Jorbb gets Jobs for You! Bringing Employers and Job Seekers updates on Singapore Employment News. Productivity related Tech Toys & Web 2.0 Sites will also be covered. Singapore's 1st freelance / casual / part time / contract job blog. Visit http://www.jorbb.com to join today!
Singapore - OCBC employees will now be able to telecommute more easily with access their corporate emails through the iPhone 3G, all paid for on the company's dime. This is the first of such corporate plans in Singapore's banking industry that revolve around the iPhone 3G.
Having access to real-time information on the go is becoming increasingly important, says Peter Koh who is head of technology infrastructure, group operations & technology of OCBC Bank. And with the iPhone's rising popularity, Koh says the bank thought it would be a good idea to leverage it as an office email device as well.
Doing so would also allow employees who already own other web mobile devices to merge into one singular device for their voice calling, web browsing and corporate email use.
Under the initiative, employees in the bank's Singapore, Malaysia, China and overseas branches will have to pay for the device and cost of the voice plan. However, the company will pick up the cost of the data plan, which is directly routed to the bank. Through this, employees will be able access their office email and sync their contacts, notes and calendar and carry out online banking transactions while on the move.
"Our employees can continue to enjoy the features and contents available on their iPhone without the need to carry another device in order to access office email," says Koh.
Furthermore, Koh says this is a win-win initiative for the bank and employees, as "the iPhone's subscription charges are lower than that for the BlackBerrry (by more than 50%)".
While Koh says the idea of using the iPhone for office emails was first brought up before the device was launched in Singapore, the company had to check its feasibility and compatibility with the office email systems to ensure data security. So far, Koh says the bank has received positive interest from employees and has received three application submissions within the first week of its launch.
In early 2009, H1Studio, Singapore, started research and innovation in Augmented Reality via Flash platform utilising the Flartoolkit SDK. At the same time, it is conducting R&I for AR via Mobile phones (Symbian and Windows Mobile). This is done via licensing of SDK from R&D centres in Europe and USA.
With the recent popularity of Augmented Reality applications such as Tonchidot’s Sekai Camera, GE’s SmartGrid and Mini Cooper’s Print Ad for Augmented Reality , we are now expanding our suite of services to include this, for Brands / Products / Services,
From Wikipedia - Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data (virtual reality), where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real time.
AR can be used in Advertising and Promotions / Marketing of a new product offering, allowing users to interact with the product replicated in 3D, in real-time, overlaid on the real video capture. It is a natural progression for the studio to offer such services due to experiences in 3D, interactive and mobile applications.
So it's that time of the year again and blogs / forums are posting their most plausible product launch at this year's Macworld, also known as Apple's last Macworld, also known as, No Steve Jobs Keynote Macworld.
So here's our list:
1. New Mac Mini (highly likely) 2. New Mighty Mouse (with multi touch) (unlikely) 3. iPhone Nano (likely - someone posted a case making site taking orders for Nano casing) 4. iPhone Pro (unlikely) 5. iPod Touch (up size - 7") - this we like! We reckon that this would be Apple's foray into the netbook market. (likely)
We thank you for your support over the past 4 months, since our launch in Sept 2008.
Jorbb.com has grown to almost 450 registered Jorbbees and 125 Jorbbers in this short period of time.
To build on our mantra, "Jorbb gets Jobs for you!", we will be launcing new tools in early 2009, including integration of Jorbb's job search engine with our friends at Widgeo.us so that you can search for jobs via email / msn / widgeo.us device and eventually sms. (What is Widgeo.us? Daniel from YoungUpstarts did a post on them a while back and in the words of Ridzuan, the CEO - Widgeo.us is a web-based universal cross-channel communications platform that allows application developers to create applications that work seamlessly across multiple channels such as email, instant messaging, microblogging, text messaging etc. Of course this also means that end users can have applications that “follow” them wherever they go. No more being tied down to a single software client and all.)
We will also provide widgets for you to embed your profile onto your website / blog, and in return, earn credits for doing so, to exchange for great gifts (movie tickets, food vouchers etc).
We, at Jorbb.com, wish all members a Happy and Safe New Year.
Train and retrain -- that is what the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) hopes the new Media Continuing Education and Training Centre will do for 3,000 professionals in the industry over the next five years.
