Apple Planning Surge in Retail and Cloud Spending in 2012

Last week, Apple released its annual 10-K report, offering a summary of the company's financial performance and other items of interest for fiscal 2011. One interesting tidbit from the report is gaining some attention for its glimpse into the future, as GigaOM reports on a new research note from UBS analyst Maynard Um addressing Apple's planned capital expenditures (CapEx) for fiscal 2012. From the 10-K report:

The Company’s capital expenditures were $4.6 billion during 2011, consisting of approximately $614 million for retail store facilities and $4.0 billion for other capital expenditures, including product tooling and manufacturing process equipment, real estate for the future development of the Company’s second corporate campus, and other corporate facilities and infrastructure.

...

The Company anticipates utilizing approximately $8.0 billion for capital expenditures during 2012, including approximately $900 million for retail store facilities and approximately $7.1 billion for product tooling and manufacturing process equipment, and corporate facilities and infrastructure, including information systems hardware, software and enhancements.

The projected 74% increase in capital expenditures is evidence of Apple's commitment to both retail stores other infrastructure needs, many of which are related to Apple's cloud-based initiatives. On the retail front, Apple has noted that it is planning to open forty new retail stores during fiscal 2012, and is also planning to expand or replace a number of its existing stores that are too small to adequately serve customer demand. Other infrastructure needs include cloud-focused facilities like the North Carolina data center where Apple is building a solar farm and the new corporate campus in Cupertino.


Horace Dediu at asymco has taken a different look at Apple's CapEx within the context of iOS device sales, noting that sales have been been closely correlated with CapEx over the past several years. Dediu's conclusion is that the significant increase in budgeted non-retail CapEx points toward Apple expecting yet another year of 100% growth in iOS device unit sales.

(via Daring Fireball)


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Halloween costume uses two iPads to make a huge hole in your stomach [video]

NASA employee Mark Rober has come up with a fantastic Halloween costume that uses two iPads to create an amazing effect. He positioned one iPad 2 under his shirt on his front and one on his back. He then cut out two holes in his shirt around the iPads and added some fake blood around the openings.

Now this is the clever part, he setup a FaceTime call between the two iPads. The iPad 2 on his front shows what the iPad 2 on his back is seeing in its camera. This then creates the illusion that you can see right through his gut and out the other side!

Take a look at the elaborate set up in action in the video below. One small problem, the FaceTime call will need an active Wi-Fi connection; if you plan on trying this when you are out tonight, don’t forget your MiFi!

Source: Gizmodo

Dear Aunt TUAW: Can I use bluetooth with Siri?

Dear Aunt TUAW,

Auntie, you did a great job on the Siri book. I plan to work my way through it to maximize the use of Siri.

You indicate a Bluetooth headset can be used to communicate with Siri. I've never had one but I'd like to keep the iPhone in my pants pocket and be able to talk to Siri as well as hear her responses. Is two-way communication possible with Siri in this situation? If so, do I need a certain type of headset or headphones? Are you allowed to make recommendations?

You're assistance is greatly appreciated! Keep up the good work!

Your loving nephew,

Ken B.

Dear Ken,

Auntie has used both a Bluetooth earpiece and iPhone earbuds with Siri, and has found that the Apple earbuds were far better performance-wise. They worked very well in dealing with a pocketed-or-backpacked Siri, ambient-noise permitting (if the guy jogging next to you can't hear you over traffic, Siri won't either).

Auntie tested Siri with a Jawbone ICON and had a great deal of trouble getting Siri to recognize it consistently, even when using the Jawbone in the recommended touching-the-cheek-bone position. Auntie thinks it's probably because of the particular brand and mic pick-up and not because of the Bluetooth technology.

Obviously, this will also vary by noise conditions and the quality of the Bluetooth pickup. Unfortunately, Auntie didn't have access to any other BT devices to test with, so all she can report is that yes, it does work as long as you have a better audio pickup than the Jawbone provides.

Does anyone have a really good BT earpiece to recommend? Let Auntie know!

Hugs,

Auntie T.

Dear Aunt TUAW: Can I use bluetooth with Siri? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dear Aunt TUAW: Can I use bluetooth with Siri? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read for iPad

Read is an iPad for reading websites and blogs without clutter. Say goodbye to ads and sidebars filled with useless information – Read strips it all away leaving you with only the content you wish to read. Read is preloaded with a wide variety of sources and the list continues to grow each day.

A beautiful and efficient way to read the web’s best blogs and news sites. Going through articles is an estimated 170% faster than regular browsing. Since all the clutter is gone, Read will only load the most important stuff: content.

