2013
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Yahoo's 2013 hack impacted all 3 billion accounts
Last year Yahoo (now part of Oath along with AOL after its acquisition by Verizon) announced that back in 2013, hackers had stolen info covering over one billion of its accounts. Today, the combined company announced that further investigation reveals the 2013 hack affected all of its accounts that existed at the time -- about three billion. The information taken "may have included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (using MD5) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers."
Sony reaps benefit of PS4 and Xperia sales, but forecasts further bleeding
There are few surprises in Sony's full-year earnings figures, especially since we've already covered the huge loss it suffered in pulling out of the PC business. However, although overall profit is heavily in the red, the detailed numbers show healthy gains in precisely the two departments where we'd hope to see them: Gaming-related sales shot up 53 percent on the back of the PS4, while Xperia smartphone sales rose by around 20 percent to just shy of 40 million units for the year ended March 31st. Sony doesn't specify phone sales by model, but the year-over-year gain strikes us as a fair and just reward for the manufacturer's excellent Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact (shown above). Unfortunately, none of this success looks likely to fix Sony's deeper ailments any time soon, because the company is still forecasting further heavy losses throughout 2014. It predicts a net loss of 50 billion yen over the coming year, whereas most pundits had expected the ship to be righted and profitable by then.
T-Mobile's UnCarrier plans are working, gains 4.4 million new customers in 2013
When John Legere jointed T-Mobile, the company had lost two million customers and was eating some substantial losses. The party-crashing CEO, however, seems to have turned things around with the UnCarrier, Jump and Simple Choice programs. In the company's annual report, T-Mobile has announced that 2013 saw the network add a whopping 4.4 million customers across the year. For Q4, while the company added 1.6 million customers, it also marked a loss of $20 million -- so perhaps some of the money spent baiting rival networks should have stayed in the bank.
Smartphone sales may have topped 1 billion in 2013, depending on who you ask
You once had to look to the broader cellphone market to see more than a billion phones ship in one year. Well, times have changed... at least, if you ask the right analysts. IDC now estimates that smartphone shipments topped one billion for the first time in 2013. However, Strategy Analytics begs to differ -- it reckons that shipments fell just short, at 990 million. Whether or not the industry hit its symbolic milestone, the roughly 40 percent increase over 2012 data shows that the smartphone market had plenty of room to grow last year. Samsung led the pack with 31.3 percent of the the market, while Apple dipped to 15.3 percent as both Samsung and Chinese manufacturers (including Huawei and Lenovo) chipped away at its second-place position. As for what happened in the fourth quarter? Both analyst groups say that Samsung was once again the top vendor, although they note that the Korean firm's share was largely flat at 29 percent. Not that Apple fared any better, as its record-setting iPhone shipments weren't enough to prevent a slide to 18 percent share. Huawei, LG and Lenovo were the real victors -- each of them typically gained a point or more of share in the past year. IDC chalks some of this up to the rise of very low-cost smartphones, which are quickly taking over developing markets like China and India. Companies which focus on more expensive handsets, such as Apple and Samsung, have the most to lose in these areas.
Nokia's phone business ends not with a bang, but with a whimper
2013 is the last year that we'll see Nokia in its current form, as the world-famous handset business should be hived-off to become part of Microsoft's corporate family in the next few months. But how did it do in the last quarter? Not particularly well, it seems, but it's hard to judge how badly, as the company has decided not to break out sales of its Lumia and Asha handsets, so we're left looking for evidence elsewhere. What we do know is that the company has conceded that both smart and dumb-phone sales have fallen. Naturally, Nokia is blaming the drop on the usual suspects, like the competitive market and cheaper devices from rival manufacturers. From the figures, it appears as if the company's phone department lost around €198 million ($270 million) in the period, so whatever Microsoft plans to do with its latest toy, it's still got some work to do before Windows Phone 8 can be considered a success. Update: Nokia has since gone on the record to say that it sold 8.2 million Lumia handsets in the quarter, a small dip compared to the 8.8 million sold in Q3.
Mac Pro back on sale in Europe following previous ban
EU bureaucrats famously revoked their ban on ugly fruit, but they never showed such leniency to Apple. The older Mac Pro breached rules requiring extra shielding on fans and electrical ports and as a result it hasn't been seen on European store shelves since last March. Fortunately, however, the new 2013 Mac Pro passes muster, and some customers in France are seeing shipping estimates as early as mid-January -- although most folks who order their canister of computing today should expect to receive it sometime in February.
App Store sold more than $10 billion in 2013
If you spent any money on the App Store in 2013, you helped contribute to a record-breaking year for Apple's digital marketplace. The company revealed today that App Store sales passed US$10 billion in 2013, with more than $1 billion in sales coming in December alone. Apple's press release calls out a few apps by name for their surprising performance, including Heads Up, Candy Crush Saga, QuizUp and Minecraft. The company also notes that, to date, it has paid out a whopping $15 billion to app developers who stock the virtual store shelves.
Switched On: The 2013 Switchies, Part Two
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The last Switched On introduced the 2013 Switchie Awards for TV, PC and gaming products. This time, we'll take a look at the mobile and wearable devices that made their mark in 2013.
