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BetaNews.Com (6 non lus)

Did you buy Kindle Fire instead of iPad 2?

Publié: décembre 16, 2011, 10:38pm CET par Joe Wilcox
Media tablet shipments missed IDC's third-quarter shipment projections. Meanwhile iPad lost market share; IDC forecasts greater declines for Q4. The culprit: Amazon Kindle Fire (with a little help from Barnes & Noble Nook). In the battle of price, and vertically-integrated content platforms, Amazon is ready to take a bite out of Apple. That brings me to the question of the day: Did you or do you plan to buy Kindle Fire, or even Nook, when previously considering iPad 2 this holiday? Please answer in comments as well as taking our buying poll.

Kindle Fire's big advantage is price -- $300 less than the cheapest iPad 2, at $199. Amazon and Apple compete head-to-head in ebooks, music and movies and curated applications stores. Both command hugely popular brands. Kindle Fire is smaller and doesn't pack a camera, but less also means lower price -- and single one at that. iPads range from $499 to $829.

Apple apologists argue the two tablets aren't comparable, which is a ridiculous assertion. Tablets are tablets, the way TVs are TVs. You can say that a 24-inch LCD isn't comparable to a 56-inch model that also connects to the Internet. But to shoppers evaluating by lots of criteria -- price being among the most important -- they absolutely are. Cost is often first consideration for most people, but not always most important, of course. Don't you typically buy the most you can afford?

Andrew Eisner, Retrevo's director of community and content, sees a potential "two-horse race between Apple and Amazon" next year in the tablet market. Price absolutely is a factor. Seventy-nine percent of respondents to a recent Retrevo survey said they "would consider buying an Android tablet with similar features over a base model $499 iPad" selling for $250 or less.

BetaNews' tablet buying poll, with more than 2,000 respondents, is revealing. I included a screen shot of the graph, because it looks like a giant middle finger coming out of $199. There's meaning to that and message to Apple and others selling tablets for more. Forty-four percent of respondents would pay $199 or less for a tablet -- 73 percent $299 or less.

"Amazon and Barnes & Noble are shaking up the media tablet market, and their success helps prove that there is an appetite for media tablets beyond Apple's iPad", Tom Mainelli, IDC research director, says. IDC expects a dramatic change in Android market share during fourth quarter, largely from Kindle Fire -- 40.3 percent, up from 32.4 percent in Q3.

The Big Picture

Media tablet shipments fell 5.8 percent below IDC's forecast, but the company affirms "strong demand" in fourth quarter, raising its forecast to 63.3 million units from 62.5 million. As for iPad, which market share fell to 61.5 percent from 63.3 percent quarter-on-quarter, IDC still expects exceptional performance. But the future is darkening somewhat.

"Apple's larger portfolio of tablet-specific apps, upcoming iPad versions, and growing physical store presence in key emerging markets like Asia/Pacific will help maintain its global leadership", Jennifer Song, IDC research analyst, says. "However, an improving Android OS experience and lower competitor pricing in an environment with worldwide economic concerns should help Android to increase its market share".

Top five tablet vendors, based on shipments during Q3:
- Apple -- 61.5 percent
- Samsung -- 5.6 percent
- HP -- 5 percent
- Barnes & Noble -- 4.5 percent
- ASUS -- 4 percent
How has Amazon Kindle Fire affected your tablet buying plans this holiday?

Amazon didn't ship any tablets in third quarter and HP got a one-time boost from the big TouchPad sell-off. Last week, HP announced the release of WebOS to open source, but "IDC does not believe the operating system will reappear in the media tablet market in any meaningful way going forward".

So circling back to where the post started, did you buy Kindle Fire instead of iPad 2? Also: If you've got an iPad already and chose to get Kindle Fire as the next tablet, please share why.
Get into the holiday spirit with one of these 15 festive downloads

Publié: décembre 16, 2011, 7:34pm CET par Mark Wilson

Christmas is very nearly upon us, and over the past couple of weeks we have been collecting together some of the best festive offerings available. Whether you’re looking for some seasonal games to keep the kids (or yourself) entertained, a festive app for your iPhone, or something to give your desktop a more Christmassy look, there’s something here for you. In this round up we take a look at some of the software you may have missed.

