Cloud security is dependent on the law
However, lately there has been some interesting claims of the superiority of public clouds over privately managed forms of IT, including private cloud environments. The latest is a statement from Gartner analyst Andrew Walls, pointing out that enterprises simply assume self-managed computing environments are more secure than shared public services:"When you go to the private cloud they start thinking, 'this is just my standard old data centre, I just have the standard operational issues, there's been no real change in what we do', and this is a big problem because what this tells us is the data centre managers are not looking at the actual impact on the security program that the virtualisation induces.""They see public cloud as being a little bit more risky therefore they won't go with it. Now the reality is, from my own experience in talking to security organisations and data centre managers around the world is that in many of these cases, you're far safer in the public cloud than you are on your own equipment."So, Walls seems to be saying that many (most?) IT organizations don't understand how virtualization changes "security," much less cloud, and therefore those organizations would be better off putting their infrastructure in the hands of a public cloud provider. That, to me, is a generalization so broad it's likely useless. There are way too many variables in the equation to make a blanket statement for the applications at any one company, much less for an entire industry.In fact, regardless of the technical and organizational realities, there is one element that is completely out of the control of both the customer and cloud provider that makes public cloud an increased risk: the law. Ignoring this means you are not completely evaluating the "security" of potential deployment environments.Some laws affect data management and controlThere are two main forms of "risk" associated with the law and the cloud. The first is explicit legal language that dictates how or where data should be stored, and penalties if those conditions aren't met. The EU's data privacy laws are one such example. The U.K.'s Data Protection Act of 1998 is another. U.S. export control laws are an especially interesting example, in my opinion.The "risk" here is that the cloud provider may not be able to guarantee that where your data resides, or how it is transported across the network, won't be in violation of one of these laws. In IaaS, the end user typically has most of the responsibility in this respect, but PaaS and SaaS options hide much more of the detail about how data is handled and where it resides. Ultimately, it's up to you to make sure your data usage remains within the bounds of the law; to the extent you don't control of key factors in public clouds, that adds risk.The cloud lacks a case lawThe second kind of risk that the cloud faces with the law, however, is much more nefarious. There are many "grey areas" in existing case law, across the globe, with respect to how cloud systems should be treated, and what rights a cloud user has with respect to data and intellectual property.I spoke of the unresolved issues around the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment protections against illegal search and seizure, but there are other outstanding legal questions that threaten the cloud's ability to protect users at the same level that their own data center facilities would. One example that is just coming to a head is the case of EMI versus MP3tunes.com.Three years ago, EMI sued the company and it's founder and CEO, Michael Robertson, for willful infringement of copyright over the Internet. EMI claims that MP3tunes.com and its sister site, Sideload.com (a digital media search engine), are intentionally designed to enable users to violate music copyrights.Robertson defends the sites as simply providing a storage service to end users, and therefore protected under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. These provisions protect online services from prosecution under the DMCA as long as they remove infringing content when notified of it's presence.At stake here is whether any online storage service (aka "cloud storage provider") is protected by the DMCA's safe harbor provisions, or if the very ability of users to find, upload and store infringing content is grounds for legal action. Even if MP3tunes is indeed found to be promoting infringement, what are the legal tests for identifying other such services? Will a new feature available at your favorite storage cloud suddenly put your provider--or worse, your data--at risk?Yet another has to do with ownership of the physical resources, and what protections you have against losing your systems should those systems be seized for any reason. Imagine that your cloud provider was found to have been involved in violating federal law, and the FBI decided to seize all of their servers and disks for the investigation.In this hypothetical situation, could you get your data back? What rights would you have? According to the 2009 case of a Texas colocation provider, in which 200 systems were seized--the vast majority of which belonged to the provider's clients, not the provider under investigation--very few.There is no single "better option" for cloudI don't want to overstate the risks here. We've worked with colocation, outsourcing and even cloud offerings for a number of years now, and there have been very few "disastrous" run-ins with the law. Providers are aware of the problem, and provide architectures or features to help stay within the law. In the long term, these issues will work themselves out and public cloud environments will grow in popularity even before they are resolved.However, making a blanket statement that public clouds are by de facto "more secure" than private clouds is just hype that ignores key realities of our fragile, nascent cloud marketplace. Until the market matures, the question of "better security" must take into account all factors that lead to risk in any given deployment scenario. With that context in mind, public and private clouds each have their weaknesses and strengths--which may vary from company to company or even application to application.That said, Walls made one key point that I agree with emphatically. Just because a private cloud is behind your firewall, doesn't mean you don't have additional work to do to ensure the security of a private cloud environment. Having a data center does not automatically make you "more secure" than a public cloud provider any more than a cloud vendor is automatically more secure than anything an enterprise could do themselves.
