Nicholas Merrill’s crowd-funded Internet Service Provider raised more than $43,000 in donations in less than 24 hours, CNET reported on Thursday. “I had no idea that the crowd funding would take off as much as it has in such a short time,” Merrill told the news source. “I hope that people will continue to spread the word and help Calyx reach its funding goal so this plan can come to fruition sooner rather than later.” Merrill’s new company, The Calyx Institute, aims to be a “non-profit telecommunications provider dedicated to privacy, using ubiquitous encryption,â€� and intends to sell Internet access for as little as $20 per month. The company is seeking $1 million in donation-based funding for a “bare-bones launch,” or $2 million in funding for a faster launch. “I am grateful for the outpouring of support which I think clearly demonstrates that there is a vast public demand for privacy-conscious telecommunications companies,” Merrill concluded.

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J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz has made “significant increases” to both his iPhone and iPad sales projections for the first quarter of 2012, raising his price target on Apple stock from $625 to $715, Apple Insider reported on Tuesday. The analyst previously estimated that Apple would ship 28.1 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2012, however he now believes shipments will reach 31.1 million units. Full-year iPhone shipments for 2012 are now expected to total 138.2 million units. Moskowitz thinks Apple’s next-generation smartphone will launch in the second half of 2012 and include a “thinner body and LTE capability.” He projects iPad shipments to reach 13.8 million in the first quarter, up from his earlier estimate of 10.1 million units, and his full-year shipment estimate was raised to 69.6 million tablets, up from 59.8 million. Apple will also “refresh its MacBook portfolio, including the Air, in the next three months,” Moskowitz wrote in his note to investors. He continued by saying that the company needs to improve its specifications and features while introducing lower price points to stay ahead of the “Ultrabook crowd.”

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Apple on Wednesday revealed that its newest iOS app, iPhoto, has sold 1 million copies in less than 10 days, The Loop reports. The Cupertino-based company unveiled the iPhoto app towards the end of its iPad press conference in San Francisco earlier this month. The application relies heavily on gestures and features smart browsing, auto-enhancing, professional quality effects, brushes, photo beaming between devices, photo journals and multi-touch editing, and it allows users to share images via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and email. iPhoto is available in the App Store for $4.99.

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Google recently offered up prizes totaling $1 million for those capable of exploiting its browser Chrome. Now, at Google's own competition called Pwnium, a student has walked away with one of the top prizes, earning $60,000 by hacking a PC running Chrome. More »

Apple on Monday updated the company’s environmental website with data from the past year, revealing new details surrounding its iCloud and Siri data center located in Maiden, North Carolina. Apple’s facility was awarded LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the only data center of its size to have received the certification. “We know of no other data center of comparable size that has achieved this level of LEED certification,” Apple stated. “Our goal is to run the Maiden facility with high percentage renewable energy mix.” Apple plans to power the facility with the largest non-utility fuel cell installation and largest user-owned solar farm in the United States. Due to the increasing popularity of its products, the Cupertino-based company has seen its greenhouse gas emissions increase by 56% from 14.8 million metric tons in 2010 to 23.1 million metric tons in 2011. Apple points out that greenhouse gas emissions per dollar of revenue have decreased by 15.4% since 2008, however.

[Via MacRumors]

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In an effort to attract more advertisers and to compete with major players like Google, Apple has once again slashed the minimum spend required by campaigns on its iAd mobile advertising platform. The figure has now dropped to $100,000 according to a report from AdAge, just 10% of Apple’s original requirement. The Cupertino-based company initially required advertisers to spend a minimum of $1 million per campaign on its iAd platform, eventually cutting the price in half to $500,000 and then settling on $300,000. In addition to the reduced spending fee, Apple is looking to woo app developers by reducing the company’s cut of iAd profits from 40% to 30%. Apple has been losing share in the mobile ad market as Google continues to march forward. The search giant took in 24% of the $630 million in mobile ad revenue in the U.S. last year, up from 19%. Millennial Media placed second with 17% of the market and Apple was No.3 with a 15% share, down from 19% in 2010.

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It is estimated that Apple has sold more than 1 million iPads in the South Korean market, reports Korea Herald. The Cupertino-based company is outpacing Samsung by a wide margin, cornering 70% to 80% of the tablet market in South Korea according to the paper. The iPad 2 debuted in April 2011 and saw roughly 700,000 units sold by year’s end. Most South Koreans prefer to not be attached to a carrier’s data plan, as two out of three iPads sold are Wi-Fi only models. Many early adopters bought the iPad overseas before the device was formally available on the local market, so Korea Herald notes that the actual number of iPads in use could be far more than 1 million. Apple is expected to launch its next-generation iPad in early March.

