Trends and shipment estimates Indicate That the iPad Mini is overwhelming the iPad in popularity.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Google invades Siri's turf with iPhone, iPad app - Yahoo! News
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Siri May be feeling a little job insecurity. The sometimes droll assistant That answers questions and helps people manage Their Lives on Apple ‘s iPhone and the iPad is facing competition from an up-and-coming rival made by Google .
The duel Began Monday with the release of a free iPhone and iPad app features Google Now, That a technology performs many of the same functions as Siri .
It’s the first time Google Now That has been available on smartphones and tablet computers That are not running on the latest version of Google’s Android software. The technology, Which debuted nine months ago, is being included in an upgrade to Google’s search application for iOS, the Apple Inc.. That software powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It’s up to each user to decide Whether to activate Google Now within the redesigned Google Search app, Which is available through Apple’s app store.
Siri tried to dismiss the competitive threat. When asked for an opinion about Google Now, Siri responded: “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather Google later.”
Mike Allton, and St. Charles, Mo., Resident who has owned an iPhone for four years, could hardly wait to check out Google Now, even if Siri might interpret it as a betrayal.
Siri “is looking a little green with envy,” Allton, 36, said with a laugh after he installed Google’s new app. “I love Apple products, but I like to see the competition because it will probably lead to even more improvements. I believe this technology is going to be even more deeply ingrained in our lives a few years from now.”
Other iPhone users – even those who have grown fond of Siri – Now welcomed Google’s arrival to iOS in mostly enthusiastic and sometimes amusing remarks posted on Twitter and Google Plus. One person joked Now That Google is so helpful with the new hotel technology prompted him to wash his hands after using the bathroom. The biggest gripe was about the Possibility of Google Now’s location-tracking features draining the device’s battery more quickly.
Google Now’s invasion of Siri’s turf marks of Google Inc.. ‘s latest attempt to lure iPhone and iPad users away from a Service That Apple built into its own devices.
quickly won over millions of iPhone users in December when it released a mapping application to replace the navigation system dumped That Apple iOS when it redesigned last fall. Apple’s maps application Proved to be inferior to Google’s ousted service. The app’s bugs and glitches Apple made the butt of jokes and fueled demand for Google to develop a new option.
Apple has been losing to Google on other fronts in the rapidly growing mobile computing market, an arena that was Revolutionized with the iPhone’s release in 2007. Smartphones and tablet computers running Google’s free Android software have been steadily expanding Their market share in recent years, partly because they tend to be less expensive than the iPhone and iPad. In 2012, Android devices held about 69 percent of the smartphone market while iOS had about 19 percent, According to the research company IDC.
Android’s success has been Particularly galling for Apple because its late CEO, Steve Jobs, Google believed the table many of its ideas for the software from the iPhone. That led to a series of court battles over allegations of Patent Infringement, Including a high-profile trial last year Apple That culminated in winning hundreds of millions in damages from Samsung Electronics, the top seller of Android phones. That dispute is still embroiled in appeals.
The rise of Android is also squeezing Apple’s profit margins and has contributed to a nearly 40 percent drop in the company’s stock price since it peaked at $ 705.07 last September, around the time That the iPhone 5 came out.
Android’s popularity is good news for Google because the company’s services are built into most versions of the operating system. That brings more traffic to Google services, creating more opportunities for the company to sell ads – the main source of Google’s revenue.
Siri is billed by Apple as an “intelligent feature.” Since the technology’s release in October 2011, Apple has made it a centerpiece of some marketing campaigns depict That Siri and its automated female voice as an endearing and occasionally even pithy companion.
Google believes to its counterpart Siri is smarter because Google Now is designed to learn about a user’s preferences and then popup helpful information before it’s even asked to to so. The technology draws upon That information Google gleans from search requests other interactions with the company’s other services. Knowing a person’s location also helps Google Now serve up helpful information without being asked.
“This concept of predicting your needs and showing you them at the right time is unique to Google Now,” said Baris Gultekin, Now Google’s director of product management. “We want the computers to the hard work so our users can focus on what matters to them so they can get on with Their Lives.”
If the technology is working right, Google Now is supposed to do things like automatically tell people what the local weather is like when they wake up to help decide what to wear and popup a report on traffic conditions for the commute to work. During the day, Google Now might popup an update on the score of a user’s favorite sports team or a stock quote of a company in a user’s investment portfolio. On a Friday evening, Google Now might offer suggestions for movies to see or other weekend events tailored to a user’s interests. For international travelers, Google Now might popup currency conversion rates, language translations of common phrases and the time back home.
