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发帖数: 16371 | | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 2 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:24:01 PDT
As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple has turned on its iTunes Match service in Hungary
and Poland today. Notably, the additions appear to make the Scandinavian
countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden the only ones of the over
60 countries in which Apple offers music through the iTunes Store to not
have access to iTunes Match.
iTunes Match is Apple's subscription service that allows users to access
their entire music libraries from a variety of Internet-connected devices
via the cloud. Users' music libraries are matched to the iTunes Music Store
catalog to quickly make many tracks available for download, with unmatched
tracks being uploaded to Apple's servers. iTunes Match is priced at | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 3 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:03:18 PDT
In addition to today's iTunes Match expansion to Hungary and Poland, Apple
has also undertaken a significant expansion of its iTunes in the Cloud
feature, adding movies to the list of eligible items in the UK, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand.
We've heard from several UK users who have reported that only a small
fraction of their purchased movies are currently shown as eligible for re-
download, through iTunes in the Cloud, but Apple indicates that "most"
content should be included in the program.
The expansion marks the first time iTunes in the Cloud has been available
for movies outside of the United States. The feature provides additional
flexibility for those who have purchased movies through the iTunes Store,
allowing them to download the content as needed on any computer, iOS device,
or Apple TV.
iTunes in the Cloud for music and music videos is available in over 50
countries around the world, and support for TV shows has also been available
in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Re-downloads
of apps and books are permitted throughout Apple's digital store markets.
Update: Steven Troughton-Smith notes that iTunes in the Cloud for movies is
also live in Ireland.
Update 2: The feature has also gone live in many of Apple's Latin American
markets, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.
Update 3: Many of Apple's Asia-Pacific markets are also included: Hong Kong,
Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines,
Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Update 4: In Europe, the following countries are also seeing iTunes in the
Cloud for movies: Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 4 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:40:23 PDT
Back in March, the Hickory Daily Record noted that Apple had filed for
building permits related to a "tactical data center" to be located at the
site of the company's existing data center in Maiden, North Carolina. Our
research at the time indicated that the facility was a relatively small
building of roughly 20,000 square feet, but it was unclear exactly what it
was to be used for.
The Hickory Daily Record now follows up with a new report sharing more
details on Apple's plans as culled from additional building permits and
planning documents filed in recent weeks.
According to Apple’s design plans on file with Catawba County, the new 21,
030-square-foot data center, also referred to as a “tactical” data center,
will store clusters of servers. Permits filed with the county list the cost
of the new 11-room data center at $1,885,129. [..]
The building will have, what appears to be, tight security measures even
though it will be located on a site that already has tight security. The
building will be equipped with “man trap” security doors at either end
that will force a person to be cleared to go through an additional second
door to get inside the main building space. The building also will be
surrounded with an 8-foot-high chain-link security fence, according to
architectural plans.
New construction at Apple's Maiden, North Carolina data center (Source:
Jeremy Detter/Hickory Daily Record)
Apple's plans for the site ultimately include two 500,000 square-foot data
center buildings, only one of which has been constructed. Today's report
indicates that this new tactical data center, a separate project, will be
adjacent to the existing data center without impinging upon space set aside
for the second major building.
The architectural site plans show the small data center t-boned to the 500,
000-square-foot existing data center. The plans still show the footprint for
a larger data center that would run nearly parallel to the existing one and
would t-bone the smaller one currently under construction.
Data Center Knowledge takes a closer look at Apple's plans, suggesting that
Apple is deploying a modular facility in order to rapidly increase the
server capacity at the site, something the company is already doing at its
Prineville, Oregon site in advance of more permanent construction.
The building permits for the new Apple tactical MDC don’t name a particular
provider. But Apple is currently deploying modular data centers from NxGen
Modular at its new data center in Prineville, Oregon. NxGen has developed
next-generation modular designs, with pre-fabricated components that can be
assembled into a complete data center, complete with power, cooling and
mechanical rooms.
