Mike Daisey's latest excuse: I was quoted out of context
On his blog, Daisey today wrote: "Four hours of grilling edited down to fifteen minutes. I thought the dead air was a nice touch, and finishing the episode with audio pulled out of context from my performance was masterful."A spokeswoman for This American Life declined to comment. On Friday, the Chicago-based show said it could no longer vouch for a January episode in which it used excerpts from Daisey's show to report on working conditions in Chinese factories where iPads and iPhones are assembled. Host Ira Glass said that Daisey was asked multiple times whether everything in his monologue about his visit to the factories was factual and Daisey said they were. An investigation turned up numerous inaccuracies. When confronted, Daisey admitted some of the events he claimed were factual were made up or embellished. These included his assertion that he met underage workers, people poisoned by industrial chemicals, and workers crippled by unsafe equipment. What Daisey doesn't do in his blog today is say that This American Life is wrong for issuing a retraction. Daisey wrote "I apologized in this week's episode to anyone who felt betrayed. I stand by that apology."
Monday, March 23, 2015
Microsoft upgrades Windows Phone sync app for Mac users
Microsoft upgrades Windows Phone sync app for Mac users
Mac owners who use a Windows Phone device now have a new and improved app for syncing their information.Released yesterday in the Mac App store, the Windows Phone 3.0 app lets users sync movies, videos, documents, and other files between their Macs and Windows Phone handsets. The latest version now supports Windows Phone 8.Users can drag and drop files between their Windows Phone 8 devices and the Mac desktop or the Finder file manager. They can see the state of the phone's battery charge and take advantage of better support for ringtones. The new app also supports Retina Display Macs as well as iPhoto 9.3.2 and Aperture 3.3.2.Related storiesMicrosoft app syncs Windows 8, Windows Phone 8Microsoft dishes more Windows Phone 8 goodsWindows Phone 8 trio hitting Verizon for the holidaysWindows Phone 8 users can access 46 of top 50 appsIn its former life, Windows Phone 3.0 was known as Windows Phone 7 Connector.But with Microsoft's focus now on Windows Phone 8, a new name and new features seemed in order.Last week, Microsoft unveiled a new app to let Windows 8 and Windows RT users sync data between their PCs or tablets and their Windows Phone devices. The company officially kicked off Windows Phone 8 with a launch event on Monday.
Mac owners who use a Windows Phone device now have a new and improved app for syncing their information.Released yesterday in the Mac App store, the Windows Phone 3.0 app lets users sync movies, videos, documents, and other files between their Macs and Windows Phone handsets. The latest version now supports Windows Phone 8.Users can drag and drop files between their Windows Phone 8 devices and the Mac desktop or the Finder file manager. They can see the state of the phone's battery charge and take advantage of better support for ringtones. The new app also supports Retina Display Macs as well as iPhoto 9.3.2 and Aperture 3.3.2.Related storiesMicrosoft app syncs Windows 8, Windows Phone 8Microsoft dishes more Windows Phone 8 goodsWindows Phone 8 trio hitting Verizon for the holidaysWindows Phone 8 users can access 46 of top 50 appsIn its former life, Windows Phone 3.0 was known as Windows Phone 7 Connector.But with Microsoft's focus now on Windows Phone 8, a new name and new features seemed in order.Last week, Microsoft unveiled a new app to let Windows 8 and Windows RT users sync data between their PCs or tablets and their Windows Phone devices. The company officially kicked off Windows Phone 8 with a launch event on Monday.
Microsoft reportedly readying Office for the iPad
Microsoft reportedly readying Office for the iPad
Microsoft didn't comment directly on the report."We already deliver Office on multiple platforms and devices and are committed to expanding in the future, but have nothing further to share today," the company said in a statement.Microsoft already offers a handful of apps for both the iPad and the iPhone, including Bing and Windows Live Messenger, among others. Creating Office for the iPad could help the device's prospects in work environments, a market where it's already making inroads at the expense of Windows PCs.Microsoft is also busily working on Windows 8, the next version of its flagship operating system, for tablet computers. It has yet to disclose details about a touch-version of Office that will run on those devices.Apple introduced its own office software, iWork, as individual apps for the iPad in March of last year. That suite consists of Pages, Keynote and Numbers, the same lineup Apple offers Mac OS X users. All three of those apps can open and export Microsoft Office files that match up with Microsoft's Word, PowerPoint and Excel software, with Apple providing ways to natively view those files in its own built-in e-mail application.The Daily reported that the Office for iPad app would likely cost $10, the same amount Apple charges for each of its individual iWork for iPad apps.Staff writer Josh Lowensohn contributed to this report.
