Tech Industry

4,148 'Tech Industry' stories June 2007 - July 2014

Lenovo says it can’t make a profit on Windows tablets under 10-inches

Mark Hearn Jul 18 2014 - 9:32 am PT

Lenovo’s $2.91 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility from Google is still pending regulatory approval, however it looks like the company is already mapping out a new strategy. Despite being one of the world’s largest PC makers, Lenovo is halting the development of Windows tablets under 10 inches in size and migrating its remaining inventory to markets like Brazil, China and Japan where there’s more of a need for low-cost slates.

Apple, in turn, has had a huge success with the 7.9-inch iPad Mini which quickly became one of its best sellers after its introduction almost 2 years ago.

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Asus reportedly sold more tablets than Apple in Japan during first half of 2014

Chance Miller Jul 17 2014 - 12:21 pm PT

12 Comments

Image via <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml1LzNFn8kc">TechSmartt</a>

According to figures released by market research company BCN, Asus sold more tablets than Apple during the first half of 2014 in Japan. Asus’ market share rose 8 percent year-over-year during the first half of 2014, the report claims, giving it a 38.9 percent portion of the tablet market in Japan. Apple, on the other hand, holds a 36.4 percent share (via Nikkei). This is the first time Asus has ever held the top spot in Japan, according to the report.
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Senate bill passes bringing regulated post-contract cell phone “unlocking” closer to reality

Zac Hall Jul 16 2014 - 10:32 am PT

14 Comments

iPhone users could soon finally be able to easily use any supported carrier at the end of their service contract without having to jump through hoops or use other means to unlock the device. That is if a proposed bill currently processing through Congress passes and becomes law.

The Hill reports that the mentioned bill, the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, cleared through the Senate after a vote on Tuesday through a ‘unanimous consent agreement’ and will next move to the House for a vote before potentially becoming law after first being introduced last year.
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E-Label Act wants to remove unsightly regulatory symbols from the back of your mobile devices

Mark Hearn Jul 11 2014 - 3:06 pm PT

11 Comments

Those pesky regulatory symbols on the back of your smartphone or tablet may soon be going digital if a new bill being presented to the US Senate gets approved. The E-Label Act is a bipartisan bill that would give electronics manufacturers the option to use digital stamps instead of branding devices with government-mandated tattoos.

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Apple Maps senior engineering manager leaves role for job at Uber

Zac Hall Jul 8 2014 - 8:31 am PT

3 Comments

Chris Blumenberg, a senior engineering manager at Apple who manages the Maps Apps and Frameworks team, has left the Cupertino, California company for a new role at Uber, The Information reports. Blumenberg’s time spent at Apple dates back over 14 years according to his LinkedIn profile, and his past experience includes building the original Maps app for iPhone as well as porting the Safari web browser to iOS.

Uber, of course, is a relatively new transportation company founded in 2009 which offers pickups in various cities which can be arranged by a mobile application. Interestingly, Google has in part backed Uber through its Ventures arm investing in the startup with $250 million last fall and adding Uber integration into its the Google Maps app earlier this year. Uber is also a partner for Google’s self-driving car program.

As you may recall, Apple first introduced its in-house Maps data in 2012, which was met with enough user complaints to prompt a publicly posted apology from Apple CEO Tim Cook, as it began the process of moving away from relying on Google’s mapping data.

Samsung misses analyst estimates, reports $7.1 billion in operating profit for Q2

Chance Miller Jul 7 2014 - 5:36 pm PT

28 Comments

Photo: ibtimes.com

After warning earlier this month that Q2 didn’t “look too good,” Samsung today released its earnings preview for the second quarter of 2014. The South Korean company reported an operating profit of $7.1 billion (7.2 trillion won), missing analyst estimates of $8 billion (8.1 trillion won). This comes out to a 24 percent drop year over year (via Bloomberg).

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Make sure your electronic devices are charged-up before flying to the U.S. – TSA requirement

Ben Lovejoy Jul 7 2014 - 3:53 am PT

9 Comments

If you’re flying (back) to the U.S. from overseas, make sure that all your electronic devices have enough juice left to power-up when you reach airport security, otherwise you won’t be allowed to take them on board due to a new TSA requirement.

The Transportation Security Administration said yesterday that it was requiring certain overseas airports flying directly to U.S. airports to increase security checks on electronic items in response to concerns about new al-Qaida attempts to use them as disguise for bombs.

While the focus appears to be on smartphones, it’s also possible that passengers will be required to power-up tablets and laptops also. Devices that won’t power-up will not be allowed on board, and passengers carrying these devices may be subject to additional screening.

The TSA has not revealed which airports are subject to the new requirements, but London’s Heathrow is known to be one of them.

