AppleInsider StaffAppleInsider is in person at the D10 conference this week, and last night provided live coverage of Cook's onstage interview with journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. Among the topics he discussed were plans to "double down" on secrecy, "cool ideas" the company plans to unveil with Siri voice control, and how he'd like to see Apple products built in America.
Cook also revealed that the refreshed 1080p Apple TV boosted sales this year, which have reached 2.7 million so far in the first five months 2012. That compares to 2.8 million in the entirety of 2011.
The Apple CEO also hinted that his company os working on closer integration with the social networking site Facebook, and that Apple plans to add more integration with social networking services in general in more of its products. He also admitted that the company could kill off its Ping social music discovery service found in iTunes.
In the interview, Cook was also asked about his relationship with late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and he revealed that he decided he wanted to work for Apple just five minutes after meeting the charismatic Jobs. A clearly emotional Cook also said that when Jobs passed away last year, it was one of the saddest days of his life.
The 51-year-old executive was also asked about the patent system, and said he believes the system for enforcing standards-essential patents is broken. Cook also defended Apple's patent disputes with other companies, but admitted that the current patent situation is a "pain in the ass," and a problem for innovation.
AppleInsider will have more this week from D10, including details from a scheduled interview with Aaron Sorkin, an award winning screenwriter who has signed on to pen a script based on the official biography of Jobs by author Walter Isaacson, released after his death last year. In addition, Ed Catmull, the president of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, is scheduled to join Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation, for a talk entitled "The Lessons of Steve Jobs."
Above is a video featuring 17 minutes of highlights from Cook's interview. Below are smaller clips in which Cook talks about "doubling down" on Siri:
Declaring the mobile patent wars are a "pain in the ass:"
Declaring that the Apple TV set-top box is still a "hobby:"
Telling users to "stay tuned" for more possible connectivity between Apple and Facebook:
Calling Jobs a "fantastic" flip-flopper who made an "art" of it:
On his belief that tablets should be free of the legacy of traditional PCs:
On how Apple hopes to lead the way in employee rights and safety with overseas manufacturing partners, all while planning to "double down" on secrecy:
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15 Comments
I must say this post illustrates what's completely wrong with the "new" Apple Insider forums quite well. There are no videos or pictures and most of the links are broken. You people have moved from what was a perfectly useable system to this Java and Flash infested nightmare that only works if we all take our browsers back into the 1990's.
If you use a secure browser that's not running Flash and turn off Java, tracking cookies etc. (like any sensible person should), the whole site is a broken mess. Tiny text files full of garbage randomly download and fill up your hard drive, movies are not visible, smilies don't work, spell-checking doesn't work, etc. etc. etc.
The new Apple Insider website is crap and I'm not going to drop basic security just to fix problems you introduced for no reason.
/rant
Edit: also title of article is "video posted" (suggesting the whole thing is online somewhere), and not one single link actually points to where the video is posted.
I love watching these D conference video interviews because Mossberg and Swisher ask the goofiest, inane questions while Jobs or, in this case, Cook completely embarrasses them.
The interviews tend to follow this pattern:
Mossberg: "So tell us what Apple is making next"
Jobs/Cook: "Did you not hear me the first time? I'm not telling you anything."
Swisher: "So tell us why Apple sucks, even though I'm in love with it, because as you know, it's fun to hate on Apple."
Jobs/Cook: "Apple doesn't suck, your observations are incorrect. If you'll recall, Apple sold millions of just about every product it makes last quarter."
Mossberg: "But let's be honest here Jobs/Cook, feature X on product Y doesn't work as well as intended. It's not purrrrrfect, and that makes people cranky."
Jobs/Cook: "I agree."
Mossberg: "So what are you going to do about feature X?"
Jobs/Cook: "Make it better."
Swisher: "Oh, um okay, I really wasn't expecting you to say that. So what about China? How come you make iPhones in China and not U.S.? How come chinese people are jumping off buildings?"
Jobs/Cook: "I know, it's messed up right? Apple used to manufacture in the U.S. and we'd like to again, but EVERY company that sells in volume has to manufacture in China because the labor is cheaper and because there are more smart people in China than there are people in the U.S."
Swisher: "Why's that do you think?"
Jobs/Cook: "I dunno, probably because you're all too busy playing Angry Birds on your iPhones"
Mossberg: "I feel like you're being coy with us. Tell us what you don't even tell your shareholders, tell us what the TV looks like."
Job/Cook: *sigh*
Question from audience: "My friend told me yur not making iPhone 5 w/ stylus. Why you no do this? I like stylus."
Mossberg: "He's got a point Jobs/Cook, how come you're not showing everyone, including me, what the TV looks like?"
Swisher: "And how come u no love China?"
I must say this post illustrates what's completely wrong with the "new" Apple Insider forums quite well. There are no videos or pictures and most of the links are broken. You people have moved from what was a perfectly useable system to this Java and Flash infested nightmare that only works if we all take our browsers back into the 1990's.
If you use a secure browser that's not running Flash and turn off Java, tracking cookies etc. (like any sensible person should), the whole site is a broken mess. Tiny text files full of garbage randomly download and fill up your hard drive, movies are not visible, smilies don't work, spell-checking doesn't work, etc. etc. etc.
The new Apple Insider website is crap and I'm not going to drop basic security just to fix problems you introduced for no reason.
/rant
I have to agree...I'm very positive when it comes to AI. I think most of the criticisms can be a bit petty. But this new format it is basically unusable on an iPhone. :(
Edit: also title of article is "video posted" (suggesting the whole thing is online somewhere), and not one single link actually points to where the video is posted.
http://allthingsd.com/20120529/tim-cook-video/
Other videos here:
http://allthingsd.com/category/d10/
Or try this tag:
http://allthingsd.com/tag/tim-cook/
Edit: also title of article is "video posted" (suggesting the whole thing is online somewhere), and not one single link actually points to where the video is posted.
Yep, uninstalling Flash makes browsing the web so much more enjoyable. Now if only web developers would quit using it.