So you don’t have to show up in person at an Apple store to get your phone fixed, which allows the common scenario of the boss sending his or her assistant to get repairs. Similarly, someone who bought their phone from someone else can get a repair without a hassle.

This approach thrills many Apple owners, who have boasted on message boards of how generous some stores have been in replacing broken iPhones. But that same approach has apparently rewarded a lot of thieves. The ease of trading in stolen iPhones and selling their replacements makes them nearly as tempting as grabbing cash.

In cities from coast-to-coast, reports of iPhone thefts are common. While some thieves sell the phones through the traditional channels of fencing stolen goods, examples abound of stolen iPhones being brought back to Apple, as if broken, for either replacement or a discount on a new unit.

“Apple seems to have not considered stolen devices and instead is relying on the honor system,” says Robert Siciliano, a consultant for Intel Corp’s technology security unit McAfee and an identity theft expert. “The honor system is devised with the mindset that we are all sheep and there are no wolves.”

Siciliano says he has known of this problem for a while, but doesn’t see any immediate solution. “Until consumers scream loud enough about this issue, Apple probably won’t do anything about it.”

MIT graduate student Kayla Menard is among those who wants her voice to be heard screaming. She was sending a text from her 3-month-old iPhone while waiting for a train at Boston’s Park Street Station last month when someone snatched it from her hand and ran.

Days later she received an automated email that her damaged phone was repaired at an Apple Store. She went to the store to try to get back her phone, but they wouldn’t hand it over to her, and she was told there was nothing they could do. “Because I don’t have possession of the phone, they won’t help me at all,” she says.

Menard says she was astonished to find out that Apple wouldn’t help, even though they had her phone. Because someone else had brought in the phone, she was told, the store could not return it to her. She says she believes the thief was sold a new phone at a discount.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue of stolen iPhones being turned in at Applestores, where they are either replaced or turned in for discounted replacement phones. The cost of an iPhone 4s starts at $199 and goes to $399, depending on how much memory it has, when a purchaser also gets a two-year contract with a carrier. The cost is considerably higher without a contract.

Just how popular are iPhones for thieves? An internal New York City Police report found that cell phones and other gadgets were the target of half of the 16,000 robberies reported in New York between January and October 2011 and that 70 percent of all phones taken from subway and bus passengers were iPhones, according to the New York Daily News, which obtained the never-released document.

That’s not a surprise to Michele Bosler, claims supervisor for gadget insurer Worth Ave. Group, who explains that it has always been the case. “They are the most commonly stolen phone, but that has not increased in volume since they first came out onto the market.”

Frustrated with Apple’s role after the theft of her phone, Menard says she found her carrier, Verizon Wireless, to be sympathetic. She had already reported the device stolen and had it disabled. Employees of Verizon Wireless — a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc– expressed their frustration, she says, that the Apple store never checked to see whose phone they had.

Verizon Wireless spokesman Paul Macchia declined to comment, saying the questions should be directed to Apple. Mark Siegel, spokesman for AT&T Inc , which until last year was the only carrier supporting iPhones, responded similarly and would not discuss the problem or what the company tells customers who have their phones stolen.

Meanwhile, the continuing problem of iPhone thefts has spurred the growth of applications intended to help users protect their data and catch thieves. Perhaps the most notable one is called iGotYa, which takes a photo of anyone who incorrectly types in the password on a locked phone. The photo is then emailed to the owner’s email address along with the location where the photo was taken. It’s probably not the solution, but it is an amusing idea.

source form: yahoo

When you tap the screen, Viggle’s software for iPhones and iPads listens to what’s on, recognizes what you’re watching and gives you credit at roughly two points per minute. It even works for shows you’ve saved on a digital video recorder.

Rack up 7,500 points, and you’ll be rewarded with a $5 gift card from retailers such as Burger King, Starbucks, Apple’s iTunes, Best Buy and CVS, which you can redeem directly from your device.

With some back-of-the-envelope math, you can figure that it would take three weeks of watching TV every night for three hours to earn enough for a latte at Starbucks.

But the company plans to offer bonus points for checking into certain shows such as “American Idol” and 1,500 points for signing up. You can also get extra points for watching an ad on your device. The beta version awarded 100 points for watching a 15-second ad from Verizon Wireless.

“Viggle is the first loyalty program for TV,” said Chris Stephenson, president of the company behind Viggle, Function (X) Inc. “We’re basically allowing people to get rewards for doing something they’re doing already and that they love to do.”

