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Tag: devices

  • 5 Reasons to Finance Electronic Devices

    5 Reasons to Finance Electronic Devices

    With the addition of millions of remote workers, new devices for security, and countless electronics designed for our comfort and convenience, it makes sense to finance purchases of electronics. 

    Whether you work from home or not, if you have a good work-from-home setup, you may make yourself more useful to your current employers and more marketable for future jobs by purchasing up-to-date equipment. The current trend in remote work means this could be possible for many people. Therefore, this could require purchasing a good laptop, a headset, and possibly even a webcam. 

    What would you do if you couldn’t afford to pay cash for pricey devices? Fortunately, you can get financing for electronics. 

    Here are 5 reasons for financing your new electronics:

    1. You Do Not Need Excellent Credit

    Many consumers assume they won’t be able to finance electronics because they have poor credit. Perhaps you have a history of irregular car payments or owe a lot of money in college loans or medical debt. Don’t worry. New electronics purchases are still financeable. In fact, many companies that provide financing for electronics, furniture, and appliances also offer financing for people with poor credit. This means that your financing applications may still be approved even if you have a low credit score or none.

    2. Get Your Payments Reported on Your Credit

    Unbelievable as it may seem, choosing to finance electronics can really help you raise your credit score. Your credit score will rise as you make timely and regular payments for your electronics. In fact, some consumers decide to finance their electronics in order to concentrate on building their credit.

    3. No-Interest Financing 

    Did you know that interest is not always a part of financing options? You might be able to simply pay off your purchase over time without incurring interest if you select a lease-to-purchase option. This means you are removing one of the biggest barriers to financing electronics some individuals face. There won’t be any further costs; you’ll pay for the electronics exactly as you would if you paid for it in full.

    4.  Affordable New Electronics

    One of the key benefits of financing electronics is that you won’t have to settle for a used item; instead, you may purchase a brand-new item. Even while you might be tempted to purchase a used electrical gadget online or through services like Craigslist in an effort to save money, the chances of having them break down are high. Even if they are refurbished, there is typically a reason why old things are so cheap. Unfortunately, it’s often due to their short lifespans and unreliability. 

    5. Reliable Dealers

    Generally, while financing electronics, you can be sure that the seller is offering the real deal. There’s no need to be concerned about them taking your money and taking off. You’re going into a long-term contract as a pair. This cannot be asserted if you seek to make a purchase from a person selling goods in person or from an anonymous online merchant. If you finance electronics, you’ll be able to identify and trust the seller, which is worth the effort.

    Conclusion

    There are many factors to take into account before financing an electronic item. Yet, in the long run, this choice can be an excellent way for you to save money and buy the equipment you need or desire.

  • Amazon Fire TV: $99 Streaming Box Launches into Crowded Field

    Amazon Fire TV: $99 Streaming Box Launches into Crowded Field

    As expected, Amazon unveiled their long-awaited streaming device today in an event in New York. Contrary to the rumors, however, the device isn’t a dongle like Google’s Chromecast. Instead, it’s a super-thin (0.7 inches) set-top box that the company is calling the Fire TV.

    It’ll run you $99 and you can order it right now. In terms of price, Amazon Fire TV matches Apple TV and the Roku 3, and is significantly more expensive than a Chromecast.

    But in terms of specs, Amazon has built a more powerful device. It sports a quad-core processor which Amazon says has three times the processing power of its competitors, as well as 2GB of memory–which is four times the memory of the Apple TV, Roku 3, or Chromecast.

    As expected, Fire TV comes stocked full of third party apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Watch ESPN, Pandora, Showtime Anytime, and many more, alongside the company’s own Amazon Prime Instant Video. It plugs directly into your TV and supports full 1080p and HDMI audio. This falls in line with most of its streaming box competitors.

    Where Amazon tries to differentiate its new device from its competitors’ is not in the price or the video streaming basics, but in flourishes to the experience. The company has added voice search to the set-top box’s remote, and in a jab at other streaming devices, Jeff Bezos says that it is “voice search that actually works.”

    “Gone are the days of searching for a movie or TV show by left-left-down-right-ing through an on-screen alphabet grid using your remote. Simply speak the name of a movie, TV show, actor, director, genre, app, or game into the remote, and the results will appear instantly. Voice search leverages the search data and expertise of Amazon.com and IMDb, and is optimized to understand Amazon’s…catalog.”

    Amazon Fire TV also boasts a new “ASAP” mode, which stands for “Advanced Streaming and Prediction.”

