Coming off the heels of yet another successful Apple launch debut, its increasingly clear that Apple is on top of their game in a way like no other. Which other company could turn an ordinary press conference into a live global event?The secret lies beyond their product line and design standards; it lies beyond even Steve Jobs emphatic adherence to Apples core philosophy, which is that the user doesnt always know what they want.Looking at the companys latest product lines and revenue models, Id be a fool to call them anything less than what they are, which is: A design firm A media platform A publishing company A software powerhouse A computer builder A movementBreak down each of these bullets individually and youll find a company at the top of their respective industry, but combine them into a single entity and youve got the recipe for building one of the most influential businesses of all time.So how did they do it?Rather than tell you how I think they did it, I thought instead Id turn to their fans on Twitter, who helped me uncover 7 of the greatest marketing lessons that Apple brings to the table.1. Ignore Your CriticsAs an entrepreneur, youll hear a lot of people tell you that you need to reach out and figure out what people want, which means listening to your critics, often times more patiently than youd like.Apple decides to flip the script and instead focus on building what they want to build, no matter the perceived cost. When Steve Jobs debuted the iPad, the critics stood in line, throwing every insult they could muster. The critics said that the iPad would fail.The numbers say otherwise.Each and every time Apple decided to innovate, they were laughed at. They prevailed anyway.Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.- Albert Einstein2. Turn the Ordinary into Something Beautiful

For quite some time, PC fans enjoyed the work of buying their own parts and building their own tower systems. At the same time, PC makers were building standard hardware for standard applications.Apple would have none of that.Theyve been pioneering not only the features of standard operating systems and computer systems, but simultaneously reinventing the design standards as well. As a result, we have the gorgeous iMac, the beautiful new Macbook Air, and who could forget, the amazing iPhone 4.Where others focus on one aspect of the equation, Apple focuses on the entire product, and it shows.3. Justify Your PriceWere in a time when pricing strategies are all over the place. People dont know what to charge, and in many cases, prefer to race to the bottom instead of pricing strategically to a market that can bear the cost.Once more, Apple ignores the standard by not only pricing their technology more than 2x what their competitors charge, but doing so without blinking. How can they get away with it?Well, the answer is twofold:1. They build beautiful products for an audience that loves them passionately.2. They justify their price with features and benefits that cant be matched.Since weve already hit point 1, lets work on #2.No other computer can match the display of a 27 iMacit simply cant be done.No other software can match what iTunes brings to the table.No laptop is as thin as the Macbook Air.No software is more intuitive, no product more valuable than the Apple product. Any other smartphone looks like it was developed by rookies when compared to an iPhone 4. You simply cannot compare the two.Critics will play on the fact that the core features are the same, and they might be, but thats not the point. The point is that Apple is the Rolls Royce of the technology and design world, and their customers will gladly pay a premium because of it.4. Communicate in the Language of Your AudienceIt makes no sense to talk about things like megabytes, gigahertz, and processing power to customers that simply dont care about technical jargon.Take a look at any Apple product page and youll find that though they do discuss product specifications and technical information, its hidden behind the benefits that their audience is truly after.Instead of display resolution, youll see phrases like edge to edge glass, retina display, and LED backlighting.Sure, the jargon is there for those that need it, but its presented in a way that makes you want to learn about megapixels, rather than shy away from them. The art is in the copy, not in the features.5. Extend the ExperienceHave you ever heard of anunboxing? I hadnt either until recently, when I learned that not only was I not the only one keeping Apple packaging post-sale, but that there are legions of people that record the actual process of unwrapping their newly purchased Apple products.Do a search on YouTube and youll find hundreds of Apple unboxings, each from different users from across the globe. Its pretty crazy right?No one tells these people to video their experience, but they do it because the process is so Zen that you cant help not to.Apple does this by making sure that the experience doesnt end at the cash register. They take great care in designing a user experience from browsing to unwrapping, which relies on incredible packaging and installation procedures.By reducing installation to the lowest common denominator, they make buying new products a snap, and by spending as much time on designing packaging as they do on the products themselves, theyve ensured that the box matches whats inside.As a result, theyve built an experience that is nearly impossible to match.6. Build a TribeIts no secret that Apple has built one of the most hardcore fan bases of any product and of any time. Theres a reason theyre called fanboys.But who cares, right? Most of the chatter is out of jealousy more than anything, but Apple doesnt really care. They know that they serve an elite audience, and rather than back away from that fact, they embrace it.7. Become The Name

