Bob Mansfield: stipendio da 2 milioni di dollari per rimanere in Apple

È passato quasi un anno dalla morte di Steve Paul Jobs e, dopo la notte del 5 ottobre scorso molte persone si sono domandate se il Team Senior management di Apple avrebbe portato avanti i progetti dell’ex CEO contribuendo così alla continua crescita dell’azienda di Cupertino. A Tim Cook va dato sicuramente il merito di aver fatto da collante per mantenere intatto l’intero staff dell’azienda evitando le classiche fughe di personale che si hanno in questi casi.

Tra i dissidenti emerge il nome di Bob Mansfield che ha già comunicato dall’inizio di quest’anno l’abbandono del suo incarico. Tim Cook, tuttavia, sta cercando in tutti i modi di convincere Bob a rimanere in azienda continuando a lavorare come Team Senior. Per convincerlo l’attuale CEO gli ha offerto una cifra di tutto rispetto: uno stipendio da 2 milioni di dollari al mese.

“According to three people familiar with the sequence of events, several senior engineers on Mansfield’s team vociferously complained to Cook about reporting to his replacement, Dan Riccio, who they felt was unprepared for the magnitude of the role. In response, Cook approached Mansfield and offered him an exorbitant package of cash and stock worth around $2 million a month to stay on at Apple.”

Ricordiamo che il 27 agosto scorso Apple ha comunicato che Bob Mansfield sarebbe rimasto in Apple come semplice consulente affiancando ed aiutando il team di progettazione hardware. Ma se a Bob sono stati offerti 2 milioni di dollari ed una nuova posizione più rilassante, quanto avrà offerto l’azienda di Cupertino a Jonathan Ive che voleva ritirarsi per tornare in Inghilterra?

Apple’s Siri vs Google Search On Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (Video)

We have seen a couple of videos before of Apple’s Siri against various other voice activated virtual assistants, and now we have a video of Siri tested against Google Search on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The video below shows Google Search running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and Apple’s Siri on the iPhone 4S, both devices are asked the same question at the same time.

As you can see from the video, it looks like the default Google Search seems to be able to answer the questions quicker than Apple’s Siri, it will be interesting to see this test again when Siri gets updated with iOS 6 to see if it can do a better job then.

Source Technobuffalo

Modbook Pro, The Worlds Largest And Fastest OS X Tablet

Fancy transforming your brand new Apple MacBook Pro laptop into the “the world’s most powerful and largest-screen tablet computer.” running Mountain Lion OS X? If you do then Modbook can help you with the conversion process, which uses the Apple laptop for and transforms it into a tablet.

Which can be equipped with a number of different configuration options such as a 2.5GHz dual core Intel Core i5 processor or 2.9 GHz dual core Intel Core i7 processor, supported by up to 16GB of RAM.

Storage can be provided by Modbook as a 2.5–inch SATA drive up to 1TB HDD or up to 960GB SSD, together with an 8X SuperDrive DVD burner. Graphics are handled by Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset, and connectivity is supplied via 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. However you will lose the MacBook Pro’s FaceTime camera during the conversion process.

“Modbook Pro has a state-of the-art digitizer from the industry leader in pen tablet technology, Wacom, offering 512 levels of pen pressure sensitivity — more than any other tablet computer on the market. And the Modbook Pro’s pen interface features tough and scratch-resistant ForceGlass, providing an etched, paper-emulating drawing and writing surface… Included with the Modbook Pro is a best-inclass digitizer pen with two programmable side buttons and digital eraser. The pen is securely stowed in the built-in, magnetic catch-equipped pen garage.”

Unfortunately no information on pricing or worldwide availability has been released as yet, but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always, as they are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Source: 9to5 Mac

LifeProof Nuud, Waterproof iPad Case

Lifeproof has developed a new iPad case called the Nuud which has a unique design, and has been developed to vacuum seal its self onto your iPads screen. Making make a waterproof seal, and is available for both Apple’s new iPad 3 and iPad 2 tablets.

The Nuud iPad case is equipped with Military Grade shock and impact protection, is waterproof up to a depth of 6.6 feet, and resistance against dust and the elements. However it still might feel a little intimidating to drop your iPad encased in a Nuud into water with the screen still fully exposed.

