Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » août 30, 2012

BetaNews.Com (11 non lus)

Kindle Fire is so successful, we aren't making any more

Publié: août 30, 2012, 9:26pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

I've seen some desperate bone-headed, PR moves before, but Amazon's newest is one to long remember. When Apple announces a press event, the InterWebs erupt with speculation about what it can be. When product inventory is low in stores on some fruit-logo product, rumors explode about something new in the pipeline. Amazon has to work harder, issuing today a press release that Kindle Fire has sold out, ahead of next week's press event. Could the retailer be any less subtle, while revealing sales data that is absolutely nothing but meant to be something.

BetaNews founder Nate Mook nails exactly what's wrong with Amazon's gambit to drum up excitement ahead of the September 6 event. Earlier today he forwarded the Kindle-Fire sell-out email, writing: "It's SOOOO successful. So we're not making any more". That sums it up.

From the press release: "Today, Amazon announced that Kindle Fire is sold out, and that in just nine months, Kindle Fire has captured 22 percent of tablet sales in the US". Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos drops the big hint -- just so you won't miss what's coming next week: "Kindle Fire is sold out, but we have an exciting roadmap ahead -- we will continue to offer our customers the best hardware, the best prices, the best customer service, the best cross-platform interoperability, and the best content ecosystem".

Cough, cough, I must wipe a tear for Amazon's tablet, taken away from us after just 48 weeks of sales. Kindle Fire extinguished before its time.

Is the Fire out? Is that what Amazon really means, ahead of the new tablet we surely know must come next week. Kindle Fire flamed out in the Wilcox home. I gave my wife the tablet for Christmas 2011, and she loved it. Nothing could be better. That is until she spent seconds with the Nexus 7 I brought back from Google I/O in June. I ordered hers the next day. She loves Nexus 7 more. I was supposed to Craigslist her Kindle Fire weeks ago. Now that Amazon is sold out, perhaps this weekend will prove worth waiting to post.

Amazon announced Kindle Fire in September 2011 (well, there's another "hint, hint" about what's coming on the 6th) and started selling (beyond preorders) in early November. Amazon claims that Kindle Fire is the top-selling item on the retail site, but doesn't say how many. Then there's the 22 percent tablet sales figure, for which there is no cited source. I wouldn't let one of our writers throw out that kind of data without sourcing it. Says whom?

The sales figures are typical Amazon. Top-selling this or percentage-more that without any hard data by which to measure it. If Bezos goes to the doctor complaining about bladder problems and says he peed five times more today than yesterday or more today than any day this year, the practitioner will want to know how many times previously to make a diagnosis. There needs to be a frame of reference, and Amazon provides nothing.

I like Amazon and frequently shop there. But, geez Louise, today's press release stinks of desperation to drum up something -- even a hint of excitement -- before the big day.
Opera 12.02 is an essential update

Publié: août 30, 2012, 7:51pm CEST par Nick Peers

Norwegian browser developer Opera has updated its cross-platform browser. Opera 12.02 features minor security and stability updates, making it an essential update for all users.

The update comes less than 48 hours after Opera also released a new snapshot of its pre-release version of Opera NEXT 12.50 with a major core update, adding new features such as keyboard text selection and options for adding extensions to Opera’s context menus.

Opera 12.02 focuses on stability and security, including a fix for issues with Speed Dial thumbnails that occurs when automatic scaling has been enabled. A security hole whereby truncated dialog boxes could be used to trick users has also been resolved.

One reversion applies to users of the Windows 32-bit build: in-process plugins have been reinstated while issues with the new out-of-process plugin system introduced in version 12.00. This means that plugins will run in the same process as Opera itself while the problems are fixed.

The new build was preceded by a major snapshot update to Opera NEXT 12.50, the alpha build previewing features due to appear in the next major Opera release. This new snapshot, build 1577, features major changes to the core engine powering Opera, as well as a couple of keyboard-related features.

The core benefits from added support for image colour management using ICC Profiles version 4, plus fullscreen API, the SPDY protocol, nested media blocks (a step towards supporting CSS3 Conditional Rules) and the “reversed” attribute in HTML 5. Also added is support for accessing extensions via Opera’s context menu.

The new snapshot also makes it possible to select text from web pages using the keyboard -- toggle this on and off using the [F7] key, then use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move around. The latest build also aims to improve keyboard event handling on the Mac.

Two issues are noted with build 1577: Speed Dial shows up blank after autoupdate, while all plugins will crash in Linux/BSD, highlighting the developmental and unstable nature of Opera NEXT.

Opera 12.02 and Opera NEXT 12.50 Build 1577 are both available as a freeware downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Samsung is such a copycat

Publié: août 30, 2012, 7:33pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

Well, I must agree with the jury in the Apple-Samsung patent trial, after seeing the shocking look-a-likes the South Korean electronics giant announced yesterday during IFA Berlin. Have you seen these Apple rip-offs? Samsung simply is shameless in its copying.

For example, there's a new phone with large screen and stylus, as well as another with big zoom lens. The audacity of Samsung to take features from iPhone or iPad and offer them on its devices. The company just thumbs its nose -- or whatever gesture they use on the Asian peninsula -- at the American jury and US District Judge Lucy Koh.

Galaxy Camera

Let's start with the shooter, which is really an iPhone or iPod touch in disguise. Samsung's Galaxy Camera is all touchscreen on one side and big, whopping zoom lens on the other. What a freakin' Apple rip-off. iPhone and iPod touch are all screen on one side, with icons, too -- and they have cameras! Samsung's device will be available with Wi-Fi (like iPod touch) and also cellular radio (like iPhone). Look at the photo above and compare to your iPhone. I can hardly tell them apart!

Other features: 1.4GHz quad-core processor; 4.8-inch HD Super Clear Touch Display, 308 pixels per inch; 16.3-megapixel camera, with F2.8, 23mm 21x zoom lens; 1080p video recording at 30 frames for second, 720p at 120fps; 8GB storage, expandable with memory slot; 3G/4G radio; GPS; Wi-Fi a,b,g,n; Bluetooth 4; 1,650 mAh battery; and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The device is 128.7 mm wide by 70.8 mm high by 19.1 mm deep and weighs 305 grams.

Okay, I admit that iPhone doesn't have a big zoom lens yet, but iPhone 5 isn't released and everyone knows that Apple thought of this feature first anyway. Because that's what Apple does -- innovates first.

Galaxy Note II

There are more rip-offs, and who could ignore Galaxy Note II? Samsung already stole Apple's ingenuity with the first Note and now there's a second flaunting good old American know-how. For starters, both Notes come with a stylus -- ripped off from Apple Newton in the 1990s -- and what Samsung cleverly tries to disguise with new name S Pen. Ha! We aren't fooled. We know who copies whom.

Galaxy Note II is nothing more than a large iPhone (look at the rounded corners) or small iPad. Say, it's really ripping off iPad mini's design. We know Apple will ship the tablet soon, because the Mac rumor sites are always right.

Core features: 1.6GHz quad-core processor; 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1280 x 720 pixels; 2GB RAM; 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage, expandable with memory slot; 8MP front- and 1.9MP rear-facing cameras; 1080p video recording (and playback); HSPA+/LTE; GPS; Wi-Fi a,b,g,n; Wi-Fi Direct; Near Field Communication; 3,100 mAh battery; TouchWiz UI; and Jelly Bean. The "phablet" measures 151.1 mm wide by 80.5 mm high by 9.4 mm deep and weighs 180 grams.

Sure, Note II is sized in-between iPhone and iPad mini, but that's just a clever ploy to avoid more copying claims. This device is exactly how Apple would design iPhone Newton. Sharing, sync, search and stylus functions are all blatant Apple rip-offs.