It has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Singapore Media Academy (SMA) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic on Saturday to set up the centre.
This is the first such partnership between private and public education and government sectors.
The WDA hopes the centre will provide a training environment to meet the changing needs of Singapore's media workforce.
"It's my passion to be able to help the sick and also it has always been my passion to want to take part in different roles and being an actor, if I ever have the chance to be," said a trainee of the Performing for TV course, Deric Sim, who is also a doctor by day.
After completing each course, participants will get a nationally issued certificate known as a statement of attainment.
They can accumulate relevant certificates in exchange for a qualification like a diploma.
Trainees can also get subsidies from the WDA of up to 80 per cent of the course fees.
"Beyond the classroom setting, we also have hands-on, practical experience of what we call on-the-job training. And after the trainees have completed their training, there will be opportunities for internships, apprenticeships and even a permanent position in the media industry," said the assistant vice-president of SMA, Janet Patt.
The SMA, which has been appointed the long-term Media Continuing Education and Training Centre, has been running a gamut of courses.
SMA says it will tap on its network of local and international partners to bring in renowned trainers and training resources. It will also gather feedback from media professionals to ensure its courses meet the industry's demands.
In the first half of next year, new courses to be rolled out include New Media Business Management, Media Sales and Marketing, as well as TV, Film and Radio Production.
The academy, which is currently at Caldecott Broadcast Centre, will move to an interim location in the middle of next year before settling at a permanent site by 2011.
I would say that since Adobe acquired Macromedia (sob and then yay), one of the objectives has been to try and seamlessly integrate the work flow between the 2 companies offerings. The latest version of Creative Suite 4 really lives up to the slogan "Shortcut to Brilliant" and the apps work REALLY well together.
I attended Adobe's CS4 Launch Event today at The Rock at Suntec and got a cool water bottle as the door gift. So glad I don't have another notebook / sticky pad / post it / useless key chain / squeeze ball / not-ANOTHER-fat-plastic-pen to throw into the Abyss-Box.
There's really too many improvements CS4 has over CS3, but from the presentations / demos, I would say that the 4 software with major workflow / productivity improvements would be Flash, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Fireworks.
Here's my list of top 3 most AMAZING features of CS4.
1. Flash has animation macros to speed up / easily create animations. Effects which took 10-20 steps to do, now only needed 2-3 steps. And there's Inverse Kinematics (Bones) function to help animate your objects. IK used to be only found in expensive 3D software like 3D Studio Max / Maya etc.
2. Fireworks is CRAZY, with the slice, auto CSS generator and tab views of javascript etc in the same window. Edits to preview updates all related files on the fly. There's even a browser built INTO Fireworks so you no longer have to SAVE, Preview in IE / FF / Safari.
3. The most AMAZING feature is the interpolability between the apps, like from InDesign, to Flash. Or Photoshop to Fireworks to HTML (with CSS). Photoshop to Dreamweaver, and when you resize the image in Dreamweaver, it goes back to the PSD, saves a copy and updates the image in Dreamweaver AUTOMATICALLY! Same with making an image edit in PSD which has a referenced image in Dreamweaver, it updates dynamically. No more SAVE AS JPG, DELETE IMAGE, INSERT IMAGE. WOW!
Is it worth the upgrade price of $1000 ish (CS3 to CS4).
Rapid prototyping is the most common name given to a host of related technologies that are used to fabricate physical objects directly from CAD data sources.
Our subsidary service RPWorkshop.com provides Rapid Prototyping service in Singapore. Just email us your 3D CAD file and we will advise accordingly. You can easily / quickly convert digital files into physical models, for product testing, research, or presentation purposes.
These methods are unique in that they add and bond materials in layers to form objects. Such systems are also known by the names additive fabrication, three dimensional printing, solid freeform fabrication (SFF) and layered manufacturing. Today's additive technologies offer advantages in many applications compared to classical subtractive fabrication methods such as milling or turning:
Objects can be formed with any geometric complexity or intricacy without the need for elaborate machine setup or final assembly;
Rapid prototyping systems reduce the construction of complex objects to a manageable, straightforward, and relatively fast process.
