Apple's iPhone 6 and Watch reveal: Behave different
Here's what I learned at today's only event in town: Apple invented size, time and money. I half expected Ben Bernanke and Stephen Hawking to appear on stage and confirm it.At the heart of the larger iPhones and the Apple Watch, though, was one central thought: Forget everything you might have heard before. Now we want you behave different.Yes, you loved your iPhones because they were small and fitted nicely into your purses and trousers. Now you'll have to have bigger pockets (go on, buy some ugly Dockers) and dump the tiddly Birkin.Forget whipping out your black or platinum to show that you're an individual of style, importance and solvency. Now just wave a golden gadget at a terminal.Forget, too, staring at your phone all through dinner, as your lover and the server toss daggers at your eyes. Instead, revert to the gesture you used to employ to show you're bored: stare at your watch.Full coverage of the Apple eventCNET's complete coverage of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch announcementsApple iPhone 6Apple iPhone 6 PlusApple WatchApple PayThere was something almost comical buried within the beautiful slickness of Apple's presentation. Tim Cook said he wanted to "redefine what people expect from a watch." Most people don't expect anything from a watch. They don't wear a watch. What Apple was redefining was its ability to attract you to new behaviors through its excellent design and your wondrous tendency toward boredom and amnesia.You've always wanted to "communicate from your wrist," haven't you? You just didn't know that you wanted to. Or you couldn't communicate it very well.Many people were probably too busy already composing their personalized Apple Watch faces to allow their ears to hear: You still need your iPhone to get your Apple Watch to work. It's not some independent device. It's another $400 that Apple wants you to spend on being one of the coolerati.If you allowed a hint of Grinchiness to enter your brain, you might have pondered that with Apple Pay, the same company that's recently had problems keeping your naked selfies safe wants you to now photograph your credit cards and send them the picture.What an interesting turn of thought it is to hear that wallets are easy to lose and be compromised. Left hanging in the air was the notion that phones are compromise-free and no one has ever mislaid, say, an iPhone prototype.Watching the Apple live feed online, I was moved, too, when Phil Schiller talked about Image Stabilization. The feed froze. For perhaps the 10th time. Technology does have glitches. Many.Yet the core of Apple's brand faithful will likely lap this up. They need not only to see something different but to be something different. Technology has stagnated recently. There hasn't been a new behavior to embrace. Now you can twist away on your old watch wind-up wheel and feel like you're in a new age of enlightenment.Who could not be entranced when Jony Ive spoke of "horological experts"? Mine has often told me I shouldn't date a Scorpio after 9pm. Ive's, however, merely briefed him on the whole history of watches and why we now suddenly, desperately need them. More Technically IncorrectDiGiorno's horrific laugh on domestic violence Twitter hashtagStephen Hawking: God particle could wipe out the universeAdam Levine wants 'iPhone burning,' tweets from iPhoneAnd did you hear that part about the Milanese Loop? You've probably only ever enjoyed a Bolognese Loop. And it surely wasn't infinite.I was so in the Loop that I missed the part about the Watch's battery life. Was there a part about battery life? So, now that Apple has asked you nicely to behave different, will you? Will you accept that the new way of looking is the new way of behaving? The world, you know, might not have changed quite as much as Apple would like to make out. Yes, the company is now giving away albums to all its iTunes customers.But the band at the end was still U2, right?The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have...See full gallery1 - 4 / 22NextPrev
Netgear's Apple TV competitor plays DRM-encoded songs purchased from the iTunes Store
Netgear's Apple TV competitor plays DRM-encoded songs purchased from the iTunes Store
Kudos to Laptop magazine for getting the scoop, with the one of the first hands-on reviews we've seen of the Netgear EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD.There's just one problem:they got one big detail of the product dead wrong.The Netgear product does play songs purchased from the iTunes Store, as confirmed by hands-on tests in the CNET Labs. We purchased and played two songs from the store, and were surprised to see that the Netgear was able to stream them to the TV/stereo system in the next room just as easily as it could with DRM-free MP3s and PlaysForSure-encoded WMA files. The catch is that that purchased songs take a good 15 seconds to play--so don't expect anything close to gapless playback on purchased iTunes songs. The feature works only with purchased music, not video, and only when streaming from Windows PCs (not Macs) with iTunes installed, though the program doesn't need to be running. The delay is due to the electronic voodoo that Netgear's software (installed on the PC) is using to access the music files encrypted with Apple's FairPlay DRM.We're not exactly sure how Netgear is pulling it off, but--except for the delay--it seems to work just fine.We've seen a handful of previous products (such as the Logitech Wireless DJ and Linksys WMB54G) offer this sort of iTunes hack, but the Netgear is the first full-on network media device (aside from Apple's own Apple TV) that lets you browse the files on a TV screen with album art, just as if they were home-ripped MP3s. To be sure, this discovery is a bit less dramatic in light of yesterday's EMI announcement, but it's nevertheless important for anyone who's looking for an alternative to the Apple TV.Interestingly, Netgear's original press release highlighted the iTunes compatibility, but the company then seemed to backpedal--it's not listed on the current product spec sheet, for instance.And while we're shooting down rumors, the Netgear Digital Entertainer HD offers 802.11g Wi-Fi, not the faster 802.11n offering found on the Apple TV. (It was widely--and falsely, apparently--reported as sporting 11n when it was first announced at CES.)The lower-bandwidth wireless connection makes streaming true high-def video content on the Netgear a potentially dicey proposition. The CNET review should be posting by Thursday. We're spending some extra time doing some additional hands-on testing, with special attention to some of the more advanced Windows Media Center integration features. But with the exception of the iTunes gaffe (which may well be fixed by the time your read this), the Laptop mag review is largely in line with what we've found: anyone who's frustrated by the Apple TV's limited file compatibility and feature set will certainly find the Netgear to be an intriguing alternative. (If you've got any questions about the product, ask in this TalkBack thread, and we'll see if we can find the answers.)UPDATE: I've edited this post to remove the snarky reference to Jeremy Toeman's review of the Netgear EVA8000 at his site, livedigitally.com. (The review even offers three in-depth hands-on YouTube videos of the product in action.)Yes, Jeremy is working on a consulting project with Netgear, but he clearly states that fact on the review itself. Moreover, if you look over his resume, you'll see that he worked at Sling Media and Mediabolic--so he knows a thing or two about digital media.
Kudos to Laptop magazine for getting the scoop, with the one of the first hands-on reviews we've seen of the Netgear EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD.There's just one problem:they got one big detail of the product dead wrong.The Netgear product does play songs purchased from the iTunes Store, as confirmed by hands-on tests in the CNET Labs. We purchased and played two songs from the store, and were surprised to see that the Netgear was able to stream them to the TV/stereo system in the next room just as easily as it could with DRM-free MP3s and PlaysForSure-encoded WMA files. The catch is that that purchased songs take a good 15 seconds to play--so don't expect anything close to gapless playback on purchased iTunes songs. The feature works only with purchased music, not video, and only when streaming from Windows PCs (not Macs) with iTunes installed, though the program doesn't need to be running. The delay is due to the electronic voodoo that Netgear's software (installed on the PC) is using to access the music files encrypted with Apple's FairPlay DRM.We're not exactly sure how Netgear is pulling it off, but--except for the delay--it seems to work just fine.We've seen a handful of previous products (such as the Logitech Wireless DJ and Linksys WMB54G) offer this sort of iTunes hack, but the Netgear is the first full-on network media device (aside from Apple's own Apple TV) that lets you browse the files on a TV screen with album art, just as if they were home-ripped MP3s. To be sure, this discovery is a bit less dramatic in light of yesterday's EMI announcement, but it's nevertheless important for anyone who's looking for an alternative to the Apple TV.Interestingly, Netgear's original press release highlighted the iTunes compatibility, but the company then seemed to backpedal--it's not listed on the current product spec sheet, for instance.And while we're shooting down rumors, the Netgear Digital Entertainer HD offers 802.11g Wi-Fi, not the faster 802.11n offering found on the Apple TV. (It was widely--and falsely, apparently--reported as sporting 11n when it was first announced at CES.)The lower-bandwidth wireless connection makes streaming true high-def video content on the Netgear a potentially dicey proposition. The CNET review should be posting by Thursday. We're spending some extra time doing some additional hands-on testing, with special attention to some of the more advanced Windows Media Center integration features. But with the exception of the iTunes gaffe (which may well be fixed by the time your read this), the Laptop mag review is largely in line with what we've found: anyone who's frustrated by the Apple TV's limited file compatibility and feature set will certainly find the Netgear to be an intriguing alternative. (If you've got any questions about the product, ask in this TalkBack thread, and we'll see if we can find the answers.)UPDATE: I've edited this post to remove the snarky reference to Jeremy Toeman's review of the Netgear EVA8000 at his site, livedigitally.com. (The review even offers three in-depth hands-on YouTube videos of the product in action.)Yes, Jeremy is working on a consulting project with Netgear, but he clearly states that fact on the review itself. Moreover, if you look over his resume, you'll see that he worked at Sling Media and Mediabolic--so he knows a thing or two about digital media.
