Forbes: Apple tried to buy Dropbox

When we began hearing about Apple’s iCloud, a lot of the TUAW staffers thought the same thing — why doesn’t Apple just buy Dropbox? After all, it works the way that a lot of Apple fans think cloud storage should intuitively work. Well, a story by Forbes staffer Victoria Barret spills the beans on a story we never knew about until now: Apple did try to buy Dropbox in late 2009.

There’s a great story that will be in the November 7 issue of Forbes talking about the startup story of the latest Silicon Valley success, and how in December 2009 Steve Jobs invited Dropbox co-founders Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi to a meeting in Cupertino. Jobs made a pitch to buy the company, which Houston promptly nixed. Jobs then “told them he was going after their market,” while Houston “peppered him with questions.”

We all know the outcome, with iCloud having gone live this last week as a would-be competitor to Dropbox. But Dropbox has done rather well, with 50 million users, one new user signing up each second, and revenues expected to hit $240 million for the year despite the fact that 96% of users don’t pay a thing for the service. The company was recently valued at $4 billion, and raised $250 million in capital to grow Dropbox into an Internet powerhouse.

Houston’s not too worried about the competition from iCloud and Google’s rumored Drive product. The company recently signed an agreement with HTC to add Dropbox as the default cloud storage service for its Android phones, is planning on signing up six more phone firms soon, and is looking at working with PC and TV makers next.

We’ll see what happens over the next few years with Dropbox, and whether or not Houston’s decision to turn down Jobs in 2009 was a smart move or regrettable choice. Check out the video below for a taste of the Forbes article on Dropbox and the Apple connection.

Forbes: Apple tried to buy Dropbox originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reminder: Apple fourth quarter FY11 earnings announcement today

After the market close today (4pm Eastern), Apple will announce quarterly earnings for its 2011 fiscal fourth quarter. Apple’s fiscal year ended on September 25 (roughly aligned with the US federal government’s fiscal year), which means that the all-important upcoming holiday quarter is actually Apple’s Q1 of 2012.

As usual, the earnings guidance ($25 billion in revenue, $5.50 earnings per share) provided by Apple at the start of the quarter is likely to be almost comically conservative; Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Apple 2.0 provides an overview of the results forecasts, and comes up with an estimated “whisper number” built atop the educated guesses of the non-pro analysts with the most consistent track record. The results, by their lights, should be somewhere north of $30B in revenue and $8 EPS. The psychological milestones of a non-holiday quarter with four million Macs and ten million iPads sold are almost certainly going to be passed as well.

At about 5pm ET, the company’s executives will hop on their quarterly analyst call to discuss the results. We’ll be here for live commentary and consideration, so set a reminder below and join us!

Note: TUAW does not provide financial or investment advice.

Reminder: Apple fourth quarter FY11 earnings announcement today originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reminder: Apple fourth quarter FY11 earnings announcement today

After the market close today (4pm Eastern), Apple will announce quarterly earnings for its 2011 fiscal fourth quarter. Apple’s fiscal year ended on September 25 (roughly aligned with the US federal government’s fiscal year), which means that the all-important upcoming holiday quarter is actually Apple’s Q1 of 2012.

As usual, the earnings guidance ($25 billion in revenue, $5.50 earnings per share) provided by Apple at the start of the quarter is likely to be almost comically conservative; Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Apple 2.0 provides an overview of the results forecasts, and comes up with an estimated “whisper number” built atop the educated guesses of the non-pro analysts with the most consistent track record. The results, by their lights, should be somewhere north of $30B in revenue and $8 EPS. The psychological milestones of a non-holiday quarter with four million Macs and ten million iPads sold are almost certainly going to be passed as well.

At about 5pm ET, the company’s executives will hop on their quarterly analyst call to discuss the results. We’ll be here for live commentary and consideration, so set a reminder below and join us!

Note: TUAW does not provide financial or investment advice.

Reminder: Apple fourth quarter FY11 earnings announcement today originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doxie Go cuts the wires, scans to Mac, iPad, and iPhone

Apparent Corporation today announced Doxie Go, a new member of their portable scanner family and the first to allow scanning without a computer.

