The coming of iPhone 5 maybe support China mobile 3G Net work

We have saw many smart phones, but the most popular is Apple’s iPhone, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s have published, we have used them for several years.

However, the 4S still did not support China Mobile’s proprietary 3G network which made the iPhone inaccessible to a majority of Chinese mobile phone users despite availability on China Unicom and China Telecom.

iPhone 5 is coming and the most change is iPhone 5 likely to support China mobile 3G Net work. For Apple, it is a huge market share opportunity, Apple’s iPhone 5 will support Chinese language, and they are considering combine with Baidu and Sina weibo, these two platform are very popular in China. If the new phone can include these two platform, it can take back big revenue for them.

It is also a good message for Chinese people, it can avoid some trouble and become more convenient to individuals. Believe that iPhone will be take more market share when iPhone 5 is published, and it will bring a big surprise to us!

iPad is facing challenges

As far as we know, the dominance place of tablet computer is iPad, iPad is published by Apple, It was given a warm welcome when iPad came out! Of course, it is still popular now, but it is facing challenges!

Recently, several companies will release their own tablets, like Microsoft, Google and Samsung, Microsoft has published its “Surface”, Google will publish its Nexus 7 and Samsung will also publish its own tablet computer, then, the tablet computer market will be hot.

It is hard to say which company will win in the battle, and each of them has new characters, Microsoft’s Surface is with windows 8 operation and other technology which are different from iPad.

The Google Nexus 7 is a tiny little beast of a tablet – where the iPad is an iconic piece of machinery, the Nexus 7 seems to be a bit more of a solid set of elements pounded together with a hammer into a device that’s meant to be perfect for the several specific purposes it was made for. The Nexus 7 was made to be a device with which you download and consume media from the Google Play store – movies, television shows, music, books, and magazines – and of course games. The iPad, on the other hand, was made to be a companion for you in all situations where the iPhone is too small.


Samsung is also very popular with its smart phones, it moves to tablet computer field, it is obvious that it has a powerful technology, and it will take some market shares in tablet field, however, it is competitive for each company.

It is true that iPad is facing challenges, but as our customers, we take care is the functions of their products, if they can bring joy and happiness and if they are convenient! iPad is facing challenges now, we are looking forward to seeing other products!

Torture-testing the new iPad

I'll leave a little mystery for you: I won't tell you exactly what we did to the iPad in our first-ever Always On torture test, but generally speaking, we tried to simulate some of the toughest tests that real life throws at our devices, like say, when we leave them in cars in inclement weather, or they fall, or ... well, darnit, now I'm verging on spoiling the tests.

What I'm trying to say, though, is that we weren't just stunt joyriding by shoving the iPad in an ice chest -- darnit! And I think there were times when it hurt me more than it hurt the iPad! That said, I think I can safely say that our $500 was well spent on this device.

Obviously, your mileage may vary. Interestingly, the idea for starting with the iPad came from a conversation I had with CNET Reviews Editor in Chief Lindsey Turrentine, who told me her story about simply laying in bed reading her third-generation iPad and having it fall forward, hit her wedding ring, and crack on impact. So, I was sure the iPad wouldn't make it past even the most light-touch drop tests. (Darnit!) And yet, here it sits, none the worse for wear other than a dead battery.

Don't believe we were that hard on it? Watch the video for yourself, and find the complete Always On episode and clips here. And tell me your terrifying tales of iPad (or other gadget) destruction in the comments -- maybe we can re-recreate them! In the meantime, rest assured: the third-generation iPad, already a CNET Editors' Choice, is probably safe to leave in the car, give to your kids, and even spill a glass of water on.

This article comes from:http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57461001-1/torture-testing-the-new-ipad/

Stolen iPhone Used to Track Down Thief

Police say a burglar on a crime spree was stopped in his tracks overnight when he stole the wrong thing.A stolen iPhone helped officers track the burglar's every move and arrest him.Jeri Fletcher says she came within moments of facing the thief. "When I saw the console up and the dome light was on, that's when I knew and I was like oh my gosh," she said.Fletcher had gone out to her car to find her missing phone. She considers herself very lucky today.

The burglar rummaged through her car and back utility room before trying to take off on her boyfriend's bike."The bike was parked right along here and he carefully maneuvered the bike out without waking anyone up," she described.

But the burglar threw the mountain bike on the ground and took off running when she stepped outside."I started yelling for him and he had to throw his clothes on real quick and run outside and he jumped on his bike to go and pursue the guy," Fletcher said.The man did make off with Jeri's cell phone, her boyfriend didn't see him and quickly returned after searching by bike. "I grabbed his phone and I said, well I'm going to call my phone, and he goes, don't call it, we can track it," she described.

