iPad fingered in mini-notebook decline
DisplaySearch is calling this, naturally, the "iPad Effect" in the portable PC market. Notably, the effect might have been even worse were Apple able to fill demand for its tablets. Its supply chain was slow to fill orders for the iPad during the spring and summer, causing long wait times. But recently it appears to be catching back up.But not all is lost for mini-notebooks, according to John Jacobs, director of notebook market research for DisplaySearch."The end of 2007 witnessed the launch of mini-notes. The first quarter of 2010 signaled the birth of the tablet PC, and possibly by extension, the beginning of the end of the mini-note market, especially in developed regions," he said.Emerging markets, or regions where people are just now buying their first PC, will likely find the features, price, and portability still quite useful, according to the study.But the "iPad Effect" is likely to be even more pronounced in Apple's major markets when the third-quarter numbers are revealed. Besides the company likely selling more after catching up with demand, it also only recently began selling the iPad in China and Japan.Looking ahead, the mini-notebooks are going to have more competition than from just the iPad. Samsung, Dell, Research In Motion, Hewlett-Packard, and many others have started selling their own touch-screen tablets or announced plans to later this year and in early 2011.
Monday, March 23, 2015
iPad can double as skateboard
iPad can double as skateboard
The iPad just got a whole lot more intriguing. The tablet can not only help you surf around the Web and check e-mail, it can also serve as a pretty useful skateboard.Jeff King, who hosts the Fuel TV show "Built to Shred," took a 64GB iPad and, using some innovative techniques, transformed Apple's tablet into a fully operational skateboard. King asked professional skateboarder Chad Knight to try to ride it down a half-pipe.After attaching wheels to the iPad, Knight took it for a ride. Unfortunately, the iPad's screen cracked in the first try and the skating didn't work so well. After making a few minor adjustments to the way the iPad sat on the wheels, Knight gave it another try. This time around, he was able to ride the iPad up and down the half-pipe without any trouble. He didn't try to perform any tricks, but it certainly worked.Move over multitasking, the iPad has a new feature that's much more fun.Check out the video:
The iPad just got a whole lot more intriguing. The tablet can not only help you surf around the Web and check e-mail, it can also serve as a pretty useful skateboard.Jeff King, who hosts the Fuel TV show "Built to Shred," took a 64GB iPad and, using some innovative techniques, transformed Apple's tablet into a fully operational skateboard. King asked professional skateboarder Chad Knight to try to ride it down a half-pipe.After attaching wheels to the iPad, Knight took it for a ride. Unfortunately, the iPad's screen cracked in the first try and the skating didn't work so well. After making a few minor adjustments to the way the iPad sat on the wheels, Knight gave it another try. This time around, he was able to ride the iPad up and down the half-pipe without any trouble. He didn't try to perform any tricks, but it certainly worked.Move over multitasking, the iPad has a new feature that's much more fun.Check out the video:
iPad buyers can now grab more than two tablets per order
iPad buyers can now grab more than two tablets per order
iPad buyers can now buy as many tablets as they want in one shot.Apple has lifted its long-standing restriction of limiting iPad buyers to only two tablets at a time. Citing an internal Apple memo, 9to5Mac says the change has already gone into effect at Apple's global retail stores (with the exception of those in Hong Kong).But online buyers will have to wait a few more days. Apple's online store will reportedly drop the limit of two iPads per order starting Monday, June 11, the same day the company's Worldwide Developers Conference gets off the ground.A sales rep at an Apple retail store confirmed to CNET that the limit has been lifted. A spokesman for Apple also confirmed the news for Apple's retail stores but wouldn't comment on the status for the online store.Related stories Apple iPad reviewApple's iPad favored among vast majority of would-be tablet buyersApple looks to open two more stores in ChinaThe timing suggests the removal may have something to do with WWDC. But 9to5Mac believes it just means Apple has enough stock of the popular tablet to satisfy customers who want more than two per order.That seems a likely explanation as Apple's online store now shows the iPad in stock, meaning no wait time for online buyers.Updated 9:15 a.m. PT with response from Apple.
