Apple, Bloomberg: Two media brands in the social era
Reading the business section of yesterday's New York Times, you couldn't help but notice the juxtaposition of two seemingly different companies, which, at second glance, have more in common that you might think. One is Bloomberg, the financial data juggernaut that has enough cash to aspire to become “the world’s most influential news organization.†The company has placed its bets on the acquisition of the venerable BusinessWeek, trusting that it will broaden its reach into a mainstream business audience. A few pages later, Digital Domain columnist Randall Stross reveals Apple’s pending patent application for a new advertising pop-up technology that forces users of devices and web sites to acknowledge the reception of the commercial message.What Apple calls “enforcement routine†is basically a radical ad-based model that offers consumers to use Apple’s products and services for free or at a discount if they “watch ads they may not want to watch.†Stross writes: “Its distinctive feature is a design that doesn’t simply invite a user to pay attention to an ad--it also compels attention. The technology can freeze the device until the user clicks a button or answers a test question to demonstrate that he or she has dutifully noticed the commercial message. Because this technology would be embedded in the innermost core of the device, the ads could appear on the screen at any time, no matter what one is doing.†As Stross points out, other brands went down this path before and utterly failed, and he is stunned that Apple, if it is serious about this technology, seems to be willing to risk its reputation of consumer-friendly “cool.â€One story can be read in the context of the other: Bloomberg and Apple not only share a zealously rigid culture and a “walled garden†business model based on selling high-grade packages at a premium price; they are also both media companies. Both have strong communities driven by the Three C’s of Communities--connectivity, content, and context--and both are wondering which of these parameters they can exploit more aggressively without jeopardizing the integrity of the community that is the foundation of their business. Both Apple and Blooomberg create value by heavily relying on network effects within an ecosystem that they tightly control. Both are distributing content to raise demand for their products. And both have a strong brand to extend â€" and to lose.With the acquisition of BusinessWeek, Bloomberg’s strategic trajectory is clear: Owning a proprietary technology platform (it sold 300,000 terminals to date), the company is looking for ways to reach more potential buyers (and sell premium services). Apple’s “terminals,†on the other hand, are its iTunes store and its user interfaces, and the recent patent application indicates that the company might explore the exploitation of attention generated through these properties. Bloomberg is buying attention to open up new sources of revenue, Apple might be selling it.The two brands have one last trait in common: They are not really embracing social media, to put it mildly. Apple, as a company, does not engage, and Bloomberg even discourages its employees to engage. Apple and Bloomberg, in some ways, are the antidotes to a marketplace that â€" propelled by the forces of the Social Web â€" is becoming increasingly atomized, hyper-distributed, open, and transparent. Secrecy, compliance, top-down hierarchies, rigid communication policies, and walled gardens are characteristics that may be somewhat outdated in this era, and yet they seem to be the very cornerstones of Apple’s and Bloomberg’s success as the two firms thrive as the surprise champions of their respective categories. Both came to save ailing industries, ripe for innovation: Apple reinvented the music industry and the Smart Phone market. Bloomberg is determined to reinvent the news business. But in the long term, can Apple sustain its community of loyal users without becoming a more transparent organization? And can Bloomberg really emerge as “the world’s most influential news organization†without going social?
Music apps pumped up the volume -- and dollars -- in 2013
Music apps pumped up the volume -- and dollars -- in 2013
An influx of new music apps may be raising the competition, but they're raising money as well. App Annie, an analytics company that monitors app rankings, found music app revenue jumped 77 percent last year from 2012, in a review of app data. The category moved up to the third most popular type of app last year, after being ranked seventh in 2012. Social networking apps moved up the same number of steps in the rankings to the No. 2 spot, with games continuing to dominate the chart. That music-app growth was led by Pandora. Worldwide, the Internet's top radio service was also the second biggest generator of revenue in the app universe, excluding games. It trailed only Line, the social messaging service ubiquitous in parts of Asia. That's a pretty good showing, but the ranking is more impressive if you consider a few factors. Pandora is operational only in the US, Australia and New Zealand. The App Annie data primarily measures revenue from downloading a paid app and in-app purchases -- in the case of Pandora, which is free to download, that simply means subscriptions, which is Pandora's secondary source of revenue. The App Annie ranking doesn't take into account advertising revenue generated with an app, the company's real revenue engine. Granted, had ad revenue been included in the rankings, Pandora would face stiffer competition from the likes of Facebook and YouTube.See also: Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, and more: How to get started with subscription music servicesCompetition in online music services is only increasing. Pandora continues to lead the market, but giants like Apple and Google added new services like iTunes Radio and All Access last year. Longtime players like Spotify and Slacker launched new features or shook things up with updates, and more have launched this year already: Beats' paid subscription-only service rolled out earlier this month. Google is said to be rolling out another subscription service through YouTube, and French hit Deezer is said to be exploring an expansion to the US.Unsurprisingly, Deezer was one of the most popular downloads in France, where Shazam -- the music recognition service -- was also in the top five. The App Annie review of 2013 also found messaging apps were evolving into social platforms that added e-commerce, books and music. Gamers are more often preferring their iPhones and Android devices to a Nintendo 3DS or Sony Vita: iOS and Google Play app stores both saw a surge in game revenue that lifted them above handhelds for the first time.
