Tag Archives: Steve Jobs

Mar 26

Apple Granted Patents: Ultrabook Makers To Be ...

Posted on by

In March 2011, Steve Jobs made a public appearance while talking about the competition going after the iPad. In that event he was quoted as saying, "How about 2011? Is it going to be the year of copycats?"

When Steve Jobs said those words, he must’ve said it with a thorough and solid conviction to warn other tech companies wanting to imitate some of Apple’s treasured creations.

Now it seems the day has come once again for those words to reverberate in Apple’s ears and in the eyes of competing tech companies.

Apple was reportedly just granted a patent for Macbook Air design and 19 additional more patents under its wings. Translation: These patents can prove useful if Apple decides to go after the Ultrabook makers, which is really bad news for companies like Asus and Acer, for example.

There’s also a report claiming that Apple already talked to an Asian manufacturer Pegatron to drop new Ultrabook orders from Asus or else it will lose orders for iOS devices. Pegatron alledgedly sided with Apple and it will stop the production of Asus Zenbook by the end of March 2012. Ooouuchh!

In light of this development, Ultrabook makers has a valid reason to be truly nervous. But then again, all these manufacturers need to do is just to come up with a totally different design to avoid further conflicts and legal battle with Apple in the future.

Let the battle of the tech companies for supremacy continue.

 

Freelance technology writer, business news reporter, and social media blogger. Follow me: Twitter.com/DanJayReyes Facebook.com/DanReyesTchnrti

Dan Reyes’s author page — Author’s Blog

Aug 17

Samsung studies show people confused Galaxy Tab ...

Posted on by

A slide from one of Samsung's internal reports included quotes from then Apple CEO Steve Jobs about how software was key to the mobile equation.

(Credit:Samsung; screenshot by Greg Sandoval/CNET)

according to Samsung’s own internal studies, many consumers mistook the Galaxy Tabtablet computer for theiPad.

“Over half of consumers who recognize the Samsung sponsored TabTVC [believed to mean TV commercial] thought it was for Apple,” according to a survey that Samsung sponsored and that was completed in January 2011. “Only 16 percent thought it was for Samsung…. Only 11 percent of consumers are aware and can link the Galaxy Tab back to Samsung while 65 percent of consumers are aware and can link the iPad back to Apple.”

The people who conducted the study, however, reported back that recognition of the Galaxy was growing and advised Samsung leaders to continue “to offer distinct and distinguishable Galaxy products.”

The study was one of at least two that were entered into evidence yesterday as part of the patent trial going on in San Jose, Calif., between Apple and Samsung. Apple last year accused Samsung of ripping off the look and feel of theiPhone and iPad to build its competing products. Samsung countersued and claimed Apple violated several of its patents. The surveys fly in the face of Samsung’s recent attempts to show that there was little confusion among consumers between Apple’s and Samsung’s products.

The trial, which continues Friday, has meant that both parties have seen secrets spill out into public view — including everything from photos of iPhone, iPad, and Galaxy prototypes to internal documents from both camps detailing long-term business strategies.

The two Samsung surveys entered into evidence yesterday boil down to this: in 2008 Samsung was becoming very aware that Apple’s iPhone, with its touch-screen technology, was completely reconstructing the mobile-phone market. a group called Gravitytank collaborated with Samsung on a report dated December 2008 and titled “Touch Portfolio: Rollout Strategy, Recommendation based on consumer insight.”

The report illustrates the growing dominance of the iPhone and the smartphone’s touch technology in the minds of consumers as well as how Samsung’s handsets were threatened by Apple’s. in court yesterday, Apple used these reports to make the case that Samsung was desperate to stem the bleeding and that this was the mind-set of managers at the company when they began copying Apple’s phones. Samsung has always denied Apple’s accusations and argues that it has been a long-time innovator, including making some of the key parts of Apple’s phones and tablets.

Apple v. Samsung

Important dates in the patent dispute.

January 9, 2007The Apple iPhone debuts.

April 15, 2011Apple files suit against Samsung, asserting patent and trade-dress claims.

June 30, 2011Samsung files counterclaims against Apple. in response to Samsung’sinfringement claims related to its standards patents, Apple assertscounterclaims of license exhaustion and FRAND/antitrust violations.

July 1, 2011Apple files a motion for preliminary injunction against the Galaxy S4G, Infuse 4G, and Droid Charge smartphones, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet,which was denied on December 2, 2011.

June 26, 2012 Apple appeals the denial of preliminary injunction to the FederalCircuit, which affirms on all counts except the D’889 design patent,which claims the design of a tablet computer. on this day, the courtenters preliminary injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet based onthe D’889 patent.

July 31, 2012 Opening arguments in the trial begin.

Keep in mind that Apple is presenting its case and we’ve yet to hear Samsung’s side of the story. Apple is working hard to paint Samsung as an idea thief and copy artist. to do that, Apple’s lawyers are trying to establish that the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad are unique. in court yesterday, the company tapped Hal Poret, a researcher at ORC International, to further prove that point. Poret showed examples of evidence that in just a few years after the release of the iPhone and the iPad, consumers had already come to identify the general shape of smartphones and tablets with Apple’s brand.

