Posts Tagged ‘Apple’

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Apple Loses Title of Most Valuable Company in the World

Saturday, February 2nd, 2013

apple earnings reportApple has a large group of blind followers, users that will purchase absolutely anything with a half-eaten fruit emblem on it. How does Apple get customers to pay such large premiums over and over again?

They communicate to consumers that their products are like no other and are the best on the market. So far, Apples message has been extremely effective. Between September 2009 and September 2012, the stock roughly quadrupled in value, hitting a high of $702.10 on September 19. However, Apple’s stock has steadily declined a shocking 26% since September.

The question is, why?

(more…)

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Mobile Monday – September Sparks Several Gadget Releases

Monday, September 10th, 2012

This post is part of the weekly ‘Mobile Monday‘ series on news, ideas, and strategies in the world of mobile devices.

For most of us, September is a busy month. Kids are going back to school, and parents are getting them there. The arrival of fall means finishing up summer projects and getting ready for the cooler months. But it looks like the busiest people will be those in the mobile electronics industry. Many of them have started up their campaigns and releases of new gadgets this September. With all that’s coming up, we thought it was time to give you a snapshot of it all.

On September 5, Nokia and Microsoft teamed up as they announced the next step for Windows Phones. The Windows Phone 8 operating system has supposedly been reworked “from the ground up” to make it compatible with Windows 8 itself. Microsoft hit a snag with WP 7, so it entirely revamped the software.

At the event, Nokia announced the release of its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 phones, both of which have the Microsoft software installed and ready for use. Taiwan-based smartphone maker HTC is another one of Microsoft’s Windows Phone partners and will be holding an event in New York City on September 19. HTC has released more devices for the Android operating system than Windows Phone this year, so it’s likely they will unveil a new WP 8 device at the event.

Not to be left out of the phone game, Motorola unveiled its Droid Razr HD as well as the Razr Maxx HD. The display screen on the phones has been extended, and a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor is featured. Motorola made waves with the 3300mAh battery on its previous Droid Razr Maxx, and is continuing to embrace long battery life as the phone’s claim to fame. The Razr HD harnesses a battery with sixteen straight hours of energy and the new Razr Maxx HD has the same 3300mAh battery, which means twenty-one astounding hours of operation.

Now, if you are looking for a tablet or e-reader, Amazon’s updated Kindle Fire HD is waiting in the wings. With rounder corners and a sharper screen, the regular tablet features a 7-inch screen and the larger one boasts an 8.9-inch display. The regular model costs $200, the larger model is $300, and the 4G LTE model is $500. When it comes to storage, the price may be worth it: the Fire HD starts with 16GB of local storage. The previous had half of that. There’s also less glare—25% to be exact.

Amazon also announced the release of the E-Ink Kindle Paperwhite. The 3G version comes out October 1st and will cost around $179. The older version now costs only $79. It has capitative touch, which is different from the infrared touch of most other touch devices, which should lead to more accurate loads as well as thinner Kindles in the future. It’s a frontlit device and has a nice, even light with a battery life of 8 weeks (on medium level). The most fascinating feature is its “Time to Read” feature, which learns how quickly you read and tells you how much time it will take you to finish a chapter or the whole book.

Now, no tech/mobile article would be complete without a mention of Apple, so here it is: we may finally see an iPhone 5 this month. Apple sent out invites for a special event on September 12, with a not-so-subtle hint that the number “5″ will be significant to the event. There’s more in store than its newly designed earbuds, so stay tuned for whatever information is to come.

Which of these products are you most excited over?

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Apple’s iOS 6 – What To Expect

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

Apple launched its 23rd Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) yesterday with a revealing keynote that started with a witty Siri.

“How many developers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

“None – That’s a hardware problem……  ba dum ching”

A sophisticated Siri was just one of the new features presented for iOS 6. Apple’s new operating system has a recurring theme – tighter app integration and enhanced iCloud synchronization.

Sophisticated Siri

The former Siri was ideal for entertaining and retrieving quick data. Siri has been promoted to your executive assistant. She launches apps for you, updates your Facebook Status and sends a Tweet on request. She can look for a restaurant via Yelp and make reservations through OpenTable. Dinner and a movie? No problem, she has you covered with Fandango. She’ll let you in on the recent reviews from Rotten Tomatoes. If you miss the game, she can present you with sports stats and scores without picking up the phone.  Siri can increase your efficiency even in the car. The “Eyes Free” feature will be built into the steering wheel in certain BMW, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, General Motors, Honda and Audi models.

Maps. 

