Posts in September 2013

On the surface, Apple's recent iPhone 5S announcement seemed just that: all surface, no substance. But as many reviewers have pointed out, the true star of the new model may not be its shimmering gold sheen, but instead the finger sensor built into its home button.

Using a fingerprint to prove you are who you claim to be is not new. But building it into a phone is. And as your mobile phone becomes your carrier of content (such as photos), currency (think of it as a digital wallet) and identity (like Apple's Keychain software) as well as your -- For more information read the original article here.

Say what you will about Steve Ballmer as a CEO. But you can't deny that the longtime Microsoft chief has got heart.

In an emotional send-off to the company he was a part of for more than three decades, Ballmer delivered a tearful goodbye speech at Microsoft's annual employee meeting, held in Seattle's KeyArena and attended by more than 13,000 staff (with another 25,000 tuning in via Webcast).

“Soak it in,” Ballmer said in his heartfelt speech to employees. “You work for the greatest company in the world.”

Ballmer, who was one of Microsoft's earliest hires, and was named CEO in -- For more information read the original article here.

Massachusetts needs money. These days, every state is looking for ways to scrape out more revenue for failing budgets and costly infrastructure projects.

But Massachusetts looked at its burgeoning technology sector and thought that it could squeeze at least $160 million a year out the Commonwealth's startups and established technology firms for funding of a transportation bill.

So, the Massachusetts “Tech Tax” was born. It was a vaguely written and a potentially harmful burden to startups in and around Boston. When technology firms in Boston figured out exactly what the Tech Tax was, they fought back. And, for once, the Massachusetts legislature -- For more information read the original article here.

Although it had no say in how AT&T managed its "unlimited" 3G data plans, Apple and the US carrier are both responsible for harm inflicted on consumers who bought 3G iPads on AT&T's network expected to be able to use an unlimited data plan. The proposed settlement, which must still be approved by a judge, comes as a result of customers who spent an extra $130 on the 3G-capable iPad in the expectation that they could use AT&T's unlimited data plan with it. AT&T later revoked the option after promising it would retain it for iPad 3G customers....

Apple today posted a new job listing seeking a Maps Web User Interface Designer to "design, develop, and maintain complex front-end code for a new secret project."

While the job listing briefly mentions Maps, it appears that the position could have a broader web development focus. According to the posting, the designer would join a small team that is working on an advanced web platform that will be the backbone of many future Apple services.

Qualifications for the position include a minimum of three years of experience building both applications and web services, along with understanding of -- For more information read the original article here.

A recent survey of 1,500 senior executives conducted by The Boston Consulting Group has named Apple the most innovative company in the world nine years running.

The findings capture executives' views of their own innovation plans, as well as their opinions of other companies' innovation track records. As in past surveys, the 2013 results reveal the 50 companies that executives rank as the most innovative, weighted to incorporate relative three-year shareholder returns, revenue growth and margin growth.

It has been suggested that Apple has lost its innovative edge. Some would dismiss the iPhone 5s as it so closely resembles the iPhone -- For more information read the original article here.

The Federal Aviation Administration advisory committee has recommended that electronic device restrictions on commercial aircraft be relaxed. According to the committee, airline passengers should be permitted to use smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other personal electronic devices during taxi, takeoff and landing.The 28-member committee agreed on the recommendations during a closed-door meeting, the officials said. The recommendations will be included in a report to be delivered to the FAA early next week, they said.Current rules prohibit the use of electronic devices such as the iPad or the iPhone below 10,000 feet, which means airline passengers are instructed to power off -- For more information read the original article here.