Macworld | iWorld Kicks Off This Week in San Francisco - Sacramento Bee

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 24, 2012 --

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Macworld | iWorld kicks off this week at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco and more than 20,000 people who use, create and love Apple products are expected to gather to celebrate the intersection of technology and art, IDG World Expo announced today. The "ultimate iFan event" will blend unparalleled educational opportunities with a show floor boasting innovations to see and buy for all Apple-related platforms, and a full agenda of new, cutting-edge music, film and art elements. The redefined and reimagined Macworld | iWorld, which represents the full breadth and depth of what Apple technology has to offer, will break new ground for consumer technology events when it open its doors on Thursday. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111025/NE93114LOGO)

Macworld | iWorld 2012 will take place January 26 â€" January 28, 2012, at the Moscone Center â€" West Hall in San Francisco. The new iFan Pass provides access to all Tech Talks, Music Experiences, Film Events, Art Showings, the Macworld | iWorld Midway and the exhibit hall all for just $100 pre-show and $125 on-site. Exhibits only passes start at $25 pre-show and $45 on-site. Additional information about event passes can be found at: http://www.macworldiworld.com/packages-and-prices. Attendees can register now at https://register.rcsreg.com/r2/macsf2012/ga/clear.html or onsite at the Moscone Center â€" West Hall, beginning on January 26th.  

"The new Macworld | iWorld builds on our deep and storied legacy as the gathering place for the Apple products marketplace, delivering the unique combination of unrivaled educational opportunities and show floor hands-on experiences and shopping that have kept attendees coming back year after year, with new, ground-breaking content and events in film, music, art and interactivity," said Paul Kent, vice president and general manager of Macworld | iWorld. "For three days in one place, attendees will have access to the leading product innovations, thought leaders and creative geniuses. We are excited to open the doors on a new year and a new evolution for Macworld | iWorld."

The Macworld | iWorld iFan event includes the following activities, with location and times listed at http://www.macworldiworld.com/ifan/. For a summary of event highlights, please see the show Hot Sheet:

