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Tim Cook Hints at iTunes Plans for NC Data Center

Speaking at the firm’s annual shareholder meeting, Apple COO Time Cook addressed the company’s new data centers, worker mistreatment in China and Apple’s success thus far in that market. Shareholders also rejected a resolution requiring the board to disclose a detailed succession plan.

Cook led the shareholder meeting, stepping in for CEO Steve Jobs in that capacity. Cook fielded questions at the close of the meeting (via CNBC), during which time he addressed Apple’s new North Carolina data center, which will be fully operational this spring. He added that it’s intended to support MobileMe and iTunes, which could mean that rumors of an impending revamp of Apple’s cloud-syncing service are accurate, and that Apple might indeed be intending to offer the service free to all owners of its devices, as the Wall Street Journal had previously reported. At the time, the WSJ also reported that MobileMe would become a cloud-based “locker” of photos, audio and video, which would also explain the need for a massive new data center.

That he mentioned iTunes also suggests that Apple could be looking to significantly expand its streaming services. Apple currently offers streaming video content for Apple TV users, but the added capacity provided by the new, huge NC facility could easily accomodate the long-rumored iTunes streaming subscription service.

Cook also deflected a question about recent allegations of worker mistreatment at supplier factories in China, saying that if it hadn’t been reported on ESPN or CNBC, he hadn’t seen it. He went on to talk about Apple’s efforts to improve health and safety standards among its suppliers.

As for the meeting itself, it saw the defeat of a shareholder proposal that Apple prepare a detailed succesion plan. I argued that such a plan would be bad idea in an earlier piece, and it seems that Apple’s shareholders agreed, since the proposal appears to have been defeated according to a preliminary count of votes made by proxy prior to the meeting. Votes made at the meeting still have to be tabulated, but the results of the initial count almost always win out.

In addition to the succession planning vote, there was one other shareholder proposal voted on at the meeting. It allows shareholders to prevent the election of board directors who run without opposition from being acclaimed by witholding their votes. Surprisingly, since it was opposed by Apple and generally expected not to succeed, this second motion passed the preliminary vote.

A vote to approve Apple’s existing board members also passed, with all seven members remaining intact, including Steve Jobs. Apple’s other board members are William Campbell, Millard Drexler, Albert Gore, Andrea Jung, Arthur Levinson and Ronald Sugar.

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iPad 2: My Hopes and Dreams for Business Use
Ten months into using it, I'm finding the iPad to be my preferred mobile working platform. When I leave the house these days, my iPad is what I take with me, not my MacBook. The only reason my MacBook makes the trip is if I'm going to play World of Warcraft, or I really need access to a local file storage.

It's not all gumdrops and unicorn tears, though. There are some serious shortcomings I hope Apple fixes in future hardware and software releases, and the unveiling of the next generation of iPad Mar. 2 is a perfect opportunity to see some of these dreams realized. Here’s what I’d love to see, from a business user’s perspective.

Hardware

Matte Screen. It seems I always get stuck under a light when I’m typing on my iPad. The resulting glare is killer. I really hope Apple gives us a matte screen as an option. This will also make reading outdoors a whole lot easier, rendering Amazon’s Kindle ad campaign less potent.

Rear-facing Camera. It’s a given the next iPad will have a camera, most likely a front-facing one for FaceTime. However, for business uses, I’m a strong advocate of a rear-facing camera. While the iPad isn’t a good alternative to an iPhone as an out-and-about camera, when I’m in meetings or a lecture, I’d miss having the rear camera to integrate a picture of the whiteboard into my notes. Also, I can see the rear-facing camera as a huge boon to field service personnel.

Support for Bluetooth Remotes. This may be a software issue, but I’m hoping Apple allows me to use a Bluetooth remote when giving presentations with the iPad. Right now, the lack of any remote for iOS Keynote is a major downfall.

Pass-through Accessories. The VGA dock connector is great, but Apple needs to make a solution where I can use that and charge my iPad at the same time for when I’m giving presentations. I also tend to hook up my iPad to a monitor for watching videos, so being able to charge and watch is a definite necessity.

