Leander Kahney's Blog, page 1503

November 4, 2011

Apple Converts 4% Market into 56% Mobile Profits

Photo: shapeshift

Here's a good riddle: What has just four percent of the market, yet pockets more than half of the profits? The answer is Apple, the tech giant known for squeezing every ounce of profit from its iconic products. According to one analyst, Apple took 4.2 percent of the mobile handset market and transformed it into 52 percent of industry profits. Neat trick, huh?

For Apple, the note by Canaccord Genuity's T. Michael Walkley also is a bit ironic. When the iPhone launched in 2007, Apple had 4 percent of the market, but Nokia had 67 percent of the industry's profits. Now, Nokia has just 4 percent of the market and Apple rakes in more than half of the profits. Walkley calls it an "epic reversal of fortunes."

Just how strong is Apple's revenue machine? Even after Samsung trimmed Apple's marketshare from 5.4 percent to 4.2 percent, the Cupertino, Calif. company still had the lion's share of mobile profits. Apple even beat its previous profit share of 50 percent, Friday reports say.

Speaking of Samsung, the South Korean firm and Apple took in 81 percent of mobile phone industry profits during the previous quarter.

Walkley projects Apple will sell 29 million iPhones during the December quarter, up from his previously forecasted 27 million units. In light of that, Canaccord Genuity raised its price target on Apple shares to $560.

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Published on November 04, 2011 10:08

Amazon: Next Kindle Fire to Sport 8.9″ Screen [Report]

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Amazon reportedly plans to scale down the screen size of its next Kindle Fire tablet, producing an 8.9-inch device, rather than an originally expected 10.1-inch product for 2012. The report could be another indication that suppliers are busy filling orders for Apple's iPad.

According to the report by Taiwan-based industry publication DigiTimes, "Amazon's current 7-inch panel suppliers Chunghwa Picture Tubes and LG Display reportedly have begun to prepare production capacities for 8.9-inch displays." However, sources within Amazon's supply chain told the publication a 9.7-inch or 10.1-inch model could be ready for later in 2012.

Although no reason for the switch to an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire screen was provided, LG Display also provides the 9.7-inch panels for Apple's iPad 2. Earlier, Amazon had to change to a different manufacturer for its tablet after Foxconn had its hands full building iPads.

Although the Kindle Fire won't hit store shelves until Nov. 15, pre-orders have been brisk. In September, the Kindle maker announced it was having to build "millions more" of the $199 devices to keep up with demand. In October, the company warned that the Kindle Fire's low margins could push it into the red during the fourth quarter.

Despite the belief the Fire could hurt iPad sales, Apple's CEO and finance chief recently said the device would only further fragment the Android-based tablet market.

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Published on November 04, 2011 09:14

Monitor And Manage The Storage Apps Use On Your iOS Devices [iOS Tips]

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Apple has added a feature to iOS 5 that will allow you to check the storage apps use on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. It's an important feature to know if you are using any of these devices without a computer and syncing straight to iCloud.

If you are concerned about the amount of storage used on your iOS devices, you have two ways to check.

Checking Used and Free Storage

Launch the Settings app. Tab General. Tap About.

Look for Capacity and Available. These will tell you the total amount of storage and available storage.

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Checking Storage Apps Use

Launch the Settings app. Tap General. Tap Usage.

You will see a screen that looks like this:

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Now tap any app to see more details about it. You'll see the amount of storage space used for each apps document and data files.

You'll even see a button that will allow you to delete the app and all of its content. You can use this button to help manage what apps you have on your iOS device. Deleting an app will increase the amount of free storage space on your device.

This is the information I saw for the Tom Tom navigation app loaded on my iPhone 4S:

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Using this tip will help you to manage your storage space better, especially if you are using iCloud.

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Published on November 04, 2011 09:00

AirCassette for iPhone Makes Tape Players Look Good

I didn't own many cassette tapes when I was a kid — CDs had already taken over — but I did have a small collection. There wasn't much about the cassette that I liked actually; the sound quality wasn't great, waiting for them to rewind was a pain, and they're no good for Frisbee-ing at your friends like the compact disc. AirCassette for iPhone, however, is one cassette tape that's just plain awesome.