Microsoft didn't comment directly on the report."We already deliver Office on multiple platforms and devices and are committed to expanding in the future, but have nothing further to share today," the company said in a statement.Microsoft already offers a handful of apps for both the iPad and the iPhone, including Bing and Windows Live Messenger, among others. Creating Office for the iPad could help the device's prospects in work environments, a market where it's already making inroads at the expense of Windows PCs.Microsoft is also busily working on Windows 8, the next version of its flagship operating system, for tablet computers. It has yet to disclose details about a touch-version of Office that will run on those devices.Apple introduced its own office software, iWork, as individual apps for the iPad in March of last year. That suite consists of Pages, Keynote and Numbers, the same lineup Apple offers Mac OS X users. All three of those apps can open and export Microsoft Office files that match up with Microsoft's Word, PowerPoint and Excel software, with Apple providing ways to natively view those files in its own built-in e-mail application.The Daily reported that the Office for iPad app would likely cost $10, the same amount Apple charges for each of its individual iWork for iPad apps.Staff writer Josh Lowensohn contributed to this report.
Microsoft pulls 'fly on the wall' anti-iPhone ads
Microsoft pulls 'fly on the wall' anti-iPhone ads
Microsoft has removed a series of online video advertisements that were critical of Apple's latest iPhones, after they were up for just a few hours. The videos, which began with the title "A fly on the wall in Cupertino?" depicted fictional meetings supposedly taking place at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. They were posted from Microsoft's Windows Phone YouTube account, and at nearly two minutes were unlikely to be shown on TV. The advertisements were ill-received, and even mocked, on numerous social networks. Some observers also suggested that similarities between one of the fictional executives -- seen only from behind -- and late Apple CEO Steve Jobs were in poor taste. The campaign "was intended to be a lighthearted poke at our friends from Cupertino. But it was off the mark, and we've decided to pull it down," a Microsoft representative told CNET.For those who missed it, here's a mirrored version of the main video:Update, 1:30 p.m. PT: Adds fact that multiple videos were part of the campaign. Updated again at 2:20 p.m. PT with comment from Microsoft.
Microsoft has removed a series of online video advertisements that were critical of Apple's latest iPhones, after they were up for just a few hours. The videos, which began with the title "A fly on the wall in Cupertino?" depicted fictional meetings supposedly taking place at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. They were posted from Microsoft's Windows Phone YouTube account, and at nearly two minutes were unlikely to be shown on TV. The advertisements were ill-received, and even mocked, on numerous social networks. Some observers also suggested that similarities between one of the fictional executives -- seen only from behind -- and late Apple CEO Steve Jobs were in poor taste. The campaign "was intended to be a lighthearted poke at our friends from Cupertino. But it was off the mark, and we've decided to pull it down," a Microsoft representative told CNET.For those who missed it, here's a mirrored version of the main video:Update, 1:30 p.m. PT: Adds fact that multiple videos were part of the campaign. Updated again at 2:20 p.m. PT with comment from Microsoft.
Microsoft forges ahead with retail store expansion plans
Microsoft forges ahead with retail store expansion plans
Microsoft unveiled the next six locations for its expanding network of retail stores. The company has been in the middle of a broader transformation to further connect with consumers beyond its Windows software. That has included moving even further into the hardware business with its own tablet, the Surface, going beyond its Xbox 360 video game console and the ill-fated Zune media player. A key part of that strategy has been its growing chain of retail stores, which give it opportunities to interact directly with potential customers.Geekwire was the first to spot the announcement. Here's a list:The Shops at La Cantera, San Antonio, TexasDadeland Mall, Miami, Fla.Beachwood Place, Beachwood, OhioWestfield San Francisco Centre, San FranciscoCity Creek Center, Salt Lake CitySt. Louis Galleria, St. Louis.Here's a list of all of the Microsoft stores.The company opened up a number of "pop-up" stores across the U.S. during the holiday season as part of a broader effort to push its new Windows 8 operating system and the Surface tablet. It has roughly 40 stores throughout the country.Microsoft is attempting to emulate Apple's wildly successful retail push, which has created a network of stores that command impressive foot traffic and sales. Apple has 250 stores in the U.S. and 140 stores abroad. Average revenue per store was $51.5 million in fiscal 2012, up 19 percent from a year ago.
