Apple This

Target, in my opinion, is one of the greatest stores on the planet. The ones around my neck of the woods literally have everything: clothes, electronics, movies, toys, games, cameras, home goods, food and even a Starbucks, Pizza Hut and food court. So, whenever I go into Target, I can’t help but say to myself, “How could this place possibly get any better?” By adding an Apple store, that’s how.

Reuters had originally reported that Target would be installing special displays for Apple products in concordance with a new effort known as “The Shops of Target”, something the retailer announced last week. Target will begin with 25 stores around the country, which is the same number that was initially reported by Apple Insider last week as well.

The Cupertino giant already offers a plethora of devices and accessories at Target, though selection is limited to iOS products like the iPhone, iPod and iPad. The mini Apple stores found within other big name retailers, like Best Buy, include all of that with the addition of Apple computers.

A spokesman for Target could not confirm nor deny whether or not these new mini Apple stores inside of Target would include Apple’s computers as well, though it stands to reason that, if Apple is making a big deal out of it like they are, we may very well see Apple computers added to the list.

Other companies, like Wal-Mart, already offer limited selections on laptops though none offer complete Apple computers. Should Target begin retailing Apple’s famous computers, we could very well see Target become the next big thing in the retail market. I know that this definitely excites me because it gives me yet another thing to look at during one of my many trips to Target on the weekends.

Source: CNET – Target confirms plans for mini Apple stores

Put your eye on the problem with Camera Security Now, installing security cameras since 1999. We install in the US and we can help you do it yourself.

Call us toll free 877-422-1907 between 8am EST and 5pm PST M-F. Talk to an expert about your serious security camera needs.

Think wearable computers are only things Marty McFly can get ahold of? Think again, because Apple is apparently working on designs for wearable computers and has even gone as far as to create a few prototypes, just because they can. Multiple unnamed sources are claiming that a small team at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California are hard at work on these devices, as well as concepts for other wearable computer products.

The New York Times reports that Apple’s wearable computer concept will include devices that transmit data to your iPhone or display information on iPod screens. Apple is also said to be playing with the idea of a wrist watch-style iPod that has a curved glass surface along with a Siri voice control interface.

The curved glass surface idea began as a rumor in the beginning of 2011, though at the time it was also assumed that the glass was for the next generation iPhone. That rumor, however, quickly became debunked when the iPhone 4S was released with the exact same screen format as the previous iPhone 4. Though, maybe the rumor isn’t false and is simply referring to the iPhone 5?

It seems likely that Apple is working on new designs and accessories for these wearable computers since iPods, iPads and iPhones are already extremely portable. Wearable devices seem like the next logical step for Apple though the sources are saying that just because Apple has prototypes does not mean we will be seeing these devices anytime soon.

Regardless, Apple is already teasing consumers with wearable tech with the iPod Shuffle and the new version of the iPod Nano. The new iteration of the Nano includes a lot of watch faces and some companies have even made wrist bands specifically designed to hold the iPod like a standard wristwatch.

Nevertheless, the mere thought of Apple bringing together the iPhone, wireless data technology and Siri onto a single, wearable device is definitely exciting and something that many people are praying the company is actually serious about bringing to life. I just hope they find a way to recreate the hoverboard from Back to the Future. If there is a company alive today that can do so, it is definitely Apple.

Source: The Mac Observer – Apple Working on Wearable Computer Prototypes

Put your eye on the problem with Camera Security Now, installing security cameras since 1999. We install in the US and we can help you do it yourself.

Call us toll free 877-422-1907 between 8am EST and 5pm PST M-F. Talk to an expert about your serious security camera needs.

An interesting bit of news came out of Apple recently as the company sent out an email to registered developers that is definitely going to raise some eyebrows. As of March 2012, Apple will require all apps submitted to the company’s app store to implement sandboxing. However, this isn’t an entirely new development as Apple was originally going to require sandboxing starting in November of this year. It appears as if Apple delayed the initiation of the rule for another few months, though the fact that the requirement will exist at all may pose problems for some Mac developers.

