Consumers in China -- the world's largest smartphone market -- hit the pause button during the first quarter, and that has implications for how companies like Apple and Samsung go about their business there.
Those two companies headed in opposite directions during the first quarter, with Apple's market share in China soaring after the arrival of its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and Samsung's share sagging just as dramatically.
And all contenders had to face the sobering reality that overall smartphone sales in the country shrank during the three-month period -- the first time in six years that the China smartphone market has declined year over year.
Total shipments across China in the first quarter reached 98.8 million units, down 4.3 percent from 103.2 million units in the same period last year, research firm IDC said Monday.
Apple was the market leader during the first quarter of 2015. It shipped 14.5 million iPhones, representing a 62.1 percent gain over the same period a year earlier. China-based companies Xiaomi and Huawei came in second and third place, respectively, with 13.5 million and 11.2 million unit shipments.
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Samsung had the most troubling quarter. It shipped 9.6 million smartphones to China during the period, for a decline of 53 percent compared with the 20.5 million units it shipped in the first quarter of 2014, when it led China's smartphone market. This time around, it was relegated to fourth place, just ahead of China's own Lenovo.
China is one of the most important markets for technology companies. The country has a booming middle class with a strong desire for shiny new tech, and smartphones have proven especially appealing. Some estimates have placed China's smartphone market at nearly 520 million users -- a population that dwarfs the entire population of the US. Given its size, foreign companies like Apple, Samsung and Microsoft are all vying for a piece of the massive pie, and they have to contend as well with homegrown up-and-comers.
Apple's success came against the surprising backdrop of China's decline in smartphone shipments. IDC argued that the year-over-year decline came about in large part as China's smartphone consumers changed from first-time owners to second-time buyers.
Kitty Fok, managing director at IDC China, said in a statement.
"Smartphones are becoming increasingly saturated in China. China is often times thought of as an emerging market but the reality is that the vast majority of phones sold in China today are smartphones, similar to other mature markets like the US, UK, Australia, and Japan. Just like these markets, convincing existing users as well as feature phone users to upgrade to new smartphones will now be the key to further growth in the China market."
The research firm predicts that growth in China's smartphone market throughout 2015 will be relatively flat.
The changing market dynamics mean companies will need to shift strategies, according to IDC. For instance, some -- including Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi -- will try to make inroads into higher price categories. Other routes will likely include trying to expand sales through their own-brand retail shops and direct-to-customer online sales.
But although competition will be stronger at the upper end of the market, IDC said, most growth will come in the market for sub-$150 smartphones as those consumers who currently own less-sophisticated feature phones switch to those low-priced devices.
Apple has arguably done one of the best jobs of capitalizing on China's growing consumer base. The company reported last month that China is now its largest market, superseding the US for the first time. During Apple's fiscal second quarter, which ended March 28, the company's China revenue soared 70 percent from a year earlier to a record $16.8 billion.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said late last month during an earnings call with analysts.
"It was an incredible quarter. I've never seen as many people coming into the middle class as they are in China, and that's the bulk of our sales, and we're really proud and continue to invest in the country."
COMMENTARY: Countering the idea that China's smartphone market is only interested in cheap phones, Umeng, China's largest analytics firm, issued a report for 2013 outlining that 27 percent of China's smartphones cost over $500, and that 80 percent of those are iPhones.
Highlighted by analyst Benedict Evans, Umeng's report details that China's market for smartphones and tablets exploded in 2013, nearly doubling from 380 million devices at the beginning of the year to more than 700 million by year end.
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Apple currently markets three iPhone models on its Chinese website: iPhone 5s priced between $860 and $1120; iPhone 5c priced between $730 and $860; iPhone 4S priced at $535. The company originally continued to sell iPhone 4 in China priced at $435, but no longer lists that model for sale on its public website.
The fact that Apple has dominated China's most valuable segment of the smartphone market is particularly noteworthy because throughout 2013, it didn't have any agreement in place to sell iPhones on China Mobile, the nation's (and the world's) largest mobile carrier by far.
Apple inked a deal with China Mobile in January, making iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c two of the very few models capable of working on the carrier's newly deployed 4G network using a China-specific version of LTE technology.
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook told shareholders last month that both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c had outsold the models they replaced.
Apple building an iOS ecosystem stronghold in China
Evans separately noted that Apple now has "probably more" iPhone users in China than it has in the U.S., with around 100 million iPhone users in each country.
Last September, Cook noted Umeng research stating that the total number of Chinese iOS developers has increased 9.3 times between 2011 to 2013. Globally, Apple has over 6 million registered developers, with 1.5 million added in just the last year Cook said.
Evans rhetorically asked,
"Has any foreign tech company done as well in China as Apple?"
Courtesy of an article dated May 11, 2015 appearing in C|NET and an article dated March 17, 2015 appearing in iPhone Forums
Apple's building a new campus to compliment its campus at One Infinite Loop. Here are 46 facts about the new Apple campus, which is referred to by many as the 'Spaceship Campus' due to its flying saucer-like design.
Apple's got so big that it is building a new campus to compliment its campus at One Infinite Loop. Here are 46 facts about the new Apple campus, which is referred to by many as the 'Spaceship Campus' due to its flying saucer-like design.
Speaking of flying saucers, someone flew a drone over Apple’s ‘spaceship’ campus, in January, watch the video below to see how the new campus is shaping up.
Watch it here:
The mystery person went back with their drone in February, showing us how much difference a month can make at Apple's new campus.
Watch it here:
Then, in March, AppleInsider posted a drone captured video to Vimeo entitled "Apple Campus 2 Tour", which you can see here:
The most interesting video, however is one that was released at the end of March. This is the best glympse so far of Apple's new spaceship campus, showing us the sheer scale of the project. You can see that here:
How big is Apple's new campus?
1. The new Apple Campus will be set in a 2.8 million-square-foot area.
2. That's an 176-acre site.
3. It will house over 13,000 Apple employees in the one building.
4. The building is more than a mile around.
5. There will be 300,000 square feet of research facilities and underground parking.
6. In May 2014, Apple leased 290,000 square feet of new office space in Sunnyvale known as Sunnyvale Crossing. It is thought that this additional space composes of seven buildings and will provide room for around 1,450 workers. It is located near to the new 'Spaceship' campus as well as the current 'Infinite Loop' campus.
Rendering of new Apple HQ 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
Watch this video of Apple's presentation about the new campus to the City of Cupertino:
7. The four-story circular structure will have huge walls of glass that will allow employees to look out from both sides of the ring.
Rendering of an exterior view of the inner circle of the new Apple HQ2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
8. Peter Arbour, an architect for Seele, the company that makes the glass staircases in Apple stores around the world, told Bloomberg: "It is something like six kilometres of glass."
9. British firm Foster+Partners have been appointed as the architects for this colossal building. Previous projects include Wembley Stadium, Canary Wharf Underground Station, Stansted Airport, London’s Millenium Bridge, HSBC HQ at Canary Wharf, the Maclaren Technology Centre and the Hearst Tower in New York.
10. In an interview with Architectural Record, Forster+Partners founder and chairman Norman Foster explained that he was inspired by the idea of a London square, where houses surround a park. This eventually evolved into the present design: a circular structure surrounding a large outdoor park.
11. Foster reveals in the video created to promote the Campus 2 project to the City of Cupertino's planning commission (watch it above) that in the original plans there was no circular 'spaceship' structure. Foster said: "It didn't start as a circular building, it really grew into that. So the idea of one building with a great park was really borne out of a very intensive process."