An influx of new music apps may be raising the competition, but they're raising money as well. App Annie, an analytics company that monitors app rankings, found music app revenue jumped 77 percent last year from 2012, in a review of app data. The category moved up to the third most popular type of app last year, after being ranked seventh in 2012. Social networking apps moved up the same number of steps in the rankings to the No. 2 spot, with games continuing to dominate the chart. That music-app growth was led by Pandora. Worldwide, the Internet's top radio service was also the second biggest generator of revenue in the app universe, excluding games. It trailed only Line, the social messaging service ubiquitous in parts of Asia. That's a pretty good showing, but the ranking is more impressive if you consider a few factors. Pandora is operational only in the US, Australia and New Zealand. The App Annie data primarily measures revenue from downloading a paid app and in-app purchases -- in the case of Pandora, which is free to download, that simply means subscriptions, which is Pandora's secondary source of revenue. The App Annie ranking doesn't take into account advertising revenue generated with an app, the company's real revenue engine. Granted, had ad revenue been included in the rankings, Pandora would face stiffer competition from the likes of Facebook and YouTube.See also: Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, and more: How to get started with subscription music servicesCompetition in online music services is only increasing. Pandora continues to lead the market, but giants like Apple and Google added new services like iTunes Radio and All Access last year. Longtime players like Spotify and Slacker launched new features or shook things up with updates, and more have launched this year already: Beats' paid subscription-only service rolled out earlier this month. Google is said to be rolling out another subscription service through YouTube, and French hit Deezer is said to be exploring an expansion to the US.Unsurprisingly, Deezer was one of the most popular downloads in France, where Shazam -- the music recognition service -- was also in the top five. The App Annie review of 2013 also found messaging apps were evolving into social platforms that added e-commerce, books and music. Gamers are more often preferring their iPhones and Android devices to a Nintendo 3DS or Sony Vita: iOS and Google Play app stores both saw a surge in game revenue that lifted them above handhelds for the first time.
Bandloop vs. JamBase for online show tracking
Bandloop vs. JamBase for online show tracking
Now it looks as if JamBase has some strong competition in the form of Bandloop. It's hard to improve upon JamBase's near-perfection, so Bandloop works in basically the same way, with a few improvements here and there. Artists and fans populate the show database, which keeps it up-to-date--the site has more than 50,000 gig listings, the company claims. Once registered, fans can search among more than 500,000 artists and add any of them to their "loop" by clicking a big plus symbol--a bit easier than the similar tracking method on JamBase, which requires you to enter band names in a blank field. Once you've added 20 bands to your loop, you can become a VIP member, which allows you to post your own listings. To encourage participation, Bandloop is offering gift cards for Amazon.com, iTunes, Ticketmaster, and InSound.com. The more shows you list, the more VIP rewards you earn.I still think JamBase has a much better story with local listings: it automatically lists all shows happening tonight in your area, while Bandloop only lists shows from artists that you've selected. I guess that prevents you from getting overloaded--JamBase can be a bit daunting, if you're in a city with lots of live music--but what about serendipity? I simply can't remember to list all the bands I might be interested in seeing.But Bandloop tops JamBase with its on-site song samples. JamBase uses an embedded control from Lala.com which won't let you fast-forward to a specific point in a song. This is a problem if, for instance, you're checking out Phish and want to skip through the applause at the beginning of its cover of the Rolling Stones' "Loving Cup." Bandloop's audio samples are powered by Seeqpod, which scours the Web for fan uploads. This might lead to some bad title information--this Phish songlist displays a couple of incomprehensible garbles--but it also leads to some great finds, like a 23-minute cover version of the Talking Heads' "Crosseyed and Painless" (I'm still reeling from seeing David Byrne play that song earlier this week, but it wasn't anything like this). And if you get bored with the space jam breakdown in the middle of the song, there's a slider that lets you fast-forward it to the part where Trey starts mumbling the lyric "still waiting" again and again. I'm guessing that the Lala.com control is hampered by business rather than technical limitations--the U.S. record industry for some reason continues to resist the experience of easy on-demand music, and Lala is attempting to work legally with the industry. Seeqpod's just a search engine, and it doesn't seek any approval from the record industry--which, unsurprisingly, landed it a lawsuit from Warner Music last year.
