Archive for the ‘Apple’ Category
Friday, April 12th, 2013
 The convenience and mobility benefits afforded by tablet computers are showing no signs of slowing interest after record unit shipments and revenues were reported by device vendors in 2012.
In 2013, approximately 150 million tablets (up 38% year-over-year) are forecasted to ship globally worth an estimated $64 billion (up 28% from 2012) in potential end-user revenues, according to market intelligence firm ABI Research.
Apple shipped 60 percent of total
So far, Apple has reigned since the introduction of its iPad in 2010, though Samsung and others continue to erode its early success.
About 60% of last year’s tablet shipments used Apple’s iOS operating system software while 37% were based on Google’s Android OS (or development forks of Android, such as found on Amazon’s Kindle Fire slates).
The remaining 3% OS share consisted of Windows (Windows 7, 8, or RT), BlackBerry Tablet OS, and unidentified OS implementations.
Tide turning toward Android
 “The tide is definitely turning toward Android-based tablets, though Apple will not slouch as it feels the competition approaching,” says mobile devices senior practice director Jeff Orr.
“The iPad mini was a timely introduction in 2012, though ABI Research remains cautious about the bottom line impact this is having for Apple.
Here at the TechJournal, we think the late Steve Jobs was wrong when he said tablets needed those 10-inch screens. The 7-inch models are much handier and with the exception of all those regular sized iPad sales, we think they’ll dominate the market.
Personally, while we enjoy our Kindle Fire, we are waiting to see what Google offers in its upcoming new Nexus 7 tablet release expected in July. We suspect Apple will release an updated iPad mini in the not too distant future as well.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: what will make tablets even more useful, salable and dominant is better voice control – something Apple’s Siri and the dictation features on the Nexus are approaching. Better accuracy and true dictation ability are crucial to easy control of these devices without a keyboard.
The first quarter of 2013 should be the first time where production was able to meet market demand and a better sense of how much 9.7” iPad volume has switched to the smaller, lower-cost mini will be understood.”
Samsung could challenge Apple
 iPad 4 The next opportunity is for a vendor challenger to break away from the pack and move closer to Apple. Most would consider Samsung the likely pursuer, though the company was mired in legal proceedings during much of 2012.
The success Samsung has seen during the past year with smartphones, Android OS, and the Galaxy Note II is expected to migrate across to tablets in 2013.
“A well-executed Samsung tablet strategy could double the company’s market share this year,” adds Orr.
Unfortunately, there are few “fast followers” capable of emulating the ownership of technology that Samsung has, suggesting that more innovation is necessary within the Android OS that pulls tablet OEMs closer to Apple.
These “Media Tablets and eReaders” Market Data findings are part of ABI Research’s Media Tablets, Ultrabooks and eReaders Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/service/media-tablets-netbooks-ereaders/).
Tags: 2013, ABIresearch, Android, Apple, iOS, Kindle Fire, Samsung, tablet sales
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, Google, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, April 11th, 2013
By Allan Maurer
 Joellyn “Joey” Sargent. One mistake brands sometimes make today is that with digital and social media so prevalent, they sometimes think “We don’t need print, TV or traditional marketing anymore.”
That’s usually not the case, says Joellyn “Joey” Sargent, a principal at strategic marketing and management consulting firm BrandSprout. “People don’t live in their computers,” she says. “They drive, watch TV. Looking at your customers’ lifestyles and figuring out how to reach them in all kinds of places is critical.”
An avid fan of technology and innovation, Sargent’s approach merges new media with traditional marketing. Before founding BrandSprout, she spent 20 years leading marketing strategy for businesses ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500, including UPS and BellSouth (now AT&T).
As a senior marketing executive, she had global responsibility for branding, marketing strategy, communications and product management functions. Sargent has been quoted in Fox Business, Huffington Post and Social Media Today. She holds an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Read her blog at www.Fresh-Sprouts.com.
Participating in the Atlanta Digital Summit
Sargent is among the digital marketers, web strategists, senior Internet executives, thought-leaders, and entrepreneurs participating in the upcoming Digital Summit in Atlanta May 14-15. She also appeared at the event last year and you can read our interview preceding her presentation, “In the Age of Social Media, Companies don’t fully control the brand” here.
“It doesn’t make sense to try to reach customers from only one angle,” Sargent says. “You should start with a strong understanding of your target market and what they enjoy doing, what’s appropriate for them, where they are hanging out, what they’re reading and where they’re interacting.”
Sargent notes that while you could spend a lot of money on hard core research, you could also find out much of this information by “Talking to your customers in the field. Observe their behavior. Drill down on how they found out about you, who else they looked at, options they considered, and why they chose you. You’ll find good ways to get in front of them.”
Look for the most effective approaches
You will really want to look at the most effective approaches, she adds. “You might get in front of them 10 ways, but some are going to be better than others.”
Just as a quick example she says, “Someone waiting in a bus shelter will see a sign there, but if you’re in traffic, you might not notice a sign on a bus going by.”
You have to think about not only where you’ll get their attention, but also, where can they potentially take action?
Don’t do too much
One mistake marketers make, she says, “Is trying to do too much and cover the waterfront, be on every social network. That’s not productive because you spread yourself too thinly. Find the right places to connect with your customers.”
Even then, you have to think about what is appropriate for each social network. Photos of a company bowling team might work well on Facebook, but not on LinkedIn.
On a website your customers frequent, you might choose to have a pop up offer a newsletter if it offers a gateway to content they are interested in, she suggests.
“At the same time,” she warns, “You don’t want to jump in front of them if it’s not relevant to them. Find those opportunities where it is appropriate to get in front of them and they can make mental connections as to why you are there.”
Merge online and offline efforts
One thing that is particularly important – which she will discuss in more detail and with examples at the Digital Summit, is the need to merge offline and online marketing efforts.
“You have to be careful not to seem creepy,” she says, “such as when you download a brochure and the next thing you know your phone is ringing.”