    “You shouldn’t have to wait 10 seconds for a video to buffer after you press “Play”—it should start immediately. Based on your Watchlist and recommendations, the new ASAP (Advanced Streaming and Prediction) feature predicts which movies and TV episodes you’ll want to watch and prepares them for playback before you even hit play. This feature is smart—it is personalized based on your viewing habits and adapts as those habits change. The caching predictions get better over time, so ASAP will continuously improve as you use Fire TV,” says Amazon.

    There’s a bunch of other little things that Fire TV offers, and if you’re interested, the company’s lengthy release on the new device is worth a read.

    “Tiny box, huge specs, tons of content, incredible price—people are going to love Fire TV,” said Bezos. “Voice search that actually works means no more typing on an alphabet grid. Our exclusive new ASAP feature predicts the shows you’ll want to watch and gets them ready to stream instantly. And our open approach gives you not just Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video, but also Netflix, Hulu Plus, and more. On Fire TV you can watch Alpha House and House of Cards.”

    Last but definitely not least, Amazon is pushing Fire TV’s gaming component. As was leaked a few weeks ago, Amazon Fire TV has its own game controller available for purchase to compliment games from EA, Disney, Gameloft, Ubisoft, Telltale, Mojang, 2K, and Sega. A few titles include Minecraft, The Walking Dead, NBA2K14, and an Amazon Game Studios exclusive title called Sev Zero.

    Bezos says that there are currently about 100 titles available, but “thousands more are coming soon.”

    There’s no denying that Amazon has created an alluring products here, and the addition of the gaming elements is sure to attract customers in a way that other streaming devices cannot. Its price is at least competitive with other top-end streaming boxes, but well above the lower-cost dongles like the Chromecast and Roku Stick.

    It’s a super competitive field, so it’ll be interesting to see how Fire TV sells over the next few months. It’s not just the Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV that the Fire TV will have to compete with–it’s also the gaming consoles like Xbox One and the PS4, as well as the various SmartTVs on the market. Maybe this Gary Busey ad will give it an edge.

    Images via Amazon

  • Apple Security Flaw Is “As Bad As You Could Imagine”

    Apple Security Flaw Is “As Bad As You Could Imagine”

    Apple is performing an emergency software fix this week to correct a security flaw putting both iPhone and Mac users at risk.

    After it was brought to their attention that hackers could enter systems by email, Apple, Inc. issued an official announcement acknowledging the oversight and their team promptly began to work on updated software to protect users. On Saturday, the company indicated that damage control would be forthcoming to halt hackers before they could lift private data from iPhones or Macs. Per the Orlando Sentinel on Sunday, Feb. 23, iPhone users probably already received their notification regarding that security update. Mac users, contrarily, remain at risk until updates can be issued for them too.

    Apple says those fixes are coming “very soon”.

    Why did this breach happen? There doesn’t seem to be one concrete explanation. However, researchers have said Apple itself was culpable in that it performed “inadequate testing.” It was likewise described as a “fundamental bug in Apple’s SSL implementation,” by Dmitri Alperovich, chief technology officer at security firm CrowdStrike Inc.

    In addition to iPhones and iPads, the report stated that any kind of desktop device or notebooks that run Mac OS X are also at risk, as the security error is present in them as well. Although iPhones are in the clear, the proverbial bad guys are likely working around the clock to concoct programs that pry into private data of Mac users before their resolution can arrive.

    One way in which tech-villains can do this is by gaining entry to a given mobile user’s network.

    This could be done in a coffee house or restaurant, where an unsecured wireless service is offered. In this situation, a hacker can observe and alter the interactions of someone using a protected website – be it their email or social networking site. Johns Hopkins University cryptography professor, Matthew Green explained that in the absence of a fix, hackers impersonate these sorts of protected sites. Then they can pilfer private data as they watch financial or other data go between the user and the actual site.

    “It’s as bad as you could imagine, that’s all I can say,” Green stated.

    Apple did not acquiesce to comment requests beyond a statement offered this week:

    “We are aware of this issue and already have a software fix that will be released very soon.”

    Image via Youtube

  • Amazon’s Set-Top Box May Not Arrive by the Holidays

    Amazon’s Set-Top Box May Not Arrive by the Holidays

    The oft-rumored Amazon set-top box has been delayed once again, according to a report from The Verge:

    Amazon has been been rushing to finalize and release a set-top box in time for the holidays, designed to compete directly with the Apple TV and Roku. However, The Verge has learned that the company recently made the decision to delay the device, possibly beyond the holiday season

    Of course, the ultimate goal of most companys eyeing major products launches is to have their new products available for the big shopping season. This delay would prevent Amazon from competing in the streaming device game this year, which is surely a disappointment for all involved.

