- apple-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

INTEREST: (long) reflections on iPad: "I could live without it, but I'd rather not."
by billing 09 Apr '13

09 Apr '13

....from http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/04/i-was-an-ipad-skeptic/ “I was an iPad skeptic” Ars staff reflects on three years of tablets post-iPad. "I could live without it, but I'd rather not." by Jacqui Cheng - Apr 3 2013, 7:15am CDT Aurich Lawson It's hard to believe that the iPad and the hundreds of tablets that arrived in its wake have been around for only three years. On April 3, 2010, Apple released the original iPad to the public, kicking off a whirlwind of innovation in a space that was previously known only for niche, experimental, and downright odd products. One could still argue that the iPad—and other tablets like it—are meant for a niche audience, but it's clear that tablets as we know them today have struck a chord with the masses. Apple alone has sold 100 million iPads as of October 2012. It feels like modern tablets have been around a lot longer, but three years is still nothing to sneeze at. Reflecting upon the last three years of tablet mania, the Ars staff and contributors began to share stories about how our iPads or other tablets have changed how we interact with our devices and the Internet. Most of us were heavy tablet skeptics when the iPad was first announced, and some of us still are. So in honor of the three-year anniversary of the iPad, we decided to share some of our experiences with you on how our lives have changed—or how they haven't, depending the case. Tablets have earned a place in our lives Nate Anderson, Deputy Editor: I was definitely a tablet skeptic—I can use my laptop to do anything a tablet can do! What a waste to get an extra device! But I eventually picked up an iPad anyway and learned four lessons. First, the utility of technology isn't simply about end results but about the process of obtaining them. My three-year-old can barely use a mouse, much less open a laptop and launch programs—but she has no problem swiping her way through the unlock screen, flipping through screens of apps, launching her educational games, playing them, quitting them, launching other games, and shutting off the device when finished. Sure, many of the same programs could run on the laptop as well, but even so, they would remain inaccessible to her for a few a more years. My kids are tablet power users who already understand concepts like code updates ("Dad, see if there are any new levels out for Cut the Rope!") and crashes ("This program is broken. I'm going to try another one"). Second, the power of tablets exceeded my expectations. Tablets looked at first like decent consumption devices for books, music, and video—and indeed they were often described in those terms. But even the imprecision of a touch interface was soon put to use for more creative ends. While few creation apps on tablets can match pro tools on computers, they can at least throw open creative possibilities to millions of amateurs—and for just a few bucks an app. When I watch a five-year-old and her friend create their own princess cartoon, complete with hand-drawn backgrounds, animation, music, and narrative voiceover—all without any help—I think back to all the things I wanted to try when I was kid (claymation stop-motion animation of giant monsters!) and marvel at just how powerful creative tools now are. Third, many people actually prefer locked-down computing environments. My parents have both picked up iPads in their retirement and use them constantly, even shooting video and sending it to relatives. This never once happened when doing so required using a camera, hooking that camera up to the computer, uploading footage, compressing it, and e-mailing it out. And they are largely free of worries about malware or the complications of the Windows desktop. For people who largely need consumption apps and a Web browser, the security advantages and simplicity of tablets are features, not bugs. THE ORIGINAL IPAD REVIEW When Ars Technica got our hands on our first iPad, we wrote 18 pages of review on a product that was quite unique in the market at the time. "The iPad is likely to just be a starting point for Apple and for multitouch computing in general," we wrote. Ultimately, the conclusion we came to in the review is the same you'll find in the experiences that many Ars staffers have shared in this retrospective. As we wrote in 2010: "Can the iPad replace a netbook or a laptop? For some of you hardcore users, probably not. For those who use netbooks as a lightweight way to browse the Web, chat a bit, and do some light work: yes, it can." Finally, I find using the tablet a more soothing experience. This is unlikely to be a universal feeling, but as someone who spends my entire day at a computer using a mouse-and-keyboard, my hands welcome a chance to do something different and my back welcomes a chance to recline on the couch. But there's a mental component, too. Cracking open my laptop in the evening presents me with windows holding to-do lists, open browser tabs for in-progress stories, instant messages, e-mail, and book projects. In short, I feel like I've just returned to the office. Using a tablet feels, however illogically, like being at home. Eric Bangeman, Managing Editor: Laptop neglect. That's the best way to describe how the iPad has changed my computing habits since its introduction three years ago. Before the iPad, my MacBook was an all-purpose device, used all over the house for all sorts of tasks. Since I purchased my first iPad, my MacBook is now a single-purpose machine, used only for work. If I was sitting on the couch, I'd have my laptop with me maybe a quarter of the time. Now, I've got my iPad 100 percent of the time. In addition to displacing my laptop, the iPad has also been chasing paper out of my house. I buy and read books on the iPad. I'm an avid magazine reader, and as Sports Illustrated, The Economist, Rugby World, and The Atlantic have come out with full-featured digital editions, I've let my print subscriptions lapse. I'm also much happier reading The New York Times via its iOS app than manipulating large pieces of paper. And the apps leave more room in the recycling bin for things like empty beer cans and wine bottles. Has it revolutionized my life? No, it's just a tablet. But it has made content consumption a lot more convenient for me. Watching TV with my iPad, I can answer nagging questions like which season of30 Rock David Schwimmer appeared in, and then browse Facebook during a commercial break. It's also a way to take little mental vacations: I can zone out for a few minutes and play a mindless iOS game or browse the 730-page funny pictures thread in the Lounge. I could live without it, but I would rather not. Sean Gallagher, IT Editor: My home is now a three iPad household: Me, the technologist/early adopter/occasional hacker; my wife, the librarian and mediavore; and my 18-year-old son, the musician and recording engineer. My daughter, the 12-year old, uses a second-hand Samsung Galaxy Tab for texting and games. The Galaxy Tab gets used more than all the iPads combined. That may say more about the user than the devices, but it also has to do with form factor. As an early adopter (well, not too early—I waited for the iPad 2), I tried to push the boundaries of what the iPad could do. I often used it instead of a notebook for distinctly notebook-like things, courtesy of a Bluetooth keyboard. Using Mail, the iWork apps, Skype, and a couple of other apps, it was my mobile office. Its size was more amenable to use on an airplane with the Belkin keyboard and folio than my aging Toshiba Satellite. But since I've gotten the MacBook Air, I use it a lot less for those things, and I use my iPhone more because of its size. Now my iPad is more of an e-reader and a Netflix platform than work station. I've considered handing it down to my daughter because it spends more time in a drawer than anywhere else. My wife uses her iPad to read e-galleys—early reader e-editions of upcoming books. It has reduced the clutter of books around the house. Her library system has started to try to get librarians to use the iPad as a reference tool, allowing them to wander the floor and help patrons find the books they want. That effort still has some kinks in it, since the iPads only have access to the public Wi-Fi and thus the same catalog system as patrons use. (Sadly, it's one that can't tell them the circulation status of a book as well as the computers on their desks.) My 18-year old uses the iPad and GarageBand to do rough compositions of songs, to play with ideas, and as a