ATIV Windows Phone

I suppose Samsung deserves some credit for skirting around some copying. Take the ATIV smartphone, for example. The jury found that Samsung had copied Apple iPhone icons and groundbreaking features like slide-to-lock. So Samsung dumps Android and Touch Wiz UI for Windows 8, which looks nothing like iOS. Clever, but what about those rounded corners?

Core features: 1.5GHz dual-core processor; 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display; 1GB RAM; 16GB or 32GB storage; 8MP front- and 1.9MP rear-facing cameras; HSPA+; GPS; Wi-Fi a,b,g,n; Wi-Fi Direct; 2,300 mAh battery; and Windows Phone 8. The phone measures 137.2 mm wide x 70.5 mm high x 8.7 mm deep and weighs 135 grams.

Samsung's Windows Phone 8 gambit won't fool anyone, not as long as ATIV physically looks like iPhone. Turn off the screen, and who could tell the difference between the Apple and Samsung phones in a darkened room?

Samsung Tablets

The California jury threw Samsung a bone by deciding Galaxy Tab 10.1 doesn't copy iPad. But we know it does, because Judge Koh issued a preliminary injunction before the trial and refused to lift it after the verdict. Samsung dares to take on iPad with tablets running Windows 8 or Windows RT.

The ATIV RT model packs a 10.1-inch display; 1.5GHz dual-core processor; 2GB RAM; 32GB or 64GB storage, expandable with memory slot; 5MP rear- and 1.9MP front-facing cameras; micro HDMI; NFC, Wi-Fi a,b,g,n; Wi-Fi Direct; 8,200 mAh battery; and Windows RT. The tablet measures 265.8 mm x 168.1 mm x 8.9 mm and weighs 570 grams.

But wait there is another! The Series 7 Slate running Windows 8. Among the base features: Intel Core i5 processor; 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD.

But those money-grubbing South Koreans couldn't bring themselves to copy Apple pricing. Oh, no! The Series 7 slate starts at $1,199, or $700 more than the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad. And Microsoft fanboys say Apple products cost more. Yeah, right. In your dreams, flunky.

Samsung knows it's copying -- eh, really ripping off -- Apple designs and innovations. The launch venue tells all. Samsung announced these products in Germany, not the United States. Over here, the cops would cuff `em and throw away the key. If Samsung's smart enough to copy the most-compelling Apple features, it knows where not to introduce them to market. Not with the jury verdict so fresh -- hey, not even a week ago. Bwah, Samsung is such a copycat.

You do know I'm being sarcastic, right?
Ubuntu provides magic that Windows 8 doesn't

Publié: août 30, 2012, 6:39pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Is it possible to still be an early adopter and only start using Linux full-time now?

Linux is the supreme software conquest for me, and one particular distribution has tormented my early adopter "lifestyle" -- Red Hat Linux. It's now long gone, abandoned by parent company Red Hat, though it was given a new lease on life through Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Ten years ago, I stumbled upon a magazine that came with a copy of Red Hat Linux 7, and I was so tempted to try it and see how it felt to run something other than the Windows editions of the day. My experience was less than ideal back then, but I've re-encountered Ubuntu and the spark has reignited...

Something "magical" happened after writing "How to install Ubuntu on VMware Workstation" -- I rediscovered Linux through Ubuntu. It was refreshing to experience just how far Linux evolved from my Red Hat days that I'm tempted to use it as my primary operating system...Have I gone mental?

The Dark Ages

Considering I was about 14 years old when I made my first attempt at Linux adoption with Red Hat, I am willing to take full responsibility for my failure to embrace it. Back then, I had no Internet access (that in itself might have been a pain to set up considering my background) so my only source of guidance was the magazine that I actually bought and not "stumbled upon," and two installation CDs. It was awful.