You dont buy tissues, you buy Kleenex.You dont buy MP3 players, you buy an iPod.You dont buy a smartphone, you buy an iPhone.Have you noticed what theyre doing here? Apple isnt content with being a leader in sales alone, they want to own the market itself, which explains why theyve engineered iTunes as the major music provider that it is, and why the iPad, having the luxury of being the first, has now set the trend for future tablet devices.From here on out, everything will be compared to the iPad, iPhone, iPod, and iTunes. Sadly, this sort of thing is tough to duplicate, but its not impossible. You need to have one of two things:1. A clear head start in terms of being first to market.2. A USP that differentiates your product in a way that makes people wish it were first.The iPhone wasnt the first phone, but they engineered it to be so unique that you couldnt help but think it was. The iMac isnt the first all in one, but it became the only one that mattered.Its not so much the marketing angle that matters as it is the way that people identify with that angle. Take a look at any Steve Jobs product release and youll watch as he tells you why every other product in the market pales in comparison to what hes created.You know what? We believe him.

Telephone prehistory[edit]Mechanical devices[edit]

A 19th century acoustic'tin can',or'lover's'telephoneBefore the invention ofelectromagnetic telephones, mechanicalacousticdevices existed for transmitting speech and music over a distance greater than that of normal direct speech. The earliest mechanical telephones were based on sound transmission through pipes or other physical media.[1]The highly similar acoustictin can telephone, orlover's phone, has been known for centuries. It connects two diaphragms with a taut string or wire, which transmits sound by mechanical vibrations from one to the other along the wire (and not by amodulated electrical current). The classic example is the children's toy made by connecting the bottoms of two paper cups, metal cans, or plastic bottles with tautly held string.[1][2]Among the earliest known experiments were those conducted by the British physicist and polymathRobert Hookefrom 1664 to 1685.[1][3]An acoustic string phone made in 1667 is attributed to him.[4]For a short period of time acoustic telephones were marketed commercially as a niche competitor to the electrical telephone, as they preceded the latter's invention and didn't fall within the scope of its patent protection. WhenAlexander Graham Bell's telephone patent expired and many new telephone manufacturers began competing for customers, acoustic telephone makers quickly went out of business. Their maximum range was very limited, but hundreds of technical innovations, resulting in about 300 patents, increased their range to approximately a half mile (800 m) or more under ideal conditions.[2]An example of one such company was the Pulsion Telephone Supply Company created by Lemuel Mellett in Massachusetts, which designed its version in 1888 and deployed it on railroad right-of-ways.Additionally,speaking tubeshave long remained common, including a lengthy history within buildings and aboard ships, and can still be found in use today.[5]Electrical devices[edit]Main article:Electrical telegraphThe telephone emerged from the making and successive improvements of theelectrical telegraph. In 1804Catalanpolymathand scientistFrancisco Salva Campilloconstructed anelectrochemical telegraph.[6]Anelectromagnetic telegraphwas created byBaron Schillingin 1832.Carl Friedrich GauandWilhelm Weberbuilt another electromagnetic telegraph in 1833 inGttingen.

