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Meet Xubuntu, For Life Beyond Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Windows XP OS !

By
DebD
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4

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows XP has had a glorious run, and has been the most successful Desktop OS in the history of Microsoft or indeed any other Desktop Operating System. This is especially impressive if one considers that despite having been had launched in 2001 it still has an impressive market share of 29.3%, as of March 2014, of connected PCs or 550 million odd PCs. Considering a lot of older PC’s may not be even connected to the Internet could bump that number even higher.

Though Microsoft has long attempted to migrate users from this venerable legacy OS, first disastrously using Vista, followed by a much better effort in Windows 7 and more recently to Windows 8, a huge number of holdouts simply refuse to let go of their familiar OS, often ignoring some real shortcomings in terms of security, stability and modernity. Over the years Microsoft has released numerous service packs, security patches that let Windows XP be compatible with newer technologies, hardware and standards. This helped the old fellow keep pace with newer OSes from Microsoft’s own stable as well as the ones from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and to a lesser extent from Linux-based installations.

Desktop Operating System Market Share, March 2014

However come April 8, 2014, and Microsoft pulls the plug on XP Support, which means no automatic updates and no Security Essentials. Microsoft would of course like you to do one of the following things:

  1. Upgrade your current PC (difficult for notebooks) to run Windows 8.1 or
  2. Get a new PC altogether with Windows 8.1 preinstalled.

It doesn’t’ take a genius to realize that both are rather pricey alternatives.

If this was the situation a couple of years back, where there was an absolute Microsoft monopoly, the general user wouldn’t have had much of an option. MacOS demands a dedicated and expensive Apple hardware and Linux was simply too geeky, and availability/support for alternative software was almost non-existent. In the last 14 years, a lot has happened. Online security threats and have become considerably more sophisticated, Internet services such as hosted applications and Social Networking has taken off, and the desktop with its locally stored applications and data is increasingly irrelevant. The Smartphone/Tablet platform along with their App ecosystems have evolved to an extent that a lot of people simply do not feel the need of a dedicated PC to get their fix of media consumption and personal computing. The Phone IS the computer these days.

So what do you do if you have a perfectly operational albeit aged PC that still serves as the primary device for things such as word processing, email, accounts, spreadsheets and other activity that requires the use of a full-fledged keyboard? Now is a good time to mention that if familiarity with the XP OS is the key issue that holds you back from migrating to Windows 8.1, which will look and feel like a completely different OS, your best option is now probably Ubuntu Linux. Not just the standard Ubuntu Linux,, but the lightweight version called Xubuntu.

Xubuntu OS: For Die-Heart XP Lovers

Xubuntu is a distribution of Ubuntu, which uses the same architecture and software repositories as the mainstream Ubuntu. The only difference is that in the regular Ubuntu distribution, it uses a GUI called Unity, which is much more Mac OSX like, whereas Ubuntu uses XFCE which resembles a prettier version of XP. Alternatively, you could also check out Linux Mint, which pretty much feels exactly like Vista, but I stick to Xubuntu due to better Cannonical support – the People behind Ubuntu). Xubuntu is incredibly stingy on resources, and can run smoothly on a Pentium 4 or higher with a measly 512MB of RAM. Recommended specs being any Dual Core Intel/AMD CPU with 1GB of RAM.

Xubuntu Operating System

So what has changed in the Linux world, that it makes it a worthy alternative to XP now? 2 things, Ease of Use and, Software.

There used to be a time, that in order to make Ubuntu or any Linux distribution work properly, you needed some basic knowledge of the UNIX file system and architecture, and that meant knowing some text commands as well which made it the domain for nerds and geeks. On top of that, hardware support was terrible and getting supported drivers was a challenge. It’s a lot different now. The installation process for Ubuntu/Linux Mint, is probably simpler than Windows these days. Drivers are automatically detected, and configured, and downloaded, as far as you are connected to Internet, if they are not present. Updates happen automatically just like they do under Windows, which, of course, does not apply to pirated versions. Linux is free, so the question of piracy doesn’t arise.

In terms of Software, pretty much every thing you need for personal computing is available. Cross platform editions of the software that you’re used to under Windows, are freely available for Ubuntu. Some of them are VLC (Media Player), Google Chrome/Mozilla Firefox (Browsers), Skype/Viber (VoIP and IM), Dropbox (Cloud Sync), Adobe Reader and so on. For other software there are either good Linux alternatives. For instance in place of iTunes, I use a media manager called Clementine. The Ubuntu Software Center is like the Google Play store for Ubuntu apps. You can find a plethora of various Ubuntu software. Another good news for Gamers is Ubuntu supports Valve’s Steam and online marketplace of commercial games. The point I am trying to make here is Xubuntu is equally simple and user-friendly to install, manage and use like other popular operating systems, especially Windows XP.

However some things in life may not be completely replaceable. There are people who are simply too used to certain Windows-only packages such as Microsoft Office or Tally and may be apprehensive to make the shift. LibreOffice might be an excellent alternative, but it’s not Microsoft Office. The good news is that now certain native Windows program can run seamlessly under Ubuntu using a program called Crossover, which utilizes WINE, an emulation layer under Linux. Also People might be used to the Microsoft standard font which are not available by default under Ubuntu, but a quick search for Microsoft Font packs in Software Center fixes that. Finally all browser based sites and applications such as Facebook, Gmail, Google Apps etc look and feel exactly the same they do under Windows. It also uses the exact same keyboard shortcuts and Menu Structure as Windows.

Xubuntu is thereby highly recommended and inexpensive (FREE!) alternative to Windows XP. And to think, you will never suffer a virus attack or a BSOD just sweetens the deal, so go ahead and download and install. Once you get used to it you’ll notice some incredibly handy features such as Virtual desktops, IM/Social desktop integrations and notifications, which will surely make you question why did you not make the move earlier.

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Working With Teams Across The World: Global Spread Made Things Easier Or More Challenging?

By
M Chandran
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0

Around two decades ago, people who sit together in one location and work is considered a team, but now thanks to the internet/intranet era that brought about video conferencing, global teams work together easily across the world. Differences in time zone, languages and culture: these don’t really matter anymore!

Geographically dispersed team help to increase efficiency, cost savings and gives us the ability to choose team members with the best skills, regardless of their location. But that also comes with challenges like fair treatment to all, prevent feeling of isolation to some and to get all members to focus on team objectives, no matter the differences.

Working Rremotely

We can go ahead and discuss the pros and cons with regard to global perspective with many points of view and bridging the differences but also the relationship between demographic diversity and team performance, has not been clearly proved. What matters in the current market is to increase the team’s productivity by relevant techniques and in the process deal with the challenges that comes along with them.

To increase smooth and efficient working teams, it is essential to choose the right team players ( self motivated, good communication skills ,result driven and honest)  and ensure that strong communication technologies are employed. This is where we see the significance of technology which bridges the challenges and helps smooth flow as well.

Does use of communication technologies wisely, help combat the challenges that arise?

In today’s communication era, there is no need to emphasize that the virtual/ global teams’ success or failure depends on the use of communication technologies in the right way. That’s when the new terminology used “Netiquette” comes in, which is utilizing the communication techniques responsibly and respectfully.

