Hasta La Gadget!

An earlier portrait of the second quarter’s tablet market share made it quite clear that the iPad was on a rebound, if it was ever in a slump to start with. All those numbers focused on platforms and not brands, however — we didn’t know how the individual makers were doing. If IHS iSuppli’s figures are on the ball, there’s even more of a discrepancy if you break down the period’s results by manufacturer. The iPad staked out 69.6 percent of tablet shipments in the spring. That wasn’t just an 11-point jump over a year earlier; it was a level of share Apple hasn’t had since the Motorola Xoom was just cutting its teeth early in 2011.

As for the rest? Transformer Pads kept ASUS growing, but it’s not a pretty sight if you’re making an Android reader tablet; both Amazon and Barnes & Noble shed roughly a point and a half each, which is no small amount relative to their size. Samsung also lost share by this after its deliveries of Galaxy Tabs mostly stayed flat. We’d add that there’s some wiggle room as to real performance knowing that units shipped and sold aren’t always one and the same. Most of these companies are leaving clues regarding upcoming tablet refreshes that might level the playing field, some not so subtle, but it’s currently Apple’s game to win.

Filed under: Tablet PCs

IHS iSuppli: Apple iPad takes 69.6 percent of tablet brand market share in Q2, reader tablets take a bruising originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We have ad-supported e-reading today, but the ads always sit on the periphery at most. That makes us more than slightly nervous about a newly-granted Microsoft patent for contextual e-book ads. The development would make the pitch based on not just targeted pages but the nature of the book in question: a sci-fi novel might try to sell lightsabers, and characters themselves might slip into the ads themselves if there’s a fit. Promos could be either generated on the spot or remain static. Before anyone mourns the end of unspoiled literature, just remember that having a patent isn’t the same as using it — Microsoft doesn’t have its own dedicated reading app anymore, let alone any warning signs that it’s about to pepper our digital libraries with marketing. If the Newco partnership results in copies of War and Peace bombarded with Black Ops II ads, though, we’ll know where to place the blame.

Microsoft patents contextual ads in e-books, whether we like it or not originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen attempts to bring mapping functionality to Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color in the past, but Skobbler’s going full out with the arrival of ForeverMap 2 for that device and its more clearly defined tablet successor. The app utilizes WiFi positioning, offers route guidance and features both global and local maps. The standard version is free and a pro version can be picked up for $5, offering up added functionality like unlimited offline map downloads. Skobbler also used today’s launch to announce that it’s working on broader implementation by making it available to Nook app developers.

Continue reading Skobbler brings maps to Nook Tablet, Color with ForeverMap 2

Filed under: GPS, Tablet PCs, Software

Skobbler brings maps to Nook Tablet, Color with ForeverMap 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we initially did our Nook Tablet / Kindle Fire battle royal, the choice between the devices for comics fans largely came down to the preference between the Marvel and DC universes. The lines, however, are blurring. Thanks to today’s announcement, Justice League fans should find as much to love in the Nook Tablet and Color as Avengers devotees. DC has brought more than 100 graphic novels to the aforementioned devices and Android tablets running the Nook app. Barnes & Noble also used the opportunity to announce the new Zoom View feature, which lets readers focus on individual panels — functionality that sounds fairly similar to what Comixology offers in its own popular app. For more information about Crisis on Infinite Nooks, check out the press release after the break.

Continue reading DC Comics arrive on Nook Tablet, Barnes & Noble lets you watch, zoom the Watchmen

DC Comics arrive on Nook Tablet, Barnes & Noble lets you watch, zoom the Watchmen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frankly, we’d advise against crossing anyone given to costumed superheroics, but a policy is a policy. Book selling giant Barnes & Noble has begun pulling select DC Comics from store shelves this week, in response to a deal struck between the publisher and Amazon, which will make digital copies of a number of comics exclusively available through the online retailer for use with the forthcoming Kindle Fire. The move is part of Barnes & Noble’s policy to remove physical books from its shelves if the available digital version of the text is not offered up to the company. According to an exec, “To sell and promote the physical book in our store showrooms and not have the e-book available for sale would undermine our promise to Barnes & Noble customers to make available any book, anywhere, anytime.” J’onn J’onzz has yet to weigh in on the matter.

Barnes & Noble pulls DC Comics from shelves over Kindle kerfuffle, risks Martian Manhunter’s wrath originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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