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Apple rolls out iPad mini to shorter lines

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 The launch of Apple Inc's iPad mini attracted smaller crowds from Sydney to New York on Friday than have been typical for previous Apple product debuts, events marked by people lining up for hours or even days. A proliferation of comparable rival devices may have sapped some interest for the device, which is priced above rival gadgets from Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc. A few hundred people were in line at Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York at about 8 a.m., days after the city was battered by Hurricane Sandy, one of the biggest storms to ever hit the United States. Lisa Sieber, 59, from Germany rode a bike to the Apple store on Friday as she said she's been going 'stir crazy' from lack of power and water at her 81-year-old mother's home in Manhattan's Lower East Side. "I didn't think I needed an iPad but once you get your first Mac, you slide into the iPhone and the next one and it makes it easy to get more Apple products," she said, adding that "there's not much to do without power and lights." While many people have been happy to camp overnight at the New York store for past launches, some were angry on Friday that Apple changed the store's opening time to 10 a.m. for this launch from 8 a.m. previously. "Usually it's 8 a.m.," said Vincent Leroy, 27, a student from Long Island City in Queens who showed up at the store at 6:30 a.m. His friends complained loudly in unison when he told them he had found out about the delayed opening. In Amsterdam two hours after the Apple store opened, it looked like a typical day at the store with no lines outside the door. An Apple employee on the scene told Reuters that people had lined up ahead of the store opening. About 50 people waited for the Apple store in Sydney, Australia, to open, where in the past the line had stretched for several blocks when the company debuted new iPhones. At the head of Friday's line was Patrick Li, who had been waiting since 4:30 a.m. and was eager to get his hands on the 7.9-inch slate. "It's light, easy to handle, and I'll use it to read books. It's better than the original iPad," Li said. There were queues of 100 or more outside Apple stores in Tokyo and Seoul when the device went on sale, but when the company's flagship Hong Kong store opened staff appeared to outnumber those waiting in line. The iPad mini marks Apple's first foray into the smaller-tablet segment, and the latest salvo in a global mobile-device war that has engulfed combatants from Internet search leader Google, whose Android software runs on tablets from several vendors, to Web retailer Amazon.com and software giant Microsoft Corp. Microsoft's 10-inch Surface tablet, powered by the just-launched Windows 8 software, went on sale in October, while Google and Amazon now dominate sales of smaller, 7-inch multimedia tablets. POSITIVE REVIEWS Unveiled last week, the iPad mini has won mostly positive reviews, with criticism centering on a lofty price tag and a screen considered inferior to those of rivals. The new tablet essentially replicates most of the features of its full-sized sibling, but in a smaller package. "Well, first of all it's so thin and light and very cute - so cute!" said iPad mini customer Ten Ebihara at the Apple store in Tokyo's upscale Ginza district. At $329 for a Wi-Fi only model, the iPad mini is a little costlier than predicted, but some analysts see that as Apple's attempt to retain premium positioning. Some investors fear the gadget will lure buyers away from Apple's $499 flagship 9.7-inch iPad, while proving ineffective in combating the threat of Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7, both of which are sold at or near cost. Also on Friday, Apple rolled out its fourth-generation iPad, with the same 9.7-inch display as the previous version but with a faster A6X processor and better Wi-Fi. Both devices were going on sale in more than 30 countries. Apple will likely sell between 1 million and 1.5 million iPad minis in the first weekend, far short of the 3 million third-generation iPads sold last March in their first weekend, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. "The reason we expect fewer iPad minis compared to the 3rd Gen is because of the lack of the wireless option and newness of the smaller form factor for consumers," Munster said in a note to clients. "We believe that over time that will change." Reviewers have applauded Apple for squeezing most of the iPad's features into a smaller package that can be comfortably manipulated with one hand. James Vohradsky, a 20-year-old student who previously queued for 17 hours at the Sydney store to buy the iPhone 5, only stood in line for an hour and a half this time. "I had an iPad 1 before, I kind of miss it because I sold it about a year ago. It's just more practical to have the mini because I found it a bit too big. The image is really good and it's got the fast A5 chip too," Vohradsky said. The iPad was launched in 2010 by late Apple boss Steve Jobs and since then it has taken a big chunk out of PC sales, upending the industry and reinventing mobile computing with its apps-based ecosystem. A smaller tablet is the first device to be added to Apple's compact portfolio under Chief Executive Tim Cook, who took over from Jobs just before his death a year ago. Analysts credit Google and Amazon for influencing the decision. Some investors worry that Apple might have lost its chief visionary with Jobs, and that new management might not be able to stay ahead of the pack as rivals innovate and encroach on its market share. Apple shares were down 1 percent at $590.56 in morning trade on Friday. 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

