Google Soon to Launch Its New Android Tablet Named Eric Schmidt

LONDON: Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has revealed that the company is planning to bring its flagship Android tablet to the market in the next six months to rival Apple's iPad.

"In the next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality," Schmidt told an Italian newspaper.

Google has already had a hand in the development of the Motorola Xoom, but like other Android tablets, it suffered disappointing sales in a market dominated by the iPad.

Since then Google has itself become a major hardware manufacturer via its $12.5 billion dollars acquisition Motorola's devices division, which is currently under consideration by competition authorities.

According to The Telegraph, Schmidt paid tribute to Steve Jobs' role in kickstarting the tablet market, describing the iPad as "amazing".

"Steve Jobs was the Michelangelo of our time. A friend of mine and a unique character, able to combine creativity and visionary genius with an extraordinary engineering ability," the paper quoted him, as saying.

"Steve realised the revolutionary potential of the tablet and created an amazing product like the iPad," he added.

Schmidt said that competition between Android smartphones and the iPhone will be "brutal".

In the smartphone market, Google designs the Nexus range as both a testing ground for new versions of Android and to show off cutting-edge hardware. Samsung manufactures the most recent device, the Galaxy Nexus.

Courtesy: IndiaTimes

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Apple Top On The List For Customer Loyalty

Yes, Apple being beaten by Android in app. users, got a chance to come back with Customer Loyalty…

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple is well ahead of rivals in building brand loyalty among its users in a mobile market where the key brands are rushing to build as large a foothold as possible, a study by research firm GfK showed.
 
Some 84 per cent of iPhone users said they would pick iPhone also when they replace their cellphone, while 60 per cent of consumers who use smartphones running Google's Android said they would stick with phones using the same software.
Only 48 per cent of people using Research In Motion's cellphones said they would stay loyal to their Blackberrys, the study showed.
 
Smartphone sales have been surging since Apple introduced its first iPhone in 2007 and even though the growth has slowed the sales still rose 49 per cent last quarter from a year ago, according to research firm IDC.
Ryan Garner, analyst at GfK, said the ongoing rush to build market position was crucial for the future success of the brands as on average 63 per cent of consumers are sticking to the type of phone they have -- lowering the chance for fast changes in the market place.
Garner said fast growth of Android and launch of new Microsoft Windows, which will be similar for PCs, tablets and smartphones, mean there are still opportunities for others.
 
"Apple is clearly ahead of the game, but developments next year will challenge that," Garner said.
 
More than 70 per cent of consumers said they would stick with their phones due to their seamless integration of features and access to content.
"The scope for brands to lure customers from rivals has diminished and the richest rewards will go to those providers that can create the most harmonious user experience and develop this brand loyalty," GfK said.
 
The research firm interviewed around 4,500 people in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, China, the United States and Japan.

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Apple Lost Unreleased iPhone Once More

In a bizarre repeat of a high-profile incident last year, an Apple employee once again appears to have lost an unreleased iPhone in a bar.

The errant iPhone, which went missing in San Francisco's Mission district in late July, sparked a scramble by Apple security to recover the device over the next few days, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

Last year, an iPhone 4 prototype was bought by a gadget blog that paid $5,000 in cash. This year's lost phone seems to have taken a more mundane path: it was taken from a Mexican restaurant and bar and may have been sold on Craigslist for $200. Still unclear are details about the device, what version of the iOS operating system it was running, and what it looks like.

While Apple has not publicly announced any plans for future phones, unconfirmed reports in the last few weeks suggest the launch date for the iPhone 5 is likely to be in early October. Other reports from Taiwan have set the date at September or October.

A day or two after the phone was lost at San Francisco's Cava 22, which describes itself as a "tequila lounge" that also serves lime-marinated shrimp ceviche, Apple representatives contacted San Francisco police, saying the device was priceless and the company was desperate to secure its safe return, the source said.

Apple electronically traced the phone to a two-floor, single-family home in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood, according to the source.

When San Francisco police and Apple's investigators visited the house, they spoke with a man in his twenties who acknowledged being at Cava 22 on the night the device went missing. But he denied knowing anything about the phone. The man gave police permission to search the house, and they found nothing, the source said. Before leaving the house, the Apple employees offered the man money for the phone no questions asked, the source said, adding that the man continued to deny he had knowledge of the phone.