Now it looks as if JamBase has some strong competition in the form of Bandloop. It's hard to improve upon JamBase's near-perfection, so Bandloop works in basically the same way, with a few improvements here and there. Artists and fans populate the show database, which keeps it up-to-date--the site has more than 50,000 gig listings, the company claims. Once registered, fans can search among more than 500,000 artists and add any of them to their "loop" by clicking a big plus symbol--a bit easier than the similar tracking method on JamBase, which requires you to enter band names in a blank field. Once you've added 20 bands to your loop, you can become a VIP member, which allows you to post your own listings. To encourage participation, Bandloop is offering gift cards for Amazon.com, iTunes, Ticketmaster, and InSound.com. The more shows you list, the more VIP rewards you earn.I still think JamBase has a much better story with local listings: it automatically lists all shows happening tonight in your area, while Bandloop only lists shows from artists that you've selected. I guess that prevents you from getting overloaded--JamBase can be a bit daunting, if you're in a city with lots of live music--but what about serendipity? I simply can't remember to list all the bands I might be interested in seeing.But Bandloop tops JamBase with its on-site song samples. JamBase uses an embedded control from Lala.com which won't let you fast-forward to a specific point in a song. This is a problem if, for instance, you're checking out Phish and want to skip through the applause at the beginning of its cover of the Rolling Stones' "Loving Cup." Bandloop's audio samples are powered by Seeqpod, which scours the Web for fan uploads. This might lead to some bad title information--this Phish songlist displays a couple of incomprehensible garbles--but it also leads to some great finds, like a 23-minute cover version of the Talking Heads' "Crosseyed and Painless" (I'm still reeling from seeing David Byrne play that song earlier this week, but it wasn't anything like this). And if you get bored with the space jam breakdown in the middle of the song, there's a slider that lets you fast-forward it to the part where Trey starts mumbling the lyric "still waiting" again and again. I'm guessing that the Lala.com control is hampered by business rather than technical limitations--the U.S. record industry for some reason continues to resist the experience of easy on-demand music, and Lala is attempting to work legally with the industry. Seeqpod's just a search engine, and it doesn't seek any approval from the record industry--which, unsurprisingly, landed it a lawsuit from Warner Music last year.
The 404 322- Where we insist on abiding by Murphy's Law
The 404 322: Where we insist on abiding by Murphy's Law
So the Tricaster is dead for now... yeah, I guess we shouldn't be eating sesame cake and drinking Tabasco sauce around it, but hey, it happens. We make the best of things today again with Jason Howell.Funny show today, guys. Justin will never go to Vietnam now that the government there is considering banning karaoke because people start to dance and do stupid things. We can't disagree. Wilson has to be liquored up hard-core, before he shoves a mic in front of his face.Also, Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears lose to CNN over the number of Twitter followers they have. Actually, they ain't got nothing on the @the404 following. We think we're up to a whopping 20? Justin finally finds a good use for Twitter: lunch.Second half of the show features one of the funniest voice mail calls from "Sally Henderson." All we have go say is "Lettuce Gravy Bacon and Tomato" is definitely not banned from our rankings. Greatest present ever.Mark Licea/CNET Finally, the Taxi and Limousine Corporation in NYC is considering banning taxi cab drivers from using their cell phones. Thank goodness. We're getting a little tired of the mumbling, while we try to explain the difference between 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue.Finally, on top of what has been a pretty good day, we get a basket of candy from our new favorite listener: Jessica! Thank you so much. Wilson, Jeff, and Justin are truly just beaming. Last reminder: tonight is the night of the 404/BOL meetup. Be sure to register, and sorry kids, only 21 and up are allowed in.We will see you all at the Delancey tonight at 7:30!EPISODE 322Download today's podcast |Â Subscribe in iTunes |Â Subscribe in RSSCNN vs. Ashton Kutcher vs. Britney Spears on TwitterVietnam may ban karaokeTwitter for your lunchCabbies in NY may not be able to talk on cell phones any moreFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangJason Howell
