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Friday Grab Bag: Kindle and iPad Drove Q4 Tablet Sales

March 16, 2012 by

Global tablet sales surged in the 4th quarter of last year, driven by the demand for Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad tablets. An IDC study as reported by Cnet shows that overall tablet shipments grew by 56% on a sequential basis in the fourth quarter of 2011, to 28.2 million units, and a 155% increase from the same period in 2010.

The top players in this sector were led by Apple with a 55% market share with 15.4 million tablets. Second was Amazon’s Kindle Fire at 4.7 million in the quarter, good for a 16.8% market share. Samsung trailed with a 5.8% share and then Barnes & Noble with a 3.5% share.

IDC has upgraded its estimation for worldwide tablet sales in 2012 to 106.1 million, up from its previous estimation of 87.7 million. I wonder what percentage of those sales would have gone to PCs a few years ago?


Did the NFL collude against the players?
The NFL’s very odd decision to fine the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys a combined $46 million in cap space could turn out to be a major mistake, if the league actually goes through with its decision, multiple outlets are reporting.

Dallas and Washington’s crime was apparently spending more money during the uncapped year than the other owners wanted, giving them an ‘unfair advantage’ by actually investing in their teams rather than simply pocketing the money.

It looks like the owners of the two teams are now considering suing the league, a move that looks like it might then result in an additional lawsuit from the players union as it would show collusion and violation of antitrust. While the league has limited antitrust immunity, it does not cover this kind of action. Baseball did the same thing some time back and was expensively slapped by the courts. I suspect the NFL may quietly backtrack on this issue.

Apple and Motorola talked cross licensing–last year?
A series of talks between Motorola Mobility and Apple last year regarding a proposed deal to cross license their patent portfolios, or portions of them, has come to light as part of the EU’s discovery process on the Google/Motorola merger.

It looks like Motorola was demanding that it gain access to Apple’s entire patent portfolio in order for Apple to get access to Motorola’s standards-essential patents (SEPs). It was noted in The Register that usually SEPs are cross licensed for other SEPs, not the entire portfolio.

They did discuss the ‘scope of a possible settlement’ after Google announced its purchase of Motorola for $12.5 billion. According to Foss Patents, Motorola wanted to broaden the scope of the deal to include all Android licensees while Apple wanted it between the two companies.

Yahoo sues Facebook over patents
Yahoo has dropped the other shoe in its face-off with Facebook and has filed a lawsuit contending that the social media giant has violated Yahoo patents that cover a range of features including news feed generation, social commenting and advertising.

The issue initially emerged a few weeks ago and many thought that the effort by Yahoo was just part of a positioning move by the company to show that it has a valuable patent portfolio as it seeks a buyer. The timing of the move is interesting because it coincides with Facebook’s IPO.

Now it looks like it may get the chance to prove that contention via court filings and possibly rulings on its patents. Yahoo is seeking unspecified damages, and has requests that any such amount be tripled due to Facebook’s willful actions.

Sony’s Xperia smartphone features ‘floating touch’ technology
Sony, using something that sounds like it came from a Geisha house has incorporating ‘floating touch’ navigation that allows a user to browse the web without touching the screen, simply by hovering a finger above the screen and moving it to move the cursor.

The phone also features a 1GHz dual core processor, Android 2.3, upgradeable to 4.0 later this year, and a 3.7-inch Reality Display.

Nokia working on Windows 8 tablet
Nokia, one of Microsoft’s strongest supporters in the Windows smartphone market has said that it will be joining Microsoft in the tablet space in the near future. Reuters reported that the company’s design chief is spending a third of his time developing the tablet and that the company is seeking to take a different approach from rivals in creating a product that will challenge market leader Apple and its iPad.

Intel invests in eye-tracking company
Intel Capital has invested $21 million in a third funding round for Swedish company Tobii, that has been working on eye-tracking technology that can be incorporated with laptops, tablets and other hardware. Tobii said that the investment will give Intel a 10% stake in the company.

Tobi has previously raised $14 million in 2007 and an additional $26.8 million in 2009. It said that the investment will help the 12 year old company maintain a steady research and development schedule. Tobii recently unveiled its latest eye-tracking device last week at CeBIT, the Tobii IS-2 Eye Tracker.

It is interesting that Intel is investing in this type of technology. Over a decade ago I saw a demonstration of eye tracking technology at an Intel Labs demonstration and have wondered why it has never seen the light of day. I guess it was red lighted and so the company is now looking to outside sources.

Going to London for the Olympics? Free Wi-Fi!
Well at least it will be free in the Tube, or subway system. The service will run from July 27 to August 12 and will be provided by Virgin Media. After the Olympics end the service will be available to Virgin subscribers.

