPad users download lots of weather apps. One of the omissions from Apple's iPad version of iOS is a built-in weather app. That has led to some serious downloading, Distimo said. While the number of downloads is nowhere near the same class as things like entertainment, travel, or photography, the study found the number of downloads for weather apps to be considerably higher than how many such apps are available.
The 404 1,002- Where Peter Ha has no inner monologue (podcast)
The 404 1,002: Where Peter Ha has no inner monologue (podcast)
Peter Ha takes a cab straight to our studio from the airport, so we'll forgive him if he drops a few expletives during today's recording. He also received an invite to an Apple event in San Francisco next week, so it looks like the West Coast can't wait to welcome him back!Peter deals in tech news everyday at The Daily so we'll start things off with an offbeat chat about the 2011 Razzie nominations, an awards tribute to the year's worst movies.No surprise here, but Adam Sandler broke the record with 11 nominations for his "performance" in "Jack and Jill."Stick around and you'll hear more stories about Whole Foods prototyping a Kinect on its next-generation shopping carts, and a horrible idea from Planned Parenthood to put location-tracking QR codes on free condoms.Leaked from 404 Podcast 1,002:Apple sends out invites for March 7 iPad event.Adam Sandler breaks Razzie record with 11 nominations.How I became Amazon's involuntary pitchman for a 55-gallon drum of personal lubricant on Facebook.Whole Foods prototype puts Kinect on shopping cart, follows people around store.QR-coded condoms let you share the site of your tryst.Bathroom break video 1: Play AngryBirds with a real USB slingshot.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.PlayEpisode 1,002PodcastYour 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 YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Peter Ha takes a cab straight to our studio from the airport, so we'll forgive him if he drops a few expletives during today's recording. He also received an invite to an Apple event in San Francisco next week, so it looks like the West Coast can't wait to welcome him back!Peter deals in tech news everyday at The Daily so we'll start things off with an offbeat chat about the 2011 Razzie nominations, an awards tribute to the year's worst movies.No surprise here, but Adam Sandler broke the record with 11 nominations for his "performance" in "Jack and Jill."Stick around and you'll hear more stories about Whole Foods prototyping a Kinect on its next-generation shopping carts, and a horrible idea from Planned Parenthood to put location-tracking QR codes on free condoms.Leaked from 404 Podcast 1,002:Apple sends out invites for March 7 iPad event.Adam Sandler breaks Razzie record with 11 nominations.How I became Amazon's involuntary pitchman for a 55-gallon drum of personal lubricant on Facebook.Whole Foods prototype puts Kinect on shopping cart, follows people around store.QR-coded condoms let you share the site of your tryst.Bathroom break video 1: Play AngryBirds with a real USB slingshot.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.PlayEpisode 1,002PodcastYour 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 YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
iTunes claims 25B total downloads, 15B since 2010
iTunes claims 25B total downloads, 15B since 2010
iTunes music downloads officially outnumber human beings on this planet by 3-to-1. That's the word today from Apple, which announced that the 25 billionth song has been downloaded from the iTunes store.Almost a decade after beginning its quest to supposedly save the music industry from the likes of nasty file-sharing meanies such as the original incarnation of Napster, Kazaa, Limewire and others, Apple's little digital music stand now claims a catalog of 26 million songs -- up from 12 million just two years ago -- available in 119 countries, not to mention the billions of dollars it has made selling them to all of us.While competing services and new models for music consumption like Pandora and Spotify are gaining in popularity, there seems to be little indication that the public's fervor for downloading from iTunes is abating. It took Apple nearly seven years to sell its first 10 billion songs, reaching that milestone a little less than two years ago. In the 24 months that have followed, another 15 billion songs have been added to the tally.Related storiesApple promoting iBooks Author books in iTunesiTunes Terms of Service gets the RapGenius treatment, hilarity ensuesWhy we would've been better off without the iPodApple's Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said in a press release that an average of 15,000 songs are downloaded from the store per minute. Cue cites Adele and Coldplay as some of the more popular artists in the store, along with newer artists like the Lumineers. Apple hasn't yet given us a list of the most downloaded tracks of all time, as it did back in 2010 with the 10 billionth download announcement, but that list included mostly contemporary hits rather than classics, which would seem to be further evidence of the platform's continuing growth. In 2010, the most downloaded song of all time was the oft flash-mobbed "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. I've got a feeling that if we were to see the current all-time list of top downloads, it would have much more of a Korean flavor, a "Gangnam Style" if you will.
