The 404 334: Where may the 4th be with you
To commemorate Star Wars Day, I'd like to introduce you to Sabersegging, thanks to the folks at Vice Magazine for the story. Sorry about messing up the name in our description, I think Cybersegging is something else entirely. Anyway, check out that video and contact your local Jedi Training Center for more details!Next, we play some inside baseball with Google and reveal their newest HR pursuits: Google Goats. The software giants just hired a bunch of goats to hang out on the lawns at their Mountain View offices and eat/fertilize the grass. PETA, of course, wonders if the goats will receive a proper pension plan and health insurance options, but we have some better ideas...Lots of pregnancy stories recently! First we talk about a miraculous birth with the help of YouTube. This story is nutso--a couple decided to have a baby in their home, but when the midwife failed to show up, the husband was forced to consult YouTube for basic birthing instructions and found this video that shows you how to deliver a baby in a vehicle. DISCLAIMER: Not for the faint of heart/stomach, even with the bizarre doll they use to roleplay. We also get another super awesome voice mail about another guy that used The 404 to get him through the stress of childbirth. We think that the mother had a little more, but we're happy to be here to welcome the young one on the air! Thanks a million for the amazing voice mail, we love hearing stuff like this.ParamountFinally, all you Trekkies will be happy about our latest Photoshop contest to win a ticket to see the new Star Trek flick with us this Thursday, May 7th @ 7PM. We have two tickets available, so go here, and use one of those pictures to Photoshop us as your favorite Star Trek character! E-mail your submission to the404{at}cnet.com and we'll choose two of our favorites. Episode 334Download today's podcast |Â Subscribe in iTunes |Â Subscribe in RSSGoogle hires goats to kill two birds with one stoneMan uses YouTube to help him deliver babyWikiPaths is a great way to waste time at work, so says Wilson TangWolverine weekend box office proves piracy can be a good thingFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson Tang
Last.fm app for music streaming, discovery
Last.fm app for music streaming, discovery
When launching the Last.fm iPhone app for the first time, you'll be prompted to enter your existing Last.fm account username and password, or you'll be offered the option to create a new account. If you're new to Last.fm, we recommend you get started with the service using your home computer, since many features depend on an ongoing analysis of your computer's music collection (also known as scrobbling). Once you're logged in, the Last.fm app offers eight ways to stream music over EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi. You can listen to songs Last.fm has already scrobbled from your computer's music collection, treat yourself to recommended songs, do a cold search for new music, or hear what your friends have been listening to. The music playback screen is similar to Apple's own iPod screen, displaying large cover art, volume, pause, and skip controls, as well as an iTunes purchase link and Last.fm's own song rating buttons, which help to steer the quality of song recommendations. On the very bottom edge of the screen you'll find tabs for the currently playing track, artist biography, similar artists, events (such as related concerts), and a More tab that includes the track's tag information and Top Listeners. With all its features, tabs, and buttons, the Last.fm app is one of the most in-depth and dynamic streaming music applications available for the iPhone. Unfortunately, despite its ambitious list of features, the program is bogged down with performance issues that make it frustrating to use at times. During testing in both Wi-Fi and 3G modes, we often experienced 5 to 10 second buffer delays each time we initiated a music stream or skipped between songs. The buffer issues subsided under ideal circumstances where Wi-Fi or 3G reception was strong; however, similar streaming audio applications from Pandora and AOL offered better streaming performance under more realistic conditions.With any luck, future updates to the Last.fm app will improve streaming music reliability and refine the somewhat confusing assortment of menu options and playback screen features. In its current state, the Last.fm app presents a bite-size version of the Last.fm Web site experience in a way that may satisfy existing users, but is unlikely to win new converts.Editors' note: Last.fm is owned by CNET's parent company, CBS Interactive.
