Apple Tests Larger Screens for iPhones, iPads

 

Apple Inc. is testing larger screens for its smartphones and tablets as it attempts to answer increasing concerns about its product lineup and competition from Samsung Electronics 



People at Apple's suppliers said it asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than its current iPhone in recent months, and has asked for screen designs for a new tablet measuring slightly less than 13 inches. Whether the designs will make their way to market is unclear, but they could lead to Apple phones and tablets that are larger than the current 4-inch iPhone 5 and 9.7-inch iPad.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. Reuters earlier reported Apple was investigating larger screen sizes for its iPhone.

The screen tests come as Apple is set to disclose third fiscal-quarter earnings on Tuesday and provide insight into how the company's existing lineup is selling. In April, the Cupertino, Calif., company reported profits contracted for the first time in a decade despite strong demand for the iPhone and iPad.

The challenge Apple faces is how to continue expanding its customer base with innovative new products and refinements of current ones. Apple has successfully done both, but analysts note the company hasn't launched a new product line since the original iPad in 2010.

The tests with suppliers suggest that Apple is exploring ways to capture customer interest in smartphones and tablets from competitors that come in various sizes. Its biggest rival in the tablet and smartphone markets, South Korea's Samsung, offers products with different features and sizes in what its executives say is an effort to appeal to as many customers as possible. The products have allowed Samsung to become the world's largest smartphone maker, even though Apple still leads in tablets.

"Apple has been slow to react to consumer desire for larger smartphone screens, [and] entry level price points on new phones," said BGC Financial's Colin Gillis in an investor note. "Waiting and waiting, for the new products to launch, has become painful," he wrote.

Apple routinely tests different designs for its products as it refines them during development. The company also changed its iPhone and iPod offerings last year to include larger screens, while adding a "mini" variant of the iPad with a 7.9-inch screen.

A spate of miss over new mapping technology, higher than expected popularity of older-model iPhones and increasing competition have heightened investor fears and weighed on its shares, which are down 39% from a high above $700 last September. Apple shares gained $1.36 to $426.31 in New York on Monday.

As the smartphone market has begun to mature, Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets has emerged as one of Apple's toughest competitors. Samsung was the leading smartphone maker with 33.1% of the market in the first quarter, while Apple trailed in second place, with 17.9%, according to researcher Strategy Analytics. In tablets, Apple is still the dominant player, but its market share fell to 39.6% in first quarter from 58.1% a year earlier, according to researcher International Data Corp. Samsung, which uses Google Inc.'s Android operating system, grabbed 17.9% of the tablet market, up from 11.3% a year earlier.

"In the long run, we will see touch screens in all sizes as the future vision of the technology industry is to offer the same user experience across all screens," said IDC analyst Helen Chiang. "The key is to bring down the cost and introduce compelling applications for large-screen devices."

Apple's move, if adopted, would fit into a broader trend among mobile-device makers. Competitors including Samsung, Sony Corp. 6758.TO +3.42%and Huawei Technologies Co. have launched smartphones with displays larger than 5 inches, a category sometimes called "phablets" because devices overlap a phone and tablet

Apple and its suppliers are preparing to ramp production of a new iPad in coming weeks, according to people at component suppliers. The new version is expected to be the same size and have the same resolution as the existing 9.7-inch model, they said. It would have a lighter display that integrates touch sensors with a thin film instead of the glass used in existing iPads.

Suppliers started producing large quantities of components for the new iPhone last month, people at suppliers said. One person said Apple told Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which manufactures many of Apple's products, to be ready to ship the new iPhones in late August.

That iPhone is likely to be introduced in the second half of the year and will be the same size and have a similar screen to the iPhone 5. Apple also has been working with its manufacturing partners in Asia on a less expensive iPhone without its signature metal casing. Both iPhone models would have multiple color options, people at suppliers said.

Adopted from wsj

5:09 AM 0 comments

Nokia Lumia 625 packs 4G and 4.7-inch screen

Nokia has unveiled the Lumia 625, the largest Lumia Windows Phone yet, with a 4.7-inch screen and 4G.

The 625 sports a larger screen than any previous Lumia, making it a rival to big-screen Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One on size -- but very definitely not on price.

