Category Archives: News

News

Apple named most valuable brand 4th year running

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According to this year’s Brand Finance Global 500 report, Apple remains the world’s most valuable brand. Apple is joined in the top five by Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and Verizon. According to the report, they hold a significant lead over second place Samsung. Brand Finance’s CEO writes:

“What sets [Apple] apart is its ability to monetize [its] brand. For example, though tablets were in use before the iPad, it was the application of the Apple brand to the concept that captured the public imagination and allowed it to take off as a commercial reality.”

Brand Finance, which ran the study, valued Apple at $104.7 billion, which is up 20% over 2013. Samsung, who is number two, is valued at $78.75 billion, which is up 34% on 2013. So while Apple is still number one, Samsung is growing faster. Another year or two like this past one, and Samsung will overtake Apple for the number one spot.

Clouds on the Horizon

We all know about the “Apple is Doomed” narrative that continuously fascinates the press. Despite this endless news cycle of doom and gloom, Apple continues to deliver amazing quarterly results. Wall Street doesn’t seem to care, all they seem to worry about is what’s next, and they don’t think Apple has that answer.

Of course that outlook completely ignores the way Apple does things. There was a huge chunk of time between the Macintosh and the iPod; another chunk between the iPod and the iPhone, and another between the iPhone and the iPad. These revolutionary and “magical” products don’t just appear overnight. Whether the next one is an iWatch or an Apple TV set, or perhaps an iCar, who knows. What’s almost for sure is that Apple isn’t standing still, even though many pundits think they are.

Samsung is facing the same issues as Apple; a maturing smartphone market, and very few ways to innovate on smartphones. Samsung of course has other businesses that it can fall back on, like building refrigerators and ships. Apple doesn’t have that backup market, which is what crazy investors are worried about.

The real question isn’t whether or not Apple will come out with something new (since the answer is of course they will), but rather when and will it be enough? The “Apple is Doomed” industry is a big market for a lot of websites and a lot of analysts. Even after Apple wows us with their next great disruptive product, they will likely go right back to naysaying and predicting the end of Apple.

Bottom Line

Apple is number one, and will continue to do well over the next few years; very well, in fact, with billions of dollars in the bank. Apple will continue to plug along, introducing amazing products and iterating on existing product lines. Likewise the Doomsday group will continue to foresee cloudy skies. It seems that’s just the way of the world.

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Updates few and far between for the Mac Mini

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Over the last year, Apple has updated every single Mac in its lineup except the Mac Mini. The Mini is the cheapest Mac that Apple makes; yet it hasn’t received an update since fall 2012. Where is the next Mac Mini, and when it does come, what can we expect?
Why Hasn’t Apple Updated the Mac Mini?

This is the question a lot of Mac Mini aficionados have been asking since all the other Macs were updated in late 2013. There is obviously some reason why Apple has chosen to leave the Mac Mini out of all the fun. Here are several reasons we’ve come up with:

  • They just haven’t had time – Apple has a lot going on, even in the Mac department. They’re dealing with Mac Pro delays and Mavericks issues, as well as updates to OS X. That doesn’t even mention what’s happening in other parts of the company. Perhaps they just haven’t gotten around to it.
  • They aren’t planning on updating it again – This is a possibility. As we said the Mac Mini is the cheapest of the Macs, hence also the one with the lowest margins. Perhaps Apple has chosen to focus on the higher end Macs. Unlikely, but possible.
  • They are redesigning it – Redesigns take longer. If they are going with the new Intel chips, they’ll need a new interior architecture, so that could take time, even if they leave the outside the same.
  • Supply Constrictions – There’s a chance that there just aren’t enough processors or memory available for Apple to dedicate to the Mac Mini at this time.

No matter the reason, there haven’t been many rumors about a new Mac Mini, so an update could still be months away.

What We Expect of a New Mac Mini

The most obvious improvement for the Mac Mini is the inclusion of Haswell processors. This would also mean the addition of USB 3.0, and possibly the first computer outside of the Mac Pro with Thunderbolt 2.0. Other improvements, however, are also likely yet harder to predict. As we said above, in order to use the new Haswell processors, Apple will need to tweak the internal layout of the Mac Mini. This could lead to a complete redesign of the computer or it could just be an internal redesign.

