Author: entelechyasia

Entelechy Asia is passionate about technology -- from the home to the enterprise, and telecommunications. We deliver news, views and reviews from Asia from the perspectives of practitioners and followers.
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Hybrid ultramobile is fastest growing segment of mobile PC market

GartnerHybrid devices are leading the growth in the mobile PC market and should reach 21.5 million units this year, an increase of 70 percent from 2014, according to Gartner. Eight million of these will be ultramobile tablets (two-in-one tablets) and 13.5 million hybrid ultramobiles (two-in-one detachable and convertible ultramobiles).

“This will make hybrid ultramobiles the fastest-growing segment of the mobile PC market with 77 percent year-on-year growth,” said Tracy Tsai, Research Director of Gartner.

“The combination of portability, productivity and flexibility of touch and a keyboard in one device is attracting some notebook and tablet users to replace their devices with hybrid form factors. PC vendors are expanding into this segment with a value proposition to compete with Apple and Android-based tablet vendors. Sales of hybrid devices have not stopped growing since 2012, totaling 12.6 million units in 2014 and expected to reach 58 million units in 2019,” she added.

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Mobile by entelechyasia

2G in Singapore to end in 2017

Singapore’s three telcos will stop providing 2G services from April 2017. The spectrum will then be freed for advanced 4G services as the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore moves to make more efficient use of the limited resources. According […]

Mobile by entelechyasia

Australia tablet and 2-in-1 market takes massive hit

IDCThe numbers for the tablet and 2-in-1 market for Q1 in Australia look grim — total shipment was 770,772 units, representing a massive 40 percent quarter-on-quarter decline.

According to IDC, while the seasonal slump is customary, the magnitude of this decline is steeper than expected. Shipment decline of 25 percent year-on-year further reinforced the reality of a slow-down in demand for this product category.

However, drilling down into the segments reveals some positive signs. Whilst consumer shipments declined by 27 percent year-on-year, commercial shipments increased by a modest 1.2 percent.

Continue reading Australia tablet and 2-in-1 market takes massive hit
Telecommunications by entelechyasia

Samsung launches low temperature video wall

samsungSamsung has introduced what is claimed to be the world’s first low temperature video wall. Specifically calibrated for the broadcast industry, the UD55E-S has a specialised panel with a lower colour temperature range of 2800k-6500k that corresponds to broadcast camera standards, ensuring that the colours of news footage and graphics are displayed accurately at all viewing angles.

The high resolution UD55E-S raises the quality of video wall solutions in the broadcast industry, where there are specific needs due to lighting conditions within the enclosed studios. The video wall also comes with MagicInfo, Samsung’s flagship signage and content management solution, which allows users to design and manage a complex, interactive multimedia display system.

“To deliver a quality viewing experience for home viewers, broadcasters require equipment with higher standards that are tailored for their unique environment. The UD55E-S addresses this challenge as it is specially optimised for the broadcast industry. With this technology, our broadcast customers will reap time and cost savings with ease of maintenance and minimum tuning while end-viewers enjoy more true-to-life images and footage on their television screens. With our commitment to innovation,” said Yong Sung Jeon, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Continue reading Samsung launches low temperature video wall
Mobile by entelechyasia

Huawei and Volkswagen to collaborate on smart cars

Volkswagen LamandoHuawei and Volkswagen are working together on car connectivity. They have unveiled technology that integrates smartphone functions with vehicle-mounted systems and allows drivers to use those functions safely while driving at the International Consumer Electronics Show Asia in Shanghai this week.

The partners have demonstrated a series of apps that safely allow drivers to use GPS navigation systems, play music, send and receive messages, and make phone calls while behind the wheel. The apps support MirrorLink, an open technology standard designed to maximise interoperability between smartphones and vehicle-mounted systems. They cover multiple services including phone calls, SMS, navigation, multimedia, and payment that are all centered on smartphones.

“Our cooperation with Huawei will seamlessly blend the capabilities of users’ smartphones with the systems in their cars. All content on the phone will be shown in real time on the car’s infotainment touch screen. The result is smart and convenient interaction between phone and car,” said Sven Patuschka, Executive Vice President for Research and Development of Volkswagen Group China.

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Enterprise by entelechyasia

India software market up 8% in 2014

GartnerSoftware revenue in India rose 8.3 percent to hit US$4 billion in 2014, according to Gartner.

