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The most interesting latest news on the topic: Steve Jobs |
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Apple is fighting to keep a deposition of late co-founder Steve Jobs under wraps, as the company attempts to hold on to its trade secrets, and advantage, in the music business.
A collection of musicians wants access to a deposition given by Jobs in 2010, as they fight a new case against the Universal Music Group. Apple says attorneys for the plaintiffs failed to show why the deposition is pertinent to their case, and the company maintains a release of the documents would be competitively damaging. The plaintiffs are also seeking access to a second deposition given by Apple's senior vice president Eddy Cue, along with other documents that contain more information about the company's relationships with record labels. It's unknown whether the information in the depositions actually contains secret strategies that would hurt Apple's prospects in the music business, but it's clear the company does not want the contents revealed to competitors or the public. The judge in the original case cleared the courtroom of everyone but the jury when Job's deposition played, and Apple points to this fact as evidence to support its position that the documents should stay private. Apple's desire to keep Job's deposition from coming to light stems from its belief that his statements contain "highly confidential and proprietary trade secrets." The iPod maker has worked hard for over a decade forging delicate relationships with music labels and record companies to build its iTunes Store. With the cooperation of major record labels, who had been battling illegal downloading and flailing for a digital music solution of their own, iTunes became the go-to platform for digital music and Apple continues to enjoy a strong, well-established dominance with the help of the record industry. If Job's deposition contains sensitive information about partners in the music industry Apple still has today, a public reveal of those details may damage these crucial relationships. Apple's competitors will be the main beneficiaries if the court rules the plaintiff has the right to get access to Job's deposition. Amazon and a host of other download services have vied with Apple for a stake in the music market, but iTunes is far and away the market leader, though a host of streaming services is now emerging to challenge downloading platforms. If the industry is at another turning point, revealing Apple's strategies may harm the company as offerings like Spotify look to gain ground. Details in the deposition may include financial figures for dealings between Apple and record companies, undisclosed terms of licensing agreements and tactics the company used to outperform competitors in the market. Any and all information may shed light on how Apple has built its lead in the digital music market. A leak of the depositions can't change all that Apple has already done in the music business, but if any of the information in them helps competitors, it may cost the company millions. |
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Rival tech companies are facing an antitrust lawsuit, accusing them of a secret pact to stop poaching each others' employees and keep wages down. |
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Steve Jobs' "wilderness years" in exile from Apple, the focus of a recent article and upcoming biopic, offer a blueprint for struggling companies looking to reinvent themselves. |
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Steve Jobs transformed computer culture, and a new movie promises to etch his early legacy into the public consciousness. |
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A stuffed Steve Jobs toy is paying tribute to the late great Apple founder, but just like other homages, it may be blocked before hitting the market. Cleverly dubbed the iCEO, the toy from pillow-maker Throwboy is 15-inches tall and outfitted with Jobs' iconic uniform of a black mock turtleneck and jeans. Complete with removable wire-rimmed glasses and a wry smile, the limited-edition toy is available for pre-order through Throwboy's website. Millions, even billions, of people will remember where they were when they heard Jobs passed away, much in the way people remember the death of other leaders who inspired them, like John F. Kennedy or John Lennon. Many celebrate his accomplishments, and