These Are The Secret Apps That Only Apple Employees Get To Use (AAPL) | ||
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Apple is a company known for its secrecy. New products are developed in design head Jony Ive's top-secret lab facility, which only a handful of Apple employees are able to gain entry to. When a prototype iPhone 4 was carelessly left in a bar by an Apple employee, the company quickly scrambled to retrieve it, fearful that journalists and competitors could use it to find out what goes on during the making of a new product. New Apple employees are given access to a suite of apps to help them communicate with each other, test devices, and deal with customers. Thanks to hackers exploiting holes in the iPhone's software, and test devices accidentally sent to customers by carriers, we're able to sneak a peek behind Apple's secrecy and discover what their secret apps look like. AppleConnect
AppleConnect is the secure employee-only service that lets Apple employees sign into other apps and services. Interestingly, internal Apple apps often make use of the Android-style swipe pattern system — where you slide your finger through a shape — as well as a normal password.
Daily Download
9to5Mac first discovered the Daily Download app in 2011. It's an internal newspaper for employees that updates them on what's going on in the company. GKTank
Tank is an example app built by Apple to demonstrate the capabilities of the Game Kit developer tool. The sample app's source code was uploaded to GitHub so that app developers can learn from Apple's multiplayer-only internal game. Inferno
What do you do if you want to test the inner settings of someone's iPhone? Well, if you're an Apple employee, you download Inferno. It runs through a series of checks for the phone's hardware and software, and handily knows to shut itself down if the device reaches critical temperature. MobileGenius
An Apple "Genius" is the name given to an expert who works in an Apple Store and helps to repair customers' iPhones. The MobileGenius app lets them check customer information and log tests performed on broken devices. MobileRadar
When an Apple employee finds a bug in iOS, they file it using MobileRadar, the company's internal bug tracking system. Amusingly, the app's icon is an anteater, because, well, they eat bugs. Operator
This is the app that's used to test the various components and sensors found in iPhones, iPads and iPods. There are several Easter eggs hidden inside the app, which have been found after test devices were accidentally sent out to customers. For example, the icon for the serial number function is a box of Cheerios (cereal, get it?). The Operator app also includes clips of four songs by INXS: Need You Tonight, New Sensation, The Gift and What You Need. It looks like someone at Apple is an INXS fan. Receipts
If an Apple employee goes for lunch with a business partner, they snap a photo of the receipt on their iPhone and enter it into the Receipts app, a custom-made expenses solution that automatically calculates employees' business expenses. Red Zone Mobile
RZM is an app used by Apple Store managers to compare their performance with other retail locations and previous years. There aren't any screenshot of this app circulating in public, likely because the app displays internal sales information. Switchboard
This is the employee-only App Store that Apple employees use to download work apps and keep them updated. Like other internal apps, it uses Android-style gestures for additional security. TouchFighter 2
TouchFighter was an experimental game developed by Apple employees to test the iPhone accelerometer. Players guide the spaceship by tilting the phone to avoid space debris. UniBox
We already know that Apple employees often work into the early hours of the morning replying to emails from managers. Well, UniBox is probably one of the apps they use. It sends notifications from Apple to employees' phones, and also serves as a corporate voicemail client. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Obama and Putin meet amid tensions: White House | ||
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Beijing (AFP) - US President Barack Obama met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin three times on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit on Tuesday, with their conversations covering Iran, Syria and Ukraine, the White House said. Relations between Washington and Moscow are at their lowest ebb since the Cold War, with Russia under US-backed Western sanctions over its seizure of the Crimea this year and its role in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine. But the two spoke for "a total of approximately 15-20 minutes" during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering at a lakeside venue north of the Chinese capital, National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan told reporters. "Their conversations covered Iran, Syria, and Ukraine," she said. Both Russia and the US are involved in the P5+1 talks on Iran's nuclear programme, but on Syria Moscow is a key ally of Bashar al-Assad's government and has supported him throughout the uprising that began in March 2011. Washington last year threatened military action against the Syrian regime, but eventually settled for a deal that saw Damascus give up its chemical weapons arsenal. The biggest current differences between the US and Russia, though, are over Ukraine. In mid-October, Putin accused Obama of having a hostile attitude towards Russia, while Obama decried "Russian aggression in Europe" in a recent speech to the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier in the day deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters in Beijing: "We continue to be deeply troubled by Russian activities. If they continue... it's a recipe for isolation." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Mixed reviews as Balotelli returns to Italy fray | ||