The idea behind Viggle is that if people have an added reason to watch TV, the size of the audience will increase, allowing makers of shows to earn more money from advertisers. Advertisers such as Burger King, Pepsi and Gatorade have also agreed to pay to have point-hungry users watch their ads on a mobile device.

In exchange, users earn points, which Viggle converts into real value by buying gift cards at a slight discount from retailers.

If the company gets the point-count economy right, it can end up making more money from advertisers and networks than it gives away in rewards.

The app will also give the company valuable insight into who is watching what, as redeeming rewards requires putting in your age, gender, email address and ZIP code.

“It really shows what social TV is going to evolve into,” said Michael Gartenberg, a technology analyst at research firm Gartner. “For folks behind the scenes, this is a great way of seeing who really is watching.”

The company hopes that user activity will grow by word of mouth, especially by offering a 200-point bonus to people who successfully get their friends to try out the service.

The app made its debut in Apple Inc.’s app store on Wednesday. Versions for Android devices and computers are in the works.

The company has put in some safeguards. You must watch a show at least 10 minutes to earn bonus points. And you can’t watch the same ad over and over again to earn more points; there’s a one-ad-view-per-person rule.

Function (X) is owned and led by entertainment entrepreneur Robert F.X. Sillerman, who once owned a big stake in “American Idol” owner CKx Inc. That gives the company deep and broad connections in the entertainment business.

Function (X) has brought in $100 million in investment capital. Its stock trades on the Pink Sheets, a platform that allows people to buy shares but doesn’t require the company release its financial results. Function (X) currently has a market value of about $1 billion.

source form: yahoo

Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in the fourth quarter, growing 2-1/2 fold from 10.7 million a year earlier, the research firm said.

“Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others have been driving volumes,” analyst Neil Mawston said in a statement.

Android’s market share rose to 39 percent from 29 percent a year earlier, while Apple’s share slipped to 58 percent from 68 percent a year before.

The tablet computer market grew 260 percent last year to 66.9 million units as consumers are increasingly buying tablets in preference to netbooks and even entry-level notebooks or desktops.

Strategy Analytics said Microsoft had a 1 percent share of the global tablet market last quarter.

source form: yahoo

While the No. 2 U.S. wireless provider beat analysts’ expectations for subscriber additions, the growth came at a massive cost as itswireless service margins plummeted.

On top of the $4 billion break-up package charge, AT&T also took a big impairment charge for its telephone directory business, which it said it was considering selling.

While advanced devices like iPhones can help subscriber numbers and revenue, they also shrink earnings as operators like AT&T and its bigger rival Verizon Wirelessheavily subsidize the devices to attract customers to two-year contracts.

AT&T’s wireless service margin fell to 28.7 percent, based on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, from 43.7 percent in the third quarter and 37.6 percent a year earlier, missing already low analysts’ expectations.

“If there’s any reason to be upset, it certainly is the margins,” said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Chris King, who had expected a margin of 32 percent. However, he noted that strong smartphone sales should help AT&T in the long run.

Its shares were off 2 percent after the news. In a bid to help stem the decline, AT&T said it would begin to aggressively buy back shares under its 300 million share buyback plan.

In his first presentation to investors since the December collapse of his $39 billion bid to buy Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA , Chief Executive Randall Stephenson spent much of the earnings call criticizing the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for opposing the deal.

Stephenson, who had argued that AT&T needed the deal to get more wireless spectrum to support increasing demand for wireless data, said he would buy more spectrum once he is clear on the FCC’s spectrum rules.

“My interpretation is these rules are so fluid you could drink out of them with a straw right now,” he told analysts.

EYES MARGIN IMPROVEMENT

AT&T, which would have vaulted to first place in the U.S. mobile market if it had purchased No. 4 ranked T-Mobile USA, added 717,000 subscribers in the quarter, beating the average expectation for 570,000 from seven analysts.

But its subscriber growth still lagged well behind Verizon Wireless, whose parent Verizon Communications reported 1.2 million subscribers in the quarter on Tuesday at its wireless venture with Vodafone Group Plc. Verizon Wireless margins were also hurt by smartphone sales, but not as much as AT&T. [ID:nL2E8CO1WK]

Roe Equity Research analyst Kevin Roe said that only time will tell if the race to sign on smartphone customers will be worth the massive drag on margins.

“Its not getting easier. It will be tougher in 2012,” he said. “The cost to capture and retain customers will increase as competition increases.”

