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Apple's Big Secret: The iOS Laptop?
Apple Cloud Storage Leader With 27% Market Share, But Dropbox Hits 17% Share With No Associated Content Ecosystem
How to Calibrate Your Mac's Display
FirmTek miniSwap/U3 Ultimate Bus Powered, Trayless, Hot-Swap, 2.5-Inch USB 3.0 Enclosure for Mac and PC
Sonnet - xMac mini Server Thunderbolt/PCIe 1U Enclosure
Canon U.S.A. Announces Worlds Smallest, Lightest DSLR Camera
Apple's Big Secret: The iOS Laptop?
T-GAAP's E. Werner Reschke nostalgically recalls the days when Steve Jobs would say, "... oh, and more thing..." and the thing would be revolutionary, EG: the iPhone and the iPad. However, Reschke notes that since 2010 Apple has pretty much been in a pattern of releseing new versions of existing products, making them better and better, but nothing revolutionary.
He notes that many are anticipating the "next big thing" to be an iWatch device or a fully integrated Siri AppleTV, but contends that Apple's next growth segment will actually be the launch of an iOS Laptop, consistent with an Apple tradition of making the obvious spectacular.
Reschke predicts that an iOS laptop will run a clickable version of iOS so that you won't have to reach uncomfortably over the keyboard to touch the screen but be able to use a mouse or trackpad, but that it won't be a hybrid computer like Microsoft's Surface, where the operating system behaves one way with a keyboard and another without.
He suggests that the iOS laptop will use the same form factor as the 11" MacBook Air, and start at $799 with 256GB of SSI storage and 2GB of RAM, and be powered by a quad-core ARM A-series Apple designed processor.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://goo.gl/oDqht
Apple Cloud Storage Leader With 27% Market Share, But Dropbox Hits 17% Share With No Associated Content Ecosystem
Apple is dominating the cloud storage wars, followed by Dropbox, Amazon and Google according to Strategy Analytics 'Cloud Media Services' survey.
In a recent study of almost 2,300 connected Americans, Strategy Analytics found that 27% have used Apple's iCloud followed by 17% for Dropbox, 15% for Amazon Cloud Drive and 10% for Google Play. However, over half of Americans online have never used cloud storage service
Strategy Analytics notes that cloud storage usage is heavily skewed towards younger people, in particular 20-24 year olds, while Apple's service is the only one with more female than male users. Among the big four, Google's most heavily skewed towards males.
Cloud storage is overwhelmingly dominated by music; around 90% of Apple, Amazon and Google's cloud users store music. Even Dropbox - which has no associated content ecosystem - sees around 45% of its users storing music files. Dropbox's recent acquisition of Audiogalaxy will add a much-needed native music player to the platform in the coming months.
"Music is currently the key battleground in the war for cloud domination. Google is tempting users by giving away free storage for 20,000 songs which can be streamed to any Android device, a feature both Amazon and Apple charge annual subscriptions for," observes Ed Barton, Strategy Analytics' Director of Digital Media. "However, the growth of video streaming and the desire to access content via a growing range of devices will see services such as the Hollywood-backed digital movie initiative Ultraviolet currently used by 4% of Americans increase market share."
Barton continues, "The cloud's role in the race to win over consumers' digital media libraries has evolved from a value added service for digital content purchases to a feature-rich and increasingly device agnostic digital locker for music and movies. Dropbox being used by 1 in 6 Americans shows that an integrated content storefront isn't essential to build a large user base, however we expect competition to intensify sharply over the coming years."
Strategy Analytics found that, the big four cloud storage services aside, recognition of other brands was uniformly low. Furthermore 55% of connected Americans have never used a cloud storage service although, amongst consumers who have used one, one third (33%) had done so in the last week.
"There needs to be considerable investment in evangelizing these services to a potentially willing yet largely oblivious audience," suggests Barton. "Given the size of bet Hollywood is making with Ultraviolet, this will be essential to their success given a crowded market and widespread apathy. However, more fundamental questions remain - is the use of more than one cloud service going to be too much for consumers to handle and will consolidation in such a fragmented market become inevitable?"
