DailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comDailyFinance.comhttp://o.aolcdn.com/os/df/2013/img/2-dailyfinance_logo_m.pngDailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Microsoft Offers Office App for iPhone - But With a Catchhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/14/microsoft-unveils-office-app-iphone/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/14/microsoft-unveils-office-app-iphone/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/14/microsoft-unveils-office-app-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

microsoft office 365 apple iphone ios app
AP
Microsoft Office has finally arrived on Apple's iOS in an official app released by Microsoft itself, and it's free to download, but to use it there's a considerable catch: you need to be an Office 365 subscriber. Microsoft's Office 365 costs $99.99 for a 1-year subscription, and Redmond has really been pushing the SaaS-style version of its desktop productivity suite lately, so the iPhone app is a natural way for it to sweeten the deal for prospective buyers.

Microsoft calls the app its "official Office companion optimized for your iPhone," and the software provides Word, Excel and PowerPoint viewing, editing and creation. Documents are stored in the cloud on SkyDrive, SkyDrive Pro or Sharepoint servers, making them easy to access again from the desktop or other sources, and the app works together with Office 365 to show you your most recently opened documents on your computer automatically. The app also lets you look at and edit documents attached to emails on your iPhone on the go.

Microsoft doesn't look to have skipped many corners building this app, with support for charts, animations, shapes and SmartArt graphics built-in, as well as a resume feature to pick up editing exactly where you left off on your desktop. There's offline functionality that commits changes back to the original once you find a connection, and comment sharing and review for collaborative editing.

Office for iPhone isn't optimized for iPad yet, thought it's hard to imagine that isn't close behind. And while you require an Office 365 subscription, you don't actually have to have the desktop version installed anywhere to use this mobile edition, so it is a fairly standalone product. You will need at least an iPhone 4, or a fifth generation iPod touch, running iOS 6.1 or higher, however. And the subscription requirement is sure to be a bummer for many, but the counterpoint of that is that the mobile version is completely free otherwise.

Lastly, this is U.S. only for now, but should roll out to other countries over the next little while, according to Microsoft, so if you are geoblocked, just have a little patience.

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]]>AppleIOSipadiphoneMicrosoftmobile technologyoffice 365technologyTechCrunchFri, 14 Jun 2013 12:05:00 ESTZynga to Cut Workforce by a Fifth, in Bid to Restructure Businesshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/03/zynga-cuts-workforce-online-gaming/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/03/zynga-cuts-workforce-online-gaming/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/03/zynga-cuts-workforce-online-gaming/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Mark Pincus, chief executive officer and founder of Zynga
Getty ImagesMark Pincus, chief executive officer and founder of Zynga.
Update: Zynga has confirmed the layoffs via press release, as well as the numbers (520 layoffs or 18 percent of the workforce) reported by AllThingsD.

The company says this was result in $70 million to $80 million in annualized pre-tax savings. Despite those savings, its guidance for its second quarter earnings is a loss between $39 million and $28.5 million.

In a note to employees, CEO Mark Pincus described this as a "proactive" move that will "offer our teams the runway they need to take risks and develop these breakthrough new social experiences" on mobile and touchscreen devices.

My original post, which went up before the company confirmed the news, follows.

It looks like Zynga is in the midst of laying off one-fifth of its workforce.

At the end of last week, we heard that the company would be laying off 20 percent of its worldwide staff today, and that a number of Zynga's global offices would be affected. A Zynga spokesperson declined to comment, but we've seen the first public sign that the layoffs are underway: A Zynga UI designer just tweeted that Zynga L.A. will be closing, with about 55 employees let go.

This isn't the first time Zynga has had significant cuts. Last fall, CEO Mark Pincus said the company would be reducing costs, and it subsequently laid off 5 percent of its staff. The company has also eliminated some of its less successful titles (and even some unreleased ones), though executives have also said that the number of new game launches should pick up again later this year.

As of its last quarter, Zynga had 2,902 full-time employees. That's probably slightly off by now, but if the 20 percent number that we've been hearing is accurate, then around 580 employees will be affected.

Zynga's revenue and usage statistics continued to decline in its most recent earnings report, with Pincus describing this as a "transition year" as the company shifts its focus to mobile.

Gallery: The 8 Retailers That Will Close the Most Stores in 2013

1. Best Buy2. Sears Holding3. J.C. Penney4. Office Depot5. Barnes & Noble

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]]>facebookFarmVilleInternetonline gamingtechnologyZyngaTechCrunchMon, 03 Jun 2013 16:02:00 ESTYahoo Approves $1.1B Deal for Tumblrhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/20/yahoo-oks-1billion-deal-tumblr/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/20/yahoo-oks-1billion-deal-tumblr/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/20/yahoo-oks-1billion-deal-tumblr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

tumblr yahoo logos buyout
Fred Dufour, AFP/Getty Images
By Ingrid Lunden

Yahoo has now officially confirmed that it is buying blogging platform Tumblr for $1.1 billion, confirming speculation that started last week. It says it will keep it as an independent company, with founder David Karp at the helm as CEO. "The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators," it writes.

