Quitting smoking, one text at a time (podcast)
University of Oregon Assistant Professor of Psychology Elliot Berkman recently completed a study for his University of California at Los Angeles doctoral dissertation on smoking cessation. Like a lot of researchers before him, Berkman asked respondents whether they had smoked--and what mood they were in, when they lit up--in an attempt to better understand compliance with smoking-cessation programs.But the difference between Berkman's study and previous ones is that he was able to repeat the question every two hours by interacting with subjects via text messaging, rather than talking with them on the phone or in person, or having them fill out a questionnaire.In an interview (scroll down to listen to podcast), Berkman explained that his goal was to "get better, more fine-grained assessments of smoking and relapse among a sample of heavy cigarette smokers who were trying to quit." The problem with previous research was, "they just didn't do it often enough...researchers were finding that the reports they were getting were not accurate. They weren't mapping to smaller-scale studies, where they actually tracked people more carefully." In other words, people have a way of forgetting details about a habit, if you ask them once a month, or even once a day, but by asking every two hours via text message, you're likely to get a far more accurate report not only on whether they smoked during the past two hours but how they felt just before they may have lit up.Berkman worked with Red Oxygen, a bulk SMS text-messaging company to deliver the messages.His sample included only 33 subjects--which made it more of a pilot test than a real study, but based on his results, he feels that it can scale to much larger samples.Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Subscribe now:iTunes (audio) |RSS (audio)
Google overhauls its iOS app in search of iPad users
Google overhauls its iOS app in search of iPad users
Google's doubling down on its efforts to pull iOS users into frequent searchers with a new iPad-centric version of its search app.The new version, released today as a free update to the company's universal iOS app (iTunes), gives iPad users on iOS 4 or higher a handful of new features, and put Google's app in tighter competition with Apple's built-in Safari browser.The app now includes Google Instant, so that search results stream in as you type. Google's coupled this with its Instant Preview technology, giving users a quick look at a destination site without having to load it. These results show up in a string of previews, similar to what can be found with Google's overhauled image search carousel, the one that lets you swipe through images like you would music albums in Apple's Cover Flow view. Here's what that looks like:Google's new image carousel lets you flick through images on your iPad.Stephen Shankland/CNETOne other big change is in how Google now bundles pages you're on with the results, putting the two side by side. Microsoft attempted something similar with its Bing app for iPad earlier this year, and the result is effectively the same here. You can hop back and scan both pages without having to reload either one, which can be extremely handy.Other noteworthy tweaks include the addition of a +1 button for sharing on social networks like Google's own Google+, as well as an on-page search tool, which lets you look up a word or phrase on any page you're viewing. This is something you can do on the built-in Safari browser using the search box, but it's not as apparent as Google's made it here. Much like I wrote when having a go with Microsoft's Bing app for iPad earlier this year, it's clear that Google's up to some of the same tricks. It's taken aim at the stock Safari browser by offering an experience that's tuned in to users who want a desktop-like searching experience, but on their mobile device. Where Microsoft differs is in pitching its app as a content aggregator, whereas Google continues to position its app as a launch pad for its various properties. That's certainly not a bad thing in this case, where search and reading go hand in hand.Below is a demo video from Google on the new features:
Google's doubling down on its efforts to pull iOS users into frequent searchers with a new iPad-centric version of its search app.The new version, released today as a free update to the company's universal iOS app (iTunes), gives iPad users on iOS 4 or higher a handful of new features, and put Google's app in tighter competition with Apple's built-in Safari browser.The app now includes Google Instant, so that search results stream in as you type. Google's coupled this with its Instant Preview technology, giving users a quick look at a destination site without having to load it. These results show up in a string of previews, similar to what can be found with Google's overhauled image search carousel, the one that lets you swipe through images like you would music albums in Apple's Cover Flow view. Here's what that looks like:Google's new image carousel lets you flick through images on your iPad.Stephen Shankland/CNETOne other big change is in how Google now bundles pages you're on with the results, putting the two side by side. Microsoft attempted something similar with its Bing app for iPad earlier this year, and the result is effectively the same here. You can hop back and scan both pages without having to reload either one, which can be extremely handy.Other noteworthy tweaks include the addition of a +1 button for sharing on social networks like Google's own Google+, as well as an on-page search tool, which lets you look up a word or phrase on any page you're viewing. This is something you can do on the built-in Safari browser using the search box, but it's not as apparent as Google's made it here. Much like I wrote when having a go with Microsoft's Bing app for iPad earlier this year, it's clear that Google's up to some of the same tricks. It's taken aim at the stock Safari browser by offering an experience that's tuned in to users who want a desktop-like searching experience, but on their mobile device. Where Microsoft differs is in pitching its app as a content aggregator, whereas Google continues to position its app as a launch pad for its various properties. That's certainly not a bad thing in this case, where search and reading go hand in hand.Below is a demo video from Google on the new features:
Ready or not, the iPhone 6 clones are here
Ready or not, the iPhone 6 clones are here
The Internet has a talent for leaks, but the tech world also has an impressive capacity for imitation, so it should be no surprise that all those iPhone leaks have already been transformed into a functional iPhone 6 clone.French site NoWhereElse got hold of some photos of what looks to be a mocked-up iPhone 6 based on the build seen in all those leaked dummy units running iOS or an operating system skinned up to look like iOS. There's no video, so it's tough to determine how functional the thing really is, or if it's got one of those nifty, rugged sapphire screen panels we've seen in action recently.Related StoriesiPhone 6 leaks show a device begging for extreme torture-testingBuy a dummy iPhone 6 and spread your own rumorsWhile there's no way to tell what materials were used, it seems to be a faithful replica of what we might expect in an iPhone design, along with the rumored larger size that will bring the iPhone 6 close to the handful of phones offered in the Samsung Galaxy S series.But with the release of the actual iPhone still several weeks away, there's likely to be more leaks, meaning these early clones will quickly grow outdated and forgotten, creating a gang of the only thing more unsettling than sad clowns -- sad clones. The iPhone 6 clone shown with a Samsung Galaxy S5.NoWhereElse.fr
The Internet has a talent for leaks, but the tech world also has an impressive capacity for imitation, so it should be no surprise that all those iPhone leaks have already been transformed into a functional iPhone 6 clone.French site NoWhereElse got hold of some photos of what looks to be a mocked-up iPhone 6 based on the build seen in all those leaked dummy units running iOS or an operating system skinned up to look like iOS. There's no video, so it's tough to determine how functional the thing really is, or if it's got one of those nifty, rugged sapphire screen panels we've seen in action recently.Related StoriesiPhone 6 leaks show a device begging for extreme torture-testingBuy a dummy iPhone 6 and spread your own rumorsWhile there's no way to tell what materials were used, it seems to be a faithful replica of what we might expect in an iPhone design, along with the rumored larger size that will bring the iPhone 6 close to the handful of phones offered in the Samsung Galaxy S series.But with the release of the actual iPhone still several weeks away, there's likely to be more leaks, meaning these early clones will quickly grow outdated and forgotten, creating a gang of the only thing more unsettling than sad clowns -- sad clones. The iPhone 6 clone shown with a Samsung Galaxy S5.NoWhereElse.fr
Rarefied Retina MacBook Pros get priced closer to earth
Rarefied Retina MacBook Pros get priced closer to earth
MacBook Pros equipped with a Retina display are not exactly priced to move. Best Buy and Amazon are trying to change that.Best Buy, for example, is now selling the 128GB version (model MC975LL/A) of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro Retina for $1,549.99, $150 off the regular $1,699.99 price.Need 256GB of solid-state storage with that gorgeous Retina screen?That model (MD213LL/A) is now $1,799.99, $200 off the regular price of $1,999.99. The pricier 15.4-inch models with 256GB and 512GB solid-state drives (MC975LL/A and MC976LL/A, respectively), also got $200 lopped off their regular prices.Amazon is going even lower, pricing the 128GB 13.3-inch model at $1,515.59, for example. The online retailer is offering identical discounts to Best Buy on the 15.4-inch models.These sales may be short-lived (the Best Buy sale is for two days only) but expect more of this kind of discounting from retailers in the future.Apple's Mac sales sank last quarter to 4.1 million compared to 5.2 million in the same quarter last year. Some of that is because consumers are opting for the cheaper iPad, but the Retina MacBook Pros may be a factor too.When Apple sells configurations that push the least expensive Retina model to $1,700 ($1,699) at the regular price, that's not going to win over a lot of buyers.Best Buy sale: For two days, the 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro now starts at $1,549.99.Best Buy[Via 9to5Toys ]
