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Apple Set To Disrupt Notebook Space With Radically Redesigned Macbook Pros?
Apple Replaces Discontinued Education MacBook With $999 13-inch Bare Bones MacBook Air
iOS Outstrips Mac OS Share of Web Traffic
More Evidence Apple Is Losing Interest In The Mac OS
Cannibalization of Mac OS X by iOS: Does Apple Even Care?
Does Putting Windows 7 On The Macbook Air Make It The Ultrabook To Rule Them All?
Mac and iOS Browsers: Options Galore
Germany Stalls Over ACTA Treaty Ratification
Germany Refuses To Sign ACTA Anti-Piracy Treaty Amid Protests
Protests Planned To Oppose New Canadian Copyright Law
Thunderbolt: One Year Later
Fix Keyboard Input Not Behaving Properly In OS X
Stylish Laptop Bags to Match Spring Fashion and Tech Trends
Kodak Focuses Consumer Business On More Profitable Growth Opportunities
Apple Set To Disrupt Notebook Space With Radically Redesigned Macbook Pros?
Appleinsider's Kasper Jade says that while most of its PC rivals are struggling to match innovations Apple pioneered with its first MacBook Airs over three years ago, Apple is fixing to raise the bar again with radically redesigned MacBook Pro models that he projects will set the agenda for the next wave of notebook computing innovation.
Jade reports that insider sources are saying that Apple plans to complete a top-to-bottom revamp of its notebook lineup this year, with redesigned MacBook Pros adopting the styling and engineering attributes that have made the second-generation MacBook Air a runaway market success.
You can check it out at:
http://bit.ly/wUcyvJ
Apple Replaces Discontinued Education MacBook With $999 13-inch Bare Bones MacBook Air
AppleInsider Staff report that Apple quickly slotted a less powerful variant of its 13.3-inch MacBook Air into the space left by last week's "end-of-life" discontinuation of the white polycarbonate 13-inch MacBook that had been selling to education customers for $899.
The new 13-inch MacBook Air model, offered to educational institutions buying in bulk (quantities of five or more), will sell for $999 per copy, will only be offered in Apple's education channel, and has pretty much the same internal specification as the 11.6-inch MacBook Air Apple sells to general consumers for $999, only with the bonus of a larger 13.3-inch display.
The 13.3-inch education model and entry-level 11.6-inch MacBook Air share a 1.6GHz dual-core Core i5 Intel processor with Intel's HD Graphics 3000 chipset, two gigabytes of RAM and a 64-gigabyte solid-state drive.
9To5Mac's Mark Gurman notes that the 11.6" MacBook Air will also be available in bulk to education institutions starting at $929, and that higher-spec. Airs in both sizes will also be offered at commensurately higher prices, culminating with a 13.3 inch machine powered by a 1.7 GHz Core i CPU, 4GB RAM, a 128GB SSD, and AppleCare extended warranty protection at $1312.
Gurman also reports that Apple is also offering educational institutions a MacBook Air mobile labs program that bundles ten or twenty 1.6 GHz 13.3 inch MacBook Airs with a mobile cart that incorporates an AirPort Extreme wireless hub. Ten-unit carts will sell for $11,399, while the twenty-unit model $21,599. AppleCare coverage can be added for $2000 and $4000 respectively.
For budget-minded "civilian" MacBook Air aspirants, Apple will sell you a refurbished Core 2 Duo Air starting at $699 or $849 for one with Sandy Bridge Core i silicon, supported by the same warranty and AppleCare eligibility as a new machine.
For the full reports visit here:
http://bit.ly/yGyuF4
and here:
http://bit.ly/xu7ZbU
iOS Outstrips Mac OS Share of Web Traffic
Advertising analytics firm Chitika Insights' Gabe Donnini reports that according to IDC metrics, Apple shipped 93.2 iPhone units and 40 million+ iPads in 2011, noting that in Q4 alone, Apple sold 17.07 million iPhones, 11.12 million iPads, and 6.62 million iPods, but only 4.89 million Macs.