USC football players live for Twitter
Interesting read at CBS Sports about Twitter and specifically on how a pair of USC athletes use it. Shows how prevalent that technology is becoming.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Athlete to Follow, Barnes & Noble, CBS Sports, Intel Capital, iPad, Microsoft, NFL, Olympics, Samsung, Tablets, Twitter Tagged With: , , , ,

Looking for More Than a Heartbeat? Pyle’s GPS Sports Watch Could Help

March 15, 2012 by

There a number of sports watches that tell you how fast you are going, and even where you are and estimate how many calories that you have burned off so far in your workout. Now Pyle wants to take that one better by adding in a heart monitor

The Pyle GPS Sports Watch features a 2.4 GHz digitally coded wireless Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) chest strap that is designed to allow athletes to track information regarding workouts including maintain heart rate in specific zones.
The $138 watch is designed to serve for more than simply a device to track a heartbeat or show you where you are on the map, although those are nice features.

It is designed to be more than simply a joggers accessory- it has four main functions. Compass, Time Mode, Navigation and Workout Mode, depending on the preferred usage.

The compass mode is slightly different in navigation in that it tells users the direction of an object or location from a certain point, and it also provide directions in azimuth as well.

Workout Mode is designed to work with Navigation Mode and together they record and display the user’s current performance, including speed, distance traveled, coordinates, workout duration, heart rate, calories burned and other information.

The watch has the flexibility to have four settings for target heart beat rates preset- Health, Fat Burn, Aerobics and User and a user can have the watch sound alerts when they are above, in or below their preferred zone.

In addition to the modes listed here, the GPS Sports Watch can monitor four target heart rate zones, including Health, Fat Burn, Aerobics and User, and even offers audio alerts to inform users when they are above, in or below their preferred zone.

The GPS Sports Watch is water resistant up to 30 meters under water and comes with a built-in rechargeable lithium polymer battery. The software that ships with the watch has the ability to help users with their workout analysis, route planning and training summary reports and can provide a post-workout breakdown.

The HRM chest strap features a special conductive contact pad to retrieve heart rate stats and the adjustable elastic band keeps the monitor in place while remaining comfortable and breathable during sweaty workout routines. Once the strap and the watch are successfully paired, the heart rate data will automatically be transmitted to the watch display for quick and easy viewing.

The GPS Sports Watch is water resistant up to 30 meters under water and comes with a built-in rechargeable lithium polymer battery. The software that ships with the watch has the ability to help users with their workout analysis, route planning and training summary reports and can provide a post-workout breakdown. Users can even monitor the battery life and memory to ensure efficient use.

Of course this is a very competitive field and one that looks to get even more so as Nike and Ant +continues to push Nike + technology. Sports watches with GPS are available from a range of companies including Garmin, Motorola and Timex.

Filed Under: Apps, Garmin, Nike Tagged With: , ,

MLB Looks to Embrace Latest iPad

March 15, 2012 by

With the new iPad just a day away, lines are already starting to form at Apple stores for customers who hopefully already have a confirmation that their order is in. Otherwise they may have to wait as long as three weeks for a second batch of tablets to arrive, according to Apple.

Stores are planning at opening at 8 am rather than the 10 am or 11 am that they usually do to handle the crush. The iPad will initially be available in 10 different markets. Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray is predicting that Apple will hit that number today, the firs in which its latest iPad will be officially available.

Apple has already acknowledged that it has sold out of its initial run and that current orders may take as long as three weeks. Others in the industry have estimated that Apple sold 300,000 of its first generation iPads on that products initial day of sales.

However it is not just the everyday fan that is waiting for the latest and greatest from Apple. USAToday has reported a growing interest in Major League Baseball for the tablet, and indications that use of the Apple table is already extremely widespread.

This is no real surprise since going back as far as Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn players have been using video feedback on notebook computers to study how pitchers throw to them and to see how defenses are aligned against them. In the locker rooms VHS players and tapes were a common training tool, the drawback being that only one player at a time to could watch their specific at bats versus a rival pitcher or team.

The iPad simply makes this viewing easier due to it portability, and with the new Retina display, they have a high definition video playback machine that weighs in around two pounds. Now coaching staffs can tailor video for each player to view.

Players, and teams, are prohibited from bringing electronic devices into the dugout during games but there is nothing to stop a player from walking down the runway and getting a quick look at his latest at bat to get an good idea how to adjust for their next at bat.

Football has already embraced the use of tablets, often iPads for a similar reason. Playbooks are now digitized, making it much easier to carry and access rather than a 200 plus page loose-leaf notebook.

Filed Under: Apple, Apps, Baseball, iPad, Major League Baseball, NFL, Tablets Tagged With: , ,

Kwarter Seeks to Meld Social Apps and Sports with FanCake

March 14, 2012 by

Kwarter, a San Francisco-based startup that is focused on developing mobile apps that will serve as a melting pot that blends social media, sports viewing and fan interaction has delivered its first product, FanCake, just in time for March Madness.

