Ed Sutherland - page 55

Amazon, although it is in a tug-of-war with Apple for the hearts and minds of publishers, may have a more immediate concern when it comes to other e-book rivals, such as Barnes & Noble and Borders: pricing. While Apple has staked-out the higher-end, the makers of the Nook and Kobe e-readers are rushing toward the lower-end, leaving the Internet retailer in a lonely position. However, Amazon could lower its Kindle’s $259 price tag very soon, one analyst suggests.

The Kindle could drop below $200 “before the end of summer,” according to Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney. In May, brick-and-mortar bookseller Borders introduced the $149 Kobe e-reader, joining competition from Barnes & Noble’s Nook. The Nook in March forced Amazon to also find a retail partner, Target, to get the Kindle on the radar of non-Internet shoppers. Possibly forcing Amazon’s hand was a DigiTimes report that the Nook had captured more than half of the U.S. e-reader market.

Analysts often point to the introduction of video conferencing – branded as FaceTime by Apple – as a chief selling point for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company’s soon to be released iPhone 4. However, a nagging question had remained until Sunday: won’t video calls drain your cellular minutes? Over the weekend, Apple put the doubting minds at ease.

“The voice call ends as soon as the FaceTime call connects,” an Apple representative told Silicon Alley Insider Sunday. Because FaceTime uses Wi-Fi, no carrier minutes will be used.

We close out another week with a deal on i5-based MacBook Pros, the new Mac mini desktops, and price cuts on Electronics Arts games for the iPhone and iPad. Expercom offers a MacBook Pro powered by a Core i5 Dual 2.4GHz processor and a 15-inch display with 8GB of RAM for $2,198 from Expercom. There is also a deal on Apple’s recently refreshed Mc mini computer, complete with a Core 2 Duo processor running at 2.4GHz for $669. Lastly, Electronics Arts, maker of the Madden NFL games, offers its semi-annual sale on software, including “Battleship,” “Boggle for the iPad,” and “The Sims 3” for the iPhone.

As always, details on these and many other bargains are available on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Yet another analyst is predicting a gangbuster debut for the iPhone 4. Next week’s iPhone 4 launch could be a “2 mln – 3 mln iPhone event,” according to Susquehanna Financial’s Jeff Fidacaro. In a note to investors, the analyst said Apple could sell up to three times as many units compared to the 2008 launch of the iPhone 3G or the 2009 launch of the iPhone 3GS.

Fidacaro’s expectation is based on Apple’s announcement the Cupertino, Calif. company sold 600,000 iPhone 4s on the first day of pre-sales and what many believe will be a strong rush to upgrade existing iPhones – particularly iPhone 3G owners.

Until today, iPhone fans have had to settle for images of a nonfunctional iPhone 4 prototype or peaks during the handset’s unveiling at the Worldwide Developers Conference. However, now comes both photos, videos and text from a Czech Republic website demonstrating the unit Apple plans to ship next week.

The Jablickarc.cz website includes photos of the iPhone 4, along with images created with the units 5-megapixel digital camera and video camera. The website’s user claimed the phone is fast, responsive and can take demands of heavy use with little impact on its battery life.

Two analysts appear to have differing opinions on the iPad’s future: one believes Apple is preparing to ramp up production of the tablet, while another says the good times may be coming to an end. First the positive outlook: the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is selling 1.2 million iPads per month and has signed a second supplier to meet an increasing demand.

DigiTimes, citing market sources, said Friday Samsung Electronics will join LG Display to supply 9.7-inch LCD panels for Apple’s iPad. The companies are expected to ship 300,000 to 500,000 panels each month.

We near the end of the week with a $999 deal for a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook with widescreen 13.3-inch display. Also among the day’s top bargains: a bluetooth iPad keyboard with 25-foot range for $32. Finally, a new batch of App Store price drops, including “Build-a-lot,” a strategy game for the iPhone or iPod touch.

Speaking of iPods, we have a number, including a4GB iPod nano for $70. Also, to keep your new iPhone 4 unmarred is a shield from ZAGG. Along the way, we’ll check out many other deals, details of which are available on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

The belief that the iPad is eating the netbook’s lunch isn’t new. However, we can now mark the calendar: 2012. That’s according to one analysis firm which also dropped this bombshell: tablet devices will soon comprise nearly 25 percent of all PC sales.

The report released Thursday by Forrester Research shows tablet growth increasing over the next five years, from the current 6 percent to 23 percent by 2015. Meanwhile, the market for netbooks – which took off because of their low cost – is gradually shrinking. Currently 44 percent of PC sales, that figure drops to 17 percent by 2015, according to Forrester.

