The competition between Apple and Google has reached "incendiary" levels that aren't likely to cool down anytime soon, a detailed story from within the two companies has shown. While signs of the split have become increasingly public, a Bay Area investor claims that the two sides, particularly Apple, are getting "emotional" as it becomes a personal battle between Apple CEO Steve Jobs and his Google equivalent, Eric Schmidt. At Apple, Jobs' infamous attack on Google at a post-iPad town hall has been followed by repeated shots at Android in discussions at lower levels.
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16 hours ago | Posted in: Apple, iPad
A discovery in Apple's iPad Battery Replacement Service has confirmed that the company will address iPad battery issues aggressively. Rather than attempt to replace the battery if it loses an adequate charge, as it does with iPhones, the company will charge $99 but replace the tablet altogether with a new model. Those who have to ship the iPad instead of visiting a store with stock on hand will also pay a $7 shipping fee and should expect it to be completed within a week.
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Apple may have moved nearly 120,000 iPads in just its first day of pre-orders, an estimate by private analysts at the AAPL Sanity board suggests. After excluding the 16,500 average orders on a given day, the collective has used the intervals between order numbers over 19.5 hours to estimate that about 119,987 iPads should have sold during that period. The statistic doesn't include those who simply reserved a unit in-store and potentially puts the actual launch day tally considerably higher.
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If you’re looking for a quick and easy wireless camera system for checking who’s at your front door, monitoring your pets while you’re at work or checking up on your napping baby, Avaak believes it has an inexpensive option. The company's Vue Personal Video Network system, made up of a couple of small wireless cameras and a wireless base station, promises to simplify the experience of keeping track of others. But while it's easy to set up, we'll find out in our full Vue PVN review if it's also a pleasure to use.
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The FCC's promised national broadband plan should have its formal unveiling on Tuesday, an early scoop of the details claimed on Saturday. Over the next 10 years, the agency would subsidize broadband Internet access for rural areas, creating a combination Internet and cable set-top box, and a previously hinted at plan to relicense as much as 500MHz of spectrum for wireless Internet access. Speed would be a critical focus as well, as the 100 Squared plan woube part of the proposal and promise 100Mbps Internet access to 100 million homes.
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AT&T will still implement 21Mbps 3G on its network on its way to 4G, the company's Mobility chief Ralph de la Vega said in an interview late Thursday. The provider had late last year said it would skip HSPA+ to make a more direct leap, but de la Vega now sees the advanced 3G reaching "certain locations" before 4G becomes widespread. He didn't yet have information for FierceWireless as to which areas would get the faster treatment.
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Fri March 12, 2010 | Posted in: Investor, Apple
Apple in a just-published SEC filing has revealed that its chief operating officer, Tim Cook, was paid about $22 million in bonuses for acting as CEO during Steve Jobs' medical leave last year. The payouts included both a $5 million immediate bonus as well as 75,000 units of restricted stock, which at the time issued were worth about $17 million. Both reflect the "outstanding performance" in taking Apple's helm, the filing reads.
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Benedict Lowndes has a WindowFlow beta for Mac OS X. The software allows users to organize their workspace with a series of keyboard commands for moving, resizing, and aligning application windows. A tiling function enables users to select a group of windows to fill the screen in a selected tile layout. The beta release is available as a free 14-day trial, or users may opt to purchase the standard or pro versions at a discounted price of $8 or $12, respectively. Following the final release, the price will rise to $12 for the standard version and $22 for the Pro version.
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Fri March 12, 2010 | Posted in: gadgets, Apple, iPad
In sync with pre-orders, the iPad today was passed through the FCC in both Wi-Fi only and 3G enabled models. The tests don't confirm new features but show that the two are clear to use Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands as well as AT&T's 850MHz and 1,900MHz HSPA bands for the 3G edition. In a possibly intentional nod to tech enthusiasts, the 3G model carries the model number A1337.
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UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has proposed using 3G technologies at 2G frequencies in the UK, with an amended document that should be approved this August. In it, rules are updated to Ultra Wide Band usage, while 3G network technology will be deployed at the 900MHz and 1,800MHz bands which are currently restricted to the 2G GSM network.
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It may soon be difficult or impossible to get an iPad without having pre-ordered, information from retail sources indicates. Apple itself has confirmed that all shoppers are currently being limited to two iPads, even if they represent a business client. The restriction on businesses could imply that quantities are limited enough that Apple is reserving as much as it can for the general public.
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South Korea is considering banning access to the Android Marketplace to its residents if Google continues to offer game apps that are not approved by the country's regulator. According to a Thursday report, South Korea's Games Ratings Board officially requested that Google Korea abides by the law, requiring all video games to be rated by the governing body. Google is reviewing the South Korean government's request but has not yet made any decisions public.
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Vodafone today said it has shut down Wayfinder, the company providing its subscription GPS service. The move has cost 90 jobs and is characterized as a direct reaction to the availability of free Ovi Maps on Nokia phones and, to a lesser degree, Google Maps Navigation on Android. The two render Wayfinder redundant as they offer the same or better turn-by-turn but without the monthly rate.
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Fri March 12, 2010 | Posted in: Investor, Apple, iPad
The initial rush of iPad pre-orders may have seen sales as high as 20,000 or more per hour, according to early estimates. The CEO of Phanfare, Andrew Erlichson, notes that his company bought two iPads in the space of 30 minutes. Despite the short interval, the order numbers were about 10,000 apart, which extrapolates into the 20,000 figure. Though accuracy may be affected non-iPad orders, these are likely to be in the minority given the early hour at which they were placed.
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Apple's iPad pre-orders have pushed the Apple TV out of the main page, observers have told Electronista and MacNN. The device is still available through Apple's iPod section but has lost the position it has largely occupied since it was launched in 2007. Apple hasn't given a reason for the shift.
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Nokia as a response to Apple's countersuit on Thursday put forward a motion to dismiss Apple's claims. The argument insists that Apple's counterclaims are "designed to divert attention" away from the iPhone's alleged violation of Nokia's 3G patents. In the 28-page motion, it maintains that it tried negotiating "fair" royalties with Apple but that the American company doesn't have a right to sue simply because it feels the rates are too steep or the contract harsh.
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