Mobile service providers are reworking charges for wireless connections on tablet computers to lure in customers put off by costly fees. Carriers see tablets like Apple Inc's iPad as key to revenue growth. But high prices for the devices and more fees on top of phone plans are seen pushing consumers to bypass the cellular network and rely on free Wi-Fi services.
This is expected to result in a drop in the percentage of tablets supporting cellular, potentially making operators less relevant as tablet distributors than electronics stores.
'The tablet's more natural point of sale is retail,' Nvidia Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang told the Reuters Global Technology Summit this week. 'The question is whether carriers will find a reason to bundle tablets with other services and create a subsidy model that is really appealing.'
Today, carriers limit cellular Web use on tablets by charging for each gigabyte (GB) of data downloaded. For example, Verizon Wireless charges $20 per gigabyte and AT&T Inc charges $25 for two. Sprint Nextel subsidizes tablets but charges more per gigabyte and requires long-term contracts.
Such arrangements will gradually result in more consumers opting for Wi-Fi-only tablets, according to iSuppli, which sees sales of tablets with cellular connections falling as low as 30 per cent of the total in 2015 from about 60 per cent in 2010.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Apple's new iPad 2 displays are hackable with a few gestures
An Apple Store Manager relayed to us that the new iPad 2 displays are able to turn into “normal iPads” with a few swipes in secret combination. To find out if true, I went to the Soho store and tried it out. Yep, it works. The button still doesn’t work so it is easy to get yourself stuck – like in Email Setup below:
I’m not going to post the gesture combination unless it hits the web but it does exist and Store managers know it.
Anyway, the moral of the story: Those are normal iPad 2s under the glass, even though they have different part numbers.
I’m not going to post the gesture combination unless it hits the web but it does exist and Store managers know it.
Anyway, the moral of the story: Those are normal iPad 2s under the glass, even though they have different part numbers.
Yahoo rolls out new email service
It's taken its time, but Yahoo is finally getting its revamped mail service out of beta, giving its 284 million users social network integration, faster search and more.
With social networking sites increasingly becoming many people's preferred means of communication, the new version allows Facebook and Twitter updates to be posted directly from within Yahoo's email boxes through a reply bar. It's also possible to chat with friends who are logged into Facebook directly from Yahoo Mail.
There's also a prioritization feature placing a user's most frequent contacts at the top of the list, and the ability to search IM and SMS conversations as well as emails.
The company claims that the new version is also much faster than its predecessor.
"This is the largest redesign of Yahoo Mail in six years, and we rebuilt it with a focus on performance to make it at least two times faster than previous versions of Yahoo Mail," it says. "In addition, we upgraded our spam technology to ensure that you aren’t receiving unwanted messages."
Other new features include inbox customization - because a pretty inbox is just so important - and an app called YouSendIt, designed to make sending large files quicker and easier. The company says it can deal with attachments of up to 100MB.
The new version has been in beta since October, but will now be rolled out worldwide over the next few weeks. Yahoo needs it: although it still has more users than Gmail, Gmail's catching up rapidly.
With social networking sites increasingly becoming many people's preferred means of communication, the new version allows Facebook and Twitter updates to be posted directly from within Yahoo's email boxes through a reply bar. It's also possible to chat with friends who are logged into Facebook directly from Yahoo Mail.
There's also a prioritization feature placing a user's most frequent contacts at the top of the list, and the ability to search IM and SMS conversations as well as emails.
The company claims that the new version is also much faster than its predecessor.
"This is the largest redesign of Yahoo Mail in six years, and we rebuilt it with a focus on performance to make it at least two times faster than previous versions of Yahoo Mail," it says. "In addition, we upgraded our spam technology to ensure that you aren’t receiving unwanted messages."
Other new features include inbox customization - because a pretty inbox is just so important - and an app called YouSendIt, designed to make sending large files quicker and easier. The company says it can deal with attachments of up to 100MB.