personal practice amp for electric guitar. The iPad has become a staple of live sound, with apps that allow an engineer to adjust board levels wirelessly from anywhere within a venue. He also uses it for social media and to check his e-mail. But his needs exceed the iPad's grasp; he would rather lug the iMac I handed down to him around because it runs ProTools. My daughter is the most tablet-focused of all of us. She takes her Galaxy Tab to school, collects video for reports, plays games, watches videos, and uses a program called Text + to send friends SMS messages. Her school uses Google Apps, so she collaborates on Google Drive docs for her projects. The Galaxy Tab is her constant companion, largely because she doesn't have a smartphone or a dedicated personal computer like the rest of us—and because the Galaxy Tab is more portable than the iPad. Florence Ion, Reviews Editor: The iPad first debuted when I was working at an Apple-centric publication, but back then I was incredibly skeptical. I had just invested in a MacBook Pro and was kind of irked at the idea that I had to switch up my lifestyle to accommodate this new… thing. Now tablets are as ubiquitous as smartphones, and although it’s not necessary to have one, it’s certainly feels essential. I now have three in my household: a third-generation iPad, a 32GB Nexus 7, and a Microsoft Surface with Windows RT. One is always within arm’s reach, but it’s usually the iPad that I pick up when I’m in the mood to consume content. I started my career in the world of print and continue to be a huge evangelist of the medium. But as technology progresses, I’ve realized that I have to change the way I consume it, too. So far, only the iPad has been able to deliver the kind of magazine experience I’d expect in this new “digital age.” New issues are delivered to me via Newsstand, and I can easily flip through pages, click on interactive content, and navigate to the websites offering the products I’m interested in. I also appreciate that some publishers offer both print and digital subscriptions so that I can access those issues but still have the actual magazine at home to collage and snip from. Adobe has even made it easier for publishers to push their issues through to the iPad. For the most part, I no longer have to store any physical magazines. I have access to every issue I’ve ever paid for, as it’s all linked to my iTunes account. It’s also my primping and cooking companion: I’ll use it to stream Spotify while I’m getting ready for a night out, and refer to Evernote while I’m trying out a new recipe in the kitchen. While it hasn’t replaced my Kindle for reading e-books (the E Ink is easier on my eyes), I’m not sure I ever want to live without it again, even if I only mostly use it to read magazines. Jon Brodkin, Senior IT Reporter: I've been using tablets regularly since the iPad 2 came out, and it has completely changed my "leisure-time" computing—and it has even had some small influence on my work computing. While I'm still attached to a traditional computer during regular business hours, I now use a tablet for the majority of my time spent browsing the Web or writing short e-mails at night and on the weekends. This holds true for both personal and work things, which can often feel like one and the same. Being tech-obsessed, I'm constantly reading news or Twitter on a tablet. (I do the same on my phone, but only if I am out of the house and thus not near my tablet.) If I find something newsworthy, I'll make a note to myself or e-mail colleagues who might be interested. Still, I have no desire to make the leap to writing articles on a tablet. If I hit the point where I'm writing an e-mail longer than a couple of sentences or am writing something for publication, I shift to a laptop or desktop. Physical keyboards are awesome! I still see tablet holdouts argue that they don't need tablets, and that's absolutely true. Almost no one "needs" a tablet. But lots of us want them, and that's a perfectly good reason to buy one. Tablets can both replace some of the time otherwise spent on "real" computers and increase the amount of time spent computing in general. For example, I am now more likely to read long form articles, because if I see something during the day that I don't have time to read, I save it to read on my tablet at night. There are more pros than cons, but the expansion of time spent computing can be both good and bad. Even when I'm trying to read a book (on my e-reader) that tablet is right there, beckoning me, and that's not always a good thing. Andrew Cunningham, Associate Writer: I didn't initially see the appeal of the original iPad, which my then-employer bought for me in the pre-multitasking, pre-Notification Center, pre-multiple-Exchange-accounts dark days of iOS 3.2. When it finally arrived, iOS 4.2 helped bring the tablet into its own, and subsequent hardware and software updates (as well as a steady stream of tablet-ready apps) further convinced me that tablets could fill a niche that smartphones couldn't. However, the advent of lightweight and powerful Ultrabooks and MacBooks Air that didn't weigh much more than the iPad happened at about the same time, so if I'm traveling I typically choose the computer over the tablet. Smaller tablets like the Nexus 7 and iPad mini change this equation. They're large enough to be good at tablet-y things, but small enough to ride shotgun in your laptop bag when you're on long trips. The Nexus 7 in particular has been a constant companion on the road in the last six months, primarily because it's a near-perfect e-reader while also being a pretty good device for checking e-mail, managing calendars, and doing general Web browsing. It would probably be hyperbole to say that tablets have changed my life, but the smaller ones at least have found a very comfortable niche in between my laptop and my smartphone that I'd hate to see unfilled. Jonathan Gitlin, Contributing Writer: I won't deny it—when Apple announced the iPod, and later the iPhone, I was a skeptic. I didn't see the point, and I didn't want to be the first on the block to own either of the shiny new gadgets. The iPad, though, was different. PDFs no longer needed printing out. It had the perfect form factor for reading comics. Ten-hour battery life meant that needing a laptop on a plane for entertainment was a thing of the past. Those first few months saw me use it for note-taking in meetings, a task made slightly harder due to the constant stream of questions from colleagues about the new device: "Is that an iPad?" "Can you really type on it?" "Are you from the future?" A work-issued MacBook Air means I don't use it for meetings as much anymore, although with double the battery life and built-in connectivity thanks to LTE, I still break out the iPad from time to time. Primarily though, it's a content consumption device for me. It keeps me occupied on my daily WMATA commute, and it streams familiar NPR stations in unfamiliar hotels. A transition to digital magazines means I no longer need to wait five or six weeks to get the most recent issue from the UK, and the only physical books I buy any more are coffee table sized. An upgrade to an iPad 3, with its retina display, has made reading comics or scientific papers a joy, and streaming Netflix or DirecTV in bed is a breeze. Yes, the keyboard is a pain to type with. Yes, it can be a little bit heavy when reading one-handed, but no more so than a hardback. Trying to read outside in the sun doesn't always work well, but when it's 2am and the lights are off it's a different story. Happy Birthday, iPad. I can't wait to see what the next three years will bring. Chris Lee, Associate Writer: I confess to having always wanted something tablet-like, so I purchased an iPad pretty early on. My use has varied with time, because it depends on what I am doing. To put it in context, almost every article I wrote for Ars between mid 2011 to mid 2012 was produced on an iPad. Even now, I do almost all my drafting on the iPad, simply because of where and when I do my writing. Without the iPad, my output for Ars Technica would be about a 10th of what I manage now. I took notes on the iPad when I worked in the lab, which was much easier than using a laptop: it was quick to draw diagrams, take data, and graph data. Basically, everything that would normally go into a paper lab book could be done on the iPad, with the added benefit of having searchable text. On the train, I can edit papers (independent of whether I get a seat or not), read papers, and do basic analysis. For instance, I recently derived all the equations required for some new research on my iPad on the train, something that simply cannot