Larry Page turns 37 on Friday. The billionaire co-founder of Google has a lot to celebrate. In 12 years he and his business partner Sergey Brin have created one of the most powerful companies on the planet, seen off rivals big and small, and emerged as the kings of the internet.

Life in the digital world, however, moves quickly. Last week Page and Brin’s crown passed — for who knows how long — to a 26-year-old rival who has every intention of keeping it.

Hitwise, the internet industry tracker, announced that Facebook had dethroned Google as the world’s most popular website. For the week ending March 13, the social networking site set up by wunderkind Mark Zuckerberg got more traffic than Google in America. It was a milestone likely to be revisited as Facebook and Google limber up for what looks set to be this decade’s defining technology battle.

“Google must feel very threatened by Facebook,” said one leading Silicon Valley entrepreneur last week. “It’s the first viable competitor to emerge since they became dominant. They have come at it from different angles, but the bigger Facebook gets, the more they compete.”

Like all the great tech fights — from Microsoft v Google to Apple v Microsoft — this is at heart a philosophical conflict. Microsoft made its fortune by dominating the PC landscape, but for a long time it sold its products like Henry Ford sold his Model Ts.

It didn’t “get” the internet and chose to dismiss Google as an arrogant upstart. When the world moved online Microsoft was left playing catch-up.

Similarly, Google now faces the challenge of another idea whose time has come.

Google’s algorithms have ordered the chaos of the internet with mathematical exactitude and become the default method for finding things online. Zuckerberg thinks this is all very last decade.

Facebook now has more than 400m active users — making it, some say, the third most populous country in the world behind India and China — and is at the forefront of a new way of finding information. In Britain, it has 23m users, close to one in three of the population.

They share everything from wedding snaps and jokes to film reviews, restaurant and holiday recommendations. “Discovery” is the buzzword in social media — that feeling of finding something that’s been recommended by people you trust. Now Facebook has the critical mass to make discovery a viable alternative to conventional search engines.

“All this data that people are sharing potentially allows social networks to gather this information and use it in interesting ways,” said Augie Ray, analyst at Forrester Research. “When you are looking for a movie recommendation, what you want to know is what people like you think. A bunch of kids who rate Twilight with five stars is no use to me. What about middle-aged men who have shown an interest in art films? What are they watching?”

Another big threat to Google is the fact that much of this information will not appear in a Google search. Google wants everything to be open and searchable, the more information it can mine the more useful it becomes.

Facebook is a walled garden — you sign in to your account and can choose the what, how and who of what you share.

Inside Facebook the attitude to Google seems spookily similar to Google’s attitude to Microsoft. The company would not comment for this story.

“We don’t typically opine on the findings of third-party research firms,” said a spokesman. But privately, the gloves are off.

“Google is not representative of the future of technology in any way,” one Facebook veteran said to Wired magazine, the industry bible, last year. “Facebook is an advanced communications network enabling myriad communication forms. It almost doesn’t make sense to compare them.”

Now it’s Google’s turn to feel the heat from a younger and brasher company. Zuckerberg believes that a billion people will one day be on Facebook. If he hits that number, Brin and Page could face their worst nightmare: Google could be the new Microsoft.

ONLY a fool, though, would write off Google. A closer look at the numbers shows that Facebook has a long way to go before it can be said to be ahead of Google in any real sense.

Hitwise’s figures show that for the week ending March 6, more Americans typed “Facebook.com” into their web browser than “Google.com”. But the numbers ignore Google-owned Gmail and YouTube and the full picture is far more complex — and more favourable to Google. YouTube alone was the fifth most visited website during the period recorded, according to Hitwise, and a lot of its videos end up embedded on Facebook pages.

This is no reason for Google to rest easy, however, and perhaps the statistic they should most fear is Facebook’s astonishing growth. Visits to the site have risen 185% over the past year. During the same period, Google’s traffic rose only 9%.

Nielsen, the analyst, has a different take on the rise of Facebook to Hitwise. By its measurements, Facebook is the third most visited site on the planet with 2.5 billion hits in February compared with Yahoo’s 2.7 billion and Google’s 3 billion.

There is, however, another figure that Google is watching very carefully — the amount of time spent on Facebook. Last month people spent 46.1 billion minutes on the site, according to Nielsen. The firm’s closest rival was Yahoo with 18.6 billion minutes. Google came in third with 11 billion. The analyst calculates that Facebook now accounts for one in every six minutes spent online in the UK and the US.

All this matters because the number of hits and amount of time users spend on a website are what determines the amount of money advertisers are willing to spend on it. Traffic usually equates to revenues.

In some ways Google is less threatened by Facebook’s time eating than some of its rivals. The less time people spend on Google search the better for the firm. It’s about speed. People want to plug in their query, get the results and move on. Google has won its huge following by being the best at that. But if search migrates away from Google, and Facebook starts eating up time spent on YouTube, Gmail or Google Maps, the search giant has a problem.

