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- Apple Hiring Staff for New Data Center
Remember that data center Apple is building in North Carolina? You know the one; valued at $1 billion and widely expected to play a major part in Apple's future cloud computing initiative?
Yeah, that one. Well, it's nearly finished. At least, finished enough that Apple can start hiring key staff for the installation. AppleInsider.com reported on Friday that Apple has posted 10 new job listings for the data center in Maiden, NC;
The company seeks to hire site managers, coordinators, and service, mechanical and electric technicians. The listings seek people who have worked in large data centers with more than a thousand servers.
Here's the complete list of job roles, just in case you fancy applying;
Data Center Site Services Technician (x2), Data Center Site Services Manager, Data Center Site Coordinator, Data Center Mechanical Technician, Data Center Electrical Technician, Data Center Maintenance Technician (x4)
Notice anything? That's right, not one clue as to the primary purpose for Apple's shiny new data center.
Guesswork
When plans for the data center were officially confirmed last summer, Gov. Beverly Perdue welcomed Apple to North Carolina and described the project as a “significant economic boost to local communities and the state.”
The data center is expected to create and sustain over 50 full-time positions, and it's clear from this initial list of 10 that Apple is beginning to look for key first-wave personnel.
Did I mention how nobody knows what the data center is for? It's not hard to guess that iTunes, MobileMe and iWork.com will benefit from this major new installation, but that’s sheer conjecture. And this is Apple we're talking about. Perhaps this is exactly what we think it is, and nothing more. Or maybe it's the next major step forward for Apple in its new role as a mobile computing company?
Personally, I'm holding-out for the possibility that this is the site of Steve Jobs' new (not so) Secret Lair, from where he will command his Empire from a throne chair with impractically-high armrests. You know, just like any respectable Imperious Leader would.
Image courtesy Universal Studios
Переслать - iPad Weekend Rumor Roundup: Apps, Books and Accessories
This is it, we're in the final stretch. In a mere five days the iPad arrives. Now that we're counting down the remaining days in single digits, all manner of ‘leaked’ information is pouring out of the tech blog rumor mill.
This weekend, a flood of iPad application sneak-peeks and previews choked my RSS reader. There's also a curious update on e-book pricing in the iBookstore, and finally some news on the iPad's Camera Connection accessory. So let's get started!
Sneak Peaks
I can't do this from here in the UK, but if you're across the pond you might want to spend some time exploring iTunes Preview. Some applications have started to appear multiple times with the suffix HD or XL in their titles. According to iPhone Alley, these iPad-optimised versions do not appear in the iTunes app store… yet. But since it is thought developers are using the initials to denote iPad-versions of their software, it’s a great indicator of what’s in store this weekend.
App store analytics website AppAnnie reported on Saturday that it had discovered the iPad feed for the app store. A series of shared screenshots suggest we can expect iPad launch day availability of popular apps such as Awesome Note, Flight Control, Cro-Mag Rally and the much-anticipated versions of OmniGraffle and OmniGraphSketcher from Mac stalwarts The Omni Group.
Also on Saturday, MacRumors.com reported that FileMaker's personal database software Bento will be appearing in an iPad friendly form. Mac rumours Arnold Kim writes;
Bento for iPad can be used as a standalone app or will wirelessly synchronize with Bento 3 for the Mac. The App comes with dozens of ready to use database templates that can be customized for your own usage. The iPad version of Bento is priced at $4.99, the same as the current price for the iPhone version.
Oh, while we're on the subject of sneak peeks, Gizmodo shared screenshots over the weekend of what they claim to be Yahoo's upcoming iPad-centric website redesign. Okay, so that's not exactly an app sneak peek, but the design is compelling, and, as Gizmodo's Jack Loftus writes, is "…much sexier than anything Yahoo’s ever managed on their homepage over the last decade or so."
One final sneak peek for you; Vimeo user Federico Viticci posted a video of the iPad app store itself… running in the iPad simulator. At the time of writing, the video has been viewed more than 73,000 times, and is taking a while to load, so if you do head on over there, be patient! Here's a clue as to what to expect; cover flow, large, finger-friendly icons, horizontally scrolling preview screenshots and, overall, very much the same experience you have come to expect from the app store application on the iPhone.
