Data Modernization: Data Warehouse Migration from Teradata to AWS Redshift

 

Be it the large volume of data or data field mapping issues. Be it the time duration for the entire restoration or the large size of fact tables and data validation. On-premise data warehouses always come with their own caveats. Therefore, migrating from an on-premise data warehouse to a cloud data warehouse can help you drastically with data modernization. 

 

You can easily manage gazillions of data and get rid of the data mapping issues and optimize your CapEx & OpEx. Let’s understand how Teradata to AWS Redshift migration can help you with your data modernization journey.

 

In order to migrate the on-premise Data Warehouse (Teradata Database) to AWS Cloud Infrastructure (Redshift Database), you need a well-defined mechanism in place.

 

AWS provides Amazon SCT (Schema Conversion Tool) for converting schema and loading chunks of data for large fact tables by applying conditions for source data. The time duration is an important constraint for the entire migration process. You can leverage parallel tasks in SCT for processing different chunks of data resulting in faster migration of data

Why do you Need to Migrate from Terdata to Redshift for Data Modernization?

 

By migrating from Teradata to Redshift, you can redesign and rebuild the system. You can replace complex views and stored procedures with Postgres UDF, and Perl/Python script translations. This shift also helps you with an automated end-to-end data validation script to assess the data after migration inside a stringent validation window.

 

With the migration from Teradata to Amazon Redshift, you get:

• A user-friendly and highly scalable robust system at a strikingly lower cost
• An improved and highly satisfactory query performance 
• Better workload management results in faster performance
• Multiple custom integrations for better administration and development
• Redshift database can be co-located with S3 data storage which can access data with a single copy command resulting in a huge add-on to data engineering productivity

 

Long-term Benefits of Migrating from Teradata to Redshift

·        By automating the provisioning of administrative tasks, Amazon Redshift requires less staff time to deploy, manage, and support. In addition, Redshift has the flexibility to deliver more value to organizations through more timely delivery of PaaS offerings.

·        Data warehousing operations experience fewer user and business-impacting outages with Redshift, indicating that organizations save productive employee time and potential revenue to outages and downtimes.

·        A variable spending model, scalability, and data compression capabilities reduce the need to potentially overprovision data warehousing environments while moving to Amazon Redshift. This enables operational cost savings and helps you reduce your TCO.

 

Summing Up

Thus, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that migrating from Teradata to Amazon Redshift can greatly enable you to drive performance efficiency, innovation, and agility. But how do you seamlessly relocate your humongous data from on-prem to a cloud data warehouse? You need a data modernization solution that can help you make this journey smooth.

 

With Rawcubes, you can reduce your migration effort tremendously by up to 60% and decrease the deployment time of analytics to the target platform by 40%.

 

Not only this. You get a code-free schema and data platform migrator to operationalize analytical models from the new cloud platform to the existing reporting system in less time using ML DataOps Pipelines. You can build an autonomous knowledge hub or data catalog with Knowledge Graph with our Data Discovery Solutions.

 

Are you ready to multiply your revenue and drive efficiency & innovation? To learn more about the Teradata to Azure migration strategy and successfully revamp your data warehouse, explore our data modernization solution and book a discovery call with our experts now!

Make Your Data More Secure With Lenovo Laptops

These days, data privacy is one of the priorities of the customer. And that's the reason, the Lenovo brand makes securing the privacy and security of consumer data a priority.

Whether you are buying some clothes, surfing the internet or some websites for fun, paying your daily needs bills, searching for some genuine information, updating posts on social media, or scrolling the website and companies you are visiting, consumer data privacy should be in safe hands and must not be sold.

With reference to the concern of data privacy and security, the Lenovo brand has made some significant updates to its privacy arrangements, starting with data privacy policies and the laptops (Lenovo Thinkpad) in place to help consumers ensure the privacy of their data.

 

Lenovo Privacy Program

Lenovo Privacy Program strives to help ensure that Lenovo’s global operations, comply with regulations in the industry in which Lenovo brands operates.

Lenovo brand is always committed to being genuine about data practices and how it works and safeguards consumer's data.

Besides, Lenovo is also committed to offering individuals the ability to obtain, access, correct, and request deletion of their data that the Lenovo database holds.

Consequently, Lenovo Privacy has also launched a new data subject request policy, which interprets the request process for consumers and enhances the time it takes Lenovo to verify and respond to those requests.

 

The Lenovo Thinkpad - designed especially for businesses

For those individuals who’ve struggled with data privacy, garbled voices, and distracting backdrop noise on group calls, the Lenovo ThinkPad’s dual far-field microphones for garbled voices, Privacy program for data security, and improved 360-degree reception to improve VoIP conferencing performance, especially when you’re in loud surroundings.

 

And yes, data privacy and security is one of the tops of mind for everyone, the Lenovo brand is thus giving greater peace of mind with just a slide of the Thinkshutter in the laptop, the all-in-one integrated camera security cover that physically shields ThinkPad users from the view of malicious webcam snoopers.

Apple asks Beijing court to lift iPhone 6 sales ban, reverse patent infringement ruling

Apple on Wednesday appeared in Chinese court to defend its iPhone 6 from patent infringement charges leveled by now insolvent tech firm Shenzhen Baili, arguing that the Beijing Intellectual Property Office defied legal convention in its decision to ban sales of the device.

Presenting Apple's case in front of the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, attorney Yang Pu said the ruling to ban iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales due to design similarities with Baili's 100C smartphone was unfounded and unreasonable, reports China Daily.

Apple argues the iPhone 6 series design includes 13 technical differences as compared to patent filings protecting Baili's 100C smartphone.

"Average consumers can distinguish them easily," Yang said. She pointed specifically to the symmetrical curvature of iPhone's chassis, "which is completely different from the Chinese product."