Apple’s navigation application flew right over Google Maps and didn’t look back. Maps is exquisite, offering convenience and productivity. It highlights turn by turn navigation; local searches, real-time traffic updates, 3D perspectives and the “flyover” feature which views a location as if you were in an aircraft.

 Not the Perfect Time for a Phone Call?  The iOS 6 update gives you options.

  • Ignore the call, but reply to the incoming call with a quick text message.
  • Ignore the call, but set a reminder about the call later.
  • In class, a meeting or movie? Set the “Do Not Disturb” option. It will block incoming calls but receive texts and alerts.

 

Passbook.

Keep electronic versions of admission tickets, boarding passes, reward cards and coupons in one location. Live data updates alert you when there is a flight delay or rain date. Radar lets you know your favorite store is nearby. Pretty handy, right?

Email.

Finally, you can instantly add photos to your email. You can also have multiple email signatures and use the VIP option to receive alerts when emails arrive from select contacts (ie: Your Boss!).

 

Other Noteworthy Changes:

  • Facebook has a closer harmonization in iOS 6. Facebook pictures, calendars, events and birthdays will be synced seamlessly. You’ll even be able to “Like” an app or song in the App Store.
  • WiFi is no longer a mandatory element for FaceTime – it is now 3G capable.
  • Safari: iCloud synchronization enables you to save tabs, cache pages and access an offline reading list without web connection.  You’ll also be able to use Safari in landscape mode.
  • Updated language support for 15 countries, now including Canadian French, Italian, Korean, Mandrin and Cantonese.
  • Restructured App Store lets you save your browsing where you left off and access your history.
  • There is much, much more to come. Approximately 200 features all together.

 

Arriving this fall, the iOS 6 updates pertain to specific Apple devices:

  • iPod Touch 4th generation
  • iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s
  • iPad 2 and iPad 3

 

The annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference is June 11th – 15th. Stay tuned for more updates!

Do you own an Apple device?  What do you think of the new iOS 6 software update?

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Mac OS X Mountain Lion: What You Need to Know

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Almost all of the Trending Topics on Twitter right now are related to Apple, and it doesn’t even have anything to do with the highly anticipated iPad 3. Today, the developer preview of a new operating system went live and people are loving it.

The operating system is Mac OS X version 10.8, aka Mountain Lion, and will be released in Summer 2012. I personally thought the last update, Mac OS X Lion, introduced some big changes, but they are nothing compared to what Mountain Lion will bring. If I had to describe the update with one word (aside from the word awesome), it would be this: iOS.

Apple’s website describes Mountain Lion as “Inspired by iPad. Re-imagined for Mac.” Given the wild success of the iPad, and the way mobile devices have changed our technology experiences, it makes perfect sense. This update will strengthen the relationship between Mac OS and iOS, and Apple device users will have a much more unified experience.

Here are some of the features we can look forward to with OS X Mountain Lion:

  • iChat will be replaced by Messages – The new chat system will be more like iMessage than Mac’s old iChat. You can send unlimited messages to anyone on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. You can also continue your conversations on any of your iOS devices. But don’t worry, you can still instant message. Messages will also support IM services such as AIM, Jabber, Google Talk, and Yahoo! Messenger. Want to try it? You can actually download the Beta version of Messages now.
  • Reminders – The list-making tool Reminders will be making its debut on Mac OS, minus the GPS support. Make as many lists as you want on your computer, add due dates and receive alerts as those dates approach. If you need to leave your computer, don’t worry because with iCloud it will all sync to your other iCloud-enabled devices.
  • Notes- Jotting down notes will be a lot easier with this new hybrid between the old Stickies app and the Notes feature within the Mail app. You’ll be able to add photos and attachments to them, share them via Mail or Messages, and pin important notes to your desktop. Notes also syncs with your other devices with iCloud.
  • Notification Center – Yes! You will be able to receive notifications via the Notification Center instead of annoying bouncing icons in the dock. You can customize which app notifications you want to receive, and they appear as unobtrusive banners that quickly disappear. Swipe to the left and view an ordered list of your recent notifications.
  • Game Center – Macs will finally have Game Center! Sign-in with your Apple ID and start playing against users on other Macs as well as iOS devices.
  • Sharing – Similar to how Twitter is integrated into iOS 5, you can tweet from any standard OS X app such as Photo Booth, iPhoto, or Safari with the new Tweet Sheet. Twitter notifications will even show up in the Notification Center! Other Share Sheets will allow you to share from more apps to more places, such as Flickr or Vimeo.
  • AirPlay Mirroring – If you have an Apple TV, AirPlay Mirroring streams what’s on your Mac to an HDTV.
  • Gatekeeper – Gatekeeper is a new security feature that can prevent you from downloading potentially dangerous software. You can change settings so that you can only download software from the Mac App Store, or from developers with Apple Developer IDs.