Apple rolls out iPad mini to shorter lines

News-Paper24.blogspot.com The launch of Apple Inc's iPad mini attracted smaller crowds from Sydney to New York on Friday than have ...

Focus now on Microsoft Windows 8, Surface tab

Faisal Technology 10:36 AM

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  Firm sales numbers for Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) Windows 8 and its new Surface tablet will not be available for three months, but it may be clear long before then if it has a hit on its hands. 
 
"We can definitely gauge it by chatter," said Emily Chan, an analyst at Bernstein Research. "There is a slight learning curve, so I don't think we will see that big pop that iPad saw." 
 
Microsoft is desperate for the new-look, touch-friendly Windows 8 to grip customers' imaginations, as it looks to regain ground lost to Apple Inc and Google Inc in mobile computing and shake up the moribund PC market. 
 
Perhaps more important is its new own-brand tablet called the Surface, available only through its own stores and website, which will challenge Apple's iPad head on. 
 
"I'd want to know the sales - and return rate - of the Surface," said Sarah Rotman Epps at tech research firm Forrester. "But those numbers will be hard to get since Microsoft is the only retailer." 
 
Early reviews of the Surface have been mixed, generally praising the slick hardware, but faulting battery life and the limited software and applications available. 
 
Some worry that the first Surface model, which runs on a stripped-down version of Windows 8 called RT that is not compatible with old Windows programs, will cause some confusion and dissatisfaction among customers. 
 
The three models for sale on Microsoft's US website are already on back order, suggesting strong demand, but it is not known how many Surfaces Microsoft has manufactured. 
 
"The fact it's back ordered is indicative that there's consumer interest," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at tech research firm Gartner. "How Microsoft introduces it, evangelizes it and explains it will determine long term success." 
 
Ballmer Noise 
 
Microsoft has not said if it will reveal sales figures for Windows 8 or of the Surface before its next scheduled earnings on Jan 24. The company tends to trumpet good news and stay silent otherwise. 
 
After the launch of Windows 7 three years ago, CEO Steve Ballmer waited only a month to announce strong sales. A year later, he waited only 10 days to report record-breaking sales of the Kinect, the motion-sensing add-on for the Xbox. 
 
But Microsoft has never shared the sales of Windows-powered phones, which have a lowly 3 percent of the market. 
 
If Ballmer stays silent about Windows 8 sales, it might indicate a less than stellar performance. 
 
"I would definitely take it a sign that it's not super, super strong, but I won't take it as something negative," said Chan at Bernstein, who is expecting 8.3 million Surface sales by the middle of next year. 
 
That averages out at about 1 million a month, a third the rate of the iPad, which notched up its first million sales in 28 days and has now sold more than 100 million units, averaging about 3.2 million a month. 
 
Gartner forecasts that Surface and other tablets running Windows RT will sell about 2.3 million units this year and 9.3 million next year, grabbing about 2 percent and 5 percent of the worldwide tablet market, respectively. 
 
Door-Busters 
 
Retail activity will be closely watched. Microsoft will have more than 60 brick and mortar stores open for the release of Windows 8 on Friday, half of them 'pop-up' stores that will stay open for the holiday shopping season. 
 
Third-party retailers are cautiously optimistic. 
 
"We have seen pretty good response to our pre-orders for Windows 8," said Best Buy Co Inc spokesman Jeff Haydock. 
 
