Future Perfect: 4 gadgets that may be worth your money

After they were revealed in Barcelona, several new gadgets are set to hit Philippine markets and here's a rundown of what to expect.

Manila Bulletin's Art Samaniego Jr. talked to Tony Velasquez to sample the new iPad Pro, Acer Jade Primo, Samsung S7 and S7 Edge, and iPhone SE.

Apple has said the iPad Pro is more than just an upgrade of the iPad as it rivals the capacity of a personal computer (PC). It was touted to be the it-gadget for graphic designers as it came with the Apple Pencil. It was also compatible with the Smart Keyboard for users to type more efficiently.

Now, they have introduced a version that comes in a nifty 9.7" package, quite like the original iPad.

Like it's predecessor, the 9.7-inch tablet has a an A9 processor and an M9 motion co-processor.

Compared to the normal iPad, the new tablet produces richer sound quality with its four speakers--one on each corner. Apple has also improved its rear camera, going from 8MP to 12MP.

It is also equipped with True Tone technology, which uses light sensors to adjust the display to maintain consistent colors in a variety of environments.

According to Samaniego, "for sketching, the bigger is better. The iPad Pro 9.7 is for people who love the idea of the iPad Pro, but wants the size of the original iPad plus better camera"





Now here's a quirky idea for the mobile generation: a phone that can be your PC's Central Processing Unit (CPU).

Because it runs on Windows 10, the Acer Liquid Jade Primo is almost literally a handy PC because it supports Microsoft's feature called "Continuum." This means that with a specialized dock, you can connect it to a keyboard, mouse, and monitor and it will run basic Windows apps.

The Primo carries a 21MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. It also has a 5.5” full HD AMOLED screen, Qualcomm hexa-core processor, 3GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage.

It is not graphics-intensive, and Samaniego said it's not compatible for video editing, so one must not put his hopes up too high.

But he added, "many people don’t like to store their data in the Cloud—they’re afraid of security, they want it in their possession. This is one of the solutions."

The phone will sell at P25,000 but the dock and keyboard will be sold separately.



The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are the latest offerings from the Korean tech giant.

S7 and S7 Edge have Quad HD super AMOLED display measuring 5.5” and 5.1” respectively. Both phones have cameras with 90% improvement from previous models.

Pre-ordered S7 and S7 Edge was bundled with Samsung's virtual reality headset, the Gear VR.

"It’s an improved version of the [Google] Cardboard which you have featured a long time ago. This one now has easier controls," he said pertaining to the touch pad located at the headset's side.

The Oculus app has to installed on the phone, then it must be docked into a slot in the headset for you to enjoy the 360 experience.

The Gear VR supports only Samsung Note 5, S6, S6 Edge, S7, and S7 Edge but the headgear may be bought separately for P4,000.


Apple recently backtracked and released a smaller phone in the form of the iPhone SE (Special Edition).

Samaniego described it as a phone "with 5S body with 6S specs" and added that this could be a good phone for first-time iPhone users.

The SE shares the 6S' 12MP rear camera and retina display but not its 3D touch feature.

While the 6S sells at $649, the SE will sell at $399.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

REVIEW: The iPad that makes the best sketches

Apple is giving art a further digital revolution with its iPad Pro that has a sketch pad equipped with tools for digital art perfection.

The iPad Pro has a Pencil, which is bought separately, for better sketching experience.

Apple's largest iPad model yet, with a 12.9-inch screen, also has an optional keyboard dock that is connected physically.

The iPad Pro sells for USD799, while its Pencil sells for USD99 and its keyboard dock for USD299.

For more of iPad Pro's features, Manila Bulletin Tech Lab has let ANC's Future Perfect take a closer look.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple faces hurdles as it positions iPad Pro for business use

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc. faces significant challenges selling its larger and more powerful iPad Pro to businesses because companies are reluctant to switch software vendors and use an expensive device that lacks specialized business apps, analysts said.

"They've tried to ... focus on the enterprise but over the last two years it has really not been successful," said Daniel Ives, a senior analyst at FBR Capital Markets. The enterprise market, which is how Apple refers to its business customers, represents 10 percent of its $183 billion annual revenue, he said.

Apple has at least one client so far: General Electric has given some of its 305,000 employees the option to use Apple devices at work, with 20,000 iPads and 60,000 iPhones now available in their offices. It is not clear how much this is worth for Apple, nor how it generates about $18 billion a year from the enterprise market.

Apple officials declined to comment on plans to market iPads to business customers, referring queries to a product announcement event that happened Sept. 9. At that event, Phil Schiller, Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said the iPad Pro was faster than 80 percent of portable PCs, signaling that Apple may think the device could replace workplace laptops from companies like Dell and HP. Schiller called the iPad Pro "ideal for professional productivity."

