external usability services

iPhone 4S still tops in the states
Source: JD Speedy

Despite update/redesign rumours and the fact that its a specs-only update of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S is still the best-selling smartphone in the US.
Not only is it the best selling smartphone in the US, it's also Apple's best selling handset.
The most interesting part of this, to me, is the still the fact that the 4S was an incremental upgrade (even in name) over the 4. It really is the same form factor, the same OS - albeit with Siri - only with small hardware upgrades, like the faster processor.
Also worth noting is that this is the same type of upgrade Apple produced between the iPad 2 and the new iPad. Hardware upgrade, software upgrade and that's it. Form factor the same and yet huge sales.
JD
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Dell goes a different direction with Wyse buy
Source: JD Speedy

For an undisclosed amount, Dell just bought Wyse, makers of thin computing PCs - computers that have only a minimum of hardware and hook up to the network as dummy terminals.
This expands Dell's selection of products beyond just consumer PCs and servers to a full enterprise suite of products.
It'll be interesting how Dell positions Wyse products on its site and in its new channel offerings.
JD
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An 18-year-old video might have sunk Apple V. Samsung
Source: JD Speedy

Continuing Apple's record in lawsuits - win some, lose some, lose some more - a 1994 video made to show off what the future of reading the news will look like has hurt Apple's recent court case against fellow tablet-maker, Samsung.
The video shows a design of a tablet-like device reading a newspaper.
The unfortunate thing for Apple is the device looks a whole lot like the "original" patent for the iPad. As in, the iPad - which was supposed to be an "original" design that Samsung infringed upon - isn't so original after-all.
JD
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SXSW marketing takeaways
Source: JD Speedy

South by Southwest (or SXSW as its known) isn't just a music festival spread around all the clubs in Austin anymore. SXSW also brings together new technology and marketing ideas, which is why its now referred to as a conference and not just SXSW.
In keeping with this new role, there were some pretty ingenious marketing ideas that came out of the 2012 edition of South by.
Among them - garnered from the talks at the conference - were crowdsourcing advertisements, utlizing transmedia and, overall, a focus on engaging an audience around a product first, message second.
These may seem like some common sense things to do, but the way they were framed at SXSW, and the success cases that drive them are worth looking into.
JD
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Google better off without Android?
Source: JD Speedy

According to cultofmac, citing quotes from the Guardian, Google might be better off focusing on its app and content deals with iOS than maintaining focus on its own mobile OS, Android.
After all the issues with Oracle - that filed a lawsuit over issues of patent infringement in Android from its product Java - Google might be settling for 1 per cent of its advertising incoming. CultofMac then asserts that most of this incoming on mobile is from iOS, so it might make sense for Google to break ties with Android and focus on where the money is coming from...not where it's going out.
That said, this is posted on a mac blog so it might be worth a grain of salt or two. And, Google isn't exactly hurting for income or collaborators - to offset any burden stemming from Android dev. Google I/O sold out within 20 minutes last week.
JD
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