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Apple Readying A 4.8-Inch Phablet And iPhone 5s For June Release?
Is Apple Jumping Into the Phablet Trend?
Sophie Schmidt In North Korea - "It Might Not Get Weirder Than This"
Android Platform To Continue Dominating 5-inch And Larger Smartphone Market In 2013
What To Do When A Favorite App Gets Pulled from the App Store
iPod: The Missing Manual, 11th Edition
Opera Ice: New Browser For Android And iPhone Coming February uses WebKit
Opera Sings WebKit's Tune For New Mobile Browser
iOSAppUpdate Goes Live - Track New and Updated iOS Applications
Launch Of Globalgig To End International Data Roaming Charges
Apple Readying A 4.8-Inch Phablet And iPhone 5s For June Release?
The China Times reports that Apple is planning a smartphone counterattack, with three new iPhones under development, two of them for release in June - including the iPhone 5s and a new product with a 4.8-inch display and possibly with a 12 million pixel camera as Apple's answer to the "phablet" trend. The article contends that the first largescreen iPhone will be key to Apple retaining its market share, with the assembly plant projected to begin production in late April.
The mysterious third, maybe cheaper iPhone variant would be released during the 2013 Christmas season.
For the full report (Chinese language) visit here:
http://goo.gl/MiDhi
Is Apple Jumping Into the Phablet Trend?
Wall Street Cheat Sheet's Aabha Rathee comments on the rumor out of China that Apple is preparing to launch a large-screen device called iPhone Math to be one of three new smartphones from the company this year, citing that The China Times report that the new 4.8-inch device marking Apple's debut in the phablet category also featureing a 12-megapixel camera with lenses manufactured by Largan Precision.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://goo.gl/ZxKq6
Sophie Schmidt In North Korea - "It Might Not Get Weirder Than This"
If Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's teenage daughter Sophie has designs on a career in Journalism, she's demonstrated that he has the talent and chops to be exceptional in the field and then some with a brilliant and fascinatingly insightful report chronicling her recent trip to North Korea with her dad as guests of former Governor and US Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson on his 8th trip to the insular Democratic People's Republic.
Ms. Schmidt says they left their phones and laptops behind in China, having ben warned they'd be confiscated in NK. An Ethiopian attache on the Air China flight in assured her there was "never a dull moment" in the hermit kingdom.
She says her favorite official entry form counseled to leave your "killing device" and "publishings of all kinds" at home, but that no one ever checked their cameras, and observes that for a country that has banned religion, and sent thousands of practicing Christians to prison camps, the Christmas trees on display were rather incongruous.
She says that the (heavily vetted) North Koreans they met were unfailingly polite and engaging, even excited to meet with them (particularly her father), whose response to staying in a bugged luxury socialist guesthouse was to simply leave his door open, also noting that since they didn't have cellphones or alarm clocks, waking up on time in the morning was a concern, with one person suggesting announcing "I'm awake" to the room, and then waiting until someone came to fetch you.
Ms. Schmidt reports that Pyongyang is oddly charming with broad boulevards, taller buildings than you'd expect, and a fair number of pedestrians, including stylish women in heeled boots and makeup, and very clean.
The trip coincided with youngish "Respected Leader" Kim Jong Un's birthday, but when they asked Un's age they were told that "Koreans keep track of age differently,"
She says trucks equipped with loudspeakers roam the streets. "For the propaganda," a minder told her.
Ms. Schmidt recommends going to North Korea if you can, commenting that it is very, very strange, and in January very, very cold, and nothing she'd read or heard beforehand really prepared her for what they saw, or felt, because the cold was compounded by the fact that none of the buildings we visited were heated, which meant hour-long tours in cavernous, 30-degree indoor environments, and observing that ordinary North Koreans live in a near-total information bubble, without any true frame of reference - hostages in their own country, without any real consciousness of it.
And while officials blame American sanctions for just about everything, somehow the sanctions didn't stop them from stocking a sparkling new supermarket we saw with Doritos.
There is much, much more, and this one is well worth the read.
You can check it out at:
https://sites.google.com/site/sophieinnorthkorea/home
Android Platform To Continue Dominating 5-inch And Larger Smartphone Market In 2013
Digitimes' Daniel Shen and Steve Shen say that Google's Android platform will continue to dominate the 5-inch and larger smartphone segment in 2013, while other platforms such as Apple's iOS, Windows Phone, and Blackberry have yet to show support for larger displays, according to industry sources.