It's still all fuzzy to me how I even managed to complete the install, but suffice to say I learned a lot more than I bargained for. Installing applications was something out of the ordinary for me, since I didn't ever have to use the terminal before, so I was completely locked out of using my computer because Red Hat was so darn complicated for me at the time.

Revisiting Linux through Ubuntu

It doesn't take much to understand why Ubuntu is so appealing to me: it's easy to install and it can do pretty much everything that Windows can. But it's got something else that Microsoft can't offer me right now: the element of surprise, the "wow factor" that's missing from Windows 8. As much as I like using Windows 8, it's just not giving me that thrill of fiddling with a new operating system like Ubuntu does.

Satisfying my curiosity is one thing. But there's another thing: I'm tempted by free software. Ubuntu is free and so are plenty of other Linux distributions; that makes it all the more attractive. Have I mentioned that it's really easy to set up and use?

And there's another argument right there. Simplicity and ease of use are important when coming from Windows and I honestly want to avoid befriending the terminal. I want to fiddle with it at some level like I mentioned, but I want to steer clear from terminal-level complications and that is another reason why Ubuntu fits the bill.

The biggest issue that I currently have with Linux in general is that I can't run AutoCAD and some engineering software just like I would in Windows, but that's it. Some programs just are not designed to work in Linux, and the sooner people accept that the better. It's easier said than done, so I'm still weighing in my options.

A simple search in Ubuntu Software Center shows LibreCAD, which might not be as capable as AutoCAD but should manage simple tasks. Simple or less complicated is preferred to bloated in my book, but LibreCAD does not cover even basic functions that work seamlessly in AutoCAD. Most of the time I don't need 90 percent of the features in AutoCAD, but honestly, LibreCAD doesn't even come close to it. Maybe there's too much expectation for a niche product, or there is a better program out there that isn't turning up in the Software Center?

The programs that come with Ubuntu are not fully fledged, but that's fine because neither are the ones in Windows. Take for instance LibreOffice Writer. That covers basic composition functionality, but if it is not enough, it can always be replaced with a more capable OpenOffice which might be familiar to those running Windows. The same goes for VLC, the popular video playback software available on Linux and Windows as well as other platforms. Simple needs are covered, all it takes is a simple search to find alternatives if not the same available on Windows to install.

Keep an open mind

In one of my first articles for BetaNews, titled "What will it take to make Linux popular?" I offered a solution to help boost Linux popularity, and it looks like it might come earlier than I expected. Android is a fantastic method to showcase the way Linux can be popular, and on the desktop side, distributions like Ubuntu can make that happen.

The reasons are all over the place: easy to install, easy to use, light on resources, and able to cover basic functionality all without sacrificing its good looks. Windows 8 looks somehow less inspiring while Linux marches on.

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest Ubuntu might provide the breath of fresh air that other early adopters expected from Windows 8, but didn't find. Why not?
Despite Surface and Windows RT, Windows 8 Slate PCs get boost from Samsung

Publié: août 30, 2012, 5:00pm CEST par Tim Conneally

At IFA in Berlin, Germany yesterday, Samsung officially took the wraps off of its new Windows-powered slate PCs, the Series 5 and Series 7, which, like Samsung's Android tablets, incorporate a lot of modifications directly from the South Korean consumer electronics leader.

The Samsung Series 7 Slate is configured with an Intel Core i5 processor and 4 GB of RAM, with a 128GB SSD and has a suggested retail price of $1,199.

The Series 5 Slate is equipped with an Intel "two-watt processor," 2GB of RAM, and has 64GB of solid state storage with a suggested retail price of $649, and Samsung's clamshell keyboard dock tacks on an additional hundred dollars. Both will be available on October 26 of this year.

The hardware, it seems, is powerful for a mobile tablet, yet modest for a full-on Windows PC. This is the strange nature of Windows 8 and Windows RT, and by extension "slates" versus "mobile tablets." At this point, you have the exact same form factor, but because of their processor architecture, they have two different hardware sets for effectively the same user experience. This can be seen in the 10.1" ATIV Tab running Windows RT, which reportedly has a 1.5 GHz dual-core ARM processor and 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, but has not yet been announced.

