First Review of Amazon's Kindle Fire
The Washington Post
Writer Josh Topolsky: "Can a $200 mini-tablet take on Apple’s behemoth? Can it derail the plans of other Android tablet-makers? And does the release of this product fundamentally change Amazon’s position in the market?The answer is ... maybe. But they have to do some tinkering first."
Tablet Owners Spend More Time Watching Online Video
CNET
Tablet users averaged 30 percent more viewing time per session compared with desktops, according to data released this week by Ooyala, a provider of video services to major brands. Tablet users also tended to be more engaged, finishing videos at nearly twice the rate as desktop users.
Tablets Score Big with Pro Sports Teams
CNN
The Bucs are one of two NFL teams that have purchased iPads for their players and coaches to use instead of the standard playbook. Baseball and hockey leagues have also taken notice of the advantages of mobile technology.
Harry McCracken Wants a Kindle Fire Phone
PCWorld
McCracken: "I wondered why no company has taken up the challenge of building…well, the iPhone of Android phones. Something that’s elegant, approachable, uncluttered, and respectful of the consumer’s intelligence...And then it hit me: Why not Amazon??
Collection of Quotes Predicting Failure of Original Kindle
The New York Times
On the eve of the launch of the Kindle Fire, The New York Times takes a moment to look at pundits who predicted the original uni-functional Kindle would tank.
Best Chart Ever Comparing E-Readers
paidContent
Ten e-readers are compared in an extremely thorough chart analyzing features like content availability to battery life.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Today's Headlines
Tablet Owners Use to Device to Shop
Adweek
According to a study from mobile ad network Jumptap and comScore, 63 percent of tablet owners have made a purchase with their device, as opposed to just 31 percent of mobile owners. That compares to 83 percent of PC owners who have completed a purchase on their laptop or desk computer.
More Newspaper Content to Be Available on RIM PlayBook
paidContent
RIM has a new deal with NewspaperDirect, a distributor of e-editions for more than 2,000 newspapers from 95 countries, for the service to be preloaded on the PlayBook tablet.
Branded Tablet Shipments Expected to Soar 60% Next Year
Digitimes
Global branded tablet PC shipments in the fourth quarter are not expected to see growth creating concerns among market watchers whether the tablet PC market has already reached saturation, but Digitimes Research senior analyst James Wang believes that the zero-growth in the fourth quarter is the joint affect of Japan's earthquake on March 11 and the global economic downturn, which should not become an obstacle that restrains the tablet PC market's growth in the future.
MIA: Where Is Microsoft's 7-Inch Tablet
ZDNET
There's a window of opportunity for Microsoft because Apple has no intention as of yet to produce a cheaper 7-inch iPad (as far as we know) and the fractionalization of the Android space by Amazon and Barnes & Noble does introduce some undesirable variables.
More Shoppers Leaning to Kindle Fire Over iPad
Computerworld
More than three times as many shoppers for tablet computers are considering the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire over the bestselling iPad, according to a survey by Retrevo.
E-Commerce is the Key to Tablet Success for Amazon and BN
Geek.com
When you walk out of Best Buy with a Galaxy Tab, your financial relationship with Samsung is over. When you walk out with a Kindle Fire, it’s just the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Amazon.
Adweek
According to a study from mobile ad network Jumptap and comScore, 63 percent of tablet owners have made a purchase with their device, as opposed to just 31 percent of mobile owners. That compares to 83 percent of PC owners who have completed a purchase on their laptop or desk computer.
More Newspaper Content to Be Available on RIM PlayBook
paidContent
RIM has a new deal with NewspaperDirect, a distributor of e-editions for more than 2,000 newspapers from 95 countries, for the service to be preloaded on the PlayBook tablet.
Branded Tablet Shipments Expected to Soar 60% Next Year
Digitimes
Global branded tablet PC shipments in the fourth quarter are not expected to see growth creating concerns among market watchers whether the tablet PC market has already reached saturation, but Digitimes Research senior analyst James Wang believes that the zero-growth in the fourth quarter is the joint affect of Japan's earthquake on March 11 and the global economic downturn, which should not become an obstacle that restrains the tablet PC market's growth in the future.
MIA: Where Is Microsoft's 7-Inch Tablet
ZDNET
There's a window of opportunity for Microsoft because Apple has no intention as of yet to produce a cheaper 7-inch iPad (as far as we know) and the fractionalization of the Android space by Amazon and Barnes & Noble does introduce some undesirable variables.
More Shoppers Leaning to Kindle Fire Over iPad
Computerworld
More than three times as many shoppers for tablet computers are considering the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire over the bestselling iPad, according to a survey by Retrevo.
E-Commerce is the Key to Tablet Success for Amazon and BN
Geek.com
When you walk out of Best Buy with a Galaxy Tab, your financial relationship with Samsung is over. When you walk out with a Kindle Fire, it’s just the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Amazon.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Today's Headlines
Swipe vs.Scroll for Tablets: Let the Debate Continue
Cenevoldsen (blog from Next Issue Media's marketing manager)
For publishers attempting to create an “edition based” experience similar to print, swiping from page to page gives readers a sense of familiarity. Vertical scrolling tends to feel infinite. The page just keeps going. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it depends on what you want to achieve with your app.
Amazon Ramps Up Kindle Fire Production to Keep Up with Demand
DigiTimes
Amazon has recently increased its Kindle Fire orders to more than five million units before the end of 2011 as pre-orders for the machine remain strong, according to sources from upstream component suppliers.
