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  • iPhone 5 To Arrive in September?

    Every year, the launch of the new iPhone is one of the most discussed topics between tech fans and this year could be no exception. The release of the new iPhone is highly anticipated by Apple's fans and thus, every rumor is spread in just a few hours throughout the world.

    According to the latest rumors, the new iPhone, or iPhone 5 if you like, is expected in the next couple of months. Although the exact date is still unknown, there are two rumors that are currently spreading.

    The first one mentions a release in mid-August, which means that we should expect an announcement in the first days of August. As you can imagine, it's not very possible, since it is too early for such a big announcement. Apple knows that iPhone 5 is a great income generator and thus, they would not risk launching it very soon. After all, they need to count on the Christmas market and launching it during the summer, would be too far from December. On the other hand, it could be a good idea if they wanted to catch up with the releases of their competitors.

    The second rumor comes from the Japanese blog Macotakara, which had also predicted the release of iPhone last year, that predicts a release in September. Macotakara also mentions that the new iPhone will also have a new look, comparing to iPhone 4S. If we stick to their good sources, a release during September seems more probable than one in August. It is the period when big announcements are made and thus, they need to make a good impression from the beginning.

    And if we want to reproduce all the rumors that are circulating, Mashable reports that Taobao, a Chinese e-commerce site,  is already accepting pre-orders for iPhone 5, surprising us even more about its potential short release.

    So, after all these rumors, when should we expect iPhone 5? Apple is the only one that can tell for sure.

  • Sony LT30 Bluetooth Approval Reveals More Details

    If an entry on Bluetooth.org is to be believed, Sony is silently working on a new phone. Sony calls it the LT30 and they are working away getting all the required certifications and the tie-ups for a possible launch.

    Apparently this means that there are more to the Sony LT30 rumors that are going around. Reading all the details below however it may seem very close to the Sony Xperia GX, a LTE smartphone released by Sony exclusively for the Japanese market in May 2012. The new phone could just as well end up being an international avatar of the Xperia GX. If things shape up well we could see the phone in the US and other international markets soon.

    The features that are mentioned on the website reveals some details regarding the dimension, screen size, and the camera quality. The smartphone is apparently going to be a thin one by looking at the dimensions registered. It could very well be powered by the Snapdragon S4 Dual core processor, the same as the Xperia GX and weigh around 140 Gms based on a metal back ARC design. Apparently, Sony is going for a trusted processor which can offer better battery life and increased phone performance.

    The phone will sport a 13-megapixel rear camera (which should be more than enough as some of the entry level DSLR’s come with only 12-14 megapixels) and be capable of recording videos in 1080p. A front facing camera will be able to shoot videos in 720p HD, which is perfect for video streaming and making video calls.

    The 4.6-screen resolution details are not available and it is also not clear whether the screen will have any upgrades from the other phones that are in the Sony stable. Additional features could very well be implemented by the time the smartphone will hit the stores.

  • Will Google Drive Deliver?

    For those new to cloud storage, Google Drive is a great option for a small business, a startup or even individual use. Each account comes with 5 gigabytes of free cloud storage on the Google system, and then you pay a variable rate per month based on the amount of additional storage you require. Many people are already jumping on board, adding the Drive to the wide range of Google products they already use. But is it worth the money?

    Early reviews say that it’s very easy to access and set up. The drive includes documents that will help even the computer novice get right in action. It integrates seamlessly with Google Docs, importing anything you already have there. It’s also incredibly secure. As long as you frequently change your Google password, you’ll have very little to worry about. Google Drive can only be accessed after two steps of verification, and their business support requires and receives the latest in online security measures.

    But what about the price? After that first set of free storage, the next 25 gigabytes will only cost you $2.49 a month. The highest amount of storage they currently offer is 16 terrabytes for $799 a month, which only major international corporations will require. So if you compare that to the price of physical storage options, as well as the added price of requiring backups for all of those devices, and you’ll find it’s an incredibly good deal. Of course, you’ll also have the benefit of being able to access your content from any device that’s internet-connected. So if you suffer a theft or a fire, or are simply traveling and need one of your stored documents, all will be available to you. Google Drive is new to the market, and some may be cautious about taking advantage of the completely altered workflow. But at that price and those capabilities, you can rest assured your money is being well spent.

  • New Smartphone App Gives Verizon Customers VoIP Capabilities

    South Carolina-based Zipit Wireless launched a new app, one they expect to help healthcare professionals deliver faster, more complete aid to their patients than ever before. It’s called Zipit Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution, and it has grown out of an exclusive partnership with Verizon.

    The new app will launch in over one hundred healthcare facilities in the United States, and will give professionals the ability to send a tracked communication in ten seconds or less. That level of speed means faster decision-making for patients in critical health and better access to current patient and treatment information, potentially leading to higher quality care and saved lives.

