September 21, 2011
Microsoft last week unveiled Windows 8, the company’s new desktop and tablet operating. With the announcement, Microsoft joins Amazon as companies that are expected to enter the tablet market within the next 12 months. However, I don’t believe they will be taking much market share from the iPad, rather I think, gains will come at the expense of Android-based tablets.
Microsoft
I have to give credit to Microsoft for coming out with a strategy that’s different than Apple. I have been calling on companies to be innovative and not just copy Apple since the iPad was first released. Finally, someone is doing it.
There are still a lot of questions surrounding Metro, Microsoft’s tablet operating system, but we’ve seen where the company is going and it looks like they have a plan this time.
While Microsoft is clearly aiming for the iPad, I don’t think Windows 8-based tablets will have much affect on Apple’s popular device. Instead, Android tablets will suffer the brunt of Microsoft’s market share gains when its partners release products.
The reason, I believe, is very simple. People are looking for an alternative to existing Android tablets, but nobody is looking to replace the iPad.
Microsoft will have a built-in customer base with Windows 8, but previous projects like the Kin and Courier show that you can’t rely on that base to make a new product successful.
Apple customers these days are also Microsoft customers. The iPhone, iPod, and iPad transcend those operating system and company battles that have raged for decades. People are happy to run Windows and own an Apple device too.
Microsoft are going to have to prove they have a device that can beat the iPad — I don’t think they can do that.
What I think they can do is provide users with a viable alternative to Android. It’s an alternative that many people will try.
Amazon
While I believe Microsoft will be successful in its tablet strategy, I also think that Amazon will be successful too. Again, this will be at the expense of Android-based tablets.
Amazon has a solid name among consumers. Millions of people shop there and they are trusted. As soon as Amazon comes out with a tablet, people will start buying.
Even though it will be based on Android, consumers will only see as far as the Amazon name. People will look at the device as an expanded Kindle rather than a tablet and buy it for that reason.
There is a whole subset of users that would be happy to have a tablet to read books, surf the Web and get email. That’s all they want, and all they need. Amazon’s tablet will be perfect for them.
Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple
All Apple has to do at this point is not screw up. If they continue releasing solid hardware and software, they will continue to rule the tablet space with little other effort.
Of course, I expect Apple to continue to innovate and maintain its wide lead on other manufacturers, but they could sustain the margin even if they sat still.
Microsoft and Amazon will offer solid alternatives to Android-based tablets and they will all fight for second place and whatever scraps are leftover from that.
The battle remains for second place.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
AppleInsider:
Industry sources told DigiTimes that the manufacturer is cutting back production lines for the PlayBook at a factory in Taiwan, offering preferential compensation to the roughly 1,000 workers who have been let go. Quanta confirmed the layoffs, but declined to provide further details.
I usually don’t put much weight behind DigiTimes reports, but this one seems solid, especially since the layoffs have been confirmed.
It seems reasonable that RIM would cut production considering it only shipped 200,000 PlayBooks last quarter. Even with price cuts coming, I would think that number would be about the same or worse in the current quarter.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
The Guardian:
Orders to Quanta from Rim are reported to have dropped substantially as the company struggles to cope with the excess inventory. At its earnings call last week company executives hinted that they would begin price promotions over the next two quarters to get the devices into end-users’ hands.Quanta’s decision to cut staff and production suggests that Rim does not expect to clear its inventory before the end of its current financial year, which ends next May.
The report estimates that RIM may have an unsold inventory of almost 800,000 Playbook tablets. Sluggish sales are the reason why Quanta, which manufactures the tablets for RIM, has cut back the number of contractors working at its factory.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
John Paczkowski:
Tuesday, October 4. That’s the day Apple is currently expected to hold its next big media event, according to sources close to the situation, where the tech giant will unveil the next iteration of its popular iPhone.
Yep.
September 20, 2011
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Steve Lohr for the New York Times:
Mr. Schmidt asserts that Google’s search and advertising marketplace “helped generate $64 billion in economic activity for hundreds of thousands of small businesses throughout the United States.”
That’s a ton of money. Schmidt also says that most of the complaints that led to the antitrust investigations came from Web sites that don’t like where they place in Google’s search results.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Dan Frommer:
It communicated change poorly, again.It made customers feel like they weren’t Netflix’s priority, which is unusual for Netflix.
Okay, so Netflix may not communicate well, but I have no problem with what they did.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
The following demo was made using a variety of CSS techniques. Rounded corners, shadows, gradients, rgba, pseudo-elements, and transforms are just some of them. A lot of these were generated by helpful tools, such as westciv’s tools and Border Radius. By combining these techniques, you can create rich graphics with just a few lines of code. Here are a few examples.