Barton concludes, "Although cloud storage is fast becoming a key pillar of digital platform strategies for the world's leading device manufacturers and digital content distributors, there's still a lot of work to do in educating consumers particularly those over 45. With over half of consumers yet to use any consumer cloud based service, 2013 predictions for the 'year of the cloud' seem unrealistic. However given the market influence of the leading players pushing the concept, in particular Apple, Amazon, Google and Ultraviolet, I won't be surprised to see mainstream adoption and usage spike within the next two to three years in the key US market."
For more information, visit
http://www.strategyanalytics.com
How to Calibrate Your Mac's Display
Mac.Tuts+'s Jordan Merrick says whether you work as a graphic designer, photographer or web developer, ensuring your Macs display is accurately representing colours can be the difference between the perfect edit and something that looks washed out. In this tutorial, Merrick explains why your display should be calibrated and how to go about it.
You can check it out at:
http://goo.gl/8YtbN
FirmTek miniSwap/U3 Ultimate Bus Powered, Trayless, Hot-Swap, 2.5-Inch USB 3.0 Enclosure for Mac and PC
The miniSwap/U3 is a revolutionary new product designed to meet the needs of computer professionals on the go. This new, bus-powered, data storage device offers performance as high as 440MB/s, which is more than twice the speed of typical USB 3.0 enclosures. The miniSwap/U3 is compatible with the new 5 Gbit/s USB 3.0 ports found on 2012 MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini and iMac while also backward compatible with legacy USB 2.0 ports. The small size of the miniSwap/U3 allows it to be held in the palm of your hand or transported easily in a small computer case. At less than one pound, the miniSwap/U3 offers more performance power for its size than any other FirmTek product. FirmTek customers who enjoy the power of SSD and the portability and quiet operation of 2.5" storage devices will appreciate the miniSwap/U3.
Instantly Mount SSD or 2.5" SATA HDD. No tray required, just insert a bare SSD or 2.5" SATA hard drive and close the bay door.
While the miniSwap supports many different 2.5-inch disk capacities, with a single 1TB SATA HDD installed, the miniSwap can hold up to 84 hours of HDV 1080i, 17 hours of DVCPRO HD 1080/60i or 10 hours of ProRes 422 HQ. Huge storage capacity plus an ultra small footprint makes the miniSwap a great travel companion for photographers and video professionals. The durable silver aluminum miniSwap/U3 looks great with the Apple computers and excels with audio/video editing, computer animation, digital photography, portable computing, storage expansion, backup and any application where external, trayless, hot swap, high performance data storage is desirable.
Low Noise, Energy Efficient Design
The air-cooled miniSwap design is able to protect the disk using a built-in enhanced airflow system. Heat generated around the bottom and sides of the drive dissipates through the well-vented aluminum enclosure. This process offers the ultimate in quiet operation. Just slide in the drive, close the bay door and your data is ready to be accessed. This simple, yet robust mounting feature allows photographers and audio-video professionals to mount drives even in low light conditions, whether in the field or in the office, without the need for tools. The miniSwap trayless design offers support for 2.5" disk heights of 7mm, 9.5mm and even larger disks up to 14.9mm.
Quality Craftsmanship
FirmTek is known for innovative backplane designs with no internal SATA cabling. The miniSwap is no exception. This feature maximizes signal strength and enhances EMI protection, which increases reliability. The miniSwap product line is built from the ground up, using only our very best storage ideas.
Amazing Performance and Virtually Unlimited Capacity
The new circuitry built into every miniSwap/U3 supports ultra high bandwidth applications. Customers have reported performance results as high as 443MB/s read and 433MB/s write with a single 6G SSD configuration and 636MB/s read and 788MB/s write with two miniSwap/U3 enclosures setup in a RAID 0 configuration on the 2012 MacBook Pro and iMac. The ability to effortlessly insert or eject the drive mounted in the miniSwap enclosure makes it a favorite among photographers and video professionals who use different drives for different customer projects. This advanced feature provides virtually unlimited data storage capacity.