Possibly to mitigate this, Samsung has added a package of its own software to the Windows 8 Slate PCs sweetening up their functionality somewhat. This includes the S Pen stylus used in Samsung's Galaxy Note family of products which offers 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and Samsung's Media Hub for connecting to content services.

We called Samsung several times yesterday to find out more about the purported "S Launcher" Start Menu that was discovered in Samsung's all-in-one desktop PCs, and whether they are present in the slate PCs. However, as of press time, they still had not given us any solid information about its presence or the story of its development. We will update when we learn more.
Amazon Appstore finally launches in Europe

Publié: août 30, 2012, 4:22pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Amazon Appstore, the retail giant's marketplace for Android applications, has finally opened for business in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, a whopping 17 months after it first launched in the US.

Jim Adkins, vice president of Amazon Appstore, says of the marketplace’s overseas expansion: "Customers in the US have purchased millions of apps, games, in-app items and subscriptions since the store launched last year, and we’ve received great feedback about discovery features like Free App of the Day. We evaluate and test games and apps before making them available in the Appstore so we ensure customers have a great experience with the games and apps they purchase. Amazon has spent years developing innovative features that help customers find and discover the products that are right for them and have applied that know-how to the Amazon Appstore. We’re delighted to extend that experience to our European customers".

Each European store and its contents will be fully localized. In the United Kingdom, as in the United States, the marketplace will be called "Amazon Appstore for Android". In Germany, France and Italy it will be branded the "App-Shop", while Spanish users will be able to explore the delights of "Tienda Apps".

Although the launch of the Appstore in Europe is big news, more exciting: it suggests the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s Android tablet, is finally about to be released outside of the United States. After all, why would Amazon go to all the effort of creating these storefronts just to sell apps for competing devices?

Amazon is due to hold a press conference in Santa Monica, Calif on the 6^th of September, with strong rumors suggesting it will announce Kindle Fire's successor (rumors that just got stronger with the news that the original version is now completely sold out). If this does prove to be the case, it’s possible we’ll see the tablet released globally in time for Christmas.

Photo Credit: iQoncept/Shutterstock
Laplink PCmover Free is worth the price

Publié: août 30, 2012, 3:50pm CEST par Mike Williams

Laplink Software has released PCmover Free, a cut-down version its migration tool for transferring applications, settings and data from one PC to another.

And if you’ve used a commercial build of PCmover before, then this new release will seem very familiar. It’s essentially a simple wizard that walks you through every bit of the migration process, from choosing what you’d like to transfer, to collecting and packaging that data, to moving it to the new system.

As this particular version is free, though, you won’t be surprised to hear that there are some major limitations. PCmover Free can move a maximum of three applications, for instance; it only supports transferring settings and files from the currently logged-on Windows user; and the program will only copy files from your system drive (other drives will be excluded from the transfer).

And there’s another catch, too. Because as a part of the migration process, you must also agree to have several programs included on your PC, whether you want them or not: the Ask Toolbar, RealPlayer, Update Star, Kaspersky Security Scan, SpeedUpMyPC, Easy Duplicate Finder, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro and iYogi Support Dock.

You could of course uninstall each of these right away, but that probably won’t be too much consolation for most people. If you’re hoping that your new PC will be clean, and so faster and more stable, then equipping it with up to 8 unwanted programs immediately is unlikely to appeal.

For all these hassles, PCmover Free may just about be worth using in a few situations. If you’ve a few particularly complex applications to transfer then turning to the program will mean you won’t have to find CDs and serial numbers, then locate and reinstall extensions, updates and so on.

And Laplink are at least making an effort to ensure your migration runs smoothly. If you run into problems during the transfer process then the company are providing a toll-free number, manned 24-7, which American users can call for guidance.

