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Friday, 31 October 2014
Tablet computer sales up 11.5pc worldwide in third quarter, says IDC
More than 53.8m tablet computers were sold across the globe in the third quarter of 2014, according to IDC, up 11.5pc on the same time last year.
The increased sales were driven by back-to-school promotions and the US appetite for connected devices.
'Not only is the US market one of the largest for tablets, but third quarter results also indicate that this is where the growth is,' said Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC Research Director for Tablets.
'We saw Verizon continuing to sell connected tablets at a fast pace, a strategy that we believe other carriers will replicate in following quarters.
'We also saw RCA enter the top 5, impacting the entire US market and worldwide ranking with one large deal linked to back-to-school and channel fill ahead of Black Friday. Those two elements resulted in the US tablet market growing at 18.5pc year-over-year compared to the worldwide market growing at 11.5pc annually.'
Despite broadest iPad line-up, IDC still expects 2014 to be the year of the iPhone
Despite a continued shipment decline for its iPad product line, Apple maintained its lead in the worldwide tablet market, shipping 12.3 million units in the third quarter. Although Apple has recently updated and expanded its iPad lineup to its widest offering ever, IDC still expects 2014 to be the year of the iPhone.
Samsung held its number two position on the market with 9.9 million units shipped, capturing an 18.3pc market share in the third quarter. The company has begun to focus on the North American tablet market and the Middle East and Africa where low-cost Asian competitors haven't yet gained a foothold.
Lenovo's strength in emerging markets has been paying off as they experienced greater than 30pc growth and have been able to increase their share by almost a percentage point. Lenovo has also had the benefit of leveraging its brand and strength in the PC business to secure a strong position in the tablet market.
'Although the low-cost vendors are moving a lot of volume, the top vendors, like Apple, continue to rake in the dollars,' said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst, Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker.
'A sub-US$100 tablet simply isn't sustainable-Apple knows this-and it's likely the reason they aren't concerned with market share erosion,' said Ubrani.
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Thursday, 30 October 2014
International students engage in campus politics - Daily Trojan Online
via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://www.residentvisaspain.com
Monday, 27 October 2014
What's this about 'Surinder Singh'? - Jamaica Gleaner
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Saturday, 25 October 2014
Travel clearances pushed to protect kids - Sun.Star
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Friday, 24 October 2014
A guide to Spanish citizenship and permanent residence - Expatica Spain
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Leader - We are not alone - Malta Independent Online
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Buying a Spanish property - Expatica Spain
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Thursday, 23 October 2014
NYPD cops to get tablet computers, smartphones
Brolin, Talisman
Crimefighting? Maybe there's an app for that.
In the coming weeks, NYPD cops will be getting 6,000 of what officials called 'ruggedized' tablets - one for every squad car - as well as up to 41,000 smartphones. Rugged tablets are touchscreen laptop computers meant for outdoor or other extreme conditions.
'Christmas has come early for the NYPD,' Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Thursday as he announced the high-tech acquisition. 'I've been wanting this for some time.'
The new devices will be paid for with $160 million secured by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's office from banks caught violating U.S. sanctions by hiding money for foreign regimes.
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Bihar ministers learn to operate tablet computers, but only a few turn up for ...
Catching up with the latest in information technology, Bihar ministers on Wednesday received training in computer and tablet computer operation but only a handful of them turned up at the workshop held for them.
Inaugurating the day-long workshop, Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi told the ministers that no one could cheat them if they were abreast with information technology and he would try to train himself in IT.
'Today the entire world is talking about information technology and hightech. If we lag behind then our country and state will be deprived of development,' Manjhi said in his inaugural address. He said be it politicians or officials functional knowledge in computer, laptop and internet is necessary.
The chief minister exuded pleasure that Bihar has registered more development in wi-fi in comparison to other states and the world's longest wi-fi zone had been established in Patna. State Information Technology minister Shahid Ali Khan said in today's world definition of literacy has changed and only those persons who have knowledge of computer and the internet are called literate.
The ministers were taught to use the device by experts of National Institute of Electronic and Information Technology at the workshop in which only 10 ministers out of a total of 32 turned up at the inuagural session.
Out of the 10 ministers, the chief minister and four others left after the speeches. When scribes asked Shahid Ali Khan about the thin attendance of ministers at the training session, he said, 'The programme will run for the whole day and people will keep dropping in.'
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Can the Raspberry Pi tablet resurrect a dying industry?
The UpTake: The imminent launch of a Raspberry Pi touchscreen could turn any hacker into a potential competitor for Apple and Samsung.
W hy buy an iPad, when you can build one yourself to almost any specification-not to mention design? Thanks to a new touchscreen revealed today by the makers of the Raspberry Pi single-board computer, that will soon be a reality. And for a tablet computing industry that is rapidly losing momentum, this could be just the jolt it needs.
'The whole time we've been doing Raspberry Pi we've been saying yeah the display accessory is coming, yeah the display accessory is coming-and the display accessory is finally coming,' said Eben Upton, the company's founder and CEO, speaking onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt, according to this report. In addition to being the founder of Raspberry Pi, Upton, who was one of MIT's 35 under 35 in 2012, is also a technical director at chip-maker, Broadcom, based in Irvine, California.
The original Raspberry Pi, on which Upton's new screen will be built, is a credit card sized computer that plugs into a television, a keyboard, and a mouse, originally designed to spur experimentation among school students, but which has become a favorite among hackers looking for cheap ways to build minimum viable products.