iPad buyers can now buy as many tablets as they want in one shot.Apple has lifted its long-standing restriction of limiting iPad buyers to only two tablets at a time. Citing an internal Apple memo, 9to5Mac says the change has already gone into effect at Apple's global retail stores (with the exception of those in Hong Kong).But online buyers will have to wait a few more days. Apple's online store will reportedly drop the limit of two iPads per order starting Monday, June 11, the same day the company's Worldwide Developers Conference gets off the ground.A sales rep at an Apple retail store confirmed to CNET that the limit has been lifted. A spokesman for Apple also confirmed the news for Apple's retail stores but wouldn't comment on the status for the online store.Related stories Apple iPad reviewApple's iPad favored among vast majority of would-be tablet buyersApple looks to open two more stores in ChinaThe timing suggests the removal may have something to do with WWDC. But 9to5Mac believes it just means Apple has enough stock of the popular tablet to satisfy customers who want more than two per order.That seems a likely explanation as Apple's online store now shows the iPad in stock, meaning no wait time for online buyers.Updated 9:15 a.m. PT with response from Apple.
iPad and iPhone dominate Black Friday online shopping
iPad and iPhone dominate Black Friday online shopping
Holiday shopping is off to a good start, with a 17.4 percent increase in online shopping Thanksgiving Day and 20.7 percent growth on Black Friday versus 2011, according to data from IBM. Shoppers using mobile devices accounted  for 16.3 percent of those sales, compared to 9.8 percent in 2011.  IBM found that 24 percent of online shoppers used mobile devices, compared with 14.3 percent in 2011. Apple led the mobile shopping experience --  the iPad was used by 88.3 percent of tablet shoppers, and the iPhone and iPad together were used in 18.5 percent of online shopping transactions. On Black Friday, nearly 60 percent used smartphones and 40 percent tablets to reach online retail stores.Home goods had a nearly 30-percent increase in Black Friday sales versus 2011. (Credit: IBM)Social shopping appeared to dip from 2011, according to the IBM data, with a 35 percent decrease is Black Friday sales generated by social networks. However, social referral sales only accounted for .34 percent of overall Black Friday sales.IBM derived its analysis from tracking more than one million e-commerce transactions from 500 U.S. retailers, the company said.
Holiday shopping is off to a good start, with a 17.4 percent increase in online shopping Thanksgiving Day and 20.7 percent growth on Black Friday versus 2011, according to data from IBM. Shoppers using mobile devices accounted  for 16.3 percent of those sales, compared to 9.8 percent in 2011.  IBM found that 24 percent of online shoppers used mobile devices, compared with 14.3 percent in 2011. Apple led the mobile shopping experience --  the iPad was used by 88.3 percent of tablet shoppers, and the iPhone and iPad together were used in 18.5 percent of online shopping transactions. On Black Friday, nearly 60 percent used smartphones and 40 percent tablets to reach online retail stores.Home goods had a nearly 30-percent increase in Black Friday sales versus 2011. (Credit: IBM)Social shopping appeared to dip from 2011, according to the IBM data, with a 35 percent decrease is Black Friday sales generated by social networks. However, social referral sales only accounted for .34 percent of overall Black Friday sales.IBM derived its analysis from tracking more than one million e-commerce transactions from 500 U.S. retailers, the company said.
iPad Air, Mini land at Staples retail stores
iPad Air, Mini land at Staples retail stores
Staples customers hunting for a new iPad Air or Mini can now find one on actual store shelves.Calling your local Staples outlet now greets you with a recorded message telling you that you can buy a new iPad either online or in stores. Previously, the devices were available through Staples just online.The lineup includes the iPad Air starting at $499 and the Retina iPad Mini starting at $399. Staples customers also can score as much as $300 by trading in an older iPad and earn 5 percent back in rewards credits.Will you actually find the new iPads in stock at your neighborhood Staples store? Your mileage may vary. A salesman at one Staples store told me that it had both the Air and new Mini in stock, while someone at another store said only the Mini was available.Staples also sells the iPod and a wide range of Apple accessories, including cases, covers, and cables. But the iPhone is still persona non grata. A Staples store rep told me that the company first wants to see how the iPad fares among retail buyers.
