Survey: 19% of Consumers Likely to Buy an Apple ‘iWatch’::

A new survey shows there would be good demand for an Apple ‘iWatch” if such a beast ever came to exist. 19% of surveyed consumers say they are “likely” to buy such a timepiece.

AppleInsider: 

The new data from ChangeWave Research published on Friday found that 5 percent of consumers considered themselves “very likely” to purchase a smart watch from Apple for themselves or someone else. Another 14 percent indicated they are “somewhat likely” to do the same.

As a comparison, back in January of 2010, 18% of consumers polled said they would buy a hypothetical Apple tablet, with just 4% of those responding “very likely.” Another poll conducted way back in the stone age of 2005 found 18% of those surveyed would be interested in buying an Intel-based Mac.

The survey shows the demand is there for an “iWatch” if Apple were to release such a device. As we know, the iPad has dominated tablet sales since its 2010 introduction, and the switch to Intel boosted Mac sales to new peaks.

The biggest reason for the interest in an Apple smart watch? Loyalty to Apple. 18% of “likely” buyers said their trust in the company is the main driver for them. Another 16% are mostly interested in the convenience factor, 14% said their driving reason would be the “cool factor,” and 11% said it was because of how easily they believe such a device would interact with other Apple products.

“Apple’s track record of delivering ultra-convenient, easy to use products with a perceived ‘cool factor’ is driving pre-release demand for the rumored Apple ‘iWatch,’” said Andy Golub of 451 Research’s ChangeWave service. “While an ‘iWatch’ doesn’t yet exist – and if it ever does it will have to live up to super high expectations – it has the potential to be another huge success for the Cupertino, Calif., manufacturer.”

The results come from a survey of 1,713 primarily North American respondents, and was conducted March 4 through 19.

So, how about it readers? Would you buy an ‘iWatch?” Would you throw your lot in with another smart watch? Or would you even bother? Please, share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Your Siri Data Is Stored For Two Years, Apple Reveals::

Apple has always remained rather coy on exactly what they do with your Siri data, but today that was finally clarified by Apple to Wired. It turns out Apple keeps your Siri data for up to two years (so in theory, the earliest Siri interactions are still being stored), however if you disable Siri, all the data is deleted.

Wired:

Here’s what happens. Whenever you speak into Apple’s voice activated personal digital assistant, it ships it off to Apple’s data farm for analysis. Apple generates a random numbers to represent the user and it associates the voice files with that number. This number — not your Apple user ID or email address — represents you as far as Siri’s back-end voice analysis system is concerned.

Once the voice recording is six months old, Apple “disassociates” your user number from the clip, deleting the number from the voice file. But it keeps these disassociated files for up to 18 more months for testing and product improvement purposes.

“Apple may keep anonymized Siri data for up to two years,” Muller [Apple spokesperson] says “If a user turns Siri off, both identifiers are deleted immediately along with any associated data.”

Tracy Muller also stressed that the data collection is done anonymously. Customer privacy is ‘very important’, she said.

Nevertheless, some want further measures, like American Civil Liberties Lawyer Nicole Ozer:

“There is no good reason for Apple to not include information about privacy practices on their Siri FAQ page”. Transcripts “of what you say to Siri could reveal sensitive things about you, your family, or business,” she added. “Siri works for Apple, so make a note to yourself to really think before you speak.”

It is nice to know exactly how Siri works in terms of voice recognition and storing data, and this should hopefully clear up a lot of concerns that many have. Having said that, as we’ve seen, for some it’s not enough.

Chinese Pirating Site Uses Apple’s Own Tools to Distribute Pirated Apps::

A Chinese website appears to be distributing pirated versions of iOS apps for free, and it seems they’re using a system powered by Apple’s own enterprise licensing technology!

AppleInsider:

The website in question, 7659.com, is actually a Web portal of a desktop program called “KuaiYong,” which poses as a bulk licensing authorization asset to distribute free software to users. The software first hit the Web in 2012, and the new site is supposedly meant to streamline app discovery and downloading by making titles accessible online instead of through a dedicated program. KuaiYong’s desktop software is still needed to retrieve the pirated apps.

The website was first spotted by blog M.I.C. Gadget, and allows iPhone and iPad owners to download and install popular iOS apps without going through the official App Store.

KuaiYong reportedly leverages Apple’s enterprise app distribution system, which is used by corporations and institutions to distribute internal apps to employees and staff. The protocol allows for what is basically unlimited app distribution once a developer provisioning profile has been granted by Apple.

By using this tactic, KuaiYong allows iPhone and iPad owners install pirated software to their device without jailbreaking it, and is essentially distributing one app, with one license, continuously to the users.

The pirated wares are not accessible outside of China, as the proxy software is not supported internationally, although using a spoofed IP address does allow viewing of the website.

M.I.C. Gadget reports the team behind the operation is preparing an international version of the program, with an English version coming to Windows users soon. The service claims to have five million users in China.

Apple has not commented on the matter.