Beyonce drops new album on iTunes- Fans, marketers gasp
Beyonce drops new album on iTunes: Fans, marketers gasp
There's a way of doing these things, and this isn't it.If you're a star, you're supposed to be supported by a hype machine that wipes the floor with organic palm fronds before you take a single step.Then Thursday night, along comes Beyonce Knowles and shows the know-alls that you can direct your music at fans in a direct manner.Without any marketing campaign or even a vague sniff of a planted rumor, Beyonce slipped a new album -- 14 songs and 17 videos -- onto iTunes.Had she been sipping excessively at the Ciroc fountain? Had she been taking advice from extraterrestrials? Had someone from Apple slipped her a few hundred million for this exclusive privilege?The artist herself merely issued a little statement, part of which read: "I didn't want to release my music the way I've done it. I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans."Yes, but it's one thing telling your fans directly that you had a bran muffin for breakfast and quite another to slip this veritable feast of entertainment down their unsuspecting social chimneys.And it's all very well favoring iTunes in such a grandiose way, but what about those social networks, where tongues are permanently exposed waiting to catch a droplet of news from (the assistants of) their chosen icon?Beyonce, ever conscious of the way we live today, posted a video on Instagram and another on Facebook.One of her motivations, though, is interesting. As NBC's "Today" show reported, she has become a little tired of people cherry-picking one song and ignoring the idea that an album is an entity.She said that she grew up in the era of Michael Jackson, where you listened to the whole album. Those who can remember doing something so odd will know that it was sometimes the bad songs that gave context to the good ones.Moreover, if you listened to the whole thing, your feelings for individual songs would change over time.I am waiting, though, for supposed experts and analysts to deem this method of releasing music a disaster, a miscalculation or, indeed, a threat to modern civilization.The Daily Mail reports that many people -- professionals and amateurs alike -- have already remarked with wonder and awe at the sheer audacity of giving your fans a rather bountiful holiday gift. It even suggested that iTunes had suffered a brief nighttime meltdown. There is surely something far more remarkable than this supposed feat of derring-do: It's the fact that in a business in which everyone talks and talks and snorts, somehow there was silence until the event actually happened.Now that is marketing perfection.Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
There's a way of doing these things, and this isn't it.If you're a star, you're supposed to be supported by a hype machine that wipes the floor with organic palm fronds before you take a single step.Then Thursday night, along comes Beyonce Knowles and shows the know-alls that you can direct your music at fans in a direct manner.Without any marketing campaign or even a vague sniff of a planted rumor, Beyonce slipped a new album -- 14 songs and 17 videos -- onto iTunes.Had she been sipping excessively at the Ciroc fountain? Had she been taking advice from extraterrestrials? Had someone from Apple slipped her a few hundred million for this exclusive privilege?The artist herself merely issued a little statement, part of which read: "I didn't want to release my music the way I've done it. I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans."Yes, but it's one thing telling your fans directly that you had a bran muffin for breakfast and quite another to slip this veritable feast of entertainment down their unsuspecting social chimneys.And it's all very well favoring iTunes in such a grandiose way, but what about those social networks, where tongues are permanently exposed waiting to catch a droplet of news from (the assistants of) their chosen icon?Beyonce, ever conscious of the way we live today, posted a video on Instagram and another on Facebook.One of her motivations, though, is interesting. As NBC's "Today" show reported, she has become a little tired of people cherry-picking one song and ignoring the idea that an album is an entity.She said that she grew up in the era of Michael Jackson, where you listened to the whole album. Those who can remember doing something so odd will know that it was sometimes the bad songs that gave context to the good ones.Moreover, if you listened to the whole thing, your feelings for individual songs would change over time.I am waiting, though, for supposed experts and analysts to deem this method of releasing music a disaster, a miscalculation or, indeed, a threat to modern civilization.The Daily Mail reports that many people -- professionals and amateurs alike -- have already remarked with wonder and awe at the sheer audacity of giving your fans a rather bountiful holiday gift. It even suggested that iTunes had suffered a brief nighttime meltdown. There is surely something far more remarkable than this supposed feat of derring-do: It's the fact that in a business in which everyone talks and talks and snorts, somehow there was silence until the event actually happened.Now that is marketing perfection.Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The 404 369- Where even in the future nothing works
The 404 369: Where even in the future nothing works
Caroline McCarthy of CNET News' The Social comes on the show today to give us her unique take on a bunch of different stories. First off, we want to apologize to ALL of our beloved live listeners. For one reason or another, our broadcasting engine pooped out and we were unable to broadcast live. All is not lost, however--you can still definitely download or watch the stream here! Rest assured that Jason Howell, aka Superman, is on the job. Thanks, Jason!First up, Jeff tells us all about yesterday's Nintendo event, where he got a chance to preview a bunch of exciting new games, including the new Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. He also got a chance to try out the new Wii Fit Plus. Last year, when Jeff went onto the balance board to demo the original Wii Fit, the machine actually gave up and unplugged itself, committing console suicide, so we're all anxious to see if Nintendo beefed up this new version.Caroline also surprises us with a very positive review of the new "Transformers" movie. It turns out that the movie is geared toward...teenage boys. Which makes us question why Caroline was there in the first place--what a cougar! She also tells us even more horrifying news about the upcoming Facebook movie based on Ben Mezrich's upcoming book, "The Accidental Billionaires." Caro tells us that Shia Labeouf and Michael Cera are being eyeballed to play the role of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, but the rest of us think those are both terrible choices. Actually, maybe it should be Labeouf; his portrayal of Zuckerberg would at least be more believable than his relationship with hottie biscotti Megan Fox in "Transformers 2." There's NO WAY a woman of that caliber would even sneeze in Lebeouf's general direction!EPISODE 369Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlaySteve Jobs gets liver transplant"Transformers 2" reviewFacebook movie pinning down director, castFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson Tang
