Apple looking to launch Siri-powered TV by 2013

We knew this was coming.  Via GigaOm:

The Apple television is the latest, hottest subject of the rumor mill that surrounds the company. On Thursday, the New York Times‘ Nick Bilton published a lengthy report related to the still-unconfirmed product, revealing many details sourced from Apple employees and others close to the company who spoke to him on the condition of anonymity. Bilton says Siri is the key to Jobs’ feeling that he finally “cracked it,” as Walter Isaacson’s biography quotes him saying. What he cracked was a streamlining of the interface so that control is intuitive and simple. Thanks to Siri, Bilton says, you could now just talk to your TV set, and it would respond to your commands. Other new details include plans dating back as early as 2007, after Apple had released the original Apple TV, to make a complete set. The product has since been definitely in the works at Apple, its development spurred on by the fact that “Steve thinks to the industry is totally broken,” according to one of Bilton’s source. In the Isaacson biography, it’s revealed that many other successful Apple products, including the iPod and the iPhone, were created based on the same sense on the part of Jobs that what was already out there was sub-par. As to when this might arrive, Bilton says it is “close enough” now that it might be announced as early as late 2012, with a 2013 release date in terms of actually getting the product in the hands of consumers. The hold-up is mainly about waiting until the cost of large display components falls far enough to make it possible for Apple to offer the TV at a competitive price point. Making the product thin and light is also another development hurdle facing its release, according to the report. Many pundits have proclaimed an Apple television a bad idea, but it’s a chorus we’ve heard many times before; the iPod, iPhone and iPad all had very vocal detractors, with plenty ofnegative reaction even after the product was actually unveiled. Also, as John Gruber points out, commenting on the release of the Bloomberg TV 24-hour live video app, “Apps are the new channels.” If Apple can get more content providers to produce similar content-delivery solutions for its iOS devices, it’ll have much bait with which to lure potential Apple television customers whenever that product does make it to market.

Verizon's First iPhone Commercial?

Someone Wrote A Story on iPad Topping The Tablet Charts; Wasted Time

Did we need to have this story in my news feed today? I could also tell you the sun is hot, the sky is blue, and the chances of me falling asleep at my desk this afternoon are 100%.

ZDNET writes...

If there was any doubt that Apple currently dominates the tablet market, new IDC data shows that iPads accounted for 90% of all such devices sold in the third quarter. What’s more, “IDC reports that Apple’s iPad drove tablet demand almost exclusively in the third quarter,” notes ZDNet. “Global tablet shipments in the third quarter checked in at 4.8 million units in the third quarter, up from 3.3 million in the second quarter.” Meanwhile, Amazon has a commanding 41.5% share of the e-reader market, while e-reader shipments were 2.7 million units in the third quarter — up 40% year-over-year. “Price cuts helped spur e-reader sales,” ZDNet points out, adding: “The U.S. market accounts for almost 75 percent of the global e-reader market.” For 2010, IDC estimates that 17 million tablets will ship. In 2011, the tablet tally will be about 44.6 million. Meanwhile, “While Apple has a massive lead, the ramp of Android based tablets are expected to surge.” In particular, the Samsung Galaxy Tab was the first high-end Android tablet to launch and is expected to translate to fourth quarter sales.

Steve Jobs Taking Another Medical Leave As Apple CEO

Steve Jobs has survived pancreatic cancer and has had a liver transplant, and yesterday, he told the world that he would be taking his second medical leave in two years. Of course, everyone's first reaction is in regards to the safety of Apple's stranglehold on the world, but I think it's safe to say that they'll be just fine. The announcement came on MLK Day, so the markets were closed. But Apple's stock price did take a minuscule 4.4% dive this morning.

In a note to employees, Jobs said he will continue as CEO and will be involved in major decisions. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will be responsible for all day-to-day operations.

The interesting piece about Apple is that Jobs holds an almost iconic, and cult like position. Considering his hand in the Apple revival of the last decade or so, it's not hard to understand why. However, so much of the public investor's confidence seems to rest on his announcements and public persona. Honestly, I have zero concern about the well-being of Apple. But the average American investor is fickle, so we'll see how it plays out.

'Apple: The First Trillion-Dollar Company?'

[ed] Dave Morgan is always one of the more astute and analytical writers in the online game.  Great reflection today on a panel of big hitters that led to a talk on Apple's growth potential...