AT&T said it expects to increase wireless margins to around 40 percent this year from 38.1 percent in 2011. The target assumes that 2012 smartphone sales will be similar to 2011, when the company sold 25 million smartphones.

AT&T forecast earnings growth in the mid-single-digit percentage range or better for 2012 and said it may be able to accelerate its earnings growth rate after 2012.

It forecast growth of about 2 percent for wireless average monthly revenue per user in 2012 and promised overall revenue growth without giving a specific target.

“They should at least do that. Hopefully they do better than 2 percent,” said Roe.

Along with pushing advanced phones, operators are spending billions of dollars on upgrading their networks. Like AT&T and Verizon Wireless, smaller rival Sprint Nextel is also upgrading its network for advanced services this year.

On top of this, analysts see T-Mobile USA as a big competitive threat as it will be desperate to attract new subscribers growth since its AT&T deal failed.

AT&T posted a fourth-quarter loss of $6.68 billion, or $1.12 per share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $1.09 billion, or 18 cents per share.

Excluding the special charges, AT&T earned 42 cents per share, a penny below Wall Street expectations, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose to $32.5 billion from $31.36 billion, compared with Wall Street expectations for $31.97 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company said it has set aside a budget of $20 billion for 2012 capital spending, similar to 2011 levels.

Shares of AT&T were down 2.21 percent at $29.54 in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

source form: yahoo

Edison, the creator of the light bulb and phonograph, among many other inventions, earned the top title among 52 percent of those polled by Lemelson-MIT, a program that tries to honor inventors who have improved our lives and gauge peoples’ perceptions about innovation.

Often lauded for his spirit of creativity, especially following his death, Jobs took second place with 24 percent citing him as the greatest innovator of all time.

The results surprised the researchers at Lemelson-MIT since the survey was aimed at people in the U.S. from 16 to 25 years old, an age group considered part of the “Apple generation.” In fact, when asked how smartphones and tablets influence their lives, 40 percent of those polled said they couldn’t imagine their lives without such devices.

In a further nod to past innovators, those polled put Alexander Graham Bell in third place for his invention of the phone, followed by Marie Curie for her work in the field of radioactivity.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took the fifth spot, with aviator Amelia Earhart up next. Rounding out the list was Temple Grandin, who has earned respect as a doctor of animal science and inventor despite being autistic.

Both Earhart and Grandin have been the subjects of recent movies.

Looking beyond the list, Lemelson-MIT found that people value innovation but feel it doesn’t merit the attention it deserves. Around half of those polled think that a lack of invention will hurt the U.S. economy. But they don’t necessarily feel qualified to take up the mantle themselves

A full 60 percent believe there are certain factors that would prevent them from pursuing an education or job in science, technology, math, and related fields. And almost half (45 percent) don’t think that invention receives enough attention in their schools.

“Hands-on invention activities are critical, but few too many students have opportunities to learn and develop their inventive skills,” Leigh Estabrooks, the Lemelson-MIT Program’s invention education officer, said in a statement. “This year’s survey revealed that less than half of respondents have done things like used a drill or hand-held power tool, or made something out of raw materials in the past year. We must engage students in these types of invention experiences as well as provide a strong STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education to drive future innovators.”

Now in its 16th year, the latest Lemelson-MIT Invention Index polled 1,010 people altogether between December 9 and 15 of last year.

source form: cnet

It may not be the much-anticipated Apple TV set, but it does provide a hint or two about a control system for such a device.

Chronicled by Apple Insider this morning, the patent filing details plans for a universal remote control system that uses a touchscreen to let users control multiple devices around their house. That includes the TV, stereo, and even the MP3 player on a user’s computer.

The patent application, which Apple filed for in September of last year and published this morning, makes the argument that remote controls have become overly complicated, and that configuring and using those remotes is even more cumbersome (emphasis mine):

Manufacturers have created so-called universal remote controls, which can be trained to mimic several remote controls, and can then control each appliance for which they have been trained. While universal remote controls attempt to address the problem of multiple remote controls, these devices are even more complex to operate, further confusing the user. Additionally, a universal remote control may not be able to duplicate every command sequence designed into a remote control designed for the appliance, and for future appliances.

Apple’s solution is to scan for other devices and automatically add them to the system, displaying relevant menus and controls on the screen and letting users hop back and forth between devices. The system can also continuously scan for devices in range, graying out or removing ones that are no longer there to keep things tidy.

