Android Ice Cream Sandwich versus iOS 5- Killer features

Android Ice Cream Sandwich versus iOS 5: Killer features
Camera toolsIce Cream Sandwich brings on a whole lot of new photo tools, the most significant of which are the photo-editing tools in the image gallery. They include red-eye reduction, straightening, and "hipster filters," whatever those are. The camera app itself adds a useful panorama mode that seamlessly creates a landscape still. And iOS 5?: Here's one of those places where it's hard to separate the software from the hardware because iOS 5 has great software image rendering, but photo quality also requires the image sensor and camera lens. The app itself lets you switch between the camera and camcorder modes, and between the front and rear cameras. You can adjust the flash level and turn on a grid or HDR mode, but that's about it. In the camera roll, you can create a slideshow, plus crop, rotate, remove red-eye, and auto-enhance, but from the looks of it Ice Cream Sandwich will have more features. We'll know more about those and their quality soon.NFCThis won't appeal to everyone right now, but NFC (near-field communications) is becoming a big deal in mobile. If you have an NFC-compatible phone (this is where hardware comes in), you'll be able to use the on-board Google Wallet software right away to pay for purchases by tapping or waving your phone near a compatible terminal (MasterCard users can get going.) Yes, there are still a lot of requirements, and Android isn't the only NFC-capable OS (Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian already support it). But Google's partnerships and software put it in a good position to be immediately useful as the technology ramps up in the U.S. And iOS 5?: No NFC for iOS 5 yet; it's one of the features we were collectively hoping to see in the update.Want to unlock that phone? Smile.GoogleOpennessThe benefit Android's openness to other manufacturers' custom interface designs is debatable depending on which side of the conversation you're on, but it gives cell phone-makers and carriers the opportunity to offer new features and visual experiences that are variations on the Android theme.Some people prefer stock Android, just as Google designed it. Others appreciate accessing tools and information in ways that Google didn't envision. The company has clearly borrowed some innovations from these custom UIs, like bring able to open a specific app in conjunction with unlocking the phone (rather than unlcoking to the hom page, then opening your app.) And iOS 5?: iOS is a famously closed ecosystem, and whether you love it or hate it is a matter of personal opinion. There's also something to be said for uniformity in terms of your expectations of how a phone will behave, and in offering consistent customer support.Facial unlockingAndroid Beam is fun too, but I think facial unlocking is even more novel, fun, and interactive because it (optionally) uses the front-facing camera to recognize your features and let your into your phone. So smile! It's also wholly unnecessary, but a harmless party trick.And iOS 5?: It'll be the boring power-swipe combo for iPhone, every time.Android BeamRight now the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be the only compatible device, but put two of them together and they can transfer content like contact information, maps, and details of running apps (the app you've got open will trigger your friend's phone to open the product page for that app in the Android Market.And iOS 5?: The closest you can get is a third-party app, but this isn't native.Hanging with SiriSee full gallery1 - 4 / 26NextPreviOS 5Dead-simple UIYou can't argue with the idea that when you pick up an iPhone, you already know how to work it. There are increasingly more hidden tricks: taking screen shots, opening the "multitasking" menu, accessing universal search, operating the notifications pull-down, and launching voice actions (or Siri), but for the most part, what you see if what you get, and there aren't any hidden menus in the apps. Those standardized icons are easy on the eye, too.And Ice Cream Sandwich?: The app tray isn't front and center, the menu system can add a layer of complexity, and there's a bit of a higher learning curve to take advantage of all you can do. The uncurious may overlook some of Android's customization options because they don't know how to find them.Music integrationFrom the very beginning, iTunes and iPod integration is what made the iPhone a killer. It's simple to store, play, and buy music. iOS 5's wireless syncing forgoes the need to plug your iPhone into the computer to sync songs. Now, as long as it's charging while you're connected to Wi-Fi, you can set it to automatically sync with iTunes.And Ice Cream Sandwich?: Android borrowed iPhone's strengths as a music player, but the Android showing is so far slim, and it's closest feature, Google Music, is still a rough beta that's very much in development.CameraAs I mentioned above, this one's stickier because there's no way to completely separate the hardware and software. The camera app interface in iOS 5 