How to manage iCloud storage

If you do not know how to manage iCloud storage follow these steps.

1. Tap on Settings, then General and later Storage & iCloud Backup.
2. Look at Total Storage under the iCloud heading – this should say 5GB.
3. Check the Available Storage, this will be the amount that is available on your account. Keep a note of this as you will need to get your device under this limit later on.
4. Tap on Manage Storage.

Additionally, take a look at the Documents and Data storage options.

Here you should see all the apps using iCloud. These are taking up storage on iCloud with the Documents in the Cloud feature.

Follow these steps to remove documents and data from apps.

1. Tap the name of the app in Manage Storage
2. Click Edit
3. Select Delete All and Delete All again

Bear in mind that this deletes all of the data you have created in the app, so you should use it carefully.

Use this if you do not really use an app. If you want to delete files from an app individually open the App and manage the files from within it.

Manage backup

Furthermore, if you have removed documents from iCloud and still do not have enough space for your backup, then you probably have to manage the backup.

Firstly, open Storage and tap on the device you want to manage under Backups.

This will display the Info window for that device.

Moreover, if you look at the “Next Backup Size” you should see how much space your device and apps will take up on iCloud.

Following the listed steps will free up some space on your device.

1. Look under each app under Backup Options to see how much space is taking up
2. Identify apps that use a lot of storage, and toggle the switch next to the App to Off
3. Tap Delete
4. Tap Manage Storage
5. Check that iCloud Backup is set to On. If not tap On and OK
6. Click Back Up Now

If you do not want to remove items from your backup to fit in the 5GB limit, you should tap on Buy More Storage and get more storage space from Apple.

Namely, the authorization process only pertains to computers running MacOS and Windows 10. That said, you can have an unlimited number of iOS devices accessing iTunes and your Apple ID account.

How to authorize iTunes on your computer?

First of all, Apple provides iTunes two ways for Windows-based devices.

There is the traditional desktop software version in 64-bit and 32-bit formats and as an app through the Microsoft Store.

For authorizing iTunes on your computer follow these steps.

1. Open iTunes.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Navigate to Account on the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window. If it is not visually available on the desktop edition, type Control + B on your keyboard.
4. Select Authorizations.
5. Select Authorize This Computer.
6. Enter your password, then hit the Enter/Return key or click/tap the Authorize button.

Furthermore, the same procedure goes for your MacOS device.

What to do when rejected?

If you are trying to authorize a device and it is rejected, you may have too many devices on your Apple ID’s authorized list.

The computer limit is five, so you will need to check your list for devices that are authorized but no longer using iTunes.

For Windows 10 and Mac

1. Open iTunes.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID
3. Navigate to Account on the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window.
4. Select View My Account.
5. Enter your password, then hit the Enter/Return key or click/tap the Sign In button.
6. Scroll down to the Apple ID Summary section.

Additionally, here is a way to see a list of all authorized devices based on Windows 10, MacOS and iOS.

Windows 10 and MacOS- manage device

1. Open iTunes.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID
3. Navigate to Account on the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window..
4. Select View My Account.
5. Enter your password, then hit the Enter/Return key or click/tap the Sign In button.
6. Scroll down to the iTunes in the Cloud section, and click on the Manage Devices link.
7. On the next Manage Devices screen, you’ll see all authorized Windows, MacOS and iOS devices.
8. De-authorize a device if allowed.

For more interesting guides and articles, click here.

Your calendar is not simply a tool to remind you of events and special celebrations; it’s a tool that can effectively help with your marketing efforts to boost your results and increase customer engagement. It’s ideal for a wide range of industries, and sports teams are a good example.

How can a sports team connect better with their fans, or a sports marketer identify his or her consumers accurately? Calendar marketing is the answer and the solution to marketers who are looking for an effective platform to help boost their results. Calendar marketing platforms have been utilized by sports teams, associations and colleges to convey their messages to their fans and supporters.

Connect with Fans

Marketing efforts can include reminders for upcoming games and team events, alerts for tickets going on sale, and last minute cancellations. These software solutions can even provide customized messages and individualized birthday or anniversary messages to a specific user.

This calendar marketing software works on a two-direction format — specific elements like an event schedule can be directly synchronized with a user. Events on your calendar can also serve as a starting point in which a fan or follower takes an action, like linking to a web page or purchase tickets, or share a score on social media. It’s a great way for them to interact with their favourite sports team too.