Reports- Apple, Fox planning movie rental service
Reports: Apple, Fox planning movie rental service
The reports also says that as part of the deal, Fox is also going to use Apple's FairPlay digital rights management technology on its DVD releases, which would allow DVD buyers to rip their movies onto their computers using iTunes and also move those store-bought movies to iPods and iPhones.Rumors of Apple getting into the movie rental business have been swirling all year, as it has become clear that the per-song pricing strategy that worked so well for Apple in the music business hasn't worked as well in video. The movie studios want the same thing the record labels want--variable pricing, and more control over it--and people want the option of either buying or renting. There are lots of films I'd pay $4 or so to rent, but not $15 or $20 to buy.Part of the problem, of course, is that only Walt Disney, which counts Jobs as a member of its board of directors, sells its first-run movies on iTunes. Adding Fox's movies would provide a significant boost to iTunes, not to mention a lineup of iPods that has been almost completely redesigned around making it easier to watch video.This move would also have interesting implications for Apple TV. A rental service from a new movie studio would give Apple TV owners another easy-to-access source of entertainment to watch on their big-screen televisions. Right now, they're restricted to buying movies and TV shows on iTunes, or watching skateboarding bulldogs on YouTube, and that gets old.But it might not just be movie studios that feel the implications of this deal, should it come to pass.In February, Jobs wrote an open letter on DRM and music that contained this sentence: "Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses from the big four music companies." Apple's concern was that if FairPlay were licensed to outsiders, the encryption technology could quickly become public, and the company would be unable to keep up with those bent on cracking the code and ensuring unlimited usage rights for their songs.However, if the reports are right, Apple has come to grips with the idea of licensing FairPlay in spite of those concerns. So is FairPlay now up for grabs? Licensing FairPlay to companies like Microsoft or SanDisk would allow the Zune or Sansa to play songs and videos purchased from the iTunes Store; right now, you can play iTunes Store purchases only on iPods. In any event, it sounds like Macworld will once again involve more than just Macs. Apple's stock is at an all-time high, and it went up further Thursday on reports of the movie rental deal.
The reports also says that as part of the deal, Fox is also going to use Apple's FairPlay digital rights management technology on its DVD releases, which would allow DVD buyers to rip their movies onto their computers using iTunes and also move those store-bought movies to iPods and iPhones.Rumors of Apple getting into the movie rental business have been swirling all year, as it has become clear that the per-song pricing strategy that worked so well for Apple in the music business hasn't worked as well in video. The movie studios want the same thing the record labels want--variable pricing, and more control over it--and people want the option of either buying or renting. There are lots of films I'd pay $4 or so to rent, but not $15 or $20 to buy.Part of the problem, of course, is that only Walt Disney, which counts Jobs as a member of its board of directors, sells its first-run movies on iTunes. Adding Fox's movies would provide a significant boost to iTunes, not to mention a lineup of iPods that has been almost completely redesigned around making it easier to watch video.This move would also have interesting implications for Apple TV. A rental service from a new movie studio would give Apple TV owners another easy-to-access source of entertainment to watch on their big-screen televisions. Right now, they're restricted to buying movies and TV shows on iTunes, or watching skateboarding bulldogs on YouTube, and that gets old.But it might not just be movie studios that feel the implications of this deal, should it come to pass.In February, Jobs wrote an open letter on DRM and music that contained this sentence: "Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses from the big four music companies." Apple's concern was that if FairPlay were licensed to outsiders, the encryption technology could quickly become public, and the company would be unable to keep up with those bent on cracking the code and ensuring unlimited usage rights for their songs.However, if the reports are right, Apple has come to grips with the idea of licensing FairPlay in spite of those concerns. So is FairPlay now up for grabs? Licensing FairPlay to companies like Microsoft or SanDisk would allow the Zune or Sansa to play songs and videos purchased from the iTunes Store; right now, you can play iTunes Store purchases only on iPods. In any event, it sounds like Macworld will once again involve more than just Macs. Apple's stock is at an all-time high, and it went up further Thursday on reports of the movie rental deal.
