Author
Founder, Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek/DroneDJ sites.
Seth Weintraub is an award-winning journalist and blogger who won back to back Neal Awards during his three plus years covering Apple and Google at IDG’s Computerworld from 2007–2010. Weintraub next covered all things Google for Fortune Magazine from 2010-2011 amassing a thick rolodex of Google contacts and love for Silicon Valley tech culture.
It turns out that his hobby 9to5Mac blog was always his favorite and in 2011 he went full time adding his Fortune Google followers to 9to5Google and adding the style and commerce component 9to5Toys gear and deals site. In 2013, Weintraub bought one of the Tesla’s first Model S EVs off the assembly line and so began his love affair with the Electric Vehicle and green energy which in 2014 turned into electrek.
In 2018, DroneDJ was born to cover the burgeoning world of drones and UAV’s led by China’s DJI.
From 1997-2007, Weintraub was a Global IT director and Web Developer for a number of companies with stints at multimedia and branding agencies in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Madrid and London before becoming a publisher/blogger.
Seth received a bachelors degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California with a minor in Multimedia and Creative Technology in 1997. In 2004, he received a Masters from NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s ITP program.
Hobbies: Weintraub is a licensed single engine private pilot, certified open water scuba diver and spent over a year traveling to 60 cities in 23 countries. Whatever free time exists is now guaranteed to his lovely wife and two amazing sons.
More at About.me. BI 2014 profile.
Tips: seth@9to5mac.com, or llsethj on Wickr/Skype or link at top of page.
Synology DiskStation 4.2 update directly streams AirPlay video, dramatically improves Time Machine/AFP
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I never thought I’d ever become a Network Attached Storage (NAS) evangelist but since I got my Synology DiskStation last year, it’s all I can do to keep from recommending it to everyone I know. DiskStations not only act as a reliable and speedy home file/backup server but they also provide a wealth of other features and apps for iOS and Android. On the server side, you can install just about any service you’d put on a Linux box (iTunes Music Server, WordPress, etc. the list is seriously impressive) but in a easy, reliable, speedy GUI.
On the client side, Diskstation iOS and Android apps are great ways to access your media and play them on just about any device you can connect to. You can do just about anything besides play your videos directly to your Apple TV (you can AirPlay them from an iOS device or add them to a local Mac’s iTunes library without moving the media with a ‘option-drag’).
So the news? With the release of DS 4.2 (Beta currently) you now can stream AirPlay videos directly from your DiskStation to your AppleTV. As a bonus, DS 4.2 radically improves the performance of Apple File Protocol (AFP) which means Time Machine backups are going to be that much quicker.
AirPlay Streaming to TV
Video Station turns your living room into a real home theater. Stream epic action movies or episodes full of suspense from Video Station onto your widescreen TV, via Airplay. Control the playback single-handedly with your mobile device, leaving you with a free hand for popcorn and chips.
DS video as Remote Control for AirPlay
Make the home theater experience everywhere with the movies and TV shows you love to watch. DS video lets you stream videos onto the big screen with AirPlay services. Whether you are comfortably at home or visiting a friend, full-screen visual entertainment is ready at your call.
AFP (Apple File Protocol) performance enhancements — The speed of file transfers to the DiskStation has improved up to 52%. The following is a comparison between DSM 4.1 and DSM 4.2.
DSM 4.1 DSM 4.2 Improvement DS212+ 45.2 MB/s 68.6 MB/s 51.6%
Lots more improvements come with 4.2. *High Five* fellow DiskStation owners!
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Best of CES iOS device accessories [Gallery]
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- Bang and Olufsen iPad speaker
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- Speakers from JBL and Zagg
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- More speaker shapes and sizes from TDK
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- Bluetooth Keyboard from Logitech
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- Recreation of classic Harmon Kardon soundsticks
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- can put this waterproof keyboard in wash
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- Solar Keyboard case
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- We love Logitech’s ultra-thin too
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- 30-pin+Lightning dock
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- Send your weight to social networks
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- Great gaming for iPhone
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- Scoche controlFREQ remote for car
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- Speck sleekly replaces wallet
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- 3D headphones via 30-pin
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- Mobile Joose boosts cell signal
These were voted by the CEA to be among the best at CES 2013. We see some old faves and some new stuff.
