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.
Here’s the Fun FAQ for Microsoft Surface users who are wondering why the 32GB version they bought actually only has 16GB of usable space:
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While Microsoft will certainly get off on the wrong foot here in terms of customer expectations, they are still technically accurate—at least in the old desktop world. When you buy a Windows/Mac machine with a 100GB HDD, you expect some of that (but certainly not half of it!) to be used by system software. However, with the paired-down iOS/Android OSes currently so optimized, you pretty much get what it says on the box.
Update, Nov. 8: After complying with court orders and posting a new, revised apology to Samsung on its website, many were calling out Apple for the way the new apology was displayed. As noted by users on Reddit, Apple updated its website to ensure users would never see the message unless scrolling all the way to the bottom of the homepage. Following the complaints, as noticed by CNET, Apple has apparently pulled the code from its UK site that forced users to scroll in order to see the apology.
If you haven’t been following, Apple lost a bid to remove Samsung Galaxy Tabs from the UK based on trademarked design patents. Because of the negative publicity that Samsung received as a result of the accusations and trial, the court ordered that Apple clarify the situation both online and in newspapers.
Interestingly, Cook also did the apologizing for Browett’s hair-brained schemes to cut head counts at Apple Stores ahead of the holiday shopping season to save a few bucks.
Lesson to learn: Be big enough to apologize publicly. Look at Bob Mansfield. Out of Retirement Mansfield publicly apologized for the Retina MacBook Pro EPEAT fiasco; fast forward months and all of a sudden he’s got his own division and a lucrative two year contract. Apple execs should be falling over themselves to apologize for their mistakes going forward.
The rationale
Browett’s situation was simple: everyone hated him, especially his retail employees. Apple watchers, especially those familiar with Dixons in the UK (Americans: think Best Buy), were shocked at the decision to allow him to follow Ron Johnson as Apple’s Retail head. Cook initially defended Browett but the #Firebrowett movement was too strong. So far Tim Cook is 0 for 2 in big outside hires (Mark Papermaster was hired during one of Jobs’ absences) . That might be something to be concerned about.
Forstall’s departure is an entirely different situation. Although more information may come to light, in the hours after the announcement it seems a power struggle happened, and the Ive camp won out over Forstall’s. The two execs and Steve Jobs subordinates have faced off for years and reportedly wouldn’t be in the same meetings unless called specifically by Tim Cook. It certainly didn’t help that Mansfield didn’t like Forstall either. I think we’ll hear more of the details in the weeks and months ahead.
Last week, Apple lost an appeal in the U.K. that forced Apple to apologize to Samsung publicly and state that its Galaxy Tab does not infringe on Apple’s patents.
Britain Court of Appeal upheld a previous ruling that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab does not infringe on the iPad’s patents because it is not “as cool.” Reuters reported that after losing the appeal this morning, Apple has been instructed by the court to apologize to Samsung by running ads on its website and in newspapers saying Samsung did not infringe on patents in at least Arial 14 font.
Hidden at the bottom of Apple’s U.K. website this morning is the required link to the apology, but the apology is more like one your big sister would give you after being reprimanded by your parents. After mentioning Samsung did not infringe, Apple nicely sliced out some complimentary quotes from the ruling:
“The extreme simplicity of the Apple design is striking. Overall it has undecorated flat surfaces with a plate of glass on the front all the way out to a very thin rim and a blank back. There is a crisp edge around the rim and a combination of curves, both at the corners and the sides. The design looks like an object the informed user would want to pick up and hold. It is an understated, smooth and simple product. It is a cool design.”
Apple goes on to say German and U.S. courts ruled otherwise.
However, in a case tried in Germany regarding the same patent, the court found that Samsung engaged in unfair competition by copying the iPad design. A U.S. jury also found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple’s design and utility patents, awarding over one billion U.S. dollars in damages to Apple Inc. So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple’s far more popular iPad.
Interestingly, Apple seems to have run out of white iPad minis. However, at the time of writing, black Minis still ship by Nov. 2. What makes this somewhat surprising is that people told us —in our totally unscientific Poll— they’d get black almost 2-to-1 over white. That would seem to imply Apple made fewer white ones, perhaps underestimating demand.
Apple CEO Tim Cook just told an analyst that the iPhone 5 would launch in China in December. Earlier, he told analysts there would be significant iPhone 5 launches globally during the quarter.