Baili filed its patent lawsuit against Apple in December 2014 at a time when the company was flush with funding from big investors like Chinese tech giant Baidu. When the Beijing regulatory body finally reached a decision in favor of Baili this past June, consequently granting a sales injunction against iPhone 6, the little known firm and its parent Digione were insolvent.

Attorneys for Digione said the Baili subsidiary, while depleted, was "still operational in its necessary functions." With no financial activity to speak of, and a parent company who moved away from the smartphone market, Baili is for all intents and purposes a non-practicing entity.

In true patent troll form, Digione has suggested a potential expansion of its patent case to include Apple's more recent iPhone 6s designs.

Interestingly, the 100C design patent dates back to March 2014, around the same time leaked images and renders of what would become iPhone 6 began to circulate on the web. It has been speculated that Baili simply aped the leaked material in a bid to get a product out ahead of the Cupertino tech giant's usual fall refresh cycle. The company vehemently denies those rumors.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Court did not furnish a verdict following Wednesday's nearly eight-hour trial. As such, Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus remain on store shelves pending the trial's outcome.

Despite Apple's consumer success in China, the country's arcane IP laws have at times proven difficult to navigate. In 2012, for example, the iPhone maker paid out $60 million to settle an iPad trademark dispute with embattled local monitor maker Proview. More recently, Apple lost exclusive rights to the iPhone moniker as it applies to smartphone accessories. 

Resource: http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/12/08/apple-asks-beijing-court-to-lift-iphone-6-sales-ban-reverse-patent-infringement-ruling

Apple iPhone 8: Rumours and what we know so far

The iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus made their debut just a few months back. Knowing the popularity of the smartphone, it doesn’t come as a surprise that speculations and rumours for the new iPhone have already begun. However the coming year will be quite important for the smartphone maker as 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone.

According to a report, the company is testing more than 10 different prototypes for its next big smartphone. One of the rumoured prototypes that is being tested is allegedly using an OLED display without any bezels and could be curved like Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge. It could also feature wireless charging, a feature that has been long awaited on the smartphone.

Apple has its tick-tock cycle for naming the iPhone, so technically the new iPhone should be called the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. However, a lot of contradictory reports suggest that Apple could jump it this time and announce the iPhone 8. It could also see a major design update since it will be ten years since the first iPhone was announced by Steve Jobs back in 2007.

New iPhones are usually announced in the first two weeks of September right before the holiday season. While there hasn’t been any hints about Apple breaking the tradition, so we can expect the annoucnement to be anytime during the first two weeks of September next year. It will be an anniversary special though, so Apple could completely choose a different date, maybe even June 29, the same day the first iPhone was released.

In terms of pricing, the iPhone has always been a premium product. Considering the Apple pricing mechanics, the new iPhone could take the pricing of the current generation while the 7 and 7 Plus could see a drop. This means that the pricing for the new iPhones could start at $649.

Resource: http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/apple-iphone-8-rumours-and-what-we-know-so-far-351836.html

Apple Unlikely To Move iPhone Production To The U.S.

Japanese newspaper Nikkei reports that Apple asked its key manufacturing partners in June to study the possibility of relocating iPhone production from Asia to the United States, likely driven in part by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs on Chinese imports and his criticism of the tech behemoth’s use of overseas manufacturing. Below we take a brief look at the feasibility of producing in the United States and also look at the potential financial impact on Apple.

Trefis has a $125 price estimate for Apple, which is 15% ahead of the current market price.

See our complete analysis for Apple here

Asia’s Mature Electronics Supply Chain Difficult To Replicate In The U.S.

Apple has a very asset-light model, relying entirely on contract manufacturers such as Foxconn and Pegatron to assemble its smartphones. These manufacturers, who largely operate out of China, help Apple keep costs low by leveraging Asia’s well-oiled and dynamic consumer electronics supply chain, which comprises major semiconductor fabs and component manufacturers that churn out components ranging from displays to microprocessors to batteries. The region also has a vast and relatively cheap labor pool, giving companies the ability to quickly scale up their production when required.

It could prove very time-consuming and inefficient to shift production to the U.S., given the costs of uprooting and relocating manufacturing facilities. Moreover, staffing these facilities at scale could prove a challenge. For instance, Foxconn employed a total of 690,000 workers in China at the end of April and it’s safe to assume that at least half of these workers were working on Apple products. It may be unlikely that American workers would take to these relatively labor-intensive roles.

Higher Costs Will Put Pressure On Apple’s Margins

According to estimates from IHS, it costs Apple roughly $225 to manufacture an iPhone 7 in Asia, with assembly costs standing at just about $5, or about 2% of the total cost. However, by some estimates, the cost of manufacturing an iPhone in the U.S. could be $30 to $40 higher, given the higher expenses associated with shipping components from various countries to the U.S. [1] Costs could rise by an estimated $80 to $90 if the various iPhone components were to be made in the United States as well. This cost escalation would come as a blow to Apple, which has already been seeing shrinking gross margins, amid higher manufacturing costs and currency headwinds. (related: Apple’s Flagship iPhone Keeps Getting More Expensive To Build)
Resource: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2016/11/22/why-its-unlikely-that-apple-will-move-iphone-production-to-the-u-s/#b4117a82fd75

Apple Launches Replacement Program For Defective iPhone 6S Batteries

Apple has acknowledged that there are battery problems on some iPhone 6S models that cause the devices to shut down unexpectedly. Fortunately, the battery problem is not a safety hazard. The battery replacement program may have been in response to a request by the China Consumers Association (CCA) asking Apple to investigate complaints about permanent iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S shutdowns last week, according to AppleInsider.