The US$199 scanner won’t ship until late November, but there are plenty of reasons to get excited about Doxie Go. To start with, the scanner no longer requires a computer. If you’re on the run somewhere and need a quick scan of a document, you can grab it and store it on the Doxie Go. The device has a 600-page memory, and you can use USB flash drives or SD cards for more storage. The scanner can grab a full color page in less than 8 seconds.

Once you’re returned to the vicinity of your Mac or PC, Doxie Go plugs into your computer and synchronizes the scans. Yeah, it’s not “really” wireless, since you’ll still need to connect it to something via USB to retrieve and use the scans.

When you’re ready to sync, Doxie Go launches the Doxie 2.0 software (included) and your documents, receipts, or photos are moved to your computer. In December, Apparent will release a $39 accessory for transferring scanned documents to your iPad or iPhone. If you use an SD card to store your Doxie scans, you can also use the Apple Camera Connection Kit to move those scans to your iOS devices.

The Doxie 2.0 software can create searchable PDFs through the included ABBYY OCR capability, and sync to Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs, and other cloud services. Scanned items can be “stapled” together to combine them for a specific purpose. Check out the press release below for more information.

Show full PR text
Scan anywhere: Doxie Go unveiled

Groundbreaking ‘Post-PC’ paper scanner scans anywhere – no computer required; sync scans direct to Mac, PC, iPhone, & iPad; all new Doxie 2.0 software creates searchable PDFs

RALEIGH, NC, USA (October 18th, 2011) – Apparent today unveiled Doxie Go, the modern new mobile paper scanner that’s tiny, cordless, and simple, so you can scan anywhere – no computer required. Doxie’s app syncs scans – just like a digital camera – then organizes multi-page documents, creates searchable PDFs with ABBYY(R) OCR, and sends to the cloud – Evernote, Dropbox, and more.

Scan anywhere – no computer required.For all your paper
Doxie scans everything from bills and receipts to reports, recipes, ideas, cards, photos, and everything else.Tiny and fast
Doxie’s tiny size means you can scan anywhere, no computer required. Scan full color pages in just 8 seconds.Built-in battery and memory
Scan up to 600 pages with built-in memory, or insert a USB flash drive or SD card for endless storage.Sync to Mac, PC, iPhone, & iPad
Doxie Go syncs scans to your computer – just like a digital camera. Doxie even syncs direct to iPhone & iPad.1

Doxie 2.0 software included.Connect to sync
Doxie Go syncs scans to Doxie 2.0 when you plug it in – just like a digital camera – and charges while you sync.Simplicity is key
Doxie’s intuitively designed companion app makes going paperless amazingly easy. Just sync, staple, and save.Create searchable PDFs
Award-winning ABBYY(R) OCR technology recognizes the text on your scans and creates searchable PDF files.2Evernote & Dropbox ready
Doxie works directly with Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs, and more – send PDFs and images to the cloud.Now Available For Pre-Order
Doxie Go is the newest member of Apparent Corporation’s award-winning Doxie(R) scanner family, and includes the cordless scanner, Doxie 2.0 software, and a carrying case. Now available for pre-order for $199. The first orders ship in late November. Complete product information and images available here.

Doxie Go web site: http://www.getdoxie.com/product/doxie-go
Resources for press and bloggers: http://www.getdoxie.com/press/

About Doxie(R) brand paper scanners
Doxie delivers modern, award-winning scanners for digitizing and organizing paper, photos, and receipts. Doxie scans anywhere – no computer required, sends directly to the cloud, and syncs to Mac, PC, iPhone, & iPad. +1 800-550-5470, www.getdoxie.com.

About Apparent Corporation
Apparent makes smart devices and software that rocks. Apparent’s award-winning products and brands include IntelliScanner home and small business barcode readers that organize everything; Barcode Producer, the industry standard barcode generation suite for graphic designers; and Doxie, the amazing scanner for documents. +1 919-468-0340, [email protected], www.itsapparent.com.

Doxie Go cuts the wires, scans to Mac, iPad, and iPhone originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Root Cases beautifully protect your Apples and also plant trees

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for wood and Apple products. The wonderful iPad cases from BlackBox and other companies have a great feel, adding a natural counterpoint to the metal and glass of our devices. Now a new company based in Boise, Idaho — Root Cases –is making and selling beautiful wooden iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro cases, and I had an opportunity to get my hands on several of the cases for review.

