WEDNESDAY BLOWOUT: Every NEW or RENEWING paid subscriber receives 2 YEARS FREE.
What say you! Is $100 more a fair price to pay for a 32GB iPhone over a 16GB model when it costs Apple maybe $8?
Vote for the results in the left column below or go straight to the results here.
Wednesday Highlights: Is Apple quietly working on enabling "powerful contextual services for its customers"? Jonny Evans thinks so, suggesting "it's precisely this kind of stealthy operational efficiency you should expect from Tim Cook's Apple [as] it seeks new growth sectors"; Don Reisinger argues there are no downsides "to a partnership between IBM and Apple", that consumers, the enterprise, everyone will benefit; IDC statistics show "home-grown" smartphone makers are gaining ground on Apple and Samsung; Ford dumping BlackBerry phones for iPhones, about 6,000 of them over the next two years; Russia asking Apple and SAP to provide "government access to their source code to make sure their widely used products are not tools for spying on state institutions"; Macworld UK comparative review of Apple's Aperture vs. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom; and Macworld US reviews Adobe's flagship video product, Premiere Pro CC 2014; what to do if you want to burn your movies to disc "in an iDVD-less world"; Forbes posts list of brands consumers find most innovative with Apple as number 1; Apple apparently confirms acquisition of Swell; Apple's back-to-school tax-free holiday sales coming!; The Next Web looks at "the houses that tech built", including Apple's spaceship campus, Steve Jobs' abandoned mansion; likely unintentional leak on Apple site suggests a mid-2014 27" iMac is imminent; Primate Labs benchmarks the latest MacBook Pros finding the 15" models enjoy a 6-9% increase, while the 13" models score a 7-8% increase over previous generation; ghost hunters, or folks needing thermal imaging, have a look at Macworld's first-look at the Flir One for iPhone; IT Pro lists their top 10 Word for iPad tips; and LAPTOP Mag laments the huge ripoff that is between buying a 16GB or 32GB phone, which costs consumers a $100 difference, but smartphone makers only pay around 50 cents/GB; is the "myth" of sapphire screens on iPhone 6 being busted? Perhaps to stave off overly-hyped expectations?
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"Apple seeds first beta of OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 & Safari 7.0.6/6.0.6 to developers" 9to5Mac 4:03 PM
"Apple issues first OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks beta to developers with Safari seeds in tow" AppleInsider 4:03 PM
AppleCare/Troubleshooting
"Mac OS X versions (builds) for computers: Learn which Mac OS X versions (builds) originally shipped with or are available for your computer via retail discs, downloads, or Software Update." Apple Support 7:26 PM
"OS X 10.9.4 fixes reader's file sharing problems" MacWindows 8:59 AM
"How to Recover Deleted Images: Accidentally deleted or formatted your camera's memory card? Restore and undelete all those photos with this tutorial for Mac or PC users." Boston Globe [Free Registration Required] 8:55 AM
"Apple order fulfillment ranks first among online retailers with average delivery time of 2.3 days in June" AppleInsider 8:33 PM
"Which Tech Brands Do Consumers View As Most Innovative?" ["As Apple (#1 on our list) discovered, truly great innovative products can change everything for consumers – from how they listen to music to what they expect about how they'll listen to music. And when brands do that, they elevate themselves from well-known brands to innovation icons."] Forbes 11:32 AM
"Apple Confirms Purchase of Swell Talk Radio App for iPhone" The Mac Observer 9:31 AM
"Apple lets customers in nine states know how to buy Macs and/or accessories tax-free" 9to5Mac 10:16 AM
"Comic-Con: iPads are mainstream, but there's still digital drama" Macworld 7:41 AM
"Apple promoting savings with back-to-school sales tax holidays in US" AppleInsider 9:15 AM
