Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Withycombe
Monday, October 29, 2012
iPhone Tips and Tricks That Are Easy to Do and Set Up
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Withycombe
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Apple’s Phil Schiller on the State of the Mac
But this newsiest of tech news weeks also turns out to be a reasonably significant one for the Mac. Much of Apple’s Tuesday event was devoted to new models, including a substantial overhaul of the 13″ MacBook Pro with a Retina display, two absurdly thin new iMacs and an updated Mac Mini.
The profusion of new models was good news for Mac fans who have been known to fret that the Mac is being neglected as the iPhone and iPad become ever more important to Apple’s bottom line and future.
As usual, Apple teed off its announcements with happy recent stats. I was aware that the Mac has outpaced the rest of the PC industry in sales growth for years, but I didn’t know that the MacBook is the best-selling notebook line in the U.S., and the iMac is the best-selling desktop. Those achievements are more evidence that Apple’s Mac strategy — build premium machines, sell them profitably and don’t obsess over market share — doesn’t mean that it can’t end up with impressive market share anyhow.
Getty Images
After the Tuesday presentation, I sat down with Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller, who did the presenting of new models on Tuesday, and chatted with him about today’s Macs, and how they got that way.
I began by asking him about the streamlining of Mac hardware that’s been going on for years now. Apple has put its computers into unibody cases, sealed in the batteries, removed the optical drives, dumped hard disks when possible and either shrunk or eliminated many once-standard connectors. Rather than adding new features with abandon, as tech companies usually do, it’s whittled the Mac down to its elegant essence.
Many of these changes have been controversial, at least briefly, at least among some observers. But they don’t seem to have hurt Mac sales. What was the overarching strategy, I asked?
“This is what Apple has always been about, and the Mac has been about, from the first Mac and first iMac,” Schiller said. “It’s always been about making the best Mac we know how. Among the many benefits are making it easy to use and affordable, with great features. This high level of integration is part of delivering on that.”
Schiller pointed out some of the downsides of the technologies it’s removed or downplayed: rotating hard disks, for instance, use more power and are more likely to have reliability issues than solid-state storage.
“These old technologies are holding us back,” he said. “They’re anchors on where we want to go.”
“We find the things that have outlived their useful purpose. Our competitors are afraid to remove them. We try to find better solutions — our customers have given us a lot of trust.”
Apple began removing DVD burners from portable computers, where weight and thinness are paramount — at least to Apple — years ago. But the new iMacs are the first ones without optical drives. I asked Schiller if that was a more difficult decision.
“It actually comes from similar thinking as with the portables,” Schiller said. “In general, it’s a good idea to remove these rotating medias from our computers and other devices. They have inherent issues — they’re mechanical and sometimes break, they use power and are large. We can create products that are smaller, lighter and consume less power.”
Schiller pointed out that one major application for optical drives, software distribution, has gone largely digital. As for video, he said that “Blu-ray has come with issues unrelated to the actual quality of the movie that make [it] a complex and not-great technology…So for a whole plethora of reasons, it makes a lot of sense to get rid of optical discs in desktops and notebooks.”
His preferred Blu-ray alternative? iTunes, of course, which lets you buy a movie and then watch it on all your Apple devices.
Once upon a time, people assumed that Macs’ lack of Blu-ray was a delay, not a permanent decision to fast-forward past it. I told Schiller that I imagined folks don’t ask about it much these days. “Correct,” he said.
I noted that for years, pundits thought Apple would, or at least should, start making much cheaper Macs. I said that drumbeat seems to have come and gone, and asked Schiller if everyone finally understood that Apple was content with its strategy of sticking with the high end of the market.
“Our approach at Apple has always been to make products we’re proud to own and use ourselves,” he told me. “…We wouldn’t make something cheap or low quality. When the economy is difficult, people care a great deal about the things they spend their money on. Customers have come to understand that Apple’s products aren’t priced high — they’re priced on the value of what we build into them.”
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Wolverton: Microsoft's Surface tablet no iPad, but better than other rivals
I found a lot to like about Microsoft's new Surface tablet.
It's generally a pleasure to use. It has innovative features. And it appears to be well-built. For Microsoft's first effort at designing a mass-market computing device, it's a remarkable achievement, and it rates at or very near the top of the 10-inch tablets that compete with Apple's (AAPL) iPad. It's also a much easier device to understand and use than rival tablets based on Android, and unlike those tablets, it runs Office.But as might be expected of a first-generation gadget, it also has numerous shortcomings, and because of those, I can't recommend it over the iPad. For the same $500 base price, Apple's tablet is simply better.
At first glance, the Surface looks unremarkable. It's a black slate with a glass screen, much like many of the other tablets on the market. It has a thin case with sharp edges that looks more like a utilitarian office device than something that will excite design fetishists.
But look closer and you'll find some nice features. Unlike many of the iPad's competitors, its case is made of magnesium, not plastic, so it feels solid. It has a unique kickstand that folds out of its back allowing you to prop it up on a table. And it has a full-size USB port and an SD card slot, allowing users to transfer files from external drives and cards.
For its new tablet effort, Microsoft designed a version of its Windows 8 operating system to run on ARM processors, the low-power chips that underlie the iPad and nearly all other competing tablets. Thanks to its ARM chip, the Surface is as thin as the big iPad and only slightly heavier. And like the iPad, it's ultra quiet, because it doesn't have a fan.
The new version of the operating system, dubbed Windows RT, looks a lot like the versions of Windows 8 that will run on traditional PCs. It has the same "Metro" start screen with "live" application tiles that offer up-to-date information, including the current weather and snippets from your latest email messages. And it has a version of the traditional Windows desktop.
I'm not a fan of the Metro start screen on traditional PCs. But the interface, which you navigate by swiping, tapping and pinching, was made for a touch-screen device like this. Some of the gestures take getting used to, but for the most part interacting with Metro is natural and easy.
One compelling feature in the Metro interface is the ability to split the screen between two applications. So, for example, you can play "Cut the Rope" while continuing to monitor your email. It's not the same thing as actually having windowed applications, but I'm not sure you need that feature on a tablet, and the screen-split feature is one you don't get on the iPad or on the typical Android tablet.
Another cool feature about Surface is that unlike the iPad, it supports multiple users. So you and your family members can share the device without having access to each other's email.
The Surface comes with a nice collection of built-in Metro apps, including a photo gallery, a maps application, email and calendar programs and different news readers. But what is likely to be the most attractive to Windows users is that Surface ships with versions of some of the core Office programs, including Word and Excel.
Those Office programs look and work just like the Office applications that run under traditional Windows. In other words, Microsoft hasn't redesigned those applications, so you can easily interact with them on a touch screen. Fortunately, the company is offering covers for the Surface that include keyboards and trackpads to navigate the desktop and the Office programs more easily.
For all that there is to like about Surface, though, it does have several notable shortcomings. Its screen resolution is significantly less than that on the new iPad.
Similarly, its cameras are lower resolution than the ones on the iPad, so the pictures you take with it will be noticeably fuzzier. And the Surface lacks both an intelligent assistant feature like Siri and the ability to transcribe speech to text.
But its biggest shortcoming is the number and range of applications available for it. Although the Surface runs Windows, it won't run any traditional Windows programs other than ones it comes with, and even among those, it's missing Outlook. The only programs you can add to the Surface are those designed for its new Metro interface and offered through Microsoft's new Windows Store -- and that offering is relatively slim right now.