Instead, she says, “If someone is engaged on a website, take it further. Can we give you something in hard copy? An invitation to an event we’re hosting? A workshop? Those are great for the more complex sale.”
For retail, offer a coupon, get them in the store. “For someone without a history with the brand, getting them to come in is a big deal.”
It’s a time-consuming process, but it’s not the kind of thing you can do and say you’re done, she notes.
A continuum, not set it and forget it
“It’s a continuum. The market changes. There are new opportunities for connecting with your customers. You need to be more nimble than ever.”
Once upon a time companies could do an annual marketing plan and that was it. “Now you have to do it every month,” she says. “People who go through the set it and forget it process end up spending more money than they need to by not optimizing their program.”
Finally, Sargent says, “Make sure you know how your digital marketing affects your overall corporate goals. It’s not about having 10,000 leads, it’s about having leads that bring you customers to help you grow over time.”
Tags: 2013, Atlanta, BrandSprout, digital, Digital Summit, Joey Sargent, Marketing, traditional
Posted in Apple, Best Practices, Events, Georgia, Internet/New Media, Marketing | No Comments »
Friday, March 22nd, 2013
 Tablet sales exploded nearly 300 percent over 2011, Apple regained its smartphone market share lead, and LTE smartphone sales rose 151 percent in the 4th quarter of 2012, according to Infonetics.
“FDD-LTE was the biggest driver for smartphone growth in the final quarter of 2012, with unit growth of 151%, the second straight quarter of triple-digit growth,” reports Julien Blin, directing analyst for consumer electronics and mobile broadband atInfonetics Research.
“TDD-LTE smartphones are also ramping fast, albeit from a much smaller base, despite a temporary dip in growth in the 4th quarter. In 2012, 5 times as many W-CDMA/HSPA smartphones shipped as LTE smartphones. By 2015 we expect LTE smartphones to overtake W-CDMA/HSPA.”
Blin adds, “Similarly in the tablet space, the growing popularity of low-cost LTE tablets, shared data plans, and improved LTE network coverage (especially in developed markets like North America and Western Europe), will drive LTE-enabled tablets to close the gap on WiFi-only tablets by 2017.”
MOBILE BROADBAND DEVICE MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
- The global smartphone market totaled $247 billion in 2012, up 51% from 2011
- Owing to the introduction of the iPhone 5, Apple regained its lead in smartphone revenue market share in 4Q12 with 37%, followed by Samsung with 29%; Samsung maintains its lead in smartphone unit share
- Sales of tablets reached $42 billion worldwide in 2012, jumping 281% over 2011
- In 2012, shipments of standalone USB mobile broadband cards grew steadily, driven by W-CDMA shipments in developing countries and LTE growth in developed markets
- Meanwhile, embedded cards declined as the more functional tablet segment overshadowed embedded PCs and mobile internet devices (MIDs)
- Infonetics expects the number of global mobile broadband subscribers (phone and PC) to grow from 1.2 billion in 2012 to close to 3 billion by 2017
Tags: Apple market share, Infonetics, Q4 2012, smartphones, tablet sales
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, March 21st, 2013
 The developer of PictureSudoku.com says he’s done some number crunching that may finally settle a burning technology question: Which is better, Mac or PC?
PictureSudoku.com sees about 5,000 visitors per month. It lets users play a picture form of Sudoku puzzles in real-time online.
The website monitors several components that gauge a player’s performance:
1) the player’s hardware used
2) the player’s choice of internet browser
3) the player’s speed to complete a puzzle
As a player progresses through the Sudoku puzzle, hints are provided on request. It was hint data, when combined with the three factors above, that puzzle developer, Simon Broadley , thought might punch up the score of one platform vs. the other and one browser vs. the other.
View charts
Computer Choice:
http://www.xpresspress.com/images/Sudoku-speed-computer.png
Browser Choice:
http://www.xpresspress.com/images/Sudoku-speed-browser.png
 “There is a definite connection between computer and browser choice and how fast people complete a picture Sudoku,” stated Broadley.
The data also made Broadley wonder whether one platform (and by extension, consumer) is smarter than another.
According to the findings, iPad users required four times the number of hints when compared to Mac desktop users and 60% more hints than Windows desktop users.
“This may be attributed to more children using the iPad,” Broadley hypothesized.
But don’t fret Apple fans, the narrative shifts when puzzles are played on the desktop.
 Windows users required more than two times the number of hints than Apple/Mac users.
And when the Safari browser is deployed, Mac players became supercharged, finishing puzzles faster than any other hardware/browser combination.
Desktop Macs with Safari are smarter—at least for PictureSudoku.com play.
“By far, the slowest play was through Internet Explorer,” Broadley stated. “However, those players still required fewer hints than Firefox users. The figures go against logic which suggests more hints slow down a game.”
And the winner is …
“Sorry, PC users. For this round, Mac is the winner,” Broadley concluded. “But it’s only a game.”
Founded in 2007 as a programming challenge, PictureSudoku.com was created by developer Simon Broadley of Stonehaven,Scotland.
Tags: best browser, Firefox, Internet Explorer, iPad, Mac vs. PC, Picture Sudoku, Safari
Posted in Apple, Internet/New Media, Microsoft | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 12th, 2013
 Are smartphone makers losing billions of dollars a year due to poor revenue management?
According to Gartner, Inc., a leading IT research and advisory company, given that chargeback credits can exceed millions of dollars per month, wholesale distributors can severely undermine profitability through inaccurate and inefficient processes, with revenue leakage accounting for as much as 1-2 percent of gross revenue.
Manufacturers also face similar revenue leakage exposure and although the percentage might seem small, for technology giants such as Apple and Samsung, this could mean billions of dollars in lost revenue each quarter.
Why does this matter to anyone but a manufacturer? It’s pretty basic: if the manufacturer’s costs are higher, so is the price consumers will have to pay for devices.
