May 13
23
Gimme shelter
Apple products are cute, simple and self-contained. You know what isn’t cute, simple and self-contained? The web of foreign tax shelters that Apple is accused of employing to avoid paying billions in taxes to the U.S. Government.
A Congressional panel has charged that Apple, America’s one-time sweetheart, didn’t just somehow bounce to its perch as the world’s most profitable company on good nature and high intelligence. No—Apple, the investigators report, hid money, relied on a network of shady “subsidiaries” and deprived the nation of billions in tax revenue. Tim Cook, the company’s shucksy CEO, is now telling the Senate he’s downright teed off at the suggestion; the company, he says, breaks no laws, pays what it owes and remains as pure as the driven snow.
Not paying taxes you owe is never good, and the story seems to be further exhausting a national resource that may be more precious to Apple than money: America’s stores of goodwill toward it. Not long ago, those good-will silos were filled to overflowing. Now they’re depleting faster than the battery on an iPhone streaming high-def video over shaky Wi-Fi.
The brain and soul of the company, some charge, died in the person of Steve Jobs, on October 5, 2011. Legends of Jobs circulated faster than the first iPod. The stock price soared. On September 19, 2012, the company’s market capitalization was a gasp-inducing $656.51 billion.
But then—something happened. Daughters with heavy iPhone habits have one hypothesis about what it was; their Wall Street dads have another. It’s the ubiquity of the products. It’s the products themselves. It’s the death of Jobs. It’s a market flinch that ought not to be overthought, or should or shouldn’t be interpreted any which way but down.
Whatever the case—its specs or its products or its users—Apple’s market cap is now $374.37 billion, down some $275 billion from last fall. And the numbers show that, once again, recent sales of the iPhone 5 have regularly failed to meet Wall Street estimates.
The Wall Street Journal has dutifully reported that Apple’s mystique is wearing off, as have several other publications. You may or may not buy into these stories. But the general pile-on triggered by Apple’s douchey decision to push Google Maps off its iOS so it could make people use its much, much worse Maps app—Apple earned that. We were, using Apple Maps, quite literally lost.
The crisis among the party loyal is everywhere.My colleague Rob Walker, a longtime Apple disciple, just cheated on our Cupertino Overlord, buying his first non-Apple gadget in 25 years. Rob’s getting used to the Android OS but he loves his HTC One mobile device; he even wants to be seen with it, flouting Apple conformity.
Even adolescents, who craved iPhones as their first mobile status symbol, are turning on Apple. “Teens are telling us Apple is done,” Tina Wells, of the youth-oriented Buzz Marketing Group, said earlier this year. “Apple has done a great job of embracing Gen X…but I don’t think they are connecting with [younger] Millennials.” Wells said teens are drawn to the elegant, feature-rich Samsung Galaxy, a craving I’ve noticed in several of the New York teenagers I know.
And then on Facebook the other day, a friend was greeted with a chorus of “amens” when she asked, “Is anybody else sick of Apple’s arrogance? Took my phone to the ‘geniuses’ today because it suddenly can’t hold a charge for 2 hrs and hangs up calls every 5 mins. They said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with it, our diagnostic is accurate 100% of the time.’ I said ‘Well, might that have to do with the fact that when your diagnostic has no correspondence to reality, you deny reality?’”
She put it to the crowd: Should I actually pass on the iPhone 5? Yes, yes, yes came the reply.
It used to be that people who deleted “Sent from my iPhone” in favor of a custom sign-off used the slot to ask forgiveness for typos, and express wonder at the device itself. Sent from the palm of my hand. Sent by Magic. Sent from a tiny rectangle that creates light and pictures with sorcery.
The other day, I got an email from someone with a sign-off I’d never seen. Sent from an iphone. That means it’s spelled wrong…and I’m probably lost.
Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-tax-shelter-problems-211700311.html
Posted in iPhone 5 2011 by .
SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Vivante Corporation marked another major milestone in the rapid adoption of its industry leading GPU technology. The GC1000 graphics core, integrated into the Marvell PXA986 SoC, is powering the highly-anticipated Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 7.0. As demonstrated in widely reported Android™ tests by GLBenchmark and others, the new tablet nearly doubles the performance of its GALAXY Tab 2 predecessor, raising the bar for mass market devices.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091008/VIVANTELOGO)
“Vivante has a clear focus – mobile graphics that push the limits of performance, while reducing silicon cost and extending battery life,” said Wei-Jin Dai, Vivante President and CEO. “The Vivante GC1000 core allows the Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 7.0 to be faster than ever on a smaller GPU silicon footprint, minimizing silicon cost and maximizing visual quality.”
This is the latest of several generations of devices from Samsung to feature Vivante 3D GPU cores including Android smartphone models GALAXY GT-S7508, GT-S6108, GT-S6358, GT-i8250 and GT-i8268.
About Vivante GPU Products
Optimized for Google Android apps, Vivante’s product portfolio includes performance-leading technologies in 2D/3D GPU, CPC Composition Processors, GPGPU, and vector graphics. Vivante cores leverage a unified driver architecture that is compatible with industry-standard application programming interfaces like OpenGL® ES 3.0, desktop OpenGL®, OpenCL®, OpenVG®, Microsoft® DirectX® 11, WebGL, Google Renderscript / FilterScript, Compute, and other standard APIs. With Vivante technology, mobile devices deliver stunning, high resolution user interface graphics as well as to photos, games, business applications and more.
Robust features built into the GPU cores include:
- World’s Smallest Licensable GPU Core for OpenGL ES 3.0
- Single/Dual/Quad/Eight GPU Configurations
- Single Software Stack
- Battery Optimization
- Memory Efficiency
- Support for Heterogeneous Platform Architecture
To learn more about Vivante’s technologies visit www.vivantecorp.com or contact sales@vivantecorp.com.
About Vivante Corporation
Smaller – Faster – Cooler: Vivante Corporation, a leader in multi-core GPU, OpenCL™, CPC Composition Engine and Vector Graphics IP solutions, provides the highest performance and lowest power characteristics across a range of Khronos™ Group API conformant standards based on the ScalarMorphic™ architecture. Vivante GPUs are integrated into customer silicon solutions in mass market products including smartphones, tablets, HDTVs, consumer electronics and embedded devices, running thousands of graphics applications across multiple operating systems and software platforms. Vivante is a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with additional RD centers in Shanghai and Chengdu.
Vivante and the Vivante logo are trademarks of Vivante. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/vivante-gpu-core-maximizes-graphics-155300171.html
Posted in samsung galaxy tab by .
India, May 23 — Janta Party president Dr Subramaniyam Swami on Wednesday asked people of Kashmir to “forget Pakistan and live like true Indians”.”The Kashmir problem is (Pt Jawaharlal) Nehru’s special gift to India. India, however, is not going to compromise on Kashmir. It is our part and we will take back that part of Kashmir as well which has been occupied by Pakistan illegally,” he said in a press conference in Srinagar on Wednesday. …
Article source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-3-s-pictures--specification-leaked-061828608.html
Posted in samsung galaxy tab by .
May the iPhorce be with you! Or May the fourth be past you? (Ooh yes, that was terrible!)
Add some geektastic fun to your iPhone 4/4S or 5 by covering it with one of these Star Wars limited edition cases. You can choose from C-3PO, Chewbacca (even has fur on it), Darth Vader, or R2-D2. They are available from Firebox.com (Chewie’s on pre-order), in stock at Amazon.com, or direct from the manufacturer at PowerA.com. Prices vary depending on retailer, but they are about $30-35.
Send to Kindle
Article source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/05/23/star-wars-iphone-cases/
Posted in iPhone 5 cases by .
Japan Fuels Global Sell-Off but Wall Street Sharply Pares Earlier LossesBreakout Videos
After rising 80% in the past seven months, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index finally blinked. A staggering …
Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/powera-beams-star-trek-iphone-130000227.html
Posted in iPhone 5 cases by .
Following a quiet announcement at CES, Griffin has released its Survivor + Catalyst Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 ($70). Submersible down to three meters of water, the Survivor + Catalyst is a polycarbonate hard shell case that uses a silicone gasket to keep water sealed out, with shock-absorbing bumpers and an integrated screen cover inside.
