Amazon sold millions of Kindles this holiday season, led by the company's first-ever tablet, the Kindle Fire, leaving some analysts wondering if other Android tablets might soon be flavored with Amazon's secret sauce.
After a full year of dozens of Android tablets from numerous manufacturers, none--excepting the discontinued and momentarily deeply discounted HP TouchPad--made more than the slightest dent in the iPad's dominance in the slate market. None, that is, until Amazon introduced its clunky but inexpensive loss leader--available for just $199 and pre-registered to your Amazon account so you can begin consuming the company's universe of content right away.
Despite the massive gulf between the iPad and Kindle Fire when it comes to price and specs, the two successful tablets do have one important characteristic in common--easy, built-in access to all kinds of content to consume on the device via the iTunes and Amazon stores, respectively.
"Devices need to lead with content services or they're dead in the water," Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps told me. "By next summer we'll have had several months of Amazon demonstrating that a successful consumer electronics product strategy has to lead with content services."
Richard Windsor, global technology specialist for Nomura Securities, went one step further. He sees some of the current Android tablet makers looking to Amazon to help float some of their future offerings, or perhaps going as far as taking over production of the follow-up to the Kindle Fire.
"I'm not convinced Amazon's going to stay in the hardware business very long. Look at their business model--they are selling this thing at cost in order to make money on content. So if you can get someone else to make the tablet for you and sell it with your user experience on it, what do you care?"
Windsor suspects Amazon's first $199 tablet could be a way to "seed the market." He sees makers of competing Android tablets--which consumers seem to view as overpriced and lacking access to compelling content--in a position to start courting Amazon for possible partnerships.
"What you could get is a range of form factors and sizes to suit different pockets without Amazon having to make them all. You might see an "HTC Dream Kindle" or the "Kindle Fire HTC" or "Kindle Fire 2 10-inch by HTC."
Amazon is famously mum on its future plans. Despite months of speculation, the company refused to acknowledge that it was working on a tablet until it was unveiled by CEO Jeff Bezos this fall.
For its part, Google has been working feverishly of late to make more content available via the Android Market. In the past year books, movies and most recently music have all been introduced for purchase and consumption on mobile devices running the OS, an increasing number of which will soon be getting the much improved Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android.
Despite Google's best efforts, however, no tablet with native access to the Android Market has taken off with consumers. Hot sellers like the Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook do their best to push users in the direction of their own content. We'll soon see if other tablet makers opt to follow their lead as well.
(cnet.com)
Sabtu, 31 Desember 2011
Apple TV 4.4.4 firmware gets untethered jailbreak, devs close to porting iOS apps
Ever wanted to run third-party software on your 2nd generation Apple TV? You can, but the current tethered jailbreak process means you have to rehack the device if it's rebooted or powered off. Thankfully, jailbreak tool Seas0npass has been updated (credits to @pod2g and @NitoTV) to perform an untethered jailbreak on Apple's recently released 4.4.4 firmware. If you have an Apple TV and want to install things like a weather widget, RSS feed and a Last.FM plugin, you can download the Seas0npass jailbreak and view the how-to instructions at the source links below.
On a related note, developers are working to bring a much more intriguing category of software to your Apple TV — iOS apps. As you'll see in the video below, fully-fledged iOS applications are running on the second generation set-top box thanks to the efforts of iOS devs @stroughtonsmith, @chpwn and @TheMudkip. Granted, this feat is in its preliminary stages and there's a handful of tweaks to be made, but the iOS hacking community has always done its best to keep users satisfied, so stay tuned.
(theverge.com)
On a related note, developers are working to bring a much more intriguing category of software to your Apple TV — iOS apps. As you'll see in the video below, fully-fledged iOS applications are running on the second generation set-top box thanks to the efforts of iOS devs @stroughtonsmith, @chpwn and @TheMudkip. Granted, this feat is in its preliminary stages and there's a handful of tweaks to be made, but the iOS hacking community has always done its best to keep users satisfied, so stay tuned.
(theverge.com)
Apple TV 4.4.4 firmware gets untethered jailbreak, devs close to porting iOS apps
Ever wanted to run third-party software on your 2nd generation Apple TV? You can, but the current tethered jailbreak process means you have to rehack the device if it's rebooted or powered off. Thankfully, jailbreak tool Seas0npass has been updated (credits to @pod2g and @NitoTV) to perform an untethered jailbreak on Apple's recently released 4.4.4 firmware. If you have an Apple TV and want to install things like a weather widget, RSS feed and a Last.FM plugin, you can download the Seas0npass jailbreak and view the how-to instructions at the source links below.
On a related note, developers are working to bring a much more intriguing category of software to your Apple TV — iOS apps. As you'll see in the video below, fully-fledged iOS applications are running on the second generation set-top box thanks to the efforts of iOS devs @stroughtonsmith, @chpwn and @TheMudkip. Granted, this feat is in its preliminary stages and there's a handful of tweaks to be made, but the iOS hacking community has always done its best to keep users satisfied, so stay tuned.
(theverge.com)
On a related note, developers are working to bring a much more intriguing category of software to your Apple TV — iOS apps. As you'll see in the video below, fully-fledged iOS applications are running on the second generation set-top box thanks to the efforts of iOS devs @stroughtonsmith, @chpwn and @TheMudkip. Granted, this feat is in its preliminary stages and there's a handful of tweaks to be made, but the iOS hacking community has always done its best to keep users satisfied, so stay tuned.
(theverge.com)
Inside Apple's 2011: iOS, Apps & iCloud
This year, Apple hit a new milestone of 250 million iOS devices while shipping its fifth reference release of its mobile platform that now offers a library of half of a million apps that have seen 18 billion downloads, now automated via iCloud.
iOS distribution
Like other mobile platforms (including Google's Android, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, RIM's BlackBerry OS, Nokia's Symbian or HP's webOS), Apple doesn't earn any revenues from charging its users for system software updates.
