Research finds Apple one of the top two tablet vendors in Japan

Apple has increased its dominance over the tablet market in Japan.





Tablets are some of the most widely used mobile computing devices these days. Global tablet shipments are expected to increase substantially in the coming year as more customers opt for these mobile devices as opposed to now outdated options like the netbooks. The market is filled with high-end tablets such as the iPad, whereas the mid-range and low-end market is primarily catered to by Android tablets manufactured by a laundry list of OEMs.

In Japan, Digitimes Research finds Apple to be one of the top two tablet vendors in the country, ASUS being the other major vendor. This would also explain the dominance of market share based on operating system, the research finds that during January and October 2013 both iOS and Android accounted for more than 94.4 percent of the tablets in the Land of the Rising Sun. ASUS primarily manufacturers Android devices, though the company is expected to unveil a Windows-Android dual-boot tablet at CES 2014. Apple is the only company that makes the iPad.

Apple’s market share in Japan has surged this year, with the country being its fastest growing market. The company’s margins are 15 percent higher here than anywhere else in the world. It captured over 37 percent of the smartphone and 50 percent of the tablet market earlier this year.

Source: Digitimes

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Apple and Samsung reportedly in talks to resolve patent disputes

Rumor has it that the companies are considering an alternate solution to their patent disputes.

Apple and Samsung have been involved in intense legal battles over the past couple of years, with the former claiming that the Korean manufacturer’s devices infringe on a number of its patents. Samsung has questioned the validity of said patents from time to time and it doesn’t look like these lawsuits are going to go away anytime soon. When the appeals process is exhausted and Samsung isn’t able to score a win, the company might have to pay as much as $900 million in damages to Cupertino.

It goes without saying that both companies have already spent millions in legal fees but still there’s no end in sight.*A swift resolution of the disputes will not only save time, but will also save a lot of money.*A Korea Fair Trade Commission official claims that Apple and Samsung are currently talking about a royalties deal and that the talks are at a “working level” right now, focus of current talks is said to be on reducing differences over royalty payments. *This isn’t the first time that these companies have tried to settle matters out of court. Last year Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung Electronics chief*Choi Gee-sung as part of court appointed mediation talks, they deliberated for nearly 17 hours but to no avail.

It is also rumored that Apple wants Samsung to pay more than $30 for each device that is found to be infringing on its patents, as of now it is believed that Samsung thinks this figure is quite high. *It goes without saying that there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to resolve the patent disputes in renewed talks, so the world will just have to wait and see what happens.

Source: Korea Times

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Samsung to release octa-core Exynos Chromebook in 2014

Samsung will continue to aid Google in its push of Chromebook by launching another budget-conscious Google-powered notebook sometime next year.

According to a recent NPD report, the use of Chromebooks are on the rise, and Samsung is hoping that its line of Chromebook will attract more users than its competitions.* Business Korea reported that the South Korean tech juggernaut will launch another Chromebook mod meant showcase the company’s in-house Exynos 5 ‘8-core’ chip utilizing the ‘big.LITTLE’ design.

The report also indicated that the updated Samsung Chromebook will likely feature a 12-inch (or less) 2560×1600 display with 3GB of RAM, the option of 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, USB 3.0 support, a 7-hour battery life, and weighing in at a little over 1kg.

Chromebooks had big year in 2013, according to NPD

Samsung stated that it is not planning on unveiling any laptops at CES 2014, so perhaps the new Chromebook may not show up until Samsung announces another flashy unveiling event.

Typical desktop and x86-based laptop users may see the Chromebook as a downgrade in terms of functionalities, which is why makers of Chromebooks are targeting the educational sector and developing markets to grow the user-base.



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All-Dock aims to be the only mobile device dock you'll ever need

Do you own more than one type of mobile device, and wish there was a dock that can support smartphones of all shapes and sizes?* Look no further, because All-Dock, a supposed universal dock is in the works.

Dittrich California Inc. is gathering funds on Kickstarter to develop and deploy the ‘fastest docking station in the world.’* The maker claims that the docking station is compatible with virtually all brand and size mobile devices.* From iPhones to HTCs to Kindles, the All-Dock will hold up almost anything you happen to own.



So what’s the concept behind the All-Dock?* Basically, it’s a plastic block that has wide grooves punched in, and most mobile devices will be able to sit snuggly inside the indentation.* At the heart of the dock is a USB hub that allows people to connect all sorts of charging cables and redirect them to where the phone or table is situated.* Best, of all, the block has a tool-less design, which means people won’t have to jump through hoops to insert a new cable into the dock.

