Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Former Twitter, Facebook Product Pro Josh Elman Becomes Partner at Greylock


Josh Elman of Greylock Partners


Venture capital firm Greylock Partners announced on Wednesday that Josh Elman, a Silicon Valley veteran of mainstream consumer tech companies, has been promoted to become the firm's newest partner.



Elman joined Greylock as a principal almost two years ago, after his time at Twitter as a product manager, where he lead the growth team for the microblogging service.



Before that, he was a product manager working on Facebook Platform, leading the launch of Facebook Connect, the product used on many, many websites today (including this one). And before that, he spent time in product management positions at both Zazzle and LinkedIn.



"I believe in investing in stuff that I know," Elman said in an interview. "That means I'll likely be looking at consumer tech, with a focus on looking for companies that find the best ways to connect people with one another."



He has worked with local social network Nextdoor, for example, on growth, product and strategy decisions.



"I think the fact that we're still so early in the days of mobile - with the rise of smartphones and tablets - we're just at the beginning of how we do that connecting," Elman said.



Elman will be based in Greylock's Menlo Park, Calif., office.


Amid Corporate Reorganization, Symantec Names Five New Execs


symantec-hq


Last month, security software company Symantec confirmed a significant round of layoffs, amounting to about eight percent of its total headcount.



Today it starting adding back to that headcount with the naming of five new senior executives, including a chief marketing officer, a chief communications officer, a chief security officer and two senior VPs.



Announced in a corporate blog post earlier today, the five new execs are being brought on to execute a company-wide shift in direction instituted by Steve Bennett, Symantec's new CEO, who joined the company a year ago.



The new hires are:


  • CMO Manny Kostas, a former SVP of marketing and strategy at Hewlett-Packard, who left after a shake-up last year. He has been working for Polycom since October.
  • CCO Colleen Lacter, a veteran of PR agency Waggener Edstrom (better known as Microsoft's PR agency). She was involved in many significant product launches, including Windows 95, Internet Explorer, MSN and Bing.
  • CSO Julie Talbot-Hubbard, previously chief information security officer at Ohio State University.
  • Matt Lynch will be SVP for eBusiness. He was most recently COO at Amazon-owned IMBD.com. Stephen McHenry will be SVP for Cloud Platform Engineering. He's a Google veteran whose titles there have included CIO, CTO and engineering chancellor. His job will include building out Symantec's cloud computing infrastructure.

The hires are part of a broader shake-up that Symantec said was coming in a regulatory filing earlier this year. It said it plans to take charges related to its reorganization amounting to between $220 million and $250 million for the 2014 fiscal year ending next March. In June, it carried out the largest of a series of job cuts, eliminating about 1,700. Of those, 1,000 were supposed to have been cut in June, with the remaining cuts taking place this month.


Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Apple's Guidance Implies New iPhone in September


iphonecheapios7_Martin_Hajek



Martin Hajek


Tim Cook said Apple has some great stuff coming "in the fall, and across all of 2014." But when, exactly, can we expect it? The company's latest earnings guidance may offer a clue.



For its fourth quarter, Apple said it expects revenue of $34 billion to $37 billion, with gross margins of 36 percent to 37 percent. And, according to BTIG analyst Walt Piecyk, those numbers are only possible if the company debuts some new hardware in September.



"We don't think that Apple can hit its newly issued revenue guidance for the September quarter unless it launches new products," Piecyk said in a note to clients. "After delivering $35 billion in revenue in the June quarter, management guided to $34-$37 billion next quarter. Revenue would more typically drop multiple billions if the company had no new products planned."



Apple's fourth quarter ends on Sept. 28, so if Piecyk's theory is correct, we can expect to see some of that great stuff Cook has been touting earlier that month. The device most likely to debut? Given the margin forecast, a new iPhone.



Said Piecyk, "The margin guidance also likely indicates that the new product launch this quarter will be an iPhone and not a lower margin iPad. While new iPhones are lower margin at launch, they are still higher margin than iPads."



Incidentally, Piecyk isn't the only analyst with this view. Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty has a similar theory:



Several signs suggest that new products will ship in the September quarter.


  1. Apple provided less transparency into gross margin influences for the September quarter, seemingly to avoid pre-announcing new products.
  2. Apple provided a wider than normal revenue guidance range of $3B, noting many moving parts in the September quarter.
  3. Apple continues to talk about a "busy fall" which coincides with suppliers ramping iPhone shipments in September and iPad shipments in October.

Facebook Beats as Mobile Revenue Jumps to 41 Percent of Ads Business


Facebook_F


Facebook's numbers are in, and they look good across the board - especially in mobile.



The social giant posted its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday afternoon, reporting earnings per share of 13 cents on revenue of $1.81 billion. That beats analysts' expectations of an EPS of 14 cents on revenue of $1.62 billion.



But the biggest point of interest here is in the breakdown of Facebook's revenue numbers. Mobile revenue, the most closely watched part of Facebook's business, accounts for 41 percent of Facebook's total revenue. That's a leap from accounting for nearly 30 percent just last quarter.



"One of the things this quarter says to us is that News Feed ads work," Facebook CFO David Ebersman told AllThingsD in an interview. "They're really creating compelling returns for our advertisers."



Facebook has faced intense criticism from investors over the past year and a half, as Wall Street voiced concerns that the company couldn't adeptly handle the massive shift from desktop to mobile use. Most of Facebook's advertising products were optimized for desktop users for as long as the company has been around, and only over the past year has it tried to shift toward a "mobile first" environment.



The company, however, has made some inroads with new mobile advertising products - in particular with its mobile app installation ads aimed at application developers.



"They're growing very rapidly," Ebersman said of the ad product. "And we're enthusiastic because the app ecosystem is such a fast-growing and dynamic area - developers need effective ways to help people discover what they have built."



As far as overall user growth, Facebook is still increasing in both new users and engagement. Facebook's daily active users increased to 699 million, a jump of 27 percent year over year. And monthly active users swelled to 1.15 billion, a 21 percent increase year on year.



But again, the biggest number of note here is the mobile MAU number. Monthly active users on mobile jumped to 819 million, an increase of 51 percent year over year. Talk about a shift from desktop to mobile.



"We've made good progress growing our community, deepening engagement and delivering strong financial results, especially on mobile," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a canned statement. "The work we've done to make mobile the best Facebook experience is showing good results and provides us with a solid foundation for the future."



Facebook's stock is up nearly 20 percent in after hours trading, hovering around $31 per share.



Tune in to my colleague Peter Kafka's live coverage of the earnings call here.


Monday, December 29, 2014

Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers officially part ways


Head coach is expected to take top job at University of Michigan after finishing season with victory over Arizona Cardinals



Head coach Jim Harbaugh will leave the San Francisco 49ers, the NFL team announced shortly after their regular season finale on Sunday.



Harbaugh is widely expected to return the American college ranks and accept the head coaching position at the University of Michigan, which according to multiple media reports have offered him a six-year, $48m deal.