RIM's PlayBook to Sell for $199 on Black Friday
eBooknewswer
Thanksgiving might still be weeks off, but the ads for Black Friday have already started leaking. The ad for Staples has been posted online and the BlackBerry Playbook will be sold for $199 on Friday, November 25. That's half the current retail price.
Netflix Will Be Available on Kindle Fire
San Jose Mercury News
Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet will offer a Netflix app among thousands of applications that will be available when the tablet debuts next week.Amazon and Netflix have battled for streaming-video content for the past several months, with Amazon attempting to beef up its Amazon Prime streaming service.
What Is the Value of a Tablet Anyway?
First Arkansas News
Both the Kindle Fire and the NOOK Tablet boast impressive specs at close to impulse buy prices and have generated a lot of press. However, the question that pops up with these devices is whether someone carrying a smartphone needs one of the things.
Mini Tablets Will Shake Market in Major Ways
The Washington Post
The Kindle Fire and NOOK Tablet accomplish about 80 percent of what you can do with an iPad, are backed by companies consumers know and trust and cost roughly half of Apple’s base model. "And I think they’re going to make a huge impact on the market," writes journalist Joshua Topolsky.
Cenevoldsen (blog from Next Issue Media's marketing manager)
For publishers attempting to create an “edition based” experience similar to print, swiping from page to page gives readers a sense of familiarity. Vertical scrolling tends to feel infinite. The page just keeps going. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it depends on what you want to achieve with your app.
Amazon Ramps Up Kindle Fire Production to Keep Up with Demand
DigiTimes
Amazon has recently increased its Kindle Fire orders to more than five million units before the end of 2011 as pre-orders for the machine remain strong, according to sources from upstream component suppliers.
RIM's PlayBook to Sell for $199 on Black Friday
eBooknewswer
Thanksgiving might still be weeks off, but the ads for Black Friday have already started leaking. The ad for Staples has been posted online and the BlackBerry Playbook will be sold for $199 on Friday, November 25. That's half the current retail price.
Netflix Will Be Available on Kindle Fire
San Jose Mercury News
Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet will offer a Netflix app among thousands of applications that will be available when the tablet debuts next week.Amazon and Netflix have battled for streaming-video content for the past several months, with Amazon attempting to beef up its Amazon Prime streaming service.
What Is the Value of a Tablet Anyway?
First Arkansas News
Both the Kindle Fire and the NOOK Tablet boast impressive specs at close to impulse buy prices and have generated a lot of press. However, the question that pops up with these devices is whether someone carrying a smartphone needs one of the things.
Mini Tablets Will Shake Market in Major Ways
The Washington Post
The Kindle Fire and NOOK Tablet accomplish about 80 percent of what you can do with an iPad, are backed by companies consumers know and trust and cost roughly half of Apple’s base model. "And I think they’re going to make a huge impact on the market," writes journalist Joshua Topolsky.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Today's Headlines
A Look at 10 High-End Android Tablets
The Register
There is really no such thing as a branded Android tablet. Instead, consumers have a range of devices from the usual Android suspects, including HTC, Samsung and Motorola, as well as machines from computer rather than phone wallahs, like Acer, Asus, Lenovo and Sony. The end result is confusion in the mind of Joe Public
Japanese E-Commerce Giant Buys Kobo: Watch Out Amazon?
Reuters
Rakuten, the Japanese Internet services and e-commerce company, intends to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Kobo for cash. Kobo's services are available on Kobo-branded e-readers as well as other devices, including Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Research In Motion's PlayBook.
Airline Uses iPads as In-Flight Entertainment Device (and Cash Machine)
Padgadget
Jetstar, which travels mainly in Australia, will be offering iPads for use as in-flight entertainment devices for $10-$15 per flight. Considering the cost for installing seat-back screens it may make good financial sense to approach airline-provided multimedia in this manner.
White Box Manufacturers May Push Harder into Tablet Market
Digitimes
White-box players in China are still set to launch new tablet PC products in the second quarter of 2012, according to sources from the supply chain in China. Since the average cost of a 7-inch white-box tablet PC is only about U.S. $47 compared to Amazon's Kindle Fire, white-box tablet PCs still have an advantage in cost.
How Barnes & Noble's Retail Footprint Will Help It Battle Amazon
Mashable
Walk into a Barnes & Noble and you’ll see shoppers browsing book tables or flipping through a stack of possible purchases while they sip a coffee from an in-store Starbucks. Many of those same customers are likely going to wander over to the Nook’s front-and-center location as well — even if they weren’t particularly in the market for an e-reader or Android tablet in the first place.
The Register
There is really no such thing as a branded Android tablet. Instead, consumers have a range of devices from the usual Android suspects, including HTC, Samsung and Motorola, as well as machines from computer rather than phone wallahs, like Acer, Asus, Lenovo and Sony. The end result is confusion in the mind of Joe Public
Japanese E-Commerce Giant Buys Kobo: Watch Out Amazon?
Reuters
Rakuten, the Japanese Internet services and e-commerce company, intends to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Kobo for cash. Kobo's services are available on Kobo-branded e-readers as well as other devices, including Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Research In Motion's PlayBook.
Airline Uses iPads as In-Flight Entertainment Device (and Cash Machine)
Padgadget
Jetstar, which travels mainly in Australia, will be offering iPads for use as in-flight entertainment devices for $10-$15 per flight. Considering the cost for installing seat-back screens it may make good financial sense to approach airline-provided multimedia in this manner.