A look back at 2013, a brief glimpse at 2014
And now a look back at the year that was 2013, a year full of surveillance stories and other terrible things amid a swath of pleasant refreshes at Apple. Some have called it an incremental year for Apple, and with the possible exception of the Mac Pro, I can see that. There was a lot of product alignment, with iLife and iWork apps getting a rewrite, plus a new moniker for the iPad itself. The split of the iPhone into the S-class and plastic c-class was an interesting twist on the otherwise now-predictable line. Mavericks was certainly incremental, but iOS 7 was a fundamental shift in aesthetic (if not always operation). Still, Apple didn't release a new product category in 2013. One might argue that the Mac Pro is unlike any pro desktop Mac before it, but it still fits into the overall category of monster power desktops for pro users. As the most radical redesign of hardware in 2013, I think it foretells a coming re-imagining of many Apple product lines. Apple in 2013 continued to hammer away at perfecting its products, but its competitors did the same with theirs. There's an interesting tale in the companies Apple acquired in 2013 as well. More and more tech will be developed outside of Cupertino, and the company will likely be forced into acquiring more key components to make its visions real. After all, what else are you going to do with all that cash sitting around? From China Mobile to yet-to-be-revealed future product lines, manufacturing in the US to further refinement of iOS 7, Apple's 2014 should be another amazing year. Maybe even with a new Apple TV! iOS 7 & Software rewrites iOS 7, as has been noted everywhere, is likely the biggest story of the year. It ushers in an era where Jony Ive is doing double duty, providing vision for the hardware and software sides of Apple's house. Although it's a little rough around the edges, iOS 7 sets the stage for a lot of the future of mobile for Apple's lineup, both inside and out. Mavericks keeps OS X a little fresher, but the advantages abound when dealing with CPU activity and battery life. Combined with Apple's new MacBooks, Mavericks helps conserve battery power for extra hours of work, like a hybrid car cruising past gas station after gas station. Bigger than Mavericks, I think, are the complete rewrites of Apple's iLife and iWork applications. While these are still works in progress (no landscape view in Numbers on iPhone, really?), it shows Apple is tightening the ecosystem so that efficiencies are maximized. One code base to rule them all? Maybe someday soon. Oh, and Apple delivered these updates as freebies, which is an interesting move; we've yet to see what it means for third party developers, if anything. Unfortunately Apple's software -- including services like Maps and Siri -- are starting to seriously lag behind competitors (like Google). 2013 saw a little ground lost, so I'm hoping all of these consolidations and re-arrangements lead to more stability and more features in shorter time frames going forward. Hardware refreshes The iPad becomes the iPad Air. The 2 is still around, chugging along, but the mini line now has a Retina screen to differentiate from a slightly less expensive version. These certainly feel like in-between stages. 2014 won't likely bring sweeping changes to the iPad line, although it is increasingly crowded with options. The iPhone notably split into two lines, one a premium S-class experience with a few sensors separating it from the 5c, which is "unapologetically" plastic and colorful. Apple also went 64-bit on the top-end iPhone 5s (not to mention the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini), which already delivers a performance boost; I expect the 64-bit processors will become a bigger deal as time goes on. Apple continues to lean in to manufacturing, from its own chips to state-of-the-art Mac manufacturing facilities in the US. The insides of the Mac line are the big deal, however, and those chips come from Intel. The Haswell chips in particular mean the MacBook lines sing and dance with much lower power draw than before. As noted, Mavericks works well with these, eking out a significant battery boost. Apple hasn't lost its touch when it comes to melding software and hardware, and the current Mac lineup yet again beats previous years' models. What's next? The Apple TV needs a refresh, clearly. What's totally unclear is how this will happen. Not to mention that Apple's selling a top-of-the-line Mac that advertises how well it works with 4K displays, but doesn't have a 4K display of its own -- that's bound to change. Software will continue to become less buggy, and Apple has already put out a tentative six-month timeline for adding back some of the features that dropped out of iWork in the transition to the new versions. A watch? Yeah, maybe, but it's always important to remember Apple will not release a product unless it feels the product is ready. I think we'll see wearables continue to heat up this year, but Apple is already getting into the sensor-laden future with iBeacons -- which aren't wearables but certainly add to the context of a user's environment. iBeacons, coupled with sensors like the M7, are already going to provide iDevices with a ton of info. A watch, to be compelling, will have to offer features that make sense, and do so in an elegant and user-friendly fashion. And if we're talking watches, that word fashion is a big deal, too. Apple will have to do better than the Pebble, which I think is one of the best smartwatches out there. Ultimately we feel sure Apple will continue to refine and develop its existing line. We're hopeful this year Tim Cook and the team will introduce a new product category -- but what that will be is, at this point, anyone's guess.
Insert Coin: 2013's top 10 crowdfunding projects
An underwater drone that you can control with your tablet or smartphone from up to 300 feet away. Reckon that's worth a pledge of around $200? Plenty of you did, because Ziphius is now a very real thing, thanks to its passionate everyman backers. Galvanized by some very successful projects last year, 2013 saw plenty of crowdfunding projects angling for your dollar. We also crowned three Insert Coin: New Challengers winners at our Expand San Francisco and Expand New York events, hopefully doing our bit to cheer on the next Eric Migicovsky. Aside from said competitors, this year saw 29 Insert Coin subjects manage to hit their goals, with some utterly smashing them. Indiegogo's CEO Slava Rubin tells us that compared to 2012, there was "more than a 1,000 percent increase in funds raised" in its technology category. "We've seen everyone from big brands to small startups embracing crowdfunding as an alternative to traditional finance. We can't wait to see what exciting new products 2014 will bring," he said. With the likes of Oculus Rift and the Pebble smartwatch still making news more than a year since their crowdfunding debuts, how will the class of 2013 fare? Here's a closer look of some of the projects that you just had to make a reality.
The year in reviews: 2013's best and worst gadgets scored and scrutinized
Fun fact: Engadget reviewed 176 products in 2013, and that's not even counting the umpteen times we got hands-on with stuff at tradeshows and press events. In general, we try to review just the top-tier gadgets, but even then, some of it ends up being forgettable. (Can you name-check everything we tested from memory? We can't.) So, as the year draws to a close, we're taking a look back at the last 12 months of reviews, and this time, we're including only the products you'd have no trouble remembering. Across every category, we've noted the flagships everyone coveted -- along with the duds that could've been so much better. Oh, and you might notice that we included some numbered scores throughout. That's right; Engadget is bringing back numerical ratings, and they'll follow the same format as the critic score gdgt has already been using for years. Which is to say, each rating takes into account various criteria for a given product category -- things like battery life and portability. Wanna see how your favorite gadgets did? Meet us after the break for a walk down memory lane.
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's year in review
We've reached the end of 2013 and once again it's time to take a look back at the past year in Star Trek Online to see what has been successful and what missed the mark. I have to say that this year has been the most active that the game has seen since its launch almost four years ago. There's a lot to cover, so I'll just get right to it. A new mission, a new ship, and a familiar voice The game's third anniversary saw a new featured episode accompany the usual Q-instigated frivolity. The mission called Temporal Ambassador included the familiar voice of actress Denise Crosby, whose character, Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation, was brought back along with the long-awaited Ambassador Class ship. The ship became the mission reward, continuing Star Trek Online's tradition of providing players with a new vessel during the game's anniversary event. While many of us had hoped that Crosby might be heard again as her other character, the Romulan Tal Shiar Operative Sela, I don't think many of us were truly expecting what was to come.