Her boyfriend grabbed his phone and logged on to the app called Track my iPhone, it was able to track Jeri's phone down literally to the minute.Police arrived quickly, took the phone, and used the theft against the thief. "He looked at me and asked me, do you want me to take your phone with me," Josh said, "I said please, by all means and as quickly as I handed him my phone, they busted a u-turn and they were on their way after him."

In just minutes police caught up to him and identified the burglar as 34-year-old Vincent George Williams."They said he was violent, he was ready to fight and they said I was very lucky I did not come face to face with him downstairs," Fletcher told us.Instead police came face to face with him. Fletcher says her fortune did not end there, the officer came back with Josh's phone - and hers - in hand. "I was just like are you kidding me, this never happens, it never happens, I had already assumed, I had already taken a loss," she said.

Police not only recovered Jeri's stolen phone, but, they also found a bag full of makeup, a CD player and some loose change on Williams.Officers are not sure yet who owns the other stolen items.Back in December, Williams was detained by two customers at the Joe's Crab Shack along the Corpus Christi bayfront.

In that incident the victims saw a man ransacking their car, so they dragged him out and held him for police.He was found to be in possession of a radar detector, cell phone and hand soap that did not come from the victims' car.

This article comes from:http://www.kristv.com/news/stolen-iphone-used-to-track-down-thief/

what do you know about iPhone 5?

iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s have been published for months,and we are looking forward to seeing iPhone 5,what do you know about iPhone 5?

We can often heard the rumors about iPhone 5,last week,we heard that we can see a thinner iPhone 5,iPhone 5 will replace the 30-pin connector with a smaller 19-pin connector.This rumour about a new “mini” port has been around for at least a year. What’s new is that TechCrunch’s John Biggs claims that it is now “confirmed.”

The 30-pin port has been Apple’s standard since the company released the third generation iPod, according to Biggs. “The connectors offered structural stability when connecting to most accessories but it’s clear – especially with the introduction of the MagSafe 2 port [announced for the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Retina Display] – Apple is more concerned with space savings inside each device,” Biggs writes.

Whether the rumour is right or not,it is great for us,we care much about its functions,and it will be true that it is better than iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s.did you heard that rumours? In fact, it is not that important for us to know iPhone 5,we just need to wait for its publishing,and buy it!

Microsoft Unveils ‘Surface’ Tablet in iPad Challenge

Los Angeles. Microsoft on Monday unveiled a Surface tablet computer as the technology titan steps in with its own hardware to take on Apple’s market-ruling iPads.Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer described the iPad challenger as a tablet that “works and plays” when he showed it off at a press event in Los Angeles.


Surface is also the name of table and poster-sized touch screen computers that Microsoft has pitched to the business market for use in restaurants, shops, bars and other venues.A tablet demo video online at microsoft.com/surface/ promised the tablet was “coming soon.”

A version of Surface running on Windows RT software tailored for ARM mobile device chips measured 9.3 millimeters thick and weighed 676 grams.It boasted a 26.9 centimeter high-definition screen and will be available with 32 or 64 gigabytes of memory, according to Microsoft.

A tablet model powered by Windows 8 Pro software measured 13.5 millimeters thick, weighs 903 grams and will be available with 64 or 128 gigabytes of memory.“It’s a whole new community of computing devices from Microsoft,” Ballmer said. “It embodies the notion of hardware and software really pushing each other.”
Surface featured a flip-out rear “kickstand” to prop it up like a picture frame and a cover that, when opened, acts as a keypad so tablets could be switched into “desktop” mode for work tasks.
Microsoft did not specify when the tablet would be available but it is likely to be timed with the release of Windows 8 software later this year.“This product marks a crucial pivot in Microsoft’s product strategy,” said Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps.

“It puts the focus on the consumer rather than the enterprise,” she continued in a blog post. “And it lets Microsoft compete with vertically-integrated Apple on more even ground.”

Microsoft could be “its own worst enemy” in the tablet market if it overwhelms people with gadget options and specs such as chipsets instead of following Apple’s lead and keeping choices simple, the analyst warned.“Consumers aren’t used to thinking about chipsets,” Rotman Epps said.

“Choice is a key tenet of Windows, but too much choice is overwhelming for consumers,” she continued. “Apple gets this, and limits iPad options to connectivity, storage, and black or white.”

Microsoft, which built its fortune by specializing in software and leaving the job of making computers or other devices to partners, has had mixed results from its hardware ventures.

This article comes from:http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/consumertech/microsoft-unveils-surface-tablet-in-ipad-challenge/525230

Galaxy Strong Contender To IPhone

The Galaxy's screen measures 4.8 inches diagonally, compared with 3.5 inches for the iPhone. That translates to a display area that's nearly twice the size. Yet the Galaxy is thinner and lighter.