Another great benefit of calendar marketing software is that you can keep your fans updated on every event, and if there are any changes to an event, it will be synchronized to their calendars immediately. This means you effectively connect with your fans and keep them updated with the latest developments and news from the team they love.

Corporate Clients

Businesses can communicate better with their customers and colleagues by utilizing calendar marketing. It’s the perfect platform for companies who need to communicate events or promotions to their employees, while also setting team meeting reminders, social events or important business dates.

You can also choose the specific event or information that each user will have access to, putting you in complete control over your marketing efforts. You can also benefit from various dynamic software platforms, that instantly lets you move, change and update details in a user’s calendar.

You can easily drive engagement with the use of calendar marketing. You can send links for users to click on, send event details, and send important alerts to your employees or customers. It’s the perfect addition to your company’s digital marketing campaign and it’s one that will definitely provide results.

Microsoft has also tweaked its Calendar app. There is a three-pane integration which lets you switch between mail and calendar for planning. You can add charts, tables, layers and text using Microsoft Word features in the new release.

Microsoft has also nudged the most important areas of the Windows 10 interface like Start, Taskbar and Action Center. You can now resize and customize the start menu and action center according to your choice. There is a new system black theme for Windows 10 in the new build release.

Windows 10 build 10061 also brings improved switching dynamics if you want to quickly change the interfaces for mobile, tablet and desktop.

We all just can’t wait to get our hands on Windows 10, which will definitely be a great experience to use.

]]> https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/04/23/microsoft-updates-start-menu-interface-mail-app-in-new-windows-10-technical-preview-build/feed/ 0 https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/03/31/microsoft-announce-surface-3-a-beautiful-hybrid-tablet-running-full-windows/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=microsoft-announce-surface-3-a-beautiful-hybrid-tablet-running-full-windows https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/03/31/microsoft-announce-surface-3-a-beautiful-hybrid-tablet-running-full-windows/#respond Tue, 31 Mar 2015 13:33:19 +0000 http://preview.socialmediaseo.net/?p=32054 Microsoft has announced a new iteration of its Surface hybrid tablet line today with Surface 3. Surface 3 costs just $499. It is a beautiful slate, sleek, less in weight as compared to its previous versions. It will not have Windows RT like the previous versions, rather a full Windows operating system. Surface 3 is a complete laptop, with 10.8 inch screen and detachable keyboard.

Surface 3 looks exactly like Surface Pro 3 tablet, which is far costlier than Surface 3. But obviously, Surface Pro 3 has more power and storage. Surface 3 packs a 2GB Ram, 64GB internal storage. You will not get the accessories and covers in the $499 tag price. Microsoft also announced that you could double the RAM of Surface 3 in $100 extra. Surface 3 has ATOM X7 Cherry Trail processor.

Surface 3 tablet will have a one-year long free subscription of Office 365 apps. The best part is that it will be running full Windows 8.1— and would be upgraded to Windows 10 when it comes of course. This solves a lot of problems for the users who hate windows RT because of its inability to run the apps like we want in the original Windows productivity style.

Surface Pro 3 had a huge price tag and a lot of users were complaining. I think Microsoft has solved the problem as Surface 3 tablet can easily be labelled as another, slightly slow (as compared to Surface Pro), cheap version of Surface Pro 3.

Surface Pro 3 is now open for pre-sales and the general rollout will be done by Microsoft in May.

The tablet sales have plummeted across the globe. On the other hand, Blackberry has less than 1% market share. Its smartphone have failed to imbibe the customer base. Blackberry still has the small, targeted, productivity focused Enterprise customers, which make up a negligible amount of market.

Blackberry revealed its new touch phone, with slide-out keyboard and curved edges. The company hasn’t announced a launch date yet. Before this, Blackberry launched two new phones: Blackberry Classic and Blackberry Passport.

Blackberry Passport is a phablet, with an enormous size and some impressive features, but so far, the sales have not elevated.

Blackberry has tried its luck in the table business some year ago when it launched Blackberry PlayBook. It was a failure and quickly went to the bin.

For the year 2015, Blackberry is set to focus on new smartphones. It is going to release the slider BlackBerry phone which has not a name yet; there will be Blackberry Leap device and a Classic style phone with keyboard.

