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Microsoft's entertaining CEO Steve Ballmer

Leave it to Microsoft: their products are so bad that many of their employees use the iPhone, which is of course made by Apple, Microsoft’s mortal enemy. There are more than ten thousand iPhone users at Microsoft, judging by statistics of those who accessed the Microsoft employee email system, which is ten percent of the global Microsoft workforce. And apparently if you visit Microsoft’s headquarters in Seattle, you can see tons of Microsoft employees happily using their iPhones.

iPhone use may be a sort of open secret at Microsoft, but employees usually know better than to let Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO, know. An employee said in an interview, “Maybe once a year I’m in a meeting with Steve Ballmer. It doesn’t matter who’s calling — I’m not answering my phone.”

Those foolish enough to be seen with a phone in Ballmer’s presence encounter a dramatic but not unsurprising reaction, considering what Steve Ballmer has done in the past. At a recent company meeting, Ballmer grabbed an iPhone from an employee, put it on the ground, and pretended to stomp on it. A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment on the story.

Via NYDailyNews, image via NYDailyNews.

In the latest move in the escalating war between Apple and Google, Google’s latest hire has said that he hates Apple’s iPhone.

Tim Bray, a developer advocate for Android who has been recently hired at Google, said, “The iPhone vision of the mobile Internet’s future omits controversy, sex, and freedom, but includes strict limits on who can know what and who can say what.” This harsh characterization of Apple and its iPhone was expressed in a blog post.

Bray’s comment is the latest move in an escalating competition between Apple and Google—a competition so intense that it may be driving Apple and Microsoft to possibly collaborate against Google in the future.

To be fair, Bray does reserve some criticism for Google as well, saying that Google is “now too big to be purely good or in fact purely anything.” He also mentioned the fact that iPhones are selling at a rate of 90,000 units per day and Android devices are selling at a rate of 60,000 units per day, supporting the fact that the competition between the two companies is getting intense.

Via InformationWeek, image via Apple.

Products such as the iPhone, which combine the basic functions of a phone with a computer’s utility and web access, are exemplary of our desire to fuse technology into newer and better forms. Companies worldwide are trying to keep with this optimization momentum and build towards even smaller, multi-function devices. The next step appears to be incorporation of the tablet form factor.

According to GoRumors.com, Qualcomm has submitted a patent for a device that will combine aspects of a netbook, phone, and tablet. The device is intended to provide different functions based on its folding. In its most expanded state it would function as a tablet, and in its most compact state a phone. There is expected be some kind of netbook-like capability in between. If people become enthralled with the iPad, then a product such as this will most likely be able to dominate the market. As of now, there is no guarantee that such a product will be produced, but the news that such an idea is in the works is still exciting.

Via Liliputing.

Steve Jobs with an iPad

Batteries are always an issue when you begin to talk about portable devices. They go bad so easily that users always want to know (and rightfully so) how to get their batteries replaced. Though Apple has not yet shipped its newest product, the iPad, it has released the details of how an iPad user would go about getting a battery replaced.

The process is apparently similar to what happens with an iPhone that needs a new battery. iPad users will have to pay $99, plus $6.95 for shipping, plus whatever local tax is, to get a new device. And apparently when you send your iPad to Apple for a new battery, you do not get the same exact one back. Instead, you receive a refurbished one, so it goes without saying to make sure to back up all data on the iPad.

This is the same process that iPhone users go through to get new batteries (luckily for me, I wouldn’t know because so far, my iPhone’s battery has behaved itself).

Via PC Magazine, image via Apple.

On Friday, Nokia asked for dismissal of a lawsuit Apple filed against it, alleging anti-trust claims. Nokia claims that Apple is trying to deflect attention from the fact that it has stolen Nokia’s intellectual property.

The whole business was started back in October 2009 by Nokia when it filed a patent violation suit against Apple. Apple then countered with a lawsuit of its own, alleging withholding of patent information and demanding unreasonable royalties. Both companies have asked the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban imports of the other company’s phones.

The ITC plans to hear Apple’s case against Nokia in October of this year and plans a final decision by June 2011. It has not yet set a date for hearing Nokia’s case against Apple.

Via Mac Observer, image via Nokia.

ComScore, a market research firm, recently reported share holdings from September to January in the smartphone industry.  The results are mostly positive for Android, which has posted significant gains, and has finally overtaken Palm. Android now holds roughly 10% of the market, while Palm continues to steadily dip.  WinMo’s prospects don’t look much better either; after capping at 20% in October, it has also begun a major plummet.

Meanwhile, the iPhone has remained strong throughout Q4 ‘09, keeping its number 2 spot.  It now commands a strong 25.1% of the market, and seems to be going up.  The possibility of an iPhone OS 4.0 could bring new converts to the House of Apple, but they will have much to do before they can eclipse the Covenant of RIM.  Blackberry stands still as the premier smartphone, at a massive 43%, and has survived despite the lack of hype or interest tech blogs have had on RIM products.

Via Ars Technica

The iPhone is a wonderful little ditty that is a pillar in Apple products. The device is unbelievably useful, and part of that can be attributed to the almost limitless capabilities of applications one can find through the App store. In fact, what apps can achieve is only limited by the imagination of the third party developer.