So the Tricaster is dead for now... yeah, I guess we shouldn't be eating sesame cake and drinking Tabasco sauce around it, but hey, it happens. We make the best of things today again with Jason Howell.Funny show today, guys. Justin will never go to Vietnam now that the government there is considering banning karaoke because people start to dance and do stupid things. We can't disagree. Wilson has to be liquored up hard-core, before he shoves a mic in front of his face.Also, Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears lose to CNN over the number of Twitter followers they have. Actually, they ain't got nothing on the @the404 following. We think we're up to a whopping 20? Justin finally finds a good use for Twitter: lunch.Second half of the show features one of the funniest voice mail calls from "Sally Henderson." All we have go say is "Lettuce Gravy Bacon and Tomato" is definitely not banned from our rankings. Greatest present ever.Mark Licea/CNET Finally, the Taxi and Limousine Corporation in NYC is considering banning taxi cab drivers from using their cell phones. Thank goodness. We're getting a little tired of the mumbling, while we try to explain the difference between 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue.Finally, on top of what has been a pretty good day, we get a basket of candy from our new favorite listener: Jessica! Thank you so much. Wilson, Jeff, and Justin are truly just beaming. Last reminder: tonight is the night of the 404/BOL meetup. Be sure to register, and sorry kids, only 21 and up are allowed in.We will see you all at the Delancey tonight at 7:30!EPISODE 322Download today's podcast |Â Subscribe in iTunes |Â Subscribe in RSSCNN vs. Ashton Kutcher vs. Britney Spears on TwitterVietnam may ban karaokeTwitter for your lunchCabbies in NY may not be able to talk on cell phones any moreFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangJason Howell
Last.fm 2.0 iPhone app makes big improvements
Last.fm 2.0 iPhone app makes big improvements
The Last.fm Now Playing screen has also undergone an extreme makeover. Album artwork is now displayed clearly and not superimposed with song information. A volume bar is a permanent fixture on the bottom of the Now Playing screen, and many controls have been consolidated for the sake of simplicity. A collapsible menu lets you add your own personal song tags directly from the playback screen, along with options to save the song to a playlist or share it among your personal contacts or Last.fm friends.A distinction between Last.fm and other personal Internet radio applications such as Pandora, is the ability to view and save an artist's current touring information. An On Tour button appears next to the name of currently touring artists on the Last.fm playback screen, allowing you to browse tour dates on an internal calendar and flag any shows you're considering.The Now Playing screen on the original Last.fm application (left) offered a confusing mush of buttons, hidden volume control, and obstructed album art. Last.fm 2.0 (right) offers a much cleaner interface with consolidated controls, pristine artwork, and dedicated volume slider.CNET NetworksLast.fm's streaming audio performance has also improved on their application. The dropouts and buffering delays experienced in the first version of the Last.fm application have all but disappeared in version 2.0. While connected over a moderately strong Wi-Fi signal, we encountered no drop outs and noticed that the buffer gaps between songs are down to around 1-2 seconds in length (about what you'd experience using Pandora). Audio quality is also quite good, with no noticeable streaming compression artifacts and a stereo sound quality comparable to 128Kbps MP3.Overall, the updates to the Last.fm application have brought nothing but improvements. If you're looking for a personalized streaming music application for your iPhone or iPod Touch that offers more features than Pandora, Last.fm does not disappoint. Editors' note: Last.fm is owned by CNET's parent company, CBS Interactive.
The Last.fm Now Playing screen has also undergone an extreme makeover. Album artwork is now displayed clearly and not superimposed with song information. A volume bar is a permanent fixture on the bottom of the Now Playing screen, and many controls have been consolidated for the sake of simplicity. A collapsible menu lets you add your own personal song tags directly from the playback screen, along with options to save the song to a playlist or share it among your personal contacts or Last.fm friends.A distinction between Last.fm and other personal Internet radio applications such as Pandora, is the ability to view and save an artist's current touring information. An On Tour button appears next to the name of currently touring artists on the Last.fm playback screen, allowing you to browse tour dates on an internal calendar and flag any shows you're considering.The Now Playing screen on the original Last.fm application (left) offered a confusing mush of buttons, hidden volume control, and obstructed album art. Last.fm 2.0 (right) offers a much cleaner interface with consolidated controls, pristine artwork, and dedicated volume slider.CNET NetworksLast.fm's streaming audio performance has also improved on their application. The dropouts and buffering delays experienced in the first version of the Last.fm application have all but disappeared in version 2.0. While connected over a moderately strong Wi-Fi signal, we encountered no drop outs and noticed that the buffer gaps between songs are down to around 1-2 seconds in length (about what you'd experience using Pandora). Audio quality is also quite good, with no noticeable streaming compression artifacts and a stereo sound quality comparable to 128Kbps MP3.Overall, the updates to the Last.fm application have brought nothing but improvements. If you're looking for a personalized streaming music application for your iPhone or iPod Touch that offers more features than Pandora, Last.fm does not disappoint. Editors' note: Last.fm is owned by CNET's parent company, CBS Interactive.
