Apple's quest for perfection and enduring beauty
Product introductions are usually predictable, orchestrated events. Company executives in jeans stalk a football stadium-sized stage and let their products do the talking: "This is our great new product, here are the specs, and now we'll demo some of the features. It's better than anything else on the market, and it's available soon for this price in these configurations. It's really amazing."Apple execs did their fair share of stalking the stage Monday with well-rehearsed, Steve Jobsian product intro panache, demoing alternately what they described as "incredible" and "stunning" products at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference.It was an impressive performance, with some elegant refining of OS X and iOS, as well as MacBook Airs with longer battery life and a reimagined Mac Pro. (You can read all the Apple WWDC 2013 news here.) The upcoming iOS 7 now has the Jony Ive touch with a new palette of colors, redesigned icons, translucency and distinct functional layers.AppleHowever, the beginning and end of the two-hour keynote, attended by more than 6,000 developers, employees, special guests and media, broke with tradition. Bookending the lovefest were two videos that seemed to bare Apple's tortured, transcendent soul, and perhaps covertly sent a message to the competitors and critics who claim that the company is losing its way and market share. Just prior to Apple CEO Tim Cook taking the stage, a minimalist, black-and-white video with animating geometric patterns, music of the spheres and Zen koan-like phrases appeared on the immense screens at San Francisco's Moscone Center West auditorium with the following message: If everyone is busy making everything...how can anyone perfect anything? We start to confuse convenience with joy, abundance with choice. Design requires something: focus. The first thing we ask is what do we want people to feel. Delight...surprise...love...connection. Then we begin to craft around that intention. It takes time. There are a thousand no's for every yes. We perfect. We start over, until everything we touch enhances every life it touches. Only then do we sign our work: Designed by Apple in California. The first part of the video takes a shot at Samsung and other mobile device competitors, who Apple contends don't have design at their core, which is another way of saying their products are inferior. Nor do they have complete control of the hardware, software and ecosystem, as Apple does. During the keynote Cook pointed out several times how the iPhone didn't outsell the competition but cited research that it garnered far more Web usage and customer satisfaction awards, not to mention profit.Tim Cook touted Apple's leading the J.D. Powers customer satisfaction survey for the last nine years.James Martin/CNET More from WWDCMeet iTunes Radio, Apple's long-awaited streaming music serviceApple gives the iPhone a user interface face-lift with iOS 7Apple unveils new MacBook Air, gives Mac Pro sneak peek Mac Pro sneak peek (pictures) Getting to know Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks (pictures) WWDC 2013: Full coverageIt's also a blatant defense of Apple's lack of any significant new hardware in recent months. In fact, it's been more than eight months since Apple gave the world a new mobile phone, and more than seven months since the iPad Mini debuted. While Apple's engineers have been quietly toiling to achieve perfection in their secret workshops scattered around their Cupertino, Calif. campus, Samsung, HTC and others have been launching bunches of mobile devices that are getting good reviews. Apple did roll out a pair of updated MacBook Airs and teased the sexy, cylindrical Mac Pro, which inspired marketing chief Phil Schiller to tell the crowd, "Can't innovate any more, my ass!" However, mass market, game-changing new phones, tablets, TVs, watches or glasses were not seen or teased. Apple unveiled the all new, radically designed Mac Pro computer today at the World Wide Developer's Conference Monday in San Francisco.James Martin/CNETThe second part of the video goes more to Apple's drive for perfection, and to the point that being perfect can be tortuous to the soul and typically requires more time between iterations. "We have to focus on products, making the best products," Cook has said. "If we do that right and make great products that enrich peoples' live, then the other things will happen." In other words, be patient with us, the tortoise. Our mission is difficult and requires gargantuan effort and focus, but you will be rewarded. For decades Apple has been a design-driven company -- it's part of the company DNA. Apple doesn't ask people what they want, but apparently asks themselves what they want people to feel. Is Apple attempting to intuit intent and determine what feeling users should experience when they encounter a calendar entry, notification, control panel or icon, or a hardware enclosure? Less obtusely, Apple is attempting to design products that generate feelings of delight, surprise, love and connection to predispose or even addict people to the brand. When asked what market research went into the iPad, Jobs famously said: "None. It's not the consumers' job to know what they want." His way of articulating Apple's values is a bit more straightforward than "the first thing we ask is what do we want people to feel." The second video (see below), a TV ad set to air this week, was prefaced by Cook at the close of the keynote. "Words are more than just words to us," he said. "They are the values we live by...they drive us. You have seen them reflected in our products. We have created an ad to help us express just how deeply we feel about this." It reiterates much of the first video -- Apple spends a lot of time on a few things and strives to make peoples' lives better through the product design...and talking about values and whether features should exist, like a larger screen on an iPhone:This is it. This is what matters. The experience of a product. How will it make someone feel? Will it make life better? Does it deserve to exist? We spend a lot of time on a few great things...until every idea we touch...enhances each life it touches. You may rarely look at it...but you'll alwaysfeel it. This is our signature...and it means everything. But the second video also alludes to an element of magic, or sleight of hand, what Apple design chief Jony Ive refers to as "profound and enduring beauty." Each element of the design is part of a whole, a devine symmetry that brings order to complexity, which Apple believes users may not be consciously aware of but can innately "feel," creating an emotional bond with brand.The quest for perfection and the devotion to creating objects of profound and enduring beauty seems to be working. Apple has sold 600 million iOS devices to date, and it tallies 1 million Apple Store visitors per day, 900 million apps in its store and 575 million online store accounts, most with credit card numbers attached. Mac sales have risen 100 percent over the past five years, versus just 18 percent for Windows PCs. Who knows if it's divine symmetry at work, but as long as Apple can persist increating an emotional connection with its customers, the tortoise wins enough to move on to the next race.