be easily done on a laptop, because you need to be able to write and draw freehand (or at least I do if I am going to derive stuff). For pleasure, I do a lot of reading on the iPad, but I am not dedicated to it. My son has a Kindle that I use, and I also use my phone for reading as well as paper books. On that note, my son's high school has suggested that he be given either a laptop or a tablet for school work. It's not required, but there are special circumstances that led to his school recommending this. It's likely that we'll get a tablet for him, since that will offer more flexibility in his use case than would a cheap laptop. In addition to completing school assignments, he can rent e-books from the local library and read the content on his Kindle. He can also use it for Web browsing and e-mail. As with all things, my iPad use fluctuates. And because the one I own is an iPad 1, I've been experiencing crashes (I don't remember crashes at all in the first year) and slow application start-up times. There are now some things I avoid doing on the iPad (general Web browsing, for instance). Sadly, I will have to upgrade soon. Jacqui Cheng, Senior Apple Editor Despite being the Apple editor here at Ars, I almost never want to buy things right away when they're introduced. This attitude toward spending doesn't line up well with my job as someone who also reviews new products, so when the first iPad came out I picked one up on launch day in order to get the Ars review started. Back then, I didn't expect it to make much of a dent in the way I normally did things; I would typically work all day in my office but use my laptop a lot at nights, on the weekends, or while traveling. My laptop was the machine to use when I wanted to relax and surf the Internet or complete personal projects, but once the iPad made its way into my life, things changed. Nowadays, I almost never open up my laptop on the weekends, and I never bring it with me on vacation. This is in stark contrast to just a few years ago when I wouldn't dream of leaving the house without it, but I don't need it for most trips anymore thanks to the iPad. I also do all my casual Internet surfing on it as well. I find that reading feels much more natural on the iPad compared to a computer, meaning it's a good device for me to use when I'm catching up on all the long form online content I neglected during the day. I also read e-books on my iPad (despite preferring the Kindle) simply because my iPad is more accessible to me more often. The iPad has essentially made it possible for me to find more balance in my life while also making it more enjoyable to consume different kinds of content. If my iPad were stolen or lost today, I would replace it without question. Still a skeptic Not everyone on staff feels like the iPad—or one of its competing Android or Windows equivalents—has made a dent in their lives. Here are the stories from those staffers who think the modern tablet has a way to go before it earns a permanent spot in their bags. Lee Hutchinson, Reviews Editor: My life has no room for anything like a tablet. When I'm out of the house, I have a smartphone for my pocket and an Ultrabook for when I'm carrying a backpack. When I'm in the house, I have more computers all around me than I have any idea what the hell to do with (including one that provides content to my TV). I realize I'm firmly in the "angry nerd" demographic and that others have different lives and opinions—my wife loves her iPad and uses it constantly, even when she's sitting at her main computer doing other things—but I just don't use them. I've got quick and easy reviews editor-style access to tablet devices from just about anyone that makes them, and of course I have spent plenty of time on Android and iOS tablet devices, but never for more than the length of a review. If I won an iPad or a Nexus 7 in a contest, I'd give it away. Jason Marlin, Technology Director: Despite dying to be "paradigm-shifted" by the reality distortion field when the first iPad came out, I still don't enjoy using tablets. I have given significant time to 3 tablets now (2 iPads and a Samsung Galaxy Tab). Sadly, the main things I use these devices for are to: a) ensure that arstechnica.comworks on them, and b) play Pandora for vast stretches of time for my toddler daughter at bedtime. Indeed, the battery life for multimedia purposes is the main thing I find useful. Video for long flights comes to mind. For the most part, the OSes go un-updated and the devices go unloved. I'm not sure why I haven't been able to make tablets work–maybe it's my 1974 birth vintage. Maybe it's the size and weight of them, or maybe it's that I'm a power user at heart. I think there's a productivity gap that many of us have yet to cross with tablets. I hold out hope for innovations like projected keyboards and flexible displays! Lee Aylward, Lead Developer: I was excited for the iPad to come out and even waited in line on launch day for one. I used it regularly on the couch or in bed, mostly for movies or Web browsing. After about a month I got tired of dealing with its limitations. Specifically, it's picky about video formats, certain sites run poorly on it, I can't program on it, and it's not very comfortable for me to hold while laying down. I ended up having to keep my MacBook Air around while using my iPad, which made me realize I really didn't need the iPad. I think many of these problems have been addressed in later models, but the whole experience turned me off from tablets in general. Obviously my needs aren't typical! In contrast, my parents getting an iPad was one of our best tech buys to date. They use it much more than their laptops since it functions perfectly fine for e-mail and the light Web browsing they do. It has cut down on tech support requests from them a ton. Cyrus Farivar, Senior Business Editor: About a year ago, I got an iPad as a gift from my father. He’s no luddite, but he’s not the type of person who regularly spends his free time in front of his computer, reading news and books, watching movies, or whatever else. In the months leading up to his buying me one, we’d have conversations like this. “I love my new iPad. It’s great! I can watch BBC News and read the New York Times while relaxing in bed.” “But Dad, you can already do that on your laptop.” “I know, but this is so much easier!” Later I realized that for him, the more intuitive interface made the iPad the preferred device for consuming media. He’s not someone who does much creative work on his laptop (besides work e-mails and editing legal contracts), so when he’s relaxing, he prefers to read or watch stuff. So that’s how I came to be the proud owner of an iPad 3 in March 2012. I got a slick, wooden cover for it and a cloth sleeve. Heck, I picked up a cheap bluetooth keyboard for it, too. Sure, the iPad is portable, but it’s not that much more portable compared to my MacBook Air—certainly not if I’m bringing the keyboard along with it. But the more I used it, the more frustrated I became with having to access content through apps and with not having Flash. I found, for example, that some apps didn’t have iPad-friendly versions, and those that did often didn’t have the same feature set as a Web-based interface did. (And with the lack of Flash support, that means that many websites were off-limits.) A classic example of this is Hipmunk, a great travel planning site with its simplified, easy-to-understand iPad version. But frustratingly, the app version doesn’t have an option for “multiple city” travel, which I often take advantage of in the Web version. That means I have to go back to my laptop and use the website (in all of its Flash-based glory) as it was intended. While the iPad is great for watching movies or videos that I’ve already downloaded, the lack of Flash means that Hulu, StarTrek.com, and DailyShow.com are off-limits. So what do I use it for? The answer is "not much." Sure, I read magazines and books on it (it’s great to load up The New Yorker and The Economist for a long, offline weekend), and have been known to tear through half a dozen Star Trek episodes on a trans-Atlantic flight. The battery life on the iPad (particularly when in Airplane Mode) easily beats the pants off my MacBook Air. But the reality is that for day-to-day work, I stick to the laptop because I know it will work as I expect. So the sad reality is that after a year of ownership, my iPad doesn’t get used that much. I take it on trips, mainly to take advantage of the long battery life. If it’s on the coffee table or on my bedside table, I’ll grab it, but there’s rarely an instance where I actively would prefer using the iPad over my iPhone or laptop.