So, the Surface is a compelling tablet with a lot of potential, but unless you're dead-set against an iPad, it doesn't yet measure up.
Source:mercurynews
Friday, October 26, 2012
best way to make e money at home
there is a 14 way to how to make e money at home try it today
1. Money is an idea. In other words, money is what you think it is. It's whatever your own reality is telling you that it is. If you think having a lot of money is evil or a topic you should not talk about then that's the kind of relation you'll have towards money. If you think money is fun to acquire and you love talking about how to get better at it, then that's the role it plays in your life. I'm not saying one relationship towards money is better or more accurate than another. That's entirely up to you to choose. But make sure it really is a choice and not something that you automatically accept as being true based on what you were brought up to believe that money is.
2. Money is exactly as important as you make it. Continuing on the previous insight it's again a question of your own context. If you think money is an unimportant part of your life, then becoming rich is not important either. If handling money in a productive way is important to you, then financial abundance is a logical and natural goal to achieve. However, there's a difference between being broke and not wanting to become wealthy, and being broke and not knowing that you have the power to become wealthy. Everyone has the potential to make a shift in their relationship towards money.
3. Money does not make you rich. Money has the power to make you both rich and poor. Being rich, poor or middle-class is a question of mind-set. The way you handle money simply shows what kind of a mind-set you're equipped with. A perfect example of this is when somebody acquires a great sum of unexpected money. Poor people will just end up poorer and rich people will end up richer.
4. Money does not solve money problems. This is closely linked to the lesson above. There are certain people I definitely would not lend money to because I know it would make more damage than good - for both of us. The person would only get further in debt and have an even poorer mind-set, I would suffer from having my money jeopardized and our relationship might suffer in the end even though the initial intention is of a good nature - to help a friend in need. Giving money away simply does not help, but giving advice that proactively eliminate money problems in the first place is easier and a more productive way to help.
5. Everyone has money problems. The poor, the middle class, the rich, the government, the church, the old, the young, all the companies, everyone has money problems. Simply having or not having money is not free from responsibility to think things through. It's just a question of which problem you rather have - the problem of no money, or the problem of too much money. Different financial situations simply have different degrees of money problems. Having more money in contrast to having less money is usually much less urgent and problematic to deal with.
6. The lack of money is the root of all evil. This statement is much more accurate than the statement that money is the root of all evil or even that the love for money is the root of all evil. Think crimes, riots, insecurity, emotional instability, selling drugs and weapons, poor health care, ignorance due to poor education and much more. People have to address their primary needs to live, and the more basic they are, the easier the leap is to give in on their values and break the law.
7. The link between money and happiness. Money alone does not dictate happiness or unhappiness. There are happy and unhappy rich people just as there are happy and unhappy poor people. However, unexpectedly not having any money would make me unhappy and unexpectedly getting more money would make me happy. But these are temporary feelings and have nothing to with the overall happiness towards life as a whole. Therefore, it's pointless to generalize rich people as unhappy or even relatively unhappy compared to their wealth and make this notion stop you from becoming rich. You alone choose the level of happiness and the general opinion about this issue is nothing else than what you think that other people are thinking.
8. Money is not linked to personal values. Having a lot of money or having very little money does not relate to what kind of values a person has. But, money has the power to take those values from within and out into the daylight. It has the power to reveal a person's true nature and intentions once the bets are getting higher. The tough thing about it is that if the values and intentions are bad, they might not show up until it's too late. Accordingly, a truly good-natured person might not show their worth either until the money sums are getting really significant.
9. The more money you get, the more money you end up giving. If you think being rich is seen as hoarding money and being greedy, then remember that it can't be taken into the afterlife. It does not matter how much money you make during your lifetime, every single penny will be passed on to others sooner or later. The richer you are, the more money you keep circulating out from your expense column into someone else's income column. Eventually it will all go into other people's pockets, but that's not as important as the lessons you can give in life or lessons you can give on how to handle money.
10. Money comes to those who know how to handle it. This is a question of education. The better your education about money is, the more it will flood into your life. The school system does not teach it and whatever you think is right is what your family has passed on to you. It's up to you how financially literate and intelligent you want to become. People knew the very basic laws of how to handle money as far back as 4000 to 6000 years ago in Babylon and they are just as valid today.
11. Money does not have to require effort. You can generate income both from trading your time and effort for it as well as not trading your time and effort for it. This is the concept of either working for money, or having your money work for you. But, you can do both until you've reached the point where you don't have to work for money, a.k.a. reaching financial independence. It's also important to note that people who are financially free don't automatically equate as being either productive or unproductive towards society. Being free from having to work for a living can both mean that such a person is now doing no service to others as well as being actively involved in helping others 24/7 to the best of their ability.
12. Money has the power to give both security and freedom. Sometimes I stumble upon the concept that freedom and security are each others opposites. I'm not saying that this statement is incorrect, but I want to emphasize that money, or more specifically financial independence has the power to give both security and freedom in life. There's the freedom of doing what you want as well as the financial security of not being concerned of how to get along and stretch your pennies.
13. More money does not mean you have to work harder. With most of the lessons gone through, this is a bit of a summarizing statement to the previous ones. It's the 'working for money' model of reality that enforces the notion that in order to get more money, you have to work harder. It states that the income is directly proportional to how much you labor. One step past this is to start skewing that proportional scale to a greater leverage, but the ultimate step is acknowledging that generating income might not need any form of labor or effort at all.
14. Money is infinite, not limited. This statement is to bust the myth of fixed resources. More money to you does not mean less money to others. Money and wealth grows and expands for every minute and becoming wealthier is not just about receiving other people's money, it's also about creating more money and abundance all together in the world. Destroying things of value is what eats up wealth while creating assets is what feeds more wealth.
Source:Article Source:
A Look at the New iOS 6 Features
iOS 6 Video Review: A Look at the New iOS 6 Features
In Sept, Apple upgraded its iPhone OS with a new release that is more of an evolution than revolution, but did offer a handful of improvements and new features. Some of the important key features in the iOS 6 upgrade include a more intuitive Siri, the ability to use Apple's FaceTime video conferencing over 3G as well as shared Wi-Fi networks, more flexibility in taking and sharing digital photographs, and the addition of the PassBook digital wallet.
On the flipside, some features were also included in the release that seemed to be not quite ready for primetime, such as the Apple Maps app that replaces Google Maps on the iPhone.
TechnologyGuide assistant editor Mike Wall spent some time with the new OS and filed this video report on what works and what still needs some work in Apple's iOS 6.
Welcome to the first look of iOS 6 for iPhone. So, the iOS 6 upgrade is kind of strange. It doesn't really have that many unique features it's bringing to the table. Of course, there is the notorious Apple Maps, which has already been criticized numerous times for being inaccurate, and it certainly does have those flaws.
Unfortunately, it's really tough for us to show that to you because it's really just a bunch of different minute inaccuracies. It's not like these overarching problems can easily be highlighted. In our area, specifically, when I was testing out iOS 6, it actually worked quite well. That's not to disregard that there are some serious problems with this application. If you want to find out everything that's wrong with it and what you should be concerned about, be sure to check out our full review where we highlight in more detail what's wrong with Apple Maps.
Kind of getting past, though, just Apple Maps and talking about iOS 6 in its entirety, it actually brings a lot of what you would want to an upgrade. I think the most understated thing that this brings to the table is increased performance.