Here’s an infographic detailing the problem from Revitas, which, not surprisingly, sells solutions for contracts, pricing, and compliance.
Tags: Apple, deals, incentives, leakage, lost revenue, manufacturers, rebates, Samsung, smartphones
Posted in Apple, infographic, Money, smartphones | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
 Researchers say they can boost the speed of public WiFi networks by up to 700 percent. Wi-Fi remains the leading data network for on-the-go data consumption in the five leading Arbitron Mobile-based smartphone panels.
People on Apple iOS devices use the most data and the most WiFi.
Even as carriers aggressively promote their newest generation of cellular data networking, the Arbitron smartphone panelists in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and China, still consume nearly two thirds of their mobile data through public and private Wi-Fi networks.
Wi-Fi Data Consumption by Arbitron Mobile-based Smartphone Panelists
Sorted by average mobile data consumption per month (cellular +Wi-Fi) |
|
|
% via Wi-Fi |
Cell + Wi-Fi Data
MB/User/Month |
% of panelists
> 1,000 MB/month |
| U.S. |
61% |
1,496 |
49% |
| U.K. |
69% |
1,181 |
37% |
| Germany |
63% |
861 |
37% |
| France |
53% |
730 |
24% |
| China* |
70% |
719 |
25% |
|
Source: Arbitron Mobile Index: Executive Summary Reports, 4th quarter 2012
* Operated by iResearch using Arbitron Mobile technology |
 The iPhone 5 The United States and United Kingdom have the heaviest users of mobile data in their Arbitron smartphone panels. A substantial share of the data consumption—61 and 69 percent respectively—relies on Wi-Fi networks.
China and France have the lightest users of mobile data in their Arbitron Mobile-based smartphone panels, both in terms of the average monthly data consumed and the share of the panel who consume more the 1,000 MB a month.
However, their respective share of Wi-Fi networks as a data source stands at a polar opposite.
China panelists consume the largest share—70 percent—on Wi-Fi networks. French panelists, consume the smallest share—53 percent—of mobile data on Wi-Fi.
In all five of the Arbitron Mobile panels, Apple iOS users are heaviest consumers of mobile data and are the heaviest users of Wi-Fi for their on-the-go data needs.
Data Consumption by Leading Mobile Operating Systems
Sorted by average mobile data consumption per month (cellular +Wi-Fi) on iOS |
|
|
Apple iOS |
Android |
|
MB/User/Month |
% via Wi-Fi |
MB/User/Month |
% via Wi-Fi |
| U.S. |
2,512 |
66% |
821 |
57% |
| U.K. |
2,216 |
80% |
740 |
64% |
| China* |
1,636 |
81% |
347 |
65% |
| France |
1,527 |
70% |
635 |
52% |
| Germany |
1,203 |
71% |
566 |
56% |
|
Source: Arbitron Mobile Index — Executive Summary Reports, 4th quarter 2012
* Operated by iResearch using Arbitron Mobile technology |
Apple iOS was the predominant operating system among the heavy data users in these five smartphone panels. Seventy-two percent of iOS users in the U.S. and German panel were in 1,000+ MB/month club; in the U.K., 76 percent, and in China 60 percent. In stark contrast, only 29 percent of the iOS users in the France panel consumed more than 1,000 MB/month in the fourth quarter 2012.
Tags: Apple, Arbitron, data use, mobile data, WiFi
Posted in Apple, Internet/New Media, Mobile, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
 Amazon is on a roll. In addition to topping a list of 25 retailers with the best mobile satisfaction ratings during the recent holiday shopping season, it also edged out Apple as America’s most reputable company, according to the 2013 Harris Poll RQ Study which engages over 14,000 members of the general public to measure the reputations of the sixty most visible companies in the country.
And companies can learn from how the leaders gain their stellar reputations.
This is Amazon’s first time earning the top ranking, but the fifth consecutive year with a great reputation score. The Walt Disney Company, Google, and Johnson & Johnson complete the top five. This is Google’s eight consecutive top five appearance, an incredible achievement for a fourteen year old company.
AIG and Goldman Sachs return to the bottom two reputation positions on the list of the most visible companies, joined by Halliburton, American Airlines, and Bank of America. With a full six point increase in RQ score though, Bank of America had the highest year-over-year increase in the 2013 study. Best Buy and Honda experienced the greatest decline in RQ scores, 6.76 and 4.73 points, respectively.
RQ measures six dimensions that comprise reputation and influence consumer behavior.
The dimensions and the 2013 leaders are:
- Social Responsibility – Whole Foods
- Emotional Appeal – Amazon.com
- Financial Performance – Apple
- Products & Services – Amazon.com
- Vision & Leadership – Apple
- Workplace Environment – Google
 Amazon’s reputation strength runs wide and deep as it ranked in the top five in five of the six dimensions of reputation. Amazon had a five point advantage over any other company in the study in the dimension of Emotional Appeal, despite an entirely virtual relationship with the public. Amazon also achieved the top rating in the dimension of Products & Services.
Amazon earned nearly 100 percent positive ratings on all measures related to Trust. More than 50 percent of respondents also recall discussing Amazon with friends and family in the past year, and nearly 100 percent of these conversations were positive.
“Our results show that Amazon has managed to build an intimate relationship with the public without being perceived as intrusive,” adds Fronk. “
Nine of ten would recommend it
And as the company that is so widely known for its personal recommendations, more than nine in ten members of the public would recommend Amazon to friends and family.”
The results for Apple and Google are equally as impressive as those for Amazon and continue a compelling trend that has been developing for the past few years – companies that begin in the technology sector, which is by far and away the highest-rated industry when it comes to reputation, absorb the reputation equity from the industry, then transcend the industry to become a more multi-faceted business.
Companies that are able to do this are perceivedto “Play A Valuable Social Role,” a characteristic, which according to the RQ study, has become a key driver of reputation.
