The AT&T iPhone 4 drops more calls than Verizon's model, yet customers of both carriers seem about equally satisifed, according to a ChangeWave Research study released yesterday.wholesale cool gadgets store
Questioning a total of 4,068 mobile phone users in a survey completed March 28, ChangeWave found that 82 percent of the Verizon Wireless iPhone 4 owners polled and 80 percent of those using AT&T's iPhone 4 said they were very satisified overall. The Verizon iPhone has been on the market since February, when it ended AT&T's long run of exclusivity for the Apple gadget.
But aside from the neck-and-neck satisfaction levels, Verizon holds in the upper hand in other key ways.
Among iPhone 4 users, Verizon scored the fewest dropped calls, with those surveyed reporting on average only 1.8 percent of all calls dropped over the past 90 days. That compared with AT&T iPhone 4 owners who said that on average 4.8 percent of all their calls were dropped over the same period.
The survey, which also looked at T-Mobile and Sprint, found that Verizon led the pack overall in the lowest number of dropped calls across the industry. Verizon mobile phone customers in general reported that on average only 1.4 percent of their calls dropped over the past 90 days. T-Mobile took second place with 2.3 percent dropped calls, followed by Sprint with 2.7 percent.wholesale Android Tablets
That again left AT&T to bring up the rear, with its mobile phone subscribers pointing to a average of 4.6 percent of all calls dropped over the past 90 days.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
AT&T iPhone dropped call rate twice Verizon iPhone
wholesale cool gadgets store ChangeWave’s latest survey talked to 4,068 consumers and polled them on a variety of factors, including overall satisfaction. In that realm, the Verizon and AT&T iPhones ran neck and neck: 80 percent of AT&T iPhone 4 owners said they were very satisfied, with 18 percent reporting they were somewhat satisfied, compared to a very satisfied 82 percent of Verizon iPhone owners and somewhat satisfied 16 percent.wholesale Android Tablets
But if there’s one particular area of interest for those deciding between Verizon and AT&T, it’s how well the phone part of the iPhone 4 works. As such, ChangeWave surveyed users about how frequently they ran into dropped calls in the last 90 days. And the numbers there showed a significant gap: while Verizon iPhone owners experienced droppage on about 1.8 percent of calls, AT&T iPhone owners saw calls dropped at a rate of 4.8 percent—more than twice as much.
Of course, the Verizon iPhone 4 hasn’t been out for 90 days yet, but ChangeWave’s director of research, Paul Carton, assured Macworld that the survey remains accurate. “What we’re looking at is the average reported number of dropped calls per 100 calls by Verizon iPhone owners and AT&T iPhone owners,” said Carton. “Rounding up, Verizon iPhone owners are reporting 2 out of every 100 calls dropped, and AT&T owners are reporting 5 out of every 100.”
To support that conclusion, Carton points to the data that ChangeWave has collected in its regular surveys of wireless service providers, in which it tracks call drop data for all four of the U.S.’s major carriers. “The best other piece of data we have is the relationship between this current survey and the historical record for Verizon versus AT&T,” says Carton.
In this most recent survey, ChangeWave found that Verizon had the lowest rate of call droppage over the past 90 days, 1.4 percent. That was followed by T-Mobile at 2.3 percent, Sprint/Nextel at 2.7 percent, and AT&T at 4.6 percent. Those numbers gibe with the data ChangeWave has collected over the past few years: Between September 2008 and March 2011, Verizon’s dropped call rate has vacillated between a high of 2.7 percent and a low of 1.4 percent, compared to AT&T’s high of 6 percent and low of 3.3 percent.
When asked whether the Verizon iPhone’s relatively short time in the wild has contributed to the lower dropped call rating, Carton calls it a potential variable, pointing out that we could see more network problems as the number of iPhone owners on Verizon ramps up.
But he notes that ChangeWave’s next survey, due in 90 days, should put the matter to rest. And Carton thinks that those future results will likely be very similar to what’s come before. “Verizon numbers reported by iPhone owners compare to what we’ve be seeing historically from Verizon; AT&T results look similar to historical AT&T numbers,” he says. “It gives me more confidence that the differential that we’re seeing is a real differential.”