Unlike its competitors, however, Apple actually delivers its regular, free iOS updates to the majority of the installed base frequently and on a timely basis. Within 2011, Apple shipped a dozen free updates for its mobile iOS platform before releasing iOS 5 in October and a followup 5.0.1 update. Those releases were made available to all iOS users the same day (apart from one release specific to the Verizon CDMA iPhone).
In comparison, Google released three updates to its summer 2010 Android 2.2 Froyo; five updates to last year's winter Android 2.3 Gingerbread; five releases exclusive to Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets, and three updates of the new Android 4.0 (which currently only works on its own Galaxy Nexus model, and won't be rolled out to other 2011 model year devices for months--and is very unlikely to ever become available for phones over a year old).
Android device manufacturers and their mobile carriers were hesitant to actually make Google's updates available to their users however, as few of the updates were substantial enough to warrant the complex texting and specialized work needed to make the generic Android code work on the scores of different Android models, leaving the Android platform fractionalized with (at the start of December) 47 percent of active Android Market smartphone users still on an early-2010 version of Android (equivalent to iOS 3).
Google is not just failing to make as many updates available, but its "open" Android ecosystem is actually preventing updates that are released from making their way to users. Further, vendors and carriers are adding their own software on top of Android that has been found to open up security flaws and allow malware to bypass the permissions controls Google invented to let users protect themselves from the inherently dangerous nature of the unmanaged library of apps it makes available in its Android Market.
Microsoft, RIM, Nokia and HP combined released fewer updates for their users than Apple, and of those, only Microsoft bothered to make its updates broadly available to the entire installed base. Of course, Microsoft also erased backward support for all Windows Mobile 6.x devices at the end of last year when it introduced its Windows Phone 7 successor, leaving it with a very limited number of users to address.
iOS' pace of progress in 2011
Apple's 2011 releases of iOS kicked off to support the new CDMA iPhone 4 for Verizon in February, followed by the iOS 4.3 release in March that was introduced alongside iPad 2. Rather than just adding support for the new model, however, that update introduced significant new features ranging from AirPlay video support for third party apps, a much faster Nitro JavaScript engine for Safari, enhanced video playback "scrubber" controls, support for streaming content from a local PC via iTunes Home Sharing, "Personal Hotspot" WiFi tethering on the iPhone, and new FaceTime support for the iPod touch and iPad 2.
In addition to releasing system software, Apple also introduced new iOS apps, including the free PhotoBooth for iPad 2 and the iLife apps GarageBand and iMovie, initially released with iPad 2 and later made available for iPhone and iPod touch users in the fall. Apple similarly made its iWork suite of Pages, Keynote and Numbers iOS apps, initially released alongside the original iPad in 2010, available for iPhone and iPod touch users in May.
Apple also introduced some controversy-arousing new policies for its App Store this year, including rules that prevent apps from linking to external purchase options (such as for in app content or subscriptions) without providing an alternative way for users to also buy the same thing through the App Store.
Apple also rankled some publishers with new subscription policies that allowed the user to decide whether wanted to share his or her personal information with the publisher when subscribing through the App Store. Despite initial fears that subscribers would mostly opt out, it was later reported that "fear that Apple’s policies would deny them the consumer data they need to do business was unfounded."
A third tempest in a teapot for iOS in 2011 was the Locationgate crisis, kicked off by two researchers who discovered a database of location information on the iPhone that appeared to map a path of where users had taken their device. The matter ended up being the subject of a federal investigation. Steve Jobs addressed the issue personally, explaining the issues involved to users in a public statement that mirrored the "Antenangate" brouhaha of 2010.
Jobs outlined how iOS had pioneered the safeguarding of location data from third party apps, requiring user permissions and offering users control over how their location data is used in a way unmatched by other vendors. He also promised updates in iOS and iTunes to better handle how location data was cached.
(appleinsider.com)
iOS distribution
Like other mobile platforms (including Google's Android, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, RIM's BlackBerry OS, Nokia's Symbian or HP's webOS), Apple doesn't earn any revenues from charging its users for system software updates.
Unlike its competitors, however, Apple actually delivers its regular, free iOS updates to the majority of the installed base frequently and on a timely basis. Within 2011, Apple shipped a dozen free updates for its mobile iOS platform before releasing iOS 5 in October and a followup 5.0.1 update. Those releases were made available to all iOS users the same day (apart from one release specific to the Verizon CDMA iPhone).
In comparison, Google released three updates to its summer 2010 Android 2.2 Froyo; five updates to last year's winter Android 2.3 Gingerbread; five releases exclusive to Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets, and three updates of the new Android 4.0 (which currently only works on its own Galaxy Nexus model, and won't be rolled out to other 2011 model year devices for months--and is very unlikely to ever become available for phones over a year old).
Android device manufacturers and their mobile carriers were hesitant to actually make Google's updates available to their users however, as few of the updates were substantial enough to warrant the complex texting and specialized work needed to make the generic Android code work on the scores of different Android models, leaving the Android platform fractionalized with (at the start of December) 47 percent of active Android Market smartphone users still on an early-2010 version of Android (equivalent to iOS 3).
Google is not just failing to make as many updates available, but its "open" Android ecosystem is actually preventing updates that are released from making their way to users. Further, vendors and carriers are adding their own software on top of Android that has been found to open up security flaws and allow malware to bypass the permissions controls Google invented to let users protect themselves from the inherently dangerous nature of the unmanaged library of apps it makes available in its Android Market.
