Beats acquisition would give Iovine and Dr. Dre senior positions at Apple, report says

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  • Reply 341 of 599
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    rogifan wrote: »
    And why I'm hoping its something else and not the "cool" factor. But I'm struggling to see what that something else is. Because there doesn't seem to be much outside of the celebrity endorsed overpriced headphones. I can't believe Jimmy Iovine and his connections within the music industry are worth $3B.

    Still struggling after three days and how many posts of mental/emotional handwringing?

    Watch the Jimmy Iovine interview with Walt Mossberg again and listen carefully. If you don't see the workings of a mind that understands media culture at the highest level—and one with 40 years experience at the front lines of generational change,—if you don't see that then you are showing yourself again to be incapable of rational thought. I say "again" because of your usual MO here: doubt and worry where there should be analysis.

    Iovine gives you plenty of material to work on with his doctrine of "the next song" and "the new kid out there." The guy is way smarter than the industry he's in, and it's no surprise that he and Dre have the most iconic headphones out there for that kid, despite the fact that the hardware needs improvement. Apple is acquiring the future wearable audio industry, not just the cool, for a mere 3.2 B, along with the curated sound track.

    Edit: to be fair, I should say "incapable of rational thought at times," because of course you aren't always so mired in negativity as you have been over this deal. Studies done on conservatives show their brains are wired to reject the novel and unfamiliar because of connections to the amygdalas, which tend to be larger. My experience has been that they eventually come around to new ideas.
  • Reply 342 of 599
    fracfrac Posts: 480member
    rogifan wrote: »
    This tweet pretty much says it all. Sigh. My guess is within a year Phil Schiller will no longer be running marketing.

    @brianshall: Samsung's attack ads worked. They made Apple seem uncool.  Apple execs *panicked* over this. Beats buy an attempt to buy cool.
     
    Original Message:
    http://twitter.com/brianshall/status/465376357573083136

    I wouldn't let anything written and limited to 147 characters "say it all"
    Chin-up there.
    Sigh
  • Reply 343 of 599
    benjamin frostbenjamin frost Posts: 7,203member
    brlawyer wrote: »
    You may wish to check your quoted definition again: "...such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion."

    Rap and hip-hop fulfill none of the above criteria, of course.

    There are those that don't think Schoenberg's work is music either. It certainly doesn't fit that definition. I would assume you are one of them? I don't like his work nor rap but I'd hesitate to claim to be able to define what is or isn't music based upon my personal taste.

    I can understand you not liking Schoenberg, particularly his atonal music which made him famous. However, his early works are amazing - lush, late Romanticism.

    Regarding your point about definitions: speaking for myself, I am talking in absolutes, as people do when they generalise. There are always exceptions to the rule. There is plenty of classical music which I wouldn't define as such - and jazz and pop and rock etc. There is some rap and hip hop which I've enjoyed. Overwhelmingly, though, I hate the stuff, particularly rap, which is missing a 'c' at the beginning.
  • Reply 344 of 599
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,821member
    I can understand you not liking Schoenberg, particularly his atonal music which made him famous. However, his early works are amazing - lush, late Romanticism.

    Regarding your point about definitions: speaking for myself, I am talking in absolutes, as people do when they generalise. There are always exceptions to the rule. There is plenty of classical music which I wouldn't define as such - and jazz and pop and rock etc. There is some rap and hip hop which I've enjoyed. Overwhelmingly, though, I hate the stuff, particularly rap, which is missing a 'c' at the beginning.

    I totally agree with everything you say here. We are both are intelligent enough to know we are talking about our own tastes. My comments to which you replied were aimed at this:



    "...such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion."


    Yes I was specifically referring to the atonal works of Schoenberg to rebut the definition of 'music' above, I should have been more specific.
  • Reply 345 of 599
    rogifan wrote: »
    You tell me. You mentioned his skin color, not me. If Tim Cook said he was hiring Dave Grohl as a special advisor I'd say the same thing.

    I'm not the one that said he's unqualified. He's obviously a very smart and successful business man.
  • Reply 346 of 599
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    1) You bring up an interesting point: When does business trump human rights violations?