Alex Burmaster, of Nielsen, said social media was changing the way people use the web to find information, products and services. Stories on news sites such as Times Online are now as likely to be found via a Twitter link or a Facebook post as a Google search, though he added that finding things online is still primarily done through search engines. “The death of the search engine is greatly exaggerated,” he said. “But when it comes to time, it’s not just Google that Facebook is challenging, it’s every website out there.”

ODDLY, as Facebook gets bigger, the internet is looking smaller. Facebook and Google (with YouTube, and Gmail) now account for more than 17% of internet activity — nearly one web visit in every five. The runners up are losing ground, leaving the possibility of a world where Google and Facebook slug it out as the Coke and Pepsi of the internet universe: both sides battling for the title “The Real Thing”.

Google has made several unsuccessful attempts to head Facebook off at the pass. The firm lost out on a deal to Microsoft. It made a pass at Twitter but was rejected, and its latest solo effort — Buzz, a social media service attached to its huge Gmail email service — suffered a disastrous launch.

Email users found they had been signed up unwittingly and personal information had been shared with their contacts. Last week, Pamela Jones Harbour, the US Federal Trade Commissioner, slammed the launch as “irresponsible”.

It’s still early days for Facebook, no matter how many fans it has. The private company expected to generate $1 billion (£666m) in revenue this year. Google’s sales in the last quarter alone were almost seven times as large.

Kurt Scherf, analyst at Parks Associates, said it would be foolhardy to count out Google. In terms of making money “those cold calculating algorithms that Google turn out are still way more effective than people at the moment,” he said.

But he acknowledged that social media was creating enormous new possibilities for Facebook. “One of my interests is interactive TV. Imagine how powerful it would be if Facebook is on your TV telling you 80% of your friends like a certain show,” said Scherf. “The big question is who is going to mine this information. In terms of pure revenue we are not seeing the execution from Facebook. I’m not saying that they can’t get there, but it’s not happening at this point.”

Google had its doubters too.

How to become the net’s biggest draw

1984: Mark Zuckerberg is born in White Plains, New York.

2004: In February, Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launch Facebook from their Harvard dorm. The site is for students with Harvard email addresses only, but by March it has added Stanford, Columbia and Yale. By December Facebook has 1m users.

2005: Facebook raises $12.7m from Accel Partners. It adds high schools and international school networks. By December it has 5.5m users.

2006: Facebook raises $27.5m from Greylock Partners, Meritech Capital Partners and others. Facebook Mobile is launched. By the end of the year it has 12m users.

2007: Facebook opens a virtual gift shop and advertising becomes a growing part of the business. Developers are invited to make applications for the site. In October Microsoft pays $240m for a 1.6% stake in Facebook, valuing the company at $15 billion. Microsoft squeezes out Google to do the deal. User numbers pass 50m.

2008: Facebook passes the 100m mark. It opens Spanish and French sites and a translation service for 21 languages. The US presidential debates are co-sponsored by ABC News and Facebook.

2009: Even Facebook isn’t immune to the stock market rout. Digital Sky Technologies, a Russian group, makes a $200m investment that values the company at $10 billion. However, the number of users continues to soar — to more than 350m by the end of the year — and Facebook makes its first profit.

2010: For the week ending March 13, Hitwise says Facebook.com passed Google.com, making it the biggest draw on the net for the whole week for the first time in its history. The company now accounts for 17% of the time people spend online in Britain and America, according to Nielsen. User numbers have passed 400m. Profits are thought to be $1 billion a year. Speculation mounts that Facebook will start looking to raise more money from a stock market float.

2007: Facebook opens a virtual gift shop and advertising becomes a growing part of the business. Developers are invited to make applications for the site. In October Microsoft pays $240m for a 1.6% stake in Facebook, valuing the company at $15 billion. Microsoft squeezes out Google to do the deal. User numbers pass 50m.

2006: Facebook raises $27.5m from Greylock Partners, Meritech Capital Partners and others. Facebook Mobile is launched. By the end of the year it has 12m users.

2005: Facebook raises $12.7m from Accel Partners. It adds high schools and international school networks. By December it has 5.5m users.

FACEBOOK NEWS

2004: In February, Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launch Facebook from their Harvard dorm. The site is for students with Harvard email addresses only, but by March it has added Stanford, Columbia and Yale. By December Facebook has 1m users

APPLE NEWS

Final Cut Studio at the Oscars
12 Mar 2010 20:08

CNET News reports that 9 out of 10 of this year’s nominees in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short categories used Final Cut Studio to make their films, including category winners “The Cove” and “Music by Prudence.”