White Box Manufacturers May Push Harder into Tablet Market
Digitimes
White-box players in China are still set to launch new tablet PC products in the second quarter of 2012, according to sources from the supply chain in China. Since the average cost of a 7-inch white-box tablet PC is only about U.S. $47 compared to Amazon's Kindle Fire, white-box tablet PCs still have an advantage in cost.
How Barnes & Noble's Retail Footprint Will Help It Battle Amazon
Mashable
Walk into a Barnes & Noble and you’ll see shoppers browsing book tables or flipping through a stack of possible purchases while they sip a coffee from an in-store Starbucks. Many of those same customers are likely going to wander over to the Nook’s front-and-center location as well — even if they weren’t particularly in the market for an e-reader or Android tablet in the first place.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Today's Headlines
Wired's First Impressions on NOOK Tablet
Wired
Indeed, the Nook Tablet is a serious, high-performing device for kids too young to sport a smartphone or iPad, and who don’t plow through enough books to warrant a Nook Simple Touch or plain-vanilla Kindle, but who could benefit from an inexpensive, highly mobile device that can do a little bit of everything.
Barnes & Noble Unveils Its Answer to Amazon's Kindle Fire
The Los Angeles Times
Company CEO William Lynch, Jr., knocked the Fire. "The Kindle Fire is a vending machine for Amazon services — they've said it themselves," he said at the company's flagship store in New York's Union Square during the Nook Tablet unveiling. "In one word, we're more open" in allowing users to get their music and video content from wherever they want.
Barnes & Noble Finds Nook in Book Market
The Wall Street Journal
The NOOK Tablet has potential to fill a profitable niche in a still-fast-growing market. At $249, it's modestly more expensive than Kindle Fire at $199, but half the price of the iPad, which sells for $499 and up.
NOOK Tablet Ignites Latest Chapter in the Tablet Wars
The New York Times
The unveiling of the new tablet set up what is sure to be a heated competition between Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Apple, maker of the iPad, for the quickly expanding group of consumers who will shop for color tablets this holiday season. Amazon’s Kindle Fire retails for $199 and will start shipping next Monday.
Wired
Indeed, the Nook Tablet is a serious, high-performing device for kids too young to sport a smartphone or iPad, and who don’t plow through enough books to warrant a Nook Simple Touch or plain-vanilla Kindle, but who could benefit from an inexpensive, highly mobile device that can do a little bit of everything.
Barnes & Noble Unveils Its Answer to Amazon's Kindle Fire
The Los Angeles Times
Company CEO William Lynch, Jr., knocked the Fire. "The Kindle Fire is a vending machine for Amazon services — they've said it themselves," he said at the company's flagship store in New York's Union Square during the Nook Tablet unveiling. "In one word, we're more open" in allowing users to get their music and video content from wherever they want.
Barnes & Noble Finds Nook in Book Market
The Wall Street Journal
The NOOK Tablet has potential to fill a profitable niche in a still-fast-growing market. At $249, it's modestly more expensive than Kindle Fire at $199, but half the price of the iPad, which sells for $499 and up.
NOOK Tablet Ignites Latest Chapter in the Tablet Wars
The New York Times
The unveiling of the new tablet set up what is sure to be a heated competition between Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Apple, maker of the iPad, for the quickly expanding group of consumers who will shop for color tablets this holiday season. Amazon’s Kindle Fire retails for $199 and will start shipping next Monday.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Today's Headlines
Apple to Retain 75% of Tablet Market for Foreseeable Future
AllThingsD
With its competitors unable to field a true iPad rival, Apple’s tablet continues to dominate the market that it created. And with a true rival yet to emerge, that dominance will likely persist for some time, further reinforced by the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Dell's $859 Tablet Available for Pre-Order
Endgadget
Dell's coy enterprise slate, the Latitude ST is now available for pre-order with an estimated delivery date of November 29 and an $859 price tag.If your too impatient to wait for Windows 8, this one's sporting Microsoft's seventh generation, weighs a hefty 816g -- nearly twice as much as the BlackBerry PlayBook -- and contains a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor.
Fake iPads Hitting the Market
Padgadget
Crooks will approach you showing off a perfectly good iPad. Once they have you hooked they pass off a bubble-wrapped ‘iPad’ pulled from a FedEx box. This bubble wrapped unit could be just about anything, though the ones they have caught are plexi-glass frames coated in duct tape with a Best Buy pricing label on the front.
HTC to Launch New Tablet in 2012
Reuters
HTC Corp , the world's No.5 smartphone maker, said on Monday it will launch a new tablet model next year, its first since a debut model in February.
AllThingsD
With its competitors unable to field a true iPad rival, Apple’s tablet continues to dominate the market that it created. And with a true rival yet to emerge, that dominance will likely persist for some time, further reinforced by the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Dell's $859 Tablet Available for Pre-Order
Endgadget
Dell's coy enterprise slate, the Latitude ST is now available for pre-order with an estimated delivery date of November 29 and an $859 price tag.If your too impatient to wait for Windows 8, this one's sporting Microsoft's seventh generation, weighs a hefty 816g -- nearly twice as much as the BlackBerry PlayBook -- and contains a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor.
Fake iPads Hitting the Market
Padgadget
Crooks will approach you showing off a perfectly good iPad. Once they have you hooked they pass off a bubble-wrapped ‘iPad’ pulled from a FedEx box. This bubble wrapped unit could be just about anything, though the ones they have caught are plexi-glass frames coated in duct tape with a Best Buy pricing label on the front.
