One of the big buzzwords in the 2012 election has been, of course, “job creators” (with the very existence of said group a matter of intense debate), but it seems if you buy and use a lot of apps, you’re one of them. They should lower your taxes to 15% and subsidize the bailout of your house.

Seriously, though, it seems the “app economy” segment of the tech sector- while it often concerns farming fake crops and spoofing phone numbers- actually translates to serious dollars. While that in and of itself isn’t news, the fact that this is also translating to some significant jobs numbers according to a new TechNet study is pretty interesting. According to the data, a net 466,000 jobs have been created- with 311,000 actually making the app donuts and the balance of about 155,000 jobs administrating app-related jobs in functions like payroll.

The Los Angeles Times quoted one analyst on how news about the app economy and its effect on business in commerce is a good indicator for economic progress overall:

“This is a telescope into what the future looks like,” said Michael Mandel, the economist hired by TechNet to put together the report. “This is one part of the economy that is actually expanding and hiring. Once you point people in that direction, they can realign their compass pretty quickly.”

Mandel, who is the President of South Mountain Economics and the former Chief Economist for BusinessWeek, added:

“The App Economy, along with the broad communications sector, has been a leading source of hiring strength in an otherwise sluggish labor market.”

Do you dump money into the apps sector with increasing frequency?

‘App Economy’ Has Created Nearly 500K Jobs Since 2007 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apple has been doing fantastically well these last several years. The company released their Q1 2012 earnings last week and the results were nothing short of amazing. The iPhone now accounts for a solid chunk of their revenue.

With the release of the iPhone 4S back in October, the smartphone has done very well and made it’s way into tens of Millions of consumer’s hands. Thanks to its success, the tech giant was able to catch up with Android in terms of market share and as of recently, is barely ahead.

Quite the feat from just a few smartphones compared to who knows how many Android phones currently available. Seems like a new one comes out just about every other day. Okay, that’s exaggerating, but there’s a lot of ‘em. According to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, Apple could sell as many as 40 Million iPhones next year, just in China alone.

The fact is, China is still a largely untapped market for the company. Morgan Stanley looked at three carriers: China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom. They then looked to see what percentage of high end subscribers have an iPhone.

The results are as follows:

• China Mobile – 8 percent
• China Telecom – 7 percent
• China Unicom – 20 percent

Out of a combined 150 Million high end wireless customers, that’s pretty low. Again, there’s a lot of untapped potential for massive growth.

Via Mashable:

“The iPhone is currently available in China from carrier China Unicom. Despite it being unavailable on the larger carriers, China Mobile and China Telecom, Chinese buyers have responded to the iPhone in a big way. In fact, Apple had to temporarily suspend iPhone 4S sales in order to protect store employees from overly enthusiastic crowds.”

“Huberty believes that if Apple is able to extend its China partnerships to include China Telecom, the company could sell an additional 26 million iPhone units in calendar year 2013. That would mean 40 million units for the entire region.”

And if they want to really do well in the country, inking a deal with China Mobile, the country’s largest carrier, would be very beneficial.

Do you think Apple has what it takes to dominate the smartphone market in China?

Apple Could Have Massive iPhone Sales In China Next Year is a post from: The Inquisitr

Long-term trolling is the best kind of trolling, and this is dedication.

Epic Cat Facts Troll is a post from: The Inquisitr

Not together at least, or you could end up like this possibly hypothetical guy, who likely would not have followed up with a confirming status update.

Don’t Google and Facebook on Your iPhone is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tiny Tower, if you’re not one of the only eight million who downloaded it, is a popular iPhone game developed by a three-man team at indie start-up NimbleBit. Dream Heights is an iPhone game launched in the last few days by Zynga and, true to form, is another stunning example of Zynga ripping off a competitor.