that emotion translates into a cottage industry of Jobs merchandise. Throwboy plans to manufacture 1,200 of the iCEO, sold for $60 each with a maximum of two per order for an August 2012 shipment. Additionally, 10 percent of the profits go to American Cancer Society. Creator Roberto Hoyos told Mashable the product "comes from a place of love" for someone who had a great impact on his life. "Here at Throwboy, we won't forget how we were indulged by the man in the black mock turtleneck," says the Throwboy website. "Instead, we celebrate the life of this inspiring person whose raving passion for all things tech kept us craving innovation and lusting after his creativity." But Apple may object to the toy, regardless of good intention. Throwboy maintains the product is a way to memorialize Jobs, but Apple has shunned past attempts at physical representations of its founder. Production for an action figure from In Icons that presented remarkably life-life detail was halted after requests from Jobs' family and Apple's legal team. A similar product, a four-inch tall action figure from MIC Gadgets, was removed from the market in 2010, when Apple claimed the product violated copyrights and trademarks. But those with great respect for Jobs are eager to buy mementos and learn more about his life. While online orders the action figures were immensely popular before being pulled, Jobs' biography was a top seller in 2011, and Sony is working to develop the book into a biopic focusing on how Jobs created Apple. Throwboy's new product is a way for Jobs' admirers to remember the engineer and visionary who defined early 21st century technology. But, given how past attempts to honor Jobs were received, Apple could interpret it as an invasive, even insensitive, type of memorial and the Jobs family may object to its distribution. |
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 Tags: Amazon, Apple, Daily Roundup, Samsung, IPhone, China, Steve Jobs, Galaxy, Congress, Carlos Slim, CBS, China Telecom, Larry King, Leslie Moonves
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12 March 2012 |
The Apple-Samsung battle heats up, RIM's BlackBerry loses a key sector of customers and other stories from today's news. Patent Wars: Apple Says Samsung Violated Court Order Apple is accusing Samsung of only complying partly with a court order that requires it to offer source code for its 4G smartphones and Galaxy tablets involved in its U.S. patent lawsuit filed in California. The U.S case is just one of dozens of similar lawsuits filed between Apple and Samsung, as the two tech giants hurl accusations about violating each others' patents and designs.
Got a Penny? Get a 4G SmartphoneSeveral Sprint 4G smartphones are on sale for just a penny on Amazon, with a new activation. The sale runs through March 26, but if you buy your phone by March 19, you'll get free activation. The phones include a few Galaxy S2 and Evo 3D devices, among others. Buyers will have to switch from their current carriers, and people using Sprint plans need to pay an extra $10 for 4G speed.
Jobs Courted CBS for Streaming TVCBS CEO Leslie Moonves revealed during a talk at the UCLA Entertainment Symposium over the weekend that he had spoken with the late Steve Jobs about providing content for a subscription-based video service, but declined the idea. Had the talks been successful, Apple TV, the set-top box that allows viewers to stream programs through the Internet, could have gotten a boost over its competitors, including Netflix, by being able to stream network programming earlier in the game.
Samsung Selling 3 Times More Phone Than Apple in ChinaChina Telecom began selling the iPhone 4S last week, but the deal may be too late for Apple to catch Samsung, which has a market share that's three times larger and still growing. Apple also limited itself by not making a device compatible with the nation's largest carrier, China Mobile, meaning the iPhone -- even newer models -- may not catch up with Samsung in China, despite the love the Chinese have for Apple's smartphone.
Capitol Hill Switching Off BlackBerryBlackBerry, once the undisputed leader on Capitol Hill, is losing traction as D.C. staffers are switching over to iPhones. The BlackBerry is still the top smartphone in Washington, but its lead is deteriorating fast, according to the National Journal. Most alarming of all, less than one percent of all groups polled said they planned to buy a new BlackBerry, while most would buy an iPhone.