"iWallet: No bonking please, we're Apple/BLE-ding iPhones, not NFC bonkers, will drive trend - marketeers" The Register 8:41 AM
"iPhone gets first free app for encrypting voice calls" IDG News Service 8:33 AM
"Spaceships, castles and Steve Jobs' abandoned mansion: The houses that tech built" The Next Web 8:58 AM
"Westboro Baptist Church plans hatefest outside Apple HQ" Cult of Mac 11:36 AM
"Too rich for an iPhone 6? How about a gold-plated Brikk?" The Register 8:40 AM
"Emergency app triggers panic after false alarm warns of impending quake" TUAW 9:24 PM
Non-Apple News
"Samsung's Mobile Chief Feels Pressure Over Sales: Company Struggles to Maintain Its Position as No. 1 Smartphone Maker" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 9:24 PM
"Samsung Says Phone Business Is Tough and Likely to Remain So" Re/code 8:18 PM
"Samsung Wins Four Major Smartwatch Design Patents" Patently Mobile 2:16 PM
"Does Yelp Have The 'Most Trusted Reviews'? A Court Wants To Know More" Forbes 11:32 AM
"Despite 'Mario Kart 8' Success, Nintendo Is Faltering" Mashable 10:17 AM
"Leaked: Samsung's Metal Galaxy Phone Is Probably Coming Next Week" Business Insider 10:16 AM
"This Algorithm Tells You Whether A Twitter Account Is a Spam Bot" Mashable 8:45 AM
Publications/Podcasts
"YML Archives for July 30th, 2014!" Your Mac Life 9:21 PM
"Why Sprint can't hit the gas on cheaper plans...yet: CNET News talks to Sprint CEO Dan Hesse on why he has to be deliberate about any potential pricing moves." CNET 4:03 PM
"Ted Landau on iPhone Camera Adequacy, the Mac Mini and Rooting for Tech Companies" MacVoices 3:58 PM
"Is the 16GB iPhone 'the biggest ripoff in tech?'" BGR 11:36 AM
"Why 16GB Smartphones Are the Biggest Rip-off in Tech" ["Yang said smartphone manufacturers pay a measly 50 cents per gigabyte for smartphone storage. So, increasing the standard storage from 16GB to 32GB would cost just $16 per phone. Some flagship phones have already gone this route, but why not all of them?"] LAPTOP Magazine 11:36 AM
"YES, iPhones ARE getting slower with each new release of iOS" The Register 11:34 AM
"Apple TV Becoming A Cable Accessory, Not A Cord Cutting Device, But Bigger Plans Lie Ahead" Three Guys And A Podcast 11:23 AM
"Russian government asks Apple to hand over source code amid spying concerns" AppleInsider 11:37 AM
"Russia wants Apple's source code to prove it's not used for spying" iMore 11:35 AM
"Russia requests Apple provide access to source code" 9to5Mac 11:25 AM
"Russia Demands Apple's Source Code to Ensure Security" Patently Apple 11:22 AM
"Apple Cozies Up With Bitcoin -- What You Need to Know" The Motley Fool 10:38 AM
"The plight of the Indie iOS developer: Is the App Store broken or is this much ado about nothing?" TUAW 10:06 AM
"Opinion: iPad Air + Logitech Folio + Office for iPad = Productivity?" Electronista 9:08 AM
"Ford, BlackBerry, iPhone, Apple, and IBM: Calling BYOD into Question" Lou Miranda 9:02 AM
"The Apple/Samsung Patent Wars: A Dose of Sanity?" The Tech Night Owl 8:53 AM
"WallStreet PowerBook G3 with Mac OS 9, a Vintage Mac Workhorse" Low End Mac 8:53 AM
"iPhone 6 Sapphire Display Myth Busted As Evidence For It Crumbles" Forbes 8:48 AM
"Blog Archive Mid 2014 Mac mini: Coming Soon?" FairerPlatform 8:14 AM
"If You Can't Trust Apple With Privacy And Security, Who Can You Trust?" Mac 360 7:47 AM
"A Few Words On Product Differentiation, Market Disruption, And Apple" Mac 360 7:47 AM
Non-Apple
"What Amazon Didn't Say in Its Blog Post about Hachette" The Mac Observer 5:27 PM
"4 Reasons Why Music Careers Are Getting Trounced By Tech" Forbes 10:19 AM
"Former BlackBerry CEO's bold prediction might actually be coming true" BGR 10:16 AM
"The Amazon Fire Phone Will Fail" Seeking Alpha 9:07 AM
"Sprint Tries a Facebook-Only Plan" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 8:45 AM
"Exclusive: Square Bets Big on Next-Gen Credit Card Tech" Wired 8:45 AM
"No One's Going to Stop Using Phones in the Car. Here's How We Make That Safer" Wired 8:45 AM
Humor/Cartoons
"Conan O'Brien DIY video reveals how to make your own iPad" Cult of Mac 6:26 PM