Survivor + Catalyst also protects from dust and dirt, and the case is shockproof for a drop up to six feet. It is available now.
Article source: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/griffin-releases-iphone-5-survivor-catalyst-waterproof-case/
Posted in iPhone 5 accessories by .
May 13
23
iPhone 5 Battery Case Releases Reviews for Wireless Charging Case and Mat by Duracell Powermat
Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) May 23, 2013
According to the company Wireless charging is becoming the obvious shift in the industry and for good reasons, as power mats stop the hassle with the wires. ATT has already made an announcement to its device suppliers to provide wireless charging solutions for their products by 2014 and the first smartphone wireless charging compatible, a Windows 8 smartphone, was already released.
The iPhone 5 Battery Case website took an in-depth look at the wireless charging trend and has released several reviews for the main product and accessories designed by Duracell Powermat, the PowerSnap Kit, Powermat, AccessCases and SnapBattery for iPhone 5.
http://www.iPhone5Batterycase.net explain how the wireless charging solutions work and also the latest news in the industry of mobile chargers. Based on their functionality and prices, Duracell Powermat have been described as a good start, although in the upcoming weeks the market is bound to see more such products.
Duracell Powermat’s wireless charging solutions for iPhone 5 are sold individually but the company also offers a kit that is significantly more convenient for the buyer. The Duracell Powermat PowerSnap Kit for iPhone 5 sells for $99, a price similar to that of most iPhone 5 battery cases currently available, but for that price tag consumers considerably get more bang for their buck.
The kit consists of an AccessCase, SnapBattery and Travel Powermat, which sold individually, would amount to more than $200.
The AccessCase Duracell Powermat has designed for iPhone 5 ensures compatibility with the Travel PowerMat, a 5.26”H x 2.39”W x .73”D universal charger for all USB-enabled devices with a 4200 mAh Rechargeable lithium-ion prismatic battery.
The SnapBattery case is attached to the AccessCase and is able to double the iPhone 5’s standard battery life thanks to a 1950 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, which sold separately, it is significantly cheaper than most battery cases for iPhone 5.
iPhone 5 Battery Case is a division of Ironclad Integrity Unlimited Ltd., developed as a major source of information for the iPhone 5 owners interested in buying a power accessory for their smartphones.
For the past several months, ever since the release of iPhone 5, the website has released reviews for popular battery cases, external batteries and chargers made available for Apple’s latest smartphone. Reviews include price analysis and product comparisons trying to give buyers an objective and clear portrayal of the current offer for iPhone 5 battery cases.
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Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/Duracell-Powermat/Battery-Case-Review/prweb10762745.htm
Posted in iPhone 5 accessories by .
Vodafone now won’t open its 4G service up until “late summer”
Kake Pugh/Flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The wait for Apple’s next iPhone has forced Vodafone to push
back the rollout of its 4G network.
While rival EE charges ahead with a promised
doubling of average download speeds this summer, Vodafone now
won’t launch until August or September, nearly a year after EE. It
had been expected that Vodafone would launch 4G services in
June.
The reason is simple: the current iPhone 5 only runs 4G on the
frequencies that EE uses. A new, more widely compatible iPhone had
been expected in June, but
rumoured problems with a fingerprint sensor have disrupted
Apple’s normally clockwork release schedule.
With the iPhone “5S” now expected for release in the autumn,
Vodafone has decided to keep its gunpowder dry until
then.
The Daily Telegraph reports
unnamed Vodafone sources as confirming that the delay of the
new iPhone 5S played a part in its decision to push back the 4G
rollout.
“End of summer means when there is going to be a good commercial
window for launching it,” Vodafone’s chief executive, Vittorio
Colao, told the paper. ”We are convinced our own 4G will be
better performing. We want to be able to launch it when it’s really
ready,” he added.
But price may be a more important point than date. “Vodafone may
indeed launch a better-performing 4G network, but for consumers the
key factor is price at the moment,” commented Wired.co.uk’s editor
Nate Lanxon. “Since 3G is still fast enough for most use cases,
it’s going to come down to value for money whether a customer feels
moving to 4G is the right move for them. This will become more
interesting when Three launches 4G, as it has said it won’t charge
anything extra for the upgrade.”