Caroline McCarthy of CNET News' The Social comes on the show today to give us her unique take on a bunch of different stories. First off, we want to apologize to ALL of our beloved live listeners. For one reason or another, our broadcasting engine pooped out and we were unable to broadcast live. All is not lost, however--you can still definitely download or watch the stream here! Rest assured that Jason Howell, aka Superman, is on the job. Thanks, Jason!First up, Jeff tells us all about yesterday's Nintendo event, where he got a chance to preview a bunch of exciting new games, including the new Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. He also got a chance to try out the new Wii Fit Plus. Last year, when Jeff went onto the balance board to demo the original Wii Fit, the machine actually gave up and unplugged itself, committing console suicide, so we're all anxious to see if Nintendo beefed up this new version.Caroline also surprises us with a very positive review of the new "Transformers" movie. It turns out that the movie is geared toward...teenage boys. Which makes us question why Caroline was there in the first place--what a cougar! She also tells us even more horrifying news about the upcoming Facebook movie based on Ben Mezrich's upcoming book, "The Accidental Billionaires." Caro tells us that Shia Labeouf and Michael Cera are being eyeballed to play the role of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, but the rest of us think those are both terrible choices. Actually, maybe it should be Labeouf; his portrayal of Zuckerberg would at least be more believable than his relationship with hottie biscotti Megan Fox in "Transformers 2." There's NO WAY a woman of that caliber would even sneeze in Lebeouf's general direction!EPISODE 369Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlaySteve Jobs gets liver transplant"Transformers 2" reviewFacebook movie pinning down director, castFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson Tang
MailTones brings ringtones to iPhone e-mail
MailTones brings ringtones to iPhone e-mail
You've already got individual ringtones set up for your boss, your spouse, and other important people. MailTones brings that same concept to e-mail, playing custom sounds when you receive messages from those certain special senders.Using the $2.99 app [iTunes link] requires two things: That your iPhone is configured for push e-mail (fetched automatically, not manually) and that your e-mail server has the option of forwarding copies of new messages to another address.Gmail, for example, makes this a snap, as does MobileMe. As for other services and servers, well, you'll have to find out if forwarding is an option. If not, this isn't the app for you.With that single step completed, however, all that remains is to configure MailTones' alerts, which offer three options.Friend Matching works like call-based ringtones: You get an alert when you receive mail from a specific person. (However, you can't just enter someone's e-mail address; you have to choose someone already in your address book. Minor gripe.)Subject Matching sounds an alert when the subject line contains one or more keywords. And Domain Matching targets mail from specific domains (like, say, the office).For each match you set up, you can choose from 25 available tones, which range from short, simple "dingtones" (my word) to boisterous cowbells, ship horns, and fire sirens.Suffice it to say, most people get a lot more e-mail than they do phone calls, and it's easy to experience alert overload. Consequently, you'll almost certainly want to set the New Mail tone to "Ignore" so you don't get interrupted every 10 seconds.At the same time, turn on Show Alerts, which provides a text message-like pop-up (with the sender's name and subject line) along with the audio alert. That way you'll know if the message is important enough to warrant a full-on visit to Mail.MailTones is an idea whose time has come. If you're tired of pulling out your iPhone every five minutes to see if that new message is something important, now you've got an audio-cue alternative. Indeed, for anyone inundated by e-mail, MailTones is $2.99 well spent.
You've already got individual ringtones set up for your boss, your spouse, and other important people. MailTones brings that same concept to e-mail, playing custom sounds when you receive messages from those certain special senders.Using the $2.99 app [iTunes link] requires two things: That your iPhone is configured for push e-mail (fetched automatically, not manually) and that your e-mail server has the option of forwarding copies of new messages to another address.Gmail, for example, makes this a snap, as does MobileMe. As for other services and servers, well, you'll have to find out if forwarding is an option. If not, this isn't the app for you.With that single step completed, however, all that remains is to configure MailTones' alerts, which offer three options.Friend Matching works like call-based ringtones: You get an alert when you receive mail from a specific person. (However, you can't just enter someone's e-mail address; you have to choose someone already in your address book. Minor gripe.)Subject Matching sounds an alert when the subject line contains one or more keywords. And Domain Matching targets mail from specific domains (like, say, the office).For each match you set up, you can choose from 25 available tones, which range from short, simple "dingtones" (my word) to boisterous cowbells, ship horns, and fire sirens.Suffice it to say, most people get a lot more e-mail than they do phone calls, and it's easy to experience alert overload. Consequently, you'll almost certainly want to set the New Mail tone to "Ignore" so you don't get interrupted every 10 seconds.At the same time, turn on Show Alerts, which provides a text message-like pop-up (with the sender's name and subject line) along with the audio alert. That way you'll know if the message is important enough to warrant a full-on visit to Mail.MailTones is an idea whose time has come. If you're tired of pulling out your iPhone every five minutes to see if that new message is something important, now you've got an audio-cue alternative. Indeed, for anyone inundated by e-mail, MailTones is $2.99 well spent.
