SanDisk confirms death of TakeTV and Fanfare
SanDisk has killed off the Fanfare video download service and its companion hardware, the TakeTV. A terse note on the Fanfare Web site indicates that the "Fanfare beta has come to a conclusion, and the Fanfare application will be disabled as of 5/15/08." As for the TakeTV hardware, a representative for SanDisk has confirmed to CNET that the TakeTV is no longer being sold. However, she went on to point out that existing users still will be able to use the product's drag-and-drop feature for watching a variety of (non-Fanfare) digital videos on their TV. In other words, unlike those stuck with oversized paperweights when the Akimbo and MovieBeam services shut down, the TakeTV, at least, is still a usable product.With just a handful of content partners (CBS and Showtime were the only top-tier names), Fanfare always had the feel of a poor man's iTunes Store. But we felt the TakeTV hardware was better targeted at the BitTorrent crowd, anyway. It provided a quick, easy, and transportable way to watch DivX, Xvid, and MPEG4 videos on your TV. Yes, the technophile crowd sniffed in indignation--"we can already do this with our Xbox 360/PS3/MythTV/laptop-to-TV video output!"--but for anybody who's ever had to suffer through wireless network frustrations, the sneakernet solution is an attractive alternative.To that end, if you're network averse and lamenting the loss of the TakeTV, look instead at a game console (Xbox 360 or PS3) or DVD player with DivX compatibility. Use a rewriteable DVD--or, if the unit has the jack, a USB flash drive--and you'll pretty much have a DIY TakeTV. It'll just be up to you to supply the content in a compatible digital video format.NewTeeVee via Gizmodo
How to set a monthly iTunes allowance for your kids
How to set a monthly iTunes allowance for your kids
There are plenty of iOS devices on holiday wish lists this year. Which means there's bound to be plenty of iOS devices under trees, waiting for anxious kids to unbox and begin using them. On the other side of those iOS devices are parents, like you, trying to figure out how to limit the amount of spending on games, apps, books music and movies their kids (or perhaps themselves) can do in iTunes. Today I found a feature in iTunes I didn't know existed; the ability to set up a monthly iTunes allowance for specific Apple IDs. Brilliant! It turns out this feature has been around for a while, considering its Apple support page was last updated in 2010. This is what you'll need to do in order to set up an iTunes allowance. Click to enlargeScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETLaunch iTunes and navigate to the iTunes Store homepage. On the right side, you'll see a listing titled "Buy iTunes Gifts." Click on it. Click to enlargeScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETScroll down until you find the allowances section. Click on Set up an allowance now.Click to enlargeScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETThe rest of the process is pretty simple. Enter your name, the recipients name, set a monthly limit (your Apple ID will be billed this amount on the 1st of each month), and enter the recipient's Apple ID. If one doesn't exist, you can create a new Apple ID on the next page. That's it. Now your account will be billed for the amount you selected (between $10 and $50) and credited to the Apple ID you entered during setup. You can always go back and cancel the allowance by visiting your Account page in iTunes. Sure, a family can just share an Apple ID, and iOS restrictions can be put in place. But as soon as your kids learn your password(s), your credit card will be in trouble. Setting up a separate Apple ID and setting an allowance seems to be a sure way of reducing any damage the kids can cause to your wallet.
There are plenty of iOS devices on holiday wish lists this year. Which means there's bound to be plenty of iOS devices under trees, waiting for anxious kids to unbox and begin using them. On the other side of those iOS devices are parents, like you, trying to figure out how to limit the amount of spending on games, apps, books music and movies their kids (or perhaps themselves) can do in iTunes. Today I found a feature in iTunes I didn't know existed; the ability to set up a monthly iTunes allowance for specific Apple IDs. Brilliant! It turns out this feature has been around for a while, considering its Apple support page was last updated in 2010. This is what you'll need to do in order to set up an iTunes allowance. Click to enlargeScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETLaunch iTunes and navigate to the iTunes Store homepage. On the right side, you'll see a listing titled "Buy iTunes Gifts." Click on it. Click to enlargeScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETScroll down until you find the allowances section. Click on Set up an allowance now.Click to enlargeScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETThe rest of the process is pretty simple. Enter your name, the recipients name, set a monthly limit (your Apple ID will be billed this amount on the 1st of each month), and enter the recipient's Apple ID. If one doesn't exist, you can create a new Apple ID on the next page. That's it. Now your account will be billed for the amount you selected (between $10 and $50) and credited to the Apple ID you entered during setup. You can always go back and cancel the allowance by visiting your Account page in iTunes. Sure, a family can just share an Apple ID, and iOS restrictions can be put in place. But as soon as your kids learn your password(s), your credit card will be in trouble. Setting up a separate Apple ID and setting an allowance seems to be a sure way of reducing any damage the kids can cause to your wallet.