This has resulted in their wide use by engineers as a way to reduce time to market in manufacturing, to better understand and communicate product designs, and to make rapid tooling to manufacture those products. Surgeons, architects, artists and individuals from many other disciplines also routinely use the technology.
Rapid prototyping isn't a solution to every part fabrication problem. After all, CNC technology is economical, widely understood and available, offers wide material selection and excellent accuracy. However, if the requirement involves producing a part or object of even moderately complex geometry, and doing so quickly - RP has the advantage. It's very easy to look at extreme cases and make a determination of which technology route to pursue, CNC or RP. For many other less extreme cases the selection crossover line is hazy, moves all the time, and depends on a number of variably-weighted, case-dependent factors. While the accuracy of rapid prototyping isn't generally as good as CNC, it's adequate today for a wide range of exacting applications.
The materials used in rapid prototyping are limited and dependent on the method chosen. However, the range and properties available are growing quickly. Numerous plastics, ceramics, metals ranging from stainless steel to titanium, and wood-like paper are available. At any rate, numerous secondary processes are available to convert patterns made in a rapid prototyping process to final materials or tools.
Demand for IT workers in Hong Kong and Singapore was strong in the third quarter of 2008, even as companies posted fewer recruitment ads in the two markets, a new study revealed.
The Robert Walters Asia Job Index Q3 2008 released Thursday showed a decline in job advertisements over the previous quarter.
Announcing the index, the professional recruitment agency noted in a press release that while July and August are traditionally quieter months since key decision makers are usually away during this period, this year's third quarter was also impacted by the global financial crunch. The crisis reached its peak in September, when financial organizations put recruitment lower down their priority list.
However, employers are still on the lookout for IT workers.
In Hong Kong, IT projects continue to be rolled out and this is keeping the recruitment of tech professionals in the country strong.
According to Robert Walters: "There are a large number of projects with long lead times to implement systems that underpin companies' profitability and efficiency. There will always be a need to fill vacant positions."
In Singapore, third-quarter advertising figures reflect a budget that's tightening in terms of hiring flexibility. However, an increase in demand has been experienced for all types of roles that boost revenues.
"Companies are tending to choose more aggressive, sales-oriented personnel," noted the international recruitment consultancy.
In IT, demand for candidates has actually increased in Singapore. As the nation has become the regional center in Asia for multinational banks, an increasing number of sophisticated IT functions are being outsourced to those offices.
"Consequently, Singapore is continuing to grow as a major hub for the IT industry," said Robert Walters.
Mark Ellwood, managing director at the consultancy in Singapore, noted that the island-state's economy has so far held up relatively well.
"However, it's the first Asian country to announce that it is in a technical recession, so it was no surprise to see a reduction in the number of jobs advertised in the third quarter," Ellwood said in the press release.
"Despite this, there is still demand for high-quality candidates as good talent is always hard to find," he added.
The index tracks advertisements by number in the executive appointment sections of leading newspapers in Hong Kong and Singapore. Job advertisement numbers are counted as of the last working day of each month.
In a time of economic crisis, web developers and freelancers everywhere have started chewing their fingernails. However, no matter how bad the economy worsens, there will always be work in certain booming fields of web development.
As the moderator of the Freelance Switch job board, there are certain types of jobs that are constantly in demand. Here are the 10 skills that are or will be in highest demand for developers. If you are proficient in these skills, you’ll be in a great position to find work and weather any economic downturn.
1. Framework knowledge
It seems that frameworks are one of the next big things. With the meteoric rise to fame of Rails, Django, and other MVC frameworks, developers have learned that they can build websites much faster with the help of these tools. Frameworks help you cut out much of the repetitive tasks that normal custom programming would require. Having knowledge of the top frameworks (Rails, Django, CakePHP, Symfony, and a few others), can give you a whole other dimension to your skill set.
2. Widget development
Widgets have changed how web development has been done in the past couple of years. With the advent of widgets, data has become more portable, interactive and most importantly, viral. It’s in almost every web startup’s business plan to include a widget or two at some point, mainly because it helps increase their audience and puts more eyeballs on their content.
Widget development requires knowing Javascript and/or flash, not to mention knowledge of the regular language that the parent site is built in.
3. Custom CMS themes
Designers and developers can always find work creating or customizing a CMS theme. As the popularity of CMS like Wordpress and Drupal have risen over the past years, so has the demand for creating themes for the software.