In another survey, titled “Deep Dive,” Samsung appears to have conducted consumer tracking from may of 2008 to January 2011. in this study, Samsung’s researchers paint a grim picture of how Apple continued to wreak havoc on competitors in the smartphone market, but in this case they also illustrated Apple’s near total control of the tablet segment as well.

Researchers who conducted the 2008 study wrote that consumers loved touch-screen technology, and they didn’t pull any punches about how the media and consumers felt about the iPhone.

From the study: “Pundits tell us that the iPhone is a revolution and so do iPhone users…owners are almost giddy with excitement when they talk about their iPhones.”

Later in the report, researchers noted that “Samsung touch phones are liked, but not loved…while people like the phones, they don’t exhibit the same kind of passion and loyalty as they do with the iPhone.”

The study reported that none of Samsung’s phones at the time made a “design statement.” They wrote that consumers didn’t believe they were “groundbreaking” and they looked “too plain, too extreme, or too much like other Samsung phones.”

The Instinct got favorable reviews from consumers, according to Samsung’s study, but what hurt the handset was a lack of “core touch benefits.”

The researchers concluded that “Samsung is not delivering on the full promise of touch.”

In the consumer tracking survey completed in 2011, researchers wrote in a section titled “Category Landscape” that: “Apple has shown consistent growth in awareness over the course of the year, rivaling Samsung as the manufacturer with the most top of mind brand awareness in the category. Also, preference and purchase intent continue to be strong for Apple.”

The company also noted that “Traditional handset makers (Moto, Nokia, LG) are losing ground since the smartphone boom; unaided awareness, preference, and purchase intent has declined in Q4 for the three manufacturers…. Samsung is the one traditional manufacturer to increase awareness, preference, and purchase intent…primarily driven by females and younger consumers, as well as growth of T-Mobile.”

The researchers offered some good news: Since the launch of the Galaxy line, awareness and preference of the Samsung brand has increased.”

But even that was tempered by Apple’s growth. The report showed that in a category called “brand purchase intent,” Samsung saw 3 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2010 while Apple showed a 5 percent improvement. when it came to tablets, Samsung’s researchers showed that Apple’s iPad was “by far” the most recognized product on the market.

Inside Scoop: Apple and Samsung duke it out

Samsung studies show people confused Galaxy Tab with iPad

This Tablet PC Post was also found by:

    how to install scree shot on Samsung tablet
    how to take screen shot with tablet p c
    samsung 700t taking screenshots
    screenshot samsung 700t
    screenshot samsung tablets 700t
Aug 10

iPad Mini or iPod Touch Maxi — it may not ...

Posted on by

It’s widely expected that Apple will release a 7-to-8-inchtablet next month. Will it be the “iPad Mini” as many have been calling it? or will it be a largeriPod Touch, as has been debated?

My experience using Google’s Nexus 7Android tablet suggests to me that it might not matter.

The rumored Apple tablet got renewed attention last week, after court documents in the Apple-Samsung patent dispute revealed that even after Steve Jobs famously dismissed 7-inch tablets in October 2010, Apple was still internally discussing the idea.

How have we gone from Jobs seeming to declare that 7-inch tablets (specifically Android tablets) made no sense to Apple appearing likely to release its own tablet with a similar form factor?

The world of tablets has radically changed. First the Kindle Fire and now the Nexus 7 have ushered in a new era.

The rebirth of 7-inch tabletsLet’s itemize the things that Jobs believed were wrong with the 7-inch Android tablets back at the end of 2010:

  • Too expensive
  • Too small for good touch control
  • Too big to be mobile
  • Android’s software wasn’t tablet-ready
  • Lack of tablet apps

I certainly would agree on the expensive part. before the Kindle Fire, 7-inch tablets I looked at like the Samsung Galaxy Tab were too close in price to the iPad yet seemed to be far less polished to use. No thanks. but that’s changed, as I’ll get to.

The “too small for touch control” argument never made much sense, given that millions routinely and successfully use touch-screen devices, including those from Apple, that are much smaller than the iPad.

The “too big to be mobile idea” was that it made no sense to Jobs that anyone would carry around a 7-inch oversized phone that gave them little additional benefit than the phone they’d almost certainly also be carrying.

I can see that. That’s why when I was on weekend trip recently, I took my iPad and my phone but not my Nexus 7. I wanted the extra space the iPad would give me for games or doing e-mail, space I wouldn’t get from the Nexus 7.

Tablets sized for bookworms However, I also packed something else on that trip, my Kindle. for reading books, it succeeds where my iPad or my phone fail. Taking the font size up in the Kindle app on my phone is workable but not ideal. the iPad is just too heavy for reading for extended periods, I find. the Kindle is just right.

What’s also ideal is a 7-inch tablet, and that’s where the Kindle Fire was such a game-changer. as I covered in my Kindle comparison, the Kindle Fire is a pretty awesome e-book reader. but beyond that, it was also a workable tablet.

Sure, it isn’t as nice a tablet to use as an iPad. but the Kindle Fire, at $200, is also half the price of an iPad. If you’re on a budget and hadn’t already invested in content that could only be viewed through Apple devices, the Kindle Fire has been a compelling option.

