LG Growing Strong in Smartphones

 Apple, Smartphones  Comments Off on LG Growing Strong in Smartphones
Jul 282013
 

While the media remains intoxicated and fixated on Apple’s iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S4, LG has been steadily growing its smartphone business and market share.

LG doubled smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2013 to maintain the number 3 spot, according to market researcher IDC’s latest survey.

LG owned 5.1% of the smartphone market in the second quarter of 2013, up from 3.7% in the same period a year ago.

IDC estimates LG more than doubled smartphone shipments to 12.1 million units in the second quarter of 2013 compared to 5.8 million units in the second quarter of 2013.

Top Smartphone Vendors, Shipments Q2, 2013

Apparently, LG has managed to even eke out a profit from its Android smartphones.

According to IDC, that’s “a feat that very few Android vendors have been able to realize.”

LG seems to have reinvigorated its smartphone portfolio with the Nexus 4 and the Optimus G Pro and is now eying the high end with its upcoming G2.

The company also has the L-Series II and F-Series smartphones aimed at the mass-market.

Samsung remained the king of smartphones although its market share dropped to 30.4% in the second quarter from 32.2% in the same quarter last year.

The “others” category of smartphones has climbed to 42% suggesting these are cheap Chinese devices creating havoc in the market and sleepless nights for Apple and Samsung executives.

The overall smartphone market registered a robust growth of 52.3% in the second quarter of this year to grow to to 237.9 million units.

Smartphone Market Share Q2 2013

Tough for Apple

Things are looking tough for Apple squeezed as it is between the Samsung Galaxy S4 at the high end and the cheap Chinese smartphones at the low end. Continue reading »

Freeloaders Can Smile Today

 Apple, Free  Comments Off on Freeloaders Can Smile Today
Jul 082013
 

Monday looks like a good day for freeloaders owning pricey iPads and iPhones.

A bunch of previously priced apps at Apple’s App Store are available for free today.

These are iOS apps, which means you can use them on iPhones, iPads or the iPod touch devices but not on the Macs.

Some of the free apps like the Traktor DJ software for DJs require iOS 6 to be installed on your device but others like Badland work on iOS 5.x too.

We couldn’t find any new free apps for the OS X platform (the operating system running on iMacs and MacBook notebooks).

Traktor DJ App for DJs

Free iOS Apps

Here are some of the apps that have gone free:

* Traktor DJ [$19.99 → Free] – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/traktor-dj/id592052832?mt=8

* Infinity Blade II [5.99 → free] – https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/infinity-blade-ii/id447689011?l=en Continue reading »

Why OS X Won’t Run on Non-Mac Hardware

 Apple  Comments Off on Why OS X Won’t Run on Non-Mac Hardware
Jul 072013
 

Who doesn’t love a Mac?

Whether it’s the big-screen iMac or a compact MacBook, Apple’s designs are appealing.

The security hassles are also much less compared to a Windows PC since virus and malware writers don’t spend much time on the Mac OS X.

And the iMac’s Magic Mouse is a delight that the passage of time does not diminish.

iMac 2013iMac 2013 Model

Not Many Takers

So why isn’t everyone buying a Mac?

Simple answer – Because Macs are expensive compared to a PC.

You can get a basic Windows laptop or desktop for a few hundred dollars.

But the cheapest Mac (Mac Mini) will set you back at least 800 dollars (after including the monitor)

OS X on Non-Apple Hardware

The obvious question then is why people don’t buy cheap Acer or HP hardware and install the Mac OS X operating system on that computer.

It can’t be done.

At least, not by lay people.

Mac operating systems run only on hardware from Apple.

Folks that know these kind of stuff like the back of their hand say that Apple has written special code in its OS X operating system (be it Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion or the upcoming Maverick) that looks for a special  Apple security chip.

If it does not find the security chip, then OS X will not run on that hardware.

But there are exceptions to every rule. Continue reading »

How to Find Out Which Version of OS X Your Mac is Running

 Apple  Comments Off on How to Find Out Which Version of OS X Your Mac is Running
Jul 072013
 

Sometimes the simplest of questions flummoxes even those who have been playing with computers for years.