Staples customers hunting for a new iPad Air or Mini can now find one on actual store shelves.Calling your local Staples outlet now greets you with a recorded message telling you that you can buy a new iPad either online or in stores. Previously, the devices were available through Staples just online.The lineup includes the iPad Air starting at $499 and the Retina iPad Mini starting at $399. Staples customers also can score as much as $300 by trading in an older iPad and earn 5 percent back in rewards credits.Will you actually find the new iPads in stock at your neighborhood Staples store? Your mileage may vary. A salesman at one Staples store told me that it had both the Air and new Mini in stock, while someone at another store said only the Mini was available.Staples also sells the iPod and a wide range of Apple accessories, including cases, covers, and cables. But the iPhone is still persona non grata. A Staples store rep told me that the company first wants to see how the iPad fares among retail buyers.
iPad Air tracker shows availability at up to 20 stores
iPad Air tracker shows availability at up to 20 stores
On the hunt for Apple's new tablet today or in the near future? There are still plenty of models available both online and in stores, but it might not stay that way for long.Click to enlarge.CNETDeveloper Mordy Tikotzky, who created a tool forfinding stock and being alerted to new deliveries of iPhone 5S models last month, has a new version for iPads. It checks all of Apple's stores near a particular ZIP code, so that you don't have to go through a similar, but more complex, process on Apple's online store.Currently Apple is listing all but the 128GB space gray iPad on T-Mobile as available to ship in time for a November 4 delivery in the US. That 128GB model is listed as shipping in 5 to 10 business days. Those times could get pushed back as sales progress. Along with the tracker for the Air, Tikotzky has put together a tracker for the iPad Mini with the Retina Display, which won't go on sale until later this month, and is expected to be in very short supply. Also planned is an alerts tool for iPad Air hunters that will notify them when a particular model comes back into any particular store.
On the hunt for Apple's new tablet today or in the near future? There are still plenty of models available both online and in stores, but it might not stay that way for long.Click to enlarge.CNETDeveloper Mordy Tikotzky, who created a tool forfinding stock and being alerted to new deliveries of iPhone 5S models last month, has a new version for iPads. It checks all of Apple's stores near a particular ZIP code, so that you don't have to go through a similar, but more complex, process on Apple's online store.Currently Apple is listing all but the 128GB space gray iPad on T-Mobile as available to ship in time for a November 4 delivery in the US. That 128GB model is listed as shipping in 5 to 10 business days. Those times could get pushed back as sales progress. Along with the tracker for the Air, Tikotzky has put together a tracker for the iPad Mini with the Retina Display, which won't go on sale until later this month, and is expected to be in very short supply. Also planned is an alerts tool for iPad Air hunters that will notify them when a particular model comes back into any particular store.
Secret customized iPod tunes of celebrity joggers
Secret customized iPod tunes of celebrity joggers
To a fast, repetitive and haunting beat, the words assault the ears and make the listener run for the hills. But they are not the "Ba'mb, Ba'mb, Ba-Ba'mb Iran" lyrics with which Mr. McCain once regaled an audience. No, no. Instead we have:"Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba-Barbra Bush. Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba-Barbra Bush...". Strangely, the verses include the line:"Went to a dance, looking for romance, Saw Barbara Bush and my insides turned to mush....".You see, aerobic exercise and a traditional view of love really do go together.Barack Obama is not one to be outdone. So it is not surprising that he has jumped on the personalized iPod running content bandwagon. Apparently, he managed to persuade Stevie Winwood, a star from quite a long time ago, to recreate his hit "Valerie". Some of the words make for very moving listening:"Hillareeee.. Call on me. Hillareee, Call on me..Come and see me...I'll be here in the morning at three...."Clearly, it helps to have the right connections to create your own jogging accompaniment. But perhaps Apple will consider allowing anyone to recreate their own performance-enhancing versions as part of the iTunes service.More royalties for the artists. More loyalties for Apple. I, for one, have a new version of the Vengaboys' Boom Boom Boom Techno Trance Dance Mix that I'd like Radiohead to have a look at. Perhaps you, too, would like to share the ways in which you would like some of your favorite songs rewritten and rearranged for performance-enhancing purposes?