For fans of simple strategy games Christmas Troubles -- Tower Defense Game 1.0 is a great way to get into the festive spirit. With fun graphics and instant appeal, this is a game that’s suitable for all ages. If you’re more of a puzzler, Christmas Puzzle 1.0 is a festive take on the classic game Bejewelled, while Christmas Crisis 1.3.9 is a vertical scroller in which the aim is help Santa deliver his presents all over the world.

Despite the very similar name, Christmas Eve Crisis is a platform game that’s also a race against the clock, but a different game nonetheless. From the same stables comes Chicken Invaders 4.1: Ultimate Omelette Christmas Edition, which features wonderfully quirky graphics in a game that finds in a Chicken and Christmas inspired take on the classic Space Invaders; yes, it’s silly, but it’s a huge amount of fun.

Christmas is all about fun, but this doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to festive games. Desktop Christmas Tree Collection is a great way to brighten up your desktop with a series of animation Christmas trees and snow globes -- you can choose to add just one, or go over the top with a Christmas tree forest.

Another great way to customize your computer is Christmas Living 3D Fireplace Screensaver which features a stunning crackling log fire, while Christmas Icon Packs provide you with the opportunity to customize your desktop with a series of Christmas icons.

If a screensaver isn’t quite your thing, DesktopSnowOK 1.61 may be what you have been looking for. This cool utility transforms your desktop into a snow scene featuring customizable snow flakes that flutter from the top of your monitor.

To quickly transforms the look of your entire desktop, look no further that the official Microsoft Holiday Lights Theme Pack, which feature a new color scheme, desktop backgrounds and more. Anyone who fancies getting creative need not feel left out as the selection of Christmas fonts can be used to create everything from Christmas cards to name tag or posters.

You may be looking forward to getting an iPhone or iPad for Christmas, but if you already have one, there are a number of apps you might want to check out in the run up to the big day. PopOut! The Night Before Christmas 1.3 is a delightful animated book of the classic Christmas poem that will be loved by kids and anyone feeling nostalgic.

A Charlie Brown Christmas 2.0 will be loved by fans of Chuck and the gang as the famous Peanuts tale receives and receives an iOS makeover with stunning graphics, sumptuous audio and a wealth of interactive elements that will keep you entertained for hours. iOS gamers have not been forgotten.

Piggly Christmas Edition 1.0.0 is a fun platformer in which you must help Mrs Piggly collect a variety of treats to feed her family. There is also an iPad version available in the form of Piggly Christmas Edition HD 1.0.0.

If you weren’t already excited about Christmas, there’s plenty here to get you in the mood. Have a browse through the downloads and you’re sure to find something you like.
Does your phone have Carrier IQ? Now you can know

Publié: décembre 16, 2011, 7:16pm CET par Joe Wilcox
I offer a hat tip to Gizmodo, which has put together a list of smartphones that have Carrier IQ. The company disclosed the information as part of a US Senate inquiry. Sprint subscribers are the most likely to have the spyware installed -- 26 million, or nearly half of them. Verizon: None. The information is also available in a statement from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), just not as quickly scannable.

But not all phones where Carrier IQ is installed have it active. Android developer Trevor Eckhart uncovered Carrier IQ last month, offering detailed explanation how the rootkit-like software works. I followed his instructions to see if the software was active on my Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, and it appeared not to be. Days later I installed Carrier IQ detectors from BitDefender and LookOut Labs, which found the software but didn't indicate its status. Apparently, Skyrocket is one of the phones where Carrier IQ is installed but not active. Same is true of HTC Vivid, AT&T's other LTE phone.

The problem with Carrier IQ: The tracking software that behaves every bit like a keylogger -- installed at a low-level like a rootkit would be. Carriers and Carrier IQ receive data without end user's explicit consent and, like a rootkit, is nearly impossible to remove without harming the operating system. Phone manufacturers install the software before cellular carriers receive the handsets. Carrier IQ claims it only collects information that carriers need to improve network performance and customer service.

"I'm still very troubled by what's going on", Franken says. "People have a fundamental right to control their private information. After reading the companies' responses, I'm still concerned that this right is not being respected. The average user of any device equipped with Carrier IQ software has no way of knowing that this software is running, what information it is getting, and who it is giving it to-and that's a problem".

