10 Windows 8 apps you should download first

Windows 8 is all about the apps, so it's important to find the best ones for your unique needs. Unfortunately, you need to sift through a lot of crap apps in the process, especially if you're not using a Windows 8 tablet; desktop and laptop PC users don’t need to worry about the lion’s share of Windows 8 apps, because they're usually single-purpose tools designed to replicate the functionality of a full PC on a mobile device. Since you have access to a full Windows desktop you don’t need just another way to look at photos or surf the Web—you need a way to do those things better.

With that in mind, we’ve taken the liberty of sharing some of our favorite Windows 8 apps in order to help you get up to speed as quickly as possible so that you can take advantage of all that Windows 8 can offer. Microsoft does a pretty decent job of covering your basic computing needs with apps like Messaging, Mail, SkyDrive and Skype, but there are a few excellent third-party apps you should download post-haste.

Problem is, the Windows Store is still in its infancy and thus lacks a lot of free apps for well-known services such as Twitter and Facebook; but even though Microsoft’s digital distribution platform can’t yet match the variety or breadth of apps available in the Apple and Google ecosystems, it still has more than enough Windows 8 apps to make your head spin. We sifted through dozens and dozens of the most popular Windows 8 apps available at launch, then tested a few dozen more and compiled this list of our favorites. While these apps may not satisfy all your computing needs (we just couldn't find a great Twitter management app, for example) they should help you get the most from your Windows 8 PC.

Netflix

The Netflix app for Windows 8 is free to download and easy to use, with an attractive tile-based interface that's intuitive to navigate on a touchscreen. Streaming movies through the app also seems smoother than streaming them through your browser, which is reason enough to launch Netflix right from your Start screen.

IM+

Everyone needs a good instant messaging client, and although the Windows 8 Messaging app is functional enough, as of publication it supports only the Windows Messenger and Facebook Chat services. That may change in the future, but if you want to chat with all your friends right now across disparate networks (including AIM, Facebook, GChat, ICQ, and Jabber) Shape's IM+ app has you covered. It’s free, it supports a wide variety of chat networks, and it lets you enable push notifications so that you can stay on top of your social life no matter what app you’re using.

TuneIn Radio

Over 14,000 radio stations exist in the United States, and TuneIn Radio will let you listen to almost all of them, plus a bunch more from across the world, for free. While you could always stream your favorite radio station from your browser, TuneIn does a fantastic job of presenting a huge assortment of AM/FM radio streams and podcasts in one slick app that’s simple to navigate. The sound quality is great, playback rarely stutters, and the TuneIn live tile displays information on what’s currently playing. You can choose from over 70,000 talk shows, sports broadcasts, news programs, local radio broadcasts, and podcasts.

eBay

The eBay app is beautiful, free and easy to use, but most importantly it takes advantage of the Windows 8 Start screen in ways that make it more useful to savvy shoppers than the standard eBay website. You can use the app to quickly and efficiently sort through your tracked auctions and saved eBay searches, and you can pin the Daily Deals tracker to your Start screen to stay abreast of savings opportunities at a glance.

Microsoft Minesweeper

Windows 8 is the only version of Windows in recent memory that doesn't come with Minesweeper preinstalled, but you can download it for free if you’re feeling nostalgic. At its core the classic guessing gameplay of Minesweeper is the same as it ever was, but Microsoft has updated the Windows 8 version with a fresh coat of paint and some new features, including an Adventure mode with traps and treasure, online leaderboards, and the ability to log in with your Xbox Live account and see when your friends are online or earn Minesweeper Achievements.

Clock

Jujuba Software's app does what it says on the tin, placing a live tile on your Start screen that shows the time. You might be wondering why you'd need an app to do such a simple thing; surprisingly, in Windows 8, Microsoft actually failed to include an option for users to see what time it is without pulling up the Charms bar to display the system clock. The Clock app is a free, simple alternative for anyone who wants the convenience of being able to check the time at a glance without pulling up a menu, and you can also use it to set a timer, run a stopwatch, or set alarms for yourself.