2013 Rumor Retrospective: 'All the leaks were...'
I've been writing Rumor Roundups for nearly two years now. In all that time, only two writers from sites featured in the Roundup have ever contacted me directly: In mid-2012, Rene Ritchie of iMore contacted me once to (correctly) point out a regrettable inaccuracy I'd written about one of his site's claims. Several times over the past few months, Mark Gurman of 9to5 Mac has contacted me via Twitter, and each time he contacts me his behavior becomes more and more... "erratic" is probably the polite way to put it. On December 19, 9to5 Mac posted a 2013 retrospective patting themselves on the back for their supposed accuracy in the field of Apple rumors. "All the leaks were right," their article claimed. This was an intriguing claim to make, as 9to5 Mac takes the same "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" approach to rumors as almost every other Apple site out there, and as a result they inevitably post heaps of wildly inaccurate information about Apple's supposed future plans. When I dared to point out that 9to5 Mac deliberately ignored the dozens of inaccurate stories that it posted during 2013, Mark Gurman challenged me to prove it. I was at the beach in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand when Gurman first contacted me on Twitter. I ignored him at first, but barely two hours later he insisted that I provide him with a list of inaccurate links. I was still at the beach. Sometimes, the real world takes precedence. I assured him I'd get to it in due time. Naturally, because this is the internet, this was soon followed by a handful of 9to5 Mac readers taunting and harassing me on Twitter. One of them even made a veiled threat about it not being a good idea to "pick a fight" with "9to5 Warriors" because "we don't get much sleep, you know." Regrettably, I was too busy laughing my ass off to be properly intimidated. But it did provide me with the motivation to do a deep dive into 9to5 Mac's vaunted accuracy - as did Gurman once again prodding me (in a tweet he's since deleted), days after his initial challenge, to provide a list of inaccurate claims his site had made (or passed on). There is an old Vulcan proverb: "Be careful what you ask for. You may get it." I examined all of 9to5 Mac's articles between January 1 and December 28 2013. This was 326 pages of content, at 6 articles per page, for a total of 1956 articles. The tl;dr summary of 9to5 Mac's 2013 track record: 73 rumor articles turned out to be true, and 30 of those were derived from their original sources 91 rumor articles turned out to be either partially or entirely inaccurate, or else completely unverifiable That gives them an overall accuracy record of just under 45 percent. You'd do better by flipping a coin. In 2013, 9to5 Mac posted a total of 164 articles that were either purely rumors or else speculative posts based on rumors. This was lower than I expected, accounting for only about 8.4 percent of all articles on their site. 9to5 Mac posted an impressively high 73 rumor articles that turned out to be entirely true, and this included all of the articles derived from their own original sources-a truly impressive and commendable 30 articles in total. 9to5 Mac absolutely does have someone inside Apple (probably several someones) feeding them accurate information. If that were the whole story, then it'd be time for me to shut up and retire. Unfortunately, 9to5 Mac isn't content to stick with its own trusted sources, and it takes the same "shotgun" approach as everyone else by posting idiotic analyst speculation and Digitimes-derived BS with only occasional nods in the general direction of skepticism. Let me be perfectly clear: I take no issue whatsoever with 9to5 Mac's reporting of rumors derived from its own original sources. They obviously work hard to get this information, and it almost always turns out to be either wholly or substantially accurate. The problem is, it's hard to sort out these diamonds from the piles of typical "telephone game" nonsense Apple rumors they're buried in. If 9to5 Mac stuck to reporting only its own, originally-sourced rumors-and if they could rein in the more *ahem* enthusiastic members of their staff-they could easily be the undisputed go-to bastion of all Apple rumors. Sadly, that ain't so. I wasn't feeling particularly charitable in my analysis of 9to5 Mac's track record (for some strange reason). Therefore, for any story that wasn't derived from their own sources (a "re-reported" article, in other words) or any purely speculative posts, if any detail was ultimately incorrect or simply unverifiable, I counted the entire article as inaccurate. In 2013, 9to5 Mac posted 91 stories that were either partially or wholly inaccurate. Almost all of them were sourced from analysts, Digitimes, or some other typically unreliable source. Analysis of 9to5 Mac's record over 2013 provided some interesting insights into the state of Apple rumors as a whole. Predictably, the farther away we are from the date of an Apple event, the less likely a rumor is to be proven true. Photos of hardware, deep dives into software, and leaks derived from original sources almost always bear fruit; re-blogging of analyst speculation and the latest tripe from Digitimes and other "supply chain sources" almost never does. And despite claims that Ming-Chi Kuo is a "typically accurate" Apple analyst, his track record in 2013 is almost the same as 9to5 Mac's; in other words, approximately half of Kuo's predictions ultimately turn out to be either partially or substantially incorrect. There are three lessons to learn from all of this: 1. Do follow 9to5 Mac's positive example and rely on primary sources for information about Apple, its products, and its future roadmap. Whoever the people are within Apple who are talking to 9to5 Mac, they know what they're talking about. 2. Don't follow 9to5 Mac's negative example and throw out absolutely every word some analyst or Asian tech publication prints about Apple. These secondary sources almost never have the foggiest clue what they're talking about. Re-posting their nonsense does your site's reputation no favors. All it does is distract from the positive reporting you do (if any)-- the kind that involves actual work beyond simply re-wording someone else's dimwitted press release. 