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IPAD NEWS

Apple now accepting iPad app submissions, get your jumbo-sized beer drinking simulations in before launch day
March 19, 2010.

Apple just announced to developers that it's now accepting iPad applications. From the sound of it, applications submitted now will have a shot at being reviewed and approved before the iPad launch next month, though since most all apps developed so far have only been tested in the emulator, this is more of a "feedback" round for devs looking to be ready for the launch without actually testing their apps on hardware themselves. Apple says that "[o]nly apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store," so you probably shouldn't wait around -- unless you've got one of those iPad test units headed your way, or you're a hardware-testing purist that will wait for the iPad launch to start testing apps and miss one of those cushy spots on the opening day iPad App Store. Either way, we can't really imagine we'll be seeing true 3rd party iPad app greatness until a month or so after the launch, but who are we to talk down a "gold rush"?


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APPLE NEWS

Apple World’s Most Admired Company
4 Mar 2010 18:30
For the third year in a row Apple has been named the World’s Most Admired Company by Fortune Magazine — this year by the widest margin ever. What makes Apple so admired? Fortune explains: “Product, product, product. This is the company that has changed the way we do everything from consume music to design products to engage with the world around us.” Apple also ranked #1 in Innovation among all companies.


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IPAD NEWS

iPad Available in US on April 3
5 Mar 2010

Apple today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April. Beginning a week from today, March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.


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APPLE NEWS. :-)

AppleInsider has rounded up its stable of "people familiar with the matter" and squeezed them for info on Cupertino's plans for the near term. Firstly, they've heard that a 27-inch version of the currently available 24-inch LED Cinema Display is on its way, sporting a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and targeted for release "by June." The more exciting tip from those in the know, however, relates to the well aged Mac Pro and its future upgrade path. Apple has apparently firmed up plans to offer 6- and 12-core options (to replace the current 4- and 8-core variants), though the star of the show internally is said to be Intel's Xeon 5600, rather than the similarly specced Core i7-980X that had been rumored. This seems to be motivated by the fact the i7 beast can't do dual-CPU configurations, which are necessary to offer a dozen cores. Pricing for the single Xeon CPU model is expected to be close to the current $2,499 starting sticker, but release dates still elude us.


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3D invisibility cloak fashioned out of metamaterials
March 19, 2010

Those HDTV manufacturers did tell us that 3D was going to be everywhere this year, didn't they? Keeping up with the times, scientists investigating potential methods for rendering physical objects invisible to the human eye have now moved to the full three-dimensional realm. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has developed a photonic metamaterial that can make things disappear when viewed from all angles, advancing from previous light refraction methods that only worked in 2D. It sounds similar to what Berkeley researchers developed not too long ago, and just like Berkeley's findings, this is a method that's still at a very early stage of development and can only cover one micrometer-tall bumps. Theoretically unlimited, the so-called carpet cloak could eventually be expanded to "hide a house," but then who's to say we'll even be living in houses by that time?

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Charlie Miller to reveal 20 zero day security holes in Mac OS X
March 19, 2010

Say, Charles -- it's been awhile! But we're pleased as punch to see that you're back to your old ways, poking around within OS X's mainframe just looking for ways to remotely control the system, snag credit card data and download a few interoffice love letters that are carefully stashed 15 folders down within 'Documents.' The famed Apple security expert is planning yet another slam on OS X at CanSecWest, where he'll reveal no fewer than 20 zero day security holes within OS X. According to Miller, "OS X has a large attack surface consisting of open source components, closed source third-party components and closed source Apple components; bugs in any of these types of components can lead to remote compromise." He also goes on to reemphasize something he's been screaming for years: "Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town." In other words, Apple users are "safer" (due to the lack of work that goes into hacking them), "but less secure." So, is this a weird way of applying for a security job in Cupertino, or what?


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LG / SKY 3D NEWS

LG no longer selling 15,000 3DTVs to Sky TV, Britons breathe a sigh of indifference
March 17, 2010

Why is this man so down? Is it the crooked hat? Or the long hours spent with the same flat expression on his face? No, the fact of the matter is that Sky's plan to outfit pubs the breadth and width of the island nation with 3D televisions has fallen flat. Yesterday LG announced that the satellite provider had purchased some 15,000 sets with the hope of hooking folks on the technology before launching its in-home service later in the year, but now the company's pulling back, instead saying that deal involves the channel selling pubs 3DTVs through a third party. And we're sure that pub owners are going to jump at the chance to buy expensive new displays and scores of 3D glasses so customers can drop them in pitchers and / or break them while playing darts or whatever goes on over there in the land of Pete Doherty and excessive surveillance. LG's statement is after the break.


Show full PR text
LG Electronics UK (LG), a leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics and appliances, clarifies its agreement to supply TVs for British Sky Broadcasting Group's (Sky) forthcoming 3D TV service.