    2) I don't know of Dre being homophobic but I do recall Eminem had a small issue where he used the word faggot in one of his songs. It's clearly not referring to someone who is attracted to someone of the same sex and he's stated that but people still got offended. Snoop Dogg Lion, on the other hand, has stated that homosexualit doesn't belong in hip hop and that he doubts we'll see any gay rappers (which is funny because there are plenty whether he knows it or not), but as of just a couple weeks ago he has completely changed his position. Did work come down from on high that he needs to publicly change his stance?

    3) The more poor the community the less accepting they tend to be of homosexuals. Could Tim Cook be using this as a way to appeal to change? I don't think so but I think it's worth considering.
    1- ask the clippers and NBA

    Look- private or public, if you act like an idiot dropping "n bombs" and f-bombs- you don't need to be in senior management of apple. Iovine, fine. Dre is a big ole fat no.

    2- interesting

    3- ? Odd "point". He works in the best interest of shareholders and AAPL- this isn't a private company. If it were- he's more than welcome to hire whoever to impact culture change. But it isn't his company, and he would (and should) be fired over that. That's why I highly highly doubt that could even be close to true.
  • Reply 347 of 599
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,821member
    andysol wrote: »
    1- ask the clippers and NBA

    Look- private or public, if you act like an idiot dropping "n bombs" and f-bombs- you don't need to be in senior management of apple. Iovine, fine. Dre (or eminem so I don't get called a racist) is a big ole fat no.
    2- interesting
    3- ? Odd "point". He works in the best interest of shareholders and AAPL- this isn't a private company. If it were- he's more than welcome to hire whoever to impact culture change. But it isn't his company, and he would (and should) be fired over that. That's why I highly highly doubt that could even be close to true.

    This from 1997. He seems to me to be a pretty smart guy not an idiot at all .
  • Reply 348 of 599
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    flaneur wrote: »
    Still struggling after three days and how many posts of mental/emotional handwringing?

    Watch the Jimmy Iovine interview with Walt Mossberg again and listen carefully. If you don't see the workings of a mind that understands media culture at the highest level—and one with 40 years experience at the front lines of generational change,—if you don't see that then you are showing yourself again to be incapable of rational thought. I say "again" because of your usual MO here: doubt and worry where there should be analysis.

    Iovine gives you plenty of material to work on with his doctrine of "the next song" and "the new kid out there." The guy is way smarter than the industry he's in, and it's no surprise that he and Dre have the most iconic headphones out there for that kid, despite the fact that the hardware needs improvement. Apple is acquiring the future wearable audio industry, not just the cool, for a mere 3.2 B, along with the curated sound track.

    Edit: to be fair, I should say "incapable of rational thought at times," because of course you aren't always so mired in negativity as you have been over this deal. Studies done on conservatives show their brains are wired to reject the novel and unfamiliar because of connections to the amygdalas, which tend to be larger. My experience has been that they eventually come around to new ideas.
    I watched that video; doesn't change my opinion. Maybe if Iovine comes on full time and runs iTunes (Eddy Cue is obviously struggling to get a Spotify competitor or something even better off the ground) it will make more sense. But if he's just hired to be a special advisor to Tim Cook I don't get it.

    Also I don't see anything novel or unconventional about this. I agree with Ben Bajarin who said on his latest podcast that music seems so last decade. It almost seems as if Apple is looking backwards to when iPods and those silhouette ads were all the rage and trying to get some of that coolness back. The biggest negative stereotype about Apple (and one that I DO NOT share) is that it's all style and no substance; that people buy Apple products because of slick design/marketing/packaging not because the product is superior. That is the epitome of Beats. Iovine may be one of the most brilliant men in the entertainment industry but Beats success so far is purely style over substance. Is that what Apple wants to be associated with?
  • Reply 349 of 599
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    rs9 wrote: »
    Keep in mind that it's sill a rumor. But if it is a fact, Dr. Dre runs a pretty profitable company.  He's a successful business man.  He would not be an executive but he "may" become a member of the board. This move appeases  those who have made an observation that their are not many minorities or women in Apple's Board of Directors.  At a cost of $3billion, chump change for Apple, having a successful African American in the Board reflects Apples DNA. For those of you who are prepared to bring up all this negativity  about Dr. Dre...let's be honest Apple has had its share as well. My fellow critics, I challenge you and build a business worth $3 Billion. 

    Yes- he has helped grow several successful companies. So has Donald trump. So has Donald sterling. Success for one company doesn't mean success for Apple. If you HAVE to hire a black person for apples board- there are several candidates that conduct themselves in a manner that is up to the standards of apple. Fiona Gathwright is one that comes to mind and ties in with the health push.

