Engadget giveaway: win a Mac mini courtesy of CrushFTP!
For many Engadget readers, part of the work day consists of telling co-workers to “move” so they can get in there and fix the computer — after advising a restart, of course. So we’re offering an IT-centric giveaway this week courtesy of CrushFTP, makers of robust and secure file transfer server software and long-time gadget hackers. They’ve given us an Apple Mac mini and a full enterprise version of CrushFTP for one lucky Engadget reader. This prize pairing provides all the tools necessary for setting up a fully functional file server with a browser-based UI for monitoring and controlling all the exchanges. CrushFTP includes modern HTML5 support, ad-hoc sharing, customizable web forms and a litany of other high-level features to help keep server workflows running smoothly. All it takes is a few clicks and you could be on your way to winning this Apple Mac mini and software package; just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget to enter. You’ll barely even have to move yourself.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Apple Mac mini (A1347) and a 6-month Enterprise subscription to CrushFTP.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Apple, CrushFTP and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until March 19th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt, Apple
Amazon’s Apple TV Competitor to Launch in April as Chromecast-Like Dongle [Mac Blog]
Despite an earlier report suggesting a March launch, a new report from the Wall Street Journal now claims Amazon will start selling its video-streaming device in April through its own website and retailers like Best Buy.
The device will run a version of Android akin to the company’s Kindle Fire readers and will support common media streaming services like Netflix.
The Amazon device will carry a variety of apps available on Roku Inc. and Apple set-top boxes and run on a version of Google’s Android software, like Amazon’s tablet computers, these people said. Roku’s most popular apps include video services Netflix and Hulu Plus and music service Pandora, as well as Amazon’s own video-streaming service.
An earlier report from TechCrunch claims the Amazon device will have a stick form factor similar to Google’s Chromecast and will plug into the HDMI port of any HDTV. These same sources believe the device will support online gaming, streaming top-tier titles to the device at 30 frames per second from Amazon’s servers in a manner similar to remote gaming service OnLive.
Pricing for the Amazon device is not yet known, but it is expected to be consistent with competing devices which are priced under $100. Google’s Chromecast is the cheapest option at $35, while Roku’s new Streaming Stick is priced at $49. Sources claim Amazon Prime customers will receive extra incentives for purchasing the device.
     |
Apple Announces iPad 4 Relaunch, Confirms 8 GB iPhone 5c Limited to Select Countries
After the fourth-generation iPad reappeared on Apple’s online storefront earlier today, the company has issued a press release confirming the return of the device to the company’s product lineup. The iPad with Retina Display will replace the iPad 2 as the company’s affordable full-sized tablet option.
“Now for $399 customers can get iPad with a stunning 9.7-inch Retina display, fast A6X chip, and 5MP iSight camera, offering a dramatic upgrade in power, performance and value compared to the iPad 2 it replaces,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The iPad line sets the gold-standard in mobile computing and all iPads have access to the largest and best ecosystem of more than 500,000 iPad optimized apps from the App Store.”
The 16 GB WiFi-only iPad 4 is available for $399, while the WiFi + Cellular model starts at $529 in the U.S., with both black and white color options available. The iPad with Retina Display will be sold through the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Authorized Apple Resellers. Customers looking for additional storage capacity beyond 16 GB must purchase the iPad Air, which is available in 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB options.
In line with earlier rumors, Apple today also started selling a new 8 GB iPhone 5c in select countries. The new 8 GB model with five color options is available in Apple’s UK online store for £429 unlocked, making it £40 cheaper than the comparable 16 GB model.
Distribution of the new lower-capacity model is, however, rather limited, with Apple confirming to Fortune‘s Philip Elmer-DeWitt that the 8 GB model will only be available in the UK, France, Germany, Australia, and China.
| |
Apple Launches 8 GB iPhone 5c, Relaunches 16 GB iPad 4
As indicated by multiple reports yesterday, Apple has officially launched an 8 GB version of the iPhone 5c and relaunched a 16 GB version of the previously-discontinued fourth-generation iPad. The 8 GB iPhone 5c is currently being sold in Apple’s European Online Stores for £429 unlocked in all of the existing color options, where it is £40 cheaper than the 16 GB model and is expected to become available in the U.S. later today. The 16 GB iPad 4 is available worldwide and retails in Apple’s U.S. Online Store for $399, while customers may also purchase a cellular version for $130 more at $529.