MacRumors suggests that we’ll see a bigger hard drive and the inclusion of more RAM. This seems highly unlikely, since all of Apple’s other desktop and laptop computers are abandoning traditional storage for PCI flash-based storage. Even the Mac Pro has gone this direction. There is no reason to suspect that Apple will abandon that direction now and keep a mechanical hard drive in the new Mac Mini.

According to the only Mac Mini rumor we could find, Apple is planning on bringing the Mac Mini to market by the end of February. If that’s the case they had better get a move on as there are only a few days left. More likely we’ll see something at WWDC or perhaps at the annual fall event.

News

Apple to build US plant and manufacture sapphire glass

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Some great news for the American tech industry and job market has surfaced recently. Apple is in the process of building a manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona that will provide an estimated 2000 employment opportunities.

The plant is expected to employ approximately 1300 workers throughout the construction process and an additional 700 once it’s completely in operation. And it’s not just a positive development for the local job market, either. It’s also good for the environment. Apple’s new facility will run on 100% renewable energy from day one of operations. What’s more, Apple is apparently also building a solar power grid that will accompany the facility and fuel the work done within it.

The Mesa plant will reportedly be manufacturing Sapphire Glass components, which Apple uses to protect cameras on iPhones and iPads. This marvelous material is renowned for its superior durability and scratch resistance. It’s also, of course, the stuff that goes into the home buttons on the new iPhone 5s, which is equipped with fingerprint-reading Touch ID. With iPhone 5s sales booming, and putting the company far ahead of their competitors once again, manufacturing in Arizona is guaranteed to be on a massive scale.

Sapphire Boule
Sapphire Boule / GT Advanced Technologies

While solid reports to date have only indicated the plant will product these components, other industry insiders and Apple fans have guessed that the Arizona facility will also be the production home for the fabled iWatch, which would likely also use Sapphire Glass. Whether or not that is the case is yet to be seen. However, regardless of what the plant is used for, it is likely to contribute to the economy in Mesa for years to come. Such a large investment by Apple signals long-term growth and career opportunities for the foreseeable future.

Announcements about the Arizona production facility are welcome news to many who have been wondering about Apple’s position on maintaining American jobs. Last December, CEO Tim Cook famously announced the company’s intention to invest $100 million in American-based facilities. However, until news of the Arizona plant surfaced, the company’s only gesture since the announcement was to set up a Mac Pro production facility in Texas.

The Texas plant was initially seen as a token gesture by many critics who felt that Apple wasn’t serious about keeping jobs in the USA. The company, of course, is well known for contracting exclusively to third parties overseas for the manufacturing needs. However, by bringing another, larger sector of their business to America, Apple has made a statement that they are serious about making good on Tim Cook’s promise. Furthermore, by making the decision to stick with completely renewable energy for the new facility, they have also made it well known that they are considerate of the environmental impact.

Millions of consumers, in the USA and across the globe, eagerly await the latest Apple news and products. By bringing more jobs to America and putting in the effort to “think green” the company is likely to win over even more supporters.

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No game-changing products for Apple since Steve Jobs

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Apple’s latest event was promoted with invitations stating, “we still have a lot to cover.” Judging by the wide range of topics and products they touched on during the press conference, it certainly wasn’t false advertising. It wasn’t, however, terribly exciting, either.

While the new iPad Air and revamped iPad Mini have received the majority of the attention from consumers and tech experts alike, Apple executives made a number of smaller announcements as well. Foremost after the iPad news is the fact that the new Mavericks operating system is available, and it’s free. Any Apple user with a system capable of handling the latest OS is able to download it, at no cost, from the Mac App Store. In addition, the iWork and iLife suites of applications have been upgraded considerably, and updates for them are also available on the App Store and iTunes Store at no additional cost.