Donnini deduces that more than ever, mobile devices are playing a key role in the lives of consumers and will likely become the predominant method for consumers to access and interact with the web in the near future, which has to have implications for the computing industry.
To investigate whether Apple is on the edge of cannibalizing its desktop market by focusing on its mobile device product mix, Chitika Insights compared overall web traffic market share of iOS and Mac OS, analyzing several data sets composed of a series of US traffic taken from August 2011 to February 2012 out of the Chitika Ad Network (covering hundreds of millions of ad impressions). User agents of individual impressions were then aggregated to determine relative overall share of the different operating systems. The theory proved true as seen in the graph below.
Donnini notes the data track web market shares of iOS and OS X converging steadily since August, iOS posting regular gains, and experiencing an overall growth of nearly 50%, while OS X's market share has declined by 25% since September. February marks first time the iOS has passed the Mac OS, accounting for 8.15% of all web traffic compared with the Mac OS logging 7.96%.
Analyzing these findings, Donnini suggests that they may indicate more consumers choosing to go mobile instead of purchasing more expensive Apple computers.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/zb0U6b
More Evidence Apple Is Losing Interest In The Mac OS
Technologizer's Ed Oswald observes that that the Mac OS platform is becoming less and less important to Apple as it continues to post strong sales of iOS devices. Oswald suggests that not only is iOS the future, that future has already arrived if metrics released by advertising analytics company Chitika Insights on Friday are accurate, the data showing the iOS surpassing the Mac OS this month for the first time. He projects that the iOS's share only grow as Apple continues to build on its strengths in mobile devices.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/AktTK8
Cannibalization of Mac OS X by iOS: Does Apple Even Care?
Ars Technica's Jacqui Cheng comments on advertising analytics firm Chitika Insights' Friday report that Apple's iOS has surpassed Mac OS X in terms of Web requests to its ad network, noting that Chitika's network mainly targets mobile devices so its data is skewed more heavily towards iOS than the rest of the Web at large.
However, Ms. Cheng agrees that Apple may be cannibalizing its desktop user base with the proliferation of iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches, but observes that if there's anything Apple isn't afraid of, it's self-cannibalization, and she suggests that it seems inevitable that the day will come that iOS outstrips Mac OS X in overall Web share.
The elephant in the room here is what effect the Mac OS's relative decline in popularity will have on future innovation and support for Apple's traditional desktop operating system.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/vZnC5R
Does Putting Windows 7 On The Macbook Air Make It The Ultrabook To Rule Them All?
The Verge's Joanna Stern observes that the ultrabook phenomenon in Windows PC space is essentially Intel and the rest of the PC industry's reaction to Apple's MacBook Air, b ut while the sundry ultrabooks brought to market have all tried to mimic and beat the Air, none have managed to pull it off.
However, Ms. Stern observes that it really isn't an apples to apples comparison because the Air doesnt run Windows 7 out of the box, and many who buy ultrabooks are presumably looking for a very thin and light Windows PC, not a Mac OS X laptop. She also notes that a MacBook Air running Windows 7 costs a minimum of $1,419 for the cost of the computer plus Windows Home Premium ($119.99) - quite a bit more than a typical $1,000 Ultrabook.
So, she queries, is the MacBook Air worth the extra cash? Are there any tradeoffs? Does Apple make the best Windows ultrabook? She endeavours to make a fair comparison to find out.
The takeaway is that while Apple is never going to make the perfect Windows 7 machine, in many ways its MacBook Air hardware supports the best Windows experience right now.
For the full report visit here:
http://vrge.co/AiKXoz
Mac and iOS Browsers: Options Galore
In the latest Low End Mac Freeware Forum, LEM staffers weigh in on their favorite Web browsers for both OS X and the iOS.
LEM publisher Dan Knight notes that:
"A lot of websites publish lists of '12 Applications Every Mac Owner Should Use' or 'The 10 Most Useful Mac Apps' or 'Freeware That Should Be on Every Mac' - to which our response is, C'mon, how many people really need an FTP client, a text editor, or whatever. Every Mac user has different needs, and just because we geeks and nerds at Low End Mac, technophiles and writers, love a specific app doesn't mean it's the right one for you....