Examples of products that have been built with the $40 Raspberry Pi, according to an InfoWorld report earlier this year, include a Network Time Protocol server, a wall-mounted digital calendar, and a temperature and humidity monitor, just to name a few of the limitless possibilities, even without a touchscreen.
My favorite example of the Pi technology at work is the Kano computer, a DIY computer kit that last year raised$1.5 million on Kickstarter to teach children (and less experienced adults such as myself) how to build computers.
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Can the Raspberry Pi tablet resurrect a dying industry?
The UpTake: The imminent launch of a Raspberry Pi touchscreen could turn any hacker into a potential competitor for Apple and Samsung.
W hy buy an iPad, when you can build one yourself to almost any specification-not to mention design? Thanks to a new touchscreen revealed today by the makers of the Raspberry Pi single-board computer, that will soon be a reality. And for a tablet computing industry that is rapidly losing momentum, this could be just the jolt it needs.
'The whole time we've been doing Raspberry Pi we've been saying yeah the display accessory is coming, yeah the display accessory is coming-and the display accessory is finally coming,' said Eben Upton, the company's founder and CEO, speaking onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt, according to this report. In addition to being the founder of Raspberry Pi, Upton, who was one of MIT's 35 under 35 in 2012, is also a technical director at chip-maker, Broadcom, based in Irvine, California.
The original Raspberry Pi, on which Upton's new screen will be built, is a credit card sized computer that plugs into a television, a keyboard, and a mouse, originally designed to spur experimentation among school students, but which has become a favorite among hackers looking for cheap ways to build minimum viable products.
Examples of products that have been built with the $40 Raspberry Pi, according to an InfoWorld report earlier this year, include a Network Time Protocol server, a wall-mounted digital calendar, and a temperature and humidity monitor, just to name a few of the limitless possibilities, even without a touchscreen.
My favorite example of the Pi technology at work is the Kano computer, a DIY computer kit that last year raised$1.5 million on Kickstarter to teach children (and less experienced adults such as myself) how to build computers.
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Bihar ministers learn to operate tablet, computers
PATNA: Catching up with the latest in information technology, Bihar ministers today received training in computer and tablet computer operation but only a handful of them turned up at the workshop held for them.
Inaugurating the day-long workshop, Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi told the ministers that no one could cheat them if they were abreast with information technology and he would try to train himself in IT.
'Today the entire world is talking about information technology and hightech. If we lag behind then our country and state will be deprived of development,' Manjhi said in his inaugural address.
He said be it politicians or officials functional knowledge in computer, laptop and internet is necessary.
The chief minister exuded pleasure that Bihar has registered more development in wi-fi in comparison to other states and the world's longest wi-fi zone had been established in Patna.
State Information Technology minister Shahid Ali Khan said in today's world definition of literacy has changed and only those persons who have knowledge of computer and the internet are called literate.
The ministers were taught to use the device by experts of National Institute of Electronic and Information Technology at the workshop in which only 10 ministers out of a total of 32 turned up at the inuagural session.
Out of the 10 ministers, the chief minister and four others left after the speeches.
When scribes asked Shahid Ali Khan about the thin attendance of ministers at the training session, he said, 'The programme will run for the whole day and people will keep dropping in.'
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
IPad Air 2 and Mini 3 Review: One Thumb Up, and Another Down
Let's get this out of the way first: Apple's new iPads are the best tablets on the market today. The iPad Air 2, the company's new top-of-the-line device, is substantially faster than its predecessor, which was already more powerful than just about every rival. It sports a terrific minimalist design, almost a millimeter and a half thinner than last year's pretty skinny iPad Air. And both the new Air and the iPad Mini 3, Apple's latest small tablet, include TouchID and Apple Pay, Apple's fingerprint scanner and payment system, which are handy innovations that make signing into apps and shopping for goods online much easier than in the past.
So these are fantastic tablets. The question is: Do you need a fantastic tablet?
Apple's new machines are expensive. The iPad Air 2 starts at $499, and the iPad Mini 3 starts at $399, but both entry-level models have only 16 gigabytes of storage space. To get the most out of either device you really should pay the $100 upgrade to 64 gigabytes. But is it wise to spend $500 or $600 or more for a tablet, or can you get by with a marginal device that costs hundreds of dollars less?
For that matter, do you need a tablet at all? If you're at all like me, you're already swimming in computers, from a desktop to a laptop to a smartphone to an e-reader. Where does the iPad fit in that world? And even if you're not like me and have only a couple of machines, you may still be confused by the choice between an iPad and, say, a light and powerful laptop or a large smartphone.
For all types of device users, then, the iPad presents a quandary. Are Apple's premium tablets still worth their lofty prices?
After using the iPad Air 2 for the last few days, my answer is: Yes, with reservations. Whether you should take a leap on Apple's new Air depends entirely on how you use your other devices. If you're not a big fan of personal computers and you don't really like having your nose stuck in your phone all day, the iPad Air 2 might be for you. The iPad Air 2 is powerful enough to use as your main or secondary computer, after your phone, especially if you use your tablet as a replacement PC on the go, and if you're looking to play processor-intensive games or run media-editing software.