Incipio xGO rugged, waterproof iPhone 5 lens case lets you take your iPhonography underwater
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6lMhn-I_4Y]
Incipio showed 9to5Mac its ultra-rugged, ultra-waterproof (to 25 feet) xGo mountable cases this week.
Mount, protect and explore with the xGO™. Precision engineered with a plextonium™ frame and silicone core, the tempered glass screen, provides ultra-rugged and waterproof protection while maintaining functionality up to 25 feet under water. Effortlessly mount the case to backpacks, bicycles, surfboards and record every session, trick and journey with the xGO™. The mounting system includes a number of lenses including an interchangeable, screw-in wide angle, fish eye, macro and zoom.
Incipio also announced a rugged, waterproof version without the lens/mount called “The Atlas”. Think “Lifeproof“. Both will be available in February. Press releases are below
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- xGo
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- xGo
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- Atlas
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- Atlas
Celluon’s Magic Cube turns any flat surface into a Bluetooth keyboard
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIE_XsSN0_E]
I’ve seen these little devices that shoot out a virtual keyboard a few times before, but this was the first time that I’ve ever used one first hand. Celluon’s Magic Cube attaches to your iOS device via Bluetooth and shoots out a red virtual keyboard on a fairly flat surface (Note: Our camera didn’t pick up the red keyboard very well, but the video below shows how it really looked). Then it tracks your fingers as they move across the virtual keyboard and inputs to your iOS device the virtual keys as you ‘press them’
But, how does it really work? Can you use this as a keyboard for your iPhone?
Hands on with Sharp’s unreal 32-inch 4K IGZO ‘Retina display’ as well as 8K and bendable displays
We first talked lovingly about Sharp’s amazing 32-inch 3,840-by-2,160-pixel display in November, but now that we’ve gone hands-on, we got a full-on crush. Called the “PN-K321”, the $5000 display is aimed at medical imaging professionals and high-end image/video professionals.
And me, obviously.
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- Great graphics+Text
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- Compare vs 1080P
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- Insane Excel sheet
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- Drafting
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- Architects
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- Engineering
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- Sharp text
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- You can’t see this contact lens without 4K
To be honest, the gallery, taken with Canon’s new 6G DSLR, doesn’t do it justice. Please, Apple: Here is your next iMac Retina and Thunderbolt display.
These displays aren’t just beautiful. The IGZO technology also uses a fraction of the power required for today’s LCDs. While most of the power used is still in the LED backlighting, the IGZO pixels save a great deal of power —as much as 90 percent vs. traditional displays— and can still stay on even after the machine has powered down, something great for photoframe-type functionality.
Apple decided to not go with Sharps’ IGZO displays for its latest round of iPad launches. It instead sourced display components from AU Optronics, LG Display, and Samsung, but several reports in the past indicated Apple is interested in the technology. Apple was even recently rumored to be potentially making an investment in the failing company—much like Apple partner Foxconn previously agreed to.
Sharp also has some other fun stuff on display that could wind up in Apple products, including:
Intel talks new Thunderbolt innovations at CES: thin and optical cables
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-iT5pqQs9E]
We’ve already seen 100-foot (30 Meter) Thunderbolt Optical cables from Corning and others, but we had a chance to drop into Intel’s CES booth this morning to discuss their Thunderbolt products. While there wasn’t much new to us, we did note the new “thin” one-meter cable. It is as thin and flexible as any USB cable we’ve seen and still carries a bus-powered charge for devices. We’re told they will begin to drop in price significantly as volume production picks up.
We went hands-on with a 30-meter optical cable (below). It is thick but lighter than you’d expect from a cable that size. Also, I’m guessing it doesn’t carry a charge—contrary to the information provided by the spokesperson.
