If ever there was a simple visual to illustrate just how slow Microsoft was to wake up to the shift into mobile, it’s this one: a full 70 percent of Windows users also own at least one Apple product.
While there will be some joint Windows/OS X users in there, the majority of them will be people with Windows PCs and either an iPhone, iPad or iPod.
Via Business Insider
It’s like the 1970s all over again (I’m told). The modern equivalent of the lava lamp, the iPhone-controlled LED-powered Holi lamp, is expected to make its way across the Atlantic to the USA sometime in March, reports The Verge. It’s currently available only in Europe.
You can choose a theme, and let Holi choose the colors and flash-rate; create your own theme; or let the lights synchronize with the music playing on your iOS device. You can also allow the 8-inch-square Holi lamp to wake you in the morning by gently increasing the brightness …
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A company that makes smartphone-controlled door locks for hotels has announced its first home door lock system, going by the rather cringeworthy name Okidokeys.
Once fitted, you’ll be able to unlock your front door from your iPhone (or Android handset) via Bluetooth. The locks are also compatible with RFID chips, allowing you to open them with a keycard or wristband in case your phone battery goes flat. As you’d expect from a hi-tech lock, you can also manage access and accounts online …
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There have been a lot of important apps released for iOS (and Mac) this year. As you can imagine, we’ve covered many of the big ones. But for me, nothing has been a bigger game changer than Tesla’s Model S App. I’m sure many folks will pooh-pooh the idea that an app that is for 30,000 or so households should even get mainstream coverage. But bear with me here. The company has revolutionized the ways in which cars interact with smartphones and these advancements will trickle into more car/apps over the coming years..
For those out of the loop, the Tesla Model S is a fully electric car that can seat up to 7 people, propel them from 0-60 in about 4 seconds and has a battery range of about 250-300 miles fully decked out. It has the lowest coefficient of drag of any mass produced car, has gained the best safety rating ever from the NHTSA and has more interior storage space than many minivans and SUVs.
Many have compared its disruptive nature and its charismatic CEO Elon Musk to Apple and Steve Jobs.
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From 9to5Google:
Holy wowzers Batman as BlackBerry announces over 40 million “newly registered iOS/Android users in the last 60 days.” The BBM tidbit dropped during this morning’s BlackBerry Earnings Report and while we’ll ignore the economic crisis that is BlackBerry, the messaging numbers are pretty interesting.
Earlier this year, Google launched Zagat for iPhone and iPod touch. The application is Google’s form of allowing users to discover new places, such as restaurants, across many cities in the United States. Today, Google has updated the application with support for the iPad’s larger display. Also in the mix is support for ratings and reviews for shops and restaurants. Support for Charleston, South Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee has also been added. The 2.0 update is free on the App Store.
Following its release on Android back in July, Google has just made its One Today charity app available on iOS. For those unfamiliar with the app, it details a new charity everyday and encourages users to donate $1 a day, or more, to it. Users can share their donations to social networks, or keep them totally private.
One Today will present you with a new project every day from a nonprofit that is changing the world. You can donate to the projects that inspire you with just one click. Amplify your impact by sharing your donations with your friends on social media and matching their contributions to your favorite projects.
Google notes that all donations are tax deductible, as well. One Today is available on the App Store now.
From 9to5Google:
There was little question at some point, somewhere in their roadmap Pebble’s smartwatch was going to get a dedicated appstore. That day has arrived as a new company blog post indicates the new developer portal is now open. The app store will launch to the public in 2014 and be the “first-of-its-kind wearable application directory.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xgx4k83zzc]
If Qualcomm seemed rather taken by surprise by Apple’s use of a 64-bit chip in a smartphone, first dismissing it as a gimmick and then hastily backtracking and announcing it would be making 64-bit smartphone chips itself, that’s because it was, says Dan Lyons in a nicely-written piece on HubSpot. The piece includes what has to be a strong contender for tech quote of the year:
The 64-bit Apple chip hit us in the gut,” says the Qualcomm employee. “Not just us, but everyone, really. We were slack-jawed, and stunned, and unprepared. It’s not that big a performance difference right now, since most current software won’t benefit. But in Spinal Tap terms it’s like, 32 more, and now everyone wants it.”