SmartGlass

Microsoft's SmartGlass functions as a second screen for your Xbox 360, keeping track of what you’re watching or playing and offering complementary information such as Achievement charts and additional video content. You can also use your PC as a remote control for your Xbox 360, launching videos or games on your HDTV from within SmartGlass. In addition, the app allows you to track real-time stats while watching sports, queue up songs in a dance game, or check your in-game GPS while racing against your friends in a motocross title. SmartGlass has been available in the Store for some time now, but Microsoft is updating the app with a bevy of new features to accompany the Windows 8 launch.

StumbleUpon

Whether you’re an avid Stumbler or a first-time user, consider adding the StumbleUpon app to your new Start screen. StumbleUpon is a fantastic way to discover new and interesting things online, and the Windows 8 app makes it even easier to stumble upon your next favorite video or article by updating the live tile with websites tailored to match your tastes. Installing the Windows 8 StumbleUpon app will also allow you to share websites, audio, and video with StumbleUpon via the Share Charm. It's a great tool for injecting a little serendipity into your online existence, and it's completely free to use.

HowStuffWorks

The HowStuffWorks Windows 8 app basically bundles all the excellent articles, videos and podcasts from the HowStuffWorks website into a package and plops it down on your Start screen with a live tile that updates you whenever there's something new to check out. The app itself has a few peccadilloes (the tiles look cramped together and the podcasts don't keep playing when you switch to another app) that suggest it was rushed out to hit the Windows 8 launch date, but HowStuffWorks is still a fantastic free app that deserves a permanent spot on your Start screen.

MovieGuide

Zühlke Engineering's MovieGuide app, a handy tool for movie nuts, combines the film trivia of IMDb, the variety of trailers on YouTube, and the list-making feature of Flixster into a single app. Some of the information on films and actors (especially the more obscure ones) is sourced from Wikipedia and can be a little anemic, but the beautiful design and easy discovery paths more than make up for that. Seasoned cinemagoers can probably skip this app, but it's perfect for budding film buffs.

Source: pcworld.com

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AMD to sell ARM-based server chips in 2014

Advanced Micro Devices has announced it will sell ARM-based server processors in 2014, ending its exclusive commitment to the x86 architecture and adding a new dimension to its decades-old battle with Intel.

AMD will license a 64-bit processor design from ARM and combine it with the Freedom Fabric interconnect technology it acquired when it bought SeaMicro earlier this year, AMD said Monday.

The result will be a new line of system-on-chip Opteron processors that AMD said will be ideal for the type of massive, web-scale workloads running in giant data centers like those operated by Facebook and Amazon.

AMD Rory Read announces his company’s
ARM move Monday.

AMD CEO Rory Read called the announcement a “seminal moment” and compared it to AMD’s introduction of the first 64-bit x86 processors in 2003. AMD beat Intel to the punch with that move, and it hopes to gain a similar advantage by embracing ARM.

It’s not clear yet if ARM-based CPUs will be successful in servers, but one industry analyst said the move by AMD will help. “I really think this raises ARM’s server credibility, and the credibility of microservers as a segment,” said Patrick Moorhead, president of Moor Insights and Strategy.

Server chips based on the x86 architecture will continue to be the mainstay of AMD’s server business, Read said, but he thinks the ARM-based chips will open up new markets for the company. And while AMD is focused initially on servers, he didn’t rule out the possibility that it will eventually make ARM processors for client devices such as tablets as well.

AMD hopes to sell the new server chips to vendors such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard, and will also sell them in its own servers under the SeaMicro brand. Today those systems are based on x86 processors.

AMD was joined at the event by representatives from Red Hat, Dell, Facebook and (by video) Amazon, a sign of the interest ARM-based server chips are generating.

The timing of Monday’s announcement was a bit awkward, since ARM has yet to unveil the 64-bit processor design that AMD plans to license. It’s likely to be a design code-named Atlas that ARM is expected to unveil at its TechCon conference Tuesday, though neither company would confirm that Monday.

