Archive for February, 2008
BusinessWeek: iPhone SDK to be late
Are you wondering why there hasn’t been an announcement from Apple regarding the release of iPhone SDK? BusinessWeek reports from an unnamed source that the “release date could slide by anywhere from one to three weeks.” Apparently the decision as to the timing of SDK release is an ongoing debate and Apple is finalizing what details to disclose.
Read more from BusinessWeek
D.S.
Add comment February 23, 2008
EE Times: Global Flash Chip ‘Market Outlook Appears Gloomy’
Mark LaPedus of EE Times reports that iSuppli Corp., an electronic components supplies forecaster, has reduced “its outlook for global NAND flash revenue growth [in 2008] by a wide margin’ mainly due to order reductions and the predicted slowdown in consumer spending. Global NAND revenue began shrinking in the fourth quarter of ‘07 and iSuppli predicts it will continue to shrink throughout ‘08. Apple, the third largest global OEM buyer of NAND flash, has also reportedly ’slashed its 2008 NAND order forecast’.
D.S.
Add comment February 21, 2008
Piper Jaffray Analyst Maintains ‘Buy’ Rating, $250 Price Target
Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray has reiterated his buy rating on Apple stock and his estimated price target of $250. He made the announcement in a note to clients Wednesday after Apple introduced a new 2GB Shuffle model. Munster’s bullish outlook is a reaffirmation of the direction Apple is taking amidst unrealistic market expectations in recent months, which have driven the price of the stock down by more than 35 percent.
D.S.
Add comment February 20, 2008
Apple Introduces New 2GB Shuffle
Apple lowered the price on its existing 1GB iPod Shuffle model from $79 to $49 and introduced a new 2GB model priced at $69. The move seems to be Apple’s response to the likes of SanDisk and Creative, which have unveiled lower end models with 1-4GB capacities recently. Also as I had indicated on a previous article, Apple iPod lineup was missing a crucial 2GB model and this was done to patch the obvious void. While I had expected totally new Shuffle replacements to be introduced within the first 3 months of ‘08, I still believe the capacity increase now at the end of the product life cycle for the existing Shuffle model ( 12 – 18 months ) indicates a stop-gap measure for the company as it tries to implement a transition from the older 1GB screen-less model to a new 2GB model with a screen. Apple may also drop the 1GB model altogether.
D.S.
Add comment February 20, 2008
Magazine: No iGame Device from Apple
According to the British magazine Develop, a trade news publication for video games industry professionals, Apple’s “game plan” calls for more iPod games from trusted third parties rather than a dedicated handheld or console. This revelation comes after a new patent application for several portable gaming ideas bearing the Apple and iPod names were unearthed last week from the US Patent Office which fueled speculations that Apple may have a handheld or portable gaming device of its own in development.
Develop reports that a senior gaming industry source has told the magazine that Apple is banking on the iPod as its sole platform for gaming and that more iPod games from major game developers are in the works. Apparently Apple believes the iPods are powerful enough and it prefers “courting” individual game developers to develop select games for the platform rather than to dilute its product lineup with a risky new device.
D.S.
Add comment February 15, 2008
Digital Radio on iPhone Planned
An article by UK’s Guardian on the future of DAB ( Digital Audio Broadcast ) sheds some light on one feature enhancement planned for the iPhone. Guardian reports that GCap Media, the UK pioneer in digital audio, has detailed plans to abandon DAB and instead focus on FM and broadband broadcasting. The company’s chief executive says all of DAB stations, with the exception of one, will be terminated and that the company is selling “analogue licences in Scotland, South Wales and Manchester”.
Guardian also reports “in a damning indictment of the DAB platform, [the company executive] said the sound quality offered by FM compares favourably to any digital radio platform available to the consumer”. Furthermore, GCap Media ”also announced a new tie-up with Apple enabling people to listen to digital radio on their iPhone”.
D.S.
Add comment February 12, 2008
Sony-Ericsson introduces XPERIA X1 iClone
Another day, another iPhone clone. This time, it’s Sony-Ericsson doing the honors at the Mobile World Congress with the XPERIA X1. It uses a 3-inch, 800 x 480 touch-screen featuring Windows Mobile as the operating system. I suppose you shouldn’t count on its touch-screen working perfectly because it also happens to have a sliding QWERTY style keyboard. The X1 also comes with WiFi and a 3.2-megapixel camera.
D.S.
Add comment February 11, 2008
Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
If you’re still looking for what to get that special somone for Valentine’s day, look no further. Andrew Eisner of Retrevo has a very interesting gift guide recommending top gadgets from digital audio players to photo frames and digital cameras.
D.S.
Add comment February 10, 2008
Apple Special Event on Feb. 26th?
MacDailyNews reports that “the company that does television for Apple’s live events and MacWorld” is hiring for an Apple event at the end of February. If Apple is indeed holding a Special Event at the end of this month, it’s likely an opportunity to introduce the touch platform SDK ( Software Development Kit ), a few select applications ( maybe games? ) made by 3rd party vendors who got an early release of the SDK, and perhaps a totally new device ( 3G iPhone or the larger-screened wireless device I have reported on ). As I have said in a previous post, the last 3 weeks in February should be interesting to watch.
D.S.
Add comment February 8, 2008
AT&T to Expand Wireless Network in a Big Way in Anticipation of …
AT&T has announced that it plans to roll out 3G service to 80 more cities in the US throughout 2008 bringing 3G to 350 leading U.S. markets, including top 100 U.S. cities. The company also said that it’s planning for the future of wireless broadband by “establishing a clear path to a 4G network”.
Another AT&T wireless spectrum, previously bought by the company, has received FCC approval. The 12MHz wireless spectrum, which covers 60% of the US and 196 million of the 303 million US residents, is in the highly sought after 700MHz band which can carry broadband signals with a wide footprint.
AT&T’s expansion of its 3G network can be attributed to the 3G Apple iPhone introduction ( due mid year ) but the 12MHz wireless spectrum purchase has fueled speculation that AT&T may be executing plans to introduce a nationwide wireless broadband network independent of the 3G network in anticipation of an unannounced Apple wireless product.
Read more on AT&T 3G expansion
Read more on AT&T 12MHZ purchase
D.S.
Add comment February 8, 2008