Instant SSD Boot Drive Upgrade - Mac OS X
Trying to open the latest iMac or Mac mini to upgrade to an SSD boot drive is time consuming, expensive and may void the Apple warranty. Instead, simply connect the miniSwap/U3 to enjoy the amazing fast boot speed of SSD. Save money by using a standard SSD to boot the 2012 Mac mini, iMac, Retina MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. No need to purchase an expensive non-standard SSD or special tools - just connect the U3 to boot from your favorite 2.5" SSD. Whether you need additional storage, Time Machine backup, bootable backup or simply a faster system the miniSwap/U3 does it all - with instant SSD/HDD mounting.
Surface Pro High-Speed Storage Expansion
Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets come in two storage capacities, 64GB and 128GB, but for most customers this is not enough. A flash drive can add a little extra storage, but the miniSwap/U3 offers performance more than 400% faster than typical USB 3.0 flash drives and virtually unlimited storage capacity. Hot swap drives in and out of the miniSwap/U3 for superior flexibility, high-performance (up to 400MB/s) and high-capacity large drive support. The small form factor of the miniSwap/U3 makes it an outstanding portable accessory for Surface Pro owners.
$99.95
For more information, visit:
http://www.firmtek.com/seritek/miniswap-u3/
Sonnet - xMac mini Server Thunderbolt/PCIe 1U Enclosure
Transform a Mac mini Server with Thunderbolt Technology into an Enterprise Class Rack Mount Server
In many applications, a Mac mini or Mac mini with OS X Server with Thunderbolt technology can easily take the place of a full size server, but the size and form factor can limit its potential. Most importantly, it doesn't provide slots for PCIe expansion cards to increase its functionality, connectivity, and storage. Sonnet's xMac mini Server and xMac mini Server 2H PCIe 2.0 expansion systems/1U rackmount enclosures address these issues and expand a Mac mini's potential in a big way.
Starting with their successful RackMac mini 1U rackmount enclosure for two Mac minis as a template, Sonnet created a specially designed 1U rack enclosure that securely holds a Mac mini (sold separately) firmly in place and delivers strategic airflow cooling. Then, inspired by the demand for the Echo Express Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis for PCIe Cards, Sonnet added two PCIe 2.0 expansion slots (with a 100W power supply and fans) that connect to the Mac mini via its Thunderbolt port, included a central power hub for the Mac mini and PCIe cards (sold separately), and finished by adding an additional Thunderbolt port for daisy chaining to other Thunderbolt devices. The xMac mini Server even provides a front panel USB 3.0 port and a power button. The PCIe expansion slots power on and off in unison with the Mac mini. To support a wider range of popular mobile racks, carts and portable rack-bags, the xMac mini Server 2H is less than 16" deep.
An xMac mini Server combines the usefulness of the RackMac mini 1U rackmount enclosure for Mac mini Server computers with the functionality of the Echo Express Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis for PCIe Cards to enable you to transform a Mac mini with Thunderbolt technology from a simple server to something much more.
Key Features
• Server Room Ready1U rackmount enclosure houses Mac mini, PCIe slots, and integrated power supply
• Connect up Two PCIe CardsConnects two PCIe cards to the Mac mini through Thunderbolt expansion
• Diverse PCIe Card SupportEnables use of pro video capture, audio interface, 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10-Gigabit Ethernet, and RAID controller cards with a Mac mini with Thunderbolt technology
• Air Flow ManagementVariable speed temperaturecontrolled fans cool installed cards, power supply and Mac mini
• User-replaceable PartsFans and power supply are user-replaceable
• Auto Power On/OffAuto-power on/off for PCIe cards when the Mac mini powers on/off or sleeps
• Panel Mount CablesIncludes panel-mount cables to connect the Mac mini ports to ports on the back of the xMac mini Server for convenient external connection
• Cable Locking MechanismSpecial locking mechanism secures Thunderbolt cables
• Thunderbolt ExpansionSupports daisy chaining of Thunderbolt peripherals, including storage systems and video I/O devices
Mac Compatibility
• Mac mini or Mac mini Server with a Thunderbolt port
• Mac OS X 10.6.8+
Note: Mac mini and PCIe cards sold separately. Requires Thunderbolt cable, available at the Apple Store, when connecting other devices through xMac mini Server's Thunderbolt ports.