    Amazon’s set-top box has been rumored for a long time, but the most-recent report from the WSJ indicated that Amazon was eyeing a by-Christmas launch for the device.

    Amazon’s set-top box reportedly looks something like a Roku, and will stream video and music. The video offerings won’t just come from Amazon, as the box will support third-party apps like Netflix. Oh, and there are also reports that Amazon is looking to add gaming to its capabilities. In the end, Amazon wants to complete with the likes of Roku, AppleTV, and even gaming consoles that people are increasingly using as their go-to portals for streaming content.

    Around the time of the WSJ’s report, a Canadian trademark filing was unearthed and suggested that Amazon was working on something called a “Firetube” – an obvious portmanteau of the Kindle Fire and “tube,” as in the boob tube, as in TV. Whether or not the Amazon set-top box is indeed called the Firetube, it appears that Amazon is having a harder time than they thought they would getting everything in order for a launch.

    Image via Robert Scoble, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Amazon’s Set-Top Box Reportedly Coming by Christmas

    Amazon’s Set-Top Box Reportedly Coming by Christmas

    The fact that Amazon is developing its own set-top streaming device shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Not only does Amazon have its own content library to promote (Amazon Instant Video), but the company’s also been stepping its toes into the original content production game through Amazon Studios. Plus, much of Amazon’s competition already has such a device on the market.

    Amazon’s set-top box has been rumored since last Spring, and today we’re getting another report that the company is readying the device for a big holiday sales push.

    The Wall Street Journal cites sources familiar with the matter who say that Amazon’s set-top content delivery device will be here soon, and it’ll look something like a Roku.

    The sources also indicate that the device will stream content from a variety of providers, not just its own video offerings – which means we’ll be getting things like a Netflix app. No word yet on pricing.

    Oh, and it’s apparently codenamed “Cinnamon.”

    Speaking of names for said device, 9to5Google unearthed a new Canadian trademark filing that shows Amazon registering the name “Firetube,” an obvious portmanteau of the Kindle Fire and “tube,” as in the boob tube, as in TV. The generic description refers to a device that is capable of…

    …transmitting, accessing, receiving, uploading, downloading, encoding, decoding, streaming, broadcasting, sharing, displaying, formatting, manipulating, organizing, book marking, tagging, storing, caching, and transferring electronic works…

    So yeah, not much to go on there. Could the new set-top box be called the Firetube? Hang tight, folks. We’ll know pretty soon.

  • The Samsung Apex Is Set to Blow the Competition Out of the Water

    The Samsung Apex Is Set to Blow the Competition Out of the Water

    NSFW

    In consumer tech nowadays it’s all about one-upping the last guy – making a product that can do more, and do it better and faster. The Onion has a pretty great take on the innovation race – a new device that will blow everything else out of the water.

    That device is the Samsung Apex, a wearable computing device that “streams videos into one eye, the internet into the other, and sucks your dick all at the same time.”

    “Hang it up Apple – we beat you to the punch on this one. Samsung’s got you by the balls!” screams fictional Samsung spokesman Neal Werner.


    New Wearable Computer Also Sucks Your Dick

    What’s funny is that given today’s climate, this doesn’t even seem like that much of a stretch.

    [The Onion]

  • Roku Hits 5 Million Players Sold, 8 Billion Streams

    Roku Hits 5 Million Players Sold, 8 Billion Streams

    Roku has just announced a pretty significant milestone: 5 million players sold.

    Roku first launched in 2008, and the device was called “the Netflix player,” basically because its only function was streaming Netflix.

    Over time, Roku broke out of the “Netflix box” moniker by adding plenty of other high-profile apps – Hulu Plus in 2010, HBO GO in 2011. Spotify and Time Warner Cable support more recently. As of now, Roku boasts around 750 channels. And with 5 million players sold, it’s clear that Roku holds a firm place in a market filled with streaming options. It’s about half of what Apple TV has sold (globally), for a competitive reference.

