New York Coffee Guide App Review

If you're a coffee lover who is living in, or planning to visit the New York area you're going to want to download the free New York Coffee Guide.  This app was developed for and by coffee enthusiasts in the NYC area with the specific intent of finding all the best local coffee houses that brew and serve locally roasted coffees.  The app focuses only on independent coffee shops which serve coffee, though they will also review any food items that they offer as well so you know what to expect.

Unlike many apps which run only on user submitted reviews and end up turning into advertisement mediums for the shops, the reviews in this app are written and updated by expert coffee drinkers who have a passion for finding that perfect cup of Joe.  After using the app for just a few days you'll quickly realize that there are dozens of small and out of the way coffee shops that you have never even heard of.  Even for coffee lovers, there are many hidden gems that they can discover through this app to expand their list of favorite coffee shops. 

Each shop in the database is regularly re-reviewed by the coffee experts who made this app so you can be confident that the review you read in the app is accurate and up to date.  They comment not only on the quality and selection of the coffee at each shop, but also on the dessert quality, food quality, atmosphere and service provided to customers.  This is an excellent and easy to use app for finding the perfect place for a cup of coffee.

In addition to the reviews, you can use this app to find the closest independent coffee shop in the area using the GPS in your phone and the maps included.  You'll be surprised at the fact that there are so many different shops listed, each with a great review, and so close to you.  This is a great way to not only find a nearby coffee shop, but also to discover new and fun places to visit.

The app is very easy to use and looks great as well.  When you open your app you can quickly choose what you want to look for, whether that is a specific coffee shop you've heard of or one nearby based on your current location.  You'll find that you are quickly pulling out this app every time you want a cup of coffee so you can try a new and delicious roast from a locally owned and operated shop.  This is truly an excellent way for you to get the best coffee in New York while also supporting local business owners and fellow coffee lovers.

New York Coffee Guide is the perfect app for all New Yorkers who love drinking coffee.  Whether you're someone who just runs in to grab a cup on the run or someone who likes to sit down and relax in the caf while enjoying their coffee, this app will help you find the best places in New York for you.

Download from App Store

Screenshots

 

 

7 must-have free apps for your new iPhone or iPad

I've seen a number of lists of apps recommended for those lucky individuals who got a new iPhone or iPad from Santa, but CNET's listing strikes me as being the most useful. They include a number of free apps that are my favorites and that I use every day. Let's take a look at some of their recommended apps. 

Flipboard - This is likely the most popular aggregator of news and content ever developed for iOS devices. Its interface is gorgeous and intuitive, and very easy to customize to your interests. Many people find it to be their favorite window onto Facebook or news or entertainment or sports, or whatever your interest is. 

 

Google Maps - When Apple dumped Google Maps in favor of its own maps solution, many were disappointed that Apple's effort was missing some of their favorite features, such as transit directions and Google Street View. Fortunately, Google eventually came out with a full-featured version of their app for iOS devices that has almost all the functionality of their highly popular maps app for Android devices. 

 

Google Search - Siri is great, but it's not the only game in town. Google Search also lets you make voice queries. And in my experience, Google queries are often more responsive. That is, Siri spends a bit more time thinking than Google Search. Google Search also includes Goggles, which lets you do a search for information simply by taking a picture of something.

YouTube - Of course, you'll want to download the YouTube app. This had originally been part of the iOS software, but Apple cut it from the roster of built-in apps with the arrival of iOS 6. (Probably yet another skirmish in Apple's competitive war with Google.) I actually like YouTuibe's app better than the original, which I always found limiting. For one thing, I remember not being able to access YouTube's movies via the old app, but have been able to do so with the new one. The interface is attractive and intuitive.

Find my iPhone - You owe it to yourself to have this app from Apple on your device. If it ever turns up missing, you'll be able to spot it on a map. And if it's in the hands of bad guys, you can lock it, or even wipe it clean.

The Weather Channel - I've tried a number of weather apps but always come back to The Weather Channel. It has a lovely interface, and very intuitively lets you switch among a variety of views, such as current conditions, detailed forecast, 10-day forecast, radar map, and more.

Pandora Radio - You're likely already a user of this free service for streaming your favorite kind of music. The app lets you access your Pandora stations.

Wikipanion and Wikipanion for iPad - While the above apps are univeral, working on both iPhone and iPad, the Wikipanion app has separate versions. There are many apps available that let you access the now-famous Wikipedia encyclopedia, but this has been the one that I tend to use. I really like the way that it organizes and presents each entry, and like the useful in-page search feature.

There are a number of other great apps and games in CNET's listing, but these are the ones that I think every iPhone and iPad owner would want to be sure to download. And they're free!

U.K government has decided to board P2P lending train, it will lend £30 million through lending sites Zopa and Funding Circle

Despite the efforts of U.K government, they are unable to compel the high street banks to start lending money to small businesses. This can become a big problem for economy of U.K. To solve this problem a latest solution given by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills is boarding the P2P lending train.
The government of U.K has promised to lend tax payer's money to SME's. This will be done with the help of alternative finance scheme. The 'Zopa' and 'Funding Circle' are the two sites for P2P lending and they will benefit from this. Zopa will receive 10m whereas Funding Circle will receive 20m.If the British government gets approval from parliament, then they will be using both the sites and will lend money to businesses that are in connection with P2P lending platform.

According to Vince Cable the business secretary, a wide range of financial options should be given to the medium and small size businesses and it should also include non-bank lending options. He further said that at present the new versions of finance are present in small scale. They should try to give more competition to lending market.

