Home Security Infographic

Put your iPhone away and listen - how safe is your home? Do ou even have an alarm system? We've made quite a few posts on this blog in order to discus matters of personal and home security, but infographics are a relatively new thing for our blog. The folks at Your Greatest Protection have sent a cool-looking poster our way, so we hope you'll find the information presented here rather useful! Here's the infographic:

Intenret Safety Tips

 We use this blog to mainly to talk about personal security and self-defense, but we have rarely considered our safety in the online world. Often people try to separate our online activity from our daily life by saying that the things we do on the computer are not a part of "real life". While it is easy to understand what this is supposed to mean, it is not entirely true. The Internet is an integrated part of our lives, especially among younger generations. We do our shopping on the Internet, we meet new people, organize events and so much more! So, how is it a fool's errand to think about one's safety on the Internet? Today, we will give you 5 fresh tips on how to stay safe on the Internet!

iPhone as a stun gun? A cool concept called the iStun

Personal security is a major concern for a lot of people and the US is one of the countries that allows citizens to fight back with tools and weapons that were crafted to keep you safe, but also designed so that they are nonlethal. We are of course talking about chemicals such as pepper spray and electronic gadgets such as stun guns. Recently we came across a very interesting device by Guard Dog Security that is called the iStun smartphone stun gun. The basic idea was to create a device that that looks like an Apple smartphone, but is actually a powerful self-defense weapon which can easily give one the element of surprise. Now, the item is a bit bulky, but if this is something you need then it will do the job just nicely and still look fairly stylish and elegant. Let's have a look at the specs that the iStun had to offer!

iPhone 5C Price and Older iPhones?

 Whenever a new iPhone comes out logic dictates that ti takes the place of the older flagship models, which pushes the price of every older phone down. For example, once the the iPhone 5 came out all of the previous models dropped in price. However, so far Apple has only made new phones that were better than the previous ones and iPhone 5C is the first "mini" version of their main flagship. How will this less expensive model influence the cost of older iPhones? Will they slowly be removed from stock?

 Most analysts and bloggers are suggesting a very interesting solution to this issue and I tend to agree with their analysis. Basically, they are expecting to see both an iPhone 5S and an iPhone 5C by the end of the year and this will shift everything down accordingly.

 Thus the line-up would be like this: iPhone 5S > iPhone 5 > iPhone 5C > iPhone 4S > older models. When you think about it this is certainly the best choice and price-wise it means that the current flagship will be discounted along with the older models. This looks very good in theory, but this is just a simple blog and we cannot really say if this is the most profitable solution for Apple.

iPhone 5C Price to be $399?

 These past couple of days Apple has been dominating the tech world as more news come in regarding the iPhone 5C release date, price and full specs. Another nice thing to note is that Apple's stocks have also been rising continuously in the past week. The increase in stock value doesn't really exceed 0.15% but it obvious that the new phone is drawing in more investors. Yesterday, we reported that Citi investment bank contacted Apple's share holders with a report round-up on where the company is going and you can read the full statement here.

Leaked iPhone 5C case

 Speculations regarding the cost of the iPhone 5C have raged across blogs and even TV shows and it seems that everyone agrees that this will not be a cheap device. It will be less expensive than its bigger brother, but it will certainly not be a low budget phone. The current guess that most people have is that the price will be in the $399 to $499 range.

iPhone 5C Cost - Still a Mystery

 This is, however, by no means "low budget" considering that an average smartphone costs around $250. However, I cannot really say that any of us should be surprised by this, after all this is Apple and they are known for both their quality and their high prices.

iPhone 5C Release Date

 The upcoming iPhone 5C is really causing a lot of hype in the tech world, but is the device worthy of it? While we can speculate as much as we want, it seems that we will get our answers somewhere around September 10, which is the expected/rumored time for the iPhone 5C release date. This product is supposed to finally replace the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in the lineup, but this brings us to the next point - what is the price going to be?

iPhone 5C concept design

 While many have speculated that this is going to be Apple's low-budget device, it seems that it is only going to be a lower budget device. What's the difference between the two terms? Well, a low budget phone would go up to $250, but it seems that the iPhone 5C will cost roughly $450. The news regarding this "unexpected" price are unofficial and they have been published by Citi investment bank. 

