Photo: courosa / Flickr

Christmas has just past, and a look at many wish lists, recommended gifts lists, and Twitter revealed which were the hottest Christmas gifts in 2011. Our list is paired down to consumer gadgets and electronics.

Amazon Kindle Fire

Unsurprisingly, the Amazon Kindle Fire was one of the hottest Christmas gifts this year, proving a massive hit in North America. While Amazon has yet to – and may never actually – reveal sales numbers, it’s thought that the company may have sold 3-5 million Kindle Fire tablet PCs in the fourth quarter, with sales spike around Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s suspected that the Kindle e-readers are also selling very well, too.

iPhone and iPad

Apple’s mobile devices have sold incredibly well, and, at various points throughout Christmas, the iPhone was a trending topic. The iPhone 4S is on course to be the highest selling smartphone (if not mobile phone) of all time, and the iPad is still leading the pace for tablet devices, even though the Kindle has made it slightly less comfortable. Not to be outdone, though, sales of Android smartphones were also incredibly strong throughout the holiday season, with Android chief Andy Rubin reporting that activations of Android devices had crossed 700,000 units daily.

Video games

Video game consoles are traditionally strong sellers over this period, but it’s been a mixed bag in Christmas 2011. In Japan, the Playstation Vita got off to a so-so start, selling 321,000 units, with the device being marred by usage problems, too.

The Nintendo 3DS, on the other hand, also did well in Japan and other parts of the world, with the console crossing the 4 million units sold mark, off the back of a record high of 510,629 units in a week. While the sales are still not at a level Nintendo would want they are indicative that handheld consoles have life in them still. It appears reports of smartphones killing handhelds are exaggerated, but it is undeniable that they have eaten into their market share.

In addition to strong sales of handheld consoles over Christmas 2011, it would be unsurprising to see consoles post strong sales figures, too, for this period when the NPD Group reports sales figures for the period.

Photo: Apple

Apple has reportedly acquired Anobit, an Israeli startup that specialises in flash memory design. The acquisition – reportedly costing some $500 million – sees the world’s number one buyer of flash memory look to improve the storage medium used in the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Macbook Air by bringing some of its design in-house.

Flash memory a huge priority for Apple

Flash memory is a storage medium that offers several advantages over moving parts hard drives, especially in mobile devices. These include lower power consumption, meaning batteries last longer, higher speed performance and the fact that it has no moving parts, meaning the memory unit is less susceptible to breaking.

Given Apple has become a mobile devices company – with the iPhone and iPad contributing more than two thirds of total revenue – flash memory has become a growing concern for the company, reflected by its acquisition of Anobit now, and its acquisitions of PA Semi and Intrinsity prior.

Why this purchase matters

Writing about why this acquisition is important, ArsTechnica’s Chris Foresman says: ‘Anobit has developed unique technologies that can increase the reliability of multi-level cell designs. In fact, Apple already uses an Anobit-designed DSP chip in iPhones, iPads, and MacBook Airs to extend the life of the NAND flash chips in those devices.’

He continues, saying: ‘Its [Anobit’s] specialty is creating, testing, and verifying new designs that implement its technological innovations, and then licensing the designs to companies like Apple. By buying up Anobit, Apple can keep its flash storage improvement technologies all to itself as a competitive advantage.’

At the margins

In the mobile devices space, where every little advantage, from performance and reliability to battery life and software, acquisitions of this nature present incremental benefits. And with the mobile devices space fast shaping to become the most hotly contested in all of technology – if it is not so already – acquisitions of this nature are likely to become more frequent.

Photo: niallkennedy / Flickr

Facebook, Google and Apple (in that order) have made it to Glassdoor’s list of top 10 places to work. The findings were published in the review company’s fourth annual Employee’s Choice Awards.

The list contains the top 50 places to work based on information gathered from over 250,000 employees. Things like salary, benefits, work-life balance, opportunities to advance and opinions about the way the CEO runs the company were taken under consideration.

Facebook’s fun

Coming in at third place, Facebook ranked 4.3 out of a maximum score of 5. Facebook employees admitted to having a heavy workload but added that the work was very rewarding. Rather than being micro-managed, Facebook employees are given plenty of responsibility, ‘unreal’ perks and a fun atmosphere to work in. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, scored an approval rating of 98 per cent from his employees.