 The Kindle’s eInk technology frees you from LED glare and eye-strain – and you can make the fonts as large as you like. As a longtime Amazon customer, we can understand why it has such a great reputation, despite moves such as encouraging “showrooming,” viewing products in stores to buy later online.
It’s customer service is beyond first rate. We dropped and broke our first Kindle e-reader when it was out of warranty and they still replaced it free, overnight, and we didn’t even have to pay postage. When a large package of books went awry and never showed up, they simply resent the order.
Banking industry shows gains, still low ranked
The banking industry is not so lucky. It showed some encouraging signs in 2013. Positive ratings of the industry are now 25 percent, a more than 50 percent increase from 2012.
Wells Fargo became the first of the four big banking companies in the past four years to move from negative to positive equity in the dimension of Emotional Appeal. Harris’s fourteen years of conducting the RQ study show that a company cannot build or maintain positive reputation without this positive equity. Wells Fargo also received significantly higher marks on attributes related to its people and work environment, and it is possible that these may be the first signs of a bank once again being seen as trusted.
But in our conversations with sources, the banking industry is still most often cited as having abysmal customer service and is viewed as frequently predatory. The continuing mortgage default problem hasn’t helped.
What can companies learn from the 2013 Harris Poll RQ Study?
Companies need to evaluate and understand the increasing importance that playing a valuable social role has on reputation, purchase consideration, advocacy and positive word of mouth. This is about a business having a purpose, not just checking the box on social responsibility or sustainability.
Additionally, companies need to adapt to a major trend in consumer behavior. More than 60 percent of consumers now “pro-actively try to learn more about how a company conducts itself” before they are willing to consider that company’s products or services. This group, which Harris calls Seekers:
- Proactively engage in conversations with others about what they find out about a company;
- In 60 percent of cases, decide NOT to do business with a company because of something they learn about that company; and
- Actively try to influence friends and family on whether to do business or not with a company based upon what they have learned about that company’s conduct.
Tags: Amazon, Apple, Google, Harris Poll, reputation, retailing, Whole Foods
Posted in Amazon, Apple, Best Practices, Google, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 6th, 2013
 Apple iPads A large majority of Enterprises are either supporting iPhones and iPads at work now or plan to, says InformationWeek Reports. And, while they give them high marks for user satisfaction, they nevertheless have gripes: they’re too expensive and hard to upgrade.
Findings:
- 85% of decision-makers report they support iPhones, with an additional 4% planning to do so; 90% currently or plan to support iPads.
- 87% of those supporting or planning to support Apple smartphones or tablets give the devices high marks for end-user satisfaction, but 45% say the upgradability is poor or very poor.
- 64% of decision-makers report having no Apple servers in their organizations.
- 45% say their top gripe with Apple products is the devices are too expensive for the value provided.
- 23% of decision-makers rate Apple’s enterprise security and device management excellent or good; 31% say it’s poor or unacceptable.
The report author, Richard Hoffman , is owner of Geomancy Consulting, an InformationWeek contributor and former technology editor for Network Computing.
Tags: Apple, Enterprise use, gripes, iOS, iPad, iPhone
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Monday, November 26th, 2012
 Although Black Friday usually conjures up images of people waiting in long lines at retail stores, this year it was also the heaviest online spending day to date, according to digital measurement service comScore.
In store sale, in comparison, were down as many shoppers avoided those lines to do their gift-hunting online.
For the holiday season-to-date, $13.7 billion has been spent online, marking a 16-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year.
Black Friday (November 23) saw $1.042 billion in online sales, making it the heaviest online spending day to date in 2012 and representing a 26-percent increase versus Black Friday 2011.
Thanksgiving Day (November 22), while traditionally a lighter day for online holiday spending, achieved a strong 32-percent increase to $633 million.
“Despite the frenzy of media coverage surrounding the importance of Black Friday in the brick-and-mortar world, we continue to see this shopping day become more and more prominent in the e-commerce channel – particularly among those who prefer to avoid crowds at the stores,” said comScore chairman, Gian Fulgoni.
“With Black Friday online sales up 26 percent and surpassing $1 billion for the first time, coupled with early reports indicating that Black Friday sales in retail stores were down 1.8 percent, we can now confidently call it a multi-channelmarketing phenomenon.”
Fulgoni added that Thanksgiving Day itself, usually a lighter online shopping day, is gaining steam as well.
Today, Cyber Monday, is expected to be the heaviest shopping day of the season with sales approaching $1.5 billion or more.
ComScore says Amazon led the online sales parade so far this year, followed by Walmart, Best Buy, Target and Apple.
We think this is a bit of a surprise: digital content and subscriptions were the top-growing online retail product category, up 29 percent from a year ago. The proliferation of smartphones, tablets and e-readers is driving the demand for digital books, audio & visual content, says comScore.
Toy are also doing well, gaining 27 percent, followed by Consumer Packaged Goods (up 23 percent), Video Game Consoles & Accessories (up 18 percent) and Consumer Electronics (up 18 percent).
Tags: 2012, Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Black Friday, comScore, cyber Monday, online sales, Target, Thanksgiving Day
Posted in Amazon, Apple, Ecommerce, Mobile, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, October 25th, 2012
 Phil Schiller showing the new iPad Mini at Apple’s launch event this week. Apple may have another hit on its hands with the iPad Mini when the new 7.9 inch tablet becomes available for pre-orders today. Bizrate Insights says 15 percent of online buyers across its network plan to purchase it pretty much immediately.
Haley Silver, vice president of Bizrate Insights says, “For context, we saw a lower number in 2011 around the introduction of the iPad 2—with the same top reason cited for not purchasing. These numbers today would indicate that Apple has another huge hit on its hands.”
The top reason cited for not purchasing is a lack of a defined need, as reported by over 39 percent of respondents.
Is the price right?