1 0

FYI: 2-step verification: coming soon to iCloud/AppleID
by billing 23 Mar '13

23 Mar '13

While this is not yet offered in Canada, this facility to enhance security for your iCloud/AppleID account and information will be coming. Apple will send an email to inform you when it is available..... for those users of Google facilities, 2-step verification is already available on those services at: http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=180744 http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1085463&topic… http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=185839&topic=… http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=185834&topic=… ....from: http://9to5mac.com/2013/03/21/apple-beefs-up-icloud-apple-id-security-with-… Apple beefs up iCloud, Apple ID security with two-step verification Today, Apple has rolled out a new two-step verification service for iCloud and Apple ID users. This functionality greatly enhances the security of Apple accounts because it requires users to use a trusted device and an extra security code. This security code can be sent via SMS or via the Find my iPhone iOS app (if it is installed). Users can now setup two-step authentication on their devices via the Apple ID website. Users need to access the security tab on this website to conduct the setup process. During the setup process for two-step verification, users can choose which of their iOS devices they want to be “trusted.” This new service will allow only you to be able to reset your password. All of the details below: Apple’s two-step verification is available in the U.S., U.K, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Last year, the security of Apple’s online services came into question when technology writer Mat Honan’s digital life was hacked via social engineering. His iCloud account was hacked and accessed. His computer ended up being completely erased via Apple’s Find my Mac restore feature. Apple requires users to print out a recovery key. This key is the only way to access your iCloud or Apple ID account if you cannot access your iOS device. Apple’s phone support will no longer be able to reset your Apple account password. Notably, Google’s online services have offered two-step verification for years. Earlier today, Apple began training its AppleCare phone support employees on the new system. Details of Apple’s training materials are directly below. Additionally, several more details are below. Below are all of the details about two-step verification: What is two-step verification for Apple ID? Two-step verification is an optional security feature for your Apple ID. It requires you to verify your identity using one of your devices before you can: Sign in to My Apple ID to manage your account. Make an iTunes, App Store, or iBookstore purchase from a new device. Get Apple ID-related support from Apple. Turning on two-step verification reduces the possibility of someone accessing or making unauthorized changes to your account information at My Apple ID or making purchases using your account. Why should I use two-step verification with my Apple ID? Your Apple ID is the key to many important things you do with Apple, such as purchasing from the iTunes and App Stores, keeping personal information up-to-date across your devices with iCloud, and locating, locking, or wiping your devices. Two-step verification is a feature you can use to keep your Apple ID as secure as possible. How do I set up two-step verification? Set up two-step verification at My Apple ID (appleid.apple.com): Select “Manage your Apple ID” and sign in. Select “Password and Security.” Under Two-Step Verification, select Get Started and follow the on-screen instructions. How does it work? When you set up two-step verification, you register one or more trusted devices. A trusted device is a device you control that can receive 4-digit verification codes using either Find My iPhone notifications or SMS to verify your identity. Then, any time you sign in to manage your Apple ID at My Apple ID or make an iTunes, App Store, or iBookstore purchase from a new device, you will need to enter both your password and a 4-digit verification code as shown below. After you sign in, you can manage your account or make purchases as usual. Without both your password and the verification code, access to your account will be denied. You will also get a 14-digit Recovery Key for you to print and keep in a safe place. You will use your Recovery Key to regain access to your account if you ever lose access to your devices or forget your password. Do I still need to remember any security questions? With two-step verification, you do not need to create or remember any security questions. Your identity is verified exclusively via your password, verification codes sent to your trusted devices, and your Recovery Key. How do I use Find My iPhone notifications to receive verification codes? Find My iPhone notifications can be used to receive verification codes on any iOS device with Find My iPhone turned on. Learn how to set up Find My iPhone. Which SMS numbers should I verify for my account? You should verify all SMS-enabled phone numbers that you normally use with your iPhone or other mobile phone. You should also consider verifying an SMS-enabled phone number used by someone close to you, such as a spouse or other family member. You can use this number if you are temporarily without access to your own devices. Note: You cannot use landline or web-based (VOIP) phone services for two-step verification. Where should I keep my Recovery Key? Keep your Recovery Key in a secure place in your home, office, or other location. You should consider printing more than one copy so that you can keep your key in more than one place. This will make it easier to find if you ever need it and ensure that you have a spare copy if one is ever lost or destroyed. You should not store your Recovery Key on your device or computer since that could give an unauthorized user instant access to it. Can I turn off two-step verification after I turn it on? Yes. Learn how to turn off two-step verification in this article. What do I need to remember when I use two-step verification? Two-step verification simplifies and strengthens the security of your account. After you turn it on, there will be no way for anyone to access and manage your account at My Apple ID other than by using your password, verification codes sent your trusted devices, or your Recovery Key. You must be responsible for: Remembering your password. Keeping your trusted devices physically secure. Keeping your Recovery Key in a safe place. If you lose access to two of these three items at the same time, you could be locked out of your Apple ID account permanently. In addition, with two-step verification turned on, only you can reset your password, manage your trusted devices, or create a new recovery key. Apple Support can help you with other aspects of your service, but they will not be able to update or recover these three things on your behalf. What if I lose my Recovery Key? You can replace your Recovery Key any time by visiting My Apple ID: Select “Manage your Apple ID” and sign in with your password and trusted device. Select “Password and Security.” Under Recovery Key, select Replace Lost Key. Note: When you create a new key, your old Recovery Key is no longer usable. See this article for more information. What if I forget my Apple ID password? You can reset your password at My Apple ID by using your Recovery Key and one of your trusted devices. Note: Apple Support can not reset your password on your behalf. To reset your password, you must have your Recovery Key and access to at least one of your trusted devices. See this article for more information. What if I lose or give away one of my trusted devices? If you no longer have access to one of your devices, go to My Apple ID to remove that device from your list of trusted devices as soon as possible so that it can no longer be used to help verify your identity. What if I no longer have access to any of my trusted devices? If you cannot access any of your trusted devices, you can still access your account at My Apple ID using your password and Recovery Key. You should verify a new trusted device as soon as possible. See this article for more information. Why was I asked to wait before setting up two-step verification? As a basic security measure, Apple does not allow two-step verification setup to proceed if any significant changes have recently been made to your account information. Significant changes can include a password reset or new security questions. This waiting period helps Apple ensure that you are the only person accessing or modifying your account. While you are in this waiting period, you can continue using your account as usual with all Apple services and stores. Apple will send an email to all the addresses you have on file notifying you of the waiting period and encouraging you to contact Apple Support if you think that someone else has unauthorized access to your account. You will be able to return to set up two-step verification after the date listed on your Apple ID account page and in the email that you receive. In which countries is two-step verification available? Initially, two-step verification is being offered in the U.S., UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Additional countries will be added over time. When your country is added, two-step verification will automatically appear in the Password and Security section of Manage My Apple ID when you sign in to My Apple ID.