But if that advice weren't confusing enough, I'll add one more caveat. If you're mainly interested in a tablet for surfing the Web or watching movies - for 'consuming media,' as the techies say - then the iPad Air 2 is probably overkill. Go instead with last year's iPad Air, which is slightly slower, thicker and lacks TouchID, but starts at $399 and will prove pretty capable for many users. Even a bargain-basement machine like Amazon's $99 Kindle Fire HD is a pretty good media device. It doesn't look look as good as the iPad, but if your needs are slight, it will get the job done.
As for the iPad Mini 3, Apple's other new tablet, I'd advocate skipping it. Unlike the Air 2, the new Mini has not been upgraded with Apple's latest processor. This means that internally, it is almost identical to last year's iPad Mini 2, which Apple is still selling for $299 and up. The primary difference is that the iPad Mini 3 has a TouchID fingerprint scanner and has one more color option, gold. (The 2 comes in just silver and black.) Unless you're going to be doing a lot of Apple Pay shopping or you're gaga for gold, it's best to save the $100 and go with the Mini 2.
The iPad Air 2, by comparison, has been given some hefty internal upgrades. It now has a rear-facing camera that takes pretty good shots, though not nearly as stunning as the pictures you'll get from the latest iPhones. It also has an iPad-specific version of the A8 chip found in Apple's new iPhones, and that makes for off-the-charts performance. I noticed the speed immediately. Everything I did - from loading and switching between apps to surfing the web to playing games - was more fluid and responsive than anything I've experienced on another tablet.
I performed a test of tech benchmarks - Geekbench 3 - on the device, and I got a single-processor performance score of 1,812 on the Air 2, and a multi-core score of 4,530. Don't worry if those numbers are greek to you. What they mean, technically, is that the iPad Air 2 is faster than any other iOS or Android device ever sold. It's about as fast as the Macs that Apple was selling as recently as 2011.
This gets to what is perhaps the main reason to choose an iPad Air 2. All that power will last a long while; you could get four or five years of use out of this tablet before you'll need to upgrade. Of course, you'll pay a pretty penny for that longevity.
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Bihar ministers learn to operate tablet computers
Patna: Catching up with the latest in information technology, Bihar ministers received training in computer and tablet computer operation but only a handful of them turned up at the workshop held for them.
Inaugurating the day-long workshop, Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi told the ministers that no one could cheat them if they were abreast with information technology and he would try to train himself in IT.
'Today the entire world is talking about information technology and hightech. If we lag behind then our country and state will be deprived of development,' Manjhi said in his inaugural address.
He said be it politicians or officials functional knowledge in computer, laptop and internet is necessary.
The chief minister exuded pleasure that Bihar has registered more development in wi-fi in comparison to other states and the world's longest wi-fi zone had been established in Patna.
State Information Technology minister Shahid Ali Khan said in today's world definition of literacy has changed and only those persons who have knowledge of computer and the internet are called literate.
The ministers were taught to use the device by experts of National Institute of Electronic and Information Technology at the workshop in which only 10 ministers out of a total of 32 turned up at the inuagural session.
Out of the 10 ministers, the chief minister and four others left after the speeches.
When scribes asked Shahid Ali Khan about the thin attendance of ministers at the training session, he said, 'The programme will run for the whole day and people will keep dropping in.
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Tablet Sales Growth Plummets In 2014 As Android Smartphones Continue To ...
As Apple gears up to unveil what many believe will be its latest iPad tablets and Mac computers on Thursday, Gartner has today published figures that underscore the challenge in the market for devices like these against the ineluctable rise of the cheaper, and ultimately more easily replaceable, smartphone.
Gartner's Q3 and annual figures for device sales worldwide - covering smartphones and tablets as well as PCs of all sizes - shows that tablet sales in 2014 will only see 11% growth over last year, compared to growth of 55% the year before. This works out to a projected 229 million tablets selling in 2014, or 9.5% of overall worldwide device sales, which will total 2.4 billion devices for the year, and 2.5 billion in 2015.
The PC, meanwhile, continues its long-term decline: there will be sales of 276 million units in 2014, down from 296 million in 2013.
The winner in the consumer electronics race continues to be smartphones, and specifically the Android smartphone.
Devices built on Google's mobile opeating system will see sales of 1.2 billion devices this year, working out to more than half - 51% - of all devices sold - smartphone or otherwise.
And while there are still sales of feature phones in the market (as evidenced by Gartner's findings that feature phone-heavy Nokia remains number-three after Samsung and Apple), Gartner predicts that they are not long for this world. It says that by 2018, every nine out of 10 phones sold will be a smartphone.
It's a trend that will be played out especially in emerging markets, where Android will cross the 1-billion annual market in sales in 2015 in geographies outside of markets like the U.S., Western Europe and Japan. This year, emerging markets already represent nearly three times the number of sales that take place in developed countries (see full table below).
The ultramobile promise
Ultramobiles, the not-quite-PC and not-quite-tablet and not-quite-phone category, will remain niche but continue growing: there will be 37.6 million of these sold this year, and as befits a fast-growing but still-small category, it will grow the fastest. Ultramobiles will essentially see a doubling in sales in 2015 while the other categories continue to see only modest rises.
But ultramobiles are also, effectively, suffering from the same issue as tablets (and to a lesser extent PCs): people are simply not replacing them as much. 'In the tablets segment, the downward trend is coming from the slowdown of basic ultramobiles,' Gartner writes. The analysts believe that the life cycle of tablets and ultramobiles is around three years at the moment - meaning buyers this year won't replace devices until 2018. Gartner says it projects 83 million less new tablet purchasers in 2014-2015 and 155 million less tablet replacements through 2018.
