The Absolute Worst Way To Handle Being Hacked

Courtesy of J.R. Smith, leading NBA goofball.

Earlier today NBA swingman and general nutjob J.R. Smith had trouble signing in to something with his Apple ID. He made sure he entered the right password, but it didn't work. How did he handle this? Did he hit "forget password"? Did he call Apple support? Nope. Did he do the exact, worst, wrong thing to do in the world if you might have been hacked?

Yep.

Here's a series of metaphorical pictures. J.R. is himself. The basket is a metaphor for doing the right thing in a potential hacking situation.

Source: ktlincoln

Mike Woodson and the guy in the tie represent every other person on earth.

Source: ktlincoln

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Apple’s Retail Strategy Proves That If They Build It, You Will Come (And Spend)

Apple is a unique company in that even if you break down its individual lines of business and view them as distinct from the whole, it can still be regarded as immensely successful in a number of different areas. As a hardware company, it’s a success; as a software and services provider, it’s a success; and as a retail chain, it’s a success. And Apple’s physical retail presence shows such steady upwards growth that it, rather than any product, could be the site of the company’s greatest innovation over the next few years.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs investor conference on Tuesday, Cook went into detail about Apple’s retail plans, addressing the growth and success of the company’s stores, as well as plans for expansion and changes to their deployment strategy for 2013. Asymco’s Horace Dediu visualized the numbers shared, charting the progress of key metrics like store openings, store visitors international distribution and more in a blog post yesterday.

One of the most important metrics Dediu tracked is depicted in the graph representing store visitors vs. stores open. After initially expanding their physical presence more quickly, and averaging fewer visitors, attendance quickly cut up and for the past two years, stores have been averaging around 1 million for every location open. Apple’s strategy this year involves not only opening new locations, but closing existing ones and replacing them with larger outlets, which should make for an even higher visitor-to-store ratio in the future if trends continue.

In terms of money invested in Apple’s retail efforts, we see a trend that could result in much more of the kind of innovation I alluded to earlier. The Asymco chart for spend on “Property, Plant and Equipment” shows a huge recent spike in money committed to “machinery, equipment, and internal use software,” as opposed to normal, steady growth for land, buildings and improvements to said facilities.

Since late 2009 when we begin to see the curve start to trend upwards more sharply, Apple has introduced its own iPod touch-based check out and inventory system (replacing a legacy version based on Windows CE hardware), moved to iPad-based information consoles, changed the structure of its stores to de-emphasize checkout and highlight Genius and One-to-One customer interaction, launched self-serve EasyPay shopping for customers, introduced in-store pickup, and just generally changed the way the world thinks about brick-and-mortar stores. No big deal.

Remember too that Apple’s retail leadership has been somewhat in turmoil recently. Apple’s SVP of Retail Operations Ron Johnson, largely credited with much of the retail division’s creation and success, left the company back in June of 2011. A search for his replacement ultimately resulted in the controversial hiring of Dixons CEO John Browett in January 2012, after a six-month search. Finally, John Browett was dismissed from that role in October 2012, after less than a year on the job. Apple is still looking for a replacement for Browett.

Apple is making commerce more invisible, and yet winning more shopper dollars.

It may seem like lack of a clearly defined top man in retail would lead to uncertainty, but Apple Retail had its best year ever in 2012 amid all these shakeups, and CEO Tim Cook said that the retail locations in particular have helped the iPad enjoy its runaway success since launching in 2010.

Cook talked about the label of “retail” not being sufficient to describe what Apple is building with its stores, and more and more, that’s becoming true. Just like the company tries to hide elements like the file system in iOS, or deliver CE devices that aren’t upgradeable or modular, opting instead for a smooth, appealing and user-friendly outward appearance, it’s also taking commerce out of the store experience as much as possible. And yet as a reward it’s winning more customer dollars.

You can measure innovation in terms of a revolutionary new smartphone, or a dramatically different PC design, or you can measure it in the aggregate effect of a sustained effort to change an age-old practice. Apple’s retail efforts are the latter kind, and its spending patterns suggest there’s plenty more of that to come.

Apple Patents A Volume-Based Solution To Shaky Smartphone Camera Syndrome

A new patent filing uncovered by AppleInsider today shows that the company is still thinking about ways to upgrade the smartphone camera experience and deliver the best possible pictures you can get on a mobile phone. The invention would make it so that as soon as you open up the camera app on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, the device starts grabbing full-resolution pics and storing them to a memory buffer, meaning when you finally push the shutter you’ll have a wealth of different images to choose from.

The design would use continuous image capture to try to improve quality, and to compensate for what are currently essential failings in the way mobile photography works. For instance, Apple’s patent describes how when taking a photo, the camera’s virtual “viewfinder” shows a partial resolution version of what’s being captured, and then when the shutter is pressed there’s a delay as it switches to full resolution mode to actually take the pic, which means what you see is not often what you get. If camera software begins immediately snapping high-res photos and storing them to a temporary cache, it should be able to match the proper frame with the moment a user intended to capture.

Apple’s system would select from the buffer of photos based on timing, but also on quality. It would score images automatically based on factors like contrast, resolution, dynamic range, exposure time and more to try to logically derive which is the best, most in-focus shot. The device will then purge the memory buffer after a certain amount of time, or when it hits a pre-set threshold to clear room for future captures. In one of the embodiments, the user is given a full resolution preview to approve or deny immediately after the photo is taken, and then presumably presented with other options.

It’s a technology that could easily be integrated into iOS without much outward change, but it would likely merit some fanfare from Apple if it were already in use, especially now that Android and other OEMs are beginning to compete more aggressively for consumer attention with advancements to onboard mobile camera tech. And others in the industry are already using similar technology to accomplish different things: BlackBerry 10′s face selection for Z10 camera pics is one example, and Nokia uses much the same technology in its own Windows Phone 8 devices, after it acquired the company that created the system in the first place.

Picking the best of multiple exposures is one way to improve on mobile camera tech, but it’s not the only means. There are plenty of other improvements which could make considerable differences, including Lytro, which is clearly interested in licensing its selective focus tech to OEMs once it’s ready. But the camera is an area where iterating quickly can have a big impression on consumers with each successive hardware generation; improving things on either the hardware or software side is imperative if Apple wants to keep ahead of the game, and this patent (filed in October of 2012) indicates it’s actively working to make sure that happens.