With a lot of negative comments coming in from Tumblr users in lead-up to the deal, and some competitors claiming that they're witnessing a kind of exodus from Tumblr as a result, Karp has also weighed in with his own announcement about the deal, emphasizing the same independence line: "We're not turning purple," he wrote:

"We're not turning purple. Our headquarters isn't moving. Our team isn't changing. Our roadmap isn't changing. And our mission -- to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve -- certainly isn't changing."

He also points out that Tumblr, joining up with the "original Internet company," will be getting more resources to create the "ultimate creative canvas." Some users have complained about certain features around the site, such as how video works, so the implication here is that areas like this will be addressed faster from now on, but -- again -- in a way that "doesn't compromise the community and product we love."

More to come. Yahoo's release below.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & NEW YORK -- Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) and Tumblr announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement for Yahoo! to acquire Tumblr.

Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business. David Karp will remain CEO. The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators.

With more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day, Tumblr is one of the fastest-growing media networks in the world. Tumblr sees 900 posts per second (!) and 24 billion minutes spent on site each month. On mobile, more than half of Tumblr's users are using the mobile app and do an average of 7 sessions per day. Its tremendous popularity and engagement among creators, curators and audiences of all ages brings a significant new community of users to the Yahoo! network. The combination of Tumblr+Yahoo! is expected to grow Yahoo!'s audience by 50 percent to more than a billion monthly visitors, and to grow traffic by approximately 20 percent.

The deal offers unique opportunities for both companies. Tumblr can deploy Yahoo!'s personalization technology and search infrastructure to help its users discover creators, bloggers, and content they'll love. In turn, Tumblr brings 50 billion blog posts (and 75 million more arriving each day) to Yahoo!'s media network and search experiences. The two companies will also work together to create advertising opportunities that are seamless and enhance the user experience.

Total consideration is approximately $1.1 billion, substantially all of which is payable in cash.

"Tumblr is redefining creative expression online," said Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer. "On many levels, Tumblr and Yahoo! couldn't be more different, but, at the same time, they couldn't be more complementary. Yahoo is the Internet's original media network. Tumblr is the Internet's fastest-growing media frenzy. Both companies are homes for brands - established and emerging. And, fundamentally, Tumblr and Yahoo! are both all about users, design, and finding surprise and inspiration amidst the everyday."

"I've long held the view that in all things art and design, you can feel the spirit and demeanor of the creator. That's why it was no surprise to me that David Karp is one of the nicest, most empathetic people I've ever met. He's also one of the most perceptive, capable entrepreneurs I've ever worked with," continued Mayer. "David's respect for Tumblr's community of creators is awesome. I'm absolutely delighted to have him join our team."

David Karp, CEO of Tumblr, addressed the Tumblr community, "Our team isn't changing. Our roadmap isn't changing. And our mission - to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve - certainly isn't changing. But we're elated to have the support of Yahoo! and their team who share our dream to make the Internet the ultimate creative canvas. Tumblr gets better faster with more resources to draw from."

The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the second half of the year.

Conference Call

Yahoo! will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time today to discuss this announcement. A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed through the company's Investor Relations website at http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/events.cfm?CalendarID=8. In addition, an archive of the webcast will be accessible for 90 days through the same link.

About Tumblr

Tumblr is a media network powered by an army of independent creators and home to an audience of more than 300 million unique visitors. Founded by David Karp in 2007, Tumblr is headquartered in New York City.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! is focused on making the world's daily habits inspiring and entertaining. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, and has offices located throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the company's blog (yahoo.tumblr.com).

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning Yahoo!'s proposed acquisition of Tumblr (including without limitation the statements contained in the quotations from management in this press release), as well as Yahoo!'s strategic and operational plans. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the possibility that the transaction will not close or that the closing may be delayed; and that the anticipated benefits to Yahoo!, including projected growth in audience and traffic, and benefits to users and advertisers may not be realized. More information about potential factors that could affect Yahoo!'s business and financial results is included under the captions, "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

Gallery: CEO Flameouts

Ron JohnsonCarol BartzLeo ApothekerCharles ConawayBob Nardelli

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]]>InternetMarissa Mayermergers and acquisitionssocial mediaSocialNetworkingtechnologytumblrYahooTechCrunchMon, 20 May 2013 08:00:00 ESTWhy It's OK That You're Not Rushing Out to Get Facebook 'Home'http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/05/facebook-home-mark-zuckerberg-longterm-strategy/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/05/facebook-home-mark-zuckerberg-longterm-strategy/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/05/facebook-home-mark-zuckerberg-longterm-strategy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

facebook home zuckerberg google smartphone app
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, as seen on an HTC First smartphone using the new Facebook 'Home' interface.
Making you feel comfortable didn't get Facebook to a billion users. It had to push your limits of "open and connectedness." That's why so many of its product launches are initially met with outrage, or apprehension. But Zuck is convinced the amount we share will double each year. So if you don't want "Home" yet, fine. It's designed to handle how we share in 2016 so no one steals Facebook's future.

"If you asked people what they want, they would have said faster horses," Henry Ford supposedly said about building the car. That's because our minds think incrementally. Mark Zuckerberg is thinking exponentially. That's made him a pariah in the short-term, but one of the world's most influential people nine years after he started Facebook Inc. (FB).