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IDEO founder David Kelley talks design, Steve Jobs, cancer, and the importance of empathy
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9TIspgTbLM]
CBS posted an excellent interview of David Kelley this evening. Kelley discusses Steve Jobs at 3:00 and then again at 7:40, but the whole video is definitely worth a watch. A longer Jobs clip and the transcript is below:
LaCie’s CES 2013 lineup includes 5big 5-bay Thunderbolt and NAS Drives as well a ‘unique’ Philippe Starck designed portable
LaCie is throwing down two more 5big drive enclosures for CES this week. Starting at $1,199.00, the Thunderbolt version boasts up to 20TB capacity and transfer rates that extend to 785MB/sec. Meanwhile, the much less expensive Gig Ethernet NAS version is aimed at small business and starts at just $549. Both look like stellar products, and we’re hoping to get some hands-on time later this week at CES.
On the other end of the ‘useful’ spectrum lies LaCie’s new offering: a Philippe Starck ‘Blade Runner’ USB 3.0 4TB drive. The boat designer‘s enclosure looks like a giant hard drive heat sink, but I’m not sure if it is functional. Fewer than 10,000 of these $299 devices will be produced…thankfully.
Consumer Reports again dings the iPhone, rates numerous Android handsets above it in Feb. 2013 Hotlist
Consumer Reports
Sitting down? You might want to. The February issue of Consumer Reports will include the graphic above, clipped by Business Insider, that ranks numerous Android devices above the iPhone 5 in its “What’s Hot” February 2013 list. On every carrier, the Samsung Galaxy S3 ranks higher than the iPhone 5. Even the LG Optimus G and the Droid RAZRs top the iPhone on various carriers.
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Even after loopholes, Apple paid $6B in US taxes in fiscal 2012 representing 2.5-percent of total corporate tax collected
In its statement, Apple said it paid “an enormous amount of taxes” to local, state and federal governments. “In fiscal 2012 we paid $6 billion in federal corporate income taxes, which is 1 out of every 40 dollars in corporate income taxes collected by the U.S. government,” it said. In the 1980s, Apple was a pioneer of an accounting technique known as the “Double Irish With a Dutch Sandwich” [Don’t try looking it up on Urban Dictionary], which reduces taxes by routing profits through Irish subsidiaries and the Netherlands and then to the Caribbean. Today, that tactic is used by hundreds of other corporations — some of which directly imitated Apple’s methods, say accountants at those companies. More recently, Apple has moved revenue to states like Nevada and overseas nations where the company pays less, or in some cases no, taxes.
One thing there isn’t a shortage of is different ways to make Apple’s current size look monstrous. Keep in mind this is just the United States, and Apple is now much bigger internationally.
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The Apple Store begins offering Retina 15″ MacBook Pro refurbs starting at $1869
From 9to5Toys.com:
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This evening, Apple began offering refurbished Retina MacBook Pros at the online Apple Store at significant 15% discounts, yielding savings of over $500 on high end models (below). 15-inch Retina MacBooks normally retail at $2200 but we’ve seen them as low as $2,000 (which is also the EDU discount price).
Apple refurbished products are packaged and look like new and come with the same one year of AppleCare. See all of the best prices on Apple Products on our Apple product pages.
Thanks Jason!
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Apple’s 2013 Macs will have superfast 802.11ac ‘Gig Wi-Fi’
We’ve long touted the upcoming Broadcom 802.11AC chips as a natural fit for upcoming Macs, as well as long-term solutions to Apple’s TV streaming product(s). 802.11ac allows wireless networks to transfer data at the speed of Gigabit Ethernet (1.3Gbps on paper, but probably a bit below in real-world usage). Today, TheNextWeb says it has information that the next round of Macs will include the Broadcom technology.
Apple has struck a deal with chip maker Broadcom to outfit its new Macs with 802.11ac chips. This will provide a much-needed boost for the standard, which is currently undergoing revisions, as electronics manufacturers look to introduce new consumer products capable of supporting high-speed networks.