Unfortunately no information on pricing has been released as yet for the Nuud iPad case, but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always. The Nuud iPad case is expected to arrive online and in stores next month, so you should have to long to wait.

Source: Tech Crunch

Facebook’s Mobile Apps Get ‘Find Friends Nearby’

Facebook has added a new feature to its Facebook mobile apps, called ‘Find Friends Nearby, as the name suggests it will let you find your friends who are close to you.

The feature is now available in Facebook’s iOS and Android applications, and it will let you see which of your Facebook friends are near your current location.

You can use the feature by going to your Facebook app on iOS and Android, and then menu > apps > find friend > other tools > Find Friends Nearby, it is also available through Facebooks mobile web app.

Source TechCrunch

Lunatik TakTik Shockproof Rugged iPhone Case (video)

Lunatik the creators of the TikTok and LunaTik Apple Nano watch straps, have unveiled a new project on Kickstarter this week inn the form of the rugged Lunatik Taktik iPhone case.

Which has been designed to provide your iPhone with extreme shock and drop protection. The new Taktik iPhone case includes a shockproof suspension system that provides a 9mm impact truss around the edgers of your iPhone.

Which has then been encased in an aluminium case, complete with Gorilla Glass lens protector. Protecting your Apple iPhone from dust, and water damage. Watch the video after the jump to see it in action.

Source: Kickstarter

Chrome Beta Now Supports Apple’s MacBook Pro Retina Screen

If you have already purchased or are thinking of purchasing a new MacBook Pro. You might be interested to learn that Google has unveiled their beta version of Chrome is now ready to support the MacBook Pro’s retina screen.

Apple announced their new MacBookPro on Monday equipped with a retina screen, providing a 2880 x 1800 high resolution pixels count. Wasting no time Google yesterday announced that their Chrome beta browser now supports the next generation MacBook Pro.

“Apple recently announced a new laptop with a Retina high-resolution screen, and we’re committed to polishing Chrome until it shines on that machine.

The Chrome Canary channel already shows the early results of this work, bringing basic high-resolution support to Chrome. We have further to go over the next few weeks, but we’re off to the races to make Chrome as beautiful as it can be.”

Source: Slashgear

iRig MIC Cast Now Available In Stores Worldwide

Today IK Multimedia has started shipping their new iRig MIC Cast, which provides iOS devices with a ultra-compact high quality microphone. The iRig MIC Cast is equipped with a unidirectional condenser capsule, which has been designed to isolate the audio source you are capturing. Providing highly improved audio recordings, when compared to the integrated iOS device microphones.

Other features of the iRig MIC Cast include a a dual gain setting that provides two different sensitivities, for either close-up or distant audio sources, and includes a connection to attach headphones to monitor the audio iRig MIC is capturing.

“The iRig MIC Cast is literally about the size of a large coin and its bumper-friendly jack makes it possible to plug in — even if your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad is in a protective case. It can easily fit in your pocket, briefcase or computer bag for easy transport.”

The IK Multimedia iRig MIC Cast has been designed to be used with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and is now available to purchase worldwide for around $40 or €30.

Source: IK Multimedia

Apple To Release iOS 6 This Summer With 3D Maps

We previously heard that Apple would be releasing their own mapping software with the next version of their mobile OS, iOS 6, and now according to the guys over at the BGR, iOS 6 will be launched this summer and will feature new 3D mapping.

The photo below is a mock up of what the new iOS may look like based on information the guys from BGR received, and Apple is expected to introduce this new feature in iOS 6, and the iOS mapping application will also feature a new UI and a range of new features.

Apple currently uses Google Maps for its iOS mapping app, this is about to change in iOS 6, this is something we have been hearing about for some time.

Source BGR

Absinthe Jailbreak Used On 1 Million iOS Devices Over The Weekend

On Friday the Chronic Dev team released the new Absinthe 2.0 Jailbreak for Apple’s iOS devices, the jailbreak works on a number of Apple’s iOS devcies which are running iOS 5.1.1.

It would appear that the Absinthe 2.0 jailbreak was incredibly popular over the weekend as it was used to jailbreak almost one million iOS devices in just a couple of days.

Some stats since release of ‪#Absinthe‬ – 211,401 jailbroken iPad3′s and 973,086 devices newly jailbroken! ‪#JBFTW‬ ! ;D

That is quite a lot of iOS devices in just a few days and the tool will work with tha majority of iOS devices, even the new iPad 3.