3. Don't mess with the bull. You'll get the horns. For the sake of completeness and transparency, the full list of 2013's accurate vs. inaccurate/unverifiable 9to5 Mac rumor articles is below, with a special notation (*) any time an accurate article was derived from 9to5 Mac's own sources. Accurate articles: 73 (30 from original sourcing) Apple's 2013 Macs will have superfast 802.11ac 'Gig Wi-Fi' Apple Marketing SVP Phil Schiller seems to deny talk of cheap iPhone 4.8-inch iPhone 'Math' reports don't add up Apple ready to release additional iPad model; likely 128GB version (Updated: Pricing) (*) Report shares new details on Apple's rumored low-cost iPhone with tapered plastic edges HBO and Apple reportedly team up for Apple TV content deal, said to begin first half of 2013 We haven't seen a credible source yet for a 5-inch iPhone Unverified rear shells for next-generation iPad mini surface on Chinese forum First photos of cases for next full-sized iPad again point to narrower, iPad mini-like design (*) Low royalty offers leading Apple's struggles in negotiating streaming music service (update: Delayed until summer?) Apple unlikely to introduce wireless charging iPhones this year despite rumors to the contrary Progress: Apple is pushing for an iRadio summertime launch OS X 10.8.4 code confirms new Macs incoming with super-fast 802.11ac Gigabit wireless support (*) Possible white 'iPad 5′ front bezel leaks show narrower edges Apple nears 'iRadio' streaming deal with Warner and Universal in a dozen markets, royalties on par with Pandora rates iPad 5 may be slimmer & lighter thanks to backlighting & touchscreen improvements Apple to release OS X 10.9 with new power-user features, more from iOS later this year (*) Jony Ive paints a fresh, yet familiar, look for iOS 7 (*) In iOS 7, Apple wants to own your car's console with Maps and Siri integration (*) Next Mac 'Gigabit Wifi' spotted? Broadcom BCM94360CD PCI-E mini WLAN+Bluetooth card in the wild Rumor: Cheaper iPhone is being tested in a plethora of colors, will be produced July-September Jony Ive's new look for iOS 7: black, white, and flat all over (*) Apple said to be closing music deals in order to launch 'iRadio' at upcoming WWDC Apple again plans AirDrop wireless file-sharing for iOS (*) Leaked SKUs likely point to MacBook refresh at WWDC as inventory tightens (*) Redesigned 9.7-inch iPad to ship in Q3 with new iPad mini to follow by holiday season? (Holy crap, Digitimes actually got one right! *confetti, mariachi band* ) MacBook Air refresh looks set for WWDC, potentially with faster Wi-Fi (*) What iOS 7 looks like (and other tidbits) (*) And this morning's second dubious iPhone rumor: a gold 5S More images of iPhone 5S prototype emerge, complete with probable A7 chip and dual-LED smart flash Dual-color LED 'SmartFlash' on next iPhone could mean dramatically better low-light photos Apple likely to kick off Back to School promo this week; $100 gift cards with Macs, $50 cards with iPad/iPhone (*) iWork, iLife appear in iOS 7 free downloads screen, corroborates Apple apps going free theory The next iPhone's cool-factor: a slow-motion camera? (*) As part of iPhone sales push, Apple Store app to be redesigned & gain free iTunes content (*) New Haswell MacBook Pros in October, says report citing parts suppliers Bin full of 'iPhone 5C' packaging captured in China, perhaps name of upcoming plastic iPhones? (Update: dubious) 'iPhone 5C' name called legit even after packaging called fake New iPhone with biometric fingerprint sensor seemingly confirmed by iOS leak (*) Apple's upcoming A7 iPhone chip will have Samsung components, code inside iOS 7 reveals (*) More part leaks indicate lower-cost iPhone will feature 8 megapixel camera Bob Mansfield reduced role to focus on chips, senior execs given new responsibilities (*) AppleCare chat support to soon go 24/7, new iOS-like web support interface coming (*) New photos of next full-sized iPad's display panel emerge, again point to thinner bezels [Gallery] Apple will reportedly unveil the next iPhone on Sept. 10 'iPhone 5S' (plus gold model), 'iPhone 5C' will actually be names of next iPhones? WSJ says what we all knew: iPad 5 will look like a big Mini Further evidence for dual-flash in iPhone 5S emerges, promising natural-looking indoor shots New photos claim to show Apple's rumored gold color option for iPhone 5S New next-gen iOS device rumors: Photos of silver iPad 5 back, more claims of gold 5S iPhone 5S will come in gold & likely sport fingerprint sensor, iPad iOS 7 running behind (*) Gold/Champagne iPhone 5S shell compared to white and black iPhones [Gallery] Apple said to have tested 64-bit 'A7′ chips for iPhone 5S, 31% speed increases reported (*) Apple planning to launch iPhone trade-in program by September (*) Apple's iPhone 'Reuse and Recycle' trade-in program detailed, begins rolling out August 30th (*) Photos claim to show 'iPhone 5C' packaging, color-matched wallpapers Apple's OS X Mavericks release planned for end of October (*) Sketchy photos claim to show iPhone 5S box with tweaked home button as fingerprint sensor speculation increases New Apple TV software likely coming next week, but don't expect fresh hardware (yet) Supposed iPhone 5S User Guide brands fingerprint sensor as 'Touch ID' High-res photos of upcoming Space Gray full sized-iPad emerge [Gallery] Apple to expand iPad's reach with Staples deal next month (*) iPhone 5s and 5c coming soon to Boost Mobile? iPhone's Touch ID metal ring fits in iPad 5 part, but likely isn't evidence for fingerprint-scanning iPads (*) Apple will announce next generation iPads at October 22nd event Apple prepping expansion of iPhone trade-in program to UK, Europe stores (*) Like iPad 3, new iPad mini could be technically thicker to fit Retina Display Redesigned iPhoto & Garageband iOS icons appear, indicate likely makeovers next week (*) Apple Stores to soon offer iPhone 5s & 5c screen replacements, other repairs (*) Apple internal tool oddly says Retina iPad mini launching November 12th Apple Stores to implement iBeacon location technology to improve service, boost sales (*) China Mobile launch for iPhone as good as confirmed for 18th December [Update: It's official] Apple's Black Friday deal to be store gift card promotion, not discounts (*) Inaccurate articles: 91 Apple A6 X processor production reportedly goes from Samsung to TSMC, trial set to begin this quarter - Samsung still manufactures chips for Apple. What needs to happen for Apple to turn its watch prototypes into a product - "Rumor has it Apple is working on a Bluetooth 4.0-enabled smart watch and could even launch the device as early as the first half of this year." Yeah, not so much. WSJ once again claims Apple working on less-expensive iPhone, this time for late 2013 - One of many, many articles in 2013 that misclassified the iPhone 5c as a cheap alternative intended to expand Apple's market share, particularly in emerging markets. This was by far the biggest and most sustained rumor blog fail of the year. Analyst claims both 'thinner and lighter' full-sized iPad and 'similar' iPad mini launching in March - The iPad revisions didn't launch until October. Only off by seven months, Brian White. Good job! Apple cuts iPhone 5 screen orders in half due to 'weak demand', says WSJ - Tim Cook himself pointed out that this story was typical of the tech press overanalyzing Apple's supply chain and reaching entirely wrong conclusions. Analyst: Initial iPhone 5S production to begin in March for June/July launch - The iPhone 5s didn't launch until September. Only off by two months, Peter Misek. Good job! Reuters claims Sharp has all but stopped producing iPad Retina displays - Another classic example of tech publications reaching incorrect conclusions based solely on "sources in the supply chain." Report claims iPad 5 with iPad mini-like design set for October release, offers new details on upcoming iPhones - "Virtually no left or right bezels, and only enough space above and below the screen to accommodate the mandatory camera and Home Button elements [...] a new screen technology, such as IGZO, seems like a given." Three strikes. You're out. Retina 'J85′ iPad mini in October, faster 'N51/N53′ iPhone 5S with 13MP Sony camera on target for July? - The iPhone 5s launched in September with an 8-megapixel camera. Oops. Rumored future iOS device evidence: sketchy iPhone parts photo, 128GB device code - Speculation that the iPhone 5s would come in a 128 GB capacity turned out to be false. Instead, this upgrade found its way to the iPad. Is this the back of Apple's redesigned fifth-generation iPad? - Nope. Wrong color. 