There are times when you just want to get away and find a little privacy and calm in the midst of the chaos you call a life. With a Hanging Cocoon you can have that spot just outside your home. It is sort of a swing and tent hybrid. It is a hammock that you don’t have to have special skills to get into so that you don’t get thrown to the ground. It is your own little hanging oasis.
Today on stage at the D11 conference, Tim Cook indicated that Apple’s interested in wearable tech, including Google Glass, even though he thinks it’s “tough to see it [Glass] having a broad-range appeal.” When asked about the current state of wearables, he mentioned that fitness devices like the Nike FuelBand (he owns one) perform well, but things that attempt to do more than one thing haven’t impressed him thus far.
Generally, he sees wearables as “an area that’s ripe for exploration” and that “there will be tons of companies involved” in making such devices. He also mentioned that biometric sensors, in particular, are an area of growth that Apple will be watching with interest, and Cook sees the potential of the wearables space to accelerate the industry further into a Post-PC era as smartphones and tablets did. When asked about Apple’s plans to make a wearable, Cook wouldn’t comment on the existence (or non existence) of an iWatch. So, while this is far from a confirmation of a forthcoming Apple wearable, it seems certain that the crew in Cupertino is considering them carefully.
Update: Check out the video of Cook’s comments embedded after the break.
Follow along with our D11 liveblog right here.
Microsoft is about to release their newest wireless mouse, the Sculpt Mobile Mouse. Adopting the BlueTrack technology (works on almost any surface), this Windows 8 compatible mouse features a 2.4GHz radio frequency (works up to 5 meters), a 1000dpi resolution, a 4-way scroll wheel and a Windows button to easily change between the desktop and Start screen. Powered by 1x AA battery, the Sculpt Mobile Mouse will go on sale from June 14th for 2,499 Yen (about $25). [Microsoft]
Today Tim Cook responded to an array of questions from Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, responding first to a question of Apple’s current state of business. Noting that in the year between here and last year’s interview, Samsung appeared to have “grown stronger”, working with an Android app store with “a number that’s higher” than Apples – Mossberg even added that Apple’s stock was down “significantly.” Cook was having none of it, responding to Mossberg’s “is Apple in trouble” with a clear “absolutely not.”
Speaking up about Apple’s place in the market, Cook suggested: “let’s zoom out and get perspective. We’re a product company, and we think about products. We’ve sold 85 million iPhones – 42 million iPads. More important than numbers : customers love them [Apple products]. Satisfaction ratings are off the charts – unprecedented – usage is off the charts.”
Responding to the notes on how Apple feels with “an unprecedented number of new products” to be proud of, according to Cook, Kara spoke up: “there’s still a sense… that there’s been an unprecedented downfall of the stock – and you have competent rivals now.”
Cook responded in kind: “We have always had competent rivals.” Appearing to have expected such a line of questioning, Cook continued, “we’ve fought against Microsoft, still fight against Microsoft in the PC space. We found against hardware companies that were viewed to be incredible hardware companies, like Dell.”
“But we’ve always suited up and fought. I don’t see that different today. … Our north star is always on making the best products. The best phone, the best tablet, the best PC, the best MP3 player.”
SOURCE: All Things D
Tim Cook responds to competition talk at D11: “Usage is off the charts” is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
HP has introduced the LTE-enabled version of its ElitePad 900 Windows 8 tablet. Powered by a 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z2760 processor, the tablet sports a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 touchscreen display, a 2GB RAM, a 64GB SSD, a microSD card slot, dual cameras (Full HD front & 8MP rear), NFC, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, LTE connectivity and runs on Windows 8 Pro 32-bit OS. The LTE-enabled ElitePad 900 will go on sale from mid-June for 113,000 Yen (about $1,119). [HP]
Speaking at AllThingsD’s D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook just dropped the latest sales figure for the Apple TV: 13 million (compare that to Roku’s sales of 5 million in the US), with “about half” sold in the last year. Despite being prodded by interviewers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, Cook repeated his “area of great interest” line (again) regarding TV, only mentioning that the company does have a “grand vision” in place. Surprised by the hockey puck’s popularity? You’re not the only one, as Cook followed up on Steve Jobs’ proclamation that” no one wants to buy a box,” claiming “Frankly, the popularity of the Apple TV has become much larger than we thought it would. We aren’t marketing it.”
Last year at the conference he reported sales of 2.7 million Apple TVs for the year, and the company noted 2 million sold in Q1 2013. He also followed his predecessor’s stance that the current TV experience needs remodeling “When you look at the TV experience, it’s not an experience that I think many people love…still an experience that is too much like 10 or 20 years ago.” As usual however, despite the “interest,” if you’re looking for a hint that Apple is going to join the likes of Google and Microsoft in trying to shift the balance of the TV market, Cook — like Jobs before him — is keeping those details to himself.
Follow along with our D11 live blog right here.
TITAN has recently unveiled a new CPU cooler to its range called the Dragonfly 4. Supporting both Intel (LGA775/1155/1156/1366/2011) and AMD (AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2) sockets, this ultra-slim cooler is equipped with four direct-touch copper heatpipes, an aluminum heatsink and a 120mm PWM fan that operates at 150 to 1500 RPM. Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing yet. [TITAN]
If you’ve spent any time using a smartphone, you’ve likely come across QR code stickers, letting you redeem a coupon or get some snippet of information. Mercedes-Benz plans to start putting such codes in its vehicles, but for a nobler reason: making it easier for first responders to access injured occupants and remove them with as little effort as possible.
The QR code will be scannable by a standard smartphone or tablet with a relevant app, providing those who scan it a detailed “rescue map” of the model, including such things as where the airbags are located, electrical cables, the battery, cylinders under high pressure, the car’s layout, and other such information needed. This will let the rescue workers determine how best to access the vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz already provides rescue sheets in its vehicles, but says that most drivers fail to have them in the car, or place them in a spot that the rescuers can’t find. This requires the workers to attempt to determine what kind of make and model the car is based on a visual assessment unless a title or registration paper can be located. The workers then have to look up the appropriate rescue sheet for the car, which takes up valuable time and isn’t as accurate.
The QR code will eliminate all of this by allowing the rescuers to scan it and have instant access to the information needed. Such codes will be provided via two stickers placed on the cars, with one on the fuel tank flap and the second on the B-pillar on the opposite side of the first sticker. Such locations, says Mercedes-Benz, are rarely damaged together to such a degree that the stickers wouldn’t be scannable.
Because the QR codes point to a website that contains the rescue sheets, the manufacturer can update its sheets as needed so that information is always up-to-date. Says the auto maker, the stickers can be retrofitted, perhaps indicating it will make them available for models that have already been sold. Stickers will be included on all Mercedes-Benz vehicles starting this year.
SOURCE: Daimler
Mercedes-Benz to place QR code stickers on vehicles for first responders is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Just a year after Tim Cook sat down for his first non-financial interview as CEO of Apple, the man himself is back for yet another round. He’ll be seated in Rancho Palos Verdes, California this evening at the D11 conference, taking questions from hosts Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, and we’ll be liveblogging every moment of it. The interview is taking place with under a fortnight to go until Apple’s WWDC, where we’re expecting to see details on iOS 7, the Mac lineup and perhaps a glimpse at whatever the company is cooking up in the wearables department. If you’ve arrived here prior to 6PM PT on May 28th, feel free to bookmark this link and return at the time listed below.
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Apple
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