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McCann Officially Welcomes Mike Parker
It sure didn’t take long for McCann Erickson to welcome Mike Parker to the fold. Just days after splitting from Tribal DDB San Francisco, the exec is officially taking on the role of chief digital innovation officer. Parker, who continues to work out of the Bay Area, will serve McCann’s North American operations in his new post. Regarding Parker, Hank Summy, McCann North America president, says in a statement, “His charge is to build specialist digital capabilities and talent into the very core of McCann, so that digital story-telling is integrated into everything we do, woven into the creation and execution of all brand ideas, and is an integral part of our environment.”
Along with Parker’s arrival as well as that of TBWA\Chiat\Day alum Jeremy Miller‘s, McCann has also brought on Thompson Reuters alum Alex Spinelli to serve as chief technology officer of Worldgroup.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Wednesday Morning Stir
-DDB Stockholm continues its good run with Swedish Armed Forces (above).
-Director Karen Cunningham and producer Julia Fetterman launch a new London-based prodco called Pop-Up Films.
-The ANA released its first-ever global agency compensation survey. link
-So, who are the best companies to work for within the Fortune 500? link
-A top Nike exec things brands should stop focusing on “likes.” link
-Heidi Klum and Unilever have teamed up to launch Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy line for the latter brand. link
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
TUAW Deep Thoughts: How netbooks conquered the universe
Look around out there. Netbooks are not only ubiquitous, they have basically conquered all of reality.
Before you do a spit take and start saying words that are unsuitable for TUAW's family friendly audience, let me remind you of Apple's iPad introduction. Steve Jobs laid out the plan for how the unit would operate: as a middle ground between laptops and mobile phones, it would allow people to browse the web, check for email, enjoy media, play games, and read.
In other words, Jobs was introducing netbooks for the rest of us.
Reimagining the form factor but not the functionality brought the netbook into huge demand (and basically put paid to the more traditional keyboard/screen layout). For a few hundred dollars, people could do all the basic computing they want while on the road, with insanely great battery life, and with an OS that's built for serial unitasking, in a super-comfortable form factor.
Basically, Apple built a better netbook and it triumphed.
This kind of appliance computing experience hides complexity from the user with minimum compromise. The user experience allows people to do certain tasks slickly, simply, and effectively. The focus isn't on ultimate flexibility, it's on convenience. Netbook computing is all about the appliance experience -- it does its job and just that job.
The result was that the iPad exploded. The demand for it showed a basic truth. People liked a simple unit that even a baby or cat could operate. They could still all do the core tasks they had done on standard computers, but they could do it on the go without any training and with a unit that fit into the crook of their arm.
The big question that remains is: What next? Can Apple migrate its iPad/netbook lessons to other platforms? Could we see an appliance desktop or notebook next? As I wrote in an earlier post, I think we're likely to see a computer that adapts to its situation -- on the road or at home or in the office. But while we've seen the mobile side of this story, how might home computing change? Will OS X take netbook lessons from the iPad?
Some readers responded to my last post by suggesting that anyone incapable of fully operating OS X should not be using it. But when has Apple left potential customers on the table? Why shouldn't they re-jigger OS X (or a version of OS X) to create the same kind of netbook experience demonstrated by Steve Jobs at the top of this post? After all, those tasks are what most people do.
Sure, there are professional users as well who would not benefit from appliance computing, but there are plenty more currently struggling away on Windows who could easily make the jump to a simplified iMac (or even Apple TV) if the choice were offered to them.
Netbooks and the iPad taught us this: if the hardware is affordable, light, easy-to-use, and helps people accomplish their core tasks, the customers will be there to buy them.
TUAW Deep Thoughts: How netbooks conquered the universe originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Proview notes "big gap" in Apple's settlement terms
Apple and Proview are talking settlement in their dispute over the iPad trademark in China, but the two companies are far from reaching an agreement. Roger Xie, lawyer for Proview, told Bloomberg, "The Guangdong Higher People's court is trying to mediate this, and both parties are trying to negotiate and come to a settlement. Right now, there is still a big gap between the two sides on the settlement amount."
Proview is battling Apple over the rights to the iPad name and claims it still owns the trademark. Apple asserts it bought the trademark from a division of the Chinese company in 2009. The dispute has made its way to the Guangdong Higher People's court after Apple appealed a lower court ruling that said Proview owned the iPad name.