If you doubted Zynga was the last word in creatively bankrupt, lazy, ideas-free game development (hey, they said so themselves), Dream Heights closes the case. As in Tiny Tower, it asks players to add floors of shops and apartments to an ever-rising tower block. And, if you haven’t already noticed the screenshot comparisons around this page, the resemblance is uncanny. Not as uncanny as this, admittedly, but close. It’s pretty much a clone, gameplay-wise.

Of course, Zynga’s sheer power and wealth means it can afford killer lawyers, so nobody does a thing about their relentless copying of ideas. So what did the three little guys behind NimbleBit do? Simple: they wrote an open letter to Zynga and provoked INTERNET VIGILANTE JUSTICE.

NimbleBit’s full open letter (which you can see below) begins with the line, “Dear Zynga, (all 2,789 of you),” then continues:

“We noticed you are about to launch a new iPhone game called Dream Heights! Congratulations! We wanted to thank all you guys for being such big fans of our iPhone game of the year Tiny Tower! Good luck with your game, we are looking forward to inspiring you with our future games! Sincerely, (all 3 of us), NimbleBit.”

The letter features numerous screenshot comparisons that don’t look good for Zynga. It didn’t take long before this was posted to Reddit and dozens of sites and blogs.

But as great as that letter is, it’s not even the most interesting part of the story. NimbleBit co-founder David Marsh also revealed on his Twitter account that Zynga had previously attempted to buy NimbleBit out. When NimbleBit refused to sell up, Zynga simply copied their target’s prize game. As Marsh tweeted:

“Even when you refuse to go work for Zynga, sometimes you end up doing work for Zynga anyway. They did go the honest route and try to acquire us first.”

Burn. Here’s the full letter:

[Via Eurogamer]

Tiny Tower Game Ruthlessly Copied by Zynga is a post from: The Inquisitr

We laugh at all the iPhone, and other instant messaging services, sometime hilarious and most time embarrassing auto-correcting screen caps that show up on the web. For the most part, especially if you use one of the sites out there that can generate fake screens, the results from this silliness are fairly benign. The same can’t be said for a new app that has been released for the iPhone called SpoofTexting.

The idea is that this app will let you send a message to someone from your iPhone but make the recipient think that it came from someone else.

When you install the SpoofText “tweak” as it is being called it allows for alterations to be made to the native messaging application on the iPhone with a new option added to the top navigation bar. Then when you write up some smartass, or cruel and nasty, message you will now have the ability to send that message to any number you choose from any number you choose.

As noted in the post at Redmond Pie:

Whilst I do agree that the SpoofTexting plugin could provide some light hearted entertainment when used purely for pranking friends, I somehow get the feeling that a large portion of users would actually use this for something a little more sinister which in all honesty makes me a little uneasy.

SpoofTexting is available to download free of charge via the BigBoss repository for iOS 4 or higher and I believe requires the purchase of credits to use.

Now you will need to have a jailbroken iPhone and this will only work within the US.

Somehow I just can’t see this as being a good idea.

image courtesy of Redmond Pie

New iPhone app lets you send messages with a spoofed number – this will not end well is a post from: The Inquisitr

The iPhone is a very desirable gadget and something that people hold very near and dear. Some people will even wait days in line for the new one. Being that they’re highly regarded, that also means that thieves have their eyes on them.

In fact, just wearing the signature white iPod earbuds gives a thief the idea that you potentially have a valuable device in your pocket. One issue that’s been sprouting up with people stealing the smartphone, is that Apple support is unknowingly helping them.

The company relies off of the honor system and that’s definitely evident when taking the device into an Apple store where employees will help diagnose any problems, even repair the phone, long as it’s still under warranty, without needing much information.

Reuters has a story about one such issue:

“MIT graduate student Kayla Menard is among those who wants her voice to be heard screaming. She was sending a text from her 3-month-old iPhone while waiting for a train at Boston’s Park Street Station last month when someone snatched it from her hand and ran.”

“Days later she received an automated email that her damaged phone was repaired at an Apple Store. She went to the store to try to get back her phone, but they wouldn’t hand it over to her, and she was told there was nothing they could do. “Because I don’t have possession of the phone, they won’t help me at all,” she says.”