“Apple has determined that a very small number of iPhone 6s devices may unexpectedly shut down. This is not a safety issue and only affects devices within a limited serial number range that were manufactured between September and October 2015,” said Apple on a support page.  “If you have experienced this issue, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider and have your device’s serial number checked to confirm eligibility for a battery replacement, free of charge.”

The iPhone 6S battery cannot be replaced through your wireless carrier. And Apple said that the iPhone 6S battery replacement program does not extend the standard warranty coverage. It’s also worth mentioning that the battery replacement program covers affected iPhone 6S batteries for 3 years after the first retail sale of the unit.

If your iPhone 6S has a cracked screen that impairs the replacement of the battery, then that issue will have to be resolved before the battery can be replaced. And there might a cost associated with the repair. Apple is offering the iPhone 6S battery replacement program worldwide, but the repairs are restricted to the country or region where the device was purchased.

Over the last few months, Samsung has been dealing with major smartphone battery problems of its own. Samsung had to recall and shut down the distribution of the Galaxy Note7 smartphones due to battery combustion problems — which caused many of the devices to catch on fire.

This is not the only repair program that Apple launched this month. Apple set up a separate repair program for the iPhone 6 Plus about a week ago because some of those devices may flicker or experience Multi-Touch issues after being dropped multiple times on a hard surface. If your iPhone 6 Plus has these problems, then Apple will repair it for a service price of $149. According to Forbes contributor Ewan Spence, iPhone 6 Plus owners that paid for a service on their device can contact Apple for a reimbursement if they were charged more than the $149 charge.

What are your thoughts about the iPhone 6S battery replacement program? Were you affected by this problem? Please leave a comment!

Resource: http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2016/11/23/iphone-6s-battery-issue/#690157af71c8

Apple users take note: This 5-second video will crash your iPhone

Apple users have a new bug to worry about. This time it is in the form of a five-second video which can cause your iPhone to crash. According to a video shared by YouTube channel EverythingApplePro viewing this one video in Safari causes iOS to crash. Another report on 9to5Mac says it is not clear why this happens, but it is likely a corrupted video file which iOS is unable to handle when it is playing.

EverythingApplePro’s video already has over 800,000 views on YouTube. The problem was discovered by users on Reddit. Also this isn’t limited to one iOS build. Apparently in the video even iPhones on iOS 5 will freeze and the phone will crash. The report also points out that in iOS 10.2 beta 3, the iPhone will power off and show the spinning wheel for a really long time.

But don’t worry, there is a solution for this problem. Apple users just need to hard reset their iPhone. In iPhone 6s and older series, you just long press the home and power button at the same time. In case of iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus just long press the power and volume down button together.

Another video on The Verge shows how the link can be delivered via a iMessage and what happens when you click it. The device doesn’t crash immediately after you’ve watched the video, it takes around 5-10 seconds, and according to the report, the device starts to slow down and eventually freezes forcing a hard reset.

This is not the first bug facing iOS devices in recent times. In May last year there was a bug which caused iPhones to crash when a message containing a specific string of text was received. The bug included symbols and Arabic characters and affected iPhones running iOS 8.3.

Also read: Apple iOS 9.3: iPhone, iPad users complain of Safari crashing after update

The device would restart as soon a user got the message. Apple had later issued a software fix for the problem. Then in March 2016 iPad and iPhone users faced issues with Safari which kept crashing after iOS 9.3 update. Apple has yet to issue a statement on this latest bug affecting iPhones. For now iPhone users should open any MP4 files or links sent to them via iMessage, especially from unknown numbers.

Resource: http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/mobile-tabs/apple-iphone-bug-this-5-second-video-will-crash-your-iphone-4390818/

Lenovo Z2 Plus vs Huawei Honor 8 vs Samsung Galaxy J7 2016: Which One Should You Go For?

The comparison report of the Lenovo Z2 Plus, Huawei Honor 8, and the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 has highlighted the excellent features of the three devices like their high-performance Snapdragon chipset, battery capacity, and exceptional AMOLED display panel. Below we have pitted the three devices against each other in order to help you choose the best buy option.

To start with, the Lenovo Z2 Plus features a 5-inch screen with an IPS LCD display panel and 1080 x 1920 pixels resolutions on board. The Huawei Honor 8 sports a 5.2-inch screen with LTPS capacitive panel and 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 consists of a huge 5.5-inch screen display with Super AMOLED display panel and 1080 x 720 pixels resolution.

As far as the performance features are concerned, the Lenovo phone consists of a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset along with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage option whereas the Huawei device features a HiSilicon Kirin 950 processor with 4 GB RAM and two option of 32 GB and 64 GB storage. Besides, the Galaxy J7 2016 phone sports an efficient Snapdragon 617 octa-core chipset with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage expandable up to 128 GB.

Furthermore, the Z2 Plus device consists of a 13-megapixel rear and an 8-megapixel front camera whereas the Honor 8 phone sports a 12-megapixel primary and an 8-megapixel secondary camera on board. The Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 consists of a 13-megapixel rear and a 5-megapixel front camera with additional features like panorama, HDR, geo-tagging, touch focus, and face detection.

Moving on, the Lenovo Z2 Plus excels with a non-removable Li-Po 3500 mAh battery whereas the Huawei Honor 8 sports a 3,000 mAh battery capacity and the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 features a removable Li-Ion 3,300 mAh battery.

In terms of software specs, the Z2 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy J7 smartphone run on the latest Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system. However, the latter device also features an additional TouchWiz UI skin, which provides the users with an excellent user interface.  Besides, the Honor 8 phone consists of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS.