Read More on TechCrunch


Gallery: Introducing Facebook's Home

Facebook's HomeCover feedSeamless UpdatesChat headsNotifications

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]]>androidfacebookfacebook homegoogleInternetMark Zuckerbergmobile technologyphone appsmartphoneTechCrunchFri, 05 Apr 2013 12:25:00 ESTWant to Beat the Crap Out of Your iPhone? This Guy's Got You Coveredhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/11/want-to-beat-the-crap-out-of-your-iphone-this-guy-s-got-you-cov/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/11/want-to-beat-the-crap-out-of-your-iphone-this-guy-s-got-you-cov/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/11/want-to-beat-the-crap-out-of-your-iphone-this-guy-s-got-you-cov/#commentsFiled under:

At Eureka Park at CES in the Venetian, we saw a ton of cool startups. But some of them really stood out. Like this guy. He was very excited about giving us a demo of his company's technology for letting you do amazingly horrible things to your mobile electronics.

The company is called Integrated Surface Technologies, and it basically coats your phone with stuff that protects it from being dunked in water and dropped and being smashed with a hammer. The video pretty much speaks for itself.

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]]>CES 2013TechCrunchFri, 11 Jan 2013 15:15:00 ESTIndieGogo Founder Slava Rubin Says Crowdfunding Takes Down the 'Gatekeepers'http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/10/indiegogo-founder-slava-rubin-says-crowdfunding-takes-down-the/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/10/indiegogo-founder-slava-rubin-says-crowdfunding-takes-down-the/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/10/indiegogo-founder-slava-rubin-says-crowdfunding-takes-down-the/#commentsFiled under:

Slava Rubin knows a thing or two about crowdfunding. Founded in 2008, his company, IndieGogo is a major funding powerhouse, bringing together such disparate projects like the Misfit Shine and The Oatmeal's anti-troll lawyer fundraiser.

Slava told us that IndieGogo essentially tears down the gatekeepers. Whereas many great projects would languish in the minds of their creators, services like IndieGogo have been able to bring them to fruition, creating a market and bringing together a group of rabid fans in a matter of days if not hours.

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]]>ces 2013TechCrunchThu, 10 Jan 2013 18:00:00 ESTPandora CTO Tom Conrad on Bringing Personalized Radio to Automobiles Everywherehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/09/pandora-cto-tom-conrad-on-bringing-personalized-radio-to-automob/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/09/pandora-cto-tom-conrad-on-bringing-personalized-radio-to-automob/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/09/pandora-cto-tom-conrad-on-bringing-personalized-radio-to-automob/#commentsFiled under:

In the dozen years since it first launched, personalized Internet radio pioneer Pandora has become a staple on people's computers and mobile phones. But the company's mission definitely does not end there. Recently, Pandora has become more and more prevalent as a built-in feature in automobiles. It's a big market - tons of radio is listened to while people are commuting in their cars - but it also comes with a unique set of challenges that are certainly separate from the world of traditional consumer electronics in which Pandora got its start.

Pandora CTO Tom Conrad is on the ground at the show in Las Vegas this week, and he swung by TechCrunch's on-site studio to chat with Ryan Lawler about Pandora's latest growth and upcoming goals - generally and in the auto space specifically.

Watch the video embedded above to hear Conrad talk about Pandora hitting 1,000 implementations in consumer electronics and automotives, how Pandora tackles its massive target market with a tight-running ship of 40 software engineers, how its consumer electronics strategy differs from its approach to the auto world, and what's on the road ahead (see what I did there?)

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]]>TechCrunchWed, 09 Jan 2013 18:00:00 ESTReport: Apple Working On Low-Cost iPhonehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/09/report-apple-working-on-low-cost-iphone/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/09/report-apple-working-on-low-cost-iphone/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/09/report-apple-working-on-low-cost-iphone/#commentsFiled under: ,

Following a report by Digitimes this morning citing industry sources, The Wall St. Journal is today confirming that it, too, hears that Apple is working on a low-cost version of the iPhone, which could launch as early as this year.

The phone could be made cheaper by using less expensive parts, the WSJ says. For example, it could use a different shell made of polycarbonate plastic, or parts recycled from older iPhone models. This isn't the first time the WSJ has reported that Apple was exploring such a device - in 2011, it issued a similar report, again citing the ever-present "people familiar with the matter" as sources.

Such a device would be ideal in targeting developing markets, including China, where the iPhone's high price is a concern. According to the WSJ report, Apple has been developing this cheaper iPhone for years, but could not decide how to move forward with the device.

If the report of the newer, cheaper iPhone is true, such a launch would position Apple to better compete with Android smartphones in emerging regions, where the move to smartphones is still a battle to be won. Android currently has the advantage, thanks to the variety of devices that can run the Android operating system, including those that come closer to matching the price point of the "feature phones" that users in these areas are upgrading from.

As mobile analytics provider Flurry noted a year ago, the largest addressable markets for mobile apps in 2012 included India, China, and Japan, among others. China in particular saw quick gains in 2012, with the country having climbed into the No. 2 spot in terms of new iOS and Android activations as of March. China is now Apple's second-largest market, but iPhone sales are losing traction to competition from Samsung and Nokia, plus domestic handset makers like Huawei, ZTE, and Lenovo.