Introduced this week, the iPad Mini will be available for pre-orders starting today. It features a slightly larger screen than other one-hand tablets, includes the popular Siri voice personal assistant and dictation, front and rear cameras, and access to the massive number of apps available in the iTunes store.
It is priced at $320 for the least expensive model, which some believe may be too high to compete with the $199 tablets available from Amazon and Google. Here’s a CNET review comparing the iPad Mini to the Google Nexus and Amazon Kindle Fire HD.
It has been a long time since we were tempted to buy an Apple product, because for all their beauty and innovative design, we generally find them over-priced.
The iPad Mini temps us, though, primarily because the ability to do many tasks using Siri or dictation instead of a virtual keyboard is what we think will really make tablets more productive and less just media consumption devices.
The Google Nexus also offers a dictation feature, and we have been tempted to try that, as well. But we’re also interested in dipping back into the Apple ecosystem. We even considered buying one of the new iPod touch models, but at nearly $300 for a smaller screen and fewer features than the iPad Mini, we’re not sure that’s such a good deal.
 A Kindle Fire tablet computer We love our Kindle Fire, which we bought soon after its launch, but it is primarily a media and entertainment device.
It’s great for media snacking via apps such as Pulse and Flipbook, watching videos, reading books and magazines from our digital Amazon purchases, or playing a quick game of Angry Birds or working a chess problem. But even typing in passwords via a virtual keyboard is a pain.
But we have no interest at all in the new Kindle Fire HD.
Apps are a main reason to buy Apple
Also, many apps still do not run as well on Android as on the Apple iOS and some just do not work right at all on my Kindle Fire. Access to the Apple app store is not a minor reason for buying at least one Apple touchscreen product.
While we are often early adopters when we decide to try a new device or technology, we may wait for the actual hands-on reviews to come out before actually buying that iPad Mini, if we do.
Gizmodo doesn’t much like the iPad Mini screen, saying it’s inferior to the Kindle Fire HD, the Nook HD, and the Google Nexus 7.
How about you? Planning on buying an iPad Mini or any of the other new Apple products just launched? Let us know in the comments. — Allan Maurer
Tags: another Apple hit, Apple iPad Mini, bizrate insights, dictation, Google Nexus, Kindle Fire, Siri
Posted in Angry Birds, Apple, Digital Devices, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 17th, 2012
 Apple iPhone users prize their devices but many lose them to accidents – not on the go, as you might expect, but mostly around home. The number one spot for iPhone accidents? The kitchen.
But just for future reference, it’s not a good idea to put your iPhone in a washing machine, either.
SquareTrade, which sells technology protection plans, says its research shows that 51 percent of iPhone accidents happen around the home, most (21 percent) in the kitchen.
The study also revealed that “unusual” iPhone accidents are much more common than previously expected: In addition to an astonishing 9% toilet mishap statistic, the research shows that 5% of iPhone users have put an iPhone in the washing machine and 6% of users have put their device on top of their car and then driven off.
Smartphones have become our third hand – our instinctual resource for information and entertainment,” commented Ty Shay , SquareTrade’s CMO. “Whether or not you’re the one in ten that drops your iPhone in the toilet, you’re likely taking your phone everywhere, and that habit needs protection.”
While one might guess that the yard and the swimming pool are risky settings for the iPhone, SquareTrade’s Device Danger Zone Survey1 revealed that the top five danger zones around the home are:
- the kitchen (21% of accidents around the home happen here)
- the living room (17%)
- the bathroom (16%)
- the driveway (10%)
- the bedroom (8%)
Here’s an infographic detailing the research findings:
Tags: home danger zones, infographic, iPhone accidents, research, Square Trade, tech life
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 16th, 2012
 Mobile learning is a hot area for Apple iOS apps, from brain exercises to math, science, geography, languages, and productivity, among other areas.
But with hundreds of thousands of apps in the Apple Store, finding the best can be a challenge.
That’s why OnlineUniversities.com created this infographic of the best iOS apps for learning:
From: OnlineUniversities.com
Tags: Apple, best apps for learning, infographic, iOS, mobile
Posted in Apple, Education, infographic, IT, Mobile | No Comments »
Friday, October 12th, 2012
All expected Apple new product announcements spur a rash of rumors, but those swirling about the iPad Mini may be resolved by Oct. 23, according to a report from AllThingsD.
It reports that Apple will unveil the new device at an invitation only event set for Oct. 23 – three days ahead of Microsoft’s new Surface tablet hitting the street.
It cites “people familiar with Apple’s plans.”
So far, details on the iPad Mini are minimal. Sources say it will sport a 7.85 inch display.
Tags: Apple iPad Mini, new device event
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices | No Comments »
Monday, October 1st, 2012
The iPhone 5 The iPhone 5 is praised for speed, call clarity and battery life on Viewpoints a consumer reviews and product rankings website. Some Apple fans even gush over the troubled Apple Maps feature some say was a $30 billion mistake.
Based on consumer sentiment, the iPhone 5 32GB ($299) is rated 94/100, ten points higher than the average smartphone rating.
Speed
Besides a larger screen, the most significant changes from the iPhone 4S are a faster processor and the ability to use advanced cellular networks, 4G LTE.
“I will say the web browsing does seem faster…the speed increase is noticeable.”–Matt
Battery life
Nearly everyone reports the iPhone 5 battery is stronger compared to older iPhones.
“With Wi-Fi turned on, playing games, accessing the web and on a hour-long conference call, the battery never faltered. After 24 hrs and heavy use, more than 60% power still available.” –TerryNakagawa
“…5am until midnight … can’t complain about that.” –Kyrshen
Maps
Apple replaced Google Maps with its own program, which lacks functionality, like display of public transportation, an “epic fail” according to one reviewer. The maps do offer turn-by-turn directions, as well as restaurants as landmarks. Most Viewpoints reviewers aren’t inconvenienced and like the look:
“The new Apple Maps are just stunning, the 3D angle and flying sensation are terrific.”–
GibOlander
“Sure, there’s hubbub around Apple Maps. But think of it this way… the iPhone 5 has more computing power than NASA did when they sent a man to the moon in 1969. The phone is spectacular.” –rma288
Personally, here at the TechJournal, we’re amazed at how Apple fans even gush over features for which the company had to apologize, such Apple Maps. The iPhone 5 may have more processing power than when NASA sent a man to the moon, but just about every electronic device with a silicon brain on the market does.