MacBook Pros equipped with a Retina display are not exactly priced to move. Best Buy and Amazon are trying to change that.Best Buy, for example, is now selling the 128GB version (model MC975LL/A) of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro Retina for $1,549.99, $150 off the regular $1,699.99 price.Need 256GB of solid-state storage with that gorgeous Retina screen?That model (MD213LL/A) is now $1,799.99, $200 off the regular price of $1,999.99. The pricier 15.4-inch models with 256GB and 512GB solid-state drives (MC975LL/A and MC976LL/A, respectively), also got $200 lopped off their regular prices.Amazon is going even lower, pricing the 128GB 13.3-inch model at $1,515.59, for example. The online retailer is offering identical discounts to Best Buy on the 15.4-inch models.These sales may be short-lived (the Best Buy sale is for two days only) but expect more of this kind of discounting from retailers in the future.Apple's Mac sales sank last quarter to 4.1 million compared to 5.2 million in the same quarter last year. Some of that is because consumers are opting for the cheaper iPad, but the Retina MacBook Pros may be a factor too.When Apple sells configurations that push the least expensive Retina model to $1,700 ($1,699) at the regular price, that's not going to win over a lot of buyers.Best Buy sale: For two days, the 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro now starts at $1,549.99.Best Buy[Via 9to5Toys ]
2011 Ford Edge gets multiple LCDs and a turbo
2011 Ford Edge gets multiple LCDs and a turbo
2011 Ford Edge (photos)See full gallery1 - 4 / 6NextPrevIt became clear at this year's CES and Detroit shows that the new Ford Edge would be a big deal. At CES, Ford showed off its new MyFord interface separate from any car, and at Detroit, the new Lincoln MKX featured the MyLincoln Touch cabin tech interface. Ford told us we would have to wait for the launch of the new Edge to see the MyFord version of the interface.Ford used the Chicago Auto Show as its venue for the 2011 Edge, putting on stage a car with revised exterior styling and a host of new technologies, not to mention a couple of new engines.The new Edge features MyFord Touch, an interface composed of one 8-inch touch screen on the center stack and two 4.3-inch LCDs in the instrument cluster. A five-way steering wheel button controls the content of each instrument cluster LCD, letting the driver view trip information, navigation, audio, climate, and phone.A new song-tagging function works through Sync and the HD radio. When you hear a song you like on the radio, you can push a tag button on the touch screen, saving the song's information on an iPod plugged into Sync. Take that iPod home and hook it up to a computer, and it finds that song in the iTunes Store, giving you the option of buying it.Ford makes adaptive cruise control an available option in the Edge, a very high-tech option not seen in cars at this price level. Adaptive cruise control also enables a precollision system, which uses the forward-facing radar to determine if a crash is imminent, braking and tightening seatbelts. Another useful driver aid technology available on the Edge is blind-spot detection.The Edge's current 3.5-liter V-6 gets tuned up with Ford's Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing), to produce 280 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, while getting an estimated 27 mpg highway. A 3.7-liter V-6 comes with the higher trim Edge Sport, putting out 305 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.After the initial launch, Ford will make its new turbocharged direct injection 2-liter four-cylinder engine, part of the Ecoboost family, available for the Edge. Ford released no specifications for the Ecoboost four cylinder, merely saying that it should get 15 percent better fuel economy than the 3.5-liter V-6 while producing similar power.
2011 Ford Edge (photos)See full gallery1 - 4 / 6NextPrevIt became clear at this year's CES and Detroit shows that the new Ford Edge would be a big deal. At CES, Ford showed off its new MyFord interface separate from any car, and at Detroit, the new Lincoln MKX featured the MyLincoln Touch cabin tech interface. Ford told us we would have to wait for the launch of the new Edge to see the MyFord version of the interface.Ford used the Chicago Auto Show as its venue for the 2011 Edge, putting on stage a car with revised exterior styling and a host of new technologies, not to mention a couple of new engines.The new Edge features MyFord Touch, an interface composed of one 8-inch touch screen on the center stack and two 4.3-inch LCDs in the instrument cluster. A five-way steering wheel button controls the content of each instrument cluster LCD, letting the driver view trip information, navigation, audio, climate, and phone.A new song-tagging function works through Sync and the HD radio. When you hear a song you like on the radio, you can push a tag button on the touch screen, saving the song's information on an iPod plugged into Sync. Take that iPod home and hook it up to a computer, and it finds that song in the iTunes Store, giving you the option of buying it.Ford makes adaptive cruise control an available option in the Edge, a very high-tech option not seen in cars at this price level. Adaptive cruise control also enables a precollision system, which uses the forward-facing radar to determine if a crash is imminent, braking and tightening seatbelts. Another useful driver aid technology available on the Edge is blind-spot detection.The Edge's current 3.5-liter V-6 gets tuned up with Ford's Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing), to produce 280 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, while getting an estimated 27 mpg highway. A 3.7-liter V-6 comes with the higher trim Edge Sport, putting out 305 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.After the initial launch, Ford will make its new turbocharged direct injection 2-liter four-cylinder engine, part of the Ecoboost family, available for the Edge. Ford released no specifications for the Ecoboost four cylinder, merely saying that it should get 15 percent better fuel economy than the 3.5-liter V-6 while producing similar power.