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Android Beats Apple iOS in App. Users

TORONTO: Google Inc's Android operating system passed Apple Inc's iOS as the most popular software platform for application downloads as consumers bought more Android smartphones.

The Google platform accounted for 44 per cent of all app downloads in the second quarter, eclipsing Apple's 31 per cent share, according to ABI Research. That was fueled by a 36 per cent jump in Android phone shipments from the previous three months, ABI said.

Google, based in Mountain View, California, introduced Android in 2007 as an open-source platform, allowing any phone maker to use it for free and focus on designing hardware rather than software. Android has helped propel Samsung Electronics Co into the ranks of top smartphone makers and drive a recovery at Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc even as sales of Apple's iPhone surged.

"Android's app downloads per user still lag behind Apple's by 2 to 1," said Dan Shey, practice director of mobile services at ABI.

Global downloads of games, music, news and other apps are expected to rise to 29 billion this year, more than triple the 9 billion downloaded in 2010, ABI said..

So, What OS do you have?? Share with me in comments...

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5 Very Important Disappointments in Apple iPhone 4S

Apple's first iPhone launch under the stewardship of new CEO Tim Cook failed to match the unprecedented frenzy and lacked the magical flair of Steve Jobs. Though iPhone 4S will still sell like hot cakes and might possibly become the best-selling phone ever.

Unfortunately, the Apple aficionados may still find a few things short in their latest iPhone. While Apple augmented the new iPhone with a faster chip, much better camera and voice service Siri, Apple fanboys were left disappointed as they were hoping to see a newly designed, completely revamped iPhone 5 after a wait of over 15 months. 

The Missing List of iPhone 4S is as follows:

1. No New Design- The new iPhone 4S failed to excite on the looks. The device is absolutely identical in form factor to the previous model, disappointing fans and investors who were hoping for a thinner, bigger-screened design. Like iPhone 4, 4S also sports a 3.5-inch multi-touch display and retains the 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi.

2. NFC Missing-  NFC (Near-Field Communication) is a technology that allows mobile users to use their handsets as a digital wallet. The technology enables users to pay for retail goods or services such as transit rides by waving their handsets across a reader. Meanwhile, other phone makers like BlackBerry and Samsung are including NFC support in their upcoming lineup.

3. Thunderbolt Support Missing- While the Intel's Thunderbolt technology is making its way to the new line of MacBook Pro laptop computers, it was very likely that the new iPhone will also get it. But strangely, Apple choose to keep it out, maybe for iPhone 5.

Thunderbolt technology is a high-speed PC connection technology that brings together high-speed data transfer and high-definition (HD) display on to a single cable. Running at 10Gbps, the technology can transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds.

4. HDMI Port- Like its predecessors, iPhone 4S also misses out on the industry standards ports. The new phone also come with Apple's connector to attach to computers, for charging and other peripherals. Apple also missed out HDMI port for sharing with HDTVs.

Apple has introduced AirPlay that will let iPhone users to wirelessly stream what's on their phone to HDTV and speakers via Apple TV. In addition, with AirPlay Mirroring, whatever you do on your iPhone appears on the HDTV at the same time.

5. Facebook Integration- While Apple announced a new notification center, BBM-like messaging service iMessage, and deeper Twitter integration, there was no word on Facebook integration.

So, At Last, we are at a point that iPhone 4S is not suitable for our needs. Lets hope if iPhone 5, gets these all....

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Death Of Steve Jobs....

Its very bad to say but Steve Jobs has died...

Steve Jobs, co-founder of computer and software giant Apple Computers, Inc., and until recently its CEO, has died at the age of 56, according to reports from Apple.

After a troubling diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2003 followed by a liver transplant in 2009, reports surfaced earlier this year that Jobs was suffering from a recurrence of his cancer. This time out, Jobs was hit with a much rarer form of pancreatic cancer known as islet cell carcinoma, difficult to cure if in late phases.

After Apple went public in 1980, Jobs became and maintained status as one of the technology sector’s leading celebrities, taking the stage year after year and dazzling consumers with Apple’s vast array of computing and entertainment-related products and services, including iPods, iPads, Macs and sites such as iTunes.

Apple has posted this statement on its website:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

 

We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

SOURCE: Apple

Jobs has left a lasting mark on the world of technology. Technorati will be publishing a variety of stories tonight from writers sharing their perspectives on how Steve Jobs and his creative endeavors changed and/or improved our lives. Please share your thoughts as well....

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