That being said, sales of the iPhone 5′s launch in China were reportedly strong, despite reports about the lack of lineups for the device. Apple later said it sold over 2 million units the first weekend.

According to the Digitimes report, the low-cost iPhone would have a larger screen than the iPhone 5, which doesn't sound right - that would be costly. Digitimes, however, is more hit-or-miss in terms of its reporting. The WSJ, on the other hand, gives the rumor more credence.

Analysts have also said they believed Apple would have to launch such a device in order to reach the millions of users who couldn't afford the current iPhone.

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]]>ces 2013TechCrunchWed, 09 Jan 2013 13:00:00 ESTMicrosoft Announces 60 Million Licenses for Windows 8 Soldhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/08/microsoft-announces-60m-licenses-for-windows-8-sold-showing-sim/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/08/microsoft-announces-60m-licenses-for-windows-8-sold-showing-sim/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/08/microsoft-announces-60m-licenses-for-windows-8-sold-showing-sim/#commentsFiled under: ,

Whether you're a Microsoft user or not, you have to respect the fact that its install base for operating systems is massive. The company spans plenty of sectors, specifically enterprise, but of course in the home, too.

Today, the company announced that its latest operating system, Windows 8, has sold 60 million licenses.

Finding out how many of these licenses are consumer and how many have been sold in bulk to vendors and enterprises would be a good thing. We've reached out to Microsoft for comment.

Here's what the Windows blog team did say about the milestone:

At the 11th Annual J.P. Morgan Tech Forum at CES 2013 today, Windows Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer Tami Reller announced that Windows 8 has sold 60 million licenses to date. This represents the cumulative sales of Windows 8 including both upgrades and sales to OEMs for new devices. This is a similar sales trajectory that we saw with Windows 7.

We have seen a significant increase in the number of Windows 8 certified systems since general availability at the end of October. There are now more than 1,700 certified systems for Windows 8 and Windows RT.

In addition the news of how many licenses have been sold, the team says that Microsoft is seeing "strong growth" in the developers building on top of the platform. The number of available apps has been quadrupled since launch. Also, Microsoft says that it has passed the 100M app download mark.

Windows 8 has only been available for two months, so Microsoft sees this as solid growth. In October, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that Windows 8 machines are "The best PCs ever" and that "The experience is truly magical." I don't know anything about that, but I will say that Microsoft has done a nice job of bringing all of its properties together in a unified look and feel, including Windows Phone and XBox.

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]]>ces 2013TechCrunchTue, 08 Jan 2013 17:50:00 ESTJoin TechCrunch Live from CES 2013http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/07/join-techcrunch-live-from-ces-2013/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/07/join-techcrunch-live-from-ces-2013/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/07/join-techcrunch-live-from-ces-2013/#commentsFiled under:

Every year TechCrunch rolls out to Las Vegas for complete CES coverage, including a live stream to beat all others. In 2013 we're looking forward to covering CES the TechCrunch way by focusing on the little guys trying to make it in a huge market, as well as all the cool stuff hidden behind the scenes.

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]]>CES 2013TechCrunchMon, 07 Jan 2013 00:20:00 ESTApple CEO Tim Cook: We'll Make Macs in Americahttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/06/apple-ceo-tim-cook-well-make-macs-in-america/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/06/apple-ceo-tim-cook-well-make-macs-in-america/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/06/apple-ceo-tim-cook-well-make-macs-in-america/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Apple CEO Tim Cook By Darrell Etherington

In one of the most candid, and certainly most extensive interviews with Apple CEO Tim Cook on record, Bloomberg Businessweek today got the executive to open up about Apple and discuss some of the recent hot button issues facing his company. The result is an incredible look behind the curtain at the operating principles of the man who took over for Steve Jobs, which provides some terrific insight into many of the decisions he's made while in charge. Cook dishes on Maps, executive changes, overall management style, and making Macs in the U.S.A.

Changes: Transparency and Giving Back

Cook begins by discussing some of the differences between Apple during his tenure and the company before, starting right off with a quote from Jobs where he told Cook he "never want[s hims] to ask what I would have done," which became the fashionable thing for analysts and tech writers to do when looking at Cook's decisions since. The Apple CEO then goes on to discuss his policy changes, including a push for greater transparency and more charitable efforts on the company's behalf.

"We decided being more transparent about some things is great-not that we were not transparent at all before, but we've stepped it up in places where we think we can make a bigger difference, where we want people to copy us," Cook said in the interview. He added:

I think that Apple and Apple's employees have done enormous good and can do even more. One of the things that we have done is match our employees' charitable contributions, where they select who they want to give to. So it's not some corporate committee deciding, but it's our 80,000 employees deciding what they want to do, and then we match it.

Secrecy is still important to the company's governance, Cook said, but there are areas where transparency - complete transparency - made more sense, to help the company make bigger differences. And the employee donation matching program was most recently employed to help out victims of Sandy in NYC.