New York Times prominent among media iPad apps
New York Times prominent among media iPad apps
As their print editions lose readers and business, many newspaper and magazine publishers are hoping the iPad will prove fertile ground for new customers.iPad owners who need their daily New York Times fix can grab it courtesy of the paper's new iPad app or even just the site itself, which made Apple's list of iPad-ready sites that have been optimized for compatibility with the iPad's features. The Times' iPad features got a prominent preview during Apple CEO Steve Jobs' unveiling of the tablet device in January.The free New York Times Editor Choice app will download to the iPad a daily selection of the newspaper's top business and technology stories, opinions, and features picked by Times editors. Readers will find 8 to 10 articles all captured from the paper's regular news pages and columns.Using the tablet's touch screen, iPad owners can tap to view the videos and slideshows that will join many of the Times stories. Articles and images can also be downloaded and synced to the iPad, so readers can view them without a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. The new app is free and supported by advertisers, but the Times said it's planning a paid app that would offer more content.The Times is joined by a growing list of other publishers eager to tap into the new iPad market.Wall Street JournalUSA Today is launching its own iPad app Saturday with a hook to lure readers. The app will be free until July 4 and then available through a fee-based subscription. In addition to providing the latest news stories, the USA Today app will offer photos and graphics to take advantage of the iPad's high-resolution screen.The Wall Street Journal is unveiling a free iPad app on Saturday with selected news stories, videos, and slideshows for non-subscribers, but a richer array of content for people willing to pay $3.99 a week to subscribe. Current subscribers of the Journal's print edition can get full access free for a limited time.Magazine publishers are also hopping onto the iPad with new apps on Saturday. Popular Science is launching a $4.99 app, while GQ will hit the tablet with its own $2.99 app. Though newspapers and magazines are offering full content for free, most are adopting a strategy similar to that of the Times and the Journal--dangle a limited number of stories for free, but then charge for a fuller plate of content. iPad users, for example, will be able to download for free 12 pages of content from the April issue of Men's Health magazine as a preview. The Men's Health app for the iPad: Click for a larger image.Men's Health The full April issue will then be available for download in the iTunes store for $4.99 and will be followed by the May issue, available by April 20. The Men's Health iPad app will also offer interactive features including real-time polls and increased social-networking capabilities with Twitter and Facebook, and will incorporate full-screen, high-definition video footage from behind the scenes of Men's Health cover shoots. However, the strategy of offering a bit of content for free before charging for it may not do much to stem the tide of shrinking sales. Surveys, such as a recent Harris poll, found a significant number of people unwilling to pay for content online.
