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Mobile Sports Report TechWatch: Amazon Kindle Sales Soar after iPad Mini Launch

October 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

After Apple‘s executives disparaged rival 7-inch tablet makers, at least one has struck back. If you have visited Amazon’s home page you see a pretty good comparison between the Amazon Kindle HD and the Apple iPad Mini highlighting the advantages the Kindle has over the iPad.

In addition Amazon has announced that sales of the Kindle have spiked upward after Apple introduced the iPad Mini. Is the iPad Mini the hardware version of Apple’s Map apps — a second poorly thought out project that would have benefited from more time?

Apple sales soar also
However the news out of the Apple camp paints a slightly different picture as it has reported that the iPad Mini has almost sold out in pre-order. Mashable is reporting that four of the six Mini iPad SKUs are sold out at the Apple Store, and shipping dates have been pushed back because of the high demand.

It was rumored that Apple made an initial order of 10 million of the tablet devices and so if that is true the company has to be very happy about the results so far.

Samsung also claims sales increase after an Apple event
First high tech companies were planning events to steal a rival’s thunder and now it seems they are releasing press releases that claim that a rival’s new product actually help their sales. Amazon has done it with the iPad Mini (see above) and Samsung also now claims that sales of its Galaxy S3 smartphones took off after the iPhone 5 was announced. Well I guess this is better than a vaporware war.

No Google Android Event today
Google’s planned Android and possibly tablet announcement that was slated for today was rained out due to Hurricane Sandy. The event was planned for today in New York City hours prior to Microsoft’s Windows Phone Event in San Francisco.

That is too bad in one way. There have been a number of rumors and teaser videos that appear to show a 10-inch tablet that has a better screen resolution than Apple’s iPad and I would have been interested to see what they actually had in store. I am sure I will not have to wait long.

Apple working to improve Maps app
Apple has taken a good deal of heat over the quality, or lack thereof, of its new apps program that it is now using rather than Google Maps in the recently released Apple iOS 6.0. The company took time during its recent quarterly report to say that it is working night and day to improve the app and that more changes should be expected soon.

Motorola drops a few charges in Xbox case
In the ever changing set of lawsuits between Microsoft and Motorola you can now subtract a few issues, and amazingly it was not after a ruling by a judge. Motorola has asked the Federal Trade Commission to drop the Wi-Fi related patent infringement claims that involved in its lawsuit with Microsoft. The request does not affect the rest of the issues at play in the two’s global lawsuit battles.

Filed Under: Amazon, Apple, Apps, FTC, Google, iOS 6, iPad, iPhone, Lawsuit, Microsoft, Motorola, Samsung, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Webscorer Has Timing Down Pat for Longboard Event

October 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I always enjoy a good race, be it two sailboats, track and field, auto or human, whatever the race I just like competition and I like to have a clear idea of who wins — and that is where it seems that an app called Webscorer comes in.

The company recently provided an interesting video of this year’s Whistler Longboard Festival, which in and of itself is a very interesting looking race, I mean where else can you go to see a skate and shoot event as part of the competition? Sort of a different take on the pentathlon.


While at first it would seem that simply using a stopwatch would work just fine, it seems that the event staggers starts in some events which complicates the timing aspect, that is unless you want hundreds of volunteers all using a hand held timer, a move that can increase human error into the race.

What Webscorer brings to the equation is a three part app that handles a variety of registration and timing issues. The components, which can be used as a standalone app or as part of a greater whole, include a race registration feature, a race timing app for Apple’s iPad and iPhones and a web site that supports not only results from its apps but also has third party support as well.

The web site has the added bonus of featuring other races, and certainly there will be a number that you have no interest in, there are others that are interesting, like one for a sled dog race that I noticed this morning.

In case you missed the event (I did) the Whistler Longboard Festival was hosted at Whistler Sliding Center and Whistler Olympic Park on July 13-15 2012. It included a variety of Longboarding challenges, including Downhill, Skate x Shoot, and Endurance.

Filed Under: Apple, Apps, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Live sports via mobile, Skateboarding, Webscorer Tagged With: ,

Apple Enters the 7-inch Space With iPad Mini

October 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

The suspense has been gone for some time but now that Apple has officially taken the wraps off of its latest member of the iPad family, the 7-inch iPad Mini we can actually look at the details and see how it compares to its rivals in this space.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook officially unveiled the latest at an event held in San Jose, Calif. today, seven months after its last iPad release. Apple’s iPad Mini is 53% lighter than the last generation iPad at 0.68 pounds, and has a 7.9-inch Retina screen with a 1,024 x 768 resolution, the same resolution as the iPad . Apple said that since the displays are the same resolution there should be no issue using existing iPad apps on the newest tablet. It features a 5MP backward facing camera and is capable of connecting to a 4G LTE network.