    “What are people streaming on Roku? Tons of TV shows and movies. Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Crackle, HBO GO and VUDU are all top favorites. Music is extremely popular, and consumers enjoy Pandora, VEVO and Spotify among other choices. News, sports, science and foreign languages from around the world are also big hits. Did I mention games? In 2011, we introduced casual games to the Roku platform with the debut of Angry Birds, which took the leap from mobile to TV for the first time. Angry Birds remains the most popular game on Roku today – by our count more than 3 billion bad piggies have been eliminated!” says Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood.

    Roku says that these 5 million boxes have streamed over 8 billion individual items of content of video and music, and that 25% of all Roku players stream over 35 hours per week.

    Roku just launched their new device, the Roku 3 box, last month – and it’s been getting some good reviews. Are you a Roku user? What do you think the furutre holds for set-top boxes that pretty much exclusively stream online content to TVs?

  • Hulu Plus Now Available On More Devices

    Hulu Plus Now Available On More Devices

    Starting today, you can access Hulu Plus on three more devices, which brings the total number of devices that offer Hulu’s streaming content to just over two dozen.

    From the Hulu blog:

    I’m pleased to announce that Hulu Plus is available on select Toshiba 2012 Blu-ray players, Sharp 2012 TVs and Best Buy’s Dynex Blu-ray players. Earlier this year, we also launched Hulu Plus on Netgear’s NeoTV 200 Media Player and branded set-top boxes from Magnavox and Funai.

    Along with these new options, as far as TVs/ Blu-Ray players go, you can watch Hulu Plus on select models from Samsung , Vizio, Sony, LG, Haier and Panasonic.

    Hulu has been available as an app on the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 for some time now, but just launched on the Nintendo Wii on February 16th. When they made that announcement, Hulu also said that Hulu Plus would be coming to the Nintendo 3DS “some time later in 2012.” Hulu’s devices page still list the 3DS capabilities as “coming soon.”

    Hulu looks to have as good of a 2012 as they had last year. In 2011, Hulu grew 60% from 2010, raking in about $420 million in revenue. In January, Hulu announced that Hulu Plus had amassed 1.5 million subscribers, making a point to say that their climb to 1.5 million was faster than other subscription-based video services. In 2011, Hulu Plus’ content offerings grew 105%.

    In 2012, Hulu will invest $500 million in new content. Couple this with expansion to more devices, they look to chip out their place in a landscape that already has a lot of streaming options – and those are only going to grow.

  • Newspapers and Magazines Come to Kobo eReader, iPhone and iPad Apps

    Kobo announced that it is now offering newspapers and magazines for the Kobo Wireless eReader and its iPhone and iPad apps. The selection includes "dozens of top U.S. and Canadian publications". As an added bonus, the company is offering a two-week free trial period. 

    Kobo is backed by Indigo Books & Music, Borders, REDgroup Retail, Cheung Kong Holdings, and others. In July, Borders launched its own branded eBook store powered by Kobo. At that time, Border CEO Mike Edwards said, "The race to emerge as a retail leader within the digital category is just starting." 

    Kobo-eReader.Since then, Samsung has unveiled its Android-powered Galaxy Tab, and Kobo announced that it would be supplying the e-reader technology for it. Kobo has apps for the iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, and Palm Pre. 

    Today’s announcement, however, only applies to the reader, the iPhone and iPad apps at this point. Publications include: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Scientist, The Seattle Times, Wilson Quarterly, Foreign Affairs, American Scholar, China International Business, Columbus Dispatch , Guideposts, Harvard Business Review, National Review, New York Observer, PC Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Reason, The Christian Science Monitor Daily Briefing, The Nation, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Regina Leader-Post, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun, Victoria Times-Colonist, and The Globe & Mail.   

    The company says it will continue to expand its offerings in this area. The newspapers’ and magazines’ formats are emulated on Kobo’s offerings. Still, readers can customize text sizes.

    "Kobo continues to build on our commitment of making sure that consumers have the best reading experience on any device with the largest selection of content worldwide," said Kobo CEO Michael Serbinis. "We’ve had tremendous success with eBooks and we’re very excited to expand the Kobo offering to include newspapers and magazines with a two-week free trial, allowing consumers to try first without any obligation. We continue to bring on top publishers to ensure that Kobo’s newspaper and magazine offering meets our customers’ highest expectations."

    After the two-week trial, monthly subscription prices start at $13.99 for newspapers and $2.99 for magazines. Kobo also claims to have over 2.2 million eBooks available.

  • Amazon Selling Kindles Like Hotcakes, Shipping Early

    Amazon has announced that more new generation Kindles were ordered in the first four weeks of availability than in the same timeframe for any other Kindle launch.