Carlos Slim Financing Internet TV NetworkMexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world's richest man, is financing an Internet TV network that will include an interview show with retired CNN host Larry King. As more people switch to using their tablets and smartphones for Internet use, Slim's new venture could put millions more dollars in his pockets, particularly if advertisers sign on. |
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Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was unfit for George H.W. Bush's council in 1991, according to an FBI investigation, highlighting his drug use and decision to not support his daughter. "Several individuals questioned Mr. Jobs' honesty, stating that Mr. Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals," the report said. The FBI redacted the names of people quoted in the report, but file further solidifies people's perception of Jobs. Walter Isaacson, which raised a similar notion in his official biography of the Apple co-founder, said Jobs admitted to taking LSD, and said the profound experience that was one of the most important things in his life. Isaacson also detailed Jobs' relationship with his first child, born out-of-wedlock, and how the he eventually mended the relationship later in his life. Others said Jobs's "reality-distortion field," his ability to "hypnotize" listeners and convince them of his views, meant he couldn't be trusted. Bush never extended Jobs an offer, but detractors say Jobs was qualified for the post. FBI interviewers waited weeks before Jobs agreed to a one-hour interview, highlighting his apparent indifference to the position. Jobs didn't end up on Bush's council, and instead lead Apple to its comeback, creating the iPod, iPhone and iPad. |
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Steve Jobs directly asked former Google chief Eric Schmidt to stop recruiting Apple employees, drawing added heat over "no poaching" policies as top technology companies head to court over the practices. According to a court filing made public Friday, Apple co-founder and CEO Jobs e-mailed Schmidt in 2007 about a junior Google employee's attempt to hire an Apple engineer. At that time, Schmidt was Google's CEO and a member of Apple's Board of Directors. "I would be very pleased if your recruiting department would stop doing this," Jobs wrote. Schmidt then wrote his own e-mail to undisclosed recipients: "Can you get this stopped and let me know why this is happening?" Google's staffing director responded to Schmidt, assuring the employee who reached out to the Apple engineer would be "terminated within the hour." The e-mail exchange underscores extreme measures Silicon Valley's giants take in their effort to hang onto technology talent, and may add fuel to the fire as the issue of employee poaching and collusion makes its way through courts. Five software engineers are bringing a class action suit against several companies, including Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Adobe, Pixar and Lucasfilm, on grounds they conspired to eliminate competition for skilled labor through informal agreements prohibiting recruitment of each others' workers. The engineers' win in court would keep companies from entering into such "gentlemen's agreements" in the future. Even if the parties settle out of court or the technology firms prevail, the case is bringing previously hidden evidence to light, such as the Apple-Google e-mail exchange. This evidence stems from a 2009 Department of Justice investigation and previous civil suit. At that time, the companies settled out of court, with no public revelation as to which of them had anti-poaching agreements or what the agreements pertained to. Now, the no-poaching contracts are reaching the light of day, possibly swinging the balance of power back toward Silicon Valley's tech talent as the public is made aware of allegedly unfair hiring and recruitment practices. This particular piece of evidence speaks not only to the great lengths technology companies take to ensure tech talent stays on board, but also to the increasingly adversarial relationship between Apple and Google. Apple and Android are locked in dozens of patent lawsuits around the globe, seen by many as a proxy war on the part of Apple against the open-source OS that represents its biggest rival. Now, it appears the two companies keep as tight a hold on their employees as they do their intellectual property. The defendants are asking U.S. District Court Judge Lucy H. Koh in San Jose, Calif. to dismiss the civil lawsuit, arguing the anti-poaching deals protected cross-company collaboration and did not amount to "overarching conspiracy," according to the filings. At a recent hearing, Koh said the civil case will proceed as scheduled this week, although she may divide it into multiple class actions. Even if the companies manage to avoid the courtroom, there's no taking back the evidence or the e-mails, and moving forward they will likely be called upon to create more fair and transparent hiring and recruitment practices. |