Microsoft unveiled the next six locations for its expanding network of retail stores. The company has been in the middle of a broader transformation to further connect with consumers beyond its Windows software. That has included moving even further into the hardware business with its own tablet, the Surface, going beyond its Xbox 360 video game console and the ill-fated Zune media player. A key part of that strategy has been its growing chain of retail stores, which give it opportunities to interact directly with potential customers.Geekwire was the first to spot the announcement. Here's a list:The Shops at La Cantera, San Antonio, TexasDadeland Mall, Miami, Fla.Beachwood Place, Beachwood, OhioWestfield San Francisco Centre, San FranciscoCity Creek Center, Salt Lake CitySt. Louis Galleria, St. Louis.Here's a list of all of the Microsoft stores.The company opened up a number of "pop-up" stores across the U.S. during the holiday season as part of a broader effort to push its new Windows 8 operating system and the Surface tablet. It has roughly 40 stores throughout the country.Microsoft is attempting to emulate Apple's wildly successful retail push, which has created a network of stores that command impressive foot traffic and sales. Apple has 250 stores in the U.S. and 140 stores abroad. Average revenue per store was $51.5 million in fiscal 2012, up 19 percent from a year ago.
Micron to buy major Apple supplier Elpida, takes on Samsung
Micron to buy major Apple supplier Elpida, takes on Samsung
Micron will become the No. 2 maker of memory chips worldwide, second only to Samsung as it is set to buy Elpida Memory, a big supplier to Apple. The Boise, Idaho-based chipmaker will purchase bankrupt Elpida for $2.5 billion, instantly doubling its share of the memory chip market to about 24 percent.Market leader Samsung has about a 42 percent share.Elpida was formed in 1999 when NEC and Hitachi merged their memory chip businesses. But the price volatility of the memory market forced it to file for bankruptcy in February with $5.6 billion of debt, despite having become the world's third-largest maker of memory chips. The Japanese company has a strong presence in the mobile DRAM market and has been a major supplier of memory to Apple and was a leading DRAM supplier for the third-generation iPad and iPhone 4S."We suspect Apple may have influenced Micron's bidding in an effort to avoid disruption to their mobile DRAM supply," Glen Yeung, an analyst at Citigroup, wrote in a research note in May.Elpida is a big supplier of mobile DRAM to Apple.The third-generation iPad uses Elpida memory.Apple
Micron will become the No. 2 maker of memory chips worldwide, second only to Samsung as it is set to buy Elpida Memory, a big supplier to Apple. The Boise, Idaho-based chipmaker will purchase bankrupt Elpida for $2.5 billion, instantly doubling its share of the memory chip market to about 24 percent.Market leader Samsung has about a 42 percent share.Elpida was formed in 1999 when NEC and Hitachi merged their memory chip businesses. But the price volatility of the memory market forced it to file for bankruptcy in February with $5.6 billion of debt, despite having become the world's third-largest maker of memory chips. The Japanese company has a strong presence in the mobile DRAM market and has been a major supplier of memory to Apple and was a leading DRAM supplier for the third-generation iPad and iPhone 4S."We suspect Apple may have influenced Micron's bidding in an effort to avoid disruption to their mobile DRAM supply," Glen Yeung, an analyst at Citigroup, wrote in a research note in May.Elpida is a big supplier of mobile DRAM to Apple.The third-generation iPad uses Elpida memory.Apple
Roku hits 1 billion streams to televisions
Roku hits 1 billion streams to televisions
Roku has delivered 1 billion streams via its set-top boxes, the company said yesterday.According to Roku, which also announced that it has sold 1 million set-top boxes, the average user watched 11 hours of content on a Roku device in December. The company said that at the end of 2010, its set-top boxes had 135 channels available, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Video On Demand.Roku currently sells three set-top box units, the Roku HD, the Roku XD, and the Roku XDS. Prices start at $59.99.Roku, which launched its first set-top box in mid-2008, finds itself in a real battle among several set-top-box makers, including Logitech and Boxee. But one of its top competitors is Apple, which announced late last year that it would sell 1 million Apple TV units by Christmas. However, unlike Roku, which offers content from several different companies via channels, Apple offers television and movie rentals through its iTunes platform. Apple also provides access to Netflix's streaming service and Flickr images.2011 is shaping up to be another hard-fought year for set-top-box makers, and Apple and Roku seem to be at the forefront of that fight.