I participate on panels at a lot of trade and banking conferences, but probably none as fun and engaging as this past Tuesday's Gridley & Company's IDEA conference in New York. On our panel, which closed out the conference, was Kevin Ryan, CEO of Gilt Groupe; George Bell, CEO of Jumptap; Russ Fradin, former CEO of Adify and now CEO of Dynamic Signal; and our moderator, Henry Blodget of Business Insider.

The panel was a repeat performance from last year and, just as they did the year before, our hosts opened up the bar before the session started, and made sure to serve the panelists in addition to the audience. As you can imagine, it only enhanced what was certain to be the kind of frank discussion you might expect to hear from some grizzled digital entrepreneurs. That chemistry led to a number of thought-provoking exchanges among Henry and the panelists, but one really stood out for me.

At the end of the session, Henry asked what we thought about Apple's prospects over the next few years. We all agreed that Apple was on a tear and that the company's growth wasn't likely to slow down for some time. Then, Henry asked how high we thought that Apple's stock price could go. Kevin jumped right in and declared that Apple could be the world's first trillion-dollar company. Apple is doing great, but that's a pretty bold statement, given the company's current market capitalization of just above $300 million dollars.

I think Kevin is right. Here's why:
Apple is out-innovating and out-executing the entire market. No other company is delivering better consumer electronics products with better content and communications experiences to the market, and iterating them constantly, than Apple. Not only that, but no one else is delivering consumer electronic products and related software and content at the scale, and with the degree of customer service, that Apple is today. Not Sony. Not Samsung. Not LG. Not Google. No one.

iPhone and iPad market apogees well in the distance. As many iPhones and iPads as Apple has sold so far, the company has barely begun. Only this week did the largest mobile carrier in the U.S. announce plans to sell and support iPhones. IPad penetration in the U.S. is less than 3% of consumers. Hardware costs for both products are falling at an extraordinary rate. It is not inconceivable that in three years iPhones will be free with a standard mobile contract and iPads will cost less than $50. And, what happens when the 700 million Chinese and Indian mobile telephone users have access to affordable iPhones and iPads?

No close competitors yet. I spent the better part of last week at the Consumer Electronics Show. For as much cool stuff as I saw, I didn't see anything that was ready to truly rival Apple's products. Certainly, competitive or even superior products will show up in the market soon. However, given the rate with which Apple's business is accelerating, it has established a lead on competitors that will be nearly impossible to close. Apple is likely to be still gaining -- not losing -- market share for the better part of this decade.

What about Facebook? Kevin also said he thought Facebook could very well be the second trillion-dollar company. Might that happen? I don't know, but Facebook is certainly building an extraordinary business with extraordinary prospects for the future. Of course, I don't think that company strategists are doing anything that necessarily makes their success mutually exclusive to Apple's.
What do you think? Will Apple become the first trillion-dollar company?

Like I Need To Tell You Verizon Got The iPhone

The question turns to how it will alter the balance of power in the wireless world, especially between Verizon and AT&T. The latter, of course, will lose its nearly 4 years of iPhone exclusivity with Verizon planning to launch a 3G version of the Apple device next month.

I can tell you that as an AT&T customer, I've been awaiting this day for awhile. Not because I want to jump ship to Verizon, but because AT&T always says the iPhone connectivity issues are due to crowded bandwidth. Well, hopefully this is like an overcrowded freeway, and now everyone hopefully exits.

Since each side now will have the same potent weapon in their phone arsenal, the fight will come down to the competing service offerings and network quality that Verizon and AT&T provide, according to analysts. That could lead to a new series of moves and countermoves as the nation's two biggest carriers try to convince consumers to choose their version of the iPhone.

CES Best Of Show; Motorola Xoom (According to CNET)

The Xoom betters the iPad in some ways--it comes standard with front- and rear-facing cameras, including one that can record in HD, compared with none in the current version of the iPad. It also boasts a larger screen with a higher resolution, supports Adobe Flash, and uses Verizon's network instead of AT&T's.

It will become the first device to run the latest version of Google's Android operating system, known as Honeycomb. The operating system supports multitasking and has been designed explicitly for tablets.

Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this afternoon that the device will be available in stores in the first quarter of 2011 in 3G form. All of the 3G Xooms "are capable" of being upgraded to 4G later this year, he said.  Jha didn't announce how much the device will cost and Motorola ended the event without taking questions from reporters.  This will be "the most competitive product in the marketplace," Jha predicted. (Motorola recently split into two publicly traded companies, Motorola Mobility Holdings and Motorola Solutions.)

