We all will watch 833 days of video every single second by 2016, and much of that video consumption won’t happen on the PC. Instead, we are seeing a huge growth of connected TV traffic, and video consumption on tablets is also skyrocketing. Read more »
Although not officially announced yet, some details of an anticipated Google Nexus Tablet are surfacing online. Our own server logs shows 92 recent visits from Android 4.1 devices in California where Google is based. Here’s what we know and what we expect from Google’s Nexus Tablet. Read more »
Nearly three years ago Google announced plans for its Chrome OS; a platform for networked computers. The OS has reached a point in maturity where it is useful. Today the company announced two devices – Chromebook & Chromebox that actually deliver on Google’s original promise. Read more »
LG has created a 5-inch screen with 1920 by 1080 resolution. There’s a tradeoff between screen resolution and smartphone size, but the trend is more pixels per inch and larger devices. And it’s all because on a smartphone, the screen is the most used component. Read more »
New research suggests that enhanced e-books’ special features can be distracting both to young kids and to their parents reading the books with them. Read more at paidContent »
Citing employee preferences and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement, Cisco is no longer investing in the Cius Android tablet it announced in 2010. I say bull: The product had “fail” written all over it and never gained traction for several reasons. Read more »
If you haven’t yet head of “phablets,” you might want get familiar with them because ABI Research expects 208 million of them to sell in 2015. Thanks to more media consumption and web browsing consumers may shift from one- to two-handed use for these larger devices. Read more »
The biggest challenge for a media company like Meredith is shifting focus to consumer engagement across platforms, Meredith’s Liz Schimel said at paidContent 2012. Part of that means making the brands available on the right platforms, but not all platforms. Read more at paidContent »
Tablets may be a hot item now, but they’re just getting started. At paidContent 2012, Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey noted that it’s not just a “tablet or iPad world” coming, but an “everything world.” Read more at paidContent »
After waiting months and finally gaining approval from China on the deal, Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola closed on Tuesday. While the deal is still about patents to protect Android partners, Google finally has a vehicle to gain control of Android over the long term. Read more »
Motorola explained why certain smartphones and tablets it makes won’t be getting the Google Android 4.0 software update. Not all Motorola device owners are happy though; especially those that bought a Droid 3 in the past 10 months. These folks are stuck on Android 2.3. Read more »
A new intelligent home screen app for Android tablets appears on Kickstarter and for $5, it looks well worth it. Google is finally taking more control by planning several Nexus device partners and more direct sales, plus Samsung’s Galaxy S III is already in great demand. Read more »
Apple iPad owners have the $10 AirDisplay app to use their tablet as a second monitor for their Mac, but Android owners aren’t left out in the cold. Mobile app developer Shape offers a similar program for $5 that works with both Macs and Windows PCs. Read more »
A new homescreen app for Android tablets called Chameleon is like widgets on steroids, offering multiple home screens based on time and location. Chameleon is raising funds on Kickstarter, and got my backing right away. After you see the software in action, you’ll understand why. Read more »
T-Mobile is the per GB charges for its no-contract data plans.The overall price of the low-capacity one week plan is now rising to $15, but customers it provides 3x the amount of broadband. There is also a new middle-tier plan, making for three monthly plan options. Read more »
China is expected to rule soon on Google’s proposed acquisition of Motorola, with the deal already approved elsewhere. Google needs the deal, especially for tablets, says Goldman Sachs, because the costs are too high to be the default search engine on Apple’s iPad. Read more »
Today Intel is launching a Flipboard-like digital magazine, “iQ by Intel,” that aims to attract “a younger audience” through a blend of employee-curated content and original stories. So far, it’s mostly a lot of pieces from TechCrunch and Mashable. Read more at paidContent »
Mozilla has a new beta version of its mobile Firefox browser for Android. The software is still a work in progress, but shows promise with a redesigned user interface, faster startup and support for Flash. In a JavaScript test, it’s as fast as Chrome for Android! Read more »
This probably won’t shock you, but tablets connected to 3G and 4G networks consume a lot more data than their smartphone equivalents. However, on Tuesday video optimization vendor Bytemobile reported exactly how much: iPads eat up three times more data than iPhones over the cellular network. Read more »
“Virtually every publication in the world right now would desperately like to be 100 percent digital,” said Flipboard editorial director and Time Inc. vet Josh Quittner said at Internet Week this week, as publishers debated how to monetize digital magazines. Read more at paidContent »
There’s quite a ruckus going on over ARM-powered Windows 8 tablets: Mozilla and Google are crying foul over third-party browser restrictions Microsoft has put in place in Windows 8. Here’s why this isn’t really a new problem and why it’s likely to get worse over time. Read more »