That leads to the Nexus 7, which is even more compelling. as I covered in my Nexus 7 review, the device is fast, responsive and a pleasure to use. as with the Kindle Fire, if the iPad is too much in size or cost, the Nexus 7 delivers — and delivers better than the Kindle Fire does, for the same price.

Going back to that list from Jobs, the first three negatives can be safely dismissed, I’d say. yes, 7-inch Android tablets can be big enough for good touch control, can be small enough to be mobile, and can be affordable.

That leaves the issue of the operating system and applications not being tablet-ready or tablet-friendly. I think that when it comes to the Nexus 7, these issues are also gone, as well.

Android 4 feels nice on “little” tablets I’ve not been a fan of Android 4. I felt it made things more confusing and less workable than Android 2. the Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean” version I’ve used on a review unit of the Galaxy Nexus that Google gave me hasn’t changed my views much. Aside from the amazingly faster camera performance, I still find much about it as frustrating as Android 4.0 that runs on my main Android phone: the Galaxy Nexus I purchased through Verizon.

On the Nexus 7, however, Android 4.1 feels right. perhaps it’s because on my phone, I’m on the move, and often using the phone in sunlight, where it can be hard to see the soft buttons or to easily click on the wrong thing. with the Nexus 7, I’m usually indoors, where it’s easier to see plus there’s just more room on the screen to interact. for whatever reason, I do like it. I’d still give the iPad the edge, but it’s more a narrow edge than a huge gap over Android.

What was especially notable to me was how I didn’t miss having tablet versions of apps for the Nexus 7, as I have on 10-inch Android tablets I’ve used.

In the past, using an application like Twitter on an Android tablet was a huge disappointment. Whereas the iPad app intelligently made use of all the tablet space, the Android app just wasted it. It was designed for the small screen of a phone, not the big screen of a tablet.

Phone apps work for the not-so-big screen Things are different with the Nexus 7. with Twitter, while the app stretches out more on the larger screen (compared to my phone), the screen is still small enough for it not to feel weird. I even find myself liking that with the Nexus 7, drilling into a tweet shows me information on who retweeted it or made it a favorite. the iPhone app does this, too. It’s lacking on the iPad app (though overall, I still like the iPad experience).

I also continue to prefer the e-mail app on the iPad over the Android version, in how it makes use of the iPad’s extra space and is just a better experience overall. Android 4.1 hasn’t solved my e-mail woes there, which is sad, because it should be so simple to add a conversation view. but for those use the separate Gmail app (as many Android users do), this might not be a big issue.

Google+ works differently on either the iPad or Android tablets than on phones. going between the iPad or the Nexus 7, I’m not feeling anything has been left out. with Facebook, I feel like the tablet experience for the Nexus 7 isn’t as good as with the iPad. but it isn’t horrible, either.

When it comes to Web browsing, I’m not feeling much of a difference between the iPad and the Nexus 7, thanks to the new Chrome browser, the default in the Nexus 7. That’s a huge improvement from Android tablets in the past, where I’ve found browsing often to be sluggish or downright buggy.

That’s a short recap of some of the main apps I use. Despite the smaller size of the Nexus 7, I’ve not been struggling with them versus the iPad. that leads me to what might happen if a iPad Mini comes out. If it really was an iPod Touch Maxi, I’m not sure it would matter much or be a drawback.

Why an iPod Touch Maxi might feel iPad-likeAs I mentioned earlier, there’s been much discussion already on whether it’s an iPad Mini coming — one that runs apps designed specifically for the iPad — or instead simply a larger iPod Touch. Apple observer John Gruber wrote an excellent rundown last month pulling together various thinkings and findings out there, with him coming down on this being an iPad.

I don’t think it matters. I think Apple can release a 7-to-8-inch device as either an iPod Touch or an iPad and still have a huge success, if it can keep to the $200 to $250 price range. Sales of both the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7 already indicate that there’s consumer demand for a tablet either of that size or in that price range or likely the combination of both.

As for the apps, I think that’s actually a side issue. Non-tablet apps like Twitter, as I explained above, don’t feel “wrong” when shown on the smaller screen size of the Nexus 7, as opposed to a larger 10-inch Android tablet. I think the same will be true for a 7-inch Apple tablet. If it does only run iPhone apps, they’ll probably be OK. moreover, users might not even notice.

How different are iPad apps? as an experiment, I went to Apple’s own iTunes Charts, to see what’s currently popular.

I decided to play with the No. 2 and 3 apps, Where’s my Perry? and NBC Olympics Live Extra, because:

  • They were available for the iPhone
  • They were available for the iPad
  • They were available for Android

I’d never used either of these apps before, so my goal was to understand how different they really were from the iPhone to the iPad and from those devices to my Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7. I did have to go for the paid edition of Where’s my Perry?, however, as a free one isn’t offered for Android.

Can you spot the difference with the iPad app of Where’s my Perry? from the same app on other devices in the picture below?

Going from left-to-right, the game is running on the Nexus 7, the new iPad, then the iPhone 4S at the top and the Galaxy Nexus on the bottom. There is no difference. the game is identical, as best I can tell, regardless of platform or specific device. the iPad version, despite being billed separately for the iPad, doesn’t even rotate into landscape mode.

