'Apple concept stocks' higher on iPhone 5 early launch date

Shares of Taiwanese suppliers to Apple moved higher Wednesday morning after the local media reported that the U.S. consumer electronics giant will unveil its iPhone 5 in August, a couple of months ahead schedule, dealers said.

With the expected early launch of Apple's newest smartphone model, hopes have been raised that Taiwan's contract makers will enjoy an increase in shipments and higher profitability for the second half of this year, dealers said.

As of 11:12 a.m., shares of casing supplier Catcher Technology Corp. had risen 2.86 percent to NT$197.50 (US$6.61), and cell phone camera lens maker Largan Precision Co. had climbed 4.82 percent to NT$609.00.

Cell phone camera lens supplier Genius Electronic Optical Co. had gained 2.78 percent to reach NT$240.50, while shares of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. were up 0.70 percent at NT$86.60 although the gains were capped by worries over the losses on its investment in the Japanese company Sharp.

The weighted index was up 0.77 percent at 7,192.70 points on turnover of NT$29.40 billion.. "The market has been waiting for the new iPhone so the reports stirred up buying in these Apple concept stocks this morning," MasterLink Securities analyst Tom Tang said.

Apple is expected to place orders with component makers in July in preparation for its planned launch of iPhone 5 in August, which is aimed at cashing in on back-to-school buying at the end of the summe.While component suppliers such as Largan and Genius will benefit from the strong demand from Apple, Hon Hai is likely to serve as the sole assembler of iPhone 5, the reports said.

"After recent consolidation on the broader market, investors tended to seize any leads, whether positive or negative, to trade and the reports prompted buyers to return," Tang said. "However, I prefer to advice investors that they should trade these Apple concept stocks with caution as the global financial markets remain overshadowed by lingering concerns over the debt problems in the eurozone," Tang said.

Tang said he is afraid that demand for iPhone 5 in Europe and the U.S. will be compromised by a weakening global economy caused by the European debt crisis. "The current interest in Apple concept stocks reflects hope rather than reality," Tang said. "It is possible that many investors will sell these stocks for trading purposes and will lock in their profits soon."

This article comes from:http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201206270011

iPad-Controlled LED Wall Display Will Leave You Mesmerized

There's something about a blank wall that can make a room feel empty. Usually, adding a little art to the space is enough to fill the void, but if you happen to be a little be geeky, you can do one better than that. That's what Greg Friedland decided to do: He decorated a wall with a giant, iPad-controlled moving art installation, called the Aurora LED Wall.

The "installation" is a four-foot-by-eight-foot display, with 544 LED lights positioned on a grid. The lights, backed by wood board, are capable of displaying 16 million colors. A microcontroller feeds the commands to the LEDS, and it's controlled by a Processing Sketch on a computer. Thanks to the software, the display will also respond to music--it'll change colors and patterns depending on the beat of the track being played.

Where does the iPad come in? An app on the tablet, called TouchOSC, lets you interact with the display with the swipe of a finger. You can pick the color palette, resize and sharpen the pattern, control the speed of the display, and generally move and disrupt the flowing images. If you're feeling a bit artistic, you can also do your best finger-painting to show on the display. The app also lets you create custom patterns and activities for the display.

The Aurora LED Wall would certainly be a great addition to any room, and it's quite the conversation piece. In fact, you may run the risk of constantly getting distracted by it rather than getting on with other work or household tasks.

This article comes from:http://www.pcworld.com/article/258270/ipadcontrolled_led_wall_display_will_leave_you_mesmerized.html

5 Reasons Apple's TV Will Change the World

The Apple (NAS: AAPL) iTV chatter has been quiet lately, and understandably so. The past few weeks have been full of real news about new MacBooks and iOS 6 updates to worry about unicorns, iTVs, and other fictional creatures.

However, now it's time to revisit the possibility that Apple's full-blown HDTV may be taking up space in early adopters' living rooms as early as this holiday season.Yes, it could happen. Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White notes this week that a Chinese website, 21cbh.com, claims that contract manufacturer Hon Hai will be receiving Sharp LCD TV panels, probably intended for production of the iTV, during this year's third quarter. The shipment would give Apple enough time to get its inevitable smart TV on the market by the end of this calendar year.


The story isn't airtight, of course. We're talking about an analyst citing an obscure supply-chain watcher with a tidbit of information that may or may not have anything at all to do with the iTV. There are so many places where this rumor can crumble apart.

However, does it really matter if Apple rolls out its Web-enabled flat screens late this year or early next year? It's going to be a hit. Denying that point will only break your heart, so let's go over a few of the reasons a lot of people will be buying the iTV.

1. It's Apple. Duh.
After selling hundreds of millions of iOS devices, it's hard to question Apple's success. Cynics argued that the iPad was just a blown-up iPhone touch, but it changed the way we view tablets. The iTV is similarly going to change the way we view smart televisions.