is simple to operate, and not very deep, but there's great editing software behind the scenes that help photos render with crisp detail and good color representation, even on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5. HDR mode is a nice plus. However, the camera's lens and image sensor qualities also play a significant part in the making of good mobile photography.And Ice Cream Sandwich?: The OS has a much richer feature set than iOS, with photo-editing software and panorama mode built in. However, the photo components that each manufacturer uses for their armies of Android handsets will cause the image quality to vary from Android 4.0 phone to phone.App StoreNo OS can boast more apps than iOS' more than half a million. Not all are good, it's true, but Apple blew the app store concept wide open and everyone else scrambled to follow.And Ice Cream Sandwich?: Android may have the second-largest app store, at over 250,000 titles; that's half the size of the iOS storefront. iMessage in iOS 5CBS InteractiveiMessageBlackBerry may have pioneered in-ecosystem messaging with Blackberry Messenger (a.k.a. BBM), but Apple has succeeded in making it a seamless part of the messaging app. The phone will automatically switch between iMessage and a text message when it detects that the other user is also on iOS 5. Translation: it won't count against your texting plan, so more texts for you. Giving credit where it's due, Windows Phone got to the IM/text convention with its "Mango" update before iOS 5 launched, and Mango taps into Windows Live Messenger and Facebook chat.And Ice Cream Sandwich?: Google Talk is a separate app that's preloaded into Android, but which is separate from the texting app.iCloudOne of iOS 5's most significant additions, iCloud does over-the-air syncing from the device to the cloud (no more USB connection to the computer!) and syncs content like apps, music, and contacts, so you can later restore. You can also wirelessly edit photos, manage e-mail folders, and create and delete calendars. iCloud is an excellent resource for syncing music you own.And Ice Cream Sandwich?: Android has long enjoyed over-the-air OS updates, and its online Android Market also takes advantage of over-the-air app installation. Google Music is one big cloud feature, but as I mentioned above, it's still too rough around the edges to really be a killer feature (give it time though).SiriProbably iOS 5's most buzzed-about feature, Siri is the voice-triggered assistant with an attitude that replaces the Voice Control app. She's fun to talk to the way you would converse with another person, and comes up with some snarky responses to some inquiries that make her the talk of the town. Much like before with voice commands, Siri can create reminders, search for directions, text people, call you a cab, and so on. The real innovation is the flexibility in which you can phrase your questions, like: "Do I need an umbrella today" rather than "Weather San Francisco." Ultimately, the shot of personality is fun, but the abilities aren't substantially different than what's already out there. Besides, like all voice command apps, Siri's comprehension ain't flawless. And Ice Cream Sandwich?: Android has also had its own voice actions app, which can launch navigation, calls, texts, search, and more, at your command. It lacks Siri's "personality." FaceTimeIf all the people you want to talk to have iPhones on Wi-Fi, FaceTime is great. The in-ecosystem video chat app won't make you look your best through that front-facing camera, but it does work without taking away from your minutes, and it's a neat addition besides. FaceTime is hardly innovative--mobile video chats through front-facing cameras existed long before.And Ice Cream Sandwich?: Thanks to Google+ (a downloadable app at this point,) there's video chat through Hangouts.COLLISION COURSE?FaceTimeAppleWith iOS 5 and Ice Cream Sandwich, we see each operating system borrow more heavily from each other and from other competitors. That means that consumers will see their smartphones growing evermore powerful, and their choices for great smartphone ecosystems grow too. It's less heartening news for platform-makers, who need to advance their offerings to stay ahead and therefore relevant. Is it only a matter of time before these platforms and other converge? In some senses yes, but what Apple and Google have both demonstrated is an ability to keep pushing the envelope to add their own special touch--for example with iOS's Siri and Ice Cream Sandwich's facial unlocking. Whichever mobile ecosystem of the spread you personally prefer is a matter of personal opinion, and a reflection of the features or philosophy you value most.At the end of the day, that's a decision you have to make and defend on your own. But when it comes to which OS does one thing better than the other, it's sometimes a little more clear-cut, but neither one here lacks for compelling reasons to jump on their gravy train. And that's good news for everyone.Article updated 10/20/11 at 6:03pm PT: To correction about Android's video features and iOS 5's camera-editing tools.