Samsung borrows a line from BlackBerry, calls iPhone users ‘Wall Huggers’ in new ad

Jordan Kahn Jul 3 2014 - 9:43 am PT

119 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzMUTrTYD9s]

As Samsung has done with past TV commercials for its flagship Galaxy S5, its latest ad for the device again takes the iPhone head-on. The new ad, titled “Wall Hugger”, focuses on mocking the iPhone’s battery life while showing off the S5’s Ultra Power Saving Mode and removable battery features. And in usual Samsung-fashion, it also borrows a line from comments Blackberry executive John Chen made back in March…
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T-Mobile expected to start offering accessories on equipment installment plans starting July 20

Stephen Hall Jul 2 2014 - 12:54 pm PT

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According to a leaked internal T-Mobile memo, accessories being sold to eligible customers will qualify for an EIP (equipment installment plan) starting on July 20th (via TmoNews). Much more expensive smartphone accessories such as smartwatches and high-end Beats headphones are surely becoming more and more attractive to customers, and the un-carrier seemingly wants to give customers an easier way to get their hands on them.

The current EIP programs, which allow you to pay for your device typically over a period of 24 months will be coming to accessories in some form and should be presented to customers as “part of the complete solution” according to the memo. And customers may very well be enticed by the deal because that would mean that they’re able to walk out of a brick-and-mortar store with a lot of new product without having to pay much up-front.

Sadly, details on the program are still fairly scarce. While you’ll likely be able to finance a $299 Samsung Gear Two, it’s still unclear whether or not cheaper accessories will also be eligible for the program.

T-Mobile’s LTE footprint passes 230 million points of presence

Stephen Hall Jun 30 2014 - 1:35 pm PT

2 Comments

T-Mobile held its un-carrier 5.0 (and 6.0) event a couple of weeks ago, and the company’s press release to go along with the event had T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray promising that the company would have an “LTE footprint north of 230 million pops by the end of [the] month.”

It appears that, just in time, the company has hit this goal. And in sarcastic and hilarious fashion, John Legere has taken to Twitter to confirm:

Neville confirmed we hit 230M POPs of LTE! Met our goal but still going! Where you at @Sprint? I hear you’re running behind. #sprintlikehell

— John Legere (@JohnLegere) June 28, 2014

Along with its growing LTE network, the un-carrier 5.0 event brought a slew of other announcements including an iPhone 5s test drive program, free streaming for iTunes Radio and other music services, and the company’s own music streaming service dubbed “unRadio.”

Los Angeles school district revisits failed plan to give students iPads, this time without the iPads

Mike Beasley Jun 29 2014 - 8:39 pm PT

22 Comments

The school district that attempted to rollout iPads to its students last year—only to scrap the entire plan when the students proved too smart for the technical limits placed on the devices—will once again try to place technology in the lives of its students. This time, however, the iPad won’t be an option.

Officials said that many of the students weren’t comfortable on the Apple tablet, citing the screen size difficulty the students had doing all of their typing on the touch screen as one of the factors. This year’s lineup of tech tools includes a number of Windows-based laptops from various manufacturers, and the Microsoft Surface tablet, which sports a detachable keyboard.

The program will cost the district no more than $40 million and will operate in 27 different high schools. The contract has not yet been finalized but is expected to be very soon. Once it is, students and educators will test five different laptops (and the Surface tablet) to determine which ones should be used in the future.

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Google previews completely redesigned Android “L”, Android TV, ‘Android Auto’ CarPlay competitor, & more at I/O

Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2014 - 10:37 am PT

25 Comments

Google’s response to Apple’s WWDC kicks off today with the opening keynote address at the Google I/O conference and, like Apple, this time around Google gave a full preview of the next version of Android ahead of a fall release. Android “L” (we’re assuming a dessert name will be decided on later) introduces a completely new design language as well as major enhancements for battery life, a new Android Runtime to replace Dalvik, and integration with its Android Wear platform. We also got a look at its answer to CarPlay and Apple TV: Android Auto and an accompanying SDK for developers and a revamped ‘Android TV’ platform. Also new is the Android One program to help get devices into emerging markets and a Continuity like feature for Chromebooks and Android devices.

Google’s Sundar Pichai, who had some words about Tim Cook recently, also shared some numbers on Android that appeared to be in response to Cook’s comment at WWDC regarding Android switchers and the platform’s security. Google claimed it now has 1 billion 30-day active users and also shared that it’s now at 62% of the overall tablet market. That market is based on shipments, however, so to drive the point home Google gave us a number on usage: 42% of YouTube usage on tablets is Android. He also made reference to the fact that Android had many of the features that Apple just introduced– widgets, third-party keyboards– as far back as 2009.