Book Prices
Just how much will books cost on the iBookstore? Nobody really knows for sure. There has been talk of an upcoming e-book price war; publishers Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, McMillan and Hachette Book Group have all put pressure on Amazon to change its pricing policies in the wake of Apple's iPad announcement. The standard price for a new Kindle e-book is $9.99 — and that's too low as far as these publishers are concerned; they want to charge up to $15 for bestsellers.
Back in February the New York Times reported that, while publishers would be able to set higher prices for new titles on the iBookstore, Apple had;
…inserted provisions requiring publishers to discount e-book prices on best sellers — so that $12.99-to-$14.99 range was merely a ceiling; prices for some titles could be lower, even as low as Amazon's $9.99. Apple wants the flexibility to offer lower prices for the hottest books, those on one of the New York Times best-seller lists.
Last week the website App Advice published what it claims to be screenshots of the iBookstore; they revealed that most bestsellers in the iBookstore were listed at $9.99. It made perfect sense, given the New York Times quote above.
So it's interesting that the latest leak indicates that prices are slowly climbing from $9.99 to $12.99. Make of it what you will, Gizmodo offers several possible explanations.
Camera Connection Kit
The Mac Observer reports that the iPad Camera Connection Kit finally appeared on Apple's online store on Saturday.
Essentially a couple of little plastic dongles, the camera connection Kit allows iPad users to directly connect an SD card or camera (via USB cable) directly to the iPad and import photos into the iPad’s Photo app. The Camera Connection Kit costs $29 and can be pre-ordered from Apple's online store here.
So that's the weekend’s juiciest iPad rumors. If you're expecting an iPad to arrive with you on the weekend, I envy you more than you can know. We still can't pre-order iPads in the UK, so I shall have to enjoy these final days to 'first launch' vicariously, through you. So hit the comments with detailed descriptions of your excitement and anticipation — leave nothing out. Oh, and be sure to mention how you also think $30 is way too much for a couple of plastic dongles.
Переслать - Apple Planning iAds Service to Take on Google
Apple hasn’t made any secret about its plans to get into the mobile advertising game. It purchased Quattro in January for around $300 million, a firm that was reportedly its second choice after Google snapped up AdMob for $750 million in November of 2009. Apple had apparently made unsuccessful overtures to AdMob earlier in the year.A new “iAd” service, which is said to be in the pipeline for an April 7 reveal to the Madison Avenue crowd, according to “executives familiar with the plan” speaking to MediaPost, will be built on top of the framework provided by the Quattro purchase. The sources also quote Steve Jobs as saying the service will be “revolutionary” and “our next big thing.”
No other details are forthcoming as of yet, but it does seem clear that Apple intends to take on Google in the mobile advertising space, and it likely intends to do so by waging the war on home turf. Who better to serve ads to Apple’s mobile devices than Apple itself? Tailoring content to the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch should be easy enough, especially given that Apple has access to more of the iPhone OS than do third-party developers and advertisers.
It may seem like an unexpected move from Apple to move into the advertising business, but it actually fits the company’s M.O. quite well. Think about iTunes and music, iTunes and video content, and now the iBookstore and books. In each case, Apple offered a beleaguered industry a way out of a financially disastrous situation. In doing so, it opened up new revenue streams, and made sure the content desires of its hardware user base were met.Locking down the mobile advertising market doesn’t necessarily cater to users in the same way, but it does fit the other criteria. Advertisers have been struggling following the gradual and continuing weakening of print media and television, and so far, online ads have only met with limited success and have yet to take off in the way its predecessors did. For companies still looking to find that sweet spot in which it is possible to really sell to web-connected audiences, Apple, with its inside knowledge of mobile web user habits and history of commodifying what once was free (i.e. the Internet, via apps) will look like a very fine prospect indeed.
I’m not generally one to dole out business advice, but if Apple does roll out some kind of iAds platform early next month, get in on the ground floor if you’re in the advertising space. Just look at what Cupertino has already done in terms of making advertisers vie for space in magazines launching on the iPad. Now imagine what it can do when advertising is its primary focus, not just a tangential benefit.