The reference is to a scene in the 1984 mockumentary This is Spinal Tap where the band proudly shows an amp that goes all the way up to 11, explaining that “it’s one louder.” What Qualcomm missed was that while 64-bit smartphone chips may be of limited immediate value, the A7 made for a compelling marketing sell, leaving other companies scrabbling to catch up.
Qualcomm has just created a 64-bit version of its Snapdragon SOC and expects to see it appearing in Android phones sometime in the second half of next year.
Since the unveiling of third-party keyboards for Android some years ago, iOS users have looked on with envy. That is, until today as Fleksy is using the simplification of iOS 7 code and adding their alternative keyboard to iOS apps. Things will kick off with four apps: Wordbox, GV Connect, Launch Center Pro and Blindsquare but where the company goes from here is still up for some debate. As an option inside each app, Fleksy still won’t work like an alternative Android keyboard which works across the board no matter which app is being run.
Data from smartphone market intelligence specialist Counterpoint shows that iPhone market share in China more than doubled between September and October even before launching on the country’s biggest carrier, China Mobile.
Apple’s market share rose from just under 5 percent to 12 percent, taking it from 6th place to 3rd place, behind Samsung and Lenovo …
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From 9to5Google:
Spotify fans the world over take note, the company is moving into the ad-supported model with a new app for both iOS, Android tablets and smartphones. The company is introducing a whole new tier of service on mobile, providing users an opportunity to listen and search for songs on the go for free with a small catch.
(via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/apollo_zac/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>)
Google announced today a major round of app additions for its media streaming Chromecast HDMI stick including Plex, Vevo, Songza, and more.
Chromecast, which retails for $35 (currently $32.88 on Amazon Prime), can now play local files synced with your Plex media library from iOS, Android, or Chrome. Plex support is highly requested and offers a major advantage for content consumers looking to play content from a device to an HDTV.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3LX84jdfnE]
Apple’s iBeacons aren’t the only Bluetooth LE beacons available, but they have so far been the default option for retailers thanks to the backing of such a well-known company. Qualcomm, which makes wireless chips for Apple among many others, may be aiming to change that with its launch of its own beacons from just $5 each.
Gimbal proximity beacons, available in two models, are accurate down to one foot and work indoors and outdoors […]
Depending on volume, Series 10 beacons [for indoor use] are available for as little as $5 each and Series 20 beacons [weatherproof version] are available for as little as $10 each.
While the move represents competition for Apple, it’s good news for iOS users …
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If you use Shazam to note music you’d like to listen to later, that just got easier with the latest version of the iOS app: you can set it so that all the tracks you Shazam are automatically added to a My Shazam Tracks in Rdio.
Shazam was last updated in September, with instant previews of tweeted tracks and faster song recognition on older iPhones. Press release below …
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Even as Google has yet to release a standalone app for its news platform, the company just announced a revamped mobile experience. This revamp comes on the heels of Google revealing the end of its alternative news application, Currents which is being rolled in with Newsstand.
Over the next few days Google News readers on Android and iOS devices will start to see a beautiful new version of the mobile web app that will provide an improved overall experience resulting in a kind of real-time news desk for you on your phone.
A few days after Fiksu showed how much better iOS is than Android when it comes to allowing older devices to upgrade to to the latest operating system, and most analytics companies were reporting iOS 7 penetration of around three-quarters of devices, Apple has updated its developer site to show that iOS 7 penetration is at 74 percent.
Apple’s data is likely the most reliable, based on visits to the App Store during a 7-day period ending on 1st December. iOS 7 adoption was incredibly fast, helped by record opening weekend sales of the new iPhones, and has grown a further 10 percent in the past two months.
The numbers are in sharp contrast to Android, where the latest KitKat version (Android 4.4) is at just 1.1 percent and the previous 4.3 version of Jelly Bean at just 4.2 percent.
Google’s putting a lot of energy behind its packaged apps these days as the company continues to push Chromebook to the masses. Now, it appears that the company is building a toolkit to help developers create similar style Chrome apps for both Android and iOS.