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Jonathan Ive, a longtime collaborator with Apple's Steve Jobs, may play a vital role ensuring Apple's famous design style endures as the company navigates life without Jobs following his resignation. The 44 year-old senior vice president of industrial design is a Cupertino transplant from the U.K., born in Essex, England and educated at Newcastle's polytechnic. He keeps a low profile, rarely granting interviews or attending the company's splashy product launches. Jobs recruited Ive to the design team in 1998 and the two have since led one of the most successful teams in the tech world. Early on, Ive was the force behind splashing color on iMacs, a move that became an instant design classic. Ive is also credited with helping design the iPod, which sparked Apple's comeback, as well as the iPad, which seemingly created a brand new market and pushed the company ahead of competition. Launched in 2010, the iPad was the pioneer in what is today known as the tablet market. The hybrid device borrowed from other innovations, connecting to iTunes so users could purchase songs and movies and download smartphone-like apps. It also featured an iBooks component that capitalized on emerging e-readers while remaining an original creation in its own right. Ive is more a complement to Jobs than a contrast. He shares the founder's basic design theory, including a strong commitment to both functionality and minimalism, a focus on the look and feel of a product, and an exacting rigor even in the smallest details. As a result, with Ive remaining as design head at Apple, he will likely continue Apple's clean, modernist aesthetic, even as Jobs takes on a reduced role as chairman. "Ive prefers to be engrossed in fundamentals and has very little interest in personal publicity," said fellow British designer Steven Bayley. "To him, the way a thing is made is fundamental to its character." Bayley went on to say that it is impossible to say where the engineering ends and the 'design' begins because it is a continuum. While Ive seems firmly ensconced with the company, some in the design community question whether or not Ive will remain with Apple, especially without the close working relationship with Jobs. And company dynamics may also change internally with Tim Cook now at the helm. Jobs invested heavily in industrial design, more than usual with large companies, allowing the design team to buy expensive prototyping equipment for work onsite and inventing new production techniques. Cook, known for his operations efficiency, may change that, and in design, where subtle shifts to save costs can have major impact, that may have alter Apple's designs and overall commitment to aesthetics. No matter what happens to Apple, however, Ive has made an impact beyond the company. Beyond the financial success his work with Apple won him, along with the high-praise of his peers, Ive was also awarded the CBE, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. The original iPod he helped create has joined a permanent collection in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. |
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Jonathan Ive, a longtime collaborator with Apple's Steve Jobs, may play a vital role ensuring Apple's famous design style endures as the company navigates life without Jobs following his resignation. The 44 year-old senior vice president of industrial design is a Cupertino transplant from the U.K., born in Essex, England and educated at Newcastle's polytechnic. He keeps a low profile, rarely granting interviews or attending the company's splashy product launches. Jobs recruited Ive to the design team in 1998 and the two have since led one of the most successful teams in the tech world. Early on, Ive was the force behind splashing color on iMacs, a move that became an instant design classic. Ive is also credited with helping design the iPod, which sparked Apple's comeback, as well as the iPad, which seemingly created a brand new market and pushed the company ahead of competition. Launched in 2010, the iPad was the pioneer in what is today known as the tablet market. The hybrid device borrowed from other innovations, connecting to iTunes so users could purchase songs and movies and download smartphone-like apps. It also featured an iBooks component that capitalized on emerging e-readers while remaining an original creation in its own right. Ive is more a complement to Jobs than a contrast. He shares the founder's basic design theory, including a strong commitment to both functionality and minimalism, a focus on the look and feel of a product, and an exacting rigor even in the smallest details. As a result, with Ive remaining as design head at Apple, he will likely continue Apple's clean, modernist aesthetic, even as Jobs takes on a reduced role as chairman. "Ive prefers to be engrossed in fundamentals and has very little interest in personal publicity," said fellow British designer Steven Bayley. "To him, the way a thing is made is fundamental to its character." Bayley went on to say that it is impossible to say where the engineering ends and the 'design' begins because it is a continuum. While Ive seems firmly ensconced with the company, some in the design community question whether or not Ive will remain with Apple, especially without the close working relationship with Jobs. And company dynamics may also change internally with Tim Cook now at the helm. Jobs invested heavily in industrial design, more than usual with large companies, allowing the design team to buy expensive prototyping equipment for work onsite and inventing new production techniques. Cook, known for his operations efficiency, may change that, and in design, where subtle shifts to save costs can have major impact, that may have alter Apple's designs and overall commitment to aesthetics. No matter what happens to Apple, however, Ive has made an impact beyond the company. Beyond the financial success his work with Apple won him, along with the high-praise of his peers, Ive was also awarded the CBE, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. The original iPod he helped create has joined a permanent collection in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. |
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