iPad sales sink, while iPhone sales hit record numbers

iPad sales sink, while iPhone sales hit record numbers
wound back and forth between metal barriers." credit="Stephen Shankland/CNET" alt="The bulk of the line to buy an iPhone 5 at the Paris Apple store wound back and forth between metal barriers." creditUrl="" targetUrl=""/>Apple reported a big figure for iPhone sales in its third quarter and earnings that were just above what Wall Street was expecting.The company saw $35.6 billion in sales, which is slightly up from its earnings in the same period last year. Not all the figures met expectations though. Sales for iPads and Macs were down from the previous year, and Apple didn't even bother to report iPod sales. (Apple sold 6.8 million iPods in the third quarter of 2012.)Here's a look at some of the 2013 Q3 numbers that Apple did want to share:$35.6 billion in sales. Apple's sales were mostly driven by iPhone sales, which CEO Tim Cook took care to highlight in his statement to the press. He also mentioned the iOS platform as a growing revenue source. This sales figure is up from $35 billion in Q3 of last year. 14.6 million iPads sold. iPad sales were down from last year, when Apple broke a quarterly record, selling 17 million iPads.3.8 million Macs sold. That's down slightly from 4 million Macs sold in Q3 of 2012.31.2 million iPhones sold. The iPhone sales was a quarterly record for Apple. The figure compares to the 26 million iPhones sold last year. Users have created 320 million iPhone accounts, sending 900 billion iMessages and 125 billion photos and triggering 8 trillion push notifications.1 billion TV episodes and 390 million movies downloaded in iTunes. Apple said these huge figures break down to users downloading 800,000 TV episodes and 350,000 movies each day.50 billion apps downloaded from App Store.Apple recently celebrated the App Store's 5-year anniversary and its recent figures show the platform is going strong. There are more than 900,000 apps available in the store, with 375,000 apps made specifically for the iPad. Developers have earned $11 billion from sales, and half of that was earned in the past four quarters, according to Apple.$667 million from its retail stores.Apple said its retail locations had 48 million visitors this quarter, with 16,000 visitors per store, per week. The company added 6 new stores and expanded to 5 new countries, bringing the total number of stores to 408 stores, including 156 outside the U.S. It expects to open 9 new stores this year, with 27 new stores total for this year. Apple relocated 4 stores due to growth, bringing the total number of relocations this year to 23.


Apple nixes 'potentially offensive' South Park app

Apple nixes 'potentially offensive' South Park app
Apple has made it clear that South Park must respect its authority.The company has now twice rejected an iPhone application designed to let iPhone owners watch clips of the long-running show featuring the exploits of Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny. Apple apparently feels that South Park's content is "potentially offensive," according to Boing Boing, and will not allow it onto the App Store.Once again, Apple's taste-making policies for the App Store leave it in a curious position. The company's decision to ban a book from the App Store for using dirty language, yet approve a fast-growing category of fart-related applications, has many wondering exactly what sort of standards are used to evaluate iPhone applications.Apple briefly employed a rating system for iPhone applications with a "17+" category, but has since removed that from the App Store. Still, some developers are self-rating their applications as "17+," such as X-Soft's iWand 17+ (iTunes link), a fake metal detector that features images of a gun and knife.Perhaps Apple isn't all that worried about the content itself. After all, it's not bothered enough by South Park to stop selling more than a hundred episodes of the edgy show (rated TV-MA) for $1.99 on the iTunes Store, as well as the R-rated South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut movie released in 1999.And the top paid entertainment application on the App Store as of Tuesday is a "Yo mama" joke generator, with such classics as "Yo mama so stupid she spent twenty minutes lookin' at an orange juice box because it said 'concentrate.'" Slightly farther down the list, "Wobble Bikini Fun" promises that it's "the only application that can make ANY body part on people in your photos jiggle like jelly."South Park Studios' application was designed to let iPhone users stream episodes, which might be the feature that really offended Apple. The company told South Park's creators that they might be able to get the application into the store at a later date, according to Boing Boing: "But Apple did admit that the standards would evolve, citing that when iTunes first launched it didn't sell any music with explicit lyrics."Of course, Apple might also be waiting for its rumored iTunes video-streaming service to be completed. It wouldn't be the first time Apple has rejected an iPhone application that contained a feature the company was planning to implement on its own.