Apple's Safari sports 'do-not-track' in dev build
Apple's Safari sports 'do-not-track' in dev build
Apple is the latest in a series of Web browser makers to add a new privacy feature that keeps online advertising networks and other tracking tools from monitoring user activity.According to The Wall Street Journal, the latest developer preview of Apple's Mac OS X 10.7, codenamed "Lion," sports a version of Safari with a do-not-track feature built in. Do-not-track is technology that allows users to opt out of being tracked by third parties in a similar fashion to the do-not-call lists for telephones. The movement accelerated following a report released last December by The Federal Trade Commission, urging technology makers to implement the technology into their products to protect consumer privacy. While legislation to put some teeth on enforcing it has stalled, browser makers like Mozilla and Microsoft have released do-not-track tools in the latest versions of their browsers. Meanwhile, Google, which makes the Chrome browser, released a do-not-track tool in January that users are required to download and install as an add-on.Lion is currently on its second developer preview and requires that developers and users who are testing the software stay tight-lipped under a non-disclosure agreement. Apple is expected to unveil a price, release date, and more details about the software at its Worldwide Developers Conference in early June. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the do-not-track feature would make it to the current Mac OS X, or if it would be available to Safari users on Microsoft's Windows platform.
Apple is the latest in a series of Web browser makers to add a new privacy feature that keeps online advertising networks and other tracking tools from monitoring user activity.According to The Wall Street Journal, the latest developer preview of Apple's Mac OS X 10.7, codenamed "Lion," sports a version of Safari with a do-not-track feature built in. Do-not-track is technology that allows users to opt out of being tracked by third parties in a similar fashion to the do-not-call lists for telephones. The movement accelerated following a report released last December by The Federal Trade Commission, urging technology makers to implement the technology into their products to protect consumer privacy. While legislation to put some teeth on enforcing it has stalled, browser makers like Mozilla and Microsoft have released do-not-track tools in the latest versions of their browsers. Meanwhile, Google, which makes the Chrome browser, released a do-not-track tool in January that users are required to download and install as an add-on.Lion is currently on its second developer preview and requires that developers and users who are testing the software stay tight-lipped under a non-disclosure agreement. Apple is expected to unveil a price, release date, and more details about the software at its Worldwide Developers Conference in early June. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the do-not-track feature would make it to the current Mac OS X, or if it would be available to Safari users on Microsoft's Windows platform.
Apple's rumored iWatch delays due to manufacturing issues-
Apple's rumored iWatch delays due to manufacturing issues?
Screen technology, battery issues, and corporate shuffling may be some of the reasons for the delay in the release of Apple's expected iWatch. While all product development hits snags, a report from The Information points to these "bumps" as some of the possible setbacks in the company's rumored smartwatch development.Apparently, Apple hasn't yet definitively decided on what kind of screen technology to use due to battery issues. However, this is common with lots of smartwatch manufacturing since the wearable's real estate is much smaller than a smartphone or tablet.According to The Information, Apple has also "halted advanced prototyping of some unknown pieces with one manufacturer late last year." But, Apple is known for regularly switching manufacturers, so it's unclear how big a deal this was.Another issue for Apple is that Bryan James, who was reportedly working on the iWatch, has stepped down and is now working at Nest Labs. There's been talk of a purported iWatch for about a year now, yet no conclusive signs of any device have appeared. In October it was rumored that LG Display was close to signing a deal with Apple to provide flexible organic light-emitting diode panels (OLED) for its iWatch. It was also said that Apple was talking to Taiwan-based RiTDisplay. Despite the possible setbacks, The Information says that an iWatch launch is still expected sometime this year.CNET contacted Apple for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.
Screen technology, battery issues, and corporate shuffling may be some of the reasons for the delay in the release of Apple's expected iWatch. While all product development hits snags, a report from The Information points to these "bumps" as some of the possible setbacks in the company's rumored smartwatch development.Apparently, Apple hasn't yet definitively decided on what kind of screen technology to use due to battery issues. However, this is common with lots of smartwatch manufacturing since the wearable's real estate is much smaller than a smartphone or tablet.According to The Information, Apple has also "halted advanced prototyping of some unknown pieces with one manufacturer late last year." But, Apple is known for regularly switching manufacturers, so it's unclear how big a deal this was.Another issue for Apple is that Bryan James, who was reportedly working on the iWatch, has stepped down and is now working at Nest Labs. There's been talk of a purported iWatch for about a year now, yet no conclusive signs of any device have appeared. In October it was rumored that LG Display was close to signing a deal with Apple to provide flexible organic light-emitting diode panels (OLED) for its iWatch. It was also said that Apple was talking to Taiwan-based RiTDisplay. Despite the possible setbacks, The Information says that an iWatch launch is still expected sometime this year.CNET contacted Apple for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.
