Monday, January 25, 2010

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) (13 сообщений)

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  • Noby Noby Boy demoed at Apple Store in Japan

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    This one might require a little patience to watch, but those interested will be rewarded well, I think. The footage above is from an Apple Store in Toyko's Ginza shopping district, where none other than Keita Takahashi showed up to demo his latest iPhone game. Who's Keito Takahashi? He's the gaming auteur behind Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy, two of the weirdest yet most fascinating games of the last decade or so, and he's bringing Noby Noby Boy to the iPhone.

    Unfortunately, the above demo is in Japanese, but you can see what kinds of thinking is going into the game. It looks like he's completely revamping the game as a top-down physics-based version of the already very strange PS3 version. We would provide you with some more explanation, but it probably won't make things any clearer: the object of the game is to stretch out a little creature named BOY, and at the end of the level, your stretched length adds up with all the other players of the game online to another creature called GIRL, who is currently reaching out into the solar system. Told you it wouldn't help.

    Nevertheless, it's pretty fascinating just to watch the four videos (start here) and see what weirdness transpires in the video -- there are some interesting touchscreen controls, and lots of quick physics on the items bouncing around the iPhone's screen. It's not that great as an actual game preview, but that might not matter much anyway: Takahashi said a while back that whenever this weird monstrosity does release on Apple's handheld, "price-wise might be like free." We can't wait to see it.

    [via Panic]

    TUAWNoby Noby Boy demoed at Apple Store in Japan originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - Noby Boy - Keita Takahashi - Katamari Damacy - App Store
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  • Belkin releases FM transmitter with iPhone app for finding clear stations

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    Belkin has announced the release of their latest FM transmitter for the iPhone and iPod touch, the TuneCast Auto Live. You know these things -- they plug into your iPhone or iPod touch's dock connector, and then send a local FM signal out to your car's radio, enabling wireless transmission of your music or podcasts. I've got a Belkin transmitter already (the TuneCast Auto -- more on that in a second), but I'm interested in this new one, because it can be used with a free iPhone app [iTunes link] that will actually use your iPhone's GPS information to find a good station for you right away.

    That seems helpful -- my current issue with my Belkin is that here in Los Angeles, where the radio stations are almost as thick as the fast food joints, I can't seem to find a solid station to keep it on that's clear enough to actually listen to. If you're in a busy urban area, there's so many signals flying around that these transmitters are more or less useless. I don't know if the GPS app would help me (seems like I'd have to keep changing the car's station while I move even if I could find a clear signal here in the city), but if you're in the market for an FM transmitter and are in a place with a little more room on the radio dial, the $79.99 TuneCast is as good a choice as any. As for me, I'll probably go for an aux hookup straight into my dash the next time I have some car audio upgrade money.

    TUAWBelkin releases FM transmitter with iPhone app for finding clear stations originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - App Store - IpodTouch - Apple - Radio
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  • Considering parenthood? There's an app for that

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    In just a few days, a UK couple will welcome their "iPhone baby."

    After three years of unsuccessful attempts at pregnancy, the couple downloaded an unnamed fertility calculator app. The mother-to-be, who wishes to remain anonymous, entered her temperature and other information daily. The app then did the necessary calculations to determine when she'd be most fertile. Just two months later, the couple had a little one on the way.

    Since the Telegraph story doesn't name the app the couple used, we've gathered a few with similar functionality:
    1. Fertility and Pregnancy Calculator [iTunes link] Much like the app in the story, this one will help a woman determine when she's most fertile. After that, she can use it to track Jr.'s development. Free.
    2. iFertility [iTunes link] iFertility helps women track their Basal Body Temperature and adds an option to share logs with her doctor either via the app or email. $1.99
    3. Fertility Foods [iTunes link] This ebook for the iPhone and iPod touch by Dr. Jeremy Groll presents a diet-based method of increasing ovulation and getting pregnant. Dr. Groll is an OB/GYN specializing in the treatment of infertile couples. This book is an Iceburg Reader book, which are very well done. $15.99
    A Barry White album wouldn't hurt, either.