Everything that you're going to do on your iPhone is going to feel faster and it's going to feel smoother. Launching applications is much faster. There are almost no load times now. Using specific apps, such as Twitter, there's a noticeable difference. When I used to use Twitter, I'd wait a while to kind of update my tweets. It would take a long time for them to load. But now even if I have 100 tweets or even more in my backlog, I simply just swipe my finger and instantly they're all there.
Also, going to websites and stuff like that from Twitter is much easier. So, using things like that and Facebook, in particular, are going to feel much smoother. But really, across the board in all applications, the device just feels cleaner, smoother, and has more utility. Honestly, the experience just feels better, and I think that's probably the major thing of what anybody should be looking for in an operation system upgrade.
So one of the new functions that comes with iOS 6 is pretty welcomed as it actually allows Siri to interact with all the apps that you have on your phone. So, if you wanted to launch Pulse, for instance:
[Speaking to phone: Launch Pulse.]
Siri reply: It doesn't look like you have an app named Pulse.]
Of course, Siri still has the terrible speech recognition that she does, but try one more time. [Speaking to phone: Launch Pulse.]
There you go, nice and easy. I can instantly get into anything. If you're hands-free it's a lot easier to do than simply clicking. Additionally, Siri will also be able to access certain types of information on the fly, such as sports games, movie times, and even help you make reservations at restaurants. While this isn't a great depth of information, these nice little features actually come in handy.
[Speaking to phone: What was the score of the Packers game?]
Siri reply: The Packers lost a close one to the Seahawks yesterday. The final score was 14 to 12.]
It doesn't really capture everything that happened in that game, but still you can see you get the basic information rather quickly.
Okay, so in the same light of a photo stream, users will also be able to take panoramic pictures. Again, this is something very simple, but it is quite satisfying, and it's a feature that they didn't have before. So, while Android has had it for a while, it's still a joy to have and I think iPhone users will be happy to have it.
Source:brighthand
Your Tablet PC
The Tablet is a computer which you can hold with only one hand and use at any place or any time.
Even though a Tablet is more practical than a Laptop, it had to compensate on some of the features since a Tablet has a smaller memory. In terms of usability, a Tablet is somewhere between a Laptop and a Smartphone. It's for that reason that the tablet is intended to work on small documents on the go in order to transfer them afterwards onto a Laptop or Desk Pc.
Bottom-line: All the 'small' actions which you used to do on your laptop or are now possible on your tablet
The difference between the first generation of tablet computers and the current generation are enormous. The first tablet generation came with a stylus pen. This pen allowed the user to control the tablet. The new tablets are based on an advanced touchscreen. They only need the touch of your finger in order to perform. Unlike a Laptop, a Tablet has no need for a separate keyboard. The Tablet's keyboard is combined with its touch screen. But for those who prefer, users are able to buy an extra accessory to link an external keyboard. So those who are not familiar with the touch screen can use the Tablet Pc with ease.
Early examples of a Tablet concept originated in the 20th century mainly as prototypes like Alan Kay's Dynabook of 1968. Microsoft picked up the idea in 2000 and creates the Microsoft Tablet Pc. This relatively unsuccessful product was intended for a niche market like hospitals and outdoor businesses.
In 2010, Apple released the iPad, which became the first successful tablet on the commercial market. This has sparked a new market for tablet computers and a variety of other manufacturers have produced versions of their own.
The removal of the Stylus has been an important evolution for the Tablet. Since it's most important feature is convenience in mobility. Without the Stylus you are capable to use your tablet where ever you want without external attributes. Furthermore, the ease of a Tablet is enlarged by the use of applications. Applications simplify internet use since it predefines your actions.
Your tablet, like any other computer device, has no restrictions on the global use of the internet through a Wi-Fi connection or a data-provider.
So thanks to your Tablet you are globally connected in the most convenient way.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7337401
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Apple iPhone full guide
1. Simple introduction about iPhone
Screen resolution: 320 by 480 pixels (160 ppi),Operating system: OS X
GSM Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), Wireless data
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) / EDGE / Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Battery: Talk Time: Up to 8 hours; Standby Up to 250 hours; Internet Use Up to 6 hours; Video Playback Up to 7 hours; Audio playback Up to 24 hours.
iPhone Supported Video format:
H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats;
H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats;
MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
iPhone Cost: $59.99 a month for 450 minutes of talk time, $79.99 for 900 minutes and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes along with unlimited data service. There also is a $36 activation fee. Customers can pay extra for plans to get more talk time or text messages. Several family-style plans also are available, ranging from $80 a month for 700 shared minutes to $120 for 2,100 shared minutes.
Full iPhone Demo Guide: Apple - iPhone - A Guided TourFor more iPhone info: IPhone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia2. How to rip DVD and IFO to MP4 for iPhone
Step1. Download "Aimersoft iPhone Converter Suite", install and run it. For Windows Vista user, you may have to run this program as Administrator, right click the program shortcut and click "Run as Administrator".
Step2. Run the DVD to iPhone Converter. Load your DVD by clicking "Load DVD" button, you also can load IFO file from your hard drive by clicking "Load File" button.
Step3. Click the drop download list to select the Audio and Subtitle you want, you also can change the output location. A regular DVD movie has several titles, such as MTV DVD, by default, this software will merge all the DVD chapters into one video clips, you can check the click box before the title list to select any DVD clips you want to rip.
As format: This software supports three Apple products: iPhone, iPod and Apple TV. It can rip DVD to MP4, M4A; it also can rip audio from DVD to MP3, AAC. Just select "iPhone Video MPEG-4 (*.mp4)"
After you finish the settings, click "Start" button to start the conversion.
3. How to convert AVI, MPEG, FLV, WMV, MOV, ASF, MP4, DAT, RM, RMVB, MPG, 3GP to MP4 for iPhone
1. Click "Video to iPhone Converter" to load the Aimersoft Video to iPhone Converter. Then click "Add" button to load video files. This software supports batch conversion, so you can add several video clips at one time.
2. The operation is similar with DVD to iPhone Converter, this software can join several different video clips into one file, if you want to join video, just check the box "Merge into one file". You also can customize the resolution, video bit rate, encoder, frame rate, audio bit rate, channel, etc in the setting panel by clicking the "Settings" button. The program also lets you create a profile and save it, then you can use different settings for each video clips.
3. Click "Start" button to start the conversion after you finish the settings.
Tips:
1. This software provides rich video editing functions for you to trim, crop and edit DVD movie. Click the "Crop" button, and then you will see a pop up window (See the figure below). There is a frame in dashed line around the movie video; you can drag it to cut the black edges.2. You can click the "Effect" button and customize the brightness, saturation, contrast, volume, etc . You can even apply special effects such as "Emboss", "Negative", "Old film" and "Gray" by selecting an effect from drop-down list.
3. This software can capture pictures from DVD movie, there is a small camera icon below the preview windows, click it when you preview the movie, it can save picture as JPEG and BMP.
How to rip DVD and convert video to iPhone with Cucusoft iPhone Converter Suite?
1. Download Cucusoft DVD to iPhone + iPhone Video Converter Suite, install and run it. Click "Open DVD" button to load DVD file from your DVD drive or hard drive.