Design

Cases for electronic products are all about design — looking good, yet offering protection for your device at the same time. When you first open up the cardboard box containing your new Root Case, you’ll be pleasantly surprised — it comes in a wooden crate that is a work of art in itself. There’s also a business card, printed on 100% recycled stock, that lets you know that you’ve helped plant a tree in a non-logging location and gives you a 10% discount on your next order.

What’s inside the crate? A bit of excelsior and your case. The case is made out of either bamboo, walnut, wenge, or zebrawood, and is felt-lined on the inside. There are cutouts in the appropriate locations, of course. The iPhone 4 case also works with the iPhone 4S, as you’d expect, and weighs only .7 oz (20 grams) using the bamboo material. It’s a very nice looking case and really accentuates the design of the iPhone 4/4S. The iPhone 4/4S case retails for US$59, about a buck less than the TwelveSouth BookBook vintage case/wallet.

It’s the iPad case that is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, though. The one that appeared here at the TUAW Testing Lab was made out of silky-smooth walnut with a leather-like binding on one side. Unlike the BlackBox cases, which are more of a sleeve design, the Root Case for iPad 2 ($79) is a book-type folio case more like the DODOcase. Just think of a DODOcase made entirely out of beautiful wood and you have the Root Case.

The iPad case has another feature that set it apart from the DODOcase; strong magnets in the corners to keep the cover closed in transit. The magnets are only for that purpose, so don’t expect them to turn your iPad 2 on and off like Apple’s Smart Cover would.

The iPad Root Case is a little bit heavy (15.3 ounces or 433 grams for the walnut version), but it’s well worth the weight for the furniture-like finish and quality of the case. If there’s one complaint that I have about the iPad case, it’s that getting to the various switches and buttons can be a bit difficult as they’re recessed into the case.

Functionality

Both the iPad 2 and iPhone cases are beautiful, but how well do they protect your device? Well, I’m not going to wreck these lovely pieces of art to figure that out, but with both cases I’d say that they offer as much protection as most cases. There’s little or no internal padding in the cases, so a drop could theoretically damage your device as well as the case. If you’re more concerned about keeping your iPad from damage than good looks, then you might want to consider something like the LifeProof or OtterBox Defender Series cases.

Conclusion

Christmas will be here sooner than you’d expect, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend buying a Root Case for your favorite iPhone 4/4S or iPad 2 owner. If the recipient isn’t enchanted by the painstaking attention to detail in manufacturing or the warmth and solid feel of the wood, then you’re going to have a heck of a time finding a good gift for that person.

Root Cases beautifully protect your Apples and also plant trees originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reminder: Apple fourth quarter FY11 earnings announcement today

After the market close today (4pm Eastern), Apple will announce quarterly earnings for its 2011 fiscal fourth quarter. Apple’s fiscal year ended on September 25 (roughly aligned with the US federal government’s fiscal year), which means that the all-important upcoming holiday quarter is actually Apple’s Q1 of 2012.

As usual, the earnings guidance ($25 billion in revenue, $5.50 earnings per share) provided by Apple at the start of the quarter is likely to be almost comically conservative; Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Apple 2.0 provides an overview of the results forecasts, and comes up with an estimated “whisper number” built atop the educated guesses of the non-pro analysts with the most consistent track record. The results, by their lights, should be somewhere north of $30B in revenue and $8 EPS. The psychological milestones of a non-holiday quarter with four million Macs and ten million iPads sold are almost certainly going to be passed as well.

At about 5pm ET, the company’s executives will hop on their quarterly analyst call to discuss the results. We’ll be here for live commentary and consideration, so set a reminder below and join us!

Note: TUAW does not provide financial or investment advice.

Reminder: Apple fourth quarter FY11 earnings announcement today originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Root Cases beautifully protect your Apples and also plant trees

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for wood and Apple products. The wonderful iPad cases from BlackBox and other companies have a great feel, adding a natural counterpoint to the metal and glass of our devices. Now a new company based in Boise, Idaho — Root Cases –is making and selling beautiful wooden iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro cases, and I had an opportunity to get my hands on several of the cases for review.