A $200 computer sound card an audiophile could love
A $200 computer sound card an audiophile could love
I have to admit up front that I'm pretty clueless about computers and computer audio. I use a pair of Audioengine A2 speakers hooked up to my Mac Mini, and the combination sounds fine to me. For "serious" listening I have a pair of Magnepan 3.6 speakers hooked up to my hi-fi system on the other side of my loft apartment. Computer audio is a low priority. But computer audio is coming on strong, even among serious audiophiles. Need proof? Stereophile magazine's editor, John Atkinson, has been using and occasionally reviewing the best-sounding computer audio gear for at least 10 years. Granted, most high-end audio is expensive, so I was pleased to see Atkinson was smitten by a $200 sound card. The Asus Xonar Essence ST/STX PCI and PCI Express review appeared in the January 2010 issue of the print version of Stereophile and is now on the magazine's Web site.Sure, you could get computer audio over S/PDIF, USB, FireWire, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet connections, but that's not what the Asus Xonar Essence ST/STX sound cards are for; they plug into your PC's motherboard. Old school, but audiophile quality to be sure. I'm leaving out most of the nuts and bolts computer stuff; read the actual review to get the detailed rundown. When Atkinson listened to his iTunes library of FLAC and uncompressed AIF or WAV files he found that "low frequencies had suitable impact and weight, the midrange was uncolored, with excellent clarity, and the high frequencies sounded very clean, with good air around sound sources." Even with Atkinson's own high-resolution 24 bit/96 kHz piano recordings, the sound card shined. He noted that "the Xonar Essence did a great job of conveying the full weight of the Steinway D as pianist Genadi Zagor pounded its left-hand keys at the climax of Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition.'"Bottom line: the Xonar Essence is a truly affordable way to get bona-fide high-end sound from a computer.
I have to admit up front that I'm pretty clueless about computers and computer audio. I use a pair of Audioengine A2 speakers hooked up to my Mac Mini, and the combination sounds fine to me. For "serious" listening I have a pair of Magnepan 3.6 speakers hooked up to my hi-fi system on the other side of my loft apartment. Computer audio is a low priority. But computer audio is coming on strong, even among serious audiophiles. Need proof? Stereophile magazine's editor, John Atkinson, has been using and occasionally reviewing the best-sounding computer audio gear for at least 10 years. Granted, most high-end audio is expensive, so I was pleased to see Atkinson was smitten by a $200 sound card. The Asus Xonar Essence ST/STX PCI and PCI Express review appeared in the January 2010 issue of the print version of Stereophile and is now on the magazine's Web site.Sure, you could get computer audio over S/PDIF, USB, FireWire, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet connections, but that's not what the Asus Xonar Essence ST/STX sound cards are for; they plug into your PC's motherboard. Old school, but audiophile quality to be sure. I'm leaving out most of the nuts and bolts computer stuff; read the actual review to get the detailed rundown. When Atkinson listened to his iTunes library of FLAC and uncompressed AIF or WAV files he found that "low frequencies had suitable impact and weight, the midrange was uncolored, with excellent clarity, and the high frequencies sounded very clean, with good air around sound sources." Even with Atkinson's own high-resolution 24 bit/96 kHz piano recordings, the sound card shined. He noted that "the Xonar Essence did a great job of conveying the full weight of the Steinway D as pianist Genadi Zagor pounded its left-hand keys at the climax of Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition.'"Bottom line: the Xonar Essence is a truly affordable way to get bona-fide high-end sound from a computer.
Actor Josh Gad took programming courses to be Woz
Actor Josh Gad took programming courses to be Woz
SAN FRANCISCO--Last week it was revealed that actor Ashton Kutcher ended up in the hospital after going on an all-fruit diet to be like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. It turns out, Kutcher's co-star Josh Gad went through some of his own method acting to channel Apple's other co-founder, Steve Wozniak."I had to take programming classes," Gad told attendees today at Macworld iWorld, during an onstage interview with Kutcher. "Acting by its very nature is faking. You don't become that person unless you're psychotic."Gad added that he "was as computer illiterate as Steve Wozniak was computer literate."Kutcher, for his part, said he spent more than 100 hours listening to recordings of Jobs, including the creation of a file on audio-sharing service SoundCloud that was a greatest hits of presentations, interviews, and other public speeches. "I started walking around repeating what he said to other people," Kutcher said, garnering laughter from a crowded room of conference attendees. Gad also used the time to respond to criticism raised by the real Wozniak over the authenticity of his portrayal on film, saying it's hard to judge the movie from a short clip."I adore Steve Wozniak," Gad said. "I hope that when he sees the movie in its entirety, we went to great lengths to capture the essence of his journey," adding that "there will always be debates over what we got right and what we got wrong."The interview comes less than a week after the premiere of "jOBS", which was the closing night film at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie has received mixed reviews, with many critics finding fault in the story, but not necessarily Kutcher's performance as the iconic CEO. You can read CNET's review here. "jOBS" hits theaters in the U.S. on April 19, with an international release to follow.