2. Click on "Setting" and go to menu "Subtitle" to select the subtitle and select the audio.
3. The converter will automatically detect the main movie of your DVDs, it will popup with below window to let you make a decision, just keep the setting of "Record from movie start point" and output file size setting, the default setting is the best for good quality and compact output file size, click "Yes" to start ripping DVD to iPhone video files.
Run iPhone Video Converter and click "open file" to load videos. Then click 'Output' and choose the path where you want to save your video files. Click 'Convert' to start converting video to iPhone MP4 video.
For more iPhone converters, you can refer this iPhone Converter review:
DVD to iPhone Converter review
Wondershare(win): http://www.dvd-ripper-copy.com/iphone-converter-suite.html
Videora(win): http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/iPhone/
SUPER(win): http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html
handbrake(mac): http://handbrake.m0k.org
Imtoo(win): http://www.imtoo.com/dvd-to-iphone-suite.html
Xilisoft(win): http://www.xilisoft.com/dvd-to-iphone-suite.html
Lenogo(win): http://www.lenogo.com/dvdtoiphoneconverter/index.htmTrouble shooting:
To convert RM/RMVB real media files to MP4, you may have to install Real player:
http://www.real.com/freeplayer4. Where to download free video and rip CD to MP3 for iPhone
1. iTunes store: $0.99 for one song, $9.99 for one movie, $1.99 for one TV show. Just install iTunes and visit the iTunes store.
2. Limewire is fast and popular file sharing freeware working on Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Through the P2P (peer-to-peer) network, you can free download various files by its category or keyword searching.
3. Other stream video website such as video.yahoo, Myspace, etc. here is a list of free stream video website
here is a guide to show you how to download stream video with vixy.net : Online FLV Converter : Download online videos direct to PC / iPod / PSP. It's free!KeepVid: Download videos from Google, Youtube, iFilm, Putfile, Metacafe, DailyMotion!and Firefox.
step by step guide download free youtube, google, yahoo video to computer for free
the download stream video is flv file, if the free online flv converter couldn't deal with it, you can use trySUPERorAimersoft iPhone Video Converter, and they can convert flv video to any format you want.
4. Rip your own CD to MP3 for iPhone; iTunes can help you to do that. Install and run iTunes, click "Edit -> Preference -> Advanced -> importing tab" to change the "Import Using" to MP3 Encoder, you can also customize the audio bit rate here. Then click OK and put your CD into your disc drive, iTunes will automatically recognize that you've loaded a CD. Now you can either choose individual songs for import by checking only the tracks you want and un-checking all the rest (all songs are selected for import by default). Simply click the Import button on the upper right corner of iTunes and let the software do the job. All of the selected files will be encoded into MP3 digital music files and saved in your iTunes music directory by Artist and Album. (If you're not sure where to locate your files, you can find out by going back to the "Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced tab". Here you can see the default iTunes Music folder location.
Transfer music and video to iPhone
You need iTunes version 7.30 or later to sync music and video to iPhone.If you don't have iTunes yet, you can download free from here.
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
If you already have iTunes, just create a play list; drag your music and video to the list (set your
iTunes to "manually manage music and video"), connect your iPhone to computer via USB cable, then click iTunes "File -> Sync iPhone", Done.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Law
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
best laptop model 2012 (MacBook)
Performance 9.4/10
The MacBook Pro boast a powerful, Intel Quad-Core i7 processor designed to run any level of software. This third-generation processor gives you a faster and smoother transition between programs. It also has lower power requirements and better cooling. In addition, the turbo Boost 2.0 makes the device even faster (3.6GHz), giving it the extra push which truly enhances your experience.This laptop features excellent graphics and sound capabilities. First, the NVIDIA GeForce GT integrated graphics card will handle a multitude of programs and you won't have to worry about the GPU overheating if you spend time editing video or photos. The second part of this multimedia duo is the speakers. Custom, high-definition speakers provide high-fidelity sound with a wide range of treble and bass.
This 15-inch laptop computer offers 8GB of RAM and 750GB of hard drive space. This is definitely plenty of hard drive space and provides a large amount of space for storing all your important files.
The Macbook Pro offers up to seven hours of battery life on a single battery charge. Battery life can fluctuate however, depending on your use of the device
Design
The Apple MacBook Pro has small dimensions, even with a large screen. This computing device is only 0.71 inches thick, making it one of the thinnest laptops available on the market. It also weighs 4.46 pounds, so it is easy to carry from one place to another. Even with the smaller body, this laptop is still sturdy and strong. It is built from a single piece of aluminum, which prevents small pieces from breaking off the device.
This laptop features a display with 1280 x 800 resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors. This gives you stunning images and makes the color on the display screen pop. It also is an Energy-Star qualified device, meaning it has met the specifications proving it is an energy-efficient device.
Feature Set
This laptop computer features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. This allows you to connect to the internet easily and in more areas. There are several ports located on the side of the laptop, including an Ethernet and FireWire port, two USB ports, a SDXC slot and a headphone jack. The HDMI port allows you to connect this device to any HDTV or HD monitor, and there are also two ultrafast Thunderbolt ports. Another benefit of this laptop is the 8x SuperDrive that reads and writes both DVDs and CDs.
This laptop has an HD camera for capturing widescreen HD video. The camera, along with the built-in, dual adaptive microphones, makes it possible to place video calls from one computer to another through Apple’s FaceTime software.
Support & Warranty:
The MacBook Pro comes with a one-year warranty. Apple provides phone support for your apple products, but it is time consuming. The site also offers user forums, and you can submit a support ticket requesting them to call you back. There is no email support from Apple, so you are likely better off going into a local store and talking to a specialist.
Summary:
The Apple MacBook Pro is an excellent computer with a sleek design, sharp display and fast performance. This device offers several multimedia features, including an HD camera and FaceTime software for video chatting. It also boasts up to seven hours of battery life on a single charge. This MacBook is something to brag about. With a powerful graphics card, excellent design and a quick processor, this laptop will do just about anything.Source
iPhone 5 Tips 'n' Tricks
Copying your old data
If you’re upgrading from an older iPhone then you can copy across your contacts, apps, data and settings easily.
If you’re last iPhone was running iOS 5 or iOS 6, you can use iCloud to do this. Just go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup on your device and make sure it’s toggled on. You’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and it will probably take a while, so we would advise just plugging your phone in and using iTunes instead.
For contacts, you can copy them onto your nano-SIM card and stick it into your new iPhone 5, then go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Import SIM Contact. If you don’t have a nano-SIM in your old phone, you can export your contacts. Different phones have different methods. One of the simplest ways, if you are switching from Android, is to save your contacts in Gmail and then set up your Gmail account on your iPhone 5 via Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. You’ll get the option to import them.
Security
It is a good idea to go to Settings > General > Passcode Lock and set one up. That will prevent people from taking a look through your phone. You can also set your auto-lock timer in Settings > General which will both save battery power and increase the security of your phone. If you’re confident you can remember your four-digit PIN, there is also an option to have your phone wipe itself (completely delete all memory) if a PIN is entered incorrectly 10 times in a row. This is a potentially dangerous option for the scatterbrained among us, but could save your data if it’s stolen.Social media
Facebook and Twitter have been fully integrated into iOS 6. This means you can share any content quickly and easily via the Share button.
Before you do that, you’ll need to set up your accounts. In Settings you’ll find Facebook and Twitter entries that let you input your account details once and then you’ll never have to enter them again. You may want to switch the Contacts toggle in the Facebook menu to “off“ before you do or you’ll end up importing contacts from Facebook into your Address Book.