Continue reading...














Channel Seven loses legal battle after 'racist portrayal' of tribe


Journalist portrayed Brazilian tribe as freaks who kill their children, according to Acma ruling on the Sunday Night program


Continue reading...



Sunday, December 28, 2014

Bee Cave Games Raises $1.3 Million Round of Seed Funding


Bee Cave Games, the developer of the social casino game Blackjack Casino, has closed a $1.3 million seed round of funding led by Matrix Partners. The round is aimed at helping the company grow and continue to support its existing game, which is available on Facebook. Last month, Zynga co-founder Eric Schiermeyer became a board advisor and investor in Bee Cave.


Head of BlackBerry's PlayBook Tablet Is Leaving


A senior BlackBerry Ltd. executive who was in charge of the largely unsuccessful PlayBook tablet is leaving the company.



David J. Smith, an executive vice president in charge of mobile computing, has resigned for personal reasons, a BlackBerry spokesman said. The move happened within the past few weeks, said a person familiar with the matter.



The spokesman added that Mr. Smith "continues to come into work every day and is committed to working with BlackBerry through a proper transition."



Mr. Smith couldn't immediately be reached.



Read the rest of this post on the original site


Saturday, December 27, 2014

Google's Chromecast Lets You Watch TV on the Web on Your TV. Guess Who Doesn't Like That?


google chromecast


One of the cool features of Google's new Chromecast device: It lets users move whatever they can see on their computer's Chrome Web browser onto their TVs.



One group of people who might not think that's cool: TV executives, who are still trying to draw a distinction between things you watch on your computer and things you watch on your TV.



For example: Chromecast's mirroring capability poses an issue for Hulu. The video website has tried to restrict user's ability to watch its free Hulu.com service on TV screens; instead, it sells the ability to watch Hulu on a TV as part of its $8 a month Hulu Plus service.



Hulu says it is working with Google to bring a Hulu Plus app to Chromecast, and when it does it will be an "optimized" viewing experience.* And not all of Hulu Plus's content is available on free Hulu. But a lot is. So in theory, that should make Hulu Plus a harder sell for Chromecast customers.



Google may also hear from HBO, which is fine with people watching its HBO Go service on big screens - but only with the explicit approval of the pay TV channel. For instance, HBO prevented Apple TV users from streaming its programs from its iPads and iPhones until February; last month, Apple added a dedicated HBO Go app to Apple TV.



Of course, anyone with any common sense, who doesn't work in legal or biz dev at a large entertainment company, knows that it's silly to argue that something that's on one screen shouldn't be on another. And anyone who wants to buy a cable and connect their laptop to their TV could already do this.



Which is exactly what Ossama Alami, a manager in Google's developer relations group, told my colleague Liz Gannes when she asked him about the issue today.



There is one solution for content owners who don't want people using Chromecast to fling stuff to their sets, Alami noted: Stop distributing their stuff on the Chrome browser. Not that he's suggesting they should do that.



It's worth noting that this move comes as Google is floating the notion of an "over the top" pay-TV solution, and talking to content owners and networks about licensing their stuff. And it comes after Google has already irked some content owners with earlier versions of Google TV, supposedly because Google didn't work hard enough to keep pirated content off of those devices.



You'd think that if Google were serious about its latest TV push, it would take extra care not to ruffle the TV guys' feathers. So maybe it doesn't think this is a ruffle-worthy issue. Or maybe it just doesn't care.



--



Only tangentially related: Google's first ad for Chromecast is pitch-perfect. Shows you what the product does and different use cases for it, in realistic settings (check the clutter in some of these TV rooms - these look the kind of places real people live, and watch TV, in).



And it portrays TV-watching as a great thing to do with people you like. These people are "constantly directing their attention away from one another," but what they're mostly doing is having fun, with other people.



Smart.







*Google is also describing the current version of Chromecast as a "beta" version. Of course, "beta" can be a long-standing condition at Google.


New Nexus 7 Packs Quite a Pixel Punch, Landing a Blow at Apple


While Apple watchers are still waiting for an iPhone-style Retina display to make its way to the iPad mini, Android lovers got such a screen with the redesigned Nexus 7.



DAB267D9-2496-4FDD-98D1-203CA2D464F7-483-00001D14F71575CC




The second-generation Nexus 7 is capable of showing full HD content, thanks to a screen that shows a whopping 323 pixels per inch - well into the territory of screens where the individual pixels are too small to be recognized by the human eye from a reasonable reading distance.



Numbers aside, that means that the Nexus 7 can show movies in full 1080p high definition, a feat Apple's iPad mini can't match.



While the larger iPad has a greater-than-HD Retina display, it uses a totally different type of screen technology from the iPhone, and the mini is still in the less-than-Retina category. The Nexus 7, meanwhile, uses a similar display to the iPhone - part of what allowed Google and manufacturing partner Asus to make the device so thin and light.



Managing to secure such a screen - and to pack it into a relatively low-cost device - was no small feat.



Google's Hiroshi Lockheimer said the company has been working for quite some time with Japan Display - the company that makes the screens, which are known as LTPS (low-temperature poly-silicon) displays.



But in managing to incorporate such a screen, Google now has a strong selling point over both the iPad mini and other Android tablets with lower-resolution displays.



"They are using a lot of high-end technologies in an entry-level device," said DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim.



Shim said that Apple may be able to start producing later this year the components for a Retina-level iPad mini, but said volume shipments of such a device won't come until the first few months of next year because of the challenges of producing such a display.



Android and Chrome head Sundar Pichai said that, even at its $229 starting price, there is still room for retailers, Asus and Google itself to profit from the product.



The other big coup of the Nexus 7 was managing to create a single LTE model that can sell unlocked and work with carriers around the globe. In the U.S., for example, the same Nexus 7 can be connected to the networks of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.



Pichai said that is part of the company's aim with its Nexus devices, and that doing so will help the cellular-equipped model be more attractive to retailers leery of having to stock multiple different products.


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

BlackBerry Q10 Unlocked GSM Smartphone – Black

BlackBerry Q10 Unlocked GSM Smartphone - Black




  • 2G: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G: 850 / 1900 / 2100 4G: LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900
  • 3.1 Super AMOLED Capacitive Multi-Touchscreen + Full Physical QWERTY keyboard
  • BlackBerry 10 (upgradable), Dual-Core 1.5 GHz Krait Processor, Chipset: Snapdragon S4, Adreno 225 Graphics
  • 10 Megapixel Camera (3264 x 2448 pixels) w/ Autofocus & LED Flash + Front-Facing 2 Megapixel Camera
  • Internal Memory: 16GB, 2GB RAM + microSD Slot Expandable up to 64GB

The BlackBerry Q10 4G LTE follows the footsteps of many legacy smartphone featuring a 3.1 touchscreen plus a full physical QWERTY keyboard, and its fancy glass material.