Bell prototype telephone stampCentennial Issue of 1976The first ever electrical telegraph was constructed by SirWilliam Fothergill Cookeand entered use on theGreat Western Railwayin England. It ran for 13mi (21km) fromPaddington stationtoWest Draytonand came into operation on April9, 1839.Another electrical telegraph was independently developed and patented in the United States in 1837 bySamuel Morse. His assistant,Alfred Vail, developed theMorse codesignalingalphabetwith Morse. America's first telegram was sent by Morse on January6, 1838, across 2 miles (3km) of wiring.During the second half of the 19th century inventors tried to find ways of sending multiple telegraph messages simultaneously over a single telegraph wire by using differentmodulatedaudio frequencies for each message. These inventors includedCharles Bourseul,Thomas Edison,Elisha Gray, andAlexander Graham Bell. Their efforts to developacoustic telegraphyin order to significantly reduce the price of telegraph messages led directly to the creation of the telephone, thespeaking telegraph.Invention of the telephone[edit]Main article:Invention of the telephoneCredit for the invention of the electric telephone is frequently disputed, and new controversies over the issue have arisen from time-to-time.Charles Bourseul,Antonio Meucci,Johann Philipp Reis,Alexander Graham Bell, andElisha Gray, amongst others, have all been credited with the telephone's invention. The early history of the telephone became and still remains a confusing morass ofclaims and counterclaims, which were not clarified by the huge mass of lawsuits to resolve thepatentclaims of many individuals and commercial competitors. The Bell and Edison patents, however, were commercially decisive, because they dominated telephone technology and were upheld by court decisions in the United States. Antonio Meucci, 1854, constructed telephone-like devices. Johann Philipp Reis, 1860, constructed prototype'make-and-break'telephones, today calledReis'telephones. Alexander Graham Bellwas awarded the first U.S. patent for the invention of the telephone in 1876. Elisha Gray, 1876, designed a telephone using awater microphonein Highland Park, Illinois. Tivadar Pusksinvented thetelephone switchboard exchangein 1876. Thomas Edison, invented thecarbon microphonewhich produced a strong telephone signal.The modern telephone is the result of work of many people.[7]Alexander Graham Bellwas, however, the first to patent the telephone, as an "apparatus for transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically". Bell has most often been credited as the inventor of the first practical telephone. However, in GermanyJohann Philipp Reisis seen as a leading telephone pioneer who stopped only just short of a successful device, and as well theItalian-Americaninventor and businessmanAntonio Meuccihas been recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives for his contributory work on the telephone.[8]Several other controversies also surround the question ofpriority of inventionfor the telephone.TheElisha Gray and Alexander Bell telephone controversyconsiders the question of whether Bell and Gray invented the telephone independently and, if not, whether Bell stole the invention from Gray. This controversy is narrower than the broader question of who deserves credit for inventing the telephone, for which there are several claimants.TheCanadian Parliamentary Motion on Alexander Graham Bellarticle reviews the controversial June 2002 United States House of Representatives resolution recognizing Meucci's contributions'in'the invention of the telephone (not'for'the invention of the telephone). The same resolution was not passed in the U.S. Senate. thus labeling the House resolution as "political rhetoric". A subsequentcounter-motionwas unanimously passed in Canada's Parliament 10 days later which declared Bell its inventor. This webpage examines critical aspects of both the parliamentary motion and the congressional resolution.Invention of the telephone exchange[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.Please helpimprove this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(February 2013)