Apple's retail VP departs amid search for new boss
Apple's retail VP departs amid search for new boss
If Apple retail vice president Jerry McDougal was on the short list to head up the company's retail efforts, that list might now be even shorter.McDougal took off from Apple last week, says IfoAppleStore. Citing sources, the blog -- which has obsessively tracked Apple's retail goings-on -- says McDougal plans to spend more time with his family, a move that puts him out of the running to replace John Browett, whom Apple fired last October.The blog goes on to say that McDougal was effectively the "right-hand man," of former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson. Johnson left Apple after a decade in 2011 to become the chief executive of JC Penney and was replaced by Browett, who came from U.K. electronics retailer Dixons. McDougal's departure was confirmed by Apple to AllThingsD, along with a statement noting that McDougal has been replaced with 15-year Apple veteran Jim Beam, who previously headed up the company's finance group.Apple is currently on the hunt for a new retail chief after removing Browett from the position after just six months. At the time, Apple said it was in the midst of finding a replacement, and that its retail team was reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook. McDougal's name has since come up in reports about possible internal successors, though Apple could still end up going with an outsider. The search comes as Apple's retail empire continues to grow. Apple opened up 33 retail stores during its fiscal 2012, and is now up to 400 stores. Most of those locations are in the U.S., however Apple has been expanding into other countries -- including 18 new stores that were in 10 countries during its fiscal fourth quarter. Last October the company announced plans to open another 30 to 35 stores in 2013.
If Apple retail vice president Jerry McDougal was on the short list to head up the company's retail efforts, that list might now be even shorter.McDougal took off from Apple last week, says IfoAppleStore. Citing sources, the blog -- which has obsessively tracked Apple's retail goings-on -- says McDougal plans to spend more time with his family, a move that puts him out of the running to replace John Browett, whom Apple fired last October.The blog goes on to say that McDougal was effectively the "right-hand man," of former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson. Johnson left Apple after a decade in 2011 to become the chief executive of JC Penney and was replaced by Browett, who came from U.K. electronics retailer Dixons. McDougal's departure was confirmed by Apple to AllThingsD, along with a statement noting that McDougal has been replaced with 15-year Apple veteran Jim Beam, who previously headed up the company's finance group.Apple is currently on the hunt for a new retail chief after removing Browett from the position after just six months. At the time, Apple said it was in the midst of finding a replacement, and that its retail team was reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook. McDougal's name has since come up in reports about possible internal successors, though Apple could still end up going with an outsider. The search comes as Apple's retail empire continues to grow. Apple opened up 33 retail stores during its fiscal 2012, and is now up to 400 stores. Most of those locations are in the U.S., however Apple has been expanding into other countries -- including 18 new stores that were in 10 countries during its fiscal fourth quarter. Last October the company announced plans to open another 30 to 35 stores in 2013.
Apple's response to Greenlight Capital suit to come by tomorrow
Apple's response to Greenlight Capital suit to come by tomorrow
Apple will soon respond to the lawsuit filed against it last week by David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital.According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to file its response to Greenlight by tomorrow. Greenlight will then file its reply on Friday. The first hearing could take place as early as next week.The Greenlight hedge fund filed a lawsuit against Apple last week, saying that the company should distribute high-yield preferred stock to shareholders. According to Greenlight, this would allow Apple to hold a large amount of its cash while giving shareholders more of the value of Apple's cash hoard.Apple's cash reserves now total more than $137 billion. Apple has so far delivered $10 billion of its planned $45 billion to shareholders.Yesterday, Judge Richard Sullivan of the U.S. Court for the Southern District of New York granted Apple's request to fast-track the lawsuit.That Apple is pushing ahead with the lawsuit isn't all that surprising. The company plans to hold a shareholders meeting on February 27 and doesn't want the lawsuit to take center stage. Apple has also made clear that it's willing to work with Greenlight to come to an amicable solution."Apple's management team and board of directors have been in active discussions about returning additional cash to shareholders," the company said last week. "As part of our review, we will thoroughly evaluate Greenlight Capital's current proposal to issue some form of preferred stock. We welcome Greenlight's views and the views of all of our shareholders."
