Amazon's Future Is Not in Selling Stuff — And That's a Good Thing - During Amazon's wonkish earnings call this week, Chief Financial Officer Tom Szkutak revealed a number that offered a surprising glimpse into the company's ambitious future -- a future where Amazon doesn't sell stuff. At least not directly.
(Via Wired Top Stories.)
128GB iPad should mean the end of the 64GB MacBook Air - By increasing the storage capacity of the iPad, the distance between the iPad and the MacBook Air shrinks. It's high time that the entry-level 11-inch Air started at 128GB. [Read more]
(Via CNET News.com.)
Staples Appears Set to Begin Selling Apple Products in U.S. - Last week, MacRumors received word that office supply retailer Staples would soon begin offering Apple products for sale. While the company has offered Apple products in international markets for some time, it had long been unsuccessful in striking a deal for the U.S. market.
We were unable to confirm the claim at the time, but 9to5Mac now reports that Apple products have begun appearing on the Staples website in the United States as part of an Apple Mock Up section. The section includes a number of products, including the Apple TV (listed at a remarkably low price of $49.99) and iPad Smart Covers, all marked with "Test" in the item description.
Amazon profit falls by almost half, but sales rise 22 percent - Shares of the online retailer jump after hours as it rings up improvements in profit margin. CEO Jeff Bezos says that e-books are now a multi-billion-dollar category for Amazon.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Dropbox launches quick file previews for photos, documents - The storage company says it's making a move away from files to content. The challenge it faces will be retaining its signature simplicity as it revamps the service for a mobile world.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Why Apple is the stumbling block in Amazon’s ebook transition -
Nobody can predict the future, but Amazon thinks that when it comes to ebooks the writing is on the wall.
“We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting,” CEO Jeff Bezos said in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report, released Tuesday. “After five years, ebooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast – up approximately 70 percent last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just five percent.”
That’s impressive growth, but as the ebook transition moves forward, Amazon should worry that Kindle is not going to be the device leading the revolution. Apple and iPad will cut into its growth.
Amazon has mastered the art of the press release that doesn’t say much. Several data points are missing from Bezos’s statement — here are some questions I have ...
(Via TheAppleBlog.)
Apple: Apple TV spotted at FCC to offer same great experience, updated components -
An Apple TV model spotted recently at the FCC won't bring our living rooms into the 21st century as hoped. According to a statement by Apple that was provided to The Verge, the unit spotted in FCC regulatory documents is only a refresh of the current version. It will include updated components and the same functionality as the third-generation Apple TV.
We sometimes make component changes which require an updated model number for regulatory approval. The component changes we made don't affect product features and Apple TV customers will continue to have the same great user experience.
Logitech Plans Sale of Harmony, Security Divisions Following Dismal Quarter -
Logitech is a brand well known to many Mac and iOS users for their frequently awesome accessories, but all isn't quite wine and roses following the company's quarterly results, with big changes coming in 2013.
Logitech announced its financial results for the third quarter of FY 2013, and they're not particularly good. Sales were down 14 percent to $615 million from the same quarter a year ago, resulting in a $180 million operating loss.
Needless to say, Logitech President and CEO Bracken P. Darrell is less than pleased, calling the results "unacceptable" and vowing to take "decisive action as an outcome of my strategic review."
While products such as Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover were among the few bright spots in Q3 -- and more tablet-centric products are incoming -- the CEO has some specific cuts in mind in order to reach his goal of "a faster and more profitable" Logitech.
"As a result, we have initiated the process to divest our remote controls and digital video security categories, and we plan to discontinue other non-strategic products, such as speaker docks and console gaming peripherals, by the end of Calendar Year 2013," the CEO announced in a press release.
The news will likely come as a shock to both home theatre and iOS fans, because it directly targets the company's popular Harmony universal remotes as well as speaker docks featuring built-in dock connectors.
Harmony remotes and the company's security products should survive with a new owner down the road, but it will be interesting to watch the changes unfold at Logitech throughout the next 11 months.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
(Via Mac|Life all.)
Belkin arranging to purchase Linksys brand from Cisco - Computer accessory manufacturer Belkin has revealed that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Cisco's home networking business unit, including the Linksys brand and all associated products. Belkin intends to maintain the Linksys brand, and will continue to support all of Cisco's products in the sector, including warranty support and replacement ...
Apple's 'Get Stuff Done' promotion discounts OS X productivity apps - Apple on Thursday kicked off a three-week promotional campaign offering discounts on a number of productivity apps in the OS X App Store, with each week featuring a new section and a different batch of titles from which to choose.
(Via AppleInsider.)
Limited number of Pebble watches ship -
Today is the day that Pebble begins to ship its Kickstarter-backed smart watches. The company announced in an update that it will ship out less than 500 units from its fulfillment centers. Customers who backed early should expect to see an address confirmation email in their inbox and a tracking number shortly thereafter.
Pebble also announced that its iOS app is still pending approval, while its Android app will debut on January 24 in the Google Play store. iOS customers who receive their Pebble early will be limited to notifications and music control until the iOS app is approved.
Customers who are not in this first round won't have to wait too long as Pebble is producing watches at a rate of roughly 800 to 1,000 units per day, with a five- to seven-day wait for the watches to go from production to shipping. Pebble also confirmed that it is producing the black models now and hopes to get color production online soon.
Instructables Goes Mobile With New iOS App - DIY website Instructables released its first mobile app today, an iPhone tool that lets users view and create projects from anywhere.
(Via Wired Top Stories.)