LG is currently working with Sky to bring 3D TV to pubs and clubs throughout the UK and Ireland. LG will supply 3D TVs nationwide to support the launch of Sky 3D, Europe's first 3D TV channel. The channel goes live in pubs and clubs from April 2010.

A previous release issued on 16th March 2010 referenced a commercial deal to supply 15,000 3D TVs to Sky.

LG Electronics UK would like to further clarify the situation. The figure of 15,000 3D TVs is inaccurate. Sky is helping support its commercial customers purchase TVs direct from a UK third party.

"Supporting the roll out of Sky 3D represents a great opportunity for both LG and Sky to bring ground-breaking technology to the UK public and a significant step forward in our desire to showcase the latest TV technology in action" said an LG spokesman.


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APPLE SALES NEWS

Mac sales up 39 percent in January and Febuary as iPod sales rebound
March 15, 2010 19:02 by Donald Melanson

Well, it looks like it's not just iPad pre-orders that are possibly be beating a few expectations -- according to NPD, sales of Macs and iPods were also up over some estimates in January and February. Citing the report, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says that sales of Macs were up 39% year over year for the two months (ahead of estimates of 22%), which should translate to sales of between 2.8 to 2.9 million Macs for the full quarter, while iPod sales were up 7% during the same period, suggesting total iPod sales of between nine and ten million for the first quarter. That latter number may actually be the more impressive of the two, as it marks the first time iPod sales have rebounded into positive territory in a full sixteen months -- although that trend could just as easily be reversed again if, say, Apple rolls out a new iPhone that cuts into iPod sales.


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XBOX LAPTOP NEWS

Student-made Xbox 360 laptop channels the Heck out of... well, you know
March 17, 2010 03:11 by Sean Hollister

Few can build 'em like Benjamin Heckendorn. Fewer still bother to try. Two college kids managed to do a bang-up job anyhow building this fully loaded, Jasper-juiced Xbox 360 laptop. With a built-in 17-inch Gateway monitor, keyboard, functioning Xbox Live camera and Wireless Network Adapter, this brick hits all the right notes -- yet remains remarkably stylish for a learn-as-you-go student project. If you agree, you can read a remarkably detailed account of how they built it at the source link, see a proof-of-completion video after the break, or even further their education by purchasing the mean machine on eBay for your very own.



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MAC NEWS

Could this be another example of online advertising presaging the onset of a hardware upgrade from Cupertino? Apple's ads on Australian tech pub PC Authority have been spotted displaying some rather peculiar price tags for its flagship mobile and desktop computers. Whereas Cupertino's Aussie online store lists the most affordable versions of the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Pro at A$1,599, A$1,999 and A$3,599, respectively, the above, official-looking ads would seem to disagree. Clicking on them still leads to the currently priced (and specced) machines, but looking at them suggests that -- in the absence of some major conspiracy or a splendidly random price hike -- we're getting an early peek at the pricing of the newly updated models of each of those series. The MacBook Air has jumped by A$400 so that what used to be its costliest base price is now its lowest, while the MBP has suffered a A$300 bump in cost of entry. Then again, considering the expectation that the mobile computers will get Core i7 CPUs while the Mac Pro will get all dressed up with Core i7-980X regalia, this development is perhaps not all that surprising. The major thing to take away here is that the long-awaited upgrades might finally be arriving. We're putting our piggy banks on alert, just in case.

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IPHONE TOMTOM NEWS

TomTom iPhone app hits 1.3, gains real-time traffic and Google local search
March 13, 2010 15:22 by Darren Murph

Here lately, Navigon has been crushing it on the iPhone GPS front. Every couple of weeks, it seems that MobileNavigator is getting yet another fantastic update, all while TomTom's lackluster offering hangs back in the land of complacency. Thankfully for us all, the outfit has just pushed out the v1.3 update, which adds real-time traffic (an unfortunate $19.99 add-on), Google local search, updated roadways, automatic music fading between text-to-speech instructions and the ability to add locations from other apps and websites. We'd still recommend Navigon's software if you're looking to buy into iPhone GPS for the first time, but this is certainly a boon for those already locked into the TomTom alternative.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]



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IPHONE HACK NEWS

If you needed any more proof that Apple's lame cat-and-mouse game with the iPhone jailbreak community has only served to increase the scene's resourcefulness and creativity, look no further than the iDongle, a slick piece of hacker-made hardware that can jailbreak and activate an iPhone 3GS or iPod touch running OS 3.1.2 just by plugging it into the dock connector. What's more, it allows a jailbroken iPhone to be rebooted away from a computer, which is currently a problem for on-the-go hackers -- just stick this guy in your bag and you'll be good to go. There's only a dozen prototypes right now, but pre-orders are being accepted to raise funds for production -- we've got a feeling quite a few people are going to be interested. Video after the break.