Apart from that, the Galaxy shares the iPhone's curvy and shiny design, along with a center button that wakes up the device from power-saving mode or takes you from whatever you're doing to a home screen.
Unlike the iPhone, the Galaxy runs on faster 4G cellular networks (AT&T markets its iPhones as 4G, but the network is based on older technology). The Galaxy also comes with a new wireless technology called near-field communications, which can be used to share files and make purchases.

Pictures taken with the Galaxy were sharper and had better light balance than those with the iPhone, based on a handful of test shots I took. The Galaxy's tool for measuring data usage — for those of us no longer on unlimited plans — surpasses what comes with the iPhone.All that makes the Galaxy a strong contender to Apple's popular device.

I understand the comparison isn't entirely fair. The iPhone 4S is about eight months old, and there's a new model expected this fall. Last week, Apple previewed changes to the phone's operating system, promising improvements to its Siri virtual assistant, a mapping service with voice navigation and more.But the reality is the new Galaxy is available this week — not in September or October.

All four national wireless companies and regional carrier U.S. Cellular will sell the Galaxy, which runs the latest operating software from Google, a flavor of Android known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

The basic model with 16 gigabytes of memory will cost $200 with a two-year contract through AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and U.S. Cellular. That's comparable to the iPhone's $199. A 32 GB model will cost $250, which is cheaper than a comparable iPhone at $299. T-Mobile will charge at least $30 more than others, though it may still be cheaper overall with lower monthly data fees over two years.The Galaxy phones will be available in white or blue. AT&T will also have a red version this summer, but it won't carry the 32 GB model.Now back to Galaxy's screen.The Galaxy shines when displaying widescreen video. That's because much of the display's increase is in width rather than in height when the phone is held on its side, or landscape mode. The iPhone wastes some display real estate to make wider videos fit. There are unused strips of black above and below those videos.

When watching a foreign movie through a Netflix app, the Galaxy's larger screen makes the subtitles much easier to read. I can read them fine on the iPhone, but my eyes kept zeroing in on the text to do so, making me miss the action.The colors on the Galaxy also appeared richer, thanks to a screen that uses organic light-emitting diodes, rather than a standard LCD.All that video can deplete your data allowance in no time.On the iPhone, the tool for measuring data usage isn't easy to find. You have to choose "General" in your settings, then "Usage," and then "Cellular Usage." There's info there on the amount of data sent and received, but no total. You have to remember to manually reset the counter each month on the day your billing cycle starts.

On the Galaxy, "Data usage" is the third item from the top under "Settings." You can tell the phone when to warn you that you're about to reach your cap for the month. You can also automatically disable data usage when you've reached a pre-specified point to avoid extra charges. You don't have to do any math to get the total used, and the counter automatically resets each month. You can also see which apps use the most data.

Before I go further, I'll say a few things about where the iPhone still excels.— The iPhone has more software from outside parties, extending the device's functionality. Many apps are written only for the iPhone and other Apple devices. Versions for the Galaxy and other Android phones sometimes come months later and lack all of the features.— The iPhone works better than Android devices in corporate settings. Android, for instance, lacks the tools needed to access Wi-Fi at my office or the corporate email system (though some might consider that a plus for Android).— The iPhone has Siri, the virtual assistant that hears your voice commands and talks back.

The Galaxy introduces a voice assistant, but she's best described as Siri's forgotten stepchild. The Galaxy couldn't find an Indian restaurant just a block from me, and she gave me the name of a doctor when I asked for Thai restaurants. The Galaxy also lacks Siri's attitude and sense of humor.

Me: "What is the best smartphone?" Siri: "Wait, there are other phones?"The Galaxy replied with the grammatically incorrect and boring, "Opinion vary but I think Samsung Galaxy is the best of them all."Here's where the Galaxy prevails:— As with other Android devices, the Galaxy syncs well with Google services. By signing into a Google account, names, emails and phone numbers from my Gmail contacts are automatically transferred to the phone. The same happens with calendar entries. Apple uses a separate contact and calendar system, not the one I already use through Google.— You can remove the plastic back cover to switch the battery or insert a microSD card for additional storage of up to 64 gigabytes. The iPhone's battery can be replaced only by a technician, and there's no slot for more storage.

This article comes from:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=155403533

Popular iPad 3 helps Argos out of trading slump

Gadget fans who flocked to Argos to buy the new iPad 3 gave the troubled chain a welcome sales lift.Improved sales of electronics goods, driven by the highly-anticipated release of the latest iPad in March, eased the recent decline at the catalogue stores.

But the wash-out weather proved a dampener for Home Retail's other chain Homebase, which saw soggy sales in the past few months.

Popular gadget: iPad 3 drives forecast-busting sales at ArgoBoss Terry Duddy was nevertheless upbeat about the group's summer prospects, saying he had already detected signs of some consumer cheer ahead of the Olympics.'One of the things that may be coming through here is a bit of a feelgood factor as far as consumers are concerned - people are getting out there and continuing to enjoy themselves,' he said.

