As we approach the end of 2013 we enter a rare period for companies like us, a few days where it’s equally appropriate to look back as it is to keep our focus on the future, and from our perspective, 2013 has been an incredible year.
We began with the announcement of Xperia Z at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. It was a product that would set the tone for months to come and from a design perspective it was revolutionary. The water resistance design feature resonated with both the media and customers in a way that even we had not anticipated and before long all sorts of crazy videos were circulating the internet showing exactly what you could do with a water resistant smartphone. Equally importantly, Xperia Z represented our first words spoken in a new design language that would go on to underpin all our 2013 phones. Our OmniBalance design is, and will remain, a key element of what makes our products special.
Towards the end of January we announced Xperia Tablet Z in Japan and by Mobile World Congress in Barcelona we were able to confirm a global roll out. There’s no doubt, Xperia Tablet Z is the best tablet we’ve ever built, but EISA (European Imaging and Sound Association) went one further and gave it their tablet of the year award.
In May we built out our Xperia range with Xperia ZR, a smartphone designed to bring signature Sony experiences to a wider audience at a more affordable price point. Building on the strength of reaction to Xperia Z’s water resistance, Xperia ZR was our first IP58 smartphone and once again the message coming back from consumers was clear. They loved being able to text in the rain and listen to music by the pool, safe in the knowledge that they weren’t risking damage to their smartphone.
As summer broke we announced Xperia Z Ultra at Shanghai’s Mobile Asia Expo, our first foray into the super large smartphone segment, and another great success. It was the slimmest, lightest phone of its kind and, with amazing advances in technology like the ability for users to use any pencil as a stylus, it was an enormous achievement, a fact which clearly wasn’t lost on Google, with whom we launched a Google Play Edition in December.
We spent most of the summer bringing these products to market and gearing up for our last major smartphone announcement of the year. In September we launched Xperia Z1. Where Xperia Z was a revolution in design, Z1 was a revolution in technology. Through our work with Sony’s camera experts, we were able to create a camera phone that truly blurs the lines between mobile phones and compact cameras, whilst at the same time, new technologies in processors, screens, audio and media integration all came together to produce a smartphone that is simply brilliant. It is our strongest selling smartphone to date and will continue as our flagship into 2014.
2013 was also the year that saw the mainstream acknowledgment that the smart wearables category was beginning to represent a serious opportunity. This may not have been news to us, (we’ve been producing smart watches since 2007) but it was certainly welcome. Our second generation SmartWatch 2 has exceeded our expectations in terms of sales and has been praised by media for the way it solves actual consumer problems. This is all thanks to feedback from you, and we are grateful for it. We are leaders in this space and there will be a lot to talk about in 2014.
Which brings me onto the whole point of this post, which is to say thank you. More than 8 million of you visited this blog during 2013 and countless others have been engaging with us through social media and in our customer forums. You make our products what they are, through your feedback, your engagement with us as a brand, and with our products. We’re listening, we take you seriously, and we are grateful.
2014 is going to be an incredible year, we’ve got some truly exciting products coming up, new form factors to explore and more from our wearables team, so stay tuned and keep talking to us.
Have a very happy new year.
Selasa, 31 Desember 2013
Mac Pro Late 2013 Teardown
After making its debut during the WWDC 2013 Keynote, the reimagined, reformulated Mac Pro finally arrived at iFixit's doorstep. Join us as we turn the (very) Late 2013 Mac Pro inside-out.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest news and updates!
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac+Pro+Late+2013+Teardown/20778
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest news and updates!
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac+Pro+Late+2013+Teardown/20778
New research shows we prefer ‘freemium’ apps, 98% of Play Store revenue comes from them
Free, fremium, or paid? That’s one of the many decisions facing Developers of mobile apps, but recent research may help with the decision making process. If analytics firm Distimo is correct, we’re more apt to make purchases in-app rather than upfront.
The research shows that a massive 98% of revenue in the Play Store was from freemium apps, with the other two percent shared equally between paid apps and paid apps with in-app purchases (paid-paid? Annoying). Their research also shows that we’ll spend in-app on games more than any other category, with 90% of the revenue coming from the freemium model. A respectable 8% comes from straight-up paid apps, while 2% comes from the pesky paid-paid variety.
It’s also worth noting that these figures are worldwide, and the country-by-country breakouts are equally impressive. Emerging markets in Asia lead the way, with South Korea seeing a 759% uptick in revenue. This leads to many of the top grossing apps in the report being ones we’ve not heard of stateside, Especially as you consider China and Japan are second and third with 280% and 245% growth, respectively. Rounding out the top five growth markets are Russia and Germany, with 125% and 90% bumps. The United States sits in seventh place with 81% growth, lagging France with 89%.