SAN FRANCISCO--Last week it was revealed that actor Ashton Kutcher ended up in the hospital after going on an all-fruit diet to be like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. It turns out, Kutcher's co-star Josh Gad went through some of his own method acting to channel Apple's other co-founder, Steve Wozniak."I had to take programming classes," Gad told attendees today at Macworld iWorld, during an onstage interview with Kutcher. "Acting by its very nature is faking. You don't become that person unless you're psychotic."Gad added that he "was as computer illiterate as Steve Wozniak was computer literate."Kutcher, for his part, said he spent more than 100 hours listening to recordings of Jobs, including the creation of a file on audio-sharing service SoundCloud that was a greatest hits of presentations, interviews, and other public speeches. "I started walking around repeating what he said to other people," Kutcher said, garnering laughter from a crowded room of conference attendees. Gad also used the time to respond to criticism raised by the real Wozniak over the authenticity of his portrayal on film, saying it's hard to judge the movie from a short clip."I adore Steve Wozniak," Gad said. "I hope that when he sees the movie in its entirety, we went to great lengths to capture the essence of his journey," adding that "there will always be debates over what we got right and what we got wrong."The interview comes less than a week after the premiere of "jOBS", which was the closing night film at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie has received mixed reviews, with many critics finding fault in the story, but not necessarily Kutcher's performance as the iconic CEO. You can read CNET's review here. "jOBS" hits theaters in the U.S. on April 19, with an international release to follow.
About that 7-inch iPad
About that 7-inch iPad
Apple CEO Steve Jobs' ramblings during the October 18 earnings conference call are well documented.But to recap excerpts of the homily he delivered on the sins of a 7-inch design: "Apple has done extensive user testing and we really understand this stuff...There are clear limits on how close you can place things on a touchscreen, which is why we think 10 inch is the minimum screen size to create great tablet apps," he said. Jobs continued. "One naturally thinks that a 7-inch screen would offer 70 percent of the benefits of a 10-inch screen...this is far from the truth. Seven-inch screens are 45 percent as large as an iPad," Jobs said. "This size isn't sufficient for making great tablet apps."Aside from the remarks leaving a distinct one-doth-protest-too-much impression, I have heard from enough industry people and analysts over the last few weeks that I believe that the 7-inch iPad was close to an actual product.Sources that I have talked to--both analysts and industry people--across the board believe that there was a lot of ODM (original design manufacturer) activity around a 7-inch iPad--or let's just say "a 7-inch tabletlike device" to be safe.And more than one source believes it was (is?) at some stage of preproduction. Now, it's not like this is wild speculation anyway.The rash of published reports that a 7-inch iPad was on the way, coupled with Steve Jobs' impassioned defense of his decision not to bring out a 7-inch iPad, doesn't make for an aha! moment exactly.It's fairly obvious stuff was (is) going on behind the scenes. Here's where the theory mongering comes in.Has the expected crush of 7-inch Android tablets got Apple worried?And has this anticipation (trepidation?) made Apple do a sudden about-face? The iPad Mini would be a lower-margin product in what is expected to be a crowded market--the Samsung Galaxy Tab being the most recent example.Maybe we'll never know. But, then, Apple could change its mind.Remember, Apple said it would never bring out a Netbook.And it didn't.But the 11.6-inch MacBook Air is pretty darn close.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs' ramblings during the October 18 earnings conference call are well documented.But to recap excerpts of the homily he delivered on the sins of a 7-inch design: "Apple has done extensive user testing and we really understand this stuff...There are clear limits on how close you can place things on a touchscreen, which is why we think 10 inch is the minimum screen size to create great tablet apps," he said. Jobs continued. "One naturally thinks that a 7-inch screen would offer 70 percent of the benefits of a 10-inch screen...this is far from the truth. Seven-inch screens are 45 percent as large as an iPad," Jobs said. "This size isn't sufficient for making great tablet apps."Aside from the remarks leaving a distinct one-doth-protest-too-much impression, I have heard from enough industry people and analysts over the last few weeks that I believe that the 7-inch iPad was close to an actual product.Sources that I have talked to--both analysts and industry people--across the board believe that there was a lot of ODM (original design manufacturer) activity around a 7-inch iPad--or let's just say "a 7-inch tabletlike device" to be safe.And more than one source believes it was (is?) at some stage of preproduction. Now, it's not like this is wild speculation anyway.The rash of published reports that a 7-inch iPad was on the way, coupled with Steve Jobs' impassioned defense of his decision not to bring out a 7-inch iPad, doesn't make for an aha! moment exactly.It's fairly obvious stuff was (is) going on behind the scenes. Here's where the theory mongering comes in.Has the expected crush of 7-inch Android tablets got Apple worried?And has this anticipation (trepidation?) made Apple do a sudden about-face? The iPad Mini would be a lower-margin product in what is expected to be a crowded market--the Samsung Galaxy Tab being the most recent example.Maybe we'll never know. But, then, Apple could change its mind.Remember, Apple said it would never bring out a Netbook.And it didn't.But the 11.6-inch MacBook Air is pretty darn close.