Software

Centralized Document Storage. The biggest problem I have with the current iPad is how hard it is to move data from one app to another in iOS. Plus, using iTunes to side-load a file into an app’s sandbox is cumbersome. My hope is Apple creates a Documents app similar to the Photos app. If you connect a USB storage device, it would ask if you want to import files (and allow you to choose which ones are imported), and it would make these files available to all applicable third-party apps. This will greatly improve interoperability.

Uploading in Mobile Safari. The second biggest problem is that Mobile Safari can’t upload files.This is a gigantic pain. It means I can’t use my iPad to upload files via my school’s Blackboard, insert inline pictures with WordPress’s web UI, send files using a corporate webmail client, or do just about anything else involving uploading from the web.

Better Bluetooth Control. I mentioned I want Bluetooth remote support, but overall, I need better control of my Bluetooth devices. For starters, the Bluetooth range is a little long — I’ve walked 50′ away from my keyboard and still had it paired. This is fantastic for a remote, but a pain when I need to type on the virtual keyboard. Unfortunately, the only “clean” way I’ve found to shut off the keyboard and not have to re-pair it is to shut off Bluetooth altogether. I’d like to be able to pause an attached device, or specify a smaller range.

Overall, I’m fairly happy with using my iPad as a mobile writing platform. It has its limitations, but I think the advantages outweigh the negatives. It’s lighter than my MacBook, it’s a wonderful device to read and surf on, and when I need to bang out some copy with a Bluetooth keyboard it’s fantastic. I’m going to be at a local four-day convention soon and I won’t be bringing my MacBook with me; everything I need to do, I can do on my iPad. Even still, improvements like these will go a long way towards removing some of the iPad’s limitations.

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Apple iPad Event Confirmed for March 2
Apple sent out invitations for its next official event Wednesday morning. The event will take place Wednesday, March 2 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts at 10 a.m. PST, and the graphic accompanying the invitation suggests the iPad 2 will indeed be unveiled at the event.

Yesterday, AllThingsD reported that its sources had indicated an event would indeed be taking place March 2, but Apple declined to make any official comment at the time. The next iPad is expected to introduce FaceTime support with at least one camera (front-facing), and a thinner, sleeker design. Many other rumors about what the update could bring to the platform abound, including improved display quality and alternate case materials.

In addition to the image of a calendar icon peeling at one corner to reveal an iPad, the invitation also includes the slogan “Come see what 2011 will be the year of.” That’s clearly a play on the assertion by many in the tech industry that 2011 was indeed the year of the iPad.

We’ll have coverage of the event and any product announcements right here next Wednesday, so stay tuned.

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Thunderbolt: Apple's Port to End All Ports?
As Apple prepares to refresh its MacBook Pro line of notebook computers, it’s beginning to look like a pretty safe bet that it will introduce a new I/O port called “Thunderbolt” in combination with the new devices, based on Intel’s Light Peak specification. It makes a lot of sense, since Apple worked with Intel in developing Light Peak. But why do devices need this port, and what might Apple have planned for it in the future?

First, let’s look a little into Light Peak, how it works and what it can do. Light Peak is an optical cable interface designed by Intel with a bandwidth of 10 Gbps currently, with the potential to ultimately scale to rates of over 100 Gbps over the course of its life. The main benefit of Light Peak is that it provides enough bandwidth to both replace data connectors such as SCSI, USB, SATA and FireWire, while at the same time handling the duties of higher performance ports like eSATA and DisplayPort (or Mini DisplayPort, in the case of Apple computers).

Put simply, Light Peak is designed to cover all the bases. In theory, that means it could allow Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pros to connect to an Apple Cinema Display, for instance, with just one cable, providing both A/V and multiple data stream connections between the two devices simultaneously. It’s the ultimate single-cord solution.