The 404 722- Where Wilson goes AWOL (podcast)
The 404 722: Where Wilson goes AWOL (podcast)
It started with small trinkets, then moved on to blinking LEDs, and now Chinese kids are attaching condoms to their cell phones. The movement is a countrywide effort for young people to show their support for contraceptives, although a condom danging from your phone must look pretty funny to everyone else.Also, the phone charms are generic with no markings to indicate manufacturer, type, or even an expiration date. While he's there, hopefully Wilson can also promote our own adjunct method of birth control: The 404 Podcast!Google is finally ready to unveil its big Chrome OS project with an event tomorrow, December 7, in San Francisco. The search engine giant provided no other details in the invite, but we're thinking the Chrome Web Store may finally materialize tomorrow, giving users an easy way to search and download Web applications.Additionally, Google plans to incentivize developers to use the store by offering a 5 percent "processing fee," as opposed to the 30 percent cut that store operators typically receive from applications sales.Last night Facebook received yet another face-lift for profile pages as previewed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with Lesley Stahl on yesterday's episode of 60 Minutes.Big changes include more prominent photos at the top of the page and a new "Featured Friends tool that highlights your most important friends. Popular features like your "Wall" and "Personal Information" get moved to a new column under the main profile photo, and infinite scrolling means you can browse profile photos faster than ever. Users can take the new layout for a spin by going to http://www.facebook.com/about/profile/ and clicking the green "Take the tour" button.If you'd like to leave a video voice mail for the show, record a YouTube video and send the link to the404(at)cnet(dot)com! You can also leave an audio-only voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638), or just shoot us a note at the404(at)cnet.com. Have a safe flight to the motherland, Wilson!Episode 722PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
It started with small trinkets, then moved on to blinking LEDs, and now Chinese kids are attaching condoms to their cell phones. The movement is a countrywide effort for young people to show their support for contraceptives, although a condom danging from your phone must look pretty funny to everyone else.Also, the phone charms are generic with no markings to indicate manufacturer, type, or even an expiration date. While he's there, hopefully Wilson can also promote our own adjunct method of birth control: The 404 Podcast!Google is finally ready to unveil its big Chrome OS project with an event tomorrow, December 7, in San Francisco. The search engine giant provided no other details in the invite, but we're thinking the Chrome Web Store may finally materialize tomorrow, giving users an easy way to search and download Web applications.Additionally, Google plans to incentivize developers to use the store by offering a 5 percent "processing fee," as opposed to the 30 percent cut that store operators typically receive from applications sales.Last night Facebook received yet another face-lift for profile pages as previewed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with Lesley Stahl on yesterday's episode of 60 Minutes.Big changes include more prominent photos at the top of the page and a new "Featured Friends tool that highlights your most important friends. Popular features like your "Wall" and "Personal Information" get moved to a new column under the main profile photo, and infinite scrolling means you can browse profile photos faster than ever. Users can take the new layout for a spin by going to http://www.facebook.com/about/profile/ and clicking the green "Take the tour" button.If you'd like to leave a video voice mail for the show, record a YouTube video and send the link to the404(at)cnet(dot)com! You can also leave an audio-only voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638), or just shoot us a note at the404(at)cnet.com. Have a safe flight to the motherland, Wilson!Episode 722PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
OverDrive app for iOS- Free e-book downloads
OverDrive app for iOS: Free e-book downloads
Back in November I told you about Bluefire Reader, an iOS app with support for the ePub e-book format used by many public libraries.In other words, you can use it to check out books free of charge--but you had to do a lot of desktop hoop-jumping to make it happen.Enter OverDrive Media Console, an app that cuts out the middleman (i.e., your PC). With OverDrive, you can download library e-books (and audiobooks!) directly to your iOS device. I just grabbed "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," and I have "The Help" on hold.That's the good news. The bad news is that getting the app set up is a major pain, and as e-book readers go, it's mediocre at best. Plus, the selection isn't what I'd call extensive, at least from my library.To download books, you must first "Add a Website" (meaning choose your library). This bumps you out of OMC and into Safari, where you'll search for your library. Once you've found it, you can browse for books, choosing one to download or hold.You'll need to supply your library card number, and possibly a PIN as well (which may require a visit to your actual library or its own Web site).With that done and a book queued for downloading, OMC asks you for your Adobe ID (assuming you have one--if not, it's off to Adobe.com you go). Sign in, then go back to Safari and tap Download again. Bleh.Thankfully, most of these steps are one-time hassles. Once OMC is all set up, it's a pretty simple matter to browse and download books.But don't expect a lot of bells and whistles when it comes to actual reading. The app lets you adjust brightness, add bookmarks, and change font size, but that's about it. My real problem is with the layout: text is formatted into an unnecessarily narrow column, with no way to expand or even to hide the onscreen controls. It's not a universal app, so iPad users will have to suffice with a zoomed view. And it doesn't even support landscape orientation.Consequently, although OverDrive Media Console makes e-book acquisition much easier than Bluefire Reader, you may want to stick with the latter for the moment.
Back in November I told you about Bluefire Reader, an iOS app with support for the ePub e-book format used by many public libraries.In other words, you can use it to check out books free of charge--but you had to do a lot of desktop hoop-jumping to make it happen.Enter OverDrive Media Console, an app that cuts out the middleman (i.e., your PC). With OverDrive, you can download library e-books (and audiobooks!) directly to your iOS device. I just grabbed "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," and I have "The Help" on hold.That's the good news. The bad news is that getting the app set up is a major pain, and as e-book readers go, it's mediocre at best. Plus, the selection isn't what I'd call extensive, at least from my library.To download books, you must first "Add a Website" (meaning choose your library). This bumps you out of OMC and into Safari, where you'll search for your library. Once you've found it, you can browse for books, choosing one to download or hold.You'll need to supply your library card number, and possibly a PIN as well (which may require a visit to your actual library or its own Web site).With that done and a book queued for downloading, OMC asks you for your Adobe ID (assuming you have one--if not, it's off to Adobe.com you go). Sign in, then go back to Safari and tap Download again. Bleh.Thankfully, most of these steps are one-time hassles. Once OMC is all set up, it's a pretty simple matter to browse and download books.But don't expect a lot of bells and whistles when it comes to actual reading. The app lets you adjust brightness, add bookmarks, and change font size, but that's about it. My real problem is with the layout: text is formatted into an unnecessarily narrow column, with no way to expand or even to hide the onscreen controls. It's not a universal app, so iPad users will have to suffice with a zoomed view. And it doesn't even support landscape orientation.Consequently, although OverDrive Media Console makes e-book acquisition much easier than Bluefire Reader, you may want to stick with the latter for the moment.