Set up your Apple TV just by touching it with your iOS 7 device

Set up your Apple TV just by touching it with your iOS 7 device
Setting up an Apple TV isn't especially complicated, though it can be a hassle. The combination of an onscreen keyboard and Apple's remote makes for painfully slow input of your Apple ID, Wi-Fi password, and the like.But if you have a third-gen Apple TV and an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad running iOS 7, you can transfer nearly all the necessary setup information, quickly and wirelessly, just by touching one device to another.AppleHow is that possible? Did Apple borrow technology from Bump? Nope. (In fact, Google just bought Bump.) This surprising new option comes courtesy of Bluetooth and iBeacon, a feature Apple slipped into iOS 7 without much fanfare.As described by a newly released Apple support document, the Apple TV setup process goes like this: Fire up the box (for the first time, presumably) and wait for the setup screen. Then, making sure Bluetooth is enabled on your iDevice and that it's connected to the Wi-Fi network, just touch it to the Apple TV and wait until you see setup prompts on the TV and device.From there it should be easy going. You'll enter your Apple password on your device (much easier thanks to the touch keyboard, and perhaps easier still if you have an iPhone 5S with Touch ID), and then just wait for all the necessary settings (iTunes store credentials, region, language preference, etc.) to get transferred over.According to Apple, iBeacons are "a new class of low-powered, low-cost transmitters that can notify nearby iOS 7 devices of their presence." This would suggest that the third-gen Apple TV, which was introduced back in January, had such a transmitter built in all along, even though it served no purpose until iOS 7 arrived nine months later. Alternately, according to TechCrunch, it might not be iBeacons at all, but rather a similar capability afforded by Bluetooth Low Energy.Either way, it's an interesting peek at how Apple devices may communicate in the future. And anything that makes setup simpler is cause for celebration.


How to use Photoloupe to view iPhone photos

How to use Photoloupe to view iPhone photos
NYC, up close.Screenshot by Matt ElliottWith the pixel count continually increasing on each generation of iPhone, if you have a late-model iPhone, you likely have high-resolution images that contain details not seen on the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen. Photoloupe lets you take or import photos and then take a closer look by zooming in and tilting the iPhone to pan across the image. If Photoloupe sounds appealing, it would be best to act fast; the app is currently free but only for a "very limited time."To get started, tap the camera lens icon in the lower-left corner to take a photo or import one from your camera roll (but not Photo Stream), Dropbox, or from iTunes when your iPhone is connected via USB to your PC or Mac. Your photos are then added to Photoloupe's Photo Wall, which includes a number of sample shots. (To delete a photo, tap the Menu button in the upper-left corner when viewing a photo and then tap the delete button in the lower-right corner.)You can snap a shot or import photos from your camera roll, Dropbox, or iTunes.Screenshot by Matt ElliottFrom the Photo Wall, tap a thumbnail to view the image. You can zoom in and out using the controls in the lower-left corner. To pan across the photo, simply tilt your iPhone. It takes a little getting used to before you'll feel like you have good control, and you can adjust the sensitivity of the gyroscope (or turn it off completely) using the slider in the lower-right corner. To stop panning without attempting to keep your iPhone perfectly flat, just tap and hold on the photo (the pin icon in the upper-right corner will move and glow to show that you have stopped the image). To go to the next photo or return to the Photo Wall, tap the button in the bottom center of the screen.I don't know how much of a need I have for Photoloupe, but it is a fun and free (for now) app and a great way to show off iPhone technology. I think it would be more useful on the larger screen on the iPad, but, sadly, Photoloupe is built only for the iPhone and iPod Touch.Mona Lisa.Screenshot by Matt ElliottMona Lisa, up close.Screenshot by Matt Elliott(Via AppAdvice)