As their print editions lose readers and business, many newspaper and magazine publishers are hoping the iPad will prove fertile ground for new customers.iPad owners who need their daily New York Times fix can grab it courtesy of the paper's new iPad app or even just the site itself, which made Apple's list of iPad-ready sites that have been optimized for compatibility with the iPad's features. The Times' iPad features got a prominent preview during Apple CEO Steve Jobs' unveiling of the tablet device in January.The free New York Times Editor Choice app will download to the iPad a daily selection of the newspaper's top business and technology stories, opinions, and features picked by Times editors. Readers will find 8 to 10 articles all captured from the paper's regular news pages and columns.Using the tablet's touch screen, iPad owners can tap to view the videos and slideshows that will join many of the Times stories. Articles and images can also be downloaded and synced to the iPad, so readers can view them without a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. The new app is free and supported by advertisers, but the Times said it's planning a paid app that would offer more content.The Times is joined by a growing list of other publishers eager to tap into the new iPad market.Wall Street JournalUSA Today is launching its own iPad app Saturday with a hook to lure readers. The app will be free until July 4 and then available through a fee-based subscription. In addition to providing the latest news stories, the USA Today app will offer photos and graphics to take advantage of the iPad's high-resolution screen.The Wall Street Journal is unveiling a free iPad app on Saturday with selected news stories, videos, and slideshows for non-subscribers, but a richer array of content for people willing to pay $3.99 a week to subscribe. Current subscribers of the Journal's print edition can get full access free for a limited time.Magazine publishers are also hopping onto the iPad with new apps on Saturday. Popular Science is launching a $4.99 app, while GQ will hit the tablet with its own $2.99 app. Though newspapers and magazines are offering full content for free, most are adopting a strategy similar to that of the Times and the Journal--dangle a limited number of stories for free, but then charge for a fuller plate of content. iPad users, for example, will be able to download for free 12 pages of content from the April issue of Men's Health magazine as a preview. The Men's Health app for the iPad: Click for a larger image.Men's Health The full April issue will then be available for download in the iTunes store for $4.99 and will be followed by the May issue, available by April 20. The Men's Health iPad app will also offer interactive features including real-time polls and increased social-networking capabilities with Twitter and Facebook, and will incorporate full-screen, high-definition video footage from behind the scenes of Men's Health cover shoots. However, the strategy of offering a bit of content for free before charging for it may not do much to stem the tide of shrinking sales. Surveys, such as a recent Harris poll, found a significant number of people unwilling to pay for content online.
Breaking the Google habit
Breaking the Google habit
But why is Google the search leader?Tim O'Reilly points to Google PageRank as the "Google's breakthrough in search" that "quickly made it the undisputed search market leader."Maybe, but consumers don't think that way.My parents' use of Google actually has little to nothing to do with the quality of the search.I'm not sure any of ours does, ultimately.I've spent the last two days tinkering with searches on Microsoft Live Search, Google, and Yahoo, and on a pure quality basis it's hard to tell the three apart.I'm sure some objective science could be made of Google's superiority, but that's not how people search.If you're looking for "table salt" on Google, how do you know that the results returned are better than those on Yahoo?Answer: you don't.In fact, the times that I can't find something with a search engine have much more to do with the quality of my search terms than with the quality of the algorithms informing the search, and no search engine really helps much with prodding quality search terms.How could they?Ultimately, then, I think we use Google out of habit, not superior search.For most of us, it's the search engine to which our trusted computer adviser pointed us, and we've never looked back.Why would we?Because we don't have any way of independently verifying that a competitor would give us better search results, there really is no justification for switching.So, Google is a habit.But it's not one that Google is willing to lackadaisically take for granted.Instead, it is building all sorts of ancillary value (Gmail, Picasa, etc.) which by themselves provide little add-on revenue opportunity but ensure that when we search, we never have reason to look beyond Google, its cash cow.All of which means that much as Google has learned from the disruptive Web, it has perhaps learned more from the desktop.Microsoft, king of the desktop, makes comparatively little from its businesses outside of Windows and Office, but all the add-on value ensures that the vast majority keep feeding its cash cows to the tune of billions in profits every quarter.Microsoft is a habit, too.People could fairly easily switch to Linux and OpenOffice, but they don't.The bother of change doesn't outweigh the ease of habit.The only way to displace Google in search may well be to follow Apple's approach to displacing Microsoft on the desktop: change the game.Apple turned the desktop business into a creative/entertainment pursuit, blending the desktop (iLife suite of products, plus extensions of the desktop like the iPhone and iPod) with the cloud (iTunes, App Store).Apple has a long way to go, but it's taking market share from Microsoft at a respectable clip.In other words, for competitors looking to kick the Google search habit, you can't take the Cuil route and compete on search.It just won't matter if you're better.You need to create a different, compelling habit.