Though the latest series of Apple announcements have further established the computing giant as a provider of premium hardware with prices to match, such as the soon-to-be-released $3000 Mac Pro desktop and $799 iPad Air, it has also dropped prices in other instances. Apple slashed prices on older iPad models, in what many are calling an attempt to compete with the lower-cost Amazon, Google and Microsoft tablets. Furthermore, the prices for MacBook Pro laptops are being discounted by $200.

Despite a myriad of interesting announcements, some in the tech world have felt that the latest Apple event lacked focus. It covered a lot of ground, but there were no significant revelations in any one category. Even the upgrades to iPads and apps were expected, and in line with recent developments from Apple’s competitors. They’re good, but they aren’t terribly exciting or innovative.

If it wasn’t apparent already, the most recent Apple event solidified the fact that the company, while still great, isn’t the same without Steve Jobs. This is not the same Apple that changed the world with the iPhone and shook up consumers and technological rivals with the iPad. While developments such as Thunderbolt and Mavericks are great, they aren’t earth shattering. Still, because we all remember the early days of the iPhone and the eagerness to line up overnight and be the first with the new Apple gadget, we continue to hope that each next product release will be “the big one” again.

Items such as the iPad Mini with retina display or iPhones with Touch ID are fantastic. Despite expected low fourth quarter earnings, the iPhone 5s has been a bestseller, and reportedly 200 million devices are running iOS 7. Apple is arguably the most valuable public company in the world. Unfortunately, recent products have failed to create excitement and capture hearts like earlier Apple tech did. While the company will steadily continue, in many smaller ways, to shape cultural and technological trends, it will take a major product release like the fabled iWatch or even a significant update to an existing product, such as an infrared keyboard, to really get the world buzzing about Apple again.

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iTunes Festival returns to London with free live music on your Apple device

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Imagine: an entire month of free concerts in one of the greatest cities in the world! Since 2007, it’s been an annual reality thanks to Apple. The beloved computer and smartphone manufacturer has delighted a countless number of people with their iTunes Festival, held in London each September. They’re currently at the end of the series, and once again it’s proving to be exciting, memorable and incredibly fun.

The iTunes Festival is sponsored by Apple, who make free tickets available to all UK residents through a series of online and in-app prize draws leading up to the event. For those who aren’t lucky enough to attend, each performance is streamed live online and available to view again afterwards on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Mac computers and on television via Apple TV.

Each night in September features both an emerging artist, who takes the stage at 8:00pm and a veteran headlining act, who comes on at 9:00pm. The inaugural performance, in 2007, was held at the renowned ICA, an arts and cultural centre near Trafalgar Square in the heart of London. One of the first artists to perform was Amy Winehouse, who was at the peak of her success and dazzled the audience with her unique vocals.

In 2008, the festival moved to KOKO, in London’s Camden Town neighborhood. And since 2009, it has found a comfortable home at the venerable Roundhouse, also in Camden. Over the last weekend, the festival also coincided with multiple concerts, benefits and celebrations held around London and centered in Camden Town to mark what would be the thirtieth birthday of the late Amy Winehouse and benefit the charitable foundation established in her name.

iTunes Festival Lineup
iTunes Festival Lineup

This year’s iTunes Festival features up and coming artists like Drenge and Palma Violets as well as superstars such as Jack Johnson and legendary bands like Pixies. As in previous years, it seems that the artists are doing their best to live up to Apple’s promise of an epic, unexpected and unforgettable festival. Reports indicated that they’re getting creative and having fun with their performances, and reviews have overall been extremely positive. A great example of this is 2013’s festival opener, Lady Gaga, who debuted a performance of entirely new and previously unheard material.

With Apple being the smartphone, tablet and computer brand of choice for millions of consumers worldwide, their success has increased exponentially over the past few years. Cynics may be quick to write the iTunes Festival off as a marketing tactic designed to encourage the public to buy their products, and it’s true that Apple will of course benefit from sponsoring this series of events.

However, it is also a prime example of how the company does things a little differently. The annual iTunes Festival is creative and innovative. This massive event doesn’t just feature popular mainstream artists. It contributes to Camden Town’s rich musical and artistic culture and offers incredibly good exposure to new and lesser-known musicians. Furthermore, it’s a nice way of giving a little something back to those who are so loyal to the Apple brand.