We hear a lot about adoption of iOS updates vs the fragmentation that Android users are forced to deal with, but just how far behind are the top Android devices compared to iPhone when it comes to getting support? To answer that question, Fidlee.com has updated a chart that it first put together a couple years back in order to see if Android has become any better in recent years. It hasn’t.
In the chart above we see that many once flagship Android devices— the Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3, LG G2 etc— have still not received the latest Android 4.4 KitKat update. Most of the devices on the list have been an upgrade or two behind since launch or not long after. In comparison, only the iPhone 3GS fives years after its release doesn’t support iOS 7. We also get a look at how much longer Apple devices generally stay available for sale and continue receiving support– nearly twice as long as Android in most cases.
Not only did Apple claim iOS 7 was “the fastest software upgrade in history” with more than 200 million devices installing the OS less than a week after launch, but analytics firms also noticed adoption was much higher than previous releases. Currently iOS 7 sits at about 77% of users, according to the latest data from Fiksu’s iOS Usage Monitor. While the chart above is only for devices released last year, things aren’t much better for newer Android devices. In comparison to iOS 7 adoption, Google reports that its latest release, Android 4.4 KitKat, is at just 1.1% weeks into launch. The previous release, Android 4.3, is at just 4.2%, while the majority of users remain on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean first released in July 2012.
A couple more charts below from Fidlee showing just how bad things are on Android:
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Concerns about the future viability of Blackberry – once the default choice of mobile device for the enterprise market – have further boosted iPad penetration in businesses, according to an analyst quoted by AllThingsD.
Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair theorizes that BlackBerry’s ill-starred attempt to sell itself inflamed concerns about the future viability of the company’s platform and gave corporations good reason to migrate their employees to other devices. That opened up a significant opportunity for Apple — particularly since Android continues to struggle for gains in enterprise […]
Said Blair, “Our recent work points to tremendous momentum for iPad in the enterprise over the last few months and we believe that this may be one of the most important trends for Apple as we move into the New Year.”
Steve Jobs said shortly after the launch of the iPad that Apple didn’t need to market the device to businesses as “it’s being grabbed out of our hands, anyways” …
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Well-known CyanogenMod developer Koushik Dutta is at it again, this time with a new app for Android that allows users to beam their local content to a variety of set-top streaming boxes, including the Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, PS4, and any other DLNA renderers (via Engadget). The app, entitled AllCast, is incredibly simple to operate. Once it is installed, simply go to a video that is local on your device and tap the cast button in the upper right corner and a menu will pop up, asking you where you would like to cast it. Within seconds of choosing a device, the video will begin playing on your TV.
Business Insider created the above chart to show exactly how the revenue gap between iOS and Android apps shows up for developers.
While there’s no doubt the gap between the two platforms is narrowing, it’s also clear that in the metrics that count, iOS is still where you want to be. Ad revenue – read free apps – is where Android is making money for developers …
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Eric Schmidt decided to help all of his friends figure out what steps to take when switching from iOS devices to Android today with a post on Google+ (that’s Google’s social network, since you’ve probably forgotten about it by now).
In the post, Schmidt says that many of his friends are converting to smartphones using the mobile operating system created by the company he runs. He then goes on to list the steps required to move content, contacts, and other data from iOS to Android.
He goes on to describe Android’s interface as being “more intuitive” than Apple’s and suggests gifting iPhone users with devices running an entirely different operating system for the holidays in the hopes that they will go along with your not-so-subtle hint and switch their entire mobile ecosystem to Google’s.
Total revenue from all Android tablets combined has for the first time exceeded Apple’s revenue for its iPad sales, according to IDC data crunched by Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty.
“For the first time,” she wrote in a note to clients Friday, “Android devices accounted for a greater share of the market in revenue terms than iOS. Android revenue share reached 46.2% in 3Q13, for the first time exceeding iPad share of 45.6%. Android’s unit share grew to 66.7% from 58.5% a year ago, largely driven by Samsung and Lenovo, while iPad share declined to 29.7% from 40.2%” …
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