"Quite honestly, I don't know what to expect from Friday. I don't know if there will be lines or not. My sense is it will take some time for people to kind of come into the stores and check it out." 
 
Best Buy may give some colour on how PC sales are going when it reports earnings on Nov 20. 
 
Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the No. 1 US retailer, said US pre-orders for Windows 8 PCs "have been better than expected." 
 
Online retailers Amazon.com Inc, Newegg Inc and TigerDirect Inc have been silent on Windows 8 pre-orders. 
 
The full impact of PC sales on retailers will not be evident until chains report same-store sales for November. 
 
Quick Reaction 
 
One early indicator of Windows 8's success will be the contents of the online Windows Store. Microsoft has had a harder time drumming up interest among developers for Windows 8, given the risk that there will be fewer users than competing platforms. 
 
Microsoft will not disclose numbers, but there are expected to be 5,000 or so third-party apps available to US users, in comparison with the iPad's 275,000. Some big names such as Facebook Inc will be missing. 
 
In social media, the tenor of comments on the Twitter hash tags #Windows8 and #Surface will give an indication of their reception after Ballmer unveils them both on Thursday. 
 
Many users likely will be shocked by the new design, which dispenses with the Start button and features square tiles for apps. 
 
"Public reaction to the new UI will depend how well Microsoft explains why 'different' is better and teaches how the new experience works," said Gartenberg. "That all starts on Thursday." 
 
By the Numbers 
 
The ultimate test for Windows 8 will be PC sales. 
 
Industry trackers are expecting a bump for PC sales in the last two months of the year, but not enough to rescue the whole year, which is forecast to dip for the first time since 2001. 
 
Some analysts had expected an uptick in production of laptops ahead of the Windows 8 launch, but PC makers facing an uncertain global economy have been wary about committing. 
 
Chip maker Intel Corp, which is a good gauge of future PC demand due to its position early in the production process, expects the PC business to grow at only half the normal seasonal rate in the fourth quarter. 
 
Chief Executive Paul Otellini recently told analysts he expects to have a better understanding of the success of Windows 8 in 90 days. 
 
Stephen Baker, an analyst at retail research firm NPD Group, is expecting a 10 percent jump in PC sales for November and December over last year, but said comparisons will be difficult given a profusion of new devices and the volatility of year-ago data. 
 
Fourth-quarter PC shipment numbers from research firms Gartner and IDC will not be published until early January, although analysts say PC makers might start to drop hints about demand before then. 
 
"There will likely be many milestones, but very few will ultimately be decisive. The key point is will PC sales continue to shrink or will they experience a boost," said Al Hilwa at research firm IDC. "We can probably begin to properly judge that with some ambiguity in January." 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

Focus now on Microsoft Windows 8, Surface tab

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Firm sales numbers for Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) Windows 8 and its new Surface tablet will not be availa...