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Monday, December 22, 2014

Motorola HKLN4455 CLP Single Pin Non-Adjustable PTT Earpiece (Black)

Motorola HKLN4455 CLP Single Pin Non-Adjustable PTT Earpiece (Black)




  • Single Pin
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Comfortable for extended wear, this compact and durable accessory allows users to receive communication discreetly. Includes an easy-to-access inline push-to-talk for convenient communication.



Olympus Tough TG-610 Digital Camera LI-50B Battery and Wall Charger with Car Charger Adapter DavisMAX LI50B Battery Charger Bundle

Olympus Tough TG-610 Digital Camera LI-50B Battery and Wall Charger with Car Charger Adapter DavisMAX LI50B Battery Charger Bundle




  • LI-50B Rechargeable Lithium Ion Replacement Battery + 1 Year Warranty
  • Charger is designed with a folding A/C plug for easy and compact storage
  • Car charger adapter included for on-the-go photo shoots
  • Smart LED indicator easily shows charging status
  • Guaranteed to meet or exceed the performance of the original manufacturer's battery and charger

This DavisMAX Bundle Includes:
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Important Note:
This is not an original Olympus Battery but it will work just as well - if not better.
With the leisure of an extra battery you'll never have to miss out on a single memory.
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Sunday, December 21, 2014

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- 11.6" Dell Inspiron 11-3147, i3147-3750sLV Convertible Touchscreen Laptop



- 11.6" Dell Inspiron 11-3148, i3148-6840sLV Convertible Touchscreen Laptop



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Telescopic Carbon Fiber Prism GPS Pole Total Station Surveying Trimble Topcon

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Saturday, December 20, 2014

Carl Icahn Blasts Michael Dell's Latest Buyout Offer With Twitter Poetry


hader_drama


Yesterday, it was references to Bob Dylan lyrics. Today, Carl Icahn, the activist investor seeking control of the computing company Dell, blasted the latest buyout offer from its founding CEO and board of directors with a short rhyme on Twitter:



All would be swell at Dell if Michael and the board bid farewell.



- Carl Icahn (@Carl_C_Icahn) July 24, 2013





He later followed up that tweet with another of his open letters to Dell shareholders, calling for the ouster of CEO Michael Dell and the company's current board of directors.



The latest buyout offer from Michael Dell and Silver Lake values the company at $13.75 a share, or $24.6 billion. The offer is contingent on a change in the rules of the buyout process that counts non-votes as essentially equal to "no" votes on the proposed buyout. (See this earlier post for a detailed explanation.)



Icahn called that provision "the one thing protecting the interests of Dell stockholders," and went on to say that "... To change the rules at the last minute is outrageous." He repeated previous complaints about the $450 million breakup fee that he says Silver Lake would receive in the event the buyout doesn't close, and called on the board to eliminate that provision. He also repeated a call for Dell's board to convene its annual meeting of shareholders, and to hold a proxy vote that would include a slate of directors he has proposed to oversee the company.



His latest letter is below:



Dear Fellow Dell Stockholders and Special Committee:



In today's latest installment of the "Desperate Dell Debacle," Michael Dell/Silver Lake have asked the Company to change the rules of the game in a transparent attempt to force their freeze out transaction across the finish line despite the vote of its stockholders. In a Merger Agreement with widely-criticized protective devices in favor of Michael Dell/Silver Lake and a sales process that included a number of advantages for Michael Dell/Silver Lake, the one stockholder protection was the requirement that a majority of the non-Michael Dell shares approve the deal. The Special Committee has now been asked to GUT this provision to effectively render it meaningless. And, in return, Michael Dell/Silver Lake have offered to increase the deal price by $0.10, or 0.73%!



The Merger Agreement and the Proxy Statement established the rules. We and other stockholders have spent time and money understanding the rules created by Michael Dell, Silver Lake and Dell, and we have played by them. To change the rules at the last minute is outrageous. And, in this case, it appears the Special Committee may even agree with us, or at least they did back in February, when Dell, Michael Dell and Silver Lake ALL AGREED IN WRITING in the Merger Agreement that the required stockholder approvals "shall not be waivable." SHALL NOT BE WAIVABLE. Perhaps that means something else to Michael Dell/Silver Lake and the Special Committee, but to us, it means what it says - You can't get rid of this one provision that is designed to protect the interests of non-Michael Dell stockholders. Of course, this is precisely what Michael Dell and Silver Lake are today trying to do.



Michael Dell/Silver Lake this morning commented that the stockholder approval requirement is "unfair". Are they serious? They're complaining about the fairness of the Merger Agreement that they and their lawyers negotiated and agreed to! How is it fair to change the rules at the end of the game, particularly when they and their teams of lawyers established the rules? If they are so concerned about fairness, then let's discuss and actually make the Merger Agreement fair - let's get rid of the outrageous $450 million break up fee and change the definition of a Superior Proposal so it actually encourages competing bids. It's outrageous to construct a merger agreement where a competing bidder does not get compensated with a break up fee if they are matched or topped. By not allowing this, it is virtually insurmountable to incentivize banks to finance a higher bidder.



We have spent the past 6 months explaining why we believe that not only does the Michael Dell/Silver Lake transaction undervalue the company, but it also freezes out loyal stockholders who deserve the opportunity to stay with Dell. How is that fair? In short, we have explained why we believe Michael Dell is doing a great disservice to his stockholders and has structured a deal that we believe is unfair. Today, Michael Dell and Silver Lake crossed the Rubicon by trying to take away the one provision in the Merger Agreement that actually provided stockholders with a voice in their company. It is time for Michael Dell and this Board to go. After more than a year since the last annual election, it is time to schedule the 2013 Annual Meeting and move forward.



A few days ago we warned this Board not to run the Company like a banana republic. Some commentators have even compared this "Desperate Dell Debacle" to Vladimir Putin and North Korea! After this latest action by Michael Dell/Silver Lake, we are clearer than ever - it is time for Michael Dell and this Board to go.


Qualcomm Third-Quarter Net Jumps 31 Percent on Mobile Chip Demand


Qualcomm Inc.'s fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 31 percent as the company reported strong growth in its sales of its wireless chips.



The company also raised the low end of its full-year revenue guidance and lifted its earnings view. It now expects per-share income of $4.48 to $4.56 on revenue of $24.3 billion to $25 billion. Qualcomm had previously projected earnings of $4.40 to $4.55 a share on revenue of $24 billion to $25 billion.



The San Diego-based chip maker has been one of the main beneficiaries of the growing popularity of smartphones, as it supplies wireless processors for a broad range of customers that include Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. and collects money from license payments tied to its technology.



Read the rest of this post on the original site


Friday, December 19, 2014

Sundar Pichai on the Difference Between Chromecast and Google TV (Interview)


SundarPichaiD



Sundar Pichai




Google has two operating systems: Chrome and Android. And now it has two living-room devices: Chromecast and Google TV.



There's a good reason for that, argued Sundar Pichai, Google's SVP of Android, Chrome and Apps, in an interview after the event.