Five ways to make digital music sing
Five ways to make digital music sing
*Download quality file formats. Now that you can get music players with 160GB of storage, file size isn't really a huge issue anymore. MP3 files are generally regarded as the lowest-quality music file since the audio uses a lossy compression process to make the files smaller, meaning some of the data is left out, like higher frequencies.Luckily there are alternatives: Apple lossless for iPods compresses the files, but losslessly (which means it sounds exactly like uncompressed, but is actually compressed, Guttenberg says); AAC, which is a lossy compression encoding process, but is generally accepted as better than MP3; or OGG (no, no relation to me), which is another lossy compressed file format, but is open source and is known for its higher fidelity. And then there are WAV files, which are completely uncompressed and sound exactly how they're "supposed to," according to Guttenberg. *Buy used CDs. Though CDs probably aren't Neil Young-approved, it's a vastly better quality experience than MP3s. Plus, it's kind of a deal, Guttenberg says. "It's cheaper than buying iTunes (songs) and certainly sounds a million times better."*Think outside the iPod. Though there's nothing wrong with Apple's portable music player, it's not the only device out there. Besides other brands of players, you could get super pro and go with a set of turntables. And you don't have to spend a ton. There are USB-equipped turntables that go for around $100--cheaper than most iPods.*Listen to it live. If the other options still aren't getting it done, you can always go see your favorite act in person. But Rule No. 1 still applies: Actually listen. A lot of people "talk because they're used to music being in the background, they don't just shut up and listen to it."
*Download quality file formats. Now that you can get music players with 160GB of storage, file size isn't really a huge issue anymore. MP3 files are generally regarded as the lowest-quality music file since the audio uses a lossy compression process to make the files smaller, meaning some of the data is left out, like higher frequencies.Luckily there are alternatives: Apple lossless for iPods compresses the files, but losslessly (which means it sounds exactly like uncompressed, but is actually compressed, Guttenberg says); AAC, which is a lossy compression encoding process, but is generally accepted as better than MP3; or OGG (no, no relation to me), which is another lossy compressed file format, but is open source and is known for its higher fidelity. And then there are WAV files, which are completely uncompressed and sound exactly how they're "supposed to," according to Guttenberg. *Buy used CDs. Though CDs probably aren't Neil Young-approved, it's a vastly better quality experience than MP3s. Plus, it's kind of a deal, Guttenberg says. "It's cheaper than buying iTunes (songs) and certainly sounds a million times better."*Think outside the iPod. Though there's nothing wrong with Apple's portable music player, it's not the only device out there. Besides other brands of players, you could get super pro and go with a set of turntables. And you don't have to spend a ton. There are USB-equipped turntables that go for around $100--cheaper than most iPods.*Listen to it live. If the other options still aren't getting it done, you can always go see your favorite act in person. But Rule No. 1 still applies: Actually listen. A lot of people "talk because they're used to music being in the background, they don't just shut up and listen to it."
Five last-minute gifts you can print!
Five last-minute gifts you can print!
Uh, oh! Just a few more shopping days until the ho-ho-holiday. Are you scrambling for a last-minute gift for your trusty mail carrier, the kids' schoolteacher, a co-worker, or someone else on your list?Good news: All you need is a printer. These five stores let you print your own gift certificates for fast, easy, and downright special in-person giving:Amazon.com On any Amazon page, click the Gift Cards link, then choose Print a gift card. The minimum amount is $5, but you're not limited to increments: Your certificate can be in the amount of, say, $12.09 if you want.Gifts.com The recipient of a Gifts.com certificate can redeem it at one or more of a hundred-plus stores and restaurants, such as Barnes & Noble, Pottery Barn, and Starbucks.iTunes Obviously you can grab an iTunes gift card in just about any store on the planet, but did you know you can print your own? Just fire up iTunes, click Buy iTunes Gifts, and then choose Printable Gift Certificates. Amounts range from $10-50.Netflix Netflix gift subscriptions start at $8.99 per month, and you can choose just about any duration you want: one month, three months, a year, etc. And that gift includes not just DVDs by mail, but also unlimited streaming to a PC or "Netflix-ready" device like an Xbox.Restaurant.com Once again, Restaurant.com is offering $25 gift certificates for just $2 (with coupon code SANTA). Not familiar with the site? Get the details from one of my earlier posts. Even better, send a free $10 gift certificate to anyone and everyone on your list!By the way, most of these gift certificates can also be e-mailed--perfect for last-minute gifts that can't be delivered in person. You know, for faraway relatives or, I dunno, beloved bloggers. (Usually all I get in my in-box is a lump of e-coal, sniff, sniff.)