Netiquette Standards are abundant, but a few simple ones, when used, can help avoid pitfalls and combat other issues that arise as well. For example:  email etiquettes, use of databases in the acceptable way for mass mails etc. One of the complicated issues is to implement proprietary rights and information essentials. Use of virtual white boards, chat rooms, and bulletin boards, in which proper language and abbreviations known globally should be enabled which avoids confusions and misunderstandings.

Some tools used in the current business: MS SharePoint, Google Docs, Skype, MS Net Meeting, Online calendar sharing (Google Calendar), scheduling (Tungle), task management (ToodleDo) are all functions available for little cost yet provide high value to the project.

The use of virtual communication in the right way and contributing meaningfully will reflect on individual skills and more strategy and opportunity would become available to them, so it is useful for personal career growth as well. Maintaining a professional attitude in all arenas of communication, behaviour and team work becomes the essentials for success.

The role of the Leader does not change when working with virtual teams. Only the tools that they use have changed and evolved. It is still vital for management to know who is doing what, when, how long it takes and the cost impact on the project. Whether working on collaborative platforms or bringing together the needed components from various experts, these tools allow the leader to work with the virtual team as effectively as if they were all local resources, sitting in one room.

Cheers to the technology breakthroughs that make this possible and successful!

Here is the bonus for those who are aspiring to work remotely yet skeptical about its benefits, challenges or adoption. The findings below could help to you decide how should you draw your future roadmap while working remotely.

Benefits of Working Remotely

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Why Is Google Inc. (GOOG) Betting Big Time On Nexus Series Smartphones ?

By
Ivan David Makey
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10

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear or read the phrase Google Inc. (NASDAQ : GOOG) owned Nexus? The answer, I guess, is pretty simple. You immediately focus your thoughts upon a line of mobile Android devices (tablets and smartphones) that come from the stable of Google. These devices are very well specced in terms of hardware and offer a pure, clean and uncluttered Android experience in terms of software and user interface. In other words, they offer the Vanilla or stock Android experience as they do not have any manufacturer or carrier specific modifications or changes to the operating system.

Google Nexus Smartphone Devices

Simply put, the concept of a device from the Nexus line is that Google oversees departments such as design, R&D, marketing and support but the production of that device will be undertaken by a company in partnership with Google. For example, the very first Nexus One was built in cooperation with HTC, Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (KRX:005930), the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 is built by LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) and the rumours claim successor Nexus 6 would also be made by LG. A notable feature of the Nexus line of devices is that they are the first in line among all other Android devices to receive software updates and upgrades to their operating systems. While the Nexus series includes five smartphones and two tablets, it is the smartphone that has garnered more focus on itself. The first generation version of the Nexus smartphone was released four years ago.

Here is some brief information about the entire range of Nexus smartphones:

Nexus One:

Released in January 2010 and manufactured by HTC, the Nexus One featured Android 2.2 Froyo. The last update to its OS was seen in the form of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich after which Google announced that it wouldn’t be releasing any further upgrades to its OS. It also holds the distinction of being the only Nexus device until now to offer an option of expanding the storage capacity via a memory card.

Nexus S:

The Nexus S was released in December 2010 with Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. It was manufactured by Samsung. It received a subsequent update to Android 4.0 ICS and sometime towards the end of the year 2011. Later versions also received updates to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It doesn’t receive software updates any longer now.

Galaxy Nexus:

The Galaxy Nexus was released in November 2011 with Android 4.0 ICS and was manufactured by Samsung. It received its final software update in the form of Android 4.3. It is also known as the Galaxy X in some markets.

Nexus 4:

The Nexus 4 was released in November 2012 and saw a change in terms of the manufacturing company being involved. LG replaced Samsung as the company that was manufacturing the Nexus smartphones. This device came with Android 4.2 and it received an update to Android 4.3 in June 2013 and to Android 4.4 KitKat in November 2013.

Nexus 5:

The Nexus 5 was a revolutionary device because it was released at a comparatively lower price point but with specifications that would put it in the company of the many flagship smartphones. It was made available in October 2013. This device was also manufactured by LG and was the first device to feature Android 4.4 KitKat. The Nexus 5 won many accolades from various experts and analysts all over the globe. It was rated as one of the best smartphones of the year 2013 and still continues to occupy a top spot in the list of the best smartphones available in the world currently. The Nexus 5 may seem to have in it all the ingredients of a class leading smartphone but there were some chinks in its armour as well, It suffered its biggest setbacks, thanks to the somewhat ordinary performance of its camera, weak battery back-up and poor sound quality from the on-board speakers. It was good to see that Google took note of these issues and tried to iron them out by means of subsequent software updates (Android 4.4.1 and 4.4.2 to be specific). The camera’s performance was improved, the poor back-up of the battery was also addressed and later units of the Nexus 5 had more holes on the body over the speaker area, which resulting in improved sound output by a small margin.

Google Nexus 5 Smartphone

The words of Hiroshi Lockheimer, VP of Engineering for Android truly sum up the entire notion of the Nexus line of devices, “It (Nexus) stands for high specs at a really fair price. The other thing is the updates come directly from Google. Those are the attributes of Nexus that I think people have really enjoyed and we’re not changing that strategy.”  

Every Nexus smartphone that has been released in the past has basically been a hardware variant of another smartphone. This implies that the hardware bits used in the concerned Nexus smartphone and in the product(s) of the company manufacturing that variant of the Nexus over the years (HTC, Samsung and LG) were sourced from a common parts bin. But when one considers the Nexus 5, it can be clearly seen that this is a device that intends to carve out a separate niche for itself, a separate niche from the rest of the smartphones out there and from all of its predecessors within the Nexus range as well. It is a known fact that the Nexus 5 shares its underpinnings with the LG G2,the upcoming Nexus 6 will share its underpinnings with the upcoming LG G3, but Google has made efforts to ensure that the Nexus 5 gets a separate identity both from the LG G2 and from the previous Nexus smartphones. This can be brought to light from the following examples:

  • Google didn’t consider having the standard Android text messaging app on the Nexus 5. Instead, it launched the Nexus 5 with an exclusive messaging app known as Hangouts. While Hangouts has been made available for other devices as well now, it must be noted that this was initially a Nexus 5 only app.
  • Then there is the Nexus 5 Launcher that just waits for you to say the magic phrase, Okay Google! and the phone springs up into action. Initially available exclusively for the Nexus 5, this feature has now trickled down into other Nexus devices and Google Play Edition devices as well.
  • The phone’s dialer also boasts of an exclusive feature. It doubles up as a search tool that allows the user to search for locations and local businesses.
  • The file picker is integrated with cloud storage now. Through it, any cloud storage system on the device can be accessed.
  • The Nexus 5 also comes with a long set of tail features essentially meaning that further modifications and developments by end-users can be carried on.

While these were some notable characteristics of the Nexus 5, the next installment in this series is the highly anticipated Nexus 6 and it is due for release sometime later this year. If the information running out of rumor mills is to be believed, the Nexus 6 will be a very well endowed smartphone from Google. The Nexus range of tablets have also played a major role in scripting the Nexus’ success story but as stated earlier, prime focus remains on the smartphone division. Google is also developing a smartwatch that will be paired along with the Nexus range of mobile devices. This smartwatch has been codenamed Gem and will be manufactured by LG.