“The enterprise software marketplace is dynamic and ever-changing. Its growth and structure are being shaped by the factors and forces of decentralised purchasing, consumerisation and mobility, influence of emerging markets, cloud-based implementations, and new consumption models. Improvement in global economic conditions has somewhat relaxed the strain on the Indian economy, thereby boosting corporate sentiments. Along with a new stable government at the center, this has helped in alleviating concerns about economic growth — to a certain extent — with early signs of spending in growth initiatives beginning to emerge,” said Bhavish Sood, Research Director of Gartner.

Several leading trends include:

  • Software as a service (SaaS) adoption and development
  • Open-source software (OSS) adoption and its broader market implications
  • Changing buying behaviors and purchasing styles associated with the digital business
  • Spending in key growth markets such as India and China
Continue reading India software market up 8% in 2014
Enterprise by entelechyasia

Amazon takes pole position in Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 ranking

GartnerE-commerce giant Amazon has emerged tops in Gartner’s 11th annual Supply Chain Top 25 ranking, which identifies global supply chain leaders and highlights their best practices.

Fast food chain McDonald’s came in second and consumer goods maker Unilever third.

“In this edition of the Supply Chain Top 25, we have several longtime leaders with new lessons to share and a number of more recent entrants from the high-tech, consumer products, retail and industrial sectors,” said Stan Aronow, Research Vice President of Gartner.

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Telecommunications by entelechyasia

China will outstrip the US in LTE subscriptions this year

abi research​LTE is growing phenomenally in China. By the end of 2014, China gained almost 100 million LTE subscriptions in the first year of full LTE commercialisation, demonstrating an accelerating growth momentum, according to ABI Research.

Thanks to the first-mover advantages, China Mobile seized almost 90 percent share of the LTE market in China.

“Since the other two China mobile operators — China Unicom and China Telecom — were granted preferred FDD-LTE licenses in March 2015, it is expected that China will overtake the US to become the largest 4G market in the world, accumulating 500 million LTE subscriptions, or 36.5 percent of the domestic cellular subscriptions in 2015,” said Marina Lu, Research Analyst of ABI Research.

Continue reading China will outstrip the US in LTE subscriptions this year
Telecommunications by entelechyasia

ZTE introduces new SDN-based OAM solution

ZTEZTE has demonstrated a new OAM (operations, administration and management) solution based on SDN architecture at the Broadband & TV Connect Asia conference in Singapore.

The new Elastic SDN IPRAN OAM solution, powered by ZTE’s Elastic SDN technology, is claimed to enable operators to perform 90 percent of routine network OAM functions with one-touch control on mobile devices, generating at least 30 percent labour cost savings.

As operators accelerate deployments of 4G LTE networks to meet rising demand, it is becoming increasingly challenging to manage IP RAN mobile bearer networks. This problem is especially acute in Southeast Asia, where operators need to manage their IP RAN networks efficiently on outlying islands and mountainous terrain.

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Gadgets by entelechyasia

Global PC shipment down 7% in Q1

CanalysApple held on to its top spot despite a 16 percent drop in PC shipment in Q1. It shipped 17.2 million units, taking a 15 percent market share while Lenovo and HP came in second and third place respectively. Samsung was next with 9.5 million units shipped with Dell just behind with 9.4 million units.

Overall, the global PC market, including tablets, declined seven percent, according to Canalys.

“The growth drivers that previously helped the market through 2014 will have little effect this year. Vendors are struggling with exchange rate fluctuations which is making financial planning more difficult and forcing price increases. These challenges, combined with a softening of demand as Windows 10 draws nearer along with Microsoft’s free upgrade plans, means PC market declines will be greater in the second quarter than they were in the first,” said Tim Coulling, Senior Analyst of Canalys.

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Selfie stick: Simple invention but extremely useful!

Selfie stickIn a world of technological breakthroughs, the selfie stick is a really simple invention. Somebody had the bright idea to stick a holder at the end of a rod and voila, the selfie stick was born.

And what an invention it has turned out to be. It has solved the problem of close up shots being really closed up, especially for the one pressing the smartphone button. Also, group shots would have been really tough with the presser looking really big relative to the rest of the folks.

But, it was only during a recent trip to the UK that I truly appreciated the value of the selfie stick. From the airport to the various tourist attractions, my wife and I could take couple shots without me having to look disproportionately larger or having to keep asking passers-by for their help.