In the era of the electrical telegraph, post offices, railway stations, the more important governmental centers (ministries), stock exchanges, very few nationally distributed newspapers, the largest internationally important corporations and wealthy individuals were the principle users of such telegraphs.[9]Despite the fact that telephone devices existed before the invention of the telephone exchange, their success and economical operation would have been impossible on the sameschemaand structure of the contemporary telegraph. Prior to the invention of the telephone exchange switchboard, early telephones were hardwired to and communicated with only a single other telephone (such as from an individual's home to the person's business).A telephone exchange is a telephone system located at service centers (central offices) responsible for a small geographic area that provided the switching or interconnection of two or more individual subscriber lines for calls made between them, rather than requiring direct lines between subscriber stations. This made it possible for subscribers to call each other at homes, businesses, or public spaces. These made telephony an available and comfortable communication tool for everyday use, and it gave the impetus for the creation of a whole new industrial sector.The telephone exchange was an idea of theHungarianengineerTivadar Pusks(1844 - 1893) in 1876, while he was working forThomas Edisonon a telegraph exchange.[10][11][12][13]The first commercial telephone exchange in the world was opened atNew Haven, Connecticut with 21 subscribers on 28 January 1878,[14]in a storefront of the Boardman Building in New Haven, Connecticut. George W. Coy designed and built the world's first switchboard for commercial use. Coy was inspired by Alexander Graham Bell's lecture at the Skiff Opera House in New Haven on 27 April 1877.[14]In Bell's lecture, during which a three-way telephone connection with Hartford and Middletown was demonstrated, he first discussed the idea of a telephone exchange for the conduct of business and trade. On 3 November 1877, Coy applied for and received a franchise from the Bell Telephone Company for New Haven and Middlesex Counties. Coy, along with Herrick P. Frost and Walter Lewis, who provided the capital, established the District Telephone Company of New Haven on 15 January 1878.[14]The switchboard built by Coy was, according to one source, constructed of "carriage bolts, handles from teapot lids and bustle wire." According to the company records, all the furnishings of the office, including the switchboard, were worth less than forty dollars. While the switchboard could connect as many as sixty-four customers, only two conversations could be handled simultaneously and six connections had to be made for each call.[14]The District Telephone Company of New Haven went into operation with only twenty-one subscribers, who paid $1.50 per month. By 21 February 1878, however, when the first telephone directory was published by the company, fifty subscribers were listed. Most of these businesses and listings such as physicians, the police, and the post office; only eleven residences were listed, four of which were for persons associated with the company.[14]The New Haven District Telephone Company grew quickly and was reorganized several times in its first years. By 1880, the company had the right from theBell Telephone Companyto service all of Connecticut and western Massachusetts. As it expanded, the company was first renamed Connecticut Telephone, and thenSouthern New England Telephonein 1882.[14]The site of the first telephone exchange was granted a designation as aNational Historic Landmarkon 23 April 1965. However it was withdrawn in 1973 in order to demolish the building and construct a parking garage.[14]In 1887 Pusks introduced themultiplexswitchboard, that had an epochal significance in the further development of telephone exchange.[15]Early telephone developments[edit]Main article:Timeline of the telephoneThe following is a brief summary of the history of the development of the telephone:

A FrenchGowertelephone of 1912 at theMuse des Arts et Mtiersin Paris 1667:Robert Hookeinvented astring telephonethat conveyed sounds over an extended wire by mechanical vibrations. It was to be termed an 'acoustic' or 'mechanical' (non-electrical) telephone. 1753: Charles Morrison proposes the idea that electricity can be used to transmit messages, by using different wires for each letter.[16] 1844:Innocenzo Manzettifirst mooted the idea of a "speaking telegraph" (telephone). 1854:Charles Bourseulwrites a memorandum on the principles of the telephone. (See the article: "Transmission lectrique de la parole",L'Illustration, Paris, 26August 1854.) 1854:Antonio Meuccidemonstrates an electric voice-operated device in New York; it is not clear what kind of device he demonstrated. 1861:Philipp Reisconstructs the first speech-transmitting telephone 28 December 1871: Antonio Meucci files apatent caveat(No. 3353, a notice of intent to invent, but not a formalpatent application) at the U.S. Patent Office for a device he named "Sound Telegraph".[17] 1872: Elisha Gray establishesWestern ElectricManufacturing Company. 1 July 1875: Bell uses a bi-directional "gallows" telephone that was able to transmit "voicelike sounds", but not clear speech. Both the transmitter and the receiver were identical membrane electromagnet instruments. 1875:Thomas Edisonexperiments withacoustic telegraphyand in November builds an electro-dynamic receiver, but does not exploit it. 1875: HungarianTivadar Puskas(the inventor of telephone exchange) arrived in the USA. 6 April 1875: Bell's U.S. Patent 161,739 "Transmitters and Receivers for Electric Telegraphs" is granted. This uses multiple vibrating steel reeds in make-break circuits, and the concept of multiplexed frequencies. 20 January 1876: Bell signs and notarizes his patent application for the telephone. 11 February 1876: Elisha Gray designs a liquid transmitter for use with a telephone, but does not build one. 7 March 1876: Bell's U.S. patent No. 174,465 for the telephone is granted. 10 March 1876: Bell transmits the sentence:"Mr. Watson, come here! I want to see you!"using a liquid transmitter and an electromagnetic receiver. 30 January 1877: Bell's U.S. patent No. 186,787 is granted for an electromagnetic telephone using permanent magnets, iron diaphragms, and a call bell. 27 April 1877: Edison files for a patent on a carbon (graphite) transmitter. Patent No. 474,230 was granted on 3 May 1892, after a 15-year delay because of litigation. Edison was granted patent No. 222,390 for a carbon granules transmitter in 1879. 6 October 1877: the Scientific American publishes the invention from Bell - at that time still without a ringer. 25 October 1877: the article in the Scientific American is discussed at the Telegraphenamt in Berlin 12 November 1877: The first commercial telehone company enters telephone business in Friedrichsberg close to Berlin[18]using the Siemens pipe as ringer and telephone devices build by Siemens. 1877: The first experimental Telephone Exchange in Boston. 1877:First long-distance telephone line 1877:Emile Berlinerinvented the telephone transmitter. 28 January 1878: The first commercial US telephone exchange opened inNew Haven, Connecticut. 1887: Tivadar Pusks introduced the multiplex switchboard. 1915: First U.S.coast-to-coast long-distance telephone call, ceremonially inaugurated by A.G. Bell in New York City and his former assistantThomas Augustus Watsonin San Francisco, California.See also:History of telecommunicationEarly commercial instruments[edit]This sectiondoes notciteanyreferences or sources.Please help improve this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2008)