The timing was also bad because hurricane Sandy prevented ARM CEO Warren East from flying in from the UK in time to attend the event. He appeared in a video that was hastily shot in the back of a taxi at Heathrow airport, endorsing the partnership with AMD.

ARM-based servers make sense for the new computing requirements created by services such as social networks and online gaming, said Lisa Su, an AMD senior vice president and general manager. Those workloads need a processor that can efficiently handle very large volumes of small transactions.

“The data center is being inundated with massive amounts of data and there has to be a way to do it more efficiently in a smaller space with a lower cost point,” she said.

ARM architectures are considered more energy-efficient for some workloads because they were originally designed for mobile phones and consume less power. That has attracted several vendors to the space, including Calxeda, Applied Micro and Marvell, all of whom are developing ARM-based chips for servers.

AMD hopes to distinguish itself with two SeaMicro technologies — a custom chip that integrates many components from a traditional server board onto one chip, allowing for dense server designs; and its Freedom Fabric, which can connect thousands of servers in a cluster with low latency and at relatively low cost.

“The fabric technology is the secret sauce; this is what will make AMD’s server solution different from other vendors,” Su said.

Intel has said it won’t make ARM-based processors, in part because it doesn’t want to pay ARM a royalty on each chip. But it has been working hard to reduce the power consumption of its own server chips and said it is confident of its technology roadmap.

The company is due to release a low-power server chip in the second half of the year code-named Centerton, and will follow that up next year with a part dubbed Avoton.

“We have what is required by customers — low powered CPUs, support for key server features, and software compatibility to allow use of current workloads and not force any migration,” Intel spokesman Radek Walczyk said via email.

That still doesn’t give it an equivalent to AMD’s Freedom Fabric, however.

“Think of the chip as half the battle,” said Moorhead, the industry analyst. “The part of the battle [Intel] hasn’t discussed yet is the fabric that makes hundreds or thousands of these parts talk to each other. That’s the magic that guys like Calxeda and AMD are bringing to the table.”

Source: pcworld.com

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Microsoft launches Windows Phone app for Windows 8 and RT

Hot on the heels of Friday’s Windows 8 release—and shortly before the full unveiling of Windows Phone 8 Monday—Microsoft released the Windows Phone desktop app for its latest computer operating systems, Windows 8 and Windows RT.

This companion app helps complete the Windows ecosystem: it syncs music, photos, and videos between Windows mobile devices and PCs.

According to the app’s listing in the Windows Store, the syncing process is automatic once set up: photos and videos taken on your Windows Phone 8 are instantly saved to your PC, and vice versa. You can also share search results between devices, and you don’t even have to open the app on your desktop to move items around.

To make sure your phone always has room for more content, the app will also indicate how much space you’re using for each type of content.

Windows Phone for Windows 8 and Windows RT is available for free through theWindows Store.

Source: techhive.com

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Review: Intel's Series 335 delivers more SSD for less money

Intel has revved up its mainstream SSD line from the Series 330 to the Series 335, and the company sent over a 240GB model for evaluation (and 240GB is apparently the only capacity it is launching this series with). The new drives feature 20nm NAND flash memory, compared with the 25nm chips in the older series, but Intel continues to use an LSI/SandForce SF-2281 controller with custom Intel firmware. The company uses the same controller in its Series 330 and Series 520 drives.

But what may be of most interest to consumers is that the Series 335 is significantly cheaper per gigabyte: Intel expects this 240GB drive to cost about the same as a 180GB Series 330. And while the product was officially embargoed until 8:30 a.m. on October 29, we saw it listed for sale online the evening of October 28 at prices between $184 and $225, including shipping.