But why is Google the search leader?Tim O'Reilly points to Google PageRank as the "Google's breakthrough in search" that "quickly made it the undisputed search market leader."Maybe, but consumers don't think that way.My parents' use of Google actually has little to nothing to do with the quality of the search.I'm not sure any of ours does, ultimately.I've spent the last two days tinkering with searches on Microsoft Live Search, Google, and Yahoo, and on a pure quality basis it's hard to tell the three apart.I'm sure some objective science could be made of Google's superiority, but that's not how people search.If you're looking for "table salt" on Google, how do you know that the results returned are better than those on Yahoo?Answer: you don't.In fact, the times that I can't find something with a search engine have much more to do with the quality of my search terms than with the quality of the algorithms informing the search, and no search engine really helps much with prodding quality search terms.How could they?Ultimately, then, I think we use Google out of habit, not superior search.For most of us, it's the search engine to which our trusted computer adviser pointed us, and we've never looked back.Why would we?Because we don't have any way of independently verifying that a competitor would give us better search results, there really is no justification for switching.So, Google is a habit.But it's not one that Google is willing to lackadaisically take for granted.Instead, it is building all sorts of ancillary value (Gmail, Picasa, etc.) which by themselves provide little add-on revenue opportunity but ensure that when we search, we never have reason to look beyond Google, its cash cow.All of which means that much as Google has learned from the disruptive Web, it has perhaps learned more from the desktop.Microsoft, king of the desktop, makes comparatively little from its businesses outside of Windows and Office, but all the add-on value ensures that the vast majority keep feeding its cash cows to the tune of billions in profits every quarter.Microsoft is a habit, too.People could fairly easily switch to Linux and OpenOffice, but they don't.The bother of change doesn't outweigh the ease of habit.The only way to displace Google in search may well be to follow Apple's approach to displacing Microsoft on the desktop: change the game.Apple turned the desktop business into a creative/entertainment pursuit, blending the desktop (iLife suite of products, plus extensions of the desktop like the iPhone and iPod) with the cloud (iTunes, App Store).Apple has a long way to go, but it's taking market share from Microsoft at a respectable clip.In other words, for competitors looking to kick the Google search habit, you can't take the Cuil route and compete on search.It just won't matter if you're better.You need to create a different, compelling habit.
The 404 408- Where we sweat while Libe Goad is here doing nothing
The 404 408: Where we sweat while Libe Goad is here doing nothing
Libe helps us kick off the show with a chat about the new PS3 Slim. After yesterday's unboxing, we've all determined that you'd have to be a fool to upgrade from the PS3 Fat (that can't be the official name), but there are a few games to look for on the console, like Wet, starring Eliza Dushku as Rubi Malone, a "lethal heroine who will take any job as she likes it and the price is right." Other games of interest include Wolfenstein and Batman: Arkham Asylum.All this game talk leads us to a study that reveals the average gamer is 35, fat, and bummed. As a nongamer, I see absolutely nothing fallacious here, but Jeff and Libe have to disagree, and they make a good point. First, the CDC only surveyed 552 subjects in the Seattle-Tacoma area. 552 is a pretty small sample size to determine the "bummertude" of this group, and I'm sure it doesn't help that Seattle rains 226 days a year, these poor gamers are literally being forced to stay in their houses, can we blame them for actually being fat and bummed? We'll get to the bottom of this...We also talk briefly about the 12 most annoying types of Facebookers, like the Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-Of-My-Day guy (aka Twitter feeders), or the Town Criers who feel the need to broadcast every headline they see on TMZ. Unfortunately, I think all of us are guilty of being The Self-Promoter, but who isn't? Everything you post on Facebook is a form of self-promotion, isn't that why people join social networks in the first place?Per usual, we always need Calls From the Public, so if you have something to say feel free to give us a call at 1-866-404-CNET or shoot us a line at the404(at)CNET{dot}com! EPISODE 408PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. 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.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Libe helps us kick off the show with a chat about the new PS3 Slim. After yesterday's unboxing, we've all determined that you'd have to be a fool to upgrade from the PS3 Fat (that can't be the official name), but there are a few games to look for on the console, like Wet, starring Eliza Dushku as Rubi Malone, a "lethal heroine who will take any job as she likes it and the price is right." Other games of interest include Wolfenstein and Batman: Arkham Asylum.All this game talk leads us to a study that reveals the average gamer is 35, fat, and bummed. As a nongamer, I see absolutely nothing fallacious here, but Jeff and Libe have to disagree, and they make a good point. First, the CDC only surveyed 552 subjects in the Seattle-Tacoma area. 552 is a pretty small sample size to determine the "bummertude" of this group, and I'm sure it doesn't help that Seattle rains 226 days a year, these poor gamers are literally being forced to stay in their houses, can we blame them for actually being fat and bummed? We'll get to the bottom of this...We also talk briefly about the 12 most annoying types of Facebookers, like the Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-Of-My-Day guy (aka Twitter feeders), or the Town Criers who feel the need to broadcast every headline they see on TMZ. Unfortunately, I think all of us are guilty of being The Self-Promoter, but who isn't? Everything you post on Facebook is a form of self-promotion, isn't that why people join social networks in the first place?Per usual, we always need Calls From the Public, so if you have something to say feel free to give us a call at 1-866-404-CNET or shoot us a line at the404(at)CNET{dot}com! EPISODE 408PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. 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.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Michael Jackson's death won't affect any Beatles-iTunes deal
