By Graham K. Rogers

Opening Gambit:

Apple Stuff

We have seen some problems about the iPhone 5 reported, including industrial action in China over the hours that needed to be worked to get the iPhone out of the door, especially when extra quality checks were introduced. Sam Oliver on AppleInsider is reporting the Foxconn claim that this is the most difficult device it has ever assembled: the soft metal shell of the iPhone 5 is prone to scratches in all phases of assembly; and if you are paying all that money for a new iPhone you do not want to start with a scratched device.

I look at the local situation with the iPhone 5 below, but it has been clear to me for a while -- as it was with the iPad -- that the next phone has to be 64 GB rather than the 32 GB ones I have had so far. Part of this is because of the data I have: music, podcasts, photographs. But another reason is both the size of apps and the amount of data that some of these use (ebooks for example). Dave at AppleBitch has been looking at the way the size of apps has been creeping up for a while. How soon before there is a 128 GB iPad or iPhone?

I had a chuckle on Tuesday morning when I saw a headline and link on The Loop leading to the PublishersLunch site where J. K. Rowling was interviewed. As many young people and aspiring writers follow her words closely, it was interesting to read her comments, "The MacBook Air changed my life." Lots of Xmas stocking orders will need placing now.

A couple of sources, including Mikey Campbell on AppleInsider report that Apple has decided to buy a new streaming video company that ia a new startup, called Color Labs. Later reports, such as one from Mike Wehner on TUAw tell us that Apple has not bought the name, just the talent: the personnel are off to Cupertino. As well as this, Jacqui Checmg reports on Ars Technica, Apple has picked up a company called Particle, which specializes in creating Web projects based on HTML5. Again, it is the talent Apple has been after.

I rather liked some old games that I used on my last PC (gasp) but some of these are dead and gone. Perhaps not, as Jim Dalrymple reports on The Loop that a company called GOG (originally Good Old Games) is now bringing its titles to the Mac. There are 50 so far (including Sim City 2000) with more to come. A couple that caught my eye on GOG.COM were Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Rollercoaster Tycoon Deluxe, but not Transport Tycoon.

Some technical information from Topher Kessler on CNET covers a problem that some mouse users are seeing after updating OS X, with the mouse pointer freezing. He reports that " the only way to get the mouse working again is to click and move it around erratically, or even unplug and plug it back in." Also suggested are a number of trouble-shooting solutions.

Half and Half

A report on AppleInsider (which was also carried by a number of other sources) tells us that the appeal that Apple made in its case against Samsung in the UK has been disallowed: Samsung did not copy the look and feel of the iPad, because it was not as cool. And I have a bridge I can sell you.

As part of that case, Apple will have to run advertisements in the UK telling everyone that Samsung did not infringe on their patents, Rollin Bishop reports for Geek System.

Another day, another lawsuit. A company called Evolutionary Intelligence is claiming Apple's iOS mobile operating system and compatible devices infringes on its patents, but at this stage does not reveal how, Patently Apple reports.

Other Matters

It was interesting to see an item by Nicole Perlroth on NYTimes that looks at the way Blackberry users are now hiding them and not admitting that this is the device they use, with expressions like, "I'm ashamed of it", I want to take a bat to it" and "You can't do anything with it".

There was also an item by Mike Wehner on TUAw about the way Woolworths in Australia has dropped Blackberry for the iPhone 5, adding (significantly) that this is "part of a larger shift in the company to rely on Apple's hardware for its mobile needs". Oh, right, No one uses Macs.

Related was an item I saw on the BBC on Tuesday evening with Aaron Heslehurst commenting on Nokia's figures (grimace on face) and the new phone which is coming out the same day as a Google phone, with Microsoft also coming out with something the same week, and (he said) the Apple event which is expected to be an iPad mini. Verdict, Almost RIP Nokia which he called "the once great Nokia." That Google Android event is scheduled for 29 October, Dan Graziano reports on BGR when new Nexus phones will be announced. That loss by the once-great Nokia was reported by Aaron Souppouris on The Verge to be some $754 million for the 3rd Quarter and remember Microsoft bails them out every quarter too.

Google was one of the companies releasing figures this week and two things went wrong: the figures were low, with Mountain View missing its target by about half a billion dollars (Liz Gannes - ATD); and accidentally those figures were released hours early, wiping off a large value from Google shares, and others, with Google requesting that trading be halted. Trading was resumed later.

Also reporting low earnings was Microsoft with Neil McAllister on The Register reporting a profit of $4.47bn on revenues of $16bn: when adjusted for revenue, this is a drop of 9%. Not a disaster, but not great.

One of those other events is the release of the Microsoft Surface which is closely linked to the release of Windows 8 which is apparently now three releases. Be thankful for small mercies: getting it down to 3 is a major step forward for Microsoft. Electronista reports that the Surface RT (that being one of the versions) is available for pre-order for about the same as an iPad, but without the "Oops" as revealed at the original product demo.

We also read in an item by Neil Hughes on AppleInsider that Microsoft claims the Surface screen outperforms the Retina display of the iPad. However, reading the report it seems that there was some fudging by the Microsoft engineer. Oops.

While on PC Magazine, John Dvorak writes that he thinks the prices are too high across the board and has some harsh words for Microsoft's amateurish direct selling attempts. As reinforcement of that, I read a Tweet this morning complaining, "Typical Microsoft. Try to order a Surface and get an error." Oops.

I am wary of what I put on Twitter and Facebook, although do sail close to the wind on occasions when I am angered by stupidity (I am avoiding any comments this week because I am fired up about something at work). There was a warning sent to staff about the point that this can be seen by more than one expects; and westerners are often being warned about making inappropriate comments about certain institutions. It was interesting to read in an item by Mallary Jean Tenore on Poynter, that the NYTimes had suspended Andrew Goldman for 4 weeks, after he tweeted offensive comments in response to criticism of a piece he wrote. There are some interesting guidance points there.

We covered an item earlier in the week on Google and its being under the microscope for monopoly activities, but Alexis C. Madrigal has some pictures from inside the North Carolina data center, with a model of a stormtrooper guarding the computers. Implications? . . .

The photographs have not come from a virtual tour that Google put on for users. This can be seen if you use the Google URL that I found on a Huffington Post item by Michael Liedtke. The online tour is pretty interesting and I love the Google-coloured pipes.

Local Items

Great Scott! The Thai government are rumoured to be sniffing round Bernie Ecclestone's white shirt tails and claim to have an agreement to run a F1 race in Bangkok: maybe in Rajdamnoen, Klong Toei or Muang Thong Thani. If they are that vague about it, 2014 is a bit ambitious. In the report on The Independent that I saw, the fee is alleged to be about the same as Singapore pays and 60% is to come from the government with the rest coming Red Bull, Singha and other sponsors.

Following my problem with Citibank blocking an Amazon ebook purchases, some local users are complaining that they have refusals when clicking on PayPal donation buttons. I hope mine is working: why not give it a try?

Late News

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.