Like its most recent predecessors, the Series 335 is outfitted with a SATA revision 3.0 (6gbits/s) interface, and the drive comes housed inside a 2.5-inch enclosure that is 9.5mm thick. That thick profile renders it unsuitable for many current ultraportables; however, the stout of heart can easily remove the board from its enclosure and fit it inside a thinner case or install it directly into a vacant drive bay (although doing either will likely void Intel’s three-year warranty).

To judge the unit's performance, the PCWorld Labs put it through our 10GB copy and read tests. Keeping in mind that our current test bed uses a 7200-rpm hard drive to feed and read data from our test subjects, the 335 performed very well. It wrote our 10GB mix of files and folders at 93.2MBps and read them at 57.9MBps; and it wrote our single 10GB file at 124.1MBps while reading it at 129.8MBps.

I conducted some testing outside the lab by replacing the 128GB Kingston SSDNow V Series in my AMD e-450-based laptop with the 240GB 335. The Kingston remains capable in spite of its age, but no one would describe it as a blinding-fast SSD, as evidenced by its PassMark hard-disk score of 260.7. Intel’s 240GB Series 335 drive scored a 2078—nearly 10 times faster. The feel of the system was obviously quite a bit snappier.

Intel’s 20nm NAND flash renders the Series 335 a step up from Intel’s earlier SSDs, but the aggressive pricing is probably the better news for consumers—and it could be bad news for the slew of manufacturers that recently announced new hybrid hard drives.

Source: pcworld.com

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The iPad Mini invites are here!

Smaller Apple iPad tablet expected to be unveiled in San Jose

Apple on Tuesday extended invites teasing recipients that on Oct. 23 in San Jose "We've got a little more to show you," presumably the iPad mini with a 7.85-inch screen.

The event is slated to take place at 1pm EST.

The iPad Mini (sometimes called the iPad Air), with 1024×768 screen resolution similar to that of the iPad 2, would fit in a category with devices like the new 7-inch, $199 Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7. The regular iPad's screen is 9.7 inches diagonally.

Apple Insider reports that Apple is plotting two dozen iPad configurations, with expectations that at $250 8GB model might be the standard, in either black or white.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Apple, according to supply chain sources, has directed component makers to cook up some 10 million iPad Mini tablets in the fourth quarter. Between the regular iPad and iPad Mini, Apple could sell nearly 30 million units this quarter,according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani.

In addition to the iPad Mini, speculation is that Apple will unveil other products, such as a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

Source: networkworld.com

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Force-sensing touchpad to reach ultrabooks next year

Projects on show at the UIST conference make creative use of a new, pressure-sensitive touchpad from Synaptics

Researchers at the User Interface Software Technology conference this week demonstrated unique projects that took advantage of a new, pressure-sensitive "forcepad" that could debut in ultrabooks as soon as next year.

Synaptics gave the forcepad to more than two dozen academic research groups, which were challenged to come up with novel uses for the device. It's like a touchpad, but in addition to the usual swiping gestures it can sense how much pressure is being applied, adding another dimension for control.

One team, from RWTH Aachen University, created ForceposA(c), an application that lets Mac users "push" through a stack of overlapping windows, revealing the ones underneath. How far into the stack users go depends on how much pressure they apply to the forcepad.

"We added another dimension into browsing overlapping windows," said Christian Corsten, a researcher at RWTH Aachen University. "Normally when you have a stack of windows you need to move them away to grab a specific window, but [with what we did] you just push through the stack of windows with your finger."

To see the project in action, watch a video on YouTube.

Corsten said the project is different from the ExposA(c) tool in Mac OS X (now called Mission Control) because in that mode, "everything gets smaller and moves to a different position and you notice that you're entering the ExposA(c) mode."

Corsten said the team used the accessibility framework and Apple script to hack into the OS to get access to the different windows.

Another project took a novel approach to puppetry, with a marionette controlled not by a puppeteer but by a forcepad. The marionette hung on strings attached to a set of wheels and "servos," or little motors.

To see the puppet project, watch a video on YouTube.