HTC to Launch New Tablet in 2012
Reuters
HTC Corp , the world's No.5 smartphone maker, said on Monday it will launch a new tablet model next year, its first since a debut model in February.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Today's Headlines
Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet to Be Announced Monday
AllThingsD
It will cost $249; $50 more than Amazon's Kindle Fire. But it will have more memory and a faster processor.
Amazon's Next Kindle Fire Will Have Larger Screen
DigiTimes
Amazon is likely to change its product roadmap by shifting the display size of its next-generation Kindle Fire to 8.9-inch instead of 10.1-inch as originally planned, according to sources in Amazon's supply chain.
AllThingsD
It will cost $249; $50 more than Amazon's Kindle Fire. But it will have more memory and a faster processor.
Amazon's Next Kindle Fire Will Have Larger Screen
DigiTimes
Amazon is likely to change its product roadmap by shifting the display size of its next-generation Kindle Fire to 8.9-inch instead of 10.1-inch as originally planned, according to sources in Amazon's supply chain.BusinessInsider
Apple executives are saying that the lowpriced Kindle Fire could actually be a good thing for the iPad because it introduces another level of fragmentation in the Android platform.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Today's Headlines
Review of Lenovo's New ThinkPad
USA Today
Critic Ed Baig: "The tablet fuses business needs with entertainment and runs Android version 3.1 Honeycomb. It's about an inch taller than an iPad 2 and thicker...If you're looking for a tablet that mixes business and pleasure, ThinkPad fits the bill."
Kindle Owners Will Now Be Able to Borrow Books from Amazon
The Wall Street Journal
Amazon is launching a digital-book lending library that will be available only to owners of its Kindle and Kindle Fire devices who are also subscribers to its Amazon Prime program.
USA Today
Critic Ed Baig: "The tablet fuses business needs with entertainment and runs Android version 3.1 Honeycomb. It's about an inch taller than an iPad 2 and thicker...If you're looking for a tablet that mixes business and pleasure, ThinkPad fits the bill."
Kindle Owners Will Now Be Able to Borrow Books from Amazon
The Wall Street Journal
Amazon is launching a digital-book lending library that will be available only to owners of its Kindle and Kindle Fire devices who are also subscribers to its Amazon Prime program.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Today's Headlines
The Inside Story of Why Microsoft's Tablet Died
CNET
The story of Microsoft's Courier has only been told in pieces. And nothing has been disclosed publicly about the infighting that led to the innovative device's death. This article was pieced together through interviews with 18 current and former Microsoft executives, as well as contractors and partners who worked on the project.
Verifone Buys Global Bay in Bid to Boost iPads at Retail
AllThingsD
VeriFone, the largest maker of cash registers and other payment processing devices, has acquired Global Bay, which develops software that helps retailers use alternate devices, such as iPads, as payment options.
5 Ways the New Nook Can Compete with the Kindle Fire
PaidContent
Reasons #1 and #2: Focus on children; focus on women.
Apple May Lose Tablet Dominance
eWeek
Apple will lose its overwhelming dominance of the consumer tablet space within the next three years, according to a prediction from analyst Jack Gold. His research note also predicts that Microsoft will own roughly 10 percent of the consumer tablet market by that 2014-2015.
CNET
The story of Microsoft's Courier has only been told in pieces. And nothing has been disclosed publicly about the infighting that led to the innovative device's death. This article was pieced together through interviews with 18 current and former Microsoft executives, as well as contractors and partners who worked on the project.
Verifone Buys Global Bay in Bid to Boost iPads at Retail
AllThingsD
VeriFone, the largest maker of cash registers and other payment processing devices, has acquired Global Bay, which develops software that helps retailers use alternate devices, such as iPads, as payment options.
5 Ways the New Nook Can Compete with the Kindle Fire
PaidContent
Reasons #1 and #2: Focus on children; focus on women.
Apple May Lose Tablet Dominance
eWeek
Apple will lose its overwhelming dominance of the consumer tablet space within the next three years, according to a prediction from analyst Jack Gold. His research note also predicts that Microsoft will own roughly 10 percent of the consumer tablet market by that 2014-2015.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Today's Headlines
Mystery Announcement Coming Monday from Barnes & Noble
The Los Angeles Times
Is Barnes & Noble Inc. set to launch a new Nook? So far, Barnes & Noble hasn't announced any new Nook tablet plans, but there is considerable speculation that it's all heading that direction after the bookstore chain and e-reader maker invited the media to a Nook-related event in New York on Monday.
iPads Making Huge Inroads in the Educational Market
AllThingsD
Nearly 1,000 K-12 schools have an iPad one-to-one program. In other words, at minimum, they are providing an entire classroom of students with their own iPad to use throughout their academic school day.
HP TouchPads Now Selling for $149
Business Insider
The catch: you have to buy a new HP or Compaq computer at Best Buy.
Tablets May Eclipse PCs as the Main Computing Device
Blorge
Apple believes that as the price of tablets comes down and the technology improves more people will be tempted to purchase one, and possibly at the expense of upgrading their PC.
Kindle Fire Increases Video Content with ABC-Disney Deal
MocoNews
In last week’s earnings call, Amazon said it will continue to push hard into streaming video. Now, in a new licensing deal with Disney-ABC, Amazon Prime members can stream shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost and Spider-Man for free.
The Los Angeles Times
Is Barnes & Noble Inc. set to launch a new Nook? So far, Barnes & Noble hasn't announced any new Nook tablet plans, but there is considerable speculation that it's all heading that direction after the bookstore chain and e-reader maker invited the media to a Nook-related event in New York on Monday.
iPads Making Huge Inroads in the Educational Market
AllThingsD
Nearly 1,000 K-12 schools have an iPad one-to-one program. In other words, at minimum, they are providing an entire classroom of students with their own iPad to use throughout their academic school day.