Selling tablets to corporate buyers is an attractive option for Apple amid slowing global iPad sales, which have fallen for two quarters. Research firm Forrester projects that sales to businesses will represent as much as 20 percent of the overall tablet market by 2018, compared to 14 percent this year, as the market grows from 218 million units to 250 million units.

"The iPad Pro is important for Apple because they're beginning to saturate the personal device space and it's a logical step for the company if they wish to expand their market share," said Michael Yoshikami, head of Destination Wealth Management, which has $1.5 billion under management and owns Apple shares.

The price of its products is one obstacle Apple faces as it tries to move deeper into the enterprise market.

The iPad Pro starts at $799 but costs more than $1,000 if buyers also want a keyboard and an optional stylus. That's more than Apple's existing tablets as well as devices made by Microsoft Corp and other PC makers like Lenovo. It's about the same price as Apple's own MacBook Air, a laptop.

The iPad Pro's biggest competitor is likely Microsoft's 12-inch Surface Pro 3, also geared towards the business market. While the Surface has the same starting price as the iPad Pro, Apple charges extra for a keyboard and stylus.

In July, Microsoft said its Surface line of tablets brought in $888 million in the most recent quarter, up 117 percent from the same time last year, boosted in largest part by the Surface Pro 3 and the launch of Surface 3.

"The most formidable opposition to adoption is price ... The iPad Pro has a lot of utility and technology that Apple brought to bear but unfortunately the price never goes away as a challenge," said Keith Bachman, a senior analyst at BMO Capital Markets.

It's also not clear how Apple is going to expand their sales to businesses, as only a few companies like GE have made any significant investment to switch to Apple devices, said J.P. Gownder, a Forrester principal analyst.

At GE, which gives employees the option of using Apple devices at work, just 10,000 of its 170,000 office workers using computers on a regular basis use a Mac.

In the meantime, Apple has entered into partnerships with IBM and Cisco, aimed at creating more enterprise-friendly software to run on iOS, the Apple operating system, but little is known about these partnerships.

The iPad Pro is "going to be a real accelerator for our partnership and Apple as well," said Katharyn White, IBM's vice president of strategy and markets for the company and Apple's partnership. "Clients that have seen it and are thinking about it are really excited about it."

A Forrester survey last year of more than 4,000 office workers found that they still rely heavily on laptops at the workplace and estimated that global information workers are three times more likely to use them for longer than four hours per day than tablets.

Finally, analysts say that the vast majority of companies use custom-built applications and databases that are still not compatible with Apple's iOS and are unlikely to switch to Mac devices.

GE has an internal group dedicated to developing applications that can run on Apple's mobile devices, and IBM and Apple are developing a number of iOS applications for enterprise clients in industries ranging from banking to healthcare.

But for most companies, Gownder said, "You still can't run all your business-critical applications through Apple."

Gownder wrote in a report on Thursday that technology decision-makers currently favor Windows over iOS for ease of support by 42 percent to 16 percent.

"Enterprises have spent billions on applications that are unique to their business and having 40 apps from IBM doesn't change that fact overnight," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple launches new iPhones, iPad Pro

May mga bagong inilabas na iPhone na mas pinabilis at mas pina-high tech. Meron ding mas pinalaking iPad. Pero ang mga kalaban, may pantapat. Bandila, September 10, 2015, Huwebes

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple presses deeper with new iPhones and more

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple is bolstering its money-pumping iPhone line while looking to dive deep into businesses with iPads and dominate living rooms with Apple TV hardware tuned to app-loving lifestyles.

Tricked-out new iPhone 6 models, along with overhauled Apple TV hardware and iPad Pro tablets with enlarged screens, were major announcements at the technology titan's media event Wednesday in San Francisco.

"Apple did the typical good job at the event," Gartner analyst Brian Blau told AFP. "Overall, I don't think it is going to push the needle for Apple in a good or a bad direction. These are great devices and cool features."

Apple shares ended the official trading day down slightly less than 2 percent at $110.15, and danced around that price in after-market trades.

"If you are an investor, you are probably not that excited about today because you didn't hear numbers and these features won't impact sales this quarter," Blau said.

3D touch

Apple introduced two updated iPhones to build on the success of large-screen handsets introduced last year that have dominated the high-end smartphone market.

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus have the same overall dimensions as the previous versions, but with new technologies under the hood.

One of the key new features is called "3D touch," which responds to pressure exerted on the screen to allow users to look inside messages and applications.

"Apple has performed the ultimate conjuring trick: Change everything about the iPhone, but make it look almost identical to the old model," IHS Technology said in a posted analysis.

By responding to sensing pressure, the phones enable users to dip in and out of content without losing their place.

"It will further refine our use of touch as a main user interface," Blau said.

