More On Phablets

Phablets aren't just a passing craze, new data show.

Shipments of the phone-tablet hybrids will surpass portable PC shipments this year and tablet shipments next year, International Data Corp. said Wednesday. The tech research firm defines phablets as smartphones with screen sizes between 5.5 and about 6.99 inches. Devices with displays 7 inches and above are considered tablets.

This year, electronics vendors will ship about 175 million phablets, IDC said, passing the 170 million laptops expected to ship during the same period. Next year, phablet shipments will top 318 million units, surpassing the 233 million tablets forecast to ship in 2015. Apple's larger screen iPhones should give the category a boost, with phablets growing to 32 percent of the smartphone market in 2018 from 14 percent this year, IDC said.

"With Apple expected to join the space in the coming weeks, we anticipate even more attention on phablets as larger screen smartphones become the new norm," said Melissa Chau, IDC senior research manager.

Samsung Electronics, which launched its newest phablet Wednesday, started the phablet category with the introduction of the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note in 2011. Though the device was mocked at first for its large, almost comical display, but the larger display size gradually found acceptance with consumers. There was a begrudging acceptance of the Note 2 in the market and eager anticipation for the Note 3. Samsung's devices also set off a stream of similar big-screen devices from rival handset vendors such as HTC and LG. Even Apple plans to introduce bigger screen iPhones, including a possible 5.5-inch phablet, during an event Tuesday in Cupertino, Calif.

Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone vendor, on Wednesday showed off its new 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4 at its Unpacked events in Beijing, Berlin, and New York. It also unveiled the Galaxy Note Edge, a new phablet with a 5.6-inch display that curves around the right side of the device -- giving a sort of infinity pool effect. Users can see quick notifications, such as sports scores or trending items on Twitter, or click on app shortcuts, even while watching a movie on the main screen. In a world where all smartphones have started to look the same, the Galaxy Note Edge stands out.

New Mirrorless Movers

MIRRORLESS MOVERS NOW AVAILABLE IN HEATHERED GREY

Think Tank Photo has just released a new accent color, Heathered Grey, in a subtle crosshatch weave, to our popular Mirrorless Mover collection. Mirrorless Movers are scaled to fit today's smaller mirrorless cameras. The collection offers you the same top quality materials and craftsmanship for which Think Tank is renowned.

Four sizes of bags offer a wide choice to consumers; from the smallest case, the Mirrorless Mover 5, designed for one mirrorless camera, on up to the largest, the Mirrorless Mover 30i, which will accommodate a camera, lenses, accessories and an iPad®.

KEY FEATURES

• Designed specifically for mirrorless equipment.
• High quality YKK zippers and metal hardware.
• Multipurpose divider with smart phone slot and two SD card slots (excluding smallest size).
• Dedicated iPad pocket (Mirrorless Mover 30i).
• Easily accessible front organizer pocket.
• Stretchable side pockets fit accessories (excluding smallest size).
• Padded non-slip flexible shoulder strap (Mirrorless Mover 30i).
• Poly-ballistic fabric ensures durability.
• Seam-sealed rain cover included in front pocket.
• Internal mesh pocket on lid for batteries or other accessories.

Check them out at www.thinktankphoto.com

New Epson Printers

Epson America has announced the Epson WorkForce® 2600-Series all-in-one printers designed for the home and small office. The WorkForce WF-2660 and WF-2650 leverage Epson’s PrecisionCore™ printhead technology and offer a unique combination of performance and value in a compact design for businesses, delivering laser-sharp black and color text printing, professional quality prints and easy wireless printing at an affordable price.

The WorkForce WF-2660, WF-2650 and WF-2630 expand Epson’s existing line of WorkForce printers built for business, and include enhanced connectivity options to make printing from tablets and smartphones easier than ever. The WorkForce WF-2660 supports NFC1 touch-to-print capabilities, and all printers include wireless and Wi-Fi Direct2, which means no router is required for printing and scanning. The WorkForce 2600-Series is also equipped with Epson Connect™ for the ability to print and scan documents, photos, emails and web pages from a tablet, smartphone or computer from literally anywhere in the world3.