Many people use CMS to power their personal or business websites, so this work is always going to be around. A decent website needs a unique and usable design that reflects well on the brand behind it.
4. CMS Customizations and plugin development
CMS are great because it gives site owners with little technical know-how the ability to change aspects of their site on the fly with the help of modules. While most CMS platforms have a long list of modules to offer, many businesses and personal sites need more, and custom modules or plugins are the perfect solution.
Developers can have thriving businesses in CMS development and customization alone. Here are a few (and by no means all) of the top CMS platforms that could use plugin development and other customizations:
Another one of the more popular skills needed is converting Photoshop files (PSD) to XHTML files for template use. Because designers don’t always know how to convert Photoshop layouts into template files, a CSS and XHTML ninja can always find work. Because of the array of browsers now in common use and the niggling differences in how they render sites, you want to be a web developer who can build-out sites that display the same in any browser. This kind of design to code service is the most sought after of them all.
6. Javascript Plugin creation
Much like the rise of CMS and MVC frameworks, Javascript frameworks are just as popular. These Javascript frameworks are built with the ability to add custom functionality in the form of modules. If you’re a developer who knows how to build custom Javascript modules for frameworks like jQuery or Dojo, you’ll have plenty of work available. Here are some of the most popular Javascript frameworks you might need to get a handle on.
Facebook and MySpace have both opened up their platform to allow developers API access, and the demand for social network apps has been huge since then. A whole new industry for web development sprang up overnight, and hundreds of applications are now added on a daily basis. The social media application platform has been found to be very viral and potentially very lucrative.
Some of these applications are built to make money or drive brand awareness, but ultimately the applications can be very successful and viral if they’re done properly. A solid developer can make a decent living creating Facebook and MySpace applications.
Social networks like Facebook require that you learn their own language of syntax, like the FBML (Facebook Markup Language), so there is a small learning curve to this skill.
8. iPhone applications
Yet another platform-specific skill set, building iPhone applications can be very profitable, and much like the social media applications, a great skill for any developer to know. Making an iPhone app that is accepted into Apple’s platform has an excellent chance at making great money or receiving tons of downloads.
This is a great thing for web developers because companies are starting to see the value in developing iPhone and other mobile technologies, and consequently will be wanting more and more applications developed in the future.
9. Ecommerce integration
Business web sites are always going to need ecommerce integration. Essentially, if you can take a language or framework (PHP or Rails) and fuse it with a payment gateway (like Paypal or Authorize.net), you’ll do well for yourself. I’m predicting that we’re going to see more paid services than free, ad-supported services being developed in the near future, as less money is being doled out to startups.
As the economy turns sour and the ad industry starts to get a little tighter, websites that use a subscription-based revenue model will start to become more common. Having the knowledge to piece together integration with online banking services like Paypal and Google Checkout will be great skills to have.
Flash animation can do a lot for a website. Flash can be used to create videos, interesting navigation, fun animated sequences, widgets, and many other useful things on the Internet. The flash technology can add a very professional dimension to any website, and large websites and corporations always pay to have their sites look professional, and often commission Flash animated interfaces to showcase their products. With search engines working on ways to have Flash communicated better with them, this is a skill that’s sure to boom as the search technology advances.
Conclusions
Learning frameworks is one of the best way to increase your skill set and potential work as a freelancer. Whether it’s a Javascript framework, CMS, or MVC framework, taking the time to learn a new skill can be a huge advantage to finding work. Also, website owners pay big bucks for development that allows them to make money, because they see it not as a regrettable expense, but as an investment in future profit. Services like ecommerce integration, creating iPhone apps and flash knowledge will also be much-needed skills, and people will always pay for those skills.
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Glen Stansberry is a web developer and blogger who’s struggled more times than he’d wish to admit with CSS. You can read more tips on web development at his blog Web Jackalope.
We are pleased to announce that we now have access to a 6.9m x 4.0m LCD screen at Queensway Shopping Centre, at the major cross junction leading to Orchard / Alexandra. Do look out for Jorbb.com's 15 second TVC when you are there.
Daily Air time is from 12pm to 10pm around 1800 spots / month.
We currently serve 15 and 30 seconds stills / animations (video / flash).