This Day in Tech- News of the World to close; Facebook vs. Google+ video

This Day in Tech: News of the World to close; Facebook vs. Google+ video
• News of the World is shutting down in the wake of allegations that newspaper representatives hacked the phones of news subjects, including a missing teenager, Milly Dowler, who was later found dead. It was also revealed this week that relatives of British troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan may have also been targeted. The hacking cases at the paper have previously involved politicians and celebrities, including actress Sienna Miller, who pocketed $160,000 in an out-of court settlement. (CNET and The Guardian)• Some potential hires go for an intimate walk in a wooded area of Palo Alto, Calif., with Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. What's it like? One potential hire recalled the stroll: "The entire experience was totally surreal. I really felt like I was on a date." Or if you are Sheryl Sandberg, the courting process begins at a Christmas party when Zuckerberg spends an hour chatting with you by the door and then follows up by e-mails and private dinners. (The New York Times)• So you can video chat with your friends, family members, and co-workers, but what if things get weird? Here's how to handle awkward situations more gracefully: CNET compares video chat on Facebook vs. Google+ and gives you tips. For a more visual comparison of the services, read Keith Kleiner's take. (CNET and Singularity Hub)• The verdict is in on the legal battle between Apple and Amazon: For now, Apple loses, Amazon wins. A judge refused to grant Apple's request for a preliminary injunction to stop Amazon from using the term "Appstore." The reason being that while the term isn't exactly too generic, Apple needs a better case as to why Amazon's use of the term would confuse customers. On that note, keep in mind the Apple App Store hit 15 billion downloads. (CNET)• Apple reportedly gets the new iPhone 5 ready for a third-quarter launch. There's a rumor that Apple has asked suppliers to build 25 million units of the next iPhone by August. (The Wall Street Journal and CNET)


Third-party iPhone 5 cases spotted in the wild -- again

Third-party iPhone 5 cases spotted in the wild -- again
Apple's next iPhone hasn't even been announced, but that hasn't kept third-party case manufacturers from getting products ready to go.Case in point (pun intended), this new crop of cases that have shown up on Shenzhen, China-based TVC-Mall. Spotted by jailbreak enthusiast blog Cydiablog (by way of Macrumors), these cases promise to fit Apple's next iPhone. That's complete with a rectangular cutout on the bottom, presumably where Apple's reportedly tweaked dock connector will be. Buyers beware though. TVC-Mall, which makes accessories for numerous technology manufacturers, says there's no guarantee the case will work with Apple's next device."Notice: As iPhone 5 has not been unveiled, we can't guarantee this product can be used in iPhone 5," a large, red warning reads. "If you have any questions, please contact our friendly customer service representatives."Readers might remember that this same thing happened ahead of the iPhone 4S last year. A crop of cases reared up that bore little resemblance to what would end up as the iPhone 4S' design. That included a relocation of the phone's mute switch, and a curved back, two things that didn't materialize. Related storiesPurported iPhone 5, iPad Mini 'engineering samples' crop upDealExtreme offers up 'iPhone 5G' casesAlleged iPhone 5 case design points to big changesiPhone 5 rumor roundupAs detailed in Forbes last year, numerous case makers who created molds based on rumored specifications got burned. That includes Hard Candy, which dropped a reported $10,000 on molds for wider, thinner iPhones that never came out. The reward, of course, is a potential windfall from sales by early buyers, who get the phone and want an alternative to Apple's Bumpers. For those manufacturers who wait, it can take weeks, or even months to get their first batch of cases out on the market. Apple's current iPhone, the 4S, was announced and released last October. The company is expected to follow a similar fall schedule with its next model. Despite the "5" moniker making the rounds, that device will actually be Apple's sixth-generation model.


