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Apple Patent Describes Multi-User Face Detection System
Like the controversial face unlock functionality in Google’s Galaxy Nexus, a new Apple’s patent application points out that the company is developing similar but more sofisticated face detection solution. As PatentlyApple reports, Apple said that these user detection system could be included in a future MacBook, iPad, iPod touch and iPhone.
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Apple’s Ongoing Patent Battle May Pose Risks For Its Shareholders
According to , Apple’s ongoing patent war with the manufacturers of Android-based devices has mixed results. Bloomberg wrote that Apple could cut its losses and earn 10$ per Android-based device sold if the company would reach settlements with its competitors.
iOS, Android activations surge 353% on record setting Christmas Day
In the first 20 days of December, mobile device activations tracked by analytics firm Flurry were around 1.5 million each day. As for December 25, it indicated that devices running Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms saw a huge spike in activations, growing 353 percent from average totals earlier in December. The previous record tracked by Flurry belongs to Christmas Day in 2010. On December 25, 2010 the users activated 2.8 million devices.
Flurry's statistics come from the company's analytics software, which is found in more than 140,000 applications. Peter Farago, vice president of marketing with Flurry, claimed that his company's statistics detect "roughly" 100 percent of new iOS and Android devices activated each day. Application downloads on both iOS and Android also grew by 125 percent on Christmas Day, reaching 242 million. For the first 20 days of December, downloads averaged 108 million.
Flurry expects that by the end of the year 2011 Apple's App Store will exceed 10 billion application downloads. Moreover, iOS applications rake in 300 percent more revenue than their Android counterparts. During Apple’s last quarterly earnings conference call Apple has not revealed daily iOS activations in over a year, but announced that more than 250 million iOS devices had been sold during the quarter.
iOS dominates mobile shopping with 92% of market
A study by retail analysis firm RichRelevance released on Friday notes that Apple's iOS dominated mobile online shopping in 2011, holding just over 92 percent of the market, reports Market Watch. iOS users spend 19 percent more than those using Google's platform on mobile purchases.
The study has analyzed 3.4 billion shopping sessions between April and December 2011. The iOS devices share in mobile sales grew from 88 percent in April to over 92 percent in December. This proves that Apple's iOS growth continues to lead the market in many ways including online browsing.
“The numbers across our retailing partners sites demonstrate just how powerful the iOS platform is enabling mobile web shopping and, while still below 5 percent in total conversion, mobile traffic’s doubling in eight months is a trend we only see accelerating,” said Rich Relevance CEO David Selinger.
Dominant U.S. App Store may be surpassed by China in 2012
According to a new study released by market research firm Distimo, despite the proliferation of handsets running Google's Android OS, which now accounts for 53 percent of the mobile smartphone market, Apple's U.S. App Store remains the top marketplace for mobile downloads. But Chinese App Store sales continue to grow and may even bypass Apple's U.S. App Store numbers in 2012.
Over the course of 2011, Apple's iPhone app sales saw a steady decline month-to month, though Distimo blames the lull on the later than usual release of the iPhone 4S. The lowest point of the year occurred in September when anticipation for the 4S was highest, and was followed by a spike upon the handset's debut. Peak revenue for the U.S. App Store came a little over a month after the newest version of Apple's smartphone was released. The same "anticipation effect" was seen in app sales for the iPad, as downloads declined in January and February only to pick up steam after the iPad 2 was released in March.
China now demonstrates a strong increase in downloads through 2011 and may surpass the U.S. App Store in 2012.
Apple reportedly closes Anobit purchase for $400M to $500M
According to Hebrew-language newspaper Calcalist, Apple finalized its acquisition of flash memory maker Anobit, which is said to have been recently informed their employees about the finalized deal. The final price remains unknown, but could be in between $400 million and $500 million.
The reported goal of Apple's acquisition of Anobit is to increase the amount of memory in its portable devices, like the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air, as well as to improve the reliability of solid-state memory. Apple is now expected to build a development center in Haifa, where Intel, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Qualcomm also have facilities. The Anobit purchase is believed to be the first acquisition for Apple with Tim Cook as CEO.
Anobit is a 200-employee Israeli fabless semiconductor company that specializes in flash storage. Anobit has about 100 pending and granted patents, and was first founded in 2006. Apple is said to be particularly interested in the company's proprietary memory signal processing technology and planning to build a semiconductor development center in Israel.