Gazebos sold well over the wet Jubilee weekend as Britons looked for cover from the rain, while Union Jack items such as deckchairs were also in demand.Argos saw like-for-like sales decline by a much better than expected 0.2 per cent in the three months to June 2. Analysts had expected Argos first quarter sales to fall by around 4 per cent.

The improved trading followed an 8.7 per cent decline in the previous six months as Argos struggled amid a tough consumer electronics market and dire high street trading conditions.

Two Argos stores were shut in the past quarter, leaving it with 746. Home Retail plans to close 10 this year, but continues to resist calls for widespread closures, claiming its stores support its presence online and that only seven are loss-making.

Meanwhile, DIY chain Homebase suffered an 8.3 per cent slide in like-for-like sales. Seasonal products, which account for around 40 per cent of sales in the 341-strong business, plunged by around 15 per cent after the wet start to the summer.The dismal weather in April accounted for 80 per cent of the first quarter sales decline at Homebase, but it outperformed competitors in a difficult market, according to Home Retail.

Kingfisher-owned rival DIY chain B&Q recently unveiled a 12 per cent slide in sales due to poor demand for outdoor products and building materials.Duddy claimed they were 'victims' of the weather, with Homebase heavily weighted towards garden products.

THis article comes from:http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2161471/iPad-3-helps-lift-Argos-trading-slump.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3″ to get most phone profits this year?

So, this year is the clash of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5? Research group said Apple and Samsung will eat the whole 90 per cent of the smartphone profits this year.

Similar to the prediction made byUBS analyst’s Maynard Um, ABI Research said on Friday that Samsung Mobile, maker of the new Samsung Galaxy S3 Android smartphone, and Apple inc, the “iPhone company,” will bag the whole 90 percent of the smartphone market profits this year.

Citing the strong and growing demand for smartphones worldwide, ABI revealed that shipments alone grew 41 per cent (year-over-year) after recording 144.6 million units during the first quarter of this year.

55 per cent of the total smartphone shipments last quarter were generated by Samsung and Apple, and surprisingly, the two companies also accounted for more than 90 per cent of the smartphone profits, beating other mobile makers like Nokia, which ships Windows Phone-based smartphones, and RIM, maker of BlackBerry phones.

The research firm also revealed that the South Korean company shipped 43 million in Q1 2012, while Apple delivered nearly 35 million. Finland-based phone maker, and the former mobile phone leader, Nokia, occupied the third spot after shipping 11.9 million and Research in Motion’s shipment was down 20 per cent after shipping 11.1 million only.

This year, Samsung is selling its new “high-end” smartphone which includes the latest version of Android out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy S3. The device will go on sale this month in North America, and currently attracting new customers in Europe and Asia with its quad-core CPU and large display.

Meanwhile, Apple inc is expected to unveil its latest smartphone this coming October, the long-rumored iPhone 5. According to sources of multiple tech outlets and analysts, the iPhone 5 will support Long Term Evolution, and will include a new design, a larger display, and will ship with the latest version of iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system, out of the box.Via Arirang.

This article comes from: http://www.popherald.com/news-abi-smartphones-samsung-galaxy-s3-vs-iphone-5-17953/

Daily iPhone App: Pocket Planes flies high

Odds are that if you read our quick interview with NimbleBit, you already went to check out Pocket Planes, the new freemium title from brother David and Ian Marsh. If you were a big fan of Tiny Tower, you've probably been counting the days until it arrived, already knowing just how addictive these deliciously grindy games can be. But if you've never heard of NimbleBit or played Tiny Tower, maybe you need me to tell you: Go play Pocket Planes.

The one caveat is that it is a time-based freemium title: The gameplay consists of a series of small bursts on various cycles rather than a full-fledged traditional game. But just like Tiny Tower and Pocket Frogs before it, Pocket Planes is polished to a brilliant shine. It features the Tiny Tower bitizens, and this time, they're flying planes around a real world pixel map. Using coins and bux, you can set up airports, fly passengers and cargo around the world, and slowly build up your tiny little (gigantic) airplane empire.

A lot of people have noted that the game's more complicated than NimbleBit's previous titles, but only in that there are slightly more interesting choices to be made: You get to set your planes out on routes you choose, and given that fuel costs gold every time you fly, it's always possible that you'll spend more on gold than you are able to earn by delivering your cargo. Some cities are snowed in or otherwise blocked off, too, so making the right choices about where to send your planes for the most money isn't immediately apparently. Experienced gamers will probably like the extra complexity, however, and I have a feeling that even casual players will learn that making the right choices can be more fun than just tapping away for profit.

And there are plenty of fun extras in the game, too. NimbleBit has clearly learned a lot from Tiny Tower and its various patches. You can take on flights to a randomly selected town every three days to earn extra money and items, and you can even join a "flight crew" with other players, which allows for some very light, very anonymous multiplayer gameplay. The "BitBook" fake social network is back from Tiny Tower, and the citizens post some hilarious updates.