• Macworld | iWorld Blast: The event will kick off with a launch celebration on Wednesday, January 25 at The Warfield in San Francisco headlined by indie rock powerhouse Modest Mouse and produced in collaboration with Superfly Productions, the entertainment and marketing agency responsible for world-class music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Life is Good.
• Music Experience: Debuting at Macworld | iWorld, the Music Experience will celebrate how Apple technology is pushing the boundaries of innovation in music performance and production and feature special presentations and performances from some of today's most innovative and creative musical geniuses. Highlighted events and performances include: Hank Shocklee; moe.; the RISE Electronic Music DJ Battle & Bash, featuring BT and a competition between three of San Francisco's hottest up-and-coming DJs judged by DJ Solomon, DJ Dani Deahl, and DJ Ean Golden with event emcee "The Bastard Prince" of the Rondo Brothers and co-hosts The Cobra Snake and Jonny Makeup; a Silent 'Frisco dance party featuring Motion Potion, A.Skillz, and U9lift; Atomic Tom; Beats Antique; Eclectic Method; J Boogie's Dubtronic Science; David Mash; Sal Soghoian; the Macworld | iWorld Music Studio, presented in collaboration with Berklee College of Music; and a slew of Tech Talks led by topic experts, innovative thinkers and creative geniuses that offer attendees unparalleled educational opportunities on ways to leverage and maximize Apple and related tools for music creation, production and enjoyment.
• Film Event: Debuting at Macworld | iWorld, the Film Event celebrates the broad and varied ways that Apple technologies are redefining film and television. Highlights include: the iPhone Film Festival (IFF), sponsored by Epson Americas, Inc. and iPro Lens System, featuring screenings of never-before-seen films created on iPhones (including "Yearlapse '11: NYC to London," "Isobel & The Witch Queen," "992," and "Russian Roulette") and special talks with the filmmakers; an exclusive screening of the full-length, unaired South Park Pilot episode followed by a mind-blowing, myth-dispelling Q&A with South Park Studios show staff; The Making of South Park -- Inside South Park's Animation Studio, a special session that takes you behind the scenes of South Park Studios; and a host of Tech Talks that will offer attendees unique educational opportunities on ways to leverage and maximize Apple and related tools for film making, editing and distribution.A special Tech Talk, "'Beckinfield' â€" Mass Participation TV with a Special Performance by Jonathan Frakes," produced in collaboration with Theatrics, creators of the first Mass Participation TV series, focuses on the impact of social media and technology on collaborative story telling.And just announced, the exclusive premier of "Olive," the very first full-length feature film shot entirely on a cell phone, followed by a Q&A hosted by Marcus Osborne with co-directors Hooman Khalili and Patrick Gilles, actor Nick Childress, executive producer Chris Kelly and composer Ben Lear.
• Visual Art and Literature Events: Special events celebrate the impact of Apple technology on literature and the visual arts, including: a feature presentation and on-site exhibit by acclaimed digital photo-realist artist, author and lecturer Bert Monroy; a conversation with author and self-proclaimed geek Susan Orlean; and a wide variety of art-focused Tech Talks that will provide attendees of all skill levels opportunities for interactive education.Additional art-inspired events will take place in Macworld | iWorld's Midway, where a collection of attractions give attendees an opportunity to experience iOS and OS X products and technologies across the arts and education in unique and engaging ways. Highlights include: The Digital Art Gallery; iPad Sketch Stations; South Park Art Gallery; and Super Art Fight.
• Tech Talks (formerly known as the Users Conference): More than 75 Tech Talksâ€"including educational sessions, interactive panel discussions, practical "how-to" presentations and "tips and tricks" learning opportunitiesâ€"will be led by the industry's leading topic experts, innovative thinkers and creative geniuses, including 30 presenters participating for the first time. These sessions will feature new and unique educational and experiential content that takes attendees of all skill levels inside Apple products, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, iOS and OS X Lion, and helps them get the most out of these technologies. The Tech Talks program also will include Macworld | iWorld RapidFire, a brand new two-hour event featuring consecutive five-minute presentations designed to inform and entertain attendees.Two special Tech Talks, developed with Superfly Presents, focus on the impact of Apple technology on the film and music industries, respectively. "The Creators," a panel featuring recording artist Fitz of Fitz and The Tantrums and director Brad Furman, best known for his work on the "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "The Take," will explore how Apple technology has been vital in the development of the modern-day artistic process. "Music and Marketing," featuring Jamie Sampson of SoundTracking and Jordan Kurland of Zeitgeist Artist Management, will examine how the establishment of a deep connection between artist and audience is vital to attain commercial success.And just announced, Actor Rob Corddry, best known for his work as acorrespondent on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and his starring role in the comedy film "Hot Tub Time Machine," will join David Sparks, Katie Floyd and Merlin Mann for the Mac Power User Workflows podcast live at Macworld | iWorld.
• Workshops: Macworld | iWorld's Workshops offer attendees a full-day of immersive learning on some of today's hottest Apple technology applications and software, including Keynote, OS X Lion, iLife and Adobe.
• Exhibit Hall: The vibrant Macworld | iWorld show floor will feature close to 300 companies offering the latest in Apple third-party technologies. This year, the show floor will again include the Mobile Apps Showcase, one of the most highly trafficked areas of the exhibit hall where the latest iPad, iPhone and iPod innovations will be on display, as well as the brand new, sold-out OS X Zone, specifically designed to showcase OS X software. Exhibiting companies include: Dolly Drive, Octa, SellYourMac.com, Snap Cases, Fujitsu, FLYGRIP, Gavio, Global Delight, Henge Docks and Parallels.
• The Macworld | iWorld First Looks program will showcase more than 100 of the newest innovations in software, hardware, peripherals, accessories and apps for the Apple products platform.
• Show Shopping Specials: Attendees will have access to hundreds of shopping deals available in exhibitor booths throughout the show floor, including show special product offers available exclusively to Macworld | iWorld attendees. More than 30 companies will offer special pricing on more than 50 of the newest product innovationsâ€"including hardware, software, applications and accessoriesâ€"for the Apple products marketplace. Participating companies include: Apparent/Doxie, Appmosphere Inc., CORPCOM, Crestron Electronics, Discovery Bay Games, DryCASE LLC, Global Delight, iKlear, LARK, RAGE Software, Rain Design, Rogue Amoeba, SecureMac, Sonoma Wire Works, Splashtop and Wisepower.
• Macworld "Best of Show Awards," presented by Macworld magazine, will recognize the best products making their debut at the show. Winners will be announced on Friday, January 27 at 3:00 p.m. on the Macworld Live Stage, Booth #752.