Scott Forstall's Departure: All About Collaboration

Cook was asked by Businessweek about executive shifts at the company, including the departure of Scott Forstall. He responded by talking about collaboration, something he called one of Apple's core values, and something he said was lacking before those changes were made:

The key in the change that you're referencing is my deep belief that collaboration is essential for innovation-and I didn't just start believing that. I've always believed that. It's always been a core belief at Apple. Steve very deeply believed this.So the changes-it's not a matter of going from no collaboration to collaboration. We have an enormous level of collaboration in Apple, but it's a matter of taking it to another level... You have to be an A-plus at collaboration. And so the changes that we made get us to a whole new level of collaboration.

While Cook framed it more as a question of realigning other executives and business areas to emphasize collaboration, it also seems clear from The CEO's omission of Forstall that he may have been a barrier in the way of that goal.

U.S. Mac Manufacturing: A $100 Million Investment in 2013

Apple will be moving some of its Mac manufacturing to the U.S., going beyond just assembly, Cooks told Businessweek. He reminded the publication that in fact the engine and processor for the iPad and iPhone are made in the U.S., but also commented that in 2013 there will be a much more "substantial" effort to make Macs in the U.S., potentially working with manufacturing partners ("this doesn't mean that Apple will do it ourselves," he said) via a $100 million investment in a U.S.-based production process.

We've already seen some of the most recent iMacs ship with an "Assembled in U.S.A." label, so this program is at least in part already underway. Hopefully we get more information on how extensive the endeavor is next year, maybe during Apple's first quarterly conference call in calendar 2013.

Maps: A Customer Experience Play That Backfired

Cook addressed accusations that Maps was all about making a smart business decision that led to a weaker user experience in the interview. Many suspected that the reason behind removing Google Maps from the iPhone was that Apple felt the search giant had too much influence on its platform. Cook said that isn't the case, suggesting doing their own maps app was the only way to get a few things done on the consumer side of the experience:

The reason we did Maps is we looked at this, and we said, "What does the customer want? What would be great for the customer?" We wanted to provide the customer turn-by-turn directions. We wanted to provide the customer voice integration. We wanted to provide the customer flyover. And so we had a list of things that we thought would be a great customer experience, and we couldn't do it any other way than to do it ourselves.

That said, he conceded that it did indeed backfire, and that Maps lived up to no one's expectations - including the company's own. But it has been reported that Google and Apple couldn't agree on terms to include turn-by-turn in its app on iOS, since Google was asking for more access to user data than Apple was willing to give, so Cook's statements definitely seem genuine in light of that.

These are just a few of the issues Cook touched on, sketched out for interest's sake. But the full article is definitely worth a read, as Businessweek's Josh Tyrangiel did a great job of essentially asking Cook all the questions that have been asked about him in the media since he took over as Apple CEO, including, in a roundabout way, whether or not he's the emotionless robot executive stories often make him out to be.


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]]>AppleApple MapsBloomberg BusinessweekGoogleIosiPadIPhoneJosh Tyrangielmade in americamade in the USAMobileMeScott ForstallSteve JobsTim CookTim Cook InterviewTransparencyTechCrunchThu, 06 Dec 2012 11:04:00 EST'Hey Guys - This Is Barack': Obama Holds Chillaxed Fiscal Cliff Twitter Q&Ahttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/03/barack-obama-twitter-fiscal-cliff-qa/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/03/barack-obama-twitter-fiscal-cliff-qa/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/03/barack-obama-twitter-fiscal-cliff-qa/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pete Souza / The White House / Twitter
By Gregory Ferenstein

The world's most powerful man went to Twitter to promote his plan to avoid the so-called 'fiscal cliff' of impending tax hikes. If his style is any indication, the prez tweeted from Camp David while sipping an Arnold Palmer. So, make like your commander in chief, put your feet up, and check out some of the best moments of tax policy in 140 characters or less:





See the rest of President Obama's Twitter conversation on TechCrunch.


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]]>Arnold PalmerBarack ObamaCamp Davidfiscal cliffFiscal Cliff discussionLocalMr. Presidentobama tweetsObama twitterTaxtax hikestaxesTechCrunchTwitterU.S.TechCrunchMon, 03 Dec 2012 16:33:00 ESTThe Next CEO of Microsoft Suddenly No Longer Works at Microsofthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/11/13/the-next-ceo-of-microsoft-suddenly-no-longer-works-at-microsoft/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/11/13/the-next-ceo-of-microsoft-suddenly-no-longer-works-at-microsoft/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/11/13/the-next-ceo-of-microsoft-suddenly-no-longer-works-at-microsoft/#commentsFiled under: ,

Steven Sinofsky microsoft"Floored." "Wow." "Wild."

Those are some of the reactions within Microsoft tonight upon hearing that Windows and Windows Live President Steven Sinofsky would be leaving the company "effective immediately". Those are the reactions because nearly all Microsoft employees found out about the news tonight alongside the rest of us.

Microsoft and Sinofsky are trying to spin this as a "mutual decision" - and understandably so. That's how this works. Nearly all of these types of exits are "mutual" until reported otherwise. From my understanding, this is no different. The details will undoubtedly trickle out in the days to come, but based on conversations with no less than a dozen current and former Microsoft employees ranging from mid to high-level, Sinofsky was indeed let go and the decision was made (or finalized) this morning, quickly. The "mutual" stuff is all about letting a longtime lieutenant save face.