Most of this automatic information is provided in summaries That Google calls “cards.” Like Siri, Google Now is also equipped with voice technology That Allows it to respond to questions and interact with users, though it has not shown the dawn That delights of some of Siri’s users.
The Google Now app for iOS is not as comprehensive as the Android app, Which only works on devices running on the latest version of Android – known as “Jelly Bean.” Some of the Android features missing from Google Now’s iOS app to include cards for showing airline boarding passes and movie tickets bought online vendor Fandango though. Both Of Those options are available on the iOS through Apple’s built-in Passbook feature that’s designed to be a digital wallet.
NowGoogle’s expansion on to the iOS underscores Google’s ambitions for the service. The company, Which is based in Mountain View, Calif., Views it as a pivotal tool in its effort to peer deeper into its users’ brains. In doing so, Google believes to it will be able to popup more useful services and also show more relevant ads. Now for Google to become more intuitive, it needs to widen its availability.
“The more you use Google Now, we will have a better chance of understanding what your needs are and providing you with the right information,” Gultekin said. “It’s a virtuous cycle.”
Gultekin declined to discuss Whether there are plans to make Google Now apps for mobile devices running on Microsoft’s Windows system. He also refused to comment on speculation circulating in technology blogs That a Web version of Google Now will be offered as a replacement for iGoogle, and the tool That Allows people to encircle the Google search engine with a variety of services suited to Their tastes. IGoogle is scheduled to close in November.
___
Online:
http://www.google.com/landing/now/
Google Assistant Heads to iPhone, iPad - ABC News
Watch out Siri, Google’s own personal assistant service is coming to your home town. Today Google is releasing its Google Now service for the iPhone and iPad. It will be available in Google’s Search app in the Apple App Store.
Similar to the Android version, the iOS version will popup information tailored to your life. For instance, it will show you the weather when you start your day, remind you of your next appointment and show you the fastest way to get to work, complete with different routes based on traffic. The service learns your habits and your routines and Provides you the information you need without having to go search for it.
“Our goal is to get you the right information, at just the right time,” Google CEO Larry Page said of the service on the company’s earnings call last week.
Focus on Design
Unlike the Android version, Which is integrated into Google’s operating system, the iPhone and iPad version are parts of the Google Search app. However, Google has brought the same look and feel of the Android version over to the iOS app, focusing on clean design and presenting Those alerts or information on cards.
“One of the things you have started to see Is That Google is finding a mature design language across all of its products,” Matias Duarte, Google’s Director of Android User Experience, told ABC News. “When we started working on Google Now last year, we had people from all over the company from Search to Google Labs to Android Come help design it.”
RELATED: Galaxy S4 Review: An Android Phone You Will not Regret Commitment
Similar to the new Maps, YouTube and Gmail apps for the iPhone, the app uses Google Now a fresh, modern font and balances it with a good amount of white space. That Duarte says while the Now app for iOS has many of the same design elements as the Android version, some changes were made.
“We do not want to just force them uniformly experience it to anyone, Regardless of the platform,” he explained. “It has to be a good visitor in the country it lives in, while still retaining its unique identity. You need to accommodate the environment in your experience lives.”
Aiming at Apple
Of course, that environment already has a similar personal assistant app – Siri. Apple Introduced the voice-controlled personal assistant in iOS in 2010 and has been improving it ever since.
Google Now also supports voice control. You can tap the microphone icon and ask the service what the weather is or if your flight is on time.
RELATED: Google redesigns the Google Play Store
When the iPhone was Introduced, Google services, Including Maps and YouTube, came preloaded on Apple’s device. However, as Google’s Android has surged in popularity, Apple has begun to focus on its own apps, removing preloaded Google’s services. Google Maps and YouTube were not included in Apple’s latest iOS 6
When Google Maps was released for the iPhone, many quickly replaced Apple’s Maps app with Google’s more accurate solution. People replacing Apple’s apps with Google’s iOS apps, even though they are no longer preloaded, is becoming a trend, analysts say.
“Even though Apple has been Pursuing Cloud services, Google has placed a stronger emphasis on tying more of Those services are apps. A lot of Apple’s cloud services are more of a background infrastructure,” Ross Rubin, principal analyst of Reticle Research , told ABC News. “Google is either stronger or there is no real significant competition with many of its cloud apps. Google Now is just the latest example.”