Macworld | iWorld has also released the Macworld | iWorld Mobile Show Guide, the official app of the event developed by DoubleDutch. The Show Guide is a comprehensive iPhone/iPad app that allows users to explore the full show agenda and create personalized schedules, view the floor plan, interact with the real-time event feed (including location-based check-ins, photos, sessions, and more), share status updates seamlessly on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, connect with people that share their interests, view the speaker list, and even compete to earn points and badges. The Macworld | iWorld Mobile Show Guide is now available as a free download in the App Store.

ConnectFor current happenings, news and chatter follow Macworld | iWorld on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MacworldExpo and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MACWORLD/58481436623.

About Macworld | iWorldMacworld | iWorld is the world's ultimate fan event for those who use, create, and love Apple products. Attendees will encounter a unique celebration of Apple technology-infused art, music, and film, as well as learning opportunities, and a shopping mecca in our expo hall filled with products and services for Apple users of all skill levels and interests. From home users, to artistic hobbyists and professionals, and the true Technoratiâ€"Macworld | iWorld gives attendees the chance to experience all that the amazing world of Apple-related tools can offer. Macworld | iWorld will take place January 26 â€" January 28, 2012 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information, please visit http://www.macworldiworld.com.

About IDG World Expo IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) is a leading producer of tradeshows and events for professionals and consumers seeking world-class education, strategic business relationships, and access to industry-leading products and services. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld | iWorld, the MacIT® Conference, the Electronic Entertainment Expo® (E3®), Anime Expo®, Halo® Fest, Enterprise MobileNext (mNext) and Macworld Mobile. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

SOURCE IDG World Expo

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Surprise, Surprise! iPhone Sales Are UP! - PerezHilton.com

Things are NOT looking good for Team Blackberry!

As one should expect for ANY new apple product, sales for the iPhone 4S were up in quarter 1 for 2012!

According to preliminary numbers, Apple earned a total of $46.3 billion for Q1, thanks largely to the sale of 37.04 million iPhones! Wowsa!

Given the fact that only 17.07 million iPhones were sold LAST quarter (before the iPhone 4s was released), it's clear that EVERYBODY still purchased the new iPhone…even though version 5 will likely come out sooner than later!

Yeah…it's not a good time to be in competition with Apple. Not good at all.

What do U think? Will iPhone sales keep up during the next quarter???

Tags: 2012, apple, blackberry, iphone, iphone 4s, q1, quarter 1, sales, version 5

Posted: Jan 24, 2012 at 10:45 pm / Email this  »

How To Sync Music On iPod/iPhone Without iTunes - Problems Fix

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iPhone Buyers Hit Redial - Smartmoney.com (blog)

By Sarah Morgan

The record quarterly sales Apple announced Tuesday night were boosted in a big way by repeat customers â€" existing iPhone owners accounted for 43% of all sales of the new iPhone 4S, according to new research. And many recouped much of the cost by selling their older models.