After a recent re-install of the operating system on my Mac, I was initially unsure if the operating system was Mountain Lion (which I purchased from the Mac Store via an upgrade for $19.99) or the older Lion that came pre-installed with my 2011 iMac.

Since a similar confusion may arise in many minds, I’m writing this post to help you guys.

Find Out Operating System Version of Mac

How to Find Out OS X Version

Elementary, My Dear Watson.

Just click on the Apple icon on the top left of your screen, and when the drop-down menu appears select About this Mac.

That will open up a window on your desktop giving you the OS X version number (10.8.4 on my iMac), processor speed and Memory (20GB on my Mac). This window will also let you know if you have any software updates.

Once you get the Version Number, use the below version guide to identify which version of Mac OS X is running on your iMac desktop or MacBook notebook. Continue reading »

iTwin Connect VPN Comes to Mac

 Apple, Products  Comments Off on iTwin Connect VPN Comes to Mac
Jun 052013
 

Singapore startup iTwin has added Mac support to its USB-based iTwin Connect Virtual Private Network (VPN) device.

The $199 USB device previously supported only Windows.

The folks behind iTwin Connect have now added support for the following versions of Mac OS X – Mountain Lion, Lion and Snow Leopard.

The Mac support is a long overdue step in my opinion.

iTwin Connect Supports Mac OS X

What is iTwin Connect?

iTwin Connect provides Private VPN and Public VPN services for users desiring high degree of security and privacy to remotely access their data on a home/office network or to anonymously browse the Internet.

The device is a useful tool in an Internet universe swarming with malicious actors waiting to prey upon online users.

Besides the new support for Mac OS X, iTwin Connect works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 PCs and both USB 2 and USB 3 ports.

The iTwin software self-installs the first time the device is plugged in.

Why Private VPN

A Private VPN service is useful to remotely access files on a home or office network securely.

iTwin makes it easy to create a Private VPN.

Plug the device with both its halves joined together into a USB port on any computer in the home/office network to initialize the device.

Next, detach one half of the device and plug it into your Internet-connected laptop.

Voila, a secure VPN tunnel is instantly created to the home/office computer. Continue reading »

Bad Move – Apple Removes Rear Camera in Cheaper iPod Touch

 Apple  Comments Off on Bad Move – Apple Removes Rear Camera in Cheaper iPod Touch
May 302013
 

Apple today launched a new iPod touch for $229, cheaper by $70 over the regular iPod touch entertainment device.

But customers will pay a price for the cheaper iPod touch since it does NOT include a rear camera and the lanyard hook for the loop.

The regular iPod touch has a 5MP rear camera and the lanyard hook.

New iPod Touch is $229

The new iPod touch has a 4-inch Retina display, 16GB of storage, front HD camera with 720p video recording, Siri, Maps and all the other features that are part of the regular iPod touch.

The devices comes with earpods and a Lightning to USB cable connector.

Like the regular iPod touch, the new model will run all of the iPhone apps in Apple’s AppStore and play audio, video and allow Internet browsing via WiFi.

The new iPod touch weighs 3.04 ounces (86 grams) and is supposed to have a battery life of 40 hours for audio playback and eight hours for video.

Unlike the regular iPod touch, the new version is available only in black color.

The cheaper iPod touch is a gamble on Apple’s part to boost revenues without the tough slog of boosting quality or adding any innovation to its older iPod touch line.

Difficult Times

Apple is facing strong challenges – Its stock price has taken a beating and Android phones and tablets are squeezing Apple’s marketshare, the PC market is slowing and the innovation pipeline, as best as we know, seems to be drying up.

Hence the resort to a cheaper iPod touch.

Media speculation has Apple launching a cheaper iPhone and iPad Mini later this year.

I’d be surprised if the iPod touch turns out to be a big hit because people have gotten used to having a rear camera in their handheld electronic gizmos.

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