The Apple Logo From 1976 To 2007::

Apple has changed a lot as a company over the years, and so has its logo. This awesome photo from Simply Mac Apple Specialist shows all the different logos which Apple has used, five in all. I have to say, I really like the first one.

Google Chromebook Pixel – The Chrome OS Goes High-End:

Google was planning to make the move to the high-end with a new laptop dubbed the Chromebook Pixel, which looked to be designed to take on the Macbook Air. Today, in an effort to sate power-hungry cloud users, Google launched the $1,299 laptop with a high-resolution touch screen.

CNET: 

“The goal was to push the boundary and build something premium,” Sundar Pichai, the senior vice president of engineering in charge of Chrome and the Google Apps online services, said in an interview. Google engineers set out on the “labor of love” project two years ago, asking themselves, “What could we do if we really wanted to design the best computer possible at the best price possible?”

The 3.3 pound computer is designed to bring a little more high-end pizzaz to a lineup that’s been all about low-cost.

The new Chromebook Pixel is priced MUCH higher than the previous top of the line Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 was at $550. The two Chromebook Pixel models that will be available in the U.S. are a Wi-Fi only model with a 32GB SSD for $1,299, and a 64GB $1,499 model that adds 4G LTE Verizon service. Prices also include 3-years of access to 1TB of cloud storage space on Google Drive, and 12 sessions of GoGo Inflight Internet access.

The device features an nice set of hardware specs, with a 12.85 inch high-density 2560×1700 touchscreen (that’s 4.3 million pixels) with a 3:2 aspect ratio, Intel i5 processor (Dual Core 1.8GHz), Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Integrated), 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, Dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth 3.0.

TechCrunch did a nice chart, seen below, that compares the “Pixel” to the Microsoft Surface Pro, and the Apple MacBook Air.

Steve Jobs And Bill Gates Together In Retro 1991 Photo::

The Steve Jobs-Bill Gates rivalry was one of the most talked about in the tech world, so it’s rare we ever saw them together in public. However this photo published on Minimal Mac (via TUAW) shows them both together in 1991. It was originally featured in the August 1991 edition of Fortune, which was celebrating ten years of the PC.

Get Ready For Even More Google Glasshole Sightings::

Google has given us another peek behind the curtain at Google Glass, as they’ve released a new video showing the Google Glass user interface in real world situations, such as flying a plane, and swinging on a trapeze, that’s right, stuff we all do every day!

TechCrunch:

Get ready for even more Glasshole sightings, Google is ready to hand out Google Glass units to non-developer types. But you have to apply. And still pay the Glass Explorer Edition’s $1,500 price tag. But Google Glass!

All you have to do is get on Twitter or Google+ and in 50 words or less, using the hashtag “#ifihadglass,” tell Google how you would use Google Glass. You can also include photos and videos. You have until February 27th to “enter.”

The UI looks pretty low-key, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to get in your way. It’s not exactly what Tony Stark sees when he has a certain iron-clad suit on, but it’s still pretty cool.

You interact with Google Glass in a single pane in the top right. It looks like everything happens in that space. Google searches, notifications, etc. all seem to go in that space.

Google has yet to announce when Google Glass will be released to the admittedly well-heeled masses. It’s slowly rolling-out units to those than can help stomp bugs, and help the development process. It’s going to be awhile before anyone in the general public will get their hot little hands on these.

Until then, enjoy the new video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uyQZNg2vE&feature=player_embedded

Google Play Sends Users’ Personal Information to App Developers Without Permission::

As if the horrifying wave of malware affecting Android devices (which can noweven infect your PC!) wasn’t bad enough, ZDNet reports that Google is also sending users’ personal information to Google Play developers (including names and addresses) without permission – a massive privacy violation if there ever was one.

ZDNet:

Without asking permission, Google sends developers the personal details of everyone who buys their app from Google Play.