Design

Cases for electronic products are all about design — looking good, yet offering protection for your device at the same time. When you first open up the cardboard box containing your new Root Case, you’ll be pleasantly surprised — it comes in a wooden crate that is a work of art in itself. There’s also a business card, printed on 100% recycled stock, that lets you know that you’ve helped plant a tree in a non-logging location and gives you a 10% discount on your next order.

What’s inside the crate? A bit of excelsior and your case. The case is made out of either bamboo, walnut, wenge, or zebrawood, and is felt-lined on the inside. There are cutouts in the appropriate locations, of course. The iPhone 4 case also works with the iPhone 4S, as you’d expect, and weighs only .7 oz (20 grams) using the bamboo material. It’s a very nice looking case and really accentuates the design of the iPhone 4/4S. The iPhone 4/4S case retails for US$59, about a buck less than the TwelveSouth BookBook vintage case/wallet.

It’s the iPad case that is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, though. The one that appeared here at the TUAW Testing Lab was made out of silky-smooth walnut with a leather-like binding on one side. Unlike the BlackBox cases, which are more of a sleeve design, the Root Case for iPad 2 ($79) is a book-type folio case more like the DODOcase. Just think of a DODOcase made entirely out of beautiful wood and you have the Root Case.

The iPad case has another feature that set it apart from the DODOcase; strong magnets in the corners to keep the cover closed in transit. The magnets are only for that purpose, so don’t expect them to turn your iPad 2 on and off like Apple’s Smart Cover would.

The iPad Root Case is a little bit heavy (15.3 ounces or 433 grams for the walnut version), but it’s well worth the weight for the furniture-like finish and quality of the case. If there’s one complaint that I have about the iPad case, it’s that getting to the various switches and buttons can be a bit difficult as they’re recessed into the case.

Functionality

Both the iPad 2 and iPhone cases are beautiful, but how well do they protect your device? Well, I’m not going to wreck these lovely pieces of art to figure that out, but with both cases I’d say that they offer as much protection as most cases. There’s little or no internal padding in the cases, so a drop could theoretically damage your device as well as the case. If you’re more concerned about keeping your iPad from damage than good looks, then you might want to consider something like the LifeProof or OtterBox Defender Series cases.

Conclusion

Christmas will be here sooner than you’d expect, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend buying a Root Case for your favorite iPhone 4/4S or iPad 2 owner. If the recipient isn’t enchanted by the painstaking attention to detail in manufacturing or the warmth and solid feel of the wood, then you’re going to have a heck of a time finding a good gift for that person.

Root Cases beautifully protect your Apples and also plant trees originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SplashScreen With WebView in iPhone

In this application we will see how to WebView display after SplashScreen. So let see how it will worked.

Step 1: Open the Xcode, Create a new project using Window Base application. Give the application “SplashWithWeb”.

Step 2: Xcode automatically creates the directory structure and adds essential frameworks to it. You can explore the directory structure to check out the content of the directory.

Step 3: Expand classes and notice Interface Builder created the AppDelegate class for you. Expand Resources and notice the template generated a separate nib, MainWindow.xib for the SplashWithWeb application.

Step 4: We need to add background resources in the resource folder. Give the resource name “1.png”.

Step 5: We need to add UIViewController class in the application. Select NewFile -> UIViewController sub class -> and give the class name “WebViewDisplay”.

Step 6: Open the SplashWithWebAppDelegate.h file and make the following changes:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
@class WebViewDisplay;
@interface SplashWithWebAppDelegate : NSObject <UIApplicationDelegate> {
WebViewDisplay *webViewDisplay;
}
@property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet UIWindow *window;
@property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet WebViewDisplay *webViewDisplay;
@end

Step 7: Select SplashWithWeb project from the Xcode , go to TARGETS -> SplashWithWeb -> Summary -> Launch images . Select the background image.