With tons of planes to build and collect, hundreds of airports to open and upgrade, and lots and lots of great characters and production value, Pocket Planes is a great iPhone title. It's another jewel in NimbleBit's very profitable crown, and unless freemium titles cause you to break out in hives, it's a must-play game. Download it now for free in a universal build. Oh, and join the "#schramm" flight crew -- we're #311 in the world and growing!

This article comes from:http://www.tuaw.com/2012/06/14/daily-iphone-app-pocket-planes-flies-high/

Mountain Lion: Making Friends By Bringing Us All Together

Across every announcement made by Apple during their 2012 WWDC Keynote, from new Retina Display Macs to new Maps in iOS 6, one element remained: Unity.

In every Keynote and in every press event, there are always little holes Apple leaves in their stories to be filled later with new advancements or products. And yet, this year’s keynote seemed more like they were gathering all of their things together and stacking them by the door so when the time comes, they’ll be able to leave at a moment’s notice.

This year’s Keynote was a calm and subtle warning to us all: We’re on the move, and if you want to come along, best you follow our lead.

From the beginning, Tim Cook made mention of 400 million iTunes accounts, complete with credit card information, used to purchase things like apps in either store, music, movies and more. Craig Federighi boasted Apple’s 66 million Mac users, a number which, according to him, is 3 times greater than what they had just 5 years ago.

Since Lion released electronically last summer via the Mac App store, it’s sold more than 26 million copies. In fact, 40% of all Mac OS X users are now running Apple’s latest and greatest, and it only took them 9 months to get there.

Scott Forstall hailed the mobile operating system, saying more than 80% of all iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch users are running iOS 5. With these pieces in play, Apple’s newest software offerings are able to do much more than they currently can. What’s more, they will begin to work together and become even more seamless, thanks to the glue that is iCloud.

Apple has long strived to be more than a computer and electronics company, but an ecosystem. In the early years, Steve Jobs talked about the Mac becoming the “digital hub” for all your media, allowing it to be stored elsewhere, such as the iPod. Now that iOS and OS X are becoming more and more like one another, one can’t help but look at the holes in the story and wonder where Apple is going next and what new things they will add to their ecosystem.

As it stands, they are pushing the Mac hard into iCloud, making sure everything syncs and works “like magic.” In addition to bringing over a few familiar iOS apps to the wildcat’s lair, they’re also trying to teach the Mac a few new tricks they’ve been learning during their growth spurt in mobile.

It’s a brilliant move, really. Apple has more than once released a great product or innovation into the world, only later to reveal that they’ve been viewing it less as a way to make money and more as a form of informal education. For instance, Apple has plenty of reasons to run and operate their own stores: They control the content, the experience and the message. But as they run these stores, their also able to see how customers interact with their products, learn what customers are asking for, and even quietly test out new technologies on their retail stores before rolling it out elsewhere.

For nearly 5 years, we’ve been playing with our iPhones, taking them everywhere we go and putting them through their paces. We didn’t know Apple was learning about how we like to interact with our devices, how we like to get information to these devices, and how we like to consume our content. Mountain Lion is the product of all this research and rolls some of iOS’ best features into our Macs.


This article comes from:http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1112554397/mountain-lion-making-friends-by-bringing-us-all-together/

An iPad for every student at Grand Island high school

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — The Northwest Public Schools board voted board voted unanimously this week to provide iPads for all high school students.

The proposal adopted by the Grand Island school board was different from the one discussed in May, which anticipated starting with the high school before expanding to provide iPads throughout the K-12 district. The idea was to move down one grade per year, until students in all grades had an iPad.

The price cited at the May meeting for a six-year program was $533,000.The proposal considered this week was to lease 730 iPads for two years at a cost of $154,000.

After the meeting, Northwest Public Schools business manager Sharon Placke said the technology is changing so rapidly that many people thought it did not make sense to commit beyond a two-year lease.

Brian Gibson, technology coordinator for the school district, said iPads have the potential to reduce the cost of textbook purchases.He said some teachers use a textbook as a guide, but then have students use the Internet or free apps on their iPads to learn the principles being taught in the textbook.

Gibson said Northwest High would be one of about nine central Nebraska schools that will receive iPad training from Educational Service Unit No. 10, which will also reduce costs for the district.

After the meeting, Placke said each student will probably pay a $35 fee for use of an iPad. She said the fee would help defray the cost of buying insurance, called AppleCare, for the iPads. Low-income students who receive free or reduced-price school lunches could request a fee waiver.

Superintendent Bill Mowinkel noted that all students — regardless of whether they got the fee waived — would be responsible if their iPads were lost or damaged, just as they are responsible for damaged or lost textbooks.