Christian Bale confirmed to play Steve Jobs in Sorkin biopic
Christian Bale confirmed to play Steve Jobs in Sorkin biopic
From one black-clad billionaire industrialist to another: "Dark Knight" star Christian Bale has been confirmed to play Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in a biopic written by Aaron Sorkin.Sorkin confirmed Bale's appointment on Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg, in which he revealed the Welsh-born, Oscar-winning actor didn't even have to audition. According to Sorkin, who wrote the screenplay for "Jobs" based on the officially endorsed autobiography by Walter Isaacson, every frame of the film will feature Bale.Steve Jobs in photos: 35 years of an American...See full gallery1 - 4 / 25NextPrevRemembering Steve JobsSorkin: Writing about Jobs is like writing about The BeatlesWozniak slams scene in Kutcher's 'Jobs' biopicWatch Ashton Kutcher's Steve Jobs biopicSteve Jobs' best moments on videoJohn Sculley spills the beans on firing Steve JobsWhat Steve Jobs really meant when he said 'Good artists copy; great artists steal'Steve Jobs: 1955-2011Rather than being a straight-up chronological biopic like last year's biopic starring Ashton Kutcher in the main role (also titled "Jobs") Sorkin's screenplay is reported to focus on three crucial keynote speeches during the late Apple co-founder's career.Sorkin has previously tackled the technology industry with the Oscar and BAFTA-winning screenplay for "The Social Network", directed by David Fincher and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Fincher was connected to Sorkin's Jobs movie for Sony, but is now reported to have dropped out.Long rumoured to be a front-runner for the role as Steve Jobs -- and purportedly up against biopic-lover Leonardo DiCaprio -- Bale is best known for playing billionaire Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman in three films over the past few years. He won the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 2011 for "The Fighter" and was Oscar-nominated for his role in "American Hustle" this year. Having made his breakthrough as a child actor in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun", Bale will next appear as Moses in Ridley Scott's "Exodus: Gods and Kings".
From one black-clad billionaire industrialist to another: "Dark Knight" star Christian Bale has been confirmed to play Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in a biopic written by Aaron Sorkin.Sorkin confirmed Bale's appointment on Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg, in which he revealed the Welsh-born, Oscar-winning actor didn't even have to audition. According to Sorkin, who wrote the screenplay for "Jobs" based on the officially endorsed autobiography by Walter Isaacson, every frame of the film will feature Bale.Steve Jobs in photos: 35 years of an American...See full gallery1 - 4 / 25NextPrevRemembering Steve JobsSorkin: Writing about Jobs is like writing about The BeatlesWozniak slams scene in Kutcher's 'Jobs' biopicWatch Ashton Kutcher's Steve Jobs biopicSteve Jobs' best moments on videoJohn Sculley spills the beans on firing Steve JobsWhat Steve Jobs really meant when he said 'Good artists copy; great artists steal'Steve Jobs: 1955-2011Rather than being a straight-up chronological biopic like last year's biopic starring Ashton Kutcher in the main role (also titled "Jobs") Sorkin's screenplay is reported to focus on three crucial keynote speeches during the late Apple co-founder's career.Sorkin has previously tackled the technology industry with the Oscar and BAFTA-winning screenplay for "The Social Network", directed by David Fincher and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Fincher was connected to Sorkin's Jobs movie for Sony, but is now reported to have dropped out.Long rumoured to be a front-runner for the role as Steve Jobs -- and purportedly up against biopic-lover Leonardo DiCaprio -- Bale is best known for playing billionaire Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman in three films over the past few years. He won the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 2011 for "The Fighter" and was Oscar-nominated for his role in "American Hustle" this year. Having made his breakthrough as a child actor in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun", Bale will next appear as Moses in Ridley Scott's "Exodus: Gods and Kings".
