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Global Smartphone Shipments To Reach 950 Million In 2013 - Digitimes Research
Nearly Three Times The Percentage Of iPhone Buyers Switch From Samsung Than Vice-Versa
Champagne Gold iPhone 5S A Near-Certainty, But iOS 7 For iPad May Be Delayed
Android is A Linux Distro
77% of Mobile App Purchasers Have Concerns When Buying Mobile Apps
BlackBerry Shedding Market Share Even In Overseas Strongholds Says Study
New iPad and iPhone Acrylic Display Stands from newMacgadgets
FileThis Fetch Helps Consumers Stay On Top of Their Paperwork
Free Practical Paperless Form Creation Comes To iOS With enneaform
clevermind iPad App Designed To Ease Challenges of Day-To-Day Caring for Alzheimer's Disease
Forty-Six Percent Of Back-to-School Shoppers Plan To Use Their Smartphone To Look For Bargains According to PriceGrabber Survey
Global Smartphone Shipments To Reach 950 Million In 2013 - Digitimes Research
Digitimes Research's Luke Lin reports that global smartphone shipments reached 420 million units in the first half of 2013, and are expected to top an estimated nearly 950 million units for the full year.
Lin notes that the supply of mobile RAM and NAND flash chips, which was tight and costly in the first half of 2013 in part due to price manipulation by suppliers, will ease in the second half, but that for HD and Full HD displays will remain tight in latter half of the year.
The report says that shipment growth in China will be limited in the second half as vendors continue to digest high inventories of 3.5-inch TD-SCDMA models, but shipments in India, Russia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America will remain robust during the period.
It also notes that some handset design houses and OEMs in China have been shifting their focus to overseas markets, alleviating price competition in the homeland. Meanwhile, the top-four U.S. telecom carriers have begun offering one-year subscription contracts, which is expected to stir up demand for high-end models.
Digitimes Research projects that four out of the top-10 smartphone vendors in 2013 will be China-based brands, and Taiwan-based HTC will be excluded from the top-10 ranking. Samsung Electronics, Apple and LG Electronics will be the top-three vendors, with Lenovo, Sony Mobile Communications and Huawei taking the fourth to sixth positions. ZTE will rank seventh, followed by Yulong (Coolpad), Nokia and BlackBerry, with each of the last four vendors shipping about 30 million smartphones in the year.
Via: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130819PD210.html
Nearly Three Times The Percentage Of iPhone Buyers Switch From Samsung Than Vice-Versa
Fortune's Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports that twenty percent of Apple's iPhone customers over the past year were switching from an Android phone, but only seven percent of Samsung buyers had previously owned an iPhone, according to a new study released to Fortune by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).
For the full report with charts, see:
http://goo.gl/hRzfWI
Champagne Gold iPhone 5S A Near-Certainty, But iOS 7 For iPad May Be Delayed
According to 9To5Mac's Mark Gurman, there will be a champagne gold iPhone 5S, likely with a fingerprint sensor as well, but he says the iPad version iOS 7 running behind schedule.
Gurman says a source who has used the device has confirmed that the iPhone 5S will come in a gold color option, and he's also heard that this gold model has a white front-face, so it wont be a black and gold device, but rather a white and gold/champagne phone. It looks elegant, not cheap, the source said.
He's also heard multiple hints from sources indicating that the iPhone 5S will include a fingerprint scanner on the Home button, and that while Apple is nearing a golden master seed for the iPhone (and consequently iPod touch) version of iOS 7.0, he's told that the iPad version is running behind, with there being "chatter inside Apple" about the potential of holding back the iPad version for an iOS 7.0.1 release between late September and October; perhaps alongside fresh new iPad hardware.
For the full report visit here:
http://goo.gl/uirDHe
Android is A Linux Distro
OSNews's Thom Holwerda says there's a common misconception among people who don't really understand what Linux is - one that he's seeing pop up more and more now that people are trying to paint Android in a negative light - i.e., as competition to not just iOS, but also the noble and open source Linux.
However, Holwerda contends that Android is just as much 'Linux' as Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat, or anything else that uses the Linux kernel, and says that technically, a better term would be 'Linux distribution', since Linux in and of itself is just a kernel.
He notes that Wikipedia's definition of 'Linux distribution' fits Android quite well:
"A Linux distribution (often called distro for short) is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications. These operating systems consist of the Linux kernel and, usually, a set of libraries and utilities from the GNU Project, with graphics support from the X Window System. Distributions optimized for size may not contain X and tend to use more compact alternatives to the GNU utilities, such as BusyBox, uClibc, or dietlibc."