When launching the Last.fm iPhone app for the first time, you'll be prompted to enter your existing Last.fm account username and password, or you'll be offered the option to create a new account. If you're new to Last.fm, we recommend you get started with the service using your home computer, since many features depend on an ongoing analysis of your computer's music collection (also known as scrobbling). Once you're logged in, the Last.fm app offers eight ways to stream music over EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi. You can listen to songs Last.fm has already scrobbled from your computer's music collection, treat yourself to recommended songs, do a cold search for new music, or hear what your friends have been listening to. The music playback screen is similar to Apple's own iPod screen, displaying large cover art, volume, pause, and skip controls, as well as an iTunes purchase link and Last.fm's own song rating buttons, which help to steer the quality of song recommendations. On the very bottom edge of the screen you'll find tabs for the currently playing track, artist biography, similar artists, events (such as related concerts), and a More tab that includes the track's tag information and Top Listeners. With all its features, tabs, and buttons, the Last.fm app is one of the most in-depth and dynamic streaming music applications available for the iPhone. Unfortunately, despite its ambitious list of features, the program is bogged down with performance issues that make it frustrating to use at times. During testing in both Wi-Fi and 3G modes, we often experienced 5 to 10 second buffer delays each time we initiated a music stream or skipped between songs. The buffer issues subsided under ideal circumstances where Wi-Fi or 3G reception was strong; however, similar streaming audio applications from Pandora and AOL offered better streaming performance under more realistic conditions.With any luck, future updates to the Last.fm app will improve streaming music reliability and refine the somewhat confusing assortment of menu options and playback screen features. In its current state, the Last.fm app presents a bite-size version of the Last.fm Web site experience in a way that may satisfy existing users, but is unlikely to win new converts.Editors' note: Last.fm is owned by CNET's parent company, CBS Interactive.
Apple's Siri hit with infringement lawsuit in China
Apple's Siri hit with infringement lawsuit in China
Another day, another lawsuit out of China targeting one of Apple's products.This time around, a Shanghai-based voice application developer, Zhizhen Network Technology, has reportedly sued Apple for allegedly infringing a patent it holds related to "a type of instant messaging chat bot system" it calls Xiaoi Bot. The company argues that the patent, which it filed for in August 2004 and was awarded in February 2006, is being violated by Apple's Siri.Marbridge Daily, which was first to report on the story and obtained a copy of the suit, says that Zhizhen attempted to resolve the issue with Apple out of court in May. However, after Apple reportedly failed to respond, the company filed its suit in a Shanghai court on June 21.Related storiesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)At SRI, developing an expertise in R&D, innovationReport: Apple using Nuance voice tech in data centerWatching TV backfires during 'SuriTV' parodyApple iPad live blog (Wednesday, March 7)It's worth noting that Apple didn't actually invent Siri. Instead, Apple acquired the service in 2010. The platform is currently running on Apple's iPhone 4S.Apple has been no stranger to lawsuits coming out of China of late. After settling with Proview for $60 million over the use of the iPad trademark in China, the company was hit earlier this week with a suit from Jiangsu Xuebao for allegedly infringing its "Snow Leopard" trademark. In that case, Jiangsu Xuebao is seeking $80,645 in damages and an official apology from Apple.In its case against Zhizhen, however, Apple might face a different story. According to Marbridge Daily, Zhizhen has so far not requested damages, but if it wins its case, it believes that compensation could exceed the $60 million Proview settlement.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the report. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via Forbes)