    As a parent of toddlers, I get much use out of Pocket God [iTunes link], which my 6-year-old loves, PicPosterous [iTunes link] for uploading snapshots to a family gallery and Pickin' Time [iTunes link], which both the 6-year-old and 5-year-old love. We even used Ambiance [iTunes link] for my son when we left his white noise machine at home while on vacation.

    Last week an iPhone app helped save a life, and this week it helped create one. The tablet better have some REAL magic up its sleeve in order to top that.

    TUAWConsidering parenthood? There's an app for that originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - App Store - Apple - IpodTouch - iTunes
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  • Liveblog: Apple's Q1 2010 results conference call

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    Thanks for joining TUAW for our liveblog of Apple's first quarter 2010 earnings conference call.

    If you've never joined us for a liveblog before, it's a blast. You can send us your questions or comments as the phone call is progressing. We'll be supplying our "expert commentary," but we invite your inquiries and opinions as well. Just use the CoverItLive tool below to join in.

    To listen to the phone call, you can tune in at http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/21alert_results.html. After the phone call has been completed, you can revisit our liveblog at this page and listen to the phone call at the same URL.


    TUAWLiveblog: Apple's Q1 2010 results conference call originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Apple - CoverItLive - Apple Financial - TUAW - Conference call
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  • Apple 2010 Q1 earnings announced... and they're magnificent

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    Apple's press release discussing the FY10 Q1 earnings (the December '09 calendar quarter) has been transmitted to the ether, and the SEC has the form 10-Q. You can read the whole thing at Apple's investor relations page, but let us sum up: goodness gracious. Earnings per share (under GAAP rules) were at $3.67, with a total revenue number of $15.68B; net profit was $3.38B. Mac sales for the quarter hit 3.36 million and iPhone sales came in at 8.7 million (under analyst estimates of 9.1 million). The company has over $23B in cash and short-term investments.

    Ahead of today's earnings news, AAPL was up over 2.5 percent for the day, closing at 203.07; market mood monitor Piqqem had analyst estimates largely bullish at $2.07 EPS and $12.05B in revenue. Join us momentarily for our liveblog of the analysts' call at 5 pm ET.

    One more thing: a quote from Steve Jobs. "The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we're really excited about." Us too.

    Disclosure: I hold a small, long-term position in AAPL.

    See the full release below.

    Apple Reports First Quarter Results

    All-Time Highest Revenue and Profit
    New Accounting Standards Adopted

    CUPERTINO, California-January 25, 2010-Apple(R) today announced financial results for its fiscal 2010 first quarter ended December 26, 2009. The Company posted revenue of $15.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion, or $3.67 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $11.88 billion and net quarterly profit of $2.26 billion, or $2.50 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.9 percent, up from 37.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 58 percent of the quarter's revenue.

    Apple sold 3.36 million Macintosh(R) computers during the quarter, representing a 33 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 100 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 21 million iPods during the quarter, representing an eight percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

    During the quarter Apple elected retrospective adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's amended accounting standards* related to certain revenue recognition. Adoption of the new accounting standards significantly changes how the Company accounts for certain items, particularly sales of iPhone(R) and Apple TV(R).

    "If you annualize our quarterly revenue, it's surprising that Apple is now a $50+ billion company," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we're really excited about."

    "We are very pleased to have generated $5.8 billion in cash during the quarter," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO. "Looking ahead to the second fiscal quarter of 2010, we expect revenue in the range of about $11.0 billion to $11.4 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share in the range of about $2.06 to $2.18."

    Apple will provide live streaming of its Q1 2010 financial results conference call utilizing QuickTime(R), Apple's standards-based technology for live and on-demand audio and video streaming. The live webcast will begin at 2:00 p.m. PST on January 25, 2010 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq110/ and will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

    *Retrospective Adoption of Amended Accounting Standards

    On September 23, 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ratified Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue 08-1 and EITF Issue 09-3, resulting in the issuance of accounting standard updates ASU 2009-13 and ASU 2009-14. Apple was required to adopt the new accounting standards no later than the first quarter of fiscal 2011. Apple elected to adopt the new standards during the first quarter of fiscal 2010, as reflected in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 26, 2009, which was filed with the SEC on January 25, 2010. The Company also filed a Form 10-K/A to amend its Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2009 solely to reflect the retrospective adoption of the new accounting standards to the periods presented in that report. Additionally, Apple filed a Form 8-K that included selected quarterly financial schedules reflecting the impact of retrospective adoption of the new accounting standards and reconciling the application of old and new accounting principles to historical income statements, balance sheets, cash flow from operations, deferred revenue and summary data information. These financial schedules will also be available on the Company's website at www.apple.com/investor.

