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Author Archive for Sam

Teacher, writer, composer, and family man. Maker of delicious Halušky. Contact me via Twitter: @Sam_Denver

Apple is the Most Reputable Company in Latest Harris Reputation Poll

By | February 13, 2012 | No comment yet
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Apple officially passed Amazon in the 2012 Reputation Quotient (RQ) published in the most recent Harris Poll Study.  This is a bigger deal than you might think because in the current culture of the business world public perception is a critical consideration that can have lasting impact on the longevity of a company’s success.

I might be overstating the point here as I sometimes have been known to do, but there are some interesting trends in public perception that will undoubtedly continue to make waves. Keep in mind that this particular poll has been running for 13 years and Apple’s top score reflects the success of its ability to combine several industries into a single tour de force.

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Wolfram Alpha & Siri are Changing the Way We Search

By | February 7, 2012 | 1 comment
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Wolfram Alpha is no longer the new kid on the block when it comes to search tools, but it certainly seems to be making all of the right moves. With a growing staff of more than 200 and a new set of search tools out this week, Wolfram owes thanks (in part) to Apple’s Siri.

As reported by The New York Times, a quarter of all Wolfram Alpha traffic comes from Siri users. I think it is safe to say that Wolfram management made a good decision when partnering with Apple on this one!

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Let’s retaliate? Apple’s massive lawsuit expansion against Samsung (Australia)

By | February 3, 2012 | No comment yet
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It’s been a rough week for Samsung in what appears to be an ever-expanding legal battle.  In addition to an investigation with anti-trust sentiment by the European Union, Apple has now increased the number of claims to 278 (22 patents and 10 devices).

The claims come in the Australian lawsuit that made headlines on 2011 when the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was banned for a short period of time. It is going to take some time to disseminate the nature of all 278 claims, but it is clear that many of the claims involve yet to be released devices.

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Apple Lands on Top of the Smartphone Heap

By | January 27, 2012 | 1 comment
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The interesting thing about news like this is that most people aren’t likely to be surprised that Apple is the largest smartphone vendor. The hype of the iPhone has proven solid in sales for years now, but it is still amazing to me that the company that sold my first computer (Apple II+) has really hit its stride in the mobile market.

The race for first place is still close and Apple has not claimed the lead by a large amount. The lead is only maintained by .4% over Samsung for the fourth quarter of 2011. In their latest report, Strategy Analytics has determined that Samsung is the overall leader for 2011.

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A Professor and Author’s Perspective on the Impact of Apple’s iBooks Textbooks

By | January 20, 2012 | 2 comments
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A familiar conversation that takes place every semester surrounds the hot topic of textbook costs. The longest lines on campus are at the bookstore where countless students are buying books required for their classes. It’s not uncommon to overhear them declare the unfairness of a $200 textbook for a business class or about the class that requires multiple books.

With Apple’s announcement this week of its new iBook textbook program I felt a mix of interest, excitement, and apprehension. These are not uncommon feelings for professors and I had a chance to watch a colleague download and open his first new “textbook”.

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Lilly’s Little Touch Book – iPad App Review

By | November 29, 2011 | No comment yet
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“Art-making of consequence” is a phrase I sometimes hear describing art that has the goal of making a difference. Author Pamela Sloane-Bradbury is releasing books which are both artful and which make a difference.

In Little Lilly’s Touch Book, children with Sensory Processing Disorder are not labeled, separated, or even defined. Instead, the story embraces all children by looking at symptoms (which makes it accessible by all readers with similar symptoms) and not a specific disorder. The goal of this series of books is to help children with special needs.

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Battle Nations for iPhone and iPad – App Review

By | November 21, 2011 | No comment yet
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We all have those friends who are into Farmville. I know several people whose updates on Facebook I’ve had to hide because of it. What is it about planting crops and managing animals that has led to an entire generation losing days and weeks of their lives?

I have never actually played Farmville (I’m not lying about this because I’m embarrassed) but I think I might actually understand the force behind the addiction after playing Battle Nations for the first time this week. This game is paced to provide excitement, interaction with friends, and the right amount of explosives.

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