The iPad Mini starts at $329 for a 16GB version, $429 for the 32GB model and $529 for the 64GB model and Apple will start taking orders for the tablet on Friday and said that it expects to ship the Wi-Fi version at the end of next week with the cellular version to ship two weeks later.

Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller said that the iPad Mini’s rivals in the 7-inch space were failures. Well Apple will have the chance now to show that it is better since its two top rivals, Amazon and Google, sell their 7-inch tablets at cost with the Google Nexus 7 starting at $199 and the Amazon Kindle at $159, both significantly lower than what Apple is selling the iPad Mini for.

There is no doubt that the company has had tremendous success with the larger iPads since its debut, with over 100 million sold and a dominating, almost 70% market share so far. This might be why Apple had been originally disparaging of the 7-inch market but the success first of Amazon’s Kindle tablet followed closely by Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Google’s Nexus 7 have shown that there was a large demand out there for smaller devices.

Tablet market no longer just Apple vs. Android
It should be noted that while Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Google have been getting all of the press for their popular 7-inch offerings, more are expected from additional companies, starting with Acer’s announcement of its Iconia A110. The 7-inch tablet is approximately $30 less than the Nexus 7 at $230 and will have a 1024 x 600 resolution display, but this is another Android-based system.

However the Windows 8 revolution is about to hit us as Microsoft seeks to establish itself as a major player not only in the tablet operating space with its Windows 8 operating system but also as a provider of hardware with its Surface tablets, all of which will be unveiled this week.

Plenty of the Windows 8 hardware OEMs such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Asus and Lenovo have already taken the wraps off of their devices in advance of the official unveiling and Intel has talked about the features that t will bring to the space with its technology and processors. However, so far none of the OEMs, that I am aware of, have talked about 7-inch tablets, although Samsung has offered one in the past. I suspect that just like Apple they will be visiting the space, and soon.

It would not be an Apple event if there was just one center of attention. The company announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro that features its retina display technology, a notebook that weights in almost a pound lighter and 20% thinner than previous versions. Currently available it has a $1,699 starting price tag. Then there is a Mac Mini at $599 and a new iMac with up to a 27-inch display and an interesting new hard drive/flash combo starting at $1299 for the version with a 21.5-inch display.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, Android, Apple, Apps, Asus, Barnes & Noble, Dell, Google, Intel, iOS, iPad, Kindle, Lenovo, Microsoft, Nook, Samsung, Surface, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Smaller, Weather Resistant new iBike Cycling Computer Hits the Roads

October 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Velocomp has upgraded its family of iBike offerings with the release of the iBike Dash cc5 cycling computer that it has designed specifically to be used with Apple’s popular iPhone 5 smartphone. Along with the Dash 5 is a new and iBike Phone Booth 5 bike case and mount as the company continues to expand its iBike platform.

The iBike Dash CC 5 Cycling Computer includes the updated iBike Coach 2.0 App with precision measurements that help provide cyclists with up to the second feedback on their performance. It has sensors that measure speed and cadence and Bluetooth 4 Smart Technology to communicate with the phone.

The iBike Coach 2.0 App, using the sensors technology provides precise measurements of your cycling data including speed, distance, cycling time, cadence. The computer also provides a good deal of flexibility because with its Bluetooth capabilities it can communicate with other wireless sensors including ANT + ones. In addition the computer can use other cycling apps as well.

It comes with a smaller, lighter case that is weather and water resistant and has a dual purpose mount that can be used in a vertical or horizontal position. The app is available in nine languages and there is an optional heart monitor available for users that want that additional piece of information.

The iBike Phone Booth 5 case & mount for iPhone 5 will be available next month and is available now for pre-order, priced at $49.95 at Amazon.com or the iBike Store online and will also be available for purchase in late November at Apple Stores or Apple online.

Available in December, the iBike Dash CC cycling computer for iPhone 5 will be available in December and is available now for pre-order priced at $99.95 at Amazon.com or the iBike Store online and will also be available for purchase in late November at Apple Stores or Apple online. Optional Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate sensor is also available.

Filed Under: Apple, Cycling, iBike, iOS, iPhone Tagged With: , , ,

Friday Grab Bag: Atlantic 10 Inks Broadcast Deals — Microsoft Surface/Windows 8 Date Unveiled

October 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Atlantic 10 Conference has just closed a pair of broadcast deals that will enable it to maintain a strong presence on broadcast television. The 9-year deal with NBC Sports calls for the network to nationally televise men’s and women’s basketball games on the NBC Sports Network, as well as select local games on NBC Sports Regional Networks. Included will be the ability to live stream games on NBCSports.com for mobile users starting next year.