Rendering of an exterior view of the cafe and lounging area of the new Apple HQ 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
12. Despite aiming to be self-sufficient and earth-friendly, the range of materials used in the construction will without a doubt be the top of the line. "As with Apple's products, Jobs wanted no seam, gap or paintbrush stroke showing; every wall, floor and even ceiling is to be polished to a supernatural smoothness. All of the interior wood was to be harvested from a specific species of maple, and only finer quality 'heartwood' at the centre of the trees would be used," an insider told Business Week.
13. As a consequence of the large size of the building, the sections have been broken up with cafes, lobbies and entrances.
14. In the interview linked above, Foster explains that, when planning the layout of the building, the architects had to consider the different departments that would need to work together, and considered vertical proximities as well as horizontal ones.
"Of course, you have got an enormous range of skills in this building: from software programmers to designers, marketing, retail," he said. "But you can move vertically in the building as well as horizontally. The proximity, the adjacencies are very, very carefully considered."
15. A significant segment of the building is the restaurant, which opens up to the landscape.
16. The car park is buried below the landscape so there are no rows of parked cars to spoil the view.
Rendering of the underground parking garage of the new Apple HQ 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
17. A video made by Technology Integration Services was created based on publicly available information about Apple Campus 2; the company has no affiliation with Apple. The video depicts additional buildings along with the main 'spaceship' building and gives an indication of how vast the greenery will be in the area. A fountain can be seen in the middle of the campus along with a performance stage, presumably for presentations to Apple employees. Watch the video here.
Rendering of an overhead view of the cafe and lounge area of the new Apple HQ 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
18. This picture shows the Apple Campus 2 site when it was being prepped for foundation work with the first walls having been erected, running around the perimeter of where the main building will stand. This is where construction crews poured foundation.
Apple Campus 2 site when it was being prepped for foundation work (Click Image To Enlarge)
19. Phase two of the project, includes the creation of research & development buildings and other secondary buildings for meetings and presentations, requires demolition to clear land along N. Tantau Avenue then took place. Current residents, Panasonic, are based opposite the site. Panasonic's response to Apple's new headquarters is not known although tensions could run high between the neighbouring businesses should Apple ever branch out into the TV market.
How much input did Steve Jobs have in the new campus?
20. According to Norman Foster, Apple's late CEO Steve Jobs requested that he be considered a part of the team rather than the client.
21. Jobs wanted the new campus to reflect the Californian landscapes from his childhood, Foster claims in the video.
22. Apple's 'senior arborist', David Muffly, reveals in the video that part of Apple's plan was to bring California back to Cupertino.
23. Steve Jobs was inspired by a large space known as the Main Quad on the Stanford campus.
The new Apple HQ2 will have an interior area inspired by the Main Quad of the Stanford campus (Click Image To Enlarge
When will Apple's new campus be ready?
24. Although the project was intended to be ready by mid-2015, setbacks put the plans behind schedule. Apple plans to move into the main structure by 2016 whilst other secondary buildings will be completed on a rolling basis.
How environmentally friendly will the new Apple campus be?
25. The new Apple Campus will aim at being self-sufficient. Most of the power for the facilities will come from an "on-site low carbon Central Plant", according to an Apple Insider report. Apple intends to use alternative energy sources to power the campus, as part of its pledge to use 100 percent renewable energy at its facilities.
26. After revisions to the original plan, Apple showed that will be able to complete the project without having to remove any dirt from the area.
27. The structure will be outfitted with solar panels around the top of the building. It will run mostly off the Cupertino power grid but will use it as a backup electrical supply.
28. 7,000 trees will surround the campus. Apple has hired a leading arborist from Stanford University to help landscape the area and restore some of the indigenous plant life, including apricot orchards.
Rendering of the interior quad area of the new Apple Headquarters 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
29. All landscaping is intended to make the area look very park-like. It will include jogging paths and walking trails around the building.
30. The former HP campus on which Apple's Campus 2 is being built was covered in buildings, concrete parking lots and non-indigenous decorative trees ill-suited to the specific Pacific climate. The strongest of the trees will be replanted and augmented with sturdy species that will flourish to create large open expanses of greenery.
31. Apple VP of Environmental Initiatives Lisa Jackson reiterates that 80 percent of the site will be so-called "green space", while the main building will go without air conditioning or heating for 75 percent of the year thanks to natural ventilation. Further, 100 percent of the campus' energy will be sourced from renewable assets like solar power and bio fuels.
32. Foster compared the new Apple campus to an airport, telling Architectural Review: "If you compare these very large buildings in terms of the area enclosed by the amount of external wall, they're very efficient, so they consume less energy. They're also a better experience, because you're not leaving one terminal, going outside, onto a road, or into a tunnel, or onto a train to get to another terminal. You're not worrying about what the hell is happening to your bags as they leave one place and you hope that they end up in the other place.
"Overall, it's a better experience - it's more sustainable, it's more economic. And, architecturally, it's more interesting. The same is true with the very large Apple building."
33. The new campus will reportedly use recycled water and will use 13,300 feet of pipeline to share the supply between it and Cupertino.
How much will the new Apple campus cost?
34. The budget for the new spaceship-like headquarters has ballooned from less than $3 billion in 2011 to almost $5 billion.
Rendering of the interior quad area of the new Apple Headquarters 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
What facilities will there be at the new Apple campus?
37. The main building will include a wellness centre. This $75 million fitness centre will probably cater for the needs of the entire Apple community in Silicon Valley, which is around 20,000 people.
38. The headquarters will be fitted with a new 1000-seat underground auditoriumwhich will allow Apple to have presentations in the same building, instead of having to go to San Francisco every time.
40. Due to its underground location, this will triple the amount of landscaped area in the campus.
Rendering of an exterior view of the front of the new Apple Headquarters 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
41. Despite rumours and an unsuccessful campaign by David Greelish, Apple will not open a museum at the new HQ. As Phil Schiller explained, Apple is "focused on inventing the future, not celebrating the past".
42. There will be miles of jogging and cycling trails.
43. 1,000 bikes will be kept on the site and available to staff to get around the campus.
Rendering of the many walking and jogging trails on the property of the new Apple Headquarters 2 (Click Image To Enlarge)
44. A new Caffè Macs employee cafeteria has recently opened at Apple's Cupertino campus. Designed solely for Apple employee use, the general public is not allowed entry to the building, having been designed as an area for Apple employees to discuss work in a secure and private area. The cafeteria, built over two years and in a 21,468 square foot space, has been designed by Foster + Partners, the same agency responsible for Campus 2.
The building’s kitchen, server and espresso bar have been billed as smaller versions of the ones that will feature at Campus 2, enabling the food service team to test the design and layout of the kitchen and serving areas on a smaller scale. The cafeteria at Apple Campus 2 is expected to be eight times larger and span two floors.
The structure of Caffè Macs Alves is reminiscent of design plans for the new campus, containing high ceilings, stonewalls, glass façade and terrazzo floors, all of which are design signatures of Apple Campus 2.
Exterior view of Apple's new Caffe Mac at the present campus in Cupertino (Click Image To Enlarge)
Interior view of the new Caffe Mac at the present HQ in Cupertino (Click Image To Enlarge)
What will happen to the old Infinite Loop Apple HQ?