The word small scale used by Vince Cable is appropriate because 30 million is not a great amount and it will not have much effect on boosting the economy of U.K. But according to one of the Britain's supermarket, even the little measures can help to boost the economy. The Union Square Ventures and Index are backing up Funding Circle. The target of Funding Circle is SMEs and since two years (from the day of launch to the present day) they have managed to lend 65 million to over 1,300 UK businesses through their platform. In the previous month they lent 7 million alone.

Few days ago Zopa announced that they are starting the latest round of funding. Previously they have raised $40 million. The P2P lending sector is being appreciated by major players in the businesses

Related posts:

1. Zopa has announced the raised of Multi Million Pounds- the old P2P lender
2. U.K government will spend 50 Million for restoration of Silicon Roundabout in East London to host Classrooms, Workshops and Co-working space
3. Since January 2012, advertisers on Facebook have increased two fold with Facebook promoting 2.5 Million Posts

The subscription service HelloFresh has generated $10 million from recent funding

HelloFresh has announced that they have raised a seven figure sum from the recent round of funding. HelloFresh is a service that delivers recipes and the required fresh ingredients to their subscribers, so that they can spend some time in kitchen to cook for themselves and their loved ones. The funding round was backed by Samner brothers Rocket internet, Vorwerk Ventures, kinnevik and Holtzbrinck Ventures. According to TechCrunch the actual figure that HelloFresh has generated from funding is $10 million.This sum of money will be used increase the growth of their business in the field of online grocery market. The HelloFresh services are currently available in Netherlands, France, U.K, Germany, U.S and Australia. The service claims that they are emerging as leaders in this growing market of online grocery.

The HelloFresh was founded by Thomas Griesel, Jessica Nilsson and Dominik Richter in December 2011. This is a subscription service in which the customers get a box full of inspiring recipes and the required ingredients every week. The idea behind this service is to deliver the people with healthy and balanced ingredients for preparing their meal. The company does all the heavy lifting of ingredients, the customers only have to cook the food. If the customers are willing to cancel the service then they can give a notice 4-8 days prior to cancelling the service. The service also offers free delivery.

The company has over hundred employees working at international offices and Berlin headquarters. The company claims that recently they have delivered one millionth meal in the Germany.

The CEO and founder of HelloFresh Dominik Richter said that Vowerk Ventures is their investment partner and they will have great benefits from this.

Related posts:

1. U.K government has decided to board P2P lending train, it will lend 30 million through lending sites Zopa and Funding Circle
2. Spotify, the fastest growing service with total 20 million users, 1 million users in U.S. and 5 million paid subscribers overall
3. Apple transparency about $100 million investment for Mac manufacturing, Maps, Forstall and more- A discussion with Tim Cook

China to crack down on ‘malicious’ trademark registrations following Apple ‘iPad’ debacle

“China plans to change the law to crackdown on ‘malicious’ trademark registrations, state media said on Monday, after a series of cases in which well-know international brands and individuals have had their names or copyright misused,” Reuters reports.

“Foreign governments, including the United States, have for years urged China to take a stronger stand against intellectual property rights violations on products ranging from medicines to software to DVD movies,” Reuters reports. “Basketball legend Michael Jordan is one of the latest to accuse a company of using his name without permission, and French luxury group Hermes International SCA and Apple Inc have faced trademark problems too.”

Reuters reports, “The proposed amendment will offer protection to major international brands, giving copyright owners the right to ban others from registering their trademarks or from using similar ones, even if such trademarks are not registered, the official Xinhua news agency reported.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Welcome to proposing entering the 20th century, China.

Mattel and Hasbro are terrified: Kids want Apple iPads, not toys for Christmas

“Mattel, the world’s largest toymaker by revenues, makes toys including Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars. However, a source told the Financial Times that its top selling product this Christmas was a mobile phone case,” Business Insider reports.

“While tablet sales continue to rise, some analysts have slashed fourth-quarter revenue forecasts for the world’s largest toymakers,” Business Insider reports. “‘The top two guys, Mattel and Hasbro, they are terrified,’ Sean McGowan at investment bank Needham & Company told the paper.”

Business Insider reports, “‘Clearly, young people have an aptitude for an expectation with digital platforms that we need to recognise,’ said John Frascotti, Hasbro’s chief marketing officer... Apple sold 14 million iPads in the three months to the end of September.”"

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Dow C." for the heads up.]

David Kirkpatrick: Apple enthusiasm not diminished; John Sculley: Tim Cook has done a terrific job (with video)

David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect, and John Sculley, former chief executive officer of Apple Inc., talk about the outlook for Apple, Facebook Inc. and mobile technology with Sara Eisen and Alix Steel on Bloomberg Television’s “Surveillance.”

Former inept Apple CEO John Sculley says of Tim Cook, “Well, I think he’s done a terrific job.” Sculley would know, as the sugar water sales bozo mastered the opposite at Apple Computer, Inc.

“I bought two very expensive Apple products myself to give tomorrow morning,” David Kirkpatrick told Bloomberg. “I know the world is doing that. I think that we’ll see extremely good results for Apple this [holiday] quarter.”

Direct link to video here.

Apple plans massive expansion of iPad mini production for 2013

“Taiwan’s Pegatron is expecting to grow a whopping 40 percent in 2013. Insiders speaking with China Times have stated that the dramatic increase is directly due to their growing partnership with Apple,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.

“Pegatron, the one-time Asus spinoff, currently has three plants manufacturing the iPhone and iPad mini,” Purcher reports. “Pegatron is expected to expand iPhone and iPad mini manufacturing to four additional plants in 2013.”