Microsoft, RIM, Nokia and HP combined released fewer updates for their users than Apple, and of those, only Microsoft bothered to make its updates broadly available to the entire installed base. Of course, Microsoft also erased backward support for all Windows Mobile 6.x devices at the end of last year when it introduced its Windows Phone 7 successor, leaving it with a very limited number of users to address.
iOS' pace of progress in 2011
Apple's 2011 releases of iOS kicked off to support the new CDMA iPhone 4 for Verizon in February, followed by the iOS 4.3 release in March that was introduced alongside iPad 2. Rather than just adding support for the new model, however, that update introduced significant new features ranging from AirPlay video support for third party apps, a much faster Nitro JavaScript engine for Safari, enhanced video playback "scrubber" controls, support for streaming content from a local PC via iTunes Home Sharing, "Personal Hotspot" WiFi tethering on the iPhone, and new FaceTime support for the iPod touch and iPad 2.
In addition to releasing system software, Apple also introduced new iOS apps, including the free PhotoBooth for iPad 2 and the iLife apps GarageBand and iMovie, initially released with iPad 2 and later made available for iPhone and iPod touch users in the fall. Apple similarly made its iWork suite of Pages, Keynote and Numbers iOS apps, initially released alongside the original iPad in 2010, available for iPhone and iPod touch users in May.
Apple also introduced some controversy-arousing new policies for its App Store this year, including rules that prevent apps from linking to external purchase options (such as for in app content or subscriptions) without providing an alternative way for users to also buy the same thing through the App Store.
Apple also rankled some publishers with new subscription policies that allowed the user to decide whether wanted to share his or her personal information with the publisher when subscribing through the App Store. Despite initial fears that subscribers would mostly opt out, it was later reported that "fear that Apple’s policies would deny them the consumer data they need to do business was unfounded."
A third tempest in a teapot for iOS in 2011 was the Locationgate crisis, kicked off by two researchers who discovered a database of location information on the iPhone that appeared to map a path of where users had taken their device. The matter ended up being the subject of a federal investigation. Steve Jobs addressed the issue personally, explaining the issues involved to users in a public statement that mirrored the "Antenangate" brouhaha of 2010.
Jobs outlined how iOS had pioneered the safeguarding of location data from third party apps, requiring user permissions and offering users control over how their location data is used in a way unmatched by other vendors. He also promised updates in iOS and iTunes to better handle how location data was cached.
(appleinsider.com)
Jumat, 30 Desember 2011
Verizon explains 4G LTE network issues as "growing pains"
After a month that saw 3 separate 4G LTE network outages, Verizon Wireless has issued a press release detailing some points as to why its network has been unstable and what the carrier is doing to shore it up for the future.
December has been a rough month for Verizon's LTE network, with no fewer than 3 outages affecting users across the country. Earlier this year, the network went down for multiple days, leaving many customers without any access to the 4G services. Adding to the issue, even when 4G device owners tried to use Verizon's 3G network, which was still operational, many found that they could not connect to that, either.
Verizon explains that each network outage was caused by a different technical issue, and engineers have addressed the problems as they have been discovered. A single problem has not caused the network to go down more than once, but each incident was caused by something new and unexpected. The carrier attributes this to the growing pains of being the first major carrier to deploy a nationwide LTE network, and notes that it has learned from each situation. Verizon points out that the 4G LTE network has seen 99 percent uptime since it was launched in late 2010.
Verizon says that one of the steps that it is taking to prevent future nationwide outages is to segment the network into geographic areas, limiting problems to a certain locale to prevent them from taking the whole network down. It is a bit surprising that this method wasn't already in use, considering the scale of Verizon's network. The carrier says that it has deployed numerous software fixes that will improve the reliability of the network, and that it is using techniques learned from its 3G and 1xRTT networks to maintain uptime.
So, there you have it. Verizon's network is new and runs into issues from time to time, but the carrier insists that it is constantly working to improve the network and limit downtime. It's just unfortunate that so many of the outages happened to rear their heads in the span of one month, leaving a tarnished mark on Verizon's stellar reputation. Hopefully 2012 will be a better year for 4G LTE reliability. As to whether or not other carriers will face the same problems with their new LTE networks, it is hard to say, but to be fair to Verizon, the switch to LTE from CDMA is a much bigger technical leap than the jump from HSPA+ to LTE, as is the case with AT&T's LTE network.
(mobileburn.com)
December has been a rough month for Verizon's LTE network, with no fewer than 3 outages affecting users across the country. Earlier this year, the network went down for multiple days, leaving many customers without any access to the 4G services. Adding to the issue, even when 4G device owners tried to use Verizon's 3G network, which was still operational, many found that they could not connect to that, either.
Verizon explains that each network outage was caused by a different technical issue, and engineers have addressed the problems as they have been discovered. A single problem has not caused the network to go down more than once, but each incident was caused by something new and unexpected. The carrier attributes this to the growing pains of being the first major carrier to deploy a nationwide LTE network, and notes that it has learned from each situation. Verizon points out that the 4G LTE network has seen 99 percent uptime since it was launched in late 2010.
Verizon says that one of the steps that it is taking to prevent future nationwide outages is to segment the network into geographic areas, limiting problems to a certain locale to prevent them from taking the whole network down. It is a bit surprising that this method wasn't already in use, considering the scale of Verizon's network. The carrier says that it has deployed numerous software fixes that will improve the reliability of the network, and that it is using techniques learned from its 3G and 1xRTT networks to maintain uptime.
So, there you have it. Verizon's network is new and runs into issues from time to time, but the carrier insists that it is constantly working to improve the network and limit downtime. It's just unfortunate that so many of the outages happened to rear their heads in the span of one month, leaving a tarnished mark on Verizon's stellar reputation. Hopefully 2012 will be a better year for 4G LTE reliability. As to whether or not other carriers will face the same problems with their new LTE networks, it is hard to say, but to be fair to Verizon, the switch to LTE from CDMA is a much bigger technical leap than the jump from HSPA+ to LTE, as is the case with AT&T's LTE network.