The relaunch of the 16 GB iPad 4 has resulted in Apple discontinuing the three-year-old iPad 2, although the company’s European stores still currently show the iPhone 4S being sold alongside the new 8 GB iPhone 5c.
Apple’s iPhone 5c has seen lower-than-expected sales since its debut last September due to high demand for the flagship iPhone 5s. The move also comes amid a renewed push by Apple to promote the iPhone 5c, as the company has debuted a new set of playful dot-centric for the phone on popular blogging platform Tumblr as well as the front page of Yahoo.com and in recent issues of The New York Times.
Meanwhile, the iPad 4 has been brought back into Apple’s lineup after being removed in favor of the iPad Air last October. However, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in February that the company would shift from the iPad 2 to the iPad 4, as the latter sports Apple’s A6X chip and 1GB memory compared to the former’s A5 processor and 512 MB of memory.
Both devices are available to order from Apple’s Online Store or through the company’s retail locations.
| |
Apple’s new 8GB iPhone 5c now available worldwide
The rumors are true, Apple is launching an 8GB version of the iPhone 5c. After internal documents from German carrier O2 clued us into a new variant of Apple’s mid-tier phone, carriers across Europe have now begun taking orders for it. UK operator O2 and French provider SFR are offering the handset for free and one euro respectively on multi-year contracts, discounting it by more than £50 ($83) to tempt new customers. Apple has also added the new model to many of its online stores worldwide, pricing unlocked models at £429 ($714), which means you’ll need to pay an extra £40 ($67) to double your storage. While the 8GB variant is available in China, it remains conspicuous in its absence from the company’s US store. Apple has remained quiet regarding sales of its multi-colored iPhone, but today’s price drop could certainly indicate sales didn’t meet expectations.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Via: 9to5mac
Source: O2 Shop, SFR Store, Apple Store (UK)
Apple kills iPad 2 in favor of 4th-gen Retina display model
When Apple launched the iPad Air, it swiftly kicked the fourth-generation iPad to the curb, but kept the iPad 2 around as an “entry level” option. At the same time as the company has tweaked the iPhone lineup, it’s also pulling a switcheroo in the tablet space — dumping the iPad 2 and replacing it with the Retina-and-Lightning model. The unit is back on the Apple store for the same price as the Retina iPad Mini, so now it’s just a decision as to what size slab your hands can carry.
Source: Apple Store
Apple’s Manufacturing Partner Starts Preparing for iPhone 6 Production
Apple supplier Pegatron is expected to start production on the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of this year at its new Kunshan, China plant, reports the Commercial Times [Google Translate].
The new factory, along with a hiring push, is part of an effort by Pegatron to meet orders to manufacture the new phone. In early January, it was reported that Pegatron was expected to win a new contract to manufacture half of the iPhone 6′s supplies. Previously, Pegatron was responsible for assembling the iPad mini and iPhone 5c, while Apple’s main supplier, Foxconn, assembled many of the iPhone 5s units.
While the newspaper reported production would start ramping up in the second quarter, it did not report when the phone could come out, how many units Pegatron would manufacture, or how many workers the company was hiring. However, they do note that fellow Apple supplier Hon Hai would be the other primary manufacturer of the phone.
In 2013 Apple shifted iPhone 5c production to Pegatron in order to improve supply chain risk management, allowing Apple to expand its supply lines and minimize risk of potential supply chain disasters.
The iPhone 6 has been rumored to launch with two different versions of the phone, one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.7-inch display.
| |
Daily Roundup: 8GB iPhone 5c rumor, Microsoft OneNote goes free, and more
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Apple reportedly launching a cheaper 8GB iPhone 5c on March 18th
Rumor has it that Apple’s cheaper and more colorful iPhone 5c hasn’t sold quite as well as the 5s. That might soon change, though. According to leaked documents unearthed by O2 Germany, Apple’s releasing a cheaper 8GB version of the 5c overseas on March 18th.
