Apple

Microsoft recaps its ‘milestones’ in 2012

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 2, 2017

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

Microsoft, once the mighty Apple archival, in ways more than one is now directly or indirectly supporting Apple's war on Android. With that in mind, let's check out Microsoft's recap video highlighting its milestones in 2012, one for each month. I'd call only two Microsoft products milestones: Halo 4, which raked in $220 million in sales in the first 24 hours, and the Xbox console with Kinect, which got Windows support in February.

As much as I like Windows Phone's originality, it's failed to make a dent and clings to a single-digit market share. The Surface is a flop (even the CEO agrees) and major software launches like Windows 8 and server products have not met the management's internal expectations. Besides, Apple's iPhone biz recently became worth more than all of Microsoft. How's that for a milestone?

Apple retains European smartphone lead over rapidly-growing Samsung

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 17, 2012

The UK continues to be Apple's European fortress against the invading hordes of Android smartphones. That's the word from Internet firm comScore, which announced Monday most European cell phone owners have adopted smartphones. In the United Kingdom, Apple is holding onto a slim 4 point-lead.

Meanwhile, South Korea-based Samsung experiences double-digit growth. Germany is the only European nation where smartphone penetration has not reached at least 50 percent. In the UK and Spain, two countries where consumers have largely abandoned landlines, smartphone adoption is at 62.3 percent and 63.2 percent, respectively.

But the real story could be the tight race between Apple and Samsung, fueled by Android's growing presence in Europe...

Brightcove CEO sees a bright future for Apple television

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 17, 2012

Brightcove founder, chairman and CEO Jeremy Allaire previously shared some interesting observations regarding Apple's living room strategy, saying that AirPlay technology and third-party apps will set a mythical Apple television set apart from traditional TV sets. And with Tim Cook telling NBC that television remains an "area of intense interest" for Apple.

Jeremy this morning shared some additional observations concerning the Apple TV strategy, noting Apple should best serve its customers with a companion $149 device rather than a full-blown HD TV set costing as much as two thousand bucks...

IBM: 5 years from now, you’ll be able to touch through your phone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 28, 2016

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wXkfrBJqVcQ At the end of every year, IBM Research publishes its annual “5 in 5″, basically a list of five technologies that computer scientists believe will make the most impact in the next five years. Some of the past predictions that came true include a 2006 notion that we'd be bale to access healthcare remotely and use real-time speech translation. More often than not, however, these technology picks are merely entertaining guidelines and food for thought.

In the 2012 edition, IBM's research arm calls for smartphones and computers with a sense of touch unlike any you've experienced before. Our gizmos will understand images and be more aware of their surroundings while providing a wide range of output via sensory and cognitive technologies, enabling, for example, the smell or taste of food.

With all due respect to current technology, our computers today are just large calculators", IBM's CTO of Telcom Research Paul Bloom says in the above clip. So, 2017 should be all about cognitive computing. Included after the break: five videos highlighting these interesting predictions...

Sprint confirms plans to acquire 100 percent stake in Clearwire for $2.2 billion

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 17, 2012

Confirming last week's rumor, carrier Sprint Nextel Monday morning announced plans to buy out the minority of shareholders of Clearwire in a transaction valued at approximately $2.2 billion. The acquisition will give Sprint, which in October acquired a controlling stake, a 100 percent ownership stake in the Bellevue, Washington-headquartered provider of mobile and fixed wireless broadband communications services. The deal also bodes well for Japan's Softbank, which in October bought a 70 percent stake in Sprint. Softbank has also been eyeing Clearwire since then and with this transaction it will basically control Clearwire through Sprint...

Apple: China iPhone 5 sales top 2 million during opening weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple's stock price fell to a 10-month low on Friday on the back of analysts' reports that Apple has been cutting supply orders to balance out excess inventory, and a reportedly quiet iPhone 5 launch in mainland China.

But apparently analysts weren't talking to the right sources. This morning, Apple announced that it has sold over 2 million iPhone 5 in China, setting a new record with the best first weekend sales ever in the country...

FreedomPop tempts with no-commit 1GB of free home Internet each month. Interested?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

The way things are now, fourth-generation cellular networks already match - and often top - data speeds offered by your home's typical DSL broadband connection. So why not just replace your broadband line with a wireless 4G router?

Enter FreedomPop, a startup backed by Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom, whose new device dubbed the Freedom Hub Burst ups the ante by giving away one gigabyte of 4G data free of charge, each month. Those needing more data will pay fair prices.

Plus, it’s a no-contract device and it supports up to ten wireless or Ethernet devices simultaneously, which should cut it for a typical Apple-branded home comprised of a few Mac or Windows PCs, iPhones, iPads and iPods...

Undercover journalists take video inside Foxconn iPhone 5 factory

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

The walls around Foxconn's larger manufacturing facilities are infamously well-guarded. The factories have been the source of a large amount of media criticism due to unfit working conditions, and they rarely, if ever, let press in.

So the folks of Envoyé Spécial, a French 60 minute-like TV program, had to go undercover to get into the Zhengzhou iPhone 5 factory to get the answers to their long-standing questions, like: are things really improving at Foxconn?

Here’s why AAPL hit 10-month low today

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 14, 2012

China's influence over Apple's financial health is growing. In fiscal 2011, the country accounted for sixteen percent of Apple's revenues. But is Apple's growth in China sustainable?

Friday, two analyst reduce forecasts amid what one described as a 'muted' response to today's iPhone 5 release in the world's largest market. As a result, Apple shares fell 3.9 percent to a ten-month low.

The decline also hurt a number of Apple's suppliers as the firm is thought to be cutting orders in order "to balance excess inventory". For example, Broadcom is down 3.13 percent and Qualcomm dropped 4.7 percent.

As a result, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek cut his iPhone shipment estimate for the first three months of 2013 to 48 million, down from 52 million. He also trimmed Apple's expected gross profit margin to 40 percent, down two percentage points...

Microsoft rolls out Bing social sidebar on iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Microsoft recently overhauled its Bing search engine around a new social bar to let desktop users "find people who are relevant to your search based on what they’ve shared, publically blogged or tweeted about".

Friday, the Bing team announced that the feature is now available on the iPad and iPad mini via browser support for iOS Safari. The new UI adapts to landscape or portrait orientation automatically, with the social bar on the right.

If you're a big Bing fan, this addition makes it easy to learn what your friends shared on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Klout related to what you’re searching for...

Walmart discounts iPhone 5 to just $127, starting December 17

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Just in time for my birthday, retailer Walmart is shaving $72 off the entry-level iPhone 5 with sixteen gigabytes of storage. Beginning December 17, you'll be able to purchase the device for just $127, that's $22 less than the lowest price we could find at RadioShack, Target and Best Buy, which all offer Apple's phone with a cool $50 discount (and some gift cards). Walmart is also offering the previous-generation iPhone 4S for just $47 and a fourth-generation iPad for $399, a $100 saving...

iPad mini now outselling iPad 4, 100M Apple tablets predicted for 2013

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 14, 2012

When I come to think of it, technology buyers often times are an unpredictable bunch. Seven out of each ten told iDB they would never buy a non-Retina iPad mini, lots of folks appeared disappointed post-announcement and more than half told us they would never buy and iPad mini. Heck, even kids haven’t fallen for Apple’s advertising blitz as they want full-size iPads for Christmas.

Fast forward to today, when NPD DisplaySearch estimates the iPad mini is now outselling its bigger brother as Apple doubles display panel orders with LG Display and AU Optronics to more than twelve million units, up from the previous estimate of six million holiday units...