But if there’s one particular area of interest for those deciding between Verizon and AT&T, it’s how well the phone part of the iPhone 4 works. As such, ChangeWave surveyed users about how frequently they ran into dropped calls in the last 90 days. And the numbers there showed a significant gap: while Verizon iPhone owners experienced droppage on about 1.8 percent of calls, AT&T iPhone owners saw calls dropped at a rate of 4.8 percent—more than twice as much.
Of course, the Verizon iPhone 4 hasn’t been out for 90 days yet, but ChangeWave’s director of research, Paul Carton, assured Macworld that the survey remains accurate. “What we’re looking at is the average reported number of dropped calls per 100 calls by Verizon iPhone owners and AT&T iPhone owners,” said Carton. “Rounding up, Verizon iPhone owners are reporting 2 out of every 100 calls dropped, and AT&T owners are reporting 5 out of every 100.”
To support that conclusion, Carton points to the data that ChangeWave has collected in its regular surveys of wireless service providers, in which it tracks call drop data for all four of the U.S.’s major carriers. “The best other piece of data we have is the relationship between this current survey and the historical record for Verizon versus AT&T,” says Carton.
In this most recent survey, ChangeWave found that Verizon had the lowest rate of call droppage over the past 90 days, 1.4 percent. That was followed by T-Mobile at 2.3 percent, Sprint/Nextel at 2.7 percent, and AT&T at 4.6 percent. Those numbers gibe with the data ChangeWave has collected over the past few years: Between September 2008 and March 2011, Verizon’s dropped call rate has vacillated between a high of 2.7 percent and a low of 1.4 percent, compared to AT&T’s high of 6 percent and low of 3.3 percent.
When asked whether the Verizon iPhone’s relatively short time in the wild has contributed to the lower dropped call rating, Carton calls it a potential variable, pointing out that we could see more network problems as the number of iPhone owners on Verizon ramps up.
But he notes that ChangeWave’s next survey, due in 90 days, should put the matter to rest. And Carton thinks that those future results will likely be very similar to what’s come before. “Verizon numbers reported by iPhone owners compare to what we’ve be seeing historically from Verizon; AT&T results look similar to historical AT&T numbers,” he says. “It gives me more confidence that the differential that we’re seeing is a real differential.”
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Android Now Used by 23 Million in the US
wholesale cool gadgets store Oracle (Java) and Qualcomm (BREW) still rule the U.S. mobile market with no less than 164.5 million users combined. Oracle is currently suing Google with the aim of getting manufacturers to continue paying royalties to them as users move from Java phones to Android smartphones. Should Oracle win the lawsuit, it'll pretty much be status quo for most manufacturers using Android at the end of the day. wholesale Android Tablets
HTC and AT&T recently released the first BREW phone with HTC Sense, the HTC Freestyle. Given the fact that HTC Sense is the most popular Android interface in the U.S., BREW is currently a bigger threat to Google and Oracle than what they are to each other.
Out of the three big Android manufacturers in the U.S. - HTC, Motorola and Samsung - HTC is the only one that hasn't historically used Sun / Oracle technology in their phones. However, we can't imagine that HTC will have any issues with paying a royalty fee per Android phone to Oracle if it should come to that. RIM's current BlackBerry OS uses Java apps too, but that hasn't prevented the company from succeeding in a market that has always been highly competitive.
If AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile goes through, there's little doubt that AT&T would be in a position to make HTC Sense phones running BREW quite popular though. Do AT&T, Qualcomm and HTC know something you and I don't? That's fully possible, as we do know for a fact that HTC has always tended to be close to the hottest carrier action.
In other words, in the fight for mobile users moving forward, we regard HTC Sense as an effort of high significance. And it's worth remembering that Apple thinks so too, otherwise they wouldn't have sued HTC around a year ago. Apple used to be AT&T's premium partner, but it looks like HTC has taken over that position, or what?
If you're not convinced, take a look at AT&T's current lineup, and you'll find the most recent HTC Freestyle powered by BREW, the HTC Inspire 4G powered by Android, and soon, you'll get the HTC HD7S powered by Windows Phone. That's quite a selection of brand new HTC phones covering each level of the mobile market.
