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News tagged ‘Wall Street Journal’
iWork VP Roger Rosner Taking Charge of Apple's Digital Textbook Initiative
The Wall Street Journal reports that Roger Rosner is the executive in charge of Apple's digital textbook tools. Rosner is a Vice President for Productivity Applications at Apple, such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. He joint Apple in 2001, prior he was CEO of Bluefish Labs, a software development firm that Apple purchased.
Prior to working on the textbook service, Rosner was in charge of Pages, Numbers and Keynote -- Apple's iWork suite of office applications. Jessica Vascellaro writes for the WSJ:
Mr. Rosner's involvement is a sign of how strongly Apple intends to emphasize textbook creation, in a move to change the type of educational content that exists on the market. It also underscores how as textbooks—and all media—goes digital, it is increasingly important for tech companies to get media companies to create digital content with their software or in formats compatible with their services and devices.
Whether Mr. Rosner, whose LinkedIn profile pegs him at Apple for more than a decade, will take the stage on Thursday remains unclear. If so, audiences may remember him from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference this past June, where he demonstrated features of iCloud, the company's online syncing and storing service.
Leave a commentApple to Launch 'Garageband for e-books' on Thursday
This week, on Thursday, January 19, Apple plans to hold its education-related media event. Last week Apple sent out invitations for the event with a tagline stated that the company would make an "education announcement in the Big Apple." The multiple reports are claiming that the company could announce an initiative to help textbook makers produce interactive ebooks for the iPad, with some sources calling the initiative "Garageband for e-books."
ArsTechnica reported on Monday that its sources are claiming that Apple will release a simple app that makes e-book publishing as easy as recording a song in GarageBand. Inkling CEO Matt MacInnis, who worked on education projects at Apple before leaving to focus on interactive e-books, also confirms the rumors, because he dosn't believe that Apple would start releasing content to replace, for example, textbooks, the company is likely to provide content production tools, similar to its own Logic or Final Cut Pro software.
Apple Releases 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report and Supplier List
Yesterday Apple released its annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report for 2012, where the company details efforts to oversee working conditions and environmental responsibility at its suppliers around the world. Apple specially noted that it conducted 229 audits during 2011.
In 2011, we conducted 229 audits throughout our supply chain — an 80 percent increase over 2010 — including more than 100 first-time audits. We continue to expand our program to reach deeper into our supply base, and this year we added more detailed and specialized audits that focus on safety and the environment.
Sony Is Making Available Its Music Unlimited Service On iOS Devices
iTunes had for a long time been the only marketplace for iOS-device owners as third-party storefronts was prohibited by Apple’s rules. Giving way to government regulators, Apple last year changed its policy related to third-party stores and allowed subscriptions. This opened the way for music apps from Shazam and Spotify that have recently appeared on the iOS platfrorm. Currently another major music service is going to compete with iTunes.
iTunes had for a long time been the only marketplace for iOS-device owners as third-party storefronts was prohibited by Apple’s rules. Giving way to government regulators, Apple last year changed its policy related to third-party stores and allowed subscriptions. This opened the way for music apps from Shazam and Spotify that have recently appeared on the iOS platfrorm. Currently another major music service is going to compete with iTunes.
Reportedly Foxconn And Pegatron Begin Assembly Of iPad 3 For Early-March Launch
Japanese blog Macotakara that Apple’s contract manufacturers Pegatron Technology and Foxconn Electronics was commisioned to begin assembly of next iPads for a launch in early March.
Apple Patent Describes Multi-User Face Detection System
Like the controversial face unlock functionality in Google’s Galaxy Nexus, a new Apple’s patent application points out that the company is developing similar but more sofisticated face detection solution. As PatentlyApple reports, Apple said that these user detection system could be included in a future MacBook, iPad, iPod touch and iPhone.
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Apple Plans To Launch HDTV In Summer 2012
Digitimes citing its industry sources from the Asian supply chain that Apple is going to launch HDTV in 37-inch and 32-inch variants in summer 2012.
Apple execs have discussed the 'future of TV' with major media companies
Apple executives met with executives from media companies to discuss "their vision for the future of TV," according to The Wall Street Journal. The main aim of Apple was to discuss how users could access content "across phones, tablets and TVs," how Apple would stream content to users in new ways, allowing them to continue watching video across multiple devices like a TV, tablet and smartphone.
