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A long ride on Apple's coattails scores Xiaomi a $45 billion valuation
There are plenty of tech companies out there that wish they were in Apple's position as one of the world's most valuable companies. Xiaomi -- the maker of the MiPad and MiPhone -- seems to have figured out how to quickly climb the value ladder, and it's actually easier than anyone could have imagined: Just blatantly copy Apple and fiercely deny it along the way. With its latest round of funding coming in at over US$1 billion, Xiaomi is now valued at over $45 billion, and this is how they made it happen: $45 billion... $45 billion. $45 BILLION dollars. Actual cash money. That's billion with a "B" at the front. Let this be a lesson to you, kids: You don't have to be creative to be rich.
Mike Wehner12.29.2014
Xiaomi says it's not copying Apple, but Apple is copying HTC
Xiaomi -- the fast-rising Chinese electronics company which is quickly becoming a major player in smartphones -- has come under fire in the past for similarities between its MiPhone smartphone and MiPad tablet, and Apple's iconic mobile gadgets, but now the company is on the offensive. Taking the stage at the Wall Street Journal's WSJDLive conference, Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra brushed off claims that his company has been copying Apple's wares and suggested that perhaps it's Apple that's been doing the copying. "The iPhone 6 carries design language that is very HTC-like," Barra claimed, while also noting that he believes the quick settings in iOS 8 were inspired by Google's Android. Barra, who served as the VP of Google's Android division until his departure in 2013, also added that he isn't troubled by possible copyright suits from Apple or anyone else that may pop up in the future. No they didnt? Yes, they did! The iconic "one more thing" slide. Priceless - Xiaomi Mi4 pic.twitter.com/bD9UamXVBl - Sascha Pallenberg (@sascha_p) July 22, 2014 The Xiaomi Mi 4 was announced in July 2014 during a presentation that seemed oddly familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in Apple culture. As the event approached its conclusion, the company's founder, Lei Jun, stood on stage in a black shirt and blue jeans, before a screen that said simply "one more thing..." prior to announcing the company's new wearable, the MiBand. [via Gigaom]
Mike Wehner10.29.2014
The Simpsons take on 'Mapple'
As Dave and Mike discussed during last night's talkcast, Sunday's episode of The Simpsons included plenty of wink-wink-nudge-nudge references to our favorite fruit company. (The video is also available on Hulu.com.) Lisa discovers a "Mapple store" has appeared in the Springfield Mall, complete with "myPods," "myPhones," and even a "Brainiac Bar." Comic Book Guy wants to know why OS 4.2 is built so poorly, and Krusty the Klown wants to get rid of his myPod. Mapple CEO "Steve Mobbs" also makes an appearance, with typical Simpsons hilarity ensuing. While not particularly biting social commentary, the sketch pokes fun at Apple Mapple customers' willingness to shell out big bucks for their products. The Simpsons have taken on Apple before, with the now-famous Newton "eat up Martha" gag. You might say this is one more thing to add to the list of gags that The Simpsons have done. In the words of Steve Mobbs and Steve Jobs, it's "insanely great." Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Robert Palmer12.01.2008
iPhone launching on a CDMA carrier in Jamaica -- huh?
Last time we checked, the iPhone 3G was GSM through and through -- four bands of GSM / EDGE plus three bands of UMTS / HSDPA, to be exact. So how exactly is it that an exclusively CDMA carrier, Jamaica's MiPhone, could be carrying it? Even MiPhone's international roaming agreements are all with CDMA carriers (Alltel, MetroPCS, Sprint, and Verizon in the States, for example) so it's pretty freaking unclear how -- or what -- they plan to launch down there. We've cooked up a few possibilities for how this could play out: MiPhone has negotiated a roaming agreement with a GSM carrier in Jamaica. Doesn't seem like there would be any way to profit from this arrangement, though, since iPhone customers would be roaming 100 percent of the time. They didn't get the memo that "WCDMA" doesn't mean "CDMA". Just imagine the blushing execs! Unlocked iPhone 3Gs will simply be offered through MiPhone stores for use on other networks. There's a mysterious CDMA version of the iPhone waiting in the wings. Doubtful. Very, very doubtful. CDMA support secretly lurks inside each and every iPhone 3G. Again, doubtful. We're working to figure out what the heck is going on here; we'll update you once we know.[Thanks, L8on]Update: It seems that MiPhone might be branding its GSM 850 network as Claro, which would match up with branding corporate parent America Movil uses throughout much of Latin America. Where this leaves MiPhone's CDMA network is unclear, but needless to say, we don't think there's a CDMA iPhone in the cards. Thanks, everyone!
Chris Ziegler06.16.2008