HP TouchPads Now Selling for $149
Business Insider
The catch: you have to buy a new HP or Compaq computer at Best Buy.
Tablets May Eclipse PCs as the Main Computing Device
Blorge
Apple believes that as the price of tablets comes down and the technology improves more people will be tempted to purchase one, and possibly at the expense of upgrading their PC.
Kindle Fire Increases Video Content with ABC-Disney Deal
MocoNews
In last week’s earnings call, Amazon said it will continue to push hard into streaming video. Now, in a new licensing deal with Disney-ABC, Amazon Prime members can stream shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost and Spider-Man for free.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Today's Headlines
E-Books a Boon to Some Authors
The Wall Street Journal
Vanity presses have been available for decades. But thanks to digital technology and particularly the emergence of e-books, the number of self-published titles exploded 160% to 133,036 in 2010 from 51,237 in 2006, estimates R. R. Bowker, which tracks the publishing business.
Yahoo! and Google Prepare News and Social Readers
AllThingsD
Watch out Flipboard. Wednesday Yahoo! is rumored to unveil its digital newsstand Livestand. And Google should follow on its heels. According to ATD's Kara Swisher: "All these apps are part of the drastically changing habits of media consumers, helping users better navigate numerous social and media feeds — such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as news sites and more — using handsome interfaces and touch technologies on tablet devices."
Biggest Advertiser on the Kindle? Amazon
Advertising Age
Almost six months after the first Kindle with Special Offers arrived bearing on-screen ads for national brands such as Buick, Olay and Visa, the devices are more often than not serving up ads from Amazon itself, primarily in the form of Amazon Local daily deals.
Philadelphia Inquirer Tablet Initiative Finds Success Elusive
The Los Angeles Times
At the Sept. 12 tablet launch, the publisher predicted that the first batch of 5,000 units would sell out in a week. Six weeks later, only about half of the narrow black computers have moved, according to James Rainey of The Los Angeles Times.
The Wall Street Journal
Vanity presses have been available for decades. But thanks to digital technology and particularly the emergence of e-books, the number of self-published titles exploded 160% to 133,036 in 2010 from 51,237 in 2006, estimates R. R. Bowker, which tracks the publishing business.
Yahoo! and Google Prepare News and Social Readers
AllThingsD
Watch out Flipboard. Wednesday Yahoo! is rumored to unveil its digital newsstand Livestand. And Google should follow on its heels. According to ATD's Kara Swisher: "All these apps are part of the drastically changing habits of media consumers, helping users better navigate numerous social and media feeds — such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as news sites and more — using handsome interfaces and touch technologies on tablet devices."
Biggest Advertiser on the Kindle? Amazon
Advertising Age
Almost six months after the first Kindle with Special Offers arrived bearing on-screen ads for national brands such as Buick, Olay and Visa, the devices are more often than not serving up ads from Amazon itself, primarily in the form of Amazon Local daily deals.
Philadelphia Inquirer Tablet Initiative Finds Success Elusive
The Los Angeles Times
At the Sept. 12 tablet launch, the publisher predicted that the first batch of 5,000 units would sell out in a week. Six weeks later, only about half of the narrow black computers have moved, according to James Rainey of The Los Angeles Times.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Today's Headlines
New Details About iPad 3 Revealed
CNET
The follow-on to Apple's popular iPad 2 is expected to arrive as early as the first quarter of next year. And Apple is aiming high, as usual. The goal is to have a Retina Display-like resolution on the iPad 3.
Xoom Gloom: Motorola Sells Just 100,000 Tablets in Last Quarter
Forbes
Motorola said it sold just 100,000 Xoom tablets during the third quarter.
CNET
The follow-on to Apple's popular iPad 2 is expected to arrive as early as the first quarter of next year. And Apple is aiming high, as usual. The goal is to have a Retina Display-like resolution on the iPad 3.
Xoom Gloom: Motorola Sells Just 100,000 Tablets in Last Quarter
Forbes
Motorola said it sold just 100,000 Xoom tablets during the third quarter.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Today's Headlines
Steve Jobs Wanted Intel Chips for the iPad: New Bio
The Wall Street Journal
Intel’s stock price, and image, have suffered from the fact that its chips are not widely used in smartphones and tablet PCs. But it turns out that the Silicon Valley giant had an inside track when it came to Apple’s iconic iPad, lost after Steve Jobs faced an impassioned plea from a top lieutenant.
New RIM Tablet OS Delayed Until 2012
The Los Angeles Times
Research in Motion Ltd. has experience troubles this year and they continued Wednesday when the company announced that its PlayBook OS 2.0 software update for its BlackBerry tablet isn't coming out this year as originally planned.
Bloomberg Creates "Live TV" Placement on iPad
PaidContent
Bloomberg launched its latest free, ad-supported app in the iTunes Store after midnight with the goal of developing stronger ties with its audience, especially when they’re not in front of the TV set.
Condé Nast Magazines Post Large Sales Spike with Apple's Newsstand
Padgadget
Condé Nast has experienced a huge increase in both total sales and single issues sales, which increased 142 percent over the previous eight weeks. Because of its success with Newsstand, the company plans to release three more titles in 2012: Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, and Vogue.