Square Updates Its iPad App Register With Kitchen Tickets, Ordering Features ... - TechCrunch
Square’s point-of-sale technology and iPad-powered register, Square Register is getting a big update today targeted at better serving restaurants. New features in the release include custom order modifiers and customizable kitchen That tickets allow restaurants to make taking orders and serving food more efficient.
Square Register is a point-of-sale system based on the iPad and not only Allows merchants to accept payments, but includes the ability to customize permissions for employees on the register, access to sales reports, and the ability to print wirelessly receipts or open a cash drawer to make change. Analytics allow merchants to segment consumer payments data and transactions, and users can access data around number of payments, subtotals, tax, tips, refunds, account deposits, etc..
The focus of the new update to Square Register is helping optimize the experience at the counter beyond just the payment. Merchants can now customize orders with order modifiers, allowing cashiers to add specific information to orders so That a kitchen can be aware of any modifications. So if you wanted no foam on a latte, and the cashier could create and add an order modifiers to the coffee order. Custom kitchen tickets allow merchants to attach a number or a customer’s name is an order.
Square Register can be connected with printers so That receipts can be printed as tickets to be placed in the kitchen.
While this is a small update, it Represents one more feature that helps register turn into a full-fledged point-of-sale terminal. Restaurants, especially small to mid-size establishments, are starting to catch on the Square and the iPad cash register movement. That having features are geared towards making the ordering and deployment system more seamless and integrated Should Increase the only ADOPTION of Square Register amongst restaurants.
You can watch the new features in action below:
There are already tens of thousands of merchants in the food industry most amazing Adopting Square for its simple interface, smart analytics, continuous updates, and low processing fees. In the past year, the number of food-related businesses that use Square has almost tripled and the amount of money they process has more than quadrupled.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Mailbox Is Working On An iPad App With Desktop And Android Clients' On The ... - TechCrunch
fairly nutballs Given the hype surrounding the launch of the Mailbox for iPhone (and its crazy queues), you could probably assume That they, AOD bring the app to other devices and platforms, AI and you, Ehud be right if you did.
The company recently started letting users know of Their upcoming projects: an iPad app is in the works, with Android and desktop clients, Äúon the agenda, AU.
[Disclosure: TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington is an investor in the Mailbox by way of CrunchFund. While neither Mike nor anyone else at CrunchFund has ever even Mentioned Mailbox to me, I prefer to make these things nice and transparent.]
While Mailbox
had mentioned to us That they were tinkering with an iPad app in previous briefings, they, Äôve only recently begun to mention it in public, AI and even then, seemingly only through relatively quiet Twitter responses. This is also the first in, AOR hearing of potential Android / Desktop clients.
Though thereAOS seemingly no ETA for any of the above, it would seem That the iPad app is further along in its development than the other aforementioned platforms. While Their mentions of the iPad app are frequently detailed as, Äúin the works, AU or, Äúcoming soon, AU, mentions of the Android / Desktop app are always labeled with the considerably less committal, Äúon the roadmap, AU.
We, Äôve Reached out to the company for clarification on where each project currently sits, and we, Äôll update if the hear back.
It makes sense
That an iPad app would come first. Mailbox is already written for iOS / Cocoa Touch, Äîmost of the work would be in adjusting the interface for the bigger screen, unless they add iPad-exclusive features. Porting it to Android, meanwhile, would Involve quite a bit more new code. Even porting it to OS X would require a pretty drastic rethinking of the cool touch-centric UI, at the very least.
On a side note: I actually stopped using mailbox a few weeks after installing it. As it strongly Focuses on fast actions on individual emails (as opposed to en-masse actions on groups of emails), I found myself paying more attention to preening my inbox than before. I still really dig the time-based reminder future, though.
[Double disclosure, for good measure: see the above disclosure about CrunchFund.]
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Apple: Smaller profit. The increase in sales of iPhones and iPads - Media2.pl
Apple announced sales results for the first quarter of 2013. In annual terms, the company is seeing growth in sales of smartphones iPhone and iPad. Less popular but Macs and iPods. Apple reported a drop in profit.
Also presented data sales of main products. In the first quarter of 2013 the Company sold 37.4 million smartphones iPhone (up 2.3 million), while sales iPad amounted to 19.5 million units (an increase of 7 , 7 million). The company also sold 3.9 million Mac computers (a decrease of 0.05 million units) and 5.6 million iPods (a decrease of 1 million units.).
Apple more and more reduced supply iPad Mini - Internet Zone
iPad Mini still remains one of the most popular and most popular tablet, which in theory should be a very large source of satisfaction for the Cupertino company. It turns out that Apple has reduced orders for most of the key elements that are necessary to create this tablet.