To a fast, repetitive and haunting beat, the words assault the ears and make the listener run for the hills. But they are not the "Ba'mb, Ba'mb, Ba-Ba'mb Iran" lyrics with which Mr. McCain once regaled an audience. No, no. Instead we have:"Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba-Barbra Bush. Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba-Barbra Bush...". Strangely, the verses include the line:"Went to a dance, looking for romance, Saw Barbara Bush and my insides turned to mush....".You see, aerobic exercise and a traditional view of love really do go together.Barack Obama is not one to be outdone. So it is not surprising that he has jumped on the personalized iPod running content bandwagon. Apparently, he managed to persuade Stevie Winwood, a star from quite a long time ago, to recreate his hit "Valerie". Some of the words make for very moving listening:"Hillareeee.. Call on me. Hillareee, Call on me..Come and see me...I'll be here in the morning at three...."Clearly, it helps to have the right connections to create your own jogging accompaniment. But perhaps Apple will consider allowing anyone to recreate their own performance-enhancing versions as part of the iTunes service.More royalties for the artists. More loyalties for Apple. I, for one, have a new version of the Vengaboys' Boom Boom Boom Techno Trance Dance Mix that I'd like Radiohead to have a look at. Perhaps you, too, would like to share the ways in which you would like some of your favorite songs rewritten and rearranged for performance-enhancing purposes?
Reader's Questions About the Pre #1
Reader's Questions About the Pre #1
I'm asking my blog readers and Twitter followers to submit their questions about the Palm Pre. Here are the first two questions, both from Scott Makis, a fellow Palm fan on Facebook. Do you really consider the Pre the Iphone killer or is that just hype?No, I wouldn't even compare them. To me, Palm's devices are built for the business user. The iPhone is made for entertainment. They both have their place, but personally, I have zero interest in an iPhone. While the Pre is short on apps, it's big on organization and usability. I'm sticking with the Palm Pre!!!More of my thoughts on the iPhone vs Palm Pre...I just saw on yahoo that apple will be blocking the itunes app on the pre? Any thoughts on this?Thoughts would be an understatement for my feelings on this. I understand Apple doesn't want to give their services away for free, that there could be security issues, or even Pre users who could get upset with iTunes if the sync didn't work properly. But, I also think iTunes has just shot themselves in the foot. There are tens of thousands of Pre users and we are all potential iTunes customers. They've pretty much said they don't care about gaining customers. I have the older version of iTunes and I will not be upgrading anytime soon. I intend to keep my media sync capabilities!
I'm asking my blog readers and Twitter followers to submit their questions about the Palm Pre. Here are the first two questions, both from Scott Makis, a fellow Palm fan on Facebook. Do you really consider the Pre the Iphone killer or is that just hype?No, I wouldn't even compare them. To me, Palm's devices are built for the business user. The iPhone is made for entertainment. They both have their place, but personally, I have zero interest in an iPhone. While the Pre is short on apps, it's big on organization and usability. I'm sticking with the Palm Pre!!!More of my thoughts on the iPhone vs Palm Pre...I just saw on yahoo that apple will be blocking the itunes app on the pre? Any thoughts on this?Thoughts would be an understatement for my feelings on this. I understand Apple doesn't want to give their services away for free, that there could be security issues, or even Pre users who could get upset with iTunes if the sync didn't work properly. But, I also think iTunes has just shot themselves in the foot. There are tens of thousands of Pre users and we are all potential iTunes customers. They've pretty much said they don't care about gaining customers. I have the older version of iTunes and I will not be upgrading anytime soon. I intend to keep my media sync capabilities!