Consequently, says Holwerda, Android is a Linux distribution, and an addition to the Linux ecosystem - not a challenger, and that painting it as such is just a sign of ignorance.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.osnews.com/story/27277/Android_is_Linux
77% of Mobile App Purchasers Have Concerns When Buying Mobile Apps
SOASTA Inc., specialists in cloud and mobile testing, have announced the findings of a series of surveys questioning American adults about their concerns when buying mobile apps, and the issues developers face with testing apps before they are released. Harris Interactive conducted an online survey on behalf of SOASTA among 3,130 American adults ages 18+ (the consumer study), while uSamp polled 1,309 information technology specialists and mobile app developers (the developer study). Both surveys occurred in July, 2013. SOASTA commissioned the research due to its position as the leading provider of cloud and mobile testing solutions for leading brands. The results of the consumer study show that 77% of consumers who purchase mobile apps have concerns that would prevent them from buying a mobile app, while it appears that developers are not doing enough to ensure a high quality user experience for their apps that reach the market.
Results from the developer study suggest that developers are craving cost-effective, efficient, and easy to use software to aid in the mobile app testing process, while consumers want higher quality apps.
According to the consumer study, the concerns U.S. consumers who ever buy mobile apps have that would prevent them from buying a mobile app include:
Bugs (58%)
Crashes (57%)
Performance (48%)
Speed (32%)
App does not respond to gestures or swipes (30%)
Other (10%)
According to the developer study, the primary reasons developers cited as reasons for not testing apps include:
Cost (51%)
Time (51%)
Absence of a good Freemium solution (36%)
Hard to learn testing software (33%)
Lack of testing skills at their companies (20%)
"User experience is top of the agenda in mobile today, and by taking an automated cloud-based testing approach and understanding your audience better with real user monitoring, developers can make sure their apps are ready for prime time," says Tom Lounibos, SOASTA CEO.
SOASTA has announced TouchTest LITE, the new free version of TouchTest. TouchTest allows developers to overcome the challenges in mobile app testing providing a fast, reliable test automation solution for todays quick development cycles.
In the consumer study, of those who own smartphones, men were more likely than women to express apprehensions when purchasing a mobile app (66% v. 58%, respectively). Additionally, millennial smartphone owners ages 18-34 were statistically more likely than their counterparts aged 55+ to have concerns that would prevent them from buying an app (76% v. 48%, respectively). Men were more likely than women to be were concerned with speed (30% v. 21%, respectively) while the Northeast (46%) and West (44%) regions were statistically more likely than the Midwest and South (33% and 35%, respectively) to be concerned with performance.
Harris Interactive Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of SOASTA from July 11th 15th, 2013 among 3,130 adults ages 18 and older, among which 1,456 are smartphone owners and 1,143 buy mobile apps. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
For more information about SOASTA, visit:
http://www.soasta.com
BlackBerry Shedding Market Share Even In Overseas Strongholds Says Study
The Canadian Press's LuAnn LaSalle reports that a new study by U.K.-based Juniper Research says BlackBerry is losing market share in most parts of the world, even in the company's traditional strongholds such as South Africa and Indonesia.
Juniper Research says the Canadian smartphone maker will remain a global player and is expected to sell more smartphones this year than last, but that competition in the sector is increasing.
For the full report visit here:
http://goo.gl/7CNaOn
New iPad and iPhone Acrylic Display Stands from newMacgadgets
Just introduced, iPad and iPhone Acrylic Display Stands from newMacgadgets offers the newest way to securely showcase your iPad or iPhone. Designed specifically for retailers, businesses, and exhibitors alike, can display advertisements and apps in a secure and stylish all acrylic rotating base.
Available in three models, each version includes a solid 1" frame and outer-frame that secures the iPad or iPhone with tamper-proof screws. Also included is an optional home-button guard frame to prevent interruption of continuous running applications. Slots are provided for the charging cable, earphones and on/off switch. The 360 degree rotating clear acrylic mount is secured to the counter-top with tamper-proof screws or clear adhesive strips (included). In addition, the charging cable secures below the mount to prevent removal and provide a clean look.
newMacgadgets designed the iPad & iPhone Display Stands to be used in the portrait position, but they can also customize the base to be displayed in the landscape position (contact them directly for special order requests).
Companies looking for a high-end display for the iPad, iPad Mini, iPhone or iPod touch will want to check out these stands. Retail pricing ranges between $89.95 and $109.95 (USD) depending on model.