Head below for a roundup of all the news from 9to5Google:

Google announces Android ‘L’ with ‘Material Design’, developer preview coming soon

Google announces Android One program to create high quality, affordable smartphones in developing markets

Numbers from Google I/O: Over 1 billion 30 day active users, 62% of overall tablet market

Android “L” will include Factory Reset Protection (kill switch) and Universal Data Controls (privacy) to enhance security

Google announces Android Auto connected car platform

Google announces over 300 million active mobile web users

Google announces Project Volta & Battery Saver to vastly improve battery life on Android

“L” version of Android to drop Dalvik, introduce new Android Runtime with better performance, graphics

Android TV: Google’s next foray into the living room announced

OtterBox launches durable, fast charging Resurgence Power Case for iPhone 5/5s

Zac Hall Jun 23 2014 - 8:45 am PT

12 Comments

OtterBox is adding a new collection of protective cases to its accessory lineup today with the introduction of its new Resurgence series. The Resurgence case is similar in concept to other battery pack case offerings from Mophie and similar case makers, but the Resurgence iPhone case boasts Military-rated drop protection (MIL STD 810G-516.6) as you would expect from an OtterBox case.

Superior protection isn’t the only extra benefit to OtterBox’s charing case. The 2,000 milliamp hour nominal lithium ion battery doubles your iPhone battery usage, and OtterBox says the Resurgence case will automatically stop charging your iPhone when your battery reaches full capacity. This auto-stop technology differs from other battery packs which continue to charge your device despite being full…
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Microsoft improves OneDrive storage limits & pricing as competing iCloud Drive approaches

Mark Gurman Jun 23 2014 - 8:00 am PT

15 Comments

Microsoft is making notable improvements to its storage offerings for its OneDrive cloud-based service. The company is announcing today that OneDrive storage at the free tier will be more than doubled, Office 365 storage will see a major increase, and that there will be storage price drops across the board. Here are the three main announcements in more detail:

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Mozilla developing streaming stick in bid to compete with AirPlay and the Apple TV

Mike Beasley Jun 20 2014 - 10:25 pm PT

5 Comments

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS0VUOfrycw]

Video gia GigaOm

Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox web browser, is working on a stream stick set to directly compete with the Apple TV and other similar products, according to GigaOm. The device runs Mozilla’s own Firefox OS, originally designed for smartphones, and is apparently referred to as “Netcast” within the Firefox browser.

Unlike Apple’s current offering, the Netcast would allow developers to integrate the technology into applications on a wide variety of operating systems and hardware devices, including many platforms not currently supported by the Apple’s AirPlay feature. In a statement to GigaOm, Mozilla noted that anyone is welcome to work with Firefox OS and that hardware running that system does not necessarily have to come from that company.

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T-Mobile launches Rhapsody-powered ‘unRadio’ music streaming service

Stephen Hall Jun 18 2014 - 6:58 pm PT

3 Comments

As part of its Un-carrier 5.0 (or, Un-carrier 6.0?) event, T-Mobile tonight announced its first foray into the music streaming space, a partnership with Rhapsody called “unRadio.”
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T-Mobile wideband LTE now in 16 US markets; VoLTE now covers 100 million people

Stephen Hall Jun 18 2014 - 6:34 pm PT

3 Comments

Amidst a plethora of swearing and shaming of its competing cellular carriers, T-Mobile CEO John Legere took the stage tonight at the company’s un-carrier 5.0 event to announce that its wideband LTE is now available in 16 markets across the United States. Additionally, Legere announced that its voice over LTE service now covers 100 million people.

Now, we’re announcing T-Mobile Wideband #LTE is now in 16 markets across the US. Our data-strong network is able to handle your data needs!

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) June 19, 2014

As noted in the press release for tonight’s announcements, T-Mobile now offers LTE (in at least 15+15MHz), in the following 16 markets:

Atlanta, GA
Birmingham, AL
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
Detroit, MI
Honolulu, HI
Houston, TX
Jacksonville, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Minneapolis, MN
Mobile, AL
Orlando, FL
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Tampa, FL
Upstate, NY

And, as for VoLTE, the company has announced that service is now supported in the below listed locales:

Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Long Island, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Minneapolis, MN
New Jersey
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Washington, D.C.

