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Apple's iOS finishes 2011 with 52% share of mobile Web browsing
The latest figures from Net Applications show that Apple closed out 2011 with a commanding 52.1 percent share of mobile devices tracked browsing the Web. In second place was Java ME with 21.3 percent, while Google's Android came in third with just 16.2 percent.
Apple's share slid from 54 percent in November of 2011, and is down from its high of 61.5 percent in October. But it's also up from the 46.6 percent share iOS was tracked at in February of 2011. Coming in fourth in the data was Nokia's Symbian platform, with 5.8 percent, while Research in Motion's BlackBerry holds 3.5 percent. Interestingly, while sales of new BlackBerry devices have been weak, December of 2011 proved to be the best month of the year for RIM.
If dividing Apple’s devices shares in mobile web-browsing, the iPhone took 25.2 percent and leads all mobile devices. The iPad, though, was the second most popular device, with a 24.5 percent representation.
In the PC market Apple’s Macs platform finished with 6.4 percent in December of 2011 comparing with the 92.2 percent share Microsoft held with Windows. Windows XP, despite being 10 years old, is still leading the market with 46.5 percent. Windows 7 is in second with 37 percent, while Windows Vista holds 8.44 percent. As for Apple's Mac OS X, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard platform remains its most popular at 3 percent, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, released in July, closed out 2011 with a 2 percent share in December.
Leave a commentAndroid and Apple Eat Into RIM and Microsoft Smartphone Marketshare
Market research company comScore their latest estimates of market shares taken by the main players on the mobile market. Apple’s share continues to slowly move upward with 11.2 percent of all U.S. Mobile Subscribers.
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.
iPhone leads competition in UK holiday smartphone sales
Citing findings by research firm GfK, the Financial Times reported on Monday that Apple’s iPhone 4S accounted for nearly one out of every four smartphone sales in the UK during the lead up to the holiday season and retains the best-selling smartphone in the UK.
During the first week of December, five versions of Apple's handset, including the two and a half year old 3GS, ranked as one of the top 15 smartphones sold and took over 37 percent of a smartphone market that nearly doubled in size between Feb. 2010 and Aug. 2011. According to figures from Ofcom, the U.K.'s government-approved regulatory authority for telecommunications, 46 percent of all mobile users are now smartphone owners.
Apple’s rivals are also showing significant grown in sales. The second best-selling smartphone in the UK is Samsung's Galaxy S II and three versions of RIM's BlackBerry Curve all landing in the top ten. Noticeably absent from the top-selling handsets was Nokia. The company's new partnership with Microsoft has yet to bear fruit. The Windows Phone 7-based Lumia line failed to crack the top ten handsets sold in the UK after.
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 Is Going To Launch MacBook Pro With 2880x1800 Displays In Q2 2012
According to a from DigiTimes, Apple may be preparing to launch a high-resolution MacBook Pro as early as the second quarter of 2012. The report cites sources from supply chain which claim that Apple is going to double the display resolution of its new MacBook Pro to 2880x1800 pixels.
TV Industry Preparing for Voice Recognition Interfaces in 2012
Businessweek suggests that in the coming year TV industry will move towards voice-activated TV remotes, because of Apple's plans to enter the TV market in the near future. Many analysts believe that Apple’s TV will have Siri voice recognition system to simplify user interaction with the TV and provide users to control their TVs with voice.
Whether the rumors are true that Apple is planning to release a TV set by 2013, Siri-like voice recognition is headed for the living room. Microsoft (MSFT) is already there, via its Xbox 360 game console, and Comcast (CMCSA), Samsung Electronics (SHCAY), LG, and Sharp are working on voice-enabled features for TV sets, set-top boxes, and related products.
Businessweek believes that simple voice command as "Record the next episode of Modern Family" are much needed to improve user experience. Jakob Nielsen of Nielsen Norman Group goes on to say "Anything would be better than what we have now."
The remotes for such voice-controlled TV are said to look more like iPhones than traditional remotes, with possibly a single physical button to activate the microphone. Nuance suggests that 5% of TVs could be voice controlled by Christmas 2012.
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.
Intel Is Developing Standardized Docking Solution For Upcoming Ultrabooks
According to VR-Zone's , Intel is developing a standard docking format for their future Ultrabook platform. The new docking system would include a Thunderbolt connector as well as a proprietary connector.
George Clooney, Noah Wyle battling to play Steve Jobs in biopic
Last month, we reported that Sony Pictures acquired rights for a film adaptation of Steve Jobs’ biography by Walter Isaacson. When the book went on sale later that month, it became an instant hit, and is already one of the top-selling titles of 2011. Two prominent actors - George Clooney and Noah Wyle - are both rumored to be in contention for the lead role. The U.K.'s NOW Magazine has reported that Clooney, 50, is battling with the 40-year-old Wyle for the right to play the Apple co-founder. As reported, work on the film will start in 2012.
Wyle already played Steve Jobs in the 1999 movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley." The movie tells about development of the personal computer, establishment of Apple, and the rivalry between Apple and Microsoft.
Microsoft blocked its former data center manager from joining Apple
Sources close to Microsoft revealed that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer allegedly blocked its former data center manager Kevin Timmons from joining Apple after reportedly being hired by the company in April to oversee iCloud operations. Microsoft even threatened legal action against Apple.
Timmons is said to offer Apple a plan to lower the operating cost of its existing data centers. Apple agreed to hire him, but Ballmer asked him to stay at Microsoft. Then a rumored call from Ballmer threatening legal action ended Timmons' would-be deal.
Earlier this year it was reported that Timmons had been hired by Apple in April and was thought to have been tapped to oversee Apple's iCloud at the company's North Carolina data center. But on October 12, when the service rolled out, this position was occupied by Scott Noteboom, Yahoo's former vice president of data center engineering. Timmons is said to take job as the new CTO of CyrusOne.
Samsung Dethrones Apple As The Largest Smartphone Manufacturer in Q3 2011
According to , Apple has been dethroned by Samsung one quarter after the company became the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. As a person familiar with the situation said, Samsung shipped over 20 million smartphones in third quarter, beating Apple as well as the largest cellphone manufacturer Nokia.
Microsoft's Gates, Disney's Iger & Obama comment on passing of Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs passed away, leaving us his brilliant ideas and legacy. He literally created his own chapter of the IT industry history. Following his death, a number of simple people have extended their sincere condolences and the most powerful and influential people in the world have commented on his passing, among them Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Disney President Bob Iger, and U.S. President Barack Obama.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates
"I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work…
The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."
Disney President Bob Iger
"Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined…
With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend..."
U.S. President Barack Obama
Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.
Let's compare iPhone 4S with Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola Droid Bionic and HTC Titan
We know that iPhone 4S is better than the iPhone 4, let's take a look at how Apple's latest smartphone compares to Android and Windows phones. Engadget compared iPhone 4S with Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola Droid Bionic and HTC Titan. The first two are Android based, while the last one is Windows one.
Take a look at the results:
Microsoft And Samsung Enter Into Cross-Licensing Agreement
Microsoft today that it concluded an agreement with Samsung Electronics to cross-license patent portfolios, providing wide coverage for technologies of both companies. According to this agreement, Microsoft will get royalties from Samsung for its mobile phones and tablets based on Android platform. Also two companies agreed to collaborate on the marketing and development of Windows Phone.