Apple, cross-promotion, Discovery Engineering, eCPA, Electronic Arts, Europe, Facebook, Fantasy Sports, guano, iPhone, potato, sheep, South America, SPI, whales, wolves

A BROWSER MANIFESTO – PART 10

After doubling European farming output with the potato, there was a further tripling of value from another South American import: the bird droppings known as guano. Let’s apply the fertilizer metaphor to how we can make games better with a new technical discipline that I’ll call Discovery Engineering. In short, how do we start with the same game but add engineering and technology that brings in much more new daily traffic as well as more frequent return visits?

Our gaming guano starts with my very old concept that great games must be Simple, Hot and Deep. I’ve been saying this since I founded Electronic Arts in 1982 and it remains true nearly 30 years later. Consider the ocean, which is simple enough in concept and access that everyone likes to go to the beach. The babies are playing in the sand and puddles while the kids that can walk are getting wet and letting the lapping waves chase them. It’s hot and the graphics and sound are fantastic; everyone is enthralled by the spectacle and can’t get enough. And no matter how far you go it just keeps getting deeper until you need a surfboard or scuba gear and have to worry about sharks. The analogy I used earlier was how the depth satisfies the whales, also known as wolves, who generate your revenue. The wolves need to conquer the sheep that are represented by the casual players. Hence the game must appeal to everyone like the ocean. You cannot even begin to make this work if the game is not Simple, Hot and Deep.

There are additional things that can now be embodied in the game itself that will drive more traffic and return visits. Game mechanics that are very satisfying to play by yourself are of less value than mechanics that engage you in competition and contact with other players, which provokes both viral spread and higher return rates. Repeatable game mechanics that are driven more by algebra and stats, like Fantasy Sports, are not only more efficient to build than a content treadmill, but they provoke endless competitive comparisons leading to higher return rates and more spending.

Independent of the game, additional technology layers can be wrapped around it to generate more free traffic. The APIs of an SNS like Facebook are one great example. Apple makes it easy to send an email invitation but any of these ideas is going to be more effective if the game is not limited to one platform. Everyone that is looking at email or Facebook is but one click away from the browser, regardless of his or her preferred game platform. If your game runs in the browser without requiring any plug-ins, installs or memberships you have a better chance of getting the recipient of an invitation to try it right now. If they like a short trial session, they may later become a Facebook member or buy an iPhone but even if they don’t they can play your game in any case.

My favorite example of Discovery Engineering is how we do cross-promotion. Many people dislike this idea because they don’t understand it and are clinging to the past. Old School thinking says that customers go to destinations and that you would be crazy to distract them or let them exit prematurely once you have gone to all the trouble to bring them to your game. But if your game is in the browser, the player only invested in one simple click to get to you. Not only was the “investment” nothing, he’s busy right now, possibly at work or at school, and he’s going to be leaving your website within seconds regardless of how you treat him.

The principle of cross-promotion is to get something of value when, inevitably, he leaves. Hence we show a display ad banner offering a few other games to try. If the current game is no longer holding his attention, he’s a goner anyway. But if he clicks on a game in the banner, he goes to a competitor’s game for a free trial, and that competitor now owes our company a return click from one of their customers that we don’t already have. If your product is lousy this will only make you fail faster. But if you make a superior game you will double your customers this way, because your game is good enough that your departing player will remember to come back to your game again. And your competitor is giving you a new customer who will also like your game, so you’ll have two good customers instead of just one. Voila, your eCPA just dropped in half, which dramatically increases the chance that the game’s lifetime value will be profitable.

It is for the same reason that auto dealerships cluster together on the same street. But many game developers are too paranoid and distrusting to do this kind of cross-promotion. They’re afraid to help a competitor or they’re insecure or overly protective about their game. But we know this works for us; it’s the best guano we’ve got.

YOUR HEART IS FREE, HAVE THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW IT

A BROWSER MANIFESTO – PART 15

I’ve made the argument that game developers should build tools that allow them to support all platforms and screens from the same R&D thrust.  Among these platforms the open browser is the most critical because it is the one that is not controlled by a giant corporation with a profit motive.

It is always tempting to align with the titans because they are big, powerful, influential and know how to market themselves and their business propositions.  But historically, closed platforms don’t work any better for game developers than the Berlin Wall.  Prior to Nintendo there were many open media platforms including print, painting, photography, film, video, music.  While Philips invented the CD player they widely licensed their patents and charged a mere 6 cents per disc, and allowed complete freedom of operations and expression.  More recently, the World Wide Web was a gift to the public and we’ve seen again how a free, open, competitive platform can flourish.  But Nintendo ushered in a new generation of closed platforms with unappealing license terms for third-parties.  It has always been great for Nintendo, but there isn’t a single great game software company today that was built on the back of Nintendo.  In general, these licenses in the console industry drove up costs, crippled innovation and despite industry growth more than 90% of publishers that bore these costs were wiped out.

Rather than operating like the web or CD, Nintendo has been the reference point for many new closed platforms.  Digital licenses have gotten even worse because the licensors all reserve the right to constantly make unilateral changes, thereby creating a slippery slope for third-party game developers who are at the end of the whip.  Hot new digital platforms with high growth have been as alluring as the Pied Piper, promising developers liberation from publishers and retailers and a chance to be first-movers.  Thousands of developers followed because it seemed reasonable at the time.  Apple, for example seemed generous initially to be raking only 30% of the pot, because Western mobile carriers had been taking 50-75%.  But not enough science or even study of history went into the choice of 30% that has become a de facto standard.  The mobile carriers had failed, so that was not a good reference point.  DoCoMo succeeded by charging only 9%.  Other huge platform successes like the CD and the web were essentially free.  Where is the analysis or evidence that a 30% fee is viable for a third-party industry?  There isn’t any.  Instead we have many examples to the contrary.

Consider that for games, it will cost up to 30% of revenue for the cost of acquisition (also known as advertising, even after averaging this cost down to eCPA as a result of other free traffic sources).  Sales or VAT tax can be another 10% or more.  Server overhead to operate free client-server games can also be 10% or more.  If there is a 30% platform fee a game developer is now looking at variable costs eating up 80% or more of revenue, and they still have to cover product development and overhead costs.  From what I can tell from published industry stats, on many platforms these other costs are 50% or more of revenue so now we’re at 130% for a median performing app.  Given a bell curve distribution and 200,000 apps you’ll still have outliers like Angry Birds and Millionaire City but overall this is not a healthy economic picture for game developers.