Here’s the NBC app:

Unlike with the Where’s my Perry? app, the NBC app does act differently on the iPad than on the other devices. Chiefly, you can rotate to landscape mode. You can’t do this on the iPhone or either of the Android devices. the iPad app also acts differently. in the screenshot above, clicking on an event brought up a window with more information about that event superimposed on top of the larger overall screen. with the other devices, the info window completely replaced the original screen.

It’s not a huge difference. I suspect that it’s hardly going to be a compelling reason to cause someone to choose the iPad over one of the other devices — or over an iPod Touch Maxi — just for the slight advantage of the iPad app. other factors such as device size or cost would be more important, I suspect.

In the future, will there simply be iOS apps?

In fact, I’m wondering if we’re going to see the division between iPad and iPhone apps disappear, going instead the way that Android does things, where there’s one app listed that’s smart enough to operate in a way that’s best for a particular device.

Consider again Where’s my Perry? and how it’s listed in the respective markets:

Two different apps with Apple versus one on Google Play. for my comparison testing, I deliberately bought the iOS app on my iPhone. but that made the supposedly separate iPad app show as purchased for my iPad. Same app; same functionality, but artificial division.

What about iPad apps that really do operate differently? Surely they need to be listed on their own! Consider this:

In the example above, iTunes lists the Google+ app for the iPhone and iPad separately. that makes sense, since they do operate differently. but it doesn’t make sense in that downloading the iPhone one to your iPad makes it work just like the iPad app works. Listing them separately is again more an artificial division than a necessary one. Over at Android market, the app is listed only once, even though it operates differently if it’s on a tablet or on a phone.

Forget the apps, think content

For me, the bottom line is that it’s too easy to get wrapped up in apps, what they might do, how they might work or even the number available for a particular device. It’s especially easy if you’re a developer or a fan of a particular app.

I continue to think that most people are not tied to some killer app, be it an app that’s platform-specific (iOS versus Android) or device-specific (iPad versus iPhone). yes, some people will have apps they must use that dictate the device they choose. but I think for many, if not most, other factors beyond apps such as device size and cost may be more important.

My previous column “Does an app store’s size matter if content is the killer app?” explains this more. that column also focuses on what I think will be far more important going forward: the content we can consume on our devices.

Apple clearly believes we can happily play games, watch video, and read books on our small iPhones. given this, the jump to a larger 7-inch or 8-inch screen poses no drawbacks and all the advantages of providing consumers another form factor they may want.

iPad Mini, iPhone Maxi — it doesn’t matter which emerges. either will give some tough competition to the Nexus 7, which is the contender to beat.

What will be especially interesting to watch is if we do get a Nexus 10, a rumored10-inch tablet from Google. Whereas the Nexus 7 jumped into a real gap that could be exploited against Apple’s product line, the iPad remains the 10-inch tablet that’s tough to beat. Google’s real opportunity here might not be against Apple but against other Android tablet makers.

But perhaps I’m jaded. my Samsung Tab 10.1, over a year old, is still billed as having “the latest Android Technology,” that being Android 3.1. Not just billed, either. That’s what it still runs, since Samsung hasn’t pushed an update. as for my Android 4.0 Asus Transformer? Dead, sent for repair, after refusing to turn on.

At this point, a dependable 10-inch tablet directly from Google — especially at a significantly lower price — might appeal as an iPad alternative. Then again, there’s the coming Microsoft Surface, offering what neither Android nor the iPad have, the ability to be a full-fledged computer. but that power may also come at a higher price.

It’s going to be a interesting fall.

iPad Mini or iPod Touch Maxi — it may not matter

Aug 06

Apple divulges details in court about 7-inch iPad, ...

Posted on by

A court case has forced Apple to disclose some intimate details around Steve Jobs’ stance on a 7-inch iPad, and the process of developing the first iPhone.

For those of you unfamiliar with the matter, Apple and Samsung are currently involved in a long, drawn-out legal battle concerning the two company’s conflicting patents. both companies are fighting to prove the other one copied their original ideas. Samsung lawyers say Apple can’t have a “monopoly on a rectangle” and Phil Schiller, senior vice president of marketing at Apple, says “Customers can get confused about whose product is whose.” Basically, it’s a schoolyard argument with a price tag of $2.5 billion.

But for a company that prefers to stay in the shadows, Apple’s necessity to publicize intimate details about its inner workings can’t be comforting. the Wall Street Journal has been closely following the case, recently reporting on various nuggets of information being spilled onto the courtroom floor, ranging from marketing technigues and budgets to Apple protocol. but marketing strategies are nothing compared to the unique, fascinating, and often bizarre ways that Apple operates.

Like Apple’s stance on a 7-inch iPad, for example. In public, Apple couldn’t make their disdain for the smaller form factor more obvious. but behind closed doors, the company’s stance is much less cut and dry. Apple’s head of iTunes business, Eddy Cue, was actually advocating the merits of a smaller iPad. In an email to Schiller, software genius Scott Forstall, and Tim Cook (Apple’s chief operating officer at the time), Cue wrote: “I believe there will be a 7″ market and we should do one. I expressed this to (CEO) Steve (Jobs) several times since Thanksgiving and he seemed very receptive the last time.”