Apple, Psystar agree to dispute resolution process

Apple, Psystar agree to dispute resolution process
The Mac Observer turned up a court filing from earlier this month in the Apple-Psystar casenoting that the two parties have agreed to participate in the Alternative Dispute Resolution process. As you may recall, Apple sued Psystar earlier this year for copyright infringement after Psystar began selling low-cost Open Computers with Mac OS X preinstalled. Psystar then countersued Apple on antitrust grounds.ADR, as it is known, is a way to bypass the costly legal process as well as keep the outcome private, which is one of Apple's favorite words. I downloaded the document in question from the U.S. District Court of Northern California's Web site (click here for PDF), and it says that Apple and Psystar have agreed to three portions of the ADR process: non-binding arbitration, early neutral evaluation, and mediation. The parties have agreed to hold their sessions by January 31, 2009.It's not exactly clear what Apple and Psystar are thinking with the decision to choose this path. If Apple loses the case, and Psystar is allowed to continue selling Mac OS-based Open Computers, it won't really matter if the outcome is kept private, since the availability of Open Computers will tell the tale. If Psystar is forced to stop selling Open Computers with Mac OS, we'll likewise notice that.Psystar has never appeared to have a ton of resources to use on its behalf, despite hiring a big-time Silicon Valley law firm to represent it against Apple. So it might very well be interested in a cheaper method of resolving the dispute, especially if Apple has the upper hand.And Apple may very well not want to concede in a public courtroom that Psystar has a chance of proving its antitrust claim that the relevant market for this case is Mac OS computers, rather than just personal computers in general. That could hurt Apple in other antitrust cases it's facing regarding iTunes and the iPhone.


Apple, Google rejecting -Flappy- games

Apple, Google rejecting "Flappy" games
After developer Dong Nguyen pulled Flappy Bird from iTunes and Google Play, it was the beginning of a massive proliferation of clones hoping to cash in on the craze. It seems, however, that Apple and Google aren't really down with it, though.According to a report on TechCrunch, several games developers are having their "Flappy" games rejected or pulled from the app marketplaces.Ken Carpenter of Mind Juice had his game Flappy Dragon rejected, noting on Twitter:This is just not my f***ing week: Rejected. "We found your app name attempts to leverage a popular app." Which app? FB doesn't exist!?!?!â€" Ken Carpenter (@MindJuiceMedia) February 15, 20141. Rejected twice on Google Play 2. Rejected from App Store 3. Rejected from BC Interactive Fund award for $50K funding. #badweekâ€" Ken Carpenter (@MindJuiceMedia) February 15, 2014Apple said in an email to Carpenter, "We found that your app, and/or its metadata, contains content that could be misleading to users, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines. We found your app name attempts to leverage a popular app."Developer Kuyi Mobile also noted:@madgarden @wtrebella @kylnew @MindJuiceMedia I think you should resubmit. Besides Ken, I know 3 other devs who just got rejected. :Sâ€" Kuyi Mobile (@kuyimobile) February 15, 2014Other games that previously included the word "Flappy" in the title have also been noticed changing their names, although as you can see from the screenshot above, it certainly has not yet become a widespread phenomenon.Boom! one more Flappy app just axed by Apple. Flappy removed from title. Ranks crashes out of top 10 instantly. pic.twitter.com/d9jUsgeXFGâ€" Ouriel Ohayon (@OurielOhayon) February 16, 2014And, although Carpenter notes that his game was also rejected from Google Play â€" with the company only citing "spam" and not going into detail â€" plenty of Flappy Bird clones remain live on the site.CNET Australia has reached out to both Apple and Google for comment, and will update this story if we receive new information. In the meantime, cool your jets with the Flappy Jam on itch.io.


Apple notches App Store deal with China's UnionPay

Apple notches App Store deal with China's UnionPay
Apple has reached a deal that will allow consumers in China to use the country's most popular payment card to make purchases on its App Store.The new payment option lets Apple ID users in China link their accounts with UnionPay's debit or credit cards for one-touch purchases of apps, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company announced late Sunday. UnionPay, which has a virtual monopoly over bank card transactions in China, has issued more than 4.5 billion cards in China and operates in all cities in China."The ability to buy apps and make purchases using UnionPay cards has been one of the most requested features from our customers in China," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said in a statement. "China is already our second largest market for app downloads, and now we're providing users with an incredibly convenient way to purchase their favorite apps with just one-tap."The announcement comes amid questions about how Apple's homegrown mobile payment system Apple Pay will make inroads into China, the world's largest smartphone market. Apple Pay, which was introduced in the US last month, lets iPhone users tap to pay for goods and services at retail stores and buy goods within an app.China, Apple's third biggest market in the world behind the US and Europe, has been a hefty cash cow for Apple. For Apple's fiscal fourth-quarter, which ended in September, China generated $29.8 billion, or 16 percent, of the company's total revenue in its fiscal fourth quarter.One avenue for Apple might be a partnership with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which has built a mobile payments service called Alipay that boasts more than 300 million users. Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma said late last month that he's "very interested" in talking to Apple CEO Tim Cook about a partnership between his payments service and Apple's new mobile payments service.