“I can’t see myself EVER going back to Android!…Gorgeous. Sleek. Modern” –Jnystul
Admittedly, Android has its problems: we recently downloaded a chess board app that is supposed to let you use it to follow a game in a book. We even paid five bucks for it and it doesn’t work. We’ve read that many apps don’t work properly or have fewer features on Android. The folks at Appcelerator tell us that one reason for that is that there are so many flavors of Android.
Viewpoints General Manager Denise Chudy says, “Based on early reviews, people are obviously passionate about the iPhone 5. It’s our hope that those insights help others decide if the iPhone 5 is the right choice for their needs and budget.”
Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Maps epic fail, battery life, call clarity, iPhone 5 reviews, speed, Viewpoint
Posted in Apple, Reviewed, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos introduces the Kindle Fire HD. Have you looked at the features in the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7″ tablet? Amazon is doing some aggressive advertising of the device on TV, but in a survey of more than 2,000 consumers, 45 percent said they were “unimpressed” with the new device.
More than half of those surveyed by couponcodes4u.com already own a tablet: 45% said they owned an Apple iPad device, while 19% said they owned a Google tablet. 16% of respondents who owned a tablet said they’d opted for a Samsung branded device, while 13% said they already owned a Kindle/Amazon branded tablet and 7% said they owned another type of tablet, such as the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Personally, we’re happy with our original Kindle Fire tablet model and Wifi Kindle e-reader, so we’re waiting for the tablet wars to thin the offerings or considerably improve them before buying another. The original Kindle Fire does have drawbacks – no microphone, no memory card slot (it’s not alone there), and poorer screen resolution than more current models of several other brands.
We’re mostly interested in improved dictation features, however – using a virtual keyboard is torturous and even using an external one doesn’t make doing much writing easy on a 7″ screen.
We’re convinced that a tablet (or smartphone) device with very accurate voice recognition is eventually going to change the tablet/phone environment.
In the survey, when shown the features and specs on the new Kindle Fire HD, 55 percent liked the look of it – with the majority approving of the price, 27 percent liking the connection to Amazon’s content library, and less than a tenth (9 percent) citing overall specifications. (See a review of the new Kindle Fire HD.)
Respondents who said they were unimpressed by the new Kindle Fire HD were asked to explain why, to which 45% admitted that they preferred a “larger screened tablet”, while 39% said that the Kindle tablet didn’t blow them away due to ‘not matching up to competitors’. In addition, 11% of consumers said the tablet “didn’t offer enough apps” to keep them interested.
When all respondent were asked whether or not the new Kindle had enough to hold their interest if and when the iPad Mini was released this year, 39% of respondents said it would. However, 54% of respondents said they would be more likely to opt for the iPad Mini when it is released, while 7% of respondents admitted that they would “consider” both tablets.
Mark Pearson, Chairman of CouponCodes4u.com, said, “Another day, another tablet release! With the popularity of Amazon and the Kindle tablet driving the small tablet revolution, it is no wonder that consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to personal gadgets. As the Kindle is very different from other tablets, we wanted to see how consumers have reacted to the latest release of the Fire HD and if they had the chance, and obviously the funds, whether or not they would trade it in for the iPad Mini.”
He added that it’s surprising that even many who like the look of the Kindle Fire HD would consider an Apple iPad mini. ”While many people have voiced a negative opinion about Apple and the products of late, you cannot deny the power of their marketing campaigns and products.,” he said.
Tags: Apple iPad Mini, Google tablet, impressions of Kindle Fire HD, Mark Pearson, Samsung, survey
Posted in Amazon, Apple, Digital Devices, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
By Allan Maurer
 UPDATEd – Mobile developers think that a mobile-first social startup could disrupt Facebook and grab market share from the current top dog in the social media pack. So says Appcelerator’s Q3 2012 mobile developer report, which is chock full of surprises.
In the largest mobile developer survey ever conducted, Appcelerator and the IDC surveyed 5,526 Appcelerator Tianium developers on their feelings about current debates in mobile, social and the cloud and about their development priorities.
The report warns that history shows major technology shifts can transform businesses and industries. It happened with the introduction of the web and “mobile will be not exception.”
Mobile has the power to disrupt entire industries
Mobile has the power to reshape entire industries and changes can be swift. But it is not enough to just port elements of an existing business model over to mobile, the report says.
And, if a billion dollar company with more than three-quarters of a billion users like Facebook could be disrupted, “Other mature, stagnant companies should take note,” says Lyla McInerney, vice president of marketing at Appcelerator.
McInerney tells the TechJournal, Developers believe someone can take a mobile first approach and disrupt any industry. It’s a cautionary note, but also a real opportunity.”
She points out that Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted recently that Facebook is not doing as well as it wants to in mobile and has to do better, saying building its mobile on HTML 5 was a mistake.
The Appcelerator report notes that developers expressed dissatisfaction with nearly every aspect of HTML 5.
“Facebook didn’t think about how to deliver on mobile,” says McInerney. “They just carried it over. As Zuckerberg said, ‘Good enough is not good enough.’ Companies need to think about how to do mobile best.”
 Jonathan Rende. Build mobile differently
Jonathan Rende, vice president of products at Appcelerator, adds, “This underscores the debate about whether mobile is an extension of the web or something completely different.”
It needs to be built completely differently, Rende suggests. Otherwise, “A startup can come in, take a fresh look at your business and take market share away from you.”