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GOOGLE APP NEWS

Hey, who needs Flash anyway? Google's had dedicated YouTube apps available for both S60 and Windows Mobile for a solid year now, and today they've announced re-upped versions with a handful of new features that help 'em keep pace with their built-in Android and iPhone counterparts. The biggest change is the addition of support for your individual user account, meaning you can check your favorite videos, subscriptions, and playlists on the road. You've also got a new home screen layout that's supposedly optimized for larger screens -- a trend that's certainly picked up steam since these apps were initially introduced -- and search suggestions as you type (the suggestions for "engadget" are rather fascinating, by the way). Both versions are available for download now.

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IPHONE APP NEWS

Target's announced it is launching a scannable mobile coupon program -- the first of its kind. The opt-in program will provides Target shoppers with a customized webpage on their mobile phones, with all offers scannable at checkout via a single barcode. Target's no stranger to innovative marketing -- its gift cards are well known for their cute, gadgety ways -- and while this new program is essentially a text message driven sale (meaning it could quickly become a mere annoyance), anything that minimizes our interactions with fellow humans gets our stamp of approval, so the ability to scan your own barcode at the register? Thumbs up. The full press release is after the break.


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IPHONE NEWS

Case-Mate's Hug wireless iPhone charging solution shipping now for $100
March 9, 2010 07:38 by Darren Murph

Remember that wireless induction charger that we saw poking around at the CES iLounge Pavilion earlier this year? Seems that Case-Mate has finally given that little doohickey a name, a price and a ship date. The aptly-titled Hug (which consists of the Hug Case and Hug Pad) slips onto one's iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS and allows Apple's darling to get recharged by simply laying on the aforementioned platter. Of course, the case itself is distractingly bulky, and this whole thing relies on the same eCoupled technology that we've been seeing for years now -- though, the fact that this pad will charge any other case that utilizes the same standard is worth noting. Is the ability to never need your dock connecting cable for rejuvenation purposes really worth the $99.99 asking price? We're guessing not, but those that disagree can get their own shipped out this very moment.


See more video at our hub!


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SONY 3D TV NEWS

Kicking off an expected repeat flood of 3DTV info over the next few days (Samsung and Panasonic both have events scheduled over the next couple of days) Sony has revealed pricing and shipping information for its new televisions and related accessories in Japan. The new sets share that sweet/ominous monolithic style of the already available NX800 series (also announced today in Japan, along with fellow 2D-only HX700 LCD and DVR-packing BX30H televisions,) with the edge-lit LED LX900 bringing the entire 3D package. With IR emitter built in and two pairs of RealD active shutter glasses, all you'll need to add is a source to the 60-, 51-, 46- and 40-inch models, ranging in price from ¥580,000 ($6,444) to ¥290,000 ($3,222.) Even if the TDG-BR100 / TDG-BR50 3D glasses (also available as an accessory for ¥12,000 ($133) or so) aren't on your face this WiFi-connected abyss of entertainment will look back into you, using face tracking to detect if someone is sitting too close and warn them to move back, as well as dimming and eventually turning off the screen if you leave the room or simply looked away from the TV for an extended period.


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IPAD NEWS

That's the "glass is half full" attitude we like, Verizon -- always looking for a way to sign a few more of those lucrative data contracts, no matter the circumstances! Turns out Big Red is tipping off its staffers on how it can encourage customers to go with the WiFi-only version of the iPad and pair it up with a device like the MiFi rather than shelling out $130 more for integrated AT&T 3G and waiting a few extra weeks. As usual, Verizon's keen on playing up the anti-AT&T sentiment it's cultivated in its recent ad campaign by openly calling its biggest competitor's 3G network "overloaded," but we see one big hangup: 5GB of data on a Verizon MiFi is going to run you $60 a month, twice as much as AT&T will be charging for its dedicated, unlimited iPad plan. Then again, AT&T's own boss thinks WiFi's a bigger deal than 3G for this thing, so who knows -- maybe this is a zero-sum game for both of these guys.


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IPHONE NEWS

Suspense! Drama! Surprises! Unrealistic expectations! It's always a veritable roller coaster of emotions whenever Apple gets around to cutting a new SDK build -- and without a doubt, iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 4 is no exception. We don't yet have a good read on what's new here, so if you're a member of Apple's $99 dev program and happen to get it downloaded and installed, let us know if you find anything awesome, like an iPhone 4 or iPad 2. Or, you know, anything else. Have fun!


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APPLE TV NEWS

The Ultimate AppleTV Enhancement
Tired of having stacks of DVDs cluttering your media center? Do you wish your AppleTV could play more video formats? Want to surf the Web?

Take a look at aTV Flash. This user-friendly software package supercharges your AppleTV, unleashing a plethora of new functionality.

