Galaxy S III Launches in Europe Despite Some Delays

by Holly Shoemaker

On Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Samsung launched its Galaxy S III in 28 European and Middle East countries. While Samsung has not said when the new smartphone will launch in the United States, some expect the phone to launch this June.

The move comes before the launch of Apple’s new iPhone, which is expected in the third quarter.

Overview of Features

Samsung recently overtook Nokia to become the world’s largest device maker. Analysts predict that the Galaxy S III will outsell the Galaxy S II. The Galaxy S II sold 20 million units worldwide.

Thus far, the phone is getting high praise, despite its somewhat large size. The latest Galaxy includes a feature that tracks a user’s eye movement so the screen will not dim too early, a new music service and runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest Android operating system.

Shipment Delays

The bad news is some consumers may not get their latest smartphone as quickly as anticipated. Samsung verified some consumers may experience shipping delays for the 32GB marble white phone and the 16GB and 32GB pebble blue ones. Those waiting should expect a delay of two to three weeks.

Concluding Thoughts

Samsung included a lot of features that should appeal to iPhone enthusiasts. As Samsung continues to offer some of the best Android options, I fully expect the Galaxy S III to outperform its predecessor, despite the shipping delays. Of course we will fully know after Apple's releases pf the iPhone 5 if the Galaxy S III will keep its steam.

Google Acquires Motorola Mobility: Moves Beyond Search and Software Company

by Holly Shoemaker

On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, Google officially acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion.

The acquisition is notable for Google. It is the company’s largest transaction and helps the company change its image from a search-and-software company to a consumer product’s maker. 

Overview of the Acquisition

Google and Motorola first announced this deal in August 2011 and the news was not without its critics. Antitrust commissions cited concerns that the combined company would withhold patents from its competitors.

Google has confirmed that Motorola Mobility will operate as an independent subsidiary. The completion of the acquisition now gives Google more than 17,000 patents, with an additional 7,500 in the approval process.

Concluding Thoughts

Gaining additional patents will help Google with lawsuits, but the move is not only patent related. Google already has to ensure it keeps good business relationships with other smartphone manufacturers as the company has deals with Samsung and HTC to design the new Nexus. Google understands other company rely on its Android operating system.

In the end, the move reiterates the goal at the beginning – to move Google beyond a search-and-software company. With the acquisition of Motorola Mobility, Google, like Apple, has the ability to control software and hardware.

Google Chrome Overtakes IE, Yahoo! Launches Axis Twice

by Holly Shoemaker

This week Google Chrome overtook Internet Explorer (IE) to become the world's most-used browser.

This is not the only update in browser wars, a nice change from discussing tablet wars.

On Wednesday, May 23, 2012, Yahoo! released Axis, a tool that can be used as a stand-alone device app on mobile devices like the iPad. Users may also use Axis as an add-on to desktops for Firefox, IE, Google Chrome and Safari. Axis in not currently available for Android.

Yahoo! hopes Axis turns the searching and browsing experience into one. However, the company encountered a problem with the launch. On Friday, May 25, 2012, the company re-leased Axis with a fix to the Chrome extension by omitting the key. The company accidentally included a private PGP key that digitally signs the code. Because of that, any user could confirm the legitimacy of the source and write an app that said it came from Yahoo. In fact, that is what Nik Cubrilovic, an Australian researcher, did. He also discovered the error. He cloned the extension, resigned it with the key and installed it into Chrome.

Fixes Made

Yahoo! took quick action and users should be aware of the following:

• The re-leased version does not contain the private key.

• The company issued a new certificate to revoke the old one.

Concluding Thoughts

Yahoo! integrates some nice features into Axis, including thumbnail descriptions. However, for my laptop, I am staying with Firefox. Google Chrome and IE have not worked well for me and after Yahoo's release, I am not taking any chances until I purchase a new laptop.

IBM Bans Siri

by Holly Shoemaker

IBM announced that it has banned employees from using Siri, the iPhone 4S's voice-activated assistant. Jeanette Horan, IBM’s CIO, cited concerns regarding how Apple stores spoken questions and other information.

Ban Justified?