“Menard says she was astonished to find out that Apple wouldn’t help, even though they had her phone. Because someone else had brought in the phone, she was told, the store could not return it to her. She says she believes the thief was sold a new phone at a discount.”

Apple declined to comment on the whole ordeal, but it seems to be a real problem. What would you do if someone stole your iPhone?

iPhone Thieves Getting Help From Apple Support, Employees Not Aware is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apple isn’t letting up anytime soon and they remain one of the most successful tech companies on the planet. The company announced their earnings, among other things, for the first fiscal quarter of 2012.

Basically, they blew past all estimates and managed to do incredibly well, breaking many previous records both in terms of profits, revenue, and devices sold. With the release of the iPhone 4S back in October and success of the iPad 2, it’s really no surprise that the company managed to pull off another great quarter.

Increasing interest in the devices and their strong brand presence, fueled the growth.

Via TheNextWeb:

“Apple today announced its earnings for its first fiscal quarter of 2012. Apple’s revenue amounted to $46.33B in Q1. With earnings of $13.87 per share. The company’s net profit in Q1 was $13.06B. These numbers destroyed industry estimates across the board in every area of hardware sales and profitability aside from iPods.”

“Apple sold 37.04M iPhones, up 128% year over year, and 15.43M iPads this quarter, up 111% year over year. Apple sold 5.2M Macs during the quarter, bringing sales up 26% when compared to the same quarter a year ago. iPod sales were down 21%.”

It’s interesting to note that sales of the iPod continue to go down. More people are opting for the smartphone as it does everything the Touch does, as well as, uhh, you can make phone calls.

“We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”

Is Apple too big to fail?

Apple Hits Record Profits In Q1 2012, Sells Over 100% More Of The iPhone And iPad is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apple has been going after Samsung and other smartphone manufacturers with one lawsuit after another. This time, they claim the electronics manufacturer is infringing on their ‘slide-to-unlock’ patent.

Now, patent infringement lawsuits are nothing new to the World of smartphones and tablets. Debates and patent cases have been heating up the last several years and the tech giant is one of the companies that’s spearheading the movement.

Steve Jobs once was quoted saying “I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong” in regards to Android and “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

It seems that the company may be trying to live up to his words.

Via Apple Insider:

“In Apple’s first suit that directly names Samsung’s Android-based smartphone, the company claims the Galaxy Nexus infringes on the “slide-to-unlock” feature first introduced with the original iPhone in 2007 and subsequently patentedwith the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2011. In 2006 the company also obtained a “utility model” registration for the feature in Germany.”

“FOSS Patent’s Florian Mueller describes a “utility model” as a limited fast-track patent that companies are allowed to file for alongside traditional patents, and Apple has done both for the “slide-to-unlock” in Germany.”

At the end of the day, it’s a good thing that Samsung is selling a lot of product so they can afford all these lawsuits.

Do you think Apple is warranted with all these patent infringement lawsuits?

Apple Suing Samsung Again, This Time Over ‘Slide-To-Unlock’ Feature is a post from: The Inquisitr

Time Warner Cable who serves Millions of customers in 28 different states, announced their new iPhone app which allows customers to watch live TV and even manage, control, and program their DVR.

The app also allows the ability to search the TV guide and search for shows. A while back, the company released an iPad app which offered much of the same functionality. An Android app was released about a month ago.

This new app for iPhone users is more of a universal app and will work on the smartphone (3G and up), the iPad, and users with an iPod Touch (3G and up). Customers shouldn’t get too excited however. In order to watch live TV through the app, you have to be connected through your home wifi network so no live TV say during your break at work.