Another day, another lawsuit out of China targeting one of Apple's products.This time around, a Shanghai-based voice application developer, Zhizhen Network Technology, has reportedly sued Apple for allegedly infringing a patent it holds related to "a type of instant messaging chat bot system" it calls Xiaoi Bot. The company argues that the patent, which it filed for in August 2004 and was awarded in February 2006, is being violated by Apple's Siri.Marbridge Daily, which was first to report on the story and obtained a copy of the suit, says that Zhizhen attempted to resolve the issue with Apple out of court in May. However, after Apple reportedly failed to respond, the company filed its suit in a Shanghai court on June 21.Related storiesSteve Jobs: Let the post-PC era begin (live blog)At SRI, developing an expertise in R&D, innovationReport: Apple using Nuance voice tech in data centerWatching TV backfires during 'SuriTV' parodyApple iPad live blog (Wednesday, March 7)It's worth noting that Apple didn't actually invent Siri. Instead, Apple acquired the service in 2010. The platform is currently running on Apple's iPhone 4S.Apple has been no stranger to lawsuits coming out of China of late. After settling with Proview for $60 million over the use of the iPad trademark in China, the company was hit earlier this week with a suit from Jiangsu Xuebao for allegedly infringing its "Snow Leopard" trademark. In that case, Jiangsu Xuebao is seeking $80,645 in damages and an official apology from Apple.In its case against Zhizhen, however, Apple might face a different story. According to Marbridge Daily, Zhizhen has so far not requested damages, but if it wins its case, it believes that compensation could exceed the $60 million Proview settlement.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the report. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via Forbes)
Apple's Siri gets new voices, display, and actions
Apple's Siri gets new voices, display, and actions
More from WWDCMeet iTunes Radio, Apple's long-awaited streaming music service CNET Editors' Take: Apple's Pandora-like streaming radio service is finally here Apple gives the iPhone a user interface face-lift with iOS 7 Editors' Take: iOS 7 gets a new look and several new features The fresh new look of Apple iOS 7 (pictures) Apple unveils new MacBook Air, gives Mac Pro sneak peek Editors' Take: Apple updates MacBook Air New MacBook Air boasts all-day battery life (pictures) Editors' Take: A bold new look for the Mac Pro desktop Mac Pro sneak peek (pictures) Editors' Take: Apple Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks Getting to know Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks (pictures) WWDC 2013: Full coverageApple unveiled on Monday a new look for Siri that came with new voice options, actions, and some hot integration, including in-car options and music streaming.The voice command technology has new voices, female and male -- also available in French and German. Siri's display includes a new look that shows a sound wave at the bottom while its detecting a user's voice and full-screen results.Users can instruct Siri to complete functions like "turn off my Bluetooth," or "increase my brightness," according to software VP Eddy Cue. The digital assistant also has a slew of new integrations. These included Twitter, Wikipedia, and Bing search results, as well as car integration with maps, music playback, and iMessage. But the highlight of Cue's presentation was Apple's long-awaited music streaming service, iTunes Radio.Apple highlighted Siri as part of its iOS 7 showcase, iOS's biggest refresh yet.
More from WWDCMeet iTunes Radio, Apple's long-awaited streaming music service CNET Editors' Take: Apple's Pandora-like streaming radio service is finally here Apple gives the iPhone a user interface face-lift with iOS 7 Editors' Take: iOS 7 gets a new look and several new features The fresh new look of Apple iOS 7 (pictures) Apple unveils new MacBook Air, gives Mac Pro sneak peek Editors' Take: Apple updates MacBook Air New MacBook Air boasts all-day battery life (pictures) Editors' Take: A bold new look for the Mac Pro desktop Mac Pro sneak peek (pictures) Editors' Take: Apple Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks Getting to know Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks (pictures) WWDC 2013: Full coverageApple unveiled on Monday a new look for Siri that came with new voice options, actions, and some hot integration, including in-car options and music streaming.The voice command technology has new voices, female and male -- also available in French and German. Siri's display includes a new look that shows a sound wave at the bottom while its detecting a user's voice and full-screen results.Users can instruct Siri to complete functions like "turn off my Bluetooth," or "increase my brightness," according to software VP Eddy Cue. The digital assistant also has a slew of new integrations. These included Twitter, Wikipedia, and Bing search results, as well as car integration with maps, music playback, and iMessage. But the highlight of Cue's presentation was Apple's long-awaited music streaming service, iTunes Radio.Apple highlighted Siri as part of its iOS 7 showcase, iOS's biggest refresh yet.
