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Tag: smartphone

  • 4SeTV Streaming Device Brings Four-in-One Viewing Experience to Big Screen TVs, Tablets and Smartphones

    4SeTV Streaming Device Brings Four-in-One Viewing Experience to Big Screen TVs, Tablets and Smartphones

    4SeTV

    A new TV streaming device from 4SeTV lets you watch any four live television shows at once on a tablet, smartphone or TV. Alternatively, up to four people can view an individual live show of their choice on four different devices, at the same time.

    Built on patent pending technology, 4SeTV uses over-the-air broadcasting and streams the HD content you want to see to your connected devices in your home network. It is said to be the first-ever device that lets you select and watch four channels on the same screen.

    4SeTV hooks up to your HDTV antenna and connects to your router with an Ethernet cable. From there, simply switch the box on and go, at the push of a button.

    How it works:

    • Content is broadcast (i.e. free HDTV content over-the-air, clear QAM)
    • It is captured by an antenna and relayed to the 4SeTV device
    • Broadcast content is captured by the 4SeTV device
    • 4SeTV streams the content to connected devices in your home network (smartphones, tablets and TVs)

    4SeTV is now at the production unit stage and conducted live demonstrations of its device at the Showstoppers media event held yesterday at the NAB show in Las Vegas.

    4SeTV is available for pre-order on Kickstarter and is priced at $99 for early adopters. The first units are slated to ship in August.

  • Samsung to Pay $1 Billion to Apple

    Apple is finally the winner in the big patent war with Samsung, since the juries found that Samsung infringed Apple's patents.

    This decision is forcing all the manufacturers to avoid creating any smartphones that might even resemble to Apple's products, in order to avoid the consequences.

    Samsung is now expected to pay $1 Billion, which is a big loss for them. The fact that they were rising on the smartphone market is forcing them to reconsider on their future phones. As for the patent war and Apple's victory, they mentioned in a statement:

    "It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.”

    Apple on the other hand should feel relieved from this decision, which might also boost their sales even more. According to Katie Cotton, Apple's spokeswoman, and her words in New York Times:

    "The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.”

    What is the future in the smartphone market after this decision?

  • Windows Phone to win Blackberry in US market

    Times are changing and so does the smartphone market. Gone are the days when Research in Motion was dominating the smartphone market. Now, Blackberry seems to decline in the US market, with Windows Phone being willing to take over its place.

    According to a chart from Statcounter, posted by WMPoweruser, Windows Phones are expected to overtake Blackberries in the US market until November. The fact that Windows Phone is on the rise and Blackberry seems to decline might justify the graph's validity. What's more, Windows Phone 8 smartphones are about to be released in September, which raises the competition even more. And the graph is further enhanced by the fact that Blackberry 10 is not expected before the beginning of 2013.

    With all these in mind, Microsoft should be happy about their recent progress in the smartphone market. Although many were questioning whether Windows Phone could make it in such a competitive market, the numbers are proving them wrong. Microsoft's collaboration with Nokia is already considered rather successful, since it was a combination of Nokia's experience in the smartphone market with Microsoft's fresh air. If you consider that the first Windows Phone has been released in US market only 2 years ago, and is currently about to overtake a well established name like Blackberry, then it is definitely a success.

    Blackberry on the other hand hopes that Blackberry 10 will help them recover, since they keep on losing their share in the market. Two years ago they held the 34.3% of the US market, a number which now seems really distant to them. Times are changing, Apple is dominating and Blackberries are only used by a small, but loyal, group of people that are satisfied with them and do not seek a change.
    However, are these people enough to hold such a big name?

  • Are we addicted to our smartphones?

    We live in a digital era where surfing on the Internet and checking for emails and any new notifications has become a never-ending habit. Even though we are not expecting a message, we feel "obliged" to check our smartphone.

    Time's Techland has conducted a big survey among 5,000 Americans, Chinese, Indians, South Koreans, Brazilians and South Africans and found out that we are indeed significantly addicted to our smartphones. According to the respondents of the poll:

    – 84% wouldn't live a day without a smartphone

    – 20% check the smartphone every 10 minutes

    – 50% of Americans sleep with their smartphone next to them

    – 32% prefers to communicate by text message

    – 17% checks the smartphone while eating, regardless of the person they are dining with.