Apple sees 2B iMessages sent every day from half a billion iOS devices - In its earnings conference call on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that users send over 2 billion iMessages per day on an iOS ecosystem that has grown to over 500 million devices.
(Via AppleInsider.)
Tumbling Back to Earth - As designed, the Tycho Deep Space Capsule II will be unstable during re-entry. How does a spacecraft designer begin re-designing a non-tumbling capsule? By tossing tiny models into a wind tunnel and watching what happens. Wired Science blogger Kristian von Bengtson explains.
(Via Wired Top Stories.)
The 25 Best Free iPhone Apps -
With such a wide array of options available, loading up your iPhone with the best and most essential free apps can be a process of trial and error, whether you're new to the App Store ecosystem or a longtime user. We're here to help. While some of these picks might seem obvious to a hardened iOS fan, others are lesser-known and smarter tweaks on incredibly useful concepts. Best of all, everything on this list is totally free to download and check out, so there's no harm in trying a new app and discovering whether it's for you.
Here's our list of the 25 best free iPhone apps, all of which are ready and willing to improve your everyday routine without requiring a penny in return. We'll be updating this list as new and exciting apps debut and wedge their way into our iPhone-loving hearts in the future. (And if you're more interested in games, then be sure to check out our lists of the 25 best iPhone games, and the 25 best free iPhone games.)
(Via Mac|Life all.)
Space station to test $17 million inflatable room - NASA will use Bigelow's Expandable Activity Module to determine the potential benefits of inflatables for exploration and commercial space work.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Netflix scores deals with Turner, Warner Bros. - The agreements include the rights to stream past episodes from the Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Warner Bros. Animation.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Computer prodigy Aaron Swartz remembered - The suicide of an Internet activist sparks a movement on Twitter, the iPhone may be losing its cool with teenagers, and Audiobooks.com ends its unlimited plan.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Spacewalks That Never Were: The Gemini Extravehicular Planning Group (1965) - In March 1965, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first human to walk in space. The Soviet Union, eager for propaganda victories, portrayed his spacewalk as a rousing success. NASA took the Soviets at their word, unaware that Leonov had nearly died during his spacewalk. The U.S. space agency abandoned its plans for a gradual build-up in spacewalk complexity and planned elaborate Gemini spacewalks. When it tried to test an Air Force rocket pack in orbit, however, everything went wrong, so NASA scrapped its plan for complex Gemini spacewalks. Beyond Apollo blogger David S. F. Portree describes the Gemini spacewalks that never were.
(Via Wired Top Stories.)
25 Apps to Give Your iPhone An Upgrade -
You know that Men’s Health book series and website, Eat This, Not That, right? That’s the one that explains why French toast is better than Belgian waffles, from a nutritional standpoint, or that an A&W chili dog is a healthier choice than the deluxe cheeseburger. It’s fun to play around with, even if the chances we’ll actually remember their advice when we step up to the counter are small.
We thought that same concept would be great for apps, too. Just like you've gotta eat, iPhone and iPad users gotta use apps, but some people don’t venture too far past the packed-in options or maybe whatever’s at the top of the App Store charts. But maybe you’re settling for a plain old cake donut when you could have a mouth-watering strawberry and Nutella crepe — and a much better experience. We set out to replace your everyday apps, the workhorses you rely on. Sample from this buffet, and you won’t save any calories, but you will have an even better time using your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
(Via Mac|Life all.)
What does the International Space Station sound like? - Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is beaming sounds from the ISS, including an original tune on guitar and the tones of a toilet starting.
(Via CNET News.com.)
iHome promises Lightning docks, more at CES 2013 -
iHome, one of many companies that puts together third-party products for Apple devices, has just revealed its CES lineup, and the most exciting thing about them is that they are, finally, Lightning-equipped. Yes, the company has quite a few docks and boomboxes available for sale, from $100 to $200 or so, and while the specifics aren't all that exciting (they all play music, of course, and have various options available for FM or Bluetooth connections), the biggest deal here is the Lightning connection.
Get free Google Voice home-phone service with $40 adapter - The Obihai OBi100 is hugely popular with folks who want to use Google Voice in place of a landline.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Amazon Kindle Fire gains Web usage market share on iPad loss - Apple's tablet overwhelmingly dominates the market, but loses more than 7 percent to Amazon, according to new research.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Kanex mySpot USB-powered Wi-Fi hotspot -
Kanex is an accessory manufacturer that makes a wide variety of devices, from Thunderbolt cables to iPad charging stations. The mySpot (US$59.95) is a USB-powered Wi-Fi hotspot that initially confused me somewhat, because it seemed to be an expensive way to do something that could easily be done with any Mac with a built-in Ethernet port or one of Apple's $29 USB Ethernet Adapters.
What's that "something" I'm referring to? Sharing an Ethernet connection with other devices over Wi-Fi, something common to families on vacation who want to share a hotel Ethernet connection, or in classrooms or conference rooms where there's no current Wi-Fi.. Any Mac with an Ethernet port or Apple's USB dongle can share that connection by becoming a Wi-Fi hotspot -- it's part of OS X. Anymore, many people just use hotel or coffee shop Wi-Fi, or even share a 3G/4G connection with friends and family using the iOS Personal Hotspot capability.
2013 could be the best year for comet spotting in generations - A comet set to pass by the Earth could be the brightest in memory, and it's not the only one coming for a visit next year.
(Via CNET News.com.)
How Best Buy can learn from B&H Photo - New York's top photography store provides a clinic on how to sell tech gear.
(Via CNET News.com.)