Many other companies have simply copied the 30% rate from Apple, justifying it on the simple argument that Apple had set the standard.  Well, I guarantee you that Steve Jobs did not envision the cost structure and business model of today’s games and arrive at the 30% number based on a clear understanding of a win-win scenario that would create a healthy value system for game developers.  Steve Jobs may have been a genius but he never liked the game industry and he never understood it, nor did he care about the needs of game developers.  While we’re currently stuck with the number he made up, there are signs of increasing platform competition as Windows 8 will charge a reduced rate of 20% and Google+ launched at only a 5% fee.  But history has shown that as developers invest and help platform owners become strong, the rates go up.

Game developers need to wake up now and realize that they have too often been willing serfs in feudal kingdoms where they don’t own the soil that they till.  The open browser is the next big game platform.  But even if it wasn’t, it is the one, only and best place for a developer to plant their flag and invest in their future.  Because it is open and free!  Being strong in the browser will create even more synergy if you are also extending your reach with Facebook, Apple, Android and other platforms that you can branch to from the browser.  We can even tolerate their 30% tariffs if our technology leverages product investments to reach all screens and to provide more sources of free traffic.  But freedom for game developers must come first.  If we are free, we can consider a flanking move on a closed platform from a position of strength and we can negotiate with some bargaining power, perhaps even with a collective viewpoint.

There have been other freedom fights in game industry history and we’ve had our William Wallaces.  Activision’s founders were sued by their former bosses at Atari but their bid for independence survived.  Tengen challenged Nintendo but suffered a fatal loss.  I founded Electronic Arts to create a better business model for game developers.  The most important single thing I did at EA was to push my team to reverse-engineer the Sega Genesis so that EA could be liberated from the draconian license agreements that were offered in those days.  I founded 3DO as a bold attempt to help developers and improve the value chain, but 3DO was outflanked by Sony’s deeper pockets.  3DO reduced industry standard console license fees by 70% but Sony put them right back where they had been.  More than 900 companies signed 3DO licenses but they fled to Sony when Sony proved willing to take big losses to build their hardware installed base.  Sony executives did tell me later that they copied many business practices and licensing philosophies from 3DO, which made things better for developers.  With Steampowered.com, Valve pioneered digital distribution at a time when none of the PC game publishers would touch it.  Bigpoint and GameForge pioneered browser games when the mainstream didn’t care.  In every one of these cases, game developers took risks and ventured into unknown territory for the betterment of game developers and the public.  The courage of a few did help grow an industry that can now support a vastly larger number of global game developers.  Today, the open browser gives all game developers a chance to be courageous and help the industry reach for a new age that could be truly golden for game developers, not just for Apple, Facebook and Zynga.

The browser is worth fighting for.  We need to be free.  We are all William Wallaces.  Let’s follow our hearts.

New gadgets expected shortly from Nokia, Apple, Microsoft, Google

Think of it as the opening act at a concert: Nokia, Motorola and Amazon are expected to unveil new mobile devices this week before attention turns to a new iPhone and possibly a smaller iPad from Apple.

Makers of consumer electronics are refreshing their products for the holiday shopping season. Apple's rivals are hoping that a head start on the buzz will translate into stronger sales. Nokia and Microsoft, in particular, are trying to generate interest in a new Windows operating system out next month.

Apple dominates the market for tablet computers. Seven out of every 10 tablets shipped in the second quarter were iPads, according to research firm IHS iSuppli. Rivals have been trying to compete with smaller, cheaper models -- such as the Kindle Fire, which Amazon is expected to update on Thursday. Now, there's speculation that Apple will be coming out with a smaller iPad as well.

Sales of Apple's iPhones are still strong, though the company lost the lead in smartphones to Samsung this year. Samsung Electronics benefited from having its Galaxy S III out in the U.S. in June, while Apple was still selling an iPhone model released last October. A new iPhone is expected as early as this month, allowing Apple to recapture the attention and the revenue.

Here's a look at what to expect this fall:

-- NEW IPHONE: Apple has been coming out with a new iPhone each year, and that's likely to continue. The new model is expected to work with fourth-generation, or 4G, cellular networks that phone companies have been building. That capability is something the S III and many other iPhone rivals already have. A bigger iPhone screen is also possible. Apple said Tuesday that it will host an event in San Francisco next Wednesday. The topic wasn't disclosed, but the email invitation contains a shadow in the shape of a "5" -- a sign that the iPhone 5 is coming. Sales usually begin a week or two after such an announcement. One thing is known: Apple plans to update its phone software this fall and will ditch Google's mapping service for its own.

-- SMALLER IPAD: Apple has done well selling its full-sized tablet computer, which has a screen that measures nearly 10 inches diagonally. Many companies have tried to come out with iPad alternatives, but the ones that have had moderate success have tended to be those with smaller, 7-inch screens and lower price tags. There's a belief that Apple will come out with mini iPad this fall -- possibly with a 7.85-inch screen -- to compete with those competitors. It's not as much a certainty as a new iPhone, though. Apple hasn't said anything about its plans.

-- REKINDLING THE FIRE: Amazon.com's 7-inch Kindle Fire is one of the smaller tablets with decent sales. Last week, Amazon said it has sold out of the Kindle Fire, a sign that it had retooled its production lines for a successor. Amazon has a major event planned in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday. Amazon hasn't said anything about what it will say, but it's expected to announce a new Kindle Fire and possibly other Kindle e-readers, too. Barnes and Noble Inc., which makes the 7-inch Nook Tablet, may have an update this fall as well.

-- MOTOROLA'S RETURN: Though it's a pioneer in the cellphone industry, Motorola hasn't had a hit since the Razr phone came out in 2004. Under new owner Google Inc., Motorola Mobility is trying to change that. It has scheduled an event in New York on Wednesday. No further details were available. It could be a new phone or a new tablet running Google's Android operating system. Either way, it will be the first Motorola product announcement since Google bought the company for $12.4 billion in May. Google, meanwhile, continues to sell a 7-inch Android tablet, the Nexus 7, made in partnership with AsusTek Computer Inc.

-- CALLING ON WINDOWS: Microsoft will release a new version of the Windows operating system on Oct. 26, one that's designed to work on both traditional computers and tablet devices. A new version of the Windows Phone system is coming out, too. Once-dominant phone maker Nokia has been struggling in the shadow of Apple, and it's counting on the new Windows system for a revival. Nokia and Microsoft have jointly scheduled an announcement in New York on Wednesday. It's likely on new Windows phones under Nokia's Lumia brand.