Proview notes "big gap" in Apple's settlement terms originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
DevJuice: Should I develop cross platform?
App Store. Android. Amazon. If you're a developer, there are lots of possible venues competing for your attention. So which one is worth your time and energy? I turned to Avatron Founder and CEO Dave Howell for the answer.
Avatron makes Air Display, a popular app that allows you to use a mobile device like an iPad or phone as an extra display for your computer. When you're on the road, it's nice to be able to offload a Twitter stream, for example, onto a secondary screen so your laptop can be dedicated more to your work.
Air Display is now available across a number of platforms, including the following stores:
- Apple iOS App Store (iOS)
- Apple Mac App Store (Mac)
- Google Android Market (Android)
- Amazon Appstore (Android)
- Samsung Apps (Bada)
- Intel AppUp (Windows netbooks)
Given the time investment, the overhead, and general work involved in developing cross platform, where has Avatron seen its strongest sales? You won't be surprised by the answer: in the iOS App Store.
Like many other developers, Avatron has found that the App Store delivers customers and product interest in ways that other platforms have been unable to match. Howell lays out the sales as follows:
iOS App Store: Strong sales
Mac App Store: 1/10 of the sales of the iOS App Store
Android Market: 1/2 of the Mac App Store sales
Samsung Apps: 1/5 of Android Market
Amazon App Store: 1/10 of Android Market
Intel AppUp: "4 copies in over an entire year" and Howell bought one of those copies.
Each store has its strengths, weaknesses, and quirks, but Howell is clear about one thing -- No matter how we App Store developers complain, "iOS is the most painless of the bunch. And this is coming from a developer who's latest iOS app was pulled by Apple without any credible justification."
Avatron retired Air Dictate this January. "Our most recent submission of Air Dictate did not break any rules, or use any private APIs," Howell said, discussing the background of that situation. "Apple pulled it because it bizarrely claimed that apps that "relate to Siri" are infringing Apple's Siri trademark or copyright. I sent them the email addresses to three Apple IP lawyers so the app review team could get a tutorial on what exactly trademarks and copyrights are, but my helpful suggestion have proved fruitless so far."
Compared to other stores, however, Apple's App Store offers the simplest road to market and the best logistics. "The latest move by Google requires Android Market sales to go through Google Wallet. No more PayPal, Zong, or Boku. And now Android Market is called Google Play," Howell explained. "I can't keep up with the thrashing. And Google still offers no way to give out promo codes, or even to purchase a copy of an app for somebody else. Apple's way, way ahead in this kind of logistics."
Howell pointed out that Amazon remains US-only. "Amazon does let us buy gift cards for people, which is nice. As long as they're in the US and they don't mind getting their apps through Amazon Appstore. Amazon's review process is no faster than Apple's, and strangely it's much slower to get an app approved for Amazon's own Kindle Fire than for other devices. So their own customers get our apps later than everybody else."
Despite low sales in Samsung Apps and Intel AppUp, Howell reports that the recruiting process and submission was pleasant enough.
So should you invest time going cross platform? Hopefully Avatron's experience gives you a hint as to the market possibilities.
If you like this kind of developer-centric coverage, please let our editorial team know. Drop a note and tell TUAW that you care about dev topics.
DevJuice: Should I develop cross platform? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Musubo's stylish iPhone cases bring fun and flair to a crowded market
In my daily work for TUAW I see a lot of iPhone cases. For the most part, it's hard to distinguish one from the other, so when Musubo offered to send me a set of their new iPhone 4/4S cases I took a quick look at them first. It's a good thing I did, because what I found was a set of fun and stylish cases that really stand out from the crowd. Read along as I review this set of cases, and then enter our giveaway for a chance to win one of these five cool iPhone cases.
MatchBook Pro
The first of the cases, and the one that originally caught my eye, is the MatchBook Pro (US$34.99). It's cleverly designed to look like an open book of matches, and the matches actually fold out into a built-in video stand for your iPhone. The hard case is made of polycarbonate for protection, while the "matches" are made of a silicone rubber.
The MatchBook Pro comes in five different color combinations, with the cases available in black, red, white, a golden yellow, and a grassy green. The "matches" vary in color depending on the case color. It's hard not to like a case with a name that's also a play on "MacBook Pro".