iTunes music downloads officially outnumber human beings on this planet by 3-to-1. That's the word today from Apple, which announced that the 25 billionth song has been downloaded from the iTunes store.Almost a decade after beginning its quest to supposedly save the music industry from the likes of nasty file-sharing meanies such as the original incarnation of Napster, Kazaa, Limewire and others, Apple's little digital music stand now claims a catalog of 26 million songs -- up from 12 million just two years ago -- available in 119 countries, not to mention the billions of dollars it has made selling them to all of us.While competing services and new models for music consumption like Pandora and Spotify are gaining in popularity, there seems to be little indication that the public's fervor for downloading from iTunes is abating. It took Apple nearly seven years to sell its first 10 billion songs, reaching that milestone a little less than two years ago. In the 24 months that have followed, another 15 billion songs have been added to the tally.Related storiesApple promoting iBooks Author books in iTunesiTunes Terms of Service gets the RapGenius treatment, hilarity ensuesWhy we would've been better off without the iPodApple's Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said in a press release that an average of 15,000 songs are downloaded from the store per minute. Cue cites Adele and Coldplay as some of the more popular artists in the store, along with newer artists like the Lumineers. Apple hasn't yet given us a list of the most downloaded tracks of all time, as it did back in 2010 with the 10 billionth download announcement, but that list included mostly contemporary hits rather than classics, which would seem to be further evidence of the platform's continuing growth. In 2010, the most downloaded song of all time was the oft flash-mobbed "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. I've got a feeling that if we were to see the current all-time list of top downloads, it would have much more of a Korean flavor, a "Gangnam Style" if you will.
Apple, Samsung, others urged to help thwart mobile phone thefts
Apple, Samsung, others urged to help thwart mobile phone thefts
Apple and other mobile phone vendors are being asked to amp up the fight against cell phone theft.In a series of letters sent today to the heads of Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and Microsoft, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested information on what they're doing to make their phones more safe and secure from thieves. Schneiderman also urged the companies to work with his office to devise ways to cut down on the lure of cell phones to criminals.The attorney general pointed to a rise in the theft of phones and other mobile devices in a practice known as "Apple picking." Criminals steal the phones, wipe them clean, and then resell them on the black market. Sometimes the thefts turn violent; Schneiderman cited just a few examples in which cell phone owners were mugged, stabbed, or even killed. Related storiesPrepare for and respond to a lost or stolen smartphoneli>Undercover cops' devious new method to stop iPhone theft"Cracking down on violent and dangerous cell phone thefts is important for New Yorkers," Schneiderman said in a statement. "The companies that dominate this industry have a responsibility to their customers to fulfill their promises to ensure safety and security. This is a multibillion-dollar industry that produces some of the most popular and technologically advanced consumer electronic products in the world.Surely we can work together to find solutions that lead to a reduction in violent street crime targeting consumers."In his letters, Schneiderman asked why companies such as Apple and Samsung, which develop such sophisticated devices, can't also create technology to render stolen devices inoperable and eliminate the expanding black market.Of course, owners whose phones are stolen can contact their carriers to disable their accounts. Apple's "Find my iPhone" app helps users locate their missing iPhone and issue a command to erase the information on it. But such measures still leave the phone in operating condition, allowing a thief with the right know-how to easily wipe it and then resell it.