Learn out more about Mountain Lion and see it in action in Apple’s sneak peek video or Mashable’s photo gallery. Are you as excited as I am about the update? If you plan on downloading Mountain Lion when it comes out, what are you most looking forward to?

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Weekly Wrap – Twitter Tuesday

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

iOS 5 boosts daily sign-ups

One of the iPhone’s new features with iOS 5 is that Twitter is fully integrated into the operating system. This integration has led to a huge increase in the amount of people signing up for Twitter daily. On the day that iOS 5 was officially released, it was reported that Twitter had three times the amount of usual new user sign-ups.

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court to tweet updates

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has launched an official Twitter feed, @SupremeCtofPA. The account will tweet newly issued orders, rules, opinions, and concurring and dissenting statements by justices. Each tweet will include a link to the information on the Pennsylvania Judiciary’s website. Justice J. Michael Eaken spearheaded the creation of the account, which already have over 800 followers.

Earthquake shakes Twitter once again

When an earthquake hit the East Coast in August, it became obvious how events like that go viral through social media. Well an earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday, and the 3.9 magnitude earthquake hit Twitter again as well. And since Twitter users are always so good at pointing out irony, it’s been noted that there was a statewide earthquake drill earlier that morning. Since Twitter has become the “go-to” place for information about earthquakes, check out this cartoon to see how that whole process takes place during a catastrophic event.

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Remembering Steve Jobs

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

Last night, Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. and Pixar Animation passed away. The reaction on the Internet was tremendous. Normally, when a notable person dies, the reaction on social media can be pretty insensitive. Jokes are made, fingers are pointed, and people question the actual impact of the deceased individual. Not this time.

I was surprised and impressed to see my Twitter timeline filled with more condolences than jokes. There are still handfuls of insensitive remarks, but the vast majority of people realize the profound impact Jobs had on our lives.

On Twitter, timelines were filled with quotes by, about, and dedicated to Jobs. Several of Twitter’s top trending topics were related to Jobs. Trending topics include #RIPSteveJobs, #ThankYouSteve, #iSad, “STAY HUNGRY,” and “think different.” “Stay hungry” is a quote from Jobs’ commencement address at Stanford University’s 114th Commencement in 2005. Even other tech guys such as Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak were trending as people tweeted and retweeted quotes from the two on how they felt about Jobs’ passing.

There were also a lot of clever salutes to Jobs and the products Apple has created. Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino tweeted “Everybody put an iPhone up in the air one time #ripstevejobs” with a link to a picture of him holding his iPhone, and it was retweeted over 100 times. Many people also started chain tweets along the lines of “RT if you are using an Apple product right now.”

Grief was also expressed on Facebook, where Mark Zuckerberg himself posted a status update saying: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you”

Apple’s homepage has been cleaned of all the announcements of new products from the event on Tuesday, replaced by a simple but powerful picture of Jobs. The picture links to another page that says a few words about Jobs and encourages people to share their thoughts by emailing rememberingsteve@apple.com. Google’s homepage also pays tribute to Jobs, right below the search box.

On Tumblr, which is popular for sharing images and memes, people were sharing amazing images in memory of Steve Jobs. We’ve put together a slideshow of a few of the pictures we liked the most.

Have you seen any other powerful memorials or tributes to Steve Jobs? What is your favorite Apple innovation?

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Let’s Talk iPhone–A Quick Recap

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Today was Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event at their Cupertino campus, where they announced new versions of the iPod Nano and iPod Touch, announced the release date of iOS5 and iCloud, and unveiled the highly-anticipated new iPhone, the iPhone 4S. Here is everything you need to know!