47. The local area of Cupertino has missed revenues from Hewlett Packard since they left the site however the construction of Apple Campus 2 has lead to the City Council's budget being boosted by an extra $30.6 million. $8 million of the extra revenue will be used to pay off the city retiree medical unfunded liability, with another $8.3 million being used to fund pavement maintenance. The remaining extra funding will be transferred into the city's capital reserve.
Rendering of the main entrance to the new Apple Headquarters 2
COMMENTARY: When I first blogged about Steve Jobs' new Apple HQ 2 aka Spaceship HQ, the budget for the construction of the new campus was $1 billion. Now I am reading that there have been so many modifications to the original cost estimate that the cost has ballooned to $5 billion. WOW. No wonder the stockholders are pissed off. I would be too.
Courtesy of an article dated April 2, 2015 appearing in Macworld
Apple CEO Tim Cook introces the new Apple Watch at a special announcement event in Cupertino on April 9, 2015
After years of rumors and speculation, Apple on Tuesday unveiled its first wearable device, officially called Apple Watch. It starts at $349 and will be available in early 2015.
There are two different sizes of Apple Watch for men and women, and three distinct collections: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition, which is made from 18-karat gold — rose or yellow.
The Apple Watch Edition with a wide variety of wristbands.
You can personalize the watchfaces and their capabilities. You can choose a modular watchface with digital information showing the time, date, and weather; a watchface that shows you astronomy, or where the sun is in the sky; animated watchfaces with butterflies or Mickey Mouse; a simple watchface that simply shows you the time; and many more.
You can also choose from up to six differently designed straps, which offer different types of functionality: A sportband is sweat- and chemical-resistant, while the leather loop is soft and quilted for fastening and adjustment. The modern leather buckle closes with a solid metal clasp that goes symmetrically around the wrist. There's a classic buckle, too, and there's a stainless-steel link bracelet.
There's also a Milanese loop that's formed from stainless-steel mesh that's "infinitely adjustable."
With a crown on the side, which allows you to navigate the watch without blocking the screen, the Apple Watch features a shrunk-down version of iOS 8, highly specialized for Apple Watch. The digital crown, when held down, will activate Siri.
You view all of your apps as tiny circles on the screen, and touch each one to open it. To zoom in to objects, you use the Apple Watch's digital crown.
You can also swipe through information efficiently, and you can even share data with other watches nearby. You can send drawings and taps to friends in a Snapchat-esque way, since the drawings almost immediately disappear after they show up on the receiver's Apple Watch.
"We're not quite finished yet," Apple CEO Tim Cook said, before introducing the Apple Watch. "We have one more thing."
"We love to make technology more personal and allow our users to do things they never have imagined," Cook said. "We have been working incredibly hard for a long time on an entirely new product."
Besides the digital crown, it senses touch and the display also senses force. Tiny electrodes around the display recognize the difference between a tap and a press, which provides instant access to a wide set of contextually specific controls.
There's something called the S1, which encapsulates the electronics inside and basically miniaturizes the entire computer system into the size of a single chip.
There's a gyroscope, accelerometer to give you an idea of your fitness milestones. There's also a unique charging solution: It's not wireless, but a magnetic plug can attach to the Apple Watch at any orientation.
"A precise, customizable timepiece: It's completely customizable so you can find one that reflects your personal style and taste," Cook said.
"I am so excited and so proud to share it with you this morning," he said. "It is the next chapter in Apple's story. And here it is."
There's also a huge focus on fitness. It'll keep track of your fitness goals, as well as how long you've been sitting or standing. You can create and set workouts based on distance or calories you want to burn. And during your workout, you can see from a glance how far, or how long, you've been at it.
There are a ton of other features as well: You can control your Apple TV with the Apple Watch, or use it as a viewfinder for your iPhone's camera.
The Apple Watch requires an iPhone to work. It will work with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, and iPhone 5. This means 200 million people can already use Apple Watch.
The device was rumored to be called iWatch or iBand.
Previous reports said the iWatch would run on iOS 8, the company’s latest software update for mobile devices, and connect and communicate with the company’s other gadgets, such as iPhones, Mac computers, and Apple TV.
It was rumored the device would connect to those devices using Bluetooth 4.0, which has been included in every iPhone since the iPhone 4S. There were also rumors the new watch would complete stand-alone functions like tracking and measuring one’s biometrics like heart rate and oxygen levels, as well as control aspects of one’s home environment via HomeKit.
Earlier reports said the iWatch would start at $399, the same price point of Timex's Ironman OneGPS+ watch, which will arrive in November. Competing fitness bands from Nike and Jawbone cost about $100, while the first Android Wear devices from Samsung and LG cost about $200.
COMMENTARY: Customers preordering Apple smartwatch on Friday, April 10, will have to wait at least a month for delivery, a sign of strong early demand for company chief Tim Cook's first new major product.
People flocked to Apple's stores and selected boutiques around the world to get a close-up look at the Apple Watch, the tech company's foray into the personal luxury goods market, with Apple predicting demand would exceed supply at product launch.
Cook, interviewed on cable television channel CNBC, said initial orders were "great" for the device, available for preorder online and to try out in stores by appointment, but not to take home.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to clients.
"We view this as an indication of solid demand paired with very limited supply. We continue to expect modest sales in the June quarter as demand ramps over time."
A key factor in the watch's success will be from majority adopters once an initial wave of interest from early adopters subsides.
The Watch goes on sale officially on April 24, online and through appointments in shops, including trendy fashion boutiques in Paris, London and Tokyo, part of Apple's strategy of positioning the wearable computer as a must-have accessory.
But soon after online preorders opened on Friday, Apple's website listed shipping times in June for some models of the watch and four to six weeks for others.
There was immediately brisk bidding on eBay for confirmed orders for watches, with hundreds of sellers looking to make a few hundred or even thousand dollars by passing on their watches, once received.
Testing Apple's mastery of consumer trends, the watch is an untried concept for the Cupertino, California-based company. It straddles a technology market accustomed to rapid obsolescence and luxury goods whose appeal lies in their enduring value.
The Apple Watch sport starts at $349 while the standard version comes in at $549 in the United States. High-end "Edition" watches with 18-karat gold alloys are priced from $10,000 and go as high as $17,000.
At a San Francisco Apple store, dozens of customers crowded around newly installed wooden cabinets, snapping pictures of the gadgets on display under glass. Apple employees, admittedly still unfamiliar with the watches' finer points, guided customers through features like text messaging, maps and fitness tracking.
At Apple's flagship store in New York, Jack Weber, who was visiting from Charlottesville, Virginia, said he would give his wife a top-of-the-line "Edition" as a 50th-anniversary gift.
He said.
"What more perfect wedding present could there be than this watch?"
Apple Watch Forecasts
Sales estimates for the Apple Watch for the year 2015 vary widely.
Piper Jaffray predicts 8 million units.
Global Securities Research forecasts 40 million.
Morgan Stanley forecasted 30 million units back in November 2014.
By comparison, Apple sold nearly 200 million iPhones last year.
Apple's watch is widely expected to outsell those by Samsung, Sony Corp and Fitbit. It will likely account for 55 percent of global smartwatch shipments this year, according to Societe Generale.
"Apple will outsell its wearable rivals by a very wide margin but it will do this on the power of its brand and its design alone," independent technology analyst Richard Windsor said.