Apps themselves have created a new market which Google is now taking charge in. Businesses from every corner have began to use Google apps, which leads to the use of more Google services. Many of the apps created by third party developers already exist in one form or another, but by selling them through Google, they can easily be synced to other Google tools like Gmail and Google Calendar. For those who run and manage their life with Google (read: netbook users) it’s only going to get easier.

The fact that all of these different services can now work together under the Google umbrella is fantastic, but what does that say about the market? It’s as clear now as it ever was that as new niches (such as apps) enter the market, giants like Google will immediately try to soak them up, Microsoft-style. It’s hard to say if that’s a good thing or not.

Via PCWorld, image via ThePilver.

Even though the next iPhone OS update probably won’t be released for several months, the tech blogosphere is already speculating about what new features the iPhone OS 4.0 will contain. Apple is, of course, very tight-lipped about the whole thing, so all of the following is simply speculation.

The feature that seems to be the most desired is multitasking. Currently, only one app at a time can run on the iPhone. For example, you cannot listen to your Pandora radio app in the background while you surf the Internet with your Safari app (however, you could listen to music through the iPod function on the iPhone). Other smartphones have supported multitasking for some time now, so this is the next logical update for the iPhone.

Video calling is another feature that users want. Again, many other smartphones have a front-facing video camera that allows for video calls. Though video calling has not really gained much popularity with smartphone users, Apple may try to change this by offering it as a new feature.

Finally, many users want a better camera with a flash on the iPhone. Although the iPhone 3G S has a better camera than the iPhone 3G (3.2 MP vs. 2 MP, respectively), it is difficult to take decent photos with an iPhone in anything but the brightest light, so a flash would be a welcome addition.

Of course, Apple is so good at keeping secrets that we won’t find out anything until the next OS is released, so all we can do now is speculate.

Via PC World, image via PC World.

Apple is a notoriously secretive company. Usually the rest of us have no idea about its upcoming products until they are released, and we know even less (that is, nothing) about the inner workings of the company itself.

But thanks to the cleverness of an organization, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the rest of us have been allowed a glimpse into the inner workings of Apple. Basically, the Electronic Frontier Foundation used FOIA to force NASA to release Apple’s nondisclosure agreement for iPhone developers. Developers have to sign the agreement before they can access the software development kit for the iPhone OS.

It does not really come as a surprise that Apple very strongly regulates what programs are allowed to run on the iPhone OS. Some analysts have expressed surprise that people are so enthusiastic about products that are so heavily regulated by their manufacturer, but they underestimate Apple’s appeal to the public.

Via Wired, image via Apple.

A recent news story about Sony published in the Wall Street Journal has caused a lot of speculation about Sony’s plans for mobile devices. Though Sony is not officially confirming anything, it is thought to be developing products and services to compete with Apple.

Sony is reportedly ready to launch an online media platform called “Sony Online Services” that is intended to compete with iTunes. It is also releasing a mobile phone with the Android operating system soon. The phone is going to be called Xperia X10. Currently, Sony makes an e-reader that is a competitor to Amazon’s Kindle.

If Sony is intending to directly compete with Apple, it may want to prepare itself for potential lawsuits. Apple is currently engaged in a lawsuit against HTC for patent infringement relating to the iPhone, which many people are interpreting as an indirect against Google.

Via Digital East Asia.

IceWEB, a company that offers online storage, said in a press release today that it will begin to support the iPhone and iPod Touch. The new product will be called IceShare and will be available in the App Store for purchase download, or as a corporate license.

According to IceWEB, data should be available for mobile users wherever they are. IceWEB’s new service will give iPhone and iPod Touch users full access to any data stored on IceWEB’s servers. They will be able to open, download, upload, and create files either through WiFi or 3G.

IceWEB is headquartered outside of Washington, D.C. It manufactures appliances and offers storage solutions and cloud computing services.

It sounds to me that this new offering will be a competitor to Apple’s MobileMe. After all, MobileMe offers data storage and cloud computing to Apple customers. It costs $99 per year and offers extra services, such as email and a handy feature called “Find my iPhone,” which helps users find their lost iPhones through GPS. It will be interesting to see how IceWEB prices their service and how it differs from MobileMe.

Via PR Newswire, image via IceWEB.

According to an analyst at Morgan Stanley, Apple could lower the price of its next iPhone. Though the iPhone has been and remains very popular, Apple faces a lot of competition from other companies like Google, Microsoft, and Research in Motion, and must price its products accordingly.

The analyst said she expects Apple to release a new, cheaper iPhone in June of this year. The iPhone 3G S currently sells for $199 and up, and the iPhone 3G for $99 and up.

Microsoft has announced its new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, which is due to be released by the end of this year. If it proves successful and popular, this could pose a threat to Apple. Apple has seen huge success with its App Store, which is predicted to have 300,00 apps by the end of 2011. In a controversial move recently, Apple banned many apps from the App Store for being too explicit.

Via eWeek, image via Apple.

