“In Apple’s never-ending negotiations with record labels, iTunes boss Eddy Cue often played the good cop to Steve Jobs’ bad cop,” Greg Sandoval reports for CNET. “But for current CEO Tim Cook, Cue may well be Mr. Fix-It.”
“In a surprising executive shuffle, Apple announced Monday that Scott Forstall, who runs software development for the iPad and iPhone, would be leaving the company, along with retail chief John Browett. Cue, an Apple employee for 23 years who was chief of iTunes since it launched in 2003, has now absorbed control of the Siri voice recognition service and the disappointing Apple Maps,” Sandoval reports. “‘There’s nobody quite like Eddy Cue at Android or any of the other competitors,’ said Bob Bauman, president and CEO of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), the company that manages Internet rights for pro baseball and sells baseball-themed apps on iTunes. ‘Eddy is genius, brilliant, thoughtful, and tough. There’s nothing that we’ve asked for that they’ve just said, ‘Fine.””
MacDailyNews Take: An aside: Major League Baseball has been the sports leader on iOS since their first app debuted for iPhone. Say what you will about MLB commish Bud Selig, but during his reign, MLB has been a rather surprising and effective pioneer in new media (you wouldn’t think one of the “older” sports would run rings around the relative newbies (NBA, NFL) but they certainly did and continue to do so. MLB doesn’t get enough credit for creating some of the very best quality iOS apps available.
Sandoval reports, “When MobileMe, the division that oversaw Apple’s Web services and software, appeared to run hopelessly off track, it was Cue who salvaged the operation and transformed it into iCloud. That Forstall, at times a divisive personality inside Apple, is reportedly being shown the door not long after Cue was promoted and received a bonus worth $37 million, doesn’t come as a surprise to Apple watchers. One former Apple employee says Cue has a ‘high degree of social intelligence.’ That’s something many of his peers in tech and even Jobs often lacked. ”
Much info on Cue’s background and more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: If Eddy can’t fix it, nobody can.
Apple need to fundamentally revise the look and feel of the maps app. Everything about it looks awful. I can’t even begin to express my disgust over how craptastic it is compared to Google maps.
I disagree.. I love the directions in the new maps.
Just this weekend I took a road trip to a theme park I had never visited before with my daughter and I ran directions through both.
Apple maps correctly navigated me around an area that usually has congestion and saved me 45 mins on my trip, had I followed Google my road time and gas consumption would have been greater.
I used the map app and I found it to be correct and fun to use.
I agree… Maps is not bad at all.
Considering Google contract over and Apple doing it themselves it really is a thing of beauty.
The media is to blame for the negativity on MAPS.
It has some flaws, and some of the satellite mapping is very low-res or mono, BUT, it’s less than a year old, compared to the eight or so years out of date satellite images that Google use in the UK. And there are features and new buildings that prove Apple’s satellite images are very up to date.
Maps is the best map app I’ve seen too date. It isn’t perfect but what map is? The look, search functions and integration with apps is very good.
I don’t buy any of the negative media buzz about Maps or Siri. They are both very excellent products. I don’t think this is the reason for the shuffling. Apple is merely looking ahead to the next generation.
It’s major flaw is in displaying traffic congestion. There I would agree it is terrible, but otherwise it is very nice, works fast, fluid and very efficient. A dramatic and enormous improvement over Google Maps. My guess is that you have never even tried using it.
I have used both.
I liked street view very much in Google. That I miss.
As for accuracy Google had major location issues before and still does. I would say Maps and Google are equal there.
Apple Maps is very fast. Google slower.
Apple Maps labelling of street name is far cleaner vectors seem better to me.
I prefer Apples direction help compared to Googles.
As for traffic congestion, honestly I have not compared this. I have tried it but not verified if Apple or Google was informing me accurately.
You must be joking. Despite my initial complaints it is fundamentally a fantastic product with a user interface far superior than the dreadful google maps confusing mess (indeed everything Google) has fast rendering mostly good 3d maps, fantastic fly through capabilities even if that function is sadly limited in scope at present. Add more detail and information and remove the odd visual glitch of which I have seen few and its a class leading product.
totally agree, i was horrified when i saw the new apple maps after i downloaded the IOS6 on my iPad, which is why my iphone 4s is still running the old ios which is perfectly fine
Magic is over rated. It’s gonna take hard work. After the public beat down of Maps Apple must make Maps the envy of the world. An arduous task at best.
And Siri is another piece of tech whore from Apple, if it works at all. Craptastic interface, craptastic linguistic abilities. Just crap.
“Siri, has BLN ever had sexual intercourse with a human female?”
Siri: “It is decidedly not so.”
Works pretty good.
Try asking the same question about Steve Ballmer.
Siri and Maps done all right for me. I don’t get all the hubbub, bub. I fully expect Apple to overcompensate in putting Siri and Maps on steroids to appease the unappeasable tech mob out there. At this point they should leave no stone unturned, no openings for another PR debacle, and make all other phone systems green with envy and a subsequent impossible task to catch up to Apple. All competitors should be panting heavily in the distance in Apple’s rear view mirror
I have used Maps and Siri they are the best out there from a end user standpoint, the sad thing about this whole executive change is that the core of what is iOS, Maps, and Siri are not going anywhere (in their basic core design) and are only going to get better I am concern when the guy tasked with putting together-picking and design iOS, Maps, and Siri is on the side lines, in short if it was so easy why are most of other big billion dollar companies failing at mobile OS software design.
I would like for there to be a way to get back to your Siri search. Let’s say that I search for a restaurant and then go to one of the Yelp reviews that Siri suggests, there is no way to get back to the list of restaurants other than to have Siri do the search over again.