"The TV device Apple is working on would use a version of Apple's wireless-streaming technology AirPlay to allow users to control it from iPhones and iPads, according to people briefed on the matter," the report said. "When the company plans to start selling such a device and whether it would receive traditional broadcast or cable signals remains unclear, said these people, who say Apple may change its plans."
Apple is reportedly to have worked on would integrate DVR storage into its existing iCloud service that allows users to watch shows they have bought or recorded on multiple devices.
"The company has also talked to television-service providers about teaming up on new video services for Apple devices, according to people familiar with the matter," the report said. "It has also broached the idea of licensing content directly from media companies for some sort of subscription-TV service, resembling the packages now offered by cable operators, but the talks have been 'exploratory,' according to people familiar with the matter."
Apple TV is said to be launched on the middle of 2012, but some analysts believe that Apple will announce it in late 2012 for an early 2013 sale. We also reported that Apple TV could arrive in three sizes, including 32 inches and 55 inches.
LTE iPad Coming to Japan Next Summer, LTE iPhone by Fall
Nikkei Business reports that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has reached a basic agreement with Apple on releasing an LTE-capable (able to connect to long-term evolution 4G high-speed data networks) iPad in the summer of 2012 with an LTE iPhone to follow in the fall.
Earlier this month it was reported that executives with the wireless carrier were said to have visited the U.S. in mid-November to talk with Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, but DoCoMo was hesitant to agree to Apple's demands on unit volume and its refusal to allow the carrier to add its own applications to the device.
Nevertheless, NTT DoCoMo has denied the report in a press release, stating there is "no basic agreement" in place with Apple.
More Confirmation of Sharp Supplying iPad 3 Displays
The Wall Street Journal’s sources confirm that Sharp will indeed produce display parts for the upcoming Apple’s iPad 3.
Apple Inc. is adding Sharp Corp. as a maker of screens used in the next-generation iPad, people familiar with the situation said Thursday, as the U.S. consumer electronics company moves to diversify component suppliers for its products.
Apple is also investing in Sharp's panel manufacturing factories in Japan. According to sources, Apple wants to ensure that Sharp will able to produce enough panels to satisfy Apple’s needs. Sharp already supplies panels for the iPhone and can be supplier of panels for the next-generation iPhone that is expected to be launched next year.
We should admit that Sharp was expected to be Apple’s new source of iPad screens. Moreover, the recent analyst report notes that production of iPad 3 screens already started and that Apple and Sharp have developed a new technology to allow a thinner high resolution display for the next iPad.
Sony Seeking To Bypass Cable Providers With Web-Based TV Service
Last week it was reported that Sony was actively working on changing the way users view and interact with content on its TV sets, with company’s CEO Howard Stringer acknowledging that they was seeking the way to compete with Apple’s ecosystem that is planned to include TV sets in the near future.
Apple Awards 1,000,000 Shares Of Stock To Its Seven Top Executives
Apple awarded 1 million stock shares to its seven executives rewarding them for hard work over the fiscal year when the company for the first time earned more than $100 billion.
CEO Tim Cook looks to mold a more streamlined Apple
Two months has already gone since the moment when Tim Cook was appointed Apple’s CEO. The Wall Street Journal decided to take a look at his management strategy and found out some differences between his style and that of Steve Jobs.
In recent weeks, Mr. Cook has tended to administrative matters that never interested Mr. Jobs, such as promotions and corporate reporting structures, according to people familiar with the matter. The new chief executive, 50 years old, has also been more communicative with employees than his predecessor, sending a variety of company-wide emails while addressing Apple employees as "Team," people close to the company said.
Cook made significant changes in Apple’s education division. As a result the division was divided into marketing and sales divisions and then reintegrated with the company's broader arms focused on those aspects of the business. Another corporate-level change is recently-announced charitable matching program that calls for Apple to match employee donations up to $10,000 per year, a change from the Jobs who was reportedly against giving money away. Cook seems to recognize quickly expertise and achievements of his employees, and ready to promote them, such as with the promotion of Eddy Cue.
HP Has Revaluated Its Plans And Will Not Spin Off Its PC Unit
HP, the largest PC manufacturer, that after evaluation of business alternatives for Personal Systems Group they decided to not sell off the PC unit and leave it within the company.
Samsung Dethrones Apple As The Largest Smartphone Manufacturer in Q3 2011
According to , Apple has been dethroned by Samsung one quarter after the company became the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. As a person familiar with the situation said, Samsung shipped over 20 million smartphones in third quarter, beating Apple as well as the largest cellphone manufacturer Nokia.