Pinterest hires two former Apple execs to lead engineering and design

Pinterest is doing really well – we’re talking $5 billion valuation-level well. And to cement its status as a mega-success, the site has scooped up two former Apple execs to lead engineering and product design. First up is Michael Lopp, who worked on Mac OS X before moving to software company Palantir. As head of engineering, he’ll help scale site infrastructure and lead product development teams. On the product design side, Pinterest’s appointed Bob Baxley, who worked on Apple’s online store. His official title will be head of product design and research.

As Re/code points out, Lopp and Baxley don’t just have stints at Apple in common; both are relatively prominent beyond their careers in Silicon Valley. Lopp blogs under the pen name Rands, and he’s authored books on engineer management and software development. Baxley, meanwhile, wrote the book Making the Web Work. In any case, both new hires come to the table with impressive resumes, which will come in handy for a site that’s surpassed 30 billion pins.

Filed under: Internet, Apple

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Source: Re/code

Apple Adds ESPN and Local NPR Stations to iTunes Radio

Apple has expanded the content available on iTunes Radio with a new ESPN Radio station and more than 40 local National Public Radio (NPR) stations. First noticed by AppleInsider, the new stations can be accessed directly within iTunes Radio on both iOS devices and desktop computers via a search, though the new stations may be available to some users in the Featured section.

The ESPN Radio station on iTunes Radio offers the same live streaming content that is available through traditional ESPN radio affiliates, and the schedule of content can be found on the ESPN Radio website. Content includes national sports talk shows including Mike & Mike, The Freddie Colman Show, The Dan LeBatard Show, and more.

Special events, such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Major League Baseball playoffs and World Series, and college football will be broadcast on the station, kicking off with the broadcast of the Atlanta Braves vs. the Colorado Rockies game on Wednesday, June 11 at 5 PM Pacific Time.

“We are thrilled to make our industry-leading sports talk and championship play-by-play content available to fans via iTunes Radio,” said Traug Keller, senior vice president, ESPN production business divisions. “And we are excited to partner with Apple to expand our digital reach. Our fans can look forward to expanded ESPN Audio offerings on both the national and local sports levels in the future.”

Along with the new ESPN station, there are over 40 new NPR stations from cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Austin, and more. NPR first came to iTunes Radio back in March with the launch of a national news channel and at that time, NPR officials promised additional content from local stations. Content provided will include a mix of live and taped news.

iTunes Radio, which launched alongside iOS 7 last September, is still limited to the United States and Australia. Apple does, however, have plans to expand iTunes Radio to the UK, Canada, and New Zealand in the near future, eventually bringing the service at least 100 countries.

Apple’s Advertising Revamp Include Plans for In-House Team of 1,000 Employees

Last week, it was reported that Apple has begun producing some of its television ads internally rather than relying on longtime partner TBWA, and now Ad Age has an extensive look at the company’s evolving ad strategy that is seeing much more work being brought in-house.

Amid criticisms that it has failed to innovate, Apple is increasingly taking marketing into its own hands. It’s madly building an internal agency that it’s telling recruits will eventually number 1,000 — the size of Grey Advertising. It’s pitting TBWA/MAL against this internal agency with “jump balls” to mine the best creative ideas, a controversial tactic with outside agencies, let alone an internal one. It’s going after some of adland’s boldest-faced names to staff its in-house shop — in some cases, it’s even poached executives from TBWA/MAL. And, in what once would have been seen as a sacrilegious breach of the Apple-MAL bond, it’s been inviting some of the ad industry’s top shops to pitch on major projects.

The report notes that Apple’s hiring efforts have frequently received a “frosty reception”, with some ad executives feeling that Apple has lost its creative energy while others worry about the cost of living in Cupertino.

“Powerful” iPhone 5s ad delivered by TBWA/Media Arts Lab
Still, it’s clear that Apple has been working to shake up its advertising efforts over the past several years, with Apple executives having serious issues with some of TBWA’s work. Apple had reportedly considered dropping TBWA, but the two longtime partners have continued to work together even as Apple has looked to other internal and external groups for new creative sparks.

The lengthy report is an interesting read highlighting Apple’s sometimes controversial tactics with respect to TBWA, as well as an examination of what the future may hold for the relationship between Apple and its longtime ad agency. Amid continued growth by Apple and concerns over the quality of some recent ad campaigns, it’s understandable that Apple has been looking at various strategies for raising its advertising game, but just how things will play out over the long-term remains to be seen.

Kindle for iOS Adds Ability to Listen to Audible Books [iOS Blog]

Amazon has updated its Kindle app for iOS to version 4.3, adding the ability to listen to the Audible version of Kindle books that you own. According to Amazon, there are over 45,000 Kindle/Audible titles eligible for this new in-app listening feature.