Lots of businesses and industries heard that about the web itself more than a decade ago, now, and the ones that ignored it paid a high price.
The speed at which mobile is happening, though, “Is much faster” with mobile, Rende says.
Developers not as interested in Android
Yet another surprise in the report is that developers have lost some interest in developing for Google’s Android mobile operating system. Considering the increasing number of devices running Android, we thought that was odd.
Rende explains that much of the problems developers have with Android is due to “fragmentation. Developers have to deal with all the different flavors of Android rather than build it once and have it run on various platforms. If you implement your app for one particular device, there is no guarantee that it work the same way on another device.”
 Nolan Wright. Nolan Wright, Appcelerator’s CTO and co-founder adds, “Another thing is that the (Apple) iOS system is really successful and a better way to monetize mobile apps. And Enterprises are more interested in iOS than in Android. The Apple ecosystem is so tight it is a seamless experience for developers and consumers.”
Among the report’s findings:
• Mobile developers predict demise of Facebook. Mobile Developers believe that Facebook is at risk of being disrupted by a mobile-first social startup. A resounding 66% of mobile developers state that it is likely to very likely that a mobile-first social startup will disrupt the market for social applications on mobile devices and take market share from Facebook.
• Top predictions for mobile in 2015. The mobile market is evolving at breakneck speed, with developers predicting that by 2015 they will be building mobile applications for more than smartphones and tablets. Televisions, connected cars, game consoles, GoogleGlasses, and foldable screens all ranked high on the list of form factors in 2015.
• RIM declines to all-time low, providing an opportunity for Windows 8 to become a strong third OS for which to develop mobile apps.Mobile developers “very interested” in building apps for the Blackberry phone fell to an all-time low of 9% from almost 40% in our January 2011 survey.
• Developers remain excited about cloud storage and Backend as a Service, specifically citing the capabilities for applications and data to move across different devices and for secure access to information from anywhere at anytime. The potential remains wide open, however, as only 17% currently implement mobile BaaS.
• Developers are excited about new Apple features. The iOS features developers are most looking forward to using are Apple Maps (over 37%) and enhanced Siri (22%). Faster processors, LTE conductivity, and a larger screen are the advances developers most hope for in the next version of the iPhone.
• Apple continues to reign as the platform of choice for developers. Apple maintained its dominance at the top of developers’ list for mobileapp development this quarter, with 85% of developers very interested in building apps for iOS smartphones and 83% equally focused on iPad apps.
• Android development declines for a fourth quarter. Android’s return to decline in developer interest levels is disconcerting, with now fewer than 65% of developers very interested in developing for that tablet platform.
• HTML5 Still Not Good Enough. Developers ranked their satisfaction with nearly every feature of HTML5 as neutral to dissatisfied, including user experience, performance, monetization, fragmentation, distribution control, timeliness of new updates, and security.
The new Wall Street Journal’s list of the top 50 venture-backed companies expected to become the “Next Big Thing,” includes Appcelerator. The Wall Street Journal considered more than 5,900 candidates for inclusion in this year’s list. Appcelerator was selected for its ability to reduce development time and costs for mobile applications.
Tags: Appcelerator, Apple, disrupt Facebook, iOS, Jonathan Rende, Lyla McInerney, Mark Zuckerberg, mobile first, Nolan Wright, RIM
Posted in Apple, Facebook, Google, Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Monday, September 24th, 2012
A first-ever study of iPhone 5 purchasers reveals that 51.7 percent of Apple fans value their iPhone over their wallet, according to a poll by ProtechYourBubble.com, a gadget insurance comapny.
Who would most iPhone buyers most want to have lunch with? That’s an easy one: Steve Jobs – although dining with a ghost might be disconcerting. But a significant number would choose Einstein. They’re a brainy bunch, those iPhone 5 buyers, except maybe for the 17 percent or so who would lunch with Lady Gaga.
The most also think that if Siri were a real person, she would look like Angela Joli, so the Apple fan’s mind isn’t entirely on Steve Jobs and the theory of relativity.
Other results indicate:
- Of the Apple fans waiting in NYC lines, 74 percent were male and 26 percent were female and their average age is 25.
- 40.6 percent of Apple customers have previously purchased three or more earlier model iPhones.
- Apple fans waited an average of 2-4 hours in line to get their hands on the new release.
- 33.6 percent of Apple fans would prefer to have lunch with Steve Jobs. Others include 27.3 percent want to break bread with Albert Einstein; 23.1 percent want to spend time with JFK; whereas only 17.5 want to hang out with Lady Gaga.
- If Siri were a real person, most Apple fans in line (27.8 percent) imagine she would look like Angelina Jolie. Tied in a close second with 25 percent of the vote are Betty White and Cameron Diaz.
- The new features Apple fans are most looking forward to using include the bigger screen with 41.7 percent of the vote; a stronger battery came in second at 29.2 percent. The sleek design received 25.7 percent; and a more powerful camera received 22.9 percent.
- 32.2 percent of Apple fans are planning to buy iPhone 5 insurance.
- 43.4 percent of the people polled did not know that replacing their iPhone 5 without a contact can cost as much as $749 versus the subsidized rate of $299 for the iPhone 5 32 GB underscoring the importance or researching and purchasing gadget insurance.
- The second most popular brand for Apple fans is Samsung. Other popular brands include Sony, Starbucks, Gucci and Nike.
“People increasingly regard their iPhones as their most valued possession and as a result, we have seen a 50% increase in smartphone insurance since the announcement of the iPhone 5,” said Stephen Ebbett, President of ProtectYourBubble.com.
“With a$749 price tag for the iPhone 5 32 gb and the technology’s boundless capabilities to store and make use of personal data and content, it’s easy to see why.”
ProtechYourBubble.com sells iPhone insurance plans to US customers for $7.99 a month.