Only 36% of iPhone 4S buyers switched from a rival smartphone operating system, while 43% upgraded from an older iPhone, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. Among those who bought in the first few weeks after the launch, about 70% were iPhone upgraders, says Michael Levin, a co-founder of the firm. In fact, in October and November, Apple claimed the top three spots among the top 10 smartphone models sold with the 4S, iPhone 4, and 3GS, according to research by the NPD Group, a market research firm. And consumers are clearly willing to play along with the upgrade cycle: About half of new smartphone buyers had owned their previous phone for two years or less, according to NPD Group.

And a large number of consumers managed to make the upgrade by reselling their older iPhones on sites such as eBay and Gazelle.com â€" often for as much as the full price of a new model. More than half of new iPhone buyers have sold their old phones, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. “Especially now that there’s a market for used phones, you’re more willing to buy the 4S because you know there’s a market for it,” Levin says. See our earlier stories for more on how these resale sites work and how much prices for older models fall when the latest upgrade is announced.

When the iPhone 4S was unveiled last year, many lamented it was a “relatively incremental” upgrade compared to the iPhone 4, says Tim Bajarin, the president of Creative Strategies, Inc. “Even though it was a marginal upgrade, it was a spectacular hit,” he says. “And we expect Apple to significantly update that phone this year.”

The 37.04 million iPhones during the quarter represent a a 128% increase from sales over the year-ago quarter. Apple set other records too: According to its earnings report, it made a net profit of $13.06 billion and sold 5.2 million Macs, and 15.43 million iPads.

Apple is certainly winning market share from competitors, chiefly Research in Motion. The BlackBerry maker’s operating system saw its market share fall nearly 60% in the first three quarters of 2011, according to the NPD Group. Apple’s iOS saw its market share grow 38% during that time. In October and November, iOS and Android between them accounted for 90% of smartphone sales in the U.S., making the market “a two-horse race,” says Ross Rubin, the executive director of the Connected Intelligence division of the NPD Group.).

IPhone Powers and Pinches Verizon - Wall Street Journal

By GREG BENSINGER

Verizon Communications Inc. swung to a fourth-quarter loss on a large pension-related charge, though it reported a jump in contract wireless subscribers thanks to Apple Inc.'s iPhone.

Verizon said it added 1.2 million of the sought-after wireless contract subscribers, a 38% improvement over a year earlier. That included about 4.3 million iPhone activations and 2.3 million smartphones for its burgeoning fourth-generation mobile broadband network.

Overall, Verizon reported a loss of $2.02 billion, or 71 cents a share, compared with a profit of $2.64 billion, or 93 cents, a year earlier. Excluding the actuarial valuation of Verizon's benefit plans, early debt extinguishment and other items, per-share earnings slipped to 52 cents from 54 cents, and missed the average analyst estimate of 53 cents on Thomson Reuters.

Verizon shares, up 4% over the past three months, fell 2.1% premarket to $37.60.

Bloomberg News

Verizon had projected revenue growth throughout the year as the iPhone attracted new subscribers to Verizon Wireless.

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Revenue jumped 7.7% to $28.44 billion, slightly above the $28.39 billion expected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

The carrier has taken an early lead on fierce rival AT&T Inc. in building out a 4G network and today offers it to nearly three times as many Americans. While AT&T was battling to keep its $39 billion bid for T-Mobile USA afloat, Verizon snatched up nearly $4 billion worth of wireless airwaves, or spectrum, from a consortium of cable television providers.

Verizon had projected quarterly revenue growth throughout the year as the addition of Apple Inc.'s iPhone attracted new subscribers to Verizon Wireless, which it owns jointly with Vodafone Group PLC. While the use of smartphones and other wireless devices has flourished, there are fewer new customers up for grabs, leaving carriers to woo customers from their rivals.

Verizon also is expanding its networking and cloud-computing services as it moves to replace its shrinking landline business.

The carrier added 1.5 million total wireless subscribers during the quarter, raising its base to 108.7 million connections, up 6.3% from a year ago. Wireless revenue rose 13% to $18.3 billion. Total churn, or customers who cancel services, was 1.23%, down from 1.26% in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Verizon's traditional wireline business, which includes fixed telephones and FiOS cable television, continued to contract. Revenue for the unit fell 1.5% to $10.1 billion as more users switch their landline telephones out for mobile phones. Chief Executive Lowell McAdam vowed in a statement to improve wireline margins this year.