"This week we're looking at browsers, which is probably the most important software category of all, since so much of what we do takes place on the Web."
You can check it out at:
http://lowendmac.com/freeware/12ff/free-browsers.html
Germany Stalls Over ACTA Treaty Ratification
The Register's Iain Thomson notes that Germany has become the latest, and more economically important, nation to place a hold on ratification of the controversial ACTA treaty.
Thompson says the German government has decided to hold off on signing ACTA after concerns were raised by the Minister of Justice over the need for the treaty, and will now wait until after the European Parliament has voted on its ratification this summer before making a decision. Germany joins Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia in refusing to ratify ACTA, which was signed by most member states last month at a ceremony in Japan.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/z5nUoI
Germany Refuses To Sign ACTA Anti-Piracy Treaty Amid Protests
PanARMENIAN.Net reports that:
"Germany will not sign an international anti-piracy treaty, despite having already agreed to it in principal, government sources in Berlin said Friday...
"The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), initiated by the United States and Japan, seeks to protect intellectual property rights, including infringement taking place in the digital environment.
"It was signed by the European Union and 22 of its 27 member states in January... [B]ut since January, the treaty has been the subject of protest, mainly online, by people who say it will require signatory countries to punish even non-commercial breaches of copyright with criminal prosecution and jail terms."
For the full report visit here:
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/92920/
Protests Planned To Oppose New Canadian Copyright Law
CTVNews.ca Staff reports that Canadians are protesting online and offline proposed copyright laws they say infringe on basic free-speech rights, threaten to "lock-down" the Internet and play into the hands of the entertainment industry.
The report notes that the Copyright Modernization Act (Bill C-11) is vehemently opposed by thousands of people who argue the government hasn't listened to their concerns, especially a "super-clause" that makes it illegal to break digital locks on electronic content or devices will override parts of the bill that protect consumer rights.
Michael Geist, University of Ottawa research chair on Internet and e-commerce law told CTV News Channel Friday that
concerns over consumer rights being trampled by the legislation are legitimate, and that there are similar provisions in C-11 that were contained in the now-defunct Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that U.S. President Barack Obama shot down last month.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/A6aYIQ
Thunderbolt: One Year Later
Macworld's Mauricio Grijalva notes that it's been almost 12 months since Thunderbolt made its debut on the 2011 MacBook Pro, and observes that in that interval just a few dozen Thunderbolt products have shipped, to the disappointment of users eager to take advantage of the fast connection. He asks spokesmen for several computer peripherals makers why.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/AxjrtF
Fix Keyboard Input Not Behaving Properly In OS X
MacFixIt's Topher Kessler notes that OS X accommodates a number of different keyboard types and layouts to support not only small and large keyboard profiles such as laptop and desktop keyboards, but also to support different language input options. The layout you are using should be automatically set up when you initially configured your system, but you can always go to the Keyboard system preferences and choose a different layout if you would like.
However, even with all of these options there are instances when a keyboard isn't recognized properly and will either give unwanted characters when used or even have sections of the keyboard such as the keypad not be recognized.
He offers some potential workarounds.
You can check it out at:
http://cnet.co/ygeNQu
Stylish Laptop Bags to Match Spring Fashion and Tech Trends
Jill-e Designs, the leading maker of sophisticated career bags, laptop bags and carry bags for todays technology-rich lifestyle, has released their Spring 2012 Trend Report. With spring right around the corner, the report outlines some stylish ways for tech-savvy women to warm up their style in the upcoming season with Jill-e Designs new E-GO Leather Collection.
Clean Classics: Simple, classic looks are in season and the new, stylish Leather E-GO Collection career bags will be available just in time to make wardrobe updates.
Rockin Leather: With its classic, yet cutting edge connotations, leather is the perfect style for the modern woman. The E-GO Leather Collection offers go-to, staple pieces to complement all lifestyles.