Taiwan minister catches flak for iPhone 5 posting
Taiwan minister catches flak for iPhone 5 posting
Taiwan is up in arms over comments a government official made on his Facebook account.Hu Yu-wei, Taiwan's information minister, posted a picture of the iPhone 5 on his Facebook account yesterday, along with a caption, saying "Help the economy and bolster consumption," according to the Associated Press, which was first to report on the story. Soon after, Hu was hammered by critics, who said that he wasn't supporting his country.Taiwan is currently suffering through a sluggish economy that could use a jump-start from consumer spending. The government has tried to encourage consumers to buy Taiwanese products, including smartphones from that country's HTC. By seeming to urge consumers to buy an iPhone 5, Hu was criticized for lacking patriotism.In his defense, Hu issued a statement saying that he currently owns the HTC One, adding that the "accusation of my being not patriotic was a misunderstanding."Still, the issue seems to indicate the fierce patriotism that follows certain company products. In tough times, consumers are urged to support those products that will benefit the country. A similar scenario plays out in South Korea, where government officials nearly exclusively own Samsung products and often urge consumers to do the same.But is that right? As Hu pointed out, "all Cabinet officials can be free from fears of being caught not using HTC phones" in his country.
Taiwan is up in arms over comments a government official made on his Facebook account.Hu Yu-wei, Taiwan's information minister, posted a picture of the iPhone 5 on his Facebook account yesterday, along with a caption, saying "Help the economy and bolster consumption," according to the Associated Press, which was first to report on the story. Soon after, Hu was hammered by critics, who said that he wasn't supporting his country.Taiwan is currently suffering through a sluggish economy that could use a jump-start from consumer spending. The government has tried to encourage consumers to buy Taiwanese products, including smartphones from that country's HTC. By seeming to urge consumers to buy an iPhone 5, Hu was criticized for lacking patriotism.In his defense, Hu issued a statement saying that he currently owns the HTC One, adding that the "accusation of my being not patriotic was a misunderstanding."Still, the issue seems to indicate the fierce patriotism that follows certain company products. In tough times, consumers are urged to support those products that will benefit the country. A similar scenario plays out in South Korea, where government officials nearly exclusively own Samsung products and often urge consumers to do the same.But is that right? As Hu pointed out, "all Cabinet officials can be free from fears of being caught not using HTC phones" in his country.
Tabs, Reading List land in mobile Safari
Tabs, Reading List land in mobile Safari
The feature for saving stories to be read at a later time, popularized by the Read It Later and Instapaper browser add-ons, will now come as a standard feature in Safari mobile. Reading List provides a more modern, simpler way to bookmark Web sites to be read at a future date. It's most often used for articles, especially lengthy ones, although it can be used to save any site on the fly.The desktop Safari's Reader feature for streamlining lengthy articles or slideshows is also coming to mobile Safari. Originally introduced at last year's WWDC, Reader streamlines lengthy articles, stripping out ads but not relevant images, and darkens the edges of the browser to make it easier to focus your attention on the story at hand.Most notably for Twitter users, you can now send tweets from directly within Safari. It's no longer necessary to open the Twitter app separately. This is part of the deeper system integration of social media into iOS. While it doesn't have a major impact in-browser, it's likely to change social networking across many apps that do core tasks like iTunes or the camera app.