But why? That's the big question that no one seems quite sure about just yet. There are whispers of internal division and strife. I have some other thoughts that may play out over the next few months. But the reality is that we just don't know right now. The strife card makes sense to play given the recent departure of iOS SVP Scott Forstall from Apple. On the surface (forgive me), there seems to be many parallels. But in a few respects, this Sinofsky situation appears to be almost the opposite of that situation.

The iOS Maps debacle gave Apple some cover to do something they've wanted to do for some time: get rid of Forstall. This Sinofsky move is "out of the blue," as two sources put it. That Microsoft and others can play it off as "this is no different from the recent Apple transition" is convenient, but...

Sinofsky was the guy that nearly everyone I spoke with thought was going to be the next CEO of Microsoft. In fact, many believed he was no-so-secretly being "groomed" for the role. And yet, he now finds himself out of the company.

Many I spoke with thought it was way too early for Surface sales to have anything to do with this exit. The same seems to be true of Windows 8, though the writing may have been a bit more clear on that wall... At the end of the day, this immediate move - and how many things that Microsoft does are immediate? - did not happen for no reason. It just may take some time for that reason to become apparent. But it's there, right now, in front of us.

Microsoft would not get rid of the "future CEO of the company" on a random night in November after 23 years of service and right after the launch of two key products under his watch for no reason. This is not Apple CEO Tim Cook making a move one year into the job in an attempt to create an operating flow closer to his managerial style. Steve Ballmer has been in charge of Microsoft for nearly 13 years and Sinofsky has been close by for all of those years.

People on the outside thought Scott Forstall had a shot of being the next CEO of Apple, but people on the inside were sure that Steven Sinofsky was going to be the next CEO of Microsoft. Instead, he's just the latest in a string of executive departures over the past few years. And any spin that this was "planned" or "mutual" reeks of bullshit. Steven Sinofsky is taking the fall for something. (Or something is not being disclosed.) And we're all going to know what that is soon.

In the meantime, feel free to listen to Sinofsky himself try to pre-empt speculation about his departure:

Some might notice a bit of chatter speculating about this decision or timing. I can assure you that none could be true as this was a personal and private choice that in no way reflects any speculation or theories one might read-about me, opportunity, the company or its leadership.

So, Sinofsky woke up today and decided he didn't want to be CEO of Microsoft. He decided he wanted to sleep in. Right.

"The next morning, whoever's sleeping is your man."

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]]>CEO microsoftSci/TechScott ForstallSinofsky microsoftSteven SinofskyWindows 8TechCrunchTue, 13 Nov 2012 11:05:00 ESTAT&T and T-Mobile Combine Wireless Coverage in Sandy-Affected Areashttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/31/atandt-and-t-mobile-combine-wireless-coverage-in-sandy-affected-ar/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/31/atandt-and-t-mobile-combine-wireless-coverage-in-sandy-affected-ar/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/31/atandt-and-t-mobile-combine-wireless-coverage-in-sandy-affected-ar/#commentsFiled under: ,

T Mobile and AT&T AT&T and T-Mobile have signed an agreement that lets subscribers to either company roam on either network in devastated parts of the country where Hurricane Sandy has left users with poor cellular coverage.

In the past 72 hours, our nation's mobile carriers have been through quite a bit. Sandy left a wake of destruction in her path. In fact, this morning the FCC said that 25 percent of towers in 10 states are down.

The new (and temporary) deal between AT&T and T-Mobile should allow customers to place calls on either network, as both the blue and pink carriers have GSM/UMTS-based networks.

This will be at no extra effort of the customer, but rather than an overloaded AT&T or T-Mobile network dropping a call, the one with least congestion in the area will pick it up to lighten the load.

This will not affect customers' current rate plans or service agreements, despite the fact that the device itself may indicate roaming. But no worries.

It's unclear how long the deal will remain in place, but we learned this morning that cell coverage will get worse before it gets better. In any case, this is a great thing that both carriers are doing and we applaud them for rallying to keep people connected at this very crucial time.

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]]>TechCrunchWed, 31 Oct 2012 17:10:00 ESTMarissa Mayer's First M&A Deal: Yahoo Buys Mobile Start-Up Stampedhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/25/marissa-mayers-first-manda-deal-yahoo-buys-mobile-start-up-stamp/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/25/marissa-mayers-first-manda-deal-yahoo-buys-mobile-start-up-stamp/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/25/marissa-mayers-first-manda-deal-yahoo-buys-mobile-start-up-stamp/#commentsFiled under: ,


Marissa Mayer buys stampedBy Colleen Taylor

Yahoo has bought Stamped, the New York City-based startup that built an iPhone app to let people record and share recommendations of their favorite things, we've confirmed with a source at Stamped. Update: The news has also been confirmed by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who posted an Instagram of herself with the Stamped founders. Update 2: Now there is a blog post about the deal.

The price tag is in the double-digit millions, we hear - a nice return for the startup's star-studded list of investors including Ellen DeGeneres and Ryan Seacrest, who pitched a total of $3 million into the company.

The Stamped buy is the first big step in a major mobile push being led by Marissa Mayer. All of Stamped's nine employees are joining the company, and are tasked with building a "major mobile development center" based in New York City that will focus on bringing much-needed coherence to Yahoo's mobile strategy.