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Not sure what this says about the state of streaming video online, but while the first live internet stream of the Super Bowl was watched by a record 2.1 million unique viewers, it didn't receive glowing reviews. The best indicator, though, is that the engagement for the three (plus) hour event was only 39 minutes. We think the folks over at Streaming Media got it right when they called it the Super Bowl Streaming Fail. It was bad enough that only Verizon Wireless customers could watch it on anything other than a laptop, but even those who could see it were left searching for a TV once they saw the quality. Big sports fans who might've been checking it out for the additional commentary and camera angles were also left wanting more, as the stream was plagued with lag. This meant that the other angle you were in search of was as much as a minute behind the big screen. Ultimately, we're sure everyone's glad the Super Bowl was extended to the smaller screens, but one thing sure seems true, broadcasting an event like this to millions of people is unlikely to ever be replaced by unicast internet streams.

Super Bowl internet debut breaks records, disappoints some viewers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Strategy Analytics: Apple still owns tablet market, but Android narrows the gap

Strategy Analytics: Apple still owns tablet market, but Android narrows the gap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the advantages of owning an Android device is the ability to install a custom ROM and making your device perfect for your tastes. You can’t talk about custom ROMs without mentioning the king of them all, CyanogenMod, which has just surpassed 1 million downloads. Created by Steve “Cyanogen” Kondik, the CyanogenMod team offers up-to-date custom ROMs that extend a phone’s capabilities with added features and utilities. Additionally, CM team member Koushik Dutta has been dabbling into the idea of creating an app store exclusively for root apps. With carriers and Google continuing to police the Android Market, removing tether apps, one click root apps, and emulators, Koush has become increasingly frustrated and originally proposed the idea of a root app store to Amazon, however the company was not interested. The proposed store would be open-source and available to any custom ROM, not just CyanogenMod.

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Samsung recently announced that it has shipped more than 1 million Galaxy Note smartphones. The Galaxy Note, often considered a mix between a tablet and a smartphone due to its size, was first unveiled in September and it features a massive 5.3-inch display with a 1280 x 800-pixel resolution. Other features include a 1.4GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats. Samsung also confirmed Thursday that the Galaxy Note will be released in the United States next year, and early rumors have suggested the phone will make its debut in early 2012 on AT&T with support for LTE. We wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung reveals more about the U.S. version of the Galaxy Note during the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

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Apple may be implementing a number of changes to its iAd mobile advertising platform in an effort to attract more advertisers and to compete more aggressively against Google’s advertising solutions. The Cupertino-based company originally required that advertisers spend a minimum of $1 million on its iAd platform but then halved that figure to $500,000. Now, The Wall Street Journal said Apple is beginning to woo marketers by allowing them to spend as little as $400,000 on an iAd campaign. Read on for more.

Apple is rethinking how its pricing structure works, too. It will now put a cap on how much it charges advertisers every time a user taps on an advertisement. The Wall Street Journal explained that Apple currently charges $2 each time a user clicks an in-app advertisement and $10 every time the ad is viewed 1,000 times. Google, by contrast, charges between $4 and $12 each time an ad is viewed 1,000 times. Apple also reportedly plans to implement a mobile advertising training program for its employees and clients.

These changes are no doubt an effort to regain lost advertising market share. According to data from research firm IDC, Apple’s mobile-ad market share dropped from 19% last year to 15% this year. The company now has a smaller market share both than Google and Millennial Media. IDC believes Apple will have a hard time competing with Google and Millennial because it only sells ads on Apple products.

“Apple we believe will, over time, fade into the background,” IDC analyst Karsten Weide explained. “[iAd] was attempted to make sure that even consumers advertising experience on Apple devices was perfect, but it hasn’t really worked.”

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Barnes & Noble’s manufacturing partners have now shipped a total of 1 million new Nook Tablets according to a recent report. Unveiled early last month and released shortly thereafter, the new Nook Tablet features a 7-inch “Vivid Viewâ€� display built by LG, 16GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, a dual-core 1GHz processor and the Android 2.3 operating system. According to sources at component suppliers speaking to DigiTimes, more than a million new Nook Tablets have been manufactured and shipped to Barnes & Noble so far. The report also claims Barnes & Noble had to increase orders recently due to strong sales; the bookseller initially ordered 800,000 Nook Tablets to be built through the end of 2011, DigiTimes noted.

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Sharp Corporation claims they may top 1 million big-screen televisions (60 inches or above) sold in North America alone by March of next year, and expects growth the next fiscal year. With a stronger hold on the Japanese market then its competitors, the company is expanding overseas to bolster competition and avoid Asia's current market forecast -- a projected $6 billion decline in LCD sales by 2015. According to Kozo Takahashi, head of the American operations division, big-screen purchases in the United States are set to triple this upcoming year despite a declining trend in the North American market. While audio visual equipment accounts for more than half of Sharp's revenue, the company sees the need to market its other products more aggressively in the Americas to remain globally competitive.

Sharp nearing 1 million big-screen TV sales in North America, expanding global market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global media tablet shipments in the third quarter ballooned 280% over the same quarter last year to reach 17 million units. Boston-based research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics found that Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android OS combined to capture a combined 94% of the global market, leaving Microsoft, HP and RIM fighting for scraps. Apple shipped 11.1 million iPads to take 67% of the market according to Strategy Analytics, and Google’s Android platform accounted for 27% of the market. ”Demand for tablets in developed and developing markets remains high,” Strategy Analytics director Peter King said in a statement. “Apple shipped a record 11.1 million iPads and registered a healthy 67 percent global tablet market share during the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS remains the world’s dominant tablet platform with the most established services ecosystem.” Strategy Analytics’ full press release follows below.