Carrier IQ has been on the defensive since Eckhart's investigation revealed apparent keylogger, activity the company only indirectly denied. The material submitted as part of Franken's Senate investigations renews concerns keystrokes are captured and transmitted to somebody.

"It appears that Carrier IQ has been receiving the contents of a number of text messages -- even though they had told the public that they did not", Franken says. AT&T confirms this behavior, which includes SMS messages, in its letter to Franken.

"I'm also bothered by the software's ability to capture the contents of our online searches-even when users wish to encrypt them," the Minnesota senator chides. "So there are still many questions to be answered here and things that need to be fixed".

Apparently, this tracking has gone on for some time. Samsung says it has installed Carrier IQ on its phones since November 2007. The chart below lists model numbers (the Giz story gives product names; we want to praise their good work rather than aggregate or re-report it -- Jesus Diaz deserves your click through).

Other manufacturers haven't installed the software for as long as Samsung. From HTC's letter to Franken:
The Carrier IQ software was first integrated on the Hero, which became available to customers through Sprint on October 2009. Other HTC devices that use the integrated Carrier IQ software and the date of their availability in the U.S. market are listed below:
- Snap (Sprint) ± June 2009
- Touch Pro 2 (Sprint) ± September 2009
- Hero (Sprint) ± October 2009
- Evo 4G (Sprint) ± June 2010
- Evo Shift 4G (Sprint)± January 2011
- Evo 3D (Sprint) ± June 2011
- Evo Design (Sprint) ± October 2011
- Amaze 4G (T-Mobile) ± October 2011
- Vivid (AT&T) ± November 2011
Installed doesn't mean active, as aforementioned for the Vivid. HTC says Carrier IQ is active on 6.3 million of its handsets. Samsung has distributed 25 million phones with the software in the United States but didn't explicitly indicate whether or not it's active.

This drama isn't over by a long shot.

Photo Credit: fredredhat/Shutterstock
Windows Phone would change my life

Publié: décembre 16, 2011, 5:30pm CET par Travis Brown

The now shuttered Winphonia.com news site

Since its announcement, I’ve been an avid fan of Windows Phone. So much that I even created a dedicated news website when it first emerged (Winphonia.com -- no longer active). This was all without ever having held a WP7 device in my hands or even seeing one in person. One of the aspects I genuinely like about Windows Phone is the fact that you can simply glance at the home screen, or the many hubs, and see all of life’s important events with just a peek.

I personally know people who’ve call it non-functional, or too simplistic, or even archaistic. But those people have not done their research. What I see is a phone that lets me tack on all of life’s significant events and priorities in a place where I’ll see it in the forefront.

Feel My Android Pain

I’ve been using an Android 2.1 device that was free with a new 2-year contact for the past year, and it has been an absolute pain to use every day. The battery habitually dies after 9 hours of very minimal use, and this is with all network connectivity (including the actual phone signal) turned off. I sometimes turn my network on to make calls or to listen to voicemail -- otherwise, my phone is used as a calendar and music players for those long commutes to work and school.

Almost everything I do on my phone requires opening a new application, and waiting a painfully long time to accomplish even little tasks, such as searching for a contact or sending a quick text message. The “glance and go” nature of Windows Phone 7 solves all of my smartphone pain-points and would make all aspects of my technologically driven life so much better. One specific component that would make my life much-improved is the Windows Phone start screen. Being able to pin what’s most relevant in my life for easy access, anytime, seems like a gift from the heavens (assuming Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is a god -- in which case, developers would clearly get special treatment).

Tasks I perform on a daily basis include constantly checking and adding to my calendar, calling specific people who are dear to me, sending out a mass text to members of my school club (The college’s Human Service Club), checking the weather in the morning, looking for directions when I’m in the city, reading text messages and checking in on social networks, reading RSS news feeds, and listening to music while riding on the subway to school and work.

I do drive, but I avoid using my cell phone for safety reasons - something WP7 would change, thanks to voice to text.

My phone plays a vital role in the daily aspects my life, but not being able to simply glance or quickly accomplish simple tasks, coupled with the sluggishness of my device, often makes staying in contact, informed, entertained, and sometimes motivated, a chore.