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Enterprise by entelechyasia

3D printing market to hit $20.2b in 2019

CanalysThe global 3D printer market will reach US$5.2 billion this year, up from US$3.3 billion in 2014, growing 56 percent, according to Calanys.

This is expected to grow further to US$20.2 billion by 2019, representing an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44 percent from 2014 to 2019.

“As we expected, the 3D printing market has grown substantially over the past few years. We have seen improving print speeds, a wider range of materials and new forms of additive manufacturing methods. There has also been a substantial increase in the number of vendors entering this space, with many coming from Asia, challenging the previous dominance of 3D printing hotspots such as Germany and the US. Long-existing vendors such as Stratasys and 3D Systems are well placed to take advantage of this growth but may find their dominant positions challenged by newer rivals,” said Joe Kempton, Research Analyst of Canalys.

Continue reading 3D printing market to hit $20.2b in 2019
Mobile by entelechyasia

ZTE pitches Blade S6 Plus on eBay

ZTE S6 PlusAnother S6 has made its debut. It’s not Samsung’s but the ZTE Blade S6 Plus — and the company’s making it available globally on eBay for US$299.99.

The Blade S6 Plus was first showcased at Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, alongside the five-inch Blade S6, which was launched in January. Similar to the Blade S6, the Blade S6 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core chipset and Adreno 405 image processor, and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with ZTE’s customisable MiFavor 3.0 user interface. It boasts a larger JDI Super Screen 5.5-inch HD display with In-Cell technology for better and more vibrant image quality, as well a higher-capacity 3000mAh battery.

Unique to the Blade S6 Plus is a function that allows the device to double as an infra-red remote control. Compatible with all major electronic and household appliance brands, the function allows Blade S6 Plus users to control televisions, set-top boxes, air conditioning units, DSLRs, and more. It is simple and easy to use, and saves users the hassle of switching between several different remote controls.

Continue reading ZTE pitches Blade S6 Plus on eBay
Mobile by entelechyasia

End of notebook dominance

abi researchCan’t say that we did not see this coming. Tablets are set to overtake notebooks as the largest mobile computing category (includes tablets, MS Windows laptops, Chromebooks, and Ultraportable PCs), according to ABI Research.

Tablets, agreed by many to be in competition with Notebook PCs, will gain 52 percent majority of the mobile computing market by the end of 2015.

ABI Research forecasts the flat growth of notebooks, due to longer replacement cycles and device market competition, causing notebook devices to drop from 51 percent market share in 2013 to 48 percent in 2015, and further to 47 percent by 2016.

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APAC device shipment to grow 3.2% in 2015

GartnerShipment of devices (PCs, tablets, ultramobiles, and mobile phones) in Asia Pacific are expected to hit 1.2 billion units in 2015, an increase of 3.2 percent over 2014, according to Gartner.

“Device penetration is very high in Asia Pacific – at or beyond saturation point in mature markets and major cities in the emerging markets. Market saturation, along with consumers extending the lifetime of their tablets, has caused a re-calibration in the growth trajectory in the market. From 2016, we expect the tablet market to resume growth from a stabilised base,” said Lillian Tay, Principal Analyst of Gartner.

The computing devices market is forecast to drop 1.9 percent this year, affected by weak demand for tablets. The PC market overall will continue to grow slightly, as shipment in the premium ultramobile category compensate for a decline in sales of traditional desk-based and notebook PCs.

Continue reading APAC device shipment to grow 3.2% in 2015

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Samsung Galaxy S6 ready for pre-order in Singapore

Smsung Galaxy S6The Samsung Galaxy S6 4G+ (left) and Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ (right) are now available for pre-order in Singapore. Those interested can visit the following telcos’ sites:

Consumers can also visit the following Samsung Experience Stores to pre-order the Galaxy S6 4G+ (without contract) and Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ (without contract) by placing a $50 deposit per device:

  • Central: Great World City #02-39 Tel: 6235 1134, Paragon #B1-27/27A Tel: 6735 5926, VivoCity #02-28/29 Tel: 6376 9150, 313@Somerset #B2-24/25/26 Tel: 68361809, Bugis Junction  #01-54 Tel: 63387911, Chinatown Point #01-48 Tel: 62227911
  • East: Tampines Mall #02-29 Tel: 6782 9575, Bedok Mall #B1-07 Tel:67851118, Parkway Parade #02-32 Tel : 64407969
  • North: AMK Hub #B1-37/38 Tel: 6753 6070, Nex #04-42 Tel: 66367392, Causeway Point #03-12 Tel: 68911011
  • West: Jurong Point #B1-09/10/11 Tel: 6791 2272, Westgate #01-01 and #02-01 Tel: 6369 9175
Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S6 ready for pre-order in Singapore
Enterprise by entelechyasia

Business intelligence and analytics top priorities for Asean CIOs

GartnerBusiness intelligence and analytics are the top priorities of CIOs in Southeast Asia (SEA), according to a Gartner survey.Next on their list are mobile, ERP and cloud.

Eighty-four percent of CIOs in SEA recognise the need to adapt their leadership style in the next three years to succeed in digital business, compared with the global average of 75 percent. To achieve this, 69 percent said that they want to decrease their controlling approach to focus on significantly increasing their visionary and coaching attributes.

The annual survey covered more than 2,810 CIOs worldwide, representing more than US$397 billion in CIO IT budgets in 84 countries. It included responses from 117 CIOs from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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Mobile by entelechyasia

Mobile gaming fuelling gaming market growth

abi researchRising demand for mobile games is driving the video game market to reach US$80 billion in 2020, up from under US$70 billion last year, according to ABI Research.

Traditional PC and console segments, on the other hand, will see a one- to two-percent annual growth.

Triple-A titles have the potential to dramatically change a developer/publisher’s financials, but gaming’s long tail is equally important to the continued growth of the industry. This is particularly true in the mobile space where a hit title can catapult a mobile game developer into the upper echelons of the market — as was true for developers such as King Digital (Candy Crush Saga) and Supercell (Clash of Clans).

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Telecommunications by entelechyasia

GSMA launches e-commerce platform for telecoms industry

GSMAGSMA has launched GSMA Marketplace, an e-commerce platform dedicated to the mobile industry.

GSMA Marketplace leverages the associations’s reputation as a trusted intermediary in the telecoms industry to bring together buyers and sellers to do business more easily with each other.

“Whether you are a buyer looking for greater innovation or better prices in your procurement of products or services, or a seller seeking to win new business and enter new markets, GSMA Marketplace will let you browse, contact and connect with companies who can help you achieve your objectives,” said John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA.

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GfK and Abacus to collaborate on big data analysis

gfk_logoGfK and Abacus have agreed to advance the analytics available to the travel industry by supplying anonymised booking data for the specialist GfK Travelscan report.

GfK will receive a feed of the aggregated weekly live bookings of participating Abacus agents, initially based in Singapore, to produce a set of predictive analytics that should help to refine travel retail strategy for the sector.

“We are delighted to intensify our partnership with the leading provider of travel agent solutions across the APAC region. This will help to scale the robustness and representation of GfK Travelscan, while offering added value to the Abacus client base,” said Laurens Van Den Oever, Global Industry Lead of Travel & Hospitality at GfK.

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Vietnam only bright spark in Asia PC market

IDCVietnam is the only growth market for PCs in Asia in Q4, according to IDC. A total of 610,000 PCs were shipped during this period, bringing annual total to 2.13 million units, a two-percent increase over 2014.

In the second half of 2014, promotions of Windows 8.1 with Bing notebooks and the slow but steady growth of convertibles led to an increase in volumes that helped to stabilise the PC market.

“While it helps to prevent the drop of PC shipment in Vietnam, aggressive moves from vendors generally took down the price further that impacts the margins too. Looking at 2015, we’re still expecting a resilient PC spending added with small but growing gaming market to keep the market stable,” said Yen Phan, Market Analyst for PCs at IDC Vietnam.

Continue reading Vietnam only bright spark in Asia PC market
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ZTE announces cloud desktop integrated solution

ZTEZTE has launched a cloud desktop integration solution based on server and PC virtualisation technology.

The solution enables users to access the cloud desktop with the terminal laptop, pad, thin terminal, netbook/cloudbook, or PC any time anywhere, by combining high-performance computing and 3D design scenarios supported by the PC-based virtualised desktop and the mobile office, flexible computing, and highly-centralised management scenarios supported by the server-based virtualised desktop.