The new version has been in beta since October, but will now be rolled out worldwide over the next few weeks. Yahoo needs it: although it still has more users than Gmail, Gmail's catching up rapidly.
Google to launch mobile payments system
Google Inc will launch a mobile payment system on Thursday, in the latest bid to help consumers pay at the checkout with smartphones instead of traditional credit cards. Google will work with MasterCard Inc, the world's second-largest credit and debit card processing network, to launch the system, the source told Reuters.
The world's largest Internet search engine has been working with MasterCard and Citigroup Inc to develop a mobile payments system, the Wall Street Journal reported in March.
Citigroup did not immediately respond to requests for comment and MasterCard declined to comment.
Shoppers abroad, especially in Asia, can already wave cellphones at the check-out counter to pay for everything from groceries to gasoline.
Mobile phone operators, banks, technology companies and card processing networks Visa Inc and MasterCard are vying to gain a foothold in the still-small but high-potential U.S. mobile payments market.
Google has invited reporters to attend a 'partner event' on Thursday in New York to demonstrate what it called its 'latest innovations.'
It plans to unveil a mobile payments system that will run on the Google Android operating system and will be available on phones from Sprint Nextel Corp, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The world's largest Internet search engine has been working with MasterCard and Citigroup Inc to develop a mobile payments system, the Wall Street Journal reported in March.
Citigroup did not immediately respond to requests for comment and MasterCard declined to comment.
Shoppers abroad, especially in Asia, can already wave cellphones at the check-out counter to pay for everything from groceries to gasoline.
Mobile phone operators, banks, technology companies and card processing networks Visa Inc and MasterCard are vying to gain a foothold in the still-small but high-potential U.S. mobile payments market.
Google has invited reporters to attend a 'partner event' on Thursday in New York to demonstrate what it called its 'latest innovations.'
It plans to unveil a mobile payments system that will run on the Google Android operating system and will be available on phones from Sprint Nextel Corp, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
Google launches Street View in Bangalore
Amid concerns of privacy in Europe and several western countries, Google launched its popular but controversial mapping service Street View, in India's technology hub Bangalore. This will allow users to view pedestrian-level photos of streets and houses.
Google said on Thursday that it has started capturing images of Indian streets which will later allow users to view panoramic images of streets across the country the 'street view' feature on Google Maps. For starters, cars and three wheelers, mounted with high resolution cameras will begin driving and taking street level photographs of public locations around Bangalore , top Google executive said at a press conference here on Thursday.
'We are announcing the street view in India. You will start seeing Google cars on the streets collecting imagery and then over time, it will be launched online on Google maps,' said Vinay Goel , Product Head, Google India .
Street View is a popular feature of Google Maps which is now used in more than 27 countries. With street view, users can virtually explore and navigate a neighborhood through panoramic street-level images. Besides cars, specially designed three-wheel pedi-cabs, called Google Trike with camera system mounted on top , will start gathering images from selected locations such as the Nrityagram Dance Village over the next few weeks.
The company's move comes at a time when the Indian government is becoming more and more conscious of privacy laws. In a recent amendment to the existing Information Technology Act, India has added many clauses that protects sensitive information of the citizen. Privacy advocates criticised the feature in the United States where it was first launched in 2007. After Google admitted that it collected wi-fi payload data by mistake using the street view cars, lot of bad press and protests followed. Google has stopped collecting wi-fi data.
Google said on Thursday that it has started capturing images of Indian streets which will later allow users to view panoramic images of streets across the country the 'street view' feature on Google Maps. For starters, cars and three wheelers, mounted with high resolution cameras will begin driving and taking street level photographs of public locations around Bangalore , top Google executive said at a press conference here on Thursday.
'We are announcing the street view in India. You will start seeing Google cars on the streets collecting imagery and then over time, it will be launched online on Google maps,' said Vinay Goel , Product Head, Google India .