The feature for saving stories to be read at a later time, popularized by the Read It Later and Instapaper browser add-ons, will now come as a standard feature in Safari mobile. Reading List provides a more modern, simpler way to bookmark Web sites to be read at a future date. It's most often used for articles, especially lengthy ones, although it can be used to save any site on the fly.The desktop Safari's Reader feature for streamlining lengthy articles or slideshows is also coming to mobile Safari. Originally introduced at last year's WWDC, Reader streamlines lengthy articles, stripping out ads but not relevant images, and darkens the edges of the browser to make it easier to focus your attention on the story at hand.Most notably for Twitter users, you can now send tweets from directly within Safari. It's no longer necessary to open the Twitter app separately. This is part of the deeper system integration of social media into iOS. While it doesn't have a major impact in-browser, it's likely to change social networking across many apps that do core tasks like iTunes or the camera app.
Apple to donate portion of holiday sales to AIDS fight
Apple to donate portion of holiday sales to AIDS fight
Apple has launched a campaign that will allow its customers to support World AIDS Day 2014 through donations derived from app purchases from its App Store.During the two-week campaign, which begins Monday, Apple will offer 25 apps with exclusive new content for (RED) and donate the proceeds from their sales to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.Some of the apps participating in the campaign include Angry Birds, Garage Band, and FIFA 15, among many others."Apple is a proud supporter of (RED) because we believe the gift of life is the most important gift anyone can give," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "For eight years, our customers have been helping fight AIDS in Africa by funding life-saving treatments which are having a profoundly positive impact. This year we are launching our biggest fundraising push yet with the participation of Apple's retail and online stores, and some of the brightest minds in the App Store are lending their talents to the effort as well."Additionally, a portion of the global sales made at the company's online and retail stores on November 28 (Black Friday) and December 1 (Cyber Monday) -- traditionally the two busiest shopping days -- will also be donated to the fund. On Black Friday, Apple customers in the US will receive a special edition iTunes gift card with the purchase of specific (RED) Apple products. Apple will donate an unspecified percentage of each qualifying sale to the Global Fund for each card distributed. The campaign marks the first time Apple has marshaled its App Store developers in support of (RED). Apple's partnership with (RED), the charity founded by U2 frontman Bono to eradicate HIV/AIDS in Africa, began in 2006 with Apple donating $10 for every iPod Nano Red Special Edition it sold."Apple isn't just in the fight to end AIDS. They are setting a new bar for business, giving $75 million and counting to the Global Fund as part of their partnership with (RED)," Bono said in a statement.
Apple has launched a campaign that will allow its customers to support World AIDS Day 2014 through donations derived from app purchases from its App Store.During the two-week campaign, which begins Monday, Apple will offer 25 apps with exclusive new content for (RED) and donate the proceeds from their sales to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.Some of the apps participating in the campaign include Angry Birds, Garage Band, and FIFA 15, among many others."Apple is a proud supporter of (RED) because we believe the gift of life is the most important gift anyone can give," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "For eight years, our customers have been helping fight AIDS in Africa by funding life-saving treatments which are having a profoundly positive impact. This year we are launching our biggest fundraising push yet with the participation of Apple's retail and online stores, and some of the brightest minds in the App Store are lending their talents to the effort as well."Additionally, a portion of the global sales made at the company's online and retail stores on November 28 (Black Friday) and December 1 (Cyber Monday) -- traditionally the two busiest shopping days -- will also be donated to the fund. On Black Friday, Apple customers in the US will receive a special edition iTunes gift card with the purchase of specific (RED) Apple products. Apple will donate an unspecified percentage of each qualifying sale to the Global Fund for each card distributed. The campaign marks the first time Apple has marshaled its App Store developers in support of (RED). Apple's partnership with (RED), the charity founded by U2 frontman Bono to eradicate HIV/AIDS in Africa, began in 2006 with Apple donating $10 for every iPod Nano Red Special Edition it sold."Apple isn't just in the fight to end AIDS. They are setting a new bar for business, giving $75 million and counting to the Global Fund as part of their partnership with (RED)," Bono said in a statement.
Apple testing NFC chips in next-gen iPhone-
Apple testing NFC chips in next-gen iPhone?