• Add articles to Instapaper or Read it Later for offline reading
• Streams: Presenting the latest news in one easy, digestible stream
• Adjustable Typography with 4 additional fonts
• Dictionary support in iOS 5
• Post articles to Twitter or Email them
• Open articles in built-in browser
• Article’s links are added as Footnotes
• Request your own sources to be added
• Clear Read Capability

Read is available on the iPad for $2.99.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Monday, October 31

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• Orchestra To-Do: The to-do list that’s connected to everyone you work with. It not only helps you organize what needs doing, it also helps you communicate with others to get things done. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Mad Rush: Once upon a time, there lived a little rabbit. He grew up without his father, who disappeared many years ago in a galactic racing tournament. But despite the rabbit’s small size and the absence of a father, he was born with a powerful force beating within his heart! Little did he know that when they are most needed, his powers would awaken from deep inside, helping him defend his home from the evil Mr. Storm, who has his sights set on destruction! [$0.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Howdy: Choose an e-card, snap a photo or video with your iPhone, type your message and have Howdy send it over. Easy as can be! [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Buildo Rescue Sticker Book: Features 103 hand designed, full-color stickers themed around the Emergency & Rescue Services. There are boats, police cars, ambulances, helicopters, jet skis, scuba divers, doctors, nurses and loads more to choose between! Simply drag a sticker into one of four panoramic soundscapes and watch as an imaginary world comes to life! [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Ringtones Complete: If you’re looking for normal, elegant, and professional ringtones – without the annoying cartoon sound effects or pop songs – then you’re looking for RCP Ringtones. We design the smartest and best sounding normal tones available. [$4.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Check out the promo video for Mad Rush below!

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an App Store link), and we’ll take a look.

Mobile Nations Monday Brief: October 31, 2011

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Hands-On Google TV 2.0 is announced; updates start next week, new hardware in coming months Samsung Galaxy Note commercial availability announced, hits European markets first	Official Research In Motion update on BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0: Delayed until February 2012; No native BBM RIM unveils the Porsche Design BlackBerry P9981 in Dubai How To: Sideload Android apps on PlayBook OS v2.0 for use with the Android App Player
Mobile Nations 9: Grand Theft Mobile Android Central Podcast CrackBerry.com Podcast PalmCast Podcast WPCentral Podcast iPhone Event Preview & iPad Live Podcast TiPb TV 22: iHelicopter Iterate 9: Zhephree	Richard Kerris’ “outside opportunity” is the same job, but at Nokia Picsel Smart Office now available for your document editing pleasure HP officially reverses course, won’t spin off PC division; will make a decision on webOS “in the next few months
TiPb Asks: What do you want in iOS 5.1? Apple television, the next great unicorn chase Steve Jobs biography now available via iBooks, Kindle	Everything you need to know from Nokia World ’11 Nokia Lumia 800 hands on video AT&T announces Samsung Focus S and Flash for November 6th

 

Apple to enable self-service checkout at retail via Apple Store app?

MacRumors and Heylookitsseric are both claiming Apple will be updating their Apple Store app to allow customers self-service checkout for off-the-shelf items like iPhone and iPad cases at Apple Retail.

Apple is also updating its own Apple store app on iPhone/iPod to incorporate EasyPay that allows customers to check themselves out for accessories purchases. EasyPay is the same platform Apple employees use to complete those in-store credit card purchases. Since higher priced Apple products are all stocked up in the backroom, you’ll still have to find the help of an employee. Expect the update in a few days on November 3rd, just in time for the holidays.

Hopefully Apple and their customers are both nerdier and more competent than those at my local grocery store or turn self-serve into an ordeal far beyond any staff-driven transaction. “Beep. Put the item down.” “I did.” Beep.Put the item down.” “I DID!” “BEEP! Y U NO PUT ITEM DOWN!” “HULK SMASH PUNY MACHINE!” And, well, we all know how that ends.

IN addition to in-store pick up of online orders, which Apple has also begun experimenting with in San Francisco, they’re also reportedly looking into shipping to multiple address on Apple Online to make gift-giving easier than ever.

In this day and age, when other online retailers like Future Shop make it so onerous and restrictive you don’t even want to order from them anymore, it’s nice to see Apple trying to offer more, not less, and shift the transactional burden off the customer where it never belonged.

Let’s hope it works out for everyone because either way we’re in for an interesting Black Friday and holiday shopping season.

Source: MacRumors, Heylookitseric

Daily iPhone App: Squids

Squids is an interesting way of bringing tactical strategy to a very casual kind of game. The game has a nice RPG layer, with turn-based combat and classes of units that you can train and level up while playing. But the "combat" itself is super casual. During fights you essentially pull back and fling your squids around. In a way it feels like the game combines casual gameplay with more tactical thinking. Unfortunately, in practice the game never really succeeds at either.