Courtesy of an article dated April 9, 2015 appearing in Business Insider and an article dated April 12, 2015 appearing in The Telegraph
Ever since the original Moto RAZR V3 came out 10 years ago, the smartphone industry has had a strange obsession with skinny phones. Not because shaving a millimeter or two off a device will give it more functionality, but because it's an effective marketing tactic. In emerging markets in particular, slimmer phones at slimmer prices enjoy a distinct advantage. Gionee, a handset maker based in China, isn't very well known, but it's looking to make a name for itself with devices like the $375 Elife S5.5. At 5.55mm thick, this svelte beauty currently claims the title for the thinnest smartphone on the market. To put that in perspective, that's a full two millimeters skinnier than the iPhone 5s. I spent a few days with the device to see if thinner really is better.
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Mobile Geeks videotaped a hands-on review of the Gionee Elife S5.5:
Sporting a chamfered magnesium frame with Gorilla Glass 3 panels on both front and back, the Elife is a beautiful phone with much better build quality than I expected. It features flat sides with angular edges, which -- along with its sleek form factor -- makes for a stylish design that's fun to look at. It's comfortable, but the slim size doesn't play a role in making it any more so than fatter devices. Durability is typically a concern for extremely slim devices, but being thinner doesn't seem to make a difference here: I'm convinced this handset can hold up as well as any other smartphone comprised of similar materials. (That said, you'll still need to be careful with the glass, since it's scratch-resistant, but not shatterproof.) At 4.69 ounces (133g), the Elife also has enough heft to give it a premium feel without being too heavy or too light.
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The Elife's camera is a tad thicker than the rest of the device, but Gionee smartly designed the bump to complement the phone's minimal design rather than sticking out like a sore thumb. The 13-megapixel module and LED flash are nestled on the top-left corner of the back, with chamfered and angled edges that drop down to meet up with the glass. Of course, this makes it so the back isn't completely flat when you lay it down, but on a positive note, this prevents sound coming out of the rear speaker from getting muffled.
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Along with a thinner frame -- and a lower price point -- comes less room to go all-out on specs. It only comes with 16GB of internal storage space and no microSD slot; it features HSPA+ (either 850/1900/2100 or 900/1900/2100, depending on market), but no LTE connectivity, which likely won't be a problem in most emerging markets for now. There's also no NFC; and the non-replaceable battery is fairly small, at 2,300mAh.
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The 5-inch, 1080p Super AMOLED display comes with a pixel density of 441 ppi and features excellent viewing angles. All told, the panel is similar to what's used on the Samsung Galaxy S4, which means you're going to get saturated colors and deep blacks. It's not nearly as bright as most flagships I've played with recently, but it's easily viewable in direct sunlight (provided the brightness is above 85 percent).
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Under the hood, the Elife uses an octa-core MediaTek chipset, which, despite its eight cores, is more mid-range than high-end component. And its performance reflects this: Animations and transitions are a bit choppy; the screen sometimes has problems responding to finger input; and gaming is hit-or-miss thanks to some frame skips. Otherwise, though, the performance is smooth enough. Its biggest issue, which is amplified by the phone's slim build, is that the processor runs so hot that the glass surface is almost impossible to hold while playing games. (You'll also want to refrain from holding it up to your face for a few minutes until it cools down a bit.) The 2,300mAh battery is not very impressive, either; on most days, I struggled to make it through a full day on a single charge.
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On the software front, the Elife runs Android 4.4 KitKat with a custom user interface called Amigo OS. It's very similar to other Chinese Android options in that it doesn't have an app tray, so all of my apps were scattered on the home panels, à la iOS. You can access Google Play Services as well, ensuring that you'll be able to sync your Google accounts if you want. However, after a few days with the new OS, I was ready to switch over from Amigo to the Google Now Launcher, which is now available for most Android devices and is much closer to a pure Android experience on the front, but features Gionee customizations everywhere else (such as the lock screen and notification tray).
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The Elife is only available in a handful of countries including India and China, but the manufacturer has partnered with other brands to create carbon-copied versions of the device. You can get the Blu Vivo IV in the US, for instance, the Allview X2 Soul in Europe and the Bara 1 in Taiwan, all of which have essentially the same chassis and spec sheet. (Pricing varies, but the Vivo IV is $300.)
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Thin phones have their fair share of trade-offs. On one hand, the Elife is a sleek, elegant device. On the other, its slim design comes at the expense of battery life, heat dissipation, storage space and other specs. It's also just as comfortable and usable as most flagship smartphones that have two to three millimeters of extra padding (although it can be tougher to pick up when it's lying on a table or desk). Even so, additional thinness doesn't make a difference to the in-hand experience. And yet, there are strong indications that Gionee will soon come out with an even thinner device soon; if it does, the company will keep its claim to the thinnest phone on the market. But at what cost?
COMMENTARY: The nice folks at NDTV Gadgets were able to get their hands on a Gionee Elife S5.5 smartphone and prepared this review:
Look and Feel
The Gionee Elife S5.5 could give professional supermodels a run for their money. At 5.6mm, this phone is the slimmest one we've ever seen. On top of that, it is lightweight at 135g. Despite the anorexic physical attributes, the S5.5 is a sturdily built device and can handle a few falls thanks to the magnesium alloy material used for the construction. Exuding premium quality, this Gionee phone definitely beats the pants off much of the competition in its price range, and even looks better than a few flagships we've seen (we're looking at you, Samsung).
On the right edge of the Elife S5.5 is the micro-SIM card tray, and on the left edge are the power button and volume rocker. The slightly raised physical buttons feel soft when pressed, which is good. The bottom edge has a 3.5mm audio jack while the top edge features a Micro-USB port for charging. Right above the screen is the front camera and an invisible array of sensors. The unibody design means that the phone has a non-removable battery.
The rear of the device is almost as reflective as a mirror. Slightly raised to accommodate the optics, the rear camera and flash are devoid of any protection. As a result, they are susceptible to scratches. One more problem with the glossy exterior is that attracts smudges very easily.
Features and Specifications
The Elife S5.5 is beautiful and powerful too, at least on paper. Under the hood is a Mediatek MT6589 octa-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz, with integrated Mali 450MP4 graphics. There's 2GB of RAM supporting it. Only around 9GB of the 16GB of internal storage is available to users, which isn't much at all considering there is no support for memory cards.
There is a single slot for a micro-SIM card, which of course can connect to 3G networks. Unlike a lot of other phones with the same specifications in this price range, the Elife S5.5 has incorporated Bluetooth 4.0, which is good. The 13-megapixel rear camera can also shoot videos at a resolution of 1980x1080. Just like the HTC Desire 816 we recently reviewed, the S5.5 also has a 5-megapixel front camera.
This is probably one of the very few smartphones with a full-HD resolution screen at this price level, and we think it looks fantastic. At 5 inches with a density of 467ppi, pixellation is not a problem at all. Blacks are deep and colours pop a bit too much - fans of over-saturated images won't be disappointed at all, but regular reds looked like bright orange during our testing, which to us is a bit of overkill.
Software
Potent hardware is of no use if the software doesn't keep up, which is why it is important that manufacturers trying to fork Android ensure that both hardware and software work together to deliver a good user experience. This is unfortunately where Gionee falters.
Gionee's custom "Color OS" UI runs on top of the now-dated Android 4.2.2 (Jellybean). We've discussed the various problems of this software at length in our review of the Elife E7. The same problems persist in this phone as well - wasted space, a single-screen view of all apps, a cluttered settings panel in the notification slider, options that can't be found without multiple taps, and much more.