]]> https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/03/03/blackberry-planning-to-launch-new-tablet-and-touch-phone/feed/ 0 https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/02/25/microsoft-annouces-free-office-365-subscriptions-for-students-around-the-world/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=microsoft-annouces-free-office-365-subscriptions-for-students-around-the-world https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/02/25/microsoft-annouces-free-office-365-subscriptions-for-students-around-the-world/#respond Wed, 25 Feb 2015 20:14:36 +0000 http://preview.socialmediaseo.net/?p=31974 Microsoft has announced that it will give free Office 365 software suite to students around the world. The offer is dubbed as Office 365. Office 365 education is a plan with which students can have free access to install newest version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, One note, Publisher and they can have access to 5 Mac PCs and Microsoft office applications on their smart devices which includes Android, iPad or Windows tablet. It also includes 1 TB of One Drive storage which will be managed by the school and the students can easily coordinate using Office online, Yammer and Share point sites.

At the start of February 2015, Microsoft announced that only the students of New York can avail the free subscription of 365 but now, surprisingly, Microsoft has made it available for all the students around the world. However there are specific countries and areas who can avail this service.

There are some terms and conditions to avail this service, school will have to qualify for this benefit by buying the subscription. Once bought, it will be available for teachers and students. Students will then be able to enroll directly with Microsoft. Active or part time students are eligible after meeting the following requirements:-

• Needs to have a school specific email address provided by the school to receive external emails.
• Legal age to sign up for it which is 13 years old.
• Should have an internet access.

Students can avail this offer until they are graduated or they are no longer enrolled with the school. Student’s eligibility can be re-verified at any time. When this plan is expired Office applications will work in a reduced functionality i.e. documents can be viewed but it cannot be edited or created also Office online and One Drive will not work.

One Drive account will be managed by school’s IT administrator to make sure that it is being used specifically for home works and school works. Permissions and access will be controlled by schools’ IT administrators. This plan cannot be shared with anyone outside school.

A school can avail two pricing options which are:-

• Office 365 Education E1:-

It is a free version with limited features, it includes unlimited amount of users. It does not   include full installed office applications.

• Office 365 education E3:-

For this package Schools will have to pay $2.50 per month per student and $4.50 per faculty   member per month. All the users will have complete access to all the features offered.

If a school cannot qualify for this plan then Microsoft has asked students to avail other options they are offering which includes Office 365 home, Office 365 University, Office Online etc.

This research is to be presented later in San Diego by academicians from Michigan and California University at a Cybersecurity Conference.

Phablets Defined

A phablet is a device that combines the note-taking ability of a tablet with the communication features of a smart phone. Phablets offer screens of 5″ or larger, which makes reading lengthy documents or watching movies easier. One example is the phablet from Samsung Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Note starting dominating the market in 2011. Their use has grown rapidly, with 2013 coined “the year of the phablet” by some pundits, as Marketing Land points out.

Pros and Cons of Phablets

Phablets are said to combine the best features of both a traditional tablet and a smart phone in one device. Typical benefits cited by phablet owners include:

• Carrying only one device instead of two
• Larger screen than a smart phone, making it easier to watch movies and read ebooks
• Note-taking ability with a stylus, similar to a tablet
• Longer battery life in phablets, compared to both tablets and smart phones, according to Price Panda

However, phablets do have some drawbacks. These include:

• Discomfort during use: The larger screens may make phablets a pleasure to use for reading, gaming or entertainment apps, but they’re uncomfortable to hold for lengthy phone calls.
• Appearances: Phablets are bulkier than smart phones, and holding one up to the ear during a call is reminiscent of the bulky cell phones of the early 1990s. Some are just plain unattractive.
• Difficult to carry: Tablet users know they can’t just shove their devices in their pants pockets. But they expect smart phones to be portable. Phablets still don’t fit easily into most jeans, pants or jacket pockets. And while Dockers may be resizing pockets to fit them, consumers are unlikely to purchase a new wardrobe to accommodate a phablet. Screen sizes have continued to grow, with the newer Samsung models sporting screens up to 6.3 inches. As screen size creeps up, phablets may expand back into the tablet category. The extra weight can also drag on one’s pants, making them both unattractive and awkward to tote around to business meetings.

Will Phablets Overtake the Market?

Mobile phones currently account for 17% of all internet traffic, according to GFK.com, and that number is expected to grow. Phablets, with their ability to bridge both the world of tablets and smart phones, may speed the growth of mobile internet access even more. Adoption of phablets will depend on many factors, including consumer acceptance and price.

1. Math Training for Kids

This simple and easy math app teaches the fundamentals of math (addition, multiplication, subtraction and division) and will improve the skill level of your child. It has three difficulty levels, so you can start easy and move onto harder concepts. This app is prefect for children and combines the concepts of maths with fun. It is free for Android, so get this app right away if you want to improve your child’s math skills.