It's not that these devices are unsatisfactory to consumers; quite the opposite. 'I think that maybe they've lived up too much to their expectations,' jokes Roberta Cozza, a Gartner analyst and co-author of the report. 'There are too many solid devices out there and users don't have a reason to upgrade to the new units. They are just happy with software upgrades.'
She adds the she thinks tablet makers may already have to start setting their sites more on emerging markets. 'I think that this market has really just reached a point of saturation in mature markets. In the US for example by end of 2014 we are expecting a 50% penetration. Things just had to slow down as new users are drawn to another device category, larger display smartphones.'
Samsung on top, but hurting from a lack of must-have new features
Cozza also confirmed for me what many of you probably already suspect: Samsung is head and shoulders above all other OEMs at the moment in terms of sales.
If we take all devices - including PCs, ultramobiles and phones, Samsung is still number one, with around a 20% share this quarter, she says. And to underscore how much Samsung's fortunes are driving by Android, she points out that Samsung's share in the PC category is 'tiny.'
With Apple in second place at around 10%, Nokia in third just behind it and Lenovo in fourth in the overall category (the Microsoft-owned Nokia still has a pretty brisk trade in feature phones that buoys it), the stage is being set up for some rebalancing in the quarters ahead.
'We've definitely seen a slowdown in Samsung in Q2 in the smartphone market, and they've been losing share,' Cozza notes. 'I think that the issue is that in the premium side of the market with phones, and they will have this even more so in Q3 and Q4, is that will be under pressure from Apple because now of the new alternative with larger display.' By this she means the new iPhone 6 models.
Premium device users, she says, haven't had 'enough reasons' from Samsung to either buy their new devices, or even stick with the brand. 'Going form the Galaxy S4 to the S5 or even to the S4 from the s3, there is nothing really groundbreaking that generated a lot of replacement. On the contrary, we are going to see a lot of replacement on the Apple side because the bigger screen is a tangible feature to have.'
The emerging picture for emerging markets
While developed markets in many ways call the shots when it comes to the latest and greatest features and high-end handset sales, it's the emerging market sector that will be setting the pace for volume growth.
Another fast-moving brand, Cozza notes, is the Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, which is now pushing more strongly into emerging markets outside of its home country. 'We've seen really their share growing very fast and during Q1 and Q2 of this year, but as the Chinese smartphone market has reached saturation Xiaomi will go into other regions.' Another that will do this is Huawei, she says. 'Now all these Chinese brands are really going into other markets, where the volumes will be.'
Indeed, when you consider Gartner's figures for how emerging and mature markets are comparing in terms of operating systems, you can see how the volumes have massively shifted - a sign of where attention and investment will continue to go in years to come.
Image: Flickr
http://www.best-budget-tablet.com For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Sunday, 19 October 2014
La Vida Golden Visas to Attend IREIS in Abu Dhabi - SYS-CON Media (press release)
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La Vida Golden Visas to Attend IREIS in Abu Dhabi - NEWS.GNOM.ES
via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS
Tablet Sales Growth Plummets In 2014 As Android Smartphones Continue To ...
As Apple gears up to unveil what many believe will be its latest iPad tablets and Mac computers on Thursday, Gartner has today published figures that underscore the challenge in the market for devices like these against the ineluctable rise of the cheaper, and ultimately more easily replaceable, smartphone.
Gartner's Q3 and annual figures for device sales worldwide - covering smartphones and tablets as well as PCs of all sizes - shows that tablet sales in 2014 will only see 11% growth over last year, compared to growth of 55% the year before. This works out to a projected 229 million tablets selling in 2014, or 9.5% of overall worldwide device sales, which will total 2.4 billion devices for the year, and 2.5 billion in 2015.
The PC, meanwhile, continues its long-term decline: there will be sales of 276 million units in 2014, down from 296 million in 2013.
The winner in the consumer electronics race continues to be smartphones, and specifically the Android smartphone.
Devices built on Google's mobile opeating system will see sales of 1.2 billion devices this year, working out to more than half - 51% - of all devices sold - smartphone or otherwise.
And while there are still sales of feature phones in the market (as evidenced by Gartner's findings that feature phone-heavy Nokia remains number-three after Samsung and Apple), Gartner predicts that they are not long for this world. It says that by 2018, every nine out of 10 phones sold will be a smartphone.
It's a trend that will be played out especially in emerging markets, where Android will cross the 1-billion annual market in sales in 2015 in geographies outside of markets like the U.S., Western Europe and Japan. This year, emerging markets already represent nearly three times the number of sales that take place in developed countries (see full table below).
The ultramobile promise
Ultramobiles, the not-quite-PC and not-quite-tablet and not-quite-phone category, will remain niche but continue growing: there will be 37.6 million of these sold this year, and as befits a fast-growing but still-small category, it will grow the fastest. Ultramobiles will essentially see a doubling in sales in 2015 while the other categories continue to see only modest rises.
But ultramobiles are also, effectively, suffering from the same issue as tablets (and to a lesser extent PCs): people are simply not replacing them as much. 'In the tablets segment, the downward trend is coming from the slowdown of basic ultramobiles,' Gartner writes. The analysts believe that the life cycle of tablets and ultramobiles is around three years at the moment - meaning buyers this year won't replace devices until 2018. Gartner says it projects 83 million less new tablet purchasers in 2014-2015 and 155 million less tablet replacements through 2018.