FanCake boils down the essence of what many fans do today using multiple applications and technologies. FanCake combines it all into a single app. Instead of tweeting groups, texting individuals and logging into the Internet to follow individuals, make predictions and look up trivia, it is all here, and more.

The company touts the app as having the ability to turn a televised sporting event into a interactive event with connected fans around the country. Fans can focus on players or teams and compete by predicting the next play, among other activities. The app will support all of the games during the Men’s NCAA Hoops March Madness tournament and will have an in-app contest for participating fans with a variety of FanCake related awards available.

Create your own ‘Game Rooms’

There are several components to the FanCake app. Possibly first and foremost is the creation of game rooms. A game room is a chat room and one can be created for each FanCake event. This is where the fans interact with each other. They are all public venues and while in one, information on the live game as well as contests will be broadcast in all game rooms, keeping everyone up to date on what is going on.

It features a live, in-game leader board that has storable features enabling fans to find or focus on information that is relevant to them. Click on any player and it is a live button that reveals details about the individual.

The overall goal of FanCake is to not just to create online communities built along team, player or sporting events, but also around fan participation and the creation of fan communities that actively interact with each other. The app is fully integrated with Facebook and Twitter.

The free app is now available and is available at Apple’s iTunes store for iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone users.

Kwarter has managed to deliver the app in a relatively short time and with minimal outside investment, receiving $950,000 in seed money in October 2011 as its sole infusion. The company is led by co-founder and chief executive officer Carlos Diaz who has founded three previous startups and served as CEO at all of them, including Kwarter. The other two were Reflect Digital Agency that was acquired by Emakina group in 2007 and BlueKiwi Software in 2006. Sam Hickmann is co-founder and head of product at Kwarter and has worked at several other startups including peetch.com and twit, both as CEO.

Filed Under: Apps, NCAA Hoops, Social Media, Sports Betting, Twitter Tagged With: , ,

Mobile Bracket Apps: ESPN’s Rocks, Which One are You Using?

March 13, 2012 by

Being old enough to remember the days when we had to sketch out NCAA brackets by hand, do a bunch of photocopying and then massive all-night scores tabulations for hoops pools, I can only sit back and wonder where technology has brought us… to having my bracket live on my phone.

As an ESPN bracket user (please join our bracket challenge) I noticed today after downgrading my Syracuse picks that there was a phone app available for tracking my bracket. A quick download, a quicker sign in and… presto, my brackets and groups were live and ready for viewing. And even more importantly, there was a quick way to change the name of my entry which as many of us do, depending on the fate of our picks.

Will be interesting to see how quickly the mobile platform updates when the games start — so far ESPN servers seem to be working overtime, but as we all know it gets different when the ball is tossed up in the air. Anyone else using a different bracket service or mobile app? Let us know in the comments.

Filed Under: Android, Apps, ESPN, NCAA Hoops, Samsung, Verizon Wireless Tagged With: , ,

A Two-Part Tablet? Sony Says Why Not?

March 13, 2012 by

Not sure how I missed AT&T’s introduction of the Sony Tablet P last week, but I did. While there has been a ton of news in the mobile world about a variety of products from the latest Pad to all of the products shown in Barcelona, the Tablet P is a bit different.

The reason for this is that it is a hybrid, but not like say, the Samsung Note that is a cross between a tablet and a smartphone. This is a hybrid because it is a tablet that folds in half. The clamshell form would seem to put it solidly in the notebook/netbook category, but is it one?

Not really but I think that many will view it as such, and tablets are still new enough that many will want one with what they view as the proper from factor, not a device that can be mistaken for a netbook.

The Tablet P is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of storage with an additional 2GB available using a microSD card. It runs the Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system. It has a 5 MP camera and can record 720p video

The key feature on the tablet is the display, which consists of two separate 5.5-inch touch screens with 1024 x 480 resolution. The device folds nicely into a small form factor and can be easily stowed, or at least easier than a 10-inch tablet can be. It basically has the size of a smartphone when closed.

The tablet has Sony Playstation certification and looks to be a solid game machine, but if that is what a user wants why not get a Sony PS Vita? A bit more feature rich it might make a nice backup device for a notebook user, but appears to lack the storage for that. The Tablet P looks like it just does not fit well into any one niche and it will be interesting to see if Sony can create one for it. Rightnow that is not the way I would bet.

The tablets are available now for around $500 from Sony’s official web site but AT&T is offering the tablet bundled with a Sony Ericsson Xperia Play phone for $299.99

Filed Under: Apps, AT&T, Sony, Tablets Tagged With: ,
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