The 6S has the 4.7-inch display of its predecessor and the 6S Plus -- which updates one of the more popular handsets in the "phablet category" -- has the same 5.5-inch screen.

But the devices have more powerful processors that allow for improved graphics, harder glass and a new aluminum body. Pricing will be kept at the same levels as the earlier versions.

For those buying without carrier subsidies, Apple will sell the devices on a 24-month installment plan at $27 per month for the $650 iPhone 6S and $31 for the 6S Plus, making the price nearly $750.

Apple will take pre-orders starting Saturday and deliver the phones September 25 in the US, Britain, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Singapore.

iPad Pro

The new iPad Pro has the power and capabilities to replace a laptop computer, Apple said. It had aspects reminiscent of Microsoft Surface Pro tablets, such as covers that double as keyboards.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook called the device "the biggest news in iPad since the iPad."

The new tablet with a 12.9-inch display also includes a detachable keyboard and stylus, sold separately.

According to Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller, the device features "desktop-class performance" and operates faster than 80 percent of portable PCs that shipped in the last 12 months.

The new iPad will be available in November starting at $799.

The iPad Pro stylus, called Apple Pencil, was designed for high-precision illustration and 3D design applications. Apple Pencil will be sold for $99 more and the keyboard for $169.

Avi Greengart at the research firm Current Analysis tweeted that the new tablets "are aimed directly at enterprises. That's a long sales cycle, but could finally stop (the tablet market's) sales slide."

Upgraded TV box
Upgraded Apple TV includes voice search, touchscreen remote control and an app store in a challenge to Google, Amazon and Roku.

Apple TV was overhauled as people increasingly stream films and television shows on-demand online and turn to mobile applications for entertainment.

"We believe the future of television is apps," Cook said.

Apple released a software kit for outside developers, and showed off early versions of Apple TV applications already being crafted by show streaming services Netflix and Hulu, as well as HBO.

Apple TV has the potential to take the kinds of "casual game" apps popular on mobile devices and put them on television screens, according to analysts.

Ask for something funny

Siri virtual assistant software newly built into Apple TV will allow for natural language searches for shows -- for example, by asking for something funny or a certain actor by name.

The new Apple TV will launch in late October at a starting price of $149.

Apple TV has lagged rivals with similar devices. According to the research firm Parks Associates, Roku leads the US market with a 37 percent market share, to 19 percent for Google Chromecast and 17 percent for Apple TV. Amazon's Fire TV devices have 14 percent.

"For Apple TV to succeed it will have to give people what they already want on a TV: TV shows," said Forrester analyst James McQuivey.

Apple also said the operating system for its Apple Watch, watchOS 2, would be made available as a free update September 16.

The company offered no sales figures but Cook said customers "love using Apple Watch," and that user satisfaction "is an incredible 97 percent."

The latest iteration of the Watch, created with French fashion house Hermes, features a hand-stitched leather band and starts at $1,100.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Microsoft shares Apple stage in tech world twist

SAN FRANCISCO -- Loyal Apple fans likely shuddered on Wednesday as longtime nemesis Microsoft was welcomed at a high-profile media event to show off software tailored for a new iPad.

The US software titan had been mocked at previous Apple events as not just an entrenched adversary but as a copycat waiting to duplicate the company's innovations.

Yet Apple chief executive Tim Cook offered the surprise introduction by saying, "Who knows more about productivity than Microsoft?"

Building on the surprise, an Adobe demonstration came in the wake of a presentation by Microsoft executive Kirk Koenigsbauer at the San Francisco event which featured a new iPad Pro and other devices.

"Now Adobe, it's like a parade of conquered rivals paying homage," well-known technology journalist Walt Mossberg of Re/code wrote as he covered the event.

Technology news website Mashable marked the moment with the headline "Hell freezes over: Microsoft makes surprise appearance at Apple event."

The Mashable writer went on to put the Microsoft appearance on par with a Steve Job's nightmare.

Late Apple co-founder Jobs unabashedly fired barbs at Microsoft, which was portrayed as an evil empire overlord while the iconic California was a rebel force.

Microsoft and Apple fans have clashed in San Francisco coffee houses with the kind of intensity though more common for lovers of rival sports teams.

Microsoft's unprecedented appearance on an Apple event stage left those fans to now argue whether it was a sign of Microsoft's defeat in the long-running war or whether Apple needed them as an ally to push iPads deeper into the business world.

"We are focused on reinventing productivity," Koenigsbauer said. "Today, more than ever we are supporting productivity on Apple devices."

He showed off Office work software tailored for a new, larger-screen iPad Pro.

Adobe, whose Flash program was banned from iOS by Jobs in 2010, meanwhile showed off a new application designed for the iPad Pro, dubbed Photoshop Fix.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com