Under the big screen is a 1.2-GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 512MB RAM and a 2,000mAh battery. There's 8GB of memory for your music and movies, snaps and apps, and you can add a microSD memory card for up to 64GB of extra leg room.

Like previous Lumias, the 625 is built of sturdy plastic that doesn't feel flimsy or cheap, with no flex or rattle when shaken up. It's encased in interchangeable covers, which are tough to prise off -- you need to dig your fingernail right right in -- which at least means it's not coming off in your pocket.

The curved back is similar to the Lumia 720, and the screen is rounded at the edge, like the high-end Lumia 920 -- a nice touch that we wouldn't expect on a budget phone. Overall it reminds us of the bargain-tastic Lumia 620, although our first impression is that the screen isn't as sharp and bright as the 620's impressive display -- and at 201 pixels per inch, it shows off half the detail of more expensive but similarly-sized phones like the Galaxy S4.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 software keeps the 625 ticking along, with big coloured squares called live tiles on the home screen showing shortcuts to your apps. The tiles light up with notifications like how many messages you have, or cycle through your photos and pictures of your contacts. The 625 is loaded up with the latest update to Windows Phone 8, codenamed Amber.

That cutting-edge software means that the 625 shares a selection of Amber features with the recently-announced Lumia 1020, including the Nokia Smart Camera app. Like the Lumia 925, it fires a burst of photos, shooting 7 action shots to the 925's 10. The camera is a 5-megapixel job with LED flash, and it shoots 1080p video at 30fps.

Also on board are Nokia's Here maps apps. But it doesn't have NFC, and there's no compass so no augmented reality City Lens app.



Nokia teased us yesterday by promising "something BIG", alongside an image drenched in orange. The 625 comes in green, white, yellow, black, red -- and, yes, orange. The new phone goes on sale in Q3 this year in China, Europe, Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It's set to cost 220 euros in Europe.

The 625 hits shop shelves in early September in the UK, when it'll cost a very affordable £200, depending on who you buy it from. You can choose from Vodafone or O2; 4G network EE; or at retailers Phones 4U and Carphone warehouse.

Is this something big a big deal for Nokia? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

Adopted from CNet

5:01 AM 0 comments

Mohammed Morsi 'Kidnapped' By Egypt's Military, Family Says

CAIRO — The family of ousted President Mohammed Morsi furiously denounced the military Monday, accusing it of "kidnapping" him, and European diplomats urged that Egypt's first freely elected leader be released after being held incommunicado for nearly three weeks since being deposed by the army.
The fate of Morsi, who has been held without charge, has become a focus of the political battle between his Muslim Brotherhood and the new military-backed government.
The Brotherhood has tried to use Morsi's detention to rally the country to its side, hoping to restore its badly damaged popularity. The interim government, in turn, appears in part to be using it to pressure his supporters into backing down from their protests demanding his reinstatement.
Those protests again turned violent Monday, with clashes breaking out between Morsi supporters and opponents near Cairo's Tahrir Square, and between pro-Morsi demonstrators and police in a city on the capital's northern edge. At least four people were killed.
More clashes erupted early Tuesday, with the Brotherhood claiming that one person was killed when police opened fire on a pro-Morsi march in Cairo. Police and health officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
So far, however, the outcry over Morsi's detention seems to have gained little traction beyond the president's supporters, without bringing significantly greater numbers to its ongoing rallies around the country.
Millions of Egyptians filled the streets starting June 30, demanding the president's removal after a year in office and leading to the coup that ousted him. Anti-Brotherhood sentiment remains strong, further fueled by protests that block traffic in congested city centers and by media that have kept a staunchly anti-Morsi line. Egyptian human rights groups have said he should either be freed or charged.
Behind-the-scenes talks have been taking place through mediators between Brotherhood figures and the interim government – centered around releasing Morsi and other detained leaders of the group in return for an end to protests by his supporters, according to Mohammed Aboul-Ghar, head of a liberal political party that backed the president's overthrow.
The military fears that Morsi's release "would only increase protests and make them more aggressive," he told The Associated Press. At least five other prominent Brotherhood members have also been detained. The military also has said that there is no way the measures taken against Morsi will be reversed.
Adopted from Huff post

4:46 AM 0 comments

Gerardo Martino is FC Barcelona’s new coach

Gerardo “Tata” Martino of Argentina signed a three-year deal to coach FC Barcelona. He will be replacing Tito Vilanova at the helm of the Catalan club.
Vilanova stepped down because his cancer treatments would not allow him to be fully committed as coach of the Spanish giants.