Apple and other mobile phone vendors are being asked to amp up the fight against cell phone theft.In a series of letters sent today to the heads of Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and Microsoft, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested information on what they're doing to make their phones more safe and secure from thieves. Schneiderman also urged the companies to work with his office to devise ways to cut down on the lure of cell phones to criminals.The attorney general pointed to a rise in the theft of phones and other mobile devices in a practice known as "Apple picking." Criminals steal the phones, wipe them clean, and then resell them on the black market. Sometimes the thefts turn violent; Schneiderman cited just a few examples in which cell phone owners were mugged, stabbed, or even killed. Related storiesPrepare for and respond to a lost or stolen smartphoneli>Undercover cops' devious new method to stop iPhone theft"Cracking down on violent and dangerous cell phone thefts is important for New Yorkers," Schneiderman said in a statement. "The companies that dominate this industry have a responsibility to their customers to fulfill their promises to ensure safety and security. This is a multibillion-dollar industry that produces some of the most popular and technologically advanced consumer electronic products in the world.Surely we can work together to find solutions that lead to a reduction in violent street crime targeting consumers."In his letters, Schneiderman asked why companies such as Apple and Samsung, which develop such sophisticated devices, can't also create technology to render stolen devices inoperable and eliminate the expanding black market.Of course, owners whose phones are stolen can contact their carriers to disable their accounts. Apple's "Find my iPhone" app helps users locate their missing iPhone and issue a command to erase the information on it. But such measures still leave the phone in operating condition, allowing a thief with the right know-how to easily wipe it and then resell it.
Apple, Samsung urged to do more to protect customers
Apple, Samsung urged to do more to protect customers
Apple and Samsung have taken some steps in the right direction when it comes to curbing smartphone theft, but they -- and the industry -- can do much more. That's according to San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who issued a statement after Thursday's smartphone summit. The law enforcement officials earlier kicked off the day with a press conference, when they announced their intent to push the handset industry to install a "kill switch" in their products that would render the device useless if stolen. Executives from Apple, Samsung, Google/Motorola, and Microsoft participated in the summit. "Apple and Samsung have taken steps in the right direction, but it is clear to us that the industry as a whole has more workto do to protect consumers from violent street crimes," according to an e-mailed statement.The Secure Our Smartphone or SOS coalition has provided a series of parameters for what it wants the companies to do. The group wants to the companies to have some sort of kill switch in new products within a year. Apple on Monday showed off the "activation lock" feature in iOS 7 that would prevent the reactivation of a stolen phone, while Samsung has beefed up its enterprise and security features with its SAFE and Knox initiatives.Samsung declined to comment. CNET contacted Apple for comment, and we'll update the story when the company responds.
Apple and Samsung have taken some steps in the right direction when it comes to curbing smartphone theft, but they -- and the industry -- can do much more. That's according to San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who issued a statement after Thursday's smartphone summit. The law enforcement officials earlier kicked off the day with a press conference, when they announced their intent to push the handset industry to install a "kill switch" in their products that would render the device useless if stolen. Executives from Apple, Samsung, Google/Motorola, and Microsoft participated in the summit. "Apple and Samsung have taken steps in the right direction, but it is clear to us that the industry as a whole has more workto do to protect consumers from violent street crimes," according to an e-mailed statement.The Secure Our Smartphone or SOS coalition has provided a series of parameters for what it wants the companies to do. The group wants to the companies to have some sort of kill switch in new products within a year. Apple on Monday showed off the "activation lock" feature in iOS 7 that would prevent the reactivation of a stolen phone, while Samsung has beefed up its enterprise and security features with its SAFE and Knox initiatives.Samsung declined to comment. CNET contacted Apple for comment, and we'll update the story when the company responds.
Apple, Samsung to offer wireless phone charging, claims report
Apple, Samsung to offer wireless phone charging, claims report
Owners of the iPhone 5S or Galaxy S4 will be able to charge their phones wirelessly, claim the folks at DigiTimes.Based on "industry sources," Taiwan-based DigiTimes said today that the next-generation iPhone will use wireless charging technology developed by Apple. But the sources couldn't say whether the phone would be built with the wireless charging feature or rely on an attached accessory.Samsung's Galaxy S4 is expected to support the Qi wireless charging technology, which already is used by Nokia and other mobile vendors. The S4 may not include the capability itself but instead require users to buy a back cover that can access a charging pad.DigiTimes has a history of hits and misses as far as reliability goes, so this report should be taken with a grain of salt.Apple, at least, doesn't seem to be sold on the idea of wireless charging.In an interview with AllThingsD last September, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller questioned the convenience of wireless charging systems since they still need to be plugged into a wall outlet. In contrast, the current USB cables can be plugged into computers, outlets, and even on airplanes, he added."Having to create another device you have to plug into the wall is actually, for most situations, more complicated," Schiller told AllThingsD.For those enamored with wireless charging, third-party products like the Powermat and Energizer Qi already provide the technology for many smartphones and other devices.
