Apple has sprung a leak -- scoops about iPhone 5 right on
Apple failed to spring many surprises on fans today. In the past, Apple was one of the most security conscious companies in Silicon Valley. Company managers protected the content of upcoming media events as if they were guarding state secrets. If leaks occurred, they were rare and feathers in the caps of the reporters who bagged them. Today, all sorts of blogs can boast that they scooped the Apple event. Go down the list of Apple's new products or services and nearly all leaked out weeks or months ago. New ear buds, check. A new dock connector, check. The new iPhone, the marquee product that Apple fans salivate over, check. Leading up to today's Apple media event came a steady stream of leaked photos of the iPhone 5, most of which turned out to be accurate. Like most companies, Apple wants to safeguard trade secrets from competitors. But the company also understands one of the keys to building excitement around product releases is to ratchet up anticipation and create an expectation in consumers that they're going to be wowed by something new. If this event was unprecedented in any way, it was that at no other time in Apple's history have so many of the company's upcoming offerings been unveiled by those other than Apple. For weeks, CNET's Apple reporter, Josh Lowensohn, has said that all the early reports were draining the anticipation out of the iPhone 5 debut. Many of the reviews of today's show say Apple failed to deliver pizazz. Did the news leaks contribute to the disappointment? It's hard to imagine that if news about Apple's upcoming products continued to be delivered ahead of these events that they would matter as much or still be effective as marketing tools.Apple's iPhone 5 event Apple out to prove it's still kingHo-hum. iPhone 5 won't wow anyoneiPhone 5: No Steve Jobs, no sizzle Taking the wraps off the iPhone 5 Pictures: Apple's big iPhone 5 reveal iPhone 5 price same as 4S: $199 for 16GB CNET's iPhone 5 review iPhone 5: What we didn't get Comparing the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 Poll: Will you buy the iPhone 5? Video: Apple announces ultrafast iPhone 5 Start your iOS 6 downloads September 19 iOS 6 hits major marks New iPod Touch: Siri and a 4-inch screen New Nano: Remembering the iPod Mini84M iPads, 400M iOS devices Apple reworks, simplifies iTunes Full coverage: The iPhone 5 arrivesAs for the reason for the leaks, the first place to look is at the CEO. There's little to indicate that Tim Cook is anywhere near as zealous about locking down Apple's secrets as Jobs. Yes, Cook said recently that Apple will "double down" on security, but Jobs was said to obsess about security. Recall that Apple once sued a teenage blogger for breaking news about Apple products. Remember Jobs' angry reaction in 2010 to the iPhone prototype lost in a German brew pub and eventually sold to Gizmodo?The blog returned the phone, but Apple called the cops and the home of one of Gizmodo's editors was raided. When asked about the matter, which he described as an attempt by Gizmodo to extort Apple, Jobs said that he was advised to let the matter slide. "I'd rather quit," Jobs declared. When Jobs was running Apple, there were reports of strict security protocols and clandestine meetings in zoned-off buildings. Former cops were dispatched to hunt down leaks, and there were of course numerous stories about the ever-present threat of termination for employees who couldn't keep their mouths shut.Even with all of that, Apple saw several major breaches of security while Jobs was still at the helm, including the iPhone prototype lost in the brew pub. During Jobs' tenure, Apple also lost a second unreleased handheld in a San Francisco tequila bar in July 2011 and an executive at one of Apple's suppliers was arrested on charges that he supplied unreleased data about the iPhone and iPad to investors. They wanted to trade illegally on the insider information.Brian Tong, a CNET senior editor and on-air personality, said today he suspected Apple has far too many suppliers now and that demand for information about the company's products is too great for managers to keep anything secret.See CNET's full coverage of Apple's iPhone 5 event He's probably right. It is also might be wise to consider the cost and risks of creating a Kremlin-like atmosphere at a consumer-electronics company. In July 2011, Apple security personnel went looking for the prototype phone that went missing in a tequila bar. They tracked the device electronically to the home of a San Francisco man. With police standing by, the Apple employees searched the man's home, car, and computer. Some of the people who were in the home at the time say they felt pressured to agree to the search and claimed they were threatened with deportation if they didn't cooperate. To many people the search was extreme and Apple had crossed the line. Maybe, for the long term, Apple is better off not making security too much of a priority. Apple isn't the CIA. These really aren't state secrets. The target of the prototype search by Apple's security unit that day in San Francisco was, after all, just a phone.
Is the 64GB iPad the new 32-
Is the 64GB iPad the new 32?