As a researcher pressed his fingers on the forcepad, the puppet lifted its leg and waved its arms. Sliding his fingers across the pad made the puppet move left and right. One researcher said the project wouldn't have been possible with a traditional trackpad or with a touchscreen device like an iPad or iPhone.

"They don't give pressure information, so when you touch the screen it only knows where you're touching, but not how hard," said Paymahn Moghadasian, a student who worked on the project from the University of Manitoba.

The Synaptics forcepad can track five fingers at a 15-gram resolution, up to a kilogram, according to Anthony Searle, a systems design engineer. He said the forcepad will ship in ultrabooks next year, though Synaptics won't say yet which hardware partners it is working with.

The company showed the touchpad integrated into a prototype Lenovo ultrabook, but for most of the demonstrations at UIST, the touchpad connected to the laptops via USB.

The demonstration projects themselves, such as the puppet, are at the research stage and there are no immediate plans to commercialize them.

Source: computerworld.com

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Retailers reveal more Windows 8 prices, take pre-orders

'System Builder' for virtual machines costs $100-$140, same price as Windows 7

Microsoft and several online retailers today revealed more Windows 8 pricing information, and began taking pre-orders for the operating system.

The prices were unveiled in a Microsoft blog post and by several online retailers, including Amazon.com and Newegg.com.

Previously, Microsoft had announced a $39.99 price for the online upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, and said that a boxed copy containing a DVD would run $69.99 during a promotion that will end Jan. 31, 2013.

Today, the company's blog post contained no new information, but Microsoft's e-retailing partners did provide additional details.

According to those retailers, the boxed edition of the Windows 8 Pro upgrade, which has been discounted to $69.99 for now, will jump to $199.99 after the promotion. That's the same price as for a Windows 7 Professional upgrade DVD.

Retailers also unveiled prices for what Microsoft calls the "System Builder" versions, those aimed at small-scale or homebrew PC makers, as well as users who want to run the OS in a virtual machine or in a dual-boot configuration. Formerly, Microsoft applied the term "OEM" to label these.

Newegg's price for Windows 8 System Builder was $99.99 -- available either in 32- or 64-bit -- and $139.99 for Windows 8 Pro, the business-oriented version that comes with corporate features such as full-disk encryption and the ability to connect to company networks.

The prices are identical to ones for OEM editions of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional.

Unlike other boxed copies, System Builder does not come with support from Microsoft: Instead, the user is responsible for self-support, or if System Builder is used on a made-to-order PC, the shop or individual who assembled the machine is responsible.

Also on the price list: A $69.99 upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro sold at retail with no media, but only a "key card" with an activation code that turns Windows 8 into Windows 8 Pro. Microsoft's dubbed that "Windows 8 Pro Pack;" it's analogous to the in-place upgrades the company touted as "Anytime Upgrades" for Windows 7.

Newegg said the Pro Pack's $69.99 price was a $30 savings over the regular price of $99.99, presumably the upgrade's eventual list price. If so, that's a $10 increase over the Windows 7 Home Premium Anytime Upgrade to Windows 7 Professional, which comes with an $89.99 tag.

Even with these revelations, however, there were still unanswered questions about Windows 8's price, notably that of the entry-level SKU (stock-keeping unit) designated as "Windows 8."

Neither Microsoft nor any of the online retailers had information about the cost of a Windows 8 upgrade -- one used to migrate from XP, Vista or Windows 7 -- as opposed to the already-announced upgrade to Windows 8 Pro.

Also unknown is the price of the Windows 8 Pro online upgrade after Jan. 31, 2013. (Until then, it's $39.99.) If Microsoft sticks with Windows 7 pricing for this SKU, too, the upgrade will climb to $199.99 in February.

Windows 8 goes on sale Friday, Oct. 26.

Microsoft declined to answer questions about the missing prices of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro.

Source: computerworld.com

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Appeals court overturns ban on Samsung's Galaxy Nexus

Court cites insufficient evidence to show that Galaxy Nexus infringes Apple patent

A ban on imports of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus into the U.S. was reversed by a U.S. appeals court Tuesday.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed an earlier ruling by Judge Lucy Koh in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The district court imposed a ban on imports of the Galaxy Nexus into the U.S. based on alleged infringement of a patent related to data search sources.