In spite of all these developments, one of the major grouses with regard to the Nexus line and especially concerning the Nexus smartphones is the issue regarding Google’s long term commitment with its devices. Google usually stops offering major software updates for its devices after a period of eighteen months from the date of launch whereas Apple still delivers iOS updates for devices that are almost four years old now. This really casts a shadow on Google’s long term commitment policy. Although Google is launching new generation variants in its Nexus line-up at frequent intervals, users having a previous generation variant may feel left out in the cold once they stop receiving software updates for their respective device(s).

Another potential threat to the Nexus line-up could possibly come from a relatively new line of devices known as Google Experience Devices or Google Play Editions of concerned mobile devices. These niche category devices do not sport the Nexus tag on them; they offer the trademark hardware of the concerned manufacturer combined with a stock or Vanilla Google software. Updates for such devices are delivered by the concerned manufacturers, and not Google itself, but the norms set by various carriers regarding software updates are bypassed.

All these factors point towards a single direction. They suggest that there is a paradigm shift as far as the positioning of Nexus devices is concerned. While previously Nexus devices were seen as devices offering a pure Android experience, the focus is shifting now to project them as devices offering a pure Google experience. The further expansion of the Nexus smartphone range, Nexus 6, and Google foraying into unchartered territory, Nexus smartwatch, can testify to this fact. It is time that established players such as Samsung, HTC Corp (TPE:2498), LG, Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ : AAPL) sit up and take notice that Google could be potentially eating up into their market share as more and more people are drawn towards the Nexus range. The Nexus range of devices from Google could indeed be the nexus between it being a software giant and a well established consumer electronics player.

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Smartphone Users Doubled In Urban India: Recorded 89% Y-O-Y Growth In 2013!

By
Vasanth R
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0

Smartphone usage is seeing an urban explosion in India with a whopping 51 million users in 2013. From 27 million users in 2012, the urban Smartphone market grew almost 89% in the country in the last one year according to the latest Nielsen-Informate mobile insight report titled Smartphone Surge In India Continues. The share of Smartphones in the mobile market in urban area has also doubled, surging up from 9% in 2012 to 17% in 2013. More than one in five people in the metro cities are now carrying a Smartphone.

Smartphone users in indiaKey Findings Of The Report

The report is based on the survey responses of 8,050 Smartphone panelists. The results have revealed that western India clocked the country’s highest urban Smartphone penetration at 22% in April 2013 from 7% in April, 2012. The higher number of entry-level Smartphone launches in financially stable states like Gujarat and Maharashtra have helped increase Smartphone incidence. Northern and Eastern India witnessed a slightly less increase in Smartphone incidence due to poor mobile infrastructure and socio-economic factors.

Smartphone incidence across zones

Age And Gender Gaps

Improved purchasing power and an increase in number of entry-level devices has allowed Smartphone penetration to grow phenomenally in a country where per-capita income is US$100. Despite an 80% increase in penetration in this category more men are found using Smartphones compared to women. Among males, the figure stands at 20% which is nearly twice the 11% incidence among females. For the younger generation below 18 years, owing a Smartphone has become a priority with 20% penetration rates among females and 23% among males. The scenario is no different for adults who fall under the age group of 36 and 40 years, both male and female users are found to be equally excited towards Smartphones. However, in other age groups owning a Smartphone is influenced from profession and work.

Gender and age groups

Level Of Engagement Varies In Towns And Cities

Users in larger metropolitan cities spend less time engaging with their Smartphones than users in mini metros, tier-1 and tier-2 cities. This can be attributed to a busier lifestyle and the presence of multiple screens such as televisions, laptops and tablet computers in households and offices. All kinds of surveyed urban users spend at least more than 2 hours on their Smartphone every day. An average time of 25 minutes were spent on making calls and sending text messages. In large metros and mini metros, users spend an average of 45 and 47 minutes respectively, on online apps. Browsing on mobile websites is more frequent in tier-1 and tier-2 cities than in metros due to a lack of broadband infrastructure for desktop computers and laptops. Absence of trust or ignorance in using online apps is another reason consumers prefer using mobile websites.

Smartphone usage across town classesOpportunities Aplenty

With Smartphone penetration growing at such phenomenal rates, the scope for content, apps and social media is constantly on the rise and is an opportunity for marketers and advertisers. In a country with over 820 million mobile subscribers ready to upgrade to Smartphones, a potential gold mine awaits Smartphone vendors and marketers. Foreign Smartphone vendors are wooing the urban consumers with discounts on flagship products while established vendors are targeting the entry-level Smartphone market to increase their market share. With more vendors entering the new market, Smartphone users under the age of 18 and those in the 18-30 age group will emerge as the main target group for these brands to focus on. Falling prices of Smartphones and improved internet networks will increase Smartphone penetration rates to even higher levels in the years to come.

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Will The Lack Of Storage In Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 5C 8GB Cause Problem For Users ?

By
Vasanth R
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0

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently launched of 8GB variant of iPhone 5C that comes with just 5 GB of available storage. Pre-installed software including, iMovie, iPhoto and iWork apps together constitute nearly 3 GB of storage. The remaining storage is likely to get filled up as user photos, email and apps can quickly add up. Apple has tried to address its mobile storage issues for users with its free iCloud service, which allows users to store music, videos and App Store purchases in the cloud, to be downloaded for future use. The 16 GB iPhone is currently on sale for U.S$549 while the 8 GB version is  available for U.S$500 or less.

Having an external storage option is typically ideal for users, who download sophisticated games and other apps from App Store that can easily take up 1 GB or more of storage. Apple has used different RAM capacities to create different price tiers of products as consumers are well aware that more room for storage is something valuable enough to pay extra for. However, the default claimed storage figure of gigabytes is not important, a user must pay attention to the left over available storage after the operating system, featured applications, trial ware and other default contents accounted in.

Which Device Has The Most Storage?

In the Surface Pro, tablet introduced by Microsoft Corporation. (NASDAQ:MSFT), the software alone used up as much as 64 percent of the device’s on-board storage depending on the model. A large portion of the unit’s flash storage was allocated to Windows 8, pre-installed apps and a recovery partition, leaving users a meager 36 to 65 percent of space to work with. The base 64 GB Surface Pro model has 41 GB of installed Bloatware, a software that comes pre-installed with the device, leaving users just 23 GB of disk space, while the more expensive 128 GB version had 83 GB left after a 45 GB partition was applied. For its part, Microsoft had warned users of the issue on the Surface webpage, stating “System software uses significant storage space. Available storage is subject to change based on system software updates and apps usage.”

In comparison, Apple iOS leaves over 85 percent of advertised storage available out of the box, depending on the device and OS version. In 16 GB category, Apple iPhone has more available storage than any other device with 12.6 GB or 79% of its advertised space, similarly the iPhone 5S has 12.2 GB of capacity available or 76% of its advertised storage. By comparing the latest iPhone 16 GB variants to a number of Android devices, the iPhone 5C clearly has more storage than all the other phones. Samsung Electronics Co.Ltd. (KRX:005935) Galaxy S4 has the least available storage with just 8.56 GB free for the user. This capacity is limited by the amount of customized software Samsung included on the handset, including its Android skin “Touchwiz“ and other features such as eye-tracking.

storage

The Galaxy S4 however features a 64 GB micro SD card slot while iPhone and Nexus owners don’t enjoy the luxury to increase their storage capacity and are restricted to their internal storage. Google has taken precautions with Android OS to restrict usage of external storage to make sure that handset performance is not decreased. Consequently, many Android apps cannot be installed/moved on to an external storage card, and any inserted memory card can only be used to host media files and documents. Besides, there are many other services installed by device vendors, like Samsung, HTC, Sony, that eats up lots of storage but can’t be deleted or moved on external storage. As features on smartphones become more fancy, they will use up more storage and battery leaving very little actual storage for users.