Yesterday’s news about Flipboard on Android devices got me thinking. Not only is most of my content now viewed on a mobile but I’m now consuming far more content than I ever did prior because smartphones and tablets “free” that content to use anywhere, anytime. Read more »
New data from comScore indicates apps are driving traffic on the mobile Web far more than browsers. Despite claims that the mobile Web is dead, though, HTML5 is finally beginning to breathe life into Web-based mobile ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Wireless charging sounds great: Drop your gadget on a little mat, which itself is plugged into an outlet, and your phone or MP3 player sits there and charges away. But the industry can’t agree on standards, and on Monday a new wireless charging group was formed. Read more »
One of the new software features on Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone is called Pop Up Play; it allows you to watch a video while multitasking on the phone. For a $1.49 in the Google Play store, your Android phone or tablet can do the same. Read more »
Research In Motion is showing off its BlackBerry 10 platform; perhaps the company’s last chance for success in the mobile market. The interface looks impressive, but there are still many hurdles to be cleared as pointed out on Twitter by those watching the demos. Read more »
Matt and Kevin share hands on thoughts this week of the Toshiba excite10 LE tablet, HTC Titan II smartphone and Kindle Touch case with integrated light. Plus some discussion on the new $399 Galaxy Nexus that Google is selling directly to consumers. Read more »
If a smartphone or tablet with glass that’s glare-free, repels liquids and is self-cleaning sounds appealing, you might want to start following MIT’s research. By adding layers on glass that are then selectively removed, microscopic cones are created and provide these desirable characteristics. Read more »
Samsung introduced its next generation mobile chip, the Exynos 4 Quad, on Thursday, with claims of twice the processing power with a 20 percent reduction in power use. The company will use the new processor in its next Galaxy phone, debuting in a few weeks. Read more »
For developers, consumers and even carriers, Android seems irreparably broken. But Google’s not likely to “fix” Android anytime soon, because despite the fragmentation problem, the company is getting what it wants: massive amounts of user data. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Enthusiast site T-Mo News has two bits of evidence suggesting that T-Mobile will have it’s own version of the 5.3-inch handset; currently an AT&T exclusive in the U.S. market. Aside from a similar product number, an alleged screenshot from a Galaxy Note shows a T-Mobile app. Read more »
Media issues like advertising and discovery along with commerce dominated the activity in social and real-time Web technologies during the first quarter. Google raised some hackles, Facebook responded to demands from traditional advertisers, and Yahoo got a new chief executive. Read more in the full report. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Online advertising network Chitika has tracked where new iPads are being activated and has surfaced some interesting demographic data as to where these early third-generation iPad adopters live within in Apple’s largest market, the U.S. The short answer is: mostly coastal states. Read more »
In the first quarter of 2012 all eyes were on the screen, both big and small. Apple’s new Retina display pushed video streaming, and broadcast-TV streaming service Aereo’s launch was quickly followed with litigation. These events and more are discussed in a new quarterly report. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Google’s Chrome browser for Android is still in beta, yet it keeps improving quickly; the latest update is now available. The browser, only supported on Android 4.0 smartphones and tablets, gains support for 31 additional languages and adds new features making a great browser even better. Read more »
Here’s a nifty Japan-only product that looks like a small wireless keyboard. But it pulls double duty: Hold the device up to your ear and it works as a wireless handset for VoIP, Skype or other audio chat applications on mobile devices. Read more »
Smartphone sales surged both in the U.S. and worldwide, carriers struggled to cope with the ever-increasing consumption of mobile data, and the fight for spectrum remained front and center in the first quarter. Our latest quarterly wrap-up analyzes these trends and more. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Matt describes all the differences between the AT&T Galaxy Note and the international addition, while Kevin convinces Matt consider buying a MotoActv. Hands on with the HTC One S and X international editions and thoughts on Nokia’s response to the Lumia 900 connectivity issues. Read more »
Samsung isn’t ceding the 7-inch tablet market to the Kindle Fire and Nook Color: This week it launched the Galaxy Tab 2. Amazon added in-app purchases to its Appstore while I found out firsthand that the MotoActv health gadget is three great devices in one. Read more »
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2, a Wi-Fi tablet running Android 4.0 hits the market on April 22. With its $249.99 price tag, this is Samsung’s first real attempt at taking on Amazon’s successful Kindle Fire, but it may be reaching for a smaller potential target audience. Read more »
