Why Android Needs To Pick Up The Update Pace, And Why The Time Is Right
There should be no doubt at this point: the world of Android is a turbulent, noisy, and at-times inscrutable tangle of interests. But the ba… Read more at paidContent »
Games for the weekend: Gears
When your kids quickly become addicted to a game, you know it has to be good. That’s what happened with Gears ($2.99) by Crescent Moon Games. Gears lures you in and then ramps up the challenge, but not so fast that you can’t keep up. Read more »
Samsung: Record Mobile Profits On Sales Growth Of 300 Percent
Earnings out today from Samsung show the Korean handset maker posted record sales and profits for its telecoms division, driven primarily by… Read more at paidContent »
Updated: Samsung Rules Smartphone Shipments; Nokia Still Tops Overall In Q3
Samsung’s competitive threat to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) in the smartphone space — being played out not only among consumer… Read more at paidContent »
Enemies at the gates: Apple’s biggest threats are Samsung and ZTE
It was pretty clear that Samsung would eventually overtake Apple in terms of smartphone sales, and this past quarter, that happened. But Apple also slipped in the overall phone sales category, beat by a rival that could be more of a long-term threat: China’s ZTE. Read more »
Another example of how the iPhone is changing everything
The Artefact Group has come-up with this concept (WVIL) camera that has a touch interface like the iPhone, wireless capabilities and changeable SLR optics. It is a sign of how the iPhone user interface is becoming the preferred way of interacting with digital devices. Read more »
Nokia & Microsoft’s real challenge
Nokia recently showed off a handful of new phones that are powered by the new Microsoft’s mobile operating system. These are good looking devices but that won’t be enough as the company is facing a challenge that is much more cerebral. Read more »
Astrid comes to iPhone so more people can get things done
Astrid, the web and mobile application that allows users to create to-do lists with social features, has finally debuted a version of its app for the iPhone. The iOS launch comes three months after Astrid raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Google Ventures and Nexus […] Read more »
Appsfire taps Siri for voice-activated app discovery
Siri isn’t available to developers, and there’s no guarantee it will be. But it hasn’t stopped developers from tapping its power. Appsfire, an app discovery service, has created a little hack that allows iPhone 4S users to find apps with their voice. Read more »
Sprint Beats Earnings Estimates, But Investors Raise Eyebrow At iPhone Cost
Earnings day hasn’t been a pleasant experience for Sprint (NYSE: S) in recent years. The company beat earnings estimates for its third quart… Read more at paidContent »
Quick tip: Update Twitter and Facebook using Siri
Normally, if you ask Siri to tweet for you, it’ll say it can’t help with Twitter. If you ask about Facebook, you’ll get even less of a response. However, using both these social networks’ SMS features, you can get Siri to update Twitter and Facebook indirectly. Read more »
Android data-thirst impacts operator bottom line
How much impact does Android’s data thirst have on carriers? Sprint said it expects to get 50 percent more lifetime value from iPhone users over other smartphone users because of the network efficiency of iPhones. That suggests that Androids are putting significant strain on mobile networks. Read more »
What cards sent using Apple’s Cards app look like
When Apple released its official Cards app, I was curious what the final product would look like, so I promptly designed a simple one and sent it to myself. The final product arrived Wednesday, so I wanted to share how the final product turned out. Read more »
The Morning Lowdown 10-26-11
» The Challenges That Lie Ahead For Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) (paidContent)
» Survey: U.S. Tablet News Junkies Prefer Web… Read more at paidContent »
Are iPhone rumors hurting app downloads as well as device sales?
iPhone rumors are an integral part of the hype engine surrounding new product launches, but Apple noted during its most recent conference call that they hurt device sales for the quarter. Now a new report says they may have slowed down app downloads, too. Read more »
Sprint looks to Clearwire to firm up LTE plans
After laying out an aggressive LTE 4G deployment plan that didn’t include existing partner Clearwire, Sprint is now saying it is working with the 4G wholesaler toward a commercial agreement that will allow it to offload some of its LTE needs onto Clearwire’s future LTE network. Read more »
U.K. survey finds consumers underwhelmed by iPhone 4S
U.K. site MyVoucherCodes polled over 1,500 smartphone shoppers, and found that a third of those surveyed were “disappointed” with the 4S. Of those questioned, only 29 percent said they’d be interested in buying one. Might initial fervor mask a mostly underwhelmed buying public? Read more »
iPhone accessory review: Ford Fiesta and Microsoft SYNC
After I wrote my recent article about Bluetooth integration with car audio, Ford contacted me about the Microsoft SYNC system. I took it for a test drive (literally). A new Ford may just be about the best (and probably most expensive) iPhone accessory out there. Read more »
TouchBase: A scheduling app that’s more helpful than Siri?