Source Engadget

Latest Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3 Unveils iOS Style Automatic Downloads

The latest release of Apple’s new OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3, has revealed that the new operating system will be equipped with a similar automatic app download and install, to that found in the current iOS release.

The new feature which is partially installed on the new Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3, will allow all connected Mac system that are logged into your account to download a purchased app.

In a similar way to the how all iOS devices update and install a new purchase, you make on your account from the iTunes App Store. Currently the feature is still disabled, and will not currently install anything but the mechanics all seem to be in place for when OS X Mountain Lion is released later this year.

Source: 9to5 Mac

Apple Tries To Ban The Galaxy Tab 10.1 In The US Again

Whilst Apple may have been successful in getting Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned in Germany, which lead Samsung to release the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, they have yet to get the tablet banned in the US.

Apple has tried previously through the US court to have the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned, although the up until recently they had not succeded, now Apple has filed an appeal in an attempt to have Samsung’s tablet removed from sale in the US, and according to Florian Muller from Foss patents they may end up getting the device banned this time.

Apple’s motion is fairly likely to succeed. If and when it does, there will be formal U.S. bans in place against all three of the leading Android device makers. Also on Friday, the ITC ordered a U.S. import ban against Motorola’s Android-based devices (to the extent those infringe a particular Microsoft patent), and in December, the U.S. trade agency also banned HTC’s products that infringe a particular Apple patent — as a result, two HTC product rollouts just got delayed.

Apple and Samsung’s CEOs are in discussions this week on another case relating to patents for Android and Apple devices, it looks like things are starting to heat up between the two companies.

Source Foss Patents

Autodesk Launches 123D Catch iPad App To Convert Photos In 3D Objects (video)

Autodesk has launched a couple of new iPad applications called 123D Catch and 123D Make Intro. The first 123D Catch has been created to provide an easy way to convert 2D photos into 3D objects.

The 123D Catch application has been designed to allow you to take photos with your iPad an then submit them for processing on the Autodesk Cloud. Your 2D photo is then automatically converted into a realistic 3D model which you can then view, share, and download.

The 123D Catch app lets you take upto 40 photos which can then be uploaded for processing, and the app includes interactive startup guides you help you through the process of creating your first 3D object using the service.

The other app launched this week by Autodesk called 123D Make Intro, has been designed to work the other way and turn 3D models into 2D build plans with animated assembly instructions.

Download them both for free now from the iTunes app store: 123D Catch – 123D Make Intro.

Source: Autodesk

Apple To Launch $800 MacBook Air In Quarter Three?

Apple’s current MacBook Air starts at $1,000, but it would appear that Apple may be considering introducing a cheaper model which will have a starting price of around $800 according to a recent report.

The news comes from DigiTimes, who have said that the information comes from the upstream supply chain, and Apple are looking to release a cheaper MacBook Air to combat Intel releasing sub $1,000 ultrabooks.

Although Acer has recently reduced its ultrabook shipment target, Intel continues to aggressively push ultrabooks and is aiming to have the devices priced at US$699 in the second half of the year. However, if Intel is unable to bring down ASPs to its goal, the price gap between ultrabooks and the US$799 MacBook Air may further postpone the time ultrabooks become standardized, the sources noted.

Of course this is just  rumor at the moment, Apple’s 11 inch MacBook Air starts at $999 whilst their 13 inch model starts at $1,2999, if they do release one for $799 it would be interesting to see what the specifications are.

Source Wired

Apple Releases iOS 5.1.1 Software Update

Apple has released a new update to its iOS software for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the update is iOS 5.1.1 and it is now available to download to your iOS device.

The iOS 5.1.1 software update comes with a range of bug fixes and performance improvements which include improved reliability of using HDR photos which are taken using the lock screen camera shortcut.

The update also addresses an issue which would prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G data networks, and also a bug in AirPlay video playback.

On top of that Apple has also said that iOS 5.1.1 comes with improved reliability for syncing your Safari bookmarks and reading list, you can find out full details of the iOS 5.1.1 update over at Apple.

Source BGR

Brydge Transforms Your iPad Into A MacBook (video)

If you are looking for a high quality keyboard case for your iPad, made from aerospace-grade aluminum with design styling to match Apple’s products. You might be interested in the new Brydge Kickstarter project.