What size third-gen iPad will you get?What storage is for you?I've always been a 32GB iPad kind of person. It's done me well the last two generations, although I've come up against my storage limit pretty frequently. So, this time I'm going 64.Am I mad? Maybe, but I asked the same question when the 64GB iPhone 4S made its debut. In that instance, I wondered whether the 5 megapixel camera and 1080p video recording capabilities would eat up valuable space on the iPhone. I was particularly concerned about videos, since their file sizes can get big fast and because they're not backed up or synced on iCloud, unlike photos.I ended up getting the 32GB iPhone 4S, but I do find I have to manage/dump files and photos/videos with some regularity. Using my iPhone as a camera at CES, I filled up my remaining space pretty quickly. A two-minute movie I shot of my son at school clocked in at 369MB. Doing any significant larger-scale video editing on an iPad will probably necessitate 64GB just to host the clips on iMovie.With the new iPad, another concern arises: will the pixel-doubled Retina display and quad-core graphics cause a balloon in file sizes? Apple has increased the 4G file download limit to 50MB, which feels like a harbinger of file sizes to come. Many app developers have already admitted that file sizes are bound to increase. This happened with the iPhone 4, and it seems inevitable now. Related storiesWho's getting the 64GB iPhone 4S?Third-gen iPad: first takeThe new iPad and gaming: what will change?Of course, for those who stream and have no problem frequently deleting their TV shows, movies and apps, 32GB should do just fine. Or, even 16GB, provided your expectations are limited to low-capacity apps, web browsing, and the like.I'm hoping to do more video editing on the iPad, which will eat up space. I also expect to download more movies, now that iTunes has finally allowed re-downloading of purchased films (which means, of course, no lengthy file syncing with my maxed-out laptop). That's a hope. The reality is I download tons of games, a good handful of space-eating magazine issues, and a few surprisingly beefy book-apps for my son. There's always the chance I regret the $100 up-sell, but I know I've already regretted the limitations of 32GB for my needs. Yes, $699 for an iPad is expensive, but there's no real way to expand storage otherwise.I also wonder if, with this higher-resolution iPad, many buyers will start going for larger-storage versions. The presence of a 16GB iPad 2 will corner the market on the low-end iPad, while New iPad buyers might be tempted to choose between 32GB and 64GB on the Retina display versions, and skip 16GB completely.The case for 64GB: possible file size bumps, heavy photo taker/home video taker, interested in video editing, heavy gamer, movie downloader.The case against 64GB: iCloud allows re-downloading of nearly everything; backups happen in the cloud; you prefer streaming to downloading videos; you don't like paying tons of money for an iPad.How about you: what are you going with if you're getting one?
What size third-gen iPad will you get?What storage is for you?I've always been a 32GB iPad kind of person. It's done me well the last two generations, although I've come up against my storage limit pretty frequently. So, this time I'm going 64.Am I mad? Maybe, but I asked the same question when the 64GB iPhone 4S made its debut. In that instance, I wondered whether the 5 megapixel camera and 1080p video recording capabilities would eat up valuable space on the iPhone. I was particularly concerned about videos, since their file sizes can get big fast and because they're not backed up or synced on iCloud, unlike photos.I ended up getting the 32GB iPhone 4S, but I do find I have to manage/dump files and photos/videos with some regularity. Using my iPhone as a camera at CES, I filled up my remaining space pretty quickly. A two-minute movie I shot of my son at school clocked in at 369MB. Doing any significant larger-scale video editing on an iPad will probably necessitate 64GB just to host the clips on iMovie.With the new iPad, another concern arises: will the pixel-doubled Retina display and quad-core graphics cause a balloon in file sizes? Apple has increased the 4G file download limit to 50MB, which feels like a harbinger of file sizes to come. Many app developers have already admitted that file sizes are bound to increase. This happened with the iPhone 4, and it seems inevitable now. Related storiesWho's getting the 64GB iPhone 4S?Third-gen iPad: first takeThe new iPad and gaming: what will change?Of course, for those who stream and have no problem frequently deleting their TV shows, movies and apps, 32GB should do just fine. Or, even 16GB, provided your expectations are limited to low-capacity apps, web browsing, and the like.I'm hoping to do more video editing on the iPad, which will eat up space. I also expect to download more movies, now that iTunes has finally allowed re-downloading of purchased films (which means, of course, no lengthy file syncing with my maxed-out laptop). That's a hope. The reality is I download tons of games, a good handful of space-eating magazine issues, and a few surprisingly beefy book-apps for my son. There's always the chance I regret the $100 up-sell, but I know I've already regretted the limitations of 32GB for my needs. Yes, $699 for an iPad is expensive, but there's no real way to expand storage otherwise.I also wonder if, with this higher-resolution iPad, many buyers will start going for larger-storage versions. The presence of a 16GB iPad 2 will corner the market on the low-end iPad, while New iPad buyers might be tempted to choose between 32GB and 64GB on the Retina display versions, and skip 16GB completely.The case for 64GB: possible file size bumps, heavy photo taker/home video taker, interested in video editing, heavy gamer, movie downloader.The case against 64GB: iCloud allows re-downloading of nearly everything; backups happen in the cloud; you prefer streaming to downloading videos; you don't like paying tons of money for an iPad.How about you: what are you going with if you're getting one?