Owners of the iPhone 5S or Galaxy S4 will be able to charge their phones wirelessly, claim the folks at DigiTimes.Based on "industry sources," Taiwan-based DigiTimes said today that the next-generation iPhone will use wireless charging technology developed by Apple. But the sources couldn't say whether the phone would be built with the wireless charging feature or rely on an attached accessory.Samsung's Galaxy S4 is expected to support the Qi wireless charging technology, which already is used by Nokia and other mobile vendors. The S4 may not include the capability itself but instead require users to buy a back cover that can access a charging pad.DigiTimes has a history of hits and misses as far as reliability goes, so this report should be taken with a grain of salt.Apple, at least, doesn't seem to be sold on the idea of wireless charging.In an interview with AllThingsD last September, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller questioned the convenience of wireless charging systems since they still need to be plugged into a wall outlet. In contrast, the current USB cables can be plugged into computers, outlets, and even on airplanes, he added."Having to create another device you have to plug into the wall is actually, for most situations, more complicated," Schiller told AllThingsD.For those enamored with wireless charging, third-party products like the Powermat and Energizer Qi already provide the technology for many smartphones and other devices.
Apple, Samsung devices said to be near Pentagon security OK
Apple, Samsung devices said to be near Pentagon security OK
Both Apple and Samsung have been in ongoing talks with the Department of Defense to bring their devices to the agency's employees, and now it looks like approval for device security is finally around the corner.According to the Wall Street Journal, the Defense Department reportedly plans to give security approval for Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and Apple's iPhones and iPads within the next few weeks.The Defense Information Systems Agency, which rules what commercial technology the Pentagon can use, will decide within the next two weeks whether to accept Samsung's Galaxy smartphones loaded with Knox security software for sending and receiving internal e-mails, according to the Wall Street Journal. Separately, the agency also plans to decide in early May whether Apple's iOS 6 security is safe enough to be used by military agencies for non-classified communication.The Department of Defense dropped its exclusive contract for BlackBerry devices last October, which opened up bidding to Apple, Samsung, and any other tech company.Despite the agency opening up contracts to other companies, the Pentagon has confirmed that it isn't completely dropping BlackBerry. Currently, of the more than 600,000 mobile devices used by the department, 470,000 are BlackBerry, 41,000 are Apple products, and 8,700 are running on Google Android. The department has said that eventually it wants to handle as many as 8 million devices. And, any company that can meet its strict classified security guidelines can try to get a piece of the department's profitable government contract.According to the Wall Street Journal, BlackBerry devices still dominate the U.S. government market -- so, even if Apple and Samsung do get security approval, it doesn't necessarily mean immediate contracts for hundreds of thousands of devices. Approvals "do not directly result in product orders, but facilitate the process by eliminating the need for security reviews at the individual DOD organization level," a Defense Department spokesman told the Wall Street Journal.