A quarter of iPad owners say it's their first Apple device
A quarter of iPad owners say it's their first Apple device
The iPad has not just taken over as a big seller and profit driver for Apple over withering iPod sales, it's also become a major point of entry for customers into the Apple ecosystem, a new study says. The NPD Group today released the results of its Apple Ecosystem Study, which polled more than 3,000 people in the U.S. during February. One of its main findings was that one in four iPad owners said it was their first Apple device."Historically, the iPod has been the introductory Apple device for consumers, with 82 percent of owners saying it was their first Apple product," NPD said in a release. "This, however, is changing as first-time Apple buyers gravitate toward other product lines."That "introductory Apple device" reference was once dubbed "the halo effect," a term used to refer to a bump in sales of Apple's other products -- though mainly Macs -- when buyers would pick up one of Apple's iPods. Since the iPhone and iPad, however, iPod sales have been on a decline, with buyers picking more phones or tablets. The iPad has even done the reverse of a halo effect, and led to cannibalization of the Mac, which Apple has countered by saying that those iPad sales could have gone to PCs instead. "While over 70 percent of long-standing Apple owners began their relationship with the brand by way of the iPod, this number declines to just 57 percent among those entering the Apple franchise in the past two years," NPD said. "Newcomers to the brand increasingly turn to the iPhone or iPad as their first Apple device, which combined account for one-third of first-time Apple purchases since 2010."Other findings from the study echo those by a CNBC study posted last month on the number of Apple products found in U.S. households. For instance, NPD said that a household with Apple products tends to own 2.4 Apple devices on average. But that 58 percent of households that have a Mac also have a PC.
The iPad has not just taken over as a big seller and profit driver for Apple over withering iPod sales, it's also become a major point of entry for customers into the Apple ecosystem, a new study says. The NPD Group today released the results of its Apple Ecosystem Study, which polled more than 3,000 people in the U.S. during February. One of its main findings was that one in four iPad owners said it was their first Apple device."Historically, the iPod has been the introductory Apple device for consumers, with 82 percent of owners saying it was their first Apple product," NPD said in a release. "This, however, is changing as first-time Apple buyers gravitate toward other product lines."That "introductory Apple device" reference was once dubbed "the halo effect," a term used to refer to a bump in sales of Apple's other products -- though mainly Macs -- when buyers would pick up one of Apple's iPods. Since the iPhone and iPad, however, iPod sales have been on a decline, with buyers picking more phones or tablets. The iPad has even done the reverse of a halo effect, and led to cannibalization of the Mac, which Apple has countered by saying that those iPad sales could have gone to PCs instead. "While over 70 percent of long-standing Apple owners began their relationship with the brand by way of the iPod, this number declines to just 57 percent among those entering the Apple franchise in the past two years," NPD said. "Newcomers to the brand increasingly turn to the iPhone or iPad as their first Apple device, which combined account for one-third of first-time Apple purchases since 2010."Other findings from the study echo those by a CNBC study posted last month on the number of Apple products found in U.S. households. For instance, NPD said that a household with Apple products tends to own 2.4 Apple devices on average. But that 58 percent of households that have a Mac also have a PC.
A peek at Intel chip headed to Ultrabooks
A peek at Intel chip headed to Ultrabooks
More details have emerged on Intel's first system-on-a-chip for mainstream PCs.The Haswell chip for Ultrabooks will put everything in one chip package.All of that functionality now requires at least two separate chip packages.ChiphellThat chip, codenamed Haswell, is due by 2013 and will be the first high-performance Intel processor to approach the same level of integration used in smartphones and tablets. Today, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Nvidia are the major suppliers of smartphone and tablet SoCs (system-on-a-chip) derived from theARM design. What does Haswell mean for future Macs and PCs?Even more powerful ultraslim MacBooks and laptop PCs will emerge--as well as hybrid laptop-tablet designs. Imagine, for example, a future 15-inch MacBook Pro as skinny as a MacBook Air but faster than a high-end MBP today. And Windows 8 Haswell-based Ultrabooks from Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Acer, and others. Slides leaked at Chiphell via VR-Zone spell out the nuts and bolts of the Haswell design.We'll focus on the design for laptops here. Technically, an SoC puts everything on one piece of silicon. Haswell puts two chips into one chip package (see slide above).So Intel's chip would technically be a System in Package.But inside a Mac or PC it would appear as one chip.And what constitutes a true SoC is murky anyway, as the SoCs in smartphones sometimes rely on separate chips to implement various functions like 3G or touch-screen controllers.Key Haswell features: The core of a PC and Mac in one chip package.Next Intel "tock" or chip architecture. Follows 2012's "Ivy Bridge" in 2013.Faster graphics: codenamed GT3. Graphics is now a major focus at Intel. 3D transistors based on Intel's 22-nanometer process.Better total power efficiency than the most power efficient Intel Core chips today. Lower power memory: DDR3L. Support for USB 3.0 and DirectX 11? We know Ivy Bridge will.