More details here.

New Year's Resolution 1: Keeping Focused with OmniFocus

As I reached for my keyboard to write this post, my iPad chimed. This article on OmniFocus was due, at least to me, again, for the third day in a row. Rather than just postpone it again, I decided to write it.

Keeping track of the myriad activities of my life sometimes seems to take more time than doing the things I want to do. If I take the time to write them down, I fear, I will waste time better spent doing something real.

We live in an era of time starvation, and the argument that managing time takes too much time is about as rational as the world ending today (this is being published on 12/21/2012).

I

've tried mind maps and to-do lists, striking up an affair with Siri and writing myself notes on the palm of my hand with indelible ink. Now I'm trying OmniFocus and it seems to be working. This post is due, and after a few reschedules, here it is.

OmniFocus is different than other approaches because it is designed for managing the entirety of a task, not just a lists of things to do. OmniFocus organizes tasks into projects and context. But you have to be willing to spend the time to create the items and manage them. It is also different because it has grown from its Macintosh roots into a Post-PC tool. I know longer have to think of something, jot it down and then input it next time I'm at the computer. Now I enter the item on my iPad and Synchronize to Omni Group's WebDav servers and that new item is everywhere I have that account linked. In my case, my Mac and my iPad (you can also sync an iPhone or iPod.

Now, this is by far the most expensive software you may own on an iPad, outside of a game. $80 for the Mac, which is middle-of-the-road, but at $40 for the iPad it is even more expensive than Paper with all the in-app purchases applied. But at $40 there are no hidden purchases. The WebDav synchronization service is included. What the $40 really means is serious. If you are serious, the OmniGroup has written some serious software for you to use.

The OmniFocus iPad interface offers a more elegant and refined view of tasks and projects than the Mac client, and it includes a slightly revised taxonomy.  Hopefully OmniGroup will update the Mac client to be more consistent with the iPad soon. Some items, like publishing tasks to iCal, have been updated for Mountain Lion. OmniFocus works on the Mac, it just needs a facelift.

Using OmniFocus is easy. Put your stuff into the inbox. Assign it a context, a due date and a project, or any or none of those. I personally suggest you get as granular as possible and attempt due dates. Time management gurus have all kinds of classifications for stuff you'll get to later. Even after it's captured in OmniFocus, if you don't assign it a due date, you may forget it's there, so try to temporally contextualize your work as much as possible.

I like the simple capture of information along with the ability to see it from different perspectives. Rather than just looking at dates, you can look at it from the perspective of where you are or what you are doing (what things can I do from a computer, while I'm out in the car?). For best results, you have to put everything in. Don't separate work and life. If you are going to manage your time, you need to manage all of it. OmniFocus is time management focused, not work focused, so don't be afraid to put in a volleyball game or date night. 

I have integrated OmniFocus with my browser, so if I read something I want to take action on, all I have to do is highlight it and invoke the OmniFocus service. Next time I'm in the inbox, the new items are waiting for me to take action. Setting up e-mail is a breeze too. I used the option to put in a rule that looks for subject lines starting with "omni." Send an e-mail to myself, from any source, and when it's processed by mail on the Mac, it ends up in the OmniFocus inbox, ready for processing. I've also published my calendar via the WebDav server so I can subscribe to it with iCal.

I'm going to be testing OmniFocus during the course of 2013. I find myself already flipping between Twitter, GetGlue and other apps even while watching TV. If something I need to do pops to mind, I jot it down - not on  a note pad, but in OmniFocus. 

Now let me put in a few tasks to make sure I write a monthly update on how well OmniFocus and I are getting along.

Ne

Art ABC Educates Little Ones Through Fine Art

 

In an age when overstimulation and processed pop culture pervade every aspect of children's lives, it can be difficult to use new learning technology without overwhelming little ones with commercial messages. Art ABC is a beautifully designed educational experience that takes the high road.

Instead of relying on licensed characters or overwhelming flashes and over-stimulating action, Art ABC engages and educates using fine arts.  The app is an elegantly simple introduction to the alphabet and phonetic associations. Children page through the alphabet, learning each letter one at a time, illustrated by fine art from some of the greatest painters who have ever lived.

The intuitively designed interface relies entirely on a tap-to-touch forward icon, another which returns to the beginning, and open-ended exploration of each background to reveal hidden objects and effects which illustrate each letter. For example, the letter A is presented with a traditional painting of an apple tree. However, apples themselves are in grayscale until touched. Upon being tapped, the apples come to vibrant life as the narrator says "apple."

Art ABC is a rare find.  Early educational apps are, due to their purpose, typically simple in execution-as they should be. Unfortunately, this simplicity seems to lend itself to shabby creation, as quantity rather than quality seems to be an all too common App Store theme.  The clarity of the narration, the polished presentation of the artwork, and the soothing tones of the background music in Art ABC, however, demonstrate a care and thoroughness on the part of its developers.  The use of fine art paintings as backgrounds and their interactive nature are notable as well.  Stock alphabet images and toy marketing disguised as education are everywhere; the edifying educational value of learning to engage with sophisticated artwork at such an early age can't be overstated.

The iPhone's Retina display is a gorgeous way to present these beautiful works from Van Gogh, Monet, and many others.  The pleasing background music provides another appeal to the senses while still encouraging concentration on Art ABC's educational purpose.

Art ABC is an elegant way to enrich children's early learning experiences.  It promotes quality time between parents and children as they explore the app and the alphabet together, and it's simple enough for kids to play with on their own if they'd like to review.  Available now in the iTunes App Store, Art ABC is only $0.99.  