Look Out Amazon: $179 Tablet Available from Leader
Rethink Wireless
The Impression 7 tablet, or I7, by Leader is being sold for $179. It follows the announcement of ViewSonic's similarly spec'd and affordable 7e. The specs of the I7 are not quite as promising though and for the sake of $20 it might be worth going with the more expensive tablets.
The Wall Street Journal
Intel’s stock price, and image, have suffered from the fact that its chips are not widely used in smartphones and tablet PCs. But it turns out that the Silicon Valley giant had an inside track when it came to Apple’s iconic iPad, lost after Steve Jobs faced an impassioned plea from a top lieutenant.
New RIM Tablet OS Delayed Until 2012
The Los Angeles Times
Research in Motion Ltd. has experience troubles this year and they continued Wednesday when the company announced that its PlayBook OS 2.0 software update for its BlackBerry tablet isn't coming out this year as originally planned.
Bloomberg Creates "Live TV" Placement on iPad
PaidContent
Bloomberg launched its latest free, ad-supported app in the iTunes Store after midnight with the goal of developing stronger ties with its audience, especially when they’re not in front of the TV set.
Condé Nast Magazines Post Large Sales Spike with Apple's Newsstand
Padgadget
Condé Nast has experienced a huge increase in both total sales and single issues sales, which increased 142 percent over the previous eight weeks. Because of its success with Newsstand, the company plans to release three more titles in 2012: Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, and Vogue.
Look Out Amazon: $179 Tablet Available from Leader
Rethink Wireless
The Impression 7 tablet, or I7, by Leader is being sold for $179. It follows the announcement of ViewSonic's similarly spec'd and affordable 7e. The specs of the I7 are not quite as promising though and for the sake of $20 it might be worth going with the more expensive tablets.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Today's Headlines
Retailers Unlikely to Cash in on Tablet Craze This Holiday Season
The New York Times
Chain stores will likely miss out on their usual share of "hot gadget" sales this holiday season as most consumers opt to buy top-selling tablets directly from Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. instead of from big retailers.
Why Amazon Accepts Losing Money (for now) on the Kindle Fire
AllThingsD
The New York Times
Chain stores will likely miss out on their usual share of "hot gadget" sales this holiday season as most consumers opt to buy top-selling tablets directly from Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. instead of from big retailers.
Why Amazon Accepts Losing Money (for now) on the Kindle Fire
AllThingsD
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Today's Headlines
iPads Turning Hotel Wi-Fi Networks into Rivers of Molasses
The New York Times
Largely because of the broad use of iPads and other mobile tablets, which are heavy users of video streaming, the guest room Wi-Fi networks that most hotels thought they had brought up to standard just a few years ago are now often groaning under user demands.
Amazon Likely to Remain Mum on Kindle Sales on Tomorrow's Earnings Call
AllThingsD
Don’t expect Amazon to crack open the books to provide anything more concrete than that about sales of the Kindle Fire, even during the company’s third-quarter earnings report, being released tomorrow.
Subtext Brings Social and Gaming to E-Book Reading
Macworld
The iPad app Subtext invites users to engage socially, spiced with a dash of reward-based gameplay. Released Tuesday, the app aims to enhance users’ reading experiences with notes—embedded directly into the pages of an ebook—from authors, experts, and Subtext community members; and rewards points to users who contribute to the discussion.
Bad News for Newspapers: Tablet Users Don't Want to Pay for News
MSNBC
About 11 percent of U.S. adults now own a tablet, and more than half of them are reading news on them every day from traditional sources, like The New York Times or CNN. Despite their interest, however, most say they're not willing to pay for news on their tablets, according to a new study, "The Tablet Revolution and What it Means for the Future of News," by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism in collaboration with The Economist Group.
Viewsonic Coming Out with Sub-$200 Tablet
The Good E-Reader
The ViewSonic ViewPad 7e is being held in the same breath as the Amazon Kindle Fire owing to the same $199.99 price tag for both. It's coming out later this month.
The New York Times
Largely because of the broad use of iPads and other mobile tablets, which are heavy users of video streaming, the guest room Wi-Fi networks that most hotels thought they had brought up to standard just a few years ago are now often groaning under user demands.
Amazon Likely to Remain Mum on Kindle Sales on Tomorrow's Earnings Call
AllThingsD
Don’t expect Amazon to crack open the books to provide anything more concrete than that about sales of the Kindle Fire, even during the company’s third-quarter earnings report, being released tomorrow.
Subtext Brings Social and Gaming to E-Book Reading
Macworld
The iPad app Subtext invites users to engage socially, spiced with a dash of reward-based gameplay. Released Tuesday, the app aims to enhance users’ reading experiences with notes—embedded directly into the pages of an ebook—from authors, experts, and Subtext community members; and rewards points to users who contribute to the discussion.
Bad News for Newspapers: Tablet Users Don't Want to Pay for News
MSNBC
About 11 percent of U.S. adults now own a tablet, and more than half of them are reading news on them every day from traditional sources, like The New York Times or CNN. Despite their interest, however, most say they're not willing to pay for news on their tablets, according to a new study, "The Tablet Revolution and What it Means for the Future of News," by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism in collaboration with The Economist Group.
Viewsonic Coming Out with Sub-$200 Tablet
The Good E-Reader
The ViewSonic ViewPad 7e is being held in the same breath as the Amazon Kindle Fire owing to the same $199.99 price tag for both. It's coming out later this month.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Today's Headlines
Soon-to-Be-Released Dell Tablet Geared for Business
Tablets Planet
Like many other enterprise market players for PCs Dell is eager to launch a Windows 7 tablet PC for business users, who unlike consumers like to use Windows 7 slates. For their effort the folks at Dell have engineered a new slate named Dell Latitude ST.