Tags: Angelina Joli, iPhone 5 buyers, iPhone insurance, Lady Gaga, ProtectYourBubble, Steve Jobs, survey
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Friday, September 21st, 2012
The iPhone 5 The improved, faster wireless connectivity and larger, more vibrant display on the new iPhone 5 offers an opportunity for marketers to provide a richer brand experience, says the mobile ad network mojiva.
The company, which conducted a study to determine if and how iPhone owners intend to upgrade to the new iPhone 5, and to examine their attitudes towards mobile advertising on the iPhone, says early adopters of the iPhone 5 will most likely be comprised of 25 to 45 year olds with high disposable incomes – a prized demographic.
The Mojiva report revealed that an overwhelming number of current iPhone owners would remain loyal to the brand the next time they purchase a new phone. 82 percent of U.S. respondents plan to purchase an iPhone when they next upgrade to a new mobile phone, compared to 68 percent of U.K. respondents. Conversely, 16 percent of U.S. respondents and 31 percent of U.K. respondents stated they planned to upgrade to an Android, BlackBerry or other device. The major findings include:
- Slightly more than two out of five U.S. respondents (42 percent) have owned their current iPhone for less than six months, compared to over half of U.K. respondents (52 percent).
- Over half of U.S. respondents (57 percent) and 48 percent of U.K. respondents have owned their iPhone for six months or longer.
- 70 percent of U.S. respondents who currently own an iPhone plan to purchase the iPhone 5, while 89 percent intend to purchase if reviews of the iPhone 5 are positive. Comparatively, 69 percent of U.K. respondents who currently own an iPhone plan to purchase the iPhone 5, while 89 percent intend to purchase if reviews are positive.
- More than two out of five U.S. and U.K. respondents (43 percent and 41 percent, respectively) currently own an iPad. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. respondents (61 percent) will own or intend to purchase a new iPad within the next six months, compared to 66 percent of U.K. respondents.
- When asked what one thing they would like to see more of from the ads on their iPhone, nearly half of all U.S. and U.K. respondents (47 percent and 46 percent, respectively) stated they would like to see more mobile ads that include discounts and special promotion offers.
- More than two-thirds of both U.S. and U.K. respondents (68 percent and 71 percent, respectively) stated that they would be more likely to interact with ads on their iPhone that are based on their previous browsing history.
Tags: iPhone owner study, marketing opportunity, Mojiva
Posted in Apple, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Thursday, September 20th, 2012
 Is Google the “World’s Most Attractive Employer?”
It is for the fourth consecutive year according to the preferences of over 144,000 career seekers, with a business or engineering background from the world´s 12 greatest economies. So says the Universum global talent attraction index: “The World’s Most Attractive Employers 2012″.’
KPMG keeps the second place and Procter & Gamble is now on the third position.
Here at the TechJournal, we find it interesting that Apple shows up on in the 8th spot on the engineering employer list.
“The Google fever is still hot! Students are attracted by Google´s relaxed and creative work environment, international atmosphere and innovative products. Google offers great benefits and opportunities that are hard for other companies to match.” says Petter Nylander, Universum’s CEO.
Also in the engineering category, Google takes the first position for the fourth consecutive year and is followed by IBM and Microsoft.
“The giants in the software industry are seen as great places for the launch of an engineering or IT career. They offer training, networking and future career possibilities. Moreover, they are global,” says Nylander.
World’s Top 10-Business
- Google (1)
- KPMG (2)
- Procter & Gamble (7)
- Microsoft (6)
- Deloitte (5)
- Ernst & Young (4)
- PwC (3)
- J.P. Morgan (9)
- The Coca-Cola Company (12)
- Goldman Sachs (10)
World’s Top 10-Engineering
- Google (1)
- IBM (2)
- Microsoft (3)
- BMW (4)
- Intel (5)
- General Electric (8)
- Siemens (9)
- Apple (7)
- Sony (6)
- Procter & Gamble (10)
In parenthesis is the company’s position in 2011. For the full ranking, go to http://www.universumglobal.com/IDEAL-Employer-Rankings/Global-Top-50
Tags: business, Deloitte, engineering, Ernst & Young, Google, KPMG, Microsoft, P&G, PWC, World's Most Attractive employers
Posted in Apple, Economy/Jobs, Google, Microsoft, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 19th, 2012
 Don’t drop that iPhone – repairs can be costly. Dropping your iPhone, knocking it off a table or drenching it in liquid can be costly. A new SquareTrade study shows that damaging iPhones cost Americans $5.8 billion since the devices were introduced in 2007.
The survey by the tech protection provider, based on polling more than 2,000 iPhone users, the results combined the cost of repairs, replacements and insurance deductibles for cracked, dropped, pummeled, kicked, and water-damaged iPhones.
That figure seems awfully high to us here at the TechJournal. We’re a bit skeptical of extrapolated numbers of this sort. But costly damages to iPhones are unfortunately all too common this study shows.
In the last 12 months alone 30 percent of iPhone users damaged their device.
he study also shows that younger consumers are clumsiest with their iPhones: half of iPhone users under 35 have had an accident.
The top five iPhone accident scenarios according to the study are:
- Phone dropped from my hand
- Phone fell into a toilet, sink, hot tub, swimming pool, lake, etc.
- Phone dropped from a lap
- Phone knocked off a table
- Phone drenched by some liquid
Accidents happen around the clock
“As smart phones continue to improve, they become more tightly integrated into our busy lives leaving them vulnerable to accidents around the clock,” commented Ty Shay, CMO at SquareTrade.
“We were astonished at how many people drop their phones in the toilet as well as how frequently an innocuous drop from the hand actually killed the device. We look forward to seeing what the new iPhone 5 users report with regard to durability.”
SquareTrade’s study indicates that due to the often-costly expenses associated with repairing damaged iPhones, many consumers often resort to “desperate” measures. For example, 11% of iPhone owners surveyed are currently using a device that is cracked and 6% have taped up their iPhone as a solution.
Tags: cost of iPhone damages, research, Square Trade
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
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