Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environmental Initiatives:
Today, Apple and The Conservation Fund are announcing a collaboration designed to help America’s working forests stay working forests. For Apple, this is the beginning of a worldwide effort, one that represents a new approach as it reassesses its impact on the world’s paper supply chain.
Apple believes that paper, like energy, can be a renewable resource. So Apple is striving to supply 100 percent of the virgin fibers used in its paper and packaging from sustainably managed forests or controlled wood sources.
As usual, an interesting manifesto from Apple regarding its environmental initiatives but I also find it fascinating this is a story on Medium, not a press release. Hopefully, we’ll see more of these kinds of articles directly from Apple.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is seeking to recoup millions of dollars from technology giant Apple over a problem-plagued curriculum that was provided with iPads intended to be given to every student, teacher and administrator.
To press its case, the Board of Education on Tuesday authorized its attorneys in a closed-door meeting to explore possible litigation against Apple and Pearson, the company that developed the curriculum as a subcontractor to Apple.
This story has been ongoing and includes an FBI investigation, resignations of officials and plenty of blame for all to go around.
blockquote>Dan Price, the CEO of a start-up company located in Seattle, has just raised his employee’s minimum wage to $70,000 by cutting his $1 million salary to that of his lowest-paid employees.
Price is taking upwards to 80 percent of his credit card processing company Gravity Payments’ $2.2 million expected profit and putting it into his employee’s salaries.
Price recently announced that over a three-year period, Gravity Payments will be offering its 120 employees a salary of at least $70,000 which will be paid using a new software which can make a check stub each pat date.
Fantastic news for the company’s employees. Some say this will become the model for other companies but I’d be hugely surprised if anyone else followed suit. It’s just not The Corporate Way.
One thing bothered me about this story though.
Price recently told the New York Times that he was motivated to make the radical change after he read a newly released study about how pay raises increase the happiness of those receiving them.
Seriously? You had to read a study to know this? He’s obviously never been poor a day in his life. The vast majority of us know all too well how important money can be to peace of mind, health, happiness and security.
My criticism aside, I couldn’t be happier for the employees of Gravity Payments.
Nearly 15 years ago, I wrote my first review of Mac OS X for a nascent “PC enthusiast’s” website called Ars Technica. Nearly 15 years later, I wrote my last. Though Apple will presumably announce the next major version of OS X at WWDC this coming June, I won’t be reviewing it for Ars Technica or any other publication, including the website you’re reading now.
Siracusa’s name was known to many long before he started to write his incredible in-depth reviews of Apple’s Mac OS X but he will be forever known as the guy who wrote in the most detail about the OS.
He says:
Someone else can pick up the baton for the next 15 years.
Sadly, that’s not going to happen. No one can replace Siracusa or his writing style or his passion for writing the most complete reviews humanly possible of Mac OS X.
I can’t help but think the Apple Watch is going to join the iPhone as a juggernaut.
It might take time, but I think time is going to be very kind to the Apple Watch. Think back to the first iPhone. It was saddled with slow cellular radios and limited power. But it was clearly better than what came before it. As technology evolved, the iPhone experience improved. Remember the constant dropped calls? The problems of the wrap around antenna that caused reduced signal when you held the phone without a case? These were genuine problems which brought a fair share of negative press. But the iPhone marched on, continued to improve. Battery life improved, the cell radio got stronger, carriers built out the cell infrastructure. And the iPhone became a juggernaut.
The Apple Watch is brand new. So much change is coming. The vast majority of the current Apple Watch processing is dedicated to communicating the results of processing done on the iPhone. The current Apple Watch is a relay device. But my guess is that that will change over time. As battery life continues to improve, as the processor gains power, as the software continues to evolve, the Apple Watch will grow and do much more “in house” processing. Apple will guide that process by adding to the Apple Watch SDK, giving developers more to work with, more flexibility to extend the bounds of what makes an Apple Watch app.
There are enough Apple Watches in the wild (or coming over the next few months), there are enough early adopters that, in my opinion, the Apple Watch has achieved critical mass. There will certainly be complaints, but the Apple Watch community is now large enough, it is (or soon will be) in the critical work flow of enough people, that there’s no turning back.