1 0

INTEREST: Apple Data Centres Now Use 100% Renewable Energy
by billing 23 Mar '13

23 Mar '13

...from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-21/apple-says-data-centers-now-use-10… Apple Says Data Centers Now Use 100% Renewable Energy By Peter Burrows - Mar 21, 2013 3:41 PM CT Print Apple Inc. via Bloomberg In its environmental update, Apple said a 100-acre solar farm next to its largest data center, in Maiden, North Carolina, became fully operational in December. Apple Inc. (AAPL) now uses only renewable energy sources to power its data centers, the iPhone maker said in an updated report on its environmental policies. 5:16 March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Kirk Yang, head of Asia ex-Japan technology research at Barclays Plc, talks about the outlook for the region's mobile-technology industry. He speaks with Rishaad Salamat in Hong Kong on Bloomberg Television's "On the Move." (Source: Bloomberg) The company’s data centers now run on energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, instead of coal or other fossil fuels, Apple said on its website. The centers house server computers that store and distribute songs, applications and other content from services such as iTunes, iMessage and iCloud. A year ago, Apple was targeted by Greenpeace International, which ranked Apple 12th out of 14 large technology companies in a report called “How Clean Is Your Cloud?” The environmental group, which held protests at Apple’s offices in Cupertino, California, charged Apple with relying on electricity from coal plants and gave Apple a grade of no better than D in the four categories it tracked. “Increasing our use of renewable energy is our primary objective,” Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s chief financial officer, said in an interview. “We think these efforts will result in learnings that other companies and communities can benefit from as well.” Apple’s announcement shows “real progress,” Greenpeace said, urging the company disclose more detail on how it’s working with utilities and state governments to achieve its energy goals. “Apple’s increased level of disclosure about its energy sources helps customers know that their iCloud will be powered by clean energy sources, not coal,” Gary Cook, an analyst at Greenpeace, wrote in an e-mailed statement. Solar Farm Oppenheimer said a 100-acre (40-hectare) solar farm next to its largest data center, in Maiden, North Carolina, became fully operational in December. With the solar array and a large installation of fuel cells made by Bloom Energy Corp, which convert biogases into energy, Apple said it met a goal of generating 60 percent of the energy for the data center on-site. “The power we are using in North Carolina is 100 percent renewable and zero percent coal,” Oppenheimer said. Oppenheimer said Apple would double its solar capacity in Maiden after the construction of another nearby 100-acre solar farm by the of this year. Apple also said a data center that is under construction in Prineville, Oregon, will also run on local renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro, solar and geothermal power. Apple now gets 75 percent of its total power from renewable sources, up from 35 percent a year ago. The company’s four largest office campuses, in Ireland, Germany and two in California, now use 100 percent renewable energy sources, according to Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer declined to disclose how much Apple spent on the equipment to generate its own power. He said Apple will keep investing in green technologies and isn’t focused on earning a financial return on the investments. To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Burrows in San Francisco atpburrows(a)bloomberg.net