World Cup players not allowed to wear Beats in stadium during games due to FIFA/Sony deal

Zac Hall Jun 18 2014 - 10:21 am PT

22 Comments

Despite having what some consider the best ad celebrating the World Cup this year, Beats headphones cannot be worn by players in the stadium during the games or media events according to Reuters. The rule is implemented by FIFA, the international governing body over the sport, due to a licensing agreement with Sony which obviously competes with Beats in the headphones space. Despite the apparent ban this year, Beats has still been able to leverage the World Cup as an opportunity to pick up some product endorsements…
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Zolo, a new accessory maker, launches a crowdfunding campaign for modular cases, battery packs, and more

Zac Hall Jun 17 2014 - 8:08 am PT

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A new modular accessory maker called Zolo is launching a 30-day crowdfunding campaign today through Indiegogo to help launch their new product ecosystem. Zolo’s accessories include cases, portable battery packs, and smartphone cases for the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S5.

What makes Zolo’s products different is the use of magnets in each accessory (the company says these magnets do no harm your devices). All of Zolo’s accessories snap together to eliminate having to deal with loose cables and dangling battery packs. The company even offers cable clips to bring your existing cables into the Zolo ecosystem.

Early bird funding prices for Zolo’s products range from $13 to $35 with the power and protection pack shown above going for just $18 (not a bad price for a battery pack, case, charging cable, and cable clips). Zolo says their strategy for building a successful accessory ecosystem includes shipping products directly to consumers and skipping the markup required by retailers. Check out details for the power and protection pack as well as a video demo below and visit Zolo’s site and Indiegogo to help fund the campaign…
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Paper by 53 shows off surface pressure feature coming to its Pencil stylus and iPad Paper app

Zac Hall Jun 17 2014 - 6:33 am PT

8 Comments

Last fall, the folks behind the iPad drawing app Paper introduced a standalone iPad stylus that integrates with the app appropriately called Pencil. FiftyThree’s Pencil is designed to not only look like a good old-fashioned pencil, but the stylus even talks to the Paper software to decipher which end of the stylus is for drawing and which end is for erasing… like a digital pencil.

Today FiftyThree showed off in a blog post a new feature coming to current and future Pencil and Paper users that the company calls Surface Pressure. In short, FiftyThree’s Pencil stylus is getting even more like a real artist’s pencil: the Paper app will soon be able to distinguish various sides and widths of the Pencil tip as well as recognize the amount of pressure applied. Video and details below…
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Nest Protect goes back on sale for $99 as company touts safety data

Mike Beasley Jun 16 2014 - 10:18 pm PT

8 Comments

Earlier this year, 440,000 Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were recalled following the discovery of a critical safety flaw that could accidentally deactive the system. Today, Nest has put the Protect back on sale at a reduced price of $99—previously $129. However, the “wave” feature that allowed the user to disable the alarm with a hand gesture has been removed.

In the blog post announcing the return of the Protect, the company boasted some of its safety statistics and recounted the story of one Nest Protect user who was alerted to the presence of carbon monoxide in his home by the device, which saved his life. Nest’s Doug Sweeny writes:

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Beats releases exclusive new Jay Z + Beats by Dre Jungle Remix World Cup ad

Jun 16 2014 - 4:33 am PT

8 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVp-JDOUphc]

This ‘Game Before the Game’ commercial is shorter and ‘beats’ the one that Apple CEO Tim Cook said captured the World Cup perfectly. It began airing last night and will only be available on Beats music.

The strategy of Beats releasing music exclusively was a possibility surmised following Apple’ $3 billion purchase of Beats on May 28th which also included Beats co-founder and former Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine joining Apple. In fact, will.i.am, a Beats co-founder with a stake in the company, said in a recent Billboard interview that he had raised that very possibility a year ago to Iovine.

Less LeBron in this one too.

Beats Music on Android gets first feature update post-Apple acquisition announcement

Chance Miller Jun 12 2014 - 6:36 pm PT

4 Comments

When Apple announced its $3 billion acquisition of Beats last month, the company said it had no intentions of killing off the Android version of the app, with Tim Cook saying “It’s all about the music.” This evening, Beats announced a hefty update to its streaming app on Android. The update bumps the app to version 1.1 and includes a variety of features and changes that users have been calling for since the initial release. This is the first feature update the app has gotten since Apple announced it will acquired the company.

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Starbucks teams up with Duracell to place iPhone-compatible wireless chargers in coffee shops

Mike Beasley Jun 11 2014 - 9:56 pm PT

8 Comments

Starbucks, in partnership with Duracell, is starting a nationwide rollout of a wireless charging system for smartphones. The system is powered by Duracell’s Powermat technology, which we reviewed last July (starting at $3.50). The program will place 100,000 of the Duracell chargers at specially-marked tables in each Starbucks location. Users would then be able to charge any phone using a compatible wireless charging system.

So far the program has only rolled out in a few stores, but it’s scheduled to reach more markets by next year. There’s not a timetable yet for when the rollout will be complete.

While the program is only available in a few stores right now, a page on the website for the initiative lists locations where the service is currently offered.

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