Uh, oh! Just a few more shopping days until the ho-ho-holiday. Are you scrambling for a last-minute gift for your trusty mail carrier, the kids' schoolteacher, a co-worker, or someone else on your list?Good news: All you need is a printer. These five stores let you print your own gift certificates for fast, easy, and downright special in-person giving:Amazon.com On any Amazon page, click the Gift Cards link, then choose Print a gift card. The minimum amount is $5, but you're not limited to increments: Your certificate can be in the amount of, say, $12.09 if you want.Gifts.com The recipient of a Gifts.com certificate can redeem it at one or more of a hundred-plus stores and restaurants, such as Barnes & Noble, Pottery Barn, and Starbucks.iTunes Obviously you can grab an iTunes gift card in just about any store on the planet, but did you know you can print your own? Just fire up iTunes, click Buy iTunes Gifts, and then choose Printable Gift Certificates. Amounts range from $10-50.Netflix Netflix gift subscriptions start at $8.99 per month, and you can choose just about any duration you want: one month, three months, a year, etc. And that gift includes not just DVDs by mail, but also unlimited streaming to a PC or "Netflix-ready" device like an Xbox.Restaurant.com Once again, Restaurant.com is offering $25 gift certificates for just $2 (with coupon code SANTA). Not familiar with the site? Get the details from one of my earlier posts. Even better, send a free $10 gift certificate to anyone and everyone on your list!By the way, most of these gift certificates can also be e-mailed--perfect for last-minute gifts that can't be delivered in person. You know, for faraway relatives or, I dunno, beloved bloggers. (Usually all I get in my in-box is a lump of e-coal, sniff, sniff.)
Sushi photo could come from the iPhone 5
Sushi photo could come from the iPhone 5
The above photo of a plate of sushi could be one of the first public photos taken with Apple's next iPhone.The photo, picked up this morning by Pocketnow, was snapped by Apple software engineer Anton D'Auria and is entitled "lunch at work." Posted to Flickr(but now labeled private), the photo sharing site notes that it's been taken on an iPhone 4, but as Pocketnow points out, the photo's EXIF data details a camera with different specs than what's available on Apple's current model. That includes a higher resolution picture at 3,264-by-2,448 pixels (versus the iPhone 4's 2,592-by-1,936 pixels), and a slightly narrower 4.3mm lens (compared to the iPhone 4's 3.85mm lens).Apple has a track record of improving the camera with each generation of the device. That's expected to continue with the next model of the device, which could be hitting store shelves next month. The rumored provider of that new hardware is OmniVision, who is said to be offering an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor, a step up from the existing 5-megapixel sensor on the iPhone 4.If legitimate, this wouldn't be the first media to be posted ahead of a gadget's release. Last year, following the introduction of the iPhone 4--but before it hit store shelves--Czech site Jablckr.cz got its hands on an iPhone 4 and posted photo and video samples. In that instance, Apple had already announced the hardware and offered photo stills on its promotional site (here), but those posted to Jablckr.cz offered the first unprofessional look at what consumers would be getting later that month.Update at 9:55 a.m. PT: The photo's now been set to private. Here's a screenshot of the photo page before it was hidden from public view. TechCrunch also notes that the GPS coordinates match up with Apple's Cupertino headquarters.
The above photo of a plate of sushi could be one of the first public photos taken with Apple's next iPhone.The photo, picked up this morning by Pocketnow, was snapped by Apple software engineer Anton D'Auria and is entitled "lunch at work." Posted to Flickr(but now labeled private), the photo sharing site notes that it's been taken on an iPhone 4, but as Pocketnow points out, the photo's EXIF data details a camera with different specs than what's available on Apple's current model. That includes a higher resolution picture at 3,264-by-2,448 pixels (versus the iPhone 4's 2,592-by-1,936 pixels), and a slightly narrower 4.3mm lens (compared to the iPhone 4's 3.85mm lens).Apple has a track record of improving the camera with each generation of the device. That's expected to continue with the next model of the device, which could be hitting store shelves next month. The rumored provider of that new hardware is OmniVision, who is said to be offering an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor, a step up from the existing 5-megapixel sensor on the iPhone 4.If legitimate, this wouldn't be the first media to be posted ahead of a gadget's release. Last year, following the introduction of the iPhone 4--but before it hit store shelves--Czech site Jablckr.cz got its hands on an iPhone 4 and posted photo and video samples. In that instance, Apple had already announced the hardware and offered photo stills on its promotional site (here), but those posted to Jablckr.cz offered the first unprofessional look at what consumers would be getting later that month.Update at 9:55 a.m. PT: The photo's now been set to private. Here's a screenshot of the photo page before it was hidden from public view. TechCrunch also notes that the GPS coordinates match up with Apple's Cupertino headquarters.