Google’s great perks

Google, in fifth place, scored 4.0 overall. One reviewer sent a ‘day in the life’ overview of working at Google to Glassdoor. Highlights included a free shuttle to work, free breakfast, a workout with a personal trainer, a massage, free dinner and a free shuttle ride home. Based on 74 reviews, CEO Larry Page earned an approval rating of 92 per cent. Considering all these perks, it’s no surprise Google employees were happy to give their employer and Larry Page such a high rating.

Apple

Apple placed at the bottom of the list, at number 10. Employees commented on being able to ‘work on the products that people have real emotional commitment to’, working in an environment that’s fun and the great pay and benefits the company offers. Negatives included little room for career advancement and repetitive tasks. Tim Cook, CEO, earned an approval rating of 96 per cent, the highest of the three tech companies that made the list.

Photo: MaxVT / Flickr

Apple is reportedly in talks with high profile iOS accessory makers about the implementation of Bluetooth 4.0. The connectivity format will reportedly be targeted at health and fitness devices in the early days, making the possibility of it being extended to other in-house Apple projects, like AppleTV and the Apple Television, that little bit more likely.

The Verge were the first to report the news. Nilay Patel writes: ‘We’re told that Apple wants to see a new wave of app-based accessories using the new Bluetooth Low Energy profile in Bluetooth 4.0, with a particular focus on next-generation health and fitness gadgets like the FitBit Ultra and Jawbone Up.’

Given that the original Nike fitness app that paired with Nike sneakers back in the day was the first high profile fitness/mobile device pairing, this seems a natural evolution.

Pilay continues, saying: ‘We’re also told Apple is making it easier too for MFI accessories to connect to Wi-Fi networks by automatically pulling the appropriate configuration information from your iOS device over Bluetooth or the docking cable – all you have to do is approve the request and your accessory will hop online without any extra effort.‘ This will mean Wi-Fi based accessories and AirPlay docks and devices will be simpler to use and pair in the future, as opposed to how they work right now, which requires some effort on the users part.

What’s next?

With Apple making a concerted move to push AirPlay, and with the rumours that a refreshed AppleTV could soon hit the market, as well as the long talked-about Apple television, pairing iOS devices with other pieces of hardware – both large and small – could become a key function of extending the use of the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. I’m curious to see what comes of this Bluetooth 4.0 push.

Photo: nitot / Flickr

When Apple introduced the iPhone 4S, with its artificial intelligence voice assistant service Siri, tech writers and consumers were gushing over the feature. Now, more than a month into the life of Apple’s new smartphone and its artificial intelligence system, some critics are not so hot for the service anymore.

In a post titled ‘Siri is Apple’s broken promise’, Gizmodo writer Mat Honan expresses his disappointment. He believes Apple misrepresents Siri’s ability, particularly in its commercials. ‘What those Apple ads fail to report – at all – is that Siri is very much a half-baked product. Siri is officially in beta. Go to Siri’s homepage on Apple.com, and you’ll even notice a little beta tag by the name,’ Honan writes. A secondary problem Honan notes is that ‘Siri requires a network connection to work. Lose your connection and you lose your assistant.’

He concludes his piece, saying: ‘And for me, once the novelty wore off, what I found was that Siri is not so intelligent after all– it’s simply another voice program that will obey very specific commands.’

Apple watcher agrees

Apple watcher John Gruber agrees with Honan in part, saying: ‘the whole thing still isn’t up to Apple’s usual level of fit and finish, not by a long shot.’ He explains that he is still happy the Apple iPhone 4S has Siri built in, and that the reason Apple shipped it incomplete is to improve on it based on usage feedback. Nevertheless, Gruber concludes his piece echoing some of Honan’s sentiment, saying: ‘But there’s no denying that it’s damn weird for the flagship new feature in Apple’s flagship new product to be so rough around the edges.’

Thoughts

I use Apple’s voice assistant for very few functions. The functions I use it for, I enjoy using it for, but it is not my first call for all solutions it has been built for. It may not be all that which Apple’s commercials represent, but the early promise of what could come cannot be ignored.