'Radio Buy Buttons' found in iOS 6.1 via newly jailbroken iPads, could mean new functionality coming - These buttons never appeared in IOS 6 or 7. Apple reportedly tells French reseller that a new Mac Pro is coming in the spring - The Mac Pro was released in December. The New York Times is back with the curved glass iOS iWatch story (U: WSJ too) - Until or unless a single trace of a component for this device leaks, I consider the iWatch every bit as mythical and non-existent as the long-rumored but never seen Apple HDTV. Bloomberg's turn on Apple's iWatch: 'Over 100 product designers and growing working on wristwatch-like device' - Apple doesn't even have 100 product designers working for the whole company. Its team of designers is legendarily small and tight-knit. Analyst: Apple TV development event next month, 4.8-inch iPhone next year - Peter Misek makes yet another laughably incorrect prediction. Report: Apple to launch 11- and 13-inch Retina MacBook Air in Q3 - The MacBook Air was updated at WWDC, but it doesn't have a Retina Display. Foxconn reportedly halts hiring due to slow iPhone 5 production, resumes next month (for next iPhone?) - Foxconn itself denied this rumor. For some reason, the "IPhone 5 isn't selling well" meme was pretty strong throughout the first half of 2013. AAPL share price spikes on rumors of imminent stock split announcement - The stock didn't split. 9to5 Mac made a stab at being skeptical, but why even report this at all? It was obviously nonsense. Bloomberg: Apple to release its iWatch within 9 months - December 4 came and went with no iWatch. Good one, Bloomberg. Analyst reaffirms own iPhone 5S with fingerprint sensor & Smart Flash claims, hints at July launch, China Mobile variant - Wrong about the 5s launch date, wrong about the China Mobile variant, wrong about the China Mobile launch date. Wrong about the discontinuation of non-Retina MacBook Pros. Wrong about a tweaked iPod touch. Wrong about a tweaked Apple HDTV. "Typically reliable" analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, everyone! New iPads in April and iPhone 5S with better camera, faster chip in August? - Wrong on all counts. Apple to use fingerprint sensor to enhance the security of NFC mobile payments in next iPhone? Apple skipped including NFC technology in the iPhone yet again. Oops. AAPL Analyst Short of the day: Jefferies' Misek downgrades on expensive low cost iPhone, own casing color prediction unlikelihood - Misek incorrectly predicted multiple colors for the iPhone 5s (the 5c got them instead) and, like everyone else, whiffed it on his prediction of how much the iPhone 5c would cost. Digitimes says Apple is working on a 4K TV for either later this year or early next year - Predictably, Digitimes got this wrong. Rumor: Apple to announce a game controller at upcoming event? - Almost immediately "noped" by Jim Dalrymple. WSJ: Apple beginning production of next iPhone in Q2, 4-inch cheaper iPhone still on track for later in 2013, colors possible - The WSJ incorrectly predicted a summer launch and, once again, misclassified the iPhone 5c as a "cheap" model. Analyst: Apple HDTV coming this year with 'iRing' motion controller & 'mini iTV' second screen experience - This article proved once and for all that analyst Brian White is not even remotely (heh) worth taking seriously. 'iPhone 5S', cheaper iPhone to come in multiple new colors, July announcement? - Only one new color came out for the 5s, and it wasn't announced in July. iPhone 5S to reportedly come with 12-megapixel camera, improved low light mode - The iPhone 5s has an 8-megapixel camera. Budget iPhone rear shell leaked? - While this shell was probably real, the speculation that followed was all wrong: "The alleged budget iPhone will have an A5 processor like the iPad Mini with a 32nm diecast. It's also rumoured it will have a 3.5 inch retina screen, much like the 4S, but not as big as the iPhone 5 ... I've also discovered the factory producing this secretive project have confirmed the device will be available in Black, White, Blue, Red and Yellow." Noooope. Analyst: New MacBooks across the line expected at WWDC in June, iPad mini price drops - "Typically reliable" analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was wrong again. Only the MacBook Air was updated, and no "low-cost" iPad mini debuted. Bloomberg: Jony Ive's new software design role could lead to delays for iOS 7 - iOS 7 wasn't delayed. Apple to test low-cost iPhone in small volumes – (unlikely) supply chain claim - Digitimes is wrong again, sky is still blue. Will the low-cost iPhone in fact be a $350 mid-level handset? - Turns out the answer was no. WWDC 2013: Slimmer Retina MacBook Pro w/1080P camera and MacBook Air microphone improvements expected - Ming-Chi Kuo swings and misses again. "Reliable." Today's amusing analyst rumors ... the iRing is back, and Apple going patent-crazy over iOS 7 - "We're reporting these mainly for entertainment value," 9to5 Mac claims. Also, pageviews. Reuters: Apple building a $100 iPhone in a variety of colors, planning 5-inch iPhablets for next year - This pricing claim was so far off it's absurd. Three years later, DigiTimes still insists Apple will ditch Samsung for TSMC - Digitimes is incredibly wrong once again, but of course 9to5 Mac chooses to pass on their "report" anyway. Will the Plastic iPhone knock the iPhone 4S out of this year's free iPhone pattern? - Turns out the answer was no. WSJ: Apple struck deal this month with TSMC for iOS device chip production, beginning in 2014 - Any story published in 2013 predicting what will occur in 2014 is, by definition, unverifiable. Sketchy photos claim to show backplate for rumored low-cost iPhone, iPad 5 schematics - These colors are all wrong. "But maybe Apple was just testing colors" - nope, don't care. More alleged leaked photos of plastic iPhone shells now show blue variety - This photo was probably the real deal. But 9to5 Mac didn't think so: "While the colors are broadly consistent with those of the iPod touch/nano, and we'd expect to see differences between metal and plastic, those colors look rather garish even allowing for the poor lighting [...] the leaked shells just look a little cheap. Of course, the plastic iPhone is supposed to be cheap [...] the consensus view seems to be that it will be a mid-range handset with a likely price in the $300 to $350 range – perhaps even $400." The consensus view was totally wrong. 