Chinese regulator calls for tighter oversight of Apple
Chinese regulator calls for tighter oversight of Apple
A Chinese marketplace watchdog is calling for tighter supervision of Apple's consumer-rights practices as the state-controlled media continued its assault on the iPhone maker's after-sale policies.The State Administration for Industry and Commerce issued a notice today that urged authorities to increase supervision of Apple's warranty policies, according to a report on China National Radio's Web site."Local authorities should investigate and punish illegal acts according to law," the notice said, according to state media reports. The wave of criticism against the iPhone maker began earlier this month during a TV segment on state-run network China Central Television Station that claimed Apple repaired only broken or otherwise faulty parts within its products for customers in China, versus providing replacements in other countries. Apple responded by saying it fully complied with local laws and regulations.The state-run People's Daily followed up with a story criticizing Apple for not responding to interview requests on the issue. It also referred to the company's statement as "empty and self-praising." In another report, the People's Daily complained that Apple's "Chinese consumers are being given a rough ride" when it comes to dealing with the company's repairs and warranty policies" and described Apple's defense of its policy as "arrogant."CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.
A Chinese marketplace watchdog is calling for tighter supervision of Apple's consumer-rights practices as the state-controlled media continued its assault on the iPhone maker's after-sale policies.The State Administration for Industry and Commerce issued a notice today that urged authorities to increase supervision of Apple's warranty policies, according to a report on China National Radio's Web site."Local authorities should investigate and punish illegal acts according to law," the notice said, according to state media reports. The wave of criticism against the iPhone maker began earlier this month during a TV segment on state-run network China Central Television Station that claimed Apple repaired only broken or otherwise faulty parts within its products for customers in China, versus providing replacements in other countries. Apple responded by saying it fully complied with local laws and regulations.The state-run People's Daily followed up with a story criticizing Apple for not responding to interview requests on the issue. It also referred to the company's statement as "empty and self-praising." In another report, the People's Daily complained that Apple's "Chinese consumers are being given a rough ride" when it comes to dealing with the company's repairs and warranty policies" and described Apple's defense of its policy as "arrogant."CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.
China Unicom to have iPhone 5 by end of 2012
China Unicom to have iPhone 5 by end of 2012
Apple's iPhone 5 will come to China by the end of the year, a carrier in that country has confirmed.China Unicom told Chinese technology site Sohu IT in an interview published yesterday that it'll launch the iPhone 5 within the next three months. The carrier didn't say exactly when the device will launch. Separately, China Telecom told the publication that it, too, will be carrying Apple's iPhone 5 around the same time.The Next Web was first to report on the story.Apple announced the iPhone 5 on Wednesday. The company said that it'll be available in a handful of countries on September 21, and then be rolled out to several more by September 28. China was not included in either list. However, Apple confirmed that a total of 100 countries will have the iPhone 5 in December, so it's likely China is included in that grouping.The big question mark in the country, however, is whether the iPhone 5 will be available on China Mobile's service. China Mobile is the world's largest cellular service provider with nearly 688 million customers. Apple has been trying for years to bring the iPhone to that carrier's network, but so far, they have failed to come to terms. Speculation abounds that the iPhone 5 could be the device that changes that, but so far, neither company has confirmed that's the case.For now, though, all eyes are on preorders in the U.S. and some European countries. As of this writing, Apple's initial preorder supply has run out, and the company is making new customers wait two weeks to get the device. U.S.-based carriers are still promising delivery on September 21.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Apple's iPhone 5 will come to China by the end of the year, a carrier in that country has confirmed.China Unicom told Chinese technology site Sohu IT in an interview published yesterday that it'll launch the iPhone 5 within the next three months. The carrier didn't say exactly when the device will launch. Separately, China Telecom told the publication that it, too, will be carrying Apple's iPhone 5 around the same time.The Next Web was first to report on the story.Apple announced the iPhone 5 on Wednesday. The company said that it'll be available in a handful of countries on September 21, and then be rolled out to several more by September 28. China was not included in either list. However, Apple confirmed that a total of 100 countries will have the iPhone 5 in December, so it's likely China is included in that grouping.The big question mark in the country, however, is whether the iPhone 5 will be available on China Mobile's service. China Mobile is the world's largest cellular service provider with nearly 688 million customers. Apple has been trying for years to bring the iPhone to that carrier's network, but so far, they have failed to come to terms. Speculation abounds that the iPhone 5 could be the device that changes that, but so far, neither company has confirmed that's the case.For now, though, all eyes are on preorders in the U.S. and some European countries. As of this writing, Apple's initial preorder supply has run out, and the company is making new customers wait two weeks to get the device. U.S.-based carriers are still promising delivery on September 21.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
China Telecom to begin selling iPhone 4S on March 9
China Telecom to begin selling iPhone 4S on March 9
China Telecom will begin selling the iPhone 4S beginning March 9, ending China Unicom's three-year run as the device's exclusive seller in China.The big country's third largest carrier will start taking preorders for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models beginning March 2, with sales to commence a week later, the company said in a statement. Pricing will start as low as free for 16GB model with a contract. China Telecom had previously announced it would soon begin selling the smartphone but gave only a vague timetable. The phone is currently available in China only through China Unicom, which has a three-year agreement to offer the device there, beginning with the iPhone 3G in 2009. However, Apple has for months been rumored to be working on deals with China Telecom and China Mobile--the latter being the world's largest wireless carrier with about 650 million subscribers. Related storiesCNET Review: iPhone 4SApple catches flak in China supply chain sagaPetition tells Apple: We want an 'ethical' iPhone 5China Telecom makes up close to 12 percent of China's total wireless subscriber base, which Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White pegged at 896.2 million in a research note last month. Of that, 73.8 million are 3G subscribers, with China Telecom accounting for a little more than a quarter of that total. Apple began selling the iPhone 4S in China last month, drawing massive crowds there and sparking a small riot in Beijing after the company announced it would not be selling the device on its pre-announced launch.