Even if we can look past all the problems plaguing the software, the theme itself is a bit of an eyesore. The fact that themes can be changed is not much help either, since all the three options that are available are just as bad as each other. The quality and value of the default apps, including six games, are also debatable. Fortunately, we could delete some of them. The only saving grace in this mess was the intuitive keyboard.
We appreciate Gionee's attempt at differentiation, but Color OS needs more work for it to be user-friendly. Until then, we are heading to the Play Store to find a replacement launcher.
Camera
Since the quality of photographs captured by the Gionee Elife E7 impressed us we had high hopes for the Gionee Elife S5.5's camera as well. Our expectations might have therefore been a bit too high, and it turned out that the performance of the 13-megapixel rear camera was only slightly above average.
In our daylight testing, photos looked a bit dim. This dullness led to certain details being hidden. In HDR mode, the camera goes a bit overboard in trying to enhance the dynamic range, and ends up producing overexposed shots. Colours are also slightly off the mark in captured photos.
In low light, focusing is a major issue and we more often than not ended up with blurred images. Photos were also devoid of detail and had a yellow tinge to them. Focussing is jerky even when shooting video, but the captured 1080p video looks really good. The 5-megapixel front camera couldn't capture as much detail as the one on the HTC Desire 816, but the extremely wide-angled lens helps when we want to incorporate more people in the image. Anyone who wants to try aping Ellen DeGeneres' Oscar selfie should take note.
The camera app is minimalistic with transparent icons lined up along the edges of the screen. Oddly, the settings page opens up vertically instead of horizontally when you tap its button.
Performance
The S5.5 returned scores of 27,952 and 16,658 in AnTuTu and Quadrant respectively. While respectable, the scores are not a true reflection of the potential performance of this phone's hardware. In daily use, we found that the Elife S5.5 stutters and lags a lot in spite of its powerful specifications. We attribute this disparity in scores and real-life performance to the clunky software.
Graphics performance is not that great, either. We played Shadowgun and noticed that it lagged in sections which were filled with hordes of villains. The GFXbench test returned a score of 10.5fps which corroborates our experience with gaming.
One area where the Elife S5.5 shines throughout is video playback. Though it was no surprise that the phone managed to play all the videos we threw at it, we were glad that it did so without skipping frames. The gorgeous screen makes watching videos totally enjoyable.
On the other hand, this phone heats up quite a bit. This could be due to the way all the internal components are crammed within this slim, all-metal body. Battery life isn't great - the S5.5 lasted only six hours and 28 minutes before dying in our continuous video loop test. Call quality is decent with both the caller and the receiver hearing each other without issues.
Verdict
Quite surprisingly, we managed to spot the Elife S5.5 in the wild inside a local train and noticed that the person using it was engrossed in a movie. After striking up a conversation, we discovered that he had purchased the phone because of the 1080p screen and phone's looks. Perhaps this is a sign that users can indeed warm up to the idea of a Chinese brand making premium smartphones.
Our new friend had easily identified the two major reasons your should consider the Gionee Elife S5.5 at its current price of Rs. 22,999. However, you also now know that the camera isn't all that great, and the heating issue could potentially be harmful for the phone in the long run.
If that puts you off, at least this price segment is littered with options now. Our favourites are the big-screened HTC Desire 816 with its capable camera, the Moto X (review) with its unique voice commands, and the Elife S5.5's elder sibling, the Elife E7, which is a flagship on a budget.
Below is NDTV Gadget's overall review summary of the Gionee Elife S5.5 smartphone:
Click Image To Enlarge
Here are the complete specifications for the Gionee Elife S5.5 smartphone:
Click Image To Enlarge
Courtesy of an article dated August 8, 2012 appearing in Engadget, an article dated March 30, 2014 appearing in TechieOasis, and an article dated June 2, 2014 appearing in NDTV Gadgets
On June 2, 2014, on stage at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi unveiled the latest iteration of the Apple desktop operating system, Yosemite. Yosemite continues Apple's evolution toward marrying the functionality of the desktop operating system, OS X, and the company's mobile operating system, iOS--but without actually merging the two into a single system. Here's how Yosemite compares with its predecessor OS X Mavericks, released last summer.
Click Image To Enlarge
"FULL OF PERSONALITY"
That's how Federighi described Yosemite's refreshed look. Yosemite is the slick, translucent sibling to OSX Maverick's muted appearance.
Apple OS X Yosemite (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks (Click Image To Enlarge)
A NEW OS X NEUE FONT
For the first time in Apple's history, OS X has a new font. Apple didn't officially announce the name of the new font but it bears a very close resemblance to what's used in iOS 7--Helvetica Neue.
New OS X Neue font (Click Image To Enlarge)
NOTIFICATION CENTER
Notification Center steps into the realm of the daily planner with a “today view” and the addition of customizable (and third-party) widgets. The biggest difference from Mavericks? More columns, customization, and information (you can add things like the calculator, ESPN SportsCenter, and so on).
Apple OS X Yosemite Notification Center (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Notifications Center (Click Image To Enlarge)
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight is now more than just a local search tool. Unlike in Mavericks, where users could only search for items on their computer, the new iteration allows users to search apps, points of interest (Wikipedia entries and maps), songs (local library and iTunes), movies (for streaming and in theaters), and more.
The tool has also been lifted from the recesses of the Finder bar to the center of the desktop.
Apple OS X Yosemite Spotlight offers enhanced search features. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Spotlight (Click Image To Enlarge)
MAIL
Apple OS X Yosemite Mail (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Mail (Click Image To Enlarge)
Mail gained two new, important features at WWDC: Mail Drop, which Federighi said was designed to “address a fundamental problem with email,” allowing users to send attachments up to 5GB through iCloud, and Markup, a way to sign sensitive digital documents (like the permission slip below) with a trackpad or an iSight camera. While Markup has been available in the Preview app for some time, the ability to annotate documents and images has become more pronounced in this OS update.
Apple OS X Yosemite Mail comes with Markup, a way to sign sensitive digital documents. (Click Image To Enlarge)
SAFARI
Say hello to the new “smart search” field, which Apple boasts will make you want to say goodbye to the favorites bar. To replace the perennial feature of internet browsers, Safari will display your most visited sites in a drop-down box. Along with better battery life for streaming video (Apple says Safari will get you up to two hours more battery life watching a Netflix video at 1080P than Chrome or Firefox) the new version has a quick share option for contacts.
Apple OS X Yosemite Safari browser now comes with a new 'smart search' field. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Yosemite Safari search (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Safari old search. (Click Image To Enlarge)
AIRDROP
AirDrop now works between iOS and OS X, allowing users to connect their iPhones and iPads to their Macs to exchange files. But now a new feature called Handoff has been built on top of the AirDrop technology, letting users work seamlessly between desktop and mobile devices.
Apple OS X Yosemite's AirDrop now works between iOS and OS X, allowing users to connect their iPhones and iPads to their Macs to exchange files. (Click Image To Enlarge)
For example this connectivity detects when you're in a certain app on your iPhone, and when there's the opportunity to launch the same app on your MacBook, a button will appear on-screen, which will negotiate the switch, allowing you to pick up where you left off on your phone. With this also comes the ability to make, receive and screen phone calls from your desktop.c
COMMENTARY: The latest changes to OS X are not earth shattering, but do improve the overall user experience. Airdrop gives OS X Yosemite the ability to synchronize files between the desktop and other devices is one enhancement that was sorely needed, but late in coming. I can guarantee you that if Steve Jobs had been alive, he would've added this feature a lot sooner.