Step 8: In the SplashWithWebAppDelegate.m file make the following changes:

#import "SplashWithWebAppDelegate.h"
#import "WebViewDisplay.h"
@implementation SplashWithWebAppDelegate
@synthesize window=_window , webViewDisplay;
– (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
// Override point for customization after application launch.
webViewDisplay = [[WebViewDisplay alloc]initWithNibName:@"WebViewDisplay" bundle:[NSBundle mainBundle]];
[_window addSubview:webViewDisplay.view];
[self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
return YES;
}
– (void)applicationWillResignActive:(UIApplication *)application
{
}
– (void)applicationDidEnterBackground:(UIApplication *)application
{
}
– (void)applicationWillEnterForeground:(UIApplication *)application
{
}
– (void)applicationDidBecomeActive:(UIApplication *)application
{
}
– (void)applicationWillTerminate:(UIApplication *)application
{
}
– (void)dealloc
{
[_window release];
[super dealloc];
}
@end

Step 9: Open the WebViewDisplay.h file and make the following changes:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
@interface WebViewDisplay : UIViewController {
IBOutlet UIWebView *webDisplay;
}
@property(nonatomic,retain) UIWebView *webDisplay;
@end

Step 10: Double click the WebViewDisplay.xib file and open it to the Interface Builder. First drag the WebView from the library and place it to the view window. Connect File’s owner icon to the WebView and select webDisplay. Now save the .xib file and go back to the Xcode.

Step 11: WebViewDisplay.m file make the following changes in the file:

#import "WebViewDisplay.h"
@implementation WebViewDisplay
@synthesize webDisplay;
– (id)initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil
{
self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
if (self) {
// Custom initialization
}
return self;
}
– (void)dealloc
{
[super dealloc];
}
– (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning
{
[super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
}
#pragma mark – View lifecycle
– (void)viewDidLoad
{
NSString *urlAddress = @"http://www.google.com";
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:urlAddress];
NSURLRequest *requestObj = [NSURLRequest requestWithURL:url];
[webDisplay loadRequest:requestObj];
[super viewDidLoad];
}
– (void)viewDidUnload
{
[super viewDidUnload];
}
– (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
return (interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait);
}
@end

Step 12: Now compile and run the application on the simulator.

You can Download SourceCode from here

Fantastical 1.1 offers editing, notes, full iCloud support

Fantastical by Flexibits has been updated to version 1.1, which offers a slew of new features. Users can now edit events and notes within Fantastical, and changes are immediately synchronized with iCloud. There’s a lot to like about this new version, including behind-the-scenes bug fixes that make the whole experience more enjoyable. Here’s what’s new in Fantastical 1.1.

At last, you can edit events within Fantastical! This is the feature I’ve been waiting for, and I’m glad to report it works. To edit an existing event, simply double-click its listing in Fantastical. An edit window pops up, ready to accept your changes. You can edit notes in the same way.

The other major change is full iCloud integration and near-immediate synchronization of data. Previously, Fantastical required you to launch iCal (or have it running hidden) for sync with a MobileMe calendar. Now that’s changed, thanks to iCloud and Fantastical’s CalDAV integration. In my testing, events created in Fantastical showed up on my iPad by the time I launched the calendar app.

Several smaller changes further improve the Fantastical experience. For example, new events now automatically set the start date to the selected date on the calendar, with is a nice time saver. Multiple all-day events are grouped by calendar and sorted by event name, and Outlook events are color-coded by category.

Fantastical has been one of my favorites since I first reviewed it in May. It’s out of the way when I don’t need it, and quick when I do. Now that I can use it to edit tasks and notes, I probably won’t look at iCal very much at all. Fantastical 1.1 is available now from the Mac App Store for US$19.99.

Fantastical 1.1 offers editing, notes, full iCloud support originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantastical 1.1 offers editing, notes, full iCloud support

Fantastical by Flexibits has been updated to version 1.1, which offers a slew of new features. Users can now edit events and notes within Fantastical, and changes are immediately synchronized with iCloud. There’s a lot to like about this new version, including behind-the-scenes bug fixes that make the whole experience more enjoyable. Here’s what’s new in Fantastical 1.1.

At last, you can edit events within Fantastical! This is the feature I’ve been waiting for, and I’m glad to report it works. To edit an existing event, simply double-click its listing in Fantastical. An edit window pops up, ready to accept your changes. You can edit notes in the same way.

The other major change is full iCloud integration and near-immediate synchronization of data. Previously, Fantastical required you to launch iCal (or have it running hidden) for sync with a MobileMe calendar. Now that’s changed, thanks to iCloud and Fantastical’s CalDAV integration. In my testing, events created in Fantastical showed up on my iPad by the time I launched the calendar app.