    Additionally, in those four weeks, customers ordered more Kindles on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk combined than any other product. That makes Kindle the bestselling product across all products on Amazon for two straight years.

    "Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon.com for two years running and our new generation Kindles are continuing that momentum," said Steven Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle. "Readers are excited about all that the new Kindle has to offer—50 percent better contrast, 20 percent faster page turns, 15 percent lighter, up to one month of battery life—and a new price of only $139."

    New Kindle Much Smaller

    The new Kindle has a new electronic-ink screen and a new design with a 21% smaller body, while keeping the 6 inch screen of the old Kindle. It has built-in Wi-Fi, a graphite color option, and double the storage, holding 3,500 books.

    As an added bonus for all of those people that ordered the new Kindles, Amazon also announced that they began shipping today, 2 days earlier than previously announced.

  • New Intel Dual-Core Atom Processor-Based Netbooks Arrive

    Intel announced that 12 new netbooks based on its new mobile dual-core Atom processors have hit store shelves today. These include machines from Acer, ASUS, Fujitsu, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, MSI, and Toshiba.

    "Acer strives to continually improve on our customers’ total mobile experience, whether it is increased responsiveness or extended Internet interactivity through longer battery life," said David Lee, associate vice president of Acer’s Mobile Computing Business Unit. "We are pleased to select dual-core Intel Atom processors for Acer netbooks, helping to empower netbook users achieve even more – both at work and at leisure."

    Intel Dual Core Atom Processor Netbooks in Stores "In their short history, the netbook category has experienced impressive growth," said Erik Reid, director of marketing for mobile platforms at Intel. "Having shipped about 70 million Intel Atom chips for netbooks since our launch of the category in 2008, there is obviously a great market for these devices around the world."

    Intel says the netbooks enable new levels of support for applications like games, as well as Adobe Flash technology for access to a number of Web pages including online hotel booking systems and multimedia sites such as YouTube and Hulu.

    The devices will be in stores from today until the end of the year, according to the announcement.

    On a related note, Intel has shipped over 70 million Atom netbook chips since its the launch in 2008.

  • Market Research Firm Says Internet-Connected Devices Will Surpass 5 Billion This Month

    IMS Research has shared some findings indicating that the number of Internet-connected devices is expected to pass the 5 billion milestone this month. Furthermore, the organization forecasts 22 billion by 2020.

    "In the first connectivity wave, the bulk of devices connected to the Internet were PCs and laptops plus their associated modem and networking equipment," says IMS Research President Ian Weightman. "Today, over 1 billion computers worldwide are regularly connected to the Internet, and this number is growing steadily."

    The second wave, as IMS refers to, would be the cellular industry, combined with other emerging sectors like tablets, netbooks, eBook readers, TVs, digital picture frames, cameras, etc. These combine with the first wave to get that 5 billion estimation.

    iPhone 4 "There will be a number of drivers behind this amazing growth," Weightman says with regards to the 2020 prediction. "Firstly, by 2020 we are forecasting that there will be over 6 billion cell phones in use around the world, the great majority of which will be Internet connected. Then consider that there are around 2.5 billion TVs in use today, and that many of these will be replaced with Internet connected sets, you have another tremendous growth area. In addition, an increasing proportion of the world’s 1.1 billion cars will be replaced by models that have Internet connectivity."

    "The potential for greatest growth comes from the third wave which will include machine-to-machine (M2M) deployments. This has the potential to go way beyond industrial applications to encompass increasingly sophisticated smart grids, networked security cameras and sensors, connected home appliances and HVAC equipment, ITS infrastructure, etc."

    IMS is a firm that tracks installations of Internet-capable equipment. It supplies market research for the global electronics industry.

  • IBM Looks Into Accessible Mobile Interfaces, Google Giving up on Wave?

    IBM Looks Into Accessible Mobile Interfaces, Google Giving up on Wave?

    IBM has partnered with the Industrial Design Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay on mobile web research. The initiative will focus on development of new designs of mobile device interfaces that can be used by people who are semiliterate or illiterate, as well as individuals who have limited or no access to information technology.

    Google appears to have somewhat given up on Wave, at least as a standalone product. The company posts to the Official Google Blog:

    We were equally jazzed about Google Wave internally, even though we weren’t quite sure how users would respond to this radically different kind of communication. The use cases we’ve seen show the power of this technology: sharing images and other media in real time; improving spell-checking by understanding not just an individual word, but also the context of each word; and enabling third-party developers to build new tools like consumer gadgets for travel, or robots to check code.