Should Microsoft remove some of the restrictions on Windows Phone, something that will likely happen, HTC Sense will soon need to be counted as one system when conducting market surveys. The days when a given operating system or a given device mattered will soon be long gone.
Android's challenge moving forward will be to continue improving key functionality while also enabling new opportunities for users, manufacturers and developers alike. Despite some rumors out there, it looks like Google is on top of things, so there's no reason why Android shouldn't be capable of continuing its growth.
HTC and AT&T recently released the first BREW phone with HTC Sense, the HTC Freestyle. Given the fact that HTC Sense is the most popular Android interface in the U.S., BREW is currently a bigger threat to Google and Oracle than what they are to each other.
Out of the three big Android manufacturers in the U.S. - HTC, Motorola and Samsung - HTC is the only one that hasn't historically used Sun / Oracle technology in their phones. However, we can't imagine that HTC will have any issues with paying a royalty fee per Android phone to Oracle if it should come to that. RIM's current BlackBerry OS uses Java apps too, but that hasn't prevented the company from succeeding in a market that has always been highly competitive.
If AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile goes through, there's little doubt that AT&T would be in a position to make HTC Sense phones running BREW quite popular though. Do AT&T, Qualcomm and HTC know something you and I don't? That's fully possible, as we do know for a fact that HTC has always tended to be close to the hottest carrier action.
In other words, in the fight for mobile users moving forward, we regard HTC Sense as an effort of high significance. And it's worth remembering that Apple thinks so too, otherwise they wouldn't have sued HTC around a year ago. Apple used to be AT&T's premium partner, but it looks like HTC has taken over that position, or what?
If you're not convinced, take a look at AT&T's current lineup, and you'll find the most recent HTC Freestyle powered by BREW, the HTC Inspire 4G powered by Android, and soon, you'll get the HTC HD7S powered by Windows Phone. That's quite a selection of brand new HTC phones covering each level of the mobile market.
Should Microsoft remove some of the restrictions on Windows Phone, something that will likely happen, HTC Sense will soon need to be counted as one system when conducting market surveys. The days when a given operating system or a given device mattered will soon be long gone.
Android's challenge moving forward will be to continue improving key functionality while also enabling new opportunities for users, manufacturers and developers alike. Despite some rumors out there, it looks like Google is on top of things, so there's no reason why Android shouldn't be capable of continuing its growth.
AT&T, T-Mobile Business Customers Not Thrilled But See Upside
The merger isn't likely to come without conditions. While customers might like some kind of promise of lower rates, the discussion is more likely to center on coverage and bandwidth utilization. "I'm worried about the future," Ayvazian says. "We've spent the past 20 years promoting competition and benefiting from competition."wholesale cool gadgets store
Business pros have plenty of other palpable reactions besides worry, with respondents to the free-form section of our survey using terms like "horrible," "absolute worst," "disaster," "larceny" (and a few more that civility prevents us from publishing) to describe their feelings about AT&T and its cellular and customer service. But the vitriol is far from universal. The glass-half-full types hope that innovative billing and other customer-care qualities they appreciate in T-Mobile will brush off on AT&T. But the real value AT&T is seeking isn't T-Mobile's friendlier pricing and customer service.
AT&T is well aware of its own coverage and quality problems, and its rollout of LTE (its high-speed, 4G data transport technology of choice) will further stress its network, which must remain backward-compatible with phones and other devices users have now. In some markets, buying spectrum is all but impossible, making acquisitions AT&T's only option.wholesale Android Tablets
Just 14% of our survey respondents say T-Mobile is their company's preferred North American mobile communications carrier. But it has been the most aggressive price competitor, providing a "foil against the duopoly pricing of AT&T and Verizon," says Berge Ayvazian, a consultant with market researcher Heavy Reading. Business customers won't like losing that leverage even if T-Mobile hasn't been a big part of their spending.