Apple not expecting a very merry holiday

Apple not expecting a very merry holiday
Apple isn't expecting a very happy holiday season, financially anyway.The company today issued its forecast for its fiscal first quarter ending in December, calling for per-share earnings of $11.75 and revenue of $52 billion.That's short of Wall Street's average forecast of $15.43 a share in earnings and $55.02 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters. Apple is known to be overly conservative with its own estimates, and Wall Street investors often pump up their own projections a little higher.Still, the expectations call for growth in the quarter and underscore Apple's continued dominance in the technology world, with products that are not only selling at a rapid clip, but selling for a higher profit than its competitors. The iPhone, in particular, has Apple reaping nearly all of the handset industry's profit, with Samsung Electronics the only other significant winner in the segment. The forecast comes on the heels of mixed results for the company, which was bogged down by supply constraints. As a result, the company couldn't sell as many iPhones that it wanted, cutting into its profit. Conversely, the carriers all sold fewer iPhones than expected, which yielded higher profits because they didn't have to pay Apple as high a subsidy that initially thought. That, however, could be poised to turn around as Apple works out its supply kinks and sales begin to flow during the holiday shopping period. Analysts point to the December quarter as they key indicator for the success of the iPhone 5.


Apple No. 1 in mobile-PC market share worldwide

Apple No. 1 in mobile-PC market share worldwide
First, Apple shipped 23.4 million mobile PCs in the fourth quarter of 2011 (26 percent of the global market share) and over 62.8 million mobile PCs throughout the year--both mostly filled with iPad orders, according to the latest figures from NPD DisplaySearch.Although mobile-PC shipments grew by 12 percent quarter to quarter and by 44 percent year over year, NPD DisplaySearch senior analyst Richard Shim explained in the report that mobile-PC brands had a difficult time last year.Mobile-PC brands read the writing on the wall in the fourth quarter. Consumer demand for notebooks was expected to be weak following modest back-to-school results, especially with the expected launch of Windows 8 on the horizon, and increasing interest in tablet PCs. As a result, brands focused their typical holiday price cuts on tablets to boost demand.Related storiesiPad's share of tablet market to dip to 62 percent this yearHP reverses course, decides to keep PCs after allApple grabs top spot in mobile PC market from HPAs for tablets on their own, that category continues to surge--especially for Apple, which controls 59.1 percent of the worldwide market as of the fourth quarter. However, Amazon made a noticeable impression in second place with 16.7 percent of the market share within just a single quarter.Nevertheless, there was one category that Apple did not win, and that would be worldwide notebook PC shipments, where Apple placed fifth.Instead, Hewlett-Packard was the winner here with 15.5 percent of the market share and 8.7 million units shipped worldwide in the fourth quarter, likely reaffirming the decision that HP's leaders made to keep the consumer PC unit after all.Both Dell and Acer tied with 11.8 percent of the market, while Lenovo came in fourth with 10.8 percent.This story originally appeared at ZDNet's Between the Lines under the headline "Apple topped mobile PC, tablet market shares worldwide in Q4 2011".