To sum up, all the three devices can be stated to be excellent in one or the other specs. Hence, choosing a smartphone amongst the three will totally depend on your specs requirements.
Resource: http://www.mobilenapps.com/articles/21891/20161114/lenovo-z2-plus-huawei-honor-8-samsung-galaxy-j7-2016.htm

Deal: Amazon is selling the Asus ZenFone Zoom for $249 ($150 off)

 Amazon's Countdown to Black Friday Deals Week has been going on pretty much ever since the beginning of November, and it's already been home to some pretty solid offerings. One of the most notable ones thus far has been the Nextbit Robin for just $169.99, but if you're in the market for something with a camera setup that's a bit more impressive (and certainly a lot more unique), we've got a feeling you might be interested in this deal.

As part of their Countdown to Black Friday promotion, Amazon is offering $150 off of the Asus ZenFone Zoom. This brings the cost of the phone down to $249 from $399, creating for a total savings of about 38%. Just what do you get for $249 though? First off, let's talk about the elephant in the room - the camera. The ZenFone Zoom features a 13MP camera on the back that is capable of delivering 3X optical zoom. This means that you're able to zoom in with the camera sensor up to three times without losing any photo quality, and it really is quite impressive that Asus was able to pack all that power into a relatively slim and trim body.

Other specs for the phone include a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS display, quad-core Intel Atom processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery. Bundle all of that with the impressive camera system that the ZenFone Zoom is packing in, and you're looking at a rather attractive package for $249 - especially if you're a photography nut.

Resource:http://www.phonearena.com/news/Deal-Amazon-is-selling-the-Asus-ZenFone-Zoom-for-249-150-off_id87757

Asus may reveal a Project Tango phone at CES 2017, according to report

Hardware development around Project Tango, Google’s augmented reality tech for smartphones, has been slow going so far. That is partly due to a lack of manufacturing muscle — Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro is the first and only handset to sport the platform’s proprietary sensors. If rumblings are to be believed, though, that will not be the case for much longer — according to Digitimes, Asus to plans take the wraps off a Tango-ready smartphone in January.

The news comes straight from the horses’ mouth: Asus CEO Jerry Shen. The company chief told Digitimes that the forthcoming phone, dubbed “ZenFone AR,” will launch at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2017 in Las Vegas. “The ZenFone AR will come with advanced functionality and performance at a competitive price,” Shen said.

More: Alcatel jumps into the virtual reality deep end with the Vision VR headset and 360-degree camera

It will precede the launch of an all-in-one virtual reality device in the third quarter of 2017, one with built-in cameras, sensors, and controllers, Shen said. It will debut ahead of the next series of ZenFone 4-series devices, which the company plans to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2017.



Google describes Project Tango as a “computer vision platform for mobile devices,” a combination of software and hardware that enables smartphones to see the world around them in three dimensions. Tango applications tap that data for augmented-reality experiences — phones can take real-time measurements of a room and produce virtual objects that interact with their real-world surroundings.

It is a level of immersion far beyond what is delivered by stationary headsets like Samsung’s Gear VR, Google Cardboard, and Daydream. Tango applications are spatially aware, meaning a headset wearer can interact with the walls or a room. One prototype has Tango users drop dominoes and other toys onto a physical table, another tasks users with shooting poltergeists that emerge from walls.

More: Google’s first AR-capable Tango phone, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, now available

The first smartphone to pack Gooogle’s Tango tech, the Phab 2 Pro, went on sale in early November for $500. It launched alongside more than 35 Tango-enabled apps and games, many which were graduates of a Google-backed incubator established to accelerate the advancement of Tango applications. “Over the last few months, we have worked closely with app developers to create a wide variety of smartphone-based augmented reality apps,” Senior Product Manager for Tango Justin Quimby wrote. “Our app incubator program supported a wide range of developers — from Crayola Color Blaster to Ghostly Mansions — to create new ways to do more, play more and explore more with your phone.”

Less is known about the platform that will power self-contained headsets from Asus. Presumably, it will compete with the likes of ZTE, which took the wraps off its proprietary VR platform — the Vision VR — at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. It sports a built-in processor, battery, and wireless chips, and will launch with a library of more than 100 games and videos when it goes on sale in 2017.
Resource: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/asus-project-tango-news/

Mobile phone explodes, burns Winnipeg man's hands

 Amarjit Mann, 34, has second degree burns on his hands, third degree burns on his wrists and he's spent all of Sunday at the hospital.

His injuries are all because his Samsung Galaxy S-7 smartphone exploded in his hand.

"This is a nightmare for me, I have never seen anything like this," Mann said.

Mann explained he was driving his car on Arlington Street at about 10:30 am on Sunday when the phone exploded in his pocket.

He said he felt it getting warm, so he pulled over, took the phone out, and he said that’s when it blew up.

"Luckily I was holding it, imagine if it was against my face, I should have lost my eye or cheek, anything could have happened," he said. "I threw it outside, it should have damaged my whole car, I just saw smoke and nothing else."

In October, Samsung issued a voluntary recall of its Galaxy Note-7 phone after dozens of phones caught fire across the United States.

The company warned on its the "affected devices can overheat and pose a safety risk".

One of the phones Samsung offers to customers looking for an exchange is the S-7 – the model Amarjit Mann bought just six months ago.

"We are unable to comment on any alleged incident without having an opportunity to obtain and analyze the product,” A Samsung Canada spokesperson said in a statement sent to CTV news.

“Customer safety remains our highest priority and we remain committed to working with any customer who has experienced an issue with a Samsung product."

Amarjit Mann is a mechanic, but doctors have told him he can't work for at least four weeks.

He said wants to know why this happened and he will be sending Samsung what's left of his phone

Resource:  http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/mobile-phone-explodes-burns-winnipeg-man-s-hands-1.3160799

Here's Why Samsung Needs to Launch a Successful Product in Mobile Phone Market

When Korean telecom giant Samsung announced it would launch the Note 7 in August, there was much excitement in the Indian unit. The product, with new features such as Iris scanner, waterproof body, improved battery, wraparound glass and precise S Pen, was expected to fire up flagging sales in India.