Apple Offers Replacements for 3rd-Gen Apple TVs With Wi-Fi Connectivity Issues::

Apple has notified its AppleCare employees, retail stores, and authorized resellers that they are authorized to replace the small amount of third-generation Apple TV’s that are having issues locating and joining Wi-Fi networks and then maintaining a connection.

MacRumors:

Apple has determined that a very small number of Apple TV (3rd generation) products might experience one of these Wi-Fi related connectivity issues:

Cannot locate network

Unable to join network

Dropped or intermittent connection.

Apple technicians are authorized to replace affected products for two years after the original date of purchase at no charge after verifying that the devices are running software version 5.2.1 and that there are no third party interference issues.

The Apple TVs experiencing connectivity problems feature the following serial numbers:

MacRumors does note that several readers say that Apple has acknowledged that it initially erred in referring to the character pairs appearing the third and fourth positions of the serial number. The listed pairs would actually occur in the fourth and fifth positions.

Android Fragmentation Means Nearly Half of Android Phones Can’t Run Facebook Home::

The fragmented nature of the Android market means that nearly half of all Android users will be unable to run Facebook’s new “Home” experience. At launch, only 6 Android phone models will be set to run the new feature.

AppleInsider:

Facebook Home will not run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread or lower, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed today in a question-and-answer session following Home’s unveiling. Initially released in February of 2011, Gingerbread is still the Android version for roughly 40 percent of the Android install base, according to Google’s most recent figures. Roughly seven percent of Android devices run an older version of the OS.

While the more than 50% of Android devices that run either 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, or versions 4.1 and 4.2 Jelly Bean should be able to run Facebook Home eventually, the launcher will initially be limited to six devices: the HTC One and One X, Samsung’s Galaxy S III, S4, and Note II, and the just revealed HTC First, which is said to be optimized for the Facebook Home experience.

The launcher will also not be available for Android tablets until well after the launch. Facebook does say it is working on Home for tablets.

Google’s Android is available to a wide swath of manufacturers, unlike Apple’s iOS where the Cupertino firm controls both hardware and software. Some Android device manufacturers are diligent in updating devices to recent versions of Android, but there are also a large number who are not, resulting in the fact that many devices are now running a two-year old version of the operating system.

Android fragmentation has proved to be a significant pain in the butt for developers, as it has required them to program their apps while accounting for a list of OS versions, along with a large array of hardware capabilities. Google has tried to encourage manufacturers to update their devices, but even Google-owned Motorola has found it hard to keep up with the update schedules.

HTC Continues to Struggle – Reports Record Low Quarterly Profit::

Here’s another indication that the smartphone industry is narrowing down to just two contenders, Apple and Samsung, as handset maker HTC Corp. has reported its lowest quarterly profit since the company began reporting in 2004.

AppleInsider:

HTC saw a net profit of T$85 million, or $2.85 million U.S., in the three month span from January to March,according toReuters. In comparison, HTC made T$10.9 billion in the same period a year ago.

The low-point comes after HTC was forced to delay the launch of its new flagship device HTC One due to a shortage of camera components. The device was available in only three markets at the end of the March quarter, despite plans by the company to have it available in a total of 80 countries.

HTC announced last week a partnership with Facebook to release the HTC First, a device promoted as the optimal Facebook phone, offering the Facebook “Home” experience. While Facebook Home will be available on other Android phones, the HTC First will be the only one with “Home” installed straight out of the box.

HTC accounted for only 6% of the total worldwide smartphone market last year, as its sales were off 25.2% from 2011.

Mobile App Downloads Up 11%, Make $22 Billion in Revenues for Q1 2013::

 

Overall, the smartphone and tablet app market grew to 11% in the first quarter of 2013, bringing in $2.2 billion on revenue, this according to a report released by Canalys.

AppleInsider: 

Canalys’ App Interrogator research looked at the leading app stores in more than 50 countries, including Apple’s App Store, Google’s Play Store, Microsoft’s Windows Phone Store, and BlackBerry World. The analysis found that downloads across the four stores were up 11 percent in the first quarter worldwide over totals in the fourth quarter. Direct app revenue — from paid-for apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions — grew by nine percent.

Canalys reports that total app downloads form the four major repositories reached 13.4 billion for the quarter. Total app revenue was $2.2 billion.

Developing markets such as Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa, showed the strongest growth in revenues and downloads, reflecting the rapid growth of smart device use in those countries. North America also showed significant growth, with revenues increasing 8% and downloads showing a 6% bump. Western Europe saw 8% growth for revenues, and a 10% growth rate for downloads.

Apple’s iOS App Store, and Google’s Play Store were still the top players, with BlackBerry World and Windows Phone Store remaining as second-tier competitors.

Steve Jobs: Timeline of a Visionary Genius (Infographic)::

Steve Jobs’s life has been illustrated in many ways, but this infographic fromvisual.ly showing his timeline has got to be one of the most straightforward and easiest on the eye. If you don’t know a great deal about Apple’s co-founder, then this is a great way to find out more.

here is the main image http://pasteboard.co/1C07VZf6.jpg

iPhone 5S Set for August Launch, in Three Different Colors?