Liv friis-larsen/Shutterstock
Samsung unveils Windows Phone 8 ATIV

Publié: août 30, 2012, 3:36pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Samsung made a string of new product announcements at IFA in Berlin, including of course the much anticipated Galaxy Note II. But just when we thought we knew everything the South Korean company had in store for us, it surprised the gathered watchers by unveiling the ATIV S, the first handset to run Microsoft’s new mobile operating system.

The ATIV (VITA - "Life" in Latin - backwards) is the first in a whole range of Samsung products based on Microsoft’s software, and boasts a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 4.8in (121.9mm) HD Super AMOLED display. It also has an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9MP-megapixel front-facing camera, making it competitive, but not ground-breaking. The smartphone will be for sale at some point between October and November, in time for Christmas.

What’s interesting about the announcement: Samsung, not Nokia, is the first company to introduce a range of Windows Phone 8 devices. The Finnish mobile firm -- long seen as Microsoft’s favored hardware developer -- is set to announce its Lumia line of Windows Phone 8 smartphones in New York on September 5. That Samsung beat it to the punch could be taken as a sign that Microsoft isn’t prepared to play favorites in its quest to be taken seriously in the mobile market, but could equally mean that Nokia has something big in store, and Samsung needed to get in quick to avoid its first slew of devices looking weedy by comparison. We’ll find out soon enough.

While the timing of Samsung’s commitment to the Microsoft platform might raise a few eyebrows, the fact it’s moving beyond Android won’t. Offering devices on two different operating systems is a smart move for the South Korean firm, and gives it options for the future.

"Samsung is delighted to introduce a wide portfolio of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8-powered devices," Seong Woo Nam, executive vice president of IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics, says. "With our leadership in design and technology and Microsoft’s leadership in operating systems, together we are able to provide customers with a full range of ATIV devices for cross-category convergence."

"And that hopefully won’t get us sued," he might have added mentally afterwards.
Snaps gives you more control over photo metadata

Publié: août 30, 2012, 1:56pm CEST par Mike Williams

If your digital photo collection is something of a mess then there are thousands of programs that promise they can restore order. And so, like us, you probably don’t see an urgent need for any more.

Snaps is a genuinely interesting photo manager and viewer, though, that offers a little more than some of the more identikit competition. And while the program has some problems, in part because it’s still very young (it’s currently at version 0.3.9), there’s already enough functionality to be useful and it shows plenty of promise for the future.

After a straightforward installation (no adware or other hassles), Snaps begins by importing your photos. It knows about the standard Windows pictures folders already, but if you store images elsewhere then you can add those folders, too.

With that done, the program then launches a neat thumbnail browser, sorting your images by date. You can drill down to a particular year, month, even day if you like, and see only the matching images. Or you’re able to view images via their tags, source folders, or, if they’re geotagged, even on a world map.

And there are plenty of other tools on offer here. You can geotag images, for instance, or add and edit other metadata. A search tool helps you find what you need. And you’re able to upload images directly to Facebook or Flickr (Picasa support is apparently “coming soon”).

Snaps also has some annoyances and irritations, unfortunately. There isn’t always a clear way to switch between the various image views; the search tool needs work; the interface can be inconsistent; and odd bugs meant we had to close and restart the program occasionally to restore order.

The program is still in its very early days, though, so problems are to be expected. Many of these issues are probably going to be easy to fix. And even now, Snaps has enough functionality to be useful: if your digital photo collection is a little disorganised, give the program a try, it just might be able to help.

Photo Credit: Laborant/Shutterstock
Why we love Steve Jobs

Publié: août 30, 2012, 2:57am CEST par Joe Wilcox
In about six weeks, the InterWebs will flood with posts commemorating a tech visionary's passing. Steve Jobs died on Oct. 5, 2011. A year ago last week, he stepped down as Apple's CEO. Jobs is a colorful, iconic, flawed figure, who stands before us something more than mere mortal. That's because his public life has a literary quality that cuts to the core of our humanity.

