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The New A9 Processor Is A Disappointment

October 9, 2015 By David Crozier Leave a Comment

The New A9 Processor Is A Disappointment

Apple’s brand new A9 processor made two big companies want to help develop it. Apple wanted the spotlight for themselves and turned down these companies. They designed the processor, but it looks like they should have thought about the final decision multiple times. The new A9 processor is a disappointment and it is making Apple look back in time to see what they did wrong.

According to Chipworks experts, the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus contain two different CPU models. One of them is a rather small component, designed by Samsung, while the other one is a little bit larger and designed by TSMS. The Samsung and TSMC devices are made on different processes, the former being a 14nm one and the latter a 16nm.

If Apple did bother with dual sourcing parts designed by them alone and released them in the first day, this means that the devices are going to have some disturbing sourcing problems. The issues of power and cost are two very delicate ones and there is practically no reason to use a larger die. Or is there? This situation would only be understandable if the smaller die did not come with the right volumes.

While the entire situation is rather suspicious, Redditors came in with a great number of comments about what is happening with the processor right now. IT appears that battery tests that were made in China have revealed more than we know about the TSMC chip: it has an extra 20% battery life compared to the Samsung one. For most of us, that is a significant number.

Apple came forward defeding the way they test their chips in the lab stating that “Certain manufactured lab tests which run the processors with a continuous heavy workload until the battery depletes are not representative of real-world usage, they spend an unrealistic amount of time at the highest CPU performance state.”

And it is true. The phones that are being tested are continuously bombarded with data so that they can be pushed to the limits. But in our day to day lives we use our telephones for limited periods of time. They do not run 24/7. Sometimes we just require more of them and sometimes we do not use them at all.

Even though battery life is a huge debate, we simply have to wait and see how this entire situation unfolds. Apple still has some explanations to give, so we will see if they give us anything that looks suspicious. One thing is certain for the moment: the new A9 processor is a disappointment.

Photo Credits wordpress.com

Huawei Exceeds Microsoft on Mobile Phone Market

July 31, 2015 By Lori David Leave a Comment

Huawei Exceeds Microsoft on Mobile Phone Market

Huawei, the Chinese multinational telecommunications company, surpasses Microsoft on the mobile phone market, as it managed to ship 30.6 million phones, which means almost 50 percent more than in 2014. It seems Huawei is facing a demand of its products of great and upmost importance.

Thus, Huawei becomes the world’s largest and one of the most influential smartphone vendors, even though Samsung and Apple still have the supremacy over the premium market.

Concerning its market share position, Huawei holds 7 percent at the present time, behind Apple (10 percent) and Samsung (20.5 percent). Microsoft stands fourth, after having sold 27.8 million phones, according to statistics. On the other hand, last year Microsoft had sold 50.3 million gadgets.

The Korean giant, Samsung, sold 71.9 million smartphones, an impressive number, compared to Apple. Nevertheless, Samsung’s products are said to be relatively basic, whereas Apple’s numbers started rising in contrast.

Microsoft nevertheless hopes for a positive consequence on its smartphones, by the freshly-released Windows 10’s implementation.

So, Microsoft, which incorporates the Nokia Lumia design, was outrun by Huawei, even though Lumia, previously, really did perform well in European countries like Italy and Spain, but, at the present time, Microsoft is roughly oriented towards targeting the Apple and Samsung-dominated market.

Ken Hyers, director at Strategy Analytics, said that

“Huawei is rising fast in all regions of the world, particularly China where its 4G models, such as the Mate7, are proving wildly popular.”

Strategy Analytics’ report also suggested that the Chinese company had outrun Microsoft to become the globally acclaimed third supplier of handsets, after Samsung and Apple, of course.

According to Strategy Analytics, China-based company Xiaomi improved its seizure over the global market up to 4.6 percent, making it on the fifth place.

Familiar brand names, including LG, Sony or HTC, and others, comprise the remaining 50.6 percent.

It is worth mentioning that Huawei disclosed two brand new smartphone models in the shape of P8 and Honor 7, and it is a fair possibility that it will reveal yet another model at IFA 2015, Europe’s largest electronic trade show.