    Dre is not a good fit at all in my opinion. Hate this rumor of him being on the board more than the rumor of buying beats.
  • Reply 350 of 599
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,821member
    andysol wrote: »
    Yes- he has helped grow several successful companies. So has Donald trump. So has Donald sterling. Success for one company doesn't mean success for Apple. If you HAVE to hire a black person for apples board- there are several candidates that conduct themselves in a manner that is up to the standards of apple. Fiona Gathwright is one that comes to mind and ties in with the health push.

    Dre is not a good fit at all in my opinion. Hate this rumor of him being on the board more than the rumor of buying beats.

    Out of interest, do you like and approve of all the current board members?
  • Reply 351 of 599
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,821member
    rogifan wrote: »
    I watched that video; doesn't change my opinion. Maybe if Iovine comes on full time and runs iTunes (Eddy Cue is obviously struggling to get a Spotify competitor or something even better off the ground) it will make more sense. But if he's just hired to be a special advisor to Tim Cook I don't get it.

    Also I don't see anything novel or unconventional about this. I agree with Ben Bajarin who said on his latest podcast that music seems so last decade. It almost seems as if Apple is looking backwards to when iPods and those silhouette ads were all the rage and trying to get some of that coolness back. The biggest negative stereotype about Apple (and one that I DO NOT share) is that it's all style and no substance; that people buy Apple products because of slick design/marketing/packaging not because the product is superior. That is the epitome of Beats. Iovine may be one of the most brilliant men in the entertainment industry but Beats success so far is purely style over substance. Is that what Apple wants to be associated with?

    It is fascinating to follow your train of thought. You imagine a scenario and what scenario follows that scenario and get upset at the outcome you imagine for the resulting scenario ....
  • Reply 352 of 599
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    It is fascinating to follow your train of thought. You imagine a scenario and what scenario follows that scenario and get upset at the outcome you imagine for the resulting scenario ....
    Beats is style over substance. That's not a scenario I'm imagining. If Apple wants to be associated with that, then fine. I just don't think its a good idea.
  • Reply 353 of 599
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Out of interest, do you like and approve of all the current board members?

    Not Al Gore. Levinson, iger, and Jung are absolutely my favorites. The others are solid. Don't really know much about sugar.

    Edit: I dislike al gore because he's a politician on a board- not as a person or a politician necessarily. My opinion- politicians are told what to do since the beginning of their runs and are molded into these fake things by corporate interests and political parties. I think they add nothing to the boards of companies. I'd much rather have a person who started a company from scratch and created success on their own laurels and through smart hires or strategies.
  • Reply 354 of 599
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post

    Ive been playing with the Beats app for a while, and I discovered a new sound: It's a transvestite country band called the Chicksie Dix.



    Originally Posted by echosonic View Post

    this can't be real.

     

    Hey, my response responded for me.

     

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post

    I still haven't seen a picture of Lenin's corpse wearing Beats headphones. C'mon Internet, make it happen.

     

    Rule 34, section B, paragraph 1: There is porn of it, and there is also some other manner of image manipulation of it.

  • Reply 355 of 599
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,821member
    andysol wrote: »
    Not Al Gore. Levinson, iger, and Jung are absolutely my favorites. The others are solid. Don't really know much about sugar.

    Edit: I dislike al gore because he's a politician on a board- not as a person or a politician necessarily. My opinion- politicians are told what to do since the beginning of their runs and are molded into these fake things by corporate interests and political parties. I think they add nothing to the boards of companies. I'd much rather have a person who started a company from scratch and created success on their own laurels and through smart hires or strategies.

    Off topic sorry ... I wonder about Bill Campbell visa vis his company's ability to even have a half decent version of their software running on OS X ... after how many years ...? Obviously a board member doesn't have to have OS X software (before some smart person claims i mean that) but as he does, perhaps it should be at least up to par with a Windows version. Wouldn't you think?
  • Reply 356 of 599
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,821member
    Apologies in advance ...

    I've been playing with the Beats app for a while, and I discovered a new sound:

    It's a transvestite country band called the Chicksie Dix.