2. Einstein Math Academy

It comes with four different game modes and has bright colors, music and sound effects to keep your child entertained. This app helps kids get familiar with numbers and recognize symbols. Great for kids who are starting math and need some fun to keep themselves involved in it. Get it for free on the Android Store.

3. Kids Math

The goal in this app is to pass all eight levels in a specific time by answering ten math questions on each level. Each question is given 30 seconds of time to be answered. The competitive and fun nature of this app draws kids to play it more and more. Correct answers give the players four extra seconds. A great app for children to speed up their math skills, get it for free on the Android Store.

4. Mathmateer

Mathmateer is for the creative side of kids. To build a rocket-ship, kids need to earn money by answering simple math challenges. The app has been voted in the top 10 best apps for school kids by Appolicious because of it’s ability to mix math and gaming at its best. It is not free on the Android Store, but only costs $0.99. A greatly recommended app for kids.

5. Let’s Do the Math

Another great, free math app that will keep your kids busy is Let’s Do Math. With over 15 kinds of exercises in three categories and over 50 word problems focusing on subtraction and addition, this app will keep your children entertained and learning at the same time. Get it for free on the Android Store and watch your kid’s maths skills grow.

After checking out the examples, I clicked on a board that showed a bunch of geo targeted markers.  After clicking on the marker, the application brings you to the pin it relates to.  Kind-of cool.

That’s what a kid, acting a little bit rude might say to our Christmas Merry-maker up North… But it’s true!

These are absolutely the hottest deals, that you will not want to miss – at unheard-of prices.

First, we’ve got the Sony Wifi Blu-Ray Player. Going on sale at Thanksgiving, this one time retail price of $105.00 is going straight down like a ho-ho-ho-ing Santa Claus, sliding onto your roof-top! How can you beat the Black Friday price of $55.00. Get it at Target!

Wait! Don’t spill that Thanksgiving cranberry sauce out of excitement! There is also a Nikon L320 Digital Camera that was $229.00. On Black Friday it is a super low price of $99.00! It is selling at Target too.

And if your kids stay up late, and they open that Nikon L3320 Digital Camera gift a little early, they might take a picture of… One of Santa’s Little Helpers – an elf with an another gift! This time it is the Kindle Fire 7″ HD 16GB Tablet. Originally it was $169.00. On Black Friday get it at Staples where it will be only $79.00!

And don’t forget the Element 50″ 1080p LED HDTV. It was $599.99, but at Target on Black Friday it will be $229.00. Rudolph, quit staring at your red nose, reflected on that shiny new LED HDTV!!!

Get up a little late on Black Friday? Don’t sweat it! Cyber Monday has some outstanding deals too. Amazon.com says that it has got 50% off LeapFrog LeapPad2 Learning Tablets – an Amazon Exclusive!!! And Amazon also has 50% off SpongeBob and VTech toys. Wow! Those gifts will keep the kids out of their parents’ hair!

The day I found out I had enough points collected over the lifetime of my MasterCard, my mind went crazy thinking about what I could buy.  Shortly before this I was thinking of how useful and fun an iPad would be, so naturally that’s what I leaned towards.  I already have an iPhone, Macbook, and Magic Mouse (I guess you could say I’m loyal)  so an iPad made perfect sense.  I ordered the iPad with a nice case and took it on a business trip.  I found it to amuse me in a very similar way that my iPhone 5 does.  After the trip I used it a few more times around the house, but after a few months I entirely neglected my iPad.  I couldn’t find one use for it since my iPhone was more convenient.  As a web developer, when I do use the internet, I need my Macbook.

Without the need for the iPad it really made me think, am I the only one that feels like there is no need for an iPad?  I know a lot of people enjoy them with their kids or for job tasks, but I just can’t justify having one laying around the house.

That being said, I’m selling my iPad.  My next purchase?  An Apple 27″ Cinema Display so I can hook up my Macbook.

“The response of the customers to the recent Surface Pro tablet pricing and the cover promotions are very exciting, so we are very proud to begin roll out of the Surface Pro Tablets, Surface touch covers and the RT bundles at a very affordable rate”.
Microsoft said that they were excited to slash the prices and let it reach every person to enjoy its unique features.

Microsoft slashed the overrated Surface Pro Tablet earlier this month by 100$ on both the models, but the price cut was only temporary which helped boost their sales. And so later in the day, they decided to make a permanent change on the rates for greater sales and affordability by most of the people.

