Apple

There will be two billion smartphones by year’s end

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 17, 2013

Let's file this prediction by uber accounting firm Deloitte under 'been there, done that': world smartphone shipments will top one billion during 2013, and near two billion by year's end.

Back in October 2012, we reported that industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics announced the mark was passed during the third quarter of last year.

However, Deloitte adds a wrinkle to the smartphone race, forecasting we should top the 2 billion mark by the end of 2013. This means that an astounding billion shipments are expected throughout the calendar year 2013. That appears to suggest demand for smartphones is increasing across the globe. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Strategy Analytics projected it would take until 2015 before we hit two billion smartphones...

Samsung to take on Apple with mini Galaxy Note

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 24, 2013

Samsung of South Korea will later this month take another crack at dethroning the tablet leader Apple by going after the Cupertino firm's iPad mini, a 7.9-inch mini tablet computer released on November 2, 2012 and starting at $320 for the Wi-Fi only version with sixteen gigabytes of storage.

The new Note reportedly has a 720p (1,280-by-800) Super Clear LCD screen measuring eight inches diagonally and comes with Samsung's trademark S-Pen. Hardware specifications allegedly aren't that special as Samsung is possibly using cheaper components in order to undercut the iPad mini on price...

Apple job ad promises wittier Siri responses

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 17, 2013

Apple's digital secretary (still in beta, by the way) made waves when it arrived as an iPhone 4S exclusive on October 5, 2011. It caught rival gadget makers on the wrong foot, but Google quickly responded to the threat with Google Now, a voice-activated search product which taps Google's Knowledge Graph to deliver personalized results without users even asking. Siri's reliance on Google for data was dramatically reduced since iOS 6 and a recent job ad suggested Siri will soon speak a bunch of new languages.

Another job ad has been spotted today, indicating that Apple wants Siri to provide even wittier responses than it currently does. The ideal candidate for the job would be someone willing to “develop and write original dialog to support new Siri capabilities" and help the Siri team evolve Siri as a "distinct, recognizable character"...

Apple TV goes on sale in South Africa this Friday

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 17, 2013

Apple's $99 set-top box is scheduled to go on sale in South Africa this coming Friday, January 18. The news was confirmed by Core Group, Apple’s official distributor in the 52 million people market. Core Group also announced pricing and availability information for Apple's hockey-puck device, which will retail for R1099, or approximately US$125. Additionally, Apple Premium Resellers and authorized dealers will also carry the set-top box come this Friday, though resellers are reportedly "entirely free to determine the actual prices at which products will be sold", per Core's press statement...

Google CEO: our work on Maps is ‘clearly more appreciated now’

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

When Larry Page became the CEO of Google, taking over from Eric Schmidt who is now the company's chairman, he immediately began the Jobs-ification of the Internet giant. He axed a bunch of projects and put more wood behind fewer arrows in order to make the company more agile.

Page then set his sights on so-called moon shots, ambitious projects which could become the pillars of Google’s future growth. The decision gave birth to such projects as self-driving cars and Minority Report style Project Glass, for example. Page sat down with journalist Steven Levy who wrote a book on Google called "In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives" (a $15 download from the iBookstore), here's what came out of him...

iPod Godfather explains Apple’s secret design sauce

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 7, 2016

Tony Fadell needs no introduction. The brains behind the Nest thermostat, this former Apple engineer also helped engineer the iPod music player and led the development of the first eighteen iterations of the iPhone. He recently talked Apple, Steve Jobs and secrecy inside the walls of Apple’s Cupertino HQ.

He also commented on Forstall's departure in an interview with BBC and told Bloomberg that he is "not that dumb" to compete directly with his former employer. And now, Fadell at the Bloomberg Design conference this week once more tried to explain Apple's secret sauce which results in the sexy gadgets people lust after. He also explained the difference between designing products at Apple and Phillips, here are some highlights...

Could booming iPad sales save the iPhone?

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 17, 2013

If Wall Street analysts went in for such things, J.P. Morgan's Mark Moskowitz would have a sign saying "It's the supply, stupid." Moskowitz Thursday morning issued a note to investors, reducing his iPad sales forecast for the fourth quarter of 2012. No, it's not due to flagging demand - the misconception dogging the Apple shares - but a shortage of tablets leading up to December.

According to Moskowitz, Apple next week may announce it sold 18.4 million iPads to close out last year, down from his previously projected 20.1 units. Coming into 2013, the popular device may become the chief revenue producer for Apple, the analyst adds...

WSJ: AT&T considering a merger in Europe

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 17, 2013

Faced with constraints on growth at home, U.S. carrier AT&T is reportedly considering entering new markets in Europe via a merger with one of the key players in a major European market such as the United Kingdom, Germany or the Netherlands, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The carrier is allegedly hoping to bring its technological expertise in building 4G networks to the table.

European telcos have been slow to roll out fourth-generation networks so AT&T through its European partner could help roll out the latest in 4G technology in order to then introduce "more lucrative pricing strategies". European carriers get most of their revenue from voice plans and text messaging, unlike in the United States where telcos have shifted to new plans that charge subscribers based on their data use...

Nexus 7 believed to have outsold iPad in Japan over the holidays

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple unveiled two new iPads just before the holidays, and is expected, by many analysts, to report strong tablet sales for the quarter next week. But according to a new report out of Japan, that may not be the case.

Market research firm BCN surveyed some 2,400 consumer electronics stores in Japan throughout the month of December. And their results showed that the iPad was outsold during the period, for the first time since 2010...

Temple Run 2 now available in the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 16, 2013

The second installment to the popular run'n'jump game should be hitting Apple's iTunes servers in New Zealand and Australia just about any minute now. Like it's predecessor, Temple Run 2 is a free download for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices and Android smartphones and tablets. Those with a US account on the App Store should check the store at around 11pm Eastern, 8pm Pacific Time, when Temple Run 2 is due to hit US shores. The original Temple Run hit over a hundred million downloads across iOS and Android, with more than 75 million downloads in 2012 alone. Admittedly, the sequel should prove just as popular...

UPDATE: Temple Run 2 now available in the US

Microsoft launches free natural disaster helper app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPYVHmW5GX8

Available now as a free download on Windows Phone, Android and iPhone, HelpBridge is Microsoft's new mobile app that everybody should have on their handset, just in case. Should you, God forbid, ever find yourself at the epicenter of a large scale natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy, the software will help you connect with those that matter to you most.

As a bonus, you can also use HelpBridge to rally everyone around one cause - that is, donate your money, time and resources to support relief and rebuilding efforts. The above clip shows off the Windows Phone version of HelpBridge, but you get the idea...

TSMC contracted to fab a cutting-edge chip for a ‘breakthrough’ Apple device

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 16, 2013

Samsung for the time being remains an exclusive maker of the Apple-designed engine that powers iPhones, iPads and iPods. Apple's chips are being fabbed on Samsung's High-κ metal gate 32 nanometer process at its $14 billion semiconductor plant in Austin, Texas. But not for any much longer.

We've been hearing lots of rumors lately that rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest independent semiconductor foundry, has entered Apple's supply chain with trial production of Apple's A6X processor.

As the iPhone maker is reportedly accelerating plans to make a jump to TSMC for all of its mobile chips, now comes word that the Taiwan foundry will pretty soon start building on its 20 nanometer process technology a next-gen processor for a "breakthrough" Apple device...