I want to join the "Inner Circle"

After being an avid fan for over a year, I decided to attend the Inner Circle Windows Phone event in New York. There, I finally had a chance to hold and actually play around with several Windows Phone devices. I held the Titan, Radar, Focus S, Omnia W, and even a phone made by Fujistu that isn’t being released in the U.S. -- all of them were a joy to use.

Not merely thanks to the hardware, but by and large thanks to the beautiful software that powered these devices.

It was sort of funny, I assumed I knew all the little gems I’d be treated to -- smooth transitions, beautiful Metro design and the lightning-fast speed of the OS. It was a logical assumption after spending countless hours watching WP7 videos on YouTube and keeping up with WP7-related news and reviews; even running my own news site about the OS. I suppose the really funny part, though, was that after a year of being “in the know”, I came away even more impressed after holding one in my hand.

The Hubs of My Life

The operating system was incredibly fluid, and in that moment I imagined what I’d do if this were my phone.

I realized that a Windows Phone would not only improve my productivity, it would also save valuable seconds of life thanks to this glance-and-go philosophy. Assuming I had eight tiles to work with, I’d definitely include a calendar tile. That way, I’d simply glance at my phone to see what I have to get done next and where I need to go.

I would create a group and include all my club members there, so I could send them mass text messages without the hassle of texting each person individually or going back and forth between contact windows. I’m a huge music fan, so I would definitely create a playlist of my favorite songs in Spotify, and pin that playlist to my home screen for easy “tap and go” access to my tunes during my morning and nightly commutes. Currently, I can’t even use Spotify on my Android 2.1 device because Spotify does not work on it, even though I pay a monthly subscription for access to the application.

What my Windows Phone home screen would be

The AccuWeather app would also be on my start screen; I currently have the option of using a weather widget on my Android device, but this has proven to drain the battery even faster, so I don’t use it. In comparison, WP7 has wonderful battery management, so this would not be an issue.

Of course, there would be a tile for people, emails and text messages. The fact that WP7 would allow me to manage all my dialogue with the people I care about really interests me. I may sometimes speak to a friend on Facebook, and then text him or her a week later -- completely forgetting intricate details about our Facebook conversation. The threads feature in WP7 -- seeing all my conversations exchanged with one individual, at a glance, would immediately solve that problem.

Okiedoke, so that’s 7 tiles so far; calendar, group, music playlist, weather, people, email, and texts. My last tile would be the Xbox Live tile, or maybe a pinned Evernote todo list. No, wait, Microsoft Office would be pinned. Scratch that, Runkeeper. No, the BetaNews website would likely be pinned somewhere on my start screen. Hmm, that or a pinned map of the place I need to get to at 6pm tomorrow. The possibilities are simply endless, and that is what I love about Windows Phone and Microsoft’s concept of glance and go.

An additional aspect of “glance and go” that intrigues me is the ability to switch between open applications by simply holding down the Windows button. The large still-screenshots of the open apps make life so much easier, instead of having to work with a dozen tiny icons that all look the same.

Lastly, in terms of literally being able to glance and go, Bing Scout would really come in handy when I travel to uncharted areas in the city looking to find the nearest (and most wallet-friendly) places to eat. The same with Bing music; no more searching for a lyric I heard on the radio when I can simply let my phone decipher what’s playing.

I am genuinely a fan of Windows Phone and the beauty of “glance and go,” and I look forward to the prospect of someday having one improve the “little” and “big” things in life.

Editor: Travis Brown was one of the 12 finalists in BetaNews' "Win Windows Phone" contest. If we had another phone to give away, he would be a winner.

Travis Brown is a New York-based website designer, artist and photographer. He also curates Spacedex, a site that tracks astronomical phenomena.
NoVirusThanks makes four commercial PC utilities available free

Publié: décembre 16, 2011, 3:21pm CET par Mike Williams

Italian security vendor NoVirusThanks has just made four of its previously commercial 32-bit system monitoring tools available as freeware. And while there’s nothing here to compete with the troubleshooting power of, say, Sysinternals Process Monitor, the new freebies are lightweight, portable and (for the most part) very easy to use.