Early telephones were technically diverse. Some usedliquid transmitterswhich soon went out of use. Some were dynamic: their diaphragms vibrated a coil of wire in the field of a permanent magnet or vice versa. This kind survived in small numbers through the 20th century in military and maritime applications where its ability to create its own electrical power was crucial. Most, however, used Edison/Berliner carbon transmitters, which were much louder than the other kinds, even though they requiredinduction coils, actually acting asimpedance matchingtransformers to make it compatible to the line impedance. The Edison patents kept the Bell monopoly viable into the 20th century, by which timetelephone networkswere more important than the instrument.Early telephones were locally powered, using a dynamic transmitter or else powering the transmitter with alocal battery. One of the jobs ofoutside plantpersonnel was to visit each telephone periodically to inspect the battery. During the 20th century, "common battery" operation came to dominate, powered by "talk battery" from the telephone exchange over the same wires that carried the voice signals. Late in the century, wireless handsets brought a revival of local battery power.The earliest telephones had only one wire for both transmitting and receiving of audio, and used aground returnpath, as was found intelegraphsystems. The earliest dynamic telephones also had only one opening for sound, and the user alternately listened and spoke (rather, shouted) into the same hole. Sometimes the instruments were operated in pairs at each end, making conversation more convenient but also more expensive.

Historical marker commemorating the first telephone central office in New York State (1878)At first, the benefits of aswitchboardexchange were not exploited. Instead, telephones were leased in pairs to thesubscriber, for example one for his home and one for his shop, who must arrange with telegraph contractors to construct a line between them. Users who wanted the ability to speak to three or four different shops, suppliers etc. would obtain and set up three or four pairs of telephones.Western Union, already using telegraph exchanges, quickly extended the principle to its telephones in New York City and San Francisco, and Bell was not slow in appreciating the potential.Signaling began in an appropriately primitive manner. The user alerted the other end, or the exchange operator, by whistling into the transmitter. Exchange operation soon resulted in telephones being equipped with a bell, first operated over a second wire and later with the same wire using a condenser. Telephones connected to the earliestStrowgerautomatic exchanges had seven wires, one for theknife switch, one for eachtelegraph key, one for the bell, one for the push button and two for speaking.Rural and other telephones that were not on a common battery exchange had hand cranked "magneto" generator to produce an alternating current to ring the bells of other telephones on the line and to alert the exchange operator.In 1877 and 1878,Edison invented and developed the carbon microphoneused in all telephones along with the Bell receiver until the 1980s. After protracted patent litigation, a federal court ruled in 1892 that Edison and notEmile Berlinerwas the inventor of the carbon microphone. The carbon microphone was also used in radio broadcasting and public address work through the 1920s.