    But despite these wins, and numerous loyal fans, Wave has not seen the user adoption we would have liked. We don’t plan to continue developing Wave as a standalone product, but we will maintain the site at least through the end of the year and extend the technology for use in other Google projects. The central parts of the code, as well as the protocols that have driven many of Wave’s innovations, like drag-and-drop and character-by-character live typing, are already available as open source, so customers and partners can continue the innovation we began. In addition, we will work on tools so that users can easily “liberate” their content from Wave.

    Nielsen reports that the mobile Internet is more popular in China that it is in the U.S. "Widespread ownership of mobiles is only a fairly recent development in China, but consumers there have fully embraced the technology and in some ways are using it more robustly than their American and European counterparts," says Shan Phillips, Vice President, Greater China, Telecom Practice, The Nielsen Company.

    Nielsen also has another interesting report looking at who is buying the iPad, and asking if they will also buy an iPhone.

    iOS-user-profile

    WordPress has introduced its own "like" buttons. Now readers can "like" posts, although I’d say for publishers, the Facebook "like" buttons will be a lot more effective for driving traffic. Still, it’s nice to provide as many gateways for engagement as possible (without getting too cluttered, anyway).

    According to the Financial Times, Motorola and Verizon have teamed up on a "TV Tablet." This is a device with a 10-inch screen that users will be able to watch television on.

    Reuters reports that Sharp intends to launch a 3D smartphone this year. This would feature a 3D panel that can be viewed without special glasses and would have a 3D capable camera.

    According to Unwired Review, Samsung is considering puting touchscreen functionality on the back of a tablet. This is based on a patent application for a "mobile terminal having dual touch screen and method of controlling content therein".

    Meanwhile, as Engadget writes, Microsoft has been teasing an as-of-yet unannounced product via Twitter, saying, ""Don’t be so touchy…flat is where it’s at," and offering a small partial image of some object. This may or may not be a trackpad.

  • Report: Android on 1 in 3 U.S. Smartphones Sold

    The NPD Group has released a new smartphone report, finding that Motorola and HTC have driven Android to the lead in the U.S. Android is installed on one in three smartphones sold, according to the group.

    Meanwhile, for the first time since 2007, RIM has slid to the number 2 position, as Android took the lead.

    While Android accounted for 33% of all smartphones purchased in Q2, RIM accounted for 28%. Apple came in third at 22% with the launch of the iPhone 4.

    BlackBerry Torch with BlackBerry 6 "For  the second consecutive quarter, Android handsets have shown strong but slowing sell-through market share gains among U.S. consumers," said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. "While the Google-developed OS took market share from RIM, Apple’s iOS saw a small gain this quarter on the strength of the iPhone 4 launch."

    This week, BlackBerry unleashed its new BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6. It remains to be seen what kind of an impact this will have on the market.

    "Blackberry 6 will soon offer features that have been popular in recently launched Android handsets, such as support for capacitive touchscreens and a WebKit-based browser. However, the Blackberry Torch lacks the large screen allure that has characterized the best selling Android devices at its price point, including the Droid Incredible and EVO 4G," Rubin said.

    The top 5 Android smartphones sold were:

    1. Motorola Droid
    2. HTC Droid Incredible
    3. HTC EVO 4G
    4. HTC Hero
    5. HTC Droid Eris

    Android still has tablets and Google TV to look forward to as far as attracting more users.

  • RIM, AT&T Introduce BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6

    Today, Research in Motion (RIM) and AT&T launched the BlackBerry Torch, the first smartphone to feature the new BlackBerry 6, which was also unleashed today.

    "This is one of the most significant launches in RIM’s history and we are proud to introduce the new BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 together with AT&T," said RIM President and Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. "With a new user interface, new browser and new handset design, the highly anticipated BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 deliver integrated and uncompromising capabilities for consumers and business professionals that preserve the industry-leading strengths of the BlackBerry platform while adding exciting new dimensions."

    Here’s the full feature list from the release:

    • BlackBerry Torch with BlackBerry 6Elegant styling, measuring approx. 4.4" (5.8" open) x 2.4" x .57" and weighing 5.68 ounces
    • 3.2" 360×480 capacitive touch screen display
    • 35 key full QWERTY backlit slide-out keyboard, designed to feel optimally balanced when opened for typing
    • Optical trackpad that makes navigation fast and smooth
    • Powerful 624 Mhz processor with 512 MB Flash memory
    • 4 GB built-in memory storage plus a microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB cards; a 4 GB card is included giving users 8 GB of storage out-of-the-box
    • 5 MP camera with flash, continuous auto focus, image stabilization, scene modes, geo-tagging and zoom, as well as video recording at up to 640×480 resolution
    • Built-in GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging
    • Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g/n); qualifying smartphone customers can enjoy seamless connectivity to over 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional cost
    • 3.5mm stereo headset jack
    • Premium phone features, including voice activated dialing, speakerphone and Bluetooth® (2.1) with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including systems that support the Bluetooth Message Access Profile standard) and other Bluetooth accessories
    • New BlackBerry® Desktop Software 6 with integrated media sync for easily syncing music, photos and videos**. It also includes Wi-Fi Music Sync, a unique feature that allows users to view their entire iTunes® or Windows Media® Player music libraries from their BlackBerry smartphone, create and edit playlists as well as select music for download. When in range of their home Wi-Fi network (or via USB), the changes are synced with iTunes or Windows Media Player and the songs are automatically downloaded to the smartphone
    • Tri-band HSDPA (3G) and quad-band EDGE support for the option of voice service in more than 220 countries, data service in more than 195 countries and 3G connectivity in more than 125 countries, including Japan and South Korea
    • Removable, rechargeable 1300 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.8 hours of talk time on 3G networks or 30 hours of audio playback or 6 hours of video playback

    "BlackBerry 6 is the outcome of RIM’s ongoing passion to deliver a powerful, simplified and optimized user experience for both touch screen and keyboard fans," said Lazaridis. "Following extensive research and development to address consumer needs and wants, we are delivering a communications, browsing and multimedia experience that we think users will love, and we are thrilled to debut BlackBerry 6 on the amazing new BlackBerry Torch smartphone."

    A Nielen report released this week indicates that loyalty is lacking among BlackBerry users, saying that half of BlackBerry users could potentially choose an iPhone or an Android phone for their next device. These things should be taken with a grain of salt, and that was before today’s announcements, but it still has to be a little worrisome for RIM.

  • Amazon’s New Kindles Already Sold Out

    Update: The new Kindles are already sold out (temporarily obviously). On the product page, the company says, "Due to strong customer demand, Kindle is temporarily sold out. Order now to reserve your place in line. Orders are prioritized on a first come, first served basis. Orders placed today are expected to ship on or before September 4th." (hat tip: GeekSugar)

    Original Article: Amazon’s Kindle has been making a lot of headlines lately, and now the company has introduced a new generation of Kindle devices. The new Kindle is smaller, lighter, faster, and has 50% better contrast than any other e-reader on the market, according to Amazon.

    It has a new electronic-ink screen and a new design with a 21% smaller body, while keeping the 6 inch screen of the old Kindle. It’s 15% lighter at 8.7 ounces. Amazon claims it has 20% faster page turns, up to a month of battery life, built-in Wi-Fi, a graphite color option, and double the storage, holding 3,500 books. The price is $189, and still comes with free 3G wireless.

    New Kindle Much Smaller

    Amazon has also introduced the Kindle Wi-Fi, which doesn’t come with 3G, but is only $139.

    "Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon for two years running. We lowered the price to $189 and sales growth tripled," says Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Readers are going to do a double take when they see Kindle’s bright new screen and feel how remarkably light the smaller 8.7 ounce design feels in one hand."

    The new devices will ship in 140 countries and 30 territories on beginning August 27.

  • iPhone Users Flock to JailbreakMe

    iPhone Users Flock to JailbreakMe

    Comex has launched a site called Jailbreakme.com, that when visited from an iOS device, allows you to jailbreak it. This is the first jailbreak for iOS 4, and can be accessed via the mobile version of Safari. The point is to make jailbreaking easier for the average joe, I presume.

    "A jailbreak is simply the ability to run apps and use themes and tweaks not approved by Apple," explains the site. "Jailbreaking doesn’t slow down your device or use any extra battery, and is fully reversible (just restore in iTunes). A jailbreak lets your device be how you want it."

    Engadget has posted this video trying to jailbreak the phone, but some issues were encountered:

    Apple recently gave the following statment to Cult of Mac:

    "Apple’s goal has always been to insure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience. As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably."

    Some have had problems with FaceTime and MMS after jailbreaking, but Redmond Pie offers a solution.

  • RIM Reportedly to Have iPad Competitor Ready Before Holidays

    Everybody’s scrambling to get their iPad competitors out. Most recently, we heard what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had to say about his comany’s plans. Research in Motion (RIM) will apparently have its iPad competitor out in a few short months.

    Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports the BlackBerry maker intends to have one out in November. Hugo Miller writes:

    The device will have roughly the same dimensions as the iPad, which has a 9.7-inch diagonal screen, said the two people who wouldn’t be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. The device will include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology that will allow people to connect to the Internet through their BlackBerry smartphones, the two people said.

    BlackBerry  - Coming soon to a tablet near you Will it be called the BlackPad? As Mobile Crunch pointed out this week, RIM has purchased the BlackPad.com domain.

    iPad sales have been impressive, to say the least. However, it has yet to really be faced with competition, and that will soon change. The iPad-like tablet market is going to get flooded with new products and choices for consumers, and there is no doubt that some of them will be much more competitive with pricing. This is one thing that has helped Android grow (which is powering its own iPad competitors).

    As the holiday season arrives, it looks like the iPad isn’t going to be the only one getting looked at by consumers.

  • Logitech Launches Contest to Find Help Promoting Google TV Device

    Logitech Launches Contest to Find Help Promoting Google TV Device

    Logitech has started a contest to promote Google TV, the upcoming service for which Logitech is a launch partner. The contest is called "Host with the Most", and asks if "you have what it takes to be a ‘host with the most’ for Logitech Revue with Google TV?"

    Logitech Revue is the company’s set-top box that will help the Google TV service launch (alongside TVs and Blu-ray players from Sony).

    Logitech Revue with Google TV

    The contest is looking for a "social media rock star" to help promote the device. Google’s YouTube is pretty excited about it (as the device will no doubt bring a great deal more YouTube video watching to living rooms). You can read the official rules here, but YouTube Product Marketing Manager Peter Sherman sums it up nicely:

    If you can prove that you are a true social influencer with a passion for the new universe of TV and video that Google TV will offer, Logitech may select you to become a Logitech host and pay you to spend time in one of their lofts in New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco. Your mission will be to host a bunch of parties, show off the technology, and spread the word through your social circles.

    Naturally, YouTube is encouraging its users to nominate themselves.

    NewTeeVee looks at a new report from iSuppli, which finds that Internet TV is more popular than 3-D TV. That could mean good things for Google and all of its Google TV launch partners.

  • Android Seeing Massive Growth in the UK

    Android Seeing Massive Growth in the UK

    It’s no secret that Android usage is on the rise, but Guardian points to research from GfK Retail and Technology indicating that in the UK, Android’s share of the mobile market has grown from 3% in the first quarter to 13.2% in the second.

    On top of that, contract market sales grew by less than 1%, while sales of Android phones increased by 350%, the firm says.

    Android Sales on the Rise"The figures suggest an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name," says GfK analyst Megan Baldock. "Operating Systems are no longer simply a by-product but a key selling point in their own right."

    Smartphones, or phones with "advanced operating systems" as GfK puts it, grew to 66.7% of contracts compared to 55% in the first quarter. "Growth has been continuous since 2010 began and is expected to rise consistently throughout the rest of the year; GfK’s latest monthly data shows that in June, phones with advanced OS represented 73.5% of the contract market," the firm adds.

    The whole iPhone antenna debacle can’t be too bad for Android. Samsung has even been giving away free Android phones to disgruntled iPhone users (in the UK, as a matter of fact). Watch for tablets, Google TV and Google’s App Inventor to add to Android’s momentum as well.

  • iPhone 4 Expands into More Countries, iPad May Have to Wait

    Apple announced today that the iPhone 4 will be available in 17 more countries this Friday (July 30). Countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

    The device will be available through Apple’s retail and online stores and through authorized resellers. It’s currently available in France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US.

    Meanwhile, there might be a hiccup in the international expansion of Apple’s other big product launch of the year – the iPad.

    Reuters quotes Kwon Young-soo, CEO of LG Display, a display supplier for the iPad (via Mashable):

    iPad Comes to Nine More Countries This Week"Demand (from Apple) keeps growing and we can’t meet it all. Apple may have to delay launches of the iPad for some countries due to tight component supplies and strong demand.

    "We are considering increasing production lines for iPad products but overall supply is likely to remain tight until early next year."

    On Friday, Apple announced a delay in the white version of the iPhone 4, while also launching its Case Program in which iPhone 4 owners can get free cases or bumpers.

    Last week, the company also announced that it had sold 8.4 million iPhones and 3.27 million iPads in its third quarter.