In fact, Pichai took over control of the Google TV project in March of this year. It had previously been the domain of YouTube head Salar Kamangar, but it was internally seen as better aligned with Android and Android partner relationships, sources said.



(Pichai, who has a reputation for being good at managing partnerships, gained a bunch of power at Google at that time, adding all of Andy Rubin's Android on top of his previous domain of Chrome and Apps.)



So why two different devices? The new Chromecast dongle will be a sort of lightweight way to stream video on a television. Google TV, you probably already know about - though you probably don't own as it's not super popular. Soon, "it will be a full-fledged Android for television," Pichai said, noting that he expects to announce many more partners at CES early next year.



The Chromecast costs $35 and has just 256k 512 megabytes of memory. But that doesn't mean it streams low-quality video; the default resolution is the industry-standard 1080p.



Chromecast



The new Google Chromecast




Where Google TV can provide "an immersive experience" that's appropriate for gaming, Chromecast will have too much latency for gaming, Pichai explained.



So why make a new device that doesn't do as much? To try to popularize the activity of watching Internet TV on a real living-room TV, said Pichai.



"It is shocking how much video is consumed on phones, tablets and laptops, but the TV usage just breaks off," he said. (During prepared remarks, Pichai cited Sandvine data showing that YouTube and Netflix account for an estimated 49.4 percent share of all peak downstream Internet traffic in the U.S.)



"Whereas TV is the most-used device at home, by far. People watch 4.5 hours of television per household in the U.S. So there is this gap, and you have to figure out a way to converge it." But simplicity is key, he said. "We should never set up expensive boxes and call someone to say how do I connect all this?"



Google's "Cast" protocol, which adds streaming options to apps while they are running on devices using the same Wi-Fi network as a Chromecast dongle, allows for playing video with no installation needed.



A Vizio Co-Star, one of the devices integrated with Google TV



A Vizio Co-Star, one of the devices integrated with Google TV




"Effectively, the Chromecast is a Web media player," Pichai said. "Once you say, 'Play this YouTube video or Netflix video,' it is actually pinging YouTube or Netflix over Wi-Fi, going through the Internet backbone, and they are just sending it like they would send it to a browser."



Internally, Pichai said, his team calls this process "flinging" content. Flinging is intended for video and music apps, and outside developers are welcome to build in support for it.



Chromecast will also support a second behavior: "Mirroring" Web pages, though that will be in beta for the next few months. With mirroring, whatever you do on your phone, tablet or computer is synced up with the display on your TV. That way you can pull content from any website, not just supported apps - though you'll draw down the battery on the device that's being mirrored. My colleague Peter Kafka suspects that some TV companies will not be pleased.



These features aren't limited to the Chromecast device, Pichai said. Google TV will also support Google Cast, Pichai said today.



Google's two-pronged approach actually parallels competitors like Roku, which offers both boxes and streaming sticks for certain TVs. However, where Google might have an advantage on the works-like-a-browser front, Roku is ahead on the content deals. In addition to Netflix and YouTube, it has Amazon, Hulu, HBO Go and other channels. Chromecast doesn't yet.



"I fully expect more partners to join us, because it makes a lot of sense for their content to be seen on the television," Pichai said.



Correction, July 29: This article incorrectly reported the amount of memory that the Chromecast has; the correct number is 512MB.


Facebook Says It Has Figured Out Mobile. Wall Street Says It Believes Facebook.


Facebook News Feed Event


You can't say Wall Street has agreed to forgive and forget its past issues with Facebook. But it's getting closer: After a very strong Q2 earnings report, investors pushed shares up 17 percent in aftermarket trading.



Facebook is now trading at about $31 a share, nearly as high as it has been all year. That still doesn't bring it back to the $38 price from its 2012 IPO, but it's definitely progress.



Big picture: Facebook seems to have answered, at least for now, questions about its ability to handle the shift to mobile: Its users are headed there, and it is showing them ads there, and both usage and ad dollars are up.



Facebook also took pains to explain that it is still totally cool with the kids. Which sounds a bit strained when they say it, but until people can show statistics proving otherwise, investors may cut them some slack.



And Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg also made a point of mentioning all the usage Facebook sees during prime time TV viewing hours. Translation: Hey Twitter - we can pitch social TV to advertisers, too.



Earlier:
It's more fun to come on an earnings call when Wall Street is psyched about your numbers, right?



At least that's the theory. Let's see how Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg do following a strong quarter, which has investors bidding up their stock more than 14 percent in after-hours trading.



Let's listen in. Actually, I'll listen: You guys watch me type a liveblog.



5:04 pm: Greetings. Listening to Mark Zuckerberg, reading with enthusiasm.



Points out that results today come from big investments a few years ago. Promises patience for more long-term payouts.



Did you know there are 5 billion people who aren't on Facebook? Facebook is coming for you, people who are very likely not reading this liveblog!



Facebook advertising isn't just making money for Facebook, it is somehow improving the world's overall economy.



Ratio of daily active users to monthly active users is increasing - that is, as more people come on to Facebook, more people spend more time on Facebook.



By the way, don't believe those "Facebook engagement decreasing" reports: Market share steady or increasing.



Now, about those teenagers you keep hearing about: They're still totally using Facebook! Here Zuck uses a phrase that I don't feel totally comfortable retyping. So.



Instagram: Still totally growing!



Instagram video growing fast. Facebook Graph Search and Facebook Home, not so much, but that's totally cool, says Zuck. Think long-term!



5:10 pm: Zuck still pumped, and now he's talking about ads, which is not a thing he would have been pumped to talk about a few years ago. Maybe even one year ago.



Shoutouts to all the Facebookers! "You're all helping to connect the world and push it forward."



5:11 pm: Now, Sheryl Sandberg, who is less forcefully excited. But reciting impressive numbers regardless.



Also talking up app ads, local ads.



And hey, don't look now but FB is up 20 percent since this afternoon's numbers.



Now taking time to talk up all the TV-watching, and TV-talking, that happens on Facebook. In other words: In case you didn't catch this earlier, Twitter, we are totally coming after the social TV business you've been building. Heads up!



(Apologies, missed a couple minutes here while multitasking.)



5:17 pm: And now CFO David Ebersman.



Usage numbers are great. 699 million average daily users in June. Total time spent: 20 billion minutes each day.



(More apologies. Was busy asking Facebook beat reporter Mike Isaac why he was Tweeting about the call while I covered the live blog for him.)



(Bunch of statistics you do not want to read about in a liveblog. If you are looking for that stuff, by the way, it's all over here.)



We're still going to pour a lot of money into capex, Ebersman says. So get used to it. (Google had to explain this to investors for a while, too.)



News Feed ads will be main ad growth engine for rest of the year. But note that they started up a year ago, which means Q3 and Q4 comps will be a little tougher. Okay, analysts? (Guide that number down a bit!)



Also, expenses are going to grow at a faster clip then revenue this year. (Got that, analysts?)