    The new accounting principles result in the Company's recognition of substantially all of the revenue and product cost for iPhone and Apple TV when those products are delivered to customers. Under historical accounting principles, the Company was required to account for sales of both iPhone and Apple TV using subscription accounting because the Company indicated it might from time to time provide future unspecified software upgrades and features for those products free of charge. Under subscription accounting, revenue and associated product cost of sales for iPhone and Apple TV were deferred at the time of sale and recognized on a straight-line basis over each product's estimated economic life. This resulted in the deferral of significant amounts of revenue and cost of sales related to iPhone and Apple TV.

    Because Apple began selling both iPhone and Apple TV in fiscal 2007, the Company retrospectively adopted the new accounting principles as if the new accounting principles had been applied in all prior periods. Consequently, the financial results of each quarter from fiscal 2007 through fiscal 2009 have been revised. The Company believes retrospective adoption provides analysts and investors the most comparable and useful financial information and better reflects the underlying performance of the Company's business.

    For additional information refer to the "Explanatory Note" in Apple's Amendment No. 1 to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2009.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company's estimated revenue and earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company's reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company's products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company's gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company's need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company's business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company's dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; the Company's reliance on the availability of third-party digital content and applications; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company's dependency on the performance of distributors and other resellers of the Company's products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company's sales and operating profits; the Company's reliance on sole service providers for iPhone in certain countries; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; potential litigation from the matters investigated by the special committee of the board of directors and the restatement of the Company's consolidated financial statements; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the Company's public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 26, 2009 and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 26, 2009. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

    TUAWApple 2010 Q1 earnings announced... and they're magnificent originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - Apple - Steve Jobs - Financial Accounting Standards Board - IPod
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  • Frog Design releases 1983 tablet prototypes

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    It's this week! It's almost a sure bet that we'll finally, after all of these years, see the Apple tablet unveiled this week, and to celebrate, Frog Design (the company responsible for many of Apple's designs back in the day) has given Wired some old shots of prototype tablets from the Cupertino company ... from 1983. Of course, Apple has released tablet-like devices before, and they've been thinking about this type of computer for a long time. But back in 1983, they apparently commissioned some concepts for an unreleased tablet called "Bashful" (so called because it was designed to work with the Snow White "industrial design language" that Apple used back then in the //c and other releases.

    As you can see above, the tablet isn't exactly "elegant" by today's standards, but it is interesting how similar it actually is to many of today's smartphones and handhelds, considering that we're talking about almost 30 years ago now. One model had a floppy drive attached (which was gigantic), and apparently they even considered a version with a phone on it as well. We still don't know for sure what Apple's release this week will look like, but it's fascinating to think just how far back the planning for this week's unveiling actually went.

    TUAWFrog Design releases 1983 tablet prototypes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Apple - Frog Design - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Floppy disk - Cupertino California
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  • Tower Defense + Twitter = Tweet Defense

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    I don't know if this is a great idea or an invitation to clog up your Twitter feed with inanity (go ahead, hit me with your best shot in the comments on that open invitation), but Tweet Defense takes the usual tower defense game to a new "social" level by upgrading your towers based on how much you tweet. What's the worst that could happen, right? Slidetoplay says it'll debut at $.99, but what price could you put on leveling up via Twitter, really?"

    [Via Joystiq]

    TUAWTower Defense + Twitter = Tweet Defense originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - Twitter - IPod Touch - Tower defense - Apple
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  • Vodafone sells 100K iPhones in 7 days

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    Last September, Vodafone announced their intention to sell the iPhone in the UK and Ireland "...in early 2010." They spent most of 2009 prepping their networks for the traffic that the iPhone would bring. Now they've finally thrown the switch and sold 100,000 iPhones in just seven days. Vodafone announced the milestone via Twitter on Friday.