Many people are wondering what is prompting this action from Apple and the answer is security. According to the company in a recent statement, “Sandboxing your app is a great way to protect systems and users by limiting the resources apps can access and making it more difficult for malicious software to compromise users’ systems. As of March 1, 2012 all apps submitted to the Mac App Store must implement sandboxing.” While the company’s intentions are noble, the all-or-nothing approach is potentially problematic for sure.

Over recent months, a plethora of some of the biggest developers in the app world have been pointing out the flaws and shortcomings of Apple’s sandboxing approach. These include a buggy Carbon implementation as well as questionable support for most AppleScript-centric automation tools. Other big names in the app community, like Jason Snell and Andy Ihnatko, have also chipped in their two cents with both parties concerned that sandboxing may eventually lead to a dumbing down of the Mac App Store options or the death of AppleScript entirely.

On a lighter note, Apple does allow for a few exceptions to its upcoming sandboxing policy. According to the company, “If your app requires access to sandboxed system resources, you will need to include justification for using those entitlements as part of the submission to the Mac App Store.” However, Apple did follow this up with some bad news saying, “Apps that are being re-engineered to be sandbox compatible may request additional temporary entitlements. These entitlements are granted on a short-term basis and will be phased out over time.”

However, it may do everybody some good to look at the fact that unlike the iOS platform, the Mac App Store is not the only legitimate platform to get apps onto your Mac computer. On the other hand, that probably doesn’t do much for developers who have found the Mac App Store an easier and more lucrative channel for app distribution as opposed to the conventional methods. But then again, who knows how long it will be before Apple restricts all apps on Mac devices to go through the Mac App Store and not another platform?

With all that said, this policy is a bit extreme, much like the rule of “no third-party IDEs” for the iOS platform Apple made last year. This policy also seems to be more like something a committee created that seemed like a good idea at the time. However, it will more likely than not be modified or deprecated once the real-world implications for the Mac platform become evident. The simple fact that Apple has already delayed the launch of the rule by five months indicates that Apple may be working on further reprieves or workarounds for developers with affected products.

Source: TUAW – Apple to require sandboxing in Mac App Store apps as of March 2012

A Tech Travel Agent can get a laptop rentalto you within 24 business hours in over 1000 cities worldwide. Call 800-736-8772We have 3987 Installers, Technicians and Engineers stationed in nearly 1000 locations worldwide to serve you.

In an ongoing investigation, even more local Chinese retailers have been found to be selling Apple computers and products under the Apple name, without the permission of Apple itself.

Reuters has reported that 22 more unauthorized Apple retailers have been identified by Chinese authorities in Kunming, located in the southwest region of China. As a result of the bust, the retailers have been forced to discontinue the use of any Apple branding in their stores, mimicking a similar effort that started earlier this week in Beijing.

These crackdowns come a little less than a month after a high-profile blog post on the phony shops, which featured a lookalike shop in Kunming, which led to the closing of two stores in the area. A Reuters story a few days later noted that the same investigation that led to those closures also found out that all of the five Apple stores in the area were selling Apple-made products purchased from third-party authorized resellers.

A report from China Day earlier in the week stated that officials in Beijing have taken steps to keep fake Apple retail stores in the area from duping customers, forcing them to cover up any Apple branding from the front of their stores.

While Apple has yet to comment on the fake stores, Reuters noted that the investigation that led to the identification of the 22 stores originated from Apple China targeting the stores for unfair competition and trademark violations.

Apple filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the U.S. a couple of weeks ago which suggests that the company has been busy on a similar effort here in the states. The suit, which was filed in New York, takes aim at three companies and 52 individuals.

Source: CNET – Report: 22 more fake Apple stores found in China

Security Camera Solutions

Apple’s 27-inch LED cinema display could very well be joining a whole host of other Apple products that support the new, and faster, Thunderbolt technology.

A bunch of non-posted images found their way over to MacRumors from Apple.com showing the company’s $999 display. However, these weren’t your mother’s displays as these pics showed a new display number and a new background to match the default Mac OS X Lion background, set to be released next week.

The part number was the exact same one that was believed to previously be that of a newer version of Apple’s entry-level MacBook from a supposed parts list that surfaced early on in the week. It is also worth noting that there are no images of the back of this display. The current one supports three USB 2.0 ports but no mini-Displayport, which has been replaced by Thunderbolt in newer Mac models. However, in the picture located above, it appears that two newer models are plugged into each other.