It supports network access, multi-screen interaction, and account and application data sharing on different screens. This integrated solution takes the technical advantages of both the cloud desktop and PC desktop, and overcomes the bottleneck in the deployment of the cloud desktop. Users can access the same data disk from any of the desktops as the data can be shared.

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New NVIDIA SHIELD made to game

SHIELDFirst, there was the SHIELD portable. Then, the SHIELD Tablet. Today, at Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, NVIDIA has unveiled its third SHIELD, an Android TV console that delivers video, music, apps. and amazing games to the home.

Built on Android TV, SHIELD can play top-quality 4K video content, includes one-click access to Google Voice Search and provides the richness of Android’s app ecosystem.

The sleek device comes loaded with NVIDIA technologies, including the recently launched NVIDIA Tegra X1 mobile superchip. It can also access the NVIDIA GRID game-streaming service, which is powered by GeForce GTX supercomputers in the cloud.

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Android is top OS for smart devices

abi researchSmartphones and tablets helped boost Android’s reign over all smart device operating systems (OS) in 2014.

According to the ABI Research report, although Android’s reign is strong, that dominance may have reached its peak as OS competition increases. It expects Android to experience a modest CAGR of 10 percent between 2014 and 2019 as leading OEMs realise the profits produced by Android vendors is finite and seek new OSs for differentiation.

Since inception, the smart device market has been rapidly increasing as devices, especially smartphones, become ubiquitous.

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5 reasons why I like the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

My Samsung Note EdgeThis week’s introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge brought back memories of when the first Samsung Galaxy Note came out in 2011. While many were pooh-poohing the smartphone for being too large and bulky, I was really excited and among the first owners.

Four years down and I have not regretted that decision to cut over from what was the last Symbian-based Nokia phone to the massive Android smartphone. In fact, my family of four now carries the entire Samsung Galaxy Note range (OK, we’ve retired the original Note).

Last December, I upgraded from my trusty but slowing Note 2 to the Note Edge. It’s been nearly three months and I’m really loving it — the same feeling I had with the first Note.

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Wearbles sale to triple in 2015

The HTC Grip is a newcomer to the wearable market.
The HTC Grip is a newcomer to the wearable market.

With vendors are rolling out new wearable devices at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, it is not surprising that the market is set to boom.

In 2014, GfK noted that 13.5 million health and fitness trackers were sold globally compared to 4.1 million smartwatches. This year, that combined number is expected to jump 51.2 million units in 2015.

Last year, actual sales of health and fitness trackers (HFT) easily outstripped smartwatches. This was driven, in part, by the significantly lower average sales price of HFT, making these devices more affordable than full-feature smartwatches.

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Gadgets by entelechyasia

HTC debuts Vive VR headset

HTC ViveThrough a strategic partnership with Valve, HTC has introduced HTC Vive, which aims to transform the way consumers interact with technology and the world around them. If you’re planning to go out and grab one, hold steady because the consumer edition will only be available at end 2015.

HTC and Valve have introduced a full room scale 360-degree solution with tracked controllers so users can get up, walk around and explore virtual space, inspect objects from every angle and truly interact with surroundings. The headset features high quality graphics, 90 frames per second video and great audio fidelity.

HTC is also introducing new wireless VR controllers that will make users feel as one with the virtual environment. The new HTC VR Controllers come in a pair and are designed to work with a wide range of VR experiences.

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Managed security services market to hit US$32.9b in 2020

abi researchDriven by increasing complexity in security requirements, the global managed security services market is expected to be worth US$15.4 billion by the end of 2015 and hit US$32.9 in 2020, according to ABI Research.

Implementing and managing a successful security programme is a complex affair and most organisations lack the security expertise to manage security solutions from a wide variety of vendors. Rising threats, government regulations and a lack of internal resources are driving businesses to turn to managed security service providers which offer expertise and dedicated security personnel.

Information security incidents are on the rise as cybercriminals increase their focus on both large and small businesses. In 2014, there was a 49-percent increase in data breaches and a 78-percent increase in the number of data records stolen or lost compared with 2013. This indicates that a comprehensive IT security system is becoming increasingly necessary across the corporate, consumer, and public sectors.

Continue reading Managed security services market to hit US$32.9b in 2020
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ZTE rolls out next generation super HD 4K smart set-top box

ZTEZTE has launched its super HD 4K smart set-top box (STB) product B860A, which uses the 64-byte system solution, Cortex-A9 architecture and four-core CPU.