Business pros have plenty of other palpable reactions besides worry, with respondents to the free-form section of our survey using terms like "horrible," "absolute worst," "disaster," "larceny" (and a few more that civility prevents us from publishing) to describe their feelings about AT&T and its cellular and customer service. But the vitriol is far from universal. The glass-half-full types hope that innovative billing and other customer-care qualities they appreciate in T-Mobile will brush off on AT&T. But the real value AT&T is seeking isn't T-Mobile's friendlier pricing and customer service.
AT&T is well aware of its own coverage and quality problems, and its rollout of LTE (its high-speed, 4G data transport technology of choice) will further stress its network, which must remain backward-compatible with phones and other devices users have now. In some markets, buying spectrum is all but impossible, making acquisitions AT&T's only option.wholesale Android Tablets
Just 14% of our survey respondents say T-Mobile is their company's preferred North American mobile communications carrier. But it has been the most aggressive price competitor, providing a "foil against the duopoly pricing of AT&T and Verizon," says Berge Ayvazian, a consultant with market researcher Heavy Reading. Business customers won't like losing that leverage even if T-Mobile hasn't been a big part of their spending.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Tesla Suing 'Top Gear' for Libel
wholesale cool gadgets store Tesla Motors is suing the BBC show "Top Gear" for allegedly falsely representing the performance of one of its electric vehicles.
In a segment that aired three years ago, "Top Gear" showed a Tesla Roadster running out of electric charge during a race with the gas-powered Lotus Elise, a car that the Roadster is based on. Tesla claims that neither of the two cars it loaned to "Top Gear" for the segment dipped below 20 percent charge. The company contends there's no way the Roadster ran out of juice, and it wants the BBC to stop airing the segment. wholesale Android Tablets
"When 'Top Gear' reviewed the Tesla Roadster, the episode that aired contained lies and misinformation about the Roadster's performance, behavior, and reliability," Tesla said in a statement. "Tesla reluctantly took legal action after its repeated attempts to contact the BBC, over the course of months, were ignored."
A spokesperson for "Top Gear" defended the show's integrity. "We can confirm that we have received notification that Tesla have issued proceedings against the BBC. The BBC stands by the program and will be vigorously defending this claim."
But Tesla claims that it was misrepresented in several ways. One Roadster broke down during filming and had to be pushed into the "Top Gear" hangar so that it could be recharged. "Top Gear" depicted the car's mileage range at 55 miles per charge, but Tesla says the car's actual range is 211 miles per charge. One car's motor overheated and broke down as a result. The other Roadster's brakes were broken, so the car couldn't be driven. However, Tesla claims that "Top Gear" staged these problems. Tesla provided two cars to "Top Gear" for testing and argues that neither vehicle had any of these issues depicted in the program.
Tesla is suing "Top Gear" for libel and malicious falsehood, seeking damages of "not more than" 100,000 pounds (about $160,300). The carmaker wants the BBC to yank the segment from programming and to correct the misrepresentation.
In a segment that aired three years ago, "Top Gear" showed a Tesla Roadster running out of electric charge during a race with the gas-powered Lotus Elise, a car that the Roadster is based on. Tesla claims that neither of the two cars it loaned to "Top Gear" for the segment dipped below 20 percent charge. The company contends there's no way the Roadster ran out of juice, and it wants the BBC to stop airing the segment. wholesale Android Tablets
"When 'Top Gear' reviewed the Tesla Roadster, the episode that aired contained lies and misinformation about the Roadster's performance, behavior, and reliability," Tesla said in a statement. "Tesla reluctantly took legal action after its repeated attempts to contact the BBC, over the course of months, were ignored."
A spokesperson for "Top Gear" defended the show's integrity. "We can confirm that we have received notification that Tesla have issued proceedings against the BBC. The BBC stands by the program and will be vigorously defending this claim."
But Tesla claims that it was misrepresented in several ways. One Roadster broke down during filming and had to be pushed into the "Top Gear" hangar so that it could be recharged. "Top Gear" depicted the car's mileage range at 55 miles per charge, but Tesla says the car's actual range is 211 miles per charge. One car's motor overheated and broke down as a result. The other Roadster's brakes were broken, so the car couldn't be driven. However, Tesla claims that "Top Gear" staged these problems. Tesla provided two cars to "Top Gear" for testing and argues that neither vehicle had any of these issues depicted in the program.