The general public is in for another interesting surprise, as Huawei teamed up with Google for a next generation Nexus device, whereas this would certainly boost its popularity even further.

It is only through the arrival of the next generation of Lumias that Microsoft might just have a chance in regaining the supremacy over Huawei on the market place.

Photo Credits www.phonebunch.com

Sony, LG, Samsung and Dell Tablets Will Have Preloaded Skype and Microsoft Office

May 27, 2015 By Brandi McCants Leave a Comment

Microsoft has reached deals with LG, Sony, Dell and a few other electronics producers to install some of its most popular apps on Android tablets.

Dell, Sony, LG, and other important electronics brands customers will soon be able to use Skype, Microsoft Office and cloud services on their Android tablets immediately after they bought them after Microsoft signed an agreement with the OEMs to give out the installed apps and software.

The deal reaches to 31 partners, Haier and other smaller companies being part of the agreement as well. Microsoft has also included them in earlier contracts closed with with Samsung, Dell, Pegatron, which will allow Skype and Microsoft Office to be installed on their tablets. A significant number of these apps are already found on Samsung Galaxy S6.

The business deal with Microsoft has not been completely released, but the tech giant has announced a unilateral aim to open up new ways for gaining revenue for each of the partners.

LG is soon to start preloading Microsoft apps and software in their soon to be launched tablet, while Sony has already said they will be using them in their upcoming Xperia Z4 tablet in June.

The hardware companies from the deal will soon be uploading their Android tablets with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneDrive, OneNote, and Skype in the future months, a fact that shows Microsoft’s ambition to have their applications and software on non-Windows mobile gadgets.

The partnerships will enlarge Microsoft’s ecosystem to a large range of mobile devices to compensate for the tech giant’s slow growth in its own mobile gadget sales. With the applications installed on Android devices, Microsoft will manage to get its programs into the market with ease.

The software company’s move to offer free MS Office apps to Android gadgets has even included iPhones and iPads, after it gave out a subscription-free Office apps, while separate individual apps launched for Android and iOS in November last year.

At the same time, Microsoft has announced that Cortana – a digital personal assistant – will soon be available as a separate app specific to Apple iOS and Google Android.

“Our strategic agreements with these partners demonstrate how Microsoft is leveraging the scale of the hardware ecosystem, and working with partners in new ways to deliver rich experiences to our customers. This is a cornerstone of our cross-platform services strategy, to bring an array of Microsoft services to every person on every device”, the company announced in a blog post.

Image Source: Derek Lovell Coaching

Apple Gets Partial Win in First Samsung Appeal

May 18, 2015 By Brandi McCants Leave a Comment

A partial win obtained Monday in court by Apple Inc. gives the U.S. giant more leverage for a final agreement it could seek with Samsung Electronics Inc. to finish up a fight over mobile smartphones that started under Steve Jobs, who accused the South Korean company of copying his designs.

Samsung used some patented designs and two other features of the Apple iPhone in a few older models of its devices, a U.S. appeals court announced in upholding approximately $548 million in damages for the Cupertino-based company. The court explained the iPhone’s appearance which Apple sought to protect is not only about beauty, but also function, and isn’t eligible for coverage under U.S. trademark law. This could remove about $382 million from the original decision.

The ruling gives Apple an advantage in any further negotiations with Samsung. The two smartphone producers have seized their global patent wars except for the question which was decided on Monday and another case, also in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

“It appears that the end is near in this case, as the bulk of the damages awarded were on the design patents, which have now been upheld. If the parties want to call a cease fire, as they have in other jurisdictions, the table is set,” said Michael Risch, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

While the splitting of damages is only based on an interpretation of the jury, the jurors never compiled a list with each amount in the verdict form. That translates to the fact that the judge will have to organize a hearing to find out how much Samsung must pay, Risch mentioned.

A case that involves Apple’s contention which it will be allowed to force Samsung to take out certain patented features from Galaxy phones is still awaiting the verdict.

“We are pleased the Federal Circuit Court of Appeal confirmed Samsung blatantly copied Apple products. Even though Samsung must pay for its widespread infringement of our patents, this case has always been about more than money. It’s about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on,” Josh Rosenstock, an Apple spokesman, explained in a statement.