Top 10 iPhone 5 Wallpapers with Parallax Design

 Now that iOS7 has rolled out we had a great chance to the see the new parallax feature on the home screen. In order to activate this on your iPhone 5 or iPod Touch 5 the images need to be 1040x1526 which is quite a leap from the previous requirements for a simple wallpaper. Of course, this is an optional feature and you can stick do what you've got! However, if you are interested in using the parallax design then you have probably noticed that it is very hard to find a phone that is an exact match to the system requirements.

 This is where we come in, and this is an amazing list of the top 10 iPhone 5 wallpapers with parallax design. Most of these were made by a lot of deviantArt members, but it hard to find their exact origin. The photos are a small preview so just click on them to open them in a higher resolution and then save them to your device.

The Unreal Nebula

 This is an edited version of a very beautiful space art that you may have seen on the Internet in the past. It looks amazing and it seems like parallax was made just for the sake of using brilliant space backgrounds and designs.

A Green Galaxy

 What did I tell you about space art being the ideal candidate for some of the best iPhone 5 wallpapers? These photos just look so great and their nature is great for a parrallax design.

 Gentle Bliss

 There is just something about this photo that makes it an ideal candidate for your next iPhone 5 wallpaper. It is a peaceful, calm scene composed of nothing but three major colors that provide little contrast and is thus are very pleasant to look at and relax.

iPhone 5 Getting Discounted; iPhone 5S (or iPhone 6) on Its Way!

 I am sure that you are all aware that technology advances at a very fast pace every day and Apple's iPhone 5S is a prime example of that, along with Samsung's Galaxy series. Recently Samsung announced that they are cutting the production of the Galaxy S4 and stopping the production of the Galaxy S3. The competition on the market is just too strong for these devices to continue their domination and the same can be said for Apple and their latest flagship iPhone 5 which is quickly becoming outdated and this can be seen the latest sale figures.

A fan-made spec comparison for the iPhone 5 and the 5S

 So, why is the iPhone 5 getting discounted? Well, over time the price will keep dropping. So far, it will just be Walmart that will permanently be cutting its price for the iPhone. Starting today the price of the iPhone 5 (at Walmart) will stand at $129 (the old price was $189) for the usual two-year contract (Verizon, AT&T or Sprint). Aside from the iPhone 5 getting this price cut, the iPhone 4S is also being lowered from $89 to $39. However, this latest offer will only be available in the stores themselves and not online.

 Price cuts like this usually start when a company want to clear its stock. The permanent discount of the iPhone 5 suggests that the sales are dropping and that a new smartphone from Apple is on its way. We could say that this is the iPhone 5S that we spotted in rumored leaks this year, but this may not be true of course. Many people are also suggesting that is very likely that Apple might come up with a more advanced, new model - the iPhone 6, in order to defend its throne from Samsung and Google.

 Why Google you ask? Well, it seems that they plan to start opening retail stores across the US to sell their Nexus devices as well as the new Chrome OS-powered laptops/notebooks. Several analysts have suggested that this could be a major threat for Apple and this is certainly something that they cannot afford to ignore.

iPhone 5S Prototype Spotted

 During this week we had a lot of iPhone 5S news coming in at an alarming rate. These news (or rather rumors) weren't just textual content, but a lot of leaked photos of the iPhone 5S in the works. The two most important rumors/leaks this week are certainly the iPhone 5S logic board and yesterday's leaked chassis. However, today's leak will certainly top all of these! So, what's the latest news on the wire? Well, today we have two photos of the actual iPhone 5S prototype which seems to look quite similar to the concepts posted in our previous posts. Here is the first photo:

Interesting prototype is it not? Click to zoom.

 So, what is the photo above telling us? Mac Rumors has done a great job in highlighting some key area on the photo. The green is the location of parts/features that were rumored and confirmed by this leak while tech experts can't identify what the red areas are. They do not, however, claim that the photo is 100% authentic which is certainly something to keep in mind.

 Now that the disclaimer is up there let us try to discus and analyze this rumored iPhone 5S prototype and see if there is anything interesting here that we can notice. From what I can see most of the build seems to correspond with previous rumors. The logic board, loudspeaker placement and SIM card tray are right there where they were supposed to be. Aside from this Apple Insider has also noticed that other smaller components such as the vibration motor are right where they should be according to previously leaked rumors. 