In its conclusion, the appeals court wrote that "we hold that the district court abused its discretion in enjoining the sales of the Galaxy Nexus."

Apple originally filed a suit against Samsung alleging that Galaxy Nexus infringed multiple patents including 8,086,604, related to data search from multiple sources. The district court determined that an injunction should issue based on alleged infringement of the '604 patent, while the other motions were rejected.

Apple did not, however, show sufficient evidence that Samsung infringed on the patent with Galaxy Nexus, the appeals court said in its ruling. Some of Apple's claims were related to its Siri feature, in which consumers use the voice-controlled capability to search for information. 

"There is also no dispute, however, that the Galaxy Nexus does not have a feature equivalent to Siri. Apple nonetheless argues that establishing a causal nexus here is only a matter of connecting the dots," the appeals court said in its ruling.

This is one win for Samsung in a long legal battle. A jury earlier awarded Apple US$1.05 billion in damages after winning a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung, a ruling that has since been appealed by the Korean firm. Based on the ruling, Apple has also asked to ban sales of other Samsung smartphones in the U.S.

Source: computerworld.com/

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iPad mini tablet said to be Wi-Fi only

3G iPad mini not coming near term to help keep price down, report says

The widely expected smaller version of the Apple iPad tablet will have Wi-Fi but not cellular connectivity, according to unnamed sources in a news story about the so-called iPad mini. But it's not clear why that would be the case.

The new Apple device is said to have a 7.8-inch screen instead of the 9.7-inch screen in the current tablet model and will be marketed as a smaller, less expensive iPad, competing with Amazon's Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7 among others.

The claim about having only Wi-Fi connectivity was made in a story posted at the U.K.-basedThe Guardian, by Charles Author.

"Industry sources indicated to the Guardian that they do not expect to see 3G-capable versions of the iPad mini," according to Author. "That would allow Apple to produce it comparatively cheaply and to limit the top price of the product, while retaining mobile broadband connectivity for its pricier iPad line."

Yet it's not clear why Apple would refuse to offer buyers a cellular option for a smaller tablet, if they want it. Apple's pricing for the current iPads is very simple and clear: you get a choice of three Wi-Fi models, based on storage capacity, and you have the option of adding $130 to the price tag if you opt for cellular connectivity.

For example, the new iPad, with the standard 9.7-inch screen, starts at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version; adding a LTE cellular modem increases the price by $130 to $629. The newest and just released iPod touch, which mimics many of the features found in the new iPhone 5, has a 4-inch screen and is only available with Wi-Fi, priced at $299 for the starting 32GB model.

With a 7.8-inch screen, the iPad mini would be nearly 3 inches larger than the iPod touch and 2 inches smaller than the full-sized iPad. Many pundits and analyst say Apple will have to price the mini at about $250 to compete with rivals like Amazon. Even assuming that they're right, having a $130 cellular option wouldn't prevent consumers from buying a less expensive Wi-Fi iPad mini.

Even Amazon offers cellular options on its tablets, complicating a somewhat confusing array of screen sizes, storage, and connectivity features. Currently there are three Kindle Fire models, two with 7-inch screens. One of those, the Kindle Fire, has only single-band Wi-Fi, and is priced at $159; the second, Kindle Fire HD, has a higher resolution and supports dual-band Wi-Fi (5GHz in addition to 2.4GHz) as does the iPhone 5, iPod touch and presumably the iPad mini. This model is priced at $199.

But the newest Kindle Fire model has a larger screen at 8.9 inches, high resolution displays, and dual-band Wi-Fi for $299; adding a LTE cellular modem boosts the price to $499. And the 6-inch Kindle Paperwhite e-reader tablet can be bought with a 3G modem for $179.