Of course touchscreen universal remotes are nothing new. Logitech and other companies have been offering such devices for years. So far, Apple’s only foray into the space has been a remote control app that controls its Apple TV set top box, and provides access to iTunes libraries that have home sharing enabled on the same Wi-Fi network.

Third-party companies like L5 Technologyhave also come up with infrared add-ons that can plug into iOS devices and use an app to control IR appliances.

This is, however, the latest patent application from Apple to take aim at remote controls for gadgets. One that cropped up in early 2008 detailed a Nintendo Wii-like remote that would track remote movements in a 3D space, potentially for use with its Apple TV set top box.

In 2005 the company has also explored customizable remote control-like devices as hardware add-ons to its computers and other portable devices in a separate patent application. A report in the New York Times last October suggested Apple would forgo remote control hardware entirely if it ever made a TV set, choosing to use its Siri voice assistant instead.

source form: cnet

The show started today at Moscone Center North here, and though Macworld no longer attracts the big crowds and big-name vendors it once did, I saw plenty of enthusiastic vendors and showgoers checking out the latest wares for Mac and other Apple products.

When Apple stopped presenting at Macworld in 2009, everyone wondered what would become of the show. As Apple’s launching point for new products until 2009, Macworlds of the past often took up two giant rooms at Moscone Center and everyone involved with making Macs, iPhones, and the products that surround them would come for the event. Ever since Apple stopped showing at Macworld and making product announcements on its own, the show has lost some of its magic, but you wouldn’t know that by talking to some of the vendors on the floor.

In this slideshow, I give you a taste of what it’s like to walk around the floor from my perspective. I couldn’t take pictures of everything, but hopefully it will give those who have never been an idea of what it’s like to check out the yearly Macworld show in its current state.

source form: cnet

Yesterday, The New York Times published an exhaustive report that profiled hazardous factory conditions linked to scores of injuries and a handful of deaths. The report recounted an explosion at a plant in Chengdu that killed four, focusing on the final months for Lai Xiaodong, a 22-year-old who had worked a few months at the Foxconn Technologies plant where the iPad is produced.

One former Foxconn executive told the Times that “Apple never cared about anything other than increasing product quality and decreasing production cost.” Perhaps more troubling was the insight of a former Apple executive, who said: “We’ve known about labor abuses in some factories for four years, and they’re still going on.”

Apple did not respond to a request for comment from CNET last night, but Cook addressed the issues highlighted in the report in an e-mail sent to employees today, a copy of which was obtained by 9to5mac.

“We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain,” Cook said. “Any accident is deeply troubling, and any issue with working conditions is cause for concern. Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us.”

Cook pointed out that Apple conducts annual audits of its component suppliers and focuses on educating workers about their rights: “Every year we inspect more factories, raising the bar for our partners and going deeper into the supply chain. As we reported earlier this month, we’ve made a great deal of progress and improved conditions for hundreds of thousands of workers. We know of no one in our industry doing as much as we are, in as many places, touching as many people.”

Cook also told employees that Apple would not “stand still or turn a blind eye to problems in our supply chain. On this you have my word.” Cook’s e-mail:

 Team,

As a company and as individuals, we are defined by our values. Unfortunately some people are questioning Apple’s values today, and I’d like to address this with you directly. We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. Any accident is deeply troubling, and any issue with working conditions is cause for concern. Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us. As you know better than anyone, accusations like these are contrary to our values. It’s not who we are.

For the many hundreds of you who are based at our suppliers’ manufacturing sites around the world, or spend long stretches working there away from your families, I know you are as outraged by this as I am. For the people who aren’t as close to the supply chain, you have a right to know the facts.

Every year we inspect more factories, raising the bar for our partners and going deeper into the supply chain. As we reported earlier this month, we’ve made a great deal of progress and improved conditions for hundreds of thousands of workers. We know of no one in our industry doing as much as we are, in as many places, touching as many people.

At the same time, no one has been more up front about the challenges we face. We are attacking problems aggressively with the help of the world’s foremost authorities on safety, the environment, and fair labor. It would be easy to look for problems in fewer places and report prettier results, but those would not be the actions of a leader.

Earlier this month we opened our supply chain for independent evaluations by the Fair Labor Association. Apple was in a unique position to lead the industry by taking this step, and we did it without hesitation. This will lead to more frequent and more transparent reporting on our supply chain, which we welcome. These are the kinds of actions our customers expect from Apple, and we will take more of them in the future.