Getting people to use new port standards isn’t easy, however. USB is firmly entrenched, and even its successor, USB 3.0, hasn’t made much headway yet. But I think Apple has very ambitious long-term plans for Thunderbolt, because in theory at least, the Light Peak-based standard could eliminate the need for port differentiation altogether. Since Light Peak’s capacity ceiling is still a long way off, and because of its versatility, it’s the perfect way for Apple to begin the gradual transition to an utterly wireless future, since in theory, it should be able to satisfy even power user demands for years to come.

Imagine a future where every port running down the side of your MacBook is the same, and all of your devices can connect to any one of them in order to perform their intended function, including data drives, external displays and even your power adapter. It seems utopian, but Light Peak offers the potential to make that future a reality, and with Apple’s ever-growing market share (and influence), it’s in a better position than ever to help usher that future in.

Apple could throw even more weight behind Light Peak or Thunderbolt adoption by using its considerable leverage as a mobile device maker. Rumors suggest it may already be doing just that, if it’s indeed building a Thunderbolt port into the upcoming iPad 2. The iPad has an entire cottage industry dedicated specifically to making peripherals for just one device, so it wouldn’t be terribly hard to get some of them onboard with creating Thunderbolt-capable accessories. And if said accessories are cross-compatible between iOS (iPhone, too, down the road?) and OS X devices, it shouldn’t take long before we see a healthy cross-section of peripheral manufacturers adopting the standard.

In the bigger picture, with advances in NFC and other wireless communication standards like Wi-Fi Direct, hardware ports and connections are slowly becoming less and less important. Eventually, if technological development continues at its current pace, we may do away with them altogether. But before that happens, I think we could see Apple make a serious move toward a hardware I/O standard that allow it to further simplify its minimalist design principles. After all, this is the company that once famously said of the iPad, “you already know how to use it.” Why not embrace a port that works the same way?

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MacBook Pro Specs Leaked, Include New "Thunderbolt" Port
Just yesterday, we discussed what you might expect to see from Apple’s next generation of MacBook Pro portables. Now, a new round of rumors sheds a little more light on some potential specific hardware details, including the introduction of a new high-speed multipurpose port called “Thunderbolt.”

AppleInsider is reporting the new 13-inch MacBook Pro will include a 2.3GHz Core i5 processor, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320 GB HDD, and a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 1280×800. Graphics duties will be handled by an Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated card, and it’ll also sport a rebranded FaceTime HD camera. The 13-inch Pro is also rumored to introduce SDXC support, and a new high-speed data port/display connector dubbed “Thunderbolt,” based on Intel’s Light Peak technology.

The specs are supported by a shot of the MacBook Pro box posted by Fscklog that is said to depict the specs of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both AppleInsider and Mac4Ever have also received photos which show the new branding for the Thunderbolt High-speed I/O port. There’s also an image which claims to show the new Thunderbolt port, which, if the photo is accurate, looks exactly like Apple’s Mini DisplayPort on current machines. This makes sense, since the new tech is supposed to be backward-compatible with Mini DisplayPort connectors.

MacRumors claims to have separately confirmed that these are indeed legitimate images and specs, and that they depict the configuration of the low-end, 13-inch MacBook Pro configuration.

Meanwhile, SlashGear is reporting the higher-end 13-inch MacBook Pro will get a third USB port, along with the option to go with a matte screen capable of 1440×900 resolution. The 15-inch model will apparently be able to handle 1680×1050, and weigh 200g less than the previous iteration. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro will actually be gaining weight, 300g, to be exact, and have 8GB of RAM standard, according to SlashGear. Battery life is said to be increasing to between 11 and 12 hours, depending on the model.

These new rumors, especially those concerning the 13-inch MacBook Pro, seem to be standing on fairly solid ground. If Apple is indeed intending to reveal new machines on Thursday, and if they go on sale the same day, then it’s likely retailers are already in position of the new models, so the possibility of a genuine leak is quite high. There’s also the fact that Intel is planning to announce Light Peak at an event Thursday, timing which seems too perfect to be coincidental.