Time Warner Cable has a list of the various features:

• Interactive program guide (IPG) – up to 7 days of listings. View detailed show descriptions including box art. Option to display “HD only” or “favorites only” by creating a favorite channel list.
• Search – search for programming by title or episode name and filter results by genre
• Set-top box tuning – tap on a network logo or “watch on TV” button within the program description to tune compatible set-top boxes directly to the channel
• DVR management – schedule one-time and series recordings on compatible DVRs directly from the IPG. Tap on the “DVR” button to see a list of all upcoming recordings and make changes or cancel recordings

Would you watch live TV on your iPhone?

Time Warner Cable Has New iPhone App, Watch Live TV From Your Phone is a post from: The Inquisitr

Competition between the iPhone and Android has been very heated the last several years and it seems that Apple’s smartphone which originally held the top spot, is making it’s way back to beat out Google for the number one smartphone OS.

According to Nielsen Mobile, Android and the iPhone are nearly tied with iOS being just 1.4 percent behind as of December 2011. Apple has managed to bridge the gap with outstanding sales of their latest smartphone while Android has dropped from 61.6 percent market share in October, down to 46.9 percent.

Via DailyTech:

“This situation could soon change with the release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which takes Google’s operating system in a somewhat “Windows Phoneish” direction.  It also has put a great deal of effort into polishing core applications like the browser, messaging hub, and email.  The results from ICS, upon initial examination, are equal or perhaps even better to their iOS equivalents.  However, the only ICS device on the market as of December was the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung which was only on one network – Verizon Wireless.”

The iPhone 4S, if it can keep up the trend which it likely will, will potentially surpass Android here very soon for the number one smartphone OS.

“Outside of the phone’s actual physical merits, another factor is that Apple continues to maintain a strong brand image.  While enthusiasm about Android, attack ads mocking extreme Apple fanboyism, and backlash against its lawsuit “crusade” have soured some on the Apple brand, among your average consumer it remains one of the strongest brands on the market.  To these consumers buying an Apple device is equivalent to buying “cool points” that some people would (literally) give an organ for. “

Which do you prefer: Android or iPhone and why?

iPhone And Android Nearly Tied As The Smartphone Wars Heat Up is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new research survey came out stating that in the next six months, 74% of all smartphone purchases will either be Android or iPhone. Commanding 90 percent of mobile phone market share, it’s not a big surprise really.

The iPhone 4S is helping iOS to quickly close in on the top spot and the slew of new and exciting Android based phones are sure to be a big reason for the large number.

Via eWeek:

“More than 70 percent of consumers who intend to purchase a smartphone over the next six months will purchase an Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone or a handset based on Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android operating system, according to a Yankee Group survey.”

“The researcher, which polled more than 15,000 people, learned that more than 47 percent of U.S. respondents own a smartphone, and 58 percent of those surveyed said they would buy a smartphone as their next mobile handset.”

The World or at least the more developed World, is and has been shifting to smartphones for quite some time. Technology has improved, as has hardware and the size of that hardware. What we can now do on a smartphone, is more powerful than the best computers of their time just mere decades ago.

When it comes to RIM and Microsoft, the survey didn’t turn up the best news.

“Noting that RIM and Microsoft are having a hard time coaxing their existing customer bases to buy new phones, Katie Lewis (Yankee Group analyst) said 20 percent of U.S. consumers own a BlackBerry, but only 12 percent intending to buy a smartphone in the next six months will purchase a BlackBerry handset.”

“Of the 14 percent of consumers who own a Windows Mobile-based device, only 9 percent of those asked said they would pick up a phone based on the new Windows Phone OS.”

74% Of All Smartphone Purchases Will Be Android Or iPhone is a post from: The Inquisitr

The first line of the poem: “Rappers, when you use the word ‘nigger’ remember that’s one of the last words Stephen Lawrence heard, so don’t tell me it’s a reclaimed word” received 80 likes and 50 retweets and probably far more now that he’s been featured in a major newspaper. Up till now, sexuality has been a major focus of Atta’s work as he says: “You know you’re black, but you have to kind of figure out that you’re gay.”