The Surface Pro when hit the markets was not a great sale due to the overly rated tablets. Hence the promotional price for a month was offered and as soon as the sales rocketed, it was justifiable on their part to make the discount a permanent one.
Though nothing has been mentioned about it in the company website, Microsoft says that the price change won’t be instantaneously amended. Microsoft revealed that price reductions would be done in a controlled and phased manner.

The news stating “Microsoft permanently lowers prices of Surface Pro tablet and accessories” surely did not ring any bells or get an exhilarated response because the change was both anticipated and desired.

So according to the news:
Surface Pro 64 GB will start at 799$ and 128 GB at 899$ (100$ discount)
Surface Touch Covers starts at 79$ and the Limited edition Covers starts at 89$ (40$ discount)
Surface RT bundles start at 399$ (50$ discount).

In an effort to attract more business and to answer the calls of its customers wanting a more affordable tablet, Microsoft Surface Pro price drops $100, a discount that applies to the 64 and 128 Gigabyte models. Along with the tablets, Microsoft is also including a discount bundle which includes a Microsoft Surface Pro, Home and Office Student 2013, a two-year warranty, type protector, screen cover and carrying sleeve. The discounts are a way to get people interested in RT machines again and it will last until the end of the month, so people still have plenty of time to purchase a Surface Pro before the discount is no longer applicable on August 29, 2013. Given its newly affordable price and how short the discount’s duration will run, those people who are wanting to purchase this tablet should do so, before the $100 price decrease has run its course.

The Microsoft Surface Pro is described as being a “tablet in laptop form,” meaning that it is a tablet computer that comes with a stylus and keyboard. It runs on Windows 8 and is both Wireless Internet and Bluetooth compatible. It can use a MicroSDXC card if more memory is needed, it has one USB port and a headphone jack. It runs on an Intel processor, like most Microsoft computers do. Despite its appearance though, the Surface Pro is not to be mistaken for being a laptop, as it is a tablet. The Surface Pro is quite similar to an iPad, even though it is not an Apple product, which should make fans of tablet computers quite happy. There are quite a few different accessories that can be purchased for it as well, ranging from carrying sleeves and keyboard covers (called Type Protectors and Touch Protectors), to additional power supplies and adapters. As it is a Windows 8 tablet, the Surface Pro can use any software that other Windows 8 tablet computers can.

Do you think this is because Microsoft is struggling with their tablet competitors, ie: Apple Ipad?

The case was brought forward by the U.S. Justice Department alongside 33 states; they accused Apple of colluding with publishers from late 2009 to early 2010 with the aim of undercutting other providers such as Amazon. Apple pleaded innocent to the charges, arguing that the company was not aware of the fact that the five publishers – Hachette, HarperCollins, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillian – had been in talks with one another about the possibility of pushing the price of e-books up. The publishers have already settled out of court, to the tune of $166 million.

“There is no such thing as a conspiracy by telepathy,” noted Apple’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, in reference to Apple’s alleged ignorance of the attempts at price-fixing. Apple is determined to overturn the ruling, with a spokesman iterating the company’s intention to, “continue to fight against these false accusations.” Apple executives have protested the injustice of being taken to court based on their implementation of an “agency” pricing model – which prevents e-books being sold cheaper on platforms other than iBooks – when several other companies use the same pricing scheme. The court ruled that Apple’s use of this model forced other providers into similar arrangements with publishers, pushing prices up throughout the industry.

The ruling has left Apple shares down by $1.60 this morning, with the shares currently trading at $420.75. Thus far there has been no immediate comment from either Apple, its lawyers, or the Justice Department.

Good news for Apple though, the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court denied a request by Proview Technology (Shenzhen) for the injunction and agreed to Apple’s request that the trademark infringement case be suspended pending a ruling in a separate case in a higher court.

This means the iPads will be back on the shelves in Shanghai until the case is settled.  It’s not yet known what will happen with the trademark issues, but Apple will now have some breathing room to deal with the case in court while their products continue to be sold.

You’ll be Buying Google Smartphone Glasses Soon!

Nick Bilton writes  in the “Bits” blog:[T]he glasses will go on sale to the public by the end of the year. These people said they are expected “to cost around the price of current smartphones,” or $250 to $600.

The glasses would be packed with motion sensors for navigation (more on that in a minute) and GPS sensors.  They would use a 3G or 4G connection.  And they would come with a small glasses-mounted screen, which would site inches away from the eye.

The literal “retina display” equipped glasses are described to resemble Oakley’s Thumps.  They would be released as a stand-alone Android device, though it is possible that Google could bake in a connection to your traditional handset via local Wi-Fi or 3G routing, as well.