This could foreshadow Apple allowing users to extend the displays via USB, though a more likely solution is that Apple is adding a Thunderbolt port to the devices. This would be smart if Apple really wants to get people into using Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt, if you don’t already know, allows users to daisy-chain Thunderbolt-equipped devices to one another.

Thunderbolt was birthed from the collaborative efforts of Apple and Intel and is an input/output technology that promises to allow transfer speeds exceeding the ones currently available by USB 3.0. In addition to that, it is also designed to extend that speed across several devices simultaneously.

This technology makes use of existing Displayport and PCI-Express data protocols in order to open up what is possible with a single port. This includes “daisy chaining” as many as seven Thunderbolt-equipped devices while still retaining full speed across all devices.

Source: CNET – Images hint at Thunderbolt-equipped Apple display

Rack-Mount Server rentals are ideal if your company needs an extra storage unit for company information while you are testing various types of storage solutions.

So Apple’s annual developers conference is coming up, but don’t bother looking up tickets because Apple sold out of them on Monday. Yeah, they sold out already, and in record time nonetheless. With fast ticket sellouts come quick scalpers and that is definitely the story here. Many people are scalping tickets to the event on sites such as eBay and Craigslist with prices reaching as high as $4,599, which is nearly triple the sticker price of $1,599.

The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) runs from June 6th to June 10th, 2011  and was sold out as of Monday, March 28th, 2011 in less than 12 hours which was dramatically faster than last year when it took a lousy eight days to sell out. 2009 wasn’t even close when it took almost a month to sell out. Tickets for this year’s WWDC were priced at $1,599, the same as they were for the 2010 edition.

Apple allows developers to buy multiple tickets with extra activation codes in order to hand them out to colleagues. However, some of these developers are taking advantage of the sellout and are selling their extra tickets at extremely high prices. The ticket with the highest bid that I have seen so far stood at $3,000.

A pair of tickets seen on the New York and San Francisco editions of Craigslist have been priced at $2,400 and $2,500. A seller in California had priced his extra ticket at $2,000 and increased the price by $500 a few hours later.

According to Rohit Sethi, the man in California selling the ticket, “I can deal for $2,500 only and by bank transfer. If you have any friends in the bay area, I can give them the code in person and they can activate on the spot too for authenticity by giving money in person.”

The only people allowed to attend the event are Apple-registered developers but the entry bar is low. Programmers only have to pay $99 for a one-year membership to Apple’s developer program and that’s it, there are no other eligibility requirements.

One good thing, for developers that is, is that Apple does not explicitly restrict the resale of WWDC tickets. Apple has not immediately replied to questions about their resale policy or whether or not they will take any action against people who resell WWDC tickets.

Scott Schwarzhoff, Vice President of Marketing for Appcelerator, the company known best for their multi-platform Titanium development tool, was not surprised about how fast the tickets for the event sold out. According to him, “The message from Jobs at the launch of the iPad 2, that this is the ‘post-PC world’ is hitting home. If you want to be part of that post-PC world, as a developer you need a ticket, and that ticket is WWDC.”

Schwarzhoff also argued that even though the iPod and iPhone have been successes for Apple, the iPad is the first device that has really grabbed the attention of business software developers. “You’re seeing demand from the more traditional IT and computing industry because of the iPad,” said Schwarzhoff. “The iPad is affecting areas that previously weren’t affected by a pure consumer device.”

It has already been noted that this year’s conference is expected to focus primarily on software as opposed to hardware and that the iPhone 5 will most likely not be in attendance. This intrigues me. With one of the most anticipated devices since the iPad 2 not coming out at the conference it surprises me that the conference sold out so fast.

But if you want a ticket to the show, you had better hit up eBay or Craigslist, and you must also be ready to part with about $2,000 to $3,000 at least.

Source: ComputerWorld – Apple’s WWDC sells out; scalpers price tickets up to $4,600

A Copier Rental is a quick way to mass produce important documents for potential customers at an event or conference. Renting office equipment is simple and easy and it can also save you loads of time and money. Rentacomputer.com has been offering copier rentals to more than 1000 cities worldwide for over 20 years.