The new Audible feature ties into Amazon’s Whispersync technology, which automatically syncs progress between the Kindle and Audible versions of a book. The feature allows Amazon customers to read a book at home and then listen from where they left off when they open the Audible version of the book. In order for his feature to work, customers must own both the Kindle and Audible version of the book title.

Other changes in Kindle 4.3 for iOS version include the ability to download a collection of books, the addition of a sleep timer and new narration speeds up to 2x. Amazon also improved its X-Ray search feature and improved overall performance and stability of the app.

Kindle for iOS is a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple Projected to Beat Wall Street Estimates with 39 Million Quarterly iPhones Shipped

Apple’s quarterly iPhone sales may beat Wall Street estimates, based on new data from Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. According to the firm’s AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker, Apple could sell as many as 39 million iPhones in the second calendar quarter of the year, beating Wall Street’s predicted 35 million and topping the 31.2 million sold in the same quarter last year.

Huberty believes iPhone sales will get a boost this quarter due to deep discounts on iPhone upgrades that entice consumers to buy a new iPhone, despite the upcoming rumored launch of the iPhone 6. Apple recently launched a promotion that encourages customers to trade-in their old iPhone and receive credit towards an iPhone 5s or 5c. Apple is offering iPhone 4 users up to $99, while iPhone 4s owners can get up to $199 as a store credit, making an upgrade to a subsidized iPhone 5s virtually free.

Carriers and third-party retailers also have discounted the iPhone in recent weeks, with Best Buy last month offering up to $200 trade-in value for customers who bring in an older iPhone and upgrade to an iPhone 5s or 5c. To maintain this sales momentum, Apple also may start selling the iPhone along with contract-free calling and data plans for T-Mobile and AT&T.

Morgan Stanley’s “AlphaWise” smartphone tracker compiles sales data using Google Trends data and historically is more accurate at forecasting iPhone sales than Wall Street consensus estimates, although Huberty may still tweak her numbers in the closing weeks of the quarter.

Apple Granted Patent for Weightlifting Tracker That Utilizes Watch-Like Device

Apple has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (via AppleInsider) that details a weightlifting tracker that could pair with a watch-like device to provide live progress-tracking to users, offering a potential scenario where Apple’s highly-rumored iWatch could be used.

The patent details how a transmitter could attach itself to a weightlifting bar to count repetitions in real time. The transmitter itself is described as having a number of components, including an accelerometer, processor, Hall effect sensor, and display. While some scenarios describe the sensor as showing live information all by itself, a few note that the small beacons could transfer data to devices such as a watch or phone.

A sensor (500) shown on-top of a body bar

In one embodiment, display 512 is part of a watch (or a MP3 player or a cell phone) that may be seen when worn or used by the user when performing exercises; and measurements determined by processor are transmitted to the watch (or to the MP3 player or cell phone) for display.

In a situation where data is transferred to a watch, the patent notes that the watch’s housing could include a processor to store data and inform the user of repetitions for workouts over time. This would allow the device to breakdown a user’s workout with the use of multiple sensors, even giving information about the body bar or other equipment used.

Whether Apple integrates the technology described in the patent into a specific product remains to be seen. However, recent reports surrounding the iWatch have described the device as having a multitude of biometric sensors to track a number of health-related metrics, including activity levels.

Furthermore, it is likely that the iWatch will integrate with iOS 8′s recently introduced Health app, which provides an easy to read dashboard of health and fitness data that can be pulled from different sources. Apple also debuted a new TV ad called “Strength” last week that focused on fitness accessories and apps.

Apple’s iWatch is expected to launch later this year, with a recent report stating that the company is aiming for an October unveiling and release date.

iOS 8 makes it tougher for WiFi hotspots to track your location

Apple made a hullabaloo over iOS 8′s user-accessible privacy controls during its WWDC keynote, but it now appears that some of the biggest safeguards are under the hood. Security guru Frederic Jacobs has noticed that iOS 8 uses random network identifiers when scanning for WiFi access, and will only reveal a device’s true ID when it connects. In other words, hotspot operators can’t get your position simply because you’re walking by with an iPhone in hand — you have to sign in first.

It’s a relatively simple move, but it could have far-reaching effects on data collection. Both cities and retailers have experimented with tracking phones as they pass by WiFi hotspots, helping to gauge foot traffic. When iOS 8 launches, it could render those trackers useless; at best, they’d paint an incomplete picture. There’s no word on whether or not other platforms will follow suit. Even if no one else adopts the idea, though, it’s good news for privacy advocates who want to limit access to their location.

Filed under: Cellphones, Networking, Mobile, Apple

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Via: Quartz, The Verge

Source: Frederic Jacobs (Twitter)