(mobileburn.com)
Microsoft vs. Apple: 2012 and Beyond
He was responsible for major advances in six — count ‘em — industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
That’s not to say he was fun to be around. I’ve met over a dozen of the Forbes Richest People in America, but as much as I admired Steve Jobs, I never wanted to meet him. He was notorious for his “bad boy” behavior and insulting strangers. His personal life was a mess. He frequently used LSD, seldom bathed, and was, according to his friends and associates, “an obsessive, narcissistic, frequently sociopathic nutcase” who tried to find happiness through Buddhist philosophy and strange eating habits. Not surprisingly, he died young. Sometimes it’s best not to get to know your favorite author, philosopher, or business leader.
But he has a lot to teach us when it comes to business and investing.
The Keynesian Myth
First, he proved that consumers don’t drive the economy; entrepreneurs, business innovators, and visionaries do. Jobs made a point of demanding products that customers didn’t know they wanted–the Mac, the iPhone, the iPad. When asked about doing market research, he replied, “No, because consumers don’t know what they want until we’ve shown them.”
In an age when the media constantly promotes the Keynesian myth that “consumer spending is the largest single driver of the U. S. economy” (to quote the Wall Street Journal), Steve Jobs set the record straight.
“That’s not my approach,” he said. “Henry Ford once said, ‘If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, “A faster horse!’” It’s entrepreneurship, productive investment, and creative innovation that create a higher standard of living. Consumption is the effect – not the cause – of prosperity. (This is known as Say’s law)
Product First, Profits Follow
Second, the best companies and their leaders are driven ultimately by their desire to make great products or services, not profits. As Steve Jobs says, “the products, not the profits, are the motivation. Everything else is secondary.” He criticized his rival Bill Gates of Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT): “Winning business was more important [to him] than making great products.”
If you compare the stock performance of Apple with Microsoft, it’s a split decision. From 1986 until 2000, Microsoft rose 60 fold, from $1 to $60 a share, while Apple had a 20-fold increase from $2 to $40 a share, with far more volatility.
Since 2000, the race goes to Apple. While Microsoft is about breakeven for the past 12 years, Apple has increased another 10 fold, from $40 to $403 today.
The Future of Microsoft vs. Apple…
Now that Steve Jobs has died and Bill Gates has retired and devoted most of his time to charitable causes, are either stocks worth holding?
Apple is definitely the growth company, with revenues rising 39 percent in the past year, a P/E ratio of 14.5, and a P/E growth rate of 0.62.
Revenues and earnings are likely to rise substantially, given the popularity of iPhones, iPads, iTunes, etc. (This year, my wife got an iPad and I got an iPhone for Christmas.) It pays no dividend, although there is pressure to return some of its $26 billion cash to shareholders.
Microsoft is more a value play, selling for 9.4 times earnings, and PEG ratio of 0.97, and revenues growing 7.3 percent a year. But interestingly profit margins are higher for Microsoft (33 percent versus Apple’s 27 percent). Since 2003, Microsoft has been paying out a growing dividend, now at 20 cents a share (3.1 percent).
Microsoft is definitely a safer bet for conservative investors. If you buy Apple, you are betting that Steve Jobs’s vision of superior and creative new products will continue.
(investmentu.com)
That’s not to say he was fun to be around. I’ve met over a dozen of the Forbes Richest People in America, but as much as I admired Steve Jobs, I never wanted to meet him. He was notorious for his “bad boy” behavior and insulting strangers. His personal life was a mess. He frequently used LSD, seldom bathed, and was, according to his friends and associates, “an obsessive, narcissistic, frequently sociopathic nutcase” who tried to find happiness through Buddhist philosophy and strange eating habits. Not surprisingly, he died young. Sometimes it’s best not to get to know your favorite author, philosopher, or business leader.
But he has a lot to teach us when it comes to business and investing.
The Keynesian Myth
First, he proved that consumers don’t drive the economy; entrepreneurs, business innovators, and visionaries do. Jobs made a point of demanding products that customers didn’t know they wanted–the Mac, the iPhone, the iPad. When asked about doing market research, he replied, “No, because consumers don’t know what they want until we’ve shown them.”
In an age when the media constantly promotes the Keynesian myth that “consumer spending is the largest single driver of the U. S. economy” (to quote the Wall Street Journal), Steve Jobs set the record straight.
“That’s not my approach,” he said. “Henry Ford once said, ‘If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, “A faster horse!’” It’s entrepreneurship, productive investment, and creative innovation that create a higher standard of living. Consumption is the effect – not the cause – of prosperity. (This is known as Say’s law)
Product First, Profits Follow
Second, the best companies and their leaders are driven ultimately by their desire to make great products or services, not profits. As Steve Jobs says, “the products, not the profits, are the motivation. Everything else is secondary.” He criticized his rival Bill Gates of Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT): “Winning business was more important [to him] than making great products.”
If you compare the stock performance of Apple with Microsoft, it’s a split decision. From 1986 until 2000, Microsoft rose 60 fold, from $1 to $60 a share, while Apple had a 20-fold increase from $2 to $40 a share, with far more volatility.
Since 2000, the race goes to Apple. While Microsoft is about breakeven for the past 12 years, Apple has increased another 10 fold, from $40 to $403 today.
The Future of Microsoft vs. Apple…
Now that Steve Jobs has died and Bill Gates has retired and devoted most of his time to charitable causes, are either stocks worth holding?
Apple is definitely the growth company, with revenues rising 39 percent in the past year, a P/E ratio of 14.5, and a P/E growth rate of 0.62.
Revenues and earnings are likely to rise substantially, given the popularity of iPhones, iPads, iTunes, etc. (This year, my wife got an iPad and I got an iPhone for Christmas.) It pays no dividend, although there is pressure to return some of its $26 billion cash to shareholders.
Microsoft is more a value play, selling for 9.4 times earnings, and PEG ratio of 0.97, and revenues growing 7.3 percent a year. But interestingly profit margins are higher for Microsoft (33 percent versus Apple’s 27 percent). Since 2003, Microsoft has been paying out a growing dividend, now at 20 cents a share (3.1 percent).