Merely seeing how the two styles mix is fun. The game's only 99 cents for the launch sale right now, with full Game Center integration and plenty of content to explore. I'd say look at Squids if you're more looking for something more casual, but if you are really into tactical RPGs, it's likely you'll need a little more than this. On the other hand, if you've heard good things about games like Final Fantasy Tactics or Shining Force but tend to play more casual titles, Squids might be a great entry point. Final Fantasy Tactics is on iOS as well, but it ratchets up the complexity quite a few notches from Squids, even if the gameplay is similar.

Daily iPhone App: Squids originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Daily iPhone App: Squids originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hon Hai sees profit fall nine percent in Q3, pins hopes on new Chinese factories

Hon Hai sees profit fall nine percent in Q3, pins hopes on new Chinese factories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AirPlay Mirroring and iMessage on their way to the Mac?

According to “sources familiar with the future of Mac OS X”, AirPlay Mirroring and iMessage are both set to make an appearance in the not too distant future. The sources, talking to 9to5Mac claim that both of these applications are in development although they could be shelved just as easily.

AirPlay Mirroring would certainly be a welcome addition to the Mac OS X platform, allowing a user to mirror the screen of their Mac without the need for an expensive projector. You could see Apple TV’s popping up in company boardrooms attached to smaller LCD panels.

iMessage may be introduced into the current iChat application after references were discovered in its code. No firm decision has been made yet and it may even end up as a standalone application. According to the source, both solutions are being developed. iMessage would allow a Mac user to message any iOS device for free.

It makes a lot of sense for Apple to offer these features on the Mac OS X platform, it now looks like it is going to happen in a future update.

Source: 9to5Mac

 

Apple Has Already Started Work on Mac OS X 10.8

Apple has already begun work on the next major revision to Mac OS X which is being labeled as version 10.8.

Apple only just released the final version of OS X 10.7 (Lion) to customers in July. OS X Lion was the first version of Mac OS X to be distributed through the Mac App Store and it included a number of new features for the Mac. These included an iOS-like application launch screen known as Launchpad, full-screen apps, a new combined interface for Dashboard, Expose, and Spaces known as Mission Control, enhanced Multi-Touch gestures, and improvements to a number of core applications such as Mail.

While Apple has yet to announce plans for the next major version of OS X, evidence of 10.8 first began appearing in our web logs in August, and have since accelerated. This graph shows an increasing number of web visits from Mac OS X 10.8 users over the past several months.


Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_8) AppleWebKit/535.6.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.2 Safari/535.6.2
While it is trivial to falsify these records, the requests originated from Apple, Inc. IP addresses and surrounding areas. Also, the overall clustering is consistent with limited internal testing. We saw a very similar pattern for the early OS X 10.7 requests which began in October, 2009:


Note that the first appearance of 10.7 was almost a full year before the first developer preview, and nearly 20 months before the public release.

So far, there have been no hints as to what we might expect to see in Mac OS X 10.8. Historically, Apple's major OS X releases are released every other year: 10.3 in 2003, 10.4 in 2005, 10.5 in 2007, 10.6 in 2009, and 10.7 in 2011. Based on this pattern, we expect Apple to preview Mac OS X 10.8 sometime in 2012, with the final public release happening in 2013.

Another question is what Apple will call OS X 10.8. Apple has been naming their major OS X releases after feline animals such as Tiger and Leopard. "Lion" naturally seems like it may be the end of the line for those names. While Apple had previously trademarked the names "Lynx" and "Cougar", the company has since abandoned those trademarks. It should be noted that Lion hadn't been trademarked until after their first public announcement, so the choice of name could still be wide open.


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iMessage And AirPlay Mirroring Coming To Macs?

When Apple introduced iMessage – their new messaging service for iOS devices in iOS 5, we were wondering when will Apple bring it to Macs. 9 to 5 Mac has just reported that according to their sources “familiar with the … Continue reading →

AirPlay Mirroring and iMessage Coming to Mac OS X Lion

AirPlay Mirroring and iMessage are reportedly coming to OS X Lion, according to 9to5Mac's sources.


Airplay Mirroring demoed on an iPad 2
AirPlay Mirroring is a feature that first made its appearance on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. It allows you to wirelessly stream whatever's on your iPad or iPhone display to your HDTV via Apple TV. The Mac implementation is reportedly going to be similar, allowing broadcast of your desktop to your TV.

AirPlay Mirroring for the Mac will allow a user to wirelessly mirror exactly what is shown on their Mac’s display to an Apple TV connected to a projector, television, or external monitor. AirPlay video streaming is also being integrated into QuickTime X.