Strategy Analytics: Apple & Android Capture 94 Percent Share of Global Tablet Shipments in Q3 2011

Boston, MA — October 21, 2011 — According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global tablet shipments reached 17 million units in the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS and Android dominate the worldwide market with a combined 94 percent share.

Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global tablet shipments reached 16.7 million units in Q3 2011, surging 280 percent from 4.4 million in Q3 2010. Demand for tablets in developed and developing markets remains high. Apple shipped a record 11.1 million iPads and registered a healthy 67 percent global tablet market share during the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS remains the world’s dominant tablet platform with the most established services ecosystem.�

Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Android captured 27 percent share of global tablet shipments in Q3 2011, rising twelve-fold from 2 percent a year earlier. Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Samsung, Acer and others have been driving volumes. Industry eyes will next turn to the commercial launch of the Amazon Fire. Amazon’s strategy of minimizing its hardware price is set to ignite the entry-level tablet segment and attract more mass-market consumers.�

Other findings from the research include:

• Microsoft captured a niche 2 percent global tablet share in Q3 2011. The future release of Windows 8 cannot come quickly enough for Microsoft, so its hardware partners can start competing more effectively in the tablet space;
• RIM and its QNX platform captured 1 percent global tablet share in Q3 2011. The next-generation PlayBook 2.0 model will need to offer a much improved ecosystem for messaging and consumer apps if it wants to take off.

Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q3 2011 [1]

Global Tablet OS Shipments (Millions of Units)	Q3 ’10	Q3 ’11
Apple iOS	4.2	11.1
Android	0.1	4.5
Microsoft	0.0	0.4
QNX	0.0	0.2
Others	0.1	0.5
Total	4.4	16.7
Global Tablet OS Marketshare %	Q3 ’10	Q3 ’11
Apple iOS	95.5%	66.6%
Android	2.3%	26.9%
Microsoft	0.0%	2.4%
QNX	0.0%	1.2%
Others	2.3%	2.9%
Total	100.0%	100.0%
Growth Year-over-Year %	N / A	280%Â

The full report, Global Tablet OS Market Share: Q3 2011, is published by the Strategy Analytics Tablet & Touchscreen (TTS) service, details of which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/3gyw3hz.

[1]  Shipments refer to sell-in. Numbers are rounded. The definition of tablet does not include e-book readers.

Apple on Tuesday reported its earnings for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2011. Wall Street was expecting revenue of $29.5 billion and earnings of $7.29 per share. The company delivered revenue of $28.27 billion and earnings of $7.05 per share. Apple sold 17.1 million iPhones, 11.1 million iPads, and 4.89 million Macs. While this was Apple’s biggest September quarter ever, the company still missed on most Wall Street estimates. During the third fiscal quarter this year, Apple recorded revenue of $28.57 billion on sales of 20.34 million iPhones, 9.25 million iPads, and 3.95 million Macs into channels. Apple’s full press release is after the break.

Apple Reports Fourth Quarter ResultsFont size: A | A | A
4:30 PM ET 10/18/11 | BusinessWire
–Highest September Quarter Revenue and Earnings Ever

Apple(R) today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2011. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $28.27 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 63 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The Company sold 17.07 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 21 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.12 million iPads during the quarter, a 166 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4.89 million Macs during the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 6.62 million iPods, a 27 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

“We are thrilled with the very strong finish of an outstanding fiscal 2011, growing annual revenue to $108 billion and growing earnings to $26 billion,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Customer response to iPhone 4S has been fantastic, we have strong momentum going into the holiday season, and we remain really enthusiastic about our product pipeline.”

“We are extremely pleased with our record September quarter revenue and earnings and with cash generation of $5.4 billion during the quarter,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 14 weeks rather than 13, we expect revenue of about $37 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $9.30.”

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2011 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 18, 2011 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq411. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue and earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2010, its Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended December 25, 2010; March 26, 2011; and June 25, 2011; and its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.

(C) 2011 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Production of Apple’s third-generation iPad is about to get underway according to Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro. According to Fidacaro, Apple’s manufacturing partners have orders to build as many as 1 million iPad 3 tablets in the fourth quarter of this year, in line with an earlier note from the analyst’s colleague at Susquehanna, Christopher Caso. “Our checks indicate that iPad 3 has now shown up on AAPL’s production forecast for a late-4Q production start,” Caso wrote in a recent research note. “We believe 0.6 mln-1 mln units are forecasted for 4Q production.” Last week, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White said that Apple will unveil a new entry-level “iPad mini” in the first quarter of 2012. The new tablet will not necessarily be an iPad with a smaller form factor, White’s checks found, but rather a lower price tag likely in the mid to high-$200 range. The analyst said Apple will then release a “feature rich standard-priced iPad 3″ in the second quarter next year.

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