The Stamped team is starting at Yahoo today, and have already started an aggressive hiring effort to staff up the NYC mobile office. The Stamped app as it exists today will be sunsetted by the end of the year.

This is certainly not the last deal we'll see of this sort from Yahoo - we hear the company is on a major acquisition hunt for small startups with mobile expertise. In Yahoo's earnings call this week, Mayer said that mobile was a big priority for her at the moment, pointing out that right now Yahoo's mobile experience is "splintered" across more than 70 apps for iOS and Android. She said:

"Our top priority is a focused, coherent mobile strategy... at some point [in the near future] we'll have to be a predominantly mobile company."

This is not the first time that Stamped's co-founder and CEO Robby Stein has worked with Mayer. Before starting Stamped he worked at Google as an associate product manager, a sort of executive grooming program for especially promising young employees that was led by Mayer.

Here's a bit of what Stamped's founders wrote in their blog post about the deal:

"We couldn't be more thrilled to join Yahoo!. As a team of mostly former Googlers, we've all worked with and are big fans of Marissa. So when an opportunity arose to become a part of the team at Yahoo!, we jumped. As entrepreneurs, it's never easy to walk away from something you built from the ground up, but the folks we met with at Yahoo! are simply top-notch and we're thrilled to be joining them!

The Stamped team will be creating a brand new product and engineering office for Yahoo in NYC's Bryant Park. After everything we learned from building Stamped, we're excited to start work again on something big, mobile, and new - but we can't discuss the details just yet. And we're really stoked to be able to hire lots of talented engineers and designers for this new project. If you're interested in joining us, send us an email."

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]]>TechCrunchThu, 25 Oct 2012 15:55:00 ESTApple Officially Unveils the iPad Mini Starting At $329http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/23/apple-unveils-ipad-mini/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/23/apple-unveils-ipad-mini/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/23/apple-unveils-ipad-mini/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

ipad miniUntil very recently, the iPad mini has been the stuff of legend. Bigfoot, lost-city-of-Atlantis, unicorn style legend. But no more - the iPad mini is finally real, as CEO Tim Cook has unveiled the slightly smaller Apple tablet on stage.

No reason to delay the deets any more than they already have been. Here's the story:

Specs

Dimensions:

  • 7.2mm thin
  • 53 percent lighter
  • .68 pounds

Design:

  • Thinner bezels
  • Ultra rounded edges
  • Updated smart covers
  • White and Black models
  • Of course, a unibody design

Some Thoughts: We expected a pretty huge design refresh. Jony Ive said in the video that there is inherent loss in just shrinking a product.

Display:

  • 7.9-inches
  • LCD
  • 1,024 x 768 resolution
  • All software for original iPad works on iPad mini because they share the same screen resolution.

Some Thoughts:
Phil Schiller pit the iPad mini against the Nexus 7 on stage, and showed that the display is actually 49 percent larger in portrait, and 67 percent larger in landscape.

That has to do with a new design that makes the bezels much smaller than we've seen on the larger iPad models. Schiller showed off Yelp!, eBay and Pandora apps on both tablets, showing the difference between apps developed specifically for a tablet as opposed to apps that have been stretched from a smartphone.

Guts

  • Dual-core A5
  • Lightning dock
  • 10 hours of battery life

Most of the parts you're seeing above are included in the iPhone 4S. They're components that Apple has already been sourcing from various manufacturers, meaning they're much easier to procure this time around. By retooling the same components for the iPad Mini, Apple is likely cutting costs.

Connectivity

  • Wifi
  • 3G wireless
  • 4G LTE wireless

Camera

  • 5-megapixel camera
  • FaceTime HD front-facing camera

Some Thoughts:

The iPad isn't great for taking pictures. It's just too big. But the iPad Mini will be even more portable than its big brother, and perhaps a bit more wieldy, too. The new iPod touch is clearly trying to replace the average digital point-and-shoot camera, and the iPad mini is to the iPad as the iPod touch is to the iPhone 5.

Attention to camera capabilities may be a nice counter to the lower-grade specs.

Pricing/Config

The iPad mini goes up for pre-order on October 26, and Wifi versions ship on November 2.


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]]>AppleApple A5apple eventApple Worldwide Developers ConferenceeventimaciPadipad miniIpad Mini unveilediTunesJohn Gruberlightningmac miniTim CookTechCrunchTue, 23 Oct 2012 15:14:00 ESTSprint Launches StarStar Me To Replace Your Phone Number With Your Namehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/08/sprint-launches-starstar-me-to-replace-your-phone-number-with-yo/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/08/sprint-launches-starstar-me-to-replace-your-phone-number-with-yo/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/08/sprint-launches-starstar-me-to-replace-your-phone-number-with-yo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

SprintBy Jordan Crook

Capitalizing on our increasing loss of memorization skills, Sprint is today launching a new product that will let users replace their usual phone number with their name. And the product has perhaps the best brand name ever: StarStar Me.

StarStar Me essentially lets you give out your name, nickname, or any word you'd like, instead of giving our your phone number. So, instead of giving you my cell number, I'd tell you to call **Jordan and you'd instantly be connected.