Sony at greater risk than Panasonic in electronics downturn

Faisal Technology 10:34 AM

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 Panasonic Corp has a better chance than rival Sony Corp of surviving Japan's consumer electronics slump because of its unglamorous but stable appliance business of washing machines and fridges, credit rating agency Fitch said Friday. Fitch cut Panasonic's rating by two notches to BB and Sony three notches to BB minus on Thursday, the first time one of the three major ratings agencies have put the creditworthiness of either company into junk-bond territory. Rival agencies Moody's and S&P rate both of Japan's consumer electronic giants at the same level, just above junk status. Moody's last cut its rating on Panasonic on Tuesday. Panasonic "has the advantage of a relatively stable consumer appliance business that is still generating positive margins", Matt Jamieson, Fitch's head of Asia-Pacific, said in a conference call on Friday to explain its ratings downgrades. But at Sony, he added, "most of their electronic business are loss making, they appear to be overstretched." Japan's TV industry has been bested by cheaper, more innovative models from Samsung Electronics (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) and other foreign rivals, while tablets and smartphones built by Apple Inc have become the dominant consumer electronics devices. Investors are focusing on the fate of Sony and Panasonic after another struggling Japanese consumer electronics firm, Sharp Corp 6753., maker of the Aquas TV, secured a $4.6 billion bail-out by banks including Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. Sony and Panasonic have chosen divergent survival paths. Panasonic, maker of the Viera TV, is looking to expand its businesses in appliances, solar panels, lithium batteries and automotive components. Appliances amount to around only 6 percent of the company's sales, but they generate margins of more than 6 percent and make up a big chunk of operating profit. Sony, creator of the Walkman, is doubling down on consumer gadgets in a bid to regain ground from Samsung and Apple in mobile devices while bolstering digital cameras and gaming. The latest downgrades will curtail the ability of both Japanese companies to raise money in credit markets to help fund restructurings of their business portfolios. For now, however, that impact is limited, given the support Panasonic and Sony are receiving from their banks. In October, Panasonic, which expects to lose $10 billion in the year to March 31, secured $7.6 billion of loan commitments from banks including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ, a financing backstop its says will help it avoid having to seek capital in credit markets. Sony, which has forecast a full-year profit of $1.63 billion helped by the sale of a chemicals business to a Japanese state bank, announced plans to raise $1.9 billion through a convertible bond before the latest rating downgrade. Thomson Reuters' Starmine structural model, which evaluates market views of credit risk, debt levels and changes in asset values gives Panasonic and Sony an implied rating of BB minus. Sharp's implied rating is three notches lower at B minus. Standard & Poor's rates Panasonic and Sony at BBB, the second lowest of the investment grade, while Moody's Investors Service has them on Baa3, the lowest of its high-grade category. Moody's has a negative outlook for both firms while S&P sees a stable outlook for Panasonic and a negative one for Sony. 
 - The Latest News @2012 </div>

Sony at greater risk than Panasonic in electronics downturn

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Panasonic Corp has a better chance than rival Sony Corp of surviving Japan's consumer electronics slump b...

Google Ventures beef up funds

Faisal Technology 10:30 AM

Google Ventures beef up funds

News-Paper24.blogspot.com Google will increase the cash it allocates to its venture-capital arm to up to $300 million a year from $200 ...

Jammatis clash in Uttara, Dhaka

Faisal Bangladesh 10:25 AM

Jammatis clash in Uttara, Dhaka

News-Paper24.blogspot.com The activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir attacked the police in the c...

Fire in Savar RMG factory kills 7

Faisal Bangladesh 10:21 AM

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 At least seven people died and over 100 injured as a fire broke out at a garment factory of Tuba Group at Nischintapur in Savar on the outskirts of the capital Saturday evening. The fire that broke out at Tazreen Fashions Limited around 7:30pm and it came under control around 11:45pm, police said. Narasinghapur Women and Children Health Centre Assistant Manager Harun-or-Rashid told bdnews24.com that they have bodies of six women at the centre. Of the injured, 45 were admitted to the centre, he added. One injured man brought to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital was declared dead, Mukhsedur Rahman, Sub-Inspector of the Police outpost there, said. The deceased could not be identified immediately. Most of them died as they jumped from the building, police said. Sub-Inspector of the Ashulia Industrial Zone Police Moktar Hossain told bdnews24.com that the injured were admitted to several hospitals and clinics. The reason behind the fire could not be known immediately. The fire originated on the ground floor of the nine-storey building and soon spread up to the third floor. Officer-in-charge of the Ashulia Police Station Sheikh Badrul Alam said that 10 fire fighting units rushed to the spot and were trying to douse the blaze. bdnews24.com Savar correspondent, reporting from the spot, said at 10:45pm that the fire on the second and third floors were doused but blazes were seen on the ground and first floors. It was difficult to control the fire on the ground floor, as yarns were stored there, fire-fighters said. The workers on the third and fourth floors were rescued by crane but those on the fifth floor were yet to be rescued, he said and added that there were no workers on any other floors. 
- The Latest News @2012 </div>

Fire in Savar RMG factory kills 7

News-Paper24.blogspot.com At least seven people died and over 100 injured as a fire broke out at a garment factory of Tuba Group at Nisch...