I got to thinking more about this today following a discussion with colleague Tim Conneally and questions answered for a CNN reporter about Microsoft (apologies to him, I removed those sentences and use them here). I asked Tim today: "Why is Steve Jobs so endearing? Redemption. What's that term in fiction about the hero's journey? Steve Jobs followed the path in real life". There's something Shakespearean, too -- the fatal flaw that humbles greatness. Mixed together, his story should be a great fictional work. But it's better and haunting being real life.

Salvation Story

Redemption is one of the most common fictional themes, and it is pervasive in American cinema. There are so many examples, I hardly can cite them. To name a few: Casablanca, Gladiator, Hoosiers, In the Line of Fire, It's a Wonderful Life, Star Wars I-VI, Tender Mercies, The Dark Night Rises, The Natural and The Verdict. A hero falls from grace and gets a second chance to right past mistakes. This is Jobs' journey, from the founding of Apple to his ouster soon after the tech-transforming Macintosh launches to his exile at NeXT to his return to Apple and the company's rise from rubble to riches.

Apple neared bankruptcy when Jobs returned in late 1996, with the purchase of NeXT. By summer 1997, he stood before the Mac faithful as interim CEO and began the tough task of rebuilding Apple. For example: killing off products and ending the clone program that allowed third parties to build computers running the company's flagship operating system. Then Apple's reinvention started -- in 1998 with iMac's release, which set off a wave of translucent-designed products. In 2000, Jobs introduced the ill-fated G4 Cube, which flopped, leading Apple to overstock inventory, to announce a profit warning and to watch the share price collapse overnight.

But in the midst of adversity, Jobs persevered. The path to redemption isn't easy in fiction, and no less so in real life. In one year, 2001, Apple launched iTunes, Mac OS X and iPod, while also opening its first retail stores. From there followed a nearly continuous line of successful products, culminating in iPad 18 months before Jobs' death.

At critical junctures Jobs and Apple took great risks:
- Launching architecturally-changed Mac OS X months before Windows XP.
- Opening retail stores during a recession and while rival Gateway shuttered hundreds.
- Releasing a MP3 player into a category where Apple had no expertise or design experience.
- Debuting an online music store when CDs ruled the world and record companies resisted the concept.
- Killing off iPod mini at the height of its popularity and replacing it with the diminutive iPod nano.
- Developing and releasing a smartphone, on a single carrier, into a category with entrenched leaders like Nokia.
- Defying pundits (I was one of them) and with iPad moving into the tablet category, where Microsoft, Sony and others had failed.
There are no rewards without risks, and no redemption either. We love our fallen heroes, who succeed at second chances. As such, Jobs' story endears.

Hero's Journey

But Jobs' story is more than the path of the fallen to redemption. His is another literary concept -- the classical hero's journey, or monomyth, as described by Joseph Campbell. The hero follows a fairly well-defined path that in the broadest description has three parts: separation, initiation and return. In modern literature, Harry Potter is perhaps the most well-known example of the hero's journey. He begins life in a magical family, but his parents are killed, leading him to live with aunt and uncle. At 11, Potter learns he is a wizard and follows a path of training, hardship and mistakes that leads him to fulfill his destiny battling and defeating Lord Voldemort. But Potter doesn't act alone, assisted by Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley, for example.

Star Wars is another hero's journey, and yet redemption story, too. Luke Skywalker's parents are killed (or so he's told), leading him to live with aunt and uncle. He is called (and first refuses) to go with Obi-Wan Kenobi to study the ways of the Force. Like Potter, Skywalker walks a path of training, hardship and mistakes (he fights Darth Vader too soon), developing mystical/magical abilities along the way. But Skywalker doesn't act alone, assisted by Princess Lea, Han Solo and the Rebellion, for example.