That's because it's not really a cassette tape (obviously), but it's a terrific music player that's designed to look like one, and it looks fantastic.

AirCassette graphics are inspired by real 80s cassettes. The tape spins realistically while
the music plays. Rewind and fast forward are also animated to really take you back to
the past. AirCassette is not just a stylish and nostalgic cassette player, but also a modern music player equipped with an intuitive user interface. Browsing your music library has
never been so fast and easy. You can find all your favourite tracks faster than you can say
"I love the 80s".

There are plenty of awesome tape designs to choose from, all of which will take you back to the days when it was hip to be seen with a Sony Walkman, and music playback is controlled by tapping and swiping the cassette. Tap each of the spindles to skip back and forth between tracks, tap the tape window to play/pause your track, or swipe left and right to switch cassette designs or enter your library. What's more, it's AirPlay compatible.

Not only does it look good, but AirCassette is actually a great music player, too. And it's just $2 in the App Store.

[via Wired]

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Published on November 04, 2011 08:37

Apple Among Few Tech Giants Paying 'Fair' Corporate Taxes [Report]

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Photo: kenteegardin

Don't look for the Occupy movement to picket Apple. The iPhone maker is among just a few tech companies paying their fair share of corporate taxes. According to a report released Thursday, Apple paid a 31 percent tax rate. By comparison, the likes of HP, Yahoo and Amazon.com appeared to have paid less than half the 35 percent corporate rate — or even lower.

The report by advocacy group Citizens for Tax Justice and nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, checked the financial statements of 280 corporations on the Fortune 500 list. Of those, 30 paid no federal taxes over the previous three years, the groups charge. Among Silicon Valley, both Apple and Intel paid a 31 percent corporate tax, while Internet retail giant Amazon.com paid only a 7.9 percent tax rate on $1.8 billion in profits between 2008 to 2010.

The list was released amid spreading 'Occupy' demonstrations of anger at the wealth disparity in the U.S. and so-called 'corporate greed' seen as causing much of today's economic troubles. Although the violence-tinged Occupy movement in Oakland, Calif. has drawn much public attention, the demonstrations have also made their way to the state's Bay Area, home to many high-tech companies and startups.

In August, we reported Apple had joined a Washington, D.C. lobbying campaign to provide a "tax holiday" for large corporations that bring home cash stashed in overseas banks. The "WIN American Campaign" effort also attracted the likes of Google, Oracle and Cisco. The proposed 5-day tax holiday would "immediately inject up to $1 trillion into our economy and provide businesses with the security and certainty they need to help Americans get back to work," according to the campaign's website. In a bit of odd political bedfellows, Apple found itself aligned with a Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and against President Barack Obama, who opposes the plan. During the 2008 election, Apple was among companies that gave $1.3 million to Obama's election effort.

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Published on November 04, 2011 08:36

This Gross Swarovski MacBook Air Mod Is For Cheap Pimps Only

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Even just looking at the picture, it's easy to see this 11-inch MacBook Air "luxury mod" is a grotesque mockery. Crystallize-Your-Design would probably have you believe that recreating "Angel of the Chapel Sistine" on a MacBook Air in Swarovski Crystals took some sort of artistry, but this is the high-end equivalent of smearing your laptop in glue and then rolling it in crushed glass and glitter.

Here's where you'll want to lose your lunch, though. This frickin' thing is being positioned as a product that pays tribute to the life of Steve Jobs! A man whose obsession with clean zen aesthetics would have caused him to suffer some sort of rectal prolapse just looking at this glittering pile of faux-diamond puke. The audacity!

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Published on November 04, 2011 07:59

ThinkGeek Finally Releases iControlPad, The D-Pad For Your iPhone

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I've been in the blogging-in-my-underpants business for a long time now, and over the years, one of the only things that has been an immutable law is that the long-awaited iControlPad for iPhone will always be just on the cusp of release.