For Apple, the legal dispute is more about reputation than money. According to recent data, the $548 million equals to approximately two days’ worth of iPhone sales.

Image Source: Talk Android

CES 2015 Stars: Drones, Smart TVs and Wearables

January 17, 2015 By Mary Duncan Leave a Comment

2015 Consumer Electronics Show’s stars were drones, smart TVs and wearables.These were closely followed by the car industry’s freshest linked autos that can be basically self-sufficient. Tiny products going from the $5 “selfie stick” to the $6,000 Tonino Lamborghini cell phone also caught people’s eyes at the huge tech event. The boundlessly extended drone category was one of the most sizzling, with more than twelve exhibitors, during a time when the U.S. government is assessing regulations for the flying gadgets.

According to Roger Kay from Endpoint Technologies Associates drones were the huge elephant in the rooms being displayed literally everywhere making the showroom more like and airport. Kay also mentioned that 4K TVs and Samsung’s 103-inch bendable display also caught his attention.

Behind wonderful screens was a maturing fight to the software brains in home entertainment booths. Samsung created a buzz by reporting it will open its smart TVs to outside designers and opponent producers in a pursuit to become the etalon. However, Google’s Android TV likewise picks up fans.

Wearable engineering was seen in pretty much every size and shape possible — in shirts, socks, shoes, , adornments, headgear, for wellness and wellbeing and for watching youngsters and pets. The Consumer Electronics Association, which sets up the show, anticipated that U.S. wearable deals will climb to 30.9 million units, up 61 percent, and produce $5.1 billion in income in 2015 — a 133 percent expansion. But a few experts keep being distrustful about long haul prospects for wearables.

Music also saw some new developments, particularly with regards to enhancing the audio quality for cell phones and tablets. High-res sound was emphasized by Sony’s $1,200 extravagance edition of its once-hip Walkman music player, and others revealed complex remote earbuds, and innovation for 3-D sound.

Cellular telephones that were once flagships of the yearly CES editions took a back step and let other unveilings to get the fame. However, one that caught consumers’ eyes was the smooth LG G Flex 2 with a bended screen and self- healing back spread.

NPD expert Stephen Baker left CES sure that the general pattern is to open entryways for individuals to progressively have the capacity to do what they want from pretty much wherever they are.

Since innovation and associated gadgets touch practically every stroll of life, CES has developed into a monstrous event with approximately 36,000 displays and a showroom the span of 35 football fields.

This implies the event means can be interpreted in multiple ways according to one’s interest. For some it is about cars, while others concentrate on remote devices or wellbeing gadgets and a smart home.

Image Source: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Coming Soon: Android Lollipop for Nexus 8

November 15, 2014 By Lori David Leave a Comment

You no longer have to be a second generation Moto G user to enjoy the enhancements brought by the Android Lollipop. Pushing its own standards higher , Google announced that the Android Lollipop for Nexus 8 and other Nexus devices would become available in the next couple of weeks.

If you remember, there was a huge hype in the press and among tech specialists regarding Lollipop being sported by the second – gen Moto G. This week Google unveiled three new Android – powered Nexus devices, so it makes perfect sense to also announce the much awaited Android Lollipop. So far, after almost a year of testing and moving forward from one phase to the next, the only Nexus devices featuring the Lollipop are Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, the initial testing products.

The company, however, recently declared that the Android Lollipop for Nexus 8 would roll out soon enough. But this is not all! Other Nexus gadgets will also get blessed with the new and exciting operating system. Among them, there are the Nexus 4, 5, 6 and 7 smartphones, among which, the Nexus 6 handset is the newest addition to the family. The Lollipop will also be available for the Nexus tablets, the Nexus 10 version and the new face in town, the Nexus 9.

The news that Google will unleash not only a new and enhanced OS but also a wide ranges of Lollipop powered new devices left the tech world in excitement. Besides Motorola, which somehow managed to be the first to get a piece of the action, other Android smartphones manufacturers are enlisted for the future Android Lollipop release.

