Comment on The sweet spot for mobile apps by Technology Gadgets

I did not even know there was a survey to actually let us know what time are apps being used the most.. Very interesting information

Comment on The sweet spot for mobile apps by Technology Gadgets

Backlink: http://gigaom.com/2011/07/28/mobile-app-usage-time-of-day/#comment-643231

Gadgets Week In Review: Game Set-Up

Here are some of the past week’s stories on TechCrunch Gadgets:

For The Geek Who Has Everything: A Gold-Plated Atari 2600
Microsoft Unveils The Kinect Star Wars Bundle, Trademark Droid Beeps Included
D-Link And OpenDNS To Bring Parental Controls To Your Router
LaCie’s Rugged Mini External Hard Drive Is Not Large
Joy Factory’s Zip Touch-n-go Charging Station Has Cute Dimples And Three Tails
I Don’t Think We’ll Be Seeing These Galaxy Tab Smart Covers Stateside

Gadgets Week In Review: Game Set-Up

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Microsoft Is Developing Software That Will Save You Cash On Your Gadgets

It's an entirely too familiar feeling. You spend loads of cash on some new gadget and it goes on sale the following week. If only there were some way to know when prices will drop!

You still can't know when things go on sale, but researchers at Microsoft are working on a way to help identify the best time to buy something.

It's called Prodcast, and it looks at price history, sales volume, and time of year to guess when an item might go on sale. It can even tell you how certain it is -- if an item costs $900, Prodcast can tell you that it's 80% certain the item will cost between $750 and $800 in two weeks.

The technology has huge application in price comparison sites, which currently only tell you where to buy a product, not when.

Prodcast will be demoed at the International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining in San Diego next month.

[NewScientist]

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See Also:

• Windows 8 Rumor: Soon You'll Be Playing Xbox Games On Your PC
• 7 Ways To Save The Money You're Wasting On TiVo
• Alan Greenspan Blames The Bad U.S. Economy On The Lazy Young Work Force And The U.S. Copying China

Microsoft Is Developing Software That Will Save You Cash On Your Gadgets

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Comment on Sprint Launches Green Android Phone by Gadgets

Great design I like that numberpad on the top also, It would be handy for productivity.

Comment on Sprint Launches Green Android Phone by Gadgets

Backlink: http://gigaom.com/cleantech/sprint-launches-green-android-phone/#comment-617271

Here's Why Amazon's Ad-Supported Kindle Is The Future Of Gadgets (AMZN, AAPL)

Amazon's new ad-supported Kindle isn't just the future of e-readers, it's a look at the future of gadgets.

Not everything you buy will eventually be subsidized by advertising, but for the devices where it makes sense, we expect to see a lot more of it.

Why are we excited about the prospects of the new Kindle in particular?

The ads aren't that annoying. We spent several minutes fondling prototypes of the new Kindle with Special Offers today, and the ads just aren't that bad. They aren't popping up in the middle of reading a book -- they're just replacing the Kindle's screen saver, and a small strip at the bottom of the home screen. For many people, that will be worth the $25 (18%) lower price tag.

It's not just ads... it's a membership into a special deals "club." Groupon or Thrillist subscribers don't think of themselves as signing up to get another ad in their email every morning, they think they're getting something special. The offers that Amazon has been posing are similar -- such as half-price Amazon gift codes -- and they're only going to be available to people with this special, new Kindle. So it's not just a $25 rebate, but a new, potentially valuable source of content and deals in your life. This is better than not having a Kindle at all, which is the reality for most people.

The subsidy could easily be more than $25 eventually. Look, we all want this thing to be $99. Or free. But Amazon has to start somewhere. The company needs to make sure it's going to be able to sell these offers; deliver and measure ads properly; that people aren't going to be buying dozens, fraudulently wiping them, and selling them for full price on eBay; etc. But an almost 20% discount isn't a bad place to start, and we wouldn't be surprised if this instantly becomes the best-selling Kindle. Or if it's $99 by Christmas.

For device makers, this could really jack up profits. The special offers business is a good one, if you can scale it, and if fraud doesn't kill you. These aren't just crappy, low-CPM display ads. If the program works out, this is an opportunity for Amazon to potentially make dozens or hundreds of dollars of additional revenue and/or profits from Kindle buyers over the course of a device's lifetime.