At first glance, some may wonder why go to this extreme. It is not uncommon for carriers to store user information. Apples’ software license agreement gives Apple the right to capture and store the information. When people use Siri, the information gets sent to Apple to convert the information into text. Siri also collects names from address books and other information.

Apple maintains it takes this approach to improve a user’s experience. However, what remains unclear is how long Apple stores this information.

It is perfectly legal for Apple to take these steps as users have to acknowledge and accept the agreement. The same holds true for other types of software.

Where this differs is not all user agreements cause attention from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In March, the ACLU warned users about Siri-related privacy concerns.

Anytime we use a computer, smartphone or other device, we run the risk of having our personal information gathered. However, things do not look good for Apple on this front when a Siri developer acknowledged the high risk for corporations. If employees use Siri to write emails, Apple may be storing confidential information.

Protection Measures  

All corporate users should unsure they understand Siri’s privacy policy and all forms they sign with an employer, including a non-disclosure agreement. If things like a work location need to remain top secret, chances are employees will not use Siri anytime. Users may also want to input a fake location on other smartphones. Even when people check sites like Yahoo!, it provides weather updates based on location.

Apple Tops Consumer Satisfaction List

by Holly Shoemaker

Earlier this week, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) released its latest rankings related to customer satisfaction for mobile phones in the United States. For the first time, ACSI expanded the list to include Apple, LG, Research in Motion (RIM) and HTC.

Overview of Smartphone Satisfaction Results

Apple topped the list with a score of 83. Nokia, LG and HTC tied for second place at 75. Apple’s debut also marks the first time a cell phone company scored above a 77 on any of the company’s surveys. The survey started in 2004.

RIM’s Blackberry scored a 69. This made it the least satisfying mobile phone for U.S. consumers. This figure will not surprise anyone given RIM’s disappointing sales, weak stock performance and company setbacks.

Overview of Carrier Satisfaction Results

The survey also looked at carrier satisfaction.

Sprint led consumer satisfaction with a score of 71. Verizon came in second with a score of 70. AT&T and T-Mobile scored a 69. AT&T’s figure increased by 5 percent from last year’s results.

Overall, when it came to carrier satisfaction in the “All Others” category, smaller carriers combined, including U.S. Cellular and TracFone, scored a 76, beating out all major carriers.

  

China Mobile and Apple: One Step Closer to Offering Faster iPhone?

by Holly Shoemaker

China Mobile, Chinese largest mobile carrier, is actively talking to Apple to see how the two companies may better work together to offer the iPhone to its customers.

Earlier this year, China Unicom helped Apple launch the iPhone in China. This year, the ability to offer the iPhone spread to China Telecom.

Potential Challenges and Solutions to the China Mobile Issue

Apple and China Mobile have encountered compatibility issues. China Mobile uses custom technology that would require running specialized iPhone hardware to operate the network.

An upcoming wireless modem chip may solve the compatibility problem. That chip may allow the next-generation iPhone to run on China Mobile’s network. This would eliminate the need to build custom hardware.

The wireless modem chip seems like an ideal solution to help Apple continue to grow in the Chinese market. China Mobile has about 15 million iPhone customers. However, those customers may only operate on a 2G network.  

Concluding Thoughts

Apple will come to a solution with China Mobile. Apple understands the importance of the Chinese market when it comes to market share and profits. Apple also already committed to improving factory conditions and Apple understands how China impacts the company's revenue, especially when it comes to sales of the iPhone 4S.

Postal Service to Offer Smartphone Barcode Discount

by Holly Shoemaker

The U.S. Postal Service is temporarily targeting the smartphone market. In July and August 2012, the agency will offer a postage discount for direct mailers that include smartphone barcodes. 

Discount Overview

While not a deep discount, advertisers who send mass mailings including smartphone barcodes will receive a two-percent postage discount on letters and cards using QR codes, also known as two-dimensional barcodes.

When potential customers scan the barcode using an Android device, iPhone or other smartphone, the code will link them to the website selling the product or service.