    – 73% of Indians feel closer to their family with the use of technology

    – 79% of Chinese feel better informed about the latest news

    – 48% of South Koreans feel that they spend too much time on their smartphones, instead of observing the world

    – The average appropriate age for a child to have the first smartphone is considered the 13 years.

    The stats above indicate that smartphones have become part of our daily routines and even more, an extension to our life, our work, our social life. We cannot deny that times are changing and that the future will be even more digital. Technology has improved communication and we should embrace it, in order to improve our lives. However, it's up to us to decide the extent that we will use our smartphones, in order to balance our online and offline worlds.

    Don't let smartphones and the digital world take over your life. Instead, use them wisely and enjoy all their benefits. They are a lot!

  • LG sold 5 million LTE smartphones!

    LG is proud to announce that they managed to sell 5 million LTE smartphones, commenting on their strategy for "different phones for different consumer needs".

    It was just a month ago when they announced that they had sold  million LTE smartphones. Now, in just a month they managed to reach another milestone, selling almost one LTE smartphone every two and a half seconds! Their strategy is based on the diversity of their consumers, trying to offer a smartphone for every need. They already have 10 LTE smartphones, which are available in USA, Korea, Japan and several countries in Europe and Asia, where LTE services are available. The most popular LTE smartphone is definitely Optimus LTE, selling 2 million units, while Optimus Vu has sold 500,000 units. Another success was Optimus LTE II, the first LTE with 2GB RAM, which has already sold 500,000 units in just 70 days.
    LG is very optimistic about the future of LTE smartphones, feeling comfortable that these figures are just the beginning.
    According to the CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company, Dr. Jong-seok Park:

    “Sales of global LTE smartphones are expected to increase ten-fold this year from last year.”

    “With that in mind, we are planning to introduce an even more impressive LTE line-up in the next several months second to none.”

    According to a report by Jefferies & Company, LG is dominant in LTE patents globally, having a value of more than 8 billion dollars.

    It seems like LG has found a way to survive in the competitive smartphone market industry, hoping that LTEs will maintain and even increase their numbers in the following years.

  • Nokia to Launch Windows Phone 8 Smartphone

    Nokia used to be dominant in the smartphone market share, but the arrival of iPhone has dropped their sales significantly. The company seems to insist in releasing Windows Phone handsets and that is why they are about to release Windows Phone 8 smartphone.

    Nokia realized that Symbian cannot compete with iOS and Android, so they decided to cooperate with Microsoft and launch Windows Phone handsets. Lumia 900 was quite a success, selling 4 million units during the Q2. Many customers turned to Nokia one more time, finding an alternative to iPhone, at a much lower price. However, the upcoming release of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 from Microsoft has become a problem for Nokia. They decided to drop the price of Lumia 900 by 50$, but the fact that those who bought it were informed that they wouldn't be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8, was rather disappointing. Hence, they seem to be preparing for the release of new smartphones, coming along with Windows Phone 8 and trying to save the game.

    Windows Phone 7, which became Windows Phone 7.5, has received good reviews and although it is still a new operating system, it has the potential to be competitive the next few years. Nokia believes that they can boost their sales with the support of Microsoft and they stick to Windows Phone handsets. During September we are expecting the announcement of the new smartphones and by the end of the year they will be available in the market.

    However, with the release of the highly anticipated new iPhone, is this a good time for a new smartphone? Actually, it might be. Not everyone can afford an iPhone and if Nokia can provide them with another good smartphone, why not buy it?

  • Samsung Breaks the Shipping Record on Smartphones

    Samsung seems to enjoy its latest success on smartphones, with the numbers of the second quarter being more than satisfactory.

    As it seems, Samsung is finally a real competitor for Apple, with their recently popular Galaxy series selling even more than what they expected. According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung shipped in the second quarter 50.5 million smartphones, which is a new record in the shipments of smartphones. Meanwhile, Apple sold only half of Samsung's numbers, with just 26 million units. These recent stats indicate that Samsung holds the 35% of the global market in the second quarter, while Apple is behind, with the 18% of the market.