This kind of offer could gradually spread through the gadget industry. Hello, half-price connected TV sets with pre-roll video ads? Or iAd-subsidized iPhones? Or Amazon Android tablets? Or Xboxes?

Not every company is going to be able to do this right away. Amazon has the benefit of already having the gadget, commerce, and content platforms to do this. (And no wonder why Amazon is trying to hire all those ad people.) Even Amazon's house ads could make this profitable. Other gadget brands are going to need partners. And that could fuel a new industry to develop, with companies like Groupon, LivingSocial, Facebook, Google, or still-unfounded startups playing big roles.

Obviously, this isn't for everyone or every device. There are many people out there who will pay extra to avoid ads. There are many devices where the ad subsidy wouldn't be worth it. But as long as the deals are good, and the financial equation works out, this business model could become widespread.

Now, don't miss: Here's How Amazon Could Quietly Become A Huge Tablet Player

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See Also:

• Hey, Google: Amazon Just Beat You At Your Own Game
• FIRST LOOK: Bloomberg's Slick New Businessweek iPad App
• WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER BUY AN ANDROID PHONE? Take Our Smartphone Survey And Tell Us!

Here's Why Amazon's Ad-Supported Kindle Is The Future Of Gadgets (AMZN, AAPL)

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The Best New Business Gadgets

Like technology experts and IT insiders, small-business owners may have noticed a startling trend. Technology is suddenly everywhere.

A slow buildup of netbooks, 3DTVs and eReaders at the beginning of last year quickly built to a crescendo, and is now giving way to nearly innumerable new apps, tablet PCs and online solutions.

Dozens of surprisingly affordable consumer electronics are ready to aid entrepreneurs in any new enterprise. The watchwords for small-business technology still remain the same: mobility, value and convenience.

From supercharged slate computers to 3D video cameras, disaster-proof hard drives and even motion-sensing, app-ready Bluetooth headsets, what follow are several gadgets you'll want to add to your operating budget. All for (wink, wink) research-and-development or productivity purposes. OK, some may also hold special appeal for that inner gadget geek.

The Best Tablet PC: BlackBerry PlayBook (Under $500)

BlackBerry's answer to the iPad, this beefy 7-inch tablet PC skillfully straddles the line between business and pleasure. Credit a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16-64GB of storage, capable of powering mid-range productivity software and a wealth of custom business apps. Coupled with enterprise email support, wireless connectivity and native multitasking support, it could be an effective laptop replacement for many small-business owners. Features like 1080p high-definition video recording, dual HD cameras (suitable for impromptu videoconferencing) and built-in Flash (rich multimedia) browsing are a bonus.

More Great Tablets:

Motorola Xoom ($699) -- A Motorola tablet that stands out for its serious computing muscle, lightning-fast connectivity, dual cameras and an intuitive Android 3.0 operating system (a.k.a. Honeycomb) user interface that's custom-designed for tablet displays.

G-Slate (Not yet priced) -- Super-fast connectivity, optional videoconferencing, 3D video recording and a stunning multi-touch display prove highlights of this anticipated tablet from T-Mobile, due to ship in March.

9 Series ($1599 and up) – An ultra-thin and lightweight 2.89lb MacBook Air competitor from Samsung, offering 6 ½ hours of battery life, a crisp screen and surprising power for a laptop computer with its Core i5 processor. OK, so the 9 Series isn't a tablet, but it deserves inclusion because it still weighs in as one of 2011's most travel-ready computing options.

The Best Smartphone: Motorola Atrix 4G ($199.99 with two-year contract)

This standout from Motorola packs a lot more power than the average smartphone, and can dock with a laptop, letting users take advantage of a full-size keyboard and screen. Its dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of memory are more akin to the specs you'd find on a netbook computer, not cellular handset, offering an obvious boost to performance and productivity. Running on the Android operating system, and compatible with thousands of downloadable apps, the device also offers 4G speeds (a large increase over current 3G standards). Bundled with the dock, it costs a whopping $499.99 with two-year service agreement. However, few mobile business solutions appear as versatile.

View more at Business Insider

The Best New Business Gadgets

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Geo Gadgets – Garmin Approach Golf Watch + GPS

A cool device for the Geo golfing geek! Enter the Approach S1, the first GPS wristwatch designed specifically for golf. The Approach S1 from gaarmin displays precise yardages to the front, back and middle of greens and comes preloaded with 14,000-plus [...]

Post originale: http://blog.gisuser.com/?p=7984