The inclusion of Light Peak tech as Thunderbolt also makes a lot of sense, since it appears to be backward-compatible with Mini DisplayPort tech. That means the general population will continue to use it as a display connector, while tech enthusiasts and early adopters can take advantage of its I/O capabilities. And, if Apple is building Thunderbolt into the next iPad, as rumors that it might include a Mini DisplayPort-sized opening suggest, it could make for lightning-quick transfers and syncs between desktop and iOS devices down the road.

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Infographic: The Selling Power of the iPad
A new report from online publishing company Yudu Media presents a very convincing case that when it comes to marketing and audience, few devices (tablets or otherwise) can compare with the iPad. The report collects the findings of a number of different surveys and research outlets, painting a picture of a device tailor-made to sell content, products and services. Here’s a picture of some of the more noteworthy findings within Yudu’s report (click for a larger version):

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How to Keep iPhoto Events in Order With Time Adjustments
We have all seen it happen: the bride kissing the groom before the father has a chance to give his daughter away. I’m speaking, of course, about the sorting of photos in an iPhoto Event. Taking the time to sync the internal clocks on each camera you own is always good, but there is a way to adjust the time of all of your photos in your library itself, too.

Take Photos of the Current Time in Safari

First, you’ll need a photo of the current time taken from each camera whose internal clock is out of sync. Be sure to disable the flash to avoid screen glare before you complete these steps:
1. Launch Safari on your Mac and open the URL of an established “time authority” that will display the current time (http://www.time.gov/ for example).
2. Using each camera, take a photo of Safari as it displays the correct time.
3. Import the photo of the correct time from each camera into your iPhoto Library.
Create Smart Albums for Each Camera Model

Now that you have photos of the correct time imported into your iPhoto Library from each camera you own, you will need to isolate the photos for each camera:
1. From the File menu on iPhoto, create a new Smart Album (one for each camera).
2. Use the drop down list to set the “Camera Model” condition of the Smart Album to match the relevant camera model for each album you create.
3. Keep creating Smart Albums until you have a unique Smart Album for each camera.
More Than One Camera of the Same Model

If you happen to have multiple cameras of the same model, then you must add a second field, “Any Text” to the conditions of the Smart Album and set the value for this field will be set to the serial number of the camera as follows:
1. Select one of the photos for each camera of the same model.
2. From iPhoto’s File menu, select “Reveal in Finder” to show where the original photo is located in the Finder and open the photo using the Preview application.
3. From Preview’s Tools menu, select the “Show Inspector” menu item and navigate to the EXIF tab to find the value of the serial number.
4. Enter the serial number as the value for the “Any Text” condition of the Smart Album.
5. Again, keep creating Smart Albums until you have one unique Smart Album for each camera.
Determine the Time Adjustment for Each Camera

By comparing the time represented in the photo to the time stamp on the picture itself, you can determine the amount of the adjustment that must be made. To determine the adjustment for each camera:
1. Select only the photo of the correct time as it was displayed in Safari within each Smart Album.
2. From the Photo menu in iPhoto, select the “Adjust Date and Time…” menu item and copy down the time difference between the time shown in the photo and the time stamp of the image file.
3. Click cancel, and repeat for each camera’s Smart Album.
Adjust the Time for Each Camera

Now that you have a unique Smart Album defined for each camera, and you know the exact time adjustment required for each camera, all that’s left to do is adjusting the time for all photos in the iPhoto Library for each camera.
1. Select one of the Smart Albums you created and select all of the photos in the same Smart Album.
2. ‘From the Photo menu in iPhoto, select the “Adjust Date and Time…” menu item and modify the date/time of all of the photos in these Smart Library, using the interval you discovered when comparing the time displayed in the image to the time stamp of the photo from that camera.
3. Be sure to check “Modify original files.”
4. Click Adjust, and repeat for each camera’s Smart Album.
It may seem like a lot of work, but once you’ve done it once, it should hopefully help keep your iPhoto Events in chronological working order for a long time to come, without requiring you to make manual changes each to the metadata of each photo you add.

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Report: iPad 2 Event Set for March 2 [Updated]
Update: Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller contacted me shortly after this post went live to let me know that Apple’s official position is that the company doesn’t comment on rumor, and it hasn’t announced an event at this time.