Several smaller changes further improve the Fantastical experience. For example, new events now automatically set the start date to the selected date on the calendar, with is a nice time saver. Multiple all-day events are grouped by calendar and sorted by event name, and Outlook events are color-coded by category.

Fantastical has been one of my favorites since I first reviewed it in May. It’s out of the way when I don’t need it, and quick when I do. Now that I can use it to edit tasks and notes, I probably won’t look at iCal very much at all. Fantastical 1.1 is available now from the Mac App Store for US$19.99.

Fantastical 1.1 offers editing, notes, full iCloud support originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prediction: Apple Makes Over $100 Million a Year Replacing Cracked iPhones

iPhone Glass Shattered

Today TechCrunch posted an article with a video entitled “Watch An iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S II Take Three Nasty Drops Onto Concrete.”

There have been plenty of iPhone drop tests posted online, but what intrigued me about this particular post was the author’s claim that the results were “surprising.” If the results are surprising, I thought, then certainly the iPhone 4S glass would not shatter.

So I watched the video, and guess what: the iPhone 4S completely shattered after several drops, whereas the Samsung Galaxy remained virtually unscathed. This is not surprising.

If you do any research on the iPhone glass, you will find that cracked iPhone glass is extremely common. My two original posts on the subject are among the top 5 most trafficked posts on this website. Combined, these two posts have received over 40,000 unique visitors in the last month alone. That is approximately half a million iPhone users a year who discover my posts on cracked iPhone glass. And there are plenty of users who crack their glass and do not land on my posts.

Here’s the shocking part: If my half-million visitors who crack their iPhone glass each pay Apple’s $200 iPhone replacement fee, that is $100,000,000 (i.e. 100 million dollars!) per year that Apple generates simply replacing iPhones with cracked glass (500-thousand multiplied by 200). Designing crack-prone iPhones is certainly a profitable business! Especially because repairing an iPhone’s cracked glass probably costs Apple far less than 200 dollars.

Now, the question is, if Samsung’s Galaxy phone can endure drops without cracking, why can’t Apple’s iPhone? For a technology company that is so brilliant at product design, I have a hard time believing that Apple cannot design the iPhone to be more crack-proof.

But evidently there is BIG money in designing breakable products. In fact, the issue is so common that I have had lawyers contact me saying they believe the cracked iPhone glass problem is worthy of a class-action lawsuit.

What do you think? Is Apple jipping its customers by purposely designing iPhones that break easily?

Prediction: Apple Makes Over $100 Million a Year Replacing Cracked iPhones is a post from Apple iPhone Review.


Samsung supposedly uses screenshot of Apple Maps app in promo

Samsung goofed when it included a modified screenshot of the iOS maps application (above right) in one of its promotional pieces. The promotion shows a Samsung Android handset with Google Maps that unfortunately is not the Android version. It has a rounded text entry box and teardrop push pins that are found in an older version of iOS maps. This particular shot appears to match a three-year-old Flickr image (above left) that’s used in a post by Laura Scott at BlogHer.

Samsung is fighting Apple tooth and nail over accusations that its Galaxy lines of devices copy the design of the iPad and iPhone. The Korean company is not helping its cause with high-profile blunders like this.

[Via AppleInsider and Jeremy Philippe]

Samsung supposedly uses screenshot of Apple Maps app in promo originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Root Cases beautifully protect your Apples and also plant trees

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for wood and Apple products. The wonderful iPad cases from BlackBox and other companies have a great feel, adding a natural counterpoint to the metal and glass of our devices. Now a new company based in Boise, Idaho — Root Cases –is making and selling beautiful wooden iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro cases, and I had an opportunity to get my hands on several of the cases for review.

Design

Cases for electronic products are all about design — looking good, yet offering protection for your device at the same time. When you first open up the cardboard box containing your new Root Case, you’ll be pleasantly surprised — it comes in a wooden crate that is a work of art in itself. There’s also a business card, printed on 100% recycled stock, that lets you know that you’ve helped plant a tree in a non-logging location and gives you a 10% discount on your next order.