However, few speculations claim that Google will place a SD card slot in its latest Nexus 6 model. Ultimately, it does not seem fair that the device storage is lesser than what is advertised. While it may be easy to check whether a phone has a memory card slot, there is no way of finding out how much storage is actually being offered on a device. This is a point most brands should keep in mind when they launch their flagship products later this year.

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The Evolution Of Google Inc. (GOOG) Android: Nowhere To Everywhere In Six Years !

By
Vasanth R
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1

Android OS was built by Apple engineer Andy Rubin and his team back in 2003. The World’s most popular operating system will turn six years old this year. Initially based on a Linux Kernel, it was acquired by Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) in 2005 and was officially released as an OS by Google in 2008. HTC dream or T-mobile G1 was the first phone that featured Android. Google leveraged on the mobile OS to promote its search engine and other services like Maps and Gmail. With its open source platform, Android was quickly modified by vendors to incorporate into their range of Smartphones. The brand became a huge success and captured 79% of the Smartphone market in 2013. Last year alone a total of 758 million Android devices were sold. At least 60% of all Android devices, currently available in the market, run on Android Jelly Bean, while the latest version Kitkat has 1.4% market share. The various Android versions are famously named after sweets and treats.

Here is an interesting infographic on the Evolution of Android that highlights a few of the greatest milestones Android has achieved till now.

  • Android has been activated on more than 1 billion devices. The Galaxy S4 was the fastest selling Android phone that recorded sales of more than 10 million units in the first month alone.
  • More than 500,000 apps are available for Android phones and tablets.
  • 20,000 new apps are added to Google Play each month.
  • Google Map, Gmail and YouTube are among the top downloaded apps from Google Play.

Yesterday, Google has introduced a new tweaked version of Android, dubbed as Android Wear, especially designed for Smartwatches. The year 2014 is being considered as the year of wearable devices due to the fact that the year is laying foundation for the many mind-boggling wearable gadgets that will be introduced in the next few years. Therefore, it’s evident that Google has a long way to go with Android success and if a few top vendors, like Samsung and LG, would continue their support to Android, a few other companies – especially Apple and Microsoft have quite a narrow lane to park their iOS and Windows Phone OS rides.

Evolution of AndroidSource: universalgadget

 

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Google Inc. (GOOG) And Facebook Inc. (FB) To Control 68% Of Global Mobile Ad Market Worth $31.45 Billion In 2014

By
Aarzu Khan
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0

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) are predominantly driving Global mobile ad spending market, which has been witnessing explosive Y-O-Y growth for last few years. In 2013, mobile ad spending increased 105% to $17.96 billion, and is expected to touch $100 billion by 2018. Greater adoption of smartphones, that reached 1 billion shipments in 2013 for the very first time, and availability of nearly one 2 million unique apps could help global mobile ad market to record 75.1% Y-O-Y growth, resulting in $31.35 billion as spending.

Till 2012, Google was enjoying the biggest pie of mobile ad spending market. Facebook, though, had marked its presence with 1 billion users, global mobile ad spending market witnessed a sudden 3 folds surge in Facebook’s contribution only in 2013. The online social media giant captured 17.5% of global mobile ad spending market, Google still remained at the supreme position with 49.3% in 2013, despite of losing a little above 3% market share as compared to 2012. Combined, Facebook and Google controlled 66.8% of global mobile ad spending market in 2013, which is expected to surge up to 68.5% in 2014.

mobile ad spending 2012 - 2018

The rapid growth in number of mobile users has helped Facebook to register such a massive progression in mobile ad spending market. Between Q1 2012 and Q4 2013, Facebook nearly doubled its mobile monthly active users to 945 million from 488 million. In last quarter, ended 31 December 2013, 53% of Facebook’s total ad revenue came from its mobile users.

The findings also highlight how is Google slowly losing the grip over mobile ad spending market, especially after the emergence of Facebook. In 2013, while Facebook improved its mobile ad spending market share to 17.5% from 5.4% in 2012, Google lost nearly 3.3% market, resulted in 49.3% market share in 2013. The scenario is going to remain almost similar in 2014 as Google’s mobile ad spending market share would shrink to 46.8%, while Facebook will record sizable surge to 21.7%.

The projected global mobile ad spending is equal to one-third of total digital ad spending worldwide, which is estimated to reach $47.58 billion in 2014. With more than 1.21 billion the-most-active users on the Internet, Facebook’s share in digital ad market is also increasing year over year. Facebook’s growth in developed countries has saturated but India and few other emerging countries are holding the key to success, attest till next few years. Mobile internet penetration in India is estimated to reach 76% (against internet users), to 185 million mobile internet users by June 2014. India is also the second largest country on Facebook by the number of users that has reached 98 million by mid of March 2014. On the other hand, India registered 173% growth in smartphone users in 2013, totalling to nearly 80 million smartphone users. These numbers stage a huge opportunity for Facebook that is seeing sizable increase in number of mobile users.

Other social networks like Twitter, Pandora and YP would make a contribution only in single digit to global mobile ad market. Besides, Google and Facebook, only twitter is expected to record positive but marginal growth in 2014.

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Google Android Wear Will Trigger Smartwatch Race To 373 Million Units By 2020

By
Vasanth R
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0

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has officially launched Android Wear, a modified Android OS specially built for Smartwatch. LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) simultaneously announced its upcoming G Watch, and Motorola previewed the Moto 360 Smartwatch to coincide with the introduction of Android Wear on Tuesday. Specifications for both devices remain unclear though, Motorola has released a video and photos of Moto 360, while LG’s website has displayed a watch with a rectangular face similar to Pebble and Samsung’s Galaxy Gear. Other hardware partners for smartwatch include HTC Corp. (TPE:2498), ASUSTEK Computer Inc. (TPE:2357), and Samsung Electronics Co.Ltd. (KRX:005930). To develop chips for the upcoming devices, Google has enlisted Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), and MediaTek Inc. (TPE:2454). A preview version of developer software for Google Android Wear is also announced, allowing app makers to build software for smartwatches and other wearable products. More than 30 smartwatch models are currently under development and will hit the markets in the coming months.

Motorola And LG smartwatch

The first Android smartwatch will come from Motorola Mobility, a Google subsidiary that is in the process of being sold to Lenovo. Motorola already has developed a prototype of its Smartwatch, called “Moto 360,” that will go on sale in June in the U.S. A video released by Google displayed the Moto 360 watch-face depicting the time, temperature, and date. It requires a connection to a user’s cell phone and can be used for sending and receiving text messages via voice commands. Turn-by-turn directions can also be displayed by the watches. Motorola’s Moto X also has a touchless control feature similar to  Android wear, that can be controlled either with voice commands or a simple touch. No details on pricing or hardware details were announced. LG has confirmed that the G watch will be compatible with a variety of Android smartphones.