  It is strange that the processor is unlabeled and only has a small Apple logo. Does this suggest another generation of processors will be included with the iPhone 5S or is just there as a thorn in the eye? Either way, I am really impressed that the authors of Mac Rumors were able to notice that the CPU has screen-printed numbering that suggests it was produced somewhere in late October of 2012. Based on this some people have actually proposed a rumor that this is an early prototype of the iPhone 5 and not of the rumored 5S device.

 In other iPhone 5S news, here is another leaked photo of the same prototype:

 

Click to zoom.

 The second photo is part of the same set and is supposed to represent the iPhone 5S back casing. However, the photo does raise certain suspicion among tech savvy readers. Namely, the model numbers appears to read "A1214," which is a pattern never before seen on an iPhone. In case you don't know, the original iPhone and iPhone 3G bore "A12XX" model numbers, while the iPhone 3GS to 4S carried numbers in the "A13XX" range. Apple's GSM version of the iPhone 4S moved into the "A14XX" tier, which continues with the current iPhone 5. However, the text is quite blurry and hard to make out.

 Another interesting thing to see on the photo above is the dual-flash positioned near the rear-facing camera. Will this actually be the feature of the new iPhone 5S? Either way, this is obviously some sort of prototype and we can only assume that is an early version of the iPhone 5S that Apple is using to built a bit of hype.

 From we have seen so far, there is little innovation when it comes to the design, but the internal components will probably be getting a major upgrade. We will try to gather more news over time so in the meantime make sure you follow us via RSS or keep in touch with us via Twitter.

iPhone 5S doesn't looks very unique on the outside, however...

 Just yesterday we had a very interesting leak regarding the brand new iPhone 5S and it didn't look so promising. However, it is not like we have our hopes up or anything since nobody is really expecting the 5S model to be a huge leap from the model it is based on. Anyway, the iPhone 5S leaked photo showed an interesting logic board design, but didn't really looks anything different from the original board. The small differences here and there don't really mean much at this point as we can't really tell what they are and what purpose they serve. 

 Tech experts voiced their opinion over the past few hours via forums, but it is all just guesswork and speculation. However, today we have some more leaked photos from China which show the iPhone 5S. Here is the first photograph:

There isn't much of a difference so far, but the top part looks interesting.

 The photo above is comparing the front panels of the two devices and was re-posted by CNET from a Chinese blog called FanaticFone which claims that the photo is 100% authentic. How they got it and what the purpose of the photograph itself is, they did not explain nor does it seem like any questions were asked it seems. From what we can see on this photo of the rumored iPhone 5S it seems that the body is a bit wider and there is something different at the top. The second photo gives us further insight into this:

A slight difference to the eye.

The only real difference here is the bit sticking out from the top above. This part, according to CNET, is the cable which ferries data to and from the screen to the processor,. Aside from this the plastic bits that clip the screen to the rest of the chassis are also different on the two phones.

 So, the iPhone 5S won't look much different from the iPhone 5, right? And if so, who cares? The iPhone 5 looks very good as it is and what we really want to see is the changes in hardware and screen resolution and display quality. Right now the iPhone 5S needs to beat the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One in terms of display resolution and screen quality.

 Agree or disagree? Post in the comments bellow!

Leaked pictures of the iPhone 5S logic board hit the Web

 Just a few days ago iOS 7 was released and the Internet started wondering whether or not a new iPhone will be hitting the stores any time soon. It is quite early for Apple to actually release any new phone and I fear that we might have to wait a bit longer until iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 actually come out. However, its never a slow news day when you follow the trends in the world of iOS! Just recently leaked photos of the iPhone 5S logic board have been published and tech experts and enthusiasts are trying to understand them.

 The mysterious photo was published by a Japanese tech website which claims that their photo is authentic, but is not a representative of the final product. This is of course fairly obvious since we just said that it will be quite some time before the iPhone 5S is finished. Still, judging by the logic board it doesn't seem as though the new phone will actually bring in something fresh and new.