The redemption story is another's -- the elder Skywalker's fall from being the prophesied "chosen one" to Darth Vader to later repentance and restoration after killing the evil emperor.

There's a real-life Hero's Journey quality to Jobs' life -- raised by adoptive parents, mentored by Steve Wozniak and set out on the journey founding Apple. But after being cast out, Jobs built NeXT and created Pixar (from the graphics company acquired from Lucasfilm). During the journey, and hardship, Jobs developed skills running two companies -- and seemingly magical good sense -- that he brought back to Apple. There Jobs vanquished not one but many adversaries, with Microsoft being the one mattering most to many long-time Mac users. But Jobs didn't act alone, assisted by Tim Cook, Scott Forstall and Jony Ive, for example.

Jobs' tale is more tragic, for obvious reasons, which in some ways makes his journey and legacy all the more endearing (and sad, too).

My point: There's something innately appealing -- and universal -- about the monomyth and redemption stories. Jobs' life imbues qualities of both. Then there is inarguable success. Who cannot stand in awe, denying it? Apple is the world's largest company, as measured by market capitalization -- a rubble to riches story in just 14 years, counting from when Jobs returned (at first) as interim CEO until he stepped down as chief executive because of ill-health.

Jobs was known for his remarkable, aspirational product announcements and the seemingly magical ability to get people listening charged up to buy, believing perhaps living would be better for it. Jobs' life -- rise, fall and redemption -- is an aspirational story that transcends the best literature and speaks to the desires that make us all human.
Samsung debuts the Galaxy Note's even bigger little brother

Publié: août 30, 2012, 12:06am CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

If you loved the original Galaxy Note, you're going to love this even more -- Samsung's new Galaxy Note II, which was announced at IFA in Germany today. It is packing even more processing power than the mighty Samsung Galaxy S III and it brings some beans along with it...

The Samsung Galaxy Note II will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Samsung's TouchWiz UX out of the box. A 5.5-inch 720p Super AMOLED display sporting a 1280x720 resolution dominates the front of the new smartphone. It is packing a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. It comes with a 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera while on the back there is an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash. Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, MHL and NFC take care of connectivity with A-GPS and Glonass support added as well. The usual array of sensors including an accelerometer and digital compass are included along with a 3,100mAh battery that powers the device. It comes in 16/32/64GB versions while a microSD card slot will accommodate up to 64GB of additional storage.

One of the most noteworthy features of the new Galaxy Note II is that 4G LTE support is no longer tied to a dual-core processor like the U.S. Galaxy S III. Instead, it follows the model of the Korean Galaxy S III that comes with LTE and an Exynos quad-core CPU; this will undoubtedly be good news for Galaxy Note fans in LTE markets. 4G LTE comes with 42 Mbps downlink and 5.76 Mbps uplink while the HSPA+ version will have to make due with speeds that are only half of that.

The S-Pen makes an appearance again along with the optimized features like S Planner and S Pen Keeper (which is really just a pompous way to name its stylus holder). Galaxy S III features make an appearance as well with the likes of the Smart Stay, S Beam and Direct Call, but thankfully Samsung has ditched S Voice and instead relies on Google Now to take care of voice commands.

To befriend the enterprise sector, Samsung lists the following solutions as available "upon request": Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, CCX, MDM (Afaria, Good, MobileIron, SOTI, Sybase), hardware on device encryption, VPN (Cisco, F5, Juniper) and VMware MVP.

The Galaxy Note II comes with a bigger display than its older brother that will unlikely be of any concern since at 151.1x80.5x9.4mm and 180 grams it's similar in dimensions and weight to the older model. But that's as far as the comparisons go, because the new processor is faster, it packs double the RAM, and it comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean that is already fast on the Galaxy Nexus. Even if I don't seem like a fan, I am duly impressed by the Samsung Galaxy Note II.