The Apple Watch is a juggernaut. Or perhaps a juggernaut junior.
The Telegraph, from a memo written by Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts:
Many of you have been getting questions asking if we will have the watch available in store on April 24 for walk-in purchases. As we announced last week, due to high global interest combined with our initial supply, we are only taking orders online right now. I’ll have more updates as we get closer to in-store availability, but we expect this to continue through the month of May. It has not been an easy decision, and I want to share with you the thinking behind it.
Well-informed KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has in the past proved accurate in predicting Apple’s moves, estimates Apple Watch preorders will exceed 2.3 million units, though production bottlenecks relating to the device’s haptic vibrator and advanced OLED screen are restricting rollout.
And:
Existing limitations could hinder accelerated manufacture, however. Currently, Apple is seeing restricted supply of vibration motors from Hong Kong-based manufacturer AAC and flexible AMOLED screens from LG Display, which is said to be Watch’s sole display supplier. Powering Apple Watch’s Taptic Engine, AAC’s motors must meet stringent operating requirements that require a smaller form factor than iPhone vibrators, while being more accurate. Technical hurdles for LG include AMOLED panel color accuracy and life span.
Several celebrities like Katy Perry, Drake, and Pharrell Williams have been spotted with the gold Apple Watch Edition ahead of the device’s launch, but Apple gifted designer Karl Lagerfeld with something even more special — a custom gold Apple Watch with a gold Link Bracelet.
I checked and FedEx didn’t leave one of these at my door.
Jim and Dan talk about the meaning behind the WWDC announcement, why Jim got three Apple Watches, the evolution of music (from vinyl to tapes to cd’s and now streaming), beginning guitar without an amp, and more.
I used to like iTunes Radio, but it seems like the crew has abandoned ship and the service is crashing hard. It’s actually gone from questionable song choices to downright maliciously stupid. I swear it just tries to upset me.
My parents were in town for a visit recently and while we were driving, I thought I’d put on some 70s music for them. You know, classic rock songs that they would know.
I tried iTunes Radio and this is what I got:
This song was released in 2008. The rest of the selection from iTunes Radio was no better.
Jon B.: They Don’t Know (1997) Anthony David: 4evermore (2011) Conya Doss: Ain’t Giving Up (2005) Eric Roberson: Picture Perfect (2011)
Clearly none of these are in the genre Apple listed them under in iTunes Radio.
So I fired up Spotify, Rdio, Pandora, and iHeart Radio. Each of those services delivered some nice 70s music like I wanted.
Maple acoustic guitars haven’t been known for their warm, rich tone. Until now. Taylor master builder Andy Powers has poured his expertise into revoicing Taylor’s maple 600 Series, and the results are stunning. From specially aged spruce tops that produce a played-in sound from day 1 to custom-calibrated bracing that unleashes more volume, low-end warmth and sustain, Taylor’s new 600s give players a multi-dimensional musical voice that responds wonderfully to every playing style.
Americans hate filing tax returns, but they love getting refunds. More than three in four taxpayers get refunds, and the average amount they get back is close to $3,000, according to IRS data. That means that for many Americans, their annual refund is the biggest single check they’ll get all year.
But if you’re among the millions expecting a payout from the IRS this spring, make no mistake: That money was yours all along. Getting a refund means you paid too much in taxes last year and the government is paying that money back — without interest.
I’m no tax expert but I’ve always told people they should work their taxes so they get the smallest refund possible. Otherwise, you’re just giving the government an interest free loan of your money.
Back in the day, it was easy to get tickets to WWDC. You and your friends could all count on getting in, so planning was easy, which made WWDC a truly social experience.
As Apple’s fortunes improved, WWDC tickets become harder and harder to get. Things reached a point where Apple had to institute a lottery for tickets. You no longer could guarantee yourself a ticket, but if you were going with a friend or a workmate, you could both try your luck and, if one of you didn’t get in, you could cancel your ticket. Bad luck, but no harm.
The problem (and the reason we just can’t have nice things anymore) is that people took advantage of Apple’s refund policy. Large companies would sign up to buy every single ticket they could, then cancel tickets once they knew how many they had won the rights to purchase.