-- SURFACE: Microsoft plans its own tablet computer, too. It's new territory for Microsoft, which typically leaves it to others to make devices using its software. Now, it will be competing against its partners. The Surface tablet will come in two versions, both with 10.6-inch screens, slightly larger than the iPad's. One model will run on phone-style chips, just like the iPad, and will be sold for a similar price. A heavier, more expensive version will run on Intel chips and be capable of running standard Windows applications. The Surface will go on sale on Oct. 26.

-- NEW BLACKBERRYS: A year ago, Research In Motion disclosed that it was working on a next-generation phone system for the BlackBerry, which now looks ancient next to the iPhone and Android devices. It was supposed to be out in time for this year's holiday season. That won't happen. In June, RIM pushed the release of BlackBerry 10 devices into early next year, saying it wasn't ready. That means RIM will not only compete with the new iPhone and Android devices out this fall, but it will also have to contend with the new Windows devices.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/09/04/gadget-makers-jockey-for-edge-in-holiday-lineups-1791489141/#ixzz25b0UndWT

Google News: Will Windows Phone Woo Developers?

Will Windows Phone Woo Developers? New York Times (blog) - ‎2 hours ago‎ Microsoft and Nokia have their eyes set on a luminous prize - competing with Apple and Android to become one of the top smartphone sellers in the world. Nokia 'Champagne,' Xbox dashboard preview and more Microsoft news of the week ZDNet (blog) Nokia reveals its plans to attract Windows Phone developers Inquirer The Seattle Times - Forbes more »

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Google News: Motorola Droid RAZR vs. Apple iPhone 4S: Verizon Smartphone Showdown

Motorola Droid RAZR vs. Apple iPhone 4S: Verizon Smartphone Showdown PC Magazine - ‎2 hours ago‎ The Motorola Droid RAZR is one of the most-hyped phones in recent memory. But you don't need to think back too far to recall the months of rumors and speculation surrounding the Apple iPhone 4S.

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Google News: Ep. 1566: It's not so hard to say goodbye to Flash...on Mobile

Ep. 1566: It's not so hard to say goodbye to Flash...on Mobile CNET - ‎19 hours ago‎ To play this video, you need Javascript enabled and the latest version of Flash installed. Install Flash now Video description: Adobe puts their support behind HTML 5 and ends further development of Flash on mobile browsers. Tech wrap: Adobe scraps Flash for mobile browsers Reuters Blogs (blog) Adobe drops Flash for phones The Australian BBC News - PC Magazine more »

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Google News: Reporters' Roundtable: Can Nokia come back from the dead?

Reporters' Roundtable: Can Nokia come back from the dead? CNET (blog) - ‎11 hours ago‎ What happened to Nokia? This company once ruled the mobile phone business. But it never made a successful smartphone for the US market. Nokia's new 'Lumia' handset may not be a hit in Spain - where the name means ... Daily Mail How Nokia Lumia 800 stacks up against Apple iPhone 4S & Samsung Galaxy Nexus Economic Times See all 16 sources »

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Google News: Samsung Passes Apple in Smartphone Shipments

Samsung Passes Apple in Smartphone Shipments PCWorld - ‎15 hours ago‎ Apple's position in the catbird seat for global smartphone shipments has been short-lived. Just a scant three months ago, the maker of the iPhone knocked Nokia out of the top spot. Samsung surges past Apple in smartphones Reuters Samsung Beats Apple In Smartphone Sales InformationWeek See all 611 sources »

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Apple Tribute Logo Moves the Web

Image via CrunchBase When Steve Jobs resigned from Apple in August, 7,000 miles away in Hong Kong, graphic design student Jonathan Mak Long, "shocked" by the CEO's departure, did what he knew best: He created a design to honor the Apple co-founder.

The 19-year-old posted the image, the Apple logo with the bite changed to a profile of Jobs, to his Tumblr blog. Known as Jonathan Mak, he initially received about 80 notes on the image. Then word came this past Wednesday that Jobs had died, after a long battle with cancer. The designer reposted the homage, which this time caught fire on the Web, attracting an almost immediate response of 10,000 likes and reblogs on his Tumblr site and surging to 180,000 -- in one day. Comments included "awesome invention like steve jobs." One thought it should be the "new Apple logo." Another wanted to "use it as a tattoo."

Speaking in fluent English (which he said he learned from watching the TV show "Friends"), the Polytechnic University School of Design student told Yahoo! in a Skype interview that the image was a tribute to Jobs's contributions to the world: "I wanted to commemorate him. He's such an integral part of Apple. I thought it would be fitting to include him in the Apple logo." The artist added, "With Jobs gone, Apple is literally missing a piece."

Mak was inspired by the uncompromising personality of the creative genius. He said of Jobs: "He had this vision that he was not afraid to commit to. That's how he broke new ground. His commitment and belief in himself is what inspire me." Long's vision for his own work is an aesthetic that joins a simple graphic element with a richer meaning, giving the viewer, as he put it, an "a-ha moment."

The cyber tribute became a hit, and, along with attracting media attention, the logo found itself as the preferred profile pic on Ashton Kutcher's Twitter account and on merchandise featured on eBay. The design prodigy has received several job offers, but he hasn't acted on them; "I'm still a student," he said. The artist has a portfolio of minimalist design, but don't call him an Apple fanboy. "I just got my first MacBook Pro a year ago," he admitted -- and he still doesn't own an iPhone.

Asked whether he'd gotten any response from Apple, Long said he had emailed CEO Tim Cook but so far hadn't heard back.

One-Year-Old Tries to Work Magazine Like an iPad

Image via Wikipedia
The Apple iPad. So easy to use, a child can do it. A magazine? Well, that proves to be more of a challenge -- at least for one very gadget-savvy baby girl.

A video surfaced by CNET shows an adorable one-year-old working an iPad faster than most of us can think. But when the same techno-whiz kid is handed a magazine, the child of the iPhone age is lost.

The video was posted by French father Jean-Louis Costanza, who has seen the future for his daughter: She thinks a magazine is a broken iPad. In the clip, the adorable child is traded an iPad for a magazine.

The techno-baby patiently taps the printed page and pinches it as if it were a touch screen. But the magazine is nothing more than a useless piece of broken tech. Glossy photos of fashion models? Pages of text? What good are they if they aren't an app?