The WorkForce 2600-Series offers increased productivity features including laser-quality prints at fast print speeds, a 30-page Auto Document Feeder and scan-to-cloud4 capabilities. In addition, these models feature DURABrite® Ultra Inks that deliver smudge, fade and water resistant prints in affordable individual ink cartridges, so users only have to replace the color needed.

Pricing and Availability

The Epson WorkForce WF-2660 ($149.99*) and WF-2630 ($99.99*) will be available in late September and the WF-2650 ($129.99*) will be available in late October through major computer, office and electronic superstores, mail order, and the Epson Store, www.epsonstore.com.

For more information and availability, please visit epson.com/workforce.

Spending On Apps

Both smartphone and tablet usage are at all-time highs, but new data shows the tablet is still king among app spenders.

In new research from Frank N. Magid Associates, smartphone use has hit a record high in the US, counting 71 percent of the population this year -- up 10 percentage points from last year and up 40 points since 2011. Tablet use has risen even faster, hitting 57 percent of the population this year -- up 13 points from last year and up 45 points since 2011.

While tablet usage is comparatively lower, spending is still far higher. In the past year, 60 percent of tablet users said they spent money on apps, compared to 54 percent of smartphone users. On average, consumers spent $19 for apps on tablets, far higher than the $13 average spent by smartphone users. In-app purchasing on tablets, averaged at $16, is nearly double the $9 spent on smartphones. In total, tablet customers spent $55 each on average for content, compared with smartphone users at $42 each.

The only place spending is even? Subscription services, such as streaming music or video apps, which were $20 on both smartphones and tablets.

Tablet Shipments

Following back-to-back quarters of unimpressive tablet shipments, researcher IDC on Friday slashed its 2014 worldwide forecast for tablets and tablet/laptop hybrids, citing an obvious slowdown in demand. IDC said shipments of tablets and hybrids, often called 2-in-1s, will rise 6.5 percent this year to 233.1 million units, well below its prior forecast of 12.1 percent growth.

There are a handful of reasons for sapped demand in tablets. First, most people who want tablets likely already have them. Anyone interested in upgrading often passes down an old model to a friend or relative, which cuts down on demand for the newest products. Also, wireless providers don't generally offer two-year contracts -- and the subsidies that come along -- for tablets, which also reduces interest in upgrading.

However, IDC pointed out that while North America and Western Europe will see flat growth in the tablet market this year, emerging markets are still seeing demand. This trend appears to parallel what's happening in smartphones, where since 2011 emerging markets have accounted for more than 50 percent of annual smartphone shipments, while mature markets are experiencing slower growth.

These trends mean tablet and smartphone makers will have to build up a presence in emerging economies to capture that growth. At the same time, they'll have to live with less profitable sales from those regions, since devices sold into those markets are usually cheaper.

The tablet market could get a shot in the arm next year, when Apple is reportedly going to start production of its next iPad tablet, expected to include a bigger screen. Still, even Apple -- the leader in tablet sales -- has admitted demand for tablets

iCloud Hackers

A funny thing happened on the Internet Sunday as a cache of nude photos of Kate Upton, Jennifer Lawrence, and other big-name stars made their way onto 4chan, as BuzzFeed notes. Reports indicate that this leak may have been the result of a hacker (or hackers) taking advantage of a flaw in Apple's iCloud service.

According to TheNextWeb, a hacker may have used a Python script posted to GitHub to hack their way into celebrities' iCloud accounts. The script, TheNextWeb reports, uses a flaw in Find My iPhone to make it easier to crack a password using "brute force" means where hackers use a piece of software to repeatedly guess a password.

This exploit reportedly disabled any "lockout" mechanism to keep hackers from brute-forcing a password. It also went around iCloud's security notification feature, TheNextWeb notes, so users apparently had no idea that their accounts were compromised.

The motivation for the attack seems to be financial in nature: BuzzFeed reports that the hacker posted the photos to 4chan "in an attempt to earn bitcoins."

TheNextWeb says that it appears that Apple has corrected the flaw, but as of this writing, Apple has yet to comment on the matter.

Happy Labor Day

Today is Labor Day in the States, the unofficial end of summer. We would like to wish all of our regular readers a happy holiday and .we hope you have an enjoyable cookout with family and friends.

See you tomorrow with more of the latest hot news from the tech world. And remember.... no wearing white after Labor Day!!