Apple raised some eyebrows over the weekend when news spread it had hired an expert in mobile payments. But now there's a report that says the company is already testing a prototype iPhone with near-field communication (NFC) chips inside, which could pave the way for using future iPhones as a mobile wallet.TechCrunch heard from an unnamed source that on Tuesday Apple is testing an iPhone with NFC chips it's ordered from NXP Semiconductor. It's not clear what kind of tests, and it could be very preliminary in nature. But coupled with the hire of Benjamin Vigier from mFoundry as mobile payments product manager, it does seem possible that Apple could be planning to open up its premier product to the world of commerce outside of iTunes.First, what is NFC? It's a technology that allows data to be sent wirelessly over very short distances, around 4 inches. It sends data from a chip inside a device like a phone, to a payment terminal, or even another device. While mobile payments is an obvious use--this is used in places outside the U.S. for things like paying bus or train fare--it's not the only one. It could also be used to transfer data between devices very near each other, say an iPhone and a laptop.But using it for payments seems like almost a no-brainer for Apple, which has 150 million credit cards already hooked up to iTunes accounts, as CEO Steve Jobs announced in Juneto its annual meeting of developers. Plus, this is a burgeoning area of the wireless world. There are applications being built for iOS devices as well as Android and other platforms that enable mobile payment, so why not just build a contactless payments feature right into the iPhone hardware? (For an overview of the current state of mobile payments, see my colleague Jessica Dolcourt's post from Friday.)Apple tends to ship new iPhones in the early summer, so if Apple does end up putting NFC chips in the next version of the phone we'll still have wait awhile to see what they come up with.
Apple raised some eyebrows over the weekend when news spread it had hired an expert in mobile payments. But now there's a report that says the company is already testing a prototype iPhone with near-field communication (NFC) chips inside, which could pave the way for using future iPhones as a mobile wallet.TechCrunch heard from an unnamed source that on Tuesday Apple is testing an iPhone with NFC chips it's ordered from NXP Semiconductor. It's not clear what kind of tests, and it could be very preliminary in nature. But coupled with the hire of Benjamin Vigier from mFoundry as mobile payments product manager, it does seem possible that Apple could be planning to open up its premier product to the world of commerce outside of iTunes.First, what is NFC? It's a technology that allows data to be sent wirelessly over very short distances, around 4 inches. It sends data from a chip inside a device like a phone, to a payment terminal, or even another device. While mobile payments is an obvious use--this is used in places outside the U.S. for things like paying bus or train fare--it's not the only one. It could also be used to transfer data between devices very near each other, say an iPhone and a laptop.But using it for payments seems like almost a no-brainer for Apple, which has 150 million credit cards already hooked up to iTunes accounts, as CEO Steve Jobs announced in Juneto its annual meeting of developers. Plus, this is a burgeoning area of the wireless world. There are applications being built for iOS devices as well as Android and other platforms that enable mobile payment, so why not just build a contactless payments feature right into the iPhone hardware? (For an overview of the current state of mobile payments, see my colleague Jessica Dolcourt's post from Friday.)Apple tends to ship new iPhones in the early summer, so if Apple does end up putting NFC chips in the next version of the phone we'll still have wait awhile to see what they come up with.
Apple leaves the Kindle Fire alone with latest iPad
Apple leaves the Kindle Fire alone with latest iPad
If Apple is at all worried about Amazon's emerging iPad rival, the Kindle Fire, it showed no signs of it at the launch of its new iPad today.The rumor mill, always in overdrive in advance of Apple launch events, suggested that the company might debut a smaller iPad that would compete more directly with the 7-inch Fire. There was some speculation that Apple might try to match the Fire's $199 price, or at least offer a device that was within $50 or so.There was some logic to that thinking. The Fire has become the only true competition to the iPad in the tablet world. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordon Rohan estimated that Amazon sold as many as 6 million Fires in the fourth quarter.Like plenty of rumors about Apple launches, the Fire-rival speculation was wrong. Apple launched the third-generation iPad, but it comes in the same 9.7-inch size as the current model. And the pricing scheme is roughly the same as well, starting at $499, though the iPad 2 will stay on the market and cost $399.Apple executives barely mentioned the competition at all. At one point, Chief Executive Tim Cook tweeked the Samsung Galaxy tablets as being overgrown mobile phones."The competitive tablets aren't gaining traction," Cook said.Amazon, though, was never mentioned. That may be because the Fire's price tag is simply too low for Apple to match. Amazon, after all, benefits from selling books and other goods through its online store, allowing it to accept razor thin margins on the device.During the presentation, Cook mentioned that the iPad was the favorite reading device among Apple products for its customers. It was also the favorite gaming device and e-mailing gadget as well. To Apple, the iPad fills more than just the niche in which the Fire resides.