Apple has yet to comment on its intentions for the new tactical data center
facility in Maiden, but the project comes as Apple is pursuing major
expansions of its server capabilities in North Carolina, Oregon, and Nevada
to help support iCloud and other ventures. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 5 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:36:33 PDT
As it has for past versions, Other World Computing has released its
aftermarket SSD upgrades for the latest MacBook Air models released last
month.
Along with minor upgrades to memory and processor configurations, Apple also
included a new SSD connector, likely to accommodate the new 500 MBps SSDs
that Apple has built in to the new machines. As a result of this new
connector, it took OWC a few weeks to build compatible aftermarket drives.
Other World Computing's Mercury Pro Aura Express drives are available for
the 2012 MBA in sizes starting at 120GB at $167.99, running all the way
to 480GB for $644.99. These prices are bit cheaper than comparable
drives for the 2011 MacBook Air models. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 6 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 06:42:12 PDT
Alongside yesterday's massive international expansion of iTunes in the Cloud
for movies, U.S. users also received some new content as 20th Century Fox
films are now available through the service.
Current (left) and prior (right) iTunes listings for 20th Century Fox's
Titan A.E.
When iTunes in the Cloud for movies launched back in March, Universal and
Fox were not included due to agreements the studios had in place with
premium TV channel HBO, with sources indicating within days that
negotiations were underway to lift those restrictions.
Universal's films began appearing in iTunes in the Cloud in early April, but
it has taken until now for 20th Century Fox's offerings to also be included. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 7 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 06:59:42 PDT
As noted by The Next Web, Apple today launched the third-generation iPad in
China to small, orderly crowds, avoiding a repeat of the chaotic iPhone 4S
launch back in January that forced Apple to temporarily halt in-store sales
of the device in the country.
Security staff monitor quiet iPad launch at Apple's Sanlitun retail store in
Beijing
The iPad launch appears to have gone much more smoothly in part due to a
reservation system the company deployed to help minimize lines and thwart
scalpers seeking to soak up available supplies and resell the devices for
significant profits. Prospective customers were required to pre-register
for their in-store purchases by noon yesterday, with customers receiving
designated appointment times today to come pick up their iPads.
As of now, today, there is no sign of the scalper contingent, which is
typically out in full force for Apple product launches in China – the
computer giant’s second largest market.
According to staff at the Sanliutin Apple Store, iPad sales will continue to
be reservation-only indefinitely. Customers can reserve the new iPad daily
from 9am-12pm and will be assigned a pickup time for the following day or
later.
Crowds at the Sanlitun store were sparse under the new reservation system,
with the store opening two hours early at 8:00 AM but with only ten people
in line by 8:30. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 8 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:06:33 PDT
Alternative email client Sparrow has been acquired by Google. From Sparrow's
website:
We're excited to announce that Sparrow has been acquired by Google!
We care a lot about how people communicate, and we did our best to provide
you with the most intuitive and pleasurable mailing experience.
Now we're joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision — one that
we think we can better achieve with Google.
We’d like to extend a special thanks to all of our users who have supported
us, advised us, given us priceless feedback and allowed us to build a
better mail application. While we’ll be working on new things at Google, we
will continue to make Sparrow available and provide support for our users.
We had an amazing ride and can't thank you enough.
Full speed ahead!
Dom Leca
CEO
Sparrow
Sparrow originally launched on the Mac, but an iPhone version was released
earlier this year. Leca also said that Sparrow's products will continue to
be made available with "support and critical updates", but Sparrow does not
plan to release new features. There's no word whether Push email support --
promised earlier this year -- will make its way to the iOS app or if that
has been pushed aside.
Late last year, Google released an iOS Gmail app which was received poorly
by users. Google issued this statement on the acquisition, but wouldn't
divulge details of the purchase:
The Sparrow team has always put their users first by focusing on building a
seamlessly simple and intuitive interface for their email client. We look
forward to bringing them aboard the Gmail team, where they’ll be working on
new projects. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 9 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:25:35 PDT
While today's big acquisition news has been Google's purchase of Sparrow,
another prominent Mac and iOS developer has also been swallowed up by a
major Silicon Valley company.
