Jean-Louis Gassée:
For Apple, Maps is a strategic move. The Cupertino company doesn’t want to depend on a competitor for something as important as maps. The road (pardon the pun) will be long and tortuous, and it’s unfortunate that Apple has made the chase that much harder by failing to modulate its self-praise. but think of the number of times the company has been told You Have No Right To Do This…think smartphones, stores, processors, refusing to depend on Adobe’s Flash…
Jeff Benjamin:
I can confirm that the Verizon iPhone 5 is indeed GSM unlocked. Even though I bought an iPhone 5 from Verizon under contract, I was able to cut down my AT&T Micro SIM, and use it in my Verizon iPhone 5 to pick up an AT&T signal. By doing so, I was able to hop onto AT&T’s HPSA+ network, or “4G” as they so ridiculously name it.
The black iPhone's aluminum back is coated black, and shows scratches. Mac Rumors:
Ditching the glass back and reducing the thickness of the glass panel on the front has affected the design of the metal band around the edge of the iPhone. It is now chamfered and while that looks pretty, we've already noticed that on the black model the edge has started to wear, revealing the shiny silver aluminium metal underneath the "slate" coloured coating and, indeed, we've witnessed it on two separate models, ruling out a fluke manufacturing error.
The Verge:
Apple issued a statement today regarding the much maligned maps in iOS 6. It says that it launched the service knowing that it is a ‘major initiative’ and that it is just getting started with it. “The more people use it, the better it will get, said Apple spokesperson Trudy Miller.
Scott Beale, Laughing Squid:
At a live press conference held today, Bre Pettis of MakerBot Industries announced the MakerBot Replicator 2 (and 2X), their new sleek 3D desktop printer which features “a resolution capability of 100 microns and a massive 410 cubic inch build volume” (was 270 microns in original Replicator) (full specs).
I met Bre Pettis at XOXO last week and saw the (old) MakerBot in action. So cool, and even as you watch it working, you say "this isn't possible." This is awesome news for Bre and crew.
The Verge:
Even TikTok watch band designer Scott Wilson was ready for Apple to upend his business with an actual watch. "I was hoping they would keep it the same or tweak it a little so we could stay in the business," he told The Verge. "But if they didn't I was hoping they would at least make an Apple watch because I want to wear that." He's genuinely disappointed. "The nano in that form factor gave me a reason to have three iOS devices on my body, and now I don't."
Engadget:
Wurm says the new codec "will make a quiet but crystal clear entry into the world" without naming exactly when. And yes, Opus is expected to become standard across all Skype platforms
Let's hope!
The Verge, covering Mark Zuckerberg's recent appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt:
"We're betting completely on it," he said, referring to native apps. "Native is going to be the approach that we go with for iOS and Android." Much of the same infrastructure that Facebook built for iOS will be re-applied to Android, but as for an ETA for the app, Zuckerberg said "it will be ready when it's ready."
A native iOS app might create a better experience? What a revelation.
For all you diehard YouTube fans out there who can’t get enough YouTube on your mobile, we’ve got some great news: starting today, you can download the official YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch from the App Store, bringing you more of the videos you love and more ways to share them with the people you care about.The new app is built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone and iPod touch users the best mobile experience.
As expected.
PHP 5.4.0 has a built in web server. Welcome to 2005.
As I predicted on last week's Hypercritical, this just in from Eric Slivka at Mac Rumors:
Late last month, NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim reported that suppliers had begun production on 2560x1600 display panels destined for a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. The machine has been rumored to be launching in October.
WSJ:
In a bid to battle the "showrooming" phenomenon that is hurting big-box retailers, Toys "R" Us Inc. said Monday it will start selling its own proprietary tablet designed for children.
This is an interesting idea, but I wonder if it'll make any difference.
NBC:
A small Florida publishing company says the million-record database of Apple gadget identifiers released last week by the hacker group Anonymous was stolen from its servers two weeks ago. The admission, delivered by the company’s CEO exclusively to NBC News, contradicts Anonymous' claim that the hacker group stole the data from an FBI agent's laptop in March.
Great news for the folks at Warby Parker, makers of the only glasses I wear, and also a past 5by5 sponsor. More details from Dan Primack at Fortune:
Trendy eyeglass maker Warby Parker has raised $36.8 million in new venture capital funding, according to a regulatory filing that indicates the total round could top out at $40 million.
Saving this guy for later. Bloomberg:
“It’s not a nice, simple, easy story that Apple is going to come in and turn the world upside-down and we’re all going to live happily ever after,” said Craig Moffett, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., who has been studying the cable industry for two decades. Moffett added that any notion that Apple could soon unveil its TV system “ignores the business realities that make this such a complicated industry.”