See the rest of the story on TechCrunch.

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]]>TechCrunchMon, 08 Oct 2012 14:43:00 ESTTim Cook Apologizes For Apple Mapshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/28/tim-cook-apologizes-for-apple-maps/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/28/tim-cook-apologizes-for-apple-maps/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/28/tim-cook-apologizes-for-apple-maps/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Tim CookBy Jordan Crook

Apple (AAPL) has finally made a real statement to its customers apologizing about the Maps drama that's been unfolding over the past few weeks with the introduction of iOS 6. According to CEO Tim Cook, the company "fell short" on its commitment to bring world-class products to its customers.

Last week, the only comment we got out of Apple was that this is "just the start."

Within the letter, Cook makes mention of Google Maps being the first version of Maps on iOS, but that "as time progressed, [they] wanted to provide customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps."

Obviously, this is directed toward the recent discovery that Apple and Google (GOOG) may have parted ways over the fact that Google was unwilling to let iOS users enjoy turn-by-turn navigation.

See the full letter on TechCrunch.



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]]>Appleapple mapsGoogleGoogle MapsiOS 6iPhoneiPhone 5MapsTim Cookturn-by-turn navigationTechCrunchFri, 28 Sep 2012 10:26:00 ESTiOS 6 Is Here: What Features Will Your iDevice Get?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/19/ios6-new-features-list-iphone-ipad-ipod/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/19/ios6-new-features-list-iphone-ipad-ipod/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/19/ios6-new-features-list-iphone-ipad-ipod/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

AppleApple has pushed iOS 6 live, meaning you can update now, either by visiting Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone 3GS or later, iPod touch 4th gen or later, or iPad, or by plugging into iTunes and checking for updates. iOS 6 offers a long list of new features, including some highlights like system-wide Facebook integration, Apple's new Passbook app, a much more generally useful Siri, and many more besides.

But while iOS 6 offers a lot of new stuff, not everyone will get it. There are certain device-specific features, so we've prepared this handy chart with some of the key features of the new mobile OS to help you navigate what is and isn't available from iOS 6, depending on what kind of device you happen to have (or have on the way, in the case of the iPhone 5 or 5th gen iPod touch). Be patient if you aren't seeing it yet, we're hearing that Apple's servers may be slammed but that it is indeed live.

See the chart at TechCrunch:


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]]>Apple Software UpdateFacebookfacebook integrationfacetimeiOS 6Ios6iPadIPhoneIPod TouchpanoramaPassbookSiriTechCrunchWed, 19 Sep 2012 17:07:00 ESTApple Officially Reveals The iPhone 5http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/12/apple-officially-reveals-the-iphone-5/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/12/apple-officially-reveals-the-iphone-5/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/12/apple-officially-reveals-the-iphone-5/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Apple officially reveals the iPhone 5By Chris Velazco

And just like that, months and months of breathless speculation have finally come to an end. Apple's (AAPL) Phil Schiller has just officially announced the new iPhone 5 at the company's massive press event here in San Francisco, less than a year since its predecessor was unveiled.

Some of the news won't come as much of a shock considering the sheer volume of rumors and leaks lately (even Apple let some details slip earlier today) - I'm going to resist the temptation to pontificate on every new feature as it's revealed (for now, anyway), so let's get right down to it.

The iPhone 5
  • We can finally put the debate to rest - Apple's newest mobile juggernaut is called the iPhone 5 (despite actually being the sixth iPhone to hit the market). It's 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S, and 18% thinner to boot - not bad at all.The long-rumored (and handsome)
  • two-toned design is indeed legitimate, as is the new iPhone's larger 4-inch Retina Display. And yes, that display runs at 1136 by 640. According to Schiller, it's "the most accurate display in the industry" because the touch sensors are embedded in the display as well.
  • It's hardly a surprise at this point, but the iPhone 5 packs support for Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T's LTE networks here in the States.
  • As expected, Apple has also unveiled a brand new chipset for the iPhone 5: the A6, which Schiller says is a full two times faster than the A5 chip in the iPhone 4S
  • The iPhone 4S's battery life wasn't anything to write home about, but the iPhone 5 seems equipped to do much better - 8 hours of 3G talk time, as well as 8 hours of 3G and LTE web browsing to be precise.
  • The iPhone's audio system has been bolstered with a smaller (but improved speaker). There are also now three microphones in the mix: one on the front, one on the back, and another on the bottom.
Camera
  • Smartphone cameras are really starting to give their point-and-shoot brethren a run for their money (think Nokia's (NOK) PureView and HTC's ImageSense tech), but instead of running up the megapixel count, Apple has stuck with an 8-megapixel camera. That said, the backside-illuminated sensor is smaller, and features much better low-light performance (finally!). App developers may be bummed to know that the camera now also has a built-in panorama model.
LIVE CHAT: What investors need to know about the iPhone 5 launch


More from TechCrunch:
The iPhone 5 Comes With the New 'Lightning' Connector
Apple Announces the New iPod Nano
Siri Co-Founder Adam Cheyer Said To Have Left Apple

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]]>Appleapple announcementiPhone 5iPhone announcementtim cookTechCrunchWed, 12 Sep 2012 14:45:00 EST