1896 Telephone (Sweden)In the 1890s a new smaller style of telephone was introduced, thecandlestick telephone, packaged in three parts. The transmitter stood on a stand, known as a "candlestick" for its shape, hence the name. When not in use, the receiver hung on a hook with a switch in it, known as a "switchhook." Previous telephones required the user to operate a separate switch to connect either the voice or the bell. With the new kind, the user was less likely to leave the phone "off the hook". In phones connected to magneto exchanges, the bell, induction coil, battery, and magneto were in a separatebell boxcalled a "ringer box." In phones connected to common battery exchanges, the ringer box was installed under a desk, or other out of the way place, since it did not need a battery or magneto.Cradle designs were also used at this time, having a handle with the receiver and transmitter attached, separate from the cradle base that housed the magneto crank and other parts. They were larger than the "candlestick" and more popular.Disadvantages of single wire operation such ascrosstalkand hum from nearby AC power wires had already led to the use oftwisted pairsand, forlong distance telephones,four-wire circuits. Users at the beginning of the 20th century did not placelong distance callsfrom their own telephones but made an appointment to use a special sound proofed long distancetelephone boothfurnished with the latest technology.Around 1893, the country leading the world in telephones per 100 persons (teledensity) was Sweden with 0.55 in the whole country but 4 in Stockholm (10,000 out of a total of 27,658 subscribers).[19]This compares with 0.4 in USA for that year.[20]Telephone service in Sweden developed through a variety of institutional forms: theInternational Bell Telephone Company(a U.S. multinational), town and village co-operatives, the General Telephone Company of Stockholm (a Swedish private company), and the Swedish Telegraph Department (part of the Swedish government). Since Stockholm consists of islands, telephone service offered relatively large advantages, but had to use submarine cables extensively. Competition between Bell Telephone and General Telephone, and later between General Telephone and the Swedish Telegraph Dept., was intense.In 1893, the U.S. was considerably behind Sweden, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Norway in teledensity. The U.S. became the world leadership in teledensity with the rise of many independent telephone companies after the Bell patents expired in 1893 and 1894.20th century developments[edit]

Old Receiver schematic, c.1906

A Germanrotary dialtelephone, theW48

Top of cellular telephone towerBy 1904 over three million phones in the U.S.[21]were connected by manual switchboard exchanges. By 1914, the U.S. was the world leader in telephone density and had more than twice the teledensity of Sweden, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Norway. The relatively good performance of the U.S. occurred despite competing telephone networks not interconnecting.[22]What turned out to be the most popular and longest lasting physical style of telephone was introduced in the early 20th century, including Bell'smodel 102 telephone. Acarbon granule transmitterand electromagnetic receiver were united in a single molded plastic handle, which when not in use were placed in a cradle in the base unit. The circuit diagram[23]of the model 102 shows the direct connection of the receiver to the line, while the transmitter was induction coupled, with energy supplied by a local battery. The coupling transformer, battery, and ringer were in a separate enclosure from the desk set. Therotary dialin the base interrupted the line current by repeatedly but very briefly disconnecting the line 1 to 10 times for each digit, and the hook switch (in the center of the circuit diagram) permanently disconnected the line and the transmitter battery while the handset was on the cradle.Starting in the 1930s, the base of the telephone also enclosed its bell and induction coil, obviating a separate ringer box. Power was supplied to each subscriber line by central office batteries instead of the user's local battery which required periodic service. For the next half century, the network behind the telephone grew progressively larger and much more efficient, and after the rotary dial was added the instrument itself changed little untilTouch-Tonesignaling started replacing the rotary dial in the 1960s.Thehistory of mobile phonescan be traced back to two-way radios permanently installed in vehicles such as taxicabs, police cruisers, railroad trains, and the like. Later versions such as the so-called transportables or "bag phones" were equipped with a cigarette lighter plug so that they could also be carried, and thus could be used as either mobile two-way radios or as portable phones by being patched into the telephone network.In December 1947,Bell LabsengineersDouglas H. RingandW. Rae Youngproposed hexagonal cell transmissions for mobile phones.[24]Philip T. Porter, also of Bell Labs, proposed that the cell towers be at the corners of the hexagons rather than the centers and have directional antennas that would transmit/receive in 3 directions (see picture at right) into 3 adjacent hexagon cells.[25][26]The technology did not exist then and the radio frequencies had not yet been allocated. Cellular technology was undeveloped until the 1960s, when Richard H. Frenkiel andJoel S. Engelof Bell Labs developed the electronics.On 3 April 1973 Motorola managerMartin Cooperplaced a cellular phone call (in front of reporters) to Dr. Joel S. Engel, head of research at AT&T'sBell Labs. This began the era of the handheld cellular mobile phone.Meanwhile the 1956 inauguration of theTAT-1cable and laterinternational direct dialingwere important steps in putting together the various continental telephone networks into aglobal network.Cable television companies began to use their fast-developing cable networks, with ducting under the streets of the United Kingdom, in the late 1980s, to provide telephony services in association with major telephone companies. One of the early cable operators in the UK,Cable London, connected its first cable telephone customer in about 1990.Women's usage in the 20th century[edit]The telephone was instrumental to modernization and labour. It aided in the development of suburbs and the separation of homes and businesses, but also became the reason for the separation between women occupying the private sphere and men in the public sphere.[27]This would continue to isolate women and the home.Women were regarded as the most frequent users of the telephone. As a means of liberation, it enabled women to work in the telecommunications sector as receptionists and operators. The autonomy was celebrated as women were able to develop new relationships and nurture pre-existing ones in their private lives. Social relations are essential in the access and usage of telephone networks.Both historically and presently, women are predominantly responsible for the phone calls that bridge the public and private sphere, such as calls regarding doctors appointments and meetings.[28]This emphasizes the telephones impact on the social lives of women in the domestic sphere, reducing both isolation and insecurity.21st century developments[edit]See also:IP telephonyThis sectiondoes notciteanyreferences or sources.Please help improve this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(February 2013)