Rubber Band
The next unique case from Musubo is the Rubber Band ($29.99). As the name implies, the Rubber Band makes your protected iPhone look as if it has been wrapped with a box of rubber bands. The Rubber Band is nice and grippable, and comes in a variety of colors -- yellow, light blue, blue, black, green, orange, red, pink, and magenta.
If you're a fan of the Rubber Band but would like a video stand, don't worry -- Musubo includes one in the box. It's quite clever (see below), and included with every one of these cases with the exception of the MatchBook Pro.
This case gets its name from the gentle ripple pattern that extends out from the camera cutout. The Ripple ($29.99) is made of TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) for protection, and the pattern provides a nice surface for gripping.
The Ripple comes in black, light green, dark green, red, yellow, purple, magenta and midnight blue.
Retro
The Retro ($34.99) uses a glossy polycarbonate exterior designed to look like an old microphone, with a soft silicone interior to cradle the iPhone. Perhaps the most effective case color for the Retro is silver, since it really accentuates the mic-like design.
The other colors include black, red, blue, white and yellow.
Sneaker
The innovative Sneaker ($34.99) uses a soft TPU bumper in one color, then includes two different colored "soles" that snap into the back of the case. The soles are patterned like the bottom of a sneaker, hence the name. With the black bumper you get the choice of black and white soles, red and yellow soles, or lime and purple soles; with the white bumper, Musubo provides the choice of either rose pink and baby blue or brown and olive soles.
Note that there are three more case designs -- the Sexy ($24.99), the Eden ($34.99), and the Double-X ($29.99) -- that aren't covered in this review or giveaway, but can be viewed on the Musubo website.
GiveawaySo now here's your chance to win one of these five innovative and fun iPhone 4/4S cases. All you need to do to enter is fill out the entry form completely and press submit. We'll pick five random winners, and you'll each get one of the Musubo cases. We can't guarantee that you'll get the one you want, but we'll try to match up the winners with the cases if we can.
Here are the rules for the giveaway:- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
- To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
- The entry must be made before May 11, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Five winners will be selected and each will receive a Musubo iPhone 4/4S case valued at either $29.99 or $34.99. We cannot guarantee that the winners will receive their choice of a case.
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Musubo's stylish iPhone cases bring fun and flair to a crowded market originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Daily iPhone App: 100 Rogues is no-frills RPG fun
I've already written about how much Junk Jack helped me out on my multiple flights back from Europe recently, and the other iOS game that really kept me moving from airport to airport on that trip was 100 Rogues, a roguelike RPG that arrived on the App Store a while ago. It just recently got an update with yet another new class, but if you like the turn-based exploration and combat of roguelike dungeon crawlers at all, this is the best example of the genre I've seen on iOS.
Controls are simple -- just tap to move or attack, depending on the context. The graphics are simple and colorful, but get all the information across that you need. And I liked the game's depth -- not only can you of course kill monsters and collect loot, but there are some fun elements in there as well, like ranged combat, thrown attacks, and even things like earning bonuses on weapons after you use them for a while.
100 Rogues is a great game, and delivers exactly what you want from a roguelike: straightforward turn-based RPG action. It's on the App Store now, in a universal version, for just 99 cents.
Daily iPhone App: 100 Rogues is no-frills RPG fun originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
AT&T kills cheap data. I'm still cranky.
It's been a couple of weeks now since I learned that AT&T hated me.
Okay, maybe not personally, but certainly they hate the way I use data.
If you haven't been following along with this story it goes like this. I received a text from AT&T, telling me that my US$5 autorenewal data package was boosted from 10 MB to 50 MB. I rejoiced but my glee was short-lived.
Shortly thereafter, readers tipped me off about the bad news: AT&T was about to cancel my autorenewal, insist that I pay an extra $25/month (at least) for a voice service package I didn't want or need. My current data would no longer roll over, which is why I was paying $5/month to begin with. It wasn't about 10MB, it was about keeping my data balance active.
I'm an iOS developer. I try to have live SIMs around for testing during development on my non-contract devices.
Until April 30th, I could spend $100 per year and have a SIM that provided data and voice for light usage. It was exactly what I needed.
Then AT&T changed its policy.