New Zune rating system- I don't like it
New Zune rating system? I don't like it
I understand that the Zune team has done some market research that purports to show that some users don't understand or make full use of the five-star system, but this attempt at differentiation feels arbitrary and in some cases harmful. The reason: a lot of sophisticated digital music fans--which, if I recall, were supposed to be the original target for Zune--use the star ratings in different ways. In my particular case, my wife and I both store all of our music on the same computer. We each have each have our own iTunes library (which the Zune software automatically imports) to organize this music. Our tastes overlap to some degree, but occasionally a song will come up on my playlist that I hate, but that comes from my wife's library. I give that song two stars, meaning "delete from library, but not computer." If it's a song I know comes from my library, and I hate it, and I suspect she won't care whether I delete it or not, then I rate it one star and nuke it from the computer to save space. Songs that get to live are rated between three and five stars. This is helpful when I'm compiling a playlist for a dinner party--I don't remember every song I've ripped, but I can run through genres and organize them by stars, and sometimes a four or five-star selection that I haven't heard in a long time will stick out. No more. Worst of all, the conversion process will rate every song two stars or higher as "like," which in my case means I might be subjected to Beyonce, Journey, or worse.If it ain't broke, don't fix it. P.S.: Maybe they're not going after hardcore music fans, but some other hardcore demographic.
I understand that the Zune team has done some market research that purports to show that some users don't understand or make full use of the five-star system, but this attempt at differentiation feels arbitrary and in some cases harmful. The reason: a lot of sophisticated digital music fans--which, if I recall, were supposed to be the original target for Zune--use the star ratings in different ways. In my particular case, my wife and I both store all of our music on the same computer. We each have each have our own iTunes library (which the Zune software automatically imports) to organize this music. Our tastes overlap to some degree, but occasionally a song will come up on my playlist that I hate, but that comes from my wife's library. I give that song two stars, meaning "delete from library, but not computer." If it's a song I know comes from my library, and I hate it, and I suspect she won't care whether I delete it or not, then I rate it one star and nuke it from the computer to save space. Songs that get to live are rated between three and five stars. This is helpful when I'm compiling a playlist for a dinner party--I don't remember every song I've ripped, but I can run through genres and organize them by stars, and sometimes a four or five-star selection that I haven't heard in a long time will stick out. No more. Worst of all, the conversion process will rate every song two stars or higher as "like," which in my case means I might be subjected to Beyonce, Journey, or worse.If it ain't broke, don't fix it. P.S.: Maybe they're not going after hardcore music fans, but some other hardcore demographic.
Jailbreak no longer a dirty word on iTunes, the App Store
Jailbreak no longer a dirty word on iTunes, the App Store
Following yesterday's discovery that Apple wasaltering how it displayed apps, music, and other digital content with the name "jailbreak" in the title, the company appears to have relented.Searching for "jailbreak" now shows the word in full, instead of offering "j*******k." An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the change, which was spotted by The Next Web.As mentioned yesterday, the issue was inconsistant. Some digital content that was named jailbreak, or that simply had the word in the title appeared unchanged, while others were not.Apple's App Store Guidelines document makes no indication that the word is off limits to developers. That seven-page document does, in fact, have a section that covers metadata (which Apple specifies as app names and descriptions), but it only goes into detail about prohibiting apps with descriptions that are "not relevant to the application content and functionality." In the case of jailbreak, the obvious connection is the practice of gaining deep system-level access using third-party software tools, something Apple considers a no-no, and warranty-voiding behavior.