The Shens observe that the rollout of an array of 5-inch Android-based models by HTC, Sharp, Sony Mobile Communications, Huawei Device, ZTE, Lenovo and Oppo Mobile in 2012 has highlighted the mainstream position of 5-inch displays among flagship models, and that sales of smartphones with displays in 5-inch or larger sizes are expected to expand 136% on year to 60.4 million units in 2013 and climb to 146 million units in 2016, noted the sources, citing data from market research firms.
However, they suggest that Apple is unlikely to bring out 5-inch models in 2013 because the company just released its 4-inch iPhone 5 in the second half of 2012, and software developers are currently busy optimizing their applications for the model, according to insider sources, and Research in Motion's forthcoming BlackBerry 10 family with at least six models planned for 2013 will have only a 4.2-inch display, so it is believed unlikely that RIM will have 5-inch models in 2013, leaving the Android five-inchers main market rivals flat-footed in addressing the Phablet phenomenon.
For the full report visit here:
http://goo.gl/iTaoF
What To Do When A Favorite App Gets Pulled from the App Store
Lifehacker's Alan Henry notes that sometimes even some of our favorite apps wind up vanishing from Google Play or the iTunes App Store because the company or developer behind them is acquired by a bigger company, just doesn't want to maintain the app anymore, or somehow runs afoul of Apple or Google and gets their app yanked.
Unfortunately, says Henry, it's just a fact of life - one we have to get used to. However, that doesn't mean you don't have options, and thre are strategies to make sure you at least get and keep what you paid for.
You can check it out at:
http://goo.gl/08wEw
iPod: The Missing Manual, 11th Edition
Apple's iPods continue to set the bar for media players, with bold new features like the touch's supersized screen and Siri voice control. But iPods still lack a guide to all their features. Thats where this full-color book comes in. It shows you how to play music, movies, and slideshows; shoot photos and videos; and navigate Apple's redesigned iTunes media-management program.
The important stuff you need to know:
• Fill it up. Load your iPod with music, photos, movies, TV shows, games, ebooks, and podcasts.
• Manage your stuff. Download media and apps from the iTunes and App Stores, then organize your collection.
• Tackle the touch. Send email and instant messages, make FaceTime calls, and shoot photos and HD video with the touch's 5-megapixel camera.
• Go wireless. Use the touchs new iOS 6 software to sync content wirelessly.
• Relish the nano. Enjoy video and photos on the nano's new big screen, and chart your workouts with the Nike+ pedometer.
• Master the shuffle and classic. Get mucho music on the little shuffle, and use the classic's giant hard drive to tote around your audio and video collections.
• Pump it up. Blast iPod tunes through your home and car stereo.
iPod: The Missing Manual, 11th Edition
By: J.D. Biersdorfer With: David Pogue
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Pages: 352
Released: December 2012
Media Formats:
Print Ebook Safari Books Online
Print: December 2012
Ebook: December 2012 Pages: 352
For more information, visit:
http://goo.gl/ySNQ9
Opera Ice: New Browser For Android And iPhone Coming February uses WebKit
PocketLint's Stuart Miles reports that Opera Software will launch a new smartphone and tablet browser called Opera Ice in February in an attempt to stay relevant and take the fight to Google and Apple in the mobile browser stakes. The new browser, which will be run on the WebKit, not Opera's proprietary Presto browser engine, and be based around hiding the technology as much as possible and embracing rich applications, dispensing with buttons and instead use gestures to control key elements like forwards and backwards.
The report says a desktop Opera browser will also be launched in March.
For the full report visit here:
http://goo.gl/XaTF9
Opera Sings WebKit's Tune For New Mobile Browser
The Register's Simon Sharwood notes that WebKit, the open source web page rendering engine used in Chrome and Safari, is about to pick up another sliver of market share after Norwegian browser-maker Opera revealed it will drop its own rendering engine in a forthcoming mobile browser.
Sharwood observes that Opera has, for many years, used its own Presto rendering engine, but that apparently cuts no ice with development team working on a new iOS and Android mobile version of the browser due for release at the Mobile World Congress in February.
For the full report visit here:
http://goo.gl/w8PZj
iOSAppUpdate Goes Live - Track New and Updated iOS Applications
Arizona based FOR nextSoft has announced the launch of iOSAppUpdate, a new site that tracks new and updated iOS applications easily. iOSAppUpdate is a resource that allows users to see a chronological listing of new and updated software without the hassle of weeding through paid reviews and tons of ads. The site provides easy access to new and updated software, some of which you may not otherwise easily be able to find.
See what's new and updated today. Find great apps you may never have heard of, or would not be easily findable by other means. Viewing app listings allows users to see all standard information as well as a comprehensive user comment system. Apps are graded on criteria such as Stability, Support and more. These reviews also include the user's interpretation of the payment model, be it a free app, freemium, one time purchase or try for free then buy.