If Apple is at all worried about Amazon's emerging iPad rival, the Kindle Fire, it showed no signs of it at the launch of its new iPad today.The rumor mill, always in overdrive in advance of Apple launch events, suggested that the company might debut a smaller iPad that would compete more directly with the 7-inch Fire. There was some speculation that Apple might try to match the Fire's $199 price, or at least offer a device that was within $50 or so.There was some logic to that thinking. The Fire has become the only true competition to the iPad in the tablet world. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordon Rohan estimated that Amazon sold as many as 6 million Fires in the fourth quarter.Like plenty of rumors about Apple launches, the Fire-rival speculation was wrong. Apple launched the third-generation iPad, but it comes in the same 9.7-inch size as the current model. And the pricing scheme is roughly the same as well, starting at $499, though the iPad 2 will stay on the market and cost $399.Apple executives barely mentioned the competition at all. At one point, Chief Executive Tim Cook tweeked the Samsung Galaxy tablets as being overgrown mobile phones."The competitive tablets aren't gaining traction," Cook said.Amazon, though, was never mentioned. That may be because the Fire's price tag is simply too low for Apple to match. Amazon, after all, benefits from selling books and other goods through its online store, allowing it to accept razor thin margins on the device.During the presentation, Cook mentioned that the iPad was the favorite reading device among Apple products for its customers. It was also the favorite gaming device and e-mailing gadget as well. To Apple, the iPad fills more than just the niche in which the Fire resides.
Apple leases extra office space ahead of HQ 2.0
Apple leases extra office space ahead of HQ 2.0
Apple is said to have inked a deal on new office space near its existing Cupertino, Calif., headquarters that will house up to 1,300 additional employees.The deal, which was reported by the Oakland Tribune yesterday, will give Apple 373,000 square feet in the Results Way Corporate Center, located a few minutes away from Apple's main offices.The extra space is a band-aid while Apple works on approval from the City of Cupertino to begin work on a new campus located across town on 150 acres, some of which was purchased from Hewlett-Packard. When completed, that building promises to hold 12,000 company employees under one roof.While stumping for a new company headquarters last month, Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted that "Apple's growing like a weed," yet its main campus only fits around 2,800 employees. Jobs said the company had around 12,000 employees in the area who were being housed in nearby buildings, some of which were "not very good." "We've seen these office parks with lots of buildings and they get pretty boring pretty fast, so we'd like to do something better than that," Jobs said last month.The day after the pitch for the massive building, Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong said the town was "ready" for the project, and that there was "no chance we're saying no." Nonetheless, Wong noted that the project is being reviewed just like any other building, including a study on various environmental impacts. Following the expected approval next year, Wong said Apple can begin submitting building permits to later break ground on the project, with an estimated completion date of 2015.This is Apple's latest high-profile leasing deal for big space in the area. A report in May from Data Center Knowledge noted that Apple signed a seven-year lease with DuPont Fabros Technology worth 11,000 square feet of data center space in its Santa Clara, Calif., facilities.