Now small businesses can contact Facebook through customer service chat to quickly get the answers of their question

It seems that for small businesses it is tough to understand the marketing and ads on Facebook. In order to solve this issue Facebook has taken a step ahead. The Customer service department of Facebook has developed Salesforce-powered system that is under the process of testing. Through this system the businesses can contact Facebook through chat rather than a phone call. In this way the merchants can quickly get the answers of their question while running their business at the same time. This will also help to cut down the Facebook's call center costs.Not much people know about this program but it is running since past few months. I contacted Facebook and they have confirmed about the existence of this system. They said that it was not built through a partnership rather it was built on Salesforce license of Company. This program is different from customer support that was added for Pages, which allows the customers to send messages to the owners rather than writing them down on the business wall.

By introducing the customer support chat, Facebook is trying to make the process easier for the owners of small businesses. Through this the small businesses can contact their customers easily. Small businesses do not have the money to hire social marketers. They try to promote their business by themselves. If these owners will gain the confidence of using Pages and Promoted Posts they won't hesitate to invest their time and energy on this.

Many people do not like to contact through customer service call as they cannot handle the business and calls at the same time because of hold times and automated menus. Customer service chat is a good way to contact Facebook as it will save the owner's time and they can chat while looking after the customers at the same time.

Facebook is now running 12.8 million Pages for small businesses among which 8 million are active each month.

Related posts:

1. Facebook revealed its app traction with 350 apps and 1 million active users per month
2. Zynga's share fall by 12% and it has now become a regular developer after the amendments in agreement with Facebook
3. Orange has planted group calling at Facebook- Party is on!!

Since January 2012, advertisers on Facebook have increased two fold with Facebook promoting 2.5 Million Posts

Few days back, Dan levy who guides the small business group at Facebook talked to the Local Media West conference which was held in Los Angeles. In this conference he talked about the outcome of promoting small businesses on Facebook.
According to Levy, at present there are about 13 million small businesses that have their business pages on Facebook. Since January 2012 there is about 40% increase in the local business Pages that are active. The Pages that brought advertising have also increased two fold.Levy also highlighted the specific advertising products which include Promoted Posts. These posts are an easy way for the owners of Pages to increase their reach.

According to COO Sheryl Sandberg, over three hundred thousand Pages have already given the money for Promoted Posts. Among these Pages about 1/4^th have recently joined Facebook advertising. Few days ago Levy said that since the introduction of this product in the month of June, it has promoted about 2.5 million Posts. By looking at the results it seems that the advertisers are happy with the outcome of this product.

Recently the Promoted Posts have become a center of debate. Some of the owners of Pages have accused Facebook that in order to drive the owners towards Promoted Posts the Facebook has decreased the number of users that Pages would have reached with unpaid content. Josh Constine of TechCrunch looked into the matter himself and he found out that Facebook claims were right that overall Page reach has not reduced.

Levy talked to me regarding the Organic Page reach of small businesses. He said that the we would like small businesses to write attractive and appealing contents regarding their products which the customers want to see. The customers should have the same great experience while visiting Facebook as if they are walking through the doors of your shop.

In the earlier months of this year Facebook also introduced a Page Manager Mobile app. Through this app the Page owners can manage their Page through their Smartphones.

Related posts:

1. Now small businesses can contact Facebook through customer service chat to quickly get the answers of their question
2. Facebook revealed its app traction with 350 apps and 1 million active users per month
3. Tablet forecast by IDC for 2012 and onwards

iPad mini sales higher than forecast; high-res display expected; $100 off all iPad models

As I suggested would be the case when the iPad mini first came out, it's on track to becoming the most popular iPad, outselling the iPad with retina display, according to market analyst David Hsieh with NPD DisplaySearch. Apparently Apple had expected to sell some 6 million iPad minis in 2012, with most of those sales coming in the December quarter. But according to Hsieh, as reported by CNET, Apple has asked the makers of the display panel for the iPad mini to ship over 12 million of them for the quarter. He said that the mini appears to be selling better than its larger sibling due to its lightness and portability. The article says that Apple is expected to sell 100 million iPads in 2013, with the iPad mini accounting for half of those sales. A report earlielr this week on AppleInsider also noted that the iPad mini was selling well, and that it appeared to be "cannibalizing" sales of the iPad with retina display.

Meanwhile, if you're looking ahead to Apple's next iPads, as all of us fanboys are, a report by DigiTimes says that Apple will increase the resolution of the iPad mini the next iteration. If Apple were to give it a retina display, it would have a resolution of 2058 x 1536 resolution and a pixel density of 326ppi.

It seems obvious that a next step would be a higher resolution, though some are saying that it's unlikely that the mini will get a retina display. That's because Apple apparently really pushed the technology to the limits to get a retina display on the larger iPad. They say the it would be an even greater challenge to put a retina display on the mini.

And speaking of the larger iPad, what doesn't seem to be in doubt is that the next generation will be thinner and lighter. There's been much speculation that it will have a IGZO display, which is more effiicient, using less battery power and allowing the iPad to be thinner. The DigiTimes report says that Apple will adjust the lighting on the forthcoming retina iPad so that it uses one light bar rather than two, thereby allowing it to be lighter. DigiTimes has a spotty record for accuracy, though apparently its industry sources regarding displays tend to be more accurate.