We are focused on educating workers about their rights, so they are empowered to speak up when they see unsafe conditions or unfair treatment. As you know, more than a million people have been trained by our program.

We will continue to dig deeper, and we will undoubtedly find more issues. What we will not do–and never have done–is stand still or turn a blind eye to problems in our supply chain. On this you have my word. You can follow our progress at apple.com/supplierresponsibility.

To those within Apple who are tackling these issues every day, you have our thanks and admiration. Your work is significant and it is changing people’s lives. We are all proud to work alongside you.

source form: cnet

As the former vice president of retail at Apple, Ron Johnson partnered with Steve Jobs to plan the first Apple store. Now the CEO of J.C. Penney, Johnson reveals why Apple stores work.

Writing about his efforts in fashioning the Apple store in a Harvard Business Review guest post, Johnson explained that a store has to do more than just offer products for sale. It has to create an experience–something that turns it into more than just a store.

“Any store has to provide products people want to buy,” Johnson wrote. “That’s a given. But if Apple products were the key to the stores’ success, how do you explain the fact that people flock to the stores to buy Apple products at full price, when Wal-Mart, Best-Buy, and Target carry most of them, often discounted in various ways, and Amazon carries them all–and doesn’t charge sales tax!”

The secret?

The staff at the Apple store is focused on more than just selling stuff, Johnson says. Instead, the employees are there to genuinely try to help customers, whether that means selling them a new product or fixing their old one. Apple store staffers are well-trained and don’t work on commission, Johnson explained, so their goal is build a relationship by figuring out what you want and making sure you leave satisfied.

“Compare that with other retailers, where the emphasis is on cross-selling and upselling and, basically, encouraging customers to buy more, even if they don’t want or need it.” Johnson added. “That doesn’t enrich their lives, and it doesn’t deepen the retailer’s relationship with them. It just makes their wallets lighter.”

As Johnson fully takes on the reins of J.C. Penney, he acknowledged that all retailers face the same challenge of attracting customers. Even the Apple store bumped into initial problems trying to get people to use the Genius Bar. But the company believed in that face-to-face approach and kept it until it turned into a successful store feature.

Rather than simply try to duplicate the approach of the Apple store or other popular models, each retailer needs to ask this key question: “How do we reinvent the store to enrich our customers’ lives?” Johnson wrote.

Apple’s customer-centric, no-pressure approach has paid off quite handsomely. An August study from research firm RetailSails found that Apple’s stores generate more revenue per square foot than any other U.S. retailer.

At the time of the study, Apple had seen global store sales of more than $14 billion over the trailing four quarters. With 327 stores an average size of almost 7,900 square feet, Apple was making $5,626 per square foot, according to RetailSales.

In generating such huge revenue, Apple has easily surpassed such retail giants as Tiffany, with sales of $2,974 per square foot, and Coach, with sales of $1,820 per square foot.

Moving forward, Apple is expected to unveil its next iconic store this week–namely one nestled in the middle of Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal. Reaching across two balconies, the store will reportedly offer more than 23,000 square feet of products and services to customers. And the number of those customers could be huge.

Around 750,000 people wend their way through Grand Central on an average day, and about a million each day during the holidays, according to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

source from: cnet

The company is looking to recruit executives with backgrounds in Web-based software, according to a Wall Street Journal report tonight. One prominent Internet entrepreneur has already been approached and recruiters have been briefed on the company’s needs, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.

The talent search comes on the heels of Apple’s launch of iTunes Match, a cloud feature that stores music tracks in the cloud and makes them available on any device with iTunes. The $24.99-a-year service is being touted as a big step in bringing user music libraries into the Web era, where people want to access their music–not just tracks they’ve bought through Apple–anywhere and everywhere.

Another Apple cloud effort comes in the form of iCloud, a cloud-based storage and syncing service in which users can view, add, or change Contacts, input events into Calendar, and store documents.

Apple apparently is going on a hiring spree to ensure that it’s ready for the anticipated onslaught in interest in the services. In October, it was revealed that Apple had hired away Scott Noteboom, chief of Yahoo’s Global Data Center Infrastructure.

Apple has also reportedly spent $1 billion to build a 500,000-square-foot behemoth of a data center in Maiden, N.C., which some have begun calling the “orchard.” Apple hasn’t said how it will use the server farm, but there is speculation that it will power the cloud services that Apple is working on, according to numerous sources.

source from: cnet