This year, Apple will charge you for a ticket the second you are eligible to purchase it. And that charge is non-refundable. No more cancellations. Which means a fairer distribution of tickets, as people (and companies) are only signing up if they have a true intent to go to the conference.
The down side of this policy is that it wrings a little bit more of the social from the conference. Two friends can no longer make tentative plans to go to the conference if they both get in. True, they can go solo, but that’s not the same thing, especially for people who only see each other at dev conferences like WWDC.
I do understand that the core purpose of WWDC is to get your head wrapped around what’s new in iOS and OS X and to network with Apple engineers and other developers. But I still miss the old days when the social was on an equal footing with the learning/business side.
Samsung Electronics Co. created a standalone team of about 200 employees working exclusively on screens for Apple Inc. products as the world’s biggest technology companies strengthen business ties, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The team at Samsung Display Co., which provides screens for iPads and MacBooks, helps develop products and is only allowed to share information about Apple business within the group, the people said, asking not to be identified because the details aren’t public. The team formed April 1 and also helps with sales, the people said.
Samsung continues to hedge its bets. The screen and chip manufacturing side of the company definitely knows where their bread is buttered.
LinX develops and markets miniature cameras for tablets and smartphones. Using an array of sensors that capture multiple images at the same time and proprietary algorithms, LinX says its cameras can gauge depth and create three-dimensional image maps.
Last year, the company said its tiny camera modules allow for better-quality pictures in low light and faster exposure at standard indoor conditions. It said the technology offers single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera image quality without the need for a bulky device.
Its technology, according to the company’s news releases, can open the way to features like automatic background removal, 3-D object modeling and face recognition.
Will mobile cameras pass the SLR quality threshold with the next wave of releases? That would be something.
I’ll be honest, I like my iPad better, but a lot of people really like the Kindle. They dropped the price, so if you were waiting for that, here’s your chance.
I suspect that Steve Jobs would not be thrilled with Becoming Steve Jobs, a new business biography by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli. While it’s a worthwhile book filled with previously unheard stories and insightful industry analysis, Steve would have disliked it because of the persistent negative spin it applies to the first half of his career.
That’s why it’s puzzling to see Apple throw their considerable weight behind it.
Interesting comments from Hertzfeld, a guy who was there in the beginning. While he acknowledges his own biases, he does bring up some interesting questions about the descriptions of the early part of the book, the lack of interviews of the people involved in those early days and why Apple threw considerable weight behind this book.
He does say the book is interesting and still worth a read. Like most biographies, it takes several versions and editions to get a complete picture of the subject and even then, you are looking through a foggy window to do so.
The Defiant Tour Documentary is a never before examination of the finances of a touring band and what it takes to go on the road.
We’ve all seen big bands show up to gigs in their limos, but what does it take for an indie band to tour the U.S.? LoNero wants to show you with this new documentary. I’m supporting this one.
What blew me away was the exceptional attention to detail. The way you can slide the bands on and off from the watch is smooth and slick. And you don’t need any special tools: A tiny bit of pressure does the job, and the sliding has the smoothness of silk.
It’s interesting that some of Om’s thoughts completely contradict Mike Rundle’s thoughts, which we posted earlier today. This truly is a personal product.
Apogee’s MetaRecorder is the first two-channel audio recording app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to offer intuitive multi-take recording, tagging and file organization for any field recording scenario.
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. June 8-12, San Francisco.
Apple’s renowned developer community will come together at WWDC to learn about the future of iOS and OS X.
WWDC features more than 100 technical sessions, over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs, and the Apple Design Awards.
Developers can apply for tickets to attend WWDC and millions worldwide will be able to watch sessions streamed live.
WWDC Scholarships are available to students and members of participating STEM organizations around the world.
As to tickets:
The opportunity to buy tickets to WWDC 2015 will be offered by random selection. Register by Friday, April 17, 10:00 a.m. PDT for your chance to attend. We will let you know your status by Monday, April 20, 5:00 p.m. PDT.
May the RNG gods be with you (good luck in the ticket lottery).
Traditional watch expert Rani McSpeddon spent a week with a prerelease Apple Watch. Follow this link and watch his video take or follow this link for a more detailed written review.