Microsoft is definitely a safer bet for conservative investors. If you buy Apple, you are betting that Steve Jobs’s vision of superior and creative new products will continue.
(investmentu.com)
Apple applies for patent concerning face recognition on iOS devices
Perhaps an upcoming feature on the next version of the iPhone or iPad, Apple filed a patent over a year ago with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that outlines a method of face recognition for taking an iOS device out of sleep mode. Likely built into a future version of iOS, an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad would recognize that a user is in the vicinity after the user picks up the device and utilize the camera to scan the user’s face to turn on the device automatically. While security would be a concern to anyone that currently uses a password to lock their iOS device, Apple mentions that the software would isolate unique facial features in addition to specific skin tones to recognize a face. The software would memorize the attributes to the face, but the user may potentially have to reset the scan after any form of facial plastic surgery or something as simple as a sunburn.
Apple is already utilizing face detection in the iPhone 4S for photography. The camera automatically detects up to 10 faces within the picture and sets the focus on the most prominent face. It’s likely that the current face detection software will be customized to work with facial recognition elements. Apple calls the new technology “low threshold face recognition” and is designed to work in many situations where lighting can be an issue. Facial recognition technology already exists on Google Android phones with the recent release of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. While the feature is definitely interesting, users were quickly able to fool the software into unlocking the phone after scanning a picture of the user’s face. Google warns users that facial recognition offers lower security that using a pin or other password to lock the Android device.
Apple filed this patent 18 months ago and hasn’t issued any official comment on how this technology will be utilized in future devices. Any announcement concerning the use of facial recognition on iOS devices will likely come at the next Apple press conference.
(digitaltrends.com)
Apple is already utilizing face detection in the iPhone 4S for photography. The camera automatically detects up to 10 faces within the picture and sets the focus on the most prominent face. It’s likely that the current face detection software will be customized to work with facial recognition elements. Apple calls the new technology “low threshold face recognition” and is designed to work in many situations where lighting can be an issue. Facial recognition technology already exists on Google Android phones with the recent release of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. While the feature is definitely interesting, users were quickly able to fool the software into unlocking the phone after scanning a picture of the user’s face. Google warns users that facial recognition offers lower security that using a pin or other password to lock the Android device.
Apple filed this patent 18 months ago and hasn’t issued any official comment on how this technology will be utilized in future devices. Any announcement concerning the use of facial recognition on iOS devices will likely come at the next Apple press conference.
(digitaltrends.com)
Selasa, 27 Desember 2011
Windows Phone Marketplace Reaches 50,000 Apps
According to All About Windows Phone (AAWP), the Windows Phone Marketplace now has more than 50,000 apps.
Though 50,000 is less than one-tenth of what Apple’s iOS App Store has and also a fraction of the more than 400,000 apps in Android Market, Microsoft’s ascent to 50,000 apps is a solid milestone given the time it took to get there. AAWP reports that Windows Phone took 14 months to reach 50,000 apps. Android took 19 months to reach 50,000 apps and iOS took 12 months, AAWP said.
Moreover, AAWP reports that content is being added to Windows Phone marketplace at the rate of 265 items per day. At the time of the AAWP report there were 50,126 items published in the marketplace from 13,002 different publishers. The report added:
“The 50,000 mark, which has been reached sooner than we estimated, is a key milestone, but more important is the accelerating growth of the Marketplace. It took just over a year to get to 40,000 apps, but just 40 days to add the next 10,000 apps. That bodes well for Windows Phone in 2012.”
There has been an uptick in submissions to Windows Phone Marketplace over the last several weeks. The report attributes this to the expansion of the geographic area available to the marketplace as well as to the release of Nokia’s first Windows Phone devices.
AAWP, which gets its numbers from its own tracking system, said 58 percent of items in the Windows Phone Marketplace are free, 14 percent are paid with a free trial and 29 percent are paid. Additionally, as with other app stores the majority of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace are entertainment apps, followed by tools and productivity apps, games and books and reference apps.
(eweek.com)
Though 50,000 is less than one-tenth of what Apple’s iOS App Store has and also a fraction of the more than 400,000 apps in Android Market, Microsoft’s ascent to 50,000 apps is a solid milestone given the time it took to get there. AAWP reports that Windows Phone took 14 months to reach 50,000 apps. Android took 19 months to reach 50,000 apps and iOS took 12 months, AAWP said.
Moreover, AAWP reports that content is being added to Windows Phone marketplace at the rate of 265 items per day. At the time of the AAWP report there were 50,126 items published in the marketplace from 13,002 different publishers. The report added:
“The 50,000 mark, which has been reached sooner than we estimated, is a key milestone, but more important is the accelerating growth of the Marketplace. It took just over a year to get to 40,000 apps, but just 40 days to add the next 10,000 apps. That bodes well for Windows Phone in 2012.”
There has been an uptick in submissions to Windows Phone Marketplace over the last several weeks. The report attributes this to the expansion of the geographic area available to the marketplace as well as to the release of Nokia’s first Windows Phone devices.
AAWP, which gets its numbers from its own tracking system, said 58 percent of items in the Windows Phone Marketplace are free, 14 percent are paid with a free trial and 29 percent are paid. Additionally, as with other app stores the majority of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace are entertainment apps, followed by tools and productivity apps, games and books and reference apps.
(eweek.com)
Google+ passes 62 million users, adding 625,000 new users daily
Each week my team from elance runs hundreds of queries on various surnames which we have been tracking since July. We revised our model based on the actual user announcements made by Google on July 13th and Oct 13th.
Here is what the tracking shows so far:
July 13 – 10 million
August 1 – 20.5 million
September 1 – 24.7 million
October 1 – 38 million (Larry Page announced “more than 40m users” on Oct 13th)
November 1 – 43 million
December 1 – 50 million
December 27 – 62 million
January 1 – 65.8 million (forecast)
February 1 – 85.2 million (forecast)
If his statistics are accurate, then nearly a fourth of all current Google+ users will have joined the social network during the month of December alone. Allen predicts that if this user join rate continues, Google+ will be on track to reach 100 million users on February 25th and 200 million on August 3rd. By the end of 2012, it could reach a whopping 400 million users, not too far from Facebook’s current population at the moment.