"Customers on certain GoPhone voice plans ($2/day and the $0.10/min option) need to subscribe to a monthly plan in order to use a data package. (Customers on those two plans can still pay a PPU rate for data, of course...) Qualifying monthly plans are the $50 Unlimited Talk & Text nationwide plan for GoPhone smartphones and the $25 Unlimited Text with 250 minutes nationwide GoPhone plan. "
Translated into English, this means: "Unless you pay another $25 a month for a plan you do not need and will not use, coughing up an additional $300/year, your simple and affordable data-enabled SIM is toast."
Great.
So what am I doing? For now, I'm letting my extra SIMs go dark and I'm using my 4S's data exclusively. Meanwhile, I'm trying to wrap my head around why it's so important for carriers to kill a la carte data. It just doesn't make any sense to me, especially when AT&T continues to offer similar plans (admittedly for $15/month not $5/month) on the iPad.
So did AT&T's policy change hit you? How are you taking it and what do you plan to do in response? Let me know. Share in the comments.
AT&T kills cheap data. I'm still cranky. originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Illustrator Symbols, Part 3
In this third video on working with Symbols in Adobe Illustrator CS5, AJ Wood shows how to move those Illustrator symbols into Photoshop and Flash.
Comixology hits 65 million downloads, lands exclusive Marvel digital deal
We've posted about Comixology's domination of comic book content on iOS before -- it's certainly not the only app that lets you read and even buy comic books, but it's by far the most popular, and keeps getting even more so. The company has just announced that it's reached 65 million downloads across the platform as a whole, which is just a huge amount of content delivered. And Comixology keeps locking down plans to deliver even more -- their latest deal is with Marvel, and allows Comixology to exclusively release Marvel's single issues digitally through the app. That means every single issue English comic that Marvel puts out is available digitally only through Comixology.
This is just one of a few such deals Comixology has worked out to deliver both exclusive and non-exclusive content right through their system. The company has made deals with most of the main comics producers already, so that almost any comic you want is now available in their database, directly via in-app purchase.
There's clearly a market here -- you'd think that maybe Apple would have gone after comic books with iBooks by now, or maybe incorporating them as periodicals in Newsstand. But no. At this point, Comixology is cornering the market on digital comics, and it seems to be paying off handsomely for them.
Comixology hits 65 million downloads, lands exclusive Marvel digital deal originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Daily Update for May 8, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.
You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.
No Flash? Click here to listen.
Subscribe via RSS
Daily Update for May 8, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone comes to two more small US carriers
After landing at several smaller US carriers in April, Apple's iPhone is poised to make another round of expansion into regional markets later this month, according to MacRumors. As of the writing of this post, three wireless carriers, including Bluegrass Cellular of Kentucky, Golden State Cellular of California and Nex-Tech Wireless of Kansas, will start selling the iPhone 4S on May 18.
These regional operators will offer the iPhone for US$50 off Apple's retail price with the 16 GB model selling for US$149, the 32 GB for $249 and the 64 GB for $349. The trio will also sell the iPhone 4 for $49. All prices require a two-year customer agreement.
iPhone comes to two more small US carriers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple and IKEA, two similar retail stories
There's a fascinating writeup over at Asymco about Apple's retail strategy as compared with another very popular retail chain: IKEA. On the surface, the two brands seem dissimilar. One is a popular computer maker turned mobile device innovator, while the other is a simple and low-cost furniture maker from Sweden. But when you look at the retail scale and strategy of both companies, the similarities become apparent. Both go for high profit margins and striking design decisions, and both brands go from design to factory to retail in one big all-in-one solution.
It turns out the sales growths are similar too, with a few important differences. IKEA stores are obviously much bigger than Apple Stores, more than 30 times the size. And Apple, because it sells such expensive items, is able to claim a much higher dollars-spent-per-visitor figure, way higher than IKEA's US$27 per visitor to its stores.
But on the other hand, IKEA's sales are solid, stable, and well-earned. Furniture is not a market known for big sweeping changes or volatile pricing. Apple, on the other hand, has earned its standing relatively quickly. While its products are certainly awesome, there's always a chance another company could come along with some big innovations and steal those sales away. There's a lot to be learned in the similarities and differences between these two companies -- both have put together very successful strategies for retail, but done so in very different ways.