If you're in the market for an iPad with cellular data connectivity, and if AT&T serves your area, note that AT&T is offering $100 off iPad models if you commit to a two-year data plan. The offer expires December 31. AT&T offers both new and refurbished iPads. Also, according to MacRumors, WalMart is offering $100 off the WiFi version of the latest fourth-generation iPad with retina display. It normally sells for $499 for the 16GB model, but WalMart has it on sale for $399. Plus, starting Monday, they'll be giving a $30 gift card bonus with the purchase of an iPad. They're also selling the iPhone 5 for $127, and the iPhone 4S for $47. These are some great prices.

Samsung chief strategy officer uses Apple products, praises Apple's ecosystem

Samsung's new chief strategy officer, Young Sohn, seems to be something of an Apple fan, owning several Apple products, including an iPhone and a Mac. While he also owns a Samsung devices for work, Sohn says that Apple's iCloud and otherwise tight integration between devices makes their products attractive to customers, and that's one of Apple's big strengths. MIT Technology Review reports:

If you look at the strengths of Apple, in a way it's not the product per se. It's that consumers like their ecosystem such as iCloud. I like that my family 6,000 miles away in Korea is able to see my schedule and see all of my contacts and photos. It is sticky, but it is a proprietary architecture.

While Sohn says that he thinks that Samsung's Galaxy line of phones is superior, he criticized Samsung's experience as "device-centric". Sohn said that while he believes that Samsung has the largest platform in the world between all of the products they make, that they are not integrated into an ecosystem like Apple's devices, and Sohn believes that Samsung can do more to connect its devices to a wider system. Android, of course, connects Samsung's phones and tablets to the wider Google ecosystem, but that's not something that Samsung can control.

As a long-time Apple user, it's not really surprising that Sohn still uses Apple products at home, especially since he only joined Samsung in August. But it is good to hear an executive call out where their companies own products are weak, especially compared to those of a rival. That's something we could use more of from everyone, including Apple.

Source: MIT Technology Review

FTC: Apple and Google not doing enough to protect privacy in kids apps

“The U.S. Federal Trade Commission published a report on Monday saying that app stores like those operated by Apple and Google need to take responsibility for enhanced transparency, as there is little to no information available to parents regarding the collection and transmission of data from apps targeted at children,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.

“According to the study, kids’ apps included interactive features or shared gathered information with third parties, but failed to disclose the practices to parents in the app descriptions seen on Apple’s App Store or Google’s Android Market,” Campbell reports. “As noted by The Wall Street Journal, almost 60 percent of 400 randomly selected apps transmitted sensitive device information to developers or third parties like advertising networks and analytics firms.”

Campbell reports, “Only 20 percent of the apps studied disclosed information about possible data collection practices, 11 percent of which actually transmitted information while 9 percent did not. Data sent from the various mobile devices included geolocation information, phone numbers and device IDs.”

Read more in the full article here.

Apple leads tech rally

“Shares of Apple Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. led an early tech sector rally on Tuesday, lifting the Nasdaq Composite Index back up above 3,000,” Benjamin Pimentel reports for MarketWatch.

“Apple stock gained 2.4% to $543.70. In a note, ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall cited China Unicom's announcement of more than 300,000 preorders for the iPhone 5 set to go on sale on Friday. China Unicom is China's second largest carrier,” Pimentel reports. “‘We continue to believe the iPhone 5 will be in about 100 countries and about 240 carriers by the end of this month,’ Marshall wrote.”

Pimentel reports, “Also on the rise were shares of Texas Instruments, up more than 3% at $30.81. Late Monday, the chip maker narrowed its earnings and sales forecast for the fourth quarter.”

Read more in the full article here.

Will Apple spark a U.S. manufacturing renaissance?

“Today the only American-made Mac is the kind you buy under Golden Arches and eat. America’s other well-known Mac, Apple’s Mac computer, is manufactured in China (like all other Apple products),” Gary P. Pisano writes for The Harvard Business Review. “That’s about to change. Apple announced last week that it will invest $100 million to make Macs (through third parties) in the U.S. This move makes strategic sense for Apple and is potentially important for the U.S. economy longer term.”

“It would be easy to dismiss Apple’s move as a pure publicity or political play. After all, Apple is often criticized for being the ultimate “designed in America, made in China” company - even though many other companies follow the same strategy,” Pisano writes. “But there are other good reasons for Apple to source some products from the U.S.”

Diversify Its Sourcing Footprint
Move Manufacturing Closer to R&D

Pisano writes, “Apple’s move is a spark that could help rebuild the electronics industrial commons.”

Read more in the full article here.

Apple updates maps to remove Mildura ghost-city in Australian desert

“As Apple pushes out an update to iOS 6 maps to remove the now-notorious ‘desert Mildura,’ I'm going to sound an unusual note of fairness to Cupertino for the mistake,” Richard Chirgwin reports for The Register.

“It wasn't actually Apple's fault,” Chirgwin reports. “It looked bad compared to Google Maps, because the Chocolate Factory has spent an awful lot of money, time and petrol on StreetView and other ways to improve the "ground truth" of its maps - but Apple hasn't yet had the chance to correct the data it uses as inputs, to any great extent.”

Chirgwin reports, “To be blunt, there is a place called Mildura whose location is given as exactly where Apple put it - at least, there is in an authoritative source for such a location... In this case, the Australian Gazetteer - the authoritative list of 300,000-plus placenames, complete with coordinates - includes two Milduras. One is the ‘real’ town, the other is an entry for ‘Mildura Rural City,’ coordinates -34.79724 141.76108. It's this second entry that points to the middle of the Murray-Sunset National Park, just near a spot called Rocket Lake.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: The damage is done. Not that Maps needed any additional damage. So, there you have it.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Y" for the heads up.]