Apple will announce the iPad 2 at a press event next Wednesday, Mar. 2, according to AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher. The date is said to be confirmed by several sources close to the situation. If true, press invites to the announcement will likely follow soon.

Swisher seems 100 percent confident in the date, and it’s in keeping with rumors we’ve been hearing of late that an announcement was imminent, and that Apple’s next iPad would begin shipping in or around April. No further details about the event were revealed, besides that it will take place in San Francisco. Swisher predicts the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts as the location of the event, since Apple has held pressers there many times in the past. We reached out to Apple for confirmation, and will update this post if we receive word either way.

iPad 2 rumors indicate we’ll likely see a smaller, thinner device that works on both GSM and CDMA networks, with at least one camera and FaceTime capabilities. Other rumored new features, like a Mini DisplayPort and NFC capabilities, remain less of a certainty.

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What to Expect From the New MacBook Pro
The buzz surrounding a new MacBook Pro release from Apple is reaching a crescendo, and there’s reason to suspect a new model is just around the corner. So what can you expect from Apple’s next generation of power-packing portable?

The MacBook Air Inheritance

Apple finally updated the long-neglected MacBook Air last fall, and the changes the update brought turned the ultra-portable from red-headed stepchild to starring player. Apple would be crazy not to try injecting some of that magic back into the Pro lineup. Here’s a look at what Air-inspired changes might make their way into the new MacBook Pro.

Flash Storage

Some have speculated Apple will move to flash storage for the MacBook Pro, just like it did with the MacBook Air. Flash storage would save space inside the case, and help the computer run faster and more efficiently. The most recent rumors (via BGR) suggest that while new MacBook Pro base models won’t include only SSD storage by default, they will offer small, separate SSD drives (between 8-16 GB in capacity) to exclusively house the operating system, while remaining system storage will still be handled by a regular hard-disk drive. Pricier upgrade options will allow users to choose to use SSDs exclusively for internal storage.

It’s a rumor that makes a lot of sense, actually, since it lets Apple offer the large storage capacities Pro users often look for in their notebooks while still providing the instant-on advantages of a flash-based OS X installation. Going with a hybrid model will keep costs low for base configurations, allowing Apple to hold on to its margins.

Lighter and Smaller

The MacBook Air also lost weight and girth with its last update, and we saw the introduction of an 11-inch model. I don’t think a smaller screen size is in the cards for a Pro refresh, but we’ll definitely see weight savings.

Apple managed to fit its multi-touch glass trackpad and new, long-lasting battery tech in the MacBook Air, which suggests it learned lessons about how to make those components much smaller and lighter than they had been before. The new MacBook Pro will reap the benefit of these advances, getting lighter in the process. Rumors suggest we’ll see a half-pound weight savings, which wouldn’t surprise me.

I doubt we’ll see a dramatic change in the overall physical footprint of the Pro models, since Apple will want to keep up the product differentiation between the Air and the Pro. We might see a tapered design, but changes to overall thickness will be minimal. In terms of outward appearance, some rumors also suggest we’ll see a larger trackpad, which could make sense if Apple has found a way to save internal space on that component’s design.

Better Display

The MacBook Air introduced a high-resolution display that many designers I’ve spoken with say more than makes up for its diminutive screen size. Since it introduced the Retina Display in the iPhone 4, Apple has seemed intent on distinguishing itself even further from its competitors when it comes to screen quality, although the company has always prided itself on its success in that area.

New MacBook Pros will likely leverage the same screen technology introduced with the MacBook Air to bring slight but visible improvements to resolution and pixel density. The same sort of step-up resolution is a good possibility. (The 11-inch Air provides the resolution typically associated with a 13-inch screen.)