Street View is a popular feature of Google Maps which is now used in more than 27 countries. With street view, users can virtually explore and navigate a neighborhood through panoramic street-level images. Besides cars, specially designed three-wheel pedi-cabs, called Google Trike with camera system mounted on top , will start gathering images from selected locations such as the Nrityagram Dance Village over the next few weeks.
The company's move comes at a time when the Indian government is becoming more and more conscious of privacy laws. In a recent amendment to the existing Information Technology Act, India has added many clauses that protects sensitive information of the citizen. Privacy advocates criticised the feature in the United States where it was first launched in 2007. After Google admitted that it collected wi-fi payload data by mistake using the street view cars, lot of bad press and protests followed. Google has stopped collecting wi-fi data.
Google co picks Intel chips for small cell range
Ubiquisys, a technology start-up backed by Google, has picked Intel's processors to boost computing power in its small base stations, which help operators to meet demand from surging mobile data consumption.
The new offering -- which will also use chips fromTexas Instruments -- will reach the market in 2012.
UK-based Ubiquisys is one of the top firms in the new market for small cells, low-power base stations for 3G mobile phone networks that offload some of the traffic from operators networks and improve indoor coverage at a comparatively low cost.
Intel's processors will bring computing power to telecommunications networks -- close to consumers, cutting need for back and forth data traffic, Ubiquisys said.
With smartphone prices dropping fast and the use of video on phones proliferating, most telecom operators around the world have been struggling with network capacity and many have started to use small cells to open up the airwaves.
Research firm Mobile Experts expects the market for such small cells -- open for public to use -- to reach 7 million units in 2013 and grow to 15.5 million by 2016.
The devices are plugged into broadband internet connections like wireless Internet base stations and allow users to make calls or use data services with their regular mobile phones.
Ubiquisys's main rivals are Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei. In addition to Google, Ubiquisys's owners include Accel Partners and T-Mobile's venture fund.
The new offering -- which will also use chips fromTexas Instruments -- will reach the market in 2012.
UK-based Ubiquisys is one of the top firms in the new market for small cells, low-power base stations for 3G mobile phone networks that offload some of the traffic from operators networks and improve indoor coverage at a comparatively low cost.
Intel's processors will bring computing power to telecommunications networks -- close to consumers, cutting need for back and forth data traffic, Ubiquisys said.
With smartphone prices dropping fast and the use of video on phones proliferating, most telecom operators around the world have been struggling with network capacity and many have started to use small cells to open up the airwaves.
Research firm Mobile Experts expects the market for such small cells -- open for public to use -- to reach 7 million units in 2013 and grow to 15.5 million by 2016.
The devices are plugged into broadband internet connections like wireless Internet base stations and allow users to make calls or use data services with their regular mobile phones.
Ubiquisys's main rivals are Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei. In addition to Google, Ubiquisys's owners include Accel Partners and T-Mobile's venture fund.
Nokia to launch first Windows Phone this year
Nokia has planned to launch its first smartphone using Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 at the end of the year, according to Taiwan's Commercial Times, which did not identify a source.
The newspaper also said Taiwanese handset contract maker Compal Communications was the sole company to receive orders for Nokia's Window phones and would start shipment in the fourth quarter.
Two models of Window phones were on Nokia's plan -- one with a full touchscreen and another sleek one with a keypad.
The world's largest handset maker announced in February it would use Microsoft's Windows phone software in all of its smartphones, and said it would start volume shipments of these smartphones in 2012.
The newspaper also said Taiwanese handset contract maker Compal Communications was the sole company to receive orders for Nokia's Window phones and would start shipment in the fourth quarter.
Two models of Window phones were on Nokia's plan -- one with a full touchscreen and another sleek one with a keypad.
The world's largest handset maker announced in February it would use Microsoft's Windows phone software in all of its smartphones, and said it would start volume shipments of these smartphones in 2012.
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