Related GigaOM Pro Research (sub req’d):
Why 2010 Still Won't Be the Year of Mobile Advertising
Переслать - Pros and Cons of the iPad in Education
While Liam opined about the challenges an iPad can face in education here, I thought I'd tackle some potential real-world pluses and minuses from the viewpoint of a college student — I'm not going down the road of high school students; I'm so far removed from that environment, I remember learning Fortran in my school. I think the iPad is going to succeed in education marvelously for students and teachers.’
I’m not a full-time college student, but I’ve been pursing a degree at night for the last four years (Technical Communications, so my focus on educational tools tends to revolve around writing). I’ve used Macs and iPhones as tools for the entirety of my collegiate career. When I started thinking of the possibility of using my iPad as a single-source solution — mostly to reduce weight by leaving my MacBook at home — I came up with a series of pluses and minuses I’ll personally face with the iPad. My focus here is taking notes in class first, and doing coursework second.
Although, I'm a night student, I don't think how I use technology is different from a full-time student. I use my laptop to take notes in class, research and study in the library, and work on my homework at home. I am hoping the iPad will let me start leaving my MacBook at home for everything but the most-intensive tasks. I'm going to take a look at how I think the iPad could help me in school, or be problematic.
Pros
Better battery life/Light weight: OK, so the "10 hours of battery life" is likely wishful thinking. But so is the "up to 7 hours" on my MacBook Pro. My best time with the MBP is about four hours, so, it’s not unreasonable to think I'll get about six to seven hours on the iPad.
The iPad can shave three pounds off a college student's shoulders.
My biology book was over five pounds. My MacBook is four. The iPad is 1.5. When you're carrying a ton of books around, weight starts to matter. The iPad can shave nearly three pounds off a college student's shoulders compared to using a MacBook, not to mention the weight savings if you were able to replace most or all of your books with the iPad. Also, its size and function make it very easy to quickly throw into your bag and go — just hit the home button and toss it in your bag. The instant on is nice as well — no more waiting for your MacBook to power up to make a quick note or look something up.
“Bag of Holding” for class materials: In D&D, a bag of holding was how we got around the game’s encumbrance rules. At least one party member would have one, and it became the gigantic suitcase we’d have to sit on to close, but it fit in our pockets. Printing out an entire course-load of lecture materials, lecture supplements, lab reports, sports scores, fantasy draft rules, team standings, notes, research materials and cited sources will quickly bulge a notebook to bursting, requiring industrial-strength banding to keep closed. With an iPad, I can keep all that on a device slightly larger than a composition notebook. Plus, I can quickly adjust my fantasy roster when my starting pitcher ends up needing Tommy John surgery.
Easier to do work in the library: My college has a large, four-story spacious library, yet it seems space and power is always at a premium — no doubt due to one person taking up a large, four-person table. When I'm doing research in the stacks, being able to use the iPad in tight quarters will be a boon. Also, I won't need to worry as much about finding a comfortable table near a power outlet. I'm never comfortable in a chair with my laptop, but I'm hoping the iPad will be a little more comfortable for use sitting down. It will also be great for reviewing class material in the hall before an exam.
No laptop stigmata: Whenever I use a laptop in class, I'm always leery of what the teacher thinks of it. While none have had a problem with it, I've never liked having the laptop screen be a wall between the teacher and I. The iPad will sit on the table and act much more like a traditional notebook.
Single-tasking may let me focus better: In the "I'm a bad student" category, when I'm taking notes, I'm also checking my e-mail, IMing, and following the Red Sox game during periods when the lecture fails to hold my attention. I'm hoping the iPad not being capable of multitasking might help me focus a little better. Say, anyone know how many innings Wakefield went today?
Seriously, though, one of the reasons I don’t take notes by hand is my handwriting is illegible. If I can take notes distraction-free on the iPad, I’ll be thrilled. Yeah, I know I can turn off Wi-Fi and go into full screen mode, but I don’t.
Cons
Lack of e-textbooks: Hopefully this will change, but the Kindle DX was marketed as a potential e-textbook reader, and a quick scan of the textbooks section of the Kindle store yielded slim results. I was able to find my Biology book on CourseSmart, who is claiming to be releasing an iPad version of their reader, but other than that, I came up empty. After lugging around a five-pound biology book last semester, I’d have been thrilled to have a e-textbook. Hopefully, Apple will partner with textbook publishers as part of iBooks, but if Amazon and Barnes & Noble haven’t had much traction here, I’m not betting heavily this will change soon.