For more information, visit:
http://newmacgadgets.com
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FileThis Fetch Helps Consumers Stay On Top of Their Paperwork
Marin, California-based startup FileThis has announced the availability of an universal iPhone app for its award-winning FileThis Fetch 1.0. This free app makes it safe and easy for consumers to go paperless by automatically fetching financial and household bills and statements and delivering them to their Evernote, Personal or Dropbox accounts. It fetches and delivers financial statements, bills and documents from banks, retirement funds, credit card & utility companies. All connections are setup with bank-level security.
With the FileThis Fetch app, consumers can go paperless within minutes. After signing up, users simply link their financial and household accounts with FileThis Fetch. All connections are setup with bank-level security.
FileThis Fetch automatically delivers documents as well-named searchable PDF files to the user's destination of choice including Evernote, Personal, Dropbox, Google Drive and Box and organizes them. Users are notified via email whenever new documents are available.
"By automatically fetching, delivering and filing documents, FileThis Fetch gives consumers complete peace of mind," says Brian Berson, Founder and CEO of FileThis. "FileThis Fetch helps consumers stay on top of their online bills and statements, anywhere and anytime."
FileThis Fetch is available as a free App Store download on iTunes. The free version lets users connect up to six accounts. For more demanding users, FileThis Fetch Ultimate offers up to 30 account connections for $4.99 per month.
Device Requirements:
(*) iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
(*) Requires iOS 6.0 or later
(*) This app is optimized for iPhone 5
(*) 4.3 MB
FileThis Fetch 1.0 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Finance category.
FileThis:
http://filethis.com
FileThis Fetch 1.0:
http://goo.gl/lURzBX
Download from iTunes:
http://goo.gl/bjcQXw
Purchase:
https://filethis.com/fetch/plans/com/filethis
Twitter Profile:
http://www.twitter.com/filethiscompany
Trackback URL:
http://goo.gl/PuzQWl
Free Practical Paperless Form Creation Comes To iOS With enneaform
Swiss based enneasoft Caballero has announced the launch of a newly updated version of enneaform onto the App Store. Created specifically for iPad, this unique business mobility tool gives enterprise managers, small business owners, and individual entrepreneurs the power to create and fill out all important forms and documents on the go from anywhere right on their iPad. Eminently flexible, this utility lets users create custom documents and form templates to fill out based on their exact needs, and offers ready-made templates of common business forms via in-app purchase as well. The consummate paperless form creation, filling, and filing solution, enneaform is currently available for download on the App Store for free in the Productivity category.
A complete digital documentation solution, enneaform features electronic signature functionality, enables users to create a wide array of forms via extensive formatting tools such as the ability to add pictures, include choice lists, make custom tables, and the like, fill in created forms, and easily save them as PDFs. Uploading important existing forms from companies, insurance agencies, government administrations, and more can be done in a snap via PDF format as well! Furthermore, with its most recent enhancement the app's slate of features has grown even broader too.
Bolstering its flexible set of saving and sharing options via iCloud, iTunes, and through email, enneaform 1.2.1 now gives users the power to save and share every template they create with other enneaform users, give templates customized names, and utilize a more robust set of form creation tools to ensure that all created forms turn out exactly as users want them to be. The app now also features Spanish and German language capabilities in addition to already available English and French.
Enneaform is an intuitive productivity oriented experience - practical enough to meet the needs of even the most demanding form dependent users, while offering enough learning tools and form examples to stay accessible to form creation novices. To this end the app features an in-depth health module complete with concise video tutorials which detail how to utilize every one of the app's many central functions. Meanwhile, enneaform's intuitive, clutter free interface is primed to keep even the app's most industrious users organized and efficient. Forms and documents vital to your business needs have just found a new home where they are always mobile and at your fingertips - on enneaform for iOS.
Device Requirements:
(*) Compatible with iPad
(*) Requires iOS 5.0 or later
(*) 1.9 MB
enneaform 1.2.1 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Productivity category.
enneaform 1.2.1:
http://enneasoft.ch/wordpress/?page_id=106
Download from iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/enneaform/id616040913
YouTube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hac1pDiC5Sk
Facebook Profile:
https://www.facebook.com/enneasoft
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https://twitter.com/enneasoft
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http://goo.gl/DLohuC
clevermind iPad App Designed To Ease Challenges of Day-To-Day Caring for Alzheimer's Disease
As the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer's disease continues to rob millions of people of their mental capacities, with symptoms of dementia to follow. Although there is much emphasis on a "cure" for this mind-debilitating disease, it will be some time before that day is at hand.
For now, there are ways in which victims of Alzheimer's and their families can not only prolong or stave off the debilitating effects, but also ease challenges of the day-to-day once the disease does take hold.