So imagine the way my whole world flipped topsy-turvy when I checked my email box this morning and noticed that the unthinkable had happened, and iControlPad had finally been released. Is this even real life?

If you've never caught a single one of the dozens of blog posts about the product since it was first announced way back in 2008, the iControlPad is a physical, SNES-like D-Pad for your iPhone that pairs through Bluetooth. Originally, the guys behind iControlPad were going to use the Dock Connector, but they ran afoul of Apple's approval process.

Now iControlPad is finally here, thanks to a partnership from our buddies over at ThinkGeek. By releasing through ThinkGeek, iControlPad is compatible with any game that works with the ICase Control Cabinet, guaranteeing compatibility with a few dozen games, at least. The iControlPad is also compatible with Android, and on that system, there are a lot more games to avail yourself of.

The bad news is the price: $75 seems like an awful lot of money to pay for a bulky physical add-on to your iPhone that is only compatible with a handful of games, especially when you could pick up a used DSi for about the same price.

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Published on November 04, 2011 07:38

The Proof Strap Makes Your iPod nano Waterproof And Introduces Bluetooth

The iPad nano is undoubtedly the coolest wristwatch available if you're an Apple fanboy, and it has become so popular as a watch that Apple even introduced a number of new clock faces in its latest nano update. However, because it's an iPod, it's also very delicate and it doesn't cope well with water damage. Unless you have the Proof strap — a wrist strap that not only makes your iPod nano waterproof, but also introduces Bluetooth functionality.

From Boobotix, the Proof strap is a Kickstarter project aiming to raise $17,000 by being the most rugged iPod nano wrist strap available. The Proof comes with three different adapters for your iPod nano; one that makes it waterproof, one that introduces Bluetooth, and another that simply locks the device into its strap for use with headphones.

It looks a little chunky, and not the prettiest iPod nano strap, but it's certainly the most functional. "Whether your surfing, kayaking, snowboarding, or skiing, you can use this watch and know that your iPod nano is going to be protected from the elements," says the Proof's creator.

[via TUAW]

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Published on November 04, 2011 07:28

November 3, 2011

Fight as the Best Boxer in the World on Your iPhone in Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound

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One of my first favorite portable video games was a boxing game on — of all platforms — a Casio calculator (that's right — you think your life's tough, try living in a world where the most entertaining handheld a kid can play with is a calculator). The third-person perspective of Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound, a new iOS title that's expected to be released soon (pending approval by Apple), reminds me of that game. But with features like swiping for attacks, customizable outfits and being able to level attributes, it's bound to be, well, a knockout.

In case you're not a boxing fan, Manny Pacquiao is widely considered to be, pound-for-pound, one of (or the) the best boxers in the world, hence the name. The game lets you use some of his signature moves as you battle through bosses, increasing attributes as you level up. The graphics look pretty cool too; pity there's no two-player mode though.

MP: PfP will be $3 when it finally arrives at the App Store. Check out the (really short) clip here.

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Published on November 03, 2011 21:08

Download "Batman: Arkham Asylum" Today in the Mac App Store

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Feral Interactive has released the popular game "Batman: Arkham Asylum" in the Mac App Store. For $39.99, users can download the title and play it on any authorized Mac.

The game has been highly regarded since its release, and Kevin Conroy voices Batman while Mark Hamill reprises his role as The Joker.

Descend into the core of the criminally insane as the Joker seizes control of Arkham Asylum and launches his most diabolical plot ever. The inmates of Arkham have been set free – and it's up to Batman to bring order to the chaos and take back the asylum.

Using his combat skills, stealth and gadgets, it's up to Batman to thwart Joker's fiendish plans before it's too late. Batman: Arkham Asylum lets you explore the depths of Arkham Island as you experience the darkest journey of Batman's life.

Minimum system requirements are a 2.0 GHz Intel Mac with 2GB RAM, 128MB graphics, and OS X 10.6.8.

You can download "Batman: Arkham Asylum" now in the Mac App Store for $39.99. Have fun!

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