 The new logic board does, however, hint at some minor changes, but it is very difficult to say what these changes could possibly be. These could be anything from new amazing features to just some optimization of the old hardware. Either way, there is no reason not to think that this logic board, assuming it is real, is actually meant for the iPhone 5 Mini. The buzz is mostly around the iPhone 5S, but I am personally more interested if Apple is really going to make a mini device for the iPhone. And if they do? Well, that would be an interesting surprise for me, but I doubt that this new mini phone could become more popular than the larger, more powerful iPhone 5S.

 Either way, I am actually expecting something rather good from Apple this time around. The truth is that even the great tech giant can sometimes have financial problems. Their stock price is currently dropping and Samsung is doing their best to get back as them for all the law suits and prosecutions that Apple put them through. 

 It also seems that Apple is getting ready to make something great for 2014. It has been confirmed that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is building the A6x chip for the upcoming iOS models. The job won't be completed before 2014 and the new, better and more powerful chip will be exclusive for the latest iOS products.

Samsugn Galaxy S4 Already Coming Out?

 No matter what you are - an Android or an iOS fan, you have to admit that Samsung has a pretty good track record and a lot of customer loyalty. Unlike Apple who takes its time to release better, advanced models and technologies, Samsung is always planning miles ahead and working on something new. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has already been announced for 2013 and some are even suggesting that we might catch some first glimpse of it in February during the World Mobile Congress (WMC). 

A leaked photo of the Galaxy S4

I personally doubt that this phone will really be presented so soon and if anything I expect Samsung to show it off during the summer or later. If, however, this phone gets released to the general public a lot sooner then this could spell trouble for Apple who has made no real announcements about a new iPhone in 2013.

 There are a lot of good competitors on the market this year like the Sony Xperia L and the HTC Butterfly, and all of them feature a large 5-inch screen. The S4 is also expected to feature a 4,99" screen, which makes me wonder - why do people want their smartphones to get bigger and bigger? I even heard a rumor that Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 will be 6,3 inches!

 So how long does it take before Apple follows the trend? The iPhone 5 has a 4 inch diagonal, which is a huge step from the previous 3,5 inch diagonal display. But will the new release make the iPhone even larger? Or will there perhaps be an advanced and bigger version such as the iPhone 5L? Well, only time will tell this for sure, in the meantime make sure to follow this blog!

 If you are interested in the S4, then check out the latest Samsung Galaxy S4 news and photos!

iPhone 5 Users = Biggest Data Users in Europe?

 Bigger data usage = bigger bills right? Well, Apple iPhone 5 users in Europe have pretty big bills to pay then since it seems that they have "the most voracious appetite for data in Europe". This is quite from Yahoo News who reported that iPhone 5 users in Europe are consuming data on average more than four times than a regular iPhone 3G user! Four times the bigger bills? Ouch! Hopefully, European carriers have good data plans for their demanding consumers.

The iPhone 4S alongside its bigger brother

 So how was this research deducted? Well, the mobile data analysis firm Arieso lead this research and they examined more than 1 million smartphone users over a 24h period in European 3G networks. They don't seem to be shocked by the results and they found out some other interesting things. Namely, phablets such as the Galaxy Note 2 or other great 5-inchers were also rising data consumers.

"One iPhone 5 user is effectively worth about 4 iPhone 3G users," report author Michael Flanagan said in an interview.

 Their study also shows that an iPhone 5 users is also 50% more demanding than an iPhone 4S user in Europe and that no other smartphone other than the Galaxy S3 is coming anywhere close to ranking as high as this.

ZAGG Debuts iPhone 5 Integrated Dual Analog GamePad And Protective Case

 Hi there Apple iPhone 5 fans! As you probably already know, the awesome CES event in currently the main event in the mobile industry. Today we would like to tell you what iFrogz (a ZAGG brand) has been up to recently and what sort of awesome device they presented today. It might be that they have made a perfect iPhone 5 game pad and they called it the Caliber Advantage for iPhone 5. This awesome looking device sports two analog sticks, a D-pad, face and shoulder buttons.

From what we had a chance to see, the iFrogz Caliber Advantage for iPhone 5 features elegant design that incorporates itself into the iPhone 5 very well. The device is able to double as a slim protective case. As for the analog sticks - they seem quite responsive and somewhat resemble the Circle Pad from Nintendo’s 3DS.