Photo: Gabriele B / Flickr

Apple has the most loyal mobile device users in the world, a report by Gfk Research found. The research company said that iPhone loyalty was one of the biggest competitive advantages Apple has, but that competitors still had a chance to change market share if they moved fast.

Loyalty is almost everything

GfK analyst Ryan Garner says that, on average, 63 per cent of mobile phone users stick to the brand of handset they currently have. Unpacking this sentiment, he explained that building customer loyalty was as crucial as building market position, because as users become more acclimatised to their platform over time, the less likely a dramatic change in market share is.

Apple lead

The research firm surveyed 4,500 people in Brazil, Britain, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States. Based on finding in that research, where 70 per cent of those surveyed said they would stick to their platforms due to how content and media is seamlessly integrated, GfK Research analyst Ryan Garner said [via Reuters]: ‘Apple is clearly ahead of the game, but developments next year will challenge that.’

Still room for competition

He said that the rapid growth of Google’s Android platform and the mere presence of Windows Phone 7 was enough reason to believe the door on competition is not closed just yet, though, even if iPhone loyalty levels are higher than those of other platforms.

GfK added that: ‘The scope for brands to lure customers from rivals has diminished and the richest rewards will go to those providers that can create the most harmonious user experience and develop this brand loyalty.’

What’s next?

GfK Research’s findings on iPhone loyalty echoes that of similar studies conducted throughout the year. Moreover, at an intuitive level, the general findings ring true for most smartphone users, especially on a platform basis. If you drop £100+ on applications for Android, WP7 or iOS, it’s highly unlikely you’re going to switch platforms at whim.

Photo: UggBoy♥UggGirl [ PHOTO // WORLD // TRAVEL ] / Flickr

Comedian Louis C.K. told Forbes that the next technology pioneer would be female. While his reasoning is typical C.K. comedy, there is plenty of merit to the sentiment, and to be frank, it would be good for the technology industry.

Totally be a chick

Speaking to Fast Company’s Nancy Miller, Louis C.K. explained that the world is transforming, and that women have more opportunities than ever before, even though there are still challenges. He says: ‘The next Steve Jobs will totally be a chick, because girls are No. 2 – and No. 2 always wins in America. Apple was a No. 2 company for years, and Apple embodies a lot of what have been defined as feminine traits: an emphasis on intuitive design, intellect, a strong sense of creativity, and that striving to always make the greatest version of something.’

Men are like Microsoft

He prefaced that statement by saying that the world loves underdogs, and women are the underdog in this situation. Unsurprisingly, comedian Louis C.K. didn’t think as highly of men – and he clearly doesn’t think highly of the house Bill Gates built, neither. He says: ‘Traditionally, men are more like Microsoft, where they’ll just make a fake version of what that chick made, then beat the shit out of her and try to intimidate everybody into using their product.’ Ouch.

It’s time

Ironically, C.K.’s sentiment comes at a time when a massive debate has broken out in Silicon Valley – the epicentre of the tech world – about whether the Valley is a pure meritocracy or if minorities have a harder time making it there than the usual suspects, namely white males. Having said that, though, the CEO of HP and the CEO of IBM are both females, and these are two of the biggest technology companies in the world. Perhaps comedian Louis C.K. is not all that prophetic, and is just calling a trend that’s already in motion.

Photo: HTC

HTC is re-evaluating its plans to acquire S3 Graphics off the heels of the graphics company lawsuit against Apple being thrown out this week. Though it seems bizarre to acquire a company solely on a litigious basis, HTC has gotten cold feet.

Disappointed with the outcome

A statement was issued to paidContent regarding the future of the acquisition. It’s startlingly frank about the HTC S3 acquisition being solely about, well, suing Apple. ‘HTC is disappointed at the outcome of the recent ITC ruling that stated Apple did not infringe S3 Graphics’ patents. S3 Graphics will continue to appeal,’ reads the statement.

Convinced Apple would lose

The Taiwanese company admits that it has been getting ready to challenge Apple in court through this acquisition, saying: ‘HTC has made significant effort in preparing for these complicated legal proceedings, including a complete legal investigation and comprehensive report on patent and price evaluations. HTC had decided to acquire S3 Graphics based on the strong belief that evidences of patent infringement from Apple were clear and ITC ruled in its initial determination that Apple had infringed two patents from S3.’