Related article:
Apple Maps could be life-threatening, Australian police warn – December 10, 2012
Apple promises to fix Maps glitches by rearranging earth's geography (with video) – December 6, 2012
Apple's Eddy Cue racing to overhaul Maps – November 28, 2012
Apple to Maps manager Williamson: Get lost – November 27, 2012
Days after Tim Cook's apology, Apple's Maps shows improvements – October 12, 2012
Tim Cook open letter: We fell short with new Maps app; we are extremely sorry – September 28, 2012

Australian Police Warn Against Use of Apple Maps Due to Safety Concerns

Police in Victoria, Australia issued a warning to motorists this weekend regarding Apple Maps after several travelers became stranded in the Murray-Sunset National Park trying to reach the city of Mildura using Apple's directions.

Local Police have been called to assist distressed motorists who have become stranded within the Murray-Sunset National Park after following directions on their Apple i-phone.

Tests on the mapping system by police confirm the mapping systems lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, approximately 70km away from the actual location of Mildura.

Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life threatening issue.

Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.

In Maps, the city of Mildura is listed in the middle of the Murray-Sunset National Park, which is actually 70km or 43 miles from the city's actual location. In the photo pictured to the right, the red pin is where Apple lists Mildura, while the purple pin displays Mildura's actual location.

A report from Australia's ABC News reveals that Victoria police have had to rescue a total of six people in the last two months after they became lost using Maps.

After the launch of iOS 6, which included the new Maps application, Apple received criticism over inaccuracies in mapping data like the mislocation in Victoria, which led to the termination of several people involved with the Maps project, including Senior Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall and Maps manager Richard Williamson.

Apple CEO Tim Cook even issued a personal apology to the public over the debacle, promising to improve the app. In his recent interview with Brian Williams, Tim Cook spoke again about Maps, reiterating that Apple "screwed up" and is "putting the weight of the company behind correcting it."

Police in Victoria have contacted Apple about the Maps discrepancy and are warning travelers to use an alternative mapping system until it is fixed.

New York’s Capital Region may have Apple’s eye; Top-secret talks hint firm is weighing area for new plant

“Apple Inc. and worldwide demand for its iPhone and iPad - and maybe soon iTV - may be behind top-secret efforts to land a second major semiconductor manufacturing facility in the Capital Region,” Larry Rulison reports for The Albany Times Union.

“Since the fall, consultants representing a major high-tech manufacturer have been pitching New York economic development officials a plan for a 3.2 million-square-foot production facility that would likely cost as much as $10 billion to build. Sites under consideration include Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta, which is already home to a $4.6 billion computer chip factory, and a site in Oneida County next to SUNY IT,” Rulison reports. “Although the plans - dubbed Project Azalea - became public last month, the exact identity of the company that wants to build the factory has never been revealed.”

Rulison reports, “Increasingly, though, it appears that whoever is behind Project Azalea wants to build the mega factory to satisfy Apple, which had $156 billion in sales during the past year and is considered the world’s most valuable company. And, based on analyses by industry experts, the most likely scenario involves one of the companies that supplies computer chips to Apple for its iPhone and iPad devices and Macintosh computers - or a company vying to win Apple’s business.”

Apple’s A6X custom system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor

 
“Tech media outlets have been reporting that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has been angling for the business that Samsung has with Apple,” Rulison reports. “TSMC does face one major hurdle, but the issue is the reason that many believe that TSMC could be looking to build a new U.S. plant, possibly in New York, which provided a $1.4 billion incentive package to GlobalFoundries. TSMC cannot supply as many chips as Apple would need at its existing factories, and Apple, of course, increasingly appears to want more of its products, or parts of its products, made in the U.S.”

Read more in the full article here.

In another article, Rulison reports, “Over the summer TSMC’s chief executive officer Morris Chang told analysts that the industry has changed so much that there are other ways to solve the problem. ‘Now it makes complete sense to dedicate a whole fab to just one customer,’ Chang said. ‘There are customers that are getting bigger and bigger. So it makes sense that we dedicate a whole fab or even more than a whole fab to just one customer.’”

“Such a scenario would be extremely risky for a company like TSMC, considering that the price tag for a fab the size of the one being considered for Luther Forest is upwards to $10 billion,” Rulison reports. “The fab operated by GlobalFoundries at Luther Forest, which is smaller than that at 2 million square feet, will have a final cost of $7 billion once an expansion is completed. But Apple, which is sitting on $121 billion in cash, has that type of money, and there have been news reports that Apple has shown a willingness to invest in its suppliers as a way to enhance their stability.”

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Reference Desk" for the heads up.]

U.S. patent office invalidates ‘Steve Jobs patent’ in its entirely

“For the second time in less than two months, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a first Office action tentatively declaring a key Apple multitouch patent invalid,” FLorian Mueller reports for FOSS Patents.

“In late October, a first Office action in a reexamination proceeding stated the preliminary conclusion that all 20 claims of Apple’s rubber-banding (overscroll bounce) patent [U.S. Patent No, 7,469,381] are invalid,” Mueller reports. “Back in August, a California jury held Samsung to infringe that patent, and according to interviews jurors gave later didn’t make much of an effort to ascertain its validity. This week, the USPTO issued a first Office action rejecting all 20 claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,479,949 on a ‘touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics,’ which has been referred to by many people, including Apple’s own lawyers, as ‘the Steve Jobs patent.’