Tips for Siri
If you’re new to Siri then you’ll want to play around with it. Press and hold your Home button to activate Siri. When “What can I help you with?” comes up, tap the “i” and you’ll get a list of what Siri can do.
You can teach Siri about people and locations by telling it things like “Jenny is my wife.” You can also dictate messages and emails. In fact, with iOS 6, you can use Siri to post tweets and Facebook updates. You can even launch apps with Siri now.
Tips for Maps
If you aren’t too keen on the new Maps App then check out our alternative iOS 6 map apps roundup. If you want to give it a try then you’ll find it’s easy to use. Touch and hold anywhere on a map to drop a pin. That gives you an exact address and allows you to select Quick Route for turn-by-turn directions, just hit the car icon and then Start.
You can tap “3D” to try out the Flyover mode and tilt and zoom to explore. You can also just tap the compass icon at any time to find North.
Camera tips
You can access your camera directly from the lock screen on the iPhone 5 by sliding up the camera icon. Simply tap on the screen to decide what you want to focus on. You can also pinch to zoom in the camera app.You’ll find the new Panorama mode in Options in the Camera app and it allows you to slowly pan around to capture a panorama shot. Just hit done when you’re finished. You can also tap the arrow to change direction.
If you want to take a screenshot of whatever is currently on your screen, press and hold the Power button and then press the Home button. You’ll see a flash to indicate the screenshot was taken.
(Note: We’d love to give you a tip to avoid the infamous purple lens flare issue that’s popped up with the iPhone 5, but there currently isn’t a fix for this. Apple may issue a patch for it in the future, but for now, you need to avoid aiming your iPhone near the sun if you hate the color violet.)
Miscellaneous tips for iPhone 5
If you double click the Home button you can scroll over to the right and lock your screen orientation in landscape or portrait. You can also see active apps and touch and hold them to turn them off, access the volume controls, and use Air Play from this menu.
If you don’t want to be disturbed, you can go to Settings and toggle Do Not Disturb on and incoming call, notifications and messages won’t bother you. They’ll still be collected, but your iPhone won’t make a sound or light up.
Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts and you can set up your own personal shortcuts for typing messages. You can also add loads of emoticons to your text messages by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboard and selecting Emoji.
When you are reading a web page in Safari and you want to skip to the top quickly, just tap the status bar.
For more iPhone 5 tips go to Bookmarks in Safari, scroll down and tap iPhone User Guide.
Got any iPhone 5 tips of your own to share? Please post a comment.
thank you!!!
Apple has revealed that Samsung is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Apple has revealed that Samsung is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The company announced the investigation in a filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission on Monday, saying that the "Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the manner in which Samsung has used -- or misused -- its declared-essential patents."
The Justice Department has not confirmed that and has stayed tight-lipped on the matter, but Dow Jones Newswires is reporting today, citing a source, that the investigation has been going on for months.
FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller was first to report on the investigation.
Standard-essential patents are handled differently than regular patents. When a company's patents are deemed standard and essential, it must offer them on a fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) basis. Apple has argued time and again that some of Samsung's wireless patents, which have been deemed standard-essential, are being offered on unfair terms, stifling competition.
In January, the European Union's European Commission announced that it had launched a formal investigation into whether Samsung was using its essential wireless patents as an anticompetitive tool, and thus violating a commitment it made to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.
"Samsung sought injunctive relief in various Member States' courts against competing mobile device makers based on alleged infringements of certain of its patent rights which it has declared essential to implement European mobile telephony standards," the Commission said in January. "The Commission will investigate, in particular, whether in doing so Samsung has failed to honor its irrevocable commitment given in 1998 to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to license any standard essential patents relating to European mobile telephony standards on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms."
In other words, the European Commission wants to ensure Samsung isn't hurting competition by limiting competitors' use of technology that has been deemed essential in mobile products.
The Department of Justice has taken aim at standard-essential patents before. Earlier this year when it approved Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility -- a move driven mainly be the search giant's desire to own more patents -- the Justice Department made clear that it would pay close attention to the handling of essential patents across the mobile space. The Samsung investigation might have been a response to that.
CNET has contacted both Apple and Samsung for comment on the investigation. We will update this story when we have more information.
Source
iPad Mini vs Nexus 7
Apple has just announced the new iPad Mini, a smaller 7.9-inch iPad priced starting at $329 for the lowest WiFi model. Of course, with a more affordable iPad there is only one question to be answered – will it beat the Android competition?
Like all other Apple products there is no doubt this little guy will sell, and probably sell unlike any other iPad to date. It is Apple, after all, and people will go for the brand, but is it really a better deal? Apple is getting very competitive and has decided to compare the iPad Mini to the Nexus 7 in its own keynote announcement, but let’s jump in and see it from an objective point of view.
After selling 100 million iPads since the line’s debut in 2010, the iPad mini walks in sporting a 7.9 inch IPS display with 1024×768 resolution, Apple’s A5 processor, 16-64GB of internal storage, and more. It may not be as affordable as the almighty Nexus 7, but it has its lures. It is very thin and portable at 7.2 mm thick and 308 grams light, and will offer the speed and smoothness from iOS 6. But let’s take a look at more of the main key differences:
As you can see from the chart above, the iPad Mini is no bad contender, but it is lacking a few things. An obvious one is NFC. Apple’s known to take the wait and see approach so we weren’t necessarily surprised to see it absent as it was in the iPhone 5. It has the same resolution as the iPad 2 (1024×768), but that is not quite Retina Display. Heck, it’s not even quite HD ala the Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7. You’re getting higher pixel density over the iPad 2, of course, but it won’t best the Nexus 7.
It also boasts 10 hours of battery life (the Nexus 7 doesn’t do bad at all in this category) and a 5 megapixel iSight HD camera with a front-facing FaceTime camera opposed to the Nexus 7′s 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera.
Compared to its big brother iPad, which is now in its 4th generation with an HD FaceTime camera and an A6X processor, it doesn’t seem to be much more than a smaller version without as fast of a processor. But Apple’s looking to attack a sector of the market that they feel the Nexus 7 and even Amazon’s Kindle Fire simply won’t be able to match them in.
You see, the Apple brand will always be the Apple brand. People will forever be enthralled by its products no matter what you say, and even at a starting price of $500 the iPad has dominated the market. Imagine those folks who’ve always wanted an iPad but the tablet was just too rich for their blood — suddenly things get a little worrisome for Google and Amazon, don’t they?
Paying $329 instead of $500 to be able to say you have an iPad will be huge for many people, and the can of worms Apple’s opened up might just be the hardest outbreak to contain in the tablet space yet.
We’re not saying the sky is falling below the point of no return, but Apple will no doubt be able to secure a huge chunk of market share with this device, and it’s going to be much harder for the competition to win it back than it was for smartphones.
Source
iPad Mini Fist look
Apple's iPad Mini will bring a lot more excitement and a little more confusion to the holiday shopping season.
It only takes a few minutes playing with the iPad mini to realize the scaled-down tablet computer will be a sure-fire hit with longtime Apple disciples and potential converts who've been looking for a more affordable entree into the mobile computing market.
With a 7.9-inch screen, the iPad mini is perfectly sized to be stuffed in Christmas stockings. Recipients who will discover the pleasure and convenience of being able to take pictures, surf the Web, watch video, read books and listen to music on an exquisitely designed device that's pancake thin.