“The Caliber Advantage is a game-changer for the mobile platform,” said Kent Wuthrich, executive vice president of marketing for ZAGG. “Everyone from hardcore gamers to casual players will enjoy and appreciate the control and function of the Caliber Advantage. We are committed to bringing creative product solutions to gaming with not only this revolutionary gaming controller, but also a full line-up of gaming specific audio products.”

 The estimated MSRP for the Caliber Advantage is $69.99, and is expected to launch during the first half of 2013. I’d expect several more key developers to pledge support before it hits the market.

iPhone 5 Drop Test from 100,000 Feet!

 Ever though about sending your iPhone 5 into the atmosphere and then dropping it on the desert floor from up to 100,000 feet of distance? Me neither, but the creators of G-Form Xtreme iPhone 5 case though it would be an awesome way to present their $40 iPhone 5 case that is said to provide the ultimate protection to your iOS device. Sadly the video is not credible enough and doesn't really prove anything, although it is believable for a couple of reasons. Let us have a look at the suspicious video first:

 As you can see the main issue with this video is that the camera suddenly shuts itself off which is due to extreme cold. Now, honestly I really do think that the phone was dropped from a fairly high distance and that this was not a lie. However, I believe that the iPhone 5 was attached to the balloon which slowly lost its altitude and provided the iPhone 5 with an easy and safe landing in the brush. The video has failed to prove anything and the integrity of the manufacturer is just being put on the line. If the marketing team really wanted to show how effective their case is, then perhaps all they had to do was drop the phone from  7 feet on concrete!

 What do you guys think about the whole thing? Do you own any iPhone 5 cases and how have they been serving you?

iPhone 5 vs LG Intuition - Quality DOES Matter!

 When an average Joe looks at the specs of the LG Intuition he thinks that they are quite impressive and that they guarantee that his purchase will give him his money's worth. This is isn't just the case with this smartphone, but with just about any other high-end device on the market. However, this iPhone 5 vs LG Intuition showdown will do its best to show that Apple has clearly won this battle and that quality is something very important when buying a device that is this expensive. Granted, LG is a reputable firm and they are renown for making the LG Google Nexus 4 and Apple's reputation has been slipping lately. Several months ago, an interest article was published that highlighted all the top Apple iOS fails of the year so I will recommend you read that and I will say that I was not totally bias in this review.

iPhone 5 vs LG Intuition: The Showdown

iPhone 5 vs LG Intuition - the Design

 We have to start from somewhere so it might as well be to discus how the device appear at first glance. As far as I am concerned the LG Intuition is not a very pretty device. Its large screen is certainly something a lot of people would like to have, but to me it just looks quite ugly. This is a personal opinion so I will not base any verdicts on it. However, I must point out some facts such as the fact that the iPhone 5 is much lighter and slimmer and most users prefer how it fits in your hand. A lot of users have complained about the 5-inch LG Intuition saying that it is hard to hold and operate on.

The Screen & Display

 This is probably the first field in the LG Intuition vs iPhone 5 match that really interests most of us, and I agree that a good screen is very important. Apple's device has a 4-inch screen, while LG has launched a mini phablet that has 5-inch scree. Users have reported that the iPhone 5 has a much better graphics quality though and this is probably due to the 326 pixels per inch that this device's screen has. To compare things, the LG Intuition has only 256 ppi and only a slightly better resolution.

The General Specs

 It is hard to say that one of these two is better when it comes to the specs and what is running inside of them. Both have a powerful dual-core processor and will offer you just about all the standard things that they are expected. However, I believe that the A6 processor is made of much better quality material. 

 In terms of the battery however, we will have to give a round of applause to LG Intuition since they beat the iPhone 5 when it comes to battery power by a long shot! LG's top gun was able to win this category thanks to its 2,080 mAh Li-Ion batteries.In comparison the Apple iPhone 5 has only one 1,404 mAh battery which is something that they promised would be fixed by the next time the new iPhone flushes out.

The Camera

 Generally speaking the Apple iPhone 5 has a much better camera with a lot more options than a regular LG Intuition camera.It is also able to film brilliant HD video, while the LG cannot reach 1080p quality like the iPhone 5. All of the samples taken by the LG device didn't work out quite well and we are pleased to admit that the iPhone 5 is probably the better mobile phone out of the two.