Should the first Office actions tentatively invalidating the rubber-banding and the touchscreen heuristics patents be affirmed at the end of the proceedings (after all appeals have been exhausted), Apple would lose two iconic patents, but it would still have thousands of other patents, including hundreds of multitouch patents.

Read more in the full article here.

T-Mobile USA to kill subsidies entirely, charging full price for phones, including up to $849 for Apple’s iPhone 5

“T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere confirmed that the iPhone will be among the Apple products that T-Mobile sells next year, but he said that T-Mo will sell it in a far different way than other carriers,” Kevin Fitchard reports for GigaOM.

“T-Mobile is eliminating all device subsidies in 2013, requiring new customers to pay full price for their phones up front, buy it on installment or bring their own unlocked devices,” Fitchard reports. “T-Mobile will shift entirely to its unsubsidized Value Plans, which offer customers far cheaper rates for voice and particular data. Traditionally carriers factor subsidies into their normal contracts rates - basically you're paying a mortgage on your phone. With the Value program, T-Mobile is keeping the contract, but passing what it saves on subsidies back to consumer.”

Fitchard reports, “The unlocked, unsubsidized price of the iPhone 5 is steep, between $650 to $850 depending on the model. One of the reasons the iPhone is so popular is because the operators offer big subsidies for the devices, driving the out-of-pocket costs to as low as $200... T-Mobile will have to explain to customers that they will actually save money over the length of a two-year contract by paying a lower value plan rate. And while there would be truth in T-Mo's claims, it's still a hard sell to many consumers, especially with the iPhone's huge price tag dangling in front of them.”

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Lynn Weiler" for the heads up.]

480GB Ultrabook SSDs Will Arrive in 2013

If 256GB just isn't enough for your ultrabook-toting needs, things are set to change. Mushkin has announced what it claims to be the "world's first 480GB mSTATA SSD—and it will be available in January.

Slim laptops—we're talking ultrabooks—don't have room for even a standard 2.5-inch SATA SSD, so use a smaller form factor known as mini-SATA (mSATA). Until now, the broadly accepted upper capacity limit to those drives has been 256GB. Apple offers a 512GB upgrade when you buy a MacBook Air, but there are very few third-party, high capacity SSDs available to upgrade with.

Mushkin's new drive packs 480GB of storage, offers up transfer speeds of up to 6Gb/s, and comes with a three year warranty. Price? A fairly eye-watering $500. If $1 a GB isn't too rich for you, you'll be able to pick one up in January. [Engadget]

How to Annoy a Web Developer

Sometimes there's nothing better than a gratuitously geeky joke to raise a smile. Today's XKCD certainly provides just that.

As if the set-up, above, wasn't funny enough, the punchline is hidden in XKCD's al-text:

<A>: Like </a>this.&nbsp;

If that makes you laugh, great! If it riles you, sorry! And if you don't get it, learn some HTML. [XKCD]

China Unicom’s iPhone 5 reservations double to 200,000 in 3 days

“With the iPhone set to arrive in China next Friday, China Unicom has revealed that it has received over 200,000 reservations in just a couple days, doubling its original 100,000 first-day reservations,” Josh Ong reports for TNW.

“The company also announced that it will offer a full subsidy for the handset, with a minimum deposit of $947 (RMB 5,899) for the 16GB version,” Ong reports. “The carrier announced the figures on its official Sina Weibo microblog on Thursday.”

Ong reports, “With 200,000 orders booked through China Unicom alone and many more expected through third-place China Telecom and Apple's official retail and online sales channels, the iPhone 5 looks set to be another hit in the world's most populous nation.”

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Dan K." for the heads up.]

Related article:
China Unicom racks up 100,000 iPhone 5 preorders in first day – December 4, 2012

Higher Order Thinking Skills (Part #2 Analysis)

 

"Get the habit of analysis - analysis will in time enable synthesis to become your habit of mind." Frank Lloyd Wright

Analysis begins by examining an object or idea and identifying it's components, defining the relationships between them, and specifying the organizing principle(s) of the whole. Action words associated with analysis include; 

• Arrange
• Breakdown
• Combine
• Detect
• Diagram
• Differentiate
• Discriminate
• Illustrate
• Infer
• Outline
• Point out
• Relate
• Select
• Separate
• Subdivide
• Utilize

Let's consider a familiar object to better understand the process. 

We have all used a personal computer at some point in time. We are essentially familiar with how they work. We know the keyboard is the primary input device and the video screen is the primary output device. We understand that instructions and data exist in memory during processing and are often stored on some type of disk for later use. We know processing is performed by the CPU (Central Processing Unit. Thus we understand the general components of a computer; input, output, memory, processing, and storage. But this is just a beginning of understanding how computers work!

What key relationships exist between components? For instance, how does data input at the keyboard get into memory? 

Are there other components yet to be discovered? Can we explain the role of the keyboard buffer? 

What are the organizing principles of a general purpose computer? In other words, what purpose does this machine serve that we are interested in using it?

This is analysis!

Analysis is a mental process we must participate in to achieve understanding but there are some tasks software can do to help. One way is to document our thoughts. 

Apple installed some useful apps on your iPad at the factory.

Students can keep notes using Apple Notes! 

Find a good article? Quickly jot down the citation data so you can find it again. You can even capture quotes for paper and presentations.  

Are you inspired by an innovative idea? Write down before you forget it.   

I use Notes to keep song lyrics handy and to write my blog.

Find an interesting artifact? Take a picture with Apple Camera and it is automatically stored in Photos. You can also make videos!

Synching is an added bonus. No matter which device (iPhone or iPad) I pick up my files are there.