Clevermind, LLC have launched their brand new app called clevermind, designed to help manage the daily challenges associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. With the number of people with Alzheimer's expected to triple in the next 40 years (which means that 13.8 million people will have this mind-robbing disease by 2050), according to a study by researchers from the Rush Institute of Healthy Aging(*), this cutting-edge technology will provide seniors, professional caregivers and families a helping hand in the face of Alzheimers and other challenges.
"Based on my personal experience with my father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at the age of 78, I realized there was a need for a comprehensive app that tailored to my fathers condition, so I decided that I would create one," says Clevermind, LLC Founder, Glenn Palumbo. "The app clevermind, which is now available for download via Apple's App Store, will be offered for free for a limited time as this is the 1.0 version that offers limited features. We are essentially looking for feedback from our users, so we can validate the direction of the new and improved features planned for our future releases, says Palumbo. We have built the foundation. Now we intend to enhance clevermind based off of what our users think is best for the day-to-day hurdles that come with different forms of dementia."
Users can provide feedback at .
Clevermind is a powerful tool especially for those with an early onset of Alzheimer's where it can restore the sense of self often lost when memory fails. With these easy-to-use, resourceful programs, clevermind 1.0 will help challenge the brain and improve cognitive proficiency:
- Journal: Keep track of daily activities and goals
- Games: Stay entertained while exercising your brain
- Trivia: Challenge your mind and improve memory skills with fun and useful quizzes
- Voice Interaction: (Better known as MYIRA, MY Intelligent Robotic Assistant) Ask questions and make verbal requests with this locally stored speech engine
- Internet: Enjoy easy navigation for Internet browsing and stay connected to friends and family with the Facebook feature. (Other popular social networks and websites will be available as shortcuts to their respective home pages.)
- Healthy activities, such as eating well and keeping the brain active and alert, are preventive measures against Alzheimers, and the clevermind app will allow seniors to bring these actions into their daily lives. The interface itself is simplified and senior-friendly to make daily performance easier for users.
Clevermind promises to be a useful tool to help those with this disease, and possibly a weapon to prevent it, says Vanessa Kowalski, whose family, with every generation, has had a member diagnosed with Alzheimers and ultimately passed on due to the disease. She adds, I would like to give my mother (whose side of the family this ailment has affected), myself, and my daughter the chance to stave off or prolong the debilitating effects as well as help with the day-to-day once it does take hold.
(*)http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2013/02/06/WNL.0b013e31828726f5.short
clevermind is now available for download via the Apple App Store, and this initial 1.0 version is free for a limited time.
For more information about Clevermind, LLC or the clevermind app, visit:
http://www.myclevermind.com
Forty-Six Percent Of Back-to-School Shoppers Plan To Use Their Smartphone To Look For Bargains According to PriceGrabber Survey
PriceGrabber, a distributed ecommerce platform and shopping site just released its second 2013 Back-to-School shopping survey which offers additional insight into the ever-changing back-to-school shopper. The survey found that nearly 80 percent of respondents find the majority of information on back-to-school products and promotions from online retailer emails, websites and blog announcements. This fall, consumers will be taking advantage of some nontraditional online methods to find the hottest deals. Conducted on PriceGrabber.com from June 16 to August 5, 2013, this survey includes responses from 1,937 U.S. online shopping consumers.
Full-sized Back-to-School Infographic here:
http://goo.gl/9vPKNx
"Back-to-school consumers are innovative and resourceful shoppers who are helping to shape the way retailers market their products," says Sharon Banfield, director of public relations of PriceGrabber. "Like clockwork every fall, parents prepare for back-to-school and savvy consumers can easily identify the best deals through online resources like PriceGrabber."
Consumers are Changing Their Shopping Strategies from Last Year
Consumers are determined to think frugally when shopping for back-to-school this year. When PriceGrabber respondents were asked to select all the ways their back-to-school shopping behavior will change compared to last year, 57 percent said they will attempt to buy more items that are on sale, while 42 percent say they will comparison shop for the best price. Shoppers are looking for deals online, as 39 percent said they will shop online more than in prior years. Another 39 percent plan to buy only the necessities; 26 percent will use more store coupons; while 19 percent said they will shop at less expensive stores. Back-to-school shoppers plan to cash in on store loyalty programs with 16 percent planning to increase their use of store or credit cards offering rewards points. Only 11 percent of consumers said they would maintain their 2012 shopping habits from last fall, leaving a majority of shoppers looking for the best budget buys.
Mobile Shopping: Consumers are Looking for Convenience
As the world of mobile shopping continues to grow, 46 percent of back-to-school shoppers said they would use their smartphone to find deals this year. When mobile shoppers were asked to select all the ways they plan to use their smartphone to save money on back-to-school items, 67 percent noted they will check prices online before making offline purchases; 47 percent will read retailer discount emails while in the store; another 47 percent will have retailer coupons directly texted to their phone; 42 percent plan to make purchases online from their mobile phone; 30 percent will use mobile apps and bar code scanners; and 29 percent will check store inventory online before shopping in-store.