xMac mini Server - $1,295.00
For more information, visit:
http://www.sonnettech.com/product/xmacminiserver.html
Canon U.S.A. Announces Worlds Smallest, Lightest DSLR Camera
Canon U.S.A., Inc. has announced the worlds smallest and lightest DSLR* camera: the EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera. It features a newly developed 18.0-megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor and high-performance DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality and speed. With its combination of lightweight size, ease of use and outstanding image quality, the EOS Rebel SL1 is perfect for users looking for the ideal camera to bring sightseeing on vacation or to capture the everyday.
"The EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera represents a new era in DSLR versatility: ultra-portable, full-featured DSLR cameras," says Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. "The EOS Rebel SL1 combines the high speed, high image quality and expanded shooting range of a DSLR camera, with the easy and fun usability of a point-and-shoot camera."
Advanced Image Quality in a Compact Body
As the world's smallest and lightest DSLR, the new camera body is 4.6 (w) x 3.57 (h) x 2.74 (d), and weighs only 14.36 oz.** In comparison, the EOS Rebel SL1 is approximately 25 percent smaller and 28 percent lighter than the EOS Rebel T4i digital camera.
The EOS Rebel SL1 features an 18 megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor that performs exceptionally well in both bright and dimly lit shooting environments with an ISO range of 100-12800 (expandable to H: 25600) for photos and ISO-6400 (expandable to H: 12800) for video. Canons DIGIC 5 Image Processor technology allows for exceptional image quality and shooting speed up to four frames per second (fps).
The camera includes a new nine-point center cross-type autofocus (AF) system to help achieve fast, sharp focus. The new AF system also includes a new Hybrid CMOS AF II sensor, which provides a wider focus area when shooting photos or video in Live View mode, and a continuous AF speed thats increased from previous EOS models.
To help capture video with ease, the EOS Rebel SL1 features Canon's Movie Servo AF, which provides continuous AF tracking of moving subjects. When shooting video with one of Canons new STM lenses, such as the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM (available in the standard lens kit), Movie Servo AF takes advantage of the lens stepping motor for smooth and quiet continuous AF. The camera is capable of Full HD shooting in a number of recording sizes and frame rates, and enables easy manual control of exposure, focus and Live View features. The combination of Canons new Hybrid CMOS AF system II and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens is ideal for shooting video helping to ensure only the sounds of the scene are recorded.
Allowing for clear and easy viewing even in bright environments, the Touch Screen three inch Clear View LCD monitor II provides a rich and expansive display as well as providing intuitive touch panel operation. Two finger touch gestures (multi-touch) can be easily used for zooming or changing images, accessing menu and quick control settings, and activating focus point and shutter release while shooting.
Creativity at your Fingertips
The EOS Rebel SL1 encourages users to explore their creative side with a wide array of features for convenience and simple shooting. The EOS Rebel SL1 is equipped with Scene Intelligent Auto Mode, an advanced function that detects faces, colors, brightness, movement, contrast, distance and other factors and automatically adjusts and selects the exposure method needed. The results are photos with a wide dynamic range, ideal for users without advanced photography knowledge or experience.
Users can also access advanced imaging features like the new Effect Shot mode, which automatically creates two different shots, one with a selected creative filter and one without. In addition, Creative Filters and Background Blur Simulation can now be displayed in real time during Live View shooting. Editing photos is also a snap with the Rebel SL1s in-camera editing and cropping functionality. This feature allows users to view and crop the image using the cameras LCD touch screen and save the edited version as a separate file.
For those who would like to take beautiful photos with ease, the EOS Rebel SL1 offers a variety of scene modes to explore. New special scene modes include Kids, Food and Candlelight, giving users advanced presets to help ensure the best possible photos even under difficult shooting conditions.
The new EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera is scheduled to be available in April for an estimated retail price of $649.99 for the body alone or $799.99 bundled with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens.
For more information about the EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera, and a full list of product specifications, visit:
http://www.usa.canon.com/eos
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