Cool ShoutEm Mobile App Tour Video

Exactly when the Amazon tablet is going to hit the market is unknown at this point.  Most speculation puts Amazon releasing their Android tablet sometime in October.  With analysts expecting Amazon to sell nearly 5 million units of their tablet in Q4, this leaves less than three full months to achieve this number.

But with Amazon being willing to what other retailers typically aren’t, like selling hardware (aka, the Kindle) at a loss in order to get more devices into more hands, which in turn generates more sales through Amazon.com, the online retailer may not need a full three months to hit 5 million units sold.

If Amazon is willing to sell their tablet at a loss, this means we could see the type of frenzy that unfolded when HP dropped the price of the HP TouchPad down to $99 – people immediately rushed retailers, both online and off line, to get their hands on a TouchPad.

This is exactly what can happen with the Amazon tablet.  And when it does, you now have a director competitor stealing some of the spotlight from the iPad.

According to FoxNews, Apple has sold almost 30 million iPads since launching its tablet in April 2010. Rival products from companies including Samsung Electronics Co, Research in Motion and Motorola Mobility, have failed to seriously challenge that early lead. This month, Hewlett-Packard scrapped its TouchPad after sales languished.

“Thus far, Apple has faced many would-be competitors, but none have gained significant market share,” FoxNews wrote. “Not only does Amazon have the potential to gain share quickly but its willingness to sell hardware at a loss, as it did with the Kindle, makes Amazon a nasty competitor.”

Despite Hurricane Irene rolling through New York City this weekend, the Samsung event in NYC went on where a a new Galaxy S II smartphone and Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet were announced.

Here’s the Samsung News Conference coverage from the LA Times blog talking about the new Samsung Galaxy S II and the new Galaxy Tab 8.9:

Samsung announced 4G LTE versions of its Galaxy S II smart phone and Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet on Monday, but hasn’t yet said when the devices will hit the U.S.

The LTE versions of the devices will be capable of running on 4G LTE networks, such as Verizon’s 4G network in the U.S. The Galaxy S II is expected to launch in North America before Apple’s iPhone 5.

Sprint’s current 4G network is built using wi-max technology and T-Mobile’s current 4G network is an HSPA+ network. AT&T is in the process of building out a 4G LTE network for a late 2011 launch. Sprint has said that it will add an LTE network in the future as well.

Samsung is hosting an event at this week’s IFA conference in Berlin, where it is rumored to announce stateside release dates and pricing.

The new Galaxy S II is Samsung’s top phone with a 4.5-inch touchscreen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and Google’s Android Gingerbread operating system.

The Galaxy Tab 8.9, featuring a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and Google’s Android Honeycomb OS, is essentially a small-screened version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

read more at LA Times blog

Let’s go back two weeks from today, shall we?

The HP TouchPad was tanking because nobody wanted to spend $300 or $400 on a tablet when they could use that same amount of money to be an iPad.  Let’s be honest here…

And so HP, after sales continued to nose dive, threw in the towel on the tablet front and literally overnight, killed the WebOS strategy.

So now HP has these warehouses full of TouchPads and they’re freaking out over what in the world to do with all of them.   Dropping the price made sense, so they came out and dropped the price in order to start clearing them out of inventory.

But things were necessarily clearing out as quickly as HP would like, so they decided to drop the price even more to $99 for the 16GB model and $149 for the 32GB model.

And then guess what happened…???

It was as if Apple just released a brand new iPad.  Lines formed around city blocks.  The HP TouchPad was selling out of stock in less than 5 minutes in WalMart.  Chaos was unfolding because now, all of sudden, everyone wanted the HP TouchPad.

But wait a minute.  Isn’t this the same TouchPad that a few weeks ago was selling so bad that HP decided to kill the program altogether?

Yes…. yes it was!

So what, all of a sudden, put the demand for the HP TouchPad on the same level – or even a higher level from a demand standpoint – than the iPad?

One simple word answers the questions:  price.

The TouchPad drops to $99 and now, suddenly, the stores can’t stock the tablet fast enough.

This is something, I know for a fact, that Jeff Bezos and the Amazon crew are taking note of.  Mr. Bezos and his generals are all sitting around the tablet saying, “will you look at that?  look at what happened when HP dropped that price down to $99 – the supply could no longer meet demand…. that’s exactly what we need to happen with our new Amazon Android tablet.”

