Mar 3, 2013 | Computer technology, News
I’ve always prided myself on getting a large tablet or device. It has a bigger screen so I can see better. It’s bulkier, so it’s harder to lose, especially if you’re as disorganized as I am. Plus, I like to make a statement with my 10.6 inch mini-PC. Looks like my days are numbered.
Between December 2012 and January 2013, tablet computers under 8 inches sold far better than their larger counterparts. For example, look at the iPad . In January 2013 alone, the ?9.7 inch?tablet sold just over a million units. This is a huge drop from around 8 million just the month before. It’s estimated Apple wants to sell nearly twice as many iPad Minis as they do Ipads. Giants like Amazon, Google, and Android are following suit. But why?
Is this just a tall flavor of the month fad? Are smaller tablets here to stay? Okay, so they’re probably easier to produce and sell at better prices. But what about quality issues, like app storage, product design and battery life? And what if they decide to get smaller and smaller when consumers decide 7.0 inches aren’t small enough? I think these are all questions that should be answered before this trend continues any further.
Mar 2, 2013 | Entertainment, News
Back in?December 2010, I bought myself and a close friend a Christmas present: a Nook tablet?by Barnes and Noble. I must confess, one of my favorite pastimes is getting a cup of coffee and skimming through magazines at B&N. So I said to myself, “If it’s from B&N, it has to be good”. I couldn’t have been more wrong!
This was supposed to be the next big thing in device technology. But it’s turning into a big joke. During the 2012 holiday season,?the Nook?fell $316 million short of investor’s expectations. During the last quarter alone, sales declined nearly 27 percent. Keep in mind they just came out with two new brands and cut prices to older ones in the past year or so. They tried to kiss up to the college market by creating? Nook Media, kind of like I-Tunes U. Well, I-Tunes U just celebrated one billion downloads. I doubt Nook will be celebrating anything anytime soon.
So who and what?is to blame for this melee? It’s been argued Amazon Kindle and other devices were too much competition for them. I’m not exactly buying it. If so,?maybe it’s because Amazon knows how to do better business. Maybe it’s because of the cool apps?Kindle offer (I learned this when I wised up and bought a Kindle). Maybe because the customer service at Amazon Kindle is a lot better; don’t even get me started. You don’t have to take my word for it. Look at the stock market board. Amazon’s stock is at $266 a share.?Barnes and Noble, at $16.?Now don’t go rushing to buy?B&N stock. It might be 16 cents by this time tomorrow.
So what am I going to do with?my Nook tablet? It sure would hide that nasty stain on my wall.
Feb 27, 2013 | Uncategorized
Samsung released information about a new Wallet app during a developer conference at Mobile World Congress. It is fashioned much like the Passbook app on Apple’s iOS. It has time a and location-based push notifications. Samsung is also partnering with Visa to ship new phones with NFC-powered PayWave service. Wallet is currently available as a preview for developers.
Feb 20, 2013 | Uncategorized
Some of Apple Inc’s employees were infected on Tuesday. Some Apple workers computers were infected when they visited a website for software developers by malware. It was the same software that exploited a flaw in a version of Java that was used against Facebook. Hundreds of companies including defense contractors were infected by the malware. Investigations are ongoing and it is not clear when the attacks started or the extent to which the hackers had succeeded in stealing data. The malware was also distributed through a site for iPhone developers.
Feb 19, 2013 | Uncategorized
Eldar Murtazin from mobile-review said on Twitter that on March 14th there will be a “Big Announcement”, implying that it would cause HTC to miss sales estimates. Muatazin did not mention Samsung or the Galaxy S, but SamMobile announced shortly after the tweet that the tweet was a veiled Reference to the Galaxy S IV. The Verge has confirmed that Samsung’s plans that March 14th is the day one or more devices will be unveiled, one of them being the Galaxy S IV.
Feb 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
Researchers at Erlangen University have shown that the “cold boot attack” can read data from a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running the latest version of Android even if you use and PIN and pattern lock. By cooling the phone to 5 degrees Fahrenheit and quickly rebooting it you can read data from its memory. The attack first appeared in the on PCs in 2008 but was never tried on mobile devices before.
Feb 16, 2013 | Uncategorized
Staples will begin selling Apple products via its U.S. distribution channels. Staples in the past claimed that they would not sell Apple products. Today, however, Staples told corporate employees that is has finalized a deal with Apple to sell its products in the U.S.
Feb 15, 2013 | Uncategorized
When the new iPhone 5 was released with the Lighting connection port it made all previous accessories obsolete. Apple has put serial numbers and authentication chips into the connection that it sends to the accessory makers. When the accessory is submitted to Apple for testing they can recognize the serial number. If the chip is reverse engineered it will not work as well and potentially being disabled by future Apple updates.
Feb 14, 2013 | Uncategorized
Apple’s iOS 6.1 has a security flaw that lets anyone bypass the password lock screen and access the phone app, view or modify contacts, check voicemail, and look at photos. all you have to do is make an emergency call and holding down the power button twice. This happened before in iOS 4.1 and was fixed in iOS 4.2.
Feb 13, 2013 | Uncategorized
Apple is developing a wristwatch-like device that will do some of the task of the iPhone and the iPad. Apple’s CEO is getting pressure from investors because shares are down 30% due to rivals. Apple needs a new revolutionary device to fill the hole. Apple is declining to comment at this time.
