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Apple Acquires Low-Power Display Company LuxVue Technology

thekeyring said:
Starting to think the iWatch will launch Spring 2015. As that portion of the year is currently empty of launches, if you go by the current release cycles.

What, then, is the "new category" of product that Tim promised this year? An Apple TV?
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CloudPlay. A virtual iOS device operated on Apple's servers and accessed through a web browser or compatible device (internet enabled TV's for example). Think iCloud with its own app store and Apple's servers handling anything that can't be done natively through HTML5.

iTunes replaced with CloudPlay Offline, which allows your PC or Mac (or possibly even iOS and android devices) to act as a CloudPlay server on your local network.

Source: Pure speculation, but go to icloud.com and imagine if it had a music app, a photos app, and an app store to add more apps. Google put an OS in a browser, I think Apple will do it in a browser tab (as well as in a packaged program like iTunes). The Internet is the thing that's changed the least over time, has the greatest opportunity for innovation, and quite frankly, is the biggest area Apple needs to improve in. It complements all their products, and takes the high processing requirements away from low margin devices (like Apple TV), possibly even allowing Apple to enter new markets without ever creating a product for it. It makes sense, and would blindside everyone.
 
drewyboy said:
Fixed it for you ;)
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Appreciate the fix but I do see a big difference between watch and phone or tablet. I see watch as jewelry. People's tastes in watches have been established for decades. Smart phones & Tablets are relatively new and their diversity of design tends to be quite minimal even brand to brand.

I could certainly be wrong about the view of a watch as jewelry though. Perhaps Apple should commission DeBeers to cut some apple shaped diamonds for engagement rings. Maybe millions of girls everywhere would want one and millions of Apple fans would buy them. Then, again, I think it would be niche… just like I suspect an iWatch would be for the same reasoning.

Will they sell a bunch of them? Sure. The Apple faithful would buy iPoop if Apple rolled it out. But after the most dedicated buy, would the masses forgo the variety of choices of watches they've come to appreciate for a unified design (piece of jewelry). I think it will need to be way more than a watch and probably way more than a watch without necessarily require a wireless tether to an iPhone. If it's mostly just a little screen that can run a few apps, didn't we already get that with one of the iPods and a third party watch strap? Did that sell well as a watch?

If it works, I think Apple uniforms as a clothing line should be next. That way we could all wear the same uniforms.
 
Thank you for that excellent perspective on Apple customers. It's unfortunate that so many of them are misinformed. Do they really think they ought to be buying things they like? I mean really. It's almost like they appreciate things that [generally] integrate well, work well, and look good. And Apple thinking that they can afford to do something different than other companies have for decades? This world really is going to hell…


/sarcasm
 
I've been dreaming of a display using individual LEDs for each pixel for oh, about 25 years now. I'm going to have to buy whatever product first uses this technology no matter what it is, just because.
 
wizard said:
That might be hard to justify. In this case it really depends upon just how new and different this technology is. If the production techniques require all new tooling they could do construction of these devices anywhere.

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The articles says this is LED tech.
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My impression is that they were talking about smaller, less power hungry LEDs for the backlight.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Will they sell a bunch of them? Sure. The Apple faithful would buy iPoop if Apple rolled it out. But after the most dedicated buy, would the masses forgo the variety of choices of watches they've come to appreciate for a unified design (piece of jewelry).
Click to expand...

I think Apple would just do the watchface (2 sizes, as rumored, for men and women) and let buyers customize the rest.

They had a trial ballon already with bracelets for the iPad nano, for example:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/iwatchz-timepiece-watchband-for-6th-generation-apple--ipod-nano-dark-brown/2984048.p?id=1218369108943&skuId=2984048&st=categoryid$pcmcat272900050010&cp=1&lp=3

I could also imaging the third-party bracelet being more expensive than the watch itself in some cases.

This way, and assuming Apple doesn't change the bracelet adapter and size
for y few years, you can keep your investment and just update the watch every 2-3 years.
 
True Apple may not give out plans as to why they do what they do, but anything 'new' tech from another company that has not be used before, i have to raise the question, how reliable will these be?


They are low-power, so low as in DOA ?
 
paradox00 said:
CloudPlay. A virtual iOS device operated on Apple's servers and accessed through a web browser or compatible device (internet enabled TV's for example). Think iCloud with its own app store and Apple's servers handling anything that can't be done natively through HTML5.
Click to expand...

If it's done in a browser, it will need to be done through HTML 5, regardless of the server. Apple could build other web technologies, but then it might as well be a native app, because it will only work on safari unless Google and Microsoft decide to work the tech into their browsers.

paradox00 said:
Google put an OS in a browser, I think Apple will do it in a browser tab (as well as in a packaged program like iTunes). The Internet is the thing that's changed the least over time, has the greatest opportunity for innovation, and quite frankly, is the biggest area Apple needs to improve in.
Click to expand...

Google did not. They built an OS that was (pretty much) a browser.

Also, the web has changed massively. Look at where we were 10 years ago on the web vs now. Social networks, eCommerce, video, etc.

I agree their cloud services need improving. The Internet is not the same as the web, though and their web efforts seem to be getting better and better (iWork on iCloud.com / their website, etc).
 
Apple has $130 billion in the bank and the best they do is buy some dinky little display company! Come on! Apple board better fire Tim Cook yesterday and beg Elon Musk to become CEO. /s
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
if they are just buying this company now and popular belief is that it is about an iWatch product, what does that suggest about the timing of an iWatch launch?
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Not necessarily anything. They could have had a licensing agreement in place for some time, or this could apply to a later version, or any number of other possibilities.
 
Keyboard?

Personally, I think this technology will be useful in the rumor that was circulated just the other day that suggested that a future MacBook/MBP may have a keyboard whose keys change according to how the user is using the computer (apps, etc.). Correct me if I'm wrong, but Apple filed a patent for this technology not too long ago, didn't they?

Sounds to me like they are working towards innovating the Mac's keyboard, as well as developing this technology to bring to the iPhone, the "iWatch", as well as any other of their products. In any event, is there any way the consumer can lose if Apple has higher quality/more innovative screens in their products—especially if they use lower power than contemporary technologies?
 
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