Internet Protocol (IP) telephony, also known as Internet telephony orVoice over Internet Protocol(VoIP), is adisruptive technologythat is rapidly gaining ground against traditional telephone network technologies. In Japan andSouth Koreaup to 10% of subscribers switched to this type of telephone service as of January 2005.IP telephony uses abroadbandInternet service to transmit conversations asdata packets. In addition to replacing the traditionalplain old telephone service(POTS) systems, IP telephony also competes withmobile phonenetworks by offering free or lower cost service viaWiFihotspots. VoIP is also used on private wireless networks which may or may not have a connection to the outside telephone network.

Apple Reports Record First Quarter ResultsHighest-ever revenue & earnings drive 48% increase in EPS

Growth led by record revenue from iPhone, Mac & App StoreCUPERTINO, CaliforniaJanuary 27, 2015Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 first quarter ended December 27, 2014. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $74.6 billion and record quarterly net profit of $18 billion, or $3.06 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $57.6 billion and net profit of $13.1 billion, or $2.07 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.9 percent compared to 37.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 65 percent of the quarters revenue.

The results were fueled by all-time record revenue from iPhone and Mac sales as well as record performance of the App Store. iPhone unit sales of 74.5 million also set a new record.

Wed like to thank our customers for an incredible quarter, which saw demand for Apple products soar to an all-time high, said Tim Cook, Apples CEO. Our revenue grew 30 percent over last year to $74.6 billion, and the execution by our teams to achieve these results was simply phenomenal.

Our exceptional results produced EPS growth of 48 percent over last year, and $33.7 billion in operating cash flow during the quarter, an all-time record, said Luca Maestri, Apples CFO. We spent over $8 billion on our capital return program, bringing total returns to investors to almost $103 billion, over $57 billion of which occurred in just the last 12 months.

Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2015 second quarter:

revenue between $52 billion and $55 billion gross margin between 38.5 percent and 39.5 percent operating expenses between $5.4 billion and $5.5 billion other income/(expense) of $350 million tax rate of 26.3 percent

Apples board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.47 per share of the Companys common stock. The dividend is payable on February 12, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 9, 2015.