Somewhere, Steve Jobs is laughing. Or, as dad Costanza put it, "Steve Jobs has coded a part of her OS."

Apple - iPhone 4S - The most amazing iPhone yet

World phone
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz);
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz)4
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Location

Assisted GPS
Digital compass
Wi-Fi
Cellular
Display

Retina display
3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)
Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Camera, Photos, and Video

8-megapixel camera
Autofocus
Tap to focus
Face detection in still images
LED flash
Video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio
Video stabilization
Front camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second
Photo and video geotagging
External Buttons and Connectors
External Buttons and Controls


Connectors and Input/Output


Power and Battery5

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter
Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 14 hours on 2G (GSM)
Standby time: Up to 200 hours
Internet use: Up to 6 hours on 3G, up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 10 hours
Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Audio Playback
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
TV and Video
AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV support at 720p
Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p with Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (adapters sold separately)
Video out support at 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)
Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Headphones

Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms

Mail Attachment Support
Viewable Document Types
.jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Sensors
Three-axis gyro
Accelerometer
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor
System Requirements
Mac System Requirements

Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
OS X v10.5.8 or later
iTunes 10.5 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
Apple ID (required for some features)
Internet access
PC System Requirements

PC with USB 2.0 port
Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
iTunes 10.5 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
Apple ID (required for some features)
Internet access
Environmental Requirements
Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
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Language Support
English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

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Dictionary Support (enables predictive text and autocorrect)
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Siri Languages
English (U.S., UK, and Australian), French, German

In the Box

iPhone 4S
Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Dock Connector to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter
Documentation
iPhone and the Environment
Apple takes a complete product life cycle approach to determining our environmental impact. Learn more

iPhone 4S embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

Mercury-free LED-backlit display
Arsenic-free display glass
Brominated flame retardant-free
PVC free
Majority of packaging made from post-consumer recycled fiberboard and biobased materials
Power adapter outperforms strictest global energy efficiency standards
Apple and the Environment
Learn more about Apple’s dedication to reducing the environmental impact of our products and process. Apple Product Environmental Reports detail the environmental attributes of our products.

Recycling
Apple takes a holistic view of materials management and waste minimization. Learn more about how to recycle your iPhone.

Chart Patterns Schmatterns

Image by COG LOG LAB. via Flickr
By now you have an arsenal of weapons to use when you battle the market. In this lesson, you will add yet another weapon: CHART PATTERNS!

Think of chart patterns as a land mine detector because, once you finish this lesson, you will be able to spot "explosions" on the charts before they even happen, potentially making you a lot of money in the process.

Chart patterns are like that funny feeling you get in your tummy right before you let a fart explode.



Don't you wish you had a chart to detect this explosion?

In this lesson, we will teach you basic chart patterns and formations. When correctly identified, it usually leads to an explosive breakout, so watch out!

Remember, our goal is to spot big movements before they happen so that we can ride them out and rake in the cash. After all, who doesn't want to have a pool of cash to swim in like Richie Rich?

Samsung Electronics

Image via Wikipedia
Samsung Electronics (SEC, Korean: 삼성전자, KRX: 005930, KRX: 005935, LSE: SMSN, LSE: SMSD) is a multinational electronics and information technology company headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea.[1][2] It is the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group. With assembly plants and sales networks in 65 countries across the world, Samsung has as many as 200,000 employees. [5]
In 2009, the company took the position of the world’s biggest IT maker by surpassing the previous leader Hewlett-Packard.[6] Its sales revenue in the areas of LCD and LED displays and computer chips is number one in the world.[7]
Some of the most popular items produced by Samsung include LED-backlit LCD TVs and Galaxy S mobile phones.
In the TV segment, Samsung’s market position is dominant. For the four years since 2006, the company has been in the top spot in terms of the number of TVs sold, which is expected to continue in 2010 and beyond. In the global LCD panel market, the company has kept the leading position for eight years in a row.[8]
With the Galaxy S model, Samsung’s smartphone lineup has retained the second-best slot in the world market for some time.[9] In competition to Apple's iPad tablet, Samsung released the Android powered Samsung Galaxy Tablet[10], despite Samsung manufacturing the iPad's CPU.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Growth
2 Business areas
3 Products
3.1 Semiconductors
3.2 Slimmer panels
3.3 Televisions
3.4 3D experience
3.5 Smart TVs and apps
3.6 Mobile phones
3.7 Home appliances
4 Market share
5 Design
6 Environmental record
7 Corporate name and logo
7.1 Sonic logo
8 Management and board of directors
8.1 Division heads
8.2 Regional directors
9 Sports Clubs
10 See also
11 References
12 External links
[edit]History