More details have emerged on Intel's first system-on-a-chip for mainstream PCs.The Haswell chip for Ultrabooks will put everything in one chip package.All of that functionality now requires at least two separate chip packages.ChiphellThat chip, codenamed Haswell, is due by 2013 and will be the first high-performance Intel processor to approach the same level of integration used in smartphones and tablets. Today, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Nvidia are the major suppliers of smartphone and tablet SoCs (system-on-a-chip) derived from theARM design. What does Haswell mean for future Macs and PCs?Even more powerful ultraslim MacBooks and laptop PCs will emerge--as well as hybrid laptop-tablet designs. Imagine, for example, a future 15-inch MacBook Pro as skinny as a MacBook Air but faster than a high-end MBP today. And Windows 8 Haswell-based Ultrabooks from Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Acer, and others. Slides leaked at Chiphell via VR-Zone spell out the nuts and bolts of the Haswell design.We'll focus on the design for laptops here. Technically, an SoC puts everything on one piece of silicon. Haswell puts two chips into one chip package (see slide above).So Intel's chip would technically be a System in Package.But inside a Mac or PC it would appear as one chip.And what constitutes a true SoC is murky anyway, as the SoCs in smartphones sometimes rely on separate chips to implement various functions like 3G or touch-screen controllers.Key Haswell features: The core of a PC and Mac in one chip package.Next Intel "tock" or chip architecture. Follows 2012's "Ivy Bridge" in 2013.Faster graphics: codenamed GT3. Graphics is now a major focus at Intel. 3D transistors based on Intel's 22-nanometer process.Better total power efficiency than the most power efficient Intel Core chips today. Lower power memory: DDR3L. Support for USB 3.0 and DirectX 11? We know Ivy Bridge will.
A measure of Apple's success- Oppenheimer cites Japan
A measure of Apple's success: Oppenheimer cites Japan
Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer took a minute during Tuesday's earnings conference call to cite Apple's success in Japan -- an important metric in a country where national brands were once invincible. "In Japan, IDC Japan announced that iPhone gained the number one position for all of calendar year 2012, as well as for calendar Q4 2012 in both handsets and smartphones," Oppenheimer said. He continued. "This is also the first time a non-Japanese company has achieved the No. 1 spot for an entire year...In addition, Apple was ranked No. 1 in Nikkei's 2013 Japan Brand [Consumer] Survey, achieving the top spot for the second year in a row, which is unprecedented for a non-Japanese company." He's right about it being unprecedented. For decades, Japanese consumer electronics brands were virtually untouchable. Sony and Panasonic (branded formerly as National and Matsushita in Japan) dominated consumer electronics, NEC ruled the PC roost, and the cell phone market was almost exclusively a Japanese-brand affair.Related storiesApple profit slips 18%, but iPhone, iPad sales stay strongApple has played a large role in changing all of that. "The reasons for Apple's strength lie in a high evaluation of the 'innovative' and 'outstanding' qualities of the corporate brand and the existence of a series of products that do not betray expectations,"wrote Nikkei in March. And, in consumer electronics, Nikkei doesn't paint a pretty picture of Japan's national brands. "Japan's leading household electric appliance and electric equipment makers, on the other hand, are under the weather," the report said.Panasonic, Sharp, and Canon were ranked a distant 14th, 54th, and 62nd place, respectively. Apple isn't the only foreign brand gaining ground. The same Nikkei consumer survey had Google in second place.And IDC shows Samsung gaining ground in smartphones.Fourth-quarter 2012 Japan smartphone market share by shipments: Apple dominates Japan's smartphone market.IDC Japan
Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer took a minute during Tuesday's earnings conference call to cite Apple's success in Japan -- an important metric in a country where national brands were once invincible. "In Japan, IDC Japan announced that iPhone gained the number one position for all of calendar year 2012, as well as for calendar Q4 2012 in both handsets and smartphones," Oppenheimer said. He continued. "This is also the first time a non-Japanese company has achieved the No. 1 spot for an entire year...In addition, Apple was ranked No. 1 in Nikkei's 2013 Japan Brand [Consumer] Survey, achieving the top spot for the second year in a row, which is unprecedented for a non-Japanese company." He's right about it being unprecedented. For decades, Japanese consumer electronics