Morgan Stanley predicts (PDF) that by the end of 2020 10 billion mobile internet devices will be in use, up from 2 billion today. They also say that enterprise adoption is more widespread than expected. Two-thirds of the CIOs surveyed expect either to buy tablets for some of their employees or allow employee-owned tablets on their networks within one year. The investment house also says that tablets will be viewed as content creation devices. They found 20% of tablet owners use the device to create or edit files regularly. and believe the rate of introduction of new mobile applications and faster processors could increase these figures over time.
People Have No Clue How To Use iPad Apps
iPad readers are skimming and can’t remember what they’ve read according to Nielsen Norman Group, BussinessInsider points out the report which finds that many big-name iPad apps are too difficult to use, and should abide by one standard for gestures, tapping, etc.
Nielsen gave 16 study participants access to the NPR app, the Flipboard app, The Daily app, and the Amazon app, among others for two months, to see how they reacted and what they attempted to swipe, pinch, and tap.
According to Nielsen, most consumers are confused because every app has a different navigation scheme, and looks different than their website counterparts. People had a lot of trouble in specific situations, because from one app to another, performing simple tasks like search, scrolling, or shopping, can be completely different.
In the midst of all their hard findings, Nielsen makes suggestions for app-makers to make their apps more intuitive and ergonomic for users. Nielsen suggests:
- Always have a back button.
- Content should look the same in portrait or landscape navigation.
- Apps should take less than 20 seconds to download initial content.
- Stick to a solid format for your website and tablet app.
Fring 4-way Group Video Chat Lands on iPad 2
There is now a good reason for iPad 2 owners to use their front and rear cameras. AppScout says that Fring is the first app that brings group video chat to the Apple (AAPL) iPad 2.
Fring is a competitor to Skype and Qik that offers free 1-1 video chat over smartphones, but with the added bonus of free cross-platform 4-way live video chat. You can chat over Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G. AppScout predicts this feature makes Fring a force to be reckoned with. Instead of waiting on its competitors to bring video chat to the iPad, Fring stepped up to deliver group video chat to the iPad. AppScout states that for now is the ONLY iPad-specific video chat app.
All the same, features that are available for iPhone, iPod Touch, Google’s (GOOG) Android, and Nokia (NOK) devices are available on the iPad as well. Additional features include FringOut that lets you call ANY phone number using low-cost Fring credits.
USB Hub Allows Simultaneous Syncing of 49 iPads
Datamation Systems has released a desktop station that allows simultaneous syncing for up to 49 Apple (AAPL) iPads or other USB devices. The DS-IP-49-SYNC changes the way information is managed and distributed. The device acts as a fully powered USB hub for 49 devices. Using a Mac, it can sync with iTunes or other software capable of addressing USB devices. The system will work with Microsoft (MSFT) Windows, Linux, and Mac computers but could have some software limitations with a non-Mac host.
The device is a syncing device that will provide a “trickle charge” for iPads, not as a fast-charge device. A single station in a tech center or IT department can quickly sync 49 devices which permit more practical centralized management control in technology deployments and maintenance. (rb- Something that Apple still does not get)
Foxconn Exported 48 Billion From Shenzhen In 2010
ChinaTechNews reports that Foxconn Technology Group (2038) says that in 2010, the company’s export value from its Shenzhen processing and trade enterprise reached $48 billion, a year-on-year increase of 50%.
According to ChinaTechNews nearly half of the world’s top branded computers are made by Foxconn. The company also makes the mobile phone for Nokia (NOK) and Motorola (GOOG); it makes PlayStations, laptops, and LCD TVs for Sony (SNE); and it makes iPods, iPhones, and iPads for Apple (AAPL).
The article goes on to say that the Foxconn Shenzhen Longhua campus has become the manufacturing base for the latest technology products, including smartphones and tablet computers; and the volume and speed of shipments from this plant influence the prices in the global IT market.
Foxconn boasted new technology breakthroughs during the past year. In 2010, Foxconn applied for 16,000 global patents and 7,000 were approved; and it applied for 6,000 patents on Chinese mainland and nearly 3,000 got approved. (rb- And still the idiots politicians in Washington are still messing around with another budget extension.)
Related articles
- Apple and the 80-Cent iPhone Problem (wired.com)
- Foxconn Worker Falls to Death in Suspected Suicide (pcworld.com)
- Five Interesting USB Hubs (lockergnome.com)
- Tangled, Too: Why A Wireless World Will Never Exist (fastcompany.com)
- fring for iPad Supports 4-way Video Chats (socialtimes.com)
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.