Lg watch

The Android smartwatch will be able to respond to specific voice commands, such as “OK Google”, to play a specific song, send a text, or make a dinner reservation. In addition to sending notifications to users about emails, text messages, calls, and apps among others, Android Wear will also feature deep integration with Google Now. An app on the smartphone can be switched on by giving a voice command to the smartwatch. Lastly, Android Wear will also support fitness and health tracking technologies in the future.

Motorola smartwatch

The Moto 360 Smart watch’s appeal lies in its rounded face.

The Growth of Worldwide Smartwatch Market 2012-2020

Growth of smartwatch

Recently released smartwatches have proven to be mere novelties that appealed to gadget-loving geeks and physical fitness enthusiasts, looking for tools to track workouts and general health. Wearable technology officially came of age in 2013, with the release of Galaxy Gear, Sony Smartwatch 2, and Pebble. These products can already be classified into entertainment, enterprise, smartphone extensions, and sports/fitness, despite the small market. An increased buzz over the past few quarters could be attributed to the ease of use through hands-free mechanisms. With Google’s announcement, the mass market debut of smartwatches is now a reality.

Google Android OS for smartphones and tablets already controls 79% of the smartphone OS market. Expanding to wearable technology will give Android another platform to build a new market altogether. The company’s main rival Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), has also hinted at introducing a wearable iOS device in 2014. According to NextMarket insights, the global smartwatch market will grow significantly by the end of 2014. From just 5 million shipments worldwide in 2013, the number will grow up to 15 million in 2014. Global smartwatch shipments are projected to increase to 37 million by 2015 and almost 373 million by 2020. The smartwatch revolution will be driven by Asia, where low-cost Android-powered smartwatches could become popular in emerging economies as an alternative to phones. New segments of the market such as fitness/active lifestyle and youth will fuel growth in coming years.

How To Reinvent the Wristwatch

The wristwatch has seen several changes since it first became a popular fashion accessory almost 100 years ago. From mechanical to electronic movements, analog to digital faces, the watch has been reinvented several times over, but the basic design has endured for a century because of its beautiful designs and usefulness ‘at a glance’. The launch of smartwatches could force traditional watchmakers to enter the business, in collaboration with tech giants. Due to market segmentation, the traditional watchmakers typically attribute more importance to aesthetics and visible aspects like “depth” in color schemes. Their response to tech giants entering their industry will be interesting to observe in the next few years.

The beautiful smartwatch feature that Google is pitching with the Android wear SDK feels like a fantasy. It has left the job of designing the hardware to the people who know it best and has instead, deposited all hope on the all-knowing Google now–front and center. By doing so, Google may be coming way closer than anyone has ever come to reinventing the wristwatch. For a preview of the possible ways in which you could use your smartwatch, have a look at the video below:

http://youtu.be/QrqZl2QIz0c

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Apple Inc. (AAPL) Cuts iPhone 5C And iPhone 5S Price By $100: 8GB In Fewer Countries

By
Dazeinfo
-
2

While the internet is flooded with speculations on the possible price of the new iPhone 5C 8GB, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has silently chopped off $100 from all variants of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The App Store in the U.S. lists iPhone 5C 16 GB at $549 now (it was $649 yesterday), iPhone 5S 16 GB is available at $649. The decision was taken at a time when the iPhone maker introduced an 8GB variant of iPhone 5C in fewer countries, like Australia, China and few other European markets.

iPhone 5C 8GB price

The 8GB variant of iPhone 5C is yet to be introduced in the U.S. and many other countries though, it’s evident that Apple is trying to intensify the competition by lowering the price of 8GB iPhone 5C price up to $500. However, it’s quite unlikely that Apple would ever introduce an 8GB iPhone 5C in the U.S. but emerging markets – the likes of India and China, hold a greater potential for the iPhone 5C 8GB variant.

iPhone 5C 8GB price Australia

Apple could price tag iPhone 5C 8GB in India at Rs. 30,000 or higher, and the 16GB variant of iPhone 5C would be available at approximately Rs. 35,000. This will make iPhone an affordable affair for those who like to adopt latest technology trends and are failing to find any strong alternative for the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Note 2 at the same price.

The new price strategy on the iPhone, especially the iPhone 5C, could prove a game changer for Apple – at least in emerging markets like China and India. Apple recorded a 400% jump in the sales of the obsolete iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in India and with the new price tags on the latest iPhone 5C 8GB the company is looking forward to grow at the cost of Samsung.

On the iPad offerings, Apple has ditched iPhone 2 but announced that the iPad 4 would be available at a discounted price of $399 onwards. The 16GB WiFi version of the iPhone 4 would be available at $399 while the 16GB Wi-Fi +Cellular model would be price tagged with $529.

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Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 5C 8GB At $549 Price Become A Game Changer [UPDATED]

By
Neeraj M
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0

Update 1: Apple has reduced the price of iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S by $100. The 16 GB version of iPhone 5C is available at $549 now. This clearly indicates that 8GB version of iPhone 5C will be much more cheaper, atleast down by another $50 or so.

As we reported earlier, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is now set to introduce the lower version of the iPhone 5C with 8 GB storage option at $549 $500 on May 18, 2014. According to a few leaked images and screen shots, Apple is all set to intensify the competition in Smartphone market by making another round of price cut in iPhone 5C. However, this time the company has also downgraded the storage capacity from 16GB to 8GB. Currently, Apple’s 16GB iPhone 5C is available on Apple Store for $649 and we have learnt that Apple has planned to cut down $85 to $100 for the 8GB variant of iPhone 5C.

iPhone 5C 8GB

Apple is trying to position the new 8GB iPhone 5C as the attraction point in the midrange smartphone market, largely dominated by Samsung with Galaxy 4 and Note 2. It’s also being anticipated that Apple could reintroduce the discontinued variants of iPad – iPad 4 and iPad 3 – with a steep price cut to eat into Nexus 10 and Samsung Galaxy Tab markets.

Apple iPhone 5C 8GB: A Game Changer?

The move is being seen as an effort to break the jinx in emerging markets, especially China and India. The two countries together, hold maximum number of mobile phone users with a big window of opportunity in the Smartphone market in near future. More than 2.2 billion mobile phone subscribers, together in China and India, make the APAC region the largest mobile phone market for any vendor in the world. Samsung is already enjoying the biggest pie of the market, while other local players in China and India – the likes of Micromax, Karbonn, Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE are already marking their presence by capturing a sizable market share in their respective country.

Apple maintains 21.6% of total smartphone market in China. In India the market share of iPhone remains in single digits, despite of a 400% growth after the aggressive price cut in iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. This puts Apple on the losing front as the iPhone maker is failing to grab a sizable share of newly developing smartphone market quarter over quarter. Apple’s disappointing growth rate continues in the global market as well, as the company is failing to accelerate its growth due to non-existence in the mid-range Smartphone market.

While the U.S. market has saturated, Apple is left with no choice but to accept the law-of-the-land. Both China and India are known as price sensitive markets and Apple’s future growth is largely reliant on the Smartphone market in these two countries. In 2013, India had recorded a whopping 172% YOY growth in Smartphone market, while in China it is on its way to touch 1 billion smartphone users. In both the countries more than 40% of the smartphone market is controlled by mid-price-range ($150 – $449) smartphones, which is an untapped market for Apple.