2013: The year of the personalized, colorful, mid-tier smartphone - Turns out instead 2013 was the year of inaccurately predicting that the iPhone 5c would be a mid-tier smartphone. Report vaguely hints at 'aggressive' iWatch team hires, late 2014 debut - Speculative product, 2014 date. There's no way to verify if this is accurate or not. Report: Upgraded spec, lighter iPad Mini expected later this year, 'almost bezel-free' Retina version next year - Absolutely every single detail in this Digitimes "report" was incorrect. Digitimes: Initial 'iPhone 5S' shipments to be constrained as fingerprint sensors hit low yield-rates - Digitimes gets no points for predicting sales constraints for a new iPhone, because demand always exceeds supply during the first month, no matter what. Report: Apple mulling $280M purchase of PrimeSense, the Israeli 3D body sensor firm behind Microsoft Kinect - Apple did eventually buy PrimeSense. But not until many months after this report, which PrimeSense itself denied. Rumored iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor more likely to be in the screen, not the home button - Wrong. Apple testing 13-inch iPad & bigger iPhone displays, says WSJ - There's absolutely no way to verify the veracity of this claim. You could just as easily claim that Apple is testing cybernetic implants. Analyst's predictions for 2013: New iPhones to be in short supply, Haswell iMacs/MacBook Pros arriving, no new iPad mini - Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the iPad mini wouldn't be updated in 2013 (wrong) and a Retina model wouldn't launch until March or April of 2013 (wrong). He also claimed iMac updates were coming in August (wrong) and updated MacBook Pros were coming in September (wrong). "Reliable." Apple has A6-based iPad mini without Retina display in the works - Actually, no. It doesn't. WSJ: Apple ordering Samsung displays for Retina iPad mini this year, new back colors possible - "Apple is apparently also considering multi-colored back plates for the iPad mini." Not so much. iPhone 5S to have convex sapphire home button that doubles as a fingerprint reader? - Ming-Chi Kuo expected the 5s Touch ID sensor to be convex rather than concave. The sensor is, in fact, flat. Swing and a miss again for this "accurate" analyst. Analyst suggests unlikely possibility of no Siri on iPhone 5C to reduce cannibalization - Gene Munster makes a claim that's so out of left field it's obviously not worth taking at face value. 9to5 Mac reported it anyway. Analyst predicts iPhone 5S with Gold option, larger F2.0 aperture camera and 128GB high-end - Ming-Chi Kuo got most of this right, but he got the 128 GB capacity for the iPhone 5s wrong. Analyst: US$400-500 iPhone 5C will hit China Mobile in Q3 and replace the iPhone 5 globally in Q4 - Ming-Chi Kuo got the 5c's price wrong, its debut date at China Mobile wrong, and the discontinuation date of the iPhone 5 wrong. "Reliable." Report: Apple negotiating w/ media companies for pay TV service, working on full-fledged TV set - Absolutely nothing else came out to corroborate this report. Approvals process will delay iPhone 5C launch in China until end of November – rumor - The iPhone 5c launched in China in September. Stock shortages suggest possible new iMac and Airport Express on the way - The iMac was updated. The AirPort Express was not. Canadian carrier Telus will discontinue 32 and 64GB iPhone 5 on September 28th, 16GB to remain on as mid-tier? - The iPhone 5 was discontinued entirely. KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo provides details on new iPads coming in Q4 - Ming-Chi Kuo continually insisted the new iPads would have an "A7X" processor. Both models have an A7 processor. WSJ: Apple testing larger iPhone screens, some up to six inches - There's no way to verify if this is true or not. People are saying the iPod classic dies this year...again - Apple still sells the iPod Classic. 2014 iPhone will sport 4.5-5 inch screen, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo - While there's no way to verify this report, given the so-called "accuracy" of this analyst, I'm not betting any money on this claim. Will iPhone 5S act as an electronic wallet? Combined fingerprint/NFC patent suggests that it might - The iPhone 5s doesn't have NFC. Strike! New Apple TV in development, could arrive as soon as next month - No new Apple TV model debuted. Oops. Rumeur: Apple's next event to be held on October 15th? - Nope. It was October 22. Space Gray coming to an iPad Mini 2 near you? (Champagne too?) - Space Grey, yes. Gold, no. Apple claimed to be working with Quanta Computer to build larger iPad - Unverifiable rumor is unverifiable. Can Apple announce the rest of 2013′s products in just one event? - Turns out the answer was yes. Mostly because five of the 13 items on this list never saw the light of day. Chinese site shows two photos of claimed gold iPad Mini 2 with Touch ID - The iPad mini doesn't come in gold. Reuters: Retina iPad mini supplies will be constrained, full production now pushed into 2014 - "Full production" must have occurred well before 2014, because all models of the Retina iPad mini now ship within 24 hours. Report claims iPad 5 & Retina iPad mini will sport 8MP rear cameras w/ larger aperture - Ming-Chi Kuo is wrong again. The iPad's rear camera is still 5 megapixels. Report claims both likely & unlikely display changes for future Apple devices - Absolutely none of these claims can be verified, and none are expected until 2014. Questionable analyst roundup: 10M home automation iWatches? 12-inch MacBook Air and much more - In spite of recognising these analyst claims as "questionable," 9to5 Mac passed them on anyway. Coming from Apple in 2014: 12-inch Retina MacBook, sharper iPad, cheaper iMac? - None of these Ming-Chi Kuo claims for 2014 can be verified, and given his actual accuracy record, I'd expect no more than half of them to actually come true. Report: New MacBook Pros on sale Oct 24/25, iPads Oct 30/31, Mac Pro Nov 15 - All of these dates were wrong. Wall Street Journal backs up analyst reports that Apple is reducing component orders for iPhone 5c - None of these "iPhone 5c component orders reduced" reports have ever been independently verified. Apple event predictions from KGI: Thinner, lighter A7X iPad 5 w/improved cam but no gold or TouchID. Also A7 iPad Mini w/Retina, Haswell MacBook Pros - Ming-Chi Kuo was wrong again about the A7X and the 8-megapixel camera for the iPad. Can't win 'em all. Former Apple employee: Apple worked on Surface-style keyboard cover for iPad, could announce at 'haven't covered everything' event - No such product was announced. Sketchiest of Apple television rumors suggests 4K 55- & 65-inch screens next year at $1500-2500 - Not a chance. Another report claims short supply of Retina iPad mini due to display shortages from Sharp - There's no way of knowing if this report was correct or not, but given that it comes from Digitimes, the smart money is on "not." Apple working to slim its iWatch via intermittent Bluetooth LE connection? - Speculative post about purely speculative product. Bloomberg: Apple to introduce larger, curved screen iPhones in Q3 2014, enhanced pressure sensors for later models - Considering how often Bloomberg's claims about Apple's roadmap turn out to be inaccurate, let's just say I'm skeptical. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects A7-based Apple TV in 2014, television set in 2015-2016 - Not content to predict Apple's roadmap for the next year, Ming-Chi Kuo stares into the sun long enough to divine Apple's plans a full three years into the future! What will he think of next? Report claims 12.9-inch panel for larger iPad already in production, release early next year - No way to verify if this is true or not. Yet. Now 4.9″ iPhone 6 prototype makes rumor rounds -Poll: what size are you hoping for? - Again, there's no way of verifying this claim. Opinion: Will Apple return to a single MacBook range next year? - Wrongheaded analysis is wrongheaded. Opinion: Is Apple headed toward eventual convergence of OS X and iOS? - Short answer? No. Long answer? Noooooooooooooo. 12.9-inch iPad rumor is back with launch date, early launch for larger size iPhone included - And just to round things out, another completely unverifiable claim from abysmally unreliable Digitimes. Khan said it best: "You should have let me sleep."
