François-Xavier Schaeffer's blog

Next-gen iPad could use new LED backlighting system to cut weight

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:59:01 +0200

Adding to the bevy of rumors surrounding a next-generation iPad release, a report on Thursday says Apple will likely use a modified LED backlight apparatus in a bid to make the 9.7-inch tablet as thin and light as possible.

See on appleinsider.com

Amazon Purchase of Goodreads Book-Review Site Irks Authors Group

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:36:58 +0200

Amazon.com is gaining too much control in the publishing industry with its purchase of Goodreads Inc., a social network for readers and a competitor in online book reviews, an authors’ group says.

Goodreads, which allows users to add titles to virtual bookshelves and track what friends are reading, has 16 million members who have written more than 23 million reviews, Amazon said in a March 28 statement. The company said the deal will probably close in the second quarter and didn’t provide terms.

See on businessweek.com

Rumor: Apple television with 'iRing' motion controller to launch this year

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:16:48 +0200

After meeting with Apple suppliers in a tour of China and Taiwan, one analyst now believes Apple will launch a television set this year with a new ring-shaped accessory that will allow a user to control the TV set by pointing their finger.

See on appleinsider.com

Google search appears to be ranking iTunes app links lower than usual

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:12:24 +0200

Google search is making it more difficult to surface iOS applications using typical user queries, like “Whatsapp iTunes,” “Whatsapp iPhone,” or searches by app name, for example.

See on techcrunch.com

Amazon vs. Facebook: Which has the stronger smartphone use case?

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:48:38 +0200

The rumors mills are in overdrive, with industry watchers predicting that Amazon and Facebook are both planning to bring out smartphones. The use case for a Facebook phone is the most questionable, while Amazon’s biggest hurdle with such a strategy is likely to be getting the device on retail shelves.

See on mobilemarketer.com

World’s smallest blood monitoring implant tells your smartphone when you’re about to have a heart attack

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:55:56 +0200

A team of scientists at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland have developed the world’s smallest medical implant to monitor critical chemicals in the blood. The 14mm device measures up to five indicators, including proteins like troponin, that show if and when a heart attack has occurred. Using Bluetooth, the device can then transmit the data to a smartphone for tracking.

See on extremetech.com

Google Said to Plan to Make Glasses in U.S. With Foxconn

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:49:40 +0200

Google plans to make digital eyeglasses in the U.S. with Foxconn Technology Group according to a person familiar with the plans.

The eyeware, designed by Google and featuring software and cameras, will be made by the Taiwanese company at its factory in California, the person said, asking not to be identified because the plans are not public.

See on bloomberg.com

In-app purchases from 'freemium' titles account for 71% of iPhone app revenue

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:50:53 +0100

A new study showcases the dominance of “freemium” titles on Apple’s iOS platform, as in-app purchases made through free apps accounted for 71 percent of total iPhone app revenue in the month of February.

See on appleinsider.com

Rumor: Apple courting developers to support official gaming controller

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:42:23 +0100

Apple has allegedly developed its own dedicated gaming controller for release at some point in the future, a development that, if true, could drastically reshape the face of the video game industry.

See on appleinsider.com

Apple iTV May Launch 4Q13 With 4K Resolution

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:24:56 +0100

If Apple plans to reinvent the way we watch TV in the living room, then it needs to start with a screen resolution that’s better than 1080p, eliminate the remote, and the overall solution needs to be somewhat affordable.

See on tomshardware.com

Why the budget iPhone would throw the smartphone market into chaos

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:18:59 +0100

The buzz around the budget iPhone has grown deafening, with new reports about the device coming out on a weekly basis. This will be a product launch with a unique impact. If the budget iPhone really arrives this summer, it will drop smack in the middle of the tension created by slowing global smartphone volume growth and the extremely ambitious volume growth targets of the largest Asian vendors.

See on bgr.com

Facebook to reveal Facebook phone: HTC handset with modified Android OS on April 4th

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:07:21 +0100

Facebook just invited press to an event at its headquarters on April 4th to “Come See Our New Home On Android”. Sources tell us it will be a modified version of the Android operating system with deep native Facebook functionality on the homescreen that may live on an HTC handset. The evidence aligns to say this is the Facebook Phone announcement people have been speculating about for years.

See on techcrunch.com

Apple's new iPhone? Wraparound display, no buttons

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:00:28 +0100

Could a future iPhone feature a wraparound display?

According to a new patent filed by Apple, patent application 20130076612, a potential smartphone design could include a full wraparound display and have no buttons. Enclosed within “transparent housing,” a flexible display panel would be configured to display content at any portion of the gadget’s frame.

See on zdnet.com

WHICH IS FASTER? Thunderbolt Bus Powered 2.5" or USB 3.0 Bus Powered 2.5" Storage?

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:52:17 +0100

What prompted this article was the announcement this week that the FirmTek miniSwap/U3 is shipping.

How does a USB 3.0 bus powered notebook size storage like the miniSwap/U3 compare to Thunderbolt bus powered notebook size storage devices? Other than performance, what features distinguish them?

See on barefeats.com

Apple’s Big Secret: The iOS Laptop

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:18:11 +0100

Some think Apple’s next big move will be an iWatch device, while others predict it will be a fully integrated Siri AppleTV. However, Apple’s next growth segment will be launching the iOS Laptop.

The iOS laptop will run a clickable version of iOS so that you don’t touch the screen but use a mouse or trackpad. The iOS laptop will use the same form factor as the 11” MacBook Air, but instead of running OS X, it will run iOS. It will start at $799 USD and come with 256GB of SSI storage and 2GB of RAM. The key to the iOS laptop is it will not run on an Intel processor but on a quad-core ARM A-series Apple designed processor.

See on t-gaap.com

Apple TV 2013: Analysis of a new Apple A5

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 12:09:43 +0100

Apple shipped five million Apple TVs last year. That’s $495M in revenue for the year just from the Apple TV. That’s not a lot of money for Apple, but it’s a business of considerable size,” Lal Shimpi writes.

“The Apple TV is an incredibly relevant device today,” Anand Lal Shimpi writes for AnandTech. “Apple famously refers to the Apple TV as a hobby, but I view it as more of an experiment.

See on macdailynews.com

HTC president calls Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event embarrassing

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:49:33 +0100

I went from laughing to actually feeling embarrassed at some of the acting,” MacKenzie said in an interview with CNET. ”Watching the presentation, it looks like they invested a lot in marketing instead of innovation.”

See on bgr.com

Why Build a Cheaper iPhone? Because It’s Stupid Not To.

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:39:31 +0100

Apple needs to finish up development of the low-cost iPhone it has been working on for the past few years, and bring the device to market now. Because to do otherwise is utterly illogical. There’s simply far too much revenue at stake.

François-Xavier Schaeffer’s insight:

This is not rocket science, but I’m not convinced Apple will do it…

See on allthingsd.com

Will Android Tablets Pass iPad in 2013?

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:34:21 +0100

The technical answer is yes. Android AOSP (Android open source project) meaning Android code that can be freely taken and used will be installed on more tablets than iPads in 2013. But the story isn’t that simple or clean cut. Data requires perspective and that is what I hope to provide around IDC’s latest press release and chart predicting that Android will be on more tablets than iOS in 2013 and beyond.

See on techpinions.com

Apple in extraordinary attack on Samsung's Android operating system ahead of Galaxy S4 launch

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:29:21 +0100

Phil Schiller, the second most powerful executive at Apple, has made an extraordinary attack on Google’s Android software just before Samsung – the biggest user of the software – launches its new Galaxy S4 smartphone.

See on telegraph.co.uk