What’s inside the crate? A bit of excelsior and your case. The case is made out of either bamboo, walnut, wenge, or zebrawood, and is felt-lined on the inside. There are cutouts in the appropriate locations, of course. The iPhone 4 case also works with the iPhone 4S, as you’d expect, and weighs only .7 oz (20 grams) using the bamboo material. It’s a very nice looking case and really accentuates the design of the iPhone 4/4S. The iPhone 4/4S case retails for US$59, about a buck less than the TwelveSouth BookBook vintage case/wallet.

It’s the iPad case that is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, though. The one that appeared here at the TUAW Testing Lab was made out of silky-smooth walnut with a leather-like binding on one side. Unlike the BlackBox cases, which are more of a sleeve design, the Root Case for iPad 2 ($79) is a book-type folio case more like the DODOcase. Just think of a DODOcase made entirely out of beautiful wood and you have the Root Case.

The iPad case has another feature that set it apart from the DODOcase; strong magnets in the corners to keep the cover closed in transit. The magnets are only for that purpose, so don’t expect them to turn your iPad 2 on and off like Apple’s Smart Cover would.

The iPad Root Case is a little bit heavy (15.3 ounces or 433 grams for the walnut version), but it’s well worth the weight for the furniture-like finish and quality of the case. If there’s one complaint that I have about the iPad case, it’s that getting to the various switches and buttons can be a bit difficult as they’re recessed into the case.

Functionality

Both the iPad 2 and iPhone cases are beautiful, but how well do they protect your device? Well, I’m not going to wreck these lovely pieces of art to figure that out, but with both cases I’d say that they offer as much protection as most cases. There’s little or no internal padding in the cases, so a drop could theoretically damage your device as well as the case. If you’re more concerned about keeping your iPad from damage than good looks, then you might want to consider something like the LifeProof or OtterBox Defender Series cases.

Conclusion

Christmas will be here sooner than you’d expect, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend buying a Root Case for your favorite iPhone 4/4S or iPad 2 owner. If the recipient isn’t enchanted by the painstaking attention to detail in manufacturing or the warmth and solid feel of the wood, then you’re going to have a heck of a time finding a good gift for that person.

Root Cases beautifully protect your Apples and also plant trees originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung supposedly uses screenshot of Apple Maps app in promo

Samsung goofed when it included a modified screenshot of the iOS maps application (above right) in one of its promotional pieces. The promotion shows a Samsung Android handset with Google Maps that unfortunately is not the Android version. It has a rounded text entry box and teardrop push pins that are found in an older version of iOS maps. This particular shot appears to match a three-year-old Flickr image (above left) that’s used in a post by Laura Scott at BlogHer.

Samsung is fighting Apple tooth and nail over accusations that its Galaxy lines of devices copy the design of the iPad and iPhone. The Korean company is not helping its cause with high-profile blunders like this.

[Via AppleInsider and Jeremy Philippe]

Samsung supposedly uses screenshot of Apple Maps app in promo originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FDA drafts Mobile Medical Applications document

There are all manner of medically-based uses for iOS devices (the iPad in particular) if you are a medical professional, so it was just a question of time before patients themselves got in on the act (brace yourself, we get all bureaucratic up ahead). According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the FDA has drafted a document titled Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff – Mobile Medical Applications which is a first pass at attempting some standardization and looking at regulating the data and communication requirements of apps like this (for example, having a glucose monitor that can sync readings to your iOS device).

Particularly for a condition like diabetes, which requires tracking and (sometimes frequent) monitoring, it’s very handy to have all that data available quickly and easily. Having an official stance, even in draft, is a big step forward. From the JDRF:

Once the information is on a smartphone, diabetes management will become more discrete while at the same time opening up a world of opportunity. You could view glucose levels, determine insulin requirements and make dosing decisions, track your treatment, and share all of this information seamlessly with the people that help with and matter most to your care. You could send alerts and alarms automatically to parents or caregivers, and receive helpful advice when needed.

If this is something you’re in favor of, or better yet, could actually use, now’s your chance to add your voice to the encouragement. Here’s the catch: You only have until October 19th to have your say. You’ll find feedback on the JDRF post that you can use as an example to work from. If you or someone you know could benefit from this, take a moment and fill out the comment form. Who knows? Your comment may be the one that puts it over the edge and turns this draft into reality.

FDA drafts Mobile Medical Applications document originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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