"The funniest thing you'll see today: Stephen Colbert reviews the Kardashian game" BGR 10:15 AM
"The iWatch motivation factor!" The Joy of Tech [cartoon] 7:52 AM
"We're Fighting the Feds Over Your Email: Governments want the right to see email stored anywhere in the world. Microsoft says not so fast." WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 8:36 AM
"China launches 'anti-monopoly probe' into Microsoft" ANI 8:37 AM
"China's Microsoft probe boosts shares of local rivals: One man's meat is another man's poison, the old saying goes, and such was the case for Chinese software firms Wednesday." MarketWatch 8:37 AM
"Chinese antitrust ninjas descend on Microsoft offices" TG Daily 6:33 PM
"Microsoft looks to woo developers with Windows Phone upgrade: Windows Phone update improves security and messaging, but the platform still trails Android and iOS by a wide margin" InfoWorld 11:35 AM
"How Microsoft Uses the Cloud to Beat the Feds" Bloomberg TV 8:30 AM
"Analyst: Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 ranked among the best tablet displays" PCWorld 8:50 AM
"Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 wins plaudits for display, says researcher" CNET 9:25 AM
"Microsoft stands on shore as tablet-laden boat sails away" Channel Register 11:32 AM
"Microsoft Xbox One to launch in China on Sept. 23" Reuters 8:30 AM
"Will Microsoft Stock Be Helped Its Upcoming Launch of Xbox One in China?" TheStreet 11:33 AM
"Microsoft's Similarities to Apple Will Be Its Salvation" TheStreet 11:33 AM
"Microsoft spreads Cortana abroad in Windows Phone" Associated Press 8:30 AM
"Edward Snowden is Good Business For This Chinese IBM Rival" WSJ Blogs 8:37 AM
"Intel's MinnowBoard Max coming in late, commanding higher prices: The open-source PC board lists at $129 but will cost more from the first retailers selling it" Computerworld New Zealand 6:25 PM
"Cisco says network virtualisation won't pay off everywhere" The Register 8:40 AM
"Michael Dell is funding this company to move surveillance cameras onto the cloud" VentureBeat 11:34 AM
"Internet of Things devices open up new avenues for hackers" BetaNews 9:16 AM
"'Things' on the Internet-of-things have 25 vulnerabilities apiece: Leaking sprinklers, overheated thermoStats and picked locks all online" The Register 8:39 AM
"U.S. losing tech talent to Canada: The land of the free isn't catering to talented techies quite like our neighbors to the north. So many entrepreneurs have given up on navigating the complicated U.S. immigration system and are heading to Canada to launch their startups." Fortune Small Business 10:14 AM
"UBS praises Apple CEO Tim Cook for thinking 'big,' pushing for iOS to become ubiquitous" AppleInsider 4:06 PM
Industry News
"Stock Market Today: Stocks Mixed as Fed Cuts Bond Buying to $25 Billion" TheStreet 4:00 PM
"Stocks end mixed after pops and drops: Despite strong economic growth and no major surprises from the Federal Reserve, the bulls couldn't quite get it together Wednesday." CNNMoney 3:59 PM
"US stocks turn lower, erasing an early gain; Genworth Financial, Goodyear Tire & Rubber sink" Associated Press 12:48 PM
"U.S. Stocks End Mixed After Fed Statement: U.S. GDP Grows 4% in Second Quarter; Fed Offers Mixed View of Economy" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 4:00 PM
"Asia Markets: Hong Kong stocks log seventh straight win/Hong Kong stocks ended higher for a seventh consecutive day on Wednesday, as sentiment continued to improve after reports said China would allow direct share trading between Shanghai and Hong Kong later this year." MarketWatch 9:18 AM
"Europe Markets: Russia sanctions hit Europe stocks, but Spain shines/New, tougher sanctions on Russia weighed on European stock markets on Wednesday as investors analyzed the potential consequences of the measures. Spanish stocks, however, stood out as outperformers after better-than-expected growth data for the country." MarketWatch 9:17 AM
"Most active Nasdaq-traded stocks: Nasdaq's 10 most active stocks at 1 p.m." Associated Press 12:47 PM
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