Weird, right? and it gets weirder, especially regarding the development of the first iPhone. Called “Project Purple” in its infancy, Apple had many rules and regulations for how the project should be handled. Forstall said Steve Jobs forbid him from hiring anyone outside the company, forcing him to recruit some “superstars” at the company. Forstall was also told he couldn’t share what they’d be working on, only that they would have to give up many weeknights and weekends.

Once the team was assembled, a floor of the Apple building was locked down with cameras and keycards to keep the secrets on the inside. It was nicknamed the “purple dorm” because of the project’s codename. Above the door was a sign that read “Fight Club”, an homage to the popular film of the same name. It specifically referenced the rule in the film that no one can ever speak about fight club. Forstall said he had 1,000 people reporting directly to him at the time.

The details certainly aren’t shocking, considering Apple’s infamous reputation for taking the secrecy of unreleased devices very, very seriously. but it will be interesting to see what other tidbits about Apple — and hopefully Samsung too — are uncovered as the patent wars continue.

Apple divulges details in court about 7-inch iPad, conception of the iPhone

This Tablet PC Post was also found by:

    PUBLICIZE APPLE
Aug 03

Apple’s iPad, iPhone, iPod: What’s in a Name?

Posted on by

In the months leading up to the latest iPad unveiling earlier this year, everyone was calling it the iPad 3 – that is, everyone except Apple.

In an odd detour from the Steve Jobs era, the new powers at Apple decided to name it the “new iPad.” The thinking goes that the next-generation iPad is simply another iPad, just like the latest MacBook Pro is referred to merely as a MacBook Pro.

The new naming convention caused confusion in the blogosphere. “we don’t want to be predictable,” says Phil Schiller, senior vice president of global marketing at Apple.

now people are wondering what Apple might call the much rumored smaller tablet, which sources told the Wall Street Journal will come out in the fall.

The new iPad name sets the stage for a smaller tablet to be called the iPad Mini, much like the iPod Mini, wrote Will Shanklin at Geek.com back in March: “If yesterday’s new device had been called the iPad 3, then we would have had the iPad 3 and iPad mini sitting side-by-side. That’s fine, but what happens when the second iPad mini hits the market? iPad 4 and iPad mini 2? it starts to get confusing, complicated, and convoluted: everything that Apple avoids like the plague.”

Shanklin isn’t alone; the popular consensus is that a smaller Apple tablet will be called an iPad Mini. Just do a search for “iPad Mini” and you’ll see what I mean. Even I referred to it as iPad Mini in my story The iPad Mini: A Late Game Changer?

But there’s a problem with the name iPad Mini.

The iPad will face perhaps its biggest rival this fall when Microsoft unleashes its 10.6-inch Windows tablet, called Surface. it will be a premium product likely cost compatible with the iPad and sold concierge-style at Microsoft retail stores. Expect the battle to play out with aggressive advertising campaigns.

it would be the worst time for the iPad brand to be dragged down by a cheap, mini version.

then there are the immortal words of the late Steve Jobs. He dismissed 7-inch tablets as “tweeners,” neither tablet nor smartphone. If Apple names the smaller-screen product an iPad Mini, then Apple is basically saying that such a “tweener” is not only a tablet but an iPad tablet.

Enter an interesting idea courtesy of Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi.

Milanesi contends that such branding would be detrimental to the iPad and a slap in the face to Jobs, which the new leaders at Apple just won’t do. Instead of imagining a smaller-screen product, she sees it as a larger-screen product – as in, a larger iPod Touch.

If Apple calls the new product an iPod, not only does it avoid cheapening the iPad brand but also breathes new life into the iPod brand. The iPod, of course, has been somewhat stagnant compared to its more lively iPhone and iPad brethren.

so there you have it. Get ready for the new iPod.

Apple’s iPad, iPhone, iPod: What’s in a Name?

Jul 14

Fury at Apple’s ‘rip-off’ plan ...

Posted on by

Popular: But iPhone users could found themselves seriously out of pocket if they want to upgrade their device

On Mail Online, Allan from Dartmoor wrote: ‘Keep the same connector and I’ll probably get the next phone as it matched the various docks in the car and in the house. Change it and there is no reason for me to stick with Apple. this is why [the late Apple boss] Steve Jobs would have said “No” to this idea. It is not an opportunity for dock makers. It is an opportunity for Samsung [a major Apple rival].’

Another reader, Ross, wrote: ‘how muchmore – my iPad2 32GB is not a year old yet but in Apple’s eyes it’s oldalready. They are ripping us off – change, change, change. how to keep up? As soon as you buy it’s out of date in five months, it’s becoming a joke.’

THE IPHONE ACCESSORIES WHICH COULD BECOME OBSOLETE

 Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 – $850

Bose Sounddock 10 – $600

B&W Zeppelin mini speaker – $300

Others, however, were confident that an adapter would be available to enable the next generation iPhone to link to existing accessories.