Apple’s Jony Ive: ‘We’re surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects’
During a rare interview, Apple’s Jonathan Ive offers some insight into his own design process and how Apple products graduate from the drawing board. Every detail is given incredible thought, and for Jony, “It’s not just about aesthetics… Our success is a victory for purity, integrity – for giving a damn.”
Microsoft’s OneNote goes completely free, launches for Macs
OneNote, Microsoft’s productivity tool and Evernote competitor, has been available to Windows users for a long while, but now it’s finally arrived for those running OS X. Starting today, Mac users can download the full desktop version from the App Store for the wonderful price of $0.
Microsoft intros an LTE version of the Surface 2, arrives tomorrow for $679
We knew a cellular version of Microsoft’s slate was coming, but now the company’s made it official. The $679 LTE Surface 2 comes in a 64GB flavor, packing the same battery life as its less-connected counterpart. You can pick one up from Microsoft and Best Buy starting tomorrow.
You also might like:
Former Apple Marketing VP Reflects on Steve Jobs and Marketing [Mac Blog]
In a new video, former Apple marketing vice president Allison Johnson talked about marketing at Apple and what it was like to work under Steve Jobs. The interview, which took place at the 99U Pop-Up School last September (via Cult of Mac), covers words that were verboten at Apple — “brand” and “marketing” among them — as well as anecdotes about Steve Jobs, and some advice on marketing.
Johnson gave one example from the launch of the iPhone on AT&T in 2007. The carrier had written an email explaining to its internal sales team on how to properly sell the iPhone. Jobs asked to see the email and edited the email so the iPhone would be positioned correctly.
“He would dive in at a level of detail that most human beings would never consider,” Johnson explained. “So, a CEO looking at a sales memo to an internal sales group at AT&T. He cared that much.”
Johnson goes on to explain that Apple’s product and marketing teams work closely together from early on in the design process. As a result, the Product Marketing team “understood deeply what was important about the product, what the team’s motivations were on the product, what they hoped that product would achieve, what role they wanted it to play in people’s lives”. Because of this, Apple’s marketing was greatly improved and on-target.
For external marketing and PR agencies that aren’t involved as deeply in the development process, Johnson said, it’s more difficult for them to position products well.
After Johnson left Apple, she founded West, a creative agency that works with tech companies like Anki and Jawbone.
| |
Apple May Reintroduce Discontinued iPad 4 Alongside 8 GB iPhone 5c Tomorrow [iOS Blog]
Apple may have plans to reintroduce the discontinued fourth-generation iPad alongside the 8 GB iPhone 5c tomorrow, giving customers a lower-cost iPad option with better specs than the existing iPad 2.
A source that spoke with 9to5Mac has indicated that shipments of the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display are arriving at Apple retail locations, with notices that they’re to be opened tomorrow.
Reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo initially predicted the shift from the iPad 2 to the iPad 4 back in February, suggesting Apple would wind down iPad 2 production during the first quarter of 2014, replacing it instead with the more powerful iPad 4.
Apple originally ceased selling the fourth-generation iPad when the thinner, lighter iPad Air was introduced in October of 2013 and continued to offer the 2011 iPad 2 as its lower-cost tablet option instead. Priced at $399, the iPad 2 is currently offered for $100 less than the $499 iPad Air.
Apple has presumably opted to keep the iPad 2 in its lineup because of its position as the last Apple tablet using a 30-pin adapter, but with its A5 processor and 512 MB of memory, it is significantly less powerful than the iPad 4, which includes Apple’s A6X chip with 1 GB of memory.
With the iPad 2 being replaced by the fourth-generation iPad, Apple’s tablet lineup will be all Lightning for the first time. It’s also possible Apple’s current low-cost iPhone option, the iPhone 4s, will be discontinued at the same time in favor of the 8 GB iPhone 5c, marking the end of the 30-pin adapter in all non-iPod mobile products. Apple’s iPod Classic will be the sole device using the adapter if the iPhone 4s and the iPad 2 are replaced with updated options.
Pricing for the 8 GB iPhone 5c and the reintroduced fourth-generation iPad have not yet been revealed, but it is likely Apple will make an announcement on the new products tomorrow.
| |