brands were virtually untouchable. Sony and Panasonic (branded formerly as National and Matsushita in Japan) dominated consumer electronics, NEC ruled the PC roost, and the cell phone market was almost exclusively a Japanese-brand affair.Related storiesApple profit slips 18%, but iPhone, iPad sales stay strongApple has played a large role in changing all of that. "The reasons for Apple's strength lie in a high evaluation of the 'innovative' and 'outstanding' qualities of the corporate brand and the existence of a series of products that do not betray expectations,"wrote Nikkei in March. And, in consumer electronics, Nikkei doesn't paint a pretty picture of Japan's national brands. "Japan's leading household electric appliance and electric equipment makers, on the other hand, are under the weather," the report said.Panasonic, Sharp, and Canon were ranked a distant 14th, 54th, and 62nd place, respectively. Apple isn't the only foreign brand gaining ground. The same Nikkei consumer survey had Google in second place.And IDC shows Samsung gaining ground in smartphones.Fourth-quarter 2012 Japan smartphone market share by shipments: Apple dominates Japan's smartphone market.IDC Japan
13-inch Retina MacBook settles in at $1,499 for 256GB
13-inch Retina MacBook settles in at $1,499 for 256GB
At retailers, Apple's 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro has found a happy medium between a fire sale and Apple's official pricing. Online retailers like MacMall and MacConnection are selling Apple's smallest Retina MacBook for $1,499 -- with a bonus. That price gets you a 256GB solid-state drive -- a step up from the $1,499 model that Apple offers with a 128GB drive. And that 128GB model is even cheaper at MacConnection, which now appears to have settled on a less drastic discount of $1,399 after practically fire-selling it earlier this month for $1,299. Why all the discounting? Despite boasting an LED-backlit IPS display with stunning 2,560x1,600 resolution, the 13.3-inch MBP hasn't been selling very well. Related storiesCNET's review of the 13.3-inch Retina MacBook ProThat was affirmed by Apple when it cut the price $200 to $1,499 in February after widespread discounting from retailers. And there have been reports from Asia that component suppliers for the Retina MBP have not seen a significant increase in orders, forcing Apple to sit on unsold inventory. But that's not stopping Windows 8 PC vendors from pricing high-resolution laptops in the stratosphere.On Wednesday, Toshiba announced the Retina-like Kirabook that it apparently intends to sell for between $1,599 and $1,999. "The high-res screen looked amazing when playing native resolution video content -- as it would on a Retina MacBook Pro or Google Pixel Chromebook," CNET Reviews said. Is it amazing enough to wow buyers at those prices? Apple's experience might give Toshiba some clues. Toshiba will try to sell a Retina-like 2,560x1,440-pixel-resolution touch-screen Windows 8 laptop for between $1,599 and $1,999. Any takers?Dan Ackerman/CNET
At retailers, Apple's 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro has found a happy medium between a fire sale and Apple's official pricing. Online retailers like MacMall and MacConnection are selling Apple's smallest Retina MacBook for $1,499 -- with a bonus. That price gets you a 256GB solid-state drive -- a step up from the $1,499 model that Apple offers with a 128GB drive. And that 128GB model is even cheaper at MacConnection, which now appears to have settled on a less drastic discount of $1,399 after practically fire-selling it earlier this month for $1,299. Why all the discounting? Despite boasting an LED-backlit IPS display with stunning 2,560x1,600 resolution, the 13.3-inch MBP hasn't been selling very well. Related storiesCNET's review of the 13.3-inch Retina MacBook ProThat was affirmed by Apple when it cut the price $200 to $1,499 in February after widespread discounting from retailers. And there have been reports from Asia that component suppliers for the Retina MBP have not seen a significant increase in orders, forcing Apple to sit on unsold inventory. But that's not stopping Windows 8 PC vendors from pricing high-resolution laptops in the stratosphere.On Wednesday, Toshiba announced the Retina-like Kirabook that it apparently intends to sell for between $1,599 and $1,999. "The high-res screen looked amazing when playing native resolution video content -- as it would on a Retina MacBook Pro or Google Pixel Chromebook," CNET Reviews said. Is it amazing enough to wow buyers at those prices? Apple's experience might give Toshiba some clues. Toshiba will try to sell a Retina-like 2,560x1,440-pixel-resolution touch-screen Windows 8 laptop for between $1,599 and $1,999. Any takers?Dan Ackerman/CNET
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