As enticing as that all sounds, the iPad mini also causes a dilemma, albeit a pleasant one.
The new option will make it even more difficult for holiday shoppers to figure out which mobile device to buy for their loved ones -or for themselves.
I felt the pangs of indecision within a few minutes of picking up the iPad mini for the first time.
As the company usually does at its product unveilings, Apple Inc. only provided reporters with limited, strictly supervised access to the iPad mini on Tuesday. That meant I could only experiment with it for about 15 minutes, but as an experienced user of the iPad 2, I could quickly see that the smaller tablet does just about everything its bigger brethren does.
Even though the mini's screen is 1.8 inches smaller than the standard iPad, the movie "The Avengers" looked lush, even in a side-by-side comparison with the larger tablet. When I pulled up the latest issue of the New Yorker, I didn't have to strain to see the text or pictures on the smaller screen. A quick check of other websites verified that the mini's screen isn't so tiny that it's going to cause a lot of squinting. After I took a very crisp picture of another reporter testing out a mini, I decided to email it to her to test how easy it was to use the keyboard on the smaller screen. No problem there. Best of all, the iPad Mini can be held in one hand and is about half the weight of the larger iPad.
The Mini worked so much like my standard iPad that it immediately caused me to have second thoughts about a decision I thought I had already made. I like my iPad 2 a lot, but it's just too big to carry with me wherever I am. But there have been times I really wish I had it with me, like when I spot something that would make a great picture or when I've needed to check something on the Web. For various reasons, I didn't want a smartphone that would require a data plan, so I had my mind set on buying the latest iPod Touch, which has an iPhone-size screen and superb camera.
Now, the iPad mini has me vacillating. Apple isn't making it easier with its pricing strategy. The latest iPod Touch with 32 gigabytes sells for $299. An iPad Mini with 16 gigabytes of storage sells for $329. I'm tempted.
Like others who will no doubt be weighing the same decision, I'll have to make up my mind. Do I want something that can fit in my one of pant pockets like the Touch? For starters, it comes in more colors than the black-or-white Mini and offers more storage capacity for a cheaper price.
Or do I want to pay a little more for another tablet computer that can slip into a coat pocket and offer a richer experience with a screen nearly two times larger than the new Touch?
The iPad mini is so mighty that I can't believe the iPad 2 will be on the market too much longer. The iPad 2's $399 price now looks like too much, given that the iPad mini can do just about everything it does on a slightly smaller screen. The iPad 2 still may have some appeal for people who want a larger tablet at a lower price the newest iPads, but I can't see too many consumers buying Apple's second-generation tablet now that the mini is available.
Consumers who aren't set on buying one of Apple's devices will have even more choices to make. The iPad mini is clearly aimed at siphoning sales away from the Nexus 7 tablet that Google Inc. began selling four months ago and the longer-established Kindle Fire from Amazon.com Inc. Figuring out which one is best-suited for you (or that special someone on your shopping list) will likely come down to weighing price against performance.
Amazon is sells a Kindle Fire HD with 16 gigabytes of storage and 7-inch screen for $199 and a similarly sized Nexus 7 goes for $249. That means an iPad mini will cost $80 to $130 more, a price that Apple believes is justified because it boasts more features, such as front and back cameras. The mini's reliance on aluminum instead of plastic for its exterior also makes it look more stylish and more enjoyable to hold.
If the speculation on technology blogs pans out, Google might make things even more interesting and dizzying for holiday shoppers by introducing a $99 version of the Nexus 7 in the coming weeks.
Source
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
iPhone 5 Smaller Dock Port All but Confirmed
There have been reports for some time that Apple is going to shrink the size of the Dock connector on its mobile devices, and the latest to throw its weight behind this story is Reuters.
According to this news service, the 30-pin port on the iPhone and iPad is going to be replaced with a 19-pin one. This will give Apple designers room to move the audio port from the top of the handset to the bottom.
Apple iPhone 5Some of the images supposedly giving the world an early look at the next-generation iPhone have shown the smaller port and the re-located audio port.
According to a previous port, Apple is going to use this change to make it impossible for third-party accessory makers to release cables without Apple's permission.
The next iPhone is widely expected to be released in October, a year after the debut of the iPhone 4S.
View the original article here
Read more ►
According to this news service, the 30-pin port on the iPhone and iPad is going to be replaced with a 19-pin one. This will give Apple designers room to move the audio port from the top of the handset to the bottom.
Apple iPhone 5Some of the images supposedly giving the world an early look at the next-generation iPhone have shown the smaller port and the re-located audio port.
According to a previous port, Apple is going to use this change to make it impossible for third-party accessory makers to release cables without Apple's permission.
The next iPhone is widely expected to be released in October, a year after the debut of the iPhone 4S.
View the original article here
Apple Ipad mini launch
Apple's iPad mini launch: Live coverage
>Device expected to have 7.85inch screen
>Could go on sale on November 2nd, reports claim
> Firm also completely revamped its Mac computer range with new Macbook 13 inch computer with high definition Retina display, Mac mini computer and thin iMac desktop computer
Apple boss Tim Cook has taken the stage at San Jose's California theatre to introduce Apple's latest blockbuster product - which is believed to be a mini tablet set to fend off competition from Amazon’s Kindle Fire and a raft of relatively cheap smaller tablet computers.
He promised 'We've got some really exciting things to show you', and revealed the firm has sold more than 3m of its new iPods and sold more than 200 million devices running iOS 6, the latest version of its mobile software.
Cook also revealed Apple has now sold over 100m iPads around the world.
The firm also completely revamped its Mac computer range with a new 13 inch Macbook laptop, a Mac Mini computer the size of several CD cases and a new thinner iMac desktop computer.
Apple's Phil Schiller first introduced a new version of the firm's popular 13inch Macbook portable computer that is .75inch thick and has the firm's high resolution retina display.
It will cost from £1449 ($1699 in the US), and is available from today.
the firm also showed off a new version of the Mac mini, its small Mac the size of several CD cases which will cost from $599 in the US.
The firm also revealed a new thinner version of its iMac desktop computer just 5mm thick, but dumps the optical drive found in previous versions (although Schiller said a seperate drive was available 'for those stuck in the past')
It will be available with a 21.5inch and 27inch screen, and goes on sale in November costing from $1799 in the US.
The firm also revealed a new version of its iBook reading software, adding a continuous scrolling support and Japanese text.
The new shrunken iPad is rumoured to have a screen that is 7.85inches across the diagonal – which compares to 9.7inches on the original version.
The firm is also rumoured to be introducing a new Macbook computer with a high definition Retina display, and possible new iMac desktop machines.
Interest in the new gadget has been huge - with monitoring firm Experian Hitwise saying 1 in every 6000 UK internet searches last week were for the iPad mini.
Piper Jaffray technology analyst Gene Munster said in a note to investors that he expects the iPad mini to launch on 2 November.
Source
Apple heads into choppy waters as new iPhone awaited
A man shows a photograph he took on his iPhone of an Apple store in Beijing June 6, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/David Gray
By Poornima Gupta
SAN FRANCISCO | Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:06am EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc faces an unusual phenomenon when reporting earnings this time around: low expectations.
Few are expecting the world's most valuable technology company -- which surpasses Wall Street expectations with near regularity -- to deliver a bumper quarter once more on Tuesday.