Absolutely amazing.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Chris Herbert for MacStories:
Freemium apps (free to download, but require an in-app purchase to expand the app) are growing particularly faster in the in-app purchasing paradise. Free app downloads have increased by 34% since 2010 while paid downloads only grew 7% in the same time frame. Distimo’s research only covered the Top 200 in each category, but that’s a strong selection of the App Store’s money makers.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
John Gruber on getting developers to embrace Metro:
The message could be, more or less, “Windows 8 supports an incredibly wide range of hardware, and Metro runs everywhere. But our most advanced mobile hardware designs are Metro only.”
Transitions are never easy, just ask Apple, but Microsoft has to keep its attention focused on the prize ahead, not looking backwards.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Ars Technica:
…Three Boston University researchers have produced a rigorous empirical estimate of the cost of patent trolling. And the number is breath-taking: patent trolls (“non-practicing entity” is the clinical term) have cost publicly traded defendants $500 billion since 1990. And the problem has become most severe in recent years. In the last four years, the costs have averaged $83 billion per year. The study says this is more than a quarter of US industrial research and development spending during those years.
In this economy, I suppose we should take heart that patent lawyers are getting rich, at least.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
In response to your demand for high quality and efficiency, We at DontCrack have developed a new series of plug-ins that will change the way you think about plug-ins. DontCrack has partnered with leading plug-in designers from around the world to bring you the V.I.P. plug-in series.
Don’tCrack is all about encouraging “fair use of software because developers need to be strongly supported to continue creating great software.”
Logitech on Tuesday introduced the Harmony Link, a new system that connects an iOS or Android device to your home entertainment system and turns it into a sophisticated wireless remote control. It’s a combination of hardware and software, and it will go on sale in October for $99.99.
The Harmony Link hardware connects your home Wi-Fi network, and receives signals from the iOS device – iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, equipped with software which will be available for free download from the App Store closer to launch. The hockey puck-sized device controls up to eight home entertainment peripherals using a “mini-blaster” accessory tuned to the infrared communication frequency commonly used by the wireless remote controls that operate those devices.
More than 5,000 brands of remotes are support, according to Logitech, and the IR sensor on the Harmony Link interface can “learn” commands from remotes, too.
The accompanying app enables you to perform functions like volume control, video playback and other operations using swipes and taps. What’s more, the Harmony Link device supports communication with multiple devices, so each user can operate devices independently without having to fight over a common iPhone or iPad. And if you’re using the software on an iPad, Harmony Link also supports a television guide that provides show and movie information.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Pretty good looking productivity bundle from Fusion.
Adobe Systems Inc. on Tuesday announced the release of Premiere Elements 10 and Photoshop Elements 10, two new consumer-level apps for Mac and Windows users aimed at video and photography, respectively. Each is priced at $99.99; a bundle combines both for $149.99. Upgrade pricing is also available.
Premiere Elements 10
New features in Premiere Elements 10 include color correction technology borrowed from Adobe’s Photoshop software, “InstantMovie” themes, and pan and zoom motions to incorporate still photos into video presentations – the equivalent of iMovie’s popular “Ken Burns Effect.” SmartSound lets Mac users add musical soundtracks to their presentations.
Premiere Elements 10 also supports AVCHD output to standard DVDs, and the Elements Organizer now lets users upload video files direction to YouTube and Facebook (provided such users and videos comply with each service’s terms of service).
Photoshop Elements 10
Photoshop Elements 10 adds new tools such as “Guided Edits,” which help users add photo effects like diffused glows and shallow depths of field step by step. New text functions let users add curving and flowing text to photos, and special crop guides help users create special compositions. The Smart Brush paints effects onto specific areas of photos, with 30 new effects including Pencil Sketch and Oil Pastel.
New organizational tools have been added like Object Search, which helps users find items within photos – landmarks, flowers or pets, for example. Elements Organizer can help you locate duplicate and near-duplicate photos, deleting the ones you don’t want. And like Premiere Elements 10, Photoshop Elements 10 lets users with video-capable cameras upload videos directly to YouTube and Facebook.
Adobe is also promoting new “Plus” cloud service for users of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements available to users in the US. The service costs $49.99 per year and provides online storage and backup, access to how-to’s, artwork and templates.
Trial versions are “coming soon,” according to the Adobe Web site.
FileMaker issued an advisory on Tuesday encouraging users of its Bento database software for Mac OS X to download the newest release, 4.0.6. The update is free for all Bento 4 users and is available for download from FileMaker’s Web site.