Instead, it has ended up burning a huge hole in revenues and market share.

In what is being termed as one of the worst product failures in tech history, the company began recalling the initial 2.5 million Note 7 devices sent to consumers in 10 countries, including the US and South Korea, after reports of the handsets catching fire.

It then completely scrapped the model, after the battery of the phones and the replacement phones exploded or caught fire.

The move cost the company billions of dollars and erosion of not just market capitalisation and profits but also consumer trust, globally.

In India, the fastest growing smartphone market in the world and a very critical market for the company, sales were initially delayed at first, and then put off indefinitely.

On September 9, aviation regulator DGCA banned Note 7 use or charging inside flights or in checked-in baggage. On September 30, four days after a meeting with Samsung executives, it allowed Note 7s made after September 15 to be used or charged in flights.

Now, Samsung’s market share in India, which was feeling the heat from competition, is hurting from the Note 7 debacle (see table). Reputation has taken hard knocks. The only solace is that Samsung’s popularity in the lower price segments is intact and that may cushion the impact of the Note 7 fiasco.

 Moving On
Jaipal Singh, senior analyst at International Data Corporation (IDC) India, says Samsung products are largely confined to the less than $300 (about Rs 20,500) price category because India is a value conscious market. "More than 90 per cent of Samsung shipments in India are less than $250 (about Rs 17,500) which makes it lesser vulnerable to the Note 7 impact."

Even so, the company is keen to put the Note 7 debacle behind it. It is pinning its hopes on the next flagship launch – rumoured to be Galaxy S8, successor to the popular Galaxy S7 – whose success could take the pressure off the company, more so in the premium segment where it does not have a strong contender.

"Samsung’s market share in overall smartphones is likely to be flat in the fourth quarter (October-December), but it can get back on the growth path in early 2017 if everything goes well with the Galaxy S8," says Tarun Pathak, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research said.

Anshul Gupta, research director at Gartner Inc, says until Samsung releases a Note replacement in the premium segment in India, there will be an impact on market share.

"The impact could be less muted if Samsung adopted more aggressive pricing for its rest of smartphones, which could lead to higher unit sales that will compensate for a drop in volumes in the higher priced segment."

The success of the new model will be important because Samsung’s mobile phone earnings globally plunged 96 per cent to $88 million in the quarter ended September from a year ago.

That dragged the quarterly earnings to their lowest in eight years. Revenue slid 7 per cent year-on-year to $42 billion and operating income fell 30 per cent to $4.6 billion. Mobile business makes up nearly two thirds of the company’s overall revenue.

In the Indian smartphone market, Samsung’s market share dipped by three percentage points to 22.6 per cent in the quarter ended September 2016, despite record volumes sold, according to Countertpoint Research data.

A combination of three factors was responsible — the absence of Note 7, its percolating perception effect on other models and mounting competitive pressure from Chinese players.

"Reputation damage caused by Note 7 has a ripple effect on Samsung’s overall smartphone sales which can be seen in third quarter and to some extent in fourth quarter as well," says Gartner’s Gupta.

While Samsung has kept its No. 1 position in the overall smartphone market intact, it will a struggle in the premium segment, where the Rs 59,990-priced Note 7 was meant to be sold.

Samsung is set to lose the top spot there to Apple, whose iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have done well in India. Absence, or delays, of a fresh model will create opportunity for competitors such as LG, Huawei and possibly Google with its Pixel smartphones to make inroads.

Samsung’s share will fall to 37 per cent by the year end, from about 59 per cent as of September, according to Counterpoint Research’s Pathak.

Analysts estimate the impact on Samsung’s annual revenue in India in 2016 to be huge – from Rs 700 crore according to Counterpoint Research to Rs 6,500 crore by Gurgaon-based Cybermedia Research – due to the Note 7 fiasco and its cascading effect on other models.

Samsung doesn’t give a breakup of revenue for India but the Indian management vehemently refuted the findings, saying that they were not based on empirical facts. They are confident the company would end the year on a strong note.

Since it decided to scrap the Note 7, the company has diverted all marketing efforts to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge and packed in freebies such as virtual reality headsets.

It has also launched devices across price spectrum – J5 Prime, J7 Prime, J2 Pro and On 8 in the affordable segment and A9 Pro in the higher priced segment. These devices are priced between Rs 9,400 and Rs 32,500. Pathak says Samsung is still five months away from its upcoming flagship with a crucial festive and year ending season involved within.

"So there is a scope for one rebooted version (say, an S7 Edge+) but eventually a lot will be riding on upcoming Galaxy S8/S8 Edge."

 The Next Model
The next Samsung flagship is likely to be announced at the Mobile World Congress 2017 in February, as the company has done with its previous flagship models. Samsung is sanguine, however.

It told investors and shareholders last Thursday that it was expanding probe into the Note 7 fires beyond batteries, indicating that the root cause may be more difficult to find.

Nevertheless, Samsung needs to rejuvenate its brand, according to experts. "Samsung needs to clearly identify and call out the exact issue with Note 7 batteries and use cases," says Rajeev Nair, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, a view that most sector watchers and industry insiders in India share.

The next set of devices should be channelised through stronger checks as any further incident may lead to a bad image for a prolonged period of time, IDC’s Singh added. IDC India is yet to release their numbers for the quarter.

Samsung should also treat Indian consumers at par with developed markets, as the Indian premium consumer today expects the same kind of service, communication and transparency from the global market leader, say telecom analysts.
Resource:http://www.adageindia.in/marketing/news/heres-why-samsung-needs-to-launch-a-successful-product-in-mobile-phone-market/articleshow/55424689.cms

Lenovo officially launches the Phab 2 Pro, the first Google Tango phone

The first phone to be powered by Google's augmented reality tech, Tango, has come to life in the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro.