Safari's "smart search" feature copies what is already available on Google search. If you are using the Google Chrome browser your favorite sites are available as over-sized buttons on the Google browser. When you do a search, Google Search automatically displays the sites and subjects you have searched before, speeding up the search process. Apple is finally getting around to improving its slick, but simple browser, to match some of the capabilities of Google Search and Google Chrome.
People check their phones around 150 times a day on average. Our mobile devices are in our hands, pockets, or purses, or on our work desks or nightstands. They have to be within arm's reach of us at all times during the day.
That always-on behavior is exactly how marketers need to think.
If marketers want to survive in today's world, they have to stay connected 24x7 just like their customers do.
Need more reasons to embrace mobile? Here are 10.
1. Numbers are growing for mobile usage, but PC numbers are dropping
US adults will spend 23% more time on their mobile device a day than in they did in 2013.
Moreover, time spent on mobile will add up to two hours and 51 minutes a day vs. two hours and 12 minutes a day online on PCs.
Mobile device usage is rising because we have busy schedules and are on-the-go people, and unlike PCs, mobile devices can go with us.
Click Image To Enlarge
2. Mobile is more engaging
Because our mobile devices are small enough to travel with us wherever we go, we can constantly be engaging with a business through its mobile site or mobile app, or via social media. As long as a business creates useful, fun content and properly markets that content through social media, contests, and more, users will engage with that content and your brand, and do so at home, at work, at school or on the go.
3. Mobile devices are more personal
Marketers can target a user individually on his or her mobile device. Through native advertising, which is less intrusive than other forms of advertising because it's built into the mobile site or app design, you suggest related content and apps tailored specifically to your users based on content they've consumed. When you personalize like that, your users engage with your brand more, and they help make you more money.
4. Mobile makes sharing content easier
Thanks to sharing abilities on various social media sites, people can read, like, and share your content with a simple touch of their screen, and your content may even go viral in a matter of minutes. Once someone shares your content socially, their friends and followers see it and can share it. Then the content is seen and shared by more and more people... And so on. Mobile is the only way to get your content shared to a wider audience in a short amount of time.
5. Mobile apps are all the rage
If you have a smart phone or tablet, you have mobile apps (probably a lot of them). You have those apps because they're useful and/or entertaining.
You need to have a mobile site so that people searching for you or your service will give you their business rather than turn away from your business because your site is slow or not properly functioning on a mobile device.
7. A call-to-action (CTA) on a mobile device gets you results
Marketers know a CTA button is necessary on your site. That is just as true for mobile sites and apps. You want to make sure your CTA stands out through its placement, size, and color. You always want to make sure the CTA is easy to touch with any size of finger.
A CTA is great when viewed on a smartphone because users just click it and reach your business within a matter of seconds. On other mobile devices, a CTA can also prompt a user to email your business or order a product from you. All that gives you engagement results you want.
8. Mobile demands response and usually gets it
The goal of mobile marketing isn't primarily for branding or as a public relations tool. Its main goal is to get a response from users. After all, 90% of American adults have a cell phone and 42% have a tablet. Marketers can get the response and engagement they want through mobile.
9. SMS marketing has high open rate success
SMS (short message service) marketing is a smart move. Why? What's one of the only forms of communication you can use to reach someone even if they're in a meeting or class setting?
Text messaging.
People receive texts on their smartphones and tablets, which they always have near them, and they feel compelled to read those texts once they hear their phone alerts, so it's an effective way to market. Open rates of 98% have been recorded for SMS marketing.
10. Mobile helps with social media marketing
Mobile and social media are intertwined. As previously mentioned, people spend 89% of their monthly time on mobile apps, and much of that time is spent on social media apps. People use social media because it's a way to stay connected with friends and family, to get news, and to share content.
Mobile is where consumers are, so it's where marketers need to be.
Marketers who understand we're in a world that's constantly connected and who act on that fact by embracing mobile will be the ones who stay ahead of their competitors and get the engagement and results they want.
COMMENTARY: Any marketer who ignores mobile devices as a media channel to reach its target market does so at its own peril. Consumers now own one or more mobile devices (smartphones, tablets or laptops) and the ability to go mobile, send and receive email, connect with friends on social networks, exchange content and shop online can no longer be ignored. Not only should marketers consider converting their websites so that they are mobile-ready, but they should consider mobile-only websites and mobile apps to insure they can market to mobile consumers no matter where they are on a 24/7, 365-day basis.
Courtesy of an article dated June 11, 2014 appearing in MarketingProfs
The new Glass models will be available on Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter on June 23. (Click Image To Enlarge)
GOOGLE HAS TAPPED FASHION DESIGNER DIANE VON FURSTENBERG TO CREATE LIMITED-EDITION FRAMES TO MAKE THE FACE COMPUTER LOOK MORE CHIC.
In yet another attempt to class up Glass, Google has tapped Diane von Furstenberg to design limited-edition frames. Much like the in-house designs that came out earlier this year, DVF has created more fashionable frames that attach to the high-tech headpiece. The line, which Google will unveil June 4, includes five new frames and eight new shades. Interested buyers can purchase the accessories on Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter starting June 23.
DVF already featured Glass on the brand's runway show earlier this year and with Google's partnership with eyewear giant Luxottica, you may see the face accessory in your local Lenscrafters soon. (Click Image To Enlarge)
The new specs are an incremental improvement from other recent attempts to make the face computers look less awkward. The already-available Glass frames come in one shade of black; DVF offers a bit more flair with frames available in brown and four other colors. The sunglasses also sport the "DVF" logo in the top corner, a la Ray Ban. The main appeal is exclusivity, something Glass has started to lose as it has allowed more people to purchase the device. For this promotion, Google is only selling a limited, undisclosed number of DVF creations.
As with many high fashion items, exclusivity is a large part of the appeal--Google will be selling an undisclosed, limited amount of the new DVF frames. (Click Image To Enlarge)
There's only so much Google can do to dress up (or hide) the chunky metal object protruding off of a Glass wearer's face. Certainly more frame options in different shapes, sizes, and colors will appeal to a broader set of people. But will this partnership help Glass overcome its cyborg reputation, when not much else has worked? The initial frames, which came out in January, were a huge step up from naked-Glass. This doesn't push the needle too much further.
Could more frame shapes, sizes, and colors help bring Glass to the mainstream audience? (Click Image To Enlarge)
Nor does the mere attachment to DVF's brand guarantee success. Since its inception, Glass has made alliances with the fashion world. Diane Von Furstenberg has already collaborated with Glass, having her models walk the runway with the face accessory. That, plus a spread in Vogue, plus a push at fashion week, haven't diminished the curse of the Glasshole. What makes this DVF partnership any different than those efforts?
The Diane Von Furstenburg partnership represents one of many to come for Google Glass, as it continues to work with eyewear designers to lessen the stigma of the gadget. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Google, to its credit, has not given up on the fashion angle. Earlier this month, the company hired marketing fashion guru Ivy Ross to improve Glass's mass perception. Ross has worked with Calvin Klein, Swatch, Gap, Coach, and others. This DVF collaboration will likely be the first of many brand partnerships. Google's deal with eyewear giant Luxottica suggests Glass frames will eventually be available in many varieties at a mall near you.
