Hasta La Gadget!

The most recent quarterly report from Apple came with a surprisingly low amount of sales increase in the iPhone, just 3% across the entirety of Q2, and this morning it appears that AT&T may have more than just a bit to do with it. Apple noted in their quarterly earnings report that the sales slowing had more to do with rumors of the next-generation iPhone than anything else, though multiple independent sources speaking with BGR say otherwise. These sources each say that regional sales managers at AT&T stores across the United States have instructed managers to steer customers away from the iPhone entirely.

This set of tips also says that at quite a few locations, AT&T employees were no longer allowed to use the iPhone as their company phone, managers forcing them to choose Android or Windows Phones instead. One of the devices employees were encouraged especially to use was (and/or is) the Nokia Lumia 900, this following along with the biggest launch ever talk several months ago when the device was announced for the carrier.

UPDATE: AT&T has released the following comment on the situation, denying the whole situation:

“The idea that we would steer any customer away from a particular device couldn’t be more farfetched. Our reps do what it takes to align customer needs with the best device for them. iPhone remains one of our most popular devices, which doesn’t happen by steering people away from it. Our reps are encouraged to try all devices so they are more knowledgeable on our industry-leading smartphone lineup.” – AT&T Representative

Staffers have, according to these same sources, been instructed to make an effort to show Android and Windows Phone devices to customers even if they came in specifically to pick up the iPhone or iPhone 4S. This set of tips says that this was so that customers could “make an informed decision.” This action appears to have had a large effect in some areas, with one source noting that sales of the iPhone had fallen from 80% of the store’s sales down to 60% – a dramatic change indeed.

AT&T ended up reporting that iPhone activations on their network alone added up to 3.7 million units, this being a massive 72% of their total 5.1 million device activations over the quarter. Have a peek at AT&T’s full financial report to learn more. And have a peek at Apple’s earnings report’s revelation about iPhone sales for the quarter as well to see how this quarter for them surprised us all.

AT&T tipped to cut iPhone sales on purpose [UPDATE: AT&T comments] is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

At CES 2012 we were promised that Yahoo would integrate IntoNow’s SoundPrint technology with its backend to pull up useful extra content about whatever TV program was being watched and now it’s delivered that and more. IntoNow 3.0 for iOS (no upgrade yet for the Android version) enhances the app’s TV companion experience in three key ways: TV / Music Sync, “CapIt” screengrabbing and finally Group Chat. The TV and music sync brings not only the associated info we’d heard about before, but also brings Shazam-style information about any music that might be playing. CapIt can pull screenshots from the cloud of any of the TV shows IntoNow’s backend is monitoring, which adds up to about 13 million frames a day, then pops them up ready for meme creation and sharing. Group Chat does exactly what it sounds like, and lets you talk to friends or set up circles of fans around particular shows.

We gave the app a try and found it worked as advertised, quickly identifying what was playing whether live or on DVR and popping up episode info, cast listings and Wikipedia links. The CapIt feature (shown above) pulls frames with surprising speed and ease, even on live broadcasts, and allows users to scroll backwards or refresh for new freezes to grab just the right one. It doesn’t monitor what you’re watching live, but punching the green TV icon in the upper left corner causes it to sync right away, which also creates an entry of what was being watched and when.

Continue reading Yahoo’s IntoNow TV companion app for iOS adds screen grab, music recognition and chat features

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs

Yahoo’s IntoNow TV companion app for iOS adds screen grab, music recognition and chat features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever wanted to flag a Facebook post for the future — one you wouldn’t want to be seen “liking” in the present? Well, the heads at Palo Alto are testing a way to make that happen: a save-for-later feature that’ll allow you to add posts to a private feed. Saving is conducted on the sly, so you can create a slimmed-down stalking experience without alerting the posters. If you’re prone to using the desktop version of the site, the option should appear alongside the familiar “Like”, “Comment” and “Share” soon. A similar change should be available on the mobile site, with a press-and-hold mechanic doing the job in the apps for iDevices. There’s no word on other platforms at the moment, but we’d be surprised if the update is confined to browser and iOS users. We know you’re keen to start hoarding those embarrassing drunken status updates, so hopefully the update will be rolling out shortly.

Filed under: Internet

Facebook working on ‘save-for-later’ feature, lets you like things privately originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has been granted a patent for a predictive text keyboard on mobile devices that will automatically increase the size of touch targets without actually doing so visually. Although this patent, which Apple Insider dug up, is bit confusing in concept, it’s execution makes sense. In fact, the idea of implementing this idea without visual indicators actually makes this whole idea much more functional. More »

If you aren’t all about grabbing a new account for Microsoft’s Outlook email today and do indeed have a Gmail account you use with your iOS device, today is looking up. The iPhone and iPad version of Gmail has been updated to version 1.3 today for the masses, made for not just bug fixes, but a selection of worthwhile upgrades as well. Have a peek at your updates drawer right this minute to make the change, and meanwhile bask in the warming glow of free software boosts.

The first think you will be noticing in Gmail 1.3 for your iPad and/or iPhone is the overall smoothness of the user interface. This version of Gmail for iOS has been updated for smoother animations as well as smoother scrolling for all devices. Next, you’ll find that your ability to download attachments to your photo library now exists. You’ll still be limited to photos for your photo library of course, but all is well!

The bugs that Google has fixed for this release of Gmail have not been listed, but we’re sure they weren’t that wild in the first place – so just chill. Google has let the world know that, “Buttons respond to presses a little more quickly, scrolling is smoother and new views transition faster” as well. These updates come directly after some announced updates that came down just a few weeks ago directly following Google I/O 2012.

You’ll find that using Gmail with your iPhone or iPad is just as easy – or easier – than using it on your PC or Mac at home at the desk. These apps are made to make perfect use of your touch interface and make it beyond-entertaining to do everyday tasks as well. Stay tuned as Google continues to push their own apps on all software, especially in the wake of the competition ramping up!

Gmail iOS app updated to stay smooth is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.