This chart should scare the hell out of Samsung
Before looking at this chart, we should emphasize: Samsung is not “doomed.” It’s a hugely profitable company that has a lot more businesses than just smartphones and every other Android vendor can only dream of having the kinds of sales and profits that Samsung enjoys. That said, a new chart produced by Jackdaw Research’s Jan Dawson shows that things are definitely looking very bad for Samsung when it comes to the growth of its mobile phone business unit and the company is right to be feeling nervous.
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New report reveals Steve Jobs’ grand vision for making free Wi-Fi available wherever you go
If you’ve read much about former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, you’d know he was a major advocate for broader public Wi-Fi, especially as it pertained to the iPhone. Walt Mossberg wrote a piece for Re/code on Tuesday in which he shares the details of a conversation he once had with Jobs regarding public Wi-Fi. Mossberg writes that Jobs understood why Wi-Fi networks needed to remain secure, but believed it would be possible to make shareable, free Wi-Fi from home networks the norm.
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Meet LightFreq, the tiny lightbulb that does music and smart notifications
LightFreq is the name of a new product seeking funding on Kickstarter that describes itself as a “genius multi-functioning HD audio light bulb that offers an audio system, wake-up mode, phone alerts, intercom,” and other features. The light bulb is supposed to fit any regular light fitting and lamp and wirelessly connect with a smartphone in order for users to customize their LightFreq experience via a special app.
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IT’S ABOUT TIME: The worst may finally be over for BlackBerry
Things have been getting better for BlackBerry over the past year mainly because, as Lennon-McCartney might have sung about the company’s fortunes last year, “they can’t get no worse.” However, Reuters reports that leaked internal company memos show that BlackBerry says it’s finished its painful restructuring process and is ready to start hiring new personnel and acquiring new companies.
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BAD NEWS, iPHONE FANS: Now we know why the iPhone 6’s release date might get pushed back to October
Depending on whom you ask, Apple will launch the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 either in September or October, with the 5.5-inch version expected to arrive a few months later, although most reports seem to favor September as the most likely launch month for the handset. KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo has learned more details about Apple’s iPhone 6 production, Liberty Times reports, revealing the company is facing yield issues with certain components, including in-cell touch panels and metal chassis.
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Awesome video shows you how to get the most out of Android Wear
Marques Brownlee (a.k.a., MKBHD), whose terrific work we’ve highlighted multiple times in the past, has just put up another great video that shows us all of the tips and tricks we’ll need to get the most out of Android Wear.
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Here are some terrific Google Now tricks you may not know about
If you’re a casual Android user, you may see Google Now pop up on your phone without knowing how you can get the most out of it. Re/code’s Lauren Goode has put together a list of 10 essential tips for Google Now users who may not realize just how much Google’s personal voice assistant can do for them.
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One way the Galaxy Alpha might be just as good as the iPhone 6
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Alpha smartphone, a device that makes limited use of metal and is expected to be the company’s response to the upcoming iPhone 6, has appeared in plenty of leaks so far, which have revealed not only its main specs and features, but also its design. Following a set of Galaxy Alpha images from earlier this week that showed the white version of the handset, a Twitter leaker @culeaks posted hands-on images showing the same handset, including a comparison with the existing iPhone 5s model.
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How to install iOS 8 beta 5 right away without a developer account
Apple on Monday released iOS 8 beta 5, which can be installed right away on any supported iOS device that’s also registered with a developer account. However, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users who want to experience the latest iOS 8 beta don’t need to have access to a developer account to do so, BestTechInfo reveals, as a way to unofficially install the beta on an iOS device still exists – similarly, all previous iOS 8 beta versions had this particular “feature.”
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Xiaomi is giving Samsung plenty of reasons to be nervous
Samsung has been the vendor to beat in China for quite some time, but according to the latest figures from research firm Canalys, Xiaomi has taken the top spot in the second quarter of 2014. Xiaomi managed to capture 14% of the market with nearly 15 million units sales while Samsung took second place with 13.2 million, Lenovo took third with 13 million and Yulong and Huawei rounded out the top 5.
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