Over 80% Of All Mobile Web Traffic Coming From Apple Devices In Canada

Its no surprise that the majority of portable devices connecting to the web are made by Apple, however, a study by technology research group comScore shows that more than 80% of all Canadian mobile web traffic is powered by Apple products. About a third were iPhone owners, while an almost identical amount comes from iPad users. This means that the iPad has become just as popular as the iPhone when it comes to mobile web usage. The remainder of mobile Apple users connect via the iPod. The Android may be gaining ground in the US and elsewhere, but it seems that Canadian technology fans are completely enamored by Apple. The research study also showed what it is that Apple users are doing with their mobile devices. Not surprisingly, most iPad, iPhone and iPod users are checking their email. Social networking websites such as Facebook are also popular amongst mobile users. What Apple consumers are not doing is reading the news or checking out the latest editions of their favorite magazines, contrary to reports that have been released by publishers in the past. While mobile web technology might be a modern convenience, it doesn't seem to be connecting consumers to practical information as first thought. More then likely, when you see someone connected to the web via the iPhone, he or she is just monkeying around. In a few years, perhaps apps for the iPhone will become more streamlined, allowing users to connect directly with their jobs, schools or other organizations.

Apple Loses Patent Clash With Nokia

When the original iPhone was unveiled, the powers that be at Nokia immediately believed that Apple had infringed on its trademarks. The mobile phone maker, which is based out of Finland, filed suit against Apple in the year 2007. Since then, both sides have waged a silent war, but Nokia eventually came out victorious. While the terms of the settlement cannot be disclosed, Apple will be paying Nokia royalties for each iPhone that has been sold. In related news, Apple is suing HTC for virtually the same thing – copyright infringement. There may be a chance that Nokia will go after HTC now that it has settled out of court with Apple. While Apple wants HTC to pay for stealing the design of the iPhone, Nokia's lawsuit was based more on technology. Nokia stock rose as news of its legal win broke. In essence, every company that designs and manufacturers an electronic device has the right to sell licenses to other companies, but when another product comes on the line that makes use of similar features, lawsuits are filed. Apple has been known to sue almost every other smart phone maker that introduces a line similar to the iPhone in any shape, way or form. Now that Apple has one less legal headache to worry about, the company can start to focus on HTC as well as the release of future products. Apple, which recently announced its new iCloud service, is rumored to be hard at work on the iPhone 5.

Nokia Releases New Nokia N8 Bubbles Program

Smart phone owners have been looking for new ways to unlock or 'jailbreak' the devices for almost as long as they have been around. The developers of the Nokia N8 have just released a program aimed at solving a problem that users have been complaining about for some time now. The program, named Bubbles, allows users to view certain areas of their devices while it is set in the 'unlocked' mode. This technology is just the latest in a long line of Nokia N8 apps released by the manufacturer that are aimed at resolving some of the issues that users have reported. On the other hand, security experts warn that allowing users access to unlocked portions of their phones may leave them vulnerable to malicious security threats. If anyone has the ability to get into the Nokia N8 without needing a pin number then there is a chance that they can view confidential information or even inject a virus. Unlocking or jailbreaking devices has always required manufacturers to give pause. Sometimes these features just allow users to use unverified plugins and apps and sometimes they are used to download unauthorized content. It seems that Nokia N8 users are completely satisfied with Bubbles despite the security warning. In fact, Nokia N8 owners have asked the manufacturer to release an open source version of Bubbles so that they can author their own plugins. Nokia is still working on making their line of smart phones more popular, which is probably why they are hard at work on a music video of sorts. Featuring music by Denver Duncan, Nokia hopes that smart phone users will learn more about their other project, Symbian. You can visit Phones4u to find out more about the Nokia N8, its apps, and see exactly how their new program Bubbles works.

Companies Battle For Video Conferencing Dominance

In the last month alone, more than four major companies have announced the upcoming releases of their conferencing software and hardware. For the most part, many of this products have features that will allow for better conferencing capabilities, but it appears that Microsoft is the only one that got it completely right. Although Apple has been dominating the smart phone industry with the iPhone, they haven't yet harnessed the power of open community video conferencing within their standard operating systems. The iPhone 5 is still being developed, so it is likely that Apple is going to release some new features that will again put them on top. Microsoft Lync is going to change the way that people do business, from collaborating on projects in real time from different locations, to live video chat and messaging upgrades. Microsoft also announced that the XBox 360 accessory, the Kinect, would be used for 'living room' video chat possibilities. It is not yet known if Microsoft plans on integrating the Kinect into the their Lync software somehow, but since the two announcements were both made recently, it is very possible. HP on the other hand has a pretty nice piece of stand alone conference call hardware and software, but it is the second most expensive conferencing product available right now. It kind of looks like Hewlett-Packard decided to jump on the same bandwagon as the rest of their competitors at the last minute and didn't think about pricing their product to sell. Logitech and Google TV are wrapping up a deal that could have teenagers plugging into every electrical socket available in their homes so that they can talk, chat, play games and watch TV at the same time. Major networks are still too scared to partner with Google on this project, but as usual, Google has been able to find a way to work around their hurdles. It is apparent that video conferencing is going to be bigger than we could ever imagine, but just how many consumers are going to want to be a part of it? Businesses of all sizes already use conference calling on a regular basis, and families have used webcams to communicate for years, but what about the rest of us?