 What about your opinion on the iPhone vs LG Intuition fight? What is your experience with these two mobile devices?

New iPhone 5 Adverstiment - "Dream"

 On the behalf of our blog as well as the DigiTech Panda network we would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and it appears so would Apple, along with their new iPhone 5 advertisement. "Dream" is a very funny little ad that highlights a small, but very useful feature - do not disturb. In the commercial the narrator is having a very nice dream where he is playing (and winning!) a game of table tennis (ping pong) against the lovely Williams sisters. Here is this fresh new iPhone 5 ad:

 Do you like it? We personally find it very creative and entertaining to say the least! 

iPhone 5 vs HTC One S, a Quick Review

 Well, let us take a break from the Apple vs Samsung battles of which I am sure a lot of us got bored off. Instead let us focus on the devices themselves and see which is the best for your needs. Today on the menu we will present the iPhone 5 vs HTC One S duel and pit the two phones against each other. If you have been thinking which one to get out of the two then hopefully this review will help you decide. HTC is certainly a great manufacturer and their smartphones really deserve more attention then they are getting. But is the Android-powered HTC One S good enough to stand up to the latest iPhone 5 with iOS 6? Let us find out!

The One S on the left and the iPhone 5 on the right

iPhone 5 vs HTC One S: The basics, the design...

 I have mentioned this on the blog several times: the iPhone 5 does not live up to its expectations when it comes to its design. The previous models looked amazing, but keeping the same design doesn't go well with this larger screen. On the other hand the One S isn't anything unique either. It is a concept that HTC has reused over and over, and a lot of other companies have used it in the past as well.

The iPhone 5 concept compared to previous models

 When it comes to other physical attributes, the iPhone 5 prides itself for being 6.4 mm more narrow and 8 grams lights. The iPhone 5 is also 0.4 mm thinner which is again something you probably will not notice. What you will, however, feel when holding both of them is that the iPhone 5 has almost 20% less volume (55.1cm³ vs 68.3cm³) which will make it feel much more lighter and thinner than it really is.

The Screen/ Display

 The iPhone 5 has a 4 inch screen while HTC One S has a 4.3 inch screen (7.5% larger) which isn't a lot to be honest and this alone doesn't make much of a difference when it comes to user experience. What will, however, make a difference is that fact that Apple's product has a higher resolution (640 x 1136 px vs 540 x 960 px) and has a much better pixel per inch density (326ppi vs 234ppi).

The Camera

 People love the cameras on their smartphone devices and how could this iPhone 5 vs HTC One S review even be made if we didn't pit the cameras against each other? Right off the bat we should mention that both have a back and front camera. The HTC One S has a slightly better one, but you will hardly notice or care about the difference. When it comes to the back camera, iPhone 5 totally dominates the playing field. Unless you have bad luck with the iPhone purple flares the photos on your iPhone 5 should look much better and sharper than those on the HTC device.
 

A lovely iPhone 5 panorama, lick to zoom in on it!

 The iPhone 5 can create panoramas, has adjustable ISO, a dedicated camera button, has manual white balance and features a powerful CMOS sensor. Both devices feature a 8 MP camera.
 

The Operating System

 If we began trying to compare iOS with Android the task would take too long and we would not come to a definitive answer. This is why we consider this a matter of choice upon which we cannot look without being subjective. However, you should consider the fact that your HTC One S might come with a lot of carrier bloatware and will not recive official OS updates. The iPhone 5 however will run smoothly from day one and will receive all official updates as soon as they are released.
 

HTC One S vs iPhone: The Hardware

 When it comes to the processor both are dual core. The HTC One S CPU is 1.5 GHz and iPhone 5 has a CPU speed of 1 GHz, however this doesn't mean that the HTC is faster as the iPhone 5's chip-set is quite powerful and will drain less battery. They both come with 1 GB of RAM and while the HTC One S has 16 GBs of internal memory, you can get the iPhone 5 with up to 64 GB of internal memory, however this will be much more expensive and it is much more easier to solve this issue on the One S because you can get cheap SD cards anywhere!