We are talking about Samsung and HTC among others. Rumors travel fast and they say a large part of Samsung Galaxy smartphones are very likely to receive the Lollipop: Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 4. However, as we reported before, the Galaxy S5 and the Note 4 seem to be scheduled for a full OS update by the end of the year.

If you don’t happen to own a Nexus smartphone or tablet, or a Samsung handset at least, there are still many options, provided you have patience: some of the Motorola, HTC and LG handsets are expected to receive the update as of next week or so.

The Android Lollipop for Nexus 8 is not the final stage of the Google strategy. Experts say this is just the beginning, or at least a precursor to a greater goal and many more tech developments to come. Some went so far in assuming the world will get an Android Lollipop 5.0.1 by the end of the year, as Google implements the OS into Nexus 8 and all the Nexus family devices. So let’s wait for the news and get ready to embrace whatever is coming out of Silicon Valley’s gates!

Motorola Got Questioned by U.S. Judges on Tax Structure

November 14, 2014 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

If you keep up with tech news, you know that Motorola Mobility, now a unit of China’s Lenovo Group Ltd, is trying to make an argument in a trial against a handful of Asian LCD flat screen suppliers, accused of a price – fixing conspiracy. But instead of making its case against the overseas suppliers in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Motorola got questioned by U.S. judges on its tax structure and potential tax inversion schemes secretly sought by the company.

To resume the story, back in 2009, Motorola sued Asian based suppliers AU Optronics, Chunghwa Picture Tubes, HannStar Display, LG Display, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp and Toshiba for fixing prices on mobile phone displays sold to Motorola foreign units.

Since then, Motorola tried two times to convince the judges that United States antitrust law can be applied overseas against companies that do business in the U.S. and twice before, Motorola’s action was dismissed by the appeals court, last time in March this year. However, the company was granted another hearing which took place on Thursday, and let’s just say that the 7th Circuit three judges panel was not kind with the company.

Motorola tries to build its case on the fact that the former U.S. based parent company and its subsidiaries paid the Asian suppliers a sum around $5 billion between 1996 and 2006 and that these suppliers are liable to be sued under U.S. law because the parent company was the one which negotiated its supply contracts.

However, instead of being able to make its point, Motorola got questioned by U.S. judges on hot issues, such as tax inversions strategies. Judge Richard Posner wondered about Motorola’s legal position and its true intentions, arguing that

For tax purposes, you treat the foreign subsidiaries as separate, but for antitrust purposes, you treat them as part of Motorola.

Judge Posner openly questioned Motorola’s lawyer if they had a strategy of going for U.S. antitrust protection benefits, while planning to shift the tax burden to other countries with lower taxes, in a tax inversion scheme which is not unknown to U.S. authorities and very popular among big corporations.

Nobody said Motorola was caught off guard by these questions, but it is clear that the panel judges cast doubt on the legitimacy of their legal case. We have to remember that this third hearing came as a concession made by the Obama administration which considered the former March ruling against Motorola’s case as a threat to its ability of prosecuting global price – fixing practices.

The court will issue a decision at any given time, as the panel didn’t rule on the spot. While there is still legal debate over the legitimacy of Motorola’s fight against its suppliers, the fact that Motorola got questioned by U.S. judges on its tax strategy gives other companies something to think about.

BlackBerry Samsung Partnership for Mobile Security

November 14, 2014 By Brandi McCants Leave a Comment

Two of the most renowned and appraised mobile tech companies in the world agreed upon a collaboration meant to create and develop a new species of Android security that was never achieved before. The BlackBerry Samsung partnership aims to offer Samsung’s flagship phones such as the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy S5 new levels of security.

Starting early 2015, BlackBerry will give Samsung phones what was called “a highly secure mobility solution.” This solution is represented by the intertwining of Samsung’s own Knox security systems with those provided by BlackBerry, thus making future Android powered smartphones a monument of safety.

According to both companies’ officials, this historical BlackBerry Samsung partnership is strategic and beneficial for both parties, providing them both with a common goal. In the words of Samsung’s Knox Business Group vice president:

“This strategic partnership is grounded in our mutual goals [of] being the most secure in mobility. Our respective leadership positions in enterprise mobility and consumers devices are a perfect match to offer customers that need to be equally productive and secure.”