The company added 201,000 FiOS Internet and 194,000 FiOS Video subscribers during the quarter, up from 197,000 and 182,000, respectively, a year earlier. Average revenue per user at the wireline business jumped 8.5%.

Operating margin swung to negative 3.9% from 24.3%.

Write to Melodie Warner at melodie.warner@dowjones.com

iPhone vs. Android a tight race but iPad puts iOS 'way ahead' in mobile OS war - Apple Insider

iPhone vs. Android a tight race but iPad puts iOS 'way ahead' in mobile OS war

By Mikey Campbell

Published: 07:53 PM EST (04:53 PM PST) Apple CEO Tim Cook outlined his thoughts on the company's iOS device performance during Q1 2012 and sees iPhone sales momentum closing the gap with rival handsets running Google's Android platform, while iPad and iPod touch are in a league of their own.

During Apple's Q1 2012 earnings conference call on Tuesday, Cook made it clear that he believes iOS is a key component to the company's future, saying that the success of the iPhone 4S and iPad is indicative of a slow move away from the desktop PC.

When asked if iOS versus Android was becoming a two-horse race similar to the Mac and Windows rivalry, Cook explained that the mobile device market is much more nuanced and is a very important facet to Apple's sustainability.

"The Mac has outgrown the market for over 20 quarters in a row, but still has a single digit percentage of the worldwide market," Cook said. "iOS, you look at phones, tablets, the iPod touch, we've sold over 350 million iOS devices. Over 62 million of those were done in the last quarter alone."

In looking at recent data from analytics firms, the iPhone has been showing steady growth when compared to Android handsets. Despite a shortage of supply, Apple managed to move 37 million iPhones last quarter.

For the Oct./Nov. period in the U.S., which accounts for only a portion of iPhone 4S sales, NPD saw Apple's smartphone holding a 43% market share while Android had 47%. A following report from Nielsen, which adds in month of Decemberm shows iPhone market share slowly increasing to 45% while Android holds steady at 47%.

"It seems like all of the data that I've seen in the U.S. would say that it's a very close race in iPhone [and Android]," Cook notes. "I wouldn't say it's a two-horse race, there's a horse in Redmond that always suits up and always runs and will keep running, and there's other players that we can never count out."

Cook said that Apple will somewhat ignore how many "horses" there are in the crowded mobile marketplace and focus on innovating to "make sure [it's] the lead one."

Apple CEO Tim Cook at the iPhone 4S launch event in October | Source: Reuters

In looking to the future of iOS products, Cook commented that tablets like the iPad will one day surpass the PC market, and sees Apple's offering as being peerless among a litany of models running on Android, Windows and other platforms.

Citing recent IDC data that shows desktop sales in the U.S. were trumped by tablet sales during the last quarter of 2011, Cook claims that there are different indicators for significant momentum in the space.

"We're really happy with the 15.4 million iPads that we were able to sell," Cook said. "This is consistent with our long-term belief that we've had since before we introduced the product that this is a huge opportunity for Apple over time."

The Apple chief doesn't see other tablets like Amazon's Kindle Fire or similar Android models as threats to the iPad's crown. Cook notes that consumers want to use their tablets in a variety of ways and the "limited function" tablets and e-readers simply don't have Apple's robust ecosystem of over 170,000 iPad-optimized apps.

"I think on the iPad side, although I don't have specific numbers to share from third parties, I think that all of us inherently believe that iPad is way ahead there," Cook said, adding that "there's really no comparable product to iPod touch out there, so iOS is doing extremely well. What we focus on is innovating and making the world's best product."

Apple's Profit Doubles on Holiday iPhone 4S Sales - New York Times

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

With the 37 million iPhones that customers snapped up over the holidays, Apple has sold 183 million of the devices since the product went on sale in 2007.