One Third of iPad Users Share Their Device
PaidContent
Zite surveyed its users and found that one third of them share their iPads with other members of the family or household, in some cases between three or more people. That’s not a huge number right now, but as tablet adoption grows to include those beyond the early-adopter profile, the number could change.
Tablet Owners Spent a Lot of Time Online
Ad Age
Adult tablet owners age 18-64, the study found, spend almost four and a half hours on the internet each day compared with three hours for non-tablet owners. Interestingly, not all of that difference is made up for with the 55 minutes they spend on the internet with the tablets themselves.
Android Tablet Share Rises to 27%
eWeek
During the third quarter, more than 4.5 million Android tablets shipped, according to Strategy Analytics. This represents 27% of the market.
Tablets Planet
Like many other enterprise market players for PCs Dell is eager to launch a Windows 7 tablet PC for business users, who unlike consumers like to use Windows 7 slates. For their effort the folks at Dell have engineered a new slate named Dell Latitude ST.
One Third of iPad Users Share Their Device
PaidContent
Zite surveyed its users and found that one third of them share their iPads with other members of the family or household, in some cases between three or more people. That’s not a huge number right now, but as tablet adoption grows to include those beyond the early-adopter profile, the number could change.
Tablet Owners Spent a Lot of Time Online
Ad Age
Adult tablet owners age 18-64, the study found, spend almost four and a half hours on the internet each day compared with three hours for non-tablet owners. Interestingly, not all of that difference is made up for with the 55 minutes they spend on the internet with the tablets themselves.
Android Tablet Share Rises to 27%
eWeek
During the third quarter, more than 4.5 million Android tablets shipped, according to Strategy Analytics. This represents 27% of the market.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Today's Headlines
Asustek Tablet to Hit Market by End of Year
Marketwatch
Asustek Computer Inc. expects to launch a new tablet adopting Google Inc.'s atest Ice-Cream Sandwich platform by the end of this year, Chairman Jonney Shih said Thursday. The Ice-Cream Sandwich platform adds more app widgets, makes it easier to make folders and switch between applications.
No Surprise Here: Tablets Outselling Netbooks
Blorge
ABI Research has just released a report showing that tablet sales for the second quarter of 2011 have far exceeded expectations by selling more units than netbook sales by nearly twice as much. According to a ABi Research, the iPad held 68 percent of the tablet market share for 2Q11, which is just under nine million units. Netbook sales for the same quarter reached 7.3 million. Tablet sales for 2Q11 totaled 13.6 million units.
Zinio and Pixelmags Express Love of Apple's Newsstand
eMediavitals
What impact will Apple’s offering have on Zinio, PixelMags and Next Issue Media, all of whom currently offer or are developing digital newsstand apps of their own? Writer Rob O'Regan's conclusion: We love Apple Newsstand! Next Issue Media was more measured.
Review of Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet
PCMag
Velocity Micro Cruz T408 ($199.99 direct) suffers from the same problems that plague most discount tablets: an awful screen, an OS designed for phones, and a lack of the Google apps that most people expect from Android devices. While the Cruz T408 performs well, it's too user-unfriendly for the masses.
Marketwatch
Asustek Computer Inc. expects to launch a new tablet adopting Google Inc.'s atest Ice-Cream Sandwich platform by the end of this year, Chairman Jonney Shih said Thursday. The Ice-Cream Sandwich platform adds more app widgets, makes it easier to make folders and switch between applications.
No Surprise Here: Tablets Outselling Netbooks
Blorge
ABI Research has just released a report showing that tablet sales for the second quarter of 2011 have far exceeded expectations by selling more units than netbook sales by nearly twice as much. According to a ABi Research, the iPad held 68 percent of the tablet market share for 2Q11, which is just under nine million units. Netbook sales for the same quarter reached 7.3 million. Tablet sales for 2Q11 totaled 13.6 million units.
Zinio and Pixelmags Express Love of Apple's Newsstand
eMediavitals
What impact will Apple’s offering have on Zinio, PixelMags and Next Issue Media, all of whom currently offer or are developing digital newsstand apps of their own? Writer Rob O'Regan's conclusion: We love Apple Newsstand! Next Issue Media was more measured.
Review of Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet
PCMag
Velocity Micro Cruz T408 ($199.99 direct) suffers from the same problems that plague most discount tablets: an awful screen, an OS designed for phones, and a lack of the Google apps that most people expect from Android devices. While the Cruz T408 performs well, it's too user-unfriendly for the masses.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Today's Headlines
Kindle Fire May Be Holiday Season's Hottest Gadget
Reuters
The Kindle Fire tablet may be the hottest selling gadget this holiday, pressuring Amazon.com Inc's profit margins but giving the world's largest Internet retailer potentially millions of new high-spending customers.
Technology blog AllThingsD reported on October 6 that Amazon is selling over 25,000 Fires a day, citing unidentified sources close to the company.
Asus Transformer 2 Tablet First to Use Nvidia's Tegra 3 Chip
PCMag
Asus took the stage at All Thing D's AsiaD conference Wednesday to offer sneak peaks at its upcoming Eee Pad Transformer 2, the first tablet powered by Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor.
Kobo Enters the Tablet Market
Globe and Mail
The Toronto-based manufacturer is entering the increasingly-crowded market for cheap tablet computers, releasing a touch-screen, color device that runs on theAndroid operating system. The device allows for e-reading of books, magazines and newspapers, and also allows users to watch movies, listen to music and play video games like they do on other tablets.