According to Australian developer Dan Nolan, Google sends him the name, suburb and email address of consumers that his app — enough to “track down and harass users who left negative reviews”. 

Nolan discovered the trove of customer data on his “merchant account” recently while updating his seller payment details.

Nolan expands on the comments in a post on his personal blog, Internet Hugbox:

Let me make this crystal clear, every App purchase you make on Google Play gives the developer your name, suburb and email address with no indication that this information is actually being transferred. With the information I have available to me through the checkout portal I could track down and harass users who left negative reviews or refunded the app purchase. The problems on android of app permissions (and subsequent potential for malware aside) is one of active negative behaviour on the part of an app developer. This isn’t. This is a massive oversight by Google. Under no circumstances should I be able to get the information of the people who are buying my apps unless they opt into it and it’s made crystal clear to them that I’m getting this information. This is a massive, massive privacy issue Google. Fix it. Immediately.

Needless to say, this is a very bad thing. Nolan gives Google the benefit of the doubt by assuming this is an oversight. For Google’s sake, I certainly hope that’s true – leaking private customer information intentionally would definitely cross the line of trust for a large number of their current (and potential) customers. You can count on there being some legal action related to this whether it was intentional or not – a customer’s private information should remain private.

Either way, shame on you, Google. You owe your customers an apology – and it would be worth addressing this concern sooner rather than later.

Apple and the iWatch conundrum

Here's why Apple needs an iWatch badly, but here's why I'm not holding my breath.

Ever since the sixth-generation iPod Nano, lots of people have thought that Apple making its own branded watch is not merely a smart potential move but simply a matter of time. No matter what some have recently argued, I doubt, however, that today's Apple is hungry enough to create the fabled iWatch device.

I've been covering the technology beat long enough to feel, no, smell certain shifts in the gadget market. I'm talking about those cycles when a new product category springs up from nowhere and first seems like a completely goofy notion. Soon after, the segment really heats up with scores of companies jumping into the fray to make a quick buck.

Traditionally, if Apple senses a legitimate opportunity it steps in at the right moment after figuring out the secret to success and sucks the air right out of the market. Tablets and MP3 players existed well before Apple launched the iPod and iPad, but their arrival completely transformed the playing field. Remember music players from Creative Labs, Rio, or even Microsoft's clunky Windows Tablet PCs?
I'm getting the same tingling sensation right now from smartwatches. At CES in January, the sleeper hit of the show was wearable tech, essentially devices you could strap or clip to yourself as you would an accessory or article of clothing. A lot of smartwatches, fitness bands, or some hybrid of the two, were talked up at the conference.

These included everything from the long-awaited and crowd-funded Pebble and the Dick Tracy/007-inspired Martian Passport Watch to the Fitbit Flex fitness tracker and the Basis Band. When you factor in the success of the Nike FuelBand, Nike being a company Apple has partnered with in the past to create fitness products, I'd say the time is ripe for Apple to swoop in for the kill.
This is a move the Cupertino, Calif.-based company used to accomplish without breaking a sweat. Apple has the knack of catching the competition completely flat-footed, surprising since many already had a big head start. The iPhone is a perfect example. Smartphones had existed for years but the iPhone sounded the death knell for Microsoft's struggling Windows Mobile products -- trust me, I was saddled with a T-Mobile Wing at the time. The Sidekick and a legion of keyboarded feature phones suffered the same fate.

I'm afraid Apple hasn't demonstrated its signature ferocity in recent years. We haven't seen a truly disruptive product from the company since the first iPad. Every noteworthy hardware release since then has been evolutionary and incremental, not transformative. The iPad Mini is simply a smaller iPad, and the iPhone 5 essentially increased the screen from 3.7 to 4 inches. Its A6 processor is also dual-core where many Android CPUs have gone to full quad-core and it received 4G LTE well after its rivals.