It turns out Apple didn’t need an iPhone 5 to bolster sales.

The company reported on Tuesday that its profit for the holiday quarter more than doubled largely thanks to gangbuster sales of the iPhone 4S, a product that was greeted with grumbling when it came out in October from pundits and some users for lacking the razzle-dazzle of what many imagined an iPhone 5 would look like.

But consumers still came out in droves to buy the iPhone 4S, helping the company sell more than double the number of iPhones for the quarter ending Dec. 31 than it did a year ago, a figure that was also lifted by sales of cheap, older models of Apple’s cellphone.

With the 37 million iPhones that customers snapped up over the holidays, Apple has sold 183 million of the devices since the product went on sale in 2007. Underscoring the transformation of the Cupertino, Calif., company, revenue from the iPhone and iPad â€" neither of which could be bought five years ago â€" now account for 72 percent of Apple’s total revenue.

And although phones based on Google’s Android operating system had been gaining more customers in recent years, Apple has begun to chip away at some of the advantages of these phones, narrowing Apple’s lead in the United States over the holidays.

“We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs,” Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”

In the meantime, Apple said it sold 15.4 million iPads over the holidays, more than double the number it sold during the same period the year before.

After watching competitors stumble for the last two years, Apple faced its first credible competition in the tablet computer category this fall when Amazon introduced the Kindle Fire. The $199 device from the Internet retailer is significantly cheaper than the $499 starting price for the iPad and is closely linked to a variety of Amazon online offerings including its e-book store, movie and music services.

The rosy results sent Apple shares soaring 8 percent in after-hours trading.

Apple said its net income for the period rose 118 percent to $13.06 billion, or $13.87 a share, compared with net income of $6 billion, or $6.43 a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 73 percent to $46.33 billion, from $26.74 billion a year ago. Apple’s results were inflated slightly because its 2011 holiday quarter included 14 weeks of sales, rather than the 13 weeks in 2010, due to a change by the company.

The results were better than the $10.08 a share in earnings and $38.85 billion in revenue expected by analysts, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters. Apple itself had previously forecast earnings of $9.30 a share and $37 billion for the quarter.

Apple said it sold 5.2 million Macintoshes during the holiday quarter, 26 percent more than it did a year earlier.

The performance of Apple’s iPhone business underscores how the company has thrived in the mobile phone market, even as Google steadily nibbled away at the iPhone’s share of smartphones in recent years with handsets based on the Android operating system. Not only are Android phones made by a wide array of manufacturers, they have had wider distribution on carrier networks.. The iPhone was initially limited to AT&T’s network in the United States and exclusive relationships with other carriers elsewhere in the world.

But the iPhone is now available on the three largest wireless networks in the United States, with the addition of Sprint in the fall. After it introduced the iPhone 4S in October, Apple also made its older iPhone 4 available for $99 and iPhone 3GS for free with contracts through wireless carriers. Analysts believe the move expanded the audience of potential iPhone buyers beyond people willing to spend $199 for Apple’s latest model of smartphone.

There are signs that Apple’s strategy helped narrow Android’s lead in the market over the holidays. Nielsen, the audience measurement firm, said in a recent report that 61.6 percent of United States consumers surveyed in October said they had gotten an Android phone within the last three months, while only 25.1 percent got an iPhone.

By December though, Android’s lead among people who had acquired a smartphone recently had narrowed to 46.9 percent while 44.5 percent of consumers said they got an iPhone, Nielsen said. About 57 percent of iPhone owners in December said they got the new iPhone 4S, while the remainder, 43 percent, got older models of the phone.

The iPhone 4S was initially derided by some critics for offering little improvement on the older iPhone 4, with none of the bold outward design changes that make it easy for cellphone users to brag about owning the latest Apple gizmo. On the inside though, the product has a better camera, faster microprocessor and a virtual assistant called Siri that lets people dictate texts and do Web searches with voice commands.

Apple said it expects to report earnings of $8.50 a share and revenue of about $32.5 billion during the fiscal second quarter.