Smartphone Market: Price Way Has Begun

The whole world is eyeing APAC as the biggest opportunity in the Smartphone market for the next few years. In China 540 million mobile phone users (1.24 billion mobile phone users, 700 million Smartphone users) are yet to adopt a Smartphone, while in India the opportunity window for Smartphone vendors in India is even bigger as 820 million mobile phone users (900 million mobile phone users, 80 million Smartphone users) are yet to upgrade to a Smartphone.

Considering such a humongous growth opportunity in the Smartphone market, homegrown players are betting big time on the market. Besides, the new entrants like Obi – a mid range Smartphone brand, to be floated by Apple’s former CEO John Sculley – will fuel the price war in the region in future.

The homegrown Smartphone vendors – the likes of Micromax, Karbonn, Huawei, Gionee, ZTE, Lenovo, Coolpad, have triggered the price war and have been keeping global players Samsung, Nokia, LG, Sony on their toes for long.

Apple Wants To Double The iPhone Market Share In 2014

In 2013, Apple sold 153.2 million units of the iPhone and 73.6 million units of the iPad worldwide. According to a few market predictions Apple could sell 250 million units of the iPhone in 2014. In China alone, Apple is expected to sell nearly 20 million units of iPhone, while Foxconn is expecting to manufacture 90 million units of iPhone 6 during this year.

In India, Apple is actively working on the new pricing strategy for obsolete the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. This could help Apple place its bet into the entry-level Smartphone market in price sensitive regions like India and China. Reports claim that Apple could make another price-cut to bring down the price of iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S to $250 and $350, respectively.

As 41% of worldwide shoppers prioritise price while switching brands, the new price strategy could be helpful for a brand being aspired the most at global level. Apple has emerged as the most desirable brand in developing countries including China, India and Brazil. 42% buyers in China voted for Apple as their next mobile brand, while in India 29% aspire for Apple. Overall, Apple remains at the top as 32% buyers across all 5 developing countries voted for the iPhone.

In a nutshell, Apple is changing and changing in a big way. Since Tim Cook has started steering the company, a number of strategy shifts have been introduced. If Apple can successfully tap into all the three market segments for Smartphones  – iPhone 4 for entry level, iPhone 5C mid range and iPhone 6 for premium Smartphone users – it will definitely give the other Smartphone vendors a run for their money.

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Samsung Group (KRX:005935) Dream Run May Be Over As Local Brands Close The Gap!

By
Vasanth R
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0

The dream run of Samsung Group (KRX:0059385) in the Indian market could possibly be finished by 2014. The Korean giant’s Indian smartphone arm is currently the largest smartphone brand in India. The company ended 2013 with a 37% market share behind local brand Micromax at 18.6%. By capturing the entry-level market during 2008-2013 in India, Samsung was able to quickly flood the market with a glut of cheap Android devices. Its Smartphone shipments volumes grew at 37% between Q3 and Q4 of 2013. However, 50% of those shipment volumes came from low-end smartphones. In order to beat the local players and increase the number of sales, the company brought down the ASP (Average Selling Price) of its phones.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Poor sales of Galaxy S4 were due to too many different models being launched at the same time

Maturing of the Smartphone market

Samsung was the  first company to enter the Indian Smartphone race, when Nokia ruled the handset market. By adopting Google’s Android based OS and offering the phones in a wide range of prices, the Galaxy range became the fastest selling Smartphone range in India. Pretty soon the local brands adopted the same strategy and began selling their own phones at cheaper costs. Now, the mobile hardware giant, faces a unique problem in India, where its low and mid level Smartphone range is being challenged by the likes of Micromax, Karbonn, Xolo  and several new and upcoming Chinese brands. The high-end market is not seeing much action either with sales of its high-end Galaxy Smartphones facing stiff competition from Apple’s iPhone.

With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) aggressively wooing the high-end market with its buyback schemes, Samsung was taken completely off guard. Apple products retain their market operating prices, but Samsung offers the schemes on its set prices, which are much higher than the actual street prices. While Samsung is keen on retaining the market share across all Smartphone segments, Apple competes in one segment and is determined to capture more of the high-end market share, hence the willingness to take a cut on margins.

Facing competition across all price segments, Samsung is likely to face more hardships in the coming months. A large portfolio of devices with a shelf life of almost two years, worked to the company’s disadvantage, since the industry average is less than a year. Buyers picked up the Galaxy note 2 and Galaxy S3 devices, over the Galaxy note 3 and Galaxy S4 devices as the previous generation products were good enough and had a big price difference of Rs. 10,000.Last year, the flagship Galaxy s4 was launched with two striped-down versions, causing a U.S. $12 Billion loss in market value.

According to insiders, the top leadership is under a lot of pressure to deliver numbers as the leadership in South Korea is not pleased. Samsung India had three  different country heads for its Smartphone business between November 2009 and March 2013. For its flagship products, the sell through is not happening according to set targets, despite Samsung pushing boxes to keep its shipment numbers ahead of competition.

Competition from local brands to intensify

According to a Business Insider report, the quick growth of Indian and Chinese brands poses a direct threat to Samsung’s fortunes. Known for being classically disruptive, their products sell for a fraction of the cost of comparable models from premium brands. In massively untapped Smartphone markets like India and Brazil, these low-cost devices are the key to nudging customers.

Samsung vs India,china

From the graph it’s clear that the top 7 local brands in India and China are fast catching up to Samsung in terms of Smartphone shipments. The top two Smartphone makers in India are now shipping almost 65 million Smartphones every quarter, more than Apple, and are fast closing in on Samsung. The growing demand for big bright screens, dual-Sim facilities was quickly adopted by local brands. These vendors are now offering 4G LTE Smartphones that have the same processing power as a premium device from Apple and Samsung. The average consumers have also matured and are demanding more feature-based Smartphones with better camera and faster processors.

These homegrown brands are also far more innovative in terms of supply chain management, hardware and strategy. By operating their own successful app stores, mobile operating systems and mobile services they wield influence in other ways. Incorporating features of more expensive devices, and producing comparable hardware at a fraction of the original price will remain the USP of local brands.

They will continue to expand overseas in search of new growth opportunities. Micromax is expanding into Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Xiaomi has its eye on Brazil and Malaysia while Huawei has entered the U.S market. Samsung’s other major worry is that some of these players are able to seriously undercut its flagship Galaxy Smartphones, with devices featuring the latest Qualcomm chip-sets and camera capabilities.

It is speculated that Microsoft will be offering its Windows based OS to Indian vendors free of charge. Microsoft-owned Nokia, recently launched the entry-level Nokia X series range with Android OS starting at Rs. 8,599. Motorola launched the Moto X series, also aimed at the low-level. With more foreign brands like Sony, HTC, LG entering the low and mid-level Smartphone market, Samsung faces a twofold challenge, from both local and foreign brands.

smartphone market in india

Samsung was initially lucky to gain the market in India thanks to its mass advertising strategy and lack of homegrown competition. Now it faces finishing 2014 with just 25% market share in India. The lead it had over most local players in 2013 could evaporate by the end of 2014. With its competitors breathing down its neck, drastic change in company policy and attitude to selling Smartphones will decide the company’s future. With the Indian Smartphone market poised to grow to the third place by 2017, Samsung will be looking to stay competitive in a market which made its brand of Smartphones a household name.

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Could Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Free OS Policy Turn The Tables In Smartphone Market ?