Acrylic Software has announced (via The Next Web) that it has been acquired
by Facebook, which is bringing on the Acrylic team for its expertise rather
than its current products, which include RSS reader Pulp (iPad, Mac) and
secure personal database app Wallet (iOS, Mac).
Facebook is an invaluable service that we all use daily, and a company I
believe is one of the most innovative and important around today. After
visiting late last year, I discovered that we shared many of the same core
product design goals and principles, and it soon became obvious that it was
a natural fit. Simply put, there’s an opportunity at Facebook to have a big
impact in many people’s lives. More importantly, Facebook is full of
extremely talented people who will be able to help realize its full
potential in the years to come.
Acrylic's apps are not included in the deal, although the developer plans to
continue offering them in their current states. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 10 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:17:41 PDT
Drobo has announced pricing for its two Thunderbolt and USB 3.0-capable
storage devices, expected later this month. Units will be available for
preorder at a number of resellers including Amazon and Drobo's own online
store, starting Monday July 23.
The Drobo Mini starts at $649 with the Drobo 5D starting at $849.
Prices include a Thunderbolt cable and 2-year warranty. These are US prices
only, with pricing for the rest of the world being announced on Monday.
The company notes that initial demand for the Thunderbolt units have been
twice what they've seen for similar product introductions. | | | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 11 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:30:14 PDT
As noticed by 9to5Mac, Apple has offered developers a series of best
practices to prevent the In-App Purchase vulnerability, as well as promising
a full fix in iOS 6. The advisement was sent to developers in an email
today.
CNET was issued this statement by Apple:
"We recommend developers follow best practices at developer.apple.com to
help ensure they are not vulnerable to fraudulent In-App purchases," Apple
spokesperson Tom Neumayr told CNET. "This will also be addressed with iOS 6."
Apple issued this note to developers on the iOS Developer webpage, along
with a series of suggestions to help verify that in-app purchases are
legitimate:
A vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 5.1 and earlier related to
validating in-app purchase receipts by connecting to the App Store server
directly from an iOS device. An attacker can alter the DNS table to redirect
these requests to a server controlled by the attacker. Using a certificate
authority controlled by the attacker and installed on the device by the user
, the attacker can issue a SSL certificate that fraudulently identifies the
attacker’s server as an App Store server. When this fraudulent server is
asked to validate an invalid receipt, it responds as if the receipt were
valid.
News of the in-app purchase hack broke a week ago, and Apple has made
several attempts to prevent users using the hack. It allows users to avoid
paying for in-app purchases by using a third-party server as a "man-in-the-
middle" attack. Apple now includes the UDID identifier in in-app purchase
receipts in an attempt to increase the security of purchases. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 12 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:25:25 PDT
Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that he wants other companies to "invent their
own stuff", and that Apple shouldn't be "inventor for the world".
Google General Counsel Kent Walker disagrees, and this month wrote a letter
to the US Senate Judiciary Committee arguing that commercial inventions that
impact "consumer welfare" should be just as important as technical patents.
All Things D's John Paczkowski interprets Walker's argument thusly:
In other words, Google’s view is that just as there are patents that are
standard essential, there are also patents that are commercially essential
— patents that cover features that are so popular as to have become
ubiquitous. The latter are just as ripe for abuse as the former, and
withholding them is just as harmful to consumers and the competitive
marketplace. Viewed through that lens, multitouch technology or slide-to-
unlock might be treated the same way as an industry standard patent on, say,
a smartphone radio.
Apple strongly disagrees. Bruce Sewell, Apple's top lawyer, writes a
rebuttal letter to the committee, saying in part, that simply because a "
proprietary technology becomes quite popular does not transform it into a ‘
standard’ subject to the same legal constraints as true standards."
In other words, simply because an Apple technology is extremely popular with
consumers, doesn't mean Apple has to license that technology to competitors
. Apple owns numerous patents regarding nearly all iOS technologies, a fact
that Steve Jobs touted when he launched the first iPhone in 2007.