Running on Android 4.4, the STB supports the latest H.265 video code standard. It uses advanced technology to improve the relationship between the code stream, code quality, time delay and algorithm complexity so that it is at the most optimised setting.

In comparison to the video compression efficiency of H.264, H.265 can save half of the bandwidth, effectively helping to accelerate development of 4K super HD service. The STB has 4K (4096×2160) super high resolution, providing a significant visual difference between the 4K resolution and the ordinary HD.

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India smartphone market shrinks in Q4

IDCSmartphone shipment in India observed its first drop in Q4, according to IDC. The decline was attributed to a high channel inventory at the beginning of the quarter among general trade which in turn was caused by the surge witnessed in online sales during festive season.

Q4 was seen as a correction phase when the Smart Phone market shrank by four percent while the feature phone market plummeted by about 14 percent over the previous quarter. The overall mobile phone market stood at 64.3 million units in Q4, which reflects a sequential drop of 11 percent over Q3 and an annual drop of five percent in 2014.

The feature phone to smartphone migration trend is clearly visible as smartphones formed a healthy 35 percent of the overall mobile business in Q4, an increase of 13 percent fom a year ago.

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NVIDIA SHIELD may go underwater with US Navy submarines

SHIELD droneThe NVIDIA SHIELD gaming console may be designed with gamers in mind but the US Navy is considering using the device in its nuclear submarines.

Instead of manipulating avatars, SHIELD may be used in navigating submarines. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? After all, SHIELD is already used to fly drones (see video, right).

For more than a decade, the US Navy has been putting off-the-shelf tech into its submarines’ sonar systems. The Navy can swap this gear in and out fast so sailors always get the most advanced stuff.

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Shoppers bring online competition to brick-and-mortar stores

GfK mobile compare pricesSaw a product you like in a brick-and-mortar shop? Why not whip out your smartphone to read a review of the product or compare prices with other stores? That’s what more and more shoppers are doing during their visit to physical stores.

According to a GfK survey of mobile phone users in 23 countries, 40 percent of shoppers compare prices online while another 40 percent contact a friend or family member for advice. Thirty-six percent take photos of products that interest them.

Globally, men outweigh women on using their mobile phone inside a store to compare prices on a regular basis, standing at 42 percent and 37 percent respectively. The most active age group is shoppers aged 20-29, with nearly half (49 percent) saying they regularly do this, followed by those aged 15-19 and 30-39, both at 45 percent.

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Tablet shipment down 12% globally in Q4

CanalysThe stats are in – tablet shipment dropped 12 percent to 67 million units in Q4, according to Canalys. The desktop market fell back into a decline in Q4 as Windows XP upgrades waned. The notebook market held firm with another quarter of just one percent growth.

Total PC shipments (desktops, notebooks and tablets) fell six percent in Q4 to reach 148 million units, resulting in full-year 2014 shipments of 528 million units, up three percent on 2013.

Apple regained the top spot in the PC market on the strength of holiday sales, with just under 27 million units shipped. Lenovo’s shipments grew six percent year on year to almost 20 million units as it increased its market share to 13.3 percent. Samsung dropped out of the top three to make way for HP, with growth of 17 percent driving shipments over 17 million units, its best quarter since Q3 2011.

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Smart glasses poised for enterprise adoption

abi researchMany may have been misled that Google Glass is dead and gone, a failed innovation. But that’s not what is happening. Google has simply retired it Glass Explorer Program and graduated Glass out of Google[x].

Smart glass is alive and well and ABI Research expects 2015 to be a big year for smart glasses with unit shipment growth of nearly 150 percent, almost of all of which will be in the enterprise and public sector.

More than 90 percent of smart glasses are expected to be sold in the enterprise or public sector for uses such as remote assistance, police and military, security, warehouse and barcode scanning, and, in the consumer space for gaming.

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Dropping oil price a US$1 trillion boost for GDP and IT spending in H1 2015

CanalysWhat has proven a massive hit for the oil and gas industry may turn out to be a silver lining for the IT industry and GDP as a whole in the first half of this year.

According to Canalys, business and consumer IT spending will be boosted by the current oil shock, as prices remain below US$50 per barrel. It believes the reduction in prices will provide a short-term economic stimulus equivalent to a large tax cut, boosting corporate profits and consumer disposable incomes, which will filter into IT spending.