Apple just recently released a new report detailing the progress of its suppliers in maintaining a set of higher standards in social responsibility. According to this latest report, Apple conducted audits on 127 facilities the company uses around the world. Of those 127 facilities, 97 were new facilities that have never been audited while 30 facilities were repeat audits. It is true that a lot of different consumer electronics companies around the world use these same companies, but over 40% of them stated that Apple was the first company to audit their facilities.

Probably the most publicized supplier for Apple is Foxconn. Foxconn gained media attention after a rash of worker suicides took place at the facility last year. This obviously didn’t sit well with Apple, so in order to address the situation, COO of Apple Tim Cook was joined by suicide prevention specialists for a visit to the factory which is headquartered in Taiwan.

According to Apple, its team worked with the management team at Foxconn in order to ensure measures were established to prevent further suicides. An independent review was also commissioned for Foxconn’s facility. Reviewers interviewed over 1,000 workers about their quality of life at Foxconn. According to Apple’s report, Foxconn had nothing to do with the independent study.

In addition to the audits on the facilities, Apple said that more than 300,000 workers and 6,000 supervisors have been trained over the last two years in worker’s rights, labor laws and safety among other topics. According to Apple, they have been “aggressive in helping underage workers return to their families and get back to school.” If any underage workers are found, Apple said it requires the supplier to pay for the education expenses, a living stipend and lost wages for six months or until the worker turns 16, whichever is longer.

Source: cnet News – Apple reports on Foxconn, supplier workplace standards

Power Point Projectors
Are Great for Business Meetings

Most business class projectors will do a good job displaying your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a small presentation group, a 2000 lumen LCD projector will be able to produce a nice and clear picture. For larger audiences you should consider a 5000 lumen LCD projector.

At this year’s Mac Expo there was a lot to enjoy including iPhone cases encrusted with crystals and iPad apps for star-gazing. However, everything seemed to be muted considering the fact that the patriarch of all of these products was absent at the annual gathering of Apple enthusiasts.

The crowd was down to 25,000 from the 40,000 to 50,000 people that are usually there when Apple itself is heavily involved and the company’s CEO Steve Jobs stars in presentations that include unveiling new devices like the iPhone. Unfortunately, Apple pulled out of the show in 2010 but engineers from the company still make pilgrimages to Macworld in order to see what entrepreneurs and fans are making of their products.

According to Anna-Marie Pardini, who is in charge of maintaining the relationship between HP and Apple, “The energy is still really high. The nature of the show has definitely changed. Eleven years ago there were no iTunes, no iPhone and, until recently, there was no iPad.”  Pardini went on to say, “You’ve seen Apple expanding and changing markets and changing the way we do things. It is like never stepping into the same river twice.”

The expo floor had anything and everything from data storage devices and computer security services to applications for playing or working on Apple devices. SouthernStars.com showed off something known as Sky Safari software which essentially turns your iPad into a “window into the night sky.” A newly launched Sky Wire cable allows people to use their iPhone to command telescopes to automatically find celestial objects.

There were a whole slew of iPhone cases which included one coated in Swarvoski crystals glued on by hand in tiger, parrot, skull, frog and other patterns with prices ranging from $300 to $350. A rhinestone covered Luxmo iPhone case was also on display, priced at $75. According to David Fung of Luxmo, “Apple people enjoy making a statement.”

US+U claimed to have the most functional iPad case that included a cuff on the back as a handle allowing you to hold your iPad single-handedly in a fashion similar to a paint palette. A Waterproof Dry Case was created to vacuum seal smartphones in plastic while at the same time allowing users to plug in headsets and listen to music.

“You could be in a sandstorm or out in the water and not have to worry about it,” Jordan Messick of Dry Corp told AFP. “If nothing else survives, at least your iPhone is going to.”

A Boom application which pumped up sound coming from Macintosh or iPad speakers was among ten products awarded “Best of Macworld” honors. Another winner was Ten One Design, a startup that invented Fling joysticks which stick onto iPad faces in order to provide video game console controls.