Gerardo Martino, former coach of Argentine champions Newell’s Old Boys, will bring along two of his assistants.

Spanish publication Marca reported, “The former Newell’s Old Boys manager will come to the Catalan club accompanied by two of his regular aides, Elvio Paolorroso and Jorge Pautasso.”

Start striker Lionel Messi has always been a fan of Martino’s.

In a 2012 interview with Argentine portal Olé, the striker stated his respect for Martino, and thinks the Argentine is a great coach.
FC Barcelona has been one of the most successful team’s of this millennium thus far. The Spanish outfit has won six La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, one Spanish Super Cup, two European Super Cups and three UEFA Champions League.

The current La Liga champions have displayed a distinct ball control, quick passing style.

How will Martino change Barcelona? How will he deal with the big names on FC Barcelona?

One thing is for sure: He is arriving at a club full of world-class players. The already star-studded Barcelona just added Brazilian superstar Neymar.
Adopted from VOXXI

4:37 AM 0 comments

22 children die after eating school lunch in India

PATNA, India (AP) — At least 22 children died and more than two dozen others were sick after eating a free school lunch that was tainted with insecticide, Indian officials said Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear how chemicals ended up in the food in a school in the eastern state of Bihar. One official said the food may not have been properly washed before it was cooked.

The children, between the ages of 5 and 12, fell ill Tuesday soon after eating lunch in Gandamal village in Masrakh block, 50 miles north of the state capital of Patna. School authorities immediately stopped serving the meal of rice, lentils, soybeans and potatoes as the children started vomiting.

Savita, a 12-year-old student who uses only one name, said she had a stomach ache after eating soybeans and potatoes and started vomiting.

"I don't know what happened after that," Savita said in an interview at Patna Medical College Hospital, where she and many other children were recovering.

The lunch, part of a popular national campaign to give at least one daily hot meal to children from poor families, was cooked in the school kitchen.

The children were rushed to a local hospital and later to Patna for treatment, said state official Abhijit Sinha.

In addition to the 22 children who died, another 25 children and the school cook were in hospital undergoing treatment, P.K. Sahi, the state education minister. Three children were in serious condition.

Authorities suspended an official in charge of the free meal scheme in the school and registered a case of criminal negligence against the school headmaster, who fled as soon as the children fell ill.

Angry villagers, joined by members of local opposition parties, closed shops and businesses near the school and overturned and burned four police vehicles.

Sahi said a preliminary investigation suggested the food contained an organophosphate used as an insecticide on rice and wheat crops. It's believed the grain was not washed before it was served at the school, he said.

However, local villagers said the problem appeared to be with a side dish of soybeans and potatoes, not grain. Children who had not eaten that dish were fine, although they had eaten the rice and lentils, several villagers told the AP.

Sinha said the cooked food and kitchen utensils have been seized by investigators. "Whether it was a case of negligence or was intentional, we will only know once the inquiry has been conducted," he said.

India's midday meal scheme is one of the world's biggest school nutrition programs. State governments have the freedom to decide on menus and timings of the meals, depending on local conditions and availability of food rations. It was first introduced in southern India, where it was seen as an incentive for poor parents to send their children to school.

Since then the program has been replicated across the country, covering some 120 million school children. It's as part of an effort to address concerns about malnutrition, which the government says nearly half of all Indian children suffer from.

Although there have been occasional complaints about the quality of the food served, or the lack of hygiene, the tragedy in Bihar appeared to be unprecedented for the massive food program.

courtesy of usa today

8:33 AM 0 comments

Justin Bieber -- I WON'T Turn My Back on Lil Twist, Lil Za

Justin Bieber refuses to throw Lil Za and Lil Twist out on the street ... even after all of the trouble they've caused ... because he considers them "true friends" ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Bieber tell TMZ ... members of Justin's camp have been pleading with him to boot the Lils out of his Calabasas home and forbid them from driving his fleet of fancy cars after a string of embarrassing incidents including Twist's DUI arrest in JB's car.