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q1 2015 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PST on January 27, 2015 atwww.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq115. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Companys estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), and tax rate. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Companys reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Companys products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Companys gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Companys need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Companys business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Companys dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Companys international operations; the Companys reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Companys dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Companys products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Companys sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Companys financial results is included from time to time in the Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of the Companys public reports filed with the SEC, including the Companys Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2014, and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 27, 2014 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

NEWS ANALYSIS: Microsoft Windows Phone 8 is launching soon. And the software giants mobile operating system might just be more popular than its predecessor.

Microsofts Windows Phone 8 was announced back in June and immediately made an impression. The operating system, which will launch later this year, comes with a host of improvements, including a better Start screen, near-field communication support and new mapping features that are designed to help folks not only find out where theyre going, but also locate points of interest.Microsoft expects Windows Phone 8 to perform even better on the market than its predecessor. Of course, thats not all that difficult. Customers who found more to like in Apples iPhone and Android largely ignored Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 8, therefore, has put Microsoft at a crossroads. Either the operating system will drive Microsoft to success or push it even farther down the mobile ladder.So far, it appears that Windows Phone 8 might just help Microsoft achieve success. The operating system is by no means perfect and it too early to tell how well Windows 8 devices will actually sell, but as of this writing, it appears to be a winner.Read on to find out why Windows Phone 8 could be a success when it launches later this year.

1. The home page is a great improvementMicrosoft delivered a new Start screen with Windows Phone 8 that allows for easy control of tiles and the ability to see more information in the opening pane. With the new addition, it should make it much easier for users to navigate and find information.

2. Vendors are lining upVendors are quite happy to jump on the Windows Phone 8 bandwagon. At IFA in Berlin, Samsung announced its first Windows Phone 8 device. Nokia is expected to offer up its own handsets running the operating system next week. Others will follow soon. Vendors are lining up to get their hands on Windows Phone 8.

3. The Samsung case will helpApples victory over Samsung could be a boon for Windows Phone 8. The victory could make Samsung warm a bit more to Microsoft and Windows Phone and prompt other Android vendors to at least consider the Microsofts mobile OS to hedge their market bets. Believe it or not, Microsoft might prove to be the largest benefactor of Apples $1.05 billion victory over Samsung.

4. Nokia is still a threatNokia might be down, but its definitely not out. And the companys brand is still valued quite highly among consumers in emerging markets. Considering that Nokia and Microsoft are bedfellows with Windows Phone, its possible that the companys handsets could help Windows Phone 8.

5. Microsofts control is importantMicrosoft has made the smart decision, like Apple, to fully control the design of its operating system. By doing so, it curtails the varied experiences customers get in the Android ecosystem where multiple editions of operating system run concurrently on different phone models. It also allows Microsoft to maintain stronger security, since it controls the code. Its a smart idea.

6. The designs look solidWhen it comes to design, both Microsoft and its vendor partners appear to be spot-on. The operating system is well-built, easy to navigate and seems to anticipate user demands. Samsungs Windows Phone 8-based device, the ATIV S, is downright beautiful. Its nice to see Microsoft and its vendors partners actually go for strong design for once.

7. The apps are comingAlthough Microsoft got off to a late start with mobile apps, the company has quickly made some inroads. As more people buy Windows Phone, therell be a much better chance of its platform catching up to Google Play and Apples App Store. Its not always considered, but apps and the growth of application marketplaces is extremely important.

8. Its nice to see new mappingMicrosofts new mapping features in Windows Phone 8 could very well be its best addition. Thanks to help from Nokias mapping services, the operating system will now offer built-in turn-by-turn navigation in many countries, more detailed maps, and the ability to store those maps offline. In some ways Windows Phone 8s mapping is better than anything Apple or Google are offering in their own operating systems.

9. A similar view across operating systemsMicrosoft has made the smart decision to deliver a very similar experience across Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. By doing so, it might be able to attract more Windows 8 customers to its mobile operating system, since theyll feel right at home with its design. Windows 8 might just be the Trojan horse Microsoft is counting onand everyone is forgetting about.

10. Strong NFC integrationThe future of the mobile market resides with near-field communication. That technology, which allows for mobile products to wireless communicate with other devices, is a key component in Windows Phone 8. According to Microsoft, users will be able to make mobile payments and use the NFC features built into its operating system for a host of other uses. Itll be a nice addition.source:eweek