Style is probably the easiest fix of Glass's problems. As Wired's Mat Honan argued after a year of wearing Glass, the gadget just isn't that useful. He wrote.
"Aside from directions, it's more novelty than utility. The really cool stuff remains on the horizon, which means I got tired of it before I’d had it for even a year."
The shunning of Glass wearers has pushed even the most vocal of fans away from the device.
But Google remains committed to Glass and the idea that it will eventually be embraced by mainstream wearers.
Isabelle Olsson, the lead designer for Google Glass, told Fast Company.
"From smartphones to high-waisted jeans, it takes time for society to get used to new ideas, Explorers always tell me how much they love being able to get the information they need from Glass and then get on with their day. A lot of people want that freedom. Today, the majority of consumers haven’t had a chance to try Glass out. That’s why I’m looking forward to moving from our beta phase to a consumer launch down the line."
Diane-Von-Furstenberg-sports a pair of original Google-Glasses during a runway show in September 2012 for the DVF Spring 2013 during New York Fashion Week. (Click Image To Enlarge)
COMMENTARY: I am very disappointed in Diane von Furstenberg's eyewear sporting Google Glass. I really expected a lot more. The eyeglasses look boring. They really don't excite me or give me a reason to go out and buy me a pair. Here's the DVF Spring 2013 fashion show with the models sporting Google Glass during New York Fashion Week in September 2012. With the average runway fashion show using 25 to 35 models, That's $35 to $45,000 just for Google Glass at $1,500 a pop.
Courtesy of an article dated June 3, 2014 appearing in Fast Company
At its June 2 World Wide Developers Conference keynote in San Francisco, Apple announced the latest iteration of its mobile operating system,iOS 8, which will be available for download this fall. The new release combines refined design elements with a host of new technical features. Here, we run through some of the more important, and visually distinct, aspects of iOS 8.
iOS 8 screenshots
VS
iOS 7 screenshots (Click Image To Enlarge)
TALK MORE (OR LESS):
If you find yourself loathing the prospect of a group chat in iMessage because of the impending, nonstop wave of notifications that often follow, you're in luck. iOS 8 brings a slew of new enhancements to the messenger, chief among them: the ability to mute and outright leaveoverly noisy group chats. The chat client also integrates audio and location sharing, something not available in its previous incarnation.
iOS 8 new message features (Click Image To Enlarge)
VS
Apple iOS 7 old messaging screenshot (Click Image To Enlarge)
A QUICKER WAY TO TYPE:
Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, as he unveiled QuickType, a predictive typing mechanism in the new OS said.
“I think we’re all going to be typing a whole lot faster.”
QuickType is smart: the more you use your phone, the more it becomes accustomed to your language with different groups of people, customizing your responses with the appropriate tone.
iOS 8 Quicktype screenshots (Click Image To Enlarge)
MULTITASK WITH FRIENDS:
A quick double tap of the Home button now shows more than your active apps: in iOS 8, a rotating list of your recent and favorite contacts populate the multitasking screen for easy messaging and phone calls.
iOS 8 new multitasking features (Click Image To Enlarge)
VS
iOS 7 old multitasking features (Click Image To Enlarge)
REPLY FASTER AND DIVE DEEPER:
Instead of opening an app to reply to a notification--like a text, Facebook message, or email--you can use iOS 8's Quick Reply feature, which allows you to compose a response contained within the same screen, so you don't have to change windows. This is a considerable upgrade from iOS 7, which requires users to exit, and then re-enter, apps to answer their notifications.
iOS 8 new quick replies from notifications (Click Image To Enlarge)
iOS 8's Spotlight mirrors its desktop counterpart, OS X Yosemite, with more in-depth search results. Wikipedia entries, news articles, maps, and results from the App Store will all be included in this core search function for the first time.
iOS 8 Spotlight includes enhanced search (Click Image To Enlarge)
MAIL GETS SMART:
When Mail recognizes that something coming through your inbox deserves a little extra attention--reservations, addresses, event dates--it'll prompt you to schedule a notification or add a contact before you forget. The app has also adapted a handful of swipe-activated organizational features (mark as read, flag, delete, and more) reminiscent of the popular Mailbox app.
iOS 8 new mail gestures (Click Image To Enlarge)
iOS 8 allows users to add new contacts via new emails (Click Image To Enlarge)
iOS 7 old mail display (Click Image To Enlarge)
WORK ACROSS ALL YOUR DEVICES:
iCloud received a significant update placing it within punching distance of popular file-sharing services Dropbox and Google Drive. Unlike before, users can access and edit documents across mobile platforms.
iOS 8 Cloud display (Click Image To Enlarge)
iOS 8 iCloud Drive (Click Image To Enlarge)
BONUS ROUND:
This tweet from technology enthusiast Michael Kukielka claims to show a screenshot of iOS 8's new battery monitor, which is organized by open app.
iOS 8 includes power management features like current battery charge level and which apps are using the most power (Click Image To Enlarge)
COMMENTARY: To be honest with you, I am not overly impressed with iOS 8. Nothing there that impresses or excites me. If this is the best that Apple can do, then they are truly running out of ideas. What amazed are the number of changes to iOS that Apple copied from Android. Did I say copy. Here are just a few:
1.The App play store will allow you to watch video clip demos of applications before you decide to download and install it . The Yahoo and Google play store market for Android applications offers every time just had online video media demos
. 2.with the help of i Messages you can send audio and video clips to any one which you like.the feature has already present some of the android application like whatsapp and snapshot. 3.the apple has also used icloud drive for the users to store online which only work in Macs,iPhones,Ipads and p.c its almost similar to Dropbox and google drive which are already in market .
4.the new operating system ios8 which is launched by the apple company allows you to store widgets in your notification center. as compare to android which already have provided this feature to all the users .
5.while driving apple smartphone allow you to activate “Siri “you just say “hey “Siri” without touching your cell phone ,Google has done this already in some androids phones with command “hey google”
6.Talking about key words , apple smartphones allow you to change the IOS 8 keyboard set with a third-party keyboards just like Swype . Android have every time allow you to custom-made all your keyboards
7.Apple phone keyboards predict the world which the user just type the blackberry and Nokia phone have provide already this feature to users in 2008.
Courtesy of an article dated June 2 2014 appearing in Fast Company Design and an article dated June 7, 2014 appearing in Trendy Updates
This is the MOD-t. It's a $250 3-D printer, and also the first project of Frog Venture Design. (Click Image To Enlarge)
THE MOD-T 3-D PRINTER IS THE FIRST RELEASE OF FROG VENTURES, THE VENTURE DESIGN ARM OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST PROMINENT DESIGN FIRMS.
Today, a 3-D printer called the New Matter MOD-t hits Indiegogo. It’s expected to cost $250, making it the most affordable 3-D printer to date (comparable printers are in the $350 to $1,300 range). It’s also being billed as one of the simplest 3-D printers: users buy and download designs for chess pieces or kitchen utensils or whatever they want to make in a storefront that crosses the App Store with Etsy. They can then edit these objects--changing size or adding texture--about as easily as adding an Instagram filter. The printer, engineered by inventor Steve Schell, is expected to be built with a third of the parts of its peers, allowing it to reach that $250 price point.