Enter the Amazon Android Tablet

Mark my words.  When the Amazon Android tablet finally does hit the market, I guarantee the price will be substantially lower than any other tablet on the market.  And I would almost guarantee we’ll see a 10.1 inch Amazon tablet.

Amazon is all about selling a ridiculous amount of product, especially product they invented, like the Kindle which is now the #1 best selling item on Amazon of all time.

So when Amazon’s next invention comes out, the Amazon Android tablet, you watch how they price it.  It’s going to be priced to not only sell like crazy, but it’s going to be priced to capture the attention of all the media outlets worldwide because of the madness surrounding the sales volume.

Just remember, you heard it here first!

This effort is to, basically, clean out inventory and get this monkey off the back of HP.  The company is ready to eject their efforts at competing in the tablet space and focus instead on more leveraged efforts.  A recent “interest chart” shows that Apple’s iPad has a commanding lead with consumer interest.  Something that HP has decided is not worth the time and resources to compete against.

The pricing slash got kicked off in Canada at the Best Buy Canada site where the 16 GB TouchPad was selling for $99.99, compared to its previous price of $399.99 and the 32 GB version of the device has had its price cut from $499.99 to $149.99.

Prices at Amazon are still at the normal retail price.  The 32 GB TouchPad is $475.30 and the 16 GB TouchPad is $399.99.

via Mashable

HP is perhaps the smartest guy in the room right now.  With their decision yesterday to stop production of the HP TouchPad, and cease WebOS development, a major player in the tablet market has exited the game (not including Apple).

And why, you ask, is this a smart move on HP’s part?  Primarily because it shows that right now, HP realizes that Apple has the stage.

And instead of pouring massive amounts of money and resources into trying to compete with Apple, HP figures it’ll just focus it’s energy on more profitable ventures.

To me, this is pretty smart.

The chart below puts the tablet market in perspective.  The graph shows, from a consumer interest point of view, what people want the most.  And as you can see from the graph, the iPad rules the universe and all other tablets melt away in comparison.

The Motorola Xoom is sitting at 8.5% of the tablet market space.  And the Xoom is the first tablet running the Honeycomb 3.0 OS – that’s the Android OS that is built specifically for tablets.  And obviously, the folks at Google are well aware of these numbers, as are the people at Microsoft.

However, I don’t expect Google to back down one bit from their uphill fight to gain a foot in the tablet space.  Just like Google responded when the iPhone hit the market in 2007 by coming up with Android OS and releasing smartphones, so it will be with Android tablets.  But the list of devices grows for Google’s Android OS, they will need a more standardized Android platform – one that developers can build on equally for the smartphones and for the tablets.  Again, just like Apple has done with iOS.

Here it is – putting the demand for iPads in its proper perspective (chart via BI)

On Friday, Sprint released a statement saying they will no longer be releasing a WiMax version of the Blackberry Playbook – RIM’s attempt to enter the explosive tablet marketplace.

“We apologize for any inconvenience but the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook Tablet that was announced in January for summer availability will no longer be coming to the Sprint network,” Sprint said in a statement.

Sprint currently offers a WiFi only version of the Blackberry Playbook which, if connection to Sprint’s Mifi, could actually access Sprint’s WiMax network, but that is certainly a round-about way to go about it.

RIM, the maker of the Blackberry Playbook, said that instead, they will focus their development efforts on LTE, the 4G technology that is more widely adopted throughout the United States.

“RIM has decided to prioritize and focus its 4G development resources on LTE,” it said in a statement.

The operator currently offers a Wi-Fi-only version of the tablet. A customer could connect that device to a Wi-Fi hotspot that uses WiMax on the back end, such as the Mifi, and connect to Sprint’s WiMax network that way.

Sprint said it was a mutual decision between the operator and Sprint not to offer the WiMax PlayBook.

RIM said it will focus on LTE, the 4G technology more widely adopted, instead of WiMax. “RIM has decided to prioritize and focus its 4G development resources on LTE,” it said in a statement.

“Testing of BlackBerry 4G PlayBook models is already underway and we plan to enter labs for network certifications in the U.S. and other international markets this fall,” it said.

Major uphill battle ahead for the Blackberry Playbook

RIM is using the Blackberry Playbook as a way to enter the tablet market space.  However, there are some serious shortcomings with the Blackberry Playbook that is going to make it difficult to compete.

First, the Blackberry Playbook does not have native apps to run on device.  This means, users of the Playbook have to find other ways to access.