Apple is said to have inked a deal on new office space near its existing Cupertino, Calif., headquarters that will house up to 1,300 additional employees.The deal, which was reported by the Oakland Tribune yesterday, will give Apple 373,000 square feet in the Results Way Corporate Center, located a few minutes away from Apple's main offices.The extra space is a band-aid while Apple works on approval from the City of Cupertino to begin work on a new campus located across town on 150 acres, some of which was purchased from Hewlett-Packard. When completed, that building promises to hold 12,000 company employees under one roof.While stumping for a new company headquarters last month, Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted that "Apple's growing like a weed," yet its main campus only fits around 2,800 employees. Jobs said the company had around 12,000 employees in the area who were being housed in nearby buildings, some of which were "not very good." "We've seen these office parks with lots of buildings and they get pretty boring pretty fast, so we'd like to do something better than that," Jobs said last month.The day after the pitch for the massive building, Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong said the town was "ready" for the project, and that there was "no chance we're saying no." Nonetheless, Wong noted that the project is being reviewed just like any other building, including a study on various environmental impacts. Following the expected approval next year, Wong said Apple can begin submitting building permits to later break ground on the project, with an estimated completion date of 2015.This is Apple's latest high-profile leasing deal for big space in the area. A report in May from Data Center Knowledge noted that Apple signed a seven-year lease with DuPont Fabros Technology worth 11,000 square feet of data center space in its Santa Clara, Calif., facilities.
Apple leapfrogs RIM in Q3 smartphone sales
Apple leapfrogs RIM in Q3 smartphone sales
Apple CEO Steve Jobs proclaimed earlier this week that his company is leaving RIM in its dust, an now one industry analyst firm has stepped up to corroborate that.GigaOm noted a Strategy Analytics' report today saying that Apple overtook RIM during the third quarter, shipping 15.4 million smartphones compared to RIM's 12.3 million.Nokia, still the worldwide leader of smartphones, shipped 26.5 million devices. But it wasn't just Apple that improved: the entire smartphone market grew to 77 million units, 78 percent better than a year ago, the report states.Strategy Analytics' report echoes, but doesn't exactly match, the numbers Apple shared on its fiscal fourth quarter earnings call Monday. "We sold 14.1 million iPhones in the quarter," Jobs told investors. "It handily beat RIM's 12.1 million BlackBerrys sold for their most recent quarter. We've now passed RIM, and I don't see them catching up with us in the foreseeable future."The BlackBerry maker didn't appreciate Jobs' aggressive comments. Shortly after, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie posted a blogcalling Apple's counting methods into question and accusing Jobs of only telling customers "half" the story.Balsillie pointed out that his company's quarter ended in August, while Apple's ended in September, a traditionally lucrative smartphone-selling period. Strategy Analytics' report also covers three months, but it's not clear which three months it's taking into account.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs proclaimed earlier this week that his company is leaving RIM in its dust, an now one industry analyst firm has stepped up to corroborate that.GigaOm noted a Strategy Analytics' report today saying that Apple overtook RIM during the third quarter, shipping 15.4 million smartphones compared to RIM's 12.3 million.Nokia, still the worldwide leader of smartphones, shipped 26.5 million devices. But it wasn't just Apple that improved: the entire smartphone market grew to 77 million units, 78 percent better than a year ago, the report states.Strategy Analytics' report echoes, but doesn't exactly match, the numbers Apple shared on its fiscal fourth quarter earnings call Monday. "We sold 14.1 million iPhones in the quarter," Jobs told investors. "It handily beat RIM's 12.1 million BlackBerrys sold for their most recent quarter. We've now passed RIM, and I don't see them catching up with us in the foreseeable future."The BlackBerry maker didn't appreciate Jobs' aggressive comments. Shortly after, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie posted a blogcalling Apple's counting methods into question and accusing Jobs of only telling customers "half" the story.Balsillie pointed out that his company's quarter ended in August, while Apple's ended in September, a traditionally lucrative smartphone-selling period. Strategy Analytics' report also covers three months, but it's not clear which three months it's taking into account.