Survey pegs Apple gear in half of U.S. homes
Survey pegs Apple gear in half of U.S. homes
A new survey put out by CNBC says that half of homes in the U.S. own at least one Apple product, and that number is expected to grow through next year.The outlet's "All-America Economic Survey" polled 836 Americans by phone from March 19 to 22 about their spending habits, political leanings, and investment practices. From those surveyed, CNBC estimates the average U.S. household to have 1.6 devices made by Apple. One in 10 of those that don't have any Apple gear plan to get one inside the next 12 months, CNBC said. As far as demographics go, the survey found that those who have a higher annual income tended to own more Apple devices. That breaks down to 28 percent of those making under $30,000 a year owning "at least one" Apple device, as opposed to 77 percent of those in the $75,000 income bracket listing themselves as owners. Geographically, the survey found more owners on the West Coast versus other parts of the country. It also found that 61 percent of surveyed households with children have Apple devices, versus 48 percent of households without children. Related storiesStudy: Siri is just all right with most iPhone usersSurvey: Apple phone support still on top, but slippingSurvey finds half of line-waiting iPad buyers are first-time ownersNot included in the survey is a breakdown of which products were the most common among owners, though it's likely to be an iOS device such as the iPhone, iPad, or iPod. While Apple recently broke the 5 million barrier on Macs sold in a single quarter, it sold 13 times the number of portable devices during the same period, and has sold more than 315 million iOS devices to date.The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percent.
A new survey put out by CNBC says that half of homes in the U.S. own at least one Apple product, and that number is expected to grow through next year.The outlet's "All-America Economic Survey" polled 836 Americans by phone from March 19 to 22 about their spending habits, political leanings, and investment practices. From those surveyed, CNBC estimates the average U.S. household to have 1.6 devices made by Apple. One in 10 of those that don't have any Apple gear plan to get one inside the next 12 months, CNBC said. As far as demographics go, the survey found that those who have a higher annual income tended to own more Apple devices. That breaks down to 28 percent of those making under $30,000 a year owning "at least one" Apple device, as opposed to 77 percent of those in the $75,000 income bracket listing themselves as owners. Geographically, the survey found more owners on the West Coast versus other parts of the country. It also found that 61 percent of surveyed households with children have Apple devices, versus 48 percent of households without children. Related storiesStudy: Siri is just all right with most iPhone usersSurvey: Apple phone support still on top, but slippingSurvey finds half of line-waiting iPad buyers are first-time ownersNot included in the survey is a breakdown of which products were the most common among owners, though it's likely to be an iOS device such as the iPhone, iPad, or iPod. While Apple recently broke the 5 million barrier on Macs sold in a single quarter, it sold 13 times the number of portable devices during the same period, and has sold more than 315 million iOS devices to date.The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percent.
Survey- Most iPad owners have Macs, iPhones
Survey: Most iPad owners have Macs, iPhones
iPad owners are huge Apple fans who already own Macs, an iPhone, and at least one iPod, according to a weekend survey from Piper Jaffray.Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster, who coordinated a survey of448 iPad buyers on Saturday, said 74 percent of iPad owners surveyed currently own a Mac, while just 26 percent own a PC. Apple has also done a good job attracting iPhone owners, Munster found. About 66 percent of those surveyed said that they currently own an iPhone. A whopping 99 percent of those iPhone owners say they will use their handset in conjunction with the iPad.Not surprisingly, 92 percent of iPad owners currently own an iPod. And out of that group, 97 percent said they will use both products going forward.The survey also shed light on the preferences of iPad buyers: 39 percent were buying a 16GB iPad model, 32 percent a 32GB model, and 28 percent a 64GB model.It also found that 74 percent plan to surf the Web on the iPad, 38 percent plan to read books, 34 percent expect to check e-mail, and 26 percent plan to watch video.Another interesting fact: a whopping 78 percent of respondents said that they didn't even consider buying an iPad alternative prior to picking up Apple's tablet on Saturday.By the way, Munster may know a lot of iPad buyers but he may need to re-evaluate his powers of prediction. Over the weekend, he upped his estimate of first-day iPad sales from 200,000-300,000 to 600,00-700,000. But on Monday, Apple released its first-day sales figures: 300,000.(Via Fortune)
