Apple posts

Samsung is knocking off the top players in mobile. First, they ousted Nokia to become the top mobile phone vendor in the world for Q1 of 2012. Then they pushed passed Apple to become the most prolific smartphone manufacturer. Overall, phone sales were down year-over-year by 1.5% but smartphone shipments are up 42.5%. “The race between Apple and Samsung remained tight during the quarter, even as both companies posted growth in key areas,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Technology and Trends program. “Apple launched its popular iPhone 4S in additional key…

There are certain brick and mortar outlets that simply refuse to go down without a fight. Barnes & Noble is one of them and they are partnering with a powerful force to help them make up ground with their Nook eBook reader: Microsoft. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="216" caption="Image via CrunchBase"][/caption] As subsidiary that is currently unnamed will see and investment of $300 million coming from Microsoft to help eBook and educational book sales. In return, Microsoft receives 17.6% equity, valuing the company at $1.7 billion. For B&N, it’s an opportunity to have…

Those of us who have owned an iPhone are familiar with the multitouch keyboard and overall interface of Apple’s smartphone. According to ex-Apple executive Tony Fadell, an iPhone with a physical keyboard made the final list of 3 prototypes before getting scrapped just before launch in January, 2007. According to Apple Insider: Fadell, who officially left Apple in 2008 but was kept on the payroll as a special advisor to the late Steve Jobs until 2010, worked on 18 versions of the iPod as well as the iPhone up to the 3GS before leaving to start “smart thermostat” company Nest. Steve Jobs sided with…

The tax system in the United States (and most countries) is broken. Organizations like OccupyWallStreet and their predecessors have been pointing to the corruption of banks, politicians, and rich individuals as a driving force for the financial inequality that exists everywhere. Most tech companies have gone relatively-unscathed for their own practices, but in a world where virtual goods rake in billions in profits for some, should the spotlight be pointed on them as well? [caption id=”" align=”alignright” width=”300″ caption=”"Biggest Little City in the World" arch on…

Recently, Apple announced and showcased their new vision for 64-bit non-linear editors (NLEs). They called it Final Cut Pro X (FCPX). The news of this NLC sent waves through the industry, quickly appearing to be the biggest feature at NAB 2011. Finally, Apple released FCPX. Letting my inner child’s excitement take over, I went online and download it. Many technology review blogs haven’t yet explored this software deeply; I will show you the complete details and user experience of Apple’s Final Cut Pro X. As the software loaded up, I noticed that the process was much faster than it was on…

Courtesy for competitors is a thing of the past as Apple removed Android support from app discovery firm Chomp, a company they purchase just a few months ago. It was a silent kill; no mention or blog post. It simply ceased to exist on their homepage. The battle for mobile domination has been heating up since Google tossed their fighter in the ring. There is an uncomfortable symbiotic relationship between Google and Apple as they still need each other for some components of their programs. Google needs to still be a search option on iPhones and iPads with the rise in mobile search revenue while Apple…

Since the dawn of graphic interfaces on computers, designers and developers have faced off over the proper ways to present data and tools. The aesthetics that please designers often conflicts with the functionality and ease that pleases developers. This battle is spilling over into iOS app development, but it doesn’t have to get bloody. In this graphic, the war is brought into the realm of compromise with these tips for designers that can cut off the objections before they materialize. With the right tact, proper techniques, and patience for the “less creative” types on the other side of the…

The iPhone world has been getting more crowded over the last year and Sprint has been on the tail end of exposure with the original AT&T and Verizon dominating the iPhone market. Sprint hopes to make a splash with the next variation by continuing to offer unlimited data plans, even if the next iPhone is 4G LTE as expected. “Frankly, it’s a marriage made in heaven,” said CEO Dan Hesse. “We’re clearly attracting customers from our competitors.” It could be the difference between success and failure for the 3rd largest provider of both iPhone service and US mobile service in general. They just released…

Small kids can use them just fine. They are more portable than a laptop, more powerful than a smartphone, and perform nearly every duty that a business person needs (especially when an external keyboard is added, which sort of defeats the purpose of having a tablet, but that’s another debate). Why, then, are more corporations and large businesses not adopting tablets as their primary method of mobile productivity? Why do so many continue to push clunky laptops onto their employees? The answers are numerous. Some companies simply do not trust the cloud, yet. Some still require access to programs…

It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes. At other times, it’s comically easy. Apple and other companies have fallen victim to many counterfeit technology stores and products in China for years, but it seems as if there has been an influx of activity in recent months that’s been making the news. In a land that is growing into its own in pseudo-capitalism but that’s still shrouded by government-induced mystery, it can be extremely lucrative to sell fake merchandise for a little while, knowing that someday it will likely get busted. Until it does, there’s a yuan to make. This graphic from Charlotte…