Apple leans on Samsung for iPad displays, says researcher
Apple leans on Samsung for iPad displays, says researcher
Apple just can't seem to shake Samsung. Despite the two companies' bitter legal battles, Samsung became the largest supplier of iPad displays in the first quarter, according to DisplaySearch.The market researcher said Samsung Display reclaimed its position as the top iPad display panel supplier, shipping 5.2 million units of 9.7-inch panels with a resolution of 2,048x1,536, accounting for 62 percent of total shipments of that display size and resolution, according to a report from BrightWire News, which cited a ZDNet Asia (Korean language) report. Related storiesThe Apple A8 'fab' enigma: Is it TSMC, Samsung or both?The displays with those specifications are used by Apple for the iPad Air and iPad with Retina display. LG Display, also a major display supplier to Apple, saw its share of that display size/resolution plunge to 38 percent in the first quarter from about 61 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Apple said that sales of iPads declined 15.9 percent when it reported its second quarter results on April 23.It should be also noted that Samsung is not out of the running as a future purveyor of processors to Apple, despite Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC's) expected participation as a supplier to Apple of the next-generation A series processor. Apple could still source the next-gen so-called A8 processor from Samsung as well as processors beyond the A8, according to VLSI Research.
Apple just can't seem to shake Samsung. Despite the two companies' bitter legal battles, Samsung became the largest supplier of iPad displays in the first quarter, according to DisplaySearch.The market researcher said Samsung Display reclaimed its position as the top iPad display panel supplier, shipping 5.2 million units of 9.7-inch panels with a resolution of 2,048x1,536, accounting for 62 percent of total shipments of that display size and resolution, according to a report from BrightWire News, which cited a ZDNet Asia (Korean language) report. Related storiesThe Apple A8 'fab' enigma: Is it TSMC, Samsung or both?The displays with those specifications are used by Apple for the iPad Air and iPad with Retina display. LG Display, also a major display supplier to Apple, saw its share of that display size/resolution plunge to 38 percent in the first quarter from about 61 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Apple said that sales of iPads declined 15.9 percent when it reported its second quarter results on April 23.It should be also noted that Samsung is not out of the running as a future purveyor of processors to Apple, despite Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC's) expected participation as a supplier to Apple of the next-generation A series processor. Apple could still source the next-gen so-called A8 processor from Samsung as well as processors beyond the A8, according to VLSI Research.
Apple launches tool for creating iAd mobile ads
Apple launches tool for creating iAd mobile ads
Apple has rolled out a new tool for developers looking to create ads for iAd, the company's mobile-ad platform.Launched yesterday, the new iAd Producer is designed to help developers create, test, and launch mobile-ad campaigns to run under iAd. Freely available to any paid member of Apple's iOS Developer Program, iAd Producer runs under Mac OS X 10. (No word from Apple on a possible Windows version.)The software presents a visual design layout in which developers can specify the device they wish to design for and then see how their ad would flow from page to page. Developers can choose from a variety of templates, components, and animations to build their ads. In the final stages, iAd Producer will validate the ad to track down any errors and then optimize the various files that make up the ad.iAd Producer uses HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript as the technologies behind the ads. Less experienced programmers can stick with the basics to build their ads, while more advanced developers can tap into JavaScript programming and debugging to fine-tune the code behind.By using HTML5 and CSS3, iAd Producer also offers an alternative to Adobe Flash Professional, which many designers traditionally use to build mobile apps and ads. Apple, which has made no secret of its dislike of Flash, has engaged in a word of words with Adobe over such issues as the use of Flash vs. HTML5 as the standard for rich Web content.
Apple has rolled out a new tool for developers looking to create ads for iAd, the company's mobile-ad platform.Launched yesterday, the new iAd Producer is designed to help developers create, test, and launch mobile-ad campaigns to run under iAd. Freely available to any paid member of Apple's iOS Developer Program, iAd Producer runs under Mac OS X 10. (No word from Apple on a possible Windows version.)The software presents a visual design layout in which developers can specify the device they wish to design for and then see how their ad would flow from page to page. Developers can choose from a variety of templates, components, and animations to build their ads. In the final stages, iAd Producer will validate the ad to track down any errors and then optimize the various files that make up the ad.iAd Producer uses HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript as the technologies behind the ads. Less experienced programmers can stick with the basics to build their ads, while more advanced developers can tap into JavaScript programming and debugging to fine-tune the code behind.By using HTML5 and CSS3, iAd Producer also offers an alternative to Adobe Flash Professional, which many designers traditionally use to build mobile apps and ads. Apple, which has made no secret of its dislike of Flash, has engaged in a word of words with Adobe over such issues as the use of Flash vs. HTML5 as the standard for rich Web content.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)