Samsung Group headquarters at Samsung Town, Seoul.
Samsung Electronics was founded in 1969[11] in Daegu, South Korea as Samsung Electric Industries, originally manufacturing electronic appliances such as TVs, calculators, refrigerators, air conditioners and washers. By 1981, the company had manufactured over 10 million black and white TVs. In 1988, it merged with Samsung Semiconductor & Communications.
It is noteworthy that Samsung Electronics has grown in leaps and bounds in a business notorious for cyclical fluctuations. Founded in 1938 as a food processing and textile purveyor, the parent group entered the electronic business as late as in 1969 when it created under its wings an electronic component subsidiary. It was a decision made after considering the fast-growing domestic demand for electronic goods.
Just one year after its founding, the Samsung Group established in 1970 another subsidiary Samsung-NEC jointly with Japan’s NEC Corp. to manufacture electric home appliances and audio-visual devices. In 1974, it expanded into the semiconductor business by acquiring Korea Semiconductor, one of the first chip-making facilities in the country at the time. It was soon followed by the 1980 acquisition of Korea Telecommunications, an electronic switching system producer.
In February 1983, Samsung’s founder Lee Byung-chull made an epoch-making announcement, dubbed the “Tokyo declaration,” that his company would enter the DRAM (dynamic random access memory) business. And only one year after the declaration did Samsung became the third company in the world that developed the 64k DRAM after the United States and Japanese predecessors. The march from then onward as the pioneer in the memory chip-making industry has continued to this day for almost three decades.
Although Samsung Electronics was already one of the biggest companies in Korea as early as the 1990s, it now is by far the most important company with unrivaled influence on the economy through a large network of supplier and partner companies as well as through its own revenue-generating power. Since the onset of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the company has become more powerful: While most other high-tech companies were hit by cash-flow problems after the crisis, Samsung could avoid financial difficulties by broad-based structural reforms.
After the crisis subsided, Samsung emerged as a global corporation. For four consecutive years from 2000 to 2003, it posted more than 5-percent net earnings when 16 large conglomerates out of 30 top companies of the nation went out of business in the wake of the unprecedented crisis.[12] [13]
On 2009 and 2010, the US and EU fined Samsung Electronics with 8 other memory chip makers for its part in a price fixing scheme from 1999 to 2002. Other companies fined included Infineon Technologies, Elpida Memory (Hitachi and NEC) and Micron Technology.[14][15][16][17][18] In December 2010, The EU granted immunity to Samsung Electronics for its part in informing on other members (LG Display, AU Optronics, Chimei InnoLux, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and HannStar Display) of a price fixing scheme.[19][20]
On April 2011, Samsung Electronics Co. have sold their HDD commercial operation to Seagate Technology for about $1.4 billion with payment of 45.2 million of (Samsung-Seagate) shares (9.6 percent of shares) with value of $687.5 million and the rest will be paid in Cash.[21]
[edit]Growth
Only ten years ago, Samsung’s only goal was to catch up with Japanese rivals. But now it is outperforming major Japanese electronics makers in many categories: in terms of global market share, Samsung is No. 1 in flat-panel TVs and memory chips; it is No. 2 in mobile handsets; it is one of the top suppliers in other home appliances.[22]
In 2005, Samsung surpassed Japanese rival Sony for the first time to become 20th world's largest and most popular consumer brand as measured by Interbrand.[23] In 2006, Business Week rated Samsung as 20th on its list of global brands, 2nd in the electronics industry.[24] Business Week also ranked Samsung as 20th in innovation.[25] In 2007, Samsung Electronics' handset division overtook American rival Motorola, making it the world's second-largest mobile phone maker.[26] In 2009, Samsung overtook Siemens of Germany and Hewlett-Packard of the USA with a revenue of $117.4 billion to take the No.1 spot as the world's largest technology company.[27]
The semiconductor division of Samsung Electronics is the world's largest memory chip and second largest semiconductor manufacturer worldwide.[28] This has been the case for DRAM and SRAM for over a decade.[citation needed]
To become the top brand in the electronics business, Samsung has spent enormous sums on marketing and branding. As part of fulfilling this strategy, the company devised in 1996 a plan to sponsor major sporting events. It succeeded in becoming an official sponsor for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Samsung today is the name that almost always appears in many big games.[29]
Despite being a giant in the global technology business with enviable growth, Samsung—and its chairman Lee Kun-hee—is famous for fretting over its future and coming crisis. Since returning from a mini retirement in March 2010, Mr. Lee said, “Samsung Electronics’ future is not guaranteed because most of our flagship products will be obsolete in 10 years from now.” [30]
Global consumers’ brand recognition of Samsung Electronics has increased steadily: According to the top-100 brand list compiled by Millward Brown, the British brand consultancy, Samsung, ranked at 68th on its list, was one of the world’s most valuable brands whose growth has been most pronounced during the 2009-2010 period. Its brand value, estimated at as much as US$1.1 billion, grew by 80 percent.
In the “World’s Most Reputable Companies 2010” ranking published by Reputation Institute of the United States, Samsung was placed at 22nd, a large advancement from the previous year’s 74th. This ranking, compiled by the U.S. consulting company since 2006, reflects survey results collected from consumers in 24 different countries for global 600 large corporations in terms of annual revenue and its GDP share in respective countries. The respondents answer questions in seven categories including products and services, innovativeness, work conditions, corporate governance, social responsibility, leadership, and financial performance.
Samsung was also ranked 11th in the “50 Most Innovative Companies 2010” list put out by Business Week, a five-notch increase from the previous year’s 16th. The ranking, collated jointly by the U.S. weekly magazine and Boston Consulting Group since 2005, is based on answers to innovation-related survey questions asked to executives of global corporations. While survey answers take an 80-percent weight to the compilation of the ranking, the remaining 20 percent is accounted for by annual share appreciation (10%) and three-year average sales revenue and profit margin (5% each), respectively.
Samsung had emphasized innovation in its management strategy since the early 2000s and it again highlighted innovation as part of core strategies when it announced the Vision 2020 in which the company set an ambitious goal of reaching the $400-billion sales revenue within 10 years. In order to cement its leadership in the areas of memory chip and TV production, Samsung has invested aggressively in research and development. The company currently has 24 R&D centers around the world. In the 2010 Business Week innovation ranking, Apple Computer and Google retained the leading positions as in the 2009 list, followed by Microsoft, which gained one notch from 2009’s fourth place.
Meanwhile, Samsung took the 33rd place in the “World’s Most Valuable Brands 2010” list made public by the Forbes magazine. Forbes said that Samsung’s brand value was as much as $12.8 billion with an average sale revenue growth rate of 17 percent for the past three years.
[edit]Business areas


This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)
Samsung Electronics focuses on four areas: Digital Media, Semiconductor, Telecommunication Network, and LCD Digital Appliance.[31]
The Digital Media business area covers computer devices such as laptop computers and laser printers; digital displays such as televisions and computer monitors; and consumer entertainment devices such as DVD players, MP3 players and digital camcorders; and home appliances as refrigerators, air conditioners, air purifiers, washers, microwave ovens, and vacuum cleaners.
The Semiconductor business area includes semiconductor chips such as SDRAM, SRAM, NAND flash memory; smart cards; Mobile Application Processors; Mobile TV receivers; RF transceivers; CMOS Image sensors, Smart Card IC, MP3 IC, DVD/BD/HD-DVD Player SOC and multi-chip package (MCP); and storage devices such as optical disc drives and hard disk drives.
The Telecommunication Network business area includes multi-service DSLAMs and fax machines; cellular devices such as mobile phones, PDA phones, and hybrid devices called Mobile Intelligent Terminals (MITs); and satellite receivers.
The LCD business area focuses on producing TFT-LCD and organic light-emitting diode (OLED)panels for laptops, desktop monitors, and televisions.
Samsung Print was established in 2009 as a separate entity to focus on B2B sales and has released a broad range of multifunctional devices and printers and more.
[edit]Products