The Guardian's sources are at odds with at least one other rumor, from a Russian language Ukranian website, noted by 9to5Mac's Seth Weintraub earlier in October. 

"Ukrainianiphone.com reports to have obtained parts for the upcoming iPad mini," Weintraub wrote. "The parts, labeled in the gallery above, according to the Russian-language website, were from a source who visited the factory in Asia. Notables include the plastic spacer bars, which Apple has traditionally used for 3G and 4G radio equipment...."

Source : networkworld.com/

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iPad Mini's likely launch date means inventory will be everything, say analysts

Latest-ever new product launch could put Apple in a bind during the holidays if the usual shortages occur

Apple's rumored November launch of a smaller, less-expensive iPad will put the company in a tight spot -- tighter than usual -- if it's not able to build up and maintain adequate supplies through the holiday season, analysts said today.

Earlier this week, speculation resurfaced about an "iPad Mini," the tag given to a 7.85-in. tablet, when Fortune cited a source who claimed Apple would invite reporters, bloggers and analysts next week to an upcoming event.

That rumor was bolstered today by the Wall Street Journal today (paid subscription required), which reported that Apple's Asian suppliers had begun production last month.

Based on past practice, Apple would likely unveil an iPad Mini on Oct. 17 and start selling the tablet -- perhaps at prices as low as $250 -- on Nov. 2.

That date, if true, would be Apple's latest-ever in a calendar year for a new product launch. The company typically ends its introductions in October, and even then, has limited them to relatively minor refreshes of existing products.

On both Oct. 20, 2010, and Oct. 20, 2009 -- the current latest-ever record for a product debut -- Apple started selling revamped MacBook Air notebooks and iMac desktops, respectively. On Oct. 14, 2008, Apple revealed significant changes in its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines by introducing the first "unibody" designs for its laptop line. And last year's iPhone 4S started selling Oct. 14.

"The biggest question [for an iPad Mini introduction in November] would be how much out-of-stock problems there will be," said Steven Baker, a retail analyst with the NPD Group. "Assuming there's huge demand, which I think there will be, will they have enough stock to make it through Dec. 25? If they have just four days of inventory at launch, for example, retailers are not going to like that."

The retailers Baker was talking about would presumably include those that now sell the larger iPad, like Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.

Customers would also be upset if stocks aren't sufficient, and long shipping delays are slapped into place almost immediately. The problem: The short stretch between early November and the heart of holiday sales, which in the U.S. start on Black Friday, Nov. 23, and run through Christmas, Dec. 25.

The iPhone 5, for instance, which launched Sept. 21, was quickly backordered to three to four weeks, where it remains.

Those kinds of delays could spell problems for an iPad Mini launched so late in the year. Customers, hoping to buy one or more for themselves and as gifts, could read the shipping delays -- especially as Christmas draws near -- realize they have little chance of receiving a Mini before the holiday, and switch their purchase to one of the many 7-in. tablet alternatives, which this year includes Google's Nexus 7 and a revamped Kindle Fire from Amazon.

"The problem is adequate inventory, it always is with Apple," said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research. "If they can't meet what will probably be a very large demand, that's an issue. Frankly, they're not the only company with problems like these. Last year the Kindle Fire had the same problem."

Amazon's original Kindle Fire launched last year on Nov. 14, even later in the calendar than the iPad Mini's presumed Nov. 2 date. An estimated 5 million Kindle Fires were sold in the fourth quarter of 2011, but sales dropped off precipitously after the holidays, showing the need to strike when the holiday iron is hot.

"It's always better [to launch] sooner than later, because if there is a delay, you have time to recover," said Baker. "That's really a problem only for high-profile stuff, and more of an issue with people in the stores shelving and merchandising. The second [issue] is advertising. You want to make sure there's time to set that up. The later [a launch is] the less wiggle room there is."

Apple is unlike other computer and device makers, Baker admitted, because it has its own chain of retail stores, several hundred at this point in the U.S., Canada, China, Japan and several European countries.