“Price falls translate into a transfer of wealth from producers to importers. Oil producers received approximately US$340 billion less in the second half of 2014 compared with the first half of the year, based on average monthly production and prices. The difference will be even more significant if prices remain at US$50 per barrel and production continues at the same level for the next six months. If this scenario happens, producers will receive almost US$1 trillion dollars less compared with the first half of 2014,” said Matthew Ball, Principal Analyst of Canalys.

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APAC PC market down 6% in 2014

IDCIt’s not surprising but the Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) PC market dipped 6.3 percent to 101 million units in 2014, according to preliminary results from IDC. The fall is not as bad as in 2013, which saw a 10.3 percent drop.

In Q4, the market was flat year-on-year, reaching 25.9 million units, which was marginally higher than IDC’s initial forecasts.

“The good news is that 2015 should not contract as much as last year. While high retail channel inventory and uncertain economic conditions will still bear down on China, upcoming commercial sector activity should help offset that somewhat. India should still have post-elections momentum and yet another large education tender. Indonesia should similarly have post-elections momentum, although high inflation and currency fluctuations are downside risks,” said Handoko Andi Research Manager for Client Devices Research at IDC Asia-Pacific.”

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5.2 billion SIM cards shipped in 2014

abi researchGlobal SIM card shipment will reach 5.2 billion units in 2014, a 5.32 percent increase from 2013, according to ABI Research.

LTE, NFC, and M2M are gaining momentum and considered the trends for the next few years.

Large markets such as India, China, and Saudi Arabia are currently among the last countries to undergo ID registration regulations. Among them only India saw a massive decline in shipments during 2013 but data from 2014 show that the market has successfully stabilised and steady growth is expected from 2015 onwards.

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Lenovo strengthens grip on top spot as PC shipment rises 1% in Q4

GartnerLenovo maintained its pole position in the PC market, holding off HP and Dell. However, the gap between Lenovo and HP narrowed as HP garnered 18.8 percent of the market in Q4, relative to Lenovo’s 19.4 percent, according to Gartner. Dell remained third with 12.7 percent market share.

Overall, worldwide PC shipment totalled 83.7 million units in Q4, a one-percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2013. These results indicate a slow, but consistent improvement following more than two years of decline.

“The PC market is quietly stabilising after the installed base reduction driven by users diversifying their device portfolios. Installed base PC displacement by tablets peaked in 2013 and the first half of 2014. Now that tablets have mostly penetrated some key markets, consumer spending is slowly shifting back to PCs,” said Mikako Kitagawa, Principal Analyst of Gartner.

Continue reading Lenovo strengthens grip on top spot as PC shipment rises 1% in Q4

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Flash-based array market clips US$11b in 2014

IDCFlash-based array is more than just a flash in the pan. The emergence of more robust offerings that can handle a wide range of increasingly complex workloads helped drive the worldwide flash-based array market to US$11.3 billion in 2014, according to IDC.

The impact that flash-based arrays will have on the datacentre is undeniable as more flash-based platforms are delivering enterprise-class data services, including snapshots, clones, encryption, replication, and quality of service (QoS) as well as storage efficiency features.

Once dominated by storage startups looking to carve out a niche with flash-optimised solutions, the promise of flash in the datacentre is driving traditional enterprise storage vendors, such as Dell, EMC, HDS, HP, IBM, NetApp, and Oracle, to all get on board and offer flash-optimised hybrid flash arrays, and in some cases, all-flash arrays.

Continue reading Flash-based array market clips US$11b in 2014
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Tablet sales to be sluggish in 2015

GartnerGlobal demand for tablets will continue to be slow in 2015, according to Gartner. Worldwide tablet sales will reach 233 million units, an eight percent increase from 2014.

“The collapse of the tablet market in 2014 was alarming. In the last two years, global sales of tablets were growing in double-digits. The steep drop can be explained by several factors. One is that the lifetime of tablets is being extended – they are shared out among family members and software upgrades, especially for iOS devices, keep the tablets current. Another factor includes the lack of innovation in hardware which refrains consumers from upgrading,” said Ranjit Atwal, Research Director of Gartner.

Gartner analysts expect vendors in the devices space to announce new partnerships at CES this week that lead to innovative apps that use personal data to tailor the user experience.

Continue reading Tablet sales to be sluggish in 2015