Of Ports and Processors

Inside and out, the new MacBook Pro is expected to be a new machine. Rumors suggest the Pro will use Intel’s new Sandy Bridge family of processors, which were initially delayed when Intel discovered a flaw in the chipset’s design. With those problems reportedly ironed out, Apple could introduce the new generation of chips, which provide new Pros with better processing speeds and energy consumption.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is especially in need of a processor refresh, since it still uses an Intel Core 2 Duo chip, while the 15- and 17-inch models have moved on to Intel’s i5 and i7 series processors. Improved graphics cards are also a likely bet for all models.

Some rumors suggest Apple will be adopting Light Peak technology in the new Pro notebooks. Light Peak is an Intel-developed connection interface that provides more than double the transfer rates of USB 3.0. Apple worked with Intel to develop the technology as a means of replacing USB and FireWire. Light Peak is capable of transferring an entire Blu-ray movie in less than 30 seconds.

The possibility of Light Peak’s introduction with this round of MacBook Pro updates is far from a sure thing. On one hand, Apple introduced FireWire soon after it was completed, and before it was widely adopted. On the other hand, the company was slow to introduce USB to its products, and might be reluctant to add a port that as yet, means little or nothing to most consumers. Our own Liam Cassidy thinks it’s very unlikely we’ll see Light Peak this time around.

Not Long to Wait

We should find out soon enough what Apple has in store for this round of updates. Reports of Apple employee briefings and delayed shipments put a release date at sometime within a week, possibly even Thursday, which also happens to be Steve Jobs’ birthday. What are you hoping to see?

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Jobs: New In-App Subscription Rules Just for Publishers
Considering the controversy surrounding Apple’s new in-app purchasing rules, Steve Jobs was bound to provide an email response to a concerned user/developer at some point. That happened yesterday, when one dev reportedly emailed Jobs regarding his concern that the new subscription rules would endanger Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps. With typical Jobs-ian brevity, Steve sent the following reply (via MacRumors):

We created subscriptions for publishing apps, not SaaS apps.

The email exchange follows the recent rejection of the Readability app for not abiding by the in-app subscription App Store guidelines. Readability is an app that provides users with stripped-down, ad-free versions of web-based content for the sake of easier reading. The app’s developers announced yesterday that they had received a rejection notice for violating the terms of the new in-app subscription rules, and posted their reply to Apple, in which they argued that the policy was unfair and suggested they would remain focused on web-based solutions, rather than comply with Apple’s revenue sharing model.

Readability works by allowing users to pay a monthly subscription of their choosing (beginning at $5.00). That revenue is split 70/30 between the creators of the content (writers and publishers) and 30 percent goes to maintaining and building Readability itself. The app’s developers argue that if Apple takes a 30 percent cut, the whole basis of their business model is undermined.

Some, like Marco Arment, took Readability’s rejection as a sign that Apple was indeed planning on clamping down on all subscription-based apps, even those that merely offered users access to subscription-based services they’d signed up for on the web, such as Dropbox. Jobs’ reply seems to suggest that in fact, those apps won’t be affected. Looked at objectively, Readability seems to fall under the blanket category of “publisher” much more easily than do services like Dropbox and other SaaS apps like Evernote. Presumably, SaaS apps that chose to do so will still be able to access Apple’s in-app subscription tools, though we’ll have to wait and see if anyone decides to use them.

Of course, like other App Store guidelines, Apple’s in-app subscription policy is far from crystal clear, and leaves plenty of room for interpretation. The guidelines are designed like that on purpose to allow Apple plenty of wiggle room when deciding what applications are and aren’t allowed in the App Store. By keeping the definition of “publisher” nebulous, it can take stock of developer and customer response to its policy implementation and soften or crack down accordingly. Do streaming video providers like Netflix and Hulu count as SaaS apps, or publishers under Apple’s guidelines, for instance? How Apple decides to interpret their role could allow it to save relationships with major content partners that add value to the iOS platform.

For now at least, Apple’s interpretation of its new rules will spare SaaS providers, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe forever. Apple didn’t need to change its policy to block the sale of e-books through means other than in-app purchasing, it just changed the way it chose to recognize and enforce its own guidelines. If it makes business sense down the road, there’s no reason Apple couldn’t similarly change the way it views in-app subscriptions, too.

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