I’ve never been great at keeping tabs on scheduling. Siri has been a great help for setting appointments, but a new app called TouchBase aims to make staying in touch with those you’re meeting with, and keeping track of where you’re headed even easier still. Read more »
RIM’s pain could be Apple’s enterprise gain
A new survey of business professionals out of the U.K. reveals that RIM’s recent network problems could work out very well for enterprise adoption of Apple’s iPhone. A survey revealed a lot of individuals interested in defection, and Apple’s platform as the life raft of choice. Read more »
Android leads in mobile ads; iPad ads jump 456 percent
Media released its Q3 2011 Mobile Mix report Tuesday which shows Apple continues to be the device manufacturer with the largest share of mobile ad impressions. From a mobile OS perspective, though, Android leads with 56 percent of all mobile ads served. Read more »
Introducing a thermostat Steve Jobs would love: Nest
Can gorgeous design, learning algorithms and millions in venture capital funding make a simple home thermostat as coveted as the iPhone? If anyone can achieve such a lofty goal it’s Tony Fadell, the godfather of the iPod and iPhone, who has founded connected thermostat company Nest. Read more »
Steve Jobs Resisted Third-Party Apps On iPhone, Biography Reveals
iOS apps have become a booming business for Apple–mainly for their status as a selling point for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices rather… Read more at paidContent »
Siri Co-Founder Leaving Apple Weeks After iPhone 4S Launch
Now that Siri is baked into an iPhone, Dag Kittlaus seems to have decided that his work at Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) was complete. The co-founder o… Read more at paidContent »
10M China Mobile iPhone users: More proof devices trump network speed
On Monday, China Mobile announced 10 million iPhone users on its network. It’s an impressive landmark, but far more so when you realize that China Mobile isn’t an official carrier partner for Apple’s smartphone. That’s a strong argument that hardware is more important than network speeds. Read more »
The Morning Lowdown 10-24-11
» Does Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) CEO Tim Cook Also Want To Destroy Android? (paidContent)
» Steve Jobs To Biographer: ‘I’m G… Read more at paidContent »
Does Apple CEO Tim Cook Also Want To Destroy Android?
photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images
We now know when new Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) CEO Tim Cook is going to have his first “What would Steve do?” moment. Early accounts of a greatly a… Read more at paidContent »
7 stories to read this weekend
The past week was full of news, and I am pretty sure you are all caught up on it. However, it is time to sink your teeth into meatier writing, so here are a few stories you will enjoy. Read more »
Steve Jobs To Biographer: ‘I’m Going To Destroy Android’
Steve Jobs swore to “destroy Android” in his anger over what he saw as outright copying of Apple’s ideas in Android phones unveiled early in… Read more at paidContent »
Games for the weekend: Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting
I’m a simple man, and at times I like simple games. At its core, Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunter ($0.99 until Oct. 24) is a simple game. The object is to defeat various monsters in an arena setting, and it does a good job of delivering that. Read more »
Verizon Sees Slight Ebb In iPhone Demand But Beats Expectations
Verizon faced the same problem as rival AT&T (NYSE: T) during the last quarter: Apple’s iPhone 4S wasn’t ready until October. Still, the lar… Read more at paidContent »
Verizon iPhone sales nip at AT&T’s heels in Q3
Verizon sold 2 million iPhones during its fiscal third quarter, the carrier announced Friday. AT&T said it activated 2.7 million iPhones during the same time period. Though Verizon is still a newcomer to selling iPhones, its earnings show it’s building momentum and gaining on its rival. Read more »
T-Mobile wants the iPhone, but only if it’s AWS-compatible
In an official statement released Thursday, T-Mobile SVP of Marketing Andrew Sherrard addressed T-Mobile’s absence from the lineup of U.S. carriers offering the iPhone — a list that now includes regional carrier C Spire. Essentially, T-Mobile wants it but only if it works with the carrier’s tech. Read more »
With App Revamp, Weather Channel Downplays ‘Utility’ In Favor Of ‘Stories”
A lot of media companies took the opportunity of Apple’s iOS 5 upgrade to refurbish their apps for the iPhone and iPad. The Weather Channel’… Read more at paidContent »
Quick tip: Disable Siri from the lock screen
Media reports are making a big deal about Siri being accessible from a locked device. It’s true that by default Siri works on a code-locked iPhone, but don’t fret, there’s a simple — albeit somewhat oddly placed — setting to make sure Siri doesn’t give up your info. Read more »
AT&T: 100 Million Wireless Users But Q3 Growth Slowed Without New iPhone
AT&T (NYSE: T) continues to benefit from smartphone adoption, crossing the 100-million subscriber mark during the third quarter. Although li… Read more at paidContent »
NYTCo’s Robinson: Paywall Hasn’t Dented Pageviews — Much
The weak economy and the About Group’s declines have eaten away at revenue gains that the New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) won with last year’… Read more at paidContent »
Samsung smartphones reportedly outship the iPhone
Apple frenemy-in-chief Samsung has reportedly surpassed the iPhone maker in smartphones for the most recent quarter. Samsung reportedly shipped “more than 20 million smartphones” in the most recent quarter, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple said Tuesday it sold 17.1 million iPhones during the quarter. Read more »
HipGeo wants to be your mobile digital travel diary
HipGeo aims to put all details related to your travel — photos, check-ins, comments — in one place with an app that passively keeps track of your movements. Afterward, you can easily create a slick, animated travel diary. Here’s what I found when I used it on a cross-country trip. Read more »
Google’s Andy Rubin doesn’t think Siri makes a good friend
On Wednesday, I wrote about how Siri had finally convinced me to use voice commands with a phone, despite an inherent reluctance to do so. According to Google’s SVP of Mobile, Andy Rubin, however, I’m hanging out with the wrong crowd. Here’s why he’s wrong. Read more »