The overall promotion has the potential to benefit three areas:

• Postal Service – By offering this discount, the agency hopes the move will entice advertisers to continue using print advertising as a way to targets its consumer base. The Postal Service has seen a decrease in revenue from mailers as advertisers continue to gravitate toward online marketing tools. Using a smartphone barcode better ties into current ad trends and should allow people to engage in more effective direct marketing.

• Advertisers – Mailers provide a way to supplement other ad campaigns, such as television ads. By using codes that link to smartphones, consumers have fewer steps to take to gain the promotion, which leads them directly to the products or services the advertiser sells.

• Consumers – The targeted consumer base receives an efficient way to make use of mobile technology and simplifies the process of finding a targeted product or service, at a discount.

Concluding Thoughts

The proposed discount by the Postal Service supports research cited by MarketingProfs, a marketing advice group. In Dec. 2011, approximately 50 percent of U.S. subscribes owned a smartphone. In addition, one in five of those owners scanned a QR code.

Healthcare App Challenge Focuses on Patient Safety

by Holly Shoemaker

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, recently announced a new app challenge that focuses on patient safety and reporting.

                                               

The challenge came about from a 2011 report that asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to evaluate health and safety privacy concerns. The IOM concluded that accurate reporting of data depends on a number of factors such as the users, doctors, vendors and any other entity involved in reporting. The IOM recommended increased monitoring of IT health products and clearer reporting guidelines.

Concluding Thoughts

Reporting and privacy concerns continue to remain an issue as hospitals and doctors' offices transition from paper-based records to electronic ones. No standard format or platform exits to report patient information.

As I have mentioned before, app challenges offer ways for developers to get their ideas known. However, when it comes to medical apps, a more stringent development and testing process is typically needed, especially when dealing with privacy concerns. While the contest addresses a need, the reward may not be worth the cost to develop, test and market. Therefore, the developer who wins the contest will likely have a long lifecyle before the app goes live.

Apple, Foxconn to Improve Factory Working Conditions

by Holly Shoemaker

On Thursday, May 10, 2012, Apple and Foxconn, the company’s main supplier, agreed to share the costs related to improving working conditions in factories that make iPads and iPhones.

 

Background Information

Apple and Foxconn have garnered media attention in the past months regarding working conditions in some of its Chinese factories. In April 2012, 200 employees threatened to commit suicide over low wages. The same factory dealt with a similar threat in January 2012 when 300 employees threatened to commit suicide over conditions related to working on Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles.

In January 2012, Apple entered into a partnership with the Fair Labor Association (FLA). As part of the partnership, Apple must uphold the FLA’s ethics code. Based on the FLA’s inspection of Foxconn, and now its recommendations, Apple has to make improvement by July 1, 2013.

At this time, the companies have not disclosed the exact breakdown of who will pay for what costs.

Concluding Thoughts

Apple had no choice but to publicly say it will remedy conditions because of media attention, its relationship with the FLA and its reliance on China to manufacture parts.

The improvements do not just benefit Apple and Foxconn. They will benefit companies such as Dell and Amazon who also rely on the same worker base  and plants to manufacture parts.

Calling App Developers: Facebook Accepting Apps

by Holly Shoemaker

On Wednesday, March 9, 2012, Facebook announced that it plans to allow users to download apps via its App Center, its new online store. The App Center is currently available to developers and Facebook has encouraged developers to get their apps in prior to the consumer launch. Facebook’s App Center should become available to users in the coming weeks.

What Developers Should Know

• The company plans to take 30 percent from app-generated sales.
• To date, Apple has generated more than $1.7 billion in app sales, something that has not gone unnoticed by Facebook. Guidelines for the App Center are stricter than Google, but not as strict as Apple. Facebook, like Apple, will select what applications it offers. Facebook also plans to remove apps when needed. The company will base its standards on items such as ratings and engagement.
• If Facebook does not select specific apps, developers will have the ability to build software using Facebook’s tools and promote their apps via the news feed. 

Concluding Thoughts 

The announcement times well with the company’s initial public offering (IPO), which it will hold next week. Analysts expect the IPO to become the largest one ever for an  Internet company.

This is a good move for Facebook. More users are gravitating toward the company’s mobile site, and the company needs to increase its ability to generate revenue as limited advertising opportunities exist on its mobile app.