We're told Bieber's camp has been very concerned about the way he acts when he's with the Lil crew -- and have been vocal that the guys are a bad influence.

Why? Weed ... sizzurp ... neighborhood wars ... pissing in public ... anti-Clintonism ... and of course, Twist's DUI arrest. The Lils had a role in all of that stuff ... and people close to Beiber want it to stop.

But despite the warnings, Justin is pushing back HARD ... claiming he would never turn his back on his boys, because that's not what friends do.

Plus, one source says Justin's been surrounded by adults for most of his life -- and now that he finally has a group of close friends that are his age, the last thing he wants to do is push them away.

Bottom line -- get used to Za and Twist ... they're not going anywhere
Adopted rom Tmz

4:07 AM 0 comments

Lamar Odom Attacks Paparazzi Trashes Camera and a Car

Lamar Odom went absolutely nuts on 2 paparazzi in Hollywood this afternoon ... smashing a car, a camera ... and then fleeing the scene -- apparently with some of the destroyed camera gear.

The violent incident was captured on video ... where Mr. Khloe Kardashian was seen going into the back of a car belonging to one of the paps, and chucking all of the guy's equipment into the middle of a busy street.

He then walked across the street and smashed another photog's car with a metal bar, then picked up all the gear from the street and put it in his trunk.
Adopted from Tmz

1:13 PM 0 comments

Nokia Introduces Lumia 1020 with a Whopping 41-Megapixel Camera

Long ago, phones with cameras were called "camera phones." That term faded as most phones became equipped with cameras, but Nokia's newest smartphone might be worthy of resurrecting the term. Its new Lumia 1020 has a whopping 41-megapixel camera and an array of other specifications you only hear listed when talking about a dedicated digital camera.

"We have helped people capture pictures for more than a decade. Now we can help people see more than their eyes can see," Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said at a New York City press event to introduce the phone this morning. "This is the next chapter in smartphone photography."

It might sound like a lot of marketing speak, but the 4.5-inch phone's technology specs back up the flowery talk. Not only does the Windows Phone smartphone have a 41-megapixel camera, which tops the iPhone 5's 8-megapixel shooter, but it has 6x high-resolution zoom that lets you capture photos and zoom in on them after you've taken them. The $300 six-lens camera also has a backside illuminated sensor and a fast Xenon flash.

"It captures clearer pictures all of the time -- during the day and also at night," Elop described.

Nokia pairs that hardware with some new software and apps, which are built on Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system. Nokia's Pro Camera app will teach people how to use the advanced features. It also includes a manual focus option.

The company is also encouraging other app makers to build features that take advantage of the phone; Hipstamatic, Vyclone and Foursquare are some of the apps that tap into the new camera features. And to make sharing easier, the camera takes two photos every time, one that is the full resolution and the other that is smaller and easier to upload and share on social networks. Nokia announced that Path, Vine and Flipboard will be available on Windows Phone soon.

Still missing in the Windows Phone app store, however, is the most popular photography app: Instagram. Nokia did not mention the app during the presentation, but the lack of Instagram and other popular apps has been one of the main aspects holding back Windows Phone devices from competing with Android and iPhone devices.

"Windows Phone is an excellent operating system, but there is nothing wrong with iOS or Android, and those operating systems have larger app ecosystems," Avi Greengart, research director of consumer devices at Current Analysis, told ABC News. "Nokia really needs something that gets consumers to sit up and take notice, and the imaging capabilities on the Lumia 1020 are quite extraordinary."

Nokia committed to Microsoft's Windows Phone platform in 2011 after seeing its phone business hit by the success of the iPhone and Android. It does not offer any phones with Google's Android software.

The Lumia 1020 with 32GB of storage will be available exclusively from AT&T starting on July 26 for $300 with a two-year contract. While the camera features might beat out the competition, at $100 more than the 16GB iPhone and other Android phones, it stands in a harder position.

"The plan of attack is that the impressive imaging 'tail' can wag the Windows Phone 'dog.' But at $299 on subsidy, clearly the target customers are photo enthusiasts who would consider it over a premium point-and-shoot camera."

Adopted from abc News

12:14 PM 0 comments