If you / your clients are keen in advertising in this channel, do drop us an email and our sales consultant will provide more information.
Location:
Across the Road:
Street Level:
Overhead Bridge:
The screen is at major cross junctions leading into Orchard and Alexandra; heart of the central urbanites.
Where YOUTH gather for the latest fashion and cool kicks; FAMILIES - for their lifestyle/ car / furniture buying needs.
Hiring activity in the digital media and marketing space here is expected to continue at a rapid pace, even though sharp drops in pay increments can be expected next year, according to human resource firm Aquent.
Speaking at the launch of its latest survey Aquent Orange Book, its director James Koh said there was still a critical shortage of talent in the segment, and this was expected to continue for some time.
In particular, areas like search engine marketing and digital advertising should see strong hiring well into next year, even if the economic conditions worsen, he added. The Aquent Orange Book is an annual study on salary and hiring trends in the marketing, communications & creative space for some key Asia-Pacific and European markets.
Aquent, which polled over 5,000 firms, said last year's turnover in the digital segment here was also the highest compared with other segments, as some 90 per cent of those in digital media reported an average employment of less than two years.
In contrast, the equivalent figures for public relations agencies and advertising account management firms came in at 74 per cent and 69 per cent respectively.
On salary increments, regional director Steven Pang told reporters there could be a sharp moderation owing to the cautious sentiment prevailing in the market.
He said that most firms now adopt a wait-and-see attitude in view of the economic uncertainty. This means that pay rises could drop to 2-5 per cent next year - down from the 7-12 per cent range polled at the start of the year.
The report also found that the top retention tools commonly used in Singapore include discretionary bonus (65 per cent), internal company training (58 per cent) and career development (54 per cent). Flexible work practices (54 per cent), travel (45 per cent) and external training (44 per cent) are also some of the other retention tools.
Of note is the growing importance which workers attribute to company training, since it was only ranked the fifth most popular option previously. 'These results suggest that employers need to focus on employees' professional de\velopment so that they can see a long-term future with the company,' Aquent said.
10:51AM Some video of someone using the new trackpad. This looks like it's going to take a lot of getting used to.
10:51AM Some video of someone using the new trackpad. This looks like it's going to take a lot of getting used to.
10:48AM Oooh, some nice close-up shots of the new MacBook Pro. Here's what we're bummed about -- no matte finish for the display? You know, we use these outdoors, this is going to make it kind of a pain. Apple, consider an alternate version.
10:44AM "So we think this will be a huge success. So two new notebook families, we're building both in a whole new way, from a slab of aluminum..." So the Brick rumors were just the Air process applied to these new MacBooks / MacBook Pros. Makes a lot of sense.
10:43AM "Second model, $1599, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD... and a backlit keyboard. Shipping today, should hit stores tomorrow."
10:42AM "It's going to come in two models -- $1299 for the new MacBook 13.3-inch display, 2GHz Core 2 Duo... that's $700 more affordable for these Pro features."
10:41AM "Again we're using the 9400M. Here's our system architecture, very clean. And of course, we've got that glass trackpad, and we've got 5 hours of battery life." Now he's back on the environmental soundness of this thing. This is the most eco friendly MacBook ever in the history of human existence.
10:40AM It has the same casing, LED backlit display, glass trackpad... the whole nines. Just smaller. Looks like those leaks we saw were right on this too.
10:39AM "We're introing a new generation of MacBook on top of the white plastic model." It's just like the Pro... yet smaller.
10:39AM "But we've heard that people want a metal enclosure, faster graphics, and a lot of them want LED backlit displays... so, we figured out a way to bring these to the MacBook line."
10:38AM "It is the best selling Mac... ever. We sell a ton of these, and people love the. They sell for $1099, and we're gonna keep right on selling these, but we're going to reduce the entry price to $999." Ooh, so close Steve, but not low enough!
10:37AM "Of course that one more thing is the MacBook."
10:37AM "One more thing."
10:37AM "So 24-inch LED backlit display, 1920 x 1200 resolution, stereo speakers... everything you need for $899, available in November."
10:36AM "We're introuducing a new Cinema Display -- our first with LED backlighting. It's got a cable with three connectors: a MagSafe, you can power your notebook, 2nd is a USB port, and third is Display port."