Almost from the beginning of the year there is an additional information according to which Apple is gearing up for the launch of the next generation of its tablet. Expectations of the new devices are quite clear. The manufacturer is, however, quite a serious problem in the form of steadily falling share prices – it seems that everyone expects to launch the new, highly successful products. Confusion about the iPad Mini still remains very high.
less interest iPad Mini?
According to recent information, each new month brings a loss of interest in iPad Mini. The Cupertino company has no choice but to reduce the supply of their devices. Reduced supply can reach up to 30% – quite as analysts admit that the main reason is primarily less interest from customers.
Some people have, however, hope that is normal behavior, followed by the premiere of the next generation. Potential customers, however, refrain from buying an iPad Mini, knowing that soon to appear the second generation, with a more powerful processor and Retina screen. The situation can be very difficult, if it turns out that Prime tablet iPad Mini 2 is planned for later this year.
sales performance
Shortly after the start of sales of the iPad Mini, the vast majority of comments indicated that the Prime Minister of the device was shot in dzieis?tk? – small tablet sells sensational, even though it is not the cheapest product. Apple gradually selling off its inventory , keeping the same delivery for customers who order their device through the Apple Online Store. A few weeks ago there were reports associated with a reduction in the number of orders on display at LG Display – currently South Korean manufacturer supplies each month 3.5 million displays, but this will only be further reduced.
Test Modecom FreeTAB IPS2 X4 9704 - a cheaper iPad 4 - BBC News
Is tablet for less than 1000 z? may be a competitor to the latest iPad or Google Nexus 10? Company Modecom your FreeTAB 9704 IPS2 X4 maintains that it is possible.
Poles love the cheap tablets – we already know. But in the segment between 750 and 999 z? still reigns Nexus 7 and use the iPad 2 Meanwhile FreeTAB 9704 IPS2 X4 IPS2 screen offering a resolution of 2048 level by 1536 (diagonal 9.7 “), the density of pixels at 264 pixels per inch, the level reached in the case of devices such as the iPad 4 or Nexus 10 to There is also the processor with a clock frequency of 4 x 1.0 GHz 8-core graphics chip. Accordingly, on paper, the equipment is very good. And how is it in reality?
alternative iPad 4 and Nexus 10
equipment looks good, like (it’s a little understatement) iPad. Housing as a new generation of cheaper tablets, makes a solid impression. To the side – surprise – the Home button and the Sleep button next to it. Initially, they can be the mistake. But sometimes there will be the problem. The set we received from Agito.pl could not find a protective film on the screen and a pretty good looking case. Tablet has Android 4.1.
In Quadrant Standard Edition FreeTAB IPS2 X4 9704 reached an overall score 3003 (Ref: 6713; 3D: 2209). For comparison, the tablet Manta recorded net score 1993 points. A smartphone such as the Galaxy S III more than 5,500 points. Google Nexus 7 gets about 3800 points. Thus, it can be considered as the correct result. The game “Dead Trigger” on maximum settings work smoothly. Like any other game. Thus, in this aspect of equipment works well.However, the screen itself, in spite of such a good specification does not provide the quality of the new iPad and Nexus 10 Resolution is one thing, but of course – as in other cheaper tablets – some przyoszcz?dzono on the display. But there is no drama, just the opposite – there is no other cheap tablet with such a good screen. However, “cost” for such a resolution is battery life. After about four hours of watching videos the battery is exhausted. Fortunately, the more “standard” use FreeTAB 9704 IPS2 X4 – the equipment will operate much longer. It is after all so “national average” of this type of equipment.
It should also be noted that – like many other manufacturers of low-cost hardware with Android – load the next page can sometimes be slower than the iPad and its competitors. This is not, unfortunately, unusual, but you need to know. But this is a bit like nitpicking because, as mentioned above, the equipment and so beats most of the cheap and a little less cheap tablets with Android. And it’s sometimes more than one level.Test Summary Modecom FreeTAB IPS2 X4 9704
Though not without flaws, like any inexpensive tablet Modecom FreeTAB IPS2 X4 9704 is now one of the best low-end tablet. If you are looking for equipment with a larger screen than 7 inches and something that offers more than competitive, plastic and bulky tablet 10-inch screens – there is no better choice. iPad 4 or Nexus 10 this tablet will not replace – but it is much cheaper than them. And some that’s the whole point.
Modecom FreeTAB IPS2 X4 9704 we received for testing by Agito.pl costs 969 z?