It's not that these devices are unsatisfactory to consumers; quite the opposite. 'I think that maybe they've lived up too much to their expectations,' jokes Roberta Cozza, a Gartner analyst and co-author of the report. 'There are too many solid devices out there and users don't have a reason to upgrade to the new units. They are just happy with software upgrades.'
She adds the she thinks tablet makers may already have to start setting their sites more on emerging markets. 'I think that this market has really just reached a point of saturation in mature markets. In the US for example by end of 2014 we are expecting a 50% penetration. Things just had to slow down as new users are drawn to another device category, larger display smartphones.'
Samsung on top, but hurting from a lack of must-have new features
Cozza also confirmed for me what many of you probably already suspect: Samsung is head and shoulders above all other OEMs at the moment in terms of sales.
If we take all devices - including PCs, ultramobiles and phones, Samsung is still number one, with around a 20% share this quarter, she says. And to underscore how much Samsung's fortunes are driving by Android, she points out that Samsung's share in the PC category is 'tiny.'
With Apple in second place at around 10%, Nokia in third just behind it and Lenovo in fourth in the overall category (the Microsoft-owned Nokia still has a pretty brisk trade in feature phones that buoys it), the stage is being set up for some rebalancing in the quarters ahead.
'We've definitely seen a slowdown in Samsung in Q2 in the smartphone market, and they've been losing share,' Cozza notes. 'I think that the issue is that in the premium side of the market with phones, and they will have this even more so in Q3 and Q4, is that will be under pressure from Apple because now of the new alternative with larger display.' By this she means the new iPhone 6 models.
Premium device users, she says, haven't had 'enough reasons' from Samsung to either buy their new devices, or even stick with the brand. 'Going form the Galaxy S4 to the S5 or even to the S4 from the s3, there is nothing really groundbreaking that generated a lot of replacement. On the contrary, we are going to see a lot of replacement on the Apple side because the bigger screen is a tangible feature to have.'
The emerging picture for emerging markets
While developed markets in many ways call the shots when it comes to the latest and greatest features and high-end handset sales, it's the emerging market sector that will be setting the pace for volume growth.
Another fast-moving brand, Cozza notes, is the Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, which is now pushing more strongly into emerging markets outside of its home country. 'We've seen really their share growing very fast and during Q1 and Q2 of this year, but as the Chinese smartphone market has reached saturation Xiaomi will go into other regions.' Another that will do this is Huawei, she says. 'Now all these Chinese brands are really going into other markets, where the volumes will be.'
Indeed, when you consider Gartner's figures for how emerging and mature markets are comparing in terms of operating systems, you can see how the volumes have massively shifted - a sign of where attention and investment will continue to go in years to come.
Image: Flickr
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
Saturday, 18 October 2014
Look out for computers on your restaurant tables
carmine galasso/staff photographer
Remember when fiddling with electronic devices at restaurant tables was considered rude? Now computers are about to become as much a fixture on the tables of our local chain restaurants as the ketchup bottles and over-the-top chocolate desserts.
By the time I finally swiped my credit card at my tabletop tablet at Chili's in Little Falls, I had racked up $625,000 in my retirement account in The Game of Life and had spent most of my lunch creaming 'Bob,' my computer-generated opponent.
I sat down thinking that tabletop tablet computers could be a great way to speed up your meal, and walked out thinking they could also do exactly the opposite. After all, I lingered there because I couldn't tear myself away from the game. And the coffee I ordered via the device took almost 10 minutes to arrive.
North Jersey chain restaurant customers will soon see this kind of device far beyond Chili's. Similar ones are already at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Secaucus, where you can play trivia and games such as poker and, sometime next year, you'll be able to order food, too.
Tablets will also start appearing in our local Applebee's restaurants around December or early next year, according to Ed Choe, president of Doherty Enterprises, which owns the restaurants in Bergen and Passaic counties.
At first, you'll be able to order appetizers and desserts, re-order alcoholic drinks once a server has verified your age, and play games for a small fee, Choe said. Later, the restaurants will consider offering additional options.
'We don't want to do away with human interaction,' Choe said. 'We don't look at it as tablets replacing servers. I think if done right, it's a better experience for both servers as well as the guests. Certain guests may not want to use it at all. Some people feel uncomfortable with the technology.'
Choe compared the tablets to airport check-in kiosks - travelers can use them if they want, or get in line for help from a real person if they don't. 'It's really a convenience factor for guests,' he said. 'Servers still need to deliver the food, still need to deliver the drinks and make sure you're OK.'
At Chili's, where the computers were installed earlier this year, you still place your food and drink orders with a server. They can use the tabletop Ziosk computer to re-order alcoholic drinks and order coffee and dessert. You can also read the news via USA Today and browse some dietary information. And if you add 99 cents to your bill, you can play a number of online games, including Monopoly, Boggle and a bunch of options for children.
The biggest convenience: being able to view the bill whenever you want, swipe your credit card, sign and print out your receipt all right at the table, without that annoying dance for the check at the end of the meal.
A Chili's spokeswoman, Ashley Johnson, said that the tablets had helped the chain turn tables faster and sell more desserts and coffee (one of the first restaurants to offer the tablets actually ran out of coffee, since it is suggested when a customer orders dessert via the device).
Of course, the computers are optional to use, though only a fifth of Chili's customers have been ignoring them, and a whopping 70 percent use it to pay their checks, Johnson said.