The trend of convenience and accessibility continues when using a mobile device to shop. When smartphone shoppers were asked to select all the locations they are most likely to shop from via their mobile phone, 71 percent said they would shop right from home, while 36 percent indicated they are likely to shop anywhere they can. The third most popular choice for mobile shopping is at work, with 28 percent of the vote, followed by 22 percent who said they are most likely to shop from the passenger seat of a car. Showrooming is still a popular trend with 17 percent of respondents saying they are likely to shop from their mobile phone while in brick-and-mortar stores and 13 percent are likely to shop while standing in line. Some consumers like to shop while they dine, as 12 percent said they will browse for products while theyre at a restaurant; and another 12 percent are likely to shop via their smartphone while traveling.
Social Media will Influence Back-to-School Shopping
In this digital age, consumers are not only using social media as a way to interact with friends, they are following their favorite companies and brands online. As consumers are getting accustomed to receiving updates from their favorite companies via social media channels, they are aware of the potential influence it will have on their shopping behavior. When consumers were asked if social media will impact their back-to-school shopping decisions this year, it was divided with 42 percent saying it wouldnt impact their shopping decisions and 39 percent indicating it would. The remaining shoppers were not active on social media.
It is noteworthy to mention that of the consumers who indicated that social media will impact their back-to-school shopping decisions, 85 percent said that Facebook would influence them most. YouTube ranked second at 23 percent, and Pinterest ranked a close third at 22 percent. In fourth place, 19 percent said that Twitter would influence their back-to-school shopping decisions this year, while 8 percent indicated other social media channels. MySpace ranked the least popular among social media channels that would influence back-to-school shoppers, receiving only 2 percent of the consumer vote.
Visit PriceGrabbers Back-to-School Shopping Guide for deals on school supplies, backpacks, printers, dorm room furniture, computers, clothing, accessories, and more:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/holiday-guides/back-to-school-guide/g-8/
Here are PriceGrabber's back-to-school money-saving tips to get the most for your buck this year:
• Take a household inventory. Scan the kitchen, office, bedrooms and the rest of the house for miscellaneous supplies. Take an inventory of the findings and then compare this to your kids' supply lists. The findings will most likely cover many items on the lists.
• Make a list with a budget and stick to it. When planning a budget for this year's back-to-school shopping, start by making a list and separating "must-have" items from "wants." This doesn't mean you can't indulge in some trendy gear, just shop for necessities first. Take a look at how much you spent last year and challenge yourself to spend less this year.
• Involve the (older) kids. Turn back-to-school shopping into a family activity by charting out the budget in a creative way with your children. This will help teach them to budget while you bond as a family. However, if you have young kids consider leaving them at home to avoid getting distracted from your shopping list.
• Host a clothing exchange with other parents. Invite about 12 to 15 parents with children of similar ages, sizes and genders over to exchange kids' clothing. Have guests bring about 10 clean items in good condition so that they can leave with 10 different pieces in similar condition. Even if only a few items fit, everything was still free.
• Shop online and look for free shipping. Skip the crowds and shop online. Comparison-shopping sites such as PriceGrabber.com can save consumers money on popular back-to-school items like tablet computers, backpacks, dorm room furniture, and basic school supplies. Look for retailers offering free shipping to save even more.
• Use your mobile device as a shopping aid. If shopping a brick-and-mortar store sale, use your smartphone to ensure the sale price is really the best deal in town. Download the PriceGrabber mobile app or visit the site from your browser to quickly check for deals you may have missed.
• Shop end-of-summer sales. Stock up on summer clothing which can be worn well into the fall. Sweaters and leggings can be paired with summer shirts and dresses for an easy transition into the cooler months. Microwaves, storage bins, tool kits and other dorm room must-haves are also a part of the summer clearance sales.
• Follow your favorite shopping sites on social media. Be the first to know about special offers from your favorite retailers and shopping sites. Some retailers may offer exclusive back-to-school discount codes or coupons.
• Buy in bulk. Pencils, markers, printer paper and other supplies are always in high demand. Spend a little more money now and buy large quantities, which will give you cheaper supplies needed later in the year.
• Personalize. Jazz up inexpensive, plain school supplies such as notebooks and folders with stickers. Let your student get creative and personalize their items so they don't get mixed up with other students' supplies. There's a better chance you won't have to spend money on lost items later in the year.
For more information, visit:
http://www.pricegrabber.com
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