In October 2012,
EE launched the UK’s first 4G network after being given
approval to use existing spectrum by Ofcom. The move riled
competitors who had to wait for Ofcom’s auction
of new spectrum in February 2013. Its launch came after the
launch of the iPhone 5, allowing EE to say that only its network
allowed the iPhone 5 to be used to its full potential in the
UK.
EE currently has
400,000 4G users across the UK, with a target of one million by
the end of 2013.
Vodafone has promised to knock
70 percent off any remaining contract charges for customers
wanting to upgrade to 4G devices when the services launches. It’s a
good offer, but is trumped by Three’s promise to give upgrades
for free.
The UK is expected to have 98
percent 4G coverage by 2017, but “5G” technology is already on
its way with Samsung testing technology that will allow the
transfer of data hundreds
of times faster than 4G.
Edited by Nate Lanxon
Article source: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-05/22/vodafone-4g-delay
Posted in iPhone 5 by .
While clear film phone screen protectors can be a good idea, applying them requires a lot of patience and some skill. Otherwise you end up with a bubble-filled membrane that is hard to type on and see through.
A diagram of the Tru-Fit assembly.
Trü Protection is trying to simplify the process for iPhone 5 owners with a mounting system intended to automatically align a phone and a screen protector.
It’s called Trü-Fit, and here’s how it works.
Inside the package are screen cleaners, two protective screens and a tray.
Obviously, use the cleaners to clear your phone screen. When the glass is prepped, take the protective screen cover and slide it into the tray. You then peel back a tab that exposes an adhesive. Then the phone goes into the tray, face down, over the sticky screen protector. Press your phone into the tray firmly, then pop it out of the tray. The screen protector should be affixed.
It should, but I failed at my first two tries. By the third, I figured out exactly how to line up the protector in the tray, which must be just so.
It is easier than applying a protective screen without a tray, but still requires some attention and patience.
By the third try the protective screen came out reasonably well centered and I was able to press the few small bubbles out from under the protector to the edges where they disappeared.
The screen protectors are $20 a pair and have a matte anti-glare finish. I thought the matte finish made the screen easier to see once I increased my screen brightness, but that eats more battery power.
It is impossible to say how much protection you get from a film like this, though. As I have written before, there is no standard for testing these protective films. At the very least, it’s not likely to do any harm.
Article source: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/a-fitting-screen-protector-for-the-iphone-5/
Posted in iPhone 5 by .
As the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 continues to appear as the company’s newest device in the mid-sized tablet category, a video has appeared this week showing off the newest Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 – the non-stylus tablet segment for the company. This device will be part of the fourth wave for the tablet line in Samsung’s arsenal, the first being the original Samsung Galaxy Tab, released with a 7-inch display and Android 2.3 Gingerbread back in the year 2010. This newest Galaxy Tab features an aesthetic and abilities similar to that of the newest Galaxy Note series.
This device has been tipped to be working with Intel processing power inside, that being one of the newer ATOM series SoCs according to benchmark results appearing this week. This device has been shown to be exceedingly similar to its predecessor in its display and processing abilities, while its form factor has left it a bit thinner and more sleek in appearance. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 works with a 7-inch display at 1024 x 600 pixel resolution up front, 1GB of RAM inside, and an unknown release date inside the USA. This tablet will be coming in at 111.1 x 188 x 9.9mm large and will be launched with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean if not higher. This device will be appearing with 8GB and 16GB internal storage sizes and will likely be appearing on more than one mobile carrier here in the USA. Whether or not it’ll have its own microSD card slot for memory expansion may be dependent on region and/or carrier preference. Final pricing has not yet been revealed for USA-based sales, but it’s likely that Samsung will target somewhere well beneath it’s Galaxy Note 8.0 – so perhaps a bit closer to $250 USD. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 was released last year with a styling that was rather similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Before that, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 lead the way with a double-down on second-wave styling, while again, the first wave was only appearing in a 7-inch form factor. SOURCE: Tablets Mag
Article source: http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-3-7-0-appears-in-video-run-down-22283185/
Posted in samsung galaxy tab by .