Bento 4.0.6 for Mac provides bug fixes and compatibility related to OS X Lion and iCloud.This update is STRONGLY recommended for everyone using a version of Bento 4 for Mac…
Users who purchased Bento 4 through Apple’s Mac App Store should see an update there for their copies presently.
SugarSync on Tuesday announced an update for their iOS app that adds several new features, including built-in text editing, a new menu bar and improved syncing. SugarSync for iOS is free to download; the service is subscription based.
SugarSync is a cloud-based file synchronization service for Mac, Windows, iOS and (with another Tuesday announcement) Android. SugarSync lets you identify specific files and folders you’d like to synchronize, then lets you manage which devices you’d like to sync the files to.
The update to SugarSync for iOS adds a built-in simple text editor, enabling you to make changes or create simple text files. It also integrates with QuickOffice, Document To Go and other apps for more sophisticated text editing.
The new menu bar helps iOS users sort files, upload photos or create new folders and text files on any computer or shared folder. Photos and videos can be uploaded directly to any folder on any synchronized device.
You can also now select multiple files and folders to sync locally to your device, for offline access – a boon to travelers who are out of range of Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity for extended durations, but who still need to work.
SugarSync is free for up to 5GB of storage; paid plans start at 30GB for $4.99 per month (or $50 per year).
Written by Jim Dalrymple
ZDNet:
A new survey from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 83 percent of American adults own cell phones, and almost three-quarters of that segment (73 percent) send and receive text messages.Voice calling still comes in at number one as the most preferred form between that and texting with 53 percent of the vote. Yet, texting is gaining as 31 percent of respondents said they prefer texting to talking on the phone. Just 14 percent were undecided and replied it depends on the situation. (For example, likely due to the length of the message and how time-sensitive an issue might be.)
I prefer just to be left alone.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
John Paczkowski:
The company, which announced plans to shutter its webOS hardware business back in August, is sacking hundreds of employees as a result. Sources close to HP say the company plans to lay off as many as 525 employees, and that it began carrying out that dreadful duty this week.
Very sad.
Apple on Tuesday released a major new version of Final Cut Pro X, the first update to the company’s professional video application since it was released in late June.
Final Cut Pro X 10.0.1 focuses on implementing the top user requested features into the application to help professionals get their work done more efficiently.
“We got a lot of feedback from our professional users,” Richard Townhill, Apple’s senior director applications marketing, told The Loop. “We listened to the pros and have taken their top feature requests and put them in this update.”
Final Cut Pro now has Xsan support, which includes projects and events. With Xsan support, users can access the same source media while creating separate projects on the SAN. Of course, this means that users can edit from any system attached to the SAN.
The new version also includes support for Rich XML import and export. XML interchange gives users access to third-party workflows like high-end visual effects, color grading and media asset management. This includes products like Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve and Square Box System’s CatDV.
Apple brought Media Stems support to Final Cut Pro X, but they took it a step further than what you may be used to. When you export stems, you are basically splitting the media into separate files like dialogue, effects, music, etc. You have to mute all of the tracks you don’t want in the stem and them bounce the file out. Obviously, this means that you have to make multiple passes in order to export all of the necessary stems.
Final Cut Pro X introduces the concept of Roles, which allows you to tag tracks based on the stems you want to export. Once all of your tracks are labeled, you can make one pass and export all of the stems at the same time.
You can export a single multitrack file or separate audio stems based on your tags. You can also apply Roles to video clips and graphics giving you a new way to export separate files for versioning and localization, according to Apple.
Apple added a few other features to Final Cut Pro X too, like Custom Starting Timecode, GPU-accelerated export, Camera Import SDK and full-screen view in Lion.
Of course, when Apple first released Final Cut Pro X, some users were not happy with the changes, but Apple said they were listening.
“We have very vocal customers and they told us what they think was missing,” said Townhill. “What we’re doing today is answering those concerns.”
Even with some vocal users complaining early on, Apple said they have not seen customers leaving the platform since Final Cut Pro X was released.
Creative Strategies President and market analyst Tim Bajarin said this release is likely to make Final Cut Pro much more interesting to a broader audience. Bajarin also points to the significant price drop of Final Cut Pro X as a major factor in its success.
Final Cut Pro X introduced many new features like a Magnetic Timeline that lets you edit on a flexible, trackless canvas; Content Auto-Analysis that categorizes your content upon import by shot type, media and people; and background rendering.
“We’ve got a modern architecture, and this is the foundation for the next 10 years,” said Townhill.