This article comes from:http://www.omaha.com/article/20120613/NEWS01/706139923

Apple taking aim at Chinese market with Mountain Lion, iOS 6

The sharp focus that Apple has brought to bear on the Chinese market was evident on Monday during a keynote presentation to kick off the Worldwide Developers Conference. While talking up new additions to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, head of Mac Software Engineering Craig Federighi presented a segment on "Features for China" in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.

"One area I want to highlight especially are some features we're adding for China," he said. "The Mac has been growing fantastically in China and we have some wonderful features that we think are going to make it even more popular there."

The additions included an improved Chinese Pinyin input method, a new dictionary and eight Chinese fonts. Safari in OS X Mountain Lion will also add the popular Chinese search engine Baidu as a search option, support for micro-blogging via Sina Weibo and video sharing selections for Youku and Tudou. Federighi also mentioned the inclusion of easy setup of popular Chinese email services coming to Mountain Lion.

"It's going to be important. Get your apps ready for China," he said to the assembled crowd of developers.

Later in the presentation, Scott Forstall, Apple's president of iOS Software, talked about upcoming Siri support for Mandarin and Cantonese in iOS 6. The new language support will make good on a promise that company made last year to teach Siri Chinese in 2012. Siri's Chinese language abilities will include Mandarin, tuned for both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, and Cantonese, tuned for Hong Kong and the mainland.

"As part of making Siri more international, we're now taking local search, which was U.S.-only in iOS, around the world. So you can now do local search even in China," Forstall said.

Responding to Monday's keynote, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty called Apple's China-specific features "significant investments" that the company is making to reach the market. She believes that focus on China will be "key to long-term growth." The investment bank expects increased sales of the iPhone in the region to contribute 33 percent of incremental revenue for Apple in calendar 2013.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in April during a quarterly earnings call that the company's revenue in China has been "mind-boggling." The region brought in $7.39 billion in revenue during the March quarter, driven largely by iPhone sales, which were up five times that of the year ago quarter. The executive said the iPhone and iPad are creating an "incredible" halo of demand for Macs, which were up more than 60 percent year over year during the quarter. Cook noted that an "enormous number of people" in China are moving into the middle class and Apple is doing everything it can to understand the market and capitalize on the opportunity.

This article comes from:http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/06/12/apple_taking_aim_at_chinese_market_with_mountain_lion_ios_6.html

Is Siri about to come to the iPad?

A recent round of rumours now suggests that Siri may finally be making its way to the iPad with the release of iOS 6. One of the likely reasons that Siri wasn’t initially included was the lack of constant network connectivity, so Apple will need to make sure users are aware that Siri needs to phone home to Apple’s data centres to function properly so as to avoid a confusing experience.

I was a bit surprised that Siri wasn’t included at the new tablet’s launch, but better late than never. At the All Things Digital D10 conference last week, CEO Tim Cook also said the company is planning on “doubling down” on Siri this year, subtly acknowledging that the assistant might not have lived up to user expectations thus far. There’s also renewed talk that Apple may finally include developer APIs so that third-party apps could tap into Siri’s functionality.

As the provider of the backend recognition, Nuance Communications (Nasdaq: NUAN) will make the assistant possible. On the last conference call, Nuance CEO Paul Ricci said that mobile revenue growth should continue to accelerate and that it was able to book more sales in the quarter upon “the completion of some of the milestones on existing contracts.”

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) continues to push forward with its own in-house voice-recognition offerings, and inclusion in Android tablets seems inevitable.Get ready, new iPad owners. It looks like you’re in store to get Siri sooner rather than later.

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This article comes from:http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/motley/8481896/is-siri-about-to-come-to-the-ipad

Google adds to mobile maps in dig at Apple

Google is upgrading mapping services to woo users and swipe back at Apple, which is nudging aside the location tools on its own mobile devices.

Apple plans to unveil a mapping application next week that will come pre-installed on its iPhones and iPad tablets, replacing Google Maps, said a person with knowledge of the matter who isn't authorized to speak publicly about it.

Google, whose mapping app has been on the iPhone since its unveiling in 2007, on Thursday announced a feature that gives users access to maps even when they're offline. The feature initially is only available on devices using Google's Android software.

"I'm very proud of Google Maps services, and they're available basically on all devices today," Brian McClendon, vice president of engineering for Google Maps, said at an event Thursday in San Francisco. "We'll continue to make Google Maps services as widely available as possible."

Google and Apple have increasingly clashed as the two companies compete for users of mobile devices and related services, such as music and movies.

Google's Android operating system has emerged as the most widely used smartphone software, and will command 61 percent of the market this year, while Apple's iOS will rank second, with 20.5 percent this year, according to IDC.

With the new mapping option, users can select a portion of a map when the device is online that can later be used when the device is no longer connected to the Web, Rita Chen, product manager for Google Maps for Mobile, said Thursday at the event.