Michael Jackson's death won't affect any Beatles-iTunes deal
Michael Jackson's position in long-time efforts to make the much-coveted Beatles catalog available digitally is one of the most misunderstood aspects in the very complicated negotiations.The sudden death of one of the world's best known entertainers on Thursday will have no impact on whether songs from the Fab Four will finally make it to iTunes and other Web music stores. Rumors aside, no deals are imminent, music sources told CNET News.Jackson bought ATV Music Publishing, the company that owned the words and music to 250 Beatles songs, nearly 25 years ago. He sold a 50 percent share in the company to Sony in 1995 and together they operated Sony/ATV. The actual recordings of the Beatles playing their songs is owned by EMI, one of the four largest music labels, and Apple Corp., the company that looks after the Beatles' business holdings and rights. What that means is that if you want to record and release a version of "Help," then you need to compensate Sony/ATV. A filmmaker wishing to add a recording of the Beatles performing the song to a soundtrack must negotiate with EMI and Apple Corp. In the latter scenario, Sony/ATV would collect a share of that deal and could veto it since the company owns the copyrights to the music and words. That typically doesn't happen, and to be clear: Sony/ATV has never stood in the way of a digital deal for the Beatles catalog, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. Indeed, the sources said that Jackson and Sony/ATV welcomed it. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Jackson was in financial trouble at the time of his death. Jackson borrowed twice against his Sony/ATV stake, according to the Journal story. How that will affect Jackson's stake in Sony/ATV, which was held in trust, is unclear. "Jackson was incredibly proud of his association with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and his role in the company," said a company representative. "He was a great partner." Correction: Michael Jackson borrowed against his stake in Sony/ATV, and how that will impact the company is unclear.
Michael Jackson's position in long-time efforts to make the much-coveted Beatles catalog available digitally is one of the most misunderstood aspects in the very complicated negotiations.The sudden death of one of the world's best known entertainers on Thursday will have no impact on whether songs from the Fab Four will finally make it to iTunes and other Web music stores. Rumors aside, no deals are imminent, music sources told CNET News.Jackson bought ATV Music Publishing, the company that owned the words and music to 250 Beatles songs, nearly 25 years ago. He sold a 50 percent share in the company to Sony in 1995 and together they operated Sony/ATV. The actual recordings of the Beatles playing their songs is owned by EMI, one of the four largest music labels, and Apple Corp., the company that looks after the Beatles' business holdings and rights. What that means is that if you want to record and release a version of "Help," then you need to compensate Sony/ATV. A filmmaker wishing to add a recording of the Beatles performing the song to a soundtrack must negotiate with EMI and Apple Corp. In the latter scenario, Sony/ATV would collect a share of that deal and could veto it since the company owns the copyrights to the music and words. That typically doesn't happen, and to be clear: Sony/ATV has never stood in the way of a digital deal for the Beatles catalog, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. Indeed, the sources said that Jackson and Sony/ATV welcomed it. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Jackson was in financial trouble at the time of his death. Jackson borrowed twice against his Sony/ATV stake, according to the Journal story. How that will affect Jackson's stake in Sony/ATV, which was held in trust, is unclear. "Jackson was incredibly proud of his association with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and his role in the company," said a company representative. "He was a great partner." Correction: Michael Jackson borrowed against his stake in Sony/ATV, and how that will impact the company is unclear.
Foxconn looks to branch out, reduce reliance on Apple
Foxconn looks to branch out, reduce reliance on Apple
Foxconn, the company that has become best-known for working with Apple to produce iPhones and iPads, is looking to dramatically expand its product services, according to a new report.As Apple's product shipments start to slow, Foxconn, which produces the company's mobile products, has decided that it's looking to move into media content and software, as well as electronics accessories, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people who claim to have knowledge of its plans.In an interview with the Journal, a Foxconn executive said the company needs to "actively expand our client base to help increase our manufacturing volume." The executive didn't say specifically which clients the company will be targeting.Related storiesApple, Dell, HP looking into Foxconn factory suicidesBuzz Out Loud 1237: Facebook privacy hangover (podcast)Buzz Out Loud 1238: Smell the light? (podcast)Sony, Nokia express concern over Foxconn suicidesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)Foxconn is by no means tied to Apple. The company works with a wide range of companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Sony, and Nokia. Samsung has also played an integral role in the company's business.Looking ahead, though, Foxconn would like to play a slightly different role in the world of manufacturing, the Journal's sources say. Foxconn has hired software engineers to create programs that could sit atop the products it develops. Foxconn is also looking to make an electronics accessories line.Despite those plans, Foxconn still needs to play nice with Apple: the iPhone maker represents 50 percent of its business.