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Milan (AFP) - Mario Balotelli's return to the Italy fray was met with mixed reviews as the misfiring Liverpool striker prepares to end his enforced exile with a potential appearance against Euro 2016 opponents Croatia next week. Balotelli has not played for Italy since their first-round exit from the World Cup in Brazil and until his call-up on Sunday was left on the sidelines by new Italy coach Antonio Conte for their first three Group H qualifiers. The 24-year-old striker is no stranger to controversy, having spent two and a half well-documented years in the English Premier League with Manchester City, where he missed 11 domestic games after taking the club to a tribunal following their decision to fine him two weeks' wages for his poor disciplinary record. After returning to Italy in January 2013 for an ill-fated 18-month spell with AC Milan, Balotelli signed for Liverool in the summer but has been pilloried since having failed to spark and, worse, failed to score in the league. Conte's decision has left more than a few observers scratching their heads in wonder. "Balotelli was only called up by Italy because of the injury suffered by Lorenzo Insigne," claimed Francesco De Luca, chief editor of Il Mattino newspaper, on the football talk show Il Processo di Lunedi. Another guest on the show, former Inter player Evaristo Beccalossi, gave an equally unflattering appraisal of Balotelli, who played for the Nerazzurri before his move to City. "We've always said that Mario's presence should depend on how he is playing, but it's evident that at Liverpool he's not performing well," said Beccalossi. "He's found it difficult from the start there, but Conte has selected him. In the coach's defence, you have to say the strikers we have are not all top notch." Whether on or off the field, Balotelli has courted controversy at almost every club he has played. Reports from England on Tuesday said Balotelli was seen out partying at a London nightclub until 4:30a.m. following Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, a game in which Balotelli was conspicuously under par. Several weeks ago he was pilloried by fans and the unforgiving British tabloids after he swapped shirts with Real Madrid player Pepe as they walked off at half-time. Liverpool lost 3-0 and Balotelli was replaced at half-time. While Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said he would "deal with the incident internally", former Reds great Jamie Carragher hit out: "I'd be surprised to see him here next season if I'm being honest." Asked by Rai Sport on Monday for his opinion on Balotelli, former Ajax and Barcelona hero Johan Cruyff said: "It's a problem of education, if he had been educated well he would not be like he is now." Few commentators got behind Balotelli, although in Tuttomercatoweb.com former Milan and Rangers striker Mark Hateley called for Liverpool fans to show patience. "Conte was right to call him up because at international level you get the best out of Balotelli," said Hateley. "Mario is suffering from the fact he is being compared to Luis Suarez and I think that's wrong. Suarez scored a lot of goals and was driving force behind Liverpool and you can't replace guy like that. "Of course, he (Balotelli) isn't scoring, he's not playing well. But Liverpool are not playing well and it's not easy for Balotelli. "He's lacking confidence and maybe this call-up will be the spark that gets him going again." Conte, meanwhile, said he has not taken Balotelli's Liverpool woes into consideration. "Personally, I don't pay attention to what's being said about his club situation," Conte said Monday when the Italy squad congregated at their Coverciano training base near Florence. "Today he's here and he has to answer to me. I will judge him by what he does in the next seven to nine days." Italy sit second in Group H behind Croatia on goal difference after winning their three opening qualifiers. They host the Croats at Milan's San Siro ground on Sunday. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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These Are The Secret Apps That Only Apple Employees Get To Use (AAPL) | ||
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Apple is a company known for its secrecy. New products are developed in design head Jony Ive's top-secret lab facility, which only a handful of Apple employees are able to gain entry to. When a prototype iPhone 4 was carelessly left in a bar by an Apple employee, the company quickly scrambled to retrieve it, fearful that journalists and competitors could use it to find out what goes on during the making of a new product. New Apple employees are given access to a suite of apps to help them communicate with each other, test devices, and deal with customers. Thanks to hackers exploiting holes in the iPhone's software, and test devices accidentally sent to customers by carriers, we're able to sneak a peek behind Apple's secrecy and discover what their secret apps look like. AppleConnect
AppleConnect is the secure employee-only service that lets Apple employees sign into other apps and services. Interestingly, internal Apple apps often make use of the Android-style swipe pattern system — where you slide your finger through a shape — as well as a normal password.