Sirio Brozzi, of the US website Awesome Robo, said: ‘People are stunned by this possibility, myself included. why fix something that’s not broken?’

Answering his own question, he added: ‘have you guys ever heard of planned obsolescence? It’s a practice whichencourages planning and designing a product so it’s only useful for a limited time, before becoming obsolete.’ Robert Scoble, another blogger,said the move would give Apple tighter control over accessory makers.

‘It will be nearly impossible to make unlicensed devices,’ he wrote.

Useless: The $850 Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 is designed to work with the current iPhone’s design

Obsolete: The B&W Zeppelin speaker, left, and the Bose Sounddock 10, right, are other pricey gadgets which will have to be upgraded before they will work with the iPhone 5

‘unfortunately these design goals mean making obsolete the something like ten power chargers in my home.’

Apple advertised for staff to work on the new connector earlier this year. It was seeking an engineer ‘responsible for identifying appropriate connection technology requirements for new products and follow through with selection and development of suitable interconnect products’.

The advertisement added: ‘this will often involve adaptation of existing connectors or complete new designs.’

The new model is expected to have a larger 4-inch screen that will reputedly offer better resolution viewingthan a high definition TV.

It will include Apple’s new mapping software. this has sparked privacy fears as it uses aerial photography capable of showing detail just four inches across.

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE: HOW YOUR GADGETS ARE BUILT TO BREAK

Throughout history electronics manufacturers have sold products with built-in obsolescence, or introduced new formats forcing consumers to rebut accessories and even music, films and TV shows.

Recent examples include the evolution of music, from records to tapes, CDs and downloads, each format requiring users to buy the music they already own again with the promise of better quality.

Film buffs have also seen huge changes, from VHS to laserdisc to DVD, Blu Ray and, finally, downloads.

Many gadget makers, including Apple, also sell electronics with batteries that cannot easily be replaced, forcing users to either upgrade or pay for expensive repairs.

Apple and others have also often changed the design of power supplies and other accessories with each new model, forcing consumers to buy new versions.

TV makers also warn that even the latest TVs have a limited lifespan, with on average around 100,000 hours of use before they must be replaced.

However, manufacturers hope that consumers will upgrade to the latest technology far before this happens.

Fury at Apple’s ‘rip-off’ plan to make ALL iPhone accessories obsolete by changing design of socket

This Tablet PC Post was also found by:

    apple a rip off pay to upgrade softwaRE
Jul 02

Cheap android tablet pc is becoming more and more ...

Posted on by

Since Steve Jobs first brought theandroid tablet pcinto our world all of us considered that they were only created for the rich. the iconic iPad is an excellent pc tablet but is out of reach for most of us because of huge price tag. Google Corporation, a united states internet giant has come into the pc tablet current market with its Android operating system.Because the introduction of Google android into the tablet computers market, the industry sector has specified their visions fully on the fresh and sophisticated Google reliant tablet pcs(sammydress). By far the most current issue to talk about these days in the tablet pcs marketplace is their fresh Android 4.0 tablets that is one preferred for China Product. Being one of the Americans internet giants, Google has brought the tablet computers marketplace by storm.

Ever since iPads had been instigated in the market space, apple handsets have been advanced to the higher level in the sight of clients and its competition also. Google, Samsung, nokia, all of the knowledge encouraging organizations have been fighting ever since then to get their own footing in the marketplace that would make it rightfully the opponent of the apple corporation. Just after apple did, Google stumbled upon a method to fight with apple on its own expertise. So at present, there are more and more china wholesale electronics in the tablet market.  the efforts and fight to win of Google led it to the invention of android software; owning qualities comparable to apple handsets and handheld devices. the effect was an instantaneous success in the market place. not only did android amused its consumers with qualities equal to the iPhones and iPads but also kept an even more attractive feature, one that is unusually connectd with high technology characteristics such as android; cheaper rates and less costly. Androids are becoming exceedingly well known and common among technology loving population who are unable to purchase valuable devices such as those of Apple.

As a result of entry of Google, the very affordable android tablets are now obtainable affordably in various place in the world due to the marketing approaches set by a number of affordablecheap android tabletpc companies. someone can purchase the cost-effective android tablet computer through drop shipping where the gadget will be sent to your residence. When searching for a very affordable tablet pc, a cheap android tablet computer is the right choice,google android tablet pc is the best tablet additionally for its wide range of software available for both free of charge or paid in the android market place. Application development on android platform is also most preferable for a lot of buyers in the present day. Studies have revealed that many mobile phone users are generally more focused on android tablet computers sine many of their apps are easily available in the android current market,read more just go the gadgetsdealer.

Cheap android tablet pc, when introduced in the marketplace, was an instantaneous hit in the market with huge positive attitude from the buyers who were all too glad to acquire a new high speed processor within the reasonable range. Cheap android tablet pc is obtaining the fame which cannot be compared to that of the laptops which were as a matter of fact seen as a frenzy in market space when they were primarily introduced. the economical expense of a cheap tablet pc is what typically makes it too striking for the customers to neglect.