The company offered the service as an experimental feature for Android last year.
"This has been one of the most requested features, and is coming soon," Chen said.

McClendon said an Apple version of the service could be added in the future.Google also announced improvements for Street View, which features photos of roads and byways around the world.

The company, which has mainly relied on people in autos to capture the images, said Thursday it will incorporate images taken with other devices. Google photographers will begin using backpacklike machines to take pictures of more obscure places — say, castles or ancient ruins.

In another upgrade, Google said it added more detail to the satellite images that are part of its Earth for Mobile tools. The service will give more nuanced and accurate images for places as varied as highways and baseball parks.

Map services are part of Google's effort to widen its lead as the largest U.S. provider of online mapping. Google had 75.1 million map users in April, up 29 percent from a year earlier. That put it ahead of MapQuest, which had a 7 percent decline, and Microsoft's Bing, which had 8.59 million, a 10 percent gain, according to ComScore.Google generates sales of advertisements that appear on map-search results.

This article comes from:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018381565_googlemaps08.html

Apple Said to Add Baidu as Iphone Search-Engine in China

Apple Inc. (AAPL) (AAPL) plans to add Baidu Inc. (BIDU) (BIDU)’s search engine on iPhones in China, part of a push to broaden its services and user base in the world’s most-populous nation, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.


The agreement to add Baidu, China’s largest search engine, to the lineup of Web tools on the iPhone could be announced as early as next week, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. Apple is holding its annual developers conference in San Francisco starting June 11.

A deal with Baidu, which handles about 80 percent of China’s Internet search queries, fits with a plan by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook to gain a bigger toehold in the largest mobile-phone market. It also gives users an alternative to Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG), which competes with Apple in the market for mobile software and advertising.

China’s growing middle class has more income to spend on smartphones and is becoming a more alluring audience for advertisers. China accounted for 20 percent of Apple’s sales last quarter and Cook has said there’s “a lot more opportunity” there as the company rolls out newproducts (AAPL) and adds new distributors of the iPhone.

While customers will have the option to select Baidu as their main vehicle for searching the Web, Google Inc.’s product will probably remain the default choice, one person said. At present, users of iPhones and iPads in China can access Baidu search by downloading it separately as an application.
Google Products

Even so, adding Baidu is the latest example of Apple diminishing its dependence on Google’s products. Apple plans to unveil a mapping application next week that will come pre- installed on its iPhones and iPad tablets, replacing Google Maps, said a person with knowledge of the matter who isn’t authorized to speak publicly about it.

Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to comment. Kaiser Kuo, a spokesman for Beijing- based Baidu, also declined to comment. Taj Meadows, a Google spokesman in Tokyo, couldn’t immediately comment on the future use of Google search by Apple customers in China.

Baidu, under billionaire Chief Executive Officer Robin Li, has benefited from Google’s decision in 2010 to no longer comply with Chinese regulation to self-censor Web content. Google market-share dropped after it shut its Google.cn service and began redirecting Chinese users to its site in Hong Kong.

Baidu is working to add users who access the Internet on smartphones such as the iPhone, after dominating the search- engine market among users of personal-computers in China.

Apple tripled revenue in China last quarter, making the Asian country its biggest market outside the U.S. In February, Apple added support for Baidu’s search-engine in its latest upgrade for the Mac operating system, along with other new features aimed at users in China.

This article comes from: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-07/apple-said-to-add-baidu-as-iphone-search-engine-in-china

Dell chief hits out at “shiny” iPad

 

Brian Corrigan

Dell Australia managing director Joe Kremer has refused to give up the tablet computing race, claiming “shiny” devices like Apple’s iPad are too difficult for business to support.

Apple has had great success getting its tablet computer into the hands of senior executives and board members since launching the iPad two years ago.

Personal computer makers have tried to counter this with models of their own but with very little success. The iPad still accounts for about three quarters of all tablet sales and has been the only game in town for corporate buyers.

The PC industry has now pinned its hopes on the upcoming launch of Microsoft’s Windows 8 software as its final chance to hit back against the iPad. The biggest advantage that devices running this software will have is that they integrate more easily with the desktop and notebook computers that employees are already using to do their jobs.

Referring to the iPad, Mr Kremer told a media and analyst briefing in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon: “People might be attracted to some of these shiny devices but technology departments can’t afford to support them.
“If you are giving a presentation and something fails on the software side it might take four days to get it up and running again. I don’t think this race has been run yet.”

Despite resistance from some technology departments, the iPad has been a big hit with senior executives and a growing number of companies have issued them to board members so that they don’t have to carry reams of paper around with them. If the devices are lost or stolen they can be “killed” remotely to prevent sensitive business information falling into the wrong hands.