China Telecom will begin selling the iPhone 4S beginning March 9, ending China Unicom's three-year run as the device's exclusive seller in China.The big country's third largest carrier will start taking preorders for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models beginning March 2, with sales to commence a week later, the company said in a statement. Pricing will start as low as free for 16GB model with a contract. China Telecom had previously announced it would soon begin selling the smartphone but gave only a vague timetable. The phone is currently available in China only through China Unicom, which has a three-year agreement to offer the device there, beginning with the iPhone 3G in 2009. However, Apple has for months been rumored to be working on deals with China Telecom and China Mobile--the latter being the world's largest wireless carrier with about 650 million subscribers. Related storiesCNET Review: iPhone 4SApple catches flak in China supply chain sagaPetition tells Apple: We want an 'ethical' iPhone 5China Telecom makes up close to 12 percent of China's total wireless subscriber base, which Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White pegged at 896.2 million in a research note last month. Of that, 73.8 million are 3G subscribers, with China Telecom accounting for a little more than a quarter of that total. Apple began selling the iPhone 4S in China last month, drawing massive crowds there and sparking a small riot in Beijing after the company announced it would not be selling the device on its pre-announced launch.
China Mobile to Apple- iPhone deal will cost you
China Mobile to Apple: iPhone deal will cost you
Around the world, there is no wireless carrier more important than China Mobile. Apple knows that. The only issue is, it can't get a deal done to bring its iPhone to the carrier's service.Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu cites industry sources who claim that China Mobile is demanding a slice of the revenue Apple generates from the App Store in exchange for bringing the iPhone to its network, according to All Things Digital. As one might expect, Apple has balked at the idea, effectively putting the companies at a deadlock.Bringing the iPhone to China Mobile has become one of Apple's key mobile strategies. Not only have company execs touted Asia as a key growth area for Apple, but with its over 628 million wireless subscribers, China Mobile could dramatically improve Apple's financial performance.That said, Apple has been in discussions with China Mobile for years now to no avail. Dating as far back as 2008, the companies were in talks to bring the iPhone to the service, but China Mobile CEO Wang Jianzhou said at the time that Apple's desire for control was enough to scuttle any deal. Related LinksIs Apple including 4G TD-LTE for a China Mobile iPhone 5?China Mobile confirms talks with Jobs for iPhoneChina Mobile: iPhone talks ongoing with AppleEarlier this year, talks resumed between China Mobile and Apple after Jianzhou said he had met with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs about bringing the iPhone to China Mobile. He said at the time that it was a "common wish of China Mobile and Apple to come to an agreement as soon as possible." So far, however, that hasn't happened.China Mobile's latest demand comes just a couple months after Jianzhou said that he would gladly bring the iPhone to his wireless network if Apple would produce a 4G TD-LTE-compatible iPhone for its customers."China Mobile and Apple hope to find a solution for close collaboration," Jianzhou said in September. "We discussed this issue with Apple. We hope Apple will produce a new iPhone with TD-LTE. We have already got a positive answer from Apple."Neither China Mobile nor Apple immediately responded to CNET's request for comment.
Around the world, there is no wireless carrier more important than China Mobile. Apple knows that. The only issue is, it can't get a deal done to bring its iPhone to the carrier's service.Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu cites industry sources who claim that China Mobile is demanding a slice of the revenue Apple generates from the App Store in exchange for bringing the iPhone to its network, according to All Things Digital. As one might expect, Apple has balked at the idea, effectively putting the companies at a deadlock.Bringing the iPhone to China Mobile has become one of Apple's key mobile strategies. Not only have company execs touted Asia as a key growth area for Apple, but with its over 628 million wireless subscribers, China Mobile could dramatically improve Apple's financial performance.That said, Apple has been in discussions with China Mobile for years now to no avail. Dating as far back as 2008, the companies were in talks to bring the iPhone to the service, but China Mobile CEO Wang Jianzhou said at the time that Apple's desire for control was enough to scuttle any deal. Related LinksIs Apple including 4G TD-LTE for a China Mobile iPhone 5?China Mobile confirms talks with Jobs for iPhoneChina Mobile: iPhone talks ongoing with AppleEarlier this year, talks resumed between China Mobile and Apple after Jianzhou said he had met with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs about bringing the iPhone to China Mobile. He said at the time that it was a "common wish of China Mobile and Apple to come to an agreement as soon as possible." So far, however, that hasn't happened.China Mobile's latest demand comes just a couple months after Jianzhou said that he would gladly bring the iPhone to his wireless network if Apple would produce a 4G TD-LTE-compatible iPhone for its customers."China Mobile and Apple hope to find a solution for close collaboration," Jianzhou said in September. "We discussed this issue with Apple. We hope Apple will produce a new iPhone with TD-LTE. We have already got a positive answer from Apple."Neither China Mobile nor Apple immediately responded to CNET's request for comment.