The move into the world’s biggest handset market will be a big one in a market where Apple continues to grow. The question now is: Will China Mobile, the world’s largest Telecom with over 600 million subscribers, be onboard? Expand Expanding Close
If you ask me, bring on the shiny new products faster and faster. I’ll jump on board when I can. But, to many, the six months between iPad generations stung a bit.
One of our favorite online comics, the Oatmeal, has a funny take on the ‘iPride’, which he says he has, “written, drawn and experienced.”
Then, Conan brings the message home with the following video:
Microsoft released version 6 of Skype today for Windows and Mac, and it shows Redmond has big plans to integrate the messaging platform into its own suite of products. Skype users now get Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail, and Outlook.com contacts via Skype all in one place by merging accounts. You’ll soon be able to call your Microsoft messenger friends in Skype as you can now do with Facebook.
For the Mac folks, Skype now has Retina support and support to open chats in multiple Windows.
It looks like it may almost be time to upgrade from version 4.2
AT&T just announced its third quarter numbers, and the original iPhone carrier showed significant iPhone gains over the year-ago quarter. AT&T recorded 4.7 million iPhone activations and 6.1 million overall smartphone activations, making iPhone around 77 percent of total smartphone sales.
AT&T noted the vast majority of third-quarter iPhone sales went to existing customers to satisfy pent-up demand, so not as many new customers signed up (151,000) as would have otherwise.
AT&T activated 2.7 million iPhone in the year-ago third quarter, making this quarter an increase of 2 million iPhones. AT&T now has 44.5 million smartphones on its network—the vast majority of which are iPhones.
Updated: AT&T hinted that it sold 1.3M iPhone 5s during the quarter by mentioning it had doubled Verizon’s iPhone 5 total during the 9am conference call. Expand Expanding Close
We’ll be watching the event live, just like all of you (hopefully) and we’ll break down the announcements as they come in right here (hit refresh). We’re hoping to have a lively discussion in the forums on the announcements. Head down South for all of the fun (LIVE!) Expand Expanding Close
We got word that Apple will release a set of new Lightning cables at today’s event. The four cables and prices are below.
Note: Apple has broken out the Lightning USB adapter from the SD card kit, and it is charging $29 for each (thanks!). Most people will probably opt to buy the Lightning USB adapter and a cheap USB-to-SDCard adapter.
Also, note that a new 60W MagSafe power adapter is available almost certainly for new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
Perhaps most interesting, the new USB power adapter for new iPads is 12W up from 10W. That bump up in wattage could allow much faster charging and perhaps fix one of the most complained about features of the iPad third-generation: the long time it takes to charge.
Along with the iPad mini pricing we received over the weekend, we also received a number of separate parts priced at $39 USD that have similar SKUs as Apple’s Smart Cases and Smart Covers. We’re not 100 percent sure if these are just smaller versions of the current iPad protective units or a new product entirely, but they do fit in that lineup and the numbers indicate they will be available in a variety of colors.
What’s really happening is that Color’s engineering team — about 20 people, comprising almost the entire company — is being “acqhired” by Apple at what’s being called a “nominal” price of something like $2 to $5 million, according to multiple sources familiar with both sides of the situation. To repeat, there are no “double-digit” millions involved, according to many people familiar with the deal.
Apple is not buying Color’s technology, intellectual property, domain names or liabilities. Those are being left with the company, which still has considerable cash in the bank — something like $25 million — and is going to be wound down.
The engineers could help with Apple’s photo and video-sharing capabilities across devices, or maybe Apple is just getting a HR jump on the competition in the red hot Silicon Valley talent marketplace.
Color is said to be winding down, with the $25 million it has left in the bank going to investors. Expand Expanding Close
One of the last questions in the debate concerned how to bring Apple’s manufacturing jobs ‘back’ to the United States.
Mitt Romney went first and said China is stealing intellectual property, designs, cheating on currency, hacking into computers, and isn’t playing fair to U.S. workers: “We can compete with anyone in the world as long as the playing field is level.”
Obama went second and said the U.S. doesn’t necessarily want the low-skill, low-wage jobs and education and skills will bring higher-paying jobs home: “There are some jobs that are not going to come back. […] I want high-wage, high-skill jobs. That’s why we have to invest in advanced manufacturing […] make sure that we have the best science and research in the world.”
And the President should know: Steve Jobs told Obama in February 2011, according to Walter Isaacson, “If you could educate these [30,000] engineers, we could move more manufacturing plants here.”