The main reason: consumers holding out for the new iPhone.
Apple may still surprise market watchers, but many Wall Street analysts and investors remember how chatter over the launch of a new iPhone last year caused Apple to miss quarterly expectations in the fall, for the first time in years.
The iPhone 5 is only expected to hit store shelves around October -- just in time for the holidays -- with a thinner, larger screen and fine-tuned search features. Couple that pre-launch lull with slowdowns in Europe and China, Apple's biggest markets outside of North America, and sentiment on the Wall Street darling is more muted than many can remember in a while.
"No longer is Apple the company that beats every time," said Tim Lesko, portfolio manager at Granite Investment Advisors, which owns Apple stock. "I expect Apple to beat Apple's guidance, but I don't know whether they will beat Wall Street's guidance."
Tony Sacconaghi, analyst with Bernstein Research, sees a reasonable chance Apple will miss expectations on revenue, citing "macroeconomic weakness in China and Europe, a product cycle lull in the iPhone, a later than expected introduction of the new iPad into China, and the late quarter introduction of new Mac notebooks."
Any hiccup in demand for the best-selling smartphone can have a big impact on both revenue and profits as the five-year old device accounts for nearly 50 percent for Apple's revenues. And it comes at a time Samsung and other manufacturers that use rival Google Inc's Android software are chipping away at its market share.
Apple is expected to report fiscal third-quarter earnings of $10.35 a share on revenue of $37.2 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Top Wall Street analysts are betting the numbers will undershoot that. Apple may miss the average sales forecast by about 0.2 percent, according to Thomson Reuters Starmine's SmartEstimates, which places greater emphasis on timely forecasts by top-rated analysts.
IPAD'S LAUNCH IN CHINA
But some analysts also think the Street is underestimating the impact of a late iPad launch in China, a focal point of intense expansion for the company and a huge driver of growth.
Apple began selling the tablet there on Friday, but many had expected it to ship last quarter.
Sales in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan jumped threefold to $7.9 billion in the second quarter, accounting for about 20 percent of Apple's $39.2 billion in total revenue.
The company typically introduces a new iPhone every year, but has yet to reveal any details on the next model.
However, people familiar with the situation have told Reuters the new iPhone will have a bigger display and that Apple has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan.
Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone 4S is just three quarters old, which is relatively new by any standard. But many fans of the phone now see it as a cyclical product with somewhat predictable launch timeframes, preferring to wait a few months to buy the new model, analysts said.
Wall Street estimates Apple sold about 29 million iPhones, down from 35.1 million sold in the March quarter. Sales of the new iPad, expected to be 14 million to 15 million, is likely to offset part of the anticipated sequential drop in iPhones sales.
Apart from concerns about iPhone purchases, Wall Street is worried about the rising prominence of Google and Amazon.com in the mobile market, particularly with the launch of Google's smaller and cheaper Nexus 7 tablet, which is gaining popularity.
Still, no one is bearish in the longer term on the world's largest technology company by market value and most Apple watchers believe the company will make up any lost iPhone volume during the holiday season.
"Big picture, it doesn't matter," said Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. "They are still the share gainer in the larger scheme of things. This is clearly a timing issue."
BIG HOLIDAY SEASON EYED
Wall Street expects that the outlook for this year's holiday season will be enormous for Apple as it may include the launch of a new iPhone as well as a potential new "mini iPad."
Apple has been working on a smaller tablet, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
It is unclear when Apple will launch such a tablet, but some clues are emerging on the timing of the new iPhone.
When Verizon -- one of the wireless carriers that work with Apple -- was asked on Thursday why customers have been holding back on handset upgrades, CFO Fran Shammo said: "There is always that rumor mill out there with a new phone coming out in the fourth quarter and so people may be waiting."
Investors will pick apart executives' comments for clues to new product introductions. While Apple has a policy of never giving advance details or timings on new products, Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer has often hinted of "product transition" in earnings conference calls preceding a launch.
Wall Street estimates Apple sold about 4 million Macintosh computers as the PC market saw growth sputter in the quarter.
The lackluster expectations do not appear to have affected Apple's stock, which is up nearly 50 percent so far in 2012. The stock has been choppy since a high of $644 in April. It closed Friday at $604.30 on the Nasdaq.
"Of all the quarters, this is the one that seems to have widest range of opinion," said Granite's Lesko.
View the original article here
Read more ►
Credit: Reuters/David Gray
By Poornima Gupta
SAN FRANCISCO | Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:06am EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc faces an unusual phenomenon when reporting earnings this time around: low expectations.
Few are expecting the world's most valuable technology company -- which surpasses Wall Street expectations with near regularity -- to deliver a bumper quarter once more on Tuesday.
The main reason: consumers holding out for the new iPhone.
Apple may still surprise market watchers, but many Wall Street analysts and investors remember how chatter over the launch of a new iPhone last year caused Apple to miss quarterly expectations in the fall, for the first time in years.
The iPhone 5 is only expected to hit store shelves around October -- just in time for the holidays -- with a thinner, larger screen and fine-tuned search features. Couple that pre-launch lull with slowdowns in Europe and China, Apple's biggest markets outside of North America, and sentiment on the Wall Street darling is more muted than many can remember in a while.
"No longer is Apple the company that beats every time," said Tim Lesko, portfolio manager at Granite Investment Advisors, which owns Apple stock. "I expect Apple to beat Apple's guidance, but I don't know whether they will beat Wall Street's guidance."
Tony Sacconaghi, analyst with Bernstein Research, sees a reasonable chance Apple will miss expectations on revenue, citing "macroeconomic weakness in China and Europe, a product cycle lull in the iPhone, a later than expected introduction of the new iPad into China, and the late quarter introduction of new Mac notebooks."
Any hiccup in demand for the best-selling smartphone can have a big impact on both revenue and profits as the five-year old device accounts for nearly 50 percent for Apple's revenues. And it comes at a time Samsung and other manufacturers that use rival Google Inc's Android software are chipping away at its market share.
Apple is expected to report fiscal third-quarter earnings of $10.35 a share on revenue of $37.2 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Top Wall Street analysts are betting the numbers will undershoot that. Apple may miss the average sales forecast by about 0.2 percent, according to Thomson Reuters Starmine's SmartEstimates, which places greater emphasis on timely forecasts by top-rated analysts.
IPAD'S LAUNCH IN CHINA
But some analysts also think the Street is underestimating the impact of a late iPad launch in China, a focal point of intense expansion for the company and a huge driver of growth.
Apple began selling the tablet there on Friday, but many had expected it to ship last quarter.
Sales in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan jumped threefold to $7.9 billion in the second quarter, accounting for about 20 percent of Apple's $39.2 billion in total revenue.
The company typically introduces a new iPhone every year, but has yet to reveal any details on the next model.
However, people familiar with the situation have told Reuters the new iPhone will have a bigger display and that Apple has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan.
Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone 4S is just three quarters old, which is relatively new by any standard. But many fans of the phone now see it as a cyclical product with somewhat predictable launch timeframes, preferring to wait a few months to buy the new model, analysts said.
Wall Street estimates Apple sold about 29 million iPhones, down from 35.1 million sold in the March quarter. Sales of the new iPad, expected to be 14 million to 15 million, is likely to offset part of the anticipated sequential drop in iPhones sales.