Comics on Film: Are Audiences Ready for a Multimedia Superhero Crossover
The comic book crossover event has become a central element of superhero storytelling. With the modern iterations starting in the mid-1980s with Marvel;sSecret Warand DC;sCrisis on Infinite Earths, roughly every year creative teams from multiple titles come together to try and tell a massive story that affects the entirety of a comic book shared universe -- and in the best cases those stories have led to some widespread change that would affect the storytelling in that particular universe for decades.Today, movie fans are starting to look forward to crossover comic book films, most notably beginning with 2012;sThe Avengers. That was really the first time that comics storytelling on that scale had successfully managed to jump from the page to the screen, due to the infrastructure provided by Mavel;s cinematic universe. Shared universes are starting to become the norm now, and on the DC side of things they;re crafting one on the big screen with Batman and Superman, as well as on the small screen with the Flash and Arrow.With two distinct DC universes on two different forms of media, is it possible that the two could cross over at some point?The Crisis That Started It AllThe 1985 comic book crossover eventCrisis on Infinite Earthswasn;t just a milestone for comic book storytelling -- it was also the first modern crossover that successfully managed to pull off a crossover not just for one universe, but forinfiniteuniverses. Alternate versions of Superman and many other major characters had to team up to stop a plot that threatened to destroy the multiverse itself, and the disparity of characters brought together by that one event made for a sweeping and truly epic confrontation, where the very fate of existence itself was decided for untold trillions of lives.The very existence of the Crisis crossover event across DC;s history, and their successful use of multiple universes with which to tell those stories, definitely makes for unique adventures for the DC characters. Previously, something like this wasn;t possible for live-action comic book storytelling, especiallyDC Comicsstorytelling, since the infrastructure for multiple universes had never existed before.Recently, though, with the CW seriesThe Flashfirmly taking place in the same universe asArrow(along with rumors of a third series to join them on the way), and with Warner Bros. announcing a massive DC Comics-based film slate through the remainder of this decade, that infrastructure exists now. Not to mention the fact that the end of theFlash;s pilot episode teased a crisis in the future, an event that Barry Allen is tied very closely to since theCrisis on Infinite Earthswould keep the character dead for over 20 years in the comics.So Could DC;s TV Heroes Make It to the Big Screen?The bigger question, of course, is whether or not this could happen in the first place. In the case of Marvel Comics, the question doesn;t apply, since the television-based efforts of Marvel Studios all take place in its shared cinematic universe:Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.takes place within the same space as theIron Man, Captain AmericaandThorfilms, so any of those TV characters showing up wouldn;t really be much of a shocker (though it would be cool).In the case of DC Comics, since the two universes are definitely separate as symbolized by the casting of Ezra Miller as the Flash in the upcomingJustice Leaguefilm, it seems like it would be possible. While Marvel has the rights for some of its most popular characters like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four farmed out to other studios, DC Comics does not have that problem, as all its characters are firmly in control of its parent company, Warner Bros.So, is it at all possible that the crisis referred to in the closing seconds ofThe Flash;s pilot could potentially refer to some kind of multiversal mash-up between Henry Cavill;s Superman and Stephen Amell;s Arrow? Legally speaking, yes. Absolutely. But...Would Audiences Be Ready for It?This is another question entirely since it took a great deal of time for the appropriate studios to mash up enough disparate characters into a singleAvengersfilm. At the end of the day, audience enthusiasm can likely be traced to the strength of the stories told. Right now,ArrowandThe Flashare gearing up to do their own interseries crossovers, involving characters introduced on both shows.Of course, it would also be a question of format, as a mash-up of that magnitude would almost certainly demand to be featured in a motion picture, as opposed to a series of TV episodes. At the end of the day, though, its something that has never been tried in the comic superhero genre of movies before, and Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are in a unique position to potentially make it happen before their competition.Would that be something you;d want to see? Be sure to leave a comment below and join the conversation, and we;ll see you back here in seven days with a brand new edition of Comics on Film!ChrisClowis a geek. He is a gamer
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