ESPN has also reached a new agreement with the conference, one that will extend the existing agreement to broadcast the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball games, including each conference championship. The agreement will begin with the 2013-14 season and conclude in 2021-22 and will continue to include extensive action on ESPNU.

ESPN’s Atlantic 10 programming will be available across the network’s multiple properties including ESPN, ESPN on ABC, ESPN2, WatchESPN, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN 3D, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN International, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic and ESPN.com.

Google/Motorola drops a patent claim against Apple
Motorola Mobility has withdrawn a patent infringement claim against Apple that it had filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission two months ago according to a report in Bloomberg. However it has said that it does reserve the right to refile and that the withdrawal is not due to any agreement between the two companies.

Tablet Global Market sales expected to top $40B this year
Market research firm Global Information has estimated that the worldwide revenue for tablets this year will reach $40.4 billion and that due to a forecast growth rate of 29% year over year it will reach $181.5 billion by 2018.

Tablets have been in the news a great deal lately, with a bevy of new devices hitting the shelves soon from Amazon and Barnes & Noble while the Windows 8 and Apple iPad launches are in the near future. With all of this news it is probably no surprise how well they have been selling.

Samsung wins a small victory over Apple in U.S.
Samsung has convinced the trial judge that heard the case with Apple in the United States to lift the ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. The tablet was one of many devices that Apple sought to have banned after it prevailed in its copyright and patent win in US District Court earlier this year.

Major League Baseball reaches 8-year TV deals with Fox and Turner
Earlier this week Major League Baseball announced an 8-year national media rights agreements with FOX and TBS, which coupled with the deal signed with ESPN earlier will make the teams’ owners very happy. The three contracts will deliver $12.4 billion over their life.

The new deals with Fox and Turner will start in 2014 and allows Fox to keep the All Star game as well as the World Series while the League Championship Series and Division Series will be shared across FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG), TBS and MLB Network. A plus for mobile fans is that the deals include a digital “TV Everywhere” rights to stream televised games and other MLB-related programming online and through mobile devices.

Microsoft confirms Oct. 25 for Windows 8 launch
So mark your calendar and prepare your ‘Is this the iPad killer’ story as Microsoft and its allies will be taking center stage in New York City to show you everything from Intel’s Clover Trail microprocessor to Microsoft’s Surface Tablet.

Intel has said that there are over 20 designs in works with its processor for the platform and showed a few last week, with Hewlett-Packard taking the wraps off of its offering earlier this week. Expect more details by the time of the event from other OEMs.

Microsoft to open pop-up stores next to Apple Stores
If imitation is the highest form of flattery Apple should be pleased with Microsoft. It was reported in Computerworld that Microsoft will start opening ‘pop-up’ stores at malls starting Oct. 26. Interestingly that is the day after it introduces Windows 8.

What makes it interesting is that all of these 32 temporary stores, which will be selling the Surface tablets, 29 are in sites that already have an Apple store. I guess customers will be able to get a good comparison that way.

Filed Under: All Star Game, Android, Apple, Baseball, ESPN, ESPN FC, ESPN3, Fox Sports, Intel, iOS, iPad, Major League Baseball, Microsoft, NBC Sports, NCAA Hoops, NCAA.com, Surface, Turner Sports, WatchESPN, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

BuddyTV Preps for MLB playoffs — Lets You Know When Games are On

October 3, 2012 by 3 Comments

BuddyTV MLB Quicklist

BuddyTV, an app that enables sports fans to quickly find out what games are available via local broadcast and cable carriers is launching a feature that will enable fans of Major League Baseball to track the playoff games that are slated to begin later this week.

The MLB Quicklist will be part of the company’s current app, BuddyTV Guide, and will provide the broadcast information of the games, listing them in either chronological order or if a user wants they can get specific team information. If all of the playoff series went their full set there would be 43 games played during the current post season.

The program allows users to set alerts to remind them of game times and the app has a number of filtering features that enable users to select just a single topic such as sports, comedies or reality tv shows.

The overall app is easy to use. It indexes all the major cable and pay TV providers’ schedules as well as major Internet Video providers and then presents that in a user defined format for them to peruse. Users can set up watchlists, and also filer out types of programming that they are not interested in. It also connects with Facebook and has the ability to integrate iTunes, NetFlix and Amazon programming as well as allow you to blacklist programs and channels. The program is free for iOS devices and is available at Apple’s iTunes App Store. So far the company has had approximately 400,000 downloads since the app was introduced.

There are a growing number of apps for tracking TV programming with ones available such as TV Guide Mobile and TV-Listings USA and TV Show tracker so the more customization an app can provide for a user the more appealing it will make itself.

Filed Under: Apple, Apps, Baseball, Facebook, iOS 6, iPad, iPhone, Live sports via mobile
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