While BlackBerry considers this long – term commitment with Samsung “the tip of the iceberg”, it also has some of its own projects to implement and grow. During the same event that announced the partnership with Samsung, BlackBerry also offered extended details on its BES12 server software, a long awaited solution dedicated to corporate and government clients. This new platform allows agencies and companies to safely use mobile connections. The best part, however, is that the BlackBerry platform allows all major operating systems such as Google Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft’s Windows to benefit from the enhanced sharing and security features.

Facing market share failure with its smartphones, BlackBery came with the bold plan of offering alternative and powerful security solutions to its competitors and address the sectors the company is most familiar with: the corporate and the governmental ones. In case you had any doubt, the BES12 security platform represents a huge part of the BlackBerry Samsung partnership announced on Thursday.

Besides the engagement with Samsung, BlackBerry also partnered up with other players in the tech field, such as Brightstar, which is the largest wireless distribution company in the world, and also with business software company Salesforce.com. Reports say that due to these announcements, and especially because of the newly promoted BlackBerry Samsung partnership, the Canadian company’s shares went 7% higher.

Not giving up on its own fleet of smartphones, BlackBerry also announced a future smartphone, the BlackBerry classic to be released and go on sale on December 17 this year.

Samsung Has Boosted Wi-Fi Speeds Fivefold

October 13, 2014 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

A couple of weeks ago we reported on Samsung’s response to BendGate or the internet hype over the fact that the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus bend and today it’s time we took a look at the latest news coming from Samsung. It appears that Samsung has managed to improve their Wi-Fi speeds to the point where it’s almost unbelievable. Apparently, Samsung has boosted Wi-Fi speeds fivefold!

Samsung Has Boosted Wi-Fi Speeds Fivefold

How about you buy and download a movie to your smartphone in a matter of seconds? If that seems a bit too far-fetched, then you should know that Samsung has revealed that they have created a new Wi-Fi technology that will allow users to do just that: download at amazing speeds.

The company claims to have created a 60 GHz Wi-Fi technology that is going to change the way we surf the web and use our smartphone devices. The solution uses 802.11ad standard with a 60 GHz frequency; it keeps the fast speed by eliminating the interference caused by co-channeling regardless of the number of devices connected to the wireless network.

Kim Chang Yong, head a Samsung R&D center, said in an official statement:

Samsung has successfully overcome the barriers to the commercialization. New and innovative changes await Samsung’s next-generation devices, while new possibilities have been opened up for the future development of Wi-fi.

Samsung also plans to integrate this newfound gem of a Wi-Fi in a wide range of devices, such as medical devices and telecommunications equipment. We could be seeing and testing this new Wi-Fi as early as next year!

What are your thoughts on the fact that Samsung has boosted Wi-Fi speeds fivefold? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us your thoughts on this matter.

Easy to Use Apple Pay Service is Going to Change the Way We Shop

October 13, 2014 By Lori David Leave a Comment

Apple is on fire, these days! It launched the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, an iOS 8 update and now it’s getting ready for their October 16 Apple media event where they will unveil the new iPad Air 2. But wait, there’s more! Apple is set to release Apple Pay service that is going to change the way we do our shopping.

Apple Pay Service

All you iOS lovers are going to love this new Apple Pay service that is going to definitely change the way all iPhone owners shop. A recent report is revealing that paying for things is going to be as easy as taking a picture. How? Well, Apple will allow their users to connect their credit cards to the Passbook and Apple Pay service app. You won’t even have to open an app in order to complete the payment, everything will happen through the Near Field Communication antenna in the iPhone 6. You just hold your smartphone near the card reader and use your finger on the Touch ID to authorize the payment.

The Apple Pay service will have the option of viewing your recent transactions it’s going to make it easier for the owner of the iPhone to connect to their banks. If you want to return a product you bought from the Apple Store, that’s going to be very easy with the Apple Pay service.

The Apple Pay service was announced earlier in September and its competitors are the PayPal app and Google Wallet. The service is most likely going to be made available in October, most likely after the October 16 Apple media event.

Are you interested in this new service from Apple? Do you think it’s going to be helpful? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it!