Apple and IKEA, two similar retail stories originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Get LostWinds for iOS for free at Starbucks
Starbucks has a deal going on this week to give away a free iOS game to anyone who walks into one of their stores. Usually, the famous (and ubiquitous) coffee chain gives away a song on iTunes, but every once in a while, apps get picked as giveaways, too. This week, its giveaway is LostWinds for iOS, a solid platformer that originally made its debut on the Wii.
To get the game, usually US$3.99, for free, just stop by a Starbucks and grab a "Pick of the Week" card. There's a code on the back for the free game. I assume these are first-come, first-served, so they might be gone already, depending on how busy your local store is. But Starbucks usually has plenty of these around from week to week. Next time you hit a Starbucks to grab a latte, see if you can't get LostWinds for free as well.
Get LostWinds for iOS for free at Starbucks originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple retail stores still crowded at 8400 average square feet
When the first Apple Store opened 11 years ago, Apple felt that 6,000-square-foot stores were the perfect size. Apple's fiscal 2011 10-K report showed that the average size of an Apple Store has creeped up to 8,400 square feet per store, but Needham & Company analyst Charlie Wolf says that the retail stores are "bulging at the seams" and just aren't big enough.
As reported by AppleInsider, Wolf says that the number of visitors per store has grown at a 15.3 percent annual rate. Apple is responding by moving some stores to larger locations. In New York City's SoHo neighborhood, for example, Apple is expanding its store -- requiring a US$1.4 million investment in a temporary store to serve customers during construction.
The same thing is happening on the West Coast. Apple's Palo Alto store is being replaced by a new 15,030-square-foot "prototype" store that may serve to test new store designs. That store is literally within spitting distance of the original store.
Megastores are also being built in a number of locations. The 30,000-square-foot store in London's Covent Garden, the 16,000-square-foot Pudong store in Shanghai, and the 20,000-square-foot Grand Central Terminal store in New York City are all examples of these flagship facilities that are designed to handle the huge crowds that gather to daily buy Apple gear.
Apple retail stores still crowded at 8400 average square feet originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iCloud to debut notifications? TUAW confirms mystery iCloud feature
Sharp eyed TUAW reader Michael Roberts noticed something intriguing when he logged into iCloud today. What seems to be a notification pop-up appeared at the top of the iCloud.com webpage. Several TUAW staffers confirmed this behavior.
Currently using stand-in values ("Default Title" for "English" and "English - This is test message description" [sic]), it looks like Apple is getting ready to introduce some hot new integration into their web services.
iCloud to debut notifications? TUAW confirms mystery iCloud feature originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Photoshop CS6 New Features - Details
Lightroom 4 - Streamlining Your Digital Photography Process - Free Sample Chapter PDF
AT&T considers "Family Plans" for wireless data
During an interview with CNET, AT&T's mobile business CEO Ralph de la Vega revealed the company would soon introduce a family data plan. This would allow customers to buy a sharable data bucket, letting that purchased bandwidth be used across multiple devices.
de la Vega told CNET that he was "very comfortable" with the plan being developed and that he knew how the plan would be structured. He did not offer any details on pricing, timing, or bucket sizes.
Verizon is expected to offer a family data plan soon, possibly this summer.
[via The Mac Observer]
AT&T considers "Family Plans" for wireless data originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple climbs to 17 on Fortune 500 list
Fortune released the Fortune 500 list for 2012, and Apple is now in the top 20 of the list of the largest U.S. corporations in the #17 spot. That's a vast improvement from last year's ranking at 35.
Apple has a way to go to get into the top five, which is populated by such famous names as Exxon Mobil, Wal-mart Stores, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and General Motors. HP was the top tech business in the list at #10, while perennial Fortune 500 place sitter IBM came in behind Apple in the #19 spot. Somewhere, Steve Jobs must be smiling...
In Fortune's industry grouping for "Computers, Office Equipment", HP took the top spot, Apple the second place, and Dell, Xerox, NCR and Pitney Bowes followed the leaders. In case you're wondering where old arch-rivals Microsoft and Dell showed up, they were at spots 37 and 44 respectively. Intel was out of the top 50 in spot number 51, and Google followed the pack in the #73 spot.
Apple climbs to 17 on Fortune 500 list originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