According to Apple’s 2010 Progress Report, some of the company’s suppliers are guilty of workplace violations, including the use of underage workers, improper disposal of hazardous waste, falsified records, and excessive recruitment fees. Apple did not identify any of the suppliers by name or specify in which countries the violations occurred.

Three facilities hired fifteen-year-olds in countries where the minimum employment age is sixteen. Apple also found records of eleven workers who were hired before they reached the minimum age. Apple said it now requires the facilities to conduct more thorough ID checks.

Apple has required the facilities who improperly disposed waste to have an outside consultant review the systems for disposing of hazardous waste.

The falsified records involved attempts to hide the hiring of underage workers and violations concerning working hours and days of rest.

Despite some suppliers being guilty of violations, Apple said that overall its suppliers have shown performance improvements and better working conditions.

Via CNET, image via Telegraph.

A few days after its controversial decision to ban certain apps from the App Store, Apple may be reconsidering its position and eventually offer an “Explicit” category for apps.

Earlier this week, Apple pulled a lot of apps from the App Store, saying that they were overtly sexual. One analyst said this was to preserve its public image. But on Wednesday, developers uploading new apps noticed a new category for apps called “Explicit.” The category later disappeared. The iPhone 3G does have parental controls that would allow such a category to be blocked.

A developer reportedly called Apple and was told that it is considering the option, but not anytime soon.

Though Apple of course does have a public image to maintain, offering an “Explicit” category probably would not be such a bad thing, provided that users were asked to opt-in to it and parents could fully bar their children from seeing this category.

Via The Escapist, image via Apple.

Apple has enhanced the website for MobileMe when users visit it with an iPhone or iPod Touch. The new site now offers a direct link to instructions about configuring various MobileMe functions like Mail, Contacts, and Calendar, a link to Find My iPhone, and direct links to the two apps associated with MobileMe.

The link to Find My iPhone is particularly interesting. This extraordinarily useful feature allows users to find lost iPhones on a map, send messages to lost phones, remotely wipe data on the phones, and force the phones to play sounds.

The rest of MobileMe is not available on mobile devices with the exception of Gallery and iWeb.

The new mobile version of the site seems like a good start, but it is a bit lacking. Apple probably could have done a better job if it had released a special MobileMe app.

Via CNET, image via Apple.

According to a recent job posting on Apple’s website, the company is looking to expand its iPhone OS to work on other devices. Those platforms will also be powered by a similar processor to the A4, Apple’s own processor that is going to be used in the iPad.

Apple is looking for an engineering manager to head a team that will expand the iPhone OS. Apple describes the team as follows:

The team is responsible for low level platform architecture, firmware, core drivers and bring-up of new hardware platforms. The team consists of talented engineers with experience in hardware, firmware, IOKit drivers, security and platform architecture.

Some analysts are speculating that Apple may eventually transform some (maybe eventually even all) of its laptops to run ARM-based processors such as the A4.

This news about the expansion of the iPhone OS shows that Steve Jobs really meant it when he said that OS X was always meant to be “platform independent.”

Via Ars Technica, image via CrystalXP.net.

Probably one of the most popular requests for new features on the iPhone or iPad from Apple customers would be video chat. According to the latest rumors (Apple has not confirmed any of this), there may be possible video support coming in the future to the iPhone and iPad.

The SDK contains icons that seem to accept video chat, or decline and/or end it. The code also contains evidence of possible video chat features in the form of certain strings of code.

Of course, this makes one wonder about the effect video chat would have on the AT&T network. AT&T’s 3G network is already strained due to the iPhone, and it will probably only get worse once the iPad is released. Will it be able to handle the extra strain of video chat? Or will Apple be forced to switch to a different service provider for its devices?

Via Coated, image via Coated.

Apple has raised the maximum size of app downloads on 3G to 20 MB. Analysts have said that this is in preparation for the iPad’s release because apps for the iPad are more likely to be larger to support high-resolution graphics.

Previously, users could only download apps that were fewer than 10 MB in size when using a 3G connection. Larger apps had to be downloaded with a WiFi connection. The limits were probably in place to preserve network bandwidth.

All of this begs the question of how the already-strained 3G network provided by AT&T will handle the increase in data brought by the iPad.

Via CNET, image via Apple.

Samsung has introduced their latest phone, which is called the Wave. It’s apparently supposed to be an iPhone killer. Samsung has a history of producing excellent, high-quality electronics (I loved their UpStage cell phone) but I don’t think Apple’s iPhone sales will suffer due to this new phone. The Wave was announced before the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The Wave is based on Samsung’s Bada platform, which is supposed to compete with other mobile platforms such as Android, Windows Mobile, and the iPhone OS. There will be an app store with similar apps to those found in Apple’s App Store. Bada, like Android, is an open platform.

Some analysts have said that there are so many mobile platforms and app stores out there that Samsung will have a hard time attracting developers. Other analysts have said that Samsung has other motives in developing its own mobile operating system: to reduce its reliance on the less-than-stellar Windows Mobile from Microsoft.

The Wave will feature a new kind of touchscreen technology that allows for brighter colors and a thinner device. And, very significantly, the Wave will support Adobe Flash, unlike Apple’s iPhone.

Via The Sydney Morning Herald, image via The Sydney Morning Herald.