5:25 pm: And now, ladies and gents, here's Q&A, with Mike Isaac!



3:25 pm: Mike Isaac here, taking over for Peter on the questions from analysts.



3:26 pm: A question from Doug Anmuth on ads.



Basically, is your big ad growth a lot more ads in the feed, or better ad products?



3:26 pm: Sandberg: Both! All!



Also, we've got a big increase in demand from marketers.



3:27 pm: Mobile app install ads question - Sandberg says they're small but growing.



"It's basically an entirely new market ... we're growing quickly and helping to grow the market."



I asked about mobile app install ads, too, in a chat with Ebersman earlier. They're sorta mum on its success specifically, but I hear that developers like them.



3:28 pm: Oh, if you've noticed, my time stamp is wonky. That's because I'm sitting in an airport in Aspen, Colorado, liveblogging from the terminal as my flight has been delayed. Ho hum.



3:29 pm: A question on monetizing Instagram! Please tell us you have something in mind for that pretty photo-sharing app.



3:29 pm: Zuckerberg on Instagram: Non-answer.



Yes, we want to build a business. "Probably through advertising." But right now they're focused on just letting the thing grow like crazy.



True. It's up above 130 MAUs. Pretty crazy.



3:30 pm: Sandberg on growth in ad spend: Yes! Soon!



"I'm a believer that over time, this is where people are spending their time, and any marketer who wants to reach people is going to spend here."



Fingers crossed, Sheryl.



3:31 pm: Growth is still strong across regions outside of the U.S., Sandberg said.



Particular focus on Asia, seeing increasing adoption in APAC and the rest of the world.



3:33 pm: Sandberg says Facebook exchange is actually a small part of the company's business. They're expanding their on-the-ground sales force, too.



3:34 pm: Ebersman chimes in on how much the company is spending.



No end in sight to the amount Facebook is spending to invest in the business.



But he cites being "disciplined" and "focused" in their spending.



In other words, it's not all kegs and sushi bars for the campus. Lots of smart spending, he says.



3:36 pm: Sandberg: Facebook loves brands. Brands love Facebook.



The end.



3:37 pm: More TV talk in this call. Quite a direct shot over the bow at Twitter, the social company that has long promoted its "second-screen-ness" and complementary nature to television.



3:38 pm: Ebersman again on spending: Hardware costs probably going to go down, but product development is a variable.



5:39 pm: Hello again! It's Peter Kafka! I'm very excited!



Some talk about lumps and inflections re: mobile.



There was "more feed eligible demand" this quarter, says Ebersman. Yet, price didn't drop as they sold more ads.



5:43 pm: New question: Five percent of News Feed is now ads. Is that the "right" number and how does that vary across geography? Also a multipart question I didn't get.



Ebersman: Re: Five percent, it was 0 percent a year ago. We're happy with it. Varies by geography, and also by person (which maybe explains why I don't see that many ads in my feed compared to some complainers).



5:45 pm: Q: When are you going to get around to rolling out video ads? Also, what's going on in Europe?



Sandberg: We totally have video ads - you can embed a video in your post. "We're exploring how we can expand that" but if you think I'm going to talk about a product we haven't announced, then I would like to sell you a premium Bebo membership.



5:46 pm: Q: Hey Mark, how do you get partners to participate more actively in your platform? (And not worry you'll dump them in a year?)



Zuckerberg: We've been charging developers for distribution, and they like it. That's a shift.



5:48 pm: Big picture question for Zuck. How has life/perspective changed since you wrote founder's letter in your S-1 (14 months ago?)



Zuck: We hit the 1 billion people mark, which used to be a rallying cry. Now we have bigger ambitions. But now, meh. "The real goal is to connect everyone in the world, and map out everything there is." But! We weren't happy with mobile 18 months ago, so we had to do a lot of work on it. Coming into 2013, we started to see that we were in better shape.



So: Sort of a big picture answer. But maybe not really?



3:50 pm: Isaac here again!



Sorry about the timestamp.



3:50 pm: I swear we aren't time traveling.



3:50 pm: Question: Really guys, what ad units made you guys kill this quarter so hard?



3:51 pm: Sandberg: Direct response marketers are big contributors to growth. E-commerce doubled! They use all sorts of our ad products.



Lots of growth in mobile app install ads. Small market, but we offer a product that no one else has.



Yep, that ad unit is shining.



3:53 pm: Again, a question on growth.



Really, how?



3:54 pm: Direct response marketers are bumping up their ad budgets because they're getting good returns, Sandberg says.



Okay then.



3:55 pm: Ooh! A sort of sideways question on hiring and perhaps a way to talk about the ZuckerPAC, Fwd.us.



3:55 pm: Mark takes the hiring question.



Hiring great people is hard. But "our country doesn't produce the volume of engineeers that our companies want to hire." So basically that's why he's doing this Fwd thing.



3:56 pm: Sandberg highlights General Electric's Instagram campaigns.



They aren't paid ads, but rather fancy photos of GE-related products and such.



In other words, brands are willing to experiment.



3:57 pm: A custom audiences question - Sandberg said they've doubled the number of marketers using that particular product over the period of two quarters. Lots of big brands doing it.



3:58 pm: Sandberg plays up "PMDs" - or third-party ad sellers - and wants brands to buy through multiple sales channels.



3:59 pm: Last question is a softball. Why do consumers like your stuff?



3:59 pm: Zuckerberg says Instagram is easy, everyone loves photos and capturing moments.



4:00 pm: His comments on Facebook "Home" are interesting.



Look at it over the long term. Sort of like a seed that Facebook is planting.



"Expect these to become market-leading products."



4:00 pm: Just look at how naturally they fit into the flow of peoples' daily lives to get an idea of how long it will take to get popular, Zuckerberg says.



4:01 pm: And we're done!



Kafka and Isaac - out.


Monday, December 15, 2014

Electronic Arts' Top Retail Partner? Apple.


The Simpsons: Tapped Out by Electronic Arts



The Simpsons: Tapped Out by Electronic Arts




For games publisher Electronic Arts, brick-and-mortar stores have historically generated the bulk of its sales. But not anymore.



Reporting first-quarter earnings this week, EA said that digital sales have surpassed those made through physical outlets. The company's top retail partner for the period? Not GameStop. Not Walmart. Not Amazon.



Apple.



"Our quarter was notable for its strong digital sales," EA COO Peter Moore explained. "To that end, Apple was EA's biggest retail partner as measured by sales. That is a first."



That's quite a milestone for EA and Apple, both. Remember, EA is the world's third-largest gaming company.



Moore didn't say exactly how much revenue Apple was responsible for. But, of $495 million in total revenue EA posted for the quarter, $378 million was digital, and $90 million of that originated on smartphones and tablets. So, some portion of that.