Tests on hardware from Netgear, Dlink, Belkin, and others have shown that not only does 802.11ac deliver faster speeds but also increases the distance from which you can connect to an access point. One Amazon Reviewer said this:
I pay for 30 Mbps down and 6 up. With N standard I was getting around 12 down and three up and that was with good hardware. After installing the Netgear AC router and adapters on 5 computers, every computer saw a major increase in speeds. For example, on my primary high end build desktop, as mentioned I was getting about 12 our of 30, now I am measuring 32-35 down and average on 6 different tests 6.4 up. Where I was getting 3. An example of transfer rates on the home network drives I was able to transfer a 50 MB file in .0324 seconds. Thats fast, and its consistent. One of the biggest ways that you lose speed (Transfer speed) is through packet loss. Packet loss on the AC standard measures near 0.
Theoretically, if Apple updates its Macs with this technology, it will also update its Airport Express/Extreme/Time Capsule line of Wireless products to include the new 802.11ac tech. Power sensitive iOS devices may also be lined up for the 802.11ac tech but will likely come in after Macs.
More on the Broadcom chips announced a year ago:
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Apple airs unfortunately-timed ‘Do Not Disturb’ ad with Venus and Serena Williams (video)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLJN_d2sVjk]
You can’t make this up.
As many iPhone owners wake up New Years Day and realize their Do Not Disturb is stuck on, they might also catch a glimpse of Apple’s new iPhone 5 commercial. Featuring the Tennis stars/sisters Venus and Serena Williams playing table tennis in a dream sequence, the ad tells the viewer that they might miss out on an awesome dream without Apple’s Do Not Disturb feature.
The ad is amusing, but the timing is oh-so painful.
Thanks, Alex!
Check your iPhone’s Do Not Disturb setting, it might not have turned off last night
[tweet https://twitter.com/guidohendriks/status/286046800698298368]
If Apple’s New Year’s resolution was to kick its date–based iOS glitch habit, it is off to a bad start in 2013. As of midnight last night, the popular Do Not Disturb feature on iOS 6 isn’t turning off for many readers. This means their iPhones might not inform them of important events this New Year’s Day. As of late last night, Whirlpool forums, as well as MacRumors forums readers, had reported the issue. It doesn’t affect everyone.
[tweet https://twitter.com/jzip/status/286115483466469377]
The Do Not Disturb setting silences calls, alerts, and notifications, but it does not disable alarms set with Apple’s built-in Clock app.
The fix is very simple: Manually disable and re-enable Do Not disturb, and it reportedly works again.
[tweet https://twitter.com/jad77/status/286118517005225984]
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Amazon begins selling its own ‘Basics’ Lightning cables then mysteriously pulls them in the US
Update: They are back
U.S. online retailing giant Amazon sells its own line of “Basics” products that features cheap re-branded accessories for electronics. At first glance, they appear to be mostly OEMed from Asia and include rechargeable batteries, cables, cases, and other accessories you might purchase alongside electronics.
Earlier this week, Amazon began selling ‘Basics’ Lightning cables for use with Apple’s new iPhone 5, iPad mini, and fourth-generation iPad for $14.99. But, today, something strange happened…
Apple airs new holiday iPad commercial ‘I’ll Be Home’
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eWyZUszyJHg]
Here’s Apple hoping to convince a few more shoppers to head to an Apple store this weekend.
Honestly, I like AT&T’s latest iPad ad (below) better.
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Mossberg agrees with Pogue: Google Maps is the best…on iPhone
The New York Times’ technology columnist David Pogue said last week that even Google thought its iOS Maps app is better than the Android version, mostly because that version just piled on feature after feature without a rethink.
Walt Mossberg agrees:
However, the biggest news here is that the new iPhone version of Google Maps isn’t just better than Apple Maps. For now, at least, Google Maps is better in most respects on the iPhone than it is on Android phones. It has been redesigned with a cleaner, simpler user interface that makes it easier to use. Google officials say they took the sudden need to build a new iPhone version as an opportunity to rethink the popular app from the ground up.