Review information is color coded allowing you to have an overall idea of the feeling of other users at a glance. From the app data screen you can visit the developer's website, the product page in iTunes or, if the developer has provided it, email support. iOSAppUpdate also helps protect users from scam app and other abuses. iOSAppUpdate also provides simple and effective tools for developers to keep their software up to date For Free. Developers can add new keywords for search results so that users can more easily find their app.
iOSAppUpdate:
http://www.iosappupdate.com
Trackback URL:
http://goo.gl/Mff5U
Launch Of Globalgig To End International Data Roaming Charges
Voiamo, a pioneer in roaming replacement, has announced the launch of the Globalgig service using an elegant, small Mobile Hotspot device that avoids the excessive costs and hassle of international data roaming. By automatically logging onto the local network in each market through users smartphones, tablets and laptops, Globalgig customers can access fast, secure internet speeds of up to 7.2 MB (megabytes) per second at a fraction of normal roaming costs. Up to five devices can be connected simultaneously at high speed to any single Globalgig Hotspot by simply switching it on and accessing the internet.
Globalgig charges significantly less than mainstream mobile phone companies for its international data packages and its service is also priced competitively for usage in the US domestic market. The company offers useful monthly bundles of 1 GB (gigabyte) for $25.00, 3 GB for $39.00 and 5 GB for $49.00. 5 GB is the equivalent of 5,120 MB, which translates to as little as 0.95 (nearly a penny) per MB. Competitors on the other hand can charge up to $20 per megabyte and offer international data packages ranging from fifteen to twenty-five cents per MB. Globalgig bills customers on a monthly basis for usage and there are no long-term contracts required. There are no hidden charges, and users can easily cancel or make changes to their plan by providing notice up to 48 hours prior to the end of their billing cycle. The Globalgig Hotspot device can be bought at the Globalgig store online for $119.00 at:
http://www.globalgig.com
"It's time to bring an end to the rip-off data bills that business people face upon their return from travelling abroad," says Nigel Bramwell, CEO of Voiamo, the company behind Globalgig. "Our simple Globalgig Hotspot device brings people fast, secure, carrier-grade internet access through local networks. Globalgig enables them to use and download their favorite apps, find where they need to go on interactive maps, share and send pictures, use video chat, email and receive large attachments - all with the assurance that they will get the most out of their mobile online experience, reliably and securely at a breakthrough price that will make international data roaming charges obsolete."
"Sometimes conscientious travelers try to avoid roaming charges by purchasing local SIM cards when they reach their destination, in order to access data on their phones," adds Bramwell. "Other travelers have to deal with the cumbersome, lengthy process of purchasing expensive pricing plans with their carriers, which forces them to mentally ration their mobile data use. Globalgig cuts out all this hassle and enables international travelers to keep their SIM card in the phone to remain in full contact with their family, friends, customers, colleagues and suppliers, while at the same time having high speed internet access."
After initially launching in the US, UK, and Australia, Voiamo plans to expand the Globalgig product to key Asian, European Union markets, and other large global travel hubs, over the next 12 months. There are also plans to launch a voice service in late 2013, offering cheap call bundles abroad with the ability to maintain live existing and local numbers.
Voiamo, the carrier grade alternative to global roaming, was formed in September 2007. Since its formation Voiamo has created the Globalgig product and secured all relevant agreements with UK, US and Australian network operators.
The company was founded by its chief executive, Nigel Bramwell, who has 27 years experience in the mobile telephone industry, and its key executives also all have a long track record of success in the telecoms industry. It is well-funded for launching the product widely and for its continued success - and has a strong group of investors, many of whom have a major interest in telecoms. Voiamo is not VC funded.
In the UK Voiamo is partnered with Three, part of the Hutchison Whampoa group. Three are the UK's fastest growing mobile network according to Ofcom's annual Communications Market Report and they have been rated the UKs number 1 network for coverage, reliability and quality for the 7th time in the latest YouGov Poll as well as number 1 network for the iPhone.
Voiamo's mobile network services in the US are provided on the Nationwide Sprint Network.(*) Sprint (a trademark of Sprint Nextel) has been ranked number 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, over the last four years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
(*)Although Sprint provides Voiamo subscribers access to its wireless network and to its wireless services, Voiamo is responsible to the Voiamo subscribers for the service. Please call Voiamo with any questions or comments about services.
Optus is Voiamo's Australian partner and is part of the Singapore Telecom group, one of Asia's largest mobile operators. In 2012 it won three major ACOMM Awards.
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