The tech industry is known for its superlatives. However, in the wake of the iPhone 4’s introduction, analysts have been caught off-guard, using words like “ginormous” and “huge” to describe interest in Apple’s new handset. Now a prominent Apple-watcher believes the number of iPhone users could jump from last year’s 30 million to 100 million by the end of 2011.

Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty told investors Wednesday night she believes more than 50 percent of current iPhone owners will upgrade to the iPhone 4. If 50 percent of iPhone owners upgrade, that means Apple will sell 48 million handsets, she projected. Noted Mac analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffrey envisions a very similar outcome. Predicting Apple will sell 9.5 million iPhone during the June financial quarter, Munster pointed to a recent Wall Street Journal survey suggesting 62 percent of iPhone customers say they will upgrade.

Apple may ship a CDMA version of its popular iPhone later this year. Pegatron, an electronics manufacturer with plants in China, has received orders from the Cupertino, Calif. company to produce a CDMA version of the handset ready for fourth-quarter shipping, an industry publication reported Thursday.

If correct, the rumor appears to signal a shift by Apple away from its usual iPhone supplier, embattled Foxconn, and bolster a Wall Street Journal report that the handset maker would produce a CDMA phone this September.

We start the day out with another deal on MacBook Pros. This time, MacConnection offers a number of MacBook Pros, ranging from a 2.4GHz 13-inch Core 2 Duo model for $1,099 after rebate to a 17-inch, 2.53GHz i5 unit for $2,049. We also check out the latest round of App Store freebies, including “Trippy Replay,” billed as an augmented music experience. Finally is the Cable Unlimited Battery Boost to provide a bit more energy for your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS.

Along the way, we check out other Mac-related gadgets, including iHome’s portable speakers for the iPod and Sony’s Clock Radio for the iPhone or iPod. As always, details on these and many other items are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

A day after record-breaking pre-orders for the iPhone 4 knocked both Apple and AT&T back on their heels, one prominent analyst says the Cupertino, Calif. company should prepare for record sales during the June fiscal quarter. Apple will sell 9.5 million iPhones for the period, predicts Gene Munster.

Munster, analyst with Piper Jaffray, told investors Wednesday a longer period between unveiling the new handset coupled with AT&T’s generous upgrade policy means Apple could report 9.5 million iPhone sold during the quarter, up from his previous estimate of 8.5 million.

What a difference a day makes. If you were hoping to get Apple’s new iPhone 4, yesterday’s record-breaking flood of pre-sale purchases means you’ll have to wait until July 2 to receive the iconic handset, the Cupertino, Calif. company announced.

The delay will affect those consumers that did not place their preorder Tuesday. The nearly one-week difference is the first result of the crush of consumers hoping to lay claim to an iPhone on the first day Apple, the exclusive carrier AT&T, and some retailers began accepting pre-orders for the handset. Apple had hoped to ship the iPhone by June 24, the day the handset was supposed to be available nationwide.

When most Western Apple owners hear the word Foxconn, they probably think suicide. However, the brother of Foxconn’s founder hopes to change that by opening 100 Apple stores in China over the next three years.

With China expected to become the largest market for PC sales by 2013 and Foxconn already manufacturing components for Apple products, T.C. Gou will open stores selling Macs, iPads, iPods and other Apple gadgets. The stores will be in addition to the 20 “Studio A” Apple Premium Resellers stores already operated by Taiwan-based Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn.

We kick-off another Tuesday with three hardware deals. This is the first day Apple accepts pre-orders for the recently-unveiled iPhone 4. The 16GB model is $199 while the 32GB version is $299. Also, we have the just-announced refresh of the Mac mini, complete with aluminum body, 2.4GHz processor and 320GB hard drive for $699.

Along the way, we’ll check out the latest crop of App Store price drops, including a touch-screen version of the classic “Clue” mystery game. We’ll also look at some new iPhone software, along with hardware for your iPhone or iPod.

As always, details on these and many more items are available at CoM’s”Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Yet another report suggests Internet giant Google has Apple’s monolithic music empire in its sites. The Mountain View, Calif. Google could have an iTunes alternative ready to announce by this fall, according to CNET. What could be even more worrisome for Apple: music labels may welcome Google with open arms.

Although we’ve known for quite some time Google plans to offer a service for Android users that would convert iTunes tracks, this appears to be the first report Apple’s rival is speaking directly to music execs.

In January, Google pitched its idea of a competing music service to music labels attending the January CES conference. After previously attempts by the music industry to get everyone from AOL to Facebook to take on iTunes, Google’s idea for a streaming music service “would be warmly welcomed by the top labels,” according to the report.

