Minneapolis

Five 'Minneapolis' stories June 2012 - March 2014

World’s first Apple reseller to close this month, after 37 years of selling Apple products

Benjamin Mayo Mar 20 2014 - 4:41 am PT

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/70141303 width=”704″ height=”420″]

Via TwinCities.com, the first ever Apple authorized reseller is going to end business after over 36 years of trading. Located in Minneapolis, Team Electronics (which later changed its name to FirstTech) was shipped Apple’s first batch of computers in the late 1970’s. It has sold Apple devices for more than three decades, celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2012.However, on March 29th, the shop will close due to shrinking margins.

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Pad and Quill, maker of incredible cases for Apple products, release new hand-made leather bags (+giveaway)

Seth Weintraub Nov 27 2013 - 10:31 am PT

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Update: Pad and Quill is taking: 20% off iPhone cases, 25% off MacBook cases for 9to5 readers

Brian and Kari from Pad and Quill have sent me a few of their drop dead gorgeous iPhone and iPad cases over the past few months. These are hand-made with natural leather and wood materials with high-quality stitching throughout. The ‘Little Pocket Book’ above is a great wallet case for the iPhone 5/5s. You can just feel the quality of the materials and craftsmanship here. People stop and ask me where I got my iPhone case and if it was hand made.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boy3tbSBM8s]

This week, Pad and Quill launched the Satchel Bag, Messenger Bag and Field Bag (videos below). Again, incredible looking product for any Apple user that wants to differentiate from the every day stuff. If the quality is anything like the iPhone and iPad cases, these will be around for a long time.
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Ahead of 2013 launch, T-Mobile lights up iPhone-compatible high speed networks in Atlanta, Seattle and Minneapolis

Jordan Kahn Dec 10 2012 - 10:36 am PT

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factory-unlocked-iphone-4s-running-t-mobile After confirming a partnership with Apple to bring products to market in 2013 last week, T-Mobile today announced plans to bring its enhanced iPhone-compatible 4G network to even more areas. Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile USA Neville Ray announced on the company’s blog that the carrier’s enhanced network will now be available in Atlanta, Seattle, and Minneapolis. T-Mobile will also continue to enhance its network in Oakland, San Francisco, and the Silicon Valley:

Continuing our fast-paced work to strengthen our already competitive 4G experience in major metro areas across the country, we’ve just announced technology advancements in three additional major metro areas, including Atlanta, Seattle and Minneapolis. Additionally, we have continued to expand on enhancements made last month in Oakland, San Francisco and the Silicon Valley to cover more surrounding cities.

T-Mobile also pointed out: “Internal tests of unlocked iPhone 4S devices running over 4G (HSPA+) on our 1900 MHz network recorded on average 70% faster download speeds than iPhone 4S devices on AT&T’s network.”

A full list of areas included are below:
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Sprint says ‘accidental dual fibercut’ on network causing nationwide outages, attempting to fix issues

Élyse Betters Oct 8 2012 - 12:09 pm PT

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Update: Sprint tells us service is restored.

A widespread network outage on Sprint’s network started at 7:30 a.m. PST today and hit Portland, Ore., Seattle and Tacoma Wash., Minneapolis, Minn., and San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif. Sprint just confirmed it is working diligently to fix the issue.

Sprint’s statement to 9to5Mac:

“Earlier this morning, an accidental dual fibercut occurred on Sprint’s network causing a disruption in data and voice services for some Sprint customers in parts of Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Tacoma Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and San Francisco and Sacramento, California. Sprint network technicians are working aggressively to resolve this issue and we hope to have service restored soon.”

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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Siri vs Google search in 1600-question street test, speed test

Jordan Kahn Jun 29 2012 - 6:05 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDsOtdRtG0Q&start=23]

As noted by Phillip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune, Apple analyst Gene Munster published a note to clients today that contained the results of a Siri vs. Google search 1600-question showdown.

While it is not exactly a test of how well the companies’ various voice services stack up against one another (since Google Search queries were typed-in and not spoken), but it is a good indication of just how viable Siri is as an everyday mobile search product and alternative to Google. In the test, both Google and Siri were asked 800 questions in a quiet location. Another 800 questions were asked among the loud street traffic in Minneapolis. The results, according to Fortune:
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