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Archive for October, 2011

When it comes to mobile web traffic, iPad is tops

October 11th, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

pie
There has been some new market research reports that show mobile devices are accounting for about 7% of the United States web traffic. The Apple’s iOS is holding around 58.5% on the mobile traffic but interesting enough the iPad is accounting for more traffic than iPhones. Which is interesting since there are so many versions of the iPhone out their but only two versions of the iPad. ComScore released a report that 6.8% of the traffic is mobile and of that segment, about two thirds of the traffic is from mobile phones and a remaining third is being generated by tablet users. The group notes that Apple’s iPad now accounts for 97.2 percent of all tablet-originating web traffic, driving home the reality that competitors have not yet released a significant tablet competitor.
Among iOS users, iPad now accounts for 46.8 percent of all traffic generated, making it now a more prolific tool than the iPhone for mobile web use, which represents 42.6 percent of iOS traffic. Although the chart that is above will show you everything you need to know because pie charts are fun!

Netflix not renting DVDs on Qwikster

October 10th, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

NF
Netflix has decided to come to some senses by keeping their product on one platform. It was announced a month or so back that Netflix was breaking up DVD rentals and streaming. Keeping the streaming side as Netflix and using DVD and video game rentals on a platform they called Qwikster. This announcement happened today as Netflix issued a statement saying that there is an appeal for people to have one website, one account, for their services. Reed Hastings the CEO had this to say in a statement about the change:
“Consumers value the simplicity Netflix has always offered and we respect that. There is a difference between moving quickly — which Netflix has done very well for years — and moving too fast, which is what we did in this case.”
The company never made the change so there will be no big moves to be made on the customers end of things, Netflix just decided to make your lives the same instead of making them much harder.

Unlocked iPhone 4S should be coming in November

October 9th, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

IP4S
The unlocked iPhone 4S is scheduled to come out in November but it will only support GSM networks, which means CDMA carriers such as Verizon and Sprint are out of luck.
When it was announced on Tuesday, the iPhone 4S was unveiled as a “world phone,” meaning it is compatible with both CDMA and GSM networks. But customers who want to operate the handset on a GSM network, like Verizon, the largest carrier in the U.S., will need to buy Apple’s latest smartphone with a new two-year contract.

“The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a contract commitment,” Apple’s description reads. “You can activate and use it on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T in the United States.”

The contract-free iPhone 4S is available in all three standard capacities, and is priced at $649 for 16GB, $749 for 32GB and $849 for 64GB. It will be available in both black and white.

Samsung Galaxy
Samsung has unfortunately announced that the product launch with Google on the Galaxy Nexus will not be happening next week. Here is a statement that was released.

“Samsung and Google decide to postpone the new product announcement at CTIA Fall. We agree that it is just not the right time to announce a new product. New date and venue will be shortly announced.”

Alternately known as the Galaxy Nexus or the Nexus Prime, this device was widely expected to give us a first look at Google’s next major iteration of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, but for whatever reason, the two companies have decided to push its official debut back. It was only this morning that we got a glimpse of a smartphone looking very much like this next Nexus — a leak that may or may not have anything to do with this sudden change of plans. Either way, Eric Schmidt promised us we’d see Ice Cream Sandwich by the end of November, so we may be facing a delay, but it should be a relatively small one.

Xbox Live becoming a TV hub

October 7th, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

TV
So it seems like Microsoft is confirming that they have added a lineup of different TV services that we should be seeing come the holiday season. On the console, the TV content will be accessible through an interface that can be controlled with the Kinect motion and voice sensor, as well as traditional controllers.
“Today’s announcement is a major step toward realizing our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, made easy,” Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, said in the release. “Combining the world’s leading TV and entertainment providers with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360* and the intelligence of Bing voice search will make TV and entertainment more personal, social and effortless.”
From the reports I have read this comes with Comcast Xfinity, HBO Go, Verizon FiOS, Bravo, Crackle, Syfy, TMZ, UFC and the Today Show in just the US. THere are more partners in the UK such as BBC, Lovefilm, and Channel 4 and Channel 5. There will be some differences in the products, it looks like Comcast will be doing something like an On Demand content and no broadcast channels and it looks like Verizon is providing around 24 cable channels but there will be no local stations. This is a big move for Microsoft and shows why they are the true leader in the online gaming world of consoles.