Google's Project Tango, the company's 3D mapping and augmented reality technology, will now be available to the public through the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Google first announced the phone back in June 2016, but unveiled the availability of the device in a blog post on Tuesday.

According to Google's post, the Lenovo Phab 2 uses the new tech to "give apps new augmented reality capabilities." The phone is available now on Lenovo's website, starting at $499. At the time of this writing, there are more than 35 Tango-supported apps, which can be found in the Tango app itself, or in the Google Play store. Currently, most of the options are for gaming or consumer applications.

Project Tango made its debut in 2014, when Google showed off the technology on a smartphone. At the time, Google said that the purpose of the device was to "track the full 3D motion of the device, while simultaneously creating a map of the environment."

SEE: Qualcomm expands support for Google's Tango AR platform to Snapdragon 820 (ZDNet)

While the Tango phone began as a limited-release testing project, the technology eventually came to a tablet for developers in the summer of 2014. Roughly a year later the tablet's price was cut in half and the device was opened up for sale without an invite.

In January, at the 2016 CES in Las Vegas, Google announced that it would be partnering with Lenovo to produce a commercially-available Tango smartphone. The company also announced the creation of an incubator program for submission of apps that use the technology. In June of that year, Google and Lenovo first unveiled the Phab 2 Pro.


While my original theory about the purpose of the technology was that it could provide additional features like improved face unlock, it seems that Google is more focused on the consumer AR market with Tango. Outside of the AR games it works with, there is also a tool to measure furniture, for example.

The phone itself is available in Gunmetal Grey or Champagne Gold, and includes the multiple cameras needed to make an AR map of an environment. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor is optimized for the Tango technology, and the Phab 2 has 64GB of storage. It also has a 6.4-inch assertive display.

Google has demonstrated that it plans to continue to invest in hardware, with the recent release of the Pixel phone as a prime example. The new Lenovo Phab 2 Pro shows that the company is still willing to experiment with smaller-scale moonshots as well.

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is available now. It's unclear whether or not Google will open up the Tango project to other vendors.
The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers

    The first Google Tango smartphone, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, is available to the public now.
    Despite its potential for useful tools and features, Google seems to be targeting the AR gaming market with Tango.
    Google didn't say whether or not Lenovo would be the exclusive partner for Tango smartphones.
Resource: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/lenovo-officially-launches-the-phab-2-pro-the-first-google-tango-phone/

Rumor: Lenovo To Release Only ‘Moto’ Phones In The Future

Lenovo is one of the largest tech companies in Asia, and also globally, as they’re selling their products all over the world. In addition to manufacturing laptops and all sorts of tech, Lenovo is also a smartphone manufacturer. As many of you probably already know, this company had acquired Motorola Mobility from Google a couple of years ago, and has been releasing Moto-branded devices ever since then (in addition to Lenovo-branded ones). The Moto Z and Moto Z Force are the flagship Moto-branded devices for this year, and Lenovo has been pushing out the ‘Motorola’ brand bit-by-bit for a while now.

That being said, some people though that we will continue seeing Motorola’s Moto-branded devices released under the Lenovo brand, so that they will be called ‘Lenovo Moto’, or something of the sort. Well, it seems like a change is coming, though they might be released under different branding, at least according to a new rumor. According to the source, we won’t be seeing Lenovo-branded devices any longer (including Vibe-branded phones), the Lenovo P2 which is set to be released soon will be the last Lenovo-branded smartphone to hit the market. Now, the source isn’t exactly clear whether we’re going to see ‘Lenovo Moto’ devices in the future, or simply Moto-branded ones. In any case, if this rumor is accurate, you can expect to see ‘Moto’ branding on every single smartphone Lenovo decides to release in the future, as the Lenovo Mobile division of the Lenovo Group won’t release Lenovo-branded devices any longer.

Do keep in mind that this is just a rumor at this point, and truth be told the explanation is not all that great, so we’ll have to wait for Lenovo to officially explain what is going on. We have been waiting for such a change from the company considering they’ve been selling their devices under two separate brands, though we’re wondering whether the ‘Lenovo’ name will be included in the process at all, or will Moto completely take over and be the only branding out there, without the ‘Lenovo’ part. In any case, stay tuned, we’ll report back as soon as more info surfaces, as per usual.

Resource:  http://www.androidheadlines.com/2016/11/rumor-lenovo-to-release-only-moto-phones-in-the-future.html

Yahoo: Why doesn’t Apple know you have an iPhone?

Brands might talk about data, but Yahoo thinks not enough marketers are doing things that are really useful for consumers with it.

Yahoo’s SVP of communications products at Yahoo, Jeff Bonforte, has an issue with how marketers are using data.

He believes other brands should be more responsive in their approach to data and not rely on the basics. He says that by not doing more with data, brands, including Apple, are at risk of offending customers.

“I think when we collect a lot of data it can offend customers when we are so unresponsive about it,” he says, speaking at Yahoo’s IAB Upfronts event today (19 October).

Bonforte jokes that every time he walks in to an Apple store he is “reminded what a piece of sh*t” he is”, with the company not able to recall any of his information, despite the fact he has “spent a few million” dollars on Apple over the years.

“I’ve spent a few million on Apple stuff growing startups over the years and when I walk into a store they treat me like a real a-hole.”

Jeff Bonforte, SVP communications products, Yahoo

He continues: “It’s not that they aren’t a great company, I just I find it offensive they don’t know anything about me. Even when I give them my name and my number, they’re like ‘uh uh’ and ask ‘when did you buy this phone?’.”