Meanwhile, iMessage is again being said to be coming to the OS X Lion. We had previously reported on iChat strings that have suggested work was already underway. Though it seems the decision to make iMessage a separate app or a part of iChat has reportedly not been finalized.

iMessage is Apple's new messaging solution for the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone found in iOS 5. It allows customers to send SMS-like messages over standard data connections rather than expensive text messaging plans. OS X Lion integration with iMessage would allow you to send iMessages to friends and family with iOS 5 devices from your Mac.


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TiPb TV 2011 Hallowe’en special

In a special Hallowe’en episode of TiPb TV, Georgia asks Siri to reveal the secret origins of Android. When Siri hesitates, Georgia gets all Themyscira on its apps. Happy Hallowe’en from TiPb and Mobile Nations!

Apple Retail Stores to Allow Self-Checkout via iOS App for Accessory Purchases

MacRumors has learned that Apple is planning to launch an update to its retail store iOS app that will allow consumers to utilize self-checkout for purchases of accessories and other shelf-stocked items at the company's retail stores. According to our source, self-checkout purchases will be charged via the Apple Store app to the customer's iTunes Store account.

It is not entirely clear what will happen once a user has checked out via the app, although store employees will of course be on the lookout for store visitors walking out with merchandise in hand, as they are already. Customers who have made a purchase through self-checkout will be able to show an emailed receipt to any employee, confirming their purchase.

High value products such as Macs, iPhones, and iPods are kept in the stockroom at Apple retail stores, meaning that customers purchasing these items will still require assistance from a store employee. We have, however, been told that customers will be able to pre-purchase these items through the app and simply pick them up with the assistance of a store employee. But for the plethora of accessories, cases, and other items stocked directly on the sales floor at Apple retail stores customers will soon be able to purchase these items without needing to catch the attention of a store employee with an EasyPay device to complete the transaction.

Heylookitseric is reporting similar information, claiming that the update to the Apple Store app enabling self-checkout is scheduled to arrive on November 3rd. The report also notes that Apple will continue to expand its program allowing customers to have their orders from the online Apple store shipped to their local Apple retail stores for pickup. That program launched at the company's three San Francisco stores last Wednesday and is now available at all sixteen stores in the Bay Area with further expansion apparently coming soon.

Finally, Apple is said to be enhancing its online store to allow a single order of multiple items to be routed to different shipping addresses. Rolling out in time for the holiday shopping period, the enhancement will be particularly useful for customers wishing to purchase all of their Apple gift items in a single transaction and have them shipped to different recipients at checkout.


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New iPhone 4S TV Ads: iCloud, Siri, Camera

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Location Services Bug May Be Responsible For iPhone 4S Battery Life Issues

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Apple launches three new iPhone 4S ads

Apple has kicked its iPhone 4S ad campaign into high gear with three new commercials featuring Siri, the new 8 megapixel camera, and integration with iCloud. All three ads are available on Apple's official YouTube channel, and they're also embedded below for your viewing pleasure.

The new iCloud ad does a really good job of explaining the service in simple terms easy enough for the general population to understand, and the new ad for Siri does a better job than the first iPhone 4S ad in showing off what the "personal assistant" actually does. Expect all three ads to end up in heavy rotation over the next couple of months as Apple pushes sales of its latest device through the busy holiday season.

It's pretty amusing (although undoubtedly coincidental) that the final Q&A in one ad is of a young boy asking "Do you think it will snow today?" with Siri answering in the affirmative. Of course Apple's ad agency couldn't possibly have known about the freak early Eastern US snowstorm this weekend... but then again...

Apple launches three new iPhone 4S ads originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple launches three new iPhone 4S ads originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad Live Hallowe’en special, tonight at 9pm EDT. Be there!

iPad Live, the best damn iPad podcast on the ‘net, is coming at you in costume tonight, so clear your schedule, sort your tricks, and get your treats ready, because we want to chat with you!

Time: 9pm ET, 6pm PT, 1am GMT.

Place: http://www.tipb.com/live

If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to discuss, just leave them in the comments then come be part of the show!

(And yes, you can watch from iPhone via Ustream Viewer app (here’s how) — just search for “mobilenations” and iPad (we recommend Duet Browser.)

OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.

The New York Times has published Mona Simpson’s eulogy for her brother, Steve Jobs.

None of us knows for certain how long we’ll be here. On Steve’s better days, even in the last year, he embarked upon projects and elicited promises from his friends at Apple to finish them. Some boat builders in the Netherlands have a gorgeous stainless steel hull ready to be covered with the finishing wood. His three daughters remain unmarried, his two youngest still girls, and he’d wanted to walk them down the aisle as he’d walked me the day of my wedding.

We all — in the end — die in medias res. In the middle of a story. Of many stories.



Source: New York Times