Following yesterday's discovery that Apple wasaltering how it displayed apps, music, and other digital content with the name "jailbreak" in the title, the company appears to have relented.Searching for "jailbreak" now shows the word in full, instead of offering "j*******k." An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the change, which was spotted by The Next Web.As mentioned yesterday, the issue was inconsistant. Some digital content that was named jailbreak, or that simply had the word in the title appeared unchanged, while others were not.Apple's App Store Guidelines document makes no indication that the word is off limits to developers. That seven-page document does, in fact, have a section that covers metadata (which Apple specifies as app names and descriptions), but it only goes into detail about prohibiting apps with descriptions that are "not relevant to the application content and functionality." In the case of jailbreak, the obvious connection is the practice of gaining deep system-level access using third-party software tools, something Apple considers a no-no, and warranty-voiding behavior.
iOS finally gets native Google Offers app
iOS finally gets native Google Offers app
Google Offers, at its core, is not really much different from any deal site (Groupon, Living Social). Users sign up for daily email offers from local businesses willing to give potential customers heavy discounts to become patrons of their establishments.The only real difference, until recently, was that Google did not have a native iOS app for users to easily browse, organize, and use their purchased deals.Excusing the ugly app icon that gets completely sucked into the iPhone's display, the Google Offers app is actually quite nice. Once you sign in to your Google Offers account (or start one) you'll be taken to your city of choice to check out the latest featured deals.Users have the option of viewing deals in a traditional list view or in a map view, to see what discounts are closer to them. Once a deal is found and selected, another tap and you'll be on your way to purchasing the deal. Once an offer is purchased, users can tap on My Offers to see all their deals.The Google Offers map view for the deals you have purchased is particularly useful if, like me, you find it difficult to decide where to eat or what to do sometimes. The map makes it easy to see what deals are nearby that you've already purchased.Google Offers is available as a free app in Apple's iTunes App Store. What is your go-to deal site? Let me know in the comments!
Google Offers, at its core, is not really much different from any deal site (Groupon, Living Social). Users sign up for daily email offers from local businesses willing to give potential customers heavy discounts to become patrons of their establishments.The only real difference, until recently, was that Google did not have a native iOS app for users to easily browse, organize, and use their purchased deals.Excusing the ugly app icon that gets completely sucked into the iPhone's display, the Google Offers app is actually quite nice. Once you sign in to your Google Offers account (or start one) you'll be taken to your city of choice to check out the latest featured deals.Users have the option of viewing deals in a traditional list view or in a map view, to see what discounts are closer to them. Once a deal is found and selected, another tap and you'll be on your way to purchasing the deal. Once an offer is purchased, users can tap on My Offers to see all their deals.The Google Offers map view for the deals you have purchased is particularly useful if, like me, you find it difficult to decide where to eat or what to do sometimes. The map makes it easy to see what deals are nearby that you've already purchased.Google Offers is available as a free app in Apple's iTunes App Store. What is your go-to deal site? Let me know in the comments!
How to pause and resume programs in OS X
How to pause and resume programs in OS X
If these commands give you an error that no matching processes were found, you may need to look up the exact name of the program you are trying to target, as its process name may be different than that of the program package. You can look this up by opening the Activity Monitor program and sorting the list by "Process Name." Additionally, with any process name that has a space in it, be sure you have surrounded the full name with quotes.This feature does have its uses for troubleshooting problems with the system, but keep in mind that this does force the program into a non-standard mode, and may result in some problems such as interrupted network communications for downloads and chat sessions.Additionally, when the program is paused it will not send any acknowledgement messages to the system, and therefore will appear to be in a hanged state. As such, you will likely see the spinning color wheel cursor when you hover your mouse over the program. However, keep in mind this will only affect the program and not the window server, so you should still be able to drag the program around on-screen (though you will not be able to resize or minimize the window).Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
If these commands give you an error that no matching processes were found, you may need to look up the exact name of the program you are trying to target, as its process name may be different than that of the program package. You can look this up by opening the Activity Monitor program and sorting the list by "Process Name." Additionally, with any process name that has a space in it, be sure you have surrounded the full name with quotes.This feature does have its uses for troubleshooting problems with the system, but keep in mind that this does force the program into a non-standard mode, and may result in some problems such as interrupted network communications for downloads and chat sessions.Additionally, when the program is paused it will not send any acknowledgement messages to the system, and therefore will appear to be in a hanged state. As such, you will likely see the spinning color wheel cursor when you hover your mouse over the program. However, keep in mind this will only affect the program and not the window server, so you should still be able to drag the program around on-screen (though you will not be able to resize or minimize the window).Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
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