By
Vasanth R
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1

Technology giant Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has reportedly waved off the license fee for its Windows Phone OS to Indian smartphone vendors. The move is seen as an attempt by Microsoft to increase its smartphone market share in India. Two major Indian-based smartphone vendors, Karbonn and Lava , have already announced their plans to build Windows powered smartphones. The agreement was reportedly clinched only after Windows agreed to drop the license fee. In the coming months, both brands will release a variety of new devices featuring the Windows OS. Karbonn has announced plans to develop a dual-OS product, while Lava will release a Windows tablet into the market.

Microsoft Free Windows Phone OS

Microsoft’s Bold move to counter Android

The move comes as a surprise, considering the OS was not given free, even to Nokia. The Finnish company was charged US$10, on an average, for every Lumia device it sold. Any elimination of license fee, if confirmed, will be linked directly to the company’s efforts to compete with Google’s mobile operating system, Android. For manufacturers to get access to Google Play Store, a license fee has to be paid to Google. Given Android’s large market share and demand, this was seen as reasonable. To lure smartphone vendors to Windows Phone OS, Microsoft may have made the decision to waive license fee. The move is also a strategical timed one, given India’s burgeoning smart phone market. As markets in Europe and America saturate, emerging markets, like India and China, will be the new go-to-grab markets, which can push global smartphone business forward. The India connection with Satya Nadellla, the recently appointed CEO of Microsoft, may have helped in the initiative since the license fee waiver is currently applicable only to two Indian companies.

Four year after it was launched, the Windows OS is still struggling to catch up with iOS and Android at global level. Lack of consumer interest for Windows phones may have forced Microsoft to make the OS free, to attract more developers. Microsoft purchased Nokia for US$7.2 billion last year, to showcase its seriousness of venturing into the OEM business. The Windows phone is expected to compete with iOS for the second position in global Smartphone market by 2017. Currently it stands a distant third, in terms of market share, with just about 3.3% of the global smartphone market in 2013. Windows phone had a 91% Y-O-Y growth in 2013, which makes it the fastest growing Smartphone segment as of now.

This move will be likely to affect Nokia, which till recently was the main (read ‘only’) adopter of Windows Phone OS for its Lumia range of phones. However, in an attempt to grab some share of from Android – largely held by Samsung and Micromax in India, quite recently the Nokia X  series is introduced with a forked Android OS. Nokia was responsible for a significant surge in sales of Windows phones last year. It controlled 18.9% of the total mobile handset market in India though, but failed to get any position in top three smartphone vendors.

As Windows Phone doesn’t enjoy any solid advantage over its rivals now, Microsoft will be looking to increase sales volume as much as they can. It has signed an agreements with other global smartphone makers, including Samsung, Lenovo, ZTE, LG, Huawei, Foxconn and Gionee, to launch more Windows Phone OS powered smartphones in future. By having more Windows-based products on the market, the tech giant will be likely to gain a firm footing for its OS in 2014.

Microsoft will release Windows Phone 8.1 in the coming months to allow phone vendors to bring low-cost handsets to the market. These changes will include a Dual-Sim support and On-screen buttons that will help Android phone vendors to modify their devices for Windows phone.

Microsoft-Services

Microsoft will depend on its Core services to lure Android consumers to its Windows ecosystem

How Microsoft and local players will be benefited

The deal is a two-pronged attack on Android. For Indian companies, having Windows phone offerings, gives them a chance to chip away the market share of giants like Samsung, LG and Sony, who are fully focused on Android. It’s a Win-Win situation for both parties as Android growth is doomed to slow down.

The availability of devices in score will lead to competitive pricing. This will, in turn, boost smartphone adoption rates as indian companies are renowned for their aggressive price models. If a repeat of the Android smartphone explosion takes place, we could see a huge number of Windows devices flood the market at very attractive prices.

The apps on the Windows store remain a hurdle, which will only go away gradually. Availability of more devices in the market will convince more developers about the possible success of Windows Phone OS. Eventually, Microsoft has made a very shrewd business call by providing Windows Phone OS free to vendors in emerging market, which could help it to boost its market share in an untapped Indian Smartphone market.

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EaseUS Todo Backup: Manage Your Backup And Partition Effectively

By
Guest Author
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0

If you are looking for an efficient system for data backup and recovery solution look no further than EaseUS todo backup solution. Here I am going to discuss about the system, which is one of the best tools in the niche. EaseUS todo backup provides a complete solution for data backup, recovery, server backup and server systems deployment strategy problems. In a nutshell EaseUS todo backup software can be the ultimate answer to all type of data backup and recovery issues. It is compatible with all iterations of Windows and Mac platform, which makes it a versatile and efficient tool when compared with other products of similar class. It even allows you to manage system partition for better performance.

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Major Applications of EaseUS todo Backup Software

PC Backup: PC Back is the primary application of EaseUS software. It offers one-click backup and restore feature for all type of businesses (be it of personal use or for a company).

Server Backup: It is equipped with some high performance tools that have the ability to protect server from various malicious attacks, minimizing the server downtime. Having your data server up and running 24/7 boosts up the performance of your employees due to availability of all information at their fingertips, anytime.

Technician Toolkit: This software comes with a number of high-end professional tools that can act as a toolkit for any IT admin. It is best suited for all the users, who are related to testing department in digital world.

EaseUS team has developed various products for handling these three applications at various levels. All the products are available in both, free as well as in paid versions. Before buying any product, you have the option to opt for a free trial run of 15 days that helps you to have hands-on experience over each feature of the product. Most of the EaseUS products support Windows 8, 7, XP and VISTA platforms. There are some other iteration though, but they are associated to limited products only. You can get complete details from official portal.

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How to use EaseUS todo Recovery Software

Follow these steps:

  1. As the first move, follow this step: EaseUS todo backup download. There on the official portal you will see various products. Please choose the one that suffices your needs. In case if any clarification, hot the comment section.
  2. Its time to install, the process is similar to any other normal software, i.e. you will have to follow some onscreen instructions.
  3. Once you are done with installation process, you can head over towards main tutorial, which is a simple 3 steps guide (for most of the applications).
  4. The 3 steps are: Selecting the required disk, Scanning it, Recover the data. You can get details about tutorial for different products from the official portal.

Features of EaseUS ToDo Software

  • Quick operation
  • Trusted by millions of user (4,000,000+)
  • Different products for different dedicated tasks
  • Disk clone and SSD migration support
  • 24×7 customer support
  • 10+ years experience
  • Very safe and easy to use
  • Can be used by both newbies as well as by professionals
  • Support for Windows and Mac platforms
  • Can be used for recovering al sort of multimedia formats
  • Lots more

This is an Sponsored Post. All contents, claims, statistics, data points and information are supplied objects. Dazeinfo holds no responsibility on any misquote or disputed claim.

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Apple Inc. (AAPL) Must Launch iPhone 6 By June-July To Sell 90 Million Units !

By
Lavanya Vasudev
-
1

It looks like 2014 is going to be a very eventful year for Cupertino based Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:APL). The company, recognised as world’s most valuable company, is geared up for its much awaited iPhone 6, it’s no secret that the iPhone 6 would witness a massive launch as Apple will finally offer a bigger display to challenge the likes of the Galaxy S5 and other flagship Android phones and phablets. In anticipation of huge demand, Apple has reportedly ordered 90 million iPhone 6 units from mobile component maker Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd. (TPE:2354).