10:35AM "So again at $1799." "We have a second model at $2499, gives you a 1.86GHz CPU and SSD -- available in early November."
10:35AM "We're putting the 9400M in the Air, adding a 120GB hard drive, and we've got a 128GB SSD as an option -- in addition we're putting in a mini display port."
10:34AM "Now, we have another cool product we'd like to talk about today. The Air. We'd like to update it with some of these technologies."
10:34AM "There's a lot of new tech in these products, but we're proud of the things we left out..." Now he's going to talk about how eco these guys are. "We think we're leading the industry with this... arsenic free glass, BFR free, mercury free, PVC free, 37% smaller packaging." "And for the first time, the MacBook Pro has earned an Epeat gold rating."
10:32AM "And these MacBook Pros are shipping today, in stores tomorrow." 10:32AM "And of course, 802.11n, Bluetooth... .95 inches, our thinnest MBP ever. It's going to come in two models. The first, US$1999 (S$1899), 15.4 inch display, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA 9400 and 9600. We have a second config at US$2499 (S$3620), you get a faster CPU with double cache, 4GB RAM, double graphics memory, 320GB hard drive."
10:30AM "So let's get back to this mini display port -- we can drive any display we could before, but at a fraction of the size -- we're building this into everything we make. This will also be the first MBP that we offer SSD on, and you can access the drives from underneath the battery." Nice! That's a nice touch. 10:30AM "Slot load super drive, magsafe connector, Ethernet, firewire 800, dual USB, mini display port, we're going to that on all our products, expresscard 34, and the battery indicator is now on the side."
10:29AM "We've added a new chip from NVIDIA -- the 9600M GT, 32 graphics cores, we're including both the 9400 as integrated graphics, or choose the 9600M for big graphic performance. 5 hours of batter on the 9400, 4 on the 9600."
10:27AM Well it is incredibly light and thin. Really quite impressive.
10:27AM No hang on, we got a shot from behind... nice.
10:26AM Oh wait, it's us!
10:26AM Someone in our row is holding it to take pictures! What gives?
10:25AM The casing is moving quickly... should be here any second.
10:25AM "Mini display port connector... let's take a look at each of these ports. We're not going to talk about the old stuff we've built in, magnetic latch, backlit keyboard, built in isight... we don't have time to talk about that." "Precision unibody enclosure... exceptionally beautiful... much more rigid construction. We're really happy about this." Wow, Steve is going to pass around the shell to everyone. That's kind of awesome. "We need them back." Big laughs.
10:23AM "Today we're replacing the old model with this..." Well, it's EXACTLY like the leak we saw last night. "Glass display, all connectors on one side..."
10:22AM "So a new trackpad for notebooks. So let's take this tech and make some new notebooks. We're introducing the new MacBook Pro."
10:22AM New gestures... Steve is showing off one and two finger gestures... now three... uh huh, where could this be going? "And we've added some four finger gestures. "A new way to open expose, and a great way to app switch..."
10:21AM "39% larger tracking area, multitouch, glass -- and we've optimized the friction on the glass... but where's the button? It's the entire pad -- gives you more area, keeps you from hunting... multi buttons via software, just turn on in preferences."
10:20AM "We've got a new trackpad -- a large multitouch glass trackpad."
10:20AM "We've been shipping the 8600M, we're at 55% for heavy graphics performance compared to that chip." "We've got some great new graphics."
10:19AM "This delivers up to 5x faster graphics than the chips we've been using. So what's it look like when we take it into the real world? up to 6x performance."
10:18AM "They've dubbed it the NVIDIA GeForce 9400 M -- it's an amazing chip. Chipset and GPU on one die -- 70% is the GPU, 16 parallel graphic cores, 54gflops of graphics performance. It's a sunner."
10:18AM "We also have some new graphics for notebooks... NVIDIA talked to us about an amazing graphics part they wanted to use." "We said this is fantastic, but can we use it in a notebook?"
10:17AM "So this new way has a relevance beyond the Air -- we've been working super hard on designing new uni-body enclosures. Thank you." And Steve is back!
10:16AM "Through each stage we're cleaning, collecting, and recycling the material. We started with a 2.5lbs piece of metal and end up with a piece that weighs a quarter of a pound."