Rethinking acquisition

The likelihood of an HTC S3 acquisition has cooled, though, with news that the Apple S3 lawsuit has been thrown out. The statement continues with: ‘However in light of recent development, HTC will work closely in good faith with VIA Technologies and WTI Investment International to conduct [a] holistic re-evaluation of the S3 Graphics acquisition.’

Strange acquisition practices

Wow. Patent litigation and lawsuits in the smartphone world have become so significant that whole acquisitions are negotiated and cancelled on the outcome or potential outcome of a suit. It seems crazy, at surface level. 9to5Mac also points out that HTC and VIA, the current owners of S3 Graphics, belong to the same parent company, making this ‘acquisition’ less than straightforward.

Photo: Brian Sawyer / Flickr

On the heels of plenty of press, the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet PC is poised to become the second-biggest tablet PC before the year’s end. This is according to a survey conducted by ChangeWave, who also found that year-on-year tablet PC demand more than tripled, and that demand for Apple’s iPad remained very strong.

Triple the tablet demand from last year

ChangeWave surveyed 3,043 North American shoppers to find out how many of them planned on purchasing tablet PCs within the next 90 days. Fourteen per cent of them responded ‘yes’. This is more than double the 6 per cent of respondents who had said yes when they were asked this question back in August, and its more than triple the 4 per cent of respondents who intended on buying tablet devices in November of 2010.

iPad dominates, Kindle Fire second

Unsurprisingly, most of those planning on purchasing tablet devices had intentions of buying an Apple iPad 2. A whopping 65 per cent of respondents said they would buy Apple’s tablet. This was followed by 22 per cent of respondents who indicated their intent of purchasing an Amazon Kindle Fire. Rounding up the top three – and way off the pace set by Apple and Amazon – was the Samsung Galaxy Tab, with 4 per cent of respondents saying that was their choice device.

None of the remaining tablet manufacturers managed to get more than 1 per cent of consumer interest from those polled – a very telling stat about how one company (and now, potentially, two) has a vice grip on the space.

Early promise

For the Amazon Kindle Fire, the early demand is promising. The Apple iPad 2 is established and its dominance has been this way since day one. If this ChangeWave survey is anything to go by, other tablet PC manufacturers have plenty of work ahead of them.

Photo: Amazon

On the heels of rolling out the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, the folks at Citigroup say that the online retail giant is working on a smartphone scheduled for release in 2012. If this is true, Amazon would be a full-fledged competitor in the highly lucrative mobile devices space currently dominated by manufacturers Apple and Samsung, and platform owner Google through Android OS.

Supply chain research

Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney issued a research note making the unexpected claims about the Amazon Kindle smartphones. ‘Based on our supply chain channel checks in Asia led by Kevin Chang, Citi’s Taipei-based hardware research analyst, we believe an Amazon Smartphone will be launched in 4Q12,’ he writes [via AllThingsD].

The thorough research report breaks down who would be involved in the manufacturing process, with FIH manufacturing the device and Hon Hai (who own the controversial Foxconn business) will be supplying components through their TMS business. Mahaney says ‘We believe the smartphone will adopt Texas Instrument’s OMAP 4 processor and is very likely to adopt QCOM’s dual mode 6-series standalone baseband given QCOM has been a long-time baseband supplier for Amazon’s E-reader.’

Price aggressive

True to Amazon’s recent strategy of competing aggressively on price – as evidenced by the dirt cheap Kindle e-readers and Amazon Kindle Fire tablet – Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney thinks that Amazon Kindle smartphone will be priced aggressively, too. He predicts it could cost in the region of $150 to $170 to make one, and they may sell each unit very close on that price point. He writes: ‘For a normal brand like HTC, they need to price the product at US$243 to make 30% gross margin. If Amazon is actually willing to lose some money on the device, the price gap could be even bigger.’

It’s also widely expected that the Amazon Kindle smartphone will run on Android, with the online retail giant reportedly paying Microsoft a royalty for each unit sold. That Android patent licensing campaign is clearly going very well for the folks in Redmond.