Roku has delivered 1 billion streams via its set-top boxes, the company said yesterday.According to Roku, which also announced that it has sold 1 million set-top boxes, the average user watched 11 hours of content on a Roku device in December. The company said that at the end of 2010, its set-top boxes had 135 channels available, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Video On Demand.Roku currently sells three set-top box units, the Roku HD, the Roku XD, and the Roku XDS. Prices start at $59.99.Roku, which launched its first set-top box in mid-2008, finds itself in a real battle among several set-top-box makers, including Logitech and Boxee. But one of its top competitors is Apple, which announced late last year that it would sell 1 million Apple TV units by Christmas. However, unlike Roku, which offers content from several different companies via channels, Apple offers television and movie rentals through its iTunes platform. Apple also provides access to Netflix's streaming service and Flickr images.2011 is shaping up to be another hard-fought year for set-top-box makers, and Apple and Roku seem to be at the forefront of that fight.
Palm WebOS 1.2 released for the Pre
Palm WebOS 1.2 released for the Pre
On Monday, Palm set free its lastest WebOS update for the Palm Pre, bringing quite a number of new features to the smartphone and addresses several security issues. If you haven't received it already, Palm WebOS 1.2 will arrive as an over-the-air update to your smartphone over the next few days. Notable additions include the integration of LinkedIn contacts, the capability to download songs from the Amazon MP3 Store over a 3G connection in addition to Wi-Fi, and cut and paste for Web pages and e-mails. Other highlights include being able to search within e-mail folders, download files from the Web browser, and the capability to pause podcasts. We're still awaiting the arrival of prepaid apps, but it looks we're getting closer since you can now store credit card information on your Palm profile so you can purchase apps in the future. For a full list of included updates with Palm WebOS 1.2, check out Palm's support site. Most notably absent from this update, however, is any mention of a fix to the iTunes synchronization, which was broken by iTunes 9.0. We're still waiting for the WebOS 1.2 to arrive on our Palm Pre, but let us know if the media syncing is still truly disabled and share your experience with the update in the comments below.
On Monday, Palm set free its lastest WebOS update for the Palm Pre, bringing quite a number of new features to the smartphone and addresses several security issues. If you haven't received it already, Palm WebOS 1.2 will arrive as an over-the-air update to your smartphone over the next few days. Notable additions include the integration of LinkedIn contacts, the capability to download songs from the Amazon MP3 Store over a 3G connection in addition to Wi-Fi, and cut and paste for Web pages and e-mails. Other highlights include being able to search within e-mail folders, download files from the Web browser, and the capability to pause podcasts. We're still awaiting the arrival of prepaid apps, but it looks we're getting closer since you can now store credit card information on your Palm profile so you can purchase apps in the future. For a full list of included updates with Palm WebOS 1.2, check out Palm's support site. Most notably absent from this update, however, is any mention of a fix to the iTunes synchronization, which was broken by iTunes 9.0. We're still waiting for the WebOS 1.2 to arrive on our Palm Pre, but let us know if the media syncing is still truly disabled and share your experience with the update in the comments below.
