Apple releases new ads for the Mac

Apple releases new ads for the Mac

It’s been quite a while since Apple released ads for the Mac. All the recent memorable ads have either been for the iPhone or the iPad. In fact the last memorable ads for the Mac were the famous ‘Mac vs. PC’ series and it’s been three years since those came out. But now that Apple recently updated their MacBooks, they probably felt it was the right time to go ahead and make some new ads.

So now we have three new ads for the Mac that don’t concentrate on any particular model, but like the older ‘Mac vs. PC’ ads aim to glorify the Macs as a whole and all the features they have. They also fail spectacularly at doing that.

The new ads have an Apple Store Genius going around helping people with their Macs. The first ad is in an airplane, the second is where the Genius helps his neighbor with something and the third where a guy accidentally buys something that he thought was a Mac.

The first two ad are supposed to show the features in some of the apps that come built-in, such as iMovie and iPhoto. But in doing so, Apple goes against its own principles of making software that is easy to use. By showing common people struggling to use their own software without the help of an Apple Store Genius (who for some reason is everywhere but in the store itself), the ads send the wrong message that Apple’s software is too complicated to use.

The ads also make an attempt at humor, which falls flat on its face. The original Mac vs. PC ads were actually funny. These seem to be trying too hard, and failing harder.

Anyway, you can find all three ads below and make an opinion for yourself. It must be said, though. Apple’s standard for ads have fallen greatly over the past couple of years.

Apple rejecting apps that use the Dropbox SDK and allow purchases outside the app

Apple rejecting apps that use the Dropbox SDK and allow purchases outside the app

Apple is under fire once again due to its App Store policies, this time for rejecting apps that use the Dropbox SDK. It goes like this: some developers were found complaining on Dropbox forums that their apps made using the Dropbox SDK are being rejected by Apple.

The reason given by Apple for these rejections is that these apps do not use in-app purchasing and instead open Safari and take the user to the Dropbox site and lets them purchase additional storage from there. Apple has had this rule for some time now that any app-related purchase should always take place within the app itself using in-app purchasing and not outside the app. Any app found in violation of this rule will be rejected or removed.

Some of the developers are finding this hard to work with because they do not intend to make the user purchase additional storage. The only reason they are taking the user to Safari is so that they can log in to their Dropbox account, that too if the device does not already have the Dropbox app installed. What the user does after that is beyond the control of the app or the developer. Since the user is in Safari, they can just go to any site and do whatever they want. Apple sees this as violation of their rule. The developers see this as downright ridiculous.

Now Dropbox has released an updated version of their SDK that they hoped would take care of the situation but so far it hasn’t. Now they say that they are working with Apple to find a better solution to this problem.

Source

Apple could rack up an $11 billion bill with Samsung before 2012 is out

Apple could rack up an $11 billion bill with Samsung before 2012 is out

With all the market rivalry, patent lawsuits and sly televisual marketing going on between Samsung and Apple, you’d be forgiven for thinking all ties between these two companies would have already been severed at this heavily tumultuous stage in their relationship, but at the end of the day business is business and both these big names know that need to work together to make money.

The likes of LG and Sharp were initially entrusted with creating displays for Apple’s newest tablet, set to touch down in a couple of days, but when they were unable to deliver due to manufacturing issues, Apple passed the task to Samsung who will now be producing the new iPad’s QXGA display panels (for the time being at least).

As such the cost of these panels will add to a growing bill that Apple currently has under contract with Samsung, which by the end of this year is expected to total somewhere in the vicinity of $11 billion. The running total for parts bought by Apple from Samsung is rumored to stand at approximately $9.7 billion which already dwarfs last years final bill of $7.8 billion.

An unnamed Samsung official stated, “The amount of the current contract is around $9.7 billion. The popularity of Apple products lines the pockets of Samsung as well. The amount may go up to $11 billion, depending on the demand for Apple products.” According to the same source, Samsung are also on the cards to produce a 7.85″ display supposedly for a smaller iPad along with high speed solid state drives (SSDs) for Apple’s latest MacBooks.

Presently displays, processors, DRAM, NAND flash chips and similar components are all supplied to Apple from Samsung. Based on a conversation had at the end of last year between Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Samsung Electronics’ Chief Operating Officer Lee Jay-yong, the Korean company will be a key supplier of Apple until the end of 2014.

In their current states, it would appear that Apple need Samsung in order to help produce their latest iPad to an acceptable quality and at an acceptable pace, whilst Apple is Samsung’s largest single customer and as such it just makes sense on a corporate level to continue to do business, despite the bad blood in other areas of their relationship.

Source | Via