READ MORE: Marketers ‘just as reluctant’ as consumers to share their data with brands

Bonforte believes data has played a key part in changing Yahoo’s own products, regardless of the fact the company suffered a cyber attack last month. The attack led to page views, searches and mail messages sent and read remaining flat in Yahoo’s third quarter results, released earlier this week.
The Don Draper effect

However, Bonforte does not believe Apple is alone in disregarding data and says many other brands are guilty too.

“I always think of you [brands] as Don Draper and myself as Maverick from TopGun,” he laughs.

Don Draper is a figure he refers back to repeatedly throughout his presentation, a figure he said describes how little the advertising industry has moved on in terms of data. He believes the days of classic advertising are still here, with many brands still trying to come up with the “perfect message in order to emotionally bind a product to the customer”.

“If you look at the world of online, a lot has changed, but if you look at advertising, it is still art and very little data. This is about as far as we have come, Don Draper with an iPhone,” he explained

He said brands should focus less on demographic, as he does not believe in advertising with “a who” in mind works in digital. By following this approach Bonforte said companies are leaving behind many customers and “lacking authenticity”.

READ MORE: Marketers overestimate consumers’ attitude to data

“Once you have decided you are targeting a 18- to 34-year-old male with a certain income and job, you have already lost all the advantages the data will give you. People need to focus on the ‘who’ but the machine doesn’t need that,” he explained.

Instead, Bonforte argued that brands should consider all data, including indirect data, and by the “bucketful”. He said that knowing thousands of things about a customer is one thing, but knowing hundreds of millions of things and having the ability to understand it through a machine is when you are dealing with key data.
Resource:  https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/10/19/yahoo-why-doesnt-apple-know-you-have-an-iphone/

Revealed: Apple iPhone 7 32GB is 8 Times Slower than Higher Storage Variants

Apple launched the new iPhone back in the month of August and both the new smartphones are already available in most part of the world. And if you are in the market to buy one of the new iPhones, there are pretty much three options available to you. You can get anyone from the three storage sizes available to you i.e. the 32GB, 128GB or the 256GB variant. If you don’t have any budget constraints, then you can pick up the 256GB variant.

But if you think that the storage size is the only difference in these new iPhones, then you are probably wrong. Yes, up until now we all thought that was the case, but it looks like there’s more to it. What if you get to know that the 256GB variant is 8 times as fast as the basic 32GB variant? Quite shocked right? Yes, if you think apart from the storage, everything is pretty much the same, then you might want to hold on to that thought for now.

    Why Apple has Removed the 3.5mm Audio Port & switched to Wireless Earpods

Answering the question asked above, you can say that Apple is not giving you the whole picture here. Yes as mentioned earlier, the 32GB model is substantially slower than the larger capacity model. And when i say, slower here, it means that the storage drive is not nearly as fast as the one found in the 256GB model. We also know that not all storage drives are same. One may be faster than the other in terms of read/write speeds and what not. There are a variety of different factors to consider here while making your purchase.

Well, what essentially would have happened here is that Apple took the route where it would cost them comparatively less by opting the lower quality ones. They are definitely not bad by any means, so you don’t have to worry about your device being defective or anything like that. We are only looking at a speed difference here, so if it is not something that bothers you then you don’t even have to worry about it. But hey, when you are purchasing by giving a huge chunk of money, then you might as well know everything about the device.

The below-embedded video is video from a popular Youtube Channel called Unbox Therapy. I came across this video and decided that this is something that everyone should be aware of. In the video, there are two different variants i.e. one is 32GB and the other one is the 256GB variant. And as you can see, a performance test is being run on both the devices. Now when you look at the results for the read/write speeds of both the smartphones, you will notice a significant drop in the write speeds of the 32GB variant of the iPhone 7.

Now, what does that mean? Well, if you are someone who constantly likes to sync your device to your PC/Mac and transfer content to and fro, then this is something to consider. Not a deal breaker for others maybe since the day-to-day performance is pretty much going to be the same  after all. But like i mentioned earlier, if you paying so much for a smartphone then you might as well get the best one out there for the price. With that being said, let me know what do you think about this in the comment section below and stay tuned for more info like this.

Resource:  http://phoneradar.com/revealed-apple-iphone-7-32gb-10-times-slower-higher-storage-variants/

These 5 insanely thin iPhone 7 cases are perfect for people who hate iPhone cases

These 5 insanely thin iPhone 7 cases are perfect for people who hate iPhone cases
[BGR News]
Zach Epstein
BGR NewsOctober 19, 2016

In September of each year, I embark on a mission of the utmost importance: I try to find iPhone cases for my new iPhone that aren't hideous. This vision quest often takes me to the furthest reaches of the internet, where true gems can be found if you're willing to put in some work. In 2017, this mission was particularly important because I switched from Apple's smaller flagship iPhone model to the larger iPhone 7 Plus. I'm very happy with my decision despite how often I use my phone with one hand. Why is that relevant? Because the 7 Plus is very uncomfortable to use with one hand.

The iPhone 8 lineup should be a bit narrower and shorter thanks to a new design that eliminates much of the space around the display, but Apple's next-generation iPhones are still a year away. In the meantime, I needed to find cases that would give my iPhone 7 Plus grip without adding any bulk. Thankfully, I ended up finding five different cases that all do a fantastic job.

MUST SEE: These custom wallpapers unlock a hidden glitch in the iPhone’s interface

TOZO and Peel

Without question, the "Super Thin iPhone 7 Case" by Peel is among the best options out there. These sleek cases are just 0.35mm thin and they fit perfectly on the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus. They add some grip — not very much — and they do absolutely nothing to protect the display or to protect the phone from impact damage if you drop it. They do save your iPhone from scratches, though.