Apple's senior hardware chief Bob Mansfield to retire
Apple's senior hardware chief Bob Mansfield to retire
Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering Bob Mansfield is retiring, the company said today.Mansfield, who has been with Apple since 1999, will be replaced by Dan Riccio, Apple's current vice president of iPad hardware engineering. "Bob has been an instrumental part of our executive team, leading the hardware engineering organization and overseeing the team that has delivered dozens of breakthrough products over the years," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "We are very sad to have him leave and hope he enjoys every day of his retirement."Apple says the transition from Mansfield to Riccio will take place "over several months."Mansfield replaced the outgoing Mark Papermaster in 2010, and has since gone on to become one of the public faces of the company in its promotional videos. He is often seen describing the technical ins and outs of the company's latest products. Before Apple, Mansfield was at Silicon Graphics, then at Raycer graphics, a company Apple acquired. Mansfield's departure is the first from Apple's executive team since Tim Cook took over as CEO last August. Prior to that, retail chief Ron Johnson announced plans to leave to become the chief executive at retail chain J.C. Penney, a spot that's since been filled by John Browett. Before Johnson, it was the departure of Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Mac software engineering.The retirement isn't the only one among Apple's staff today. In an SEC filing posted earlier today, Apple said Betsy Rafael, who is currently a company VP, corporate controller, and principal accounting officer would retire from the company on October 19, 2012. Rafael had been with the company since August 2007.Apple's stock is down $2.41 or 0.42 percent in after-hours trading.
Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering Bob Mansfield is retiring, the company said today.Mansfield, who has been with Apple since 1999, will be replaced by Dan Riccio, Apple's current vice president of iPad hardware engineering. "Bob has been an instrumental part of our executive team, leading the hardware engineering organization and overseeing the team that has delivered dozens of breakthrough products over the years," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "We are very sad to have him leave and hope he enjoys every day of his retirement."Apple says the transition from Mansfield to Riccio will take place "over several months."Mansfield replaced the outgoing Mark Papermaster in 2010, and has since gone on to become one of the public faces of the company in its promotional videos. He is often seen describing the technical ins and outs of the company's latest products. Before Apple, Mansfield was at Silicon Graphics, then at Raycer graphics, a company Apple acquired. Mansfield's departure is the first from Apple's executive team since Tim Cook took over as CEO last August. Prior to that, retail chief Ron Johnson announced plans to leave to become the chief executive at retail chain J.C. Penney, a spot that's since been filled by John Browett. Before Johnson, it was the departure of Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Mac software engineering.The retirement isn't the only one among Apple's staff today. In an SEC filing posted earlier today, Apple said Betsy Rafael, who is currently a company VP, corporate controller, and principal accounting officer would retire from the company on October 19, 2012. Rafael had been with the company since August 2007.Apple's stock is down $2.41 or 0.42 percent in after-hours trading.
Apple's senior execs dominate top 5 best-paid
Apple's senior execs dominate top 5 best-paid
When it comes to compensation, these days it's good to be one of Apple's top executives.During Apple's 2012 fiscal year, four of its executives landed in the top five for highest compensation at a Standard & Poor's 500 company. But the folks that made it into that list might surprise you.According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, which collected compensation data from some of the world's top executives, Apple senior vice president of technologies, Bob Mansfield; CFO Peter Oppenheimer; general counsel Bruce Sewell; and operations chief Jeff Williams all made it into the top five for highest compensation.Mansfield led the pack among his colleagues, earning a whopping $85.5 million during the company's 2012 fiscal year. Sewell raked in $69 million, according to Bloomberg, while Williams nabbed $68.7 million. Oppenheimer was just behind him with $68.6 million in compensation.Nearly all of the compensation for those executives came in the form of stock; all of them earned a base salary of $805,400. According to Apple, it decided to reward its top executives handsomely "in order to retain the company's executive team during the CEO transition" from Steve Jobs to Tim Cook.And what about Cook, boss of the aforementioned quartet of Apple executives? He could only muster a $4.17 million package, ranking him in 1,016th place in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's study. But don't feel too bad for him: among other things, in 2011 he received a $378 million restricted stock award.None of Apple's executives, meanwhile, could match Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who walked away with a staggering $96.2 million in total compensation last year.