Steve Job gone 1955-2011

October 6th, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

Steve Jobs
I had some interesting things to blog about today like Microsoft making deals with cable companies to stream TV channels, but after the tragedy of the loss of Steve Jobs, I felt he deserved my blog spot today. It was around 7:30PM yesterday I got home and logged on to World or Warcraft just to do my usual stuff and what do I see in my trade chat but that Steve Jobs had passed away. I rushed my mouse over to the second screen I have and loaded up CNN and there it was breaking news, Steve Jobs has died. I couldn’t believe it, I heard there was some false reports a few months back so I went to Apple’s website and there it was his picture with 1955-2011 next to it. I was truly taken back at the loss of such a visionary in the technology world. I mean no one lives forever but Steve didn’t even make it to 60. You know funny enough I am not a big Apple guy, I own an Android Phone, I have nothing but PC’s in my home, I do own an iPod and that is about it, but funny enough my first computer was a Mac. I got the Mac in the early 90′s and I wasn’t fond of it mainly because I couldn’t play the PC games I wanted to play on it, but I was young and my grandfather got it for me mainly for school and so who was I to complain. But who would of thought from a company that just made computers could go so far as to revolutionize things like how we listen to music or the portability and use of a tablet. Apple did that, and Steve Jobs was the man who spear headed most of this if not all. As much as I am not a Apple fan boy I did appreciate the type of passion and creative Jobs brought to Apple and it will be interesting to see where Apple goes from here without his leadership. Steve Jobs you will be missed by many.

IP4
So yesterday was Apple’s big press event where we thought we would hear the news about the iOS 5, the iCloud, and of course the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5. Wait a minute the iPhone 5 wasn’t part of the event? That is correct! Could this lend credence to the fact that Apple and Sprint might be putting together a exclusive deal to the iPhone 5? Although most have to wonder with all the things the 4S can do how could of the 5 really of one uped it? I mean the 4S will come with the iOS 5, the new Siri feature with is an intelligent assistant which can help you get things just by asking for it. I mean it is crazy, you can ask it a question and it will get the answer for you, some of the examples happened to be “What’s the traffic like around here?” It will then find your location and get the traffic reports. Really cool or really creepy, I haven’t decided yet. The 4S also records video at a full 1080P resolution and of course the 4S has the same look and feel of the other iPhones and at this point what will be so much better about the 5? Guess that is why they haven’t announced it yet. So the 4S for all you wondering will be in Black and White and will come at a few price tags, $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB and finally $399 for the 64GB model. October 14th will be the big day it arrives in the US and preorders are suppose to start on the 7th, so get ready for the iPhone 4S.

October 4th, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

sprint
It has been reported that Sprint has reached a an agreement with Apple that will see them purchase over what is said to be $20 billion iPhones over a four year span. That is roughly about 30 million iPhones. From what I have read it seems with this big move Sprit won’t even get to the breakeven point until 2014 on this. There has even been talk that Sprint will exclusively get the iPhone 5 in this deal. And it will be a 4G WiMAX device. AT&T and Verizon would launch the iPhone 4S and get the iPhone 5 sometime in the first quarter of next year as an LTE device. Globally, the iPhone 5 might be available as a 4G HSPA+ device.

In this scenario, the iPhone 4S Apple will introduce tomorrow will feature the following:
• A low voltage Apple A5 CPU (it won’t be the same as the iPad 2 chip, clock for clock).
• Updated front and back camera sensors. FaceTime HD in the front, 8-megapixel 1080p HD video recording in the back.
• Multiband 3G Qualcomm chipset — North American & International GSM/UMTS/HSPA bands for AT&T and Global carriers, North American CDMA & International GSM/UMTS/HSPA bands for Verizon and Sprint.
• NFC support.
• Metal or “premium” plastic on the back case.

And here is what I read about the iPhone 5 that will launch as a Sprint exclusive:
• Faster CPU.
• Larger 4-inch screen, similar to LG’s NOVA display but with a higher resolution.
• 1GB of RAM.
• Slightly larger design overall, but thinner and with a larger battery.
• 32GB of storage.
• iPhone 5 exclusive software and APIs (Assistant).
• Dedicated Assistant button, possibly integrated with the new home button, “think gestures or a two-stage button like a camera shutter key).
I guess we will find out toay.

WebOS still in the works

October 3rd, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

Print Conf
So even though HP has gotten rid of all the of their tablets they are still working on the webOS. Why you ask? Well it has been reported they are looking to integrate this OS into their printers. A HP spokesman had this to comment: “HP is currently investigating using webOS on its Designjet range of professional printers,” HP told Pocket-lint at the HP Impact event in Dublin. So now we will have to see what happens with the Palm sale that is suppose to go down which would include the webOS. Plus you have to look at all of these types of moves that HP is making is such little time of a new CEO, you would think things would slow down while the new CEO takes a look at every part of the business or maybe the CEO is right on track with what she wants for the company. Although this new move for the company and the webOS would be a big step for them and their refocus on printers.

Samsung Galaxy Tablet due end of October

October 2nd, 2011 by Joseph Ruthaford

Samsung Galaxy
With Amazon having the new Fire coming out in November, Samsung is releasing the Galazy Tab 7.0 plus which is going to be thinner and lighter. Not only that but it is going to have a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of built-in storage, 3-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras on the back and front, respectively, and Samsung’s latest TouchWiz Android skin. The interesting thing is that the Indonesian and Austria markets will be receiving this product first at the end of October. Finally the rest of world be getting it shortly after that which will be through a gradual rollout with the US obviously included. So yet again another smaller tablet is in the mix, making the tablet battles a bit more interesting.

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