Apple will soon respond to the lawsuit filed against it last week by David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital.According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to file its response to Greenlight by tomorrow. Greenlight will then file its reply on Friday. The first hearing could take place as early as next week.The Greenlight hedge fund filed a lawsuit against Apple last week, saying that the company should distribute high-yield preferred stock to shareholders. According to Greenlight, this would allow Apple to hold a large amount of its cash while giving shareholders more of the value of Apple's cash hoard.Apple's cash reserves now total more than $137 billion. Apple has so far delivered $10 billion of its planned $45 billion to shareholders.Yesterday, Judge Richard Sullivan of the U.S. Court for the Southern District of New York granted Apple's request to fast-track the lawsuit.That Apple is pushing ahead with the lawsuit isn't all that surprising. The company plans to hold a shareholders meeting on February 27 and doesn't want the lawsuit to take center stage. Apple has also made clear that it's willing to work with Greenlight to come to an amicable solution."Apple's management team and board of directors have been in active discussions about returning additional cash to shareholders," the company said last week. "As part of our review, we will thoroughly evaluate Greenlight Capital's current proposal to issue some form of preferred stock. We welcome Greenlight's views and the views of all of our shareholders."
Apple's reputation untarnished by tax issue, study says
Apple's reputation untarnished by tax issue, study says
Apple's use of various tax loopholes to save money, as chronicled in a recent New York Times story, has not damaged the company's reputation, according to a new study.Polling firm YouGov -- which we've previously mentioned in relation to one of Facebook's early privacy flaps -- says perceptions of Apple are back to where they were before the publication of the Times story, which focused on the company's tactics to save money by setting up businesses in tax-friendly locations.The firm says Apple's reputation is "virtually Teflon," when compared to the tax story the NYT did on General Electric the month prior, which noted that the conglomerate brought in profits of $14.2 billion in 2010 but paid nothing in taxes, while claiming a tax benefit of $3.2 billion."The reaction [to the story about GE] was more pronounced and longer: the company's reputation took a steep drop and two months to recover to precrisis levels," YouGov said in a post on its company blog. By comparison, YouGov says Apple's reputation score went up from 52 to 58 (on a scale of -100 to 100) after the story published, and it now sits at 51.Related storiesThe Times takes on Apple again, with report on taxesA tale of Apple, the iPhone, and overseas manufacturingThe methodology behind the numbers asks people whether they would be "proud or embarrassed to work for this brand," then turns that score into a number between 100 to -100 (-100 is completely negative, and 100 is completely positive). Points are assigned by "subtracting negative feedback from positive." The daily sample size for the polling is 5,000 people per weekday, the company said.
Apple's use of various tax loopholes to save money, as chronicled in a recent New York Times story, has not damaged the company's reputation, according to a new study.Polling firm YouGov -- which we've previously mentioned in relation to one of Facebook's early privacy flaps -- says perceptions of Apple are back to where they were before the publication of the Times story, which focused on the company's tactics to save money by setting up businesses in tax-friendly locations.The firm says Apple's reputation is "virtually Teflon," when compared to the tax story the NYT did on General Electric the month prior, which noted that the conglomerate brought in profits of $14.2 billion in 2010 but paid nothing in taxes, while claiming a tax benefit of $3.2 billion."The reaction [to the story about GE] was more pronounced and longer: the company's reputation took a steep drop and two months to recover to precrisis levels," YouGov said in a post on its company blog. By comparison, YouGov says Apple's reputation score went up from 52 to 58 (on a scale of -100 to 100) after the story published, and it now sits at 51.Related storiesThe Times takes on Apple again, with report on taxesA tale of Apple, the iPhone, and overseas manufacturingThe methodology behind the numbers asks people whether they would be "proud or embarrassed to work for this brand," then turns that score into a number between 100 to -100 (-100 is completely negative, and 100 is completely positive). Points are assigned by "subtracting negative feedback from positive." The daily sample size for the polling is 5,000 people per weekday, the company said.
Get started with your brand new iOS device
You've just unboxed a shiny new iOS device -- your first! -- and you're staring at it with ample excitement and a tinge of fear. Fear of the unknown, of technology and that you'll mess something up.
It's OK - natural, even - to feel that way; new technology is intimidating. We've all been there, and undoubtedly will be there again.
Instead of blindly swiping and tapping your way through various apps and settings, pull up this handy guide, pour a glass of your favorite beverage and get to know your new device.
Secure your device
Keeping your device secure is vital.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
The first time your iOS device is powered up a setup assistant walks you through connecting to a Wi-Fi network, signing into your iCloud account and securing your device using Touch ID and a PIN code.
In an attempt to speed up the time from unboxing to using your new iDevice, a sales rep or loving family member could have rushed through the wizard. For the most part, there's not much you need to worry about going back and setting up. But one aspect of the setup process you should revisit is device security.
