Tag: headlines (Page 17 of 19)

Apple surpasses Nokia handset profits

Apple vs. Nokia.Apple has been slowly stealing Nokia’s market share since the release of the iPhone, but this past quarter it finally passed the Finnish handset manufacturer. By a mile. Well, half a billion dollars actually, but that’s not how the saying goes.

At first glance it might not seem like terrible news for Nokia. According to research firm Strategy Analytics the company still leads in overall handset share, shipping over 108 million handsets in the third quarter (compared to 7.4 million iPhones). But that actually makes the news worse. Nokia is selling more phones – nearly 15 times as many – but losing in profits by 50% of what the company earned? That’s insane, and it’s a trend that will likely continue. Apple has put the iPhone on multiple carriers overseas to great success, something we’ll likely see stateside in the near future.

The Strategy Analytics report points to several factors for Apple’s success, high subsidies and low manufacturing costs among them. There’s no reason those things should change for Apple anytime soon. Enough people want the iPhone that carriers would be crazy to boycott the phone based on the price. It’s a problem that points back to branding. If you asked a hundred people what an iPhone is I’d guess 85 or more could tell you, most in great detail. Ask about an N97 and you might get 10. 15 tops. How long before the same can be said for Nokia itself?

FHM app brings the hotness to your iPhone

Rachelle Leah on FHM appIn the rush to release an iPhone app, a lot of publishers have missed the mark, omitting their best content for something quick and dirty that kicks your ass outside after you’ve had your five minutes of fun. FHM’s iPhone app is different, though. It’s loaded with content, frequently updated, and it only costs $1.99.

I was more than happy to consider reviewing the app since I knew what hid between FHM’s magazine covers. Everyone knows FHM gets the hottest women alive – just look at the Megan Fox shoot – and that’s the bulk of material the app delivers to the iPhone. The app works on a card system that’s actually a lot like the Palm Pre’s OS. The two most prominent cards are “Non-stop Honeys” and “Girl of the Week.” Each section allows you to view FHM photo content in a grid of four per screen, or zoomed to full-screen. You can then save or share the pictures you like and vote on your favorites.

The app also has a videos section with behind-the-scene content for a lot of the photo shoots. Again, content is updated regularly, so you should be able to find something new to watch as often as you come back to the app. To top things off, FHM feeds articles into the “Take Once Daily” sections, and adds that special FHM flavor with the “Useful/Useless Facts” section (who knew a five-minute kiss was illegal in Iowa?).

The whole thing is delivered in a slick little package courtesy of Zumobi. If you’re a fan of the FHM magazine, there’s no way you’ll be disappointed in the $1.99 you spend on this app.

FHM provided the software for this review

Android gets tapped for military use

G1 google maps.Military defense contractor Raytheon is apparently as interested in Android as the rest of us. The company has created an application that works like a mashup between a buddy list and Google Maps, giving users the ability to locate “buddies” anywhere on the battlefield.

The system, called Raytheon Android Tactical System (RATS), was developed on Android for the openness of the platform. Raytheon sees RATS expanding to uses like biometric scanning and off-site suspect identification. By developing on Android, Raytheon was also able to keep the cost of the software down. Think a couple hundred dollars per user, versus the typical tens of thousands per mobile terminal, something taxpayers are sure to be happy with.

Source: Forbes

Apple gets ready for the holidays, Windows 7

Unibody white Macbook.Just two days before the Windows 7 launch, Apple made sweeping changes to its Mac lineup, adding a few new toys for holiday buyers along the way. Most notable among the update was the iMac overhaul and entry-level Macbook redesign. The Mac Mini also caught some upgrades, and Apple introduced the Magic Mouse, a touchpad and mouse blended into on sexy little device.

iMac
The first thing you’ll notice about the new iMac is size. It’s up to 21.5″ and 27″, both in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The computer also went from aluminum/polycarbonate to the unibody styling of the Macbook Pro line, adding an edge-to-edge glass display that looks really amazing. Apple also added the ability to use the 27″ iMac as a secondary display via an integrated Display Port.

As for internals, there are some nice upgrades but one big missing feature: Blu-ray support. Granted, the Display Port on the 27″ model gives you the option to watch your HD movies on a brilliant screen, but integrating Blu-ray would have been really nice. The iMac can now be purchased with Core i5/i7 chips, the newest chips from Intel.

Macbook
The entry-level Macbook has been long overdue for a redesign and finally got one. Apple took it the Unibody route, though still in white polycarbonate. The touchpad now matches the Macbook Pro line and fully supports gestures, and the bottom has a non-slip finish added. Other than that things have remained essentially the same.

Magic Mouse
I’ve been looking for a mouse for my Macbook Pro for some time, but I never found anything I liked enough to give up on gestures. Apple’s Magic Mouse answers that problem by integrating a capacitive touchpad into the surface of the mouse. It’s a really fantastic design in my mind, giving you the control of a gliding mouse with the convenience of gestures for navigating webpages, zooming, and the like. The new mouse will run you $69.

The Rest
The rest of the updates were less interesting. You can now purchase a server version of the Mac Mini, which sort of killed the rumors that Apple would position it as an HTPC. Seems like there’s still some confusion about where that product will land in Apple’s lineup. There’s also a redesigned remote that now matches the iMac/Macbook Pro design aesthetic (instead of that glowing white plastic) for $16. Apple also announced upgrades for the Airport Extreme Base Station and the Time Capsule that are shipping now. There have been antenna redesigns and a couple software tweaks that supposedly reduce backup time and increase network range and reception.

All in all, Apple made some welcome changes to the Mac line, strengthening the all-in-one iMac and giving the Macbook a sorely need redesign. The Magic Mouse probably won’t be the runaway peripheral of the season, but it’s definitely cool and I really want one.

Verizon takes after Palm without pioneering an OS

Motorola Droid.On Saturday night, Verizon publicly declared it would be going after the iPhone with a new Android phone from Motorola. To do so, Big Red is using the same tactic Palm did, but it will probably see a much higher success rate. The reason: the OS.

It’s not just that I think Android is a superior platform (which I do), or that Palm continues to botch almost everything it tries with regard to the App Catalog (which it does). It’s really that Verizon isn’t trying to pioneer a new OS against the world’s most successful smartphone. Android is not the thriving development community it could be, but it’s not brand new either. That means there will be plenty of app support on launch day, but more importantly that developers are familiar enough to create apps that take advantage of specific features of the new Motorola phone – a big part of what makes the iPhone so good.

On top of that huge advantage, the phone looks really nice. It’s sleek and slim, has a landscape keyboard that far outstrips the cramped POS on the Pre, and it’s on Verizon. I don’t think I need to mention all the other features Verizon’s new ad points out.

This isn’t something Apple will take lying down, though. We should see the rebuttal in what promises to be a snarky little ad war before long.

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