Tesla is suing "Top Gear" for libel and malicious falsehood, seeking damages of "not more than" 100,000 pounds (about $160,300). The carmaker wants the BBC to yank the segment from programming and to correct the misrepresentation.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Fukushima seawater radioactivity rises
In one section, radioactive iodine stood at 3,355 times the legal limit, said Japan's nuclear safety agency.wholesale cool gadgets store
However, an official said the iodine would have deteriorated considerably by the time it reached people.wholesale Android Tablets
Meanwhile, the president of the Fukushima nuclear plant operator Tepco has been admitted to hospital.
Masataka Shimizu is being treated for high blood pressure and dizziness, a Tepco spokesperson said.
Mr Shimizu has barely been seen in public since the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March which damaged the Fukushima plant.
Engineers are battling to restore power and restart the cooling systems at the plant.
Tepco has been accused of a lack of transparency and failing to provide information more promptly. It was also heavily criticised for issuing erroneous radiation readings at the weekend.
Tepco officials have announced a news conference for 1500 local time
However, an official said the iodine would have deteriorated considerably by the time it reached people.wholesale Android Tablets
Meanwhile, the president of the Fukushima nuclear plant operator Tepco has been admitted to hospital.
Masataka Shimizu is being treated for high blood pressure and dizziness, a Tepco spokesperson said.
Mr Shimizu has barely been seen in public since the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March which damaged the Fukushima plant.
Engineers are battling to restore power and restart the cooling systems at the plant.
Tepco has been accused of a lack of transparency and failing to provide information more promptly. It was also heavily criticised for issuing erroneous radiation readings at the weekend.
Tepco officials have announced a news conference for 1500 local time
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Google plans mobile phone credit card
wholesale cool gadgets store Google is set to join forces with MasterCard and Citigroup to let users of its Android mobile phones pay for purchases using ‘near-field communications’ (NFC) technology, reports say.
The move confirms suggestions made by Google when the NFC-enabled Nexus S handset launched, and would give the search giant a response to Orange’s UK plans to use Barclaycard’s technology for mobile phone ‘contactless’ payment. Apple is also rumoured to be considering using ‘NFC’ wholesale Android Tablets chips in its future iPhone products.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that “The planned payment system would allow Google to offer retailers more data about their customers and help them target ads and discount offers to mobile-device users near their stores. Google isn't expected to get a cut of the transaction fees.”
That approach would differ from rumours about how Apple could implement its system, but no clear details have yet emerged of any manufacturer’s plan. Apps, however, could be used to enable holders of credit cards to turn their phones into mobile wallets.
A number of companies, such as discount site Groupon as well as Google, are known to be working on ways of making mobile phones received highly targeted offers or adverts. Google’s Chief Executive Eric Schmidt has repeatedly said that Google wants to take advantage of how much mobile phones know about their owners. Location data, combined with time and shopping history could be used to tailor ads, for instance. Mr Schmidt has also spoken enthusiastically about the potential for phones to be used to make payments.
The move confirms suggestions made by Google when the NFC-enabled Nexus S handset launched, and would give the search giant a response to Orange’s UK plans to use Barclaycard’s technology for mobile phone ‘contactless’ payment. Apple is also rumoured to be considering using ‘NFC’ wholesale Android Tablets chips in its future iPhone products.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that “The planned payment system would allow Google to offer retailers more data about their customers and help them target ads and discount offers to mobile-device users near their stores. Google isn't expected to get a cut of the transaction fees.”
That approach would differ from rumours about how Apple could implement its system, but no clear details have yet emerged of any manufacturer’s plan. Apps, however, could be used to enable holders of credit cards to turn their phones into mobile wallets.
A number of companies, such as discount site Groupon as well as Google, are known to be working on ways of making mobile phones received highly targeted offers or adverts. Google’s Chief Executive Eric Schmidt has repeatedly said that Google wants to take advantage of how much mobile phones know about their owners. Location data, combined with time and shopping history could be used to tailor ads, for instance. Mr Schmidt has also spoken enthusiastically about the potential for phones to be used to make payments.
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