1 0

INTEREST: Who's Abebe Bikila? Text Wikipedia……
by Wayne Billing 23 Feb '13

23 Feb '13

...from: http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2013/2/22/getting-wikipedi… Getting Wikipedia to the people who need it most<http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2013/2/22/getting-wikipedi…> Feb. 22, 2013, 8:11 a.m., Posted by Kul Takanao Wadhwa – 1 Comment<http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2013/2/22/getting-wikipedi…> [cid:48E33BCB-6FFA-4B0B-A134-99A76E67C7E5] The Wikimedia Foundation recently received Knight News Challenge funding to create ways to deliver Wikipedia for free<http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/20123673/> to users in the developing world. Below, its head of mobile, Kul Takanao Wadhwa<http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/User:Kwadhwa>, writes about the project. We’re in the middle of an information revolution that’s changing the way billions of people in developing countries obtain news and knowledge. With a $10 cell phone, a high school student in New Delhi or a cab driver in Dakar can access the Internet and -- through Wikipedia and other websites - learn volumes about virtually any subject. If knowledge is power, then the developing world, with almost five billion cell-phone subscriptions<http://blogs.worldbank.org/growth/mobilizing-development-mobile-phones>, is poised to make amazing changes. There’s just one catch: An overwhelming percentage of new mobile users in India, Senegal and other developing countries can’t afford data charges, so they’re effectively excluded from sites like Wikipedia. It’s a de facto blackout, a kind of information segregation that shunts potential Internet users to the side of a very important road. That’s why the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, hasestablished Wikipedia Zero<http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Zero>, a program where we partner with mobile operators to give their mobile users free-of-charge access to Wikipedia and its growing trove of 24 million articles. In 2012, the Wikimedia Foundation signed Wikipedia Zero partnerships with three mobile operators, which is bringing free Wikipedia access to 230 million mobile users in 31 countries<https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships>. In January of 2013, we signed a fourth partnership that extends Wikipedia Zero to at least 100 million more mobile users in five more countries<https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/VimpelCom_partners_with…>. And with the recent support of the Knight News Challenge grant, designed to accelerate media innovation by funding breakthrough ideas in news and information, a series of exciting new developments is on the horizon. We are: speeding up the development of Wikipedia Zero; hastening the development of the software that lets a simple feature phone (the dominant phone in developing countries) connect easily to Wikipedia’s mobile site; augmenting the development of the engineering that, on Wikipedia, makes hundreds of native languages readable from mobile devices; and pioneering a program to give mobile users USSD<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstructured_Supplementary_Service_Data> & SMS access to Wikipedia. We’re very excited about delivering Wikipedia via text, which we expect to roll out within the next few months. With the program, users will send a text request to Wikipedia and, within seconds, they will get the article to their phone. To deliver this innovative technology, we’re partnering with the Praekelt Foundation<http://www.praekeltfoundation.org/>, a nonprofit based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s another example of the tremendous collaborative spirit that has always driven Wikipedia and always will. The number of mobile users who can get free access to Wikipedia is increasing rapidly, and so is its usage. In the countries where Wikipedia Zero has already been deployed, Wikipedia readership of local, non-English languages grew upwards of 400 percent in six months#. On our partner’s network in Niger, Wikipedia’s mobile traffic increased by 77 percent in the first four months of Wikipedia Zero, compared to 7 percent growth onNiger’s mobile networks that don’t have Wikipedia Zero<http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/10/29/wikipedia-zero-grows-readership-in-afr…>. In Kenya, the growth fromWikipedia Zero was even higher - 88 percent<http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/10/29/wikipedia-zero-grows-readership-in-afr…>. The demand is there for much more growth, and word-of-mouth is spreading. And the movement for access to knowledge is coming from all sides. Last December, a group of 11th-graders at Sinenjongo High School in Cape Town, South Africa, wrote a heartfelt letter to four mobile operators, imploring them to give their South African customers free-of-charge mobile access to Wikipedia<http://www.gadget.co.za/pebble.asp?relid=5613>. They had learned about Wikipedia Zero, even though the service is not yet available in South Africa. The Cape Town students have the technology in their hands, but they lack the money to pay for data charges. In their letter, which was published in Gadget, an online South Africa magazine that covers consumer technology, the 24 students wrote: “We recently heard that in some other African countries like Kenya and Uganda certain cell phone providers are offering their customers free access to Wikipedia. We think this is a wonderful idea and would really like to encourage you also to make the same offer here in South Africa. It would be totally amazing to be able to access information on our cell phones which would be affordable to us. Our school does not have a library at all so when we need to do research we have to walk a long way to the local library. When we get there we have to wait in a queue to use the one or two computers which have the internet. At school we do have 25 computers but we struggle to get to use them because they are mainly for the learners who do CAT (Computer Application Technology) as a subject. Going to an internet cafe is also not an easy option because you have to pay per half hour. 90% of us have cellphones but it is expensive for us to buy airtime so if we could get free access to Wikipedia it would make a huge difference to us...Our education system needs help and having access to Wikipedia would make a very positive difference. Just think of the boost that it will give us as students and to the whole education system of South Africa.” Their letter is a reminder that the human spirit craves access to free information. Indeed, I firmly believe that access to free knowledge should be a universal human right. News and knowledge change lives for the better. They always have. >From the beginning of the Wikimedia movement, and more broadly across the free knowledge movement, the goal has been to break down the digital divide, and render barriers to knowledge obsolete. There’s no better time than now to make gigantic inroads in that quest. Eighty percent of all new mobile phone subscribers are in developing countries, according to the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union<http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/material/pdf/2011%20Statistical%20h…>. For now, of the 25 countries that have the highest rate of mobile traffic onWikipedia, 22 are developing countries<https://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/12/20/the-countries-in-which-mobile-matters…>. The top eight countries are all in Africa<https://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/12/20/the-countries-in-which-mobile-matters…>. We will do what it takes to get free knowledge into the hands of students like those in South Africa who are clamoring for it. We will continue partnering with mobile operators who donate their resources to the service of Wikipedia Zero. In the next two years, we will write more blog posts that detail the progress we make in the developing world. The Knight News Challenge mobile grant<http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/20123673/> is an important milestone in our movement to make free knowledge available to everyone, including every person in the developing world. We see 2013 as a year of significant transition as we make our vision a long-term reality. As I said, access to knowledge should be a human right. And the Wikimedia Foundation is thrilled to be part of the Information Revolution that is bringing free knowledge around the world. We want others to join us, and as the 11th-graders in South Africa have shown us, to also be leaders in this movement. With hard work and true partnership, this dream will become a reality for the students in South Africa, and indeed, everyone, everywhere. By Kul Takanao Wadhwa<http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/User:Kwadhwa>, head of mobile for Wikimedia Foundation Wayne Billing Classroom Technology Support Audio Visual and Classroom Technology Support 130 Machray Hall Building 204-474-6649 204-807-3153 (cell) 204-474-7625 (fax) Wayne_Billing(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:Wayne_Billing@umanitoba.ca>

1 0

INTEREST: Reuters: Apple employee computers hacked, no evidence of stolen data
by Wayne Billing 19 Feb '13

19 Feb '13

[BTW: if you use Java, you should go to www.java.com<http://www.java.com> and update your current installation. A new version was released again today.] ...from: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/apple-cyber-security-breach/ Reuters: Apple employee computers hacked, no evidence of stolen data By Michael Gorman<http://www.engadget.com/about/editors/michael-gorman/> posted Feb 19th, 2013 at 1:33 PM341 <http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/apple-cyber-security-breach/#comments> ________________________________ [cid:A0520655-0709-451C-AA57-92A2E1077743]<http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/apple-cyber-security-breach/> Last week, Facebook was the target of of a sophisticated hacking attack and now reports have surfaced that Apple's been victimized by a similar scheme. Reuters is reporting that a number of Apple's employees' Macs were infiltrated by a hacking scheme, but "there was no evidence that any data left Apple." To address the cyber security flaw found by the digital ne're-do-wells, Apple has promised a software patch will be released later today [Psst... it's available<http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/02/19/apple-pushes-out-java-update-to-p…> now.]. So, it appears the folks in Cupertino have things under control, and we've reached out to the company to confirm that's the case. We'll update things here when we hear back. Update: Apple has provided us with the following statement regarding the matter. "Apple has identified malware which infected a limited number of Mac systems through a vulnerability in the Java plug-in for browsers. The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers. We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware. Since OS X Lion, Macs have shipped without Java installed and as a added security measure OS X automatically disables Java if it has been unused for 35 days. To protect Mac users that have installed Java, today we are releasing an updated Java malware removal tool that will check Mac systems and remove this malware if found." Wayne Billing Classroom Technology Support Audio Visual and Classroom Technology Support 130 Machray Hall Building 204-474-6649 204-807-3153 (cell) 204-474-7625 (fax) Wayne_Billing(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:Wayne_Billing@umanitoba.ca>

1 0

INTEREST: Google asks reporter to amend story of Google Play flaw
by Wayne Billing 17 Feb '13