    The app will be available on Android and iOS devices, and works like a next generation pager. Users can send alerts, launch a two-way communications window, and create pages tagged with various levels of priority. The Vice President of Verizon Connected Healthcare, Peter Tippett, feels it may forever transform the healthcare industry. His excitement stems from the idea that technology can enable professionals to better care for their patients through instant connectivity and the sharing of information at unprecedented speeds.

    Hospital professionals are already sounding off on the app’s viability and real-world applications. They feel it brings accountability along with information access, as the app creates a detailed log of all communications, whether voice, text or page. But Zipit Wireless feels that the app provides a unique opportunity for other industries as well. Any field that needs quick, clear and accountable communication, such as the manufacturing or hotel industries, will find it streamlines their IT processes, saving their company and their customers money and time.

  • With DirecTV and Viacom at Odds, Apple HDTV Suffers

    The continuing litigation between Viacom and DirecTV reached new levels this week, as Viacom pulled all of its stations from DirecTV’s more than twenty million subscribers. For those unfortunate satellite viewers, access to some of the most popular networks in the country, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET and MTV has been denied, with no end to the blackout in sight. Viacom has also removed many of their most watched shows from DirecTV’s free online streaming service, drawing a line against internet-powered content providers.

    With the two media giants battling over internet rights and increased pricing, owners of Apple’s forthcoming HDTV service may find themselves losing out..

    Apple’s goal was to supplement their popular Apple TV service with an expanded offering, one that allows viewers to pick and choose the channels they want included in their plans. This strategy is an affront to the cable providers who really make their money through bundled plans, and refuse to come down from their previous strategies. This is the case with Viacom and DirecTV, and may keep Apple’s a la carte dreams from ever becoming a reality.

    Apple has long contended that their internet service would save consumers money over traditional cable television. But it is clear that Viacom and those other programming behemoths will price individual channels so high that private customers would end up spending far more for Apple’s HDTV service than they would for cable. The only hope is if Apple can strike direct deals with the content creators, thereby giving customers a direct line into picking and choosing their favorite shows. But as Netflix, Hulu and other internet content providers have found, traditional entertainment companies are unwilling to play ball.

  • Nielsen: Android Leads the Market Share in USA

    Android operating system seems to win the battle over iOS, at least in the American market share. At least, that's what a latest research says.

    According to Nielsen's research, 51.8 % of US users that own a smartphone are choosing Android as their operating system. Apple comes second with the 34.3% of the market share, while RIM by Blackberry is third with 8.1% of the market share. Although the figures might be surprising for some of you, in fact they shouldn't be.

    We all know that iPhones dominate in the industry, but we also know that Android is a big competitor. Although their constant battle does not always have a clear winner, in this case the numbers can be justified by the fact that Android is used by many smartphone brands. Also, the fact that Android smartphones are cheaper, at least statistically, than the iPhones, makes users prefer the cost-effective choice. Android's percentage of market share consists of Samsung, HTC, Motorola and other smartphones.

    On the contrary, when we are referring to iOS, we know that it's only iPhone that includes the specific operating system. Despite its higher price, iPhone is still in high esteem and that's why the stand-alone percentage of 34% should not be underestimated.

    After all, times are changing and we are not sure whether the numbers will be the same by the end of the year. We might not be able to predict the winner, and whether it will be a clear victory, but we can tell that the release of Apple's new iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S III will affect the current graph.

  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus Ban Taken Off Temporarily

    The Samsung Galaxy Nexus ban in the US following a favorable ruling for Apple by the U.S District Court Judge Lucy Koh has been seen as many as a major win for the makers of the iPhone and the iPad.

    Apple, off late, has been engaged in scores of copyright law suits against other manufacturers including Samsung, HTC and Motorola. In an attempt to desperately stall the rise of Android powered devices in the market and ensure that they stay firmly at the top, they have even posted a $2.6 million bond for stopping the Samsung Galaxy Tab and a further $95.6 million bond for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

    However in a turn of fortune the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has now lifted that ban against the shipment of the Galaxy Nexus paving the way for its return to stores and to the Google play store.

    For the uninitiated, the reason for Apple’s move to court was apparently four features that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus boasted and which the Apple iPhone 4S also had. These are slide to unlock, word suggestion, auto correct (which is in fact a cool tool) and the ability to do a local phone search. The last one was particularly very important for Smartphone users. This means the much vaunted Google Ice Cream Sandwich powered smartphone is going to look quite not so smartphone like when the 4.1 updates and other patches removing these features are implemented.

    The Galaxy Nexus has lesser emotional attachments to Samsung and more for Google and they are taking this Galaxy Nexus ban revoke as a second coming for the Smartphone to the US market. Apparently with Apple’s recent history of going against any thing that is remotely threatening, the next obvious target is the Samsung Galaxy S3 and with the iPhone 5 rumored to be launching next October, Apple would be looking to embroil the S3 in as much litigation as possible to remove the competition for the last iPhone designed by legendary Steve Jobs.