Not a huge number, but big enough, and one that speaks to Apple's growing importance in the gaming space. How many more game sales will Apple drive once it has released iOS 7, which includes game-controller support? How many more when it finally brings gaming support to Apple TV - which seems inevitable? As Gabe Newell, co-founder of celebrated videogame publisher Valve, said earlier this year, "The threat right now is that Apple has gained a huge amount of market share, and has a relatively obvious pathway towards entering the living room with their platform. I think that there's a scenario where we see sort of a dumbed down living room platform emerging - I think Apple rolls the console guys really easily."


Apple Charts Recovery From Dev Center Hack on New System Status Page


Apple's Developer Center outage continues with no end in sight, following a hack last week that forced the company to take it offline. In a message to developers Wednesday, Apple said it continues to work "around the clock" to bring its developer systems back online, and while it didn't say when it expects that to happen, the company has created a status page charting its progress and dev services availability.


Sunday, December 14, 2014

Android tablets now account for 30% of the market?





If you were to tell us that Android tablets would eventually become the dominant choice for consumers one day, we wouldn't be surprised in the least bit. That said, it would be easier to believe if there were a better selection of decent Android tablets available to go against themarket leading iPad 2. Well, apparently quality doesn't mean all that much because according to the latest report from Strategy Analytics show Google's OS now taking up 30% of the market's tablet sales.



Not long ago, the Apple iPad had the market all to itself and stood alone with 93% of the market as Android tablets struggled to get a foot in the door with less than 3%. Fast forward to today and Android's strength in numbers is beginning to repeat its success the same way it took over the smartphone world. The OS still has a long way to go to genuinely compete with the likes of the iPad but the number of sales aspect is beginning to wane. Or so it seems.



Comparing the likes of the iPad 2 and Android tablets is simply unfair. There have only been two different iPad models, both as high-end as possible when released and the majority of Android tablets are stuck in 2009. With the exception of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Android tablets are nowhere near the beauty of the iPad 2. Given that you can grab an Android tablet for significantly less than the cheapest iPad, the number isn't as surprising as it sounds. That said, most of those cheaper Android tablets likely have questionable build quality, a lower version of the OS, and probably a no-name brand.



The one decently built, cheaper, Android Honeycomb tablet that seems to keep flying off shelves is the Asus Transformer. It's definitely a chunkier tablet but those who have grabbed the device seem to be very happy with it. Asus is now shipping over 400,000 Transformer tablets a month, which may just be a spec on Apple's radar, but is nonetheless impressive for a tablet that's only $100 cheaper than the iPad 2.



One also needs to consider that this is just one analytic firm's numbers and said numbers may be dramatically different from another firm's findings. That said, this is really just the beginning of Android tablets taking off, if you believe these numbers or not. With the rumored Nexus tablet that's still in the back of our minds, things could get very interesting in the coming months.





Article: RSS via IntoMobile


Amazon to launch UK based game download store in October

Playing US catchup





Amazon UK is set to get its own digital game download store, bringing the shopping service inline with the US.



The Americans have been enjoying downloadable games since 2009, with quality titles being added in November last year. Amazon.com has its ownspecial download section, stocked full of a series number of titles that you can pull straight from the cloud to your hard drive.



MCV is reporting that the service has seen severe delays, originally pegged for an April launch. Things are currently in testing phase, with everything on track for an Autumn release.



"Amazon can use its retail muscle to draw attention to PC digital downloads and even upset the established order, where Valve sits at the head of the table." a rival retailer told MCV.



Steam currently retains the disc free download crown. Amazon however, the worlds biggest online shopping site, could pose a serious threat.



Personally we welcome the digital download concept, provided you have plenty of bandwidth to play with, otherwise those desperate to play may find days of waiting before downloads complete.





Digital downloads? Or discs your thing?


Saturday, December 13, 2014

3D smartphones could cause eyesight damage

Join the 3DS club





Research has been published by those in the know that suggests stereo 3D viewing on smartphones could damage eyesight and cause serious discomfort.



Handsets like the Evo 3D and Optimus 3D can now join ranks with the Nintendo 3DS in the glasses-free headache brigade.



Professor Martin Banks, an Optometrist, published the research in the Journal of Vision. It examined the effect of stereo 3D display viewing on 24 adult patients.



The results showed how when viewing a screen close, say for example a mobile phone, images placed in front of the screen caused discomfort. Conversely when at a cinema that placed further behind and with depth, causes more difficulty for the eyes. It is known as vergence accommodation and is a common problem amongst those viewing stereo 3D content.



"When watching stereo 3D displays, the eyes must focus - that is, accommodate - to the distance of the screen because that's where the light comes from.



"At the same time, the eyes must converge to the distance of the stereo content, which may be in front of or behind the screen," explained Banks.



Smartphones aren't the only 3D mobile devices said to be causing eye problems. There is continued guffor surrounding Nintendo's 3DS, which is allegedly causing some gamers to feel sick.



The device allows you to control the level of depth found in the 3D, perhaps a good way to help reduce the vergence accommodation problem for those who suffer.



Then again, you could just whack it on full blast and accept your eyes are knackered anyway from staring close quarters at televisions/computers/phones all day anyway (at least our are).


VIDEO: Google+ Don’t fight it

It will get you in the end


httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC_M6PzXS9g



The Google+ revolution is inevitable. Don't try and fight it.



That's the message from the chaps at Epipheo Studios, the self-described "Crack Commando A-Team of the marketing world" who have come up with this (cheekily Google-styled) video about the new social network.



It weighs up the pros and cons of both Facebook and Google+ before the Social Media Guru prophesies a future dominated by the Big G's platform.



"You don't need to choose Google+," he says. "Sooner or later, you're going to end up using it."



And you know what, it's hard to argue with him.





Google+ or Facebook? What do you think


Friday, December 12, 2014

Intel Technology in Digital Signage


Digital signage is a relatively new display category that encompasses in-store kiosks, large information displays suspended from a ceiling, touchscreens for navigating a building or store, ambient displays that show imagery or advertising, and more.



Intel Technology in Digital Signage 2






The design involves two 7-foot-tall foot panels bound at the center like a book. These elegant glossy white frames with bamboo accents house cutting-edge technology to create an experience that people find quite magical.On the right side is a 70-inch high resolution color LCD that plays animations and advertisements in a loop. On the left side is a translucent panel that store customers can walk up to and see the store shelves through it. As a customer approaches, a tiny camera embedded in the top recognizes the person's height and gender and can overlay information on the screen that appears as though it is pointing to items of the shelves behind. This "augmented reality" display may highlight clothing in the person's size, for example, or items that are on sale. Touching on the items on the display brings up further details. Information about products can be sent to a mobile phone, and a map of the store can be brought up for way-finding.



Intel Technology in Digital Signage 5


Intel Technology in Digital Signage 3


Intel Technology in Digital Signage 4




Touch screen lcd display future
Future touch screen technology
Mini Kitchen a tasty concept


Mini Computer!


