Linked List: February 10, 2011

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Is Apple Working on a Cheaper, Smaller iPhone? ★

Peter Burrows and Greg Bensinger, for Bloomberg:

One version would be cheaper and smaller than the most recent iPhone, said a person who has seen a prototype and asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. Apple also is developing technology that makes it easier to use the iPhone on multiple wireless networks, two people said.

Apple has considered selling the new iPhone for about $200, without obligating users to sign a two-year service contract, said the person who has seen it.

$200 with no contract sounds great. But: what about lower-priced monthly service plans? That’s the biggest cost of any smartphone today.

Is RIM Working to Get the PlayBook to Run Android Apps? ★

Hugo Miller and Olga Kharif, reporting for Bloomberg:

Research In Motion Ltd., looking to score a hit with its PlayBook tablet computer, is working on software to allow the device to run applications for Google Inc.’s Android, three people familiar with the matter said.

RIM plans to integrate the technology with the PlayBook operating system, giving customers access to Android’s more than 130,000 apps, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort isn’t public. RIM, after looking outside the company, is developing the software internally and may have it ready in the second half, two people said.

AIR apps, Flash apps, Android apps — that’ll all look and work just great.

And hasn’t RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie been arguing that apps aren’t necessary?

Stay Classy, TSA ★

Amy Sullivan, on getting an opt-out pat-down:

The whole thing was over in a matter of minutes and was a completely professional experience.

Or it was, until a male TSA agent walked behind us and hollered: “Hey, I thought she was mine! I was gonna do her!”

Twitterrific 4 for Mac ★

Major update to the original Mac Twitter client. A lot of “back to the Mac” iOS-style changes.

No Lines for Verizon iPhone ★

Julio Ojeda-Zapata:

Apple clearly was expecting queuing at its retail store in the Mall of America. So were, to a lesser degree, the Best Buy Mobile store and two Verizon stores in the megamall. Security personnel were everywhere, and the usual queue dividers were set up.

Past launches of Apple products — iPhones, the iPad, various Mac OS X updates — have always drawn crowds of varying sizes.

So I was astounded to arrive at the mall at about 6:30 a.m. to find that NO ONE was in line at the Apple store. Ditto for the Best Buy Mobile store. One of the Verizon stores had a couple of people.

I thought there’d be lines, too. Pre-orders were a big hit, but now that’s it’s actually in stores, it doesn’t seem to be a big deal.

About This iPad 3 ★

Speaking of Jim Dalrymple, here’s his take on the idea of two iPad announcements in 2011:

At some point, the iPad has to become a product family instead of just a product. The September timeframe makes sense for this to happen for a couple of reasons.

One thing I don’t think I made clear enough yesterday is that if I’m right that Apple will make a second iPad product announcement later this year, such a thing would be in addition to the imminent iPad 2 — not a replacement. Like when the iPod family expanded to include the iPod Mini — the Minis didn’t replace the existing iPods, they were an expansion of the product family.

HP Hires Former Apple Exec Richard Kerris to Head Up Developer Relations ★

Jim Dalrymple:

At Apple Kerris was the Senior Director for Apple’s Worldwide Developer Relations, so he knows the developer world and what it takes to work with them. For the past few years Kerris was the CTO of Lucasfilm.

Please Let This Happen ★

Jeff Zeleny, reporting for the NYT:

Donald Trump is telling friends and advisers that he is seriously considering jumping into the Republican presidential race in 2012. To make his point, he has accepted an invitation to appear with other potential candidates at a gathering of conservative activists in Washington.

Bath Time ★

Bobbie Johnson, reporting for the BBC News on Nokia’s management culture:

In private conversations, staff regularly talk about Nokia’s overtly masculine culture, and describe a world where important deals are usually brokered during visits to the sauna.

While the steam room is a way of life for Finnish people, it has almost become a religion for Nokia’s high-ranking managers. Indeed the spa is seen as so integral to the company’s operation that many of its offices around the world, which span from Afghanistan to Zambia, have had steam rooms specially fitted in order to accommodate their addiction.