While most 3-D printers require the use of esoteric software, the MOD-t has built its entire experience around usability. (Click Image To Enlarge)
The MOD-t is the first release of Frog Ventures, the venture design* arm of Frog (think venture capital, but with the investment being design rather than money). Frog Ventures backed Schell's startup New Matter to bring the MOD-t to market.
Frog is the design consultancy behind some of the most important products in recent history--Apple’s early line of computers, for example. But in recent years, Frog has become less known for physical products. That's in part because the company has developed expertise in software but also because the Fortune 500 companies that hire Frog for product design work are secretive. “We do work for some very very big clients, and those very very big clients are quite proprietary about their relationship with us," Ethan Imboden, head of Frog Ventures, says.
"They're secretive about how they get their innovative product into the market, and they don’t necessarily want our name associated with that. Even as a new employee, I didn’t see the work I’m most excited about until after I joined Frog. I had to pull rank on people and say, ‘This is work I’m allowed to see. I need to take a look into the portfolio.’”
It will have an App-Store-like marketplace, where designs can be purchased, then modified with simple controls like pinching and zooming. (Click Image To Enlarge)
And it's a fine looking machine, as far as 3-D printers go. (Click Image To Enlarge)
This secrecy may sound cool, but the reality is a burden for Frog, creating what Imboden calls “a vacuum of content” as to what Frog is doing. No doubt, it’s one reason that when everyone talks about Frog, they (even we) still talk about Apple.
The project is a bit of a risk for Frog, who generally works in secrecy. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Frog Ventures is the firm’s development studio outside this cone of silence. It’s currently working with three startups--New Matter is the only one that’s public--to make big, showy bets on new products. Imboden says.
“We have an excellent opportunity to say, ‘Here’s exactly what we did.' That’s very valuable for us, to put the work out there, be very vocal, and take accountability for it, no matter how it goes.”
MOD-T 3D printer in action. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Frog’s role in each of these startups may vary. One startup, for instance, has blocked time to embed itself in Frog’s offices to learn to think like Frog designers. In the case of the MOD-t, Frog's role was similar to the one they adopt with their secretive companies. Schell had developed the core MOD-t technology over at the technology incubator Idealab. While 3-D printers have intricate mechanics to float the build plate precisely in 3-D space (basically, moving the printed object around the needle-sized hose of melted plastic ink), the New Matter team had developed what they describe as a “unique mechanical solution” that reduced the clockwork of parts by a third.
But the company is excited to take on the challenge, to fail in public rather than succeed in private. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Schell says.
“For me personally, that motion system was the breakthrough I needed to say we have a significant advantage. We could create a 3-D printer at the cost target we’re hoping for.”
Meanwhile, Idealab had been in casual talks with Frog Ventures about new products in their pipeline. The MOD-t caught Frog’s eye.
Imboden says.
“What we’re looking for, and what we see here, is a technological advantage that creates a whole set of opportunities. And the goal is to tie those opportunities back to the real world and the experience of the end consumer, to make sure the company is living up to its promise, and living up to the full opportunity of the technology they’re embedding.”
Frog's mobile app allows uers to design and resize objects in 3D before they are printed on the MOD-T 3-D printer. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Frog and New Matter co-developed the MOD-t’s experience--the approach of using a marketplace where designers could sell their products the way software developers sell apps--and a team of roughly 12 from Frog built out much of the product. They polished the industrial design (the mechanics and the aesthetic). They created mockups of the digital app and marketplace. And they built the MOD-t brand itself--right down to shooting the Indiegogo video.
Now, all New Matter and Frog can do is wait. Truth be told, it’s hard to imaging the MOD-t being anything but a monstrous hit in a crowdfunding world obsessed with 3-D printers already. But Frog is mentally prepped for failure. Imboden says.
“The reality is, there’s a risk in all of our projects. If there’s not a certain measure of risk, there can’t be a certain measure of success. Will we always knock it out of the park? No, I don’t think that’s possible. If we did, we’d be knocking it out of a very small park for very small risk.”
COMMENTARY: If Frog Ventures can raise the required capital to produce a commercial version of the Mod-T 3-D printer, and be able to price it at $250.00, and still make money, they are accomplishing something truly incredible. I think $495.00 would've been a far better price and given the company some "wiggle" room in case something goes wrong during the manufacturing process.
The relatively high cost of 3-D printers has prevented this technology from taking off like smartphones and tablets have, and the low price point of the Mod-T 3-D printer and quality features of the product certainly allow this new product to standout in the marketplace.
IT LETS YOU DRAW IN 2-D AND MANIPULATE YOUR DESIGN IN 3-D.
We’re stuck in an awkward spot. We can manufacture nearly any 3-D product we’d like. But these objects are trapped behind the 2-D computer screen we design them in.
The Gravity Sketch tablet uses augmented reality to make a drawing appear in midair. (Click Image To Enlarge)
The core hardware of the Gravity Sketch tablet is just a headset, tablet, and pen. (Click Image To Enlarge)
One solution is to 3-D print a plastic mock up. A more efficient solution is a new working concept called Gravity Sketch. It’s essentially a 3-D notebook. You put on a pair of video glasses, grab the stylus, and hold a tablet in your hand. Then you draw your creation in 3-D space using augmented reality--the glasses, pen, and tablet work in concert to create a digital illusion that your drawing is floating right there in front of you. But you're literally drawing on a 2-D surface.
The Gravity Sketch team refused to get into technical details about their system unless we signed an NDA, but they did share quite a bit more about how they designed the sensation of drawing itself. In fact, they may have solved one of the biggest problems in 3-D drawing today--namely, how do you make it feel natural to people who’ve grown up drawing on flat, 2-D surfaces?
You draw directly on the Gravity Sketch tablet. (Click Image To Enlarge)
And those drawings stack and rotate to become 3-D objects. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Current 3-D drawing systems, including the holographic zSpace or this 3-D-printer pen, ask you to be part sculptor, part surgeon as you draw wisps in boundless midair. It's a weird concept to get accustomed to.
Right now, the Gravity Sketch tablet is just a working concept. (Click Image To Enlarge)
But the team is in talks with various companies and investors to bring the Gravity Sketch tablet to market. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Gravity Sketch takes a different approach. It only lets you draw on the flat plain of the tablet itself. But you work with your design in 3-D as you draw--and the program give you a set of rules by which to manipulate your design. The team explains.
“By providing a simple set of rules, people quickly learn the limitations of the tool and work their way around them. Through experiments, we found that people could build their ideas out in a three-dimensional space while playing to their natural instincts and the ease of drawing in two dimensions.”
But it still begs the question--would you wear glasses to draw in 3-D? (Click Image To Enlarge)
Here's how it works. You draw something on the tablet. That drawing becomes, conceptually speaking, several pieces of paper stacked into a cube. You can then rotate or excavate those layers via simple controls on the tablet.
The value of this technique emerged during trial and error during the research process. Gravity Sketch tried out several low-tech inventions to simulate the experience of drawing in 3-D. The most successful, they decided, was a layered acrylic cube, so that’s what they settled on when they built the program.
COMMENTARY: The Gravity Sketch 3D drawing tablet is a cool device, but like most mobile devices based on augmented reality technology, the cost will most likely be prohibitively high. Considering that this device is just in the concept stage, and limited in what it can do, and funding is needed for a commercial version, let's hope that it has sufficient horsepower to satisfy the needs of engineers and designers who require 3D rendering.
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