February 25, 2012 at 2:11 pm 
Amanda Wang 
Apple may be planning to replace the dock connector that’s been synonymous with iPhones, iPods and iPads for almost a decade with something new.
That’s the latest rumor from a smartphone enthusiast site, which says Apple is on the verge of ditching the familiar 30-pin jack for a smaller “micro dock.”
The site, iMore, claims Apple is looking to ditch the connector in its upcoming iPhone 5. The reason: to make room for more stuff on the inside. (more…)
February 25, 2012 at 8:10 am Amanda Wang 
Steve Jobs packed a lot of living into his 56 years. If his career had ended 30 years ago, he still would have made history for helping popularize the personal computer. But he did so much more than that.
As we all know, Jobs defied F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous quote, “There are no second acts in American lives.” Jobs’s final years at Apple were as notable as his early ones. Even his 11-year hiatus from the company should provide inspiration for businesspeople who think their careers are over. (more…)
February 3, 2012 at 9:08 pm Amanda Wang 
Leo Widrich is the co-founder of Buffer, a new way to publish tweets and Facebook posts at better times for more impact. He writes more about social media tips and tools on the Buffer blog. Follow him on Twitter @LeoWid or subscribe to his Facebook updates.
When Twitter recently launched the newest version of its iPhone app, the company focused on streamlining and simplifying the user interface.
Ryan Sarver, head of Twitter API, said, “In a world where Facebook and Google are competing on features, Twitter wants to focus on being simple.”
However, even as the official Twitter app keeps it straightforward, developers are providing more in-depth Twitter capabilities on other apps. I took a look at various Twitter iPhone applications on the market today. Learn how you can expand your Twitter capabilities using these apps.
Posted in Apple, Facebook, Mixed 
Tags: Apple, apps, fb, iPad, iPhone, Iphone apps, More Than Just Tweet, Twitter Apps 
February 1, 2012 at 11:35 pm Amanda Wang 
Apple‘s market cap rose to a record high of $400 billion on Jan. 19, 2012. With its earnings report due later today, Apple may be delivering even more financial surprises, perhaps a new sales record.
Did you know the corporation is already worth more than Greece? This is quite the achievement for the 35-year-old company, which only had a $10 billion market cap 10 years ago. (more…)
January 29, 2012 at 6:47 pm Amanda Wang 
Techcrunch Editor’s note: Guest author Keith Teare is General Partner at his incubator Archimedes Labs and CEO of newly funded just.me. He was a co-founder of TechCrunch.
Like millions of other people, I got an email from Google this morning. It was entitled “Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service”. The first sentence describes the intent of the changes as shortening 60 policies into one, and improving their readability.
Then there is a longer explanation captured in the graphic above. (more…)
January 26, 2012 at 3:49 pm Amanda Wang 
Not only was iBooks 2 meant to open the door for textbook sales, but the Mac companion app, iBooks Author could also make the textbooks. Better yet, both apps are free.
How could writers not like the pitch? Create your own e-books in a sleek, easy-to-use app (similar to the iWork suite), and put them into iBooks. You can add galleries, widgets, and other media to enhance your e-book. (more…)
January 26, 2012 at 2:42 pm Amanda Wang 
Editor’s note: Guest author Keith Teare is General Partner at his incubator Archimedes Labs and CEO of newly funded just.me. He was a co-founder of TechCrunch.
Google has been fighting the threat of Facebook for some time. It is now fighting for its life on two fronts! Facebook and now Apple loom large as it attempts to chart the future.
The past two weeks have seen some astounding changes in the software landscape. The current earnings season gives some clues and confirms some of the mega-trends that are leading to the need for change for Google in particular. As I wrote some months ago in Smart Mobile and the Thin Cloud.
The next 10 years are going to be wonderfully interesting. And the thanks goes to . . . Apple and Steve Jobs. Think different is no longer a choice.
January 26, 2012 at 1:07 am Amanda Wang 
We know. We know. Everyone still hasn’t stopped talking about how many iPhone 4Ses Apple sold last quarter, and here we are reporting on new rumors about the next one. But this most recent iPhone 5 rumor has piqued our interest more than usual.
9to5 Mac reports that a Foxconn worker told them that the next-generation iPhone, tentatively called the iPhone 5, is gearing up for production. According to the report, there are several different samples, each of which varies slightly from the others, so it’s impossible to determine which will be final. (more…)
January 19, 2012 at 11:49 pm Amanda Wang 
While Apple’s free new iBooks Author publishing app generates what appears to be a modified EPUB format, Apple’s licensing terms for the app restrict commercial distribution of the ebooks it creates solely to the iBookstore. Noncommercial, free distribution of ebooks and PDFs is not restricted in any way.
This has generated a minor controversy, with critics claiming that Apple’s business model would be akin to Microsoft restricting what users can do with their Word documents. However, there has long been licensing restrictions that artificially limit how software can be used.
Microsoft, for example, licenses its Windows Server and Exchange software on a per-user and/or per machine basis, while a variety of end user content creation apps, including Adobe’s, offer a free version limited to producing non-commercial work or low cost versions aimed solely for use in education. (more…)
Posted in Apple, Gadgets Tags: Adobe, App Store, Apple, Apple Computer, Apple Computer Inc., Apple Inc, Apple TV, google, iBook, iBook Store, iMac, intel, iPad, iPhone, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod touch, itunes, iTunes Store, Mac OS X, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, Magic Mouse, Magic Pad, microsoft, nokia, Nvidia, Research in Motion, RIM, samsung January 10, 2012 at 12:18 pm Amanda Wang 
Sony’s really looking to give their Walkman line of mp3 players a shot in the arm with their newest addition to the lineup. Dubbed the Walkman Z1000, it’s Sony’s first Android-powered music player and it’s gunning to give Apple and Samsung a run for their money.
The Z1000 originally debuted in Japan this past September, but Sony’s execs have apparently deigned it nifty enough to transplant to the U.S. market. With its 4.3-inch display, it’s a fair bit larger than an iPod Touch or the original Samsung Galaxy Player but it makes up for the added size with some extra functionality.
On top of the usual features like the ability to download apps from the Android Market, the Z1000 series features DLNA support so users can sling media onto their compatible TVs. (more…)