iPad owners are huge Apple fans who already own Macs, an iPhone, and at least one iPod, according to a weekend survey from Piper Jaffray.Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster, who coordinated a survey of448 iPad buyers on Saturday, said 74 percent of iPad owners surveyed currently own a Mac, while just 26 percent own a PC. Apple has also done a good job attracting iPhone owners, Munster found. About 66 percent of those surveyed said that they currently own an iPhone. A whopping 99 percent of those iPhone owners say they will use their handset in conjunction with the iPad.Not surprisingly, 92 percent of iPad owners currently own an iPod. And out of that group, 97 percent said they will use both products going forward.The survey also shed light on the preferences of iPad buyers: 39 percent were buying a 16GB iPad model, 32 percent a 32GB model, and 28 percent a 64GB model.It also found that 74 percent plan to surf the Web on the iPad, 38 percent plan to read books, 34 percent expect to check e-mail, and 26 percent plan to watch video.Another interesting fact: a whopping 78 percent of respondents said that they didn't even consider buying an iPad alternative prior to picking up Apple's tablet on Saturday.By the way, Munster may know a lot of iPad buyers but he may need to re-evaluate his powers of prediction. Over the weekend, he upped his estimate of first-day iPad sales from 200,000-300,000 to 600,00-700,000. But on Monday, Apple released its first-day sales figures: 300,000.(Via Fortune)
Survey- Customers will love Apple, even sans Jobs
Survey: Customers will love Apple, even sans Jobs
Apple CEO Steve Jobs is larger than life in tech circles, which is a good thing for Apple, but will customers still trust the company without him at the helm? A recent survey says yes.RBC Capital Markets and ChangeWave asked 3,091 people if they would change their buying decisions if Jobs left the company. An overwhelming majority, 84 percent, of those surveyed said they would continue to buy Apple products, according to AppleInsider.Only 7 percent of respondents said Jobs' departure would make them less likely to buy an Apple product in the future; 8 percent said they didn't know.Of course, the basis for the survey is purely fictional. As far as we know, Jobs has no intention of stepping down from Apple anytime soon, but he is on medical leave.In a statement released in January, Jobs said he asked Apple COO Tim Cook to take over day-to-day operations of the company, so he could focus on his health.Even though he is not involved in everyday decisions, Jobs made it clear that he is still involved in the company."I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company," said Jobs.Jobs was also off on medical leave in 2009, when he underwent a liver transplant.Jobs' health has been the topic of conversation since his first medical leave, even making it into the shareholders meeting yesterday. A proposal was voted on to force Apple to reveal its succession plan for when Jobs does leave the company.The proposal was voted down by shareholders.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs is larger than life in tech circles, which is a good thing for Apple, but will customers still trust the company without him at the helm? A recent survey says yes.RBC Capital Markets and ChangeWave asked 3,091 people if they would change their buying decisions if Jobs left the company. An overwhelming majority, 84 percent, of those surveyed said they would continue to buy Apple products, according to AppleInsider.Only 7 percent of respondents said Jobs' departure would make them less likely to buy an Apple product in the future; 8 percent said they didn't know.Of course, the basis for the survey is purely fictional. As far as we know, Jobs has no intention of stepping down from Apple anytime soon, but he is on medical leave.In a statement released in January, Jobs said he asked Apple COO Tim Cook to take over day-to-day operations of the company, so he could focus on his health.Even though he is not involved in everyday decisions, Jobs made it clear that he is still involved in the company."I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company," said Jobs.Jobs was also off on medical leave in 2009, when he underwent a liver transplant.Jobs' health has been the topic of conversation since his first medical leave, even making it into the shareholders meeting yesterday. A proposal was voted on to force Apple to reveal its succession plan for when Jobs does leave the company.The proposal was voted down by shareholders.
Supreme Court denies Psystar's appeal in Mac clone case
Supreme Court denies Psystar's appeal in Mac clone case
The U.S. Supreme Court today denied Psystar's request to review a lower court decision that keeps it from selling computers that run Apple's OS X but that are not made by Apple.The decision not to hear the case (PDF) upholds a ruling made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last September that Psystar's Mac clones violate Apple's copyrights. Apple took Psystar to court in 2008 on claims of copyright-infringement after the company made a business out of purchasing copies of OS X and selling them on hardware it put together under the "OpenMac" moniker. Psystar fired back with its own complaint, saying Apple was not following fair use guidelines with its software, and was misusing its copyright.A U.S. District Court sided with Apple in 2009, saying that Psystar "violated Apple's exclusive reproduction right, distribution right, and right to create derivative works," a decision that led to a permanent injunction against the clone maker in December 2009.Following a rejection of Psystar's appeal to that decision in September, the company's lawyers vowed to take it up to the Supreme Court. "This is far from over," K.A.D. Camara of Houston law firm Camara & Sibley, LLP told Computerworld in an interview. The company kept to its word, and filed for a review from the Supreme Court on December 27, 2011. Related storiesApple wins key battle against Psystar over Mac clonesJudge rules for Apple in Psystar caseApple wins permanent injunction against Psystar"We are sad," Camara told CNET by e-mail this evening. "I'm sure that the Supreme Court will take a case on this important issue eventually."An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.Updated at 12:07 p.m. PT on 5/15 with Apple's response.