What’s interesting is the power that the internet can have upon a writer’s work. As Dean Atta states: “I recorded it on to my iPhone, and it was straight online. I tweeted it and it just went viral.” Dean Atta can inspire many through his success as well as through his work.

Click here to listen to and read the full poem. What do you think?

Source: The Guardian

iPhone Poet Dean Atta’s N-Word Poem Goes Viral is a post from: The Inquisitr

When the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, Steve Job’s said that it was the combination of an iPod, a phone, and an internet mobile communicator. On the iPhone’s fifth birthday, camera, video camera, GPS system, gaming device, and personal assistant can be added to the list of gadgets crammed into the tiny iPhone shell.

When Jobs revealed the iPhone in January, 2007, he said:

“An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator…. These are not three separate devices!”

Wired reports that the iPhone launched exclusively on AT&T with just a handful of Apple created apps in 2007. The original iPhone had 320 X 480 resolution, a 2-megapixel camera, and 8 GB of memory.

When the iPhone first came out, Cnet wrote:

“The Apple iPhone has a stunning display, a sleek design, and an innovative multitouch user interface. Its Safari browser makes for a superb Web surfing experience, and it offers easy-to-use apps. As an iPod, it shines.”

The iPhone has come a long way since its introduction. The newest model features a retina display, 960X640 resolution, an 8-megapixel camera, HD video recording, 3G connectivity, 64 GB of memory, and Siri, an intuitive little person that lives in your phone.

Here’s a breakdown of the iPhone’s evolution.

• January 9th, 2007 – Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone at Macworld.
• June 29th, 2007 – The iPhone is officially launched.
• October 31st, 2007 – iPhone named invention of the year by Time Magazine.
• July 11th, 2008 – iPhone 3G released. Apple introduces the App Store.
• June 19th, 2009 – iPhone 3Gs is released. Camera upgraded to 3-megapixels.
• June 2010 – iPhone 4 released with retina display.
• January 2011 – The iPhone comes to Verizon.
• October 2011 – iPhone 4s officially launches. Apple introduces Siri.

Do you own an iPhone? Have you been buying a new one every time that Apple releases a new version?

Happy Birthday iPhone: Apple Celebrates 5th Anniversary of Groundbreaking Device is a post from: The Inquisitr

In keeping with the news of the next iPad and other iDevices to soon come from Apple, digging into the iOS 5.1 beta code shows that there will in fact be support for quad core processors, something we can potentially see very soon.

Now, mobile quad core processors are nothing new to the industry. Quad core Android tablets are already on the market and quad core phones will soon be. While a quad core processor won’t be coming to the iPhone anytime soon, we can possibly see one coming to the iPad 3 or most definitely the iPad 4.

“Speed increases are an expected part of Apple’s iOS device hardware upgrades, but what Apple has up their sleeves for speed enhancements is typically up for debate. The first-generation iPad clocked around 1GHz with the single core A4 processor, and —a year later—Apple bumped the iPad’s chip to dual-core-speed with the A5 processor. While not quite confirming that a quad-core processor will power Apple’s third-generation iPad, we have obtained evidence that suggests Apple is currently working on quad-core iOS devices.”

Tech companies plan out products ahead of time so this is simply the case of them having it in the iOS source code ahead of time and ready for when the real thing is to be released.

“The implications of an iOS device with a quad-core processor are vast. A quad-core processor can help devices power very high-resolution displays (such as the rumored iPad 3 with a Retina Display), and even power very advanced software like a rumored Final Cut Pro for iOS.”

iOS 5.1 Beta Shows Support For Quad Core Chip, Could Be In iPad 3 is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a post from Bloomberg, it appears that iPhone 4S users use up two times more data than iPhone 4 users and three times as much data as iPhone 3G users. This is all according to a report from Arieso, a network management firm.

The main cause for so much more data usage? Apparently, Siri, the voice assistant for 4S users, which 1-ups Google’s own voice recognition software on Android. Frankly, it’s a bit hard to believe that Siri is the main cause for the increased data.