When it comes to compensation, these days it's good to be one of Apple's top executives.During Apple's 2012 fiscal year, four of its executives landed in the top five for highest compensation at a Standard & Poor's 500 company. But the folks that made it into that list might surprise you.According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, which collected compensation data from some of the world's top executives, Apple senior vice president of technologies, Bob Mansfield; CFO Peter Oppenheimer; general counsel Bruce Sewell; and operations chief Jeff Williams all made it into the top five for highest compensation.Mansfield led the pack among his colleagues, earning a whopping $85.5 million during the company's 2012 fiscal year. Sewell raked in $69 million, according to Bloomberg, while Williams nabbed $68.7 million. Oppenheimer was just behind him with $68.6 million in compensation.Nearly all of the compensation for those executives came in the form of stock; all of them earned a base salary of $805,400. According to Apple, it decided to reward its top executives handsomely "in order to retain the company's executive team during the CEO transition" from Steve Jobs to Tim Cook.And what about Cook, boss of the aforementioned quartet of Apple executives? He could only muster a $4.17 million package, ranking him in 1,016th place in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's study. But don't feel too bad for him: among other things, in 2011 he received a $378 million restricted stock award.None of Apple's executives, meanwhile, could match Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who walked away with a staggering $96.2 million in total compensation last year.
Apple's Schiller- White iPhone will debut in spring
Apple's Schiller: White iPhone will debut in spring
Responding to a question from 16-year-old Twitter user Eric Anderson asking how to get the white iPhone, Apple's vice president of worldwide product marketing, Phil Schiller, tweeted yesterday that the phone would be available this spring. And in Schiller's opinion, the new phone is a "beauty."The tale of the white iPhone has been a long and mysterious one since last June's debut of the iPhone 4.Pointing to a delay caused by manufacturing problems, Apple initially said the white version would be available in July. When July came, Apple was forced to push the launch date until later in 2010, admitting that the white handset was proving more "challenging to manufacture than we originally expected." Then in October, Apple announced yet another postponement, this time pushing back the phone's appearance until this coming spring.Apple hasn't given any specific reasons for the ongoing series of delays, other than citing manufacturing challenges. Some sources claimed the issue has been due to light leaking out and affecting the camera, while others pointed to a mismatch in the color for the home button.Whatever the cause, Apple may have resolved the problem--consider the iPad 2, which debuted this weekend in both white and black.Schiller's tweet also comes on top of a report from an analyst with Concord Securities who said last week that Apple has solved the issues with the white iPhone, which he believes were due to a full-lamination problem that affected the coating of the phone. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo added that Apple is ramping up production this month to ship the white phone at the beginning of April.
Responding to a question from 16-year-old Twitter user Eric Anderson asking how to get the white iPhone, Apple's vice president of worldwide product marketing, Phil Schiller, tweeted yesterday that the phone would be available this spring. And in Schiller's opinion, the new phone is a "beauty."The tale of the white iPhone has been a long and mysterious one since last June's debut of the iPhone 4.Pointing to a delay caused by manufacturing problems, Apple initially said the white version would be available in July. When July came, Apple was forced to push the launch date until later in 2010, admitting that the white handset was proving more "challenging to manufacture than we originally expected." Then in October, Apple announced yet another postponement, this time pushing back the phone's appearance until this coming spring.Apple hasn't given any specific reasons for the ongoing series of delays, other than citing manufacturing challenges. Some sources claimed the issue has been due to light leaking out and affecting the camera, while others pointed to a mismatch in the color for the home button.Whatever the cause, Apple may have resolved the problem--consider the iPad 2, which debuted this weekend in both white and black.Schiller's tweet also comes on top of a report from an analyst with Concord Securities who said last week that Apple has solved the issues with the white iPhone, which he believes were due to a full-lamination problem that affected the coating of the phone. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo added that Apple is ramping up production this month to ship the white phone at the beginning of April.
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