    Are they looking for a new member? (Absolutely NO pun intended) ... I bet the Eurovision Song contest winner will be in great demand ... :D
  • Reply 357 of 599
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I am shocked that it's 2014, decades since it was formed from its origins in funk, soul, and other sources, that there are people that still claim that rap isn't music. Your losses. You're all missing out on a wonderfully imaginative form of self expression and creative musical sounds.

    I think this is the best song off the best album of the 21st century, bar none, and I say that as someone that thinks Kanye is a grade-A tool.

    [VIDEO]


    brlawyer wrote: »
    You may wish to check your quoted definition again: "...such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion."

    Rap and hip-hop fulfill none of the above criteria, of course.

    So the song I posted is not music, just unorganized noises? They the word harmony in their name and I find it fine it very melodic and catchy so how is hear no melody, no harmonizes, no expression of emotion (it's about the death of someone close to them), and hear nothing but noise?
    But the best of all is when some benighted person screams "racist" and forgets that virtually every rap or hip-hop MTV videoclip out there shows zero white people (even though white Bentleys are commonplace)...go figure.

    1) So to not be racist rap videos needs to show a bunch of white people? WTF kind of logic is that?

    2) White Bentleys are commonplace? What does the colour of an automobile have to do with anything or are you saying that only "white" people should be allowed to own Bentleys?
  • Reply 358 of 599
    brlawyerbrlawyer Posts: 828member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Sigma4Life View Post





    I'm not the one that said he's unqualified. He's obviously a very smart and successful business man.

     

    I always love it when people with this US mindset of "if you are successful in business you are good to have" try to justify taking on board individuals like Iovine and "Dre" (whatever his real name is) - Mr Browett was also very "successful" bank account-wise; yet he proved to be a total failure for the Apple Retail experience. It's almost as if Calvinism is the ruling principle in everything that takes place in the US.

     

    So please stop assuming that if someone strikes it rich that someone is the best for a given company - we're talking here about paying 3 billion USD for a mediocre headphone maker whose cool factor is way, way, way below that of Apple itself (well, at least until Cook took the helm). So unless their streaming service is TRULY superior to any other, there is little reason in paying that much for a bunch of cans.

     

    And yes: as a Brazilian I can easily point you to great stuff such as MPB, Bossa Nova, traditional country music, Bebel Gilberto, Tom Jobim, some of the best lounge music in the world and so on - but Emicida is not, in my view, part of that group. While respecting him as an individual, I can almost assure you that US/European showbiz probably likes him for the "protest" or "socially-aware" content of his productions; after all, that's what rap/hip-hop are: expressions of protest through non-melodical spoken word and pre-recorded background samples...until they become too rich to continue "singing" about slums and ghettos, of course.  

  • Reply 359 of 599
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    This from 1997. He seems to me to be a pretty smart guy not an idiot at all .

    It sounds like sour grapes to me when someone can be a self-made millionaire, not even considering the hundreds of millions Dre has made, and yet be called stupid. To me it sounds very similar to the pseudo-sciences that either arose or were adopted in this country to explain why the negro was designed by God to be a servant of the master race. Those comments usually seem to be followed by claims that he was selflessly looking out for their best interests by keeping them in their place.

    I honestly don't get why our knowledge of science hasn't put an end to this silly notion of race.
  • Reply 360 of 599
    brlawyerbrlawyer Posts: 828member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    I am shocked that it's 2014, decades since it was formed from its origins in funk, soul, and other sources, that there are people that still claim that rap isn't music. Your losses. You're all missing out on a wonderfully imaginative form of self expression and creative musical sounds.



    I think this is the best song off the best album of the 21st century, bar none, and I say that as someone that thinks Kanye is a grade-A tool.

     




     

     


     




    i


     





    So the song I posted is not music, just unorganized noises? They the word harmony in their name and I find it fine it very melodic and catchy so how is hear no melody, no harmonizes, no expression of emotion (it's about the death of someone close to them), and hear nothing but noise?

    1) So to not be racist rap videos needs to show a bunch of white people? WTF kind of logic is that?



    2) White Bentleys are commonplace? What does the colour of an automobile have to do with anything or are you saying that only "white" people should be allowed to own Bentleys?

     

    1) The same kind of stupid logic that has led to affirmative action and "equality" in videoclips in the first place - thanks for agreeing with me, then.

     

    2) We should all be colorblind - but that's not what rap/hip-hop clips show, of course - it's almost as if an acute inferiority complex makes them seek vengeance against the "domination" of whites.

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