In addition to all the new features, Apple is releasing a demo version of Final Cut Pro X today, so all users can try it out.
“We are giving people the opportunity to see for themselves how powerful, amazing and revolutionary Final Cut Pro is,” said Townhill. “No app takes advantage of Lion and the Mac the way Final Cut Pro X does.”
Written by Jim Dalrymple
CNet:
Wireless provider Cellular South has filed suit against AT&T’s proposed T-Mobile merger, arguing that the deal should not be approved.In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and seen by CNET, Cellular South argues that AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA violates the Clayton Antitrust Act, and, echoing the concerns of other critics, says that the deal would stifle competition in the marketplace.
This AT&T merger seems to be suffering the death of a thousand cuts.
Canon on Tuesday announced support for AirPrint, iOS’s built-in printing capability, in its Pixma MG8220, MG6220 and MG5320 All-In-One inkjet photo printers. What’s more, Canon also said “the majority of Canon Pixma inkjet printers” will support AirPrint as well.
AirPrint was introduced with iOS 4.2, and works on all iOS devices – iPad, iPhone, iPod touch.
A web page Canon claims to have set up with details about AirPrint support was not active as The Loop posted this article.
September 19, 2011
Last week during the introduction of Windows 8, Stephen Sinofsky, president of Microsoft Windows unit said that the “demos we are showing you today are equally at home on ARM or x86,” according to Informationweek.
A Microsoft representative later clarified that statement saying he “was referring only to so-called Metro apps — touch-based applications that are designed for tablets but which also will run on Windows PCs.”
“We’ve been very clear since the very first CES demos and forward that the ARM product won’t run any x86 applications,” said Sinofsky.
Tonight, Mary-Jo Foley said this on ZDNet:
Part of the reason for all this confusion is Windows 8’s terminology, in my opinion. The “Desktop App” in Windows 8 is the classic Windows 7 mode. Not all Metro-style apps are going to be consumer apps, nor are all business/enterprise apps going to run in the Desktop App mode. Business apps — whether they’re written in HTML5/JavaScript or in C++, C#, Visual Basic and/or using XAML — can adopt the Metro look and feel. And consumer apps can technically be Windows 8 Desktop apps.
Clear as mud.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
New York Times:
At the end of regular trading Monday, Apple shares closed at $411.63, up 2.78 percent, with a new record-high market valuation of $381.62 billion. It is now clearly the most valuable company on the stock market, displacing Exxon Mobil, with a market capitalization of $358.34 billion.
Clearly investors still have a lot of confidence in Apple and its executive team.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Pew Research Center:
Young adults are the most avid texters by a wide margin. Cell owners between the ages of 18 and 24 exchange an average of 109.5 messages on a normal day—that works out to more than 3,200 texts per month—and the typical or median cell owner in this age group sends or receives 50 messages per day (or 1500 messages per month).
I’m not surprised at all. With an 18 year old daughter and 16 year old son at home, I see how much texting goes on. They would both rather text their friends than talk on the phone.
Me, I like speaking to people.
[Via The Brooks Review]
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Nate Anderson for Ars Technica:
Wayne Hoehn beat Righthaven so badly that the Las Vegas-based copyright troll lost its copyright infringement case on fair use grounds—and had to pay Hoehn’s lawyers at the Randazza Legal Group $34,045.50 in attorney’s fees. But Righthaven, which has been squeezing settlements from bloggers and random forum users for more than a year, hasn’t paid up. Now, Marc Randazza and his team want the US Marshals to seize Righthaven’s bank accounts and property.
I bet a lot of people would like to see this happen.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
In May we announced Google Wallet—an app that makes your phone your wallet—with Citi, MasterCard, Sprint and First Data. With Google Wallet, you can tap, pay and save using your phone and near field communication (NFC).
I’m really looking forward to seeing how fast this technology takes off.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Many thanks to Pixelmator for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed.
Pixelmator is the beautifully designed, easy-to-use, fast and powerful image editing app for Mac OS X that has everything you need to create, edit and enhance your images. With tons of new features and improvements, the next generation of Pixelmator—codenamed Chameleon—is clearly the best Pixelmator ever built. Even more, Pixelmator 2 will be available later this month via the Mac App Store as a free upgrade for everyone who purchased any version of Pixelmator via the Mac App Store.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
App Cubby founder, David Barnard:
When you steal an idea and have the time and good taste to make it your own, it grows into something different, hopefully something greater. But as you borrow more and more from other products, there’s less and less of you in the result. Less to be proud of, less to own.
Interesting thoughts from David.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Macworld’s Jim Galbraith takes a first look at Apple’s new displays.