EraThink have showcased their latest mini computer , which resembles a Sony PSP in design and style but has been built to run Windows 7. The small EraPalm5 computer is fitted with a 5-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, that slides upwards to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. The hidden keyboard can be used in conjunction with the gaming style control D-pad and buttons on the left and right sides of the EraPalm5 to navigate onboard menus and applications.

Future technology  Mini Computer






EraThink have showcased their latest mini computer , which resembles a Sony PSP in design and style but has been built to run Windows 7. The small EraPalm5 computer is fitted with a 5-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, that slides upwards to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. The hidden keyboard can be used in conjunction with the gaming style control D-pad and buttons on the left and right sides of the EraPalm5 to navigate onboard menus and applications.



Future technology  Mini Computer


Future technology  Mini Computer




Compyter "Shine"!
Future computer technology
Future computer
Next generation computer!
Portable computer
Technology of the future


Thursday, December 11, 2014

LOAD – concept by Christophe Pilate


In the era of touch and all downloadable, you can watch LOAD apprehend time differently.



At the border of the jewelry and watch, LOAD expresses the time like a download bar.



Easy to use thanks to its touchscreen, LOAD adapts to fit any wrist (reversible left / right handed) and all the desires (choice of color from the color chart).



When traveling, LOAD automatically download information according to your interests and transfers them to your personal online space



LOAD concept by Christophe Pilate 1






SONY DSC


LOAD concept by Christophe Pilate 3


LOAD concept by Christophe Pilate 4




Small portable printer
Technology of flexible display
Latest innovative products


Wireless flexible keyboard


The freeKEY combines wireless freedom and complete functionality into the essential tool for getting the most out of any iPad, iPhone, DROID or other Bluetooth supported device.



The freeKEY makes typing with your device easy and efficient. You no longer have to struggle while completing emails or getting work done away from your desktop computer.



Flexible and water resistant, the freeKEY tucks away into your purse or messenger bag pocket while taking up hardly any room. Along with your iPad, the innovative design of the freeKEY enables it to be used with your iPad 2, iPhone, tablet, laptop and more.



wireless flexible keyboard






bluetooth wireless keyboard


bluetooth wireless keyboards


flexible keyboard wireless


flexible keyboard




Scosche



Touch screen technology
new cell phone technology
Next generation computers
Transparent cell phone


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Pegatron to Become Largest iPhone Manufacturer in 2015


44 Pegatron




According to Focus Taiwan, Pegatron Corp. is positioned to become the largest recipient of iPhone orders in 2015, a move which is clearly part of a continued effort to diversify its supply chain. Hopefully these efforts will continue to keep future products such as the rumored iPad Pro and the upcoming iWatch on track for successful development and delivery.





"For the next product cycle, iPhone 6S, likely out in September 2015, we believe for the first time in the iPhone history, Pegatron will become the main source for assembly, with more than 50 percent of the 4.7-inch allocation," [an undisclosed] European brokerage said in a note to clients on Monday.



I honestly didn't realize the full scope of Pegatron's reach as a corporation across the globe and so I looked them up. I included the picture above specifically to show a little bit more about where they are located and I discovered they do so much more than make phones for Apple. The increased iPhone orders are still going to raise their profile and have already helped raise their stock.



The diversification of suppliers helps manage a number of issues such as keeping prices lower and spreading products around so that isolated incidents wont affect production overall. Pegatron has reportedly already been producing 30% of iPhone 6 devices, with Foxconn producing the other 70%.



Foxconn is likely to remain an important supplier but recent reports suggest they are diversifying their own products and even taking on sapphire glass. If rumors are true that a large format iPad is in the works, and with the increased iPhone sizes, all of the additional parts and glass have to come from somewhere. As Apple continues to increase their investments in proven companies, they will ensure that products can be released on time with significant amounts ready to go early on.



Apple Donates $291K to Pennsylvania School District to Start Their Own iPad Program


LAUSD iPad Education Program




The education of the iPad is in the air right now. A new report showed that more Chromebooks were distributed to school districts than iPads this past quarter. The LAUSD officially ended its contract with Apple after a year-and-a-half of complications. Apple recently pledged to provide 114 schools with a variety of technology products, including an iPad for every student. Today, we've learned that Apple has donated nearly $300,000 to the Steel Valley School District in Pittsburgh, PA to implement a district-wide technology plan using iPads.



According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Apple's donation, in conjunction with a separate gift from local philanthropist William Campbell of $62,921, will go toward buying iPads for every student in the District, as well as training teachers and staff how to use the devices in the classroom.





Apple's donation is thanks to CEO Tim Cook's desire to honor Campbell, a former Apple board member who recently retired from his role. Campbell has been known to give thousands of dollars to Steel Valley in the past.



From the Post-Gazette's report, it sounds like Steel Valley hopes to avoid the pitfalls that some other districts have tripped over. The District is working on a plan to implement the iPad rollout during the 2015-2016 school year. and students will be taught how to use the tablets responsibly.



One sure way to get a school district to choose iPad over Chromebook is to give them away for free.



[Via: AppleInsider]



Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Apple leaves behind Microsoft


Microsoft vs Apple


The war between the two giants never seizes. Microsoft and Apple's cold war in the market cap have been for long now, but there is something new this time. Microsoft leaded the score board with a little difference of $50 billion. The inclination and fluctuation of the shares in the market cap was unpredictable but it wasn't hard to believe that soon Apple would take over Microsoft in the score board. And Apple did it!



Finally the day is here when Apple has outdone Microsoft in the market cap with a slight difference of 1.76%. Although the stocks have been floating for long but a noticeable fact is that for the first time Apple is ahead of Microsoft. Share fluctuations are of course part of the game, and Microsoft just very well regain its position in no time but it is still great new for Apple for giving tough time to Microsoft.







Similar kind of news also floated in previous weeks. Do you remember S&P float adjustment numbers that screwed Microsoft's products against Apple's? Winning or losing it is not the justification but satisfaction to certain priorities for a limited time. Dear Microsoft, don't you worry nothing lasts forever neither you did nor Apple will. Some day some other product will replace Apple too.



It is not a matter of financial perceptions but the fight for position in the highly advanced and fast moving landscape of technology. It was from last five years that Apple was trying its best to gain over Microsoft's stock. In this timeframe Microsoft went down on its productivity and stocks, while Apple raised it by 550% with an average ratio of +4.31 in the valuation chart.



In just a month Apple is leading $3 million ahead from Microsoft and closes day with $222.07 vs. $219.18 billion. The only competitor and leader on the board is Exxon Mobil in the U.S. landscape for Apple. Apple's stock continued rising since its last beat against Walmart for the third placement in the US market capitalization, starting over from $245 and ending today with $251. The stocks increased 95% in just last 52 weeks that is actually an incredible performance from Apple.



No related posts.


Artikulator coming to rock your iPad with some thrilling music


articulator ipad app music


Well, none of the app in the cluster of nearly 300,000 iPad apps in the App store is comparable to the functionality of this unique app. Articulator is the right kind of music app on iPad for an enhanced instrumental experienced.