Apple is King Midas with iOS until it proves mortal.
2. The iTV will be more than just a supersized iPad.
On a recent trip to Asia, White learned that Apple isn't simply blowing up the iPad. That would be silly. Who wants a touchscreen monitor? Not only do you not want a smudged screen, but who wants to get up to navigate a TV? That's so 1965.

It's been rumored for months that the iTV touchscreen element would be the remote control. That makes perfect sense. The remote would have an iPod component to navigate through the big screen.

3. FaceTime is just skin-deep.
White's also hearing that the Apple smart TV will feature a special motion-detection technology. Sounds a lot like Microsoft's (NAS: MSFT) Kinect, right? Motions and gestures can trigger functions beyond the remote control.

However, just as all three of Apple's iOS lines come with user-facing cameras for FaceTime, it would follow that Apple's iOS-fueled television would have a pretty decent camera as part of the motion-detection technology.

As Microsoft's working with cable providers on a premium Skype promotion, Apple's likely to make a value-added feature on its TV. Consumer videoconferencing is about to get popular, the way corporate videoconferencing has over the years.

4. Content is king.
Netflix (NAS: NFLX) has done a great job of educating the market on the value of streaming TV shows and movies, but its digital catalog lacks the new releases and first-run shows that consumers crave.

Apple has already been reasonably successful with its iTunes video offerings, but now it's going to have the actual TV that serves video in its ideal environment.

Could it be that Netflix has stayed away from offering piecemeal rentals -- and Apple has refrained from offering unlimited digital-media smorgasbords -- as an unwritten truce? Obviously, consumers want both. Viewers want the deep library that Netflix can stream and the fresh content that Apple markets through iTunes. Apple's TV will probably either incorporate Netflix streaming and iTunes piecemeal rentals as the mother of all digital solutions, or the company will take on Netflix.

Either way, Apple already has the iTunes ecosystem ready to go.
5. Apple has learned from past mistakes.
Apple didn't put out the first smartphone or tablet. The class act of Cupertino simply raised the bar.

We've seen companies throw their weight behind smart televisions before home Wi-Fi was everywhere. We had Google (NAS: GOOG) fumble its initial foray into Google TV by failing to strike the necessary deals for content. Apple, on the other hand, has had time to watch the field play out. It knows which paths to avoid, and that's why Apple will be a TV star sooner than you might think.

This article comes from: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/06/23/5-reasons-apples-tv-will-change-the-world/

Apple iPad review: why it's a genuine leap forward

The most important part of any tablet, whatever the quad-core brigade may say, is the screen. Unlike any internal component, the screen is what you’ll still be noticing a week after your purchase, the part upon which all of your attention is focused. Upgrading it is the most effective way to improve any tablet.

We’re sure all manufacturers understand this, yet few are in a position to make such bold strides as Apple. Following the iPhone 4’s leap with its “Retina” display, the new iPad has a similarly groundbreaking 1536 x 2048 panel – that’s four times the iPad 2’s 768 x 1024 resolution in exactly the same 9.7in diagonal – and higher than many 27in LCDs. Apple calls it “resolutionary” – a word that makes us queasy, but the sentiment is spot on.

The quadrupled pixel count doesn’t quite give the same pixel density as the iPhone 4 – it’s 246ppi compared to the smaller screen’s 326ppi – but it’s way ahead of any other tablet on the market. Asus will soon release its 10in Transformer Pad Infinity, with a 1920 x 1200 resolution; that’s as close as it gets.

The biggest beneficiary is text, so sharp that you can’t see the pixels any more. The same applies to images, provided the originals are of suitable quality. In fact, the new screen acts like a magnifying glass on every medium-resolution logo or banner ad you may have hoped no-one would notice, which will have web developers desperately scrambling to update their assets.

Apple has curated a section of the App Store highlighting the first Retina-optimised apps, and those we tested did a fine job of showing off the improvement. Flight Control Rocket and Real Racing 2 HD look superb, and the updated Kindle app shows the new iPad is a capable ebook reader as well.

Colour saturation is excellent, and our subjective impressions were backed up by the figures: we measured brightness at 426cd/m2, with an excellent contrast ratio of 906:1. Put simply, the new screen is a revelation, and if you find you’ve stopped actively marvelling at it after an hour or so, a trip back to an iPad 2 will be a shock to the system – it’s like going back to a standard-definition TV after watching Full HD.

This article comes from:http://www.bit.com.au/Review/306245,apple-ipad-review-why-its-a-genuine-leap-forward.aspx

IPad Boom Strains Lithium Supplies After Prices Triple

Prices for the conductive metal, the lightest in the periodic table, have tripled since 2000 in a market now worth $1 billion a year as uses expand in vehicles, ceramics, electronics and lubricants. Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), maker of the Prius electric-gasoline car, have few alternatives as they pursue higher performance and mobility, leading Dahlman Rose & Co. analysts to forecast lithium demand will double by 2020.