During my lunch, I ordered coffee via the device just to try it out, but the dining room was swarming with available servers and I might have been served more quickly if I had just asked one of them.
Besides paying the check, the real value in these computers is the ability to entertain yourself and your children with the games. Johnson reports that Chili's most popular game is Trivia, which can be played by everyone at the table together. Or if you'd rather avoid one another, depending on how crowded the restaurant is, you may be able to request more computer tablets.
And if you'd rather avoid eating in a roomful of people glued to electronic devices, you may want to stay out of these restaurants altogether.
Email: ung@northjersey.com. Twitter: @elisaung.Blog: http://ift.tt/NbJ3jl.
http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets
La Vida Golden Visas to Attend IREIS in Abu Dhabi - DigitalJournal.com
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Friday, 17 October 2014
Markets Live: Bargain hunters emerge - Sydney Morning Herald
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New Products in Hand, Apple Tries to Reignite Interest in the iPad
CUPERTINO, Calif. - In reaction to declining sales of tablet computing devices, Apple 's chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, recently remarked that tablets had hit a 'speed bump' that was nothing to be concerned about.
Now Apple is trying to accelerate past the bump.
The company on Thursday introduced new models of iPads, including a major revision for its iPad Air, the larger and more expensive model, and some improvements for its smaller sibling, the iPad Mini 3.
Apple said the iPad Air 2 was 18 percent thinner and 40 percent faster than the last one, a surprising change - and a bit of an engineering feat - because Apple made the previous version thinner and faster just last year. Essentially, the new iPad Air is thinner than a pencil. The new iPads will be available Oct. 24.
'It's unbelievably gorgeous and look how thin it is. Can you even see it?' said Mr. Cook, holding the new iPad in front of an audience of members of the news media and Apple employees at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters.
The camera in the iPad Air 2 has been improved and it has a display designed to reduce reflections. The tablet has 10 hours of battery life, same as the previous version. It has a starting price of $500. The iPad Mini 3 starts at $400 - but it's not thinner than the last version.
Apple added its fingerprint sensor, called Touch ID, to each of the new iPads. The technology is used to log into the iPad in place of a typed passcode. It can also be used to make in-app purchases with Apple's new mobile payments system, Apple Pay, which will be available Monday.
Apple said iOS 8.1, the next update for the software that runs Apple's mobile devices, would also be available Monday.
Apple also added gold as a color option for the new iPads.
Apple has made big changes to its iPads more quickly than it has with other Apple products, like the iPhone, which in the past has been redesigned every two years.
Why the difference? For one, an iPad gives Apple's engineers more physical space to tinker around. And from a business standpoint, Apple has to do more with the iPad to maintain healthy sales.
In the second quarter, Apple's iPad sales declined 9.3 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the industry analysis firm IDC. And the worldwide market for tablet sales is starting to cool. While shipments of tablets exploded from 18 million in 2010 to 207 million last year, they are expected to increase just 11 percent this year, according to another research firm, Gartner. Last year, shipments had increased 55 percent.
But the iPad is still Apple's second-biggest moneymaker, accounting for about 10 percent of its profit. That is a long way from the iPhone, which accounts for about 70 percent of its profit, but still important.
Also at the event on the company's campus, Apple released its new Macintosh operating system, OS X Yosemite, which it introduced this year. The software system, which is a free download, has a new design with new icons and more vibrant colors.
A key feature is called Continuity, which makes it easier to juggle content across different Apple devices. For example, a user can be making a presentation on a Mac, and then swipe up from the corner of an iPad to resume working on the same presentation.
In addition, the company said WatchKit, a tool kit for software makers to use in developing apps for its coming smart watch, would be released next month. The Apple Watch, which Apple demonstrated last month, is still on track for a release early next year, according to Mr. Cook.
Markets Live: Big swing higher - Sydney Morning Herald
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Thursday, 16 October 2014
Lenovo Unveils New Yoga Laptop and Tablet Computers
Flexible Lenovo Yoga Tablets Maturing, Gaining Innovative Features
By Todd R. Weiss | Posted 2014-10-16 Email
Print
When Lenovo launched its line of Yoga tablet computers in late 2013, they brought intriguing designs that included flip-around convertible displays, 'kickstands' that allowed users to stand them up on edge and long, 18-hour battery life. A year later, Lenovo continues to develop its Yoga lineup with the release of its latest three models-the new Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro with a built-in projector, a lighter Yoga 3 Pro machine and the Yoga Tablet 2 that can now be purchased with Microsoft Windows in addition to its Android stable mate. The new 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2 Pro is a home entertainment platform with a built-in Pico projector that allows users to show movies, TV shows or other videos on a wall, right from the tablet. It also features a built-in 8-watt sound system with a subwoofer. The convertible 13-inch Yoga 3 Pro gets a new watchband hinge that makes the tablet 17 percent thinner and 14 percent lighter than its predecessors. The Yoga Tablet 2 line offers several models for consumers to choose from, including three screen sizes and a choice of Android or Windows. (Images courtesy of Lenovo)
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Apple to unveil new iPads today as Gartner warns that the tablet computer boom ...
Apple is expected to unveil its new iPad range today - as new figures from Gartner suggest that growth in the tablet computer market is faltering as buyers choose 'ultra-mobiles' instead.
The models will include a new iPad Mini 3 and iPad Air 2, which Apple inadvertently revealed in its iPad User Guide for iOS 8.1, before quickly pulling the book from the shelves.