At its own stores, of course, Apple has complete control of the process, and a late start to an iPad Mini wouldn't pose problems. But it still sells a good amount of tablets through its retail partners, who could be affected by a November launch.

"[Apple] gets a little more flexibility from retailers with iPads and iPhones because they have such a big share of those markets, and they drive traffic," acknowledged Baker, noting that it would be unlikely for a retailer to put up a fuss about an early November timetable.

And Apple's a special case for another reason, Baker argued: It limits the versions, or SKUs (stock-keeping units) to a minimum, unlike other OEMs, such as those expected to debut Windows 8- and Windows RT-powered tablet this year. Collectively, those hardware makers could present retailers scores of tablet SKUs. "Then the retailer has to reset a whole section," said Baker.

Apple has options, of course. It could alleviate potential shortages by limiting the 2012 roll-out to a few markets, say, the U.S. and Canada. However, that would be going against the grain: In the last two major launches -- the new iPad in March and last month's iPhone 5 -- Apple either implemented or plans to implement an accelerated roll-out to more countries, and to them faster.

In the end, there's a lot on the line, analysts say.

"A 'Mini will be pretty big..., huge," said Brian White, a financial analyst with Topeka Capital Markets, in a Monday interview. "Eventually, it will be bigger than the [traditional] iPad market."

Source: computerworld.com/

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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 coming to U.S. Oct. 24?

An event invitation to reporters says the company will celebrate "The Next Big Thing"

Samsung on Thursday afternoon sent out press invitations proclaiming that "the next big thing is here" and told reporters to save the date of Oct. 24 for an event in New York.

Samsung Mobile, which sent the invitations, did not provide any details about the event other than to say it will celebrate "The Next Big Thing," but it is likely that the honored guest at the fete will be the company's smartphone-tablet hybrid, Galaxy Note 2, which has a 5.5-inch screen.

The device was released in South Korea on Wednesday, and the company said the device will be rolled out in 128 countries through 260 carriers, reaching the U.K. in early October and the U.S. later that month.

The Galaxy Note 2 follows the highly successful Galaxy Note, which was launched in February with a 5.3-inch screen. The Galaxy Note 2 can display images at a resolution of 1280-by-720 pixels. The device that shipped earlier this week had a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, which is made by Samsung.

The smartphone and tablet-hybrid offers 16 hours of talk time and storage of 32GB or 64GB. The 32GB model was priced at US$970 and the 64GB version is around $1,026.

Samsung has sold about 12 million Galaxy Note devices to date, according to Strategy Analytics. The device has created a possible market for what observers call a "phablet," a term that combines phone and tablet. Another device called phablet is Asustek's Padfone.

Source:  computerworld.com

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Samsung delivers Galaxy S3 remote-wipe bug fix

Samsung has released a fix for a critical error in its software that allowed malicious code to remotely wipe its Galaxy S3 smartphone.

The vulnerability was showcased by security researcher Ravi Borgaonkar at Ekoparty security conference on Tuesday.

Samsung later told V3 that it was aware of the issue and had built a fix, which it was distributing as an over-the-air update..

"We would like to assure our customers that the recent security issue concerning the Galaxy S3 has already been resolved through a software update," a Samsung spokesman told V3.

"We recommend all Galaxy S3 customers to download the latest software update, which can be done quickly and easily via the over-the-air (OTA) service."

The vulnerability was reportedly in the device's Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) protocol, which is used in the messaging between handset and mobile network. Potentially, hackers could use the vulnerability to send a “factory reset” command to the user's device.

The attacks could be mounted using a number of different mediums including website links, NFC tags and QR codes.

Security firm Sophos has since warned that the vulnerability may relate to several other Android handsets, including those made by other manufacturers, and urged owners of devices to back-up their phone regularly.

"Whether you choose to trust the cloud, or synchronise to your laptop, or just copy important files to removable storage, don't take the long-term data integrity of your phone for granted," warned Sophos researcher Paul Ducklin.

Source : v3.co.uk

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