Samsung Electronics manufactures products in a number of categories:
Semiconductor: DRAM, SDRAM, flash memory
[edit]Semiconductors
For more than 20 years since 1993, Samsung has kept the title of the world’s largest memory chip maker. In 2009, it began a strategy of “Green Memory” by which it increased the global DRAM market share to 33 percent. It also started mass-producing 30 nm-class NAND flash memories in the same year whose world share rose as high as 42 percent.[32] It succeeded in 2010 in mass-producing 30 nm-class DRAMs and 20 nm-class NAND flashes, both of which were the first time in the world.[33] According to market research firm Gartner, during the second quarter of 2010 Samsung Electronics took the top position in the DRAM segment due to brisk sales of the item on the world market. Gartner analysts said in their report, “Samsung cemented its leading position by taking a 35-percent market share. All the other suppliers had minimal change in their shares.” Samsung took the top slot in the ranking, followed by Hynix, Elpida, and Micron, said Gartner.[34] Another market researcher IC Insights predicted that Samsung would become the world’s biggest semiconductor chip supplier by 2014 when it surpasses Intel. For the ten-year period from 1999 to 2009, Samsung’s compound annual growth rate (or CAGR) has been 13.5 percent, compared with that for Intel paltry 3.4 percent. Extrapolating this trend to the future, Samsung will be able to catch up with Intel by the year 2014, estimated IC Insights.[35] IC Insights also said that Intel’s 2009 sales revenue had been 52 percent higher than that for Samsung, but that differential narrowed to only 21 percent during the second quarter of 2010 [36]
Another hitherto not-well-publicized area where Samsung had significant business in for years is the foundry segment. Samsung had begun investment in the foundry business since 2006 and now positioned it as one of the strategic pillars for semiconductor growth.[37]
Hard drives
Digital display: LCD displays, LED displays, plasma displays, OLED displays
[edit]Slimmer panels


Galaxy Tab
Samsung Electronics’ TVs and display products have undergone a race toward ever-slimmer panels. In 2009, the company succeeded in developing the super-slim panel for 40-inch LED TVs, with the thickness of 3.9 millimeters (0.15 inch). Dubbed the “Needle Slim,” the panel is as thick (or thin) as two coins put together. This is about a twelfth of the conventional LCD panel whose thickness is approximately 50 millimeters (1.97 inches).
While reducing the thickness substantially, Samsung could maintain the performance as before, including full HD resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, and 5000:1 contrast ratio.[38] In October 2007, Samsung broke the 10-millimeter barrier by introducing the 10-mm thick 40-inch LCD TV panel, followed in October 2008 by the world’s first 7.9-mm panel.[39] Samsung is leading the industry by developing panels for 24-inch LCD monitors (3.5 mm) and 12.1-inch laptops (1.64 mm).[40] According to Samsung officials, the biggest factor in reducing the panel thickness was the LED backlight. They are optimistic that their company could cut TV width by 40 percent within two years from now.[41]
Home electronics: TVs, DVD players, Blu-ray players, home cinema systems, set-top boxes, projectors
[edit]Televisions