Both Apple and Samsung have been in ongoing talks with the Department of Defense to bring their devices to the agency's employees, and now it looks like approval for device security is finally around the corner.According to the Wall Street Journal, the Defense Department reportedly plans to give security approval for Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and Apple's iPhones and iPads within the next few weeks.The Defense Information Systems Agency, which rules what commercial technology the Pentagon can use, will decide within the next two weeks whether to accept Samsung's Galaxy smartphones loaded with Knox security software for sending and receiving internal e-mails, according to the Wall Street Journal. Separately, the agency also plans to decide in early May whether Apple's iOS 6 security is safe enough to be used by military agencies for non-classified communication.The Department of Defense dropped its exclusive contract for BlackBerry devices last October, which opened up bidding to Apple, Samsung, and any other tech company.Despite the agency opening up contracts to other companies, the Pentagon has confirmed that it isn't completely dropping BlackBerry. Currently, of the more than 600,000 mobile devices used by the department, 470,000 are BlackBerry, 41,000 are Apple products, and 8,700 are running on Google Android. The department has said that eventually it wants to handle as many as 8 million devices. And, any company that can meet its strict classified security guidelines can try to get a piece of the department's profitable government contract.According to the Wall Street Journal, BlackBerry devices still dominate the U.S. government market -- so, even if Apple and Samsung do get security approval, it doesn't necessarily mean immediate contracts for hundreds of thousands of devices. Approvals "do not directly result in product orders, but facilitate the process by eliminating the need for security reviews at the individual DOD organization level," a Defense Department spokesman told the Wall Street Journal.
Apple, Samsung CEOs speak but fail to reach settlement
Apple, Samsung CEOs speak but fail to reach settlement
The attempt to goad Apple and Samsung into settling at least part of their ongoing patent dispute has apparently been fruitless.Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Kwon Oh Hyun were asked by U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh to discuss possible resolutions of their patent litigation, which is nearly in jurors' hands. However, that conversation failed to break the deadlock between the two companies."The CEOs did speak... [but] there was no resolution," Samsung counsel Kevin Johnson told Koh late this afternoon.The court-mandated conversation was an 11th-hour attempt to settle the companies' high-stakes charges before closing arguments begin tomorrow. The two sides met in person twice as part of court-mandated settlement talks ahead of the trial. Koh instructed the chief executives at both companies last week to meet once more as a last-ditch effort, saying it was "time for peace."Upon the conclusion of counsels' closing arguments, the nine-person jury will receive a 100-page deliberation instruction document, which is expected to take a couple of hours to read. Jurors will also receive a 21-page tentative verdict form from which they must pick which devices from either side infringe on various patents, a document that Koh is concerned will confuse jurors because it was "so complex.""I am worried we might have a seriously confused jury here," Koh told legal counsel from both companies today. "I have trouble understanding this, and I have spent a little more time with this than they have." Jurors will also face the tedious task of assigning damages, a tally that ranges from millions to billions of dollars based on which expert report is used as the guideline. Apple sued Samsung in 2011, claiming that Samsung copied "the look and feel" of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone, costing it more than $2.5 billion. Samsung countersued, claiming Apple infringed on some of its patents.CNET's Josh Lowensohn contributed to this report from San Jose, Calif.
The attempt to goad Apple and Samsung into settling at least part of their ongoing patent dispute has apparently been fruitless.Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Kwon Oh Hyun were asked by U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh to discuss possible resolutions of their patent litigation, which is nearly in jurors' hands. However, that conversation failed to break the deadlock between the two companies."The CEOs did speak... [but] there was no resolution," Samsung counsel Kevin Johnson told Koh late this afternoon.The court-mandated conversation was an 11th-hour attempt to settle the companies' high-stakes charges before closing arguments begin tomorrow. The two sides met in person twice as part of court-mandated settlement talks ahead of the trial. Koh instructed the chief executives at both companies last week to meet once more as a last-ditch effort, saying it was "time for peace."Upon the conclusion of counsels' closing arguments, the nine-person jury will receive a 100-page deliberation instruction document, which is expected to take a couple of hours to read. Jurors will also receive a 21-page tentative verdict form from which they must pick which devices from either side infringe on various patents, a document that Koh is concerned will confuse jurors because it was "so complex.""I am worried we might have a seriously confused jury here," Koh told legal counsel from both companies today. "I have trouble understanding this, and I have spent a little more time with this than they have." Jurors will also face the tedious task of assigning damages, a tally that ranges from millions to billions of dollars based on which expert report is used as the guideline. Apple sued Samsung in 2011, claiming that Samsung copied "the look and feel" of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone, costing it more than $2.5 billion. Samsung countersued, claiming Apple infringed on some of its patents.CNET's Josh Lowensohn contributed to this report from San Jose, Calif.