Earlier this week, Amazon began letting customers know if they were eligible for a share of the $69 million state attorney settlements with Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon and Schuster. Today, Apple started notifying iBooks customers, who bought an iBook from April 1, 2010 to May 21, 2012, of the same payout.
The payout will be dispersed as Kindle/iBooks credit or customers can call a number to request a check for delivery in February.
Notably, if you purchased the Steve Jobs eBook bio from Simon and Schuster on iBooks or Amazon, you should receive this notice.
To be clear, this is separate from the Federal price-fixing case surrounding Apple and some publishers. Barnes and Noble and other eBook distributors are likely doing the same thing. The Amazon version is below:
If the 16.7Whr/4490 mAh iPad Mini battery images that MacRumors reported last night are authentic, it would place the power at almost exactly three times more than the iPhone 5’s 5.45Whr and one-third of the massive 42.5Whr battery of the third-generation iPad. Seems pretty logical.
The battery runs at 3.72 volts, and it shows a model number of A1445 and an Apple part number of 616-0641.
MacRumors points to a WeiPhone.com forum thread [Google translation] this morning that purports to show details of a new iMac. The poster’s brother-in-law apparently works in the factory that builds the new Macs, and he snapped the above picture on his cell phone. The design was verified by iFixit to be similar to the internals of a current iMac with the plastic radio-transparent circle on the rear.
On the iMac, the poster says:
It should be announced this month or next month (likely at the Oct. 23th announement)
The design is of”epoch-making significance”
From side to side you “almost cannot see the new iMac’s thickness” and it is compared to a drop of water and “tetragonal” elements. Still has iMac ‘chin’ below display
It appears that the display is a “very pretty special glass glued directly” (perhaps like Retina MBP) to the machine rather than a separate display assembly
The 21-inch might be ready before the 27-inch
The more expensive iMac and redesigned screen might hint at Retina. However, strangely, the poster does not mention anything related to this.
The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro:
Codenamed D1 (Which fits with Product D2 for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro)
Is seeing delays due to thermal issues
Interestingly, the poster mentions the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, aside from being produced in Mexico, will see a silent update for screen blur and cooling improvements.
In another post, the poster talks about trouble with the glue and Foxconn.
My uncle told me the newly launched products will have a lot of problem. This is because Tim Cook changed the way Steve Jobs used to do things which is having multiple suppliers. The problem with one sole supplier. Obvious example Foxconn!
Now a lot of more capable supplier is under Foxconn, other smaller supplier just can\’t cope with the demand. The new iMac is using a special \”glue\” to glue the display to the frame and is facing very strict quality control.
Products from Foxconn is having a lot of issues. In this case, after the glue dried, there will be minor air gaps. Apple had no choice but to use Foxconn because most of the capable manufacturer is now all under Foxconn. Therefore defects of the iPhone 5 is not that hard to understand(because Foxconn makes them all).
We are in love with the standalone LES powered speakers (right). Very simple I/Os and almost perfect desktop-level sound makes these incredibly good for the small room or workspace. Sure, they won’t fill up a large-sized room, but you will find much larger/expensive setups for that. $199 Amazon. Bonus: If you want Airplay functionality, throw in a $95 Apple TV and an Optical cable.
You don’t need a subwoofer and with an optical cable, I don’t think you’ll find better sound at double the price.
We’re not sure how we (and everyone else) missed this one. It appears that Apple is making a new version of the iPhone 4. The new hardware number appeared in iOS device downloads on September 19th but hasn’t shown up yet for developers yet:
It is hard to tell what this device is yet. It could be an internal hardware processor update…something like the iPad 2,4 we saw this year that includes a lower-power A5 processor. It could also be a combo phone rather than the two separate CDMA and GSM models originally produced. Alternatively, maybe Apple is throwing T-Mobile and its AWS 4G network a bone? Or, perhaps most interestingly, it could be an iPhone 4 updated with new basebands that could take it to places like China Mobile and its 600 million subscribers. Apple would likely be able to hit more of the market in China with a lower-priced iPhone 4.
Russian website AppStudio believes it is the newer version of the iPhone 4, similar to the iPad 2,4 update.
The iPhone3,2 was first seen at the same time as the iPhone 3,3 that turned out to be the Verizon iPhone 4 (early 2011), which would seem to reduce the possibility of it just being a newer version of the iPhone 4.
A number of readers notified us that their Lightning to 30-pin adapters have begun shipping with deliveries expected tomorrow. Both readers were in Australia, but we expect global orders to start being filled shortly.
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