Foxconn, the company that has become best-known for working with Apple to produce iPhones and iPads, is looking to dramatically expand its product services, according to a new report.As Apple's product shipments start to slow, Foxconn, which produces the company's mobile products, has decided that it's looking to move into media content and software, as well as electronics accessories, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people who claim to have knowledge of its plans.In an interview with the Journal, a Foxconn executive said the company needs to "actively expand our client base to help increase our manufacturing volume." The executive didn't say specifically which clients the company will be targeting.Related storiesApple, Dell, HP looking into Foxconn factory suicidesBuzz Out Loud 1237: Facebook privacy hangover (podcast)Buzz Out Loud 1238: Smell the light? (podcast)Sony, Nokia express concern over Foxconn suicidesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)Foxconn is by no means tied to Apple. The company works with a wide range of companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Sony, and Nokia. Samsung has also played an integral role in the company's business.Looking ahead, though, Foxconn would like to play a slightly different role in the world of manufacturing, the Journal's sources say. Foxconn has hired software engineers to create programs that could sit atop the products it develops. Foxconn is also looking to make an electronics accessories line.Despite those plans, Foxconn still needs to play nice with Apple: the iPhone maker represents 50 percent of its business.
Foxconn confirms worker riot at Taiyuan factory
Foxconn confirms worker riot at Taiyuan factory
Foxconn, a contract manufacturer to Apple, closed a northern China factory for the day following an early Monday riot that, according to the company, began as a fight between workers. Details remain scarce.The company said several people were injured and sent to the hospital after the incident, and that some were also detained by police. The factory in question employees about 79,000 workers.Other reports, however, described a riot possibly involving as many as 2,000 people and, by one account, potentially sparked when a guard struck a worker. Photos posted by a user on the Chinese Internet service Baidu depicted lines of helmet-clad riot police surrounding what appeared to be workers and rooms littered with detritus and glass from broken windows.The video above contains YouTube footage that appears to be filmed early Monday morning China time near Foxconn's Taiyuan plant. CNET has not been able verify this footage. Earlier this month, a Shanghai Evening Post journalist claimed to have gone undercover at the Taiyuan plant. He described his orientation, plant security and his job, which was supposedly to manufacture the back plate of the iPhone 5.Back in March, the head of human resources at the Taiyuan factory reportedly told a South Korean newspaper that Foxconn had "just got[ten] the order" for the iPhone 5. That was just a few weeks after a reported strike involving hundreds of workers over a pay dispute at the Taiyuan plant.We'll update this story as we know more.Updated 8:46 p.m. PT: with more details.
Foxconn, a contract manufacturer to Apple, closed a northern China factory for the day following an early Monday riot that, according to the company, began as a fight between workers. Details remain scarce.The company said several people were injured and sent to the hospital after the incident, and that some were also detained by police. The factory in question employees about 79,000 workers.Other reports, however, described a riot possibly involving as many as 2,000 people and, by one account, potentially sparked when a guard struck a worker. Photos posted by a user on the Chinese Internet service Baidu depicted lines of helmet-clad riot police surrounding what appeared to be workers and rooms littered with detritus and glass from broken windows.The video above contains YouTube footage that appears to be filmed early Monday morning China time near Foxconn's Taiyuan plant. CNET has not been able verify this footage. Earlier this month, a Shanghai Evening Post journalist claimed to have gone undercover at the Taiyuan plant. He described his orientation, plant security and his job, which was supposedly to manufacture the back plate of the iPhone 5.Back in March, the head of human resources at the Taiyuan factory reportedly told a South Korean newspaper that Foxconn had "just got[ten] the order" for the iPhone 5. That was just a few weeks after a reported strike involving hundreds of workers over a pay dispute at the Taiyuan plant.We'll update this story as we know more.Updated 8:46 p.m. PT: with more details.