What Apple needs here is true out-of-the-box action to quell the doubters at large and on Wall Street. A serious example of nonlinear thinking that matches the creation of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Something that would merge multiple gadgets and applications into something entirely new or perhaps clean up the confused mess other manufacturers tout as useful gadgets. Something like a fabulous, shiny Apple iWatch.

Blackberry CEO Says Z10 Is Sold Out, Stores Say They Have Plenty In Stock::

Oh, Blackberry. We know you want to come off like Apple, but it really isn’t doing you any good. After claims by CEO Thorsten Heins that models of the Z10 had sold out in the UK, it turns out that the main stores, including Phones4u, still have plenty in stock, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Heins said:

White is sold out already. The black is hard to stock up again. It’s very encouraging.

The stores:

When the website Mobile News contacted the retailer’s customer services and two of its retail stores, all of them said the white handset was still in stock. One store in Leeds and one in Manchester said they had handsets available for immediate purchase and collection, with one saying they had “loads left”. Stores in London contacted by the Daily Telegraph said they had “plenty left”.

For me, it’s quite depressing when companies resort to this form of lowly marketing, and what is essentially lying. I used to respect Blackberry, I really did.

Samsung Buyer, Pants On Fire! Korean Man’s Galaxy Note Explodes In His Pocket::

What reaction Samsung’s phones cause depends on the person, but one thing’s for sure – this Korean man was not expecting the one he got from his Galaxy Note. The battery of the device exploded in his pocket, setting fire to his pants and causing second degree burns on his thighs, The Chosunilbo reports (via Patently Apple). Ouch!

A Samsung spokesperson:

Lithium ion batteries can catch fire due to external pressure or sudden changes in temperature, so we’re trying to understand what really happened.

You might want to carry a fire extinguisher, just in case.

Amazon announces virtual currency for use with Kindle Fire, Appstore::

Amazon has announced their very own virtual currency for use with their popular Kindle Fire series of tablets and Amazon Appstore. They are calling it — wait for it — Amazon Coins. The virtual coins will enter circulation with the purpose to drive monetization for developers, allowing users to purchase apps, games, and in-app bonuses beginning this May.

For starters, Amazon is giving away “tens of millions of dollars’ worth” of the new currency to spark their virtual economy, but the goal is to get users spending real world cash on the digital dough. It’s a win-win for Amazon and developers. Money stays within the Kindle Fire ecosystem and devs earn the same as they would normally.

Developers have until April 25th to prepare their apps for Amazon Coins. Pricing details and exchange rates have yet to be disclosed.