10:16AM He's going through the very detailed way this piece of metal is machined. "We go through a noisy stage called rough cutting -- we create the holes for the key caps, towards the end we anodize it..."
10:15AM "We discovered if we started with a thick piece of aluminum we could make a lighter and stronger part." "So we make it from a solid piece of aluminum." Uh huh... Brickish.
10:14AM "This new process culminated in the design of this product: the MacBook Air. You couldn't build something this strong and thin in the older way."
10:14AM Very dry stuff... he's building here: "We've been looking for a better way -- and we think we've found it."
10:13AM "The palm rest requires the same sort of internal structure. A series of stiffening plates..." "Finally, we had this plastic gasket -- it helps us control the juntion."
10:12AM "One of the problems is designing something as thin and light as the Pro, but making it strong." "The structure is primarily derived from this..." Shows the internal frame. "It's made of multiple parts, then assembled into the bottom case... a very thin aluminum pressing."
10:11AM "I'd like to take a couple of moments to tell you about a real breakthrough we've had about how we can design and build our notebooks." "I'd like to start by giving you a sense of context." "I'd like to show you how we build our current MacBook Pro."
10:11AM "Let's talk about notebooks. Before we get into the actual notebooks, we want to talk about discoveries we've made. I'd like to talk about some new ways to build notebooks." Jony Ive is out!
10:10AM "In Q1 to Q3 2008, we've equaled all sales of 2007... that's the state of the mac!" Steve's back out!
10:09AM "Macs at major universities -- from 15% to almost 50%" "Many universities requires students have a laptop, we've worked hard to get Mac to be a choice." Shot of a school room... every laptop is a Mac! Ha!
10:08AM "One out of every 3 dollars is spent on the Macintosh. What a difference a few years makes."
10:07AM "If you look at the history, the Mac has outgrown the market for almost 4 years. There's been some key milestones along the way, like our transition to Intel, the Vista announcement and Leopard." "Since we're growing faster than the market, in US retail marketshare we've gone from single digits to 17.6%."
10:06AM "So these are the six reasons we've been successful."
10:06AM Tim: "Retail stores -- 400,000 visitors a day. 50% of the Macs they sell are people that are new to Mac." Now he's busting out a slideshow of new stores around the world: Sydney, Bejing... "Both stores are off to a great start."
10:05AM Now Tim is talking about the PC vs. Mac ads. Playing one now. PC is on a king's throne... good stuff. The gist is switching is easy. PC: "I banish you."
10:04AM Vista -- the 4th reason Macs are doing well. Nasty, nasty burn to Microsoft.
10:04AM Ouch -- "The next up is something we didn't do -- Vista." Big laughs. "I think it's fair to say Vista hasn't lived up to everything Microsoft hoped it would -- and this has given us a door in."
10:03AM "Third reason: compatibility. When people looked at macs in the past, they were concerned about switching -- we fixed that with Boot Camp. We also work with third parties on productions like Fusion and Parallels." Windows on an iMac "Frankly this sends a shiver up my spine." Big laughs.
10:02AM "Why? Superior computers -- they're far superior to anything on the market." Now he's going through the line, iMacs, Air... "And with those better computers comes better software... like Leopard, like iLife, and products like iWork."
10:01AM Tim Cook: "Good morning -- our last reported quarter we sold 2.5m Macs. In several quarters in a row we've been growing 2/3x the market growth."
10:00AM "Before that I want to cover the state of the Mac -- Tim Cook will take us through it."
10:00AM "Good morning -- we appreciate you coming down this morning... I think everyone knows today is about notebooks. And we've got some exciting new notebooks."
9:59AM People are scurrying to grab their seats. And... Steve's out!
9:59AM Looks like we're getting ready to start -- the lights are dimming...
9:57AM "Ladies and gentlemen -- silence your cell phones."
9:54AM And we're in our seats! Some nice classical music playing -- just the thing the quiet before the storm we're expecting.
9:08AM PT -- We've got a little less than an hour to go, so we'll just kind of be loitering outside Apple Town Hall, waiting to spot Steve and the unicorn that is his new MacBook Pro.
We're at Apple HQ! There's going to be a bit of a wait before we get going, but stick close by!
