Everyone knows that Windows is installed on the vast majority of computers, but it’s always interesting to be reminded of what a cash cow the OS has been for Redmond. According to Gartner, Microsoft owned 78.6 percent of the global market for desktop operating systems at the end of 2010 — up almost 9 percent from 2009. That means, of the $30.4 billion in revenue that various companies generated, $23.8 billion lined Microsoft’s coffers. But while Windows remains the kingpin, Mac OS X and — wait for it — Red Hat, posted more substantial gains. Apple’s market share shot up almost 16 percent to 1.7 percent market share, Red Hat surged 18 percent, while dark horse Oracle leaped from ninth place to fourth, with a 7,683 percent growth in market share — no small thanks to its 2009 acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Only one question remains, then — who’s the loser?
The first of Lenovo’s CES-announced S Series, the S205, sauntered into the computer manufacturer’s online store this week, albeit lacking the 8GB DDR3 SDRAM option mentioned at its announcement. The base model sells for $499, sporting a 1.60Ghz dual-core AMD Fusion E-350 CPU, an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 resolution) 16:9 widescreen panel, 3GB of DDR3 SDRAM, ATI Mobility Radeon 6310 graphics, and a 350GB HDD. Two higher cost configurations score an extra gig of RAM, an optional Bluetooth radio, and a 500GB or 750GB HDD. The lesser of the higher end models can be had for a $429 at LogicBuy until Wednesday, if you can live without Bluetooth (which man did for thousands of years, but you know what we mean).
Volvo has denied speculations that suggest the launch of a flagship model. They made the statement regarding this following the introduction of the Universe concept at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby made it clear in an interview that a flagship is not there in the company’s midterm or long-term strategy. He further said that it is too early to enter the S-class size market with their newly speculated auto. Right the company plans to concentrate with new products on its core segments.
The Universe concept, which debuted recently, has a restrained design and is said to have been built to preview the company’s flagship sedan. It presents an ingenious blend of design and technology packed in a modern and luxurious body. Well, on the speculated flagship model, let’s not expect it anytime soon.
As mentioned yesterday, the white iPhone 4 did generate some lines, especially in Asia. In Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, lines were very long, reaching into the hundreds. Of the few reports of lines at North American locations, the longest seems to have reached around 10 people. It’s worth noting that the black iPhone 4 went on sale in China in September 2010, while in the U.S., it has been available since June. Conceivably, that could mean that U.S. buyers had more time to give in and buy the black iPhone rather than wait for the white model.
But it’s also a sign that Apple’s priorities may soon shift, as China and other emerging markets represent the largest potential growth markets for the company. Apple saw huge growth for the iPhone in China last quarter, and Strategy Analytics just released a report showing Apple has passed ZTE Corp. to become the world’s largest handset maker as measured by shipments, for the first calendar quarter of 2011. ZTE is a Chinese phone maker, and arguably Apple’s biggest competition in the Chinese market.
The white iPhone definitely appears to be selling well in at least a few markets other than China, too, since ship times for the device have slipped to five business days from three to five days in some international stores, such as those in Italy, the U.K., France and Spain. Apple typically prioritizes the U.S. when it comes to device shipments, so slipping ship times don’t necessarily indicate that those countries are the ones experiencing the strongest sales.
Finally, users who’ve had the chance to compare the white and black iPhones side-by-side have noted that the white version is just a hair thicker than the black one: 0.2 mm thicker, to be exact. It makes Apple’s marketing claim that the iPhone 4 is “the world’s thinnest smartphone” just a little less accurate than it had recently become. No word on what’s behind the extra girth, as Apple’s website still lists the official specs for both at the same at 0.37 inches. It could be that the extra UV protection the white paint requires accounts for some additional thickness. Reports so far suggest that the extra thickness isn’t significantly affecting the fit of most cases, but you should double-check before you buy one just to make sure.
The white iPhone 4 may be just a color change for a 10-month old device, but its reception provides a hint at the future of a possible shift in Apple’s primary buying public, and its production demonstrates Apple’s continued dedication to getting product design right prior to release. In the end, nobody can pull off new paint on an old barn quite like Apple.
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Kate Middleton didn’t just become the odds-on favorite to be the future Queen of England today, she also made her debut on Maxim magazine’s Hot 100 list.
While the full list won’t be revealed for a few more days, Maxim revealed that Middleton debuts at No. 26, and is the first member of a Royal Family to make the list.
Toshiba’s forthcoming Honeycomb tablet is already headed to Japanese stores as the Regza AT300, but it’s been a bit slower in arriving stateside. Now it seems the company could be close to shipping a real, working product here in the US. The still unnamed slate — dubbed the ET100/WT100 for now — has won FCC approval for its 802.11n and Bluetooth radios. To recap, the slate will have a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, run on NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 platform, and sport dual cameras, HDMI and USB ports, an SD card reader, and, possibly, a removable battery. We say, bring it on.
Thursday, Apple filed a patent application for “personalized fitness services” on a handheld device, focusing on exercise in a gym setting. Features would include how-to videos for equipment, as well as the ability to check on classes and possibly schedule training sessions.