But there's one big problem with Peel's cases.

There's another company out there called TOZO, and it sells the exact same case for the iPhone 7 or the iPhone 7 Plus... and it costs $8.99 with free Prime shipping on Amazon. Peel's cases cost $24.99 plus $5 shipping for a grand total of $30.

When I write that the TOZO case is "the exact same case," I mean that quite literally. It's the same exact material in the same exact cut — there is no question that they come from the same factory in China. The only difference is the available colors. TOZO's case comes in black, blue and white while Peel also offers gold and rose gold. All the colors are semi-transparent so you can still see the Apple logo on the back of the phone.

Unless you need your case in rose gold or gold, I highly recommend the TOZO case over Peel's cases, obviously because of the price difference.

Totallee Scarf 

 "The Scarf" by Totallee is the case I'm using on my iPhone 7 Plus right now. The design is very similar to the TOZO and Peel cases mentioned above, but there are a few key differences.

First, and most important to me, the material Totallee used for this case offers better grip than the TOZO and Peel case. It's still basically a thin plastic film like the other cases — it's just 0.5mm — but the plastic Totallee uses has a different texture to it. With The Scarf, I feel slightly more confident that the phone will not slip out of my hand.

Resource:  https://www.yahoo.com/tech/5-insanely-thin-iphone-7-cases-perfect-people-152023557.html

Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus Still Stocked Out, Not a Bad Thing, Says Piper

In case you were wondering how Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone is doing, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster is on the case, having canvassed 134 Apple retail shops in the U.S. about their in-store availability, and finding fewer have the item on hand than before.

“Our checks of 134 Apple Stores in the US show that only 40% of iPhone 7 SKUs were in stock (67% iPhone 7 and 14% iPhone 7 Plus). The table below outlines changes in US iPhone availability at Apple Stores since September 30th.”

That figure is actually up from the 2.2% for the 7-Plus it was on October 7th, he notes, and up slightly from 11.7% on September 30th.

Units in China are even more stocked-out:

Outside of the US, we are unable to capture iPhone availability at Apple Stores, but can capture similar data from 96 China Unicom stores in China. Inventory in China continues to be more constrained than in the US with around 12% total availability vs 40% in the US.

Munster’s not disappointed with the stock-outs, they just push sales into this quarter from last, he writes:

We continue to believe that the limited supply of the iPhone 7 should be positive for the Dec quarter outlook as demand shifts from September to December. Despite the supply, we remain comfortable with Sep revenue of $47.5B vs. Street of $46.5B.

Munster also notes Apple is expected to unveil new Macs at an October 27th media event, according to a report yesterday by Recode’s Ina Fried, citing multiple unnamed sources. If true, it “could help return Mac units to y/y growth as they have been down for each of the last three quarters,” he opines. “We expect Mac units to be down 10% in Sep-16, flat in Dec-16 (quarter of update), and up 4% in Mar-16.”

Apple shares today are up 2 cents at $117.48.

Resource: http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2016/10/19/apples-iphone-7-plus-still-stocked-out-not-a-bad-thing-says-piper/

iPhone 5S is still beating the Apple iPhone SE

Apple iPhone 5S is still the most popular smartphone from Apple. The iPhone 5S is announced and released in September 2013. But still, the iPhone 5S is still beating the iPhone SE. The iPhone SE is announced and released in March 2016 and has also some exciting features.

The iPhone SE has a similar display of 4.0 inches which the iPhone 5S have. The iPhone 5S is also featured by a 4.0 inches IPS LCD display. The main difference in both of these Apple smartphones is that the iPhone 5S is protected by Gorilla Glass along with oleophobic coating while the iPhone SE is not protected.

As both of the Apple, smartphones is upgradable to iOS 10.0.2 , the iPhone SE is powered by a Dual-core 1,8 GHz while the iPhone 5S is powered by a Dual-core 1.3 GHz processor along with 1 GB of Ram while the iPhone SE has 2 GB of Ram.

As both of the Apple devices is featured by a fingerprint sensor, if we talk about the battery life of these two devices so there is no such a big difference in the battery capacity of these devices. The iPhone SE has a non-removable 1624 mAh of a battery which gives a talk time up to 14 hours, while the iPhone 5S has a non-removable 1560 mAh of a battery which gives a talk time up to 10 hours. So still the iPhone 5S is the best smartphone from Apple.
Resource:  http://www.newsmaritime.com/2016/iphone-5s-still-beating-apple-iphone-se/

Apple issues fifth betas of iOS 10.1 with iPhone 7 Plus Portrait photos, macOS 10.12.1

Apple on Wednesday pushed out new fifth beta releases of both iOS 10.1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.1, as the company is expected to launch Portrait photo mode for the iPhone 7 Plus, as well as newly redesigned MacBook Pros, in just a matter of days.

Both developers and public testers with registered devices can now install iOS 10.1 beta 5, identified as build 14B72c, as well as macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 5, build 16B2553a.

The new iOS 10.1 beta arrives just two days after Apple supplied the fourth developer and public beta builds. The forthcoming update will introduce a new Portrait mode for photos on the iPhone 7 Plus, taking advantage of its dual-lens design to artificially blur the background in images.

As for macOS Sierra 10.12.1, its fourth beta arrived last week. The new update is expected to include support for an OLED touch bar that is rumored to be one of the main features of a redesigned, thinner MacBook Pro.

Both updates could launch to the public as soon as next week. Apple is expected to be planning a media presentation for next Thursday, Oct. 27, where the company is rumored to debut new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros, as well as a new 13-inch MacBook Air.

Resource: http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/10/19/apple-issues-fifth-betas-of-ios-101-with-iphone-7-plus-portrait-photos-macos-10121