Apart from concerns about iPhone purchases, Wall Street is worried about the rising prominence of Google and Amazon.com in the mobile market, particularly with the launch of Google's smaller and cheaper Nexus 7 tablet, which is gaining popularity.
Still, no one is bearish in the longer term on the world's largest technology company by market value and most Apple watchers believe the company will make up any lost iPhone volume during the holiday season.
"Big picture, it doesn't matter," said Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. "They are still the share gainer in the larger scheme of things. This is clearly a timing issue."
BIG HOLIDAY SEASON EYED
Wall Street expects that the outlook for this year's holiday season will be enormous for Apple as it may include the launch of a new iPhone as well as a potential new "mini iPad."
Apple has been working on a smaller tablet, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
It is unclear when Apple will launch such a tablet, but some clues are emerging on the timing of the new iPhone.
When Verizon -- one of the wireless carriers that work with Apple -- was asked on Thursday why customers have been holding back on handset upgrades, CFO Fran Shammo said: "There is always that rumor mill out there with a new phone coming out in the fourth quarter and so people may be waiting."
Investors will pick apart executives' comments for clues to new product introductions. While Apple has a policy of never giving advance details or timings on new products, Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer has often hinted of "product transition" in earnings conference calls preceding a launch.
Wall Street estimates Apple sold about 4 million Macintosh computers as the PC market saw growth sputter in the quarter.
The lackluster expectations do not appear to have affected Apple's stock, which is up nearly 50 percent so far in 2012. The stock has been choppy since a high of $644 in April. It closed Friday at $604.30 on the Nasdaq.
"Of all the quarters, this is the one that seems to have widest range of opinion," said Granite's Lesko.
View the original article here
Judge blocks Apple in Google smartphone war
A U.S. judge on Friday ruled that Apple Inc cannot pursue an injunction against Google's Motorola Mobility unit, effectively ending a key case for the iPhone maker in the smart phone patent wars.
The ruling came from Judge Richard Posner in Chicago federal court. He dismissed the litigation between Apple and Motorola Mobility with prejudice, meaning it can't be refiled.
The ruling is a blow for Apple, which had hoped a decisive ruling against Motorola would help it gain an upper hand in the smartphone market against Android.
"Apple is complaining that Motorola's phones as a whole ripped off the iPhone as a whole," Posner wrote. "But Motorola's desire to sell products that compete with the iPhone is a separate harm -— and a perfectly legal one -— from any harm caused by patent infringement."
Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet declined to comment on the ruling. Motorola Mobility spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson said the company was pleased that Posner dismissed Apple's case.
Both parties have the option to appeal Posner's ruling.
Motorola sued Apple in October 2010, a move that was widely seen as a pre-emptive strike against an imminent Apple lawsuit. Apple filed its own claims against Motorola the same month.
Posner issued a series of pre-trial rulings that eliminated nearly all of Motorola's patent claims against Apple from the prospective trial, while maintaining more of Apple's claims against Motorola. That meant Apple had more to gain in the trial, which had been set to start last week.
However, Posner canceled the trial earlier this month.
Apple had sought an injunction barring the sale of Motorola products using Apple's patented technology. But in Friday's ruling, Posner wrote that neither party is entitled to an injunction.
Since Motorola could design around the minor technological features covered by Apple's patents, an injunction would be an inappropriate windfall for Apple, Posner wrote.
Posner also said that Apple had not clearly demonstrated that Motorola phones caused a loss of consumer goodwill significant enough for an injunction.
"To suggest that it has suffered loss of market share, brand recognition, or customer goodwill as a result of Motorola's alleged infringement of the patent claims still in play in this case is wild conjecture," Posner wrote.
In a bright spot for the iPhone maker, Posner also ruled that Motorola could not seek an injunction based on the one patent in the case that it was still asserting against Apple.
Motorola had pledged to license that patent - which covers an aspect of wireless communication - on fair and reasonable terms to other companies in exchange for having the technology adopted as an industry standard.
"How could it be permitted to enjoin Apple from using an invention that it contends Apple must use if it wants to make a cell phone," Posner wrote.
At a hearing earlier this week, Apple had argued that it would be satisfied with an injunction forcing Motorola to remove Apple's patented features within three months. But Posner found that proposal unworkable, in part because of the hardship in administering such an order.
"Because of the potential costs to Motorola and the federal judiciary I could not responsibly order injunctive relief in favor of Apple," he wrote in his ruling.
The case is Apple Inc. and NeXT Software Inc. V. Motorola Inc. and Motorola Mobility Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, no. 11-08540.
(Reporting by Dan Levine in Oakland, California and Jessica Dye in New York; Editing by Gary Hill and Jeremy Laurence)
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The ruling came from Judge Richard Posner in Chicago federal court. He dismissed the litigation between Apple and Motorola Mobility with prejudice, meaning it can't be refiled.
The ruling is a blow for Apple, which had hoped a decisive ruling against Motorola would help it gain an upper hand in the smartphone market against Android.
"Apple is complaining that Motorola's phones as a whole ripped off the iPhone as a whole," Posner wrote. "But Motorola's desire to sell products that compete with the iPhone is a separate harm -— and a perfectly legal one -— from any harm caused by patent infringement."
Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet declined to comment on the ruling. Motorola Mobility spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson said the company was pleased that Posner dismissed Apple's case.
Both parties have the option to appeal Posner's ruling.
Motorola sued Apple in October 2010, a move that was widely seen as a pre-emptive strike against an imminent Apple lawsuit. Apple filed its own claims against Motorola the same month.
Posner issued a series of pre-trial rulings that eliminated nearly all of Motorola's patent claims against Apple from the prospective trial, while maintaining more of Apple's claims against Motorola. That meant Apple had more to gain in the trial, which had been set to start last week.
However, Posner canceled the trial earlier this month.
Apple had sought an injunction barring the sale of Motorola products using Apple's patented technology. But in Friday's ruling, Posner wrote that neither party is entitled to an injunction.
Since Motorola could design around the minor technological features covered by Apple's patents, an injunction would be an inappropriate windfall for Apple, Posner wrote.
Posner also said that Apple had not clearly demonstrated that Motorola phones caused a loss of consumer goodwill significant enough for an injunction.
"To suggest that it has suffered loss of market share, brand recognition, or customer goodwill as a result of Motorola's alleged infringement of the patent claims still in play in this case is wild conjecture," Posner wrote.
In a bright spot for the iPhone maker, Posner also ruled that Motorola could not seek an injunction based on the one patent in the case that it was still asserting against Apple.
Motorola had pledged to license that patent - which covers an aspect of wireless communication - on fair and reasonable terms to other companies in exchange for having the technology adopted as an industry standard.
"How could it be permitted to enjoin Apple from using an invention that it contends Apple must use if it wants to make a cell phone," Posner wrote.
At a hearing earlier this week, Apple had argued that it would be satisfied with an injunction forcing Motorola to remove Apple's patented features within three months. But Posner found that proposal unworkable, in part because of the hardship in administering such an order.
"Because of the potential costs to Motorola and the federal judiciary I could not responsibly order injunctive relief in favor of Apple," he wrote in his ruling.
The case is Apple Inc. and NeXT Software Inc. V. Motorola Inc. and Motorola Mobility Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, no. 11-08540.
(Reporting by Dan Levine in Oakland, California and Jessica Dye in New York; Editing by Gary Hill and Jeremy Laurence)
View the original article here
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