Apple iPhone 6

The New Mystery

According to BGR, “Foxconn Electronics is expected to land orders for 90 million units of the iPhone 6 from April in 2014.” This information was shared by a Chinese-language Commercial Times that cited data from Citigroup Global Markets.

There is also a prediction that the launch of the iPhone 6 will send 2014 iPhone shipments surging 24% compared to last year. That would be almost double the 13% YOY growth that iPhone shipments saw in 2013. If this prediction goes right the iPhone 6 order could get a June/July launch date.

iPhone 6: 4.7″ Gorilla Glass

Details about the new iPhone are being closely guarded by Apple. But there are certain common rumors about it. Previously, Apple kept to smaller displays for its iPhone series, compared to most smartphones in the market, the tech giant did try to change this habit of its, Apple’s new flagship device is expected to come with a bigger screen, a 4.7-inch panel with an even denser set of pixels than “traditional” Retina display and cover glass made of sapphire, a material bested only by diamond in terms of toughness. Such a screen could also potentially woo back Android converts who left Apple solely because of the iPhone’s screen size.

There’s also some speculations that Apple will again release two versions of the iPhone, to appeal to different markets, the company is considering a 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch model to further expand the current line, and not act as replacements for the 5s and 5c. A 5.7-inch model may take the firm well into “phablet” territory, however, the future existence of such a giant iPhone looks shady.

iPhone 6 do have some amazing features, but according to the rumors it is going to use sapphire glass instead of Gorilla glass, which is more expensive and about 1.6 times heavier. It’s environmentally unfriendly too; it takes about 100 times more energy to generate a sapphire crystal that it does glass. The pricing factor may affect the consumers, but as they say pricing has never been a problem for Apple, as most of its customers are from élite society.

Will This Lead To Over Stocking?

In Q4 2013, Apple shipped 51 million iPhones, which exceeded the market forecast and the company showed a great deal of profits, this positive results would have motivated Apple to increase its production and supply. Though it is a positive move, it all depends when the handset is released though, if it makes its way into pockets by July it will have half a year to sell those 90 million. Then again if it doesn’t come until September, then it will have to sell 90 million units in three months.

But here we are talking about just not any company, it is the Apple, the inventor, the trend setter. so now it all depends on what it pulls out of the invention bag.

For those, who are not able to hold their horses, here is an amazing concept video of upcoming iPhone 6, dubbed as iPhone Air, from Apple:

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Is Apple Inc. (AAPL) Planning To Reduce The Price of iPhone 5C In India And China ?

By
Vasanth R
-
0

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) launched the low-cost iPhone 5c last year, only to be declared a magnificent flop by consumers and industry alike. Selling a less powerful and less appealing iPhone might have been the worst decision word’s most valuable company of 2014 ever made. About 9 million iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c phones, toghther, were sold worldwide in just three days after the launch. Two months later it was revealed that iPhone 5s managed to control 7.58% of the total iPhone market while iPhone 5c lagged much behind with mere 2% market.

At the time of launch, the company price tagged iPhone 5c with US$549, while the iPhone 5s was priced at US$649. The 5s featured a 64 bit A7 chip, M7 core processor and Touch ID. The iPhone 5c, however, was a variation of the iPhone 5 in plastic casing, available in various colors. The Tech giant was hopeful of attracting more customers by unveiling the iPhone 5c but unjustifiable price difference, between both the phones, was a huge mistake as consumers failed to see any valuable savings against high-performing iPhone 5S. Besides, Apple reduced the price of second-tier iPhones to tap the price conscious emerging markets, such as India and China. Unfortunately Apple did witness the expected response from the market as the small 4 inch screen size of the iPhone was no substitute for a large screen high-end Android phone.

 The China Phenomenon

In Q4 2013, worldwide smartphone shipment reached more than one billion units in a single year for the very first time. This was a 38.4% upsurge from 725.3 million units sold in 2012. Samsung topped the list by shipping 313.9 million smartphone unit during the year 2013. The Korean electronics giant was followed by Apple that recorded 153.4 million iPhone shipments during the same year.

Chinese vendor Huawei Technology Co Ltd (SHE:002502) emerged as the fastest growing mobile vendor in the market. Huawei shipped 48.8 million smartphones in 2013 and finished the fourth quarter at 3rd position, ahead of LG and Lenovo that shipped 47.7 million and 45.5 million smartphones, respectively.

smarthphone-shipment-Q4-and-2013

According to a new report from analytics firm Umeng,  the number of smartphone users in China stood at 700 million by the end of 2013. Out of all devices sold in Q4 2013, 41% were to people purchasing their first smartphone. Apple faces a tough fight with homegrown brands as iPhone captured only 21.6% of these smartphone sales. This clearly shows that even in world’s largest smartphone market Apple is facing stiff competition from homegrown vendors. The trend may continue in the future unless Apple decides to price tag its products intelligently to match with local requirements.

China became the world’s largest smartphone market in November 2011, but increased mobile penetration rate has caused sales to slow down. High end smartphone priced at $500 accounted for 27% of smartphone sales last year; Of that amount, 80% sold were iPhones!

screen-shot-2014-03-13-at-5-12-18-pm

As Apple started venturing into the market directly the percentage of jail broken iPhones in mainland China fell from 30% to 13% at the beginning of the year. China’s new status as one of Apple’s focused markets will have a major impact on iPhone 6 sales.

The problem with iPhone 5c

The below chart shows how all the three iPhones; iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, performed within four months of their release in China. These findings are the part of Alliance Index that racks latest mobile internet data in various countries.

The text inside the red bubble states that the iPhone 5s and 5c was officially launched in China on the same day as in the U.S. The one inside the blue bubble says the iPhone 5 was officially launched in China four months after the device’s debut. The X-axis is months after iPhone released in the U.S (Debut), while the Y-Axis shows the market share of all iOS devices in China.

Price range in China

The graph shows that iPhone 5s had a 12% share of iOS in China within 4 month of its debut. The iPhone 5c, however, managed to grab just 2% iOS share during the same period. The iPhone 5, which was released late in China, had almost 15% iOS share within 6 months of its launch. These findings will likely affect Apple’s approach to selling smartphones in the Middle kingdom.

Apple 5c

Sources from Taiwan reveal that more than 3 million iPhone 5c units are waiting for buyers. Almost 2 million are currently stored in Pegatron’s warehouses while another 1 million are gathering dust in retailers and carriers depots. The price of the iPhone 5c will not be cut immediately, but in coming months, as newer mobile devices are released later this year. Apple has reportedly reduced production of iPhone 5c to focus on the iPhone 5s instead.

By slashing the cost of iPhone 5c to around US$300, Apple has a chance to clear the leftover iPhone 5c stocks ahead of the launch of iPhone 6. If the carriers and retailers are ready to clear the existing devices, we could see iPhone 5c price deals and cuts in the near future. The device may become an attractive option to customers interested in buying a cheap, new inexpensive iPhone.

New findings have revealed that 32% of customers in developing countries, like India, China and Brazil, would prefer the iPhone as their newest handset as Apple is the most desirable brand in developing countries. By selling low price iPhone 5c phones in these countries, Apple has a chance to cut down growth rate of Samsung, which is riding high on Android, in India and China.

To appease its core customer vase, the company will be looking to adjust its smartphone strategy to release iPhone with bigger screen. Pricing an inferior product so close to a superior one will be another vital lesson that Apple will try to avoid in the future.

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