This may appear the best idea possibly to most of us who have little or no practical experience in on the net purchases. On the flip side, one must always be very careful to counteract those unscrupulous vendors who only make empty transactions and then abandon their consumers debilitating. in the Google android market place, clients find it almost painless to pay for apps to their newly bought best chinese android tablet. Drop Shipping is a main factor implemented by Google android market. This is achieved by the point that once a client comes to the market for any kind of app, it takes just a click of a button to start applying your new application. actually, nowadays tablet PCs market is tending towards Drop shipping to alleviate the customers of the charge for travelling to the physical premises to obtain their goods.

Cheap android tablet pc is becoming more and more popular // Chinese Gadgetees

Jun 15

Apple announcements: Google loses, Facebook wins ...

Posted on by

Steve Jobs’ vendetta against Google remains alive, nine months after the Apple co-founder died feeling betrayed by a company he once embraced as an ally.

Skip to next paragraph

Apple is escalating the feud between two of the world’s most influential companies by dumping Google’s mapping service as a built-in feature on most iPhones and iPads. Apple is also making it easier for users of those devices to share their lives on Facebook instead of Google’s competing social network.

The snubs are part of an upgraded mobile operating system that Apple previewed Monday to kick off its 23rd annual developers conference in San Francisco.

RELATED: what will Apple think of next? five ridiculous predictions.

Google’s mapping service will be replaced by an Apple-designed alternative when the new software for mobile devices, iOS 6, is released this fall. Those who want to continue using Google Maps will have to go through additional hurdle, such as finding and installing its app.

It represents a major blow for Google Inc., which stands to lose mobile advertising revenue and valuable insights about people’s whereabouts if users of the popular iPhone and iPad devices switch to Apple’s mapping service.

Apple and Google are locked in a fight for the attention of hundreds of millions of mobile device users. the battle has been building since Google’s 2008 release of its Android operating system to compete against the iPhone.

Android smartphones from companies such as Samsung Electronics co. and Google’s own Motorola division are the chief alternatives to the iPhone. Apple has sued those manufacturers, accusing them of ripping off the iPhone’s ground-breaking features.

Google’s Maps application has resided on the iPhone since the device’s 2007 debut. at that time, the companies were so close that Eric Schmidt, then Google’s CEO, appeared on stage with Jobs to hail their kinship.

Android destroyed the relationship. before he died last October, Jobs told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, that he viewed Android as a form of "grand theft" from Apple and declared "thermonuclear war" against his former ally.

"this is a slap in Google’s face," said Tim Bajarin, a Creative Strategies analyst who got to know Jobs well during his 32 years following the company. "I don’t think Apple is ever going to be able to bury Android, but this is making it clear that they aren’t going to send any more ad revenue Google’s way, if at all possible."

Apple updates its iOS software every year, to coincide with the launch of a new iPhone. Google is scheduled to show off the latest developments in Android at a conference that will be held at the same San Francisco venue beginning June 27.

In a statement Monday, Google said it is "looking forward to continuing to build the perfect map for our users in the months and years ahead." In anticipation of Apple’s announcement, Google last week previewed a series of upgrades to its mapping service in an effort to make it more convenient and compelling.

In another jab at Google, Apple also said it’s building Facebook into iOS 6. that threatens to make it more difficult for Google to drive traffic to its Google plus social network, a high priority for the company. As it is, Google has more than 170 million users while Facebook has more than 900 million users.

Among other things, users of Apple’s new software will be able to update their Facebook status by talking to their phones and declare that they "like" movies and apps in Apple’s iTunes store.

The tie-in with Apple’s mobile devices could be a boon for Facebook Inc., based on the usage of Twitter since that online messaging service became part of the current mobile system, iOS 5. Apple says more than 10 billion tweets have been sent from its mobile devices since last year’s upgrade to iOS 5.

Facebook, though, has warned investors that it still hasn’t figured out how to make a lot of money from mobile devices, where so far it has proven more difficult to bring in as much ad revenue as on traditional computers.

The iOS 6 also will highlight more features from online business review service Yelp Inc. and online restaurant reservation service OpenTable Inc. Both of those companies are competing against Zagat, a review service that Google bought last year for $151 million.

Besides the upcoming iOS, Apple also showed off updated laptops and new features in its software for Mac computers.

Investors appeared to be expecting something more revolutionary, such as more hints about Apple’s ambition to expand into making TVs. Analysts had speculated that Apple would at least update the software on the Apple TV, a small box that connects a TV set to iTunes for movie downloads, as a prelude to perhaps launching a fully integrated TV set.

Apple Inc. shares closed down $9.15, or 1.6 percent, at $571.17. Google shares shed $11.95, or more than 2 percent, to close at $568.50.

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered the keynote Monday at an event that last year turned out to be Jobs’ farewell appearance. In a contrast to Jobs’ showmanship, Cook spoke only briefly during a nearly two-hour presentation orchestrated by his top lieutenants.

Among other updates in iOS 6, Apple’s voice-command application Siri will add a host of languages, including Spanish, Korean and Mandarin Chinese. "She" will also be able to launch applications and movies and will run on iPads for the first time.

Apple’s new version of its Mac operating system, Mountain Lion, will go on sale next month for $20. the update brings features from Apple’s phone and tablet software to the Mac. that includes the iMessage texting application, which will replace iChat.