Foxconn chief- We can't keep up with iPhone demand
Foxconn chief: We can't keep up with iPhone demand
Foxconn isn't churning out iPhones as fast as Apple would like, the Chinese company's chairman told reporters today."It's not easy to make the iPhones," Foxconn chief Terry Gou said, according to Reuters. "We are falling short of meeting the huge demand."Gou didn't say which iPhones are actually difficult to produce -- Apple is still selling three models, the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 4 -- but it's likely that he was talking about the company's latest smartphone.Related storiesApple, Dell, HP looking into Foxconn factory suicidesBuzz Out Loud 1237: Facebook privacy hangover (podcast)Buzz Out Loud 1238: Smell the light? (podcast)Sony, Nokia express concern over Foxconn suicidesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)Last month, an unidentified Foxconn official told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that producing the iPhone 5 is "very complicated," causing supply issues. The official went on to say that the handset is "the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled."The iPhone 5 is both thinner and taller than its immediate predecessor, the iPhone 4S. It also comes with a host of improvements, including 4G LTE support and a new, smaller Lightning port. That means Foxconn's workers are bundling lots of components into an increasingly tight box.Apple certainly can't be happy. The company's flagship handset is currently slated to ship in three to four weeks for folks who order it now. Customers who head to carrier stores are receiving similar lead times.The making of an iPhone (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrev
Foxconn isn't churning out iPhones as fast as Apple would like, the Chinese company's chairman told reporters today."It's not easy to make the iPhones," Foxconn chief Terry Gou said, according to Reuters. "We are falling short of meeting the huge demand."Gou didn't say which iPhones are actually difficult to produce -- Apple is still selling three models, the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 4 -- but it's likely that he was talking about the company's latest smartphone.Related storiesApple, Dell, HP looking into Foxconn factory suicidesBuzz Out Loud 1237: Facebook privacy hangover (podcast)Buzz Out Loud 1238: Smell the light? (podcast)Sony, Nokia express concern over Foxconn suicidesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)Last month, an unidentified Foxconn official told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that producing the iPhone 5 is "very complicated," causing supply issues. The official went on to say that the handset is "the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled."The iPhone 5 is both thinner and taller than its immediate predecessor, the iPhone 4S. It also comes with a host of improvements, including 4G LTE support and a new, smaller Lightning port. That means Foxconn's workers are bundling lots of components into an increasingly tight box.Apple certainly can't be happy. The company's flagship handset is currently slated to ship in three to four weeks for folks who order it now. Customers who head to carrier stores are receiving similar lead times.The making of an iPhone (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrev
Fortune- Apple is world's most admired company
Fortune: Apple is world's most admired company
To collect its data, Fortune asked businesspeople to vote for the companies that they admired most, from any industry. This is the third straight year that Apple has taken the title of most admired company, but this year it also took the top position in the computer category. Last year, it was second in the category. In the computer category, Apple is followed by HP, EMC, Xerox, Dell, Canon, Seagate, and Western Digital. The computer software category is lead by Adobe, followed by Oracle, Intuit, Symantec, and Microsoft.Businesspeople were asked to rank companies in such areas as innovation, quality of management, and quality of products/services. The survey was done in partnership with Hay Group, a management consulting firm. The list of participants was put together from July through September and surveys were sent out in October. "What makes Apple so admired? Product, product, product," Fortune said on its Web site. "This is the company that changed the way we do everything from buy music to design products to engage with the world around us. Its track record for innovation and fierce consumer loyalty translates into tremendous respect across business' highest ranks."According to the survey, the Top 10 admired companies overall in the world are: Apple, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, Amazon.com, Procter & Gamble, Toyota Motor, Goldman Sachs Group, Wal-Mart Stores, and Coca-Cola.
To collect its data, Fortune asked businesspeople to vote for the companies that they admired most, from any industry. This is the third straight year that Apple has taken the title of most admired company, but this year it also took the top position in the computer category. Last year, it was second in the category. In the computer category, Apple is followed by HP, EMC, Xerox, Dell, Canon, Seagate, and Western Digital. The computer software category is lead by Adobe, followed by Oracle, Intuit, Symantec, and Microsoft.Businesspeople were asked to rank companies in such areas as innovation, quality of management, and quality of products/services. The survey was done in partnership with Hay Group, a management consulting firm. The list of participants was put together from July through September and surveys were sent out in October. "What makes Apple so admired? Product, product, product," Fortune said on its Web site. "This is the company that changed the way we do everything from buy music to design products to engage with the world around us. Its track record for innovation and fierce consumer loyalty translates into tremendous respect across business' highest ranks."According to the survey, the Top 10 admired companies overall in the world are: Apple, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, Amazon.com, Procter & Gamble, Toyota Motor, Goldman Sachs Group, Wal-Mart Stores, and Coca-Cola.