Talkcast tonight, 10 pm ET: 2013's best iOS apps + year in review
New dial-in experience! Set up Fuze Meeting before the show if you want to join in live. You know what Sunday night means -- time for the TUAW talkcast! It's our final show of 2013, so we'll review our top picks for the best iOS apps of the year. We'll also welcome a few special guests (including the legendary Brett Terpstra, the delightful Jeff Gamet, the Iconfactory's Ged Maheux and the Pioneer Press's Julio Ojeda-Zapata) for a roundup of the top Apple stories of the year that was. Do join us! Reminder on new-style talkcasting: With some help from the fine folks at Fuze, we're using a new system to record the show. This should let everyone listen in live -- and, if you want, raise your hand as you would in the Talkshoe room to get unmuted and chime in. You can join the call in progress (meeting # is 20099010) at 10 pm ET from any computer via this link; if you download the Mac or Windows Fuze clients ahead of time, you'll get better audio and a slicker experience, but browser-only will work fine. Just click the phone icon to join the audio once you're in. Using an iPhone or iPad? Grab the native clients from the App Store and get busy. (Even Android users can join the party.) Still feel like using the conventional phone dial-in? Just call 775-996-3562 and enter the meeting number 20099010, then press #. While the Fuze web and native clients have a chat channel, we'd like to reserve that for host participants, requests to talk and other real-time alerts... so the full-on chat for the show will appear in a second Talkcast post at 10 pm tonight. You'll need Twitter, Facebook or Chatroll credentials to participate in the chat. We'll remind everyone to check back in at that time.
The Daily Grind: What was the highlight of your 2013 gaming year?
Folks, I hate to break it to you, but we're running out the clock on 2013. If it's been a year that's near and dear to your heart, I urge you to cherish every moment you have with it from now until midnight on New Year's Eve. After that, your only recourse is to wait for VH1's Remember the 2013s to air. Every year for gaming has its ups and downs, both for individuals and for the community as a whole. Instead of dwelling on the negative, I'd love for you to pick out one highlight of your 2013 gaming year to share with us. For me, it was probably getting to play WildStar at long last and finding that it's met my expectations and then some. I was nervous about that, because you know how hype can be, but now I can breathe easier and just get excited for launch. What about you? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Report Card: Grading Apple in 2013
2013 was a huge year for Apple, both in terms of hardware and software. iOS got a massive facelift and OS X broke free of the cats for the first time ever, while the Mac Pro got new life and the iPads continued their commanding lead in the consumer tablet space. But not all of Apple's product lines were so lucky, so let's take a look at how each of Apple's offerings fared over the past year. Mac It was a big year for the biggest Mac, with the new Pro being shown for the first time and eventually going up for sale just a few days ago. The Pro is a beast of a machine with a ridiculously compact design that surprised just about everyone. That power comes with an enormous price tag, but we kind of expected that, didn't we? The iMac and Mac mini didn't get quite the same attention, with the iMac receiving a timely processor upgrade in the fall, and the mini getting absolutely zero attention whatsoever. It would have been nice to see the tiniest Mac brother get a little bit of love at some point in the last 12 months, but everyone is so busy gawking at the Mac Pro that they barely noticed anyway. Grade: B+ MacBook With the introduction of the 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina coming in late 2012, Apple spent 2013 upgrading the processors of both the Pro and the Air lines. Some pundits seemed sure we'd see a Retina-equipped Air at some point this year -- and boy would that have been great -- but it was not to be. However, the jump to Haswell chips for both the Air and Pro was welcomed with open arms. Overall, Apple's notebooks kept pace with the refresh cycle (and maybe even jumped a bit ahead), but did little else. Grade: B iPad The iPad got arguably the most attention out of any Apple product in 2013, with the company introducing us to both the all-new iPad Air as well as the iPad mini w/ Retina. Then, while we were all still digesting the fact that the two iPad minis would exist side-by-side, Apple dropped the bomb and brought the Retina mini into processor parity with the iPad Air, making it a ridiculously capable little slate. The Air is really what made the year for the iPad, and the fact that Apple was able to shave even more weight off of what was already a pretty light device is really a testament to their engineering wit -- or perhaps proof that they are indeed dabbling in black magic. When the year began, Apple had three distinct iPads on offer, and that seemed to be more than enough. As we enter 2014, there are four. Grade: A+ iPhone Oh, the iPhone. When the year began the blogosphere was filled with theories that a bargain-basement iPhone was inevitable and nobody knew what Apple truly had up its sleeve when it came to its top-of-the-line offering. TouchID, the A7 processor, and slow-mo video made the iPhone 5s a huge hit, and the not-so-cheap iPhone 5c seems to be carving its own niche while proving that Apple isn't in the business of making "bargain" products. It was a good year for the iPhone. Not the best it's ever had, but certainly one of the better off-years the Apple smartphone has seen. Grade: B iPod I'm not convinced Apple even remembers that they still sell the iPod. Ok, that's not true, but without a single significant upgrade in 2013, the iPod line is definitely looking a bit long in the tooth. In the past 36 months, Apple has introduced two new iPods in total (7G Nano and 5G Touch), with the Shuffle and Classic continuing their stagnation. Apple still leads the pack when it comes to the shrinking media player market, and opinions seem to range from "they shouldn't do anything" to "they should just stop selling the iPod." The latter simply isn't going to happen, and the former isn't exactly Apple's style, or at least it hasn't been until lately. Is there still innovation to be mined in the media player space? If we don't see Apple prove it in 2014, maybe there isn't. Grade: D- Apple TV It was a relatively slow year for the Apple TV despite the new model launching in January. As the months rolled on the box got access to WatchESPN, HBO Go, Crackle, ABC, and a few others, but nothing that suddenly made it significantly more desirable than it was a year prior. Grade: C+ Software iOS 7 was obviously the biggest change this year when it comes to Apple software. The new face of mobile did away with almost all of the skeumorphic design elements that originally helped make iOS so appealing, and added a whole bunch of eye candy on top. There was a vocal minority that absolutely despised the changes -- and a vocal majority who noticed significant battery life decline -- but in the end the change was for the better. OS X no longer has its feline flair but Mavericks added a good deal of usability improvements that breathed a bit of new life into the aging platform. New notifications, Maps, and Tags are just a few of the things that gave Mac users incentive to upgrade. Oh, and Apple decided to make Mavericks free, so that probably helped as well. iWork and iLife got a facelift as well, but some of the tweaks made to bring in new users left veterans feeling a bit miffed. Apple has begun bringing back some of the functionality that was originally removed, but the company said it would take a full six months to finish adding everything it plans to. iTunes Radio is the biggest news in the music section, giving (almost) all iTunes users on iOS, Mac, and Apple TV access to free streaming radio with customized radio stations based on their interests. This is great for iPhone and 4G iPad owners, but since streaming requires an internet connection (obviously), it's not of much use on Apple's dedicated music players unless you're in WiFi range. Overall, the positive changes strongly outweigh the negatives, but some of the transitions could have been a wee bit smoother. Grade: B+ Giving the entire company a grade for its efforts in 2013 is significantly more difficult than grading any of its various products -- and likely involves even more opinionated stances -- so we'll leave that to you. Let us know what you loved and loathed from Apple over the past year and feel free assign some grades of your own.