I love to create my own music and enjoy it instantaneously though I am not professionally trained or expert in the field. The app makes it possible in no other way but just through a sensitive multi-touch screen device that rejoices you with non-stop music rapping or jamming. It does not strict to any age group or certain class; kids or completely untrained music lovers can enjoy the app equally.



iPad app "Artikulator" enables users to create and play their very own kind of music notations. That is somewhat really different from that notes on staves and rapidly spontaneous through sliding fingers across the multi-touch screen. The very cultured sheet music is a crypto graphical coding for the inexperienced music lovers with a very simple functionality.







The developers Mike Rotondo and Luke lannini created this app in just a period of 24 hours during a Music Hackday. Music Hackday is a series of events that combine two very dissimilar likes' together; art and technology. The app is about to be released soon in the App store that wouldn't charge any cents for initial levels. Good news for those unlucky readers who do not own their iPad yet, app is also compatible with iPhone.



It is nothing too difficult to deal with as the app is about moving your fingers on the screen up-high or low as you wish to and create different sound frequencies. A line that curves upward will create a higher-pitched sound and a line that is bigger will play louder. The user interface for this app is no doubt a creative and admirable way to enhance the music knowledge. Thanks to the developers most importantly it keeps me away from the confusing and painful techniques to play music of my own.



No related posts.


Monday, December 8, 2014

iPiracy Demystified


Profit & Piracy are inversely proportional to...



Apple  iPiracy Demystified


The above statement could be completed, but hopefully I am not in a classroom, neither iPhone has anything to do with the laws of motion. Yet iPhone apps and piracy has a lot to do with each other.



And also there are marketing laws involved in the story.



The majority of the iPhone users don't make fuss about iPhone app privacy issues. This is because the developers already made it sound devastating. If we assume that Apple lost $450 million worth of sales from piracy, we also have to assume that it would have been earning twice as much over that amount.



The issue of piracy especially for applications of iPhone remains a mystery, a myth concealed from the eyes of a common man. To demystify the issue requires a lot of balls for both iPhone users and for app developers to hear. Nevertheless, the issue never got my attention until I heard Apple fussing about it. Well the piracy issue is simple. It is everywhere, it is uncontrollable and it doesn't really damages Big B brands like Apple very much.



Piracy



The term piracy is generally referred to as the illegal use of individual/intellectual property and specifically referred to the copyright infringements. There are some common understandings of the piracy; that it comes both in hard and soft form which means if iPhone apps can be pirated so does the iPhone can be, which is rarely seen. It nourishes where the apps are highly priced such as Microsoft OS or rarely available app. The major contributors towards pirated apps are torrents, P2P clients and warez sites which use file hosting for distribution.



However, the iPhone apps scenario is totally different. It is hard to precisely tell the extent of iPhone piracy and tactically endorsing it to a common source. Most commonly the DRM (Digital Rights Management) cracking methods are used for iPhone apps. The most famous these days is Jail Break.



With a slight googling about "How to crack iPhone apps" you can get enough details about app theft. Nonetheless there are various websites which keep on opening and closing and publishing content for hacking iPhone and iPhone apps.



Alright, if we do consider that there is a serious piracy threat for iPhone apps then the question is that how serious it is?



As the Apple platform is optimally open source therefore a lot of developers do their way of App making. This procedure as compared to non-open source platforms is more invulnerable as the coding is non synchronous and no defined pattern exists to crack the app. Secondly most of the iPhone apps are FREE or comes with lite-version, which reduces the need for the pirated app to about 80%. When you can get free app why would you risk travelling dark internet places to download archives which worth trouble. The problem comes to those apps which are rare and comes at a high price. Such as games and high productivity business app, developers suffer to some extent.



A developer who is well aware of the hacked iPhone apps is like playing a fool who can't really prevent it. At the end it's the survival of the fittest. Both the developers and crackers are coders so can the competitor be cracking your codes or any amateur who just wish to distribute you $50 app for free can do that too? That is a shame if you let them do that.



No. There is more to the other side of the story. The developers know that the users of the pirated app will never buy (at least in short run). Therefore the pirated app works just like a free sample increasing the apps usage and popularity for the developers free of cost without hurting the real brand image. Also it gives a pride feeling that I am using a $50 app for free. If only 30% of the valuable apps get cracked every year would they total an amount of more than $500 million? I don't think so.



4 Ps of Piracy



Price: The extent piracy may directly change with the price of the app.



Profit: The profit and piracy are inversely proportional



People: The more pirate app people use the more the app gets popular



Privacy: The more piracy, the lesser privacy



To sum up, the Apple iPhone app are the least prone to piracy as compared with other apps. The iPhone 3G is already difficult to jailbreak and apple's efforts in fighting piracy are already effective. With the coming of 4G and iPad this issue would almost be eliminated. Only the healthy proportion of piracy remains there for Apple.



Thus the myth of piracy is demystified, while difference of opinions and comments are welcomed.






No related posts.


iOS4 making a move with 1500 APIs


iphone-os-4


Along with the launch of iPhone 4 and the announcement of Apple Game Center, Steve's call to action was the iOS4, something we've been calling iPhone OS4. The ultimate iOS4, with the incredible "i" attached to it, comes with 1,500 new and improved development APIs, giving a drastic new change to the iPhone user interface.



We know this from the pre-launch time that multi-tasking now facilitates the new iOS4 on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Steve's considers multitasking interface works on iBooks for iPhone that will let users wirelessly download and synchronize books that also features to highlight the phrases and makes notes.







iOS4 works amazingly on iPhone4 with its add folder feature and unified email inbox that provides ceased or aligned message view. The advanced enterprise integration interface for business and its security is the additional feature for the business class user engagement. The multiplied Exchange account support is also added to iOS4 while adding up Bing to the search engine in the presence of Google and Yahoo is the hight of competitive role to the iPhone-cism.



The software development kit (SDK) of iOS4's golden version was available to the developers on the event only. It will be a free download on the iPhone 3G and 3GS but not all features will be fully supported on the devices. So get your hands on the augmented iOS 4-equipped device now!



The newly upgraded iOS 4 is able to manage your almost 2160 applications on a single device via its drag-and-drop functionality. Apple has created some signified changes to the multimedia functionality too with support to custom playlist, directly from iTunes, tap-to-focus video, 5x zoom for camera and an image feature called "Faces and Places," that allows users to sort and view photos on the basis of the place they were taken and the people pictured.



iAd is the second big thing to the iOS4 for the businesses as Steve's addresses that "iAd would engross $60 million for the year 2010." It is far beyond the expectations, isn't? Apple is currently fused with AT&T, Best Buy, Chanel, Citi Target, The Walt Disney Studios and a number of other high-profile brands for their iAd campaigns.



In all, the iPhone's new OS; iOS4, will be an amazing change to the iPhone interface and applications. Analysts will definitely be looking to study its penetration in the market now.



I'm excited for the new look, are you?



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