Play nearly any video format, add additional storage capacity, gain access to the Jaman independent movie library, and surf the web, all from the comfort of your couch.

APPLE NEWS

Switched On: Why it's time for an iTunes TV subscription
March 4, 2010


In the 10 billionth song that Apple sold through iTunes, Johnny Cash's "Guess Things Happen That Way", a man other than Steve Jobs famous for black attire bemoans the happenstance of his romantic misfortune. But nothing could be further from the story of iTunes, in which Apple's meticulously crafted ownership of the end-user experience led to a dominant position in music sales. Now, on the dawn of releasing a new device that could be to television shows what the iPod was to music, Apple has an opportunity to create as commanding a lead in TV distribution -- if it is willing to again capitulate to consumers' media consumption habits.

Apple has enjoyed great success with iTunes in part because it adopted the purchase-to-own model that had been so successful with CDs and records before them. However, Apple didn't simply mirror that model. By allowing consumers to purchase the vast majority of songs as singles, it provided better perceived value, Such an option was also a natural fit for the iPod, where playlists made it trivial to create the digital equivalent of "mix tapes." The iPod's capacity for thousands of songs was also no match for most albums that typically had a dozen or so songs.

When Apple moved into movies with iTunes and then Apple TV, it first stood fast to the purchase-to-own business model that had worked for music. But as it launched the second major release of the Apple TV software, it acknowledged the popularity of rentals. Again, Apple merely offered a means of consuming media familiar to what consumers had adopted at video rental stores and video on demand. And again, the move complemented Apple hardware, in this case Apple TV, which brought iTunes movies to their best consumption environment within the home.

In addition to the more than 12 million songs and 8,500 movies Apple now offers through iTunes, it has a catalog of more than 55,000 TV show episodes. And just as music has the pocketable iPod and movies have the big-screen capable Apple TV, Apple is on the verge of releasing a device that is a perfect match for them in iPad. While the company played up the slate's content convergence capabilities at the iPad's launch, video remains the medium at the intersection of popularity and purpose for the iPad -- as Switched On discussed last April. No 3G? No Flash support? No interest in reading? No gaming skills? No problem.
Apple is about to ship a device that could redefine the TV set. Now it just needs to redefine TV service.


But to really exploit the TV-on-iPad opportunity, Apple needs to again optimize its content distribution model. By creating an unlimited option for TV show rentals, Apple could not only compensate for the current lack of Hulu on the iPad, but position for a competitive edge against Hulu's future, which is likely to include HTML 5 and subscriptions. It has been said that Apple has an aversion toward subscriptions, but the company offers two of its own in MobileMe and AppleCare, and the success of cable and satellite providers as well as Netflix provide ample evidence for consumer's acceptance of TV subscriptions.

Once again, Apple would be doing no more than offering the dominant consumption business model, but optimized for one of its platforms. Furthermore, the company would have incredible pricing leeway given that open access to the iTunes buffet would include many of the advantages of a DVR subscription. And if Apple really wanted to avoid subscriptions per se, it could offer pre-paid access as it has for 3G on the iPad, with a lower fee offering a limited number of TV episode rentals per month and a higher number offering unlimited rentals during the month.

One open question, of course, is whether networks would agree to such a plan given potential coercion by cable companies that account for the overwhelming majority of their income. Indeed, there would be both similarities and differences when compared with the Hulu-on-Boxee conflict. But at least Apple, unlike Hulu, isn't owned by the studios, and so is therefore less likely to bow to their whims so readily -- as NBC likely well remembers. And Apple has vast financial, legal and lobbying resources that make it a far less vulnerable competitor than Boxee.

Finally, with a TV show rental plan, Apple could certainly continue to sell TV shows a la carte as it does with songs and movies. Some might opt for this as an alternative to purchasing TV shows on DVD. And faced with this new option, that business would likely be cannibalized. But the overall effect would be to greatly expand the appeal of using iTunes for TV as something other than a hangover remedy, easing the pain for those who forgot to set their DVRs, or the forgettable bit breeder filling the hard drives of avant garde cable cord-cutters. Apple is about to ship a device that could redefine the TV set. Now it just needs to redefine TV service.

Ross Rubin is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.