Launch the Settings app on your iOS device, then select Touch ID & Passcode from the list of options. Here you can set your fingerprint to unlock a device equipped with Touch ID. As a backup, Apple requires you to set a four digit PIN. Not only does Touch ID double as a method for securing your device, but you can also make purchases and access applications that've implemented the new feature.
For those with an iOS device lacking Touch ID, you can visit Settings > Passcode to set a PIN.
Even with a passcode set, the potential to lose or have a device stolen exists. As such, be sure to enable Find My iPhone so you can track down your device using another iOS device (it doesn't have to be yours) or a computer. The service plots your device's location on a map in real time using GPS. Additionally, you can remotely lock or wipe the device to keep your personal information private.
You can enable Find My iPhone in Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone. For more information detailing why it's so important to secure your device, be sure to read this excellent article by our very own Kent German.
Setup iCloud
When it comes to Apple products, your iCloud account is the key to it all. Through your account you can place FaceTime calls, send iMessages, wirelessly (and automatically) backup your device and sync photos across multiple devices.
Best of all, your iCloud account is free.
Jump into Settings and scroll down to the iCloud option; tap on it. If you already have an account sign in. If not, follow the prompts to create one.
In this section you an enable or disable the various services iCloud offers, including contact and calendar syncing across your Apple devices. As mentioned in the previous section, enabling Find My iPhone is imperative on a new iOS device -- as is enabling Backup in iCloud's preferences. Doing so will ensure your device is backed up each night, so long as it's charging and connected to Wi-Fi.
Settings
Settings is a powerful place on iOS.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
The quickest way to learn the ins and outs of your device is to launch the Settings app. Arguably this is the most powerful app on your shiny device. Within Settings you can change your alert tones, protect your privacy, connect to Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices and so much more.
Typically the first thing I do when I'm handed an unfamiliar device is launch the Settings app then start viewing each category within, one by one, from the top to bottom. Every screen, every toggle.
It's time consuming, sure. But at the end of the day when I find myself wondering "Hey, wonder if I can change that?" I have a pretty good idea of where to look.
While you're digging around, be sure to go to General > Software Update to ensure your device shipped with the latest software on it. I'd hate for you to setup a new device and begin using it, only to miss out on new features due to an older version of software.
Add accounts
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
Do you have a Gmail or Yahoo account? If so, you can add them to your iOS device by going into Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Tap on the proper button to add a new account, then follow the prompts.
Once you're setup, your contacts and calendars will automatically begin syncing to your device. If you don't have your contacts and calendars stored in a cloud service, you typically can ask your wireless carrier to transfer contacts from one device to another in a retail store, or use a free app such as Verizon's Backup Assistant.
Switching from Android?
Easily the most frustrating part of starting over with a new phone is trying to move any photos, videos, music or personal content to the new device. Those making the jump from Android to iOS can read through this helpful guide on how best to transfer vital information over to your new iDevice.
Navigate like a pro
Gestures are hidden everywhere.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
One thing a new iOS user may not realize is just how easy it is to navigate within apps and between screens. Sure there's buttons to help you move forward and backwards, but there's also a lot of gestures that speed up the experience.
For example, when using Safari you can swipe in from the left-edge of the screen to move back a page. Conversely, you can swipe in from the right-edge to move forward.
When viewing your emails or messages you can swipe in either direction across a thread to reveal actions such as deleting a message.
Swiping down from the top of the screen at any time will reveal Notification Center, where the Notification and Today views are both held. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen brings up Control Center which houses shortcuts to music controls, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a calculator and even a flashlight.
Personalize your device
Our smartphones and tablets are extremely personal devices. Beyond the amount of personal information a device holds about our lives, it also reflects who we are. As such, you can customize your device to better display your personality.
Rearranging the app layout on your home screen is achieved by long-pressing on an app icon. After a few seconds, all icons will begin to jiggle. You can then drag and drop any app icon to your preferred location. You can even create folders by dragging one app icon and placing it atop another. Not only does moving icons around put your favorite apps on the main screen, you can also hide all of Apple's preinstalled apps.
Wallpapers and ringtones are also meaningful ways to personalize your device. Lately I've been using a free wallpaper app called Mobiles Wall. It has a fairly large collection of wallpapers designed specifically for an iPhone.
As for ringtones, you can either purchase your own directly from the iTunes store or create your own directly on your device.
There's still a lot to cover in terms of getting stuff done on your iOS device, so to help you get to the next level, be sure to read our complete guide to iOS 8. There you can learn about common and hidden features, becoming an iOS-pro in no time.
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