Google is supposedly looking to rebuild its Android version based on what it did for the iPhone app.
[hulu id=pvzcms_bqicojyfv8zozoq width=512 start_time=42 end_time=142]
Last minute gift guide and reviews on fantastic Apple peripherals
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Need gifts quick? We got some great stuff we’ve been playing with that any Apple user would love…
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Quick Review and Gift Guide: Synology DiskStation, AOC 27″ IPS Monitor, DLP portable projectors
As we approach Christmas and the end of the year, we thought we would throw together some of the more interesting review items we received over the past months.
27-inch AOC LED IPS super slim monitor
First up is the $299 27-inch AOC LED IPS super slim monitor (I2757FH) that has a vague Mac aesthetic with a silver stand and ultra-thin bezel around the edges. This one comes with two HDMI ports, a VGA port, AUX audio ports, and some small speakers. The 27-inch IPS LED display is very nice, but it is obviously not as crisp as a Thunderbolt Display of the same size. And, after some adjustments to the default washed-out look, I was very happy with the color representation. Front capacitive controls are easy to deal with, and overall build quality is very nice, especially for AOC, but the downsides include: the lack of a USB hub, it is not easily wall-mountable, and the super small and poor tiny 4W speakers. You are definitely going to want to have separate speakers.
This AOC display would be best suited in an office/dorm room/bedroom doing double duty as a PC/Mac external display and perhaps display for an Apple TV/Cable box. Recommended at $299, or check out the USB Display link powered 22-inch display
Review: $249 Matrox DS1 – The ‘World’s First Thunderbolt Docking Station’
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- 1080P DVI display
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- Typical setup
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- Thicker than retina
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- Spaghetti
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- Charging iPad mini
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- Disregard sticker :P
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- Gig Ethernet
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- Green AUX out
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- Side view
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- Bottom
If you aren’t quite ready to buy a somewhat-outdated $930 Thunderbolt display, your Thunderbolt MacBook docking station options are pretty thin. Or, they were pretty thin. Matrox began shipping its $249 DS1 Thunderbolt Docking stations today that were announced way back in June and were originally scheduled for September.
Not only did the shipping date get pushed back a few months, but also the design changed somewhat. Originally, there were three USB ports on the back. Now, the USB3 port is moved around to the front. The DS-1 also comes in two varieties: DVI and HDMI ports. For testing, I got a DVI model, which unfortunately only does single-link DVI, not dual DVI, the kind that powers a 2,560-by-1,600 30-inch display.
Was it worth the wait?
Amazon Instant Video comes to iPhone and iPod touch
You can now watch all of those free Amazon Prime videos on your iPhone or iPod touch. Amazon updated its Instant Video App today to support Apple’s smaller screens. The app also lets you watch any of your Amazon collection of paid videos, buy videos, and allows you to store for offline viewing as well. Great for the holidays! More info here.
Amazon Instant Video is now playing on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Videos you’ve purchased or rented with Amazon Instant Video will show up instantly on your Apple device once you download and sign into the app. Amazon Prime members can stream titles from the entire Prime Instant Video library.
Next stop for Amazon: Apple TV?
Adobe Lightroom 4.3 update includes Retina, bugfixes and support for lots of new cameras/lenses
Adobe last night updated its Photoshop Lightroom photo manipulation and organization Mac application to 4.3, which includes support for Retina display, a ton of bugfixes (documented below), and support for new cameras. A beta with partial Retina support was released last month.
If you installed Lightroom from the Mac App Store, here’s your link. Otherwise, head over to Adobe.
New Version 4 of 1Password Universal starts hitting International App Stores
[slideshow]
The popular 1Password looks to have received a total revamp in the new version 4. The app has hit the New Zealand and Australian App Stores and is working its way through the Eastern Hemisphere. We may or may not have a thorough review of the app coming when it hits ‘Murica.
All of the particulars below: