This week, we started a new series of articles where we look at some of the most interesting videos in tech and business that we come across in any given day. You can see yesterdays’ here. While it’s only day two, the response has been good so far, so we will likely keep it up.
I’m not going to waste a lot of time talking about. Let’s just get to the videos.
This CG iPhone 5 concept video , which features an iPhone with a thin design, a laser keyboard and holographic display has been trending pretty hard. Today, it made it on YouTube’s own Trends blog.
Speaking of the iPhone, Stevie Wonder thanks Steve Jobs at the “WONDER-FULL” event in LA. It’s making its way around the blogosphere (4:39):
AOL’s Money and Happiness speaks with an expert for tips on racking up free airline miles:
Panasonic demonstrates EVOLTA robots to compete in Iron Man Triathlon:
Sphero is a robotic ball that you control with your smartphone. Business Insider shared this video of the ball rolling around its HQ:
This game, Phone Story, was banned from iOS but has apparently been approved by Android:
Google is letting Gmail users get their chat log data out of Gmail. They released this video about it:
Interesting look at the evolution of music, with statistics:
Here’s a new interview our own Abby Johnson did with Mary Song of Yuupon about the date of the daily deals industry:
Here’s the future of shopping according to PayPal:
I think I still prefer the zombie apocalypse version:
Adobe’s VP talks about extensibility and the future of web conferencing:
The Windows Phone Blog shared a look at the HTC TItan with video chat:
Intel demoed its Pair and Share technology, which lets iOS and Android devices share video and pictures to Intel computers wirelessly:
Yes, as a matter fact, there are iPhone cases that look like ears, thanks to the creative developments CollabCubed and their EARonic iPhone cases.
While these may not enhance the overall user experience of iPhone use, those who choose to add these cases to their iPhones will certainly get some interesting looks. While these may not be as awesome as the Steve Jobs in Carbonite iPhone case, they are still damn cool, even more when you put your iPhone to your ear.
Granted, that’s not an incredible popular activity with smartphones anymore–that is, making actual phone calls–but when you do, do so in way that will make people look at you with odd expressions. As indicated, the EARonic (nice play on the word “ironic”) cases are made by CollaCubed, and currently, there are five different ear varieties to choose from.
There is the Finley:
The Dylan
The Luna
The Razor
And the Nick
All of which are available here. As for the motivation behind these sweet iPhone cases, which were designed by Daniela Gilsanz, there’s a blog post that reveals more:
Daniela first came up with the idea last fall when applying to art schools. She was getting a portfolio together and while sketching some ears in her sketchbook (one of the prompts from a school) the initial EARonic mockup and portfolio piece came to be. (See spread with sketches second from top.)
Since then, we’ve improved on the original concept, photographed many an ear, and produced the actual phone cases.
Since Jobs in Carbonite is out of the question, what are your thoughts on this particular iPhone case design? Granted, these seem like they are aimed at a younger demographic–I doubt we’d see many people over 40 using them–but they do add a touch of levity to your iPhone. Considering that HTC’s president intimates iPhones aren’t as cool with the 20-somethings as they used to be, perhaps Gilsanz and CollaCubed should start working on Android EARonic cases.
Even with the inroads made by the Android operating system in the mobile industry market share, the iPhone is still one of the most popular mobile devices in the world, and sales of the device are still very strong. In fact, during the second quarter of 2011, the iPhone was the most-shipped smartphone on the market.
However, if HTC’s president, Martin Fichter, is correct, Apple may be getting ready to face one of its biggest hurdles since it hit the market: No longer being cool in the eyes of teens and young adults. While he offers no metrics to support his idea, Fichter does have first-hand knowledge of the iPhone’s potential fall from grace in the eyes of the youngsters.
During the Mobile Future Forward conference, Fichter had the following thoughts concerning iPhones viability:
“…I brought my daughter back to college — she’s down in Portland at Reed — and I talked to a few of the kids on her floor. And none of them has an iPhone because they told me: ‘My dad has an iPhone.’ There’s an interesting thing that’s going on in the market. The iPhone becomes a little less cool than it was. They were carrying HTCs. They were carrying Samsungs. They were even carrying some Chinese manufacture’s devices. If you look at a college campus, Mac Book Airs are cool. iPhones are not that cool anymore. We here are using iPhones, but our kids don’t find them that cool anymore.”
So are adults crashing the cool kids’ party, and therefore, making what was once cool not so cool anymore, or is this grandstanding by Fichter, who works for a company that’s in direct competition with Apple?
Even is teens and young adults are moving towards the Android platform–something earlier reports from Piper Jaffray disputes a great deal–is that because they iPhones aren’t cool or is that Android devices are largely cheaper than their Apple counterparts? From Piper Jaffray’s findings:
Teen buying trends in portable devices show the rising popularity of Apple’s iPhone and iPod. The market share of iPhone rose to 17 percent, and, in the next six months, 37 percent of surveyed teens intend to purchase an iPhone (up from 31 percent one year ago).
Now, it should be noted that Fichter’s way of thinking is not a new idea. When adults catch on to popular trends, kids have a tendency to migrate to something else.
Berkeley Breathed, creator of the timeless Bloom County comic strip addressed this phenomenon perfectly in a Sunday strip, way back in the early 1990s:
Does this mean because adults like iPhones, which, to be honest, is probably because their kids dig smartphones, and iPhones are apparently the phone to have if you’re an adult, that teens and young adults will start using other non-iPhone devices? Normally, that would be a safe bet, but take Facebook for example.
It’s clear adults have made their way over to that ubiquitous platform, and teens/young adults are still very much apart of the Facebook world. Besides, if there ever was something that qualified as a “first world problem,” teens not wanting to own an iPhone because their parents have one too is the perfect example. Furthermore, how many of these teens/young adults actually used their own money to buy that shiny new smartphone?
Does the “if parents like it, it’s not cool” caveat apply to the world of technology? Let us know what you think.
In what many are considering a puzzling decision, Gamestop will now accept trade-ins for used iOS devices. If you’re unfamiliar with Gamestop, they’re one of the most popular video game stores in the country. Their business model is built around the tried-and-true pawn shop ideal. People can trade in their old games for cash, or store credit. They take these trade-ins and then generally sell them at double what they paid for them. Simple and sweet.
Gamestop issued a press release, announcing their plan to give cash/store credit for iOS devices. They’ve provided generic information and have left out some important details. For instance, will they plan on selling these devices?
Here’s a quote from Gamestop president, Tony Bartel, “By trading in iOS devices, GameStop customers have yet another source of funds to put toward the purchase of new and pre-owned games, DLC, digital PC games and more”
One important statement comes from their official iOS trade-in page: “You also release GameStop from any claim for loss or unauthorized access, use or disclosure of any personal or private data or information stored on the iPod, iPhone or iPad.”
So be sure to completely empty out your device’s memory before taking them in, if you plan on trading anything in.
Looking around on their site, there’s no information as of yet if they have plans to sell their purchased devices. Digging a bit further, I gave my local Gamestop a call for further information. Was able to find trade-in values for these devices:
iPod Touch 3rd Generation 32 GB: $100 Store Credit/$80 Cash
iPhone 4 16 GB: $135 Store Credit/ $120 Cash
iPad 2 32 GB Wi-Fi: $300 Store Credit/ $240 Cash
I asked the gentleman if they planned on selling the devices and how much they would be, here’s his response (paraphrasing), “Umm, let me ask my manager…He said there are no plans right now, but probably in November”
So take that for what you will. Not that I suspected the store managers to have the information, but you never know what internal memos Gamestop sends to their employees.
To put the figures I listed above in perspective, here’s the cheapest (realistic) prices I could find for the devices above in used condition:
iPod Touch 3rd Generation 32 GB: $125 – From a random classified ad in Tennessee
iPhone 4 16 GB: $300 – Another random classified ad, device has cracked screen
iPad 2 32 GB Wi-Fi: $407 – From a site called Electronics Emporium
If Gamestop were to sell at these extremely low prices, they’d still be making a lot of money from every trade-in. Will be interesting to track the price point they actually sell them at, if they get around to it.
Their decision to buy these devices is perplexing, because they’ve simply been about buying and selling video games and systems. It wasn’t too long ago that they offered the same trade-in system for DVDs and Blu-Rays, but they ended up doing away with it, focusing solely on video games. If they don’t plan on selling the devices from the outset, then where is the profit coming from? Perhaps they just want to build their stock first, before they actually sell them. Only time will tell.
Gamestop has taken a lot of heat from gamers, who complain that their trade-in values are too low and are simply taking advantage of desperate people. Not only are the game values low, but their system hurts video game developers and publishers. The used market does nothing for the people who actually create these games; the profit is enjoyed by Gamestop only.
It will be interesting to see how the iOS community responds to this news. Would you sell to Gamestop for the trade-in values I posted above? Will there be a response from Apple, who like the developers/publishers will see no returns on their items sold as used?
Google is awfully fond of naming Android OS updates after various confectioneries, and with the upcoming update on the horizon, these naming conventions haven’t changed. In fact, they are expanding. The current version, Honeycomb, is about to pushed aside for a frozen treat. In fact, considering the authority of the update’s name, it sounds like a complete reworking instead of a simple update.
Consider, during the life of Android, it has been called Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread and Honeycomb; but now, Google is pulling out the big guns, at least in relation to naming its mobile OS after a dessert item. No longer are doughnut-style treats the preferred choice for Android names. These, apparently, don’t capture the scope of the update, and so, the new Android OS update will be called “Ice Cream Sandwich,” which immediately brings thoughts of wanting one, because, let’s face it, a real ice cream sandwich is just so damn tasty.
While it’s doubtful the Ice Cream Sandwich update will make Android devices any more edible, it could make them even more appealing than they already are. Of course, playful naming conventions is not the only reason the Ice Cream Sandwich update was announced. It won’t be long before Apple’s iOS 5 is ready for primetime, and when that happens, Google/Android will be there, trying to capture some of that buzz.
We have a new operating system, internally known as Ice Cream Sandwich for some reason, which is being released in October/November, which everyone’s really excited about.
Considering the fact that iOS 5 has been promised by Fall of 2011–which, oddly enough, looks like the same time period the Android update will hit–is this a coincidence on Google’s part?
Of course it’s not.
Google and Apple are locked in a battle for mobile device supremacy, and these “same time” update releases is just another move in the one-upmanship battle. In fact, if either company could sue the other to delay the mobile operating system update, you can almost guarantee they would.
One of the major benefits of the ICS update for Android is the unification of the interface for both Android tablets and the smartphones. Beyond that, anything else is just a guess. When making the announcement, it’s obvious Schmidt was more interested in letting folks know that Android is not going sit and idle while the 5 version of Apple’s mobile devices hits the shelves.
The features? That’s another story for another time, apparently.
After refusing to comply with Apple’s new terms for in-app subscription payments, the Financial Times has seen both their iPhone and iPad apps pulled from the App Store.
Apple had set a June 30th deadline for all apps to meet compliance, which was to allow purchases and third-party subscriptions outside of the App Store to be offered at a lower price, according to AppleInsider.
Financial Times says that their biggest gripe with Apple is its control over subscriber data, not the 30 percent cut that Apple claims as their own.
“The FT iPad and iPhone apps will no longer be available to new users through iTunes … We are directing readers to the FT‘s new web app available at app.ft.com. iTunes will remain an important channel for new and existing advertising based apps.”
Taking matters a step further, FT launched a HTML-5 web app back in June as a workaround to Apple’s in-app subscription stance. The app can be loaded via Safari on iOS devices.
Other apps such as The Wall Street Journal, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon have all complied with Apple’s new rules. Do you think the Financial Times will ever comply with Apple?
The surprising–but yet not entirely unexpected, considering the health issues he’s been facing–retirement of Steve Jobs has rocked the tech industry. To say he’s the topic of conversation since the announcement would be like saying water is wet. Clearly, both are obvious points.
While Apple has long since been a niche company that offered an alternative to the world of Bill Gates and the ubiquitous Windows operating system, the company didn’t reach dominant levels in the tech industry until it launched the iPhone. Granted, Apple was always considered a “cool” company to buy products from, but it wasn’t until their handheld devices–let’s not forget the iPod’s role in Apple’s modern popularity–hit that allowed the company to become one of the most powerful brands in the world.
And Apple owes a lot of its success directly to Jobs guidance as Apple CEO and his forward thinking in terms of handheld devices.
With that in mind, we’ve thrown together a modest video retrospective of Jobs, that charts his career from a 1980s nerd who was passionate about computers to the modern-day mobile device evangelist that spurred Apple’s push to the top of charts, at least in relation to brand name power.
The videos will be presented in something of a chronological order, detailing the rise of the man who became so popular, he was famously featured in an episode of South Park as well as having his likeness encased in Carbonite.
As indicated, we’ll start in the past and work our way towards the future. The first video is Jobs’ first appearance on television in 1978, at least according to the YouTube description. Just think, most members of the iPhone fan club weren’t even alive when the video was made:
This next video is from 1983, and it’s a take on The Dating Game and it famously features a plucky young software developer/company chairman who goes by the name of Bill Gates. You may have heard of him. Awesomely enough, during the introduction phase, Gates offers a quote that should never, ever be forgotten:
“During 1984, Microsoft expects to get half of its revenues from Macintosh software.“
See for yourself:
The next video is from 1984, and it features Jobs demonstrating the first Macintosh desktop computer. Oh, how times have changed:
Here’s how Jobs views the concept of computers, which, to him, are “the most remarkable tool we’ve ever come up with.”
Considering the quote from Bill Gates in the second video, this next clip demonstrates the love and happiness being shared on that stage in 1983 didn’t last forever. The next video, from 1996, details some of Jobs’ issues with his now-competitors over at Microsoft:
“They, they don’t think of original ideas…” Apparently, Jobs wasn’t a fan of Windows 95.
Fast forwarding to the modern era–the 2000s–and thanks in large part to the iPod and the subsequent release of the iPhone, when Apple’s role in the tech industry shifted dramatically. No longer were they the plucky company who made alternatives to “PC compatible” computers, in other words, computers that ran the Windows OS. Instead, Apple was redefined into the company that made cool-looking phones and hand-held portable music devices that everybody had to have.
The next video is the first debut of the iPod:
And with that release, Jobs and Apple became permanent fixtures in regards to popularity and as an incredibly powerful brand; so much so, in fact, videos of Apple product reveals, complete with Steve Jobs debuting the product, became events. To further this point, the hour-plus iPhone 4 announcement video that has a running time of almost two hours, has over 500,000 views:
Before that, however, Jobs had already entered full circle in relation to Microsoft when he appeared on stage with Gates, discussing the future of technology, as well as the admiration they share for each other:
Jobs also gave a commencement speech to Stanford University’s 2005 graduating class, a further testament to growing popularity of Apple, thanks, in large part, to Jobs’ guidance of the company as CEO:
This final video, and perhaps one of the last major appearances by Jobs, is at a Cupertino City Council meeting, and it discusses the building of Apple’s new campus, one that would, in Jobs’ word, augment the current Apple campus:
From an uncomfortable computer programmer appearing on TV for his first time in 1978, to the Cupertino City Council’s hanging on of Jobs’ every word in 2011–clearly, the city council did not want Apple to move to another county–it’s been an incredible ride for both Apple and Jobs. The company, while still making sought-after home computing products, has essentially transformed itself into what’s largely seen as developers of incredibly popular handheld devices like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
The only thing missing from Jobs’ career is completion of the HumanCentiPad:
Of course, as the new chairman of Apple’s board of directors, Jobs could still see this project through to its completion.
Well, two big iPhone 5 rumors in one day. What’s the special occasion?
The Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing “people familiar with the matter,” that Sprint Nextel will start selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October.
The release date rumors have fluctuated between late September and mid-October. At least one source calmed October 7, specifically, and now this.
Well, regardless of the date, the real news here is that Sprint is getting the iPhone (supposedly). That should be huge for Apple as that would mean the 3 main carriers in the U.S. (don’t forget AT&T’s T-Mobile acquisition) would offer the iPhone, surely increasing its market share significantly in the smartphone market, with which it is competing fiercely with Android (and now Windows Phone). Oh yeah, and RIM.
The other rumor about the iPhone 5 today is that it will be a dual mode device. More on that here.
Another day, another iPhone 5 rumor. I wish this thing would just come out already.
Today’s nugget suggests that the device will support multiple networks: CDMA (Code division multiple access) and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). In other words, the device will be dual-mode.
TechCrunch writer Robin Wauters says he was “approached by a developer of some of the most popular apps on the iOS platform,” and that “according to this person, and app usage logs” he was sent, “a tiny number of people have recently registered for one of their applications from a single, brand new Apple device that is decidedly dual-mode – meaning it supports both CDMA and GSM.”
Wauters says the logs show that the app has been tested by a few people using what is “almost certainly an iPhone 5”.
This isn’t the first time rumors have circulated about the iPhone 5 being dual mode, but you can add it to the “more evidence” pile.
In other iPhone 5 rumors, some alleged iPhone 5 part photos have been leaked. Go here to see the alleged pics of the battery, a camera lens and audio jack cable.
In terms of release dates, there have been conflicting rumors placing it in late September to early October. One rumor has had it nailed down to October 7, specifically, but alas, these are just rumors.
The latest on the iPhone 5 rumor front is a handful of leaked photos of parts that allegedly belong to the upcoming iPhone 5 (the alleged name of Apple’s next phone).
MacRumors is pointing to the website of TVC Mall, which has photos up for a battery, back camera lens and headphone/earphone audio jack flex cable. TVC Mall is a supplier of iPhone parts, and each of the parts here come with the “iPhone 5” label on the site.
The battery, which it says is 3.7V:
The back camera lens:
The headphone audio jack ribbon flex cable:
MacRumors shares in a separate article, photos of the battery from UK repair shop iPatchiPods, which show the same battery, though the labeling is slightly different, indicating they’re of a late development prototype.
Christian Zibreg at 9to5Mac notes that the camera part pictured appears to lack dual LED flash, adding, “Of course, you never know with those leaks. For all we know, this part could just as easily have been used in one of early iPhone 5 design prototypes. It could also be the case of a repair shop looking for some free coverage.”
The latest release date rumors have the iPhone 5 launching on October 7.
If you’re a mobile phone maker, hardware or software, at some point and time, you’ve probably been apart of the ongoing series of lawsuits that dominate the industry. While, when looking at an infographic provided by Thomson Reuters, it seems like Apple is responsible, or at least apart of, many of the lawsuits that are ongoing, the iPhone makers are not the only ones who have a litigious streak.
The aforementioned infographic provides some clarity to the landscape of mobile patent lawsuits, but it, too, has come under some criticism for being too difficult to decipher. Before that, here’s Reuters’ take on the all the lawyer fun:
As pointed out by FlowingData, that particular infographic is a little hard to read. In fact, FlowingData quoted Mike Bostock, who called the creation “abysmal:”
Thomson Reuters published a rather abysmal infographic showing the “bowl of spaghetti” that is current flurry of patent-related suits in the mobile communications industry. So, inspired by a comment by John Firebaugh, I remade the visualization to better convey the network. That company in the center? Yeah, it’s the world’s largest, so little wonder it has the most incoming suits.
The visualization Bostock speaks of does indeed show Apple at the center the new chart, although, Microsoft is not lacking in participation, either:
As indicated by Bostock, the dashed lines are resolved lawsuits, while the green lines represent licensing matters. So what did we learn? That almost every company involved in the mobile industry are involved in some kind of lawsuit?
Pretty much.
While Apple and Microsoft are at the center of many of these legal matters, Google is only being sued by Oracle over Java-related patents. That being said, Google’s mobile phone OS, Android–or at least the device makers who design phones for the Android OS (HTC, Motorola, Samsung, for instance)–are involved in a couple of of legal disputes, coming from both Apple and Microsoft.
While these patent disputes may have merit, it seems more like big-time companies working to secure their dominance in the mobile device industry, at least in regards to Apple. Microsoft, it seems, just wants the chance to compete in a field already dominated by two different companies; or, at least, they just want their piece of the pie because two of their six lawsuits–according to the graphics, anyway–concern licensing matters.
It’s a “clear as mud” concept brought to life quite well by both Bostock’s visualization and the Reuters graphic, even though the latter was derisively greeted by some.
When the iOS 5 update hits iPhones in Japan, it will include perhaps one of the more thoughtful and useful notification systems Apple’s ever included with their technology. Perhaps I’m just letting my surprise motivate the hyperbole, but the feature could save thousands of lives, and because of that, Apple should certainly be commended.
Japanese iPhone owners who update to iOS 5 will have an early earthquake warning notification app built into it, which is about as cool as it sounds.
Lest we forget, Japan was absolutely ravaged by earthquakes during the spring, and such a capability with such a popular phone–yes, the iPhone 4 is very popular, even in tech-crazy Japan–will only help future reaction times. If only one more life is saved thanks to Apple’s act of philanthropy via dominant mobile device, then it’s done its job.
According to the 9to5Mac blog, the iOS 5 notification system taps into Japan’s national earthquake warning system, which has been called one of the most advanced in the world, and because of that, including the notification capability into Japanese version of iOS 5 can only be viewed as a positive.
These warnings, provided the user has them turned on, can mean the difference between reaching safety and being near an earthquake’s epicenter. It should be noted that, according to the 9to5Mac post, these warnings can come minutes or seconds before an earthquake hits. If the latter occurs, there obviously won’t be much reaction time, but knowledge is still power, and if the warning comes before the tremors start, it could make all the difference.
The post also includes a screenshot of what the notification looks like, which, again, is an option that must be turned on before owners start receiving warnings:
The notification also includes a battery use warning, which 9to5Mac translated:
For those who cannot read the text above, it also warns that the feature may reduce your battery life because it is always connected to Japan’s earthquake warning system.
Considering how ripe the area is for tectonic activity, I’d say having to charge your iPhone battery a few more times a year is worth the ability to perhaps save yourself before another devastating earthquake hits.
There are 24 hours in a day. That’s an unchangeable fact, as far as I can tell (though admittedly, I never thought Pluto would lose its planet status, so I guess anything’s possible).
Should Facebook be worried about young people using Twitter more frequently? Share your thoughts.
As long as there is only a set amount of time in a day, there is only so much social networking an individual can participate in. Only so much time using the Internet. Meanwhile, more and more services are competing for our time.
Recently Google launched Google+ to cut into that time even more. If you use it, it’s taking away time from something. For some, it may be taking time away from their Facebook use. For some, it may be taking time away from their Twitter use.
But let’s forget about Google+ for a moment and consider that Twitter itself has grown significantly in popularity over the last year, no doubt helped by celebrities and the constant visibility of tweets in the media. As more people use Twitter more often, they’re taking away time that they would have otherwise been doing something else. It does not seem too far outside of the realm of possibility that for many it is taking away from their time using Facebook.
Various studies looking at social media demographics that have come out in recent memory have indicated that Twitter use is most prevalent among younger generations. In June, we looked at some numbers from Pew Internet, which showed that 18% of the 18-29 demographic were using Twitter. That was the highest, with 30-49 coming in at 14%, 50-64 at 8% and over 65 at 6%. In other words, the older the demographic, the less percentage using Twitter. They didn’t poll those under 18.
In my own personal experience, the trend is similar. Among people I know outside of the marketing, tech and media industries, it does seem that the most tweeting comes from the younger people.
I’ve certainly noticed the younger people (teenagers/young adults) in my family flocking to Twitter more and more, and perhaps posting updates on Facebook a bit less. In fact, one of the last Facebook updates on my wife’s sister’s Facebook Wall (she’s 18) is about wanting more followers on Twitter. My cousin, who is just a couple years older, has her Twitter account connected to her Facebook account, and most of her updates are her tweets – usually unless she’s sharing a picture, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this behavior change now that Twitter has its own photo sharing feature in place.
Other people (and parents) I’ve talked to have noted similar trends in their families – the kids using Twitter more. One parent I talked to even said that they did not let their kid use Facebook, but does let her use Twitter. This is an interesting point to note itself.
Most Facebook posts are private, or at least limited to visibility by friends. Most tweets, on the other hand are public. Sure, you can make Facebook updates public, and you can make tweets private, but these aren’t the norms of the services. As long as we’re on the subject, Facebook just put out a new Security guide for parents, teens and educators.
Back in March, Twitter shared some growth numbers. There were 572,000 accounts created on a single day and a 182% increase in the number of mobile users compared to the same time last year. The average number of tweets being sent per day was 140 million.
Mobile has been a major driver of Twitter use, and who is on their phone more than a teenager?
Obviously Facebook is available on mobile too, but perhaps it’s the simple text message style of Twitter that the young’ns are finding appealing. Maybe it’s that less of the parents are on Twitter.
If it’s about playing where the parents aren’t, one has to wonder how the younger generations will embrace Google+ with its Circles concept.
Let’s also remember the famous words of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg: “In consumer technology, if you want to know what people like us will do tomorrow, you look at what teenagers are doing today…”
She was talking about email “probably going away” – a concept on which our skepticism is well documented, but it’s interesting to note that she expressed this line of thinking, as we observe how younger people are using Twitter more and more.
There are tons of younger users on Facebook (and Facebook is a much larger network than Twitter). Nobody is saying otherwise. I’d be surprised if most younger Twitter users didn’t also have Facebook accounts. The question is, whether they are using Facebook less as they are using Twitter more. Unfortunately there’s no easy way to tell this information, but it’s starting to feel that way to me.
Twitter has been more active in expanding user features since Jack Dorsey came back to the company earlier this year, than it has been in a long time (maybe ever). There is clearly a new attitude among Twitter management that is about taking care of some business.
While it’s certainly possible that Google+ will also eat into Twitter time for some users (it already has), I’d be surprised if Twitter didn’t continue to grow rapidly, and let’s not forget that the next version of iOS – the operating system that powers the ever-popular iPhone and iPad – is about to launch with heavy integration of Twitter. And we all know that “teens be iPhonein’.”
Facebook seems to be worrying about Google+ these days, but Twitter (which Facebook has borrowed heavily from in the past) just might continue to chip away at the social networking time pie.
What do you think? Are younger people using Twitter more and Facebook less? Is this the case in your own personal experience? Let us know in the comments.
The iPhone vs. Android battle is an intense conflict between warring groups hell-bent on making it well know that the opposing groups sucks. It’s as American as North vs. South, East vs. West, Boxers Vs. Briefs or dare I even say it, Coke vs. Pepsi.
Recently, we looked at a report that framed the battle as a geographic one, putting more Android users in the South and West and iOS users in the North and East.
Now, personal recommendation service Hunch has used its “Teach Hunch About You” questions to come up with some interesting distinctions between iPhone and Android users.
The inforgraphic discusses the differences in the groups’ politics, personality, travel experience, tech-savvy, film preferences, beer preferences and much more. Based on 80+ million responses, here is Droid vs. iOS, the battle of the ops:
It looks like iPhone users tend to be more liberal, while Android users leans more the the right. Android users tend to be more pessimistic, but iPhone users are more high-maintenance.
It’s interesting to see that iPhone users are 50% more likely to be early adopters of the internet and are also 50% more likely to text while driving.
Is it just me, or do the culture preferences make iPhone users out to be elitist? For instance, iPhone users prefer The Antlers, Belle and Sebastian, the BBC and Franzen’s novel Freedom while Android users prefer ESPN, Comedy Central, 1984, Radiohead and How I Met Your Mother.
The food and drink differences definitely paint Android users as more of the “common man.” They like corn pops and cheerios with iPhone users like Kashi GOLEAN Crunch. While Android users prefer a good sirloin or cheesesteak, iOS users prefer sushi and tapas.
Of course, I’m totally serious kidding about the whole elitist thing.
Do these descriptions of Android and iPhone users fit you? Let us know in the comments.
The Instant Pages feature is probably the most noteworthy addition here. Google announced the feature back in June. Basically, Google begins loading the page it thinks you’re most likely to click on before you even click on it, so that by the time you do click on it, it loads instantly.
Instant Pages were launched in a new version of Chrome earlier this month, and the feature might prove even more beneficial for mobile, where load times can often take longer.
It’s worth noting that there are some analytics issues to be aware of regarding Instant Pages. More on that here.
That’s not the only new iOS offering we’ve seen from Google this week. On Tuesday, Google revealed a new iPad app called Google Catalogs. While it will eventually come to Android tablets, Google interestingly chose to launch for iPad first. That’s probably because research shows that at this point, things are pretty much iPad or nothing in terms of tablet interest. Google no doubt hopes to make a big impact on that with the acquisition of Motorola Mobility.
We may finally have some truth to some of the rumors that have been spread around for months now.
Engadget reports that a tipster has alerted them that starting on August 22nd Telefónica, a Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider in Europe and Latin America, will begin scaling back there iPhone stock. The reduction will take place through September 12th and “will of course prepare us for the launch of a new smart phone“, according to the source.
“Reports began to surface yesterday that Apple would hold a special event on September 7 to launch the new iPhone, but that’s not happening.”
It should be noted that Dalrymple only debunked the date of September 7th. Theoretically Apple could still announce the iPhone 5 any other day during the month, which puts it on track for an October release, which was also speculated last week.
When do you think the iPhone 5 will be announced? Will it even be called the iPhone 5? Let us know your thoughts.
Apple has been quite reluctant to adopt the the LTE technology, which could bring even faster data speeds to their devices. Their main reasoning for not supporting it thus far is that Apple refuses to make design changes to accomodate the 4G LTE network. Lack of chipsets, device speed and power are amongst the items Apple would need to address. MacRumors states that “LTE chips suitable for Apple’s needs are reportedly set to debut in early 2012.”
With all that in mind, BGR has discovered that Apple is currently testing an LTE-enabled phone with carriers, below is an excerpt from their findings:
“While we can’t confirm that the upcoming fifth-generation iPhone will be able to support 4G LTE, we can now exclusively confirm that Apple’s carrier partners are testing iPhone models with LTE capability. BGR has obtained evidence of an internal iOS test build from one of Apple’s major carrier partners, and buried in the firmware is a property list (.plist file) for LTE. This doesn’t necessarily mean every Apple device that’s about to be released will feature an embedded 4G LTE modem, but it certainly means Apple isn’t sitting on the sidelines as 4G LTE networks continue to roll out around the world. Plus, when Apple finally does make a 4G LTE device, the battery might actually last longer than a few hours. Check out our photo gallery for images of Apple’s LTE plist file.”
It’s unclear at this time if the iPhone 5 will release with full 4G LTE support, but it should be noted that t is expected to support HSPA + technology for GSM networks, which some carriers label to as 4G.
What are you expectations when Apple finally does hop on the LTE train?
If home computing ever does truly die, the culprit is an obvious choice. The mobile phone. While I’m one to believe that home computing hasn’t so much died, it’s just that most homes that want computers, be it Mac or PC, have them, and so, when it’s time to purchase that next gadget, the mobile device industry gets the attention, and the revenue.
Face it, it’s cheaper to upgrade a mobile phone than it is a home computer or a laptop.
That being said, the mobile phone industry is absolutely booming with what appears to be recession-proof growth. According to the latest study from Pew Internet, just about everybody in the United States has a mobile phone. While that may sound like hyperbole, it’s actually much closer to the truth than you might first realize.
The report reveals that 83 percent of American adults own a mobile phone. With such a proliferation, one wonders why companies like Time-Warner and AT&T even bother with home service when it comes to phones. You can never have too much access to voice-over communication, apparently.
While the 83 percent is a staggering amount, there are other details of note.
Pew Internet also distinguished between simple mobile phones and the growing-in-popularity smartphone. While it wasn’t clearly stated, the apparent difference between a simple cellular phone and a smartphone is the data plan. If your phone requires a data plan, it’s probably a smartphone, at least in the eyes of survey takers. In regards to smartphone ownership, 35 percent of American adults own either an iPhone, Android or a Blackberry (with a data plan subscription, of course).
I’ll leave the fact that 83 percent plus 35 percent is more than 100 percent, meaning, it’s pretty clear some of that 83 percent had to be factored into the smartphone ownership result.
Moving on, when it comes to mobile phone activities, sending text messages is king. 73 percent of mobile phone owners send text messages and take pictures, an activity included in the text message percentages.
Other interesting findings include:
40 percent of mobile phone owners have used them in emergencies
42 percent use their mobile phone when they’re bored
13 percent of owners use their mobile phone to avoid interaction with people
The survey also breaks down the difference in use between smartphone users and plain old mobile phone users, which they presented in a chart:
It’s obvious that has users switch to more robust, powerful devices, they tend to do more with them. It’s not a stretch to think an iPhone 4 owner would get more use out of their device than a Motorola–or is that Google now?–Razr would.
The question I have is, how long before these numbers switch? How long will it take for smartphone owners to outnumber their mobile phone owning counterparts? Let us know what you think.
When Facebook famously updated their internal chat service, it was widely ridiculed as being useless and annoying. Hejibits.com captured the tone of the reaction brilliantly. Such is life when major change is introduced, although, the ability to hide the chat sidebar seems to have salved some wounds caused by the update.
With that, we’ll call the new Facebook chat a push when it comes to success/failure. On the other hand, reaction to the newly-released Facebook Messenger app (for both the Apple and Google OS), at least on Twitter, has been largely positive.
Apparently, the lesson is this: Facebook chat sidebar on widescreen monitors, bad. Facebook chat on hand-held devices with smaller viewing areas when compared to widescreen monitors, good.
Sounds reasonable. Of course, the Facebook Messenger app was made simply for that reason, to message your Facebook clan. The chat sidebar on the non-mobile Facebook interfered with the overall experience, or something like that, anyway — as you can probably tell, this writer was not nearly as bothered by FB’s update chat functionality as others were. Nevertheless, the messenger app is winning where the chat functionality failed:
@elibryan Eli HolderFacebook Messenger is sweet. The user picture grid on the group conversations is really well done35 seconds ago via web · powered by @socialditto
Regardless of the positivity the Facebook Messenger app is generating, people still haven’t forgiven Facebook chat for, well, existing:
Thinking outside the box here, but the app could’ve come in handy over in England for organization purposes and for the subsequent arrests because people are dumb enough to arrange stuff like riots on Facebook:
All that being said, perhaps the most honest reactions comes from The Empire:
@DeathStarPR Death Star PRIn our galaxy, instead of using Facebook Messenger we use a thing called Actually Talking to One Another. You should try it.20 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto
That’s quickly becoming a novel idea, it seems.
So, does Facebook Messenger make up for the now-hideable failure that the updated Facebook chat was? Will it, like some suggest, take the place of SMS as the message medium of choice for a new generation? Doubtful, especially if a Facebook mass exodus ever happens. Google+ is still waiting patiently in the high grass, waiting to pounce.
Trying to get your hands on some of Apple’s highly sought after iHardware in Hong Kong? There’s a zip line for that, courtesy of some creative Chinese smugglers. China has already had some crazy stories concerning Apple products–take the fake Apple stores, for instance–but this latest story may just take the cake, or, well, the iPad, if you will.
What we have, thanks to reports from TechCrunch (via Gizchina), are some creative smugglers from China who are trying to get the labors of Steve Jobs’ company to the good people of Hong Kong.
Normally, when one thinks of smuggling, images of clandestine operations featuring port authorities and greased pockets come to mind, but with this particular group, they decided to try something a little easier than bribing transportation officials to look the other way. In fact, the idea was so simple, it has to be considered brilliant. Instead of hidden cargo in the bays of planes and/or boats, the smugglers in question used zip lines.
Yes, the same kind of contraption that appears in the lead image; although, it’s not known whether or not attractive, barefoot blondes were escorting the Apple products or not. Considering the ethnic makeup of the region, it’s doubtful. Gizchina has more details on the brilliant-yet-simple plan:
The creative smugglers attached one end of a strong fishing line to the 21st storey of a Shenzhen high-rise and shot the other end across the Sha Tau Kok river to a small rural house in Hong Kong with a crossbow!
Sadly, as TC points out, the authorities did, in fact, break up the simple-yet-effective smuggling method, and according to news reports, when the contraption was shutdown, almost $50,000 worth of Apple hardware was recovered. Of course, that figure doesn’t include the amount of hardware that made it across.
The majority of the iHardware being smuggled across were iPad 2s and iPhone 4s. After authorities intervened, local news reports released some video of the operation, and although the news is presented in Chinese, it’s easy to get a good idea of what occurred:
Much like the iPhone that survived the parachute mishap, news like this is the kind of marketing one cannot buy. Whether Apple approves of the smuggling or not, simply knowing people in China and Hong Kong are going through such efforts to acquire Apple hardware has to instill a since of pride. The tagline almost writes itself: “Apple: Our products are so freaking awesome, people will invent new smuggling techniques to acquire our goods.”
Or, maybe, they could do another “I’m a Mac, and I’m a PC” commercial with a witty Justin Long and a stodgy John Hodgman, saying, “Hey PC, do people smuggle Windows phones between countries using zip lines?” “Only to get rid of them, Mac.”
One wonders what these enterprising smugglers will do when the iPhone 5 hits.
I’m not a parent, but I can imagine that one of the scariest things any parent can imagine is losing a child in a public place. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has just released an app that can help parents if this worst case scenario ever happens to them.
Called the FBI Child ID app, its main function is a place to store vital information about your child that can aid law enforcement in the event that they go missing. With the app, parents can store multiple photos of their child along with other basic information like height and weight. This way you can quickly pull up all of this info to show anyone who is helping in the search.
Probably the most helpful function of the app is that it allows you to quickly email your child’s photos and physical description to the authorities in just a few steps.
The app also includes safety tips and guidance for what steps to take in the hours following a child disappearance.
In the future, the FBI says that the app will be updated to add more features.
The FBI Child app is free. Currently, it is only available on iOS. The FBI says that they “plan to expand this tool to other types of mobile devices in the near future.”
I can already see the question forming in your head, as it popped into mine right away – What about that information, where does it go?
Here’s what they say about that –
An important note: the FBI (and iTunes for that matter) is not collecting or storing any photos or information that you enter in the app. All data resides solely on your mobile device unless you need to send it to authorities. Please read your mobile provider’s terms of service for information about the security of applications stored on your device.
According to their blog, a child goes missing every 40 seconds in the United States. I guess it couldn’t hurt to put your child’s information down in the app on the off chance that something unexpected happens.