The fat man who hates women and gay people, and is a virgin to boot (according to Siri), talks crap … yet again.
Why don’t you just out yourself along with your chair throwing SB rather than just lurk?
Again works brilliantly for me and will only get better. Siri is a massive advance that will nonetheless take some years to truly show its full potential, as does any leap forward in technology.
Oh and as an example piston engined aircraft (at least in Britain ) stopped being deigned in late 1941 all official work on new aircraft being for jets only. However the piston engined aircraft being designed at that time were in nearly all respects, had they got off the drawing board, far superior to the early jets. However the potential of those jets were far greater and rightly had priority. We need to understand that reality about new innovations now and stop whinging about certain temporary limitations.
Sigh, the whingers will forever steal attention from life’s truly compelling issues—death, taxes, and being assured of precise navigation to a monument you have no interest in visiting, other than to demonstrate one’s superior fault-finding ability.
There is no substitute for creativity…I don’t see it in Cue and I don’t see it in Cook. Ive and Jobs were quite the team.
Yeah but creativity without proper follow up from the Eddie Cues of the world leaves you dangling in the passing wind and ineffective.
Most definitely…
Cue just need to be the team leader and NEVER ever release a software that is half baked.
Also Apple need more tester worldwide..
Also Tim Cook also must face the music, all of this happened in his watch.
If Forstall sent out a half baked alpha Maps,and Cook either agreed or disagreed, it is with knowledge.
Eddie was my choice for Apple’s future CEO – my prediction is not too far off. He’s the real deal.
Scott Forstall was MDN’s choice for CEO….
Maybe a triumphant later return to Apple ala Steve Jobs for Scott Forstall? Uhhhhh, NAH! Forstall will eventually work for a competitor and languish in obscurity thereafter, a future tech trivia question. The legend in his own mind vanishing fast.
Investors are losing confidence in Cook’s competence as CEO and voting with their wallets to take AAPL down another +2% today.
Never mind about management and organization crises, you know Apple is in serious problems when they question Cook’s ability to solve supply issues, Cook’s best area of expertise. He lost much credibility when he failed to address the issues during the earnings call. The guy came across clueless when he said he had no idea when iP5 supply might meet demand.
I am clueless why AAPL has dropped so much. Analysts, you, and others are making guesses. Personally, it makes little sense. It had dropped prior to the earnings report.
I can only guess it is tied in to the greater market forces at work in the U.S. and the world and by both clueless and manipulative stockholders. Is an AAPL selling frenzy now setting in? The company appears strong and the latest moves by TC are likely to only help that.
Nonetheless, it matters not so much why the stock has dropped, it only matters that it has.
Sometimes it’s just kind of the “snowball effect”. After all, Apple did reach it’s high a little over a month ago and stocks tend to drift down after things like that. iPhone five supply/demand problems. Maps fiasco. iPad Mini not priced at $250 like a lot of people thought. Take your pick. Some are more important than others. And remember, when you’re on top everybody is gunning for you. But Apple is getting the hell beat out of it unmercifully. Next stop is I believe around $575. If it blows through that look out below! I picked up some calls today and I hope I made a good choice. But I just dipped my toe in, I didn’t put both feet in there. Apple could use some good news. It’s a long way from $700. And I don’t think it will see that anytime soon. But there is plenty of upside potential from here so $700 is really moot. Just because cautious of suckers rallies. Be careful out there.
Good comments, Weekend. To me, none of those “negatives” really are negatives. Positives, in some cases. Clearly, others don’t see the same. “Snowball effect” does seem to be in play. Sandy in AAPL. Being careful is always wise, but who knows what that means here.
I second MDN’s comments about MLB. In addition to their iOS app, they were one of the first to jump on the Passbook bandwagon. They clearly want to be on the leading edge of technology and not some tag-along.
They really do not have much choice, NFL and NBA are more popular these days. (for me NBA, not so much)
They need to do something to market to younger people.
They also need replay and need to speed up play of the game IMO, they are a throwback to another era and people don’t have 3-4 hours to devote to watching a game, of which there are too many.
Baseball is only worth watching in the spring when you are excited for the start, and in September and Oct. Fun to go to, but who wants to waste a summer afternoon on the couch watching a game with no real meaning?
I love the map app, it’s accurate where I live. But I can understand people’s frustration if they live where it doesn’t work all the time. Everyone should be able to rely on and trust Apple’s maps as much as I do.
I hope that happens soon.
Agree it hasn’t failed yet here in Northeast trips.
First off… iTunes is a F___ bloated piece of crap.
Thankfully the Mac Apps Store became its own application on OSX. Lets see Eddie really take control here.
Eddie needs to separate the Apps from iTunes.
Simplifying things to just
MEDIA purchases and APPLICATIONS purchases.
Music, Movies, News, Television, Books & Magazines;
all available on “iMedia” (aka iTunes).
iOS and OSX Apps all available on “iApps” (aka App Store).
App store on iOS is a total mess… truly if you doubt me and require a list of these problems just ask.
That will not happen, Dr. ILL, ease of use and actual profit are more important than Geeks wet dreams. If you need a dream join Windows or Android ecosystems.
I disagree. I’ve always been put off that I have to use two separate app stores to purchase applications. If there are complementary apps for the Mac and the iPad, I want to purchase them together without having to leave one store and access a different store. I also don’t see the advantage to tying iOS devices to iTunes rather than unifying iOS app purchases with OSX purchases. Leave iTunes as the place to buy media.
I don’t understand your position that this is a geek wet dream and how desiring a unified app store is someone the path to Windows or android.
Last sentence: someone should be somehow!
Perhaps if they framed iTunes in a nice leather binding. 😉