Allen says that “based on the accelerated growth I’m seeing and all the dials and levers Google can still utilize, and the developer ecosystem that will be developed, I predict that 2012 is going to be a breakout year for Google+ and that it will end next year with more than 400 million users.” If that’s the case, then Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook better be prepared for a worthy rising competitor. SlashGear readers, what do you think?
(slashgear.com)
Here is what the tracking shows so far:
July 13 – 10 million
August 1 – 20.5 million
September 1 – 24.7 million
October 1 – 38 million (Larry Page announced “more than 40m users” on Oct 13th)
November 1 – 43 million
December 1 – 50 million
December 27 – 62 million
January 1 – 65.8 million (forecast)
February 1 – 85.2 million (forecast)
If his statistics are accurate, then nearly a fourth of all current Google+ users will have joined the social network during the month of December alone. Allen predicts that if this user join rate continues, Google+ will be on track to reach 100 million users on February 25th and 200 million on August 3rd. By the end of 2012, it could reach a whopping 400 million users, not too far from Facebook’s current population at the moment.
Allen says that “based on the accelerated growth I’m seeing and all the dials and levers Google can still utilize, and the developer ecosystem that will be developed, I predict that 2012 is going to be a breakout year for Google+ and that it will end next year with more than 400 million users.” If that’s the case, then Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook better be prepared for a worthy rising competitor. SlashGear readers, what do you think?
(slashgear.com)
Minggu, 25 Desember 2011
RIM hits back in BBM trademark spat
RIM has responded to claims another company owns the BBM trademark
by stating that it believes it is not in competition with the firm.
BBM Canada had previously said that it was 'amazed' RIM had tried to use the acronym, but RIM has launched a defence of itself, according to Engadget.
"Since its launch in July 2005, BlackBerry Messenger has become a tremendously popular social networking service.
"In 2010, RIM started to formally adopt the BBM acronym, which had, at that point, already been organically coined and widely used by BlackBerry Messenger customers as a natural abbreviation of the BlackBerry Messenger name.
"The services associated with RIM's BBM offering clearly do not overlap with BBM Canada's services and the two marks are therefore eligible to co-exist under Canadian trademark law. The two companies are in different industries and have never been competitors in any area."
Not been denied
RIM has also launched a staunch defence of its attempts to trademark the BBM acronym for its own purposes and wants costs for the efforts in the law suit.
"We believe that BBM Canada is attempting to obtain trademark protection for the BBM acronym that is well beyond the narrow range of the services it provides and well beyond the scope of rights afforded by Canadian trademark law.
"RIM has therefore asked the Court to dismiss the application and award costs to RIM. Further, for clarity, RIM's application to register BBM as a trademark with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is pending and we are confident that a registration will eventually issue.
"The inference by BBM Canada that CIPO has refused RIM's BBM trademark application is quite frankly very misleading."
(techradar.com)
by stating that it believes it is not in competition with the firm.
BBM Canada had previously said that it was 'amazed' RIM had tried to use the acronym, but RIM has launched a defence of itself, according to Engadget.
"Since its launch in July 2005, BlackBerry Messenger has become a tremendously popular social networking service.
"In 2010, RIM started to formally adopt the BBM acronym, which had, at that point, already been organically coined and widely used by BlackBerry Messenger customers as a natural abbreviation of the BlackBerry Messenger name.
"The services associated with RIM's BBM offering clearly do not overlap with BBM Canada's services and the two marks are therefore eligible to co-exist under Canadian trademark law. The two companies are in different industries and have never been competitors in any area."
Not been denied
RIM has also launched a staunch defence of its attempts to trademark the BBM acronym for its own purposes and wants costs for the efforts in the law suit.
"We believe that BBM Canada is attempting to obtain trademark protection for the BBM acronym that is well beyond the narrow range of the services it provides and well beyond the scope of rights afforded by Canadian trademark law.
"RIM has therefore asked the Court to dismiss the application and award costs to RIM. Further, for clarity, RIM's application to register BBM as a trademark with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is pending and we are confident that a registration will eventually issue.
"The inference by BBM Canada that CIPO has refused RIM's BBM trademark application is quite frankly very misleading."
(techradar.com)
Hackers target U.S. security think tank
LONDON (AP) – Hackers on Sunday claimed to have stolen 200 GB of e-mails and credit card data from United States security think tank Stratfor, promising a weeklong Christmas-inspired assault on a long list of targets.
Members of the loose hacking movement known as "Anonymous" posted a link on Twitter to what it said was Stratfor's secret client list — including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, Goldman Sachs and MF Global.
"Not so private and secret anymore?," the group taunted in a message on the microblogging site.
Anonymous said it was able to get credit details, in part, because Stratfor didn't bother encrypting them — an easy-to-avoid blunder which — if true — would be a major embarrassment for any security company.
Stratfor said in an e-mail to members that it had suspended its servers and e-mail after learning that its website had been hacked.
"We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posted on other web sites," said the e-mail, passed on to The Associated Press. "We are diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained."
The e-mail, signed by Stratfor Chief Executive George Friedman, said the company is "working closely with law enforcement to identify who is behind the breach."
"Stratfor's relationship with its members and, in particular, the confidentiality of their subscriber information, are very important to Stratfor and me," Friedman wrote.
Stratfor's website was down midday Sunday, with a banner saying "site is currently undergoing maintenance."
Wishing everyone a "Merry LulzXMas" — a reference to spinoff and fellow troublemakers Lulz Security — Anonymous also posted a link on Twitter to a site containing the e-mail, phone number and credit number of a U.S. Homeland Security employee.