High-profile failures to compete with the iPad have included Hewlett-Packard’s TouchPad, which was killed just six weeks after it launched, Research In Motion’s PlayBook, which has contributed to massive writedowns at the BlackBerry maker because of slow sales, and Cisco’s Cius, which the networking giant announced two weeks ago would be discontinued.

Samsung has had limited success among consumers with its Galaxy Tab line without putting a huge dent in iPad sales, while it was reported this week that sales of Amazon’s low-cost Kindle Fire had fallen 80 per cent during the first three months of 2012 after making a fast start with US consumers in the Christmas quarter.

While he would not be drawn on the likely uptake of Windows 8 among the business community when it is launched later this year, Mr Kremer said there was significant pent-up demand among customers that had skipped the previous two releases of the software and were still running their computers on Windows XP.
Mr Kremer was not confident about technology spending during the next six months, saying businesses were still keeping a careful eye on events in Europe and interest rate movements.

This article comes from:http://afr.com/p/technology/dell_chief_hits_out_at_shiny_ipad_6GzUNJbQwXvNd2XGGFYBuN

Could Microsoft make Office for iPad work?

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Does it even exist? We really don’t know. Microsoft Office for iPad.Microsoft says it doesn’t, while two sources — BGR, and News Corp.’s The Daily — both claim it does exist. All we know is that it should. But the brouhaha and speculation rides on and Microsoft remains staunchly quiet on the matter.

Further sources speaking to Business Insider — someone close to the Office sales team no less — claims the long-awaited software will arrive in November in time for Microsoft’s SharePoint conference. It shocks back into life more rumours an iPad version could be on the way.

While it makes sense on the face of it to bring Office to iOS — and perhaps even to the iPhone and Android — Microsoft has a few hurdles to overcome.

Microsoft will roll out Windows 8 in or around October. Most analysts and insiders suggest a fall launch. Timing is everything as the Redmond-based company has typically a small window to get the next-generation operating system out in time for the competitive and highly-charged Christmas holiday season

A Windows 8 edition will for the first time run solely on ARM-powered tablets. Windows RT will be Microsoft’s first true venture into tablet computing. It’s a make or break situation considering Apple not only rules the tablet space, but defined the tablet market with the iPad.

It may seem counter-intuitive to bring Office to the iPad because it would in effect make the iPad even stronger. It could even harm tablet sales if users prefer to buy iPads knowing full-well they can get the Office experience on a device they prefer.

Office for iPad out would guarantee a revenue stream irrespective of Windows 8’s performance. At the same time, the consequence could be that it could leave Windows RT dead in the water, meeting analysts’ initial expectations.

There are two key problems:

Rolling out Office for iPad on the App Store means Apple would receive a 30 percent cut of all Office for iPad sales goes directly into Apple kitty. It would certainly be ironic that Office sales would actually help Apple.

Also, Microsoft is keen on integrating cloud services with the next-generation Office. The iCloud barrier would be a difficult obstacle to avoid. Microsoft wants to synchronise desktop files with cloud-based SkyDrive. SkyDrive already exists as an application for the iPad, but integrating SkyDrive into Office for iPad — and circumventing iCloud altogether — may not be allowed, leaving Microsoft stuck using a rival cloud platform or none at all.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which platform is used. Microsoft could undercut Apple and bring Office to rival tablet platform. Apple couldn’t viably do anything about it. if Apple vetoed the Office listing in its App Store, it could be argued the move would be anti-competitive. Apple certainly doesn’t need any more antitrust suits following the ongoing e-book price fixing case.

This article comes from:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2018350652_apples_cook_on_ipad_versus_pc.html

The Best Gets Better

 
The new iPhone is no doubt one of the most anticipated products of this year. Before the launch, it was shrouded by hearsay and speculation in just about every aspect, even it's name. A lot of us were expecting the iPhone 5, a re-designed, thinner phone with a larger screen running on a 4G network. A lot of questions were answered but a lot of people were disappointed when Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S at WWDC 2011. Same design, same screen size, same resolution, looks identical to 2010's iPhone 4 and it still only runs on 3G networks.

But keep in mind, just about everything that matters on the INSIDE of the new iPhone has been newly refreshed with a faster dual core A5 processor, upgraded camera, new version of iOS loaded with 200 new features (which we will go over) and a digital assistant called "Siri" that exclusively runs on this new model. Apple has also expanded to a new U.S. provider this year by adding Sprint, who joined Verizon and AT&T.

The iPhone 4S sold over a million units on the weekend of its release and Sprint has announced that it is its best selling phone of all time. Now that the weekend fun is over and the excitement has somewhat died down, it's time to take a serious look at whether it was worth all the hype, how it holds up to the standards of 2011, and if it's worth the upgrade from the iPhone 4.

This article comes from:http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=18301&news=Apple+iPhone+4S+Review+ATT+Verizon+Sprint