The Display and Camera of the iPhone 4

There are a lot of ways that users can get wooed over to the Apple side of the fence when it comes to smart phones and one of the biggest things that will catch the eye of the average consumer? The display is right up there. Even the most discerning in the smart phone world know that the display needs to be good in order to justify upgrading to the iPhone 4. It does indeed look like Apple took this to heart and now they feature not the industry's largest screen, at 3.5 inches for the display, but a 960 by 640 resolution that has a contrast ration of 800 to 1 - very impressive. This so called Retina Display screen was said by Apple to be able to offer a full 300 ppi if it was 12 inches away from a human face. Why is this significant in terms of visuals? That is the maximum amount of detail level that the human retina is capable of processing. The fact that the LCD display is back lit with an LED is also gentler on the eyes and this was a big concern for Steve Jobs, the President of Apple. He wanted a very good screen that would help reduce eye strain and provide a the very best visual quality possible. Although some critics have stated that the human retina can process 477 ppi, this has been publicly disputed by a Phil Plait, who worked on the camera of the Hubble Space Telescope for NASA. The camera on the iPhone 4 is another cause for celebration among many users because it is actually 2 cameras: a VGA camera that faces forward and a 5 MP camera which faces the back of the phone. This allows the rear camera to record HD quality video at 720p which translates to 30 frames a second, an impressive level of quality for any hand held digital device.

New 3G iPhone Spells Price Reduction For Older Versions

Apple announced on Monday that the current iPhone model will soon be available at half price. The news announcement is expected to address those users who currently have poor network connectivity. According to Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, the newest version of the iPhone will offer advanced 3G support which is expected to be up to 36% faster when compared to other phones. With the release of the new 3G model iPhone imminent, the 8GB iPhone will be reduced to $199 and the 16GB version will sell for $299. Jobs also stated that the new Apple iPhone will be available throughout the world beginning on July 11, 2008. Features of the new version include of course 3G support, maps with GPS and web browsing support for 6 hours and talk time for 5 hours. The arrival of the new 3G iPhone comes after a period of speculation and rumors that have been circulating since the World Wide Developers in San Francisco. Since the announcement of the iPhone, Apple has seen a reduction of 4% as investors began to look forward to get the new gadgets from the market. Over the past three months alone, there has been an increase in Apple stocks by 55%. While the price cut in the original versions of the iPhone has been a welcome change for Apple customers, AT&T stated that they will face the heat while giving subsidy to the newest version of the Apple iPhone.

Comparing Apples to Oranges

Reports are coming in from Les Echos, a French newspaper, which states Apple is currently pushing Orange to subsidize iPhone prices in order to move more units. So far the sales of French iPhones have been very low coming in at just 825 units each day. Of course since Europeans are typically not accustomed to paying such steep prices (€400 for the phone with a contract requirement) it comes as no surprise that sales are extremely low. If the plan is implemented then French iPhones will be as inexpensive as those in Britain and Germany (€100 with a €90 per month plan).

Much Ado About the iPhone

Rumors about the new 3G iPhone have been widespread since the first hint of the new technology being released. In the first week of April rumors revolved around a new company that will specialize in unlocking the current iPhone models that many assumed was part of a widespread April Fool’s joke. Other falsehoods included plans for Apple to license the iPhone OS to third-party manufacturers. It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction where the new 3G is concerned. Newsworthy reports however, did make their way to the crowds including the pictures that developers were showing off at the end of the week claiming them to be the much anticipated 3G makeover pictures that consumers have been waiting anxiously to see.

iPhone Prices Lowered in Germany

This week a German telecommunications company reported that it plans to cut the prices of the Apple iPhones that they carry. The proposed price slash will bring prices down from $629 to just $156. The offer is planned to be implemented on April 7 and run until June 30 according to Deutsche Telekom AG. The offer will be available to T Mobile customers who subscribe to an XL service contract that runs about $140 per month. They also plan to offer a starter service of just $45 per month which will come with an iPhone at $393. Deutsche Telekom AG is one of few operators that are authorized by Apple to distribute the iPhone, and the only carrier in Germany.

Ad Infuse introduces personalized advertising for the iPhone

Ad Infuse, the advertising network best known for its services to integrate ads within video content, has launched a new service allowing advertisers to get their message across to viewers surfing the web on the iPhone’s Safari web browser. The company claims that it is able to optimise formatting depending on the device (iPhone or other handheld gadgets) being used to display the ad content. So if Ad Infuse can deliver all it claims to, it’s likely to be quite an attraction to advertisers – they can display their ads in the most appropriate format depending on the viewers browsing device, have them integrated within video content and keep an eye on which campaigns are most successful with the array of monitoring features Ad Infusion boasts. This is complemented by the fact that the iPhone has enjoyed strong sales since it’s release and a recent survey shows that 7.5% of web users now browse using Mac Operating Systems, including that of the iPhone. This is backed up by the fact that the iPhone was the second largest selling smart phone in the fourth quarter of 2007 second only to the Blackberry. It’s also worth noting that AT&T and O2, the iPhone carriers, have reported that iPhone users seem to be heavy data users – another incentive for advertisers to target to users of Apple’s smart new phone.