Apple taken to court over unwanted iOS 7 install download
Apple taken to court over unwanted iOS 7 install download
A California man is taking Apple to court over what he says were "unwanted" downloads of iOS 7 onto his family's gadgets.Mark Menacher, a resident of Poway, Calif., filed a small-claims complaint against Apple's CEO Tim Cook in the Superior Court of California in San Diego on Thursday, asking for the removal of the iOS 7 install file -- something that's downloaded to devices automatically when they're connected to power and a Wi-Fi connection.That file does not install iOS 7 on a device without user interaction, though does prompt users to do so every time they restart their device.Some users were irked to discover this feature last month, which is designed to get users onto the latest version of Apple's iOS software, updates that often contain security fixes and new features. However in the case of iOS 7, it also means a brand new look and feel of the OS, along with potential compatibility issues with some pieces of software, and a sizable download that can take up 1GB or more. The software also cannot be downgraded within iTunes, or from on the device itself. Related storiesiOS 6 holdouts complain about large, unwanted iOS 7 downloadCNET's iOS 7 reviewHow to install iOS 7The automatic downloading behavior was present in the jump from iOS 5 to 6 as well, however that update did not come with a visual overhaul."Apple's disregard for customer preferences in relation to iOS7 is corporate thuggery," Menacher said in a statement. "Steve Jobs was reportedly rough on company employees in pursuit of happy customers, but Tim Cook apparently cultivates a culture of contempt for customer satisfaction in pursuit of corporate profits. It is a policy that will eventually fail." Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Menacher's complaint, which follows one made with the Better Business Bureau last month, asks for a way to get rid of the downloaded installer file, as well as $50. Menacher told CNET he is "considering" elevating the issue to a higher court, and exploring whether there's support for class action status. Apple's iOS 7 has seen the fastest adoption of any version of the software according to both Apple and third-party tracking firms. Analytics company Mixpanel, which keeps a live tracker up here, currently lists iOS 7 on more than 72 percent of all devices. Updated at 3:28 p.m. PT to further clarify how the downloaded installer works.
A California man is taking Apple to court over what he says were "unwanted" downloads of iOS 7 onto his family's gadgets.Mark Menacher, a resident of Poway, Calif., filed a small-claims complaint against Apple's CEO Tim Cook in the Superior Court of California in San Diego on Thursday, asking for the removal of the iOS 7 install file -- something that's downloaded to devices automatically when they're connected to power and a Wi-Fi connection.That file does not install iOS 7 on a device without user interaction, though does prompt users to do so every time they restart their device.Some users were irked to discover this feature last month, which is designed to get users onto the latest version of Apple's iOS software, updates that often contain security fixes and new features. However in the case of iOS 7, it also means a brand new look and feel of the OS, along with potential compatibility issues with some pieces of software, and a sizable download that can take up 1GB or more. The software also cannot be downgraded within iTunes, or from on the device itself. Related storiesiOS 6 holdouts complain about large, unwanted iOS 7 downloadCNET's iOS 7 reviewHow to install iOS 7The automatic downloading behavior was present in the jump from iOS 5 to 6 as well, however that update did not come with a visual overhaul."Apple's disregard for customer preferences in relation to iOS7 is corporate thuggery," Menacher said in a statement. "Steve Jobs was reportedly rough on company employees in pursuit of happy customers, but Tim Cook apparently cultivates a culture of contempt for customer satisfaction in pursuit of corporate profits. It is a policy that will eventually fail." Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Menacher's complaint, which follows one made with the Better Business Bureau last month, asks for a way to get rid of the downloaded installer file, as well as $50. Menacher told CNET he is "considering" elevating the issue to a higher court, and exploring whether there's support for class action status. Apple's iOS 7 has seen the fastest adoption of any version of the software according to both Apple and third-party tracking firms. Analytics company Mixpanel, which keeps a live tracker up here, currently lists iOS 7 on more than 72 percent of all devices. Updated at 3:28 p.m. PT to further clarify how the downloaded installer works.
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