Tag: Tech

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“There are no target audience, just targets.”

facebook-censored

From TechCrunch:

Facebook has long been promoting the the idea of free, zero-rated mobile services in emerging countries to drive more Facebook (and wider mobile data) usage. Now, its Internet.org initiative has crafted another way to promote growth: by working with directly with carriers to analyse and fix their networks, with a recent trial in Indonesia — the fourth-biggest country for Facebook usage — speeding up mobile network speeds by up to 70%, the company says.

According to Wikipedia, Indonesia’s population is estimated at 250 millions in 2014; the fourth most populated country in the world.

The Internet.org work is being made public as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg travels in Indonesia and meets with its president-elect and current Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo…….

I don’t think the President Elect of Indonesia understands that Facebook’s number one product is the user. No doubt that Facebook really see the revenue potential from Indonesian users.

Yep, this is one country where hoaxes are treated as facts, hoaxes such as:

Then there’s SoldatenKaffee, a Nazi-themed restaurant which opened for more than two years without a peep from the community and Indonesian government. It took some offended tourists for this Nazi-themed restaurant to close and reopen with different theme.

Of course, voicing an opinion could also land Indonesian in jail.

Then, the police got involved – but not to defend Ms Sihombing. Instead, after residents complained about her in numbers to the police, she was summoned for questioning on Saturday 30 August, and charged under the 2008 Electronic Transactions and Information Law for defamation and “inciting hatred”. Yogyakarta has a conservative reputation, and public manners are valued highly.

If the mobs didn’t kill you, the police will.

Indonesia is for sure an easy target for Facebook business model.

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Rumors and Misdirections: Apple October 16, 2014 Special Event

Apple It's been way too long

On October 16, 2014 Apple will be announcing the followings:

  • OS X Yosemite release date
  • New iPad lineup
  • Apple Pay deployment
  • iOS 8.1

Apple is also rumored to announce:

  • New Macs
  • New Apple TV

This might be a misdirection from an Apple source, but it is too good to not mention:

  • New product with touch interface

There are a lot of cryptic information from firstnameatappledotcom to process, and some of them I won’t even mention here.

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iOS 8: Wi-Fi Calls or iPhone Cellular Calls

iOS 8 brings two features that are mutually exclusive: Wi-Fi Calls and iPhone Cellular Calls.

Wi-Fi calling will be turned off to allow other devices to make and receive calls through your iPhone.

iPhone Cellular Calls or Wi-Fi Calling

Wi-Fi Calls is currently enabled on carriers that support the feature, such as T-Mobile USA.

T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calls e911 Address

iOS 8 also enables Cellular Calls handoff to OS X Yosemite and other iOS 8 devices.

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Apple “It’s been way too long.” Special Event on October 16, 2014.

Apple It's been way too long

Apple has sent invites for October 16, 2014 special event subtitled: “It’s been way too long.” The event will be held in Apple HQ in Cupertino, California.

John Paczkowski first broke the news on Re/code (recode.net) five days before Apple officially sent out the invitations.

Apple is expected to unveil the next iteration of iPad along with the public release of OS X Yosemite on this special event.

Now, will Apple be live-streaming the event? The September 9, 2014 event live-stream practically impossible to watch.

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Apple Seeds OS X Yosemite Golden Master 2.0

Install OS X Yosemite Beta icon

Apple seeds OS X Yosemite Golden Master 2.0 build 14A386a. The first OS X Yosemite Golden Master was released eight days prior.

Based on chatters within Apple, OS X Yosemite should see release date on the second half of October, 2014 along with iOS 8.1.

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Bull Pie: WSJ on iPhone Sapphire Screen

Targeting-Apple

This seems to be the norm now, even with “reputable” publications.

  1. Report rumors, citing “people familiar with the matter” regardless how absurd it sounds.
  2. Blame “last minute changes” when rumors did not come true.

Daisuke Wakabayashi, reporting for the WSJ on August 14, 2014 (paywall alert!):

Apple is considering using sapphire screens in more expensive models of the two new, larger iPhones it plans to debut this fall, if it can get enough of the material, people familiar with the matter say. Some analysts expect Apple to charge more for the phones than previous new models, because of increased component costs.

John Gruber, responding to the WSJ article on August 15, 2014:

First, I don’t understand how a report on August 14 could plausibly imply that Apple still doesn’t know what material they’re going to use for the displays on the new iPhones they plan to introduce on September 9, and which (if the schedule is like last year) they probably plan to ship to customers on September 19. I would think that people who are truly “familiar with the matter” already know, today, whether the new iPhones are going to use sapphire displays.

Logic and common sense are on the side of Gruber.

Daisuke Wakabayashi, reporting for the WSJ on October 7, 2014 (paywall alert!):

In the end, Apple decided to scrap the sapphire screens for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and stick with Corning Inc. GLW -2.50% ’s heavy-duty Gorilla Glass.

The Wall Street Journal reported in August that Apple was considering using sapphire screens for some iPhones.

Based on the article, it sounds like the plan was scrapped in the last minute.

Daniel Eran Dilger, responding to WSJ article on October 7, 2014:

WSJ prints speculation, blames Apple when wrong

…….

Wakabayashi was so confident in the rumor that the Wall Street Journal headlined his story, “New iPhone, A Sapphire Screen and a Higher Cost,” although it also hedged the report with a minor subhead: “Apple considers using harder material in pricier models.”

The report appears to have been based almost entirely upon the speculation of Eric Virey, “a senior analyst at French research firm Yole Développement,” who had been promoting the idea that Apple had partnered in GT Advanced specifically with iPhone screens in mind.

Unsubstantiated rumors can cause harm, but sadly those who reported them often go unpunished.