    Wider distribution in the UK has benefited Apple. Orange's exclusivity in France ended last April when the Paris Appeals Court ruled that the intended 5-year exclusivity arrangement was uncompetitive to other French carriers. Since then, Apple's market share jumped to 32 percent in the latest quarter from 21 percent just three months earlier.

    It makes one wonder what kind of dark pact Apple has with AT&T that maintains exclusivity in the US. In my own experience, "Fewer bars in more places" is a hindrance that hurts the iPhone. Most consumers don't separate the network's performance from the iPhone's capabilities, and walk away saying, "My iPhone just couldn't make calls."

    Vodafone is the fourth network in the UK to carry the iPhone, the other three being O2, Orange, and Tesco Mobile. Come on, Apple. Look to our European neighbors and give AT&T the boot.

    TUAWVodafone sells 100K iPhones in 7 days originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - Apple - Vodafone - Tesco Mobile - Orange
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  • Flurry sees fifty devices that look like tablets

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    Mobile analytics firm Flurry tracks usage of mobile apps and lo and behold, look at what popped up this week. There are 50 devices running iPhone OS 3.2 within the Apple Campus.

    Flurry also reports that they've been tracking 200 apps across 50 devices since October of last year, and that usage has really ramped up in the last few weeks. Internal testing typically increases sharply just prior to a release. Flurry's report doesn't give a lot of concrete evidence that these devices are tablets, but they do note that "...we have a fair level of confidence that we are observing a group of pre‐release tablets in testing." If only they had shared what raised their "level of confidence."

    As you can see from the chart above, the majority of these devices are running games, with the entertainment and news & books categories tied for 2nd place. Apps in the lifestyle category come in third. Flurry also reports that they've been tracking activity on these 50 devices since October of last year, and that usage has really ramped up in the last few weeks.

    It's interesting for developers to note that the devices seem to be running iPhone apps. If they are tablets, that means it'll be easy to move applications over (though we don't have any information on how they will scale or the final resolution for the device).

    At the end of the day, we have data collected by Flurry from apps installed on 50 or so devices placed inside Apple via geolocation that are running on iPhone OS 3.2. They could be tablets -- rumors have suggested that the tablet's release is delaying the next iPhone OS upgrade -- or they could be test unit iPhones running an unreleased version of the OS. Either way, two things are certain:
    1. There's cool stuff inside 1 Infinite Loop
    2. All of this conjecture will end on Wednesday
    OK, so number 2 is a "probably."

    [Via Engadget]

    TUAWFlurry sees fifty devices that look like tablets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    IPhone - Apple - flurry - Operating system - InfiniteLoop
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  • Apple FY10 First Quarter results conference call liveblog

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    Apple announces its fiscal year 2010 first quarter results today at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT, and TUAW will be liveblogging the event.
    Apple's first quarter was the quarter ending December 31, 2009, including the always-important holiday buying season.

    You can join in on the call several ways. First, you can listen in on the streaming audio from the event by opening www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq110/ in your favorite browser at the appointed time. Second, come back to TUAW at about 4:50 PM ET / 1:50 PM PT and sign into our liveblog tool CoverItLive to add your questions or comments.

    If you can't make it to the liveblog, the entire transcript will be available for your reading pleasure after the event. A recording of the conference call will be available at the Apple URL listed in the previous paragraph.

    TUAWApple FY10 First Quarter results conference call liveblog originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Apple - CoverItLive - Conference call - AppleFinancial - Streaming media
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  • Mac OS X 10.6.3 out to devs

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    The third major update to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is getting closer to appearing in Software Update. A new beta of Mac OS X 10.6.3 (build 10D538) was released to a limited number of Apple developers last Friday.

    The Friday beta includes an update to QuickTime X that enhances reliability, security, and compatibility. The release also provides performance-enhancing tweaks for Apple's 64-bit Logic Pro audio suite, better compatibility with a host of printers, and applications that use OpenGL.