Brydge has been designed to connect to your iPad using a patent pending click-in hinge provide you with a 180 degrees of movement. Whilst still holding your iPad securely in place. Watch the video after the jump to see it in action.

“Brydge’s aluminum body is machined and anodized so that it matches the look and feel of the iPad precisely. When paired together Brydge and your iPad appear to be two parts of the same device, blending style and functionality seamlessly. Unlike other products made of painted plastic in an effort to look similar to the iPad, Brydge does not fake it.”

The Brydge design is currently over on the Kickstarter website looking to raise enough pledges to make the jump from concept to design. So if you think it is something you could benefit from, jump over to the Kickstarter website now to make a pledge and help Brydge become a reality.

Source: Kickstarter

Apple WWDC 2012 June 11-15th

Apple has today announced the dates for this years Apple Worldwide Developer Conference 2012, that will take place in San Francisco from June 11th to June 15th. The five day Apple Worldwide Developer Conference has been created to provide a venue for iOS and OS X developers to meet Apple’s own software and hardware engineers.

The event will include over 100 sessions on iOS and OS X essentials, app services, developer tools, graphics, media, games and more. Tickets for this years Apple Worldwide Developer Conference 2012 will be priced at $1599, but you can expect them to disappear very quickly as soon as they go on sale, with Apple limiting sales to one per individual or five per organisation. Apple explains a little more about the event:

“The WWDC experience goes beyond finding out what’s new and coding apps. It’s also about the connections, camaraderie, and conversation you’ll enjoy at events like the WWDC Bash, Apple Design Awards, and Stump the Experts. You get a chance to share ideas, show off your skills, and learn a thing or two along the way.”

Source: Apple

Apple’s iCloud Hits 125 Million Users

Apple launched their new cloud service back in October of last year at the same time as they launched the new iPhone 4S, and now Apple has revealed how many people are using iCloud.

The last figures we had from Apple were back in February when they announced that iCloud had over 100 million users, and yesterday Apple announced that iCloud now has more that 125 million users.

That is an increase of 25 million users in the last two months, which is a pretty impressive increase, and we suspect that is going to increase quite a bit over the rest of the year.

I have been using iCloud since it was launched last year, and whilst the service is good there are definitely some improvements Apple could make to iCloud, it will be interesting to see how the service is developed over the next year.

Source Slashgear

Blogsy iPad App Receives Major Update Adds Vimeo And Tumblr Support

 

Blogsy the great iPad application for updating the editing your blogs and WordPress, WordPress.com, Blogger, Posterous, TypePad, MovableType, Drupal, and Joomla powered sites.

Has this week rolled out a major new update to its iPad app which has now added support for both Tumblr sites and Vimeo video, as well as Flickr private images, TypePad source image, and WordPress media library access to name just a few.

Blogsy now supports all post types for Tumblr. So if you want to post a quote post, audio post, video post, text post you can now do it directly from Tumblr. The Vimeo video feature now allows Blogsy users to easily drag and drop Vimeo videos directly into your posts, without the need to mess about with embed codes.

You can now download the latest Blogsy app from the iTunes App Store for $4.99. A full list of all the new updates is also available in the iTunes store.

Source: Blogsy

Read It Later App Goes Free And Renames To “Pocket”

Users of the Read It Later application, might be interested to learn that a new update has been rolled out for the app, which has now changed its name to “Pocket” and converted the app from paid to free.

Read It Later the company behind the app, who hasn’t changed their name. Have now removed the $2.99 Pro version of Read it later, and rebranded the app to Pocket which is now available for free.

If you haven’t already used Pocket app, its been designed to enable you to store Internet content quickly, allowing you to access it and read it at a later date. Read It Later founder Nate Weiner explained to paidContent the reasons behind the change of brand and pricing structure.

“Read It Later was profitable from the first day it launched its original, paid iPhone app,”-“However, just because our company made money, it doesn’t mean we were making it in a way that fit our business best.”-“part of the reason we raised money last summer was because I recognized this and had a different model I wanted to go after”

More details about the new project are expected to be released in the summer months. As always we will keep you updated. Pocket is available on the Play Store and App Store for free.

Source: Paid Content