Daily Download
9to5Mac first discovered the Daily Download app in 2011. It's an internal newspaper for employees that updates them on what's going on in the company. GKTank
Tank is an example app built by Apple to demonstrate the capabilities of the Game Kit developer tool. The sample app's source code was uploaded to GitHub so that app developers can learn from Apple's multiplayer-only internal game. Inferno
What do you do if you want to test the inner settings of someone's iPhone? Well, if you're an Apple employee, you download Inferno. It runs through a series of checks for the phone's hardware and software, and handily knows to shut itself down if the device reaches critical temperature. MobileGenius
An Apple "Genius" is the name given to an expert who works in an Apple Store and helps to repair customers' iPhones. The MobileGenius app lets them check customer information and log tests performed on broken devices. MobileRadar
When an Apple employee finds a bug in iOS, they file it using MobileRadar, the company's internal bug tracking system. Amusingly, the app's icon is an anteater, because, well, they eat bugs. Operator
This is the app that's used to test the various components and sensors found in iPhones, iPads and iPods. There are several Easter eggs hidden inside the app, which have been found after test devices were accidentally sent out to customers. For example, the icon for the serial number function is a box of Cheerios (cereal, get it?). The Operator app also includes clips of four songs by INXS: Need You Tonight, New Sensation, The Gift and What You Need. It looks like someone at Apple is an INXS fan. Receipts
If an Apple employee goes for lunch with a business partner, they snap a photo of the receipt on their iPhone and enter it into the Receipts app, a custom-made expenses solution that automatically calculates employees' business expenses. Red Zone Mobile
RZM is an app used by Apple Store managers to compare their performance with other retail locations and previous years. There aren't any screenshot of this app circulating in public, likely because the app displays internal sales information. Switchboard
This is the employee-only App Store that Apple employees use to download work apps and keep them updated. Like other internal apps, it uses Android-style gestures for additional security. TouchFighter 2
TouchFighter was an experimental game developed by Apple employees to test the iPhone accelerometer. Players guide the spaceship by tilting the phone to avoid space debris. UniBox
We already know that Apple employees often work into the early hours of the morning replying to emails from managers. Well, UniBox is probably one of the apps they use. It sends notifications from Apple to employees' phones, and also serves as a corporate voicemail client. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Anyone Who's Expecting The Rouble To Bounce Back Will Be Gutted By This Chart | ||
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Since the mid-1990s, the Russian rouble has suffered two major shocks from which the currency has never fully recovered: the Asia crisis in the late-90s and then the global financial crisis in 2008. The fate of the rouble after the latest hit — the ongoing Ukraine crisis — should not prove any different. The chart below from Bank of America Merrill Lynch shows why Russia probably won't be able to unwind the rouble's recent collapse in the foreseeable future.
The graph shows that each time the currency has taken a knock, it holds onto those losses against other currencies. It's interesting how asymmetric the shifts have been, given that the rouble is often described as a petro-currency, or a currency that is inextricably tied to the price of oil. Take, for example, the period from 1998 to 2008. During this decade, the Russian economy was growing at an average rate of 7% annually. Over this period, the oil price was hugely supportive with WTI crude rising from under $25 a barrel in 1998 to over $140 a barrel:
But the rouble saw only marginal gains over this period, falling from a low of around 32 roubles to the dollar in 2004 to a peak of 24 roubles to the dollar in August 2008. However, those gains were more than wiped out within six months as the oil price came crashing back to $30 dollars a barrel.