Forrester- iPad kicks off 'tablet mania'
Forrester: iPad kicks off 'tablet mania'
Since Apple reported selling 3.27 million iPads in its fiscal third quarter, numerous iPad competitors have been announced. Not surprisingly, most contain the word "pad" in their name, as companies hope to cash in on Apple's success and associate their product with Apple's.In its report released last week, Forrester cited the WebOS and Windows 7 tablets from HP, the Dell Streak, the Toshiba Smart Pad, rumored tablets from Acer and Samsung, and a Lenovo entry called LePad. One that Forrester didn't mention is the rumored BlackPad from Research In Motion.In its research, Forrester notes the rapid consumer awareness of the iPad. The company said that in online surveys in May and June, awareness for the iPad has gone way up. In May, 83 percent of the more than 4,000 respondents said they've heard of the iPad. In June, that number jumped to 95 percent awareness.As a point of comparison, in the same survey 25 percent of consumers said they have never heard of the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle has been on the market for three years."This iPad interest is fueled by the social influence of its buyers, who are 20 percent more likely to use Facebook, 40 percent more likely to use Twitter, and have more friends and followers than U.S. online consumers overall," wrote Sarah Rotman Epps, the author of the report.Forrester said that 1.3 percent of people in its survey already owned an iPad and an additional 3.8 percent of people intend to buy one."The iPad has become a major consumer electronics product category--unto itself--within one single quarter," wrote Epps.
Since Apple reported selling 3.27 million iPads in its fiscal third quarter, numerous iPad competitors have been announced. Not surprisingly, most contain the word "pad" in their name, as companies hope to cash in on Apple's success and associate their product with Apple's.In its report released last week, Forrester cited the WebOS and Windows 7 tablets from HP, the Dell Streak, the Toshiba Smart Pad, rumored tablets from Acer and Samsung, and a Lenovo entry called LePad. One that Forrester didn't mention is the rumored BlackPad from Research In Motion.In its research, Forrester notes the rapid consumer awareness of the iPad. The company said that in online surveys in May and June, awareness for the iPad has gone way up. In May, 83 percent of the more than 4,000 respondents said they've heard of the iPad. In June, that number jumped to 95 percent awareness.As a point of comparison, in the same survey 25 percent of consumers said they have never heard of the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle has been on the market for three years."This iPad interest is fueled by the social influence of its buyers, who are 20 percent more likely to use Facebook, 40 percent more likely to use Twitter, and have more friends and followers than U.S. online consumers overall," wrote Sarah Rotman Epps, the author of the report.Forrester said that 1.3 percent of people in its survey already owned an iPad and an additional 3.8 percent of people intend to buy one."The iPad has become a major consumer electronics product category--unto itself--within one single quarter," wrote Epps.
Apple promotes Jeff Williams to senior VP
Apple has updated the executive biography of Jeff Williams from vice president of operations to senior vice president of operations, explaining that the decade-plus veteran of the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is "responsible for end-to-end supply chain management and dedicated to ensuring that Apple products meet the highest standards of quality."Williams, who will continue to report to Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, had served as vice president of operations since 2004, and prior to that had been head of worldwide procurement. AppleInsider was the first to catch wind of the promotion. There have been no explicit signs connecting this promotion to anything surrounding a high-profile "standards of quality" issue that Apple has faced lately: reports from iPhone owners and reviewers that the iPhone 4's external antenna causes degraded reception when held a certain way. The tempest culminated in a rare press conference by CEO Steve Jobs on Friday addressing the issue. Jobs insisted "weak spots" are not unique to the iPhone 4 but that customers are entitled to a free rubber bumper accessory that would alleviate the problem.But just after the "Antennagate" fix was announced, Apple reported blowout quarterly earnings. Fueled by sales of the iPhone and iPad devices, its $15.7 billion in revenue was the highest the company has ever reported.
Apple promises iOS update to fix iMessage delivery issues
Apple confirmed on Tuesday that a software issue is disrupting the normal delivery of iMessages, but the company said it was readying a software update to resolve the issue.For the past several days, iOS 7 users have complained about being unable to send texts on Apple's instant-messaging service, which provides free texting between iOS devices. A frequent complaint is that while messages appear to have been sent successfully, they later appear with an indication that delivery failed."We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update," Apple said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. "In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our troubleshooting documents or contact AppleCare to help resolve their issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes impacted users."Since its release on September 18, Apple's completely rebuilt mobile operating system has been praised for its simpler color scheme. But a week later, Apple released a supplemental update to fix a bug that would let users bypass the passcode security on the lock screen.
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