Hulu Plus passes 5 million subscribers, plans to double its original content
New Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins chimed in this week with the video streaming site's yearly recap, and pointed out a few big numbers as evidence it's headed in the right direction. In 2013 Hulu will top $1 billion in revenue and 5 million paying customers for its Hulu Plus service, which compares to $695 million and 3 million subscribers in 2012, and 4 million subscribers back in April. That's not a bad haul for a site that was almost sold -- again -- and lost former CEO Jason Kilar this year, but while those numbers are up, they were going up faster last year. All the while its competition is getting stronger as Netflix has over 40 million subscribers, Amazon pushes its Prime subscription service with licensed content and new original shows, and the TV networks that feed Hulu roll out streaming sites of their own (Fox Now, Watch ABC). Still, Hulu's trump card is that it offers current season TV shows many others don't have yet, and Hopkins proudly notes it has seven of the current top ten TV shows ready for streaming at any time. Right now Hulu hosts over 2,900 TV series, with plans to take this year's 20 original series and double that number "over the next few years." Like Netflix and Amazon, Hulu isn't posting viewer numbers, but Hopkins says original shows like The Wrong Mans, Behind the Mask and The Awesomes performed "extremely well" and are among the top 10 shows viewed. We think Hulu could use a drama like House of Cards to pull in viewers next year, but one more year of sale or IPO rumors about it splitting off from owners Disney, Fox and NBC Universal could be just as entertaining.
Massively's Best of 2013 Awards
It's nearly the end of the year, a time for merriment, camaraderie, and cynical evaluation of all the MMO triumphs and tragedies that 2013 provided us. Today, Massively's staff honors the best of the best (and the worst of the worst) for the year 2013. Every writer was permitted a vote in each category with an anything-goes nomination process. No MMO, company, or headline was off the table, as long as it met the criteria. Can WildStar make it to three years in a row at the top of our "most anticipated" pile, or did its delay dampen our enthusiasm? Can SOE repeat its win for best studio? Which MMO is most likely to flop next year? And just what constituted the biggest MMO screw-up of the last 12 months? Enjoy our picks for the best MMOs, expansions, studios, stories, and innovations of 2013... and our most-anticipated for 2014 and beyond.
'iPhone 5s' third most-searched-for term on Google in 2013
Google has released its annual Year-End Zeitgeist results on the top 10 search terms that dominated the search engine this year. Announcing the results on its official blog, Google said: In our annual Year-End Zeitgeist ("spirit of the times"), we reflect on the people, places, and moments that captured the world's attention throughout the year. This year marks our most global Zeitgeist to date-with 1,000+ top 10 lists across categories like Trending People, Most-Searched Events and Top Trending Searches from 72 countries. The iPhone 5s was the most-searched-for piece of technology terminology, coming in at No. 3 on the list. Two other pieces of tech made the top 10, including the Samsung Galaxy S 4 at No. 8 and the PlayStation 4 at No. 9. Nelson Mandela garnered the No. 1 spot. Google has also put together a video of the biggest moments from 2013 based on their Year-End Zeitgeist results, which you can check out below. Also below: the full top 10 list from Google's Year-End Zeitgeist. 1. Nelson Mandela 2. Paul Walker 3. iPhone 5s 4. Cory Monteith 5. Harlem Shake 6. Boston Marathon 7. Royal Baby 8. Samsung Galaxy s4 9. PlayStation 4 10. North Korea
Nielsen: Users embracing smartphone apps while ditching traditional web services
'Tis the season for year-end lists and summaries galore, and Nielsen is no exception to this rule. The company has just released its list of the top 10 web brands, online video brands and smartphone apps, and its findings reveal a growing trend that may not come as a surprise to anyone: More people are using smartphones, and they're using them to access the most popular services out there, instead of their web-based counterparts. In these aforementioned lists, Nielsen also discusses how each brand has changed year-over-year; web brands have all decreased, online video brands are relatively flat and smartphone apps are skyrocketing in overall usage. Let's take a look at a few services in particular. Google was the top web brand for 2013, yet it saw a decrease in unique visitors by 6 percent from last year (and YouTube dropped by 14 percent). That said, these two brands represented five of the top 10 smartphone apps, with growth ranging from 14 percent to as high as 29 percent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Facebook experienced a very similar trend, with a 16 percent decrease in web traffic versus a 27 percent increase in its smartphone app numbers, making it the most-used service of the year. In addition, social networks like Instagram and Twitter grew by leaps and bounds, earning each of them a spot among the top 10 apps; Instagram, in particular, was the fastest growing app on the list. (Also, here's a shameless plug for our parent company as the seventh most-popular web brand.) Finally, Nielsen also reported that nearly two-thirds of US phone subscribers -- 65 percent, to be specific -- are now using smartphones instead of featurephones, which is a solid jump up from 56 percent at the end of 2012. Of those subscribers, 52 percent are now using Android devices, while 41 percent use iOS and 7 percent use other platforms (BlackBerry is at 3 percent, while Windows Phone is at 2 percent). Head below the break to see all of the fine details for yourself.