Rumors: Apple Has Been Researching And Prototyping Small Wearable Devices
Nick Bilton from The New York Times, who in October that large parts of rumoured Apple’s television sets appeared in the company's supple chain, now that Apple may be researching and even prototyping new wearable devices.
Apple to Build Semiconductor R&D Center in Israel
The resent rumors suggesting that Apple may purchase Israeli firm Anobit, nudge that Apple plans to set up its first research and development center outside of its Cupertino headquarters.
Sources inform "Globes" that Apple Inc. has decided to open a development center in Israel focusing on semiconductors. The decision was taken even before the company entered into talks to acquire Herzliya-based flash storage solutions provider Anobit Ltd..
Apple has hired Aharon Aharon, a veteran player in Israel's high tech industry, to lead the new development center.
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Apple Considering Building Huge New Data Center in Oregon
OregonLive.com claims that Apple is currently deciding whether to build a new data center in Prineville, Oregon. The city is said to be a big attraction for tech companies because of tax breaks. Depending on the size of the facility, Apple could reportedly receive a tax exemption of several million dollars.
This data center is aimed at complementing Apple’s another data center in Maiden, North Carolina. Apple is currently considering an option to purchase 160 acres of land for the potential Prineville data center near a recently-opened Facebook data center. Apple should make a final decision until the end of this month.
The world's largest tech company is nearing a decision on whether to build a large data center in Prineville, a quarter mile south of the Facebook server farm that opened earlier this year, according to two people with direct knowledge of Apple's plans… Those familiar with the discussions say that Apple's Oregon plans have been in flux while it awaited word on whether there would be adequate electricity transmission in Prineville to meet its needs.
Apple’s project has a codename "Maverick" and will include a 31-megawatt data center, comparing with North Carolina data center’s electricity demand that is estimated in the range of 100 megawatts.
Apple has been working hard to expand its data center capacity to handle iCloud and other services. Earlier this year Apple opened a massive data center in Maiden, N.C. Apple also maintains a smaller data center in Newark, California and has been building out minor additional capacity in Santa Clara, California near its corporate headquarters in Cupertino. In October, the company revealed its plans to build a new solar farm opposite the data center in Maiden.
iPhone 4S Is Expected To Launch In Russia And Brazil On December 16th
This month Apple is continuing its global rollout of its new iPhone model and while the company has not issued any statements about its future launch schedule, retailers and carrier partners in some countries have announced availability of the device for December 16th. This round of rollout will include two of the most populous countries: Russian and Brazil.
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Apple still No. 1 manufacturer in growing US smartphone market
According to findings released on Tuesday by Nielsen, Apple remained the largest smartphone manufacture in the Unites States in the third quarter. While smartphones sales continue to grow in the U.S., accounting for 56 percent of all cellphone sales in the prior quarter, Apple’s market share has reached 30%. Apple's third quarter performance was followed by HTC with a 20.3% share.
As for mobile platforms, Android and iOS dominate with a 71.1% share, holding 42.8% and 28.3% respectively. About a half of all mobile users in the United States owns a smartphone. During the prior quarter 56% of all handsets purchases were smartphones. The third place still belongs to RIM's BlackBerry platform with 17.8% that was followed by Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform, HP's Palm/webOS, Symbian and the fledgling Windows Phone.
App downloads in the third quarter saw that Google and Apple have the largest share. 83% of all downloads were made through Android and iOS devices. But Google has recently expressed dissatisfaction by the situation with app downloads, and hinted at upcoming changes that would bring its online store more in line with Apple's.
AnandTech Compared Galaxy Nexus And iPhone 4S performance
The first smartphone with Ice Cream Sandwich, Galaxy Nexus, was released in the UK this week (launch in U.S. coming soon) and website AnandTech has the new Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S.
iDownloadblog Compared Apple’s iPad 2 And Amazon’s Kindle Fire
After Amazon put its Kindle Fire on sale, one question arose: Which tablet is faster, iPad or Kindle Fire? Wanting to figure it out, iDownloadblog the two devices with each other.
Amazon Has Acquired Voice Recognition Company Yap
As The Atlantic , Amazon’s filings with a Securities and Exchange Commission reveals that the company has acquired speech recognition firm Yap, which may suggests that Amazon is going to compete with Google and Apple on this market.
In Addition To 3D Maps, C3 Technologies Also Offers Interior And Street Views
Earlier we reported that Apple bought 3D mapping company C3 Technologies. Much of the early demo videos showed the ability of C3 to create realistic 3D maps, but the firm had also been creating both interior views and street views prior to its acquisition.