Second, something as simple as checking your email on the Blackberry Playbook requires that you hook up your Blackberry mobile phone to the tablet, and then proceed to check your email – something that sounds painfully cumbersome.

via CW

Apple is ok with competitors who try to design and innovate their way into legitimate competition with the iPhone and iPad.  What Apple is not ok with is when a competitor outright copies the look, feel, and UI of one of their devices.

The most blatant culprit so far seems to be Samsungs Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet – Honeycomb Android OS I might add.

Today, Apple has gained a significant advantage in shutting down copycats when they were granted a preliminary injuction against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The injunction against Samsung is applicable immediately in Germany, and if Apple gets its way in the courts, the ruling will be granted EU-wide which will dramatically hamper Samsung’s global sales of the 10.1″ Galaxy Tab.

According the complain filed by Apple, “Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.”

It’s hard enough for competitors to innovate on the Android OS platform to try and compete with Apple, but with Apple also shooting down competition in the courts worldwide, the field of competition is getting even harder.

Looks like Apple will be the dominate player in the smartphone and tablet marketspace for quite a long time to come.

via ArsTechnica

News out of Taiwan tonight claims that, according to production figures, Amazon is on track to sell nearly 3 million tablets by October.

Since the beginning of July, PC manufacturer Quanta has been in mass production mode for Amazon, stating that Amazon demands 800,000 to 1 million units of the branded Amazon Android tablets per month from August to October.

This also directly implies that we are more than likely going to see an Amazon branded tablet, powered by Android, hit the scene any day now.

According to the Taiwan news source, Amazon’s tablet is a simpler, more efficient model, reflecting Amazon’s desire to gain marketshare quickly in the hyper competitive landscape of Android tablets.

According to BGR, Amazon is preparing to release two different tablets – a low end tablet called “Coyote”, and a high end tablet called “Hollywood”.  It is apparently the lower end “Coyote” that is currently under mass production, and the one that Amazon plans on selling nearly 3 million units of by October.

via Taiwan Economic News

I remember about a month ago I was in a Staples here in Georgia and I saw the new HP TouchPad on display.  I started talking to a rep about the new tablet and he said that when the TouchPad first hit the store, there was a line going out the door.  Then, when the doors opened, the HP TouchPad sold out in less than an hour.

Well, if you were one of the many people who couldn’t get their hands on the new HP TouchPad tablet, then this coming weekend might be your best bet.

HP announced via their website that they will be knocking $100 off the price of the HP TouchPad 16GB and HP TouchPad 32GB models.

The $100 price reduction comes in the form of a rebate – meaning, after you purchase the device, you mail in your rebate to get the $100 back from HP.

Here’s the HP TouchPad sale breaking – taking place August 5 – 7

• HP TouchPad 16GB – Regular price:  $499.99 / This weekend: $399.99
• HP TouchPad 32GB – Regular price:  $599.99 / This weekend: $499.99

The deal is only available at HP.com and the sale will only run while supplies last.

Anyone wanna place the over / under on how long it’ll take for them to sell out?

via HP.com

Google just updated their new user interface for tablet devices.  The new Google search engine design for tablets allows for a more roomy experience on tablet devices.  Bigger buttons to touch, easier navigation across the tablet interface, and search results that are easier to transition through.

Google made their announcement of the new tablet search engine design yesterday:

As part of our effort to evolve the Google design and experience, we’ve improved thewww.google.com search experience on tablets. We’ve simplified the layout of search results pages and increased the size of page contents like text, buttons and other touch targets to make it faster and easier to browse and interact with search results in portrait or landscape view.

The search button located below the search box provides quick access to specific types of results like Images, Videos, Places, Shopping and more. Just tap to open the search menu and select an option to see results in one category.

via Google mobile blog

Verizon Wireless announced the 4G version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab will be available for purchase on July 28th (that’s Friday).  The Verizon Galaxy Tab will be available on Verizon’s 4G LTE network and will reportedly push download speeds between 5Mbps to 12Mbps and upload speeds of 2Mbps and 5 Mbps in areas where Verizon 4G is covered.

Here’s a pricing breakdown of the Verizon 4G Samsung Galaxy Tab:

• 16 GB – $529.99
• 32 GB – $629.99
• 16 GB WiFi only – $499.99

Data packages & pricing:

• 2bGB – $30 per month
• 10 GB – $80 per month

Here’s a link to current list of Verizon 4G LTE enabled cities.

My only question is, if you had this much money to spend on a tablet, why wouldn’t you spend the money on an iPad instead?

Just wondering…

via USAToday