The Xoom (pronounced "zoom") will operate on Verizon Wireless' network and be upgradeable to 4G LTE in the second quarter of the year, with units sold thereafter including 4G by default. It was not immediately clear if a Wi-Fi-only version would be available, but the companies' statement appeared to indicate it would not be, and the photos of the tablet show a Verizon logo on the top right corner. See CNET photo gallery here: http://ces.cnet.com/2300-32494_1-10006105.html?tag=mncol;txt.

In terms of specifications, the Xoom has a dual-core processor with each core running at 1 GHz, a 1,280x800 resolution (compared with the iPad's 1,024x768), a 10.1-inch 16:10 display (larger than the iPad's 9.7 inches), and supports Google Maps 5.0 with 3D buildings. It can capture 720p video with the rear camera.

Check out a full demo here:
http://cnettv.cnet.com/motorola-xoom-tablet-hands/9742-1_53-50098295.html?tag=api

Mac App Store; Timely CES Announcement

With the Mac App Store, getting the apps you want on your Mac has never been easier. No more boxes, no more disks, no more time-consuming installation. Click once to download and install any app on your Mac. The Mac App Store is now available as a software update for any Mac running Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

The Mac App Store is just like the App Store for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. So it’s as easy to find and download Mac apps as it is to add your favorite magazine to iPad or a new game to iPod touch. You can browse Mac apps by category, such as games, productivity, music, and more. Or do a quick search for something specific. Read developer descriptions and user reviews. Flip through screenshots. When you find an app you like, click to buy it.

The Mac App Store revolutionizes the way applications are installed on a computer — it happens in one step. Enter the same iTunes password you use to buy music and apps on your Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Within seconds, your new app flies to your Dock, ready to go. So you can spend more time enjoying new apps and less time installing them.

Survey Says: The iPad Is Not A Kindle Killer

Not totally surprising considering the wild surge of Amazon advertising before and during the holidays, but JP Morgan research is showing that iPad and Kindle are considered two different, non-competing devices (read: people who own both). According to the study, the Kindle was Amazon's highest selling product over this past holiday season which is definitely a surprise to yours truly. I was absolutely a part of the club that figured Kindle would die a slow painful death at the hands of the iPad, but as is true across industries, "follow the money." While avid book readers might seem niche, there sure do spend within their hobby.

Survey Says: The iPad Is Not A Kindle Killer

Verizon iPhone News: Apple Will Release 21 Million iPhones, 5 Million CDMA iPhones | The APPera

We've all been hearing the Taiwanese stories leaking the shipment of about 14 million CDMA powered iPhones to the states. And for those keeping score at home, Verizon runs a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network here in the states, AT&T runs a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). Ipso facto, the Verizon rumors are feeling more and more legit.

Being that it's the new year, here are my hopeful predictions for this whole situation:

1) Tons of AT&T iPhone users scramble to cancel their plans and move to Verizon. In turn, the crowded freeway that is the AT&T network opens up and I stop dropping calls in downtown San Francisco. Run for the hills I say!

2) The price of the iPhone takes a small dip now that the scarcity of providers is relieved. With AT&T being the only option thus far, they and Apple can charge whatever they like. Hopefully, adding another carrier ups everyones game and makes it a bit more price accessible. Let's be fair though, it isn't outlandish at $200 for new users.

3) AT&T has needed a check on their apparent claims that they are working on expanding/fixing their struggling network and service. Until now, we've had to put up with their shite service because we had no options. If you want an iPhone, you have to take the AT&T service with it. But no more. Customers can now demand phenomenal service and product updates because we have the most threatening negotiating tactic in the world; the walk out. Ask George Costanza about the walk out. It's unbeatable.

Verizon iPhone News: Apple Will Release 21 Million iPhones, 5 Million CDMA iPhones | The APPera

A Quick Splash of Thought; Find My iPhone Is Awesome, Scary

I haven't downloaded 'Find My iPhone' yet. I will no doubt get it, because I do whatever it is Apple tells me (it's not my fault, I'm a twenty-something and their advertising helps me decide).

I'm not sure why, but thinking about it this morning, I'm extra aware that they know exactly where I am considering my phone is always on me. Obviously the GPS functionality of every other app can let Apple and all my advertising buddies know that I'm still in bed when I should be working. And yet, this morning it makes me nervous. This is like the first time I explained to my mother what behavioral targeting was and she swore off the internet forever.