The employee, Cody Sultenfuss, said he had no warning before his details were posted.
"They took money I did not have," he told The Associated Press in an e-mail. "I think why me? I am not rich."
Anonymous warned it has "enough targets lined up to extend the fun fun fun of LulzXmas through the entire next week."
The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, as well as others in the music industry and the Church of Scientology.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Members of the loose hacking movement known as "Anonymous" posted a link on Twitter to what it said was Stratfor's secret client list — including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, Goldman Sachs and MF Global.
"Not so private and secret anymore?," the group taunted in a message on the microblogging site.
Anonymous said it was able to get credit details, in part, because Stratfor didn't bother encrypting them — an easy-to-avoid blunder which — if true — would be a major embarrassment for any security company.
Stratfor said in an e-mail to members that it had suspended its servers and e-mail after learning that its website had been hacked.
"We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posted on other web sites," said the e-mail, passed on to The Associated Press. "We are diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained."
The e-mail, signed by Stratfor Chief Executive George Friedman, said the company is "working closely with law enforcement to identify who is behind the breach."
"Stratfor's relationship with its members and, in particular, the confidentiality of their subscriber information, are very important to Stratfor and me," Friedman wrote.
Stratfor's website was down midday Sunday, with a banner saying "site is currently undergoing maintenance."
Wishing everyone a "Merry LulzXMas" — a reference to spinoff and fellow troublemakers Lulz Security — Anonymous also posted a link on Twitter to a site containing the e-mail, phone number and credit number of a U.S. Homeland Security employee.
The employee, Cody Sultenfuss, said he had no warning before his details were posted.
"They took money I did not have," he told The Associated Press in an e-mail. "I think why me? I am not rich."
Anonymous warned it has "enough targets lined up to extend the fun fun fun of LulzXmas through the entire next week."
The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, as well as others in the music industry and the Church of Scientology.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Procrastinator's Gift Guide to iOS Apps
Struggling to track down one last stocking-stuffer for anyone on your holiday shopping list? If they happen to own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, the App Store offers more than a half-a-million last-minute gift options. And gifting features in iTunes make giving the gift of apps as easy as a few clicks.
In case you're unfamiliar with iOS gift-giving, here's a quick rundown of how the process works. We'll look at gifting specific apps first, followed by giving an iTunes gift certificate--which your lucky recipient can use to buy music, movies, TV shows, apps, and more. (See "How to give gifts from the iTunes Store" for additional general giving information.)
Giving Specific Apps
Each paid app in the App Store offers a gift-giving option. Just click on the triangle next to the download bar that lists the app's price. You'll see a pop-up menu with the following options: Gift This App, Tell A Friend, Copy Link, Share On Facebook, and Share On Twitter. It's that first option you'll want to click.
Before you do, though, make sure to check the app's requirements to see if it will run on the device of your recipient. You don't want to inadvertently gift someone an iPad-only app if they only own an iPhone, say. Similarly, some apps won't run on older iOS devices. Most App Store listings are pretty clear when it comes to the devices the app supports.
Once you've selected the Gift This App option, you'll be taken to the Give A Gift screen, in which you'll be asked whether you want to send the gift via e-mail or print the gift certificate yourself. This is not an insignificant question: If you select e-mail, the redemption coupon is immediately sent--there's no way to time the e-mail to arrive on a specific day. If you're of the "Do Not Open Until Christmas" school of gift-giving, you may want to go with the printed option. (You could, I suppose, wait until Christmas to gift any apps, but that sort of behavior is frowned upon under the Christmas tree in my household.)
Let's say you're giving an e-mail gift. The Sender's Name field is already filled in for you, with your first name listed. You then enter the recipient's name followed by an e-mail address; another field asks you to verify the e-mail address by entering it again.
Note that if you're giving gifts via e-mail, you can send an app to multiple recipients in one go. Just enter their e-mail addresses all at once, separating each one with a comma--but keep in mind that you'll be charged for each person you're sending the gift app to. (This multi-recipient option isn't available if you print up the gift certificate yourself.)
Finally, iTunes gives you a space to leave a personal message to your recipient. Try to capture your sentiments in less than 500 characters because that's the maximum number you're allowed.
Tap continue and--if you haven't purchased anything recently--you'll be asked to supply your iTunes password. (In the unlikely event you don't have an iTunes account, you'll have the option of setting up one in that dialog box.) After signing in, you'll see one last screen for reviewing your purchase; click Buy, and your gift will wing its way electronically to your loved one's inbox.
Should you take the print-it-yourself route, the process is similar, though with fewer fields. Those superfluous e-mail address fields disappear, leaving you just to enter your name, your recipient's name, and the message. After reviewing the purchase, you then get a screen for printing up the gift certificate. Try and use a color printer if at all possible--the certificate comes with a stylish green border and a lovely recreation of the app's icon.
Now when I was testing this feature, I started to type notes in what I thought was my open text editor; turns out I was still in iTunes, and my ham-fisted typing made the printing page disappear before I could print it out. Not to worry--all you have to do is log in to manage your iTunes account by clicking on your account name in iTunes's upper-right corner. You'll be asked to enter your password again. From there, scroll down to Purchase History and click on See All. Search for the specific purchase, click on that, and you'll see the gift certificate with a print option. Try not to make a hash of it this time.
While I prefer to do my app gift-giving on my MacBook Pro with its physical keyboard for easy data entry, more mobile-inclined shoppers can give apps as gifts through the App Store app on their iOS device. Go to a specific app page and scroll downward--the Gift This App button appears just below the sample screenshots and user ratings, just to the right of the Tell A Friend button. You'll need to sign in once you tap Gift This App, but from there, the process is identical to the one described above.
Giving iTunes Gift Certificates
If you don't have a specific app in mind--or if you think your recipient would prefer to pick out their own gift--you can always opt for an iTunes Gift Certificate. You'll find physical cards at any Apple Store near you, not to mention in the gift-card section of most grocery stores and retailers. If that's not an option, though, you can still turn to electronic gift giving.