Reuters
The Kindle Fire tablet may be the hottest selling gadget this holiday, pressuring Amazon.com Inc's profit margins but giving the world's largest Internet retailer potentially millions of new high-spending customers.
Technology blog AllThingsD reported on October 6 that Amazon is selling over 25,000 Fires a day, citing unidentified sources close to the company.
Asus Transformer 2 Tablet First to Use Nvidia's Tegra 3 Chip
PCMag
Asus took the stage at All Thing D's AsiaD conference Wednesday to offer sneak peaks at its upcoming Eee Pad Transformer 2, the first tablet powered by Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor.
Kobo Enters the Tablet Market
Globe and Mail
The Toronto-based manufacturer is entering the increasingly-crowded market for cheap tablet computers, releasing a touch-screen, color device that runs on theAndroid operating system. The device allows for e-reading of books, magazines and newspapers, and also allows users to watch movies, listen to music and play video games like they do on other tablets.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Today's Headlines
11 Million iPads Sold in the Last Quarter
Apple Insider
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook admitted in an earnings call yesterday that iPad sales have likely eroded some sales of Macs and emphasized that a "materially larger number are buying iPads over (generic) PCs." While noting that some portion of the 11 million iPads sold in the quarter (a 166 percent increase in sales over the year ago quarter) have clearly replaced sales of some significantly more expensive Macs, Cook added that the iPad's growth is coming primarily at the expense of PCs.
iPad Is a Bigger Hit Than the iPhone
Business Insider
The iPhone may have kicked off the smartphone revolution, but so far the iPad is selling much faster.
China Now Drives 16% of All Apple Revenue
AllThingsD
China, which is the company’s second-largest market, accounted for 16 percent of Apple’s sales during the past quarter, with $4.5 billion in revenue, a year-over-year increase of 270 percent. There were no specifics about how much of this revenue comes from the sale of iPads.
18.7 Million Tablets Shipped Globally in Q3 According to DigiTimes
DigiTimes
Global tablet PC shipments, affected by the weakening worldwide economy after August and high inventory levels from some tablet PC brand vendors, reached 18.7 million units in the third quarter, an increase of only 27.5% sequentially, far less than the strong sequential growth of 60.9% they achieved in the second quarter, according to Digitimes Research senior analyst James Wong.
Apple Insider
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook admitted in an earnings call yesterday that iPad sales have likely eroded some sales of Macs and emphasized that a "materially larger number are buying iPads over (generic) PCs." While noting that some portion of the 11 million iPads sold in the quarter (a 166 percent increase in sales over the year ago quarter) have clearly replaced sales of some significantly more expensive Macs, Cook added that the iPad's growth is coming primarily at the expense of PCs.
iPad Is a Bigger Hit Than the iPhone
Business Insider
The iPhone may have kicked off the smartphone revolution, but so far the iPad is selling much faster.
China Now Drives 16% of All Apple Revenue
AllThingsD
China, which is the company’s second-largest market, accounted for 16 percent of Apple’s sales during the past quarter, with $4.5 billion in revenue, a year-over-year increase of 270 percent. There were no specifics about how much of this revenue comes from the sale of iPads.
18.7 Million Tablets Shipped Globally in Q3 According to DigiTimes
DigiTimes
Global tablet PC shipments, affected by the weakening worldwide economy after August and high inventory levels from some tablet PC brand vendors, reached 18.7 million units in the third quarter, an increase of only 27.5% sequentially, far less than the strong sequential growth of 60.9% they achieved in the second quarter, according to Digitimes Research senior analyst James Wong.
Today's Headlines
The Top Ten Problems with Tablets That Need to Be Fixed
ZDNet
Problem #1: better integration with PC's. Problem #2: better keyboards.
Sears Salespeople Now Armed with iPads
AllThingsD
Sears will roll out iPads and iPods to its salespeople in 450 stores nationwide. This closely follows moves by other major retail chains, such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters, in embracing what could be called iCommerce.
Motorola Xoom Tablets Discounted to $379
PaidContent
Motorola has been selling progressively less expensive versions of the device, with this week seeing the latest installment in that strategy: a version of the tablet selling for $379. The new Xoom, which is initially being sold by Best Buy, is being marketed as a “family tablet” now. It is effectively the WiFi-only version of the Xoom that first went on sale in March, but now with only 16GB of memory.
USA Today Debuts on Flipboard
PCMag
USA Today is joining up with Flipboard as the first national newspaper to be offered through the app, and all signs indicate that the content – delivered 24/7 right to users' iPads and, ultimately, iPhones – will be complete free to access.
ZDNet
Problem #1: better integration with PC's. Problem #2: better keyboards.
Sears Salespeople Now Armed with iPads
AllThingsD
Sears will roll out iPads and iPods to its salespeople in 450 stores nationwide. This closely follows moves by other major retail chains, such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters, in embracing what could be called iCommerce.
Motorola Xoom Tablets Discounted to $379
PaidContent
Motorola has been selling progressively less expensive versions of the device, with this week seeing the latest installment in that strategy: a version of the tablet selling for $379. The new Xoom, which is initially being sold by Best Buy, is being marketed as a “family tablet” now. It is effectively the WiFi-only version of the Xoom that first went on sale in March, but now with only 16GB of memory.
USA Today Debuts on Flipboard
PCMag
USA Today is joining up with Flipboard as the first national newspaper to be offered through the app, and all signs indicate that the content – delivered 24/7 right to users' iPads and, ultimately, iPhones – will be complete free to access.
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