The U.S. Supreme Court today denied Psystar's request to review a lower court decision that keeps it from selling computers that run Apple's OS X but that are not made by Apple.The decision not to hear the case (PDF) upholds a ruling made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last September that Psystar's Mac clones violate Apple's copyrights. Apple took Psystar to court in 2008 on claims of copyright-infringement after the company made a business out of purchasing copies of OS X and selling them on hardware it put together under the "OpenMac" moniker. Psystar fired back with its own complaint, saying Apple was not following fair use guidelines with its software, and was misusing its copyright.A U.S. District Court sided with Apple in 2009, saying that Psystar "violated Apple's exclusive reproduction right, distribution right, and right to create derivative works," a decision that led to a permanent injunction against the clone maker in December 2009.Following a rejection of Psystar's appeal to that decision in September, the company's lawyers vowed to take it up to the Supreme Court. "This is far from over," K.A.D. Camara of Houston law firm Camara & Sibley, LLP told Computerworld in an interview. The company kept to its word, and filed for a review from the Supreme Court on December 27, 2011. Related storiesApple wins key battle against Psystar over Mac clonesJudge rules for Apple in Psystar caseApple wins permanent injunction against Psystar"We are sad," Camara told CNET by e-mail this evening. "I'm sure that the Supreme Court will take a case on this important issue eventually."An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.Updated at 12:07 p.m. PT on 5/15 with Apple's response.
The Last Sci-fi Blog: 'The World's End' Is What the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' Movie Should Have Been
One of the great disappointments of my moviegoing life was the 2005 adaptation of Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker;s Guide to the Galaxy. As a lifelong fan of Adams; work, the film did just enough right for me to delude myself into liking it for a few years, but with each repeat viewing on DVD, any love I had for the film diminished. In retrospect, it;s a noble failure, a film that had its heart in the right place but didn;t have the nerve to fully roll with the source material;s darkly satirical (and occasionally cruel) sense of humor. It;s the kind of film that makes you wonder if Adams; work would ever properly translate to film. And somehow, Edgar Wright;s The World;s End is what answers yes. That;s not to say Wright;s wonderful new science fiction comedy is in any way a direct tribute to Adams and his novels, but it most definitely scratches the same itch. What elevates The World;s End above a typical comedy -- and what puts it on the same high ground as the Hitchhiker;s Guide to the Galaxy series -- is that its humor manages to be hilarious and silly while being rooted in some truly compelling science fiction. Like with much of Adams; work, The World;s End deals with something fantastical and horrible invading and threatening the lives of typical Englishmen (and later, the world). The comedy is not derived from obvious gags and jokes, but from the characters; reactions to finding themselves in an impossible situation. Wright and star/cowriter Simon Pegg;s incredibly smart script isn;t in a hurry and spends much of the film;s first half introducing the five main characters, putting them in the middle of what appears to be a fairly typical (if very funny) drinking comedy about old friends reuniting. It;s this relaxed first 45 minutes that gives the later half all of its weight: it;s only once we understand these guys, their dynamic and their problems that the film reveals that their hometown has been taken over by nefarious robots who are working to remake the planet in their own image to ready it for a peaceful conquest. Although different on the surface, this transition from mundane to fantastic recalls the opening pages of The Hitchhiker;s Guide to the Galaxy, where protagonist Arthur Dent faces some deeply personal problems (a bulldozer plans to demolish his home and no one told him) only for something truly extraordinary to appear out of nowhere eclipse whatever was troubling him before. In this case, it;s an alien construction armada that plans to demolish the planet to make way for a new expressway. It;s a clever jab at bureaucracy (like with Arthur;s home, no one bothered to warn Earth of its impending doom), broad but effective satire that doesn;t need to be too subtle or pointed because it;s so funny. Wright also wields sci-fi and satire like the world;s funniest sledgehammer, with the alien invasion of The World;s End being the worst possible version of capitalist conformity. Like the first two pubs the our heroes visit in the film, our invaders would like it very much if we were all predictable, comfortingly similar and incapable of offering surprises. When it comes to the subject of the human race,The World;s End and the works of Douglas Adams don;t have too many nice things to say about us. Adams paints us as being woefully boring, a dull race who live on a mostly harmless planet whose obsession with stupid things like digital watches and religion make us a sad bunch who won;t be missed when we;re gone. The World;s End somehow manages to be even more cynical, suggesting that humanity is too stupid, too loud, too flawed and too drunk to be fit for alien conquest and to have a place in a galactic empire. You can;t fix humanity because we;re all too broken and proud. Adams destroys Earth because humanity is to dull and slow to do anything about it and Wright destroys Earth because we;re all too belligerent to welcome our new alien overlords. It;s dark stuff, but Adams; prose and Wright/Pegg;s dialogue don;t let you in on all of this at first, choosing to let their droll silliness mask their frequent contempt for the human race. You may not realize that these are fairly bleak science fiction tales until you strip away the comedy -- it;s like a colorful bandage on top of an aching wound. Seeing how well Wright and his cast balance such cynical science fiction with such goofy comedy makes the failure of the Hitchhiker;s Guide to the Galaxy movie all the more painful. It puts the events and the characters on film generally as written, but it never catches their voice, pulling the knife out when it should be twisting it. It plays the notes, but it completely bungles the music. The World;s End is one of the best films of 2013 so far (and probably the best science fiction released in theaters this year) and while it has no connection to Adams, it captures his spirit better than any other film before. It;s going to make people wonder what blessed alternate universe got the Douglas Adams film series directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg. Pegg would play Ford Prefect, of course. Martin Freeman remains the ideal Arthur Dent. At least they got that part right.v
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