No camera: While some people have bemoaned the missing camera for its video chat purposes, in the previously mentioned biology class, I found it a lot easier to take an iPhone pic of a diagram the teacher drew on the board than attempt to recreate it in my notebook. The ability to take a photo on my iPad and quickly integrate it into my notes would be fantastic.
No citation/equation support: OS X Pages does a decent job at handling citations, albeit via third-party tools. Almost all of my papers require some sort of APA citations. While I expect I can get the bulk of a paper written on the iPad, handling citations looks like it could be problematic. Granted, this isn’t a deal-breaker, it’d be easy to simply put the proper citation reference in-place — (Crump 440) — and then insert the proper citation with the source on my MacBook. However, I can see not being able to complete and submit a paper solely on the iPad. I am also admittedly spoiled by technology; I couldn’t build a bibliography by hand now if my grade depended on it. Also, I'm lucky I'm a communications major, but, if you're in a major requiring equations during note taking, this could be a problem — hopefully, there will soon be an app for that.Locked-down/Walled Garden: For the most part, Apple controlling the gates of the App Store hasn't caused me much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Sure, I'd have loved a native Google Voice app, but since I need an Internet connection to use it, I'm OK with a web app. However, if there's a specific application you need for a class, if there isn't a similar app already in the App Store, you're out of luck.
No full-size keyboard (speculation): One of the big unknowns for me is how the keyboard will fare in real-life usage — it might not be that bad, or doing any sort of long-form writing could be unbearable. I'm OK with using the small Apple keyboard (it'll likely be a permanent resident in my carry bag, but I'd love to just use the iPad. Also, the lack of travel is something that bugs me about the Apple keyboard, so the iPad keyboard could be hard for me to get used to. I'm ok with the iPhone keyboard, but that's for light typing and I'm usually using just my thumbs. I'm also leery of touch typing on it.
I'll be getting my iPad on April 3 and my next class starts April 12. I'm looking forward to seeing how this new gadget works in school.
Переслать - Ship Date for New iPad Orders Slips
Facts, supposition, and rumors swirl around the iPad as the April 3 launch nears, the biggest news being Apple has pushed back ship dates for new orders.
As of Saturday, all new orders of Wi-Fi iPads show a ship date of April 12, and the option to reserve a Wi-Fi iPad for local Apple Store pickup has been discontinued. 3G iPads continue to show late April for shipping. Curiously, 9to5Mac has reports of Apple charging credit cards for both the Wi-Fi and 3G iPads, but those remain unsubstantiated rumors.
More substantiated are multiple reports that Best Buy will have a few iPads on April 3. TUAW reports that approximately 675 Best Buys will have just 15 iPads per store on April 3, with an additional 15 possibly coming the following week.
At this point it seems like Apple could be looking at an iPad sellout launch weekend, but what does that mean for you?
If you are a doubter, you might point to everyone’s favorite Asian Apple rumor site passing itself off as a newspaper. According to DigiTimes, Apple has been forced to switch its supplier of touch panels from TPK to Wintek. Of course, last month DigiTimes was blaming Wintek for the iPad launch being delayed until April.
Moving from wild rumors to educated guesses, Apple 2.0 has been following sales estimates from the AAPL Sanity Board at Investor Village. By tracking order numbers submitted by e-mail and accounting for other purchases, the estimated count for pre-orders is now 240,000. That number does not include in-store reservations, educational, and enterprise orders, but Boy Genius Report supposedly had a contact reporting 150,000 iPads reserved for pickup as of March 15.
Regardless of the pre-orders numbers, the slip in ship date by Apple makes it apparent the company is selling every iPad it can make. While that’s good for Apple, it’s bad news for those who haven’t ordered one yet. If you want a Wi-Fi iPad on April 3, your best bet is Best Buy in the morning and an Apple Store in the afternoon. Those who reserved an iPad at an Apple Store have until 3:00 to pick them up, or the units will be returned to the shelves, or more likely to the next person waiting in the “magical” line.
Переслать
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