Talison Lithium Ltd. (TLH), whose shares have gained 22 percent in the last month, together with Soc. Quimica & Minera de Chile SA, Rockwood Holdings Inc. and FMC Corp. (FMC), account for almost 95 percent of world supply. Rio Tinto Group (RIO), the third-biggest mining company, may join the largest suppliers if it goes ahead with a mine in Serbia it says is capable of producing 20 percent of global output of the metal.

“There are some companies now that we think are attractive to get a hold of lithium exposure,” Evy Hambro, who manages about $13 billion in mining stocks for BlackRock in London, said in an interview. “We’ve got a small exposure today and we’re looking for some more,” he said without naming any companies.

Demand for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries out of Asia has helped prices climb threefold in the last 12 years, London- based Roskill Information Services Ltd. analyst Robert Baylis said. Global use doubled from 2000 to 2011 according to Roskill, which has recently consulted on six lithium projects.
Lithium Oligopoly

The advantage of lithium-ion over other battery types is that a typical cell can generate more electricity than competing cells like such as lead-acid. There is about 1.7 grams (0.6 ounces) of lithium carbonate equivalent in a mobile phone, 2.1 grams in a smart phone and 20 grams in a tablet, according to Dahlman Rose.

There will be a “step change,” in the global lithium industry in 2016 or 2017 when electric cars became more commonplace, Rockwood Chief Executive Officer Seifollah Ghasemi said. Hybrid electric vehicles that are fitted with a lithium- ion battery contain about 1.3 kilograms (2.9 pounds) of the material, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have about 12.8 kilograms, while an electric vehicle uses about 19.2 kilograms.

The four-strong lithium “oligopoly has the capacity to significantly ramp supply higher, but it will take time and significant capital to accomplish,” Dahlman Rose analysts Anthony Young and Anthony Rizzuto said in a May 16th report. “There are a limited number of known high-grade resources that can be economically extracted and there has not been a new lithium mine constructed in the last 25 years.”

This article comes from:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-19/ipad-boom-strains-lithium-supplies-after-prices-triple.html

what is the difference between iPhone and iCloud?

what does it mean to upload new photos to icloud for the photo streaming feature on the iphone, but not in iphone when icloud is the new facet for iphone. There's a folder for photos for iphone so it must mean that the upload is sent to iphone right? But how can you tell theses photos be "property" of icloud exclusively when you do not know how it works and it doesn't have a folder intrisically?

ICloud is provided by apple for the clouds service, let users can free storage 5 GB of data .ICloud platform can storage your personal information to apple's servers, through connecting to a wireless network, this information will be automatically inform your hands on every equipment, these devices include iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or even Mac computers.

The biggest difference between iPhone and iCloud is that iCloud can support many people share data,and it is cloud service,iPhone is terminal services.

The example that I have given show me that iPhone and iCloud can be at the same step,and the photos that you can download and upload from iCoud,and you should know how does the iCould work!

Google, Apple Tighten Grip on Smartphone Market

Apple is marching into new markets—most recently U.S. prepaid mobile phones—to continue the growth of its iPhone and iPad devices and iOS software.

At the same time, the Cupertino, Calif., company is developing software, such as mapping, that it once obtained from Google to make its devices stand out and to control some features more tightly.Google is shifting gears with its Android software to exert greater control over its destiny. In the past, Google relied on hardware manufacturers to build Android devices and on carriers and other retailers to sell them to consumers.

Today, Google is partly adopting Apple's integrated model by manufacturing some devices on its own and it plans to sell several devices directly with big marketing campaigns.

What's behind these moves? Apple and Google see bigger gains ahead. Of the about 1.4 billion phones sold this year, only about 35% will be smartphones, a percentage projected to climb to 75% in the next five years, according to research and trading firm Wedge Partners. That potential bounty is intensifying the fight to sell more devices and accompanying services.

Their ambitions are squeezing onetime market leaders RIM and Nokia. Last week, Nokia said its cellphone business is deteriorating rapidly and it would cut another 10,000 jobs by the end of 2013. BlackBerry-maker RIM is undergoing a strategic review under a new chief executive as its losses have mounted and its stock has slid.

Nokia, RIM and others "really underestimated what Apple and Google could do," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at research firm Gartner Inc. While Apple and Google have built up a "tremendous lead" thanks to their ability to offer books, music and hundreds of thousands of mobile apps, he said the mobile market is accelerating so much that "anything could change very quickly."

Overall, Google's Android held 59% of global smartphone shipments in this year's first quarter, up from 36.1% a year earlier, while Apple had 23%, up from 18.3%, according to IDC. Smartphones powered by Nokia's Symbian OS, which it is phasing out in favor of software from Microsoft, dropped to 6.8% from 26% over the same period, and RIM's share fell to 6.4% from 13.6%.

Yet Apple and Google—just bit players in the mobile market five years ago—face challenges that could trip up the two amid fast-changing consumer tastes and evolving technology.

Google, which gives away its Android software to device makers, doesn't make much money from the devices, even though it comes preloaded with Google's search engine and other services, analysts say.

This article comes from:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303379204577474794114369320.html