17 Feb '13

[Google Play - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=googleplay&source=web&cd=13&ved=0CH0Q…> - Google Play, formerly known as the Android Market, is a digital application distribution platform for Android developed and maintained by Google] ...from: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/02/16/google-asks-journalists-to-tone-d… Saturday, February 16, 2013, 09:37 pm Google asks journalists to tone down story of "massive" Google Play security flaw By Daniel Eran Dilger<mailto:prince@appleinsider.com> After reporting that Google Play now distributes Android app buyers' location and contact information to developers, a journalist was contacted by the search giant with a request to tone down the story, its headline and its SEO information. [News toned down by Google] Google Play's "massive oversight" in undisclosed sharing of customer data The original story<http://www.news.com.au/technology/massive-google-security-flaw-puts-users-d…>, run by Australia's News.com.au<http://News.com.au>, was headlined "Massive Google security flaw puts users' details on display for all to find." It outlined a recent policy shift at the Google Play online software and media store run for Android users, which now forwards developers the personal information of buyers, including their neighborhood and email address. The sharing of customers' data is not outlined in either Google Play's Terms of Service or in the company's privacy statement. The undisclosed sharing was discovered by Australian developer Dan Nolan, who noted in a blog entry<http://phetdreams.tumblr.com/post/42959902001/massive-google-play-privacy-i…>, "every App purchase you make on Google Play gives the developer your name, suburb and email address with no indication that this information is actually being transferred." One risk to the undisclosed sharing noted by Nolan was that, "with the information I have available to me through the checkout portal I could track down and harass users who left negative reviews or refunded the app purchase." A greater risk its that, with millions of names being distributed to every vendor of paid apps on Google Play, the likelihood of a security breach through malware becomes very high. Customers who entrusted their details to Google are now having their information spread across a variety of developers who may not even have a security policy. Nolan told the site that nobody has been talking about Google Play's undisclosed sharing because "the people who would have paid attention to it were likely exploiting it and selling users' personal information, using it as an extra source of revenue on top of what they were making off their Google Play / Android app." He added, "This is a massive oversight by Google." Google seeks to bury story, tone down articles and SEO on the subject After publishing the story, News.com.au<http://News.com.au> reported that "this story was amended at the request of Google. News.com.au<http://News.com.au> took out the words 'massive' and 'huge' - referencing the size of the security 'flaw'. The word 'flaw' was also put into inverted commas." Google wouldn't comment on the record, but apparently views the issue of sharing customers' data as non-newsworthy policy that shouldn't be reported as a security flaw, especially not as a serious one that users should take notice of. The author, Claire Porter, added a comment on the story after its headline had been neutered to the nicer "Google 'flaw' puts users' details on display" that stated, "For the people asking how the story was amended: Despite the fact that Google refused to comment on the record, I was asked to change the headline (both the homepage headline and SEO headline inside the story), as well as the standfirst and lead (first paragraph). Google's issue was with the use of the word 'flaw.' "Apparently a system that is designed to share users information with developers without their knowledge or permission and without explicitly saying so in any terms of service is not considered to be a flaw," Porter wrote. "I have no problem amending stories if they are factually incorrect but the fact is neither developers nor customers were aware of this information sharing and Mr Nolan is not the only developer to express concern over having this information at his disposal. There's little reason app developers should have this information. If Google was going to share this information they should have been clear about this from the start. Hope this clears things up." Developer bonus or customer privacy flaw? Many of the user comments on the issue were found no problem with Google sending users' personal data to developers, with one complaining that the issue was just a matter of unfairly comparing Google with Apple's higher standard for security in the App Store. Developer David Brown wrote, "Apple hide[s] all of these details because they're control freaks! I have details of every customers I have, whether they paid through PayPal or credit card...does that mean I'll go and harrass [sic] them if they dislike my service?" Customers have overwhelmingly chosen to buy more apps from Apple's iOS App Store than from Google Play, but this may have more to do with the selection and quality of apps available for iOS rather than an informed customer base that's done the research to know whether an online vendor is likely to share their personal data without notice or permission. By leaning on reporters to remove unflattering portrayals of its security policy from their headlines and SEO (used to enable the discovery of articles via search engines), Google can help ensure that the issue isn't a factor in reducing sales in Google Play without needing to tighten up its security policy or enforce any constraints on its developers to product Android users' privacy rights.

1 0

INTEREST: former Blackberry/RIM CEO divests himself
by Wayne Billing 15 Feb '13

15 Feb '13

...from: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/14/jim-balsillie/ Jim Balsillie sells his 5.1 percent stake in BlackBerry<http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/14/jim-balsillie/> Mobile<http://www.engadget.com/topics/mobile> By Brad Molen<http://www.engadget.com/about/editors/brad-molen> posted Feb 14th 2013 10:22AM [BlackBerry's Jim Balsillie]<http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/14/jim-balsillie/> Jim Balsillie<http://www.engadget.com/tag/Jim+Balsillie/>, the former co-CEO of Research in Motion (now known as BlackBerry), has been until recently the third-largest shareholder in the company with 5.1 percent ownership. According to Financial Post, however, he's cut his stake in BlackBerry altogether, now reporting a grand total of zero shares. Balsillie stepped down<http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/rim-ceo-quits/> as co-CEO in January andresigned<http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/29/rim-announces-q4-2012-earnings-jim-balsi…> from the board in March; this next big move away from the company will likely lead to speculation that his interest<http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/jim-balsillie-rim-plans/> or faith in BlackBerry's future is waning, though his successor<http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/19/RIM-CEO-thorsten-heins-interview/> certainly would beg to differ.

1 0

FYI: iOS 6.1: EXCHANGE calendar events
by billing 13 Feb '13

13 Feb '13

...from: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4532 iOS 6.1: Excess Exchange activity after accepting an exception to recurring calendar event Products Affected iPad, iPhone Symptoms When you respond to an exception* to a recurring calendar event with a Microsoft Exchange account on a device running iOS 6.1, the device may begin to generate excessive communication with Microsoft Exchange Server. You may notice increased network activity or reduced battery life on the iOS device. This extra network activity will be shown in the logs on Exchange Server and it may lead to the server blocking the iOS device. This can occur with iOS 6.1 and Microsoft Exchange 2010 SP1 or later, or Microsoft Exchange Online (Office365). * An exception is a change to a single instance of a repeating calendar event. Resolution Apple has identified a fix and will make it available in an upcoming software update. In the meantime, you can avoid this bug by not responding to an exception to a recurring event on your iOS device. If you do experience the symptoms described above, disable then reenable the Exchange calendar on your iOS device using the steps below. Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars Select the Exchange account from your Accounts list. Turn the switch for Calendars to OFF. Wait ten seconds. Turn the switch for Calendars back to ON. This document will be updated as more information becomes available. Wayne Billing Classroom Technology Support Audio Visual and Classroom Technology Support 130 Machray Hall Building 204-474-6649 204-807-3153 (cell) 204-474-7625 (fax) Wayne_Billing(a)umanitoba.ca

1 0

INTEREST: Apple’s iPad Dominated PC Market During Holiday Season
by billing 12 Feb '13