Head Into the White: With warm weather ahead, looks accentuated with a shade of white keep styles cool. Be sleek and stand out with the Jill-e Metro Tablet Bag or luxe and rich in style with the Leather E-GO Tablet Messenger in Vanilla.
Survival of the Fittest: Make a fierce fashion statement with a carry bag accessory that is decadent and daring. The Chocolate Croc Laptop Tote takes looks from subtle to stunning.
"Jill-e Designs style mavens understand women need a stylish option that can bring their favorite Apple and tech products safely and stylishly from one season to the next," says Gail Backal, Jill-e Designs President. "We are thrilled to offer the innovation and dependability that our E-GO Collection is known for, with the added versatility and timelessness of high quality leather."
Keeping up with the hottest spring trends, Jill-e's new E-GO Leather Collection of chic career bags will be available just in time to celebrate the new season. On sale February 20, the new line of leather bags for the E-GO Collection safeguards Apple and other popular tech products, while offering a polished, versatile look for women on-the-go. From stylish laptop bags to wristlets, Jill-e Designs offers a carry bag designed to hold her favorite lifestyle essentials, no matter what her needs and personality may be.
To view the full Spring Trend Report by Jill-e Designs, visit:
http://bit.ly/xsiNNI
For more information on Jill-e Designs' camera and e-gear bags for both men and women, visit:
http://www.jill-e.com
Connect with Jill-e Designs on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/Jill.e.Designs
and on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/#!/JilleDesigns
Kodak Focuses Consumer Business On More Profitable Growth Opportunities
Eastman Kodak Company has announced that, as a result of its ongoing strategic review process and commitment to drive sustainable profitability through its most valuable business lines, it plans to phase out its dedicated capture devices business comprising digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames in the first half of 2012. Kodak will instead expand its current brand licensing program, and seek licensees in these categories. Following this decision, Kodak's Consumer Business will include online and retail-based photo printing, as well as desktop inkjet printing.
Kodak says it has contacted its retail partners, and is working closely with them to ensure an orderly transition. Kodak will continue to honor all related product warranties, and provide technical support and service for its cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames.
"For some time, Kodak's strategy has been to improve margins in the capture device business by narrowing our participation in terms of product portfolio, geographies and retail outlets. Today's announcement is the logical extension of that process, given our analysis of the industry trends," says Pradeep Jotwani, President, Consumer Businesses, and Kodak Chief Marketing Officer.
Upon completion of the phase-out, Kodak expects to achieve annual operating savings of more than $100 million. Kodak expects to incur a charge related to separation benefits of approximately $30 million resulting from the exit of the business.
In addition to its Consumer Businesses segment, Kodak has a Commercial Businesses segment that includes the Digital and Functional Printing, Enterprise Services and Solutions, and Graphics, Entertainment and Commercial Films units. Kodaks digital businesses now comprise approximately three-fourths of total revenues.
Kodak's continuing consumer products and services will include:
• Retail-based photo kiosks and digital dry lab systems, a market in which Kodak is the clear worldwide leader. Kodak pioneered the retail-based kiosk market, and the company now has more than 100,000 kiosks and order stations for dry lab systems around the world, with some 30,000 of those units connected to the most popular photo-sharing sites.
• Consumer inkjet printers, where Kodak has outpaced overall market growth for several years. Kodak consumer inkjet printers provide consumers with high-quality output and the lowest total ink replacement cost. Consumers can send documents and photos to Kodak printers from anywhere, using any web-connected device.
• Kodak apps for Facebook, which make it easy for consumers to obtain photo products using photos from their Facebook albums.
• Kodak Gallery (http://www.kodakgallery.com), a leading online digital photo products service. Kodak Gallery enables consumers to share their photos, and offers product and creation tools that enable people to do more with their photos.
• The Kodak camera accessories and batteries businesses. These products are universally compatible with all camera brands, and extend into other consumer product segments such as charging units for smartphones.
• The traditional film capture and photographic paper business, which continues to provide high-quality and innovative products and solutions to consumers, photographers, retailers, photofinishers and professional labs.
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