Go to the home screen in the iTunes Store, and find the Buy iTunes Gifts option--it lives in the Quick Links area on the right side of the screen.
Click Buy iTunes Gifts, and the next screen will give you the option of ordering a gift certificate, with e-mail or print options. Select the e-mail option, and you supply the recipient's name, e-mail address (entered twice for verification purposes), and a personal message. You can also set an amount, ranging from $10 to $50 in $10 increments. Once you confirm the purchase, the gift certificate is sent on its merry way to your recipient to redeem (for use in the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore) at their leisure.
If you prefer to control when and where your recipient gets their gift, you'll want to take the printable certificate option. The process works as it does for e-mailed gift certificates, but without the e-mail address fields. Confirming the purchase takes you to a print screen where you can output a paper gift certificate festooned with a silhouetted dancer from the iPod ads of old.
Helping out Macworld readers is gift enough for Macworld.com editor Philip Michaels.
(pcworld.com)
In case you're unfamiliar with iOS gift-giving, here's a quick rundown of how the process works. We'll look at gifting specific apps first, followed by giving an iTunes gift certificate--which your lucky recipient can use to buy music, movies, TV shows, apps, and more. (See "How to give gifts from the iTunes Store" for additional general giving information.)
Giving Specific Apps
Each paid app in the App Store offers a gift-giving option. Just click on the triangle next to the download bar that lists the app's price. You'll see a pop-up menu with the following options: Gift This App, Tell A Friend, Copy Link, Share On Facebook, and Share On Twitter. It's that first option you'll want to click.
Before you do, though, make sure to check the app's requirements to see if it will run on the device of your recipient. You don't want to inadvertently gift someone an iPad-only app if they only own an iPhone, say. Similarly, some apps won't run on older iOS devices. Most App Store listings are pretty clear when it comes to the devices the app supports.
Once you've selected the Gift This App option, you'll be taken to the Give A Gift screen, in which you'll be asked whether you want to send the gift via e-mail or print the gift certificate yourself. This is not an insignificant question: If you select e-mail, the redemption coupon is immediately sent--there's no way to time the e-mail to arrive on a specific day. If you're of the "Do Not Open Until Christmas" school of gift-giving, you may want to go with the printed option. (You could, I suppose, wait until Christmas to gift any apps, but that sort of behavior is frowned upon under the Christmas tree in my household.)
Let's say you're giving an e-mail gift. The Sender's Name field is already filled in for you, with your first name listed. You then enter the recipient's name followed by an e-mail address; another field asks you to verify the e-mail address by entering it again.
Note that if you're giving gifts via e-mail, you can send an app to multiple recipients in one go. Just enter their e-mail addresses all at once, separating each one with a comma--but keep in mind that you'll be charged for each person you're sending the gift app to. (This multi-recipient option isn't available if you print up the gift certificate yourself.)
Finally, iTunes gives you a space to leave a personal message to your recipient. Try to capture your sentiments in less than 500 characters because that's the maximum number you're allowed.
Tap continue and--if you haven't purchased anything recently--you'll be asked to supply your iTunes password. (In the unlikely event you don't have an iTunes account, you'll have the option of setting up one in that dialog box.) After signing in, you'll see one last screen for reviewing your purchase; click Buy, and your gift will wing its way electronically to your loved one's inbox.
Should you take the print-it-yourself route, the process is similar, though with fewer fields. Those superfluous e-mail address fields disappear, leaving you just to enter your name, your recipient's name, and the message. After reviewing the purchase, you then get a screen for printing up the gift certificate. Try and use a color printer if at all possible--the certificate comes with a stylish green border and a lovely recreation of the app's icon.
Now when I was testing this feature, I started to type notes in what I thought was my open text editor; turns out I was still in iTunes, and my ham-fisted typing made the printing page disappear before I could print it out. Not to worry--all you have to do is log in to manage your iTunes account by clicking on your account name in iTunes's upper-right corner. You'll be asked to enter your password again. From there, scroll down to Purchase History and click on See All. Search for the specific purchase, click on that, and you'll see the gift certificate with a print option. Try not to make a hash of it this time.
While I prefer to do my app gift-giving on my MacBook Pro with its physical keyboard for easy data entry, more mobile-inclined shoppers can give apps as gifts through the App Store app on their iOS device. Go to a specific app page and scroll downward--the Gift This App button appears just below the sample screenshots and user ratings, just to the right of the Tell A Friend button. You'll need to sign in once you tap Gift This App, but from there, the process is identical to the one described above.
Giving iTunes Gift Certificates
If you don't have a specific app in mind--or if you think your recipient would prefer to pick out their own gift--you can always opt for an iTunes Gift Certificate. You'll find physical cards at any Apple Store near you, not to mention in the gift-card section of most grocery stores and retailers. If that's not an option, though, you can still turn to electronic gift giving.
Go to the home screen in the iTunes Store, and find the Buy iTunes Gifts option--it lives in the Quick Links area on the right side of the screen.
Click Buy iTunes Gifts, and the next screen will give you the option of ordering a gift certificate, with e-mail or print options. Select the e-mail option, and you supply the recipient's name, e-mail address (entered twice for verification purposes), and a personal message. You can also set an amount, ranging from $10 to $50 in $10 increments. Once you confirm the purchase, the gift certificate is sent on its merry way to your recipient to redeem (for use in the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore) at their leisure.
If you prefer to control when and where your recipient gets their gift, you'll want to take the printable certificate option. The process works as it does for e-mailed gift certificates, but without the e-mail address fields. Confirming the purchase takes you to a print screen where you can output a paper gift certificate festooned with a silhouetted dancer from the iPod ads of old.
Helping out Macworld readers is gift enough for Macworld.com editor Philip Michaels.
(pcworld.com)
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