It also appears Google wants to beat Apple to the punch, introducing a streaming music service before the Cupertino, Calif. company has a chance to unveil a similar version for iTunes. Many thought Apple purchased Lala in a bid to gain the necessary technology. However, when the company recently pulled the plug on Lala without naming a successor, some onlookers doubted Apple would unveil a cloud-based upgrade to iTunes.

Still, it appears Apple’s mind remains in the clouds. The company has made strides allowing music consumers to preview tunes via the web without requiring the iTunes app first be installed.

[via Barron’s and CNET]

Despite it being the lowest-cost Mac in Apple’s lineup, one analyst is disappointed today’s refresh of the Mac mini came with a $100 price increase.

“The only disappointment we have is the price point of $699 vs. the previous price of $599,” Kaufman Bros.’ Shaw Wu told investors Tuesday morning. The Mac mini had a $499 price tag when introduced in January 2005.

Apple contractor Foxconn Technology Group will move all workers except those building iPhones away from the highly-publicized Shenzhen factory, according to China Daily.

“We’ve got a notice today,” a source told the newspaper Wednesday morning. Researchers supporting Hewlett-Packard servers will move to northern China, while other workers are sent to Tianjin, Yantai and Wuhan. The exodus will be made in two months, the report said.

We kick off another week of deals with a bargain on the stamp-size iPod shuffle: $39 for the 1GB version. Americans by droves tuned into the World Cup this weekend to watch the U.S. and the U.K. battle to a 1-1 draw. Whether you are an American soccer fan or a European “football” fan, today’s batch of App Store freebies includes “Goaaal!” a soccer game for your iPhone or iPod touch. Finally, a USB cable isn’t very sexy — until you need an extra.

Along the way, we check out new software deals, some camera, as well as storage options. As always, details on these and many other deals are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Electronics giant Best Buy announced today it will team up with Apple and other retailers to handle pre-orders for the new iPhone 4 handset. Tuesday, pre-orders begin at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile storeswith delivery to consumers set for June 24.

“It’s exciting to have an opportunity to launch this iconic device with this pre-sale,” Best Buy Mobile president Shawn Score said. “Adding the iPhone 4 to our stores alongside other great smartphones like the HTC EVO from Sprint and the HTC Incredible on Verizon, giving customers a great opportunity to view each side-by-side and get the mobile phone that works best for them,” he added.

In order to handicap how well the iPhone 4 will be received, it seems we need look no further than upgrades. Trade-ins hit the 1,000 mark on the day Apple’s latest handset was announced, a marked jumped from the 141 iPhone trade-ins when the iPhone 3GS was unveiled in 2009, according to trade-in specialist Gazelle.

More than half, or 65 percent, of the iPhones being traded-in are the 3GS, according to the company. Although the iPhone has always been popular with the geekerati, the iPhone 4 seems to have crossed the barrier into general consumer conversation, reports say.

In a vaguely-worded apology, carrier AT&T Sunday blamed hackers for a security breach which exposed thousands of iPad owners’ email addresses.

“On June 7, we learned that unauthorized computer ‘hackers’ maliciously exploited a function designed to make your iPad log-in process faster by pre-populating an AT&T authorization page with the email address you used to register your iPad for 3G service,” the carrier explained in a letter obtained by BGR.

We close out the week with three hardware choices for our top deals. First up is anothe MacBook Pro from ExperCom. This time it is a 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo with 17-inch screen for $2,147. There is also a deal on a number of Macs, including an iBook G3 running at 500MHz for $189.99. Finally, we have a deal on a 2GB iPod shuffle for $35.

Along the way, we’ll check out several cases and skins for iPads, as well as the latest batch of App Store freebies. And, if you are into this year’s World Cup, there is a deal on a FIFA World Cup 2010 app for the iPhone or iPod touch.

As always, details on these and many other items are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Apple newly-introduced iPhone 4 could be a record-breaker. Apple is accumulating millions of iPhone components, expecting its latest handset could break 10 million units sold in one fiscal quarter, reports suggested Friday.

Since May, Asia Optical has shipped an average of 3 million VGA lenses for the iPhone 4’s front-facing digital camera, according to the supplier’s chairman, Robert Lai. Apple’s orders mean up to 30 percent higher revenue for the company.

U.S. federal investigators are now looking into the breach of 114,000 e-mail addresses of iPad owners using AT&T’s website. The FBI said Thursday it was aware of a breach in AT&T’s online security and has begun an investigation.

Wednesday, carrier AT&T acknowledged the email addresses of iPad owners were compromised after a security group announced they had discovered a flaw in AT&T security allowing email identities to be gathered.