Barnes and Noble Made An iPad For Kids; Meet The Nookcolor

In keeping pace in the tablet game, B&N has no interest in letting Apple, Amazon, or Sony have all the fun (read iPad, Kindle, and Dash respectively).

Barnes and Noble is taking on a whole new market for the tablet game, and it's the most fascinated audience for pictures and colors and touchy things.  Yes, B&N made a tablet specifically for kids, at least thats what the advertising would lead you to believe.  The Nookcolor is using kids in it's advertising as a way to show off the simplicity of the gadget, and the interactivity of animated cats and dogs.  The site page itself actually promotes the reader as a way to connect with magazine and old books, but god forbid the advertising should actually connect with whats on the product homepage (READ disconnect between kids in your ads and Vogue magazine as your lead publishing partner).

Google Chrome App Market Is Awesome

Google Chrome has been getting all kinds of press recently as they continue to develop their OS. I've been a Mac user my whole life, but would seriously consider a PC for personal use if this OS comes to fruition. I use Chrome as my browser and the app functionality really blows me away. Take the above Gilt Group app for example...it mimics the functionality of the iPhone/iPad app that Gilt built and it takes full advantage of the visual space allotted by the browser. It's this type functionality that is totally changing the way we view a browser, and more importantly, the way designers and developers look at the browser and OS landscape.

In theory, if the app market continues to grow, I'm willing to bet certain brands move their emphasis from an engaging destination site to a fully functional app. Gilt Groupe is the perfect example; looking at the app, and understanding this is a retail company, why would they ever need a site when an app is so much easier to develop and manage?

Could It Be? iPad 2 In The Next 100 Days?

says CrunchGear...

According to Digitimes, Foxconn factories are currently assembling iPads 2 for shipment within the next “100 days” which, by my calculations, puts the ship date at around February/March or, if WolframAlpha is to be believed, March 17, 2011.

Foxconn is said to be preparing 400,000-600,000 units for sale. If this is true, we can expect a press conference in mid-January and a release date of February or March, which is line with Apple’s traditional start-of-year releases. It looks like CES (January 4-9th) is about to be spoiled.

As far as we can tell, the iPad 2 will have a front-facing camera made by Largan Precision and potentially a more iPhone-esque styling as suggested by this fake mock-up, below.

iPhone 4 Firmware Reveals File-Sharing, Orientation Lock, and How to Close Multitasking Apps

The rumor mill continues....

Apple's just released the latest developer firmware before the official iPhone 4.0 roll-out. This is geeky. What is not geeky is some of the secrets it reveals about the future iPhone workings. Apple seems to have utterly nailed it.

File sharing direct to iPhone

This is an oft-requested feature by the more traditionally minded iPhone user, used to managing files in folders on desktops rather than the iPhone OS's hidden file management layer, but it's going to be damn useful all the same: Apple's enabling direct user-manageable file transfer between your computer and your iPhone (and later, presumably, your iPad). It's a question of syncing the two devices, then clicking through to the Apps tab in the iPhone and scrolling down to the "Files" section, from where you can drag and drop stuff to and from your main computer. As the name suggests, Apple's keeping a certain degree of control over this, and you can't just dump files of any type willy-nilly--it's app driven. For now it looks like only Mail is enabled, but it's certain that other apps, like Pages and whatnot, will get this power by the time the OS officially rolls out.

Orientation lock and widgets

The iPad's physical-switch orientation lock is handy for those reading-an-ebook-in-bed moments when the device's gyros might otherwise detect your reading position incorrectly. It too is a feature oft-requested for the iPhone, but it looks like it won't be replicated in hardware for the iPhone 2010--it's appeared as part of iPhone 4.0's multitasking pop-up panel as a virtual button. Hence, for users prone to using their iPhone when...erm...prone, a quick double-tap of the home button then a left-swipe will bring up the menu, then it's just a question of clicking the icon.

Apple's engineers have obviously decided that this new menu has some useful functionality, though, and have viewed it as a mini widget portal, of sorts, because there's also now a quick-access button to get to the iPod app (previously accessible by a double click of home in earlier iPhone OSs) as well as very basic iPod controls.