    Apple is asking developers to evaluate other core system components in their testing, including VoiceOver, AirPort, and graphics drivers. There's a known issue with the beta when viewing photo albums using Front Row, but the approximately 670 MB release should arrive for the rest of us within the next six weeks.

    Although past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future releases, both 10.4.3 and 10.5.3 were released about 110 days after the earlier versions. That would put the release of 10.6.3 near the end of February, 2010.

    [via AppleInsider]

    TUAWMac OS X 10.6.3 out to devs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Apple - OpenGL - Mac OS X Snow Leopard - Unofficial Apple Weblog - QuickTime
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  • Four out of ten IT professionals would buy a tablet, but would you?

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    Macworld is reporting that their partner Network World recently did a poll and came up with the figure of four out of ten Network World readers willing to buy a tablet on day one sight unseen. That's an interesting result (and it's not the only one seen along those lines), but I want to know what you TUAW readers think. We've got a pretty good group of professionals, "pro-sumers" (ugh, sorry, I'll never use that word again), and just plain Mac fans in the audience here, and I think we represent a pretty good cross-section of Apple's core audience. Jump in on our poll below, and let us know, if the impossible became possible, if you'd plunk down the rumored $1000 for a tablet even before Steve's demo, or if you'd rather wait and see (or maybe not even buy a tablet at all, no matter what it does).

    View Poll



    Personally, I'm more of a "maybe," though I can totally understand the belief that this is already a revolutionary project (we've certainly been waiting long enough for it). Or perhaps those of us who already have an iPhone and a MacBook aren't really as interested in the in-between as Apple might think.

    TUAWFour out of ten IT professionals would buy a tablet, but would you? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Apple - Steve Jobs - iPhone - Macintosh - Network World
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  • Is Jobs looking to overhaul education with the tablet?

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    TechCrunch is reporting that Steve Jobs has been heard saying that the Apple tablet will "be the most important thing I've ever done."
    We haven't heard this first hand, but we've heard it multiple times second and third hand from completely independent sources. Senior Apple execs and friends of Jobs are telling people that he's about as excited about the upcoming Apple Tablet as he's ever been. Coming from the man who has created so much, that's saying something.
    This got me thinking. More "important" than the iPhone? Why "most important" and not "most innovative"? Maybe Steve wants to do more than reinvigorate the publishing industry? I dug back through some stories where I could surmise what Steve Jobs viewed as "important" - and for a guy with such strong feelings about so much, one thing stuck out: his passion about the importance of education reform. Could it be possible that Steve sees education as the primary function of the tablet? Does Jobs see a tablet in the hands of every school child in America?

    In 1995, giving a speech to the Smithsonian, Jobs said:
    I think the school situation has a parallel here when it comes to technology. It is so much more hopeful to think that technology can solve the problems that are more human and more organizational and more political in nature, and it ain't so. We need to attack these things at the root, which is people and how much freedom we give people, the competition that will attract the best people. Unfortunately, there are side effects, like pushing out a lot of 46-year-old teachers who lost their spirit fifteen years ago and shouldn't be teaching anymore. I feel very strongly about this. I wish it was as simple as giving it over to the computer.
    Twelve years later, Steve Jobs gave a speech at an education reform conference in Austin, Texas. At the conference, Jobs reiterated that no amount of technology in the classroom would improve public schools until principals could fire bad teachers. However, at the same conference he reportedly told the audience that he envisioned schools in the future replacing textbooks with a free, online information source that is constantly updated by experts.
    "I think we'd have far more current material available to our students and we'd be freeing up a tremendous amount of funds that we could buy delivery vehicles with -- computers, faster Internet, things like that," he said. "And I also think we'd get some of the best minds in the country contributing."
    Maybe Steve sees the tablet as a dynamic textbook that will allow schools to free up those funds? Or, at least these textbook publishers hope so. Who knows, maybe iTunes U was just the start?

    This is, of course, nothing more than conjecture - an educated guess, if you'll pardon the expression.

    TUAWIs Jobs looking to overhaul education with the tablet? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Steve Job - iPhone - Apple - iTunes - TechCrunch
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