    What's more, Samsung had a 5.86$ billion profit, which is 79% more than the one they had just a year ago. Of course, Galaxy S has affected a lot the sales, since there are many customers that are preferring it over the anticipation of a new iPhone. As it seems, it is the only smartphone that can really compete with iPhone and Samsung seems to enjoy this privilege. However, how long is this heyday going to last?
    According to Neil Shah, Strategy Analytics analyst:

    “We believe Apple’s lackluster performance was driven by some Apple fans and operators holding off iPhone purchases in anticipation of a rumored new iPhone 5 model around September or October this year.”

    It cannot be denied that an Apple fan is on hold for the arrival of iPhone 5, but how will Apple react to the competition?

    Nobody can tell yet. For the time being, Samsung can celebrate on their quarterly victory. As for Apple, they are waiting for the next crucial quarter. 

  • Facebook smartphone denied by Zuckerberg

    There were many rumors the last months about a possible release of a Facebook smartphone in the near future. We even heard of its specifications. However, they do not seem to be realistic anymore.

    According to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, "it wouldn't really make much sense" for such a move and the possibility of creating their own smartphone. This means that all the rumors all these months about a Facebook smartphone, its possible design and its specifications were nothing more than rumors, with no credibility at all. There was even a rumor about Facebook collaborating with HTC and employing engineers to build hardware, but Mark Zuckerberg was quite clear.

    Was he? Some Facebook "experts" believe that he might be hiding his plans, in order to surprise them all at a future announcement. Not many CEOs like to provide details about their plans and this might be another case of it. Even though they might not expect to release a Facebook smartphone right now, how can we be sure that they won't do it in the future?

    It is obvious that Facebook focuses a lot on mobile market lately, especially after the acquisition of Instagram for 1$ billion. This meant that they try to be part of the profitable mobile industry and the possibility of having their own smartphone to combat the others, and not just an application, might not be a bad idea. Of course the competition would be high and they already risked a lot with their IPO, but do such companies act with cautiousness?

  • iPhone 5 to have short battery life?

    New rumors about iPhone 5 are spreading all over the internet and they refer to its possible short battery life. It is well known from the previous iPhones that battery drains easily, due to the heavy use. However, every year there is an optimism before the release of the new iPhone that battery life will be extended. And although developers try hard to satisfy the customers, multitasking always creates a longer need for battery's use.

    According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 5 battery won't differ a lot from the one the iPhone 4 had, which might disappoint Apple's fans. Battery is rumored to be with a capacity of 1440 mAh, while the iPhone 4S had a capacity of 130 mAh.

    What's more, the fact that iPhone 5 will have a larger screen and LTE capability, means that battery life might be indeed shorter than what we were hoping. This can be guessed even without the rumors, as it happens with every new smartphone. Unfortunately, the fact that the smartphones are nowadays for various uses, makes them have their batteries draining every day, with the need of an extra battery increasing.

    Until the market finds a way to increase significantly the battery life of the smartphone, we have to deal with the current battery and focus on all the other features that iPhone 5 will have. There are so many advantages anyway that we don't have to be disappointed yet. At least, not without actually using it. Wait until September 12 then!

  • Samsung New Galaxy Note Launch Date Revealed

    Samsung has finally decided about the date that the new Galaxy Note will be launched and as it seems, it will be in the 29th of August.

    After all these rumors and speculations about the release of the brand new Galaxy Note, Samsung announced that they will launch it at the Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin, in the 29th of August. It was confirmed by a spokesman of Samsung to Reuters, although he preferred not to give any other details.

    Galaxy Note was a huge success back in 2011, with its 5.3-inch screen and  the Android Ice Cream Sandwich capturing everyone's attention. The fact that it was something between a smartphone and a tablet, created a new need for many of us, the need to have an extra device. And since it was carefully made to compete with the best, it had received great reviews by geek fans. According to Samsung, 7 million Galaxy Notes have already been sold, raising the standards for the new model.

    Samsung feels that after the release of the popular Galaxy S III smartphone, another release of a popular smartphone/tablet would be at a perfect timing. They know that they are finally among the powerful at the market and they need to live up to the customers' expectations. Many Samsung fans anticipate for the release of the new Galaxy Note. And the fact that it will be released before Google's Nexus 7 and before the brand new iPhone, means that they need to convince customers as fast as possible.