Social networking would also play a role in the app, with possible features including finding a “workout buddy,” as well as leaderboards. Users could also be challenged to “beat” workouts by others through notifications. Performance would also be measured, and results delivered as post-workout critiques, which would be part of the “motivating” aspect of the app. If simple self-improvement was insufficient, the patent application also includes the idea of rewards outside the app in the form of coupons or gifts.
While this sounds like an interesting idea, the obvious drawback is that necessary equipment would include a compatible gym to get the most out of the app. Considering that to date Apple has published just ten apps for the iPhone and iPod touch, a fitness app requiring a special gym seems an odd choice for the 11th.
However, as can be seen in the diagram, Nike is mentioned, a fitness company that Apple has had a product partnership with since 2006. That relationship lends credence to this patent application being more than just a vague idea. Would you be interested in such an app, even if it meant finding and belonging to a gym that supported it?
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Kate Middleton stepped out Friday in a white long-sleeved wedding dress with a surprisingly-plunging neckline designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
“It was very impressive,” celebrity stylist and author of “The Shopping Diet” Phillip Bloch told FOX411 Friday. “I think Kate will be inspiring countless copycats.”
“It was definitely a return to minimalism,” Bloch said of the dress. “It was very Grace Kelly and looked very 1950s to me. Very simple and clean, there were no embellishments, no sequins or beading.”
After months of speculation, the choice to go with McQueen was a bit of a surprise to Bloch.
“I was surprised, mainly because McQueen is such an upscale brand. Katherine and William seem to be fashioning themselves as the princess and prince of the people and McQueen is not a brand most people can afford.”
“It’s also a brand that’s affiliated with a goth, dark motif,” he added. “But nothing about the dress really said McQueen to me, except the sculpture of the bodice, which was beautiful. It actually felt more like Vera Wang to me.”
Bloch added that Middleton’s style choices have already put her on track to be a style icon, much like her husband’s mother, the late Princess Diana.
“She’s really learned from Diana’s mistakes and is carrying the torch impeccably,” Bloch said.
Princess Diana on her wedding day in 1981 (AP)
Like Diana, Middleton wore a tiara, which Bloch says was a first for a commoner to wear as she walked into the church. Middleton’s tiara was on lend from Queen Elizabeth, who received it as a gift from her mother on her 18th birthday.
Crafted by Cartier in 1936 and purchased by the Duke of York just weeks before he became king, the tiara was a nod to royal tradition, as Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell told Fox News Friday.
“[Middleton] is conforming to royal traditions. She’s wearing a tiara, a veil over her face into the abbey, which is very respectful of our queen,” he said.
And Plum Sykes, a contributing editor for Vogue magazine, tells Fox that it’s Middleton’s fabulous head gear choices that add to her signature style.
“Kate Middleton dresses very conservatively but she has these divine whimsical fascinators on her head,” Sykes said. “It’s very British.”
Also in keeping with tradition, Middleton wore long sleeves into the church, a look not often seen in American weddings, but one Bloch says we can expect to see more of after today’s ceremony.
“It’s not necessarily modern to do a long sleeve, but it’s a church custom,” he said. “Her choice to do the lace sleeve was dignified, but still sexy. The look was form-fitting, with the plunging neckline, but the sleeves kept it dignified.”
Another surprising element was the choice of white dresses for the bridesmaids, a look that Bloch said was in keeping with the couple’s love of modern takes on old-world traditions.
“Centuries ago, the bridesmaids used to wear white as a way to camouflage the bride from kidnapping attempts,” Bloch said. “So it might seem like a strange choice to have them in white, but it’s actually very traditional. She brings a modern take on old traditions and makes them her own.”
American wedding designer , Kimberly Lee Minor, who is the chief fashion strategist for Priscilla of Boston, echoed Bloch’s sentiments.
“Kate solidified that sleeves can look beautiful and fresh” Minor told FOX411 in a statement. “This was a tipping point.”
Humor: it’s what separates humans from machines, GlaDOS from HAL 9000, and even a good boss from a great boss. For millennia humor was seemingly unlearnable — either you had it or you didn’t — but two University of Washington computer scientists have cracked part of the comedy code. They’ve developed an algorithm to find potential innuendos in everyday speech: a “that’s what she said” detector. Their approach, dubbed “Double Entendre via Noun Transfer” (DeviaNT), uses a “sexiness” rating for nouns, adjectives, and verbs, while also analyzing the likelihood of similar combinations occurring in erotic literature. Higher values signal higher TWSS potential, and the researchers have successfully tested their program with user-generated content from websites like TWSSStories. Why is this useful, you ask? It’s one more advance in natural-language processing, helping researchers codify the subtle workings of human language. Just think: one day, a softball like “I think this meat is too big for my buns” might receive the same “clever” response from your computer as from your juvenile friends.
Accidents are never a laughing matter, and we sincerely hope all involved here emerged unharmed from the accident, but a Lamborghini on its roof is quite a sight. The accident happened this morning Tuesday, on a renowned driving road in Cape Town: De Waal Drive. The car looks like the smaller Gallardo model. It also looks very flat; we’re hoping it isn’t a cabriolet.
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Apple finally launched the white iPhone 4