This section is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this section from a neutral point of view. (December 2010)
For years in a row, Samsung has taken the top spot in the world TV market, with the launch of best-selling items. In 2009, it sold as many as 31 million flat-panel TVs, maintaining the top position for four consecutive years in terms of world market share.[42] In early 2010, the company had set the year’s sales goal at 39 million units (including 10-million LED TVs).[43]
According to DisplaySearch, the U.S. market research and consulting firm, Samsung is forecast to take a 27-percent share for the global TV market in the second quarter of 2010 while LG Electronics accounts for 26.2 percent of the market. The market researcher predicted that Samsung’s leadership would continue in 2011 [44]
Samsung Electronics is creating a new market by introducing the “Finger-Slim” LED TV. Launched in March 2009, the super-slim LED TV has thus far been sold as many as 2.6 million units. In 2009 alone, it was sold more than 2 million units, which brightens the future prospect.[45]
Samsung has led the flat-panel TV market for the past five years with the 2006 introduction of its “Bordeaux” line, followed by the 2007 Bordeaux model, the 2008 “Crystal Rose” line, and the “Finger-Slim” in 2009.[46] The company retained the leading position by successfully selling more than 1 million 3D TVs as of August 2010.[47]
As rivals are jumping on the bandwagon, Samsung outstrips them by consistently introducing new, better models. Today the company offers the full line of TVs, at many price point.
This company is developing new LED TV models too. After expanding its TV lineups, Samsung became the industry-first 10-million-seller challenge. One of the new products to watch is the full HD 3D LED TV that was launched the first time in March 2010.[48] Combining LED features with 3D functionality, the new 3D TV is expected to lead the market for years to come. Samsung showcased the new TV in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2010) held in Las Vegas early this year.[49]
In 2009, Samsung TVs were selected in major U.K. publications and retailers as the best TV of the year. For example, Samsung’s LED TV 7000 series was the winner of the “Gadget Awards 2009” by T3, U.K.’s most prestigious electronics magazine.[50]
The T3 magazine in its news article on “ten reasons why you should buy Samsung LED TV” listed as the reasons superior picture quality, slim design, energy efficiency and connectivity.[51]
[edit]3D experience
Samsung sold more than 1 million 3D TVs within six months of its launch. This is the figure close to what many market researchers forecast for the year’s worldwide 3D TV sales (1.23 million units).[52] It also debuted the 3D Home Theater (HT-C6950W) that allows the user to enjoy 3D image and surround sound at the same time. With the launch of 3D Home Theater, Samsung became the first company in the industry to have the full line of 3D offerings, including 3D TV, 3D Blu-ray play, 3D content, and 3D glasses.[53]
The company is trying offer the 3D content streaming service on its 3D TVs. Just like iTunes store, the Samsung 3D TV aims to allow the user to connect to its own online store, Samsung Apps, and download applications on the user’s hard disk drive.
[edit]Smart TVs and apps
Samsung has introduced the Internet TV in 2007 that enabled the audience to receive information from the Internet while at the same time watching conventional TV programming. Samsung is also developing a new “Smart LED TV”, (later renamed to just “Samsung Smart TV”[54]) from which consumers can download applications as well as view Internet content. In 2008, the company launched the Power Infolink service, followed in 2009 by a whole new Internet@TV. In 2010, Samsung started marketing the 3D TV while unveiling the upgraded Internet@TV 2010, which offers free (or for-fee) download of applications from its Samsung Apps store, in addition to existing services such as news, weather, stock market, YouTube videos, and movies.[55]
Samsung Apps will provide for-fee premium services starting the latter half of 2010, beginning in Korea and the United States, followed early next year by the same services in Europe. The services will be custom-tailored for each region’s culture. Samsung plans to offer family-oriented applications such as health care programs and digital picture frames as well as games.
SamyGO community created at 2009 for hacking Samsung B series TV firmwares, and later supported A and C series TV's also, under GPLv2 license and deployed new applications like a tool increasing subtitle size and changing its color, enabling PVR functionality of TV, enabling internal video player on low end models, supporting DTS codec on B Series TVs, work around for DLNA problems by playing movies from SAMBA and NFS shares support etc. Also placed web browser right into TV with mouse and keyboard support and many more applications... Samsung started to release restricted firmware updates starting from Feb 2010 for fixing security issues those used by SamyGO community and disabled firmware downgrade option from TV menus, which believed to disable the SamyGO project. But hackers find workarounds for those new restricted firmwares.[56]
Samsung expects that Samsung Apps would ultimately become a multi-device application store attracting users of all kinds of electronic device such as mobile phones, computers, and cameras. The company also reckons that its Smart TV will be the future home entertainment hub.[57] The UK consumers association (Which?) writeup of the latest model in 2011 was highly complimentary of the picture quality [58]
[edit]Mobile phones
Samsung Electronics sold 235 million mobile handsets in the year 2009.[59] At the end of Q3 2010 Samsung had surpassed the 70 million unit mark in shipped phones, giving it a global marketshare of 22% trailing Nokia by 12%.[60] Overall, Samsung sold 280 million mobile phones in 2010, corresponding to a market share of 20.2%.[61]
Following the success of its “Anycall” brand mobile phones in Korea, the company introduced numerous mobile handset models including premium phones, full-touch screen phones, and environmentally friendly phones. Samsung’s flagship mobile handset line is the Galaxy S, which many consider a direct competitor of Apple's popular iPhone.[62] It was initially launched in Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea in June 2010 [63][64][65] followed by US variants called Vibrant and Captivate in July and Epic and Fascinate in August and September. It sold more than 1 million units within the first 45 days of in the US alone [66]
Samsung’s I9000 Galaxy S and S8500 Wave smartphones were the winners of the 2010 European EISA Awards in the smartphone and social media phone categories. The I9000 Galaxy S was recognized for its superior-quality screen and excellent connectivity while the S8500 Wave for its Bada operating system with unparalleled social networking and location-based services.[67]
Samsung’s 2010 smartphone shares worldwide are rising rapidly. The share in the United States has doubled in the second quarter of the year from the previous quarter. In the second quarter the company shipped as many as 3 million smartphones, a 173-percent increase from the same period last year.[68]
While many other handset makers tend to focus on supporting one (or at most two) operating system, Samsung has kept supporting a wide range of operating systems in the market. Although the Galaxy S adopts Google Android as the primary operating system, it also supports other competing operating systems such as Symbian, Microsoft Windows Phone, Linux-based LiMo, and Samsung’s proprietary Bada.[69]
The company set the sales goal of the 2010 yearend at 20 million units.[70]
Samsung faces challenges in the phone market. An alliance of Chinese low wage and Taiwanese technology is catching up closely. Smartphone makers such as Apple, RIM, and HTC are busy coming up with new models, and Samsung is working to maintain its top position.
[edit]Home appliances
In 2009, the year of worldwide recession due to the 2008 global credit crisis, Samsung’s sales revenue rose 27 percent from the previous year, the biggest increase in the industry. In the home market, Samsung held the leading position thanks to strong sales of its flagship items, Zipel-brand side-by-side and kimchi refrigerators. In the North American, European, and Russian markets, it solidified its image as a premier home appliance maker by selling so many refrigerators, washing machines, air-conditioners, as well as new steam microwave ovens and “robot” vacuum cleaners.
In a market clearly split into two extremes of upmarket and budget categories, Samsung employs a two-pronged strategy to emphasize its premium image for affluent consumers while marketing lower-end items with fewer bells and whistles for emerging economies consumers.
In 2009, Samsung introduced a host of new products including a premium mini-laptop computer N310 and slim-sized laptop X420. The N310 and the X420 are the third-generation laptops with all the advanced features as well as portability and connectivity. Thanks to these new market entrants, Samsung could sell as many as 6 million laptops for the year.
In the printer business division, one of the next-generation strategic areas, Samsung launched mono-laser printer, multifunction printer, and enterprise-use high-speed digital multifunction printer models. Samsung was ranked second in the world in the area of letter-size (A4) laser printers. In other segments such as mono-laser printers, multifunction printers, and color laser printers, Samsung was first or second place in the world. In the laser multifunction printer segment, it became No. 1 the first time in its history, all of which indicates that Samsung is growing fast in the printer business despite under the condition of severe economic recession.
In 2010, Samsung introduced many new products boasting energy efficiency and eco-friendliness, including the premium laptop R580, netbook N210, the world’s smallest mono-laser printer ML-1660, and color laser multifunction printer CLX-3185.
In the area of wireless networking, the mobile telecom protocols such as Mobile WiMax and WiBro, the protocols developed by Samsung and adopted in 2007 as international standards, are in wide commercial use in many overseas markets. Since mobile telecom service providers in the United States, Japan, and Russia began deploying the standards, more and more providers (as many as 139 providers in 75 countries) are readying to take it up.
Digital cameras and camcorders are the areas Samsung cannot overlook. The company has introduced several models in these areas such as the WB550 (the premium camera), the ST550 (the dual-LCD-mounted camera), and the HMX-H106 (64GB SSD-mounted full HD camcorder). Samsung in 2009 took the third place in the compact camera segment. Since then, the company has focused more on high-priced items. In 2010, the company launched the NX10, the next-generation interchangeable lens camera, thereby commencing the race toward the new category of camera market.
In the area of storage media, Samsung in 2009 succeeded in grabbing more than 10 percent of the world market share by introducing a new hard disk drive capable of storing 250Gb per 2.5-inch disk.[71] In 2010, the company started marketing the 320Gb-per-disk HDD, the largest in the industry. In addition, it is focusing more on selling external hard disk drives.
In the MP3 player segment, Samsung is doing quite well. It is launching a host of new products including the M1, the premium MP3 player model, and the world’s smallest DivX MP3 player R1.[72]