The new devices will include a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built in to the home buttons, which until now has only been available on high-end iPhones. The devices' cameras will also enable pictures to be taken in 'burst mode', again, another feature that debuted on the iPhone 5S.
What is less clear, though, is whether Apple will unveil a long-awaited 12.9-inch iPad. Even if it does, shipping would be unlikely to begin until early in 2015, missing the Christmas spike in sales, as Apple focuses on distributing its popular iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones.
The launch comes at a time when analyst group Gartner has warned that tablet computer sales growth is slowing.
Gartner estimates that worldwide tablet computer sales will reach 229 million units this year, up 11 per cent compared to 2013. In 2013, by contrast, tablet computer sales leapt by 55 per cent.
The reason for this, says Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal, is that replacement cycles for tablet computers are being extended, and buyers of tablet-like computers are increasingly opting for ultra-mobile style computers, which combine a keyboard and a detatchable screen with touch features. Many other buyers are favouring larger smartphones, like the Apple iPhone 6 Plus.
As a result, tablet computers will comprise just 9.5 per cent of a total computer market of 2.4 billion units. That figure is made up of 276.5 million traditional desktop and laptop PCs, 37.6 million ultra-mobiles, 229.1 million tablet computers - and a massive 1.9 billion mobile phones.
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Markets Live: Fears sink shares - Sydney Morning Herald
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Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Markets Live: Stunning ASX swing - Sydney Morning Herald
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Markets Live: Bargain hunters emerge - Sydney Morning Herald
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Economic crisis, political strife drive Venezuela brain-drain - Reuters India
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Sideline Tablets Help Microsoft Squeeze Into the NFL Picture
REDMOND, Wash. - Few things are left to chance when it comes to N.F.L. games. Strict rules govern everything from the uniforms to the referees to the condition of the field.
So when Microsoft agreed to a long-term sponsorship with the N.F.L. last year, the company knew it would be doing business with a meticulous partner. It learned this firsthand when it developed a Surface tablet computer for players and coaches to use during games starting this season.
In months of discussions with N.F.L. teams, technology experts and the competition committee, Microsoft was told the tablets had to be rugged enough to survive drops, easy enough to use in a hurry and big enough to show its screen for several people at once. They had to work in extreme temperatures - hot and cold - resist glare and hold a battery charge for a full game, and they had to work on a secure wireless network without delays.
The cart that holds up to 16 tablets had to have strong wheels so it could be rolled onto the sideline; a tilted top to prevent cups from being left there; and a power supply, heater and cooler inside to keep the tablets performing in top shape. Microsoft insisted that the box be painted cyan, the same color as the tablet.
'We needed to make sure this can withstand the rigors of the N.F.L.,' said John Haley, the manager of one of Microsoft's development labs, as he held a small replica of the cart, made on a 3-D printer. 'We tried to find a balance between weight, durability and utility.'
As the N.F.L. heads toward midseason, the toughened tablets, which download high-definition photographs of plays moments after they occur, have blended into the sidelines. But their development offers a window into the relationship between the N.F.L. and its business partners, particularly those vying for one of the few spots on a field that tens of millions of fans see every week.
The tablets are also a study in how the relationships between sports leagues and their sponsors have evolved, from the days when companies were happy to pay to have their names on billboards in return for tickets to now, when they push to embed their products into the game.
'There are definitely more companies trying to be more a part of the action and essentially using the sport as a demo ad for their product,' said Bob Dorfman, who writes the Sports Marketers' Scouting Report. 'There is a strong connection between the product, sports and performance aspect of it.'
Microsoft, of course, is not the first company to win a spot on the field.
In tennis, for instance, I.B.M. has provided statistics to fans in the stadium and at home as a way to show corporate decision-makers what technology they can harness.
For decades in the N.F.L., players have taken drinks from orange Gatorade jugs, the contents of which are often dumped on the winning coach. Coaches wore Motorola headsets before Bose won that spot this season. Nike, Riddell and others have provided athletic gear.
Microsoft's relationship with the N.F.L. is more complex because it is not just trying to sell tablets to consumers and football coaches; it is also trying to boost the profile of its Xbox game machines.
Since last November, millions of Xbox One users have been able to use their consoles as set-top boxes to receive updates on their fantasy football teams, invitations to play the Madden video game and access to RedZone and video highlights from N.F.L. - all while watching live games.
The multifaceted sponsorship was not cheap, and it is one reason the N.F.L. took in $1.1 billion in sponsorship revenue last year. The tech giant will reportedly pay the N.F.L. $400 million over the five-year life of the deal, figures that Microsoft and the league would not confirm.
Whatever the number, Yusuf Mehdi, who oversees marketing and strategy for Microsoft's Devices and Studios, which includes the Xbox and the Surface, said it was money well spent.
'By far, the N.F.L. is the crown jewel of entertainment,' he said while showing off the Xbox at the company's headquarters, east of Seattle. 'It has that fan passion, and we have that with the Xbox. And on the sideline, it really showcases what Microsoft can do when it brings its full muscle to bear.'
That muscle started wrestling a couple of years ago with how to create the 'sideline of the future,' said Brian Rolapp, the executive vice president of media at the N.F.L. As Motorola's deal with the league was coming to a close, league officials thought about things they wanted to improve. One was the black-and-white photos taken by cameras in stadiums of every play of every game, he said. For years, assistants grabbed the photos off printers on the sideline, stuffed them into three-ring binders and gave them to coaches and players to review. But the photos were grainy and cumbersome to collate and could not be annotated.