12 Feb '13

...from: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/apples-ipad-dominated-pc-market-du… FEBRUARY 6, 2013, 3:43 PM12 Comments Apple’s iPad Dominated PC Market During Holiday Season By BRIAN X. CHEN Jeff Chiu/Associated Press Customers at an Apple store in San Francisco in November. The iPad is defined as a tablet, but you might as well call it a personal computer. Over the holiday season, about one in six people buying computers around the world bought Apple’s tablet, according to research from Canalys. The report, released Wednesday, said that when tablets were included, worldwide PC shipments over the fourth quarter increased 12 percent compared with the previous year. Apple led the computer market with 22.9 million iPads and 4.1 million Macs sold. Hewlett-Packard was in a distant second place with 15 million PCs shipped, and Lenovo shipped about 14.8 million computers. Amazon and Samsung are quickly gaining traction in the computer market with their tablets. Amazon shipped 4.6 million tablets, including its Kindle Fire, over the quarter, and Samsung shipped 7.6 million. Over all, tablet shipments accounted for about one-third of the PC market over the quarter. IDC, the research firm, reported similar numbers on PC shipments over the fourth quarter, but did not include tablets in its analysis. Typically research firms don’t count tablets as a PC, because they are quite different from traditional laptops and desktops. But when sales of these two categories are stacked side by side, the numbers give perspective for how quickly the tablet is dissolving the old-school PC. The Canalys report certainly makes the late Steve Jobs sound prescient. When he introduced the iPad 2 in 2011, he said tablet devices were ushering people into a “post-PC” era: A lot of folks in this tablet market are rushing in and they’re looking at this as the next PC. The hardware and the software are done by different companies. And they’re talking about speeds and feeds just like they did with PCs. And our experience and every bone in our body says that that is not the right approach to this. That these are post-PC devices that need to be even easier to use than a PC. That need to be even more intuitive than a PC. And where the software and the hardware and the applications need to intertwine in an even more seamless way than they do on a PC.

1 0

INTEREST: Japan & smart phones: iPhone, BlackBerry 10
by Wayne Billing 07 Feb '13

07 Feb '13

....from: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/07/nikkei-blackberry-to-stop-selling-phones… Nikkei: BlackBerry to stop selling phones in Japan, no longer able to justify the cost (updated) By Donald Melanson posted Feb 7th, 2013 at 2:15 PM75 It looks like Japan won't be a part of BlackBerry's BB10 launch plans now or anytime in the foreseeable future. According to a report from Nikkei, BlackBerry has decided to stop selling phones in the country, at least in part because it wasn't able to justify the cost of making the necessary language modifications to its new operating system. As Nikkei also notes, however, BlackBerry has seen a particularly steep drop in market share in Japan, where it now stands at just 0.3 percent. We've reached out to BlackBerry about the news and are awaiting comment. Update: We've received a statement from BlackBerry confirming that it has no plans to launch to launch BB10 devices in Japan at this time, although it adds that it will continue to support its customers in the country. The complete statement is as follows: We are in the process of launching BlackBerry 10 globally in key markets and we are seeing positive demand for the BlackBerry Z10 in countries where it has already launched. Japan is not a major market for BlackBerry and we have no plans to launch BlackBerry 10 devices there at this time. However, we will continue to support BlackBerry customers in Japan. ...from: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/10/12/business/iphone-continues-to-ro… IPhone continues to rock Japanese cellphone market BY KAZUAKI NAGATA STAFF WRITER • OCT 12, 2012 Since arriving in Japan in 2008, Apple Inc.’s iPhone series has won the love of many Japanese cellphone users long accustomed to phones heavily customized for the domestic market. The iPhone shock could have even more repercussions, as the September debut of the iPhone 5 appears to be changing the landscape of Japan’s telecommunications industry. Softbank Corp. made a surprising move last week to acquire eAccess Ltd., the country’s fourth-largest carrier and operator of the Emobile brand, to reinforce its network infrastructure and gain a competitive edge over its rivals, especially KDDI Corp. The competition between Softbank and KDDI — the two iPhone providers in Japan — has been escalating. Meanwhile, NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan’s biggest carrier, has been trying to differentiate itself from the others but is struggling to keep customers from defecting to the iPhone camp. DoCoMo insists it will stick with its non-iPhone strategy and provide its own original services. “If you ask me whether the iPhone 5′s influence over this business merger (with eAccess) is big, yes,” Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son stressed at a hastily called news conference Oct. 1 where he announced the acquisition of eAccess. Softbank, the third-largest carrier, has valued eAccess shares at ¥52,000, almost three times the premium, and will pay about ¥180 billion. With the move, Softbank will acquire 4.2 million Emobile subscribers. When combining the subscribers of PHS operator Willcom, also part of the Softbank group, the number of Softbank subscribers will total 39 million and surpass KDDI’s roughly 36 million. Getting a boost from iPhone sales, Softbank has posted record operating profits for seven consecutive years. It posted ¥675 billion in operating profit for its latest business year, more than 10 times the fiscal 2005 figure. [...] While the competition between Softbank and KDDI has attracted public attention, DoCoMo has lately been left out of the spotlight, except for media headlines about its struggles. Before it started selling iPhones, KDDI was the carrier lagging behind the others in the smartphone competition. But since it started selling iPhones last October, it has been No. 1 in terms of getting users of other carriers to defect. The statistics indicate DoCoMo is losing customers to the others. In terms of business results, the iPhone impact has not been large. DoCoMo has been turning a bigger profit than Softbank. But DoCoMo officials said if the situation continues, earnings will be affected. Seeing thousands of people lining up for an iPhone, “we are really jealous as we don’t get to see such scenes even though we have provided a variety of devices lately,” said Michio Fujiwara, director of DoCoMo’s corporate strategy and planning department. Still, it is unlikely the iPhone will join DoCoMo’s lineup anytime soon. This is because the iPhone would interfere with DoCoMo’s long-term business strategy, which focuses on strengthening more original Internet-based services within its network, one that can be used by any of DoCoMo’s smartphones. Apple’s strict control over the iPhone wouldn’t fit DoCoMo’s strategy. Plus, some services overlap. For instance, while DoCoMo runs its own voice concierge service, Apple provides a voice assistant service called Siri. Also, if it decided to sell iPhones, Apple would likely require that they account for more than half of DoCoMo’s total smartphones sold, according to former DoCoMo President Ryuji Yamada. Thus, if DoCoMo decides to provide iPhones, “we might become just a network infrastructure provider,” which means the carrier wouldn’t be able to gain significant profits from its software content, DoCoMo strategist Fujiwara said. DoCoMo has focused on providing smartphones that run on Google’s Android operating system, which can be customized freely by handset makers and carriers. When thinking about gaining customers, iPhones may be an option, but “to realize our long-term vision, Android has more potential,” Fujiwara said.

1 0