Closing Apps

Introducing multitasking also introduces the issue of users managing which apps are running (though iPhone 4 does a pretty good job of this automatically). That means letting users close active apps from the multitasking menu. Apple's just tweaked this, not a lot, but in a way that makes it super easy to do: It's now just like the old "delete app" function, where you hold your finger down over an app's icon. The OS then enters a "close app" mode, which lets you shut down as many sequentially as you like.

iPhone 2010 summary

iPhone 4

So with this news, the earlier iPhone 4.0 data, and information gleaned by Gizmodo from the leaked iPhone 2010 prototype, what can we work out about this year's new iPhone experience? A lot. Here's a guesstimated specs list:

* Size: Similar to iPhone 3GS, just squarer and a tiny bit shallower
* Weight: Similar to iPhone 3GS
* Battery life: Possibly up to 20% more for all functions, dependent on software power management
* Screen: High res, possibly 940 by 640 pixels (four times as many as before)
* Camera: Front facing, possibly VGA (may be higher though.) Read facing, 5 megapixels, with flash
* Multitasking: Check
* Direct file transfers: Check
* Screen orientation lock: Check
* Direct wireless printing: Probably
* Proper support for Bluetooth keyboard in iPhone: Possibly (to support iPhone iWork apps.)
* ARM-based 1GHz CPU: Very likely

Add those together and you have a smartphone positioned to challenge the growing army of Android phones, but coming with the provenance of the iPhone's history, lots of Apple chic, and hundreds of thousands of existing apps. iPhone 2010 with iPhone 4.0 aboard is going to be, let's face it, the bees knees...and since many of these powers will also be available on older iPhones too, when their firmware is updated, it's a bit of a win-win for iPhone fans.

The iPad Built Into Your Car's Dashboard

I'm sick of talking about the iPad too, but this is ridiculous. The good people of SoundMan Car Audio built an iPad into the dashboard of a Toyota Tacoma, quite possibly creating the most popular carpool driver around. Nice find Jules:

A Great iPad Ad Model Discussion

The conversations are all early, but not too early for brands who have already invested in the iPad. Supposedly, the New York Times has sold out two months of iPad ad space against their reader application. And it hasn't even been released yet....

With the iPad's delivery now a matter of days, information about publishers' ad pricing and ad technology is making its way into the market. The information - assuming it is accurate as Apple and the publishers are not talking - is interesting, but not particularly telling for the long term.

For starters, it is unclear whether these advertisers are truly committed to the iPad platform or interested in riding the initial buzz that will inevitably accompany its rollout.

"Part of being first," said Steve Pacheco, director of advertising and marketing communications at FedEx, "is to be included in their in-store demos, to be a real-life example of a powerful brand going to market in a new way." (via the New York Times).

Full article HERE.

Doritos Mega Chip - Making Fun of The iPad

Pretty funny...complete with apple employee mock ups and clean, white backgrounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgqnOqfehJE&feature=player_embedded

Apple iPad Oscar's Commercial; Do We Like It?

Everyone has an opinion, so what do you think?

Heat Map Shows the Bing vs. Google Map is Raging On The iPad

Global Equities Research has published a report predicting that Apple will choose Microsoft Bing as the default search engine for the iPad.

Trip Chowdhry, managing director of equity research for the Global Equities Research, says Apple will choose Bing based on the search engine's technical merits, as well as the shape of the iPad touchscreen.

In the 8-page report published Tuesday, Chowdhry points to a heat map study of Microsoft Bing vs. Google Search. A side-by-side comparison reveals that the concentration of user activity on the Bing search page -- indicated by red, yellow and green colors -- fits more comfortably in the shape of the iPad screen.

The heat map study indicates that when people look at search results on Google they follow an inverted triangle. The widest part of the triangle remains at the top, from left to right, and tapers off at the bottom in the middle of the page.

The heat map study for Bing reveals that people tend to look at search results in a rectangle shape. The widest part of the page represents the top half of an 8-inch by 10-inch sheet of paper. This means people typically read the top half of search results.

A rectangular search layout for Apple's iPad, which requires people to use their fingers as the primary pointing device, would provide consumers with a better experience.

Chowdhry believes that Bing's search tools, such as Explore Pane, Best Match and Document Preview all lend to a better experience on an iPad, where interaction with the device requires humans to use their fingers, not by mouse.

People typically spend more time on Bing versus Google, view more pages, and bounce from one search to another, according to Chowdhry.

"Contacts tell us that Google Search will also be available, but will not be a default choice," Chowdhry writes. "Google will probably have more Map applications on iPad vs. Microsoft."

Chowdhry doesn't think Google's loss of not being the default search engine on the iPad will have a significant impact on the search engine's revenue. Google's Android Platform continues to grow in excess of 100% year-on-year, and can easily offset the loss.

Preorders for the iPad could begin as early as this week. The first wave of models with WiFi could debut in the United States as early as March.