By Graham K. Rogers

Opening Gambit

Apple Stuff

This came from the guesses of 48 pundits who came up with sales of between 32.5 million up to 42.5 million. How can you base predictions safely on that variation? Needless to say, some have already primed themselves for wringing hands and weeping, while one (who just does not know) is sure that Apple will hide the bad news inside a good news wrapping of a dividend announcement. On such fictions, fortunes are won and lost.

Apart from Verizon and AT&T activation numbers, there is no indication as to how these figures have been arrived at. We may need to remind some readers that AT&T (for example) does not operate in most countries we know, so those disappointing activation numbers are only relevant to the United States which is not all of the world.

One analyst with his eye on where the puck is going, writes in AppleInvestor about the stock prices. Unlike me, he does not believe there is some artificial pressure on Apple price. Although he calls it a conspiracy theory, I think more that it is the analysts following a fashion trend: all have to pull the same way (the stock goes down, so we must be right) or run risks. Instead, this writer (unnamed) thinks that Apple is one of the strongest and best-managed companies in America now and puts the stock descent down to what he calls "descending wedges" and "Elliot Waves". Some good ideas here. He thinks that $1600 is in reach. [My source for this was MacDaily News.]

Tim Cook made one decision that was thought not to be good and that was the appointment of a boss for the retail arm when Ron Johnson moved to JC Penney. Browett, formerly of Dixons (perhaps only those from the UK would understand how bad that sounds) was not popular and his removal was welcomed; with everyone sighing about Johnson for whom all was not well at JCP. Now he has been pushed out there as CEO. No one says sacked, but the press release available in an item by Seth Weintraub on 9to5 Mac, needs reading carefully. Following this, there was a large amount of speculation: would Johnson be re-recruited by Apple? The feeling for this was generally favourable.

On the other hand, by a sheer coincidence, Josh Lowensohn reports that the founder of the union for Apple retail employers, Cory Moll, who has been with Apple since 2007, has resigned. He announced this on Twitter and it is apparently his own choice.

Another Cook decision - and one that caused a number of ripples - was the removal of Sc**t F******ll who had been responsible for Siri among other things. The potential for this feature is widely recognised and there is hope that it could be included in other parts of Apple software, including OS X. Among the speculative articles that consider Siri is one by Marco Tabini on MacWorld who likes Siri but is aware of the limitations. He looks forward to a number of ways in which the feature might be extended.

This week we have a rumour with teeth. There will be a new MacPro we have been told (unlike information about other devices) but just what form it will be in, is unclear right now. However, Mark Gurman on 9to5 Mac hears rumbles that the update is imminent: but what, when and how are other matters.

Another rumour that appeared on several sites suggested that a 5th generation iPad was to go into production in a couple of months: July or August, AppleInsider reports. Mind you, the source for this was Digitimes. By late evening Tuesday, several sites were carrying this.

A further rumour on the iPhone as reported by Sam Oliver on AppleInsider, suggests that the next iPhone will be available with two screen sizes. This apparently comes from Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets who like many analysts has been wrong before, but to make sure his bets are covered he also adds there could even be three sizes. Brian White is the one who suggested the iRing for the yet to appear Apple TV.

However, Mark on AppleBitch reports the rumours from a Japanese site that suggests the next iPhone (the 5S they say) will be announced in July and will have not multiple sizes but multiple colours. So if this is to be announced in July, what will they have at the Developers' Conference in June?

And just to add to the mix, Patently Apple reports on a new batch of patents awarded to Apple for tech like multitouch, "editing iPad centric apps and stabilizing a FaceTime video conferencing session."

There are often articles that give users suggestions as to how to get more out of OS X, although most people I know here ignore this sort of thing and prefer to stick with what they are familiar with: an example might be shortcuts using key combinations. All I get is a blink, and a blank look. Perhaps they will have more luck with what Sharon Zardetto on McWorlda calls the "seven best OS X tricks you're not using", three of which I do not use.

I knew how to do this on an OS X installation, but it is also possible to invert colours on an iOS device, Allyson Kazmucha tells us on iMore and explains the steps we need to take if this is needed.

And as a last note, despite what some executives of other companies and the pundits are predicting, AppleInsider reports on a Piper jaffray survey which indicates that 48% have iPhones. Further to that, 62% plan to make the device their next phone. A bit like here: many teens have the iPhone, many more want one.

Half and Half

Last week we reported that Rackspace was fighting back when it was sued for an alleged patent infringement, and it appears most of the reports we have carried concerning patent litigation have featured what are called Patent Trolls. Now DJWM on H-Open reports that a number of important companies have asked the US Federal Trade Commission and the DoJ to take some action against these pests, most of which target smaller companies who cannot afford a lengthy fight in the courts.

I would not call Red a patent troll by any means, but the maker of some of the most desirable (and quite expensive) video cameras is suing Sony for two patents, Electronista reports; so Sony is suing back, asserting several patents for "various digital still and motion camera modules, and various accessories such as the Redmote" which it is claimed, use Sony technology. Red does not appear to be worried.

Not long ago we mentioned that Apple had been denied permission to trademark the iPad mini as a protected name, but this seems to have changed a little, according to Ben Lovejoy on 9to5 Mac. Apple can now use the term, "mini" but must not try and make any exclusive claims to the word (like Austin Mini), and must add a disclaimer. It is seen as a sensible move: reflecting reality. Sort of.

The latest Apple devices have Thunderbolt connections that initially had some limitations with data transfers. As the standard is being developed, so speeds are beginning to rise and Electronista reports that Intel have now updated the specifications for new devices, "doubling the transfer speeds to 20 Gbps upstream and downstream."

Related (perhaps) is the information from MacDaily News that LaCie has released a new range of Thunderbolt solutions certified for use with Thunderbolt equipped Macs or PCs.

Other Matters

A couple of weeks ago, Apple were the bad boys in China until Tim Cook apologised and became the darling of the media right after being the pariah. Now it is the turn of Microsoft, it is reported by Bloomberg, and the Surface. I wonder if Ballmer will follow the same course as Cook or if he will throw a few chairs instead.

Meanwhile in Europe, Google competitors (not including Apple) have filed an antitrust complaint against the search giant, alleging that Google is using Android's dominant market position to provide an advantage for Google apps. A group calling itself Fairsearch Europe (that really is the name), which includes Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle, and others filed the case with the European Union. As Joseph Keller notes, there is a certain irony here as Microsoft was penalized for the same thing a few years back.

Local Items

Margaret Thatcher

While I read a number of personal articles in The NYTimes, I was horrified (but not at all surprised) by the tastelessness of The Sun headline both on the website and (apparently) the print edition. Have you no shame: have you no sense of decency? Those NYTimes tributes were all measured (apart from one) and one of her greatest critics, Tony Benn, wrote a moving, if brief, comment, demonstrating a graciousness that the Sun could never muster.

The Sun: Setting Another Low Standard

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.