The N.F.L. spoke to several technology companies before settling on Microsoft, partly because it could produce a tablet for the sideline and turn the Xbox into a conduit for N.F.L. content. Microsoft, meanwhile, saw the value in getting its products in front of millions of fans.
'I'm not sure where sponsorship deals end and media deals begin,' Rolapp said. 'People spend a lot of time on a 30-second commercial trying to convey the attributes of their product. This actually shows it.'
Introduced in the preseason, the tablets have worked largely as designed. Brian Schneider, special teams coach of the Seattle Seahawks, said he liked that the photos were delivered to his tablet in seconds because he often had to chase players running on and off the field. The clarity of the photos and the ability to zoom in help him highlight opposing teams' blocking schemes and decoys.
'It's so much clearer, you can get so much more information,' Schneider said at the Seahawks' training facility. 'I used to wait for the photos to arrive, and I'd get antsy. Now, I get the photos by the time the players come off the field.'
Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he liked being able to look at up to four images on one screen instead of thumbing through four pages, and he can enlarge the images as needed.
'I look to see if there's a way the defense tipped its hand before the play was called,' Manning said. 'The technology is a help. The more information, the better off we are.'
While more sophisticated than the old photos - which are still printed as backups - there are limits on the use of the tablets. Teams can have only 13 of them on the sideline and 12 in the coaches' booth, and all of them must be returned after games so photos and annotations can be erased. Photos are sent to the tablets over a wireless network operated by the N.F.L., and if it fails, photos can be installed by connecting the tablets to a server in the cart.
Players cannot take selfies, for instance, because the cameras have been disabled, and the tablets have no other programs installed and cannot be connected to the Internet.
There have been hiccups, most notably when the wireless network has crashed, forcing teams to use the paper backups. Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, said the network has temporarily failed during games. But, he said, the paper photo delivery has crashed, too, not to mention the radios that coaches use to speak to their quarterbacks.
'I'd say that's all kind of part of the game,' Belichick said last month. 'I can't think of too many games where we haven't had something along' the way.
Microsoft has made adjustments. Software was adjusted to prevent the tablet from overheating and to make it possible to scroll photos while zoomed in, instead of having to back out, select a new photo and zoom in again. Microsoft also added a 'favorites' button so coaches could quickly return to photos they liked. Wireless signal and battery indicators were added so coaches would know if the network crashed or the tablet needed to be recharged.
While these fixes were straightforward, Microsoft said it understood that the N.F.L. leaves little margin for error and that once players, coaches and the league are comfortable with photos on tablets, more sophisticated features can be added.
'Video could be powerful, next generation data from chips on jerseys,' Mehdi said. 'There are a lot of ways we're just scratching the surface.'
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Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Cuban migration surges over land and by sea - WJTV
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Income at Intel Climbs 12% on PC Sales
SAN FRANCISCO - Intel became the world's biggest semiconductor company by powering much of our digital world. But as machine information spreads wider, Intel is struggling to stay at the center of things.
On Tuesday, Intel showed how much it remains a prisoner of its history, and how it struggles to build new product lines while continuing investment in its core strength: turning out new chips packed with almost unimaginably small transistors.
Intel reported that its net income in the third quarter rose 12 percent, to $3.3 billion, or 66 cents a share, compared with the year-ago quarter. Revenue climbed 8 percent, to $14.6 billion. For all the new business Intel is pursuing, however, chips for PCs brought in $9.2 billion of Intel's revenue, a 9 percent gain from the same quarter a year ago.
'We are pleased with the progress the company is making,' said Brian M. Krzanich, Intel's chief executive, in a statement accompanying the earnings. 'There is a lot more to do, but our results give us confidence.'
The net income was above the expectations of Wall Street analysts. They had projected Intel would make 65 cents a share, and have revenue of $14.45 billion, according to a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters.
The solid PC chip sales were not unexpected. Last week, two research firms, IDC and Gartner, issued third-quarter reports indicating that a yearslong slide in PC shipments appeared to be ending. One reason for this was that businesses have been buying new computers because Microsoft earlier this year discontinued servicing an older operating system. In addition, sales of tablet computers, which were seen as alternatives to PCs, have leveled off.
'On PCs, they are subjects of the market: Corporations are refreshing their machines while consumers are constrained,' said Bill Kreher, an analyst with Edward Jones. 'Intel is trying to make their own luck with smartphones, and it's tough. They pushed strong to get into tablets, just as that market started to mature.'
As tough a slog as Intel faced, 'they're committed, and they've got a huge war chest,' he added. 'You've got to applaud their long-term perspective - they've been trying to succeed in mobile since the iPad came out.' Apple introduced its iPad tablet in April 2010.
Intel, founded in 1968, became dominant in the decades when personal computers and computer servers became standard goods for consumers and businesses. Now, however, computing is found on appliances, watches, smartphones, tablets and many other devices where Intel does not yet play a significant role.
Mr. Krzanich, who became chief executive last year, has vowed to fix that and compete in the new markets.
Another area of focus for Intel is chips for computer servers in data centers, which increasingly coordinate the data coming in from remote computers. Data center sales were up 16 percent year over year, to $3.7 billion. The mobile group's revenue was just $1 million, Intel said.
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