The All-Dock comes in three sizes:

Small: 220 x 113 x 61 mm / 8.7 x 4.4 x 2.4 in

Medium: 220 x 142 x 61 mm / 8.7 x 5.6 x 2.4 in

Large: 315 x 172 x 63 mm / 2.4 x 6.8 x 2.5 in

Head on over the All-Dock Kickstarter page if you’re interested in becoming an early bird pledger.



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Chromebooks had big year in 2013, according to NPD

Google Chrome OS-powered laptops and mobile devices surged in 2013, according to research group NPD, signaling a continued change in the consumer and business markets.

Chromebook sales racked up 1.76 million units worldwide from January 2013 to November 2013, capturing 21 percent of notebook sales throughout the year.* Chromebooks also captured two of three spots on the Amazon “holiday best sellers” list, while the products are also proving to be popular in the classroom.

“The market for personal computing devices in commercial markets continues to shift and change.* New products like Chromebooks, and reimagined items like Windows tablets, are now supplementing the revitalization that iPads started in personal computing devices. It is no accident that we are seeing the fruits of this change in the commercial markets as business and institutional buyers exploit the flexibility inherent in the new range of choices now open to them.”



Google has taken the mobile market by storm with its Android OS on smartphones and tablets – and growing interest in the Chrome OS operating system.* Chrome OS is typically found on cheaper laptops that focus more on cloud-based tasks including e-mail, storage, and Web browsing, and is more flexible than Windows 8.

This is more continued bad news for Microsoft, as the company’s Windows 8.1 and Windows Mobile OSes continue to fight for market share.* The rise in Chromebooks means OEMs have more leverage when dealing with Microsoft, while more home users and enterprise workers enjoy alternatives to Windows. However, most consumer and business applications are designed for the Windows environment, and there is a learning curve when adopting Chrome OS.

Source: NPD



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Hackers involved in $60 million ATM heist arrested in Spain

A group of hackers responsible for stealing more than $60 million finally get busted by world authorities.

A group of Romanians and Moroccans living in the suburbs of Madrid was recently taken into custody by Spanish police because they allegedly took part in hacking various networks and cash machines to steal over $60 million.

Authorities worldwide collaborated in the investigation that eventually led to the capture of the tech-savvy thieves.* According to the police, the group stole roughly $40 million in just a few hours by withdrawing cash from 34,000 locations in 23 countries.* Of those 34,000 locations, almost $400,000 was taken out of 446 machines based in Madrid.

Thieves snag $100K using 3D-printed ATM skimmers

“Most of the organization was based in Spain has been dismantled,” Spanish police said in a statement. “I was starting to reorganize to carry out a similar attack in different European Union counties and even in Japan.”

The leader of the network, an IT expert, was reportedly arrested in Germany, but it appears that the network is still running—albeit at a lower level.

The people arrested recently in Madrid had thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment, as well as unused credit/debit cards in their possession.

Source: Bloomberg



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Archos to unveil $100 'pebble-like' smartwatch at CES 2014

Archos cooks up its own version of a smartwatch, adding yet another test product to the supposedly growing wearable market.

Tech companies, big and small, are thinking about smartwatches and other wearables as the smartphone sector has essentially become oversaturated.* Although quite a few big name companies such as Samsung and Sony have already released their own versions of smartwatches, the adoption rates of these devices are still minimal.

Archos, we can assume, is well aware of the buzz surrounding smartwatch, and have probably developed a device that will have decent battery life.* Moreover, one would also expect that the maker of budget tablets and phones to also be considerate of its following when it comes to the price of its smartwatch.* According to the company, Archos is looking at deploying smartwatches that are around the $100 price tag, which, in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Gear, is a lot more affordable.

Checkout our review of the Galaxy Gear

Not much else is currently known about the Archos smartwatch other than it’s a ‘pebble-like’ gadget.* If such is the case, the Archos smartwatch should come with some basic connectivity that will allow it to pair with a person’s smartphone or tablet.

While many companies have already debuted what they consider viable smartwear tech, Apple is still keeping its highly rumored iWatch under wrap.* The Cupertino-based maker of the iPhone has amassed a huge following in the mobile sector, so the eventual release of an Apple smartwatch is imminent.* Now, it’s just a matter of speculating as to the time frame of the iWatch’s release.

Click here to read more about smartwatches

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