Have you ever wondered what files an installation program has added to your system, for instance? The File Extension Monitor makes it very easy to find out. Simply launch the program, and it’ll run in the background, logging files as they’re created, along with the date and time, and the process that created them.

PE Dropper Monitor is a variant on the same program, which this time tracks only the creation of executable files (EXE, SYS, DLL and so on). And Deletion Extension Monitor -- well, you’ve guessed it -- records files as they’re being deleted on your system, again with the process responsible.

Each of the programs can be customized, so that for instance you’re able to choose exactly which file extensions you’d like to be tracked. And you can have them launched when Windows starts for more complete logging (which won’t drain your system resources, as typically they only require around 2MB of RAM and minimal CPU time).

The fourth option, Driver Radar Pro, is rather different, as it’s all about providing a way to control exactly which drivers may be loaded on your system (as with all of these tools, it applies to 32-bit Windows only). Secure whitelisting techniques allow you to permit some drivers, while blocking everything else, perhaps useful if you’re looking to really lock down a PC.

Unless you end up not whitelisting something particularly important, of course, which will then be blocked by Driver Radar Pro, so causing all kinds of potential problems.

The program is strictly for experienced users, then -- even the authors say that. But if you know what you’re doing then Driver Radar Pro does provide some additional controls over driver installation which you won’t find elsewhere, and for a freeware tool that’s not bad at all.

Photo Credit: Vladru/Shutterstock
100 tablets to choose from, and you can name just one -- iPad

Publié: décembre 16, 2011, 12:35am CET par Andrew Eisner

The year 2011 will go down in the history books as a great year for tablets mostly for Apples iPad, however -- not all tablet vendors fared as well as Apple. It's not for lack of products that prevented Android tablets from taking any market share away from Apple this year. By our calculation, over 100 tablets were introduced since the iPad.

However, we defy even the most tech-savvy of you to name more than a few of them. What was so wrong with the competition that it failed to make any inroads in the tablet market, at least until the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook came along? I'll explain why we think Apple and Amazon will continue to dominate the market well into 2012.

Differentiate Your Tablet or Die

Data in the chart above from Google Trends supports the lack of interest in iPad competitors until the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet came to market. Most of the tablets this year from vendors like Samsung and Sony looked similar, were priced similarly and had most of the same features as the Apple iPad. With no clear differentiation it's no wonder that consumers rejected these alternatives in favor of the iPad (with the possible exception of Samsungs Galaxy Tab). Amazon, and to a lesser degree Barnes & Noble, is selling more than hardware; they are selling an experience and a window into a world of content. Apple not only sells content but welcomes their customers into an entire ecosystem of tech. It's clear, the days of selling undifferentiated hardware have come and gone.

Is the Google/Android Tablet a Flawed Business Model?

Unlike the Android smartphone market, where carriers subsidize phones and make money on monthly fees, Android tablet makers can't undersell Apple because the profit they make on their hardware is all they get. Apple not only makes money on the iPad but also rakes in money selling apps and other content and services.

In the Android tablet market, Google makes the money on the apps and as far as we know doesn't share any of it with the tablet manufacturers. Amazon and Barnes & Noble, on the other hand, have a nice supplemental income not only from selling apps in their own private app stores but selling content like books, movies and in Amazons case selling goods in the Amazon.com marketplace. For that reason Amazon and Barnes & Noble can vastly undersell Apple by sacrificing profit on the hardware in return for high margins on the content and services.

Tablet Price Barriers Were Blasted Away

Although Apple has enjoyed robust sales of the iPad, through past studies, we have been aware of a large group of consumers who had been waiting for a more affordable iPad competitor. When Amazon broke the $200 price point (Barnes & Noble wasn't far away with $250), consumers voted with their pocketbooks and jumped into the tablet market. Amazon is able to offer a product with little or no profit margin presumably because they can reap greater rewards with things like subscriptions to their Prime service, which builds loyalty, reduces friction for buyers and adds sales volume to Amazons bottom line. Apple also makes money selling apps and content but they have a long legacy of commanding premium pricing for quality products.

Will Apple offer an Inexpensive iPad?