Despite the oil price rebounding strongly from its 2008 lows, the rouble once again failed to track its gains remaining stuck within a range of 30-35 roubles to a dollar.
Now oil is crashing again — and the rouble's following it down:
The lesson from history appears to be that even if oil prices reverse their current trend, those expecting the rouble to bounce back from current levels may be in for a big disappointment. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Fellaini claims 'I was Man United scapegoat' | ||
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London (AFP) - Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has claimed that he was made to feel like a scapegoat for his team's struggles during the 2013-14 season, in remarks published on Tuesday. Fellaini followed manager David Moyes from Everton to Old Trafford last year in a £27.5 million ($43.6 million, 35.1 million euros) transfer, but failed to impress as the club slipped to a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Premier League. The gangly Belgium international with the afro haircut did not manage to score in his debut season and became an object of derision for rival supporters, but he has improved under Moyes's successor, Louis van Gaal. Asked if he felt he had been made a scapegoat for United's failings under Moyes, the 26-year-old told reporters at a sponsors' event: "Yes, a little bit. That is a difficult question. It is difficult to answer that." He added: "I didn't lose faith in myself. In football, you have to be strong in the head. The mentality is important and I do have this quality, so I can keep going. "My family helped me through it. I was also in the national team for Belgium at the World Cup and I played well and the team also played well. For my confidence that was important. I came back after the summer confident. "The manager (Van Gaal) said to me I would have to fight if I wanted to play. I did fight and trained hard and that was it. When I got my chance, I tried to show myself and tried to do my best." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The 10 Things You Need To Know In Advertising Today | ||
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Morning! Here is everything you need to know ahead of your first meeting. 1. Alibaba has said $2 billion-worth of goods were sold in the first hour of its Singles Day shopping bonanza in China today. Singles Day — which Alibaba has been promoting since 2009 — has already surpassed major shopping landmarks in the US such as Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in terms of sales, according to comScore. 2. Calvin Klein’s choice of a plus-size model has sparked outrage amongst consumers online. The brand’s new lingerie campaign features a “plus-size” model who is only a US size 10 (although New York Magazine reports she’s closer to a size 8), while generally plus sizes start at size 12. 3. Check out what Facebook’s ad sales deck looked like way back in 2005. Facebook’s first ad salesperson has shared his first pitch, when Facebook had just 1.9 million monthly users but was still able to charge a $7 CPM (cost per thousand views.) 4. These are the 20 most popular YouTubers in the world. Swedish, sweary video game commentator PewDiePie remains the biggest YouTube celebrity. 5. Did you notice that these 15 companies changed their logos last year? There were some high profile redesigns like Airbnb and Hershey’s, but also a smattering of more subtle changes. 6. Mayonnaise is at the center of a legal battle between Unilever and a sandwich spread startup. Unilever, which owns Hellmann’s, is suing a company that makes a mayo substitute for fraud, in part because the substitute (Hampton Creek) is denting its sales. 7. Sticking with Unilever, the CPG giant is insisting to its agencies that 100% of an ad should be in view in a consumers’ browser for it to be counted, AdAge reports. That’s far higher than the industry wide agreed standard of 50% of an ad in view for one second. 8. NBC has just 9 to 10 of its $4.5 million 30-second advertising slots remaining for the 2015 Super Bowl, AdAge reports. However, the company has admitted advertisers are “just not ready to make a commitment” as previous years, which is consistent with the overall recent decline in upfront TV spending. 9. Forrester predicts that CMOs will stay in their roles for an average of five years from 2015 as they gain more influence within their companies, according to a new report. Received wisdom is that the average CMO tenure is just 18 months, so that’s a huge leap. 10. Organic reach on Facebook is not quite dead yet, Digiday reports. Research from social media analytics firm Socialbakers shows while the minimum reach a brand can anticipate from a post is down to 1.5% (from 5.5% in 2013), the rate at which engagement (consumers liking, commenting or sharing) increases the number who see it is higher than before. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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