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IPHONE NEWS

iPhone gets a stainless steel clamshell case, we'll wait for the titanium version
March 4, 2010

You know, for all the praise the iPhone has received in its time, we never thought it looked quite Matrix-y enough. Thankfully, that all-important deficiency has been remedied by a man named Ryan Glasgow up in Portland, who has just started selling the above case to all who care to have one. It's built out of stainless steel on the outside and silicone padding on the inside, with strategically located cutouts for wireless signals and heat emissions to get through. You can flip the front plate open, turning it into a rather outsized clamshell, or you can just talk with the lid closed, it's all up to you. Aluminum and engraving options (can we suggest "my other phone is a Vertu"?) are also available with each case costing a slightly spendy $95. See more of it in the gallery below.
Launch Photo Gallery



- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

GADGET-NEWS

Murdoch confirms WSJ coming to iPad, device kept 'under padlock and key'
March 3, 2010 14:26 by Donald Melanson

It only came at the tail end of an announcement of a new New York metro section for The Wall Street Journal, but Rupert Murdoch has finally confirmed that the paper will indeed be heading to the iPad. The really interesting bit, however, is that not only is the company now being allowed to work on an iPad, but that Murdoch says it's kept "under padlock and key," and that "the key is turned by Apple every night" -- a bit of hyperbole, maybe, but then again, maybe not. In other newspapers-going-digital news, Murdoch also said that the WSJ would be heading to half a dozen or more other devices within a year, although he didn't name any specific devices.




- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

Any1 got an apple tv

- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

GOOGLE - APPLE NEWS

Google responds to Apple's HTC lawsuit: 'We stand behind our Android operating system'
March 3, 2010

We were wondering when Google would have something to say about Apple's patent lawsuit against HTC, since the majority of the claims appear to implicate Android itself, and while the knives aren't out yet, we just got a short-but-sweet statement from a spokesperson:
"We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it."
We're quite curious to see whether this means Google will contribute money and/or manpower to HTC's legal defense -- we'd bet we'll see some of Eric Schmidt's boys at the table when this thing finally hits a courtroom. In related news, HTC 's posted up a short, more formal version of the statement we received yesterday, saying that it "believes that consumer choice is a key component to success in the smartphone industry," and that it doesn't think the suit "poses a short-term material impact to its business." That makes sense, seeing as it'll be weeks before HTC even files a response to the suit, and months -- if not years -- before it's resolved. We'll see how it goes.



- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

10 Billionth Download for iTunes
1 Mar 2010 17:52
The New York Times caught up with 10 billion song download winner Louie Sulcer and asked him about his prize, a $10,000 iTunes gift card. Says the 71-year-old Sulcer,”I don’t think I’ll have to worry about buying birthday and Christmas presents anytime soon.”


- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

IPAD NEWS

AT&T CEO: iPad will be mostly used on WiFi, won't drive many new 3G subscriptions
March 3, 2010

We all know by now that AT&T has secured the rights to furnish US iPad owners with 3G connectivity, but apparently the market desire for that service won't be quite as big as we might have expected. That comes straight from Randall Stephenson himself, AT&T CEO and eternal believer in the power of i-branded devices, so it may have some legitimacy to it. Surely Randall's dearest wish would be to announce his network is about to be overwhelmed by new subscribers, and the rather cooler news has already caused a small dint in AT&T's stock price. Then again, this is hardly shocking news given that 3G on the iPad can be had on a month-by-month basis without contract, and in truth any subscriptions related to it would have to be achieved by AT&T's own ingenuity -- which, judging by its CEO's comments, won't be suffering any undue exertions any time soon. Not only that, Randall's also taken the opportunity to advise us that higher data rates are likely for intensive users of unlimited 3G data plans -- whether on the iPad or on smartphones. Way to endear yourself to the masses, dude.

- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

The apocalyPS3 ends in global resurrection, ARM chip at fault
March 3, 2010

The early belief that the PSN was spreading a brickitis infection to PS3s around the world has turned out to be not quite accurate. Yes, PSN was inaccessible over that extremely stressful day (for PS3 owners, the rest of us have been quite fine, thank you), but we're hearing from Eurogamer that the villain in this story was an ARM chip inside the console -- the very same one, in fact, that led to a few Zunes losing their minds back in 2008. The big problem here was simply a bit of hardware that couldn't get its bearings straight after expecting 2010 to be a leap year, and the arrival of March 1 "fixed" everything for all eight affected PS3 SKUs (of a total of eleven). That leaves Sony with four years to make sure this problem isn't heard from again, and if it doesn't, we'll be placing blame for the real 2012 apocalypse firmly on Howard Stringer's shoulders.


- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

PS3 NEWS

PS3 issues apparently resolved, game on
March 1, 2010 19:03

Rejoice: PS3s across the land are now once again playable. That's the word according to our friends at Joystiq, who say that the clock issue affecting "fat" PS3s has been somehow resolved and games are once again working correctly. We're not sure if this means Sony's fixed something on the network side or if the internal clock just ran past a certain time, but at least our long nightmare is seemingly over. Hit up Joy for a quick Q/A on the whole situation, including a way to potentially save lost trophy data.


- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

Apple rumored to be readying Mac mini with HDMI
March 1, 2010

A Mac mini with HDMI. Makes sense, right? Well, it hasn't to Apple so far, but it looks like it just might be ready to change its tune. That's according to AppleInsider, at least, which has it from "two people familiar with the matter" that prototypes of a Mac mini with an HDMI port have been seen making the rounds in the usual inner circles. At least one of those prototypes was also said to be based on NVIDIA's MCP89 chipset, which means that any forthcoming Mac mini revision would pass over the latest Core i3, i5 and i7 processors in favor of older Core 2 Duos if it is indeed the chipset used in the final product. Unfortunately, there's nothing more specific than "this year" in terms of a rumored release date, and this is still just one rumor about what would be a fairly big shift in Apple's strategy -- so, you know, keep that in mind before you start ripping apart your current HTPC setup.



- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

Apple rumored to be readying Mac mini with HDMI
March 1, 2010 14:17

A Mac mini with HDMI. Makes sense, right? Well, it hasn't to Apple so far, but it looks like it just might be ready to change its tune. That's according to AppleInsider, at least, which has it from "two people familiar with the matter" that prototypes of a Mac mini with an HDMI port have been seen making the rounds in the usual inner circles. At least one of those prototypes was also said to be based on NVIDIA's MCP89 chipset, which means that any forthcoming Mac mini revision would pass over the latest Core i3, i5 and i7 processors in favor of older Core 2 Duos if it is indeed the chipset used in the final product. Unfortunately, there's nothing more specific than "this year" in terms of a rumored release date, and this is still just one rumor about what would be a fairly big shift in Apple's strategy -- so, you know, keep that in mind before you start ripping apart your current HTPC setup.



- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

playstation bug news

https://vr.shapeservices.com/play.php?hash=9eb4bd688c39bf3290fc5fd076773f64c05010e4184b077a6

PLAYSTATION NEWS

PlayStation Network down, so are lots of PS3s (update)
February 28, 2010 20:25

It's unclear exactly what's going on at the moment, but it appears that the PlayStation Network is down and causing a whole host of related problems for PS3 systems, including 8001050F error codes, game crashes, corrupted trophy info, and even the complete inability to launch certain titles. There's no ETA on when things will get back to normal -- looks like it's gonna be a Blu-ray kind of evening for PS3 owners out there.

Update: Sony's tweeted that it's "looking into it," and our boys at Joy say that owners of original PS3s are seeing their clocks reset and even data loss in some cases. We'll keep you updated.

Update 2: Given that issues started to appear as February 28th became March 1st, it's being speculated that the PSN woes are related to an improper handling of leap years. Similar to the issue that bricked those Zunes back in 2008. Sorry, manually setting your date doesn't help, we tried.




- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

APPLE NEWS

Apple files for Magic Trackpad trademark
February 28, 2010 21:30

This one slipped under our radar last week, but it's interesting nonetheless: Apple's filed for a "Magic Trackpad" trademark, which would seemingly indicate that there's a companion to the Magic Mouse in the works. That's all we know for now, but recall that John Gruber at Daring Fireball hinted that Apple was working on a "multi-touch trackpad gadget for desktop Macs" back in October just before the revised white MacBook was released. Obviously nothing's come of that yet, but it all seems to fit -- either that, or Apple's trademark attorneys are just trying to cover their bases. We'll see what happens.



- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

IPAD NEWS

Conde Nast stakes out 'leadership position' on iPad, first custom content in April
March 1, 2010 04:06

This isn't the 80s anymore. It's not good enough to just pump out lusty hardware like the Walkman in order to drive generous profit streams. In the modern age of consumer electronics, it takes content and an entire ecosystem of software and services to keep customers locked in and buying your gear. That's why we're paying close attention to content deals for the suddenly hot tablet category of devices. Conde Nast has been teasing custom content for next generation tablets for months, lead by mock-ups of its Wired magazine property. So it's no surprise to hear Charles H. Townsend, president and CEO of Conde Nast say he wants to "take a leadership position," on Apple's iPad. According to the New York Times, the company will announce plans today (via an internal company memo) for its first custom iPad digital pubs: GQ launching in April (there's already an iPhone app for that), followed by Wired and Vanity Fair in June, and then The New Yorker and Glamour sometime in the summer. This first cut represents a broad swath of demographics as Conde Nast trials Apple's newest platform in order to see what works. We should also expect a variety of prices and advertising models during the initial experimentation period. Also noteworthy is Conde Nast's two-track development approach: the iPad version of Wired will be developed with Adobe (as we heard) but the others will be developed internally -- all the digital mags will be available via iTunes although Wired will also be made available in "non-iTunes formats." Assuming it finds a model that works, then Conde Nast plans to digitize other magazines in the fall.



- Posted using BlogPress from mike wards iPhone 3gs

VR+ APP

This a an audio blog from my new VR+ app i got the other day.

https://vr.shapeservices.com/play.php?hash=e5e489a31b99f527bff2be5377f6452b319d233dcf7de118d

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Sent via VR+