Explore using these apps for analysis. You may find them adequate for your needs. If not, try Apple iWorks more powerful productivity tools. It consists of Pages for word processing, Keynote for presentation graphics, and Numbers for spreadsheeting. 

Your students probably know how to use these tools already so you can set them free to work on a project.

Former Apple CEO Sculley: People are underestimating just how well Apple is run

Former Apple CEO John Sculley was recently on CNBC discussing the state of the company’s shares.

“Sculley was originally made chairman of Apple in 1983, and between 1985 and 1993, he managed day-to-day operations while Steve Jobs was away at NeXT,” Meena Krishnamsetty reports for The Motley Fool.

MacDailyNews Take: Mismanaged day-to-day operations.

Krishnamsetty reports, “On the current situation Apple is in, Sculley had this to say: ‘I think they’re going through a very significant change now in terms of product cycles. Traditionally Apple introduces products once a year; now it’s really introducing products twice a year. The complexity of that from a supply chain is immense, and Apple seems to be doing it well. So, I think that people are underestimating just how well Apple is run, and just how successful the company can be when it gets to that twice-a-year product introduction cycle.’”

“Sculley’s comments here seem to agree with the unheralded notion that Tim Cook is a supply chain wizard,” Krishnamsetty reports. “On the subject of Apple’s valuation, the former Cupertino CEO said that ‘the question is: Does it still deserve a Steve Jobs premium?’ to which he paraphrastically answers ‘yes,’ due to the fact that Cook has a clear product leader in Jony Ive.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: How out of character – the old sugar water sales bozo actually got something right!

IDC: Apple to command tablet market with at least 50% share through 2016; Windows to hit 10% share in 4 years

A strong competitive landscape - including surging Android tablet shipments and robust demand for Apple’s new iPad mini - has led International Data Corporation (IDC) to increase its 2012 forecast for the worldwide tablet market to 122.3 million, up from its previous forecast of 117.1 million units. In the latest forecast update of the Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, IDC also raised its 2013 forecast number to 172.4 million units, up from 165.9 million units. And by 2016 worldwide shipments should reach 282.7 million units, up from a previous forecast of 261.4 million units.

“Tablets continue to captivate consumers, and as the market shifts toward smaller, more mobile screen sizes and lower prices points, we expect demand to accelerate in the fourth quarter and beyond,” said Tom Mainelli, research director, Tablets at IDC, in a statement. “Android tablets are gaining traction in the market thanks to solid products from Google, Amazon, Samsung, and others. And Apple’s November iPad mini launch, along with its surprise refresh of the full-sized iPad, positions the company well for a strong holiday season.”

In addition to increasing the unit totals for 2013, IDC also updated its operating system splits for the year to reflect Android’s growing strength in the tablet market. IDC now expects Android’s worldwide tablet share to increase from 39.8% in 2011 to 42.7% for the full year of 2012. During that same time Apple’s share will slip from 56.3% in 2011 to 53.8% in 2012. Long term, IDC predicts Windows-based tablets (including Windows 8 and Windows RT) will grab share from both iOS and Android, growing from 1% of the market in 2011 to 2.9% in 2012, on its way to 10.2% in 2016.

“The breadth and depth of Android has taken full effect on the tablet market as it has for the smartphone space,” said Ryan Reith, program manager for IDC’s Mobile Device Trackers, in a statement. “Android tablet shipments will certainly act as the catalyst for growth in the low-cost segment in emerging markets given the platform’s low barrier to entry on manufacturing. At the same time, top-tier companies like Samsung, Lenovo, and ASUS are all launching Android tablets with comparable to premium products, but offered at much lower price points.”

Once again, IDC’s increase in tablet shipments comes at the expense of eReaders. IDC once again lowered its forecast for eReaders for 2012 and beyond. While the front-lit eReader offerings from Amazon and Barnes & Noble have captured the interest of a subset of consumers who prefer a dedicated eReader, most buyers are gravitating toward multi-use tablet products and finding a ‘good enough’ reading experience on these traditional back-lit tablets. IDC now expects 2012 eReader shipments to top out at 19.9 million units, down from the 27.7 million units that shipped in 2011.

Tablet Operating Systems, Market Share Forecast and CAGR 2012-2016

IDC: Tablet Operating Systems, Market Share Forecast and CAGR 2012-2016 IDC: Tablet Operating Systems, Market Share Forecast and CAGR 2012-2016

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, December 5, 2012
Table Notes: Windows shipments include Windows RT, Windows 8, and Windows 7 tablets. Shipments include shipments to distribution channels or end users. OEM sales are counted under the vendor/brand under which they are sold.

Chart: Worldwide Tablet Market Forecast by OS, Unit Shipments, 3Q 2012Description: Worldwide Quarterly Tablet TrackerIDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tracker provides total market size and vendor share for both the Tablet and eReader markets in 46 countries. Detailed segmentation is provided by CPU, operating system, connectivity type, screen size and resolution, storage, distribution channel, and customer segment. Measurement for this tracker is in units, value, and end-user price. For more information, or to subscribe to the research, please contact Kathy Nagamine at 1-650-350-6423 or knagamine@idc.com. Further detail about this tracker can be found at:http://www.idc.com/tracker/showproductinfo.jsp?prod_id=81Tags: ipad, apple, android, nexus, tablet, forecast, idc, tracker, 3Q, Q3, 2012, market, share,size, windows, RT, blackberry, playbook, google, kindle, amazon, predictAuthor: IDCcharts powered by iCharts

Source: International Data Corporation (IDC)