A lot of great products were on display at Macworld but the overall feel of the show was seriously dampened with the absence of Apple and Steve Jobs. With Jobs’  health issues and no new products from Apple it’s unclear when Apple may return.

Source: Canada.com

A Tech Travel Agent can get a laptop rental to you within 24 business hours in over 1000 cities worldwide. Call 800-736-8772

There’s the pitch from Jobs, swung on and a miss! Strike two for the “Anti-Gay” app. That’s right, Apple has once again rejected this so-called “anti-gay” app from the Apple App Store for the second time. The app, known as the “Manhattan Declaration”, was kicked from the app store late in November after a petition, started by Change.org, gathered 7,700 signatures in protest.

The first version of the app that was rejected asked users to answer a four question survey with one of the questions being “Do you support same-sex relationships?”. If answered “yes”, the app told you that the answer was incorrect. In the resubmitted app, the developers removed the survey. However GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) had this to say about it:

“The Declaration is a 4,700-word statement signed by many Christian religious leaders and citizens that claims to speak ‘in defense of the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty. It issues a clarion call to Christians to adhere firmly to their convictions in these three areas.’ It calls relationships among LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans-gendered) people ‘immoral sexual partnerships,’ and says marriage ‘is not a civil right’ for them, among sending other anti-LGBT messages.”

According to Apple, their second rejection was for the same reasons as the first which was that the app is likely “to expose a group to harm” and “to be objectionable and potentially harmful to others.” Apple says that both of these things are in direct violation of the iOS SDK Terms of Service. It has also been reported that the developers of the app plan on taking the issue to the Apple’s App Review Board after the holidays.

As it has been noted with the first rejection of the app, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, is the ultimate appeal board. He is in control of almost every decision at Apple and is most definitely in control if anything controversial or potentially reputation-threatening appears in the media. There is no question that he will be directly involved in this case. The bad thing for the developers is that Steve Jobs is a famous liberal, so chances of an appeal going further with Apple are probably slim to none with slim about ready to walk out the door.

Source: Examiner.com

A Copier Rental is a quick way to mass produce important documents for potential customers at an event or conference. Renting office equipment is simple and easy and it can also save you loads of time and money. Rentacomputer.com has been offering copier rentals to more than 1000 cities worldwide for over 20 years.

When Apple opened their very first retail store in Glendale, California, nobody believed that it would attain the cult status that it has. Passionate fans of Apple have consider it a pilgrimage to travel to the store solely for the reason that it is Apple Store #1.

The Apple Store located in the Glendale Galleria was actually opened at the exact same time as another Apple Store in Virginia though the California store is listed in the Apple books as the first store. What is considered an unassuming and uncool location still attracts large attention from Mac fans.

According to author Sarah McBride, “Some visitors return home and brag online about purchasing gear at the Glendale branch, part of a vigorous game of one-upsmanship about the number and quality of the Apple Stores they have visited.”

McBride went on to say that “To find the Glendale store, customers navigate past a crowded food court, ascend your average, everyday escalator and look for the familiar silver Apple hidden among stores like a discount men’s suit shop and a teen-fashion retailer.”

The contrast between Apple’s first Glendale store and their new megastore in Shanghai is intense with the Shanghai store containing a massive cylindrical glass entrance which houses stairs that take customers  below ground into the store. Another contrast is the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan which is Apple’s most profitable store.

Employees of Apple’s retail stores often ask for transfers to the store in Glendale due to the incredible popularity and distinction of the store. Customers of the Glendale store also remark about how the employees there seem more knowledgeable about Apple and its products.

The first Apple Retail Stores opened on May 19, 2001 in McLean, Virginia at the Tyson’s Corner Mall and in Glendale, California at the Glendale Galleria. The retail stores for Apple have become an important part of the growth of the Mac as Apple reports about every quarter that nearly half of the Macs sold in retail stores are to customers who have never owned one before.

Need a PC Server on a temporary basis? Renting for a 3 month project can save thousands of dollars. Consider a server rental from Rentacomputer.com.
Contact me, your Tech Travel Agent from Rentacomputer.com at 800-736-8772.