iPod Nano

  • Inspired by the Nano accessories that let you wear your Nano like a watch around your wrist, Apple has added a number of clock interfaces
  • Larger screen icons for easier navigating
  • Built-in accelerometer to make tracking fitness easier
  • Comes in 7 colors, available now
  • Price: $129 for 8GB, $149 for 16GB

iPod Touch

  • Will be available in black or white
  • Runs on iOS 5, meaning it will have Game Center and iMessage (free text messaging, anyone?)
  • Supports iCloud
  • Price: $199 for 8GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB
  • Available: October 12

iOS 5

  • Improved notification system
  • Location-based reminders
  • iMessage, a device-to-device messaging system
  • Twitter integration
  • Improved Camera app
  • New greeting card app
  • Price: free to download!
  • Available: October 12

iCloud

  • Find My Friends app for location sharing
  • Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch/Mac–locate your missing Apple device by signing in to icloud.com
  • Available: October 12

iPhone 4S

  • Looks just like the iPhone 4
  • Much better camera than the iPhone 4
  • Uses Apple’s A5 chip, increasing speeds
  • HD video recording
  • Airplay: wirelessly stream content from your phone to your HDTV
  • Coming to Sprint
  • Siri voice assistant
  • Comes in black and white
  • Available: for pre-order on October 7, for purchase on October 14 at 8 a.m.
  • Price (with 2 year contract): $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB

Are you going to be buying an iPhone 4S? Which of Apple’s many announcements are you most excited about?

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Apple Take Over

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Since 2005, Exxon Mobil has held its spot as the number one most valuable company in the US.  But all that has changed since iPod touches, iPhones, iPads, and iClouds.

Everyone wants a piece of it.  Once you use one of these sleek phones or gadgets, you need one!  Their stylish products and advanced technology makes it irresistible to not throw your Blackberry out the window, and consumers have definitely shown this is true!

On Wednesday, Apple moved to the number one position by market value—leaving Exxon in the dust.  Apple is now the most valuable US company, and its stocks are worth more than any others.

Exxon currently has a market value of $331 billion, but Apple has outranked them, obtaining a market value of $337 billion.  One share of an Apple stock costs $363.  Wow! Apparently people need iPhones more than they need gas!

This is probably not that shocking to most people.  Just last year, Apple’s net income shot up 70 percent ($14 billion) and its profits grew 52 percent ($65 billion).  Apple said that in their latest quarterly report, their iPad and iPhone sales contributed to more than doubling their net income to $7.3 billion and shooting up its revenue by 82 percent ($29 billion).

The tech giant is putting all others to shame with their fresh, modern products.  Apple is just behind Hewlett-Packard Co.—the world’s largest technology company by revenue—with $28.6 billion in its last quarter, while HP reported $31.6 billion in profit.

Apple is taking over, but no ones complaining about it!

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The U.S. Has iPhone Fever!!

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

About one third of the US population says they will be walking around talking on new iPhone 5s within the next year.  The wait and withheld release date of the new phone has created so much buzz that 35% of consumers say they want it!

Rumors have it that the iPhone 5 will be launched in September, and the wait is almost over!  Statements from an anonymous Swisscom source claim that Apple will be launching the smartphone in the US on September 5 and worldwide the following month.  However, that is an odd date and on a holiday weekend.  There are doubts that it will be released then, but it will most likely be somewhat close to it.

Of that thirty-five percent, 7% will buy it in the first week, 14% will buy within the first month, 30% before the end of 2011, and 51% say they will have it within a year of its release.  Wow!! This phone is creating a frenzy!

Consumers have some pretty high expectations for the new phone, and Apple is very unlikely to let us down.  42% of consumers are looking for a better camera, 45% a bigger display, 46% are concerned about the 4G network, 55% want a lower cost, and 59% say they want longer battery life.

The craze over the iPhone 5 is great for Apple, guaranteeing them customers and hopefully giving us satisfaction!  Apple seems to be making entire movements with their products and trending all around the world.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sure hoppin’ on that iPhone train in September!

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Is the Extinction of Discs Coming Too Quickly?

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

It feels like we just made the switch from floppy disks and VHS tapes to CD-ROMs and DVDs.  And we’re already switching from discs to …thumb drives and clouds?  Apple is making the first step in obsolescing discs, and—more than likely—everyone is going to have to follow along to keep up.

Apple has removed their DVD drives from Mac Mini computers, and MacBook Airs already didn’t have one.  This means that if you want to play a CD or watch a DVD, you will need a separate SuperDrive to do so.

Some believe Apple did this to cut costs, and others think it’s because Apple is simply just retiring discs all together.  But what are the pluses and minuses about this, and is it really necessary to outdate CDs and DVDs?

A few arguments for the upgrade are that discs make noise, they can get scratched, they use more battery power on a computer, they’re slower, and they’re less convenient.  The internet has made sharing files easy as pie, but do we really want to convert everything to just computer files?  It seems like Blu-ray players just came out for goodness sake! What am I going to do with all those Blu-ray DVDs now???!

Apple’s iCloud is making moves like we never imagined and is changing our technology and world as we all know it.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but how are we all suppose to keep up?!

Whaddyathink?

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