Apple needs to catch Samsung, Amazon in displays, researcher says

Apple needs to catch Samsung, Amazon in displays, researcher says
Apple risks falling behind in display tech in 2014, DisplayMate Technologies said in a research note. Echoing an earlier note, DisplayMate Technologies Raymond Soneirasaid this week that "Apple has recently given up the lead in displays -- now Amazon, Google, LG, and Samsung are launching products with the best and most innovative displays." He cited the example of an emerging LCD technology called Quantum Dots that Amazon has tapped for the Kindle Fire HDX 7 (now $199 at Amazon)."Quantum Dots are going to revolutionize and reenergize LCDs for the next 5+ years," he wrote. "While they have been under development for many years, in 2013 they made it out of the labs and into consumer products: in some models of Sony Bravia TVs...and in the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7, with Quantum Dots from Nanosys," he said. Quantum Dot displays produce highly saturated primary colors that are similar to those produced by OLED displays, according to Soneira. And speaking of OLEDs, Samsung is probably the world's leading proponent of the technology, which is used in its popular Galaxy smartphones.OLEDs will likely begin appearing in tablets this year too. OLEDs "are also incredibly thin, just fractions of a millimeter, which is a major advantage in mobile displays and especially for wearable displays," he said, referring to Samsung's Galaxy Round. "It's important to note that the curvature is small and subtle [but it's] just the right amount to significantly improve image quality when watching in ambient light," he wrote. Apple is rumored to be tapping OLED tech for its iWatch.Soneira also reiterated that the iPad Mini Retina's display -- which uses a technology called IGZO from Sharp -- fell short of the Kindle HDX and second-generation Nexus 7 (though Soneira gave a respectable grade for the iPad Air.) "Hopefully Apple will join the leaders again with new and innovative displays in 2014," he said.


Apple nearly killed off its Pro product line

Apple nearly killed off its Pro product line
Apple once strongly contemplated pulling out of the professional computer market following early success with the iMac, according to the company's former go-to advertiser.In a post, former Apple advertising executive Ken Segall says the tidbit came during a meeting with then-CEO Steve Jobs, who had acquired a taste for success with the iMac -- the first of what would become many consumer product hits for the company: This was back in the days when iMac had established itself as a global bestseller. During one of the agency's regular meetings with Steve, he shared that he was considering killing the pro products.His rationale was as you might expect: Consumer products have an unlimited upside, while pro products are aimed at a niche market that eats up major resources. The company kept on offering those products instead. As it stands today, Apple's "Pro" line consists of a line of hardware and software that is typically the top of line in price and features. That includes the MacBook Pro and upcoming Mac Pro mini-tower (if you can call it that -- it's more of a "mini tube"), along with Aperture, Final Cut Pro, and Logic -- its professional software for photography, video editing, and audio design, respectively.At the same time, several of those products -- short of the MacBook Pro -- have languished between releases, something Segall points to as emblematic in Aperture, which had its last major release in February 2010. There's little arguing Jobs was correct about the growth of the consumer market though. The iPhone and iPad made up around 72 percent of the company's $35 billion in sales in the last quarter while the Mac came in at 14 percent. The same could hold true of other rumored devices the company's working on, like a watch and a souped-up TV set-top box.


Apple buys location-based data company Locationary

Apple has quietly acquired a location-based data company, an Apple spokesman confirmed Friday.Speaking to All Things Digital, Apple confirmed its acquisition of Locationary. The small startup is focused on constantly blending data from multiple sources to ensure that local business listings are up-to-date. The data can be used to tell people where a business is located, including keeping track of a business if it moves or shuts down. Locationary also collects important, actionable data such as store hours, products, and services.Apple did not say exactly why it acquired Locationary, but it's clear the company's data will come in handy with its Apple Maps application. If nothing else, Locationary's data will ensure that business listings are kept accurate -- a key component in building out a full alternative to Google Maps.Terms of the Locationary deal were not disclosed, according to the report.

Apple buys another chipmaker

Apple has acquired another chipmaker.The iPhone, iPad, and Mac maker recently bought Passif Semiconductor, reports blogger Jessica Lessin. The Oakland, Calif.-based company makes low-power wireless hardware, as well as networking software.Apple picked it up "in recent months," Lessin reports, though it's unclear for how much.Apple did not comment on the acquisition, beyond noting it "buys small technology companies from time to time." The chipmaker is the latest to be acquired by the tech giant. It purchased Intrinsity in early 2010, as well as P.A. Semi, in 2008. Those acquisitions have been notable given Apple's increased interest in creating its own custom processors for its portable devices. This latest purchase suggests Apple could be expanding that into wireless and communication technologies -- things for which Apple has relied on companies like Qualcomm and Broadcom.Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that Apple has been buying a company every month or two. It recently snapped up two mapping/location companies: HopStop and Locationary, presumably to bolster its own mapping software, which had a rough launch last year. "We are always looking, and if anything, we will do more of that in the future," Cook said at the All Things Digital Conference in May.