The cross-platform bridge is closing as well, with Apple once commanding about 70% of the revenue via their App Store. Now, Google grabs about 37% of the pie, leaving Apple to 63%. That change occurred between June and November of 2013, when the two studies were done. Of course, when considering scale, those numbers don’t affect Apple or Google negatively, regardless of spread.
If you’re wondering what the Play Store makes in a day, Distimo estimates $12 million to be about right. A year ago, in November 2012, Distimo estimated Google to bring in about $3.5 million daily from the Play Store. As for Apple, they held steady, with $18 million per day this year, and $15 million every day last year.
98% of Google Play Store revenue comes from in-app purchases
98% of Google Play Store revenue comes from in-app purchases
http://blog.gsmarena.com/98-of-google-play-store-revenue-from-in-app-purchases/
http://www.distimo.com/publications
http://blog.gsmarena.com/98-of-google-play-store-revenue-from-in-app-purchases/
http://www.distimo.com/publications
Smartphone Champions League Semifinals
Smartphone Champions League Semifinals
http://blog.gsmarena.com/smartphone-champions-league-semifinals/
http://blog.gsmarena.com/smartphone-champions-league-semifinals/
LG TO UNVEIL IMPROVED, STREAMLINED ULTRA PC AND TAB-BOOK 2 AT CES 2014
Versatile New Models Offer Enhanced Mobility,
Refined Design and Lightening Fast Performance
LG Electronics (LG) will be unveiling its newest Ultra PC (Model 13Z940) as well as second generation Tab-Book 2 hybrid devices (Models 11T740 and 11T540) at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, running from January 7 – 10, 2014.
Featuring slimmer designs, the company’s latest PC products weigh less than their predecessors and feature refined, minimalistic form factors. With upgraded capabilities and designs, all of the company’s newest PC products — including the attractive All-In-One (AIO) PC model 27V740 — feature Windows 8.1 and employ LG’s superior IPS display technology, ensuring stunning color accuracy, motion clarity and wide viewing angle.
“Lightweight, beautiful and fast, the latest PC products from LG offer unmatched versatility,” said Hyoung-sei Park, head of the IT Business Division at LG Electronics’ Home Entertainment Company. “Our 2014 lineup is specifically designed to let customers take advantage of cutting-edge technology in a myriad of innovative ways. Essentially, the new generation of PC products from LG enables users to find the perfect computer for their needs, whether it’s for home, work, school or entertainment.”
LG Ultra PC—Lighter for More Mobility
The LG Ultra PC model 13Z940 weighs less than 1kg and sports a clean, minimalist design. LG’s streamlined model offers improved processing, excellent graphics performance and extended battery life thanks to the Haswell Intel® Core™ i5 processor. The LG Ultra PCalso provides instantaneous booting with its solid-state drive (128GB or 256GB) for quick access and greater user convenience.
The 13Z940 Ultra PC has a Full HD 13.3-inch IPS display that incorporates the company’s Super Narrow Bezel design for an industry-leading 4.4mm thin bezels. The LG Ultra PC measures only 13.6mm at its thickest point and weighs in at a very travel-friendly 980g. The Ultra PC features Reader Mode, allowing the user to alter the background of any onscreen image to resemble paper, reducing eye-strain and energy consumption.
LG Tab-Book2 —Redefining ConvenienceOn the Go
The latest Tab-Book 2 models build on the success of LG’s original Tab-Book, which made its first appearance at CES 2013. Running Windows 8.1, both new models in the Tab-Book series are optimized for 10-point touch control and offer slide-out QWERTY keyboards hidden under the11.6-inch touchscreen. With a press of a button on the side of the unit, the keyboard glides smoothly out from beneath the display for immediate action.
The flagship model 11T740 Tab-Book 2 is only 16.7mm thin, making it a superb solution for consumers wanting greater portability without sacrificing features. Tipping the scales at a just 1.05kg, this unique device incorporates an 11.6-inch Full HD IPS display for a maximum brightness of 400nit lumens for easy viewing outdoors. Perfectly suitable for both on-the-go entertainment and work, the model 11T740 Tab-Book 2 implements a fourth generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor to deliver outstanding performance and a seamless user experience. Model 11T740’s little sister, model 11T540 Tab-Book 2, is even lighter at only 930g with a thickness of just 13.7mm.
LG AIO PC — Desktop Power and Convenience for Multimedia Fun
The LG 27-inch AIO PC has a crystal clear Full HD IPS display and runs the Windows 8.1 operating system. Perfectly at home as a TV, monitor or personal computer, the LG AIO PC can easily switch from computer to TV mode using the included remote without having to reboot the PC. For computing and graphics processing power, the new model contains an Intel® Core™ CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M graphics card. What’s more, its picture-in-picture (PIP) feature makes it possible to watch TV and browse the internet simultaneously. The AIO PC is equipped with an HDMI jack to connect to a Blu-ray player, sound bar or other HD home entertainment components.
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