 So, after all this iPhone 5 vs HTC One S review which one would you buy? While we are still iPhone 5 fans you must admit that the HTC One S is quite impressive for its low cost. Who is the winner here?

Jim Mergard joing Apple - Goodbye Samsung!

Samsung made headlines recently because they decided to include additional members to its team of chip designers, who are based in Texas. Many of the additional members on the team have vast experience in chips that are meant for server systems. Now, one of those team members has decided to leave Samsung for greener pastures at Apple.

 Jim Mergard, who has 16 years of experience in Advanced Micro Devices under his belt, was hired recently by gadget maker Apple. The chip designer held the position of chief engineer and vice president at Samsung before he decided to leave. One of his greatest achievements at his former company is spear-heading the creation of a sophisticated AMD chip. This AMD chip, which was code-named Brazos, was specifically designed for affordable portable computers.

 Currently, there are numerous opportunities available for experienced engineers since their technical talent is in very high demand allowing for movement from one company to another. Moreover, movement of resources between Apple and Samsung could not have come at a more interesting time.

 It is common knowledge that Samsung and Apple are rivals when it comes to smartphones. In addition, the two companies are battling each other in court for one reason or another. Apple has accused the South Korean giant of patent infringement and has thus taken them to court. As is to be expected, Samsung shot back with accusations of its own. Ironically, the two are also partners as Apple relies on Samsung to make their chips for their devices.

 For both Samsung and Apple, chip design is becoming a very important factor. Samsung has claimed that they will up their game with regard to the development of microprocessors as well as other related items. Apple has also been positioning itself in the chip design field by increasing their chip designers over numerous years. As it were, both companies use ARM Holdings technology to develop their processors.

 Patrick Moorhead, of Moor Insights & Strategy, was quoted saying that the latest addition to Apple’s chip design team, Jim Mergard, was a good choice because he brings vast knowledge in PC technology and SoCs. He goes on to say that Mergard’s talents might propel Apple’s Mac PC efforts to change the Intel chips on the Macs to SoCs.

 It is still yet to be determined whether Mr. Mergard will be placed at Apple’s headquarters in California or he will stay in Austin, Texas. Since Apple purchased the start-up company Intrinsity in 2010, its presence in chip design has been felt along with the existence of a customer care center that has been in Austin for a while so the new addition to the team should feel right at home.

iPhone 5 users dominate Galaxy S3 users in web traffic!

 The on-going battle between Apple’s latest device, the iPhone 5 and Samsung’s forerunner, the Samsung  Galaxy S3, has produced a new winner in the latest contest. Recently, a study was carried out by Chitika to find out which of the phones had more web traffic and the results they got proved to be very interesting.

The Galaxy S3 Sapphire Black

 The expectation had been that the Samsung Galaxy S3 would have garnered another win seeing as how it was released in late May and the iPhone 5 was launched only a few weeks ago. However, according to the study performed by Chitika, that is not the case. In their study it became clear that the iPhone 5 won over the Galaxy S3! Or rather, the users did. Let us explain...

 So far, the Samsung has managed to sell over 20 million units of the Galaxy S3 in comparison to the 5 million iPhone 5’s that have been sold since it was launched 3 weeks ago. In addition, the sales of the Galaxy S3 are still more than those of the iPhone 5 according to recent reports. Even with those outstanding numbers, the study revealed that users of the iPhone 5 are more active than the users of the Samsung Galaxy S3 with regard to web traffic. 

The iPhone 5

 The Chitika analysis was carried out over a 7-day period between October 3rd, 2012 and October 9th, 2012. The analysis was based on a large number of mobile advertisement impressions from both the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3. From those statistics, the analysts were able to track the difference in Internet traffic volumes between the two phones.

 It is expected that more studies will be conducted by Chitika as well as other companies to track various statistics for phones or devices that have been launched recently. The statistics are important because from them we are able to see how mobile development is growing. It is assumed that with time, mobile usage will surpass that of the PC, which may one day become obsolete. 

 Mobile advertisements are going to hold more weight as tablets and smartphones become increasingly available. From the data received by Chitika, it can be seen that search engines like Google would make more profits from mobile advertisements on the iPhone 5 rather than on the Samsung Galaxy S3.