  • AT&T Galaxy Note and Galaxy S II Skyrocket Get Android 4.0 Update

    Good news finally for all the AT&T Galaxy Note and Skyrocket users! According to a report, an ICS update for the AT&T Galaxy Note and Skyrocket is ready and would be distributed starting today July 10th 2012. What it means is that users who were hitherto stuck with the older versions of the Android OS will finally get a taste of the relatively new ICS.

    So what does the update have in store for the users of these two smartphones? For the Samsung Galaxy Note users, the update will have apart from the major version change and the tiny bits and pieces changes that come with it is the one major addition of the Premium Suite. This means the S-Memo and the S-Note along with the integrated Wolphram Alpha update. This allows better functionality with the pen which should give users of the Samsung Galaxy Note more reasons to cheer. The remaining bits and pieces updates will also ensure that the phones upgrading from the older Gingerbread will have plenty of goodies to keep their users engaged for a while. For those users who are familiar with the S-Beam, S-Voice and Smart Stay features of the Samsung Galaxy S3, there is however bad news as these changes will not be available in the update.

    Some of the users are expected to get an advance access to the update, but the majority will get it sometime on the 10th. For Skyrocket users they can download the I727UCLF6 update patch from Kies and install it.

    At this point there is a simple piece of advice, just keep your wireless connections on and wait for that alert to appear and enjoy the new ICS when it gets successfully downloaded and installed on your smartphone.

  • Deal Alert: HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for $99 On Wirefly

    The HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE was launched by Verizon on July 5th. On a two-year contract at Verizon, the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE will be available to its customers for only $150. However, WireFly has this fantastic offer for the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for $99 only. This offer is available for both existing and new users and immediately knocks off $50 from the Verizon offer.

    The HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE is an Android phone featuring the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) version. It is powered by the 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and has 1 GB of internal memory. The rear camera is a 28mm 8-megapixel one and the front facing camera is just suitable enough for making those video calls to your friends and family. The camera and the display of this red and black smartphone are not the very best in the market. The display is a 4” super LCD qHD but yet leaves a lot to be expected from it. it features the Beats Audio technology from HTC which has not lived up to its billing to produce great sound. This phone is the third in the Incredible line following the Incredible 1 and the Incredible 2 but does not compare with the other range of smartphones from the HTC stable.

    Really at $150 it was still stiff for the users to opt for this phone, but the $99 offer from Wirefly does make you at least to consider it. Some of the other features of the phone include the ability to use the 4G LTE connection of Verizon and share it with up to ten Wi-Fi enabled devices. The camera has a 28mm lens, LED flash and auto-focus. It draws power from a lithium-ion batter pack rated 1700 mAh and can support a 32 GB MicroSD memory card.

  • iPhone Revenue Hits $150 Billion in 5 Years

    Apple iPhones have had a resounding success since launch, having generating huge revenues for the Cupertino-based company over the time.

    With an estimated volume of 250 million iPhones sold over 5 years, Apple rose among the most profitable and valuable companies in the world, managing to collect, with this range of products only, revenues that currently exceed $ 150 billion. However, from the equation are excluded accessories, software and other services, which together generated between 3% and 5% of quarterly revenues associated with Apple’s iPhones.

    However, the spectacular success enjoyed by Apple in the last five years is not a guarantee for the future. According to Neil Shah, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, there are already appearing signs announcing a more difficult progress for the iPhone range.

    "Some mobile operators are becoming concerned about the high level of subsidies they spend on the iPhone, while Samsung is expanding its popular Galaxy portfolio and providing Apple with more credible competition,” Shah told CNET.

    According to him, mobile operators’ concerns are based on economic reasons. Shah gave an example where an iPhone priced at $ 600, then offered through a two-year subscription contract at $ 299 or even $ 199, the difference of $ 300 – $ 400 from the original price is supported at the expense of mobile operators. Aware of the sales power they hold, those from Apple are willing to negotiate for a lower price.

    The story is radically different when it comes to popular Android terminals such as HTC One X or the Galaxy S3 from Samsung. Taking as example the Galaxy S3, with starting price set initially at $ 500 – $ 550, mobile operators have managed to negotiate discounts at $ 400 or even less, considerably shortening the time required to recover the investment in the payment of contracted subscriptions. "The Galaxy S3 subsidy is considerably lower," Shah told CNET, also adding that this might convince phone operators to think twice before working with Apple.

    However, there are some doubts about the ability of operators to make things right. Katy Huberty, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said that most mobile operators are contractually obliged to provide certain subsidies, and these contracts will remain in force for at least several years. Even worse is that all these contracts will expire simultaneously, virtually excluding any possibility that the large operators to ally against Apple, seeking more favorable conditions for subsidizing products.

    Helped by favorable contracts and the popularity enjoyed by its products, Apple is likely to achieve record revenues in the years to come, even if the competition comes with products that are reaching a level that can be considered convincing alternatives.