Then again, Millions of people using the iPhone 4S, combine that with a certain percentage using the voice recognition at any given time, and yes, that can definitely add up in the long run. Another reason for more data usage is the fact that it’s a much faster phone.

Being that it’s much faster, one can install more apps and be encouraged to do more things, more things that, you guessed it, require more data. And with data caps from most carriers in the US, users may want to keep better track of exactly how much data they’re using before they get a bill that surprises them.

“Arieso’s research showed that a minority of users account for half of downloaded data. About one percent of the high-use subscribers downloaded half of the data volumes, according to the company. “The hungry are getting hungrier,” Flanagan said.”

“An average user of Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM)’s latest BlackBerry smartphones, the Curve and the Bold Touch, downloads about 20 percent of the data of an iPhone 4S subscriber, according to Arieso. While RIM compresses data, the company’s traditional business users also use fewer applications beyond e- mail, Flanagan said.”

 

iPhone 4S Users Eat Up Far More Data Than Any Other iPhone User is a post from: The Inquisitr

The iPhone 4S and its crazy clever digital assistant Siri will arrive in China on January 13, to the sound of ringing tills and, later this year, a Mandarin-speaking Siri.

China is on a list of 22 countries that will soon get the newest iPhone, and with a potential audience of almost a billion cellphone users, Apple’s coffers are set to swell even more. An Apple spokesperson confirmed the company intends to add official language support for Mandarin in 2012.

Analysts estimate the iPhone family now rakes in almost half of Apple’s annual revenue, with some claiming it earns Apple more than 60% of its profits.

Apple is currently partnered with China Unicom, one of the country’s bigger carriers with close to 200 million subscribers. It’s not the largest, however – China Mobile has a staggering 630 million subscribers, but Apple has already stated it won’t be joining forces with the carrier. Rumors in recent months have claimed Apple has been desperately trying to strike a deal with China Mobile. It’s also widely known that millions of China Mobile users have had their iPhones modified to work on the network.

News on when the Mandarin-speaking Siri arrives is less clear, though apparently the software will be able to speak and understand the lingo. However, Siri will be available only in English until at least February.

Another question: will Apple add Siri’s sarcastic streak and amusing movie references to the Mandarin incarnation?

See also: Apple’s SIRI System is Nearly a Swear Word in Japan

iPhone 4S Heads to China, Chinese-Speaking Siri to Debut in 2012 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The iPhone continues to be a hot seller for carriers, Verizon Wireless being one of the largest sellers of the must have device. Although that may be the case, the carrier announced today that profit margins dropped in the fourth quarter. This was due to record sales of the iPhone. They carry the latest smartphone from Apple, the 4S, as well as the previous generation.

In just 3 months, Verizon was able to sell an astounding 4.2 Million iPhones which was more than double the amount sold in the third quarter. The Wall Street Journal explains why:

“Verizon and rival AT&T Inc. ad said third-quarter iPhone sales were slower because of customers waiting to buy the newest version of the device, resulting in pent-up demand. Apple released its latest-version smartphone, known as the iPhone 4S, in mid-October on the three largest carriers including Sprint Nextel Corp.”

The smartphone will become an even bigger money maker as the iPhone 4S plans to go into China and 21 other markets.

“With sales of $47.1 billion, the device accounted for 43% of the Cupertino, Calif., company’s revenue in its fiscal 2011, up from 39% the year before.”

4.2 Million sales of the smartphone for Verizon in the fourth quarter, is a lot of contracts and money will be made in the long run so nothing to really be concerned with in that aspect.

Simply put, the money that carriers lose upfront on phones (potentially several hundred dollars upfront), is the same thing that one of the World’s largest mobile network operators is going through right now.

Verizon Profit Margins Drop, The iPhone To Blame is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Nokia RAZR had that sweet-ass web browser that almost let you check movie times from your phone.

Before iPhone is a post from: The Inquisitr

Technological Setbacks is a post from: The Inquisitr