Will the popularity of a $200 tablet require Apple to rethink their price premium philosophy and lower prices? That's the $499 question as we move into 2012. If the price history of older iPhones is any indication, we should expect to see a price reduction of the iPad 2 as it gives way to the iPad 3, but we doubt we'll see anything as dramatic as a sub-$300 tablet.

That begs the second big question for 2012 which is: if Apple doesn't lower prices, will they be able to hang onto their market share? As long as the big tablet manufacturers can/t make money selling software, content or other services and Amazon doesn't become a greater threat, it doesn't look like Apple will see a need to lower their prices.

Amazon May Have Legitimized the Seven-inch Tablet

We've seen many other tablets smaller than the iPad's 9.7-inches introduced this year. Before the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet came along there were plenty of 7-inch tablets and by our calculation more than one-third of the tablets currently on the market are 7-inch versions. Despite the large number of 7-inch tablets, it took the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet to make the 7-inch tablet attractive -- however, whether the 7-inch sizes gains even more acceptance remains to be seen.

Could We see an Apple iPad Mini or a Kindle Fire Maxi

Will Apple determine that a 7-inch tablet is necessary to compete and introduce a 7-inch iPad mini? In a recent Gadgetology study we found many consumers were ready to consider a 7-inch tablet. Some respondents indicated that a 10-inch tablet was too large and heavy to comfortably hold in one hand and would prefer a 7-inch tablet.

Apple might also find that a 7-inch Retina display could offer higher yields resulting in a tablet that is much cheaper to manufacture. On the other hand, if rumors turn out to be true and using the 9-inch Kindle DX to support the argument, we could see a 10-inch Kindle Fire in 2012. If such a tablet does materialize and it's priced as competitively as the 7-inch Fire was, Apple could feel even more heat from Amazon.

Can This be more than a Two-horse Tablet Race?

If the tablet market for 2012 develops into a two-horse race between Apple and Amazon, where does that leave all the other players? Samsung, Toshiba, Lenovo, Sony and the other traditional hardware manufacturers will need to differentiate their tablets through unique designs, features, content, niche markets or even pricing. Barnes & Noble will be challenged to compete with Amazon's strength in content offering, marketing prowess, technology (i.e. Cloud) expertise and their ability to undersell them. Google could help bring new features to Android tablets including their recently leaked Prime-like service but, perhaps Google should first concentrate on helping the Android tablet apps market grow to compete with Apple's much larger iPad-optimized app library and figure out a way to share content revenue with tablet manufacturers.

Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system could help create more interest in a Microsoft ecosystem that might include smartphones, Xbox consoles, PCs and even tablets. Microsoft, perhaps with the help of Dell, HP and others, could also make a play for the enterprise tablet market, an area where Amazon and even Apple lack the sales and marketing prowess for those potential customers. In any case, 2012 should be an interesting year for tablet buyers.

Tablets as Accessories and More

As the Year of the Tablet carries over into 2012, we expect to see tablets continuing to appear everywhere. Not only will they be used in front of TV sets but they may provide the smarts for TV sets. We expect to see tablets in the TV manufacturers' booths at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show used to help differentiate their televisions. We also expect to see tablets (and phones) providing an extra dimension to all kinds of devices, including TVs and appliances. Additionally, we see tablets being used as control and information devices in a cars, hospitals, hotel rooms, school rooms or just about any place you can imagine. The potential market for tablets is huge and can only getting larger.

Conclusion

Apple will almost certainly introduce a high-resolution Retina display in an iPad 3 this spring, making them more competitive with new tablets. But will Apple iPads still be priced out of range for many consumers? In 2011 we saw many tablet vendors go up against Apple with all sizes of devices, and none had much success until the Amazon Kindle came along.

Now it appears that 7 inches may be an acceptable tablet size and there also appears to be a strong market for an under-$200 tablet as long as it has something like a rich library of content and services to differentiate it. Will Apple's strongest competition continue to come more from book sellers Amazon and Barnes and Noble or will traditional hardware manufacturers be able to find some differentiation to capture a piece of the market as well as a way to make money in the tablet market?

Andrew Eisner is Retrevo's resident gadget enthusiast. The former PC World executive producer helped establish Ziff Davis' premiere test lab, where he led a team testing the latest high-tech gear.