Microsoft Corp., Apple’s competitor when it comes to computer software, is also making Windows more like its phone software, with the release of Windows 8 later this year. A key difference is that Microsoft is betting that PCs will have touch screens, while Apple is betting they won’t.

Mountain Lion will also bring dictation to Macs. Users will be able to input text by talking to the computer, in any program. this is already a feature in Windows.

Apple showed off a laptop with a super-high resolution "Retina" display, setting a new standard for screen sharpness.

The new MacBook Pro will have a 15-inch screen and four times the resolution of previous models, Apple executive Phil Schiller said.

Apple already uses "Retina" displays — with individual pixels too small to be distinguished by the naked eye — in its latest iPhones and iPads.

On the phones and tablets, the Retina display is a standard feature. On the MacBook, it’s an expensive upgrade. the new MacBook will cost $2,199 and up, $400 more than the non-Retina MacBook with the same-sized screen.

Despite the high price, Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin predicted the souped-up MacBook will be a hit. "It’s a sexy machine," he said. "Any self-respecting gadget lover is going to be drooling over this thing."

The new MacBook borrows features from the ultra-slim MacBook Air. It’s only slightly thicker, and like the Air, lacks a DVD drive. Instead of a spinning hard drive, it uses flash memory for storage. In the most radical departure from past PC designs, it lacks an Ethernet port. Those who don’t want to use Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet will have to buy an adapter that goes into the MacBook’s "Thunderbolt" port.

Apple’s other MacBooks are being updated with the latest processors from Intel Corp. Apple will still sell a more traditional 15-inch MacBook Pro, with a standard display.

RELATED: what will Apple think of next? five ridiculous predictions.

Apple announcements: Google loses, Facebook wins (+video)

Jun 02

Apple CEO Tim Cook Outlines Apple Past And Future; ...

Posted on by

After his induction as the CEO of Apple in August last year, Tim Cook appeared for his first comprehensive interview at the D10 conference. The interview comes before the eagerly-waited-for World Wide Developers Conference, where Apple is expected to unveil future products and upgrades.

The interview was carried out by The Wall Street Journal’s chief tech columnist Walt Mossberg and Co-Executive Editor of AllThingsD, Kara Swisher. Apart from the animated talks about Apple’s constant legal battles on patents with other smartphone manufacturing companies, Cook revealed his sentimental side when asked about how Steve Jobs’ death has had repercussions on him as well as the rest of the company. Cook was quoted saying that a visionary and a mastermind like Steve Jobs can never be replaced and he’ll do his very best to be a good CEO for Apple, ignoring the inevitable comparisons that people will draw throughout Cook’s tenure. Steve Jobs‘ personal influence on Cook’s life was also a highlight, when he talked about how Steve’s battle with cancer was an inspiration not only for him, but for the rest of the company as well.

When asked about how it felt to replace Jobs as the CEO of a corporation which has been consistent with its net profit rises per quarter, Cook brushed it off with humility by saying that Apple has had a few satisfactory quarters; and his work at Apple consumes all his time and attention.

Moving on to the developments expected at WWDC, Cook mostly remained silent and said that the company now wishes to raise the confidentiality surrounding its future ventures. however, there were talks about how Apple changed the way the world perceived tablets with the iPad. since the successor of the iPad 2 was revealed as recently as March, no new upgrades are expected, barring perhaps a handful of software updates.

The only hint thus far available for the audience about the upcoming WWDC announcements is Cook’s discussion about Apple’s broadcast-media solution, Apple TV. Having sold 2.7 million Apple TVs in just two quarters of 2012 (compared to 2.6 million in whole of 2011), Apple TV’s sales have caught the company’s interest. when Mossberg questioned Cook about a possible Apple TV set, Cook decided to stay discreet about it. towards the end of the interview, Cook fondly reminisced about 1998, when Jobs asked him to jump ship and quit his job at Compaq.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Outlines Apple Past And Future; Apple TV Remains On The Cards

Apr 19

Apple Testing 8-inch iPad

Posted on by

 

Rumors have claimed Apple was working on a 7-inch iPad even before the original 9.7-inch slate launched. despite Steve Jobs calling the form factor “DOA,” the rumor will just not die, and has been given new life by the WSJ, which claims Apple is working with parts makers to test an 8-inch iPad.

Apple has shown off its smaller screen designs, and is working with LG and AU Optronics on the 8-inch displays, which have a similar resolution as the iPad and iPad 2 (1024 x 768). 

The report claims that Apple is just testing the screen size, and may have no plans to release the smaller iPad. However, Apple may release a less expensive and smaller iPad in order to better compete with new competition from the Amazon Kindle fire and other low-cost, brand name Android tablets. Earlier rumors suggested Apple will keep its current iPad 2 on the market after it announces the next generation iPad, pegged for early March, as a low-cost alternative. Apple retains a similar strategy with the iPhone, with the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and iPhone 3GS still available to customers.

Source: WSJ

Related Articles:

Apple Testing 8-inch iPad

This Tablet PC Post was also found by:

    apple 8 inch ipad
    ipad 8 inch