From Sewell's letter:
The capabilities of an iPhone are categorically different from a
conventional phone, and result from Apple’s ability to bring its
traditional innovation in computing to the mobile market. Using an iPhone to
take photos, manage a home-finance spreadsheet, play video games, or run
countless other applications has nothing to do with standardized protocols.
Apple spent billions in research and development to create the iPhone, and
third party software developers have spent billions more to develop
applications that run on it.
Though Tim Cook has said that he hates lawsuits -- once calling them "a pain
in the ass" -- he has said he will staunchly defend Apple's inventions from
copycats.
Steve Jobs was quoted in his biography as threatening to "go thermonuclear"
on Google for what he considered the theft of Apple's intellectual property
regarding the Android operating system. He pledged to spend every penny
Apple had in the bank, a war chest that has since grown to more than $
100 billion, fighting a legal battle with the company.
All Things D has the full text of both letters, as well as a much deeper
analysis of the legal aspects of the situation. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 13 Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:05:48 PDT
Just a little over a week since shipping estimates for new Retina MacBook
Pro orders through Apple's online store saw their first improvement from 3-4
weeks to 2-3 weeks, timeframes have again been reduced. As with the
previous improvement, the change has first appeared in Apple's Asia-Pacific
markets, which have seen shipping estimates drop to 1-2 weeks.
Shipping estimates in Apple's other main distribution regions of the
Americas and Europe/Middle East/Africa are holding steady at 2-3 weeks for
the time being, but they will almost certainly see similar drops to the 1-2
week timeframe in the very near future.
Shipping estimates for the Retina MacBook Pro peaked at 3-4 weeks roughly 36
hours after the models were unveiled at last month's Worldwide Developers
Conference, with estimates remaining at that level until last week's drop to
2-3 weeks. Availability at other online and brick-and-mortar retailers is
also improving, in many cases beating Apple's online store estimates for
stock models, but the company's online store is the primary source for
customized orders.
Update: Estimates in Apple's online stores in the Americas have also moved
to 1-2 weeks. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 14 Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:53:44 PDT
With just over a week left in the month of July that is expected to see the
launch OS X Mountain Lion, 9to5Mac reports that Apple has officially
distributed the final version of OS X Mountain Lion to members of its
AppleCare support team. The company has provided employees with Mac App
Store download codes to allow them to install the forthcoming operating
system on their main work machines.
AppleCare representatives have been testing OS X Mountain Lion on special
Macs and via remote computing for the past few weeks, but today’s news
marks that the OS X Mountain Lion Golden Master seed has been supplied to
representatives to be installed on their main work Macs.
The OS was supplied today to all AppleCare employees via a Mac App Store
redeem code. Employees who have installed the build have confirmed that
their seed is build 12A269, the same build provided to developers on July
9th.
Apple has yet to announce an exact launch date for OS X Mountain Lion beyond
"July", but it appears that it could be targeting this Wednesday, July 25,
with an announcement perhaps coming on the company's earnings conference
call the day before. Apple used a similar launch strategy last year for OS
X Lion, announcing as part of the introductory remarks for its earnings
conference call that the operating system would launch the following day. | w********1
发帖数: 3492 | 15 Sun, 22 Jul 2012 21:45:18 PDT
Digitimes seemingly confirms a previous report that the next generation
iPhone has already started production in China.
Pegatron has begun production of a new version of the Apple iPhone at its
factory in Shanghai, eastern China, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
The newspaper cites "industry sources" for the knowledge.
Rendered mockup of the rumored taller iPhone with 4-inch display (left) and
iPhone 4S (right)
Click for larger
Earlier this month, Japanese blog Macotakara first reported that the next
generation iPhone had already gone into production. These reports do
somewhat conflict with a BGR report that the next generation iPhone is still
in an engineering verification test. BGR believes that the new iPhone will
carry 1GB of RAM as well as both LTE and NFC support. Regardless, it seems
there are ongoing signs that the next iPhone is approaching.
The next generation iPhone will likely launch in the September or October --
approximately one year after the launch of the iPhone 4S. |
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