It's curtains for Songbird
It's curtains for Songbird
Songbird, an iTunes alternative that originally combined music playback and management with Web-based music discovery, will exit stage left permanently at the end of the month.CEO Eric Wittman revealed in a blog post that Songbird will no longer be maintained as of June 28, and that its parent company, Pioneers of the Inevitable, also would be closing down."[T]he company has found ourselves unable to fund further business operations," he said. The open-source desktop version of Songbird, its mobile apps for Android and iOS, and its music discovery service Songbird.me will all go dark. Wittman said more than 1 million people used Songbird.me per month.Founded by digital-music veteran Rob Lord, who left the company in 2009, Songbird debuted to much interest, if not outright acclaim, in 2007. In 2011, Fast Company called Songbird one of the most innovative companies in music.But as browser development focused on speed, security, and HTML5, and music turned to streaming services like Pandora, Songbird was unable to adapt and make money.However, Songbird isn't quite as dead as disco. The alternative media jukebox Nightingale, which is built on Songbird, will remain available. And since Songbird is open source, interested developers can continue to play with its code on their own by downloading it here.It's doubtful that Songbird will ever get as successful a second life as Aerosmith, but then again, nobody ever expected them to come back, either.
Songbird, an iTunes alternative that originally combined music playback and management with Web-based music discovery, will exit stage left permanently at the end of the month.CEO Eric Wittman revealed in a blog post that Songbird will no longer be maintained as of June 28, and that its parent company, Pioneers of the Inevitable, also would be closing down."[T]he company has found ourselves unable to fund further business operations," he said. The open-source desktop version of Songbird, its mobile apps for Android and iOS, and its music discovery service Songbird.me will all go dark. Wittman said more than 1 million people used Songbird.me per month.Founded by digital-music veteran Rob Lord, who left the company in 2009, Songbird debuted to much interest, if not outright acclaim, in 2007. In 2011, Fast Company called Songbird one of the most innovative companies in music.But as browser development focused on speed, security, and HTML5, and music turned to streaming services like Pandora, Songbird was unable to adapt and make money.However, Songbird isn't quite as dead as disco. The alternative media jukebox Nightingale, which is built on Songbird, will remain available. And since Songbird is open source, interested developers can continue to play with its code on their own by downloading it here.It's doubtful that Songbird will ever get as successful a second life as Aerosmith, but then again, nobody ever expected them to come back, either.
iBetterCharge monitors your iOS device battery level from a Mac
iBetterCharge monitors your iOS device battery level from a Mac
Forgetting to charge your smartphone or tablet, only to realize the battery is almost dead when you're heading out the door is a bummer. If only there were some way for your Mac to alert you when your device's battery was getting low. Wait, there is. As reported by 9to5Mac, a free OS X app called iBetterCharge will monitor your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch battery level for you. After downloading and installing the app, you'll need to ensure that you have iTunes Wi-Fi sync enabled for the specific device(s) you want to monitor. After that, any time you want to check the current battery level of a device, you simply click on the icon in your Mac's menu bar. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETOnce a device is added, you can set when you'd like the app to alert you of a low battery. Currently, the options are 5, 10, 20, and 50 percent. You can even set iBetterCharge to alert you when a device is fully charged. Naturally, alerts show up in Notification Center with an audible tone that's hard to miss. I've been using the app over the last week with little issue. There have been a few times when a device randomly disappears from the list of monitored devices, but quitting and relaunching iBetterCharge usually fixes it.
Forgetting to charge your smartphone or tablet, only to realize the battery is almost dead when you're heading out the door is a bummer. If only there were some way for your Mac to alert you when your device's battery was getting low. Wait, there is. As reported by 9to5Mac, a free OS X app called iBetterCharge will monitor your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch battery level for you. After downloading and installing the app, you'll need to ensure that you have iTunes Wi-Fi sync enabled for the specific device(s) you want to monitor. After that, any time you want to check the current battery level of a device, you simply click on the icon in your Mac's menu bar. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETOnce a device is added, you can set when you'd like the app to alert you of a low battery. Currently, the options are 5, 10, 20, and 50 percent. You can even set iBetterCharge to alert you when a device is fully charged. Naturally, alerts show up in Notification Center with an audible tone that's hard to miss. I've been using the app over the last week with little issue. There have been a few times when a device randomly disappears from the list of monitored devices, but quitting and relaunching iBetterCharge usually fixes it.
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