Introducing Amazon Coins
Coming in May, Amazon Coins is a new virtual currency for purchasing apps, games, and in-app items on Kindle Fire
Amazon Coins is an easy way for Kindle Fire customers to spend money on developers’ apps in the Amazon Appstore, offering app and game developers another substantial opportunity to drive traffic, downloads and increase monetization even further
Amazon will give customers tens of millions of dollars’ worth of Amazon Coins to use on developers’ apps in the Amazon Appstore—apps and games must be submitted and approved by April 25 to be ready when Amazon Coins arrive in customers’ accounts
SEATTLE—February 5, 2013—(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced another new way for app and game developers to make money on Kindle Fire—introducing Amazon Coins—the new virtual currency for purchasing apps, games and in-app items on Kindle Fire. Amazon Coins is an easy way for Kindle Fire customers to spend money in the Amazon Appstore, offering app and game developers another substantial opportunity to drive traffic, downloads and increase monetization. When Amazon Coins launches in the U.S. this May, Amazon will give customers tens of millions of dollars’ worth of free Amazon Coins to spend on developers’ apps on Kindle Fire in the Amazon Appstore. Amazon will also make it quick and easy for customers to buy additional Amazon Coins using their Amazon accounts.
Amazon Appstore developers will earn their standard 70 percent revenue share when customers make purchases using Amazon Coins. Developers with apps and games currently in the Amazon Appstore for the U.S. don’t need to do anything with their apps to capitalize on this new opportunity. Developers not yet in the Amazon Appstore should submit their apps soon—only apps submitted and approved by April 25 will be ready when Kindle Fire customers have Amazon Coins to spend across the Amazon Appstore. Developers can learn more about Amazon Coins today at http://www.amazon.com/amazon-coins.
“Developers continue to report higher conversion rates on Amazon compared to other platforms,” said Paul Ryder, Vice President of Apps and Games for Amazon. “Now we have another new way to help developers reach even more of our millions of customers. Amazon Coins gives customers an easy way to spend money on developers’ apps on Kindle Fire in the Amazon Appstore—and we’re giving customers tens of millions of dollars in Amazon Coins to get started. Developers who aren’t yet in the Amazon Appstore will want to make sure their apps have been submitted and approved by April 25 so they’re ready for customers to start spending their Amazon Coins.”
“We’ve already found that the average revenue per user on Amazon is higher than other Android platforms,” said Keith Shepherd, CEO of Imangi Studios. “We’re very excited about the monetization opportunity with Amazon’s new virtual currency.”
“Everyone recognizes Amazon’s success in the e-commerce world – now the Amazon Appstore has become a major player in the mobile app marketplace,” said Misha Lyalin, ZeptoLab’s CEO. “Amazon’s new virtual currency is designed to open new opportunities for developers and make things easier for customers. This is a great example of appstore innovation and we want to support it.”
“We’ve been extremely pleased with how well our games monetize on Amazon,” said Michael Grobe, Chief Financial Officer of GameCircus. “We’re very excited about the launch of Amazon’s new virtual currency.”
Amazon Coins is the latest in a series of new features and services for developers that make Amazon the most complete end-to-end ecosystem for building, monetizing and marketing their apps and games. Recent announcements include:
· In-App Purchasing for Mac, PC and web-based games, enabling developers to let customers use their Amazon accounts to purchase virtual goods and currencies from games on those platforms
· Game Circle, which includes capabilities like Achievements, Leaderboards, Friends, and Whispersync for syncing games across devices, and leads to better engagement with games
· Game Connect, which lets developers marry the ease and security of shopping on Amazon with the convenience of having virtual goods delivered directly to customers’ game accounts
· A/B Testing, a service that helps developers improve app functionality, retain customers and increase monetization
· Adobe AIR Native Extensions, which makes it simple for Adobe Flash developers to add In-App Purchasing and Game Circle features to their apps and games
· Amazon Mobile App SDK Eclipse Plugin (beta) allows developers to rapidly and reliably integrate Amazon APIs into their Android projects, speeding up development and cutting down on project setup time
Developers can get started at the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal (https://developer.amazon.com/welcome.html).

Bill Gates Admits Steve Jobs Was ‘always cooler than me’::

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates share a lot of history, despite the legendary rivalry between the two co-founders massive companies – and it’s always interesting to hear what the two tech titans have to say about one another. In a humorous interview on late-night political comedy show The Colbert Report, Gates sat down with Steven Colbert, and had some intriguing things to say about Jobs!

From the interview (via Colbert Nation):

Colbert: People say “what a cool guy, what a cool guy Steve Jobs was.” You are out there saving the world and yet, you don’t have the cool factor, no offense, not the same turtleneck cool factor. As a man who has contributed a great deal, does it ever bug you that you are out there saving the world and yet he has the memories a cool guy?

Gates: He was always cooler than me.

Colbert: Yeah?

Gates: Yeah.

Colbert: Maybe saving the world will get cool.

Gates: It’s okay.

Colbert: Really? You don’t care?

Gates: No. He was brilliant. He had his own style, his own approach and mine is a little geekier than his was.

There are also some awesome serious moments in the interview that emphasize Bill Gates extremely honorable contributions to human welfare and humanitarian efforts, and it’s worth watching the whole segment. Check it out, embedded below! Note: The actual interview is towards the end of the show.