Box Office Report: 'Captain America' Shatters April Records; May Dominate 2014 Through June
Here areyour three-day box office returns (new releases bolded): 1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - $96.2 million ($96.2 million total) 2. Noah - $17.0 million ($72.3 million total) 3. Divergent - $13.0 million ($114.0 million total) 4. God;s Not Dead - $7.7 million ($32.5 million total) 5. The Grand Budapest Hotel - $6.3 million ($33.3 million total) 6. Muppets Most Wanted - $6.2 million ($42.1 million total) 7. Mr. Peabody & Sherman - $5.3 million ($102.2 million total) 8. Sabotage - $1.9 million ($8.7 million total) 9. Need for Speed - $1.83 million ($40.8 million total) 10. Non-Stop - $1.82 million ($88.1 million total) The Big Stories Captain America is number one. That;s really all that needs to be said this week. This report could have been written days ago because the truth of the matter is one does not need credentials involving math, statistics or prognostication skills to know that The Winter Soldier was going to be big. Open big, stay big and make everyone an afterthought in its wake until the repurposed summer movie schedule actually begins on May 2. Winter may be coming Sunday night when Game of Thrones returns, but the summer is most definitely here and already being given a run for its money. Marvel;s Success with Sequels The PhaseTwo Marvel project, named for the post-Avengers second chapter ofits cinematic gold mine, is having a good run. Iron Man 3 opened to a whopping $174 million, the second biggest opening of all time after The Avengers. Thor: The Dark World started with over $85 million, $20 million more than the character;s 2011 launch. Now, five months later the Captain is opening with over $30 million more than its 2011 summer start just a few months after Thor began with about $700,000 more. With Thor being first out of the gate that summer, it even managed to best The First Avenger by over $4 million at the domestic box office and $79 million worldwide. But what a difference quality makes. While I prefer the first Thor to the first Captain America, which squandered a solid first hour with some mediocre action as if they were just trying to get Steve Rogers into the ice and future as quickly as possible, many go the other way. In regards to the sequel there really is no debate. Iron Man 3 burst out with a lot of praise from fans, but its detractors eventually had their voices heard. Nobody should admit publicly that Thor: The Dark World is a worthy achievement of the Marvel universe and maybe to compensate the fanboys are all over The Winter Soldier, some going so far to call it even better than The Avengers. Take a rightful step back from the absurd and we still arrive at the conclusion that directors Anthonyand Joe Russo have made a very entertaining film and will be rewarded for it at the box office. How Big Will The Winter Soldier Be? Captain America 2 was already $95 million rich with overseas money before seeing a dollar in the U.S. (It is now at over $207 million overseas and nearly half of Thor 2;s worldwide gross.) $10.2 million on Thursday night turned into $95 million over the weekend. That, expectedly, overtook Fast Five;s $86.1 million as the biggest April opening of all time. Anyone who thought Cap wouldn;t open to more than The Dark World;s $85.7 million was fooling themselves. Its $206.3 million, a plateau Thor kinda limped towards during the holiday season, is also going to be passed. But by how much? The first thing to consider is competition. April is pretty wide open for the Captain to dominate. Rio 2 comes out for the kids next week and maybe Transcendence will draw enough interest to challenge its third weekend, but there;s a good possibility The Winter Soldier could benumber oneuntil The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hits theaters. The lowest final gross for a film to open with over $90 million is the $234.2 million of X-Men: The Last Stand. Of the 33 previous films with that kind of start, onlythree others (Fast & Furious 6, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) grossed less than $275 million. Assuming Captain America: The WInter Soldier has enough breathing room and solid word of mouth to fit into the 87th percentile, it is not only going to be the highest grossing film of the year to date (passing The Lego Movie) but could be for the foreseeable future. Anyone putting The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Godzilla or X-Men: Days of Future Past in the $275 million range? I;m certainly not. There may only be two movies this entire summer to approach Captain America;s numbers and they both open in June (How to Train Your Dragon 2and Transformers: Age of Extinction), which means CaptainAmerica is likely going to benumber onethrough at least July 4. - 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]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)