Following an unlikely report earlier today that Apple’s next-gen iPhone may comein a variety of sizes, Japanese site Macotakara reports that the device will come in a new color in addition to black and white. It’s unclear from the report what that new color might be – perhaps a mix between black and white parts? That would be pretty cool.

AppleInsider reports:

Citing a “trusted source,” Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports that when the “iPhone 5S” hits store shelves, it will come in three colorways, adding one color to Apple’s usual black and white variants. The source failed to reveal the mystery color. 

It should be noted that the Google translation on the blog’s webpage incorrectly states “3 colors added to 2 colors of iPhone 5,” suggesting there will be five color options for the iPhone 5S. The actual translation is, “One new color will be added to the iPhone 5′s existing two color options for a total of three colors.”

Previous reports have suggested that the next iPhone might come in up to 8 different colors, just like the current iPod nano and iPod touch lineup. Apple’s rumored “budget” iPhone will reportedly come in the same color options as the 5S. Well-informed (and highly accurate) analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states that Apple will use a new blended fiberglass and plastic material in order to reduce the overall cost.

The new iPhone are reportedly set to be announced sometime in July, for a public release in August – which meshes well with what iMore (another extremely well-informed source) has heard about the release date. It’s worth noting that Macotakara does have a very mixed track record when it comes to Apple predictions - but at least this report is less absurd than today’s previous iPhone rumor!

Apple and Yahoo Reportedly Talking About Deeper Service Integration for iOS, Siri ::

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is in talks with Yahoo to bring more of the search company’s information to their iOS devices. Yahoo has long been a provider of data for the devices, the iOS Stocks and Weather apps use data from Yahoo, and Siri uses the service for sports information.

The Verge:

It’s not a huge surprise to see Yahoo attempt to forge a deeper partnership with Apple — CEO Marissa Mayer has made it clear that mobile is a major part of her strategy for improving the company’s fortunes, and the iPhone is a logical place to start. Given Google’s own vast array of data, Yahoo likely holds little interest for the other dominant mobile OS. But last year, Apple finally severed all its ties with Google by removing the default Google Maps and YouTube apps that lived on iOS since its introduction in 2007.

While sources say no deal is imminent, they say talks are taking place.

Apple has been moving away from Google, dropping its Maps and YouTube apps from the most recent version of iOS. The two companies are fierce competitors in the mobile marketplace, with iOS and Google’s Android continuing to fight for marketshare.

Mayer showed her hand earlier this year, indicating that Yahoo was focused on pursuing “strong partnerships” as it doesn’t make mobile hardware, an OS, a browser or a social network.

“So the nice thing at Yahoo is that we have all of the content that people want on their phone, we have these daily habits,” Mayer said during the World Economic Forum in January. “And I think that whenever you’re dealing with a daily habit and providing a lot of value around it there is an opportunity not only to provide a lot of value to the end user but to also create a great business.”

Apple and Yahoo do share a common enemy in Google, and that may be enough to fuel talks between the two, but only time will tell if the two can work something out.

iPhone and iPad Remain The Most Desired Gadgets Among U.S. Teens – By a Huge Margin!

According to the latest market research (PDF link) from analysis firm Piper Jaffray, Apple’s popularity is continuing to increase significantly among teenagers – a key segment of the mobile market. The figures reflect the results of a survey of over 5,000 teens from various income levels, and reveal that 48% of U.S. teenagers already own an iPhone. Further, 62% of respondents said they planned to buy one as their next phone.

The good news for Apple doesn’t stop at the iPhone, either. The survey also revealed that 51% of teens currently own a tablet, with the iPad accounting for 62% of those. Teens who said they were planning to purchase an iPad also dominantly favored the iPad, with 68% reporting that they plan to purchase an iPad or iPad mini over an Android tablet.

While the numbers look great for Apple, things don’t appear so rosy for Android – while 59% of teenagers are planning to buy an iOS device (either a smartphone or a tablet), only 21% said they were likely to purchase an Android based device. The smartphone figures fare slightly better for Android – but the number is still only 23%, compared to 62% for the iPhone.

Needless to say, teenagers represent an extremely important segment of the consumer electronics market – after all, they are the next generation of consumers. If any game-changing shifts in power are likely to occur in the mobile sector, it will be directly due to their influence. Fortune has rounded up a few other key findings from the report:

• 91% of teens say they plan to buy a smartphone for their next high-tech device, up from 86% last spring and 90% last fall
• 59% of teens say they are likely to buy an iOS device (unchanged from fall) and 21% are likely to buy an Android device (was 20%)
• Among high-income families, the iOS preference rises to 70%
• 48% of teens already own an iPhone, compared with 40% last fall
• 62% of teens plan on making an iPhone their next mobile device (flat vs. fall 2012)
• 23% expect to buy an Android phone, up from 22% last fall
• 51% already own a tablet, up from 44% last fall
• Among teens who own tablets, 68% own iPads, down from 72%
• 17% of teens plan on buying a tablet in the next 6 months (vs. 20% Fall 2012)
• 68% plan to buy an iPad (54% full size/14% Mini)

Congrats, Apple! It looks like the market is ripe for the iPhone and iPad, at least in the U.S. As for Google and Android: Good luck out there!